The Michigan football defense we saw early in the season in 2024 was much different than the one that surfaced by the end. After letting Texas move up and down the field, as well as some other teams, the Wolverines didn’t appear to have that top-notch defense as it had the previous year under then-defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. But by …

NORMAN — New OU quarterback John Mateer participated in his first press conference Wednesday, the day before the Sooners open spring football practice Thursday. Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions last season and ran for 826 yards and 15 scores for Washington State. After the season, he transferred to OU where he reunites with his Cougars’ …

Four-star, 6 foot-6 receiver Calvin Russell is keeping his recruiting options wide open. After revealing his top 12 schools, he indicated he plans to visit each one this spring, offering little insight into which programs are leading the pack. Russell is ranked the No. 18 prospect in the country top-10 receiver had, but he had yet to schedule any unofficial …

Michigan State’s last game at Ford Field didn’t go well on the field. But the fan experience is part of the reason the Spartans are heading back this season. What’s best for Michigan State — and for most of northern-state college football — is to not host a game on Thanksgiving weekend, especially if it’s going to be a game against on …

Welcome to Marcello’s Mailbag, where college football is always at the top of the pile. This is a safe space to share opinions and ask questions without fear or ridicule. No question is dumb, though you may believe there are dumb answers. Luckily, I’m willing to look like a jester, but more often than not, I’ll fill your mind with …

Winter is nearly in the rearview mirror while the spring season lurks just around the corner. Just a couple months after the final snap of the previous college football season, the sport is ready to restart in March. The spring practice season is a time when hope springs eternal for every program, including the Florida Gators who are coming off …

CBS Sports Graphic This is March, and March means one thing in the world of college sports and one thing only: It’s time to rank college football quarterbacks! Spring practices, which still exist at the moment, are beginning across the country. Some are already underway. With spring practice comes position battles, and while they’re all important, none receive nearly as …

Bret Bielema and the Illinois football have added another in-state recruit, this one on the offensive line. Olney East Richland offensive lineman Casey Thomann announced his commitment to the Fighting Illini on Tuesday. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle is a three-star recruit in the Class of 2026. He chose Illinois over Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska and Northwestern, among others. Thomann announced …

Spring practice is beginning to get underway across the country, which means it’s the first opportunity for coaches to see their new transfer additions on the field. For some programs that’s a high-priced quarterback, while for others, it’s a new addition who will help rework the offensive line or the secondary. As spring practice gets going in earnest, these are …

Texas’ first season in the SEC was filled with more ups and downs than a roller coaster at Six Flags. The Longhorns made it to the SEC championship game, quite a feat in their first year in the league. But Texas lost in Atlanta to the Georgia Bulldogs, UT’s second defeat of the season to UGA. So where do the …

LSU baseball rose to the top of a major college baseball poll this week. D1Baseball ranked the Tigers No. 1 after a poor week from Texas A&M. However, other polls opted to rank Tennessee in the top spot. The Tigers are now 11-1 this season and coming off of an incredible weekend in Texas where LSU went 4-0 with wins …

The Oklahoma Sooners have a lot to prove, entering year two in the SEC. Though they earned a road win over Auburn and upset Alabama 24-3 at home, the Sooners went just 2-6 in SEC play. Much of that was because of an offense that only averaged 13 points per game during their conference schedule if you take away defensive …

Wisconsin wide receiver Grady O’Neill announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday. The redshirt junior joined the Badgers as a preferred walk-on during the 2022 season. He played sparingly during his three years with the program, seeing action in just three games — all on special teams. Those appearances came against Rutgers, Nebraska and Minnesota during the …

SOUTH BEND — Even in the post-Deland McCullough era, the running backs of Notre Dame football still need third-down certification to earn their way onto the field for those money downs. Ja’Juan Seider, who spent the past seven years coaching Penn State’s running backs, made that clear in his introductory news conference at Notre Dame last week. Flawless blitz pickup …

The final strands of confetti still are floating in downtown Atlanta, site of the Jan. 20 College Football Playoff national title game, yet another season already has commenced. Time waits for no one. Evidently, neither do installs nor pass-skel drills. Spring practice for Miami kicked off Monday, and the Gators begin Thursday. Other state schools are expected to start up …