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We’re three weeks away from Thanksgiving — usually an all-important marker in the NHL.

In the salary cap era, if you’re in a playoff spot on the holiday, history says you have more than a 75% chance of making the postseason. It’s an indicator many front offices swear by, and will dictate how teams conduct business for the rest of the season — be it player additions, subtractions, or even coaching and management changes. Since the season began a week later than usual, those decisions may be pushed back. It’s still early, but here are some of the biggest stories percolating around the NHL early in the 2022-23 season.

World Cup of Hockey on ice?

There was a lot of optimism for the World Cup of Hockey returning in February 2024. According to multiple sources, that date is now in jeopardy — and the tournament could be pushed back. We should know an answer by the end of the month. This weekend is key, as the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF representatives will all be present in Toronto for Hall of Fame festivities and are expected to continue discussions and hopefully firm up answers.

However if solutions aren’t found soon, it would make February 2024 unrealistic. The logistics for the tournament are complicated. It will occur midseason for the NHL. There are expected to be early-round games in Europe; the final rounds would be in North America. If the NHL helps stage a tournament, it wants to do it right.

One of the biggest issues is the participation of Russian players as the war in Ukraine continues on. The IIHF has banned Russia from international events, but the NHL and NHLPA were hopeful that they could find a solution — such as having Russian athletes compete under a neutral name or flag. However, some participating countries have said that’s not satisfactory, and have advocated that no Russian players participate at all. Other remaining issues: The IIHF’s top business partners have also expressed trepidation over holding the tournament in the middle of the NHL season. And the NHL is still in negotiations over broadcast rights in North America.

Devils competing now and building for later

As Devils coach Lindy Ruff was introduced to the crowd at the home opener last month, he was booed by some. Then the Devils lost for the second straight game, 5-2.

“It sucked, it was terrible to hear that. The first Sunday of the season was not fun for me at all,” GM Tom Fitzgerald said. “But by no means is that going to persuade me on any decisions. It’s a tough market. Yankees fans booed Aaron Judge in the playoffs after he hit 62 home runs. Coaches have been booed in New Jersey before Lindy, too. The one thing that helps is winning.”

And that’s exactly what the Devils have done. New Jersey is one of the NHL’s biggest surprises, atop the Metropolitan Division at 9-3. Fitzgerald credits a commitment to team defense as the biggest reason. But the offseason moves have paid off.

“John Marino is better than I anticipated,” Fitzgerald said. And Vitek Vanecek has been an important 1B goalie, especially as Mackenzie Blackwood is shelved with yet another injury. Blackwood is being further evaluated by doctors Tuesday, but early word is that he sustained a mid- to low-grade sprained MCL, which should sideline him for three to six weeks

• The Devils were dealt a blow when their biggest offseason signing — two-time Stanley Cup champion Ondrej Palat — underwent groin surgery after just six games. While Fitzgerald says Palat’s impact is still felt off the ice — setting an example for young players — it doesn’t sound like the Devils will use the LTIR space to add short-term help. And even if their success continues, it doesn’t sound like the Devils will be in the market for any late-season rentals.

Fitzgerald said he has been working the phones for “hockey trades” (like the John Marino for Ty Smith deal) but it’s against his philosophy to bring in a player for a few months to help out, especially where his team is in their evolution.

“I believe you build a team over the summer versus over the trade deadline,” Fitzgerald said. “I was a trade deadline acquisition twice. One time I left two young boys behind [at home], the other time I left three young boys behind. It’s really hard on the player. I was also [in management] in Pittsburgh when we acquired James Neal midseason. He tried, but it was just too quick of an ask and he couldn’t do what he needed to do. When he was able to stay the summer and get work in with guys like Evgeni Malkin, you saw a much better version of him the following year.”

While the Devils have some needs — including wanting to get bigger — Fitzgerald said he is not “picking up something just to add.”

“We have been talking about player development for a while, now we owe it to these kids to see what we have,” Fitzgerald said. “They’re assets, whether they help us here or help us get players here.”

The Devils haven’t given a timeline, but I heard it’s looking like anywhere from two to three months for Palat. “When we get Ondrej back, that’s just a luxury,” Fitzgerald said.

Status of Blackhawks’ rebuild

When the Blackhawks went on a four-game winning streak early in October, people kept asking Chicago GM Kyle Davidson one thing: “Are you happy?” Because this isn’t according to plan. The Blackhawks aren’t supposed to be good this season. They’ve been transparent about it. They’re in a rebuild.

