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The most significant transformation in college football recruiting over the last three years has been the evolution of the NCAA Transfer Portal into a de facto free agency system, alongside the seismic shift brought on by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations and the resulting “open bidding wars.” This continuous player movement has fundamentally altered roster construction and the timeline for competitive success. It has prompted a strategic and vocal response from the University of Georgia’s head coach, Kirby Smart, who has both adapted to and criticized the new landscape.

For UGA, a program built on elite high school recruiting and player development, the transfer portal presents both challenges and opportunities. While the Bulldogs continue to recruit top-tier talent through traditional cycles, the portal has become an undeniable force in shaping the final makeup of their roster each season.

Kirby Smart’s Two-Front Approach: Adaptation and Advocacy

Kirby Smart’s response to the rise of the transfer portal can be characterized as a two-front approach: advocating for systemic changes while privately adapting his recruiting and roster management strategies.

Publicly, Smart has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the current transfer portal windows, particularly their timing and frequency. He has consistently argued for a consolidated and logical calendar, expressing frustration with the chaotic nature of managing a roster while players are actively entering the transfer portal during crucial periods, such as preparation for bowl games and the College Football Playoff.

“The biggest decision that has to be made in college football right now, by far… is when is the portal window, and is there one or two?” Smart said, advocating for a single, later window that would allow teams to complete their seasons before player movement begins.

However, behind the scenes, Smart and his staff have demonstrated a remarkable ability to utilize the portal to their strategic advantage. Rather than completely overhauling their roster, Georgia’s approach has been targeted and needs-based. They have sought specific positions where there is weakness or lack of depth, bringing in experienced players who can make an immediate impact. Recent acquisitions have included key players at wide receiver, defensive back, and even on the offensive line—positions where finding immediate, game-ready talent through the high school ranks can be particularly challenging.

A “Culture Fit” Philosophy and Emphasis on the Trenches

One cornerstone of Smart’s portal strategy is his strong emphasis on “culture fit.” He has consistently asserted that Georgia will not simply recruit the most talented players available; instead, they will target players who align with the program’s demanding work ethic and team-first mentality. “We evaluate the transfer portal on who fits our culture more than who fits our talent level,” Smart explained. This philosophy aims to lessen the risks associated with integrating players who may not adapt well to the demanding environment at Georgia, thus protecting the locker room culture that has been crucial to their success.

Coach Smart strongly believes that the foundation of a championship team is built through high school recruiting, especially along the lines of scrimmage. He has voiced concerns about the scarcity of elite linemen in the transfer portal, reinforcing his commitment to identifying, recruiting, and developing these vital positions from the ground up. Long-term investment in the trenches remains the cornerstone of his program-building philosophy, with the portal serving as a supplemental tool rather than a primary source of talent.

Impact on High School Recruiting and Roster Management

The rise of the transfer portal has subtly yet significantly impacted UGA’s high school recruiting strategy. The coaching staff must anticipate potential departures to the portal and strategically maintain a small number of scholarships open to accommodate incoming transfers who can address immediate needs.

This has resulted in a more fluid, year-round approach to roster construction. The lines between the end of one recruiting cycle and the beginning of the next have blurred, particularly with portal windows in December and April/May becoming critical periods for talent acquisition alongside the traditional early signing period and National Signing Day.

The maturation of the transfer portal into a constant, high-stakes marketplace for player talent stands out as the most significant non-NFL change in college football recruiting over the last three years. At the University of Georgia, Kirby Smart has addressed this new reality with a blend of public critique and private adaptation.

113 Dawgs Make the 2024-25 First-Year Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll

A total of 113 University of Georgia student-athletes were named to the 2024-25 First-Year Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll, the league office announced. 

The First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2024-25 academic calendar. 

Any student-athlete who participates in a Southeastern Conference championship sport, has a grade point average of 3.00 or higher, and has completed a minimum of 24 semester hours is eligible for nomination.

