Former Tiger signs with new pro team

Former Clemson WR Diondre Overton has signed a deal to play with a European League of Football team, the Vienna Vikings. Obviously, not all players get to play in the NFL. So it’s cool to see this former Tiger getting a chance to keep his playing …

Former Clemson WR Diondre Overton has signed a deal to play with a European League of Football team, the Vienna Vikings.

Obviously, not all players get to play in the NFL. So it’s cool to see this former Tiger getting a chance to keep his playing career going.

Overton talks over his signing, and his Clemson career a bit in an interview he did after joining the team, which you can check out below:

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Jaā€™Varrius Johnson reportedly enters transfer portal

Jaā€™Varrius Johnson is leaving town. Third WR to leave Auburn this offseason

Auburn may be losing another wide receiver.

According to On3.comā€™s Matt Zenitz, Auburn receiver Jaā€™Varrius Johnson has entered the transfer portal. The move would make him the third Auburn wide receiver to enter the portal this offseason, following Kobe Hudson and Elijah Canion, who transferred to UCF and Purdue, respectively.

Johnson appeared in 12 games for Auburn last season, catching 19 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. His departure leaves Auburn with eight scholarship receivers on the roster in Shedrick Jackson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Zeā€™Vian Capers, J.J. Evans, Tarā€™Varish Dawson, Omari Kelly, Camden Brown and Jay Fair.

Of them, only Jackson (40), Johnson (six) and Capers (six) have caught a pass in college.

Five 2023 recruits should be at the top of Notre Dameā€™s wish list

If Freeman brought these give in, WOW

Although the ink has yet to dry on the 2022 Irish recruiting class, itā€™s time to look ahead to what could be in 2023. Already with eight commits, Marcus Freemanā€™s first full recruiting cycle is looking to be a big one. Multiple national prospects like defense end Keon Keeley, linebacker Drayk Bowen and safety Peyton Bowen have already verbally committed to Notre Dame.

Here are the five players that the Irish could add that should be at the top of their wish list and keep this 2023 class rolling.

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Former UGA linebacker takes job with Auburn Tigers

Christian Robinson, who played linebacker at Georgia from 2009-2012, is now the linebackers coach for the Auburn Tigers.

Christian Robinson, who played linebacker at Georgia from 2009-2012, is now the linebackers coach for the Auburn Tigers.

Robinson served as a graduate assistant at Georgia under Mark Richt from 2013-2014. Robinson also held a similar role at Ole Miss and Mississippi State before becoming the linebackers coach at Florida under Dan Mullen in 2018. Billy Napier and the Florida Gators moved on from Robinson following their bowl game.

Robinson recorded 159 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss during his career with Georgia. Robinson served as Florida’s interim defensive coordinator after the Gators lost to South Carolina this season. Robinson did not do enough for Napier to retain him.

The Auburn Tigers hired Robinson on Jan. 22. Auburn officially announced the move via Twitter:

Auburn is an excellent landing spot for Robinson, who will continue to coach in the SEC. Robinson will also be the defensive run game coordinator for the Tigers.

Georgia will wish Robinson well, but the Dawgs will not be cheering for the Tigers on Oct. 8 when Auburn comes to Athens.

Robinson had the following message for Auburn fans:

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Former Penn State defensive lineman announces transfer decision

Former Penn State defensive lineman announces his transfer destination

The dust may be settling on the Class of 202, but the transfer portal is still the place to be for daily college football player movements across the country. And now, one of the players who have entered the transfer portal this offseason from Penn State has determined where he will be heading next.

A day after the late signing period opened up, Joseph Appiah Darkwa announced where he will be continuing his college football career. Darkwa announced his commitment to the Temple Owls and new Temple head coach Stan Drayton.

Darkwa announced his decision on his Twitter account on Thursday afternoon.

Darkwa, who jumped in the transfer portal in mid-January, was a three-star recruit in Penn Stateā€™s Class of 2019. Darkwa did not appear in a game for the Nittany Lions in the 2021 season, nor did he get on the field for the Nittnay Lions during the 2010 or 2019 season. Darkwa will have three more seasons of eligibility with two remaining years on a typical redshirt career and the additional year of eligibility granted to all student-athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, should he choose to utilize that extra year.

Penn Stateā€™s defensive line depth is certainly drawing some attention this offseason after someĀ notableĀ departuresĀ to the NFL andĀ retirement by another player. Losing Darkwa, a player who has yet to step on the field, may not seem like a big hit but there was still some untapped potential for the athletic project of a player. Penn State did address the defensive line with some success in the Class of 2022, including the addition of five-star Dani Dennis-Sutton.

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Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

 

 

ā€˜Iā€™m blessedā€™: Heading to Super Bowl feels surreal for Higgins

Tee Higgins can hardly believe that in just his second NFL season, he and his Cincinnati Bengals squad are headed to the Super Bowl. The former Clemson wide receiver reached the 1,000-yard receiving milestone this season and has played a big role in …

Tee Higgins can hardly believe that in just his second NFL season, he and his Cincinnati Bengals squad are headed to the Super Bowl.

