Today: Indiana developing stars, what to know as the Portal closes, and Oregon's upward trajectory. |
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The stars that matter to Indiana are the ones the Hoosiers have developed on the field |
Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from a longer feature by Chris Low. There are time-honored absolutes in college football. Generations of families tailgating at the same spot on campus on fall Saturday afternoons. Everybody else's schedule but "ours" being cushy. Fans having to take out second mortgages to buy season tickets. The sport consistently delivering on game day despite consistent upheaval off the field. And there's one more: If you're going to win a national championship, you better reel in top-10 signing classes nationally (yes, plural) in the years leading up to that championship season. Indiana and Curt Cignetti, as they've done in just about every other area during the Hoosiers' remarkable two-year run, are seeking to defy convention when they face Miami on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium in the College Football Playoff national championship game. All 20 of the past national champions, according to the Rivals Industry rankings, have had at least two top-10 signing classes in the four-year window of their national championship season. For example, Ohio State's 2024 national championship roster included the No. 4 class in 2024, the No. 4 class in 2023, the No. 4 class in 2022, and the No. 2 class in 2021. Further strengthening the argument that winning the recruiting rankings battle is a requirement to win college football's top prize, 13 of the past 20 national champions have had all four of their signing classes ranked in the top-10 nationally leading up to the season in which they won the title. And then there's Indiana. The Hoosiers' last four high school signing classes: No. 53 in 2025, No. 60 in 2024, No. 59 in 2023, and No. 29 in 2022. Miami's last four signing classes are more on par with what we're used to seeing from national championship teams: No. 14 in 2025, No. 5 in 2024, No. 8 in 2023, and No. 13 in 2022. "It's all the more reason to be impressed by what Curt has done there. He hasn't just greatly improved the program. He's made the program elite in a very short time," former Alabama coach Nick Saban told On3. "None of us get there without having great players. But what's lost a lot of the time, especially in this era, is how well you develop those players, how hard you coach them and how hard they're willing to be coached. "Curt and his staff have done that as well as anybody along with their evaluations. And more than ever, those evaluations had better be right, as in the players being the right fit for your program and your system." Read the full story from Chris Low. |
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Transfer Portal window closing: Key deadlines, what it means for college football |
The 15-day college football transfer portal window officially closes at midnight on Friday night. While the deadline marks the end of new entrants, free agency is far from over. Over 3,900 FBS players have entered the transfer portal to date. And even though the date to file paperwork to enter the portal is due by the end of the day Friday, schools have 48 business hours to process names. That means new entries will likely be showing up as late as Tuesday night. The College Football Playoff national championship game is set for Monday night between Indiana and Miami. Both programs will have a five-day window following the title game to enter the portal, closing next Saturday. On3 will continue tracking portal decisions, the latest intel, and commitments as they happen. Here's everything to know about the transfer portal window closure. Key transfer portal dates The deadline to notify schools is midnight on Friday, but there's no deadline for deciding on where a player will go next. However, players will run into academic deadlines if they plan on enrolling in time for spring practice. As of Friday morning, 1,974 FBS players have signed with a school, and 1,647 are still active in the portal. More than 6,700 Division 1 players have entered their names in the portal. Indiana and Miami will get an additional five-day period from Jan. 20 to 24 to enter the portal after their season ends. Graduate transfers must formally notify their schools of their transfer portal entry by the end of Friday. Read the full breakdown from Pete Nakos. |
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A snapshot of the last 24 hours, as a chaotic transfer portal day looms |
Today is the last day the Portal is open, and news is flying left and right. Players are committing as classes resume, loads of last-minute entries are expected, and visits continue as all of the 3,900+ players in the portal look to find a home. Here are some of the notable portal developments from the last 24 hours as we enter the home stretch. Entering the portal Ole Miss EDGE Princewill Umanmielen: Umanmielen, who transferred from Nebraska to Ole Miss ahead of the 2025 season, totaled 45 tackles, nine sacks, a pass breakup, and an interception while helping lead the Rebels to an 11-1 regular season and the program's first CFP appearance. A former four-star recruit, he is ranked among the top EDGE rushers available and profiles as an immediate-impact pass rusher at his next stop. Ohio QB Parker Navarro: After four seasons with the Bobcats, Navarro is seeking a bigger stage. The dual-threat quarterback finished his Ohio career with 5,030 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns, while adding 30 scores on the ground. A former three-star prospect who originally committed to UCF. South Carolina EDGE Desmond Umeozulu: A former four-star recruit, Umeozulu is entering the portal after three seasons in Columbia. He appeared in 12 games with one start, recording 19 tackles, two TFL, and