🏈 🔵 Texas Cements No. 1 Class, Colorado Adds Marshall Faulk To Staff, & Ryan Day Gets Paid
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Dudes Of The Week 😤
Steve Sarkisian
Head Coach, Texas
Texas inked the nation’s No. 1 class for the first time in the recruiting-rankings era (dating back to 2002) after last week’s second signing period.
Justus Terry resides as one of the Longhorns’ four five-star signees, as head coach Steve Sarkisian staved off late pushes from Georgia and Auburn to keep the defensive tackle in the burnt orange.
Terry stands at 6’5” and weighs 270 pounds, presenting pro-level size from the get-go. He should serve as an instant contributor in the trenches.
Aside from Terry, blue-chip safety Jonah Williams and corner Kade Phillips both elected to remain in the Lone Star State, giving Sarkisian a wealth of quality pieces in the secondary entering 2025.
Marshall Faulk
Running Backs Coach, Colorado
Deion Sanders’ staff in Boulder continues to improve by the day.
On Friday, Colorado announced the addition of NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk to its coaching staff to oversee the running back room.
Faulk’s well-documented pro career consists of an NFL MVP Award (2000), seven Pro Bowl selections, and six NFL All-Pro nods. Currently, Faulk ranks 12th all-time in rushing yards in league history.
Although Faulk boasts zero coaching experience, his resume speaks for itself and should serve as a monumental boost on the recruiting trail for the Buffaloes.
Mario Cristobal
Head Coach, Miami
Although Miami’s 2024 campaign ended in a disappointing Pop Tart Bowl loss, Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes are enjoying one of the ACC’s most productive off-seasons.
This week, Cristobal cemented the top-ranked recruiting class in the conference with 21 signees, highlighted by 16 four-stars.
A few weeks ago, Cristobal was able to poach defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman from Minnesota to fulfill the same role in Coral Gables.
The Golden Gophers finished the most recent campaign ranked fifth in total defense, ninth in scoring, and No. 17 in turnover margin with 22 interceptions.
If Miami’s defense can take a much-needed next step in 2025, the Hurricanes could be on their way to securing the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff berth.
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Mood Tracker Across Fanbases 🤯
Oklahoma 📉
Unsettled
Before this season, the Sooners had won seven of the last nine Red River Rivalry matchups with Texas, asserting annual dominance over one of their most hated foes.
However, after Texas ousted Oklahoma 34-3 in October, the Sooners' trajectory quickly turned lopsided.
Oklahoma finished the campaign 6-7 and didn’t make up for its lackluster on-field play on the recruiting front.
The Sooners concluded the 2025 cycle with the No. 10 class in the SEC alone. Just three years ago, the program finished with the 10th-best class nationally.
In late November, Brent Venables’ bunch lost four-star quarterback commitment Kevin Sperry, who flipped his pledge to Florida State on the same day.
According to FanDuel, Oklahoma’s projected win total line is set at 6.5 entering 2025. Six wins isn’t, and shouldn’t be, the standard in Norman, leaving fans concerned about the future.
Alabama 📈
Optimistic
Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer finally has his guy at offensive coordinator.
Last week, Alabama announced the hiring of Ryan Grubb as the program’s new play-caller, a familiar face who played an integral part in Washington’s success in 2023 as its offensive coordinator.
DeBoer targeted Grubb as his No. 1 choice for offensive coordinator last offseason, but Grubb elected to test the NFL waters as the Seattle Seahawks’ play-caller in 2024.
With the Huskies, the combination of DeBoer and Grubb helped post historic numbers en route to a national championship appearance.
In 2022 and 2023, Washington led the nation in passing offense behind Michael Penix Jr.’s historic 4,903-yard campaign through the air to round out his collegiate career.
"Ryan Grubb has been someone that I have trusted for a long time, and adding him to our staff only improves the quality of coaches we have here at Alabama," DeBoer said last week. "He is one of the best offensive minds in the country.”
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Who Made Money This Week? 💰
Ryan Day
Head Coach, Ohio State
The formula is simple: win big, get paid big.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day did just that last week, only 17 days after his defining national championship victory.
On Thursday, the Buckeyes’ athletic department inked Day to a seven-year contract extension worth $12.5 million per year.
The move immediately makes Day the second-highest paid head coach in college football, behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who commands $13 million annually.
This offseason, Day has been tasked with replacing his offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators, displaying that even college football’s most accomplished minds have no time to relish in recent success.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email at adam@brenemanmedia.com.
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Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting it together!
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