247Sports College Football Show: Week Zero Matchups, Preseason Picks, Camp Reports

hello and welcome into the 247 sports college football show I'm Cooper pagna that's Andrew Ivans in college football is officially here week zero kicking off in Dublin Ireland we got number 10 FSU and we got Georgia Tech and Hayes King coming off a seven- six season Drew but we got more than that as well you go down the schedule we got SMU at Nevada on the network right here at CBS Sports Network and we got Delaware State at Hawaii that game kicks off I think 11 o'clock Eastern time so those of you who are jacked up about college football Drew week zero like like do you have an opinion on it one way or another do you like getting a little teaser before week one or you just like it's it's kind of whatever to you C give me as many Standalone games as possible I love it uh the opportunity to dig into some of these programs like a Florida State who lost a lot to the NFL draft I am all for uh st- atone games and college football needs to look at the Labor Day weekend slate we should be playing them all day Sunday and Monday in addition to Friday and Saturday all right hang around we're going to talk a little Florida state Georgia Tech at the end of the show but Drew it's not always uh sunshine and rainbows for five stars out there we got some news at Boise State up there in Idaho that Malachi Nelson the former five star in the class of 2020 23 lost out on the starting quarterback job to the guy they call Mad Max Maddox Matson the red shirt sophomore 510 all 5 foot 10 inches of them too much for Malachi Nelson Drew it's always interesting especially now in the day uh of hyperfocused uh recruiting and obviously the attention that goes with five stars and five-star quarterbacks but just your reaction to Malachi Nelson who there were a lot of high hopes for backed up Caleb Williams backed up Miller Moss last year at USC before transferring to Boise State a lot of people thought he was going to be the starter there that's not the case what's kind of what's next for him well to be honest C I wish we didn't have five stars next to his name when he came out of high school two years ago and usually when we name a five star Prospect we're indicating hey we think this guy has a chance to be a future first round pick in the NFL draft uh Malachi he starts at USC right I think as a freshman he was expecting to back up Caleb Williams there in La that didn't happen Miller Moss was the number two and Malachi Nelson was on the scout team so he enters the transfer portal I think he ends up at Boise State because he thought there was a good chance he was going to be qb1 for the Broncos and that has not come to fruition he loses out on the camp battle so it's disappointing but Coupe as you know I mean the signs were kind of there with Malachi Nelson in terms of hey maybe how this guy is wired now we saw him a Bunch play in person uh coming out of the high school ranks I remember two years ago his team came across the country uh and played in South Florida and you could just see it right he can make all the throws he has a good feel uh for the position and how he moves around in the pocket but there were some questions about that competitive drive and it seems like as his college career has progressed it's still kind of the same story yeah I thought what were the Lessons Learned for us uh on the ranking side at 247 Sports what's a lesson learned for maybe a guy like Lincoln Riley in the whole uh sum of it of of college football and you know the other part about this Malachi Nelson was the first High School football player ever to sign with LeBron james' agency clutch Sports how do they look at this right how do how do other agencies look at maybe signing some of the top quarterbacks top prospects in all of high school football and as they project two Saturdays and Beyond without even taking a snap that Financial investment that's what I think is interesting Drew and if you go back over the last couple years since you and I have been here at 247 Sports and I think you look at some of the misses that we've had maybe it's a little bit early on guys like Malachi Nelson Corman mlan the former five star that transferred from Colorado to Florida already you go down the list Chris Marshall at Texas A&M Keon Goodwin at Florida there were certainly signs there and I think in this nil era now more than ever with the revenue share coming next year you're going to see teams uh and especially boosters really start to invest more on the character side what type of player are we getting who are we tiing our money to at the end of the day and I think really that's going to be the biggest Revelation kind of turning point for college football over the next couple years as you see more and more money getting poured in to these players at are earlier stage is hey do we have the right kid to fit in this locker room but that quarterback position specifically Drew I think is going to be under uh a microscope and you're right Cooper and let's say this with quarterbacks I mean NFL teams get it wrong and they have all the resources they have all the money they get those in-person interviews and they can vet the character they can put these guys on the Whiteboard and they still get it wrong football there is a extremely high bust rate I don't think a lot of people understand that some things sometimes things just don't come to fruition and you are spot on uh about where college football roster management is going you talk with general