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USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN examines Auburn's need for a quarterback in 2026 recruiting cycle
ESPN examines Auburn's need for a quarterback in 2026 recruiting cycle Will Auburn still actively pursue a 2026 quarterback after missing on Travis Burgess? Auburn missed out on three-star quarterback Travis Burgess on Wednesday as he announced his commitment to North Carolina over the Tigers. Where does Hugh Freeze and his staff turn now? Auburn has one of the top quarterback rooms in the SEC with Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, and true freshman Deuce Knight. Still, it does not hurt to plan for the future. ESPN recently identified Auburn as one of the five programs actively recruiting quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The list, pieced together by Eli Lederman, points out that Knight is likely the future at the position, but identifies two quarterbacks currently at the top of Auburn's hot board. (Deuce) Knight, No. 40 in the 2025 ESPN 300, is viewed as a future starter at Auburn. But his arrival has not kept the program from pursuing quarterbacks in the 2026 class. The Tigers hosted (Jaden) O'Neal, the Oklahoma pledge, for a visit earlier this spring and stand among the challengers to Ole Miss in the chase for (Landon) Duckworth, who will take his official to Auburn on May 30. O'Neal pledged to Oklahoma nearly a year ago, but Auburn has remained active in their pursuit of him. The Tigers hosted O'Neal for a visit in April, where he praised the quarterback room and said he could see himself competing for the starting role on the Plains. O'Neal said in April that he planned to return for an official visit, but such a visit has yet to be scheduled at the time of this post. Jackson, Alabama, native Landon Duckworth is also a hot target. Duckworth visited Auburn last weekend and was recently invited to compete in the Elite 11 this summer. Auburn is the lone in-state program in the mix for Duckworth, but it is believed that Ole Miss and South Carolina are the two leaders heading into the summer. Although a quiet recruitment, Auburn is a top school for three-star quarterback Jackson Taylor of Thousand Oaks, California. On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Auburn a 43.5% chance to land Taylor, who visited campus as recently as April 6. The quarterback position may not be the highest priority for Auburn this cycle, but Auburn fans can expect Hugh Freeze, Kent Austin, and the rest of the staff to continue recruiting the position as they continue to build Auburn into a College Football Playoff contender. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
College Football Program a Threat to Land No. 1 Spot in Recruiting Rankings
The Ohio State Buckeyes won the 2024 national championship. They could capture another huge victory on the recruiting trail. According to ESPN, only the USC Trojans have a better 2026 recruiting class than the Buckeyes. If Ohio State manages to receive commitments from another few top recruits, with the star receivers the program has already landed, then the Buckeyes could finish with the top-ranked class for next year. Advertisement "Ryan Day has the luxury of building his 2026 class around one of the most coveted players in the country: five-star receiver (Chris) Henry (Jr.), whose father, the late Chris Henry, was a star receiver for West Virginia and the Cincinnati Bengals," ESPN's Craig Haubert wrote. "Henry Jr. stands 6-6 and has a combination of length and quickness rarely seen from high school receivers." Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day.© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Five-star Chris Henry Jr. is the top recruit the Buckeyes have landed for 2026. But he's hardly the only highly touted prospect committed to Ohio State in next year's class. "The rest of the Buckeyes' class has started to take shape around Henry," Haubert wrote. "The team has added a handful of ESPN 300 prospects since March, including (safety Blaine) Bradford out of Louisiana and linebacker Simeon Caldwell out of Florida. Advertisement "C.J. Sanna is a prospect we like on tape; he is a big, physical linebacker with excellent range and is a bit of an underrated pickup for this talented class. In-state offensive tackle Maxwell Riley is impressive changing direction and finishes plays with the type of nastiness that will endear him to fans in Columbus." Based on the 247 Sports composite rankings, Ohio State currently holds the No. 3 recruiting class for 2026. USC and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are ahead of the Buckeyes. However, USC has 27 commits while Notre Dame has 16. The Buckeyes have received 13 verbal commitments, giving them arguably a much-higher quality class. Related: Ohio State Could Lose Coveted Star to Big Ten Rival
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football lands in ESPN's top 25 newcomer classes rankings for 2025
Florida football lands in ESPN's top 25 newcomer classes rankings for 2025 The Florida Gators cracked ESPN's list of college football's top 25 newcomer classes for 2025, coming in at No. 23 in a ranking compiled by recruiting analysts Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker. The list blends both high school recruiting classes and transfer portal additions to assess overall roster upgrades across the country. According to ESPN, the Gators' class was bolstered by keeping elite in-state wide receiver talent at home and supplementing key positions with experienced transfers. Haubert and Tucker note that Florida football "finished strong under Billy Napier" and that momentum paid dividends on the trail. While the Gators didn't go portal-heavy like other programs, its blend of homegrown recruits and plug-in veterans gives the roster an upgraded feel heading into 2025. Here is everything ESPN wrote about the Orange and Blue. Everything ESPN said about Florida Top impact recruits: WR Dallas Wilson, S Lagonza Hayward, S Hylton Stubbs "While the 2024 season presented challenges, the Gators finished strong under Billy Napier, which led to a boost on the recruiting trail, particularly in their backyard. Florida kept Wilson and fellow ESPN 300 pass catcher Vernell Brown III home. Wilson has turned heads the most this spring. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds with a 4.5 40-yard dash, he has a rare combination of size, speed and understanding of the position for a freshman. "Hayward and Stubbs should be in the backend rotation this fall. Both ESPN 300 safeties have been as advertised this spring. Stubbs is very instinctive with range and physicality to make plays in all three levels of the defense. Top transfers: WR J. Michael Sturdivant, QB Harrison Bailey, CB Micheal Caraway "The Gators brought in weapons for their talented young quarterback DJ Lagway after their two top wideouts graduated. Sturdivant is a proven pass catcher with 1,667 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over three seasons at UCLA and Cal. He has big-play potential and NFL talent, but perhaps most valuable will be his veteran leadership for freshmen Wilson and Brown. Caraway (Southern Miss) might not project as an impact defender, but he's scheme versatile with experience." Context in the SEC and national picture The Gators were one of 12 SEC teams featured in the top 25, joining the likes of the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, South Carolina Gamecocks, Missouri Tigers, Texas Longhorns and LSU Tigers–the highest-ranked SEC team at No. 2. The Oregon Ducks were the highest-rated team in ESPN's rankings. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN names this Clemson freshman as Tigers' top newcomer for 2025 college football season
ESPN names this Clemson freshman as Tigers' top newcomer for 2025 college football season Most of the offseason talk and hype around Clemson football's 2025 roster has centered on the number of familiar faces and returning starters the Tigers will feature on both sides of the ball. Clemson has elite talent, to be sure, and it's that talent that has Dabo Swinney's team ranked No. 2 in a few different post-spring top 25 rankings. Senior quarterback Cade Klubnik is back, as are a group of receivers headlined by junior Antonio Williams and sophomores Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore. On defense, the Tigers boast stud defensive linemen T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, while Avieon Terrell mans the secondary at cornerback. Klubnik, Parker, Woods and Terrell have all been named to early 2025 NFL mock drafts as first-round talent. But as is the case for every team, the Tigers will have a few new faces, too. Phil Mafah and Jake Briningstool are off to the NFL, opening up opportunities at running back and tight end. It's the running back position where ESPN thinks Clemson's top newcomer will emerge in 2025. On Friday, college football analyst Billy Tucker named the top newcomer for every team in ESPN's post-spring Top 25 rankings. Four-star running back Gideon Davidson (Liberty Christian Academy, Va.) was named Clemson's best incoming player for the 2025 season. Tucker said of Davidson: "The third-best running back in the 2025 ESPN 300, Davidson is a great example of how enrolling early can help springboard a freshman toward an immediate impact. Early signs are that he resembles Travis Etienne with his quick read and cut ability and could step in immediately to help replace 1,100-yard rusher Phil Mafah. Davidson was Virginia's 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year and tallied more than 8,000 yards from scrimmage as a high schooler. His youth shouldn't hold him back given Clemson's otherwise inexperienced running back room." Tucker added: "Davidson isn't as big as Mafah, but he's faster and will add a more explosive cutback element on zone runs. His great vision and speed should fit nicely into Clemson's schemes. Clemson could utilize him quickly as a change-of-pace, all-purpose back if he's not the featured back by the time the season opens. Clemson's experienced passing game is the perfect antidote to take some pressure off the freshman." Clemson opens the 2025 season against LSU at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where Oregon Ducks land in ESPN's post-spring Top 25 rankings
Where Oregon Ducks land in ESPN's post-spring Top 25 rankings The Oregon Ducks will have a new-look team in 2025 after 10 players from the previous team were drafted, and a handful went to the NFL as undrafted free agents. In addition, Oregon remade a large portion of its roster via the transfer portal and is expected to have a number of young underclassmen step up into major roles in the coming year. Despite all of that change, the Ducks have remained a mainstay in ESPN's way-too-early top 25, which was released on Thursday following the closing of spring football. While the Ducks remain in the top 10 of the rankings, they did fall a couple of places, according to ESPN. After the 2024 college season, Oregon was ranked No. 6 in ESPN's way-too-early rankings. However, they have since dropped to No. 8 in the post-spring edition. Here's a look at the full top 25, per ESPN. Since the way-too-early version of the rankings from ESPN, both LSU and Clemson have moved ahead of the Ducks. Here's what ESPN writer Mark Schlabach had to say about Oregon in 2025: "The Ducks went back to work after winning a Big Ten title and finishing 13-0 in the regular season. The next step for coach Dan Lanning is to advance in the CFP. Former five-star prospect Dante Moore was battling Austin Novosad to replace Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterback. Hughes, who ran for 1,401 yards with 15 scores in 2024, was working as the No. 1 tailback. Pregnon, World and Harkey were in position to start on the offensive line. "Freshman Dakorien Moore, the No. 1 receiver prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300, had a great spring and probably will challenge for a starting job. Johnson and Thieneman were competing for starting jobs in the secondary, and Alexander is trying to revive his once-promising career as the No. 1 nose tackle." Oregon's schedule sets up for another successful season in the Big Ten, with a College Football Playoff run on the horizon. The Ducks' trip to Happy Valley in their fifth game on the schedule will be a monster showdown with the Penn State Nittany Lions — ranked No. 1 in ESPN's top 25 — but other than that, they get the toughest teams on their slate — Indiana, Wisconsin, and USC — at home, with a regular-season finale up in Seattle against the Washington Huskies. Understandably, there isn't as much confidence in the Ducks' ability to make a similar run in 2025, considering all of the new pieces that they will break in, but if they look the part in the early weeks, particularly in that game against Penn State, then it's not hard to imagine them being near the top of the rankings once again at some point this fall. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
