Position U 2023: Is USC on the verge of taking over QBU from Oklahoma?
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David Hale, ESPN Staff Writer
It’s fair to say the past year has not upended our perceptions of which schools produce the most football talent at each position. In fact, look back at last year’s Position U rankings, and they don’t look starkly different from this year’s, save a shake-up at defensive back. But that doesn’t mean there’s no drama at the top. In fact, 2023 could prove to be a defining year at a number of spots.
At quarterback, Oklahoma and USC have battled back and forth in recent years for the No. 1 spot, and the Trojans are on the verge of tipping the QBU scales after swiping both coach Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams from the Sooners. On the D-line, Jared Verse and Florida State are closing in at the top, while Kool-Aid McKinstry and Malachi Moore have Alabama knocking at the door of DBU.
In other words, 2023 might be the calm before the storm. And since the math doesn’t lie, the production on the field this year will have some huge implications for 2024.
A quick reminder of our formula: ESPN Stats & Information combed through data on every team dating back to 1998, looking at key markers of greatness at each position. We awarded points for college production (by way of all-conference and All-America honors), NFL draft selections and NFL production (though only through the players’ first five years — Michigan can claim responsibility for Tom Brady’s success for only so long).
There are, of course, some caveats. Notre Dame fans rightly complained that their school is punished for not having all-conference players, and while ACC commissioner Jim Phillips can probably think of at least one simple solution to that issue, we’ve gone ahead and given the Irish a score for “projected all-conference” players based on the likelihood successful players who were drafted highly or earned All-America honors would’ve gotten a leaguewide recognition, too, had Notre Dame been a part of a conference.
We’re also aware that transfers are becoming a bigger issue than ever when crediting a specific school for a player’s NFL success. But as of 2023, there remain only a handful of players who contributed significantly at two schools and also became NFL stars (Russell Wilson and Jalen Hurts top that list), so we’re sticking with our previous formula that awards all NFL-related points to the last school a player attended.
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Dillon Gabriel was a solid addition to Oklahoma’s QB legacy, which includes Heisman Trophy winners Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, along with runner-up Jalen Hurts, but it’s hard not to consider the one who got away. When Lincoln Riley left for USC, he took Caleb Williams with him, and the Trojans’ new star won the Heisman last season. That cut Oklahoma’s lead at QBU in half from 2022, setting up a potentially huge swing next year, should Williams go No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, as many pundits expect.
The rest of the top 10:
2. USC
3. Oregon
4. Alabama
5. Ohio State
6. Texas
7. Louisville
8. Florida
9. Florida State
10. LSU
New to the top 10: Florida didn’t actually enjoy much on-field success with Anthony Richardson at quarterback last season, but he sure did help its standing in our QBU rankings. Florida jumped from 11th to eighth in large part due to Richardson’s high draft stock. Should Kyle Trask win the starting QB job for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year and start padding his NFL stats, the Gators might see an even bigger leap next year, but Florida fans would probably trade all that for a little hope at the QB position in Gainesville this season.
Biggest risers: Pitt jumped 15 spots to No. 43 following Kenny Pickett‘s NFL debut in 2022, while Tennessee got a sizable boost from No. 71 to No. 60 thanks to Hendon Hooker‘s exceptional season, too. Inside the top 10, however, the biggest mover was Ohio State, which jumped from ninth to fifth. Few schools can claim as impressive a collegiate legacy at the QB position as the Buckeyes, who’ve landed a Heisman with Troy Smith and enjoyed a recent run of first-round picks from Dwayne Haskins to Justin Fields to C.J. Stroud. The only problem, of course, is few schools have produced so many QBs who’ve done so little at the next level. Perhaps Fields and Stroud will finally change the narrative and keep the Buckeyes climbing the standings for the title of QBU.
Who’s missing: Here is where we offer our annual apology to NC State for squeezing the Wolfpack out of proper credit for Wilson’s prolific NFL career. Per our transfer rules, he’s officially a Wisconsin alum when it comes to QBU. Just wait until Devin Leary blossoms into an NFL star, too, and all the credit goes to Kentucky. (But don’t forget, NC State fans, you’ve got all the credit for Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Finley, and should Brennan Armstrong rebound in 2023, he’s all yours, too.)
Best outside the Power 5: David and Derek Carr set the standard for Fresno State, but Jake Haener (53 TD passes, 12 INTs the past two years) certainly made his mark, too. We’ve got Fresno State at No. 15 in our rankings, well ahead of Marshall and North Dakota State among schools outside the Power 5.
OK, so the Tide might not deserve full credit for Jahmyr Gibbs, who transferred from Georgia Tech, and they certainly didn’t use him enough throughout 2022, but they’ll reap the rewards of his No. 12 overall selection in this year’s NFL draft. Gibbs continues an incredible run (no pun intended) of Alabama backs prized by the pros, joining Brian Robinson Jr. (third round, 2022), Najee Harris (first round, 2021), Josh Jacobs (first round, 2019), Damien Harris (third round, 2019), Derrick Henry (second round, 2016), Kenyan Drake (third round, 2016), T.J. Yeldon (second round, 2015), Eddie Lacy (second round, 2013), Trent Richardson (first round, 2012) and Mark Ingram II (first round, 2011) as RBs recruited by Nick Saban to go in the first three rounds of the draft.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Wisconsin
3. LSU
4. Miami
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma
7. Georgia
8. Auburn
9. Oregon
10. Oklahoma State
Alabama’s spot atop the RBU rankings is secure, and Wisconsin enjoys an even bigger margin ahead of No. 3 LSU. But then things get interesting, with the Tigers, Miami, Texas and Oklahoma all incredibly closely bunched. Given Bijan Robinson‘s potential and a solid contingent of backs still wearing the Longhorns jersey, it’s possible Texas could establish itself as the clear No. 3 after this year.
