Tag: commitment

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from Tulane transfer defensive lineman

Wisconsin with another big-time portal addition

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Tulane transfer defensive lineman Parker Petersen on Sunday.

Petersen is the program’s third transfer commitment of the cycle, joining Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol and Louisville defensive end Mason Reiger.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

The redshirt junior defensive lineman entered the portal after four years at Tulane. He originally joined the program as a three-star recruit in its class of 2021.

Petersen’s 2024 season was by far his best. He tallied 21 tackles (14 solo), five tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks as a primary member of the team’s defensive line rotation. 247Sports’ Chris Hummer called him “One of the top interior (defensive) linemen in the American (Athletic Conference)” from the 2024 season.

Of note, he chose the Badgers over transfer offers from Notre Dame, USC and Auburn. He commits to Wisconsin with one year of eligibility remaining.

Petersen and Reiger fill important needs along Wisconsin’s defensive front. Reiger joins as more of a pass-rushing defensive end, while Petersen should play a major role in the interior.

That interior group will look entirely different in 2025 after the departures of James Thompson Jr. (portal), Curt Neal (portal) and Elijah Hills (eligibility). Wisconsin found success in landing Hills from Albany before the 2024 season. Petersen projects to have a similar impact. He also brings a track record of strong production at a successful Group of Five program.

The Badgers have already done well in the portal addressing major roster needs. To stay up to date on all of the latest news and rumors, bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from top transfer portal tight end

Wisconsin gets a major transfer commitment

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Ball State transfer tight end Tanner Koziol on Saturday.

He is the program’s second transfer commitment of the cycle, joining Louisville edge rusher Mason Reiger.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

247Sports ranks the talented tight end as a four-star transfer recruit, the No. 48 overall player in the portal and the No. 3 player at his position.

His commitment is significant news for a Wisconsin team that saw starters Riley Nowakowski and Tucker Ashcraft combine for just 23 catches, 156 yards and a touchdown in 2024. The position never played a big role during Phil Longo’s tenure as offensive coordinator. With new hire Jeff Grimes reshaping the unit, Koziol should immediately fill a primary role in the receiving game.

The multi-year starter totaled 94 catches, a team-high 839 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. His career-long numbers are an impressive 163 catches, 1,507 yards and 18 total touchdowns.

Koziol fits the mold of Grimes’ pro-style offense and immediately gives the program its best receiving threat at the position since Jake Ferguson.

Wisconsin now continues its transfer recruiting with a major position checked off. Defensive line, quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, safety and linebacker remain some of the team’s biggest needs.

Bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker for the latest updates.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from Louisville transfer defensive end

Wisconsin has its first transfer commitment of the offseason

Louisville transfer pass-rusher Mason Reiger committed to Wisconsin on Friday.

He was one of the first transfer prospects to visit the Badgers earlier this week. He’s now the program’s first transfer commitment of the offseason.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

The 6’4″, 250-pound defender entered the portal after five years at Louisville. He initially joined the program as a walk-on in its class of 2020.

Reiger then grew into a prominent role as his career continued. He played in nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2021, recording nine tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He then played in 13 in 2022, recording 18 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a sack.

2023 was his breakout season: 22 tackles, six tackles for loss and five sacks as a primary part of the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation.

Reiger then missed the entire 2024 season after a long recovery from offseason knee surgery. He commits to the Badgers with one year of eligibility remaining.

The Louisville transfer joins a Wisconsin defensive front room that should continue to be a target throughout this transfer cycle. The defensive line group lost several key contributors after 2024, headlined by James Thompson Jr. (portal), Curt Neal (portal) and Elijah Hills (eligibility). The pass-rushing room is no different, with 2023 transfers John Pius (eligibility) and Leon Lowery (portal) both gone.

Reiger figures to immediately slide into the Badgers’ pass-rushing rotation. He brings 49 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks of production at the Power Four level. Unlike many of the Badgers’ small-school transfer prospects, Reiger shouldn’t have much trouble translating his production to the Big Ten level.

