Category: College Football

Good morning to everyone but especially to…

THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Three months ago, Austin Reaves was sidelined with a hamstring injury and Rui Hachimura was stuck on a Wizards team going nowhere. Sunday, they played starring roles as the Lakers beat the Grizzlies, 128-111, to take Game 1 in Memphis.

Reaves scored 14 points in the fourth quarter — including nine straight and an emphatic “I’m him” scream — and finished with 23 points. Hachimura had 29 points in his playoff debut, tying the Lakers playoff record for a bench player.Add in 22 points from Anthony Davis and 21 from LeBron James, and it was the first time the Lakers had four 20-point scorers in a playoff game since 1988. The names then: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and James Worthy.The Lakers closed the game on a 15-0 run and outscored Memphis 30-11 over the final 8:40.The Lakers have won 24 straight best-of-seven series after winning Game 1.

The Lakers turned a major weakness into a strength in Game 1, writes our Sam Quinn.

… AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

The Clippers may not have had Paul George (and may not have him at all this series), but they have exactly what Russell Westbrook pointed to after making a game-sealing block: heart.

Behind a 38-point Kawhi Leonard masterclass and clutch plays on both ends down the stretch, the Clippers shocked the Suns, 115-110, in Game 1 in Phoenix.

Leonard scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and Westbrook had a huge impact throughout: Despite shooting just 3-19, he had 10 rebounds (five offensive), eight assists, two steals and three blocks.The Clippers won second-chance points, 12-7, and points off turnovers, 15-5.This is the first time the Suns have lost with Kevin Durant in the lineup…..

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Just a few minutes before Ohio State started their spring game, there was already a buzz among recruits.

That buzz was created by Tennessee tight end Max LeBlanc, as he verbally committed to the Buckeyes while visiting for the Scarlet and Gray game. The 6-foot, 4-inch and 222 pound pass catcher is the 13th best tight end in the country and the 270th overall player according to the 247Sports composite.

LeBlanc is the 11th commit for the Buckeyes and continues their recent run of verbals. There isn’t a school in the country that is as hot on the recruiting trail as Ryan Day’s Buckeyes.

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Ohio State football drops Spring Game trailer

How to watch the Ohio State Spring Game Saturday

Ohio State one of four teams that can ‘take on’ Georgia according to ESPN

Complete Ohio State spring game roster

Ohio State has a sizeable lead in the Director’s Cup standings nationally, where are the rest of the Big Ten programs?

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Follow all of your favorite Ohio teams at Buckeyes Wire, Browns Wire and Bengals Wire!

Story originally appeared on Buckeye Wire

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Florida will wrap up its spring football session with its spring game on Thursday night inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Coach Billy Napier is in his second year at the helm, and Thursday night’s showcase will give outsiders a chance to for a first glimpse of the 2023 Gators. 

Napier’s first order of business will be determining who takes the snaps after NFL hopeful Anthony Richardson chose to forgo his remaining eligibility. Graham Mertz and Jack Miller III are in a heated battle to take control of the top spot on the depth chart, and that will surely be the focal point on Thursday night. It goes beyond that, though. The Gators’ defense struggled to get negative plays last year, and that has to change if they’re going to contend for the SEC East title.

Let’s break down the top storylines to keep an eye on Thursday night in Gainesville.

How to watch 2023 Florida spring game live

Date: Thursday, April 13 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Florida
Live stream: SEC Network+ 

2023 Florida spring game storylines

1. The tale of transfer QBs: Mertz was supposed to be the best quarterback at Wisconsin since Russell Wilson, but that never materialized. He tossed 26 interceptions in 33 games with the Badgers and averaged 7.0 yards per attempt during his four seasons in Madison. He arrives in Gainesville hoping for greener pastures in a more dynamic offense. Miller started the Las Vegas Bowl vs. Oregon State after Richardson opted out and went 13 of 22 for 180 yards in the 30-3 loss. Miller was the 10th-ranked pro style quarterback in the Class of 2020, but only attempted 14 passes in six games with Ohio State. He’s been enjoying his battle with the more experienced Mertz.

“I embrace competition,” he said. “I…

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The Georgia Bulldogs and defensive backs coach Fran Brown have extended a scholarship to athlete Jamarrion Gordon. Gordon is a member of the class of 2026.

Gordon is currently unranked due to his young age. The 2026 athlete projects as defensive back or wide receiver at the next level.

Jamarrion Gordon plays high school football for Jackson High School in Jackson, Alabama. Jackson is a small town in southern Alabama.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete visited Georgia on April 8. The Jackson standout has taken recent visited to FSU and Ole Miss. Gordon holds scholarship offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, and Penn State.

Kirby Smart and Georgia football are off to an excellent start with both the class of 2024 and 2025. The class of 2026 is a year away from really picking up steam.

The 2026 athlete announced his scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs via Twitter:

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Georgia, Clemson target Hevin Brown-Shuler sets commitment date

Georgia players to watch in UGA spring game

UGA football in top group for OL Makai Saina

Pro Football Focus ranks CFB head coaches entering 2023 season

Story originally appeared on UGA Wire

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The Big Ten has hired former television and Major League Baseball executive Tony Petitti to serve as its next commissioner, the conference announced on Wednesday. Petitti replaces former commissioner Kevin Warren, who took over as president of the Chicago Bears in January after negotiating a seven-year media rights deal for the Big Ten valued at approximately $1.2 billion annually. Petitti will begin his tenure as Big Ten commissioner on April 15. 

