Tag: SEC football

Auburn loses a pair of cornerbacks to the transfer portal

Colton Hood and Tyler Scott depart after spending one season with the program.

Auburn football’s departing transfer portal class grew Tuesday as two young cornerbacks have elected to take their talents elsewhere.

[autotag]Colton Hood[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag], a pair of cornerbacks who signed with Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class, announced Tuesday that they will be entering the transfer portal. The duo joins defensive lineman Brenton Williams, wide receiver Jay Fair, linebacker Wesley Steiner, and cornerback JD Rhym as spring transfer portal entries.

Hood, nephew of former Auburn cornerback Roderick Hood, joined Auburn’s 2023 class as a three-star according to 247Sports. The McDonough, Georgia native was the No. 48 cornerback and the No. 45 overall recruit from Georgia.

A fellow Georgian, Scott signed with Auburn as a safety before moving to cornerback this spring. He was the nation’s No. 20 cornerback and the No. 19 prospect from Georgia, signing with Auburn out of Pebblebrook High School in Mableton.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hood and Scott combined to play 53 snaps over five games. Hood saw the most action between the two by appearing in four games with 44 total snaps played.

There are now seven cornerbacks on Auburn’s roster following the departures of Hood and Scott. [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] headline the position as returners while [autotag]Antonio Kite[/autotag] joins the team as a transfer from Alabama.

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Auburn transfer Philip Blidi among college football’s ‘best transfer fits’

Blidi will be given the task of replacing Marcus Harris on the Auburn defensive line.

Auburn football has worked diligently to fill needs along its defensive line for the 2024 season and has landed a solid addition in [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag].

Blidi joins Auburn’s roster after making 30 tackles last season at Indiana. Auburn will need to replace outgoing star [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] on the front, and Blidi will look to develop into a solid contributor to the Tigers’ defense.

The spring transfer portal window remains open through the end of this month, but CBS Sports is already calling the Blidi-Auburn connection one of the best “fits.”

Will Backus of CBS Sports has listed the six best fits within the transfer portal, including Blidi’s commitment to Auburn.

Defensive tackle is a huge position of need for a lot of hopeful contenders in the spring window, so props to Auburn for going out and getting one of the best before another program could swoop in. The Tigers are looking to replace All-SEC performer Marcus Harris and — while Blidi isn’t a ready-made successor — he’ll certainly help in that regard. Blidi spent the first three years of his career at Texas Tech before transferring to Indiana in 2023 and emerging as a starter. He graded out as one of the Hoosiers’ best run-stuffers while tallying 30 tackles and four tackles for loss from the interior.

Auburn has added two more defensive linemen from the transfer portal, [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag] and [autotag]Keyron Crawford[/autotag]. The Tigers are looking to add more defensive aid and another wide receiver to its spring transfer haul.

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Former Texas A&M, USC DL Isaiah Raikes commits to Auburn

Auburn lands its second defensive line transfer in as many days by earning a commitment from Isaiah Raikes.

Auburn football has hit the transfer portal jackpot by securing two defensive line transfers in as many days.

One day after former Indiana defensive lineman [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag] announced his intent to transfer to the Plains, former Texas A&M defensive lineman [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag] followed suit. Raikes, who spent four seasons at Texas A&M before joining USC‘s roster for a short stint, announced his commitment to Auburn on Monday.

Raikes spent four seasons in College Station, where he totaled 43 stops with 4.3 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 29 total games. The 2023 season was his best, slightly edging his junior season performance in 2022. Last season, Raikes made 17 stops with three tackles for loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. Raikes finished the season as Texas A&M’s No. 7 defensive player according to Pro Football Focus with a 72.3 grade.

Following his stay at Texas A&M, Raikes elected to transfer to USC after the 2023 season. He went through spring practice in Los Angeles but decided to weigh his options again during the spring window, where he ultimately chose Auburn.

Raikes measures 6-1 and weighs 320 pounds, and will play a great role in closing gaps, which will allow players such as Keldric Faulk and Jalen McLeod to earn more tackle opportunities.

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Arizona transfer DL Bill Norton commits to Texas

Texas began to address its defensive tackle depth with the addition of Bill Norton.

The Texas Longhorns had a need at defensive tackle exiting spring football. They addressed that need on Monday.

Arizona transfer defensive lineman Bill Norton announced a transfer portal commitment to Texas. He joins former defensive line teammate Tiaoalii Savea in Austin. Both players were once four-star composite prospects as recruits.

Both Norton and Savea were part of a defense led by Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen last season. The then Arizona defensive coordinator led a Wildcats defense that allowed 21.1 points per game and 5.4 yards per play. The defense was particularly good against the run where Savea and Norton helped Arizona hold opponents to 118.2 rushing yards per game.

