Tag: On3

LSU drops a spot in On3 SEC power rankings after Texas A&M loss

The Tigers unsurprisingly lost some ground in On3’s latest SEC power rankings after Saturday’s frustrating loss.

The Tigers had a chance to make a major statement on the road on Saturday against Texas A&M, and for the first 30 minutes, it looked like they were going to.

LSU dominated the first half against the Aggies, taking a 10-point lead to the locker room. But a quarterback change to Marcel Reed that the Tiger defense had no answer for and defensive adjustments from TAMU that had [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] seeing ghosts flipped the script in the second half as LSU fell 38-23 on the road.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Tigers are dropping in most SEC power rankings as a result, but in On3’s, it was only a one-spot drop to No. 6.

LSU held a 17-7 halftime lead and all of a sudden, it was gone. Like Texas A&M, the Tigers had a six-game winning streak coming in but fell flat in the second half.

Looks like Brian Kelly and crew fell victim to a tough place in the SEC and the 12th man ran rampant in the second half. LSU had no answers for Marcel Reed in the latter stages.

The loss essentially removes any margin for error if the Tigers want to remain in the race for a College Football Playoff spot. That means games against Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma are all must-wins, and the Tigers will need to fix the issues that cost it on Saturday before it hosts the Crimson Tide following a bye.

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Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard named to one outlets Heisman top-10 list

Some national love for Leonard

With the NCAA college football season already passing the unofficial midway point, many outlets including On3 have been compiling its Heisman Trophy contenders list.

For the first few weeks of the season, Notre Dame quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] didn’t perform up to expectations, but then the light switch turned on. Over the course of the last 6 games, all wins for the Irish, the starter has turned the corner and played at an extremely high level.

While it was surprising to see Leonard on On3’s contender list, as he came in tied at No. 9, it is still an encouraging sign that he is moving in the right direction.

On the season, he’s completing 66.2% of his attempts for 1,360 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He’s been great running the ball as well, as Leonard has carried the ball 85 times for 539 yards with 11 touchdowns.

While the numbers alone aren’t impressive, what stands out are his total stats, as Leonard is currently No. 10 in scoring, No. 8 if you exclude kickers. Many were calling for a change earlier in the season, or at least to see what backup Steve Angeli could do, but clearly the Notre Dame coaching staff knew what they were doing all along.

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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On3’s JD PicKell makes his pick as LSU prepares to face Texas A&M on the road

LSU will head to College Station with sole possession of first place in the SEC on the line on Saturday.

Though it wasn’t exactly one of the games Tigers fans had circled entering the 2024 season, Saturday’s matchup on the road against Texas A&M could prove to be one of the most impactful on the entire schedule.

The two teams will face off in College Station with sole possession of first place in the SEC on the line as they enter as the only unbeaten squads in conference play. The winner will have the inside track to reaching the SEC Championship Game.

It could be the toughest matchup on the season to date, but On3’s JD PicKell likes LSU’s chances, picking it to win and cover with a 26-21 victory.

“LSU at Texas A&M. Now interesting, this spread yesterday was favoring A&M by 3.5 points,” PicKell said per On3. “Since then, it is now down to 2.5 points. Could be nothing. Could be something. We’ll find out … This is the game now where they will be absolutely on fire within Kyle Field. They always are, but it’ll be extra on fire for LSU. Playoff game kind of vibe to it now. LSU unbeaten in the SEC. A&M unbeaten in the SEC. Kind of interesting parallels between their two seasons. A&M, they lose the opener to Notre Dame, bounce back. They’re swinging for the fence right now thinking, College Football Playoff.

“Same deal for LSU. You lose the opener to USC in Vegas, and everyone’s talking about Brian Kelly, and we got a meme where he’s playing with the table, and like it is what it is. Right now, y’all, LSU, they’re very much so in control. In the same way of their own college football playoff destiny, and their SEC title destiny.”

After an early loss to USC and sluggish wins over Nicholls, South Carolina and UCLA, many wrote this Tigers team off in the first month. But they’re now clearly back in the College Football Playoff race and are one of the hottest teams in the nation as they ride a six-game winning streak.

They’ll look to extend that to seven and claim the top spot in the SEC on Saturday.

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Injured former Notre Dame defensive lineman enters transfer portal

Good luck to him.

