Week 3 in college football is already bringing a full-blown availability mess, and the SEC report is the one making the loudest noise.
The biggest surprise is LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, who showed up on the conference’s newly mandated availability report as doubtful for the Tigers’ top-ten showdown with Ole Miss. LSU says the transfer standout is dealing with a sore throwing shoulder and did not take part in a throwing session this week.
That designation carries real weight. In the SEC, doubtful means only a 25 percent chance of playing, which is why Leavitt’s status has stirred so much conversation.
He finished last week’s win over Louisiana Tech without any visible issue, so the update has caught plenty of attention. Reports say Ole Miss staff are skeptical and believe it could be Lane Kiffin’s gamesmanship ahead of his return to his old school.
If Leavitt can’t go, LSU would turn first to sophomore Landen Clark and possibly freshman Husan Longstreet.
Elsewhere, Oklahoma took one of the hardest hits of the week when it ruled wide receiver Trell Harris out for the foreseeable future. Harris suffered a severe internal abdominal injury after taking a violent hit in the Sooners’ loss at Michigan last weekend.
Florida is watching a key situation at wide receiver, with Eric Singleton listed as a game-time decision because of an ankle issue before Saturday’s trip to Auburn. UCLA will be without Mikey Matthews against Purdue after a leg injury he suffered a week ago.
Minnesota also has a notable name on the report, with tailback Darius Taylor day-to-day because of an undisclosed lower body injury. The Gophers are heavy favorites against Akron, so they may decide to hold him out before conference play starts.
On the defensive and line side, Florida has fifth-year end Emmanuel Oyebadejo listed as questionable with a lower body injury for the Auburn game. Texas A&M is dealing with a depth test up front as defensive end Anto Saka is questionable at 50-50 ahead of Kentucky’s visit.
South Carolina, meanwhile, will be without offensive tackle Josiah Thompson against Mississippi State. The Gamecocks are trying to hold things together in a matchup of SEC insurgent hopefuls, but that absence thins their blocking rotation a bit more than expected.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Just Made Oklahomas Michigan Loss Even Tougher To Swallow
Michigans win over Oklahoma already stung plenty, but the postgame scene made it feel even more pointed. Baker Mayfield showed up for his press conference wearing a Michigan jersey, and head coach Todd Bowles added to the moment by singing the Wolverines fight song, a victory lap that came after a defense-led performance built on pressure and disruption.
Troy Bowles was right in the middle of it, leading Michigan with nine tackles as the linebacker group helped set the tone again. Even with offseason departures, that unit has looked steady through two weeks, and the numbers from this one told the story: two turnovers, three sacks and eight tackles for loss. For Oklahoma, the loss on the field was tough enough, but the optics afterward only made it harder to shake. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offense Has An Early Fix Fans Already Want More Of
Oklahomas offense showed one of its clearer adjustments against Michigan, leaning less often on 12-personnel than it did in the season opener against UTEP. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has pointed to the flexibility of both 12- and 13-personnel sets as ways to help the attack stay balanced and take some heat off the offensive line, which makes the usage worth watching as the Sooners sort through what traveled and what didnt in the first two games.
The package also intersected with a wider contrast in individual performances, with quarterback John Mateer struggling against Michigan while tight end Rocky Beers remained a bright spot. Even with the loss still fresh, the personnel choices offer a glimpse of a fix Oklahoma can keep leaning on, and it is the kind of tweak fans will want to see expanded if the offense is going to settle in and protect its quarterback better. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Jackson Put Oklahomas Biggest Defensive Concern Front And Center
After Oklahomas loss to Michigan, Jayden Jackson did not try to soften the message about the Sooners biggest defensive concern. The interior standout said the defense has to sharpen the basics, pointing to tackling and taking the right angles as areas that need work after a game in which Oklahoma did enough to make Michigan uncomfortable but not enough to turn those chances into real momentum.
Jacksons point landed because the Sooners defense was close in a lot of ways, limiting the Wolverines at times while still coming away without the turnovers and key stops that can flip a game. As Oklahoma turns the page, the challenge is less about effort than execution, with the small details now front and center before the next stretch of games. [Read more 🡒]