managers you talk with directors of player of personnel uh at these big-time schools I'm talking about the college football regulars what kind of what is a buzzword you hear oh we want tough kids and they're talking yes about the guys that can go out and play with some violence but they want individuals that are in the building for the right reasons they can you know go through a year on the scout team they can go through a semester in a development ayt program uh and they're looking towards the goal at the end of the line so I think you're one 100% correct we're going to see that more and more recruiting in recruiting just with the free agency the ability for these guys to uh enter the transfer portal and uh the lack of counters you're spot on and I think especially at that quarterback position heck we're doing it with our rankings in in 2026 and 2027 we want quarterbacks that have it between the years and I think colleges are looking for the same things I think those official visits Drew you've mentioned this in the past but they're going to become more of in felt like in terms of all right let's let's put you on a whiteboard and let's kind of see how you interact from the moment we pick you up from the airport to how you interact with support staff and coaches along the way we want to make sure that we got the right guy in the building especially when it comes to Dollars and cents you got to put your name on that at the end of the day so Malachi Nelson we'll see what happens with him drew the other thing I'll say before we we keep going here it's an opportunity for Malachi Nelson right uh Miller Moss uh certainly was not a highly touted recruit coming out he was a red shirt Junior this was a guy I would have loved to seen Malachi Nelson stay another year battle it out see what happens through spring and the fall Camp that's not the case he goes to Boise State and a little bit more Humble Pie as he gets beat out by another three- Star Quarterback and a guy quite honestly that I think a lot of people are going to learn to respect uh at Boise State and Maddox Matson but Drew without further Ado let's keep it on recruiting another five-star off the board we've teased this one last week five-star offensive tackle David Sanders from Providence day in North Carolina off the board to Tennessee and Tennessee is rolling right now inside the top seven joined by six other SEC programs Josh hyp we' talked a lot about what they can do on the offensive side of the football we've talked a lot about what they got cooking in that quarterback room talk about investment Drew this seems to be like a smart and Sound Investment by Josh hypo locking down your corner protector for the next three to four years since 24-7 Sports has started ranking players back in 2012 Cooper there has has been 43 offensive tackles that have finished with five star status only 23 programs have been able to land one of these guys most of them ending up at Alabama ending up at Georgia Stanford Wisconsin David Sanders is the third five-star tackle for the volunteers in the modern recruiting era the other two both now playing in the NFL Darnell Wright Trey Smith so this is Monster uh in that sense and then coopa I think the other thing about David Sanders is he is a perfect for what Tennessee wants to do on offense we're talking about a kid that is over 6'5 he's got long arms he's a reactionary athlete he is athletic enough to you know clear space on screens and his reactionary skills how he moves in pass protection it fits Tennessee's offense spread you out throw it around uptempo NASCAR I think David Sanders this is the perfect marriage for him and for the volunteers it's kind of been the same story uh really over the past year Cooper uh the three PS passers pass protectors and pass rushers they just keep loading up at those positions we've seen what they've done at quarterback Nico eam maleva this season they got George McIntyre committed Brandon faasan our number one ranked Prospect in the class of 2026 James Pierce is already there in Knoxville you got Jordan Ross a five-star defensive lineman uh that they signed last year now they got a franchise tackle and Coupee the other thing with David Sanders hey if they went after a guy that we think David Sanders could be in the trans for portal it would come with a hefty Hefty sticker price all right well let's set this up a little bit a lot of people look at Tennessee and they think of Nico IM alava but after that Drew you got some highly touted guys coming through that door Jake merklinger already there is a true freshman you got guys like George McIntyre fa and Brandon in 2026 this is a room set up for Success so to lock down that left tackle and let's not forget they just brought Lance herd over from LSU uh the former five-star as as well and a guy that they're really excited about so they are setting this up for the Long Haul drew the other thing I want to mention on David Sanders because I know a huge fan of this kid obviously the number one offensive tackle in the country there are a lot of teams that probably would have taken him as a defensive lineman as well seven sacks last season 32 pressures a North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year this guy can get it done in a multitude of ways not to mention he played the majority of the Season through a torn lab room I just watched his first game from this past week against Trinity Christian he was still playing defense I think that says a lot about his temperament Drew moving on bigger