Deion’s big loss, Ohio State’s narrow escape and an epic Week 4 that lived up to the hype
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David Hale, ESPN Staff Writer
The first three weeks of the season came with some genuine drama, some true upsets and roughly a billion stories about Coach Prime, but it was all little more than an appetizer to Week 4 — a Bloomin’ Onion to Saturday’s 64-ounce sirloin.
This was a day with six matchups between ranked teams.
This was a day in which Deion Sanders would finally be tested, Florida State could assert its place atop the ACC, and Alabama‘s masked defensive coordinator would finally be revealed.
This was the day a nation watched New Mexico and UMass go to overtime.
Before Saturday, the narratives were paper thin, the contenders vast, the signature wins rare.
Week 4 gave us big-boy football.
Ohio State toppled Notre Dame by about an inch and a half with one second left on the clock.
Florida State survived a heavyweight battle in overtime.
Penn State delivered a statement that it was a true contender in the Big Ten, and James Franklin was officially removed from Brian Ferentz’s Christmas card list.
Washington State won the battle of the last two remaining Pac-12 teams, which we’re pretty sure earns it a trophy of some sort. It might just be the old Civil ConFLiCt trophy with a Beaver duct-taped to the top, but a trophy nonetheless.
Nick Saban proved once again that Lane Kiffin might win every news conference, but he’s got no hope of toppling Alabama on the field.
Saturday gave us Dan Lanning’s takedown of Coach Prime, a shootout in Baton Rouge, a near-perfect performance from Spencer Rattler, a left-handed touchdown pass from Drake Maye, and Curt Cignetti asking the officials to hilariously record his voicemail greeting (or at least that’s what we choose to believe he was doing).
‘It’s clear, zebras!’ pic.twitter.com/jRT9fJq591
— Tim Holt (@TimmayHolt) September 24, 2023
In South Bend, Sam Hartman and a methodical ground game had Ohio State on the ropes and Notre Dame oh-so close to a signature win. It was not to be. Kyle McCord led a 15-play drive, hit Emeka Egbuka for a 21-yard pickup to the 1 on third-and-19, then helped push Chip Trayanum just barely over the goal line with a second left to play. If the Big Ten has given us myriad 17-14 games over the years that felt like watching paint dry, Ohio State’s win was more akin to a Godzilla-versus-Mothra showdown of titans, in which every inch of real estate earned felt momentous.
In Clemson, the Tigers looked as dynamic and intimidating as they have in three years, and it still wasn’t enough to upend ascendant Florida State. Jordan Travis and Kalen DeLoach, two players who arrived under Willie Taggart’s doomed tenure, rallied the Seminoles to a come-from-behind win in overtime.
In Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide’s offensive woes continued, but Saban proved he — or someone — still knows how to design a defense. After Kiffin promoted the conspiracy theory that Saban had secretly changed defensive playcallers a week ago (and also helped fake the moon landing, we assume), the Tide held Ole Miss to just 3-of-14 on third down, 301 total yards, and 10 points.
On the Palouse, Washington State fended off a late push by Oregon State to survive 38-35. It marked yet another in a long run of Oregon State hoping for a last-minute reprieve, only to face certain relegation to the Mountain West. It also served as a reminder that Cougars QB Cameron Ward is one of the nation’s best. He threw for 404 yards (averaged 11.9 per pass on 34 attempts) and four touchdowns in the win.
Around the country, 12 teams that entered Week 4 undefeated left with a loss.
In other words, Saturday’s games had genuine resonance — a moment when heavyweights traded blows, Cinderellas became pumpkins, Ryan Day gave the most incoherent speech about Ohio since Howard Dean, and a band member wielded a trident.
There is so much more to the story of the 2023 season still to be written, but Saturday felt like the moment when the main characters were fully fleshed out, the plot began in earnest, and stakes were made clear.
FSU, Clemson go the extra mile
The story began with a man on the beach, just hoping to enjoy his last few weeks before starting a new job. It was a story Dabo Swinney, quite presciently, predicted would either be “great or terrible.”
Indeed, there are great man-on-beach stories, such as “Weekend at Bernie’s,” and there are terrible ones, like “Weekend at Bernie’s 2.”
Alas, Saturday was the latter for Clemson.
The Tigers, in need of help in the kicking game, brought in Jonathan Weitz on Monday to take over the starting job. Weitz had been Clemson’s backup for four years, but he’d assumed his college career was done after the 2022 season ended, he left for a study abroad in Paris — “He spent the spring looking at the Eiffel Tower,” said Swinney, who we assume also believes everyone in St. Louis lives under the arch — then moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he was taking online classes.
But Clemson needed a kicker, Swinney placed a call, and Weitz arrived Monday to join the team. Due to NCAA acclimation period rules, Saturday was his first day in pads.
The story began like a Shakespeare play, with Weitz drilling his first kick to give Clemson an early 3-0 lead, but it ended in tragedy, with Weitz missing a chip shot from 29 yards out with 1 minute, 45 seconds to play.
(Note: We haven’t read a lot of Shakespeare. We’re assuming they all have happy endings.)
1:19
Florida State survives Clemson in OT to remain undefeated
Florida State moves to 4-0 on the season as it gets help from a Clemson missed field goal and clutch play in overtime.
The miss left the game tied, and in overtime, Florida State prevailed 31-24 thanks to the second touchdown of the day from receiver Keon Coleman. It will certainly not be lost on frustrated Clemson fans that it was one of FSU’s transfers who proved to be the difference. Swinney has notoriously shied away from the portal. The beach, of course, is another story.
“I wish I’d been perfect today,” Weitz said afterward. “But that’s my story right now.”
It’s hard to imagine that anyone at Clemson envisioned the story of the Tigers’ 2023 campaign to look like this either.
After a shocking loss to Duke in the opener, Clemson is 0-2 in ACC play for the first time since 2010, Swinney’s second full season on the job. The Tigers have won at least 10 games every year since.
It was, for so long, a game that seemed destined to end with a win, with Swinney delivering another memorable-if-goofy quip (“BYOK, bring your own kicker”), with the coach lording it over the collected doubters that, once again, he was right, and they were wrong.
And then the kick went wide left, FSU scored in the first frame of OT, quarterback Cade Klubnik checked into a poorly timed screen pass on third-and-1, and Clemson’s hopes for another ACC title were all but extinguished.
Jordan Travis, playing with a wounded left arm, gutted out 289 yards and three touchdowns on a day when the running game offered just 22 yards for the Seminoles. Two years ago, he’d nearly quit football. Saturday, he presided over Florida State’s biggest win since at least 2016.
Kalen DeLoach, a holdover recruit from the Willie Taggart era, delivered the fumble return that kept FSU alive. It was almost enough to make FSU fans forget the turnover backpack.
All 289 yards of passing offense for the Seminoles came via transfers. It was a treatise on how to win in this new age of college football.
For the Seminoles, Saturday’s game was a statement. Their time is now.
For Clemson, the ending was less definitive.
Florida State is now firmly in command atop the ACC. Clemson’s title hopes are all but done. And yet, afterward, Klubnik quite reasonably said he hoped the fans saw how good the Tigers played.
Perhaps that’s the takeaway here. Florida State had its own long walk through the wilderness, but a steady accumulation of talent has the Seminoles on the mountaintop.
Clemson might not be in its own wilderness, but it’s certainly stuck in I-85 traffic, at least.
There was a time, not that long ago, that Swinney could pluck a kicker off the beach, throw a jersey on him and turn him loose, knowing — at Clemson — there was a steady supply of magic in the air.
The story ended differently Saturday, as it has all too frequently of late.
The magic belongs in Tallahassee now.
Ducks dump Deion
There are things most college football coaches think but would never say. Things like, “It’d be better to just pay the players” or “NIL is a sham” or “I’m honestly not sure which state Ball State is in.”
On Saturday, however, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning gave voice to all those coaches too uneasy to speak their own minds on Coach Prime.
“The Cinderella story’s over, men,” Lanning said in a fiery pregame speech. “They’re fighting for clicks; we’re fighting for wins.”
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Lanning: Colorado’s fighting for clicks; we’re fighting for wins
Dan Lanning fires his team up pregame with a couple of shots at Colorado.
