My phone rang Monday with a call from a steadfast supporter of my work, but this time, he had a bone to pick: How could Josh Heupel be ranked 17th nationally in USA TODAY’s ranking of top-25 coaches? Why wasn’t Heupel ranked higher? Well, I responded, I voted Heupel higher on my ballot. Other voters must have seen it differently. …

The month of May is a quiet time on the college football calendar. Spring practices and the spring transfer window have recently concluded. The sport now sits still as programs prepare for the upcoming summer recruiting blitz. May brings little when it comes to news, other than final transfer decisions from the uncommitted players. The month is mostly utilized as …

Going into the 2025 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player’s background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season. Dominic DeLuca is back in Happy Valley for one final season of …

UCF Knights football recruiting: Analyzing Scott Frost’s 2026 class The UCF Knights have received eight verbal commitments, including from six players from Florida high schools, for their 2026 recruiting class. Jackson, primarily an offensive player, transitioned to defensive back in 2024 and excelled, earning him the scholarship offer.Jackson is a three-star prospect and ranked the No. 144 overall player in …

As college football coaches come to Greater Akron next week to check on potential recruits, the Beacon Journal thought it would be a good idea to see what’s going on as well. Six area teams made the regional semifinals (round of 16) or better last season and we wondered exactly where those teams sit heading into 2025. Although no one …

Field Level Media Austin Peay confirmed the death of senior defensive back William Hardrick. He was 22. Hardrick passed away Tuesday, but no cause of death or other details were immediately available. “William Hardrick was an exceptional young man, and our team is heartbroken by his loss,” head coach Jeff Faris said in a news release. “He made everyone around …

The 2025 Egg Bowl between Mississippi State football and Ole Miss will be played on Black Friday again, according to announcements by both programs. Kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Nov. 28. The TV channel has not yet been announced. It will be the second season in a row that the Rebels and …

Yankees prospect Spencer Jones talks torpedo bats, plate consistency Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect according to Baseball America, will be the big name to watch in Somerset to begin the 2025 season. Courtesy of Somerset Patriots Once again, St. Thomas Aquinas has a new football coach. The school announced Thursday afternoon that it hired Shamir Bearfield to lead …

Texas A&M’s 2025 football will start and end with starting quarterback Marcel Reed’s performance, as he enters the 2025 season as the full-time starter after rotating with Conner Weigman during the 2024 season. Despite Reed’s four-star recruiting prowess and dual-threat running ability, Aggie fans are split on his ability to lead the offense due to his lack of consistency in …

With spring football practice and the NCAA spring transfer portal window in the rearview mirror, we’ve reached a (mostly) quiet part of the college football offseason. Teams will return after their post-spring ball break for summer workouts, and then fall camp and media days will be here before we know it. The spring was a very busy time for the …

May 8—In most official visits, a recruit and a coach will sit down and watch film. Some sessions are more thorough, making said time the focal point of the visit. Others aren't. It all depends on the coach, program and player. In UConn transfer quarterback Cole Welliver's case, he spent about 10 minutes of his official visit to New Mexico …

Eastern Greene is banking on Shawn Nikirk. The T-Birds have tapped the former Bedford North Lawrence All-State receiver and former Stars assistant coach for 10 years to take over its football program. It will be the first head coaching job for the 49-year-old father of three who handles mortgages for Fifth Third Bank in Bloomington. Nikirk is back on the …

LAKELAND — When fans last saw Lakeland on the football field, its offense was sputtering its way to the state championship game where it came up empty in a 34-0 loss to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. As the Dreadnaught work their way through spring practice, one of the goals is to retool the offense and meld the newcomers on …

PULLMAN – Washington State isn’t done building depth at the most important position on the field. The Cougars signed Pittsburgh transfer quarterback Julian Dugger on Thursday, the program announced, for their second quarterback transfer in two days. Dugger redshirted his true freshman year last fall, playing in one game, giving him four years of eligibility with WSU. Listed at 6-foot-3 …

MURFREESBORO − Will Hester launched Ravenwood’s girls flag football program four years ago, leading the Raptors to back-to-back Williamson County championships before passing the reigns, and high expectations, to Ricky Rodriguez, then an assistant with Ravenwood football. Now in his second year at the helm of the flag football program, Rodriguez took that success Hester started, and took it to …