picture we talked a little bit about six teams in the top seven of the 2025 uh composite team rankings per 247 Sports six of those teams are from the SEC and it just shows you the par and the competitiveness of that conference but you and I have been talking about this for a couple years now Tennessee seems to be kind of itching their way if you were going to have Georgia Texas maybe a team like Alabama and kayin dbor in tier one it seems like Tennessee is kind of knocking on that door CP if we were to put these in tiers right I I think you could put Georgia in its own class right so they're the uh the kings in the SEC and then I think you have another tier after that up to debate here you can correct me if I'm wrong I would put Alabama Texas LSU right that's kind of your second tier and then I think that third tier is Texas A&M ol Miss Auburn Florida Oklahoma now I think there's some teams depending on how it goes this season what happens uh with their sitting head coach but I think that's kind of the third tier and that's where I would also have Tennessee I think if they can continue to keep recruiting this way could they potentially rise into that second tier with the Alabama with the Texas and with the LSU and I think it's been a while since we have thought about Tennessee uh in that sense Ball's getting it done not only on the recruiting Trail Big Year coming coming up on the field as well for joshh hyelin company hey it's not Friday but we got a freaks list Freaky Friday coming up next right after this [Music] break my favorite time of the year Drew pre-season list true freshman All-American all those coming out right now as we're a week away from college football but also the freaks list by Andrew Ivans comes out this Wednesday on 247sports.com and we are blessed and highly favored that we have Andrew Ivans right here with us today to kind of discuss this a little bit but Drew let's give a little bit of a background for those who maybe not be as familiar with the freaks list year four that you've been doing this and been collecting this data and kind of something that you have uh I would say built upon a Bruce Felman with the athletic that he's done a tremendous job on you've brought that to high school football in the scope of college football but give us a little background for the viewers out there that are maybe uh getting acclimated uh and acquainted with what the freaks list is yeah I have to number one tip the cap to Bruce Felman I mean one of my favorite things I've always read Cooper is him uh listing off all the freaky things that college football stars can do and I thought a couple years ago hey why don't we do this with the high school ranks and maybe some of the guys that we highlight will make it to uh Bruce Feldman's list and that has been the case Nick Harbor freaks list Alum from two years ago he's the back-to-back number one freak for Bruce feldin and he kind of really leads off this list of some of the guys CU I know you recognize some of these names up here Malachi Starks at Georgia uh rumored to be a first round pick hey Travis Hunter the two-way star Harold Perkins Isaiah bond in the transfer portal um and Koopa I think what makes my list unique is I'm not just trying to get the five star prospects on there right I I want to get into the group of five ranks and maybe some players that uh the average college football fan has never heard of Thomas castalanos you see him right up there the quarterback uh at Boston College you know he ran for over a thousand yards this past season and uh I think on Labor Day when Boston College travels to Tallahassee to take on Florida State everyone's going to realize how uh athletic Thomas Castellanos is and the reason why he was on the freaks list uh many moons ago is because he scored 16 goals on the soccer field as a junior there in Georgia so uh it's a project I love it takes a lot of work but it's cool not only to see these guys have success on Saturdays but then again you know show up on Feldman's list a few years later and then potentially you get them at the NFL scouting combine and then hey maybe they're getting drafted one day always love the stories of the freaks list guys on there that you know maybe play an exotic sport if you want to call it that we've seen golf we've seen hockey we've seen a lot of different things stories that you have from the All-American Bowl during your time there how much is this really kind of helped you uh during The Scouting process as well as you're putting together the top 247 with the rest of the team at 247 Sports where you dig in on a guy and maybe you find a nugget or two that you didn't know beforehand you say wow that's pretty interesting not only is that a caveat but that's something that we really value in The Scouting process as well all the time right and there was guys I I came across this weekend when I was working on the list where it was oh a three- star Prospect now they might be a four-star Prospect a few months down the line so I think the other thing too is just learning the stories on these kids and it allows you to you know kind of tell uh the average fan who they are you know what they do um Co I went back and I read last year's list and we've talked so much about cam Coleman The Freshman wide receiver uh at Auburn who we anticipate to have a monster senior season number one I totally forgot he was committed to Texas A&M uh for a good chunk of the recruiting process the second thing he won a dunk contest in dbos Sweeney's house during his