| CollegeHighway.com Login |
| Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name. |
| Trippin? |
 |
| Check Yourself |
 |
| Ephemerids |
One Day like Today...
|
| Welcome |
| You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here. |
 |
|
| Introduction | | Introduction You just clicked into the coolest place to get all your college news and information about college life. Looking to join the CollegeHighway crew? Click here. | |
| |
| Cal Women Land Early Chase Center Spotlight On 2025 Schedule |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
Cal women’s basketball is headed to chase center for a december showcase that puts the bears on the floor in one of the bay area’s biggest hoops settings.
the bears will take on nebraska on sunday, december 20, as part of a four-team doubleheader in san francisco. The event is being billed as the 2026 invisalign bay area women’s classic, and stanford will meet ohio state in the other matchup. Cal announced the pairings thursday, though game times have not been set.
the nebraska game is one of only two contests currently listed on cal’s 2025-26 schedule. The other is a december 3 meeting with texas a&m in berkeley in the sec/acc challenge.
cal brings back a strong core from last season, including four starters and leading scorer lulu twidale. The bears finished 21-15 a year ago and made it to the quarterfinals of the women’s basketball invitation tournament. They also added transfer help that could matter right away, with missouri’s shannon dowell and rhode island’s albina syla among the newcomers.
nebraska arrives with plenty of momentum of its own after going 19-13 last season and advancing to the second round of the ncaa tournament. The huskers return three of their top four scorers and also bring in freshman ashlyn koupal, a mcdonald’s all-american.
texas a&m, cal’s other scheduled opponent, went 14-13 last season and lost in the first round of the women’s basketball invitation tournament. The aggies return four starters and have added several transfers.
in other news...
cals acc path just got more complicated after new rule shift
the accs championship race just got a little less forgiving, and that matters for cal as it tries to navigate its new conference reality. Commissioner jim phillips outlined a revised tiebreaking system for the acc title game that puts head-to-head results first and then leans on an analytics-based overall body of work if teams are still tied, a setup that could make the path to charlotte feel even tighter when the standings bunch up.
phillips also used the platform to push a bigger-picture agenda, saying he supports expanding the college football playoff to 24 teams and noting that acc coaches and athletic directors were unanimous in that view. He also touched on tampering concerns and the need for accountability, while backing the save college sports act for its goals around athlete protections and transparency, a reminder that the league is trying to manage both the postseason picture and the broader chaos around the sport at the same time. [Read more ????]
two former cal guards just hit a crucial nba crossroads
chris bell and john camden closed out their nba summer league runs with the kind of final audition that at least keeps the door cracked. Both former cal guards scored 12 points in their last games, and both did it in expanded minutes with top players sitting out, giving each one more runway to show he could belong on an nba floor. Bell got 17 minutes for new orleans, while camden logged 19 for washington, and for a pair of ex-bears still trying to turn summer opportunities into something more permanent, every possession carried a little extra weight.
bells path looks a bit clearer heading into the next stage, as his exhibit 10 deal with the pelicans will send him to preseason camp and give him another chance to stay in the mix. Camdens situation is murkier after his stint with the wizards, where he is unlikely to be brought into camp, leaving him to wait and see whether this latest run was enough to open another door. [Read more ????]
former cal star matt bradley is back in a bigger role
matt bradleys path back to berkeley keeps circling through the same program, and now it comes with a bigger assignment. California mens basketball has hired the former golden bear as director of player development for the 2026-27 season, a move announced by coach mark madsen that gives one of cals most familiar recent faces a more direct role in shaping the rosters growth.
bradley already spent time around the program as a graduate assistant after his playing career, and his route back has included work with k-12 youth and a stint overseas in germany. For cal, it is another sign of madsen leaning on people who know the place well, while bradley gets a chance to turn a varied basketball journey into a long-term coaching foothold. [Read more ????] |
( Read More... | 8736 bytes more | comments? |   ) |
| |
| Miami Defense Is Earning Elite Buzz Despite Major Questions |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
Miami’s defense is getting real buzz before the 2026 season, and the latest national ranking puts the hurricanes in a spot that says plenty about how far this unit has come.
j.D. Pickell of on3 slotted miami at no. 6 in his early look at college football’s best defenses. Oregon, oklahoma, notre dame, georgia and texas were the five teams ahead of the hurricanes, while texas tech, ohio state, iowa and indiana filled out the rest of the top 10.
that placement comes with good reason. Miami finished the 2025 season fifth in the country in scoring defense, giving up 14.8 points per game, and ranked no. 12 nationally in total defense at 294.1 yards allowed per game. Those numbers were better than several teams pickell projected ahead of the hurricanes, including oregon, notre dame, georgia and texas in scoring defense.
even after losing rueben bain jr., Keionte scott, akheem mesidor and others, miami still brings back enough firepower on defense to make another jump. The front has a new impact piece in damon wilson ii, who arrives from missouri after posting 23 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2025.
ahmad moten is back after earning second-team all-acc honors and starting all 14 games he played last season. In the back end, bryce fitzgerald headlines the secondary after tying for the acc lead with six interceptions in 2025.