Wisconsin now continues its transfer recruiting with several more positions of need. Defensive line remains on the list, along with quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, safety, linebacker and tight end. Bookmark our transfer offer and visit tracker for the latest updates.

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Florida lands Big Ten punter out of transfer portal

The first addition for Florida out of the winter transfer portal period is former Michigan punter Tommy Doman, a veteran replacement for Jeremy Crawshaw after graduation.

Former Michigan punter [autotag]Tommy Doman[/autotag] has committed to the Florida Gators, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Doman confirmed the news with an update to his Instagram bio, which now reads “4th down quarterback @gatorsfb.”

Doman serves as a bridge at the position for Florida between senior Jeremy Crawshaw and incoming freshman Hayden Craig. Crawshaw is one of the best special teamers in program history. Florida also has returning walk-on Nicholas Ingles on the roster.

A rising fifth-year senior, Doman averaged 43 yards per punt on 102 attempts with the Wolverines, placing 37 inside the 20-yard line with longs of 71 yards in 2023 and 68 in 2024. His average hang time is 4.26 seconds. Doman also served as Michigan’s kickoff specialist and holder on placekicks.

Pro Football Focus gave him a 77.9 punting grade in 2024, which is tied for the 16th-best figure across the FBS. In 2023, PFF gave him an 81.5 grade, good for 10th overall among punters.

Doman is the first transfer addition for Florida in the winter cycle.

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Duke football picks up third Class of 2026 commitment from a South Carolina wide receiver

The Duke Blue Devils added their third commitment from the Class of 2026 on Monday, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver from South Carolina.

The Duke Blue Devils notched their third commitment from the Class of 2026 on Monday when Jude Hall, a 6-foot-4 wideout from South Carolina, announced his decision on social media.

The Christ Church Episcopal School product is not currently ranked by 247Sports, but at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, he clearly possesses the physical tools to play outside at the collegiate level. According to MaxPreps, he led the Cavaliers with 57 receptions for 795 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games, and he caught nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023.

Duke’s receiver depth was one of its best qualities in 2024, but the position group will experience a firm overhaul over the next two seasons. [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag], who combined for 1.539 yards and 16 touchdowns, both just finished their senior season. Sahmir Hagans will be a redshirt senior in 2025, and Old Dominion transfer Javon Harvey just used his final season of eligibility.

Hall joins four-star offensive lineman Sean Stover and three-star defensive lineman Ayden Cain in Duke’s current 2026 recruiting class.

BREAKING: Wisconsin flips class of 2025 cornerback Cairo Skanes from Miami (OH)

BREAKING: Wisconsin flips class of 2025 cornerback Cairo Skanes from Miami (OH)

The Wisconsin Badgers added a commitment from class of 2025 cornerback Cairo Skanes on Monday.

Skanes, who was previously committed to Miami (OH), pledges to the Badgers after visiting the program in November.

Related: How Wisconsin’s transfer departures performed during full 2024 college football regular season

The Charlotte, North Carolina native is currently unranked on 247Sports. He is a three-star according to On3, ranked as the No. 157 cornerback in the class of 2025 and No. 52 player from North Carolina.

Other notable programs on the cornerback’s offer sheet include Michigan State, James Madison, Navy and NC State. He flips to the Badgers just two days before the early signing period officially begins on Dec. 4.

Skanes is commitment No. 25 for the Badgers in the class of 2025. The class has seen significant movement as of late, with the recent losses of three-star LB Brendan Anes, three-star DL Wilnerson Telemaque and top specialist Erik Schmidt, plus the additions of four-star DL Jaylen Williams and four-star QB Carter Smith. The class currently ranks No. 20 in the nation at this late stage of the cycle.

Stay tuned throughout the week as the Badgers officially sign their class of 2025.

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Gators move into top 10 with flip of 4-star S Hylton Stubbs from Miami

The flips don’t stop for the Florida Gators, who are now poised to sign a top-10 recruiting class with the addition of four-star safety Hylton Stubbs.

The latest flip for the Florida Gators is a big one.

