Category: College Football

247Sports

Ray Lewis III died Thursday at age 28. The son of former Miami Hurricanes and Baltimore Ravens Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, the younger Lewis played for his father’s alma mater for two seasons. According to a police report obtained by the Associated Press, Lewis died of a suspected overdose. 

“The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident,” police said. 

His brother, Rahsaan, posted a picture and message on his Instagram story initially confirming the news, which was also addressed by Lewis’ former coach at Virginia Union, where he ended his playing career.

“Really can’t believe I’m even typing this but RIP big brother. A true angel I pray your at peace now because [I know] how much you was [really] hurtin I don’t and won’t ever have the words man cuz this pain right here,” Rashaan Lewis wrote. “… I love you I love you I love you your niece gone miss you but she will hear about u over and over just watch over us all big bruh be our guardian I promise I’ll make you smile and proud.”

Lewis III started his college football career with the Hurricanes, spending two seasons as a cornerback. He appeared in nine total games but primarily played on special teams. He then transferred to Coastal Carolina the following year where he recorded 19 total tackles and returned kicks for the Chanticleers. 

Lewis played his final college season at Virginia Union in 2017. He recorded 37 total tackles with three tackles for loss. Former Virginia Union coach Mark James commented on Lewis’ death…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The 2024 season will be one of the more anticipated seasons in college football history, with the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns moving to the SEC, and the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins taking their talents to the Big Ten.

All of that is happening in the same year that the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams, creating even more intrigue and anticipation. Teams that would be out of the hunt entering November will have something to play for down the stretch.

2024 is going to be bonkers and we’re here for it.

Though it’s still a ways out, let’s take a look at Oklahoma’s all-time head-to-head record against the eight opponents they’ll play in their inaugural season in 2024.

MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 29: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners congratulates Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide after Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 45-34 to win the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

All-time record: Oklahoma leads 3-2-1

Last meeting (2018): 45-34 Alabama win in the College Football Playoff.

Interesting note: The two sides have only met outside of bowl season twice, a home-and-home sweep for the Sooners in 2002 and 2003.

Follow Roll Tide Wire for more on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Jan 2, 2017; New Orleans , LA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Samaje Perine (32) looks for running room against the Auburn Tigers in the third quarter of the 2017 Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

All-time record: Oklahoma leads 2-0

Last meeting (2017): 35-19 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl

Interesting note: Both of the Oklahoma Sooners wins came in the Sugar Bowl. When the Sooners play Auburn in 2024, it will be their first Auburn, Ala.

Follow Auburn…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

USATSI

On Friday, an NCAA medical panel called for the removal of marijuana from the organization’s banned drugs list. The Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommends shifting focus to testing for performance enhancing drugs. 

The committee intends to seek support from the NCAA Board of Governors to temporarily stop testing for cannabis at NCAA championship events while legislative action is considered.

While the committee’s recommendation marks a major milestone in the battle to stop marijuana testing for college athletes, the process still has several major steps before it can become official. All three divisions NCAA competition must draft and pass legislation before any permanent changes could take effect. 

The NCAA panel’s proposal comes after last year’s Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics, which concluded Marijuana and its byproducts were not performance enhancing drugs. The summit also reccomended a policy of “harm reduction” when it comes to cannabis. According to the NCAA’s press release, additional rationales included:

Focusing on testing for substances that provide an unfair advantage by enhancing athletic performance.Shifting toward a harm reduction philosophy for cannabis, similar to the approaches taken with alcohol.Realigning toward institutional testing and how that testing supports/enhances campus efforts to identify problematic cannabis use.Educating student-athletes on the health threats posed by contemporary cannabis and methods of…..

[ad_2]

Read More

For about a year, Notre Dame had what it thought to be a solid football player committed along the defensive line. However, there’s a reason they say don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

2024 Princeton (N.J.) Hun School four-star defensive lineman Owen Wafle had decommitted from the Irish on May 24, the same day he got an offer from the Wolverines. He took an official visit to Ann Arbor the weekend of June 9, and that was apparently good enough for the four-star prospect.

Wafle announced his commitment to the maize and blue on Sunday, thus completing the flip from Notre Dame.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 290-pounds, Wafle is rated highest by Rivals and ESPN, each of which has him as a four-star, with Rivals having him as the No. 15 defensive lineman in the country.

The scouting report from 247Sports’ Brian Dohn:

Thick build with plus length. Has low center of gravity and plays low to win leverage. Has snaps on both sides of ball as fullback and defensive lineman. Strong, physical, hard-nosed player with strong work ethic. Showed ability to bend during spring workout. Ferocious style of play evident during in-game eval in fall 2021. Gets off quickly at snap and covers ground well in first three steps. Shows stack-and-shed ability. Can take on block and re-direction along line of scrimmage. Can anchor in run game. Willing to take on and fight through double teams. Relies heavily on power and strength and often wins leverage by sinking hips. Plays with high effort and has strong work ethic. Does show rip and spin moves but needs to continue to develop technique and diversify move sets. Has to maintain lower body flexibility while also getting stronger. Multi-year starter at high-level program. Has late round NFL draft potential.

Not only was Wafle previously committed to ND, but he has offers from Iowa, Michigan State,…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The transfer portal has been generous and cruel across the Power Five landscape, providing both a way to improve rosters while also creating position needs due to player exits. The ACC has been no different, with each member finding at least one addition ready to make an impact for the 2023 season. 