a sack. Umeozulu was expected to play a significant role in Columbia next season. He will draw interest as a developmental edge defender with upside and one year of eligibility remaining. Decisions made Florida State DL Mandrell Desir and EDGE Darryll Desir: The twin defenders withdrew from the portal just one day after entering. Retaining the Desirs is a significant win for Florida State, as both were highly ranked portal prospects after combining for 53 tackles, nine TFL, and six sacks as true freshmen. Mandrell earned Freshman All-America honors, and both are now set to return to Tallahassee for 2026 Tennessee EDGE Caleb Herring: Herring is staying in the SEC, committing to South Carolina after three seasons at Tennessee. He cited two crucial factors as keys in his decision. Herring totaled 25 tackles and five sacks with the Volunteers and joins a Gamecocks defense that continues to reload. Tennessee QB Jake Merklinger: Merklinger has committed to UConn, where he will compete for an open starting job under new head coach Jason Candle. A former four-star recruit, Merklinger saw limited action at Tennessee but brings upside and multiple years of eligibility to the Huskies. LSU WR Kyle Parker: Ohio State and Auburn were pushing hard for the LSU WR, and On3's Pete Nakos just reported that he committed to Ohio State. Latest intel Colorado OL Jordan Seaton: The top-ranked OT in the portal is visiting Mississippi State, where his relationship with offensive line coach Phil Loadholt has emerged as a key storyline. Additional SEC visits are expected as one of the most coveted linemen in the cycle weighs his options. Oregon QB Bryson Beaver: The recent Oregon signee entered the portal as a short-term signee. On3 is hearing that Georgia is trending heavily and could soon have him in the fold. Get up to date with all things transfer portal here. |
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Dante Moore and Dan Lanning will face the music together, and that's going to make Oregon better |
Quarterback Dante Moore did not want to think about his future in the moments after Oregon's 56-22 loss to Indiana in the Peach Bowl. So attention in the postgame press conference shifted to coach Dan Lanning, who was asked whether Moore might leave for the NFL or return for another season. Lanning did not offer a pitch. He offered honesty. "We just got our butt kicked," Lanning said. "That's going to happen in life, and not just Dante. Every single person in the locker room, every coach, every person can learn. How do you respond to that? Some people crawl into a hole. They don't face the music. Some people say, 'OK, let's figure it out. Let me challenge myself so I can be better.'" Moore was always going to choose the second option, whether that meant entering the NFL or returning to Eugene. Lanning was always going to choose it, too, regardless of Moore's decision. That they will now figure it out together feels fitting. Moore's return is a continuation of the unconventional path he has taken. After transferring from UCLA following the 2023 season, he resisted programs willing to hand him a starting job. Instead, he chose Oregon so he could spend a year learning behind Dillon Gabriel. Moore discovered that while he has NFL-level physical tools, more experience could make him better. History supports that idea. Bo Nix entered the NFL at age 24 after two seasons as Oregon's starter and now quarterbacks the AFC's top seed. Moore could play in the NFL now, but another season of starts could elevate his ceiling even further. Moore will be better in 2026. So will Lanning. Public sentiment around Lanning has shifted because of the way Oregon's past two seasons ended. The Ducks went unbeaten in the regular season and won the Big Ten last year before running into Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. This season ended with a lopsided loss to Indiana, now favored to win the national title. Lanning has lost his last two season finales by a combined 96-43, and the familiar criticism has followed. Others have heard it before. Ryan Day heard it before Ohio State broke through. Kirby Smart heard it before Georgia finally won it all. Some coaches flash immediately. Others need time. Smart's Georgia teams came close repeatedly before everything aligned in 2021. Those failures did not reflect a lack of vision, but the difficulty of winning at the sport's highest level. Lanning is following that same arc. Oregon would have reached a 12-team playoff earlier if the format existed. The Ducks have now made the playoff in consecutive seasons and will again field a roster capable of contending. With Moore returning, alongside young playmakers and key transfer additions, Oregon will once again be positioned to compete for the Big Ten and the national title. Lanning understands the formula. Sometimes it just takes multiple attempts to get the measurements right. As long as he keeps responding the way he described, challenging himself instead of retreating, Oregon will keep creating chances. And eventually, one of them will end with the Ducks holding the trophy. Read the full story from Andy Staples. |
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Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go. I enrolled early at UCLA as an economics major (and I'm now an MBA candidate at Penn's Wharton School of Business), and I became the first freshman QB to start a season opener in school history.
- During my freshman season, I set a school record for consecutive passes without an interception, earned Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors, and was named a Freshman All-American by multiple outlets.
- I engineered one of the largest comebacks in college football history, throwing for nearly 500 yards in a season opener that vaulted me into serious No. 1 overall NFL Draft conversation.
Answer at the bottom. |
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