“It’s funny because it goes against what some people thought we were going to be,” Davidson says. “Everyone is focused on the draft, right? But we’re trying to do the best thing for the team and organization every night, and that’s putting a hardworking effort on the ice. Every night we show up, we want to win. We’re not putting a team on the ice that we expect to lose. Wherever we end up in the standings, it’s our job and our scouting staff’s job to find talent from that point.”

The one thing I have heard consistently about Chicago from players and player agents is that the vibes around the locker room are more positive than last year. Winning helps. There’s been a buy-in to the blue-collar style Luke Richardson and his staff have implemented. But the organization, despite their goals of a long-term build, have made sure everyone feels appreciated through the process. For example, the team stayed an extra night on their California trip. The players golfed at Pebble Beach while the staff got a day in Napa. That’s not an insignificant expense. But it can have a significant impact.

• Davidson is not putting a timeline on Patrick Kane to make a decision on where — if at all — he’d like to be traded. Asked whether he has had any conversations with other teams on Kane, Davidson was emphatic: “Zero. Zero conversations.” Since it’s expected to be a complicated trade — including a waived no-move clause, and probable retention of salary — Davidson said he “didn’t foresee anything soon.” On where things stand with Jonathan Toews, Davidson said: “We’re just glad he’s back and feeling good and producing.” I’ve heard that some teams are looking at Toews, especially given the start he’s having (seven goals in 12 games). Like Kane, Toews has a NMC, so it’s up to him if he wants to leave (and where).

I have heard some people around the league wonder about Seth Jones’ availability. Jones’ contract ($9.5 million cap hit through 2029-30) is more intriguing with the salary cap potentially rising by $4 million this summer. Davidson poured some cold water on that. He said every conversation his front office has had about future plans has included Jones. “Seth is a big part of what we’re doing here moving forward,” he said. “We feel really lucky to have Seth on our team and on our team long-term.” Now if a team calls with an offer on Jones that blows them away, the Blackhawks will listen, but they’re not going out shopping him. And that’s exactly where Davidson expects to be by the March 3 trade deadline for his entire roster. “Given the situation we’re in, we’re going to be a team that certainly listens,” Davidson said. “They have to be things that are advantageous for us, but we’ll see how it shakes out. The one thing we’re always going to have our eyes on is building the right way.”

Price will be high for Senators

The Ottawa Senators are for sale, and it’s expected to be a months-long process. Once the Senators identify their preferred buyer, the sale would need to be approved by commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL’s board of governors. The sale is contingent on a background check.

The next BOG meeting is scheduled for December in Florida. However, because of the additional layers involved, it’s unlikely a sale would be approved then.

But here’s the good news for the league: While Sportico listed the Senators as worth $650 million in its latest valuations, one NHL owner told ESPN he’s “realistically optimistic” the Senators will be sold for more than that. There are expected to be multiple bidders — yes, including actor Ryan Reynolds, who has expressed interest — which will drive up the price. But perhaps more importantly, the sale will be tied to a real estate opportunity, as the new owner can help seal a deal for a long-coveted downtown arena.

“When Fenway [Sports Group] came in and took control of the Penguins, obviously they were interested in the team and getting involved with the NHL,” the owner said. “But I think that land around the arena was just as attractive to them.”

A winning trade

Could the Jack Eichel trade be the rare NHL deal that works out perfectly for both sides? Eichel (14 points in 13 games) and the Vegas Golden Knights (best record in the West at 11-2-0) are flying. But so too are the Buffalo Sabres, who began to feel a culture change in their locker room in the middle of last season. Buffalo (7-5) is keeping up in the competitive Atlantic Division and has a good shot of breaking its league-worst 11-year playoff drought. Eicher will be returning to Buffalo for the second time on Thursday night (ESPN+/Hulu, 7 ET).

Two facts about the Sabres: They are the youngest team in the league and have the highest cap space in the league. GM Kevyn Adams would like to reward the fan base and have his young team experience playoff hockey, but he’s not going to lose sight of the larger plan, which includes sustained success.

Asked how he plans on using his cap space, Adams laughed. “That’s a good question,” the Buffalo GM said. “We’re always going to talk about every opportunity to get better, but you also have to know long term there are bigger goals, and in the evolution of where we want to be as a franchise, we’re still building. One thing we know we want to do is reward the players who are here, and the next step is signing them to big contracts.”

