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One year ago today, legendary coach Mike Leach died at 61 years old. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, who co-authored Leach’s autobiography “Swing Your Sword,” pays tribute to Leach through stories from his friends and colleagues. Check it out here.
Cornhuskers target big-name QBs
Nebraska emerged as a top candidate for two (yes, TWO!) five-star quarterbacks yesterday. Here’s a quick recap of the hectic 24 hours in Lincoln:
- Cornhuskers QB Jeff Sims is back in the transfer portal after a largely unsuccessful one-year stint in Lincoln. Sims transferred to Nebraska after three seasons at Georgia Tech. He rose to become Matt Rhule’s QB1 in the offseason, but Sims will leave after a season hindered by injury and turnover trouble. This move was expected and probably best for both parties.
- Former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord is visiting Nebraska this week, and the Cornhuskers need a portal QB. (Nebraska has Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy on scholarship and is set to sign Daniel Kaelin in about a week with the early signing period beginning on Dec. 20.) And as a bonus, McCord, the No. 6 QB in the 2021 class, could be a package deal and bring WR Julian Fleming with him from Ohio State.
- Last night, news broke that Nebraska is back in the running for Dylan Raiola, the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2024 class who committed to Georgia in May. Raiola’s father, Dominic, was an All-America center at Nebraska, and his uncle, Donovan, is Nebraska’s offensive line coach. The younger Raiola will have an official visit to Lincoln this weekend, according to On3.
Recently, Rhule said a good QB costs $1 million to $2 million in NIL resources. 🤔 I brought in The Athletic’s Nebraska writer, Mitch Sherman, to answer a few questions about all of this movement.
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Nebraska needed a transfer QB, but was McCord who you thought it would target?
Sherman: I expected Nebraska to aim for a quarterback in the second tier of most coveted players at the position. Credit to Rhule for aiming high. The Huskers appear to sit in the sweet spot for McCord as a program with elite-level resources but without the obnoxious expectations he experienced at Ohio State.
How likely is Nebraska to flip Raiola?
Sherman: The Huskers apparently found a way to stick their chair beneath the five-star QB as the music stops playing. A flip is likely. But Raiola and his family are ultra-mobile. And nothing is final until … well, ever, in this sport.
How would you grade Rhule’s first season?
Sherman: On the field, it was a C. Nebraska improved dramatically on defense. But its QB and turnover issues, directly linked, spoiled the team’s bowl hopes with four consecutive defeats at the end. Here at the outset of Year 2, Rhule appears intent on fixing the QB situation. He’s off to a strong start.
Dylan Raiola committed to Georgia in May. (Aubrey Lao / Getty Images)Portal Daily Board
Commitments taking shape
Portal movement is shaping up outside of Nebraska, too. Stay up to date with the latest portal news and the best available players.
Newest entries to watch:
- Cal QB Sam Jackson V: Jackson is searching for his third team after two seasons at TCU and one at Cal. He started three games for the Bears this season before freshman Fernando Mendoza took over.
- Oregon QB Ty Thompson: The third-year sophomore has been the Ducks’ backup option for three seasons. Thompson got snaps in relief of Bo Nix in seven games in 2023. Oregon will need to find a new No. 2 behind incoming transfer Dillon Gabriel.
Movement and commitments:
- Former Boise State starting QB Taylen Green is transferring to Arkansas. The former three-star prospect was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2022 and led the Broncos to the MWC championship win this month.
- Former Michigan State QB Sam Leavitt committed to Arizona State. Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was the first to offer Leavitt a scholarship in 2021 when Dillingham was the offensive coordinator at Florida State. And we know Leavitt appreciates loyalty from his recruitment process.
- Wisconsin added a commitment from LB John Pius of FCS program William & Mary. Pius has one year of eligibility and could be a huge addition for the Badgers at outside linebacker.
- Duke RB Jaquez Moore withdrew his name from the portal and will stay with the Blue Devils in 2024. Moore was the team’s second-leading rusher with 601 yards and six TDs this season. New coach Manny Diaz should be happy!
Maye to NFL
UNC QB leaves successful legacy, with questions
North Carolina QB Drake Maye declared for the 2024 NFL Draft yesterday. The third-year sophomore is projected to be one of the top selections in the draft: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Maye going to the New England Patriots as the third pick in his latest mock draft.
Maye is opting out of the Tar Heels’ bowl game, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, on Dec. 27 against West Virginia. This move was expected, and the Tar Heels snatched former Texas A&M starter Max Johnson out of the portal to fill the void for next season. As for Maye’s legacy, he leaves as probably the greatest passer in program history but also as one of the biggest “what ifs” for UNC fans as our Brendan Marks illustrated yesterday.
I’d carve out some time today to check out this story on Maye’s rise that Manny Navarro wrote last season. A four-star recruit who was ranked No. 56 overall in the 2021 class, it’s easy to see Maye was underrated. His journey includes a “Superman” highlight reel, a family with Carolina ties and at one point, a commitment to Alabama (which prompted a hard call to Nick Saban).
Quick Snaps
Texas A&M’s 2022 class was the highest-rated of the internet recruiting rankings era. But now, that class is falling apart. Sam Khan Jr. and Max Olson take a look behind the Aggies’ turnover since signing this class two years ago.
In another recruiting look-back, Manny evaluates how all 39 five-star 2023 prospects fared in their first seasons.
This story from Doug Haller on Arizona redshirt freshman QB Noah Fifita is worth your time today. Fifita is quickly rising as one of the nation’s top young QBs, and the key to his success is in the details.
On the Until Saturday podcast, Max and Sam hand out report cards for all of the first-year coaches in 2023.
With the FCS playoffs down to the final four, what would it look like if FBS followed the same 24-team format?
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(Top photo of Kyle McCord: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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