logo
Spiegelman's Predictions: Notre Dame, Tennessee will land four-stars

Spiegelman's Predictions: Notre Dame, Tennessee will land four-stars

Yahoo03-04-2025

Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has three predictions on Notre Dame beating out Michigan for a top running back target, USC bolstering its class with a receiver commitment and Tennessee finding more success recruiting North Carolina.
WHICH METRO AREA PRODUCES THE BEST HS FOOTBALL TALENT? YOU DECIDE
MORE PREDICTIONS: Tyler Warren, Ohio State, Illinois
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker
NOTRE DAME WILL BEAT MICHIGAN FOR TOUTED RUNNING BACK
Javian Osborne is down to Notre Dame and Michigan and a decision is expected sometime later this spring or immediately after his two mid-summer official visits to both finalists. After touring through both campuses, my prediction is sitting on the Irish, who have made a colossal move in Osborne's recruitment and have emerged as the team best positioned to land the blue-chipper.
Advertisement
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NOTRE DAME FANS AT INSIDENDSPORTS.COM
TENNESSEE WILL LAND FOUR-STAR OT LEO DELANEY
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
Leo Delaney is coming off a big spring that included return visits to leading contenders such as Clemson, South Carolina, Michigan and Tennessee. The four-star OT was a teammate of five-star Tennessee signee David Sanders Jr. last year and there's a sense that these two could be playing together again down the line.
Multiple sources have pointed to the Vols as the program to beat in Delaney's recruitment, and I've logged a Rivals FutureCast in favor of Tennessee, which has been incredibly successful recruiting North Carolina blue-chip talent under Josh Heupel.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT VOLREPORT.COM

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ram to enter trucks in 2026 with possible future move to Cup for Dodge
Ram to enter trucks in 2026 with possible future move to Cup for Dodge

Fox News

time33 minutes ago

  • Fox News

Ram to enter trucks in 2026 with possible future move to Cup for Dodge

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Dodge parent company Stellantis will enter NASCAR racing in 2026 with its Ram brand competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with an eye toward going Cup racing in the years beyond. Whether that's 2027 or later — 2027 is possible but would be an aggressive timeline — remains to be seen as the announcement Sunday focused primarily on the truck, a much easier lift than going Cup racing. With all trucks in the series using an Ilmor engine and several common body elements, Ram just needed to design a nose, a hood, front fenders and a tail for its racing vehicle. Ram did not announce who will drive its trucks nor the teams that will field its trucks. Ram CEO Tim Kinuskis said he hopes to have somewhere between four and six trucks for the 2026 season opener at Daytona. "We're looking for a date to the prom right now [for trucks]," Kinuskis said. "So how am I going to get the Cup? That's going to depend on how I get to truck. So however we get to truck is going will obviously weigh heavily on do I have a path to Cup? "Our intention is not to do a one-hit wonder and go to truck and not to Cup. That's not our plan." Ram does not have cars so what brand of car — Dodge? Plymouth's possible rebirth? — is still to be determined although Dodge has a lengthy history in the sport and motorsports as a whole. "Ram is coming back to the truck series," Kinuskis said. "It has nothing to do with Dodge, despite the fact that everyone in the world calls it Dodge Ram. ... If we go back to Cup, which is our intention, Ram doesn't have a car, so obviously that would have to be Dodge coming back. "But I'm not making that announcement. I'm not saying Dodge is back. Don't put that headline. But when we get to that point, it wouldn't be Ram, obviously." There is speculation in the industry that GMS, which has competed in all three national series over the last decade and was eventually bought out by Jimmie Johnson in the rebranding to Legacy Motor Club, will be involved in building chassis and/or fielding trucks for Ram. Kinuskis promised a program that will elevate fan engagement, and YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, who has competed in some ARCA races, has been linked to the Ram program. Dodge had Cup teams from 2001-12 before exiting the sport on a high note with Brad Keselowski winning a Cup title at Team Penske. When Penske left for Ford, Dodge had trouble landing a premier team and opted to leave the sport. No new manufacturer has entered the sport since Toyota did so in 2004 in trucks and 2007 in Cup. Kinuskis also said when he returned to Ram earlier this year, his two goals were to reintroduce the Hemi engine and get into NASCAR, where 50 percent of its fan base own trucks. "It's always bothered me," Kinuskis said. "We've always been looking for a way to get back. It took us a long time to find the absolute right time." To re-enter Cup would take some engine development and significant body design, a process that would take at least 18 months, NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst said. "The last time that engine ran was 2012 — the core components of the block, the head, the manifold, are all still relevant," Probst said. "Our existing engine builders develop their engines every year. There's been a gap there, so there'd be some development of that engine needed. "But from the basic building blocks they could start from that and do some catch-up development." Kinuskis wouldn't talk about a timeline Sunday for going to Cup racing. "Our full intention is to be back in Cup," Kinuskis said. "But right now we're on a path for Daytona next year with truck, with our eye on when we can be in Cup after that. TBD. "We're a fly with no net right now trying to get to Daytona. That's our focus right now." Keselowski, currently a driver and co-owner at RFK Racing, said the trucks are the right entry point for a manufacturer as it doesn't have to immediately get an engine available and because of the parity in the series. "[The truck series] is a great place for an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] to enter NASCAR and really kind of get that appetite going for the Cup Series," Keselowski said. "It's a big jump from the truck series to the Cup Series, but nonetheless it's a great entry point for OEMs, and hopefully they aren't the only one that will enter the truck series." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

