ESPN RecruitingNation has updated the 2014 ESPN 300, and there are certainly some notable talking points that we, the college football recruiting universe, can take away from the release. Led by Senior National Recruiting Analyst Tom Luginbill, who released a report on the rankings, the folks over at ESPN RecruitingNation have scouted and re-analyzed the 300 high school recruits that are sure to play a huge role in the future of college football. Some recruits rose up the ...

When Big 12 Media Days wrapped up, the conference made clear what most people had already been thinking: There is no clear-cut leader to win the league. The media had voted Oklahoma State first, but with so little confidence that they were merely 28 points away from the fourth-place team. In fact, the Pokes, with 15 first-place votes, did not even double the second-, third- or fourth-place candidates. Basically, what the Big 12 has is an absolute ...

The Big 12 is home to some of college football's most storied rivalries.  One of the most historic is the Red River Rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, which is played annually at the Cotton Bowl in Texas.  Other famous rivalries within the Big 12 include Bedlam, between the Sooners and Oklahoma State, as well as the Sunflower Showdown, between Kansas State and Kansas.  With that, here are the top five rivalries in the Big ...

After the 2013-14 season, Michigan State will have a few holes to fill.  And that's putting it lightly.  Three stars are set to depart: Keith Appling and Adreian Payne due to graduation and Gary Harris due to his NBA future. Spartans coach Tom Izzo has the task of finding a new point guard to replace Appling. He'll have to plug someone in the frontcourt to make up for Payne, and he'll have to find a new scorer to ...

Michigan's annual Barbecue at the Big House has come and gone, and needless to say it was a success. This is especially impressive that it can be called a success since Leonard Fournette, the nation's top running back, surprisingly never showed up. Even though Fournette wasn't there, another big name did make the trip who wasn't necessarily expected to: Malik McDowell. McDowell is the best player in the state of Michigan and is one of the Wolverines' ...

West Virginia got some big news on July 26. Former Pittsburgh running back Rushel Shell will be transferring to West Virginia, according to an ESPN report. Shell will sit out the 2013 season to serve out the NCAA's transfer penalty before becoming eligible to play in 2014. As a true freshman at Pittsburgh, Shell rushed for 641 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 103 yards. The dual-threat back will fit perfectly in ...

Wide receiver Cayleb Jones officially left the Texas Longhorns last week, seeking a fresh start after personal and legal troubles in Austin. Late Monday evening, he gave some concrete indications of where he might go next. Jones posted on a list of eight schools he's considering on his Twitter account (h/t AL.com): Though Jones said he has a "few other interest(s)," it's safe to assume this is a working list of favorites. And it's quite the remarkable ...

The sport of football is changing, and with that change, college coaches are left with a momentous decision: stick to what has worked in the past or adapt accordingly. The game is getting faster, the players shrinking smaller, the defensive margin of error growing thinner each year. With so much speed on the opposite side of the field, traditional systems both offensive and defensive have begun at times to look antiquated. Not every coach will bend with ...

Absolutely nothing should be considered a "lock" in college football recruiting.  Whether it's a decommitment, a commitment or a flip, even the most plugged in have a hard time predicting what will actually happen on the recruiting trail.  Now that the big disclaimer is out of the way, let's discuss two Florida targets: 5-star receiver Ermon Lane and 4-star safety Quincy Wilson. Wilson—who released a top five of Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina and USC, according ...

Former Oregon 2014 commitment Jordan Hoiem has redefined the meaning of a decommitment. The 4-star outside linebacker, according to 247Sports, has decided to quit the game of football.  Andrew Greif of The Oregonian reported the news: Hoiem, however, revealed Monday that he is quitting football. It’s a decision he’s agonized over for the past year in part because of what he says is a sudden loss of confidence and fallout from the death of a close friend. He spent part of Monday trying ...