Category: College Football

Fort Myers offensive lineman Joel Ervin on the 2024 Big 15

An interview with Fort Myers offensive lineman Joel Ervin, who is uncommitted.

Miami has been busy in March, and they put a bow on the month by landing a commitment from an elite local offensive tackle.

More: SWFL roundup: High school results through Thursday play

Fort Myers’ Joel Ervin named the Hurricanes on Saturday evening, becoming the seventh Miami commitment of the 2026 cycle. He previously committed to Louisville on March 8, but decommitted a few weeks later.

Ervin took unofficial visits to Miami and Florida State before walking back his commitment with the Cardinals. Ervin posted a photo from the Hurricanes’ practice facility on Saturday morning before announcing his commitment. He was slated to take official visits to Kentucky, Miami, Florida, and USC this summer, but says his recruitment is now shut down.

“The moment I decided was after today—just seeing how much of an impact Coach Mirabal makes on those guys,” Ervin told CaneSport. “And just seeing those guys compete made me want to be a Hurricane… I’m going to shut down my recruitment. I’m really excited, and I can’t even express it.”

Ervin began his junior year unranked by most major recruiting services but debuted on The News-Press’ Big 15 at No. 8. He joins Miami’s class less than a year later as a 3-star and Top-100 tackle in the nation.

Who is OT Joel Irvin, Miami Hurricane commit?

School: Fort Myers

Commitment: Miami

Height, Weight: 6-6, 280 pounds

247Sports Composite Grade: 3-Star, No. 100 player in Florida, No. 60 offensive tackle in the country.

What to Know: Ervin was named to the News-Press 2024 All-Area Offensive First Team as a junior after helping the Green Wave average more than 300 yards of offense per game on the way to their first district title since 2019. He named the…

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Though the late spring and summer months are a virtual wasteland for college football news, this is the exact time that the annual recruiting cycle starts to heat up. 

December’s early signing period has sped the entire process up by placing more emphasis on building early relationships with recruits. Fall visits are still valuable, but summer is often where the difference is made. The next handful of months will be heavy on visits before an onslaught of commitments in late-June and July. The top of the 2026 recruiting rankings are sure to shift fast and furiously when the commitment dominos begin to drop, but recently they’ve bee stable enough to allow a deep dive into the current top 10 classes before they change too much. 

Let’s evaluate whether the schools off to quick starts are here to stay at the top of the class by the time national signing day rolls around.  

Total commits: 16 (10 Top247 prospects)

Everyone who follows recruiting probably has USC’s 2025 class in the back of their mind when evaluating the current recruiting cycle. The Trojans got off to a blazing-hot start last year, reeling in blue-chip prospects from around the country while gradually climbing the rankings to the upper echelon. Then things unraveled late in the summer, and as the early signing period approached, the Trojans lost four five-star commits. Two of those — defensive lineman Justus Terry and edge rusher Isaiah Gibson — were from the state of Georgia. In total, USC had nine four or five-star prospects from the…

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Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at some of the best high school football recruits from the country’s recruiting hotbeds.

The series started with the best 2026 recruits out of Texas before heading to Florida and finally out west to California.

This time, we’ll head west and look at the Peach State. Here are the top 2026 recruits to keep an eye on from Georgia.

Taylor Atkinson

School: Grayson (Loganville)

Position: Linebacker

Commitment: Uncommitted

Summary: Atkinson put up monster numbers in a junior season that no one will be able to touch. In 13 games, he accounted for 166 tackles, 46 quarterback pressures, 32 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and three pass breakups.

Georgia appears to be the frontrunner in his recruitment. He was last in Athens on March 11 for an unofficial visit.

Xavier Griffin

School: Gainesville

Position: Linebacker

Commitment: USC

Summary: Griffin’s already made his college decision and decided to head west instead of staying in the south. He committed to USC last July.

