Week 5 preview: Big tests for some surprising unbeatens
Each of the Power 5 conferences enter Week 5 of the college football season with three or more unbeaten teams. There will be at least one less in the Big 12 after Saturday, when No. 24 Kansas travels to No. 3 Texas.
That’s not to say the rest of the teams without a defeat will get out of the weekend unscathed. No. 8 USC is on the road at once-beaten Colorado, No. 17 Duke plays host to No. 11 Notre Dame and unranked but unbeaten Syracuse gets a test at home against Clemson.
Our reporters preview Week 5 with a look at teams that will give us a reality check, receivers to watch and some of the week’s best quotes.
Reality check: Are these teams really that good?
Syracuse: There are six undefeated teams in the ACC but two remain unranked: Syracuse and Louisville. Considering that fact alone, it is fair to question whether both are for real. But let us focus on Syracuse for just a moment, since the Orange host Clemson on Saturday (noon ET, ABC).
Syracuse has given the Tigers fits over the past few years, with little to show for it. Last year, the Orange went into Clemson undefeated at 6-0 and led 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter. But they lost 27-21, then dropped their next four.
In 2021, Syracuse missed a game-tying field goal in the final seconds. Four of the previous six meetings were decided by fewer than seven points, but Syracuse won only one of them — in 2017.
Going into the matchup this year, Syracuse is 4-0; Clemson is 2-2. Garrett Shrader has put up big numbers at quarterback, ranking No. 2 in the ACC in total offense behind Drake Maye at North Carolina, and he has done it without his top receiver in Oronde Gadsden II (out for the season).
But there is no going around the nonconference schedule Syracuse just played to start 4-0: One FCS win, two Group of 5 wins, one Power 5 win. The three FBS teams the Orange beat are a combined 4-8. None has a winning record.
Clemson is coming off a tough overtime loss to Florida State and is 0-2 for the first time in ACC play since 2010, so there is opportunity for Syracuse to show Saturday that it is, in fact, “for real.” Especially with two more games after Clemson that will test their mettle — at No. 14 North Carolina (4-0) and at No. 5 Florida State (4-0) — Andrea Adelson
Kansas: The tired “Is Texas back?” debate can wait. Let’s look at these Jayhawks.
Kansas landed at No. 24 in this week’s AP poll, being ranked in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-09. They’ve started 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since they did it from 1913 to 1915.
The Jayhawks’ offense is a huge reason. They have scored 30 or more points in five straight games, also the longest streak since 2009. Quarterback Jalon Daniels had another three-touchdown game last week against BYU, his sixth since 2021, second only to former TCU QB Max Duggan in the Big 12 over that span. Daniels was the preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year and running back Devin Neal was a preseason first-team pick as well. The league respects the Jayhawks, and at 37.8 points per game, they should.
The defense is holding up well, including two touchdowns last week and seven turnovers on the season.
But the Jayhawks’ offense will have its hands full with the Texas defense, which is first in the country in red zone touchdown percentage allowed (10%).
Two years ago, Daniels pulled off a 57-56 upset over the Longhorns in Austin. Last year, however, Texas lowered the boom with a 55-14 payback. Kansas coach Lance Leipold knows this Longhorns team is more like the one last year than the one he saw two years ago.
“Tough kids,” Leipold said this week. “It’s definitely a different team and a huge challenge for us and one that we’ve got to have our best week of preparation yet.” — Dave Wilson
Michigan: The Wolverines are ranked No. 2 the country, but the knock on them has been the strength of schedule, so it has been difficult to gauge just how good this team is. Michigan beat Rutgers 31-7, which is the best win to date this season. The Wolverines play their first game away from Ann Arbor on Saturday when they play at Nebraska (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Yes, it has been a lackluster schedule thus far, but the Michigan defense has not given up more than seven points in any of its first four games. The offense has been more balanced than we have seen in years past with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. When the run game isn’t making big plays, McCarthy and the receivers have been there to pick the offense up — not something we had fully seen from this team last season. So, while they won’t truly be tested until November, when Michigan plays Penn State and Ohio State, this is still a very good team that has handled business up to this point.
