Category: College Football

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Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.

Teams around the country solidified the foundation of their roster during the winter transfer window. This week we’re highlighting the best transfer classes by position. Up first are the quarterbacks.

RELATED: Five former five-stars that will back up their rating after transferring

MORE TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer Team Ranking | Football Player Ranking

1. MIAMI

Miami may have lost Cam Ward to the NFL Draft but the Hurricanes are replacing the future first-rounder with arguably the best returning quarterback in the nation in Carson Beck. While at Georgia, Beck won two national titles and threw for nearly 8,000 yards and 58 touchdowns.

The Hurricanes were on the brink of a College Football Playoff berth last season and Miami fans think Beck can get them over the hump this year.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT CANESCOUNTY.COM

2. OKLAHOMA

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The Oklahoma offense was a train wreck last season but that shouldn’t be the case this year with John Mateer and new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle running the show. The former Washington State star was a prolific passer and runner this past season and the Sooners need him to bring that magic to Norman this fall.

The cherry on top for Oklahoma is that Mateer has two years of eligibility remaining.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA FANS AT OUINSIDER.COM

3. AUBURN

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Jackson Arnold gave two seasons of eligibility to Oklahoma but it didn’t pan out like he expected. Now he’s at Auburn and has a chance to lead what could be one of the most explosive offenses in…

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HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas — Nearly one month after Notre Dame’s magical run to the national championship game, Al Golden was still processing a memorable season as he stood in a hallway outside a large banquet room where he would soon receive recognition as the nation’s top assistant coach.

Two days after falling to Ohio State in the title game, the defensive coordinator left for the NFL, where he will coordinate the defense for the Cincinnati Bengals. These days, he’s busy evaluating unrestricted free agents and studying names and measurables ahead of the NFL Combine, but on this Friday night at a horse track in central Arkansas, he’s donning a Notre Dame pin on a navy blue suit. He’s downright romantic as he reminisces about a three-year stay in South Bend.

“It was the greatest 1,000 days of my career to be associated, to wake up and coach those young men every day,” he said. “There’s a place in northern Indiana where young men go that still think it’s important to be great in the community, they still think it’s great to be awesome in the classroom, they still think it’s important and vital to have a spiritual component in your life. And it’s all fostered by a head coach who provides a culture. I was just blessed to be part of that for just a brief moment. For them, I’m grateful for this opportunity to be up here.”

Golden beat out four other coaches and became the Broyles Award winner during a Thursday ceremony at Oaklawn, a world-famous horse track and resort tucked an hour’s drive southwest of Arkansas’ state capital. Golden led an injury-stricken defense to a top-5 finish in several national categories, including scoring, and did so without several starters during the longest season in college football history.

“It’s hard,” Golden…

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No. 8 Texas A&M (20-5, 9-3 SEC) will likely rise in the AP and Coaches Poll rankings on Monday after defeating Arkansas 69-61 on Saturday afternoon, led by star Wade Taylor IV’s 18 points, as the senior guard is getting closer to breaking the all-time program scoring record.

Led by the Aggies’ elite defense, which forced 17 turnovers and 11 steals on the day, Texas A&M’s five consecutive wins in SEC play aren’t just impressive but have solidified its high standing in the NCAA Tournament after the selection committee revealed its Top 16 team, placing A&M at No. 6 as a 2-seed among Tennessee, Purdue, and Houston.

Five of Texas A&M’s final six regular season opponents are rankings, starting with Mississippi State on the road, followed by Tennessee at home this week. If I had to guess, winning at least half of these games will guarantee a 2 or 3-seed in the big dance.

After defeating Arkansas, Texas A&M is 11th in the NET rankings, with a highly impressive 14-5 Quad 1 & 2 combined record that only rivals Auburn and Alabama have. Around the rest of the SEC, No. 1 Auburn’s road win over rival Alabama again proved that the Tigers are the best team in the country, while Kentucky’s road loss to Texas has shaken up the SEC standings.

