Texas A&M WR Evan Stewart has officially entered the transfer portal

It has been reported that Texas A&M wide receiver Evan Stewart has entered his name in the transfer portal as of Tuesday, Dec. 19.

The saga is over concerning Texas A&M wide receiver Evan Stewart, as the former five-star prospect within the Aggies’ historic 2022 recruiting class has officially entered his name into the transfer portal after weeks of speculation and complete silence on both sides.

According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer, Stewart, who has been absent from bowl game practices according to interim head coach Elijah Robinson, notably missed the last four games of the regular season and made waves when he chose not to travel with the team during A&M’s season finale road matchup vs. LSU.

After the Nov. 12 firing of now-former head coach Jimbo Fisher, new head coach Mike Elko, who left the program after the 2021 season, did help recruit Stewart in the 2022 cycle. Still, like several of the Aggies transfer portal departures, prior relationships are only a small part of the puzzle in today’s NIL-driven college football landscape.

Stewart, who finished second on the team in receiving yards (514) and receiving touchdowns (4), has dealt with a multitude of injury issues in the first and second half of the season, most recently missing two out of A&M’s last three games, while his return in last weekends 38-10 win over Abilene Christian saw just one reception for eight yards.

Stewart joins wide receiver Raymond Cottrell, who recently committed to Kentucky, as the only other Texas A&M WR to enter the portal. At the same time, incoming junior Aggie wideout Noah Thomas recently announced his return for the 2024 season on Monday.

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Texas A&M Quarterback Max Johnson has entered the transfer portal

According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer, Texas A&M will lose veteran quarterback Max Johnson to the transfer portal.

According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer, veteran Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson has entered the transfer portal after two seasons with the program.

Plagued by injuries during his short Aggie career, Johnson saw action in eight games this season, including five starts, before sustaining a season-ending rib injury in A&M’s 38-35 loss to Ole Miss on Nov. 4. During the season, Johnson threw1,452 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions on the year.

Former Fresno State quarterback Jaylen Henderson, who started the last three games for Texas A&M this season, has shown tremendous ability and sheer potential going into the 2024 season. While Johnson holds the advantage in the realm of experience, Henderson likely solidified his spot as the No. 2 quarterback after his performance against LSU next season.

Looking ahead, A&M’s quarterback room looks to be in fantastic shape, as Henderson joins starter Conner Weigman and Marcel Reed and 2024 four-star QBs AJ Maddox and Miles O’Neill, who will make their way to College Station next spring/summer.

In his career at both LSU and Texas A&M, Max Johnson has produced 5,853 passing yards, 47 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions in four seasons.

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What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame vs. USC

See who thinks the Irish have a chance.

Notre Dame really needs to find a way to beat USC. The national title hopes are gone, but this could be key in determining the direction of the program. Win, and everything will seem fine, at least for one night. Lose, and even more questions will be raised.

Here are the prognostications from some college football experts:

Texas A&M LB Taurean York has been named 247Sports ‘True Freshman of the Week’

After leading the Aggies in tackles in Texas A&M’s 27-10 win over Auburn, freshman LB Tauren York is 247Sports’ True Freshman of the Week.

Texas A&M freshman linebacker Taurean York has been a revelation for a team that may have found the missing link in the middle of the defense. Coming in a three-star player in the 2023 recruiting class, York’s ascendence as a first-year starter may have surprised the Aggie fan base, but for head coach Jimbo Fisher, he is wise beyond his years.

“Very mature. He’s a kid that is 18 going on 30, and I say that from a standpoint of how he learned and how he act. He’s a very intelligent guy and a very well-rounded guy that has had a very good cam. A true freshman that can make calls for you.”

So far, so good, as York, starting at the MIKE linebacker spot, is second on the team in tackles with 22, making nearly every defensive call. During the Aggies 27-10 SEC opening win against Auburn on Saturday, the Temple, Texas native had himself a day, recording a game-high 11 tackles with half a sack and two tackles for loss while perfectly positioning the defensive line to record seven sacks on the afternoon, their most in six seasons.

With one of the best defensive performances on the college football weekend, York was named 247Sports‘ “True Freshman of the Week,” notably quarterback a defense that held the Tigers to only 10 points, 3.1 yards per play, and only 54 yards through the air.

Not only was Taurean York making the defensive calls that led to consistent pressure in the pocket, but his playmaking ability and impressive speed and tackling in space are something I expect to see every week. In contrast, his sneaky ability to rush the passer is very intriguing moving forward. Again, give Jimbo Fisher a ton of credit for finding York and luring him away from Baylor, where he was previously committed for most of his recruiting process.

He’s only going to get better with what he does, the reads he makes, and the assignments. The kid is a heck of a player and he’s a very mature kid. Happy for him.”

Congratulations on the honor, Taurean! Gig ’em.

