The firing of half the league’s head coaches and hiring of their replacements caused a ripple effect in football recruiting for the American Athletic Conference during the 2026 cycle.
Seven of the 14 AAC teams sacked head coaches before the end of the regular season, and an eighth, UAB’s TRENT DILFER, was hanging on by a thread in October before being retained for 2025. The result of those changes was a higher number of prospects backing off their verbal pledges to AAC schools, literally hundreds of players entering the transfer portal and just as many portal players signing with league schools.
American Athletic Conference schools saw an average of almost 17 players leave their programs through the transfer portal, led by North Texas with a reported 29. Those totals include the two service academies that traditionally don’t lose or gain many, if any, players from the portal. Take away Army and Navy, which lost a combined five to the portal, and that average climbs to 19.
Those same teams signed an average of 15 players from the portal, almost 18 per team if you don’t include Army and Navy. Memphis has received the most portal help so far with 30 commitments.
AAC teams also lost 70 players who originally gave verbal commitments to its teams. Those players backed off their pledges to sign with other programs.
It all added up to a massive overhaul of rosters that will bring many new faces to the AAC in 2025. Here’s a team-by-team review of each team’s 2024 season, their current recruiting class rankings and the highlights of their roster additions and losses as we get ready for spring practices.
ARMY
2024 REVIEW: Playing its first season as an AAC member, Army won the league regular season with an 8-0 mark and beat Tulane, 35-14, in the conference championship game. The Cadets capped their season by defeating Louisiana Tech, 37-6, in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl to finish 12-2 overall. The 12 wins is a program record.
*Note: Because the military academies don’t traditionally announce football signees until the spring, there is no official signing day list for Army. The players mentioned as signees in the following sections have reportedly signed a “Certificate of Intent,” which signifies their commitment to the academy. The certificate, however, is not legally binding like a traditional National Letter of Intent (NLI) due to the unique appointment process involved in attending a military academy.
CLASS RANKINGS: Unranked by 247Sports.com in the AAC, but No. 132 nationally; No. 6 in the AAC, No. 83 nationally by Rivals.com; No. 9 in the AAC, No. 115 nationally by On3.com.
BY THE NUMBERS: According to the GoBlackKnights website on the Rivals.com network, Army had signed 66 prospects to a Certificate of Intent as of Feb. 11. … Those signees include six quarterbacks, four running backs, seven receivers, two tight ends, nine offensive linemen, one placekicker, one long snapper, 11 defensive ends, one defensive tackle, six linebackers, 13 defensive backs and six others listed as athletes. … Eleven of the players hail from Texas and nine from Florida. … The Cadets signed prospects from 22 different states, including Hawaii. … Only one prospect has backed off a verbal commitment to Army. … Wide receiver A.J. JOHNSON (6-5, 220), a three-star prospect from Cathedral High in Indianapolis, Ind., committed to the Cadets last August 14. … Johnson re-opened his recruitment on Jan. 30, 2025 and wound up signing with Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 5.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: For a second straight recruiting cycle, Army has signed at least six quarterbacks. … SETH SHIGG (5-10, 185), from Culver City, Calif., is rated the No. 92 quarterback nationally by 247Sports.com. … Shigg piled up 6,251 yards and 61 touchdowns passing during his career at Culver City High, while rushing for 2,755 and 31 more scores. … SAM HAYWARD (6-4, 225), from Providence School in Jacksonville, Fla., is rated the nation’s No. 120 Edge rusher prospect by 247Sports.com. … Hayward picked Army over offers from Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Massachusetts, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan. … He produced 45 career tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks in 28 career prep games. … University of Detroit Jesuit two-way lineman ZACHARY GREEN (6-3, 260) had more than a dozen FBS offers from the likes of Buffalo, Louisville, Marshall, Miami Ohio, Toledo and Troy. … Green was a first-team All-Catholic Detroit Region and all-state pick as a senior.
PORTAL WINS: It is rare that service academies benefit from the transfer portal because of the strict entrance requirements. One of those rare times occurred during the 2024 cycle when Central Michigan offensive linemen KYLE KLOSKA transferred to Army. Kloska was on the Cadets’ roster in 2024, but did not see any action. But so far in the Class of 2025 the Army hasn’t accepted any player from the transfer portal.
PORTAL LOSSES: Three Cadets have opted to enter the transfer portal to date. Army’s No. 2 rusher during the 2024 season, KANYE UDOH, headlines that trio. Udoh rolled up 1,117 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on 179 carries last season as a backfield starter for the AAC champs. But Udoh never made it to the league title game, announcing right after the Cadets’ loss in the annual Army-Navy game that he was entering the portal. He reportedly had recruiting visits set for Arizona State, Missouri, North Carolina and SMU. But in the end Udoh wound up signing with Arizona State.
Two others who had yet to see playing time with Army also entered the portal – freshman linebacker CALEB MORAN and sophomore slot JACK KAYSER. Moran has committed to FCS Montana and Kayser to Division III Trinity.
CHARLOTTE
2024 REVIEW: Finished 4-4 to tie for fourth place in the AAC; Head coach BIFF POGGI was fired Nov. 18 after producing a 6-16 record in two seasons. Led the rest of the way by interim head coach TIM BREWSTER, the 49ers finished 5-7 overall. Two-time Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year from Ohio U., TIM ALBIN, was hired on Dec. 8 to replace Poggi.
*CLASS RANKINGS: No. 13 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 126 nationally; No. 14 by Rivals.com in AAC and unranked nationally; No. 14 in AAC by On3.com and No. 136 nationally.
*Note: These rankings were not calculated with the majority of Charlotte’s recruiting class, most of whom signed on Feb. 4.
BY THE NUMBERS: The 49ers have signed 33 players, with the majority coming from the junior college ranks or the transfer portal. … Seven members of the class are junior college signees, while 20 were plucked from the transfer portal. … The 20 portal players come from 19 different schools, including 10 FBS programs. … The class features three quarterbacks, one running back, six wide receivers, a tight end, six offensive linemen, a long snapper, five defensive linemen, three linebackers and seven defensive backs. … Five players hail each from Georgia and Mississippi, four each from Florida and North Carolina, three from South Carolina, two each from Alabama, Illinois and Tennessee and one each from Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, New York and Virginia. … The portal transfers include offensive lineman ELI SAMPLES, who played two years at East Carolina before leaving for Tyler Community College. … The 49ers signed a pair of teammates from North Cobb High in Powder Springs, Ga. – defensive back DY’LON WOMACK (6-0, 170) and offensive lineman ISSAC SIKES-RASBY (6-5, 275).
NAMES TO REMEMBER: DON CHANEY JR. (5-11, 220) was a consensus four-star prospect out of Belen Jesuit High in Homestead, Fla., and rated the nation’s No. 5 running back prospect by 247Sports.com in the Class of 2020. … Chaney hasn’t quite lived up to that status during stints at Miami and Louisville but has been productive with 1,030 career yards and nine touchdowns between those two programs. … He comes to Charlotte to play his sixth and final season of college football. … CALEB CURTAIN (6-1, 195) is a two-time FCS All-American safety at Elon University. … Curtain led the Phoenix in tackles the last two seasons (75 and 80) and collected seven career interceptions. … Quarterback ZACH WILCKE (6-3, 205) earned eight starts as a true freshman at Southern Miss back in 2022, throwing for 1,163 yards and nine scores. … But when shut out of the quarterback rotation as a sophomore Wilcke left Southern Miss and landed at Northwest Mississippi Community College. … As the starter there last season, Wilcke passed for 1,654 yards and 13 touchdowns.
