The first version of the 12-team CFP has drawn a lot of criticism from around the country for its seemingly unbalanced design. The feeling is that giving the top four conference champions a first round bye is too much of a reward. Especially, for weaker conferences like the ACC, Mountain West or the Big 12.
Fox Sports Joel Klatt is one of those calling for seeding the playoff according to the CFP Rankings as opposed to handing top seeds to conference winners. “It’s not a true meritocracy,” Klatt said, “Now it’s not a true playoff. It’s not a true bracket. You set out to do something like value the conference championship game and in doing so you devalued the conference championship game. … We don’t artificially pull the levers of power to bump teams up based on sentiment.”
Under the current format, the top four conference champions from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and highest ranked Group of 5 get the top four seeds and a first round bye. The fifth team in that group makes the playoff but doesn’t get a top seed.
This differs greatly from the NCAA College Basketball Tournament. March Madness has a very successful and very popular format. Every conference champion makes the tournament, but no team gets a preferential seed based solely on that.
The hoops model is the format Texas coach Steve Sarkisian prefers. He told ESPN on Selection Sunday, “I look to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. If you win your conference tournament you get an automatic bid into the tournament. But then there’s seedings. Right? There’s one seeds, there’s two seeds, so on and so forth. And no where in there does it say that if you win your conference you get an automatic one seed. And so, I think if we can get to that model from a football perspective moving forward, that teams get seeded predicated on their ranking.”
The result of handing lower level teams high seeds is teams like the Longhorns are moved down and have to play an extra game. “The reality of it is, if we went just off of ranking, we would be the third seed in the tournament as opposed to the fifth. If we go by that (basketball) model, yes there’s automatic bids into the tournament, but that doesn’t necessarily give you, let’s call it a one seed where you get that bye in the first round,” Sark said.
Another bi-product of moving lower ranked teams up is some of the deserving top seeds get a tougher path because higher ranked teams are lower in the bracket.
Klatt points out, Oregon may have been done in most by the format. “Congratulation Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks,” Klatt said. “You got absolutely screwed by the playoff committee because their sentiment of trying to create artificial floors rose some of these teams to levels where they shouldn’t be. That’s the problem. The reward for 13-0 and having the best regular season in all of college football, which is supposed to be the most valuable regular season in all of sports, the reward for that is having to play the highest odds teams to win the national championship. They’re going to have to possibly go through Ohio State, Texas and Georgia to win the national championship.”
If the bracket was set the rankings, Texas would have a No. 3 seed, an extra week off and a path deserving of the consensus third ranked team in the nation.
Texas Longhorns 4-star DT Sydir Mitchell Enters Transfer Portal
Texas defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports. The second-year player and former four-star recruit has three years of eligibility remaining.
Mitchell, a 6-foot-5, 335-pound lineman, appeared in four games during the 2023 season. He made his Longhorn debut in the season opener against Rice and recorded solo tackles in wins over Wyoming and Kansas, as well as in the Big 12 Championship Game victory against Oklahoma State.
Mitchell, a native of Oradell, N.J, was a standout at his high school Bergen Catholic. He was a two time all-division honoree and a two-time state champion, he was selected for the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game.
Over his high school career, Mitchell earned numerous accomplishments, including first-team honors in the Super Football Conference United Red All-Division team in multiple seasons. He was rated as one of the top defensive linemen in the country by ESPN, On3, Rivals, and 247Sports.
Mitchell also played basketball during his prep career and was named a MaxPreps Freshman All-American as an offensive lineman in 2019.
It’s unclear where a possible landing spot for Mitchell might be. The Texas Longhorns will take on the Clemson Tigers on December 21st in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Philadelphia Eagles land Texas Longhorns offensive tackle Cameron Williams in ESPN’s latest 2025 NFL mock draft
The Eagles are 11-2 and heading to the playoffs for a fourth straight year, but it’s never too early for a look ahead to the 2025 NFL draft.
Philadelphia will have 18 free agents and more potential losses, including Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and Dallas Goedert. Some salary cap and personnel decisions will be made over the next four months before the new league year begins in March.
ESPN’s Field Yates released his latest mock draft for the 2025 class, and he has the Eagles rebuilding through the trenches and selecting Lane Johnson’s eventual replacement at right tackle.
28. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)
Cameron Williams, OT, Texas*
The Eagles’ approach to the draft feels like a team facing a second-and-1 situation — they are usually playing ahead of the sticks, creating optionality to think for now or the future. This one is about the future. Right tackle Lane Johnson is still a top player in the NFL. He’s also turning 35 years old before next season and might play only two or three more years. Williams, meanwhile, moves very well for his size, though he needs to be more consistent. He would have time to develop here, and few teams have a better OL development program than Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is among the few teams in the NFL that have an aggressive and efficient approach to investing in the offensive line. Howie Roseman (GM) and Jeff Stoutland (OL coach) have continued to build one of the best units in the league, and it starts with identifying the best prospects.
