Tag: Chase Bisontis

Texas A&M OL duo Chase Bisontis and Mark Nabou announce their return for the 2024 season

It’s official: Texas A&M offensive linemen Chase Bisontis and Mark Nabou will return for the 2024 season.

During Wednesday’s national signing day, Texas A&M and new head coach Mike Elko were as busy as ever, signing 12 players, including three four-star offensive linemen, as many of the issues that plagued the Aggies in 2023 stemmed from poor play in the trenches.

Even better news: new offensive line coach Adam Cushing is poised to have nearly every starting offensive lineman from last season returning in 2024, as it was announced on Wednesday night that starting right tackle Chase Bisontis and reserve guard Mark Nabou, who started multiple games at center and left guard last season, will also return in 2024.

After withdrawing from the transfer portal on Tuesday night, Bisontis, who dealt with the annual freshman “baptism by fire” season, steadily improved down the stretch due to his elite traits and brute strength.

Mark Nabou’s ascendance as one of the team’s highest-rated blockers not only provided a consistent impact when his name was called, but with the departure of veteran right guard Layden Robinson, Nabou may be the perfect fit to fill said void, placing fellow returnee Kam Dewberry at left guard.

In a similar fashion to every returning player, Bisontis and Nabou, through Texas A&M’s NIL initiative Texas United, posted their announcements on X, cementing what could be one of the better offensive lines in SEC play, if, and that’s a big if Adam Cushing can unlock this groups potential finally.

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4-star OL Blake Ivy signs with Texas A&M over LSU and Texas

Aggies head coach Mike Elko has ensured in recent days that no matter who starts under center at QB next year, they will be well-protected.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has ensured in recent days that no matter who starts under center for the Aggies next season, they will be well-protected.

Freshman All-SEC offensive lineman Chase Bisontis withdrew his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal on Tuesday. The early signing period opened Wednesday and three 4-star offensive linemen put pen to paper and committed to Texas A&M, beginning with Ashton Funk and Papa Ahfua.

The third pass protector to sign his name on the dotted line is Blake Ivy. The 6-foot-3 1/2, 280-pound offensive tackle hails from Clear Springs High School in League City, Texas.

Ivy verbally committed to the Aggies on Aug. 19. He had 18 total offers and took respective visits to Texas A&M, LSU and Texas.

“I appreciate everyone coming out and supporting me today. I know it’s early and you had a lot of things you could do but y’all are here, so I appreciate that,” Ivy said in August. “I would like to first start by giving thanks to God for blessing me with the ability and talents to take this game and use it as a tool to better my future. To my family, for all the unconditional love and support throughout my life and my football journey. To my mom, for bringing me into this world and raising me to be the man I am today. Even though it always wasn’t easy, for believing in me, seeing the best in me and sacrificing to get things that we need and want, even though it wasn’t always easy.

“To my dad for stepping into my life, when my biological father didn’t want to be there. For showing me what a real man looks like protecting and providing for his family and for teaching me valuable lessons that I will take with me in my next chapter in life. Thank you to all the coaches and teammates for bringing the best out of me every day and helping me get to where I am today. I want to thank all the college coaches who saw something in me, giving me a chance to play for their team and be a part of their family.

“With that being said, I will be attending Texas A&M University.”

https://www.youtube.com/live/8IRdy7hkHBw?si=o2Zl_6xk4DtamgUf&t=1260

Other notable schools that offered Ivy include Baylor, Florida, Houston, Missouri, Ole Miss, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, UTSA and Vanderbilt.

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Report: Aggies freshman OL Chase Bistontis withdraws from NCAA Transfer Portal

Elko isn’t solely focused on bringing in players from the transfer portal, he’s also doing everything he can to keep current Aggies in town.

New Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko isn’t solely focused on bringing players to College Station from the NCAA Transfer Portal, he’s also doing everything he can to keep current Aggies from transferring elsewhere.

The latest example is phenomenal freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis. According to a report from 247Sports national college football reporters Chris Hummer & Matt Zenitz, Bisontis withdrew his name from the portal on Tuesday night.

Bisontis entered the portal on Dec. 6. He’s a 6-foot-6, 320-pound right tackle who was a 4-star recruit and the No. 1 player in his state coming out of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. He started in all 12 regular season games for the Aggies in 2023 and was named a Freshman All-American.

Bistontis was 1-of-3 Texas A&M players to earn Freshman All-SEC honors on Dec. 7 along with running back Rueben Owens and linebacker Taurean York. He returns to Kyle Field with three years of eligibility remaining.

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Bleacher Report predicts two high-profile transfers to Michigan football

If #Michigan can land these two guys, it will be a big win! #GoBlue

Last year around this time, Michigan football was highly active in the transfer portal for perhaps the first time.

Before even getting to the College Football Playoff semifinal, the Wolverines had commitments from former Nebraska linebacker Ernest Hausmann and Arizona State offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson. Both played big roles for the maize and blue in 2023. Certainly, Michigan is hoping to replicate last year’s success in the portal in 2024.