Opposing defenses can no longer just stack the box and try to take the run away as McCarthy has shown accuracy and good decision-making this season. Receiver Roman Wilson has six receiving touchdowns through four games and McCarthy has thrown for 915 yards and eight touchdowns. The combination of a balanced offense and restricting defense makes Michigan one of the best teams in the country. — Tom VanHaaren
Utah: Some coaches have earned the benefit of the doubt; some have not. It’s a simple concept: If a coach has an extended track record of success, there is a presumption that success will continue until it’s obvious that’s not the case.
That’s a large part of why I picked Utah to win the Pac-12 in the preseason. Kyle Whittingham earned it. Plus, the Utes are the two-time defending conference champions and the quarterback who led them to those titles, Cam Rising, said in July he would be ready for the opener.
But with new information comes the obligation to re-evaluate and after four games, Utah looks more like a team hanging on than it does a team that’s a real threat to three-peat. It’s a strange sentiment considering the Utes have three Power 5 wins — Florida, Baylor and then-No. 22 UCLA — but in a conference that has one of the best collections of quarterbacks in the history of college football, the offensive struggles feel too significant to overcome. Yes, the Utes have been incredible on defense (No. 6 nationally in scoring), but only three Power 5 offenses are averaging fewer yards per play than the Utes (4.89). It’s not a sustainable winning formula.
The wildcard is Rising, who has yet to play. If his return — maybe this week against Oregon State on Friday (9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports1)? — transforms things, then, sure, Utah remains a player. But if his return keeps getting delayed or the offense doesn’t improve significantly upon his return, expect Utah to fade. — Kyle Bonagura
Kentucky: Had even the most pessimistic of Kentucky football fans surveyed the schedule back in August, they would have confidently placed the Wildcats right where they are at this point — 4-0. It’s difficult to find a cushier start to the 2023 season (Michigan would be in the running) than what Kentucky has faced in playing Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Akron and Vanderbilt. And against FCS foe Eastern Kentucky in Week 2, Kentucky was anything but sharp.
None of that matters now, as Kentucky gets into the teeth of its schedule with No. 22 Florida visiting Kroger Field on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN). It’s the start of a stretch where Kentucky plays three of its next four games at home.
There was a time when the mention of Florida inside the hallways of the Kentucky football complex would have elicited shivers. But not anymore. The Wildcats have won three of the past five matchups in this series, yet another example of the job Mark Stoops — in his 11th season — has done in building the Kentucky program from the ashes.
Before this recent success, Kentucky had lost 31 straight games to Florida. And if the Wildcats can get it done again, it would be only their fourth 5-0 start to the season in the last four-plus decades. Stoops engineered two of them. Kentucky started 6-0 in 2021 on its way to 10 wins and started 5-0 in 2018 en route to winning 10 games.
Particularly in light of last season’s 7-6 finish, this is a chance for the Wildcats to show they belong in the SEC’s upper echelon. This team very much has a Stoops feel to it. The defense is fourth in the SEC in scoring (15.5 points per game), and they’re tied for first with eight forced turnovers.
Each of their top two running backs are averaging more than 6 yards per carry, and transfer quarterback Devin Leary has one of the deepest fleet of explosive receivers UK has had in a while. Tayvion Robinson has blossomed with Liam Coen back as offensive coordinator.
In short, what’s missing for Kentucky this season is a complete game against a nationally ranked team. The Wildcats get their shot Saturday. — Chris Low
Wide receivers to watch in Week 5
ACC: One of the brightest spots at Virginia this season has been receiver Malik Washington, who has emerged as one of the best players in the ACC. A transfer from Northwestern, Washington leads all ACC receivers in receptions (28) and receiving yards (459). Last week against NC State, Washington had 10 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He now has three straight 100-yard receiving games, just the third Virginia player to ever do that. Nobody in Virginia history has ever recorded four straight 100-yard receiving games, but Washington will get his chance Saturday against Boston College (2 p.m. ET, CW Network). — Adelson
Big 12: UCF‘s Kobe Hudson is off to a hot start in 2023, averaging 115.8 yards per game, and his 463 yards are 60 more than the next-closest Big 12 receiver (Samuel Brown of Houston). Hudson, a 6-1, 200-pound Georgia native who was Auburn’s leading receiver in 2021 before transferring to UCF, already has three 100-yard games, including 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Knights’ Big 12 opener, a 44-31 loss at defending Big 12 champs Kansas State last week. He’ll be a focus of the offense in the Knights’ first Big 12 home game Saturday against Baylor (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports1). — Wilson
Big Ten: Senior wideout Bryce Kirtz was one of the heroes for Northwestern in its come-from-behind, 37-34 OT victory over Minnesota last week, having a career day with 10 receptions for 215 yards and two scores. With No. 6 Penn State coming to town Saturday (noon ET, Big Ten Network) and the Wildcats searching for consecutive Big Ten wins for the first time since 2020, Ben Bryant will certainly throw in the direction of Kirtz, who’s sixth in the conference with 274 receiving yards. — Blake Baumgartner
Pac-12: Despite Caleb Williams‘ willingness to spread the ball around, USC’s Brenden Rice has emerged as Williams’ top target, especially when it comes to deep balls and touchdowns. Through four games, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Rice has four touchdowns, including one of 75 yards and another of 43. The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is averaging just over 21 yards a catch so far this season and looks primed to become the top scorer for the Trojans on offense should this trend continue. — Paolo Uggetti
SEC: The bad news for South Carolina is Juice Wells is out for the Tennessee game (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network), but Xavier Legette has been one of the best receivers in the country through four games and just keeps getting better. The 6-3, 227-pound Legette leads the country with an average of 139 receiving yards per game and is averaging 20.6 yards per catch. He had two touchdowns last week in the win over Mississippi State, and while he has great size, he also has elite speed. On his 76-yard touchdown reception against Mississippi State, Legette topped out at 22.3 mph. — Low
Notable quotes
Mark Stoops: While some coaches might worry about how a noon ET kickoff affects the crowd, the Kentucky coach has faith in the Wildcats’ fans showing up for Saturday’s game against Florida.
“I have great confidence in the people of Kentucky that can get up very early and pound some beers. Why would you disrespect this great state and the great people of it?”
Hugh Freeze: Auburn’s coach would just as soon not talk about beating the Tigers’ oldest rival Georgia (it dates back to 1892) in a hateful way, but rather in a positive light.
“I’m not big on hate. I’m really not. I’m big on just, man, this means something to so many people. So we should compete in a way out of love for our people, not necessarily for hate for other people.”
Dabo Swinney: Despite Clemson’s 2-2 start, the Tigers coach has been impressed with his team’s play.
“They’re not perfect, but they are playing the right way. We’ll get through this. Honestly, I’ve had a bunch of 4-0 teams around here that haven’t played as well as this group.”
Mike Elko: The Duke coach knew his Blue Devils would be good, but even he didn’t know they’d be this good, this fast.
“I did not take the job with the hope and expectation that we could be a middle-of-the-road program. That’s not who I am. Did I anticipate in Game 5 of Year 2, that we would be on this stage? No, of course not. That is a credit to our kids, and what they bought into and how hard they’ve worked. What it’s doing is it’s allowing us to expedite the process of building the brand of football to the level that we hope that we could get to.”
With less than two months left before college football is back in full swing, we’re taking a look at players who could be considered sleepers — under-the-radar players who could make a big impact — on each team in our post-spring top 25.
From true freshmen who could make a name for themselves to players coming back from injury to transfers looking to make an immediate impact, there are plenty of players to watch for this fall.
Our reporters break down the potential sleepers they’re keeping tabs on.
