OMAHA, Neb. – Fueled by Gage Wood’s no-hitter and near perfect game, Arkansas kept its postseason hopes alive with a 3-0 win over Murray State at the College World Series on Monday afternoon inside Charles Schwab Field.

Wood was incredible in throwing just the third no-hitter in College World Series history and only the 11th solo no-hitter in Arkansas school history. He joins Jim Ehler of Texas in 1950 and Jim Wixson of Oklahoma State in 1960 as the only pitchers to record no-hitters in the CWS. Wood’s 19 strikeouts broke the school record in his first-ever complete game. His 19 punch outs eclipsed the record held by Hagen Smith (2024) and Jess Todd (2007), who both struck out 17.

Wood set the CWS record for consecutive outs, retiring the first 21 batters he faced on Monday before a 2-2 breaking ball hit the back foot of Dom Decker to open the eighth inning. The perfect game bid was the longest since 1999 in the CWS.

Wood breezed through the Murray State lineup the first time through, striking out five of the nine Racers in their first at-bat. The Batesville, Ark. native rolled through the third and fourth innings, striking out the side in both before striking out Decker to start the fifth for seven straight punch outs. He then fielded a ground ball to the first base side of the mound and raced to first for the second out before he added his 11th strikeout to end the fifth.

He added a pair of strikeouts in the sixth and one more in the seventh to retire 21 straight to start the game. After hitting Decker to open the eighth inning, Wood quickly got back to work by getting Luke Mistone to foul out to Ryder Helfrick behind the plate then racked up two more strikeouts to extend his no-hit bid to the ninth.

Back out for the ninth inning, Wood was still reaching 97-98 mph with his fastball. Pinch hitter Nico Bermeo looked to have been the second Racer to reach base when he was hit in the elbow by a 2-2 pitch but, after review, the umpires overturned the call and called Bermeo out by rule – in college baseball a pitch is called a strike when a batter is ruled to have intentionally allowed the ball to hit him. With strikeout No. 16 in the books, Wood blew fastballs by fellow Batesville native and Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year Conner Cunningham for the second out. With history hanging in the balance, Wood finished it off in style with his 19th strikeout of the afternoon against the Racers’ best hitter in Jonathan Hogart. Wood’s 19 strikeouts is one shy of the CWS record 20 set in 1965 by Steve Arlin in Ohio State’s 1-0 win over Washington in 15 innings.

While Wood was dominating on the mound, the Hogs were struggling to get into gear at the plate. A Reese Robinett double led off the top of the third inning before Charles Davalan scratched the first run of the afternoon with a single. That run was more than enough for Wood but his teammates added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning.

Leadoff singles from Justin Thomas Jr. and Davalan put runners on the corners for Wehiwa Aloy. The SEC Player of the Year pounded a double inside the third base bag and down the left field line to stretch the lead to two runs. Davalan scored on an error by Murray State’s outfielder to cap the rally and increase the Arkansas lead to three runs.

Thomas led all players with a career-best four hits on the day as Arkansas collected 10 hits on the afternoon. Davalan and Aloy chipped in a pair of hits apiece in the win.

Arkansas advances to tomorrow night when the Hogs will take on the loser of LSU/UCLA at 6 p.m.

Records Set by Gage Wood in CWS No-Hitter

• Arkansas school record for single-game strikeouts – 19
• 11th solo no-hitter in Arkansas school history
• 3rd no-hitter in CWS history
• 9th no-hitter in NCAA tournament history
• Most strikeouts in a single game of 9 innings or fewer in CWS History
• Most single-game strikeouts in Charles Schwab Field Era of CWS
• 1st complete game in CWS since 2018 Oregon State’s Kevin Abel
• 124th CWS Shutout

How Gage Wood Threw the Third No-Hitter in College World Series History
1st Inning
Jonathan Hogart – Fly out to RF
Dustin Mercer – K
Carson Garner – K

2nd Inning
Dom Decker – K looking
Luke Mistone – groundout to 2B
Will Vierling – Fly out to RF

3rd Inning
Dan Tauken – K
Charlie Jury – K looking
Conner Cunningham – K

4th Inning
Jonathan Hogart – K
Dustin Mercer – K
Carson Garner – K looking

5th Inning
Dom Decker – K looking
Luke Mistone – groundout to P
Will Vierling – K looking

6th Inning
Dan Tauken – groundout to P
Charlie Jury – K
Conner Cunningham – K

7th Inning
Jonathan Hogart – K
Dustin Mercer – groundout to SS
Carson Garner – groundout to 1B

8th Inning
Dom Decker – HBP
Luke Mistone – foul out to C
Will Vierling – K
Dan Tauken – K

9th Inning
Nico Bermeo – K (HBP overturned for strike three)
Conner Cunningham – K
Jonathan Hogart – K looking

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).

