The new law changing service academy football, and the coaches pushing back
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Pete ThamelESPN
MOBILE, Ala. — Former Army star Andre Carter II enters the NFL combine this week as a unicorn draft prospect. He’s poised to become the first Army player drafted higher than the seventh round in more than a half-century.
Carter is a 6-foot-6, 255-pound rush end who led the nation in sacks per game in 2021. He is nearly certain to be the highest-drafted Army player since Glenn Davis, a Heisman Trophy winner known as Mr. Outside, went No. 2 overall in 1947.
Carter’s draft path could end up being tracked all the way to Capitol Hill, as the attention his professional career yields may become the focal point of a Congressional debate later this year. In December, Congress passed a law that’s going to eventually eliminate the opportunity for military academy graduates like Carter to defer service requirements and pursue professional sports.
After the rule passed, Carter and others attempting to go pro both this year and next got legacied into the old rule, enacted in 2019, that allows deferment. That leaves officials at Army, Navy and Air Force worried that athletes like Carter with high-end potential will not attend the academies or will transfer out early in their careers.
“Why do we want to repel people who want to serve?” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun told ESPN. “They want an opportunity in that short, short window that’s available to make the most of their gifts and talents. Well, let’s be forward thinking here. If not, then we don’t attract the best, because we’re putting up roadblocks.”
For the road to be clear, it will likely take an act of Congress. Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat from the state of Washington, is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. He told ESPN he hasn’t decided whether he’ll attempt to bring forward a proposed law to try to change the rule back to the 2019 version.
Smith said it’s not the obligation of Congress to help the service academies in recruiting so they can win games on the field. But he was compelled by the argument that the rare players who do make it professionally from the academies offer priceless free advertising. (He credits both Ryan McCarthy, the former US Secretary of the Army, and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for stressing this point to him.)
“The pertinent argument is … this actually helps the service academy mission,” Smith told ESPN. “It’s not to win football games. It’s to recruit, train and retain the best America has to offer. You can argue, you get an Andre Carter, David Robinson or Napoleon McCallum, a top-flight athlete brings attention to the service academy and it’s easier to recruit for the academies and enables the military academy to fulfill its mission.”
The attention for Carter is growing quickly. His story has created some buzz, and while there some ambiguity of how high he’ll go, he should be chosen somewhere in the draft’s first two days, which encompasses the first three rounds.
Regardless, after each Senior Bowl practice, a cocoon of media formed around Carter, who gladly told the story of early wake-up calls, rigorous academics and responsibilities of being a cadet.
“Definitely, the USMA has just provided me with so much,” Carter told ESPN. “Just the way I want to live my life. And I’ve learned so much and I’ve met so many great people. It’s something I’m going to take with me the rest of my life. I’m just truly grateful and appreciative.”
Carter was just the second Army player to ever play in the Senior Bowl, following the Eagles’ Brett Toth in 2018. But the chance to go through the draft process this year was in peril, after the law was tucked into Section 553 of the National Defense Authorization Act. It says that pursuit of a professional sport immediately after graduation would be viewed as a “breach of service obligation.”
An outcry over Carter’s future led to the tweak nearly a week later, essentially legacying academy upperclassmen. As his story bubbled to the service, it illuminated how important both the publicity from his rise as a draft prospect and the ability to pitch athletes on having pro sports as an option is for the academies.
“It’s a significant difference in recruiting in the fact that schools couldn’t immediately use it against us,” said Jeff Monken, Army’s coach since 2014. “A lot of kids have aspirations to play in the NFL and don’t want to wait [after two years of service], and coaches from other schools tell them they will. It’s an eliminator for us, as sometimes we can’t even get in the conversation.”
Army athletic director Mike Buddie told ESPN that, in reality, few players will really use the deferment. He estimated there would be a handful of players every decade from Army and perhaps a dozen per decade overall from the three academies combined who are good enough to reach NFL.
