Tag: On3

Texas Tech transfer WR is still heavily predicted to land with Texas A&M

Despite wanting to take other visits, Texas A&M remains the clear favorite to land WR Micah Hudson

Earlier this week, On3 recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong released his official prediction for Texas A&M to land a commitment from one of the top players in the transfer portal for five-star wide receiver and Texas Tech Red Raider Micah Hudson.

After one season in Lubbock (TX), Hudson recorded just eight receptions and 123 yards through the air but did show off his elite ball skills on several occasions during the year. However, his fit in the Texas Tech offense didn’t come to fruition, and a change of scenery while Texas looked like the goal.

After nearly landing a commitment from Hudson out of high school, the Aggies remain the favorite. In a recent interview with 247Sports’ Mike Roach (subscription required), the talented pass catcher felt right at home during his recent visit to College Station.

“It’s just very welcoming,” Hudson stated. “Being able to be around good-hearted people and getting questions answered that I needed to get answered, I was able to feel like myself and be around the culture. I got to see something that felt really good to see because I saw the difference with this year’s staff and last year’s staff.

Concerning head coach Mike Elko, Hudson appreciated his straightforward approach to his potential future role in the offense:

“It was no BS really. I felt like today, every area they didn’t BS me. They told me how it was and either I would do it or I wouldn’t. I was able to understand a lot of things I didn’t understand in my past recruitment.”

While Hudson still plans to make two more visits over the next two weeks, until further notice, the Aggies are the leaders in his transfer portal recruitment.

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Florida football quarterback enters NCAA transfer portal

Gators QB Parker Leise has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Florida football quarterback Parker Leise has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.

Leise, a former three-star recruit by 247Sports, attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he set the school’s single-game passing record with 405 yards. He competed in the All-American Bowl combine, earning Top Performer honors and an All-Combine Team honorable mention.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound pro-style quarterback out of Prairie Village, Kansas, was part of the Gators’ 2023 recruiting class. However, with Florida’s crowded quarterback room featuring DJ Lagway and high-profile recruits, opportunities for Leise to see the field were limited.

For the Gators, Leise’s departure is part of the natural ebb and flow of roster management in the transfer portal era.

With four years of eligibility remaining, Leise will have ample opportunities to develop and grow as a quarterback. Programs in need of a young, dynamic passer will likely express interest in the talented signal-caller.

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On3 names DJ Lagway a True Freshman All-American

The Florida Gators have the best first-year quarterback in the country on its roster in DJ Lagway, an On3 True Freshman All-American.

The Florida Gators might have the best young quarterback in the country in [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], and On3 named the first-year phenom to its True Freshman All-America Team on Friday.

Lagway started the year as the backup to senior Graham Mertz. He made his first start in Week 2 against Samford while Mertz recovered from a concussion and set a program record for true freshmen with 456 passing yards. Lagway continued to earn playing time as a backup from then on, finally taking over the reins to the offense midway through the Tennessee matchup after Mertz tore his ACL.

Lagway missed the Texas game with a hamstring injury after suffering against Georgia but returned a week later against LSU. He finished the season 4-0 in games that he started and finished. Over 11 total appearances, Lagway totaled 1,610 yards on 93 of 157 passing (59.2%), 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing 46 times for 97 yards.

“No true freshman quarterback had more of an effect on winning at their respective program than DJ Lagway,” On3 national news reporter Thomas Goldkamp wrote. “Lagway took over for Florida following the season-ending injury for Graham Mertz and led the Gators to wins in four of their last five games, providing a bunch of positive momentum heading into the offseason in Gainesville.”

Goldkamp noted Lagway’s “top-shelf arm,” sturdy pocket presence and scrambling ability to support Lagway’s placement on the list. He also questioned whether the injury Lagway suffered hampered him from playing at full strength. True freshmen rarely play their best ball in Year 1, which means an already high ceiling for Lagway could be an underestimate.

Pro Football Focus gave Lagway a 71.8 overall offensive grade, good for 4th among true freshman quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks. His 75.5 passing grade is first along the same criteria.

Even more impressive, Lagway’s 97.3 passing grade on deep balls (20 yards or more) leads all FBS quarterbacks. He threw 30 deep balls this year, making up 18.6% of his total attempts.

On3 2025 True Freshman All-American List

Offensive True Freshman of the Year – WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

QB – DJ Lagway, Florida

RB – Isaac Brown, Louisville

RB – Ahmar Hardy, Louisiana-Monroe

WR – Ryan Williams, Alabama

WR – Cam Coleman, Auburn

OL – Jordan Seaton, Colorado

OL – Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame

OL – Cash Cleveland, Colorado

OL – Tyler Mercer, North Texas

Bonus – RB Caden Durham, LSU

Defensive True Freshman of the Year – EDGE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

EDGE – Colin Simmons, Texas

EDGE – Kyran Duhon, UTEP

DL – Jayden Jackson, Oklahoma

LB – Sammy Brown, Clemson

LB – Simeon Coleman, Cincinnati

CB – OJ Frederique, Miami

CB – Jay Crawford, Auburn

CB – Eli Bowen, Oklahoma

S – Koi Perich, Minnesota

S – KJ Bolden, Georgia

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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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