official visit uh to Clemson and it feels like we've been talking about cam Coleman for so long and what he's going to do there uh at Auburn but that was I thought an interesting Twist on his story that I had to really recall uh and find it in print when I written that a while back cam Coleman with just the hype and obviously as long as you and I have been covering he feels like he's been in college football for two years so we talked a little cam Coleman now we're going to talk a little bit of Cam Coleman a little bit later in the show but Drew let's tease a couple players that could make this list that you expect to be on the list and let's start with one of the top ones Jonah Williams is he a safety is he a linebacker it's a bird it's a plane you don't know what it is but Jonah Williams is one of those guys that can do a multitude of things maybe one of my favorite players in this cycle tell us why you love this kid is he a safety is is he a linebacker how about is he a first round pick in the NFL draft or is he a first round pick in the MLB draft Jonah Williams out of Texas he is 6'3 200 lbs this is a kid that can punch it as you see right there on the hardwood but he's also a really really talented baseball player um he plays center field but he can also throw in pitch and he's hit 94 milph on the mound this summer as a lefty uh another interesting nugget I picked up he can get from first base or excuse me from home plate to first base in 3.52 seconds Coupe uh the average time in the major leagues right there is 4.2 flipping over to the football field I think his stats are wild we have not discuss this enough over the past two years six pick sixes he has scored eight times in the return game he's got 100 plus tackles over 800 yards of offense 14 more touchdowns and we're not done there that's just his first two acts this is a kid that also ran track for the first time this off season qualified for regionals uh in the 200 meter dash I mentioned the basketball uh all district defensive MVP as a junior this past winter and then the testing profile 453 in the 40 yard dash uh 43 in the short shuttle those are some of the top markers according to our friends at the UC report when we're talking about players over 200 lb I've been searching and searching for a player comp here Cooper I've had every name thrown at me Sony Styles at Ohio State Isaiah Simmons back when he was at Clemson uh the one I kind of really like Chad Jones remember the former defensive back for LSU helped the Tigers win a National Title and then he helped them win a College World Series as a relief pitcher coming out of the bullpen uh eventually selected in the third round of the NFL draft so Jonah Williams one of the favorite ones and he's going to be announcing a commitment this upcoming Friday according to Mike roach at 247 Sports Texas Texas A&M LSU Oran USC all involved doesn't sound like anyone has any idea which way he's leaning heck he could be playing baseball it's hard to put into context everything that you just said translation this guy is one of the most unique athletes I think you and I have seen in quite some time the Chad Jones player comparison Drew you know the way to in my heart as an LSU alone Chad Jones one of my favorite players of all time growing up watching him in Louisiana seeing what he could do not only but between the white lines but uh on the diamond as well Dynamic Athlete I think one of the most uh storied athletes in all of LSU's history that's saying a lot obviously had the injury uh in in the NFL and glad he's healthy from that didn't return to form but Chad Jones is definitely a very specific player comparison for a guy like Jonah Williams Jonah Williams coming off the board Friday we'll see what happens there drew a couple other names as well we want to mention let's start with one of the more polarizing prospects in this entire class quarterback Duce Knight out of the state of Mississippi currently committed to Marcus Freeman in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish there's been a lot of conversation whether or not he's going to stick but let's talk about the athlete the more you dig into this guy the more there is to like we haven't seen a guy like him at the quarterback position and God knows how long it's been a really really long time so at the Elite 11 Regional in Mississippi back in the spring he had a 42 and 1 half inch vertical jump that would be a combine record for the quarterback position Anthony Richardson set it two years ago at 40 in and you know I think sometimes when we see these testing metrics okay it might be a little bit faulty who knows if that's the actual number well at the Irish Invasion so that's Notre Dame's legitimate uh you know big time summer camp Camp a few months ago Duce Knight 128 in in the broad jump that was a hair short of Anthony Richard's 129 inch broad jump at the NFL scouting combine and that too was a record this is a two time state champ in the high jump he also won a gold medal as a junior in the long jump he is bouncy he's explosive uh left-handed quarterback Coupe that is 6'4 205 pounds and he goes 45 in the 40 yard dash we always talk about Notre Dame and how do they take the next step forward especially with the college football playoff expanding to 12 teams I think Duce Knight is a lottery ticket with a monster payout because there's just not a lot of quarterbacks that can do what he can do with his his legs and his arm and explosiveness unicorn at the position for sure huge gift for Marcus