“For us, it’s all about opportunity,” Buddie said. “Obviously, we’re not getting many commits from four- and five-star kids. But if a young person comes to the academy and shows a proclivity in medicine, we reward them and send them to medical school. If they earn a Rhodes scholarship, we send them to Oxford. To me, this is an extension of that.”
McCarthy, the former Secretary of the U.S. Army, was part of the process for the Department of Defense passing the guidance in 2019 allowing the potential deferment for academy athletes. McCarthy went so far as to reach out to NFL general managers interested in prospects from Army such as Toth (Eagles), Jon Rhattigan (Seahawks) and Elijah Riley (Steelers) to let the GMs know that the academies were serious about the rule change.
“I wanted them to know that the institution was behind it,” McCarthy told ESPN. “This isn’t a gimmick or going to go away. We’re behind these young men. Before this whole issue arose last fall, we were finally at a point where teams were going to draft guys. It was real and teams were going to be behind it.”
McCarthy expressed his disappointment in the law passed in December and agrees with Smith and the academy coaches and officials on the power of the marketing opportunity.
“Every Sunday that Andre Carter puts his uniform on, it’s going to be noticed and mentioned,” McCarthy said. “And every time the service academy football coaches visit a high school kid in America, they should be able to see that opportunity is there for them if they can achieve the results on the football field.
“It’s very rare. It’s extraordinary to make the NFL. I think this is something that can be managed. It’s such a small number, it’s almost insignificant.”
There’s a feeling at the academies that the limitations in recruiting by kids crossing the academies off the list will end up, down the line, limiting the caliber of officers that the academies can recruit and produce. The government isn’t focused on the ability to compete on the field, but the coaches say that they could end up limiting the potential officer talent coming through the academies.
“Why not let these young men and women shine a light on military service?” said first-year Navy coach Brian Newberry. “It’s a win-win. The transfer portal and NIL have already put the service academies at a disadvantage, and taking away this opportunity puts all three Academies at even more of a disadvantage in recruiting some of the best student-athletes in the country.”
Air Force’s lone NFL Combine participant this year is Kyle Patterson, a star tight end who is one of Calhoun’s most decorated recruits in his 16 seasons there. Patterson had offers from UCLA, Washington and Arizona, but Calhoun said Patterson committed to Air Force for the chance to be both an officer and an NFL player.
Calhoun said Patterson likely wouldn’t have committed to Air Force if the rule wasn’t being discussed back in 2019. And if it hadn’t passed, he could have transferred out after two years and played nearly anywhere in the country.
“To bring in top level talent to the academy and football program, the pro option is a very important linchpin,” said Nathan Pine, the Air Force athletic director. “Whether they make it or not, most elite athletes believe they can. Having that door open to them is very important to the academies.”
And that door is ultimately going to be up to Congress. Smith told ESPN that he “hasn’t really decided” if he’s going to bring something forward this year. He points out there’s “a lot going on in the world.”
The law that passed in December was introduced by Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, whose belief is based on a premise he’s stated previously: “U.S. military service academies exist to produce warfighters, not professional athletes.”
But McCarthy expressed his disappointment in the law passed in December and agrees with Rep. Smith and the academy coaches and officials on the power of the marketing opportunity.
“Every Sunday that Andre Carter puts his uniform on, it’s going to be noticed and mentioned,” he said. “And every time the service academy football coaches visit a high school kid in America, they should be able to see that opportunity is there for them if they can achieve the results on the football field.”
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Pete Thamel, Senior College Sports Insider
Former USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch and safety Zion Branch have committed to Georgia, the brothers told ESPN on Sunday.
The brothers are former top-100 recruits who loom as significant additions for the Bulldogs in 2025. They both have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Zachariah Branch is the No. 9 overall player and No. 4 wide receiver in ESPN’s transfer portal rankings. He earned first-team All-American honors in 2023 while emerging as one of the most electric players in college football.
“I chose Georgia because I felt like the culture was something special,” Zachariah Branch told ESPN. “They have a great coaching staff, the brotherhood within the program, their will to win, being prepared for the next level and being as successful as possible on and off the field was important to me.”
