NCAA

The powers of college football are not going anywhere anytime soon.

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs sit on top of the class of 2023 recruiting rankings after the December National Signing Day.

Alabama and Georgia were not the biggest headline makers on Wednesday. That title belonged to the Oregon Ducks.

Oregon surged multiple positions into the top 10 of most national recruiting rankings thanks to a tremendous Signing Day.

The Ducks are the only west coast team in the top 15 of the team rankings at 247 Sports. They appear to be ready to take over the PAC-12 for good once the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans leave for the Big Ten.

Class of 2023 Recruiting Rankings

1. Alabama

2. Georgia

3. Texas

4. Miami

5. Ohio State

6. LSU

7. Oregon

8. Oklahoma

9. Notre Dame

10. Tennessee

Oregon stole the headlines on Signing Day itself by flipping a few players.

The Ducks landed quarterback Austin Novosad, who was committed to Baylor, to replace Dante Moore, who opted last week to go to UCLA instead of the Ducks.

The Ducks landed two recruits who were originally committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and they landed cornerback Daylen Austin, who was initially pledged to the LSU Tigers.

Head coach Dan Lanning and his staff finished off the day with the signature of five-star defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei.

Oregon made the biggest move in the team recruiting rankings on Wednesday with a SEC-style approach to the process that Lanning brought with him from Georgia.

The Ducks still have some progress to make to catch up to Alabama and Georgia in the recruiting rankings.

Alabama is on top of the team rankings with a class that features a ton of four-and-five-star players.

The Crimson Tide is bringing in six five-star players and 20 four-star players. The biggest news from Tuscaloosa in the last week was the flip of offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor from Iowa.

Proctor is one of six players ranked in the Top 25 to sign with Alabama. Safety Caleb Downs is the highest-rated prospect in the Tide's recruiting class.

Georgia also has an abundance of top-tier recruits headed to its program. Twenty four-star players and two five-star prospectors are a part of the second-best recruiting class.

Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, is the top player in the class of 2023. He headlined the third-ranked Texas Longhorns class.

Texas, Alabama and Georgia are three of eight schools with multiple five-star players in their recruiting classes.

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame were also in the top 10 of the team rankings last year.

The top recruiting team in the class of 2022, the Texas A&M Aggies are currently 14th, one spot ahead of USC.

When national analysts for men's college basketball get asked who's the best team that no one is talking about, we typically respond with a fringe AP Top 25 team, or one that appears to be turning a corner after failing to live up to the preseason hype.

You know, major-conference teams that plenty of people are definitely aware of but that might be worth buying low as a title contender.

But the best team that absolutely no one is talking about this year?

The 11-1 Fordham Rams.

More than half a century ago, Digger Phelps coached Fordham to a 26-3 record, a No. 9 ranking in the AP poll and a first-round victory in the 1971 NCAA tournament.

And the program has not been nationally relevant since.

The Rams haven't been ranked since that final poll in 1971.

Since shocking 18th-ranked Georgetown at the end of the 1977-78 season, Fordham has lost 53 consecutive games to AP Top 20 opponents. (At least the games of that ilk in the 1980s were occasionally competitive, though. The Rams have lost by double digits in 32 of their last 33 games against Top 20 foes.)

They have gone to just one of the past 50 NCAA tournaments, getting pummeled in the first round of the 1992 dance by a Massachusetts team coached by an up-and-comer named John Calipari.

And unless you're trying to count Eric Paschall—who spent one season at Fordham before transferring to Villanova for his final three years of college hoops—this program hasn't had a player drafted since 1983. That year, Edward Bona and David Maxwell went in the sixth and ninth rounds, respectively, and never played a minute in the NBA.

Fordham simply has not mattered in men's college basketball at any point in my life.

Yet, out of absolutely nowhere, the Rams have one of the best records in men's college hoops, entering Thursday's home game against VMI at 11-1, with eight of those wins coming by double digits.

On Dec. 11, they became the second team this season to reach 11 wins against D-I competition, hitting that plateau just 24 hours after Connecticut did.

It's not often that we get to put Fordham in a two-team club with arguably the best squad in the nation, but there you go.

