Tag: Keon Sabb

Oklahoma Sooners transfer portal target listed as a rising star for the 2024 season by 247Sports

Oklahoma Sooners transfer portal target could be primed for a breakout season in 2024 per 247Sports.

The Oklahoma Sooners could potentially get a massive player via the transfer portal before the 2024 season. Michigan Wolverines safety [autotag]Keon Sabb[/autotag] entered the portal just last week.

Sabb originally was committed to the Clemson Tigers and [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] out of high school but elected to decommit and sign with Michigan after Venables departed for Oklahoma.

The defensive back has had a solid career so far at Michigan. Last year was his first year really seeing the field where he finished with 28 tackles and two interceptions. His best game came in the national championship game where he had six tackles and two pass deflections.

Due to that, 247Sports put out a list of players primed for a breakout season in 2024 and Sabb made the list.

Michigan will do everything it can to keep Keon Sabb on roster next season, but his decision to enter the transfer portal this week immediately gives college football’s free agent market a top-end option available at the safety spot. Sabb played in 14 games last fall as a redshirt freshman with increasing snaps as the season progressed, saving his best for last with a six-tackle performance in the national championship game against Washington. He’s a rangy defensive back who will assuredly start as an impact player in 2024 wherever he signs. – Brad Crawford 247Sports

Oklahoma does have a pretty loaded safety room already with [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] coming back. But you never turn away a player that talented regardless of how loaded you are at any position.

It’s unclear how high Sabb is on the Sooners or even how hard Oklahoma is pushing but if they can land him, it would be a major get for one of the more experienced defenses in college football in 2024.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Former Rutgers football recruit Keon Sabb is in the transfer portal

Keon Sabb is in the transfer portal.

Keon Sabb is leaving Michigan, putting one of the top players produced in New Jersey over the last four years into the transfer portal. Sabb was offered by Rutgers football early in his high school recruitment.

Rutgers had offered and recruited Sabb, who was a four-star defensive back and grew up playing his high school football in New Jersey. He transferred for his senior season to play at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida).

The news of Sabb entering the transfer portal was confirmed by the Detroit News’ Angelique Chengelis.

Prior to joining Michigan, Sabb was a member of the Rivals 250 and was the nation’s No. 96 prospect in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports. Sabb is from Glassboro, New Jersey.

Sabb cracked the two-deep at Michigan last year, registering 23 total tackles along with four passes defended and two interceptions.

Last year in the national championship game against Washington, he had six total tackles and two passes defended.

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With Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL, he took several members of his Michigan staff including Steve Clinkscale. The defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Michigan, Clinkscale played a large role in Sabb’s recruitment to Ann Arbor.

Rutgers has done well with a recent Michigan transfer portal addition in Aaron Lewis.

The defensive end, who is returning in 2024 for his final season with the Scarlet Knights, joined the program in the summer of 2020. Lewis had originally joined Michigan in the spring as an early enrollee.

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He twice has been named All-Big Ten as a member of the Rutgers defense. Prior to the 2023 season, Lewis was named to the Bednarik Award watch-list for the nation’s top defensive player.

Georgia football among schools to contact Michigan transfer safety

Georgia football is recruiting talented transfer safety Keon Sabb, who recently entered the portal

Michigan Wolverines safety Keon Sabb entered the NCAA transfer portal after Jim Harbaugh accepted the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers. Sabb, a former four-star recruit, is one of the top players available in the transfer portal.

Sabb will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He just won a national championship with Michigan and would project as a starter at pretty much any Power Five program.

Last season, Sabb recorded 28 total tackles and two interceptions. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive back recorded six tackles and two pass deflections in the national championship against Washington.

The Georgia Bulldogs have reportedly contacted Sabb as have Alabama, Syracuse, Oregon, Auburn and other top college football programs. Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia missed on elite Alabama transfer safety Caleb Downs, so the Bulldogs could still be looking to add another talented safety via the portal.

