Category: College Football

Nebraska has been active in the transfer portal for the last several weeks, and the activity has continued with a recent offer to a JUCO prospect. Dylan Christley is a defensive lineman from Maricopa Junior College out of Arizona.

He also holds offers from Wyoming, UNLV, and Maryland. Christley recorded 30 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles during an eight-game season. The Huskers have already added six players via the transfer portal this offseason.

The Huskers currently rank 20th in On3’s 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. Nebraska has also seen ten players depart the program since the portal opened at the end of the regular season.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Story originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire

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Alabama’s storied football program officially turned the page Saturday, as the Tide introduced Kalen DeBoer as Nick Saban’s successor at head coach. DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa after two years at Washington, where he amassed a 25-3 record and led the Huskies to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship. 

Even with DeBoer’s track record of success, stepping in for Saban is an unenviable task. The legendary coach, who sits right at the top of the “greatest of all time” conversation, spent 17 years winning myriad titles and re-establishing the Crimson Tide as a premier program in the SEC. 

But it wasn’t a hard sell for DeBoer, who turned his eyes toward the future while discussing his motivations in taking the Alabama job. 

“This was one of the few places, maybe the only place, that I would have ever left to come coach at,” DeBoer said. “Because I understand what Alabama football is all about. Those guys that I sat in front of a room yesterday, I know what they’re going through cause I saw the same thing less than 24 hours ago… I’m looking forward to the new journey that lies ahead. I’m looking forward to those new challenges here.” 

Here’s what we learned from DeBoer’s introductory press conference and subsequent appearance in front of local media. 

Leaning on the GOAT

Aside from Alabama’s facilities, recruiting war chest and prominent stature among college football’s elite, DeBoer has one special resource that really stands apart — his access to Saban. Saban already said that he plans to retain an office inside Alabama’s athletic complex, so DeBoer should never have much trouble for finding him. 

That’s great news for DeBoer, who emphasized that Saban would have “100% access” to everything Alabama is doing under this…

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Alabama Crimson Tide freshman safety Jake Pope is transferring to the Georgia Bulldogs. Pope committed to Georgia on Friday evening.

Pope, a former four-star recruit, played high school football at Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Kirby Smart and Georgia football heavily recruited Jake Pope out of high school.

Pope did not see any game action as a true freshman in 2022. This past season, Pope played in 11 games as a special teams player. Pope is leaving Alabama shortly after legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement.

Jake Pope announced his commitment to Georgia football via social media. Georgia fans and media were fired up to steal a player from the Crimson Tide.

Pope’s commitment

Kirby Smart is hyped

Pope made a big hit on Jermaine Burton

UGA recruited Pope back in the day

Pope has 3 years of eligibility

BREAKING: Former Alabama DB Jake Pope has Committed to Georgia, he tells @on3sports

The 6’1 200 DB from Buford, GA will have 3 years of eligibility remaining

“They showed a tremendous amount of want for me & I couldn’t be happier to move onto the next chapter.”… pic.twitter.com/aZK3900BUp

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 13, 2024

Pope after Nick Saban retired

I leave for dinner & Georgia promptly lands a former Buford* product, Alabama transfer DB Jake Pope.

Saban domino.

— J.C. Shelton (@JCShelton_) January 13, 2024

Welp… it isn’t Caleb Downs, but we got Jake Pope from Bama.

— Joe sweat (@JoeSweat21) January 13, 2024

Stop worrying about Caleb downs and enjoy the commitment of Jake Pope! Come on guys have you guys not learned anything in the Kirby Smart development era at Georgia?!!?!?

— Jack Moreno (@ugajack19) January 13, 2024

Story originally appeared on UGA Wire

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Former Texas A&M wide receiver is transferring to Oregon, he announced Thursday evening. Stewart, who spent two seasons with the Aggies, is the No. 1 wide receiver and the No. 2 overall prospect — just behind former teammate and Ole Miss defensive line commit Walter Nolen — in 247Sports’ transfer rankings. 

Stewart played in eight games for Texas A&M in 2023 and finished third on the team with 514 yards receiving. He tied for second with four touchdowns despite his limited opportunities due to a nagging leg injury that kept him sidelined for multiple games late in the year. The 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior had 100-yard receiving performances against New Mexico and Miami. 

As a true freshman in 2022, Stewart garnered All-SEC honors after leading the Aggies with 53 catches for 649 yards and two touchdowns in just 10 games. 

He was one of eight five-star prospects to sign with Texas A&M during its historic 2022 recruiting class and was the highest-ranked prospect to join the Aggies on the offensive side of the ball. He graded out as the top high school receiver in his class and came in at No. 6 nationally, joining Texas A&M out of Liberty (Texas) High School. 

Impact on Oregon 

With Stewart in the fold, Oregon is set to enter its first season in the Big Ten touting one of the conference’s best wide receiver rooms. Ducks receiver Troy Franklin declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after hauling in 82 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns, but there’s a ton of talent returning behind him. 

That includes another 1,000-yard receiver in Tez Johnson — who returns for a second season with the Ducks after transferring in from Troy — and a likely starter on the outside in Traeshon Holden — who had 452 yards and six touchdowns in 2023….

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BYU coach Kalani Sitake, left, and defensive coordinator Jay Hill talk about new additions to the team on early signing day in Provo, Utah, Dec. 20, 2023. | BYU Photo

Despite the long-since-passed early signing day in December, BYU continues to recruit, sign and add quarterbacks and a standout Utah four-star two-way recruit.

