Category: College Football

Oct 5, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; General view of a Tennessee Volunteers helmet prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Linebacker JP Peace, grandson of Phillip Fulmer, commits to Volunteers

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The grandson of national champion head coach and former Tennessee Volunteers athletic director Phillip Fulmer is the Vols’ first commitment in the Class of 2027.

Linebacker J.P. Peace, a rising high school junior, announced his commitment to Tennessee via social media on Monday.

Peace’s grandfather won six SEC East titles and the 1998 national championship with the Vols, compiling a 152-52 record over 17 seasons. Fulmer was also the school’s athletic director from 2017-21.

Peace’s father, Robert Peace, is also connected to Tennessee football, having played linebacker for the Volunteers from 2000-03.

“Naturally, Tennessee was the leading school for him,” Robert Peace told ESPN. “We encouraged him to visit other places and he did that. But Tennessee was the place for him and not just because of the family legacy here.”

J.P. Peace, who is not currently ranked by ESPN or 247Sports, is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker at Knoxville West High School, located less than three miles from the university.

“I mean, it’s really going to be, like, an unreal experience knowing that I’m following in my dad’s footsteps a little bit in that way,” J.P. Peace told GoVols247. “I’m excited to do that.”

He reportedly held offers from Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.

“He’s very high on (inside linebackers) coach William Inge,” the elder Peace said. “He’s done a great job recruiting JP, and we believe he’s not only going to make him a better player, but a better person for after football. So that had a big impact on this decision to do this this early.”

–Field Level Media

Apr 26, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; University of California director of athletics Jim Knowlton stands on the field before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal AD Jim Knowlton announces retirement

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Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton announced his retirement on Monday after seven years at Berkeley.

Knowlton will stay on through July 1. Deputy athletic directors Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill have been appointed co-directors for Golden Bears athletics.

Under Knowlton’s leadership, Cal captured 10 national championships and appeared in four bowl games in football.

“It has been an incredible honor to serve at the University of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public university in the country,” Knowlton said. “The expectation of holistic excellence helps to drive everyone associated with the university, and our department is no exception. The combination of a world-class education, athletic excellence, an inclusive community, an awe-inspiring location and, most importantly, truly special people, make Cal a magnificent place to serve.”

UC Berkeley chancellor Rich Lyons announced he will use the transition period to install a new leadership structure.

Ron Rivera, former NFL head coach and All-American linebacker at Cal, was hired on March 20 as the school’s first football general manager.

Though Rivera reported to Lyons, Cal football coach Justin Wilcox reported to Knowlton. Prominent Cal donors have called for Rivera to be put in charge of the entire Golden Bears program.

–Field Level Media

Haywood's Caden Harris (1) speaks with The Jackson Sun following HaywoodÕs 50-29 victory over Crockett County after the TSSAA Football match between Haywood vs Crockett County in Alamo, Tenn., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.

Georgia flips 4-star CB Caden Harris from Vanderbilt

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Four-star cornerback Caden Harris flipped his commitment from home-state Vanderbilt to Georgia on Saturday.

Harris, who plays at Haywood High School in Brownsville, Tenn., is ranked as the No. 11 cornerback and No. 85 prospect overall in the 2026 class by the 247Sports composite.

He announced his Georgia commitment with a short video posted to social media site X that included this note: “Recruitment shut down!!”

Harris committed to Vanderbilt in April but took an official visit to Georgia on June 6 and had four others scheduled with Southeastern Conference teams.

“I felt real strong about Georgia coming in,” Harris told DawgNation. “We’d be in contact for a while, and they had just been hard on me ever since. We had the OV planned. I knew for sure I had to come down and take it. I was coming into it strong, and I left out of it even stronger.”

Harris’ commitment is the fifth this month for Georgia, which stands at No. 4 in the 247Sports class rankings. The Bulldogs trail Southern California, Ohio State and Notre Dame, still early in the 2026 recruitment cycle.

Georgia’s class includes one five-star prospect, quarterback Jared Curtis from Nashville (Tenn.) Christian School. He is ranked by the composite as the No. 1 QB and No. 4 overall player in the class.

–Field Level Media

Catholic's Wilson Hodges (17) blocks as Catholic's Caleb McCreary (1) fights for yardage against Booker T. Washington's Marquez Daniel (4) during AHSAA Semi-Final Playoff action on the Catholic campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Friday December 1, 2023.

