It’s been a few days now since Georgia football has earned a commitment, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a lot of important updates on the recruiting trail. This is especially the case with the best players in the country who Georgia is aggressively pursuing.

So let’s dive right in and discuss three important updates, beginning with the No. 1 linebacker in the country.

Georgia hits potential speed bump in Tyler Atkinson’s recruitment

Georgia’s top remaining target in the 2026 class is five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson. A commitment date isn’t none for Atkinson yet, but many experts believe that Georgia is the current team to beat. But a new NIL deal that Atkinson signed could be changing that.

Atkinson is one of six top high school recruits who have just signed an NIL deal with Adidas. The reason this could be a problem for Georgia is because they wear Nike gear, not Adidas.

The good news for Georgia is that every other finalist in Atkinson’s recruitment (Clemson, Oregon, Texas and Ohio State) are all Nike schools as well. There are also examples of current college football players who have an NIL deal with Adidas even though their team wears Nike gear. But this latest NIL deal is a small reason for Georgia fans to be a little worried in Atkinson’s recruitment.

Kirby Smart wants the No. 3 EDGE bad

One of Georgia’s top targets in the 2027 recruiting class was made abundantly clear earlier this week. David Jacobs Jr. is a four-star EDGE and the No. 12 overall player in the country according to On3. Jacobs is also from the Peach State, so it isn’t surprising to find out how badly Kirby Smart wants him in Georgia’s recruiting class. But Jacobs recently was quoted stating the last message Smart shared with him.

“He (Smart) was like, ‘Lock me in, your future head coach.’”

It will be interesting to see how this recruitment plays out over the next year, but Georgia has a great chance to strike gold if Smart is taking this much of an interest in Jacobs’ recruitment.

Texas Tech moving past Georgia for top ranked recruit

The No. 1 recruit in the 2027 recruiting class is LaDamion Guyton who just so happens to be from the state of Georgia as well. Everyone knows this means Georgia will have a great chance to win this recruitment, and that was confirmed when 247Sports originally logged a prediction for UGA to win this recruitment.

Georgia however no longer appears to be trending for Guyton anymore as Rivals insider Sam Spiegelman placed a prediction on Monday for Guyton to commit to Texas Tech instead.

Who knows how accurate this prediction is, but seeing Guyton trend to any school not named Georgia is a little concerning. Thankfully there is still plenty of time in Guyton’s recruitment, so Georgia will have many opportunities to surpass the Red Raiders by the time his recruitment comes to an end.

According to Steve Berkowitz of the USA TODAY, another notice of appeal has been filed when it comes to the House-NCAA settlement. This one is by Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos, citing the College Football Playoff‘s role in the settlement.

“A sixth notice of appeal regarding House-NCAA settlement has been filed,” Berkowitz said via X. “This one is on behalf of Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos, whose objections included the College Football Playoff’s role in, and legal coverage from, the settlement.”

Castellanos is entering his first season at Florida State after transferring in from Boston College. Expectations are going to be high for the quarterback, hoping to help the Seminoles have a more successful 2025 season. Pairing him up with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn could turn into a lethal combo inside the ACC.

During his time with Boston College, Castellanos threw for 3,614 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions over two seasons. Over 1,300 yards on the ground is a huge part of his game too, getting into the endzone on 14 occasions. The dual-threat ability is why Florida State got him out of the NCAA transfer portal but still want the stats look even better for him moving forward.

We will find out pretty quickly how Castellanos will fare at Florida State. The Seminoles will open the year at home against the Alabama Crimson Tide for one of college football’s top nonconference matchups of the season. Some trash-talking has already taken place from Castellanos, appearing quite confident in how FSU will fare in the game.

Tommy Castellanos calls out Alabama ahead of season opener

Kalen DeBoer enters his second season in charge at Alabama. Times have changed in Tuscaloosa, being now over a year removed from Nick Saban announcing his retirement. Three teams were able to get the Crimson Tide in 2024, causing them to miss the College Football Playoff.

Castellanos believes Florida State will be next. He does not see a world where Alabama is able to contain him, especially without their secret weapon on the sidelines.

“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos told On3’s Pete Nakos in an exclusive interview. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”

EA Sports College Football 26 was released on Monday, marking the second straight year a college football video game was released for next-gen consoles. EA Sports College Football 25 was released in July 2024, marking the first college football video game in 11 years following new rules that allowed players to be compensated for their name, image and likeness (NIL).

As one of 136 FBS programs in 2025, the University of Hawai‘i football team was again featured in the video game. The Rainbow Warriors were given a 74 overall rating as a ream. The UH defense was given a rating of 78, while the offense was given a rating of 69.

Although Hawai‘i began its new Nike deal on July 1, no uniforms for any UH teams have been publicly revealed. However, the game already features Nike uniforms for the Rainbow Warriors.

A notable absence for UH in EA Sports College Football 25 was its home field at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, with a generic stadium taking its place. In EA Sports College Football 26, the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex and its specifications are squarely in the game.

