All Activity

Next recruiting territory? Ireland? excerpt from The Athletic Gibbs grew up about 65 miles north of Dublin playing both soccer and Gaelic football — a cross between rugby and soccer. Gibbs had just 15 minutes to warm up before the 30-minute workout commenced in front of Tucker and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig. That’s when Franklin — who was on one of his “old man walks” as he calls his strolls around the stadium — took off his headphones and came over to chat with Leader. “And then Adam’s first punt that he hit, I have a good video of it, coach Franklin standing over his shoulder, and he hits, I think, 64 yards with 5.3 seconds of hang, which is just abnormal,” Leader said. “After Adam hit a couple of bombs, (Franklin) then walked away with coach Lustig, and at that point, I assumed something good was happening because it was not normal what Adam was doing for a kid of his age. Coach Franklin just pulled me aside and said, ‘Listen, would it be OK if we offered Adam a full ride right now?’ And so then obviously I said, ‘Yeah. That’s why we flew from Ireland and drove from New York. That’s why we’re here.’ So that was pretty cool.” For now, the plan is for him to punt and handle kickoffs at Penn State. He’s not quite sure yet if he’ll enroll early in January 2026 or wait until June.

Today, the Big Ten Network (BTN) starts its tour of B1G training camps. Nebraska is first up—8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific. OBD - Friday, 8/15 Enjoy! Fall camp means we are close to the start of the 2025 season. 😍

Will USC (and Illinois) be B1G busts in 2025? https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/10-college-football-teams-poised-to-disappoint-this-season-172033573.html The Yahoos say: Yes!

Place Your B1G Bets? Athlon looks at every B1G team's O/U win totals. The two 'experts' are split on the Ducks going over 10.5. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-college-football-betting-preview-penn-state-leads-a-crowded-field-of-contenders#oregon If you decide to bet, don't bet Bigger than you can afford. 🤑

Before NIL the rules around recruiting were much different and I'm not talking about pay for play. Recruiting classes used to be capped at 25 a cycle. Yes, there were ways to technically have more of players enrolled early they could count towards the previous years limit so you'd get one year with 23 recruits and the following year with 27 but they were technically 25 and 25. Now if you have scholarships you can fill your class as much as you want. USC has more than 30 commits right now. Many of which are good recruits but building a culture based on so many new faces is going to I be rough. Veterans set the pace of practice and locker room discipline. USC is going to lose some players to the portal and graduation before this recruiting class gets to campus. And they're not done yet with this class and they'll have some takes in the portal. They're probably looking at closer to 40-50 new faces by next year's fall camp. That assumes this class stays together. No veteran presence and the NIL amounts for some players will create a culture nightmare so we'll see if Riley can handle that.

QB or Not QB? Ryan can't wait all Day to make a decision. 🫠 https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/whos-ohio-states-next-qb-ryan-day-faces-familiar-task-in-picking-buckeyes-new-starter-for-2025/

This used to be the correct strategy back when NIL didn't exist. Get as many great HS players as you can and pray for a minimal number of busts. USC is sticking to that philosophy but they're using NIL money knowing some of it will be totally wasted on players who don't work out.

Hoosier Heather Dinich (Indiana Class of 2001) evaluates whether the odds of making the 2025-26 playoff field accurately reflect a team's chances. The order of teams No. 1, Texas, through No. 32, Texas Tech, reflects the order of ESPN's preseason rankings. Despite the roster turnover, Dinich thinks that No. 6 OBD, with ESPN Bet Odds of +1200 to make the playoff field, will return to this season's playoffs. Miami fans will likely be Raising Cane (🤬) over this: No. 8 "Miami (+4000) has continued to find ways to flop in games it should win ..." The five B1G teams in the top 25, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Oregon, No. 14 Michigan, and No. 21 USC, are the five B1G Blue Chip Roster teams. Nebraska comes in at No. 30. These SEC-centric rankings should include Illinois and Indiana. We're closing in on the long-awaited start of the season. 😍 Bob Them Cats! ESPN.comCFP 2025: 32 teams can make the College Football PlayoffUsing ESPN Analytics, Heather Dinich breaks down the 32 teams that can make the playoff.