BYU signed four-star two-way player Faletau Satuala, who made his announcement at the high school All-America game on national television. This moved the recruiting class ranking into the 50s. The Cougars also signed former Baylor QB Gerry Bohanon and added Western Michigan QB Treyson Bourguet to really load up Aaron Roderick’s quarterbacks room for spring.

BYU believes it found the answer to its offensive line issues by hiring TJ Woods. Here is an analysis of that hire by ESPN’s Trevor Matich, a member of the 1984 national championship team.

Cougar Insiders predictions

Question of the week: With the announcement of Bountiful High two-way four-star player Faletau Satuala signing with BYU, what does that do to the 2024 recruiting class? What does it tell us about BYU’s new defensive staff recruiting?

Jay Drew: This is a big get for BYU coaches, as Faletau Satuala immediately rises to the top of this 2024 BYU football recruiting class, right up there with tight end Ryner Swanson and defensive end Ephraim Asiata. I live in the Bountiful/North Salt Lake area, and word on the street here has always been that Satuala was going to be a Utah signee and has been a Utes fan since he was tiny.

So credit head coach Kalani Sitake and defensive coordinator Jay Hill for getting the young man to flip their way. Head-to-head recruiting battles against Utah haven’t gone BYU’s way the past few years, but this year it seems like the tide may be turning.

Again, Hill is earning that big new paycheck after coming…

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Nick Saban, head coach of Alabama, is retiring after a career which saw him win a record seven national titles. (Harry How)

Nick Saban, the record-breaking coach of Alabama’s storied college football team, announced on Wednesday that he is retiring.

Saban, 72, has won an unmatched seven national titles during his career with six of them coming during a dynastic reign with The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide.

This season, Saban’s 17th in charge of the team, ended with defeat in the College Football Playoff Semifinal to eventual champions Michigan.

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to (my wife) Terry and me,” Saban said in a statement on the team’s website.

“We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it.

“We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home,” he said.

Saban spent most of his career in the college game although he had two, mostly disappointing seasons as head coach of the Miami Dolphins before joining Alabama.

Saban had made his name Michigan State before taking charge of Louisiana State University, winning the national title in 2003.

But it is his time with Alabama that he will be best remembered for, as he led the program to winning seasons in every season since 2008 and helped produce four Heisman Trophy winners.

Known as a fiery competitor and a strict disciplinarian, Saban’s animated approach on the sideline allied to the results gained made him a hero for…

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Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, he announced Tuesday. Mitchell was one of the most impactful transfer portal additions of the 2023 cycle, regardless of position, for the Longhorns after two seasons at Georgia. He immediately grabbed a starting spot despite stepping into a loaded room that included the likes of star Xavier Worthy and veteran Jordan Whittington. 

Mitchell had plenty of positive things to day about both the Texas and Georgia programs.

“I’m grateful to Coach Sark and all of the University of Texas community for making me feel like a Longhorn for life in such a short time,” Mitchell’s statement read. “And to all the Bulldog fans, my amazing coaches, my brothers on the field, the legendary 2021 class. We made history together. I love all of y’all.

Even with that talent around him, Mitchell established himself as Texas’ most reliable big-play threat. He led the Big 12 with 11 touchdowns, and his 15.4 yards per reception were tops among Texas players with at least 10 catches on the year. 

Mitchell also had a reputation for stepping up in key situations. His 1-yard touchdown catch in Texas’ College Football Playoff semifinal showdown against Washington cut the Huskies’ lead to 34-28 midway through the fourth quarter. That score snapped a 20-minute scoreless streak for the Longhorns and allowed them to hang around in a game that came down to the wire. 

Mitchell had at least one touchdown catch in all five playoff games he appeared in throughout his career, dating back to his freshman season at Georgia. Two of those catches — one with 54 seconds left in last season’s semifinal against Ohio State, and the other in the fourth quarter of the 2021 national championship against Alabama –…

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College football season came to an end Monday night as Michigan defeated Washington to win the national championship for the first time since splitting the title with Nebraska in 1997.

Notre Dame concluded its season back on December 29 as they dominated an undermanned Oregon State team 40-8 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

We all know Michigan finished first and Washington second but did a non-playoff team make it into the top-three?

And where did Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish finish after winning 10 games for the first time under the second-year head coach?

The US LBM Coaches Poll was released on following the College Football Playoff national championship game and is listed from 25-1 below.

West Virginia

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 9-4

Points: 117

SMU

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 11-3

Points: 119

Kansas

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 9-4

Points: 158

Iowa

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 10-4

Points: 249

Visit Hawkeyes Wire

North Carolina State

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 9-4

Points: 271

Clemson

Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 9-4

Points: 334

Visit Clemson Wire

Kansas State

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 9-4

Points: 386

Louisville

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 10-4

Points: 460

Tennessee

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 9-4

Points: 529

Visit Vols Wire

Oklahoma State

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 10-4

Points: 575

Oklahoma

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 10-3

Points: 691

Visit Sooners Wire

Notre Dame

Record: 10-3

Points: 772

Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 10-3

Points: 772

Penn State

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 10-3

Points: 811

Visit Nittany Lions Wire

LSU

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 10-3

Points: 890

Visit LSU Tigers Wire

Arizona

Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 10-3

Points: 898

Ohio State

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 11-2

Points: 1,014

Visit Buckeyes Wire

Ole Miss

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 11-2

Points: 1,082

Missouri

USA TODAY SPORTS

Record: 11-2

Points:…

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