Pok’s Football Week in Review: The Recruiting Marches On

The football news has been flowing all summer, and this week has been no different. As a result, I have a jam-packed edition of the column for all of you awesome readers.

The “Player of the Day” segment features a budding star quarterback who could be a top pick in either 2026 or 2027. The USF Bulls, FIU Panthers, and Florida Atlantic Owls made some key additions and are set to welcome more players on visits this weekend. Additionally, I will have some quotes from my recent interview with FIU commit Sean Kentish and unleash my weekly “Grab Bag” of football notes from the week.

It’s going to be a fun ride, so without further ado, let us dive into another edition of Pok’s Football Week in Review!

Player of the Day: Arch Manning, QB, Texas

Well, it was only a matter of time before Arch Manning made his appearance in this part of the column. And quite frankly, he is absolutely worth the wait.

In 2024, Manning accumulated 939 yards passing and nine touchdowns on 90 attempts. He had six big-time throws and only two turnover-worthy plays, lining up with his two interceptions on the season. In a small sample size, Manning attacked all areas of the field with good accuracy and did well in the face of the blitz, both impressive feats for a young quarterback. He also added 133 yards and four touchdowns as a rusher.

The nephew of world-renowned quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, Arch showcased elite potential as a quarterback in 2024. Watching his games against UTSA, Louisiana Monroe, and Mississippi State, here are the positives I saw from the Texas quarterback:

Positives

• • • Manning has great arm strength that is cannon-like down the field. He is a very accurate thrower of the ball to all areas of the field, and has good touch as well.
    • He’s a great throwing on the run. His mechanics are efficient and smooth when doing so. 
    • Fantastic mechanics when delivering the ball from the pocket. He always has his feet underneath him and is consistent when throwing the ball. 
    • Manning is a natural runner, and a fast one at that. 
    • He has great feel in the pocket for the majority of the time he has played. Uses his eyes well, too.
    • Plays great within rhythm.
    • Quick learner. Adjusts after seeing a pressure/stunt/etc. 

As with any young quarterback, though, there were some negatives with how Manning played in 2024. Throughout the three games he played significant snaps in, here were the downsides to the quarterback’s play:

Negatives

• • • Manning tries to thread that needle too much at times, a byproduct of his upper-level arm strength. 
    • Manning gets fooled by some simulated pressures and stunts.
    • He occasionally holds onto the ball too long/forces throws that are not there. Think this will improve with more reps. 
    • Just misses on some of his throws, signifying some minor accuracy issues. It will get better with time. 

Despite having the smallest sample size of the players I have watched, Manning might have my favorite college football film. He can do everything a modern quarterback needs to do at a high level. The arm talent is elite, as is the escapability and playmaking. He already has a high level of feel for the game. Even when he makes a mistake, Manning ensures that he does not repeat and/or compound it. His footwork and mechanics are consistent and fluid.

When it comes to his negatives, I think Manning will clean those up with more playing time at Texas. On top of his personal talent, he is in a great offensive scheme and has a plethora of talent around him. These aspects will definitely allow the quarterback to settle in and have a great season.

Manning has a tough slate of opponents in 2025, starting with the defending champions in Ohio State. But based off the film and his projectability, I think the quarterback is in store for a big-time season. And if he capitalizes on his talent, Arch could make the case to be the number one overall pick in 2026 or lay the foundation to solidify his claim to the 2027 throne.

College Football Recruiting Roundup

The gas pedal is firmly being applied, folks.

As has been the case for the past few weeks, college football teams have been heavily focused on solidifying their 2026 recruiting classes. Between camps, official visits, and more, teams are getting their future players situated before shifting toward 2025 regular season prep. And, as usual, FIU, USF, and FAU have been putting in heavy hours into their classes.

USF Bulls

As of the writing of this article, USF has landed several commitments for its 2026 class at a variety of different positions.

Out of their commitments, arguably the most high-profile football player the Bulls landed this past week was wideout Zion Crumpton. An Alabama native, Crumpton is a four-star recruit on Rivals and a high three-star recruit on 24/7 Sports. He had offers from a bevy of P4 schools that included Florida, Mississippi State, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and more.

