Latest news with #FelixOjo
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reports: Texas Tech lands Mansfield Lake Ridge star with $5.1 million contract
On his 17th birthday, Mansfield Lake Ridge five-star Felix Ojo, the No. 1 recruit in Texas and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, announced his commitment to Texas Tech on Instagram live. According to ESPN's Eli Lederman, Ojo's agent Derrick Shelby stated that he signed a fully guaranteed, three-year, $5.1 million revenue-sharing contract. Texas Tech, which wasn't among Ojo's final four announced Thursday, made a late push for Ojo's talents, according to Rivals. Advertisement With recent changes to the NIL and revenue sharing landscape under House Bill 126, players who are 17 years old can now sign NIL deals. Student-athletes may not receive compensation until they are enrolled in a program. Ojo turned 17 on the Fourth of July; even with Texas Tech not being among his final four, the new era of college football allowed the Red Raiders to make a late and persuasive move. Before Ojo's commitment, he had four hats in front of him on a table — a Texas Tech hat was not among them. Ojo grabbed the Texas hat and said he would be committing to Texas as spectators erupted in cheers. Soon after, he made it clear that it was all a joke; Ojo grabbed a Texas Tech hat from under the table and took off his sweater, revealing a Texas Tech shirt as he officially committed to the Red Raiders. Advertisement Ojo, the highest-rated recruit in Texas Tech's history, has a 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame. In 2024, he was named to the Star-Telegram All-Area First Team with Lake Ridge, a team that finished 0-6 in district and 1-9 on the season. The Lake Ridge phenom also considered Florida, Michigan and Ohio State. Ojo's deal is one of the largest fully guaranteed revenue-sharing deals in college football. According to ESPN's Max Olson, Texas Tech spent $10 million during the winter transfer portal window. The Matador Club, Tech's NIL collective, has helped facilitate several deals, including a seven-figure one for softball phenom NiJaree Canady. 'Let's change cfb …' Ojo wrote in a post on X.
Wall Street Journal
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Wall Street Journal
The $5 Million Football Recruit Who Just Signed for an Also-Ran
Felix Ojo could have chosen to play football for any college he wanted. The No. 1 recruit in the state of Texas, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound behemoth with more than 50 offers from Division I schools, Ojo was wanted by Ohio State, Michigan and the Texas Longhorns.
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What happens when college football enters its own Moneyball era?
Welcome back to MoneyCall, The Athletic's weekly sports business cheat sheet. Name-dropped today: Michael Lewis, Felix Ojo, Ben Shelton, Christian Horner, Steph Curry, Sophia Wilson, Joe Burrow, 'High School Musical,' Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, Mauricio Pochettino, Matthew Berry, John Legend and more. Let's go: A fresh twist on Moneyball This week, as the Big 12 kicks off college football conference media days outside of Dallas, the league finds itself at the center of the college sports universe thanks to Texas Tech, the newest financial superpower. Advertisement A month ago, we were talking about TTU's million-dollar softball ace, NiJaree Canady. This week, it's the Red Raiders' multi-million-dollar offensive tackle Felix Ojo. Next, it could even be a commitment from the No. 1 football player in the Class of 2027, LaDamion Guyton. If Michael Lewis' original 'Moneyball' was about lower-resourced teams capitalizing on market inefficiencies to compete with higher-resourced teams (see: early 2000s A's vs. the Yankees), 'Moneyball 2.0' is an evolution for this new NIL era: What if a mid-tier team — like Texas Tech — simply out-spent everyone else? It's not novel, of course. Money has flowed into the hands of college athletes for over a century — but that wasn't exactly legal until recently. Ohio State's 2024 title was built on out-spending everyone else — but that mostly was about keeping its own star talent from leaving for the pros or other powers. Texas Tech is openly leveraging the enthusiasm of billion-dollar boosters — on top of the $20 million revenue-sharing ante now available to every team — into recruiting the talent necessary to compete at the top of the Big 12, earn a College Football Playoff spot and join the ranks of the college 'blue bloods.' Call TTU and its nouveau-riche peers 'green bloods.' The ultimate inefficiency of the college football market has always been 'willingness to pay without shame.' To the Red Raiders' credit, they are pushing the boundaries beyond their traditional (or even their previous NIL-era) limits, and — if all it takes is money? — they won't be the last. (Remember: The blue bloods have money, too.) A new American sensation at Wimbledon Big talkers from the sports business industry: Speaking of disruptive payouts in college sports: Top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna officially committed to Penn