Official 2017 College Football season thread

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Pair of Oklahoma corners to transfer from Sooners

A spate of off-field incidents at Oklahoma this offseason has given way to some personnel news, with Bob Stoops confirming Thursday that two cornerbacks, P.J. Mbanasor and Antoine Stephens, have decided to transfer out of the head coach’s program. “[They] are guys that want to try and find something different. That’s all I know at this point,” Stoops said.

 

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Clemson grad transfer Scott Pagano opts for Oregon over Oklahoma

On his Instagram account Friday, Scott Pagano announced that he has decided to transfer to Oregon for his final season of eligibility. The 6-3, 295-pound defensive tackle had confirmed earlier in the week that he would be committing to either Oregon or Oklahoma.

 

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Randy Moss’ son will transfer from NC State

The son of Randy Moss announced on his Twitter account Thursday that he “will be transferring from NC State after the spring semester in hopes to better my opportunities for the future.” Exactly why the tight end made the decision to move on wasn’t broached.

 

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LSU lands Texas Tech DL transfer Breiden Fehoko

As an undergraduate transfer, Fehoko will have to sit out the 2017 season before resuming his career as a junior in 2018.

 

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Transferring Auburn QB Tyler Queen opts for D-II school

On his personal Twitter account Tuesday, Queen announced that he “will be transferring to West Georgia and continuing my academic and athletic career.” As the Wolves play at the Div. II level, the quarterback will be eligible to play immediately in 2017.

 

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Virginia announces transfer of WR David Eldridge

In a tweet posted to its official Twitter account Tuesday morning, UVa. announced that David Eldridge has decided to leave the Cavaliers football program and transfer from the university following the spring semester. No specific reason for the wide receiver’s departure was given.

 

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Virginia Tech LB Eron Carter transferring to pursue track career

On his personal Twitter account earlier today, the linebacker revealed that he will be transferring from Tech “to compete in the sport I love (track and field).”

Specifically, Carter is believed to want to focus on throwing events such as the shot put and discus.

 

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Edgerrin James’ nephew to transfer from Miami

In a press release, Miami announced that the defensive back “is no longer a member of the football program.” No reason was given for the nephew of former Hurricane great Edgerrin James deciding to leave The U.

 

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Georgia ‘parts ways’ with four-star 2017 signee accused of assaulting mother of his child

Not surprisingly, UGA subsequently announced in a press release that Demery has been released from his signed National Letter of Intent. In other words, he has been summarily dismissed from Kirby Smart‘s football program.

 

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Louisville grad transfer QB Kyle Bolin tweets transfer to Rutgers

Per a tweet posted to his personal Twitter account, Bolin wrote he’s “proud to say my next home will be at Rutgers University.” The football program has thus far declined to confirm Bolin’s addition to Chris Ash‘s roster.

Bolin is scheduled to graduate from the U of L next month, meaning he’ll be eligible to play for the Scarlet Knights this coming season.

 

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Oklahoma CB P.J. Mbanasor will transfer to Louisville

A little over a week ago, P.J. Mbanasor was one of two cornerbacks who had decided to transfer from Oklahoma. Tuesday morning on his personal Twitter account, the defensive back announced that he “will be attending the University of Louisville in the fall.”

 

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Former four-star QB Jack Allison leaving Miami

In a press release Tuesday, The U announced that Jack Allison has decided to leave the Hurricanes football program. The redshirt freshman quarterback’s decision was triggered by a desire for a better shot at playing time elsewhere.

 

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Dismissed Duke duo tweet they’re transferring to USF

Duke announced in late February that a pair of sophomore defensive linemen, Brandon Boyce and Marquies Price (pictured), had been dismissed by David Cutcliffe. As it turns out, the linemen will continue their collegiate playing careers as teammates.

 

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Via Twitter, safety Jordan Fogal says he’s leaving Utah

Jordan Fogal announced on his Twitter page this weekend that, “after many prayers and long discussions, I found it in my best interest to leave Utah and look to transfer to another university. The specific destination for the continuation of his collegiate playing career was not divulged in the missive.

 

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Biletnikoff Award semifinalist Jonathan Giles announces transfer from Texas Tech

On Friday afternoon though, the Red Raiders dipped right back down as star wide receiver Jonathan Giles took to Twitter to announce that he was leaving the program and transferring out of Lubbock.