Freeman we'll see if the Irish can hold on to dece night just a reminder Andrew Ivan's freak freaks list comes out on Wednesday on 247 sports.com the stars of tomorrow all highlight it right here college football season predictions coming up after the [Music] break college football is less than a week away and that means it's time for some season predictions and uh Drew I'm excited about this one let's start with the Heisman the water is warm you and I have been talking about this throughout the entire off season who's going to win this thing you've been looking at the betting odds you know this thing is kind of wide open Carson Beck seems to be the favorite right now with Georgia Dre I'm gonna go with Cam Ward Miami I went back I doubled back on this watched a lot of tape last night from his time at Washington State I'm fired up I was fired up about the acquisition for Mario chrystall and fired up for Miami going into year three under Mario and cam Ward to me Drew seems to be the guy that is just kind of the turnkey operator you plug him into a very talented team both offensively and defensively not only do I think that this guy can be the true Difference Maker at this position that could potentially lead Miami to the playoffs if you were looking at some betting odds for a potential number one draft pick maybe outside of those very popular names I put some money on cam Ward as well Drew I love this kid the more that I watch the more I'm invested in him there's some things he's got to clean up you know a little loose with the football sometimes but outside of that the playmaking ability he's a magician I asked my wife I said I need a word to describe cam Ward just in terms of what he can do on a football field how he extend plays that's what we came up with the magician but cam Ward Drew I think there's a lot of kind of wait and see opinion out there they got Florida week one after that he's either going to be a guy that showed up in that moment or he's going to be the guy that a lot of people think he can be I think the time is now for cam ward in Miami I'm putting my money on cam Ward to win the Heisman in 2024 I love that pick coup and I think the other thing you need to point out that if Cam Ward had entered the NFL draft a couple months ago he probably would have been a day day three selection so uh when you posed this question all right prediction for your Heisman Trophy winner I would have had cam Ward as well I'm going to go in a different direction though because we don't need a double up here I'm going to go with Carson Beck the odds on favorite you look at the past 14 Heisman winners 12 of them have played quarterbacks so Deonte Smith in uh 2000 or 2020 Derrik Henry in 2015 those are the only non quarterbacks and you know I worry a bit about how much they might want to run the football there in Athens with the uh addition of etn but they do have some weapons for Carson backck I think Oscar Delp the tight end everyone's talking about the uh veteran they brought in from Stanford I'm I'm buying stock and Oscar Del I think he's going to have a big season you it's got Aran Smith Colby young who comes in from Miami uh London humph who comes in from vanderbelt I think it's Carson Becks to lose and I I I think Georgia they are going to make an early statement against Clemson you look at the schedule I think Carson Beck statistically uh is going to put up a big year so like your cam Ward pick I also had uh Carson Beck and then two more quarterbacks Cooper Kaden Salter at Liberty you want to talk about betting odds I think I saw somewhere out there this morning plus 20,000 uh Liberty doesn't play anyone and I think Kaden Salter could put up some video game like numbers the other one that stands out to me Jaylen milro plus 14400 Jaylen milro finished sixth in Heisman voting uh in 2023 he had four first place votes so those are two more that stood out to me when trying to handicap this race for the Heisman yeah good offensive line there in Tuscaloosa I think the only uh part that maybe gives you a little bit of hesitation is that receiving core Ryan Williams we've talked about the five-star freshman should be a senior in high school is going to have to step into some big shoes they bring back some other pieces as well Kendrick law Kobe prin there's enough there for Jaylen millroad to really kind of establish himself as one of the Premier players in college football Dre the other thing that's interesting about Heisman conversation is I feel like now because it's a 12 team playoff format it kind of broadens the scope a little bit right what if Kaden Suter runs the table Liberty they're the highest ranked group of five team at the end of the day and they're in the playoffs it gives guys like that a little bit more ump in that conversation in New York at the end of the day it's going to be interesting to see what happens there that's what I'm betting on with Miami if they can win the ACC get in that 12 team playoff I think all eyes on cam Ward uh certainly at the end of the day he can turn a lot of heads there so cam Ward Carson Beck our two picks for the Heisman in 2024 how about Coach of the Year Drew I'll give you the T box on this one because this one ended up being a lot more difficult than I think you and I ever anticipated it is because Coach of the Year award really is kind of an overachievement award you look at uh the past five winners of the AP coach of the year kayin deor in 2023 he gets Washington to the title game Sony Dykes in 2022 uh he gets TCU to the