Which of Bell, Blaney, Byron or Larson will win NASCAR Cup?
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Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Writer
From crazy finishes and fisticuffs to the impending retirements of legends and the resurrection of North Wilkesboro Speedway, NASCAR‘s 75th year has been a season full of milestones. Now, after nine months, it is time to crown a Cup Series champion.
Stock car racing’s 16 playoff participants have been pushed through a ringer of a postseason bracket, and we are now down to the Championship 4, who will race Sunday afternoon on the perfectly imperfect oval-ish 1-mile that is Phoenix Raceway. Forget all you think you know about NASCAR’s admittedly complicated points system. This one is easy: The highest finisher among this quartet will be anointed as champion.
So, who are they? How did they get here? How have they fared at Phoenix in the past? What’s their mindset headed into the weekend? How weird will it be when one guy running for the title is dating the little sister of one of the other guys racing for the title? Read ahead as we give you the stats, the path and a short Q&A with each member of NASCAR’s Championship 4 … four.
2023: 3 wins, 0 poles, 7 top-5s, 17 top-10s, 3 DNFs
2023 Playoffs: 2 wins, 0 poles, 3 top-5s, 5 top-10s, 0 DNFs
Playoff history: 7th appearance, 4 wins, 2 this year
Best championship finish: 7th, 2019 and 2021
Phoenix career stats: 15 starts, 0 wins, 6 top-5s, 10 top-10s, 2 DNFs, 11.9 average finish
ESPN: OK, first things first. You are a Star Wars nut. Quick “Ahsoka” series review?
Blaney: I loved it. It was great. It brought some nostalgia back for me too, which was good. Seeing Anakin, I was like, oh man, it was like when I was a kid.
ESPN: Bubba Wallace is your best pal. He just dropped a Star Wars paint scheme for Phoenix, and to unveil it he shot a commercial with Mark Hamill, at Luke Skywalker’s house.
Blaney: And he didn’t invite me! He texted me and was like, “You won’t believe where I am.” I was like, “Dude, you couldn’t just have me be on the crew, to be your social media photographer or something?”
ESPN: Well, the force was with you at Martinsville, a place you’d never won before and then you won your way into the Championship 4.
Blaney: It was special for multiple reasons. I grew up not too far from there, in High Point, North Carolina. As a kid I went there with my dad (former Cup Series driver Dave Blaney) all the time. And I drove for the Wood Brothers for a few years, who are based right there, around the corner in Stuart, Virginia. I have been so close so many times there, to finally get that win, that grandfather clock, and punch a ticket to the last four. That’s dream stuff.
ESPN: This is your first time racing for the Cup, but your team, Team Penske, has literally raced for every meaningful motorsports trophy on the planet.
Blaney: It’s an amazing resource. And yes, it’s a team that has won everything, but here we are with a chance to do something Roger Penske has never done, and that’s win back-to-back Cup titles. Earlier this year we won the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Now, a chance to join Brad [Keselowski] and Joey [Logano] as Cup champions for Roger, that’s special.
ESPN: We sportswriters love to throw around the idea of pressure in the postseason …
Blaney: That’s real. I think any driver who tells you they don’t feel that as the playoffs roll on, they’re lying to you.
ESPN: And those who are honest will tell you it isn’t being on the track as much as it is the other stuff, the unforeseen stuff if you’ve never been there. So, does it help relieve that for you when you can walk across the hallway and talk to the guy who won it a year ago? “Hey, Joey, what am I in for?”
Blaney: Our relationship has just gotten better and better over the years. And, you know, when he was running for one last year and I wasn’t, I said, “OK, this is my job, to do the best I can to relay information, to help the overall goal of getting the team championship. Now I’m in and he’s not and he’s been the same way. He said, “Whatever you need.”
ESPN: And Dad? Does Dave Blaney get fired up? Because, I’m going to be honest, back in the day he was the nicest guy, but man, he was hard to interview. Dude keeps it close to the vest. Will he cut loose with his boy racing for a title?
