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Tag Archives: commits
BREAKING: NICK SABAN FLIPS ANOTHER PROSPECT!!! RED MORGAN COMMITS TO ALABAMA 🔥 🔥 🔥 – BAMA FOOTBALL ON YOUTUBE WITH KYLE HENDERSON
- BREAKING: NICK SABAN FLIPS ANOTHER PROSPECT!!! RED MORGAN COMMITS TO ALABAMA 🔥 🔥 🔥 BAMA FOOTBALL ON YOUTUBE WITH KYLE HENDERSON
- Three-star defensive back commit Rydarrius “Red” Morgan flips to Alabama Tomahawk Nation
- Alabama flips another elite safety from powerhouse program Athlon Sports
- NICK SABAN JUST FLIPPED PEYTON WOODYARD FROM GEORGIA 🤯 BAMA FOOTBALL ON YOUTUBE WITH KYLE HENDERSON
- Flip central: In-state safety flips commitment from Florida State to Alabama Saturday Down South
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Georgia football 2023 recruiting class live updates, commits and signees
The Georgia football program will see some of its top targets announce their college plans on Wednesday as a part of 2023 National Signing Day. Below you can find live updates on the day, as well as the latest on Georgia’s signees and commitments.
Georgia has the No. 2 ranked signing class for the 2023 recruiting cycle. Among the top targets to watch include Duce Robinson, Walker Lyons, Jamal Meriweather and Ellis Robinson.
Georgia football live updates on 2023 National Signing Day
“We love Coach Monken,” Robinson said. “We love his offense and we love what he does. But there are a lot of other things to love about Georgia, too. Whether he decides to stay or gets a job in the NFL, we love Georgia regardless.”
Monken has also interviewed for the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator job as well.
The Georgia offensive coordinator is under contract for the next two seasons and is believed to be the highest-paid assistant coach in the sport.
6 a.m. update: While there may not be as many fireworks compared to past years, there is plenty of mystery as to what is in store for Georgia on Wednesday.
We know that Kirby Smart won’t be having a press conference on Wednesday. That speaks in part to the fact that Georgia isn’t expected to be active in signing players. Offensive tackle Jamal Meriweather was the only committed Bulldog to not sign during the early signing period and is expected to follow through on Wednesday.
Two top 2023 targets could make their decisions known on Wednesday. They could also elect to extend their recruitment past the start of National Signing Day.
Both play the tight end position, as Georgia has made strong recruiting efforts for 5-star tight end Duce Robinson and 4-star prospect Walker Lyons.
Robinson is from Phoenix and is considering Georgia, USC and Texas. But Robinson is also a highly-touted baseball prospect as well, which explains why Robinson may not sign and continue his recruitment. He has recently worked out for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. The MLB draft is not until July and Robinson could wait until after that event has been held to finalize his plans.
As for Lyons, he is considering Utah, BYU and USC, along with Georgia. But we already know he won’t play college football next season, as he is set to partake in his Mormon mission. Lyons is not set to arrive at a school until 2024.
Neither has announced their plans as far as a possible commitment time for Wednesday.
Georgia will learn about a commitment from a 5-star prospect it covets on Wednesday, as 2024 5-star cornerback Ellis Robinson will announce his decision between 1:30 p.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Robinson is the No. 1 overall ranked cornerback for the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Entering the day, Georgia has the No. 2 ranked recruiting class for the 2023 cycle and the No. 1 ranking for the 2024 recruiting class. Georgia signed most of its class in December, inking 25 high school prospects. Georgia also brought in transfers RaRa Thomas, Dominic Lovett and Smoke Bouie as well.
Georgia football targets on 2023 National Signing Day
5-star Duce Robinson, tight end, Pinnacle, Az., 6-foot-6, 225 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 23 overall, No. 1 at his position, No. 1 player in Arizona. 247Sports Composite: 17/1/1. On3 raw: 23/1/1. Rivals: 25/1/1. ESPN: 40/1/1. 247Sports raw: 19/1/1. *Not expected to sign. Unknown if he will commit on Wednesday. Considering: Georgia, USC, Texas, MLB
4-star Walker Lyons, tight end, Folsom, Calif., 6-foot-4, 225 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 119 overall, No. 7 at his position, No. 10 player in California. 247Sports Composite: 123/5/10. On3 raw: 240/13/15. Rivals: 102/4/8. ESPN: 117/2/9. 247Sports raw: 156/9/11. *Will not arrive on campus until the summer of 2024. Unknown if he will commit or sign on Wednesday. Considering: Georgia, Utah, USC, BYU
5-star 2024 Ellis Robinson, cornerback, New Haven, Ct., (attends IMG Academy) 6-foot-1, 185 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 7 overall, No. 1 at his position, No. 1 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 13/1/6. On3 raw: 2/1/1. Rivals: 59/5/16. ESPN: 5/2/2. 247Sports raw: 8/1/3. Expected to commit between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Georgia football 2023 commitments
3-star Jamal Meriweather, offensive tackle, Brunswick, Ga., 6-foot-6, 285 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 626 overall, No. 38 at his position, No. 62 player in Georgia. 247Sports Composite: 474/30/51. On3 raw: 195/13/20. Unranked by Rivals. ESPN: unranked/42/40. 247Sports raw: unranked/32/44
Georgia football 2023 signees
*Denotes early enrollees
(Overall ranking/position ranking/state ranking)
*5-star Damon Wilson, edge rusher(OLB for UGA), Venice, Fla., 6-foot-5, 235 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 20 overall, No. 3 at his position, No. 5 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: No. 20 overall, No. 3 at his position, No. 4 player in Florida. On3 raw: 22/5/5. Rivals: No. 11/3/4. ESPN: 35/4/11. 247Sports raw: 45/5/11.
