Georgia Tech, AP Top 25, Ohio State, and More!

CFB Roundup – August 13, 2024

Good morning, and welcome back to CFB Roundup from CFB Home – the first daily newsletter that’s all college football, all the time with no bias, no slant, and no fluff.

Current Subscriber Count: 458 (Goal: 500 by Week 0 on 8/24/24)

5-Star IOL Josh Petty Commits to Georgia Tech

5-Star IOL Josh Petty committed yesterday to Georgia Tech over Florida State, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia, and others.

Petty said the decision was challenging, but it helped that Georgia Tech made him feel like a priority from the beginning. He sees the trajectory that coach Brent Key has the Yellow Jackets on, and he believes that he can be part of an ACC championship caliber program.

Petty is ranked as high as 14th nationally and 2nd at his position according to 247Sports, and On3’s composite ranking places him 29th nationally and 2nd at his position.

This commitment launches Georgia Tech up in the rankings, all the way up to 22nd overall and 4th in the ACC. This is Georgia Tech’s 4th Blue Chip commitment and 22nd commitment overall in the 2025 class.

Preseason AP Poll Top 25

The preseason AP Top 25 poll results were released yesterday, with Georgia claiming the top spot, followed by Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and Alabama.

After that, there are a few more risers compared to the postseason poll at the end of 2023, with Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Penn State up next.

After them, Michigan is down at 9 and Florida State, the highest ranked ACC team is down at 10. The ACC only has four ranked programs: Florida State (10), Clemson (14), Miami (19), and NC State (24), but 3 of the first 4 programs receiving votes (Louisville, Virginia Tech, and SMU) are also ACC programs.

The SEC leads the way with 9 programs. The Big Ten is next with 6. Followed by the Big 12 at 5.

Utah is the Big 12’s highest ranked team, ranked 12th.

Ohio State’s Will Howard Starting to Assert Himself in QB Competition

On3’s Andy Staples recently spoke with Spencer Holbrook of Lettermen Row who shared that Will Howard has surged ahead of Devin Brown and Julian Sayin in the Ohio State QB battle and why.

Howard has apparently lost some weight and has trimmed himself down in the weight room, in the process asserting himself in the locker room and weight room. This has allowed him to find his voice, which has translated on the field, according to Holbrook.

And on the field, Howard has looked more decisive, with something Coach Day calls “command of huddle” because of the control Howard has both in the passing game and in the rushing game, as well. One area where Howard apparently could improve slightly throughout fall camp is on the deep ball, but otherwise, it looks like Howard has the clear edge for the Buckeyes starting job.

2026 4-Star OT Kodi Greene Commits to Oregon

Consensus 2026 4-star OT Kodi Greene has committed to Oregon over offers from programs like USC, Washington, and Michigan, among others.

Greene said he couldn’t quite explain it, but something was calling him to commit to Oregon. Especially after he was there for Junior Day recently, the energy and feeling of the program were different for him. Since then, Oregon has been at the top of his list.

Greene ranks as high as 28th nationally and 4th at the OT position according to 247Sports. On3’s industry composite rankings places Greene 36th nationally and 5th at his position in the 2026 class.

Greene marks the 4th Blue Chip commitment already in the 2026 class where Oregon currently ranks 1st in the nation according to On3’s team rankings.

On3’s Top 10 SEC Players Before 2024

On3’s Jesse Simonton recently released his Top 10 SEC players heading into the 2024 season.

To consider just how elite the talent in the SEC is, names like Nic Scourton, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Booker, Harold Perkins, and Tre Harris were honorable mentions, and guys like Walter Nolen and All-Americans like Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman did not even make the list.

Georgia was the only school with 3 players, with #4 Malaki Starks, #6 Carson Beck, and #10 Mykel Williams. Texas is the only other team with multiple names, with #7 Kelvin Banks and #8 Quinn Ewers.

The only other QB to make the list was Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (#9).

The top 3 is, in order, Tennessee’s Edge James Pearce, LSU’s LT Will Campbell, and Missouri’s WR Luther Burden.

On3’s Top 10 Most Impactful Transfers in the Big Ten

On3’s Andy Backstrom recently shared his Top 10 transfers who are going to shape the Big Ten title chase the most in 2024.

Leading the way is a transfer from the Big 12 – former Kansas State QB Will Howard.

Following Howard is the only other QB to make the top 10: Dillon Gabriel.

Other incoming Buckeyes include RB Quinshon Judkins (#3) and S Caleb Downs (#4), while other incoming Ducks include WR Evan Stewart (#5) and CB Jabbar Muhammad (#7).

Penn State transfers also make the list, with WR Julian Fleming ranking 8th and cornerbacks AJ Harris and Jalen Kimber combining to rank 9th.

Florida NT Jamari Lyons Missing 2024 with Broken Ankle

Florida NT Jamari Lyons suffered a broken ankle during Florida’s scrimmage this past weekend, and head coach Billy Napier announced yesterday the extent of Lyons’ injury and that he would miss the season.

Lyons was expected to make serious contributions as a redshirt freshman after seeing time in three games last season as a true freshman.

Lyons suffered the injury early in the scrimmage, and the damage required an air cast and to be carted off the field, which culminated in his teammates gathering around him, a scene which moved Napier.

3-Star DL Dilan Battle Commits to LSU

3-Star DL Dilan Battle committed yesterday to LSU while also holding offers from TCU, Arkansas, SMU, and others.

Battle’s relationship with DL coach Bo Davis was a large proponent for Battle’s commitment to LSU.

ESPN ranks Battle the highest, tabbing him the 41st best at his position, with On3’s industry composite ranking him 569th nationally and 53rd at his position.

This is LSU’s 22nd commitment for a 2025 Tigers class which currently ranks 3rd nationally and 2nd in the SEC.

Clemson DB Shelton Lewis Suffers Injury in Scrimmage

Clemson DB Shelton Lewis left Clemson’s scrimmage on Saturday after suffering a lower leg injury. Lewis was seen on crutches at the scrimmage, and Coach Dabo Swinney is expected to comment on the injury in the coming days.

Lewis was a key rotational contributor as a true freshman in 2023 and was expected to be a starter and focal point in the secondary in 2024. Lewis appeared in all thirteen games and notched seven pass breakups and two interceptions.

2026 3-Star QB Jackson Presley Commits to Boise State

2026 3-star QB Jackson Presley has committed to Boise State over a deep offer list which included the likes of Texas A&M, Missouri, Florida State, Oklahoma State, and Arkansas, among others.

From the first minute Presley interacted with each coach, he became more and more interested in Boise State and the Broncos program. The facilities, play style, and coaching style all line up with exactly what Presley is looking for.

He is ranked as high as the 25th ranked QB in the 2026 class, per On3. The On3 industry composite ranking places him 431st nationally and 34th at the QB position.

Presley is Boise State’s first commitment in the class of 2026.

Other Commitments/Decommitments

Unrated OT Dylan Frechette committed to FIU