Former Miami commit and four-star safety [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] flipped to the Orange on Blue on Monday, two days ahead of the early signing period. Stubbs was in Gainesville on Sunday and quietly let coaches know he’d be making this decision., according to Swamp247.

Florida has been recruiting Stubbs since the start of the cycle but lost out to both USC and Miami earlier this year. The Hurricanes flipped him in July, but the Gators never stopped recruiting him.

“After an amazing visit to the University of Florida yesterday, I have decided to decommit from Miami and commit to the Gators. The main reason for this decision is my belief in the football program and the incredible opportunity to compete for a national championship,” Stubbs said to On3’s Chad Simmons.

Florida’s resurgence on the defensive end of the course of the season played a big role in the decision. So did Billy Napier’s “vision, leadership and genuine approach.”

Following the addition of Stubbs, Florida is now ranked No. 10 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings and No. 11 in the On3 industry team rankings.

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is a consensus four-star recruit who has earned a fifth star from Rivals, which ranks him 23rd overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has him at No. 57 nationally and No. 5 among safeties in the class, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 58 and 4, respectively.

“Well-rounded safety prospect that can defend the pass and the run. Added some good mass between junior and senior seasons and doesn’t appear to be done maturing,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in a June report. “Has experience working in a variety of different alignments and can likely do the same at the next level as he’s a spirited competitor in the box and alert in coverage.

“Strikes people as a tackler, oftentimes exploding through the hips. Tracks the football well on the backend and has the ball skills to come down with takeaways. Isn’t the type of defender that’s going to win a ton of foot races, but has the short-area quickness to correct some mistakes.

“Projects as a potential multi-year impact defender at the Power Four level that can add value in a variety of different ways as he can match tight ends, cut down run lanes, and get home on the blitz. Likely to find most success in an aggressive scheme that wants to move him around and put him in position to make plays. NFL upside with his physicality.”

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Florida flips 4-star DL from Texas after back-and-forth recruitment

Four-star defensive lineman Joseph Mbatchou backed off his commitment to Florida in October, but he’s back in the fold after a brief pledge to Texas.

Grayson (Loganville, Georgia) defensive lineman [autotag]Joseph Mbatchou[/autotag] has flipped back to the Florida Gators.

Mbatchou initially committed to the Gators in July, but he backed off that pledge in October. A month later, he picked the Texas Longhorns as his new team, but now Mbatchou is returning to his original pick of Florida.

The four-star defensive lineman was in Gainesville two weeks ago for Florida’s upset win over LSU. Since then, the Gators have upset Ole Miss and taken care of business against a sloppy Florida State team. All three of those games featured dominant performances from Florida’s defensive front, including an eight-sack evening on Saturday.

“It went really good. The defense, they were killing LSU,” Mbatchou said to Gators Online after his official visit. “I got to talk to the coaches and got to see what I saw the first time when I committed. I kind of saw the same thing, so it was a really good visit. It looked even during the first, second and third, and then once the fourth quarter rolled around, LSU couldn’t handle them anymore. They couldn’t stop them.”

Mbatchou also told Gators Online that questions surrounding Billy Napier’s future as the head coach in Gainesville led to his commitment. Florida’s strong finish and athletic director Scott Stricklin’s public backing of Napier has changed things.

Recruiting Summary

A consensus four-star recruit, 247Sports is the highest on Mbatchou, ranking him No. 229 overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite has him a bit lower at No. 291 nationally and No. 31 among defensive linemen, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 258 and 22, respectively.

Mbatchou is new to football. He’s a Cameroon native who also plays basketball and started putting the pads on this season. At 6-foot-4.5-inches and 280 pounds, there’s a ton of optimism and upside following a 25-tackle, three-sack senior year. He ended the season with 11 quarterback hurries and 13 tackles for loss over 12 games.

Bringing Mbatchou back into the fold moves Florida up to No. 13 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings and 14th in the On3 industry ranking team rankings.

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Gators continue recruiting run, flip Auburn 4-star OT

Florida pulled off one more flip to close out a big November for its recruiting staff, getting four-star offensive tackle Tavaris Dice from Auburn.