PORTAL WINS: The 49ers signed 20 players from the transfer portal, including Chaney, Curtain and Wilcke mentioned above. … But another significant score from the portal was junior quarterback CONNER HARRELL (6-2, 210). … Harrell was rated the nation’s No. 10 dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com in the Class of 2022 before signing with North Carolina. … He spent a season as the backup to DRAKE MAYE in 2023 and got starts last season before being replaced. … Harrell comes to Charlotte having 11 games under his belt at the FBS level (110 yards rushing, 560 passing) and will no doubt compete for the starting job this spring. … The offensive line will get a lift from MASON BOWERS (6-4, 295), who spent last season at Conference USA member Kennesaw State. … Bowers made nine starts at Kennesaw, playing both left guard and left tackle. … He’ll have one season of eligibility left at Charlotte. … Grad student E. JAI MASON (6-1, 205) looms as a potential starter at receiver. … Mason arrives from FCS Samford where he was a starter for two seasons. … Mason made 51 catches for 460 yards and six touchdown in 2024.
PORTAL LOSSES: Where to start? At the latest count, 35 Charlotte players have entered the transfer portal. … That number includes the top three quarterbacks from the 2024 roster, the top three rushers, two of the top four receivers, the starting tight end, three offensive line starters, and six starters from the defense. … DESHAWN PURDIE had begun to establish himself as a playmaker for the 49ers at quarterback last season when he threw for 1,802 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman. … But on Dec. 11 Purdie opted to enter the portal and originally signed with Georgia. … But in January he asked for his release, which was granted, and he wound up signing with Wake Forest. … O’MEGA BLAKE was one of Purdie’s top targets in 2024. … Blake was a major deep threat, making 32 catches for 795 yards (24.8 average) and nine touchdowns. … He has signed to play at Arkansas. … Junior cornerback DONTAE BALFOUR tied the single-season school record with 11 pass breakups to lead the AAC and was the team’s fourth-leading tackler (49). … Balfour, who began his college career at North Carolina, will be playing at Texas Tech in 2025.
EAST CAROLINA
2023 REVIEW: After 3-4 start and 45-28 loss against Army, ECU dismissed head coach MIKE HOUSTON after five-plus seasons. Defensive coordinator BLAKE HARRELL was named interim head coach and the Pirates promptly won four straight games to become bowl eligible. Harrell was named permanent head coach on Nov. 27. The Pirates finished 5-3 to place fifth in the AAC. ECU defeated in-state rival N.C. State, 26-21, in the Military Bowl for an 8-5 overall record.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 4 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 82 nationally; No. 3 by Rivals.com in AAC and No. 69 nationally; No. 4 in AAC by On3.com and No. 78 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Pirates signed 21 prep prospects during the early period in December, then added 17 mid-year signees – all from the transfer portal or junior college ranks – on Jan. 23. … Sixteen of the mid-year signees were portal transfers and one came from junior college. … Overall, the class features two quarterbacks, two running backs, five receivers, three tight ends, six offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, two linebackers, nine defensive backs and a long snapper. … Seven of the newcomers hail from Georgia, five each from Florida and North Carolina, three from Texas, two from Kentucky, and one each from Tennessee, Virginia, Missouri, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Alabama. … Three prospects backed off verbal commitments to ECU during the 2026 cycle. Four if you include Havelock, N.C., receiver JOHANTHAN WILLIAMS. … Williams re-opened his recruitment briefly after Houston’s firing, but wound up signing with the Pirates anyway. … Edge ZION COOLEY (East Tennessee State), linebacker MAC SANDERS (Jacksonville State) and defensive lineman AMARI WILSON (Georgia Southern) also had a change of heart after Houston’s firing and signed elsewhere.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: TAVIUS HORNE (5-11, 160) isn’t the biggest of prospects, but hails from one of the nation’s top prep programs at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. … Horne possesses top-end track speed, which is why schools such as Colorado, Georgia Tech, Louisville Pittsburgh and Stanford also pursued him. … Defensive tackle JOSIAH DWYER (6-4, 255) was under-recruited, probably because he played at three different high schools during his prep career. … But Dwyer is a true stud – powerful, fast and physical – who very well could crack the interior line rotation next fall. … With RAJAH HARRIS headed to the NFL, ECU needed support at running back. … They found that in PARKER JENKINS (5-11, 200), a former four-star prospect who led Houston in rushing in 2023 before his playing time diminished last year. … The Pirates also picked up running back DEJUAN LACY (5-9, 200), who was one of the nation’s top junior college rushers at Garden City Community College in 2024 when he gained 1,119 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.
PORTAL WINS: Along with Jenkins and Lacy mentioned above, the Pirates added another big offensive weapon in receiver JAQUAIZE PETTAWAY (5-10, 194), who spent the last two seasons at Oklahoma. … Pettaway was one of the nation’s top receiver prospects coming out of Langham Creek High in Houston, Texas in the Class of 2023. … He was a consensus four-star prospect and was rated the nation’s No. 8 receiver by ESPN after collecting more than 1,800 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns in three prep seasons. … Pettaway, who’ll be a junior, appeared in 20 games (one start) while making 16 catches for 157 yards with the Sooners.
Offensive guard KYLE LONG (6-6, 328) played 500 snaps and made six starts during two seasons at Maryland, while cornerback JORDY LOWERY (5-11, 190) comes from FCS Western Carolina where he was an All-American in 2024. … Lowery registered 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, had 14 passes defended and produced six interceptions in 12 games to earn that honor.
All three of those players should contend for starting positions this spring.
PORTAL LOSSES: The transfer portal dealt some major blows to the ECU secondary.
Three of those losses were players at cornerback who started games in 2024. … Junior DONTAVIUS NASH stepped up down the stretch to man one corner spot. … Nash made 24 tackles, a tackle for loss and a memory making interception that sealed the Pirates’ Military Bowl victory against N.C. State. … Less than 48 hours after that big pick in the bowl game, Nash announced he was entering the transfer portal. … Although he’s reportedly drawn interest from schools such as Appalachian State, James Madison, Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Northwestern and Purdue, Nash has yet to sign with another program.
Sophomore ISAIAH BROWN-MURRAY started every game at the opposite corner. … Brown-Murray wound up being ECU’s top corner, making 41 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception for the season. … It marked Brown-Murray’s second straight year as a starter and he was headed for all-star status in 2025 with the Pirates. … But about a week after the end of the regular season, Brown-Murray entered the transfer portal. … He quickly found a new team, committing to Virginia Tech on Dec. 21.
Junior ANDREW WILSON-LAMP started four games and played in all 13 last season at corner. … He made 23 tackles and an interception. … He’s still looking for a new home.
A key element to ECU’s defense at the nickel position in 2024 was GAVIN GIBSON. … Gibson started 11 of 12 games and produced 52 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. … But Gibson, too, hit the portal and wound up signing with in-state rival North Carolina.