As the 2026 college football recruiting cycle gains momentum, several programs have distinguished themselves with impressive early commitments. Rankings will always be different, varying sites and analysts and they are subject to change as the cycle progresses, but here’s an overview of the top recruiting classes and standout commitments shaping the future of college football.

Top 5 Recruiting Classes (Early Standings in no Order)

1. Ohio State

• Top Commitments: Five-Star Wide Receiver Chris Henry Jr., Four-Star Safety Blaine Bradford, Four-Star Linebacker Simeon Caldwell, and Four-Star Offensive Tackle Maxwell Riley

Class Overview:

Ryan Day has the luxury of building his 2026 class around one of the most coveted players in the country: five-star receiver Henry, whose father, the late Chris Henry, was a star receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry Jr. stands 6-6 and has a combination of length and quickness that isn’t seen too often from players coming out of high school. He could rival Jeremiah Smith for day one impact readiness for a school that is clearly turning into WRU in college football. The rest of the Buckeyes’ class has started to take shape, totaling 13 recruits in the top 300 as of now. The team has added a handful of ESPN 300 prospects since March, including Blaine Bradford out of Louisiana and linebacker Simeon Caldwell out of Florida. 

2. USC Trojans

• Top Commitments: Five-star Cornerback Elbert Hill, five-star cornerback RJ Sermons, five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and four-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield.

Class Overview:

Under the leadership of head coach Lincoln Riley, USC has assembled a formidable defensive class, highlighted by multiple five-star recruits. The Trojans’ aggressive recruiting strategy has positioned them as a national contender. The Trojans have double-digit (14) ESPN 300 commits as of today and with several joining the list since January. The Trojans have seemed to put an emphasis on building up the defense since this has been a glaring weakness for the team over the last few years.

The Trojans have also been doing a good job stealing recruits from different states that are usually associated in their pipeline states, and this could be the differentiator for staying as a top class in 2026. The move of hiring Chad Bowden from Notre Dame seems to be paying dividends with big recruiting advantages along with dominating the transfer portal as well. 

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

• Top Commitments: Five-star offensive tackle Tyler Merrill, four-star quarterback Noah Grubbs, and four-star edge rusher Rodney Dunham.

Class Overview:

Notre Dame has bolstered its reputation as an offensive line powerhouse with the addition of Merrill. The Fighting Irish are also strengthening their defense and quarterback position, aiming for a balanced and competitive class. After shocking the CFB world by making the CFP final last year, the Fighting Irish look to keep the momentum rolling by staying on top of the college football world getting a top 2026 class to keep retooling their roster.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Top Commitments: Four-star offensive lineman Kevin Brown, four-star edge rusher Daniel Jennings, and four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone.

Class Overview:

Penn State is capitalizing on its recent College Football Playoff appearance by securing top in-state talent and expanding its reach. The Nittany Lions’ emphasis on both offensive and defensive line prospects reflects their commitment to building a strong foundation throughout the entire team, creating a balanced 2026 class. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a fast start fueled by strong in-state recruiting and have kept that momentum going. Several of their top commits are Pennsylvania natives, including four-star Harrisburg High School teammates Kevin Brown and Messiah Mickens. This also included a verbal commitment from four-star QB Peyton Falzone.

James Franklin also landed in-state athlete David Davis Jr., who has clocked a 20.5 mph max speed and has the cover skills to fit into the back end of a defense one day. Franklin is owning his state, which is critical when staying on top of the recruiting rankings and making sure the top talent doesn’t leave your backyard, especially as some of the top programs around the Country like to dip into Pennsylvania.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

• Top Commitments: Five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, Four-star Cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick, and Four-star Wide Receiver Vance Spafford

Class Overview:

The Bulldogs have been a consistent staple among the top three overall classes during Kirby Smart’s tenure and look to do so again in 2026. A big step toward finishing near the top is bringing five-star quarterback Curtis back into the mix. After a decommitment, the Bulldogs were able to fend off other suitors and give themselves a potential impact QB for the future they’ve been looking for years now, after getting multiple top QB recruits in recent past. Fitzpatrick has great lineage, being the brother of NFL safety Minkah Fitzpatrick as he plays a very similar style of football to his brother, which bodes well for Georgia.

