Roster change has always been part of college football as players graduate and new recruits are brought in as replacements. But the introduction of the transfer portal has dramatically altered the number of comings and goings for just about every major college program.

The American Conference will again see a large number of newcomers when the 2026 football season begins. An unofficial count of high school and junior college signees combined with transfer portal additions by the 14 member schools as of March 5 reveals an almost 50 percent turnover in talent as spring practices begin.

Based on news releases on player signings by the AC programs and other media reports, approximately 46.5 percent of the league rosters will be new in 2026. That number is actually constrained somewhat due to the fact that two of the league teams, Army and Navy, don’t access the transfer portal.

Three American Conference teams – North Texas, Temple and South Florida – will have more than half of their rosters made up of newcomers next fall. The Mean Green has added 59 new players under first-year head coach Neal Brown, which, considering the NCAA-allowed maximum of 105, means 56.2 percent of their roster will be new. USF, with first-year head coach Brian Hartline, had added 58 players (55.2%) and Temple 57 (54.3%).

Defending league champion Tulane, which has signed 37 new players to date, is the only American team to add less than 40 newcomers to its roster so far.

A large number of those additions have occurred through the transfer portal. Unofficially, American Conference teams have brought in 362 players through the portal so far, which is an average of 25.9 per team. That figure includes Army and Navy, which have no portal additions. Take away those two programs and the average climbs to 30.2 per team. That’s a major increase from 2025 when American Conference teams signed an average of 15 players from the portal (18 if you don’t include Army and Navy).

It all added up to a massive overhaul of rosters that will bring many new faces to the AC in 2026. More players could be added between now and the opening games. Until then, here’s a team-by-team review of each team’s 2025 season, their current recruiting class rankings and the highlights of their roster additions and losses as we get ready for spring practices.

ARMY

2025 REVIEW: The Cadets tied for sixth in the American Conference standings with a 4-4 record. They earned a bid to the Wasabi Fenway Bowl where they defeated Connecticut, 41-16, for their third straight postseason victory. The win left head coach JEFF MONKEN with a 6-1 postseason record and helped Army finish 7-6 overall.

CLASS RANKINGS: 247Sports.com ranks Army’s recruiting class No. 14 in the American Conference and No. 136 nationally. The Cadets have no portal ranking.

*Note: Because the military academies don’t traditionally announce football signings until the spring, there is no official list for Army. The players mentioned 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. Prospects mentioned in the lists below are confirmed committed to Army through various news outlets or their personal posts on X.

BY THE NUMBERS: Army has between 40 and 70 players committed to the Class of 2026, depending on which recruiting service you follow. … We verified 40 prospects on 247Sports.com’s list of commitments have signed certificate of intents with Army through their X accounts. … That group includes three quarterbacks, four running backs, four receivers, two tight ends, five offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, eight linebackers, seven defensive backs and one punter. … Twenty-three states are represented in that group with Texas producing the most with 10. … According to 247Sports.com’s list, 10 players backed off verbal pledges to Army, but we identified nine more who had flipped their commitments to other schools. … Two of the most significant decommitments for Army were defensive lineman DOMINIC BASRAWALA (6-3, 260) and safety TAYTEN DUNCAN (5-11, 185). … Basrawala, from Charlotte, NC, actually took an official visit to East Carolina in June before making a verbal commitment to Army on June 23. … The two-time All-Southern Carolina Conference pick at Charlotte Catholic switched his choice to Air Force in February. … Duncan, rated the nation’s No. 78 safety prospect by 247Sports.com, made 111 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two interceptions at Mustang High in Oklahoma as a senior. … He committed to Army on June 26, 2025, but backed off that decision Oct. 22. … Duncan took official visits to West Virginia and Iowa State before ultimately signing with the Cyclones.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: When you’re a running team like Army, having experience on the offensive line is essential. The Cadets are scheduled to return four of their five starters up front in senior left tackle HENRY APPLETON (6-2, 300), senior center and All-AC first-teamer BRADY SMALL (6-0, 315), senior right guard PAOLO GENNARELLI (6-1, 300) and senior right tackle TEDDY WILLIAMS (6-4, 300).

They’ll continue to open holes for senior quarterback COLE HELLUMS (5-10, 205), who produced the eighth-highest single-season rushing total in program history last season with 1,251 yards on 304 carries. Hellums also scored 18 times on the ground, while completing 47 of 87 passes for 694 yards and four more scores. Fenway Bowl hero GODSPOWER NWAWUIHE (5-10, 211) is a quarterback-turned-running back who exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in the postseason. The sophomore only played in four games last season, but his finish makes him a favorite to earn a starting job in 2026.

Anchoring the Army defense again will be third-team All-American Conference pick JACK BOUSUM (6-4, 268). The junior defensive lineman recorded 29 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks last season. Junior nickel COLE SEAWRIGHT (5-10, 195) is also back after making 23 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: PHILLIP GOODRICH (6-0, 215) played for national power St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, FL, where he collected 186 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine sacks and three interceptions in 37 career games. Goodrich, who held offers from Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia among others, first committed to Navy back in April. But he moved away from that pledge in August, and after an official visit to Colorado on Sept. 27, opted to join the Cadets.

Interior offensive lineman MAVERICK DIEDE (6-4, 280) is one of the top prospects from Montana. He was a second-team all-state pick on the offensive line and first-teamer on the defensive line where he made 32 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss as a senior.

PORTAL WINS: Because the military academies don’t accept mid-year transfer students, Army doesn’t have any portal additions to its roster for 2026.

PORTAL LOSSES: Only two players have departed Army through the transfer portal to date. Offensive tackle JOSH MANECKE (6-7, 310) saw action in one game over two seasons with the Cadets. Manecke has found a new home at James Madison.

Running back TREY TREMBA (5-10, 192) appeared in two games during two seasons at Army, but didn’t register a carry. Tremba has transferred to play at FCS Lehigh.

CHARLOTTE

2025 REVIEW: The 49ers tied for the worst record in the 11-year history of their program by going 0-8 in American Conference play and 1-11 overall. Charlotte lost its final nine games to finish with a sixth straight losing mark in TIM ALBIN’s first season as head coach. A 42-35 triumph over FCS Monmouth in September was Charlotte’s only victory.

CLASS RANKINGS: Charlotte’s early signing group is rated No. 7 in the American Conference and No. 94 nationally. Its portal signees are No. 11 in the AC and No. 104 nationally according to 247Sports.com.

BY THE NUMBERS: A total of 28 prospects signed with the 49ers during the early period in December – 19 from the high school ranks and nine from junior college or other four-year programs. … Another 20 were added to the class on Jan. 19, including one high school prospect. … The class includes two quarterbacks, three running backs, five receivers, two tight ends, 10 offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, five linebackers, 11 defensive backs and a long snapper. … Two of the portal signees are international players – offensive lineman MATHIAS NIELSEN (6-5, 295) is from Bagsvaerd, Denmark, and offensive lineman NIC CRUJI (6-4, 305) is from Toronto, Canada. … The overall class also features 11 players from Georgia, six from North Carolina, six from Florida, five from South Carolina, four from Mississippi, two from Arkansas, two from Indiana, two from Michigan and one each from Ohio, Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Louisiana and the District of Columbia. … Thirteen of the portal signees are from FBS programs, four from FCS and two from NCAA Division II. … The 49ers had three players decommit from the class with receiver KADARUS HAINSWORTH (6-0, 160) being the most prominent. … Hainsworth averaged 23.7 yards per catch as a senior at Mountain View Preparatory in Spartanburg, SC. … He made a verbal commitment to Charlotte on April 20 but then took an official visit to Coastal Carolina on June 20. … The official visit led Hainsworth to back off his pledge to the 49ers and sign with Coastal Carolina in December.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: Duke transfer GRAYSON LOFTIS (6-3, 215) wound up starting seven games for the 49ers last season, completing 134 of 265 passes for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. The redshirt junior heads into the spring at No. 1 on the depth chart but could face a challenge from Pittsburgh transfer COLE GONZALES (6-0, 200).

Charlotte signed 10 offensive linemen for a reason. The 49ers have only one starter back from last year’s blocking corps in redshirt senior center DALLAS SHIRLEY (6-4, 290). Shirley started all 12 games last season after transferring in from NCAA Division II Newberry.

The defense will benefit from the return of starters JAYLON JOHNSON (6-4, 250) on the line, KADIN SCHMITZ (6-1, 235) at linebacker and C.J. CLINKSCALE (5-8, 175) at cornerback. Schmitz was Charlotte’s No. 2 tackler a year ago with 66 hits and also contributed two interceptions.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: Safety ALCHINO BLAKELY (5-10, 190) received some heavyweight offers from the likes of Michigan and Penn State early in the recruiting process. The opportunity for immediate playing time presented by Charlotte eventually sold Blakely on the 49ers. As a senior at South Gwinnett High in Snellville, GA, Blakely made 105 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three interceptions.

PORTAL WINS: Loftis will have some impressive new talent to target in 2026 in portal additions JADEN BARNES (5-8, 162), TANK BOSTON (5-11, 195) and CAM PEDRO (6-0, 182). Barnes arrives from Appalachian State where his elite speed helped him make 55 catches for 608 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Boston saw limited action in two seasons at N.C. State, but was rated a four-star prospect by ESPN.com coming out of Westside High in Anderson, SC. Similar to Barnes, Boston has explosive potential from the slot or as an outside receiver. Pedro is the hands guy in the trio. He caught 107 passes for 1,264 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons with FCS Southeast Missouri State.

Another valuable pickup for the offense is lineman J’VEN WILLIAMS (6-5, 315). Williams was ranked a five-star prospect by both On3.com and 247Sports.com as a senior at Wyomissing High in Reading, PA. He spent two seasons at Penn State, playing in 16 games mostly on special teams. Williams will get the chance at Charlotte to win a starting job at either guard or tackle.

Transferring in from North Carolina is defensive tackle DEVIN ANCRUM (6-2, 295), who was rated the nation’s No. 83 defensive line prospect in the Class of 2025. Ancrum played in only two games for the Tar Heels, so he’ll come to Charlotte as a redshirt freshman.

