Fourth of July has become more than fireworks and cookouts in college football. In the last decade, it’s also turned into a prime time for recruiting fireworks, with some of the sport’s biggest names making their calls on July 4 and changing the trajectory of entire programs.
One of the most recent splashy wins came when five-star wide receiver Kaliq Lockett, a 2026 prospect, picked Texas Tech over Ohio State and Texas. Lockett is still just a true freshman this fall, but the Red Raiders landed a player with massive upside and a deal that is expected to pay him at least $775K annually over three years. It was the kind of recruiting shock that sent a clear message: Texas Tech is a real player in the NIL era.
A year earlier, Oregon pulled off a massive victory of its own by landing Dakorien Moore, the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2025 class. Moore was chased by Oregon, Ohio State, LSU, and Texas, but the Ducks came out on top and secured the top recruit in program history.
He backed up the hype right away, helping Oregon reach the College Football Playoffs for a second straight year. Moore finished fourth on the team with 34 catches, fifth with 497 receiving yards, and tied for fourth with three touchdown receptions.
Miami also got a foundational piece on July 4 when Francis Mauigoa committed to the Hurricanes. Mauigoa was the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2023 class and chose Miami over Tennessee and Alabama before Mario Cristobal coached his first game in Coral Gables.
The move paid off in a big way. Mauigoa started 42 straight games at right tackle, earned All-American and All-ACC honors this past season, and was taken No. 10 overall by the New York Giants.
Ohio State has made a habit of landing elite talent from everywhere, and five years ago to this day, the Buckeyes went into Washington and got JT Tuimoloau. The five-star defensive lineman was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2022 class and turned down Washington, USC, and Oregon for Columbus.
After a steady first couple of seasons, Tuimoloau exploded in 2024, piling up 61 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles as Ohio State won the national championship. He was then selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and spent his rookie year in a backup role with the Indianapolis Colts.
Caleb Williams was another July 4 headliner, and his recruitment had all the usual heavyweight suspects involved. The No. 2 quarterback in the 2021 class narrowed things to Oklahoma, LSU, and Maryland before choosing Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley.
Williams eventually took over the starting job from Spencer Rattler midway through his true freshman season and flashed the talent that would define his career. After that year, he followed Riley to USC, where he set multiple records, including 52 total touchdowns in a single season and 4,919 total yards of offense in a single season.
Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and went No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s now coming off a run to the divisional round, highlighted by his comeback against the Green Bay Packers, and that rise helped land him on the cover of Madden 27.
Tee Higgins helped kick off the July 4 trend before it really became a trend. He had been headed to Tennessee, then reopened his recruitment after his future position coach left for another job.
Clemson won out over Tennessee, Florida State, Ohio State, and Ole Miss, and that decision came a decade ago. Higgins went on to become one of the best receivers in Clemson history, finishing his junior season with 59 catches for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Even now, seven years after his college career ended, he remains tied with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammie Watkins for Clemson’s all-time touchdown reception lead with 27. Higgins has spent the last six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes last year, and is signed to a four-year, $115 million contract.
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Kashie Natt Fight Just Took A Massive Turn
Kashie Natts fight with the NCAA has taken a meaningful turn, with a judge clearing the way for him to return to Oklahoma States mens basketball team and take part in all team activities while his lawsuit moves forward. The ruling also keeps the NCAA from carrying out its waiver cancellation or taking action against Natt or the Cowboys during the legal process, giving the program at least some immediate relief as the case works its way through court.
The dispute traces back to the NCAAs decision to cancel two waiver requests after Natt had competed in 2025-26 following relief granted in December 2024, and the judge said there may be merit to claims that the requests did not receive proper individual review or application of waiver criteria. A new judge will later set a full hearing that is expected to determine Natts eligibility for next season, leaving the biggest question in the case still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Lands Two Spots On Preseason All-Big 12 Team
The Big 12s preseason honors list, released ahead of media days in Frisco, offered an early snapshot of where the leagues respect is landing heading into 2026. BYUs LJ Martin was voted Offensive Player of the Year and Texas Techs A.J. Holmes took Defensive Player of the Year, while the full team selections spread across the conference and gave a clear picture of which programs are drawing the most attention before camp even opens.
For Oklahoma State, the list was a quieter one, with wide receiver Wyatt Young standing as the Cowboys lone preseason All-Big 12 selection. That kind of solitary nod can still matter in a league where the preseason conversation is already tilting toward teams piling up multiple honors, and it leaves the Cowboys with a simple kind of proving ground once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
This Iowa State Test Will Show How Different Oklahoma State Really Is
The first look at this matchup says as much about roster construction as it does about the scoreboard. Oklahoma State and Iowa State both enter with new head coaches in place, and Eric Morris and Jimmy Rogers have each leaned hard on the transfer portal to remake their teams. Morris brought nearly 20 former North Texas players with him, while Rogers arrived with a far larger influx of new faces, giving this game the feel of an early referendum on how quickly each staff has turned over the depth chart.
There is also a little extra edge here because of what happened the last time these teams met, when Oklahoma State was forced to chase the game and never quite found the final answer. The Cowboys had their chances in a tight finish, and now they get a fresh test against an Iowa State group that looks different in its own right, including former Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores on the other sideline. For a team trying to show it has truly entered a new era, this is the kind of matchup that can reveal a lot without settling everything. [Read more 🡒]