College Football

USC wide receiver Mario Williams celebrates after making a touchdown catch against Washington at the Coliseum on Nov. 4. Williams announced Friday he was entering the NCAA transfer portal. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Dennis Simmons had spent the better part of the last two decades coaching college receivers, so it was no small thing last fall, when he …

GOP Sen. Rick Scott got an answer. And he doesn’t like it. Scott has been one of the many outspoken Florida politicians demanding transparency about the College Football Playoff Committee’s decision to snub Florida State from the four-team playoff field. The Seminoles went a perfect 13-0 and won the ACC Championship but were still left out for two one-loss teams in …

Recruiting is basically an around the clock thing for Division 1 programs now, especially those who have aspirations of building elite classes that can help them compete for a national championship. Penn State finds themselves in that situation currently. One of the ways that helps them get past the Ohio States and Michigans of the world is by having players …

When a freshman walks on the field his first day of football practice at Jones High each season, he gets a message loud and clear, and it’s a message that will resonate with each player throughout his entire four years in the program. At Jones, players are not only there to play football, but they are also there to learn, …

The NCAA will allow players to transfer a second time without sitting out a season through the end of the 2023-24 school year. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) (Isaiah Vazquez via Getty Images) The NCAA will allow all athletes to freely transfer a second time through the end of the 2023-24 school year. The governing body’s decision …

UCF received a verbal commitment for its 2024 recruiting class from Marcus Downs, a three-star recruit from Riverside (Greer, S.C.) High School on Friday. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Downs was the No. 66 defensive lineman in the country according to 247Sports’ composite rankings and the No. 8 overall player out of South Carolina. He received offers from Tennessee, Florida, LSU, Auburn, …

Penn State has built a reputation of having elite linebackers in college to the point of getting their infamous nickname “Linebacker U.” The job description of that position has changed from primarily being a run stopping role to doing that as well as being involved in stopping the passing game. With more explosive offenses joining the Big Ten going forward …

The Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl will be staged at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. December means the end of the college football season for teams across the country. Rivalry week ushers in the start of the month with conference championship games welcoming fans after the Thanksgiving holiday. Once the dust settles from the conference title deciders, there’s at least one …

It’s been a while since the Florida Gators have brought in a blue-chip quarterback, but that drought should end in five days when the early signing period opens up. Willis High (Texas) quarterback DJ Lagway headlines UF’s 2024 recruiting class and there’s little doubt that he’s one of the best in the land. Five-star rating aside, Lagway backed up his …

Cornerback Jarrian Jones has declared for the NFL Draft. But he will still play one more game with Florida State football. The redshirt senior announced his decision to enter the draft, scheduled for the end of April. He also announced his intentions to play in the Orange Bowl for No. 5 FSU (13-0) against No. 6 Georgia (12-1) at 4 …

With the arrival of bowl season comes an increased spotlight on the four teams — Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama — set to compete in the College Football Playoff. Still, the playoff participants account for merely a fraction of the bowl season field. Seventy-eight other schools will participate in non-CFP bowls over the next few weeks, and even if a …

The historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena will serve as a College Football Playoff semifinal between top-ranked Michigan and No. 4 Alabama. The Big Ten conference champion and the SEC champion clash, with the winner moving on to the national championship. ESPN’s Bill Connelly listed a top question or storyline for every bowl game (subscription required), including the playoffs. For the …

Star players continue opting out of college football bowl games due to the changing landscape of the sport, creating tricky decisions for people in 2023-24 bowl confidence pools. USC quarterback Caleb Williams is perhaps the most notable opt out, as he will be sitting out of the Holiday Bowl against No. 15 Louisville on Dec. 27. The Cardinals are subsequently …

Dec. 15—NEW ORLEANS — Former Scotland High and current North Carolina Central defensive back Manny Smith was picked to be in the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, to be played on Feb. 24, 2024, at 4 p.m. EST at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium. Smith, who graduated from Scotland in 2018, has played five seasons for NC Central, redshirting in his first season …

With all of the transfer portal and NFL declaration news, some good, some bad, the Oregon Ducks football team got some good news on this front Friday afternoon. In his first press conference during bowl prep, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning announced running back Bucky Irving was practicing and will play in the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty on New Year’s …