Denny Hamlin's Michigan Win Shows He Is Championship Ready
Denny Hamlin's Michigan Win Shows He Is Championship Ready

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

Denny Hamlin's Michigan Win Shows He Is Championship Ready

Denny Hamlin, at 44 years old, is in his prime. Through 15 races, the Joe Gibbs Racing pilot has three victories with his triumph at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. Hamlin won only two or three races per season between 2021 and 2024. Now, he has a chance to top that for the first time since 2020, when he won seven contests. With 57 wins, he is now Joe Gibbs Racing's winningest driver ever, topping former teammate Kyle Busch. His legacy is certain to get him a seat in the Nascar Hall of Fame. But Hamlin is focused on capturing his first Cup Series championship. But Hamlin is also focused on winning races. He is 11th on Nascar's all-time wins list, and it is realistic that – should he continue racing for several more years – he could tie Dale Earnhardt at 76 wins for eighth on the list. Busch is the only other active full-time driver with more wins than Hamlin (60). 'It just feels good because I'm going to hate it when I'm not at the level I'm at now,' Hamlin said in his post-race press conference. "I certainly will retire very, very quickly after that. I'm not going to hang around and do it just to do it. This is how I want to spend my last season, is like still winning, you know? I'm going to keep going. 'I got to count on possibly Logano, more than likely Larson overtaking us in wins. You got to budget for at least a couple of these guys that started so much younger than I did to beat us on the win total. I forever want to be in the top 10. It's not going to be forever. There's going to be someone that comes down the line that's going to be the best ever. They're going to win a lot. At least while I'm alive, I want to be in the top 10 for the most wins.' Hamlin is still incredibly marketable. Not only does he have constant attention as the driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry, but he also co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan. To make Hamlin even more marketable, he's the host of the 'Actions Detrimental Podcast.' The veteran racer just inked a major sponsorship deal with Progressive, which is replacing a large chunk of races that were vacant on the No. 11 car when FedEx dropped its primary sponsorship. Now, Hamlin is showing he is ready to win his first championship. He's done this before, but something feels different about the Virginia native this year.

NCAA Baseball Tournament: UCLA, Louisville, Arizona advance to College World Series; Tennessee eliminated
NCAA Baseball Tournament: UCLA, Louisville, Arizona advance to College World Series; Tennessee eliminated

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

NCAA Baseball Tournament: UCLA, Louisville, Arizona advance to College World Series; Tennessee eliminated

