A perceived lack of fit in new Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert’s system was a major factor in sophomore wide receiver Ryan Newsome’s Sunday decision to leave the program, he told 247Sports.

In citing Gilbert’s decision to play taller wide receivers like sophomore DeAndre McNeal and juniors Lorenzo Joe and Jake Oliver in the slot, Newsome also denied accusations that he left because of additions like that of the nation’s No. 4 wide receiver, Devin Duvernay:

“It didn’t have anything to do with any new players coming in,” Newsome told 247Sports. “They were going to have to work as hard as I would just to take a spot from me. I have to compete wherever I go but I want to go play. I have so much to give this game but not a lot of time.

“I don’t want to be wasting the years just doing punt return when I can play slot. I feel like I should be able to showcase that. I really didn’t feel like the system fit me because the guys are more like 6-foot- 3, 6-foot- 4 in the slot and I really didn’t feel like I fit that mold. I just felt like they didn’t want to use me like that.”

The 5’8, 166-pounder caught four passes for 23 yards and returned six kickoffs for 110 yards as a freshman, but didn’t make any catches in the Orange and White game, in large part because he didn’t figure heavily into the rotation in favor of those bigger receivers.

However, Newsome also admitted that he’d been thinking about leaving the program for a while:

Not coincidentally, it was at that time that running backs coach Tommie Robinson, whom Newsome has known for most of his life, left to return to USC.

Now the Aledo product is considering six schools — Alabama, Arizona State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and USC.

The inclusion of the Trojans is hardly a surprise, but the Aggies are a bit surprising, as Texas A&M never offered during his original recruitment. But no hard feelings now from Newsome, apparently, making College Station a possible destination.

Give schools like USC and Tennessee the edge though, because of the Robinson connection for the Trojans and because Newsome seriously considered the Volunteers originally and is close with linebacker Darrin Kickland, who visited Austin on an official visit with the eventual Texas signee in January of 2015.

Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall made roster news on Thursday when he informed the media that offensive lineman transfer Jared Cohen had given up football. Cohen, who announced his decision to transfer from UNC to UVA in the spring, would have had three years of eligibility as a Cavalier.

Cohen is the fifth lineman who’s chosen not to play for the Cavaliers this off-season. Rising seniors Ryan Doull, Sadiq Olanrewaju, and Eric Tetlow “retired” due to injuries. Redshirt freshman Grant Polk left the program as a transfer.

Cohen’s decision leaves Virginia with only 12 offensive linemen on scholarship for the fall and only three true guards: senior Sean Karl, junior Jack McDonald, and sophomore Stephen Moss. Karl and McDonald would appear to have the inside track on the two starting guard spots, though the Virginia coaches could shift over a tackle like Jake Fieler or Ryan Bischoff.

The coaching staff has addressed the program’s lack of line depth in its recruiting for 2017. Virginia has received commitments from 3 offensive linemen and Mendenhall’s staff is actively looking for more.

Aaron Green began his collegiate career in Lincoln, Nebraska, a Cornhusker, but he soon transferred to TCU. He finished his career the lone-standing member of TCU’s recent Big Three, literally helping carry TCU to an Alamo Bowl victory in his hometown of San Antonio.

He finished is TCU career with 2,426 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. In 2015 alone he had 1,272 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Now, TCU has to replace that production while also breaking in a new quarterback. Mind you, Trevone Boykin was the second-leading rusher for the Frogs in 2015, which makes this running back question that much more pertinent. So, who will step in and fill the big shoes Aaron Green left behind? After Shaun Nixon was ruled out for the year with an injury, there are four candidates remaining.

Kyle Hicks

2015 Stats: 55 carries, 262 yards, 3 touchdowns

Kyle Hicks will most likely have the first shot at taking the majority of the carries. He’s a more versatile back than either Trevorris Johnson or Derrick Green, with better top end speed, and cutting ability. However, Hicks still has the strength to break through tackles. Here’s a prime example of his running ability:

He hits the hole quickly, with a good cut off the line. Then, he breaks through an arm tackle and beats four Tech defenders to the endzone. That’s the kind of ability TCU fans have hoped to see from him since he flipped his commitment from Texas to TCU in 2013.

Now the question is, can he do it for an entire season?

Trevorris Johnson

2015 Stats: 43 carries, 262 yards, 0 touchdowns

There’s at least one member of the Frogs O’ War staff who wants Trevorris Johnson to get the damn ball. It’s not a bad play, by any means. Johnson has the brute strength to turn defenders into dust, but he also has a bit of quickness and good footwork. The issue that Johnson encounters, though, is two-fold. First, he tends to try and rely too heavily on speed at times, rather than being the back he is built to be.

Second, when Johnson does embrace the type of back he is, he can get carried away. Johnson is gaining a bit of a reputation for putting the ball on the ground, but he’s not just coughing the ball up because of a light grip. Instead, he’s having the ball ripped loose as he fights for every extra yard he can possibly get. At some point a balance needs to be found between gaining yardage and holding on to the ball. If he can do that, he’ll be a significant player in the running game.

