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After leaving his official visit in Gainesville nearly two weeks ago, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star receiver Calvin Russell said that the Florida Gators were near the top of his leaders, although he wasn't sure which other schools would join them.
On Thursday, he revealed the eight schools he will be considering ahead of his July 5 commitment.
Russell, the No. 3 receiver in the class, is considering Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon and Syracuse after initially having a top 12 that also included Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and USC.
Truly Blessed!! AGTG pic.twitter.com/anOH6yE5q6
— Calvin Russell Dual Sport Ath (@14gump_) May 16, 2025
The Gators are in strong contention for the 6-foot-5, 195-pound receiver not only due to its recent history of developing receivers, but also because the coaching history of head coach Billy Napier, a former receivers coach himself, and current UF receivers coach Billy Gonzales, who is in his third stint with the program.
Specifically, Napier's time coaching legendary receivers such as DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones and Amari Cooper, stands out to Russell.
"The coaching staff, the history they've got with guys going in the draft," Russell said after leaving his official visit at Florida. "Stuff like that... Coach Napier has helped the program go up and up ever since he's been here. He's been recruiting me since ninth grade, and ever sin ce he's recruited me, the program has gotten better and better every year."
Russell also noted his family ties to UF (his uncles are UF alums Del Speer and James Speer) as well as the chance to play with DJ Lagway as reasons the Gators are high on his list.
Florida Gators on SI is keeping track of every recruiting move by the Gators, from commitments to prospects of note to the summer official visit schedule, on our 2026 Recruiting Tracker.
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Five takeaways from college football's Week 0
College football is back. The wacky, wild and unexpected that makes the sport so beloved was on full display Saturday with rainy weather, walk-off field goals and near-upsets welcoming fans back. Here are five takeaways from Week 0. Iowa State secured a major win Most college football programs haven't played a down yet, but No. 22 Iowa State has already secured a very important win. Five different teams have won the Big 12 in the last five seasons. Iowa State has been close during that stretch, but hasn't been one of the. Defeating rival No. 17 Kansas State, 24-21, to open the season is a big step forward, no matter how sloppy it was. It's Iowa State's fifth win in the last six Farmageddon meetings. In a wide-open Big 12 race, beating another challenger early in the year means something. The Dan Mullen era at UNLV got off to a rocky start The former Florida and Mississippi State head coach spent the last three seasons away from coaching, but he's returned to the sideline at UNLV. The Rebels needed all 60 minutes to hold off FCS Idaho State, 38-31, despite being favored by 25.5, according to DraftKings. It's not like Idaho State is an FCS juggernaut either. The Bengals have won just 10 games since 2021, but behind 555 yards of total offense they nearly pulled off the upset. UNLV's saving grace was four interceptions. It's just one game, but it showed there's work to do for Mullen. A short week of practice is in store ahead of a Friday matchup at Sam Houston State. Jalon Daniels made a statement Looking for a Heisman-worthy performance? Look no further than Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels. He was nearly flawless in the first half of KU's 31-7 win over Fresno State, going 13-for-15 for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't need to finish the blowout and wound up with three total touchdowns. Daniels' talent is unquestioned, but his health has hampered both his career and the Jayhawks. He started every game last season, which was a welcome sight after missing 10 games in 2023 to a back injury and four games in 2022 for a shoulder injury. If he stays healthy, KU could be a factor in the Big 12 race. Stanford has fallen hard From 2009-18, Stanford won at least eight games each season. More recently, the Cardinal haven't won more than four games in each of the last six seasons. New quarterback Ben Gulbranson struggled in his Stanford debut, going 15-for-30 for 109 yards and a pick. Meanwhile, Hawaii's Micah Alejado (27-for-39 for 210 yards and two touchdowns) suffered a foot injury early in the game, but hobbled his way through the game to give his team a 23-20 victory. Stanford has lost nine of its last 10 games dating back to September 28, 2024. These are tough times for a once-proud program. Week 0 needs a little more energy College football's Week 0 isn't a new thing, but it does feel like the sport needs to decide how big it's going to be. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has become the tentpole event of Week 0, bringing two quality programs to Ireland. However, the game generates excitement in the early part of the day, but the rest of Saturday left much to be desired. There isn't another marquee matchup, and it seems the primetime slot could provide another big moment to kick off the season. Schedules are made well in advance, but a fun idea would be to have the defending champion play in primetime during Week 0. Honor the champion, raise a banner and give the program an opportunity to stand alone in the limelight before the full slate of Week 1 games.