Granted, the schedule has had a lot to do with that early success. Per KenPom.com, the Rams entered play Wednesday with the worst strength of schedule in the country.

But that's also nothing new. Fordham's nonconference slate has been a joke for the past decade, ranking in the bottom 10 percent of the nation in each of 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2021-22 and in the bottom 33 percent every year since 2012-13. (Except 2020-21, when Fordham played no games outside the Atlantic 10.)

Those weak slates never produced anything quite like this.

The last time the Rams won even 10 nonconference games was in 1990-91, and it wasn't until their 15th nonconference game in late February that they got that 10th victory.

And the last time they won 11 nonconference games during the regular season was in 1974-75, when they went 12-13 overall as an independent team.

11-1 is just unheard of for this program, regardless of the schedule.

In fact, it's the first time Fordham has gotten to 11 wins within its first 15 games since that mythical Phelps-coached team that started 18-1 in 1970-71.

So, what exactly is going on in the Bronx?

Well, the simplest answer is that shots are going in for a change.

Fordham is shooting 53.0 percent from inside the arc, 37.2 percent from beyond it and 75.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Rams have not finished a season at or above any of those three marks since the aforementioned 1990-91 squad, which shot 38.5 percent from three-point range.

And, to be clear, 53.0, 37.2 and 75.5 aren't outlandish, unsustainable numbers. Fordham is somewhere in the 41st-best to 125th-best range in the country in all three categories.

However, it's an uncommon degree of bucket-getting success for this program.

Fifth-year senior Khalid Moore has surprisingly been the biggest factor in that offensive outburst.

Moore had started 63 games and played in 117 total games over the previous four seasons at Georgia Tech, but he was much more of a versatile glue guy than a designed scoring option for the Yellow Jackets. He averaged just 4.4 points per game, only once scoring 15 or more in a contest.

Lo and behold, the 6'7" stretch 4 is averaging 15.5 points per game for Fordham, transforming into a linchpin for an offense averaging at least 72 points per game (75.5) for the first time in over two decades.

"[Moore had] always been a role player from high school to AAU to Georgia Tech," Fordham head coach Keith Urgo said in a recent interview with Andy Katz for the NABC. "... He knew what he wanted his last year in college. ... And he's performed at a high level in a much bigger role than he ever had."

In one of Fordham's two wins outside Quadrant 4, Moore went for 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists at Tulane. And after scoring a career-high 25 points on Dec. 11 against Central Connecticut State, he has already put up more points this season (186) than his previous career high (166).

And on the career scoring front, Youngstown State transfer Darius Quisenberry is averaging 18.1 points per game this season while rapidly approaching 2,000 points—as well as 400 rebounds and 400 assists.

This is DQ's second year on the team, and he entered this season as a career 30.6 percent three-point shooter. But he's connecting at a 45 percent clip for the year and has made 22 of 38 (57.9 percent) over his last six games.

Quisenberry almost had his first career triple-double in November, too, going for 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a win over Holy Cross. Had he gotten there, it would have been the first triple-double in Fordham history.

Beyond that Batman and Robin (as Urgo calls them) scoring tandem, Fordham has a formidable one-two punch at the 5 with Abdou Tsimbila and Rostyslav Novitskyi combining for 14.1 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.

A light version of what Purdue had last season in Zach Edey and Trevion Williams, they're pretty much never on the court together, but the Rams almost always have one of those big men anchoring them in the paint.

Fordham also has a veteran point guard averaging 4.7 assists per game (Antrell Charlton) and a senior wing who does a little bit of everything (Kyle Rose).

Again, the schedule has been pathetic. And Fordham did commit 27 turnovers while getting trounced 74-48 by Arkansas (sans Nick Smith Jr.) five days into the season. I'm not suggesting you visit your nearest sportsbook and ask what sort of odds you can get on this team winning a national championship.

However, the Rams have made the most of their pathetic schedule, and they just might be a legitimate mid-major to watch out for in March.

I watched the games against Tulane and Central Connecticut State, and when that offense gets into a groove—and isn't shooting itself in the foot with turnovers—this looks like a veteran-heavy team that can hang with just about anyone.

