“Jay Bateman is one of the most respected defensive minds in college football,” Stein said in a statement released via Kentucky. “His ability to develop players, create disruptive defenses, and consistently compete at a high level has stood out everywhere he’s been. Jay brings energy, experience, and a clear vision for how we want to play defense, and we’re excited to welcome him to Kentucky.”

RELATED: Texas A&M DC Jay Bateman explains why he’s leaving for same title at Kentucky

Bateman comes to Kentucky having spent the past 4 seasons in the SEC. He was on staff at Florida as inside linebackers coach in 2022 and ’23 before heading to Texas A&M as defensive coordinator.

“In 2023, I was coaching at Florida, and we came up to Kentucky and they beat the brakes off of us,” Bateman said via UK. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow! This is an incredible place.’ With Will Stein being one of the brightest young stars in the profession, it was a major reason I would leave Texas A&M. I’m excited to work with one of the sharpest head coaches in the country.”

Bateman is currently still in College Station with the Aggies, who are gearing up to host Miami in the College Football Playoff First Round on Saturday.

Welcome to #BBN, @CoachBateman

– https://t.co/y2S1dSIPAS pic.twitter.com/oPnPJhzpmH

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) December 17, 2025

The post Will Stein announces hiring of Jay Bateman from Texas A&M as new Kentucky DC appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Promoting his podcast Nonstop with Joey Galloway, in a since-deleted post, Herbstreit’s account posted a clip with the caption “Saturday not having college football threw us for a loop.” The ESPN personalities were referring to not having to work any games on the weekend between conference championships and the College Football Playoff, giving them their first “off” Saturday since August.

There were, of course, college football games played this past Saturday, including the Army-Navy game and the LA Bowl. Navy football’s official account quoted Herbstreit’s post with a photo from the game. In a lengthy social post, Herbstreit apologized to programs that felt disrespected while also explaining that the caption was widely taken out of context as it related to the clip from Nonstop.

“Just wanted to address a mistake that we made on my socials earlier this week related to last weekends CFB Saturday,” Herbstreit wrote. “We posted a video where @Joey_Galloway and I were talking about how strange it was to be home and not traveling on a CFB weekend since end of August and how we felt like we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. We posted the video with a caption that was very misleading about ‘weird not having any CFB this weekend’. Some took that out of context and ran with it-that’s on me..my apologies for any disrespect (albeit unintentional) to the teams that played last weekend-especially @ArmyWP_Football and @NavyFB.

“Not sure there is a game I personally look forward to more EVERY year than Army and Navy-they play for the love for each other and love for the game-and anybody who has ever watched me for the last 30 years on TV knows how I feel about that game. Sorry for any confusion and again any disrespect that this created-it was a simple case of miscommunication.”

Herbstreit will be on the call for Friday’s CFP showdown between No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma.

Just wanted to address a mistake that we made on my socials earlier this week related to last weekends CFB Saturday. We posted a video where @Joey_Galloway and I were talking about how strange it was to be home and not traveling on a CFB weekend since end of August and how we… pic.twitter.com/Vb4k4jeJQS

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 17, 2025

The post Kirk Herbstreit apologizes for social media post about ‘not having college football’ on Saturday of Army-Navy game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports is reporting that Carius Curne is planning to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. The portal opens for entry in January.

LSU freshman offensive lineman Carius Curne (@CurneCarius) is entering the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports.

Was a Class of 2025 top recruit and made starts at both tackle posts for the Tigers this season. pic.twitter.com/63gaFscyRx

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 17, 2025

As a freshman, Curne logged snaps at right and left tackle in his debut season, making 5 total starts. Out of Marion (Arkansas) High School, Curne was rated 4-stars, the No. 1 player in the state, No. 3 interior offensive lineman and No. 71 prospect overall in the Class of 2025 on the 247Sports Composite.

Curne was recruited to LSU by offensive line coach Brad Davis. The Tigers won out over Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and others to sign Curne. One of new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin‘s first staff moves was to bring in Eric Wolford as the Tigers’ new OL coach. Wolford has 3 decades of coaching experience, including SEC stops at South Carolina, Kentucky and Alabama.

The post LSU OL, former top-75 recruit, reportedly planning to enter transfer portal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The school announced Wednesday that Smith is being terminated for cause after “an administrative review of allegations that Smith violated the terms of his employment agreement by engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University.”

Ohio University Head Football Coach Brian Smith relieved of his duties https://t.co/ORMaEDPzxk pic.twitter.com/j3vt7Gx4eL

— Ohio Bobcats (@OhioBobcats) December 17, 2025

Ohio announced that Smith was being placed on indefinite leave on Dec. 1. Defensive coordinator John Hauser was named the interim head coach, and will serve in that role for Tuesday’s bowl game against UNLV in the Frisco Bowl. The program says that it will begin a national search immediately for the next full-time head coach.

Smith was in his first season as the program’s head coach. He had been with the Bobcats for 3 previous seasons, serving in roles including associate head coach, offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and running backs head coach. Ohio is 8-4 on the 2025 season heading into the bowl game.

Ohio joins Michigan as the other current open FBS job.

The post Ohio fires head coach for cause ahead of bowl game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“I want to thank the University and athletic department for their support,” O’Sullivan said in a statement released via UF. “I am excited to be back and am ready to get to work with our team as we prepare for the upcoming 2026 season.”

Head Baseball Coach Kevin O'Sullivan Returns to Program

: https://t.co/qCYkXnr5kA pic.twitter.com/svS3QqwA8q

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) December 17, 2025

When O’Sullivan took leave, Chuck Jeroloman took over as the interim head coach. Jeroloman, however, left before the end of October to become the associate head coach at Tennessee, reuniting with Josh Elander, who took over as Vols head coach after Tony Vitello’s departure to become an MLB manager.

O’Sullivan heads into his 19th season leading Gator baseball. His staff is set up of associate head coach Tom Slater, assistant coach Taylor Black and pitching coach David Kopp. Slater, 57, was previously an assistant at Florida in 2004 and the head coach for Auburn from 2005 to 2008. Before returning to Gainesville, he was in the Philadelphia Phillies organization as a hitting coach with the Reading Phillies.

Florida has a 756-371 record under O’Sullivan, reaching 17 straight NCAA Tournaments. The Gators open the 2026 on Feb. 13 against UAB. but O’Sullivan will be serving a suspension during the season-opening series for his actions during the Conway Regional at Coastal Carolina.

The post Florida baseball announces Kevin O’Sullivan’s return after leave of absence appeared first on Saturday Down South.

A former 1st-round pick in 2020, Tagovailoa is in his sixth professional season. Ewers is in his rookie year and was a 7th-round pick in this year’s draft.

This season, Miami is 6-7 in Tagovailoa’s 13 starts. Tagovailoa’s numbers are down from last season, with his passer rating at a career low of 86.4.The QB is completing 66.9% of his passes, down from 72.9% in 2024 and 69.3% in 2023. His yards per attempt have dipped to 6.8, after being 8.9 (2022), 8.3 (2023) and 7.2 (2024). Through 13 games, Tagovailoa has thrown 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He last threw 14 INTs in 2023 through 17 games when he also threw 29 TDs.

If Miami is moving on from Tagovailoa, it comes with a major financial impact. Coming off a career year in 2023 in which he led the league with 4,624 passing yards, Tagovailoa signed a massive 4-year extension.

The numbers game:

Tua Tagovailoa already has $54 million guaranteed to him in 2026.

On March 15, $3M of his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed.

Cutting him would leave $99M in dead money.

Post June 1 cut would equal $67.4M in dead money in 2026, $31.8M in 2027. https://t.co/DowBg5XZCR

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2025

The post Miami Dolphins reportedly benching Tua Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers appeared first on Saturday Down South.

As a Florida legacy, it’s no surprise that Graham will be back in orange and blue. He wears No. 5, the same number his father, Gator great Earnest Graham, wore playing running back for Steve Spurrier. Beyond the family legacy, Graham is also excited about the new staff in Gainesville.

Graham told Florida Victorious about hearing from new head coach Jon Sumrall after his hiring.

“We loved him, man. He was intense. He told us straight up that he wasn’t going to back down,” Graham told the collective. “He was ready for the challenge and we loved him. I feel like a lot of guys bought into that.”

Since that first meeting, Sumrall has also added his coordinators. Former Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White will be the new Florida DC, and Graham strongly approves.

“He preached to me that he needs me here and, you know, the defense is going to run through me,” Graham told Florida Victorious. “So he has a great appreciation for the linebacker position and him playing it. We can relate in that way and we can build our relationship in that way.”

Running the defense through Graham is a smart decision by White. Graham started every game for the Gators in 2025, recording 76 total tackles (7 TFLs), 2 sacks, 7 QB hurries and 4 pass breakups.

