SEC football – Page 6 – Syndication Server

Auburn football officially signs five-star EDGE Jared Smith

Auburn fights off late pushes from Ole Miss and South Carolina to sign the five-star EDGE from Alabaster, Alabama.

The start of early signing day is still in its beginning stages. However, Auburn fans have plenty to smile about on Wednesday morning.

[autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], a five-star EDGE from Thompson High School in Alabaster, officially signed with Auburn on Wednesday after a late push from SEC rivals South Carolina and Ole Miss.

Smith committed to Auburn on Aug. 3, choosing Hugh Freeze’s program after taking official visits to Tennessee, USC, Florida State, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Ole Miss and South Carolina made late pushes for Smith. So much so that recruiting experts forecasted flips for Smith to land at Ole Miss eventually. However, Smith told Auburn Live in November that he remained solid in his commitment because he believes in a successful future for the Tigers despite the less-than-ideal season.

“No, I know the people we have coming in, I know what we’ve got still in the locker room, so it should be good,” Smith said.

Smith is the No. 2 overall recruit from Alabama for the 2025 cycle and is the No. 2 ranked EDGE nationally. He is a 6-6, 235-pound EDGE from Alabaster, Alabama, and will cap his high school career Wednesday when he plays for the AHSAA Class 7A state championship for Thompson High School.

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Kail Ellis signs with Auburn

The three-star offensive lineman is the first to officially sign with Auburn for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

The start of the early signing period is underway for the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn has officially signed three-star offensive lineman [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag] this morning. Ellis is the first official signee of the 2025 recruiting cycle for the Auburn Tigers.

Ellis committed to Auburn on Nov. 30, 2023, after receiving Auburn’s initial offer in June of last year. Following his commitment to Auburn, he told Auburn Undercover that Auburn was a great place to develop in several key areas.

“What Coach (Hugh) Freeze, Coach (Jake) Thornton, and that staff has going on is so special and I wanted to be a part of it,” Ellis said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “I feel Auburn can develop me more than anyone, academically and as a football player.”

Ellis is a 6-4, 285-pound lineman from Cartersville, Georgia and Cass High School. He chose Auburn over his home state school of Georgia, as well as Florida State, which were also instrumental in the early stages of his recruitment.

Ellis is the first of many recruits that will sign with Auburn this week. Stay tuned to Auburn Wire for the latest Auburn recruiting news.

Former Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos receiving interest from Auburn

Is Castellanos a great fit for Auburn?

Auburn football will enter the 2025 season with two fewer quarterbacks following the graduation of [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the intent to transfer from Holden Geriner.

[autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] remain on the team, and [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] is expected to sign with the team this week. Could Auburn add experience at the position while White and Knight develop? According to a report from Rivals, it appears that Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is exploring the possibility.

Adam Gortney of Rivals reported late Monday that Auburn is one of four schools showing interest in former Boston College quarterback [autotag]Thomas Castellanos[/autotag], joining Florida State, Missouri, and Miami.

Castellanos, a 5-9 196-pound quarterback from Waycross, Georgia, has played his two most recent seasons at Boston College after signing with UCF in 2022. While in Boston, Castellanos passed for 3,614 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. The 2024 season saw Castellanos expand his touchdown-to-interception ratio, where he threw 18 touchdowns to five interceptions.

The biggest storyline surrounding Castellanos took place during the Eagles 37-31 win over Syracuse on Nov. 9. Castellanos left the game due to a leg injury, which forced Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien to play Grayson James in the position. Following the game, O’Brien elected to keep James at the starting quarterback slot.

“I think what’s best for the team right now is for Grayson James to be the starter,” O’Brien said of the change at quarterback. “(Castellanos) has done a great job for us. He’s an awesome competitor. We have a lot of respect for Tommy. Obviously he wasn’t real thrilled with that. He’s taken a couple days.”

A few days later on Nov. 14, Castellanos announced that he was officially leaving the program and would enter the transfer portal once it opens on Dec. 9.

In eight games this season, Castellanos led Boston College to four wins while completing 99-of-161 passes for 1,366 yards and 18 scores. According to Pro Football Focus, Castellanos was pressured 69 times, which resulted in 18 sacks and seven turnover-worthy passes. As a runner, Castellanos rushed for 194 yards on 93 carries with a score.