Blaney: He’s a pretty quiet, reserved guy, but he does a good job of firing me up when he needs to, you know, and getting me in a confident mindset. So, I can tell even if he’s not showing it to people who don’t know him very well. It’s like I can tell that he’s excited. You get him in a room alone, he’s a different person.
ESPN: One more family-related question. Your younger sister, Erin, has been dating William Byron for years. He’s racing against you for the Cup on Sunday …
Blaney: I said to her earlier this week, “Man, you’re going to be conflicted!” She said to me she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I told her she’d never hurt my feelings. I also told her, if you think about it, she has the best odds of them all. The only two people at Phoenix with a 50% chance of winning a championship will be Erin Blaney and Rick Hendrick.
2023: 2 wins, 6 poles, 10 top-5s, 19 top-10s, 3 DNFs
2023 Playoffs: 1 win, 4 poles, 4 top-5s, 6 top-10s, 0 DNFs
Playoff history: 3rd appearance, 2 wins
Best championship finish: 3rd, 2022
Phoenix career stats: 7 starts, 0 wins, 0 top-5s, 4 top-10s, 0 DNFs, 14.4 average finish
ESPN: I remember last year we talked leading into Phoenix and you’d just won at Martinsville to make the Championship 4 for the first time. You talked about getting so emotional in the car. This time around you won a week earlier and you’ve experienced the championship weekend before. So, how do you feel this year?
Bell: Dude, it is just absolutely crazy. Last year our Phoenix prep was like literally 48 hours because the car has to leave early in the week to get across the country. This has already been so refreshing. I don’t want to say that we were putting off Martinsville, but Phoenix was already the priority for sure. But once we get there, it’s business as usual. I remember listening to certain drivers talk about how this race is a different race, and I found that very interesting because if you treat Phoenix like a different race, then that what’s that saying about the other 35 races? That you don’t take them as serious? You want to win Richmond 1, Dover 1, Charlotte 1, just as bad as you want to win Phoenix 2. It shouldn’t be treated differently because that means you’re not doing your job the other time.
ESPN: That’s interesting. It really is because I was never a race car driver, but everyone tells me you have to treat it the same way. But it’s not the same. So, there’s no way. But that’s the goal, right?
Bell: I will never get to experience being in the Super Bowl, but I would imagine it’s something similar to that or NBA Finals. The pageantry, the hoopla, are significantly greater than any other event we run throughout the year, and it is a little bit hard to put that behind you. But whenever I get into the car, whether it’s Friday for practice or Saturday for qualifying, I’ll be nervous as can be, but then as soon as you fire that engine, then it’s all normal. Like, OK, this is what I was born to do. This is what I do, this is my life. All that other stuff goes away.
ESPN: OK, so you’ve helmetized and it’s all normal. But in this particular race, can you focus just on you, or when there’s 50 laps to go do you want to know where the three guys are at all times? You’ve been there now, so what was and what will be your approach?
Bell: That’s a little bit different, too, because it really doesn’t matter where you finish. You have to beat the other three competitors to win the championship. Now, most of the time it comes down to the four guys racing for the win, and you know that. So again, it isn’t really much different than any other race because you’re out there expecting to have to win the race to win the championship. But, you know, I guess if there is a rare instance where the other guys aren’t as competitive as normal, then you’re like, “OK, you know what, I’m running third and I’m the highest-running championship guy. Maybe I’m not going to push as hard to try and win here.” Certainly, you’re not going to push as hard if that situation arises. But that’s just something that you have to play by ear as it comes up.
ESPN: So, just so I’m clear. Treat it like a normal race because that’s what it is and that’s what your mindset should be, even though it totally isn’t normal so your mindset definitely needs to be a little different.
