
Texas Longhorns top USA TODAY Sports post-spring practice 1-136 Re-Rank
With spring practice (and spring practice reports) ending across college football, many teams look very different than they did coming out of winter. Add the transfer portal to the picture and things have changed. USA TODAY Sports has a new 1-136 re-rank of all the teams in FBS. And they now have the Texas Longhorns No. 1.
"Texas is No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports springtime college football re-rank as the hype continues to build around the Longhorns and new starting quarterback Arch Manning.
After back-to-back College Football Playoff berths, including a trip to last year's national semifinals, Texas is poised to take the next step and capture the program's first championship since 2005." Paul Myerberg - USA TODAY Sports
Certainly, the hype around Arch Manning is building. All of the reports out of the 40 Acres over the past few weeks have been nothing but glowing. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has hit the transfer portal hard to fill some key weaknesses. And there have been positive reports about the knee recover of running back CJ Baxter.
Clemson, Penn State, Georgia and Notre Dame round out the top five. Ohio State, who have no named starting quarterback as of yet, check in at No. 6. The Buckeyes are followed by No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 Miami, No. 10 Alabama.
Rivals Oklahoma Sooners Texas A&M Aggies land at 25th and 30th respectively.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
The EA Sports College Football 26 teams we are most excited to play
By Antonio Morales, Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini We're getting closer and closer to the release of EA Sports College Football 26's launch. There was a ton of hype and excitement surrounding last year's game, which was the return of the college football game after an 11-year hiatus. Now, we're starting to learn a little more as EA Sports has tried to work out the kinks from last year's return. EA released an official trailer for the game last week, and The Athletic's Chris Vannini played the game and wrote about the differences in this year's version. Advertisement As the July 10 launch date nears, three of The Athletic's EA College Football devotees (Vannini, David Ubben and Antonio Morales) have shared their thoughts on the teams they're looking forward to playing with in this year's game. Let's get to their choices. This time last year, Kevin Jennings was the best-kept secret on SMU's campus. By midseason, the dual-threat passer had officially taken over for returning starter Preston Stone, helping lead the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff. His speed is going to be maddening on the game, and he's due for a ratings upgrade after his breakout season. He was an 88 by season's end with 87 speed. Plus, LJ Johnson Jr. is due for a breakout season at running back, and RJ Maryland and Jordan Hudson should be a solid 1-2 punch in the passing game. The Wildcats were my online team last year, and working the quarterback run game with Avery Johnson and Dylan Edwards should be very satisfying again. Johnson should be improved as a passer on the game to give some balance, and Jayce Brown should get a speed boost (it was just 90 last year) to make defenses account for the vertical game more than they did a year ago. Plus, with the additions of receivers Jaron Tibbs and Jerand Bradley, the weakness of the offense should be upgraded. I'll miss trucking defenders with DJ Giddens, but Edwards' rating should get a boost this year. Nyck Harbor only caught 26 passes for 376 yards last year, but he's a cheat code in the game and opens up the entire offense. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound track star shouldn't have his 99 acceleration and 99 speed ratings dip, and that's good news for QB LaNorris Sellers, who was only an 82 overall on last year's game. Dylan Stewart was only an 87, and a freakish defensive end can change everything for playing defense. He might be pushing well into the 90s on CFB26. Alongside Harbor, Mazeo Bennett and Jared Brown give Sellers three receivers with at least a 92 speed rating. I'm scared just thinking about it. There's a reason the Gamecocks were one of the most popular teams online last year, and that may only grow this year. Speed kills. Advertisement I love to run the ball, and A&M has the craziest stable of backs on the game. Le'Veon Moss, Rueben Owens and Amari Daniels were all over 85 overall last year and should get some bumps this year for a team that's very good on the line of scrimmage, too. Plus, QB Marcel Reed should get a bump from being an 83 overall last year. The Aggies aren't a sexy team in the passing game, but running multiple-back sets from Collin Klein's playbook will give defenses a headache. There's nothing more demoralizing than knowing you can't stop an opponent's running game, and A&M might be the best running team on the game. Especially with the emphasis on Wear and Tear this year, having three big-time backs means never having to adjust your approach. New playbook! New Rice coach Scott Abell's gun option made him a force at Davidson, and with expanded playbooks on this year's game, I'm looking forward to digging into Rice's playbook for all kinds of option schemes out of all kinds of shotgun formations. There were some great plays and RPOs with options built on top of them on last year's game. And considering the unique nature of what Rice should be doing under Abell, I could see his playbook being very popular. I make my own custom playbook, and I know I'll be stealing a few pages from Abell's. I've already played with the Sooners in my brief hands-on with CFB26, and they're as fun as you would expect. With dual-threat quarterback John Mateer, running back Jaydn Ott and a strong defense, the Sooners might be the go-to team