There are several games that will be of upmost importance to the Longhorns CFP chances. Some are must wins. With others, a loss can be overcome as long as there aren't more than one or two.

Much of Texas' schedule is familiar. On the non-conference side of things, UTSA is a rematch from two years ago and of course Ohio State completes its home-and-home with Texas.

In the SEC, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma are always on the schedule. This is also the third year in a row the Longhorns will face Mississippi State and Florida.

Texas fans will get their first looks at Tennessee, Missouri and LSU since joining the league. UT will face all three first-time conference foes on the road.

Here is our ranking of the games on Texas' schedule, from easiest to hardest:

12. UTSA Roadrunners in Austin on Sept. 19

Analysis: The Roadrunners are one of two "easy" tuneup games for the Longhorns this season. UTSA is probably a little bit worse than Texas State, who won their rivalry game a year ago. Texas-San Antonio will get a nice check to warmup the Longhorns for the SEC schedule ahead.

11. Texas State Bobcats in Austin on Sept. 5

Analysis: The Bobcats are also tuneup fodder for the Longhorns. But like UTSA, the San Marcos program will get a nice payday.

10. Mississippi State Bulldogs in Austin on Oct. 31

Analysis: The Bulldogs seem to get slightly better each year. But just slightly. Last year Hail State took the Longhorns into overtime in Starkville. But at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium the game should be over early.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks in Austin on Nov. 21

Analysis: Sometimes it's hard to believe the Razorbacks used to be a college football super power. Arkansas hasn't been very good in a while and despite a win over Texas early in Sarkisian's tenure, the Hogs in Austin don't seem like that much of a threat.

8. Florida Gators in Austin on Oct. 17

Analysis: Texas will be looking to avenge its loss to the Gators in 2025 that cost the Longhorns a spot in the college football playoffs. This will be their third year in a row UT has played Florida. But the first against new Gators coach Jon Sumrall, who moved from Tulane to Gainesville.

7. Missouri Tigers in Columbia on Nov. 11

Analysis: The Tigers are the masters at beating blah teams and losing to good ones. Last season, Mizzou won eight games over teams that finished with a losing record and five losses to teams with a winning record. But the Tigers can be dangerous at home.

6. Ole Miss Rebels in Austin on Oct. 24

Analysis: The Rebels took a big step forward last season. But can they keep it up with the departure of coach Lane Kiffin? Certainly, the Ole Miss administration was happy with Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian's comments about the academics at Mississippi.

5. Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville on Sept. 26

Analysis: There's a certain animosity towards the University of Texas from Tennessee fans. It could be they both claim to be "UT." Or the Vols resented Texas joinin the SEC. Either way, former Oklahoma QB, and Longhorns nemesis, Josh Heupel will have the Vols ready in front of 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium.

4. Oklahoma Sooners in Dallas on Oct. 10

Analysis: OU is improving under coach Brent Venables. QB John Mateer will be back, and even though Texas beat him up last season, the Washington State transfer was in his first game back from injury. The Texas-OU game is always unpredictable an a rivalry where upsets are commong place.

3. LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge on Nov. 14

Analysis: We've all heard stories about how hard it is to play in Baton Rouge, especially at night when the cocktails have been flowing all day. We're not sure of the game time yet, but you can be sure new Tigers coach Lane Kiffin will have something cooked up for his old friend Sark.

2. Texas A&M Aggies in College Station on Nov. 27

Analysis: Aside from the voodoo the Longhorns seem to have over the Aggies, playing the final game of the regular season at College State is a tall task for any team. Texas A&M should be in the upper echelon of the SEC, which means they'll be one of the best teams in the country.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes in Austin on Sept. 12

Analysis: Even in Austin, this is still Ohio State. There's a good chance the Buckeyes will be the higher ranked team when they play in Week 2 of the season. Arch Manning and the Longhorns will have a game under their belt, as opposed to opening against Ohio State like last year. UT should be better equipped this time around, but it will be Texas' toughest game on the schedule.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas 2026 football schedule ranking: Easiest to hardest opponents

Lincoln Riley, Luke Fickell get bullish outlooks before huge seasons for USC, Wisconsin originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As the countdown to the inevitable college football season rolls right along, there are several coaches whose careers could be at a make-or-break point come fall.

Among the Big Ten coaches, a few come to mind who might be feeling added pressure. Most notably, according to CBS Sports, it’s USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and Wisconsin Badgers coach Luke Fickell.

Right now, Riley appears to have more upside.

“At most programs, a 9-4 season like 2025's finish would generate optimism. At USC, it simply raises the next question: When is the breakthrough coming? That's the reality Riley faces entering his fifth year with the Trojans,” Brad Crawford wrote.

MORE: College football rankings post-spring Top 25 

Luckily for the Trojans, they’ve been on the doorstep of a College Football Playoff berth. The Badgers, meanwhile, have not.

And Crawford says there is a critical reason why.

“The biggest reason Fickell's tenure has never taken off is simple: Wisconsin has lost its identity,” Crawford wrote. “For decades, the Badgers won with a formula that was easy to understand through a physicality-first mindset. They developed offensive linemen, dominated the line of scrimmage, ran the football and played hard-nosed defensively.”

Meanwhile, the Trojans have reached a breaking point: a postseason berth or bust.

MORE: Why the College Football Playoff field should expand to 16

“A playoff berth would validate the rebuild and reestablish USC as a national contender. Another season falling short would intensify questions about whether one of the sport's brightest offensive minds can deliver championships in the Big Ten era. At USC, good is never good enough. And Riley needs to be elite this fall to make it stick.”

Elite is still a word hanging over Riley’s head. If there isn’t a year where the Trojans can’t get to the playoffs, this may be the year.

Come September, we’ll find out.

More Big Ten news

• Illinois 2026 football schedule

• Michigan 2026 football schedule

• Ohio State 2026 football schedule

• Indiana 2026 football schedule

For the second time in three years, Florida State football will play on Labor Day. In 2024, FSU’s home loss to Boston College was one of the earliest embarrassing moments in a long season.

Will the same be true in 2026?

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee and returning quarterback Kevin Jennings will enter Tallahassee with no fear after another successful 2025 campaign, headlined by a win over Miami, and the memory of blowing out the Seminoles in 2024.

In addition to home-field advantage, Florida State also gets the benefit of a tune-up game the week before against New Mexico State, while the Mustangs will open their season in Tallahassee. FanDuel currently has Florida State listed as a 1.5-point underdog, with the over-under set at 54.5.

Florida State vs. SMU Mustangs

• Date: Monday, Sep. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
• Previous matchup: L; 16-42 (2024)
• All-time series: 0-1

SMU Mustangs: 2026 Team Preview

2025 record: 9-4 (6-2)

Two things to know:

• SMU will be breaking in two new coordinators, as head coach Rhett Lashlee lost both of his top lieutenants. Scott Symons left his defensive coordinator post to join the Dallas Cowboys, and former offensive coordinator Casey Woods became the head coach at Missouri State. Lashlee did not make any major changes to his staff; instead, he named two co-offensive coordinators and two co-defensive coordinators. The system may eventually work, but testing the operation for the first time in a night game inside Doak Campbell Stadium will be a challenge.
• While SMU may face coordinator uncertainty, it remains stable under center heading into 2026, as Kevin Jennings returns to Dallas for his fifth season as a Mustang and his second straight year as the full-time starter. The redshirt senior was named All-ACC Honorable Mention last season after contributing to 30 all-purpose touchdowns (26 passing and four rushing), while battling nagging injuries throughout the campaign. Jennings, always a threat to run, should be fresh to begin the season and will be looking to unleash his dual-threat ability against Tony White’s defense, which struggled in 2025 against mobile quarterbacks.

Three key players

• Linebacker Brandon Booker: SMU lost a ton of production from its 2025 defense, including its leading tackler and pass rusher, and will place a ton of responsibility on Brandon Booker heading into this season. Booker, a junior entering his third campaign as a Mustang, finished third on the team in tackles last year and started 11 of 13 games. He should step into the green-dot role for SMU in 2026 and will likely lead the team in tackles.
• Running back Kendrick Raphael: With SMU losing its top two rushers from last year, Lashlee turned to the portal to add Kendrick Raphael, a productive running back in the ACC over the last three seasons. In 2025, Raphael rushed for 13 touchdowns with Cal and finished just 57 yards short of a 1,000-yard rushing season. The senior should be the bell-cow back for the Mustangs in 2026, and provide a change of pace in the backfield with Jennings, as he stands 5’11” and weighs 200 pounds.
• Wide receiver Yamir Knight: Not the biggest guy on the field by any stretch, Knight has found ways to be productive over the last two seasons, going for over 600 yards each year, including finishing third on SMU in receiving yards in 2025. Knight earned All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2025 and will try to fill the void left by SMU’s top two receiving leaders, who went pro at the end of last season.

Florida State vs. SMU Mustangs: Game preview, predictions

• Best Case

Mike Norvell cools his seat considerably with a home win over SMU on Labor Day in a stand-alone game on national TV. With a year under its belt, White’s defense impresses by confusing Lashlee and limiting the SMU offense. Ashton Daniels takes advantage of a Mustang defense still working through a new defensive play-caller and a defense not in game shape in their first game of the season. Florida State controls the clock with its running game and forces Jennings into a couple of turnovers to take a 24-20 win.

• Realistic Case

This Labor Day matchup turns into a shootout extremely quickly as Jennings’ rushing ability gives the FSU defense fits, and the Florida State offense takes advantage of a green Mustang defense. However, the Seminoles eventually run out of steam, as they lack the firepower to go toe-to-toe with a Lashlee offense and a fifth-year quarterback under center. A couple of missed fourth-down conversions give SMU a short field and let the Mustangs put the game away, handing FSU a 35-24 defeat.

• Worst Case

While the game would not play out the same way, copy and paste the feeling of the Boston College game from two years ago into this paragraph. The Noles look lethargic on offense, outmanned on defense, and lost as a football program. Florida State gets embarrassed on national television in one of the marquee games on its home slate, leading to the heat being turned up on Norvell and athletic director Michael Alford before most teams have even played their second game of the season.

2026 FSU football schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 29: New Mexico State Aggies (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 7:00 p.m. (The CW)
• Monday, Sep. 7: SMU Mustangs (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
• BYE
• Saturday, Sep. 19: Alabama Crimson Tide (Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.) | 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
• Saturday, Sep. 26: Central Arkansas Bears (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Saturday, Oct. 3: Virginia Cavaliers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Friday, Oct. 9: Louisville Cardinals (Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Ky.) | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
• Saturday, Oct. 17: Miami Hurricanes (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
• BYE
• Saturday, Oct. 31: Clemson Tigers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Saturday, Nov. 7: Boston College Eagles (Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
• Friday, Nov. 13: Pitt Panthers (Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.) | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
• Saturday, Nov. 21: NC State Wolfpack (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Friday, Nov. 27: Florida Gators (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

But while the conference considers next steps, legal threats have mounted from both Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, according to copies of the lettersobtained by Front Office Sports.

Two weeks ago, Sorsby, fresh out of in-patient treatment for gambling addiction, sued the NCAA for eligibility to play next fall, despite admitting to placing thousands of bets while playing college football, including on his own team while at Indiana. On Monday, Sorsby won an injunction in Texas state court stating that the NCAA was required to allow him eligibility this upcoming football season, following a two-game suspension for his gambling activities. Texas Tech has not confirmed if or when Sorsby will play, but the program has confirmed he will rejoin the team.

The ruling sparked outrage across college sports. Georgia, for example, instructed its athletic department to boycott scheduling Texas Tech. The Big Ten also considered a boycott of the program, though the conference will not prevent schools from playing the Red Raiders, according to The Athletic.

On Tuesday, Big 12 athletic directors met to discuss the situation. Sources said they expressed unanimous anger that Texas Tech would play Sorsby and asked the Big 12 to sanction the Red Raiders. 

In the wake of the meeting, as well as backlash on social media, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt released a lengthy statement defending Sorsby and the school’s decision. “Texas Tech was not a party to Brendan’s lawsuit,” he said. “We did not file it. We did not fund it.”

But that doesn’t mean Texas Tech won’t take legal action of its own in the near future. 

On Thursday, the Big 12 convened a meeting of its executive board, a small group of university presidents tasked with suggesting options for how the conference might sanction the Red Raiders if they chose to play Sorsby. But ahead of the meeting, they received a two-page letter from Paxton—a graduate of fellow Big 12 school Baylor—urging them to tread lightly. 

The letter said that if the Big 12 invoked a bylaw sanctioning the school, it would be exposed to not just antitrust claims (which the letter estimated could top $200 million in damages), but also breach of contract and tortious interference claims. 

“Should the Big 12 seek to sanction Texas Tech for acting consistent with the Order, Texas Tech will pursue all legal avenues to protect its interests and those of Texas Tech’s student-athletes,” Paxton wrote. 

In response, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark acknowledged receipt of the letter, but said that after the executive board meeting, “all options remain on the table.” He added that “sentiment among our executive board was no different from what we heard from the ADs earlier this week”—implying the executive board was potentially just as enthusiastic about sanctioning Texas Tech. 

A few hours later, Sorsby’s attorney, Kessler—who represented the plaintiffs in the House v. NCAA settlement case—penned a letter of his own to the conference threatening legal action if Texas Tech was punished. “What does it say about the Big 12 if it decides to lawlessly violate a court order?,” he wrote. “What message does it send to its students if its response to a lawful court order is to be contemptuous of its terms? One would expect something more honorable from the Conference and its member schools.”

To cap off a tumultuous day, Texas Tech released a 22-minute video featuring university president Lawrence Schovanec,football coach Joey McGuire, and Hocutt sitting at a table. The officials detailed Sorsby’s recovery plan, specifically highlighting Texas Tech’s Center for Students in Addiction Recovery, as well as a monitoring program put in place to ensure he doesn’t relapse. They did not confirm that Sorsby would suit up for the Red Raiders, saying that would depend on his recovery process—but they didn’t deny they would allow him to play, either.