State hockey last night. (Last verse, same as the first: *All it takes is money…*) (If you're curious: Penn State … really? Go back to this definitive feature we ran back in April about the rise of Penn State's hockey program from nothing to … McKenna.) Advertisement It's the heat: From Club World Cup to the Euros to looking ahead to the World Cup in 2026, the weather is THE story. Ben Shelton vs. Wimbledon: With the 22-year-old Shelton taking the court this morning (U.S. time) for his Wimbledon quarterfinal against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, he will be the youngest American man to reach the round since Andy Roddick in '04. Is Shelton the most exciting American male athlete right now? How many more rounds would he need to win to claim that title? Man Utd Amazon doc fizzles: Would you watch a behind-the-scenes documentary about the dysfunction at Man U? The fast 'Yes!' is probably why they ducked out of that potentially lucrative opportunity, per my colleagues David Ornstein and Adam Crafton. Breaking news: 'Drive To Survive' star personality Christian Horner is OUT as F1 Red Bull team principal. Other current obsessions: Stephen Curry returning to the American Century celeb golf event to defend his 2023 championship … the British Grand Prix's LEGO trophies … Joe Burrow's unexpected star turn on the new season of Netflix's 'Quarterback' … Sophia Wilson x Stumptown Coffee collab … 'The Athletic FC's' fascinating podcast special about Saudis and soccer … Which 21st century sports movies did YOU love most? Last week, the lead item of MoneyCall featured my list of 10 best (favorite?) sports movies of the 21st century. But I also asked for yours. Got some great responses, and a few notable omissions from my list that earned a place on yours included: Shout-out to Jaya T., who topped my ''Whiplash' is a sports movie' with ''High School Musical' is a sports movie trilogy.' Huge thanks to everyone who wrote in! What I'm Watching: Taylor-Serrano III If Netflix's success with Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul last fall is any indication, there is a big appetite for fighting events among its more than 300 million subscribers. So what happens when, instead of a clown show, it airs the single best rivalry in boxing? We will see Friday night around 11 p.m. ET, when Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano complete their trilogy after previously putting on two of the best boxing matches of the decade. Advertisement (Related: If/when the UFC stages a fight on the White House grounds in 2026, expect an absurd level of attention.) Data Point: 121,077 That was the 21-71 Rockies' home attendance vs. the White Sox over July Fourth weekend, via Sportico's eagle-eyed Jacob Feldman. That is a TON of paying customers, showing up for an otherwise dreadful team (and matchup!). Why? I asked longtime MoneyCall pal Luke Beatty, a Colorado lifer, entrepreneur, coach and die-hard Denver sports fan: 1) Coors Field is the most popular bar in the state and 2) a huge percentage of the attendees are from out of town, just looking for a nice way to spend an evening on the only MLB in the region. Branding of the Week: 'Brawl of the Wild' Great college football rivalries are taken to another level when they are named in a way that plays up their unique appeal. The annual game between Montana and Montana State gets Chris Vannini's top spot in his CFB rivalry name rankings, but the whole list is worth reading, because every one of these names is so distinctive. Investor of the Week: John Legend Legend was part of a new consortium investing in Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life fantasy-sports company, alongside other folks including LeBron James and his LRMR partner Maverick Carter, Jason Stein, Roger Ehrenberg and Larry Fitzgerald. Berry has always been one of the most entrepreneurial talents in sports media, and I am so intrigued to see how he grows his company from here. Also, do you think Legend will let me save a spot in his fantasy football league this fall? Quote of the Week 'I think we need the people. We need the fans. The fans have one year to realize how important are the fans in soccer.' — USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, after El Tri's fans dominated the stadium in Houston in the Gold Cup final. Beat Dan in Connections: Sports Edition 0:47 (but I needed two extra guesses!) Try the game here! Great business-adjacent reads for your downtime or commute: The fascinating backstory — not to mention politically charged present and inscrutable future — of the NFL's relationship with Canada, as manifested through the Buffalo Bills' efforts to bridge the divide. Two more: (1) Illuminating dive into how Real Madrid conquered the United States market. (2) If your teens are like mine, they don't have a job this summer. I sent them this link to Cooper Flagg's origin story as a pea-picker in Maine. Get off the couch, kids! Back next Wednesday! As for the rest of today, what better way to spend a hot day in July than forwarding MoneyCall to a friend or colleague? And, as always, give a (free!) try to all The Athletic's other newsletters.