The post Florida LB Myles Graham confirms return for 2026, speaks on new Gator coaches appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports is reporting that Nix is set to be the new wide receivers coach at Alabama. Nix has been on staff at Auburn for the past two seasons.

Alabama is expected to hire Derrick Nix as its new wide receivers coach, sources tell @CBSSports.

Was offensive coordinator at Auburn the last two seasons. Before that, was assistant head coach and receivers coach at Ole Miss. pic.twitter.com/mQzdIwUYTG

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 16, 2025

An Attalla, Alabama native, Nix got into coaching after a playing career at Southern Miss. Since 2008, he has been coaching in the SEC.

Nix was on staff at Ole Miss from 2008-23. From 2008-19, Nix coached Rebels running backs. When Lane Kiffin took over as Ole Miss head coach in 2020, Nix made the move to coaching wide receivers.

In 2024, Nix reunited with former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, taking the offensive coordinator position at Auburn. In addition to his OC responsibilities, Nix also coached Tiger running backs.

Nix got his coaching start at Southern Miss, his alma mater, in 2003 as a graduate assistant. He then coached tight ends (2004-05) and running backs (2006-07) for the program.

Kalen DeBoer has been searching for a new wide receivers coach with JaMarcus Shephard taking the head coaching job at Oregon State.

The post Alabama expected to hire former Auburn, Ole Miss assistant as WR coach, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports, per a source, that Jay Crawford is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Thamel notes that Crawford would be one of the top available cornerbacks.

Source: Auburn starting corner Jay Crawford intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He earned freshman All-American honors in 2024 and has 13 passes defended in two seasons. He's started 18 games for the Tigers and will be among the top corners available in the portal. pic.twitter.com/3zRBmx4abo

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 16, 2025

Out of Lilburn (Georgia) Parkview High School, Crawford was a 4-star prospect. He picked up 33 scholarship offers in his recruitment, electing to sign with Auburn.

Crawford made an immediate impact in his first season at Auburn, making the SEC All-Freshman Team and receiving True Freshman All-America recognition from On3. He started 8 games in his debut season, logging 15 total tackles including 13 solo stops. In coverage, Crawford posted 7 pass breakups and 1 interception as a true freshman.

This season, Crawford started 10 times in 11 appearances. He once again posted 15 total tackles, this time with 11 solo stops and his first TFL. Crawford had 5 passes defended, including 1 pick, as a sophomore.

The post Auburn starting CB, 2024 SEC All-Freshman selection to reportedly enter transfer portal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Multiple outlets, including CBS Sports, are reporting that North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker is expected to enter the transfer portal. This is far from official, as the transfer portal does not open until Jan. 2 and the report states that Mestemaker has not made a final decision. If Mestemaker enters as expected, though, the highly productive passer will likely have numerous interested teams.

A product of Austin (Texas) Vandegrift, is 2 seasons removed from high school. He enrolled at North Texas as a walk-on in June 2024. This season, Mestemaker won the Burlsworth Award for best player who began his career as a walk-on.

Mestemaker redshirted in 2024, appearing in only 4 regular-season contests and the Mean Green’s bowl game. In the bowl game, he offered a preview of what was to come in the 2025 season, throwing for 393 yards while completing 63.4% of his passes.

In 2025, Mestemaker has completed 70.2% of his passes (292-of-416) for 4,129 yards and 31 touchdowns with just 7 interceptions. He threw for 608 yards in North Texas’s win against Charlotte on Oct. 24.

Mestemaker’s 4,129 passing yards are after 13 games. He’s the leader in passing yards per game with 317.6, over 10 yards per game better than Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, who is second at 306.8. Mestemaker’s 9.9 yards per attempt is No. 1, a half yard better than Diego Pavia and Fernando Mendoze at 9.4.

North Texas posted an 11-2 record in the 2025 regular season. The Mean Green are set to play in the New Mexico Bowl under interim head coach Drew Svoboda. Head coach Eric Morris accepted the job at Oklahoma State.

The post FBS passing leader expected to enter transfer portal, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Jabbar Juluke was Florida‘s running backs coach for the past 4 seasons under Billy Napier. New head coach Jon Sumrall, however, elected not to retain Juluke, and he has since been hired by Steve Sarkisian, replacing Chad Scott at Texas. On Monday, FootballScoop reported, per sources, that Scott is a target to be the running backs coach on Sumrall’s UF staff.

It would be something of a homecoming for Scott, 44. A native of Plant City, Florida, Scott left the Sunshine State to play running back at Kentucky (2000-01) and North Carolina (2002-04).

Scott got into coaching shortly after his playing career. He began as a graduate assistant at UNC. Scott’s career includes stops at Troy, Texas Tech, Kentucky, North Carolina and West Virginia coaching running backs. Over 6 seasons at WVU, Scott’s responsibilities also included run game coordinator (2022), offensive coordinator (2023-24) and interim head coach (2024).

Ahead of the 2025 season, Scott joined the Texas staff. He was dismissed from his post in Austin earlier this month.

Scott and Sumrall have one year of overlap in Lexington as teammates. Sumrall redshirted at Kentucky in 2001, Scott’s second and final season with the Wildcats. The two have each coached at Kentucky and Troy, but not together.

The post Former Texas RB coach linked to Florida position, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Monday, Finley announced on social media that he is applying for additional eligibility and entering the transfer portal. Finley missed much of 2024 due to a season-ending injury and is asking for another season. His eligibility has previously been extended by the COVID year and a traditional redshirt via limited participation.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TJ Finley (@tjfinley1)

Finley was a true freshman at LSU in 2020, a season that does not count against his NCAA eligibility due to COVID-19 conditions. Appearing in 5 contests, Finley was 80-of-140 passing (57.1% complete) for 941 yards, 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

After his season at LSU, Finley switched sides in the Tiger Bowl rivalry, heading to The Plains. In 2021, Finley made 9 appearances for Auburn, completing 54.7% of his passes for 827 yards, 6 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Like Auburn’s season, 2022 did not go as planned for Finley. He further extended his eligibility by only playing in 4 games of the ’22 campaign, taking a redshirt. In those 4 appearances, he had just 1 touchdown pass to 4 picks, completing 62.3% of his passes for 431 yards.

After his stop at Auburn, Finley transferred to Texas State. He had a breakout season with the Bobcats in 2023. Playing in 13 games, Finley threw for 3,439 yards while completing 67% of his passes (279-of-414) with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 24-to-8. The QB, then listed at 6-7, 255, also rushed for 5 scores.

Finley landed at Western Kentucky in 2024. He started the first 3 games of the season before being sidelined due to injury early in the third game. In limited action, he was 48-of-75 passing for 490 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Both interceptions came against Alabama, where he turned in an 18-of-31 passing performance for 92 yards.

After WKU, Finley made a brief stop at Tulane. He left the program after an arrest in connection with a stolen car for illegally possessing an item worth more than $25,000. After his Tulane departure, Finley landed at Georgia State.

Finley appeared in 7 games for Georgia State. He threw for 1,244 yards, 6 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in those games, with Georgia State posting a 1-6 record.

The post Former SEC QB TJ Finley applying for 7th year, entering transfer portal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Monday, Alex Golesh landed a commitment from an offensive lineman looking for a new home after initially signing with Michigan. Bear McWhorter has now pledged to play on The Plains.

Thank you Lord! #WDE pic.twitter.com/GMVce6qoJM

— ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴄᴡʜᴏʀᴛᴇʀ (@BearMcWhorter) December 15, 2025

Out of White (Georgia) Cass High School, McWhorter is listed at over 6-3 and 293 pounds. On the 247Sports Composite, McWhorter is rated 3-stars, the No. 40 interior offensive lineman, No. 53 player in the state of Georgia and No. 514 prospect overall in the Class of 2026.

McWhorter’s recruitment had not been active for months. On Feb. 28, he announced his verbal commitment to Michigan. He did not receive any more scholarship offers or take other visits before signing with the Wolverines on Dec. 3. With Sherrone Moore’s recent firing, however, McWhorter was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent.

The addition of McWhorter will bring Golesh’s transition class to 19, with 18 members currently signed. Auburn‘s 2026 class currently ranks No. 35 nationally on the Composite. Fans can get a preview of what McWhorter brings to the program by checking out his Hudl highlights below:

The post Auburn adds commitment from 2026 OL, former Michigan signee appeared first on Saturday Down South.

In a Monday press conference, DeBoer was asked twice by beat reporters Nick Kelly of AL.com and Charlie Potter of On3 about being Alabama‘s head coach for the 2026 season.

“Yeah, I plan on being (here), yes,” DeBoer said, laughing. “Nick, yes. Charlie, yes.”