Williams is still extremely raw, having played 32 games with just 11 starts for the No. 4 ranked Longhorns. A 2024 Joe Moore Award semifinalist, Williams was named SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week and could be able to learn behind one of the best right tackles in the game, Lane Johnson.
Texas has reportedly signed former Purdue Boilermakers defensive tackle Cole Brevard. The 6’3, 333-pound lineman has one season of eligibility remaining and made his decision after visiting Austin on Friday.
The Horns have also reportedly signed former Arkansas linebacker Brad Spence. The Houston Klein Forest product also committed to Texas after visiting on Friday. The 6’2, 238-pounder has two seasons of eligibility left.
The 3-star prospect signed with Arkansas as a member of the 2023 recruiting class as the No. 1,000 player nationally and the No. 96 edge, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Texas’ top target is schedule to visit the 40 Acres on Monday. Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton Jr. has narrowed his list down to Auburn, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas. The No. 1 transfer portal prospect on both On3 and 247 Sports visited Ole Miss this weekend.
Sep 14, 2024; Logan, Utah, USA; Utah Utes punter Jack Bouwmeester (34) punts against the Utah State Aggies at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
The 6-foot-3, 197 pound kicker has 60 punts in 2024 for 2,682 yards on an average of 44.7 yards per punt. 13 of the 60 punts went for 50+ yards and 9 landed inside the 20-yard line. Read More
Sep 21, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Purdue Boilermakers defensive lineman Cole Brevard (91) walks the field before the game against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
UT will be the Carmel, Indiana products third team. Brevard originally signed with Penn State as a 4-star prospect. After appearing in just one game for the Nittany Lions over two season, Brevard transferred to Purdue. At Purdue, he got ore playing time. This season, Brevard recorded 12 tackles, 13 defensive stops, and 13 pressures and a sack.
Sep 2, 2023; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Brad Spence (22) celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Carolina Catamounts at War Memorial Stadium. Arkansas won 56-13. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
The Longhorns staff has a familiarity with Spence from his original recruitment. After signing with the Razorbacks, Spence was a rotation player as a true freshman, including making one start, recording 16 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and one interception, which came in his collegiate debut against Western Carolina.
Texas Longhorns Portal Visits
WR Eric Singleton – Georgia Tech
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 05: Eric Singleton Jr. #2 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets reacts after rushing for a touchdown against Tre Freeman #12 of the Duke Blue Devils during the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 05, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The top target early in the winter window is former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets standout Eric Singleton Jr., who is expected to visit the Forty Acres on Monday. Read More
Texas Longhorns in the Portal
P Ian Ratliff
On Wednesday, Texas Punter Ian Ratliff, announced his intentions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. Hailing from Atascosita High School, the sophomore has three years of eligibility left.
The Humble, TX product didn’t see any action in 2023 and had eight total punts this season. Ratliff punted against Oklahoma and Georgia, totaling 8 punts for a 44.0 yard average. He was named a program player of the game after the Oklahoma Red River Rivalry game. Read More
DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 12: Justice Finkley #1 of the Texas Longhorns runs against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Cotton Bowl on October 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Texas junior EDGE Justice Finkley intends to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to 247Sports.
The fifth highest ranked prospect in Texas’ 2022 recruiting class, Finkley enrolled early at Texas in January of 2022 after selecting the Longhorns over Alabama, Colorado, and Michigan amongst 26 other offers.
Finkley saw his snap count diminish in 2024, only appearing in six games. Read More
Mitchell, a 6-foot-5, 335-pound lineman, appeared in four games during the 2023 season. He made his Longhorn debut in the season opener against Rice and recorded solo tackles in wins over Wyoming and Kansas, as well as in the Big 12 Championship Game victory against Oklahoma State. Read more
Sep 14, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns receiver Johntay Cook II (1) makes a touchdown catch over UTSA safety Elijah Newell (22) during the game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron E. Martinez/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
The former five-star recruit left the program in November and will now be looking for a new home. He was the 31st-ranked player overall in his recruiting class.
During his time as a Longhorn, Cook appeared in 20 games and hauled 16 catches. He recorded 273 receiving yards and found the end zone twice this season after not recording a receiving touchdown last year. Although Cook began his college career with high expectations, he struggled to separate himself in a Longhorns offense full of talent while battling injuries. Read more
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound edge rusher and linebacker for the Longhorns, entered the NCAA transfer portal early Monday. The redshirt freshman will have three years of eligibility remaining.