pickell’s top 10 also came with a few notable storylines elsewhere. Oregon, which finished seventh nationally in total defense at 273.7 yards per game and 12th in scoring defense at 17.9 points per game, has the kind of recruiting base under dan lanning that makes a no. 1 projection feel realistic. Oklahoma was even stingier in points allowed, giving up 15.5 per game to rank seventh nationally, while also finishing sixth in total defense at 272.5 yards per game.
notre dame enters 2026 with a defense that “checks the box at every level,” after allowing 17.6 points per game last season. Georgia, as usual, is right in the mix after allowing 17.6 points per game and ranking 14th nationally in total defense at 298 yards per game.
texas sits one spot ahead of miami despite giving up more points and yards last season, allowing 20.3 points per game and 338.8 yards per game in 2025. The longhorns are getting that treatment because of the talent coming back, especially colin simmons, who leads the nation in career sacks among returning players.
the rest of the top 10 is loaded with units that were already elite a year ago. Texas tech allowed just 11.8 points per game, third-best in the country, and ranked third in total defense at 258.3 yards per game.
ohio state owned the nation’s top scoring defense at 9.3 points per game and the best total defense at 219.1 yards per game. Iowa was eighth in scoring defense at 16.1 points per game and ninth in total defense at 280.4 yards per game.
indiana rounded things out after finishing second nationally in scoring defense at 11.7 points per game and fourth in total defense at 266 yards per game.
in other news...
mario cristobal just signaled a major shift in miamis qb future
mario cristobals latest comments offered a clearer picture of where miami wants its quarterback room to go after turning to darian mensah out of the transfer portal. Mensah arrives with real momentum from duke, where he helped power a breakthrough season and showed the kind of production that made him an attractive answer for a program looking to stabilize the position quickly.
just as notable was cristobals tone about what comes next. Miami does not sound interested in living in the portal at quarterback forever, with the staff viewing its internal pipeline as a bigger part of the long-term plan. If that holds, the hurricanes could be looking at a future in which the depth chart is shaped less by outside fixes and more by the young passers already in the building. [Read more ????]
miami may use its final portal swing on a surprising gamble
miami still has one roster spot open, and the hurricanes appear willing to think a little differently about how to use it. L.J. Cason, a former michigan guard, has entered the transfer portal and is being considered by miami as jai lucas continues shaping a roster with championship-level ambitions. It is the kind of move that speaks less to immediate help and more to long-term roster construction, with the staff weighing whether to spend its final swing on a player who fits a future plan.
casons appeal comes with a catch, of course, and that is what makes the decision interesting. Lucas sees him as a potential asset down the line, even if the timeline is not simple, and miami has to decide whether holding that spot for a player in that situation is the best use of its remaining flexibility. For a program trying to build not just depth but staying power, the choice says as much about patience as it does about talent. [Read more ????]
mario cristobal and miami step into a huge acc spotlight
the hurricanes are headed to charlotte for acc media days, and the trip gives miami a chance to put its program front and center on a bigger stage. Mario cristobal will be joined by malachi toney, mark fletcher jr. And darian mensah, giving the league and the national media a look at both the coach and a few of the players expected to help shape the season ahead.
mensahs presence alone should make for a lively session, with questions likely to follow him after his move from duke. Cristobal also figures to be in the middle of the broader conversation, with the accs future and other college football issues hanging over the event, while fletcher and toney will have their own local angle as south florida products who chose to stay home and be part of miamis push. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 11490 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| Badgers Fans Are Already Debating What Shawn Eichorsts Presence Really Means |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
Shawn eichorst is only a couple of weeks into the job at wisconsin, but the early read is hard to miss: he’s everywhere.
that kind of visibility is turning heads around badgers athletics because it feels familiar. It’s the sort of steady, hands-on presence wisconsin associated with barry alvarez, and it’s been a while since that was the norm.
eichorst is showing up at practices, donor events, random campus moments, and around different teams - not just football. He’s meeting players, coaches, donors, and staff, and that alone is already making an impression.
greg gard described it plainly: hes been at donor events for us. Hes been here at practice. Hes met with a ton of people.
mark johnson has made similar comments, and players are noticing it too. The contrast with chris mcintosh is part of why this is standing out. Mcintosh was rarely seen, and while that absence may not have been a major talking point before, eichorst’s constant presence has made the difference obvious.
the attention isn’t limited to one program, either. Wisconsin has plenty going on across its athletic department - volleyball, hockey, soccer, golf, and more - but those programs haven’t always felt equally visible under recent leadership. Gard’s program, in particular, is already seeing a different level of engagement.
sophomore guard zach kinziger put it this way: his friendship with the team itself...I saw him around a couple other of times already. Ive talked to him personally, and i think thats huge for the players.
kinziger also said, to have that relationship with him… it’s a good start for sure.
for anyone hoping wisconsin’s non-football programs get more attention, support, and funding, that’s the kind of feedback that matters. It suggests eichorst is making an effort to connect with individual teams and not just operate from a distance.
