Nation's No. 1 QB Recruit Predicted to Commit to Big Ten Powerhouse
Lincoln Riley is known for his ability to develop quarterbacks. The USC Trojans' head coach has helped Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams each win the Heisman Trophy. Peyton Houston hopes to be the next in that successful lineage.
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'NEW: Rivals' @SWilftong_ and @samspiegs have logged expert predictions for USC to land 2027 4-star QB Peyton Houston,' Rivals wrote Monday on X. 'Houston is the No. 8 QB in the 2027 class.'
Houston, a Shreveport, La., native, is tabbed as the No. 1 passer in ESPN's Class of 2027 rankings. On that list, he ranks ahead of Bobby Coleman Jr., Keegan Croucher, Brady Edmunds and Peter Bourque. Edmunds is an Ohio State commit.
According to MaxPreps, Houston passed for 4,480 yards, 38 touchdowns and six interceptions as a sophomore at Evangel Christian Academy (La.). He also rushed for 690 yards and seven touchdowns on 105 totes.
'It means a lot, and it's a blessing, for sure, to have Lincoln Riley think I'm one of the top guys for him,' Houston told Rivals' Adam Gorney last month. 'That relationship there is definitely strong.'
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USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Houston could be set up well if he ends up taking the reins of the Trojans' offense. In 247Sports' team rankings, USC has the No. 1 recruiting haul in the Class of 2026. That group includes four-star signal-caller Jonas Williams and five-star tight end Mark Bowman, who's drawn comparisons to Brock Bowers.
Among his 32 offers, Houston is also considering the Oklahoma Sooners, Clemson Tigers and Texas Longhorns.
Related: How Lincoln Riley Can go From Hot Seat to Dominant Again
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
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New York Times
4 minutes ago
- New York Times
Our experts' College Football Playoff, Heisman and national title predictions for 2025
Texas is atop the preseason college football polls, and it's also The Athletic staff's favorite to win its first national championship since 2005. And yet: Few of the 28 writers and editors we surveyed believe Arch Manning will win the Heisman Trophy. So how will the 2025 college football season play out? We compiled our staff's best guesses for the national championship game, the Heisman, conference championships and the College Football Playoff field — plus some hot takes and bold predictions. Advertisement Texas is No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll and AP poll. And it's the overwhelming No. 1 here, too, getting 12 of 28 votes — short of a majority, but seven more than anyone else. Last August, a higher percentage of voters here — 16 of 28 — picked Ohio State to win the national title, which proved prophetic despite the Buckeyes' regular-season losses to Oregon and Michigan. Can Texas repeat our predictive prowess? Let's turn to one staff member who chose each team to explain our seven national championship picks: Although Manning's sample size (95 career passes) is too small to tell us whether he'll live up to his sky-high ceiling, it's large enough to show a high floor. That might be good enough with this defense and supporting cast. My feelings about the Longhorns are similar to how I felt about Ohio State before last year and Georgia before Kirby Smart's titles: They've amassed enough talent and gotten close enough (back-to-back semifinalists) to make me think they'll eventually break through. Why not this year? — Matt Baker Dabo Swinney didn't forget how to win, and Clemson has a lot of really solid pieces that are hard not to like. Cade Klubnik is viewed by many as the best quarterback in college football and enters his third year in coordinator Garrett Riley's system with a strong group of receivers. The defense has stars with elite talent at every level, headlined by linemen T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, and a good, experienced coordinator in place with Tom Allen, who Swinney plucked from Penn State. This all sounds like a familiar formula Clemson utilized to win two national championships last decade. — Antonio Morales LSU has enough talent to win the title. I'm betting it comes together against an SEC and preseason top 10 littered with question marks. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is back with high potential and a stacked group of receivers. The Tigers have to replace four starters on the offensive line, but head coach Brian Kelly went heavy in the portal, including a couple of projected starters up front. LSU also bolstered an improving defense that welcomes back Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins. The schedule is tough (as always), but continuity at QB, incoming impact players and Kelly feeling a little heat from his seat could be the recipe that brings another trophy to Baton Rouge. — Justin Williams Advertisement Notre Dame showed it was a program built for the Playoff in 2024, and increasingly, the Playoff feels like it's being built for Notre Dame, as this year's seeding tweak allows the Irish a first-round bye if they finish in the selection committee's top four. The trench play and the return of standout rushers Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price