Norton’s frame is a positive as Texas looks to add big humans in the trenches. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds Norton should not only be able to hold his ground but bat down passes at the line of scrimmage. The defensive lineman would be able to work in concert with fellow 6-foot-6 player Ethan Burke at edge. That length could create issues for quarterbacks with side arm deliveries.

The addition fills a need for the Longhorns to a certain degree but the team might not be done at the position. Texas has been a favorite to land UCLA transfer defensive lineman Jay Toia as well. Norton’s addition doesn’t eliminate the possibility of adding Toia.

Texas is on its way to building a formidable defensive line after losing two All-American caliber defensive tackles in Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat. Look for Norton to make an impact in 2024.

Jay Fair becomes second Tiger to enter transfer portal

Fair logged 34 catches for 358 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons at Auburn.

The spring transfer portal window has been relatively quiet for Auburn, as just two players have declared their intention to depart from the program.

Joining defensive lineman [autotag]Brenton Williams[/autotag], wide receiver [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] has also elected to dip into the transfer portal after spending two seasons on the Plains.

Fair was a notable player heading into the 2023 season following a successful training camp. The hype bled into the season as he made 14 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn’s first three games. However, his production dipped as he managed to record just 17 catches for 150 yards and zero scores over the final 10 games.

Despite his late struggles, Fair was second in receptions with 31, third in yards with 324, and tied for third with two touchdown catches. Auburn’s leading receiver, [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], returns to the team for the 2024 season. At the same time, true freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] are expected to enter the receiver rotation.

Auburn has received one commitment from the spring window, former Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi. Former Penn State receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and former USC [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag] are also high on Auburn’s board.

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CFB analyst Gerry Hamilton says Texas has five starting receivers

Steve Sarkisian might need a receiver rotation to get all the best players on the field.

In what will likely come as a surprise to those expecting a falloff at wide receiver, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian might have more starter quality receivers than starting spots.

On Texas Football’s Gerry Hamilton discussed the depth of the Texas wide receiver room.

“Here’s the biggest compliment I can give the wide receivers this year. (Offensive line coach) Kyle Flood says he’s got seven starters, essentially seven players who are good enough to start for him. I think Texas has five guys that are good enough to be starting receivers. … Everybody better put in work this summer because Ryan Wingo’s a special talent. And he’s still young, and it’s a hard scheme to pick up for a wide receiver, but watch out.”

Hamilton also discussed the emergence of wide receiver DeAndre Moore who has gone from darkhorse starter candidate to a potential favorite to start at receiver. Moore and freshman five-star Ryan Wingo have impressed in the spring. They proved to be standout players in the Orange-White game.

Fellow receivers Isaiah Bond, Johntay Cook and Matthew Golden looked like starter caliber players in the game as well while Silas Bolden is set to join the group this offseason.

Exiting the spring, the Texas receiver room inspires perhaps as much offseason confidence as any past Longhorns receiver corps in recent memory. The performance by this group was more impressive than the 2023 receiving corps’ spring showing. The 2023 unit could send two receivers to the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL draft.

Texas loses three elite talents in Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Somehow the receiver room doesn’t seem to be hurting from the high volume of talent it lost.

Many viewed the wide receiver room as a question mark for Texas this offseason. The question now is how Texas will get all its starter quality players on the field.

Texas A&M receiver Noah Thomas might see a lot of time in a new spot

Noah Thomas showed out while playing a majority of the spring game in the slot position

The cool thing about watching spring games, especially when there is a new coaching staff, is seeing how certain players are being used in a new system. With the games being open to the public, the play calling will no doubt be guarded, so personal groupings and alignments can give us an idea of what the coaches have been working on to this point.

One of the more interesting tidbits came from Carter Karels, who does a fantastic job covering the Aggies. He pointed out that junior wide receiver spent almost every single one of this spring game snaps from the slot positions. This really stood out because it was a significant increase percentage-wise over last season.

There must be something new offensive coordinator Collin Klein sees in Thomas’s skill set and size that made the move worth considering during the spring game. The initial conclusion is that it was a smart decision. Thomas hauled in 7 catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns on a rainy afternoon, with a few of those being contested attempts.

The 6-6 200-pound receiver has shown flashes of how good he can be when he gets the opportunities and has all the traits to develop into a No. 1 receiver this fall. Head coach Mike Elko is very high on him and believes he can maintain the progress so far; we can see big things from him.