The biggest portal loss for ECU, however, was sophomore linebacker ZAKYE BARKER. … Barker earned second-team All-AAC honors for his 86-tackle, 12-tackle-for-loss, two-sack performance. … He left the Pirates in December for SMU.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
2023 REVIEW: After an 0-6 start in AAC play, FAU fired head coach TOM HERMAN on Nov. 18 after two seasons and a 6-16 record. Special teams coordinator CHAD LUNSFORD was named interim head coach. The Owls finished 1-7 in league for a tie for 13th or last place in the AAC. FAU went 3-9 overall. ZACH KITTLEY was named the Owls’ new head coach on Dec. 2 after serving three years as offensive coordinator at Texas Tech.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 5 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 87 nationally; No. 4 by Rivals.com in AAC and No. 76 nationally; No. 5 in AAC by On3.com and No. 83 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: Despite becoming FAU’s head coach just two days before the early signing period in December, Kittley still managed to sign 17 prep prospects. … The Owls also have verbal commitments from 19 transfer portal players. … The overall class includes two quarterbacks, one running back, six receivers, three tight ends, five offensive linemen, eight defensive linemen, four linebackers, four defensive backs, a long snapper and a kicker. … Twenty-one players in the class hail from Florida. … Through the portal FAU acquired brothers TYCOOLHLL (6-3, 259) and TYCLEAN LUMAN (6-3, 254), both edge players who played last season at Rutgers. … Eight players left the FAU class in the wake of Herman’s dismissal. … Three of those defected to ACC schools – wide receiver TEDDY HOFFMAN to N.C. State, receiver CAMERON SAPP to Pittsburgh and edge DEANGELO THOMPSON JR. to Syracuse. … Hoffman first committed to Appalachian State before backing off to join the FAU class on Oct. 14, 2024. … But offers from Boston College, Florida State and N.C. State came in after that pledge and he ultimately signed with the Wolfpack. … Hoffman made 69 catches for 1,179 yards and 23 touchdowns in 14 games as a senior.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: The big catch for FAU in the recruiting Class of 2025 is no doubt quarterback CADEN VELTKAMP (6-6, 236), who was Conference USA’s Offensive Player of the Year at Western Kentucky last season. … As a sophomore for the Hilltoppers, Veltkamp passed for 3,108 yards and 25 touchdowns, while also adding seven more scores rushing. … He’ll be the odds-on favorite to replace CAM FANCHER as the Owls’ starting quarterback. … Fancher entered the transfer portal after the season and has signed with in-state rival Central Florida.
Former Ohio and Cincinnati player C.J. DOGGETTE JR. (6-2, 277) and ex of Auburn and Illinois ENYCE SLEDGE (6-3, 320) add size and experience to FAU’s defensive front. … Doggette made 32 tackles and three sacks as a sophomore at Cincinnati last season, while Sledge played in four games at Auburn over two years and four more last season at Illinois.
The prize of the FAU’s prep class may be receiver JADE CARD (6-2, 200), from Miami, who was rated the nation’s No. 69 athlete and had offers from Florida State, Indiana, Mississippi, SMU and South Carolina among others.
PORTAL WINS: While Veltkamp was the most significant triumph in the portal wars for FAU, the Owls also secured some talented pass catchers to complement their new quarterback. … Veltkamp’s former Western Kentucky teammate, EASTON MESSER (5-9, 180), spent three seasons at WKU and over the final two caught 97 passes for 1,276 yards and eight touchdowns. … From Virginia, FAU signed 6-4, 212-pound receiver J.R. WILSON. … Wilson played in 27 games and made seven starts in three seasons with the Cavaliers. … A knee injury limited his action in 2024, but he still managed to catch eight passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in eight games.
Linebacker TYLER STOLSKY (6-3, 230) appeared in 24 games in two years at Minnesota, where he made 32 tackles. … Stolsky was a highly coveted portal player, earning offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Delaware, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State, Toledo, UTEP and Western Michigan before choosing FAU.
PORTAL LOSSES: Big hits, especially on offense, occurred in the transfer portal. … The Owls lost 13 players, including five offensive starters, to the portal.
Quarterback CAM FANCHER (South Florida), running back C.J. CAMPBELL JR. (Rutgers), receiver OMARI HAYES (Tulane), tight end WYATT SULLIVAN (South Florida) and offensive guard JORDAN CHURCH (Louisville) all hit the portal along with second-leading rusher ZUBERI MOBLEY (Tulane).
Also exiting via the portal was leading tackler at safety C.J. HEARD (Vanderbilt), who tallied 82 hits, and safety PHILLIP DUNNAM (Central Florida). … Dunnam was the team’s third-leading tackler with 56 and led with three interceptions.
MEMPHIS
2023 REVIEW: The Tigers tied for third in the AAC with a 6-2 record. They finished the regular season with 10 wins, marking the first time in school history Memphis has won at least 10 games in consecutive seasons. Memphis went on to defeat West Virginia, 42-37, in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl to finish 11-2 overall. It was just the second 11-win season in the school’s 109-year history playing football. The Tigers were ranked No. 25 in the final College Football Playoff poll.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 2 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 69 nationally; No. 1 by Rivals.com in AAC and No. 63 nationally; No. 1 in AAC by On3.com and No. 61 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: A total of 23 players signed with Memphis during the early period in December – 18 high school seniors, four junior college transfers and one portal transfer. … Another 28 have been added from the transfer portal. … Overall, the class includes two quarterbacks, two running backs, five receivers, three tight ends, 10 offensive linemen, eight defensive linemen, eight linebackers, 11 defensive backs, a kicker and a long snapper. … Twelve members of the class hail from the state of Georgia. … The Tigers had five players decommit from the class, including three in-state prospects. … Most prominent among those was offensive tackle BREYDEN TURNAGE (6-8, 285), a three-star rated player from Dyersburg, Tenn.. Turnage made a verbal commitment to Memphis on Nov. 4, 2024, but 20 days later received an offer from Mississippi State. … That led to him backing off his pledge to Memphis on Nov. 26 to sign with the Bulldogs in December. … Cornerback WILLIAM WINBUSH (6-1, 185), from Franklin, Tenn., committed to the Tigers last June. … But Winbush re-opened his recruitment on Sept. 9 and wound up signing with Wake Forest.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: Memphis pulled off a major recruiting coup by signing A.J. HILL (6-4, 215) from Warner Robins, Ga. … Hill is rated the nation’s No. 5 quarterback by ESPN.com and a four-star prospect. … He threw for more than 10,000 yards and 129 touchdowns during his prep career and chose the Tigers over Duke, Florida and Florida State. … To give Hill some time to develop, Memphis also signed Nevada’s talented quarterback BRENDON LEWIS (6-3, 209) to take the starting snaps for one season. … Lewis played in 24 games at Nevada the last two seasons, passing for 3,603 yards and 18 touchdowns during that time. … The Tigers also pulled in a four-star in RAHIM HUTCHINS JR. (5-11, 155), who is the nation’s No. 36 receiver according to ESPN.com. … Hutchins made 40 catches for 791 yards and seven touchdowns in his final prep season. … The nation’s No. 2 junior college cornerback – SHANNON BLAIR (5-11, 185) – also signed with the Tigers out of East Mississippi Community College. … Blair previously committed to Tennessee coming out of high school and was pledged to Arkansas before flipping to Memphis during the early signing period.
PORTAL WINS: Where to start. Memphis’ massive transfer portal class was ranked No. 56 nationally according to 247Sports.com and features former four-star prospects and others who have already distinguished themselves at the FBS level. … KODY JONES (5-11, 193) was a four-star cornerback as a senior in Germantown, Tenn., before signing with Michigan. … He played in only 14 games in three seasons with the Wolverines, including seven in 2024. … But Jones’ talent will immediately make him a contender for a starting job with the Tigers. … The same can be said of linebacker SAM BRUMFIELD (5-11, 225), a former All-Conference USA second-team pick at Middle Tennessee State and a starter last season at Virginia Tech. … Brumfield made 60 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for the Hokies.
Jones’ Michigan teammate, MYLES POLLARD (6-1, 194) was rated the No. 46 corner prospect in the country as a prep senior. … The Nashville native appeared in eight games with the Wolverines over two seasons, but will get a legitimate shot at playing time with the Tigers.