New to the top 10: Oklahoma State isn’t the first team you might think of for producing elite talent at tailback, but Chuba Hubbard had a splendid career, and he’s joined Justice Hill and Chris Carson as alums getting a little run in the NFL, too. But don’t enjoy the top 10 for too long, Cowboys. Your ascent bumped Ohio State down to No. 11, and the Buckeyes have two burgeoning superstars — Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson — in their backfield now, so the scales figure to be tipped back in their direction for 2024.
Biggest riser: Coach Jimbo Fisher might have struggled to find a quarterback at Texas A&M, but he’s had a number of quality tailbacks. Isaiah Spiller (fourth round, 2021) and Devon Achane (third round, 2022) helped vault the Aggies from 63rd to 57th in the rankings. It’s not exactly the upper echelon, of course, but who’s betting against Fisher and coordinator Bobby Petrino turning things around moving forward? (Don’t answer that.)
Who’s missing: Ohio State was the obvious omission, but fellow Big Ten power Penn State also feels surprisingly low on the list. The Nittany Lions check in at No. 18, and luckily for Penn State, the future looks incredibly bright with a pair of superstar sophomores, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, poised to add to the school’s running back legacy.
Best outside the Power 5: Before coach Mike Norvell turned Trey Benson into a star at Florida State, he helped a stable of Memphis tailbacks break through, too. Tony Pollard, Darrell Henderson Jr. and Kenneth Gainwell have all become solid pros, helping Memphis edge San Diego State and Boise State as the best non-Power 5 producer of running backs.
Wide Receiver U is the USC Trojans
USC didn’t just swipe a game-changer at QBU in the transfer portal. The Trojans also landed former Pitt star Jordan Addison last year, and he went on to become a first-round draft pick, bolstering their position atop the WRU rankings. Addison joins Drake London, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster among recent USC receivers in the NFL. The Trojans receiver stable remains nicely stocked for 2023, too, with Tahj Washington, Mario Williams, Brenden Rice and Michael Jackson III all back. But don’t feel too bad for Pitt. The Panthers still check in at No. 9 on our list, and 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Larry Fitzgerald‘s stellar sophomore season in which he rightfully won the Heis– … oh, sorry, we’re being told he was actually robbed of the Heisman. So, perhaps Pitt fans really do have a lot to be angry about.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Ohio State
3. LSU
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
6. Oklahoma State
7. Florida State
8. Florida
9. Pitt
10. Notre Dame
The recent run of success at receiver for Ohio State is almost enough to make Buckeyes fans forget that Urban Meyer put Zach Smith in charge of that position for six wasted years. Ohio State has had five receivers drafted in the first three rounds since 2018, and with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka back for 2023, it’ll likely add a couple more next year. The recent success was enough to boost Ohio State from No. 5 in last year’s WRU rankings to No. 2 this year. But LSU might have the last laugh. Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson are among the NFL’s best, with Terrace Marshall Jr. a rising star and Kayshon Boutte getting his NFL shot in 2023.
New to the top 10: Notre Dame missed the cut last year, a point of consternation for fans. But our adjusted scoring system for 2023 has the Irish checking in at No. 10, narrowly nudging Clemson from the top 10. The Tigers enjoyed a tremendous run at wide receiver in the 2010s, but the past few seasons have been ugly, and this position might be one of the biggest keys to a potential return to the College Football Playoff for the Tigers in 2023.
Biggest riser: There was virtually nowhere to go but up for Boston College, which ranked No. 148 overall in last year’s WRU standings, but thanks to Zay Flowers, the Eagles have charged up 40 spots for 2023. Closer to the top of the standings, Tennessee parlayed impressive seasons by Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman into a six-spot climb to No. 12 overall. With four receivers taken in the first three rounds since 2021, it’s certainly possible the Volunteers’ climb will keep going in 2024.
Who’s missing: Here’s a genuinely astonishing fact: The last time a Texas wide receiver was taken in the first round of the NFL draft was … Roy Williams in 2004. That’s nearly 20 years of mediocrity at the position, but Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington at least offer some genuine hope for the future.
Best outside the Power 5: Texas has just one receiver drafted inside the first three rounds in the past 20 years. Western Michigan, on the other hand, has four: Greg Jennings, Corey Davis, Dee Eskridge and Skyy Moore. The Broncos have consistently churned out strong receivers, both in the MAC and beyond. Colorado State is the only other team outside the Power 5 to rank in our top 30.
It’s absurd that people attempt to make the case for anyone else as tight end U. Miami isn’t just a clear-cut No. 1. The Hurricanes are tops by a country mile (or an Everglades mile, if you will). In the Position U era (since 1998), the Canes have had 15 tight ends drafted. They’ve had a future NFL tight end on their roster every year. The 2007 season was the lone year their starter (or co-starter) at tight end didn’t go on to be drafted. Will Mallory added to the lineage this spring, going in the fifth round to the Indianapolis Colts, and he joins a genuinely astonishing parade of talent that includes Jeremy Shockey, Greg Olsen, Bubba Franks, Jimmy Graham and David Njoku.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Notre Dame
3. Iowa
4. Stanford
5. Florida
6. Missouri
7. Wisconsin
8. Oklahoma
9. Michigan
10. UCLA
If Miami is the clear-cut No. 1, there’s also little doubt about which team is No. 2. Michael Mayer added to a long list of terrific Notre Dame tight ends when he went in the second round of this year’s NFL draft, joining the likes of Tommy Tremble, Cole Kmet, Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph.
New to the top 10: None. This year’s list looks essentially the same as last year’s, but that should change in 2024 thanks to a guy named Brock Bowers, who is waiting in the wings for Georgia.
Biggest riser: Until April, Utah hadn’t seen a tight end selected since Henry Lusk went in the seventh round of the 1996 draft. But Dalton Kincaid offered an emphatic end to that drought when he was taken 25th overall by the Buffalo Bills. Kincaid’s terrific season and lofty draft status were enough to move Utah up from 131st last year to a respectable No. 74 now.
