Latest news with #RivalsFive-Star
NBC Sports
02-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the defensive backs
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss the future of college sports with the dawn of the revenue-sharing era, examining how rules will be enforced as questions swirl. INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top defensive backs from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Positional MVPs | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis | WR analysis | TE analysis | OL analysis | DL analysis | LB analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, the Georgia commitment has the length to play anywhere in the defensive backfield. He's got loose enough hips to play some corner but the projection should be safety here where he can roam and make plays. Calicut is an impressive player that will fit right into Kirby Smart's defense in Athens. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT One of the biggest revelations of camp was O'Brien's ability to play wide receiver. But he was pretty impressive on defense as well. The Notre Dame verbal out of Philadelphia was excellent in coverage at cornerback and safety. He has outstanding length and showed coverage skills, range and instincts in the secondary. His career at Notre Dame will be fascinating to watch. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NOTRE DAME FANS AT Wyatt was another defender that showed a wide variety of skills during the Rivals Five-Star. He could be a safety in college or a linebacker. Some programs even like him to become an edge rusher. His frame is only going to get more impressive after he enters a college weight program. Wyman got his hands on the ball more than everyone else and consistently forced quarterbacks into bad throws. The Miami commit isn't the biggest defensive back but he has all the traits college and NFL scouts want – elite movement skills, long arms, excellent football instincts and good ball skills. He's got all the tools necessary to be a major impact player for the Hurricanes and become their next great defensive back. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT
NBC Sports
30-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the linebackers
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry look into Wisconsin suing Miami for the transfer of defensive back Xavier Lucas, unpacking the money that flows through college football and the gray areas that exist with the portal. INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility last week. Here we break down the top linebackers from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Positional MVPs | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis | WR analysis | TE analysis | OL analysis | DL analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams Abrams was outstanding all day, not making highlight plays all the time but being a solid linebacker, covering up running backs, running downfield with receivers during one-on-ones and then showing off great ranginess during the 7-on-7 tournament. The four-star linebacker from Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh, who has Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon as his four finalists, had the longest wingspan of any linebacker at the Rivals Five-Star at 83 inches. He also boasted nearly 34-inch arms so he could unexpectedly knock down passes and tip balls. Abrams won the positional MVP award because he can cover so much ground. This is how impressively strong Forkpa is: The bench press winner was Clemson commit Grant Wise, who did 27 reps at 225 pounds and holds multiple Florida state records in weightlifting. Forkpa was one rep behind him. Not only is the four-star linebacker from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy super strong but he's not stiff, he can move and bat down passes. He trusts his eyes in coverage and then has the burst and speed to go after the ball and make the play. Florida, Michigan and others are battling it out for him. Moala did some reps coming off the edge during linemen one-on-ones and then flipped over and did many more with the linebacker group before playing 7-on-7 all afternoon. That's what has been so impressive about Moala, who reminds us a little of Jaelan Phillips. He has the physical presence to come off the edge and beat offensive tackles and then he can line up in space at linebacker, run with speedy receivers downfield and make life difficult at that position as well. That level of versatility should bode well in College Station. The Texas A&M commit reinforced his pledge to the Aggies over UCLA, Washington and others. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT White struggled a little bit with speedy receivers during the one-on-one session at Rivals Five-Star but it's often difficult – and unexpected in game settings – for linebackers to run 30 or 40 yards downfield in coverage. Once the Jackson (Miss.) Jackson Academy standout got his feet under him and used to the speed, he did much better, especially during 7-on-7. White was so good during 7-on-7 play that giving him the position MVP award was being seriously considered. His leaping interception near the end zone that stopped a drive from the opposing team was one of the best plays of the entire event.
