Latest news with #Ponatoski
USA Today
2 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Oregon Football QB target Matt Ponatoski joins Randy Moss with rare accomplishment
Oregon Football QB target Matt Ponatoski joins Randy Moss with rare accomplishment Dan Lanning has demonstrated a trend of recruiting dual-sport athletes over the past few years and utilizing players who specialize in sports other than football for the Oregon Ducks. We've seen this most notably with linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who was drafted by the Houston Astros last year, and 5-star tight end commit Kendre Harrison is another example, excelling in both football and basketball. It appears that the Ducks are after another elite dual-sport athlete in 4-star QB Matt Ponatoski. On Tuesday, it was announced that Ponatoski accomplished a rare feat, winning the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year for both football and baseball. According to WCPO's Mike Dyer, Ponatoski is one of only three players to ever accomplish this in the 40 years that Gatorade has been giving out the awards, joining Randy Moss (football and basketball) and Matt Bauer (football and baseball). Last week it was announced that Ponatoski — the No. 293 player and No. 22 QB in the class — will take an official visit to Oregon on June 20. That will be a massive weekend for the Ducks, with 5-star OT Immanuel Iheanacho, 5-star TE Mark Bowman, 5-star TE Kendre Harrison, and 5-star ATH Jalen Lott all in town as well. 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Three Predictions: Brayden Parks, Ohio State, Alabama
Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith has predictions on a Rivals250 defensive tackle earning his fifth star, Ohio State landing a top offensive target and Alabama zeroing in on a Midwest quarterback. MORE MIDWEST: Rumor Mill | Wisconsin making a push with four-star EDGE McHale Blade NEW RIVALS250 RELEASED: Ranking | Top storylines | Ten prospects who could rise with a big June 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 RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info BRAYDEN PARKS BECOMES A FIVE-STAR Even though Parks is already a top-150 prospect in the 2027 Rivals250 he is still on the rise. He just wrapped up a visit to Oregon where he camped and has the Ducks coaches impressed with him. He'll visit Notre Dame and Ohio State next. Advertisement His teammate, wide receiver Quentin Burrell, is also generating five-star buzz. It's tough for an interior defensive lineman to reach that status but if someone can do it, it'll be the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder out of Chicago. His blend of size, speed and power makes him a major force along the line. His recruitment is just heating up and will be hotly contested. FAVOUR AKIH JOINS THE BUCKEYES' CLASS AFTER HIS VISIT The long-awaited official visit to Ohio State is happening this weekend for the four-star running back from Ohio. Akih's recruitment has gotten quieter after a huge winter but he's one of the best backs in the country this cycle. Once Ohio State turned up the heat it became very difficult for Miami and others to continue pushing for his pledge. Advertisement After his visit back to Columbus this weekend, I'm predicting that he'll officially join the Buckeyes' 2026 class, which is in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking once again. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT ALABAMA SIGNS A QUARTERBACK FROM THE MIDWEST One of the more underrated storylines of this recruiting cycle has been Alabama quarterback recruiting. Previously under coach Nick Saban there was never a question if they'd get a top prospect. Coach Kalen DeBoer kept that rolling by landing last cycle's No. 1 player, Keelon Russell. It's incredibly hard to follow that up with another top prospect so the Tide staff has taken its time with a deep evaluation. Advertisement Now it looks like Alabama is strongly in the mix for a pair of signal-callers from the Midwest. Ohio's Matt Ponatoski and Nebraska's Jett Thomalla are both atop the board for Alabama's staff. Thomalla took an unofficial visit the weekend of May 30 and Ponatoski will take an official visit the weekend of June 6. I believe the Tide will either flip Thomalla from Iowa State or nab the dual-sport athlete Ponatoski, who also stars on the baseball diamond. Both players have enormous potential with some coaching by a noted QB guru in DeBoer. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT
USA Today
3 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Fast-rising QB prospect puts Oregon among top schools
Fast-rising QB prospect puts Oregon among top schools The quarterback position is arguably the most important and complex role in all of sports. Being the most valuable player on the roster and having a big enough personality to lead an entire team is a responsibility that not everyone can handle. For this reason, great quarterbacks are hard to come by which is why teams are constantly looking to develop and add more players at the position. The Oregon Ducks have had an impressive run of quarterbacks as of late with Justin Herbert, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel taking the snaps for seven of the last nine seasons. While they don't have any players of that caliber on the roster currently, there is a rising high school recruit who could be making his way to Eugene soon. Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports reported that four-star quarterback Matt Ponatoski has named Oregon as one of his four finalists. The Ohio native is likely only considered a four-star prospect because his lack of athletic ability, because all his other attributes are promising. Ponatoski is said to be a poised pocket passer who has great arm strength and touch on his passes. He is also one of the top baseball prospects in the country and this background is said to be evident in his quarterback play where he flashes off-platform throws and passes from weird arm angles. Ponatoski could develop into one of the top signal callers in the country if he lands with the right program who will develop him correctly. He would be the perfect fit in Eugene to continue their new trend of NFL-level quarterbacks. 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.
USA Today
3 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Alabama among finalists for top uncommitted 2026 quarterback
Alabama among finalists for top uncommitted 2026 quarterback After reportedly setting an upcoming visit to Tuscaloosa, 2026 quarterback Matt Ponatoski has now announced a list of four finalists, a group that includes the Alabama Crimson Tide. In addition to Alabama, Ponatoski also includes the Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats, and Oregon Ducks among his finalists. A two-sport athlete who is also a top baseball prospect, Ponatoski is currently rated as the nation's No. 278 overall player in the 2026 class regardless of position, per the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings. A four-star recruit, Ponatoski is also considered as the No. 21 overall quarterback in the class, as well as the No. 12 player in the state of Ohio where he attends Archbishop Moeller High School. At the moment, a commitment date is not currently set for Ponatoski. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama to reportedly receive visit from uncommitted 2026 quarterback prospect
Alabama to reportedly receive visit from uncommitted 2026 quarterback prospect According to reports, one of the nation's top uncommitted 2026 quarterback prospects will be visiting the Alabama Crimson Tide in the near future. That quarterback is Matt Ponatoski, a four-star prospect who recently received an offer from the Crimson Tide back in mid-May. The visit to Alabama is reportedly set for June 6-8. According to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings, Ponatoski is currently considered the nation's No. 278 overall player in the 2026 class, as well as the No. 21 quarterback out of Archbishop Moeller High School in Ohio. There, the four-star signal caller is also ranked the No. 12 overall player in the state where he won Mr. Football in 2024 as a junior. A two-sport athlete, Ponatoski is also a top baseball recruit in the 2026 class, and was also named to compete in the upcoming Elite 11 finals for football. At the moment, Alabama does not have a quarterback committed in its' 2026 class. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