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Mandel's Mailbag: Texas Tech's spending spree, first coach to get fired and CFP maneuvering
It's been a relaxing summer on my end. Hopefully for you and yours as well. I certainly know it has been for Hugh Freeze. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. The reporting for Felix Ojo's revenue-share offer from Texas Tech was inconsistent, with some sources citing $5.1 million guaranteed over three years, while The Athletic and others reported a much-lower amount ($2.3 million), with the $5 million figure only if there proves to be 'minimal regulation of schools' adhering to the cap.' Given the uncertain dynamics of how pay-for-play will be regulated, how do you foresee the future of program-to-player payments? — Chris G. Texas Tech continues to be one of the most fascinating schools in college athletics right now in its continued quest to buy its way to national prominence. It beat out Texas, Ohio State and Michigan for Ojo, a five-star offensive tackle in the class of 2026. Advertisement Recently, The Athletic confirmed that Red Raiders athletes will earn a combined $55 million this school year, which presumably includes a lot of pre-House front-loading. At the time, it got me wondering: Is Tech really going to cut that payroll in half a year from now (yeah, right)? And if not, is it going to just dare Deloitte to do something about it? Fast forward to last weekend. ESPN reported Ojo was offered a 'guaranteed' $1.7 million-a-year revenue-sharing deal, which, if true, would suggest Tech was planning to spend nearly 10 percent of its entire House budget on one offensive lineman. That also seemed unlikely. Then the full details came out, and I pivoted to Option 3: Tech doesn't actually think this whole salary cap/Deloitte thing will hold up. On the one hand, the five-star tackle's agent appears to have wildly inflated that 'guaranteed' rev-share figure because Texas Tech sources insist it's less than half that. On the other hand, those sources' own language suggests there's an even bigger number on the table if it turns out collectives can keep doing what they've always done. There's no way to truly know because none of this is yet in writing. Ojo can't sign anything until December. But the whole thing offered an early window into what recruiting/free agency might look like in the short term. There will be the 'by the book' offer and the 'just wait a little longer' number. I don't pretend to know what the athlete payment model will look like even six months from now, but I continue to believe House will not hold up. The state of Tennessee recently became the first to pass legislation that's in direct contradiction to the settlement, allowing its schools to provide unlimited NIL compensation unless a federal law overrides it. Similar bills are being considered in Michigan and New Jersey. You know more will follow. This is exactly how NIL became a thing in the first place. Advertisement In the meantime, coaches and GMs will keep finding whatever workarounds they can to make sure they don't lose out on the next five-star tackle. Seeing a non-blue blood program like Texas Tech make splash after splash in recruiting is wild. It's invested heavily in facilities and NIL, to be sure, but it's interesting that it's still beating the big-name programs for some blue-chip prospects. Am I wrong in thinking the powers-that-be are going to do everything they can to stamp this out? Feels like a showdown between Texas Tech and Deloitte is on the horizon. — Houston As I wrote a few weeks ago, people in college athletics have earnestly convinced themselves that the House settlement is going to 'level the playing field.' In fact, it's the exact opposite. If the CSC/Deloitte succeeds in eliminating pay-for-play booster deals and the only thing schools can offer is that $20.5 million in rev-share, good luck to the Texas Techs of the world ever beating the likes of Texas or Ohio State again. Sure, you might beat one of them out for a specific kid, like Ojo, if you're willing to devote more of