Tag: College Football News

Nick Saban returning to LSU with College Gameday in week 11

Nick Saban will be in Baton Rouge next week. Except this time he’s on a TV set and not the sideline.

With College Gameday selecting the LSU-Alabama meeting for its week 11 destination, it means a return to Baton Rouge for Nick Saban.

Perhaps no man is more familiar with this rivalry than Saban, who coached at LSU from 2000-2004 before he built his dynasty at Alabama from 2007-2023. Saban led LSU to a national title in 2003 and added six more rings at Alabama.

He’ll be remembered for his time at Alabama, but Saban often speaks highly of his years in Baton Rouge.

Saban’s last public appearance in Baton Rouge was in 2022 — when Brian Kelly and Jayden Daniels upset Saban’s Crimson Tide squad.

Now that Saban is off the sideline, he’ll have a chance to appreciate LSU and Baton Rouge in a different way. I’d expect Gameday to lean into the storyline, playing with the energy from the crowd.

Saban’s 48 wins at LSU rank fifth in program history. His .750 win percentage ranks second, only behind Les Miles, among LSU coaches with two or more seasons.

LSU and Alabama each have open weeks in week 10, but the game is college football’s premier matchup in week 11.

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College Football News makes bold prediction about Ohio State in 2024

Do you agree with College Football News? #GoBucks

The Ohio State Buckeyes have made the College Football Playoff five times, have a 3-4 record in those games, advancing to the national championship twice and winning it once.

The first time they reigned supreme over the college football world was 2014, and they haven’t done so since, losing in the 2020 CFP national championship opposite Alabama.

Ohio State won the championship during the first playoff format, and now the Buckeyes are on the short list to take it home during the first 12-team playoff as well. That is at least what College Football News thinks.

Writer Pete Fiutak is predicting the final game of the season to occur between Georgia and Ohio State with the Buckeyes coming out on top. Why does Fiutak think it’ll be those two going at it?

“Ohio State and Georgia will be the two best teams in college football by far, they’ll steamroll through the season, and despite the month-long journey that will be the expanded College Football Playoff, they’ll make it here in what should be one of the best matchups in CFP Championship history — brief as it has been,” wrote Fiutak.

Fiutak goes on to say that the Buckeyes will beat the Bulldogs as well. He also broke down five teams that could vie for a spot in the championship, listing Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Utah as the other options.

Ohio State, for most of the season, should be among those chosen to win it all, and that journey begins with Akron on August 31, thankfully just a few short weeks away.

Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks has allowed just two QB hits since 2022

Kelvin Banks is one of the best in the country per Pro Football Focus.

The Texas Longhorns have one of the best offensive linemen in the country. Left tackle Kelvin Banks has been one of the top players at his position in two seasons of college football.

Per Pro Football Focus, Banks has only allowed two quarterback hits in 1,006 pass blocking snaps. The publication gives Banks a 84.7 grade over the two-year span.

There aren’t many offensive linemen graded better than Banks but an objective eye can see how good he is on the field. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has been given more time to throw than past Longhorns quarterbacks and Banks is a huge reason for it.

The former five-star has lived up to his rating since taking over left tackle for Texas. Banks and center Jake Majors lead one of the most experience lines in the country in 2024, and there’s no better time to have a good offensive line than a first season in the SEC.

Banks will look to put a third good season on film this year for the 2025 NFL draft.

Texas ranked No. 3 nationally in pass blocking grade in 2023

Texas was one of the best pass blocking lines in college football last season.

The Texas Longhorns return one of the best pass blocking lines in the country. According to Pro Football Focus the team ranked No. 3 in the nation in its pass blocking grades.

The Longhorns line was given a 86.8 grade in pass blocking by the performance grading publication. The two higher graded lines were the Oregon Ducks (91.4) and the UTEP Miners (87.1).

Say what you will about what Texas loses at other positions. Expecting less than very good play from the Longhorns’ offensive line would be misguided. The team returns 83% of its offensive line snaps from a season ago, the most in the SEC.

Four starters return with Kelvin Banks, Hayden Conner, Jake Majors and DJ Campbell. High rep backup contributors are also back with Cole Hutson, Cam Williams and jumbo package tight end Malik Agbo.

Perhaps you’re putting two and two together. The majority of the line that excelled in keeping quarterback Quinn Ewers upright is back, and they’re probably going to be good again.

If the game of football isn’t won in the trenches, it is sometimes lost there. Texas’ returning experience and production at offensive line should be an advantage in 2024.

Texas DT Alfred Collins hasn’t broke out, but could in 2024

Alfred Collins’ breakout could be imminent. We share why it hasn’t happened yet.

There are roughly 95 days until the Texas Longhorns kicks off against Colorado State to begin the college football season. 95 is, of course, the number Alfred Collins wears. Collins, the former five-star prospect, hasn’t yet realized his five-star potential, but is primed to break out in 2024.