Dylan Cozens is an RFA this summer while No. 1 overall picks Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin are eligible for long-term extensions beginning this summer. All three players are viewed by the Sabres as critical in the larger plan.

One of the big things Adams and coach Don Granato have done is empower their young players. Part of that is letting them know they don’t have to be perfect. “We’re encouraging our players to play fearlessly, to make mistakes,” Adams said.

That has helped unlock a new level for Dahlin, who is playing with more confidence than we’ve seen since he entered the NHL.

Latest in Boston

The Bruins’ signing of Mitchell Miller summed up in a text by a rival executive: “One of the biggest unforced errors I’ve seen in my two decades working in this sport.” Boston cut ties with the 20-year-old defenseman on Sunday, but it’s a stain on the judgment and processes for Bruins president Cam Neely (who apologized Monday) and GM Don Sweeney. It’s embarrassing enough to note that “new information” came forward after considering the signing for a year. Mitchell was convicted in juvenile court in 2016 of racially abusing and bullying a classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, who is Black. Bruins management never reached out to the parents of the victim, who have maintained that Miller never properly apologized to their son.

Kudos to Bruins players — specifically captain Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Nick Foligno — who all publicly voiced their discomfort with the signing. There’s a lot of strong leadership in that locker room.

• Jim Montgomery and Bruins management addressed the team ahead of training camp, a typical practice in the NHL. When Montgomery was done with his speech, Bergeron stood up and gave his own speech. And then Charlie McAvoy, who wears an A, stood up and said something. And then the rest of the leadership group followed. Montgomery didn’t know it was coming. He just watched in awe. “I’ve never seen that in all of my years in the game,” Montgomery said. “I think it’s something they’ve always done, going back to [Zdeno] Chara. The leadership in this room is different than anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Montgomery has a theory for why his team has been so quick to adapt to his systems. The team already played good defense, and had centers who take pride in a responsible game. “They already knew how to play away from the puck,” he said. “I didn’t need to change anything there; that eliminated a lot of teaching.”

So a majority of drills have featured how the Bruins wanted to play with the puck. “And that was fun for guys, right? It’s exciting,” Montgomery said. “More practice was slanted toward offense, playing with the puck, and the guys really took to that.”

• One bright spot on the Bruins is the resurgence of Foligno. Many fans were counting out the 35-year-old former Blue Jackets captain, who makes $5.5 million but scored just two goals last year. He was put on waivers to start the season.

Foligno has been a revelation for Boston’s bottom six, with three goals and four assists in his first 12 games, looking more like the version we knew in Columbus.

“He was recuperating from a massive surgery. He didn’t get time to train. When you’ve lived comfortably somewhere for a decade, and you have three young kids, and you move and now your wife doesn’t know anyone, and you don’t know where to go, you come home and your house is kind of a mess,” Montgomery said. “He told me before the season, ‘I hate to make excuses, but all of those things are not a problem anymore.’ And he’s been so much better for us.”

Early draft rumblings

Before the season, a director of amateur scouting suggested to me a story idea: “Will Connor Bedard really go No. 1?” He then watched one of Bedard’s games with the Regina Pats, and reported back. “Never mind,” he said. “Clear-cut No. 1.”

Bedard has had a terrific start to his WHL season, which should cement his status come June. The only reason for trepidation is that behind him are elite players who might have had the chance to go No. 1 in other years. The University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and Sweden’s Leo Carlsson have both received very high praise. Then there’s Russia’s Matvei Michkov, who is expected to still go top five — despite the inherent risk of when he’ll be able to come play in North America, since the winger is under contract in Russia through the 2025-26 season.

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

  • Seth Wickersham

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    Seth Wickersham

    ESPN Senior Writer

    • Senior Writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine
    • Joined ESPN The Magazine after graduating from the University of Missouri.
    • Although he primarily covers the NFL, his assignments also have taken him to the Athens Olympics, the World Series, the NCAA tournament and the NHL and NBA playoffs.

Jul 31, 2025, 11:10 PM ET

Stanford has hired former Nike CEO John Donahoe as the school’s new athletic director, the university announced Thursday.

Donahoe, 65, will arrive in the collegiate athletic director space with a vast swath of business experience, as Stanford officials viewed him as a “unicorn candidate” because of both his business ties and history at the school. Stanford coveted a nontraditional candidate for the role, and Donahoe’s hire delivers a seasoned CEO with stints at Nike, Bain & Company and eBay. He also served as the board chair of PayPal.