your rev-share budget than they are. But that's just going to leave you with less for guys further down your roster, who, if the dollars are comparable, are probably going to pick the blue blood over the upstart nine times out of 10. Again, this is why Texas Tech fascinates me. I think it's safe to say no billionaire booster has ever spent more on talent acquisition than Cody Campbell. Indeed, Phil Knight (Oregon) and Boone Pickens (Oklahoma State) helped their programs gain relevance before him, but most of their money was spent on buildings. Those do help attract recruits, but not as much as cold, hard cash. I realize this isn't true across all sports, but so far in the NIL era, football has not been a strictly 'rich get richer' proposition. In some cases, like Texas Tech, it's been the rich lifting their favorite school out of poverty. But I realize many of you find the whole thing icky. If the new model holds up, we can all go back to the more innocent days of recruits picking their schools based on coaching relationships, academics, development, secretly paid-for unofficial visits, McDonald's bags and a hush-hush job and/or apartment for mom or dad. Advertisement Who is the favorite to replace Joe Castiglione at Oklahoma? And do you foresee JC moving on to a larger role with the NCAA or NFL? — Scott S. How do you even begin to replace a guy like Castiglione? He's been the face of Oklahoma athletics for 27 years. He transformed the entire infrastructure of that place. He hired Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley (and Brent Venables). And he steered OU through umpteen rounds of realignment, from the Big 12's Cuban Missile Crisis of 2010 to the school's stunning SEC move nearly a dozen years later. Of course, having been an AD for so long also means he has quite the tree of proteges. The most obvious name is Mississippi State's Zac Selmon, whose father, Dewey, and uncles, Lee Roy and Lucious, were All-Americans at Oklahoma. Selmon worked under Castiglione from 2015-23. Florida State AD Michael Alford was there from 2012-17. Texas Tech's longtime AD Kirby Hocutt got his start there as well, albeit 20 years ago. And here's one out of left field: Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez. While she's spent most of her career out west, she was at Oklahoma under Castiglione from 2007-10. Only she could say whether an SEC AD job would be more or less appealing than a G5 commissioner. Obviously, it could be a total outsider as well, but Oklahoma athletics has had such a defined identity for so long that it's frankly hard to imagine someone coming in and making wholesale changes. As for Joe C, at his news conference Tuesday, he sure sounded like a guy who's ready to do something completely different — or do nothing at all — for a good, long time. On a scale of 'coincidental' to 'a tow truck towing another tow truck,' how ironic will it be if Iowa has a better offense than defense this season? Before you laugh, look at all the experience it lost on defense vs. Year 2 under Tim Lester with an actual QB (maybe). — Kevin W. If nothing else, it would be hilarious. Lester's first season as OC was encouraging. Iowa improved from 133rd in FBS — last — in yards per play to 80th and from 15.4 points per game to 27.7. The Hawkeyes finally mustered a Kirk Ferentz-approved running game, led by the now-departed Kaleb Johnson (1,537 yards, 21 TDs) and promising freshman Kamari Moulton. But they still lacked a quarterback. Advertisement Enter South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski, who led FCS in pass efficiency in 2023 and who Iowa likely paid big money to land. He had a lot of suitors after putting off the NFL due to offseason shoulder surgery. He'll be an upgrade over anyone who's taken snaps behind center at Iowa for most of the past decade. Though I do wonder if he's being too hyped after seeing his efficiency drop last season after OC Zach Lujan left for Northwestern. I also love one under-the-radar move Ferentz made this offseason: Hiring former Wake Forest OC Warren Ruggiero as an analyst. He