Category: College Football

PFF’s Top 50 College Football Players for the 2025 Season:

#1: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

🌰 Highest Graded Returning Wide Receiver (89.7) pic.twitter.com/xVXxNUglPy

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 5, 2025

Pro Football Focus (PFF) has made a big splash on the American football season over the last few years with its analytics-driven data to measure players’ performances, snap counts, and more. And while the name “Pro” is in name, PFF also dabbles a ton in the college game. The site and its tools have become very popular, as have some of the articles and rankings that it has shared with the masses.

Recently, PFF ranked the top 50 players in college football, and anytime a list like that is circulated, you know Ohio State has to be well represented. In this case, heading into the fall of 2025, it’s not quantity, but quality when it comes to Buckeyes on the list, especially after they sent 14 players to the NFL via the draft last April.

All told, Ohio State has just two players in the top 50 according to PFF, which falls behind teams like Alabama, Penn State, and Texas (five each), but the two that it has can claim something no other school can. OSU has the two best players in the college game according to PFF, with receiver Jeremiah Smith leading the pack, followed by safety Caleb Downs at No. 2.

Come to think of it, that mirrors what EA Sports says about Ohio State’s roster. It also ranked the duo as the two best players in the game in that same order. And PFF and EA Sports aren’t the only outlets claiming that Ohio State has the two best players in the game; it’s almost everywhere you look.

Here’s to hoping that the rest of what is still a talented roster can fill in the gaps, come together, and develop into another College Football Playoff national championship contender.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Getty Images

Three-star wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald, the son of NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald, committed to Notre Dame on Saturday over Clemson, Stanford and UCLA. The Brophy College Preparatory product out of Phoenix, Arizona, is the latest player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2026 recruiting class, as the Fighting Irish currently hold the fourth-ranked class in the cycle behind USC, Georgia and Texas A&M.

“I chose Notre Dame because of the people, the culture, and the purpose behind everything they do,” Fitzgerald told 247Sports. “It’s not just about football. It’s about building something bigger — a future, a legacy.”

During his junior season at Brophy College Preparatory, Fitzgerald hauled in 52 catches for 720 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games.

Ian Premer, No. 3 ranked tight end, commits to Notre Dame, moving Fighting Irish to No. 2 class for 2026

Shanna McCarriston

Fitzgerald ranks as the No. 2 player in the state of Arizona and is the 55th-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. Fitzgerald marks Notre Dame’s 24th commitment in the class, joining blue-chip recruits such as five-star edge Rodney Dunham, five-star safety Joey O’Brien, four-star cornerback Khary Adams and…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

BREAKING: Four-Star CB Brody Jennings has Flipped his Commitment from Michigan to Miami, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’1 180 CB from Jacksonville, FL had been Committed to the Wolverines since July 2024

“It’s All About The U🌴🙌🏾”https://t.co/gP1uk7jzcI pic.twitter.com/Vt3t3nuBz9

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 5, 2025

The longest tenured commitment for Michigan football in 2026 is no more.

The Wolverines have held onto Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star cornerback Brody Jennings for just shy of a year, but he made no secret that the in-state schools were coming after him hard. Though he would say he was solid in his pledge to Michigan, his constant entertainment of Miami and Florida indicated that it perhaps wasn’t quite so solid. Coupled with his father passing away in the spring, it wouldn’t surprise if he chose to stay home.

That ended up being the case. On Saturday, Jennings finally made the flip, choosing to decommit from Michigan football and go to the Miami Hurricanes.

Michigan still has one cornerback committed in four-star Andre Clarke, who pledged earlier in the week. The Wolverines are also expected to land 2026 Carrollton (Ga.) four-star Dorian Barney, who plans to make his decision on Saturday, as well.

While the loss of Jennings stings, especially given his long track record of being committed to the program, it’s unsurprising, and is helped out by the Wolverines getting at least one — if not two — commitments at the position this week.

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The fireworks came with a twist in Texas on Friday as five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo — the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2026 class — surprised by committing to Texas Tech on the Fourth of July. The Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge standout had been heavily pursued by Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Texas, but he ultimately chose the Red Raiders in a stunning late turn of events.

Derrick Shelby, Ojo’s agent, revealed to ESPN that his client received a three-year, $5.1 million revenue-sharing deal to join the Red Raiders. Per CBS Sports’ Matt Zentiz, the three-year deal averages $775,000 a year with a verbal understanding that TTU will renegotiate up to $5 million. 

Ojo ranks as the No. 5 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports, giving Texas Tech a major boost in recruiting while reinforcing its status as one of the top NIL spenders in college football. That investment has already paid off, helping the Red Raiders land blue-chip talent like Ojo and assemble one of the most expensive transfer classes in the country this past cycle. The program’s aggressive NIL strategy underscores its intent to turn Lubbock into a legitimate football powerhouse – a vision strongly pushed by coach Joey McGuire, whose recruiting efforts have reshaped the program’s national profile.

West Texas boom: Inside Texas Tech’s bold all-in bet on NIL and the billionaire landman responsible

Shehan Jeyarajah

…..

[ad_2]

Read More

Linebacker Arion Carter enters his third season at Tennessee in 2025.