Zachariah Branch can boost a Georgia receiving room that was beset this season by off-field issues and inconsistent play. Georgia led the country with 36 wide receiver drops, per ESPN Research.
“I see their potential as a contender for the national championship and to defend their SEC title in 2025,” Zachariah Branch said.
He accounted for 1,863 all-purpose yards during his two seasons at USC, including two kicks returned for touchdowns in 2023. As a receiver he caught 78 passes for 823 yards and three touchdowns. He tied for the team lead in receptions this season with 47. He rushed for 87 yards and another touchdown during his two seasons in coach Lincoln Riley’s offense.
Zion Branch played in all 12 games for USC as a redshirt sophomore safety this season, recording 19 tackles, 3 pass breakups and 1 sack in a reserve role. He’s the older of the two brothers and dealt with season-ending injuries in both 2022 and 2023.
“I chose the University of Georgia because of its great coaching staff, their pedigree, and the history of the program,” Zion Branch told ESPN. “Georgia has consistently been one of the best programs in college football, and the culture of excellence they’ve built is something I want to be a part of. The coaches are not just about winning games; they’re about building character, fostering growth and pushing players to be their absolute best both on and off the field.”
The brothers joined the Trojans after starring at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Zachariah was the No. 7 overall recruit in the ESPN 300 for 2023, and Zion was No. 76 in 2022.
The Georgia receiving room was full of steady players but with no true standout; nobody finished in the SEC’s top 10 for receiving yards. Senior Arian Smith, who accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl but still has a season of eligibility left, led the Bulldogs with 817 yards. Receiver/punt returner Anthony Evans III entered the transfer portal, and Dominic Lovett, who is out of eligibility, led the team with 59 catches.
Zachariah Branch offers rare dynamism and downfield speed that will make him a candidate to be Georgia’s top target in 2025. He scored just one touchdown for USC in 2024 after scoring five as a true freshman — two in the return game, two receiving and one rushing.
The brothers see themselves as contributors toward the program’s bigger goals.
“This team is poised to do something truly special — competing for championships and setting a standard of excellence that few can match,” Zion Branch said. “With the talent that’s already there and the elite-level recruits coming in, the future is incredibly bright. I have no doubt Georgia will not only win a lot of games but also continue to lead the nation in innovation and performance on the field.”
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Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer
On Dec. 15, 1984, Montana State completed a worst-to-first run for the ages. One season after going 1-10, Dave Arnold’s Bobcats began the season 2-2 but caught fire offensively, beat a top-10 Boise State team in October and even upset Fresno State 35-31 late in the season. They charged into the 12-team playoff with the No. 3 seed, beat Arkansas State and Rhode Island by a combined 29 points, then unleashed hell on Louisiana Tech in the title game. Quarterback Kelly Bradley threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns, Tech didn’t score until the final minute of the game, and MSU cruised 19-6.
Montana State has been chasing that title feeling for 40 years. And Monday night in Frisco, Texas (7 p.m. ET on ESPN), the Bobcats have their best chance yet of earning a second ring. All that’s left is to defeat FCS’ ultimate final boss.
After ceding control of FCS to rival South Dakota State for a couple of years, North Dakota State defeated the Jackrabbits twice in 2024; the Bison are back in the final for the 11th time in 14 years. They knocked Montana State out of the playoffs in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, and after winning eight of nine titles between 2011 and 2019, they’re looking for their second title of the 2020s.
Will we see another North Dakota State coronation or will Montana State conjure the spirit of 1984?
How they got here
Record: 15-0
SP+ rankings: first overall, first on offense, second on defense
Key regular-season results: def. New Mexico 35-31, def. Idaho 38-7, def. UC Davis 30-28, def. Montana 34-11
Playoff run: def. UT Martin 49-17, def. No. 8 Idaho 52-19, def. No. 4 South Dakota 31-17
Defeating FCS royalty comes with its own set of challenges, but there should be no doubting who the best team in FCS has been through 15 games. Montana State has been devastating from start to finish. Despite handing New Mexico a pair of defensive touchdowns, the Bobcats still overcame the FBS Lobos, dominating statistically (total yards: 567-324) and scoring 21 fourth-quarter points to win their season opener.