The transfer portal officially opens on Dec. 9 and will remain open until Dec. 28.

Five 2025 Auburn commits to play in AHSAA Super 7 this week in Birmingham

Auburn will be represented in Birmingham this week by Thompson’s Jared Smith, Parker’s Jourdin Crawford, and several others.

Early signing day is this week, and several Auburn commits will play one final high school football game before embarking to the Plains to begin the next chapter of their football careers.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s football state championships, otherwise known as the “Super 7,” will take place this week at Protective Stadium in midtown Birmingham. The event begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT when Thompson High School faces Central High School of Phenix City for the 7A state championship and will wrap up Friday night when Parker High School battles Saraland High School for the 6A title.

Both “headlining games” will be filled with Auburn commits and targets. Three Thompson players, EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], and punter [autotag]John Alan McGuire[/autotag], will look to win its third state championship in four opportunities Wednesday night when it battles Central (Phenix City) for the 7A championship.

The most entertaining game for Auburn recruiting interest will be Friday’s 6A championship between Saraland and Parker. A pair of Auburn defensive line commits, Saraland’s [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag] and Parker’s [autotag]Jourdin Crawford[/autotag] will battle it out for the right to claim a state championship.

Several other recruits of interest will be competing for state championships this week in Birmingham. Here is a look at this week’s Super 7 schedule:

Wednesday

7A: Thompson vs. Central (Phenix City), 7 p.m. CT
- Thompson: Anquon Fegans, Jared Smith, John Alan McGuire (2025 commits)

Thursday

3A: Houston Academy vs. Mars Hill Bible, 11 a.m. CT
1A: Wadley vs. Maplesville, 3 p.m. CT
- Wadley: Jaquez Wilkes (2026 target)
5A: Moody vs. Catholic (Montgomery), 7 p.m. CT

Friday

4A: Cherokee County vs. Jackson, 11 a.m. CT
2A: Reeltown vs. Tuscaloosa Academy, 3 p.m. CT
6A: Parker vs. Saraland, 7 p.m. CT
- Parker: Jourdin Crawford (2025 commit), Na’eem Offord (2025 target)
- Saraland: Antonio Coleman (2025 commit)

DL Gage Keys enters transfer portal after one season in Auburn

Keys, who transferred to Auburn from Kansas last cycle, is searching for his fourth collegiate home.

This week is important in terms of shaping the 2025 roster for the Auburn Tigers. In addition to the early signing period, the transfer portal is beginning to field names before its opening day of Dec. 9.

Three players from Auburn’s 2024 roster: QB [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], TE [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag], and OL [autotag]EJ Harris[/autotag] have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens next week, and a defensive lineman is set to join them.

[autotag]Gage Keys[/autotag], a junior defensive lineman from Hilliard, Ohio, announced Monday that he will enter the transfer portal after spending one season with the program. Keys will be searching for his fourth home, as he made stops at Minnesota and Kansas before joining Auburn’s roster last cycle.

Keys transferred to Auburn in hopes of cracking the rotation on the Tigers’ defensive line. However, he managed to play in just two games, totaling 18 snaps in Auburn’s wins over Alabama A&M and New Mexico. He failed to record a tackle during his time on the Plains but registered a quarterback pressure in Auburn’s season-opener vs. Alabama A&M according to Pro Football Focus data.

Keys is the fourth Tiger to declare his intention to enter the transfer portal Several others could follow him once the early signing period begins Wednesday and concludes Friday. Check Auburn Wire for updates as transfer portal news continues to pour in.

Jarquez Hunter accepts invite from Senior Bowl

After rushing for 3,371 yards and 25 touchdowns throughout his Auburn career, Hunter will lace up his cleats one final time in February.

[autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] played his final game in an Auburn uniform last Saturday in the Tigers’ 28-14 loss to rival Alabama in Tuscaloosa. However, the Auburn running back recently accepted an opportunity to lace up his cleats one final time as a collegiate athlete.

On Monday, it was announced that Hunter had accepted an invite to compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. This would give him one final chance to showcase his skills in front of NFL scouts ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

Hunter had a stellar four-year career at Auburn, ending his time on the Plains with 3,371 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. His first two seasons saw him complement [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] by rushing for 1,261 yards and ten touchdowns during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2023, he took over as the premier back where he added 2,110 yards along with 15 touchdowns to add to his career total. In 2024, he reached the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career by rushing for 1,201 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

Hunter joins linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] as Tigers who have accepted Senior Bowl invites. The Senior Bowl will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 1:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on NFL Network.

