Updated Big Ten football 2026 team recruiting rankings (July 18)
July is college football's closest thing to a month off in today's age. There are no bowl games, no transfer portal window, no training camp practice and, for these purposes, no recruiting visits or contact. The closest thing to news that we get is a commitment or two and the start of dedicated season preparation.
That preparation will pick up significantly next week, as the Big Ten holds its media days in Las Vegas, Nevada, from July 22-24. Wisconsin is one of six programs scheduled for Wednesday, July 23's session
Before that date turns full focus to the fast-approaching season, it's worth taking a few late-summer looks at the Big Ten team recruiting rankings for the class of 2026. The rankings are close to final, with limited commitments trickling in throughout the month.
Updated Big Ten football class of 2026 team recruiting rankings (July 18)
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31 minutes ago
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Forbes
33 minutes ago
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Top 10 College Football Players To Watch In 2025
College football's preseason is unique in that there is a one-month buildup to kick off with media polls, watchlists, Heisman projections and top 25 polls rolling out and allowing for ample debate. Speaking of debate, many outlets release lists of top players at each position, or top players overall. With respect to the latter, chimes in with a top 10 (alphabetical) list of players to keep tabs on in 2025. This is not a list of Heisman hopefuls, though at least of few among the players noted below will likely be right in the thick of the conversation. Rather, it is about a player's impact and how critical he is to the success of his team. Drew Allar Allar's stock soared a year ago when he led the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten championship game and CFP semifinal, which they lost to Notre Dame on a field goal with seven seconds remaining. It was an ill-advised pass by Allar that was picked, and led to the winning score. Additional motivation heading into 2025? Maybe. Unfinished business? 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Indeed, fortunes changed in Gainesville when coach Billy Napier turned to Lagway to lead the offense in the season's second half, which included back-to-back home wins over ranked LSU and Ole Miss. With the strong finish to 2024, it comes as no surprise the Gators open the season in the top 25 for the first time since 2021. A three-game stretch against preseason top 10 teams that begins September 13 at LSU, followed by a trip to Miami then, after a bye, a visit from top-ranked Texas will be the ultimate test for Lagway and the Gators. Jeremiyah Love Love may have to carry the load in every sense until C.J. Carr or Kenny Minchey grows comfortable running the Irish offense. Regardless, what may very well be the best offensive line in college football will see to it there is ample daylight as it often did last season, which did not end well for the running back. There were questions – and a brace – surrounding Love's right knee during the Irish's playoff run. He carried the ball only four times for three yards in the national championship game loss to Ohio State. Though Love's 98-yard TD sprint against Indiana in a first-round playoff matchup was certainly electrifying, he otherwise had only 78 yards on 28 carries for a paltry 2.8 yards per tote in four playoff games. Love is a game-breaker of a runner who, even with his struggles in the playoff, averaged an eye-opening 6.9 yards per carry to place sixth nationally. A healthy Love should have an explosive 2025. Arch Manning The most-hyped recruit in the land is now in his third year with the Hook 'Em's? After appearing in two games and maintaining a redshirt in 2023, the nephew of Eli and Peyton saw action in 10 games last season and made a pair of starts in place of Quinn Ewers, who was injured during UT's third game against UTSA. Manning came on and sparkled (9-for-12, 223 yards, 5 total TDs) in a blowout. He then started the next two games, both victories versus Louisiana-Monroe (258 pass yards, 2/2) and Mississippi State (325 pass yards, 2/0) in the Longhorns' first conference clash as a member of the SEC. All told, Manning threw for 939 yards and 9/2. Kyle Flood's offense now belongs to Manning. As if the glare has not been intense enough since his arrival in Auston, he and the 'Horns open at defending national champ Ohio State on August 30. The anticipation for Manning's first season atop the QB depth chart is such that there are not enough watchlists to go around. Indeed, the time is now for the 6-foot-4, 220-pound cannon-armed 21-year-old signal caller. While it may be surprising that he was left off the preseason Manning Award watchlist, it is a list that changes during the season. For the record: Grandfather Archie finished fourth in Heisman voting at Ole Miss in 1969 and his Rebel uncle, Eli, finished third in 2003. Uncle Peyton's career at Tennessee included being runner-up in 1997 after finishing eighth in 1996. Garrett Nussmeier Tigers fans were holding their breath earlier this month only to exhale when a knee injury Nussmeier sustained the second week of preseason camp was fortunately not serious. That was good news for college football fans for the simple reason Nussmeier emerged as one of the nation's top quarterbacks while throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, his first as a starter. He led LSU to 9-4 mark and win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl. Jayden Daniels handed off the baton along with the keys to the LSU offense ahead of the ReliaQuest Bowl following the 2023 regular season. Nussmeier responded by throwing for 395 yards, three touchdowns and taking home MVP honors in a win over Wisconsin. 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New York Times