They’ve barely wobbled since. Their only tight game to date against an FCS opponent was only sort of tight: On Nov. 16, they went on a 30-0 run to take a commanding lead at eventual quarterfinalist UC Davis before the Aggies scored three late touchdowns (thanks in part to an onside kick recovery) to make it close. No one has had the ball with a chance to take a late lead on MSU since the New Mexico game. South Dakota played an awesome game against the Bobcats in the semifinals and still couldn’t get closer than 14 points down the stretch.
Record: 13-2
SP+ rankings: third overall, second on offense, fifth on defense
Key regular-season results: lost to Colorado 31-26, def. North Dakota 41-17, def. South Dakota State 13-9, def. Missouri State 59-21, lost to South Dakota 29-28
Playoff run: def. Abilene Christian 51-31, def. No. 7 Mercer 31-7, def. No. 3 South Dakota State 28-21
NDSU took on a tougher schedule and came within six points of an unbeaten record. The Bison led Colorado at halftime but couldn’t quite overcome a pair of Travis Hunter touchdowns in the second half, falling 4 yards short on a game-ending Hail Mary.
They had to survive an early 38-35 thriller against East Tennessee State, recovering an onside kick and scoring twice in the last two minutes, but once the defense found its rhythm, NDSU started looking like NDSU again. Over their past 11 games, only three have been close: the two wins over South Dakota State and the tight loss at South Dakota.
MSU offense, first-team all-conference selections: QB Tommy Mellott (6-foot-0, 208 lbs., Sr.), RB Scottre Humphrey (5-11, 210, So.), TE Rohan Jones (6-3, 235, Jr.), RG Marcus Wehr (6-4, 300, Sr.), LT Conner Moore (6-5, 310, So.), PR Taco Dowler (5-9, 175, So.)
In his first collegiate game in 2021, he ripped off a 44-yard run. In his fourth, he scored from 74 yards. In his first three playoff games, he threw for 449 yards and rushed for 411 while leading MSU to the national title game.
For most of four years now, Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott has been a unicorn, combining ultra-efficient passing with downright reckless rushing, throwing his 208-pound frame around with abandon and doing whatever it takes to get the job done. He got injured early in the 2021 title game against NDSU, and he has been dinged up at some point basically every year since. But if he’s in the game, he’s probably doing something ridiculous. He has five career 150-yard rushing games (including a 273-yard, three-touchdown performance against Weber State in 2022), and he has five career 225-yard passing games (including a 300-yard, four-touchdown performance against UT Martin in the second round of this year’s playoffs).
In 2024, Mellott and his supporting cast have produced the most brilliant offense in FCS. Scottre Humphrey and Adam Jones have combined for 2,494 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, with Mellott chipping in 915 yards and 14 more scores in less than eight carries per game. Meanwhile, Mellott has completed 69% of his passes at 13.5 yards per completion with a downright unfair 29-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio. He doesn’t have a go-to receiver — he has three: Wideouts Taco Dowler (also an ace punt returner) and Ty McCullouch and tight end Rohan Jones have combined for 100 catches, 1,494 yards and 23 scores.
A case could be made that elite line play was the last piece of the puzzle in head coach Brent Vigen’s four-year building project — it’s where the Bobcats most noticeably were lacking in their first few meetings against NDSU and SDSU. But despite starting three sophomores up front, the Bobcats boast an abundance of both talent and raw size up front, averaging 6-4, 305 pounds across the line with a pair of first-team all-Big Sky performers. MSU averages 41.3 points per game and hasn’t been held under 31 all season. It was jarring when South Dakota forced four straight punts in the second half of the semifinals, but it didn’t help all that much since MSU had scored on five of its first six drives.
