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.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE:

Betting Information as of time of writing

Washington State Targeting South Dakota State HC Jimmy Rogers

Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger is reporting that Washington State is reportedly targeting South Dakota State coach Jimmy Rogers for its head coaching vacancy.

Dellenger has reported that the deal is “not done but is expected to get there soon.”

ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that the deal is finalized, and that Rogers is set to make $1.57M per year, on average, over the course of 5 years.

In two seasons with South Dakota State, the Jackrabbits are 27-3, with a 15-0 season and FCS Championship in 2023. Rogers played at SDSU from 2005-09, and then was on staff as a GA from 2010-11 before leaving for a GA spot at FAU for 2 seasons. He did come back to SDSU, however, and has been with the staff since, spending 6 years as LBs Coach, before being promoted to DC for 4 years before spending the 2 last years as the Head Coach.

Texas WR Isaiah Bond Will Play vs. Arizona State

ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that Texas WR Isaiah Bond will play in the CFP Quarterfinal Peach Bowl against Arizona State.

Bond suffered an ankle injury in the SEC Championship that held him out of the first round of the CFP against Clemson.

In 2024, Bond has 33 catches for 532 yards and 5 touchdowns. Without question, he is one of the biggest downfield threats the Longhorns have, which changes how Arizona State will have to play defense to protect itself against the long ball.

West Virginia Hiring Oklahoma’s Zac Alley for its DC Position

West Virginia and new coach Rich Rodriguez are hiring Oklahoma’s Zac Alley for its Defensive Coordinator opening. Alley was the Co-DC for Oklahoma, and has spent one year with the Sooners.

Alley came to Oklahoma after having been the DC for Coach Rodriguez’s Jacksonville State teams for two years. Alley started as a GA at Clemson, and then made a stop as a position coach at Boise State before getting his first DC gig at UL Monroe before working with Jacksonville State and Coach Rodriguez.

Alley was not the defensive play caller against UL Monroe, so while the title is not much of an upgrade, the responsibility for Alley is going to be ratcheted up as he presumably will be the play caller for West Virginia’s defense.

Wake Forest is Expected to Hire South Alabama’s Rob Ezell as New OC

Wake Forest is reportedly expected to hire South Alabama’s Rob Ezell as their new OC, according to 247’s Matt Zenitz.

Ezell helped South Alabama rank 2nd in the Sun Belt in terms of scoring this year, as he has become a fast riser in the coaching ranks.

Ezell is also perhaps most famous for his impression of Nick Saban, as Ezell was a former walk-on with the Tide.

Ezell also has spent time with Colorado State (GA), Alabama (Student Asst, GA, Off Analyst), and has been with South Alabama since 2021, spending the first 3 seasons as the TEs Coach, before spending this season as the OC and QBs Coach.

Cal RB Jaydn Ott Returning for 2025

Cal star RB Jaydn Ott announced yesterday that he intends to return to Cal for the 2025 season.

Ott made the announcement on his Twitter page by posting the clip from The Wolf of Wall Street where Jordan Belfort announces to Stratton Oakmont that, well, he’s not leaving.

Ott was electric in 2023, leading the Pac-12 with 1,315 rushing yards and averaging over 100 yards per game. In 2024, however, he took a slight step back, only rushing for 385 yards total in 10 games played while Jaivian Thomas was actually the Golden Bear who led Cal in rushing yards, with 626.

Jordan Reid of ESPN reported after the 2023 season and coming into the 2024 season, that Ott was receiving primarily Day 2 NFL Draft grades. However, it’s unclear how much his 2024 season impacted his perception amongst NFL teams.

NC State Transfer WR KC Concepcion Commits to Texas A&M

One of the top transfer portal receivers is off the board as NC State WR KC Concepcion has committed to Texas A&M out of the portal.

Concepcion had an elite season by true freshman standards, posting a statline of 71 receptions for 893 yards and 10 touchdowns which was good enough to earn him 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

He took a slight step back in 2024, “only” posting 53 catches for 460 yards and 6 touchdowns. Despite that, Concepcion was the 5th ranked player nationally in the portal according to the On3 industry portal rankings, ranking 3rd at the WR position.

Auburn Transfer QB Walker White Commits to Baylor

Auburn QB Walker White has committed to transfer to Baylor after having spent his true freshman season with Auburn.

White only played in one game as a true freshman, meaning he heads to Baylor with all four seasons of eligibility still in tact.

Despite his lack of experience, White is still one of the top QB options in the portal, ranking as the #84 player nationally and the #10 QB. Coming out of high school, White was ranked 86th nationally and 7th at the QB position, having made him a great get for Hugh Freeze and Auburn at the time.

Tennessee WR Mike Matthews Entering Transfer Portal

Tennessee WR Mike Matthews is planning to enter the transfer portal, according to On3.

Matthews was a true freshman in the 2024 season, finishing with 7 catches for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns, appearing in 10 total games.

Coming into 2024, though, Matthews was one of Tennessee’s prized recruits from the 2024 class, rating as a consensus 5-star and ranking both 26th nationally and 6th at the WR position. This was a little bit of a surprise for Coach Heupel and the Volunteers, as Matthews was not expected to hit the portal.

App State Transfer QB Joey Aguilar Commits to UCLA

Appalachian State transfer QB Joey Aguilar has committed to UCLA out of the portal, he announced earlier this weekend.

Aguilar threw for more than 3,000 yards in each of his two seasons with the Mountaineers, leading the Sun Belt in passing this season.

His decision to hit the portal comes after the NCAA’s decision to allow for a 5th year, blanket waiver for players who spent two years at the JUCO level in the wake of Diego Pavia’s lawsuit against the NCAA. Aguilar spent two seasons at Diablo Valley College before transferring in to Appalachian State for what everyone believed would be his final two seasons. But, with one more season, it would appear that Aguilar is headed out west for what is, for now, expected to be his final season of eligibility.

Alabama A&M Hires Sam Shade as New Head Coach

Alabama A&M announced yesterday that it has hired Sam Shade to be its next Head Coach.

Coach Shade has spent the last three seasons as the Head Coach of Miles College in Fairfield Alabama, where he has posted a record of 18-15 in that time, including a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship win in 2024, as well as advancing to the 2nd round of the Division II Playoffs.

Shade spent 8 years in the NFL as a defensive back, and then went to work at Samford and Georgia State, before leaving to be an assistant with the Browns. He then took a job as a head coach at Pinson Valley High School in Alabama, leading the team to a 6A state championship in his first season. Since then, he has been at Miles College and is now set to take over at Alabama A&M.

Other Commitments/Decommitments

3-Star (86) QB Steele Pizzella flips from Washington State to Wake Forest

3-Star (82) OT Aderian Adelabu commits to Yale

Unrated CB Sherrod Smith commits to Boise State