The Rams haven't finished a season rated in the top 160 on KenPom since 2007-08, but they entered play Tuesday at No. 159—up 70 spots from where they started the season.

And, like, have you taken a look at the A-10 lately?

It's normally a multi-bid league, but it is a disaster this year. Dayton, Saint Louis, VCU and newcomer Loyola-Chicago have all fallen well short of expectations, as every team except for Fordham has already suffered at least three losses.

That league is so far down and so wide open that—despite playing under its fourth head coach in less than three calendar years and despite a 54-197 record in league play during 15 consecutive losing A-10 seasons—even Fordham could win it.

While I said not to bet on them to win the national championship, Fordham at +8000 to win the A-10 regular-season title was too tempting for me to resist.

That's partially because the schedule remains favorable for the Rams. Their double dips are against Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and Davidson, none of whom look like a top-five team in the league. And Fordham's games against the two supposed favorites (Dayton and Saint Louis) will both be played in The Bronx.

Jump on the bandwagon while you still can, because by the time noted alumnus Denzel Washington starts saying that King Kong ain't got s--t on Fordham men's basketball, it'll be too late.

Odds via DraftKings. Statistics via WarrenNolan.com, Sports Reference and KenPom.com unless otherwise noted.

Jackson State cornerback Travis Hunter is following Deion Sanders to Colorado, he announced Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

It didn't take long for the former No. 1 recruit to make a decision on his next destination as he revealed just two days ago that he would be entering the transfer portal.

Hunter said in a YouTube video posted to his channel, per Sam Cooper of Yahoo Sports:

"I committed to Coach Prime at Jackson State when he was there and I want to honor my commitment and stay with him. I felt like I learned a lot with him at Jackson State so I'm going to stick with him so I can continue to grind, continue to show love, continue to put the work in so I can get to the next level."

Colorado announced the arrival of Sanders as its next head coach earlier this month, and the Pro Football Hall of Famer indicated that he planned to bring other top-tier talent with him to revive a Buffaloes squad that finished 1-11 this season.

Hunter joins quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, as the latest former Jackson State Tiger to commit to Colorado. Shedeur Sanders also made his transfer decision official on Wednesday.

Hunter, who was listed as the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class, initially committed to Florida State as a high school prospect before flipping his commitment to Jackson State.

As a true freshman in 2022, the 19-year-old proved to be impactful on both sides of the ball. He posted two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and one fumble recovery while playing as a defensive back. The 6'1" star also caught 18 passes for 188 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver.

It's reasonable to believe Hunter will play a similar role under Sanders in Colorado given his speed and talent.

Before committing to Colorado, Hunter was also considering Georgia, per 247Sports recruiting analyst Rusty Mansell. He added Miami and USC were looking to get in the mix for the speedster.

Damon Wilson, a 5-star edge-rusher, announced Wednesday that he has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs.

He chose to join the Bulldogs over Ohio State and Alabama:

Wilson is a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023 out of Venice, Florida. He is ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the country and the second-best edge rusher, per 247Sports' composite ratings.

The only edge-rusher ranked above him is Keon Keeley, who signed his letter of intent with Alabama on Wednesday.

247Sports' Southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins provided a scouting report on the 6'4", 230-pound edge rusher out of Venice High School:

One of the best pure pass rushers in the class of 2023. Can not only win with his initial burst, but is also skilled at chopping, dipping and ripping his way around the corner. ... Has what it takes to emerge as an impact player for a College Football Playoff contender. Might not be the longest cat, but testing profile (4.5 in the short shuttle to go along with a broad jump over 10 feet) and high success rate when it comes to getting home likely to have NFL talent evaluators buzzing one day.

Georgia has had one of the best defenses in the nation over the last several seasons. Wilson will now join a talented Bulldogs 2023 class that includes 5-star cornerback AJ Harris and number of 4-star recruits.

Wilson should hit the ground running in his freshman season at Georgia..

The next Uiagalelei knows where he will play college football.

Matayo Uiagalelei, who is the younger brother of former Clemson and current transfer portal quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, announced he will join the Oregon Ducks as part of their 2023 recruiting class on Wednesday.