He also brings strong Stanford ties as a 1986 MBA graduate. He has had two stints on the Stanford business school’s advisory board, including currently serving in that role.

“My north star for 40 years has been servant leadership, and it is a tremendous honor to be able to come back to serve a university I love and to lead Stanford Athletics through a pivotal and tumultuous time in collegiate sports,” Donahoe said in a statement. “Stanford has enormous strengths and enormous potential in a changing environment, including being the model for achieving both academic and athletic excellence at the highest levels. I can’t wait to work in partnership with the Stanford team to build momentum for Stanford Athletics and ensure the best possible experiences for our student-athletes.”

Donahoe replaces Bernard Muir, who announced in February that he was stepping down after serving in that role since 2012. Alden Mitchell has been the school’s interim athletic director.

The hire is a head-turning one for Stanford, bringing in someone with Donahoe’s high-level business experience. And it comes at a time when the athletic department has struggled in its highest-profile sports, as football is amid four consecutive 3-9 seasons and the men’s basketball team hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament since 2014.

In hiring Donahoe, Stanford is aiming for someone who can find an innovative way to support general manager Andrew Luck and the football program while also figuring out a sustainable model for the future of Stanford’s Olympic sports.

“Stanford occupies a unique place in the national athletics landscape,” university president Jonathan Levin said in a statement. “We needed a distinctive leader — someone with the vision, judgment, and strategic acumen for a new era of college athletics, and with a deep appreciation for Stanford’s model of scholar-athlete excellence. John embodies these characteristics. We’re grateful he has agreed to lead Stanford Athletics through this critical period in college sports.”

Stanford’s Olympic sports remain the best in the country, as Stanford athletes or former athletes accounted for 39 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If Stanford were a country, it would have tied with Canada for the 11th-most medals. Stanford has also won 26 of the possible 31 director’s cups for overall athletic success in college, including a 25-year streak from 1995 to 2019.

School officials approached Donahoe in recent weeks about the position, with both Levin and former women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer among the chief recruiters. Donahoe has a long-standing relationship with both, as he maintained strong ties to the school throughout his career.

Sources said Luck will report to Donahoe. Luck spent time with him in the interview process and is excited to work with him, sources said. It’s also a change from the prior structure, as upon Luck’s hiring he had been slated to report to Levin.

“I am absolutely thrilled John Donahoe is joining as our next athletic director,” Luck said in a statement. “He brings unparalleled experience and elite leadership to our athletic department in a time of opportunity and change. I could not be more excited to partner with and learn from him.”

Stanford is set to begin a football season in which it is picked to finish last in the 17-team ACC. Former NFL coach Frank Reich is the interim coach, and both sides have made clear this is a definitive interim situation and that he won’t return after the 2025 season.

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Iowa State extends Campbell, bumps pay to $5M

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  • Max OlsonAug 1, 2025, 04:59 PM ET

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    • Covers the Big 12
    • Joined ESPN in 2012
    • Graduate of the University of Nebraska

Iowa State and coach Matt Campbell have finalized a contract extension through 2032 after the winningest coach in program history led the Cyclones to their first-ever 11-win season in 2024.

Campbell will earn $5 million per year in total compensation, according to a copy of the contract obtained by ESPN on Friday. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year honoree took a discount on the deal, sources told ESPN, to ensure that his staff salary pool increased and to allow Iowa State to allocate an additional $1 million to revenue-sharing funds for its football roster.

Campbell earned $4 million in 2024 while leading the Cyclones to a Big 12 championship game appearance, an 11-3 record and a No. 15 finish in the AP poll. He’s entering his 10th season in Ames and has won a school record of 64 games during his tenure.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders will be the Big 12’s highest-paid head coach this year at $10 million after landing a five-year, $54 million contract extension in March. Campbell’s new salary will not rank among the top five in the conference, but he prioritized maximizing Iowa State’s ability to invest in its football roster following a historic season.

Campbell, 45, told ESPN in July at Big 12 media days that “probably our top 20 guys took a pay cut to come back to Iowa State” for 2025, relative to what they could’ve earned in NIL compensation by entering the transfer portal.