Who’s missing: Have we mentioned a guy named Bowers who plays for the two-time defending champs? Yes, Georgia narrowly missed out on the top 10 this year (it ranks 11th) despite Darnell Washington going in the third round of this year’s draft. The Bulldogs have actually had a solid run of draft picks, too — with Arthur Lynch, Isaac Nauta, Charlie Woerner, Tre’ McKitty and John FitzPatrick all selected over the past decade. That group hasn’t exactly impressed at the next level, however, so that again puts Bowers in the spotlight. He’s the clear No. 1 tight end in the country entering the season, and he has a chance to rocket UGA up the TEU board for 2024.
Best outside the Power 5: No. 14 Colorado State holds a minuscule edge over No. 15 BYU, thanks in large part to 2022 second-rounder Trey McBride. But since BYU begins life in the Big 12 this season anyway — thus joining the ranks of the Power 5 — we can reward the Rams without much hesitation.
Offensive Line U is the Alabama Crimson Tide
Last season was not a great year on the Alabama offensive line, but the Tide still saw Tyler Steen drafted in the third round. They have had an O-lineman taken in the first or second round every year since 2019, and they’ve seen 12 offensive linemen drafted in Rounds 1 or 2 during Nick Saban’s tenure as head coach. If championships are won at the line of scrimmage, it makes sense that Alabama has been the country’s best program for 15 years. The Tide have been dominant up front (on both sides of the ball), and this year’s unit includes another potential first-rounder in JC Latham.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Ohio State
3. Wisconsin
4. Oklahoma
5. Notre Dame
6. Michigan
7. USC
8. Georgia
9. Iowa
10. Florida
Notre Dame checks in at No. 5 on the list, but the Irish certainly could make some noise in 2023. Left tackle Joe Alt is already a dominant force, and he figures to have first-round potential. Blake Fisher looks like a high-level prospect, too, and a host of talented younger linemen are waiting in the wings. Alabama’s hold on the top spot is likely secure, but if the Irish linemen live up to their promise, Notre Dame could easily vault to No. 2 on our list.
New to the top 10: It has been a lean decade for Florida, which used to churn out talented O-linemen but has seen just one selected in the first three rounds since 2016. O’Cyrus Torrence changed the narrative a bit this year, earning All-SEC and All-America nods, and he went 59th overall in April’s NFL draft. It was enough to push the Gators back into the top 10 (up from No. 13).
Biggest riser: Northwestern wasn’t exactly in the running for O-line U, but Peter Skoronski‘s career certainly gave the Wildcats some cache at the position. Skoronski was an All-American and selected 11th overall in this year’s NFL draft, pushing Northwestern up 15 spots, to No. 61 overall.
Who’s missing: There was a time when Florida State might’ve been a real contender for the top spot, but to say the past decade has been hard times on FSU’s O-line would be putting it mildly. Since 2017, the Seminoles have been a train wreck up front, but Norvell seems to have finally found some juice on the O-line. The Seminoles have both high-end talent and ample depth this year, led by tackles Bless Harris and Jeremiah Byers. For now, FSU checks in at No. 13, but if Norvell’s rebuild continues, it’ll be back into the top 10 soon.
Best outside the Power 5: Boise State checks in at No. 24, 22 spots better than the next-closest team outside the Power 5 (Central Michigan). The Broncos have had six offensive linemen drafted in the Position U era.
Defensive Line U is the Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide have had at least one defensive lineman drafted in the first three rounds every year since 2016, even if their 3-4 defensive scheme is heavy on outside linebackers. In the Position U era, Alabama has had 13 All-SEC selections on the D-line and five All-Americans. Perhaps as importantly as all the college hype, Alabama’s alums have had more NFL success than any other program, too.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Florida State
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Penn State
6. Texas
7. LSU
8. USC
9. Georgia
10. Michigan
The Seminoles actually held the No. 1 spot in our D-line U rankings until 2021, when they were overtaken by Alabama. Those were darker times in Tallahassee, however. These days, Novell has the Seminoles’ D-line humming again, and Verse, Fabien Lovett and Patrick Payton figure to add to FSU’s tally. Verse figures to be in the conversation for All-America honors and will almost certainly be a first-round pick. He’d be FSU’s fourth first-rounder on the D-line since 2013. Of course, Ohio State (with JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Michael Hall Jr.), Clemson (with Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro), Penn State (with Chop Robinson) and LSU (with Mason Smith) all have their own stars in the mix, too.
New to the top 10: Georgia certainly knows how to make an entrance. In our 2021 installment of Position U, the Bulldogs ranked 21st on the D-line, just behind Pitt. But four first-round picks in the past two years helped just a bit, and this year, UGA cracked our top 10 (pushing fellow SEC East member Tennessee out in the process). It’s definitely a good time to be in Athens.
Biggest riser: Missouri had seen seven defensive linemen drafted in the past decade, and Darius Washington looks to anchor the Tigers’ defense this season. It’s enough to push Missouri from No. 16 to No. 12 in our DLU rankings. Kentucky and Iowa State also saw six-position jumps in this year’s standings.
Who’s missing: It’s hard to figure how Pitt doesn’t check in a bit higher than 17th overall. The Panthers have, arguably, the best defensive lineman drafted in the Position U era in Aaron Donald, and they just added another first-rounder to the mix in 2023 with Calijah Kancey going 19th overall. Over the past decade, only Clemson and Ohio State have recorded more sacks per game than Pitt has, so it’s certainly not for lack of production either. And Pitt’s 14 all-conference D-linemen are more than Alabama’s (13), and its four All-America nods are better than what LSU or Michigan has produced (three each).