PORTAL LOSSES: Charlotte lost three of its five starting offensive linemen to the portal in right tackle MASON BOWERS, left guard MO CLIPPER JR. and left tackle TYLER GIBSON. Clipper will be playing his final college season at Georgia Southern, while Gibson is headed to Central Florida. Bowers is waiting approval of an NCAA waiver to play in 2026.

JAVON NICHOLS led the 49ers in receiving with 60 catches for 740 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll spend his redshirt senior season playing for Duke.

The 49ers will be missing two significant secondary players in cornerback DWIGHT BOOTLE II and safety CARY GRANT. Bootle made 38 tackles last season for Charlotte after spending two years at Nebraska. He’s headed west for his redshirt senior season to play for Arizona. Grant, who made 45 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in 2025, will play at Appalachian State in 2026.

EAST CAROLINA

2025 REVIEW: The Pirates produced their best conference record since 2013 at 6-2 and won nine games overall for the 14th time in school history. Despite missing four of its top offensive weapons, ECU defeated Pittsburgh, 23-17, in the Military Bowl to finish 9-4 overall. It marked the second consecutive Military Bowl win over a P4 opponent and was the program’s third straight postseason victory.

CLASS RANKINGS: East Carolina’s early signing class is rated No. 5 in the American Conference and No. 86 nationally by 247Sports.com. The Pirates’ portal additions are No. 5 in the AC and No. 80 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: A total of 19 prospects signed with East Carolina during the early period in December – 17 from the high school ranks and two from junior colleges. … Twenty-two more additions have come from the transfer portal. … The portal signees include 18 from other FBS programs and four from FCS teams. … Five of the portal transfers are from other American Conference teams, four are from the Atlantic Coast Conference, four from the Sun Belt, two from the Big 12, two from Conference USA and one from the Big Ten. … Overall, the class includes three quarterbacks, three running backs, four receivers, two tight ends, nine offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, five linebackers, nine defensive backs and a punter. … Ten of the signees are from North Carolina, nine from Georgia, five from South Carolina, four from Florida, three from Texas, two from Virginia, and one each from Alabama, Minnesota, Louisiana, Arkansas and Colorado. … ECU had five players back off verbal commitments during the recruiting cycle. … Foremost among those was one of the top prep in-state receivers in RAI’SHAWN ELMORE (6-2, 185) of Porter Ridge High in Indian Trail, NC. The all-state pick committed to the Pirates last June but backed off that pledge Nov. 16 to sign with Michigan State.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: The Pirates will need a re-boot on offense where a large chunk of starters are missing. The major returnees there are redshirt senior receiver BROCK SPALDING (5-11, 193) and redshirt junior offensive lineman BRYCE WEAVER (6-4, 317). Spalding established himself as a starter rotating between the slot and outside spots last season. The Lorton, VA, native finished third in team receiving with 42 catches for 554 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games (9 starts) last season. Weaver has played all three line positions at ECU and is the most experienced blocker returning. The Greenville native has played in 19 games over the last two seasons, including 10 last year that included three starts. He started 2025 as the backup center, but by the end of season he was starting at right tackle. The influx of new tackles should allow Weaver to compete for a starting job at center or guard in the spring.

Returning experience is more abundant on defense. Former Michigan State transfer JASIYAH ROBINSON (6-3, 265), RION ROSEBOROUGH (6-2, 295) and PRESTON CARR (6-3, 295) bring a wealth of talent back to the defensive front. Robinson came into his own last season at defensive end where he started 11 games and delivered 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and was second on the team with five sacks. Roseborough and Carr both played in 13 games at nose tackle with Carr collecting 31 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks and Roseborough 16 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Redshirt junior D.J. JOHNSON (6-0, 234) emerged as a prime-time player in his third season at ECU. He started eight of 13 games and ranked second on the team in tackles with 60 (also five tackles for loss).

Secondary veterans returning are junior nickel KEVON MERRILL (6-1, 188), redshirt junior strong safety AYDEN DUNCANSON (6-0, 194) and redshirt junior free safety KAMAURRI MCKINLEY (6-2, 195).

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: TERANDE SPENCER (6-3, 235), a rush end from North Carolina power Richmond Senior, was twice named defensive player of the year in his conference and as a senior earned a spot on North Carolina’s team for the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star game. He finished his prep career with 260 tackles, 77 tackles for loss and 32 sacks in 34 games. He is rated the nation’s No. 67 edge prospect by 247Sports.com.

PORTAL WINS: A large chunk of ECU’s offense hit the transfer portal, including the starters at quarterback, running back, tight end and most of the receiving corps. Many of those holes will be filled next fall by the portal recruiting class.

At quarterback, two experienced FBS players will battle for the starting job this spring in MITCH GRIFFIS (6-0, 195) and EMORY WILLIAMS (6-5, 225).

Griffis, from Ashburn, VA, spent four seasons at Wake Forest (2020-23) where he appeared in 19 games and completed 157 of 263 passes for 1,957 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was the Demon Deacons’ starter in 2023 before being benched, which led to his first entry into the transfer portal. Griffis opted to move to Marshall, but never played a down for the Herd. Instead, he decided to take a break from football. Ready to return to the field in 2024, he transferred to Texas Tech. Griffis played in seven games last year at Tech, completing 26 of 36 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns. He jumped in the transfer portal for a third time Jan. 2 and committed to the Pirates on Jan. 8 with one year of eligibility left.

It was Williams, however, who grabbed the headlines with his choice of ECU on Jan. 21. That was just two days removed from Williams being on the sidelines with Miami at the College Football Playoff championship game. A former four-star prospect from Milton, FL, Williams spent three seasons as a backup for the Hurricanes, first behind NFL first-round pick CAM WARD and this year behind CARSON BECK. During three seasons at Miami, Williams played in 12 games and made three starts. One of the latter was a double-overtime victory against Clemson during his freshman year. He wound up with 73 completions in 116 attempts for 813 yards and four touchdowns during his time at Miami. Williams will have two years of eligibility left.

Another headline-grabbing signing occurred on Jan. 8 when former four-star running back MICHAEL ALLEN (5-11, 206) announced he was returning home for his final college season. Allen, who played at Rose High in Greenville, wound up signing with N.C. State, where he impressed as a true freshman by rushing for 208 yards and catching passes for 97 more. He actually started three games as a sophomore for the Wolfpack in 2023 (251 rushing yards). But injuries late in the year allowed younger backs to pass him on the depth chart, so Allen entered the transfer portal. He played at UNLV and Marshall over the next two seasons, rushing for a combined 493 yards.

One of Williams’ teammates at Miami, RAY RAY JOSEPH (5-10, 180) heads an impressive quartet of additions to the receiving corps. Joseph was a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com, out of Edison High in Miami with the recruiting Class of 2023. He signed with the hometown Hurricanes over offers that included Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi and Oregon. Joseph played in 27 games over three seasons as a reserve at Miami and made 14 catches for 135 yards. Joseph also made a significant contribution his first two seasons as a return specialist. But with his time limited to four games in 2025, Joseph hopped the portal on Dec. 10.

Another reunion at ECU will involve LANDON SIDES (5-11, 190), from Denton, Texas. Sides joins the Pirates from North Texas where he played for both ECU’s new offensive coordinator JORDAN DAVIS and new receivers coach JUAN SOTO. Sides, a senior, had 83 career catches for 1,043 yards and six touchdowns in 35 career games for the Mean Green (17 starts). He caught 25 passes for 400 yards and a touchdown during the 2025 season.

Redshirt junior JA’KEITH HAMILTON (6-2, 206), from Shelby, NC, and redshirt sophomore JEREMIAH MELVIN (6-4, 195) are two interesting portal finds for ECU. Hamilton had a breakout 2025 season at FCS Furman, collecting 40 catches for 545 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. Melvin was rated a four-star prospect by both 247Sports.com and On3.com as a senior at Cape Fear High School before signing with Wake Forest. In two seasons with the Deacons, he played in 13 games and caught three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown.

Big pickups on the offensive front are tackle HAYES CREEL (6-7, 320) from Southern Miss, BRANDON BEST (6-4, 313), formerly of Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State, and ETHAN KRAMER (6-4, 300) from FCS Northern Arizona. Best and Kramer achieved all-star status as their last schools. Best was a first-team All-CUSA performer for league champion Kennesaw State and Kramer was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection for Northern Arizona. Both will be seniors at ECU next fall.

Defensive back was a major need on defense and the Pirates filled some of those voids with redshirt junior safety ZYEIR GAMBLE (5-10, 195) and redshirt senior cornerback-safety ASHTON LEVELLS-MITCHELL (6-1, 170). Gamble was a two-year letterman at Appalachian State, who started all 12 games for the Mountaineers in 2025. He ranked second on the team in tackles (76) and added 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Levells-Mitchell has 42 games of college experience under his belt at various levels, the last 22 coming at Florida International. He played in all 13 games last season (4 starts) and finished with 20 tackles.

PORTAL LOSSES: Five All-American Conference performers left the Pirates for new destinations through the transfer portal: first-teamer defensive tackle ZION WILSON, first-team safety JA’MARLEY RIDDLE, first-team offensive tackle JIMARION MCRIMON, second-team offensive guard EMMANUL POKU and third-team receiver YANNICK SMITH. Riddle, who finished his ECU career with six interceptions, is heading to the SEC to play for Florida. Wilson (Virginia), McCrimon (N.C. State) and Smith (SMU) have all signed on with Atlantic Coast Conference teams as has ECU’s starting tight end DESIRRIO RILES (Florida State). Leading rusher LONDON MONTGOMERY will also be competing in the SEC with Georgia.

The most heartbreaking portal exit was quarterback KATIN HOUSER. Houser, who had shown flashes at Michigan State before transferring to ECU in 2024, flourished in year two as a starter. His 3,300 passing yards was sixth-best in ECU history, and in just 19 starts produced the ninth-most career passing yards (5,306) and touchdown passes (37). But after that tremendous regular season, Houser announced Dec. 15 he wouldn’t play for ECU in the Military Bowl and he’d be entering the transfer portal. After weighing several options, Houser wound signing with Big Ten Conference member Illinois.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC

2025 REVIEW: FAU placed ninth in the American Conference with a 3-5 record. The Owls started the season with a 3-3 mark, but only won once in their final five games to finish 4-8 overall under first-year head coach ZACH KITTLEY. Florida Atlantic surrendered an average of 41.2 points over its last three games to finish with a losing record for the fifth straight season.