The 6-foot-1, 236-pound junior appeared in 21 games for the Vols from 2023-24. He totaled 85 tackles, including 37 solo and 48 assists, 7.5 tackles for a loss, one interception and eight pass deflections.

Carter recorded a career-high for tackles in a game against Kentucky on Nov. 2, 2024. His interception was for 10 yards versus Florida on Oct. 12, 2024. As a sophomore in 2024, Carter totaled 68 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, one interception and seven pass deflections.

He was named to the 2025 SEC Football Leadership Council, and the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2023 and 2024.

Carter is from Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tennessee.

More: 2025 Tennessee football season preview for defensive back Jermod McCoy

Tennessee will kick off its 2025 football season Aug. 30 versus Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Kickoff between the Vols and Orange is scheduled for noon EDT and will be televised by ABC. 2025 will mark the fifth season for Tennessee under head coach Josh Heupel.

Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Former NFL MVP and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton came to the defense of Arch Manning amid criticism over his decision to spend two years as the backup to Quinn Ewers at Texas, saying that developing as a backup was a wise approach by Arch and his family.

Manning, who now enters his first season as a starting quarterback and the presumptive favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, had been targeted by critics such as former Florida coach Steve Spurrier who have questioned the hype surrounding him on the basis of his spending two years behind Ewers, who eventually only amounted to a seventh round NFL Draft pick.

On his 4th & 1 podcast, Newton issued a reminder that the Manning family sent Arch to Texas with the understanding that they were trying to put him in the best situation to develop into the best possible quarterback by the time he’s eligible for the NFL. In the Transfer Portal era of college football and an increased demand for instant gratification, Newton served a reminder of the usefulness of such an approach.

“A lot of these parents and a lot of these players get so jaded off of the fact that ‘hey, I’m trying to play early.’ No no no no no no, scratch that,” Newton said. “Go somewhere that after three years you can put yourself in a position to go to the league. That doesn’t mean that I’m going somewhere where I can play early or start. Just because you’re starting doesn’t mean you’re getting developed.”

Newton went on to compare Manning’s situation to his own time at Florida, where he credited being a backup to Tim Tebow as showing him what he was missing as a quarterback despite the immense physical talent that later led to him winning a national championship at Auburn and winning NFL MVP honors with the Carolina Panthers. In…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman talks about roster limits

Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman talks about his frustration with a lack of clarity over roster limits for the 2025 season.

MANHATTAN — What should go down as a productive month of June for Kansas State football’s 2026 recruiting cycle will more likely be defined in the short term by the one that got away.

The Wildcats added 12 commitments for their 2026 class in June and now sit at 16 overall, but they whiffed on the biggest prize of all when Great Bend four-star tight end Ian Premer — the No. 1-ranked player in the state — chose Notre Dame over K-State and Kansas last week.

The good news for K-State is that if there is one position group that can absorb such a loss, it is tight end. The Wildcats return four tight ends that combined for 49 catches for 489 yards and led the nation with 13 touchdowns, and only one of them is a senior.

Throw in true freshman Linkon Cure of Goodland, the state’s top-ranked freshman from 2025, and the Wildcats are in decent shape for the near future.

Related: Kansas State football determined to expand offensive line rotation for 2025 season

Related: Kansas State football boasts both talent and depth at defensive end for 2025 season

Related: How does Kansas State football’s quarterback room shape up heading into the 2025 season?

But while losing Premer is disappointing, a greater concern is K-State’s lack of success overall in the state of Kansas. The Wildcats have excelled at keeping the state’s top prospects at home of late under seventh-year coach Chris Klieman, but that has not been the case in this cycle.

Of the top 15 Kansas prospects according to 247 Sports, the Wildcats landed only No. 8-ranked Lawson McGraw and No. 15 Lamarcus Barber. McGraw, a gifted athlete from Blue Valley West who could play either…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Alabama landed its third five-star commitment in the 2026 recruiting class Wednesday when Alexander City, Alabama wide receiver Cederian Morgan announced his decision. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound prospect continues the Crimson Tide’s recruiting surge, choosing Alabama over Auburn, Clemson, Colorado, Florida and Georgia.

Morgan ranks as the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 11 overall prospect nationally in the 2026 class, per 247Sports, and is the top-ranked player in Alabama. The Crimson Tide has already landed the top prospects from Georgia, Illinois and Nebraska in this cycle.

Alabama has surged in the national recruiting rankings, rising to No. 6 after adding its latest five-star commitment. The Crimson Tide now boast 17 commitments in the 2026 class. Just before the start of the summer dead period for visits, Alabama was outside the top 40 nationally in the team recruiting rankings.

College football recruiting panic index: Should Auburn, Colorado slow summers be cause for concern?

Will Backus

Morgan is the 11th prospect to commit to Alabama since June 9 and the second five-star in that span, joining Gainesville, Georgia linebacker Xavier Griffin, who committed Sunday. Marietta, Georgia cornerback Jorden Edmonds — another five-star — pledged back in March.

Morgan’s final official visit was to Alabama in mid-June, as the Crimson Tide seemingly made a lasting impression…

..

[ad_2]

Read More