Tag: 247Sports

Duke now a top-five ACC team in updated 2025 football recruiting rankings from 247Sports

247Sports updated their 2025 football recruiting rankings on Wednesday. Read more about where the Blue Devils landed here.

247Sports updated their 2025 football recruiting rankings on Wednesday, and head coach Manny Diaz and his staff continue to sneak their way up the list.

The Blue Devils now sit 32nd in the standings thanks to four-star edge rusher Bryce Davis, whom Diaz flipped from the Clemson Tigers this summer, and rising two-way star Bradley Gompers.

The updated list now makes Duke the fifth-highest team in the ACC, one spot above the esteemed Florida State Seminoles.

Diaz and his staff have closed on a staggering number of recruits in the short time he’s been in Durham. 25 different players have committed to the Blue Devils, tied for the seventh-most for any one program.

In proper college football fashion, most of the help will come in the trenches. Six of Duke’s commits, including Davis, play along the defensive line and a half-dozen more are offensive linemen, making up more than half of the class.

Three-star quarterback Dan Mahan, who plays for Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington, is now the No. 55 quarterback in the 2025 class.

Derek Miller attributes ‘teamwork and sacrifice’ as reason why Aggies landed Nic Scourton

“When I look back on it, I am proud of the way people work together, positive attitude and willingness just to keep being gritty every day.”

In a recent interview with Carter Karels of GigEm247, football general manager Derek Miller recalled the process of how Texas A&M landed standout pass rusher Nic Scourton from Purdue in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

“I think what best encapsulates the whole thing that I joke about is Scourton’s announcement to get into the portal on December 26th at 9 a.m. So any Christmas holiday enjoyment — the next morning, the Scourton news was out there, and then we were trying to figure that one out,” Miller explained. “What encapsulates the time period is teamwork and sacrifice. It is the holidays. You are moving. I am not the only one who picked up, packed a bag and moved down here and said, ‘We will figure the rest out later.’

Florida football up a spot in 247Sports SEC Power Poll after Week 6

The Gators are still near the bottom of the SEC Power Poll but did manage to gain a modicum of ground with the UCF win.

Florida football earned a much-needed win at home last weekend in the Swamp over the UCF Knights, 24-13, to give the Gators a winning record for the first time this season at 3-2.

However, because it was a non-conference affair, Billy Napier’s tally against Southeastern Conference competition remains at 1-1. Nonetheless, the Orange and Blue saw a small improvement in 247Sports’ SEC Power Poll ahead of Week 7, in which it rose one spot to No. 14 out of 16 member schools.

The Texas Longhorns took over the top spot in the poll, while the Georgia Bulldogs moved up to No. 2 and the Alabama Crimson Tide — who were upset by the Vanderbilt Commodore on Saturday — fell from first to third.

Full SEC Power Poll results

1. Texas (17): +1

2. Georgia: +2

3. Alabama: -2

4. Ole Miss: +3

5. Texas A&M: +4

T-6. Tennessee: -3

T-6. LSU: —

8. Missouri: -3

9. Oklahoma: -1

10. Arkansas: +2

11. Kentucky: -1

12. Vanderbilt: +1

13. South Carolina: -2

14. Florida: +1

15. Auburn: -1

16. Mississippi State: —

Next up for Florida

The Gators head to Knoxville next week to resume Southeastern Conference play against the Tennessee Volunteers. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Florida football faces toughest remaining schedule among FBS schools

The upcoming schedule for the Florida Gators is absolutely brutal, and unsurprisingly, the toughest any program will face this fall.

It was no secret coming into the 2024 college football campaign that the Florida Gators were facing not only the toughest schedule this season but perhaps the hardest seen in decades.

So far, Billy Napier and Co. have ground out a 3-2 record nearly halfway into the schedule, but the worst is still yet to come. Unsurprisingly, the Orange and Blue have the toughest remaining slate of any FBS school according to 247Sports writer Brad Crawford.

“Billy Napier and the Gators travel to Tennessee this weekend, the first of five games over their final seven against opponents ranked inside the top 15,” Crawford begins. “November is particularly brutal for a coach on one of the SEC’s hottest seats since Florida has to play Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss over consecutive games.”

However, the team’s recent success cannot be overlooked either, plus there is a chance to make a statement this coming weekend.

“Florida’s win over UCF last weekend was a major step in the right direction under Napier and a victory at Neyland Stadium could be a job-saver.”

Other teams among 10 toughest schedules

Following Florida, the Oklahoma Sooners come in second facing five ranked teams, followed by South Carolina Gamecocks (five), Alabama Crimson Tide (4), Ohio State Buckeyes (4), LSU Tigers (4), Georgia Bulldogs (3), Michigan Wolverines (4), Oregon Ducks (3) and Washington Huskies (3), respectively.