was Dave Clawson's OC for 16 years, pioneering the pesky Slow Mesh offense. Will we see it enter Iowa's playbook? But even if the offense dramatically improves, I will never shortchange a Phil Parker defense. Yes, Iowa lost some good players, but I expect another stout D-line and new faces will emerge at linebacker. The Hawkeyes defense will still hold most teams to 20 points or less, but may finally not have to do it all. I'll be happy for Iowa fans if they finally get to watch some fun, big-play offense this fall. But I'll also be incredibly frustrated for them that Ferentz wasted some phenomenal defenses from 2021-23 by refusing to move on from Brian Ferentz. Does Illinois make the CFP? — Danny J. Maybe not this year, but Bret Bielema is one of the people who claim the House settlement has created a level playing field in recruiting. I'm sure a national title is coming any day now, and they'll have just as many five-stars as Ohio State. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema sees the House Settlement leveling the playing field like never before.@Wendys #WendysPartner — Rob Stone (@RobStoneONFOX) June 26, 2025 Who will be the first P4 coach fired this year? I might bet on Hugh Freeze? — Adam W., Austin Well, if that happens, he'll have time to play a lot more than 11 rounds of golf per month. You may recall that we did not have the usual September or October firing last year. In fact, we barely had any at all. Among P4 schools, only North Carolina (Mack Brown), West Virginia (Neal Brown) and Purdue (Ryan Walters) dismissed their coaches. Stanford (Troy Taylor) joined the list this spring. Normally, that all but guarantees a more active carousel the following year, but circumstances have changed. Schools trying to afford revenue sharing and/or raise booster money for NIL purposes may no longer be able to spring for massive buyouts. Advertisement The easy answer is Cal's Justin Wilcox, which I take no pleasure in writing because the Bears' ninth-year coach is one of the best dudes in his business. But it's not hard to see where this is headed. In the last seven months: • Cal went from starting 3-0 and hosting GameDay to finishing 6-7, the Bears' fourth straight sub-.500 season (not even counting a 1-3 mark in 2020). • Wilcox made an unusual decision and hired his former Boise State colleague Bryan Harsin as offensive coordinator. Harsin hasn't coached since getting fired at Auburn in 2022. • Pretty much every good player on Cal's offense went in the portal, including entrenched quarterback Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) and revered star running back Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma). • Cal hires former NFL head coach Ron Rivera to be the program's GM, initially putting him parallel to Wilcox on the org chart, and both reporting to AD Jim Knowlton. Prominent Cal boosters threaten to stop donating if Rivera isn't given full control of football like Andrew Luck has at Stanford. • Sure enough, last month, Knowlton announced his retirement, and now Rivera is Wilcox's boss. Also: Cal now has co-athletic directors, neither of whom has oversight of football. It's tough to see a path forward. Cal is picked to finish at or near the bottom of the ACC, and Rivera likely has his eyes set on an overhaul. Also, Wilcox's buyout is 'only' around $12 million. UConn is the only Big East program with an FBS football team. Although it has struggled in the past, UConn's football program has been trending upward, finishing last year with a 9-4 record. The school stated it will offer $18-plus million of the $20.5 million cap limit this year and will max out next year. Even if it spends $5 million on men's basketball and $2.5 million on women's basketball (rumored as the high end among Big East schools), it could spend up to $9 million on football, which is three times what most G6 teams plan to spend. What do you think is the future of UConn football? — Thomas G. Give a lot of credit to Jim Mora for lifting up a program that looked dead in the water for a full decade, at a time when it was