that approach echoes the barry alvarez era, when players and coaches felt the athletic director was present, accessible, and invested in the day-to-day life of the department. Alvarez was known for talking with players at practice, building relationships, and creating the sense that every program mattered. That attitude faded in recent years, and wisconsin felt the loss.
it’s still early, and eichorst’s full tenure at wisconsin won’t be judged in a couple of weeks. There are also red flags from his time at nebraska. But for now, the message from inside the department is clear: he’s doing the things he said he would do, and he’s trying to rebuild a culture that people around wisconsin have clearly wanted back.
in other news...
two wisconsin sophomores are suddenly forcing their way into the conversation
an open practice offered a useful early look at two wisconsin sophomores who seem to have taken a meaningful step forward heading into year two. Will garlock and zach kinziger both flashed enough as freshmen to suggest there was more in the tank, even if the jump from high school to the college game exposed how much they still had to learn.
garlock looks more comfortable now with his footwork and physicality, while kinziger has taken on a bigger responsibility in the backcourt and shown better defensive instincts and playmaking. For a badgers team always looking for young players to become reliable pieces, the encouraging part is not just that both are still developing, but that their progress is starting to show in ways that matter. [Read more ????]
luke fickell just got a brutal national reality check
luke fickells latest national snapshot is a harsh one, and it lands at a time when wisconsin is already trying to steady itself after a rocky stretch. Cbs sports annual hot seat rankings for division 1 coaches put fickell in the most precarious tier, a sign that the outside view of the badgers direction has shifted from concern to urgency.
the pressure is easy to understand after a decline that has included a losing record and shrinking win totals under fickell, along with the broader challenge of keeping pace with college footballs changing landscape. With a new athletic director now in place, wisconsin enters the upcoming season with little margin for error and plenty of attention on whether fickell can quickly reverse the trend. [Read more ????]
greg gard may have found the badgers big fans wanted
victory onuetus arrival from hofstra gives greg gard a different kind of frontcourt option, one that fits the badgers need for size, activity and a little more juice around the rim. The appeal is obvious from the defensive side: he can cover ground, help on the weak side and handle pick-and-roll situations, which gives wisconsin a more versatile look than it has had in some recent lineups.
the question now is how quickly that translates into trust on the floor. Onuetu has enough of a defensive profile to compete for starter-level minutes, but the rest of his game still needs smoothing out, especially as a scorer and decision-maker. For a wisconsin team looking to tighten up its rotation, he is the kind of addition that could matter right away if the learning curve is manageable. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 10258 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| ACC Change Puts UNCs Long Road Back Into Focus |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
North carolina is still a long way from the acc title picture, but the conference just made sure the path to its championship game is a little clearer.
the tar heels finished last season 13th in the league after going 4-8, which put them nowhere near the conversation. That’s the reality first and foremost: before unc can think about tiebreakers, it has to climb out of the middle of the pack and then some.
the acc’s new policy came after the end of the 2025 regular season turned into a headache, with five teams tied for second place. That mess left duke in the acc championship game ahead of several programs, including miami, even though miami was ranked much higher than the blue devils. In response, the conference committee moved to adopt a deciphering tiebreaker, and acc commissioner jim phillips explained the ruling as a way to make sure the two best teams in the conference get into the title game when the regular season ends.
for north carolina, the bigger issue is still on the field. The tar heels are dealing with an unsettled quarterback battle in training camp, with billy edwards jr., Miles oneill, and travis burgess all competing for the job. And with bill belichick now leading the program at age 74, the tar heels haven’t exactly given fans much reason to feel certain about where things are headed in the short term.
still, the conference change does bring some order to the process. It gives everyone in the acc a clearer picture of how the top two spots will be decided, even if unc is not yet close to that tier. The tar heels want to be playing meaningful games late in the regular season and eventually push into the acc race, but first they have to show they can handle the middle of the conference before worrying about the elite.
in other news...
former unc player makes surprising push for another college season
a familiar name is back in the eligibility conversation, and it could end up mattering far beyond chapel hill. A group of college basketball players is suing the ncaa over the new 5-for-5 rule, arguing for an extra season of competition eligibility, and the case has drawn in former tar heel cade tyson after his time at north carolina and minnesota. Tyson entered the transfer portal after the 2025-2026 season, and the possibility of another year has already put him back on the radar for programs looking for proven scoring help.
the lawsuit is aimed at the ncaas decision not to grant an additional year to this years senior class under the new rule, which makes the outcome especially relevant for players whose college careers have already taken a few turns. Tysons situation is a reminder of how quickly roster plans can change in the modern game, and why a ruling here could ripple into the transfer market before the next season even gets moving. [Read more ????]
jim phillips just changed something that could hit unc later
jim phillips used his turn at the 2025 acc kickoff in charlotte to put several league priorities back in the spotlight, and one of them could matter to north carolina later in the week. The acc commissioner backed the protect college sports act, talked up a new tiebreaker for the conference, and again signaled that he wants the college football playoff to grow to 24 teams. He also said the league plans to improve the replay room experience, part of an ongoing push to make the conference feel more polished and more consistent in the eyes of coaches and fans.