Bell: Yeah, sounds like I have it all totally figured out, right? [Laughs]
2023: 4 wins, 2 poles, 14 top-5s, 17 top-10s, 8 DNFs
2023 Playoffs: 2 wins, 0 poles, 4 top-5s, 5 top-10s, 2 DNFs
Playoff history: 7th appearance, 9 wins
Best championship finish: 1st, 2021
Phoenix career stats: 18 starts, 1 win, 7 top-5s, 11 top-10s, 1 DNF, 11.7 average finish
ESPN: As if you didn’t have enough going on, at basically the same time you won at Vegas to join the Championship 4, you also bought the entire All-Star Race of Champions Circuit from Tony Stewart?
Larson: Yeah. [Laughs] I wasn’t busy enough, so …
ESPN: When you own a series and you’re in the track business, do you look at race weekends differently now? Weather and hot dogs and having employees and water trucks for all that dirt.
Bell’s late rally isn’t enough! @KyleLarsonRacin wins at @LVMotorSpeedway! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/nLiBHGxrdk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 15, 2023
Larson: We’re going through building our schedule for next year right now. You definitely have to factor in the different seasons that each state kind of gets throughout the year. There’s just a lot to factor into the logistics of it, the travel for the teams and going back and forth and this and that, and you’re trying to make it make sense for everybody. It’s difficult, and it’s never going to make sense for everybody.
ESPN: Is that fun? That doesn’t sound fun.
Larson: No, I definitely think it is fun. I think anytime you have something challenging that you work on, and when you get it all completed and feel like you did a good job, then it’s rewarding, and that, in turn, is fun.
ESPN: Like winning a Cup Series championship.
Larson: Yep, that’s it.
ESPN: I look at the other three title contenders and you are definitely the wily old veteran of this Championship 4. Is your approach to a championship race different now as opposed to the first time you did or as opposed to 2021, the year that you won it?
Larson: The style of our sport, even vs. 2021, I feel like is different than it was then. And the style of racing is a lot different than it was when I was first in the Chase, what, seven years ago. Winning three weeks ago certainly helps. We went into Phoenix prep pretty much immediately. For Phoenix, I have, like, the same group of friends and family that are coming that we always do, nothing extra. We actually live in Phoenix a big chunk of the year, so it’s like a second home now. I think in 2021 our team did a really good job of keeping our heads in it and executing at the crunch time of the race on pit road and ultimately winning because of it. So, here’s hoping we can do all that the same, if not better, this time around.
ESPN: I remember we spent a lot of time together back in 2017 for an “E60” feature we did on you as NASCAR’s next big thing. And this is no slight to anywhere else you have driven, but you and I talked and your dad and I really talked about, man, what would it be like to drive for a Hendrick Motorsports? Well, it’s been three years now. Is it everything that you thought it would be, driving for Rick Hendrick?
Larson: I would say yes, and probably more. Well, 1, I never thought they would let me race sprint cars, and I especially never would have thought that they would let me race as much as I do. And then just how the culture is. From the outside, you know it’s good, but you never know until you’re in it. And it’s that way everywhere that Mr. H is involved. There’s a reason no one leaves. There are so many people here that have been here for decades. They all love working there.
ESPN: As do you.
Larson: I do. And there’s also accountability. You want to win races and championships for you, for sure. But now you really want to win those because you don’t want to let these people down.
2023: 6 wins, 3 poles, 14 top-5s, 20 top-10s, 3 DNFs
2023 Playoffs: 1 win, 0 poles, 5 top-5s, 7 top-10s, 0 DNFs
Playoff history: 5th appearance, 1 win, this year
Best championship finish: 6th, 2022
Phoenix career stats: 11 starts, 1 win (last race run there), 1 top-5, 6 top-10s, 0 DNFs, 11.9 average finish
ESPN: So, Martinsville. It was like 85 degrees outside. You never had a handle on it and had to race your way in and did it the hard way, starting 16th and finishing 13th. You described it as, what was it, hell in a bottle?!
Byron: We just missed it, man. We ran pretty poor there in the spring, so yeah, I was nervous going there because I felt like we needed to make a lot of improvements. We fired off the race and weren’t much different, so it was just, “OK, we’re battling.” So, yes, it was, it was ugly, but it worked out.