CLASS RANKINGS: The Owls early signing class was ranked No. 10 in the American Conference and No. 123 nationally by 247Sports.com. FAU’s portal class is rated No. 7 in the AC and No. 87 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: Florida Atlantic signed 15 prospects during the early period in December, 11 of them prep players and three from the junior college ranks. … Thirty others were added from the transfer portal in February, including 20 from other FBS programs, seven from FCS schools and three from NCAA Division II. … The overall class includes two quarterbacks, two running backs, seven receivers, five tight ends, seven offensive linemen, a placekicker, seven defensive linemen, two linebackers, 11 defensive backs and a punter. … Thirteen of the signees hail from Florida, and six each are from Georgia and Texas. … The Owls lost 15 players to graduation. … Five of the portal signees are from Big 12 Conference schools and four are from the ACC. … Five prospects backed off verbal commitments to FAU during the recruiting cycle. … The major loss was FREDERIC SAINTEUS (6-4, 273), a defensive lineman from St. John Neumann High in Naples, FL. … Rated the nation’s No. 47 defensive line prospect by 247Sports.com, Sainteus attended camp at FAU and received his first scholarship offer from the Owls on June 4, 2025. … He committed to FAU on June 28, but in July received offers from Michigan State, Florida, Syracuse and Miami. … Those offers led him to re-open his recruitment on Sept. 15. … Sainteus wound up signing with Miami in December.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: The Owls return veterans all over the field on offense, led by redshirt senior quarterback CADEN VELTKAMP (6-6, 236). Veltcamp set school single-game records for completions (42), passing attempts (57) and passing yardage (494) in his first season at FAU after transferring from Western Kentucky. His 3,648 season passing yards also ranked third-best in school history. Veltkamp will enter 2026 as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and a potential NFL draft pick.

Velkamp’s passing-partner-in-crime, redshirt senior receiver EASTON MESSER (5-9, 190), also returns. Messer led the American Conference in receptions last season with 104 and was second in receiving yards (1,052). He became just the second Owl to record 100 receptions in a season and was rewarded with second-team all-league honors.

Two key members of Velkamp’s blocking corps are also back in redshirt senior left tackle JA’KAVION NONAR (6-8, 315) and redshirt senior center VINCENT FIACABLE (6-4, 320). Fiacable spent three seasons at Indiana before transferring to FAU where he started all 12 games in 2025. Novar is a converted tight end who protected Velkamp’s blindside all last year. Both should be all-star candidates in 2026.

FAU will welcome back its leading tackler from 2025 in redshirt senior linebacker LEON HART JR. (6-0, 215). Hart received third-team all-league status after making 104 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack in his first season with the Owls after beginning his college career at Marshall.

Redshirt senior C.J. DOGGETTE JR. (6-2, 277) will be back to anchor the defensive front after making 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks to earn third-team all-league honors.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: Receiver ELIJAH WEST (6-2, 185), from Tate High in Cantonment, FL, drew 22 offers – all from FBS programs – with Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Kansas State, Minnesota and Pittsburgh among them. West is a big-play threat who averaged 18.3 yards per reception as a senior at Tate.

The Owls signed a true ballhawk in cornerback SEAN WILLIAMS (5-11, 170) from Creekside High in Fairburn, GA. Williams, who received offers from Georgia Tech, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Purdue, SMU and others, had seven career interceptions at Creekside along with 87 tackles and five tackles for loss.

PORTAL WINS: Defense was an obvious priority in the portal, and FAU’s efforts there paid off with some top-notch additions. The Owls are bringing in the NCAA Division II sack leader in KENYON GARNER (6-4, 230) and All-Mid-American Conference pick JAY CRABLE (6-3, 240) to provide immediate help at the edge position. Garner, who’ll be a junior, racked up 15 sacks and 28 tackles for loss to earn D2 All-American status and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year honors at Livingstone. Crable was a second-team All-MAC choice as a redshirt sophomore when he racked up 33 tackles and led Ohio with six sacks.

JOSEPH SIPP JR. (6-4, 220) and NATE FISCHER (6-2, 220) bring experience and impressive credentials to the linebacker corps. Sipp was expected to earn a starting job at Kansas last season, but a preseason injury limited him to just four games. But prior to joining the Jayhawks, Sipp was an All-Mid-American Conference pick in 2024 at Bowling Green (79 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss). Fischer was an all-league pick at FCS San Diego where he ranked third in tackles (97), had 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 10 passes broken up. Sipp is a redshirt junior and Fischer a true junior.

J.K. JOHNSON (6-0, 185) is a former four-star cornerback prospect who has seen action at Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma State during his college career. He actually made five starts back in 2022 for an Ohio State team that reached the national semifinals (20 tackles). Johnson is a favorite to claim a starting job next fall at FAU after making 16 tackles in eight games at Oklahoma State in 2025.

PORTAL LOSSES: The Owls lose their defensive leader in linebacker TYLER STOLSKY. Stolsky became just the second defender in FAU history to record 12 or more tackles in five games last season enroute to 90 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. He’s leaving Boca Raton to play for West Virginia.

Two of FAU’s top receivers are also departing in JASHON PLATT and ASADD WASEEM. Waseem contributed 68 catches for 699 yards and five touchdowns last season, while Platt had 46 catches for 720 yard and five touchdowns. Waseem is headed to Purdue and Platt to Illinois.

Leading rusher GEMARI SANDS is off to Florida State after gaining 465 yards on 105 carries last fall for FAU.

MEMPHIS

2025 REVIEW: Despite a major re-tooling on offense, the Tigers managed a 4-4 mark in American Conference play to finish tied for sixth. They earned a bid to the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, where they lost 31-7 against N.C. State to finish 8-5 overall. Near the end of the regular season, head coach RYAN SILVERFIELD accepted the same job at Arkansas. Silverfield has been replaced by former Southern Miss head coach CHARLES HUFF. Huff, a former assistant under NICK SABAN at Alabama, orchestrated a turnaround at Southern Miss that saw the Eagles go from 1-11 in 2024 to 7-5 this past season.

CLASS RANKINGS: The early signing class for Memphis is ranked third in the American Conference and No. 70 nationally by 247Sports.com. The portal class is No. 3 in the AC and No. 68 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: Memphis signed 18 high school prospects during the early period and added another 53 from the transfer portal. … The Tigers had 49 players exit the program through the transfer portal. … The overall class features four quarterbacks, four running backs, seven receivers, two tight ends, 11 offensive linemen, a placekicker, deep snapper, 17 defensive linemen, six linebackers, 16 defensive backs and a punter. … Eleven of the signees are from Florida, 10 from Georgia, nine from Tennessee, eight from Alabama and five from Texas among others. … Seven of the 49 players leaving through the transfer portal are headed to Arkansas to play for Silverfield. … Nine prospects backed off previous verbal commitments to Memphis with four of those eventually signing with Arkansas. … The biggest decommit came from 6-3, 305-pound defensive lineman ANTONIO SANDEL-BASCOMB from Coffeyville Community College. … Sandel-Bascomb is rated the nation’s No. 22 junior college defensive line prospect. … He committed to Memphis on Nov. 23, 2025, but backed off on Dec. 3. … Sandel-Bascomb then committed to Arkansas on Dec. 28 and signed with the Razorbacks in February.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: Graduation and the transfer portal have literally gutted the Memphis roster, leaving only a handful of veterans remaining. Redshirt senior PARKER MITCHELL (6-3, 299) is one of the only returning starters, having handled all 13 games last year at right offensive guard. Redshirt senior JONATHAN YOUNG (6-6, 298) is also back after appearing in 12 games last season as a back up at left tackle.

The top skill player returning on offense is junior receiver BRADY KLUSE (6-2, 199). Kluse ranked fourth in team receiving a year ago with 22 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He’s played in 25 career games at Memphis.

One of the few veterans back on defense is redshirt senior linebacker DONOVAN MATTHEWS (6-0, 235), who has played in 37 career games for the Tigers. Matthews worked in 13 games last year, recording 11 tackles and a tackle for loss.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: New head coach Huff managed to bring one of the top Southern Miss signees with him to Memphis. Offensive tackle RICHARD THIGPEN (6-6, 310) from Ensworth High in Nashville, TN, originally signed with Huff and Southern Miss during the early period in December. But the coaching change there led Thigpen to re-open his recruitment and ultimately follow Huff to Memphis. A three-star prospect with more than 20 scholarship offers, Thigpen is rated the nation’s No. 82 offensive tackle prospect by 247Sports.com.

Edge rusher EVAN HARVEY (6-3, 245) from Sandy Creek High in Tyrone, GA, made his pledge to Memphis in June and stuck with it. Harvey, who made 70 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and five sacks as a senior, attracted more than 20 scholarship offers, including one from national champion Indiana.

PORTAL WINS: The Tigers basically had to recruit an entire starting lineup from the portal due to the number of losses via the portal, graduation and decommitments.

One of the most high-profile portal additions is junior quarterback MARCUS STOKES (6-2, 215). Stokes produced a stellar sophomore season at FCS West Georgia in 2025, completing 223 of 368 passes for 3,297 yards and 30 touchdowns. The performance earned him Gulf Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors and made him one of the more coveted quarterbacks in the portal. A former four-star prospect at Nease High in Florida that also produced TIM TEBOW, Stokes picked Memphis after making an official visit to Appalachian State.

Another former four-star prospect is senior running back DALLAN HAYDEN (5-10, 205). Hayden, a Memphis native, was the nation’s No. 19 running back prospect in the Class of 2022 when he signed with Ohio State. He played in 13 games for the Buckeyes over two seasons and was the team’s third-leading rusher in 2022 with 553 yards. Hayden transferred to Colorado where he rushed for 416 yards over two seasons before coming home to play his final college season.

Offensive line was a major area of need for the Tigers, and they helped fill that by adding left tackle RILEY MCGEHEE (6-6, 307) from Arkansas State, right guard MAARTEN WOUDSMA (6-5, 280) from Old Dominion and center PHILLIP GRAY III (6-4, 308) from Richmond.

