Category: College Football

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Florida football has elevated itself as one of the top candidates for 2026 four-star linebacker Izayia Williams after he retracted his Syracuse commitment just a week ago.

Florida inside linebackers coach Ron Roberts went to Williams’ school back in May and made an offer to the 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound linebacker. So it is quite evident that Billy Napier and his staff hope to land the four-star defender.

Williams comes out of Leesburg (Florida) Tavares and could potentially be staying in-state for his collegiate career.

Top schools contending for Williams

Williams has made it clear that the Gators, Florida State and Miami are the “big dogs” in terms of the schools he would play for in the state of Florida.

“Those three keep in contact with me the most,” Williams told Swamp247. “I want to play football at a big school. Not to say UCF and them aren’t big schools in the state, but those three are the big dogs in Florida. They all do a good job keeping in contact with me them most.”

Williams also ranked those top three Florida schools.

“Florida is number one, Miami number two, and then Florida State is number three.”

What Williams likes about the Gators

Williams understands that academics play an important role and mentions that it’s not a guarantee that a player will make it to the NFL.

“I really like their academics,” Williams said. “It can’t be all about football, and I understand that not everyone is going to go to the NFL. I know I need to hit the books, but the football is good there too. They have good coaching there. One of my favorite things about them is the atmosphere they have there.”

Williams’ relationship with Florida’s coaches

“Getting to see Coach (Austin) Armstrong and the rest of the guys,” Williams said about the Florida coaches. “They have been calling me and talking to me. I talk with Coach Armstrong, Coach…

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Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens is expected to miss the 2024 season after suffering a lower body injury in one of the Aggies’ fall scrimmages, according to ESPN. Owens, who earned All-SEC Freshman honors in 2023, was going to be a key part of Texas A&M’s running back rotation this fall. 

A former five-star prospect out of Texas’ El Campo High School and the No. 2 running back in the class of 2023, Owens played in all 13 games and logged five starts as a true freshman. He finished the year third on the team with 385 yards rushing on 101 carries. His three touchdowns also ranked third among Aggie running backs. 

Owens proved a versatile weapon in his first season at Texas A&M. He led all running backs with 12 catches for 109 yards while serving as one of the Aggies’ primary — and most effective — kick returners, logging 249 yards on 12 attempts. 

Though Texas A&M and first-year coach Mike Elko may have trouble replacing Owens’ multi-dimensional ability, the Aggies’ run game is buoyed by the fact that they return each of their top two rushers from the 2023 season — even after Owens’ injury. Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss, who combined for 1,016 of Texas A&M’s 1,771 yards rushing a year ago, will be the Aggies’ top two options. 

Texas A&M also dipped into the transfer portal to add former Stanford running back EJ Smith, the son of former Florida and NFL legend Emmitt Smith. Smith had 109 carries for 557 yards and five touchdowns in four years with the Cardinal. He also brings some pass-catching upside and could fill the third-down running back role for the…

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Leading receiver Bryant Thompson, shown breaking a tackle against Field last year, is expected to play a big role for Ravenna in 2024.

RAVENNA RAVENS

HEAD COACH: Brian Coman

LAST YEAR: 3-7 (3-4 Metro Athletic Conference)

POSTSEASON: Division IV, Region 13

Ravenna football’s returning lettermen (14)

D’Anthony Allen, WR/DB, 5-8, 140, So.

LaDarian Askew, WR/DB, 5-9, 140, Jr.

Braylon Burks, TE/LB, 6-0, 145, Jr.

Jose Carpenter, K/P, 5-7, 140, So.

Bradley Davis, OL/LB, 6-0, 185, So.

Hunter Dray, OL/DL, 5-10, 175, Sr.

Jaxon Kelly, RB/LB, 5-10, 200, Sr.

Amare Marshall, RB/DB, 5-5, 150, Jr.

Bobby Melzer, QB/DL, 6-5, 225, Sr.

Andrew Mladek, WR/DB, 5-6, 130, So.

Mark Miller, QB/LB, 5-6, 135, So.

Chris Pellegrini, OL/DL, 5-10, 220, Sr.

C.J. Ross, QB/DB, Jr.

Bryant Thompson, WR/DB, 5-11, 150, Sr.

Ravenna football’s impact players

Bobby Melzer did it all last year, from quarterback to tight end, from punting to plenty of hard hits on defense. This year, expect Melzer (19 catches, 227 yards) to star as a tight end/wide receiver (with the ability to play quarterback as well) and as a defensive end (who impressed with 42 tackles and a couple of interceptions last year). Known for his strong hands and ability to run good routes, Melzer, said coach Brian Coman, is “always the first to arrive for workouts and the last to leave the field because he’s always working to better himself.” … Bryant Thompson was another breakout star last season, leading the Ravens in receptions (20) and receiving yards (232). Like Melzer, Thompson also shined on the track, and, said Coman, “has the speed to beat opponents deep and has good hands.” Expect Thompson to excel in Ravenna’s secondary as well. … C.J. Ross “will bring a lot to our team,” said Coman, at quarterback and defensive back, including athleticism, experience (after a strong 2023) and leadership. The nice…

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Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is one of the most ballyhooed freshmen in recent college football history. Less than a year into his Buckeyes career, Smith is already in line to start for a team with national championship upside. 

It’s also the same Ohio State team that has produced four first-round wide receivers since 2022. To say that Smith is entering his college career with huge expectations would be an understatement. 