*5-star Jordan Hall, defensive lineman(DT for UGA), Jacksonville, Fla., 6-foot-3, 310 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 25 overall, No. 4 at his position, No. 6 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 39/4/10. On3 raw: 13/2/2. Rivals: 16/4/6. ESPN: 152/11/37. 247Sports raw 12/2/3
*5-star Raylen Wilson, inside linebacker, Tallahassee, Fla., 6-foot-1, 225 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 29 overall, No. 4 at his position, No. 7 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 27/3/7. On3 raw: 18/1/3. Rivals: 79/6/18. ESPN: 15/2/4. 247Sports raw: 21/2/5
*5-star Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle, Mount Pleasant, SC., 6-foot-7, 290 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 32 overall, No. 5 at his position, No. 1 player in South Carolina. 247Sports Composite: 32/5/1. On3 raw: 7/1/1. Rivals: 53/5/1. ESPN: No. 56/5/1. 247Sports raw: 33/6/1.
*4-star A.J. Harris, cornerback, Phenix City, Ala. 6-foot, 190 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 39 overall, No. 3 at his position, No. 5 player in Alabama. 247Sports Composite: 41/3/5. On3 raw: 87/10/8. Rivals: 41/5/5. ESPN: 37/4/4. 247Sports raw: 27/2/1
*4-star Samuel M’Pemba, edge rusher(OLB for UGA), Saint Louis, Mo. (attended IMG Academy), 6-foot-3, 255 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 44 overall, No. 6 at his position, No. 12 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 47/8/11. On3 raw: 136/15/27. Rivals: 10/2/2. ESPN: 33/3/9. 247Sports raw: 81/11/16
*4-star Joenel Aguero, safety, Danvers, Ma., 5-foot-11, 191 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 47 overall, No. 3 at his position, No. 2 player in Massachusetts. 247Sports Composite: 37/3/2. On3 raw: 38/3/1. Rivals: 78/2/5. ESPN: 27/3/2/. 247Sports raw: 29/2/2
*4-star Gabe Harris, edge rusher (OLB for UGA), Valdosta, Ga. (attended IMG Academy), 6-foot-4, 245 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 67 overall, No. 9 at his position, No. 16 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 65/12/16. On3 raw: 101/12/21. Rivals: 46/5/12. ESPN: 101/12/25. 247Sports raw: 96/13/20.
*4-star Pearce Spurlin, tight end, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., 6-foot-6, 240-pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 68 overall, No. 2 at his position, No. 17 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 76/2/19. On3 raw: 73/3/17. Rivals: 50/13/3. ESPN: 160/5/40. 247Sports raw: 105/5/25.
*4-star C.J. Allen, inside linebacker, Barnesville, Ga., 6-foot, 226 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 76 overall, No. 6 at his position, No. 4 player in Georgia. 247Sports Composite: 72/5/4. On3 raw: 145/13/13. Rivals: 82/6/4. ESPN: 97/2/5. 247Sports raw: 48/4/4.
4-star Troy Bowles, inside linebacker, Tampa, Fla., 6-foot, 206 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 88 overall, No. 7 at his position, No. 21 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 80/6/20. On3 raw: 226/22/45. Rivals: 86/7/22. ESPN: 41/4/12. 247Sports raw: 67/6/14.
*4-star Tyler Williams, wide receiver, Lakeland, Fla., 6-foot-2, 200 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 91 overall, No. 18 at his position, No. 22 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 93/17/23. On3 raw: 68/10/15. Rivals: 132/20/29. ESPN: 157/21/39. 247Sports raw: 110/17/28.
4-star Bo Hughley, offensive tackle, Fairburn, Ga., 6-foot-6, 295 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 127 overall, No. 11 at his position, No. 8 player in Georgia. 247Sports Composite: 110/11/6. On3 raw: Unranked/25/34. Rivals: 104/6/6. ESPN: 108/9/7. 247Sports raw: 80/10/8.