“Brendan made a mistake. We acknowledge that. And mistakes have consequences. At the same time, bere’s a young man with a dream and vision to pursue a career,” Schovanec said. “And we felt, not to have the opportunity to pursue that career, given the circumstances and the evolving changes in this world that these athletes face, was unfair and unjust.”

Meanwhile, Yormark said all Big 12 university presidents would convene on Monday. The conference may have some extra legal muscle of its own—from Oklahoma attorney general Gentner Drummond. 

On Friday afternoon, Drummond penned a letter of his own to the conference stating that he was “ready to assist the Big 12 if Texas Tech’s leadership attempts to punish the Conference for doing the right thing.”

The post Big 12 Mulls Brendan Sorsby Options as Legal Threats Loom appeared first on Front Office Sports.

The ruling has sparked widespread criticism from fans, media members, and even politicians. After the Big 12 met to consider sanctions against Texas Tech, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened to sue the conference for antitrust violations. One U.S. congressman publicly pushed back.

MORE: Texas Tech threatening to sue Big 12, other conferences over potential schedule removals

Representative Hakeem Jeffries took to social media with a sharp message aimed at Paxton and Texas Tech.

“So let me get this straight. The corrupt, impeached and criminally-indicted Texas Attorney General is vouching for the integrity of the Texas Tech football program,” Jeffries wrote on X.

“Maybe they should find a better character witness.”

Texas Tech vs The World

Jeffries joins a growing group of voices criticizing the stance taken by Texas Tech officials and supporters. Outside of those closely tied to the university, few appear to believe Sorsby should play college football in 2026.

MORE: Tyrann Mathieu trolls NCAA after Brendan Sorsby ruling, raises fair question

Critics are not blaming Texas Tech for supporting its player. They are criticizing the school for pushing to play him and threatening legal action against those who disagree. The injunction has drawn intense scrutiny, particularly because of reported involvement from influential Texas Tech athletic boosters.

It remains unclear what action the Big 12 will ultimately take. Several programs outside the conference have reportedly paused future scheduling discussions with Texas Tech or canceled planned games altogether. Additional meetings involving conference leadership and key decision-makers are expected next week.

For many across college football, the conclusion seems straightforward: Sorsby should not be on the field. He violated established gambling bylaws, and precedent suggests a significant punishment should follow.

The larger controversy now centers on how a judge agreed to grant an injunction that effectively bypasses those established rules.

Kickoff between the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs is scheduled for noon EDT (ESPN).

Ahead of the 2026 campaign, Eli Lederman and Max Olson of ESPN ranked the top 10 best wide receivers in college football.

Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State is ranked as the top wide receiver entering the 2026 season. Miami's Malachi Toney is second and Cam Coleman of Texas is ranked third.

Charlie Becker (fourth) and Nick Marsh (fifth) of Indiana are also ranked top five. Rutgers' KJ Duff (sixth), Oregon's Dakorien Moore (seventh), Florida State's Duce Robinson (eighth), Texas' Ryan Wingo (ninth) and Alabama's Ryan Coleman-Williams (tenth) are also ranked in the top 10.

Tennessee junior wide receiver Mike Matthews was named honorable mention entering the 2026 season by ESPN.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound wide receiver appeared in 24 games for the Vols from 2024-25. Matthews totaled 60 receptions for 903 yards and six touchdowns.

More: Two Tennessee wide receivers ranked top five as breakout candidates in college football

Georgia had long been the team to beat, but Rivals' Steve Wiltfong was of the mind that the Wolverines had perhaps overcome the Bulldogs and other contenders after last weekend. It all ended up being short-lived, as Clemson started gaining some steam in advance of his official visit there this weekend. Now, it appears that Michigan is out entirely, as Rivals' Hayes Fawcett reports that Tillman has a final two of Georgia and Clemson with eyes on a July 3 commitment.

NEWS: Class of 2027 Safety Seth Williams is down to Clemson and Georgia, he tells me for @Rivals

He’s canceled his remaining official visits and is set to announce his college decision July 3rdhttps://t.co/mfnMMVQyNqpic.twitter.com/Cq6Su0AQJs

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 12, 2026

The maize and blue had pulled a rabbit out of the hat by getting 2027 Houston (Tx.) South four-star defensive lineman Xavier Muhammad in the fold in May. He remains the sole defensive tackle-type to be committed to the class. Tillman has since been the top target to join him, and the Wolverines will need to look elsewhere to find another player in the middle of the defensive front to join Muhammad.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football loses out on recruit Seth Tillman

The 6-foot, 160-pound product of California, who plays for the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and is ranked as the nation's No. 113 overall prospect and No. 13 cornerback in the 2027 class by 247Sports, was on campus for an official visit over the June 5 weekend.

As the Huskies compete with Auburn, Georgia, and Georgia Tech for his services, Fisch has one of his best recruiters leading the charge in secondary coach John Richardson, who was able to make a major impression on the talented defensive back over the weekend.

"I've known JRich since eighth grade, and I know he can make me the best man I can be on and off the field," Gaylord told Rivals' Greg Biggins.

☔️ pic.twitter.com/dsvDQBMMhd

— Censere Gaylord (@GaylordCensere) June 7, 2026

On the field, Gaylord looks like a perfect fit in defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' scheme. Not only does he excel in press coverage and play with great instincts and ball skills, which all point to a future on the outside, but with his physicality and willingness to tackle and play the run, he could develop into a versatile piece at the college level, a lot like how the second-year defensive coordinator utilized now-Seattle Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon during his time at Illinois.

As the Huskies continue to push for Gaylord, as well as four-star Kamil Loud and three-star Evan Mack at cornerback, Richardson has already established a solid foundation in the 2027 class, as he holds commitments from four-star safety Isala Aisa Wily-Ava and three-star cornerback Maurice Williams.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies makes big impression on high-end four-star CB

One of the top running backs in the 2027 class will be making the trip to Austin during the weekend of June 19th-21st. Four-star recruit Landen Williams-Callis has committed to a visit with the Longhorns. While Steve Sarkisian and his staff face plenty of competition, the latest update from Callis is encouraging news. 

Currently, Callis is ranked as the third-best running back in his class by 247Sports. They also rank Randle High star as the fourth-best player from Texas and the 28th-best player in the nation. Due to his high ranking, Callis has been a popular player for teams looking to build an elite running back room. 

👀 Top 2027 RB Landen Williams-Callis will officially visit Texas next weekend, @InsideTexas has learned.

Williams-Callis has OV'd to 5+ schools this spring and will be at A&M Friday .

The Horns are in the battle for the state's best RB

DETAILS (On3+): https://t.co/TkPHSSZ5Dtpic.twitter.com/1M2C5YA3AB

— Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) June 11, 2026

During the recruiting process, Callis has received offers from some of the nation's best programs. That list includes Oregon, Texas A&M, Indiana, SMU, Houston, Ohio State, Alabama, Missouri, Arizona, Florida State, and Georgia. With no commitment date set, that list could continue to grow the longer the Lone Star native stays on the market. 

The heavy interest comes as no surprise, given how the talented running back performed as a junior. He finished the 2025 campaign with 3,502 rushing yards while averaging 10.8 yards per carry. Callis also found the end zone 59 times and caught 24 passes for 266 yards. Regardless of the opponent, he was a human highlight reel. 

My junior season highlights/stats
324 carries for 3,502 rushing yards
24 receptions 266 receiving yards
59 rushing TDS and 1 receiving TD
1 kickoff ret td
All purpose yards- 4,035@BrianRandle40https://t.co/uzbHGj97gEpic.twitter.com/2EF3XXYLO9

— Landen Williams-Callis (@CallisLanden) December 30, 2025

If Callis were to join the Longhorns, he would be part of a group full of stars. Over the last few months, Sarkisian and his staff have secured a commitment from one five-star recruit in Easton Royal. He will be joined by multiple four-star recruits, including Cameron Hall, Kasi Currie, Karnell James, Brock Williams, and Derwin Fields. That group will be tasked with bringing a title to Austin. 

As Callis weighs his options, the Longhorns will be a program to watch. Next weekend will provide Sarkisian with a prime opportunity to show one of the best players on the market in the nation why his college career should start in the burnt orange. 

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: High four-star 2027 RB recruit Landen Williams-Callis to visit Texas

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin's message to the brother of Ty Simpson could be an important one as the Buckeyes recruit the 2028 quarterback with strong potential.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have four-star Huntington Beach (CA) QB Brady Edmunds committed in the class of 2027, but it wouldn't be a surprise if they end the class with a different player at the position. 

Things have felt rocky with Edmunds' commitment to Ohio State the last couple of months and he just took an official visit to UCLA. Despite questions in the 2027 class, the Buckeyes are already doing major work on the 2028 recruiting class. 

Julian Sayin's message to Ty Simpson's brother is worth noting 

Ohio State has several 2028 quarterbacks on its radar, including four-star QB Graham Simpson, the brother of Los Angeles Rams and former Alabama QB Ty Simpson. Graham was at Ohio State for a one-day camp on Thursday working out in front of Buckeyes coaches. 

The Tennessee high school quarterback was offered by Ohio State back in January, and he's one of the QBs the Buckeyes are really interested in. 

Ohio State's current starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, has a relationship with Simpson and has told him his thoughts on Ohio State already. 

"Julian is a cool guy - Cali cool," Graham said via Cleveland.com. "He just told me, ‘This is a good place, a good place to be.' He wouldn't trade it for the world."

Sayin is a California native and Ohio State is a very different place from where he grew up in Carlsbad. The Ohio State starting quarterback keeping it real with Simpson about the place Columbus is as an Ohio State football player is important. Recruits want to see and hear from players at colleges they visit, and their take on things. 

Simpson is 5-foot-11, and 185 pounds with some room to grow heading into his junior high school season. 247 Sports Composite has Simpson as the No. 17 quarterback and No. 237 player nationally. 

Of course, Sayin was never going to say anything bad about Ohio State considering he's their starter. But it's important that the Buckeyes starter seems to be doing some recruiting for Ohio State, which will never hurt. 

Simpson has offers from Alabama, Texas, Miami, Auburn, Oregon, and Tennessee amongst others. The Buckeyes have their hat in the ring with a long way to go in Simpson's recruitment.  

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Ohio State football QB Julian Sayin has made a pitch to a recent NFL first round pick's brother that the Buckeyes are recruiting

© 2026 A to Z Sports.

There's been a lot of discussion this offseason around the amount of money players are bringing in on an annual basis. Schools are spending tens of millions of dollars annually on constructing, what they believe are, championship caliber rosters. There's been discussions around capping NIL opportunities and the amount players can earn, but there's rarely discussions around limiting major buyouts for college coaches. 

Let me start off by saying, I'm not a fan of any cap whether that's for players and their NIL opportunities or a coach's salary. Having said that, there has to be a smarter way for schools like Florida State or LSU to move on from a head coach while still maintaining the protections contract buy outs provide for fired head coaches. The fix is simple: schools should push for incentivized contracts for head coaches. 

Florida State is a prime example of why this should be utilized in the future. Head coach Mike Norvell signed a significant contract extension following their spectacular 2023 season. Unfortunately, Norvell and the Seminoles have a combined record of 7-17 since he signed that contract. Understandably so, Florida State signed him to that extension following a 10-3 season in 2022 and a 13-1 season in 2023, but those are his only two winning seasons in Tallahassee. 

The Seminoles are one of the more iconic programs in college football, but the situation they're in is bad. As of November of 2025, Norvell's buyout would be $58.7 million according to USA TODAY Sports. His buyout is based on 85% of his remaining salary and supplemental pay which runs through 2031. 

Contract incentivization, in theory, would eliminate a coach's buyout being around the maximum earning potential of their contracts and be based around a lower base. Financial incentives should be put in place around making the conference championship, making the playoffs, number of playoff wins or making it to the national championship game. Some contracts have those in place, but maintain an extremely high 'base salary' as well. 

Incentivized contracts also still provide coaches with protections if a school elects to fire them. Look at James Franklin at Penn State. Less than a year after his team made the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals and played for the Big 10 championship, he was out of a job, and his buyout ensured he wouldn't be left out to dry. Initially, Franklin would have been owed $49 million to $50 million, but due to some negotiations, Franklin ended up being owed $9 million according to CBS Sports after getting hired at Virginia Tech. 

With the influx of money coming into top-level college football programs with player's earning potential, upgrades in facilities and traveling budgets due to conference realignment, schools like Florida State have been pigeon-holed into holding onto a head coach that has four losing seasons compared to two winning seasons because they can't afford his buyout. More schools should push for incentivized contracts. 

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The Hurricanes are coming off their best season in decades, going 10-2 in the regular season before winning three College Football Playoff games and reaching their first national championship game since the 2002 season.

Expectations are high for the 2026 season, and we will take a look at each of Miami’s position groups in the lead-up to the campaign.

Earlier this week, we looked at star transfer Darian Mensah and the UM quarterbacks. Now we’ll look at Miami’s running backs.

Who left

No one.

Star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. was eligible for the NFL draft and may have dramatically improved his draft stock after a stellar playoff run, but he chose to return to UM for his senior year.

Among the underclassmen, 2025 standout freshman Girard Pringle Jr. briefly considered entering the transfer portal, but he opted to stay at Miami.

Who returns

Everyone.

“The running back room is obviously a huge strength, and we’re stacked in that room,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “… We’re going to be comfortable with the fourth or fifth guy probably playing in that room, which is a great thing.”

Fletcher leads the way again for the Hurricanes after the best season of his college career. He racked up 1,192 rushing yards in 14 games. It was the seventh-most rushing yards by a UM running back in a single season.

Fletcher was 18th in the nation in rushing yards, but his advanced metrics showed he was one of the nation’s best running backs. Pro Football Focus gave him the fifth-best running grade among running backs with 100 or more carries. He was tied for sixth nationally in runs of 10 yards or more, and he was 10th with 72 first-down runs.

In the playoffs, Fletcher excelled. Against Texas A&M, he rushed for a career-best 172 yards, and his 56-yard run set up Malachi Toney’s game-winning touchdown. He followed that up with 90 yards and a receiving touchdown in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State and a 133-yard performance against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. In the title game, he rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Each of Fletcher’s two scores cut the Hurricanes’ deficit to three points, keeping UM in the game.

