Tag: College Sports Wire

College Sports Wire Mock Draft: NFC team trades up for Jayden Daniels, Brian Thomas Jr. a top 20 pick after combine

There’s been some shakeup in College Sports Wire’s mock after the combine.

With the 2024 NFL combine wrapped up, we have a much better idea of how the first round of next month’s draft is going to look.

Measurements and testing are out of the way, and several players — namely LSU’s [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] — boosted their stocks with very impressive showings in Indianapolis over the weekend.

Now that the combine is behind us, Ryan Roberts of College Sports Wire put out a new mock draft, and it features some interesting landing spots for LSU players.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is projected to go third overall in this mock, but not to the Patriots. Instead, Roberts has Minnesota trading up to land Kirk Cousins’ successor.

If Minnesota wants their quarterback in this class, it feels like they have to be aggressive. Getting up in front of the Giants and Falcons is important, and it feels like the Patriots are very much in the business of trading down with a rebuilding mindset. The Vikings get a dynamic dual-threat presence that is extremely attractive in today’s game.

For [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], it’s a commonly projected landing spot. Roberts sends him to the Giants at No. 6, where he’d immediately become the top target for Daniel Jones.

With the top four quarterbacks off the board, the Giants choose to help the skill position as well. The team has a couple of good complementary weapons but no number-one wide receiver on the roster. Whether working inside or out, Nabers has the ability to change a game in a flash.

Finally, Thomas sneaks into the top 20 in this mock, joining a Jacksonville Jaguars team at No. 17 that could be in serious need of a receiver, depending on how the Calvin Ridley saga ultimately plays out in the coming days.

The Jaguars limped down the stretch once Trevor Lawrence got injured. Putting more receiving talent around him is paramount. Thomas has some of the highest upside of any pass catcher in the 2024 class. He should at worst provide a big-time vertical presence, with a massive remaining upside to tap into.

The NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 25.

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College Sports Wire ranks LSU’s Tommy White as one of the top players in the SEC in 2024

Tommy White returns for his second year in Baton Rouge, and it could be a big one.

The LSU baseball team lost a lot of key pieces from last year’s national title squad, but not all of them.

One of the biggest impact players from that team is back for another season in third baseman [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag]. The preseason All-American should be in for another huge year in his second season in Baton Rouge after coming in as a transfer from NC State.

College Sports Wire’s Matt Melton recently ranked the top 10 players in the SEC for the 2024 campaign, and White ranked second behind only Florida two-way player Jac Caglianone.

Here’s what Melton said about White entering his junior season.

“Tommy Tanks” is back for his second season in Baton Rouge after helping lead the Tigers to their first national championship since 2009 as a First-Team All-SEC selection, among other honors. A 2024 preseason SEC Player of the Year candidate, White slashed .374/.432/.725 with 24 HR and 105 RBI, which tied for the NCAA lead, across 66 games as a sophomore after transferring to LSU from NC State.

With [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] moving on, LSU will need White to have another big year at the plate again for a team that enters as a universal preseason top-five squad despite all it lost.

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Three Tigers go in the first round in College Sports Wire mock draft

Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. all get selected in the first round of the draft, per this mock.

The College Wire staff recently put together a new NFL Mock Draft and three former LSU Tigers made their way into the first round of their draft. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr[/autotag]. all get selected in the first round of the draft.

With the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Chargers select Nabers, a wide receiver from LSU. There are a few questions surrounding the Chargers right now. We are unsure who their next head coach is going to be and what personnel he will bring in with him. One thing I know for sure is that Justin Herbert would love to have Nabers as his new wide receiver.

With the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Daniels, a quarterback from LSU. Boy, Saints fans would not be happy about this one. The Falcons need a new quarterback in a bad way because Desmond Ridder is not the guy they need under center. I would be interested to see how Daniels would perform in a Bill Belichick system.

With the 27th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Thomas, a wide receiver from LSU. Thomas tends to get overlooked in LSU’s offense because of how successful Nabers was. Thomas led the NCAA in touchdown receptions in 2023. Kyler Murray would be glad to have Thomas as his new target.

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College Sports Wire thinks Florida has toughest SEC schedule in 2024

You thought THIS year’s schedule was bad… next year is going to be a real bruiser.

Florida’s football program is amidst a doldrum not seen in nearly eight decades after its third-straight losing season — the second under sophomore head coach Billy Napier. While the Gators have struggled to get in gear following the departure of Dan Mullen, the schedule has done them no favors either.

The Orange and Blue finished with a 5-7 record this past fall after a gauntlet schedule that was among the most difficult in the nation. Playing in the Southeastern Conference is a tough enough task, but the non-conference schedule was brutal as well.

