CFB DeptHITS: Friday, December 20
Oh, this new cycle in college football. So much going on. Sort it all out between the transfer portal entries and commitments, coaching movement and CFP/Bowl game implications...
We are here to provide you with the ‘what you need to know’ each morning from the past 24 hours. This is no easy task right now with so much news coming at us. We have the portal in full swing. We have coaching movement to keep up with as well. Two FBS head coaching roles remain open as we speak and new hires are happening all across the new regimes. Of course, we can’t forget about the College Football Playoff first round kicking off tonight as Indiana heads to South Bend. Two other Bowl games to get you up to speed on as well.
NOTE: We are going to start adding in our CFBDepth player ratings when applicable. We’ll do this inside the brackets immediately after the players name. The player ratings are on a 20-point scale and if you want to learn more about how they are derived (and what they represent) for every single player on an FBS roster, please check out this article »
Example: QB Arch Manning [17.8]
|||||| PLAYER AVAILABILITY / STATUS NOTES
Georgia ::: It appears that the Bulldogs will be without Carson Beck [16.3] for the CFP Quarterfinals. Gunner Stockton [12.2], who came in for the injured Beck in the SEC Championship game, is in line to get the start and appears needed to carry this offense for the remainder of the season.
Texas ::: The Longhorns will be without one weapon in the passing game as Isaiah Bond [14.1] is "unlikely" to suit up for the first round playoff game against Clemson. That means more looks for others on the depth chart, including Ryan Wingo [13.5] and Silas Bolden [14.7]. If any group can handle this loss, it's this one.
Pittsburgh ::: The running back situation has flipped as we move into the bowl game prep. It appears that Desmond Reid [14.8], who did not travel with the Panthers week 14 is aiming to return for the bowl game. In that game, Derrick Davis Jr. [12.7] was injured and he is looking very questionable to suit up.
Texas A&M ::: The defensive line is going to look a lot different for the Aggies in their bowl game against USC come the 27th in Las Vegas. Their top three linemen on the defensive line - Nic Scourton [15.4], Shemar Stewart [15.3] and Shemar Turner [12.3] - have all opted out of the game. Head coach Mike Elko says he does not anticipate any more opt outs.
Bowling Green ::: RB Terrion Stewart [15.2] is in the portal but indicates via his personal X account that he will play one more game with the Falcons. That means we should see the dynamic running back in some capacity in next week's 68 Ventures Bowl.
North Texas ::: QB Drew Mestemaker [9.2] is announced as the starter for the First Responder Bowl against Texas State on January 3rd. With Chandler Morris [15.5] departing the program for Virginia, we will get an extended look at Mestemaker, the true freshman who backed up Morris this season. We don't have a lot of data on him but he was not a highly recruited player. Also, starting RB Shane Porter [14.2], who is in the transfer portal, is listed on the depth chart and looks as though he'll play.
LSU ::: WR Kyren Lacy [14.1] is headed to the NFL. He had nice career with the Tigers culminating with a 58-catch season for 866 yards and nine scores.
|||||| TRANSFER PORTAL NEED TO KNOWS
Quick look at our overall portal numbers updated:
Don’t forget to check out the best portal tracker in the business. We don’t just show you who has entered and where they are going. We show you their impact with player ratings, experience grades and recruiting information…
Oregon State ::: QB Maalik Murphy [15.0] is headed to Corvalis to join the Beavers in 2025. It wasn't the first thought that came to mind when he entered from Duke; but apparently it is how paid up to get him. A solid pick up for Trent Bray as they are in need of a replacement for Ben Gulbranson [15.2], whose eligibility has run out.
Nebraska ::: WR Nyziah Hunter [14.2] has chosen the Cornhuskers as his new home for 2025. After a solid true freshman season in Berkeley, he moves to Lincoln. He sees some writing on the wall with other assets getting healthy at Cal and a better path to playing time at Nebraska. He finished 2024 with 40 grabs for 578 yards and five touchdowns. The opportunity to play with ascending QB Dylan Raiola probably played a part in this decision as well.
Duke ::: In an attempt to put some playmakers around new quarterback Darian Mensah, Manny Diaz plucks WR Andrel Anthony [13.7] from the Sooners. Anthony never realized his full potential in Norman as injuries derailed both seasons spent there. He was originally at Michigan and now looks to finish out his career in Durham.
Virginia ::: The Cavs early portal work has been impressive and just got another boost with a big offensive line addition as UAB transfer C Brady Wilson [15.5] is headed to Charlottesville. Current center Brian Stevens [14.5] is graduating and this even appears to be an upgrade at the position.
North Carolina ::: Bill Belechick brings on a couple of projects on the offensive line. Both were big-time recruits at major powers but haven't had the success on the field quite yet. Starting with Chad Lindberg [11.5], who originally signed at Georgia before transferring out to Rice this season. Miles McVay [9.4] is an Alabama transfer who has seen just over 120 snaps in two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Again, both have pedigree and now Belechick looks to tap into that.