Hawai‘i’s highest-rated player in the game is senior safety Peter Manuma, who holds a rating of 85. Meanwhile, wide receiver Nick Cenacle is the offense’s highest-rated player at 84.

UCLA transfer Dermaricus Davis is the team’s highest-rated quarterback (79), ahead of presumed starter Micah Alejado, who holds a rating of 74.

Multiple players who have exhausted their UH eligibility are in the game, such as defensive tackle Anthony Sagapolutele and punter Lucas Borrow. Borrow’s appeal for an additional year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA following spring practice. Kicker Caleb Sempebwa, who left the team in the spring, is also on the video game roster.

UH received $9987.52 in NIL money from EA Sports to distribute among its players in 2024. In 2025, players are set to receive $1500 each to have their name, image and likeness appear in the game.

A notable absence in Hawai‘i’s roster in the video game is its Class of 2025 freshman signing class. No incoming true freshman are currently on the team’s EA sports roster.

Other true freshman across the country are featured in the game, such as Campbell alum and current Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who has an overall rating of 78.

The highest-rated player with Hawai‘i ties in EA Sports College Football 26 is Oregon center Iapani Laloulu. The Farrington alumnus was given an overall rating of 90.

As was the case in 2024, not every team had all its real life players in the game, leading to aliases. Repeat UH aliases such as receiver Damon Brazill and free safety Matthew Sherels are on the Rainbow Warrior roster in EA Sports College Football 26. As was the case last year, the roster will be updated throughout the season, with more current players set to be featured in the game.

For the first time, coaches and coordinators are also featured in the game. UH head coach Timmy Chang and offensive coordinator Anthony Arceneaux are in the game, while defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman is under the alias Jacob Johnson.

Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.

College football fans received early access to EA Sports College Football 26 on Monday, with the video game’s official release set for Thursday. The game returned last summer for the first time in more than a decade. 

Electronic Arts has now brought the game back for a second consecutive year. Among the changes from last year’s game is an updated Road to Glory, coaches are now in the game and a revamped gameday experience, on top of tweaks to Dynasty Mode.

And for the second time in EA Sports College Football’s history, athletes are being compensated for having their name, image and likeness. That also means on-field performances are being factored into the player ratings update for the first time. EA released the top-100 ranked players in EA Sports College Football 2026. Here’s the full breakdown:

1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith – 98 overall
The top-ranked player in this year’s video game, Jeremiah Smith, emerged as one of the top players in college football as a true freshman in 2024. He showed out on the big stage, too, finishing the season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging over 17 yards per catch. Smith capped off his standout year with a game-clinching, 3rd-down catch against Notre Dame in the national title game.

2. Ohio State S Caleb Downs – 96 overall
Viewed as one of the best defensive players in college football and a possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Caleb Downs finished his first season at Ohio State with 107 tackles, three pass deflections and two interceptions. A former Alabama transfer and SEC Freshman of the Year, Downs did not miss a beat in his first year at Ohio State, earning unanimous All-America honors.

3. Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. – 95 overall
The top returning linebacker in college football is Anthony Hill Jr. The third-year linebacker has played in 30 games with 22 starts, registered three double-digit tackle performances last year, finishing 2024 with 113 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception. He will anchor a defense that will look to push Texas over the top in its hunt for a national title.

4. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love – 95 overall
Self-described as an “all-around back,” Jeremiyah Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024. That included a 98-yard touchdown run in the first round of the College Football Playoff in December while dealing with the flu. Love is already appearing in way-too-early 2026 NFL mock drafts as a first-round pick. The 6-foot, 206-pound running back flashed his versatility throughout 2024, pulling in 28 catches for 237 yards.

5. Alabama WR Ryan Williams – 95 overall
Ryan Williams didn’t turn 18 until after the college football season, but his age did not impact what he was able to do on the field. The former five-star recruit closed out the 2024 season with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown against Georgia. He’s on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith

6. Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker – 95 overall
T.J. Parker’s 12 sacks in 2024 lead all returning Power Four EDGEs. He’s also just one of three EDGEs returning who posted an 80.0-plus PFF grade as a pass rusher and run defender. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Parker is projected as a top-10 NFL draft pick entering the season.

7. South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart – 94 overall
Dylan Stewart was no secret on the recruiting trail. With a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, it was clear that the Five-Star Plus+ recruit was built to wreak havoc on Saturdays in college football. Last season at South Carolina, Stewart posted 6.5 sacks, falling just shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s freshman record of eight. This offseason, Stewart is up six pounds and now weighs 256. A source said that the EDGE has also ripped off 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

8. Tennessee DB Jermod McCoy – 94 overall
Still recovering from an ACL injury, Jermod McCoy came up big for Tennessee on its run to the College Football Playoff. McCoy logged four interceptions and nine pass breakups in 2024. He tied for the SEC lead in interceptions, too. His 13 passes defended were the most by a Volunteer since Theo Jackson also had 13 in 2021.

9. Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson – 94 overall
Arguably, the top returning quarterback-wide receiver duo in college football is Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver evolved into Leavitt’s top target during last year’s run. But Tyson was not available in the Big 12 title game or CFP loss, dealing with a collarbone injury. He finished the season with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.

10. Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor – 94 overall
Viewed as one of the top offensive tackles on the board for the 2026 NFL draft, Kadyn Proctor has had an eventful college career. Proctor spurned Iowa as a high school recruit, picking Alabama. But after just a year with the Crimson Tide, he entered the portal and transferred to Iowa. That only lasted a few months, as he headed back to Tuscaloosa in the spring of 2024. He earned second-team All-SEC honors last year

11. Clemson DL Peter Woods – 94 overall
12. Utah OL Spencer Fano – 94 overall
13. Texas A&M OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams – 93 overall
14. Duke CB Chandler Rivers – 93 overall
15. Texas EDGE Colin Simmons – 93 overall
16. Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey – 93 overall
17. Oregon S Dillon Thieneman – 93 overall
18. Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers – 93 overall
19. Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt – 93 overall
20. Miami OL Francis Mauigoa – 93 overall

21. Louisville RB Isaac Brown – 93 overall
22. Washington RB Jonah Coleman – 93 overall
23. Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk – 93 overall
24. Pitt LB Kyle Louis – 93 overall
25. Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore – 93 overall
26. Penn State RB Nick Singleton – 93 overall
27. Ole Miss EDGE Suntarine Perkins – 93 overall
28. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy – 92 overall
29. Kansas State LB Austin Romaine – 92 overall
30. Clemson CB Avieon Terrell – 92 overall

31. Clemson OT Blake Miller – 92 overall
32. Duke OT Brian Parker II – 92 overall
33. TCU S Bud Clark – 92 overall
34. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik – 92 overall
35. Missouri OL Cayden Green – 92 overall
36. Georgia DL Christen Miller – 92 overall
37. Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds – 92 overall
38. Penn State EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton – 92 overall
39. Cincinnati DL Dontay Corleone – 92 overall
40. Drew Allar – 92 overall

41. Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr. – 92 overall
42. Georgia Tech WR Eric Rivers – 92 overall
43. Arkansas OL Fernando Carmona – 92 overall
44. Illinois LB Gabe Jacas – 92 overall
45. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier – 92 overall
46. Alabama OL Jaeden Roberts – 92 overall
47. Florida OL Jake Slaughter – 92 overall
48. Colorado OL Jordan Seaton – 92 overall
49. Penn State RB Kaytron Allen – 92 overall
50. Oregon RB Makhi Hughes – 92 overall

51. Texas CB Malik Muhammad – 92 overall
52. Indiana DL Mikail Kamara – 92 overall
53. Penn State OL Vega Ioane – 92 overall
54. Michigan S Rod Moore – 92 overall
55. Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. – 92 overall
56. Houston TE Tanner Koziol – 92 overall
57. Duke S Terry Moore – 92 overall
58. Alabama DL Tim Keenan III – 92 overall
59. Penn State CB A.J. Harris – 91 overall
60. Notre Dame OL Aamil Wagner – 91 overall

61. Iowa DL Aaron Graves – 91 overall
62. Oregon State RB Anthony Hankerson – 91 overall
63. LSU CB Ashton Stamps – 91 overall
64. Alabama S Bray Hubbard – 91 overall
65. Georgia LB C.J. Allen – 91 overall
66. Northwestern OL Caleb Tiernan – 91 overall
67. Ohio State WR Carnell Tate – 91 overall
68. Miami QB Carson Beck – 91 overall
69. Minnesota RB Darius Taylor – 91 overall
70. Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne – 91 overall

71. Washington WR Denzel Boston – 91 overall
72. Alabama LB Deontae Lawson – 91 overall
73. Michigan EDGE Derrick Moore – 91 overall
74. Pitt RB Desmond Reid – 91 overall
75. Iowa OL Gennings Dunker – 91 overall
76. Michigan OL Giovanni El-Hadi – 91 overall
77. LSU LB Harold Perkins – 91 overall
78. SMU S Isaiah Nwokobia – 91 overall
79. Oregon OL Isaiah World – 91 overall
80. Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez – 91 overall

81. Missouri S Jalen Catalon – 91 overall
82. Old Dominion LB Jason Henderson – 91 overall
83. Iowa State S Jeremiah Cooper – 91 overall
84. Oklahoma QB John Mateer – 91 overall
85. Kentucky OL Joshua Braun – 91 overall
86. Georgia S KJ Bolden – 91 overall
87. Minnesota S Koi Perich – 91 overall
88. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers – 91 overall
89. Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields – 91 overall
90. Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei – 91 overall

91. Ohio State TE Max Klare – 91 overall
92. Texas S Michael Taafe – 91 overall
93. Alabama OL Parker Brailsford – 91 overall
94. Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner – 91 overall
95. Michigan DL Rayshaun Benny – 91 overall
96. Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt – 91 overall
97. Washington CB Tacario Davis – 91 overall
98. Virginia Tech OL Tomas Rimac – 91 overall
99. San Diego State EDGE Trey White – 91 overall
100. Arizona State S Xavion Alford – 91 overall