Category: College Football

On Wednesday, Texas A&M’s 2025 spring season officially kicked off with the first press conference. Head coach Mike Elko, starting quarterback Marcel Reed, and senior cornerback Will Lee III spoke to the media, providing plenty of intriguing quotes ranging from the team’s depth to which player has stood out this offseason from the transfer portal and 2025 signing class.

Reed, the redshirt sophomore, enters his first full season as the starting signal caller after Conner Weigman transferred to Houston. From a confidence standpoint, Elko and OC Collin Klein have to feel good about their quarterback’s goals to improve as a passer after struggling in the pocket during several key SEC games last season.

“I’ve set a goal for myself to be above 70 percent passing. … That’s really good in college football, so if I can sit around there, I feel that will be great for the offense. It takes being in the film room and understanding the offense.”

Last season, Reed completed 61% of his passes for 1,864 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions, so while his goal is a big jump, he will be working with an enhanced wide receiver room and one of the deepest running back rooms behind and equally stacked offensive line.

“We have a year under this offense, and it’s going to look a lot different than it did last year, for sure.”

“We have all types of playmakers from the running back room, the O-line, receivers and tight ends.”

Bringing in former NC State wide receiver KC Concepcion, Mike Elko raved about the junior pass catcher’s potential to bring more firepower to A&M’s passing game and be a consistent leader and voice in the locker room. Concepcion’s presence is even more vital after the news that transfer WR Micah Hudson is no longer enrolled at Texas A&M.

“He’s lights-out. He has tremendous quickness, tremendous acceleration. … He…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

As sure as schools paying players next fall, the day is coming when the SEC places five teams into an expanded College Football Playoff.

That won’t happen in 2025, but it may in 2026 when the CFP potentially expands to 14 teams and the Big Ten and SEC push for four automatic qualifiers. Until then, the criteria from the first 12-team playoff remain and the SEC will have to rely on its teams impressing the selection committee. Do wins matter more than strength of schedule? That worries the SEC, which is built on beating up its teams and leaving several title contenders with three losses.

The league nearly had four teams in the fold in 2024, but the committee smartly placed SMU ahead of three-loss Alabama and South Carolina. In the end, the SEC advanced only one of its three teams into the semifinals.

Who will contend for a national championship this fall? The usual contenders remain, but we’re taking a chance on another team that has proven to be fool’s gold the last two seasons. We kept the list of contenders to five teams, but we could easily argue for seven. 

Kalen DeBoer cannot afford to miss the playoffs in Year 2. An underwhelming 9-4 start to his Alabama career places the onus on him to lift the Tide into the 12-team CFP this season, and he must do so while replacing a quarterback and refilling several holes along the offensive and defensive lines, the primary units responsible for success or failure in the SEC. Still, the Tide ranks No. 2 in the initial SP+ ratings. The favorite to replace Jalen Milroe at…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Thank you to all the teams who took a chance on be, and I’m thankful for all the relationships we have made along the way! But I am officially down to 3 schools! ✌️🙌🌰@Montgomery_DHHS pic.twitter.com/j7ECSWQZen

— Favour Akih 4⭐️🇨🇲 (@FavourAkih) March 18, 2025

Ohio State football is working on what looks like an extremely impressive 2026 recruiting class and it has made a move on a local running back. The Buckeyes have extended an offer to Favour Akih, a three-star running back from Rutherford B Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio. The surging recruit has recently announced he has already narrowed his decision down to three schools which includes Ohio State as well as the Miami Hurricanes and Big Ten foe, the USC Trojans.

Listed at six feet tall and 190 pounds, Akih has the size and profile to make an impact at a major college football program, but OSU is hoping he stays close to home. Rated as the No. 23 running back in the class and the 17th-rated prospect in Ohio, it is safe to expect him to rise up the rankings the closer we get to signing day. Last season, the junior rushed for an impressive 1,653 yards and 15 touchdowns while also adding nine receptions for 142 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

The Ohio recruit was on campus this week when he received his official offer and most consider it a safe bet that he stays within the state, but that won’t stop him from making visits to USC on June 6th and Miami on June 20th. In the day and age of Name, Image and Likeness, it is hard to guarantee a recruit’s landing spot, but it really feels like it would take a lot to convince the hometown kid to leave.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Josh Keatley on X.

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Winning big in both college football and men’s basketball has never been more difficult, especially as NIL and upcoming revenue sure ensure a battle for resources. Unlike the player-led professional game, though, coaches are the mainstays who keep programs afloat and competing year after year. 

Having stability and talent at both coaching spots is a major luxury, one only emphasized with the departure of legends like Nick Saban and Mike Krzyzewski from the game. Since we debuted this list last season, the landscape has shifted dramatically. UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley won his second consecutive championship, making the Huskies a surefire factor. John Calipari left Kentucky and Jim Larrañaga retired at Miami, shaking up the case for both schools. 

Just beyond this list, there’s a massive group of contenders waiting in the wings. The SEC’s basketball resurgence means Florida and Georgia suddenly factor into the conversation. Outstanding young coaches, like those at BYU and Louisville, have great cases but need to replicate quick success. One year from now, the list could look very different. But heading into the 2025 NCAA Tournament, these are the top 10 college football/men’s basketball coaching combinations in the country. 

