College Football

Class of 2023 5-star safety Peyton Bowen raised some eyebrows when he flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Oregon on Wednesday, but he made an even more surprising decision Thursday.

Bowen announced on social media that he has now committed to Oklahoma. He stated that after his commitment to the Ducks, he "immediately started to rethink my future."

A 6'0", 185-pound safety from John Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, Bowen is ranked as the No. 2 safety and No. 14 overall player in the 2023 class by 247Sports' composite rankings. In his announcement, he cited a desire to stay closer to home as part of his reason for joining the Sooners. He apologized to the fanbases of Oregon and Notre Dame, acknowledging that his decision-making process "could have been handled better."

247Sports recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks describes Bowen as a "sudden athlete with lateral mobility and great initial burst and acceleration" who can be "dangerous as a center fielder thanks to ability to cover territory and make plays on the ball." Bowen also competed in track and field at a high level during his high school career.

Brooks added that the two-sport athlete "projects a potential high-major impact player in the future with immediate special teams value and a long-term ceiling that could lead to the NFL draft."

Bowen's decommitment from Oregon is another loss for Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and his staff. 5-star quarterback Dante Moore, the No. 5 quarterback in his class, flipped from Oregon to UCLA earlier this week.

However, Oregon managed to sign 5-star edge-rusher Matayo Uiagalelei on Wednesday. He is the second 5-star recruit in the Ducks' 2023 class, joining wide receiver Jurrion Dickey.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels announced Friday he will return to school for the 2023 season.

Daniels started for three years at Arizona State before transferring to LSU for the 2022 season. He completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns (three interceptions) and 2,774 yards this year.

Daniels also rushed for 818 yards and 11 scores for a 9-4 LSU team that reached the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers knocked off Alabama and Ole Miss this year and finished No. 17 in the final College Football Playoff poll.

He received an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the NCAA calendar and is poised to be a starter for all five of his collegiate seasons.

Up next is a Citrus Bowl appearance against Purdue on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. ET.

LSU returns some big names in 2023, including linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and wideouts Malik Nabers and Kayshon Boutte. Per Brody Miller of The Athletic, LSU will bring back its entire offensive line as well.

That sets up LSU for success in its second season under Brian Kelly, who has accelerated the rebuild of the Tigers program after it went 6-7 last year.

Having all the key parts back in place will make LSU a strong contender for the College Football Playoff crown. The Tigers had an outside shot at getting there this year before losing to unranked Texas A&M on Nov. 26.

Next year's ledger won't be easy, especially a road game at Alabama, but LSU has the pieces to make the CFP.

One of the top pass-rushers in the 2023 recruiting class has picked his school.

Jaquavious "Qua" Russaw, a 5-star edge-rusher from Carver High School in Alabama, committed to Alabama on Wednesday, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren.

"Just the winning program," Russaw told ESPN about why he chose the Crimson Tide. "Great program, great place to be, and they can do a lot for you. It's a legendary program."

Russaw is considered the No. 22 player in the Class of 2023, the No. 3 edge-rusher and the No. 2 player from the state of Alabama, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Cooper Petagna of the recruiting website wrote in Russaw's scouting report that he is an "instinctive three-down linebacker that has ability to play on or off ball at the next level and can add pass-rushing value on passing downs."

Petagna added: "Plays with outstanding effort and will add immediate special teams value at the next level. Projects to a high level Power Five multiyear starter at the collegiate level."

ON3.com said Russaw compared to Tennessee Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans.

Russaw was awesome in 2021, accumulating 130 tackles (27.5 for loss) and 16 sacks.

"I love football and I want people to see that when they watch me play," he told Dawg Nation in May. "I love to make tackles, and it doesn't matter how far away they are or how far down the field it is. I am going to chase it. That's because I love football."

And matching that energy with a similar team culture was a big part of what he was seeking as he considered his college options.

"Just a hard-working team that wants to win," he said he was looking for during the recruiting process. "With the best players on the field. The best players on the field are usually the hardest workers."

With superstar edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. likely off to the NFL as a potential top-three pick, Russaw could have an avenue for playing time, though Alabama rarely lacks depth.

Dallas Turner, Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell will be the favorites to top the depth chart off the edge for the Crimson Tide next season, while fellow Class of 2023 5-star edge-rusher Keon Keeley will also push for playing time.

Javien Toviano, a 4-star cornerback from Martin High School in Arlington, committed to LSU on Thursday, according to Sonny Shipp of 247Sports.com.