Mississippi State ::: Don't look now but this Mississippi State staff is doing work in the portal, especially on defense. They added LB Jalen Smith [14.3] to the mix yesterday. He joins S Jahron Manning [16.0] and DE Red Hibbler [14.2] on the Bulldogs 2025 defensive unit. Offensive-minded head coach Jeff Lebby is solidifying the other side of the ball as he sees the importance of getting stops to compete in the SEC.
Wisconsin ::: The Badgers take a big hit with the loss of CB Xavier Lucas [16.3]. He announced he will enter the portal and is linked closely to Miami (FL). He is from Fort Lauderdale and it seems like a logial move for him. He will have three years of eligibility remaining and is already at the top of our portal rankings at defensive back.
Washington State ::: The exodus out of Pullman has begun after the news of Jake Dickert's taking the Wake Forest job. Outside of QB John Mateer, the next biggest name may just be DL David Gusta [16.4]. That rating puts him towards the upper eschelon of the group. He'll be sought after and may follow his head coach across country to Winston Salem. Also, CB Stephen Hall [14.8] entered and is looking for a new home in 2025.
Texas Tech ::: The Red Raiders assault on the early portal continues as they nab RB Quinten Joyner [14.9] from USC to sign on. He was buried a bit behind Woody Marks this year but rates out very highly and has a chance to take on a lead role taking over for Tahj Brooks next year in Lubbock.
West Virginia ::: RB CJ Donaldson Jr. [14.7] isn't interested in sticking around to share carries with Jaheim White [14.5] anymore apparently. He entered the portal and will look for a new home in 2025.
Florida ::: WR J.Michael Sturdivant [12.4] is going cross-country to join the Gators from UCLA. He started at Cal as a four-star recruit and showed well as a true freshman. He joined the then-Chip Kelly led Bruins as a sophomore, but things didn't quite go as planned and some brought out some glaring inefficiencies in his game. He will look to get back on track with Billy Napier and company in Gainesville.
Purdue ::: Barry Odom snags a quarterback from the portal who has a shot to be the starter. Former Arkansas Razorback Malachi Singleton [14.2] is joining the Boilermakers. He doesn't have a lot of game experience but he rates out high and could get his shot as Odom tends to favor mobile quarterbacks.
Jacksonville State ::: DB Geimere Latimer [14.3] is hitting the portal and will be a nice pick up for somebody. He may look to level up to the top of the Power Four and if so, he likely becomes a fringer starter/rotation player. If he goes middle of the P4 pack, he could be a full-time player.
Wisconsin ::: Here's a fun one for you. Remember this name. S Matt Jung [10.5] has signed on with Wisconsin. Going from Division III Bethel University, he put up some ridiculous stats as a safety for the Royals. In two seasons, he managed 16 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns, to go along with 181 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. It will be interesting to see how he makes this jump and if he sees the rotation in Madison. We'll be tracking.
UNLV ::: A name that we are going track his wherabouts is LB Fisher Camac [14.0], who entered the portal on Thursday. Our best guess is that he follows his head coach to Purdue, but we'll just have to wait and see. The Rebels are also losing S Jalen Catalon [14.0], who also may look to move to West Lafayette.
Massachusetts ::: We don't want to just tell you about the obvious portal moves, the biggest names, but give you some interesting pickups from smaller schools. We saw one yesterday that has LB Timmy Hinspeter [13.4] going from Rutgers to UMass. A solid defensive pickup for the new regime.
North Carolina ::: CJ Mims [13.4] has flipped his portal commitment away from Wake Forest after Dave Clawson stepped down. He has announced he will join Bill Belechick at North Carolina. The ECU transfer is a fringe starter on the defensive line and is likely to be well within the rotation for Heels in 2025.
|||||| A COUPLE OF COACHING NOTES
Purdue ::: Barry Odom officially announced the hiring of his young, up-and-coming defensive coordinator, Mike Scherer as his defensive coordinator at Purdue. Scherer is just 30 years old and has been with Odom at both UNLV and prior to that at Arkansas.
West Virginia ::: Rich Rodriguez made the announcement that he's basically starting from scratch with his first staff back in Morgantown. He detailed plans to retain only Blaine Stewart in a role that is to be determined. Stewart was the tight ends coach in 2024. He's likely to bring a contingent over from Jacksonville State with him and we'll keep an eye on all of that movement. FootballScoop (as usual) is the source here.
|||||| ONE CFP PLAYOFF GAME AND TWO BOWLS
With so much off-the-field news coming at us, it’s easy to lose track of what’s happening ON the field. We won’t let that happen. Tonight, we’ll see two bowl games and our first ever College Football Playoff first round game will commence in South Bend, Indiana as the Hoosiers take on Notre Dame. It really doesn’t get a whole lot better than this. Get your ‘quick previews’ and full-on ‘Game Cards’ over at the site (click the image):
That’s our show for today. Stay tuned to the website for more information and please spread the word!