In fairness to Colorado, everyone knows that clicks are a terrible metric, and the Buffs are actually fighting for engagement and advertiser click-throughs, but that’s splitting hairs.
The important takeaway is Lanning and the Ducks put their money where their mouths were, walloping Colorado 42-6, an abrupt ending to the season’s biggest storyline.
Bo Nix accounted for four touchdowns, and Oregon’s defense was dominant. Many of the cracks in the 3-0 façade finally played havoc with the Buffaloes, with the ground game managing next to nothing, the O-line struggling badly, and the suspect secondary getting burned early and often. In the end, the Colorado die-hards, many of whom have lived and died with this team for upward of four weeks now, were given a cold dose of reality.
More than the on-field issues, however, Lanning’s speech underscored the frustration so many coaches have trying to compete with Deion Sanders, whose big personality and unconventional approach to program building threaten to upend the status quo. In other words, fans love Colorado for the same reason coaches hate the Buffs.
Don’t expect Saturday’s struggles to completely end the Cinderella story, however. Colorado has USC next week, a chance to jump-start the bandwagon. But the Buffs have already exceeded most reasonable expectations, and the buzz around Coach Prime isn’t new and won’t dissolve with a loss or two.
Considering each offseason in college football is as much about brand building and balance sheets, playing for clicks certainly seems like an entirely reasonable way to ultimately land more wins, too.
Did you say ‘Utes’?
The most overlooked team in the country through four weeks? That might be Utah.
The Utes are 4-0. They’ve beaten two ranked opponents. And they’ve done it without their starting QB.
Utah’s offense was far from electric in a 14-7 win over UCLA, but Nate Johnson — starting for the injured Cameron Rising — did enough to win, while the defense was absolutely dominant, including holding the Bruins to 3-of-17 on third-down tries.
The lack of offensive fireworks is probably one reason the Utes have largely been overlooked. In a Pac-12 defined by QB play, Utah has now won games while scoring 24, 20 and 14 and has a total of three touchdown passes in four games — something Caleb Williams or Michael Penix Jr. manage before halftime most weeks.
But credit Kyle Whittingham, who is 23-6 in the past two calendar years. That’s a better record than Clemson, Notre Dame or Oregon and trails only Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama in that span.
Ugly win for the Gators
Florida welcomed Biff Poggi and Charlotte to The Swamp in Week 4, and we can only assume the 49ers head coach felt right at home in jean shorts and a sleeveless sweatshirt. Indeed, he probably spent Friday night jamming with a Tom Petty cover band, spearfishing for mermaids and wrestling a 19-foot python to a draw.
On the field, Charlotte looked pretty comfortable, too, largely stifling Florida’s offense that didn’t find the end zone after an early first-quarter score.
Instead, the highlight for the Gators was Ricky Pearsall‘s utterly ridiculous one-handed grab.
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Florida’s Ricky Pearsall channels OBJ with must-see grab
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall needs just one hand to make a spectacular catch for a first down.
Pearsall finished with six catches for 104 yards, but the bulk of the offense came from kicker Trey Smack, who booted five field goals in the game. Ironically, “Trey Smack” is also the pseudonym Poggi uses when checking into hotels so he can’t be tracked by the Yakuza.
Rock, chalk, unranked Jayhawks
A blind résumé comparison through Week 3 …
Team A: 3-0, +11 points-per-game margin, a win over a bad Mountain West team and a win over a solid but underwhelming Power 5 opponent. It played an undefeated opponent in Week 4.
Team B: 3-0, +16.3 points-per-game margin, a win over a bad Mountain West team and a win over a solid but underwhelming Power 5 opponent. It played an undefeated opponent in Week 4.
Team A, you might have guessed, is Colorado. The Buffaloes were the toast of college football and entered Week 4 ranked 19th nationally.
Team B, you might not have guessed, is Kansas, a team largely ignored thus far despite playing extremely well.
So what happened in Week 4?
Colorado was blown out by undefeated Oregon.
Kansas easily beat previously undefeated BYU behind three TD throws from Jalon Daniels.
On offense, Kansas has topped 30 points in five straight games dating to last season. The Jayhawks’ D held BYU to 9 — 9! — total rush yards and had three takeaways in the triumph.
In other words: Rank the Jayhawks!
Heisman Five
Week 4 marks our first Colorado-free Heisman Five. The Buffs will be missed, but we also assume Deion Sanders will take offense to this and earn his revenge at a date to be determined.
1. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
The level of competition has not been elite thus far, but a quick recap of what Penix and the Huskies have done …
Week 1: 28-12 Washington with four Penix TD passes
Week 2: 22-3 Washington with two Penix TD passes
Week 3: 35-0 Washington with four Penix TD passes
Week 4: 45-12 Washington with three Penix TD passes
Oh, we’re sorry. That’s what Penix and the Huskies have done this season … in the first half!
2. USC QB Caleb Williams
Arizona State made things interesting, and it was far from a world-beater performance for USC; but ultimately, Williams still emerged with two passing TDs, two rushing scores and more than 300 yards of offense. Next week, he gets his real challenge though: Stealing the show from Coach Prime.
Nix had four total touchdowns in a dominant win over Colorado and, as we all know, when you defeat Coach Prime, you absorb his powers. That’s just science.
4. Florida State QB Jordan Travis
Travis said after the game he felt disrespected because Clemson played so much man defense against him and his cadre of top-tier wide receivers. Dabo Swinney insisted that wasn’t true. He just was too afraid of Travis’ legs to worry about his arm. And that, in a nutshell, is why the Seminoles are so dangerous.
5. North Carolina QB Drake Maye
OK, his numbers might not exactly be Heisman-worthy at this point, but you throw a touchdown left-handed, you make the list.
0:24
Drake Maye throws a TD … left-handed?!
Drake Maye pulls out his best Patrick Mahomes impression and throws a left-handed touchdown.
Under-the-radar play of the week
Louisville‘s 4-0 start under Jeff Brohm is so exciting, it has the Cardinals players doing cartwheels.
Or something like that.
On what appeared to be a trick play, Louisville’s Willie Tyler — a 6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive lineman — lined up in the slot and attempted to distract Boston College by waving his arms and then doing a cartwheel.
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Louisville lineman does a cartwheel midplay
Louisville offensive lineman Willie Tyler does a cartwheel before the Cardinals fumble the ball out of bounds.
It didn’t exactly work, as Jack Plummer and the rest of the offense flubbed away their part of the ruse, but points to Tyler for some serious skill.
Having said that, it was hardly an effective distraction. Everyone knows if you want to distract someone from Boston, you just yell, “Brady sucks!” and then let them throw empty Sam Adams cans at each other for the next 45 minutes.
Under-the-radar game of the week
If you enjoyed Miami vs. Miami in Week 1, then Week 4 had just the matchup for you.
In Houston (a city named for Sam Houston) on Saturday, Houston (a school named after the city named for Sam Houston) faced off against … Sam Houston (a school named for Sam Houston but not the city of Houston because it’s actually located Huntsville, Texas, which, of course, is named for famed frontiersman Tiberius K. Huntsville).
Certainly it seemed like Houston was the better team, but then, Sam Houston had 100% of the Sam in this one. It would be like a mid-’90s battle of the bands between The Verve and The Verve Pipe. Sure, “Bittersweet Symphony” was a banger, but how do you account for the pipe?
As it turned out, Houston (the team) was entirely too much for Sam Houston (the team, not the man), winning 38-7 behind 105 yards and three rushing TDs from Parker Jenkins. Also, believe it or not, Sam Houston (the man) was actually born in Virginia.
There will be a quiz on all this later.
Harbaugh’s return
Michigan‘s long wait for the return of its head coach came to an end Saturday. Yes, Jim Harbaugh had to pack up his model trains, put away the ham radio and sign out of Netflix with four seasons of “The Big Bang Theory” left to watch and get back to the business of embarrassing Rutgers.
In his absence, Michigan won all three games — all vs. lesser competition, all in convincing, if not entirely satisfying, fashion.
So, what happened with Harbaugh back on the sideline? A win against lesser competition in convincing, if not entirely satisfying, fashion — this time 31-7.
Rutgers scored first on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Wimsatt to Christian Dremel, and Michigan’s offense largely puttered through the first half, leading just 14-7 at the break.