1. Kansas: Lance Leipold/Bill Self

2024 rank: 1

The Jayhawks narrowly hang onto the top spot, but the race is closer than ever. In the past year, Self has lost his stranglehold on the No. 1 coach spot and took a pair of preseason No. 1 teams to underwhelming seasons. Leipold also failed to build…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Getty Images

Former LSU stars are raking the money in during the NFL free agency period. More specifically, some of the most iconic figures from the Tigers’ legendary 2019 team, which went 15-0 and marched all the way to a win in the College Football Playoff National Championship, are earning huge paydays for their efforts at the professional level. 

Now Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase just broke the bank by landing a four-year contract extension worth $161 million. Not only did it make him the highest-paid wideout in the NFL, but it also set an NFL record for the largest average annual salary for a non-quarterback. 

By comparison, Chase’s quarterback and former LSU teammate Joe Burrow makes $55 million per year, which ranks third among NFL signal-callers. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who torched opposing secondaries alongside Chase in 2019, isn’t too far behind with a contract worth $35 million annually, though he signed the deal last June. Jefferson’s value ranks second among wide receivers.   

Not to be outdone, Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., a Baton Rouge native that started as a true freshman on LSU’s national title-winning team, just inked a three-year extension with the Texans that makes him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. 

Here’s a full breakdown of standout NFL contracts from LSU’s 2019 team: 

All contract data is from Over The Cap

Joe Burrow

QB

$275M 

$55M

3

Ja’Marr Chase

WR

$161M

$40.25

1

Justin Jefferson

WR

$140M

$35M

2

Derek Stingley Jr.

CB

$90M

$30M

1

Patrick QueenLB $41M$13.7M8Grant DelpitS$36M$12M12

Delpit’s…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The Georgia Bulldogs have added a sixth commitment in the class of 2026 in four-star wide receiver Brady Marchese.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound pass catcher plays high school football for Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Georgia. Rivals ranks Marchese as the No. 43 wide receiver in the country and the No. 47 player in Georgia.

Marchese committed to Georgia over Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He has official visits planned with all four schools this summer. He plans to visit Georgia from June 6-8, Georgia Tech on June 1, Virginia Tech from June 20-22 and West Virginia from June 13-15.

Marchese has excellent speed. He posted speeds of over 22 miles per hour during his junior season with Cartersville. Marchese has the speed to blow by opposing defensive backs and does an excellent job of creating separation in his highlights.

Following Marchese’ commitment, Georgia has the No. 17 recruiting class in the country. UGA and head coach Kirby Smart have a long way to go in the 2026 recruiting cycle, but Marchese is a strong addition for the Dawgs.

How did Georgia football social media react after Brady Marchese’s commitment?

Wide receivers coach James Coley reacts

Brady Marchese highlights

Brady Marchese recent top schools announcement

Marchese’s commitment

“This is a dream come true,” said Marchese after committing to Georgia. “I’m home, Let’s work! Go Dawgs!!

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The spring practice schedule is off and running in the ACC, and the 17-team league is looking to build on some of the successes that included putting two teams in the College Football Playoff in 2024. The league welcomes a couple new head coaches with Bill Belichick taking over at North Carolina and Jake Dickert stepping in at Wake Forest, but there is also massive coordinator turnover throughout the league and plenty of NFL Draft talent to replace. 

Let’s dive in with one question for all 17 ACC teams. 

Is the secondary going to be the best in the ACC? 

The Eagles are excited about the pass defense heading into Year 2 of the Bill O’Brien era as they return a strong core of the group that finished tied for seventh nationally with 17 interceptions on the season. Now the challenge for the next step comes as the defensive line loses one of the best players in the country in Donovan Ezeiruaku (16.5 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss) and another key piece with defensive tackle Cam Horsley (seven tackles for loss). So was the young secondary strong because of the defensive front? Or can they now carry the load for the defense as the new line rounds into shape? Since the Eagles have quarterback mostly settled with Grayson James continuing to build off his late-season experience when he took over Thomas Castellanos, a lot of attention in Chestnut Hill will be on the defensive side of the ball. 

…..

[ad_2]

Read More

WATCH: LSU football QBs during team’s first preseason practice

LSU football quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier (13), Rickie Collins (10), A.J. Swann (15) and Colin Hurley (16) work during the first fall practice.

BATON ROUGE — LSU football is working through spring drills without another one of its top returning tacklers from a season ago.

Senior safety Jardin Gilbert is out for the duration of spring, LSU coach Brian Kelly told reporters after the team’s fifth practice Saturday morning. Gilbert had surgery on his shoulder in the offseason. Through the first handful of practices, Gilbert has been seen off to the side, navigating some individual workouts with trainers.

LSU added safety Tamarcus Cooley from North Carolina State in the transfer portal and Javien Toviano has shifted back to deep safety, which was a move he made prior to LSU’s appearance in the Texas Bowl.

LSU CHANGES FOOTBALL SPRING GAME ‘Let’s think OTAs’: LSU football announces changes to annual National L Club Spring Game

GARRETT NUSSMEIER THIS SPRING What’s the most important thing for LSU football QB Garrett Nussmeier this spring?

There’s some youth on the backend of LSU’s defense this spring and while Gilbert hasn’t been able to work through drills with his fellow safeties, Kelly commended the senior on how he’s handled his situation and stepped up into more of a leadership role.

“He’s there every day. He’s been a great leader. He’s actually been the veteran guy that you want,” Kelly said. “He’s been around those young guys and he’s been accountable.”

Gilbert is a fourth defensive starter to miss this spring due to injury, along with linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who is out due to an ACL tear, linebacker Whit Weeks, who broke his fibula in the Texas Bowl and defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon early last season.

Kelly…

..

[ad_2]

Read More