EVERETT ROUSSAW JR. (6-2, 235) was a starter at linebacker the last two seasons at UAB. Roussaw made 125 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks during that time before transferring to Memphis.
And the biggest catch, literally, for Memphis from the transfer portal is 6-9, 306-pound offensive tackle TRAVIS BURKE from Hollywood, Fla. … Burke, who began his college career at FCS Gardner-Webb, started the last two seasons at Florida International. … He’ll have one more season of eligibility left at Memphis.
PORTAL LOSSES: The Tigers needed to sign big numbers out of the transfer portal because they lost a significant amount of personnel as well. … Sixteen Tigers jumped into the portal to find new teams to play for, including several starters and key backups.
Co-starters at the SAM linebacker spot, ELIJAH HERRING and BRYCE EDMONDSON, both exited Memphis through the portal. … Herring ranked fourth in team tackles last season with 60, was tied for second in tackles for loss (7.5), second in sacks (3.5) and second with two interceptions. … That performance earned him an opportunity to play for Florida State. … Edmondson registered 23 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks with the Tigers last season before heading West to play for UNLV.
Three second-team secondary players have also departed – cornerback D.J. BELL (UCF), cornerback TYRIN TAYLOR (Jacksonville State) and safety AN’DARIUS COFFEY (Northwestern). … Coffey was the most active of those last season, making 23 tackles.
NAVY
2024 REVIEW: For just the sixth time in its football history, Navy won 10 or more games. Picked to finish 11th in the preseason AAC poll, the Middies tied for third place with a 6-2 record. During the regular season they defeated Air Force and Army to win the Commander-In-Chief Trophy, while also producing two wins against Top 25 teams for the first time since 1958. Navy defeated Oklahoma, 21-20, in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl to finish 10-3 overall.
*Note: Because the military academies don’t traditionally announce their football signees until the spring, there is no official signing day list for Navy The players mentioned as signees in the following sections have reportedly signed a “Certificate of Intent,” which signifies their commitment to the academy. The certificate, however, is not legally binding like a traditional National Letter of Intent (NLI) due to the unique appointment process involved in attending a military academy.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 12 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 138 nationally; No. 7 by Rivals.com in AAC and No. 85 nationally; No. 10 in AAC by On3.com and No. 123 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: TheMidReport on the Rivals.com network reports Navy has signed 55 prospects to a Certificate of Intent. … That list is composed of nine defensive backs, eight linebackers, seven offensive linemen, six quarterbacks, six receivers, five defensive linemen, four athletes, three running backs, three tight ends, two kickers, one specialist and one long snapper. … The signees hail from 19 different states and the District of Columbia. … Eight each of the prospects hail from Florida and Georgia. … Offensive lineman CRACEN GRUVEN (6-3, 285) from Moore, Oklahoma, originally committed to Air Force last June, but backed off on Jan. 27, 2025 before signing with Navy. … The Middies had four players decommit from the recruiting class, three of whom opted instead to sign with ACC schools. … Malvern (Pa.) Prep teammates ANDREW PELLICCIOTTA (5-10, 195, receiver) and JAKE BAUER (6-1, 225, linebacker) opted out of verbal commitments to Navy to sign with Duke and North Carolina respectively. … Virginia Beach, Va., defensive lineman TREY GIDDENS (6-3, 275) also left the Middies for North Carolina.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: MASON FREY (6-2, 220) enjoyed a stellar career at Fairfield College Prep in Fairfield, Conn. … Frey racked up 149 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior, giving him 309 tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 20 sacks for his career. … Connecticut, Dartmouth and Massachusetts also pursued Frey. … GARRISON DIBBLE (6-4, 245) tied the national prep record for single-season sacks, according to MaxPreps.com, with 31 for Atkins High in Winston-Salem, N.C. … Dibble ended the year with 177 total tackles, 49 tackles for loss and 54 quarterback hurries. … Safety TRENT GILLIS (6-1, 185), from Archbishop Spalding High in Severn, Md., earned scholarship offers from Marshall, Maryland, Massachusetts, Syracuse and Temple before deciding on Navy. … The Region 4-5A Offensive Player of the Year from Alpharetta, Ga., was quarterback LANDON WALKER (5-10, 175), who completed 162 passes of 253 passes for 2,381 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior at Woodward Academy. … Walker was also named to the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s All-State squad.
PORTAL WINS: Because of the strict qualifications to receive an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, transfer portal additions rarely occur. There have been no portal additions to date during this cycle.
PORTAL LOSSES: Two roster players who never saw any action for Navy departed the program via the transfer portal. Defensive back TREY DUNN is reportedly transitioning back to his high school position of quarterback at Marshall, while cornerback LORENZO VITTI is taking his talents to NCAA Division III Hope.
NORTH TEXAS
2024 REVIEW: The Mean Green defeated Temple, 24-17, in the regular-season finale to finish 3-5 and tied for ninth in AAC play. A 30-28 loss against Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl left them with a 6-7 overall record.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 8 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 91 nationally; No. 12 by Rivals.com in AAC and unranked nationally; No. 11 in AAC by On3.com and No. 126 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: North Texas signed 11 players during the early period in December, including nine from Texas. … The Mean Green added another 28 from the transfer portal – 27 coming from other four-year programs and two from the junior college ranks. … Overall, the class has 10 defensive linemen, five cornerbacks, two safeties, three linebackers, two quarterbacks, three running backs, four receivers, two tight ends and seven offensive linemen. … Twenty members of the recruiting class are from Texas. … Eight of the portal signees are from Conference USA member Sam Houston State. … Six players decommitted from the class, all doing so right before the early signing period. … Receiver JACOBE HAYES (5-10, 170), from Mansfield, Texas, had committed to North Texas back on July 27. But Hayes opted out of that pledge on Dec. 2, so he could sign with TCU on Dec. 4. … Defensive line signee ANTWON BROWN, from Duncanville, Texas, is the younger brother of North Texas defensive lineman RODERICK BROWN.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: TCU received a verbal commitment from quarterback CHRIS JIMERSON JR. (5-10, 165) in October 2023. … Jimerson, from North Crowley High in Fort Worth, was recruited by the Horned Frogs to play receiver, but his desire to stay under center led him to back off the pledge on June 19, 2024. … North Texas swooped in to get a verbal from Jamison in July and he signed a letter of intent on Dec. 4. … Jimerson, who passed for 2,995 yards and 44 touchdowns as a prep senior, also had offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette and Texas State. … Another candidate for the starting job at quarterback will be REESE POFFENBARGER (6-0, 208), who spent last season as CAM WARD’s backup at Miami. … He only played in four games with the Hurricanes last season, but in two previous years at FCS Albany he passed for 5,969 yards and 56 touchdowns. … Offensive lineman JULIO MADERO (6-5, 315) was a first-team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference pick at Navarro College as a freshman. … Madero was also recruited by Florida International, Texas State and UAB. … Defensive lineman BRAYDEN KNOX (6-3, 235), from Oklahoma City, had 25 tackles for loss and 14 sacks as a senior at Putnam High.
PORTAL WINS: A lot of holes have been plugged for North Texas from the transfer portal. … On offense, center TAY YANTA (6-5, 330) comes from FCS Abilene Christian where he started 36 games. … He’ll have one year of eligibility left with the Mean Green. … Two of the important additions from Sam Houston State are receiver SIMEON EVANS (6-1, 200) and linebacker TREY FIELDS (6-0, 215). … Evans led the Bearkats with 50 catches for 559 yards and six touchdowns, while Fields racked up 80 tackles, six tackles for loss and a sack. … Both have a year left of eligibility. … A third Sam Houston transfer is cornerback DAVID FISHER (6-0, 185), who was a third-team All-CUSA pick last season after making 37 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and breaking up six passes. … TRE WILLIAMS (6-3, 220) was an NCAA Division II All-American at tight end last season at Limestone where he caught 57 passes for 766 yards and eight touchdowns. … Williams led all Division II tight ends in receptions.
