The 25 most important players in 2023’s College Football Playoff race
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Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer
Caleb Williams is the best player in college football. He won the Heisman in 2022 by throwing for 4,537 yards and an eye-popping 42-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio. He puts off more Mahomesian vibes than anyone in college football has since Patrick Mahomes himself. You hold your breath when he starts looking to improvise. He’s incredible.
He’s also a known entity. We know what we have in Williams, and we know he’s the major reason the USC Trojans are the betting favorites to win the Pac-12 title race.
There are birds in hand, and there are unfinished products. We know what the former has to offer, but breakthroughs for the latter play a definitive role in the national title race this year. We headed into 2019 without knowing everything we needed to know about Joe Burrow, right? Mac Jones in 2020? Stetson Bennett in 2021?
My annual Most Important Players list is about those unknowns. Here are 25 players who could define the season with either moments or long spells of greatness. Some play for contenders, while others play for the teams that might prevent contenders from reaching their goals. All of them will have a chance to make their mark on 2023.
Pure transcendence potential
25. QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington
It’s possible we’ve seen the best of Penix. The senior threw for 4,197 yards and 29 touchdowns over parts of four injury-plagued seasons at Indiana, then transferred to Washington to rejoin former IU offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer and topped his Hoosier career in one fell swoop. His 4,641-yard, 31-touchdown performance completely reversed the Huskies’ fortunes and earned him eighth place in the Heisman voting.
That’s quite the denouement, but Penix elected to return for a sixth year and write one more act. What if, with a loaded receiving corps and a bit more help from his defense, Penix one-ups himself? Washington might only be an underdog a couple of times in 2023, after all. Five thousand yards, a spot in the Pac-12 and a CFP run all might be on the table.
NEW YORK — Dan Iassogna will be the umpire crew chief and work the plate during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
His crew will include Marvin Hudson at first, Chris Segal at second, Jansen Visconti at third, Jeremie Rehak in left and Erich Bacchus in right, Major League Baseball said Thursday.
Iassogna, 56, will work his second All-Star Game. He was at third base for the 2011 game at Arizona.
He worked his first big league game in 1999, was hired to the major league staff in 2004 and appointed a crew chief ahead of the 2020 season. Iassogna umpired the World Series in 2012, ’17 and ’22 along with eight League Championship Series and seven Division Series.
Segal, Visconti, Rehak and Bacchus will work their first All-Star Games and Hudson his second after being in left field in 2004 at Houston.
Tony Randazzo will be the replay umpire in New York.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Brent Rooker is adding his name to the list of Home Run Derby participants.
Rooker announced Thursday that he’s participating in the event, which takes place Monday in Atlanta. He will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.
“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”
Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.
His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players.
The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.
Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.
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