make me less concerned than most that we still don't know which quarterback will hand off to them in Week 1. The schedule provides a few early gut checks (starting with Miami and Texas A&M) followed by what should be a long runway to fine-tune for December and January. — Eric Single This pick is equal parts Georgia still being really good (more on that in a minute) and equal parts that there were no other teams that screamed sure-fire preseason No. 1. I understand the arguments for Penn State, Texas and Ohio State (among a few others), but I'd also put Georgia in that same class. The talent on both sides of the line of scrimmage is elite. The defense has fewer question marks, but the offense could take a step forward thanks to a much-improved receiving corps and more consistent play (and fewer turnovers) at quarterback. And while the schedule is brutal (and I'm no gambling expert), there is a decent chance the Bulldogs will be favored in every regular-season game. — Mitch Light You don't get over the hump until you do. We didn't think Michigan could get past Ohio State. We didn't think Texas could be 'back' until those things happened again. Penn State looks so much like Michigan and Ohio State of the past two years, with a team full of NFL players who came back another year to try to win it all. It's not a flawless team — pass-catching weapons need to step up — but it's a good mix of talent and experience. Yes, James Franklin is 1-15 against top-five teams at Penn State, but he rarely had the better team in those matchups. This year, he does. And in a 12-team CFP, you can lose a game or two and still win. Penn State gets over the hump and wins it all. — Chris Vannini 'He (Ryan Day) finally won with a veteran-laden team and help from his mentor. I expect to see the old underachiever resurface this season.' — Commenter LD, on Cameron Teague Robinson's great look into Ohio State's recession-proof program. Right, right. Replacing 14 draft picks. A new quarterback in town. Michigan is once again in a spiral for something stupid, which has become prime trap circumstances for the Buckeyes. As a dumbfounded Day stared at the circus before him after his Buckeyes lost to the Wolverines last season, I told my colleagues Matt Brown and Bruce Feldman that Day would win it all thereafter. And then, after OSU beat Texas to make the title game, I had this conversation with a non-colleges desk employee at The Athletic, who is a major Buckeyes fan: Me: Are you elated? Colleague: Meh. I didn't forget about Michigan lol Me: I was wondering if OSU fans would feel that way Colleague: If you need more toxicity, I know where to find them haha Me: I love it. I pitched this exact column to Joe Rexrode Colleague: Thank you! It's weird, but I just know Michigan fans would point out how we lost to them this year, and the championship is just Febreze over the anger lol. Advertisement Don't sleep on fake pain for the Buckeyes. To go back-to-back, Ohio State will lose to Penn State in the regular season, giving PSU false hope (and real pain), but then the Buckeyes will beat the Nittany Lions in the postseason and win it all again. Some OSU fans will still hate Ryan Day. — Jill Thaw Whereas 12 of the 17 voters who picked Texas to make it to Miami on Jan. 19 believe the Longhorns will hoist the College Football Playoff national championship trophy, Clemson and Penn State don't inspire as much faith to get it done in the end. Clemson got nine national title loser votes to five wins, while Penn State — with its lingering big-game questions under Franklin — got seven national title loser votes to just three wins. Not surprisingly, Clemson vs. Texas (in a rematch of a first-round game last December) is our most popular choice for the national championship matchup, followed by an Ohio State-Texas rematch of their Week 1 showdown in Columbus. In all, our 28 voters chose 13 national title game matchups: Our preseason College Football Quarterback Tiers, which ranked all 136 projected starters, showcased a stellar crop of quarterbacks … but a lack of consensus on who is truly the best. The lack of clarity atop the quarterback pecking order makes it even easier for such a large chunk of our staff to favor the consensus best overall player in the country, Jeremiah Smith, to take home the Heisman Trophy. There are hurdles, of course: Though DeVonta Smith won at Alabama in 2020, the Heisman is a tough sell for pure wide receivers. Travis Hunter won last year but did so while pulling double-duty as a cornerback, and Desmond Howard (1991), Tim Brown (1987) and Johnny Rodgers (1972) leaned heavily on their versatility on special teams. Plus, Jeremiah Smith is part of a deep Ohio State receiving corps playing with a new starting quarterback, Julian Sayin. Still, more than half of our voters are betting on his pure talent winning out after the No. 1 recruit dazzled as a freshman, catching 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns for the national championships. He's a clear No. 1 over three quarterbacks who have high-profile Week 1 games: LSU's Nussmeier visits Clemson's Klubnik (in a matchup of the top two players in our QB Tiers), while Texas' Manning visits Ohio State. Advertisement Manning may be the betting favorite to win the Heisman and Texas may be our national championship favorite, but our staff isn't sold on Arch becoming the first Manning to win the Heisman. (This year, at least.) Last preseason, our panel gave five teams votes to win the ACC, with nearly half going to Florida State … which went on to have one of the worst collapses in college football history at 2-10. Ten voters correctly called Clemson, which beat the unexpected runner-up SMU. 