Derrick Green

2015 Stats (with Michigan): 47 carries, 147 yards, 2 touchdowns

Derrick Green made his way to Michigan as the No. 1 running back in the 2013 recruiting class. He left Michigan having not fulfilled the expectations he encountered while wearing the Maize and Blue. However, he should be a contributor to this offense, at least at the level he was for Michigan in 2015. This may be more out of necessity than anything else, but it’s nice to have him in the backfield as a depth guy. And who knows, maybe TCU is the change of scenery he needs to finally discover that next-level ability.

Sewo Olonilua

2015 Stats: N/A

Sewo is a dark horse candidate to be a big factor in the TCU backfield in 2016. The kid is an absolute monster, and has the size, speed, and strength to be the kind of player other teams have to specially prep to play against. Who knows if he becomes that in 2016, or if that doesn’t happen for a season or two. When it does though, this kid will be special.

With 22 commitments in its class, the Arizona Wildcats coaching staff can now focus on positions of need to finish out this cycle. Gabe gave his thoughts on who will fill out the rest of the 2017 class, and one of those was double legacy prospect Jalen Harris from Desert Ridge (Mesa, Arizona). Arizona is looking to add some additional defensive lineman for this cycle, and Harris fits what they are looking for.

I was able to catch up with the 6-foot-4, 210 pound 3-star athlete.

“I talk to Coach (Charlie) Ragle and Coach (Marcel) Yates a lot. My dad played with Coach (Vince) Amey before so that’s pretty cool,” Harris said about his relationship with Arizona’s staff. “They’ve been talking to me about coming in as an outside linebacker or defensive end.”

Harris is up to 14 offers, and last Thursday released a top six of Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, Colorado, and Washington State.

As of today these are my top 6 schools #BearDown #WTD #ForksUp #BuildTheDam #TheRise #Wazzu pic.twitter.com/3kRYEwOZeP

— Jalen Harris (@JHarr8245) July 15, 2016

“Arizona, Washington State, Oregon, and Arizona State,” Harris said about who is recruiting him the hardest. He also stated that the schools are recruiting him as a defensive end.

Harris has visited Tucson and the UA campus multiple times, including the Junior Day on April 16th this spring.

“Arizona State, Washington, Oregon, Washington State, Oregon State, Iowa State, and Colorado State,” Harris said about other visits he’s taken. “I plan on getting out to Colorado soon as well.”

Harris is looking at making his college decision soon.

“End of summer, right around the beginning of the season,” he said about his decision timeline. He also knows exactly what he is looking for in a future school.

“Good academics, a good scheme that I fit into, and a place where I can grow as a person and a player.”

Harris’ parents both attended Arizona with his father (Sean Harris) playing middle linebacker in the Desert Swarm defense. His uncle (Lamar Harris) also attended Arizona and was a starting tight end.

“I want to be my own individual person,” Harris said about being a legacy recruit. “I know my dad played there and I really like the college (Arizona).”

This offseason, Harris said he has been focusing on getting stronger, his tackling, stopping the run, and explosiveness. Last year, he racked up 70 tackles with 17.5 sacks on defense while catching 50 passes for 784 yards and five touchdowns for the offense. His junior highlights are below.

There’s many college football debates going on including banning kickoffs, player discipline, satellite camps, and Big 12 expansion. But I believe there is one more that at least Texas Tech should start having. The following statement is going to seem way outside the box crazy to some and possibly genius to others. Texas Tech should consider getting rid of punting and go for it on 4th down! This isn’t necessarily a new conversation but it’s one that could seriously be relevant to Tech and here are some reasons why:

1. Texas Tech’s Defense

As of late Texas Tech’s defense has been just plain awful. There’s simply no way of denying it because the numbers don’t lie. Last year Tech ranked 126th in total defense. Just in case you were wandering that’s really bad and nearly the absolute worst in college football, but thanks to Kansas, Tech was only 2nd to last in total defense. So take that Kansas! The reason this matters is because if Tech’s defense is as bad as it has been then why not try to keep them off the field as much as possible? Last year Tech gave up 44 points per game, which was 124th in the nation. Call me crazy but if we’re giving up this many points per game then it seems logical to just risk going for it on 4th down because worst case scenario the opposing team scores a touchdown which they were likely to do anyways!

Also a positive point from a defensive perspective is that Tech was ranked in the top 25 in terms of defensive takeaways. Tech plays aggressive style defense, which is also a huge benefit to going for it on 4th down because even if Tech does fail then there’s still a decent possibility the defense comes up with a turnover.

Another part of the defense point is that if Tech’s defense were to become incredibly great then it would also apply because then there’s really not a good chance of the opposing team scoring period. Just saying!

2. Texas Tech’s Offense

Now clearly this doesn’t work without a crazy good offense. Thankfully Tech has one of those that is arguably the best. Last year Tech was 2nd in the nation in scoring offense with 45 points per game. Tech’s fast-paced tempo is another perk because it allows the offense to control the tempo on the field. This could definitely be the case given the no-punt because it’s either likely to give the opposing team a short field to work with or Tech will have a chance to continue their drive, thus wearing out the defense. Last year Tech converted about 48 percent of their 4th down conversions (11 for 23). Not necessarily great, but definitely not bad either. The reason there were only 23 attempts is because Tech was also the best 3rd down offense in the nation. If this trend can continue then the Red Raider offense is fully capable of carrying the load a little more and staying on the field one more down.