Georgia’s safety room for the fall is looking pretty stout. Georgia returns Malaki Starks, who should be a preseason All-American. The Bulldogs added five-star recruit K.J. Bolden. Dan Jackson, Joenel Aguero, Alabama transfer Jake Pope, JaCorey Thomas and David Daniel-Sisavanh highlight other key members of Georgia’s safety group. The big question at safety this spring is who will start opposite Starks?

Report: Ducks are pursuing former Michigan DB Keon Sabb in transfer portal

The Oregon Ducks are reportedly pursuing former Michigan Wolverines transfer Keon Sabb in the portal.

The Oregon Ducks have been incredibly active in the transfer portal this year, and after adding the likes of Jabbar Muhammad, Kobe Savage, Kam Alexander, and Brandon Johnson, they appear to be set when it comes to talent in the secondary going into the 2024 season.

That doesn’t mean that they don’t want to continue to improve, though.

A relatively surprising name entered the portal earlier this week when Michigan Wolverines safety Keon Sabb announced that he was looking to transfer. Now it’s being reported by On3’s Hayes Fawcett that the Ducks are one of many teams who have reached out to Sabb since he became available.

Sabb was a major part of the Wolverine’s championship team this year, with 28 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 1 touchdown on the year. In the national championship game against the Washington Huskies, Sabb had 6 tackles and 2 PBU’s.

According to 247Sports, Sabb is rated as the 54th-best player in the transfer portal this year, and the fourth-best safety. That stacks up well when you compare it to the safeties that Oregon has already added: Savage (No. 13 S in 2024 portal), and Brandon Johnson (No. 28 S in 2024 portal).

We will see if the Ducks are able to add Sabb, who would be a cherry on top of the already impressive transfer portal haul that Oregon’s been able to bring in this offseason.

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Sooners offer Amari and Xavier Sabb, brothers of Michigan transfer Keon Sabb

The Oklahoma Sooners offer Amari and Xavier Sabb, brothers of Michigan transfer Keon Sabb.

The Oklahoma Sooners made a couple of offers today to a family that they’re very familiar with. The Sooners offered Amari Sabb, an athlete in the 2026 recruiting class. His younger brother Xavier Sabb also received an offer and is a wide receiver in the 2027 class.

Neither Amari or Xavier have evaluations yet, but each player has a number of Power Four offers that include Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and other top programs from around the country.

Amari is a dynamic playmaker with elite change of direction ability, often making defenders miss in the open field from both the wide receiver and running back position. He shows good ball skills and tracks the ball well in the air.

Watch Amari Sabb’s sophomore highlights

Via Hudl

Xavier Sabb is an incredibly dynamic player with the ball in his hands. As a kick and punt returner, he displays fantastic ability to change direction, make defenders miss in the open field, and run away from the opposition. Xavier displays great hands and the ability to make plays after the catch, using his size and physicality to break tackles in addition to his elite change of direction. As a freshman, he stands 6-feet tall and already weighs 180 pounds.

Watch Xavier Sabb’s sophomore highlights

Via Hudl

Both Amari and Xavier will be impact players at the collegiate level. And as the Oklahoma Sooners get the ball rolling on their 2026 and 2027 either player would be fantastic additions on the offensive side of the ball.

Brent Venables’ familiarity with the Sabb family dates back to the 2022 recruiting cycle when Keon Sabb committed to the Clemson Tigers in July of 2021.

According to 247Sports, Venables and Mickey Conn were his primary recruiters at the time. On December 5, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was announced as the next head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. A day later, Keon decommitted from Clemson, ultimately landing with the Michigan Wolverines.

Keon entered the transfer portal on Friday after playing two seasons for the Wolverines at safety. He played 360 snaps this season, including 61 in Michigan’s national championship win over the Washington Huskies. He made five tackles, including two stops, according to Pro Football Focus. Sabb was targeted seven times, allowing three receptions for 28 yards. He earned the second highest grade from Pro Football Focus in the national championship game.

While Oklahoma’s safety room is deep, Brent Venables and his staff won’t shy away from adding more competitive depth.