But like Harbaugh’s three-week relaxation retreat, the fun had to come to an end eventually, with the Wolverines’ D netting a pick-six and running back Blake Corum finishing the job. J.J. McCarthy averaged better than 10 yards per throw, Corum scored twice, and the defense held Rutgers to 3-of-13 on third and fourth down. It was, like each of the Wolverines’ games so far, fine. And given that Michigan’s next five games are also against lesser competition, fine is likely more than enough to keep it chugging along.
Oh, sorry for the chugging reference. We know Harbaugh misses his trains.
Paint the town Orange
Garrett Shrader threw for a touchdown and ran for one — his sixth straight multi-TD game — while the Syracuse defense frustrated Army‘s option en route to a 29-16 win.
Syracuse is now 4-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time in 63 years. Back then, Syracuse traveled to road games via the Erie Canal, and Varsity Pizza had just been promoted from the freshman pizza team to JV.
Up next for the Orange is Clemson, a team they had on the ropes a year ago with a 7-0 start to the season in their sights. In that game, however, the Tigers marched back from a 21-7 deficit and won 27-21 after holding the Orange scoreless in the second half, and Syracuse dropped six of its final seven games.
Johnson emerges for A&M
Fun fact: Max Johnson is still playing college football.
Yes, he somehow feels older than his Super Bowl champion dad, Brad, but that’s only because time moves differently at Texas A&M thanks to Jimbo Fisher’s offense breaking the space-time continuum.
Nevertheless, it’s good for the Aggies that Johnson is still around because they desperately needed someone who could sling it against Auburn on Saturday.
After two early field goal drives, A&M’s offense went three-and-out on three straight drives to end the half. Starting QB Conner Weigman went down with an injury, and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was already getting his agent to send over his CV to apply for Fisher’s job. (We’re kidding, of course. Fisher dodges job-security concerns better than he dodges Auburn defenders.)
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Auburn DB dodges Jimbo Fisher en route to defensive TD
Auburn’s Eugene Asante picks up the loose ball and dodges Jimbo Fisher as he runs down the sideline for a 67-yard touchdown.
Instead, Johnson came on and tossed touchdown passes on consecutive drives to open the second half, and a 67-yard scoop-and-score put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter. The Aggies won 27-10.
On the flip side, Auburn’s passing game was a complete mess. Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner all took snaps and finished a combined 9-of-23 passing for just 56 yards, with Auburn’s lone TD coming via the defense. And that performance might have reminded Petrino that he still has an application on file with Auburn’s human resources department.
The 2025 MLB draft is just around the corner, with the first round set to take place on July 13 in Atlanta.
While most of our mock drafts leading up to draft day focus on who we believe teams will take, we decided to have some fun by asking our MLB experts to play GM and make the picks they believe all 30 teams should make in the first rounds of this year’s draft.
For this exercise, Kiley McDaniel made the picks for all NL East and AL East teams, David Schoenfield for the two Central divisions, and Jeff Passan for the West division teams. To add to the intrigue, we decided to allow our GMs to trade draft picks at any point in the process.
Who went off the board first? Which MLB stars were traded in our mock draft? And where did the GM trash talk heat up? Here’s how the first 40 picks of the 2025 MLB draft would play out if we were calling the shots.
Pick: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
Nationals GM McDaniel: There’s a tightly packed group at the top of this year’s class with no clear best prospect, so I offered Mariners GM Jeff Passan the No. 1 overall pick for the third and 35th pick … and he turned me down.
I’ll stick with the pick and take Anderson, who is considered the best combination of potential and proximity to the big leagues. His timeline to the big leagues fits the general timeline of the Nationals’ wave of talent coming up (Travis Sykora, Luke Dickerson, Jarlin Susana, Seaver King, Cade Cavalli), the group that just showed up in the big leagues (James Wood, Dylan Crews, Brady House, Daylen Lile) and core (MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams) already starring in the majors. With some smart moves, this could be a competitive team in the next year or two.
Pick: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Angels GM Passan: The Angels love fast-moving college players, and while their past three first-round picks have been productive college, there are gaping holes in their starting rotation that need addressing. Doyle, whose high-velocity, high-spin fastball looked invisible to SEC hitters, could be the sort of player who rockets into Los Angeles’ rotation.
With a seeming Jo Adell breakout, Zach Neto looking like a star and Mike Trout healthy for now, there’s a path to contention for the Angels. And whether it’s Anderson, Doyle or the next guy to go, college lefty looks like the likeliest — and most pragmatic — route for the Angels. And whoever it winds up being, it would surprise nobody if he’s in the big leagues by August.
Pick: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Mariners GM Passan: With Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo two years from free agency, a minor league system loaded with hitters, and Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez locked up long term, a fast-moving arm makes sense for the Mariners. I considered Ethan Holliday and even Seth Hernandez with this pick, and while I wasn’t opposed to trading down, the Mariners need impact, not bulk. They get that in the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Arnold, whose slingshot delivery pumps 98 mph fastballs and a devastating slider that helped him strike out six times as many hitters as he walked for the Seminoles.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: As things stand, the three lefties going in the top three picks is the single most likely outcome at the top of the draft, so this is chalk.
Pick: Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater HS (OK)
Rockies GM Passan: A massive, power-hitting athlete named Holliday in a Rockies uniform is just right. And this isn’t just for the cute story of Ethan Holliday following in the footsteps of his father, Matt, who spent his first six seasons with the Rockies. Holliday is atop the draft board of a number of teams. He’s different than his older brother (and 2022 No. 1 pick), Jackson. Ethan is bigger (6-foot-4), heartier (210 pounds) and likelier to stay on the left side of the infield. Power is his carrying tool, and with the Rockies years away from contention, they can target upside that might be a little slower developing than the college talent still on the board.
GM McDaniel: As the Rays GM, I offered the 14th, 37th and 86th picks to move up to this spot to get one of the players in the top group. As Jays GM, I offered the eighth and 112th picks. I wasn’t trading up for a specific player, but this pick was open for bidding, and I was worried the players I wanted in each spot would run out by the seventh pick. Passan turned down both offers, and it worked out for Toronto, as you’ll see below.
Pick: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS)
Cardinals GM Schoenfield: The Cardinals haven’t drafted this high since taking J.D. Drew fifth in 1998 after he went unsigned the year before. That turned out pretty well, as Drew gave them five solid seasons (although not the superstar seasons predicted) and was then traded for Adam Wainwright.
The Cardinals usually prefer college players in the first round, but they did take high schoolers Jordan Walker in 2020 and Nolan Gorman in 2018 and chief baseball officer-in-waiting Chaim Bloom might have a different philosophy from John Mozeliak. Parker is projected to have an excellent hit tool, similar to JJ Wetherholt, last year’s first-round pick. Parker probably slides over to third, giving them a potential long-term infield of Wetherholt at second, Masyn Winn at shortstop and Parker at third.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: This is where the draft becomes unpredictable and the Cards have a number of reasonable options, so I’d expect bonus demands to heavily dictate the real outcome, which is something Dave couldn’t do here.
Pick: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
Pirates GM Schoenfield: With the years already counting down on Paul Skenes’ period of team control, it probably behooves the Pirates to draft a college player who can move quickly. You never want to draft just for need, but the Pirates do need offense, and Arquette hit .354 with 19 home runs for the Beavers — although with the demise of the Pac-12, the Beavers played an independent schedule in which they didn’t necessarily face a lot of quality pitching. Arquette is a big 6-foot-5, 220-pound shortstop, but he’s athletic with 25-homer potential and could always slide over to third base. Either way, the Pirates need help at both positions.
Pick: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
Marlins GM McDaniel: I was hoping to get Willits or Parker at this pick and because Arquette went sixth, I got my man here. This also happens to be what Miami is rumored to be looking to do at this pick. If Willits went sixth, I’d be in a tough spot with two picks coming up and my primary targets off the board, likely moving toward a pitcher or the next prep shortstop on the board.
Pick: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA)
Blue Jays GM McDaniel: Got our guy! You could argue Hernandez should’ve gone a few picks higher than this and that he’s the last player in the top tier. There are one or two more players still available that some teams will have at the tail end of the top tier, and many teams in reality won’t take a prep righty in the top 10 picks. I believe the Jays are one of those teams, and I also think Hernandez might be the exception to that reasonable rule, so I made them get out of their own way to make the right pick here.