PORTAL LOSSES: For the second straight year, the Mean Green lost their top quarterback, running back and receiver to the transfer portal. … Quarterback CHANDLER MORRIS, who threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, is headed for Virginia. … Running back SHANE PORTER (648 yards rushing, five touchdowns, has signed up with UTEP and receiver D.T. SHEFFIELD (66 catches, 822 yards, 11 touchdowns, is off to Rutgers. … Talented freshman offensive lineman TYLER MERCER has also departed for Kansas. … Tight end OSCAR HAMMOND, who had 19 catches for 238 yards last season, will play for Oklahoma State.
RICE
2024 REVIEW: A 2-6 overall start and 1-4 in ACC play led to the firing of head coach MIKE BLOOMGREN on Oct. 27. Associated head coach PETE ALAMAR led the Owls to a 2-2 record over the four games to produce a 4-8 overall finish and 3-5 league mark for a tie for ninth place. Davidson head coach SCOTT ABELL was tabbed as Bloomgren’s replacement on Nov. 26.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 6 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 122 nationally; No. 11 in AAC by Rivals.com and unranked nationally; No. 6 in AAC by On3.com and No. 99 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: Rice signed 12 high school prospects during the early period in December and added another 10 in February. … The group features 16 players from the state of Texas. … One quarterback, two running backs, five receivers, a tight end, five offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, two linebackers, a defensive back and an athlete signed with the Owls. … Seven of the December signees have already enrolled at Rice. … Linebacker signee C.J. WITTEN is the son of former NFL All-Pro tight end JASON WITTEN and safety MICHAEL AMEY III is the great nephew of boxing legend GEORGE FOREMAN. … Four of the five players who backed off pledges to Rice play offense. … Tight end JORDAN ANDRUS, a three-time all-state player from Houston, made a verbal commitment to the Owls in July. … But he flipped to UTEP on the day the early signing period opened in December. … Fort Worth quarterback GAVIN PARKHURST was one of the state’s most productive as a senior when he passed for 3,341 yards and 47 touchdowns, while also rushing for 897 yards. … Parkhurst became part of Rice’s recruiting class on June 25, but like Andrus removed himself on Dec. 3 to sign with Texas State the next day.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: TYVONN BYERS (5-10, 202), from Montgomery, Texas, is rated the nation’s No. 84 running back prospect by On3.com. … Byers rushed for 5,93 yards and 106 touchdowns during his prep career and chose Rice over TCU. … COLTON ALBERDING (6-3, 295) chose Rice over offers from Arkansas State, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Sam Houston State, Texas State, Tulsa and UTEP. … Alberding is rated the nation’s No. 64 interior offensive lineman by 247Sports.com. … Defensive lineman BRADEN BAYS (6-3, 250) made 73 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and six sacks as a senior at Boerne (Tx.) High. … Bays also received offers from Air Force, Army, Central Michigan, Hawaii, Navy, Sam Houston State, UNLV, Utah, UTEP and Washington State. … Quarterback PATRICK CRAYTON JR. (6-1, 193), from Lewisville, Tx., is the son of a former NFL receiver. … The younger Crayton passed for 2,254 yards and 22 touchdowns, while also rushing for 677 yards and 15 more scores as a senior at Hebron High.
PORTAL WINS: Other than Army and Navy, Rice has been one of the least active AAC schools in the transfer portal. … The Owls have commitments from only three portal players – cornerback MAX LOFY (5-10, 188), receiver AARON TURNER (5-8, 185) and interior offensive lineman SEAN SULLIVAN (6-5, 306). … Lofy was a starter last season at Wisconsin, making 28 tackles and an interception. … He’ll be a senior with the Owls next fall. … Turner caught five passes for 85 yards in limited action at Cincinnati, while Sullivan was a two-year starter at left guard for Yale.
PORTAL LOSSES: Five starters are among the 10 Rice players who have entered the transfer portal to date. … Quarterback E.J. WARNER threw for 2,710 yards and 17 touchdowns in his only year with the Owls after transferring from Temple. … Warner is now moving on to Fresno State for his final year of eligibility. … DEAN CONNERS led Rice in rushing (780 yards, nine touchdowns) and was second in receiving (62 for 485 yards, two touchdowns). … Conners led all FBS running backs in receptions and will now take his talents to Houston. … Offensive guard CHAD LINDBERG and tackle ETHAN ONIANWA anchored the blocking corps in 2024. … Onianwa made 34 starts during his career with the Owls. … Lindberg is moving on to North Carolina and Onianwa will play for Ohio State next fall. … The other departing starter is safety TYSON FLOWERS, who has committed to Virginia Tech.
TEMPLE
2024 REVIEW: In mid-November, after a 3-7 overall start, Temple fired head coach STAN DRAYTON after two-plus seasons and a 9-25 record (4-18 in AAC). The dismissal occurred a day after the Owls defeated Florida Atlantic in overtime. Defensive coordinator EVERETT WITHERS was named interim head coach. The Owls fell in their final two games to finish 3-9 overall. It was Temple’s fifth straight losing season. They went 2-6 in AAC play for 11th place. K.C. KEELER was hired as Temple’s new head coach on Dec. 1 from Sam Houston State.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 10 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 115 nationally; No. 10 by Rivals.com in AAC and unranked nationally; No. 12 in AAC by On3.com and No. 128 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: Fourteen players were added to Temple’s roster on Jan. 27 and four others signed on Feb. 5. … The group includes one quarterback, two running backs, a tight end, an athlete, six defensive backs, four linebackers, two defensive tackles and a defensive end. … Four players each signed from Florida and New Jersey, three from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland and one each from Ohio, Nebraska, California, North Carolina and Canada. … Two of the signees were teammates at Evans High in Florida City, Fla. – cornerback DEVONTAE WARD-GRANT (5-11, 175) and cornerback ZAVIEN BRYANT (6-2, 180). … The Owls had two players decommit from the class in Tampa, Fla., running back JOSEPH TROUPE (5-8, 200) and junior college safety DYLAN KING (6-3, 200). … Troupe backed off his pledge to Temple in late January to sign with North Carolina. … King, from East Mississippi Community College, was an on-again-off-again commit to the Owls before finally deciding to sign with Southern Miss.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: KEEGAN CHAMBERS (5-11, 170) was a big name on the recruiting trail. … But the three-sport athlete from Monroe, N.C., may be the diamond-in-the-rough of Temple’s class. … Chambers was a prep quarterback who passed for 1,946 yards and 20 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,150 yards and 19 more scores as a senior. … He’s been timed at 10.62 seconds in the 100-meter dash and received other offers from Charlotte, Coastal Carolina and Georgia State. … The Owls biggest problem may be finding the right spot for Chambers. … JETT WHITE (6-2, 169) is a unique story. … White made a verbal commitment to USC as a ninth grader, then made a pledge to Maryland on Jan. 6, 2024. … But after taking an official visit to Maryland in June, he decommitted from the Terrapins on Sept. 25. … That opened the door for Temple to sign the No. 82-ranked cornerback prospect. … Independence Community College linebacker DAMIEN ORDONEZ (6-1, 205) made 35 tackles and a sack as a sophomore last season.