None of this means the Sooners will add any of the Sabb brothers, but it’s clear there’s interest from Brent Venables and his staff to add Keon, Amari, and Xavier Sabb.

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 John on Twitter @john9williams.

Michigan football loses big time contributor to transfer portal

This one is a bummer. #GoBlue

While the maize and blue managed to hold onto most of their personnel following Jim Harbaugh’s departure, eventually, in the new age of college football, there were bound to be losses. And on Friday morning, Michigan football lost a significant player who was expected to play a big role in 2024 and to be one who you could plan a future around.

Once a five-star and once a Clemson commit, Keon Sabb flipped to the Wolverines just before signing day in December 2021. He didn’t see the field a ton in year one, but in his sophomore campaign, he started four games, and had maybe his best game in college in the national championship game against Washington. Sabb, however, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Michigan still has not lost any expected full-time starters for the upcoming season to the transfer portal, though Sabb could have earned one either as nickel or displacing one of the other returning starters.

With Jim Harbaugh’s departure, players have until February 23 to enter the portal under the current 30-day window.

Sherrone Moore has struggled to finalize his staff, not of his own doing, as much as Harbaugh has slowly plundered the staff while some intended hires, such as Stephen Adegoke — who would have been Saab’s position coach — agreeing to come to Ann Arbor before ultimately being lured to remain in the NFL.

Michigan football is a boa constrictor that relishes suffocating its prey

The players are leaning into their new identity. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Even when it appears that one of the teams on Michigan’s schedule starts providing a challenge, it’s been awfully short-lived. Such was the case for Indiana in Week 7, much like Rutgers in Week 4 and Bowling Green in Week 3.

After two straight weeks of shutting down the opposition from the jump, the Wolverines returned home and let the Hoosiers march down the field for a touchdown on the second drive. Conversely, the offense couldn’t seem to move the ball, going three-and-out on the two opening offensive possessions.

But after that — pure domination.

Joel Klatt, the Fox Sports analyst, has likened Michigan football to a boa constrictor being in a small room with you. You’re going to have some fight, but eventually, the serpent will choke you to death. With the Wolverines having won 10 straight games by 30 or more points, you’re seeing the death in live action.

These players can even sense the moment when the opposition has given up, and it appears to be the focus of the team every game now.

“My favorite thing is watching them like their hope slowly go away,” sixth-year linebacker Michael Barrett said. “Watching that fight, just kind of diminish away from them. And just kind of get to the point to where they’re just like, ‘Let’s go home.” That’s kind of my favorite feeling. When you can just kind of feel that extra oomph go away. I think that that’s kind of what it is.”

“Similar to what Mike B. said, over the course of the game, how are we playing, we start to see some of their passion diminish,” sophomore safety Keon Sabb added. “Like a boa constrictor, you want to just keep applying pressure at all times until the end of the game.”

Ultimately, this is a confident bunch that knows what the ultimate goal is: a national championship.

The schedule has not yet been a challenge, but that will change in short order with a rivalry game against Michigan State coming up and Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State forthcoming in November.

And, in the meantime, as Michigan dominates, the team appears to be a reflection of its head coach, as Barrett says.

“Like coach always says, ‘We’re in the (expletive)-kickin’ business, and business is booming!’ You got to keep it going.”

Social media reaction to Michigan football win over Indiana

Social media exploded seeing #Michigan continuing to dominate. #GoBlue

It’s become a tradition over the past two seasons. Sitting on the couch, relaxing with a coffee, and watching the Wolverines run up the score on whoever they play.

This week was no different.

The Michigan Wolverines hosted the Indiana Hoosiers for the team’s seventh game of the year. Michigan won 52-7 and continued its undefeated streak.

The Wolverines were down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, but forced four turnovers and scored 52 unanswered points to secure their win.

Michigan has 996 wins all time and is on pace to be the first team in college football history to reach 1,000 wins this season against Maryland.

Here are the best social media reactions to the Wolverines’ win.

