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USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the best quarterbacks that Auburn will face during the 2025 season
Auburn will be tasked with slowing down a heap of great quarterbacks in 2025. The 2025 season is quickly approaching, which means it is a great time to scout every quarterback that the Auburn Tigers are slated to face this season. Auburn will head to Baylor to open the 2025 season on Aug. 29 for a game that is sure to excite those who love great passing games. The Tigers will face Ball State and South Alabama before opening SEC play at Oklahoma, then Texas A&M, to close the September portion of the schedule. Auburn will also face a College Football Playoff participant in Georgia, as well as arch rival Alabama at home this season, with games against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Arkansas mixed in. The docket of quarterbacks Auburn is slated to face is a great mix of experienced quarterbacks and those aiming to make a name for themselves as transfers or being first-year starters. Auburn's defensive backfield will be experienced and ready to slow down each team's passing game every week. Ahead of the 2025 season, here is a look at every quarterback Auburn is slated to face this season, ranked No. 12 to No. 1. No. 12 Kaiel Kelly, Ball State Cardinals The first player on our list has had a strange, yet eventful college career to say the least. Ball State's Kiael Kelly began his career as a defensive back at Ball State in 2022 before making the move to offense, where he has played quarterback and wide receiver. He started in seven of 11 games in 2023 at quarterback, where he passed for 577 yards and two touchdowns while adding 724 yards and seven scores on the ground. He caught three passes for 10 yards as a receiver last season. There is zero doubt that Kelly will be a major player in Ball State's offense when the Cardinals visit Auburn on Sept. 6, but will it be at quarterback? No. 11 DJ Smith, Mercer Bears Smith started seven games for Mercer in 2024 and returns as the eldest quarterback on the roster. The JUCO product completed 74% of his passes last season for 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 152 yards and four touchdowns. He has zero issue slinging the ball as he passed for over 200-yards in four games last season, with his best game coming in his Mercer debut against Presbyterian, where he passed for 320 yards and three scores. Smith joins Kelly from Ball State in being a quality dual-threat quarterback, and will definitely not be the last on our list. Smith will lead the Mercer Bears into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 22 as an appetizer for Thanksgiving Day, as well as the Iron Bowl. No. 10 Beau Pribula, Missouri Tigers Missouri will replace several offensive threats this season, including quarterback Brady Cook. In steps Drew Pribula, a former three-star quarterback who spent his first two seasons at Penn State. Pribula attempted just 56 passes in Happy Valley, but was solid in short-to-medium depth situations by completing 18-of-21 passes from depths between 0 and 19 yards for 229 yards and five touchdowns. Pribula has a great arm, and he hopes that he will be meshed well with his offensive line before leading his Tigers into Auburn on Oct. 18. No. 9 Zach Pyron, South Alabama Jaguars The former Fyffe Red Devil and Pinson Valley Indian will lead South Alabama into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 13. Pyron showcased his dual-threat ability in three seasons at Georgia Tech by passing for 995 yards and rushing for 271 yards. After briefly transferring to Minnesota for spring practice, he elected to come back to his home state to play for Major Applewhite and the South Alabama Jaguars. Pyron was a phenomenal quarterback in our state as a high school player, and will look to find similar success at South Alabama this season. No. 8 Ty Simpson, Alabama Crimson Tide There's a new sheriff in Tuscaloosa as Ty Simpson will take over for Jalen Milroe as the starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is the poster child for "waiting it out" as he is set to take over the offense in his fourth season with the Tide. In three seasons, he has completed 51 passes for 381 yards and zero touchdowns. He has thrown just one "turnover worthy pass" according to Pro Football Focus, and his receivers have dropped seven of his passes. He is unproven, but his story could change before the Iron Bowl, which is slated for Nov. 29 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. No. 7 Gunner Stockton, Georgia Bulldogs Gunner Stockton got his feet wet in the College Football Playoffs last season when the Georgia Bulldogs faced Notre Dame in the quarterfinals. Stockton takes over for Carson Beck, who left Athens during the offseason to transfer to Miami, and the Rabun County, Georgia native is ready to take over his home-state team. He holds a 68.7% completion percentage and 124 rushing yards over the last two seasons as a back-up to Beck. Stockton will lead Georgia into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, in a game slated for prime time. No. 6 Marcel Reed, Texas A&M Aggies The line is officially drawn between inexperienced, unproven quarterbacks and quarterbacks and quarterbacks with at least one year of starting service. Reed returns to Texas A&M after starting eight games for the Aggies last season, splitting time with Conner Weigman, who is now a Houston Cougar. Reed passed for 1,864 yards last season and rushed for an additional 543 yards with 22 total scores. His dual-threat ability will create havoc for SEC foes all season long, and will test the likes of Keldric Faulk and the Tigers' defense in College Station on Sept. 27 No. 5 Zach Calzada, Kentucky Wildcats An old friend will visit Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 1 when Zach Calzada leads the Kentucky Wildcats into Auburn. Calzada suited up briefly for the