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The latest Big 12 Conference headlines in the morning rush. ESPN, USA TODAY Sports and Twitter provide the headlines. UT over OU in FPI?
It is game week as we move closer to opening kickoff on Saturday. With the arrival of football season, there is no shortage of stories surrounding the Big 12 Conference. On Monday’s Big 12 morning rush we look at headlines from ESPN, USA TODAY Sports and Twitter.
Continue reading “Monday Big 12 Morning Rush: Latest FPI favors Texas over Oklahoma”
The latest Big 12 morning rush features stories regarding the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oklahoma Sooners and Iowa State Cyclones.
A new week has begun as we inch closer to the season. Longhorns Wire scoured the web for the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference for the Monday morning rush. Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Iowa State provide the headlines.
Continue reading “Monday Big 12 Morning Rush: Another Schooler in the conference”
Forward Colin Castleton, who transferred to Florida this offseason, received a waiver from the NCAA making him eligible for this season.
Former Michigan forward Colin Castleton, who transferred to Florida via the transfer portal this offseason, received a waiver from the NCAA making him eligible for the 2020-2021 season.
The 6-foot-11-inch forward has earned a reputation for his versatility while in Ann Arbor, providing size and rim protection on the inside while also showing a nice touch on his shots from outside of the paint extending out to the midrange, with an occasional bomb from out deep to boot.
His arrival in Gainesville also represents a return back to his home state, as he played high school at Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach where he was a four-star recruit and the No. 128 player in the country in 2018. He has two more seasons of eligibility to play out in Gainesville.
While the 20-year-old still has some room to fill out physically, he will provide some much-needed presence on the inside for a team dealing with a dearth of big men heading into the coming season. With Jason Jitoboh and Omar Payne likely playing large roles at the forward and center positions, Castleton’s presence will bring a great deal of relief to a team that lost Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Gorjok Gak from its forecourt to graduation and the transfer portal, respectively.
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The Athletic ranked the top-10 breakout candidates for the 2020 football season and OLB transfer from UGA Brenton Cox Jr. was listed @ No. 3
In a list from The Athletic ranking the top-10 breakout candidates for the 2020 football season, Florida outside linebacker and Georgia transfer Brenton Cox Jr. was listed as the No. 3 player.
Cox Jr., a former five-star recruit, appeared in 13 games for UGA in 2018 before transferring to UF halfway through the 2019 season. He’s yet to make an appearance in the orange and blue, but he’s expected to contribute in 2020.
The Athletic article, which ranked former blue-chips who have yet to make a significant impact at the college level, said that Cox Jr. should stand out immediately on Florida’s defense.
Here’s the full segment about him.
Recruiting ranking: No. 23 overall, Class of 2018
Here’s another member of Georgia’s No. 1 ranked 2018 recruiting class who’s finally poised for a breakthrough. Cox left the program last August following a spring marijuana arrest and multiple clashes with the Bulldogs’ coaching staff in his first year in the program. The five-star had flashed his potential by the end of his freshman season there, starting in the Sugar Bowl loss to Texas and recording six stops. But his stint there lasted just 13 games. Cox put his name in the transfer portal at the start of preseason camp. One week later, he joined their rival.
Cox was not granted a waiver for immediate eligibility last fall. Florida coach Dan Mullen says he’d still like some transparency on why that was denied. He’s proud of how Cox handled his redshirt season on the scout team.
“He did nothing but work,” Mullen told reporters.
The Gators’ staff has high hopes for Cox and has been impressed by the 6-foot-4, 247-pound pass rusher’s versatility. He could fit right in as Jonathan Greenard’s replacement at the Buck position and can also line up in a few other spots. Florida has depth and talent up front, but Cox offers serious athleticism and upside. He should stand out right away. Between Cox, running back Lorenzo Lingard and receiver Justin Shorter, the Gators have added three transfers to the roster who were once top-100 prospects. We’ll see if a change in scenery is just what they needed to bounce back.
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A former four-star recruit is looking to play elsewhere after injuries derailed his career at Notre Dame.
Isaiah Robertson’s career at Notre Dame came to an end officially on August 12th when the football program announced he had been medically disqualified from participation.
Robertson is now entering the transfer-portal in hopes of being cleared to continue his football career elsewhere next year, according to a report from 247Sports.
Robertson is set to graduate from Notre Dame this winter. He did not appear in a game in 2019 but has suited up 18 times for the Fighting Irish previously.
Robertson came to Notre Dame as a four-star recruit in the 2017 class after playing his high school ball at Neuqua Valley in Naperville, Illinois.
Robertson’s Notre Dame career comes to an end with him recording eight tackles on defense and on special teams as a member of the Fighting Irish.
Texas has their third opt out of the 2020 season, this time in offensive linemen Willie Tyler. He was going into his second year in Austin.
Texas has their third opt out of the 2020 season, this time in offensive linemen Willie Tyler. A redshirt sophomore from Racine, Wisconsin, Tyler was going into his second year in the program. He was a JUCO transfer from Iowa Western Community College.
Tyler announced his decision on his Twitter account.
After talking it over with my family. Also much thought and prayer. While this decision was VERY hard for me to make, with everything going on in the world and with the uncertainty of having a season. I have decided to opt out of the 2020 football season. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that I have to be apart of the longhorn family. I’ll be back in 2021.
Defensive end Marquez Bimage and running back Daniel Young are the other two players who have opted out for COVID-19 precautions. All three have stated they will be back to play in the 2021 season.