facing an existential crisis. UConn's decision to rejoin the Big East in 2020 has obviously been a boon for the Huskies' powerhouse basketball programs, but it's left football homeless for the past five years. That didn't stop Mora from arriving in 2022 and taking the Huskies to bowl games in two of his first three seasons, even beating ACC foe North Carolina in last year's Fenway Bowl. Advertisement But let's also keep some perspective. UConn has gone from playing an AAC schedule, at a time when the league still had Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, to an independent slate in which the Huskies' eight regular-season wins last year came against Merrimack, FAU, Buffalo, Temple, Rice, Georgia State, UAB and UMass. It is essentially playing a MAC/Conference USA-caliber schedule. Given the dollar figures Thomas mentioned, I don't think UConn's goal is to be a MAC/Conference USA program. It wants to return to the upper tier, like it did in the old BCS-qualifying Big East, when the Huskies reached the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has had his eye on UConn for some time. He's a basketball guy from the Northeast. He wants those New York/New England TV sets, and he wants Dan Hurley and Geno Auriemma. The problem is that his members are primarily football-first schools, and UConn football has held zero appeal to this point. Perhaps that changes if Mora and the Huskies can turn themselves into consistent winners. I can't imagine those hoops coaches would be keen on leaving the Big East again, but P4 football media revenue is a lot more lucrative than hoops-only. Or, wait and hope that the ACC implodes in 2030 thanks to its renegotiated Grant of Rights. Stewart, can you please help me understand why the other conferences gave up total control of the playoff format to the SEC and the Big Ten? If they had stuck together, couldn't we have been spared this ludicrous automatic qualifiers debate? — Rick, Hamilton, N.J. Leverage. I don't think it was ever realistic that the Big Ten and SEC would take their ball and go home. But at this point, they possess between them all but a couple of the sport's realistic national championship contenders. While there's no way to say what the actual value of an all-Big Ten/SEC Playoff would be, I can say with great certainty what a national tournament without them would fetch: $0. It would be like the college football version of Fox's College Basketball Crown. All of that was the backdrop in early 2024, when ESPN was left waiting for months for the conferences to approve the new six-year, $7.8 billion contract that begins in 2026. Unlike the move from four teams to 12, this one did not require unanimous approval to adapt changes because it's a new contract. Unequal revenue sharing was a thorny topic, and Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti was floating 14 or 16 teams and the multi-AQ concept even back then. The compromise was that they punted that discussion, but the Big Ten and SEC got favored nation status. Advertisement Technically, the Big Ten and SEC don't have the unfettered ability to change the format. They are contractually required to have 'meaningful consultation' with the other leagues, which is vague and nebulous enough to be interpreted however one chooses to interpret it. But we can probably guess how Jim Phillips, Yormark and company would describe it if 4-4-2-2-1 does get pushed through: 'They 'consulted' us, we told them not to do it and they did it anyway.' A few weeks ago, you answered a question about trying to attend the best game every week this season while only going to each stadium once. That was, let's be honest, HEAVILY influenced by the Big Ten and SEC. What if you had to do the same thing this season, but not a single Big Ten or SEC team can be involved? Where would you go each week? — Ryan W. I've got to be honest: In that scenario, I would probably go to my couch. While there is no shortage of ACC, Big 12 and G5 stadiums I'd love to see, I would also very much like to at least watch Texas-Ohio State and Georgia-Alabama on TV.
