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If you have ever been curious about what it’s like to be Michael Bublé on Valentine’s Day … it’s actually quite different than what you might think.

He’s by himself, hanging out in the quiet part of a 20,000-seat arena in Cologne, Germany, wearing a Simpsons T-shirt while holding a football signed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Bublé is thousands of miles away from his wife, who is with her family in Argentina. Because that is what comes with being a crooner who sings love songs. It only makes sense to sing those songs in front of thousands of people on Valentine’s Day.

So how does Bublé pass the time before his concert? Simple, he picks up the phone to talk about his other love in this world: hockey.

“Man, I even love the old subway sandwiches they used to serve at the old Pacific Coliseum,” said Bublé, who grew up a Vancouver Canucks fan. “It’s the yellow jerseys that the Canucks or the L.A. Kings used to wear. It’s like I see the jerseys now that they brought back, and it just brings it all right back. The happiest parts of my childhood were watching and listening.”

Yes, the man who is the living embodiment of what it means to be romantic is exactly that when it comes to talking about hockey. Listening to Canucks play-by-play announcer Jim Robson was a foundational piece of his childhood.

Bublé continues to speak like that when talking about what it means to be a co-owner of the Vancouver Giants. Yes, you read that right. International recording artist and four-time Grammy winner Michael Bublé is the co-owner of his hometown Vancouver Giants, the same junior team that sent Bowen Byram, Evander Kane, Brendan Gallagher and Milan Lucic, among others, to the NHL.

How did he get into ownership? What is it like to be a team that is partially owned by a pop star? How involved is Bublé? And given that he already has ownership in one hockey team, has he ever thought about trying to own an NHL team someday?

“I was thrilled because [Giants majority owner Ron Toigo] and I are so close. I thought so much of Ron and his family,” Bublé said. “I tell people, ‘I don’t invest in things, I invest in people.’ So when Ron came to me, my first thought was it was incredibly humbling to even be asked.”

Toigo said he met Bublé through a mutual friend, Bruce Allen, who is Bublé’s agent. Toigo was part of the committee when British Columbia hosted the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2006, and the group was looking for a dinner party entertainer.

Getting Bublé came with some cache. He was already four albums into his career, and his most recent album, “It’s Time,” eventually went triple platinum. Bublé was then invited to attend every WJC game, which allowed him to develop a friendship with Toigo.

A few years had passed when one of the Giants’ co-owners decided to sell his stake, and it prompted Toigo to see if Bublé was interested. That was December 2008, and Bublé along with his father, Lewis, have been involved with the team ever since.

“He knows more about the game than probably a lot of people think he does,” Toigo said. “He pays attention to what the players are doing. With our players, when we are in the playoffs, he has players over to his place between series. He has an ice rink at his house. He and his kids have gone skating with the players, and that is how he gets to know them.”

Just wait. There’s more.

GIANTS GENERAL MANAGER Barclay Parneta had just accepted the job when he received a text message from a random phone number. The message read, “Hey! It’s Michael Bublé! I’ve heard a lot of great things about you from Ron and I am looking forward to working with you and I can’t wait to get the Giants into the Memorial Cup!”

Parneta, who was hired in 2018, admitted that he shared the moment with his wife when it happened because how often does something like this happen?

“I was like, ‘Holy crap. This is awesome,'” he said.

Parneta said Bublé’s involvement goes beyond that of an owner who sits in his suite during games, writes checks and goes to business meetings regarding the club’s affairs.

One of Parneta’s duties is to meet with prospective players and their parents in the event they someday play for the Giants. What better way to show parents that their children could play for a team that cares than by talking to Michael Bublé?

No, really. Bublé will actually get on the phone or jump on a videoconference with the rest of the front office to help answer any potential questions a parent or player might have about the Giants. Parneta said in most cases, it is the parents who recognize him first, then it’s the players.

But the ones who do are prone to do a double take while asking, ‘Is that Michael Bublé?’

Yes, child, that is Michael Bublé.

Parneta shared the story of one particular videoconference with the parents of a player they had just drafted. The player’s mom said in passing that she loved Bublé and was then stunned to see him appear on the screen.

“I could phone him and say we want to set up something and need you to hop on a call. He’s never said, ‘No,'” Parneta said. “He’s done it a number of times. He wants this to be successful. When he comes to games, he comes to the dressing room and talks to the boys. He’s not a passenger. He loves hockey. Loves, loves, loves hockey. If you asked him if he could trade his fame and fortune to play in the NHL, he would do it.”

Parnetta added that Bublé also did a motivational video session with coaches and players during the early stages of the pandemic. It was something he did for nurses — with the most prominent example coming in January 2022 when Bublé surprised a Kansas City nurse whose essay led to her meeting Bublé over video. Parnetta said Bublé has also done something similar with Team Canada.

PICTURE THIS. You’re at a junior hockey team’s Christmas party singing carols in front of 80 people, and one of them is Michael Bublé. That might seem like the right time to stop singing and go hide in a corner. It’s actually the opposite when Bublé is around. He’s the one going around the room encouraging everyone to sing so it’s not just one person doing it alone.

Even though singing by himself in front of thousands of people is literally what he does for a living.

Parneta described Bublé as someone who is part maestro and part monitor when those Christmas parties are happening. Bublé sees when people are singing, he knows when they are fake-singing, and he doesn’t care if they sound bad or good as long as they are participating in the experience.

“He is the one encouraging everyone to sing and to get more people singing along,” Parneta said. “Some of the older people may step back and watch, but the first time witnessing it, it was super cool and amazing to see a guy feel that comfortable. … I mouth the words very well without much coming out!”