for unc, the timing is notable because the tar heels are still set to speak later in the event. Phillips comments set the table for the kind of issues the program may be asked to address, from how the league should organize itself to where it fits in a broader playoff picture. Even without the full details of the tiebreaker, the message was clear enough: the acc is trying to tighten up its structure now, before those changes start affecting teams like north carolina on the field. [Read more ????]
steve belichick faces huge pressure in uncs defensive rebuild
north carolinas defensive rebuild has already started to take shape, and the linebacker room is one of the clearest places where the changes show up. New starters are expected there, with peyton seelmann and derek mcdonald stepping into bigger roles as the tar heels try to stabilize a unit that will look different from last season. For steve belichick, who serves as both linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, that makes this group especially important because so much of the defenses direction will flow through how quickly these pieces come together.
the challenge is not just finding the right starters, but making sure the position holds up once the games begin to pile up. Mcdonald is expected to be a central voice in the middle, while the rest of the depth chart remains less settled, which puts even more pressure on belichicks teaching and development. North carolina does not need a perfect defense to make progress, but it does need this rebuild to move beyond survival mode if the unit is going to become more than just functional in 2026. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 10188 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| Texas Has No Excuses Entering A Make Or Break 2026 Season |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
Texas enters 2026 looking like a program with no obvious holes, and j.D. Pickell isn’t shy about saying the longhorns should be judged accordingly.
“texas is spiderman.”
that was pickell’s line as he laid out what he expects from steve sarkisian’s team next season, and he doubled down with a superhero comparison that fit the tone of his argument. “With great power comes great responsibility,” pickell said. “Hey, sark, arch, with great roster talent comes great responsibility.”
the reason for that pressure is simple: sarkisian has spent the offseason loading up an already strong roster through recruiting and the transfer portal, and the result is a group that looks stacked from top to bottom.
among the additions are running backs hollywood smothers and raleek brown, wide receiver cam coleman, offensive linemen laurence seymore and melvin siani, linebacker rasheem biles, and cornerback bo mascoe. Texas also added help in the kicking game with punter mac chiumento, kicker gianni spetic, long snapper trey dubuc, and kick returner raleek brown.
at the same time, the longhorns are bringing back a long list of key names with more experience under their belts, including arch manning, colin simmons, hero kanu, ryan wingo, jelani mcdonald, trevor goosby, and more.
sarkisian also made a major staff move, firing defensive coordinator pete kwiatkowski and hiring will muschamp to take over the role.
pickell’s bottom line was blunt. “What excuse do you have this year, if youre texas, to not win the sec?
to not win a national championship,” he said. “What excuse is there for texas?
there isnt one... Thats how it should be at texas every year.”
that’s the standard he believes comes with texas’ brand power, resources, and the way sarkisian has pushed the program back into college football’s top tier. “With the brand power, with the resources, with the way that steve sarkisian has pushed texas back to tier one in terms of relevance in college football,” pickell said. “Thats how it should be.”
the schedule gives texas a path to make a playoff push even if the regular season isn’t spotless. The longhorns open sept. 5 at home against texas state, then host ohio state before another home game against utsa.
sec play brings its own challenges, but texas avoids georgia and alabama. The longhorns will, however, go on the road to face tennessee, lsu, and texas a&m. Other league matchups include oklahoma, florida, ole miss, mississippi state, missouri, and arkansas, with most of those games coming in austin.
for pickell, that all adds up to one thing: texas has no real excuse left. The roster is loaded, the staff is strong, the experience is there, and the schedule offers a real lane. Now the expectation is to turn all of that into the program’s first sec championship and its first college football playoff national title.
in other news...
texas appears on verge of massive five-star recruiting win
the next big recruiting decision for texas is set to arrive friday, when five-star wide receiver monshun sales is expected to announce his college commitment. Sales has become one of the most closely watched names on the board for the longhorns, and the timing gives texas a chance to add another premium piece to its receiver pipeline at a position where the program has already made a habit of chasing elite talent.
recent social media activity has only added to the buzz around his recruitment, including posts tied to his texas visit and the longhorns icy white uniforms, plus a june 20 message from that official trip with hook em attached. Texas also already holds the no. 1 wide receiver in the 2027 class in easton royal, so the longhorns are trying to stack another high-end pass catcher in the room, even as sales keeps his final choice under wraps for now. [Read more ????]
texas is making a serious push for a crucial defensive target
texas is making a real run at adding another piece to its linebacker room, and the target has become a name worth watching in this cycle. Josiah poyer, a three-star recruit with a productive junior season on his rsum, is drawing a strong push from linebackers coach johnny nansen as the longhorns try to sell him on their vision and his fit in the defense.
poyers appeal goes beyond the rankings. Texas is leaning into his versatility and the way he can be used as both a blitzer and a run defender, traits that make him attractive as the longhorns continue to build out depth at the position. The question now is whether that effort can be enough to turn a serious pursuit into a real flip battle. [Read more ????]