If Michigan football had an Olympic flag football team

This is who we’d choose for an Olympic flag football team from #Michigan! #GoBlue

The Olympic committee is currently reviewing a proposal to add flag football to the summer games. Sweet. Since Michigan is already dominating colleges in the USA, it could be fun to see them take the show on the road and beat up on the other nations.

Here are some ground rules:

  • 12 man roster
  • Five on the field at a time
  • 70 yard field
  • Rushing plays are allowed if five or more yards from the endzone

So who makes the cut for Michigan? Let’s get into it.

Let’s start with the offense. J.J. McCarthy is the obvious choice to lead the charge, and he will do just that. His favorite targets will take the field as well. Speedy Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson are two more roster locks, leaving us with three more guys on offense.

Colston Loveland provides a height advantage, so he will stick. Donovan Edwards also feels like a guy who can create mismatches. Though a running back, Edwards is one of the better receivers on the team. He can motion around the formation depending on the defensive look and get open or simply take a handoff agaisnt a weak box (don’t think I’m forgetting about that touchdown pass in the Big Ten Championship game, either).

The last spot is a curveball. I’ll take Alex Orji! The backup QB is big enough to body smaller coverage guys, but provides a trick play element with his experience at quarterback. I’m imagining a modified option play where Orji takes a lateral and either breaks upfield or looks deep for a streaking Wilson. Pick your poison, Canada.

Defensively, things get a little trickier. Will Johnson, Mike Sainristil, and Rod Moore all have their spots secured, but who will man the ‘linebacker’ spot? Since the only size advantage in this sport comes from height, I’m going to stick in the DB room. Keon Sabb has show himself to be more than worthy of a roster spot. He has made plays, and has the right stature to compete with taller targets at the catch points. He will be our line of scrimmage defender tasked with hunting down the QB and picking up coverage on any taller targets.

To pair lightning with thunder, Keshaun Harris will bring some speed to the lineup. The former walk-on has impressed the staff enough to battle for starting reps early in the season. He is the answer to any country that pulls out raw speed (cough cough Jamaica).

The last pick seems obvious. Amorion Walker. Nicknamed ‘The Alien’ for his freaky athleticism and size, Walker has experience on both sides of the ball. It will be hard for anyone to out-athlete Walker at any part of the game. Getting a guy who can contribute on both sides of the ball is massive for a sports that has just twelve roster spots. Walker is a sneaky pick to be this teams MVP.

Michigan football S Keon Sabb reacts to, describes first career pick-six

This was a heckuva play! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Not since 2017 has Michigan football had two pick-sixes in a game, but that deficit was erased in a hurry when the Wolverines played at Minnesota in Week 6.

The first pick-six came courtesy of cornerback Will Johnson, who baited Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis into a bad throw on the second play of the game from scrimmage. The second came later, as Keon Sabb soared into the air to officially put the game out of reach.

After the game, Minnesota coach PJ Fleck had high praise for the Wolverines sophomore, noting that while Kaliakmanis made a bad throw, it took Sabb making a play on the ball to get seven.

“I don’t think he even saw him, but he still threw it and the guy had to make a heck of a play,” Fleck said. “He had to jump in the air, make the play he did, and picked it. But again there was — we just didn’t execute at a high enough level. And again, we were behind the chains. And we get it, possessions are everything against them.”

On Tuesday, Sabb discussed the play and what he saw. He praised his defensive line for creating pressure which caused the errant pass. And then, he was in the right place at the right time.

“So in that situation, I was guarding a tight end,” Sabb said. “D-line and everybody got there quick, so it was a little bit of pressure on his face. And I got blocked so I just stayed in the window and ended up throwing it right to me. So did my job and picked it off and took it for a score.”

Sometimes when a player gets their first career interception, as was the case for Sabb, they immediately get in their head and don’t know what to do. But Sabb was calm and confident, noting his blockers and working his way to the end zone to give the Wolverines a five-score lead over the Gophers.

“I was just thinking get to the touchdown,” Sabb said. “So I looked over to my left, I saw my guys blocking everybody, blocking, they blocked it really well. So seeing a pretty clear path and I just took it.”