Ten teams had an opportunity to advance to the Men's College World Series in Omaha with wins on Sunday. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) Ten teams have an opportunity to advance to the 2025 Men's College World Series with a win in Super Regional play on Sunday. Arizona and North Carolina had a decisive Game 3 in their best-of-3 series while Miami and Louisville, in addition to Florida State and Oregon State were also tied at 1-1. Advertisement Elsewhere in the Super Regionals, Arkansas has a 1-0 lead over defending national champion Tennessee and winning on Sunday would send them to Omaha. LSU also won its opener versus West Virginia, as did Duke over Murray State and UCLA versus UTSA. Coastal Carolina was the first to team to qualify for the MCWS by finishing a sweep of Auburn on Saturday. UCLA 7, UTSA 0 The Bruins are returning to the Men's College World Series for the first time since 2013, when they won the national championship. UCLA finished off a sweep of UTSA in Los Angeles with a 7-0 win. RBI singles by Toussaint Bythewood in the fourth inning and Roch Cholowsky in the fifth gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead. The Bruins wouldn't need any more offense than that, but added two runs in the eighth when AJ Salgado scored on a throwing error by Roadrunners catcher Lorenzo Morresi followed by a sacrifice fly from Phoenix Call. UCLA tacked on three additional runs in the ninth on a 2-run single by Payton Brennan and RBI groundout from Bythewood. Advertisement Five UCLA pitchers kept UTSA off the scoreboard, led by starter Landon Stump's four scoreless innings with four hits allowed and five strikeouts. Chris Grothues was credited with the win, allowing no runs over 2 2/3 innings. Arkansas 11, Tennessee 4 The Volunteers will not repeat as national champions after being swept in the Fayetteville Super Regional by the host Razorbacks. After losing Saturday's opener, 4-3, Tennessee felt apart with its season and a return trip to Omaha at stake. Arkansas opened up a 7-1 lead with a five-run fourth inning. Logan Maxwell hit a grand slam off AJ Russell, the Vols' third pitcher of the inning. The Razorbacks loaded the bases on singles by Cam Kozeal and Reese Robinett, followed by an intentional walk to Charles Davalan to set up a force play. But Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle allowed a run to score on a wild pitch and Brayden Krenzel hit Wehiwa Aloy with a pitch to load the bases again for Maxwell's big blow. Advertisement Loading the bases got the Vols in trouble again in the seventh. After a RBI double from Kuhio Aloy, Tennessee pitchers walked four consecutive batters, resulting in another two runs. Altogether, the Vols issued eight walks in the game. Tennessee followed up last season's national title with a seventh-place finish in the SEC at 16-14, though finished 46-18 overall. Louisville 3, Miami 2 Eddie King Jr.'s 2-out double scored Jake Munroe in the seventh inning to put the Cardinals on top. Jake Schweitzer, Justin West and Brennyn Cutts combined for a scoreless final two innings to put Louisville (40-22) among the eight teams going to Omaha. Ethan Eberle pitched five innings for Louisville, giving up a 2-run homer to Max Galvin among his six hits allowed. Schweitzer got the win with three scoreless innings, while Cutts earned the save by retiring the final Hurricanes batter of the game. Advertisement For Miami (35-27), Reese Lumpkin gave up two runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings. But Will Smith was tagged with the loss after allowing King's RBI double. It was only the second hit he allowed in 2 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Galvin and Daniel Cuvet each had two hits for Miami. Arizona 4, North Carolina 3 The Wildcats join the Chanticleers in Omaha, defeating the Tar Heels on their home field. Arizona took a 4-3 lead with a 3-run eighth inning as its first four batters reached base, helped out by an two throwing errors by UNC. Tommy Splaine first scored on a bunt single from Easton Breyfogle. Brendan Summerhill then walked to load the bases and Mason White drove in two runs with a single. A 3-run homer by Jackson Van De Brake gave North Carolina a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning, following consecutive singles from Carter French and Kane Kepley. Arizona starter Smith Bailey was charged with those three runs with five hits allowed, four strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Advertisement Ryan Lynch pitched seven innings for the Tar Heels, allowing three runs (two earned) with five strikeouts. Walker McDuffie took the loss after he allowed the go-ahead run to reach base in the eighth. Murray State 19, Duke 9 The Racers rebounded decisively after losing Saturday's Super Regionals opener to Duke, 7-4. Dom Decker and Will Vierling each drove in four runs, while Dan Tauken had three RBI to send the series to a decisive Game 3 on Monday. Duke took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back homers by AJ Gracia and Ben Miller, but Murray State answered in the bottom of the frame with three runs beginning with Jonathan Hogart's leadoff home run. Both teams eventually traded five-run innings, but the Racers blew the game open with a nine-run seventh. The Blue Devils' Kyle Johnson and Racers' Isaac Silva each allowed six runs as starting pitchers. Yet while Jacob Hustedde and Graham Kelham combined to give up another three runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief, Duke's bullpen could not keep Murray State's lineup from lighting up the scoreboard. Seven more pitchers took the mound for the Blue Devils with five of them allowing two or more runs. Gabe Nard and Mark Hindy each gave up three runs in a combined 1 1/3 innings.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store