Tag: Phil Steele

Where Phil Steele projects Clemson to finish in 2024 ACC football standings

Clemson edged out Florida State for the top spot in Phil Steele’s projections for the 2024 ACC football season.

Phil Steele has made his projections for the 2024 college football season and where the Clemson Tigers will finish in the ACC.

Steele has the Tigers edging out Florida State to finish atop the ACC. Doing so would ensure Clemson of reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020. The Playoff is expanding to 12 teams this season with automatic bids for the four Power Four conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

Clemson finished 9-4 last season after a 4-4 start. They rallied to win their final five games and will return starters Barrett Carter (linebacker), defensive linemen T.J. Parker, Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart, as well as defensive backs R.J. Mickens and Khalil Barnes.

On offense, quarterback Cade Klubik is a returning starter. Running back Phil Mafah, receiver Tyler Brown and tight end Jake Briningstool return on offense, as well.

On3 Sports wrote about Steele’s projections and where Clemson ranks:

“Clemson returns starting quarterback Cade Klubnik who could be poised to take a jump entering his second full season as a starter. But with head coach Dabo Swinney‘s lack of transfer portal use this offseason, all eyes will be on the Tigers to see how they perform.”

For their part, Florida State went 12-0 in the regular season last year and defeated Louisville in the ACC Championship Game but were left out of the final four-team College Football Playoff in favor of one-loss SEC Champion Alabama.

The Seminoles will have a different look this season due to roster turnover. They lost 10 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, and 17 players left via the transfer portal; FSU also added 17 players, including former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, former Georgia EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. and Alabama transfers Roydell Williams and Malik Benson, among others.

Also per On3:

Uiagalelei headlines the Seminoles’ transfer portal additions this offseason. A dual-threat weapon coming off of his best season to date (Uiagalelei) will represent the first quarterback not named Jordan Travis of the Mike Norvell era.

Clemson and Florida State will play October 5 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Before that, the Seminoles will kick off the 2024 college football season in “Week 0” against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, on August 24.

The Tigers will open their season against Georgia in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 31.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary.  

Phil Steele projects 7 Georgia Bulldogs to be All-Americans in 2024

Seven Georgia Bulldogs named as All-Americans in Phil Steele’s 2024 college football season preview

The Georgia Bulldogs received heavy praise in Phil Steele’s 2024 college football season preview. In addition to being Steele’s preseason No. 1 ranked team, the Bulldogs also had seven players included on Steele’s preseason All-American teams.

Three Bulldogs were selected to the first team, those being quarterback Carson Beck, safety Malaki Starks, and offensive guard Dylan Fairchild. Starks was an All-American and first team All-SEC selection in 2023, while Beck is considered a top Heisman candidate this season after being selected second team All-SEC a season ago. Fairchild is entering what will likely be his first season as a full-time starter after he played in every game for the Dawgs a season ago and started in 10.

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Offensive tackle Xavier Truss was the lone Bulldog on Steele’s second team. Truss is entering his sixth year as a Bulldog. Offensive guard Tate Ratledge, linebacker Smael Mondon, and cornerback Daylen Everette were all named to the third team. Ratledge was an All-SEC first team selection a season ago while Mondon was named to the second team. Everette is entering his second year as a starter and will seek to fill the shoes of Kamari Lassiter as Georgia’s top cornerback.

2 Tigers make Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American Team

Two LSU Tigers earned First Team All-American honors by Phil Steele.

Phil Steele recently released his annual magazine and he released his list of Preseason All-Americans. Two LSU Tigers earned First Team All-American honors by Steele.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] are the two Tigers who are preseason All-Americans and both of them earned first-team honors. Campbell has been a star ever since he stepped on campus in 2022. He started as a freshman, played in 13 games, and earned Freshman All-American honors. Last season, he earned the vaunted No. 7 patch to wear on his jersey and he once again played in all 13 games. Campbell is now widely regarded as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the next NFL Draft.

Perkins came from the same recruiting class as Campbell but although he appeared in 13 games, he only started in eight games. He was able to show his prowess in pass rushing as he finished the year with 7.5 sacks. Last season Perkins’s production was not as good but I believe that is due to where his defensive coordinator had him playing. I think he is in store for the best year of his career this fall.

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Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American Team Missing Star Notre Dame Defender

Uhh, forget someone?

There aren’t many places that magazines carry the same weight they used to but one walk past the magazine rack at the drug store or in the airport tells you the college football world is still one.

Phil Steele’s annual college football preview magazine is as well-respected as any and is available for order now.

Steele previews all teams, give team rankings, Heisman predictions and names preseason All-American teams.  Notre Dame had a strong presence on those All-American teams, landing four players overall.  However, despite Steel naming depth charts for four teams, cornerback Benjamin Morrison didn’t make the cut.