title game it was Jim Harbaugh in 21 Jamie Chadwell in 2020 then Ed oron in 2019 so I think it's a lot of coaches that get the most out of their roster so for me I mean as much as I wanted to say hey Ryan day at Ohio State I don't think that um it's given me good odds to get it right so I went with Dave Doran at NC State uh NC State won five of their past six games to or their last six games to close out last year added Grayson McCall uh the quarterback from Coastal Carolina via the transfer portal also got uh Duke running back Jordan Waters uh Noah Rogers former Blue Chip recruit comes in from Ohio State I think NC State when you look at the schedule Cooper they could be favored in 10 of 12 games they they face Tennessee week two uh that'll be in Charlotte and then they got to go to Clemson but outside of that the schedule is very manageable and the other thing they play just two games outside of the Carolinas at Cal at Georgia Tech I mean heck they could drive to Atlanta uh and if they make the ACC title game that's also in Charlotte a stadium they'll see in week two so to me with it being a 12 team playoff NC State what they bring back they do lose a lot of key pieces on the defensive side of the ball but I think the offense is going to be better and I think NC State could be a surprise team so that's why I went with Dave Doran Tennessee Clemson first four weeks of the season I think if you split that series they're in a pretty good spot there to make the college football playoff Drew I can't argue with with your pick there how about mine I had to say a little prayer when I went over this one Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame I just think now is the year they have all the pieces you got Riley Leonard at the quarterback spot you got Mike denrock coming over from LSU experience on the defensive side of the ball a Watts Benjamin Morrison this is what it's been building up towards in Southbend over the last couple years and the Marcus Freeman era and Drew they got the pieces they have the depth I think there's some question marks obviously on the offensive line the receiver position is going to have to figure some things out uh but they are talented now with the playoff expanding by eight teams to make a run and I think their schedule obviously sets up in a really good spot the biggest question mark is going to be that first game in the season in College Station against Texas A&M and versus a guy that's got a lot of familiarity uh with that program and Mike Elco and Drew the the thing that you and I keep harping on got offensive line versus a vaunted very talented defensive line there in College Station can they hold up we've seen injuries to Charles jagas saww they're trying to get some things uh worked around in the offensive line is it going to be Emil Wagner is it going to be Tosh Baker is it going to be one of uh the young freshman and Anthony knp that's going to emerge they're going to need somebody to step up but I like Notre Dame I like Marcus Freeman if he can get him to the cfp I think he's going to have as good of an argument as anybody or drew a couple more categories uh before we get to our next segment breakout Player of the Year this one was a little bit of a cupcake layup For Me Avery Johnson the guy we call Sunshine MVP of the Pop-Tart Bowl I mean man you talk about Dynamic a guy that we love to watch will Howard is playing for one of the top three teams in the country and it's because Avery Johnson forced him out of there Avery Johnson if you're not familiar with that name go back watch his game against NC State in the postseason you'll learn everything that you need to know Drew I think he's going to have to step up from a passing standpoint but it wasn't long ago you and I had the discussion is he even a quarterback he's grown Leaps and Bounds at the position if he can keep up that type of trajectory I think he's going to be fine C my breakout Player of the Year Justice Haynes running back at Alabama Crimson Tide lose both of their top ball carriers one of the transfer portal the other to the NFL draft Justice Haynes I think he's kind of become a forgotten man there this was the number three ranked running back in the class of 2023 behind uh Cedric Baxter and Ruben Owens both those guys out for the year we saw a little bit of Justice Haynes in the college football playoff against Michigan I think the Crimson Tide strength is that offensive line I think we could see Justice Haynes running for over a 100 yards a lot of times this season with Tyler Booker uh Kaden Proctor blocking for him up front all right last category here no surprises Drew who's your rookie of the year I feel like we flipped here I'm going cam Coleman uh the wide receiver at Auburn we bring it up all the time tigers have not had a thousand yard wide receiver since 1999 cam Coleman we saw him in the spring game four catches close to 100 yards this dude is a freak I think he's going to unlock some things putting a lot of faith and Payton Thorne uh but someone's going to have to move the chains for the Auburn Tigers and I think it's going to be cam man I'm going Jeremiah Smith big surprise number one player in the class of 2024 Drew I love this kid you love this kid you scouted him for a while I compared him to Julio Jones I don't think there's any going back from that so I got to stick with that so cam Coleman Jeremiah Smith if you're not familiar with those names you got about a week to get familiar with them college football right around the corner we