CFB DeptHITS: Tuesday, February 11
Let's get caught up on the news impacting college football over the last few days. The HITS today remain focused primarily on player and coaching movements as the "off-season" is underway...
Today, we’ll get you all caught up on the news of the day. It’s led by plenty of coaching movement as the coaching staffs are being finalized for the 2025 season. At the end, check out the eight SEC State of the Chart™ update posts we’ve made it through thus far. Don’t fall behind.
|||||| THE HITS
Oregon ::: Former Tulane and Ole Miss CB Jadon Canady [13.8] is headed to Eugene to joint the Ducks. He'll add depth to the position group that will remain one of the top units in college football in 2025. He joins CB Theran Johnson (Northwestern) and S Dillon Thieneman (Purdue) as the portal reinforcements to help replace some of the losses they will incur.
Arizona State ::: Don't forget that WR Jordyn Tyson was missing from the Sun Devils' post-season run after an injury late in the season. The news is that he'll be fully healthy for spring workouts and should be all set up for a big 2025 season. Meanwhile, starting RT Max Ihenachor will miss spring workouts as he recovers from an apparent injury.
Louisville ::: TE Izayah Cummings [13.4] is hitting the portal. Cummings came to Louisville from Kentucky, but he managed to only see action in four games for the Cardinals and will hit the road again as a graduate. He has one year remanining.
Texas Tech ::: The Red Raiders get a big personnel retention as Marcus Freeman is again unable to lure James Blanchard to South Bend. News broke over the weekend that despite their best efforts, Blanchard has "unfinished business" with Joey McGuire and company and will stick in Lubbock to see this through. Part of the reason has to be the exellent job he has already done here, getting a big portal haul and improving this roster immensely this off-season.
Kansas State ::: Wildcats offensive coordinator Conor Riley is leaving to become the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys. Riley was promoted to the OC role after K-State lost their play caller, Collin Klein, to Texas A&M last off-season. Riley spent one season at the helm, retaining the job of offensive line coach, his clear speciality.
Chris Klieman acted quickly and true to form as he promotes from within (again) by elevating former Utah State and Texas Teah head coach Matt Wells to the offensive coordinator role. When you have the guy in-house, why go elsewhere? Wells will take over as the offensive coordinator and play caller in Manhattan in 2025.
UTEP ::: The Miners are going to need to find a new defensive coordinator as Football Scoop reports the NFL's Dallas Cowboys are hiring J.J. Clark to a defensive assistant program. More and more college coaches/coordinators are jumping to the NFL.
|||||| MORE NEWS & NOTES
Ohio State is elevating tight ends coach Keenan Bailey to include the title of “co-offensive coordinator” and will work closely with newly promoted offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. He will retain his role working with the tight ends.
It’s even more of a family affair as Bill Belechick is bringing in Brian Belechick to become safeties coach. He’s spent the past nine years in the NFL with the Patriots and is well respected in coaching circles, according to Matt Zenitz.
The Irish are stealing Penn State’s running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider for the same role in South Bend. Seider has overseen different aspects for the Penn State running game, including elevated roles as Associate Head Coach and co-offensive coordinator, as well as running backs coach since 2018.
Former Michigan assistant running backs coach Jayden Everett won’t honor his commitment to join the South Alabama staff after all. Minnesota and PJ Fleck, instead, will bring him on board to give him that full-time on-field coaching role and he’ll choose to stay in the Big Ten. Everett came to Michigan after a season as the running backs coach at Vanderbilt in 2023.
The NFL’s Dallas Cowboys continue to reach into the collegiate ranks for their coaching staff. This time, it is now former Oregon wide receivers coach Junior Adams, who will make the move to coach on Sundays. He had been in Eugene since 2022 and also held the title of co-offensive coordinator in 2024.
Minnesota is set to hire Central Michigan defensive line coach CJ Robbins as their new “rush ends” coach. Robbins has moved around a lot recently and now gets into the Big Ten with the Gophers. This is actually a return to Minneapolis, as he was on staff back in 2020-21. He was also at Kent State as special teams/linebackers coach in 2023.
Auburn’s defensive coordinator DJ Durkin has received a contract extension and his salary has been raised from $1.3 Million to $2.5 Million. He becomes the second-highest paid coordinator behind only new Penn State DC Jim Knowles.
Those wondering what would happen with Nick Sheridan, who served as the offensive coordinator at Alabama this past season, have their answer. He will remain on staff and coach quarterbacks — which is what was widely expected. The reunion with OC Ryan Grubb forced the change and Sheridan’s demotion is more of a result of the opportunity to get the experience of Grubb back in the building, rather than an indictment of the job that he did.
|||||| STATE OF THE CHART™ UPDATES
Don’t fall too far behind as we roll through the SEC in our ‘off-season’ State of the Chart™ updates:
Later today, we’re planning on putting out the Kentucky Wildcats’ update.
2/1: Alabama Crimson Tide
2/3: Georgia Bulldogs
2/4: LSU Tigers
2/5: Auburn Tigers
2/6: Arkansas Razorbacks
2/7: Florida Gators
2/8: Ole Miss Rebels
2/10: Tennessee Volunteers
Don’t forget — these ‘off-season’ updates will roll right into the release of our full-on preview magazine scheduled for launch in July. That will have all of the data, charts and information you’ll need to be the most informed heading into the 2025 season. Educate yourself on more here:
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