Texas A&M will now travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT., and air on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

Who do you have in this game?

Notre Dame is hosting Ohio State on Saturday. Does anything else need to be said? No? OK, let’s just see who the experts think will win:

247Sports lists Texas A&M as a team ‘set to rise’ in 2023

Focused on rebounding after the dreadful 5-7 2022 season, Texas A&M is seen as a team “on the rise” ahead of the pivotal 2023 season.

College football programs recently applied for the 2022 TCU redemption track are being denied in droves ahead of the 2023 season. Still, one well-known team in College Station, Texas, has received a special invitation to go 12-0 and win a National Title to drive the CFB world insane.

Okay, I’m kidding, but Texas A&M, who went a dreadful 5-7 (2-6 SEC) last season, is a team to watch out for, mainly since the Aggies return more starters than any team in the SEC. At the same time, new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino should bring ingenuity to what was a stale and predictable offense in 2022.

On Monday, Chris Hummer of 247Sports put together an extensive list of every program he believes will “Rise” or “Tumble” in 2023 while putting a heavy emphasis on Texas A&M’s highly talented members of the historic 2022 recruiting class, whose “trial by fire” season should result in immense growth. Here’s what Hummer had to say about the Aggie’s chances to take the next step:

“A lot was made this offseason about Texas A&M’s losses in the transfer portal, but most of the players who departed were backups. As it is, the Aggies return more production than any team in the SEC.

And given how young they were as a team a year ago, it’s easy to envision Texas A&M making a leap in 2023.

There’s undoubtedly some hope surrounding likely starting quarterback Conner Weigman. He played well down the stretch last season as a five-star true freshman, finishing 2-2 as a starter and throwing eight touchdowns without an interception. Weigman should be a second-year upgrade over the Aggies’ three-man revolving door at the position a year ago. It helps he’ll be able to lob passes to star sophomore wide receiver Evan Stewart.”

Hummer may be one of the first non-A&M media members to note that within A&M’s 30-plus transfers this offseason, a bulk of the departing players were backups who would have still seen limited playing time in 2023, so more power to them to search descend on greener pastures.

Sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman’s second-year ascendance controls most of the talking points related to the program’s potential jump, but what has been widely ignored is the progress on the offensive line, a unit coached by Steve Addazio, whose recruiting prowess speaks for itself this offseason. Still, his performance on the field last season was adequate at best.

Yes, injuries took their toll, but all five starters are returning, including center Bryce Foster, right guard Layden Robinson, and right tackle Reuben Fatheree III. In contrast, sophomore guard Kam Dewberry and left tackle Trey Zuhn look to find consistency early. If the O-line struggles, Petrino’s innovative play-calling won’t be able to save a Texas A&M team that has only themselves to blame if things go awry.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

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247Sports includes trio of Sooners among top 100 impact freshmen

247Sports believes these freshmen defenders are primed to make an impact in 2023 for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class could be legendary for Brent Venables’ tenure as Oklahoma’s head coach. In many ways, that class could lay the foundation for what the Sooners will be and look like with Venables at the helm.

It’s the best Oklahoma class on paper in years. Defensively, it’s undoubtedly the best defensive class the Sooners have had in quite some time. The 2024 class could top it defensively, but we won’t count those chickens before they hatch.

What we can count on, though, is that 247Sports agrees and believes that Oklahoma has some talented freshmen that can be playmakers from the start.  247 tabbed 100 freshmen they believe will be impact players in 2023. Three Sooners were included on the list, and each of them was on the defensive side of the ball. The names included safety Peyton Bowen, EDGE Adepoju Adebawore, and cornerback Jasiah Wagoner.

Bowen, No. 57 overall and the No. 3 safety in their final rankings has already made an impression in his first spring in Norman. He had one of the craziest recruitments in recent memory, but once he landed on campus, he made plays and culminated his first spring with an interception of starting QB Dillon Gabriel in the spring game. Brent Venables couldn’t speak highly enough of Bowen in the early part of his tenure.

You could argue safety is one of Oklahoma’s deepest positions with both Billy Bowman and Key Lawrence back, along with Texas Tech transfer Reggie Pearson. But good luck keeping Bowen off the field. Fans got a glimpse of his talents in the spring game when he intercepted Dillon Gabriel on a deep shot. Bowen is going to be in the two deep at safety and can also play some nickel. He’ll see plenty of reps this year, helping a Sooners pass defense that needs to take a major step. – Chris Hummer, 247Sports

Hummer believes Oklahoma’s safety group is better than last year’s and reasonably deep, but Bowen is known as a deep safety playmaker. Bowen’s athleticism and processing speed will make it hard for the coaching staff to keep him off the field. He’s gotten reps at both safety positions, nickel, and Cheetah throughout spring practice.

