Each college football recruiting cycle is a long and winding journey that supplies plenty of surprises along the way. While coaching staffs are now just weeks away from welcoming entire 2016 classes to campuses across America, major strides have already been made toward next national signing day. An expansive collection of impressive high school juniors declared collegiate intentions early, helping solidify strong 2017 foundations for several marquee programs well in advance of that decisive day in ...

ESPN on Wednesday released its revised ESPN 300 rankings, and two offensive linemen have taken over the top two spots for the 2017 class. Less than 10 months away from national signing day, ESPN has 123 of its top 300 players verbally committed. And for the first time this year, fans are seeing a new name as the top-ranked player in the nation. Here are five takeaways from the updated rankings:   OTs shine in rankings, including at No. ...

So much goes into college football recruiting, when in reality the process could be so much simpler. Just open the school's media guide, turn to the page that lists all of the NFL draft picks that have played there, say "you could be next" and then wait for the commitment. It shouldn't be a surprise that the college teams who recruit the best also happen to be the ones that have their names mentioned most often ...

Major-conference college football teams have produced some of the biggest stars in NFL history, and the upcoming draft may include players who are set to join that group. But we're looking at—and appreciating—the past, as well as several current luminaries. While this year's prospects are full of potential, legends from Power Five schools (plus Notre Dame) boast immense production from their time in the NFL. Since the list is based on conference affiliation in 2016, a program's ...

Former Georgia Bulldogs commit Devonta Smith still has substantial SEC flare in his recruitment, further reinforced by a list of favorites the 4-star wide receiver released Wednesday morning. The lauded Louisiana prospect posted a lengthy collection of favored universities on Twitter, presenting positive news for 10 college programs: Smith's group of primary suitors features five SEC schools, representing half the list. His top options include Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Tennessee. He ...

College football spring practices can be largely uneventful. In fact, a lot of coaches would like to keep them that way as their teams continue their behind-the-scenes preparation for the upcoming season. But this is college football, a unique sport that doesn't always stay inside the lines—especially during the long offseason. Over the last few weeks, several spring practices and spring games offered up plenty of eyebrow-raising events that spread like wildfire on social media.  A rapper earned ...

With 33 offers to his credit, 4-star safety Daniel Wright has begun the process of shrinking his number of suitors. On Wednesday morning, Wright announced the 11 schools that are left in the race to land his signature on national signing day: Among the schools that made his cut are Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC. Last month, the 6’1”, 182-pounder from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — With the rumor-filled circus that is the NFL draft approaching Thursday, the only certainty in the NFL right now seems to be this: Ohio State will have a heavy presence in Chicago at this weekend's selection show. With more than 70 percent of Ohio State's starting lineup and nine underclassmen having departed from last year's team, as many as 14 ex-Buckeyes could wind up hearing their names called by the end of this weekend. ...

Hitting five cities over the span of two months, Stetson Bennett IV wasn't going to let distance stop him from pursuing his dreams. This spring, the Elite 11 regional tour became a second home of sorts for Bennett, an unrated quarterback from Blackshear, Georgia. Of the tour's first nine stops, Bennett made appearances at five of them: Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Charlotte. Looking to do the math? Bennett and his family traveled roughly 4,052 miles round trip in attempting to ...

It seems like an annual tradition at Ohio State for the hype train to gain momentum for a breakout freshman in the offseason, only to lose steam just as the real football gets underway. In 2013, the first-year player destined for stardom was Dontre Wilson, the speedy playmaker from DeSoto, Texas, who some pegged as the second coming of Percy Harvin. Teammates, highlighted by quarterback Braxton Miller, raved about Wilson's speed and playmaking ability and expected ...