Next up for Florida

The Gators head to Knoxville next week to resume Southeastern Conference play against the Tennessee Volunteers. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Five-star EDGE says the Swamp was ‘real loud’ in visit with Florida

One of the highest ranked EDGE prospects in college football has a great first visit with the Gators.

Five-star EDGE Anthony Jones in the 2026 cycle visited Gainesville and watched Florida football defeat the UCF Knights, 24-13, in the Swamp last weekend.

Jones, a prospect out of St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, Alabama, and the second-ranked recruit in the state according to 247Sports, was pleased to see the Gators’ defense perform well against the Knights.

“It was great to see the home team get the win,” Jones told Swamp247 after the game. “I haven’t been to a lot of home games this year that the team I was visiting got the win. It was great to see their D-line getting in the backfield and all the blitzing they were running. It was great to see, and I could definitely see myself fitting into one of those spots on the D-line.”

Jones also credited the fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for bringing the energy.

“It was crazy in there. Real loud,” Jones said. “That is what you expect The Swamp to sound like for sure.”

Jones met some of the Florida coaches in person for the first time during his visit.

“I’ve never met them in person, so I got to do that while I was here,” Jones said. “It was good to put a face to the name, and start building a relationship.”

Jones went on to say, “They want me to come back for another game, and build a relationship. I was with coach (Larry) Williams, coach (Cannon) Gibbs, talked with coach (Billy) Napier, and was around coach Mike P (Peterson). It was a good time around all them, and meet all of them for the first time. Good conversations.”

Jones says the Gators are among several of his other top schools on his list, but it’s still early to tell.

“They’re up there, but I got to come back for more visits. So I can actually get real comfortable with everyone and the school more,” Jones said about Florida.

Jones has other football program visits on his schedule such as the Texas Longhorns, Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide. But the five-star prospect did say that he wants to try and come back for another Florida game later this season.

“I got Texas for the Georgia game, I got Miami vs. Florida State, probably Alabama vs LSU, and I think I want to try and get to Oregon,” Jones said about his scheduled visits. “I want to try and get back for another Florida game later this season. Maybe the LSU game or something like that, but not sure just yet. I want to though.”

Up next for the Gators

Florida travels on the road to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Five-star prospect still ‘confident’ in commitment with Florida football

This five-star wide receiver is ‘feeling good’ with his commitment to the Gators despite their recent struggles.

Five-star wide receiver Vernell Brown III is still confident with his commitment to Florida football despite the Gators struggles this season.

247Sports has Brown as the fourth-best recruit in the state of Florida and is the Gators highest ranked prospect in the 2025 class.

The Orlando native committed to the Gators during this past summer over other in-state programs such as the Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes, as well as other elite schools such as the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Swamp247 spoke with Brown about what his thoughts are on the Gators this season and this is what he had to say.

Florida’s start to the season

“We haven’t had the best four games obviously,” Brown said. “We’re 2-2, but it’s still kind of early in the season. It was good for us to get the win a few weeks ago (against Mississippi State), so head into the bye week with a win. I’m ready to see what the middle and second half of the season has in store for us.”

The Gators tough schedule

“Just improvement and execution,” Brown said on what he wants to see the team continue to do as the season goes on. “I mean obviously I’m aware of the schedule, and the schedule is really tough. Just would like to see if we lose those games, what I would want to see is how we potentially lose those games.”

Looking forward to playing with DJ Lagway

“It’s been good to see (DJ) Lagway get in there to get that experience because any experience is great for him,” Brown said. “When I get there, he will already be deeper in the system. Things won’t be new to him, so he will already have his feet wet, so he can make plays. That will be good for me to have him directing things, and setting up other guys to make plays with him.”

Schools are still trying to snag Brown

“The rest of the Florida schools are still trying really hard,” Brown said. “LSU has reached out over the past few weeks. Ohio State, I haven’t heard from them directly, but I have heard from others that they’re still trying. Schools are definitely still trying. As of right now though, I don’t plan on visiting anyone else.”

Confidence still there with Florida commitment

“I’m feeling good,” Brown said about his commitment to the Gators. “When I committed to Florida, I knew what the situation was and what I could potentially be when I committed. I’m still confident in my commitment, and confident that it will all work out.”

On the noise surrounding Billy Napier

“Im following it,” he said. “It’s kind of hard not to follow it with me being committed, and all the noise and smoke in the system. I am more just treating it as wait and see. Waiting and seeing what happens. They just take it day by day as the season progresses. They’re more focused on football than anything to do with that.”