Humm, I guess they are learning from the sc fans. Alabama fans are in full-blown panic mode after Oregon landed 5-star Tank Jones

The b12 is a power 4 conference in name only. 😊 YardbarkerThe Big 12 is a Power 4 conference in name onlyWhen it comes to the Power 4 conferences in major college football, there is one conference that isn't like the others.

Strength of schedule is amusing to me in many ways. I know it's a metric that SEC people use quite often. But here's the problem. Let's say Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, and Ole Miss all start in the top 20. All of those teams automatically are given a boost when they play each other. Missouri can lose to Texas and they won't drop far. Texas will gain the boost from playing Missouri and it's labeled a top 15 win. Missouri can lose four games to top 15 teams and they won't drop. They will be given the benefit of the doubt because they lost to four top 15 teams. But Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Washington, Maryland, and Michigan State will all start out the season with the same record as those in the SEC. They will not get the benefit of the doubt, and losses accrued will be punished far more severely. Oregon can beat Illinois before Illinois has a chance to prove they were a ten win team, and Oregon will not get the initial bump for beating Illinois, Nebraska, or Maryland. So each loss will lower their perceived ranking and the wins will give them less padding. After all losing to an unranked Illinois is far worse than a top 15 Missouri. But why did Missouri get the benefit of the doubt when the season started? Because they won ten games the season prior and won a Cotton Bowl over a less than motivated Ohio State squad. I don't know why this is hard to understand. I'm not jealous of other SEC squads and defecting my loyalties. First of all I am a fan of one team and will never cheer for Georgia or Tennessee in the playoff. If that makes me some kind of turncoat or Benedict Arnold, so be it. But we all know if you start on third base because of your brand or conference affiliation, you have a major headstart over those that have to win big from the start, and you better not lose even after you start off with a bang. A two loss Texas will always be given the benefit over a a one loss Indiana. If you don't take my word for it, look at this preseason SOS list. Go look at the last five years, look at the end season loss columns. Then look where those teams started the next year. Look where the benefit is given. https://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other?date=2025-01-21

This is what will happen-USC will go 8-5 and Oregon 12+ wins and a run at the National title. Those freshman that chose USC over Oregon will not transfer to Oregon (or other better programs) and Riley will have to start all over again. It just breaks my heart!

I-Man says Tanks (😁) Dan for bringing in a guy he helped recruit to the The Flock. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/recruiting/2025/07/31/oregon-ducks-football-immanuel-iheanacho-tank-jones-commitment/85466040007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_me It's a bad day in Tuscaloosa, right, Bama Hammer? Bama HammerAlabama Crimson Tide News: recruiting whiff, fall camp up...Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from the last two days of July. August is here, and you know what that means? Alabama plays football this month! Alabama lo

The general strategy seems to be to simply spend the bigger $$ on players who will play right away, regardless of how old they are, but there are no absolutes or simple formulas. USC has an incredible HS class. We’ll see if spending a ton on HS talent upfront is a whiff in short order. Although at a different scale and out of necessity, I think our buddy at CU was ahead of the curve on this front.

Oregon Recruiting Intel"This is another class that will keep Oregon in the national title discussion for years to come,"Newberg asked him, "Steve, haters will say Oregon bought this class. But I'm here to provide some balance. Because if you're going to say Oregon bought this class, then how are you going to explain missing on Jackson Cantwell? How do you explain missing on Jared Curtis? Missing on Chris Henry Junior? There's been a lot of guys that Oregon has not gotten. For various reasons, not because of NIL." Fans that say Oregon won recuiting battles soley because they bought players is a “cheap and lazy take." "Certainly there are times where Oregon shows up to a gun fight with a bazooka, because they can. And no one should ever apologize for that." "My point is that there are times where Oregon can flex the biggest muscles from a financial package standpoint, but never is there a time where they're out-recruited." Steve Wiltfong is high on Oregon picking up both Davon Benjamin and Deuce Geralds. If so, Oregon most likely move up into the top 3. Oregon picking up four 5-star recruits in Emanuel Iheanacho, Jett Washington, Kendre Harrison, and Anthony (Tank) Jones. This runs about 8 minutes, but great insight from Steve Wilfong, not only what Oregon could do this weekend, but down the road picking up other players before this recruiting season is over.