*4-star Lawson Luckie, tight end, Norcross, Ga., 6-foot-3, 240 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 144 overall, No. 8 at his position, No. 11 player in Georgia. 247Sports Composite: 143/8/10. On3 raw: 127/7/11. Rivals: 224/13/17. ESPN: 252/8/23. 247Sports raw: 68/2/6.
*4-star Roderick Robinson, running back, San Diego, Calif., 6-foot-1, 238 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 151 overall, No. 10 at his position, No. 11 player in California. 247Sports Composite: 190/14/14. On3 raw: 259/16/16. Rivals: 57/3/6. ESPN: 284/20/21. 247Sports raw: 241/19/14.
4-star Daniel Harris, cornerback, Miami, Fla., 6-foot-2, 175 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 162 overall, No. 18 at his position, No. 35 player in Florida. 247Sports Composite: 163/19/36. On3 raw: 55/6/13. Rivals: 230/29/42. ESPN: 154/17/38. 247Sports: unranked/32/55.
4-star Chris Peal, cornerback, Charlotte, NC., 6-foot-1, 190 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 166 overall, No. 21 at his position, No. 5 player in North Carolina. 247Sports Composite: 182/22/6. On3 raw: 83/9/4. Rivals: unranked/18 at safety/8. ESPN. 208/26/7. 247Sports raw: 232/25/8.
*4-star Jamaal Jarrett, defensive tackle, Greensboro, NC., 6-foot-5, 380 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 182 overall, No. 20 at his position, No. 6 player in North Carolina. 247Sports Composite: 175/18/5. On3 raw: unranked/53/14. Rivals: 68/7/2. ESPN: unranked/29/16. 247Sports raw: 94/13/4
4-star Kelton Smith, interior offensive line (guard for UGA), Columbus, Ga., 6-foot-4, 315 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 186 overall, No. 13 at his position, No. 14 player in Georgia. 247Sports Composite: 208/10/19. On3 raw: 106/8/6. Rivals: unranked/55/53. ESPN: 256/20/24. 247Sports raw: 183/17/8.
*4-star Anthony Evans, wide receiver, Converse, Texas., 5-foot-10, 155 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 197 overall, No. 28 at his position, No. 35 player in Texas. 247Sports Composite: 205/29/36. On3 raw: unranked/43/56. Rivals: 158/29/29. ESPN: 176/24/28. 247Sports raw: 230/30/39
*4-star Yazeed Haynes, wide receiver, Lansdale, Penn., 6-foot-1, 170 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 227 overall, No. 32 at his position, No. 2 player in Pennsylvania. 247Sports Composite: 198/27/2. On3 raw: 109/18/2. Rivals: 210/33/3. ESPN: 254/30/4. 247Sports raw: unranked/47/5.
*4-star Justyn Rhett, cornerback (safety for UGA), Las Vegas, Nev., 6-foot, 183 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 351 overall, No. 40 at his position, No. 3 player in Nevada. 247Sports Composite: 317/33/3. On3 raw: unranked/37/3. Rivals: unranked/51/3. ESPN: 218/28/2. 247Sports raw: unranked/67/7.
*3-star Joshua Miller, interior offensive line (guard for UGA), 6-foot-4, 315 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 350 overall, No. 51 at his position, No. 13 player in Virginia. 247Sports Composite: 642/56/15. On3 raw: unranked/33/14. Rivals: unranked/44/6. ESPN: unranked/19/9. 247Sports: unranked/41/21.
3-star Kyron Jones, athlete(safety for UGA), Charlotte, NC., 6-foot, 193 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 666 overall, No. 24 at his position, No. 20 player in North Carolina. 247Sports Composite: 656/42/21. On3 raw: unranked/12/16. Rivals: unranked/45/25. ESPN: unranked/42/18. 247Sports raw: unranked/41/21.
3-star Peyton Woodring, kicker, Lafayette, La., 5-foot-10, 165 pounds: On3 Consensus: No. 1829 overall, No. 2 at his position, No. 67 player in Louisiana. 247Sports Composite: unranked/1/58. Unranked by On3 raw and Rivals. ESPN: unranked/1/31. 247Sports raw: unranked/41/21.
Georgia football 2023 recruiting position breakdown
- QB: 0
- RB: 1
- WR: 3
- TE: 2
- OL: 5
- DL: 2
- OLB: 3
- ILB: 3
- DB: 6
- K/P: 1
Georgia football 2023 recruiting commits geographic breakdown
- Florida: 7
- Georgia: 6
- North Carolina: 3
- Texas 1
- Alabama: 1
- Louisiana: 1
- Virginia: 1
- South Carolina: 1
- Massachusetts: 1
- California: 1
- Nevada: 1
- Missouri: 1
- Pennsylvania: 1
More Georgia football recruiting stories from around DawgNation
National signing day updates: 2023 football recruits, commits
College football’s 2023 recruiting cycle is nearing its end with national signing day. Wednesday is the final day that high school recruits are able to sign their national letters of intent to lock them into the schools they choose.