The Wolverines are chasing several big targets, including Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout and Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham. But there are some other big fish many are hoping will land in Ann Arbor.

Bleacher Report predicted 12 big-name transfer targets and where they’ll end up. Michigan was predicted to land two. The first was former four-star Texas A&M offensive lineman Chase Bisontis.

LSU is trying really hard with Bisontis, and it’s still early in the process, but he is a kid from New Jersey who may want to get closer home.

With the Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions and Rutgers Scarlet Knights in pursuit, those are a handful teams that could grant him that opportunity.

The Wolverines have put together the nation’s best offensive line consistently, and a roll-of-the-dice pick here is for Jim Harbaugh’s team.

Prediction: Michigan

Bisontis is listed as a four-star in the transfer portal rankings by 247Sports and the No. 8 prospect overall.

The other prediction belongs to a local product who headed west, former five-star Dante Moore, the former Detroit (Mich.) King quarterback coached by Devin Gardner.

So, where does he end up? That’s the million-dollar question right now.

Allen Trieu of 247Sports wrote recently that Moore “possibly” will visit Oregon next weekend, and that’s even with the Ducks securing a portal commitment from Dillon Gabriel, who has one year of eligibility remaining.

If Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy decides to forego his final season in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines could be a major threat to land Moore, too. Miami is another program that has been linked to the 18-year-old and has some predictions on his On3 profile.

Moore may take his time, a la Jayden Daniels a couple of seasons ago. But if things line up and McCarthy leaves the Wolverines, it makes too much sense not to predict. It’s all up in the air right now.

Prediction: Michigan

Moore is visiting Oregon, reportedly, even though the Ducks landed Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma. Looking to develop rather than play right away, he still may be looking at what incumbent starter J.J. McCarthy will do, whether or not he’ll go to the NFL draft this offseason or remain with the program.

Michigan football in contact with top SEC transfer

The Michigan football program has thrown their hat in the ring for Chase Bisontis along with USC, Ohio State, Georgia, and more

Texas A&M offensive lineman Chase Bisontis has been contacted with Michigan since entering the portal, per On3 recruiting and portal insider Hayes Fawcett.

Bisontis was a top-ranked prospect coming out of high school. With a grade of .9798, the 247Sports Composite had him tabbed as a top 50 player nationally and the first-ranked interior offensive lineman in the class. Bisontis played high school ball at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, meaning that a move closer to home might appeal to the youngster.

Though Bisontis was just a true freshman in 2023, he started all twelve games for the Aggies at right tackle and was named to the Freshman All-SEC team. Obviously, anyone who can contribute for a Power Five program as a first-year player is special. As a portal entry, Bisontis is the eighth overall player and the top-ranked tackle.

The Wolverines will likely be losing all of their starters on the offensive line after this season, so Bisontis will be able to compete for multiple starting spots. At tackle, graduate students Trente Jones and Myles Hinton will be his competition, but Bisontis can slide inside and play guard as well. There’s a lot up in the air, but my early prediction is that Giovanni El-Hadi will secure one starting spot and Bisontis would challenge Jeffrey Persi for the final spot. With Bisontis on board, the most likely starting group would be Hinton/El-Hadi/Crippen/Bisontis/Jones. That group could rival the performance of 2021 and 2022’s award-winning crews.

As expected, Bisontis is a wanted commodity. Bisontis is reporting contact with 26 programs, including the likes of Ohio State, LSU, Penn State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, and Clemson. Michigan has developed a name for itself as a top-tier offensive line program in terms of development, so that should give the program a leg in the door.

Michigan will likely be active in the portal once again. The Wolverines are one of the most attractive destinations in college and should be able to reel in big fish like Bisontis. Expect Sherrone Moore to make Michigan a real contender here.

Auburn showing interest in Texas A&M OL Chase Bisontis

Bisontis is one of the most popular names currently in the transfer portal.

[autotag]Chase Bisontis[/autotag] was a productive member of Texas A&M‘s offensive line in 2023.

In 12 games, he played 544 snaps, with 543 of those at right tackle according to Pro Football Focus. Bisontis also allowed just four sacks in 290 pass plays this season for the Aggies.

So it is easy to see why he is gaining interest from several Power Five programs, including Auburn, now that he has officially entered the transfer portal.

Bisontis has received interest from over 20 programs according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Auburn is one of 10 SEC programs that have reached out to Bisontis in hopes that he will choose them as his next home. On3’s Pete Nakos lists LSU as the early favorite to land Bisontis, but Bisontis has not officially announced a commitment date.

It never hurts to have depth at the offensive line unit, but the tackle position is not an immediate need for the Tigers heading into 2024. The team’s primary tackles, [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag] and [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag], are eligible to return to the team next season. However, Bisontis was a talented piece of the 2023 recruiting cycle by being ranked the No. 2 offensive lineman of the class, and the No. 1 player out of New Jersey. If he were to consider Auburn, Freeze and offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] could work with him in order to find the role that is best suited for him.

