Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has a trio of predictions on the Texas-Clemson playoff game, a future All-American at Auburn and SEC programs that are trending up.
MORE PREDICTIONS: Notre Dame-Indiana, Jackson Cantwell, Michigan
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EWERS OVER KLUBNIK IN THE REMATCH
When Texas hosts Clemson on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff, it will be a rematch of a game from almost four years ago when Quinn Ewers and Southlake Carroll ran into Cade Klubnik and Austin Westlake in the 6A state championship game.
That meeting was littered with stars, including Ewers and Klubnik, two of the nation's top quarterbacks from the Lone Star State. Klubnik made a statement securing that victory in AT&T Stadium over Ewers' Carroll team.
When the two collide again on Saturday in Austin – Klubnik's hometown – we expect a different set of results. Ewers has been so steady under Steve Sarkisian and he's been at his best in big-game environments. He's been even better playing in the Forty Acres, which is why we like the Longhorns' chances in this Ewers-Klubnik rematch.
JARED SMITH WILL BE AN ALL-AMERICAN AT AUBURN
After spending a week at the Alabama-Mississipping All-Star Game, it's becoming increasingly clear that Jared Smith has first-round potential as he continues to develop as an edge defender. Over the course of his senior season at Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson High School and into all-star game season, the Auburn-bound defensive end has shined using leverage and power.
He boasts advanced technique and with outstanding length and reach. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder proved to be a force slowing down opposing passing games. Smith has a chance to play early at Auburn.
We have him circled as a potential five-star recruit with an All-American ceiling in the Plains.
PORTAL WINNERS POISED TO WIN THE SEC
The SEC added more teams to the conference this year – yet Georgia retook its post at the top of the league with another victory over Texas. With more high-level competition and an even bigger bag of off-season moves taking shape, we believe a new crop of teams should be considered the favorites to dethrone the Dawgs next year.
Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss have been early off-season winners as these programs add elite talent to the roster and prepare to make a run at a College Football Playoff spot next year. Auburn upgraded at QB with former five-star Jackson Arnold now at the helm of an offense littered with firepower at receiver and a 2025 class that was beaming with talent.
LSU has bolstered its receiving corps with elite speed and retooled the defensive front and secondary with talent. Ole Miss has added more weapons to the offense in Caleb Odom and Kewan Lacy and defensively, added elite edge rusher Dashawn Womack to further an already talented front.
In the first year of the 12-team playoff, we saw Texas, Georgia and Tennessee represent the SEC. All arrows point to Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss being in that position next year.