— Willie Tyler III™️ (@TheWillieTyler) August 19, 2020
Tyler did not take a snap in the 2019 season, taking a redshirt year. He has been transitioning to the offensive line after spending most of his high school career playing on the defensive line.
Listed at 6-7 and 335 pounds, Tyler is still a work in project for offensive line coach Herb Hand. Once his transition is complete, Tyler is going to have great size and potential to play offensive tackle.
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The Wolverines updated their roster, and it appears that they’ve added an experienced player on the defensive interior.
[jwplayer BJytlQVf-XNcErKyb]
One of the big questions of the offseason was: will Michigan add any transfers, specifically at defensive tackle?
Well, it appears that it has, though no one heard about it. That is, until the Wolverines updated their 2020 roster on Friday evening, which indicated a new addition to the defensive line.
Elijah Pierre was a two-star recruit (according to ESPN) from Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers, who committed to play at Brown University as part of the 2016 class. While he wasn’t a household name, per se, in 2019, he had 13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in eight games — good for fourth on the Bears in TFL and second in sacks.
He joins the Wolverines as a graduate transfer, clocking in at 6-foot-1, 297-pounds. He appears to be pretty strong, to boot:
Elijah Pierre squats 435 five times! #EP pic.twitter.com/zszWpgboZu
— Brown Bears Football (@BrownUFootball) February 12, 2018
But this is what Michigan football fans are hoping to see:
SACK!
Elijah Pierre with an early sack for the Bears, and Brown and Bryant are underway in Smithfield!
Watch Live on NEC Front Row:https://t.co/fqjzcUexAw#GoBruno
pic.twitter.com/eEmNmEX4Qm
— Brown Bears Football (@BrownUFootball) September 21, 2019
Given that Pierre was a 2016 recruit, it would appear that he has one year of eligibility remaining.
He’ll likely join in the competition/rotation along with Carlo Kemp, Chris Hinton, Donovan Jeter and Mazi Smith in the defensive interior.
LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster. Today, we will be looking at RS Soph OL Willie Tyler.
Going into the 2020 football season, LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster.
Over the summer, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Tom Herman this season.
Today, we will be looking at redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Willie Tyler.
Height: 6-7 / Weight: 335
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Hometown: Racine, Wisconsin
High School: Racine Lutheran
JUCO ranking (247Sports): Three-star / No. 143 overall / No. 21 position / No. 10 in-state
HS ranking (Rivals): Three-star
Analysis: Willie Tyler is a junior college transfer from Iowa Western Community College. Listed as an offensive tackle by 247sports, Tyler transferred to Texas over Louisiana Tech, Miami, SMU, and West Virginia.
In high school, Tyler spent most of his time playing defensive line and occasionally played offensive line. Once he got to Iowa Western, he transitioned to a full-time tackle, thanks to his 6-7 335 pound frame.
Tyler is the only person on the Texas roster from the state of Wisconsin. After redshirting his sophomore season, it is difficult to see the tackle getting playing time in 2020. Another project for offensive line coach Herb Hand, Tyler could see playing time as an upperclassman.
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Phil Jurkovec was supposed to be the next great quarterback at Notre Dame. Now he’s set to play against the Irish in 2020.
Phil Jurkovec came to Notre Dame in 2018 as a four-star quarterback that appeared to be the future at the position for the Fighting Irish.
Instead Jurkovec wound up transferring after two seasons at Notre Dame choosing Boston College this past winter.
Jurkovec had been being held in a holding pattern since announcing his transfer and even recently was posting pictures to his Instagram page showing his displeasure with the NCAA not ruling on his eligibility for 2020.
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The NCAA finally announced their decision on Jurkovec on Tuesday and good news for the former Fighting Irish signal caller came as it was announced he’ll be immediately eligible to play at Boston College.
An added bonus for fans of story lines, Jurkovec and Boston College were added to Notre Dame’s 2020 schedule just last week.
Buckle up because the trip to Boston College just got a lot more interesting this fall.
Seven teams offered Tony Fields to play for them. Texas, Minnesota, and Big 12 foe West Virginia have made the cut as the final three teams.
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It came as a shock when star linebacker Tony Fields announced he had entered the transfer portal. During his three seasons at Arizona, Fields recorded 287 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two interceptions.
After the announcements, seven teams offered Fields to play for them. He is now down to his final three, with Texas making the cut. Minnesota and Big 12 foe West Virginia join the Longhorns.
Top 3 (no order) pic.twitter.com/blN00jJuA0
— Tony Fields II (@T_Fields1) July 27, 2020
Since arriving in Tuscon in 2017 as a true freshman, Fields played and started in all 37 games for the Wildcats. 89 tackles during his sophomore season are the fewest he has had in one year, ranking in the top 25 all-time in tackles for the Pac 12.
Fields has expressed his goal is to eventually play in the NFL. If the three-year starter were to choose Texas, he would join a unit that is expected to take a big jump in 2020. With a deep secondary and an improved defensive line around him, Fields could have better numbers than his time at Arizona.
Texas’ linebacking core is undergoing changes going into the 2020 season, switching to Chris Ash’s 4-3 system. Juwan Mitchell, another transfer, is currently the favorite to be the starting middle linebacker.
Fields could step right into the starting lineup and assure the Longhorns’ are set and have strong leadership in the front seven.
At the moment, the main competition seems to be P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Another team hoping to take a step forward, Tom Herman and linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler must prove why the Longhorns would be a better option than the Golden Gophers.
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