Latest news with #TheJoelKlattShow
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn's Ranking in Joel Klatt's Post-Spring Top 25 Revealed
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is still searching for a winning season, going into 2025 with an 11-14 record. Joel Klatt weighed in on Auburn, placing the Tigers at No. 22 in his post-spring top 25 on a recent episode of "The Joel Klatt Show." Advertisement Auburn narrowly missed making its second bowl game under Freeze last season. The Tigers were 5-6 heading into the final week of the regular season, but lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide 28-14 in the "Iron Bowl." The Tigers last went to a bowl game in 2023 and lost to the Maryland Terrapins 31-13 in the Music City Bowl. Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze.© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images A winning season has eluded Freeze, but consistent recruiting has not. The Tigers have top 15 classes in 2024, 2025 and 2026 via On3 Sports. Auburn also has the No. 6 overall transfer portal class on On3 Sports. The Tigers' transfer portal class is highlighted by quarterback Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech), offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech) and linebacker Xavier Atkins (LSU). Advertisement Auburn returns talent like receiver Cam Coleman, receiver Malcolm Simmons and offensive lineman Connor Lew. Coleman and Simmons were both top-rated recruits in the 2024 class. Lew started all 12 games for Auburn last season at center. Coleman finished second on the team in 2024 with 598 receiving yards, while Simmons was third with 451. Auburn's third season with Freeze in charge begins in 2025. The Tigers face the Baylor Bears in their season opener on Aug. 30. Related: Former Auburn CB Announces Transfer Commitment to Third College Football Program
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joel Klatt Didn't Hesitate When Naming the Best QB in College Football
There are a handful of teams that enter the 2025 season with a real shot at winning the national championship, and one thing most have in common is a talented quarterback to lead them. Of course, there has been a lot of debate about who the best player at the position truly is, and in a video posted to "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football podcast" YouTube channel, the Fox Sports analyst named his top QB. Advertisement 'My No. 1 quarterback going into next season in 2025 is Cade Klubnik,' Klatt said. 'I'm a big believer in Clemson, I'm a big believer in Clemson, mainly because I think Cade Klubnik is going to be the best quarterback in college football next year. … It's going to be really tough for me not to go into next season and say, like my Heisman pick before the year, is not Cade Klubnik." Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2).© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images There's no doubt that in 2024, Klubnik did put up impressive numbers for Clemson, appearing in 14 games and completing 308-of-486 passes for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 148.2 passing efficiency rating. However, those numbers will need to see a boost if he wants to live up to the high expectations he has had since coming out of high school in 2022, where On3 Industry Rankings placed him as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 18 player in the nation. Advertisement Klatt isn't the only one with high regard for Klubnik either, as ESPN even placed him at No. 1 when naming "10 early Heisman Trophy contenders" going into 2025. Now, it will just remain to be seen if he can help Clemson reach what is thought to be some ambitious goals, as ESPN BET gives them the best odds of winning the ACC (+115) and the eighth-best odds to win the national championship (+1400). Related: UCLA Makes Surprising Quarterback Move on Wednesday
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nick Saban, NIL Commission Receives Huge Joel Klatt Endorsement
Nick Saban won six national championships with the Alabama Crimson Tide as head coach from 2007-2023. Now that he is retired, Saban is moving on to a bigger role, as an expected co-chair on President Donald Trump's college football commission. The commission will look into problems with college football regarding the transfer portal, unregulated booster compensation to athletes, employment of college athletes and Title IX. Advertisement On a recent episode of "The Joel Klatt Show," Joel Klatt revealed that he was excited to see what the commission accomplishes. Saban will be on the commission with Cody Campbell, who founded the Texas Tech Red Raiders' Matador Club NIL collective. Legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban introduces President Donald Trump. © Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images "I don't want people looking out for themselves that are in positions of power in college football or college or intercollegiate athletics," Klatt said. "I want people to look out for all the stakeholders, and I put you in that as a fan. And I think Nick Saban understands that. Who knows what comes out of this commission? I'm excited for it. I'm very excited for it." Advertisement Before Alabama, Saban was the head coach for the LSU Tigers from 2000-04 and the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06. He won one national title with LSU in 2003. Saban's last season as a head coach was with Alabama in 2023. He retired following a loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide were beaten by the Wolverines 23-17 in overtime. After retiring, Saban became a crew member on "College GameDay" in 2024. Now, Alabama is led by former Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer finished his first season at Alabama at 9-4. Related: SEC Rival Beats Alabama Out For Elite In-State Recruit
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joel Klatt Reveals Post-Spring College Football Top 25 Rankings
In the latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show, the FOX Sports college football guru revealed his "way-too-early" top 25 rankings for the upcoming season. Since spring practices and the transfer portal window have passed, some may be surprised to learn that there are only about three more months until the start of the 2025 college football calendar. Klatt's top 25 features three Big 10 teams among the top four teams overall. Advertisement The 43-year-old host prefaced his rankings by outlining that this year's margins between the top teams have never been smaller. "Here's what, first and foremost, I'm most excited for: I don't think we have a real dominant team. As opposed to last year ... you could say, "Yeah, Ohio State will be a really good football team. Georgia is going to be really good.' We knew who the best teams are. We know that again this year, but I'm just telling you the margin is reducing every year between all of these teams." Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Prather-Imagn Joel Klatt's post-spring top 25 college football rankings Penn State Nittany Lions Texas Longhorns Ohio State Buckeyes Oregon Ducks Clemson Tigers Notre Dame Fighting Irish LSU Tigers Georgia Bulldogs Alabama Crimson Tide Illinois Fighting Illini South Carolina Gamecocks Michigan Wolverines Florida Gators BYU Cougars Arizona State Sun Devils Kansas State Wildcats Iowa State Cyclones Miami Hurricanes Texas A&M Aggies Ole Miss Rebels Indiana Hoosiers Auburn Tigers Iowa Hawkeyes Baylor Bears Oklahoma Sooners It may surprise some that Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in Klatt's rankings, as they are often ranked first in early release lists. However, most analysts have some combination of OSU, Penn State or Texas in their top-three. Advertisement The Hurricanes are also a touch low ranking at No. 18, and Klatt viewed his opinion of Miami as "cautiously optimistic." He also noted concerns about quarterback Carson Beck not being ready yet as he recovers from the elbow injury that cut short his season last year. Illinois is receiving good placement in rankings this spring; however, Klatt describes the Fighting Illini as a "sneaky, sneaky, good team," placing them at No. 10 in his list. Red Raiders HC Joey McGuire vs. Longhorns© Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK Several commenters to the video pointed out that Klatt should have had the Texas Tech Red Raiders somewhere in this list. The program had a huge haul in the transfer portal and is the betting favorite to win the Big 12. Advertisement When discussing his No. 1 team, Penn State, Klatt believes the Nittany Lions are following the blueprint of what past national champions have done. "You look at what Michigan did in 2023. You look at what Ohio State did in 2024. Both of those teams had a core group of veteran players stay. They stayed and won a championship. Both of those teams had veterans at quarterback. "They had veterans on both sides of the ball. They were excellent at the line of scrimmage. They had chips on their shoulders from the way that they were bounced from the postseason in years prior. All of that is true about Penn State." The 2025 college football season will begin on August 23 with a four-game slate. The vast majority of teams will begin their seasons on August 30. Advertisement Related: Former No. 1 Linebacker Announces Transfer Destination on Friday Related: NCAA Reveals Punishment For College Football Staffers Who Placed Over $100K In Bets
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Joel Klatt's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board: Who edges out Arch Manning for top spot?