DeBoer pointed to the statement issued via the Yea Alabama collective on Sunday.

“I put a statement out yesterday,” DeBoer said. “I just, first of all, our guys handle distractions phenomenally. It’s been that way all season long. They continue to do that. But I also knew that yesterday and today was pretty important. I wasn’t going to see you until today to address this. So that’s why I put that out there.

“A lot of the same things I said before a couple weeks ago when asked really the same question. I feel completely supported. My family loves living here. Just all the things that we continue to build on. Love the progress. Haven’t talked with anyone. No plans of talking with anyone. That’s a lot of what I said a couple weeks ago and continues to be the same thing. I feel strong about it. Our guys, if there’s been any distraction, I haven’t seen it. I haven’t felt it. So I’m really proud of the way they’ve handled whatever noise is out there. We’ve probably, all season long, have dealt with enough noise to where it doesn’t surprise me with how they handle this.”

The latest comments come as DeBoer has been linked to the coaching vacancy at Michigan. He was previously asked about being linked to the Penn State job before the SEC Championship Game (DeBoer’s “a couple weeks ago” reference). Penn State has since hired former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.

Kalen DeBoer gives a definite yes that he will be the coach at Alabama next year.
#Rolltide #alabamafootball pic.twitter.com/ooyrrBX2zh

— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) December 15, 2025

The post Kalen DeBoer reiterates plan to be Alabama football coach in 2026 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport shared Monday that the Washington Commanders have elected to shut down Daniels for the remainder of the season. The club made the decision after Daniels’ latest evaluation.

Sources: The #Commanders have decided to shut down QB Jayden Daniels for the final 3 games, turning his focus to supporting Marcus Mariota.

Daniels was re-evaluated today & not yet cleared. With him expected to be medically ruled out vs. the #Eagles, then facing a short week vs.… pic.twitter.com/hTu3Sv5wpw

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 15, 2025

Monday’s decision does not come as a huge surprise, as the injury bug has been rough on Daniels in 2025, his second professional season. This year, Daniels has dealt with a knee sprain, a hamstring strain and, most recently, an elbow injury.

In 2025, Daniels played in just 7 games. He was 114-of-188 passing for 1,262 yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions rushing 58 times for 278 yards and 2 scores.

Daniels, a Heisman Trophy winner at LSU, was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. In his debut season, Daniels completed 69% of his passes (331-of-480) for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. He also rushed 148 times for 891 yards and 6 scores as a rookie.

The Washington Commanders are 4-10 this season with 3 games to go.

The post Washington Commanders reportedly decide on Jayden Daniels’ status for remainder of season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Jordan Castell told Hayes Fawcett of On3 that he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens in January. On X (formerly Twitter), Castell reposted Fawcett.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hayes Fawcett (@hayesfawcett3)

A product of Orlando (Florida) West Orange High School, Castell joined the Gators in 2023. He was rated 4-stars, the No. 16 safety, No. 45 player in the state of Florida and No. 212 prospect overall in the Class of 2023 on the 247Sports Composite. Part of Billy Napier‘s first full class, Castell picked up scholarship offers from 34 programs during his recruitment.

Castell’s Florida career got off to a strong start. In 2023, he played in all 12 games and started the last 11 games at safety. He led the team in total tackles (60) and solo tackles (30), logging 1.5 TFLs and 3 pass breakups. Castell made the Freshman All-SEC team for 2023 and was named a Freshman All-American by ESPN.

The past 2 seasons, Castell remained a starter at safety. In 2024, he was UF’s leader in PBUs with 9 and fourth on the team in tackles with 55 total (29 solo). This year, Castell logged 54 total tackles, 2 interceptions and 1 QB hurry.

Castell has 1 full season of eligibility remaining.

The post Florida DB, 2023 Freshman All-SEC selection reportedly plans to transfer appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Bell was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on Sept. 2, 1937. After playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks for 4 seasons (1956-69), Bell got into coaching. He would coach until 2017, including time with South Carolina and Georgia.

After serving as Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator from 1970-74, Bell joined the South Carolina coaching staff for the 1975 season. He served in this role for the Gamecocks until 1981.

Bell was named South Carolina’s head coach ahead of the 1982 season. He only lasted 1 season in the position, going 4-7.

According to The Post and Courier, Bell and former South Carolina AD Bob Marcum offered different versions of the conversations that led to the coach’s dismissal, but it’s established that they disagreed when it came to making staff changes. Bell sued USC for lost years on his contract, alleging Marcum defamed him. Bell won $171,000.

Bell’s first stop after South Carolina was going back to being a defensive coordinator at Duke. He held that position until 1987. Bell was on staff at East Carolina as DC for 1 season (1988) before he joined the Georgia staff. Bell was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator from 1989-93.

After Georgia, Bell spent 1994 as Navy’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He was then on staff at Air Force from 1995-2006 as the program’s DC, his final college coaching job. Bell was defensive coordinator for the Prince Avenue Christian private school from 2010-17.

The post Arkansas alum, former South Carolina, Georgia coach Richard Bell passes away appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College football fans tuning in to ESPN at 9 a.m. ET were greeted by SportsCenter instead of GameDay. Many fans feel that Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit should be outside M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for Army-Navy.

Here’s a sample of what fans are saying on social media about the lack of a GameDay on Army-Navy Saturday:

Why isn't college Gameday at Army/Navy?

— Aggies Recruiting (@AggiesRecruitEx) December 13, 2025

The fact that College GameDay is taking the week off instead of going to the Army-Navy Game in Baltimore is disappointing. Most of the GameDay hosts can take the Acela to NYC for the Heisman ceremony, & Pat can take the MARC Penn Line to DC for SNME. Not that complicated.

— David Walker (@DavidWalkerSGHS) December 13, 2025

Remember when college gameday used to be at every Army Navy game

— Ant (@ayeebarkley1) December 13, 2025

Is this some kind of sick joke? Why is College Gameday not at Army-Navy today?

What a miss after a big miss during conference championship week too.

— Right Field Renegades (@RfRenegades) December 13, 2025

@PatMcAfeeShow @KirkHerbstreit @CollegeGameDay There should be on more GAMEDAY show every season, on the day of Army v Navy Game. Break down playoffs…. Predict Bowl games…. And be live at a great event…. Army/Navy

— John Hines (@JohnHines66) December 13, 2025

We talk about how College GameDay doesn’t go to this or that conference enough, but to schedule an off week for Navy-Army…do better. https://t.co/KEEnL0Fo8a

— The Bulldawg Report (@ReportBulldawg) December 13, 2025

No gameday for Army vs Navy!??? pic.twitter.com/YdUjn9pu4E

— Joshua (@JPancakes90) December 13, 2025

I’m sad man, no GameDay on Army-Navy Week yet again pic.twitter.com/nvJHHnF3sG

— Byrum Brown Lover (@tb_sports_fan) December 13, 2025

Feels weird waking up on a Saturday and not watching college gameday. Also feels weird there not being football on all day, just the army/navy game

— Kayla Ferrell (@kaylaferrell02) December 13, 2025

There should be college gameday every year for army navy

— Travis “MF” Tritt (@TravisTrittjr) December 13, 2025

Blows my mind that there’s no College Gameday for Army/Navy. @CollegeGameDay

— Alex – Course of Life (@courseoflife1) December 13, 2025

GameDay went to the Army-Navy annually from 2014-21, even during the COVID-affected 2020 season. The traveling pregame show skipped the 2022 game but was back in 2023.

The college football calendar is likely to blame for the lack of an Army-Navy GameDay. Last year was the first year of the 12-team Playoff, and GameDay did not go to Army-Navy. Last week, the show was at the SEC Championship Game to preview the day’s conference championship games. GameDay host Rece Davis will be part of the network’s Heisman Trophy ceremony show at 7 p.m. on ABC.

GameDay‘s next shows are from Norman on Friday and College Station on Saturday for Oklahoma vs. Alabama and Texas A&M vs. Miami in the first round of the Playoff.

The post Fans call out College GameDay for not going to Army-Navy game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Fifty-five days after accepting, I realized I wasn’t voting for Smith, after all.

There’s nothing left to say about Smith that hasn’t already been said. He showed the college football world last season that he was worthy of his billing as the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2024. I’m not sure if I can think of another example in my lifetime of a true freshman looking NFL-ready the way Smith did in 2024. (Hopefully, reader, you don’t think my lifetime goes too far back. I’ll just say I grew up watching the Fun ‘n ‘Gun in its prime.)

Smith put up sensational numbers in his debut season, recording 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns across 16 games to lead Ohio State to the national championship. Unfortunately for Smith, Travis Hunter also played wide receiver, so he picked up the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best pass-catcher last year before winning the Heisman Trophy, too.