Here are the latest SEC standings ahead of Week 16:

No. 1 Auburn Tigers

23-2 (11-1 SEC)

No. 2 Alabama Tigers

21-4 (10-2 SEC)

No. 3 Florida Gators

22-3 (9-3 SEC)

No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies

20-5 (9-3 SEC)

No. 21 Missouri Tigers

19-6 (8-4 SEC)

No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers

21-5 (8-5 SEC)

No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels

19-7 (8-5 SEC)

No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats

17-8 (6-6 SEC)

No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs

18-7 (6-6 SEC)

Vanderbilt Commodores

17-8 (5-7 SEC)

Texas Longhorns

16-10 (5-8 SEC)

Arkansas Razorbacks

15-10 (4-8 SEC)

Georgia Bulldogs

16-10 (4-9 SEC)

Oklahoma Sooners

16-9 (3-9 SEC)

LSU Tigers

13-12 (2-10 SEC)

South Carolina Gamecocks

10-15…

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One of the biggest stops en route to the NFL Draft is the NFL Scouting Combine, which brings well over 300 of the nation’s top prospects together to work out in front of coaches and front office personnel in Indianapolis. Every year, players use the combine to improve their standing and climb up draft boards. 

The NFL sent out its official invites this week, now that the 2024 college football season is well in the rearview. In addition to the opportunities that the combine provides, the list of players in attendance often reflects the modern college football landscape. 

For instance, Ohio State — fresh off of its first national title win in a decade — leads all schools with 15 prospects invited to the combine. The next three, in order, are Texas, Georgia and Oregon, which all made the 2024 College Football Playoff field. 

The SEC and the Big Ten, which accounted for seven of the 12 teams in the playoff last season, account for almost 200 of the 329 total combine invitees. Notre Dame, which lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship, has eight players headed to Indianapolis; a respectable number, though the Irish weren’t among the 10 programs with the most invites. 

Here’s a look at the programs with the most prospects invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine: 

1. Ohio State — 15 

Notable players: QB Will Howard; RB TreVeyon Henderson; RB Quinshon Judkins; WR Emeka Egbuka; EDGE Jack Sawyer; DB Denzel Burke 

The Buckeyes are fairly balanced in terms of representation, with seven on…

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Former Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. met with the assembled media on Friday for the first time since transferring to Big Ten rival Illinois earlier this offseason.

He was first asked why the Illini were his transfer choice, even after he received interest from SEC powers, including Tennessee and Oklahoma.

“I’m a big relationship guy,” Thompson Jr. began. “When I first hit the portal, the first coach to contact me was Coach [Bret] Bielema. That made a big impact on me. Talked to me every step of the way. That trickled down to Coach [Terrance Jamison] and Coach [Aaron Henry]. Those guys are really cool people and they really preach that family atmosphere. And I felt that through the phone, and when I visited here too. So that’s the main reason why I chose Illinois.”

Of course, Bielema was Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator from 2004-05 and its head coach from 2006-12. Henry (Illinois’ defensive coordinator) and Jamison (defensive line coach) each played at Wisconsin under Bielema, Jamison from 2005-07 and Henry from 2007-11.

Thompson Jr. was not alone in his decision to join Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini. He followed Wisconsin linebacker Leon Lowery and defensive lineman Curt Neal, each of whom made the same move.

The Wisconsin connection doesn’t stop there. Bielema recently shared that he spoke with former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard about both Thompson Jr. and Neal during the transfer process, players who were recruited by and played under those two longtime Wisconsin coaches. Their input played a significant factor in Illinois’ dedicated pursuit of each player.

