Category: College Football

Five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry shocked the college football world by signing to Texas after Georgia was the long-term favorite since he decommited from USC in March. His reason for going with the Longhorns is what college football has come to.

On3’s Chad Simmons explain why Terry committed to Texas over Georgia, “I don’t know how else to say it—just a straight-up better NIL package.” The Bulldogs and Longhorns have battled over several defensive linemen on the recruiting trail recently. With Texas landing Terry and Ohio State transfer Hero Kanu.

“Justus (Terry) had the better, much longer connections in Athens with Tray Scott, Kirby Smart, Glen Schumann and multiple off-field staffers. He had been there to Athens too many times to count,” added Simmons. Recruiting is no longer as much about personal connection and player development as it is about money in many cases.

This will not be the last case where a team outbid for a recruit. Blaming a kid by going to another school is one thing but setting up their family for future generations is something that you can not fault the kid for. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is viewed as the smartest NIL spender.

Regardless, Georgia’s No. 2 ranked recruiting class, which trailed only Texas, showcased a strong emphasis on in-state talent, landing four of its five top defensive signees within Georgia, including the nation’s No. 1 defensive lineman, Elijah Griffin, the No. 1 edge rusher, Isaiah Gibson, and the No. 1 linebacker, Zayden Walker. The future of the Georgia defense looks promising, with all the key players staying in the Peach State.

This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: 5-star Justus Terry committed to Texas over UGA due to NIL

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Colorado coach Deion Sanders is hiring former NFL MVP Marshall Faulk as his running backs coach, the program announced Thursday night. Faulk will replace Gary Harrell, who is no longer with the program after coaching running backs under Sanders at both Jackson State and Colorado.

Faulk has never worked in college coaching but boasts a wealth of football experience, most notably as a Pro Bowl running back with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. Faulk helped the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV and was named MVP in 2000.

The former San Diego State star was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft and surpassed 1,000 yards rushing seven times during a 12-year NFL career that ended following the 2005 season. Faulk was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Faulk was also a unique receiving threat out of the backfield during his NFL career and retired as the only player to ever record 12,000 yards rushing, 6,000 yards receiving and over 130 touchdowns in an NFL career.

His addition to the Colorado staff gives the Buffaloes three Hall of Famers along with Sanders and Warren Sapp, who is a senior quality control analyst.

Unlocking more from the running game could be key for Colorado in 2025 as the Buffaloes bid farewell to star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and star receiver Travis Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy while also shining as a cornerback. 

The Buffs finished 9-4 in 2024 during Sanders’ second season as head coach but ranked last among 133 FBS teams in rushing offense at 65.2 yards per game.

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Texas is losing a key member of its coaching staff. Texas assistant Blake Gideon is heading to Georgia Tech to take over as the Yellow Jackets defensive coordinator.

Gideon has been the safeties coach for the Longhorns since 2021. He also holds the title of Associate Head Coach (Defense). The Leander, TX native has helped his alma mater make back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances the past two seasons. He also started 52 games at safety for Texas before moving to the NFL.

Gideon will replace Tyler Santucci in Atlanta, who left earlier this week to become the Baltimore Ravens’ linebackers coach. Santucci spent one season at Georgia Tech, which finished 67th nationally in points allowed last fall.

It is a return to Atlanta for the Texas Ex, who coached cornerbacks for Georgia State in 2018. He also coached special teams and safeties at Houston in 2019 and special teams at Ole Miss in 2020 before joining coach Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Texas.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Georgia Tech to hire Texas safeties coach Blake Gideon as new defensive coordinator

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Lawmakers in the state of Georgia have introduced legislation to exempt NIL income earned by college athletes at in-state institutions from state income tax. State senator Brandon Beach, along with four co-sponsors, filed Senate Bill 71 on Feb. 4, and the reasoning is simple: to assist Georgia and Georgia Tech in recruiting battles. 

“I just think if we’re going to compete with Texas, Tennessee and Florida, who have no income tax, we’ve got to make sure Kirby Smart and Brent Key at our two major universities have the tools in their toolbox to be able to compete for these five-star athletes,” Beach told CBS Sports. “That’s all this bill does, is help Georgia and Georgia Tech be competitive with states that do not have an income tax.” 

Beach said he wasn’t approached by anyone affiliated with Georgia or Georgia Tech. Rather, the idea came from an unlikely source. 

“I had dinner at Lake Burton with Nick and Terry Saban and my wife and I and another couple, and he loves Kirby Smart like a son,” Beach said. “And he said, ‘If you want to help Kirby until they figure out all this in NIL stuff, one thing you could do is eliminate the income tax on NIL athletes.’ So I got the idea actually from Nick Saban.” 

A spokesman for Georgia Tech declined comment. Representatives for Georgia and Saban did not respond at time of publish. 

National Signing Day as we knew it is dead, and its decline bodes poorly for college football’s future

Tom Fornelli

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have an income tax. Georgia’s tax rate is…

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The flip is complete for Michigan football.

Ty Haywood, the highly-coveted offensive tackle from Denton, Texas (Ryan High School) who was previously committed to Alabama before he re-opened his recruitment last month, officially pledged to join the Wolverines on Wednesday, the first day of the final national signing window which runs through April 1.

Haywood, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound prospect, officially visited Ann Arbor just a few days after he decided he was not going to sign with the Tide and since that time the general consensus had been that it was only a matter of time before he opted to join Sherrone Moore’s program.