NBC Sports
29-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the offensive linemen
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss the latest drama surrounding the future of the College Football Playoff and the possibility of expansion. INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top offensive linemen from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Positional MVPs | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis | WR analysis | TE analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams There could not be a more perfect fit than Brown and Penn State. Brown has a chiseled frame that will easily carry more weight after he enters the Nittany Lions' strength program. But even more impressive than his frame is his motor. Brown is always ready to go and eager to plant opposing defenders in the turf. He's also remarkably consistent at these national events. Penn State has a future star on the way. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT The future Ohio State Buckeye doesn't do many camps but you wouldn't know it after his performance at the Rivals Five-Star. He came very close to taking home MVP honors after some great reps during one-on-ones. Greer is highly-rated at No. 43 in the country but is still underrated. He's got a great basketball background as well. The Ohio native has future multi-year starter written all over him. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT Osenda is a massive offensive tackle prospect out of Tennessee. Because he's so tall, he carries his weight very well and it doesn't look like he weighs 330 pounds. He came in with the biggest wingspan at the camp (7-foot) and had some dominant moments during the camp. His improvement has been steady and he's one to watch in the future. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT The crown jewel of the Cal recruiting class gave the program a massive boost when he committed there. Standing at 6-foot-6, 335-pounds he's a monster offensive lineman that is hard to miss. But he's pretty agile for that size and rarely got beat during camp. Cal got an absolute steal here and their future quarterbacks and running backs will be thankful. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CAL FANS AT
USA Today
29-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 4-star WR and Texas A&M commit invited to Navy All-American Bowl
Texas A&M's future wide receiver corps has a chance to be elite based on the talent level head coach Mike Elko and his staff have accumulated this offseason, as four-stars Aaron Gregory, Madden Williams, and Mike Brown are all considered potential stars at the next level. What's even more impressive is that Brown, whose father, former Texas A&M defensive end Reggie Brown, is the only WR commit from Texas. Gregory, who hails from Douglasville, Georgia, and Williams, out of Bellflower, California, chose the Aggies over the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Washington, and USC, which have all produced first-round receiver talent over the last decade. While Gregory has made plenty of noise at both the Rivals Five-Star and OT7 events this summer, Williams has also shone and has reportedly earned his second bowl invitation since last week. After earning an invite to the Polynesian Bowl, it was reported that Williams, alongside several other 2026 wide receivers signed an NIL deal with Adidas, leading to Sunday's new that the California-based wideout has earned a prestigious invite to the Navy All-American Bowl, where several 2025 Texas A&M signees shined back in early January. Williams has continued to improve as a route runner and separator against press coverage, but already thrives in the middle of the field and could end up being a true threat in the slot at the next level. During his 2024 junior campaign with St. John Bosco, Williams hauled in 50 receptions, 851 yards, and 13 touchdowns as the No. 1 receiver throughout the year. According to 247Sports, Williams is currently positioned as the 39th-ranked wide receiver and the 27th-ranked prospect in California. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
USA Today
29-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Watch 2026 4-star Texas A&M WR commit make impressive catch in OT7 event
Day 2 @overtime OT7 Finals MVP 2027 QB Derrick Baker plays pitch and catch with 2026 Texas A&M WR commit Aaron Gregory who makes an excellent toe-tapping catch in the back of the endzone. Texas A&M's 2026 wide receiver commits include four-stars Aaron Gregory, Madden Williams, and Mike Brown, who have all shut down their recruitment. The Aggies' future at the position is incredibly bright, and while all three prospects possess elite traits, Gregory is on track to become the next star wide receiver for the Aggies. He has continued to impress on the national circuit this summer. Over the past month, Gregory has participated in several events, including the Rivals Five-Star event in Indianapolis and this week's annual OT7 7x7 Final round, where he has continued to thrive as a route runner and the primary receiver for several young, ascending quarterbacks. In the video provided below, On3 national scout Cody Bellaire caught an excellent shot of 2027 three-star quarterback Derrick Baker finding Gregory on a crossing route in the end zone, as the Georgia native elevated for the touchdown, and, most importantly, coming down with the ball and keeping his feet inbounds. Gregory's athletic profile is similar to that of a former Texas A&M standout wide receiver, Josh Reynolds. However, Gregory is already a better route runner at this stage, meaning he'll likely end up being a starter by his second season in the program. Under WR coach Holmon Wiggins, who has developed several NFL wide receivers, including 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, Gregory's potential is through the roof as soon as he steps on campus. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