Some might already label the player a bust or write off his ability to contribute. After all, if he’s really as good as he was projected to be we should have seen it by now, they might suggest. That’s a logical outsider perspective, but not the full story.

Alfred Collins isn’t a bust. In fact, you could argue we actually have seen Collins play like a five-star. We’ve seen him throw NFL tackle Anton Harrison to the ground before sacking Spencer Rattler. We’ve seen him snag a one-handed interception in a bowl game. We just haven’t seen enough of it, because he hasn’t had enough chances to play.

Collins simply hasn’t gotten opportunities yet due to injury and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s situational designations for the defensive lineman.

Kwiatkowski famously placed Collins in a situational role that didn’t see the field much in 2021. Why? Perhaps because Collins wasn’t big enough to play three-technique but not lean enough to play edge in Kwiatkowski’s scheme. One of many failures to the 2021 defensive philosophy was trying to fit players to a scheme rather than fitting the scheme to players. That appeared to have changed after the 5-7 showing.

Collins’ progress was further stunted by injuries that limited his ability to pack on muscle and gain weight to move into the defensive tackle position in past offseason. Then, of course, defensive tackles Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat became All-Americans and prevented Collins from moving up the depth chart.

Fast forward to the 2024 offseason. Collins is mammoth-sized having finally grown into a defensive tackle. Kwiakowski should play him as often as possible this season. The senior now checks in at 321 pounds.

So why hasn’t the once undersized converted defensive end with ill-timed injuries broke out at defensive tackle yet? The question answers itself.

Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat and Keondre Coburn went from underachieving multi-year starters to breakout players in their last season in Austin. Collins will look to continue the trend in 2024.

On3 Sports releases its 2025 five-star update with 32 players included

Several Texas targets are included in the five-star update.

One five-star update is out as we enter a critical time in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Several players with elite acclaim are considering Texas.

On3 Sports shared its five-star update with a few familiar names for those who follow the Texas Longhorns in recruiting.

The list of notable names includes wide receivers Dakorien Moore, Kaliq Lockett, and Jaime Ffrench, top athlete Michael Terry, impactful offensive linemen Michael Fasusi and Ty Haywood and defensive backs Devin Sanchez, Jonah Williams and Dorian Brew.

Several of the above names could choose elsewhere, but the Longhorns could be in position to win out with multiple players on the list.

Texas is no stranger to adding several five-stars having signed 10 of 247Sports’ composite five-stars over the last three seasons. The Longhorns signed four composite five-stars in each of the last two recruiting classes.

Texas’ list of composite five-star additions includes the following players.

  • Arch Manning, quarterback, No. 1 overall in 2023 class
  • DJ Campbell, guard, No. 10 overall in 2022 class
  • Anthony Hill Jr, linebacker, No. 18 overall in 2023 class
  • Colin Simmons, edge, No. 18 overall in 2024 class
  • CJ Baxter, running back, No. 22 overall in 2023 class
  • Johntay Cook, wide receiver, No. 29 overall in 2023 class
  • Brandon Baker, offensive tackle, No. 32 overall in 2024 class
  • Kelvin Banks Jr, offensive tackle, No. 33 overall in 2022 class
  • Kobe Black, cornerback, No. 34 overall in 2024 class
  • Xavier Filsaime, safety, No. 37 overall in 2024 class

The Longhorns’ recruiting class rankings might not be that different from those under the past coaching regime, but make no mistake: Head coach Steve Sarkisian is getting elite players at premium positions rather than securing high rankings by adding a high volume of four-stars.

Sarkisian will look to close on a few more talented recruits in the 2025 class.

Previewing Texas’ matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 8

Texas and Georgia could be a No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup.

Just after the midway point of the college football season, the Texas Longhorns host the Georgia Bulldogs. It portends to be a wake up call for one of the two teams.

Georgia enters the year having won 42 games and lost two since the start of the 2021 season. Both losses were to the Alabama Crimson Tide in SEC championship games.

Texas is looking to hand Georgia its first regular season loss since the Florida Gators defeated the Bulldogs on November 7, 2020. Since the start of that season, Georgia is 31-2 in SEC regular season play. Even so, the Longhorns are becoming more used to doing what hasn’t been done in awhile of late.

Prior to Texas’ double-digit victory over Alabama, no team had defeated head coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide by 10 points in Tuscaloosa. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian famously shared after the victory that the Tide had been 52-1 in their last 53 home games prior to losing to the Longhorns.

Despite Texas’ confidence in beating the odds, it will have to overcome another hurdle. The Longhorns face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry the week before the game. Ideally for that matchup, the Sooners would be the focus of preparation the two weeks prior to that game.

