Tag: SMU football

Where’s Texas A&M in latest College Football Playoff bracket? Full playoff picture

Texas A&M is ranked No. 14 and the second team out in the first College Football Playoff reveal

Texas A&M’s 2024 season hit a snag on the road during the Aggies’ Week 10 road test vs. South Carolina, looking lifeless in the second half after being tied 20-20 before falling 44-20 in the most lopsided defeat of the season.

Head coach Mike Elko was adamant this week about the issues that plagued the Aggies throughout the season, mainly the poor tackling that resulted in a season-high 25 missed tackles.

However, nothing matched the horrible news that star running back Le’Veon Moss will miss the rest of the regular season after sustaining a knee injury against the Gamecocks. In his place for the rest of the year, junior back Amari Daniels and senior EJ Smith will have to take on the load.

Dropping to No. 15 in the latest AP Top 25, Tuesday’s College Football Playoff reveal would likely match up the Aggie’s newest ranking, as their playoff hopes are still in decent shape despite the loss.

If Texas A&M can defeat New Mexico State and Auburn before hosting Texas on Nov. 30, the playoff spot for both programs could be on the line.

Here is everything you need to know after the first CFP Playoff reveal:

College Football Playoff bracket: Who’s in, who’s out

  • No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Boise State: Winner faces No. 4 BYU
  • No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Indiana: Winner faces No. 1 Oregon
  • No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Alabama: Winner faces No. 3 Miami (FL)
  • No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Notre Dame: Winner faces No. 2 Georgia

Latest CFP rankings

  1. Oregon (9-0)
  2. Ohio State (7-1)
  3. Georgia (7-1)
  4. Miami (9-0)
  5. Texas (7-1)
  6. Penn State (7-1)
  7. Tennessee (7-1)
  8. Indiana (9-0)
  9. BYU (8-0)
  10. Notre Dame (7-1)
  11. Alabama (6-2)
  12. Boise State (7-1)
  13. SMU (8-1)
  14. Texas A&M (7-2)
  15. LSU (6-2)
  16. Ole Miss (7-2)
  17. Iowa State (7-1)
  18. Pittsburgh (7-1)
  19. Kansas State (7-2)
  20. Colorado (6-2)
  21. Washington State (7-1)
  22. Louisville (6-3)
  23. Clemson (6-2)
  24. Missouri (6-2)
  25. Army (8-0)

Texas A&M’s projected CFP opponent

Texas A&M comes in at No. 14, and the second team out below the first team, No. 13 SMU. If the Aggies win their final three games, they are almost guaranteed a playoff spot based on the current projections. However, nothing is set in stone.

How many teams are in College Football Playoff 2024?

For the first time, 12 teams will participate in the College Football Playoffs. Five automatic bids will go to each of the Power Four conference champions and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots will go to the seven at-large teams.

When next College Football Playoff rankings come out

  • Tuesday, Nov. 12: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, Nov. 19: 7 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26: 8 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, Dec. 3: 7 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, Dec. 8: Noon ET

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

College football fans were in awe over SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings’ standout half vs. Louisville

Kevin Jennings was on fire in the first half against Louisville.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings was ready to roll Saturday in the Mustangs’ road game against No. 22 Louisville, and he put up some standout first-half numbers — including more total yards on his own than the Cardinals’ offense.

The sophomore quarterback completed 13-of-15 passes in the first half for 149 yards and added 108 yards on the ground on seven carries with a rushing, including a jaw-dropping 59-yard touchdown run to give SMU a 21-10 lead midway through the second quarter.

Jennings — who even even briefly left the game in the first quarter after being injured on a 22-yard run, as the Louisville Courier Journal noted — finished the first half with 257 total yards, and the Mustangs had a 24-13 lead at the break. Jennings literally accounted for about 90 percent of SMU’s 284 first-half yards.

In comparison, Louisville as a whole finished the first half with 177 yards, 144 of which were thrown by quarterback Tyler Shough. The Cardinals had 33 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes, but with Jennings rushing for almost as many yards in this game’s first half as he had on the season through Week 5 (149 yards), they just couldn’t keep up.

College football fans, Louisville ones likely aside, were absolutely stunned and loved Jennings’ first half performance.

UPDATE: SMU won, 34-27.

How Twitter reacted to Kevin Jennings’ first half against Louisville

Wisconsin top class of 2025 CB target hints at flipping commitment from SMU

Wisconsin top class of 2025 CB target hints at flipping commitment from SMU

Class of 2025 cornerback Zay Gentry hinted at flipping his commitment from SMU to Wisconsin in his recent Instagram story on Tuesday.

Gentry reposted the graphic of fellow 2025 CB Jahmare Washington committing to Wisconsin back in early June. It could be smoke and mirrors, or it could be a further indication that Gentry could be following suit in the next few weeks.

Gentry, an Anna, Texas product, committed to SMU back in May — but still took an official visit to Wisconsin the weekend of May 31.

Wisconsin recently received a pair of predictions from On3 national insider Steve Wiltfong and SMU insider Billy Embody to flip the three-star defensive back from SMU. On3’s current recruiting prediction machine has the Badgers as a heavy favorite (91.9%) to land the rising high school senior.