A major find for the Memphis defense was redshirt senior lineman J. MOND TAPP (6-3, 275). Tapp is another former four-star recruit, whose college career has taken him from Texas to Arizona State to Southern Miss and now Memphis. Tapp began to live up to his potential last season at Southern Miss where he earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors after making 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Also arriving from Southern Miss to bolster the Memphis defense is senior linebacker MIKE MONTGOMERY (6-4, 250), who was a third-team All-Sun Belt pick last season. Montgomery ranked sixth in the Sun Belt with 105 tackles, while also contributing six tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.

The secondary will get a boost from Freshman FCS All-American cornerback DARIUS MALCOLM JR. (5-10, 1705). Malcolm earned that honor by making 76 tackles and 13 passes defended during his rookie season at Wofford.

PORTAL LOSSES: Three prominent offensive performers, and a potential prominent one hit the portal and wound up following Silverfield to Arkansas. Third-team All-American Conference running back and return specialist SUTTON SMITH, receiver JAMARI HAWKINS and left guard MALACHI BRELAND all decided to join their old head coach in Fayetteville. Sutton led the Tigers with 688 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, averaged 8.3 yards per punt return and 31 yards on kickoff returns. Hawkins was the team’s second-leading receiver with 38 catches for 623 yards and two touchdowns, while Breland started 19 games over the last two seasons.

Although he’d only played in two games for Memphis, A.J. HILL was regarded as the program’s quarterback-of-the-future. Hill was rated the nation’s No. 5 quarterback prospect by ESPN.com in the recruiting Class of 2025 and Memphis beat out teams such as Duke, Colorado and Texas A&M for his services. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman last season while retaining his redshirt status. But it looks like Hill will be fulfilling his potential at Arkansas.

The dynamic safety combo of KAMARI WILSON and CHRIS BRACY have also found new homes. Wilson (72 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss in 2025) is headed to West Virginia, while, Bracy (81 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss) will play at Michigan next fall.

NAVY

2025 REVIEW: It was another banner season for the Middies, who went 7-1 to tie for first place in the American Conference regular season. They were shut out of the league title game, however, because of a head-to-head loss against North Texas and Tulane’s ranking in the College Football Playoff poll. Navy advanced to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, where it defeated Cincinnati, 35-13, for the program’s fourth straight postseason triumph. The Middies, who led the FBS in rushing (285.6 yards per game), finished 11-2 overall and were unbeaten at home (6-0).

CLASS RANKINGS: 247Sports.com ranks Navy’s recruiting class No. 13 in the American Conference and No. 135 nationally.

*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. Prospects mentioned in the lists below are confirmed committed to Navy through various news outlets or their personal posts on X.

BY THE NUMBERS: According to 247Sports.com, three high school prospects have signed a “Certificate of Intent” with Navy and 47 others have made verbal commitments to the Middies. … The group features six quarterbacks, two running backs, seven receivers, four tight ends, five interior offensive linemen, two offensive tackles, and a long snapper for the offense. … Defensively, the recruits includes two defensive linemen, three edge rushers, six linebackers, five safeties and six cornerbacks. … The recruiting class represents 18 different states and the District of Columbia. … Pennsylvania, with seven, has the most prospects in the recruiting class and Texas is second with five. … Two of the committed players are high school teammates in interior offensive lineman KYLE LUCAS (6-3, 250) and safety CHASE HOYLE (6-2, 200). … Both attended Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, MD. … Eight prospects backed off verbal commitments to Navy during the 2026 recruiting cycle. … The biggest decommit loss was three-star linebacker TYLER COVAR (6-2, 215) from Magnolia, TX. … Covar was the District 15-6A Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 after making 133 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine tackles. … He and his brother, safety TANNER COVAR, committed to Navy in June, but re-opened their recruitment on Nov. 26. … Both wound up signing with Houston.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: For a team that relies on a ball-control offense, Navy is fortunate to return four of five offensive line starters in junior left tackle SEAN CROWLEY (6-4, 293), senior center CAM NICHOLS (6-1, 288), senior right guard HOKE SMITH II (6-3, 317) and sophomore right tackle MALCOLM JOHNSON (6-6, 278). They were a big reason the Middies led the nation in rushing offense last fall. The unit will be even more important in 2026 as the Middies must replace their top four rushers.

Junior linebacker MARCANTHONY PARKER (6-0, 218) will be a leader on defense after earning third-team All-AC honors in 2025. Parker led the Middies and was 11th in the league with 97 tackles. Headlining the returning secondary players is senior safety GIUSEPPE SESSI (5-11, 204). Sessi ranked second on the team to Parker with 81 tackles.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: Two of the class headliners both committed to other schools before flipping to Navy. Interior offensive lineman ALEXANDER BREWER (6-3, 317) from Sequoyah High in Canton, GA, is a three-star prospect who was the Region 6-5A Offensive Lineman of the Year and Navy All-American Bowl selection as a senior. Brewer, who was also offered by East Carolina (Feb. 18, 2025), first made his pledge to Colorado State on April 23, 2025. But he backed off that commitment on Nov. 18 to join Navy’s class.

KADEN OLSEN (6-0, 185), a safety from Northwest High in Justin, TX, offered a commitment to Washington State last June. But by October the three-star prospect changed his mind and shifted his pledge to Navy.

PORTAL WINS: Because the military academies don’t accept mid-career transfer students, Navy doesn’t have any portal additions to its roster for 2026.

PORTAL LOSSES: Three players have left the Navy program for other schools via the portal, but only two of the three had received playing time in Annapolis. Cornerback JUSTIN ROSS played in 22 games during his two years with the Middies, making 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions. Ross, who’ll be a junior in 2026, has taken his talents to Virginia.

Junior offensive tackle JAYLIN ACEVEDO, who played in eight games last season, has moved on to South Florida and redshirt freshman quarterback BRADY MCDONOUGH will be playing for Georgetown in 2026.

NORTH TEXAS

2025 REVIEW: North Texas produced the first 12-win season in program history and ended a seven-game bowl losing streak in 2025. The Mean Green finished 7-1 to tie for first in the American Conference with Navy and Tulane. They suffered a 34-21 loss in the American championship game against Tulane but still earned a berth in the New Mexico Bowl. North Texas beat San Diego State 49-47 to secure a 12-2 overall finish. The Mean Green was ranked No. 25 in the final College Football Playoff poll. Near the end of the regular season on Nov. 25, head coach ERIC MORRIS announced he was leaving North Texas to become head coach at Oklahoma State. Former West Virginia and Troy head coach NEAL BROWN was given a five-year contract on Dec. 2 to replace Morris.

CLASS RANKINGS: The Mean Green’s prep signing class is ranked No. 13 in the American Conference by 247Sports.com, but it’s portal additions are rated second among league teams.

BY THE NUMBERS: A total of 44 players from the 2025 squad are returning. … The Mean Green have added 52 new players from the transfer portal as well as another seven high school prospects. … Thirty-seven of the transfer portal players are from other FBS schools, eight are from FCS programs, three previous played at NCAA Division II schools and two are junior college transfers. … North Texas picked up three former East Carolina players from the portal in defensive lineman JUSTIN BENTON, quarterback CHASTON DITTA and linebacker ZAKYE BARKER. … The class features three quarterbacks, five running backs, seven wide receivers, four tight ends, eight offensive linemen, a kicker, a long snapper, 12 defensive linemen, eight safeties, five cornerbacks, four linebackers and a punter. … A total of 49 players exited the North Texas program via the transfer portal. … Twelve other high school or JUCO prospects who had previously given the Mean Green a verbal commitment, backed off their pledges after Morris announced his departure.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: At press time, we weren’t sure there were any prominent returnees at North Texas. The Mean Green only lists one player under the 2026 roster on its official website, and that player is a transfer from Charlotte – offensive lineman DREW CUNNINGHAM.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: LATHAN LATIOLAIS (5-11, 175) is rated the nation’s No. 169 receiver prospect by ESPN.com and No. 177 by 247Sports.com. The Prosper, Texas, native was the District 6-6A MVP as a senior at Prosper High where he made 65 catches for 1,547 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was also selected to play in the Military Appreciation Bowl national all-star game in December. Latiolais chose North Texas over Air Force, Cornell, Dartmouth, Fordham, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Pennsylvania and Washington State.

PORTAL WINS: The Mean Green pilfered the Big 12 Conference of a starting quarterback and running back to highlight its portal wins. Redshirt senior TAYVEN JACKSON (6-4, 215) was the starting quarterback at Central Florida last season but also saw previous stints at Indiana (2024) and Tennessee. Jackson played in 11 games and started 10 at UCF, completing 200 of 315 passes for 2,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s the odds-on favorite to win the job at North Texas, which lost its top two quarterbacks to the portal.

Running back JAHEIM WHITE (5-7, 190) was a preseason Big 12 pick at West Virginia in 2025 before an injury in the second game ended his season. But from 2023-25 he started 16 of 27 games and rushed for 1,879 yards (6.47 per carry) and 14 touchdowns. The York, PA, product will also be favored to become the Mean Green’s main rusher, if healthy.

Defensively, North Texas picked up Arkansas State’s starting linebacker AARON ALEXANDER (6-1, 234). Alexander racked up 91 tackles, three tackles for loss and an interception while starting 10 of 13 games for the Red Wolves. Defensive lineman DAVION RHODES (6-2, 235) arrives from Georgia Southern, where he started 33 games and played in 44 between 2021-25. He made 37 tackles and seven tackles for loss in 13 starts last season.

PORTAL LOSSES: Seriously, there are too many to name. But let’s start with six players who earned first-, second-, or third-team All-American Conference honors. Headlining that list is quarterback DREW MESTEMAKER and running back CALEB HAWKINS. Mestemaker came to North Texas as an unheralded walk-on before blossoming into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He led the FBS in passing yards (4,379) and passing touchdowns (34) to earn American Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. Hawkins was named the American Conference Rookie of the Year as a true freshman when he rushed 231 times for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns. His rushing touchdown total led the FBS.

