The Texas Longhorns looked to be as close to a lock to land an elite five star talent as a program can get, but a late surge from one of the least-suspected teams in the country could throw a wrench in Steve Sarkisian's efforts. No. 3 tackle Felix Ojo is from Mansfield, Texas, and has been heavily favored to spurn Ohio State and Michigan to stay in state.
But there's one specific situation available where Ojo could make all sorts of history and potentially join an even better situation for his future. Texas has to be concerned, as Ojo wasted little time in setting up an official visit with the Utah Utes shortly after being offered a scholarship on June 2.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder would become the first five star prospect to sign with the Utes out of high school, should he shock the world. While this seems especially unlikely, the Utes are surely pitching him the chance to follow in the footsteps of two possible first-round picks at his position.
NEWS: Five-Star OT Felix Ojo will take an Official Visit to Utah this weekend, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 16, 2025
Ojo is ranked as the No. 6 Recruit in the ‘26 Class (per On3 Industry)https://t.co/tL3pwafiTr pic.twitter.com/SkXNdNRm1S
The Utes have an elite tackle duo of Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu. Fano should be a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Lomu has first round traits, too. Ojo could easily justify seeing this as a viable landing spot because of this.
Texas will have more money and has a similarly strong pipeline for tackles to reach the NFL after Kelvin Banks was just a first-rounder, but his 50th offer might be his most tempting besides the Longhorns'.
Currently sitting as an overwhelming favorite to land with Texas, with a 90% probability in On3's recruiting prediction machine, Ojo may just be one of those prospects who had multiple great fits but had to choose one.
Texas has the advantage in proximity, longevity of relationships, and being a hometown favorite for Ojo.
On3's Charles Power had this to say about Ojo in his scouting report from earlier this winter.
Developmental offensive tackle with the frame, length, and physicality to develop into a top prospect at the position. Measured in at around 6-foot-6, 275 pounds with plus length before his senior season. Has a lean, long frame and should be able to add considerable mass once in a college strength program. Pairs his long arms with outstanding hand strength to stun defenders on contact. Punch is palpable, both on film and in the camp setting. Latches onto defensive linemen and manipulates them to his will. Plays with a nasty edge, working to finish blocks. Flashes dominance as a run blocker. Play strength, length, and solid athleticism point to upside in pass protection. Showed considerable growth in his game from his sophomore to junior seasons. Will need to improve his lower body flexibility as he can play high and displays some hip stiffness. The youngest top offensive tackle prospect in the cycle, turning 18 years old in July prior to his freshman season of college football. Rapid rate of improvement and notable strengths give him one of the higher upsides among 2026 offensive tackles.
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Lincoln Riley had a passionate message about the future of the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame on Thursday at Big Ten media days. "I think depending on what happens here from a playoff perspective, and then do we expand?" Riley said, per USA Today's Jordan Mendoza. "What model do we go to, that's certainly going to have an impact, not only in the rivalry, but what time of year potentially that you would play it." What his words boil down to is that the only way the USC-Notre Dame game can continue is if the game doesn't matter. It's a message fellow Big Ten coaches have been sharing all week. Curt Cignetti said Indiana canceled its game against Virginia after adopting what he called "an SEC scheduling policy." The implication is clear. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti argued some of the same things on Tuesday, when he spoke at Big Ten media days. The Big Ten has made it clear this week that it prefers a system that guarantees four playoff berths each going to the Big Ten and the SEC, per Mendoza. It's easy to see why. That model would allow the Big Ten to pursue its dream of having three games on Championship Saturday. The top two teams would play for the conference championship but would already be guaranteed playoff berths. Then, the No. 3 team in the Big Ten standings would play No. 6, while No. 4 would face off against No. 5 for the other two berths. Under the Big Ten's preferred model, all a team would need to do is finish in the top six of the Big Ten standings to get into a one-game playoff to reach the College Football Playoff. But if that isn't adopted, and things are left solely up to the College Football Playoff committee, Riley said the Trojans would have no incentive to play Notre Dame. According to Heather Dinich of ESPN, Riley said there are "a million reasons why we should adopt an automatic qualifier." Riley cited the continuation of the USC-Notre Dame as a reason why, saying it was tied into the decision of the College Football Playoff format. In other words, USC will keep playing Notre Dame as long as the game doesn't matter too much. USC doesn't want its playoff chances ruined, even though they could be improved with a win over the Irish. Yet, the hint or the threat from Big Ten programs like USC and head coaches like Riley is that if the playoff format they prefer isn't adopted, all the great rivalries and nonconference matchups that make the game great will go away. At this rate, Power Four college football teams will refuse to schedule each other, because playing and beating good teams — outside of conference play — will hurt their playoff chances, at least in their minds. The opposite is supposed to be true. The expanded playoff was supposed to encourage marquee nonconference games. Instead, it seems like it's going to start taking them away. Which is the exact opposite of what's good for college football.