PORTAL WINS: The Owls have secured nine players from the transfer portal to date, but more are sure to follow. … Linebacker JAYVANT BROWN (6-0, 225) saw little action in two seasons at Kentucky, but is expected to make an immediate impact at Temple. … Running back JAY DUCKER (5-10, 210) has followed Keeler to Temple after leading Sam Houston State with 745 rushing yards in 2024. … From the FCS ranks comes quarterback ANTHONY CHICCITT (6-2, 200), who spent five years at Robert Morris, serving as the starter the last two. … Chiccitt passed for 2,250 yards and 16 touchdowns at Robert Morris and should compete with Temple’s returning starter EVAN SIMON for playing time next fall. … Outside linebacker TY DAVIS (6-3, 215) was an third-team all-league pick as a sophomore at Delaware and made 42 tackles for the Blue Hens last season.
PORTAL LOSSES: As is the case many times when a coaching change occurs, Temple absorbed some painful losses to the portal. … Top tackler, linebacker TYQUAN KING (a former ECU Pirate), was a first-team All-AAC selection last season when he made 112 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks. … King has opted to spend his final college season playing at Connecticut. … The Owls’ No. 2 rusher, ANTWAIN LITTLEJOHN (Rhode Island) has also departed after gaining 305 yards in 2024. … Temple also lost promising offensive tackle MELVIN SIANI to Wake Forest. … Siani was the regular right tackle as a redshirt freshman for Temple. … Junior starter at cornerback, JAMEL JACKSON (47 tackles, 2 interceptions) left the program for N.C. State.
TULANE
2024 REVIEW: The Green Wave produced a 7-1 record in AAC play to reach the league championship game for a third straight year. Army defeated Tulane, 35-14, for the conference title. The Green Wave received a bid to the Gasparilla Bowl where they fell, 33-8, to Florida. The bowl defeat left Tulane with an overall record of 9-5.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 3 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 71 nationally; No. 5 in AAC by Rivals.com and No. 82 nationally; No. 3 in AAC by On3.com and No. 74 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: Tulane picked up 15 prospects during the December early signing period and have another 26 scheduled coming from the transfer portal. … The list of signees includes four quarterbacks, three running backs, five receivers, five tight ends, seven offensive linemen, an athlete, 10 defensive linemen, seven defensive backs and a linebacker. … Ten of the recruits are in-state players, seven hail from Georgia, and five each from Alabama and Florida. … Offensive lineman JUELZ BAPTISTE (6-5, 255) and linebacker WARREN ROBERTS JR. (6-2, 225) were teammates at St. Augustine High in New Orleans. … Three of the 26 portal additions are quarterbacks. … The Green Wave lost only one player from the class who had previously been verbally committed – safety JONTAVION PIERCE (6-2, 185) from Catholic Prep in Montgomery, Ala., committed to Tulane on June 21, 2024. … But Oklahoma State came into the picture with an off on Nov. 16, causing Pierce to decommit from Tulane on Dec. 4. … He signed with the Cowboys on Dec. 23.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: Four-star rated JOSH LEWIS (6-5, 250) from Gonzales, La., and ANTWAN PARHAM (6-4, 200) from Coconut Creek, Fla., were two of the high school gems signed by Tulane. … Lewis is a tall, explosive defensive end prospect who originally committed to Missouri back in April. … But he re-opened his recruitment in November, ultimately picking Tulane over Housston. … Parham is a big target who caught 33 passes for 678 yards and four touchdowns at Monarch High last season. … Tulane held off a late bid by N.C. State to land Parham. … Another defensive end of note joining the Green Wave is MAURICE WESTMORELAND (6-2, 250), a two-time All-Conference USA pick over the last three seasons at UTEP. … Westmoreland played in 36 games with the Miners, making 100 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. … Ready to take over the starting center job at Tulane will be Appalachian State transfer JACK HOLLIFIELD (6-4, 300). … Hollifield, who began his college career at Virginia Tech, was a second-team All-Sun Belt pick in 2024.
PORTAL WINS: Three quality quarterbacks will join the fight to replace transferred starter Darian Mensah (to Duke). … T.J FINLEY (6-7, 238) will be playing for his fifth and final school in six seasons (Western Kentucky, Texas State, Auburn and LSU). … He’s seen action in 34 career games and thrown for more than 6,000 yards and 37 touchdowns. … Sophomore KADIN SEMONZA (5-11, 196) was the Freshman of the Year in the Mid-American Conference last season at Ball State. … Semonza won that honor by throwing for 2,904 yards (64.6% completion rate) and a league-best 25 touchdowns. … Then there’s junior DONOVAN LEARY (6-2, 215), a backup at Illinois the last two seasons who will be anxious to prove he’s ready for an expanded role. … It should make for a very interesting competition in spring practice at quarterback. … Defensive end SANTANA HOPPER (6-3, 288) arrives from Appalachian State where he was a first-team All-Sun Belt pick last season. … Hopper had 36 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and 20 quarterback pressures. … He’ll have two years of eligibility left at Tulane.
PORTAL LOSSES: Starting quarterback DARIAN MENSAH was the top-rated player in the transfer portal, according to ESPN.com, after a redshirt freshman season at Tulane in which he threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns. … He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 8 and committed to Duke on Dec. 11. … Leading rusher MAKHI HUGHES has also departed. … The two-time All-AAC selection, who rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, has found a new landing spot at Oregon. … Fourth-leading receiver and starting tight end ALEX BAUMAN is also among the 14 Tulane players, to date, who have entered the transfer portal. … Bauman caught 20 passes for 212 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. … He’ll be playing at Miami next fall.
TULSA
2023 REVIEW: Hindered by a defense that ranked 131st out of 133 FBS teams, a 63-30 loss against USF led to the firing of head coach KEVIN WILSON on Nov. 24. Wilson had a 7-16 overall record and 3-12 AAC mark in two seasons. Wide receivers coach RYAN SWITZER was named interim coach for the final game. Tulsa finished 3-9 overall and 1-7 to tie for last in the AAC standings. TRE LAMB, from East Tennessee State, was hired as the new Hurricane head coach on Dec. 8.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 7 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 101 nationally; No. 9 by Rivals.com in AAC and unranked nationally; No. 8 in AAC by On3.com and No. 108 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: Tulsa signed 14 players during the early December period, all of them high school prospects. … They added five more prep players during the traditional February signing period. … Nineteen more transfer portal recruits have committed to Tulsa as well. … The overall group features a quarterback, two running backs, five receivers, three tight ends, nine offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, four linebackers and four defensive backs. … Fourteen of the signees are from Texas and eight from Oklahoma. … Five prospects originally committed to Tulsa wound up signing elsewhere. … Coinciding with Wilson’s dismissal as head coach, Florida cornerback DRADEN FULLBRIGHT opted out of his pledge to the Hurricane and moved on to Oklahoma State. … Quarterback ELI MORCOS, Montgomery, Texas, committed to the Hurricane back in June. … But he left the Tulsa class in early December to sign with Texas A&M. … The Hurricane also lost receiver JAQUISE MARTIN to Houston.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: Two teammates at Oklahoma state powerhouse Jenks High headline the recruiting class. … Linebacker SAM STONE (6-1, 215) set the career record for tackles at Jenks with 351. … Stone was first committed to Princeton before backing off that in October to sign with Tulsa. … Stone’s Jenks teammate JAVION ANTAI (6-4, 285) will add size to Tulsa’s offensive line. … Defensive lineman HUDSON BALL (6-2, 240) also played his first three prep seasons at Jenks before moving to Shiloh Christian in Arkansas for his senior year. … Quarterback BANKS BOWEN (6-3, 208) piled up 4,144 yards and 36 career touchdown passing and 2,109 yards rushing at Lawrence High in Kansas. … Linebacker SEAN DEVAULT (6-1, 230), from Sachse High in Rowlett, Texas, accumulated 129 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a senior.