new manning qb twist could catch ole miss fans attention
marshall manning is about to start his high school football career in a familiar but still notable spot: baylor school in tennessee. The son of peyton manning will be in the quarterback room behind keegan croucher, a highly regarded 2027 ole miss commit, as baylor heads into the upcoming season with a clear pecking order under center.
for longhorns fans, the manning name will always carry extra weight, and this early chapter is another reminder that the familys next generation is being eased in rather than rushed. Baylor head coach erik kimrey confirmed the arrangement, and it creates an interesting little subplot for anyone tracking the manning quarterback line, especially with arch mannings path still fresh in the college game. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 10886 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| Penn State Players Just Sent A Subtle Preseason Message |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
Penn state’s roster hasn’t just been settling in since spring camp ended. A handful of players have also settled into new uniform numbers, and a few of the changes stand out more than others.
james peoples is one of the biggest movers. The running back wore no. 23 during spring camp, but he’s now listed at no.
- he won’t have that number to himself, either, because defensive end ike ezeogu has also moved into no. 1 after previously wearing no.
that number had belonged to receiver kyron hudson last season, but hudson is now out of eligibility. On the defensive side, safety jaylen reed was the last penn state player to wear no. 1.
there’s also been a quarterback number switch, though not for rocco becht. Connor barry, the transfer from division iii christopher newport, changed from no. 17 to no.
- he’ll share no. 10 with linebacker caleb bacon.
one of the more eye-catching changes belongs to receiver peter gonzalez. He went from no. 84 to no. 7, a 77-number jump.
safety zion tracy is now the only penn state player wearing no. 7.
the most dramatic switch, though, may belong to defensive end yvan kemajou. He moved from no. 99 to no. 19, an 80-number difference. No. 19 had previously been worn by fellow defensive end chaz coleman, who played his true freshman season at penn state last year before transferring to tennessee.
penn state opens the 2026 season against marshall on sept. 5 at beaver stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 on fs1.
in other news...
urban meyer still sounds bitter about penn states block six loss
urban meyer still hasnt made peace with penn states 2016 win over ohio state, and he brought the grievance back up on the triple option podcast while talking through one of the most painful losses of his buckeyes tenure. The former ohio state coach, now a fox sports analyst, pointed to the field-goal sequence as the moment that still sticks with him, a play that became part of the larger argument around how that season was judged.
the frustration lingers because the loss did more than sting in the moment. It helped reshape the big ten race and later fed into the playoff debate, with penn state and ohio state both left to wonder how much that head-to-head result should have mattered. Meyers comments only reopened an old wound, one penn state fans have long worn as a badge of honor and ohio state supporters have never quite forgotten. [Read more ????]
penn states quiet quarterback addition could matter more than fans think
connor barrys path to penn state is the kind of under-the-radar addition that can get overlooked in a crowded quarterback room, but it comes with a track record worth noting. The senior arrives after a breakout season at division iii christopher newport, where he piled up 2,866 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, production that helped turn him into a proven college arm heading into his final season.
for the nittany lions, the immediate quarterback picture still points elsewhere, but barry gives the staff a seasoned option who can help keep things steady if the depth chart gets tested. Even if his on-field chances are limited to late-game situations, his value may show up just as much behind the scenes, where penn state can use another veteran presence as the season unfolds. [Read more ????]
penn state qb commit just sent fans the message they needed
penn states 2028 quarterback commitment is already sounding like the kind of recruit the program has wanted to build around. Four-star james armstrong has made it clear that his decision was about more than the usual recruiting noise, putting loyalty, relationships and development ahead of the biggest financial pitch. That message fits neatly with the way matt campbell and his staff have been selling the program, leaning on trust and long-term connection as much as on-field vision.
armstrong has also started doing more than just talking about his own pledge. Since committing, he has been reaching out to other in-state recruits and pushing penn state as a place they should consider, which is the sort of early recruiting leadership staffs love to see from a quarterback. For a class still taking shape, having a passer already acting like a recruiter of his own gives the nittany lions another reason to feel good about where this one could go next. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 8630 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| Sooners Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This 2026 Narrative |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
The oklahoma sooners are heading into 2026 with a playoff appearance in their back pocket, but the betting market still isn’t buying in.
fanduel sportsbook has oklahoma at 7.5 wins, a number that suggests plenty of doubt even after the sooners reached the college football playoff for the first time since 2019. That skepticism seems tied to the way oklahoma got there. The sooners were never treated like a runaway force last season; they earned their way in by surviving a string of tight, physical games under the “hard to kill” label.
j.D. Pickell of on3 thinks the public conversation has missed the point entirely.
i think the conversation on oklahoma and the college football public is going the wrong way, pickell said. All i hear is the over/under 7.5 wins out there in vegas.
i hear how fortunate they were to make the playoff last year and all the skepticism around john mateer. Im like, i think were looking at this wrong.