The head coach’s deal includes performance incentives based on the Cyclones’ regular-season record, starting at $250,000 for seven wins and climbing to $1.5 million for a 12-0 season. He’ll earn at least $100,000 for a Big 12 title game appearance and up to $500,000 for a Big 12 championship. The deal also permits him to distribute up to $100,000 of his performance incentive earnings each year to his football staff.

If Campbell accepts another Power 4 head coaching job before the end of his contract, his buyout would be $2 million. He would not owe liquidated damages if he departs for an NFL coaching opportunity. Campbell interviewed with the Chicago Bears in January during the organization’s head coaching search.

Campbell surpassed Dan McCarney as the program’s winningest head coach last season and has led the Cyclones to bowl games in seven of the past eight seasons, including a Fiesta Bowl victory and a top-10 finish in 2020.

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What you missed from college football recruiting this summer

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What you missed from college football recruiting this summer

  • Eli LedermanAug 2, 2025, 07:33 AM ET

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      Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.

The busiest 60 days of the annual recruiting calendar are officially behind us. And while another four months still remain before the December early signing period, college football’s top programs have already wrapped up the majority of their business in the 2026 cycle.

Per ESPN Research, a total of 155 prospects in the 2026 ESPN 300 made commitments in an avalanche of summer recruiting business from June 1 to July 31. In the wake of that, only 16 uncommitteds remain in the ESPN 300 as of Saturday morning. Within that group are just nine top-100 recruits, with five-star defensive end Jake Kreul, No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and No. 2 defensive tackle Deuce Geralds among those expected to come off the board in August.

More settled by this point of the cycle than any other in recent memory, college football’s 2026 class is unfolding against the backdrop of yet another moment of change in the sport. The House settlement and earliest ebbs of college athletics’ revenue sharing era have already shaped the 2026 cycle, and their effects will continue to ripple across the class until February’s national signing day.

As the recruiting trail prepares to take a (relative) back seat to fall camp practices, here’s a look at how the cycle played out this summer and what could come next for the class of 2026:

Revenue sharing and a new era in recruiting

The House settlement, which now permits schools to pay their athletes directly, among other sweeping changes, officially took effect July 1.

But according to personnel staffers, agents, recruits and parents surveyed by ESPN this month on the condition of anonymity, byproducts of college football’s new reality and the initial revenue sharing cap of $20.5 million across all sports have been steering the 2026 cycle for months. “In the past, collectives would always say we’re only going to offer what we know we can pay you,” a player agent told ESPN. “Now programs know what the budget will be, and harder numbers were discussed earlier than usual. The ability for programs to get those numbers out there early was huge.” As schools prepared roster budgets and braced for post-settlement oversight this spring, a number of Power 4 programs began front-loading their 2025 rosters in the lead-up to July 1.

In some cases, that meant negotiating updated, pre-settlement contracts with transfers and current players, deals that will not count against the post-July 1 revenue share cap. In others, sources told ESPN that programs and collectives found workarounds on the recruiting trail, doling out upfront payments as high as $25,000 per month to committed recruits in the 2026 class, primarily through advantageous high school NIL laws that exist in states such as California, Oregon and Washington.

Those front-loading efforts helped several programs jump out to fast starts in the 2026 cycle. Per sources, the impending arrival of revenue sharing also played a significant role in speeding up the 2026 class this spring. With programs in position to present firmer financial figures, a flurry of elite prospects committed to schools on verbal agreements before July 1.

“People rushed to get deals done pre-House,” a Power 4 personnel staffer told ESPN. “You know there’s only so much money available, and schools let kids know that. The first one to say yes gets it.”

Friday loomed especially large in the short-lived history of the House settlement.

Per the settlement, Aug. 1 was the first official date rising seniors could formally receive written revenue share contracts from programs and NIL collectives, the latter of which will now operate under looser regulation from the newly founded College Sports Commission, per a memo sent to athletic directors on Thursday. Put another way, Aug. 1 was the first day committed prospects and their families could officially learn whether terms they had agreed to earlier this year were legit.

“We’re going to see how serious these schools are,” said the parent of an ESPN 300 quarterback. “I think we might see some kids decommit and find new schools this fall.”

Across the industry, sources believe programs will, for the most part, deliver on the verbal agreements. Multiple agents and personnel staffers told ESPN that a number of programs have also generally ignored the Aug. 1 stipulation across the spring and summer, presenting frameworks of agreements to prospective recruits or flouting the rule entirely. Another question hovering over the months ahead: How much will these agreements do to contain the annual shuffle of flips, decommitments and late-cycle drama in the 2026 class?