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
College football recruiting reset: Fireworks for Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Alabama
The Fourth of July week is always a pivotal time in the recruiting world. Fresh off June official visits, recruits are ready to issue commitments, and it's when classes across the country begin to truly take shape ahead of football season beginning in the fall. Last week was no exception, with more than 150 recruits making a decision. But boy were there some fireworks in what was the most captivating recruiting week of the year to this point. From shocking decisions to some drama in the race for the top class, consider this your primer to anything you may have missed. Advertisement Let's get into it. Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite. • No one had a better Fourth of July than Texas Tech and coach Joey McGuire, who landed five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo of Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, Texas, in rather surprising fashion. Ojo is ranked No. 7 overall and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the Class of 2026. Just one day before the announcement, he wrote on social media that his finalists were Texas, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida, but he picked the Red Raiders on Friday with no indication Texas Tech was in the race. The Athletic reported Ojo is set to receive an annual compensation of $775,000 for three years from Tech's revenue-sharing pool, but there is a verbal agreement in place where the money could jump into the $5 million range depending on a potential increase in the revenue cap or schools' willingness to ignore the cap, as many have with NIL regulation. Should he sign with the Red Raiders in December, Ojo would become the highest-rated recruit in program history. Texas Tech also landed two four-stars last week in running back Ashton Rowden and cornerback Donovan Webb — both Texas natives — and is making some moves in the Class of 2027 as well. The Red Raiders recently emerged as the favorites to land five-star edge LaDamion Guyton, a Georgia native who is the top player in the '27 class, and Cooper Hackett, a five-star offensive tackle from Oklahoma. Talk about a talent infusion! • Alabama finished the month of June on a high note with commitments from two top-50 prospects — including five-star edge Xavier Griffin — in a three-day span. Turns out July has been even better to coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff. The Crimson Tide landed two more five-stars over the weekend in wide receiver Cederian Morgan, an in-state prospect, and safety Jireh Edwards from Baltimore. They also added defensive lineman Nolan Wilson, a Mississippi native who ranks No. 58 nationally. Advertisement Alabama's class is now ranked No. 5 overall with an average player rating of 93.06, tops among teams with at least 15 commitments. The class includes nine top-100 prospects and four five-stars, and three of the top four recruits in the state are headed to Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban, who was spotted taking pictures with recruits on Alabama official visits last month, would be proud. • When Fran Brown took the Syracuse job in November 2023, there were high expectations for the former Georgia assistant, who was among coach Kirby Smart's ace recruiters. Brown has lived up to the hype on the recruiting trail and made his biggest splash yet on Saturday when wide receiver Calvin Russell, a Miami native who ranks No. 47 nationally, committed to the Orange over Michigan, Florida State, Oregon, Miami, Florida, LSU and North Carolina. Like Ojo at Texas Tech, Russell is set to be Syracuse's highest-rated recruit in program history. Blessed Beyond Measures! — Calvin Russell Dual Sport Ath (@14gump_) July 7, 2025 • Stop us if you've heard this before: Georgia was dominant on the recruiting trail in June. And the rich only got richer last week as the calendar turned to July. Smart and his staff recently picked up a pledge from four-star tight end Brayden Fogle, an Ohio native, after landing 16 commits in June. There were five top-100 prospects among those June commits — cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick, defensive lineman Pierre Dean, offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, defensive lineman James Johnson and cornerback Caden Harris, who flipped from Vanderbilt. With five-star quarterback Jared Curtis as the headliner, the Bulldogs are in prime position to finish with another top-three class. • Penn State added two commitments over the weekend from prime recruiting areas, four-star linebacker Tyson Harley of Gonzaga College High in Washington, D.C., as well as three-star offensive tackle Marlen Bright of DePaul Catholic in Wayne, N.J. James Franklin's class ranks No. 14 nationally with an average player rating of 89.06 — the program's lowest since the 2017 class. • If the last names of some of Notre Dame's newest commits sound familiar, well, it's because they are. Four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley, the nation's No. 110 prospect out of Aledo, Texas, is the son of former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley and picked the Irish over Texas, his father's alma mater, on Friday. Advertisement A day later, three-star wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald, the son of former Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald, committed to the Irish. This, after