Petitti has developed a storied career in the sports industry through the years. He took over as chief operating officer of Major League Baseball after Rob Manfred was elevated to commissioner of the league in 2015. Prior to that, Petitti served as president and chief executive officer of MLB Network, overseeing the launch the network and running day-to-day operations during its infancy. 

He held the role until 2020 when he left to join Activision Blizzard in the roie of president of sports and entertainment. His primary focus at Activision Blizzard was oversight of the companies esports, consumer products and film and television ventures. 

“At this important and transformational time in collegiate athletics, it is truly my great honor to be chosen by the council of presidents and chancellors as the commissioner of the Big Ten Conference,” Petitti said. “I am energized to work alongside the best athletics directors, coaches, conference staff and board in the country as — together — we continue to elevate the academic and athletic experiences and resources for our 14, soon-to-be 16, world-class universities with nearly 10,000 incredible student-athletes.

Petitti was a titan at CBS Sports beginning in 1997 when he was hired away from ABC to serve as senior vice president of business affairs and…

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The quarterback battle at Auburn is one of the most anticipated not only in Auburn fans’ eyes but to college football fans across the country.

After hearing less than soothing reports during spring practice, the weather at Saturday’s A-Day game did not do the quarterbacks any favors, as all three contenders combined to throw just 12 passes in the cold, dreary atmosphere at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In limited action, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze says that he saw some positives out of Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley, and Holden Geriner, but he also pointed out aspects of their game that he hopes to see improve.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think. T.J. (Finley) did too. It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

After watching the A-Day game on Saturday, radio show host and SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the Birmingham radio show, McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning.

He did not have much faith in Auburn’s quarterbacks before the game, and he remains true to his thoughts after watching the game.

“It didn’t change much, and the conclusion is still the same: I think Auburn needs a quarterback,” Finebaum said. “I talked to Hugh Freeze on Friday before the game and you could tell he was saying the right things, but deep down, he knows quarterbacks and he knows he doesn’t have a quarterback on his roster that’s capable of getting Auburn out of the morass that it’s currently in and to the next level. So I think he’ll be pretty active in the portal.”

The…

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Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was named Colorado football coach in December, and he finally got around meeting Ralphie the Buffalo this week. Let’s just say it was an experience that he’ll never forget.

Sanders’ nickname, Prime Time, was earned because he knows how to put on a show under pressure. However, meeting Ralphie seemed to be a lot scarier than playing in front of a full football stadium. As soon as the coach got inside Ralphie’s trailer, he decided to ease back and carefully examine his team’s mascot while he learned about how she likes to eat her favorite food out of people’s hands. 

Sanders asked for gloves and admitted that hearing the word “careful” didn’t help him feel comfortable. He gathered up the courage to feed Ralphie a snack. She happily ate it and the coach was able to make another observation.

“Lord, the tongue is like a brick,” Coach Prime said.

Then came the real test. One of the program’s football traditions is Ralphie running onto the field before every game. Sanders hasn’t coached a game yet, so this was the perfect opportunity for him to see the live mascot in person. 

Buffaloes fans are hopeful the two of them get more used to each other by the fall season. Colorado finished the 2022 season with a 1-11 overall record. Sanders, who coached at Jackson State for the past three seasons , is looking to turn the program around. He was the SWAC Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Long before that, the eight-time Pro Bowler played 14 seasons in the NFL and earned two…

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There was a time when it looked like the Oklahoma Sooners were the frontrunners for four-star defensive back Aaron Flowers. A crystal ball from back in December indicated the Sooners were trending in a positive direction.

Flowers announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks on Friday afternoon. The commitment comes as a bit of a surprise. In the last month, USC began to make strides in securing Flowers in the 2024 cycle. But it’s Dan Lanning and the Ducks that pick up the blue chip defensive back prospect.

There’s a bit of irony to the story. The Sooners picked up the surprise commitment of Peyton Bowen, pulling him from the Ducks at the buzzer of the early signing period in December. Now, it’s the Ducks returning the favor and picking up Flowers’ commitment.

Flowers is a versatile defensive back capable of playing corner or safety and was being recruited by both secondary coaches at Oklahoma.

USC received several projections late in the recruitment, but it was their Pac-12 rivals to the north that earned the commitment.

In March, Oklahoma turned the heat up in their recruitment of four-star safety Jaydan Hardy. Out of Lewisville, Texas, Hardy is an athletic player, capable of providing some playmaking to the backend of the defense.

With Flowers’ commitment done, the Sooners turn their attention to Michael Hawkins, who is set to commit on Saturday, April 8. The Sooners are battling it out with TCU for the four-star quarterback’s pledge.

More Recruiting!

2024 5-Star Cornerback Kobe Black includes Oklahoma in top 11

Sooners land in Top 4 for 2024 offensive tackle Garrett Sexton

Sooners pick up another crystal ball for 2024 WR Isaiah McMorris

2024 Prospect Profile: Oklahoma offers 4-star RB Nathaniel Frazier

Oklahoma Sooners On3 recruiting winners for the month of March

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and…

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