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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals Five-Star: Five SEC programs in the spotlight
The Rivals Five-Star, the marquee football event of the offseason, is less than a week away. We continue a conference-by-conference look at which programs should be paying the closest attention to the results from Indianapolis next week. Next up is the SEC. Advertisement RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy BEST OF RIVALS CAMP SERIES: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL | Five best LBs | Five best DBs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TEXAS A&M FLEXING ITS MUSCLE Texas A&M leads all SEC programs with five verbal commitments competing in the Rivals Five-Star. Clemson is tied with the Aggies for most involved in the event. Advertisement Future Texas A&M QB Helaman Casuga, WR Aaron Gregory, CB Victor Singleton and DL Jordan Carter and Samu Moala will all be in Indianapolis. The Aggies hold a top-10 class in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings for 2026 and have several more targets competing in the event such as four-star safety Tamarion Watkins, four-star EDGE KJ Ford and both WR Tristen Keys and Jase Mathews. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT TIGERS FLAUNTING FUTURE BIG THREE LSU is notorious for producing elite receiver talent and all three of the Tigers' blue-chip wideout commitments are set to compete in the Rivals Five-Star. Advertisement Five-star Tristen Keys, the No. 1 receiver in the Rivals250 out of Hattiesburg (Miss.), is one of the overall headlining talents competing in Indy. He will be joined by top-100 receiver Jabari Mack and Rivals250 receiver Kenny Darby, both out of The Boot. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT NEWEST GATORS ON DISPLAY Nick Lucero/ Billy Napier and the Gators are catching steam on the recruiting trail as the summer heats up and several of Florida's newest verbal commits will be on hand competing in Indianapolis. Rivals250 prospects JaReylan McCoy, Kaiden Hall and Carsyn Baker will all be working out at the Rivals Five-Star. Advertisement Hall pledged in-state to the Gators after his official visit at the start of June. McCoy, who was also a visitor that same weekend, followed suit after a second visit to The Swamp in a three-week stretch. Baker committed last week after logging another visit to Gainesville. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA SEVERAL DAWGS TO WATCH ON OFFENSE Georgia produced 13 NFL Draft picks this spring and some of the next wave of elite Dawgs will be on hand in Indy for the Rivals Five-Star. Georgia will be well-represented on offense in particular with electric receiver commitment Vance Spafford and blue-chip tight end Lincoln Keyes set to compete. Advertisement Four-star athlete Ryan Mosley is also set to work out in Indianapolis, primarily as a wide receiver though the Dawgs love his skill-set at safety as well. Jordan Smith, one of the nation's best safeties who committed to Georgia at the top of the month, will also be represented in the annual event. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Predictions: The U, Duyon Forkpa, Brian Harris
© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. has predictions on Miami signing a top-five class, an IMG Academy standout staying in Florida for college and a former Maryland commit ending up in the SEC. Advertisement CANTWELL COMMITMENT: Five pivotal moments that led Cantwell to Miami | Miami pulls off a stunner | Gorney: Kirby, UGA did everything right but it wasn't enough | Cantwell's decision stings Georgia the most | How often do No. 1 prospects flip from their original commitment? | Cantwell will be catalyst for Miami's next top class | coverage CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker MIAMI WILL FINISH WITH A TOP-FIVE CLASS Nick Lucero/ Advertisement Of course No. 1 recruit Jackson Cantwell is a major win for Mario Cristobal as his program works toward perhaps securing the top offensive line haul in the country, but the Cantwell addition will also help to push other recruits toward Miami. The Hurricanes are currently No. 8 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings, but I predict their climb to continue into the the top five. The U never lacks on the trail, but the late-breaking win over Georgia and Oregon sent shockwaves through the industry and should allow for even more momentum to muster with additional elite targets. Priority No. 1 going forward, and perhaps prior, is the top prospect in South Florida: Derrek Cooper. The five-star running back has a national offer list and just hosted Ohio State and Texas coaches for visits, but Miami and Georgia have been the front-runners in this race for quite some time. Advertisement Sound familiar? Miami is recruiting against the very best close to home and beyond, and Cristobal is coming up on the winning side more and more as time rolls on. Landing Cooper would represent the second-straight cycle in which the area's top recruit stays home at The U after the Hurricanes secured Bryce Fitzgerald in 2025. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT DUYON FORKPA WILL PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN FLORIDA DQ Forkpa Georgia native Duyon Forkpa made the move to IMG Academy after his junior football season and he has fit right in thus far. The rocked-up linebacker, who clocked a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash this offseason, has seen his offer list explode. Forkpa has also hit the visit trail hard since the move to the Sunshine State. Advertisement Florida State hosted Forkpa earlier in the spring and the Seminoles built some buzz. It may have shifted to a rival, however, following a visit to Gainesville to check out the Florida Gators thereafter. Michigan, Colorado and several other programs are working to get the blue-chipper out of the state, but the momentum is with Billy Napier's staff at the moment. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FSU FANS AT BRIAN HARRIS WILL SIGN WITH AN SEC PROGRAM Jeff McCulloch/ An early Big Ten commitment to Maryland before seeing dozens of new scholarship offers come in, Brian Harris has a final five of Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State and South Carolina going into a May 23 decision. The Big Ten still plays a strong role in this one, and Penn State looked to be in the best shape earlier this spring, but we now see this recruitment staying closer to home for the Floridian – at least by conference standards. Advertisement Harris should be considered an SEC lean, not only by the conference sporting the majority of the finalists, but also by the visits and offer trends late in this recruitment. 'Bama is the most recent offer, shortly after a trip to Tuscaloosa. Oklahoma was a game-changer that also resulted in an immediate trip to Norman. South Carolina was the first SEC program to jump in and that vote of confidence has played a larger role as the recruitment has rolled on through spring football. Sources close to the Jacksonville native point to the Sooners and Gamecocks as two of the major players jockeying for position down the stretch, for what it's worth.
NBC Sports
19-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Big Ten Spotlight: Three programs on a roll in recruiting
The calendar has turned to spring and there are several programs across the country that are riding a wave of momentum in recruiting. Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith looks at three such programs in the Big Ten. RELATED: Big Ten team rankings for 2026 class RUMOR MILL: Big changes after key visits CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker Coach Bret Bielema and his program have had a strong offseason recruiting in the 2026 class. The program is coming off a double-digit win season and bowl game win over an SEC foe. So the question was if Illinois would be able to keep it rolling and see the benefits in recruiting. So far, so good. The program is sitting at No. 9 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings at the moment due to a surge of verbal commits. The formula seems to be clear. Load up on good regional talent and then pluck some standouts from Florida. The Illini have a pledge from versatile Ohio four-stars Cam Thomas and Victor Singleton. They've gone down to Florida to land four-star quarterback Michael Clayton and three-star wide receiver Kenyon Alston. ILLINOIS' 2026 COMMITMENT LIST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ILLINOIS FANS AT It's not hyperbole to say there might not be a program in the country that fits the 'on fire' category more than USC. The Trojans totally revamped their recruiting department and it's given the team a lot of juice on the recruiting trail. They picked up five commitments for 2026 during the winter months, most notably from still-rising four-star quarterback Jonas Williams. Getting the face of the recruiting class to flip from rival Oregon was a huge deal. That momentum hasn't slowed down as spring approaches. USC has picked up four commitments in March as spring football gets underway. The team has several blue-chip prospects slated to visit campus between now and June. With the way things are going the Trojans will push for a top-five recruiting class this cycle. USC feels 'back.' At least on the recruiting trail. USC'S 2026 COMMITMENT LIST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT The Huskies have been a sneaky surprise the last couple months. They pulled off a major recruiting win, landing four-star Ksani Jiles, a one-time Miami commit who had options all around the country. Keeping three-star defensive back Elijah Burr home was also a nice win for the program. But another big thing the Huskies have going right now is momentum behind the scenes. Recruits have been buzzing about their visits to check out the program under coach Jedd Fisch. The team is in the thick of several high-profile recruitments including five-star quarterback Brady Smigiel, four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux and four-star defensive end Anthony Jones. The Huskies have a path to being one of the biggest surprises of the cycle in the conference. WASHINGTON'S 2026 COMMITMENT LIST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WASHINGTON FANS AT Editor's Note: This article first appeared on the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Ten Spotlight: Three programs on a roll in recruiting
The calendar has turned to spring and there are several programs across the country that are riding a wave of momentum in recruiting. Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith looks at three such programs in the Big Ten. RELATED: Big Ten team rankings for 2026 class RUMOR MILL: Big changes after key visits CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker Coach Bret Bielema and his program have had a strong offseason recruiting in the 2026 class. The program is coming off a double-digit win season and bowl game win over an SEC foe. So the question was if Illinois would be able to keep it rolling and see the benefits in recruiting. So far, so good. The program is sitting at No. 9 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings at the moment due to a surge of verbal commits. The formula seems to be clear. Load up on good regional talent and then pluck some standouts from Florida. The Illini have a pledge from versatile Ohio four-stars Cam Thomas and Victor Singleton. They've gone down to Florida to land four-star quarterback Michael Clayton and three-star wide receiver Kenyon Alston. ILLINOIS' 2026 COMMITMENT LIST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ILLINOIS FANS AT It's not hyperbole to say there might not be a program in the country that fits the 'on fire' category more than USC. The Trojans totally revamped their recruiting department and it's given the team a lot of juice on the recruiting trail. They picked up five commitments for 2026 during the winter months, most notably from still-rising four-star quarterback Jonas Williams. Getting the face of the recruiting class to flip from rival Oregon was a huge deal. That momentum hasn't slowed down as spring approaches. USC has picked up four commitments in March as spring football gets underway. The team has several blue-chip prospects slated to visit campus between now and June. With the way things are going the Trojans will push for a top-five recruiting class this cycle. USC feels 'back.' At least on the recruiting trail. USC'S 2026 COMMITMENT LIST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT Nick Lucero/ The Huskies have been a sneaky surprise the last couple months. They pulled off a major recruiting win, landing four-star Ksani Jiles, a one-time Miami commit who had options all around the country. Keeping three-star defensive back Elijah Burr home was also a nice win for the program. But another big thing the Huskies have going right now is momentum behind the scenes. Recruits have been buzzing about their visits to check out the program under coach Jedd Fisch. The team is in the thick of several high-profile recruitments including five-star quarterback Brady Smigiel, four-star running back Deshonne Redeaux and four-star defensive end Anthony Jones. The Huskies have a path to being one of the biggest surprises of the cycle in the conference. WASHINGTON'S 2026 COMMITMENT LIST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WASHINGTON FANS AT
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Change is in the air as Ohio State opens spring practice
© Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images What a season it was for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After a crushing loss to rival Michigan, Ohio State tore through the newly expanded College Football Playoff, dismantling Tennessee, avenging its loss to Oregon, defeating Texas and ultimately handling Notre Dame to win the national championship. The celebration in Columbus was in full swing on the night of the title victory. But in college football, things change quickly. CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker © Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Almost immediately, the Buckeyes faced major staff departures. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles announced he was leaving for Penn State, setting up an intriguing Nov. 1 matchup this coming season. Days later, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly accepted the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders after just one season in Columbus. Meanwhile, offensive line coach Justin Frye, often criticized by fans, took the same position with the Arizona Cardinals. On offense, head coach Ryan Day opted for in-house promotions. Superstar recruiter and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was elevated to offensive coordinator, while tight ends coach Keenan Bailey was promoted to co-offensive coordinator. Both will continue coaching their respective position groups. Defensively, Day made a bold move, hiring veteran NFL coach Matt Patricia to lead the unit. The decision has been met with mixed reactions. Patricia, who spent last season out of coaching, has not worked in college football since 2003. While his football acumen is widely respected, adapting to the modern college game will be his biggest challenge. The Buckeyes continue to recruit at an elite level, regularly finishing in the top five of the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings. That trend is expected to continue, but a familiar debate lingers: How much does Ohio State prioritize in-state talent versus national prospects? For the 2026 recruiting class, the Buckeyes currently have five commitments, three of whom are from Ohio. However, the focus has been on top in-state prospects choosing to leave. Four-star prospects Kaden Gebhardt, Adam Guthrie, Victor Singleton and Cam Thomas have all committed elsewhere. Three-star offensive linemen Ben Congdon and Will Conroy are also headed to other programs. Perhaps most concerning, five-star cornerback Elbert Hill did not include Ohio State in his initial list of official visits. The new staff members will have their recruiting chops tested immediately. The Buckeyes will undoubtedly secure their share of blue-chip talent, but the trend of in-state stars leaving remains a sore spot for the fan base. © Barbara Perenic/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images As spring football begins in Columbus, a new wave of talent is set to emerge. Quarterback Julian Sayin enters as the expected starter, surrounded by a deep group of playmakers, including star receiver Jeremiah Smith. In the backfield, James Peoples and transfer CJ Donaldson are poised to form a formidable one-two punch. Defensively, several former blue-chip recruits will step into bigger roles, but the biggest name returning is safety Caleb Downs, who could be the best defender in the country. With plenty of new faces and moving parts, Ohio State's title defense will be tested early. The Buckeyes will get an immediate challenge when Texas comes to Columbus on Aug. 30. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT
