Spring visit leaves Tennessee among ‘top schools’ for Georgia edge rusher
After getting his first Power Four offer from Tennessee, a Class of 2025 edge rusher from Georgia visited the Vols for the first time this spring
Herbert Scroggins III has been high on Tennessee since the Vols gave him his first Power Four scholarship offer six months ago. They were already one of the teams standing out to him, and his first trip to Knoxville only made him like Tennessee even more.
The Class of 2025 edge rusher from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Ga., visited the Vols for the first time earlier this spring to attend one of their spring practices. He said Tennessee is “one of my top schools,” and he’s hoping to return to Knoxville on an official visit as early as next month.
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UNC Looking At Potential Starters, Depth At Star Position For 2024
Mack Brown looks to find a starter at the star with DeAndre Boykins back and others getting reps in the secondary.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Alijah Huzzie’s return to the cornerback position helps North Carolina’s defense backfield on the outside — but it also leaves another position in UNC’s secondary in question.
Huzzie held down the star position last season after DeAndre Boykins was lost for the year with a knee injury. With Huzzie back on the outside and Boykins back from injury, the team is looking at its options at star.
Kaleb Cost, Tre Miller and Ty White have spent time at star, according to Mack Brown. The team is evaluating whether to put Boykins at safety or star, as the staff is giving him reps at both positions.
Cost has spent most of his time with the baseball team as that season is currently going on, though he practiced with the football team three times in the spring. UNC baseball coach Scott Forbes said this week that Cost has a “stress reaction” in his left foot and could be out for the rest of the baseball season. Cost was wearing a boot on his left foot.
During the spring, Cost operated under the NCAA’s “20-Hour Rule,” which limits a player’s “countable athletically related activity” to four hours a day and 20 hours a week.
“When (Cost) was out there, he was very impressive, and he’s excited,” Brown said on April 22. “We moved Tre Miller basically to star, and he’s done really well there. He’s a hitter and (has good pass coverage). And then Ty White is a lot like Tre Miller. He’s athletic and active.”
Miller, listed at 5-foot-9.5, spent his true freshman season in 2023, appearing in five games. Cost, standing 5-foot-10.5, played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, mostly on special teams. Brown mentioned those two as players who would be in the running for the starting spot, saying “it would be a fight” between those two.
Miller got the most reps at that spot during UNC’s spring game.
“You’ve got to have a hitter there,” Brown said. “It’s very physical, but you’ve got to have a guy that can cover on the pass, because everybody wants to get four wideouts now and spread them out and get the safety on one of your best receivers. And he’s a cover guy. Kaleb Cost is a cover guy. Ty White can cover. So that’s what we’re looking at at that position, and we feel like all three of those guys can do that.”
DB Tre Miller (#15) and LB Amare Campbell (#17) in spring practice. (Photo: Jim Hawkins/Inside Carolina)
White rounds out the trio mentioned by Brown as another option to fill in at star. White is a true freshman out of Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek and got reps at star throughout the spring.
Boykins, who was listed as the team’s starting star last year before his injury, has played 25 games in his UNC career. He’s recorded 51 tackles, eight pass deflections and one interception so far.
Playing mostly at star, Huzzie intercepted three passes and deflected six last season for the Tar Heels. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks had a 55.6% completion rate when throwing at Huzzie. He was an honorable mention for the All-ACC team as well.
Whoever leads the way at star this season will do so in a newly schemed UNC defense. Geoff Collins has made it a focal point to have all hands on deck to make the defense more active.
In the team’s last open practice of the spring, the team sent corners and safeties into the backfield on disguised blitzes. Though Collins didn’t reveal much about the team’s schematic plans, he acknowledged that the secondary will be part of the greater effort to attack the quarterback.
“It’s an aggressive defense,” Collins said during the spring. “Pretty much everybody within the scheme has their opportunity or multiple opportunities to add pressure to the quarterback, but the biggest thing, too, is they have to be able to cover. And just understand the nuances of the leverages that we play, the different coverages, those kind of things.”
College basketball transfer portal’s updated best available prospects features new No. 1 after window closes
Which top college basketball transfer portal prospects are still available?
The college basketball transfer portal window closed this week after a wild 45-day period in which more than 2,000 players entered — a record that could stand for years to come. Action in the transfer portal is still hectic even though the deadline for entries has passed. Following the final 247Sports release of transfer portal player ranking, there is a fresh look at the best available prospects still remaining.
A new No. 1 headlines the updated list with more than a quarter of the top-100 transfer portal players from the 2024 cycle still uncommitted. In fact, eight of the top-15 continue to weigh their options. The transfer portal window is closed, but that does not mean players had to make a commitment prior to the entry deadline.
Another busy weekend of recruiting visits could result in decisions from some of the top available transfers.
RELATED (VIP): Transfer portal scoop on every top uncommitted player as teams hit crunch time to fill roster needs
Below is a closer look at the updated best available prospects in the college basketball transfer portal as of Friday (May 3) at 9:15 a.m. ET:
1. KADARY RICHMOND, SETON HALL
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 97 rating | No. 1 PG | No. 1 overall
Kadary Richmond holds the top spot as the new No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal this cycle following the updated rankings release on Thursday. The veteran from Seton Hall earned First Team All-Big East honors and has nearly 1,300 career points to go along with almost 600 assists and more than 500 rebounds. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound point guard averaged a career-best 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field this past season. Richmond began his college career at Syracuse, but spent the past three years with the Pirates. A favorite has already emerged to land the top ranked transfer for the 2024-25 season.
2. NORCHAD OMIER, MIAMI
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 97 rating | No. 1 PF | No. 5 overall
The top scorer for Miami this past season is still available after entering the transfer portal last week. Norchad Omier is a 6-foot-7, 240-pound power forward that averaged 15.2 points over the course of the past four seasons, two of which he spent with the Hurricanes. Omier is efficient near the rim as a career 57.6% shooter from the field. He also averages a double-double in college with 11.0 rebounds per game. In fact, he has 33 double-doubles just in the past two seasons at Miami. There are numerous power conference programs in the mix for Omier.
3. GREAT OSOBOR, UTAH STATE
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 97 rating | No. 2 C | No. 7 overall
Former Utah State standout and Mountain West Player of the Year Great Osobor remains the top available big man in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound center was initially expected to follow head coach Danny Sprinkle to Washington, but continues to take visits with several more still on the schedule. Osobor averaged 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 57.7% from the field this season. He started his career at Montana State before transferring to Utah State where Sprinkle took over as head coach ahead of this past season.
4. CHAZ LANIER, NORTH FLORIDA
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 3 SG | No. 10 overall
Chaz Lanier experienced a breakout season at North Florida and looks to take advantage of a rise in his stock with an additional year of eligibility. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard averaged 19.7 points while shooting 51.1% from the field and 44.0% from 3-point range this past season. Lanier averaged less than five points per game during his first three seasons with the Ospreys. He is testing the NBA Draft process, but there is an SEC school keeping a close eye on the potential transfer.
5. DEIVON SMITH, UTAH
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 3 PG | No. 12 overall
Deivon Smith is back in the transfer portal after just one season at Utah. The three-time transfer previously spent two seasons at Georgia Tech and began his college career at Mississippi State. Smith averaged 13.3 point, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game — sixth-most in Division I this past season. The 6-foot, 173-pound point guard is one of the best ball distributors in the country and there are a handful of suitors lined up for his talents.
6. CLIFFORD OMORUYI, RUTGERS
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 3 C | No. 13 overall
Rutgers big man Clifford Omoruyiis still available having spent more than six weeks in the transfer portal. Early expectations were that his transfer recruitment would move quickly. St. John’s initially jumped out as the favorite, but has since taken official visits to Alabama, Georgetown, Kansas State and North Carolina. Now a final decision is upcoming. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound center averaged double-digit scoring in each of his final three seasons with the Scarlet Knights, including 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game (third-most in Division I) during the 2023-24 campaign.
