The University of Texas got a boost in their 2024 recruiting class when the top-ranked tailback, Jerrick Gibson, committed to the school. He’s ranked #29 in the 2024 ESPN 300, and he was also listening to offers from Georgia, Florida, Miami (FL) and Tennessee. He is the second running back in the ESPN 300 to commit to the Longhorns in two years after Cedric Baxter Jr (#3 RB, #30 overall) committed to the 2023 class. Texas had the third-ranked class according to the ESPN 2023 standings. In nine games in 2022 for Florida’s IMG Academy, Gibson ran for 608 yards and eight scores, picking up 7.3 yards per attempt.
Will he help Texas compete in the SEC? We will see. Meanwhile, check out some college football betting thoughts on some key games in Week 4 of the 2023 season.
NCAA News: Complete Football Betting Guide for Week 4
Wisconsin Badgers at Purdue Boilermakers (7:00 pm ET, FS1)
Friday, September 22
Wisconsin has a 16-game winning streak against Purdue. Purdue had an up-and-down season that included a loss to Wisconsin. The Badgers now have Luke Fickell as the head coach, as they lured him away from a Cincinnati program that he had coached into the College Football Playoff. Phil Longo will be calling the plays, and he has an Air Raid background that will surprise fans who are used to seeing Wisconsin grind the ball on the ground, almost treating the forward pass as a trick play. On defense, the Badgers have eight starters coming back and should be one of the top units in the conference.
Purdue also has a new coach, Ryan Walters. Quarterback Hudson Card will make his debut in the starting role, replacing Aidan O’Connell. Despite their inconsistencies, Purdue did win the Big Ten West and advance to the conference championship under Jeff Brohm, who left for Louisville at the end of the season. Graham Harrell is the incoming offensive coordinator; at West Virginia, he delivered a balanced attack, as the Mountaineers scored 30.6 points per game, gaining 227.5 yards through the air and 171.5 yards on the ground per contest. Card transfers in from Texas, where he could not crack the starting lineup; over three seasons, he has 1,523 yards, 11 TD and a pair of picks. Devin Mockobee returns to key the running game. Wisconsin should win this, but a prime-time road game can be unpredictable.
UCLA Bruins at Utah Utes (Time / TV TBA)
Saturday, September 23
UCLA posted a 9-4 record last year, their best season under Chip Kelly. They did lose quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and tailback Zach Charbonnet, so Dante Moore and Carson Steele, a blue-chip freshman and a transfer from Ball State, will have to fill those spots respectively. The defense has eight starters coming back, but last year’s unit permitted 29 points per game, a number that has to shrink for UCLA to even think about contending for a Pac-12 title.
Utah has 14 starters coming back, but the status of quarterback Cameron Rising is the biggest question. He tore an ACL in the Rose Bowl, as the Utes fell to Penn State. Tailback Ja’Quinden Jackson is a star on the rise, and tight end Brant Kuithe is back from an injury of his own. His presence will improve the passing game dramatically. The Utah defense is stacked once again, so if Rising is back and 100%, Utah just needs more consistency through the regular season to contend for a CFP spot.
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