oklahoma, from what i have gathered, feels like they might have their best 11 on the defensive side of the football... I think the national narrative on them is way out to lunch.
that’s the crux of the oklahoma argument heading into 2026: the story shouldn’t just be about how the sooners won last year, but about what they have coming back. John mateer is back at quarterback, brent venables has a defense that looks loaded, and oklahoma’s returning production profile puts the roster among the best in the country.
the sooners also already showed in 2025 that they can hold their own in the sec. Now the challenge is turning that foundation into something bigger.
the schedule is brutal, no question. But if the defense keeps climbing and the offense takes a step forward, that 7.5-win line could end up looking a lot too low by season’s end.
in other news...
where oklahoma stands in the sec enrollment size debate
the secs enrollment conversation has become another way to measure the conferences reach, and the latest fall 2024 figures show just how wide the range can be. Texas a&m sits at the top with 60,710 undergraduates, while vanderbilt is at the other end at 7,221, a spread that helps explain why school size can matter well beyond the classroom.
for oklahoma, the interest is in where it lands inside that mix as the sooners settle deeper into the league. Enrollment does not decide games, but it can shape student sections, ticket demand and the size of the alumni base that follows a program into the 2026 college football season, which is why this ranking has become more than a curiosity for sec fans. [Read more ????]
phil steeles oklahoma list says plenty about national respect
the preseason respect keeps piling up for oklahoma as the sooners head into 2026 off their first college football playoff run as an sec member. Phil steeles preseason all-america teams included five sooners, a sign that the national conversation has already started to catch up to what brent venables roster looks like on paper. Defensive tackle david stone and linebacker kip lewis landed on the first team, while longsnapper ben anderson earned first-team honors and kicker tate sandell was placed on the second team.
still, the list also shows there is plenty left for oklahoma to prove once the games begin. The sooners did not put an offensive lineman on steeles preseason all-america teams despite returning four starters, a reminder that the front still has room to turn reputation into recognition. For a team trying to build on last seasons breakthrough, the early accolades are nice, but the deeper test will come from whether the rest of the roster can match the billing. [Read more ????]
oklahoma could be sitting on a late summer roster opportunity
the late-summer roster market may not be done shifting just yet, and oklahoma is one of the programs positioned to benefit if it does. The ncaas new five-seasons-in-five-years rule is being challenged in court, and while the policy is not retroactive for now, the legal fight has already produced temporary injunctions in some cases, keeping the door cracked for former players to regain eligibility and re-enter the transfer portal.
for the sooners, the timing matters because they still have one open roster spot and enough flexibility to create room for another if needed. If the court battles continue to tilt in that direction, oklahoma could have a chance to take advantage of a late wave of available talent without having to scramble to make the numbers work. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 8990 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| USCs No. 17 Could Be Vital To Fixing The Trojans Front |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
The trojans have spent years leaning on defensive linemen in this annual countdown, mostly because depth issues up front made every injury feel like a disaster waiting to happen. That’s changing now. Usc has poured more into the line, and the front looks deeper than it has since this list started, which is why no. 17 is one of five defenders who will line up at the line of scrimmage.
that spot belongs to alex vansumeren, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound transfer from michigan state who arrives in los angeles with four years of big ten experience and a clear role to fill. He was a four-star recruit in 2022, ranked no. 217 overall, no. 29 among defensive linemen and no. 4 in michigan. As a transfer, he was graded a 3-star by 247sports and slotted no. 231 overall, no. 23 at defensive line.
vansumeren’s path at michigan state was uneven early. He barely played as a freshman, then missed the 2023 season after a lower-body injury in fall camp.
in 2024, he became a full-time starter at defensive tackle and logged nearly 28 snaps per game across 12 starts, working through the growing pains that come with first-time starting duty. Pro football focus gave him a 52.9 overall grade, and his 48.6 run-defense mark was the weak spot.
he finished with just seven defensive stops.
the jump came last season. His run-defense grade rose by nearly 20 points, his defensive stops more than tripled, and his snaps per defensive stop dropped from 47.6 to 21.6.
his overall grade climbed to 66.6, with modest gains in pass rush and coverage. One of his better performances came against usc in the trojans’ 45-31 win, when he posted a 76.0 grade, recorded two pressures on jayden maiava and notched a career-high four defensive stops.
usc is betting that kind of interior presence matters even if the box score stays quiet. Vansumeren is unlikely to pile up eye-catching numbers while playing on a deeper defense, but the trojans want him to bring experience, physicality and stability to a room that needs it. On the interior, jide abasiri is the only defensive lineman on the roster with more than 250 career snaps.
vansumeren spent 87 percent of his snaps in 2025 lined up in the b-gap, with another 25 snaps in the a-gap and 36 directly over an opposing tackle. Usc wants him to be an anchor, someone who can absorb attention and help create cleaner chances for teammates on the line and for linebackers who didn’t get enough help against the run last season.