First-year student-athletes in all sports are eligible to be named to the Honor Roll upon completion of their first full academic year in residence. 

The following student athletes were named to the 2024-25 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll: 

Baseball

Cade Brown (Business), Zachary Brown (Sport Management), Robert Burnet (Housing Management & Policy), Justin Byrd (Sport Management), Davis Chastain (Sport Management), Bryce Clavon (Real Estate), Brian Curley (Psychology), Alton Davis (Sport Management), Eric Hammond (Graduate Studies), Brennan Hudson (Finance), Daniel Jackson (Sport Management), Nolan McCarthy (Graduate Studies), Lucas Morici (Housing Management & Policy), JT Quinn (Consumer Economics), Asher Sabom (Management), Jordan Stephens (Management), Nathaniel Taylor (Business), Ryland Zaborowski (Graduate Studies)

Men’s Basketball

Justin Abson (Sport Management), Somto Cyril (Communication Studies), Savo Drezgic (Housing Management & Policy), Jordyn Kee (Housing Management & Policy), Tyrin Lawrence (Arts and Sciences), Dakota Leffew (Arts and Sciences), De’Shayne Montgomery (Housing Management & Policy), Asa Newell (Housing Management & Policy)

Women’s Basketball

Indya Davis (Management), Summer Davis (Management), Nyah Levereter (Journalism), Roxane Makolo Mualuja (Business Analytics)

Equestrian

Kendall Dean (Journalism), Emma DeJong (Communication Studies),Skyler Ezzell (Management), Caroline Fletcher (Agribusiness), Mia Frigon (Management), Katelyn Jedele (Animal Biosciences), Emma Lackey (Finance), Sienna Pilla (Marketing), Lendon Reeder (Agricultural Communication), Baylie Robbins (Management Information Systems), Ellie Royal (Risk Management and Insurance), Lauren Sanders (International Business and Management), Ella Wit (International Affairs)

Football

Ethan Barbour (Finance), Marcus Harrison (Intended Business Unspecified), Jahzare Jackson (Sport Management), Drew Miller (Marketing), Dwight Phillips (Real Estate)

Men’s Golf

James Earle (Real Estate), Grayson Wood (Consumer Economics)

Women’s Golf

Chantal El Chaib (Journalism), Candace Lou (Sport Management), Morgan Smith (Finance)

Gymnastics

Nyla Aquino (Criminal Justice), Csenge Bacskay (Communication Studies), Sadie Jane Berry (Communication Studies), Alexis Czarrunchick (Business), Kara Eaker (Furnishings and Interiors), Brooke Gleichowski (Sport Management), Emma Mason (Biomedical Physiology), Aberdeen O’Driscoll (Arts and Sciences), Harley Tomlin (Arts and Sciences)

Soccer

Nicole Bidun (Management), Sophia Brelage (Marketing), Cayla Jackson (Management)

Softball

Paislie Allen (Sport Management), Precious Bross (Sport Management), Mollie Mitchell (Management),Randi Roelling (Agribusiness), Ella Trout (Exercise and Sport Science), Esther White (Biomedical Physiology), Mua Williams (Sport Management)

Men’s Swimming and Diving

Bo Bridges (Sport Management), Renato Calderaro (Financial Planning), Will Gavin (Exercise and Sport Science), Drew Hitchcock (Accounting), Aiden Sadler (Cellular Biology), Elliot Woodburn (Management Information Systems)

Women’s Swimming and Diving

Ivy Buckley (Comm Sci and Disorders), Charlote Headland (Health Promotion), Marie Landreneau (Human Development and Family Science), Simany Lee (International Business and Management), Elle Noecker (Journalism), Helena Pinto Coelho Lopes (Psychology and Biology), Samantha Rydzewski (Furnishings and Interiors), Katie Belle Sikes (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Nyla Thompson (Exercise and Sport Science)

Men’s Tennis

Oscar Pinto Sansano (Political Science)