While other programs may try to flip him, Griffin seems like a solid pledge for the Trojans. He’s set to take his official visit to the school on June 20.

Jorden Edmonds

School: Sprayberry (Marietta)

Position: Cornerback

Commitment: Alabama

Summary: Like Griffin, Edmonds has already made his college decision: he’s headed to Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide are getting a two-way standout in Edmonds. Offensively, he accounted for 670 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he recorded 35 tackles.

Kaiden Prothro

School: Bowdon

Position: Tight End

Commitment: Uncommitted

Summary: Prothro is one of the most sought-after players in the country, and for good reason. Last year, he recorded 56 receptions for 1,203 yards and 22 touchdowns.

His official visits include Georgia (May 30), Alabama (June 6), Auburn (June 10), Florida (June 13) and…

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Kent State coach Kenni Burns has been placed on administrative leave, a source confirmed to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. The move comes after Burns posted a 1-23 record in his first two seasons and just days before the Golden Flashes are set to begin spring practice. 

“Kent State has placed head football coach Kenni Burns on administrative leave with pay,” a statement from the school reads. “Greg Glaus, executive deputy athletics director, will continue to oversee the administrative responsibilities related to the program. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney will direct on-field activities at this time. No further comments on this personnel matter will be provided.”

Representatives for Burns did not responded to requests for comment. 

The development comes roughly four months after an Ohio bank sued Burns for $23,852.09 plus interest. That case was later dismissed.

Burns is in his second year with the Golden Flashes, with a starting base salary of $475,000, according to his contract. 

In his initial contract, obtained by CBS Sports via open records request, Burns’ Year 1 salary was $475,000 and escalated to $515,000 over the life of the deal which ran through the 2027 season. Burns received a one-year extension and modest raise after the 2023 season.

Burns was hired after spending several seasons as an assistant under P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. The former Indiana running back also worked for Fleck at Western Michigan and was previously an assistant at Wyoming and North Dakota State

The Golden Flashes were non-competitive on the field in 2024, losing 10 of their…

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Kirby Smart on inexperienced roster: ‘We have a long way to go’

Kirby Smart says Georgia is a work in progress, with a young, inexperienced roster struggling with fatigue.

Georgia football receiver Nitro Tuggle was driving 107 miles per hour when the Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) police pulled him over and arrested him on March 19.

According to a police incident report obtained Wednesday by the Athens Banner-Herald, part of the USA TODAY Network, Tuggle was driving his 2021 Dodge Charger in the inside lane of Georgia State Route 10 Loop outside Athens with other motorists on the road. His girlfriend was also in the car with him.

REQUIRED READING: Left for dead, California and Stanford may finally be serious about football

The report added that Tuggle was going 42 miles over the speed limit and when asked to pull over, Tuggle “nearly exited without placing the vehicle in park.”

“I instructed Tuggle to exit the vehicle, at which point he nearly exited without placing the vehicle in park,” the report said. “Due to his reckless disregard for the safety of others – including himself, his passenger, other motorists, and myself – by operating the vehicle at a speed 42 mph over the limit and exceeding triple-digit speeds, I placed him under arrest.”

He was charged with misdemeanor speeding and reckless driving.

Tuggle was suspended indefinitely from team activities last Friday. According to 247 Sports Composite Rankings, the rising sophomore was the 102nd-ranked prospect in the country in the 2024 recruiting class. He caught three passes for 34 yards last season.

Offensive lineman Marques Easley was also suspended from team activities on Friday. The sophomore from Peoria, Illinois, was arrested for reckless driving and reckless conduct after crashing his Dodge Challenger into a power distribution box in Oconee County on March…

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247Sports

Alabama got a commitment from the nation’s top cornerback as five-star Jorden Edmonds pledged to the Tide on Wednesday. The Class of 2026 prospect out of Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia, picked Alabama over interest from Georgia and Tennessee. 