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8 transfer portal entrants that Alabama could pursue

Alabama has struck gold multiple times by landing stars from the transfer portal. Here are eight names currently in the portal to keep an eye on!

The window for undergraduates to enter the transfer portal opened up on Monday, Dec. 4. Since then, there has been a multitude of players that have entered the transfer portal.

Alabama has shown interest in Texas A&M defensive line transfer Lebbeus “LT” Overton. Other than that, there has not been confirmed interest that Alabama is pursuing any other transfers.

It will be interesting to see if Alabama decides to target any transfers that are currently available or wait until other players become available in the transfer portal.

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at eight transfer portal entrants that Alabama could look to pursue in the near future.

3 Texas A&M football players earn Freshman All-SEC honors

OL Chase Bisontis, RB Rueben Owens and LB Taurean York stood out among the Aggies to earn respective selections for the All-SEC Freshman team.

Several Aggies had phenomenal freshman campaigns in 2023 but three Texas A&M football players stood out among the rest to earn a selection for the All-SEC Freshman team.

Offensive lineman Chase Bisontis, running back Rueben Owens and linebacker Taurean York were recognized for their play this past season with Freshman All-SEC honors.

Bisontis is a 6-foot-6, 320-pound right tackle who was a 4-star recruit and the No. 1 player in his state coming out of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. He started in all 12 regular season games for the Aggies in 2023 and was named a Freshman All-American. However, Bisontis may depart College Station after only one year after entering the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday afternoon.

Owens was a 5-star prospect and top two running back in the 2022 recruiting class coming out of El Campo High School in Texas. He played in every contest for Texas A&M during the regular season and averaged nearly 47 all-purpose yards per game. Owens racked up totals of 359 yards rushing, 202 kick return yards, 101 yards receiving and three touchdowns this year.

York was named the Dave Campbell Texas Football All-Texas Defensive Freshman of the Year on Monday and is currently a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. As a freshman at Temple High School, York shared the Texas District 12-6A co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year award. He proceeded to earn the district’s Defensive MVP the following three seasons.

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Texas A&M OL Chase Bisontis will enter the transfer portal

It has been reported that freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis will enter the transfer portal after starting 12 games for Texas A&M.

The offensive line took a blow when reports surfaced that All-SEC freshman Chase Bisontis entered the transfer portal. After the firing of offensive line coach Steve Adazzio, whom Bisontis has developed a close relationship with from the start of his recruiting journey to landing in College Station, it looks like the budding star is looking for a fresh start.

With their presumed departures, several players have now entered the portal thus far, but keep an eye on the defensive line as some rumored transfers are coming. After the passing of coach Terry Price’s year and the future departure of defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, some attrition in the defensive trenches is expected.

Concerning Bistontis’s playing future, keep an eye on Rutgers, as the New Jersey native could be looking to play closer to home and find more consistency in the Big 10. Starting at right tackle during all 12 games this season, SEC experience will likely increase his chance to land wherever he pleases.

We wish Chase the best and will keep our eye on the portal news to see if Elko brings in a veteran OL to help out the room next year.

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Two standout Aggies named to On3’s True Freshman All-American Team

After impressive 2023 debuts, Texas A&M freshmen Taurean York (LB) and Chase Bisontis (OL) were named to the On3 Freshman All-American team.

Texas A&M’s 2023 season will mostly be remembered for the firing of longtime head football coach Jimbo Fisher and the subsequent hiring of new head coach Mike Elko, who was the Aggie’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2021.

Ending the regular season at 7-5 with an impending bowl game to be announced on Sunday, this has been an average season at best, but that doesn’t discount the play of several young players on the Aggies roster, including freshman linebacker Taurean York, and freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis.

This week, On3 released their final Freshman All-American Team, as York joined Texas linebacker Anthony Hill (previously committed to Texas A&M) and Virginia linebacker Kam Robinson. Bisontis, who started at right tackle for a majority of the season, joined Francis Mauigoa (Miami), Kayden Proctor (Alabama), Spencer Fano (Utah), and Ethan Mackenny (Georgia Tech).

York, who recorded 66 Total Tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble, was second on the team behind standout junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who led the team with 83 tackles, eight sacks, and 17 tackles for loss on the year. Coming into the year, after losing Anthony Hill to the Longhorns, York’s average recruiting ranking was quickly disputed as soon as he hit the field, possessing the speed, vision, strength, and intelligence to man the Aggie D for years to come.

For Bisontis, it was an up-and-down season built on slow but steady progress, leading to grading out as the highest-rated offensive player in A&M’s road loss to Ole Miss, per Pro Football Focus. Bisontis is on the right track, barring whoever Mike Elko selects as A&M’s new offensive line coach.

Congratulations to both young men on their achievements during the 2023 season.

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