PORTAL WINS: Tulsa found some immediate help for its porous defense among its 19 portal additions. … Former four-star defensive lineman BYRON TURNER JR. (6-4, 251) spent the last three seasons at Florida State, where he played in 32 games with two starts. … Turner made 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss while appearing in 12 games last season. … Linebacker RAY CONEY (6-3, 218) comes from East Tennessee State after a huge sophomore season… Coney made 97 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks for ETSU. … Cornerback J.D. DREW (5-11, 165) adds experience to the Tulsa secondary after starting 15 games at Utah State over the last three seasons. … Expected to move right into positions on the offensive line for Tulsa are left tackle JAQUAN ADAMS (6-5, 290), a starter in all 12 games last season at East Tennessee State, and guard SIMON WILSON (6-1, 317), who started 11 times at Middle Tennessee State.
PORTAL LOSSES: The transfer portal had seen 22 Tulsa players enter as of Feb. 22. … AAC Freshman of the Year JOSEPH WILLIAMS caught 30 passes for 588 yards and five touchdowns for the Hurricane in 2024. … But Williams left the program for the portal and wound up signing with Colorado. … Third-team All-AAC offensive guard WALTER YOUNG BEAR was a three-year regular for the Hurricane, who has departed for West Virginia. … Versatile offensive lineman JACK TANNER, who started multiple games as a freshman, is moving on to Kansas. … Second-leading tackler (60 tackles), safety DAYNE HODGE, is a two-year starter for Tulsa who had 117 tackles, two tackles for loss and two picks over the last two seasons. … Hodge will play for Youngstown State next fall.
UAB
2023 REVIEW: Head coach Trent Dilfer faced criticism and calls for his firing in October as the Blazers were headed for a second straight losing season. Despite a 3-9 overall finish and 2-6 mark in the AAC (tied for 11th), the UAB athletic director announced Dilfer would remain as head coach despite a 7-17 record over two seasons. In the wake of the decision, Dilfer revamped the UAB coaching staff during the offseason.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 11 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 114 nationally; No. 13 by Rivals.com in AAC and unranked nationally; No. 13 in AAC by On3.com and No. 130 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Blazers signed five high school prospects during the early December period, but on January 16 announced 20 portal and one junior college signee. … UAB added five more prospects during the traditional signing day on Feb. 5 for a class of 31. … The group included one quarterback, one running back, five receivers, four tight ends, two offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, two linebackers and nine defensive backs. … The players hail from 15 different states as well as the District of Columbia and Canada. … Five signees are from Alabama and four from Florida. … Twelve of the portal additions are coming from FBS programs, five from the FCS level and two from NCAA Division II. … Four prospects backed off pledges to the Blazers during the 2025 cycle. … Most prominent among those was quarterback J.T. KITNA (6-2, 215), the son of former NFL quarterback JON KITNA and brother of current UAB starting quarterback JALEN KITNA. … The younger Kitna gave a verbal commitment to the Blazers on Aug. 22, but just before the early signing period in December he decommitted and signed with Bowling Green. … Defensive lineman MCCADE WRIGHT and cornerback J.Q. BROOKS both left the UAB class to sign with Jacksonville State.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: Tight end AARON MATTINGLY (6-4, 200), from Mount Juliet, Tenn., is rated No. 39 nationally at his position by 247Sports.com. … Mattingly caught 46 passes for 956 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Green Hill High School. … He entertained 18 scholarship offers, including ones from Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. … Defensive lineman JAMES STEEL (6-4, 270) is rated the No. 1 prospect in Delaware by ESPN.com. … Steel originally committed to Toledo on Dec. 6, but that just lasted one day before he signed with UAB on Feb. 5. … KALEB BROWN (5-10, 200) is an interesting addition for UAB. … Brown was a four-star prospect and rated the nation’s No. 8 receiver out of St. Rita High in Chicago in the Class of 2022. … He signed first with Ohio State and played in five games there in 2022 before transferring to Iowa. … He caught 22 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown for the Hawkeyes in 2023, but saw his playing time limited to three games last season. … If he can find his old form, Brown could be the steal of this recruiting class.
PORTAL WINS: Kent State’s top tackler from 2024 is now at UAB in safety JOSH BAKA (6-1, 205). … Banks made 90 tackles last season to go along with 2.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. … He should be an instant starter for the Blazers in his final year of eligibility. … Likewise for linebackers ELI ENNIS (6-2, 205) and DEVIN HIGHTOWER (6-1, 230). … Ennis racked up 111 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and had three interceptions to earn FCS All-American honors at Nichols State, while Hightower registered 92 tackles and 10 tackles for loss at FCS Rhode Island. … This will be Hightower’s fourth school after starting his college career at Michigan State. … The Blazers will get a boost to their backfield with the addition of running back JEVON JACKSON (5-8, 205), who led UTEP with 754 yards rushing (4 TDs) last season. … Receiver A.J. JOHNSON (6-3, 195) caught 40 passes for 662 yards and six touchdowns at FCS East Tennessee State in 2024.
PORTAL LOSSES: The Blazers have endured the highest losses to the transfer portal than any other AAC program – 26. … The team’s top rusher, top two receivers, starting center and co-captain, top two tacklers and starters at safety and cornerback will suit up elsewhere in 2025. … LEE BEEBE JR. provided balance in UAB’s pass heavy offense with his 884 yards rushing last season, but will now test his skills in the Big Ten Conference at Indiana. … Receivers AMARE THOMAS (Houston) and KAM SHANKS (Arkansas) combined for 124 catches for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. … BRADY WILSON had the fourth-highest blocking grade of any center at the FBS level, according to Pro Football Focus. … Wilson is headed to the ACC to play for Virginia next fall. … Linebacker MICHAEL MOORE made 92 tackles to lead the Blazers and linebacker mate EVERETT ROUSSEW JR. was right behind him with 75 hits. Moore has yet to find a new home, but Roussew will play at Memphis in 2025.
USF
2024 REVIEW: The Bulls went 4-4 in AAC play to tie for sixth place. They were awarded a bid to the Hawaii Bowl where they defeated San Jose State, 41-39, in five overtimes. It was the longest game in bowl history. The victory left South Florida with a 7-6 overall record.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 2 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 72 nationally; No. 2 by Rivals.com in AAC and No. 64 nationally; No. 2 in AAC by On3.com and No. 68 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: USF signed 25 players during the early December period – 23 high school prospects, a junior college transfer and an Australian punter. … Two more high school players were added during the traditional signing period in February. … The Bulls also added 13 newcomers from the transfer portal. … The entire group consists of a quarterback, three running backs, four receivers, three tight ends, seven offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, three linebackers, eight defensive backs and a punter. … Sixteen of the recruits are from Florida and eight are from Georgia. … Two of the transfer portal players come from Charlotte – running back CARTEVIOUS NORTON (5-11, 225) and offensive lineman THOMAS SHRADER (6-5, 305). … Two others come to USF from Florida Atlantic – defensive lineman JACOB MERRIFIELD (6-3, 290) and tight end WYATT SULLIVAN (6-4, 245). … Fourteen players who were at one point committed to USF’s recruiting class signed elsewhere. … Four-star cornerback ANTAVIOUS RICHARDSON (6-0, 175), from Greenville, Ga., announced South Florida as his choice on June 24. But when several Power Five Conference schools came offering scholarships, he re-opened his recruitment on Oct. 1 so he could commit to Notre Dame. … Safety KEON YOUNG (6-0, 171), from Lakeland, Fla., and cornerback DANTE CORE (5-11, 165), from Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., both left USF’s class for Mississippi.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: Quarterback LOCKLAN HEWLETT (6-1, 175) started three seasons at Florida state prep powerhouse St. Augustine. … The Bulls flipped Hewlett from Wake Forest last April, then held off a late push by Arizona to sign him in December. … Hewlett, who passed for more than 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns at St. Augustine, has enrolled at USF and will participate in spring practice. … Set to make an immediate impact at USF is offensive lineman KHALIL WALKER (6-5, 310), a product of Coffeyville Community College. … 247Sports.com ranks Walker the No. 4 interior line prospect in the JUCO ranks. … TRAY KINKLE (5-11, 185) rushed for 1,325 yards last fall at Holly Springs High in Mississippi and in the spring won the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes at the state 3-A meet. … Kinkle posted a time of 10.67 seconds over 100 meters. … GERRICK GORDON JR. (6-4, 290) was a late addition to the USF class after first committing to Rutgers. … The offensive lineman backed off that commit Dec. 4 so he could sign to play with the Bulls.