for a majority of casual online players the same way Alabama was last year. Mateer finished CFB25 as an 87 overall and Ott was an 89. Both should be better. Oklahoma was one of the biggest portal winners this offseason. It needs to show up on the real field for head coach Brent Venables this year, but on the virtual field, they're guaranteed fun. Quarterback Darian Mensah finished CFB25 as an 84 overall as a Tulane freshman, but he should get a ratings jump and be a lot of fun to play with at Duke as one of the better QBs in the country. Oklahoma transfer receiver Andrel Anthony should be a speedy deep threat (that 94 speed should improve), and the offensive line should be one of the better ones in the ACC. The defense returns a ton from a group that finished fourth in sacks and needs to get more respect than last year's ratings (80 overall). While the attention is rightfully on quarterback Dante Moore (81 overall, 79 speed in CFB25), don't overlook that the Ducks added Tulane running back Makhi Hughes (92 overall). I briefly played with Oregon in Orlando, and it is a fun team with an obviously fun playbook. I grabbed an interception with Purdue transfer safety Dillon Thieneman (90 overall in CFB25), and the Oregon defensive front will be strong again. Advertisement I always spend some time with a triple-option team, and Navy fits because of returning QB Blake Horvath (85 overall in CFB25) and its awesome playbook that could be even more dynamic this year. Offensive coordinator Drew Cronic's Wing-T option took off in a big way last year. I didn't get to the Midshipmen in my test, but I'm looking forward to it. Yes, really. The Hawkeyes actually had a really solid playbook last year, and now they've got South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski under center. He's coming back from a knee injury, so I'm not totally bought in in real life yet, but video game Gronowski will have no concerns — I'm curious how FCS transfers will rate in the game. Running back Kaleb Johnson must be replaced, but there's a group of talented running backs behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. To get ahead of it, Michigan may or may not be fun to play with this season. I tested out the Wolverines, but I didn't like quarterback Bryce Underwood's accuracy, and I really didn't like the playbook. I don't believe the players' ratings in the CFB26 test I did were final, so maybe that changes. While Alex Orji felt unstoppable early in CFB25, some ratings adjustments changed that, and I wonder what pre-adjustments will be made this year. Or if Underwood gets a boost for being on the cover. I had the most success playing the game online with the Gators last year. DJ Lagway is a stud, can make every throw in the game and is really valuable in the run game. The offensive line was solid, and the run game was diverse with good formations, particularly out of the pistol. Jadan Baugh is a tough, physical runner as well. I play with the D-line when I'm on defense, and Tyreak Sapp is disruptive on the edge. Those players should all be better this year, so there's a lot to like about Florida, especially if you're playing with the Gators in Road to the CFP, where you can grind out long possessions during those three-minute quarters. This is strictly for the running game. I tinkered with the Yellow Jackets last year and had some good moments with them online. I might utilize them a bit more this season because quarterback Haynes King is the perfect trigger man for this offense and is experienced, which should help when you run into an opponent with an overwhelming stadium pulse. Running back Jamal Haynes is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and that speed complements King's running really well. There's an identity with this program, so if you're in the mood to run the ball, this is going to be a good option for you. As you can probably tell, my video game allegiances lean toward mobile, athletic quarterbacks. I watched Devon Dampier quite a bit at New Mexico last season and even created a dynasty with the Lobos in the game a few months ago. He's raw as a passer, but he's very much a dynamic playmaker (2,768 passing yards and 1,166 rushing yards in 2024). It helps that the Utes have two stalwart tackles — Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu — to protect Dampier and also run behind. Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker is a good player at running back, and Utah's defense is always solid. Utah is coming off a tough year on the field, but it should be fun to use in the game. I'm all in on Huskies sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. There was some buzz about him last offseason, but the greater college football world didn't really get a full glimpse of it until Washington's bowl game against Louisville. He's a gifted, explosive playmaker with good escapability, so he's fun to play with and the best sort of quarterback to frustrate your opponent. The Huskies have a standout running back in Jonah Coleman and made some shrewd additions on defense through the portal this season. Williams has the potential to be electric, and there are good pieces on the team that'll make Washington entertaining from a gameplay perspective. Advertisement I know there was a bit of a drop-off offensively last season, but the Hilltoppers at the very least have a productive passing game pretty much every season. I love the playbook. There's an HB Angle screen in there that became a go-to play for me. Whenever I started a dynasty in last year's game, I always changed my coach's playbook to WKU's. The Hilltoppers have cycled through offensive coordinators and quarterbacks almost every season, and this year they've brought in Abilene Christian OC Rick Bowie and quarterback Maverick McIvor, who teamed up to lead a productive FCS offense last year. I'm betting on the QB-playbook combination to be a fun one.


