Category: Football

Four-star defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford signs with Auburn

The Alabama native is widely considered to be one of the best interior defensive lineman prospects in the 2025 cycle.

Auburn’s fantastic 2025 signee class continues to get stronger. [autotag]Hugh Freeze [/autotag]and his staff inked another top-ranked recruit on Wednesday, as four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Jourdin Crawford[/autotag] officially signed his letter of intent to join the Tigers.

The Birmingham, Alabama native is widely considered one of the best interior defensive linemen prospects in the 2025 cycle. A consensus top-11 recruit from Alabama, Jourdin committed to the Tigers in the fall of 2023. The 6-1, 300-pound run-stuffer took two visits to Auburn in 2024, unofficially spending time on the Plains in March before officially visiting during the Tigers’ early-season victory against New Mexico.

Crawford’s official commitment adds another four-star rated athlete to what has become one of the best recruiting classes in Auburn football history. He is the fourth defensive lineman to sign his letter of intent today, joining five-star edge rusher [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], five-star interior lineman [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], and fellow four-star interior lineman [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag] as pass rushers who will play their first collegiate snaps on the Plains next fall.

Auburn’s 2025 class is now officially up to 16 total athletes. Crawford is the seventh four-star recruit to join the class. At least nine other high schoolers are expected to sign letters of intent, with plenty of flip candidates still possible.

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Macomb linebacker inks NLI deal with Michigan State football

MSU officially locks in their second in-state linebacker of the 2025 class

Michigan State football inked their first in-state linebacker in 4-star Charles White and shortly after, they inked their second in-state linebacker. DiMari Malone made the move to officially sign with Michigan State.

Malone is a 6’2″, 220 pound linebacker that plays at Macomb Dakota High School. He is rated as a high 3-star prospect according to 247Sports.

Be on the lookout for Malone to potentially early enroll to East Lansing in January.

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Oregon Signing Day: Ducks land 4-Star OL Douglas Utu

The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star OL Douglas Utu, who signed his letter of intent in the Early National Signing Period.

It’s not often the SEC schools come calling to the state of Nevada. It has to be a special player for the likes of Alabama and Tennessee to heavily recruit you. And it’s not often they are spurned by that athlete.

But that’s what happened with Las Vegas native and offensive lineman Douglas Utu. He told the SEC no and instead will be in the Big Ten and the Oregon Ducks. Utu is one of the best linemen in the country and it will be interesting to see not if he will see the field in 2025, but when he will see action inside Autzen Stadium. At 6-foot-4 and 317 pounds, Utu is physically able to contribute very, very soon.

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Douglas Utu Recruiting Rankings

247Sports Rating: 4-Star (92)
National Ranking: No. 169
Position Ranking: No. 9

247Sports Composite Rating: 4-Star (0.9562)
National Ranking: No. 77
Position Ranking: No. 4

Douglas Utu Offensive Line Outlook

It will be one of the stories to look out for when fall camp 2025 arrives. Utu is the top overall recruit in Nevada and he’s one of the few true freshmen who could contribute right away. If it were a school not named Oregon, Utu would most likely play right away. But Dan Lanning was determined to have quality offensive line depth when he got the job and in his fourth season at Oregon, the Ducks won’t have a problem of finding good offensive linemen on the roster.

Look for Utu to become a part of the offensive line rotation in 2026.

Oregon Ducks Offensive Line Depth

As was stated in other offensive line recruit profiles, Oregon’s offensive line is one of the deepest depth charts of any position on the Ducks roster.

There might be some holes to fill from the 2024 offensive line as Marcus Harper and Ajani Cornelius both move on. Oregon is hoping to keep Josh Conerly, but the NFL could be an option for him in 2025. Only time will tell on that front.

Returning however is center Iapani Laloulu will be back as will guard Dave Iuli, who missed much of 2024 due to a leg injury. The Ducks do have the likes of Charlie Pickard and Trent Ferguson as well as Genorris Wilson, JacQwan McCoy, Ty Delgado and Fox Crader. This might be the deepest the offensive line has been in a long time.