ESPN: Earlier this week, Marty Smith and I were saying that after the year you’ve had (series-leading six wins, ranked third or better in points since May) it would have been a shame if you hadn’t made the Championship 4. So, with a chance to fumble that away in one race, were you worried, panicked, what?
Byron: For us, the pressure just continued to increase as we got in the playoffs just because of our position and what we had done throughout the year. You have a lot of playoff bonus points, so that’s good. But when other guys are winning and punching tickets to Phoenix and you’re not one of them, there was definitely anxiety within the team.
Big win. Bigger burnout. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/66LAOJxmvS
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 24, 2023
ESPN: But you did win the last race run at Phoenix, back in March, and you did it by getting around Larson and holding off Blaney and Bell, so hey, this is already a done deal, right?
Byron: [Laughing] Totally. Like, why are we even running the race, right? The good news is that we have a good notebook on the car. We also know the blueprint of how to win and the restarts at the end and all that crazy stuff. The bad news is that they will all be better, too. And conditions will be much different when it comes to temperature changes, much warmer in the fall. But we have a lot of practice time and we’ll be ready.
ESPN: You’d better be. Because not only do you drive the No. 24 car, the boss man is the guy who used to drive that car and was one of the greatest of all time. So, is Jeff Gordon (now vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports) going to come over and put his arm around you like, “No pressure, but this is the first chance my car has had to win a title since I was in it …”
Byron: JG has definitely stopped by and given me a good pregame speech the last two weeks. He comes over by the window right before the net goes up and he gives me a little pep talk. So, I’m expecting the same this week. Honestly, it’s pretty nuts. I grew up a huge fan. And it’s so cool to me that the style of the No. 24 has stayed the same, and when I’m at the race shop, there are all the cars that won all those races that I watched on TV or in person and, I mean, I’m driving that car. It’s just super cool to have that connection.
ESPN: All right, speaking of connections, how does this work now with the Blaney situation? You’re racing against the guy for the championship, and you’ll be driving to the track that morning with his sister, your girlfriend, in the car. How does that work? I already asked him, so be honest.
Byron: I mean, it’s racing. It’s competition. We’ll race just as hard as anyone out there, and honestly, it’s fun for us because we’ve had good battles over the years. We both want to win, and I guess when we get to Thanksgiving, we’ll see how that goes. Someone is going to have bragging rights. And whoever wins, I guess we’ll have to buy dinner.
ESPN: And bring the big Cup.
Byron: That might be a bit much. But maybe not. [Laughs]
Many college football programs are wrapping up spring practices this weekend, which traditionally has included an intrasquad game, giving fans and players a sneak peek at what is to come on the field in the fall with a game-day atmosphere.
This year, for a variety of reasons, many programs are skipping the scrimmage for a different kind of spring showcase, including skills contests, fanfests and meet-and-greets. Among the teams taking this route as they close their spring sessions this weekend are Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Purdue and defending national champion Ohio State.
But several schools will be hosting spring games, including Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Miami and Georgia Tech. Here’s a look at those teams and what to watch for this weekend.
All times Eastern.
Game time: Friday, 6 p.m.
2024 record: 9-4
Spring storyline: Just how good can this offense be? In his first year, Jeff Brohm made the most of veteran QB Jack Plummer. Last season, Tyler Shough developed into one of the most productive QBs in the country. Now Brohm turns to USC transfer Miller Moss, perhaps the most talented QB he has had at Louisville, and the Cards will surround Moss with a host of ubertalented skill players, including Caullin Lacy and Isaac Brown. Brohm’s offenses are always explosive, but this Cardinals squad has a chance to be one of the most terrifying units in America.
Position of intrigue: The secondary is littered with transfers — no shocker at Louisville — including the two corner positions, where Jabari Mack (Jacksonville State), Rodney Johnson (Southern) and Justin Agu (Louisiana) will be in the mix for playing time. There’s a big void in the secondary, after Louisville said goodbye to a host of veterans, including Quincy Riley. How this new unit jells will be crucial for a Louisville D that was far too susceptible to the big play in 2024.