“These deals should keep things more in check,” another Power 4 personnel staffer said. “But I’m not naive to think some won’t flip. There’s some snakes out there.”

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No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown commits to LSU

No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown stays home and commits to play for the LSU Tigers.

Where do things stand with the 2026 five-star class?

Oregon offensive tackle commit Immanuel Iheanacho, No. 13 in the 2026 ESPN 300, initially planned to announce his commitment Aug. 5. But, like many of the 2026 five-stars who entered late spring still uncommitted, Iheanacho felt the heat of an accelerated market in June.

“There were a couple of schools I was looking at that asked me to commit early, really wanting to get me in their class,” Iheanacho told ESPN. “Oregon didn’t rush me at all.”

Even so, Iheanacho eventually shifted his commitment timeline forward more than a month. ESPN’s second-ranked offensive line prospect picked the Ducks over Auburn, LSU and Penn State on July 3, landing as one of 11 five-star recruits to commit between June 14 and July 20.

As of Saturday morning, only one of the record 23 five-star prospects in ESPN’s class rankings for 2026 remains uncommitted. LSU secured a class cornerstone and the highest-ranked pledge of the Brian Kelly era in No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown on July 10. Meanwhile, Florida (McCoy) and Texas A&M (Arrington) each landed a top-15 defender, Ojo landed a historic deal with Texas Tech, and Texas closed July with the most five-star pledges — four — in the country.

With Kreul, the skilled pass rusher from Florida’s IMG Academy nearing a decision from among Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas, ESPN’s 2026 five-star class could be closed out before Week 0.

No matter how it plays out from here, the cycle’s five-stars are already historically settled. As of Saturday morning, 95.6% of the five-star class is committed among 14 schools across the Power 4 conferences. Per ESPN Research, it’s by far the highest Aug. 1 five-star pledge rate in any cycle since at least 2020. Just over a decade ago, only six of the 20 five-stars (30%) in the 2015 cycle were committed on Aug. 1, 2014; nearly half the class committed after New Year’s Day.

Highest rate of five-star pledges by Aug. 1 since the start of the 2020 cycle

  • 2026: 95.6%

  • 2024: 76.1%

  • 2025: 72.7%

  • 2021: 66.6%

  • 2020: 58.8%

A number of factors — the early signing period, NIL, transfer portal, new rules around recruiting windows and on-campus visits — explain why elite recruiting continues to inch further and further from the traditional February signing day. Amid the fallout of the House settlement, the latest five-star class seemingly received another nudge this summer.

What’s left for the 2026 QB market after summer moves?

The last major quarterback domino in the 2026 class fell July 18 when four-star Landon Duckworth (No. 178 overall) committed to South Carolina. More than four months from the early signing period, the quarterback market in 2026 is effectively closed.

After Ryder Lyons (BYU), Bowe Bentley (Oklahoma) and Jaden O’Neal (Florida State) found homes in June, Duckworth was the last uncommitted ESPN 300 quarterback. Further down the class, several major programs across the Big Ten and SEC dipped into the flip market or outside the top 300 to secure their 2026 quarterback pledge(s) this summer.

Notable quarterback moves since June 1:

Oregon ended its monthslong chase for a quarterback pledge June 25 with former Boise State commit Beaver. One of the cycle’s top summer risers after a standout Elite 11 finals showing, Beaver landed with Ducks coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein over interest Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss in whirlwind, 13-day rerecruitment.

Alabama has five-star freshman Keelon Russell. But still repairing the program’s quarterback pipeline under coach Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide added two pledges this summer between Thomalla — an Iowa State flip — and Kaawa. Across the state, Auburn and coach Hugh Freeze made their move June 26 flipping Falzone from Penn State before Ohio State (Fahey) and Kentucky (Ponatoski), another pair of quarterback-needy programs, landed pledges in July.

For now, the quarterback class is settled and only so many major programs are still searching in 2026.

Among the 68 Power 4 programs and Notre Dame, only 10 reached August without at least one pledge among the 106 quarterback prospects rated by ESPN: Colorado, Georgia Tech, LSU, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Stanford, UCLA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Who might still be looking within that group?

Colorado (Julian Lewis), Maryland (Malik Washington) and UCLA (Madden Iamaleava) each signed a top-300 quarterback in the 2025 class. With all three programs in the midst of roster rebuilds, none is likely to make a serious push at the position this fall.

With Garrett Nussmeier out of eligibility in 2025, and after the LSU lost No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood to Michigan last fall, the Tigers remain a program to watch in the coming months.

What did ESPN’s top five classes do this summer?

The Trojans got the bulk of their work done on the trail this spring and began June with the most ESPN 300 pledges of any program nationally. That remains the case as USC has bolstered its top-ranked incoming class with five more ESPN 300 pledges over the past eight weeks, adding defenders Talanoa Ili (No. 54 overall), Luke Wafle (No. 104) and Peyton Dyer (No. 269), a July 4 pledge from No. 3 wide receiver Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (No. 25) and the commitment of highly regarded four-star offensive guard Breck Kolojay (No. 198) on Friday.

Can USC hold on to secure its first No. 1 class since 2013? Time will tell. Sources told ESPN that the Trojans’ biggest moves in the cycle are likely finished while the program continues to target the tight end and safety positions, but there’s still time for plenty more to unfold this fall.

The Bulldogs went for volume and quality this summer, collecting 19 commitments including 12 from inside the ESPN 300. Georgia continued to build around five-star quarterback Jared Curtis with five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro, top-50 offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, running back Jae Lamar and pass catchers Brayden Fogle and Craig Dandridge. On the other side of the ball, defensive backs Justice Fitzpatrick, Chase Calicut and Caden Harris, and defensive tackle Pierre Dean Jr. rank among the newest arrivals in an increasingly deep Bulldogs defensive class.

Georgia’s summer wasn’t without a few major misses. Losing out to Texas on No. 1 outside linebacker Tyler Atkinson — a priority in-state target — stung. Top running back Derrek Cooper’s subsequent pledge to the Longhorns marked another blow, as did wide receiver Vance Spafford‘s decision to flip to Miami in late June. But the Bulldogs are loaded up once again on top during this cycle and will hit the fall in line to secure the program’s 10th straight top-three signing class for 2026.

The Aggies landed a key local recruiting win over Texas on June 17 with a commitment from No. 5 running back K.J. Edwards, the state’s No. 6 prospect in 2026. But Texas A&M’s summer of recruiting was defined on defense, where coach Mike Elko is building another monster class.

Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington, who will play defensive back in college, became the program’s top-ranked 2026 pledge on June 19. Behind him, the Aggies have added top-150 defenders Bryce Perry-Wright, Camren Hamiel and Tristian Givens, and top 300 linebacker Daquives Beck since June 1 to a defensive class that features nine ESPN 300 pledges.

Even after narrowly missing on top defenders Lamar Brown (LSU) and Anthony Jones (Oregon) in July, Texas A&M holds one of the nation’s deepest classes and appears poised to contend later this year for its first top-five class since the Aggies went No. 1 in 2022.

It was a five-star bonanza for coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns this summer.

It began with a late-June pledge from Oregon decommit Richard Wesley, ESPN’s No. 3 defensive end. From there, Texas went on to secure its latest pair of recruiting wins over Georgia last month, swooping in to land Atkinson on July 15 before earning Derrek Cooper’s commitment five days later. With No. 1 quarterback Dia Bell already in the fold, the Longhorns have as many five-star pledges in 2026 as the program signed across 11 classes from 2011 to 2021.

Top-50 offensive lineman John Turntine III marked a key addition July 4, and the Longhorns got deeper on defense with commitments from cornerback Samari Matthews and former Georgia defensive tackle pledge James Johnson. But the five-star moves have been the story for Texas this summer, and Sarkisian & Co. might not be done yet with the Longhorns heavily in the mix for Jake Kreul, the last remaining five-star in the 2026 class.

After a productive spring, the Irish landed five ESPN 300 pledges after June 1, plugging the few remaining holes in the program’s 2026 class with a series of elite high school prospects.

Notre Dame landed its top two defensive back commitments within hours of each other on June 20 with pledges from cornerback Khary Adams and Joey O’Brien. On June 26, the Irish secured their highest-ranked tight end commit since the 2021 class in four-star Ian Premer. And in early July, Notre Dame bolstered its wide receiver class with an infusion of talent and NFL pedigree, adding Kaydon Finley (son of Jermichael Finley), Brayden Robinson and Devin Fitzgerald (son of Larry Fitzgerald).

Notre Dame’s trip to last season’s national title game arrived amid the program’s steady rise on the recruiting trail under coach Marcus Freeman. That has continued in 2026, where the Irish are poised to sign more ESPN 300 pledges — 17 — than in any cycle since at least 2006.