PORTAL WINS: Two important additions to the USF blocking corps have come from the portal. … THOMAS SHRADER (6-5, 305) started all 11 games at right tackle for Appalachian State last fall and played in 16 games at Florida State before joining the Mountaineers. … CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN (6-7, 295) left Stanford to join the Bulls after playing in 31 games over four seasons with the Cardinal at right tackle. … McLaughlin started 15 times over the last two seasons at Stanford. … The Bulls landed Charlotte’s leading rusher from 2024 in CARTEVIOUS NORTON (5-11, 225). Norton ran 129 times for 525 and seven scores for the 49ers. … JOSH CELISCAR (6-3, 292) returns to USF after spending one season at Texas A&M. … Celiscar played 50 games and started 26 on the defensive line for the Bulls from 2020 to 2023 and even served as team co-captain in 2022. … He only played in one game last season for the Aggies, which hastened his return to USF.
PORTAL LOSSES: Sixteen players from USF’s 2024 roster have entered the portal to date. … Wide receiver ABDUR-RAHMAAN YASEEN caught 21 passes for 254 yards in his only season with the Bulls after transferring in from Purdue. … He is moving along to James Madison. … One of USF’s most experienced offensive linemen, ANDREW KILFOYL, has transferred to Bowling Green. … Kilfoyl has played in 28 games with 13 starts over four seasons at USF. … Safety TAWFIG BYARD ranked fifth in team tackles last season with 54 while also recording eight tackles for loss and two sacks. … Colorado has signed Byard up for his final college season. … Kicker JOHN CANNON was a valuable weapon the last two seasons, converting 23 of 30 field-goal attempts. … He’ll play at Western Kentucky next fall.
UTSA
2024 REVIEW: The Roadrunners won three of the final four regular-season games to finish 4-4 in AAC play to tie for sixth place. It also earned USTA a bid to the Myrtle Beach Bowl where it knocked off Coastal Carolina, 44-15. The bowl win was the second straight for the Roadrunners and secured a fifth straight winning season (7-6) under head coach JEFF TRAYLOR.
CLASS RANKINGS: No. 9 in AAC by 247Sports.com and No. 114 nationally; No. 8 by Rivals.com in AAC and No. 96 nationally; No. 7 in AAC by On3.com and No. 104 nationally.
BY THE NUMBERS: Nine prospects signed a letter-of-intent with USTA during the early December signing period and another 20 came aboard during the traditional period in February. … Thirteen of the signees are high school prospects, 11 are from the transfer portal and five are junior college transfers. … By position, the class has two quarterbacks, one running back, three receivers, two tight ends, four offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, four linebackers, six defensive backs, a punter and a long snapper. … Eighteen of the signees are homegrown Texas products. … Five others are from Florida. … Eight of the transfer portal signees are from other FBS programs. … Three are from FCS teams and one from NCAA Division II. … Only two players backed off pledges to USTA during the 2026 recruiting cycle – 6-5, 180-pound receiver KALEB MITCHELL, from Dallas, and long snapper NICK HEMER, from Hutchinson Community College. … Mitchell wound up signing with Utah State and Hemer with Ohio.
NAMES TO REMEMBER: Tight end ISAIAH BUTLER-TANNER (6-6, 255) didn’t produce eye-opening numbers on the prep level, but it was enough to draw 11 scholarship offers from FBS programs. … The Killeen, Texas, product chose one of more high-profile schools on that list – Oklahoma State – on June 8. … But he had a change-of-heart in late October, backing off that pledge and re-opening his recruitment. … USTA, which had offered Butler-Tanner in January 2024, jumped back in the picture and landed his commitment on Nov. 30. … MAX GERLICH (6-3, 205), from Austin’s Anderson High, racked up 3,095 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024. … Gerlich made an early pledge to the Roadrunners last June and stuck with it despite some overtures from other schools. … An interesting signee to follow at USTA will be another quarterback, NOAH LOGO (6-2, 195), who transferred in from BYU. … Logo didn’t see any action at BYU, but the dual-threat athlete passed for 4,756 yards and 53 touchdowns (plus 862 rushing) as a senior at Eaton High in Haslet, Texas. … ARMONI RUE (5-11, 195) was a junior college All-American at cornerback last season for Highland Community College, where he made six interceptions – returning two for touchdowns – and broke up 18 passes over two years.
PORTAL WINS: The Roadrunners snared a linebacker who has played in a national championship game when they signed SHAD BANKS JR. (6-1, 250) from TCU. … Banks appeared in all 15 games during the Horned Frogs’ run to the title game in 2022. … A former four-star recruit, he played in 42 career games at TCU, making 114 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and two sacks. …With all the graduation and portal losses at linebacker the Roadrunners have suffered, Banks should fit into the starting lineup from day one. … More potential help at linebacker could come from BRANDON TUCKER (5-11, 225) and DARION WHITE (6-2, 220). … Tucker was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 at FCS East Texas A&M. … He registered 141 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks to earn the honors. … White isn’t technically a transfer portal addition, coming from Tyler Community College. … But he was named the national junior college defensive player of the year there after making 124 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and three interceptions. … On offense, USTA picked up receiver A.J. WILSON (6-2, 180) from Houston Christian. … Wilson caught 28 passes for 825 yards and eight touchdowns. … His 28.5 yards per catch led all Division I players (FBS and FCS).
PORTAL LOSSES: Thirteen players from the 2024 roster have entered the portal to date, including the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and second-team All-AAC linebacker. … JIMMORI ROBINSON is a three-year letterwinner for USTA, whose 43-tackle, 17-tackle-for-loss, 10.5-sack performance earned him the distinction of being the league’s top defender. … Robinson has opted to play his final season of college football at West Virginia. … MARTAVIUS FRENCH led USTA in tackles (80) and 17 tackles for loss to pick up second-team all-league honors. … French is moving on to play for Colorado. … The Roadrunners also took a big hit on the offensive line as starting center C.J. JAMES and left guard WALKER BATY entered the portal. … Baty has landed at Central Arkansas, while James has yet to announce a new destination. … Heading to TCU to finish his college career at running back KEVORIAN BARNES. … Barnes was the AAC Freshman of the Year back in 2022 and led the team two straight years in rushing. … But his rushing totals dropped to just 221 yards last season, prompting his exit.
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