“alex brings that grit,” usc defensive tackles coach skyler jones said. “We have a younger room, but alex is an older guy.
he has experience and the position flex that we look for. Hes able to play a 1-technique and a 3-technique as well.
and he has some pass rush skills as well. Hell be great for the room.
hes already a leader. Guys listen to him.
me and alex, we meet every day. He comes into my office, and we talk about the plan for the next day.”
last year’s no. 17 was defensive lineman jamaal jarrett, and the comparison is hard to miss. Jarrett was supposed to arrive as a plug-and-play tackle who could force double teams and open things up around him.
instead, he averaged eight snaps in the first five games before an injury ended his regular season. His lone major highlight was the “thicc six” - a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown against purdue.
in other news...
usc just made a massive nike move fans will feel everywhere
uscs relationship with nike is not just staying intact, it is getting deeper in ways that touch everything from recruiting to the daily look and feel of the program. The trojans and nike athletics have agreed to keep working together for years to come, and the latest version of the partnership brings more than apparel. Usc is set to join nikes blue ribbon elite nil program, while the school also gets new equipment outfitting, custom basketball uniform collections and retail upgrades on campus.
the most interesting part for usc fans is how wide the ripple effect could be. Several trojans have already signed nil deals with nike, and the expanded partnership gives the athletic department another high-profile selling point as it tries to keep pace in a crowded recruiting market. It also signals a bigger footprint for nike around campus, with the bloom football performance center among the places expected to feel the change first. [Read more ????]
usc freshman jaimeon winfield faces pressure few trojans recruits ever do
usc has spent the last few recruiting cycles trying to reshape its defensive front, and jaimeon winfield is one of the clearest signs of how serious that effort has become. The five-star defensive tackle from texas arrived with the kind of profile that usually comes with patience, but the trojans also brought him in expecting him to help right away, adding depth to a line that now mixes returning players with newcomers such as michigan state transfer alex vansumeren and freshman jahkeem stewart.
for winfield, the pressure is less about hype than about fit. Uscs front has more bodies and more talent than it did a couple of years ago, and that raises the standard for every interior lineman who wants snaps early. Winfield and freshman tomuhini topui are both in the mix to factor into the tackle rotation in year one, and the bigger question is whether that influx of talent can turn uscs defensive front from promising to dominant before long. [Read more ????]
terrell anderson drawing real buzz as usc eyes another big receiver reload
uscs receiver room is getting another notable addition in terrell anderson, the north carolina state transfer who is set to arrive for the 2026 season. On3 already has him slotted no. 9 among big ten transfers, and college football insider ari wasserman has pointed to anderson as a player who could make a real jump once he gets into lincoln rileys offense.
for the trojans, the appeal is obvious. Anderson is expected to bring a deep threat element and help after the catch at a time when the room has taken hits to the nfl, leaving usc with a clear need to reload. The intriguing part is how quickly anderson can turn that buzz into production once he gets his chance in a bigger role. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 12400 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| Auburns Offseason Reset Just Raised The Stakes For 2026 |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
One of the fastest ways to reshape a college football roster after a rough year is still the transfer portal, and the sec is leaning hard into that reality again heading into 2026.
that’s especially true for the league’s six new head coaches, who wasted little time using portal additions to patch holes and accelerate the rebuilds. With the season only a couple of months away, the transfer-heavy approach is easy to spot at the top of the sec.
arkansas sits alone at the top of the list with a league-high 48 incoming transfers. After a 2-10 season and the firing of sam pittman, the razorbacks turned to former memphis head coach ryan silverfield, who attacked the portal aggressively. His class includes boise state wide receiver chris marshall, baylor linebacker phoenix jackson and tulane corner jahiem johnson.
auburn is next with 46 transfers, and first-year head coach alex golesh brought in a roster haul that reflects how much work needed to be done. He also brought his quarterback from usf, byrum brown, while adding ole miss edge dashawn womack and baylor running back bryson washington. Golesh and company are aiming to deliver auburn its first winning full-length season since 2019.
lsu and ole miss are tied with 44 transfers apiece, and their offseason stories are linked in a big way. Lsu fired brian kelly and then landed lane kiffin from ole miss even as the rebels were in the middle of their best season in school history and a college football playoff run.
kiffin immediately made an impact in baton rouge, where lsu now owns the no. 1 portal class. The tigers’ group includes colorado left tackle jordan seaton, arizona state quarterback sam leavitt and ole miss edge princewill umanmielen.
ole miss, meanwhile, responded with the no. 2 transfer portal class under pete golding as it looks to build on that playoff run. The rebels’ additions include oregon edge blake purchase, auburn corner jalyn crawford and michigan state running back makhi frazier.
kentucky rounds out the top five with 42 incoming transfers. Will stein, the former oregon offensive coordinator, is moving from a program with unlimited resources and plenty of historic success to a kentucky team that just moved on from the winningest coach in school history after getting stuck in no-man’s land. The wildcats’ class is headlined by notre dame quarterback kenny minchey and texas running back cj baxter.
for now, the portal work is only part of the story. Whether these additions actually change the trajectory of these programs will play out on the field. But no one can question how hard these coaches went after it.
in other news...