4-star WR Marquez Daniel commits to Florida on official visit

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Marquez Daniel, a four-star receiver who had offers from schools throughout the Southeastern Conference, committed to Florida’s Class of 2026 on Saturday.

Daniel plays at Booker T. Washington High School in Tuskegee, Ala. He took an official visit with the Gators on Friday, and officially visited Auburn last week.

“What makes Florida stand out to me are the coaching staff,” Daniel told On3. “Coach (Billy) Napier is really a great coach. Told me from day one that I will be a great student-athlete and he believed in me.”

Daniel is the No. 25 wide receiver in the nation, as ranked by the 247Sports composite.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Daniel gives the Gators nine players committed to the 2026 class, with Daniel holding the highest ranking among them.

Also committing this weekend was Carsyn Baker, a three-star running back prospect from Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Ga.

–Field Level Media

Monroe wide receiver Messiah Hampton gains yards after the catch as he drags Clarence's A.J. Didas down the field during their season opening game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Monroe High School.

4-star WR Messiah Hampton commits to Oregon

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Four-star wide receiver Messiah Hampton committed to Oregon’s Class of 2026.

Hampton got to know the Ducks’ receiver coach, Ross Douglas, when the coach worked at Syracuse. Douglas recruited Hampton, who plays at James Monroe High School in Rochester, N.Y., at the time.

And when Douglas moved on to Oregon in February, so did his interest in Hampton, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound wideout.

Hampton on Friday chose Oregon from among the list of finalists he announced in May, which also included Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia and Miami, as well as Syracuse.

He took official visits to Syracuse and Miami over the past few weeks.

Hampton told 247Sports recently that his choice of school would be based on where he could see the most development and where he envisioned himself best fitting into an offensive scheme.

Hampton had 56 catches for 869 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2025 season.

The 247Sports composite lists Hampton as the No. 11 wide receiver nationally and the No. 1 player in New York.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Jake Garcia (11) throws the ball against the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Report: Michigan hosts ECU transfer QB Jake Garcia

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Michigan hosted former East Carolina quarterback Jake Garcia this week, CBS Sports reported on Friday.

Garcia entered the transfer portal this spring and is looking for a fourth program to play his fifth and final season.

He passed for 1,426 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in six games in his lone season with the Pirates in 2024.

Garcia began his career at Miami, passing for 950 yards with seven TDs and four picks in nine games from 2021-22.

The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Garcia transferred to Missouri but did not see any action there during the 2023 season.

The QB competition at Michigan includes five-star freshman Bryce Underwood, Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis.

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Colorado coach Deion Sanders: ‘Everything is OK’

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Colorado coach Deion Sanders declared “everything is OK and will continue to be so” in a socal media statement responding to concerns about a possible health issue.

Sanders did not appear at a scheduled speaking engagement and was away from the Boulder campus at his Texas estate according to one of his sons, Deion Sanders Jr.

“Wow, I am truly blessed for the abundance of well wishes, for all the thoughts and all of the prayers,” Deion Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Thank you Thank you Thank you! I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so. God got me like no other. I have so much more work to do to Glorify God so please believe God got me! I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”

Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Deion Sanders Jr. had no details to provide when requests were made for comment this week.

“Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on,” Shedeur Sanders said at Browns minicamp. “I’m here not to talk about Pops and them. I’m here [to be] quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.”

Deion Sanders Jr. said in a YouTube stream that he’d let his father update the details.

Deion Sanders required multiple surgeries for persistent blood clots in recent years. He had two toes amputated in 2021 to address clotting issues.

–Field Level Media

Former Indiana coach Lee Corso picks the Ohio State Buckeyes for the win over his former Hoosiers on ESPN's College Game Day before Thursday's NCAA Division I football game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., on August 31, 2017.

Lee Corso’s final ‘College Gameday’ to be at Texas-Ohio State

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ESPN announced that it’s long-running “College GameDay” will take its show to Columbus, Ohio for commentator Lee Corso’s final ever broadcast on Aug. 30.

The Week 1 contest between Ohio State and Texas figures to be a highly ranked affair, with both the defending national champion Buckeyes and Longhorns having title aspirations in 2025.

The network announced Corso’s retirement in April, noting the legendary college football personality would make his final appearance during Week 1 of this upcoming season, after a nearly four-decade run on the show.

“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football and our ESPN team will celebrate his legendary career during his final College GameDay appearance this August.”

The former collegiate head coach and Florida State player has become well known for his tradition of donning the mascot heads of teams he predicts will win the show’s featured matchup.