The early signing period in December brought plenty of chaos. Three five-star recruits flipped their commitments in one week — one of whom flipped his commitment twice in two days.
Since then, though, some coaches are mulling the possibility of changing the recruiting calendar. In early January, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters, “There has not been a coach with whom I visited around our bowl games who hasn’t said this has just become crushing for us.”
What future signing periods look like remains to be seen, but for the 2023 class, this is it. We provide you with the latest news, analysis, class rankings movement and player announcements throughout Wednesday.
Latest class rankings: Top 75 schools
Breaking down the early signing period
What to watch for
Wednesday will unofficially mark the end of the 2023 recruiting cycle in college football. Our analysts break down the prospects who are still available, the recruits who will make a difference and the teams with the most to gain this time around.
Announcements to watch: Today’s schedule
Our “College Football Live: Signing Day Special” will air from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2, featuring analysis from our insiders and scouts, as well as announcements from some of the top recruits in the country. Here’s who will be announcing their commitments later today:
Who: ATH Nyckoles Harbor (No. 39 overall)
When: 1:05 p.m. ET
Choosing between: LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, USC
Who: CB Rodrick Pleasant (No. 100 overall)
When: 1:30 p.m. ET
Choosing between: Boston College, California, Oregon, UCLA, USC
Who: CB Ellis Robinson IV (No. 5, 2024 ESPN Junior 300)
When: 1:50 p.m. ET
Choosing between: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, LSU, Miami
Who are the best prospects this cycle?
Each recruiting cycle, the best recruits in the country are ranked in the ESPN 300. Entering signing day, 293 of the top 300 prospects this cycle are committed. Following our final rankings update, here is how the top 10 stacks up:
-
Malachi Nelson, QB (USC)
-
Dante Moore, QB (UCLA)
-
Jackson Arnold, QB (Oklahoma)
-
Peter Woods, DT (Clemson)
-
Arch Manning, QB (Texas)
-
Francis Mauigoa, OT (Miami)
-
Zachariah Branch, WR (USC)
-
David Hicks, DT (Texas A&M)
-
Jaquavious Russaw, OLB (Alabama)
-
Kadyn Proctor, OT (Alabama)
See the full ESPN 300 rankings here »
Rashada, the seventh-ranked quarterback and No. 31 prospect overall, signed his national letter of intent with Florida in December. However, he was granted a release in mid-January after a reported $13.5 million name, image and likeness deal with the school’s Gator Collective falling through.
As the top uncommitted recruit and quarterback left on the board, where will he go?
Breaking down the 2023 recruiting cycle
We broke down the 2023 recruiting cycle in many different ways. We analyzed the strengths of the recruits who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at each position.
Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill also went pick-by-pick in trying to draft the best all-22 team of 2023 recruits. See who got picked and vote which team is better
YouTuber’s Pet Fish Streams Pokemon, Then Commits Credit Card Fraud
YouTuber Mutekimaru Channel is well-known for livestreaming their pet fish playing various games through motion tracking software, which registers the pets’ positions as button inputs. The fish have accomplished some pretty impressive things during these streams — in 2020, they even beat Pokemon Sapphire after a 3,195 hour run. But earlier this month, their fish did what no fish has (hopefully) done before: commit credit card fraud.
During a livestream 12 days ago, the fish were off to a good start in Pokemon Violet, winning a few battles and slowly but surely progressing through the story. About 5 hours into the stream, however, the game crashed, giving the fish free access to the rest of their owner’s Switch.
These fish committed credit card fraud while playing Pokémon. 💳🐟🐟🐟🐟 pic.twitter.com/w0TgKgJSUL
— IGN (@IGN) January 25, 2023
From there, the fish went to the eShop and added 500 yen (about $3.85) of funds to their owner’s account, even exposing their owner’s credit card information to viewers in the process.
They also sent their owner a PayPal verification email, redeemed Nintendo Switch Online points for a Nintendo Switch Sports profile picture, and downloaded the Switch’s Nintendo 64 emulator app.
Luckily, according to TechSpot, the YouTuber was able to get a refund after explaining the situation to Nintendo.
We gave Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet a 6 in our review, praising its massive open world and story but criticizing its all too apparent performance issues.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
Fish Play Pokémon Scarlet And Violet, Commits Credit Card Fraud
A YouTuber created an alternative Nintendo Switch controller for their pet fish, which allows them to play video games on livestream. That fish managed to spend real money on some digital purchases while trying to beat a gym leader in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (h/t: GamesRadar). And all of this happened because Scarlet and Violet are so buggy that they can sometimes cause the game to crash to the home page.
Mutekimaru Channel is a popular Japanese YouTuber who streams fish playing video games via an assistive device—an initiative that was intended to help viewers stay home during the pandemic. When a fish swims over a certain area of the “controller,” the game registers it as a specific button input. It’s not just one fish playing Pokémon either. The owner of the channel rotates fish every twelve hours in order to keep them healthy.