How many of Oklahoma’s opponents are ranked in US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 14?

The Oklahoma Sooners played a number of really good teams in 2024, but how many are ranked in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll?

For nearly a year, we pretty well knew the Oklahoma Sooners had a tough schedule. What the Sooners went through isn’t really a surprise. The Sooners caught lightning in a bottle in their win over Alabama, but they couldn’t replicate it a week later against LSU.

OU finished the season 6-6 and 2-6 in the SEC, not coming close to meeting the expectations that come with being the University of Oklahoma. But as the saying goes, you are what your record says you are. The Sooners are a .500 team buoyed by a nonconference slate that featured three teams that weren’t ranked in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll after Tulane was upset by Memphis in Week 14.

The Sooners played six teams that finished the regular season ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Here’s how they fared against those teams.

No. 2 Texas, L, 34-3
No. 6 Tennessee, L, 25-15
No. 11 Alabama, W, 24-3
No. 12 South Carolina, L, 35-9
No. 15 Ole Miss, L, 26-14
No. 20 Missouri, L, 30-23

In those six games, Oklahoma was outscored by an average of 10.8 points per game. In the losses, however, Oklahoma was outscored by an average of 17.2 points per game.

How you fare against ranked opponents matters and the Sooners simply weren’t talented enough this season with all of the injuries they suffered on the offensive side of the ball.

It’s going to be a long offseason before the Sooners can wipe the slate clean from what turned out to be a terrible 2024 season. As we await Oklahoma’s bowl destination, here’s a look at the latest US LBM Coaches Poll from USA TODAY Sports.

Full US LBM Coaches Poll.

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Oregon Ducks	12-0	1,325 (53)
2	Texas Longhorns	11-1	1,272
3	Penn State Nittany Lions	11-1	1,192
4	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	11-1	1,165
5	Georgia Bulldogs	10-2	1,104
6	Tennessee Volunteers	10-2	1,025
7	SMU Mustangs	11-1	977
8	Ohio State Buckeyes	10-2	976
9	Indiana Hoosiers	11-1	895
10	Boise State Broncos	11-1	840
11	Alabama Crimson Tide	9-3	733
12	South Carolina Gamecocks	9-3	700
13	Arizona State Sun Devils	10-2	665
14	Miami Hurricanes	10-2	646
15	Ole Miss Rebels	9-3	638
16	Iowa State Cyclones	10-2	565
17	Clemson Tigers	9-3	457
18	BYU Cougars	10-2	419
19	UNLV Rebels	10-2	255
20	Missouri Tigers	9-3	229
21	Illinois Fighting Illini	9-3	225
22	Colorado Buffaloes	9-3	215
23	Army Black Knights	10-1	196
24	Memphis Tigers	10-2	187
25	Syracuse Orange	9-3	108

Schools Dropped Out

No. 18 Tulane; No. 19 Texas A&M;

Others Receiving Votes

Texas A&M 90; Duke 39; Tulane 37; Louisville 18; Kansas State 15; Louisiana 11; Michigan 2; Georgia Tech 2; Miami (OH) 1; Iowa 1;

List Of Voters

The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.

Seven SEC teams remain ranked in US LBM Coaches Poll after week 14

Kentucky football lost their final game, but the SEC finished strong overall in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

It was another rough week for Kentucky football, as they closed out a disappointing season with a 41 – 14 loss to Louisville.

The rest of the SEC football teams, however, fared pretty well in rivalry week, and nearly every team that was ranked last week won, and remains ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll this week.

The Texas Longhorns lead the way once again for the SEC. They moved up to number two after beating Texas A&M, who fell out of the top 25. The Georgia Bulldogs jumped into the top five after a wild victory after eight overtimes.

Related: Eight options to replace Mark Stoops

The Tennessee Volunteers also remain in the top ten after a hard-fought win over Vanderbilt. The Alabama Crimson Tide also remained in playoff contention with a win in the Iron Bowl.

All-in-all, it was a good week for the SEC. Multiple teams are in contention for a playoff bid, and fans will be very interested in seeing the playoff rankings this week.