According to ESPN, Corso, 89, boasts a 286-144 record picking games with headgear since he began that segment in October 1996.

“ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years,” Corso said. “They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay. Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans … truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”

Ohio State begins its title defense with three straight home games, also hosting Grambling State and Ohio before taking to the road for a Sept. 27 matchup with Washington. The Buckeyes bring back a talented roster but are replacing both coordinators and will have an entirely new backfield.

For Texas, the game marks the highly anticipated turn to Arch Manning at quarterback following a semifinal run a season ago. The Longhorns’ schedule lightens up after the trip to Ohio, with home games against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston to close out September.

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to those attending his hiring announcement at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

UNC coach Bill Belichick preparing for season, drowning out ‘noise’

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Bill Belichick said he’s put up with outside chatter throughout his career and isn’t about to let it derail his mission of rebuilding the football program at North Carolina.

“I’m really focused on doing my job here at Carolina, to help our football team, and just to get better every day, to stack those days together, training days, preparation days, days out on the field. And we’ve done that,” he said Tuesday at a news conference in Chapel Hill, N.C.

“So that’s my big focus. I mean, is there noise out there? We’ve always dealt with that. Really our job is to build the football team also build their individual career. So that’s really where we’re at.”

There has been plenty of noise surrounding the 73-year-old NFL legend since he was hired in December to lead the Tar Heels. Much of it has focused on his personal relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, and he shifted away from talk to about her; all he confirmed is “she doesn’t have any role in the UNC football program,” as some speculated she did. Instead, he focused on topics such as the Tar Heels’ quarterback room, building a team in the transfer portal era and the excitement of working on a college campus.

Assembling the team has been an undertaking. Many of the players who were part of coach Mack Brown’s (6-7, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) 2024 team are gone.

“Lot of new faces since the end of last season, it’s been a lot of turnover, almost two thirds of the roster from where it was in January,” he said.

“A lot of new faces — but definitely coming together. Training has been good. We made a lot of improvement. It’s good team chemistry, a lot of individual improvement. Obviously we got a long way to go, but we’re working hard and making progress, and so we’re excited about that.”

Belichick isn’t clear yet who will start at quarterback. Max Johnson, entering his sixth college season and at his third school, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening win against Minnesota in 2024. South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez also is on board.

“We’ve got some freshmen, we’ve got Max who has got some experience, and Gio — we’ll see how it all plays out honestly,” Belichick said. “You know, none of them, with the exception of Max for a handful of plays last year, none of them have really taking any snaps here. So it’ll be good to see how all that plays out.”

Belichick said his team is continuing to evolve, even with the Sept. 1 opener against TCU not far off. He’s not quite sure just what he’s got.

“We’ll have a lot better idea in training camp. There were several players that left the team after spring ball, and then we have a lot of new ones, a lot of new faces, both incoming freshmen and players who came from transfers. And so we’ll just have to see how all that plays out. I think where we were then, and honestly, where we are even today, is we’re at a different spot,” he said.

“So it’ll be interesting to see how it all comes together. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s certainly trending in the right direction.”

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Reports: Colorado’s Deion Sanders has unspecified illness

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Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is at his home in Texas dealing with an “unspecified health issue,” ESPN reported Tuesday.

Sanders, 57, was away from campus as the school’s annual summer football camps began last week, according to USA Today.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer’s oldest son, Deion Sanders Jr., said his father was “feeling well” in a livestream on YouTube Sunday, but there is no timetable for his return.

“He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he’s going through, what he went through,” Deion Jr. stated, according to USA Today. “When we get back to Boulder? I don’t know. I’m waiting until my dad leaves. When he leaves, then I’ll go. Until then, I’m going to sit here with him.”

Colorado opens the season at home against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

The Buffaloes finished 9-4 (7-2 Big 12) in Sanders’ second season in 2024 but lost two of their most high-profile players — Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback (and coach’s son) Shedeur Sanders — to the 2025 NFL Draft.

Deion Sanders has dealt with health problems in the recent past. He had two toes amputated in 2022 due to blood clots and also missed the Pac-12 media day in 2023 because of blood clots in his legs.

Sanders had been scheduled to speak last weekend at a medical conference in Florida but had to cancel.

“Due to an unavoidable last-minute scheduling change, our originally scheduled Foundation Keynote Speaker, Deion Sanders ‘Coach Prime,’ is unable to attend. We are grateful for his support and look forward to future opportunities to welcome him,” the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research posted on X.

–Field Level Media