Tag: On3

LSU jumps up a spot in On3’s SEC baseball power rankings after Texas A&M series win

The Tigers are on the rise after another series win, this time against the No. 1 team in the nation.

LSU baseball fans would like to forget most of SEC play to this point, but things are beginning to turn around in Baton Rouge.

After dropping their first five SEC series, the Tigers have turned in three victories in a row, headlined by taking two of three at home against Texas A&M last weekend. That series win has given this team new life as it is climbing the SEC standings and back in the NCAA tournament conversation.

It’s also given LSU a boost in the latest SEC baseball power rankings from On3’s Jonathan Wagner. The Tigers only rose one spot, jumping a Florida team that has now suffered five consecutive series losses of its own.

Here’s what Wagner said about LSU.

LSU is on the move and cracks the top ten this week. The Tigers made a statement by taking two out of three against Texas A&M, and also won 26-2 in a midweek game against Grambling State. They finish just ahead of Florida, who drops a spot after a 2-2 week that included a series loss against Tennessee. Florida is just one game over .500 at 24-23.

The Tigers will be back in action Tuesday night as they host Northwestern State before hitting the road to face Alabama in the penultimate SEC series this weekend.

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LSU baseball is back in the projected NCAA tournament field per On3 bubble watch

After winning three SEC series in a row, including this past weekend against No. 1 Texas A&M, the Tigers are among the projected last four teams in.

Just a few weeks ago, the NCAA tournament was the furthest thing from the minds of the LSU baseball team. After an 0-5 start in SEC series, there was a question of whether the Tigers would even crack the conference tournament field.

But a lot can change in three weeks. Coach Jay Johnson’s team has won three series in a row, most recently taking two of three in Baton Rouge from No. 1-ranked Texas A&M.

LSU is now back in the projected field of 64, albeit just barely. In the latest bubble watch from On3’s Jonathan Wagner, the Tigers are among the last four teams in.

All of a sudden, LSU is back in the mix. The Tigers took two out of three against previously top-ranked Texas A&M over the weekend, and now look to be in a solid position as of right now for the postseason. First, LSU needs to keep winning. They have won three consecutive SEC series and have a pivotal matchup this weekend at Alabama. At 31-18 overall and 9-15 overall, the Tigers need to win their final two series and get to 13 SEC wins. They could potentially get away with winning once against Alabama and then sweeping Ole Miss to end the regular season, depending on what happens in Hoover. LSU’s RPI currently sits at No. 34.

These final two series will definitely prove to be crucial for the Tigers, whose margin for error remains incredibly slim down the stretch in the regular season. But there’s certainly hope that this team will return to the NCAA tournament, which felt like a longshot well into the month of April.

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Alabama basketball ranks No. 1 in the nation in way-too-early ranking

Alabama basketball is ranked No. 1 in the country in On3’s Top 25 NCAAM rankings

For arguably the first time in program history, Alabama Crimson Tide basketball will have major expectations heading into a season. After earning the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament followed by the school’s first-ever Final Four run in 2024, there is pressure on [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag].

Oats has quickly established himself as one of the top coaches in the country with two SEC regular season titles and two SEC Tournament championships on top of his NCAA Tournament success. Oats is so highly regarded, that when the Kentucky job opened he was their first choice, fortunately, he declined.

With the addition of Clifford Omoruyi to an already stacked roster, the Crimson Tide will be the team to beat next year despite UConn’s back-to-back national championships. Mark Sears’s NBA draft status is the final piece in question for the Alabama faithful, but at this point in time, it seems more likely than not that he returns to Tuscaloosa next year.

Heading into the summer, On3 has released their Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, and they actually have the Crimson Tide ranked No. 1 saying, “Alabama made big headlines once again this week by adding former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi to the starting lineup. The Crimson Tide is now talented and deep at every position with only two NBA Draft decisions left from Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson.”

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On3 ranks Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell as one of the best coaches in college football

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell ranked as one of the best coaches in college football:

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell was ranked as one of the best coaches in college football by On3’s Jesse Simonton on Sunday.

Fickell was one of eight Big Ten coaches on the top 25 list, along with Ohio State’s Ryan Day, USC’s Lincoln Riley, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Penn State’s James Franklin, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith.

Related: An updated list of Wisconsin football’s 2024 spring transfer portal window activity

The Badgers head coach enters 2024 after a disappointing 7-6 2023 season. There were widespread changes on both sides of the football, including the installation of Phil Longo’s air raid offense. But a debut 7-6 season against an easy Big Ten West schedule fell far short of preseason expectations.