Tigers during the 2022 season, but never saw the field due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He would enter the transfer portal following the 2022 season, where he eventually ended up at FCS Incarnate Word. Calzada bounced back by passing for 6,342 yards and 54 touchdowns in two seasons at Incarnate Word, he also broke out his run game by rushing for 332 yards in 2024. Expect Calzada to be extra motivated to face his former team in November. No. 4 Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt Commodores Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt to the Birmingham Bowl last season and is poised to beat Hugh Freeze for the fourth straight season in 2025. Pavia passed for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns for the second-straight season, and cut down on his interceptions by throwing just four, and tossing just seven "turnover worthy passes." His great decision-making, mixed in with his run game, has haunted Auburn over the last two seasons, and the Tigers will look to end his good fortune on Nov. 8 in Nashville. No. 3 Sawyer Robertson, Baylor Bears Former Mississippi State quarterback Sawyer Robertson passed for 3,058 yards last season in his first full year as Baylor's starting quarterback and is going to be the core of Baylor's air raid system yet again this season. Auburn's defensive backfield will be the most experienced unit on the field, but will be tested greatly in week one with Baylor's aerial attack on Aug. 29 in Waco. No. 2 Taylen Green, Arkansas Razorbacks Taylen Green will be another great passer that Auburn will be tasked with slowing down this season. Green threw for over 3,154 yards and 15 touchdowns last season while showcasing his running game that he developed at Boise State by pounding out 602 yards. Green is the highest-graded offensive quarterback that Auburn will face this season, and they will look to slow him down on Oct. 25 in Fayetteville. No. 1 John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners Out is Jackson Arnold/Michael Hawkins, in steps John Mateer. Mateer transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State, joining his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. Mateer, like Pavia, is a great decision-maker. Last season at Washington State, Mateer threw just 16 turnover-worthy passes in 348 attempts, throwing seven interceptions to 29 touchdowns. He also added 1,008 yards on the ground. If Oklahoma corrects the issues that plagued Arnold last season, Mateer could end the season as a Heisman-trophy finalist. Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners will welcome Auburn to town on Sept. 20, which will be the SEC opener for Auburn. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Purdue football coach Barry Odom takes shot at Indiana's schedule
Barry Odom is trying to rebuild Purdue football after a disastrous 1-11 season led to the firing of previous coach Ryan Walters. Odom's preparing his team for a nonconference schedule over the first month of the season that includes games against Ball State, Southern Illinois and — gulp — Notre Dame. On 107.5 FM in Indianapolis last week, the coach noted that, while each Big Ten team already plays nine conference games, offering the fans more chances to watch top-flight competition should be the goal. "That is something that sets the standard in college football right now," adding that all conferences should have nine-game schedules. "It's so important to have games that fans are excited about." Re-live Purdue's run to the Final Four with our commemorative book Odom added that he's eager to prepare his team for the tougher tests, unlike another program in the state. "I could take the approach of one of the other schools in the state, cancel games and do some of those things, but the schedule is what it is," Odom said. Purdue currently has games scheduled against Wake Forest (2026, '28), Notre Dame (2026, '27, '28), North Carolina (2027), Vanderbilt (2029) and TCU (2030) in upcoming seasons. Indiana's 2025 nonconference slate includes Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State, all at home. The Hoosiers also recently canceled a home-and-home series with Virginia. At the moment, IU's next power conference-caliber nonconference opponent is Notre Dame in 2030. Another boss: Lawrence Central grad can go 'as far as he wants' as Purdue football GM Aug. 30: vs. Ball State Sept. 6: vs. Southern Illinois Sept. 20: at Notre Dame Aug. 30: vs. Old Dominion Sept. 6: vs. Kennesaw State Sept. 12: vs. Indiana State The interview begins at the 1-hour, 5-minute mark.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Purdue football tickets, game schedule, viewing options
On Aug. 30, the Purdue Boilermakers will begin their 2025 college football schedule against Ball State. See below for more info. Hoping to go to a game this season? Keep reading for ticketing information for every Purdue matchup. Check out: US LBM Coaches Poll powered by USA Today sports Buy Purdue tickets on StubHub How to buy tickets for Purdue's next game Purdue tickets & 2025 schedule Buy Purdue vs. Ball State tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Southern Illinois tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. USC tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Notre Dame tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Illinois tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Minnesota tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Northwestern tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Rutgers tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Michigan tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Ohio State tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Washington tickets on StubHub Buy Purdue vs. Indiana tickets on StubHub
Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Crown Point's Brinkley Kita is all smiles at Ball State. Her late-season success is ‘big confidence booster.'
Brinkley Kita didn't enjoy having so much free time. That was especially true since the 2022 Crown Point graduate believed she had more softball to play. 'I couldn't just sit back and do nothing, and I wasn't really ready to be fully done with softball yet,' Kita said. After struggling to make a home at Lipscomb as a freshman, Kita spent a year out of the sport. But she has revived her softball career at Ball State. A 5-foot-11 right-hander, Kita went 5-4 with a 4.36 ERA in 43 1/3 innings for the Cardinals (33-18) this past season. Her best day came near the end during a doubleheader against Central Michigan on May 3, when she pitched three innings of scoreless relief in Game 1 and then threw a shutout in Game 2 — a performance that earned her Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week honors. 'That was a big confidence booster for me,' Kita said. 'I went into that game thinking that I didn't need to be stressed or worried about anything, that I just needed to play my game and know that my teammates were behind me. I didn't really think about it too much. I just kept going.' Kita raved about first year at Ball State overall. 'It was amazing,' she said. 'I feel like that school is what I needed. Ball State is exactly what I thought college was going to be like.' Crown Point coach Angie Richwalski received frequent updates from Kita's younger sister Ashlyn, a junior on the Class 4A state championship team. 'From talking to her family during the season, they all said she was absolutely in love with Muncie,' Richwalski said. 'Knowing Brinkley, I'd assume that her mental comfort probably had a big impact on her performance at Ball State.' That comfort level was harder for Kita to find during her first year of college. She went 6-6 with a team-best 2.74 ERA in 74 innings for Lipscomb in 2023 but wasn't happy in the new environment in Nashville, Tennessee. 'It was a lot on me mentally,' she said. 'The people there really weren't my people, and being so far away from home was really hard on me too.' By the time Kita decided she wasn't returning to Lipscomb, however, the transfer window had closed. So she spent the 2023-24 school year in Crown Point, where she picked up the first job of her life and took online classes at Ivy Tech. There were trips to the gym and pitching lessons, too, but Kita wasn't satisfied. 'I wasn't really seeing a bunch of people because everyone else was away at school, and I wasn't playing softball for the first time in my life,' she said. 'So I didn't really know what to do.' Kita's time at home led to countless conversations with her mother, Jennifer, who said she always believed more opportunities would be available. 'I just want a happy child,' Jennifer Kita said. 'If she wasn't going to play anymore, that was OK. But I knew they'd want her because she has a lot to offer. She never stopped working on her skills.' Brinkley Kita eventually gained the motivation to enter the transfer portal when it reopened in December, and she discovered her skills were in high demand. A visit to Muncie helped Kita commit to a future there. 'There's such a strong bond with the girls there,' she said. 'We just didn't have that same chemistry at Lipscomb that I feel like we have at Ball State.' Kita hopes she can continue to thrive during her final two years of eligibility. 'For the first time in a long time, when I was pitching, I felt so confident,' she said. 'If I can just keep my head calm, then I'm calm and my pitching is good.'
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama football 2025 season preview, predictions: Arkel Anugwom
A new face to the program this season, could offensive lineman Arkel Anugwom make an impact for the Alabama Crimson Tide in year one? An offseason transfer portal addition, Anugwom is one-of-multiple new faces to the Alabama offensive line unit this season, one that is expected to be among the best in all of college football. However, just how much could we see of Anugwom this season, a player who has not played much across the past two seasons at his previous school? Here is a look at everything you need to know about Alabama offensive lineman Arkel Anugwom entering year one in Tuscaloosa this fall. Arkel Anugwom player information Arkel Anugwom career stats While the offensive lineman is new to Alabama this season, Anugwom is a familiar face to college football, as he originally began his collegiate career at Ball State. However, Anugwom did not necessarily play much with the Cardinals, appearing in only four games across the 2023-24 seasons. Arkel Anugwom 2024 stats As a redshirt freshman last season at Ball State, Anugwom saw action in only four games at left tackle. This was the first action for Anugwom at the collegiate level, as the offensive lineman redshirted back in 2023 after not appearing in a game. Arkel Anugwom recruiting ranking Coming out of the 2023 class, Anugwom, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, was considered as an unranked prospect nationally out of Antioch High School in Tennessee. Prior to Alabama, Anugwom was considered as a three-star prospect, as well as the No. 304 overall player in the transfer portal this past cycle, per 247Sports. Anugwom committed to the Crimson Tide back in Jan. 2025 out of the transfer portal. Arkel Anugwom 2025 season outlook When it comes to potential playing time for Anugwom during year one in Tuscaloosa, the Ball State transfer is likely set to begin the season as a backup. Entering fall camp, Alabama's starter at left tackle is set in Kadyn Proctor, while the right side will likely be filled by the returning Wilkin Formby. Because of this, Anugwom is likely cemented as a backup at tackle, but should still be one of the top reserve options available. Overall, expect the redshirt sophomore to see action in 2025, and for Anugwom to begin emerging as a name to know looking ahead to 2026. Arkel Anugwom 2025 season prediction Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