Sleeper: C Nick Dawkins
Offensive linemen naturally get overlooked, and Dawkins is no exception, but he once again will occupy a vital role as Penn State chases its first Big Ten title since 2016 and its first national title since 1986. Dawkins is at the heart of an offensive line that has stabilized and excelled in recent years. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last fall, when he served as a captain, started all 16 games and allowed only two sacks. The 6-foot-4, 297-pound senior has drawn excellent reviews from the staff and will lead a line protecting quarterback Drew Allar and creating space for running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. — Adam Rittenberg
Sleeper: WR Tyler Brown
One of the reasons Clemson is expected to compete for a national championship this season is the return of its stellar receiver group, which made vast improvements a year ago to help the Tigers offense rediscover its footing. Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore have received the bulk of the headlines nationally, but don’t forget about Brown, a freshman All-American in 2023 who was forced to take a redshirt last season with an ankle injury. Coach Dabo Swinney spoke highly about Brown during spring practice and is expecting him to have a big role in the offense. Adding depth to a position that had been a weak spot until last season is crucial. — Andrea Adelson
Sleeper: TE Jack Endries
Endries had a breakout season at Cal last year, catching 56 passes for 623 yards and two touchdowns, making him less of an off-the-radar prospect. But the former Golden Bears tight end signed with Texas in April and slides into a talented Longhorns offense. With star recruits Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore returning at receiver, 1,000-yard rusher Quintrevion Wisner back at running back with Cedric Baxter and Christian Clark returning from injuries alongside him, Arch Manning will have weapons. But Manning singled out Endries, a former walk-on, as someone who could emerge as a household name by season’s end as he solidifies a position of need after Gunnar Helm, who caught 60 passes for 786 yards and seven TDs last year, developed into a fourth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans and Amari Niblack transferred to Texas A&M. — Dave Wilson
Sleeper: RB Bo Walker
Walker wasn’t the most heralded prospect in Georgia’s most recent recruiting class, but he turned some heads in spring practice with his physical style and speed. Walker ran for more than 2,000 yards as a high school junior before spending his senior year at a smaller private school. Nate Frazier and Illinois transfer Josh McCray will probably be the top two backs entering preseason camp, but Walker has a chance to earn playing time. Would you expect anything less from a tailback named both Bo and Walker in the SEC? — Mark Schlabach
Sleeper: WR Carnell Tate
Tate was overshadowed by first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and true freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith last season. But Tate still played a key role for the Buckeyes, starting every game for the national champions. In the playoff semifinals against Texas, he made the Longhorns pay for their coverages taking away Smith by hauling in a game-high seven passes for 87 yards. With Egbuka gone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tate is set to play an ever bigger role for the Buckeyes as a junior. He could easily surpass the 52 receptions and 733 receiving yards he had last season, and he should be a valuable wingman to Smith in yet another talented Ohio State receiving corps. — Jake Trotter
Sleeper: WR Barion Brown
If you’re familiar with Brown from his high school days, you may not consider him a sleeper. But the Kentucky transfer could finally reach his full potential in Baton Rouge. After a standout freshman season in Lexington, he never made the big statistical leaps many expected. But with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback and other talent at receiver (Aaron Anderson, Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson) and tight end (Trey’Dez Green, Oklahoma transfer Bauer Sharp), perhaps Brown can break out in 2025. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Sleeper: DL Bryce Young
With Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III leaving for the NFL, the Fighting Irish are looking for another player who can rush the quarterback. The answer might be sophomore Bryce Young, who certainly looks the part at 6 feet, 7 inches and 273 pounds. Last season, he played in all 16 games and had 23 tackles with a team-high three blocked kicks. Young has the right potential too. His father, Bryant Young, was an All-American at Notre Dame and a Pro Football Hall of Famer after a standout career with the 49ers. His mother, Kristin, ran track and field for the Fighting Irish. — Schlabach
Sleeper: WR Malik Benson
It’s difficult to call a four-star wide receiver a sleeper, but given the kind of season Florida State had last year, Benson was not exactly the talk of the sport after putting up 25 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown. Now in Eugene, Benson has the tools to be exactly the kind of wideout that flourishes in Will Stein’s offense. With a new quarterback in Dante Moore taking the reins and Evan Stewart dealing with a serious injury, I wouldn’t be surprised if Benson becomes Moore’s top target this coming season. — Paolo Uggetti