Wisconsin fans hope 2024 is the launching pad season for the program as the Big Ten enters its new era.

Before that begins, here is where On3 ranks Fickell among the sport’s best:

On3 thinks the Gators have a top-10 quarterback room for 2024

The combination of Mertz’s overachievement in 2023 and the acquisition of DJ Lagway makes Florida’s QB room an intriguing one.

The quarterback position was considered an area of weakness for Florida football last season as the program turned to former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz to bridge the gap from the Anthony Richardson era to the next home-grown prospect.

It looks like things have changed this year thanks to a major coup on the recruiting front.

On3’s Jesse Simonton recently ranked the top quarterback units ahead of the 2024 campaign, placing the Orange and Blue at No. 9 due to both the overachievement of Mertz in 2023 as well as the introduction of five-star recruit DJ Lagway this offseason.

“The Gators have one of the more intriguing quarterback situations in 2024. Graham Mertz returns, and the former Wisconsin transfer was much better than most expected last season (20 touchdowns to just three interceptions, 73% completion),” Simonton begins.

“Still, waiting in the wings is 5-star freshman DJ Lagway, who opted to hold his commitment to Billy Napier despite the head coach’s much-rumored hot seat,” he notes. “Lagway impressed in the spring and could push for playing time early in 2024 — despite Mertz’s strong debut season in Gainesville just a year ago.”

The Texas Longhorns took the top spot in the rankings, followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers; after Florida, the Texas A&M Aggies round out the top 10.

The Gators host the Miami Hurricanes for the season opener inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is still to be determined.

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Is Texas A&M a favorite to land 2025 5-star safety Jonah Williams?

2025 5-star safety Jonah Williams is reportedly a favorite to land with Texas A&M according to one analyst

This summer, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and his hard-working staff are set to host a long list of 2025 and 2026 prospects, which includes one of the most sought-after athletes in the 2025 cycle, five-star safety Jonah Williams.

Texas A&M made Williams’ Top 7 program list last week, joining Oklahoma, LSU, Oregon, USC, Ohio State, and the Texas Longhorns.

Williams, who has been connected to the program since last year, has already taken several unofficial visits to College Station, including last July, and is scheduled to return to campus on June 7 for his first official visit before heading to Ohio State and Oregon for consecutive weekend visits.

Williams has been a favorite to land with Oklahoma since February, but this week, former 247Sports and now On3 recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong recently provided some recruiting updates across the college football landscape, with a focus on Williams’ upcoming visit to Texas A&M, stating,

“I think the Aggies are the favorite going into the Official Visits now.”

This is obviously significant news heading into a busy summer that could result in another highly successful recruiting period, as Elko has secured nine commitments in the 2025 recruiting class so far.

According to 247Sports, Williams is currently positioned as the 12th-ranked prospect in the 2025 class, the 2nd-ranked linebacker prospect, and the fourth-ranked prospect in Texas.

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Where does LSU’s quarterback room rank nationally entering 2024?

LSU is losing a Heisman-winner at quarterback, but Garrett Nussmeier seems ready to take the mantle.

LSU enters the 2024 season — the third under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] — with quite a few questions.

However, one of the most pressing has to do with the game’s most important position. Heisman-winning quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is out, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over the starting job after seeing sporadic action in his first three seasons.

In addition to Nussmeier, the Tigers have Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], redshirt freshman former four-star recruit [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag], a true freshman early enrollee who reclassified from 2025 to 2024.

While that group isn’t the most experienced in the country, it does feature quite a bit of talent. In his rankings of college football quarterback rooms in 2024, On3’s Jesse Simonton slotted the Tigers eighth.

LSU lost Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, but the Tigers have kept Garrett Nussmeier around for a reason and the country will see why this fall. Just in case, Brian Kelly added some interesting insurance to the QB room as well, grabbing Vandy transfer AJ Swann (27 touchdowns, nine picks in his career).

Replacing a player of Daniels’ caliber won’t be easy, but it’s hard to see quarterback as a major concern despite the fact that it will likely be rolling with a signal-caller who has made just one career start, which came in the ReliaQuest Bowl at the end of the 2023 season.

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Cooper Flagg aside, Duke’s remaining 2024 signees all finish in the top 50 of On3’s final rankings

Taking a look at the rest of Duke’s 2024 class in the final rankings.

Cooper Flagg cemented himself as the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in America during his final season in high school, leading Montverde Academy to an undefeated season en route to a national championship. He took home many awards and made multiple statement appearances during high school basketball’s most prestigious postseason all-star games, like the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.