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Advertisement Ohio State, which received most of the remaining votes, is actually searching for its first conference championship since 2020, before its four-game losing streak to Michigan, which received zero votes. The Buckeyes received unanimous support to make the Playoff, while one panelist doesn't believe the Penn State hype and left the Nittany Lions out of the bracket. There's a clear top three here with Oregon included. Iowa got four CFP votes, and Nebraska — which hasn't beaten a ranked team since 2016 — got more CFP votes than Indiana (last year's surprise Playoff team) and Illinois (2025 preseason darling) combined. Texas came up just short of an SEC title in its inaugural season in the conference last year, falling to Georgia in Atlanta. Now it's a heavy favorite to win the league in our survey at 64 percent of the vote. Can the Longhorns break an 11-year streak of Alabama, Georgia or LSU winning the SEC? Those three teams are not surprisingly next on the list, with Texas A&M — which hasn't won a conference title since 1998 in the Big 12 — also garnering one vote as a sleeper. The SEC is the only conference to have 10 teams (out of its 16) get at least one vote for a Playoff bid. Just like last year, at least one Group of 5 team is guaranteed to make the Playoff because the field includes the five highest-ranked conference champions. Group of 5 teams are also eligible for at-large bids, but none of our 28 voters picked more than one G5 team to make the field. Ten people like Boise State to make a return trip to the Playoff out of the Mountain West without Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty, putting it ahead of Tulane, Navy and Memphis from The American. Using our conference championship picks and a points system (12 for a No. 1 seed, 11 for a No. 2 seed, etc.), we came up with The Athletic's consensus preseason College Football Playoff predictions below. Remember, though the top five conference championships will receive bids again, this time the field is using a straight seeding model based on the selection committee's rankings. The four first-round byes are no longer reserved for conference champions. Ten teams got at least half of the staff's vote to make the Playoff: Texas, Clemson and Ohio State were unanimous picks, Penn State fell one short and Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Alabama and Miami all received at least 14 votes. Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State round out the bracket. Advertisement In total, 41 teams received at least one vote to earn a Playoff bid. Lastly, we asked our panelists to submit their bold predictions for the season. Here's a selection of the best: Austin Meek: One of these four teams will make the CFP: Minnesota, Kansas, Syracuse, Baylor. Pete Sampson: USC will fire Lincoln Riley after a 7-5 season … and maybe before then. USC has invested in its football program with a new general manager and a big bet on NIL. Yet the talent level isn't what it used to be under Pete Carroll or even the coaches who followed him. Despite the cost of pulling the ripcord on Riley after three years, a three-game skid at midseason — losses at Illinois, home to Michigan and at Notre Dame — makes Riley's future untenable. Eric Single: Clay Helton's Georgia Southern 35, Lincoln Riley's USC 31. Seth Emerson: The CFP manages to match up Georgia with Carson Beck and Miami in a first-round game. Christopher Kamrani: Carson Beck will be replaced as Miami's QB by late October. Ralph D. Russo: Amid relentless rumors about James Franklin being considered for the vacant Florida job, Penn State is knocked out of the quarterfinals of the CFP. Franklin leaves to replace Billy Napier, who was fired in late December. The move ushers in a new era of coaching changes in the expanded Playoff era. Jill Thaw: Rutgers will go 2-1 against any combination of vs. Oregon, vs. Penn State and at Illinois. Jason Kirk: After Notre Dame wins the national title, everyone else will immediately restore the You Must Win A Conference To Get A Playoff Bye rule. Kate Hairopoulos: UNC and Bill Belichick take advantage of an easy schedule to win nine games. Scott Dochterman: The Big 12 will have four, maybe even five, teams tie at the top with 7-2 records. Matt Brown: After Texas beats Texas A&M to close the regular season, Texas A&M beats Texas to win the SEC championship a week later … and Georgia and Alabama both miss the Playoff. Advertisement Mitch Sherman: Arch Manning will throw for 300 yards in all of Texas' first five games, including road wins at Ohio State and Florida. Then he'll throw four interceptions against Oklahoma. Grace Raynor: The loser of Ohio State-Texas wins it all. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos: Todd Kirkland, Louis Grasse, Sam Hodde, Jack Gorman / Getty Images)
New York Times
4 minutes ago
- New York Times
Browns roster analysis: Which players are 53-man locks, which are on the bubble?