Crumpton, like many of the other weapons USF had added in this class, has elite upside with his traits. He is blazing fast on the field, outracing players as a wideout or as a quarterback. He has great shiftiness, route-running, and can make big plays happen after the catch. Serving as an offensive weapon for Carver Montgomery High School, Crumpton amassed 419 receiving yards and 97 rushing yards with this skillset.

At USF, Crumpton would be a versatile chess piece in an offense that knows how to use them well. If he sticks with the school and arrives in Tampa, the wideout could have a path to being an instant contributor for the Bulls.

Despite Crumpton being the big name, the other commitments USF landed are still major pieces for their 2026 class.

After courting him heavily last week, the Bulls landed a commitment from another Alabama native in Peter Ramil. I have spoken extensively about Ramil in previous editions of the column as a player that the Bulls needed to focus on landing. He brings a great skillset off the edge with an excellent power profile and upside for more pass-rushing ability. With the frame to grow into a potentially dominant player, USF likely landed a key piece in the Alabama edge rusher.

USF did not stop there when it came to the trenches, though. The Bulls added two more edges in Sager Quinn and Jaemin Pinckney, while also adding offensive linemen Karon Spencer and Mykall Lundy-Foster.

Spencer, a mammoth tackle from Maryland, held offers from schools such as JMU, Navy, and Tulane. He has displayed great footwork as a pass-blocker and impressive athleticism in the run game in high school; with a college weight training program and further development as a player, Spencer has some very impressive upside.

Lundy-Foster, an offensive guard, visited Boston College last week and had interest from FIU and Alabama State, among other schools. He displays powerful run-blocking ability on tape, decleating multiple players who attempt to take him on. Lundy-Foster also displays impressive athleticism for the position. Whether on the move in the run game or as a pass blocker, the interior offensive lineman is a very smooth mover.

Both Quinn and Pinckney were receiving interest from a variety of schools prior to their commitments. Quinn held offers from 25 football programs, with notable ones including Memphis, East Carolina, and UConn. Pinckney held offers from East Carolina, Appalachian State, Alabama State, The Citadel, and Wofford.

Quinn wins with a combination of speed and power off the ball. He can dart into the backfield with his burst or use his power to go straight through a defender, giving him a great foundation as he approaches the college level.

Pinckney can fly all over the field to make plays in space and has flashes of dominating the line of scrimmage. With even more room to grow, he could be a great developmental piece for the Bulls and a potential steal in the 2026 class.

Additionally, USF landed safety Micah Bright out of North Carolina. Bright, who had 59 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, and six pass breakups, is a very fluid mover in coverage. He is also a cerebral player on the field. Bright knows exactly when to break on passes and makes correct decisions in picking up different passing concepts.

On Wednesday, the Bulls made three additional key additions to their recruiting class. They added defensive lineman Iverson Garcia, cornerback Ja’Kyri Watson, and linebacker Ellis Alloway.

Garcia, who is a Tennessee native, chose the Bulls over the University of Tennessee and Memphis, among others. He brings a high-upside presence to the Bulls and is another nice addition to the 2026 class. Watson, a cornerback from Florida, adds more sticky coverage and ball hawking ability to the Bulls’ 2026 class.

Alloway, a linebacker out of Choctawhatchee, had heavy interest from Penn State and Memphis, along with offers from Arkansas, Boston College, and more. Alloway plays like he is shot out of a cannon, but also is able to control his athleticism. Above all, he can make big plays for the defense; this was proven with his eight sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 2024. If he makes it onto campus for the Bulls, he has the talent and potential to make a key impact in short order.

The news for the Bulls does not end there, though.

USF, according to BullsInsider.com, had Ole Miss commit Izayia Williams on campus for a mid-week visit on Tuesday. Williams is one of the best football players in the country, ranked No. 79 overall by Rivals and No. 54 in 24/7 Sports’ Composite Rankings.