“[Bielema’s call] was quick [after I entered the portal],” Thompson Jr. continued. “Because I think [Bielema] hit me up and everything, and told me he got information from my previous…

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Six former players featured in “Last Chance U” filed a lawsuit against Netflix, the National Junior College Athletic Association and East Mississippi Community College — the school featured in the first two seasons of “Last Chance U” — according to a court filing in Los Angeles County. The plaintiffs are seeking $30 million after claiming that they did not receive any compensation for their appearance on the documentary and were coerced into signing the initial contracts with Netflix.  

Listed as plaintiffs on the lawsuit are John Franklin III (a former quarterback and wide receiver at Florida State and Auburn), Ronald Ollie, C.J. Reavis, De’Andre Johnson (a former Florida State signee that later played quarterback at Florida Atlantic and Texas Southern), Tim Bonner and Isaiah Wright. 

“The popularity from the show was both a blessing and a curse,” the filing reads. “Plaintiffs have faced employment obstacles and struggled to be viewed in a positive lens after the release of the show. For each of the Defendants however, they have all financially benefited from the show and their careers have soared since its release. Make no mistake, each of the defendants have been unjustly enriched by intruding upon the private lives of the Plaintiffs, taking unfair advantage of them through Defendants’ superior bargaining power, manipulating many of the Plaintiffs’ characters, along with other means for their own financial gain while sacrificing any decent reputation Plaintiffs had.” 

“Last Chance U,” which was released on Netflix from 2016-20, was a documentary series…

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Nebraska was recently named as a finalist for one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2027. Trae Taylor named the Huskers in his top five, along with the LSU Tigers, the Michigan Wolverines, the Illinois Fighting Illini, and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Taylor has also confirmed that he plans to announce his commitment on June 6. According to Rivals, he is a four-star recruit, the No. 4 quarterback in the class of 2027, and the top player in the state of Illinois.

The quarterback has previously praised the Nebraska coaching staff. Just last month, he wrote on social media, ‘Absolutely love that whole staff at Nebraska football. Their facilities are second to none. The business school is great, and of course, the fan base is on point. The coaches are coming to visit last week in January and have visited my school more than any other school. then I’m headed out for spring ball.’

The quarterback threw for 3,061 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions for Carmel High School. He averaged 278.3 yards per game, according to statistics from Maxpreps.com.

Nebraska appears to be in as good a spot as any of the finalists for Taylor’s commitment. While the Huskers may not have a spring game planned, it’s clear that the spring practice period will be a major opportunity to impress Taylor and talent from all around the country.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska Football Recruiting: Trae Taylor announces top five schools

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In the waning moments of Ohio State’s postgame media availability last month, Jeremiah Smith was asked the question a lot of folks couldn’t wait to be answered. It’s the question that pushed the conversation from a national championship debut for the talented freshman receiver to Smith’s next logical destination.

To be specific: Is the 19-year-old with a grown man’s body, equipped with a set of Velcro hands, ready to play in the NFL right now?

“Hah,” Smith said, a bit taken aback by the question from CBS Sports. “I don’t really know how to answer that question. I’m just a freshman, happy to be in college football.”

Except when pressed, Smith did know how to answer the question.

“I definitely think I can [play in the NFL] for sure,” Smith asserted.

He is not alone. The No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2024, Smith is among a handful of college freshmen — or younger — who have ever had the talent to play in the NFL. Among them are running backs Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma), Leonard Fournette (LSU), Herschel Walker (Georgia) and Marcus Dupree (Oklahoma), as well as defensive linemen Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) and Ed Oliver (Houston).

Amobi Okoye is believed to be the youngest player taken in the modern draft era (since 1966). Okoye moved from Nigeria to Huntsville, Alabama, as a 12-year-old. At age 16, the defensive tackle played 13 games at Louisville as a true freshman. He was the 10th pick of the 2007 draft two months before his 20th birthday. Okoye played five years in the NFL.

But the discussion here is less about whether such players could play in the NFL at a young age; rather, it is about whether they should have the opportunity. Since 1990, the NFL — in partnership with the NFL Players Association — has required players to be…

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