GM Passan: I offered Eugenio Suarez, Shelby Miller and the 25th pick in the draft to move up to this slot — where I was going to select Hernandez for the Diamondbacks. Kiley said no because he is soft.
GM McDaniel: Wah wah wah.
Pick: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
Reds GM Schoenfield: The Reds tried to make the same deal the Blue Jays were offered, even throwing in Connor Phillips to sweeten the offer, but the Diamondbacks had their eyes set on Hernandez. Suarez would have been a perfect addition to an intriguing Reds team that needs to supplement its rotation with an impact bat at the trade deadline.
In the meantime, the Reds pass on one of the good defensive shortstops — not exactly a need at the moment — and given their success in pitcher development, take Witherspoon on the heels of selecting Chase Burns last year. Witherspoon had 2.65 ERA for the Sooners with 124 K’s in 95 innings, topping out at 99 mph with a deep arsenal of pitches.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: Like with the St. Louis pick at No. 5, this is another spot where the draft really opens up and about a dozen different prospects that weren’t really options at No. 7 or No. 8 now come into play. I’d expect signing bonus demands to be a factor here, as well, if this scenario plays out come draft day.
Pick: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (CA)
White Sox GM Schoenfield: Colson Montgomery, once the shortstop of the future for the White Sox, has stalled out in Triple-A (hitting .188), and Carlson — Seth Hernandez’s high school teammate — presents the best mix of defense and offensive potential. He has an 80 arm and plus range at shortstop with plus bat speed and above-average raw power. He does turn 19 right after draft day, which is a negative for some teams, but, hey, so did Bobby Witt Jr. when the Royals drafted him.
Trade alert!
11. Tampa Bay Rays, via trade with Athletics
Pick: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL)
Rays GM McDaniel: I gave the A’s the No. 86 pick to move up from No. 14 to this spot. The trade allows me to add a player who wasn’t likely to be available at No. 14 and is on the tail end of the 45-plus FV tier before we descend into the mush of similar college players in the 45 FV tier.
Hall is a 70-grade runner who will stick at short and has a good feel to lift the ball, akin to Trea Turner, Anthony Volpe or Jett Williams. The 86th pick is likely a somewhat generic lottery ticket or role player, a small price to pay to get a notably better player. I’d try to trade down if I didn’t have a shot to land a 45-plus FV player for the Rays. Plus, the Rays have extra picks, so using one to land a better first pick is a luxury I’ll take advantage of here.
Given the setup of this exercise, I’m not looking at the draft pool amount because I don’t get to move money around and make the later picks. Instead, I’m simply looking at picks and players and their values, similar to the pro football and basketball drafts. This is basically the same thing as offering an over-slot amount to Hall to get to the No. 14 pick, then going under slot at 86. I don’t think that would work in real life, so this exercise made for a better outcome.
GM Passan: I got an extra $250,000 in bonus-pool money and am hopeful to wind up with the same player I’d have taken at 11. We’ll see.
Pick: Ike Irish, RF/C, Auburn
Rangers GM Passan: The Rangers need fast-moving bats, and Irish is coming off the best offensive season of any draft-eligible college hitter. Whether he winds up at catcher, right field or first base remains up in the air, but for a Rangers team without a clear long-term solution at any of the three positions, he fits.
Pick: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
Giants GM Passan: Not only does Summerhill look the part at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, his offensive game matches it: .343/.459/.556 with 22 extra-base hits in 207 plate appearances for the Wildcats. While he can man center field, Summerhill profiles better in right, where the Giants need a long-term solution with Mike Yastrzemski’s impending free agency. Summerhill does not have a huge ceiling. He’s just a good all-around ballplayer for a team striving to be solid top to bottom.
Trade alert!
14. Athletics, via trade with Rays
Pick: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
Athletics GM Passan: I did indeed wind up with the same player I’d have taken at No. 11. Wood, author of the first College World Series no-hitter in more than half a century, has been in the upper 90s with his fastball and has leapt up draft boards in recent weeks.
The A’s could use some near-big-league-ready starting pitching, and while a shoulder impingement that sidelined Wood this season is cause for some alarm, he has the rare combination of stuff and control that can get a player to the big leagues tout de suite.
Pick: Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (CA)
Red Sox GM McDaniel: I was down to Wood and Fien as top options after I took Hall for the Rays, so holding my breath and not trading up ended up working here. I’m the high guy on Fien in predraft rankings, and the Red Sox are rumored to be the high team on him in real life, so this is a pretty likely outcome. He was a top-10 prospect coming out of the summer before he had a mediocre spring. But he still has the same tools and had a strong showing at the draft combine, affirming the upside is still there. This is the part of the draft I referred to as the “mush” of similar, 45 FV grade college players, and Fien is one of a couple of prep prospects who fit in there.
Pick: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
Twins GM Schoenfield: The Twins have Carlos Correa signed through at least 2028 and have Brooks Lee in the majors, and their top two picks last year were shortstops Kaelen Culpepper and Kyle DeBarge, but Houston provides too much potential value to pass up here. He might be the best defensive shortstop in the draft, at least at the collegiate level, and had an OPS over 1.000 for Wake Forest, hitting .354 with 15 home runs and as many walks as strikeouts.
Trade alert!
Pick: Gavin Kilen, SS/2B, Tennessee
Guardians (and Cubs) GM Schoenfield: Trade! The Cubs deal this pick, outfielder Kevin Alcantara and reliever Luke Little to Cleveland for closer Emmanuel Clase and Cleveland’s third-round pick.
The Cubs have one of the best offenses in the majors but need pitching depth and stability in the closer role. Clase is signed through 2028 on a team-friendly deal, so he won’t crush the payroll as the Cubs look to re-sign Kyle Tucker in the offseason/
The Guardians deal from their strength to add an MLB-ready outfielder in Alcantara and select a very Guardians-like prospect in Kilen, who hit .357 for the Vols with 15 home runs with excellent contact skills as a left-handed hitter. His arm likely pushes him to second in pro ball.
Pick: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UCSB
D-backs GM Passan: Before the beginning of the college season, Bremner and Arnold were the favorites for the No. 1 pick. Bremner shook off a tough start to the season and wound up with 111 strikeouts, 19 walks and 5 home runs allowed in 77⅔ innings. His changeup might be the best in the whole draft. This is tremendous value for a team with a starting rotation that could lose Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly this winter and is still reeling from Corbin Burnes’ season-ending Tommy John surgery.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: This is about as high as Bremner would go in real life, but I already think he’ll be a strong value for where he’s picked, likely in the 20s or early 30s, a year from now.
Pick: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
Orioles GM McDaniel: The Golden Spikes Award winner somehow lasts until No. 19 and also happens to fit the Orioles’ style of taking up-the-middle defenders with big power. There’s a shot Aloy slides in real life, maybe even this far, because of the swing-and-miss concerns — both in zone and chasing out of the zone — but the compelling combination of 25-homer upside from a shortstop with SEC track record is too enticing to let him fall into the 20s.
Pick: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS (Wash.)
Brewers GM Schoenfield: The Brewers have shown the propensity to develop pitching, and recent first-round picks have focused on speedy, defense-first players such as Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and outfielder Braylon Payne (last year’s first-round selection). In Neyens, they get a different type of a prospect: a left-handed-hitting third baseman with perhaps as much raw power as any player in this draft.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: Now that the run of college hitters is almost over, this is the part of the draft when team prospect-type preference is very relevant. There are a few college bats with extreme profiles left (Laviolette, Bodine) not every team would take. There are a bunch of prep position players of all different types, with Neyens being the most extreme (poor contact rates over the summer, 70- or 80-grade power) so thus not a fit for every team. I would guess each team around here in real life will have a small group of two or three players to choose from that varies widely from what the next few teams will be considering.