To their credit, both players stayed around to help North Texas to a victory in the New Mexico Bowl. But just hours after the bowl win Mestmaker and Hawkins entered the transfer portal. They wound up following their former coach Morris to Oklahoma State.

Also headed to Oklahoma State are first-team all-league receiver WYATT YOUNG, who led the American in receiving yards (1,434), second-team offensive tackle BRAYDON NELSON, third-team offensive guard JOHNNY DICKSON and second-team linebacker ETHAN WESLOSKI.

East Carolina grabbed up another of the Mean Green’s top receivers in LANDON SIDES. The veteran appeared in 36 games at UNT over three seasons, making 88 catches for 1,092 yards and six scores.

RICE

2025 REVIEW: SCOTT ABELL’s second year as Rice’s head coach ended with a 2-6 record in American Conference play (tie for 11th) and a 5-8 overall mark. The Owls lost to Texas State, 41-10, in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl to finish with one more overall win than last year’s 4-8 record. It was the 11th straight season Rice has not finished above .500 overall.

CLASS RANKINGS: Rice’s early signing class is ranked No.9 in the American Conference and No.100 nationally by 247Sports.com. The Owls’ portal signings are No. 12 in the AC and No. 113 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: During the early period in December, the Owls signed 18 prospects – 16 from high school and two junior college transfers. … They added another eight signees during the traditional period in February, all from the prep ranks. … Twenty players from the transfer portal are joining the roster, making 46 total newcomers for 2026. … The overall class features three quarterbacks, two running backs, eight receivers, two tight ends, six offensive linemen, a placekicker, eight defensive linemen, three linebackers, nine defensive backs, a punter and two long snappers. … Seventeen of the 46 additions are from Texas and six from Georgia. … Five players backed off verbal commitments to Rice during the recruiting cycle. … AIDEN SMALLS (6-0, 175), a dynamic athlete from Clayton, NC, was one of the most prominent who re-opened his recruitment in July after making his pledge to the Owls on April 25. … Smalls accumulated 4,025 passing yards, 2,616 rushing and 990 receiving during his prep career. … He’ll play receiver at N.C. State, where he signed in December.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: Do-it-all senior running back QUINTON JACKSON headlines the list of returnees for Rice. Jackson (5-7, 160) led the Owls in rushing (889), all-purpose yardage (1,225) and kickoff returns (262) last season while scoring seven times. He earned third-team All-American Conference honors for his efforts. Jackson enters his senior season with 1,204 career rushing yards, 230 receiving yards, a 23.9 yard average on kickoff returns and a perfect 5-for-5 passing. He’ll team with sophomore D’ANDRE HARDEMAN JR. (5-8, 200), whose 325 yards rushing last season were the most by a true freshman at Rice since 2017.

Left tackle LUKE MILLER (6-5, 294), a sophomore, and right guard DILLAN BOTTS (6-1, 285), a senior, are back to anchor the offensive line. Miller started all 13 games a year ago and Botts started 10.

The Owls will have experience back in the secondary where senior corner JERRICK HARPER (6-0, 191), junior safety JO CHAVEZ (6-0, 190) and grad student safety DAVEON HOOK (5-11, 184), who have all made starts during their careers.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: MARCUS PAGE JR. (6-6, 290) is a rare talent, who only played one season of high school football at North Forney in Texas. Page had previously focused on basketball, but his potential on the gridiron prompted Baylor to extend a scholarship offer in late June. A 5-7 finish by Baylor, and other factors, prompted Page to have a change of heart, which led him to flip to Rice on Dec. 2. Maybe he’s not an immediate impact guy, but Page could easily develop into an all-star before his career with the Bears is done.

Page will someday look good paving the path for DIONNE SIMS (5-10, 160), a versatile back who can make plays running or catching the football. As a senior at C.E. King High in Humble, Texas, Sims rushed 185 times for 1,669 yards and 24 touchdowns, while making 14 receptions for 124 yards and two scores. Rated the No. 95 running back prospect in the nation by 247Sports.com, Sims chose Rice over Arizona, Houston, Illinois, Minnesota and Oregon among others.

PORTAL WINS: Although he never realized his potential at Cincinnati, receiver BARRY JACKSON JR. (5-11, 195) was a four-star prospect coming out of Cedar Grove High in Ellenwood, GA, in the Class of 2023. He first committed to Nebraska before flipping to Cincinnati, where most of his playing time over three season was on special teams. But Jackson has the potential to develop into a much-needed deep threat for Rice, where he’ll be a junior next fall.

Versatile receiver-punt returner MAX MOSEY (6-0, 200) comes from FCS Holy Cross. Mosey caught 50 passes for 490 yards for the Crusaders last season and also averaged 20.1 on punt returns (two touchdowns).

JACURRI BROWN (6-4, 205) was the No. 16-ranked quarterback nationally by 247Sports.com in the Class of 2022 out of Valdosta, GA. Brown spent two seasons at Miami and two more at UCF with varied results. He now comes to Rice, where his dual-threat abilities should give him the inside track on claiming the starting job.

The Owls added another experienced player to their veteran secondary in safety KOA AKUI (5-10, 188). Akui, a senior, was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference pick last season at FCS Sacramento State when he ranked second on the team with 65 tackles and five interceptions.

PORTAL LOSSES: CHASE JENKINS set a school record for completion percentage (69.2%) and became just the fifth Owl quarterback to run for more than 500 yards and pass for more than 1,000 last season. Jenkins did all that after making the transition from receiver to quarterback. But with two years of eligibility left, Jenkins opted to take his talents to Kansas.

Jenkins exits along with one of Rice’s top receivers in DRAYDEN DICKMAN, who caught 37 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns last season. Dickman, who’ll be a redshirt junior, is headed to Wake Forest.

Linebacker TY MORRIS was a second-team All-American Conference pick after leading Rice with 9.5 tackles for loss and ranking second with 88 overall tackles. A two-year starter for the Owls, Morris will play his senior season at Rutgers next fall. Safety MARCUS WILLIAMS is also leaving after a bounce-back 2025 season in which he made 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups in 13 games. Williams had missed much of the previous two seasons due to injuries. Mississippi State will now benefit from his services.

SOUTH FLORIDA

2025 REVIEW: The Bulls were again one of the top teams in the American Conference, placing tied for fourth with a 6-2 mark and producing a signature non-league win against rival Florida (18-16). Just a few hours after USF’s regular-season final against Rice, head coach ALEX GOLESH accepted the job at Auburn. Golesh directed the Bulls to a 23-15 record over three seasons and their 9-3 regular-season mark in 2025 was the best in nine years. Missing four offensive starters, including quarterback BYRUM BROWN, USF fell 24-10 to Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl to finish 9-4 overall. Ohio State offensive coordinator BRIAN HARTLINE was hired on Dec. 3 to replace Golesh.

CLASS RANKINGS: 247Sports.com ranks USF’s prep signing class No. 5 in the American Conference and No. 77 nationally. Its portal class is rated first in the American by 247Sports.com and 53rd nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: A total of 58 new players has been added to USF’s roster. … Seventeen of those are high school prospects who signed during the early period in December. … Another 41 are joining the Bulls from the transfer portal. … The new additions include four quarterbacks, three running backs, eight receivers, three tight ends, seven offensive linemen, a kicker, eight defensive linemen, seven linebackers, and 15 defensive backs. … Thirteen of the transfer portal additions were rated four- or five-star prospects coming out of high school. … Twenty-four of the portal additions come from Power Four conference programs and four were all-conference performers at NCAA Division I schools. … Due to the coaching change, 24 prospects backed off verbal pledges to the Bulls. … The most notable of those were four-star edge rusher JAEMIN PINCKNEY and RINALDO CALLOWAY. … Pinckney (6-5 217), from Dorchester, SC, is rated the nation’s No. 30 edge prospect by 247Sports.com and made 91 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 15 sacks as a senior at Woodland High. … ECU had Pinckney in for an official visit on June 19, two days after his initial commitment to USF. … But when Florida State came through with an offer in October, Pinckney flipped his commitment to the Seminoles on Dec. 3. … Calloway (6-5, 205) produced 312 tackles, 89 tackles for loss and 37 sacks during a four-year career at Southwest High. He committed to USF on April 29, 2025, but opted to take an official visit to Rutgers in late May. The visit prompted a change-of-heart for Calloway in June that led to his eventual signing with the Scarlet Knights.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: The best of the returning players for USF are mostly on defense. Grad student defensive end MICHAEL WILLIAMS II (6-3, 260) is a veteran who has appeared in 33 career games with the Bulls. Williams has made 62 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and one sack over four seasons in Tampa. Also back on defense are sophomore linebacker ZAVIER HAMILTON (6-2, 230) and grad student safety TAVIN WARD (6-1, 197). Ward has been a mainstay of USF’s secondary for the last three seasons. He’s appeared in 36 games and collected 160 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and made six interceptions during his USF career. Hamilton was a freshman standout in 2025 when he made 37 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in 11 games.

The top offensive returnee is redshirt sophomore running back ALVON ISSAC (5-9, 185), who was USF’s fourth-leading rusher last season with 350 yards on 73 carries. Throw in junior placekicker NICO GRAMATICA (5-8, 165), who was a second-team All-American pick last season when he made 18 of 24 field-goal attempts.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: Safety C.J. CRESSER JR. (6-0, 180) from Tarpon Springs, FL, soared up the recruiting rankings as a junior when he made 164 tackles, 22 tackles or loss and three sacks. He wound up attracting more than 15 scholarship offers before picking USF over Kansas, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others.

The Bulls dipped into the North Carolina talent pool for running back JAYSON FRANKLIN (5-11, 210) from Seventy-First High in Fayetteville. Franklin, who is rated the nation’s No 87 running back prospect by 247Sports.com, racked up 4,442 career rushing yards and scored 49 touchdowns. He chose USF over an offer from Duke.