The former Clemson wide receiver reached the 1,000-yard receiving milestone this season and has played a big role in the Bengalsā€™ success on offense. He came up clutch again last Sunday in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, catching six passes for a team-leading 103 yards, including two receptions in overtime that helped set up Cincinnatiā€™s game-winning field goal and walk-off, 27-24 victory.

Higgins hopes this season will end like his sophomore season in college in 2018, when he tallied 81 yards and a touchdown in the national championship game vs. Alabama to help the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide and win it all.

ā€œItā€™s crazy. Itā€™s still hasnā€™t hit me yet,ā€ Higgins said to the media following Sundayā€™s game in regard to going to the Super Bowl. ā€œBut nah, it didnā€™t feel real at all. I ainā€™t gonna lie, it didnā€™t. Itā€™s crazy because my second year in college, I went to the national championship, and now itā€™s my second year in the league and Iā€™m going to the Super Bowl, man. Iā€™m blessed.ā€

When Bengals kicker Evan McPherson booted the 31-yard field goal in overtime against the Chiefs that sent Cincinnati to Super Bowl LVI, it also sent Higgins leaping for joy.

ā€œI was actually sitting on the bench. I knew he was going to make it, and when it went through, I jumped up,ā€ Higgins said. ā€œI was like, ā€˜Man, weā€™re going to the Super Bowl!ā€™ā€

It was a party in the locker room for Higgins and his teammates after the AFC Championship Game. But thereā€™s still unfinished business the Bengals are looking to take care of against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, which is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

ā€œAll smiles. All smiles and laughter, man. Everybodyā€™s just proud of one another,ā€ Higgins said of the postgame celebration in the locker room following the win over the Chiefs. ā€œAnd the jobā€™s not done, we all know that.ā€

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports ImagesĀ 

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Why the Minnesota Vikings did not hire Jim Harbaugh

Glad heā€™s back, but this isnā€™t a good look.

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On Monday, there were reports that Jim Harbaughā€™s time at Michigan football appeared to have come to a close. That thought prevailed through Tuesday, with his Wednesday interview with the Minnesota Vikings appearing to be all but a formality.

However, while thatā€™s what Harbaugh thought, thatā€™s not how the Vikings looked at it.

According to reports, Harbaugh firmly believed that his Michigan tenure was over and that he would be coaching in the NFL in 2022. He traveled to Minneapolis with the firm belief that he would be the Vikings next head coach. But the Vikings werenā€™t abandoning their process, despite Harbaughā€™s success in both the NFL and at the college level.

The Athletic paints the story, noting that on Wednesday, Harbaugh was indeed on track to become the next Minnesota head coach, but somewhere down the line, things took a drastic turn.

At first, the interview seemed like it was going well. Harbaugh saw the Vikingsā€™ gleaming new practice facility and the team started to see some of the coachā€™s most redeeming qualities.

A buzz reverberated through the building. Is this really happening? Are we really going to hire Jim Harbaugh?Ā 

Harbaugh started to feel it, too. He left Ann Arbor believing he was not coming back, and as the process got rolling, it started to look like he would be in Minnesota to stay.

But the Vikings had some hard questions to ask. They wanted to know more about his style and ability to work with others. They wanted to know more about how things ended with the 49ers. They wanted to hear his vision for leading this team back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977.

Sometime around 3 p.m., for reasons that are not exactly clear, things started to take a left turn. The tenor started to change, and if there was any momentum at Harbaughā€™s back as he tried to secure the job, it disappeared.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN first reported that Harbaugh called Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel to tell him he was coming back to the Wolverines for the 2022 season and beyond.

The reason had nothing to do with money or a contract because the Vikings did not offer Harbaugh the job, sources said. There do not appear to be any hard feelings on either side ā€” just a realization that this was not the right fit.

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The picture doesnā€™t look good for Harbaugh, and while it doesnā€™t look good for Michigan either ā€” having its head coach interviewing for a job on national signing day ā€” his return to the program is still the best option for the Wolverines at this juncture. Certainly, fences will have to be mended ā€” with the staff, which was mostly left in the dark, the players, and recruits ā€” but after a few wins to start the 2022 season, it should be left in the rear view.

According to Adam Schefter, Harbaugh told athletic director Warde Manuel that his NFL dalliance has come to a close, and Michigan will likely seek assurances to ensure thatā€™s the case. Because, while this ended up working out in the maize and blueā€™s favor ultimately, itā€™s a situation that cannot and should not be repeated in case the head coach gets another NFL itch he would like to scratch.

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Texas among winners, Oklahoma losers in the transfer portal

Horns are trending up, not so much for those north of the Red River.

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The talk in Texas is the Longhorns No. 5 ranked recruiting class in the 2022 cycle, but make no mistake the team under Steve Sarkisian loaded up in the transfer portal.