The Cleveland Browns must trim their 90-man roster to the regular-season size of 53 by Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET. In the days that precede that deadline, the Browns will make some obvious cuts and potentially pursue trades to address positions of need. In the hours that follow, they can explore options for their standing as second on the league's waiver wire and begin building their 16-man practice squad. Advertisement Though the active roster is always fluid, especially in late August and early September, the impending deadline spurs plenty of activity leaguewide. The Browns are mostly set with their starters. They announced on Monday that quarterback Joe Flacco will start the Sept. 7 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, there's still no real answer on when second-round rookie running back Quinshon Judkins might be eligible to sign and join the team. So, here's my best guess as to how the roster stands and which players still have plenty to gain this week in practice and in Saturday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback: Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel Running back: Jerome Ford, Dylan Sampson Wide receiver: Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash, Isaiah Bond Tight end: David Njoku, Harold Fannin Jr. Offensive linemen: Dawand Jones, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin, Teven Jenkins, Luke Wypler, Cornelius Lucas (injured) Defensive end: Myles Garrett, Isaiah McGuire, Alex Wright Defensive tackle: Maliek Collins, Mason Graham Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger, Devin Bush, Jerome Baker Cornerback: Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Cameron Mitchell, Myles Harden Safety: Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Rayshawn Jenkins (injured) Barring injury or surprise trade/change of circumstances, the players listed above are locks. 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Cleveland would probably like to be able to trade a quarterback before next week, but it remains to be seen if that will be a realistic possibility. Harris is 34 and has no guaranteed money on his deal, so he's just short of a lock at this stage, but he probably will begin the season playing in the defensive line rotation. Kicker: Dustin Hopkins Punter: Corey Bojorquez Long snapper: Rex Sunahara Hopkins will probably be the kicker. If the Browns don't fully trust him, they could explore outside options or keep a kicker on the practice squad. Andre Szmyt has been the second kicker this offseason and made two field goals Saturday in Philadelphia. Running back: Pierre Strong Jr. Wide receiver/kick returner: DeAndre Carter Tight end: Blake Whiteheart Linebacker: Winston Reid Whiteheart's limited camp participation can only be translated as he's safe, unless the team finds an external upgrade. Carter was held out of Saturday's preseason game against the Eagles, which also might be a clue. As a vested veteran, Carter wouldn't be subject to waivers if the Browns cut him next week and then brought him back before the season. Strong has been a solid special teams player, but the running back room remains unsettled. Advertisement If you're tracking to this point, that's a total of 44 players plus three specialists before things get more cloudy for the final handful of spots to be settled by next Tuesday. Quarterback: Deshaun Watson Running back: Quinshon Judkins Wide receiver: David Bell Defensive tackle: Mike Hall Jr. Hall has been on the active physically unable to perform list while recovering from a January knee surgery. The team has provided no real update. Bell is on the non-football injury list, and his status is unknown. Watson is also on active-PUP but won't be ready to start the season. He'll land on the regular-season PUP list next week. Judkins won't be formally charged following his July 12 domestic violence arrest, but he's still subject to potential NFL discipline depending upon the results of the league's investigation. The NFL has not made any ruling, Judkins remains unsigned and the Browns have not commented on his chances of playing at any point early this season. If he's suspended or remains unsigned, he doesn't count on the active roster. Running back: Ahmani Marshall Wide