The four-star offensive lineman is rated the No. 6 tackle in the nation, the No. 10 player in Texas and the No. 39 overall player in the country according 247Sports consensus rankings.

A Michigan football helmet on the field during warmup at the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

“Imposing offensive tackle with impressive length relative to height,” wrote 247Sports director of scouting Gabe Brooks. “Long-armed with a huge reach. Gradually improved quickness off the ball throughout junior year and performed well on the elite camp circuit prior to senior season to ascend a loaded 2025 OT board.”

The Wolverines already had the No. 8 overall recruiting Class of 2025 per the website prior to the big time signing; 22 players had already signed before Wednesday, 14 of whom early enrolled in the winter semester.

This continues to add to a monster offensive line class for position coach Grant Newsome and Moore, who previously led the unit where he coined the mantra ‘smash’. U-M already has signed five-star Andrew Babalola (No. 3 tackle in nation, No. 17 overall), four-star Avery Gach (No. 3 player in Michigan, No. 276 nationally) and three-star Kaden Strayhorn to the…

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Ohio State won the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship in January, and now head coach Ryan Day is facing another challenge as he tries to reload for a repeat. The Ohio State football roster is expected to have as many as 15 players picked in the 2025 NFL Draft, and last Sunday, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly became the third member of the coaching staff to depart, as he’ll return to the NFL as the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. Kelly joins defensive coordinator Jim Knowles (Penn State) and offensive line coach Justin Frye (Arizona Cardinals) as the three key staffers who have departed this offseason.

Brian Hartline, a star receivers coach who also was given an offensive coordinator title before 2023, is the top internal candidate to take over the play-calling duties. Day will also look at external options and should have the resources to make a splash if desired. Will Day elevate Hartline or bring in an external candidate? If you want to know the top Ohio State offensive coordinator candidates, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Bucknuts, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Ohio State.

The Bucknuts insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the Ohio State football program, including insights from Dave Biddle, Patrick Murphy and Steve Helwagon, who all have deep-rooted ties inside the Ohio State community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Bucknuts message boards where you can connect with other Ohio State fans and insiders. 

They already have an Ohio State offensive coordinator hot board up that features seven names. See them all and…

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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football did much of the heavy lifting for its 2025 recruiting class long the program made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

The Hoosiers signed 21 players on the first day of the early signing period in December and have already welcomed 14 of those signees onto campus.

It will make for a quiet national signing day in Bloomington on Wednesday with IU expected to add just one high school signee.

Here’s what you need to know about where Indiana’s 2025 recruiting class and where it currently ranks:

More: Indiana football cornerback Jamier Johnson no longer with the program

Where does Indiana football’s 2025 recruiting class rank?

Indiana heads in national signing day with the 46th ranked recruiting class in the country, and 14th best class in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

The Hoosiers have signed 21 high school prospects and are expected to add one additional signee on Wednesday (quarterback Jacob Bell). They welcomed 14 of those signees to campus in January and they are all expected to participate in spring practice.

Indiana have landed eight high school players — four from within the state of Indiana — from within a four-hour radius of Bloomington.

More: Why Indiana football quarterback Tyler Cherry, former Center Grove star, isn’t on 2025 roster

College Football 2025 recruiting class team rankings

Here’s where Indiana’s 2025 recruiting class ranks nationally per 247Sports’ Composite rankings:

Texas

Georgia

Ohio State

Alabama

Oregon

Auburn

LSU

Michigan

Texas A&M

Florida

Tennessee

Notre Dame

USC

Miami

Penn State

Ole Miss

Oklahoma

Florida State

South Carolina

Georgia Tech

Missouri

Nebraska

Washington

TCU

Wisconsin

Mississippi State

Clemson

Maryland

SMU

Kentucky

Arkansas

Rutgers

Duke

Baylor

NC State

Kansas State

Virginia Tech

Utah

Colorado

Syracuse

Iowa

West Virginia

UCLA

Illinois

Texas…

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With the move during the signing class of 2018 to offer an early signing period for the first time in December 2017, more and more players have inked their commitments in December rather than on the traditional signing day, the first Wednesday of February.

This was the eighth year the early signing period took place in December and it was ran Dec. 4-6, the earliest ever in NCAA history. 

Thanks to significant changes in the Division I recruiting calendar, this year’s traditional National Signing period has lost much of its pomp and circumstance.

Where is the excitement?

Fax machines? Long gone. Wednesday announcements on television? Done. Wednesday announcements, period? Also adios. Even the national letter of intent, signed every year prior, is gone, replaced by new documents.

With the NCAA eliminating national letters of intent, recruits now sign financial aid agreements. Pending approval of revenue-sharing measures expected to begin with the 2025-26 school year, recruits could also be signing contracts outlining expected revenue from their respective universities, depending on the school.

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals continue to be a driving factor, and this class is no exception. Embedding NIL into official contracts was thought to reduce post-signing drama.

Once a player signs an FAA, schools are prohibited from contacting them unless the player is released from the agreement or enters the transfer portal. Schools caught contacting a signed recruit could face tampering allegations.

Oregon felt that firsthand as two players they signed in December ultimately ended up elsewhere. Five-star receiver Dallas Wilson, who they held on to following a late charge from Florida on signing day and signed with the Ducks,…

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