All four players they added to the class are expected to play major roles on this team. Everyone knows about the quarterback and his two newest weapons. Not to mention Texas secured one of the best offensive line hauls that we have ever seen.

According to Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports, the Texas Longhorns were big winners in the transfer portal this offseason.

What Myerberg Says…

Quinn Ewers
Photo by Mike Cravens / Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY Network

This year’s transfer cycle has been defined by the game of musical chairs at quarterback. Steve Sarkisian landed one of the nation’s top young talents at the position in Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers, who will step right into the starting role and be the face of the program’s continued rebuild. The Longhorns further upgraded the passing game by adding former Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley, who has the talent to play at the next level, and former Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, one of the top deep threats in the country in 2021.

It was clear that the Texas staff had a clear view of what they wanted to do this offseason. On top of securing the top recruiting class in the Big 12, Sarkisian also brought in a lot of talent through the transfer portal. The biggest came when Quinn Ewers chose Texas over Texas Tech and TCU. He is in line to be the quarterback of the next couple of seasons, as he would have been had he stuck with his original commitment. The Longhorns ended up winning in the end, now the question remains if he can lead them to the promised land.

Adding Jahleel Billingsley to replace the loss of Jared Wiley and Isaiah Neyor replacing Joshua Moore was massive. However, the defense might have been the underrated part in all of this. Texas flipped Ohio State commit Terrance Brooks and landed Buckeyes defensive back Ryan Watts in the transfer portal. It appears the staff put together a solid building block.

The Sooners on the other hand were big losers in the transfer portal according to Myerberg. Fans can thank Texas native Lincoln Riley for nuking that team from the inside. He did grow up as a Texas Longhorns fan after all.

It hasn’t been a total flop: OU has rallied under new coach Brent Venables to sign Central Florida quarterback Dillon Gabriel and one of the deepest transfer groups in the FBS. Gabriel’s production in the Group of Five and familiarity with new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s system makes him the favorite to claim the starting job. The Sooners also addressed two areas of concern in the secondary and overall line play; McKade Mettauer (California) is a likely starter on the offensive front, while Jonah La’ulu (Hawaii) and Jeffery Johnson (Tulane) bolster depth on defense. It’s still hard to overlook the fact that OU lost one of the best players in the country at the most important position on the field.

Two five-star quarterbacks opted to exit stage left. Mario Williams is an up-and-coming wide receiver in college football. He opted to join Caleb Williams at USC with Riley. Oklahoma did secure a top 10 class in 2022 but those losses could be monumental. It is a wait-and-see approach for first-time head coach Brent Venables and those north of the Red River. As of right now, it appears the advantage arrow points to Austin.

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Former Tiger making waves at Senior Bowl

With Senior Bowl practices in full swing, former Clemson cornerback Mario Goodrich is one player who seems to be improving his draft stock – a lot. One of the fastest players on the field, coaches and scouts have been really impressed with his …

With Senior Bowl practices in full swing, former Clemson cornerback Mario Goodrich is one player who seems to be improving his draft stock — a lot.

One of the fastest players on the field, coaches and scouts have been really impressed with his playmaking ability, locking down receivers he lines up against. Not many have been able to get open during drills when being covered by Goodrich.

While cornerback Andrew Booth got most of the attention this year, Goodrich put together a spectacular season as well. So it’s nice seeing him really keep the momentum going throughout the Senior Bowl practices.

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Kyle Flood named Big 12 recruiter of the year by Rivals and 247Sports

Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood is earning his paycheck.

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Texas offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Kyle Flood has been named Big 12 recruiter of the year by both Rivals and 247Sports.

He was also mentioned among the best recruiters in the country by On3.

What On3 Says…

Texas signed arguably the best offensive line class ever, and Kyle Flood had a huge hand in it.

Campbell, the five-star offensive lineman from Arlington (Texas) Bowie, was a significant head-to-head recruiting win over rival Oklahoma. But that wasnā€™t the only major recruiting win on the offensive line for Flood.

Five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, four-star offensive tackles Cameron Williams and Malik Agbo and four-star interior offensive linemen Neto Umeozulu, Cole Hutson and Malik Agbo were all recruited personally by Flood.

Banksā€™ flip from Oregon was an especially satisfying recruiting win for the Horns. And that alone might have been enough to his name on the list of top recruiters.

Flood put together the best offensive line class in the nation. Texas signed seven talented prospects in the class:

  • Five-star Devon Campbell
  • Five-star Kelvin Banks Jr
  • Four-star Neto Umeozulu
  • Four-star Malik Agbo
  • Four-star Cole Hutson
  • Three-star Cameron Williams
  • Three-star Conner Robertson

Texas could not afford to miss on many targets after only signing two linemen during last season’s transition class.

Campbell and Banks are two of the best offensive line prospects Texas has signed since 2000 while big Camerson Williams has an NFL frame that just needs to be developed.

Flood has flipped the outlook of one of the weakest positions on the Texas roster by signing one of the best offensive line hauls Texas has ever put together.

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