receiver: Gage Larvadain, Kaden Davis Offensive tackle: Jackson Barton Larvadain probably is on the right side of the bubble and continues to impress, but Bond's addition makes things at least a little bit uncertain. If the Browns need extra spots for defensive linemen, defensive backs or a fourth quarterback, they could go light at receiver or tight end on the initial 53-man roster. Defensive end: Cameron Thomas, Julian Okwara Defensive tackle: Jowon Briggs, Sam Kamara Linebacker: Nathaniel Watson Cornerback: Dom Jones, Chigozie Anusiem (injured) Safety: Damontae Kazee Top to bottom, the Browns' strongest position right now seems to be defensive end. Look for some difficult decisions and possibly a trade next week if a team in need of pass rush help comes calling. Advertisement The makeup of the bottom of the defensive line group could depend on Hall's availability and any potential waiver claims Cleveland might make next week. Dom Jones is a taller cornerback who's made a nice push over the last two weeks and figures to be in the team's plans, even if he doesn't make the initial roster. Anusiem was playing with the first and second defensive units before he was injured two weeks ago. Wide receiver: Diontae Johnson Tight end: Brenden Bates Offensive linemen: Javion Cohen, Jason Ivey Defensive end: KJ Henry Defensive tackle: Adin Huntington, Ralph Holley Safety: Christopher Edmonds, Donovan McMillon, Nik Needham I could be wrong about any of these players — and depending on roster movement over the next two weeks, several of them could be in and out of the plans. But Johnson has been outplayed in camp. Even though his role would be different than Bond's, that addition doesn't help his chances, either. The Browns will certainly keep potential reinforcements on both lines, at tight end and cornerback on the practice squad. (Top photo of Diontae Johnson: Nick Cammett / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
CNN
4 minutes ago
- CNN
Golfer says he ‘overdosed' on creatine during BMW Championship
American golfer Ben Griffin got the shakes at the BMW Championship – though it wasn't necessarily because of nerves, but rather due to swallowing a 'large rock' of creatine. World No. 17 Griffin said that he 'started getting super shaky' and 'felt like I had tremors' on Sunday after accidentally swallowing a large amount of the supplement. Creatine 'contributes to rapid energy production and may enhance power or speed bursts requiring short periods of anaerobic activity,' according to Harvard Health, and usage of the supplement is common among gym enthusiasts as there is evidence it 'can hasten muscle recovery after strenuous exercise.' 'I've taken it on the golf course before. It's fine,' Griffin said, per the PGA Tour. 'I started taking it after my second shot, and I accidentally swallowed one of the big rocks in my water bottle. I've never overdosed on creatine before, but I think I did in the moment because I didn't really drink any water after that. I basically just inhaled a snowball,' the two-time PGA Tour winner explained. Griffin said that he usually takes 15mg of the supplement daily, but on this occasion, he estimates he accidentally ingested that amount at one time. 'I was physically shaking like I've never felt before,' Griffin said. 'And I don't normally miss a lot of short putts. It was really a weird situation.' The golfer said that his caddie intervened by making him drink water and calming him down. Griffin was six over par for the first three holes – carding a triple-bogey, double-bogey and bogey – and the golfer thought about withdrawing from the tournament, but after that, he said the physical effects started to wear off. He then made seven birdies and signed for a one-under 69, finishing tied for 12th in an impressive comeback. 'It was probably more just a little bit flustered. I was fine after the second shot on two. And then it was – I felt good so I went about my day and got it back to under par,' he said. The golfer said he will be limiting his intake of the supplement in future, calling the events of the day a 'pretty crazy story.' 'I don't think I'll be taking too much creatine in the future. I will take it, but not in the amount that I probably did on the golf course, which wasn't probably a healthy amount.'