7. JAYLEN WELLS, WASHINGTON STATE
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 4 SF | No. 14 overall
Jaylen Wells played a key role in helping Washington State return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years, but the 6-foot-8, 205-pound wing is one the move against after just one season in Pulman. Wells earned Division II All-America honors at Sonoma State before joining the Cougars. He averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 43.6% from the field at Washington State. Wells entered the transfer portal last week and could be a pivotal piece for a high-major program in 2024-25, but the NBA Draft might be the most likely option.
8. CAMERON CHRISTIE, MINNESOTA
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 4 SG | No. 15 overall
Minnesota freshman guard Cameron Christie entered the transfer portal just before the deadline this week. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound shooter averaged 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists while hitting 40.3% of his field goal attempts, including 39.1% from 3-point range this past season. Christie previously declared for the NBA Draft, but kept his option of returning to college for another year open. He ranked as a top-100 prospect coming out of high school in the 2023 class.
9. WOOGA POPLAR, MIAMI
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 5 SG | No. 18 overall
Another major transfer portal departure from Miami, Wooga Poplar averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this past season as one of the top scorers for the Hurricanes. He has one year of eligibility remaining after developing into an explosive wing during his time at Miami. Poplar connected on 44.2% of his field goals and 36.5% from deep in three seasons. He is also an excellent free-throw shooter with an 82.3% success rate. Poplar ranked as a top-150 prospect coming out of high school in the 2021 class.
10. DILLON MITCHELL, TEXAS
(Photo: Getty)
Transfer Portal Ranking: 4-star | 96 rating | No. 4 PF | No. 21 overall
Texas lost a number of key pieces to the transfer portal during the recent window, including sophomore power forward Dillon Mitchell, who started in 71 of 72 games played throughout his two seasons in Austin. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward averaged 9.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 58.5% from the field. Mitchell is one of more than a dozen former McDonald’s All-Americans to hit the transfer portal this cycle. He rated as a five-star prospect coming out of the 2022 class. His transfer recruitment remains quiet and several schools showed interest early.
This article originates on 247Sports.
On The Beat Live: That’s a Wrap on ’23-’24!
Adam Smith, Jeremiah Holloway and Evan Rogers join host John Bauman to reminisce about the season that was at UNC.
John Bauman
JOHN BAUMAN
17 hrs
16
In this episode of On The Beat, Adam Smith, Jeremiah Holloway and Evan Rogers join host John Bauman to reminisce about the season that was at UNC. Each member of the panel discusses their favorite quote, anecdote or moment from the 2023-24 UNC season. The panel also starts the show by discussing some of the recent UNC basketball roster news, including a breakdown of the impact of RJ Davis’ return to Chapel Hill for a fifth season.
The show rundown (timestamps are from the YouTube version)
00:00 Show begins
01:19 Reaction to RJ Davis’ return
9:58 RJ’s announcement timing
14:38 Roster coming together
20:40 Best stadium food?
32:55 Covering MBB + WBB
38:25 UNC-Tennessee
42:52 Basketball coverage reflections
52:00 Drake’s final home game
55:31 Shoutouts
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* Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts (iTunes)
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Inside Carolina produces an unprecedented lineup of regular programming dedicated to Tar Heel sports, available in both audio and video (live!) formats all within a single channel, featuring the top experts. Here’s the lineup, which is complemented by special roundtables, featured interviews, reaction episodes, and more throughout the year:
* Coast to Coast (basketball & recruiting) with Sherrell McMillan, Sean Moran, Joey Powell
* Up in the Rafters (basketball) with Joel Berry & Taylor Vippolis
* On the Beat (football/basketball) with Adam Smith, Jeremiah Holloway, John Bauman, Tommy Ashley
* Shooting it Straight (basketball) with Justin Jackson & John Bauman
* The Postgame (basketball) with Dewey Burke, Tommy Ashley
* Next Level (all sports) with Greg Barnes, Tommy Ashley
* Noon Dish (football recruiting) with Don Callahan, Tommy Ashley
* The Day After (football) with Buck Sanders, Jason Staples, Tommy Ashley
* Schoett & Vipp (football) with Jeff Schoettmer and Taylor Vippolis
* The Game Plan (football) with Greg Barnes, Jason Staples, Tommy Ashley
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