Smith entered the 2025 season with well-earned Heisman hype, and this year’s Biletnikoff Award race seemed like a foregone conclusion before the first day of fall. Certainly, with Hunter off to the NFL, another wide receiver wouldn’t outperform Smith again.

My fellow “Arrested Development” fans, you can cue Ron Howard’s narrator voice: Another wide receiver outperformed Smith again.

Statistically, there were actually wide receivers (yes, plural) that outplayed Smith in 2025. When I looked at the provided statistics before this past Saturday’s voting deadline, I was surprised to see Smith, the preseason Heisman candidate, with the 3rd-best stats of the 3 finalists.

Presented with these 3 options, I voted for Makai Lemon of USC to win the Biletnikoff Award. For all I know, I might be Lemon’s only first-place vote east of the Mississippi, but he felt like the right choice.

UConn’s Skyler Bell is absolutely a worthy finalist for the best pure stats in the nation. He’s 1 of only 2 FBS receivers to post triple-digit receptions this season, joining FAU’s Easton Messer (104). Bell is also 2nd in the nation in receiving yards. His 1,278 yards are just a hair behind San Jose State’s Danny Scudero at 1,291. And Bell’s 13 touchdowns are 2nd in the nation. Only Camden Brown of Georgia Southern has more with 14.

There was a problem with Bell’s candidacy though. A big, triple-digit problem.

The Biletnikoff Award made a point to include Sagarin Strength of Schedule rankings. Seeing Bell’s UConn Huskies at No. 131 stuck out like a pimple on prom night.

Lemon and Smith, on the other hand, both faced competition that ranked in the top-40 most difficult schedules in the regular season. Side-by-side, Lemon posted a better 12-game resume.

The difference of 7 catches could be chalked up to Lemon playing 1 more game than Smith in the regular season. Independent of the number of games played, though, Lemon had better yards per catch (14.6 to 13.1) and better yards per game (96.4 to 85.7). Before Ohio State played Indiana for the Big Ten title, Lemon had faced a slightly tougher schedule than Smith. (Ohio State is now No. 22 in the Sagarin SOS rankings after the Indiana game.)

I didn’t expect to be voting for Lemon but landed there after weighing the 3 finalists. Lemon had a spectacular season while playing tougher competition than Bell and put up better numbers than the super-talented Smith in the process.

As for Smith, he might make me rethink my own stance on “career awards.” This is my first time voting for a major college football award. As an observer, I’ve always scoffed at the players who have won season awards because their college career is nearing its end and they’ve come up short in awards voting. If Smith is a finalist again next year after going 0-for-2 though, I might just have to vote for him.

Bell put up video game numbers. Smith is a special talent. But, this year, Lemon should win the Biletnikoff Award.

The post Why I surprised myself and didn’t give my Biletnikoff Award vote to Jeremiah Smith appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Brazzell is in his 4th season of college football. As a redshirt junior, however, he had the option to play again in 2026.

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A post shared by Hayes Fawcett (@hayesfawcett3)

Brazzell was the SEC’s top pass-catcher in 2025. Entering bowl season, Brazzell is the only SEC receiver to record 1,000 receiving yards. He is tied with Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion for the conference lead with 9 touchdowns as part of his 62 catches for 1,017 yards. His 2025 numbers are among the top 15 among FBS receivers. Brazzell ranks ninth in Tennessee single-season history for receiving yards and tied for 10th in touchdown receptions.

The 2025 season was a bounce-back year for Brazzell. In 2024, his first year playing for Josh Heupel, Brazzell logged 29 catches for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns. In 2023, he earned freshman All-America recognition after posting 44 catches for 711 yards and 5 touchdowns. Brazell took a redshirt for 2022, his first season at Tulane.

In addition to declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, Brazzell has also reportedly decided to opt out of the Music City Bowl. The Volunteers will face Illinois on Dec. 30 in Nashville.

The post Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell II announces NFL Draft decision appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Upon his hiring, Sumrall promised his Florida teams would feature an explosive offense. He sees Faulkner delivering on that in Gainesville.

“Buster is one of the most innovative offensive coaches in football and I couldn’t be happier for him to join our staff,” Sumrall said in a program release. “Throughout his impressive career, not only has Buster led some of the highest-scoring offenses in the country, but he’s also shown the ability to design and implement his offenses to the strengths of his players. There is not a doubt in my mind that Buster will have our offense lighting up the scoreboard.”

Faulkner arrives in Gainesville after 3 seasons as Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator. Collectively over the 2023-25 seasons, Faulkner’s GT offense ranks first in the ACC in rushing (197.8), second in total offense (437.7), third in passing efficiency (144.1) and fifth in scoring offense (31.0).

“I’m extremely excited to get to work under Jon Sumrall,” Faulkner said via UF. “He’s a proven winner and that’s what excites me the most about this opportunity. Florida is place where we can compete for national championships and I can’t wait to meet the players and get this thing rolling!” 

Faulkner played quarterback at Valdosta State and Texas A&M-Commerce. He got his coaching start as a student assistant at Valdosta State in 2005. In addition to Georgia Tech, Faulkner has also been an offensive coordinator at Valdosta State, Murray State, Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State and Southern Miss. He was a quality control assistant at Georgia from 2020-22, helping the Bulldogs win 2n national championships.

FootballScoop recently named Faulkner its 2025 Offensive Coordinator of the Year.

Buster Faulkner → Offensive Coordinator

https://t.co/MwKPUYNOOh#GoGators pic.twitter.com/BkNoiEDCCK

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 11, 2025

The post Jon Sumrall announces hiring of Buster Faulkner as Florida offensive coordinator appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Thursday morning, it was reported that defensive coordinator Jay Bateman is leaving for the same position at Kentucky. Bateman will reportedly remain with the Aggies through the postseason.

Mike Elko didn’t need to search for his new DC. According to reports, Elko will promote internally and tab Lyle Hemphill as Texas A&M‘s new defensive coordinator. Considering Hemphill was already “associate head coach for defense,” and Elko was the defensive play-caller, it should be an easy transition for the Aggies in 2026.

Sources: Lyle Hemphill, Texas A&M's associate head coach for defense, will be the next defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He'll replace the departing Jay Bateman, who is off to Kentucky. He brings extensive experience working with Mike Elko, including at Duke.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 11, 2025

Hemphill joined Texas A&M in 2025 after previously serving as defensive coordinator and safeties coach for a James Madison unit that led the nation in 2024 with a +1.54 turnover margin, including 17 interceptions of the 29 total takeaways. His 2024 JMU squad was also sixth nationally with 3.15 sacks per game and seventh in team passing efficiency with a 111.48 rating.

He previously worked under Elko at Duke for 2 seasons as safeties coach, adding co-defensive coordinator responsibilities in 2023.

The post Mike Elko to promote internally for new Texas A&M DC, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“Hiring Jim Knowles was our top priority from the start of this process,” Heupel said in a program release. “Jim has a proven track record of developing elite defenses that play with an edge, and we got to see that first-hand during the 2024 College Football Playoff. His defenses are always physical, well prepared and can adapt quickly in-game against today’s complex offenses. He’s a competitor, a winner and someone who will get the most out of our players in practice and on gameday. We are thrilled to welcome Jim to Rocky Top as he helps us chase championships.”

Knowles lands on Rocky Top after spending the 2025 season at Penn State. Knowles was previously at Ohio State from 2022-24. As Heupel referenced, Knowles’ Buckeyes faced Tennessee in the CFP en route to winning the 2024 national championship.

Under Knowles, Ohio State allowed 14.9 points per game and 278.7 yards per contest, which were best in the nation over his 3 seasons as defensive coordinator. The 2024 national championship squad finished first first in the nation in scoring defense (12.9), total defense (254.6) and yards per play allowed (4.19).

“I am excited for this opportunity to work with Coach Heupel and represent Vol Nation,” Knowles said via UT.

Knowles replaces the recently dismissed Tim Banks. Banks is reportedly heading to Auburn as the team’s new safeties coach.

Welcome to Rocky Top, @CoachJimKnowles!

» https://t.co/ta5ehTH2fI#GBO pic.twitter.com/AOTI5PO3lh

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 11, 2025

The post Josh Heupel announces hiring of Jim Knowles as Tennessee defensive coordinator appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Banks and new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh worked together for two seasons at Tennessee, 2021 and ’22. Golesh departed Rocky Top after the ’22 campaign to become the new head coach at South Florida. Banks remained UT’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach through the 2025 season.

A veteran assistant, Banks has 3 decades of coaching experience. Tennessee was his first SEC gig after previous stops at Penn State, Illinois, Central Michigan, Maryland, Memphis and elsewhere.

At Auburn, Banks will coach under veteran defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. One of Golesh’s first moves was to retain Durkin, who served as the interim head coach of the Tigers after Hugh Freeze‘s firing.