However, he’s not the only prospect the Blue Devils are set to bring in this summer. Duke’s 2024 class is pretty historic, even without considering Flagg. In the final On3 rankings, all six Duke signees finished within the top 50 spots.

Khaman Maluach, a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, slots in at ninth in the final rankings. His performance in the Nike Hoop Summit wasn’t spectacular, but his work at NBA Academy Africa and in the Basketball Africa League showcases why he’s considered a potential top-five pick in next year’s draft. The 7-footer has the tools to be a game-changer for Duke next season alongside Flagg.

Kon Knueppel finished at 17th, and his blend of size and skill gave him an easy path to playing time off the bench next season as a steady offensive presence. He can shoot the ball, handle it, and even initiate offense.

Isaiah Evans dominated social media, especially in North Carolina, as he cemented himself as one of the state’s best high school players in state history. His North Mecklenburg high school team won a state championship at North Carolina’s highest classification, and they rode the wave of Evans’s talented shotmaking and fiery competitive spirit to get it done. Evans may be slight physically, but his length, energy, and shotmaking will be valuable to Duke next year. On3 ranked him as the 25th-best prospect in their final rankings.

Patrick Ngongba joined the Blue Devils in November. While his high school season was very short due to an injury that kept him out until March, he showcased a little of his game in the Chipotle Nationals. Getting his conditioning back and back into shape is his biggest hurdle as he gets ready for Duke, but even with his injuries, On3 ranked him as their 35th-best prospect.

Last but certainly not least, Darren Harris clocks in at 43 in the final rankings. The sharpshooting guard raised many eyebrows in his senior season, highlighted by an electric showing at the Chipotle Nationals alongside Ngongba on their Paul VI Catholic team that finished the season ranked second in the country. Harris can shoot the cover off of the ball, and because of that, it’s hard not to see him competing for minutes come November.

Duke’s class has a lot of depth and versatility, and it will be fun seeing all the talented freshmen get on campus and try to acclimate themselves to the college game. Duke may have six freshmen coming in, but it’s hard not to be excited about what they can offer next year’s team.

Cooper Flagg finishes senior year as number one prospect in On3’s Top 150 rankings

Cooper Flagg fends off Ace Bailey in final on3 recruiting rankings.

Cooper Flagg has had one heck of a final year in high school. It started with him reclassifying last September to rejoin his original class. Soon after, he committed to the Duke Blue Devils, his dream school and the team he’s been a fan of since he was a little kid. He would then lead Montverde Academy to a national title, and along the way, Flagg dominated and received all types of awards.

He would be named McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand All-American and compete in the Nike Hoop Summit. Now, he finishes the whirlwind year as On3’s number-one player in its final 2024 recruiting rankings.

Ace Bailey, the number two overall prospect, pushed Flagg all season long in. an attempt to overtake him. Still, Jamie Shaw of On3 Sports specifically cited Flagg’s ability and consistency in performing at the highest levels since entering high school as the most significant reason Flagg remained ahead of Bailey. Bailey is hyper-athletic, with great size and a great frame, and he showcased terrific shotmaking but also relied too much on his jump shot. In contrast, Flagg utilizes his ever-improving jump shot as a small part of his ability to get to the basket and be a creator and initiator in half-court, where he makes terrific reads.

The conversation will continue during the summer and through each player’s one and only college seasons at Duke and Rutgers, respectively, as each is on a crash course for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Flagg can now rest and enjoy his time off and being to prepare for the next challenge: becoming a Duke basketball player. He won’t make the trip to Durham for good until sometime in June, but based on everything we’ve seen from Flagg, this young man will not be afraid of the moment or challenge.

How did Jayden Daniels go from good to great at LSU?

Jayden Daniels could be drafted as high as the No. 2 pick in the first round of the draft on Thursday.

As the NFL draft quickly approaches, On3’s Cody Bellaire decided to take a deeper dive into what factors elevated [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] from a good player to a great player and a Heisman Trophy winner.

During his first season at LSU, Daniels led LSU to a 10-4 record while throwing for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. It was a return to form from when he was a freshman at Arizona State.

Last season, he turned up the heat in a major way as he led LSU to a 10-3 record while throwing for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Here is what Bellaire had to say about what made such a difference.

“They said it was his preparation and his commitment to learning that offense and connecting with his teammates that allowed him to reach that new level,” he wrote. “First player in the building, last guy to leave, any chance he could get to throw to those guys he would. But he really committed to learning that offense backwards and forwards.”

Those same traits are what has made him one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the [autotag]2024 NFL draft[/autotag]. Daniels could be drafted as high as the No. 2 pick in the first round on Thursday.

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