Smith is already handling the pressure like a veteran. 

“I know it’s a big expectation for me because I’m the No. 1 player in the country coming in and all the hype around me,” Smith said. “So, I mean, I just try to block out all that stuff and just focus on the main thing, just the team and our receiver room and the locker room. And just the first game comes, and if I don’t exceed the expectations that y’all have for me, I mean, I don’t really care. I just want to go out there and win the game.”

It’s hard not to hype up Smith. He signed with the Buckeyes as the top overall prospect in the 2024 class. He is the highest-ranked wide receiver in 247Sports history and is one of just 12 players to ever receive a grade of at least 101 (the scale typically goes to 100). 

So, he has a chance to be really good. How good? The name Julio Jones, who had 924 yards and four touchdowns receiving as a freshman at Alabama in 2008, has most often been used in association with Smith. 

But for all its success producing wide receivers, Ohio State rarely fields any Year 1 breakouts. That means Smith has a chance to enter some pretty rarified air. 

Not many freshman Buckeyes receivers have reached 500 yards in a single season. Program legend Cris Carter had 648 in 1984, and few have come close to matching him since. 

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One of the biggest worries Aggie fans had after Texas A&M officially hired Mike Elko late last year was the former defensive coordinator’s ability to match Jimbo Fisher’s recruiting success. Still, within A&M’s 6th-ranked 2025 recruiting class, any previous doubt has all but dissolved.

After a highly successful summer, which included gaining more than seven commitments with 20 overall heading into Elko’s inaugural 2024 season, Texas A&M’s 2025 cycle is currently six spots ahead of rival Texas, who recently received a verbal commitment from 5-star wide receiver Kaliq Lockett earlier this week.

While there’s still time for the Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian to gain momentum, Wednesday night’s news that 2205 4-star DL DJ Sanders, who was heavily predicted to land in Austin, instead committed to Texas A&M after developing a close relationship with Mike Elko and the defensive staff, as Texas’s D-line recruiting issues continued.

However, both programs are in heavy pursuit of 2025 5-star safety Jonah Williams after the Aggies missed out on fellow 5-star safety Trey McNutt committed to Oregon, as Williams is set to announce his intentions on August 24th.

According to On3 recruiting insider Steve Wiltong, 2025 5-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi was also apart of the Jonah Williams-based conversation. Wiltong stated that while Texas remains the favorite, Texas A&M is right in the mix as the top-ranked tackle has a chance to commit to either program, plus the Oklahoma Sooners based on NIL, distance, etc.

“The Aggies could hit big this month.”

Set to renew their rivalry on the field in the recently discontinued Lone Star Showdown, the recruiting battle is bound to stay heated for years to come in the most talent-rich state in the country.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing…

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Before the new-look Big Ten’s first football season with 18 teams kicks off in 2024, 247Sports polled its deep roster of insiders for a program-by-program breakdown. The Big Ten Survey asked a handful of questions, including, “What issue keeps your fan base up at night?” Here’s a roundup of the answers.

Jeremy Werner, Illini Inquirer

If Bret Bielema can’t do it, who can? Bielema has been a successful Big Ten coach and had a few good years in the SEC. He’s a strong and organized CEO, great marketer and has hired some impressive staffs at Illinois. He’s a no-doubt improvement over the past three decades of Illini coaches, particularly Tim Beckman and Lovie Smith. His athletic director, Josh Whitman, also has poured resources into Bielema to make this work.

So far, Bielema has made strides to improve the program, taking it from overmatched in the Big Ten to frisky and competitive. But the Illini took a step back last season, so there’s still a question of whether the program can truly leap to a consistently successful Big Ten program similar to Wisconsin or Iowa.

The Illini have developed well, but their recruiting rankings have ranked toward the bottom of the Big Ten despite a sensible recruiting approach by Bielema and his staff. So can Bielema out-develop and out-coach his peers to get Illinois to the middle tier of the Big Ten and potentially more?

The program has always been called a “sleeping giant” given its stature in a talent-rich area. But if Bielema struggles to truly awaken it during the next…

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Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

It is a theme for us here at Trojans Wire, as we cover the USC Trojans in the 2024 college football season: Lincoln Riley and his assistant coaches, plus his players, can say they have changed, but the skeptics will simply say, “Prove it.” We could just stop there, but it really is the basic overarching theme of the year for the Trojans as they move to the Big Ten. Yes, we do think Lincoln Riley has changed. We do think the national media isn’t giving him nearly enough credit for beginning to truly take defense seriously. We do think Riley has changed. We think he had his “come to Jesus” moment with Alex Grinch hijacking his efforts to make USC a national championship contender. Riley saw the light. He found religion. He realized he needed competent, professional teachers on his defensive staff. We’re sold on this defensive coaching group. We think USC will be better this year … but until we see the improvement on the field when it really matters, we can’t know for sure that USC and Lincoln Riley have really changed.

Let’s share with you what Riley has said and how the attitude inside the USC program appears to be changing … but without yet knowing what the product is going to look like versus LSU on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas:

IMPATIENT LINCOLN RILEY

Riley – Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Lincoln Riley recently told 247Sports, “There’s no patience. It’s just an understanding of it is what it is. Our patience is we want it to happen yesterday. That’s been our mentality from the day we walked in here. Despite all the things we knew we had to build, but the day I got hired I said championships are going to be…

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