The news came after another 5-star recruit, safety Peyton Bowen, also announced his commitment to Oregon.

Uiagalelei, who checks in at 6'5" and 265 pounds, is a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He is also the No. 31 overall player, No. 5 edge rusher and No. 4 player from the state of California in his class.

He was recruited by the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and Texas, which is a who's who list of some of the best programs in all of college football. In December, he trimmed his list to the Buckeyes, USC and Oregon.

It is no surprise the Tigers initially drew interest given his family's connections, but the fact the other annual College Football Playoff contenders were also in on his recruitment hints at his potential.

Uiagalelei played tight end and defensive end at the high-school level, even though he projects to play on the defensive side in college.

The athleticism that helps him run routes as a pass-catcher also allows him to blow past offensive tackles off the edge on defense. Throw in the strength to bulldoze his way through blockers and throw off the rushing attack or passing game, and it is easy to envision him as a defensive game-changer for the Ducks.

He stood out at multiple camps featuring some of the best prospects in the country while showing off that combination of physicality and explosiveness.

Uiagalelei figures to only get better as he enters a college program and adds even more strength while honing his game.

If he does, he can become one of the country's most dominant defensive playmakers early in his career for Oregon.

The Ducks looked like possible Pac-12 title contenders at times during head coach Dan Lanning's first year in 2022, but the defense proved to be a problem at times. It allowed 49 points to Georgia, 37 points to Washington and 38 points to Oregon State in its three regular-season losses, which prevented it from competing for a conference crown.

Consistently landing defensive playmakers like Uiagalelei is the best way to avoid such performances in the future.

Reggie Bush has made no secret of his desire to get his Heisman Trophy back, and he called out outgoing NCAA president Mark Emmert on Tuesday.

Bush took to Twitter to air out his frustration with the Heisman Trust and Emmert, who is set to cede his position to Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker in 2023.

Bush was infamously stripped of his Heisman Trophy in 2010 after an investigation into the USC football program determined that he received improper benefits during his time at the university. Emmert became NCAA president shortly after the investigation was completed.

After the implementation of name, image and likeness deals allowed players to make money while in college, Bush felt like he was entitled to his trophy being returned.

In July 2021, he released a statement saying that he reached out to the NCAA and the Heisman Trust in an attempt to get his award reinstated along with his college records. An NCAA spokesperson told 247Sports at that time that "previous penalties, including those that are several years old, will not be reevaluated or reconsidered based on the recent changes to NIL rules."

Bush revealed in September that he had not given up on his quest, but the trust had not been amenable to his efforts to get his Heisman back. On Saturday, he posted another tweet calling out Emmert and the NCAA:

In his Heisman-winning season with the Trojans in 2005, Bush ran for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns. He amassed 3,169 rushing yards and 1,301 receiving yards during his collegiate career. After 10 years away from USC, the university welcomed Bush back in June 2021.

Michigan running back Blake Corum hasn't made a final decision on whether to return to the Wolverines next season or declare for the 2023 NFL draft.

Corum told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he's "50-50" and still weighing his options:

Corum also said recently that he'll come to a decision "sooner than later," per Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News. The deadline for players to declare for the 2023 draft is Jan. 16.

The 22-year-old is in his third season with the Wolverines. In 12 games this season, he rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 80 yards and one score.

However, Corum's year was cut short after he underwent season-ending knee surgery following an injury in a Nov. 19 matchup against Illinois. He was widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before being sidelined.

During his time at Michigan, Corum has rushed for 2,489 yards and 31 touchdowns in 30 games, in addition to catching 40 passes for 294 yards and two scores.

Corum won't get the chance to help Michigan compete for the national title in the College Football Playoff because of his injury. The No. 2 Wolverines will begin their playoff journey against No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

If Corum thinks Michigan can get back to the CFP in 2023, that could also play into his decision. If he decides to return to Ann Arbor for another season, it could also help his draft stock.

However, Corum is still expected to be one of the top picks at his position in the 2023 draft despite his injury.

Some of the other top running backs who have or are expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft include Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Zach Evans and Mohamed Ibrahim. Robinson has been viewed as a potential first-round pick, which has become rare for running backs of late.