Fletcher’s offseason workload was managed so he could recover from the long 2025 season, but he said he felt “ready to go” in the spring. He is poised to lead the group again and be a key leader on the 2026 squad.

Behind Fletcher are all the same running backs who contributed last year.

Marty Brown, a transfer from North Dakota State, served well as a bruising backup, finishing second on the team with 474 rushing yards. He had an 80.9 rushing grade, which was eighth among ACC running backs with 100 or more carries.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound running back finished his first season at Miami with seven rushing touchdowns, and he provided key runs in the postseason. Brown is a redshirt junior.

Miami also brought back Pringle, who provided a spark for the Hurricanes late in the regular season. The former four-star prospect rushed for 375 yards and four touchdowns on 62 carries in his freshman season.

Pringle sparked UM’s offense against N.C. State, rushing for a career-best 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added two more scores against Virginia Tech the following week.

Pringle had a 74.5 rushing grade in his freshman season.

The Hurricanes also return Jordan Lyle. The St. Thomas Aquinas alumnus had a strong freshman campaign in 2024, but he struggled with injuries in 2025 and did not play as much. He had 108 yards on 35 carries, averaging 3.1 yards per carry — less than half of what he averaged (7.4) in 2024.

If Lyle can return to his 2024 form this year, he could add a dynamic boost to the Hurricanes’ offense.

“He’s going to show you guys a lot this year,” Fletcher said in the spring. “I’m just very proud to be his teammate.”

South Broward alum Chris Wheatley-Humphrey, a redshirt sophomore, also returns after rushing for 108 yards on 22 carries in a reserve role last season.

Who arrived

The Hurricanes added one running back in the offseason: freshman Javian Mallory.

The star from West Boca Raton led the Bulls to the first two state championships in program history as a junior and senior, earning Sun Sentinel Palm Beach County large schools Player of the Year honors last year.

Mallory, who was rated a four-star prospect, impressed in spring camp and had a strong performance in UM’s open practice at the end of the spring practice slate.

“He’s just a very physical runner,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “You almost, I wouldn’t say underestimate it — you expect him to be really good; that’s why we recruited him — but when he actually takes people on, the collision and the force that he generates on contact and his contact balance, I think, is really impressive. Great young man, awesome young man, hard worker, runs with his pads down, understands football really well.”

The University of Alabama is getting closer to one of its top wide receiver targets.

Four-star wide receiver Osani Gayles is regarded as one of the top pass catchers in the 2027 class and ranks No. 52 nationally.

Over the past two days, Gayles announced that he had cancelled his visits to both the University of Tennessee and Notre Dame.

Tennessee and Notre Dame were both believed to be among his top contenders, but after trimming his list, Gayles is now down to Alabama, Stanford and Washington.

With his finalists set, Gayles said a commitment could come within days.

“I definitely should have a decision by the end of the weekend,” Gayles told Rivals. “I’ve got all the information I kind of need. I’m just trying to make a decision. I plan to think more about it this weekend and really decide where I want to go. Then I will announce it later this month.”

Alabama's momentum became even more apparent when a top recruiting insider logged a prediction in the Crimson Tide's favor.

On3’s Andrew Bone who exclusively covers Alabama sports predicted that Gayles was Alabama bound, with a 70% confidence score.

PREDICTION: 2027 4 ⭐️ WR Osani Gayles has been predicted to Alabama by @BOL_On3

He has canceled his upcoming official visits to Tennessee and Notre Dame

Gayles has taken OV’s to Alabama, Stanford, and Washington. He currently plans to announce his commitment on June 27. pic.twitter.com/fJ547sBRAV

— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) June 12, 2026

Gayles has been recruited heavily by some of his fellow ‘27 classmates. Alabama commits (and top quarterback of the class) Elijah Haven and Trent Seaborn have been pressing hard on bringing both Gayles and five-star receiver Monshun Sales to Tuscaloosa.

Earlier this month, Haven and Seaborn were present at the Elite 11 camp, where the top high school quarterbacks in the nation assembled, and Haven made it evident that he wanted Gayles.

“[There are] some guys on the OV (official visit) right now, Monshun Sales, as we call him ‘Bama’ up there, a wide receiver. Also Osani Gayles, who’s another top wide receiver in the class. But definitely trying to rally them up, with the motto being ‘Bama is the place to be.’”

Gayles has already expressed an affinity for the university, citing it as one of the top programs to develop wide receivers.

“The culture and how much of a winning program [Alabama is],” Gayles said. “They’ve shown they can produce receivers. They’re up there as ‘Receiver U’ for sure.”

If Gayles chooses Alabama, he would become the Crimson Tide's first wide receiver commitment in the 2027 class, a smaller group that head coach Kalen DeBoer has indicated won't be a massive haul.

Momentum seems to be swinging in the Crimson Tide’s favor, but the race isn’t over.

But when you have the number one quarterback in the country wanting you, you listen.

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Normally this is where there would be a week 3 look ahead at the official visitors coming to Montlake for the weekend, but since there no official visitors this weekend (there will be on Monday, but we will get to that) lets take a look back at how the visits went over the first two weeks.

The Huskies saw eight visitors the first weekend, but it with far more committed prospects to the class than uncommitted it may have lacked the ‘wow factor’ that fans may look forward to. That said, the early returns have been great to say the least with 2/3 of them committing to the Huskies.

WR Dontay Tyson was considered a Husky lean before coming on his OV, but that didn’t stop the excitement of landing their 4th 4-star WR commit of the class. His other finalist, Texas A&M, was supposed to receive the final visit before his planned announcement but the Huskies knocked his visit out of the park. He cancelled his trip to A&M and announced shortly after for the Huskies.

While it was one thing to land a prospect already leaning towards you, landing a 4-star from across the country at an important position like edge is even more impressive. Edge Chaz Gray become the most recent commitment in the class after cancelling his planned trips to Clemson and Tennessee. While our recruiting writer Aaron was one to quickly and accurately predict Gray had committed, a lot of Husky nation was taken by surprise when he announced his commitment. Tough not to be excited when you land a prospect that had offers from schools like Georgia, Miami, and Ohio State among many others. As if that wasn’t good enough news already, Gray has a younger brother named Tahj who is also a very talented recruit and make the trip with him. The Huskies have already offered Tahj, but then again when you are a 5-star prospect like he is almost everyone has offered him.

The only prospect that visited the first week that is not committed to UW is CB Kamil Loud. Before diving in, congrats to the young man for picking up his 4th star during the recent re-ranking by 247Sports. Loud has changed his visit schedule since I posted about him prior to his trip to Montlake and swapped in Cal for Utah and Florida St. for Arizona. Cal is the major threat here since he is from the Bay Area and grew up a Cal fan. If he leaves Berkley without committing and makes his trip to Florida St. I think that would be beneficial for UW. They will still have their work cut out for them to beat out Cal, but the more time they have to recruit him after his Cal official the better. I originally put a 35% chance the Huskies land him and that still feels about right considering Cal received a recent CB to land him.

When it comes to the summer official visit period, getting the first visit has proven to be a winning strategy for a lot of schools. Plenty of prospects besides Tyson and Gray shut down their visits due to early commitments across the country. It is a difficult balancing act for recruiting staffs around the country because if you think you can close a prospect early, of course get them in early. If staffs believe they will continue to take their visits they will want to have the last possible visit before they decide.

While there were still more committed official visitors and uncommitted during the second official visit weekend, the amount uncommitted was twice as many as week one. This was a strong group of uncommitted prospects that included three of the top ten prospects in our UWDP Recruiting Big Board 2.0

Teammates CB Evan Mack and QB Caden Jones made the trip up together from Crean Lutheran (Irvine, CA) and both had an excellent time. The intel before the trip was that Arizona was the favorite for the pair of them. This is certainly no surprise for Jones, whose brother is already on the Wildcats roster, but Arizona has surged with Mack after initially favoring UW early in the process.

With local talented CB Maurice Williams already committed and the strong DB class that was signed last year, the Huskies are being very selective which CB prospects they continue to heavily recruit. Mack is only one of three uncommitted CB prospects the staff is bringing in for official visits, which shows they are indeed very interested in him. Prior to his visit I had projected a 5% chance at landing him and I will double it to 10%. Still not confident, but more open to the possibility.

Obviously the question with Jones is, do the Huskies really take a second HS QB commit? They don’t appear to be trying to actively recruit other QB prospects, so it is Jones or bust if they want to make that happen. Jones has known this plan for a while now and was blown away during his trip. I don’t think it will be enough to overtake Arizona, but they certainly opened his eyes to what it could look like if he were to choose UW. I had a 0% chance of landing him, but after such a great visit I will match his teammates possibility at 10%.

It sounds like the visit checked a lot of boxes for Edge Josh Christensen. There were a couple of DL commits on the visit with him and he spent a lot of time with players on the roster from Oregon, including his player host and former HS teammate TE Sam Vyhlidal. It has been a shared feeling among people in recruiting circles that if Oregon pushes for his commitment, it is tough to see him turning that down. He is still scheduled to visit Eugene this weekend, but the Ducks recently added their fourth commit who could play at the edge spot. Will they still have room for him and will they continue to push hard? You can make the argument that they have filled all the spots, but the Ducks have broken their mold this class and have been willing to take lower ranked players from in-state and already have three commitments from local players. While I am certainly not going to discount Oklahoma, my gut is telling me Christensen will stay in the PNW. I am increasing my probability from 40% to 50%.

S Jaden Walk-Green entered the weekend with the highest probability of committing to the Huskies and I still stand by that. UCLA gave him a lot to think about the week prior and Arizona St., who he is visiting this weekend, has been recruiting him longer than just about anyone. With all that said, experts still have their predictions in for Walk-Green to end up a Husky and although I could go even higher than my original 70% confidence, I will keep it there for now. He is set to announce his commitment June 20.

As I mentioned earlier, this weekend had multiple visitors from our Big Board. That is especially true for CB Censere Gaylord, the top player on our list. Gaylord is originally from California and UW is the only school west of the Mississippi that he has among his list of favorites and Coach Richardson has been recruiting him since he was in 8th grade. Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Auburn are all major competition for him and even after a great trip to Montlake I still believe the Bulldogs are the team to beat. He is taking a visit to Athens this weekend, so keep an eye out for that. I had him at a 33% confidence level and even though I think Georgia will be tough to overcome I am still raising it to 40%.

Saving the biggest news for last and their highest ranked visitor this past weekend was WR Osani Gayles. It was recently reported that following his trip to UW, he has cancelled his remaining two visits to Tennessee and Notre Dame. This is significant because ND was perceived to be the leader for him and now they won’t even receive an OV. He will be deciding between the schools he has taken officials to; Stanford, Alabama, and UW. Stanford has the hometown connection being less than two hours away from his hometown and his father played for the Cardinal as well. While those will certainly be factors, it appears to be a battle between Alabama and Washington. Although UW has four WR commits already, none of them are true slot players like Gayles is. The Crimoson Tide is always a daunting opponent to recruit against, but as I mentioned earlier in the article getting the first or the last visit matters the most. A couple of CBs have come in for Gayles to Alabama, but it is likely not a coincidence that he cancelled his other trips after visiting UW. I am giving a major confidence bump up from 5% to 50%. He is set to announce between the three schools June 27.

Midweek visits are historically not he most fruitful when it comes to picking up commitments, but when a prospect’s weekend calendar is already full you do what you must to get them on campus. That is what the coaches had to do with Edge Jag Ioane and DL Sam LeJeune.

Ioane was supposed to visit the first weekend, but ended up pushing it due to schedule conflicts. I felt the same back then as I do now that the visit appears to have not been worth UW’s time. Ioane has a pretty firm top three of BYU, Michigan, and Utah and it doesn’t appear the Huskies were able to move the needle enough to change that. I give the edge to the Cougars right now.

LeJeune on the other hand wanted to be on Montlake, but in hindsight for him the timing was poor. Official visits are a maximum of 48 hours, but he was only there for about 24 and that was right after he was coming off an OV weekend at Cal. The timing wouldn’t be as unfortunate if he had not ended up cancelling his visit next weekend to LSU and could have given a full weekend to the Huskies then. It was already going to be an uphill battle to land a top 150 player from Mississippi, but not taking full advantage of an OV hurts. I probably won’t move him up from a 20% confidence level with Florida St. now getting his final visit and them being the likely favorite going in. He also had a great visit to Cal and they are likely above UW in his pecking order right now as well.

Although I could have done a week 3 article just for one player, I decided to do this recap instead since local OL prospect Rashaun Lavata’i will begin his OV to UW 6/15. He is visiting Utah this weekend though and since he is a midweek visitor I will be talking about him here. Lavata’i has been blowing up on the camp circuit this summer and dominating the competition. The Huskies were a little late scheduling his visit, but they are still getting him on campus and my gut tells me if they push hard for him (and I think they will), they will get him. I’ll put my confidence at 40% with the Utes being the biggest competition.

2027 four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II, the son of a former Vols linebacker, committed to Alabama earlier this spring. Tennessee, however, isn’t giving up in their pursuit of him.

One of the Tennessee Vols’ toughest losses on the recruiting trail happened in May when 2027 four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II, the son of former UT linebacker Kevin Simon, committed to Alabama.

Simon was one of the Vols’ top 2027 recruiting targets. And losing a Tennessee legacy player to a top rival was tough for UT fans to swallow.

“Kevin followed the same path that he learned from his father, and he let Kenneth pick his own choice and go where he wanted to go,” explained VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs in May. “Kenneth decided to go to a rival school. That's hard for Tennessee fans to accept. And that's tough, but I don't think Tennessee did anything wrong in the recruitment. And I think at the end of the day, Kenneth Simon felt like the best thing for him as a person, not just as a football player, but the best thing for him as a person was to establish his roots in Tuscaloosa."

Simon is still committed to Alabama as we settle into the summer months, but he’s continuing to communicate with Tennessee.