Best outside the Power 5: Since 2019, Houston has had three defensive linemen drafted inside the first 33 picks (Ed Oliver, Payton Turner and Logan Hall), which gives the Cougars the No. 34 ranking in our DL U standings, ahead of Boise State (40th), Cincinnati (44th) and USF (48th).
Georgia has had six linebackers drafted in the first three rounds since 2021, which has helped the Bulldogs open up a relatively safe lead over Alabama for the title of LBU. More noteworthy, Georgia’s linebackers in the NFL have contributed far and away the most production at the next level, with the likes of Will Witherspoon, Thomas Davis, Justin Houston and Roquan Smith becoming genuine stars at the next level.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Penn State
5. USC
6. Oklahoma
7. Michigan
8. Clemson
9. Miami
10. Florida
Will Anderson Jr. is gone, but Alabama’s linebacker depth chart remains impressive, with Dallas Turner likely to add his name to the list of Tide superstars at the position. The real mover next year, however, might be Clemson, which returns two All-America candidates in Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., both of whom could find their way into the first round of next year’s draft.
New to the top 10: Channing Crowder, Jonathan Bostic and Brandon Spikes are among the Florida alums who had impressive NFL careers, and Ventrell Miller will be the next to get his shot in the pros. It’s enough to push the Gators into the top 10, just a few fractions of a point ahead of both UCLA and LSU.
Biggest riser: Bryan Cook helped the Kansas City Chiefs win this year’s Super Bowl, and he also helped push Cincinnati up 14 spots in our LBU standings to land at No. 45. Inside the top 25, the biggest mover was Iowa, with first-rounder Jack Campbell helping boost the Hawkeyes from No. 23 up to No. 17. Given how much Campbell had to do to overcome Iowa’s offense, it feels like he should’ve earned some extra credit here, too.
Who’s missing: LSU isn’t far off from the top 10, and though it’ll be two more seasons before Harold Perkins is eligible for the NFL draft, it already looks pretty safe to say his time with the Tigers ought to vault them a good bit higher than their current No. 12 ranking.
Best outside the Power 5: Temple has had six linebackers drafted in the Position U era, led by first-rounder Haason Reddick, who’s racked up 47 sacks and a Pro Bowl nod in his six-year NFL career. The Owls check in at No. 36 in our LBU ranking, followed closely by BYU at No. 37 and Southern Miss at 38.
Defensive Back U is the LSU Tigers
We have a new official title holder for DBU. It’s been an intensely close battle between LSU and Ohio State for years — with Alabama and Florida in the mix, too — but the Tigers take the top spot in 2023. Credit a solid debut season for Derek Stingley Jr., who is one of eight LSU defensive backs drafted since the team’s 2019 national championship. Major Burns could be the next in line for the Tigers, but they’ll have to survive plenty of pressure from the Buckeyes and a host of SEC rivals if they want to retain the top spot.
The rest of the top 10:
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Florida
5. Miami
6. Florida State
7. Georgia
8. Texas
9. USC
10. Virginia Tech
The margin between LSU, Alabama and Ohio State remains razor thin, and with two budding stars in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Malachi Moore, the Tide certainly have a shot at dethroning the Tigers in 2024. But keep an eye on Georgia, too. The Bulldogs have moved up one spot in each of the past two years (from ninth in 2021 to seventh this year), have had eight DBs drafted over the past three years and have three of the four preseason All-SEC first-team defensive backs in 2023.
New to the top 10: None. DB was the only position group to see a change at the top from last year, but no teams fell out of the top 10. That could change in 2024, however, as the gap between the Hokies at No. 10 and Utah at No. 19 is about the same as the gap between Virginia Tech and No. 8 Texas.
Biggest riser: Sauce Gardner has done wonders for Cincinnati’s DBU hopes, and after a first-round selection in 2022 and an impressive rookie year for the New York Jets, he’s got the Bearcats up to No. 31 — 14 spots better than a year ago and up from 68th in 2021. Mississippi State also made some big moves, jumping from No. 37 into the top 25 (at No. 24) thanks to 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes.
Who’s missing: South Carolina checks in at No. 20, but there’s some real upside for the Gamecocks in the coming years. Jaycee Horn and Cam Smith are burgeoning prospects in the NFL, and South Carolina has had 11 defensive backs selected overall since 2009.
Best outside the Power 5: UCF is No. 28 in our DBU standings, with Cincinnati and Fresno State the only other programs outside the Power 5 to rank in the top 40. The Knights have had eight DBs drafted since 2012, including first-rounder Mike Hughes in 2018.
The rest of the top 10:
2. UCLA
3. Iowa
4. Utah
5. Memphis
6. Ohio State
7. Florida
8. Nebraska
9. Auburn
10. Michigan
The rest of the top 10:
2. Tennessee
3. Utah
4. Michigan State
5. Cal
6. Georgia Tech
7. Cincinnati
8. Georgia
9. Ohio State
10. Baylor
Special-teamers are people, too, so we’re happy to award FSU and Texas A&M with their Position U accolades. Florida State’s success is well documented; however, it’s also worth noting no other team that finished better than .500 last year missed more field goals than the Noles (5). After finishing in the top 20 in punting average in all but one year from 2016 through 2021, the Aggies checked in at No. 66 last season, yet another thing for Fisher to worry about.
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David Schoenfield
Relief pitchers tend to be a need for teams around MLB’s trade deadline as contenders gear up to make an October run — and 2025 was no different. The New York Yankees added a trio of relievers in David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Camilo Doval from the San Francisco Giants and Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies to help a bullpen that had posted a 4.89 ERA over the previous two months.
The three relievers debuted last Friday — and delivered a disaster of “Cutthroat Island” proportions against the Miami Marlins. The Yankees were up 6-0 early and then 9-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning — in which the Marlins scored six runs — and New York eventually lost 13-12. The newcomers combined to allow nine runs, with Doval blowing the save when he allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth (with the help of an error from Jose Caballero, also a trade deadline acquisition).
