Player Notes

Leading up to Arizona’s preseason training camp, which begins on Wednesday, the Star is previewing where the Wildcats stand heading into Jedd Fisch’s third year. Last up: Defense.What if Arizona had a better rushing defense last season? How much better would the Wildcats have been compared to their 5-7 campaign in 2022?Is a better rushing defense really worth one game?With a high-powered offense and ...

Less than three years since Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch's stressed during an introductory Zoom call that the Wildcats would "have to win the state of Arizona" on the recruiting trail, his next recruiting class is now headlined by the top defensive and offensive players in the state.Four-star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is the latter half of that combo, committing to Arizona on Monday morning, ...

Preseason watchlists for college football's national awards have begun tumbling in, and Alabama football will be heavily represented. Below is a look at each award that has placed a Crimson Tide player on its watchlist:Maxwell Award: RB Jase McClellanAnnually presented to the nation's most outstanding player, the Maxwell Award named Alabama's top returning running back one of 84 players to watch in ...

Alabama linebacker commitment Sterling Dixon announced on social media on Monday that he would play his final year of high school football at Class 6A power Spanish Fort.Last week, Sterling Dixon Sr. announced his son would change schools for his final year after winning Class 3A Lineman of the Year at Mobile Christian in 2022.Spanish Fort coach Chase Smith confirmed to AL.com on Monday afternoon that ...

BY RYAN KARTJEA position adjustment was always in the plans for offensive lineman Jonah Monheim. Two separate USC coaching staffs agreed on that much. His future, they said, was destined for the interior. It was only a matter of when Monheim would finally shift inside.Now one of the Pac-12 Conference’s most proven lineman, Monheim is shifting this fall from right tackle to a new position. But it won’t ...

It’s just over a month until football season. And with all due respect to the Rice Owls, we’re about 40 days until the Texas Longhorns’ most important game against Alabama. The Longhorns need to win it.Texas faces the Alabama Crimson Tide not long from now. The game’s importance is not about long-term implications or about announcing that Texas is back. Even if Texas made the playoff this season it ...

The 2023 college football season is one that Texas fans are hoping will live up to expectations.While this feels like a familiar song and dance, it isn’t just Texas fans that are high on the Longhorns. Texas was picked to win the Big 12, and there have been growing expectations that they can even make a playoff push. A goal that 247Sports‘ Brad Crawford believes will come down to their defense.When ...

In January, the Carolina Panthers tabbed Frank Reich to become their head coach after Matt Rhule had been fired five games into 2022 and secondary coach Steve Wilks finished the season at the helm.Before a coaching career that includes five seasons guiding the Indianapolis Colts, Reich spent 14 years as an NFL quarterback.In February, Reich hired Josh McCown as the Panthers’ quarterbacks coach. McCown ...

For the second time within a week, Auburn scores a massive recruiting win over one of its arch-rivals.Class of 2024 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson from Foley High School announced he has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn during Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend recruiting event.He is Auburn’s second major commitment of the weekend after 4-star athlete Malcolm Simmons of the Benjamin Russell ...

For some NFL players, training camp is a tune-up for the regular season with secure role already in hand.For many more, training camp is a fight for survival to earn a spot on the 53-player roster for the regular season, or at least to stick on the practice squad.Between the secure and the roster hopefuls is another group of players who will use training camp to decide which of the other two groups ...