Oregon Ducks’ 2025 Class Outlook

Going into the Early Signing Period, the Ducks expected to sign a third-straight top-10 ranked class assuming that all players verbally committed to Oregon would put pen to paper. So far, that has been the case. There are a couple of flip targets out there who Lanning and his staff are still working to get into the fold. If any more additions come to Oregon, there’s a chance that the Ducks could put together another top-5 class under Lanning’s watch.

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Michigan football offensive lineman entering transfer portal

Best of luck to him. #GoBlue

It was a big win for Michigan football when it managed to reel in an in-state four-star who was thought to be the center of the future. However, it just hasn’t worked out for Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech interior offensive lineman Raheem Anderson.

The battle was supposed to be between Anderson and Greg Crippen, but then the Wolverines brought in a bevy of transfers — Olu Oluwatimi and Drake Nugent — before the battle became between Crippen and converted defensive lineman Dominick Giudice.

On Wednesday, Anderson announced that he would be heading elsewhere to continue his career as he was entering the transfer portal.

 

Anderson was the player who carried the Michigan flag from the north end zone at Ohio Stadium to the Block O at midfield on Saturday.

He played 98 snaps in 2024, two in 2023, 57 in 2022, and 11 in his freshman season of 2021. He will have one year of eligibility remaining at his school of choice.

BREAKING: Oregon Ducks flip 5-star CB Na’eem Offord from Ohio State

The Oregon Ducks pulled off the recruiting flip for 5-star cornerback Na’eem Offord, pulling him away from the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Oregon Ducks beat the Ohio State Buckeyes on the field, and they just got a victory over them in the recruiting world as well.

On Wednesday morning, 5-star cornerback Na’eem Offord announced that he would be flipping his commitment from the Buckeyes and signing with the Ducks instead.

This is a massive win for Oregon, who now has gotten four of the top-10 ranked defensive backs in the 2025 class. Offord is rated as the No. 11 overall player in 2025, and the No. 2 CB.

The Ducks also were able to flip 5-star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from the California Golden Bears on Wednesday, kicking off the fireworks.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ducks signed CB Brandon Finney, the No. 5 defensive back in the class, and they are expecting both 4-star Dorian Brew and 5-star Trey McNutt to sign today as well.

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Standing at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Offord has a great build at the cornerback position, and he will add to the elite depth that the Ducks have built at that position over the past couple of years.

For the last several weeks, this battle for Offord’s commitment has come down to Ohio State, Auburn, and Oregon. While many of the predictions were for the Tigers to ultimately flip him from the Buckeyes, it’s the Ducks that pulled it off in the end.

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Blue-chip safety Hylton Stubbs signs with Florida after flip from Miami

Florida earned a surprise flip from blue-chip safety Hylton Stubbs on Monday, prying him away from Miami. He signed on Wednesday morning to make things official.

Mandarin (Jacksonville, Florida) safety [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] signed with the Florida Gators at 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

Stubbs flipped from his Miami commitment on Monday, two days before signing day. He spent Sunday in Gainesville and informed coaches of his decision. Initially, Stubbs pledged his services to USC and then flipped to Miami over the summer before finally landing with Florida. He noted the Gators’ improved defensive performances at the end of the season as a major reason for his decision.

He is an expected January enrollee who figures to make an impact early in his tenure with the Gators. A four-year varsity athlete, Stubbs recorded 286 total tackles (198 solo), 22.5 tackles for loss, 21 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, four fumble recoveries and 3.5 sacks at Mandarin.

Stubbs is a threat against the pass and the run who can line up in the box or up high. He’s a strong tackler who enjoys contact but lacks top-end speed. That profile could land him at the STAR position for Florida, or at least in a hybrid role to best utilize his skillset.

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is a consensus four-star recruit who has earned a fifth star from Rivals, which ranks him 23rd overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has him at No. 57 nationally and No. 5 among safeties in the class, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 58 and 4, respectively.