Player to watch: Here’s a fun scenario: Isaac Brown was among the most prolific freshmen in the country last season, racking up 1,527 all-purpose yards. And yet, it’s another rising sophomore — Duke Watson — who might be the more explosive player. Watson got just 67 carries last season but averaged nearly 9 yards per rush and scored seven times. His role will grow alongside Brown in 2025, giving Louisville arguably the best one-two punch at tailback of any squad since last season’s Ohio State national champs. — David Hale
Game time: Saturday, noon (ACC Network)
2024 record: 5-7
Spring storyline: Virginia hit the transfer portal hard to boost its roster, signing 16 players in hopes of putting the Cavaliers in position to make a bowl game for the first time since 2021. While the program has made some strides since Tony Elliott was hired in 2022, he also knows the team must show significant progress this year. His players have already spoken confidently about putting Virginia in a spot where it can compete for championships. We will get our first glimpse at the possibility this spring.
Position of intrigue: Virginia lost quarterbacks Anthony Colandrea (portal) and Tony Muskett (final season) and went into the portal to find their replacements. The headliner is Chandler Morris, now at his fourth school after spending last season at North Texas. Virginia also signed Daniel Kaelin from Nebraska as the potential quarterback of the future with four years of eligibility remaining. Look for Morris to take the reins giving his experience.
Player to watch: Linebacker Fisher Camac, a transfer from UNLV, has the ability to make the types of plays that set the tone on defense. Last season, he had 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 3 QB hurries and a forced fumble. — Andrea Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 8-5
Spring storyline: Embattled Gators coach Billy Napier completely flipped the narrative on his future at Florida by guiding his team to four straight victories to finish with an 8-5 record in 2024. That winning streak included upsets of then-No. 22 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss. Much of the optimism is because of quarterback DJ Lagway, who was 6-1 as the starter as a freshman, and a veteran offensive line. Lagway threw for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has been limited throughout spring practice because of shoulder and lower-body injuries and won’t play Saturday. Florida will play another brutal schedule in 2025 with road games at LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and Ole Miss and a neutral-site contest against Georgia.
Position of intrigue: Finding Lagway dependable targets on the perimeter will be a focus this spring. Top receivers Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike departed for the NFL, and Eugene Wilson III is coming back from season-ending hip surgery. Receivers Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson and Naeshaun Montgomery were three of Florida’s highest-ranked signees, and J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA) was one of the top pass catchers in the portal.
Players to watch: Florida’s strength coach called linebacker Aaron Chiles an “alien” before his freshman season because of his exceptional work in the weight room. With Shemar James leaving for the NFL draft, Chiles and Myles Graham will have a chance to make an impact on defense this season. Graham had 30 tackles and one sack in 2024; Chiles had 23 tackles with one sack. — Mark Schlabach
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 11-3
Spring storyline: Much of Georgia’s attention this spring will be focused on its offense, which struggled to catch the ball and run it when it mattered in 2024. The Bulldogs went 11-3, won an SEC championship and reached the CFP last season. But Georgia’s offensive production slipped mightily — it scored 31.5 points per game (after averaging 40.1 in 2023) and ranked next to last in the SEC with 124.4 rushing yards. Georgia will be breaking in four new starting offensive linemen and a new quarterback. Newcomers will also be counted on to improve an inconsistent receiver corps.
Position of intrigue: Georgia’s offensive line was expected to be one of the best units in the FBS in 2024, but it struggled to create holes in the running game and protect the quarterback. Four starters are gone, including center Jared Wilson and All-America guard Tate Ratledge. Earnest Greene III and Monroe Freeling have a lot of experience at tackle, and Micah Morris has been a mainstay at guard. Drew Bobo and Daniel Calhoun are the favorites to take over at center and right guard, respectively. Freeling missed spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery; Calhoun was sidelined for much of it because of a foot injury.