At the linebacker position, Williams is slotted as a top-three football player on both sites. It may be difficult for the Bulls to sway the linebacker, especially with a bevy of P4 schools pursuing him. If they can land him, though, Williams would provide a plug-and-play center piece for years to come on the USF defense.

In terms of visits, USF was set to have a number of players on campus this week. With many of those players committing ahead of time, it is uncertain if the Bulls will still have them come down to Tampa. This list includes recent FAU commit Eric Parks, Florida commit Javarii Luckas, and California commit Luca Wolf.

Yet when it comes to uncommitted players, I am keeping an eye on ATH Dream Rashad and cornerback Jamareis Conyers.

In addition to USF, Conyers has warm interest from Rutgers and Wake Forest. Ranked as the 70th cornerback in the country, he would be a nice pickup for the Bulls’ secondary.

Rashad, who has played primarily quarterback in high school, told me in an interview that USF is recruiting him as a tight end. With great athleticism and an above-average frame, Rashad would be a great get for the Bulls.

Additionally, cornerback Syncere Berry and defensive lineman Noah Mercer will have their official visits with the Bulls this weekend. Berry, a taller player at the position, holds offers from P4 schools like California, Texas A&M, and Kentucky. Mercer, another defensive line target for USF, currently only holds an offer from the Bulls. Both players would bring nice upside to their positions for the Bulls.

Florida Atlantic

Not to be outdone by their conference counterpart, FAU landed five commitments last week.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Owls landed tight end Owen Pollock, quarterback Jeremiah Daoud, and offensive lineman Alejandro Schmitt. Pollock, who attends Big Walnut in Ohio, had other offers from West Virginia, Wake Forest, East Carolina, and more. In 2024, the tight end had 251 yards and three touchdowns. The big tight end can block well and is a great mover for someone his size. Once he arrives in Boca Raton, Pollock should be a perfect fit in Zach Kittley’s offense.

Schmitt attends West Broward High School and held offers from notable schools like Florida, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia. The offensive tackle possesses prototypical size and movement ability, while also having room to grow with his weight, pass blocking, and overall technique. Similar to Pollock, Schmitt is a perfect fit for what the new FAU offense will need on the offensive line.

Daoud, unlike Schmitt and Pollock, did not have many offers outside of FAU, East Central, and North Dakota. However, the Allen, Texas native has talent that seemingly popped off the page for Zach Kittley and his football staff.

Daoud has great touch on his throws and knows how to layer passes in traffic. He also has the arm strength to attack deep down the field, not losing much accuracy on them either. Additionally, Daoud has some good athletic ability inside the pocket and outside of it.

He may not have the recognition of other signal callers, but there is a chance FAU could be stealing a very solid quarterback in the 2026 class, who will then have the opportunity to develop his skill set with the offensive-minded Kittley.

On the defensive side of the ball, FAU landed a pair of secondary players in Tyson Stroud and Eric Parks. Parks, ahead of his commitment to the Owls, had offers from UCF, USF, Wake Forest, and more. Meanwhile, Stroud had offers from UCF, FIU, Delaware, and more.

Both players, who are lifelong friends and high school teammates, are great athletes who fly around and make plays all over the field. They can deliver big hits downhill or make big-time coverage plays. In short, Parks and Stroud are versatile chess pieces for a defense. Add in their noted chemistry on the field with each other, and the Owls could be getting a defensive back duo that makes a fun impact right off the bat.

In terms of visits, the Owls are in a very similar situation to USF. Two of their listed visits, Cameron Miller and Carson Dempsey, have committed to Kentucky and Tulsa, respectively.

In terms of uncommitted players, 24/7 has offensive tackle Dujuan Davis and edge rusher Aiden Anderson set to visit the school.

Davis holds offers from Ole Miss, Rutgers, Howard, USF, and Western Kentucky. Listed at 6-feet-5-inches and 400 pounds, he would be a mammoth, pun intended, addition to the future of FAU’s offensive line.