33 minutes ago
- New York Times
Do Packers truly have an open competition at left tackle? They just might
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After all, despite the Packers classifying the left tackle competition as open this offseason, general manager Brian Gutekunst implied another player would have to do something significant this summer to unseat Walker in the starting lineup. With less than three weeks until the regular-season opener, there seems to be a realistic chance Morgan is on the verge of doing that significant something and winning outright what he wanted all along. With Walker battling a groin injury in recent weeks, Morgan has seized his opportunity as the No. 1 left tackle. 'I've liked it. He's done a really good job and that was the big thing, is just see how he goes out there and plays,' offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. 'He played against a really good D-end yesterday (Colts 2024 first-rounder Laiatu Latu) and did a good job … it was encouraging to see him out there.' Morgan hasn't allowed a quarterback pressure or committed a penalty in 38 pass-blocking snaps over two preseason games, according to Pro Football Focus. Morgan said he finally felt fully healthy after a couple of OTA practices this spring and credited Packers behavioral health clinician Chris Carr for helping him overcome the mental hurdle of being hesitant to block with his surgically repaired right shoulder. Now that he's strung together an extended stretch of good health, he's impressed Green Bay's decision-makers on the day-to-day, too. 'He's had a really good camp,' Gutekunst said last week. 'Played really well on Family Night and I thought he even upped the level in the preseason game. Again, he's a young player that his best football is going to be ahead of him, and he's still working on some things, but I thought he played really well.' Jordan Love going through the motions behind the other three QBs — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 18, 2025 Which of Morgan's skills lend themselves well to playing left tackle? Offensive line coach Luke Butkus lauded Morgan's athleticism and movement skills on the edge in space and said his size and strength are improving. Morgan said coaches have told him he looks confident playing the position, too, and Morgan said he's far more secure entering his second season in the offense. Morgan's hand usage and pad level are still a work in progress, Butkus said, but he likes Morgan's trajectory. Advertisement Morgan said everything happens quicker in tight quarters at guard, so he's had to adjust with more space at left tackle. Even so, the players he's blocking are faster off the edge and that's also been an adjustment. Stenavich implied it wouldn't be a problem if, after all this time working at left tackle, Morgan had to play inside if Walker wins the job. He's still repping at right guard in walkthroughs, Stenavich said, and has enough experience from playing there last year and this offseason. Despite Morgan's versatility, the Packers have given him every chance to win the starting left tackle job while Walker eases back to full participation. Is Morgan just a placeholder, though, and the job is Walker's once he's fully healthy? 'Oh, it's 100 percent a competition,' head coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday when asked that. 'I think Jordan's put a lot of good stuff on tape.' Walker has returned to 11-on-11 work in the last couple of practices, but Morgan has still received the first reps as the starting left tackle when all the starters participate. On Monday, Morgan played left guard while Walker played left tackle since starting left guard Aaron Banks was sidelined with a back injury. The true sign of where the competition stands will come if Walker participates fully when the other starters are healthy, too. Walker said he took the most reps Monday that he had since the initial injury and that he's 'moving along pretty good.' 'I'm not going out there every day and thinking, 'Oh, I gotta beat him now,'' Morgan said. 'I'm going out there, how am I going to win this rep? How am I going to win this set? How am I going to perform in this team period? It's not like I'm thinking about that all day. It's really just focusing on my technique and myself.' Walker has started 35 games, including playoffs, at left tackle over the past two seasons and played well, so how does he feel that the left tackle battle is an open competition? 'I mean, shoot, no one's really said it to me, but I just come to work every day and go to work,' Walker said. 'That's all you can do. I'm a team-first guy.' Advertisement If Walker wins the job, the glass-half-full outlook is that the Packers have a 2024 first-round pick as insurance at multiple positions off the bench. The glass-half-empty outlook is that a 2024 first-round pick still couldn't win a starting job. If Morgan wins the job, that's better for Gutekunst's first-round track record in the short term, but what happens with Walker? Do the Packers shop him around cutdown day or keep him for reliable depth on Love's blind side? Considering Butkus said Sunday that the offensive line's depth isn't where he wants it to be, the safe bet is on the latter. No matter who they choose, the Packers have a vital decision to make in the interest of keeping their franchise quarterback healthy after a season in which he was anything but. 'Whoever's playing the best will have a chance to play at left tackle,' Butkus said. 'With that competition, we're going to hopefully add some depth and be pretty good in that regard. It's a competition right now. J-Mo's getting a little more reps. Sheed-O's been banged up a little bit. It's a good problem to have.' (Top photo of Jordan Morgan: Tork Mason / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
