Tag: Phil Steele

LSU’s Caden Durham just outside the top 10 in Phil Steele’s freshman running back rankings

Caden Durham will have to battle for carries, but the true freshman could make an immediate impact.

With a 1,100-yard rusher at quarterback in [autotag]Jayden Daniels [/autotag]moving on, it’s clear that LSU will need to get more out of its stable of running backs in 2024.

Back are veterans [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag], who withdrew from the transfer portal, as well as sophomore [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag], who impressed during his rookie campaign.

But LSU also adds a freshman to that mix who could make an immediate impact in [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag]. The four-star 2024 signee from Duncanville, Texas, was a top-100 prospect coming out of high school, and Phil Steele ranked him as the No. 11 running back in his preseason freshmen rankings.

It will be a battle for carries as a true freshman, but LSU has utilized a varied running back rotation over the last two seasons under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], and it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t see some action as a first-year this fall.

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LSU’s Will Campbell, Emery Jones lead Phil Steele’s preseason college football offensive tackle rankings

LSU could have the nation’s best offensive line in 2024, and the tackle spots are a major reason for it.

LSU has a lot of new pieces on offense after [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] all moved on to the next level. However, there’s one position we know won’t be a question mark, and it’s the offensive tackle.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] anchors what is arguably the best offensive line in the country entering the 2024 season at left tackle, and the former five-star recruit and two-year starter could find himself as a top-five pick in next year’s draft. Playing opposite Campbell is [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag], a fellow 2022 recruit who has helmed the right tackle spot the last two seasons.

Phil Steele ranked the top 25 offensive tackles in college football ahead of the 2024 season, and Campbell and Jones topped the list at No. 1 and 2, respectively.

Both are considered possible first-round picks in 2025, and they’ll make things easier on new quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who should have plenty of time in the pocket to show off his gunslinging tendencies this season.

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Phil Steele ranks LSU’s Mason Taylor as a top-5 tight end entering 2024 season

Mason Taylor could be poised for a huge junior season.

LSU lost its top two pass-catchers from a year ago as [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] are heading to the NFL. There’s still talent in the receiver room, but the Tigers may look elsewhere for some production in the passing game.

[autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] enters his junior season with the team and figures to be among the best tight ends in the country. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman, catching the game-winning two-point conversion to beat Alabama, and though his production dropped a bit as a sophomore, he still finished with 348 yards and a touchdown on 36 catches.

He could be poised to take up an even bigger role this season, and Phil Steele is high on Taylor in his annual college football preview. In ranking the nation’s tight ends, he puts Taylor at No. 2.

Taylor was expected to take a leap after a big true freshman season, and while that didn’t exactly happen, it can largely be attributed to targets going elsewhere. In an offense that could lean even more on the passing game with a gunslinger in [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], Taylor could be a beneficiary.

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Phil Steele projects 2024 Florida football among CFB’s most improved teams

Florida football has been struggling for a few years, but college football insider Phil Steele believe that the Gators are capable of navigating a tough schedule in 2024.

College football insider Phil Steele included the Florida Gators on his list of  “most improved” teams heading into the 2024 college football season.

Billy Napier’s group will face one of, if not, the toughest schedules in the country this season, but Steele has seen the program take enough steps forward under the current head coach to predict a better season than most are willing to.

“Florida has not had 4 straight losing seasons since 1935-38,” Steele wrote. “Last year they were much better than their record, just a handful of plays from a much better record.

“This year, they are improved in all 3 phases. They do face the nation’s toughest schedule but Napier and company are up to the task.”

Steele compared Florida’s situation to in-state rival Florida State, which narrowly missed the final four-team playoff after two losing seasons under Mike Norvell.

How many wins will Florida get?

Winning at home is critical to Florida’s success this season. The Gators only have four away games on the schedule, with the Florida-Georgia game being a neutral site game.

The Samford game feels like the only lock on Florida’s schedule, making in-state battles against Miami and UCF two of the season’s biggest games.

Right now, Vegas has Florida’s win total at a 5.5 over-under line. If the Gators can win those three matchups listed above, it would be halfway to passing that total. With home games against Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, Florida’s chances to become bowl-eligible seem much more within reach.

Preseason All-Americans

Eight Florida Gators were named to Steele’s Preseason All-Ameican Team.