Sleeper: S Bray Hubbard
Now in his third season in the program, Hubbard is poised to be an All-SEC caliber player and will team with a healthy Keon Sabb to give Alabama one of the best safety duos in the SEC. Hubbard, who chose Alabama out of high school over Mississippi State, Navy and Tulane, started the final six games a year ago after Sabb suffered a season-ending injury against Tennessee and made a name for himself with three interceptions. Look for Hubbard in 2025 to be one of the top names on Alabama’s defense. — Chris Low
Sleeper: RB LJ Martin
After rushing for 518 and 718 yards in the past two seasons, Martin has steadily become a key player for BYU, but he hasn’t quite broken out nationally. He already figured to see his role grow as a junior in 2025, but with quarterback Jake Retzlaff set to transfer, Martin could be relied on more heavily — especially early in the season as the QB situation gets settled. Martin had a pair of 100-yard rushing games last season and finished with a strong performance in the bowl win against Colorado, with 88 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. — Kyle Bonagura
Sleeper: S Miles Scott
Miles Scott isn’t even the most decorated Scott in the Illinois secondary — Xavier (no relation) earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 — but contributes to a unit that could be among the Big Ten’s best this fall. Miles had two interceptions last season and finished fifth on the team with 55 tackles (33 solo). The team captain also forced and recovered a fumble last fall. Scott has played in all 38 games during his Illinois career, starting the past 25, beginning his career as a walk-on wide receiver before moving to safety. He joins his roommate Xavier Scott, leading tackler Matthew Bailey, cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. and others in one of the nation’s most experienced secondaries. — Rittenberg
Sleeper: CB Nyland Green
The Arizona State defense returns eight starters, including both cornerbacks (Keith Abney II and Javan Robinson) — the Sun Devils are blessed with continuity on that side of the ball that most top-25 teams don’t have. But that makes cornerback Nyland Green one heck of a luxury add: The Purdue transfer, who started his career as a blue-chipper at Georgia, was an all-or-nothing playmaker with an overwhelmed Boilermakers defense last year, but in more select roles, with better experience and talent around him, he could turn into a major difference-maker for the defending Big 12 champs. — Bill Connelly
Sleeper: Edge Bryan Thomas
Much of the attention within the Gamecocks’ pass-rush depth will be centered on sophomore phenom Dylan Stewart and Charlotte transfer Demon Clowney, cousin of former two-time All American Jadeveon Clowney. But as South Carolina works to replace the production of 2024 SEC sack leader Kyle Kennard, fourth-year edge Thomas will have an important role to play as well. The 6-foot-2, 247-pounder logged career highs in sacks (4.5) and total tackles (23) a year ago, and he’s poised to step into a starting role opposite Stewart this fall following Kennard’s jump to the NFL. If the Gamecocks are going to feature one of the nation’s fiercest pass rushes again in 2025, Thomas will have to be a big part of it. — Eli Lederman
Sleeper: DL Elijah O’Neal
O’Neal turned in a productive 2024 season, finishing with four sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in what was expected to be his final season in Tempe. However, as a former junior college transfer, O’Neal benefited from the ruling that granted juco transfers an extra year of eligibility and will return for his final season with a chance to develop into a more well-rounded pass rusher. He started six games last year, and with the strong possibility of an expanded role, it wouldn’t be a surprise if O’Neal chases double-digit TFLs or sacks. — Bonagura
Sleeper: RB Derrick McFall
Aside from SMU’s game against FCS Houston Baptist, McFall got just eight carries as a true freshman in 2024, but he flashed a skill set that could make him an apt replacement for Brashard Smith in the Mustangs’ backfield. A four-star recruit, McFall is quick, elusive and versatile — a lot like his predecessor at SMU. At 5-11, 183 pounds, he’s still looking to fill out his frame a bit, but his explosiveness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield figure to be serious weapons. More importantly, with Smith on to the NFL and LJ Johnson‘s transfer, McFall is the clear favorite to fill a major hole on SMU’s offense. — David Hale
Sleeper: DL Romello Height
A transfer from Georgia Tech, Height is not necessarily an unknown. But for as bad as the Texas Tech defense was last season (only Tulsa allowed more passing yards, and the Red Raiders allowed 35 points or more eight times), Height could play a massive role in Lubbock if he’s able to help fix what was a painful watch for Texas Tech fans at times in 2024. The more high-profile transfer on this defensive line unquestionably is David Bailey, who comes in from Stanford, but Height could very well become a name that Red Raiders fans will become familiar with given his potential. — Lyles Jr.
