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There may not be any current college football players competing in the Paris Olympics, but there are a few CFB alums to root for.
Today, we update the Olympic medal count, break down the USA Today Coaches Poll and take a look at recruiting in Hawaii.
Former college players in Paris
Three former college football players are competing in the Paris Olympics. Let’s meet them:
Wes Kitts, former Austin Peay RB
Will compete in weightlifting with Team USA. Kitts is in the 102-kilogram division with competition beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
The former walk-on ended his college career with 1,180 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards for five total TDs.
Kitts competed in the Tokyo Olympics and finished eighth, lifting 177 kilograms in the snatch and 213 kilograms in the clean and jerk.
Perry Baker, former Fairmont State WR
Competed with Team USA men’s rugby, which finished eighth.
Baker totaled 1,552 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns, while adding 367 yards and three additional touchdowns on the ground, as a standout player at the Division II program in West Virginia from 2007 to 2010.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Baker as an undrafted free agent in July 2011, but he was cut shortly after due to a knee injury. With a path back to the NFL fading, Baker picked up rugby, which has led him to three Olympic games.
Kevon Williams, former New Mexico Highlands WR
A captain of the Team USA men’s rugby team.
Starting WR for Division II NMHU from 2009 to 2012. As a senior, he recorded 945 receiving yards and six TDs. A four-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honoree.
Williams faced a fifth year in college to complete his degree in computer science despite expiring his eligibility on the football field. In that additional year, he tried rugby with the New Mexico Highlands club team and credits the sport for motivating him to stay in school. “Had it not been for rugby, I wouldn’t have gotten a degree,” Williams said, per the NCAA.
Here’s an updated medal count as of Monday morning:
1. Stanford: 20 medalists (seven gold, nine silver, four bronze)
T-2. Texas: 12 medalists (four gold, five silver, three bronze)
T-2. Virginia: 12 medalists (five gold, five silver, two bronze)
4. Cal: nine medalists (two gold, five silver, two bronze)
5. Florida: eight medalists (two gold, four silver, two bronze)
Sherrone Moore is entering his first season as Michigan’s coach. (Jaime Crawford / Getty Images)Preseason Coaches PollOverrated, underrated
The USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll was released this morning, with the SEC and Big Ten taking up more than half of the spots in the Top 25. Here are the top five (with first-place votes in parentheses):
Georgia (46)
Ohio State (7 … only 7?)
Oregon
Texas (1)
Alabama
Conference breakdown: SEC (nine), Big Ten (six), Big 12 (five), ACC (four), Independent (one), Group of 5 (zero)
Overrated: Michigan at No. 8. The reigning national champion Wolverines have a ton of production to replace and lost coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. There are just too many unknowns to declare Michigan a top-10 team out of the gate. Even more shocking is to see the Wolverines receive one first-place vote, especially with some possible NCAA concerns about this year’s team (more on that in “Quick Snaps”).
Underrated: Missouri at No. 11. The Tigers return one of the nation’s top wide receivers in Luther Burden III and QB Brady Cook. Missouri finished No. 10 last season and should crack the top 10 this preseason, too.
Recruiting in HawaiiWest Coast trend is here to stay
Grace Raynor wrote a fascinating story today on what it’s like for college football programs to recruit in Hawaii. Although it might not be a traditional hotbed, a decent number of stars have come from the islands (Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa, Dillon Gabriel quickly come to mind), plus, what better place is there to take a recruiting trip?
One detail to note: The list of Power 5 programs with the most signees from Hawaii from 2015-24 includes all former Pac-12 schools. Utah leads with 13, followed by Oregon (nine), USC (seven), Washington (seven) and Oregon State (seven). I asked Grace if this trend might change given conference realignment and the elimination of the Pac-12. Here’s what she told me:
“Even with conference realignment, we’re going to still see the same schools recruiting Hawaii. That was something Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and I chatted about, and he was adamant that even though the Utes won’t be playing on the West Coast as much anymore as new members of the Big 12, Hawaii will remain an integral part of their recruiting footprint.
“As for the schools that don’t regularly recruit Hawaii, we’ll see it stay that way. Time is such a commodity in recruiting, and it can’t be overstated how much investment it takes to go to the islands and make those trips. That said, if and when Hawaii has a national prospect whom everyone in the country wants, the Aloha state will be busy. Recruiting is national these days, and if there’s a prospect on the islands that a program desperately wants, they’re going to do whatever it takes to have a seat at the table.”
As for a detail that didn’t make the story, Grace asked coaches if their families ever go on recruiting trips to Hawaii with them. Whittingham’s wife loves to join, and when Grace told Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi that tidbit, he made a mental note. “I’m on a much lower level than Kyle Whittingham,” Biagi said. “So I’ll make sure I talk to coach (Marcus) Freeman and bring that up and see if we can get that done.”
Quick Snaps
The Athletic’s Austin Meek reported yesterday that Michigan received a draft notice of allegations from the NCAA that included a Level II charge against coach Sherrone Moore.
Analysts and staffers who previously weren’t allowed to coach on the field at practice are now permitted to do so. And the effects are already being felt in the early preseason grind. Seth Emerson has more on the recent NCAA rule change.
Just a few months into his new role, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said he feels “stronger about our place as an independent than maybe I ever have.” The Fighting Irish always have been different. And Bevacqua is securing that status.
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(Top photo Wes Kitts: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt / Getty Images)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5681158/2024/08/05/college-football-coaches-poll-until-saturday/
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 10:17:00
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