Golesh has been stacking former coordinators on his defensive staff. In addition to Banks, Coleman Hutzler is also part of Golesh’s inaugural staff. Hutzler, who served as Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator the past 2 seasons, will coach AU’s edge rushers.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel recently elected to part with Banks after 5 seasons. The Volunteers are reportedly set to hire Jim Knowles as the program’s new defensive coordinator.

The post Former Tennessee DC Tim Banks joining Auburn staff, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Kendal Briles is the program’s new offensive coordinator. Briles joins the Gamecocks after spending the past 3 seasons at TCU. The Horned Frogs finished 40th, 25th and 43rd nationally in scoring offense under Briles, averaging 30 or more points per game each year. TCU also ranked 11th, 31st and 30th in total offense the past 3 seasons. Briles has prior SEC experience as offensive coordinator at Arkansas from 2020-22.

Also following Briles from TCU is Randy Clements as the Gamecocks’ new offensive line coach. Clements is a 35-year coaching veteran. He was offensive line coach at Baylor from 2008-16 and reunited with Briles last year as an assistant OL coach for the Horned Frogs. Other recent stops for Clements include Florida State (2019), Ole Miss (2020) and North Carolina (2023-24).

Stan Drayton is South Carolina‘s new running backs coach. Drayton will hold the additional title of assistant head coach for offense. A 33-year coaching veteran, Drayton collected national championship rings serving on Urban Meyer’s staff at Florida (2006) and Ohio State (2014). He was head coach at Temple 2022-24 and most recently on James Franklin’s Penn State staff for the 2025 season.

Let's get it!

Welcome Home pic.twitter.com/J72FHFcw4Z

— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) December 11, 2025

The post South Carolina announces hiring of 3 assistant coaches, including OC Kendal Briles appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The established timeline is that police are investigating an alleged assault that occurred at 4:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday. By 4:40 p.m., multiple outlets reported that Moore had been fired for cause. Later Wednesday evening, Moore was detained. He was eventually arrested and booked into county jail, records show.

Responding to media inquiries, Pittsfield Township Police released a statement on the matter.

“The Pittsfield Police Department responded to the above location at the above date and time for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault,” the Wednesday evening statement reads. “The Department has received multiple media requests for information. A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community. The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor. At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details. Further details regarding the incident will be released as soon as permissible.”

In a statement, Michigan said that Moore was fired due to credible evidence that the coach was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Moore had an 18-8 record as Michigan’s head coach in 2024 and ’25 plus a ’23 game in Jim Harbaugh’s absence.

The post Police release statement after former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore arrested, booked into county jail appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports first reported that Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles had emerged as a target for the Volunteers. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday afternoon that Knowles is negotiating his Penn State buyout and is expected to be the new Tennessee defensive coordinator, though the hiring has not been finalized.

A deal at Tennessee is not finalized, per sources. But Knowles has emerged as the target and that's his expected landing spot. CBS first linked Knowles and Tennessee. Penn State owes him more than $7 million on the two years remaining on his deal, per his contract.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 10, 2025

Knowles was at Penn State for just the 2025 season. His move to PSU ahead of the 2025 season was major news in the college football world as he was hired away from Ohio State after helping the Buckeyes win a national championship in 2024 when they had the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense.

He spent 3 seasons with the Buckeyes after previous coordinator stops at Oklahoma State and Duke. Knowles’s only SEC coaching experience came at Ole Miss in 2003 before he became head coach at Cornell, his alma mater.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel recently dismissed defensive coordinator Tim Banks.

The post Tennessee expected to hire former Penn State, Ohio State DC, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Cignetti confirmed that Daley is dealing with a serious injury.

Cignetti asked about Stephen Daley: "I can confirm that (he's injured)." Daley got imaging Sunday and evaluation Monday.

Daley's injury is "serious" and "will probably make him not available for the remainder of the season."#iufb

— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) December 10, 2025

Daley’s injury is believed to have occurred after Indiana’s win in the Big Ten Championship Game. Video shows him dealing with an apparent injury while making his way around the stadium to celebrate with Hoosier fans.

Really hope Indiana’s Stephen Daley is ok…

Hate to see this pic.twitter.com/6syXpNCQWe

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 9, 2025

Daley is a significant loss for Indiana as the undefeated Hoosiers try to win the College Football Playoff. Daley is second in the nation in tackles for loss with 19 on the season. He has 38 total tackles on the season, with 5.5 sacks.

Indiana is the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers have a first-round bye and will next play in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl against either Alabama or Oklahoma on Jan. 1.

The post Indiana star defender likely out for CFP, per Curt Cignetti appeared first on Saturday Down South.

When Golesh was hired last month, Van Dyke was named as one of the South Florida assistants expected to follow the head coach to The Plains. Auburn made the hire official on Wednesday, releasing a statement from Golesh.

“We are thrilled to bring Coach DVD to Auburn,” Golesh said in a program release. “He has an elite ability to build genuine relationships with his players and develop them at the highest level. His NFL experience brings a valuable perspective to our program, and he’s worked and played for some of the best defensive minds in football. Coach DVD is going to make an immediate impact on our defense, and his strong connections in key recruiting areas will help us compete for the best talent in the country.”

Van Dyke was with Golesh for the 2024 and ’25 seasons at USF. Prior to USF, he was the cornerbacks coach at FIU in 2023 and served in various staff roles at Miami, his alma mater, from 2018-22, including as cornerbacks coach in 2021. Van Dyke played for the Hurricanes from 2007-10 before a 6-season career in the NFL.

Welcome to the Plains, @Coach_DVD

: https://t.co/EqisiDmZL2 pic.twitter.com/auS1Vu7JOg

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 10, 2025

The post Alex Golesh announces hiring of Auburn’s new cornerbacks coach appeared first on Saturday Down South.

TMZ Sports recently caught up with Herbstreit and asked for his CFP fixes.

“I think the only way it gets fixed is you gotta expand. You gotta go to probably 16 [teams],” Herbstreit told TMZ.

The 12-team format is in its second year. The 5 highest-ranked conference champions make the field and the other 7 spots are filled with at-large bids. This year, with a 5-loss Duke team winning the ACC, 2 of the 5 highest-ranked conference champions were No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 James Madison from Group of 5 conferences the American and the Sun Belt. It meant the other 10 spots went to teams ranked in the top 10.

Herbstreit said there should be a ranking requirement. He cited disappointment with teams ranked Nos. 11-14 being left out in favor of conference champions from the Group of 5.

“The other thing is, I think the Group of 5, while it’s great to have them involved, I feel like they have to get to a certain ranking to be able to qualify to be able to get in,” Herbstreit said.

“Nothing against those stories. We all love the Cinderella story, but I just think when you leave Texas, when you leave Notre Dame, when you leave Vandy, when you leave BYU out, the goal was to get the best teams in my opinion into the tournament, not try to make everyone happy.”

The CFP has yet to decide on a possible new format. The Big Ten is reportedly backing a format with a set number of automatic qualifiers by conference and limited at-large bids, while other conferences are set to favor a large number of at-large bids and only automatic qualifiers for conference champions.

The post Kirk Herbstreit shares suggestions to fix College Football Playoff appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN announced its traveling pregame show will make two stops for the CFP First Round. The crew will visit Oklahoma when the Sooners host Alabama on Friday night. Then, on Saturday, the show will originate from College Station as Texas A&M hosts Miami.

Two days. Two shows.

Next week, we're heading to Norman on Friday and College Station on Saturday for the first round of the College Football Playoff! pic.twitter.com/eipZaAB2Ge

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 10, 2025

The highly anticipated Oklahoma-Alabama rematch kicks off CFP action on Friday. The Sooners are the No. 8 seed in the Playoff after finishing the 2025 regular season with a 10-2 record that includes a 23-21 win over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 15. Round 2 with the No. 9 Alabama (10-3), will be played in Norman at Memorial Stadium (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).

The GameDay crew will have a relatively quick turnaround for Saturday. The matchup between No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Miami is set for noon ET in College Station (ABC/ESPN). The Aggies are 11-1 on the year, only stumbling in Rivalry Week to Texas. Miami enters the postseason 10-2, boasting a Week 1 win over Notre Dame that helped the Hurricanes secure the final at-large bid over the Irish. Both programs are in the Playoff for the first time.

The post College GameDay announces 2 shows for CFP First Round appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Bulldogs and Louisville have mutually agreed to cancel their home-and-home series for the 2026 and ’27 seasons, Wednesday’s announcement reads. Previous comments from Louisville coach Jeff Brohm suggested the decision might be more one-sided.

