Category: College Football

UConn to the Big 12 is the perfect offseason story. Spoiler alert: the prospect of such a move is going to extend into the football season.

It has to. Commissioner Brett Yormark will not stand still. He is advocating for UConn while the biggest Big 12 ever (16 teams) kicks off for the first time. At the same time, Yormark has to balance the prospect of naming rights, the House v. NCAA settlement and revenue sharing, all of which will impact his league. 

If UConn happens, it might be the first Power Five expansion based on basketball. While UConn is an undisputed men’s and women’s basketball brand, football just does not pull its weight. Not yet. 

That’s why the Big 12 expanding to a 17th team perhaps as soon as 2026 remains a contentious subject to some within the league. Football has and will continue to drive realignment. 

Talks have been going on for a while but have intensified lately; Big 12 presidents were briefed on UConn on Monday.

What’s next?

Does Yormark have the votes?

It’s not clear, but at this stage, indications are that he does not. That’s what Monday’s presentation was about. Any such expansion requires a “super majority” of Big 12 presidents voting in favor of expansion. That is, at least 12 of the 16 schools must approve. Discussions are ongoing, but it’s worth mentioning that Baylor president Linda Livingstone is the current Big 12 chair of the conference board of directors and the chair of the NCAA Board of Directors. What she thinks matters. CBS Sports reported Monday the current count is 6-2 in favor of the move. That two against might be a conservative estimate. Sources have indicated a handful of schools are either outright “no” votes or highly skeptical of the proposition at this stage. 

A reminder, it only…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Photo: Isaiah Hole

Michigan football is just days away from taking the field for the first time since winning the national championship over Washington in Houston last season and the team will look quite different.

With battles at quarterback, along the offensive line, and at cornerback, there are massive shoes to fill, but not a ton of huge holes.

Fresno State comes to town for the first-ever meeting between the two programs, and look to play spoiler just like the Bulldogs were able to do against Purdue last year. Both teams have first-time head coaches so it will be a battle of wills amid the unknown.

With position battles still ongoing in Ann Arbor in the lead up to the game, here is our prediction for the starting lineup on Saturday night.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Best guess at Michigan football starting lineup vs. Fresno State

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Getty Images

A blanket waiver will exempt postseason games from counting towards redshirt eligibility, the NCAA Division I Oversight Committee announced Tuesday. The new rule, which goes into effect immediately for the 2024 seson still limits redshirting players to four games but will not count conference championship, bowl and College Football Playoff contests toward that number. 

Among the biggest reasons for the change are the transfer windows that were implemented during the 2023-24 cycle and opt-outs for the NFL Draft. Florida State, for example, lost more than two dozen players between opt-outs for the NFL Draft and transfer portal during the Orange Bowl after missing the CFP last season. Under these new rules, Florida State redshirts could participate in the bowl game without penalty. 

With the new 12-team CFP going into effect this year, teams have the potential to play in up to five postseason contests. That would mean that a player could participate in potentially nine games during a 17-game season without exhausting a year of eligibility. 

Until 2018 college football players were not allowed to participate in any games as a redshirt player. However, the Division I Council ultimately amended this rule to allow four appearances. Programs have been selective in the past when it comes to utilizing these games. For example, Texas quarterback Arch Manning did not appear — even as a backup — until Nov. 24, 2023, against Texas Tech, when Texas reached a point where it could only conceivably play four more games. 

The shift allows teams to be more aggressive in how they…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

NORMAN — Former OU president George Lynn Cross famously, and wryly, told a legislative appropriations committee in the early 1950s that he would “like to build a university of which the football team could be proud.”

Using the parlance of Cross, Sooner fans for years have longed for OU to build a defense its offense could be proud of. A defense that wouldn’t let the elite quarterback play of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts go to waste. A defense, to put it simply, that wouldn’t let the offense down.

Suddenly, almost jarringly so, the script has flipped in Norman.

As OU opens its season at 6 p.m. Friday against Temple, it’s the defense that’s projected to be dependable — dominant, even — while the Sooner offense is shrouded in uncertainty.

Is Jackson Arnold the real deal? Is OU’s rebuilt offensive line going to gel? What will be the Sooners’ identity under new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell?

All good questions.

“Excited about what they could become,” Brent Venables said Monday of OU’s offense.

More: What’s ahead for first OU football game? Brent Venables not afraid to mix up formula

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables watches drills during the University of Oklahoma (OU) spring football practice at the Everest Training Center in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

But … 

“We’re not there yet,” Venables added.

That’s coach speak, and Venables would likely say the same about every facet of his team, but we really don’t know if OU’s offense is “there yet,” whatever your interpretation of “there” may be.

Rather than assessing the offense as a whole, Venables zeroed in on OU’s offensive line, which he praised. A good sign for a position group ripe with skepticism.

“I really like the leadership and buy-in with our guys on the offensive line,”…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Quarterback battles are often the most fascinating part of the college football offseason. Especially in an era where the transfer portal and the promise of immediate playtime elsewhere have made it extremely difficult to have a solid succession plan in place. 

Though coaches would love to have things settled well before the actual season starts, quarterback competitions often stretch deep into the fall. Some are still ongoing when the actual games kick off as teams will use early season tune-up contests to see if one signal caller can pull ahead of the other in a live setting. 