The Yankees weren’t the only team to load up on relievers. The New York Mets traded for Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto. The Detroit Tigers acquired Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero and Paul Sewald. The Chicago Cubs picked up Andrew Kittredge, Taylor Rogers and swingman Michael Soroka. And, of course, there were the blockbuster deals for two of the best closers in the game with the Philadelphia Phillies acquiring Jhoan Duran (as well as signing free agent David Robertson) and the San Diego Padres trading for Mason Miller.
The question then: How much does loading up on relievers at the deadline help? Relievers, after all, can be extremely volatile. They might pitch just 20 innings the rest of the regular season, and it only takes a couple of bad outings in high-leverage moments — see Bird’s initial results with the Yankees — to nullify a bunch of good outings.
These moves are not just about getting to the postseason, but also winning once you’re there, as bullpens are used more often in the playoffs than in the regular season. Over the past four postseasons, relievers accounted for 50% of all innings. Last year, it was nearly 52%, compared with 41.2% in the regular season. The Los Angeles Dodgers, with an injury-riddled rotation last year, relied heavily on their bullpen, the relievers accounting for 58% of the team’s playoff innings en route to a World Series title. And every team would love to replicate what the Houston Astros did in winning the World Series in 2022 when their bullpen dominated the postseason with a 0.83 ERA.
We went back to 2018 to see how teams that loaded up on relievers, as the Yankees and Mets did, or added an elite closer, as the Phillies and Padres did, have performed. Have such moves paid off? Let’s find out.
2024 Padres
Added: Tanner Scott, Jason Adam, Bryan Hoeing
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.07 | After July 31: 3.19
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 59-51 (.537) | After July 31: 34-18 (.654)
The Padres acquired Scott, the player every club wanted, plus Adam, maybe the second-best reliever to change teams. They had already started to surge, winning nine of 10 games through July 31, and then 10 of 12 immediately after the deadline, going from a crowded wild-card race to comfortably leading the pack with a much-improved bullpen the rest of the season. Though the Dodgers still won the NL West, the teams met in the NLDS, and the Padres took the series lead only to get shut out in the final two games, making it clear that a great bullpen won’t matter if you can’t score runs.
2024 Mets
Added: Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Huascar Brazoban
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.05 | After July 31: 3.99
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 57-51 (.528) | After July 31: 32-22 (.593)
Like the Padres, the Mets played better the final two months after the deadline — although it wasn’t really because of the bullpen additions. Maton was the only one of the three to make an impact, posting a 2.51 ERA in 31 appearances. He hit the wall in the postseason, however, and though the Mets reached the NL Championship Series, the bullpen had a 5.56 ERA in the playoffs, including 6.75 in the NLCS.
Additions: Aroldis Chapman, Chris Stratton
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.83 | After July 31: 4.67
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 60-46 (.566) | After July 31: 26-23 (.531)
There isn’t really a team that qualifies as “loading up” on relievers in 2023, but let’s use the Rangers to illustrate a point. They had a bad bullpen through July (27th in the majors in ERA) and a bad bullpen after July (23rd). Their closer for most of the year had been Will Smith, but Jose Leclerc was closing by October. Chapman had six holds in the playoffs, but the reliever who closed out the World Series was Josh Sborz, who had a 5.50 ERA in the regular season. He got hot at the right time, however, and allowed just one run in 12 postseason innings. Certainly, getting more good relievers improves your odds of success, but any bullpen can get hot for a month.
2022 Padres
Addition: Josh Hader
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 3.94 | After July 31: 3.47
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 57-46 (.554) | After July 31: 31-27 (.534)
The Padres acquired Hader and Juan Soto at the deadline, but they weren’t any better the rest of the way (actually, considering the deadline that year was Aug. 2, the Padres were just 31-30 with both Hader and Soto). Hader had a 7.31 ERA in 19 appearances with the Padres, blowing two of his nine save chances and losing another game. They beat the Mets and Dodgers in the playoffs to reach the NLCS but lost to the Phillies in five games. The Padres led 3-2 in the eighth inning of Game 5 when Bryce Harper hit the series-winning two-run home run — off Robert Suarez. Hader pitched only one inning in the series.
2021 Astros
Additions: Kendall Graveman, Phil Maton, Yimi Garcia, Rafael Montero
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.08 | After July 31: 3.89
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 64-41 (.610) | After July 31: 31-26 (.544)
Graveman was the big acquisition, as he had an 0.82 ERA with the Seattle Mariners. He wasn’t as good with Houston (3.13 ERA), although he had a strong postseason with two runs in 11 innings as the Astros reached the World Series (losing to the Braves in six games). The offense was the main reason for the World Series loss, twice getting shut out — in part due to a mediocre Atlanta bullpen getting hot at the right time, similar to the Rangers two years later.
Additions: Adam Cimber, Trevor Richards, Brad Hand, Joakim Soria
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.01 | After July 31: 4.21
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 53-48 (.525) | After July 31: 38-23 (.623)
The Blue Jays played much better after the deadline, but Cimber was the only impact acquisition, posting a 1.69 ERA in 39 appearances. Hand went 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA in 11 games and was put on waivers, and Soria pitched in just 10 games, allowing seven runs in eight innings. Though the Blue Jays won 12 out of 13 to begin September, they ended up missing the playoffs by one win — going 3-9 in extra-inning games along the way.
Additions: Shane Greene, Mark Melancon, Chris Martin
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.14 | After July 31: 4.26
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 64-45 (.587) | After July 31: 33-22 (.600)
The Braves picked up three pretty good relievers here. Greene had 1.18 ERA with the Tigers and was an All-Star. Melancon had a 3.50 ERA with the Giants, and Martin had a 3.08 ERA with the Rangers (those were solid ERAs in 2019 — the year of the juiced ball). Greene saw his ERA climb to over 4.00 with the Braves, while Melancon took over as the closer and went 11-for-11 in save chances. The Braves lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games in the NLDS, with Melancon allowing four runs in the ninth inning to lose Game 1 and Greene blowing a lead in the eighth inning of Game 4 (with starter Julio Teheran getting the loss in the 10th inning).