If the entire story stopped at “a fish was playing Pokémon on stream,” then I would have been suitably impressed. But no, the fish took things a step further. Not only have multiple fish managed to travel through towns and the wilderness with a specialized controller, they have even managed to spend its owner’s real-life money. I’m a little afraid to think about what else these fish might be capable of. Armed robbery?
Normally, only one fishy gamer is allowed into the Switch tank at any given time. Once the owner walked away from the game, multiple fish took over and planned their nefarious heist.
The fish had been in the middle of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but the game crashed due to its infamous performance issues. Once the fish was taken to the main Nintendo Switch home page, they managed to open the eshop, where its owner’s credit card information had been saved (and doxxed as a result).
The fish added 500 yen into their owner’s account. Then it used the resulting Nintendo gold coins (a loyalty reward from digital purchases) to buy a golfing cosmetic from Nintendo Switch Sports. According to Sora News 24, the owner intends to request a refund from Nintendo.
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Be careful out there, gamers. Not only can hackers and other unscrupulous types get your credit card information, so can common pet fish. So don’t put your credit card number on shared devices!
Deyon ‘Smoke’ Bouie commits to Georgia from transfer portal
Smoke Bouie has announced his allegiance to the Georgia Bulldogs. This is a familiar sentence to those who follow college football and Georgia recruiting.
The defensive back originally committed to Georgia while at Bainbridge High School. From November 1, 2020, to June 8, 2021, Bouie was a part of the Class of 2022 for UGA. Bouie decommitted from Georgia and ultimately followed former Georgia defensive quality control coach Nick Williams to Texas A&M.
Bouie was part of a legendary recruiting class that Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies put together in the last recruiting cycle. However, after a 5 – 7 season in College Station, A&M has seen 25 players hit the transfer portal. Bouie was one of the most prominent and one of the few that Georgia remained interested in upon exiting the SEC West counterpart.
Bouie will have four years of eligibility remaining as he joins Georgia. Bouie played in only four games for A&M in the 2022 season. Bouie recorded four tackles and a pass deflection in games against Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida, and Massachusetts.
This is truly a full-circle moment for Bouie and Georgia. The former four-star prospect was ranked No. 120 overall in the Class of 2022. As a freshman, Bouie helped to lead the Bainbridge Bearcats to a state championship win over a talented Warner Robins team.
Fellow Bainbridge native Kirby Smart was in attendance and was greatly impressed by Bouie. The speedster received his offer from the Georgia Bulldogs the very next day. It says a lot that Georgia never waivered in its pursuit of Bouie, even with a knee injury and a detour through College Station.
McCarthy commits to key concession in call with frustrated House Republicans
CNN
—
House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy outlined some of the concessions that he has agreed to in his campaign for speaker on a Sunday evening conference call – including making it easier to topple the speaker, according to multiple GOP sources on the call. But McCarthy could not say whether he would have the votes for the speakership, even after giving in to some of the right’s most hardline demands.
The California Republican told his members that after weeks of negotiations, he has agreed to a threshold as low as five people to trigger a vote on ousting the speaker at any given time, known as the “motion to vacate” the speaker’s chair, and pitched it as a “compromise.” CNN first reported last week that he was supportive of that threshold.
But there’s still uncertainty whether this will be enough to clinch McCarthy the gavel.
Some moderates – who fear the motion to vacate will be used as constant cudgel over McCarthy’s head – pushed back and expressed their frustration during the call, sources said.
Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota said he wasn’t happy with the low threshold McCarthy agreed to, though he indicated he would swallow it, but only if it helps McCarthy win the speakership. Other members made clear that the rules package that was negotiated will be off the table if McCarthy’s critics end up tanking his speakership bid.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida pressed McCarthy on whether this concession on the motion to vacate will win him the 218 votes. But he did not directly answer, though McCarthy said earlier on the call that people were “slowly” moving in the right direction.
However, later in the call, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz – one of the five “hard no” votes for McCarthy – said they would not back McCarthy, despite all the concessions.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida then repeated Diaz-Balart’s question, asking McCarthy to answer it. McCarthy’s response, according to sources, was that they have a couple days to close the deal, and they need to close.
Rep.-elect Mike Lawler of New York asked Gaetz if he would back McCarthy if he agreed to bring the motion to vacate threshold down to a single lawmaker, which is what it used to be before Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, changed the rules. Gaetz replied that McCarthy had refused to entertain that idea, but if he is making that offer now, than he would consider it.
McCarthy said he disagreed with Gaetz’s characterization, arguing that the rest of the conference can’t support the threshold as low as one person. “It’s not about me,” the California Republican said. However, he asked Gaetz if he could get to “yes” if McCarthy came down to a one-person threshold, to which Gaetz was still non-committal and said if it was a real offer, he would entertain it.