Aside from the timing of the game, Georgia figures to be a more formidable foe than it has been in recent seasons in returning experience. Around two-thirds of the Bulldogs’ starters return for the 2024 season which hasn’t always been the norm in recent years.

Starting quarterback Carson Beck, defensive lineman Mykel Williams, safety Malaki Starks, guard Tate Rutledge, wide receiver Rara Thomas and running back Trever Etienne lead the Bulldogs into the season with high NFL draft aspirations for next April. Georgia is a complete and talented football team on both sides of the football.

Big game experience is still there for the Longhorns. Many of the team’s starters played in the College Football Playoff last season. That number includes Alabama wide receiver transfer Isaiah Bond who caught four passes for 47 yards against Michigan in last year’s Rose Bowl.

When it comes to big regular season games Texas hasn’t hosted a team this good in a midseason conference matchup in a long while if ever. Texas’ 2022 matchup with Alabama occurred in Week 2. Last year in Week 8, Texas was playing new Big 12 member Houston.

The aforementioned Isaiah Bond could be crucial in the game, not only because of experience playing against Georgia but in consistently showing up despite the rigors of an SEC schedule. Presumably, Bond faces business as usual this year.

It’s not a given that both teams will enter the game unscathed. Texas faces Michigan and Oklahoma away from Austin prior to the matchup. Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama.  Nevertheless, should both teams enter the game undefeated this game should be a battle between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country.

The game isn’t a must-win for either team barring an upset loss early. Both teams face a tough enough schedule to lose two games and make a 12-team playoff. The matchup still presents a fun preview of what could be a postseason clash in the SEC title or College Football Playoff later in the season.

Texas and Georgia will play in Austin on Oct. 19.

For more Georgia news, previews and analysis visit UGA Wire.

Discussing key players Texas has brought over from Dallas-Fort Worth

Texas is getting much of its five-star talent from the Dallas area.

North Texas wasn’t always a fertile recruiting ground for Texas. If the last three recruiting cycles are any indication, it is now.

The Longhorns have landed commitments from a handful of five-star or borderline five-star players from that region over the last three recruiting classes. Among them are Anthony Hill Jr. (Denton), Colin Simmons (Duncanville), Johntay Cook (Desoto), Malik Muhammad (South Oak Cliff), Devon Campbell Jr. (Arlington) and Xavier Filsaime (McKinney).

Many of the Longhorns’ key players from a season ago came from areas in or close to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. To his credit, former head coach Tom Herman also prioritized the region late in his tenure.

Jake Majors (Prosper) enters his fourth year as a starter at center. First round NFL defensive tackle Byron Murphy (Desoto) and now Carolina Panthers tight end JaTavion Sanders (Denton) depart Austin this offseason.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian’s national recruiting approach has benefitted the Longhorns, but his focus on the now fertile Dallas area is paying dividends. We’ll monitor whether or not that continues with the 2025 recruiting class.

Longhorns flip portal DT Jermayne Lole from Oklahoma Sooners

The ‘Horns take defensive tackle from their top rival.

The Texas Longhorns flipped defensive tackle Jermayne Lole from the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday. It shifts the depth at the defensive tackle position for both programs.

The addition of Lole adds a third transfer defensive tackle to the fold ready to compete for a starting role.

It would be unreasonable to expect the talented player to be as disruptive as the two defensive tackles Texas sent to the first two rounds of the NFL draft in Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat. Texas simply wasn’t going to find that caliber player in the portal. Nevertheless, the addition does raise the floor for the Longhorns in 2024.

Lole has been a productive player at the college level. He went for 11.0 sacks in a three-year span from 2018 to 2020. After two years plagued by injury, the defensive tackle put up 1.5 sacks for the Louisville Cardinals last season.

At the very least, Lole helps address a need for the Longhorns. He adds to the team’s top 5 transfer portal class for the 2024 season.

Texas, Rice included in updated Ivy League schools list by Forbes

The University of Texas at Austin has been recognized with Ivy League status in updated list.

The University of Texas at Austin is now an Ivy League school according to Forbes. Both Texas and Rice were included as Ivy League caliber institutions in the state of Texas.

The Texas degree has long been highly regarded by those within the state and beyond, but the elite distinction further sets it apart.

The ramifications extend outside academics. It could be a determining factor in bringing more top athletes to Austin. Now you can play in one of the top athletic programs in the country and earn a degree with Ivy League acclaim attached to it.

Texas isn’t lacking in sports success over the 2023-24 athletic season. The Longhorns have 12 conference titles including a big one in football this season. The next highest Big 12 title total this year is four from Oklahoma State.

The Texas football program hasn’t had any issue recruiting under head coach Steve Sarkisian amassing Top 5 and Top 10 classes with little difficulty. In a tie breaker, it’ll be difficult to ignore the superior degree you can earn in Austin.

Texas will look to leverage its academic status moving forward.