Guess what, Florida fans? Next season does not look any better.

College Sports Wire’s Ryan Haley recently ranked all 16 member schools’ slate of matchups for 2024 — including newcomers Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners — with Florida landing the most difficult path through the autumn months.

“Good luck, Billy Napier,” Haley begins. “After an 11-14 record in his first two seasons in Gainesville, the Florida coach could be staring down the barrel of a prove-it season and this is a brutal one.

“The Gators’ 2024 opponents had a combined record of 102-44 last season, and each of Florida’s last five opponents are all within the top 13 of this year’s College Football Playoff rankings,” he continued. “The only team on Florida’s schedule that failed to win six games in 2023 is Mississippi State, and that’s a road conference game.

“There’s a reasonable chance as many as 10 of these teams will be ranked at some point next season.”

Haley’s opinion echoes that of ESPN’s Bill Connelly.

“What was just about the hardest schedule in the country is getting harder,” Connelly predicted.

Good luck, Gators fans.

College Sports Wire’s ‘Tell the Truth Monday’ includes Florida

College Sports Wire suggests that Billy Napier “will never be the coach Florida wants him to be.”

Florida football lost five straight games to end the 2023 regular season, dropping the program to 5-7 without a chance of a bowl game. The Gators have reached depths unseen by several previous generations on the gridiron and the heat is quickly rising under head coach Billy Napier’s seat.

College Sports Wire published its “Tell the Truth Monday” article on Monday, which included the Orange and Blue among the topics included. Staff writer Ryan Haley called out the second-year skipper in his segment, suggesting that he “will never be the coach Florida wants him to be.”

“On paper, Billy Napier’s final two games were admirable. His Florida team came within one play of upsetting a top-10 Missouri team on the road before giving playoff-hopeful Florida State all it could handle at home.

“The final score isn’t the full story, however. In a deciding game against Florida State, with bowl eligibility and ruining a rival’s season on the line, he declined to go for a pair of one-yard fourth downs in the second quarter. After a safety gave Florida the ball up 12-0, he ran the ball on second and 24 instead of trying to push downfield, something backup Max Brown already looked comfortable doing. The Gators had more penalty yards than yards in the fourth quarter, and then Napier pushed back when reporters asked about his team’s discipline.

“Napier’s shown promise on the recruiting trail, which is not nothing. Each of Florida’s last four opponents made a litany of mistakes to give the Gators a window, and Napier’s management and general reluctance to push the ball when he was behind the sticks let those chances to extend leads wither away. The Gators never played with the desperation of being one victory away from bowl eligibility, and unless Napier changes or hands over the play-calling, that lack of urgency will eventually hold back his team once the talent arrives.”

For the time being, that is the end of Florida football for the Gator Nation until the Orange and Blue game. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.

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College Sports Wire at odds on whether Gators can beat Seminoles

Ahead of Week the 13 affair, College Sports Wire’s four staff members weighed in on their predictions against the spread.

This weekend, Florida football faces the Florida State Seminoles in the final game of the season with a bowl berth on the line. Meanwhile, FSU is trying to maintain its unbeaten record and sneak into the College Football Playoffs.

Both teams will be doing so without their starting quarterbacks. The hit will be especially painful for the Noles, who lost a Heisman Trophy candidate in Jordan Travis to a gruesome leg injury.

As rivalry games are wont to be, all bets are off this weekend as the two in-state sister schools take to the field in the Swamp. Ahead of Week the 13 affair, College Sports Wire’s four staff members weighed in with their predictions against the spread.

Two respondents — Patrick Conn and Patrick Sturgeon — picked the Gators against the 6.5-point spread while the other two — Tyler Nettuno and Nick Schwartz — hose the ‘Noles.

The Florida-Florida State game will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 25, with the kickoff slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game broadcasted on ESPN.

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Florida forward among College Sports Wire’s under-the-radar freshmen

College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton recognized the 6-foot-11-inch, 230-pound forward as one of the most underrated freshmen in the country.

Florida basketball is off to a strong start to the 2023-24 campaign with three wins in its first four tries — the only loss coming against the now-top-25 Virginia Cavaliers in Game 2. The Gators’ early success has hinged on recent acquisitions from both the recruiting trail and transfer portal finding their groove.

Among the standouts in the first couple of weeks of play is forward Alex Condon, a true freshman from the Land Down Under who has helped bolster Todd Golden’s frontcourt. So far, he has averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 boards and 2.3 assists in 31 minutes through four games.