The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. Unsurprisingly, Cam Ward went to the Tennessee Titans with the No. 1 overall pick. After that, there were plenty of surprises. The Jacksonville Jaguars trading up to No. 2 in order to get Travis Hunter was among the biggest. Of course, the biggest shocker was Shedeur Sanders' fall in the draft. The Cleveland Browns took the Colorado quarterback in the fifth round after me and just about everyone else had him as a first-round pick. In the latest episode of "The Joel Klatt Show," I shared my thoughts on why Sanders might have slid as far as he did and what he needs to do next. I also gave away my winners from the draft and my favorite moments over the weekend during my time in Green Bay. Now, let's turn the page to next year and see which players might be in contention to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Here's a look at my top 10 NFL prospects ahead of the 2025 college football season. [RELATED: Arch Manning goes No. 1 in way-too-early 2026 NFL Mock Draft] I really love this guy. Love is a home-run threat, rushing for 6.9 yards per carry last season. He's a phenomenal player with great speed. He's going to continue this lineage of running backs who get drafted pretty high, partly because he can also catch the ball out of the backfield. He's also strong and physical, making him an electric player. He's tailor-made for the NFL with vision, balance, power and speed. I love Jeremiyah Love. Allar is going to need a good year to get here, but I think he'll do that because he's going to have better wide receivers than he's ever had at Penn State. If we're just talking about the measurables, watching him throw a football and his development over his first three years of college ball, Allar will have a chance to be a top-10 player in next year's draft. There's no doubt about it. Of course, quarterbacks will get drafted more on a curve rather than just pure talent. However, Allar has a strong arm and the stronger receiver corps should help him elevate his game. Watch out for World. He transferred from Nevada to Oregon this offseason after starting three seasons for the Wolfpack and was ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the portal. He's 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds, so he's got good size. I think he's going to have a monster year in Eugene, which would likely make him a top-10 player in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even though Bain has battled some injuries, he's another guy I really love in next year's class. He dealt with a calf injury that caused him to miss five games in his sophomore year. But I think he's primed to break out next season. He was a Freshman All-American in 2023. If he gets healthy and pops, look out. Bain's got real ability. Fano is another player I love who is draft-eligible in 2026. He started at left tackle as a freshman in 2023 before becoming an All-American at right tackle last season. So, he's played and excelled at two different spots, which NFL evaluators must like because they love offensive line versatility. When I was preparing to make this top-10 list, there were a few other Clemson players that I didn't list, but were under heavy consideration. Quarterback Cade Klubnik was among that group, so Clemson should be really good next season. Woods had a strong 2024 season. He's a stout 6-3, 315 pounds in the middle of Clemson's defensive line, recording three sacks last season. The Tigers' defensive line should be a lot better this year than the last couple of years, partly because of Woods. If you remember, Proctor started as a true freshman for Nick Saban in 2023, briefly left the program in 2024 when he transferred back home to Iowa, before transferring back to Alabama prior to the start of last season. The former five-star recruit is big, standing at 6-7 and weighing 360 pounds. The 19-year-old was named second-team All-SEC in 2024 and I think he only needs one more year before entering the NFL. I alluded to it when I listed Woods, but Parker is another player along Clemson's defensive line that should be in early consideration to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Parker had 11 sacks in 2024 as a true sophomore, which was the most among all returning players for the 2025 season. Like I said earlier, Clemson's defensive line is going to be scary this upcoming year. Keep an eye out on Parker and the Tigers. Truth be told, I don't think Manning is going to declare for the 2026 draft, but he is eligible for next year's draft. So, I've got to include him, at least for now. Sure, Manning hasn't started much or even played a ton of football through his first two seasons in Austin. However, you can see the athleticism and arm strength in the little bit he's played. I really believe Texas is going to take the next step under Steve Sarkisian due to Manning. If the Longhorns aren't in the national championship game next season, I'm going to be fairly surprised. This Texas program is excellent, with Sarkisian continuously building this team closer and closer to a title. As Manning becomes the full-time starter next year, Texas will also bring in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. Suffice to say, I'm in on Texas and Manning. Downs is the second-best player in the country, with his Ohio State teammate and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith being the only other player who's better. But Smith is only entering his true sophomore season while Downs will be a junior in 2025. Downs has shown us he can be a returner, dazzling with that punt return touchdown he had against Indiana this past season. But he was the best and most impactful player on that Buckeyes' national championship-winning defense. Downs is a ballhawk who's smart, physical and all over the field. Simply put, he's the best defensive player in the nation. Joel Klatt is FOX Sports' lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast "The Joel Klatt Show." Follow him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the "Joel Klatt Show" on YouTube. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