2019 Cubs
Additions: Craig Kimbrel, Derek Holland, David Phelps, Brad Wieck
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 4.17 | After July 31: 3.65
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 57-50 (.533) | After July 31: 27-28 (.491)
Kimbrel was a late free agent signing, but we’ll include him as he made his season debut in late June. He wasn’t good, going 0-4 with a 6.53 ERA, and the Cubs collapsed late in September with a nine-game losing streak and missed the playoffs. That was mostly due to the offense, but Kimbrel lost two games down the stretch while Phelps and Wieck each lost one.
Additions: Daniel Hudson, Fernando Rodney, Hunter Strickland, Roenis Elias
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 5.96 | After July 31: 5.11
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 57-51 (.528) | After July 31: 36-18 (.667)
This barely qualifies as loading up, as Strickland and Elias were low-impact acquisitions while Rodney was signed as a free agent after the A’s released him. Indeed, in retrospect, it’s hard to believe the Nationals didn’t do more to fortify a bullpen that had the worst ERA in the majors as of July 31 and wasn’t much better the rest of the way. It didn’t matter though. Hudson pitched great (3-0, 1.44 ERA, six saves) and was the only reliable reliever along with Sean Doolittle, but manager Dave Martinez used starters Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin at various times in relief in the postseason, and the Nationals won the World Series — with Hudson closing it out.
2018 Astros
Additions: Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 3.18 | After July 31: 2.77
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 68-41 (.624) | After July 31: 35-18 (.660)
The Astros had the third-best bullpen ERA at the trade deadline but made two deals anyway. Osuna was a controversial acquisition because he was just finishing a 75-game suspension for violating the league’s domestic violence policy. Ken Giles and Hector Rondon shared closer duties, but Giles (who went to Toronto in the Osuna deal) had struggled the previous postseason and Rondon was a little shaky. Osuna became the closer, and Pressly posted an 0.77 ERA the rest of the way. The Astros won 103 games but lost to the 108-win Red Sox in the ALCS.
Additions: Brad Ziegler, Jake Diekman, Matt Andriese
Bullpen ERA: Through July 31: 3.03 | After July 31: 4.63
Team W-L record: Through July 31: 60-49 (.550) | After July 31: 22-31 (.415)
The Diamondbacks led the NL West by a half-game over the Dodgers and Rockies on July 31 — thanks in part to owning the second-best bullpen ERA in the majors. Leading the way were Andrew Chafin (1.67 ERA), T.J. McFarland (1.72), Yoshihisa Hirano (2.33), Archie Bradley (3.02) and closer Brad Boxberger (3.49, 25 saves). Perhaps sensing this group was over its head, the Diamondbacks added help — but the bullpen collapsed anyway. Ziegler, Diekman and Andriese went 1-5 with a 6.55 ERA, while the others all saw their ERAs rise. Arizona finished 82-80 and missed the playoffs.
So, are there any takeaways?
Bottom line: Bullpens are forever unpredictable, which means anything can happen over the next two months for the teams that hoped to make upgrades. Bullpens are even more unpredictable in October, when the limited number of games and extra days off means any pen can get hot — see Atlanta in 2021 and Texas in 2023 — and even great relievers can have a couple of bad games that might cost a team a playoff series. And if your offense doesn’t score runs, your top relievers won’t get to close out leads anyway.
It’s all about improving your odds, adding depth and giving your manager more options (and not wearing down your best relievers down the stretch).
The Padres already had the lowest bullpen ERA in the majors this season before adding Miller and seem like a club that could pull off a 2022 Astros-like run to a World Series title (a team that had the best bullpen in the regular season). The Mets added a strong group of setup men in front of ace closer Edwin Diaz, turning a potential weakness into what looks like a strength. The Tigers’ pen ranks 19th in ERA and 28th in strikeout rate. We’ll see if their additions can make an impact. The Phillies might finally have the lights-out closer they’ve needed in Duran, and maybe he can close out playoff games, which Craig Kimbrel and Jeff Hoffman failed to do the past two postseasons. The Milwaukee Brewers didn’t make any significant additions and rank just in the middle of the pack in bullpen ERA, but their high-leverage relievers — Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Nick Mears, Aaron Ashby — have been excellent. We’ll see if that’s enough.
And the Yankees? The bullpen looks good on paper — and, hey, it could get hot at the right time in the playoffs. If the Yankees even get in.
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Andrea Adelson
BATON ROUGE, La. — Doug Nussmeier rarely gets days like this one anymore, hanging around a college football field, watching his sons Garrett and Colton soft toss the ball to each other. Garrett has been at LSU, trying to lead the Tigers on a title run. Colton has been in Texas, where he has developed into an ESPN Junior 300 prospect as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, with offers from LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and many others.
Doug has been in the NFL as an assistant coach, living apart from his family the past two years so Colton could finish out his high school career.
But on this day in June, they are all together at the LSU elite summer camp. Doug Nussmeier smiles big. He decided to leave the Philadelphia Eagles and take the offensive coordinator job with the Saints earlier this year. Now, all he needs to do to visit his older son is hop in his car and drive for an hour or so.
The family calls this a “full circle moment.”
Doug started his NFL career as a quarterback with the Saints in New Orleans. He met his wife, Christi, in New Orleans. He won a Super Bowl in the Superdome. Christi, a Louisiana native, instilled a love for her home state in her kids, a love that not only led Garrett to LSU but kept him there for five years. Now here they are, Doug, Garrett and Colton, all back in Louisiana on a swampy hot summer day.
Doug stands off to the side, watching, not coaching. Though he played quarterback, he never put pressure on his sons to play the position. But they wanted to be just like him. His No. 13 jersey and all.