Five programs poised to push for a top-five finish this fall

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 6

Only one program can match USC’s count of nine top-100 pledges in 2026: Alabama.

The Crimson Tide’s second class under coach Kalen DeBoer boomed in June and July as the Crimson Tide secured a slew of commitments on defense with five-star safety Jireh Edwards (No. 23 overall), No. 3 outside linebacker Xavier Griffin (No. 30) and defensive ends Nolan Wilson (No. 53) and Jamarion Matthews (No. 92). Priority in-state offensive targets Ezavier Crowell (No. 31) and Cederian Morgan (No. 47) marked two more key additions this summer.

Alabama whiffed on another major in-state recruit Thursday when four-star outside linebacker Anthony Jones, the state’s No. 1 prospect in 2026, committed to Oregon. Jones represented one of the last elite targets on the Crimson Tide’s board. But Alabama has already flipped four Power 4 commits this summer and could continue to climb this fall as long as DeBoer and his staff remain active within the class from now to the early signing period.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 11

LSU enters the month with ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit, a five-star wide receiver in Tristen Keys (No. 10 overall) and 10 total ESPN 300 commits in the program’s incoming recruiting class.

How can the Tigers climb into the upper reaches of the 2026 cycle this fall? First and foremost, they have to hang onto Keys, ESPN’s No. 3 wide receiver. He has been committed to LSU since March 19, but that didn’t keep him from taking multiple official visits in the spring or shield him from serious flips efforts from Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M this summer.

The Tigers’ battle to keep Keys could stretch all the way to the early signing period.

Sources expect LSU to ramp up its own flip efforts with in-state safety and Ohio State pledge Blaine Bradford (No. 34 overall) in the coming months. The Tigers are also finalists for Deuce Geralds and remain top contenders in the recruitments of offensive linemen Darius Gray (No. 73) and wide receiver Jase Mathews, both of whom are set to commit in August. LSU can’t be counted out from renewing its work in the 2026 quarterback this fall, either.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 7

The defending national champs had a relatively quiet summer atop the 2026 cycle, adding only four ESPN 300 pledges highlighted by the in-state pledges of outside linebacker Cincere Johnson (No. 82 overall) and running back Favour Akih (No. 160). Fahey, ESPN’s No. 28 pocket passer, will pad Ohio State’s future quarterback depth after Air Noland‘s offseason transfer, too.

One priority target who could help push the Buckeyes over the edge is four-star prospect Bralan Womack (No. 32). Ohio State has been consistent a leader in the recruitment of ESPN’s No. 3 safety through the spring and summer, and coach Ryan Day & Co. will have to hold off late pushes from fellow finalists Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M from now until Womack’s Aug. 22 commitment date. The Buckeyes also remain involved in the recruitments of No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and Darius Gray, the nation’s 10th-ranked offensive lineman.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 8

Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore has filled out his class with nine ESPN 300 pledges since June 1, headlined by top-100 defender Carter Meadows (No. 88 overall), who trails only quarterback Brady Smigiel (No. 44) among the top prospects pledged to Michigan in 2026.

Who could be next for the Wolverines? Michigan are finalists for ESPN 300 defenders Davon Benjamin (No. 63) and Anthony Davis Jr. (No. 299) with each set for a decision Saturday. More prominently, the Wolverines remain focused on Hiter (No. 24 overall), a top priority for the Michigan staff this summer whose commitment date is set for Aug. 19. The Wolverines also continue to be linked with Syracuse wide receiver pledge Calvin Russell (No. 28). ESPN’s No. 4 wide receiver closed a narrowing process with a commitment to the Orange on July 5, but sources expect Michigan and Miami to remain involved with Russell this fall.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 10

No. 2 outside linebacker Anthony Jones committed to the Ducks on Thursday, joining five-stars Immanuel Iheanacho and Jett Washington in a string of high-profile pledges for Oregon this summer.

Insiders believe the Ducks have backed off at the very top of the 2026 class after spending in the 2025 cycle, but Jones’ pledge could be the first move in a late-summer surge for coach Dan Lanning. Oregon is viewed as the front-runner for both Deuce Geralds and Davon Benjamin as the pair of top-65 prospects prepare to announce their commitments Saturday afternoon. If the Ducks land both, Lanning & Co. could be in position to sign another top-five class by December.

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