Tag: Chris Thomas

Notre Dame’s Markus Burton named ACC Rookie of the Year

Congrats, Markus!

Notre Dame has a brighter future than it did a year ago, and a lot of that has to do with [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag]. The freshman “from next door in Mishawaka” as he’s introduced before home games now has some serious hardware. Burton has been named the ACC Rookie of the Year.

This is the first time a first-year Notre Dame player has earned this honor in the ACC. The Irish had two Big East Rookies of the Year in [autotag]Chris Thomas[/autotag] (2002) and [autotag]Troy Murphy[/autotag] (1999), the latter of whom just had his program rookie freshman scoring record broken by Burton (535).

Burton also tied with Duke’s Jared McCain for the most votes on the ACC All-Rookie Team. This is the third straight year a Notre Dame freshman has been so honored after JJ Starling in 2023 and [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] in 2022.

Burton, who is averaging 17.6 points, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals a game, also made the All-ACC Third Team. This marks the Irish’s return to the all-conference team after being shut out from it a year ago.

Here are some images from Burton’s impressive freshman campaign:

Top 10 Notre Dame men’s basketball players according to ChatGPT

Let’s see what AI knows about Irish men’s hoops.

For the past few months, I’ve heard quite a bit about the AI information bot known as ChatGPT. It was the subject of an episode during this past season of “South Park”. More importantly, I’ve heard how it’s such a game-changer that writing jobs are done for. We’ll see about that as I’m not too worried about it, but then again, I’m sure newspaper employees said the same thing about the internet in the mid-1990s.

When our editor Nick Shepkowski decided to ask ChatGPT what it thought Notre Dame’s 10 best football players were, I decided to follow suit and ask the same question but for the 10 best men’s basketball players instead. Keep in mind that even the bot knows this list is subjective:

“Please note that there are many other outstanding players who have played for Notre Dame and could also be included on this list.”

So keep that in mind as you go over the following list, which also includes ChatGPT’s description of each player:

Mike Brey gives insight to recruiting new players, retaining signees

The retiring coach knows what his departure means as far as trying to keep the players making up the program’s future.

[autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] recognizes that the college basketball world he’s leaving behind is not the one he entered. More than ever, players are entering the transfer portal if they think they can thrive better elsewhere, and signees and commits can change their minds at any time. Like in Brey’s case, the coach who recruited a player often leaves before the player can arrive on campus, and that can cause the player to second-guess their decision. Add the recent NIL emergence, and it gets even more complicated.

Brey was asked about his role in recruiting and retaining players for his remaining tenure after Notre Dame’s 84-72 loss to Boston College. He was asked because the program’s future just became a more pressing issue for those who will remain in the program as well as the entire fan base. While results aren’t guaranteed, it helps to know there is at least effort being put into a process that becomes more complicated with each passing year.

Here is what Brey said:

Top three defensive linemen left in the transfer portal

Top three defensive linemen left in the transfer portal #GoBucks

The Ohio State Buckeyes are always looking to better themselves and there is no better evidence of that than the recent commitment news of former Louisiana-Monroe offensive lineman, Victor Cutler. He was not the end of Ohio State’s raid on the transfer portal.

The Buckeyes look primed to have a great defensive line next season, but it is no secret the interior has been a weakness the past few years. It is the biggest difference between back-to-back national champion, Georgia, and Ohio State. I wanted to take a dive into the three best defensive linemen left in the portal in case the Buckeyes go there for some much-needed depth.

Florida adds former Memphis defensive lineman through transfer portal

Florida restocked its defensive line with the addition of Memphis transfer CamRon Jackson Friday evening.

Former Memphis defensive lineman [autotag]CamRon Jackson[/autotag] didn’t need to wait until his Jan. 4 official visit to pull the trigger on committing to the University of Florida. He took to Twitter to pledge his services to the Orange and Blue around 9 p.m. EST Friday night.

Jackson is the second defensive lineman Billy Napier has brought in, replacing the departing duo of [autotag]Chris Thomas[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag]. Louisville’s [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag] will join Jackson in Florida’s defensive line room along with returners [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris McClellan[/autotag], The Gators also have five incoming defensive linemen, but there’s no guarantee that a true freshman could step into a major role right away.

Jackson totaled 51 tackles (25 solo) and recorded five tackles for a loss, including 2.5 sacks for 13 yards, in his three years with the Tigers. He earned Third-Team All-ACC honors from Pro Football Focus in 2022 and played in all 13 of the Tigers’ games in 2022.

Jackson’s January visit will now be a celebration rather than a recruiting pitch. He knows he’s filling a major need for one of the premiere SEC programs and chose Florida over Miami, the other major contender in his recruitment. Defensive line coach Sean Spencer and defensive analyst Jamar Chaney were Jackson’s major points of contact during the process, according to 247Sports.

He joins the Gators with two years of eligibility left and should play on the interior of the offensive line.

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2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Defensive Line

One of the biggest question marks heading into the 2022 season for Florida might be the defensive line. There’s not a whole lot of experience to work with but there’s plenty of talent.

There’s less than a week left until Florida kicks off the 2022 college football season, and Gators Wire is breaking down the entire roster before kick-off. After working our way through the offense, it’s time to look at the defensive side of the ball, the unit that struggled significantly more in 2021.

First up is the defensive line, which includes both tackle positions and a strongside defensive end. [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] Sr. is the outright leader of the group following the departure of veterans such as [autotag]Zach Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Khris Bogle[/autotag] among others. The position room is relatively young and inexperienced, leaving Dexter as the only player locked into a starting role.