Both Parneta and Toigo also discussed Bublé’s charitable nature. Toigo said Bublé purchases a suite for every Giants home game and donates it to a local children’s hospital so it can give it to a family with a loved one who is undergoing treatment.

“He does a lot of things that he’s not pounding his chest over, and he does it because it is the right thing to do,” Toigo said. “There have been shows when he’ll find out someone else is in trouble and will donate the entire gate to them. I don’t think his manager is too crazy about it. He’s just a very giving guy and extremely passionate about society in general. He’s like that everywhere he goes, not just in Vancouver.”

For those wondering, the Giants do play Bublé’s music at home games. No, they are not contractually obligated to do so, Toigo says with a laugh.

BUBLÉ SAID HIS expectation upon joining the Giants’ ownership group was to create the sort of environment that would let players and their families know that Vancouver is an attractive place to play.

This is the part of the conversation in which Bublé gets deep. He opens up about how a lot of his friends are athletes because of the similarities in their professions. Bublé’s point is that whether you are an athlete or a singer, there is an expectation that comes with the pressure of always being at your best for the thousands of people who pay money to watch.

Mental health is something he talks about with his athlete friends. Sure, it’s important to stay in great physical shape. But the conversations about mental health are just as vital. He said it is about finding ways to believe in yourself even when you’re struggling or feeling insecure about your performance.

“I knew as someone who understood how a lot of these people felt, I felt like I could be there to lift them up if they needed it,” Bublé said. “Sometimes, it’s about bringing context: ‘Don’t be so down on yourself, man. You’re in a position millions of kids would die to be in. I know it’s hard to be appreciative of that. But I want you to know that as tough as it is, try to enjoy this moment because it is a great moment. You’re doing something that people dream about doing.'”

Bublé said this is something he does with the Giants or his friends who play in the NBA, NFL or NHL.

He said there are times they even do that for him.

“I don’t give a s— if you’re Tom Brady or you’re Ed Sheeran. We all go through peaks and valleys,” Bublé said. “It’s easy to lose your confidence, and it is easy for things to stop being fun. Part of me being involved at this level of the game was understanding that, and I hope that I could articulate it well enough.

“It sounds very Ted Lasso, but the environment is very important and that kind of support lets guys understand that you understand them.”

Bublé said that it means a lot knowing he has had a chance to be part of a Giants player’s journey whether they play in the NHL, AHL or never play a single minute of professional hockey. One of his all-time favorite moments as an owner was when Byram was selected fourth overall at the 2019 NHL draft by the Colorado Avalanche.

The Giants have had several players get drafted, and Byram was one of only five Giants to ever go in the first round. Bublé watched Byram’s interview. He recalled how Byram thanked his mom and dad and the rest of his family and friends. Then he thanked Toigo for caring about him and making sure he had all the things he needed to get to this stage in his life.

“I called up Ron and said, ‘Ron, that is a beautiful testament to how far and above you go,'” Bublé said. “He’s a special guy. He does care. That’s what my dad is like, too. This means so much to my dad, too. We’re so proud of our city and our community, and it’s pretty thrilling to be part of this. I love the game. … There are amazing codes in this game of hockey. In so many sports where we’ve lost those codes, we’ve not lost them in hockey, thank God.”

GIVEN HOW MUCH he loves the game and wants to be involved, has Bublé ever explored the idea of NHL ownership?

Toigo said Bublé is really good friends with another Vancouver native, Ryan Reynolds, who is part of a group that wants to purchase the Ottawa Senators.

So Michael, anything you want to share? Like, maybe you’re going to join forces with Deadpool, be a part owner of the Senators and perform during intermissions every now and again?

“No, it hasn’t been a conversation,” Bublé said. “I think it hasn’t been because No. 1, I don’t know if I would want to go there.”

Go there? As in NHL ownership?

“No. NHL ownership is fine, but the Ottawa Senators aren’t my team,” Bublé said. “I think it’s Canucks or bust. I really do. That may never, ever happen. The truth is, it’s not like I have some serious ambition where I’ve ever really truly put it out there. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own a team?”

Bublé said he once had a long talk with longtime NHL great and Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito about owning a team. Bublé said there were “a bunch of management groups,” that came to him and he got “very close” to getting involved in NHL ownership.

“He said to me, ‘Are you really passionate about these other teams?'” Bublé said. “I said, ‘Not really. But I’d love to be a part of the culture. I love hockey so much.’ He said, ‘Do you have a billion dollars?’ I said, ‘I do not.’ He then said, ‘Then, get the f— out of there!'”

Then Bublé asks a question.

“But can I tell you what I think about Ryan?” he asks. “I think the NHL could use a guy like Ryan. I think he’s good for the game. Ryan’s a good guy. He’s got an incredible personality. He brings a great energy. He’ll bring so much excitement to a hockey team that’s going to be a good hockey team and to a city that is a great city. I just think it’s great for the game and I think we need more personalities like that. Who knows? One day, Celine Dion may own the Montreal Canadiens.”

Has Bublé ever talked to the Aquilini family, the owners of the Canucks, about getting involved in ownership?

“No, never,” Bublé said. “To be honest, I am friends with all those guys. But I would never. We just have more fun shooting the s—, hanging out and watching the games. I don’t know if I have much time yet in my life.

“Dude, all I do is work. I have four kids and I wouldn’t know where to fit it to be honest with you. But in the future? Who knows. I said I’d never have kids, and now I have four.”

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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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August 2, 2025

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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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August 2, 2025

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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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