Toviano is considered the No. 58 player from the Class of 2023, the No. 6 cornerback and the No. 9 player from the state of Texas, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

At 6'0" and 185 pounds, Toviano already has solid size for the position, though he'll have to bulk up somewhat in college. He's also a versatile athlete, also playing running back and some Wildcat quarterback for Martin.

And he has a solid athletic pedigree. His older brother, Juma Otoviano, is a running back for Rice who has rushed for 1,082 yards and five touchdowns in his college career.

"I think it starts with his humility," Toviano's head coach at Martin, Bob Wager, told NBC DFW 5 when breaking down what made the cornerback prospect special. "He's been raised the right way by his mom and dad. He has an older brother Juma who was a great role model and example for him. He plays all three phases and does whatever he can to help the football team."

That versatility has made him a key player for Martin. At the next level, however, he'll likely focus solely on the cornerback position, with the upside to be a special player.

He may have a route to immediate playing time. LSU only is currently scheduled to have three corners, Sevyn Banks, Laterrance Welch and Jaelyn Davis-Robinson, on the roster for the 2023 season after Mekhi Garner and Jay Ward declared for the NFL Draft and Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Colby Richardson ran out of eligibility.

Toviano will have competition among the freshman, however, with 3-star corners Jeremiah Hughes and Ashton Stamps committed to the school in the Class of 2023. And LSU is likely to address the position in the transfer portal.

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.

Michigan has never won a College Football Playoff game. The Wolverines lost in their CFP debut in the 2021 season, falling to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, which was a semifinal matchup.

TCU has never played in a College Football Playoff game. The Horned Frogs have mostly struggled since the four-team format was introduced ahead of the 2014 season.

One of these programs will soon be notching its first CFP win and advancing to play for the national championship. Which one will it be? That will be decided on Dec. 31.

No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU are set to face off in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on New Year's Eve. The winner will advance to face the victor of the Peach Bowl, which features a matchup between No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State.

Here's all of the latest information on this year's Fiesta Bowl, including odds, comments and more.

Fiesta Bowl Odds

Spread: Michigan (-8)

Over/Under: 58.5 total points

Moneyline: Michigan -305 (bet $305 to win $100); TCU +255 (bet $100 to win $255)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Preview, Top Comments

Michigan has rolled through the 2022 season, winning each of its first 13 games. It won a big matchup against Ohio State to end the regular season, then took down Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Now, the Wolverines will face a challenging opponent in TCU. Although the Horned Frogs lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game, they won each of their 12 games before that. So the Fiesta Bowl has the potential to be a competitive game.

If Michigan is going to end up on top, it likely will need to find a way to limit the production of TCU senior quarterback Max Duggan, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist and is having a stellar season.

"We'll be fired up to compete against a relentless competitor like him," Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said, per Josh Henschke of Maize & Blue Review.

Duggan has passed for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 13 games. He's also rushed for 405 yards and six scores.

The talented QB is the primary reason why TCU led the Big 12 in points (40.3) and total yards (473) this season.

"Nothing but tremendous respect for the type of competitor that he is," Harbaugh said, per Henschke. "And it's going to be a huge challenge getting ready for a quarterback like that. All I have seen is just relentless competitor, super-talented, tremendous effort."

But Michigan's defense has excelled in tough matchups already this season. The Wolverines have allowed only 277.1 total yards per game, which ranked third best among FBS teams. Their 13.4 points allowed per contest ranked fifth.

In 13 games, Michigan has allowed more than 17 points only three times.

Duggan is ready for the challenge. Not only because the Wolverines have been dominant this season, but because the school has thrived for so many years.

"You get to play a great program that has so much history, and that's what you want," Duggan said, per The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr. "You want to play the best."

Michigan has had steady leadership for quite some time. Harbaugh took over as the head coach at his alma mater ahead of the 2015 season, and it took him no time to get the program on track. The Wolverines have won 10 or more games in five of his eight seasons at the helm, including his first two and the past two.

Sonny Dykes is also having immediate success at TCU. He took over as the Horned Frogs' head coach prior to the 2022 campaign. Before that, they hadn't won more than seven games in any of the previous four seasons.

"It's been quite a journey from where we were this time last year to where we are today," Dykes said, per Khan. "You got to give our players and everybody associated with our program a ton of credit for just believing and doing things the right way."

On Dec. 31, one of these two teams will be taking another big step forward and moving on to the CFP National Championship Game, which is set for Jan. 9. And at that point, they'll be only one win away from a national title.

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