Women’s Tennis

Sarah Branicki (Special Education), Hayden Mulberry (Marketing)

Men’s Track and Field

Shemar Chambers (Graduate Studies), London Costen (Communication Studies), Jordan Fick (Sport Management), Jayden Keys (Finance), Edwin Kurjak (Mathematics), Joseph Minecci (Biological Science), Xai Ricks (Business), Mark Trammell (Finance), Maximus Tucker (Ocean Science)

Women’s Track and Field

Toni Birden (Consumer Economics), Elizabeth Cowley (Avian Biology), Lianna Davidson (Social Entr Cons Well-Being), Kayla Dickerson (Biology and Psychology), Sanaa Frederick (Arts and Sciences), Sole Frederick (Journalism), Rylee Hampton (Public Relations), Adaejah Hodge (Sport Management), Dejanea Oakley (International Affairs), Katherine Robinson (International Affairs and Political Science), Michelle Smith (Biomedical Physiology), Skylynn Townsend (Biomedical Physiology), Isabel Yonas (Exercise and Sport Science)

Volleyball

Emma Duffield (Psychology)

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AJ Dybantsa Reveals LeBron James Workouts And Mamba Motivation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

For AJ Dybantsa, his future aspirations are pretty cut and dry. He’ll spend the next year at BYU under the guidance of Kevin Young before making a leap to the NBA. That’s the plan currently being implemented and will be fun to watch.

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The top incoming basketball recruit recently made the cover of Men’s Health with a feature piece as part of the top athletes in the high school class of 2025. Dybantsa shared insight about his future and how he’s being groomed as the next NBA star. An amazing factor about him comes after he reclassified up a year to attend BYU early.

Dybantsa’s game—a mix of above-the-rim finishing, midrange shot making, and elastic defense—is already at a pro level. “I’ve worked out with Bron,” Dybantsa drops casually, referring to NBA ironman LeBron James. “I’ve worked out with a lot of the top guys. I wish I had the chance to work out with Kobe.” He cites Bryant’s Mamba mentality as an inspiration and wears Nike Kobe 5s.

If there is one player who fits the mold of the NBA’s next generation, Dybantsa has got next. Kobe left us all prematurely, but his top-notch approach still lives on through one of AJ’s mentors, Kevin Durant, who is another player helping guide Dybantsa’s career. The newest member of the Houston Rockets had Young as an assistant coach during their time together with the Phoenix Suns.

Related: BYU phenom AJ Dybantsa shows off Nike ‘Air Bakin’ KD18 player edition

It was widely reported BYU offered Dybansta a $5 million NIL package, but money wasn’t the deciding factor. The culture with Young’s NBA-ready system spoke volumes to the nation’s top talent, leaving him blown away by the direction the Cougars were headed in. Dybantsa also gained deals with Red Bull and Nike before stepping foot on campus. But said he hasn’t gotten to the point of splurging yet. Even though, he recently took the title as college basketball’s top NIL earner.

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There’s no doubt that Dybantsa will be one of the most electrifying players to watch next season.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.

The longtime sports talk radio host has been highly critical of one head coach, in particular, in recent years, and has reiterated his feelings towards him once again this week

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has gone straight for the jugular when discussing Lincoln Riley’s head coaching tenure at USC, claiming that he would have fired him “a year ago” following another underwhelming campaign in 2024.

The longtime sports talk radio host has been highly critical of the 41-year-old ever since he made the switch from Oklahoma in 2022, suggesting he should have been fired on multiple occasions and even calling him a “fraud” after failing to live up to the high expectations in Los Angeles.

It comes not long after Riley was branded as “pathetic” for repeatedly casting doubt on the future of the Trojans’ college football rivalry with Notre Dame, while Finebaum recently made headlines for producing one of the most agonizing interviews live on TV with Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.

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The latter has now caught the eye once more with his latest scathing assessment of Riley, taking to his self-titled show on the SEC network to state that if it were up to him, he would have fired the former Texas Tech quarterback before the previous season.