Aiden Gobaira is a name you probably forgot about because he only played one snap for Notre Dame. After the defensive lineman played that single snap in 2022, he tore his ACL in fall camp for the 2023 season and never saw game action then.

Gobaira’s time with the Irish came to an end when he was placed on medical scholarship during the offseason. It was a tough blow to say the least.

Gobaira isn’t giving up on a career in college football though. On3’s Pete Nakos is reporting that he has entered the transfer portal. While he still will be a Notre Dame student, he will be allowed to played football with a different program. Tyson Ford, another injured Irish defensive lineman in a similar situation, already is following the same path.

While it’s unfortunate that Gobaira’s time with the Irish didn’t work out, at least he gets another chance to play college football:

Best of luck to Gobaira wherever he plays next.

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Florida football’s 4-star DL commit lines up 6 official visits

Four-star DL commit Joseph Mbatchou is set for six key official visits but remains committed to the Gators despite interest from major programs.

Florida football’s four-star defensive line commit, Joseph Mbatchou, is gearing up for six official visits in the coming weeks.

The Loganville, Georgia, native committed to Florida in August, but since then, several major programs have made their offers.

Mbatchou was in Gainesville during the Gators season-opening game against the Miami Hurricanes. He has also attended games at Auburn, Texas, Alabama and Georgia.

Even after these visits, Mbatchou assured On3 sports writer Joseph Hastings, “Right now, I’m still good with Florida.”

Regarded as one of the nation’s top defensive line prospects, Mbatchou has attracted considerable attention due to his impressive size and skill, standing at 6-foot-4.5-inches and weighing 280 pounds.

While his commitment to Florida remains firm, he is also keeping an open mind as he considers other programs. With the early signing period approaching in December, Mbatchou’s upcoming visits will be pivotal in his final decision. The Gators will need to present a strong case to ensure he stays committed to their recruiting class.

Mbatchou’s upcoming schedule

Oct. 19: Texas Longhorns

Oct. 26: Michigan Wolverines

Nov. 2: Auburn Tigers

Nov. 16: Florida Gators

Nov. 23: Tennessee Volunteers

Nov. 30: Southern California Trojans

Recruiting Summary

Mbatchou, out of Grayson High School, is listed as a four-star recruit by On3, 247Sports and ESPN. He is ranked the No. 31, No. 27 and No. 25 defensive lineman recruit in the class of 2025 by On3, 247Sports and ESPN, respectively.

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On3 names Notre Dame’s Matt Allocco among top 20 ACC impact transfers

How do you expect him to contribute this season?

Unlike most other ACC teams, Notre Dame didn’t dip its toes very deep into the transfer portal this past offseason. In fact, the Irish joined North Carolina, Florida State and Pittsburgh as the only schools in the conference to add three or fewer players via the transfer portal. That fell below the conference average of 4.6 transfers a team.

But one of them figures to contribute mightily to the Irish this this upcoming season. On3’s Jamie Shaw has named [autotag]Matt Allocco[/autotag] one of 20 impact transfers in the ACC for the 2024-25 season.

Allocco came over to the Irish from Princeton and is coming off career-high averages in both scoring (12.7) and assists (3.3). That netted him his second straight Second Team All-Ivy League honor, and he now will see how well his game translates in a power conference.

Shaw described Allocco this way:

“Matt Allocco is another connector for [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag]’s team. The 6-foot-4 senior is comfortable moving the ball or knocking down shots. He brings a winning pedigree (70-21 in college) and will provide a veteran presence beside [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag], someone who compliments his game and is able to take some pressure off his duties.”

Irish fans will be watch Allocco every step of the way. He’ll be crucial to any success this still-young team has.

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Budding star LSU RB named among On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-American team

Caden Durham already looks like he could be LSU’s best running back as a true freshman.

On3 recently released its midseason True Freshman All-American team and a member of the LSU Tigers is listed on the team.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], the star freshman running back from Duncanville, Texas, finds himself as the starting running back on the Freshman All-American team. LSU is a team that has struggled to run the ball in the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] regime but Durham has given the Tigers hope for a future running game.

In four games this season, Durham has 29 carries for 244 yards and three touchdowns. He has also caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Here is what On3 had to say about him.