Here are the full results of the coaches poll this week:

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Oregon Ducks	12-0	1,325 (53)
2	Texas Longhorns	11-1	1,272
3	Penn State Nittany Lions	11-1	1,192
4	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	11-1	1,165
5	Georgia Bulldogs	10-2	1,104
6	Tennessee Volunteers	10-2	1,025
7	SMU Mustangs	11-1	977
8	Ohio State Buckeyes	10-2	976
9	Indiana Hoosiers	11-1	895
10	Boise State Broncos	11-1	840
11	Alabama Crimson Tide	9-3	733
12	South Carolina Gamecocks	9-3	700
13	Arizona State Sun Devils	10-2	665
14	Miami Hurricanes	10-2	646
15	Ole Miss Rebels	9-3	638
16	Iowa State Cyclones	10-2	565
17	Clemson Tigers	9-3	457
18	BYU Cougars	10-2	419
19	UNLV Rebels	10-2	255
20	Missouri Tigers	9-3	229
21	Illinois Fighting Illini	9-3	225
22	Colorado Buffaloes	9-3	215
23	Army Black Knights	10-1	196
24	Memphis Tigers	10-2	187
25	Syracuse Orange	9-3	108

Updated SEC football standings after Week 14’s action

Here is how the SEC looks after Week 14:

Not only was this past Saturday “rivalry week” across college football, but it was also the final weekend of the 2024 SEC football regular season.

Because of this, it not only means that we know where every SEC team sits in the final conference standings, but also gives us the finalized matchup for the 2024 SEC Championship Game set to be played this upcoming week in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here are those final SEC standings, which are current as of the results from Week 14:

Updated SEC Football Standings after Week 14

1. Texas (7-1)

T-2. Georgia, Tennessee (6-2)

T-4. Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri (5-3)

10. Florida (4-4)

T-11. Arkansas, Vanderbilt (3-5)

T-13. Oklahoma, Auburn (2-6)

15. Kentucky (1-7)

16. Mississippi State (0-8)

After their win over Auburn, Alabama finishes the regular season at 5-3 in SEC play, which is tied for fourth in the conference.

With the regular season having now ended as well, the top two teams in the SEC standings are the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs. The teams will officially meet this Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia for the 2024 SEC Championship Game.

Final 2024 SEC standings after rivalry week

Final SEC regular season standings after a wild rivalry week. Georgia plays Texas in the SEC championship

The Texas Longhorns dominated the Texas A&M Aggies offense in a 17-7 win to secure a berth in the SEC championship. Week 14 was one of the most memorable rivalry weeks in recent memory.

The Georgia Bulldogs beat Georgia Tech 44-42 in an eight overtime classic. Georgia had already punched its ticket to the 2024 SEC championship game entering rivalry weekend, but UGA strengthened its College Football Playoff odds with a win over Georgia Tech.

The Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Auburn Tigers 28-14 in a comfortable win. The Crimson Tide have a decent chance to make the playoff after winning the Iron Bowl.

Ole Miss beat Mississippi State 26-14 in the Egg Bowl. The Rebels need some help to make the playoff.

Brady Cook and Missouri outscored Arkansas 18-7 in the fourth quarter to win 28-21 and cap off a solid 9-3 season. Louisville crushed Kentucky 41-14. Kentucky is the only SEC team to lose to a nonconference rival.

Florida bullied Florida State 31-11. The Gators end the season on a four game winning streak.

South Carolina beat Clemson 17-14 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 36-23 to lock in a playoff berth for the Volunteers.

Georgia plays Texas in the SEC championship in the first year of the expanded SEC with no divisions.

Full SEC football standings after Week 14

The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images)

Texas Longhorns (11-1, 7-1)
Georgia Bulldogs (10-2, 6-2)
Tennessee Volunteers (10-2, 6-2)
Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3, 5-3)
South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3, 5-3)
Texas A&M Aggies (8-4, 5-3)
LSU Tigers (8-4, 5-3)
Ole Miss Rebels (9-3, 5-3)
Missouri Tigers (9-3, 5-3)
Florida Gators (7-5, 4-4)
Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5)
Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6, 3-5)
Auburn Tigers (5-7, 2-6)
Oklahoma Sooners (6-6, 2-6)
Kentucky Wildcats (4-8, 1-7)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-10, 0-8)