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  • Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff WriterJan 6, 2024, 03:16 PM ET

Ohio State bolstered its 2025 class Saturday with a commitment from four-star cornerback Devin Sanchez.

Sanchez (No. 10 in the 2025 ESPN 300), the second-best cornerback in the next cycle, made his pledge official during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio and will be on campus beginning in January 2025.

“My plans are to just come in [with my] head down, just work because I know I’m not going to be at the top of the depth chart when I get there,” he told ESPN last month. “I’m coming in and [competing with] guys that already have been there, been in that system. So I’m ready to work in the weight room, on the field.

“I know me and how I am. And with this football stuff, especially, you know, I don’t want to be on the bench. I don’t want to be behind nobody. I want that starting spot, so I’m going to do whatever [I have] to do to get that starting spot and keep it, because college is not like high school.

“I don’t want a coach to have second thoughts on me.”

In choosing Ohio State over Alabama and Texas A&M, Sanchez stressed that the communication with cornerbacks coach Tim Walton and safeties coach Perry Eliano was a primary selling point.

As a junior for North Shore High School in Houston, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Sanchez recorded 32 tackles (12 solo) with 11 passes defended and five interceptions (one TD) for a team that won its first 15 games before losing to Duncanville High School in the state championship game.

He joins a class for Ryan Day that features four ESPN 300 prospects, including St. Frances Academy (Maryland) cornerback Blake Woodby (No. 27 overall in 2025), who decided for Ohio State on Oct. 14.

Sanchez added that he silently committed to Day and the Buckeyes in early November, shortly after taking in the Buckeyes’ 20-12 victory over Penn State on Oct. 21 — a change from his original timeline of later this fall.

“I don’t really like to lose,” he said. “I may have lost the state championship, but I may lose maybe one or two games a year. I don’t really like losing. I don’t really like losing three, four, five, six games. I don’t like that. I mean, Ohio State’s not going to lose no more than two games. So, I mean, that’s what I want to be a part of.

“And then, you know, it’s just the relationship part. I went to Ohio State and then I was supposed to go to Alabama for the Alabama-LSU game a couple weeks later. But it just didn’t happen. So I just pulled the trigger and then I just felt like I should be a Buckeye.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit set a different tone in his second year since coming over from Oklahoma State during a 11-2 campaign in 2023 — finishing third in the country in total defense (265.4 YPG) while owning the FBS’ top passing defense (145.9 YPG).

But the Buckeyes’ seven interceptions tied Illinois for fewest in the Big Ten.

And that’s where Sanchez says he can help. “What Coach Knowles and Coach Walton is doing in the back with the guys [stands out] and I like how they play,” Sanchez said. “And I think the scheme fits me. They play a little off, and I think I could play off and run with anybody.

“But they’re also pressing and being physical at the line of scrimmage. That’s my type of ball right there.”

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Who will make the 12-team College Football Playoff?

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August 22, 2025

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Who will make the 12-team College Football Playoff?

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2025 preseason College Football Playoff predictions

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August 22, 2025

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2025 preseason College Football Playoff predictions

It’s August and no games have been played, but that’s not keeping ESPN’s college football reporters from predicting the 12 schools that will make up the College Football Playoff beginning in December.

Ohio State won the inaugural 12-team bracket last season, despite starting as the No. 8 seed, demonstrating that the playoff truly gives new life to any team that gains entry.

There’s a slight alteration to the format this year. The tournament will still comprise the top five conference champions and seven at-large schools. But the top four seeds — and the first-round bye that comes with each of those seeds — will no longer go to the four highest-ranked conference champions (last season that was Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State). This season the committee has moved to a straight seeding model, so the four highest-ranked schools in the committee’s final top 12 will get the top four seeds.

Ahead of Week 0, here are the slates our reporters picked. Let the chase begin:

Andrea Adelson: 1. Clemson 2. Penn State 3. Texas 4. LSU 5. Georgia 6. Ohio State 7. Notre Dame 8. Miami 9. Alabama 10. Iowa State 11. Nebraska 12. Boise State

Kyle Bonagura: 1. Texas 2. Penn State 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson 5. Georgia 6. Notre Dame 7. Alabama 8. Oregon 9. LSU 10. Arizona State 11. Miami 12. Boise State

Bill Connelly: 1. Penn State 2. Alabama 3. Texas 4. Ohio State 5. Georgia 6. Notre Dame 7. Texas A&M 8. Clemson 9. Oregon 10. Boise State 11. Miami 12. Kansas State

Heather Dinich: 1. Penn State, 2. Clemson, 3. Texas 4. LSU 5. Georgia 6. Ohio State 7. Notre Dame 8. Alabama 9. Miami 10. Oregon 11. Kansas State 12. Boise State

David Hale: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas 3. Clemson 4. Penn State 5. Notre Dame 6. Georgia 7. Oregon 8. LSU 9. Texas A&M 10. Kansas State 11. Miami 12. Toledo

Eli Lederman: 1. Penn State 2. Texas 3. Clemson 4. Ohio State 5. Notre Dame 6. Alabama 7. Oregon 8. Georgia 9. Arizona State 10. LSU 11. Miami 12. Boise State

Max Olson: 1. Texas. 2. Penn State. 3. Notre Dame. 4. Clemson. 5. Alabama. 6. Oregon. 7. Georgia. 8. Ohio State. 9. Texas Tech. 10. LSU. 11. Utah. 12. Boise State

Adam Rittenberg: 1. Texas 2. Penn State 3. Clemson 4. Georgia 5. Alabama 6. Ohio State 7. Notre Dame 8. Oregon 9. Miami 10. Iowa State 11. Boise State 12. Illinois

Mark Schlabach: 1. Texas 2. Clemson 3. Penn State 4. Georgia 5. Ohio State 6. Alabama 7. Notre Dame 8. Oregon 9. Miami 10. LSU 11. Arizona State 12. Boise State

Jake Trotter: 1. Texas, 2. Clemson, 3. Penn State, 4. LSU, 5. Ohio State, 6. Notre Dame, 7. Georgia, 8. Oregon, 9. Illinois, 10. South Carolina, 11. Texas Tech, 12. Tulane

Paolo Uggetti: 1. Ohio State, 2. Georgia, 3. Texas 4. Penn State 5. Notre Dame 6. Clemson 7. Oregon 8. LSU 9. Arizona State 10. Miami 11. South Carolina 12. Boise State

Dave Wilson: 1. Texas 2. Penn State 3. Clemson 4. Ohio State 5. Georgia 6. Notre Dame 7. Alabama 8. Oregon 9. LSU 10. Arizona State 11. Miami 12. Boise State

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Tide RB Miller expected back for UGA showdown

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August 22, 2025

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Tide RB Miller expected back for UGA showdown

  • Chris LowAug 22, 2025, 12:11 PM ET

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    • College football reporter
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
    • Graduate of the University of Tennessee

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said he expects starting running back Jam Miller to return in time for the SEC opener against Georgia on Sept. 27.

Miller dislocated his collarbone in the Tide’s scrimmage last Saturday and will miss the opener against Florida State on Aug. 30. He’s doubtful to play in the next two games against ULM and Wisconsin. Alabama has a bye the week before its visit to Georgia.

“He’s a leader for us, a quiet leader, but somebody the players all respect,” DeBoer told ESPN. “Having that bye week, I feel good that he will be back out there. He does so many things for us at that position.”

Miller, a senior, chiseled his body this offseason and added muscle. He was having his best preseason camp after leading Alabama with 668 rushing yards last season.

“He’s was a clear No. 1 for us with everything he did, from protection to getting the tough yards,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “I told Jam that the running back room needs him more than ever now.”

Grubb said Daniel Hill and Richard Young add the most experience in stepping in for Miller and that Dre Washington adds a little different tempo out of the backfield. The running back that has been “creeping up” the last week, according to Grubb, is redshirt freshman Kevin Riley. Grubb said Riley is undersized but is physical and fast.

“It’s going to be a little bit by committee until Jam gets back, and there’s going to be a proving ground — who can take care of the ball, who can advance the ball, take on the game plan and help us protect?” Grubb said. “I’m excited to see who’s going to come out here these next few days and take over.”

Alabama ranked sixth in the SEC last season in rushing, and quarterback Jalen Milroe was a central figure in the running game. With Ty Simpson taking over at quarterback, Grubb said this offense will be geared more toward the pass to help balance out things.

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