“I would have fired Lincoln Riley a year ago,” Finebaum said. “But he’s got about a $60 million buyout. So, it’s very complicated to get rid of him.

“He’s got a big recruiting class coming in, which doesn’t mean anything in the current strata of recruiting. But another bad season and I think everyone out there will finally come to the conclusion that we have; that he is a bust.”

During his five seasons in charge of Oklahoma between 2017-2021, Riley compiled a 55-10 record, won four Big 12 championships and earned three College Football Playoff berths. He also achieved the highest winning percentage in the history of coaches at the OU program.

Since taking over at USC, Riley has accumulated a less impressive – yet still respectable – 26–14 record. In his first campaign, he picked up where he left off with Oklahoma, leading the Trojans to an 11-3 record and a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Since then, however, things have been on a downward trajectory. During his second season in charge, USC ended at 8-5, while the most recent campaign saw that record drop again to 7-6.

In the SEC, USC’s record read 5-4 in 2023 and 4-5 in 2024, taking Riley’s overall conference record to 17-10. In the latter, the Trojans finished as low as ninth.

The upcoming campaign is arguably Riley’s biggest as USC boss yet, with major improvements needed if he is to save his job. Although, as Finebaum said, his astronomical buyout clause is the one thing working in his favor.

If USC decides to part ways with Riley, it would be the highest buyout in college football history, surpassing Jimbo Fisher’s $77.5m buyout at Texas A&M in November 2023.

USC kicks off its 2025 season with back-to-back home games against Missouri State and Georgia Southern, providing the perfect opportunity to get things off to a good start. Also on the season schedule is the annual rivalry game with Notre Dame on October 18.

Indiana picked up a commitment from 3-star class of 2026 safety Jamar Owens on Friday afternoon.

Owens announced his decision on his Instagram page.  He took an official visit to IU last weekend.

According to the industry average, Owens is the No. 70 safety in the 2026 class.

The 6-foot and 180-pound Owens attends Jonesboro H.S. in Douglasville, Ga.  He had 70 tackles including three for loss, three interceptions and two forced fumbles as a junior.

Owens’ offers included Texas A&M, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, Texas, Florida State, USC and others.

Indiana now has two safeties in their 2026 class.  Owens joins Florida 3-star Laron Dues.  Overall the class is ranked around No. 30 in the nation.  Here’s the rest of the now 19-player class, with links to more information on each:

INDIANA 2026 CLASS

1. Gabe Hill, Naperville, Illinois, DL (4-star)
2. Henry Ohlinger, Columbus, Ohio, LB/RB (4-star)
3. Kevontay Hugan, Sarasota, Fla., Edge (4-star)
4. Kasmir Hicks, Indianapolis, Indiana, CB/WR (3-star)
5. Sam Simpson, River Falls, Wisconsin, IOL (3-star)
6. Jayreon Campbell, Powder Springs, Georgia, RB (3-star)
7. Cash Herrera, San Diego, California, QB (3-star)
8. Trevor Gibbs, Crown Point, Indiana, TE (3-star)
9. Blake Smythe, Franklin, Indiana, DL (3-star)
10. P.J. MacFarlane, Liberty Township, Ohio, TE (3-star)
11. Kortez Rupert, East St. Louis, Illinois, WR (3-star)
12. Jacob Savage, Union, Kentucky, LB (3-star)
13. Ja’Dyn Williams, Massillon, Ohio, LB (3-star)
14. Rodney White, Towson, Maryland, DL (3-star)
15. Kenton Mondeau, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, OT (3-star)
16. CJ Scifres, Greenwood, Indiana, OL (3-star)
17. Parker Elmore, Columbus, Indiana, TE (3-star)
18. Laron Dues, Sarasota, Florida, S (3-star)

For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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Texas A&M Football Commit Wide Receiver Madden Williams Signs Early NIL Endorsement Deal With Adidas originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Colleges can’t directly use NIL deals as bargaining chips when recruiting high school students, meaning they cannot offer deals as an incentive for the student to commit. However, teams can discuss potential NIL opportunities and students can negotiate deals before they enroll.