PORTAL WINS: Let’s start at quarterback, which was a major need for USF after record-setting BYRUM BROWN jumped ship to join Golesh at Auburn. The Bulls landed two former four-star prospects in MICHAEL VAN BUEREN JR. (6-0, 190) from LSU and LUKE KROMENHOEK (6-4, 220) from Mississippi State. Van Bueren, who’ll be a junior, was a starter for half a season at Mississippi State in 2024 (140 for 256 passing for 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns) before leaving there for LSU. He played in seven games for the Tigers in 2025, starting four. Van Bueren completed 94 of 151 passes for 1,010 yards and eight scores for LSU before entering the portal again. Kromenhoek, a redshirt sophomore, played for Florida State in 2024 (44-84 for 502 yards and three scores in six games). He moved to Mississippi State in 2025 where he saw action in just three games (5-9 for 73 yards).

Brought in to help protect whoever wins the quarterback job are offensive guard CALEB COOK (6-3, 320) and center CASH HUDSON (6-3, 290). Cook is a grad student from Georgia Southern, where he was a two-time All-Sun Belt selection. Cook played in 43 career games for the Eagles and started 25 games over the last two seasons. Hudson arrives from FCS Missouri State. He logged 30 starts there over three seasons.

Defensive end C.J. HICKS (6-3, 243) is a grad student and former five-star prospect who spent the four years at Ohio State. Hicks played in 15 games for the national champions in 2024, registering 22 tackles and two sacks. He appeared in 42 games overall for the Buckeyes, recording 42 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.

Redshirt junior linebacker GRAYSON HOWARD (6-4, 236) played for both South Carolina and Florida. Howard actually started the first nine games of the 2024 season for the Gators, making 37 tackles and two tackles for loss. But injuries limited Howard’s time in 2025. Still, he’s a veteran presence with 23 career FBS games under his belt.

PORTAL LOSSES: Thirteen USF players wound up following Golesh to Auburn, including 11 from the offense. Dual-threat quarterback BYRUM BROWN, who passed for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns and ran for another 1,008 yards and 14 scores last season, headlines the losses. Joining Brown at Auburn are three of USF’s top four receivers from last season – KESHAUN SINGLETON, JEREMIAH KROGER and CHAS NIMROD – as well as leading rusher NYKAHI DAVENPORT. The trio of Singleton, Kroger and Nimrod combined for 111 catches for 1,940 yards and 19 touchdowns, while Davenport contributed 612 yards and seven scores on the ground.

Third-team All-American Conference center COLE BEST is also headed to Auburn along with second-team All-AC safety FRED GASKIN.

Gaskin is part of massive defection from the USF secondary that also includes cornerbacks JAMES CHENAULT (to Utah), JONAS DUCLONA (Georgia Tech) and JARVIS LEE (SMU).

TEMPLE

2025 REVIEW: The Owls made some significant strides under second-year head coach K.C. KEELER, improving from 2-6 in American Conference play to 3-5 for an ninth-place finish in 2025. Only one-point losses against Army and Navy prevented them from finishing above .500 in league play. Temple also improved its overall mark from 3-9 to 5-7 with highlights including a 27-21 win against UTSA and a 38-37 overtime victory against Tulsa.

CLASS RANKINGS: Temple’s early signing period class was rated No. 2 in the American Conference by 247Sports.com and No. 71 nationally. Its portal signings are No. 8 in the AC and No. 90 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: A league-high 34 prospects were signed by Temple during the early period. … Another 23 from added from the transfer portal in February. … Thirteen of the portal signees are from P4 programs. … Fifteen of the portal additions are from the Northeast footprint that Temple calls home. … Three of the prep signees were teammates at national power St. Francis in Baltimore, MD – offensive lineman JOHN WATKINS (6-5, 300), safety COEN LOGAN (6-1, 205) and offensive lineman LOGAN KING (6-3, 295). … Defensive back EYAN STEAD (5-9, 155) and receier ASH ROBERTS (5-10, 160) were prep teammates at Roman Catholic High in Philadelphia. … The overall recruiting class includes five quarterbacks, three running backs, eight receivers, two tight ends, eight offensive linemen, 12 defensive linemen, 10 defensive backs, six linebackers, a punter and a long snapper. … Fourteen of the signees hail from Pennsylvania, 11 from New Jersey, seven from Maryland, four from Ohio, three from New York, two each from Connecticut and Texas, and one each from Arkansas, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Florida, Rhode Island, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Iowa and Canada. … Temple had five prospects decommit from the class, the most prominent being 6-3, 233-pound tight end JOHN-PATRICK OATES from Wyndmoon, PA. … Oates is rated the nation’s No. 47 tight end prospect. … He made a verbal pledge to Temple on June 15, then flipped to James Madison on Oct. 26 before signing with Virginia Tech on Dec. 3.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: Tight end PETER CLARKE (6-6, 265) could have gotten a lot of NIL money by entering the transfer portal, or he could have declared for the NFL Draft after a junior season in which he earned second-team All-American Conference honors. But Clarke chose to remain at Temple in a decision that was a selling point for other veterans to stick with the Owls. The London, England native will be regarded as one of the nation’s top tight ends in 2026 after making 30 catches for 483 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Another returning team leader is redshirt senior receiver COLIN CHASE (6-0, 196). In his first season at Temple after transferring from FCS St. Thomas, Chase received one of the program’s highest honors when he was assigned a single-digit jersey number. He proved worthy of that honor on the field where he made 40 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns while starting all 12 games.

An experienced blocking corps will again pave the way on offense. Four of five starters on the offensive line are scheduled to return in redshirt junior left guard ERIC KING (6-3, 300), redshirt senior right guard JACKSON PRUITT (6-5, 316), redshirt senior center GAYSON MAINS (6-5, 300) and redshirt sophomore left tackle GIAKOBY HILLS (6-5, 290).

Senior linebackers CURLY ORDONEZ (6-2, 220) and ERIC STUART (6-2, 215) are the top returning defensive players along with redshirt senior safety AVERY POWELL (5-10, 170). Ordonez started every game at the weakside linebacker spot in 2025 and led the Owls with 66 tackles. He was also second on the team with seven tackles for loss.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: JUDE OKELEKE (6-3, 280) was one of the top prospects in the Northeast, ranking as the second-best player out of Connecticut and the No. 82 defensive lineman nationally by 247Sports.com. Okeleke, from Waterntown, CT, was the Class A Group One Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at The Taft School with 20 tackles for loss and five sacks in nine games. Temple beat out schools such as Duke, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia which were on in pursuit of Okeleke.

The Owls slipped in late to acquire offensive tackle KARON SPENCER (6-6, 310) after he broke off a verbal commitment to South Florida in mid-November. Spencer, from Olney, MD, received an offer from Temple a day before the early signing period began and joined the Class of 2026 the following day (Dec. 3). Rated the nation’s No. 96 offensive tackle prospect by 247Sports.com, Spencer is considered a key piece of Temple’s ’26 class.

PORTAL WINS: Temple acquired some immediate help at the safety spots by attracting SABOOR KARRIEM (6-3, 210) from Illinois and KOLIN DINKINS (6-2, 200) from Penn State. Karriem, a senior, played in 31 games over three seasons at Illinois with a great deal of this playing time coming on special teams. His size and athleticism make him a potential big-play force for the Owls. Dinkins, the son of former NFL tight end DARRELL DINKINS, worked in 40 games over four seasons at Penn State as a secondary reserve and special teams player.

Penn State also contributed junior defensive lineman KALEB ARTIS (6-4, 315) to the Temple portal class. Artis didn’t play in 2025 due to injury, but he was a highly sought after prospect in the Class of 2022 when he racked up more than 20 scholarship offers from FBS programs. Auburn, Florida State, Indiana, Nebraska and others pursued Artis, who went on to play in 26 for the Nittany Lions in his first three seasons.

The class “sleeper” is also courtesy of Penn State. Sophomore JAXON SMOLIK (6-1, 205) was rated the nation’s No. 36 quarterback prospect nationally by 247Sports.com in the Class of 2023. But Smolik missed the entire 2024 season due to injury and saw the field in just three games for the Nittany Lions last year. His dual-threat ability should given him the opportunity to challenge for the starting job at Temple.

Redshirt senior receiver JAYCE FREEMAN (6-4, 225) is also a nice pickup for the offense. Freeman comes from FCS Stony Brook where he caught 88 passes for 1,668 yards and 15 touchdowns over three seasons.

PORTAL LOSSES: Honestly, the Owls didn’t get hurt by the portal, except from a depth standpoint. The biggest losses were SEKOU KROMAH and K.J. MILES, who were part of the rotation at defensive tackle. Miles moves to Memphis for his final college season, while Kromah was still seeking a new school at press time.

Defensive end KHALIL POTEAT, who made 29 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack last season, had visits scheduled to Mississippi State, Northwestern, Arizona State and Kentucky in early January. But there was no published report of Poteat having chosen a new school at press time.

TULANE

2025 REVIEW: The Green Wave produced a 7-1 league record to tie Navy and North Texas for first place. They defeated North Texas, 34-21, in the American Conference title game to earn the program’s first berth in the College Football Playoff. Tulane lost, 41-10, against Mississippi in the first round of the playoffs to finish 11-3 overall and ranked 20th in the final CFP poll. As the regular season was coming to a close, head coach JON SUMRALL announced he was leaving the Green Wave to take the same position at Florida. Sumrall led Tulane to a 19-7 record in two seasons. Mean Green passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach WILL HALL was named as Sumrall’s replacement on Dec. 8.

CLASS RANKINGS: Tulane’s prep signing class is ranked first in the American Conference and No. 71 nationally by 247Sports.com. The portal additions are No. 10 among AC teams.