Will Johnson (Michigan) and Travis Hunter (Colorado) made the first team while Cobee Bryant (Kansas) and Denzel Burke (Ohio State) were the second team.  Tacario Davis (Arizona) and Daylen Everette (Georgia) we’re the third-team members while Shavon Revel (East Carolina) and Aydan White (NC State) took home fourth-team honors.

Morrison might not be the most valuable defender Notre Dame has, I think that belongs to Howard Cross (who Steele names to his first-team) but you can’t convince me there are four better cornerbacks in the nation than Morrison.

I also know that Benjamin Morrison never had a defensive performance like Hunter’s against Stanford, either.

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Phil Steele has Alabama football outside the top five in preseason college football rankings

Does Phil Steele have Alabama football ranked correctly in the preseason?

We are more than two months away from Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team kicking off the 2024 season and have officially entered the preseason rankings season. One of the most popular preseason rankings comes from college football analyst Phil Steele and his top 40 has officially been released.

When Alabama was under the leadership of the legendary Nick Saban, Steele often had the Crimson Tide hovering around the top of the preseason rankings. With the changes at the top, Steele has the Crimson Tide sitting in a much different spot entering the 2024 campaign.

Steele has the Crimson Tide ranked No. 7 in his preseason rankings. To the surprise of no one, Kirby Smart and the Georiga Bulldogs come in at No. 1 with Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Penn State, and Notre Dame all ranking ahead of Alabama.

With Saban gone, the feel around this Alabama football program has certainly changed, but the roster is still loaded with talent and Coach DeBoer has a proven track record of being a winner and that should continue with the Tide.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Five Wisconsin Badgers given preseason All-Big Ten honors by Phil Steele

Five Wisconsin Badgers given preseason All-Big Ten honors by Phil Steele

Five Wisconsin Badgers were included among Phil Steele’s preseason All-Big Ten teams in his recently-published 2024 college football preview magazine.

Zero of those players made Steele’s All-Big Ten first team. Star safety Hunter Wohler was the lone representative on the second team, star cornerback Ricardo Hallman was the one Badger to make the third team and the trio of WR Will Pauling, OG Joe Huber and OT Riley Mahlman all earned fourth-team honors.

Related: Wisconsin class of 2025 vaults up national rankings after addition of four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr.

Wohler, Hallman and Pauling are Wisconsin’s most accomplished returning players on defense and offensive respectively. All three are coming off big 2023 seasons with the Badgers. Wohler led the team with 120 tackles, Hallman recorded a whopping seven interceptions and Pauling led Phil Longo’s offense with 74 catches and 837 receiving yards.

That trio should again set the stage for the team’s success this season.

Huber and Mahlman, meanwhile, anchor an offensive line that underwhelmed last season. Both are expected to lead a resurgent season for the offensive line, though cannot do so with strong play from left tackle Jack Nelson, left guard Joe Brunner and center Jake Renfro. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nelson joins that top duo in all-Big Ten contention.

Notable Wisconsin players omitted from Steele’s four teams include kicker Nathanial Vakos, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, running back Chez Mellusi and linebacker Jake Chaney. Those players figure to be a big reason why things will turn around for the 2024 Badgers — that obviously if they do.

Ohio State leads Steele’s All-Big Ten teams with seven inclusions. Next is Michigan with five, then Iowa, Minnesota and Oregon with three.

Wisconsin ranks No. 9 in Steele’s preseason Big Ten forecast. He sees progress from the 2024 Badgers, though the schedule will be difficult to manage.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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Eight Gators on Phil Steele’s 2024 Preseason All-SEC Teams

Florida returns several of the conference’s best players, including these eight who made the Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC Teams.

The Florida Gators regularly produce some of the best talent in the SEC, so it isn’t surprising to see eight UF players named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American Teams

A pair of seniors — running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] — made the first team.

Johnson transferred from Lousiana, following head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and has been the main man in Florida’s backfield since. He’s passed the 800-yard mark on the ground in both of his seasons in Gainesville and scored 15 rushing touchdowns as a Gator. Crawshaw is one of the nation’s premier legs and is among the punters Florida has ever rostered.

Senior cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and junior inside linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] join long-snapper [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag] on Steel’s All-SEC Second Team.

A former five-star recruit, Marshall has yet to live up to expectations at the college level, but he’s considered a top draft prospect and will be tested as such. James is a bit more proven, but he’s coming off a serious knee injury that could change how he plays.

Left tackle and leader of Florida offensive line [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] joins kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] on the Third Team.

