Category: College Football

Barely 15 years ago, Texas State was playing football in the Southland Conference. Now, the Bobcats have quickly become the belle of the ball in FBS realignment. 

Texas State has emerged as the “heavy favorite” to be given a formal invitation to join the Pac-12, according to an ESPN repprt. Texas State is facing a July 1 deadline to notify the Sun Belt if it wishes to leave for the 2026 season or its buyout will double from $5 million to $10 million. 

Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State are set to join Oregon State and Washington State as full members. Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga is also joining as a non-football member. The league needs one more all-sport member to join in time for the 2026-27 school year to be eligible to exist as a full NCAA conference. 

Texas State was a power at the Division II level before moving up to I-AA in the 1980s, winning a pair of national titles under legendary coach Jim Wacker. Dennis Franchione helped transition the Bobcats to the FBS level in 2012, and the program landed in a resurgent Sun Belt one year later. Until Kinne arrived in 2023, though, the program posted eight straight losing seasons and zero bowl appearances. In two years, Kinne has notched 16 wins and consecutive First Responder Bowl victories in the past two years. 

So why is Texas State such a hot commodity in the realignment world? It has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time. 

Everyone wants a footprint in Texas

The college football landscape has shifted dramatically over the past five years, and no state has felt those changes more than Texas. The Longhorns’ departure for the SEC shook the state. If Texas State ultimately leaves the Sun Belt for the Pac-12, it will…

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The Gophers football program picked up verbal commitments from four players after the U’s second big official-visit weekend. The group of three-star prospects puts Minnesota at 20 total commitments for the 2026 class.

Offensive lineman Lucas Tielsch, who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds from Copley, Ohio, was the first pledge Sunday. He had other offers from Maryland, Purdue, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati and others. Minnesota has made offensive line a big priority in this class and now with five commits.

Safety Jordan Lampkins, a 6-foot, 180-pound safety from Bolingbrook, Ill., picked the U over offers from Wake Forest, Toledo, Northern Illinois and others. The Gophers have had success with players from Bolingbrook, including brothers Jacob and Jordan Huff and Micah Dew-Treadway. He is the first safety in next year’s group.

Interior defensive lineman Jeremiah Benson, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman from West Bloomfield, Mich., chose Minnesota over Iowa State, Fresno State and roughly 10 others. Michigan and Iowa were interested but didn’t offer. He committed to Northern Illinois but backed off it in May to become the U’s fourth D-lineman for next year.

Tight end Gabe Weaver, a 6-5, 215-pound product from St. Louis, Mo., had no other offers from Power Four conference schools but had Charlotte, Western Michigan and other Group of Five schools. He has the highest 247Sports ranking of any commit this weekend, and is Minnesota’s first tight end for next year.

The Gophers gained five commitments during its first big recruiting weekend in late May-early June.

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Last week we offered a survey about Notre Dame quarterbacks CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. The two signal callers rose to the top of the depth chart during the spring practice period, and we saw veteran Steve Angeli transfer to the Syracuse Orange. Notre Dame has not named a starter — and won’t until sometime in mid-August (I presume), but that doesn’t mean Irish fans are sitting this one out until then.

Notre Dame is absolutely a top five program nationally, and the college football playoff run last year cemented their status — for now. So, there is a pretty big expectation for how well the Irish do this season — even if a lot of it depends upon the play of the starting quarterback.

Irish fans have loudly said who they think the starting quarterback should be, and how confident they are with a playoff run with him. Yes, it’s CJ Carr by a fairly large margin.

The Irish will have fairly good odds this year to make a deep playoff run (unlike the odds of our future college basketball season) and maybe it will be CJ Carr who leads them there.

However… as I have continually said since the winter — if it’s Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame is in GREAT shape. You kind of feel like he has to earn it even more, and if he is the one that comes out on top, we know he’s the best choice. You might even say that if it is Kenny Minchey, I’ll be even more confident in a deep playoff run.

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The transfer portal has fundamentally reshaped college football. While player movement existed long before its official launch in October 2018, the portal streamlined the process, and recent rule changes have only accelerated the trend, making it even more appealing for athletes to find new opportunities.

More than 4,000 players entered the portal during the 2024-25 cycle, but only a select few will make a major impact. But the most successful transfers don’t just fit in, they change the trajectory of their new programs. Just look at the last three Heisman Trophy winners, all of whom began their careers elsewhere. In fact, six of the past seven Heisman winners were transfers.

Most programs now prioritize adding projected high-impact transfers by targeting experienced players who can contribute immediately and fill glaring needs. Coaches balance recruiting high school prospects with portal additions to accelerate program success, reshaping how teams are built.

