Player Notes

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 ...

LSU football recruiting target Colin Simmons, No. 1 edge rusher, commits to Texas ·

BATON ROUGE — Five-star edge rusher Colin Simmons has committed to Texas over LSU football, Simmons announced Thursday.At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Simmons is the No. 8 player and No. 1 edge rusher in the nation from the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports Composite. He attends Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas and is the No. 1 prospect in the state.Simmons chose the Longhorns over LSU ...

LSU football: 10 standout players this preseason, including Maason Smith and Andre' Sam ·

BATON ROUGE — With six preseason practices in the books, LSU football continues to inch its way toward the start of the season in Orlando on Sept. 3 against Florida State (6:30 p.m., ESPN).And numerous players — new and old — have begun to make their presence felt on the field through those first six practices.Here are 10 players who have excelled through the beginning of preseason practices.Garrett ...

Scott Rabalais: There are a lot of reasons to be bullish about LSU's offense in 2023 ·

LSU offensive coordinator coach Mike Denbrock on the field before kickoff against Texas A&M, Saturday, November 26, 2022, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.There was a persistent smile playing about Mike Denbrock’s face Thursday that would take a mountain of three and outs to wipe off.A year ago this time, LSU’s then first-time offensive coordinator was trying to figure out what he had from a ...

ULM’s Tyrone Howell Back to Stack on His Breakout Season ·

Paul LetlowWhen a college football player enjoys a breakout season in today's world of microwave transfers and early exits for pro ball, it can raise concerns that said player might be moving on.Big-play wide receiver Tyrone Howell's emergence as the most dangerous man in ULM's offense last season fueled fears among locals that he might be one and done.For Howell though, ULM had given him a great landing ...

These five Wildcats could be in store for breakout seasons in 2023 ·

A quick glance at Kentucky football’s 2023 roster shows how much the perception of a player can change over the course of one season.A year ago, few outside the UK locker room knew what to expect from tight end Jordan Dingle, safety Jordan Lovett or linebacker D’Eryk Jackson, but each of those Wildcats ended up being an essential piece of the 2022 team. Now, each is being counted on to serve a starring ...

Kansas football cornerback Cobee Bryant has goals for 2023 after an impressive 2022 ·

LAWRENCE — Given how the 2022 season unfolded, there was a thought in the back of Jordan Peterson’s mind.Kansas football cornerback Cobee Bryant broke onto the scene that year. He became an All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection, according to the league’s head coaches. Heading into the following year, Bryant could either be content with what he’s accomplished or attack 2023 with the same hunger ...

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 ...