NDSU defense, first-team all-conference selections: DT Eli Mostaert (6-3, 289, Sr.), LB Logan Kopp (6-1, 220, Jr.)
NDSU’s defense took a little while to shift into gear in 2024. Including the loss to Colorado and the near-upset against ETSU, the Bison allowed at least 24 points and at least 367 yards in three of their first four games. But in the 11 games since, they’ve allowed only 15.7 points and 299.1 yards per game despite playing over half their games in that span against playoff teams.
Veteran linemen Eli Mostaert, Loshiaka Roques and Kody Huisman have combined for 24 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and 12 QB hurries up front (Huisman also has blocked two kicks), and linebacker Logan Kopp is the prototypical tackling machine. But as has been customary over the last 15 years or so, the Bison’s biggest strength is depth. Nine NDSU defenders have recorded at least four tackles for loss, nine have at least two sacks, 12 have defended (intercepted or broken up) at least three passes, 13 have forced a fumble and 14 have recovered one. MSU has the best offense they’ve faced, but in two games against SDSU (No. 3 in offensive SP+) the Bison allowed an average of just 333 yards and 19 points. They aren’t likely to give up too many easy yards, even to Mellott & Co.
A mistake-free Bison attack
NDSU offense, first-team all-conference selections: QB Cam Miller (6-1, 212, Sr.), WR Bryce Lance (6-3, 204, Jr.), RT Mason Miller (6-7, 305, Sr.), LT Grey Zabel (6-6, 305, Sr.)
The bar is high in Fargo, and compared to the absurd talent that has rolled through town over the past 15 years, this NDSU offense is not the most explosive this FCS dynasty has produced. Backs CharMar Brown and Barika Kpeenu have combined for 1,825 yards and 21 touchdowns, but they average just 5.1 yards per carry — good but not elite. Cam Miller has thrown for 3,052 yards and 31 TDs, but his 12.8 yards per completion is less than you’d expect.
The Bison can still ground teams down with mistake-free efficiency, however. They convert 54% of their third downs and 68% of their fourth downs, and you just can’t take the ball away from them: They’ve committed an FCS-low six turnovers in 15 games. (Granted, there’s some luck involved in that — they’ve lost only one of 10 fumbles. But 10 fumbles in 15 games is minimal too.) The line is still huge, averaging 6-5 and 304 pounds, the backs are still hard to bring down (Brown and Kpeenu are 214 and 209 pounds, respectively), and if your safeties bite on a run fake, they can still go deep with breakout star wideout Bryce Lance (964 yards, 16 TDs), whose unreal, one-handed grab sent NDSU to the title game.
THE ONE-HAND GRAB 🤯@NDSUfootball takes the lead with Bryce Lance’s third touchdown of the game. #FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ABC pic.twitter.com/lBNM58RpCA
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 21, 2024
While Miller’s upside probably doesn’t match that of Carson Wentz or Trey Lance (Bryce’s older brother), there’s nothing you can throw at him that he hasn’t seen before: The reigning Missouri Valley offensive player of the year will play in his 67th career game Monday night.
If you aren’t careful, the Bison will score on you with special teams too. For as good as MSU’s Taco Dowler is in returns, NDSU can get you with either a punt return (Jackson Williams: 10.8 yards per return and one TD) or a kick return (Williams and TK Marshall: 29.9 yards per return and two scores).
MSU defense, first-team all-conference selections: Edge Brody Grebe (6-3, 250, Sr.), LB McCade O’Reilly (6-0, 220, Sr.), SS Rylan Ortt (6-1, 210, Sr.)
When MSU got mauled by NDSU in the 2021 title game, the Bobcats’ defense had only two players on the depth chart listed at more than 270 pounds. The Bison did what they do against all overmatched foes and road-graded MSU for 380 rushing yards.