Emerging Trends

• Regional Strengths: Programs are increasingly focusing on regional recruiting to build strong pipelines. For instance, Penn State’s emphasis on in-state talent from Pennsylvania has bolstered its class rankings. Illinois seems to be joining this list by keeping top recruit Nasir Rankin inside his home state as well. Good recruiting starts by dominating your home ground, and an unexpected program keeping elite players at home is massive for their trajectory.

• Top Recruits going against the norm: Zion Elee, a five-star defensive end from Maryland, is ranked as the No. 1 defensive prospect in the 2026 class. His commitment to Maryland is a historic one, being the highest-rated recruit in the program’s history.  Rutgers got two top wide receiver recruits in Dyzier Carter and Elias Coke, both being four-stars. Syracuse has a top ten class according to multiple sources which is great for coach Fran Brown to continue to build on his image.

Conclusion

The 2026 recruiting cycle is shaping up to be highly competitive, with several programs making significant early commitments. While rankings are fluid and subject to change, the current landscape indicates a strong emphasis on building balanced teams with a focus on both offensive and defensive prowess. The normal suspects for having top recruiting classes seem to be at the top still but watch out for a few sleeper teams that are looking to spend their NIL money in order to get into the upper echelon of college football. As the cycle progresses, expect these rankings to evolve, with programs continuing to secure top-tier talent across the nation.

More College Football Recruiting News:

College football is now at a critical point where rules intended to provide clarity can also bring back the darkest times for the game. Greg McElroy, an ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback with extensive experience in the game’s history, has expressed his concern about new college football regulations that may lead to negative outbreaks.

A Champion’s Perspective on College Football’s Dangerous Gamble

McElroy knows college football’s underbelly better than most. The 2010 BCS National Champion turned ESPN analyst has spent over a decade analyzing the sport’s transformation, from his playing days at Alabama through the Wild West era of early NIL to today’s increasingly regulated landscape. His recent comments about NIL Go, the new Deloitte-managed clearinghouse, paint a troubling picture of potential regression.

“Here’s the unforeseen circumstance that surrounds the NIL Go platform: It welcomes the underbelly of college football back into the sport, potentially,” McElroy warned during his Always College Football podcast.

His concern stems from a fundamental shift in how college athletics approaches player compensation. The NIL market is projected to reach $1.67 billion in 2024-25.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Today’s starting quarterbacks for the top 25 teams earn an average of $821,000 annually, expected to climb to $1.31 million by 2025. But McElroy’s warning suggests this prosperity might be short-lived if new regulations drive transactions underground.

“Right now it’s free. It’s fair. You’re allowed to give guys whatever you want to give them,” McElroy explained, referencing the current system where collectives account for over 80 percent of the NIL market. The former quarterback’s concern intensifies when considering that 72 percent of the collective money flows to football players, creating a massive target for regulatory scrutiny.

The NIL Go platform, launched June 11, 2025, requires all third-party deals exceeding $600 to undergo a fair-market-value assessment by Deloitte. As industry expert Stewart Mandel noted, this threshold captures virtually every meaningful NIL arrangement. The College Sports Commission, led by CEO Bryan Seeley, wields unprecedented enforcement power, including player suspensions and postseason bans.

McElroy’s historical perspective proves particularly relevant. College football’s past is littered with scandals involving illegal payments, from Alabama’s Albert Means case that cost the program $200,000 and resulted in a two-year bowl ban, to Arkansas losing scholarships over the J&H Trucking Service violations.

Former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel recently confirmed what many suspected: “There was a bag man at LSU. There was a bag man at ‘Bama. There was a bag man at every school around the country if you were competing for a national title”.

“But now that every single NIL deal could potentially be scrutinized, it welcomes bad actors back into the game,” McElroy continued, highlighting the paradox at the heart of his concern. If legitimate NIL deals face rejection or extensive review, the temptation to circumvent the system through traditional under-the-table payments becomes more attractive.
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The numbers support McElroy’s anxiety. With the House settlement providing $2.8 billion in back damages to former players while restricting future earning potential through increased regulation, the pressure on programs to find competitive advantages intensifies. Schools can now pay athletes directly up to $20.5 million annually, but this caps total compensation rather than expanding it.

“So does that now welcome back some of the back alley payments we once saw in the sport that had gone away for the last few years?” McElroy asked, capturing the essential tension between transparency and accessibility.

His warning is powerful because it raises awareness of college football’s cyclical nature. It is the nature of the game that specific actions taken in a good-faith attempt to reform might lead to unexpected consequences and thus repeat the problems they aimed to solve.