2023 Juco Prospect Nnanna Anyanwu is one of the premier edge rushers in his class. As a high school graduate in 2020, Anyanwu has spent the last two seasons at Coffeyville Junior College. 

In his short time at Coffeyville, Anyanwu (pronounced An-ya-woo) has made himself a household name among college scouts. Standing at 6’6, and 240 lbs, he is a physical force. At first glance, he reminds you of a young Jason Pierre Paul. His length is off the charts and he plays to that strength. His ability in the run game is surprising considering his body type, but he holds his own very well on the edge.

As a pass rusher, his speed and athleticism make him very difficult to stay in front of. Against larger, slower tackles, Anyanwu is an instant mismatch when he gets a good jump. His knowledge of gap assignments and fits will continually improve, but for a player that has played with his hand both in the ground and stand-up edge, he has the arsenal to pick up any scheme that he will fit into. However, his skill set is more fitting for a stand-up 3-4 edge rusher. 

Has exceptional bend and is a high-energy player. His motor is not off the charts, but he gives great effort every play. His playmaking ability consistently gets his teammates excited, which is a great trait for a front guy. In the film, you can see why he is a major target for many major programs. 

Currently, Anyanwu holds several major offers from Power 5 schools such as Oregon State, Nebraska, and Mizzou. The Group of 5 offers includes Memphis, Liberty, Hawaii, Troy, Ga Southern, UTSA, and Western Kentucky. 

Most recently, Anyanwu has taken visits to Oregon State and Mizzou. Oregon State is currently the front-runner for Anyanwu and he is projected to be there in January if he commits. Signing day will be in December. 

Anyanwu is originally from Lovejoy High school in Hampton, Georgia where he played for Head Coach Edgar Carson. His older brother Randy Anyanwu is also a former collegiate player for the University of Buffalo.

ITH Writer/COO

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

LSU football has gone through some changes in the past year. The Tigers have been dealing with losing their head coach and losing players to the transfers portal and the draft. However, in time LSU will be a top-ranked team in the SEC. They did end their season with a 6-7 record, finishing last in their conference. But with a new head coach and new young players they have a chance to turn things around.

The Tigers will not be starting their season off with Coach Orgeron as part of the team. Their new head coach, Brain Kelly, is coming from Notre Dame and will now be coaching the Tigers, preparing the team for the season, and recruiting new talent. Getting their hands on 4-star safety Maurice Willams and linebacker Xavier Atkins to really build up that defense. Then on the offense side, they landed 4-star tight end Tayvion Galloway. Not only did they get them some new recruits they also got them some new transfers. They got cornerbacks Jarrick Bernard, Greg Brooks, wide receiver Devonte Lee and Quarterback Jayden Daniels just to name a few. 

However, they do still have problems to deal with. They lost players to the draft, one of those players was one of the best players in the draft and college football, Derek Stringly. He went 3rd overall to the Huston Texans. He was not the only top LSU prospect that got drafted, O-lineman Ed Ingram went 59th overall to the Minnesota Vikings. That is just a start, the transfer portal has been a blessing and a curse for the Tigers and college football because players will just leave every few months. But even if they overcome that, they still must get used to Brain Kelly’s playing and coaching style.

This was also the best timing for Brain Kelly to become the new head coach because most, if not all, of the 2019 team are gone. However, he does have fresh players and a more manageable schedule to work with. Having a new coach means they will have a new playing style that can benefit them in having a solid season. This upcoming season the Tigers will have a healthy roster. Last year they did have some injuries which also cost them a few wins. But now it is a new year with a new and healthier roster.  

Now with all of that being said, the Tigers will not have a crazy good year, but it will be a solid one. I have LSU going 8-4 with them losing to Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, and Arkansas. This will just be the start, but LSU is on the come-up and will get them another National Championship sooner than later.  

Writer

 -By: Zervante White

The Alabama football program has been one of College Football’s most relevant dynasties in recent history. The Saban-led program has amassed winning season after winning season and has the championship rings to boast. Since Nick Saban took over the program nearly 15 years ago, he has won 6 championships and has the best track record for players drafted under him. However, the days of the Bama Dynasty have begun to fade as they could not win a championship in 2021 after losing to UGA in the National Championship Game. Although it is only one year without a championship, Alabama was defeated in a convincing fashion. It was the first time that Georgia had beaten a Saban-led Alabama team.

During this offseason, Alabama has faced several challenges in losing in the National Championship and recruiting and off-the-field issues. Since the end of the season, Alabama has had at least 3 players transfer and another player was dismissed from the team by Saban. For many programs, dismissing a player is a common occurrence and may just be a casualty of running a top-notch program, however, coaches like Nick Saban, he has rarely ever dismissed his players and typically will give them alternative consequences to correct the behavior. However, as of late, the players seem to be challenging Saban’s vision more and undermining his wishes. 

Jahleel Billingsley, Former Bama Tight End, and current Texas transfer left the program in January, and former five-star WR Agiye Hall also was dismissed from the program and went to Texas. These are among the top guys out of nearly 15 players who were either dismissed or willingly entered the transfer portal. This doesn’t look good for the Bama program, but as always, they are making room for new talent that will likely be showing up this spring and summer. 

Over the past few days, Nick Saban has been in the forefront of the media himself as he was cited stating in an interview that Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M were involved in “paying” his entire team to come to Texas A&M. Saban stated:

"A&M bought every player on their team -- made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn't buy one player. But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it."

While the allegations are likely true, through the new “Name, Image, and Likeness” Bill passed by the NCAA, schools, and donors are able to put together deals that allow for players to be paid through sponsorships and endorsements. While it may seem as if the program is involved in some unethical behavior by offering these deals, the allegations of Nick Saban aren’t reasonable under the new rules. 

In response to Saban, Jimbo Fisher stated the following: 

“Some people think they're God. Go dig into how God did his deal. May find out about a guy, a lot of things you don’t want to know. We build him up to be the Czar of football, go dig into his past or anybody who has coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out. What he does and how he does it. It’s despicable.” 

Jimbo Fisher, who has an extensive history with Nick Saban surely had some choice words, but his relationship gives him credibility in his statements. 

Not only did Saban fire off at the Texas A&M program, but he also had some subliminal words that were seemingly aimed at Deion Sanders and the Jackson State football program. He seemed to be referencing the former top player in the class of 2022, Travis Hunter, who despite having every major offer in the nation, chose an HBCU program over the other big schools. 

With the landscape of college football becoming more of a professionally incentivized league, it is hard to stop schools with big-money donors to not chip in to get the nation's top recruits. However, it becomes messy when coaches begin to go at each other about what is ethical and unethical without the NCAA stepping in to clear up any discrepancies because now college football fans, coaches, and players all seem to be on a different page when it comes to understanding the limitations of NIL and the transfer portal rules.