A consensus 4-star recruit from Laie, Hawaii, Akana was a late addition to Texas’s 2023 recruiting class, signing on Early Signing Day in 2022.
Akana appeared in one game, making his debut in the Longhorns’ home opener against Rice. He played six defensive snaps over two seasons and contributed on special teams, logging 37 snaps on kickoff coverage across eight games this season and recording two tackles. Read More
Nov 9, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Aaron Bryant (53) takes the field with teammates before a game against the Florida Gators at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Bryant is a former 4-star defensive lineman who has played in 13 games for Texas in three years. He’s recorded two total tackles in those games.
Bryant was slated to be depth at the DT position next year. The Texas staff did address this position in the Early Signing Period by signing 4-star Josiah Sharma, 4-star Myron Charles and 5-star Justus Terry.
To Longhorn Nation 🤘🏾 This is a project that I had to do that explains my journey. It would mean everything to me if you all would read it. Once again thank you all so much I love you allhttps://t.co/uMpLwoMSJC
Bryant wrote a heartfelt note to Longhorns fans on his social media accounts, calling it the “hardest decision of my life.” ,Bryant said, ” To Longhorn Nation: Thank you for everything. Thank you for the support, the memories, and the lessons. This isn’t goodbye—it’s see you later.”
The former top-10 prospect from Las Vegas transferred to Texas from Arizona in the spring of 2024. As a Longhorn, he had two tackles against UTSA and assisted on one against ULM for a total of three tackles for the season.
At Arizona, Savea had 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and a blocked kick in two seasons.
Gullette is a former 4-star recruit who had interest in Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama and Arkansas before committing to Texas. The linebacker recorded two tackles in two games at Texas.
After redshirting and playing in one game as a true freshman for Texas in 2022, Bledsoe appeared in eight games in 2023. His role diminished in 2024, appearing in just a handful of games. Bledsoe has a recruiting trip set up for the Washington Huskies.
The Clemson Head Coach took time to speak with members of the media following the announcement that the Longhorns would host the 12th seeded Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The College Football Playoff committee unveiled the new 12-team bracket on Sunday, setting the stage for a first-round clash between the No. 5 Texas Longhorns and No. 12 Clemson Tigers on Dec. 21.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with reporters shortly after the announcement, offering insights into the matchup and highlighting the unique connections between the two programs.
Here are key takeaways from Swinney’s remarks as the Tigers prepare for their playoff showdown with Texas:
Swinney’s first reaction wasn’t even about the team itself. His excitement was in a five-word message about the Minister of Culture.
“I’m gonna meet Matthew McConaughey!” Swinney said.
What stands out about Texas:
“I haven’t even had my chance to put my eyes on them other than just what I’ve seen like everyone else, on TV, but they were a final four team last year, and now they’re back in the playoffs, so I think Sark’s done an amazing job. They’ve got a great roster, a very, very talented roster. They’ve got elite quarterback play, explosive players outside. This is a complete football team in every sense of the word. They’re good enough to win the whole thing, and we’ll have our hands full, for sure, but excited to go compete.”
Cade Klubnik’s Austin Homecoming:
“When Texas came up, it was just kind of like, ‘Oh, this is amazing,’ because there’s a lot of storylines, (Klubnik) is obviously from Austin, went to Westlake there, and one of the best quarterbacks to come out of the state of Texas. But also him and Quinn went head-to-head a lot in high school. It’s all about the game but that’s just kind of a cool storyline for our quarterback. You just never know how things are going to work out in this crazy game of college football. For him to be going to his first playoff, because we didn’t make it in ’22, we won the league, but didn’t make it, and then last year we didn’t make it, so (having) his first playoff game in Austin, Texas, where he grew up, you can’t make that up.”
Jonathon Brooks suffered an ACL injury in November 2023 while at Texas.
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks’ rookie season has came to an end after just three games recorded for the running back from Texas. The second-round pick suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Dave Canales confirmed on Monday. Brooks will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the 2024 season
This marks Brooks’ second ACL injury in a span of just 13 months, a devastating blow for the former Texas Longhorn standout. Brooks tore his ACL in the last game of the regular 2023 season while with the Longhorns against Texas Tech. He was unable to play in the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff against Washington. He was selected No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Brooks was activated in Week 12 and had carried the ball nine times this season. On Sunday, he went down after taking a pitch, crumpling to the ground in visible pain. It was a heartbreaking moment for the promising rookie, who had begun to showcase his trademark power in limited opportunities.
“My heart is with him,” Canales said during a press conference. “He’s heartbroken, I’m heartbroken. The whole group is just feeling for him. We’ll be here every step of the way with him, supporting him through this journey. He knows how to do this. He’ll be able to attack it, and his focus is just going to shift in terms of what he’s competing for.”