“Well-rounded safety prospect that can defend the pass and the run. Added some good mass between junior and senior seasons and doesn’t appear to be done maturing,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in a June report. “Has experience working in a variety of different alignments and can likely do the same at the next level as he’s a spirited competitor in the box and alert in coverage.

“Strikes people as a tackler, oftentimes exploding through the hips. Tracks the football well on the backend and has the ball skills to come down with takeaways. Isn’t the type of defender that’s going to win a ton of foot races, but has the short-area quickness to correct some mistakes.

“Projects as a potential multi-year impact defender at the Power Four level that can add value in a variety of different ways as he can match tight ends, cut down run lanes, and get home on the blitz. Likely to find most success in an aggressive scheme that wants to move him around and put him in position to make plays. NFL upside with his physicality.”

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BREAKING: Wisconsin loses projected top wide receiver to the transfer portal

BREAKING: Wisconsin loses top wide receiver to the transfer portal

Wisconsin redshirt freshman Trech Kekahuna is entering the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Kekahuna is the ninth Badger to enter the portal since the team’s season concluded last Friday. He is the second member of the two-deep to depart, following starting defensive lineman Curt Neal.

Related: Key takeaways from Wisconsin’s early wave of transfer portal losses

The talented slot receiver first joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023. He first committed to the program in June 2022, back when Paul Chryst was still at the helm. He decommitted when Chryst was fired in-season but re-committed after Luke Fickell was hired in late November.

Kekahuna showed significant promise in Phil Longo’s air raid offense. His breakout performance was a four-catch, 64-yard outing as a true freshman in the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl. He then backed that outing up with a strong 2024 season as the team’s backup slot receiver, finishing with 25 catches, 339 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Wisconsin’s in-season firing of Phil Longo likely played a role in Kekahuna’s decision. He is a tailor-made fit for Longo’s air raid attack, though may not be a perfect fit with the program’s yet-to-be-determined new offensive system.

Either way, Kekahuna’s departure is a major loss for the Badgers. He was among the most promising offensive playmakers on the team. With Will Pauling out of eligibility, Kekahuna figured to slide into the starting slot receiver role in 2025.

Add wide receiver to Wisconsin’s growing list of major needs this offseason. Until the team lands commitments, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker to stay up-to-date on the full list of departures.

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Oregon Signing Day: Ducks land 4-Star DL Matthew Johnson

The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star DL Matthew Johnson, who signed his letter of intent in the Early National Signing Period.

The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star defensive line prospect Matthew Johnson, one of many blue-chip recruits in Oregon’s 2025 recruiting class. Johnson signed his letter of intent for Oregon on Wednesday.

At 6 feet 5 inches and 265 pounds, Johnson is on the leaner side for an interior defensive lineman, but he loves to be physical across the middle of the line of scrimmage, often bull-rushing opposing linemen to get to the quarterback.

Johnson attends De La Salle High School, the alma mater of former Ducks’ WR Cameron Colvin, in the Bay Area. Most of Johnson’s other top schools consisted of former Pac-12 teams, such as the California Golden Bears and the Arizona schools.

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Matthew Johnson Recruiting Rankings

247Sports Rating: 4-Star (91)
National Ranking: No. 210
Position Ranking: No. 25

247Sports Composite Rating: 4-Star (0.9021)
National Ranking: No. 323
Position Ranking: No. 33

Matthew Johnson Position Outlook

The defensive line has been a major focus for Dan Lanning in recent recruiting cycles, but none of the Ducks’ big-name D-line recruits have played much as freshmen. It’s a position that requires years of development, so expect to see more of Johnson in year two or three like we’ve seen this year from sophomore Amauri Washington.

Oregon Ducks D-Line Depth

In all likelihood, the Ducks will lose Derrick Harmon and Ja’Maree Caldwell to the NFL this offseason. Both are elite defensive linemen, but there are plenty of quality players set to fill those holes already in Oregon’s program. Washington is a name to look out for, as well as freshman Aydin Breland, one of the Ducks’ highest-rated recruits a year ago. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Lanning looks to the portal like he did last year with Harmon and Caldwell.