House Republicans are planning to release their final rules package, which will formalize a number of these concessions, later Sunday evening. But sources cautioned that nothing is truly final until the package is passed.
After the House elects a speaker and swears in members, lawmakers vote on the rules package, which governs how the House operates.
Deion Sanders’ first Colorado commits feeling the love: ‘I need you’
By Grace Raynor, Manny Navarro and David Ubben
Ryan Staub had visited Colorado three times before Deion Sanders took over as head coach.
Outside of the red, shiny new McLaren parked on Folsom Field, everything else on campus looked pretty much the same to Staub two weekends ago.
“(Deion Sanders) was coaching at Jackson State so I don’t know if he had enough time to make that many arrangements,” said Staub, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound three-star quarterback from Stevenson Ranch, Calif. Staub committed to Colorado last January and was one of seven holdover recruits from Karl Dorrell’s staff who signed with the program Wednesday.
“It definitely looked the exact same, but it didn’t feel the exact same,” he said. “There’s a new energy and a new message in town. That’s obviously Coach Prime and what he’s kind of conveying to the whole world. What he’s going to do here, he’s just gonna bring change. And he’s gonna win.”
Sanders, who stands out much like a $400,000 sports car on a football field, has a long road ahead of him in trying to turn around Colorado’s downtrodden football program.
We’re comin’. #SkoBuffs @DeionSanders @TheHC_CoachLew @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/IdiHYhFPyB
— Ryan Staub (@_ryanstaub) December 13, 2022
The Buffaloes were 1-11 in 2022 and ranked 63rd nationally in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite — only four spots better than Sanders’ former team, Jackson State.
The recruiting class Sanders signed Wednesday featured 14 high school recruits and 10 transfers. Only five of the 24 signees were blue-chip prospects coming out of high school, but it’s also been only two weeks since Sanders was hired. Late Wednesday night, Jackson State corner Travis Hunter, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2022, announced his decision to transfer to Colorado, and several of his former JSU teammates should soon be joining him in the Rockies.
Colorado’s recruiting class currently ranks No. 53 nationally, but its overall rank — which includes transfers — is No. 29. The Buffs’ overall rank was No. 58 in 2022 and No. 65 in 2021.
So, what was it like for the first batch of recruits to get wooed to Colorado by Coach Prime?
“Really, we were just kind of getting to know each other,” said Staub, who spent about 20 minutes with Sanders during his official visit weekend. “It basically got to the point where Coach Prime told me, ‘Get on Twitter and start recruiting your future teammates.’ That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Since Sanders was hired on Dec. 3, the Buffaloes have hosted two recruiting weekends: one from Dec. 9-11 and another from Dec. 16-18 before Monday’s dead period began.
Sanders was back and forth from Mississippi to Colorado as he split time with his Jackson State team ahead of the Tigers’ Celebration Bowl appearance. But after the game ended Saturday afternoon, Sanders flew back to Boulder, where he caught the last 90 minutes of a three-hour dinner at the Colorado team facility, complete with macaroni and cheese, green beans, blackened shrimp, fried chicken and dinner rolls, according to three-star cornerback signee Carter Stoutmire. A DJ was on hand, which prompted a few of the more gregarious recruits to start dancing.
But despite Coach Prime’s flashy personality, Saturday night felt more like a “cookout” than a “party,” said former Western Michigan defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who is now considering Colorado as a transfer destination. Save for the McLaren and Aston Martin luxury cars on the field for the ever-anticipated photo shoot, there was a relaxing vibe to the visit.
Had a great time visiting Colorado this weekend. The staff is Legit!🙏🏽💪🏾 Really appreciate @DeionSanders @CoachNickWill @CoachCGrundy ✊🏾🐃🔥 @CoachKimble_ @AllenTrieu pic.twitter.com/EeRVrU5VcO
— Marshawn Kneeland (@MarshawnKneela1) December 18, 2022
Even Sanders’ entrance was understated.
“(He) just walked in,” said Kneeland. “Don’t get me wrong: There’re cameras on him at all times. (But) he just walked in: ‘What’s up?’ It didn’t feel like a head coach, if that makes sense. It felt like a father or an uncle. You know what I mean? It wasn’t like, ‘Oh I’ve got to be pressured to not say the wrong thing.’ It’s just like, ‘This is my peoples.’”
Kneeland, who has since visited UCLA, said he spent about 30 minutes with Sanders in his office as Sanders made his rounds with recruits. When the two of them sat down, Sanders had a series of cards that contained Kneeland’s information, including his stats.
“The first thing he said was, ‘I need you.’ And after that, it was like, I don’t know what else anybody can say to make you feel more at home, to make you feel more wanted,” Kneeland said. “It’s definitely a feeling that can’t be reciprocated anywhere else.”
Kneeland said he got the sense that Sanders is more humble now than he was as a player when he was making his name high-stepping up and down the field. His personality can be hard to explain, though, other than, “You just have to see it.”