Pick: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
Astros GM Passan: This is the point in the draft where the good teams happily use their first-round pick as a lottery ticket on someone whose stock has fallen. And nobody has cratered quite like LaViolette, who stands 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds and has spent the past two seasons in center field for the Aggies. LaViolette has huge raw power and a very good eye, but his .258 batting average alarmed enough teams to allow him to drop here, where the Astros — whose GM, Dana Brown, was a longtime scouting director who loved tooled-up prospects — gladly snap him up.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: This is quite realistic, both that Laviolette is the college hitter from this tier who slides and that Houston would be the team that takes him because of the Astros’ style and him being a semi-local player.
Pick: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (GA)
Braves GM McDaniel: Pierce is rumored to land as high as the late top 10 but also might last until the 20s, so the hometown Braves get him after considering trading up a spot to land Laviolette.
Pierce can hit, run, defend and throw but isn’t showing a ton of power right now and will need some tweaks to his swing. That said, he has had some big showing this spring against 90-plus mph velocity, so scouts think there’s plenty of ability to turn into an everyday shortstop, maybe eventually like another former Brave and Atlanta-area prep standout, Dansby Swanson.
Pick: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
Royals GM Schoenfield: Don’t draft for need? That is the saying, but boy do the Royals need some help in the outfield. Conrad transferred from Marist to Wake Forest for 2025 after finishing second in the Cape Cod League in batting average last summer. He was off to a big start, hitting .372/.495/.744 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery after 21 games. His hitting is more gap to gap, but that will work in Kauffman Stadium. Scouts would have liked to see him face better pitching in the ACC before he got hurt, but there is a projectable hit tool here.
Pick: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
Tigers GM Schoenfield: The Tigers have terrific organizational depth at the big league and minor league levels, so this pick could go in any direction. Taylor was a three-year standout for the Hoosiers, hitting .374/.494/.706 with 18 home runs and drawing 52 walks against just 30 strikeouts this season. He’s limited to corner outfield but possesses bat speed and strength and also performed well in the Cape last summer.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: I think Dave might be straying from the prep players who likely would go at these two picks in real life, but that just means the door is open for Jeff and I to scoop them up.
Pick: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS (TX)
Padres GM Passan: Whether Cunningham sticks at shortstop or winds up at second base, he has one of the best hit tools in the draft, and San Diego, as much as any team, loves players with great hit tools, from Luis Arraez to Jackson Merrill. Cunningham can run, too, and his well-rounded offensive profile makes up for a lack of physicality (5-foot-9, 170 pounds). His age, 19 on draft day, hurts him in teams’ models, but that’s also how a player of this caliber drops to the bottom of the first round.
Pick: Josh Hammond, 3B, Wesleyan Christian HS (NC)
Phillies GM McDaniel: And scoop, we did. There’s a number of similarly valued players here and, in real life, the signability would definitely come into play because saving 10% on slot to help set up my next pick would help me make this decision. Hammond, like Pierce above, could go about 10 picks higher than this and has a clear selling point: 70-grade power projection, a clear infield fit, upper-90s heat on the mound, sterling summer performance. He looks like Josh Donaldson, and the two-way narrative is similar to Austin Riley’s profile in high school. This is a solid value and also fits the Phillies’ drafting history.
27. Cleveland Guardians
Pick: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina
Guardians GM Schoenfield: A draft-eligible sophomore, Stevenson has power and definite catching tools, including a plus arm, but had a somewhat disappointing season for the Tar Heels, hitting .254 albeit with 19 home runs. His 24% strikeout rate is a concern, but a lefty-hitting catcher with power could be a nice roll of the dice late in the first round.
28. Kansas City Royals
Pick: Sean Gamble, 2B/CF, IMG Academy (FL)
Royals GM Schoenfield: The Royals have shown no systematic preference in their recent draft history, with their seven first-round picks going back to Bobby Witt Jr. in 2019 including two high school position players, a high school pitcher, three college position players and one college pitcher. We gave them a college position player with pick No. 23, so let’s go high school with Gamble. An Iowa native who played four years at IMG, Gamble has excellent speed and a nice lefty stroke. Some scouts see him as an above-average second baseman, but he also played some center field, where his speed and arm could translate to a plus defender.
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
Pick: Slater de Brun, CF, Summit High (OR)
D-backs GM Passan: Real original. Give the short guy to the Diamondbacks. Guilty as charged. But in the case of de Brun — like Corbin Carroll in 2019 and Slade Caldwell last year — Arizona isn’t afraid to spend high draft picks on undersized players. Listed at 5-foot-10, de Brun is a speedster who can also do damage in the batter’s box. He’s probably not going to be a superstar, but the same sort of false ceiling was put on another prep product from the Pacific Northwest, and Carroll is doing just fine, thank you very much.
McDaniel’s draft analysis: De Brun/Arizona is one of the most common connections and this particular pick, rather than their earlier pick, might be the most likely landing spot. Every scout likes de Brun, but some teams emphasize this particular skill set more than others. Arizona might be the top team in that group.
30. Baltimore Orioles
Pick: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
Orioles GM McDaniel: Bodine and Luke Stevenson are seen as the two potential first-round catchers, with most scouts thinking Bodine goes ahead of Stevenson by about a dozen picks or so. With Stevenson going three picks earlier, grabbing Bodine here is nice value.
He stands out for his contact skills and framing, though scouts worry he isn’t a great traditional defender and doesn’t have standout power. Don’t worry about Adley Rutschman; Bodine will take a few years, and who knows what the big league team will look like then. Bet you didn’t think we’d be bad this year!
31. Baltimore Orioles
Pick: Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan HS (GA)
Orioles GM McDaniel: Kilby had a great combine workout and is in play at a number of spots in the late 20s and early 30s, including Baltimore at these picks. He’s probably not a long-term shortstop, but he is already growing into the power many projected to come a year ago, nobody questions his hit tool, and he’s one of the better athletic testers in the class. He’s a stealthy pick to click of mine (as a draft analyst), landing on a top-100 list within 12 months of this draft.
32. Milwaukee Brewers
Pick: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS (OR)
Brewers GM Schoenfield: Let’s just say Schoolcraft is a definite first-round name. Something must be in the water in Oregon — certainly, the success of the Oregon State and now Oregon programs has helped generate youth interest in the state — and Schoolcraft gives the state another potential first-rounder. He is 6-foot-8 and up to his 97 mph with his fastball, and he already does a nice job repeating his delivery. He’s also a two-way recruit to Tennessee as a first baseman, but it’s his arm that would get him drafted this high.
33. Boston Red Sox
Pick: Andrew Fischer, 3B, Tennessee
Red Sox GM McDaniel: Fischer, to some teams, is just Ike Irish (who went No. 12) with less defensive value, as Irish is a catcher or right fielder and Fischer can play third but is likely a first baseman long term.
Both are advanced power-and-patience types who bat left-handed and stood out in the SEC for multiple seasons, though Irish is a slightly better pure hitter. Fischer is getting buzz all over the 20s and also likely won’t last this long on draft day.
34. Detroit Tigers
Pick: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
Tigers GM Schoenfield: A year after Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith went No. 5 to the White Sox, Root is another Razorbacks lefty who could go reasonably high. His curveball and changeup are his best pitches and while he was nowhere near as dominant as Smith was last season, Root did strike out 126 in 99 innings despite a fastball that didn’t generate a ton of swing and miss.
Trade alert!
35. Arizona Diamondbacks, via trade with Mariners
Pick: Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
D-backs (and Mariners) GM Passan: Finally, a landing spot for Eugenio Suarez — and all it took was a trade with … GM Passan.
The Mariners need a power bat and full-time third baseman, and they get him in exchange for the No. 35 pick. Cannarella entered the season a potential top-10 pick, but between a labrum injury in his right shoulder and a lack of home runs, he dipped toward a comp-round selection. Cool by Arizona. Cannarella is a no-doubt center fielder with immense range and as Druw Jones continues to struggle with the bat, Cannarella can be the glove-first option of Arizona’s future.
36. Minnesota Twins
Pick: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
Twins GM Schoenfield: The Twins have chased velocity with their recent pitching selections, including Charlee Soto in 2023 and the since-traded Chase Petty in 2021. They were both high schoolers, but Quick fits the bill as a 6-foot-6 righty who sits 95-97 mph and tops out at 99, with three other potential plus pitches.
He had Tommy John surgery after one appearance in 2024 but returned quickly to throw 62 innings for the Crimson Tide, posting a 3.92 ERA with 70 strikeouts. He has pitched only 87 collegiate innings and will need to clean up some mechanics, but the stuff suggests potential as a No. 2 starter.