Anderson, who holds offers from schools such as NC State and Wake Forest, has FAU as the only school with warm interest. Anderson, as a result, would be another great addition to the Owls’ 2026 class.

FIU Panthers

The Panthers landed two very impressive commitments on the offensive side of the football.

First, FIU landed offensive lineman Kaleb Barnes out of Tallahassee, Florida. Holding additional offers from Illinois and Alabama State, Barnes is a road grater in the run game and has great movement skills in the passing game as a blocker. I am a huge fan of his upside and think he will be a great asset for the Panthers going forward.

Then on Wednesday, the Panthers landed running back Qwantavius Wiggins out of Georgia. A previous commit to USF, Wiggins has all of the top-end traits needed at the position. He has breakaway speed, nice short-area burst, the strength to power through tacklers, and the vision to hit the right holes. Holding offers from schools like Minnesota and Pittsburgh, along with his previous commitment to USF, it is clear that Wiggins was a very coveted player. Alongside Jayden “Mook” Ford and Justin Compere, it seems that the 2026 class for FIU is set to provide some future building blocks to the running back room.

Quotes of the Week

FIU Commit Sean Kentish on why he chose FIU: “From a coaching staff perspective, they are really great coaches and really great men. That characteristic really drove my decision to go to FIU. It was not a hard decision at all… this is home. This is where I want to be.”

On how he approaches the run game: “I just trust in my technique. I may make little tweaks here or there, especially depending on who I am playing against. But overall, as a player, I just trust my technique.

On how he approaches pass blocking: “I rely on the film. Once I get the film of the team we are playing against, I study all of the defensive linemen in general. I study what they do in the pass game, if they are a power guy or a speed guy, if they mix it up with a long arm. I just rely on the film and, once again, just rely on my technique.

On his favorite play call: For me, it is either a screen play or a pulling play. If I get out on a pull and it is a linebacker on an island, I know that I can kill somebody on the field when I do that. It’s a great feeling to put somebody in the ground.”

If you have not already, make sure to check out the full interview below! It was a fun one that provided some great insight into how one of FIU’s commitments attacks the art form that is playing offensive line.

Grab Bag: Football Notes From the Week

• From my watch of Arch Manning, two specific players caught my eye on the Texas Longhorns offense. The first was wideout Ryan Wingo; with a mix of deep speed, upper-level route running, and contested catch ability, I was shocked that Wingo was a freshman. I would not be surprised to see him breakout in 2025. The other player was running back Quintrevion Wisner. Between his contact balance, speed, and vision, I think that the running back will thrive alongside the returning CJ Baxter for Texas.
• FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp officially accepted his invite to the Manning Passing Academy. I think that many people are sleeping on Veltkamp on a national level, and I also think he has a breakout 2025 season ahead of him. If he lights up the MPA, which I think is well within his reach, Veltkamp will not be a secret for much longer.

• Phil Steele’s All-CUSA Preseason List was released, containing multiple members of the FIU Panthers.
  • First Team: RB Kejon Owens, KR C’Quan Jnopierre
  • Second Team: QB Keyone Jenkins, WR Alex Perry, TE Dallas Payne, CB Brian “Deuce” Blades, P Trey Wilhoit
  • Third Team: OG Jaheim Buchanon
  • Fourth Team: LB Johnny Chaney Jr.

• NFL Note of the Day: The Baltimore Ravens signed cornerback Jaire Alexander to a one-year, $6 million deal. he is a perfect fit for their defense, and if he stays healthy, will help Baltimore have a great defense once again.

• The football recruitment period for the 2027 class has begun, and wow, I feel old. In other news, stay tuned for all the latest commitments and updates going forward for the 2027 USF, FIU, and FAU classes.
• On a personal note, I will be attending the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina! I am really excited to cover this event and further expand my horizons as a football reporter. More importantly, I am truly thankful to be able to get these opportunities!

And that brings us to the end of the column! Thank you all for checking out another edition. And, we will be back next week with another jam-packed football edition! Thank you for reading, and I will catch you next time!