Tennessee is hoping to flip Kenneth Simon II from Alabama

According to On3’s Chad Simmons, the Volunteers are still communicating with Simon as they hope to flip him from Alabama.

“The Vols continue to swing for Alabama linebacker commit Kenneth Simon II… Tennessee has not given up on Simon, and there has still been communication since the commitment a month ago,” reported Simmons on Friday.

Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will be key in the effort to flip Simon.

Kevin Simon said earlier this offseason that his son wasn’t going to play for previous Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks. That certainly tells us that the relationship with the defensive coordinator is extremely important to the Simon family. If Knowles can strengthen his relationship with the younger Simon over the next couple of months, maybe the Vols can pull off the stunner and flip the four-star linebacker.

The good news for Tennessee is that Simon is at least listening right now.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Tennessee lost Vols legacy recruit Kenneth Simon II to Alabama earlier this spring, but there's a new development in his recruitment

© 2026 A to Z Sports.

On Friday, a South Carolina court granted Clemson receiver Tristan Smith a preliminary injunction that will allow him to play for the Tigers in 2026. Smith sued the NCAA in January after he was denied a fifth-year waiver.

Smith's lawyers cited similar eligibility cases in which players were granted an additional year. Specifically, they argued that Smith should be allowed to play for the same reason Diego Pavia was granted an additional season in 2025.

All players in the 2024-25 graduating class were granted a blanket extra year of eligibility if they had previously played junior college football. That did not apply to members of the 2025-26 class like Smith, who began his career in junior college before playing at FCS Southeast Missouri State, where he played before joining the Tigers.

Clemson WR Tristan Smith was granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA on Friday, making him eligible for the 2026 college football season.

Posted 24 catches for 239 yards in 2025 for the Tigers. https://t.co/RPrASDljJRpic.twitter.com/NTmIpsStLW

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) June 12, 2026

Smith started four games for the Tigers this past season, finishing the year with 24 catches for 239 yards and a touchdown.

Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Clemson football WR Tristan Smith granted injunction for eligibility

Brown was an elite prospect out of high school, rated four stars by 247Sports. They ranked him as the No. 241 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, and the No. 8 tight end. He had offers from a number of top programs, but committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

After redshirting in 2022, he transferred to Florida Atlantic, and played in 11 games over two seasons. During that time, he caught one pass for 22 yards. He would wind up transferring to Kentucky for the 2025 season, but didn't see a lot of action.

Heading into 2026, Brown will have a shot at seeing the field more than previously. Coach Will Stein will utilize the tight ends more than the previous coach, and depth at the position will be important. If the new staff can tap into Brown's talent, they could find a hidden gem.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky football 2026 player profile: No. 85 Elijah Brown

Texas football is just 85 days away and we’ve made our way back to another “Flashback Friday”, where we break down a legendary player from the last championship team in 2005. Last week, it was about the grit and toughness of Justin Blalock on the offensive line. This week, it’s about the world-class playmaking ability of Michael Huff. The Texas legend and College Football Hall of Famer is one of the main reasons for the 2005 championship. 

There is an argument Huff made the two of the three biggest plays in the 2005 Rose Bowl vs. USC. The All-American jumped on the Reggie Bush fumble early in the second half and then later was a major part of stonewalling LenDale White on 4th and 1, earning himself defensive MVP. He was a special player throughout the season but, like Vince Young, he saved his best for last. 

Michael Huff was a unanimous First Team All-American, Thorpe Award winner, and a key contributor to @TexasFootball's perfect 13–0 season and 2005 National Championship.

The Irving, Texas native earned Rose Bowl Defensive MVP honors and is now the 22nd Longhorn inducted into the… pic.twitter.com/DUKCj0K4M6

— College Football Hall of Fame (@cfbhall) January 12, 2026

He also led the team off the field, being one of the senior captains. Huff’s leadership didn’t leave the Forty Acres for long, as he’s been around the program during the Sarkisian era. Having someone of Huff’s caliber is so important for the team as whole, but particularly someone like Jelani McDonald. If there’s anyone that can be the Michael Huff of the 2026 Texas Longhorns, it’s McDonald. If he matches Huff's 2005, he'll likely join Huff(and many other Longhorns) as a Thorpe Award Winner.

Reggie Bush tries to sneak in a surprise lateral — big blunder! Michael Huff dives on the loose ball for the momentum-shifting fumble recovery!
Texas Longhorns stun USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl BCS Championship thriller, 41-38!
Jan. 4, 2006 pic.twitter.com/75OeSh3bpP

— Longhorn🤘Highlights (@LonghornClips) March 23, 2026

There are multiple components to a championship team. Blalock last week represented the “nastiness” and intensity you need. Michael Huff represents the remarkable defensive playmaking that is a true requirement for a title. Now, I can’t say any Longhorns defensive back will match what Huff did in 2005, but there’s no shortage of playmakers in the back end and they have No. 7 in the building to learn from. 

Michael Huff is synonymous with Texas football. He is the consummate professional that showed up every Saturday ready to give everything he had. The physical ability is a given at this level of football. What changes teams is the mental makeup and if this Texas team can learn from his example, they could be on their way to joining Huff in the hall of champions.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Flashback Friday - Texas legend Michael Huff

It's a new era in Ann Arbor with Kyle Whittingham having taken over the Michigan football program following 21 seasons as the head coach at Utah. And just a few years removed from a national championship and three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, hopes are high that Whittingham will be able to return the Wolverines to prominence after two years of falling off from the former accolades.

The Wolverines don't require a full-bore rebuild, but in the expanded Big Ten, they do need to fix a lot of ails, ranging both on and off the field. The reason Whittingham is at Michigan football to begin with have to do with some of the off-field woes that have recently plagued the program. But how would success this season be measured?

According to Fox Sports' Michael Cohen, Whittingham won't just be judged off on-field results, but also how much he stabilizes the program.

There are two prisms through which to view any potential progress during Whittingham’s first season after an incredibly successful tenure at Utah. The first is off the field, where part of the appeal in hiring someone like the 66-year-old Whittingham — a mature, long-tenured, universally respected figure across college football — was the idea that he could adequately cleanse Michigan following a handful of scandal-ridden years. (. . .)

If Whittingham can shepherd Michigan through a full calendar year without another public relations nightmare, the university’s leadership structure might finally exhale.

The second prism is on the field, where Moore’s roster-building efforts over two subpar seasons knocked the Wolverines from their three-year perch atop the conference hierarchy. Front and center for Whittingham and his staff is the development of quarterback Bryce Underwood following an uneven freshman campaign. Underwood ranked ninth in the Big Ten in passing yards (2,428) and 13th in passing touchdowns (11) for a team that finished outside the top 100 nationally in passing offense. How well, and how quickly, Underwood can adapt to the new system installed by offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who followed Whittingham from Utah, will serve as a barometer for the Wolverines’ ceiling.

On the field may be more difficult than usual, given that the schedule has so many projected College Football Playoff teams. It's quite rare that Michigan has so many top-tier matchups in one season, with Oklahoma coming to The Big House in Week 2, Penn State and defending national champion Indiana arriving in October, and with road trips to Oregon and Ohio State in November. Those are a lot of tough games, and it's difficult to envision that the maize and blue emerge from those five fully unscathed. But Whittingham does have a track record of doing more with less, so it's not completely infeasible that the Wolverines do better than most anticipate.

As Cohen noted, much will depend on Underwood, but the team has been bolstered with several new faces in the wide receiver room to help him, and offensive coordinator Jason Beck has had two straight seasons of transforming underwhelming offenses into top-tier units that are fourth in the country in yards per game and among the best in scoring offense.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: How will Kyle Whittingham's first year with Michigan football be judged?

While the success of any given Michigan football player has fans excited any given year, perhaps something that gets fans hopes up even more are those who are poised to become, rather than those who are.

And this iteration of the Michigan Wolverines has a lot of players with untapped potential. That includes a mixture of players who have been around, who are being developed, incoming recruits who could see the field as true freshmen, and transfer portal players who have come to fill in some of the gaps.

CBS Sports' Brad Crawford spoke to some 15 Big Ten insiders, and the next big thing in Ann Arbor could have been players like running back Savion Hiter, wide receiver Salesi Moa, or even All-American edge rusher John Henry Daley. But as far as the player that those insiders are keeping an eye on, Crawford learned that Utah transfer JJ Buchanan is one who could really take a massive step forward for the Wolverines this year.

JJ Buchanan, WR, Michigan

What they said: "He's a stud. Very confident. Very poised. And his demeanor as a young guy is really good too."

Michigan didn't just need another body at wide receiver through the transfer portal -- it needed a stabilizer, and JJ Buchanan fits that bill in a way that should matter in the Big Ten race. He logged 543 snaps as a true freshman at Utah last season under new Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham and showed impressive production with 26 catches for 427 yards and five touchdowns. Nearly half of those reps came in the slot, while much of the rest of his playing time was on the outside. At Michigan, Buchanan fills a pivotal vacancy at a position that replaces Donaven McCulley, Semaj Morgan and others.

Early returns suggest Buchanan brings the kind of reliability Michigan's passing game has lacked on the perimeter, especially on third down and in condensed red-zone spacing. He's 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, the kind of frame ideal for go-get-it opportunities. He's not being asked to be a volume target, but rather a chain-mover who can win leveraged matchups and punish single coverage when defenses load the box against the run. His familiarity with his former OC, Jason Beck, should ease his transition to the Big Ten. 

It will be interesting to see how much Buchanan, expected to start opposite Andrew Marsh, emerges for the maize and blue. He might be working with a new quarterback in Bryce Underwood after last year, when he was catching passes from Devon Dampier. But he has the same head coach in Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator in Jason Beck. And that's not even mentioning he had a solid year at Utah last season, when he was just a true freshman. So if he has that usual freshman-to-sophomore bump, the Wolverines should be in really good shape with the tall pass catcher.

While Buchanan appears to be the incoming wideout who has emerged the most, the aforementioned Salesi Moa and Texas transfer Jaime Ffrench should also figure to help revamp the room as it works to increase its talent in a big way after being among the least productive groups that Michigan football has had in the past decade.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Insiders tell CBS that JJ Buchanan could be star for Michigan football

HB CJ Baxter and WR Nic Anderson

These two missed the cut because they technically already broke out in their freshman campaigns. CJ Baxter was a freshman phenom for the Texas Longhorns in 2023 where he rushed for 659 yards on 138 carries at 4.8 yards per carry after being recruited as the top running back out of high school. Nic Anderson was in the same boat for the Oklahoma Sooners, hauling in 38 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman; Anderson was a dominant deep threat averaging 21 yards per reception. Injuries have unfortunately derailed both Baxter and Anderson's progression, but if they can stay healthy this season they have an incredible opportunity to return to that production in Will Stein's offense.

1. DT Tavion Gadson

Tavion Gadson has already burst onto the scene in the eyes of football junkies who analyze the film, but him being at defensive tackle is a position that rarely gets national publicity. In 11 games last season, Gadson had just three quarterback hurries and 2.5 sacks. However, he was playing in what they call a 4i technique in the previous scheme which is lining up on the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle; under new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, Gadson will play a traditional 3 technique on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard which could pay dividends for his production. Gadson has exceptional pass rushing tools for a 6'5, 303-pound frame as he combines his long arms, strength and quickness to attack interior offensive lineman; last season, Gadson led all power four defensive tackles in pass rush win rate.

2. TE Willie Rodriguez

Willie Rodriguez had a solid true Sophomore season in 2025, posting 23 catches for 310 yards and a touchdown. I think it is fair to assume no returning player will benefit more than Rodriguez with the new leadership of Coach Stein. At Oregon, Coach Stein utilized the tight ends better than almost every play caller in the country; Terrance Ferguson had over 500 receiving yards in 2024 and last season both Kenyon Sadiq and Jamari Johnson had over 500 receiving yards. Rodriguez will be a focal point of Kentucky's offense and will see a ton of targets this fall.

3. WR DJ Miller

DJ Miller was rumored to be one of the standout pass catchers throughout this spring. Unfortunately, a precautionary injury held him out of Kentucky's spring game. Miller had just 175 yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches last season as a true freshman, but on those plays you saw the potential of what he can become. Miller has the tools to become the leading receiver on the team, as he moves well for his size and has the ability to haul in contested catch opportunities.

4. LB Elijah "Bo" Barnes

Elijah Barnes was one of the biggest portal additions for Coach Stein and his new staff, coming over from Texas where he used his redshirt as a freshman last season. Barnes was a consensus top five linebacker out of high school in the 2025 recruiting cycle and has a ton of untapped potential. Barnes has a coveted skillset for a middle linebacker, he has an elite blend of size, speed and physicality at 6'1, 242-pounds. The defense will heavily rely on Barnes living up to that potential, he plays with high energy and will be flying around for the Wildcats in 2026.

5. WR Kenny Darby

Kenny Darby, a four-star recruit out of Louisiana, caught my eye at Kentucky's spring game and is carving out a critical role in the offense for his true freshman season. Darby fits the mold of a slot receiver better than any player on the roster, at 6'1, 180-pounds, he has the body type to get on the field immediately and produce. Darby has the short area quickness and yards after catch ability to become a dangerous player for the Wildcats. After the spring game, Coach Stein said "If you are good enough, you are old enough" when regarding Darby's spring performance.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky football 2026 season potential breakout candidates

The Michigan football 2027 recruiting class keeps adding members to its ranks, and with that, the rankings keep improving for the Wolverines.

The maize and blue have, thus far, had a slower June than May, but they have still added a top-level player with four-star cornerback Blake Jenkins committing just over a week ago. And considering that ESPN doesn't keep a constant team ranking like the dedicated recruiting sites, the latest update has seen the Wolverines move up in the eyes of the worldwide leader.

In the latest ESPN update, Michigan football has moved up from No. 10 to No. 9, now with 10 'Next 300' commitments in the class.