BY THE NUMBERS: A total of 37 new players have committed to play for the Green Wave in 2026. … Sixteen high school prospects signed with Tulane during the early period in December. … Another 21 have reportedly been added via the transfer portal. … The class features two quarterbacks, three running backs, five receivers, two tight ends, seven offensive linemen, a kicker, four defensive linemen, two edge rushers, three linebackers, three safeties and four cornerbacks. … The portal additions include 17 players from other Football Bowl Subdivision programs, two from Football Championship Subdivision teams, one from NCAA Division II and one from NCAA Division III. … Five each of the transfer portal additions come from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten Conference. … Six prospects backed off verbal commitments to Tulane during the recruiting cycle, including two highly rated receivers in TREZ DAVIS and BRAYDON ALLEN. … Davis, from West Monroe, LA, was rated a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 23 receiver prospect by 247Sports.com. … He had been committed to Tulane since June but wound up signing with Washington. … Allen, from Lafayette, LA, was rated the nation’s No 81 receiver by 247Sports.com. … He committed to Tulane in July, backed off that and committed to Oklahoma before signing with LSU in December.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: First-team all-conference and American Conference title game Defensive MVP JACK TCHIENCHOU (5-10, 181) returns to lead Tulane from his safety position. Tchienchou, a redshirt junior, led the Green Wave with 83 tackles a year ago while also contributing two tackles for loss and two interceptions. Veteran linebacker CHRIS ROGERS (6-1, 223) is also set to return after making 104 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions over the last two seasons. On offense, redshirt sophomore JAMAURI MCCLURE (5-10, 190) was Tulane’s second-leading rusher last season with 540 yards and two touchdowns on 83 carries. Redshirt sophomore ZYCARI LEWIS JR. (5-10, 160) leads the returning receiver corps after making 24 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns last season.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: Offensive lineman TYLAN GEORGE (6-3, 310) is the second-highest rank incoming high school prospect in the entire American Conference. George was awarded four stars by 247Sports.com, which also ranked him the nation’s No. 11 interior offensive line prospect. The West Monroe, LA, native was named first-team all-state as a senior after registering 95 pancake blocks and not allowing a sack.

PORTAL WINS: Redshirt junior receiver DESTYN HILL (6-1, 197) was rated the nation’s No. 20 receiver prospect in the Class of 2021. But the New Orleans native’s college career never quite got off the ground during stops at Florida State and LSU. But Hill still has explosive potential which he hopes to finally see unleashed at Tulane.

FCS Freshman All-American center GAVIN MARKS (6-3, 305) arrives from Mercer. Marks, from Wendell, NC, played 634 snaps without allowing a sack as a true freshman. The Green Wave also picked up offensive tackle RYAN MICKOW (6-7, 315) from Boston College, where he played in 24 games the last two seasons.

A big defensive pickup for Tulane is ED SMITH IV (6-3, 296), an interior lineman from South Alabama. Smith started all 12 for the Jaguars in 2025, making 33 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. The redshirt senior has played in 33 career college games, accumulating 72 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

PORTAL LOSSES: Seven of Tulane’s 27 portal losses earned All-American Conference honors in 2025. Four were first-team picks – offensive guard SHADRE HURST (to Houston), defensive lineman SANTANA HOPPER (Colorado), placekicker PATRICK DURKIN (Florida) and punter ALEC CLARK (Florida). Hurst was a two-time All-AC pick with 36 career starts before opting to play his final college season for the Cougars. Hopper ranked second on the team in tackles for loss (10.5) in his only season with the Mean Green after transferring from Appalachian State. Durkin made 25 of 28 field-goal tries last season, while Clark averaged 46.5 yards per punt.

The second-or-third team all-league selections who hit the portal included defensive tackle TRE’VON MCALPINE (Kansas), linebacker HARVEY DYSON (N.C. State) and cornerback JAVION WHITE (Houston). Dyson led the American Conference with eight sacks while also producing a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss. White ranked second with three interceptions and McAlpine had 35 tackles and two tackles for loss. Both were first-year starters in 2025.

TULSA

2025 REVIEW: The Golden Hurricane suffered a fourth consecutive losing season and won just one conference game for a second straight year in 2025. Tulsa finished 1-7 for 13th place in the American Conference and was 4-8 overall in head coach TRE LAMB’s second season on the job. There were some bright spots, like a 19-12 win against Oklahoma State in Stillwater and a 26-25 road win against Army. But there just weren’t enough of those moments to start the program trending in the right direction.

CLASS RANKINGS: Tulsa’s signing class is ranked No. 8 in the American Conference and No. 89 nationally by 247Sports.com. The portal signees are rated fourth in the AC and No. 77 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: The school released the names of 19 prospects who had joined the team on Feb. 5 – 17 high school players and two from junior colleges. … Another 24 additions have been made through the transfer portal. … Overall, the class features two quarterbacks, five running backs, seven receivers, one tight end, six offensive linemen, a kicker, seven defensive linemen, three linebackers, nine defensive backs, a punter and a long snapper. … Ten signees from the overall class hail from Texas, nine from Oklahoma, eight from Georgia and five from Florida among others. … The portal additions include 18 from FBS programs, five from FCS schools, and two from the NCAA Division II ranks. … Thirty-one of the 96 players on Tulsa’s spring roster are from Oklahoma. … The Golden Hurricane suffered six decommits during the recruiting cycle, the most notable being running back KEILAN CHAVIES (5-9, 185) from Hutton, TX. … Chavies, the nation’s No. 40 running back prospect according to 247Sports.com, made a spring commitment to Tulsa (May 24) over schools such as Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor and TCU. … By November 25, however, he had a change of heart and switched his pledge to Boise State.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: The Golden Hurricane is expected to return more starters from 2025 than almost any other American Conference program. At least 10 regulars – seven on defense and three on offense – are listed on the team’s spring roster.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback BAYLOR HAYES (6-0, 185) started nine out of 10 games he appeared in last season, including the final six. Hayes completed 186 of 316 passes for 2,158 yards and 12 touchdowns. Redshirt junior KIRK FRANCIS (6-1, 200) will challenge for the starting job, but Hayes should hold the position.

Grad student left tackle JAQUAN ADAMS (6-4, 300) and redshirt senior right tackle CAM EAST (6-8, 330) will again be protecting the quarterback’s flanks.

There’s loads of experience returning in the defensive secondary where junior safety ZACH WILLIAMS (6-2, 195), redshirt junior safety DEVIN ROBINSON (6-0, 210), redshirt senior cornerback J.D. DREW (6-0, 170) and junior cornerback ELIJAH GREEN (6-2, 195) all started at least 11 games a year ago. Green was a first-team All-American Conference pick after making 59 tackles and a league-leading five interceptions. Williams finished third in team tackles with 73 and broke up seven passes.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: Running back JAMARCEA PLATER (5-9, 190) is a speed merchant who’s been clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Parker used that speed to pile up 3,772 yards and 47 touchdowns rushing over the last two seasons at Captain Shreve High in Shreveport, LA. He’s rated the nation’s No. 31 running back prospect and was originally committed to Wake Forest. But all that changed in October when Parker backed off that pledge to join the Tulsa recruiting class on Dec. 6.

RYLEY KESTER (6-3, 290) is 31st on 247Sports.com’s list of the nation’s best interior line prospects. Kester, from Jenks, Oklahoma, cast his lot with Tulsa last April and withstood overtures from the likes of Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Houston, Purdue and others to stick with the Hurricane.

PORTAL WINS: Tulsa’s offensive skills positions received some immediate impact from the portal. Receivers DAVID WELLS JR. (62, 170) and JAVON ROSS (5-10, 165) have been highly productive at the FBS and FCS levels respectively. Wells, a redshirt sophomore, spent the three previous seasons at Oregon State where he played in 22 games and had 51 catches for 551 yards and five scores. Ross was an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference pick last season at Bethune-Cookman after making 52 receptions for 685 yards and four touchdowns.

The Golden Hurricane also scored big at running back through the portal, bringing in senior TREQUAN JONES (5-9, 183) from Old Dominion and senior DAMARI ALSTON (5-9, 209) from Auburn. Jones averaged 7.5 yards on 105 carries for the Monarchs last season (792) and scored six touchdowns. Alston, who was ranked the nation’s No. 3 running back prospect by 247Sports.com in the Class of 2022, played in 38 games for the Tigers over four seasons and ran for 809 yards and six scores. Together, they should form a strong rotation in the Tulsa backfield next fall.

Linebacker DEVIN HIGHTOWER (6-1, 230) is also regarded as a potential starter after leading UAB in tackles last season (81). The redshirt senior started all 11 games for the Blazers in his only season in Birmingham after transferring in from Rhode Island.

CALDRA WILLIFORD (5-9, 190) will provide some big-game experience for Tulsa at cornerback. Williford, a redshirt senior, saw action in 11 games and started two at Baylor last season, finishing with 16 tackles.

PORTAL LOSSES: The biggest portal loss for Tulsa came on defense where linebacker RAY CONEY was an All-American Conference pick last season after making a team-best 129 tackles along with seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Coney would have been a senior leader for the Golden Hurricane, but instead will be suiting up for Texas A&M next season.

Defensive lineman J’DAN BENNETT will also be missed after leading Tulsa in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (6.5) in 2025. Bennett is taking his talents to national champion Indiana.

The departure of receivers ZION BOOKER and ZION STEPTOE, along with tight end BRODY FOLEY will take away a combined 104 catches, 1,218 yards and nine touchdowns from the passing game. Booker is leaving Tulsa for Kennesaw State, Steptoe has signed with Minnesota and Foley is headed to Louisville.

UAB

2025 REVIEW: It was a rocky season for the Blazers, who saw head coach TRENT DILFER dismissed in midseason after a 53-33 setback against Florida Atlantic left the team with a 2-4 record. The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback could never gain any traction at UAB, compiling a 9-21 overall record in two-plus seasons. The Blazers would finish 2-6 to tie for 11th in the American Conference and 4-8 overall with offensive coordinator ALEX MORTENSEN serving as interim head coach. Mortensen, the son of the late NFL analyst CHRIS MORTENSEN, was elevated to full-time head coach on Dec. 5.

CLASS RANKINGS: UAB’s early signing class was ranked No. 11 in the American Conference and No. 134 nationally by 247Sports.com. The portal class is No. 6 in the AC and No. 81 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Blazers signed eight high school prospects during the early period in December, then followed with 41 additions from the transfer portal in January. … The overall class features a quarterback, four running backs, five receivers, two tight ends, five offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen, seven linebackers, 12 defensive backs and a punter. … Seven each of the recruits hail from Alabama and Florida, six are from Georgia and five from Texas. … Sixteen of the portal signees are from Group of 5 programs and 14 are from G4 schools. … Eight others are from the FCS level and two are junior college transfers. … Twenty-eight of the 49 signed are defensive players. … The Big 12 Conference and Sun Belt Conference produced seven players each in the portal class. … Three portal signees each are from Memphis and Oklahoma State. … Only one prospect backed off a pledge to UAB during the recruiting cycle. … Interior offensive lineman ANDRE AMOS JR. (6-4, 310), from Germantown, TN, made a summertime pledge to the Blazers, but re-opened his recruitment in November. … Amos, the No. 88 interior line prospect in the Class of 2026 according to 247Sports.com, wound up signing with American Conference rival Tulane.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: Redshirt sophomore BARRY WALKER (6-6, 330) was only a backup at left tackle last season (11 games). But he is one of the highest-ranked recruits to ever sign with UAB. He was rated the nation’s No. 53 offensive tackle in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports.com and was pursued by the likes of Auburn, Florida State, Ohio State and Ole Miss out of Cordele, GA. With a year of experience under his belt, Walker should be ready to take over as the starter at left tackle.