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Micah Shrewsberry talks Notre Dame recruiting strategy with CBS Sports

Great job, Coach.

Notre Dame men’s basketball just had a recruiting week most programs only can dream of. Four commits since the beginning of last week, including new all-time highest-rated recruit [autotag]Jalen Haralson[/autotag], have propelled the Irish to the top of 247Sports’ recruiting rankings for the 2025 class.

Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports took notice of this and decided to reach out to [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] for some insights as part of a feature story about the Irish. Faced with a rebuild upon arriving to the program, Shrewsberry opted to hone in on high school recruiting as opposed to other programs that increasingly looked towards the transfer portal.

Shrewsberry focused on high school recruits almost out of necessity with the transfer portal about to lose the players who were granted an extra year of eligibility by COVID-19. But even taking that out of the equation, he now has the luxury of RALLY, Notre Dame’s new NIL collective, to keep players around.

When asked how this year’s Irish were able to keep almost all of their top scorers from a season ago, Shrewsberry said this:

“I think our guys believed in what we were doing, but they also believed in their teammates and the guys who were going to be their teammates. They could see the positives throughout last season and what we could look like going forward.”

The future in South Bend looks very bright, and it all has to do with the culture Shrewsberry is building. You can’t put a price on that.

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Notre Dame has unofficial visit with top 2026 women’s hoops recruit

A positive first step in the Irish’s pursuit of her.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is primed for a great season. But as promising as the present looks, preparing for the future is the best way to know whether the program will thrive. If one certain thing goes the Irish’s way, that future will look extremely promising.

Kate Harpring, an Atlanta native and the daughter of 11-year NBA veteran Matt Harpring, is the top-rated player in the 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports. As of right now, the Irish have not made her an offer unlike seven other programs.

However, there is hope that Harpring could don the blue and gold someday. She took to social media to announce that she made an unofficial visit to the Irish. While there obviously is a long way to go before she decides to take her talents to South Bend, images like the following can’t help but make one excited about the possibility:

Best of luck to Harpring in her college search, but let’s pray that she picks the Irish.

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2026 Notre Dame quarterback commit reemphasizes commitment to program

Does this make you feel better?

The news that 2025 Notre Dame quarterback commit Deuce Knight was flipping to Auburn understandably isn’t sitting well with many Irish fans. Not only was Knight their highest-rated commit in that recruiting class, but he was the only quarterback. And while some 247Sports top 100 2025 quarterback recruits remain uncommitted, none have better than a three-star rating.

The good news for Irish fans is that the program still has one quarterback commit, and that’s [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag] in the 2026 class. Even better, Irish fans don’t have to worry about him going anywhere, at least for now.

Undoubtedly prompted by the Knight news, Grubbs took to social media to reiterate his commitment to the Irish. While Irish fans will have to wait a year longer for him to arrive, they can sleep easy knowing the quarterback commit cupboard is not completely bare. If anything, this should make Grubbs even more admirable in the eyes of the fan base:

So yes, the Knight news hurts. But this post should at least inspire some confidence in the future.

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Where Florida stands in 247Sports’ SEC Power Poll after Week 5

No changes for the Orange and Blue in this week’s SEC Power Poll rankings.

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators got a bye in college football’s Week 5 but their Southeastern Conference peers saw plenty of action last weekend. The results from the gridiron shook things up a bit in the updated polls and rankings after the dust finally settled.

The biggest game was the Alabama Crimson Tide‘s home win over the Georgia Bulldogs in exciting fashion, which dethroned the ‘Dawgs from the top of many standings. The other was the Kentucky Wildcats‘ upset of the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, which put a damper on Lane Kiffin’s College Football Playoff aspirations.

It should come as no surprise that the Orange and Blue were unmoved in this week’s SEC Power Poll by 247Sports, in which Florida remains at No. 15 with just the Mississippi State Bulldogs — who it beat in Week 4 — ranked worse.

Take a look at the full results for Week 5 below.

Full SEC Power Poll results

1. Alabama (11): +4

2. Texas (5): -1

3. Tennessee: —

4. Georgia: -2

5. Missouri: +1

6. LSU: +2

7. Ole Miss: -2

8. Oklahoma: —

9. Texas A&M: —

10. Kentucky: +2

11. South Carolina: -1

12. Arkansas: -1

13. Vanderbilt: —

14. Auburn: —

15. Florida: —

16. Mississippi State: —

Up next for the Gators

Florida hosts the UCF Knights on Saturday, Oct. 5 for a Week 6 tangle between two Sunshine State rivals, with kickoff slated for 7:45 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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