 

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Peyton Aucoin tweets transfer from Texas

On the social media website Friday, Peyton Aucoin indicated that, “after lengthy discussions,” he has decided to transfer from Texas. “I wish nothing but the best for the Longhorn Nation and I will always have a special place in my heart for the fans,” the redshirt freshman wrote.

 

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Florida pulls even with LSU in post-spring SEC power rankings

1. Alabama: Nick Saban's No. 1 goal of the spring was to improve the downfield passing game. Not only did he get the result of Jalen Hurts throwing for 300 yards during A-Day, but so did true freshman Tua Tagovailoa. The secondary needs to get its act together, but the pieces are there for yet another top defense.

2. Auburn: Gus Malzahn's offense isn't the only thing that's quarterback driven. You could argue that the entire team is built that way. So if Jarrett Stidham can build off a solid spring game performance and become a dynamic player at the position, the Tigers could find themselves in the race to Atlanta.

T-3. LSU: Ed Orgeron can say all he wants about how the offense beat up on the defense all spring, but the evidence says otherwise. Danny Etling & Co. put together a weak performance during LSU's spring game. Matt Canada may have the playbook to take the Tigers into the 21st century, but how much of it will be used and how quickly?

T-3. Florida: The good news is that Felipe Franks appears ready to take over at quarterback, causing the move from fourth to tied for third in our rankings. The bad news? No one knows the state of the defense now that so many of Will Muschamp's recruits are gone, including the latest crop of stars heading to the NFL (see: Jarrad Davis, Caleb Brantley, Marcus Maye, Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson, etc.).

5. Georgia: Of course Kirby Smart was pleased with the way spring ended. The former defensive coordinator got to watch his defense rack up five sacks. But Year 2 of the Jacob Eason era got off on the wrong foot as the strong-armed quarterback once again struggled with his accuracy at G-Day, completing a paltry 44 percent of his passes.

6. Tennessee: Lowered expectations coupled with a relatively soft nonconference schedule (Georgia Tech, Indiana State, UMass, Southern Miss) could mean a bounce-back season of sorts for the Vols. Quinten Dormady's 10-for-10 passing performance during the spring game gave reason for hope as well.

7. Texas A&M: It's bad enough that a quarterback didn't separate himself this spring. Then Kirk Merritt, a speedy wideout who could have stretched the field, was dismissed from the team. Those two reasons were enough to drop the Aggies a spot in our rankings. Kevin Sumlin has pieces left -- wideout Christian Kirk and running back Trayveon Williams, to name a few -- but how they fit together remains unclear.

8. Arkansas: Austin Allen could be one of the top three quarterbacks in the SEC, and he'll have one of the league's best centers in Frank Ragnow. With Paul Rhoads taking over a perennially underachieving defense, there's reason to believe the Razorbacks could put together a solid season.

9. Mississippi State: Nick Fitzgerald was one of the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the country last season, so let's not get carried away by one bad scrimmage. The more important news was that last season's terrible defense seemed to improve under Todd Grantham, forcing a handful of interceptions and even scoring twice on pick-sixes during the spring game.

10. Ole Miss: Good luck getting a gauge on the Rebs these days. Shea Patterson could be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country, and it might not make a difference if that defense doesn't improve. Ole Miss has been hit hard by the draft, scholarship limitations will begin to show up before long, and no hope of a bowl berth means this season could go any number of directions.

11. South Carolina: Practically every key player on offense is back, led by quarterback Jake Bentley, who came on strong as a true freshman late last season. The defense has a long way to go, but the return of Skai Moore at linebacker could be a difference-maker for coach Will Muschamp.

12. Kentucky: If Mark Stoops was hoping to avoid a quarterback controversy, he might have hoped for better than an 8-for-18, no-touchdown, one-interception performance from Stephen Johnson during the spring game. Now you have to wonder whether Drew Barker can win back the starting job, and how effective the offense will be after making significant strides last season.

13. Vanderbilt: Spring football has been over for a while now in Nashville, but this past weekend had to be hard to see linebacker Zach Cunningham and offensive lineman Will Holden go in the NFL draft. For a program that struggles to recruit elite talent, replacing those stars could take time.

14. Missouri: The Tigers' stock may be low, but that doesn't mean it's not a good buy. There's a lot to prove after finishing seventh last season, but the first-team defense showed life during the spring game, allowing just one touchdown. With Drew Lock back at quarterback, we could see a more well-rounded team in Year 2 under coach Barry Odom.