got some more fall Camp Buzz right after this break B Camp is not over yet I know week zero is right around the corner but we still got some fall Camp buzz and thanks to our friend Chris Hummer at 247 Sports we can always look forward to his headlines every week and uh Drew we talked about Marcus Freeman my coach of the year candidate my coach of the year pick quite frankly and what week one looks like well he's got his hands full and after I read Hummer's report I was like ah know if I'm going to keep this pick ended up staying with it but the reason I'm a little nervous is because Texas A&M's defensive line looks like it's turning a lot of heads and for good reason Drew I mean you go down the list DJ Hicks former five star Shamar Turner Shamar Stewart another former five star they bring in Nick scouton at Double Digit sacks at Purdue last season that's not to mention guys like Malik Sila as well they got some death Gabriel Brown Lindy you can go down the list there Drew is this a shock to you I I kind of expect this to be one of the best units in all of college football I have that week one game circled Cooper uh against Notre Dame because I think it could be much like what we saw last season when North Carolina squared off with South Carolina uh the Gamecock couldn't block anyone and I think with Notre Dame given uh the struggles given the guys that have left and what they have to replace at the tackle spots with the injuries I think Texas A&M is absolutely going to tee off and the other thing that stands out out about the depth and what Hummer road is remember that 2022 recruiting class for the agies under Jimbo fiser was the highest rank recruiting class of all time now some of those guys have left uh but some of the pieces are still there uh and that's the benefit of bringing in Elite Talent from the high school ranks allowing those guys to develop that is the strength of Texas A&M's roster uh that defensive front Mike Elco excuse me Mike Elco defensive-minded coach obviously uh to be able to inherit this group uh certainly puts Texas A&M and Elco in a position of strength that is going to be uh the matchup there that everybody's going to have their eyes on point of attack offense defensive line Texas A&M versus Notre Dame one of the most highlighted games of week one this college football season all right Drew staying in the SEC let's talk about old Miss and I think a lot of people give a lot of attention to the portal King Lane kein but you and I because we study the high school side know that they've been getting it done on the high school side as well in those ranks and two guys that we liked a lot coming out of high school were William Eckles and TJ Banks and Drew they're turning heads through Camp defense coordinator Pete Pete Golding uh seems pretty confident that he's going to be able to get both of these guys on the field this year and pretty early but let's start with Will Eckles I mean you talk about a story a guy that played a guard Center for us at the All-American balll I think there were a lot of conversation he going to play offense he going to play defense oh miss being one of the only teams to offer him an opportunity to play on the defensive side of the ball Drew they think he can be a dominant Force at the next level this shouldn't be any surprise at all it's not Cooper and I heard from someone uh on staff there this was a few weeks ago that they thought he was the most impressive freshman that they've had in a while and you mentioned it him playing offense at the All American ball I'll never forget calling will Eckles right after the Alabama Mississippi game saying hey we got a spot in San Antonio the only issue is we need you to play offense and not defense and he had no issues doing it and I think Cooper he's kind of one of those rare linemen where there's a chance that hey maybe at some point down the line even in uh this transfer portal era maybe we do see him on the other side of the ball but I think it's extremely encouraging if you're an old Miz fan uh that will Eckles is ahead of schedule TJ Banks to me CP uh I know someone you're super familiar with big frame defensive back I remember he was an instant eye-catcher at the under arour all America game in Orlando at the tail end of his senior season big long kid I think you could play him on the perimeter I think Old Miss is is kind of toor with the ideal to play him at that nickel position I think a guy that's very comfortable in run support doesn't mind physicality two big pickups for Old Miss as you got to continue to recruit the high school ranks Lan kein showing why rre let's talk about one of our favorite players last cycle in the five-star tight end in Luke Reynolds at Penn State not sure if you've seen a picture of his hair lately looking a lot like Joe Dirt making a lot of preseason All-American lists for the true freshman uh this kid already up 25 pounds I I think you and I are not shocked at this at all up to 241 pounds Drew we know that Penn State likes to use their tight ends a lot 12 13 Personnel it seems like James Franklin is kind of in that position right now where he said you know what Luke Reynold's going to play we don't know how much he's he's going to play is it four games or is the red shirt coming off uh not a surprise for us this kid the inline ability his ability to flex out in the passing game as well I think that's what it's going to come down to can he be uh a neutral asset when you put him in in a run situation that being said Luke Reynolds Drew buying