Like Walker, redshirt senior receiver KALEB BROWN (5-1, 200) was rated a four-star prospect out of high school. But in previous stops at Ohio State and Iowa, he experienced limited success. Brown showed glimpses of his potential last season when he made 17 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns in nine games (3 starts). He has the speed to become a deep threat for the Blazers from the slot position.

Junior cornerback DELVON GULLEY (6-1, 185) and redshirt sophomore edge rusher CHRIS BURGE headline the defensive returnees. Gulley started six of 11 games he appeared in last season and made 19 tackles. Burge played in 12 games as a reserve, registering 32 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: The top-ranked high school prospect in the class is JORDAN “JP” Price (5-9, 162). Price is the No. 182 nationally in the “athlete” category by 247Sports.com due to his playing time on both sides of the ball at Oakleaf High in Orange Park, FL. But his speed (11.36 in 100 meters) will see him start his college career at corner where UAB needed to add some depth with this recruiting class.

An intriguing prep prospect in the class is dual-threat quarterback BROGAN MCNAB (6-0, 185). McNab missed most of his senior year at Melbourne Central Catholic in Florida with an injury, but that didn’t stop schools such as Air Force, Army, Boston College, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Navy, Massachusetts, Syracuse and UNLV from making offers. Those were based on three stellar years before 2025 when McNab racked up 4,680 yards and 52 touchdowns passing, while rushing for 2,743 and 35 more scores. He never wavered after making a verbal commitment to the Blazers in August.

PORTAL WINS: The Blazers almost completely renovated through the portal a defense that ranked last among American Conference teams in points surrendered (38.3 per game) and surrendered 423.3 yards of total defense a game. There were 27 defensive players among the 41 portal signees who’ll try to help new coordinator TODD GRAHAM reverse that trend in 2026.

BLANCHE GOLD (6-1, 240) and MARLIN DEAN (6-5, 240) will help bolster the defensive front. Gold, a redshirt senior, was an All-Mideastern Athletic Conference pick last season at FCS Morgan State. Among his 45 tackles were 14 tackles for loss that ranked second in the MEAC and 7.5 sacks (fourth). Dean, who originally signed with Georgia out of high school, made 32 tackles and three tackles for loss as an edge rusher at Georgia State last season.

The fact UAB signed 12 defensive backs tells you all you need to know about secondary situation. There will be a lot of new faces in the secondary next fall. Two expected to play prominent roles are junior safety DIEZEL WILKINSON (6-0, 193) and redshirt junior cornerback DARRELL SWEETING (6-0, 182). Wilkinson was a key figure in Montana’s march to the FCS semifinals last season, making 78 tackles and two sacks. Sweeting recorded 37 tackles in his only season at Marshall.

The offense also received some help with Louisiana-Monroe transfer BRAYLON “BAM” MCREYNOLDS (5-7, 195). McReynolds is a versatile running back who ran for 637 yards and added another 421 receiving last year with the Warhawks.

PORTAL LOSSES: Eleven or more players who made multiple starts on defense exited UAB through the transfer portal, led by the Blazers’ tackle leader DEVIN HIGHTOWNER. The linebacker made 81 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in his only season Birmingham after arriving from Rhode Island. Now, Hightower is on the move again, this time to Tulsa for his final college campaign. His partner at linebacker, TYLAN NICHOLS, is also on the move to Wake Forest after making 39 tackles last season. Nichols played in 22 games and started seven over two years at UAB.

Prominent front-line defenders leaving include EAMON SMALLS (10 starts, 50 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss) to Kansas, JONATHAN ALLEN (7 starts, 34 tackles) to Virginia and edge EZRA ODINJOR (10 starts, 27 tackles) to Toledo.

The secondary will be missing one of its most veteran performers in safety A.J. BROWN. Brown appeared in 36 games over the last three seasons for the Blazers and started six times in 2025 (53 tackles). He’s leaving to play for American Conference rival Rice. Cornerback PERRY FISHER, who started seven times last season with 21 tackles, has signed to play at Kennesaw State.

UAB’s offense wasn’t immune to the portal defections. The Blazers lost two important players in their passing attack with tight end ELIJAH LAGG leaving for Pittsburgh and receiver CORRI MILLINER heading to North Texas. Lagg caught 20 passes for 164 yards last season, while Milliner had 24 catches for 341 yards and three scores.

UTSA

2025 REVIEW: The Roadrunners finished tied for sixth in the American Conference with a 4-4 mark. They received a bid to play Florida International in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl and pulled off a third straight postseason victory, 57-20. The triumph left UTSA with a 7-6 overall record, the sixth straight winning mark under head coach JEFF TRAYLOR.

CLASS RANKINGS: Prospects signed during the early period are ranked No. 4 in the American Conference and No. 85 nationally by 247Sports.com. The Roadrunners’ portal class is No. 9 in the American and No. 91 nationally.

BY THE NUMBERS: UTSA signed 19 players during the early period in December and another 21 were added during the traditional signing period in February. … The class is comprised of one quarterback, two running backs, six receivers, three tight ends, six offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, eight defensive backs, seven linebackers and a long snapper. … Fourteen of the recruits are from high school programs, 14 are transfers from FBS teams, three from FCS squads, two from the NCAA Division II level and seven are junior college transfers. … A total of 24 of the signees are from Texas. … One of the FBS transfers – defensive lineman COLLINS ACHEAMPONG (6-7, 270) – is a native of Ghana who played last season at Bowling Green. … As of press time, the Roadrunners had lost 23 players from the 2025 roster to the transfer portal. … Six prospects backed off verbal commitments to UTSA during the recruiting cycle. … Foremost among that group was cornerback DAVIN HILL (5-10, 170) from Mansfield Timberview High in Arlington, Texas. … Hill gave a verbal commitment to the Roadrunners on June 25, 2025, but Boise State came in late with an offer on Nov. 7. … Hill consequently backed off his pledge to UTSA on Nov. 26 to sign with Boise and play alongside his stepbrother, Broncos’ safety CAM BATES.

IMPORTANT RETURNEES: Everything at UTSA in 2026 will start with senior quarterback OWEN MCCOWN (6-1, 190). McCown rejected what would have been some big-time offers to remain with the Roadrunners for his final season. That makes UTSA one of the few American Conference teams with a veteran returning at quarterback. McCown was impressive last season when he completed 277 of 410 passes for 2,995 yards and 30 touchdowns. He capped the season by completing 18 of 28 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns to earn MVP honors at the First Responder Bowl.

Two of McCown’s favorite targets are also back along with the team’s second-leading rusher. Senior A.J. WILSON (6-2, 190) ranked second in team receiving yards last season with 31 catches for 528 yards and four touchdowns, while redshirt junior DAVID AMADOR II (6-0, 195) was right behind him with 45 catches, 443 yards and four scores. Redshirt sophomore WILL HENDERSON III (5-10, 185) produced the second-highest season rushing total by a freshman in school history last season when he ran 125 times for 866 yards and six touchdowns.

Three starting offensive linemen will be back to protect McCown. Redshirt senior right tackle DEANDRE MARSHALL (6-7, 325) has played in 41 career games at UTSA and redshirt senior right guard DARRELL JONES (6-4, 340) started 11 of 12 contests in his first season at UTSA after transferring from Boise State. Redshirt senior BEN RIOS (6-6, 295) has 25 career games under his belt, playing both center and right guard.

Redshirt senior linebacker OWEN PEWEE (6-2, 205) is one of the most experienced defenders returning. Pewee, who started 10 of 12 games last season, has 43 career games under his belt and made 106 tackles and 17 tackles for loss during that time.

TOP-RATED HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECT: DEREK STRAUGHN (6-3, 170) is rated the nation’s No. 75 cornerback prospect by 247Sports.com in the Class of 2026. Straughn, who also received Division I scholarship offers for his track skills, earned Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference and 6A-1 All-District honors as a senior at Mustang High. He signed with UTSA over offers from schools such as Auburn, Kansas State, Michigan State and Tulane.

PORTAL WINS: BRANDON HIGH (5-10, 220) was UTSA’s second-leading rusher in 2024 with 495 yards and eight touchdowns. But High hit the transfer portal after that season and spent 2025 at California where he was limited to 23 carries due to injuries (98 yards). The Spring, Texas, native re-entered the portal and is back home with the Roadrunners. He should join Henderson to give the Roadrunners a formidable one-two rushing punch.

Cornerback NATE ROBINSON (6-1, 200) was a first-team All-Pioneer Conference and second-team Pro Football News All-American at FCS Marist last season. Robinson, a junior, made 64 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions. Another significant secondary addition for UTSA is safety XAVIER WALTON (5-10, 200) from Division II Angelo State. Walton was the conference defensive back of the year and an American Football Coaches Association All-American after making 61 tackles and six interceptions as a junior.

PORTAL LOSSES: The Roadrunners lost two key elements of their passing attack when leading receiver DEVIN MCCUIN and tight end PATRICK OVERMYER hit the transfer portal. McCuin was a third-team All-American Conference pick last season after making 65 catches for 726 yards and eight touchdowns. He’ll be taking his talents to Ohio State next fall. Overmyer, who is headed to Houston, had 27 receptions for 344 yards and five scores a year ago. Backup tight end HOUSTON THOMAS (34 catches, 347 yards, two scores) has also exited to Texas A&M.

The biggest departure on defense was safety JIMMY WYRICK, who ranked second in team tackles with 62. Wyrick will play next fall at SMU.