The CFB Newsletter delivers the top news stories, analysis, and updates in college football.
It may be the start of July, but that hasn’t limited the amount of college football news. Between high school prospects committing to their universities, uniform releases, and the hype surrounding College Football 25, there’s plenty of excitement for college football fans. And, the CFB newsletter will be highlighting some of the more important news in college football each week to keep fans engaged with their favorite sport, teams, and players.
DJ McClary Flips to Rutgers
The 2025 recruiting class is looking great for Rutgers. Not only did Michael Thomas III surprise many by choosing the Scarlet Knights, but four-star linebacker DJ McClary flipped his commitment from Penn State to Rutgers football. McClary becomes the second player of the 2025 recruiting class to flip from Penn State to Rutgers, joining offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews.
McClary is a Jersey native who is likely to be an instant contributor as a freshman in Rutgers’ elite defense. Head coach Greg Schiano continues to prove his prowess as a collegiate coach as he rebuilds Rutgers once again.
JERSEY IM STAYING HOME #committed🪓#chop pic.twitter.com/dkAWbDEWr9
— DJ McClary (@tnlDJ_) June 23, 2024
Oregon Releases ‘Fly Era’ Uniforms
Oregon football will enter the Big Ten in style. On Wednesday, the Ducks released their new all-black ‘Fly Era’ uniform combo. The uniform has a clean look to it, with silver wings on the black helmet, and the classic Oregon green is used for the number outline and name.
Introducing the Generation O “Fly Era” combo.#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/dw1sLrlWxp
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) June 26, 2024
On top of their uniform release, the Ducks have also bolster an excellent 2025 recruiting class. Oregon football fans should be excited for the future.
White Lightning – 2026 Recruiting Class’s Fastest WR?
Wide receiver Vance Spafford is coming on strong as a member of the 2026 recruiting class. The Mission Viejo prospect destroyed school receiving records as a sophomore, where he totaled 83 catches for 1,576 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s also quickly gaining a reputation as one of the fastest players in the country. “White Lightning” (as he will now be forever dubbed), recently showcased his 4.35 40-yard dash time on social media.
Full video of Vance Spafford (@vance_spafford) showing off his 10.6 100M speed with a 4.35 40-yard time 🔥 #UANext pic.twitter.com/mwPWQdxaDr
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) June 29, 2024
Currently, Spafford holds offers from 16 teams, including Utah, Cal, Washington, Auburn and Oregon. There’s little doubt that those offers will rise heading into next summer.
Elite Talent Present at Manning Passing Academy
While the primary focus of the Manning Passing Academy are high school players with pro aspirations, multiple college quarterbacks are present every summer. This year, more than 45 college football players attended – including some big-name prospects.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard won the FNL Quarterback Challenge at the academy, with Oregon Ducks’ Dillon Gabriel and Texas A&M’s Connor Weigman also reaching the finals. Meanwhile, Clemson’s Cabe Klubnik and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier were two of three quarterbacks to win the Cane’s Challenge, sinking a 30-foot throw into a basketball hoop on a single attempt.
Other quarterbacks who performed well at the event were Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold, Georgia’s Carson Beck, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Baylor’s Dequan Finn, West Virginia’s Garrett Greene, Iowa State’s Rocco Becht, Houston’s Donovan Smith, Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor, Colgate quarterback Michael Brescia, and Hampton quarterback Chris Zellous – per On3,
The ‘Prime Effect’ Hits College Football 25
EA is set to release College Football 25 on July 19, and on Friday the studio released the top-25 team ratings in the game. Colorado, coached by Deion Sanders, placed 16th overall despite finishing with a 4-8 record in 2023 with a 1-8 conference record. The Buffaloes are rated ahead of teams like Oklahoma, NC State, Kansas, Arizona, Oklahoma State, and Iowa.
The rating was met with surprise by fans, but it should be expected. Coach Prime an elite marketing persona with name recognition. Yet also, the cover of the game itself featured Travis Hunter, the CB/WR on the Buffaloes. Because of that, it’s easy to see why the team was rated so highly.
The College Football 25 Power Rankings are live…
…thoughts?#Big12FB | @EASPORTSCollege pic.twitter.com/b5hZUgb5eJ
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) June 27, 2024
Death of the ACC on the Horizon?
With the Pac-12’s collapse, many suspect the ACC could be next in line. The conference is in the middle of multiple lawsuits with Clemson University and Florida State. And although neither school has officially requested to leave the conference, the writing could be on the wall.
Some expects believe that Clemson and Florida State’s grievances against the ACC aren’t strong enough to allow their leave in the conference. However, if the two schools were to muster up enough money to leave, it would leave the ACC in a difficult position. With that said, the conference just introduced Cal Football, Stanford, and SMU to the conference – so for now, this drama-ridden ordeal is more speculation than certainty.
Utah Utes Name Whittingham’s Successor
Utah football made waves on Monday, announcing that defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will take over as the successor to longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham. At this time, there’s still no timetable for Whittingham to leave. Once promoted, Scalley will earn at least $5 million per year as head coach.
Scalley has spent 17 seasons on the Utah football staff. He also played there during his collegiate career. This is actually the second time Utah has given this title to Scalley. The school initially rescinded their first offer after his use of racial slurs in 2013, which were found in a 2020 investigation. It seems time heals all wounds, and success makes past mistakes feel forgotten. Scalley has put together a good defense at Utah, and a reputation as one of the best coordinators in the nation.