37. Tampa Bay Rays
Pick: Jaden Fauske, OF, Nazareth Academy HS (IL)
Rays GM McDaniel: Fauske offers a college-type profile (above-average hit, strong approach, plus power, long track record, limited defensive value) with the risk/reward of a high schooler. He has played catcher a bit in the past and will give average to above-average run times on good days, but you’re drafting a hitter who likely plays corner outfield long term.
There’s some interest in him in the 20s, and he should go around this pick, with the Rays being one of the teams on him the most. Prep righty Aaron Watson and prep shortstop Tate Southisene were the two other players in contention for these last few picks who ultimately didn’t get taken but likely will not last until the second round in real life.
Pick: Quentin Young, 3B, Oaks Christian HS (CA)
Mets GM McDaniel: I didn’t need the combine to confirm that Young (related to Dmitri and Delmon) had 80-grade power potential, but he did hit a ball 115.4 mph plus five more harder than 110 mph and four farther than 420 feet. His summer contact rate was awful because of big, loud hitting mechanics, but the year before that he had a shorter swing, and he’s the kind of athlete and hitter with are so outrageous that you want to believe he can just make any adjustment. That was also the argument for Jac Caglianone at this time last year. On top of that, Young plays a decent shortstop and can slide over to third long term. There’s a shot, maybe 1-in-5, that he turns tools supernova on the level of Elly De La Cruz, Oneil Cruz, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr. who figures it out to become a standout big leaguer. There’s also a chance he doesn’t get out of Single-A, but at this juncture of the draft, that’s a gamble I’ll take — and it sounds like a few other teams would as well.
Pick: Michael Oliveto, C, Hauppauge HS (NY)
Yankees GM McDaniel: Oliveto isn’t the next player on my big board, but I wanted to finish my picks with some vibes. Oliveto is a local pick who played high school ball on Long Island and a late riser. Nobody in baseball knew his name until a standout event last fall, but he ended up choosing Yale over some blue-blood programs.
He didn’t face much top-end competition this spring, but a handful of teams saw a pretty swing with 65-grade power, which Oliveto put on display at the combine. He’s now in the mix to go around this pick, but I’m guessing he’ll go in the second round, about 15 or so picks later.
Like Ike Irish, he’s on the catcher/right fielder spectrum, but Oliveto requires some faith because of his few reps against pro-level arms, though everything suggests he can do it. Who was the last lefty-hitting high schooler from a cold weather state with that sort of profile who went around here in the draft? Jackson Merrill.
Pick: Jack Bauer, SP, Lincoln-Way East HS (IL)
Dodgers GM Passan: Los Angeles never shies away from projects, and Bauer is the draft’s most high-variance arm. The left-hander throws up to 103 mph, and as much as teams believe they can teach velocity, nobody can teach 103. If Bauer can figure out how to harness his fastball and cleans up some of his control issues, the Dodgers have a true No. 1 starter in the making.
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Eli Lederman
The most active month of the 2026 recruiting cycle is drawing to a close. How did things shake out on the recruiting trail among the nation’s top college football programs this June?
Headlined by five-star commitments, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M led the charge among the nation’s recruiting risers. Defensive end JaReylan McCoy (No. 9 in the 2026 ESPN 300) gives the Gators a big boost. For the Longhorns and Aggies, commits Richard Wesley (No. 11) and Brandon Arrington (No. 15) land as respective defensive anchors for the Texas rivals in the 2026 class.
Who whiffed on the month of June? Auburn, Oregon and Penn State took tumbles over the past 30 days through key decommitments and misses on some of the most coveted prospects in the 2026 ESPN 300. Meanwhile, Alabama, LSU and Ohio State stand among the prominent football powers poised to rise in July after quiet June windows.
With 33 of the nation’s top 100 prospects still uncommitted, many of the biggest dominoes within the 2026 class are still to fall. As the cycle shifts from late spring’s official visit season into the commitment-heavy waters of July, we dive into June’s recruiting winners, what’s next for the teams that missed big and the programs most likely to climb over the next month.
Jump to a section:
Big winners | Teams with questions | Who could rise
June’s biggest recruiting winners
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 2
The Aggies’ recruiting heater peaked with the June 19 commitment of five-star athlete Brandon Arrington, who chose Texas A&M over Oregon and sealed the highest-ranked pledge of the Mike Elko era in College Station. Beating Texas to No. 5 overall running back K.J. Edwards two days earlier marked a signature in-state victory, too. Between Edwards and fellow in-state rusher Jonathan Hatton Jr., the Aggies will close the month with the 2026 cycle’s top-ranked running back tandem. Commitments from three more top-300 recruits in June — cornerback Camren Hamiel, offensive tackle Samuel Roseborough and defensive end Tristian Givens — leave Texas A&M level with Georgia for the third-most ESPN 300 pledges nationally entering July.
Through the additions of Edwards and Hatton, along with the late-cycle pledge of five-star offensive tackle Lamont Rogers in the 2025 class, Elko has shown himself capable of winning high-level recruiting battles in the state of Texas. But the Aggies’ message is carrying nationally as well. Of the 10 pledges Texas A&M landed in June, five came from out of state, including four of the five ESPN 300 commits now anchoring the nation’s second-ranked class, and the Aggies aren’t done yet. No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown, who is set to commit July 10, is among the program’s priority targets for the new month.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 14
After surging only in the final months of the 2025 cycle, the Gators used June to get the ball rolling much earlier on the program’s 2026 class. Of the eight ESPN prospects committed to Florida, seven have landed with the Gators over the past 30 days. That group of newcomers is headlined by five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy, who stiff-armed LSU and Texas for Florida and would be the Gators’ highest-ranked defensive signee since 2015.
Florida built out the early core of its skill position class in June with four-star running back pledge Carsyn Baker and pass catchers Marquez Daniel and Justin Williams. Five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro, a heavy Georgia lean, could join that group when he picks among the Bulldogs, Gators and Texas on July 12. In the June arrivals of safety commit Kaiden Hall and Nebraska cornerback flip C.J. Bronaugh, Florida has at least two more ESPN 300 defensive back talents on the way after landing top-100 prospects J’Vari Flowers, Hylton Stubbs and Lagonza Hayward Jr. in the 2025 class.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 3
A slow start in the 2026 cycle gave way to an explosive spring for Notre Dame, highlighted by 11 ESPN 300 pledges since April 1. As things stand, Marcus Freeman and the reigning national runner-up Irish are on track to sign a historic class later this year.
Three ESPN commitments over the past 30 days made June a high-quality, low-volume month for Notre Dame. The Irish beat out Michigan, Oregon and Penn State for No. 2 overall cornerback Khary Adams on June 20, then edged the Ducks, Nittany Lions and Clemson for safety Joey O’Brien hours later, forming the foundation of the program’s 2026 defensive back class, which also includes top-200 safety Ayden Pouncey. Adams, No. 28 overall, is Notre Dame’s top-ranked commit in the cycle following the latest update to the 2026 ESPN 300.
No. 5 overall tight end Ian Premer‘s commitment marked the latest bit of recruiting momentum in South Bend. If Premer signs later this year, he’ll be the program’s highest-ranked tight end addition since Cane Berrong in the 2021 cycle, and Notre Dame likely isn’t done adding pass catchers, with wide receivers Kaydon Finley, Devin Fitzgerald and Brayden Robinson set to announce commitments later this week.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 7
The Longhorns landed their first-ever No. 1 class in the ESPN recruiting rankings era (since 2006) last cycle, and coach Steve Sarkisian & Co. have set themselves up to contend for another in 2026 with a productive month of June of recruiting along the defensive line.
Texas’ top-ranked 2025 class included four defensive linemen, headlined by five-star Justus Terry. But the flood of talent out of the Longhorns’ defensive line room this offseason meant the team needed to continue adding at the position for 2026. With the June additions of Corey Wells, Dylan Berymon and Vodney Cleveland, Texas holds more top-20 defensive tackle pledges than any program nationally. In the June 22 commitment of five-star pass rusher Richard Wesley, No. 11 in the 2026 ESPN 300, the Longhorns landed an impact playmaker on the edge and headliner for the program’s incoming defensive line class.