Caden Durham has provided a much-needed big-play spark to the LSU backfield. The speedster from Duncanville (Texas) High has had a few huge games for the Tigers to this point in the season. He earned On3 True Freshman of the Week honors in week three after rushing for 98 yards and two touchdowns in a close win over South Carolina. Durham followed that up by erupting for over 200 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against South Alabama. The true freshman entered college with well-known big-play ability – he doubled as a track star and ran the 100 meters in the 10.4 second range. With that said, he’s also shown impressive contact balance and the ability to force missed tackles. Given his emergence in the last month, Durham looks to be a staple in LSu’s backfield for years to come. He ranked as the No. 116 overall prospect in the 2024 On300 and rushed for over 2,000 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior at Duncanville.

Durham looks to keep his momentum rolling as the Tigers play a pivotal game against Ole Miss this weekend.

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On3’s JD PicKell makes his pick for LSU’s Week 7 showdown against Ole Miss

Can the Tigers avenge last season’s shootout loss in Oxford?

Coming off a bye, LSU is now preparing for one of the most important matchups of the entire season as it welcomes a top-10 Ole Miss team to town looking for revenge after a shootout loss in Oxford last season.

The Rebels suffered their first loss of the season against Kentucky two weeks ago but responded with a convincing 27-3 win on the road against South Carolina on Saturday. Now, they’re searching for their first win in Death Valley since 2008.

On3’s JD PicKell has made his picks for top games in Week 7, and he thinks Ole Miss gets the job done. He predicts a 28-21 win on the road for the Rebels.

“This game should be treated like a playoff game, if you’re an LSU fan, should be a playoff atmosphere,” PicKell said. “Should bring playoff level juice. Why? Because you got one loss. You still got to play Bama. Still have a lot left in front of you. You drop this game to Ole Miss, you don’t feel great about your chances to play in the postseason. All right, you’re at home. Defend home turf, is what I think the messaging would be internally at LSU.

“Now for Ole Miss, LSU remembers this game. LSU remembers your team and your fans storming the field after you beat them last year. We talk a lot about Ole Miss and Ole Miss talks a lot about their professional mindset, who you keep hearing ‘pro mindset, be a pro.’ That’s what Ole Miss is really kind of built their culture on. If you want to have a professional mindset. This is going to be the biggest test we’ve seen for Ole Miss to this point.”

The Tigers already have a loss on the year, and taking another on Saturday would seriously jeopardize their College Football Playoff hopes. They’ll look to avenge last season’s loss and keep the home winning streak against the Rebels alive.

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On3 has two Notre Dame players on its mid-season Freshman All-American team

These two Irish freshman have bright futures ahead of them

While many teams across the country have had to use some of its true freshman earlier than anticipated, Notre Dame’s injury woes has been a blessing in disguise as it has found a pair that will have great careers in South Bend.

On Monday afternoon, On3 named its midseason true freshman All-American team with offensive tackle [autotag]Anthonie Knapp[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] both making the cut.

The tackle has started every game so far for the Irish, and head coach Marcus Freeman has raved about his progress. He’s said many times that Knapp has improved every week, as he gets more accustomed to the collegiate game.

While KVA isn’t a starter like his teammate, he’s still had a major impact on the Notre Dame defense. In limited time this fall, he’s already made 16 stops with a sack and an interception. If the players ahead of him weren’t playing at a high level, we’d probably be seeing Viliamu-Asa trotting out with the starting lineup.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (27) tackles Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, during the NCAA football game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 66-7.

While this is a great honor, it’s just at the midpoint of the season and both of them will have to continue to play at a high level to earn full season honors while helping the Irish continue to win games.

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2025 4-star forward Jasir Rencher has committed to Texas A&M basketball

Texas A&M basketball picks up a commitment from a top 25 small forward in the 2025 recruiting cycle

Texas A&M basketball head coach Buzz Williams picked up his second commitment from the 2025 class. On Thursday night, the 6’5″ small forward Jasir Rencher, out of Oakland, California, confirmed via social media that he will join the Aggie basketball team.

Here is what he had to say about why he chose to commit to Texas A&M

“Choosing a school was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” he said. “I was really down to 2 schools that both fit me really well on and off the court. But I chose Texas A&M because they were recruiting me for a long time. It’s a beautiful campus. They’re about their players. And like I said before they fit me on and off the court.”

Rencher is an aggressive two-way player who fits right in with what Buzz Williams has established in Aggieland. He is also a winner, helping lead his team to an undefeated WCAL season and a CCS Open title in the same season.

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