In terms of quality, the ACC has three teams in the top 10 of the 247Sports Transfer Team Rankings for the 2023 cycle. Florida State (No. 6) and Miami (No. 7) have plugged holes in the depth chart with portal additions, while Louisville (No. 10) has seen a more dramatic roster overhaul in the wake of the coaching change that brought Jeff Brohm back to the Cardinals. 

Not every team in the ACC has gone heavy in the portal this offseason, with Clemson and Wake Forest among the schools to see far less action than programs like Louisville or Georgia Tech. Still, we’ve identified at least one notable transfer for each team heading into the 2023 season, starting with some of the biggest names we expect to have an instant impact.  

Florida State CB Fentrell Cypress II 

Mike Norvell has built Florida State back into an ACC title contender with key transfer portal additions that have bolstered the roster and powered last year’s 10-win campaign. This year’s top-10 transfer class is headlined by former Virginia cornerback Fentrell Cypress II, who was rated as the No. 5 overall prospect in the portal. Cypress led the ACC in pass breakups last season in just nine games of action — his 1.6 pass breakups per game average led the nation — on the way to All-ACC honors and plenty of portal interest when he made his transfer intentions official. He is one of four players in the top 20 of the transfer portal rankings on the Florida State roster, joining tight end…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Auburn football landed its most notable transfer in May when former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne signed with Auburn.

Thorne’s presence completes an offensive overhaul built by Hugh Freeze, as the Tigers are expected to have a new receiver rotation, offensive line, and quarterback in 2023.

Thorne has plenty of experience as he arrives at Auburn with two full seasons of experience. After losing an experienced quarterback to the transfer portal, how will Michigan State rebound?

Spartans head coach Mel Tucker recently spoke to the media during a recruiting camp at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. During his availability, the topic of Thorne’s transfer was discussed. Tucker says that he feels that his team will rebound following the loss of Thorne, but has nothing but great things to say about him.

“I just wish Payton the very best of luck,” Tucker said. “He’s a really good player, a better person, got a great family. We wish him well.”

Tucker also shared his thoughts on the transfer portal as a whole. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for a college athlete to transfer to another school, could one reason be the idea of “greener pastures?” Tucker says yes.

“We’ve seen it right? We’ve gotten guys out of the portal, and it’s really common. So, I don’t think it’s anything that anyone should be surprised about,” Tucker said.

Thorne is on campus and is set to compete with incumbent Robby Ashford for the starting quarterback job this summer. Thorne has passed for 6,493 yards and 49 touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan State and brings two full seasons of starting experience to Auburn. His best season came in 2021 when he threw for 27 touchdowns and 3,232 yards while leading Michigan State to an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The NCAA transfer portal is more important than ever in college football, which doesn’t mean a whole lot considering it hasn’t been around very long. Still, you know how prevalent it is since coaches are complaining about it louder than before, and there is a strong correlation between the volume of complaints and how often the portal is being utilized by said complainers. 

The more they use something, the more they hate it. So they’ll be complaining about other schools tampering with their players while one of their assistants is, at that very moment, likely sliding into the DMs of a player on another team.

They do it out of necessity. In this day and age of ridiculous salaries, expectations are even more unrealistic and patience is at an all-time low. The transfer portal may not contain players with higher ceilings than the 17-year-old high schooler you’ve been texting relentlessly, but the floor is high and you know the player can step in and fill the hole on your roster much quicker.

We will hear more complaints about the portal as the years go on, yet every year we’ll see more coaches diving into the portal for key pieces that can yield immediate dividends. The Big Ten is no different, and these transfers should have the most significant impacts in 2023 for their new teams.

There isn’t a team in the Big Ten serving as a better example of how the transfer portal is changing the sport than Iowa. Last year, the Hawkeyes had one incoming transfer — a blocking tight end. This year, the Hawkeyes are overhauling their entire offense through the portal. While players like tight end Erick All and receiver Kaleb Brown will shine, it’s All’s former teammate at Michigan that will have the biggest impact.

Cade McNamara helped lead Michigan to…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The long-awaited decision regarding conference scheduling within the SEC was officially made on June 1 when the conference announced that it will keep its traditional eight-game model, but will eliminate divisions beginning in 2024.

There is not a set structure regarding permanent opponents and rotations, however, as the eight-game model will be evaluated after the 2024 season. After facing the likes of Alabama and LSU in the western division every season since 1992, will Auburn catch a break with the SEC’s new division-less system? Brad Crawford of 247Sports does not see that happening.

Following the announcement from the SEC, Crawford took time to predict Auburn’s 2024 SEC slate, and it is anything but easy. Crawford projects the Tigers to get its usual dose of Alabama, Georgia, and LSU, followed by four teams that reached bowl games during the 2022 season.

Here’s how Crawford predicts Auburn’s “nightmare” conference slate to appear:

This prediction, if true, will be “business as usual” for Auburn, as the Tigers have grown accustomed to facing Alabama, Georgia, and LSU every season. Mixing in teams that have built a reputation for consistent bowl play in Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Kentucky, and Hugh Freeze will have quite the challenge as he works to rebuild the program. Welcoming SEC newcomer, Texas, to Jordan-Hare Stadium will be a nice touch, as the Longhorns have not visited the Plains since 1987.

Auburn, as well as the rest of the SEC, will learn about its 2024 opponents on Wednesday, June 14.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

More Football!

Auburn DL target Sean Sevillano Jr. announces commitment

Should the ‘Deep South’s Oldest…

..

[ad_2]

Read More