four-star linebacker Thomas Davis Jr., the son of former Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, pledged to Notre Dame in November. Marcus Freeman is a hit with NFL dads, and the Irish, who now have the nation's No. 4 class, are reaping the benefits. • Don't look now, but USC has some competition in the race to secure the nation's top class. Hello, Texas A&M. The Aggies picked up three big pieces last week in defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright of Buford (Ga.) High, linebacker DaQuives Beck of Carthage (Texas) High and linebacker Tank King of Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial. Perry, ranked No. 38 nationally, is the highest ranked of the three four-star additions. Mike Elko's class currently ranks third nationally behind USC and Georgia, and the average player rating of 92.23 is higher than both — and the Aggies surely aren't finished. • Did Vanderbilt just pick up one of 2026's diamonds in the rough? Three-star offensive tackle Mitchell Smith of Picayune (Miss.) Memorial committed to the Commodores on Friday over Alabama and Florida State. He took visits to all three campuses before picking the Commodores in a ceremony alongside his loved ones. Smith is ranked No. 699 nationally and also picked up offers earlier this year from UCLA, Clemson, USC, Florida, Nebraska and others. The Commodores currently have 16 commits in a class that ranks No. 49 nationally. • Interim head coach Frank Reich scored quite the win on Monday when Stanford landed a pledge from four-star defensive back Lasiah Jackson of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County. Jackson is the nation's No. 123 prospect and the No. 17 player in Georgia. He picked Stanford over in-state Georgia Tech, Florida State and Alabama. • It's been a tough few days for Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian, who, in addition to losing out on Ojo to Texas Tech, also lost Finley — an in-state legacy — to the Fighting Irish. It wasn't all bad news for the Horns. On Friday, they received a pledge from John Turntine III, an offensive tackle from Fort Worth, Texas, who ranks No. 36 nationally. Turntine is one of three top-100 prospects in Texas' class, joining five-star QB Dia Bell and five-star edge Richard Wesley. Advertisement • USC has had its quarterback in place since Jonas Williams flipped from Oregon in February, and on Friday, the Trojans landed one of the nation's top receivers to give him another threat in the passing game. Four-star Ethan 'Boobie' Feaster picked the Trojans over Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU in a big win for USC and a big loss for the in-state Aggies. Feaster plays at DeSoto (Texas) High and reclassified to the 2026 class in February. He is ranked No. 40 overall and the No. 4 wide receiver. Feaster joins five-star tight end Mark Bowman, the headliner of the class, to give Williams another top pass catcher. • One of the most fascinating quarterback prospects in the nation is heading to Kentucky. Four-star Cincinnati native Matt Ponatoski chose the Wildcats over Alabama, Arkansas and Oregon and plans to play football and baseball in Lexington. Ponatoski is ranked No. 280 overall and the No. 21 quarterback in the class. He was named Ohio Mr. Football by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association in 2024, beating out Tavien St. Clair, a former five-star prospect and current freshman at Ohio State. Ponatoski, who plays at Archbishop Moeller, threw for 4,217 yards with 57 touchdowns and only three interceptions as a junior. Ponatoski, a shortstop and right-handed pitcher, also won the Gatorade Ohio Baseball Player of the Year award. 'I think people think it might be too much,' he told local television station WLWT of playing both sports. 'But it's what I signed up for and I'm ready to go.' Saw Matt Ponatoski at @Elite11 last month. Was really impressed with him. Think Kentucky got a gem: — Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) July 7, 2025 • Sacramento State has made it clear it intends to compete like a big-time program, and the Hornets are recruiting like one, too. Coach Brennan Marion recently picked up a commitment from four-star wide receiver Xavier McDonald, who ranks No. 115 in the 2026 class. McDonald, a Mississippi native, visited Sacramento State officially in June and picked Marion's program over Ole Miss, LSU and North Carolina. Getting this one over the finish line will be huge for Marion to prove his program is for real, but to earn McDonald's commitment in the first place is no small feat. • Looking ahead, this is another big week for top recruits. Four-star athlete Jalen Lott of Frisco (Texas) Panther Creek is picking among LSU, Georgia, Texas, Oregon and USC. He is ranked No. 49 nationally. Five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown of Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab is committing on Thursday and has a top four of Texas A&M, Texas, LSU and Miami. The Aggies and Tigers have been in heavy pursuit, though he originally canceled his LSU official visit last month, only to reschedule it a day later. Advertisement Other top-100 prospects also committing this week: four-star defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton of Temple (Texas) High on Thursday, four-star athlete Samari Matthews of Cornelius (N.C.) Hough on Friday and five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro of Buford (Ga.) High on Saturday. (Photo of Joey McGuire: Josh Hedges / Getty Images)
