The Smoke Is Getting Louder

Welcome back, portal detectives, NIL economists, and mascot eulogists.

If July is the month of smoke, then college football’s media machine is out here starting wildfires. Coaches pretending 6–6 is momentum. Scott Frost calling his 3rd-string slot “a culture piece.” And the portal? Still hungrier than a punter at Golden Corral.

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📰 HEADLINES: Where Logic Goes to Die

Florida Is Now a Blue-Chip Cult
Billy Napier's quietly built a top-tier blue-chip ratio—finally. The Gators have more talent than excuses now. If this doesn’t translate into SEC wins, we're blaming swamp humidity.
📎 Read More

Scott Frost Channels Therapy at Big 12 Media Days
UCF’s roster rebuild is in full spin mode. Frost blamed the portal, praised team chemistry, and hinted at a QB battle without naming names. All vibes, no depth chart.
📎 Read More

Illinois Shows Up, Says Little, Leaves Quietly
Vegas Media Days gave us one certainty: the Illini exist. Coach Bielema talked OL depth and “program values.” Translation: bring your own excitement.
📎 Read More

Virginia Tech: Embrace the Meh
Projected at 6–6 again. Hokies are stuck in program purgatory: just good enough to get your hopes up, just flawed enough to crush them.
(No link, the projection was too depressing.)

Tragedy at Ole Miss
Freshman DL Corey Adams was killed in a shooting. Absolutely heartbreaking. Football’s secondary here.
📎 Read More

Texas State Already Looking Ahead to the Pac-12
Coach G.J. Kinne admits roster retention’s been brutal—but he’s still got eyes on power conference life. Imagine a Texas State–Rutgers game deciding a playoff berth.
📎 Read More

🔍 Position Spotlight: WRs Rising Through the Chaos

Florida’s Room is Full of Killers
Billy Napier finally has a receiver room that doesn’t make you check the depth chart twice in panic. Chimere Dike brings veteran polish, and Eugene Wilson III might be the SEC's breakout slot weapon. Add in Florida's rising blue-chip count and suddenly they don’t have to spam screen passes just to survive third down.

UCF: Frost Brings the WR Reset
The Knights’ WR corps is basically a lab experiment—new faces, a new QB battle, and a coach trying to keep chaos productive. Stephen Martin III is turning heads early, but with three potential starters rotating, the pecking order is anything but clear. Translation: great for practice reps, hell for fantasy forecasting.

Virginia Tech: Ali Jennings Gone, Hope With Him?
With Ali Jennings off the roster and Da’Quan Felton gone to the draft, the Hokies are stuck trying to reinvent their passing game with duct tape. Kyron Drones still has legs, but without a proven WR1, he might be throwing into the void all season. This room needs someone—anyone—to step up fast, or it’s screen passes and prayer.

🎓 2026 Recruiting Rundown – Top 10 Classes + Player Spotlight

1. USC
The Trojans are stacked with talent on both sides, but it’s 5-star DT Lamar Brown anchoring this class. He’s a trench menace and future defensive captain—think Leonard Williams with better hands.

2. Georgia
Kirby Smart landed Zion Elee, the No. 1 EDGE in the country, and it’s already unfair. Georgia’s class is built around raw pass-rushing chaos and SEC-built size.

3. Notre Dame
Tight end Ian Premer headlines a class that screams “Notre Dame football”—fundamentals, balance, and offensive mismatches. He’s the kind of TE who ruins defensive coordinators’ sleep.

4. Texas
Five-star QB Dia Bell gives Texas a future face of the program and the swagger to match. The Longhorns are recruiting like a team that’s tired of being preseason champions.

5. Texas A&M
Running back K.J. Edwards brings bruiser energy and a ready-to-start frame to College Station. The Aggies are building a bully-ball identity again, and this class is the blueprint.

🌀 Overheard in the Portal

That’s it for this week’s edition of “who the hell let Florida get this talented again?”

Until then, remember: punting is for cowards.

— The Convert on Fourth Down Team

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