First Team

  • RB Montrell Johnson Jr.
  • P Jeremy Crawshaw

Second Team

  • CB Jason Marshall Jr.
  • LB Shemar James
  • LS Rocco Underwood

Third Team

  • OL Austin Barber
  • K Trey Smack

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LSU’s Colin Hurley among Phil Steele’s top 25 preseason quarterbacks

Colin Hurley reclassified from the 2025 class, but the young passer could develop into one of the nation’s best.

LSU could have one of the nation’s top quarterbacks once again this season as [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over for Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] after three years of waiting and some impressive flashes in a backup role.

But beyond Nussmeier, the quarterback room is still solid. The Tigers added transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] to a room that already included redshirt freshman [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag], and in the 2024 recruiting class, it signed four-star quarterback [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag].

It will probably be some time before Hurley makes an impact on the field. The Jacksonville, Florida, signal-caller reclassified from the 2025 class and was just 16 years old when he enrolled at LSU in January. But the talent is there with Hurley, who was considered among the top 2025 passers before he reclassified.

Phil Steele named Hurley one of his top 25 freshman quarterbacks in the country.

Hurley’s ranking took a bit of a hit when he reclassified, and he ultimately finished as the No. 356 player and No. 25 quarterback in the 247Sports composite rankings.

He is almost certainly heading for a redshirt season in Year 1, but with some development, he has the chance to be the next great LSU quarterback.

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Where do the Sooners rank in Phil Steele’s preseason Top 40?

How do the Oklahoma Sooners stack up in Phil Steele’s preseason top 40?

The Oklahoma Sooners are just over two months from kicking off their 2024 season against Temple in Norman. For now, though, it’s preview magazine season, and one of the biggest names in that game has released his preseason Top 25.

Phil Steele ranked the Sooners a bit lower than some other analysts. He has Oklahoma at No. 20 in the country coming into the season and seventh in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Brent Venabes has built a strong defense and Oklahoma is actually #7 in my Power Poll but has the SEC’s toughest schedule with just 3 SEC home games and they face each of the other top 6 teams (4 on road). – Steele

Steele also had OU 20th to begin last season after putting them at No. 8 ahead of [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ rough first season at the helm.

This is in part due to the challenging schedule OU faces this year. Moving to the SEC from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] means a big jump in competition and though Oklahoma is in a better place now than they were a year ago, getting to 10 wins again will be more difficult.

The defense looks stacked. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] return to lead a group that is solid across the board, especially in the back seven. The defensive line was probably the weakest of the three levels, so Oklahoma made a big move and added [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] in the spring portal window. Williams helps shore up a talented, but young unit up front.

Offensively, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] takes over at quarterback, with plenty of weapons at running back and wide receiver. Offensive line and tight end leave a bit to be desired, but if the transfer portal additions at those positions click, Oklahoma could jell on offense.

With Brent Venables entering Year 3, the way for the Sooners to out-do Steele’s projections would be to take another step forward and get back to the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag], somewhat shocking the nation in the process.

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Phil Steele names Miller Moss top-10 QB for 2025 NFL draft

If Phil Steele is right, USC will be more than all right.

Longtime college football expert Phil Steele recently revealed his annual college football preview ahead of the upcoming season. He also unveiled his rankings for the top 25 quarterback prospects for the 2025 NFL draft. USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss rounds out Steele’s top 10 with far and away the least experience of any quarterback in the top 20, not just the top 10. Moss gained his first and only career start to date in USC’s Holiday Bowl win over Lousivlle to end the 2023 season.

In that matchup Moss shined, throwing for 372 yards and six touchdown passes to take home the offensive MVP award for the game. Given head coach Lincoln Riley’s experience at producing Heisman Trophy-winning, No. 1 overall pick NFL quarterbacks, maybe Moss will be the next in line. If he is, USC will probably make the 2024 College Football Playoff and have a very successful 2024 college football season. Moss has a lot to prove, but if he lives up to expectations, everything changes for USC in a season filled with uncertainties.

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Garrett Nussmeier cracks Phil Steele’s top 25 quarterback rankings

Garrett Nussmeier only has one start under his belt, but he’s seen quite a bit of game experience over the last three years.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has big shoes to fill in 2024.