“He was my idol growing up,” Garrett says. “He’s the most influential person in my career.”
Through backyard drills and days spent breaking down tape, through 12 moves to follow Doug on his coaching journey, Garrett soaked up knowledge, learned how to deal with change as a constant, spent time on different campuses, in different stadiums — every moment leading to the one he faces now in his fifth and final season with the Tigers. His mother inspired his love for LSU and his dad inspired his obsession with the quarterback position.
They both led him here, to the biggest year of his life.
CHRISTI NUSSMEIER WOULD have been perfectly happy if her sons hadn’t become quarterbacks. But looking back, it does seem like they were always on the path to running an offense. When Christi says her sons were born with a football in their hands, she means it almost literally. After Garrett was born in 2002, she chose a Sports Illustrated-themed birth announcement. In the photo, Garrett snuggles a football.
Garrett’s earliest football memories start at age 6, when he asked his dad to throw with him in their backyard in Seattle. The warmup Doug showed him is the one Garrett still uses before every practice and game, focusing on flexibility first before moving into segments that isolate different parts of the throwing motion.
At every college stop they made, Garrett observed the quarterbacks: Drew Stanton at Michigan State, Jake Locker at Washington, A.J. McCarron at Alabama. Garrett saw the way each player led his team not only in games but at practices. He watched the way they interacted with their teammates. He sometimes sat in the room with them to break down tape.
“I was subconsciously just learning things without actually knowing what I was learning,” Garrett says. “As I got older, I started to realize, ‘Hey, OK, that’s what they were doing.'”
From there, Garrett steadily improved and kept his eyes focused on getting a college scholarship, then eventually playing in the NFL. Garrett was smaller for a quarterback at 6-foot-1, and his parents had no idea where he might end up. But they encouraged him to keep pushing forward, and Doug provided feedback whenever Garrett asked.
“I was hoping that as he started to grow into his middle school years, maybe he’ll be good enough to be a starter on his high school team. And then if he’s that, well, then maybe that opens the door for him to have the opportunity to play at a small school or someplace,” Doug says.
Doug had taken an assistant coaching job with the Cowboys in 2018, so the Nussmeiers moved to the Dallas area, where Garrett would play high school football. Christi remembers one moment early in Garrett’s high school career that changed everything.
“Garrett made some moves, and I just remember my face going, ‘Oh my gosh,’ and I looked at Doug. We both looked at each other,” Christi says. “We knew Garrett was talented, and we knew he was special, but I asked Doug, ‘That’s not normal, is it?’ And Doug said, ‘No.'”
Adds Doug: “He wasn’t the biggest guy, but all of a sudden, some schools started coming to see him.”
Ole Miss was the first to invite him to a football camp, then LSU invited him to campus, too. LSU held a special place in his heart. Garrett was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where Christi grew up.
Christi was determined to give her three children — including daughter, Ashlynn, also an LSU student — a place they could call home, considering all the moving they did. They may have changed addresses every few years, but they would always return to Lake Charles for the holidays and summers. Christi cooked specialties from home and played zydeco music. When people asked the kids where they were from, they would answer, “Louisiana.”
“Lake Charles was the only place that was constant my life,” Garrett says. “When you only live somewhere at the longest three years, you’re just spinning around, and so Louisiana was just always my home. When I came on my first visit here, I just knew this is where I want to be.”
Garrett loved then-coach Ed Orgeron, but he really wanted to play for then-offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger. He committed in 2020 as a junior. Ensminger announced his retirement later that year, but Garrett signed in 2021 anyway, as an ESPN 300 prospect and one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
Garrett played in four games and ultimately redshirted, but midway through that freshman season, LSU announced Orgeron would not return for 2022. For months, Garrett felt uncertainty about his future and the future of the program.
Enter Brian Kelly.
ON JAN. 7, 2013, Garrett Nussmeier and Brian Kelly shared a football field for the first time. Doug was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama when the Crimson Tide played Kelly and Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game in South Florida.
Garrett, who was 10 at the time, remembers falling asleep at halftime with Alabama up 28-0. But he also remembers heading down to the field after the 42-14 victory, throwing confetti and holding the championship trophy. During a quarterback meeting their first year together, Garrett decided to have some fun. He turned to Kelly and asked, “Remember that national championship?” They had a good laugh.
But the transition to playing under Kelly wasn’t so easy.
Nussmeier thought that after his first year at LSU, he was going to be the guy at quarterback. But Kelly went into the transfer portal and brought in Jayden Daniels, who ultimately won the starting job in 2022.
“Things were a little rocky at first,” Garrett Nussmeier admits. “But as time has gone on, my relationship with Coach Kelly has just grown.”
Nussmeier had opportunities to leave through the transfer portal, especially after serving as the backup to Daniels in 2022 and 2023. But he knew what it was like to leave a place, having done it so much growing up. He knew how hard it was to start over, make new friends, go through proving himself all over again.
He watched his dad preach patience throughout his own coaching career. Maybe more than anything, Garrett felt an unwavering loyalty to the state of Louisiana and desperately wanted to bring a championship to the place he calls home.
“I just didn’t feel like my time here was done,” Nussmeier says.
“He came in built for an old-school mentality of ‘I’m going to stick it out. I’m going to work my tail off and get that opportunity,'” Kelly says. “He saw some things that we were doing in developing Jayden and getting him to be a better version of himself. He grew up loving LSU. If you add all of those things up, it wasn’t about just throwing some money at him. It had to be more than that. He is a guy that loves transformational relationships instead of transactional.”
Garrett finally got his opportunity to start last season, opening with a 300-yard passing day in a last-second loss to USC. LSU rolled to a 6-1 start, but the next three games proved to be the most humbling stretch of his career. The Tigers dropped all three — to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida — as Nussmeier struggled to play consistently and avoid mistakes. In those three losses, he threw for five combined touchdowns and five interceptions, lost two fumbles and took 11 sacks, including a whopping seven against the Gators.