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Edmonds has the size and length to be a major contributor at the college level. He ranks as the No. 10 overall player in the Top247 rankings, No. 2 player in Georgia and best cornerback in the class. 

“Smooth mover who can flip his hips with ease in coverage, experienced playing a variety of different coverage schemes but excels in off-man coverage,” 247Sports national analyst Hudson Standish wrote. “Should be viewed as a traits-heavy boundary cornerback with the potential to shut down an entire side of the field for a College Football Playoff contender and blossom into an early round NFL Draft selection.” 

‘HE LOVES IT AT ALABAMA’: Mother of No. 1 CB in the country talks son’s comfort in Tuscaloosa

NATIONAL ANALYSIS: Alabama adding ‘one of the most athletic DBs’ to secondary with No. 1 CB Jorden Edmonds

The addition is significant for Alabama as Edmonds immediately becomes the crown jewel of the recruiting class. He is only the fourth commitment in 2026, and joins athlete Zyan Gibson (No. 65) as recruits in the Top247 rankings. Alabama has recruited the defensive back position exceptionally well over the years, including four five-star signees in the past two recruiting classes. 

Edmonds is the son of former West Virginia linebacker Chris Edmonds, who…

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College football began a new era during the 2024-25 season with the expanded 12-team playoff.

The changes to the sport – and to college athletics as a whole – are expected to be far greater this coming year.

A federal judge is expected to give final approval on April 7 to the House vs. NCAA settlement, which includes back pay, revenue sharing and roster changes starting with the 2025-26 academic year.

“This is a challenge all over the country,” Penn State football coach James Franklin said Tuesday. “A lot of coaches are talking about this. A lot of ADs (athletic directors) are talking about this. A lot of (conference) commissioners are talking about this.

“You’re having to make decisions and you’re having to move forward before you have all of the information and guidelines. Decisions are still being made today. It’s very, very challenging.”

The NCAA and the plaintiffs, two former Division I athletes, reached a settlement last year that requires the NCAA to pay nearly $2.8 billion to former Division I athletes for lost NIL opportunities.

It allows schools to share a portion of their revenue with athletes, potentially up to $20.5 million in the 2025-26 academic year.

Under the settlement, the NCAA will impose new roster limits for teams, which will replace scholarship limits. In football, 105 players will be allowed on a roster, including walk-ons, beginning in the fall.

Franklin already has discussed the new roster limit with Penn State players. The team had 120 players listed on its roster Tuesday, not including six members of its 2025 recruiting class who are expected to enroll in May or June.

“It’s going to be different,” he said. “We lost16 guys (to injuries) during the season last year. Now you have 16 guys that you lost during the season who you’re not allowed to replace under the 105…

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Expectations often define success. A team could go 10-2 during the regular season and make the College Football Playoff, and leave fans underwhelmed because it was picked to win a conference or national title. Meanwhile, a team projected to win four games can create a positive buzz around the program with a. 7-6 campaign that includes a bowl win. 

While expectations vary, a team’s preseason win total is the most reliable metric for judging whether a team lived up to its standard. After all, sportsbooks aren’t rooting for anybody; they’re only interested in making money.

While it’s only March, and the real games are months away, books have begun posting win totals for the 2025 season. So what better time to play out the entire season than right now? Sure, a lot of these schools don’t even know who their starting quarterbacks are, and there will be another flurry of roster movement once the spring portal opens up, but there’s no time for patience!

So I played out every game on the schedule in my head for all 18 Big Ten teams, and I know how the season will end. There’s no longer any need to wait. We’ll just ignore that when I did this exact exercise last year, I went 9-9 on my predictions for each team. This year, I’m setting my own over/under at 8.5. Odds below via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Over/under 7.5 wins

Wins: Western Illinois, at Duke, Western Michigan, USC, at Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland, at Wisconsin, Northwestern
Losses: at Indiana, Ohio State, at Washington

Analysis: There’s plenty of buzz around the Illini as a…

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