Sleeper: RB Roman Hemby
Stepping into a Hoosiers backfield without a settled returning starter, Maryland transfer Hemby has the opportunity to emerge as Indiana’s leader on the ground in 2025. Hemby hasn’t matched the 989-yard, 10-touchdown production he delivered in 2022 in either of his past two seasons, but the 6-foot, 208-pound rusher has averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry in each of his past three seasons and can be a threat in the passing game as well. Indiana spread its carries nearly evenly between top rushers Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton a year ago, and will likely do the same again with upperclassmen Kaelon Black and Lee Beebe Jr. also vying for carries. But Hemby has the potential to break through in a big way in 2025. — Lederman
Sleeper: Edge Tobi Osunsanmi
Kansas State returns four starters from last year’s defensive front six, but the Wildcats will need someone to replace the lost production of sacks leader Brendan Mott (13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks). Enter Tobi Osunsanmi. The converted linebacker played a backup role last season, averaging about 22 snaps per game, but he actually averaged more havoc plays (TFLs, forced fumbles, passes defended) per snap than Mott — a 3.0% rate to Mott’s 2.5%. Between Osunsanmi and sophomore Chiddi Obiazor (2.5% havoc rate at 23 snaps per game), K-State has a couple of exciting options on the edge up front. — Connelly
Sleeper: LB Myles Graham
We saw what Graham was capable of as a freshman for the Gators with 30 tackles. He also had three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception and a forced fumble. With a line that should only be stronger in front of him, along with playing next to Grayson Howard, Graham has the potential to take another step in 2025. The great Florida teams of the 21st century have all had good linebacker play, and it feels like Graham could play that part for this team as it looks to rise again. — Lyles Jr.
Sleeper: CB Zeke Berry
From Mike Sainristil to Will Johnson, Michigan’s dominant defenses in recent years have featured a big-time cornerback. Berry is primed to become the next one, on the heels of a breakout junior season. After starting the year at nickelback, Berry slid to the outside following an injury to Johnson and thrived. Berry finished the year with 37 tackles and a team-high 11 pass breakups. He also forced a fumble to go along with his two interceptions. If Berry can take another step forward as the leader of the Michigan secondary, he quietly figures to be one of the top corners in the Big Ten — if not the country. — Trotter
Sleeper: S Zechariah Poyser
You may have heard of Poyser, one of the top available players in the transfer portal this past season. But he should still be considered a sleeper because of the impact he is projected to have in his first year with the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety played his first two seasons at Jacksonville State, earning Freshman All-America honors as a redshirt freshman this past season with 75 tackles and three interceptions. His addition gives the Hurricanes an instant upgrade at safety, where they struggled at times last season. Miami made other additions at defensive back in the portal, but safety was the most glaring area of need and it appears to be filled. — Adelson
Sleeper: S D’Angelo Hutchinson
The Cardinals struggled against the pass last season, and they’ll enter 2025 with a markedly different secondary that comes with its own share of questions. But one carryover from 2024 could help provide some answers. Hutchinson, a 6-foot-3 senior, saw action in all 13 games last season and came on strong down the stretch, including a standout performance in a win over Clemson in which he racked up nine tackles, two pass breakups and a blocked kick. Hutchinson brings length and speed to the back end, and head coach Jeff Brohm said he thinks the veteran could be in line for a breakout campaign. — Hale
Sleeper: CB Tyreek Chappell
Chappell returns after missing almost all of last season with an lower leg injury suffered in a non-contact setting in practice, making just three tackles. The Aggies’ secondary play was particularly frustrating to Mike Elko as last year wore on, and the return of Chappell, a former starter who was a three-star recruit and the team’s top defensive newcomer in 2021, is a key to the Aggies’ hopes of bolstering that unit. With the return of Will Lee III and the addition of Georgia transfer Julian Humphrey, Chappell, who had 88 tackles in his first two seasons, but just 24 in the past two, might be overlooked by fans. But inside the program, Chappell is expected to have a big year at the nickel spot. — Wilson
Sleeper: WR Cayden Lee
It’s odd to classify Lee as a sleeper following his breakout sophomore campaign in 2024, but hype around the third-year pass catcher has been buried this offseason amidst the Rebels’ additions of five transfer receivers, headlined by De’Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III. Lee finished second among Ole Miss receivers a year ago with 57 receptions, which he converted into 874 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. As the Rebels enter a new era at quarterback in 2025 with first-year starter Austin Simmons, Lee has the potential to become a critical, go-to target, particularly if he can find the end zone more. — Lederman
Sleeper: WR Zion Kearney
The Sooners were besieged with injuries at the receiver position last season, and some of their more talented pass catchers hit the transfer portal, including Nic Anderson. With new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and his Air Raid offense coming to Norman, that means Oklahoma will utilize even more receivers. Kearney, a true sophomore, has a chance to make a big jump after playing as a backup in 11 games as a freshman. He has the size (6-1, 207 pounds) and speed (4.28 40-yard dash in high school) to be a staple in the Sooners’ passing game, especially with John Mateer stepping in at quarterback. — Low
-
Kristen Shilton
The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.
Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.
Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.
The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.
Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike