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USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former LSU football tackle Will Campbell learns first Madden rating
Ahead of his first season in the NFL, former LSU football star Will Campbell scored among the best in his draft class for his rating on Madden 26. The former LSU offensive lineman is No. 5 with an 79 overall rating. He is tied with fellow New England Patriots' rookie Jalon Walker at the top 10 list. Campbell was selected with the No. 4 overall pick during the 2025 NFL Draft. The left tackle came off a fruitful three seasons in Baton Rouge, ending as a consensus All-American in 2024. He helped reestablish LSU's dominance in the trenches as part of head coach Brian Kelly's first recruiting class. As a 2022 prospect, Campbell earned a five-star rating and No. 14 overall ranking in the ESPN300. As a sophomore in 2023, Campbell led a unit that was named a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given annually to college football's best line. Campbell blocked for Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr. as part of the nation's top offense in 2023. He raised his level of play last year, which landed him high on scouts' draft boards. Here is the top 10 list for rookie Madden 26 ratings.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football comments on program's DL transfer portal additions
As Iowa football prepares for a promising 2025 campaign, head coach Kirk Ferentz commented on what he expects out of transfer portal additions Jonah Pace and Bryce Hawthorne to the program's defensive line this fall. "Well, it's just like recruiting high school players. You want to get guys that are going to have a chance to really fit in with what we are and how we do it, and both those guys have done a great job. "So, there are two different stories in that. Jonah is a fifth-year guy or a sixth-year guy, whatever he is, but he's a grad transfer. So he's older and he'll help us, there's no question about that. And then, on the other hand, Bryce is a little bit younger, and the only thing he isn't is tall... But I'll tell you, he's got a great attitude. He's a really good football player," Ferentz said from Big Ten media days. Hawthorne followed star quarterback Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State to Iowa for his redshirt sophomore season after recording 22 tackles (nine solo, 13 assisted), including 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries during 14 games played for the Jackrabbits in 2024. As for Johan Pace, he joins the Hawkeyes as a redshirt senior from Central Michigan, where he made 55 career tackles (30 solo, 20 assisted), 12 tackles for loss that totaled 48 yards, five sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one blocked kick in four years and 37 games played for the Chippewas. Ferentz continued by sharing his confidence in the two transfer additions' ability to improve the team in areas of need this fall, but also praised their enthusiasm throughout offseason camp and into the season. "So I'm really confident both those guys are going to really help us this year. They're going to play a lot of football. And that was kind of our approach. We looked at a couple spots where we really needed to address our depth issues, and both those guys are exactly what we were hoping for, just like the quarterbacks. So we're really lucky that way. You hope you bring guys in that are excited about coming, too. That's the other part of it. Both of those guys think their best place ever, which is great. That's what we want them to feel." For Iowa, adding two capable bodies to a defensive line room that already features the talents of Max Llewellyn, Aaron Graves, Jeremiah Pittman, and Ethan Hurkett will only generate increased depth at a position group that ranks in the upper echelon of both the Big Ten and across the nation. Given Iowa's dominance under defensive coordinator Phil Parker and line coach Kelvin Bell seemingly every season, the Hawkeyes could easily be viewed as favorites for the 2025 Joe Moore Award, which is given to the nation's top defensive line unit. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Oregon Ducks coach takes over as analyst with USC Trojans
A lot of elite coaches have come through Eugene under Dan Lanning's watch over the past few years, with many of them eventually moving on to prominent roles after finding success with the Oregon Ducks. We've seen offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham go on to become the head coach with the Arizona State Sun Devils, while former wide receivers coach Junior Adams moved on to take a job with the Dallas Cowboys this past offseason. One of the first coaches to move up after his time with the Ducks is offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, who accepted a job with the New England Patriots after spending one year in Eugene. Klemm has now moved back to the college ranks, where he is reportedly accepting a job as an analyst with Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. According to LA Times reporter Ryan Kartje, Klemm is working with the defensive side of the ball for the Trojans. Klemm has a good amount of experience at both the college and NFL levels. He coached with the Pittsburgh Steelers and UCLA Bruins before joining Oregon's staff. As a former player for the Patriots, Klemm also has a Super Bowl ring to his name. After Klemm left Eugene for New England, the Ducks hired A'lique Terry as the new OL coach, and Oregon has had back-to-back years of Joe Moore Award finalists. 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.
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 College Football Odds: Back Longhorns To Eclipse Win Total
Is just making the College Football Playoff good enough for the richest program in the sport? After back-to-back playoff appearances, including two wins and a semifinal berth last season, the Texas Longhorns look to finally win the championship in 2025. Texas, just like its friends in the upper tier of the sport, does not lose games that it should win. The Horns were 11-1 with a loss to Georgia in the 2024 regular season. Then they went 11-1 in 2023 with a loss to 6-0 Oklahoma on the final play of the game. That's it — two regular-season losses in the last two seasons. Now, after two years of hype and 90 passing attempts last season, Texas turns to Arch Manning as the starter. He's shown elite physical abilities, so the hype is warranted — but being a first-time starter does come with some bumps and bruises. The Texas offensive line was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award last year, but that unit still had moments where it wasn't as clean as expected. It now has to replace four starters, but waiting are all the top-tier recruits and portal players. Texas continues to lose receivers to the draft and Steve Sarkisian has replacements waiting on the roster there, too. The Longhorns run game has been something they can lean on. The offense is loaded with unproven talent, but Sark's track record, plus the talent of Manning, should get them humming quickly. On the defensive side, Texas sent five guys to the NFL, but just like the offense, that side of the ball is retooling with the highest level of talent. Linebacker Anthony Hill will be the anchor of the defense, with freshman All-American Colin Simmons as the lead pass rusher. Texas went to the portal for defensive linemen and the secondary. The Longhorns have a track record of being able to develop on that side of the ball and I trust Pete Kwiatkowski and staff to have this defense playing at an elite level again this season. If we look at the Texas schedule with the assumption that upsets are rare, the squad has two games right now that are toss-ups. Texas opens the season at Ohio State and then plays Georgia in the middle of November on the road. Ohio State must replace so much production on both lines and at quarterback, so catching them to start the season could favor Texas here. I do worry about the Longhorns' ability to win at Georgia after going 0-2 against the Bulldogs last season. So if they split these games, Texas is closer to winning 11 games than nine. A split would allow for an upset and the Longhorns still going Over 9.5 wins. Games against Florida and Texas A&M will be difficult, but Florida has questions at quarterback at the moment and I don't think A&M is good enough to win at Texas right now. If given a choice between the Over or Under on the Texas season, I lean toward the Over. PICK: Texas Over 9.5 Regular Season Wins Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler makes PFF College First Team Preseason All-Big Ten
Pro Football Focus College released its preseason First Team All-Big Ten Offense on Monday afternoon, one month before Nebraska begins the 2025 season. Right guard Rocco Spindler represents the Huskers on the list. The Notre Dame transfer joins Nebraska after spending four seasons with the Fighting Irish. He played in 40 games for Notre Dame at right guard, starting in 23 of them. Spindler got his first chance of action during his freshman season in 2021, playing in two games before redshirting. He then played in 12 games as a sophomore in 2022, before earning the starting role in 2023. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman got 10 starts in 2023, helping the Fighting Irish rank second in school history in scoring and yards per play. His performance on the Notre Dame helped him become a 2023 Joe Moore Award Semifinalist. Spindler then started the final 13 games of the 2024 season, guiding Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff championship game. Before joining the Fighting Irish, Spindler emerged from Clarkson High School in Michigan with a four-star rating and ESPN tabbing him as the nation's No. 1 offensive guard. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