The 2024 campaign has been an uphill battle for the Panthers, and losing Brooks adds to the team’s woes. For Brooks, another lengthy rehab process lies ahead as he works toward a comeback.
Over the last few months, he has shown why the future in Texas is bright
While Dia Bell is still over a year away from making his collegiate debut, he made headlines over the weekend. The talented junior who is part of the Longhorns 2026 class was named Florida’s 2024-2025 Gatorade Player of the Year on Friday. Over the last few months, he has shown why the future in Texas is bright.
During the 2024 campaign, Bell completed 71 percent of his passes for 2,597 yards. He also recorded 29 passing touchdowns and only threw six interceptions. While Bell was a human highlight reel with his arm, he also made an impact with his legs,
On the ground, he ran for 561 yards on 61 carries, averaging 8.4 yards per carry, and found the end zone five times. Due to his ability to make an impact in multiple ways, Bell was hard to plan against. That is partly why he drew the interest from the Longhorns and some of the top programs in the country.
During the recruitment process, Bell visited Ohio State, Penn State, and LSU before committing to the Longhorns on June 17th. Although the quarterback room is loaded for the foreseeable future with Arch Manning, Trey Owens, and KJ Lacey, Bell should get his opportunities.
This season, Bell has shown why he has the potential to be a special player, and his latest accolade shows why he is one of the best players in his class from Florida.
Dallas Cowboys and former Texas Longhorns LB DeMarvion Overshown suffered a serious knee injury in a loss to the Cincinnati Monday night.
Former Texas Longhorns LB DeMarvion Overshown has suffered a serious knee injury. The Dallas Cowboys rising star has reportedly torn his ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee and is scheduled to have surgery this week
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the injury is “it’s of a serious nature” and “it’s not good.” It is feared Overshown tore more than just his ACL. Bengals center Ted Karras landed on Overshown’s right leg after blocking on a 2-yard run by Chase Brown in the fourth quarter.
Overshown was having a break out season in Dallas and is the Cowboys second-leading tackler. The Tyler native missed all of his rookie year in 2023 because of a torn ACL in his left knee suffered in a preseason game at Seattle.
The injury hit the Cowboys defense hard. After the game, Micah Parsons was emotional. “I cried,” Parsons said. “It’s like my little bro, bro. He doesn’t deserve that, either. He really don’t. Just to understand what he’s going to go through and to be there for him physically, mentally. It’s just so challenging because of the year he was having. I really just don’t think that’s fair, either.”
Wouldn’t want this for anyone else! One of God’s Toughest Soldiers 🙏🏾
A former Longhorns QB is hitting the transfer portal for the second time in two years after leading his team to a bowl game.
Duke starting QB Maalik Murphy plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal according to ESPN. The former Longhorn will be one of the most sought after players in the portal after tossing a school-record 26 TDs this season.
Murphy, who has two years of eligibility left, led the Blue Devils to 9-3 record. He will not play in Duke’s Gator Bowl matchup with Ole Miss.
Landing Murphy was a transfer portal recruiting win for Duke coach Manny Diaz. Murphy picked the Blue Devils over a Oregon State, South Carolina and Baylor. This year, the Southern California native passed for 2,933 yards.
Murphy was the backup at Texas last year and started two games in relief of an injured Quinn Ewers, throwing for 477 yards and three TDs. His most memorable game was a 33-30 OT win over Kansas State in Austin. The Wildcats were led by current Ohio State QB Will Howard.
He was the 31st ranked player overall in his recruiting class
After leaving the Longhorns football program, Johntay Cook II has entered the NCAA Transfer portal. The former five-star recruit left the program in November and will now be looking for a new home. He was the 31st-ranked player overall in his recruiting class.
During his time as a Longhorn, Cook appeared in 20 games and hauled 16 catches. He recorded 273 receiving yards and found the end zone twice this season after not recording a receiving touchdown last year. Although Cook began his college career with high expectations, he struggled to separate himself in a Longhorns offense full of talent while battling injuries.
Before committing to the Longhorns, Cook drew interest from some of the top programs in the nation. That list includes Texas A&M, Oregon, Michigan, and Alabama. For teams in need of playmakers, Cook should be a popular target due to his pedigree coming out of high school.
Texas WR Johntay Cook has officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
While Cook’s career at Texas didn’t go as planned, he did show some encouraging signs this year. He averaged 22.8 yards per game after only averaging 9.7 last season. The De Soto High School product was also targeted more in the red zone.
When Cook initially came to Texas, he came alongside Arch Manning. The hope was that two would give the Longhorns a lethal tandem that could frustrate defensive coordinators. That will not be the case, as a change of scenery is now what is best. Texas A&M and Oregon are two teams to watch.