Here's what ESPN said about the class:

9. Michigan Wolverines

Previous ranking: 10

SC Next 300 commits: 10Top offensive prospect: QB Kamden LopatiTop defensive prospect: CB Tavares Harrington

Michigan begins a new era under Kyle Whittingham, who tapped into his Utah roots to land his quarterback in this cycle. Kamden Lopati, out of West HS in Salt Lake City, has demonstrated a high football IQ and sees the field well while possessing a strong arm and good mobility. A potential key target for Lopati is WR Quentin Burrell, a big, physical receiver with good speed and body control from nearby Illinois. The offense should also benefit from the addition of SC Next 300 TE Colt Lumpris, a flip from Alabama. He possesses a big frame (6-foot-6, 240 pounds) and can be a tough matchup for defenses as he runs well and can use his size to make contested catches.

Tyson Robinson, a running back out of Mississippi, gives this class another offensive weapon to build on. He has good power and vision and demonstrated great effort and coachability during multiple in-person evaluations. To help protect their offensive skill additions, the Wolverines have landed several OLs, including SC Next 300 prospects Sidney Rouleau and Jakari Lipsey as well as Louis Esposito, who has made noticeable strides over the past year in build and execution and was OL MVP at the Under Armour Chicago camp tour stop.

Michigan is just now one spot behind Ohio State according to ESPN, and the Buckeyes stood pat at No. 8 overall. UCLA is the only Big Ten team ahead of both at No. 7. USC is ranked No. 12, Oregon is No. 13, and Washington is No. 15 in the 15-team ranking that ESPN released.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football climbs to No 9 in 2027 ESPN recruiting rankings

The Tennessee Volunteers have a real chance to flip the script on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Josh Heupel and the Vols are looking to make a statement and there’s a decent chance it happens.

The Tennessee Vols haven’t had much luck over the last 10 to 15 years when going up against the Ohio State Buckeyes in a recruiting battle.

Outside of landing five-star offensive lineman David Sanders in the 2025 cycle, the Vols have mostly come up just short in battles against the Buckeyes (missing out on Carnell Tate in the 2023 cycle still stings for UT).

Tennessee, however, is hoping to flip the script in a big way this summer by hitting the Buckeyes with a “double whammy”.

The Vols could land two five-star recruits over the Buckeyes

Everyone knows about the battle between Tennessee and Ohio State for 2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges.

The coveted running back is coming off official visits to both programs, and it’s a tight race. Tennessee, though, appears to be surging for Gabriel Georges based on the comments his uncle made to On3’s Steve Wiltfong this week.

Gabriel Georges, though, is still going to take official visits to Ole Miss and Georgia before entering decision mode ahead of his planned commitment on July 22. Tennessee’s in a good spot, but no decision has been made yet. Still, the Vols have a real chance to land the five-star running back over Ohio State (Tennessee has reportedly made a very strong NIL offer to Gabriel Georges).

Tennessee is also trying to swipe five-star EDGE DJ Jacobs from Ohio State.

Jacobs, 6-foot-5/235 pounds from Roswell, GA, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class. He’s been committed to Ohio State since last December (Jacobs visited Tennessee last fall for the Vols’ matchup against Oklahoma).

“[Tennessee] would love to land DJ Jacobs and flip him from Ohio State,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price this week on 104.5 The Zone.

Jacobs has a very strong relationship with Vols defensive line coach Rodney Garner (Jacobs’ dad, David Jacobs, was coached by Garner at Georgia in the late 90s/early 2000s), which is a big reason why Tennessee has a chance.

Nothing is imminent with Jacobs — he’s still solidly committed to Ohio State for now — but folks in Columbus know it’s going to be a fight to keep him.

“Ever since he committed back in December, there have been questions about if Jacobs will stick,” noted Letterman Row’s Alex Gleitman this week. “All signs have pointed to yes but that won't stop others from coming after him. This trip will allow Ohio State to make DJ continue to feel comfortable in Columbus. They'll still have to hold on until he enrolls.”

Tennessee needs to get Jacobs to campus again to have a real shot at flipping him. If they can get him to Knoxville, this could get real very fast for the Vols.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Tennessee is trying to make a statement by hitting Ohio State with a double whammy this summer, and there's a real chance it happens

© 2026 A to Z Sports.

For many, one huge problem that Penn State has seen with their 2027 recruiting cycle is the lack of a player they have had to fight for aggressively. Especially when it comes to the Pennsylvania area, they have left a lot to be desired in terms of landing homegrown talent. In fact, another new head coach in Jon Sumrall at Florida has taken great pleasure from snatching several key prospects from under their noses. However, the stage is set for another recruiting battle, with Penn State set to get the first shot.

While Elijah Guertin is a Rhode Island native, he is a four star edge rusher Penn State should have a legitimate shot at. He would be a much needed fit up front for the Blue and White's defense with his size and speed combo. He actually did end up taking an official visit to Gainesville and Florida last week, when Campbell was hosting his own in Happy Valley, but did not determine his future. So with Penn State expecting to host him soon, their odds could skyrocket.

According to Rivals Predictions, Penn State are favored to acquire Guertin with a 26.8 percent chance. Still, if there have been lessons to learn, it's that Florida and other SEC powerhouses don't rest on their laurels. Those programs have already wrested away Pennsylvania products and several other Northeastern prospects as well. For Campbell, Guertin should be his number one priority to ensure no one snatches his signature.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State in contention for four star Rhode Island edge rusher

USA TODAY Sports reports that the Longhorns received a commitment from Kasi Currie, who selected Texas over the likes of Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon.

Currie is a massive presence, as the 6-foot-4, 315-pound defender has a chance to command double teams at the next level if he realizes his potential.

He's actually played some offense at Sierra Canyon High School, where he's spent some time as a right tackle.

BREAKING: Four-Star DL Kasi Currie has Committed to Texas, source told @Rivals

The 6’5 310 DL chose the Longhorns over Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State

He’s ranked as a Top 5 DL in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings 🤘https://t.co/DrXteNtAF5pic.twitter.com/Vutfpn46eX

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 11, 2026

Currie is following in the footsteps of former high school teammate Richard Wesley, a five-star defensive end who signed with Texas for the 2026 class.

Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Texas football adds blue-chip 2027 defensive lineman Kasi Currie

"Blessed to receive an offer (from) the University of Tennessee," Fletcher announced.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver is from Central Hinds Academy in Raymond, Mississippi. He does not have rankings from 247Sports.

Ole Miss was the first school to offer a scholarship to Fletcher. Other schools to offer him scholarships are Akron, LSU, Mississippi State, Tuskegee, Jacksonville State, Hinds Community College and Jackson State.

Tennessee does not have a commitment for its 2028 and 2029 recruiting class.

The Vols have 13 commitments for their 2027 recruiting class: linebacker JP Peace, offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, defensive lineman Kadin Fife, quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler, wide receiver KeSean Bowman, defensive back Carter Jamison, defensive back Brandon Leavell, tight end Malik Howard, defensive lineman Christian Mays, cornerback Dylan Haley, long snapper Sam McKeown and kicker Ford Fehling.

More: 2027 Georgia cornerback commits to Tennessee football

Greg Smith of On3.com and Rivals predicts with a 65 percent confidence level that Tennessee will beat out the Clemson Tigers, Indiana Hoosiers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Missouri Tigers to land the commitment of four-star linebacker Roman Igwebuike.

Related: Latest Intel on Tennessee Volunteers’ Starting QB Duel

“Visits have been taken to each with Notre Dame hosting him this weekend for an official. Heading into that visit, the Irish have ground to make up — specifically on Tennessee. The Vols have been a sneaky team to watch in this recruitment for a while. This visit could change things, but the Vols hold the edge right now.”

On3.com’s Greg Smith on Tennessee Volunteers and LB Roman Igwebuike

Tennessee put together an outstanding recruiting class in 2026. The program finished with the ninth-best recruiting class, netting two commitments from five-star prospects (Faizon Brandon and Triston Keys) with 12 four-star commitments.

The 2027 class is off to a bit of a slower start, currently ranking 12th in the SEC. Heupel currently has earned four commitments from four-star commits, with three on the offensive side (Kesean Bowman, Princeton Uwaifo and Malik Howard) and defensive lineman Kaden Fife.

Igwebuike, a 6-foot-3 linebacker, is rated by 247 Sports as the 165th-best prospect in the 2027 recruiting class and the 12th-best player at his position. Rivals rates him as the 139th-best player in his class and the 13th-best 2027 linebacker prospect.

Pulling Igwebuike away from Notre Dame, who is viewed as the second-likeliest landing spot, would be big for Tennessee. It would also provide Volunteers defensive coordinator Jim Knowles with a future standout to plug into the middle of his defense in the years to come.

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Ohio State football has the attention of a former NFL great's son who just happens to be an elite recruit in the 2028 class. The Buckeyes can match just what he says he's looking for.

The Ohio State Buckeyes hosted a key camp day on Thursday with a bunch of recruits in Columbus working out. 

Ohio State had several key 2028 recruits specifically, including the son of former NFL All-Pro S Eric Weddle. The former NFL great's son plays the same position his father did, and the Buckeyes are very interested in him early on in his recruitment. 

Ohio State has just what 2028 S Gaige Weddle is looking for as a college football player 

Weddle is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound safety from Rancho Bernardo (CA) that the Buckeyes offered a scholarship to last October. Weddle was joined by his father at Ohio State on Thursday and he was once again impressed with what the Buckeyes have to offer. 

"I mean it's the most winningest program in college football, right? They know the right way to do it and they have success," Weddle said via Lettermen Row. 

Weddle plays safety on defense and is a quarterback on offense for his high school team. Ohio State along with Texas and Oklahoma are the early players for the Weddle. Utah and BYU have some interest from the Weddle family. Other offers include Georgia, Texas A&M, Miami, amongst others.

Weddle is the No. 3 safety and No. 46 player in the country, according to Rivals industry rankings. When it comes to what Weddle is looking for at the next level, the Buckeyes check off the majority of the boxes. It's going to be up to safeties coach Matt Guerrieri to bring this one home in the end though. 

"Some big things is just development, Weddle said via Lettermen Row. "Development and relationships. I feel like I need to have a close relationship with my strength coach and my position coach. These are the people I'll spend the most time with. And then just development, right? I need to see the guys that will come before me and the guys that are there and how they're doing. The process and what they're putting out."

Ohio State certainly has the proven track record of getting guys to the NFL, better than any other college program as of late. A strong NFL legacy player to watch as the Buckeyes turn up their attention on him the closer we get to the 2028 cycle. 

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Ohio State football clearly has the attention of a former NFL All-Pro's son who is an elite recruit

© 2026 A to Z Sports.

Texas Longhorns fans — and the Texas coaching staff — woke up to a message on Friday morning from a key 2027 football five-star commit that they were hoping to never see.

One of the Texas Longhorns’ biggest wins over the last six months came in late November when Steve Sarkisian landed a commitment from 2027 five-star wide receiver Easton Royal.

Royal, 5-foot-11/200 pounds from New Orleans, LA, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 1 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 6 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class.

Based on the recruiting ranking, Royal has the talent to be a future Pro-Bowl-caliber wide receiver in the NFL. He has the ability to be a true difference maker as a true freshman in the SEC. It was a huge win for the Longhorns.

But some tweets that Royal sent on Thursday evening have Texas fans very nervous that he won’t make it to Austin.

Easton Royal appears to be having a grand time on his visit to Florida

Other programs have continued to recruit Royal over the last several months.

Florida and LSU have emerged as the biggest threats to swipe Royal from the Longhorns.

And Florida, specifically, looks like they could be on the verge of flipping the five-star wide receiver.

Royal is in Gainesville this week for a visit and he appears to be having quite the time based on the tweets he sent on Thursday evening.

The “I can get used to this” and “I’m loving it a lot” comments from Royal are particularly telling.

Nothing will be final in this recruiting battle until Royal signs with a program in December, so this battle will continue for another six months regardless of what happens or is said this weekend. We’re in an era of college football where stuff like this could just be a leverage play to get a more lucrative NIL deal from Texas.

We’ll see what happens, but it’s understandable if Texas fans are feeling a little uneasy after waking up on Friday to those tweets from Royal.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Texas Longhorns fans just saw a message from a key player they were hoping to never see

© 2026 A to Z Sports.

Georgia has been firmly in the mix since he reopened his recruitment. The Mobile, Alabama, native has made two visits to Athens. The most recent was on May 15 for an official visit, the first he'd taken throughout the recruiting process.

The Bulldogs made a strong case and were named one of the four finalists that Garror was choosing from. The others were the Texas Longhorns, Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles.

Unfortunately for Smart and his staff, they didn't come out on top in this battle. On Friday, Garror announced his commitment, choosing the Longhorns according to Rivals' national recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett.

It's a major loss for the Bulldogs. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Garror is a four-star recruit, the No. 12 EDGE, the No. 3 player in Alabama and the No. 107 player in the nation, per Rivals Industry Rankings.

The pass rusher is coming off a productive junior season at Vigor High School. In 15 games, he accumulated 106 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, 18 hurries, two pass deflections and one fumble recovery.

Now locked in with Texas, though, Georgia must turn its attention toward other options. The Bulldogs have offers out to five-star EDGE Abraham Sesay, four-star EDGE Chris Whitehead and four-star EDGE James Pace.

Smart and his staff are still well-positioned in the 2027 cycle as well. They've already landed 13 commitments, ranking seventh in the SEC and 17th in the nation, per Rivals.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit Makes Career Announcement After Losing Iconic College Football Role

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The most notable campus visit is flip target and No. 1 overall recruit Jalen Brewster, who will be making his third visit to Florida in the last several months. The 6-foot-3-inch, 302-pound, five-star defensive lineman committed to Texas Tech back in October, but opened the door for Sumrall and company with his continued engagement.

Rival national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong views Florida as the "biggest threat to the Red Raiders." Following his official visit to Texas, Wiltfong reported that Brewster's father said "everyone is equal," referring to the contenders in his son's recruitment. Tech will be Brewster's final official visit on June 19.

Another flip candidate for Florida is five-star wide receiver Easton Royal, who committed to Texas last November. The 5-foot-11-inch, 200-pound prospect is regarded as the No. 1 receiver in the class.