As such, College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton recognized the 6-foot-11-inch, 230-pound forward as one of the top freshmen in the country who are currently flying under the radar.

“Condon is an Australian big man whom Todd Golden scooped up to back up Marshall transfer Micah Handlogten, and the results so far have been quite promising,” Patton notes. “Condon can space the floor and score around the rim and is an intriguing prospect to watch in the SEC.”

Next up for the Gators are the Pittsburgh Panthers, who they face in the first of two NIT Season Tip-Off tournament matchups held in Brooklyn, New York. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

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College Sports Wire feeling bearish on Florida’s chances at Missouri

Here are the College Sports Wire picks for Florida at Missouri.

The Florida Gators travel to Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday for a Week 12 matchup with the Missouri Tigers on a cold midwestern night in what is the final game of the Southeastern Conference schedule for 2023.

Ahead of the action, the College Sports Wire gang submitted their picks for the final meeting between the two programs for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, the committee consisting of Patrick Conn, Tyler Nettuno, Nick Schwartz and Patrick Sturgeon unanimously picked the home team, which is favored by 11.5 points.

Meanwhile, the SEC is the only conference with a title game set. The Georgia Bulldogs will take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville before facing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to wrap up the year. The Alabama Crimson Tide gets a cupcake matchup with Chattanooga before the Iron Bowl against the Auburn Tigers in Week 13.

The Tigers host the Gators on Nov. 18 inside Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game can be watched on ESPN.

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College Sports Wire’s experts split spread for Florida-LSU game

The College Sports Wire staff is split while picking against the spread for the matchup between the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers.

The college football slate for Saturday is packed to the brim with Playoff implications, and many eyes will be glued to the screen as it all unfolds.

The Florida Gators are traveling to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers, with hopes of finding a way to redeem a 39-36 overtime loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The staff at College Sports Wire made their picks against the spread for the Week 11 selection of games, and oddly enough, are split down the middle for the battle in the Bayou.

The Gators are 14-point underdogs going into Saturday, which makes betting on Florida a little bit of an easier choice. LSU Wire managing editor Tyler Nettuno is picking Florida to cover the spread, and the same can be said for senior regional editor Patrick Sturgeon.

Meanwhile, senior editors Patrick Conn and Nick Schwartz chose LSU to win by more than two scores at home.

The Florida Gators and LSU Tigers are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET. The showdown will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Jimbo Fisher has once again made College Sports Wire’s ‘Hot Seat’ list

With Texas A&M sitting at 4-3 (2-2 SEC), head coach Jimbo Fisher’s coaching trajectory has again reached a notable low point.

Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher are at a crossroads, as the Aggies are heading into the back half of their underwhelming 2023 season, sitting at 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC after the bye week.

For those of us who cover the program, none of this is surprising after seven weeks of play, as the Aggies’ porous offensive line has not only destroyed any offensive rhythm but has placed quarterback Max Johnson under constant pressure (50% pressure rate on the year).

Second-year O-line coach Steve Addazio deserves all the blame for the lack of player development in the trenches. Still, said blame will always rise to the top, as Fisher’s lack of consistency in SEC play coupled with a middling overall record (43-24) is now two games worse than former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin.

Just a year removed from one of the Aggies and Fisher’s worst seasons in their collective history, things were supposed to be different on offense after the hiring of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Still, after the season-ending injury to former starting quarterback Conner Weigman, it’s sadly been a near repeat of the same old struggles.

With Fisher’s coaching hot seat heating up week after week, College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn and Ryan Haley recently compiled their own “Hot Seat” list, including tiers ranking from “cooling off” to “Sleeping in the Coffin.”

Just below Iowa OC and king of coaching nepotism, Brian Ferentz. Fisher, of course, came in at No.2, with the second worst coaching hot seat tier, “Scolding Hot.”

For a moment there, when Texas A&M reached 4-1 with back-to-back wins to open conference play, it looked like Fisher could move himself down a few tiers. Consecutive losses to Alabama and Tennessee ruined any chances for a surprise SEC West title, however. In his six seasons in College Station, Fisher doesn’t have a single 10-win season, and the Aggies are 8-12 in their last 20 SEC games. You don’t even have to rewrite history to say Fisher hasn’t met Texas A&M’s standards. Kevin Sumlin, the coach the Aggies fired before they lured Fisher from Florida State, won 66.2% of his 77 games at the helm. Through 67 games, Fisher’s winning percentage is 64.2%.

While most of the Aggie fan base has taken one side on Fisher’s impending future at the helm, how Fisher and the Aggies respond in their final five games this season will likely determine the final outcome.

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