3. Punt Return Defense

This isn’t a stat that most people look at or let alone care about, but it adds to my argument. Last year Tech was ranked 108th in punt return defense allowing nearly 13 yards every punt, which isn’t good. Once again Tech can prevent a bad punt return defense from taking the field by keeping their great offense on the field.

4. Game Psychology

It’s safe to say that any team that is frequently attempting 4th down conversions is going to impact an opposing team in a psychological way. Especially against a Texas Tech offense that already puts extreme stress on any defense. Imagine stopping Texas Tech on 3rd down realizing that you’re pretty tired and grateful for the drive to be over, but then you realize that Patrick Mahomes is lining up for another play? Yeah it’d be a little mentally disturbing.

The argument has been made. There are pros and cons for this style of play and it’s really only necessary to ignore the cons and focus on the pros. It may seem crazy and that’s because it probably is. It works great in Madden, which could be a correlation. One coach that does pull it off is Kevin Kelley, who never punts and always goes for the onside kick. It worked so well for him that it was banned by the National Federation of High School Association. I don’t realistically expect Tech to start attempting 4th down plays every time, but I don’t see much wrong with going for it on your own 40 yard line or beyond. Especially when you have an offense as capable as Tech’s. It’s all about risk and reward and I think the reward in this situation outweigh’s the risks. The defense will likely be better in the coming years thanks to Gibbs and the young talent he is developing. So hopefully soon there is no longer a great argument to make for this style of play besides having a spectacular offense.

There is a lot of progressive movement taking place in college football, and it may not be long until attempting plays on 4th down doesn’t sound too crazy. But until then, just think about it.

We are smack dab in the dogs days of summer, but football season will be here before you know. Today the countdown rolls on at 45 and we will look at one of the lesser know Sooners who should begin to show up and make an impact this season going forward.

HB/FB Carson Meier (6-5-245) is a redshirt sophomore for the Sooners. If you are looking for Meier he will be wearing 45 this fall. Rivals.com ranked Meier as a 3 star recruit from Tulsa Union High School. He choose the Sooners over offers from Duke, KSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Rice, Rutgers. SMU, Washington State, and Wisconsin.

Meier redshirted in 2014 and made an appearance in all 13 Sooner football games last season. He was named to the Academic All-Big 12 1st team. Look for Meier to show up in spots this season, most likely on special teams and jumbo packages.

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The Michigan State Spartans could get a second shot at a former recruiting target from the 2015 class.

Ryan Newsome — who settled on the Texas Longhorns out of high school — has decided to transfer out of the Lone Star State and is visiting East Lansing, per 247Sports.

Michigan State is one of six possible destinations for Newsome, the others being Tennessee, Alabama, Texas A&M, Arizona State and USC.

“I know more schools will come after me but more than likely that list won’t change,” Newsome told 247. “I’m really excited for those schools and I know for a fact those schools are interested in me. I’m visiting Arizona State and Michigan State next week.”

The 5-8, 180-pound Fort Worth native recorded four catches for 23 yards and six kick returns for 110 yards in 2015.

He says MSU was the first school to contact him during his initial recruiting process and that “they said I’m their guy.”

The Razorbacks landed a commitment from a very talented two-sport star Wednesday in Greenwood’s Connor Noland. The quarterback/pitcher pledged to play football and baseball for the University of Arkansas.

Proud to announce my commitment to play football and baseball for the University of Arkansas! #OmaHogs #Uncommon pic.twitter.com/Xb5xbYGSHH

— Connor Noland (@cnoland_13) July 20, 2016

Noland, who grew up in Greenwood rooting for the Razorbacks and former Bulldog Tyler Wilson, is considered a 4-star prospect and is regarded as the state’s top baseball and football prospect for the 2018 class. 247Sports ranks him among the top 10 pro-style quarterbacks in the 2018 class.

He split time in the pocket with Bulldogs quarterback Luke Hales last season as the Bulldogs claimed yet another double-digit win season, conference championship and trip to War Memorial Stadium for the 6A state title game vs. Pine Bluff.

Noland completed 73 of 103 passes for 872 yards and nine touchdown passes against only two picks as a sophomore for Greenwood. But he can also bring the heat on the mound, reaching as high as the low-90s with his fastball.

Noland received scholarships offers for football from Arkansas, UCLA, Kentucky, Memphis, Missouri, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Penn State, Texas A&M and others while taking unofficial visits to Notre Dame, Florida, Tennessee, Duke and Vanderbilt.

The rising junior still has two more years of high school to grow and get better, and there aren’t many schools across the state better equipped to handle stars than Greenwood football coach Rick Jones and baseball coach Trey Holloway, who pitched for the Razorbacks.

We’d also like to wish Connor a happy birthday while welcoming him!