Joining him in the secondary is cornerback Jasiah Wagoner. Wagoner, a native of Washington, created a lot of spring buzz with his play inside and outside. He’s feisty, and while he’s only 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds but plays like he’s 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. Oklahoma is in the business of finding steady play at cornerback opposite senior leader Woodi Washington. Wagoner may be someone that can provide that. Wagoner was the No. 31 CB in his class.

Speaking of players who could help a shaky pass defense, Wagoner is another to watch after a strong spring practice run. The Spanaway (Wash.) Lake product earned his share of first-team reps, and he’s well positioned to play important snaps for OU after Jaden Davis transferred and D.J. Graham switched to the offensive side of the ball. The 5-foot-11, 171-pound Wagoner has also drawn high praise from the Sooners staff publicly. – Hummer, 247Sports

And last but certainly not least, EDGE Adepoju Adebawore is the third Sooner freshman on the list. Adebawore looks physically ready to make an impact, but he’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. He has an NFL pedigree. His older brother was selected in the 2023 NFL draft after tearing up the NFL scouting combine with his athletic testing.

Adebawore is a player who could push for significant pass-rushing snaps throughout the season due to his insane athletic profile. Oklahoma’s pass rush was a huge reason their defense was terrible last season. Middle-of-the-road passing teams were able to do what they wanted against the Sooners’ defense. Adebawore could help with that from the outset. As the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2023 class, big things are expected from Adebawore.

One of the true athletic freaks from the 2023 class, Adebawore pairs his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame with an 85-inch wingspan, 10-inch hands and a verified 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash — and 34 inches in the vertical jump. He’s an athletic marvel and someone who will only get freakier as he adds weight. As it is, Adebawore is fast and twitchy enough to make an immediate impact. Oklahoma needs him to do so, too. The Sooners struggled to generate pressure without blitzing last year (a usual staple of Brent Venables’ defenses), and Adebawore and a few transfers should help address that issue. – Hummer, 247Sports

Oklahoma’s season hinges on the defense’s ability to improve. If that happens, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Oklahoma doesn’t at least win nine games. Bowen, Wagoner, and Adebawore have a chance to make an impact this season and be cornerstones to Oklahoma’s defensive resurgence.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

247Sports still believes Notre Dame QB Buchner’s ‘ceiling is high’

Is it?

When the quarterback derby was ended early in fall practice, [autotag]Tyler Buchner[/autotag] had emerged as the choice for head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag]. Unfortunately, Buchner went down with a season ending shoulder injury during the Marshall game, just the second contest of the season.

Since Buchner’s recruiting class was now a season and-a-half into their careers, it represented a solid point to look back at the class and be able to dig a bit deeper into if they were ranked accordingly. Chris Hummer of 247Sports did so and when talking about Buchner, their 10th ranked quarterback of the 2021 class, he believes that “Buchner’s ceiling is high.”

The obvious issue has been health, as Hummer recalled that just one time during the last five seasons of football for Buchner has he completed the year. That seems to be his bugaboo, it’s hindered his development. When the Californian has been healthy, it’s been a mixed bag however, with three touchdown passes to five interceptions.

The stats tell part of the story but back to Hummer’s comments about Buchner’s ceiling, which could be what propels Notre Dame back to competing for a College Football Playoff spot. If, and at this point it’s a huge if, Buchner can stay healthy for an extended period of time, the talent is there to show improvement and win plenty of games.

We all know Buchner as a runner can hurt defenses, but without getting live reps against those defenses, it’s hard to become a better passer. It all comes down to his health, if he can stay on the field long enough to use his solid skill set. I don’t disagree that the ceiling is high, but the injury caveat will loom over Buchner until he is able to shake it.

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What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame at Ohio State

What’s your pick?

Notre Dame has a tough draw to open 2022 by playing at Ohio State. We don’t know if the Irish have an upset in them, but you better believe it would vault them even higher in the rankings than they already are. If there are any actual believers in the Irish for this contest, we’d be interested to know why because they sure aren’t many.

Let’s look at what some college football experts, including those on the Wire sites, are predicting for this game:

Oklahoma Sooners deemed ‘losers’ of the 2022 quarterback carousel by 247Sports

With the losses of former top quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams, 247Sports named Oklahoma ‘losers’ of the 2022 QB carousel despite the addition of Dillon Gabriel.

While many within the Oklahoma community view the Sooners’ quarterback situation as a win, others around the college football world don’t share that same opinion. In a recent look at the offseason quarterback carousel, the Oklahoma Sooners were named losers by 247Sports.

The additions of Jeff Lebby led to the commitments of Dillon Gabriel and Nick Evers and with Lebby’s success with Matt Corral at Ole Miss, the Sooners are still in really good shape at quarterback even if the last few months have represented a net loss at the quarterback position. But as 2021 showed us, having the better quarterback doesn’t always lead to wins.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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