Assessing Khyree Jackson’s performance at the 2024 NFL Combine

Assessing Oregon Ducks’ CB Khyree Jackson’s performance at the 2024 NFL Combine.

The 2024 NFL Draft Combine is well on its way in Indianapolis and Oregon Ducks’ cornerback Khyree Jackson led the way for the Ducks on Day 2 of the annual event.

Jackson, who transferred to Oregon from Alabama for his senior year, turned some heads, especially in the broad jump where he was near the top of the heap.

As for his overall grade, it was pretty good as the scouts rate Jackson as a solid backup for the potential to be a starter in the NFL. As with all things, it just depends on the team that selects him and what their specific needs are.

Here’s the breakdown of Jackson’s day at the combine.

A look at the hectic upcoming 2024-25 College Football Playoff schedule

The college football schedule in December could look a bit hectic this upcoming season with the playoff expansion.

It was a foregone conclusion that once college football went into a playoff format it would be expanded for more teams than just four.

That expansion begins this coming year as the College Football Playoff will include a total of 12 teams with the top four receiving a first-round bye. Those first-round games will be played on campus sites.

Expansion doesn’t just mean more teams, however.

The football calendar will also be pushed to the limit and will resemble the NFL playoffs and will last nearly that long. The days of college football ending on New Year’s are long over.

For those two teams that make the National Championship, they would have played 15 or 16 total games. There was a reason the regular season ended in late November and most bowl games were played in the southern part of the country.

The weather.

A December game played at Wisconsin or Michigan won’t be fun for players or fans, but these extra playoff games will rack in the dough for schools to spread around.

On top of just the new playoff games, coaches and programs will also have to deal with the transfer portal and the early signing period, both of which will come in early December as well. Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 season, wich dates set for games this postseason.

Report: Early Signing Day dates set to change once again

According to a report from The Athletic, college football is set to change its December signing date and add a summer date as well.

It wasn’t too long ago when the first week of February contained the college football signing day for high school football recruits. ESPN would cover it all day long and the college football world would be buzzing.

Now , the early signing day is in December, the transfer portal is in play and the February date has been downgraded some. But according to a report from Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, more change is coming our way.

Those who control these things are looking to move the December date up to the Wednesday before the conference championship games so the high school signings don’t interfere with the transfer portal signings. Right now, they all seem to roll together and it could get confusing.

With that, the college football leaders are also looking into potentially adding another signing date in the summer leading up to fall camp.

College football is quickly turning into a year-round sport with very little breaks in between.

Oklahoma top 10: Updated look at the top 15 in 2025 team recruiting rankings

A look at the top 15 teams in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports.

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a blazing start in the 2025 recruiting class. Their 10 commitments put them way ahead of the pace from 2024 when they didn’t get their first commitment until late March before the signing class.

Headlined by a group of Oklahoma products, the Sooners currently rank inside the top 10. They should see significant movement if the current predictions for blue chip prospects Jonah Williams, Tory Blaylock, and Cobey Sellers come through with commitments.

The Sooners are also in great shape with a number of highly-regarded targets like offensive tackle Michael Fasusi and tight end Nate Roberts.

With more than nine months before the early signing period and Oklahoma about to transition into spring ball, recruiting is about to heat up. The Sooners are well situated to maintain their recruiting floor in the top eight but could push the 2023 recruiting class for the best of the Brent Venables era.

Here’s a look at the top 15 programs in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings, the number of blue-chip prospects for each school, and their highest-rated prospect.

Report: Oregon to hire Darren Uscher back from UCLA in personnel and recruiting role

The Oregon Ducks are reportedly hiring former UCLA general manager Darren Uscher, who left Eugene earlier this year to join the Bruins.

College sports are starting to look more and more like professional sports every year.

Just a month ago, Darren Uscher left Oregon to become the general manager of the UCLA football program.

He’s back.

According to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Uscher is returning to Eugene as a member of the personnel and recruiting department after a lot of change for the Bruins over the last 30 days. Former head coach Chip Kelly recently announced that he was leaving to become the new offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, leaving UCLA to hire DeShaun Foster as the new coach.

Uscher decided the grass was greener in Eugene.

Ever since Dan Lanning took over the Duck program, building a front office has been a priority and so far, no one can argue with the results on and off the field. With Marshall Malchow leading things as the Chief of Staff, the off-field produce is just as strong as the on-field produce for Oregon, and adding Uscher back to the mix doesn’t change that.

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Where Oregon’s roster ranks among the most-talented in the Big Ten Conference

A look at which teams have the most roster talent based on past recruiting rankings in the Big Ten going into the 2024 season.

Recruiting is the lifeblood of all college sports teams, but not more so than in football. Television networks allot blocks of time dedicated to Signing Day.

In short: Recruiting is a very big deal.

The level of success in recruiting can determine a team’s success on the field. But it’s not an exact science. Coaching and team chemistry have their places too. For teams competing for national championships, however, they usually rank near the top on a consistent basis. Those in the top 25 or so can have their moments, but they’re not playing for a title year after year.

Athlon Sports used recruiting rankings from 247Sports and attempted to show which teams in the Big Ten have the most talent on the roster. Of course, recruiting ratings don’t always perfectly result in talent on the field, as coaching and development has a huge part to play, but it does give us a good baseline for where the talent lies.