Las Vegas Raiders fans were shocked to learn that their team had parted ways with Christian Wilkins, their prized 2024 offseason acquisition. Let’s take a look at the reactions on social media, particularly from Raider Nation. In what can be described as the first “shocking” development of training camp, Raiders brass (spearheaded by general manager John Spytek) opted to go in a different direction. Well, that’s putting it nicely. The official statement was uncompromising. “We have decided that it is in the best interest of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of this release from the team. This franchise has a ‘Commitment to Excellence’ on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.” —Raiders statement on Wilkins’ release Here’s the thing: it’s not such a simple story. Wilkins and the Raiders originally agreed to a $110 million contract last offseason. On Thursday, the team opted to designate him as a terminated, vested veteran. Basically, he’s not subject to waivers. If you recall, Wilkins only played in five games last season before a foot injury took him out. Upon entering training camp, the Raiders placed him on the PUP list—naturally, that cast doubt as to whether he’d be available for the start of the season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders took issue with how Wilkins went about rehabbing after his surgery. As a result, the team voided what was left of his $35.2 million in guaranteed money. Also of note was that league insider Ian Rapoport stated that the organization wanted him to undergo another surgery but Wilkins declined. He opted to rehab his foot without additional surgery. Now, the Raiders will be without former general manager Tom Telesco’s prized free agent signing. Raider Nation, as we all know, had a lot to say and didn’t hold back. Raider Nation reacts to shocking Christian Wilkins news… At the end of the day, whether Wilkins plays this season and how the Raiders perform will lead us to revisit this story at some point. Clearly, this means we won’t have a quiet offseason without drama. Right, folks? *
The Canucks are reportedly quite interested in Ducks' Mason McTavish, this news coming after one of their young NCAA players, Jackson Kunz, could leave the team. With $3.25 million of free cap space now available after Dakota Joshua was sent to Toronto, the Vancouver Canucks and GM Patrik Allvin have room to add a significant piece, and it seems that they may be after a former third overall choice. Vancouver is interested in Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish, a restricted free agent, reports The Province's Patrick Johnston. 'Hence their continued interest in Roslovic, as well as their interest in Mason McTavish, the Anaheim Ducks' restricted free agent. Of course adding McTavish, the third-overall pick in the 2021 draft, will be very hard: he's a highly-regarded player with huge upside and will cost a big price in trade, perhaps more than the Canucks can afford.' Johnston said. It won't be an easy feat to get him due to asset limitations and Anaheim's stance on his next deal, but the 22-year-old would be a perfect fit as the Canucks' second-line center. After playing his inaugural 20-goal NHL campaign, McTavish offers skill and grit, two qualities that the Canucks may covet during a playoff push. While a few large-name players are available on the free market, Vancouver is considering trades as well as free agent solutions in the latter half of the offseason. Making a bold move for a player like McTavish wouldn't be out of character with the needs of the team. The Canucks need to sign their important NCAA prospect by August 15th Meanwhile, the Canucks are also under pressure in another direction. The deadline on August 15th is coming up to sign NCAA prospects graduating after four years. If they don't sign them, they'll become unrestricted free agents. The key concern is forward Jackson Kunz. If he isn't signed by August 15, 2025, he'll land on the open market. In the midst of a potential blockbuster trade and looming NCAA deadlines, the next several weeks can be make-or-break for Vancouver.
If any team around the league is set to strike a blockbuster deal ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the defending champions are expected to make a splash this summer, there's uncertainty as to where LA will look to upgrade the roster. The Dodgers could quite frankly use additions in several areas of the roster, including the bullpen, starting rotation, and lineup. Tanner Scott's ongoing struggles has stirred speculation that the front office will add a reliever this summer. Additionally, Scott and Michael Kopech are both injured, which leaves the bullpen short two high-leverage arms. Beyond the bullpen, the Dodgers are still missing two staples of their rotation in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. However, both pitchers appear to be headed for a return to the team down the stretch. Therefore, ESPN insider David Schoenfield believes the Dodgers will look to acquire an outfielder and a leadoff hitter in Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians. "The reasoning here: Michael Conforto just hasn't worked out," Schoenfield writes. "The Dodgers have given him 300 plate appearances and he's hitting under .200, plus he's not a good left fielder. They could also use a leadoff hitter. They just moved Mookie Betts there in front of Shohei Ohtani, looking to get Betts going, but Betts just hasn't been an offensive force in 2025 and shouldn't be hitting at the top of a lineup right now. Kwan would fix both issues and give them a nice OBP guy in front of Ohtani while providing a major defensive upgrade." While the Dodgers have been linked to Kwan, it remains to be seen whether the Guardians are willing to part ways with the Gold Glover. ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel gave just a 20 percent chance that Kwan would be traded. The All-Star outfielder is under team control through 2027, and is due $4.1 million this season. The Dodgers could send a large haul of prospects to Cleveland, as the organization has one of the best farm systems in MLB. However, the Dodgers are reportedly unwilling to move top prospects such as Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland.