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  • ESPN staff

College football’s transfer portal officially opened Monday, and with it came all the storylines we’ve come to expect.

QB1 is out at one blue blood program, while several Power 5 schools witnessed a mass exodus. The names filled the portal and college football fans were left to figure out what this means for their favorite school — and player — ahead of bowl season and spring football.

Our reporters came together to find out the most intriguing prospects in the portal, the best quarterback landing spots and the biggest questions facing each conference after the first three days of the open window.

My favorite available transfer is …

David Hale: It’s not the biggest name in the portal, but cornerback Fentrell Cypress II could have a big impact wherever he lands. He was a huge part of a massive turnaround for the Virginia defense in 2022, finishing the season with 13 PBUs while allowing just 5.9 yards per target as the ACC’s top-graded corner by Pro Football Focus. He’s already on the radar of several blue blood programs, and if he’s not a household name today, he could easily blossom into one of the top corners in the country in 2023.

Andrea Adelson: The quarterbacks and skill players usually get all the shine, but we can’t forget the big guys up front. That is why I think Rhode Island lineman Ajani Cornelius is so intriguing. He obviously has the size (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) that everyone is looking for in an offensive tackle. He had a dominant year in 2022, including a performance against Pitt that should go a long way toward proving he can handle FBS defensive linemen (Cornelius did not allow one pressure in that game). He also has two years of eligibility left, which helps for both roster planning and development. With over 20 offers already, including Florida, Auburn and Oregon, Cornelius will have his choice of landing spots.

Tom Luginbill: Dasan McCullough. Pass-rushers come at a premium, and outside of Jermaine Johnson two years ago, who transferred to Florida State, few have entered the portal with McCullough’s skill set and production.

Dave Wilson: Western Kentucky quarterback Austin Reed. His path is the story of the current era of college football. In high school, he put up big numbers in his only year as a starter and finished third in the state’s player of the year voting, but was not heavily recruited. He signed with Southern Illinois, but after redshirting his first year, he transferred to the University of West Florida in Pensacola, where he led the Argos to a D-II national championship, throwing for 4,084 yards and 40 TDs, was second-team All-American and was sixth in the Harlon Hill voting, the small-school Heisman. Reed then transferred to WKU as a grad transfer, where he threw for 4,247 yards, second in the nation, and is now back in the portal looking for his fourth school.

Tom VanHaaren: Under Ball State running back Carson Steele‘s bio, it says he has a pet alligator. So that automatically vaults him to the top for me. Outside of Steele, I would go with Braden Fiske, a defensive tackle from Western Michigan. He had 58 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks this season for the Broncos. He’s getting interest from Notre Dame and USC among others and could be a player who shines in a Power 5 program next season.

Craig Haubert: Indiana linebacker Dasan McCullough jumps out for several reasons. A highly ranked ESPN 300 prospect in the 2022 class, he is a transfer option with still plenty of football ahead of him who has already shown signs of fulfilling his potential. His father, Deland, is the RBs coach at Notre Dame, and he contributed all season for the Hoosiers, getting several starts and registering 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The portal has no shortage for WRs, DBs and even QBs, but an explosive, aggressive versatile front-seven defender with some proven experience should not be overlooked.

Alex Scarborough: Fine. Since everyone is playing it cool and not talking about the big-name quarterbacks here, I will. Say what you want about the way DJ Uiagalelei fizzled out at Clemson, but he has potential. Remember, everyone left Spencer Rattler for dead once he transferred from Oklahoma to South Carolina — and for most of the season they were right — but then he showed against Tennessee and Clemson what he’s capable of. But I’d be chasing two quarterbacks in particular: Devin Leary and Spencer Sanders. I give Sanders a slight edge because he brings more of a dual-threat skill set to the table (18 career rushing touchdowns to Leary’s five), but you can’t go wrong with that much talent and experience at the most important position on the field.

The potential QB fit I like the most is …

Adelson: DJU to UCLA. Heading back to the West Coast might be the fresh start that Uiagalelei needs, and going to a school with a head coach who has built his reputation on his offense makes this one feel like a good fit. Uiagalelei’s struggles have been well documented, but there is a valid question to be asked about whether the Clemson offense put him in a good enough position to succeed.

Tom Luginbill: Spencer Sanders to Auburn. He could have Malik Willis-type production in Hugh Freeze’s scheme. He has the ideal blend of passing prowess and dynamism. The downside is he’s got only one year left of eligibility.

VanHaaren: I agree with Andrea about Uiagalelei at UCLA, but I would like to see Devin Leary at Wisconsin with Luke Fickell. Not just because Wisconsin took Russell Wilson from NC State and saw success, but Fickell is going to need immediate help at quarterback with Graham Mertz entering the portal. Leary could come in and start from day one, elevate the Badgers’ quarterback play and get into a system that helped get Desmond Ridder to the NFL.

Craig Haubert: There are plenty of big names out there. And one who may be a long shot, but could be intriguing, is Georgia Tech‘s Jeff Sims to Florida. The Gators scored big on the recruiting trail by flipping ESPN 300 QB Jaden Rashada from Miami, but with Anthony Richardson entering the draft, there is room for an experienced QB on the roster. Sims had been inconsistent at Georgia Tech, but he is a talented dual-threat QB who has flashed big-play ability and could benefit from a fresh start. He would also give the Gators’ QB room a player in the mold of Richardson who is arguably a slightly stronger passer. Sims would likely also come in with tempered expectations as compared to some other transfer QBs, allowing for a good fit and competitive offseason QB battle.

Scarborough: I’m with Craig. I’d love to see Sims at Florida. He’d be a great fit in Napier’s offense.

Conference questions

ACC

Biggest ACC storyline to emerge​​: The QB exodus. The ACC entered the 2022 season billing it as “the year of the QB.” It didn’t work out so well for a number of big names, including Clemson’s Uiagalelei, NC State’s Leary and Boston College‘s Phil Jurkovec. All three have now entered the transfer portal, along with Georgia Tech’s Sims, Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong and Pitt’s Kedon Slovis. Those six QBs account for 142 games started at the schools they’re leaving. While some, like NC State, BC and Clemson have replacements on their current rosters, it still figures to be an active portal season for the league, with Louisville and Wake Forest potentially looking for veteran talent, too. In 2022, just two teams — North Carolina and Duke — entered the year without a veteran QB at the helm. At this point, they’re among the few — along with FSU, Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Pitt (where Jurkovec announced he intends to transfer) — who have a QB on the roster with more than a handful of starts to their name.

ACC contender with the most work to do in the portal: Florida State Seminoles. There are probably other teams with bigger needs in the portal, but no one in the ACC has the combination of prior portal success and potential for a huge 2023 like FSU. Mike Norvell has completely rebuilt the program through the portal, landing stars like Jermaine Johnson, Fabien Lovett, Dillan Gibbons, Jared Verse, Trey Benson and Jammie Robinson over the past two years. The only downside to that success is that he’ll need to keep going back to the well, as his transfer success stories became NFL draft picks. Still, the impact those transfers turned Florida State from laughingstock to genuine contender in the ACC, and if Norvell works his magic again this offseason, 2023 might be the year the Seminoles finally reclaim their spot at the top of the conference. — Hale

Biggest remaining question: There is little doubt Miami wants to use the portal to not only turn over its roster, but answer significant questions at key positions (wide receiver, running back, offensive line, for starters). The Hurricanes were not as successful with the portal last year, as many of the key transfers they brought in had mixed results. But after a 5-7 record in Year 1 under Mario Cristobal, there is a bigger sense of urgency to make sure the Canes use the portal to their advantage to help supplement what is projected to be a top-10 recruiting class. There was already pressure on Cristobal to get the Hurricanes back to national relevance. After a disappointing 2022, that pressure will only grow. — Adelson

Big 12

Biggest Big 12 storyline to emerge: The initial stages haven’t been overly damaging to the Big 12 teams, other than some key losses at Oklahoma State. Texas had several highly rated recruits jump in, but most of them weren’t significant contributors, and Oklahoma is in a similar situation, although the impending departure of wide receiver Theo Wease is a loss. But the Sooners and Longhorns will always draw their share of portal attention.

With Kansas State and TCU playing in high-profile games, there could still be movement, but right now, the biggest losses have come in Stillwater.

Big 12 contender with the most work to do in the portal: Oklahoma State. Now, Sanders, who has been incredibly exciting and puzzlingly inconsistent in four years as a starter, has entered his name into the portal looking for a fresh start. Star in-state recruits like Braylin Presley and Trace Ford are portal-bound. Dominic Richardson, a key member of the running back rotation, is too, along with safety Kanion Williams, who has been a team captain. Linebacker Mason Cobb, who had 96 tackles (13 for loss), is also in the portal.

Coach Mike Gundy has rebuilt over and over again and has done more with less for years. But this will be quite a test at a time when the Cowboys are looking to stand atop the new Big 12.

Biggest remaining question: Can TCU capitalize on this incredible run in Sonny Dykes’ first year? At SMU, he made Dallas a bounce-back destination for players from the area who wanted to come back home and play. Now in a Power 5 job, making the playoff in his first season, there’s proof of concept to sell recruits. After hitting on several key transfers last year like Johnny Hodges and Josh Newton, who both earned All-Big 12 honors as key pieces, can the Horned Frogs become an even bigger player? — Wilson

Big Ten

​​Biggest Big Ten storyline to emerge: Maryland had 14 players enter the transfer portal since the beginning of December. That included tight end CJ Dippre, who had three touchdowns in 2022, and linebacker Ahmad McCullough, who had 45 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack this season. There aren’t a ton of star players leaving, but 14 is a significant number and will hurt the depth for a team that needs depth to make a run late into the season. Maryland coach Mike Locksley has done well in the portal in the past, so if they can replace some of those spots with contributors, it won’t be a negative for the team.

Big Ten contender with the most work to do in the portal: Penn State has added some good pieces to its roster through recruiting over the last few classes, especially with quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Nittany Lions had a good season in 2022 with 10 wins, but their two losses were to Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State needs to add a few solid contributors from the portal to bulk up the roster while some of the high school prospects continue to develop. They’re not far off from being where they want to be, but have already been active in the portal to shore up the roster. Penn State has offered wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., a South Florida transfer, tight end Kyle Morlock, defensive end Elijah Jeudy, former Alabama cornerback Khyree Jackson among others. Getting some immediate contributors will help Penn State continue to improve and compete with Michigan and Ohio State in the coming years.

Biggest remaining question: Michigan doesn’t typically take in transfers unless they’re graduate transfers, Ohio State has typically built its team through recruiting and picking up a few transfers here and there, but there are a few Big Ten teams that could use big hauls from the portal,. Michigan State and coach Mel Tucker have seen success in the portal with the 2021 season, winning 10 games and plucking running back Kenneth Walker III from Wake Forest. But they have also seen the downside in 2022 when transfers don’t contribute as much as anticipated and high school prospects aren’t fully developed. In addition to Michigan State, new Nebraska coach Matt Rhule could benefit from bringing in transfer players. The question, though, is because he has been in the NFL, will he have the relationships to get in fast enough with difference makers before they make a decision. Rhule and his staff will have to work fast and be active to try to get players they want that can help from day one. — VanHaaren

Pac-12

Biggest Pac-12 storyline to emerge: The Deion Sanders era has begun in Colorado and it has kicked off with plenty of fireworks already. Sanders made news quickly upon arriving in Boulder, where a video showed him talking to current Colorado players and telling them to enter the portal. He also effectively told them his son, Shedeur, would transfer and be the Buffs’ quarterback. The message was pretty clear: change is coming. And change, in today’s game, is only quickened by the portal.

Sanders’ recruiting prowess now that he’s at a Power 5 school will inevitably seep into not just high school recruiting but transfers too. There is already chatter about Jackson State recruits (especially, no. 1 overall prospect Travis Hunter) following Sanders to Boulder and there’s no doubt Sanders is going to be making plenty of calls to players entering the portal, selling them on his vision for the Buffaloes.

It will be fascinating to see the turnover at Colorado and how much change Sanders can affect this offseason alone. The portal allows him to flex his strength in a completely different way: He doesn’t have to wait for recruits to get on campus, get acclimated and go through the learning curve that comes with making the leap from high school.