Other players to keep an eye on include Raheem Floyd, a four-star cornerback from East St. Louis who is coming off an official visit to Missouri. Wiltfong has Florida firmly in the mix, but believes that the Tigers hold a slight edge. Wiltfong suggests that, with Floyd on campus, the Gators have a chance to sway the 6-foot-2-inch, 170-pound blue-chip defensive back.

Marquis Evans is another name to watch out for. The 6-foot-3-inch, 235-pound Spain Park High School prospect is coming off visits to Tennessee, Miami and Auburn before making his way to Gainesville. Clemson is reportedly the leader for Four-star Lakeside High School safety Seth Williams, but Florida will get to make its case with the Peach State native this weekend.

Florida has 23 total commits in the 2027 cycle, with 16 of those pledges rated four-stars or better. It is the 4th-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports composite and No. 3 according to ESPN's latest national rankings.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football official visit targets to keep an eye on this weekend

The Texas Longhorns continue to make recruiting waves in deep SEC country with the addition of Mobile (Ala.) Vigor edge rusher JaBarrius Garror to the 2027 recruiting class on Friday morning, the second big-time commitment in two days for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

The consensus four-star edge rusher was a coveted prospect from teams all across the country, reporting 30 offers, including 13 from the SEC. While it appeared to be a final group of Florida State, Georgia, Auburn, and Texas, only the Longhorns, Tigers, and Bulldogs received summer visits with Texas landing the final opportunity to host him on campus.

Garror has played varsity snaps since his freshman year at Vigor, becoming a massive pass-rushing threat as a sophomore. Over the last two seasons, he’s turned in 210 total tackles, 88.5 tackles for loss and 42.5 sacks, leading the Wolves’ defense as they made playoff runs in both seasons. Measuring 6’2, 215 pounds, Garror ranks No. 107 overall in the Rivals/On3 Composite rankings and as the No. 12 edge rusher in the country.

Garror steps in as the third-highest ranked player and blue-chip No. 8 in the class, just 11 spots ahead of Mansfield Summit edge Cameron Hall. He is the third edge to join the 2027 class, alongside Hall and Brookhaven (Miss.) defender Derwin Fields for new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s defensive unit.

The Texas class now boasts 14 pledges and is up to No. 19 nationally in the 247Sports Composite team rankings.

Texas expects to add more talent as they reap the seeds from the May and June visit windows, getting more elite players to spend time on the Forty Acres.

Analysis (by Daniel Seahorn):

Jabarrius Garror out of Mobile is affectionately known as “Chicken” by friends and family. I can already see the NIL deals getting brainstormed by his marketing team. I am going to put this upfront, so we can get it out of the way. You will have a very hard time finding a more productive edge rusher in the country. I would put Garror’s counting stats up against any prospect out there and I would force you to show your work and put the tape on so I could see it with my own eyes.

Garror is ranked as the TWELTH best edge prospect in the country by 247Sports’ composite rankings that take every network ranking into account. That feels too low after getting a chance to watch his tape — Garror has tallied 88.5 tackles for loss and 42.5 sacks over his past two years on the varsity levels. Those are not typos. The last time I saw that kind of eye popping production I was breaking down Colin Simmons three years ago, and even Simmons’ production fall short of what Garror has done so far at the high school level. I’m not saying Garror is going to be a three-and-done guy and likely top-10 pick like Simmons is about to be for Texas, but brothers and sisters, he has a chance to be a dude at the collegiate level.

Garror terrorizes offenses in several ways, as he lines up both on the edge as well as off the backer in the middle of the defense at times on tape. Garror possesses a good get off at the snap and shows twitch and savvy to how he manipulates tackles as a pass rusher. Does a good job of threatening the upfield shoulder with his speed rush and is able to get dip back underneath tackles to get the quarterback. Shows the ability to run the arc, which leads to tackles being very wary of him beating them over the top. Shows good use of his hands with the ability to strike and shed blockers and competently uses them as a pass rusher. Junior tape shows snaps of him lined up off the ball and being able to hold his own in coverage, including making plays on the football for PBUs. Plays the game fast and is relentless, as he is always in constant pursuit of the ball carrier and is always in the frame of the play.

Garror was previously committed to Alabama, and honestly I am not sure how the in-state powers let a guy like this cross the state lines and play elsewhere. If you can add some more mass to him and he can still maintain his athleticism, you have a guy who has a chance to be something nasty at the next level.

The tides are shifting for Texas A&M as they lose and gain talent all offseason long, in hopes of having a fully structured team by September.

With what the majority of college football fans, and the 12th Man among them, would call a successful season, the Aggies went to their first-ever College Football Playoff game after a 10-1 regular season record.

All things considered, the metric for a successful season has shifted with the modernity of an expanded, 12-seed College Football Playoff picture. For many years, the playoff window was much smaller, and teams considered missing the playoffs a "success" if they won nine or more games.

Knowing that the standard has changed and doesn't rely so heavily on just "surviving" the SEC Gauntlet or your regular-season schedule means that Texas A&M will be forced to recreate its 2025 season to even have a conversation about success.

The Playoff Berth

A playoff berth, in this newly reestablished 12-team playoff picture, would define Texas A&M's season as a success in only its second visit to the College Football Playoff. In other words, a record of 10-2 or better is necessary for the 12th Man, and of course, the team to not get regression fatigue. It is imperative that the Miami loss in 2025 does not strike down the momentum that Texas A&M had all season long.

Breaking it down further, the Aggies will need to remain close to perfect through their entire regular season, including the extremely daunting road schedule that lies ahead of them. This road schedule features the likes of LSU, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, which are all massive conference opponents.

Realistically, with such an intense rivalry on the line, Texas A&M needs to enter Kyle Field in November against Texas with one single loss, as a sort of damage control. That loss is up for grabs, and for our best guess, it will probably come from one of these three: Alabama, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

Still, if the Aggies can maintain the majority of the talent they have, and if everything clicks, they should make the playoffs in 2026 and have yet another "successful" season under head coach Mike Elko. Clearly, this will not be an easy task, and the Aggies are not favored in the odds, but if they are truly able to recreate the magic that the 12th Man saw just last year, it will be a massive accomplishment for this Texas A&M team.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as What Texas A&M Needs For a Successful 2026 Season.

Mobile (Ala.) Vigor edge rusher JaBarrius Garror announced his commitment to Texas on Friday. He chose the Longhorns over offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Florida State.

The four-star prospect, who was at one point committed to the Crimson Tide, officially visited Texas over the weekend. He also took official visits to Auburn and Georgia.

“Texas is hot. I’m gonna say that,” Garror told InsideTexas after his trip to the Lone Star State. “You can’t go wrong with Texas. Great coaches, great place.”

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] 

The Rivals Industry Rankings, an equally weighted formula that utilizes the three major recruiting services, slots Garror as the No. 107 prospect in the country. He ranks as the No. 12 edge prospect and No. 3 player in Alabama regardless of position.

As a junior, Garror totaled 106 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss and 21 sacks, winning Alabama’s statewide defensive lineman of the year award. He’s now gearing up for an even bigger senior season as one of the state’s top prospects overall.

Garror joins a Texas class that ranks No. 13 overall, and fifth in the SEC, in the Rivals Industry Team Recuriting rankings.

Hello western sports fans, happy World Cup Day to those who celebrate. The off-season presses on, the Mountain West is set to split this summer in just a few weeks, with the “departing five” leaving to create the reformed Pac-12. The Mountain West has added the likes of North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and UTEP to fill the gaps. 

We at the Mountain West Connection intend to cover both conferences going forward. “Friday Five” will feature the five best of, well, anything leading into football season, alternating between each conference week-to-week. Best quarterbacks, stadiums, mascots, who knows. We’re open to your ideas! This week, we start off with Friday Five football stadiums in the Mountain West Conference. 

5. University Stadium, New Mexico (37,440)

Now one of the largest stadiums in the remainder of the Mountain West Conference, the home of the Lobos opened in 1960 with a 77-6 thumping of the University of Mexico. Yes, you read that correctly, an international opponent. University Stadium is also home to the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. The fast-growing student section, the Howl Raisers, are doing their best to bring the magic of The Pit over to the gridiron. With head coach Jason Eck in charge, this stadium’s best moments might be ahead.

4. Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium, Wyoming (25,500)

There has been a lot of construction happening up at 7,220 feet. Wyoming added a new scoreboard in the south endzone in 2016, along with an entirely brand-new football facility in the north endzone. The stadium itself went through a major facelift starting in 2023 with continued improvement through 2025. The Pokes have one of the strongest home field advantages in the conference over the years, many perceived superior foes have fallen there. Yes, there are Mountain West stadiums with larger capacities, but the constant renovations and improvements have this stadium cracking the top five.

3. Sun Bowl, UTEP (51,000)

You had to figure this one was coming. UTEP is brand-new to the Mountain West football scene, but its facility is no stranger in the lore of western football. UTEP plays their home games at the Sun Bowl, which famously features two top Power 4 opponents every year for the December “Sun Bowl” bowl game. While the Miners rarely fill the entire building, it does boast one of the largest capacities in the conference. With several impressive and iconic stadiums set to leave the conference this summer, the MWC is glad to be adding one as well.

2. Falcon Stadium, Air Force (39,441)

I can’t say it much better than the Air Force athletics website, “A picturesque setting at the base of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains and boasting some of the grandest pageantry in all of college football, Falcon Stadium is without a doubt one of the premier college football stadiums in America.” The view is breathtaking regardless of where one sits in the stadium, with a unique atmosphere filled with cadets from the academy. Fit to host a large crowd in a beautiful setting in Colorado Springs, I won’t fight anyone who picks this stadium as the best in the Mountain West. Why isn’t it 1st? Well…

1. Allegiant Stadium, UNLV (65,000)

I went back and forth with this one. On one hand, Allegiant Stadium, the multi-purpose indoor stadium in Las Vegas that opened only soon-to-be six years ago, is home of the Las Vegas Raiders. It is clearly the most impressive venue in the Mountain West with no peer in its category. Much like the Pitt Panthers play in the Steelers’ stadium, or the Temple Owls play at Lincoln Financial Field, UNLV calls this incredible stadium home, but obviously they are not the primary tenants in the building. Should that knock them down a spot? Maybe, but the Rebels play their home games here and it is far and away the most impressive stadium in the conference, even if not solely owned by UNLV.

Others in consideration: Well, we know Hawaii isn’t cracking this top five right now, but we certainly hope New Aloha Stadium stays on schedule and opens in 2029. The Fargodome isn’t large by any means, but it seems like a cool venue to watch a game at. CEFCU Stadium has seen some upgrades in recent years; I don’t want to short the Spartans there. Whichever way you rank them, the Mountain West still has plenty of solid venues.

Rutgers football is scheduled to have its last “big” official visit weekend this weekend after having two very successful official visit weekends in the two weeks prior. This week, only three prospects are expected to visit campus, with one being committed already, and the others have Rutgers listed as the favorite to land their commitment by On3. Rutgers already has 19 commitments this class, due to their previous official visit weekends having many more prospects, and will be looking to add more this weekend.

That begs the question, who is coming this weekend? How are they ranked? The answers to these questions are listed below!

Trent Buttles: S, St Francis High School, NY

6ft, 190 pounds

Rivals/On3 rating: 3 Star

247sports rating: 3 Star

COMMITTED

Bryson Hurt: IOL, Gainesville High School, GA

6-foot-4, 300 pounds

Rivals/On3 rating: 3 Star, favorite to land: Rutgers

247sports rating: 3 Star, chance of committing: cool

Sean Hassan Jr: Ponte Vedra High School, Florida

6-foot-7, 315 pounds

Rivals/On3 rating: 3 Star, favorite to land: Rutgers

247sports rating: N/A, chance of committing: N/A

Kyle Vasey, 30, was hospitalized after his 35-year-old fiancée, Corrine More, lost her life in the hit-and-run crash.

A 28-year-old man was driving near East Wildcat Reserve Parkway and Willowbridge Way in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, at around 10:30 a.m. June 1 when he crashed into Vasey, More and a 72-year-old woman, who were all walking on the sidewalk. She also was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Click Here For More Sports Coverage On Foxnews.com

The driver, Adam Bauserman, had a revoked license due to a DUI arrest last year. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly told CBS Colorado that Bauserman has had several revocations and suspensions of his license over the last 10 years.

"He should never have been on the roadway, and as a result of that, somebody is now deceased," the sheriff said.

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Bauserman was arrested after a witness followed his truck. According to CBS Colorado, witnesses saw Bauserman turn around after the crash, drive slowly past the scene and drive away. That caused another witness to follow him down the road, leading to his arrest.

Former Alabama Qb Aj Mccarron Goes Absolutely Berserk On His Ufl Team During Furious Halftime Rant

Officials said Bauserman was "unusually quiet" and asked if he had killed Vasey. Witnesses believe Bauserman's actions behind the wheel were not accidental.

A doctor cited in the affidavit, according to CBS Colorado, said Vasey is at risk of permanent disfigurement or death.

Bauserman is currently facing seven felony charges, and bail was set at $100,000.

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Vasey was the team's long snapper in 2017 and 2018, when the Nittany Lions won the Fiesta Bowl and lost the Citrus Bowl, respectively. He briefly was in training camp with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019.

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Original article source:Former Penn State football player faces life-altering injuries after hit-and-run crash that killed his fiancée

"Blessed to receive a full scholarship offer from Vol football," Fehling announced Monday.

He committed to the Vols and received a scholarship offer after attending a Tennessee football camp on Sunday.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound kicker is from Marvin Ridge High School in Waxhaw, North Carolina. He does not have recruiting rankings from 247Sports.

Coastal Carolina was the first Division I school to offer Fehling. He also has a scholarship offer from Iowa.

The Vols have 13 commitments in their 2027 recruiting class: linebacker JP Peace, offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, defensive lineman Kadin Fife, quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler, wide receiver KeSean Bowman, defensive back Carter Jamison, defensive back Brandon Leavell, tight end Malik Howard, defensive lineman Christian Mays, cornerback Dylan Haley, long snapper Sam McKeown and Fehling.