“There was a part of me that was doing too much and trying to be perfect instead of just playing football,” Nussmeier says. “There was a lot of overthinking, a lot of trying to make things happen when I didn’t need to. That was one of the biggest learning moments for me in my career.”
Indeed, both Kelly and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan say Nussmeier had to go through those moments to learn and grow. Kelly called the losses a “low point” in decision-making and managing the game.
“A lot of playing quarterback is developing some calluses, and he was able to develop some calluses, and he knows what the fire feels like,” Sloan says.
At 6-4, with a once promising season on the verge of disaster, LSU hosted Vanderbilt at home in late November. “That was a big moment for me,” Nussmeier says.
Before the game, he took a deep breath and told himself to forget about being perfect. LSU won its final three games, including a 44-31 victory over Baylor in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl. Nussmeier threw for 313 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, a game Kelly described as his best of the season.
“He didn’t take the big play as being the only play,” Kelly says. “He started to figure out that zero was OK. Once he felt that zero is OK, and I don’t have to make a play each and every down, the offense played very well.”
Doug would watch nearly every game alone in a hotel room as he prepared his own game plans for the Eagles. Sometimes he would watch on TV, sometimes on an iPad. He made sure never to overstep or question the coaching Nussmeier was getting from Kelly and Sloan.
“They have a plan, and they are working diligently to improve the things that need to be improved and strengthen the things that need to be strengthened,” Doug says.
LSU ended the season 9-4. Nussmeier had already announced he would be back for a fifth and final season. He asked his dad to handle his NIL negotiations.
WHEN BAUER SHARP came to LSU on his official visit, he went to dinner with Nussmeier and linebacker Whit Weeks. Nussmeier, Sharp says, was instrumental in helping him decide to transfer from Oklahoma to LSU.
Indeed, Nussmeier took an active role in helping LSU revamp its roster through the portal, understanding that both he and the program had championship aspirations for 2025. In addition to Sharp, LSU signed two top five wide receivers (Barion Brown and Nic Anderson) and revamped a defense that has struggled at times.
The presence of a veteran quarterback, going into his second year as a starter, proved to be a huge selling point, too.
“With him being in the offense for four years, that played a huge part in it, and just to see what type of leadership he had, and to connect with him, that was so inviting,” Sharp says. “It was so encouraging. I loved what I saw.”
Nussmeier is the rare quarterback who has stayed put. Of the Top 20 quarterbacks who signed in 2021, 14 ended up transferring. Seven are playing their fifth seasons in 2025. Of those seven, only Nussmeier and Behren Morton at Texas Tech are still playing for the teams with which they originally signed. To Garrett, the decision to play one more year was not complicated.
“When you look at the statistics of quarterbacks getting drafted high, a lot of them were fifth years,” Garrett says. “That experience matters for my position. So I think there’s a lot of value in staying.”
Kelly points to stats, too, and the way his quarterbacks play better in their final season as his starter. Daniels is the perfect example. In Year 1 under Kelly, Daniels threw for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns. In Year 2, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.
“I really believe experience at that position is the most important thing,” Kelly says. “Wherever I’ve been, your last year is your best year, so the expectations are that the same will occur for Garrett.”
Indeed, early Heisman odds have Nussmeier second, right behind Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Nussmeier also is ranked as one of the top quarterback prospects for the NFL draft next season. (ESPN’s Matt Miller has him going No. 11 .)
“I definitely think he’s capable of winning a Heisman, but that trophy is based off a season,” Sloan says. “He has the talent, and we have the people around him. I just know this. He’s who we would want to be a quarterback at LSU. If we got to draft, we’d pick Garrett Nussmeier.”
Nussmeier worked this offseason to put himself in position to win a title, dropping a few pounds, adding muscle mass and working with private speed coaches in Dallas. Sloan says Nussmeier is in the best shape of his life, and that will allow him to help more in the run game. Managing the pocket, speeding up the process at the line of scrimmage and his footwork also have been a huge point of emphasis this offseason.
“When his feet are on time, and staying what I call tight and he’s not having big movements, he’s extremely accurate, and especially more and more accurate down the field,” Sloan says.
He also took more ownership of the team.
“He’s a whole different person, the way he carries himself, the way he speaks to others,” running back Caden Durham said. “We see his energy in the morning, 7 o’clock for workouts. Everybody is like, ‘We’re going to go as hard as you and even harder,’ just because he’s the leader. He’s the head honcho. This offense runs through him. So let’s go.”
Nothing about what is ahead will come as a shock. Walking into SEC stadiums with his dad prepared him for big crowds, big moments. Memories often trickle back. The first time taking the field at Baton Rouge in 2020, closing his eyes, remembering what it felt like to be inside a roaring, sold-out Death Valley. When he walked onto the field at Auburn in 2022, he turned to Sloan and Daniels, pointed to the sideline near the away team tunnel and said, “That’s where I was crying when the Kick Six happened,” remembering back to the 2013 Iron Bowl when his dad was an Alabama assistant.
The Nussmeiers call all of these moments “God winks,” each one intertwined, interconnected, preparing Garrett for the moment he has waited on since he first threw a football in the backyard with his dad.
Now with Doug just a drive away in Louisiana, the place Garrett loves more than anything, they are closer than they have been since they lived under one roof in Dallas. Christi will be able to make her way to LSU and Saints home games. Ashlynn will be there. Colton may make a trip or two depending on his schedule.
There is, of course, one way for this full circle moment to be complete: hoisting a championship trophy.
“I’ve always wanted this pressure. I’ve always wanted this expectation. I’ve always wanted people to talk about me the way that they are and have this expectation,” Nussmeier said. “It’s definitely a dream come true.
“But it’s not finished yet.”
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