Oregon Ducks’ 2025 Class Outlook

Going into the Early Signing Period, the Ducks expected to sign a third-straight top-10 ranked class assuming that all players verbally committed to Oregon would put pen to paper. So far, that has been the case. There are a couple of flip targets out there who Lanning and his staff are still working to get into the fold. If any more additions come to Oregon, there’s a chance that the Ducks could put together another top-5 class under Lanning’s watch.

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Iowa QB Cade McNamara announces entrance into transfer portal

Cade McNamara is entering the transfer portal.

While much of the college football world celebrates early signing day, Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara announced via social media his intentions to enter the NCAA transfer portal this offseason as a graduate transfer.

This is McNamara’s second time in the transfer portal as he transferred to the Hawkeyes before the 2023 season, following three years with the Michigan Wolverines.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDKT82bx5DT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“My last two years at the University of Iowa have been an incredible journey. Through so many ups and downs, I couldn’t be more thankful for the amazing people and experiences l’ve had here. I am deeply grateful for the relationships l’ve built with my teammates, coaches, and newfound friends.

“I want to specifically thank Coach Ferentz, Coach Lester, and the entire lowa Football staff for their unwavering support and wisdom. I will truly miss this program and state, and they will always hold a special place in my heart.

“With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal. I’m looking forward to this offseason, being the healthiest I’ve been in years, and continuing my growth as a player, leader, and person. I am excited to see where God takes my football journey next.

“Now and forever, Go Hawks!” McNamara wrote in his social media announcement.

McNamara leaves Iowa following two turbulent seasons with the Hawkeyes, throwing for 1,522 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 57.3% completion percentage.

Unfortunately for McNamara and the Hawkeyes, the expectations following the quarterback’s commitment in 2023 never materialized due to a multitude of injuries and poor performances.

McNamara is the latest Hawkeye to depart the program, joining other notable offensive players in wide receiver Kaleb Brown and running back Leshon Williams.

McNamara will have one season of eligibility remaining.

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Florida completes flip of SEC 4-star OL on early signing day

The addition of 4-star OL Tavaris Dice is a big one for the front line in Florida’s 2025 early signing day haul.

Florida football’s busy morning on early signing day included the addition of four-star offensive lineman Tavaris Dice, who flipped to the Gators from the Auburn Tigers ahead of the final game of the season.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 295-pound lineman out of Fairburn (Georgia) Langston Hughes did not even need to see the Week 14 triumph over the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee before making the jump, having already witnessed a pair of top-25 upsets on the two weekends prior against the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels, respectively.

Now, the ink is on the paper and Dice is officially a member of the Orange and Blue.

“You can tell the whole program is really family-based,” he has mentioned before signing with the program. “Everybody has a good time. You got the staff with my family and stuff, and I’m getting good feedback from them. That’s really a big thing to them.”

Recruiting Summary

Dice is ranked No. 191 overall and No. 20 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 194 and 18, respectively.

247Sports provided the following scouting report on the offensive lineman.

“First off the bus” type with broad-shouldered, long-armed build who wears existing mass exceptionally well. Gets off the line of scrimmage with quickness and shows encouraging bend relative to dimensions,” it begins.

“Capable of leveraging under D-linemen and moving them off the ball. Natural drive blocker with promising run-game hand placement. Can play a bit tight through the hips and core, but appears to show better knee and ankle flexibility than many of his peers, especially in a combine setting. Displays some finishing nastiness at times,” it continues.

“Still developing strength and punch power consistency, but capacity for both should be quite high given physical upside. Has shown agility to beat much lighter speed-oriented edge rushers on an island. Multi-sport foundation includes basketball, which fuels functional athleticism and movement ability. Natural tackle who likely provides roster value as someone who probably could move inside if needed.

“Projects to the high-major level as a potential multi-year starter with physical tools and on-field context that suggest NFL draft upside,” it concludes.

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