The usuals such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are near the top and they included the new four schools from the Pac-12.

Oregon should fit in nicely and cause some problems in the new conference, but the other three, even USC, has some work to do on the recruiting trail if they want to compete for Big Ten titles.

Here’s a look at the most talented rosters in the Big Ten in 2024, ranked by Athlon Sports. 

Marcus Mariota on the cover? What could have been for NCAA Football 16

Oregon legendary quarterback Marcus Mariota could have been on the cover of EA Sports College Football 16 if franchise continued.

When nostalgia is done right, it can be epic, but when it’s done wrong, it can be a proverbial dumpster fire.

The gaming world is about to find out where the cookie crumbles when EA Sports’ College Football 25 comes out in July. All indications are there won’t be a dumpster fire to be found.

It’s been over a decade since EA has presented sports fans with a college football game due to legal reasons. Unfortunately, they had to stop right when Marcus Mariota was on the top of the world leading Oregon to a national title and holding a Heisman Trophy. CBS Sports says the Duck legend would have graced the cover of NCAA Football 16.

This was a very difficult cut to make, and it came down to a pair of quarterbacks that led their teams to a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff: Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston. Both won the Heisman, with Winston following in Johnny Manziel’s footsteps as a freshman winner while also becoming the youngest player to ever take the Heisman home. What sets Mariota apart, however, is his consistent success. It also helps that Mariota plays for Oregon and its imminently marketable uniforms, which look great emblazoned on any promotional material. — Will Buckus, CBS Sports

Mariota would have been the best call here, but it would have been comical to have a picture of Winston spinning himself into oblivion in the Rose Bowl on the cover.

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PFF says wide receiver will be the focus of first round picks in draft

In the latest mock draft from PFF, Troy Franklin will go in the first round to Tampa Bay at No. 26.

According to the analytical website PFF.com, the one position that NFL teams will focus on in the first round is wide receiver.

It’s one of the best classes of receiver in quite some time and while quarterbacks are at a premium, they need elite athletes to throw to to make a difference.

In the latest mock NFL draft, PFF projects a total of seven receivers will be selected and one of those ball hawks will be Oregon’s own Troy Franklin. They think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are high on the 6-foot-3, 187-pounder from East Palo Alto, Calif.

Franklin blossomed as a player in his three seasons as a Ducks and really broke out in 2022 and 2023 with quarterback Bo Nix tossing him the pigskin. In those two seasons, Franklin caught 142 passes for 2,274 yards and 23 touchdowns.

PFF gives Franklin a grade of 84.9 overall and an 87.3 grade for receiving. Overall, he was the No. 29 receiver in the country.

The Buccaneers were in the lower third of the NFL where offense is concerned so it’s no surprise they’ll look for an upgrade in the receiver department and Franklin would certainly fit the bill here.

Dan Lanning states ex-UCLA QB Dante Moore can write ‘interesting’ story at Oregon

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning spoke on Dante Moore’s decision to transfer from UCLA to the Ducks.

UCLA’s biggest loss of the off-season is the biggest gain for conference foe Oregon.

Former Bruins’ true freshman quarterback Dante Moore, who entered the transfer portal in November, recently chose Oregon to be his new home. Finishing his first season with 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, Moore’s year was both promising and tumultuous at times. However, the newly minted Oregon Duck has a fresh start in Eugene and, according to his head coach, Dan Lanning, an opportunity to write his own story.

“It’s going to make for an interesting book for Dante when he writes it someday,” Lanning said.

While Moore’s decision to transfer from UCLA certainly does not bode well for the Bruins, it likely bodes well for Moore.

Oregon has a long track record of developing young quarterbacks and making first-round picks out of them in the NFL. From Heisman winner Marcus Mariota to Los Angeles Chargers stud Justin Herbert, all the way to transfer product and projected first-round quarterback this year Bo Nix, there is a long list of successful signal-calling Ducks.

As the off-season rolls on, the Bruins will need to assess the quarterback talent on their own roster. Today, rising senior Ethan Garber appears to be the obvious choice for the starting job after a strong showing in 2023. But with lots of football to be played before the Bruins’ first game, it’s anyone’s job.

Troy Franklin lands with Super Bowl champions in latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft

Troy Franklin could be the missing piece to a three-peat puzzle for Super Bowl champs, according to latest mock draft.

As if the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t need another weapon in their arsenal.

According to the latest USA TODAY mock NFL draft, Oregon receiver Troy Franklin would fit in nicely with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

Writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Franklin would be the last pick of the first round in April. This was is analysis.

“The 6-3, 180-pound Franklin is not the surehanded target that one might expect Kansas City to target after a season of errors from its receiving corps,” he said. “But his deep speed and run-after-catch ability would add vital explosiveness to a passing attack that has grown far too stale.”

That passing attack wasn’t too stale to win another Super Bowl, but there was talk immediately afterward that the Chiefs could be in a great situation to win a third straight Super Bowl for the first time in league history.

Middlehurst-Schwartz also said that Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson will go in the middle of the first round at No. 21 to the Miami Dolphins.

“A unanimous All-American this past season, Powers-Johnson showed off at the Senior Bowl, making a strong claim to be the first interior offensive lineman selected,” he said. “Rugged yet refined, he sizes up as exactly the kind of figure that Mike McDaniel would covet to enhance this offense.”

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