Pac-12 contender with the most work to do in portal: UCLA. The Bruins are losing some valuable seniors on both sides of the ball and, unlike their counterparts Oregon, Utah, USC, Washington and even Oregon State and Arizona, they don’t have a recruiting class (as of now) in the top-50 in the country.

The good news for UCLA is that Chip Kelly and his staff are already making moves. On Monday as the portal opened, the Bruins nabbed Cal inside linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo to begin shoring up their defense.

Above all, the Bruins have to decide how to replace outgoing quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and his incredible 2022 season. It felt like Kelly and DTR found something this season and the program would benefit in a major way if they were to continue that momentum despite a change at the position. Could they go with backup Ethan Garbers? Is freshman Justyn Martin ready? Or will they dip into the portal and try to snag a quarterback looking for a fresh start and a new home?

Biggest remaining question: How many quarterbacks will make their way West? The conference, with its inconsistent defenses and offensive-minded coaches, has become a bit of a refuge for quarterbacks looking for greener pastures.

Last season, the Pac-12 added Caleb Williams, Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix and Cameron Ward via the transfer portal, while Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laura made his way to Tucson too. Only one of the aforementioned quarterbacks (Nix) is leaving college and there’s already spots available (UCLA, Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona State) for other highly-touted quarterbacks like Devin Leary and D.J. Uiagalelei, who have already entered the portal, to consider.

The Uiagalelei landing spot will be particularly interesting to watch. The now-former Clemson quarterback is from Southern California and played at local powerhouse St. John’s Bosco. If UCLA wants to transition from the Dorian Thompson-Robinson era without having to turn to an underclassman, Uiagalelei presents an intriguing option. — Uggetti

SEC

Biggest SEC storyline to emerge: All in all, it’s been relatively quiet in the SEC so far. The only noteworthy quarterbacks to hit the portal have been Ole Miss‘ Luke Altmyer and Vanderbilt‘s Mike Wright — and neither was a starter to end the season. Arkansas‘ Malik Hornsby is on the move, but KJ Jefferson already announced that he was coming back after an injury-plagued season. Only a handful of our top-35 transfers are from the SEC: Missouri wideout Dominic Lovett, South Carolina tight end Austin Stogner, Alabama receiver Traeshon Holden and offensive lineman Javion Cohen. Given how Alabama lost two games and missed the playoff, the Crimson Tide are worth watching. So far, more than a dozen players are in the portal, including former top offensive line prospect Tommy Brockermeyer. They have needs at several key positions: receiver, offensive line and quarterback.

SEC contender with the most work to do in the portal: I’ll be interested to see if Georgia does any work in the portal. They were the only Power 5 team this season that didn’t sign a single transfer. So let’s rule them out from being overly active. To me, that leaves rival Florida as one of the teams to pay attention to. Napier did a lot in the portal during his first offseason, bringing O’Cyrus Torrence and Montrell Johnson with him from Louisiana, and signing Ricky Pearsall from Arizona State. But he needs even more help. The roster isn’t anywhere near complete, and now he’s got a starting quarterback to replace and more than a dozen players who just hit the portal. Look for Napier and his staff to beef up the trenches — the offensive and defensive lines.

Biggest remaining question: Who’s going to get a quarterback? Because there are quite a few teams with a need at the position. Florida just lost Anthony Richardson to the NFL. Stetson Bennett is finally leaving Georgia. Same for Hendon Hooker at Tennessee, Will Levis at Kentucky and Bryce Young at Alabama. Joe Milton III seems like he’ll get a long look to replace Hooker in Knoxville, but everywhere else feels wide open for competition. At Alabama in particular, dual-threat Jalen Milroe didn’t take the bull by the horns when Young was injured. While there are a few good young prospects waiting in the wings — freshman Ty Simpson and commits Dylan Lonergan and Eli Holstein — Nick Saban might not have the patience to develop a quarterback when a ready-made product is available in the portal. — Scarborough

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

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August 2, 2025

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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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Iowa State extends Campbell, bumps pay to M

  • 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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