LEAD STORY: SEC Well-Represented on 2026 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
USA Baseball finalized its 28-man roster for the 2026 Collegiate National Team on Sunday, and the SEC's footprint on the squad is unmistakable. Ole Miss sophomore Walker Hooks earned a selection, while Georgia graduate Kolby Branch claimed a spot for the Bulldogs, per announcements from their respective school sites.
Florida leads all programs with three selections — right-handers Jackson Barberi, Aidan King and Joshua Whritenour will all wear the red, white and blue. Mississippi State placed two pitchers on the roster, and Texas added a pair of its own in Harrison and Pack Jr., who become the ninth Longhorn duo to make the prestigious club.
The team will compete in the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship in Taiwan from July 11-15, giving SEC fans a midsummer showcase of some of the league's best arms and bats on an international stage.
QUICK HITS
PFF puts three LSU Tigers in its Top 50: Pro Football Focus released its list of the 50 best college football players to watch, and LSU landed three names — transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt (No. 41), offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (No. 43) and tight end Trey'Dez Green (No. 49). PFF wrote that Leavitt, who arrived from Arizona State, "is as physically gifted as any quarterback in the country," and called Seaton, a Colorado transfer, "arguably the best pass protector in college football."
Trey'Dez Green is a matchup problem: Per PFF, Green's seven touchdown receptions and 12 contested catches both ranked second among all tight ends in 2025 — and his contested-catch total leads all returning tight ends in college football heading into 2026.
LSU baseball signee CJ Weinstein flips to UCLA: The middle infielder from Orange Lutheran High in California backed out of his LSU signing and will stay closer to home with the UCLA Bruins. Weinstein was ranked No. 149 in the MLB Draft rankings, with scouts praising him as a strong left-handed bat for a middle infielder. LSU still holds 22 players committed for its Class of 2026.
Three Vols make ESPN's all-time top 100 by jersey number: An ESPN panel's list of the top 100 college football players by jersey number featured a trio of Tennessee legends — Reggie White at No. 92, Doug Atkins at No. 91 and Steve Kiner at No. 57. White posted 15 sacks and 100 tackles in his 1983 senior season and left Knoxville as the Volunteers' all-time sack leader with 32.
Sophia Bordi lands at Rutgers: Per D1Softball, the former Oklahoma and Texas pitcher is transferring to Rutgers, taking her SEC experience to the Big Ten.
PORTAL WATCH
A quiet 12 hours on the transfer front. The lone notable move involving SEC programs was on the softball side, where former Oklahoma and Texas pitcher Sophia Bordi committed to Rutgers, according to D1Softball. No new football or baseball portal entries or commitments involving SEC schools crossed the wire this evening.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new SEC commitments came in over the last 12 hours, but there was movement in the wrong direction for LSU baseball. CJ Weinstein, the California middle infielder who had signed with the Tigers, flipped his pledge to UCLA. The loss stings for an LSU program that has made a habit of developing left-handed-hitting middle infielders, but the Tigers' Class of 2026 remains 22 players deep as they chase a return to the top of college baseball.
GAMES TO WATCH
No SEC games are on the schedule today. The next major date on the calendar is July 11, when the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team — stocked with players from Ole Miss, Florida, Mississippi State, Texas and Georgia — opens the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship in Taiwan. That event runs through July 15 and will be the best chance to see SEC talent in live competition this month.
