Player Notes
Talkin' NIL: Top WPIAL football players speak about their future deals in college and its effects on recruiting ·
Central Catholic High School receiver Pete Gonzalez made a verbal commitment in June to play next season at Penn State, and there is an NIL deal waiting for him when he gets to Happy Valley.But he’ll have company in the NIL deal department.NIL (name, image and likeness) deals have become a gigantic part of college athletics. It is important to point out colleges themselves aren’t permitted to pay NIL ...
Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith explains decision to make DJ Uiagalelei the starting QB ·
DJ Uiagalelei’s performance during Oregon State’s two preseason camp scrimmages was the difference in winning the starting quarterback job for the Clemson transfer.A week after deciding to name Uiagalelei as his starter, coach Jonathan Smith explained that the “body of work” throughout three weeks of practice was a secondary factor.Uiagalelei beat out fourth-year sophomore Ben Gulbranson and freshman ...
Pac-12 football picks: Washington and USC roll, Oregon State looks vulnerable ·
The Pac-12′s final season of existence (at least in its current form) ramps up Thursday and features games on four consecutive days.The conference is favored in eight of nine matchups against FBS opponents, including Utah’s critical duel against Florida. Eight victories, if combined with three wins over FCS foes, would make for a stellar opening weekend.But from a wagering standpoint, the outlook isn’t ...
Goodman: Is this the final season for Nick Saban? ·
It’s bold prediction time for the college football season, but we’re going to leave all the fun depth-chart projections at Alabama to the real experts.Who’s going to win the national championship? Who’s getting fired first (after Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, of course)? Who’s going to be the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide? These are all worthy questions going into the first full ...
Here’s Nick Saban, Deion Sanders back for newest Aflac commercial ·
Aflac is back for another round of college football spots this season, and it is bringing back Alabama coach Nick Saban and Colorado coach Deion Sanders, along with the Aflac Duck and Gap Goat.This year, Aflac’s new commercials show how the health supplemental provider can help Americans with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover.“While kicking off another college football season, I’ll continue advocating ...
Red Dawn: 3 keys to Wyoming Cowboys vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders ·
9 hrs agoLARAMIE – Bluebloods with bigger national brands than Texas Tech have ventured into War Memorial Stadium in the 73-year-old venue’s recent history.Wyoming messed with Texas briefly before losing 41-10 in 2009. The Pokes couldn’t keep the red out of their home stadium or the end zone during a 38-14 loss to Nebraska in 2011.Justin Herbert led Oregon to a 49-13 romp over Josh Allen-led UW in ...
Will Huskies go out with a bang in final Pac-12 football season? ·
Seattle Times columnistsome amalgamation of West Coast football, the schools shifting somewhat over time but never the goal: to reign supreme over the geographic footprint in which it seemed it would always reside.Now, of course, that footprint is being smudged out by the machinations of realignment, which are wreaking havoc on every time-honored rivalry and connection in college football. After this ...
UW’s Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui are back to turn up the heat on opposing passers ·
Seattle Times staff reporterIf you can’t stand the heat, get off the couch.Is that how the saying goes?Regardless, it’s a mantra Zion Tupuola-Fetui embodied in the sizzling Seattle summer of 2021. Six months after exploding onto the scene with seven sacks and three forced fumbles in UW’s shortened four-game season, “ZTF” — a second-team All-American — found himself without a home.The Pearl City, Hawaii, ...
NIL is changing college athletics. Can UTSA keep up? ·
Aug. 30, 2023Updated: Aug. 30, 2023 9:19 a.m.Sizing up the name, image and likeness offerings for UTSA’s players compared to the rest of the programs in the AAC, coach Jeff Traylor estimates the Roadrunners are “probably middle of the pack.”He admits that trying to develop a firm grasp of the NIL scene is difficult. He communicates with UTSA’s three collectives — 210 Inspired, City Fans 210 and the ...
Former Michigan QB Cade McNamara — now at Iowa — reportedly will play against Utah State despite recent injury ·
By Trent WoodEntering Wednesday, there was question as to who would suit up at quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday when the Utah State Aggies open the 2023 season on the road in Iowa City.Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, that question has all but been answered, though.Thamel reported Wednesday afternoon that, according to multiple ESPN sources, Michigan transfer Cade McNamara will start at quarterback ...
Recent Stories
2025 Draft: Previewing edge prospects
The edge rusher is a premier position in the a modern version of pro football always seeking ways to encourage more passing.
The importance of franchise passers like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and Jalen ...
2025 Draft: ILBs seek relevance, respect
Over the past few draft cycles, there has been a lack of a bonafide, blue-chip prospect at the interior linebacker position. In recent memory, we have heard differing opinions on who is the top linebacker and what is his value in a draft.
The position of inside ...
Bet on future DBs—they can cover
As part of our series on football’s defensive back scene, the Hall of Football consulted our ever-evolving database of ~17,000 active college and high school players to evaluate the position's future, looking at the horizon at least six years down the road—approximately ...
2025 Draft: DBs have a tough act to follow
The 2024 cornerback class was one of the deepest in recent memory, with elite talent at the top of the class and unprecedented depth that followed. While it will be tough for the 2025 class to replicate that amount of talent, there are potential stars at the ...
Heisman Trophy odds: keeping track
The Heisman Trophy picture is constantly changing, and BetOnline.ag tracks those changes to create the best odds at any given time.
It has been about half a year since they first posted odds on who may win the coveted Heisman.
Check the changes and reasons ...
Seeking nuggets in pile of rookie DBs
Whether it be too little talent or too many rule changes favoring wide-open passing attacks, NFL secondaries no longer impact the game as they once did.
Newcomers from the 2024 Draft are not likely to fix the first part of that issue. Only three DBs went in the ...
History of mystery behind decline of RBs
We began this series on running backs with a warning:
“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be … running backs. Not anymore. Not unless something changes.”
Apparently, mama listened or already knew. My concern over the demise of this once heralded position ...
Diving into Hall of Football database
Now that we have settled into the Hall of Football (HallofFootball.substack.com), here is our first dive into the massive database that has been at the heart of NFL Draft Scout for more than 25 years.
Led by our player savant, Brian “Hitman” Hitterman, we gather ...
2025 NFL Draft: Running amok?
After coming off of a slim running back class in 2024, the 2025 draft includes more runners than usual as potential first or second-round picks. Optimistically there could be as many as seven good enough to go in the first two rounds. Realistically, there could ...
2025 Draft: Travis Hunter, a twofer?
It’s no secret Travis Hunter is the most dynamic and versatile player in college football. It’s not just that he plays both cornerback and wide receiver but that he plays both positions at a very high level.
Hunter has become a trailblazer in college football ...
2025 Draft: Does James Pearce have Edge as No. 1?
Overview
Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee is regarded as the top edge rusher in the SEC heading into the 2024 season. He is also projected as the top edge rusher for the 2025 draft, with many viewing him as the No. 1 overall pick.
Teams and scouts ...
My backstory to EA's CFB relaunch
In the mid-1980s, I sat down with Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins and his programmers to create the underlying rating system for Madden Football.
That rating system is essentially the same as the one that drives EA’s College Football 25, the latest in ...