Player Notes

UNC Football: Cedric Gray named to Butkus Award Watchlist ·

2-3 minutes 8/10/2023UNC Football senior linebacker Cedric Gray has been named to the Butkus Award Watchlist for the upcoming 2023 football season.The UNC football program has seen several players earn honors on pre-season watchlists across the country for their respective positions. Now, 23 days from kickoff, another player has earned their name on a watchlist.Cedric Gray has been one of 51 players ...

UNC Football 2023 Positional Preview: Wide Receivers ·

4-5 minutes 8/11/2023Our 2023 UNC football positional previews continue on offense with a talented group of players at the wide receiver position.The UNC Football program is trying to replace their top wide receiver threat of the last three years, Josh Downs, who was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft this year, as well as Antoine Green, who became a big-time playmaker for the Tar Heels.How ...

Freshman LB impressing Nebraska coaches; the plan for Blackshirts ·

Linebacker Eric Fields’ listed frame of 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds is relatively small for a Big Ten linebacker. Through two weeks of fall camp, the freshman has made up for it with an excess of physicality, impressing coaches in his first practice action at Nebraska.“It don’t matter how much he weighs,” defensive coordinator Tony White said, “he hits like he’s 230.”Fields, a three-star recruit from Ardmore, ...

Navy offensive line returns four starters, led by senior captain Lirion Murtezi: ‘We have some really tough dudes up front’ ·

7-8 minutes 8/10/2023Coach Brian Newberry stated from the moment he was hired that Navy’s offense would continue to be based on triple-option principles, but would expand to include many new elements.Newberry hired Grant Chesnut as offensive coordinator because he was “creative” and “innovative.” Chesnut has expanded the offense to include a short passing game, quarterbacks switching seamlessly between ...

How Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease Jr. can impact Mizzou's remade receiver corps ·

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Shortly after Missouri All-SEC wide receiver Dominic Lovett entered the NCAA transfer portal in December, the Tigers shopped for reinforcements.Theo Wease Jr. doesn’t play the same receiver position — he’ll line up outside at the X position, while Lovett played in the slot — but if Wease can make a major impact this fall, along with Mississippi transfer Dannis Jackson, another addition ...

5 Ole Miss football freshmen already standing out, including one Lane Kiffin won't 'rat poison' ·

Mississippi Clarion-LedgerOXFORD — Since Ole Miss football opened preseason practice last week, most of the attention has revolved around Lane Kiffin's bevy of transfer additions and the Rebels' quarterback competition between Jaxson Dart and Spencer Sanders.Look beneath that surface, though, and you'll find what seems to be another strong group of Ole Miss freshmen, with a handful of rookies already ...

Why Minnesota will be part of college football’s national championship picture this fall ·

9-11 minutes 8/11/2023The Gophers football program will be included in the NCAA national championship conversation this season.Wait, what?While the 2023 Gophers team will be unranked in top 25 preseason polls and is picked to finish third in the Big Ten West Division, heavy title favorite Georgia is gunning for what the U did nearly 90 years ago.The Bulldogs are seeking three straight national championships ...

Michigan duo named to Walker Camp Player of the Year watch list ·

Published Aug. 11, 2023, 2:32 p.m.2-3 minutes 8/11/2023Ryan ZukeThe preseason spotlight continues to shine bright on Michigan running back Blake Corum and quarterback J.J. McCarthy.The duo was among 45 players named to the Walker Camp 2023 Player of the Year preseason watch list on Friday afternoon. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.This is the third ...

Michigan play-caller sides with Jim Harbaugh: ‘We want to be 50/50’ ·

Aaron McMannANN ARBOR, Mich. — Anyone who thinks Jim Harbaugh was blowing smoke earlier this summer when he predicted a more balanced offense for Michigan in 2023 — “50/50,” in his words — might want to start paying attention.First-year offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, in charge of the playbook this fall, confirmed what the Wolverines’ head man told a group of reporters back in June: That Michigan ...

Texas edges Miami for five-star prospect Colin Simmons ·

The Hurricanes missed out on one of the nation’s top prospects in the 2024 class on Thursday.Five-star edge rusher Colin Simmons committed to Texas, announcing his decision on 247Sports’ YouTube channel. Simmons chose the Longhorns over Miami and LSU.Simmons is rated the No. 8 prospect in the 2024 class by 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is listed as the No. 1 edge rusher.Simmons, who is listed at ...

Recent Stories

2025 Draft: Previewing edge prospects

The edge rusher is a premier position in the a modern version of pro football always seeking ways to encourage more passing. The importance of franchise passers like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and Jalen ...

2025 Draft: ILBs seek relevance, respect

Over the past few draft cycles, there has been a lack of a bonafide, blue-chip prospect at the interior linebacker position. In recent memory, we have heard differing opinions on who is the top linebacker and what is his value in a draft. The position of inside ...

Bet on future DBs—they can cover

As part of our series on football’s defensive back scene, the Hall of Football consulted our ever-evolving database of ~17,000 active college and high school players to evaluate the position's future, looking at the horizon at least six years down the road—approximately ...

2025 Draft: DBs have a tough act to follow

  The 2024 cornerback class was one of the deepest in recent memory, with elite talent at the top of the class and unprecedented depth that followed. While it will be tough for the 2025 class to replicate that amount of talent, there are potential stars at the ...

Heisman Trophy odds: keeping track

   The Heisman Trophy picture is constantly changing, and BetOnline.ag tracks those changes to create the best odds at any given time. It has been about half a year since they first posted odds on who may win the coveted Heisman. Check the changes and reasons ...

Seeking nuggets in pile of rookie DBs

Whether it be too little talent or too many rule changes favoring wide-open passing attacks, NFL secondaries no longer impact the game as they once did. Newcomers from the 2024 Draft are not likely to fix the first part of that issue. Only three DBs went in the ...

History of mystery behind decline of RBs

We began this series on running backs with a warning: “Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be … running backs. Not anymore. Not unless something changes.” Apparently, mama listened or already knew. My concern over the demise of this once heralded position ...

Diving into Hall of Football database

Now that we have settled into the Hall of Football (HallofFootball.substack.com), here is our first dive into the massive database that has been at the heart of NFL Draft Scout for more than 25 years. Led by our player savant, Brian “Hitman” Hitterman, we gather ...

2025 NFL Draft: Running amok?

After coming off of a slim running back class in 2024, the 2025 draft includes more runners than usual as potential first or second-round picks. Optimistically there could be as many as seven good enough to go in the first two rounds. Realistically, there could ...

2025 Draft: Travis Hunter, a twofer?

It’s no secret Travis Hunter is the most dynamic and versatile player in college football. It’s not just that he plays both cornerback and wide receiver but that he plays both positions at a very high level. Hunter has become a trailblazer in college football ...

2025 Draft: Does James Pearce have Edge as No. 1?

Overview Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee is regarded as the top edge rusher in the SEC heading into the 2024 season. He is also projected as the top edge rusher for the 2025 draft, with many viewing him as the No. 1 overall pick. Teams and scouts ...

My backstory to EA's CFB relaunch

In the mid-1980s, I sat down with Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins and his programmers to create the underlying rating system for Madden Football.   That rating system is essentially the same as the one that drives EA’s College Football 25, the latest in ...