From game-breaking quarterbacks to generational two-way stars, here are the 10 most impactful college football transfers of the portal era.

10. Olu Oluwatimi, Michigan

Oluwatimi anchored Michigan’s offensive line after transferring from Virginia (and previously Air Force), bringing experience and leadership to the interior. In 2022, he won both the Rimington and Outland Trophies — becoming the first center in program history to do so — while helping the Wolverines reach the College Football Playoff with another…

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Former Prairie View A&M football player Jackson Bailey has died at age 22, the program announced Tuesday. A cause of death was not listed. Bailey joined the program for the 2023 season but did not play in any games.

“The Prairie View A&M University Department of Athletics extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, teammates and fraternity brothers of Jackson ‘Jacks’ Bailey, a cherished member of the Panther football program and the PVAMU community,” the statement read. 

Bailey started his college football career at Arizona, enrolling as a three-star linebacker recruit from Red Oak (Texas). He redshirted during the 2021 season before transferring to Louisiana-Monroe. Bailey played in nine games during the 2022 season, recording 14 total tackles and one quarterback hurry.

Nebraska’s Matt Rhule: QB Dylan Raiola rejected ‘easy way out’ in transfer portal, chose to stay with Huskers

Cody Nagel

“He chose Prairie View A&M to be closer to home, and in doing so, became an unforgettable part of our campus family,” the statement read. “Though his time at PVAMU was brief, the impact he made will resonate for years to come. We honor and remember Jackson “Jacks” Bailey not only for his potential and promise but for the way he lived—with purpose, humor, humility and heart.”

Bailey was a standout linebacker at Red Oak (Texas). He led the Hawks with 60 total tackles as a junior in…

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CBS Sports has released a 25 most dynamic players of the past 25 years. Inexplicably, the network ranked four players ahead of Longhorns legend Vince Young, including Texas A&M quarterback Johnny ‘Football’ Manziel.

CBS writer Brad Crawford admits even his own colleagues differ on the definition of “dynamic.” Crawford ranks USC running back Reggie Bush No. 1. I think any Texas fan that was in the Rose Bowl on January 4, 2006 knew Vince Young had a much greater ability to take over a game than Bush. Bush had flashy runs, but ultimately, he couldn’t beat VY.

Bush won the Heisman Trophy in 2005 over Young. But if you really look at that season, Bush had an incredible performance against Fresno State and became the Heisman front runner the rest of the season. Many votes assumed USC was going to beat Texas and so they “logically” voted for Bush. In hindsight, the best college football player in 2005 was the Texas QB.

Cam Newton is ranked No. 2. I think VY was better, but their careers, body type and style are very similar. Crawford reveals he grew up in the South watching the SEC. So there’s definitely some SEC bias in his rankings. Of course, going forward, the Longhorns will benefit from the SEC bias that has dominated college football for 20 years.

Johnny Football is ranked No. 3. There’s no doubt that Manziel’s freshman year was epic. The Aggies looked like a very average team until Manziel became QB and they had a very solid 12-2 season. Manziel was by far the best player on that team and they fed him the ball. His size certainly made him look more dynamic. More on that in a bit.

“Few players have garnered “SEC legend” status over the last few decades and change, but Johnny Football earned the decorative title. Beating top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa was his signature moment, yet Manziel was just as potent in a…

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After a two-day committee on infractions hearing concluded this week, NCAA president Charlie Baker expects a ruling on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal to come within the next 30 to 90 days, he told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday.

The hearing was attended by a contingent from the University of Michigan, former staffer Connor Stalions and members of the NCAA’s enforcement staff. Baker wasn’t present himself, but he was briefed on the matter. 

“It was a thorough hearing of the issues, and everybody that wanted to speak their piece, for the most part, got it,” he told Yahoo Sports. 

The COI panel will next make a recommendation for punishment, which the school has an option to appeal. In the past the committee has imposed everything from minor fines and scholarship reductions to forcing a school to vacate wins and/or forfeit postseason eligibility. 

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel recently said he has not had any conversations with the NCAA about a potential postseason ban.

“What I can point to is that Charlie Baker, when we won the championship, said they won it fair and square,” Manuel told 247Sports. “That’s something I can say that gives me some sense that they understand that this was a team who won that championship fair and square. I look at that, and as we move forward, we’ll see how it goes.” 

In its January response to the NCAA’s notice of allegations, Michigan accused the NCAA of “grossly overreaching” and “wildly overcharging” the university despite a lack of evidence, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports. The school contends that out of 52 games involving Michigan opponents that Stalions allegedly scouted, only one was attended by Stalions himself. 

Eight others were attended by then-Michigan…

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