He’s taking over for two-year starter [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who led the offense after transferring from Arizona State and won the Heisman Trophy in 2023. Now, it’s Nussmeier’s turn after waiting as a backup the last three seasons.

Nussmeier only has one career start under his belt, a ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin to end last season. But he’s seen quite a bit of game action over the last three seasons, attempting 219 passes on his career.

He has completed 58.9% of them, totaling 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his career. In his lone start, he completed 31 of 45 passes for 395 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Though there’s some projection involved, hopes for Nussmeier are high, and he was named the No. 24 quarterback in college football this season by Phil Steele.

LSU is undergoing quite a bit of offseason turnover, and Nussmeier will have to contend with a few new weapons in the passing game. But he’s shown glimpses of his talent, and while he lacks Daniels’ mobility, his gunslinging tendencies could result in another productive LSU passing offense in 2024.

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Phil Steele has Clemson on list of ‘surprise’ teams entering 2024

Is Clemson really a surprise team going into the 2024 college football season?

Are the Clemson Tigers a surprise team ahead of the 2024 college football season? Phil Steele thinks so.

The veteran football prognosticator ranked the Tigers as his second biggest surprise team heading into the season. Florida State was right behind Clemson at No. 3. Utah was listed as the biggest surprise team on Steele’s list.

But why would Clemson be a surprise? Most off-season and post-spring rankings have the Tigers and FSU as the odds-on favorites to win the ACC, though Miami and North Carolina State have received recognition as dark-horse contenders.

Moreover, Clemson returns several starters on both sides of the ball — notably linebacker Barrett Carter and defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. The Tigers also return starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, running back Phil Mafah, receiver Tyler Brown and tight end Jake Briningstool.

RELATED: Where Phil Steele projects Clemson will finish in 2024 ACC football standings

Perhaps Dabo Swinney’s views on the transfer portal have something to do with Clemson’s appearance on Steele’s list. Swinney has made news for not taking a single player in the portal this off-season and for his outlandish claim that most players in the portal aren’t “good enough” to play for the Tigers. The Athletic even dubbed Swinney a “portal denier.”

On3 sports weighed in with their own analysis of Clemson making Steele’s list of surprise teams:

Clemson being considered a sleeper team has not been the norm throughout the past decade in college football. But after not achieving double-digit wins for the first since 2010 last season and missing out on the ACC title game for the second time in the last three years, many are sleeping on the Tigers.

Swinney‘s lack of transfer portal use has been criticized, but Steele believes the team’s continuity will be a strength with numerous returning starters including Klubnik. Not to mention no active coach has made more College Football Playoff appearances than Swinney now that Nick Saban has retired.

Continuity and stability both go a long way in helping teams grow and in maintaining culture. Swinney’s views on the transfer portal notwithstanding, the early returns on his 2025 recruiting class have been promising.

Clemson opens the 2024 season against the Georgia Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 or 2 in every major post-spring Top 25 list. A win over Kirby Smart’s team would certainly bolster Steele’s view of the Tigers as a surprise team.

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Phil Steele lists LSU as a potential surprise team in 2024

LSU has the chance to surprise some people in 2024.

With the Heisman winner in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and his top two receivers, [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], moving on, as well as a defense that was one of the SEC’s worst in 2023, there’s reason to believe LSU could be due for a step back this season.

Still, there’s also reason for hope. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has impressed in limited action to this point in his career, and the receiver room is far from bare. The Tigers lost some pieces on defense but added a few as well and will hope that new defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] improves things.

With that in mind, Phil Steele listed LSU as the No. 8 squad in his list of the top 10 surprise teams in 2024. Here’s On3’s take on that.

LSU loses their reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and his top two wideouts from last year, all of which were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. But Steele thinks the Tigers have the roster, and maybe more importantly the schedule, to be in the CFP mix.

The Tigers avoid matchups with Georgia, Texas, and Missouri this season, with all of their SEC road games coming against teams that had losing records last year. As quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will look to follow the footsteps of Jayden Daniels after winning his first career start and the MVP of the ReliaQuest Bowl to finish last season.

Not many expect the Tigers to compete for a national title this fall, but with an expanded playoff, they could find their way into the CFP for the first time since 2019 if the chips fall in the right spots.

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