Latest news with #LibertyBowl
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Polarizing SEC Coach Given Blunt Hot-Seat Warning Ahead of 2025 Season
Polarizing SEC Coach Given Blunt Hot-Seat Warning Ahead of 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In the world of college football, coaches enter each season with the knowledge that they are one bad season from being on the hot seat, and potentially needing to look for work. Last year, we saw the legendary Mack Brown let go at North Carolina, while Purdue cut ties with Ryan Walters, and Jeff Tedford was released at Fresno State. Advertisement This upcoming season, there will undoubtedly be more firings to come, but where can we expect them? That's always the biggest question, and one that we can try to forecast with the help of CBS Sports' annual College Football Hot Seat Rankings. Assigning a number to every coach in the FBS from 1-5, we can get a sense of who is untouchable from a firing standpoint in 2025, and who is truly coaching for his job. According to the 2025 rankings, there's only one coach who reached the level of "Win or Be Fired" and he resides down in the SEC. Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman© Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman is squarely on the hot seat going into this new season, according to CBS Sports. With a 30-31 record over his five years at Fayetteville, Pittman has been hovering around the hot seat for a few years now, going just 11-14 in his last two seasons. However, a victory in the Liberty Bowl last season might have helped his cause a bit. Advertisement Expectations aren't high for Arkansas going into the 2025 season, with ESPN's Football Power Index ranking them as the No. 12 team in the conference with a projected record of 7-6. We will see how QB Taylen Green can handle things, but with games against Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas, and LSU on the schedule, it could be a rough road ahead for the Razorbacks. If things don't turn around quickly, we very well could see Pittman on the outs in Fayetteville, and heading to a new school before all is said and done. Related: BYU Coach Breaks Silence on Jake Retzlaff's Controversial Transfer This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Felix Ojo lands $5 million NIL deal after Texas Tech commitment
Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo finalized a groundbreaking three-year, fully guaranteed revenue-sharing contract worth approximately $5.1 million after committing to Texas Tech, his agent, Derrick Shelby, confirmed to ESPN on Friday. The deal, which is one of the largest of its kind since direct athlete compensation became legal, sets a new benchmark in college football. Ojo, ranked No. 20 in the ESPN 300 and No. 4 among offensive tackles, attended Lake Ridge High School in Texas and measures in at 6‑foot‑7 and 285 pounds during the spring. Advertisement Felix Ojo during OT7 Week 2 Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Dallas. AP A standout pass blocker and run-stuffer, Ojo attracted offers from major programs, most notably fellow power five schools in Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Ole Miss. 'Football is a brutal sport, and athletes are not able to play professionally until their graduating class has been in college three years,' Shelby said to ESPN. 'It was important to be able to secure Felix Ojo's future and give him and his family some security as he continues to develop into a first-round NFL draft pick.' Advertisement The deal is similar to the $5 million-plus NIL deal received by top tackle Jackson Cantwell, who joined Miami earlier this year. Ojo committed to the Red Raiders on July 4, positioning the offensive tackle as Texas Tech's highest-rated recruit since ESPN began tracking in 2006. Mascot Raider Red gestures as Texas Tech fans throw tortillas on the field during the opening kickoff on August 31, 2024. Getty Images The Red Raiders invested heavily in talent this year, spending over $10 million across 17 portal transfers. Advertisement Texas Tech is coming off an 8-5 season where it went 6-3 in Big 12 play and lost to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl. Texas Tech hasn't won double-digit games in any season since 2008, when it went 11-2 and lost to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. In more recent history, Texas Tech just produced a third-round pick from its offensive line this past season, Caleb Rogers, who was selected by the Raiders in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Music City Bowl date, time set for 2025-26 college football season
The 27th Music City Bowl is set for Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN, the network announced June 5 with the release of its 2025-26 college football bowl schedule. Since 1998 Nashville has hosted the Music City Bowl, with Nissan Stadium holding every game since the bowl's first edition was played at Vanderbilt Stadium. Advertisement The Music City Bowl enters its final year holding conference agreements with the SEC and Big Ten, the former of which has been aligned since the bowl's origin. Last season's Music City Bowl saw No. 23 Missouri take down Iowa, 27-24, after scoring three times in the final 17 minutes of play. Tennessee's other ESPN-aired bowl game, Memphis' Liberty Bowl, is scheduled for Jan. 2 at 3:30 p.m. Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@ and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Music City Bowl date, time announced for 2025-26 college football season
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Razorbacks Anton Juncaj Earns Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mini-Camp Invite
Anton Juncaj, a defensive lineman who most recently played for the University of Arkansas, will participate in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie mini-camp scheduled for May 9–10. The invite follows an undrafted weekend for Juncaj, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in January. Unconventional Journey to the NFL Doorstep Juncaj's path to this opportunity has been shaped by persistence and adaptability. Beginning at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York, Juncaj later transferred to the University at Albany, where he became a standout performer at the FCS level. He earned first-team All-American honors during his time at Albany and played a key role in the team's run to the 2023 FCS Semifinals. Advertisement Seeking to test himself against SEC competition, Juncaj transferred to Arkansas in December 2023. In his lone season with the Razorbacks, he recorded 19 tackles and one sack, which came as a safety during the Liberty Bowl victory over Texas Tech. That bowl game marked his most impactful performance, tallying season highs in tackles (4) and tackles for loss (2.5). Despite missing three games due to injury, Juncaj showed flashes of the physicality and motor that had defined his FCS career. Buccaneers Extend Opportunity As of Sunday morning, Juncaj had not signed a free agent deal. However, his agent, Nathan Shackelford of Higher Calling Sports, confirmed the defensive lineman had secured a mini-camp opportunity with Tampa Bay. NFL rookie mini-camps serve as an entry point for drafted players, undrafted free agents, and tryout invitees. For Juncaj, the Buccaneers' camp represents a chance to extend his football career at the professional level. With a strong showing, he could earn a contract or a continued opportunity in the NFL, a chance not awarded by draft position but earned through perseverance.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former 2024 5-star recruit Micah Hudson transfers back to Texas Tech after leaving for Texas A&M in December
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Micah Hudson #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs a route during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E.) Former five-star recruit Micah Hudson is heading back to Texas Tech after transferring away from the school after the 2024 season. Hudson was a top-10 recruit in the class of 2024 and widely expected to make an immediate impact with the Red Raiders. That didn't happen. Thanks to injuries, he played in eight games and had eight catches for 123 yards without a TD. Ten players had more catches than Hudson did in 2024. Advertisement Hudson entered the transfer portal after the season and transferred to Texas A&M. He spent just months with the Aggies, however. In March, Hudson was in the transfer portal again. He's now heading back to Lubbock. The Temple, Texas, native was the No. 9 recruit in the class of 2024 and the No. 4 wide receiver. He was the top recruit in the state of Texas and his commitment was seen as a coup for Joey McGuire's staff. Texas Tech has been one of the most active teams in the transfer portal this offseason as they have benefitted heavily from a greater NIL investment ahead of the potential House settlement in 2026. The Red Raiders have the No. 3 transfer class in the country according to Rivals and have landed four top-100 transfers. Rivals' top-ranked Tech transfer is Purdue cornerback Tarrion Grant, and the team has also added two top offensive lineman through the portal. The Red Raiders finished 8-5 in 2024 after losing the Liberty Bowl to Arkansas. With the Big 12 wide open in 2025, Tech figures to be one of the favorites after going 6-3 in conference play last season.