The latest four-star recruit to flip to the Florida Gators is Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia) offensive tackle [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag].

Dice committed to the Auburn Tigers in March, but the Gators never stopped recruiting him. As recent as one week ago, Dice held firm in his commitment to Auburn, telling Tigers fans not to worry about Florida because of his strong relationship with the Tigers’ coaching staff.

He visited The Swamp two weeks ago for the upset win against LSU and then returned to Auburn for the Texas A&M game. Dice followed that trip with another stop at Florida to spend more time with the coaching staff and informed the Gators of his decision to flip earlier this week, according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman.

The decision comes as a bit of a shock because Auburn grew increasingly confident it would retain Dice after the visit last week.

“Florida told me a little while back when I committed that they would fight until the end and do whatever it takes,” Dice said to Gators Online in May.

Recruiting Summary

Dice is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by 247Sports at No. 159 overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has him at No. 191 nationally and No. 20 among offensive tackles, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 192 and 18, respectively.

“‘First off the bus’ type with broad-shouldered, long-armed build who wears existing mass exceptionally well,” said 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks in a March report. “Gets off the line of scrimmage with quickness and shows encouraging bend relative to dimensions. Capable of leveraging under D-linemen and moving them off the ball. Natural drive blocker with promising run-game hand placement. Can play a bit tight through the hips and core, but appears to show better knee and ankle flexibility than many of his peers, especially in a combine setting.

“Displays some finishing nastiness at times. Still developing strength and punch power consistency, but capacity for both should be quite high given physical upside. Has shown agility to beat much lighter speed-oriented edge rushers on an island.

“Multi-sport foundation includes basketball, which fuels functional athleticism and movement ability. Natural tackle who likely provides roster value as someone who probably could move inside if needed. Projects to the high-major level as a potential multi-year starter with physical tools and on-field context that suggest NFL draft upside.”

Florida remains at No. 15 in the 247Sports team rankings but is now within spitting distance of passing USC — the Trojans lead the Gators by 1.18 points. A five-star commitment would vault UF into the top 10. Florida is also ranked No. 15 in the 2025 recruiting rankings from On3.

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Florida flips top-100 EDGE Jayden Woods on Black Friday

Billy Napier’s recruiting staff can’t stop flipping players from other Power Four programs. The latest commitment comes from former Penn State four-star EDGE Jayden Woods.

The Florida Gators have flipped another four-star recruit, Mill Valley (Shawnee, Kansas) edge defender [autotag]Jayden Woods[/autotag], just five days out from the early signing period.

Woods’ change of heart comes after an official visit to the Swamp over the weekend to see the Gators defeat the Ole Miss Rebels for a second upset win in as many weeks. His pledge to the Nittany Lions came back in June, over Purdue and Tennessee, but Florida has been on him since the spring.

A big jump up the recruiting rankings had the Gators all over him in recent months, but Woods is still somewhat of a surprise flip. Florida views Woods as a JACK linebacker.

Recruiting Summary

Woods is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by 247Sports at No. 75 overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, puts him at No. 130 nationally and No. 10 among edge defenders, while the On3 industry ranking is a bit more bullish on him at Nos. 116 and 14, respectively.

“Good-sized standing edge player with the physical tools to put a hand on the ground, whether as a scheme-versatile puzzle piece or as a long-term projection to a more traditional D-line role,” 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks said.

“Plays with obvious strength at the point of attack. Puts hands to use and shows stack-and-shed ability vs. the run. Displays encouraging linear pursuit speed to close on the ball. Physical tackler who shows some quick uncoiling pop that also punishes lead blockers in the run game.

“… Bit of a one-speed rusher who’s still developing his move set. Flashes an effective inside move. Segmented mover at times with some lower-half tightness when redirecting. Can improve dip-and-bend flexibility around the edge and present more of a speed threat on obvious passing downs. Projects as a high-major defender who may wind up more of an interior defensive lineman than a true edge.”

Florida jumped two spots to No. 15 in the 247Sports team rankings and is up to No. 15 in the On3 industry team rankings as well, up from No. 18.

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