Well stocked on the defensive line, the rest of Texas’ 2026 cycle will be defined by the program’s success elsewhere in the coming month. Five-star targets Tyler Atkinson and Felix Ojo have the potential to supercharge the Longhorns’ 2026 class. Additions of top 100 prospects John Turntine III, Trenton Henderson and Jamarion Carlton could be in the cards, too.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 10
The Seminoles entered June with seven total pledges and only three from the 2026 ESPN 300. As of Monday, Florida State’s incoming class sits in a much healthier spot with 12 commits since June 1, providing coach Mike Norvell and his new-look staff a potential springboard toward a stronger finish later this year.
Quarterback recruiting has long been a sticking point throughout Norvell’s tenure, and Florida State appeared headed for another unnerving cycle at the position until four-star passer Jaden O’Neal committed June 22. The former Oklahoma pledge is ESPN’s No. 7 pocket passer in 2026, and considering the Seminoles’ thin quarterback depth beyond the 2025 season, O’Neal — a polished passer with one of the stronger arms in the class — will join the program next year with a pathway to early reps.
Elsewhere, Florida State is molding a formidable pass-catching class around O’Neal. Former Texas A&M pledge Xavier Tiller, ESPN’s No. 6 overall tight end, became the Seminoles’ top-ranked commit June 23. Auburn wide receiver Devin Carter flipped hours later, landing as the No. 1 wide receiver in a class that also includes June commits Brandon Bennett and Jasen Lopez. Florida State has bolstered its defense too, adding cornerback Lawrence Timmons and defensive end James Carrington over the past two weeks, with more to come in the summer months.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 1
The Trojans shot out to the hottest start of any program in the 2026 cycle, spurred on by the January arrival of general manager Chad Bowden. After beating UCLA to sixth-ranked outside linebacker Talanoa Ili, outmuscling Ohio State and Penn State for pass rusher Luke Wafle and landing safety Peyton Dyer in the past month, USC leads the nation with 17 ESPN 300 commitments.
Just as important: The Trojans have, so far, held on to all of their biggest names this time around. USC’s dip in the 2025 cycle began with the decommitments of eventual five-stars Justus Terry and Isaiah Gibson last June before the Trojans lost a series of high-profile commits in the fall.
To date, Xavier Griffin‘s late-May exit is USC’s only significant departure this spring. That’s good news for coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, who could add another elite player to the program’s 2026 class when four-star wide receiver Ethan Feaster commits Friday.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 12
Second-year Bruins coach DeShaun Foster is proving to be the recruiter he was expected to become when he replaced Chip Kelly at UCLA, and offseason staff additions of offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri and offensive line coach Andy Kwon are helping boost the program’s presence on the recruiting trail.
In June, the Bruins added 14 total commitments. None was more significant than the June 7 pledge of offensive tackle Micah Smith, No. 46 in the 2026 ESPN 300. The top-ranked commit of the Foster era, Smith would arrive as UCLA’s highest-rated offensive line addition since Xavier Su’a-Filo in the 2009 cycle. Paired with fellow ESPN 300 offensive tackle pledge Johnnie Jones, who committed June 9, the Bruins have the makings of a historic offensive line class after UCLA finished 107th in sacks allowed in 2024. Four-star passer Oscar Rios‘ commitment to Arizona over the Bruins on Friday was a miss, but is expected to remain a player in what remains of the 2026 quarterback market between now and the early signing period.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 21
Are Kalani Sitake and the Cougars on their way to landing the best recruiting class in program history? That’s the trajectory BYU finds itself on this summer following an 11-win finish in 2024.
The Cougars’ fifth and final commit of June was easily the most significant. In beating Oregon and USC for four-star passer Ryder Lyons, No. 49 in the 2026 ESPN 300, BYU landed its highest-ranked quarterback pledge since 2002 and a class cornerstone last Tuesday. Lyons is the nation’s fifth-ranked overall passer in the cycle. And though he won’t enroll until 2027 because he will be serving on a Latter-day Saints mission after high school, he could feature as soon as his freshman season without an underclassman in the program’s current quarterback room.
With Lyons’ commitment, he joins springtime ESPN 300 pledges Brock Harris and Bott Mulitalo — Utah’s No. 1 and No. 3 recruits in 2026, respectively — in BYU’s incoming class. If all three sign later this year, it will mark the first time the Cougars have landed three top-300 prospects in a single cycle in the ESPN recruiting rankings era.
Current ESPN class ranking: N/A
With only two ESPN 300 pledges in 2026, the Sooners still have plenty of work to do between now and the early signing period. However, Oklahoma avoided disaster at the quarterback position June 20 when No. 5 dual-threat passer Bowe Bentley committed to the program, sealing a major recruiting win for coach Brent Venables and first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
Bentley’s pledge marked the end of a recruiting tightrope walk for the Sooners. Oklahoma had appeared settled with its 2026 quarterback after Jaden O’Neal’s commitment last June. But upon Arbuckle’s arrival in December, the program swiftly shifted its focus to an all-out pursuit of Bentley this spring, a move that alienated O’Neal and exposed the Sooners to the risk of missing out on both ESPN 300 passers this summer. That possibility hung in the balance as Bentley took visits to both Oklahoma and LSU earlier this month, but the Sooners remained confident throughout Bentley’s process before securing the pledge of ESPN’s No. 168 recruit.
Oklahoma can now turn its attention to the rest of the 2026 class, working to flip the downward trend for a program that has fallen in ESPN’s class rankings each year since the Sooners locked down the nation’s No. 4 class in 2023.
Current ESPN class ranking: No. 19
It has been at least 10 years since the Bears signed an offensive lineman of the caliber of top-ranked guard Tommy Tofi. That’s why the Bay Area lineman’s June 3 decision to commit to the Bears over Oregon marked such a significant recruiting upset for Cal. The Ducks aren’t going away in Tofi’s recruitment. But if the Bears can hold on to the 6-foot-4, 340-pound blocker, it will mark a statement addition for coach Justin Wilcox, only one cycle removed from securing ESPN 300 guard Justin Hasenhuetl and quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
Tofi is one of 15 prospects who landed in Cal’s incoming class over the past month. The Bears appear set to keep their quarterback pipeline going with three-star Brady Palmer, ESPN’s No. 25 pocket passer, and he’ll arrive with a slew of recently committed pass catchers in wide receivers Tyree Sams and E.J. Morgan and tight ends Taimane Purcell and Luca Wolf, all out of the state of California. June offensive line pledges Kamo’i Huihui-White, Koloi Keli and Esiah Wong join Tofi as part of Cal’s ongoing efforts to bulk up on the line of scrimmage in the ACC.
What’s next for teams that whiffed in June
The Tigers’ past month of recruiting was defined as much by the prospects they missed on as it was the recruits who left coach Hugh Freeze’s 2026 class over the past 30 days.
Freeze and his staff fell short on a pair of running backs last week between top in-state running back Ezavier Crowell (Alabama pledge) and four-star Jae Lamar (Georgia). And the Tigers now appear to be on the outside looking in for other top targets, including five-stars Immanuel Iheanacho and Kaiden Prothro and top-50 in-state wide receiver Cederian Morgan. But the June departures of top-200 linebacker pledges JaMichael Garrett (decommit) and Shadarius Toodle (Georgia flip) sting heavily, as does four-star wide receiver Devin Carter’s flip to Florida State on June 23.
Auburn’s flip of four-star Penn State quarterback pledge Peyton Falzone last Thursday was a key win and signaled a concession in the program’s battle with South Carolina for dual-threat passer Landon Duckworth, who visited the Tigers earlier this month. Top-150 inside linebacker target Adam Balogoun-Ali visited Auburn in May and would represent a strong replacement for Toodle. No. 5 defensive end Nolan Wilson, No. 53 overall, is another major defensive target.
The Ducks went big to pull five-stars Dakorien Moore, Na’eem Offord and Trey McNutt away from more traditional recruiting powers in 2025. The 2026 class has seen the program take a more conservative approach on the high school trail, which showed up across key battles in June as Oregon finished second for a series of long-term term targets, including Brandon Arrington (Texas A&M), Ryder Lyons (BYU) and Notre Dame pledges Khary Adams and Joey O’Brien.
