Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has quickly risen to the top of his profession, but his ascent almost never happened, as he considered retiring in 2011.  According to Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post, the 50-year-old coach revealed in March he gave thought to stepping away after just one year at the FSU helm due to his son, Ethan, getting diagnosed with Fanconi anemia: Yeah, it did cross my mind, without a doubt. I didn't know ...

One of the tougher units for the average fan—and yes, sportswriter—to evaluate, a strong offensive line has often been a necessity for finding success in the Big Ten. Between Woody Hayes' three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust mentality and the plethora of first-round picks the conference has produced throughout its history, the Big Ten has a long-standing tradition when it comes to impressive front fives. The upcoming season shouldn't be much different, with the league as a whole returning no shortage of ...

Maryland and Hawaii battled in the round of 32 this past March, but they might not even combine for 32 wins in 2016-17 after all that they're losing this offseason. And they're respectively just No. 8 and No. 7 in our ranking of the 10 college basketball teams destined for a setback season. In order to be considered a candidate for this list, the team must have won at least 60 percent of its games last ...

This 2016 Tennessee football team is deep enough, talented enough, experienced enough and has enough top-end star power to win the program's first SEC championship since 1998. But will it? Eighteen long years could come to an end this season. Leaders such as quarterback Joshua Dobbs, running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, defensive end Derek Barnett, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and cornerback Cameron Sutton are determined to put Rocky Top back on the map. With a slew of ...

Dynamic defender Joshua Paschal picked up his first collegiate scholarship offer from Ohio State in 2014, midway through a breakout sophomore season. It was a moment that vaulted him into the national recruiting spotlight. Now, nearing the end of his junior year at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland, he reports approximately 20 offers on the table. A consistently expanding list of options has provided him with plenty to consider. "When Ohio State came in and offered, ...

College football fans are stressed enough; imagine if they had to worry about their team's star freshman considering an early jump to the NFL. It's a luxury for college football that players aren't eligible to be drafted until after their third season. Teams don't have to rush freshmen into action, and if someone breaks through in that first season they know they're going to stick around for at least three years. Compare that to college basketball, where ...

Micah Clark, considered the top-ranked player in New Jersey, committed to Rutgers on Tuesday. The 4-star offensive tackle gave his verbal pledge to the Scarlet Knights, choosing the university over schools like Penn State and Michigan.  He made the announcement via Twitter: A breakout performer at St. John Vianney Regional High School in Holmdel, Clark had his recruitment centered on Penn State and Ohio State early on. 247Sports' "crystal ball" predictions initially gave the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes ...

Georgia bolstered its future offensive line Tuesday, as guard Netori Johnson committed to its 2017 recruiting class.  Johnson announced his commitment to the Bulldogs on Twitter: The 6'3 ½" and 348-pound Johnson is a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and he is the No. 122 overall recruit, the No. 4 guard and the No. 14 prospect from the state of Georgia in the 2017 class. Being from SEC territory, Johnson naturally attracted plenty of attention from the conference. Georgia, ...

Oklahoma is one program that does its share of recruiting outside the borders of its home territory. For example, only three of the Sooners' 12 pledges in the 2017 cycle are from in-state products.  However, a new homegrown target has emerged for head coach Bob Stoops and his staff in the form of 3-star offensive lineman Creed Humphrey—who netted an offer from the defending Big 12 champions last week.  The 6’4”, 301-pounder rates as the nation’s No. 5 center ...

While running backs are starting to get more and more attention in college football again after a renaissance 2015 season, the offensive spotlight still shines brightest on the quarterbacks. In 2016, college football will see the return of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield—two strong Heisman contenders. Others such as Ole Miss' Chad Kelly, Ohio State's J.T. Barrett and Notre Dame's combo of Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer will stand out this fall. But ...