🏠🍊@DanOrnerKicking@CoachDJohnson11@CoachCrab@MattWogan6@Vol_Football@MarvinRidgeFBpic.twitter.com/TTNjmnJtGV

— Ford Fehling (@FordFehling) June 9, 2026

More: 2027 Georgia cornerback commits to Tennessee football

The LSU Tigers have high expectations for the 2026 season. After multiple seasons of failing to reach the College Football Playoff and not living up to the expectations that were expected of the program, a change needed to happen.

Enter Lane Liffin, one of the most polarizing characters in the sport, now at the helm of the Tigers after exiting his last program in only a fashion he could. Now, in Baton Rouge, he is expected to meet those expectations with only one offseason under his belt, and in the toughest conference in the country.

The first half of the schedule is brutal for Kiffin and the Tigers, and the midweek point is a week six matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats, who underwent regime change in their own right. With two different coaching staffs, are the Wildcats a potential trap game for the Tigers?

Will the Tigers Be Tested or Trapped?

In today's age of college football, roster reconstruction after each season is more pertinent than ever, and it's rare to even find a school that has 95 percent or more of the same players from the year before. The Tigers, with Kiffin at the helm, will have the luxury of attracting elite transfer portal talent, which is exactly what they did in the offseason.

With quarterback Sam Leavitt running the high-octane offense that Kiffin has become known for, and a revamped receiving room that features multiple new faces, an explosive offense seems to be in the cards for the Tigers in 2026.

The Wildcats, in contrast, have offensive guru Will Stein on their sideline in his first year as the head coach. and multiple new faces along the offensive line. The rest of the roster is comprised of many of the same players from the 2025 season, but with new schemes in the year on both sides of the ball, there is no guarantee they will be successful.

Add to that the fact that this is a road game for the Tigers, and it won't be easy to land a key win in Lexington, but the Tigers have more talent than the Wildcats. Stein and his team won't be rollovers either, and the Tigers will have to earn the win. Overlooking them could turn it into a trap game, but that shouldn't happen this upcoming year.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as Trap Game or Tune-Up? Sizing up Kentucky on LSU's Football Schedule.

Los Angeles - Henry E. Lackey (Md.) 2028 five-star defensive lineman Tyzon Swann arrived at USC on Wednesday, June 10 and remained on campus the next day to workout with defensive line coach Skyler Jones.

Swann, the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 defensive lineman according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, was not only making his first ever visit to USC, but it was his time in the state of California.

Tyzon Swann Eyes Return Visit to USC

Swann was blown away by his time on campus the past couple of days. He got an in-depth look at the football program and the campus.

The highly touted defensive prospect said following Thursday's workout that he plans to return to Southern Cal at least once in the fall but would like to attend more than one game.

And for one of those games, he plans to return with his cousin, Chicago Bears quarterback and 2022 USC Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. The former Trojans signal-caller has frequently returned to campus since he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Bears in 2024.

The five-star recruit was able to link up with USC freshman defensive end Luke Wafle and sophomore defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart, a pair of highly sought-after out-of-state recruits each of the last two cycles. Two players that have come a long way to suit up for the Trojans.

Swann is highly coveted across the country. He was at Alabama and LSU earlier this month before heading out west. And his itinerary will continue to be busy next week with trips to schools such as Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, West Virginia, among others.But Swann made it clear that the Trojans are firmly in the mix as he heads into his junior season.

Talented Defensive Line Group at USC

Swann was one of the headliners of an impressive group of defensive linemen that worked out at USC on Thursday.

Oaks Christian (Calif.) four-star defensive lineman and USC commit Alifeleti "Tolo" Tuihalamaka has been on campus all week and worked out again with Jones on Thursday. The local product moved up in the latest 247Sports ranking and is now rated as the No. 143 overall prospect and No. 15 defensive lineman and watching him on Thursday it's easy to see why.

Tuihalamaka drew strong reactions from the Trojans staff while going through drills, most notably from defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, who was in awe of the USC commit.

Orem (Utah) 2028 four-star edge and top 100 prospect Major Stokes was a recruit that Trojan personnel members pointed out before the workout began and he was incredibly impressive.He drew praise from defensive coach Shaun Nua throughout the afternoon.

Santa Margarita (Calif.) 2030 edge KJ Herndon is a rising freshman but already holds an offer USC, among many other high-profile programs. Herndon stands at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds and certainly is someone that could be a five-star prospect down the line.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Five-Star Recruit Tyzon Swann Provides Encouraging Update Following USC Visit.

Pittsburgh (Pa.) Penn Hills High School has decided on who will be their interim head football coach for the 2026 football season.

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

According to a social media post, the Indians have tabbed alum Dan Mason as the program’s interim head football coach for the 2026 Pennsylvania high school football season.

Congratulations to former Indian Dan Mason who has been named our interim head coach. #IndiansNation

Mason replaces Charles Morris, who compiled a 24-20 record over the past four seasons with the program. The Indians end the search for a head coach at a important juncture of the year where the team is heading into the summer months.

Penn Hills has had notable names come through the program, including NFL defensive linemen
Treyvon Hester and Super Bowl champion Aaron Donald, respectively. The program is just seven years removed from a 16-0 season when they won the Division AAAAA state championship back in 2018.

Now Mason will be tabbed with getting the program back on track after the least amount victories since the 2015 campaign.

The Indians ended this past season with a 3-7 record and finished ranked No. 125 in the final 2025 Pennsylvania High School Football Massey Rankings.

More about Penn Hills High School

Penn Hills High School, part of the Penn Hills School District in Pittsburgh, PA, is committed to fostering a learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential. The school emphasizes both academic excellence and athletic achievement, with numerous varsity sports teams and a vibrant school culture. Known as the Indians, PHHS prides itself on strong community engagement, supporting students in both education and extracurricular pursuits​.

How to Follow Pennsylvania High School Football

For Pennsylvania high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Keystone State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Pennsylvania.

Jon Sumrall and the Gators have become one of the fastest-rising teams after a strong spring recruiting season that has carried over into the summer. Several national recruiting services peg Florida as a top-5 class, including the 247Sports composite, which has UF behind only Miami, Oklahoma and Texas A&M with an average recruit evaluation score of 92.25.

The program's most recent signings came last week when both four-star offensive tackle Kennedee Jackson and four-star defensive lineman Cahron Wheeler chose Florida over other Power Four suitors. According to ESPN's Craig Haubert, the Gators have 13 SC Next 300 commitments, matching top-ranked Texas A&M.

For Florida, five-star OL Maxwell Hiller remains the crown jewel of the class as Sumrall's most highly-touted prospect, "an OL who possesses a wealth of tools blending toughness and flexibility with sound technique and he could not only be an elite presence for them in the trenches but is a contender to able to quickly work his way into the mix upon arrival."

Haubert also singled out two more highly-heralded commitments for Florida's 2027 class.

"Sumrall soon stacked on top of that No. 1-ranked center Peyton Miller, who needs to continue to add mass but has experience at center and can play with leverage and be violent. He might need a little more time than Hiller but can be a steady, productive leader up front for several seasons. SC Next 300 OL Elijah Hutcheson shouldn't be overshadowed as an excellent pickup as well."

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football rising again in latest ESPN 2027 recruiting rankings

The summer months are upon us, and that means official visit season has arrived. Recruiting strategy for high school prospects has shifted in the new age of NIL-funded recruiting. Major programs used to jockey for the final official visit slot to make a strong final impression, but now prep recruiting is being treated increasingly similar to transfer portal recruiting. Programs now want earlier cracks at their targets so they can present strong offers and try to shut down any future official visits. Prospects report feeling highly pressured to commit early, but some still honor taking all of their official visits (which are now unlimited).

Following the final weekend in May, the first of the major visiting weekends for the 2026 cycle, FSU was able to land one commitment in defensive lineman Eric Vaulx Jr. The Seminoles followed that up with a flurry of three blue-chip commitments after the June 5 weekend, with LB Jernard Albright, RB Jayden Miles, and WR Sean Green joining #Tribe27. A not-unexpected decommitment from LB Greg Batson put a bit of damper on things, but FSU quickly rebounded by securing a commitment from linebacker Olrick Johnson III.

The third weekend of official visitors is now upon us, with the Seminoles hosting six prospects on campus (the list has seen considerable attrition following a flurry of commitments over the past two weeks, reinforcing the point in the first paragraph about pushing for early pledges). Three targets are rated as blue-chips and there are an equal number of offensive and defensive visitors.

FSU recruiting: Visitors for the June 12th weekend

• 3-star WR Majay Thompson: FSU has prioritized the 6’0, 185-pound Thompson over the past two months and will look to make a strong final impression, as Tallahassee will be his final official visit before a scheduled decision date of June 19. Thompson totaled 53 receptions for 865 yards (16.3 YPC) and 13 receiving touchdowns last season. He plays for Crest High School in Shelby, NC, and is considered a 3-star by 247Sports Composite. He looks like a 4-star to me. FSU is battling Alabama, Georgia, and Wake Forest for Thompson. I’m not sure where he sits on Georgia’s priority list but Alabama definitely wants him and he is Wake Forest’s top target.
• 3-star TE Colton Johnson: FSU will host the 6’5, 245-pound tight end from Tennessee as part of his blitz through June, seeing seven or eight schools on visits. FSU has vacillated with Johnson and I think other programs are higher on his list, including the in-state Volunteers and reigning champs Indiana. He’d be a very nice addition but FSU would likely have to pay more than they’d like to secure his commitment. I’d be surprised to see FSU land him.
• 4-star OL DaJohn Yarborough: The highest-ranked offensive lineman currently on FSU’s visit schedule this summer is Yarborough, who will finish his high school career in Arizona after spending the first half in Minnesota. The composite 4-star is 6’5, 340 pounds and has a wrestling background. He is a significant priority for Herb Hand, who will need to fend off fellow finalists Washington, Cal, and Mississippi State for Yarborough. He profiles best as a guard.
• 3-star Edge Jaxon Holly: Likely the best bet for a commitment coming off the weekend, Holly has ascended quickly up the priority list for Nick Williams as numerous other edge targets have eliminated FSU. The 6’4, 235 pound Holly has previously visited Auburn and Virginia Tech and doesn’t have any other OVs set following his time in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have a great opportunity to seal the deal this weekend and add Holly to Tribe27.
• 4-star DL Sam LeJeune: FSU has spent a considerable amount of time and resources in LeJeune’s recruitment, making him one of the most important targets this cycle regardless of position. While notoriously difficult to pull top Mississippi prospects away from the state, Florida State has built a strong relationship with LeJeune over the course of several years. LeJeune is an accomplished power lifter and plays both ways for his high school. He’s previously visited Auburn, Cal, and Washington, with a significant development coming as he cancelled a visit to LSU scheduled after this weekend. That gives FSU a huge opportunity to close this thing out. LeJeune will not be a cheap acquisition, but he is a necessary one for Terrance Knighton. He’s a blue-chip prospect and top 150 player nationally.
• 4-star DB Ta’Shawn Poole: There may not be a better fit for what FSU wants to do on defense than the 6’2, 185-pound Poole. The Seminoles face stiff competition from fellow finalists Clemson, Tennessee, and Miami, among others, but Poole has genuine love for the coaching staff and program in Tallahassee. Whether that affection translates into a commitment will depend largely on NIL offers and playing time opportunities, and Poole would be a fantastic fit at the rover position for Tony White. He is a blue-chip player ranked in the top 100 nationally, and he is productive regardless of where he plays on the field for his high school. Last season he totaled 33 rushes for 200 yards and four rushing touchdowns, 30 receptions for 454 yards and seven receiving touchdowns, and a punt return touchdown. On defense, he recorded 37 tackles (two for loss), two interceptions, and a sack.

2027 Florida State recruiting: Current commitments

• 3-star quarterback Logan Flaherty (FL)
• 4-star running back Jayden Miles (LA)
• 3-star tight end Connor Winn (FL)
• 4-star wide receiver Sean Green (GA)
• 4-star edge Anthony Cavallaro (FL)
• 4-star linebacker Jernard Albright (MD)
• 3-star linebacker Olrick Johnson III (GA)
• 3-star defensive lineman Eric Vaulx Jr. (MS)
• 3-star defensive back Jemari Foreman (FL)
• 3-star defensive back DaYon Cooper (TN)

ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg ranked all 68 Power Four teams in his future power rankings for the next two seasons this week. He took a deep look at every team in the SEC, the Big Ten, the ACC, the Big 12, and Notre Dame.

The Oklahoma Sooners checked in at No. 13 on the list, good for seventh-best in the SEC. Rittenberg looked at multiple factors when ranking each team for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, and clearly OU is in a good spot in some of those departments. Fortunately for the Sooners, there hasn't been the kind of coordinator and/or play-caller turnover this offseason that was present the last two years. While Oklahoma lost some position coaches, much of the rest of the coaching staff remains intact.

At quarterback, the Sooners have John Mateer in place for 2026, but they won't have him in 2027, as he'll be out of eligibility. Bowe Bentley, who will be a true freshman this season, looks like the heir-apparent to Mateer in 2027, but perhaps Whitt Newbauer can give him a run for his money next offseason.

One thing head coach Brent Venables has put a focus on since he got back to Norman is the trenches, and he's done an excellent job on the defensive side of the ball. With Jayden Jackson, David Stone, and Taylor Wein all back, the defensive line should be stout again, despite the losses of R Mason Thomas, Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton, Marvin Jones Jr., and Markus Strong. The Sooners need Danny Okoye and/or Adepoju Adebawore to have a breakout season off the edge.

The offensive line has been harder to rebuild, but the Sooners might have their best unit yet under Venables in '26. Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Jake Maikkula, Heath Ozaeta, and Ryan Fodje all return, and Oklahoma added key pieces in the portal in E'Marion Harris and Caleb Nitta. Despite losing Febechi Nwaiwu and Derek Simmons, the OL looks strong if they can stay healthy.

Star power shouldn't be an issue for the Sooners. On offense, leading rushers Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock return, as does top wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III. The portal additions of Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone at wideout and Hayden Hansen and Rocky Beers at tight end should help that side of the ball. Oklahoma lost Deion Burks, Keontez Lewis, Javonnie Gibson, and Jaren Kanak, but they feel they've upgraded their weapons around Mateer.