“Well, I don’t know if I’m supposed to say. We want to play Georgia. We’ve gathered some information, and I don’t want to speak out of tune, but I don’t know if it’s vice versa,” Brohm said on Oct. 2. “I’m hopeful that we can play the game, but I don’t know where that’s at right now.”

Wednesday’s announcement from UGA says that the two schools will look to play a neutral-site game at a later date.

Georgia and NC State also agreed to cancel their previously scheduled series. The Bulldogs and Wolfpack had been scheduled to play in 2033 and ’34.

The scheduling moves come as Georgia gears up to play 9 conference games beginning in 2026. The Bulldogs also play an additional Power conference opponent, Georgia Tech, annually.

In September, the SEC announced every team’s conference opponents for the 2026-29 seasons. On Thursday, SEC teams will learn the dates for all 9 conference contests.

The post Georgia announces cancellation of 2 home-and-home series with ACC programs appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Kiffin is probably the last person Ole Miss fans want to hear from right now after his departure to leave the Rebels for LSU before the College Football Playoff. Kiffin, though, reacted to news out of Oxford on Tuesday. He voiced his approval of Pete Golding’s new offensive coordinator, John David Baker.

Great hire!!!!! https://t.co/tfrqB5Rip8

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 9, 2025

Though Kiffin is known to troll and Ole Miss is a bitter rival of his new team, this is likely genuine praise. Baker spent multiple seasons on Kiffin’s Ole Miss staff.

Baker was Kiffin’s passing game coordinator and tight ends coach and passing game coordinator in 2021. He was given the co-offensive coordinator in 2022 while still coaching tight ends. He maintained both responsibilities for the Rebels in 2023.

The past two season, Baker has been the offensive coordinator at East Carolina. Charlie Weis Jr. was Ole Miss’s offensive coordinator from 2022-25 and is part of Kiffin’s LSU staff. Weis is back with Ole Miss, however, for the College Football Playoff.

The post Lane Kiffin says Ole Miss made ‘great hire’ with new OC appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Orgeron recently appeared on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast. Host Taylor Lewan joked that “the SEC was NIL before NIL.” Orgeron did not push back and explained that coaching with legal ways to compensate players would only take a minor adjustement for him.

“Back then, we used to walk through the back door with the cash. Now, we just got to walk through the front door with the cash,” Oregon said, laughing along with Lewan and Will Compton.

Everyone knows the SEC was paying players before paying players was legal

Coach O with an incredible response on @BussinWTB pic.twitter.com/PvHvQK3Bdp

— Will Compton (@_willcompton) December 9, 2025

Orgeron, 64, has made it known that he is interested in a return to the sidelines. At this stage in the coaching carousel, Orgeron would likely be looking at an opportunity as an assistant position.

The former LSU head coach spoke with Jacksonville, Florida radio station 1010XL/92.5 FM last week. Orgeron revealed that he is living in Baton Rouge again because he did not want to sign another lease in Miami if he were to land a new coaching job.

In his radio interview, Orgeron spoke highly of new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. The two worked together at USC and Tennessee, and Orgeron expressed interest in working alongside Kiffin again. Orgeron also said he’d be interested in joining his stepson, Tyler Spotts-Orgeron, who served under new Florida head coach Jon Sumrall at Tulane.

SEC fans everywhere are watching closely to see Coach O returns to the conference.

The post Ed Orgeron hilariously differentiates between paying players with and without NIL appeared first on Saturday Down South.

All 16 SEC programs are represented on the coaches’ 2025 all-conference squad. Twelve schools had players named first-team All-SEC.

Mizzou led the way with 4 first-team All-SEC selections. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M had 3 first-team selections each.

RELATED: Looking for a BetMGM Missouri bonus code? SDS is the top source for Missouri sportsbook promos!

Fifteen members of the 2025 team are now multi-year selections: en Anderson (Oklahoma), Fernando Carmona (Arkansas), Daylen Everette (Georgia), Beau Gardner (Georgia), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas), Deontae Lawson (Alabama), Harold Perkins (LSU), Kadyn Proctor (Alabama), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt), R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma), Brett Thorson (Georgia), Josh Turbyville (Tennessee), Rocco Underwood (Florida), Peyton Woodring (Georgia) and Trey Zuhn III (Texas A&M).

Individual honors will be announced Wednesday and the All-Freshman Team will be revealed on Thursday. Here are the full All-SEC Coaches teams:

First Team All-SEC

Offense

QB
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

RB
Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

WR
Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

TE
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

OL
Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
Keagen Trost, Missouri
Trevor Goosby, Texas

C
Jake Slaughter, Florida

AP
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Defense

DL
Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Colin Simmons, Texas
Zion Young, Missouri
R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

LB
CJ Allen, Georgia
Xavier Atkins, Auburn
Josiah Trotter, Missouri

DB
Mansoor Delane, LSU
Bray Hubbard, Alabama
Michael Taaffe, Texas
AJ Haulcy, LSU

Special Teams

PK
Tate Sandell, Oklahoma

P
Grayson Miller, Oklahoma

RS
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

KOS
Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss

LS
Beau Gardner, Georgia

Second Team All-SEC

Offense

QB
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss*
Ty Simpson, Alabama*

RB
Jadan Baugh, Florida
DeSean Bishop, Tennessee*
Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas*

WR
Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma
Zachariah Branch, Georgia*
Ryan Wingo, Texas*

TE
Trey’Dez Green, LSU*
Dae’Quan Wright, Ole Miss*

OL
Fernando Carmona, Arkansas
Monroe Freeling, Georgia
Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma
Cayden Green, Missouri

C
Drew Bobo, Georgia

AP
Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma

Defense

DL
Damon Wilson II, Missouri
Taylor Wein, Oklahoma
Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas
Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

LB
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Arion Carter, Tennessee
Deontae Lawson, Alabama

DB
KJ Bolden, Georgia
Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma
Ty Bryant, Kentucky*
Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina*
Malik Muhammad, Texas*

Special Teams

PK
Peyton Woodring, Georgia

P
Brett Thorson, Georgia

RS
Ryan Niblett, Texas

KOS
Josh Turbyville, Tennessee

LS
Ben Anderson, Oklahoma

Third Team All-SEC

Offense

QB
Gunner Stockton, Georgia

RB
Nate Frazier, Georgia
Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn

WR
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
Mario Craver, Texas A&M

TE
Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma

OL
Austin Barber, Florida
Diego Pounds, Ole Miss
Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
DJ Campbell, Texas*
Lance Heard, Tennessee*

C
Parker Brailsford, Alabama

AP
Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Defense

DL
Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Bryan Thomas Jr., South Carolina
Keyron Crawford, Auburn
Will Echoles, Ole Miss

LB
Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss
Taurean York, Texas A&M
Harold Perkins, LSU

DB
Ty Redmond, Tennessee
Kelley Jones, Mississippi State
Daylen Everette, Georgia
Eli Bowen, Oklahoma*
Colton Hood, Tennessee*

Special Teams

PK
Damian Ramos, LSU

P
Grant Chadwick, LSU

RS
Vicari Swain, South Carolina

KOS
Trey Smack, Florida

LS
Rocco Underwood, Florida

(* – Ties)

The post SEC announces 2025 Coaches All-SEC Teams appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Briles has been the offensive coordinator at TCU for the past 3 seasons (2023-25). He has SEC experience as Arkansas‘s offensive coordinator from 2020-22.

Sources: South Carolina is finalizing a deal to hire TCU’s Kendal Briles as the school’s new offensive coordinator. An agreement is expected to come together in the near future. pic.twitter.com/zSxakxVZGb

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 9, 2025

PFF rated the TCU offense 26th or better nationally in all 3 seasons Briles was OC.

TCU’s Offensive Grades Under Biles as OC:

2025: 79.9 (24th)
2024: 81.3 (20th)
2023: 79.3 (26th)

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 9, 2025

The TCU offense saw its best season under Briles in 2024. The Horned Frogs ranked No. 23 in ’24 with 33.5 points per game. TCU checked in at 43rd in 2025 with a slight dip to 30.8 points per game. This year’s scoring number is similar to 2023’s mark of 31.3 points per game (No. 41 nationally).

Shane Beamer is looking at employing his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons.

Dowell Loggains was South Carolina‘s offensive coordinator for 2 seasons, leaving before the 2025 season to become the head coach at App State. Loggains was succeeded by Mike Shula, who was fired before the end of South Carolina’s 2025 campaign.

According to ESPN’s FPI, South Carolina’s offensive efficiency ranks No. 82 nationally for 2025. Briles and the Horned Frogs check in at No. 35.