MSU still doesn’t exactly have Georgia’s mammoth defensive front, but the 2024 Bobcats are bigger than they were in 2021. Starting tackles Paul Brott and Alec Eckert are listed at 290 and 280 pounds, respectively, and Brody Grebe is a sturdy 250 at end. New Mexico averaged 262.8 rushing yards per game against FBS opponents but managed only 152 against MSU, and only Eastern Washington topped 152 on the Bobcats.
To move the ball on them, teams typically have to do it through the air. UC Davis’ Miles Hastings, Idaho’s Jack Layne and South Dakota’s Aidan Bouman combined to go 62-for-92 for 795 yards, 5 TDs and 2 interceptions against the Bobcats, and while a lot of that yardage came when these opponents were down double digits, it’s still solid work. Of course, it also came with a cost: MSU sacked those three quarterbacks 10 times. Led by ends Grebe and Kenneth Eiden IV (combined: 16.5 sacks) and linebackers McCade O’Reilly and Neil Daily (combined: 15 TFLs), the Bobcats have recorded 36 sacks among 85 TFLs this season. You might be able to hit them for a big play here and there, but only if you get them before they get you.
Projecting the title game
MSU’s Brent Vigen and NDSU’s Tim Polasek both earned their figurative coaching degrees at the University of Craig Bohl — Vigen coached for Bohl at NDSU from 2003-13 and at Wyoming from 2014-20 (mostly as offensive coordinator), while Polasek joined Bohl’s NDSU staff in 2006, stayed in Fargo until 2016 and rejoined Bohl at Wyoming after a stint as Iowa’s offensive line coach. The paths of these two coaches have crossed constantly. So, too, have the paths of these teams, and every time they’ve met in the playoffs, NDSU has prevailed.
Vigen is 47-9 in four seasons at Montana State: 1-2 against FBS teams, 2-2 against rival Montana, 1-4 against NDSU and SDSU and 43-1 against everyone else. He and his Bobcats have been building toward this exact run for a while, and it feels like this is their time to break through. It wouldn’t be a surprise, however, if North Dakota State wrecked the Bobcats’ plans — it’s what dynasties do, after all.
Three years ago, MSU wasn’t quite ready. Mellott got hurt, the Bobcats had no chance of stopping the NDSU run game, and Miller and the Bison rolled. It might be a different story this time around.
ESPN Bet projection: MSU 30.0, NDSU 26.5 (MSU -3.5, over/under 56.5) | SP+ projection: MSU 30.2, NDSU 26.7
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Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
After failing to beat Texas during his four years at Kansas State, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard noted the upcoming showdown against the Longhorns carries “extra motivation” for him.
“That was the only team I didn’t beat when I was in the Big 12,” Howard said Sunday. “They’re always a good team. But none of those games were unwinnable. Definitely excited to get another chance at these guys.”
Howard’s Buckeyes face Texas in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday with a trip to the national championship on the line.
Howard has thrived in his two outings in the College Football Playoff, posting a postseason QBR of 98.3, the best of any playoff quarterback. Ohio State defeated Tennessee 42-17 in the opening round then Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal. Howard passed for a total of 630 yards with five touchdowns in those games, propelling the Buckeyes to the playoff semifinal against the Longhorns.
“Texas is a heck of a football team,” Howard said. “So we’re going to have to be on our stuff.”
Howard went 0-3 against Texas while at Kansas State; he didn’t play in the Wildcats’ 2022 loss to the Longhorns.
Behind now-Atlanta Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson, Texas routed the Wildcats 69-31 in 2020 with five touchdowns in the third quarter. In 2021, Howard and the Wildcats led at halftime but couldn’t hold on after failing to score in the second half.
But Howard said the loss that “still pisses” him off came last year, when the Longhorns prevailed in overtime 33-30 after Howard slipped while trying to throw a pass on fourth-and-goal from the Texas 4-yard line. The Longhorns went on to win the Big 12 and make the playoff.
“That one still sticks with me,” Howard said. “I don’t like how that one ended. … I know there’s a lot of people back in Kansas that are rooting for the Buckeyes to get this one done against these guys.”
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