The Big 12, as you once knew it, is long gone. Half of the membership from the original dozen teams vamoosed. The conference’s name itself might be the next to go. What’s in a name? Money, in this case. The Big 12 preserved its name even while it operated with 10 and later 14 teams. Now, that it’s back to …
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Rivals Five-Star: West prospects that can boost ranking at event
Adam Friedman/Rivals.com The Rivals Five-Star is June 25-26 in Jacksonville, and the top high school football prospects from across the country will compete against each other in the summer’s marquee event. Many of these competitors are known quantities after competing at other events, but others have had fewer opportunities against elite competition and will have a chance to boost their …
Read More »The six college football QBs replacing 2024 first-round draft picks, ranked by best chance of success
A few weeks ago, I locked myself in my film cave and meticulously analyzed every snap of coaches’ film to evaluate the six quarterbacks stepping in to replace the outgoing 2024 first-round picks from the 2024 NFL Draft. Some took a long time (new Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel), while others, thanks to a smaller sample size, were much shorter, though …
Read More »Colorado the only Big 12 team in PFF’s top 10 college football receiving corps
The Colorado Buffaloes have a talented group of receivers in Boulder, arguably the best in the 16-team Big 12 Conference. Pro Football Focus college analyst Max Chadwick thinks so, ranking Travis Hunter and Co. on his list of college football’s top 10 best receiving corps. The black and gold were the only team in the Big 12 to make the …
Read More »SEC Football Power Index rankings for 2024: Which teams are underrated, overrated?
The SEC just got more dangerous. Football powerhouses such as Georgia and Alabama already call the conference home. But now OU and Texas, two heavyweights from the Big 12, are also in the mix. The SEC boasts numerous teams capable of reaching the College Football Playoff. And with the 2024 season set to begin in late August, the conference hierarchy …
Read More »Film Study – Michael Thomas III gives Rutgers football an electric player
The Tuesday commitment of Michael Thomas III gives Rutgers football a high-level athlete with elite attributes. Thomas from Donovan Catholic (Toms River, New Jersey) has elite speed, great footwork, strong hands, a solid frame, and excellent hands. He is the kind of player who could be special for Rutgers. He is a multi-sport athlete, recording a 10.76-second 100-yard dash in …
Read More »Imagining SEC name change possibilities from Waffle House to Tito’s to Nick Saban | Toppmeyer
The Big 12, as you once knew it, is long gone. Half of the membership from the original dozen teams vamoosed. The conference’s name itself might be the next to go. What’s in a name? Money, in this case. The Big 12 preserved its name even while it operated with 10 and later 14 teams. Now, that it’s back to …
Read More »When P. T. Barnum (excuse me, Brett Yormark) comes to college sports
Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the USA TODAY NETWORK’s newsletter on SEC sports. Look for this newsletter in your inbox Monday through Friday. Today, SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer takes over: P.T. Barnum got a new idea. This one pertains to college sports. How fitting, considering college athletics is a bit of a circus. Excuse me, it’s not Barnum who thought up this bright …
Read More »Got any advice for Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel? My literary contributors do | Adams
Fans and media are notorious second-guessers when it comes to college football. But I gave my literary contributors an opportunity to offer opinions beforehand. I asked them what advice they would have for Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel as he enters his fourth season with the Vols. Their responses reminded me just how far UT has advanced in three years …
Read More »UFL Championship preview: 5 things to know before Birmingham Stallions vs. San Antonio Brahmas
The Birmingham Stallions will play for their third consecutive spring football championship when they take on the San Antonio Brahmas in the United Football League Championship on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT in St. Louis. After winning back-to-back USFL titles in 2022 and 2023, the Stallions (10-1) won the USFL conference in the first season of the UFL. With a …
Read More »The Kaj Sanders effect is being felt in the Rutgers football ’25 recruiting class
Kaj Sanders took a leap of faith when he committed to Rutgers football last July. Now the former blue-chip recruit is very much the face of what could well be a resurgence for Rutgers. In short, the impact of Rutgers landing Sanders in the last recruiting cycle is something that is still resonating within the state. Sanders was not only …
Read More »Notre Dame Quarterback Commitment Deuce Knight Putting in Recruiting Work Himself
The quarterback of Notre Dame‘s 2025 recruiting class, Deuce Knight of Mississippi, has been rumored to be interested in ditching the Fighting Irish to Ole Miss. How much of that is Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss refusing to take no as an answer, and just how interested Knight is, isn’t exactly known. As the rumors continue to swirl though, Knight …
Read More »ESPN SEC/ACC Challenge: A&M men to host Wake Forest; Texas to visit N.C. State
This year’s ESPN Southeastern Conference/Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Challenge will include the Texas A&M Aggie hoopsters hosting Wake Forest’s Demon Deacons on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The following day the Longhorns of Texas are scheduled to travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to test North Carolina State University. In the SEC/ACC Women’s Challenge, Texas A&M will entertain Syracuse University on Wednesday, Dec. …
Read More »‘How do we make that better?’: UNM’s offensive, defensive coordinators detail ‘productive’ spring
Jun. 15—It was, at the very least, a start. In 2007, BYU football hired Jason Beck and Nick Howell as offensive and defensive interns, respectively. Beck had just finished his final season as a backup quarterback with the Cougars and abandoned plans of being a lawyer to give coaching a go; Howell had left his post as the head coach …
Read More »Connor Howes is Arkansas’ second OL commit in as many days
One day after Arkansas flipped a commit from Baylor to the Razorbacks, Sam Pittman and Co. grabbed another offensive line commitment in the Class of 2025. Connor Howes, a four-star recruit from St. Cloud, Florida, became the 10th member of Arkansas’ class when he announced his commitment on Friday. Of the 10, three are offensive linemen, including Blake Cherry from …
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