The good news is that those young players should be ready to take a big step forward. It will become evident who can handle the increased workload and who can’t rather quickly, and the depth chart should be much more clear following the first few weeks of action. Still, we have a pretty good idea of what things will look like up front for UF against Utah on Saturday.

Here’s a look at all 12 offensive linemen on the Gators’ 2022 fall football roster. Edge rushers will be included with our breakdown of the outside linebackers on the team.

See also:

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Running Backs

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Wide Receivers

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Tight Ends

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Offensive Line

Former Rutgers recruiting target Christopher Thomas enters transfer portal

Former Rutgers football recruiting target Chris Thomas has officially entered the transfer portal.

One of the top 30 defensive linemen and top high school football players out of Florida from the class of 2021 has entered the transfer portal. Former Florida Gator lineman Chris Thomas officially entered the transfer portal today, June 28.

The Fort Myers, FL native and Dunbar High School alum leaves the Florida program after just one season.

Thomas was actually cut by first-year head coach Billy Napier. He was one of three players cut by Napier. First-year coaches are able to cut scholarship players thanks to a NCAA bylaw, but can still stay on scholarship at the school until they graduate. Thomas opted to test the portal today instead and with the May 1 deadline already passing, he will need a waiver to be eligible at another school this season.

The big six-foot-seven, 300+ pound former Rutgers recruiting target saw varied rankings. Rivals.com had the interior defender rated as a three-star recruit and No. 26 at his position in the class of 2021. 247Sports Composite also ranked him as a three-star, setting in at No. 61 in the state of Florida.

On3 rated him higher, giving him a four-star rating, ranking him No. 20 at his position and No. 26 in Florida for his class.

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The decision isn’t a huge surprise considering Thomas only saw game time in one contest as a freshman. Prior to committing to play for the Gators, he received offers from very strong programs like Miami, Florida State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. He also saw offers from Big Ten powers Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, and of course Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were his second offer and his first Power Five offer.

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Head coach Greg Schiano has had a lot of success targeting players from Florida and developing them into strong contributors. If Rutgers were to take a second look at Thomas, he could be a strong contributor on defense at SHI Stadium soon.

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Three Gators cut from team by Napier, fourth on thin ice

Three Gators are no longer with the team after Billy Napier informed them of his decision.

At some point, this moment had to come for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. On Wednesday, the first-year head coach informed three players that they were no longer on the team, according to 247Sports. Safety [autotag]Mordecai McDaniel[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Chris Thomas[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Fenley Graham[/autotag], who switched to the position during the offseason after playing in the secondary for the past two seasons, are expected to enter the transfer portal as a result.

Receiver [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] was initially removed from the updated roster as well, and the sports information director told several reporters that he was also cut, but that turned out to be a miscommunication after team leaders went to Napier in hopes of reversing the decision. Napier obliged, but the three remaining cuts still came off as a bit of a shock, both to the team and the fanbase.

Graham was a fan favorite. One of the many former Lakeland Dreadnaughts that have come to Florida, his willingness to switch positions earned him praise from wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] during the spring and it was believed that he’d be in the conversation to be a kick returner in the fall. But these cuts reportedly had little to do with talent and where they were at on the depth chart and more about who was buying into the new culture.

McDaniel is another name that many expected to see contribute in some fashion this season after playing in all 13 games last year and 10 as a freshman. Thomas was a three-star recruit who saw action in just a single game as a freshman, so his cut is less surprising, but it still sends a message to the team. At the same time, doing this after the spring has given Napier enough time to earn the respect of his players.

First-year coaches are able to make these cuts of scholarship players thanks to an NCAA bylaw, but they can still stay on scholarship at the school until they graduate. Most players test the portal, though, and find new opportunities. The only problem is that the May 1 deadline has come and gone, so these players need a waiver to be eligible at another school in the upcoming season.

Florida is down to 87 scholarship players following the move. That means there’s a chance that two or more players are cut.

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Notre Dame dominates Clemson to extend winning streak to six

That was a whooping.

We don’t know what position Notre Dame will be in come Selection Sunday in two months. What we do know is this team is rolling, and there are games that seem much easier than others. Wednesday was one of those games as Clemson never had a chance in a 72-56 Irish victory at Purcell Pavilion.

The Irish (10-5, 4-1) got off to a fast start and never looked back in their sixth straight win. Once the lead was extended to double digits with nine minutes left in the first half, that’s where it stayed. The second half was a mere formality as the Tigers (10-6, 2-3) were too far behind to make any serious comeback attempt. It was such a dominant effort that Mike Brey, whose effort to draw students to this game appeared to have paid off, decided to sub in several end-of-bench guys for the final minute.

Dane Goodwin scored 21 points for the second time this season on 8-of-10 shooting to lead all scorers. Blake Wesley added 20, meaning he has scored at least that many points in back-to-back games. Not since Chris Thomas in 2002 have the Irish had a freshman accomplish that. Nate Laszewski had eight points to go with a game-high eight rebounds.

Notre Dame to meet Clemson in battle of hot teams

The Irish will try to tame the Tigers.

In a season many are considering a down one for the ACC, two programs trying to stand tall are about to meet in South Bend. Notre Dame (9-5, 3-1), which has won six of its past seven games, will host a Clemson (10-5, 2-2) team that has achieved five victories in its previous six contests. Whoever loses this matchup could have its momentum derailed, and that’s the last thing anyone in this conference needs this season.

As they have several times this season, the Irish will turn to phenom Blake Wesley, who was just named ACC Freshman of the Week for the second time. At an even 200 points, he’s the first true Irish freshman to achieve that feat since Chris Thomas during the 2001-02 season. While the Irish have a projected lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft, the Tigers don’t have anyone ready to make the jump to basketball’s highest level. In this and many other games for the rest of the this season, that could prove to be a crucial advantage.