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With this gray area, schools that have brand endorsements can highlight these as potential opportunities. For instance, Texas A&M is endorsed by Adidas, Nike, and BSN SPORTS. Aggies are already starting to cash in on these brands — even those still in high school.

Adidas already signed six rising high school seniors to NIL endorsement deals. Texas A&M football’s wide receiver commit Madden Williams is among the group. Wide receiver Tristen Keys, linebacker Tyler Atkinson, wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., wide receiver Calvin Russell, and wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt are the other five athletes that signed with adidas.

Williams is a four-star recruit from Bellflower, Calif. who committed to Texas A&M on Dec. 28, 2024. Out of the six recent Adidas signees, he’s the lowest ranking rising senior. Still though, when he arrives at College Station, he’s expected to be a star in his college career. Williams is the No. 39 wide receiver overall and No, 239 overall athlete. He’s also the No. 23 recruit from California.

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While he’s not officially and Aggie quite yet, the wide receiver is already putting himself in a position to blend well with the team and its brand. Quarterback Marcel Reed and recent transfer KC Concepcion started their NIL endorsement treks ahead of the 2025-26 season. In fact, Concepcion received $2.5 million through his multiple deals with different companies.

Related: Texas A&M Football Class of 2026 Safety Target Ascends To Five-Star Ranking

Related: Texas A&M Football Misses Out on Two Lineman One Day After Major Success

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.

The House v. NCAA settlement, announced on June 6, will allow college athletic departments to distribute up to $20.5 million in revenue to student-athletes. This decision was met with its fair share of controversy.

Still, the ruling brings potential benefits, especially in leveling the recruiting landscape across Power Four programs when it takes effect on July 1. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema already sees a positive impact and believes it could be the key to ensuring every school competes on equal footing.

Bret Bielema Stresses Importance of NIL Balance Across College Football

Illinois football hasn’t always been the most competitive program. From 2002 to 2023, the Fighting Illini did not see a single season where they won double-digit games.

The program’s trend has taken a turn since Bret Bielema took over in 2021, leading Illinois to a ten-win season in 2024. However, Bielema didn’t experience much success on the recruiting trail until the 2026 cycle.

Illinois currently sits with the 13th-best recruiting class in 2026, which, if it stands, would be the best class in program history.

On the “Triple Option” podcast, Bielema explained that under the new revenue-sharing model, Illinois is finally on an even playing field with other Power Four programs, something he sees as a major factor in the team’s recent recruiting success.

“I know right now we are beating schools I’ve never beaten before,” Bielema said. “We can go head-to-head with any SEC or Big Ten school. I don’t care if it’s Ohio State or the team that finished last in our conference last year. I don’t care if it’s the team that finished first in the SEC or the team that finished last in the SEC.”

Bielema further explained that it doesn’t matter if he’s getting the top recruits in the country or the worst recruits. The only thing that matters is that every program has access to the same recruiting pool.

“I don’t care if we’re all shopping in Louis Viton or we’re all in Walmart,” Bielema said. “As long as we’re all in the same store, I’m good.”

It’s a unique perspective, but it makes a lot of sense as college football enters a revenue-sharing landscape.

With teams capped at $20.5 million to share with their athletes, all programs can offer recruits the same amount. While smaller schools that might not be able to afford that $20.5 million will be at a disadvantage, revenue-sharing at least puts all Power Four programs on the same tier.

RELATED: Illinois Coach Bret Bielema Refuses Baseball Pitch at Wrigley Field: ‘You Sure as Hell Ain’t Going To Get Me’

While the Fighting Illini’s recent success on the recruiting trail has a limited sample size, it could be a good sign of things to come in college football as revenue-sharing continues to level the playing field for many programs like Illinois.