all the stock you know the oyster boers are very very excited about the prospect of what Luke Reynolds can do at Penn State goop does he red shirt yes or no I'm going no I'm going no too I'm right there with you all right we're holding it to you James Franklin now this was our darling last cycle Cooper and I think for everyone that wants to be a talent evaluator or trying to sort these kids in the high school ranks why do we like Luke Reynolds well he was a former quarterback that was making the transition to tight end you look at the NFL all those big framed pass catchers all the guys stretching the field most of them were not tight ends in high school they're playing another position Luke Reynolds also got it done at safety super physical physical uh he was just awesome to be around and I think for Penn State with the new offense Drew Aller they need to get him some weapons and hey if that means 13 Personnel we're going to throw out of these three tight end sets then I'm all for it maybe that is the answer for Penn State and how uh they can exceed expectations here in 2024 and potentially make a run to the college football playoff I think if Luke Reynolds they can get him a little bit more ready uh for a point of attack play there in the Big 10 I think that's going to help out those running backs KRON Allen and Nick Singleton all right we mentioned Chris Hummer's 247 Sports fall Camp report like I said you can find that on 247sports.com but he's not done he's a busy man he's got a true freshman All-American list coming out later this week on 247sports.com Drew he's given us the opportunity to tease a couple names and a guy that I know you're fired up about another former five star about the edge rusher at South Carolina Dylan Stewart yeah I feel like Dylan Stewart is someone that hasn't been discussed anywhere when we talk about uh these true freshmen and guys that can make an impact right away it's normally all the wide receivers were discussing but Dylan Stewart I went back in my notes went back to what I wrote coming out of the Under Armour All-America Game Cooper I said if anyone belonged on an NF NFL field right now it was Dylan Stewart he looked like an action figure what's crazy is he posted his physical transformation since he arrived there in Colombia and he is even more rocked up now I think this is someone uh with South Carolina and Shane Beamer he needs to show a little bit of the future I think Dylan Stewart is a guy that has a chance to get after quarterbacks right away in the SEC so certainly name to know think about some of these other pass rushers the Gamecocks have had in the past jaavan Clowney Jordan bur I think Dylan Stewart could be right up there uh in the same breath with them all right keep an eye out for Hummer's article that comes out later this week like I said on 247 sports.com all right Drew like we talked about at the beginning of the show we'd be mad men if we didn't talk about week zero here and let's talk about it Florida State the number top 10 team in the country taking on Georgia Tech a sneaky good matchup to start off the season in Ireland uh Drew Florida State lost 10 players to the NFL draft they coming off a season that had a lot of highs and one low at the end of it missing out on a college football playoff appearance what are you looking forward to in this game for me wide receiver you know who catches passes there for the seminal Keon Coleman's gone off to the NFL Johnny Wilson is also now in the league I think that is one of the biggest storylines of week zero we know Florida State returns a front in the offensive line they got some good running backs a new quarterback dju coming in but who's going to catch passes is it Malik Benson is it Hae Williams who has been hurt is it Jaylen Brown the transfer from LSU is it KRON porier the other thing Cooper I want to see this Florida State secondary I I really like it on paper Azariah Thomas ventrell Cyprus Earl little Kevin nolles Conrad hussy KJ Kirkland I think that is a sneaky good unit for the seminal what about you what are you keeping your here in week one or week zero DJ angay right we talk about the trans report of the impact of the quarterbacks like musical chairs and dju Florida State felt pretty convicted in their pursuit of dju and this is a guy that's played a lot of football dating back to his time in the ACC at Clemson goes to Oregon State plays one year under Jonathan Smith now at FSU Drew he's an experienced quarterback and he's grown a lot but how high does dju really take Florida State ceiling that is the biggest question mark for me is this a guy you win with or because of and I think it's more of a guy that you win with not because of Jordan Travis really developed into that guy that was an amplif fire for Florida State and for Mike Norvell what he could do with his leg so the biggest question mark for me is not only that production that you have to replace on the receiving Court outside of Keon Coleman Johnny Wilson but what about the quarterback position and can this guy make you that much better in your pursuit to go win a college football playoff and potentially a national championship that's the biggest question so Georgia Tech Florida State they face off this Saturday an early morning game noon Eastern Time on ES PN guys like I said you can find everything you need to know about college football recruiting on the 247 Sports YouTube channel we appreciate you guys joining us as always for Andrew Ivans I'm Cooper pagna we'll see you next week [Music]