The post South Carolina reportedly set to hire offensive coordinator with SEC experience appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Brown’s social media followers noticed Monday night that he captioned an Instagram post with “back for it all next year.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vernell Brown III (@_vb3_)

Injuries limited Brown to playing in just 10 games as a true freshman, but he was still the team’s most productive pass-catcher. Brown led Florida in receptions (40) and receiving yards (512). The former 5-star recruit, though, is still waiting to catch his first touchdown in a Gator uniform.

On Monday, Brown appeared on SEC This Morning to accept the show’s Catch of the Year award for his sensational Week 1 grab.

The award is named in honor of Gator great Chris Doering, who brought up Brown being a triple Gator legacy.

“I mean, it means everything,” Brown said of carrying on the family name at Florida. “Obviously, you say that family lineage and you know, just being from Gainesville and being able to wear that orange and blue growing up always wanting to wear that orange and blue. I mean, it’s an honor and I’m just extremely proud to wear those colors.”

Brown’s post indicates he plans to stick around and play for new UF head coach Jon Sumrall. The SEC Network hosts asked Brown about his early impressions of Sumrall.

“Yes, sir. Had a few conversations with him,” Brown said. “Definitely a great guy. You can feel his genuine energy and he has that that vibe to him that makes him a coach that you want to play for.”

“I mean, it was it was electric, kind of that strength coach energy that you would see in the head strength coach, you know that super hype energy, grab your attention,” Brown added. “That was him in, you know. From the moment he stepped in to the moment he stepped out, we were all locked in.”

Sumrall is reportedly bringing on Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech as the new Gator offensive coordinator. Though the hire hasn’t formally been announced by Florida, the hosts asked Brown what excites him about the new offense.

“Just the opportunity to make plays,” Brown said. “As a receiver and as an offensive guy, that’s all you can ask for out of a coordinator is to be put in a position. So, you know, just excited for that and to see what his offense looks like with the playmakers.”

The post Florida WR Vernell Brown III indicates plans for 2026 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Love has led Notre Dame to a 10-2 record in 2025. He has rushed 199 times for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 27 receptions for 280 yards and 3 scores. The Irish running back is the only player in the country to have rushed for more than 1,100 yards while maintaining an average of at least 6.6 yards per carry.

Mendoza and the No. 1-ranked Indiana Hoosiers are enjoying a magical season. The IU QB enters the College Football Playoff having thrown for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions.This season, the redshirt junior became the third Big Ten quarterback this century to throw at least 4 passing touchdowns without an interception in three consecutive games. He’s also the only FBS quarterback since 1996 with multiple games of at least a 90% completion percentage and 4 TDs in multiple contests.

Pavia has taken the SEC and college football world by storm, leading Vanderbilt football to 10 wins in the 2025 regular season. This season, Pavia has thrown for 3,192 yards while also being a top-10 QB in TD passes (27) and completion percentage (71.2%). The first Heisman finalist from Vanderbilt, Pavia has also rushed for 826 yards and 9 scores.

A sophomore, Sayin is in his first year as the starting quarterback for a Playoff-bound Ohio State squad. He has thrown for 3,323 yards with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 31-6. This season, Sayin became only the second quarterback of the last 30 years to post 3 games with 300 yards, 3 touchdowns and 80% complete.

The Heisman Trophy ceremony will be broadcast on ABC for the first time. It is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

Congratulations to the 2025 Heisman Trophy finalists: @NDFootball RB Jeremiyah Love, @IndianaFootball QB Fernando Mendoza, @VandyFootball QB Diego Pavia, and @OhioStateFB QB Julian Sayin!#Heisman | #MoreThanATrophy pic.twitter.com/kbVh0SxFAd

— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 8, 2025

The post 4 finalists announced for 2025 Heisman Trophy appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Pete Nakos of On3 shared Monday that he and Chris Low were told that Ryan Walters is a name to watch in Tennessee‘s search for a new DC.

Heupel and Walters are familiar with each other from their time at Mizzou. Heupel was Mizzou’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016 and ’17. Walters coached at Mizzou from 2015-20. He was co-defensive coordinator while Heupel was OC and became the sole DC in 2018.

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Walters has spent the past 5 seasons in the Big Ten. He was defensive coordinator at Illinois in 2021 and ’22. Walters was named a finalist for the Broyles Award in the 2022 season.

Purdue hired Walters as head coach in 2023. His tenure with the Boilermakers did not go well, resulting in his firing after going 5-19 in 2 seasons (2023-24).

This past season, Walters served as Washington’s defensive coordinator.

Heupel released a statement on Monday confirming that Tennessee parted with defensive coordinator Tim Banks. Linebackers coach William Inge will be the interim defensive coordinator for the Music City Bowl game on Dec. 30.

The post Former Mizzou coordinator linked to Tennessee DC opening appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Reports out of Gainesville are that 3 on-field assistants have already learned that they are not being retained. According to On3, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, who served as the interim head coach after Billy Napier‘s dismissal, running backs coach Jabbar Juluke and offensive line coach Rob Sale will not be back for 2026.

Juluke and Sale were with the Gators throughout Napier’s tenure. Gonzales was not initially retained when Napier succeeded Dan Mullen, but was brought back ahead of the 2023 season after spending 2022 at Florida Atlantic. As UF’s interim head coach, Gonzales went 1-4.

Sumrall has reportedly elected to retain Florida defensive line coach Gerald Chatman. Chatman previously coached at Tulane, but before Sumrall took over as head coach of the Green Wave. Chatman has been with the Gators for 2 seasons.

So far, Sumrall has tabbed a new defensive coordinator in Brad White, formerly of Kentucky. Sumrall is reportedly bringing on Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech as Florida’s new offensive coordinator, though the hire has not yet been officially announced by UF as of publishing time Monday afternoon.

The post Jon Sumrall reportedly decides on status of Florida interim HC Billy Gonzales, other assistants appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Texas Tech has won its first Big 12 championship in program history. The No. 4 Red Raiders walloped No. 11 BYU 34-7, securing a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, with the field to be announced on Sunday.

Things actually got off to a slow start for the Big 12 champs. BYU broke the scoring ice with a 14-play, 90-yard scoring drive and took a 7-0 lead into the 2nd quarter. From there, however, it was all Red Raiders.

Texas Tech scored 13 points in the 2nd quarter and never looked back. The Red Raiders won the 2nd half 21-0, cruising to a 34-7 blowout win.

BYU struggled on both sides of the ball. Bear Bachmeier was 16-of-27 for 115 yards and threw 2 interceptions without a touchdown. The Cougars were held under 100 rushing yards on the ground. BYU was plagued by 4 turnovers on offense and the defense was unable to get a takeaway of its own.

Texas Tech’s Behren Morton was 20-of-33 passing for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Red Raiders rushed for 159 yards as a team, adding 1 score on the ground.

The blowout could have been even more lopsided. Texas Tech left points on the field in the 3rd quarter, going for it on 4th down unsuccessfully. Red Raiders kicker Stone Harrington missed 2 field-goal attempts, going 4-of-6 in the game.

Texas Tech 34, BYU 7

Here’s the complete Big 12 Championship box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

The post Rapid Reaction: Texas Tech beats BYU in a blowout to win Big 12 title, secure CFP bye appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Miller’s out designation on the final SEC availability report confirms what has been expected this week. He is dealing with a lower-leg injury and was seen using crutches recently. Though he’s out for the SEC Championship Game, Alabama is expected to get Miller back for its next postseason game.

A senior, Miller is Alabama’s top ball-carrier, though with numbers not expected of the Crimson Tide’s leading rusher. Miller has logged 123 carries for 493 yards and 3 touchdowns this season. Kevin Riley is next on the team in rushing yards with 222 on 56 carries. Quarterback Ty Simpson is second on the team in rushing attempts with 75 for 126 yards.

Cuevas has 30 catches for 341 yards and 4 touchdowns in 10 games this season. He last played against Oklahoma, posting season-highs of 6 catches for 80 yards. Cuevas missed the last 2 games of the regular season after injuring his foot in practice.

The SEC Championship Game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It will air on ABC.

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The post Alabama makes final decisions on Jam Miller, Josh Cuevas for SEC Championship Game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

James Madison hosted Troy in Friday’s game to decide the conference title. The weather in Harrisonburg, Virginia, caused some issues.

JMU fans were warned that throwing snowballs onto the field could result in a penalty for the Dukes and fans’ ejection from the game.

JMU has had it with the snowball throwing tonight.

PA has asked students to stop at least 10 times since the start of the game, taking it to the field now pic.twitter.com/Edu15kz1pz

— GFed (@GfedGoCrazy) December 6, 2025

Threats of punishment did not stop the JMU fans. On a Troy punt, snowballs are seen landing near the punter in the end zone.