More from Tosh on Transfers and Frosh Oregon Ducks' Tosh Lupoi Gives First Impressions of Transfers, Freshman Linebacker

This is the correct answer. I think the Oregon staff is making wiser use of their NIL dollars. Likely spending the lion's share on proven players. I'm sure there are a few HS players who will be deemed worthy of some NIL deals, but we'll see who they are when DL starts flipping guys in December. I was listening to a Dabo Swinney interview. As many of you may or may not know, he has taken some heat for taking his time in adapting to the use of NIL for recruiting. He has now adopted this same philosophy. He doesn't use NIL to recruit kids out of high school. It's only for proven players either already on the team or transfer portal targets.

Predicting Oregon Ducks' offensive depth chart at start of fall camp practices offensive depth chartPredicting Oregon Ducks' defensive depth chart at start of fall camp practices defensive depth chart

Oregon enters August with a chance to continue to add to its Top-10 ranked recruiting class Oregon football will have a chance at adding two more impact additions to its 2026 recruiting class in the early stages of the month of August.

Find out what Oregon's defensive coordinator, Tosh Lupoi, had to say after the Ducks' second fall practice. Everything Oregon DC Tosh Lupoi said following fall practice No. 2

Tosh Lupoi: "We've got a group that's talented."Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi meets with the media following practice on July 31, 2025.

I know this would sound crazy to a USC fan... but maybe Oregon doesn't just throw money and outright buy players? Maybe they actually recruit players based on other criteria? Yeah.. no USC fan would buy that. They have always bought players and they don't understanding that players sometimes play for something other than money.

I find it amusing that we constantly live in their heads. At some point their fans need to realize that they need better coaching and players. They are now throwing around money, and are accumulating talent, good for them. They really should be asking themselves whether Riley is the guy to turn all the money into a championship team. From what I can see, the longer he stays, the worse they get.

As if the Ducks are the only team standing between the Toejams and the Promised Land......delusional. If, God forbid, we melt down, there are 20+ other teams better than the Trojans, even in their "renewal phase."

If Championships were won in August, SUC would rival the 60's Celtics! We are coming down to the final month of Delusion Season and SUC once again reigns supreme. Last year they were just one, two maybe five, six or possibly fifteen, twenty plays away from a glorious playoff run. I wonder what 1,2,5,6,15,20 plays it will be this year. They have a mine field to get through just to reach .500. Here's a look at it. Georgia Southern: Their old coach returns with his scrappy little team. I expect Riley to get out coached as he costs his team a few times trying to prove himself. I'm calling giving up a pick six on 4th and goal right now. Michigan State: Jonathan Smith year two will be a dangerous animal. Again expect Riley to be way out coached and possibly even go down. Bring back Helton chant is heard for the first time. At Illinois: On the road against a potential top 15-25 team. I'd book this one as a loss even if SUC brings their A game. Michigan: UM will be looking for a We're back! game and this one would fit the shoe. Hel ton! Hel ton! Hel ton! I can hear it now. At Notre Dame: Again over their heads even bringing A game. At Nebraska: The fifth gauntlet game in a row. This shouldn't be a tough game but will be. As confidence wanes, SUCs B game looks more like their C game and it costs them on the road. Iowa: Of all the teams to try to get right again against, Iowa isn't who you want. A frustratingly disciplined team doesn't go away and again getting out coached. Disappointed SUC fans purchase Helton tee shirts from a savy street vendor on their way home. At OBD: At this point, I almost feel sorry SUC fans. Almost! UCLA: Like a garden rake to the nads, SUC over looks danger beneath their feet and pays the price. After another humiliating season is done, SUC fires Riley, hires Chip and the 2026 Delusion Bowl Champions will be excitedly hoisting that invisible trophy yet again.