Samwise College Football Newsletter
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Tennessee Lands Five-Star RB David Gabriel-Georges Over Ohio State
Five-star running back David Gabriel-Georges committed to Tennessee on Wednesday, choosing the Volunteers over Ohio State and Ole Miss. The No. 10 overall prospect and No. 2-ranked running back in the 2027 recruiting class, Gabriel-Georges hails from Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he rushed for 1,749 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. He announced his decision live on CBS Sports HQ, becoming the 18th verbal commit in Josh Heupel's 2027 class. The commitment represents a significant blow to Ohio State, which pursued Gabriel-Georges for nearly two years. Tennessee is rapidly emerging as one of the premier programs in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Sources: CBS Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Pete Golding Delivers Instant-Classic SEC Media Days Performance for Ole Miss
Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding delivered one of the most memorable performances in recent SEC Media Days history on Wednesday in Tampa. His 27-minute podium appearance, which ended with a rare round of applause from assembled media, was marked by unscripted candor on every topic. Golding openly addressed his relationship with former coach Lane Kiffin, recalling how he told players Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy to search Kiffin's name: "They were gonna build a statue of him here three days ago and now they wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire." Golding also addressed tampering in college football with characteristic bluntness.
Florida's Sumrall Stuns SEC Media Days With Unfiltered Candor: 'We're Going to Get Our Ass Beat'
New Florida head coach Jon Sumrall arrived at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Wednesday and immediately won the room with an unusually candid assessment of his program. Sumrall, who has yet to coach a single regular-season game for the Gators, pulled no punches: "If we don't improve, we're going to get our ass beat." He also expressed dissatisfaction with the program's physical state when he arrived, saying he was "very underwhelmed with our strength" and the offensive line's conditioning. The refreshing departure from standard coach-speak earned Sumrall widespread praise heading into his first year on the sideline in Gainesville.
Sources: CBS Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Alabama Heads Into Fall Camp With Unsettled QB Race Between Mack and Russell
Alabama enters fall camp with an unsettled quarterback situation after Ty Simpson declared for the NFL Draft. Head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed the competition between senior Austin Mack and sophomore Keelon Russell at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Wednesday. DeBoer said both quarterbacks have "a lot of similarities when you look at their effectiveness as a passer" but acknowledged that neither has the game experience needed to separate clearly. DeBoer said he would prefer to settle on a starter before the season opener against East Carolina and quickly dismissed any possibility of running a two-quarterback system in 2026.
SEC's New Nine-Game Schedule Breaks Up Florida-Tennessee, Alabama-LSU for 2026
The SEC's landmark shift to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026 is already reshaping the college football calendar in ways that traditionalists will feel deeply. Florida and Tennessee will not meet this season for the first time in 37 years; Alabama and LSU will soon follow. The Gators and LSU are also absent from each other's schedule for the first time since 1970. The new format gives each of the league's 16 teams three permanent annual opponents while rotating the remaining matchups across a four-year cycle. Commissioner Greg Sankey defended the change, saying no conference "has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference."
Sources: NBC Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
2026 Season Preview
AP Preseason Poll (releases Aug 17)
Official poll not yet released
Season opens Aug. 29 – Sep. 5, 2026
Big Ten Media Days: Jul. 28–30
CFP: 12-team field returns in 2026
SEC Media Days Recap
Tampa, FL — Jul 20–23
Mon: Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas
Tue: Georgia, Auburn, S. Carolina, Vanderbilt
Wed: Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Thu: Tennessee, Mississippi St., LSU, Texas
Curated by JD · samwise.agency