Troy punter shanks one while JMU crowd hits him with snowballs pic.twitter.com/sIA1KzSr69

— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) December 6, 2025

Before the Troy/JMU game began, an announcement was made that anyone who throws a snowball will be ejected

JMU fans didn’t care

pic.twitter.com/gtwMIy7B6r

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 6, 2025

James Madison scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to pull away from Troy for a 31-14 win, securing the Sun Belt title. The Dukes await their postseason assignment on Sunday.

The post James Madison fans defy snowball orders, affect opposing punter in conference championship game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“So Kirby, I wanted to ask you, what are the critical factors, you know, going to be in this game?” Saban said. “And I know all the bullshit that I taught you like, you know, control the line of scrimmage, be able to run the ball, stop the run, play well on third down, get off the field on third down, play well in the red zone, don’t give up explosive plays, turnovers, all that. We got that. So after all that bullshit, tell me what really is a factor in this game.”

Smart got a laugh out of his former boss’s choice of language.

“I really think situational football is so important,” Smart said. “And all those things you talked about that were bullshit, we can put them to the side. I do think third down red area in the special teams, every time we’ve played in the SEC Championship, there’s been a monumental special teams play.

“I think those are really important, you know, but other than that, it’s all bullshit.”

That may not have been the answer Saban was looking for, but the laughs certainly made for good TV.

"After all that bullshit

Tell me what really is a factor in this game"

Coach Saban #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/eKNYiVDZYW

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 6, 2025

The post Nick Saban, Kirby Smart have hilarious exchange about ‘bullshit’ coachspeak appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College football insider Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reports that Baker decided Friday night to stay at LSU after being pursued by Tulane. He’s set to become one of the top-3 highest-paid assistant coaches in college football, signing a 3-year contract with a salary of more than $3 million.

Baker decided late last night to remain at the school after a push from Tulane for its head coaching position. After a stint at Missouri, Baker took over a defense ranked 108th in the country two years ago. The Tigers were 25th this past season in total defense.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 6, 2025

Baker, 43, has been LSU’s defensive coordinator for the past 2 seasons. He also coached the team’s linebackers in the 2021 season. He was Mizzou‘s defensive coordinator for the 2002 and ’23 seasons before returning to LSU ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Keeping Baker in Baton Rouge is a big win for Kiffin. Upon Kiffin’s hiring, it was reported that the new head coach of the Tigers sought to retain Baker. The Tulane job came open this past Sunday, with Jon Sumrall accepting the head coaching position at Florida. Tulane won the American championship on Friday.

The post Blake Baker reportedly lands new contract with LSU after turning down Tulane HC job appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The SEC Championship Game is set for Saturday in Atlanta. The game between No. 3 Georgia and No. 9 Alabama is set for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff, airing on ABC.

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Georgia and Alabama are familiar SEC Championship foes, especially in recent years. This year, however, the matchup wasn’t set until the final week of the regular season. Saturday serves as Round 3 between Kirby Smart and Kalen DeBoer.

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide met already this season, a 24-21 game that went to UA. Georgia’s 1 loss was keeping the Bulldogs out of the conference title game as long as Alabama only had 1 loss (tiebreaker) and there was an undefeated team in conference play.

Texas A&M had been that unblemished team, all the way until Rivalry Week. Things changed with the Aggies’ loss to rival Texas, opening the door for Georgia to play for the SEC Championship. There were Dawgs fans, however, disappointed by the news as UGA appeared situated to finish within the top 4 of the CFP rankings and secure a first-round bye without having to play the conference title game.

Alabama enters the game with an Aug. 30 loss to Florida State and a Nov. 15 loss to Oklahoma. For the Crimson Tide, everything was on the line last week in the Iron Bowl. Without a win against Auburn, the Crimson Tide would not have made the SEC Championship Game over a 1-loss Ole Miss squad. A 3rd loss would have almost certainly removed UA from CFP contention.

It wasn’t easy, but Alabama held on at Auburn to pick up the rivalry win and keep the Tide’s postseason hopes on track. Now it’s time for the Tide and the Dawgs to play for the SEC title.

The post SEC Championship Game, Saturday, Dec. 6: Kickoff time and TV info appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN announced Thursday that the SEC Network will host a 2-hour schedule reveal special on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET. Dari Nowkhah will host the schedule reveal show and be joined by SEC Network analysts Gene Chizik, Cole Cubelic and Roman Harper.

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Thursday’s special is about learning the dates of all the conference games. In September, the conference announced every team’s opponents for the 2026-29 seasons.

The 2026 season will be the SEC’s first with teams playing 9 conference contests. Under the new model, each team has 3 permanent opponents. The other 6 opponents are rotating. Every SEC program will host each team in the league at least once every 4 years.

The permanent opponents are only set for 2026-29. The conference is set to re-evaluate those pairings ahead of the next 4-year schedule rotation.

Dec. 11, @SECNetwork will unveil the #SECFB schedule during the '2026 @SEC Football Schedule Reveal'

Join host @ESPNDari & CFB analysts @CoachGeneChizik, @ColeCubelic & @Harp41 as they breakdown the schedule

2-hr special | 8p ET | SECN

More: https://t.co/5F88aJt497 pic.twitter.com/IlgtTgaJs4

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 4, 2025

The post SEC announces 2026 schedule reveal show appeared first on Saturday Down South.

DeBoer said he appreciated the chance to address the Penn State talk and put an end to the speculation. The rumor included DeBoer being unhappy at Alabama, which he said is not true.

“We’re extremely happy at Alabama,” DeBoer said of his family. “We’re extremely happy here. Love the challenge. Love the grind. Love this place. There’s never been any link. There’s never been any conversation. There’s never been any interest either way. So I’m glad we can put that to bed right now.”

"We are extremely happy at Alabama. … There's never been any link, any conversation, any interest either way. I'm glad we can put that to bed right now."

Kalen DeBoer's response to being asked about the Penn State job. pic.twitter.com/uFi1vq1zqO

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 4, 2025

The second-year Alabama coach has a 19-6 record with the Crimson Tide, succeeding Nick Saban after the legendary coach’s retirement. The Tide missed the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff last year, but will play for a conference title on Saturday and are currently projected to make the CFP as the No. 9 team in the selection committee rankings.

DeBoer, 51, held jobs at Fresno State (2020-21) and Washington (2022-23) before taking the Alabama job. Penn State fired James Franklin on Oct. 12 and the full-time head coaching position remains open.

The post Kalen DeBoer shoots down Penn State rumors: ‘There’s never been any interest’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Braylen Warren took to social media to announce his plans to play for Eli Drinkwitz and Kirby Moore.

COMMITTED !! #MIZ@CoachDrinkwitz @KirbMoore @Coach__Gleeson @MaureyBland6 @Steve_Warren96 @jteigland @Warren_Academy @Coach_Limongi pic.twitter.com/vxcdsqivQY

— Braylen warren (@BraylenwarrenQB) December 4, 2025

Out of Omaha (Nebraska) Westside High School, Warren is listed as currently measuring 6-1 and 200 pounds. On the 247Sports Composite, Warren is rated 3-stars, the No. 2 player in the state of Nebraska, No. 29 quarterback and No. 419 prospect overall in the Class of 2027.

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While Mizzou and other programs have been focused on the Class of 2026 recently, recruiting is underway for the 2027 cycle. Warren has already collected scholarship offers from 15 programs. Kansas, Illinois, Arkansas, Florida State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State and Michigan State are among the programs that showed early interest.

Warren is Mizzou’s first 2027 commitment. The Tigers have signed 19 pledges in the 2026 class.

Fans interested in seeing what Warren will bring to Columbia can check out his Hudl highlight reel below:

The post Mizzou lands commitment from Class of 2027 QB appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Blue-chip defensive back Dylan Purter had been verbally committed to LSU since March. On Thursday, however, he signed with Florida.

Another beast in the secondary.

Welcome to the Gators, Dylan Purter @lil_dylan17 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/PGIYektEeM

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 4, 2025

Out of Tuskegee (Alabama) Booker T. Washington High School, Purter is listed as measuring over 6-feet and 165 pounds. On the 247Sports Composite, Purter is rated 4-stars, the No. 10 player in the state of Alabama, No. 20 safety and No. 207 prospect overall in the Class of 2026.

During his recruitment, Purter collected scholarship offers from 23 programs. In addition to LSU, the initial offers included Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mizzou, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Considering the coaching changes, it’s notable that Jon Sumrall‘s Tulane staff had recruited Purter, but not Lane Kiffin‘s Ole Miss program.

Florida’s 2026 class is currently ranked No. 15 nationally on the Composite. Purter is one of 17 signees in the class. The Gators also have a pair of verbal commitments that have not yet signed.

UF fans can get a preview of what Purter brings to The Swamp by checking out his highlights in the clip below, via Hudl:

The post Florida flips, signs 4-star DB formerly pledged to LSU appeared first on Saturday Down South.