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Five early Ohio State predictions for 2025: Will Michigan, Big Ten droughts end?
Ohio State opens the 2025 college football season against Texas just 12 short weeks from Saturday. Why not make some early predictions? Looking back at my early 2024 predictions last June, I went three-for-five. I was right about Ohio State getting 14 draft picks, Will Howard winning the quarterback battle and the Buckeyes finishing with the nation's top total defense for the first time since 2019. Advertisement Let's try to improve this year. Does this seem obvious? Maybe. But this quarterback competition is more of a battle than last year between Will Howard and Devin Brown, so don't underestimate the uncertainty this summer. I would give Sayin, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024, a slim lead over Lincoln Kienholz, a four-star recruit in 2023, because of his strong spring game. The Alabama transfer completed 17 of 24 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown in the spring game, while Kienholz struggled in the first half but finished strong with 158 yards and two touchdowns. This could go either way in preseason camp, but I think Sayin has the bigger upside and will end up edging Kienholz. If this was any other season, and the Buckeyes weren't starting with a top-five game against Texas, Ryan Day could run both quarterbacks out there like he did in 2023 with Kyle McCord and Brown. But this year, he has to name one and run with him. I wouldn't be surprised if Day waits all the way up to game week. Regardless, I think Sayin is the guy. He's accurate, has a quick release and moves well in the pocket, which are all important traits for a 6-foot-1 quarterback. Sayin will have some first-year struggles taking care of the ball, but if he can cut those down in camp, he'll win the competition. Ohio State has had some good tight ends in its history, but the Purdue transfer Klare may be the most talented in recent memory. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound junior from Cincinnati is a versatile player who can make a difference in the passing game, whether on the line of scrimmage or split out as a slot receiver. He's going to give the new starting quarterback a reliable and large target on any down and especially in the red zone. Advertisement There's two records he should be on watch for this season: Ohio State's single-season touchdowns and receiving yards records for tight ends Ohio State's receiving yards by a tight end record was set in 1966 by Billy Anders, who had 671 yards and averaged 74.6 yards per game in nine games. Klare can beat that, especially when you take into account the probability of at least one Playoff game. Last year at Purdue, Klare was the top option and finished with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 57.1 yards in 12 games. If I'm going to predict a Big Ten title game appearance and at least one Playoff game, then Klare has to average just 50 yards per game in 14 games — quite doable, even if he's competing for targets with standouts like receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Ohio State's tight end receiving touchdowns record is seven, shared by Ricky Dudley (1995) and Jake Stoneburner (2011). What makes Klare a scoring threat isn't just the touches he'll get in the red zone, but also the fact that he's a threat after the catch. With Ohio State's receiver talent, he's going to get more 1-on-1 options than he did last year, which should lead to more opportunities after the catch. His biggest issue might be targets, but young quarterbacks love big and reliable options, which Klare is. I like his upside no matter the quarterback. Styles returning for his senior season was a good decision for him and the Buckeyes. The Columbus native moved to linebacker last year from safety and looked like a natural. He's athletic enough to excel in coverage and he had 100 tackles last season, looking more and more comfortable at the line of scrimmage against the run as the season progressed. With Cody Simon gone, he's the leader in the linebacking corps and will be able to build off his success last year, when he was a second-team All-Big Ten pick. Advertisement Styles returns as one of the nation's top linebackers and can be in the mix for greater honors as a senior, especially as a leader on a defense that is going to rely on him to make plays behind four new starters on the defensive line. He