Angry Mike Vrabel vows to find 'rats' within Patriots organization who leaked major news
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn't mad about how the backups performed in the team's 42-10 preseason loss to the New York Giants. He was angry that someone had leaked the news that wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk would need season-ending shoulder surgery. When asked if he had anything to add to the reports that Polk would miss the season, Vrabel didn't give the media anything aside from his unvarnished feelings. "I'd like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. So, we'll figure that out," he added in a news conference on Thursday. Coaches and reporters are hardly the best of friends on a good day. Often, a coach will deflect if they don't want to add fuel to a report the team hasn't made official, but usually they won't deflect and promise to get the "rats" providing this information. NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news ahead of the Patriots' preseason finale against the Giants. According to Schultz, the decision for Polk to undergo surgery was made to ensure the 2024 second-round pick would be healthy for the 2026 season. Polk dealt with health issues throughout the offseason. It was during the second quarter of New England's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders that he took a nasty hit on a one-yard run, leading to the shoulder injury that will sideline him for 2025. Last season, Polk had a tough rookie debut, catching just 12 receptions for 87 yards and recording two touchdowns. The hope for 2025 was that he could redeem himself and become a reliable enough target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Expectations for Maye are much higher now with the return of Tom Brady's old offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Without Polk to run routes, though, the already-thin wide receiver room is nearly devoid of talent behind veteran receiver Stefon Diggs. The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. However, Diggs has brought some unwanted attention to the team through his offseason antics and is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his time with the Houston Texans. While Patriot fans should feel some hope in the direction of the team under Vrabel — a former defensive star for New England during the dynasty years — this roster is still in the midst of a rebuild. And with such a troubled roster, losses may pile up, and the team's relationship with the media could worsen if another season feels like a waste. So, Vrabel being upset by Polk's injury is fair, but what doesn't feel fair is to single out Patriots staff and players who are potentially talking to reporters as hostile to the organization. It's perhaps not surprising that Vrabel is willing to voice his frustrations, as he's shown no fear when breaking up practice scrums. Still, it's the job of any journalist to build relationships with staff and team members to gain reliable sources who can help them accurately report the news. While the "rats" moniker for those in the building talking to NFL insiders and the New England sports media will be swallowed up by all the other headlines as Week 1 nears, it's notable that Vrabel's time as head coach in New England is already off to a contentious start.
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Buccaneers' Shilo Sanders may have jeopardized chance to make 53-man roster
Saturday was not a good day for Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, two players competing for a spot on the 53-man roster of their respective teams, the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hours after Shedeur took more sacks (five) than completions (three) and had a heated moment with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Shilo was ejected from the Buccaneers' preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. "Bucs S Shilo Sanders has been ejected from tonight's game following an unnecessary roughness penalty," Scott Smith of the Buccaneers posted on X. Shilo appeared to take exception to Zach Davidson hitting and blocking him after a play had ended before the rookie took a swing at the Bills' tight end. The ejection came at a bad time for Shilo, who was competing with Kaevon Merriweather and Rashad Wisdom for the No. 4 safety spot on the depth chart. Before the game, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that Shilo's output against the Bills would be big in his evaluation before the team has to trim the roster to 53 players by Tuesday. "Shilo's very aggressive, very young, very hungry," Bowles said. "He can make plays in the box and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up." Following the ejection, Shilo lost critical playing time to show his strengths on the field. He also showed the coaching staff a short temper and cost Tampa Bay with an unnecessary penalty. Shilo will end his preseason with four total tackles. He has shown he has the talent to be in the league, but Shilo's role will likely be as a practice squad player until his play and mental strength develop.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion leaves NHL for Switzerland
Last season was a tough one for veteran defenseman Jan Rutta. He dealt with some lower-body injuries, and when he was in the lineup for San Jose, he was often on the third pairing. That has certainly contributed to his going unsigned through the first seven weeks of free agency, but that is coming to an end. Earlier this week, Blick’s Gregory Beaud (h/t The Hockey News) reported that the blueliner is signing with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland. Rutta played in 54 games for the Sharks last season, picking up just three goals and six assists in a little over 17 minutes a night. However, he took a regular turn on their penalty kill and played some tough defensive minutes. Speculatively, NHL teams could be eyeing him as a PTO candidate to fill a sixth or seventh role if things went well in training camp but clearly, a full contract offer has yet to materialize and at some point, a guaranteed deal overseas could be viewed as a better option than trying to earn a contract off a tryout. Rutta debuted fairly late in the NHL with his first season coming at the age of 27 with Chicago. Since then, he has suited up in 417 regular-season games between four different clubs, putting up 23 goals and 75 assists along with 479 blocked shots. He also has a pair of Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay. Rutta will be the third veteran NHL player to join that team this offseason. Previously, it signed wingers Jesse Puljujarvi and Jimmy Vesey and has one import slot remaining that it appears they want to use to bring in a veteran defender.
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