new manning qb twist could catch ole miss fans attention
a new quarterback wrinkle at baylor school in tennessee has a familiar ole miss connection attached to it. Marshall manning, the son of peyton manning, is set to begin his high school career in a backup role behind keegan croucher, the four-star ole miss commit who is expected to take over after leading baylor to a state title run.
for rebels fans, the overlap is the interesting part: one of the nations most recognizable football names is entering the same quarterback room as a future ole miss signal-caller. Baylor head coach erik kimrey confirmed the arrangement, and it adds another layer to a program that has already produced a championship starter and now has a freshman manning learning in the shadows. [Read more ????]
nike just put an lsu star in elite sec company
nikes latest nil push puts a familiar pair of ole miss players in the middle of a broader sec-heavy signing class. The company announced it has added 11 prep prospects and eight college football players to its roster, with trinidad chambliss and kewan lacy among the rebels who landed on the list alongside a handful of other names tied to the conference.
the move underscores how aggressively major brands are circling football talent at every level, especially in the sec, where the recruiting and roster arms race never really slows down. Nike said the athletes will get media and product support as part of the arrangement, a reminder that these deals are about more than just visibility for now and more than just the field for later. [Read more ????]
pete golding faces a different standard in year one at ole miss
pete golding walked into oxford with the kind of timing that can make a first season feel like a referendum before it even starts. Named ole miss head coach just before the college football playoff, he inherits a program that is not being asked to settle in or take a step back. The expectation is for the rebels to stay in the national conversation while the culture shifts, the defense gets more grounded and physical, and the offense settles into a more balanced shape under new coordinator john david baker.
the standard attached to that job is sharper than a simple win total. Ole miss is being judged on whether it can keep playing at an at-large level, not drift into a rebuild, with a path that still leaves room for playoff contention even if the record is not perfect. Golding has already shown he can handle a big stage, including that sugar bowl win over georgia, but now the question is whether the same approach can hold up when the margins get tighter and the rebels are measured against a tougher benchmark in year one. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 10708 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
| Utahs September Could Decide Everything Before Big 12 Play |
| Posted on Friday, July 17 @ 00:00:54 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
Utah’s season opens with a stretch that could set the tone in a hurry, and the early read is simple: the utes should be sitting pretty by the time the calendar flips deeper into september.
it starts on thursday, september 3rd, when idaho comes to rice eccles stadium. This has all the makings of the kind of opener utah fans can feel good about - a home game against a vandals team that finished with four wins, only two of them against big sky opponents.
the utes should have their first-team offense and defense out of the game by halftime, and a handful of freshmen will get their first college snaps. The expectation here is a clean start and a 1-0 record.
week 2 brings a far more interesting test, with arkansas visiting salt lake city. It’s a matchup of first-year head coaches, as ryan silverfield brings the razorbacks into a night-game atmosphere at rice-eccles stadium.
arkansas has talent, but the quarterback situation is still a major question, and that’s a tough place to be when you’re trying to piece together a roster built through the transfer portal. The razorbacks should make it competitive for a while, but the edge still belongs to devon dampier and utah, which would move to 2-0.
the third home game in a row keeps the spotlight on the state rivalry, with utah state coming in for another chapter of the battle of the brothers. Mccae hillstead, who transferred from byu, is set to take over as the aggies’ starting quarterback after bryson barnes.
on the other sideline, bronco mendenhall is still chasing his first win against utah in nearly 20 years. The aggies pushed the utes in the first half when these teams met in 2024, but that’s not the expectation this time.
utah state also lost two of its biggest pieces from last season to the utes: offensive coordinator kevin mcgiven and wide receiver braden pegan. That makes this one look like another win for utah, pushing the utes to 3-0.
then comes the first road trip and the start of big 12 play, with utah heading to ames to face iowa state. The cyclones beat the utes in salt lake in 2024, but this is a different team on the other side now.
matt campbell is gone to penn state, rocco becht is gone too, and jimmy rogers arrives from washington state to take over a roster loaded with new portal additions. Iowa state still has a solid offensive line, so utah’s job will be to slow down the rushing game and force the cyclones into uncomfortable spots.
given how strong the utes were away from home last season, the expectation here is another road win and a 4-0 start before the bye.
in other news...
byu just landed in a big 12 quarterback ranking debate
a fresh big 12 quarterback debate has popped up with 2026 still ahead, and it has a familiar regional twist for utah fans watching the league landscape. The ranking in question sorts out 12 likely starters based on past production, experience and projected impact, with a mix of proven names and rising prospects from across the conference and beyond, the kind of early look that can shape how a schedule feels long before kickoff.
for programs like utah, these preseason-style quarterback lists matter because they hint at where the real pressure points will be when league play arrives. Some of the names in the discussion come with far more polish than others, and the spread in competition level makes the exercise part scouting report, part projection. It also leaves plenty of room for debate, especially when the top of the list is still just one analysts read on how the next season might unfold. [Read more ????] |
| ( Read More... | 7150 bytes more | comments? | ) |
| |
|
| Classifieds |
|
|