was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award last season, and I think he takes a step up and has a chance to join his position coach James Laurinaitis and Andy Katzenmoyer on Ohio State's list of winners — although I'll pick Texas' Anthony Hill to beat him out. Ohio State is coming off a national title but hasn't won the Big Ten in the past four seasons. If I keep predicting a Big Ten championship, it's bound to happen one season, right? Well this year is slightly different, because I think Ohio State will lose two games in the regular season again but this time make it to Indianapolis. The prediction here is that Ohio State will lose to open the season against Texas, which has no impact on the Big Ten race. It will beat Penn State. And it will lose for the fifth consecutive time to Michigan. I think Ohio State will be the better team, but without seeing the revamped defense and new quarterback, it's hard for me to pick Ohio State outright on the road after what's happened the past four seasons in The Game. I could see an 11-1 season, but for now let's go with the assumption that the Buckeyes' rivalry misery continues in a loss to Michigan. If it's their only Big Ten loss, there's still a good path to the conference title. Oregon and Penn State are the two other biggest contenders, and they play each other on Sept. 27. A guaranteed loss for one of them opens up a path for a one-conference-loss Ohio State to get in if the Buckeyes can beat the Nittany Lions at home. I think Ohio State has the team capable of beating Penn State at home, although the defensive line will need to take a step before that November matchup. I like the potential of this year's Ohio State's team. It's OK for the Buckeyes to not be at their peak in the first week of the season, but there's a real possibility that they reach that later, stumble again against Michigan, and win their first Big Ten championship since 2020 anyway. The Buckeyes have had a receiver drafted in the first round in each of the past four years. It began with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in 2022 and continued with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024 and Emeka Egbuka in 2025. Jeremiah Smith will be a first-round pick in 2027, but if Ohio State is going to carry on that streak in 2026, it'll have to be Tate. Advertisement From a pure physical standpoint, Tate has the tools to be a successful NFL receiver. He's a 6-foot-3, 191-pound receiver who runs crisp routes and has good hands. He's dropped just five passes in two seasons, according to TruMedia, totaling 70 catches for 997 yards and five touchdowns. Tate has been overshadowed on the Ohio State roster for the past two seasons, first as a freshman by Harrison and Egbuka and then last year by Smith and Egbuka. This is the former five-star recruit's chance to get more snaps and put his talent on full display. He's already one of the top draft-eligible receivers coming into the season, but a potential breakout season could solidify him as a first-round pick. If that's the case, how long does Ohio State's streak go? If Smith is drafted in 2027, there's a host of other five-star receivers coming in who could keep it going in 2028 and beyond. (Photo of Carnell Tate: Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Images)


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Right-handed transfer pitcher commits to Tennessee baseball
Bo Rhudy committed to Tennessee baseball and head coach Tony Vitello. Rhudy, a rising junior right-handed pitcher, transferred to play for the Vols after two seasons at Kennesaw State. "All glory to God," he announced. "Couldn't be more excited for the next chapter." Last season, Rhudy (2-0) appeared in 21 games, including two starts, and recorded five saves. He had a 3.16 ERA, totaled 37 innings pitched and allowed 13 runs, 24 hits and five walks, while recording 44 strikeouts. As a freshman in 2024 at Kennesaw State, he posted a 4-1 record, six saves and a 2.78 ERA. Rhudy allowed 13 runs (11 earned), 24 hits and 14 walks. He recorded 32 strikeouts over 35.2 innings pitched. Rhudy appeared in 19 games, making two starts. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle The No. 14 national seed Vols (46-17) will play No. 3 national seed Arkansas (46-13) in the Fayetteville Super Regional of the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament. Game No. 1 of the best-of-three series is slated for Saturday at 5 p.m. EDT. ESPN will televise the matchup between the two SEC schools.