“He has tremendous size. He has a large catch radius. He has gotten heathly. It will be important for him to have a strong summer. He has all the makings of a guy we can use as a top target.”
The sky is the limit for Thomas and we all got a glimpse of that on April 20.  With his size and athleticism, putting him in the slot would make him a match-up nightmare with any defender anywhere on the field. We hope to see more of the same when the Aggies suit up to face Notre Dame on August 31 at Kyle Field.
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What offensive senior analyst Scotty Ohara can bring to Texas A&M

New senior analyst Scotty Ohara looks to aid development at the wide receiver position

One of the knocks on the Texas A&M football team in recent years has been their issues developing the wide receiver talent they have been able to get on campus. Some of that could be attributed to injuries or the play calling, but whatever the overall problem, it needed to be addressed.

Texas A&M added former UTEP offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach Scotty Ohara to the staff in March. Even though the team record for the Miners hasn’t been great over the past few seasons, Ohara has been successful in helping produce a quality receiving core during his time in El Paso.

Some proof of that was helping Tyrin Smith and Jacob Cowing to be the first back-to-back receivers to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in the team’s history. Smith was also one of three receivers in Conference USA to reach 1,000 yards in 2022. Matrix Analytical Solutions recently included the combination of Texas A&M WR coach Holmon Wiggins and Ohara as a top coaching duo in the country.

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What positions should Texas add in the transfer portal?

Where can Texas upgrade or add in the portal?

The Texas Longhorns have one of the five best rosters in college football for the 2024 season. It’s why so many outlets ranked them so highly in preseason. The Longhorns can still improve.

There aren’t many positions where Texas can get much better through the transfer portal. Offensively, I am skeptical there’s a position worth considering an upgrade. The positions worth watching are on the defensive side.

Texas is good at cornerback. Malik Muhammad was billed as the best player on the field recently in spring practices leading into his second college season. Jahdae Barron, Jaylon Guilbeau, Terrance Brooks and Gavin Holmes are all impact players in their own right.

Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba is set to start at safety opposite Michael Taaffe or Derek Williams Jr. All three should be better options than last year’s expected starters Jalen Catalon and Jerrin Thompson.

Edge is perhaps the strength of the defense led by UTSA transfer and 14 sack pass rusher Trey Moore and returning playmakers Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke. If there were any question of depth, five-star freshman Colin Simmons is added to blue chip talents Justice Finkley and Colton Vasek.

Texas will need to add a punter, but the above positions appear settled. That leaves two defensive positions: Defensive tackle and linebacker.

Defensive lineman Alfred Collins and linebackers Anthony Hill and David Gbenda are reliable options. Morice Blackwell is dependable as well at linebacker. Behind those players are questions.

Arizona transfer Tiaoalii Savea was added at defensive tackle in early portal action, but whether or not his game transfers to the SEC will be worth watching. Vernon Broughton II belongs on the field and can make plays, but doesn’t seem to be the right fit at nose tackle barring improvement in run defense and staying rooted in the turf.

Behind the above two players are more questions. Texas would benefit from adding at least one defensive lineman but could add more.

At linebacker, Anthony Hill is primed for a breakout season after putting up 67 total tackles and five sacks in limited time last year. His role is different, so a veteran presence like Gbenda is optimal. The Longhorns can still add another impact player at the position.

Depth matters. Even if Texas is confident in its top three options with Gbenda, Hill and Blackwell, they will need depth at linebacker. Several collisions are on the way at the position and this season against more SEC offensive linemen and running backs. Even after adding Alabama linebacker Kendrick Blackshire, adding another proven player raises the ceiling for the team.

With all the above stated, a winning principle overrides complacency at any position: Always add talent. If Texas can find an upgrade outside of a position of need, it can add those players. Nevertheless, the Longhorns plan of attack should be to first address defensive tackle. They look to be on the way to doing that through the portal.

TCU DT Damonic Williams to visit Texas

Williams is set to visit Texas after Oklahoma on April 23.

TCU defensive tackle Damonic Williams is set to visit six schools. Texas is one of them.

Williams has a visit set for four teams beginning with the Oklahoma Sooners on April 20-21. Oklahoma has emerged as the early favorite for Williams and the fact that the lineman is opting to visit Norman for the team’s spring game is telling.

Next is Texas, who some believe to be the next highest priority for Williams. He’s set to be in Austin on April 23 and 24.

Colorado and LSU are next on Williams’ schedule of visits. Colorado’s inclusion speaks to the continued respect for head coach Deion Sanders and his staff after a poor showing in 2023. Williams will visit there on April 26 and 27 before going to Baton Rouge on April 30.

LSU and Texas likely need defensive tackle more than Oklahoma, but could be starting the recruitment trailing. Even so, expect the Tigers to do everything they can to bring top defensive line talent to repair their broken defense from a year ago.

Missouri and Oregon round out the list with expected visits.

Texas will look to make an impression and get into the race when Williams visits on Tuesday and Wednesday.