“His personality is just different from most coaches. I can’t say all (coaches) because I haven’t met all of them,” Kneeland said. “It’s like when he talks, it’s similar to, I want to say how everybody looks at how Jay-Z talks in the rap industry. He knows what he’s talking about. He knows what he’s doing. He’s been there, done that. He was the greatest. So it’s like, he has that extra pizazz, if you will.”
Indeed, Sanders’ resume seems to be striking a chord with recruits who say there’s something different about the potential of playing for the only active college football head coach who is in the Hall of Fame as a player.
Stoutmire, whose father, Omar, played with Sanders and Colorado cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis for the Dallas Cowboys in 1997, said his future coach — once the top prospect in the state of Florida — has a unique ability to relate to current recruits.
Perhaps three-star wide receiver signee Asaad Waseem summed it up best: “He’s Coach Prime. He played under a legendary coach in Bobby Bowden. He has a gold jacket, College Football Hall of Fame. It’s just different knowing you’re going to play for somebody who did it, got to where you want to go.”
Sanders may not have had much time with the most recent group of visitors, but the rest of the Buffaloes’ staffers made sure recruits had a memorable experience.
Stoutmire, who played at Prestonwood (Texas) Christian, said he and fellow recruits arrived around 3 p.m. on Friday. Stoutmire and his family first drove around campus to catch a view of the mountains. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at local Italian restaurant Pasta Jay’s.
Saturday brought a facility tour, a photo shoot with the luxury cars and lunch at the facility. Because the photo shoot took about an hour-and-a-half, Colorado split recruits into two groups so that one could tour campus while the other posed for photos.
Stoutmire said he had never seen a McLaren, let alone sat inside of one, and wasn’t sure if the Buffaloes acquired the cars via an assist from boosters or a local dealership. Regardless, they were a nice touch. “I mean, athletes care a lot about cars. Athletes are all about style,” he said. “So I’d say that helps out a lot with getting athletes there because they know that the program has money and (that the school) would be able to help them get to the next level.”
Kneeland added: “The photos definitely came out great, which is lovely. I know I only posted a couple of them, but there were a lot.”
Saturday afternoon, both groups went to Colorado’s football cafeteria for lunch, where several televisions were tuned into the Jackson State game as Stoutmire munched on lemon pepper wings, barbecue chicken, brisket and cornbread. Each time Jackson State scored or made a big play, the room erupted with cheers.
And by Saturday night, Sanders was in town and making his rounds. That’s when Deuce Roberson, a Colorado Springs native and junior college transfer from Snow (Utah) College, informed the coaches that he was ready to commit. Roberson took an unofficial visit with fellow Snow College teammate Isaiah Jatta, a three-star offensive tackle who is the No. 19 juco prospect in the 247Sports Composite.
Jatta, who had already used all five of his official visits and therefore also visited unofficially, stayed with Roberson as the two commuted back and forth to campus. He, too, committed and signed Wednesday.
For all of the flash Sanders brings to Colorado football, the recruiting operation felt rather low key, according to several of the recruits. Kneeland said he even took an Uber from the airport to the school after he landed in Denver, about 30 miles from Boulder. That doesn’t mean Colorado didn’t impress, though.
“I’d say a lot of us were actually a little bit starstruck of like, how nice everything was, because we had an idea of what I was gonna expect, but it was honestly more than what I expected,” Stoutmire said. “Everything that I saw out there — just the campus and stuff and how nice everything was.”
And of course, Sander’s personality came out in full force.
“Deion’s dope. Deion’s a very personable guy,” said Cal transfer tight end Champion Johnson, who committed along with his younger brother Victory Johnson. “Everyone loves to talk to him. I don’t think I’ve seen him not smile yet. Honestly, I like to match people’s energy, and his energy was an energy I really enjoyed to match.”
Sanders has already flipped four-star running back Dylan Edwards thanks to their long-standing relationship, giving him a top-200 national prospect at the running back position. His quarterback position is in good shape as well, with the arrival of his son Shedeur from Jackson State. There’s also Staub, who committed to Colorado over SMU.
Now it’s time for Sanders to turn his attention to the February signing period, which gives him more time to establish relationships with high school coaches and unsigned prospects. On Wednesday, 247Sports reported five-star cornerback Cormani McClain, the nation’s No. 2 prospect out of Lakeland (Fla.) High, had been in contact with Sanders and Colorado.
Flipping a prospect of McClain’s caliber would send shockwaves through the recruiting world — just like last year when Sanders flipped Hunter from his longtime commitment to Florida State.
Carter Whitson, who coached Colorado edge signee Taje McCoy at Putnam City (Okla.) High, believes Sanders will engineer a quick turnaround and will get “more than people would think that he could bargain for” out of his players. He commended Sanders for hiring a quality staff that will take care of the X’s and O’s so that Sanders can presumably play the CEO role.
Over the last 10 years, Whitson said, Colorado has been “Rutgers or Kansas,” in terms of routinely producing teams that struggled.
Now?
“Name somebody that’s done it better on social media. And what do these kids do?” Whitson said. “If I asked Taje, (if) I’d say, ‘Hey, have you watched any Deion Sanders film?’, his answer would be, ‘Yes, I’ve seen him on TikTok.’ It wouldn’t be, ‘Oh yeah, we saw his highlights on SportsCenter, we watched it over and over again.’ That’s what my generation would say.
“Those guys, I think they’ll do it right. They’ll do it fast. And we’ll see what happens after that.”
(Photo: Ron Chenoy / USA Today)
Four-star 2023 Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz Commits to Ohio State, Flips from Washington
Ohio State has its quarterback for the 2023 class.
Shortly after receiving his offer from the Buckeyes after his official visit to Columbus for the Michigan game on Nov. 26, four-star South Dakota quarterback Lincoln Kienholz officially pulled the trigger and committed to Ohio State on Wednesday, flipping from Washington.
The Kienholz File
- Class: 2023
- Size: 6-3/185
- Pos: QB
- School: Pierre T.F. Riggs High School (Pierre, South Dakota)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #211 (#14 QB)
With his commitment to Ohio State, Kienholz becomes the 20th player to give their verbal to the Buckeyes in the current cycle and the lone quarterback pledge.
Ohio State quarterback coach Corey Dennis has had his eye on Kienholz for months, impressed by his dual-threat ability and progression as a signal caller. Dennis made a trip to South Dakota in October to scout Kienholz during OSU’s off week, despite having four-star Tennessee quarterback Brock Glenn already committed to the Buckeyes 2023 recruiting class. On that trip, Dennis saw everything he needed to shift his priority on what signal caller he preferred for 2023.
When Glenn decommitted from the Buckeyes in November, it opened the door for Kienholz to join the class, and he took his first visit to OSU six days later. Flipping from Washington wasn’t easy for the 6-foot-3, 185-pound prospect, as Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer hails from Kienholz’s home state of South Dakota.
But the concept of being developed by Ryan Day and Dennis was too intriguing to ignore. Kienholz became enamored with Ohio State after taking an official visit to Columbus on Nov. 26 for the Michigan game, but the Buckeyes still had work to do to win him over.
Once the recruiting dead period lifted in December, Dennis visited Kienholz in South Dakota to put a full-court press on the former Washington commit, with coaches from the Huskies’ staff also making in-home visits. Day made a trip of his own to South Dakota with Dennis a week later, showing the strong-armed signal-caller the Buckeyes’ interest in him was indeed serious.
Kienholz becomes only the second player ever from South Dakota to commit to the Buckeyes besides offensive lineman Grant Schmidt (2015), who never played a snap for Ohio State and later transferred to Cincinnati.
The South Dakota signal-caller is considered the 211th-best prospect nationally and the 14th-ranked quarterback in 2023 per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He picked up 13 Division I offers, including Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Illinois and Wyoming.
Kienholz brings dual-threat style, stability to OSU’s QB room
In his senior season, Kienholz helped lead Pierre High School (Pierre, South Dakota) to a state championship, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns to six interceptions. As a runner, Kienholz ran for 1,435 yards with 24 rushing touchdowns.
At Pierre, Kienholz ran a spread offense primarily, so he should acclimate swiftly to Day’s offensive scheme in Columbus. While his competition at the prep level didn’t feature many athletes that will be playing Division I football, Kienholz repeatedly connected on deep passes that were ideally placed, displaying deep ball accuracy essential for a quarterback to thrive at OSU.
Though he displayed a strong arm, his windows will be much smaller and close faster at the collegiate level against high-level talent, which could provide a bit of an adjustment early in his career. With his frame, he should have room to develop more physically and strengthen his arm, though he is not expected to be an early enrollee, so he won’t be able to begin collegiate workouts until summer.
Kienholz can make multiple plays with his feet, whether that’s running for a first down or completing a tough throw on the run. Whether he threw from outside or inside of the pocket, Kienholz usually displayed effective touch and accuracy.
When Kienholz arrives on campus, he could be in store for a promising opportunity, as he’ll be only the third scholarship quarterback on Ohio State’s roster. Devin Brown and Kyle McCord are expected to battle for the starting job in the spring and, considering the current climate of college football, it’s not inconceivable the loser of the competition transfers. Should that happen, Kienholz would likely be the backup quarterback his first year by default, meaning he’d certainly see playing time in his first season in blowout victories.
Quarterback recruiting is set for the next couple of cycles for Ohio State, with Kienholz locking in for 2023 and five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola being the Buckeyes’ commit for the 2024 cycle. Only one uncommitted prep signal caller holds an offer from OSU in the 2025 class, Ohio product Ryan Montgomery. Five-star prospect Colin Hurley, the other quarterback OSU offered in 2025, is committed to LSU.