There's no shortage of stars on defense either, but OU suffered some key losses. Kobie McKinzie, Sammy Omosigho, Kendal Daniels, Gentry Williams, and Robert Spears-Jennings are all gone, but Venables still has plenty of returning leaders. Kip Lewis, Owen Heinecke, Courtland Guillory, Eli Bowen, and Peyton Bowen are all back, and the Sooners are looking for big years from Reggie Powers III, Michael Boganowski, and transfer Cole Sullivan.

While not every player listed will be back in 2027, Venables, general manager Jim Nagy, and the Sooners have done a good job of retaining key contributors and managing the roster. While the veterans carry the torch this year, the young players will soon be called upon to do the same. The Sooners have chosen to build their program on identifying and developing the right players, meaning that a highly-rated 2027 recruiting class is a very good sign.

After two losing seasons in three years under Venables, the Sooners answered a lot of questions last year with their run to the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma found an identity in November, and can recruit to that ethos with Venables at the helm. However, playing and coaching at OU is about consistent, repeated, extremely high-level success. Making one playoff trip isn't going to cut it, and OU is trying to build a present and a future that can meet and exceed the high standard of excellence and winning that is ever-present in Norman, Oklahoma.

The commitment of four-star 2027 edge rusher Chaz Gray on Tuesday marked the second straight recruiting class where the Huskies were able to reel in a blue-chip pledge from the Garden State, after four-star quarterback Derek Zammit signed with UW in 2026, but 2028 will offer a different challenge in the form of Chaz's younger brother, five-star linebacker Tahj Gray.

A 6-foot-3, 225-pound prospect, also out of St. Joseph Regional, Tahj is ranked as the nation's No. 24 overall recruit and No. 1 linebacker in the 2028 class by the 247Sports Composite, and it will be no small feat to pull in his services. He holds 31 offers with Florida, Indiana, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas all in pursuit of his services alongside linebackers coach Brian Odom and the Huskies.

Check out 2028 Tahj Gray Full season Highlights!!
102 tackles
10.4 tackles for loss
4.0 sacks
5 pass deflections https://t.co/jmw8wV0lBa

— Tahj “TJ” Gray (@TahjG17) December 11, 2025

Outside of its two commits, Washington's coaching staff proved that it can make a major impact on high-end New Jersey prospects after hosting five-star offensive tackle Oluwasemilore Olubobola on an unofficial visit for Junior Day in March. Although he ultimately committed to Notre Dame, the Huskies quickly worked their way into consideration for his pledge, and with more time to build a relationship with the high-end linebacker, UW could become a major threat to secure his services.

Tahj has already gotten an opportunity to experience UW while accompanying his brother on his official visit, and if Chaz returns for an unofficial visit to take in a gameday atmosphere in the fall, the Huskies would more than likely host both Gray brothers yet again.

The Huskies have also had plenty of success recruiting brothers from the high school ranks under Fisch, earning pledges from Kayden and Kodi Greene, along with Derek and Lowen Colman-Brusa. Now, they'll have a great opportunity to build a strong relationship with the nation's top linebacker, who would be a seamless fit both on the inside and outside of defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' scheme.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies can build strong connection with No. 1 2028 LB

The North Carolina Tar Heels have a lot of uncertainty heading into next season, but perhaps none bigger than the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position.

The Tar Heels were very disappointing in Bill Belichick's first season as head coach of the program. They managed a very poor 4-8 record and were one of the worst teams in the ACC all season long. North Carolina was highly underwhelming on both sides of the ball and failed to meet the lofty expectations that followed a splashy head-coaching hire.

At the quarterback position, things were very murky for the Tar Heels last season. Starter Gio Lopez - a transfer from South Alabama - struggled mightily to find a groove last season, throwing for just 1,747 yards with 10 passing touchdowns and five interceptions. His highest number of passing yards in a game last season was just 216 in a 27-10 win over Syracuse on Oct. 31, 2025.

UNC Brings in Edwards

Now, Lopez is gone after transferring to Wake Forest in the offseason. In turn, the Tar Heels brought in Billy Edwards Jr., a transfer from Wisconsin. Edwards hardly got the chance to suit up for Wisconsin after suffering a season-ending injury in the season-opener last year, but prior to his pit stop with the Badgers, Edwards was the starting quarterback at Maryland, where he threw for 2,881 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the 2024 season.

Nonetheless, Edwards is a major question mark heading into next season, being that he is coming off a major injury. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg says that Edwards has the chance to have a big year under Belichick and Bobby Petrino's watch.

Rittenberg's Thoughts

"North Carolina hopes it gets the 2024 version of Billy Edwards Jr., who completed 65% of his passes for 2,881 yards that fall at Maryland, rather than the one limited to 16 pass attempts by injury last fall at Wisconsin. If healthy, Edwards could thrive in coordinator Bobby Petrino's offense. UNC also brought in Texas A&M transfer Miles O'Neill and signed Travis Burgess, an SC Next 300 recruit. The Heels will need a new quarterback in 2027," Rittenberg said.

The Tar Heels are hopeful that Edwards can help bring the Tar Heels back to relevance next season. After a highly disappointing 2025 campaign, the Tar Heels are going to need a major improvement next season, or they run the risk of their head coach being chased out of town in a hurry.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/unc as How Billy Edwards' Play Will Affect UNC's Ceiling Next Season.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Arkansas Razorbacks missed out on one of its top remaining high school prospects Thursday afternoon when Memphis 4-star athlete Lawrence Britt announced his commitment to Missouri.

Now, coach Ryan Silverfield shifts focus toward another busy recruiting weekend that has lost a couple of notable attendees who have decided to go elsewhere.

3-star DB Zy'Corius Huzzie

The LaGrange, (Ga.) native has been committed to Arkansas since April 6, and the first player to commit to the Razorbacks under the new coaching staff.

After being originally scheduled to be in town this weekend, Huzzie announced a change of plans Thursday night via X that he will head a little further north to visit with Cincinnati and coach Scott Satterfield.

I will be at the University of Cincinnati this weekend for a OV... Can't wait!!!! @MattNapier9@will15bates@BigBlueRecruits@HuzzieQua@247recruiting@BALLERSCHOICE1@CoachMurph_9@CoachSattUCpic.twitter.com/2wXEzQEI1h

- 3 Zy'Corius "zy" Huzzie (@Zyhuzzie1) June 11, 2026

Huzzie holds an evaluation grade of 88 overall and ranks No. 627 nationally, No. 65 among cornerbacks and No. 76 in the talent-rich Peach State, according to 247Sports.

He is a two-sport standout in football and track with a time of 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 11.45 seconds in the 100-meter, and 15.75 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles.

The combination of Huzzie's size, speed and athleticism is something Arkansas' new staff looks for when identifying talent. Arkansas may have to hold tight until the end for his commitment if other teams come calling.

3-star EDGE Finn Walker

One intriguing visitor this weekend who won't be in town is Conroe, Texas standout Finn Walker.

The 6-foot-6, 245 pound prospect was at Oklahoma State as of Thursday night for an official visit and it appears that trip has gone well, according to a post on his X account.

Yaaaaa BOYYY!!! Them #COWBOYS in Stillwater are DIFFERENT!! #BIG12 get your ready. Had a GREAT time at OSU, trusting the process.....#GOPOKES@OKState247@CowboyFB@__CoachMorris@CoachGRichDLpic.twitter.com/hap1ymHY91

- Finn Walker (@FinnWalker8808) June 11, 2026

The Cowboys were his first Power Four offer in January with several other schools flying in such as Arkansas, Colorado, Wake Forest, Rutgers, Arizona, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State, Syracuse, Missouri, SMU, Baylor and many others.

Notable Official Visitors (June 12)

There are some targets visiting this weekend such as Zachary, (La.) running back Tylek Lewis who are heavily involved with other programs.

The 6-foot, 210 pound prospect is considered a consensus 3-star nationally and ranks No. 1152 nationally, No. 86 among running backs and No. 38 among Louisiana athletes, according to 247Sports.

Lewis is actually coming off an official visit at Syracuse with coach Fran Brown. He has told reporters the program is at "the top of his list" following the trip.

Fellow Louisiana native, 3-star running back Aymaud Sykes will arrive in Fayetteville Friday morning to begin his official visit. He is considered the No. 487 ranked prospect in the nation, No. 31 among running backs and the No. 18 player in the state, per 247Sports.

Sykes holds offers from the Razorbacks, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Duke, Northwestern, and many others. He is coming off an official visit weekend in Manhattan with the Wildcats and did leave without announcing a commitment to first-year coach Collin Klein.

As a junior, Sykes (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) burst onto the prep scene in The Boot in a huge way with 197 carries for 2,188 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2025 for the Grant Cougars in Dry Prong. He is kind of a late bloomer this cycle and the Razorbacks are hoping early inroads can potentially lead to a commitment.

https://t.co/YXZ18hCuw1@Lane_Kiffin@CoachGolding@CoachSark@RFLHoustonCougs@GSUFootball01@j_wayne3@GeauxJagsNation@LSUfootball

- Sykes aymaud (@aymaud_S1) January 29, 2026

With the Razorbacks bringing in a pair of running backs, it stands to question where the Razorbacks truly are in the recruitment of running back Asa Barnes, who has been blown away by both visits this spring. He is down to Arkansas, Tennessee, USC and Kentucky.

Arkansas will have a pair of defensive backs on campus in 3-star prospects Jameer Cantrell out of Buford (Ga.) and John Catlin (Denton, Texas). Plus, the Razorbacks' longest tenured commitment of the class in Sheridan 3-star offensive lineman Bradley Sturdivant will be in town to take in his official visit.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Razorbacks Recruiting Notebook: Key Targets Arrive for Official Visits.

Week 6 of the 2026 college football campaign brings the Texas A&M Aggies back to a familiar place, one they were at last November, that being Faurot Field in Columbia, MO to face the Missouri Tigers.

The Aggies have had Missouri's number the past couple of years, defeated them once in 2024 in front of the Kyle Field crowd, and again last year, riding a 24-point second half to down Mizzou 38-17 in front of their own crowd.

Even more impressive, those two wins came against Top 25-ranked Missouri teams, truly showing the edge that Mike Elko has had on Eliah Drinkwitz since coming to College Station.

Three in a Row on Deck for Texas A&M?

In a perfect world, Texas A&M would come into this matchup with an undefeated record, with their biggest threat up to this point essentially coming in the form of a road contest in Week 4 against the LSU Tigers, who have rebranded with Lane Kiffin now serving as the head coach.

Quite frankly, to call this a trap game would be a stretch for the Aggies.

The only aspect of the game that Missouri outdid A&M in was the rushing game, where Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts combined for 219 yards against an Aggie run defense that hadn't been that lax up to that point.

Both Hardy and Roberts are returning to the team for the 2026 season, but Hardy is going to be rehabbing a gunshot wound that he suffered last month and Missouri's expected starting quarterback has barely crossed 1,000 passing yards in the two collegiate seasons that he's taken part in, so it would be pretty easy to chalk up a third straight win for the Aggies in this little rivalry.

However, at the time of the matchup last year, Missouri boasted one of the top defenses in the SEC and was pitted against one of the best offenses in the conference.

With Texas A&M returning many key aspects that made that offense so explosive, this game could easily go in the books as a tune up for Mike Elko's team. For the Aggies, it could mark a last decent challenge before returning to College Station to play The Citadel and then hitting the road again to combat the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Then again, anything can happen, especially in the SEC.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as Trap Game or Tune-Up? Sizing Up Missouri on Texas A&M's 2026 Schedule.

The Sooners' defense got them to the College Football Playoff last year.

Oklahoma ranked first in the SEC in total defense (272.5 yards allowed per game), scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game) and sacks (45). Stingy defense throughout the year allowed OU to win four games in a row to end the regular season and end the year 10-3.

OU's defense has steadily improved in each of Brent Venables' four seasons as the Sooners' head coach.

Now, he'll look for the defense to become even stronger in Year 5. Venables appeared on SEC Network for an interview on Wednesday and said that the buy-in from his returning defensive players will allow the unit to improve in the fall.

"That's a group of guys who are incredibly invested in our program, have been here," Venables said in the interview.

Incredibly exciting-the challenge of what's in front of us

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- Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) June 11, 2026

Venables made a point to name just about every experienced defender who started his career at OU and is still there.

Up front, he singled out Taylor Wein, David Stone, Jayden Jackson, Danny Okoye and Adepoju Adebawore as guys who have helped the defensive line become what it is. Venables praised incoming senior linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke, calling those two "incredible leaders." And in the secondary, Venables shouted out Peyton Bowen, Eli Bowen, Michael Boganowski and Courtland Guillory, whom described as "invested."

Aside from Guillory, that entire group played on OU's 2024 team that went 6-7 and lost to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl.

After a tumultuous campaign, the easy route would have been to transfer out. But none of them did that - and they were awarded with a playoff berth in 2025.

"None of those guys are portal guys, those are all home-grown, recruited out of high school and guys that have helped us become an elite unit," Venables said.

All 11 of the players that Venables named are proven producers. Not all of them will be Week 1 starters, but each of them are more than capable of taking on a starting role at some point during the season if called upon.

What's more? There are several others who Venables didn't name in the interview who have proven to be impactful.

Defensive back Reggie Powers III - who primarily plays at the cheetah (hybrid between linebacker and defensive back) spot - is entering his third season at OU after logging 31 tackles in 2025. Cornerback Jacobe Johnson logged two interceptions last year and has appeared in 37 games in three seasons. And redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Nigel Smith II is widely expected to be a key backup on the defensive line in 2026.

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The majority of OU's defensive players have experienced low lows. And last year, they got to experience high highs in wins over Tennessee, Alabama and others.

Oklahoma's defense has been through it all, and Venables expects that to benefit his unit as it heads into the fall.

"Doing the incredibly hard, difficult things in this conference, our guys have done that," Venables said. "They're battle tested."

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Says 'Home-Grown' Players Have Made Defense Elite.