Will things play out similarly for the Ducks in July?
Oregon did register a few big recruiting wins in June, led by commitments from No. 1 overall safety Jett Washington, four-star pass catcher Messiah Hampton and quarterback Bryson Beaver, a late riser in the 2026 class. Coach Dan Lanning & Co. will hope that part of the trend can continue as the Ducks keep working Iheanacho, No. 13 in the ESPN 300, and Cal commit Tommy Tofi. Oregon is also expected to remain in serious contention for a trio of top-30 prospects as wide receiver Calvin Russell and linebackers Tyler Atkinson and Anthony Jones make decisions later this summer.
The Nittany Lions registered a number of early wins in the 2026 cycle, and James Franklin’s incoming class remains in the top 10 of ESPN’s latest rankings. However, Penn State went relatively quiet in June, adding offensive guard Benjamin Eziuka as its lone ESPN 300 addition since June 1 while top targets including Arrington, Adams and O’Brien and USC pledge Luke Wafle landed elsewhere before Falzone, ESPN’s No. 7 dual-threat quarterback, flipped to Auburn.
Among the positive signals for the Nittany Lions moving forward is the progress the program made with Iheanacho on his official visit earlier this month. ESPN’s No. 2 offensive tackle told ESPN that Penn State “felt like home” following the mid-June trip, and the program’s relative proximity to Iheanacho’s family in Maryland could give the Nittany Lions an edge in a battle with LSU and Oregon. Top-100 defensive end Carter Meadows is another priority target.
Misses on ESPN 300 cornerback Camren Hamiel (Texas A&M) and Michigan pledges Zion Robinson and Titan Davis, paired with the flip of No. 1 commit C.J. Bronaugh (Florida), lowlighted a challenging June for the Huskers. Nebraska’s fading grip on the recruitment of top-100 rusher Brian Bonner Jr. in a battle with UCLA and Washington doesn’t help matters, either.
However, coach Matt Rhule and the Huskers recovered from Bronaugh’s flip on June 23 with a commitment from ESPN 300 cornerback Danny Odem, and the flip last Friday of four-star Arizona State wide receiver pledge Nalin Scott marked another win. Up ahead, top-300 offensive tackle Kelvin Obot looms as an important target, both for what the 6-5, 270-pound lineman can bring Nebraska and the momentum he could kick off for the Huskers. Obot narrowed his finalists to Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and Utah in May and visited the Huskers in early June.
Tennessee lost a pledge from three-star Miami wide receiver flip Tyran Evans in June. More critically, the Vols have gone quiet this month, going without a single ESPN 300 addition while top targets including athlete Sequel Patterson and defensive end Tristian Givens committed elsewhere.
The good news for the Vols? There’s plenty of dominos still to fall in Knoxville over the coming weeks. Tennessee remains heavily alongside Texas A&M in flip efforts for five-star LSU wide receiver pledge Tristen Keys. The Vols are serious players for No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and top-100 prospects Joel Wyatt and Darius Gray, while four-star defenders Dereon Albert and T.J. White have Tennessee among their top finalists ahead of their upcoming commitments.
Teams poised to rise in July
It wasn’t quite the furious stretch of June recruiting the Crimson Tide unleashed in the 2025 class, but Alabama was active this month, adding top-150 prospects Xavier Griffin, Ezavier Crowell, Sam Utu and Mack Sutter and flipping Iowa State quarterback pledge Jett Thomalla. For now, coach Kalen DeBoer’s incoming class is still waiting to crack ESPN’s top 25 for 2026, but the Crimson Tide aren’t expected to stay on the outside looking in much longer.
Crowell, No. 31 in the 2026 ESPN 300, was the first to commit among a trio of top in-state targets who visited Alabama on the final weekend before the recruiting dead period. The Crimson Tide will hope to maintain the local momentum when four-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan announces his pledge July 2, while No. 2 outside linebacker prospect Anthony Jones of Mobile, Alabama, also could land in DeBoer’s class over the next month.
Newly minted five-star safety Jireh Edwards is another priority target for the Crimson Tide in a battle with Auburn, Oregon and Texas A&M for ESPN’s No. 23 overall recruit. Set to commit Saturday, Edwards could soon join top-10 cornerbacks Jorden Edmonds and Zyan Gibson in the type of defensive class that might vault Alabama to another top-five finish in 2026.
With the additions of eight ESPN 300 prospects, led by top-50 recruits Justice Fitzpatrick and Ekene Ogboko, the Bulldogs have a case to be among June’s biggest recruiting winners. However, Georgia’s fourth-ranked 2026 class might only get better with top targets set to commit.
Four-star defensive tackle Pierre Dean Jr. could become coach Kirby Smart’s next addition as ESPN’s No. 106 overall recruit prepares to choose between Georgia and South Carolina on Monday. July 12 marks another critical day for the Bulldogs with five-stars Derrek Cooper and Kaiden Prothro set to make their decisions. Cooper, ESPN’s No. 1 running back, is down to Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Texas, while Prothro — the versatile, in-state tight end — looks especially likely to land with the Bulldogs over Florida and Texas.
While Georgia contends with Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee for No. 2 rusher Savion Hiter, top-ranked linebacker Tyler Atkinson, who is No. 14 overall, looms as another major in-state domino.
No program has hosted Atkinson more than Georgia, and the Bulldogs had long been seen as front-runners in his recruitment before Ohio State, Oregon and Texas began making up ground this spring. Any combination of Cooper, Atkinson and Prothro, alongside five-star quarterback pledge Jared Curtis, should have Georgia headed for a 10th straight top-three class.
The Tigers’ lone June addition came from former Mississippi State offensive tackle pledge Emanuel Tucker. But the most important piece of news for coach Brian Kelly is that LSU closes the month with five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys still committed to the program’s 2026 class despite ongoing flip efforts from Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Hanging on to Keys is a priority. So is the recruitment of No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown, the coveted defensive tackle who attends high school on the Tigers’ campus at University Laboratory School. LSU remains the favorite to secure Brown’s pledge July 10, but his long-standing relationships at Texas A&M and fresher connections at Miami will test the ability of Kelly and his staff to keep the nation’s top recruit home in Baton Rouge.
LSU remains in the mix for four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell with Florida State, Miami, Michigan and Oregon also chasing ESPN’s No. 4 wide receiver ahead of his Saturday commitment. Top-100 recruits Chauncey Kennon, Trenton Henderson and Darius Gray stand among the other prominent targets the Tigers will be hovering over in the coming weeks and months.
The Buckeyes took care of most of their business earlier this spring before landing in-state ESPN 300 prospects Cincere Johnson and Favour Akih along with defensive end Khary Wilder out of California this month. What’s next for the nation’s fifth-ranked recruiting class?
Ohio State is working hard to pair Akih, ESPN’s No. 16 running back recruit, with an elite rusher after the Buckeyes hosted Cooper and Hiter — the nation’s top two backfield prospects — last month. Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo told ESPN that Ohio State and Texas have pulled ahead in his recruitment with an expected commitment sometime in July. The Buckeyes remain front-runners for top-40 defenders Bralan Womack and Deuce Geralds. Three-star quarterback Luke Fahey looks likely to join Ohio State’s latest star-studded class Thursday after ESPN’s No. 28 pocket passer closed the June official visit period with a trip to Columbus.
No. 3 athlete Sequel Patterson and four-star defensive end Aiden Harris are the program’s most recent ESPN 300 additions, and South Carolina appears prepared to add more in July.
Dual-threat quarterback Landon Duckworth, who previously spent 10 months in the Gamecocks’ 2026 class, has maintained his relationships with the staff, and ESPN’s No. 178 overall prospect has been trending toward a fresh commitment to the program in recent weeks. Auburn’s move to flip four-star passer Peyton Falzone only reinforces Duckworth’s expected decision.
Dean, ESPN’s No. 8 defensive tackle, could land with South Carolina on Monday, and the Gamecocks remain top contenders for top-150 prospects Samari Matthews and Somourian Wingo as well. South Carolina has long led in the recruitment of four-star offensive lineman Darius Gray, who could help supercharge coach Shane Beamer’s next class this summer if he ultimately picks the Gamecocks over the likes of Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Georgia.
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