Gentry is ranked as 247Sports’ No. 539 player in the class of 2025, No. 45 cornerback and No. 84 recruit from his home state of Texas. He would be the Badgers No. 23 overall commitment in the class and third cornerback. Washington and three-star Jaimier Scott round out that cornerback list.

The possible addition of Gentry would assuredly raise Wisconsin’s class of 2025 national ranking up from its current place at No. 23 in the nation.

Pony up to ‘Bama? Alabama football flips Keelon Russell from SMU

Keelon Russell is headed to Alabama.

Alabama football pulled off a big-time flip on Wednesday, landing quarterback Keelon Russell. The four-star had been committed to SMU before committing to the SEC juggernaut.

It is a big-time recruiting win for Alabama to not just land the consensus four-star recruit but to flip him from his hometown school.

247Sports has Russell as the No. 39 player in the nation in the 2025 class. According to ESPN, he is the top quarterback recruit in the class.

Baylor, Duke, Florida, Ole Miss, Oregon, TCU and Virginia Tech were all offers in what was a crowded recruitment for Russell.

For SMU, losing Russell stings. The starting quarterback at Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas), Russell played in SMU’s backyard. Duncanville finished sixth last season in the USA TODAY HSS Super 25.

Last year, Russell completed 74.1 percent of his passes for 3,267 yards. He had 35 touchdowns and three interceptions.

 

With the commitment of Russell, the Crimson Tide now have nine commitments. They now have the eighth-best recruiting class in the nation in the 247Sports rankings.

[lawrence-related id=101524094,101524086,101524089]

ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 5/11

ACC Football Teams Ranked by Returning Production for 2024

A look at each ACC team’s returning production for the upcoming 2024 season.

Forecasting which teams will rise to greatness in college football in any given season can prove challenging. However, a key indicator often lies in the roster’s returning players.

From seasoned fifth-year senior linebackers to up-and-coming junior quarterbacks, the presence of experienced athletes opting to continue with their respective programs can significantly bolster a team’s competitive advantage. This continuity becomes particularly crucial as other teams contend with talent depletion due to NFL draft selections, transfers, or eligibility regulations.

ESPN recently released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, with each ACC team naturally being listed. Here is a look at each ACC team’s returning production on offense, defense, and total.

Updated 4/7

Every ACC football team’s ESPN preseason SP+ ranking

The ACC has some strong teams heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s SP+.

The 2024 college football season is months away, but we all know that football remains on the mind throughout the offseason. 

Early rankings have been released all over the place, with ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently releasing the preseason ESPN SP+ rankings ($$$) for the 2024 season. These SP+ rankings consider multiple key factors regarding a football team, including returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. A strong model; here is a bit more of what Connelly had to say about the rankings. 

“It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking. Along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

Straightforward and to the point, these are power rankings based on what we know right now. So, how do Clemson and the rest of the ACC stack up in the first SP+ rankings for 2024? Check it out below.

Updated 2/16

Every ACC Football Team’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranking After National Signing Day

Here is a look at every ACC team’s final 2024 recruiting class ranking.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff showcased their recruiting prowess in the 2024 class, adding considerable talent to their roster. However, the burning question remains: how does Clemson’s recruiting effort compare to other ACC powerhouses following National Signing Day?

Today, we delve into the post-National Signing Day landscape, dissecting each ACC football team’s 2024 recruiting team ranking according to 247Sports. While Clemson remains a formidable force in ACC recruiting circles, they find themselves not at the summit for this particular recruiting cycle. Another program is poised for a significant resurgence, and the 2024 class appears to be the catalyst for their potential return to past glory.

From perennial ACC contenders to emerging teams within the conference, let’s examine the 2024 recruiting team ranking for each ACC program, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within the conference.

–Updated 2/13

ACC Football 2024 Team Recruiting Rankings After Early Signing Day

Here is a full look at how the ACC stands in team recruiting rankings after early signing day.

Early signing day was, as it should be for every college football program nationwide, a very busy day.

High school players across the country signed their national letters of intent and secured the next step in their football careers as they prepare to join their new teams. The ACC had some good success on early signing day, with multiple ACC programs landing in the top 25 of class team rankings following the day. 

So, how does the ACC stack up against each other? That’s what we’re going to take a look at today. Here is a look at every ACC team’s 2024 team recruiting ranking according to 247Sports following early signing day.

Updated 12/25

Georgia football DE announces transfer destination

Georgia football defensive end transferring to future ACC school

Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Jonathan Jefferson announced he will transfer to the SMU Mustangs. SMU is set to join the ACC in 2024. Jefferson figures to get a lot more playing time at SMU.

Jefferson entered the NCAA transfer portal after Georgia’s SEC championship loss. Jefferson signed with Georgia football as a member of the class of 2021 and is a former four-star recruit. Jefferson played for Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Georgia.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive end played in seven games throughout the 2023 college football season. Jefferson recorded one tackle against Kentucky this season, but did not see a ton of snaps on a regular basis. The redshirt sophomore should provide a boost to the SMU defensive front.

Georgia’s defensive end room will look different for the 2024 college football season. Senior defensive end Tramel Walthour is the one player on Georgia’s roster that has used up all of his eligibility. Defensive line is one of Georgia’s top positions of need in the transfer portal.

[lawrence-related id=96292]

Jefferson announced his intentions to transfer to the SMU Mustangs via social media:

We wish Jonathan Jefferson good luck at SMU.