Now, entering the last week of fall camp for a majority of schools around the nation, plenty of prominent programs have decided on a quarterback. Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, Washington and Wisconsin are just some of the programs that have identified their offensive leaders as each tries to make a big impact in the Big Ten. 

Elsewhere, College Football Playoff competitor Boise State went with a rather surprising decision for its quarterback. The Broncos were one of many Group of Five schools that decided to go with a more experienced option over exciting new transfer portal additions. 

There’s still a lot to be settled, but here’s a rundown of the quarterback battles that have been decided as the 2024 season nears. 

Ohio State 

It wasn’t necessarily a surprise, but Ohio State officially turned to Kansas State transfer Will Howard to guide its offense. Howard did have to surpass some stiff competition, primarily from returning backup…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

A loaded slate of high school football games in Week One also means several of the top recruits in the nation will be action during the weekend.

The Broward County National High School Football Showcase includes several of the nation’s top recruits, including Bishop Gorman five-star senior wide receiver Derek Meadows (LSU commit) and Chaminade-Madonna junior five-star running back Derrek Cooper.

The showcase also boasts several of the top quarterback recruits such as American Heritage junior Dia Bell (Texas commit), Lake Mary junior Noah Grubbs (Notre Dame) and Milton (Georgia) senior Luke Nickel (Miami).

The first weekend of the regular season also features several intriguing individual matchups.

Here’s a look at some of the best potential matchups of elite recruits going head-to-head to watch in Week 1.

(Note: All rankings are 247Sports composite rankings unless otherwise noted.)

Stream Florida high school football games on the NFHS Network

Corner Canyon 2025 WR Jerome Myles vs. IMG 2026 DB Zech Fort

Defensive back Zech Fort (#2) during practice on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 on IMG Academy Football Media Day in Bradenton, Florida.

Myles, a five-star recruit, is the No. 1 recruit in Utah and the No. 7 wide receiver in the nation. His top schools include Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M, USC and Utah. Fort is ranked No. 81 overall and the No. 8 safety in the class of 2026. His offers include Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Armwood 2025 RB Girard Pringle vs. Gaither 2025 EDGE LaJesse Harrold

Pringle, a four-star recruit, is No. 26 on the USA Today Florida Network top 100 and the No. 13 overall running back in the nation. He is committed to Miami. Harrold, a four-star recruit, is No. 19 on the USA Today Florida Network top 100 and the No. 12 edge rusher in the nation. He is committed to…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Texas secured a massive in-state commitment on Saturday when five-star linebacker Jonah Williams committed to the Longhorns over LSU and Texas A&M, among others. Williams ranks as the No. 7 overall player and the top-ranked prospect at his position in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports. 

Williams did not apprise coach Steve Sarkisian of his commitment until he went publich with his announcement Saturday evening. He did tell 247Sports in an embargoed interview ealrier Saturday that he chose the Longhorns for a variety of factors, and that LSU finished second.

“It was just the coaching staff and the atmosphere and the life after football part,” Williams said. “It was just too good of an opportunity to give up. Just in case football ends early, you have to think about after.

Williams’ pledge helps the Longhorns in their quest to sign a top five recruiting haul in 2025. The class currently ranks No. 7 and added four-star offensive tackle Nick Brooks from Georgia a day earlier. 

The Galveston, Texas native projects as a hybrid safety at the next level due to his elite athleticism. Williams is compared to former Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons in his 247Sports scouting report, who played a similar role as a hybrid safety, linebacker and slot cornerback at the college level.

Williams is also a star high school baseball player, and 247Sports National Analyst Hudson Standish notes he has the potential to go pro in either sport. Here is the full evaluation of Williams’ game from Standish.

One of the freakiest athletes in the 2025 recruiting cycle, and has a legitimate chance to develop into an early-round selection in either the MLB or NFL Draft. Two-way star at wide receiver and defensive back for historic TXHSFB program Galveston…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

.

Texas A&M’s 2026 recruiting class will begin to take shape next summer. The 2024 football season poses a great opportunity for head coach Mike Elko, who will host several critical offensive prospects during the Aggies’ season opener vs. Notre Dame next Saturday.

Late last week, Rivals insider Landyn Rosow revealed that 5-star athlete Brandon Arrington will join 4-star wide receivers Brayden Robinson and Aaron Gregory in College Station for the opener while visiting the facilities as well.

Arrington is by far one of the quickest and most versatile athletes in the 2026 cycle. During his last two high school seasons, he played both wide receiver and cornerback, excelling at both positions.

Where do the Aggies stand in his recruitment? In a recent interview with On3’s Chad Simmons, the incoming junior stated:

“I like everything about Texas A&M. The staff and everybody is on me and they told me I’m their No. 1 target right now and they show it. I will be at Texas A&M a lot this year.”

During his 2023 sophomore season, Arrington recorded 310 receiving yards, four touchdowns on offense, 25 tackles on defense, and a punt return touchdown on special teams.

Arrington’s borderline elite athletic profile shows a player constantly outrunning coverage, whether beating man coverage off the snap or evading linebackers on reverse handoffs, long-striding his way to the endzone.

Knowing that he’ll witness what the new Texas A&M coaching staff offers on the field next weekend, Arrington will have a much clearer view of his future fit with the program.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M is in good position to land 2026 5-star ATH out of Spring…

..

[ad_2]

Read More