Barber also missed time with an injury last season, but he’s the anchor in the trenches for the Gators. He’ll have some help from the transfer portal this season, but look for him to play the same role up front for UF. Smack took over the starting kicker role for [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] in 2023. He made all 29 extra points he attempted and made 17 of 21 field goals, including a pair of 50-plus-yarders.

Rounding out the list is sophomore safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] on the Fourth Team. Pro Football Focus ranked him fifth among freshman safeties who played at least 20% of his team’s snaps.

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Florida special teamers named Phil Steele Preseason All-Americans

The Gators have one of the best punting games in the country, and it’s earning some preseason All-American nods.

Florida punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] and long snapper [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag] made the Phil Steele Preseason All-American list, according to the publication on Monday.

Underwood made the third team and Crawshaw was named to the fourth team.

Crawshaw is coming off an AP All-SEC Second Team Selection in 2023, his third as the Gators’ starting punter. He owns the program record of 46.7 average yards per punt in a career, through a minimum of 90 punts.

He also set the single-season program record with 48.9 average yards over his 42 attempts last year. Over 131 career punt attempts, Crawshaw has placed 51 inside the 20-yard line and booted 55 beyond 50 yards. Pro Football Focus ranked him 12th among punters last season with an 80.4 rating.

Underwood has been Florida’s primary long snapper for the past two seasons, although he made his debut in 2021 against UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl before redshirting.

He played over 100 snaps last year, earning a career-low 49.7 rating from PFF as a special teamer, but he was elite in 2022 at 74.9. The team presented him with one of eight Unsung Hero Awards at the end of the season banquet.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Phil Steele joins On Texas Football to preview the Longhorns’ season

“Across the board I have Texas No. 1 or tied for No. 1 (in the Big 12) at every single position.”

College football analyst Phil Steele has Texas winning the Big 12. He jumped on the On Texas Football podcast to discuss his reasoning. According to Steele, it all comes down to talent.

Steele has the Texas offense making a significant leap in the upcoming season. He said the following about why he is buying the Longhorns to win the conference.

“I looked at Texas’ schedule and I said, you know, everybody’s gonna be gunning for Texas this year. I don’t want to pick Texas No. 1. I’ll be flat out honest with you. And they play, of the top six teams in the Big 12, they are the only one that plays each of the other five. The Big 12 schedule maker didn’t do them any favors. But it comes down to talent.

Steele then went into roster specifics he likes about this team.

“You start with quarterback. Quinn Ewers comes in. I loved what I saw (against Alabama). … I don’t think he was 100% (after injury). I think he was one of the most improved players. After talking to Coach Sark, he’s highly confident. … Receiver corps is amazing. Bringing in Adonai Mitchell from Georgia to team with Whittington, Worthy, one of the best tight ends in the country in Ja’Tavion Sanders. … (The offensive line is) bigger, stronger, better. So they’re gonna be potent offensively.

Many of Steele’s talking points revolved around the same areas of strength we have been touting this offseason. An interesting nugget Steele shared involved the Texas defense. According to Steele, the unit held opponents on average 70 yards below their season average. That really pokes a hole in the notion some are asserting that the Longhorns defense isn’t all that great.

Steele spoke highly of a number of Texas defenders including Arkansas transfer Jalen Catalon. When healthy, Steele asserted, Catalon is among the nation’s best at the safety position.

Road games at Baylor, TCU and Iowa State were mentioned as tough battles for Texas. I have the Longhorns losing to TCU and Iowa State despite my 10-2 prediction for the team.

Notably, Steele’s projections have Texas scoring over 39 points per game while allowing just under 22 points per game. If his success at projecting past seasons is any indication, the Longhorns are in store for a huge season.

Check out where Ohio State lands on Phil Steele’s defensive position group rankings

Not bad, but are folks sleeping on how good this OSU defense can be? #GoBucks

Phil Steele recently released his yearly college football preview magazine with the season about a month and a half away.

Steele provides in-depth previews for all Football Bowl Subdivision teams and one of the best components of his magazines are his top 65 position group rankings. For defense, he ranks where each team’s unit falls for defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs.

The Buckeyes’ defense the last few seasons hasn’t necessarily been bad but hasn’t quite performed to the standard needed for the team to achieve what it’s capable of.

The unit has struggled in particular against top-tier teams and has been the reason Ohio State lost some big games in recent years. The unit gave up 42 points in each of the Michigan losses the last two seasons, 35 points against Oregon, and 42 points against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semi-final matchup in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

It’s defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ second season, and, with highly touted recruits due for breakout seasons, the defense projects to improve. The question will be how consistent it’ll be and if it shows up in big games.

Steele ranked the Buckeyes in the top 12 in college football in each of the three defensive position groups. Here’s where OSU landed.