Player to watch: No position on the team was criticized more in 2024 than Georgia’s receivers. The Bulldogs led Power 4 conference teams in dropped passes, and top receivers Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett left for the NFL. Georgia brought in two high-profile transfers, Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), and Talyn Taylor and C.J. Wiley are two highly regarded freshman receivers. Branch had 1,863 all-purpose yards during his two seasons with the Trojans, including two kicks returned for touchdowns in 2023. He caught 78 passes for 823 yards and three scores. — Schlabach
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m. (ACCNX)
2024 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: Georgia Tech ended last season with a good bit of buzz, and the Yellow Jackets return one of the most productive QBs in the ACC in Haynes King. Will all of that add up to a breakthrough season? There’s a lot to like on this team, but the story of coach Brent Key’s first few years in Atlanta has been the Jackets’ ability to play their best in big games then stub their toes against teams they should beat. Key is a ferocious competitor, and this spring seems like it should be a turning point when he pushes Tech from surprising upstart to a real contender.
Position of intrigue: The wide receiver room will look a lot different this spring. Three of the five wideouts with at least 100 receiving yards last season are gone, including star Eric Singleton, who exited via the portal for Auburn. Malik Rutherford is back, and he’ll be joined by a pair of FIU transfers in Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson, who combined for 112 catches and 19 touchdowns last year, as well as freshman Jamari Bruce.
Player to watch: Key is a former offensive lineman, and he believes championship teams are built in the trenches. Enter Josh Petty, a five-star recruit and arguably the most talented O-lineman the Jackets have landed in decades (and their first five-star signee since Calvin Johnson). Petty will need to work his way into the starting five, which already features talented veterans in Joe Fusile and Keylan Rutledge, but that doesn’t mean all eyes won’t be on the talented freshman to see just how much bang Georgia Tech is getting for its buck. — Hale
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: Pitt got off to an unexpected 7-0 start last season, only to finish on an equally unexpected six-game losing streak. After winning 20 games between 2021 and 2022, Pitt has struggled to find the same winning consistency the past two seasons. The hope is that the return of quarterback Eli Holstein and all-everything back Desmond Reid, plus a healthier offensive line, in Year 2 under offensive coordinator Kade Bell will allow the Panthers to find the rhythm and consistency to win.
Position of intrigue: Pitt struggled on the offensive line last season for a variety of reasons, including injuries that hindered the overall cohesion of the group. The Panthers put an emphasis on this position group in the portal, particularly offensive tackle, signing transfers Jeff Persi (Michigan) and Kendall Stanley (Charlotte). Stanley played 706 offensive snaps, all at right tackle, this past season, while the 6-foot-8, 310-pound Persi brings an imposing presence — though he has spent the majority of his career as a backup.
Player to watch: Pitt does a terrific job developing defensive backs, and safety Cruce Brookins could be next in line. With All-ACC safety Donovan McMillon gone to the NFL, Brookins has drawn praise for his striking ability and ball skills (two interceptions in reserve duty last season, including one against West Virginia). — Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: There’s a reason the coaches voted Clark Lea SEC Coach of the Year last season. He led the Commodores to their best season in more than a decade, took them to their first bowl game since 2018 and beat No. 1 Alabama for the first time since 1984, all this coming off a 2-10 season in 2023. The challenge now is building off such a solid season, creating more depth on the roster and continuing to develop players, which has been Lea’s strength. Some of the best news is that most of the key players are back, and there should be good carryover with Lea calling defensive plays for the second straight year.
Position of intrigue: With Diego Pavia back at quarterback, he’ll also have his favorite receiving target back. Eli Stowers, an All-SEC selection at tight end a year ago and the Commodores’ top receiver, bypassed the NFL draft to return for another season in Nashville. Stowers will need some pass-catching help on the outside from receivers. It’s a big opportunity for Junior Sherrill to have a breakthrough season, while Trent Hudson reunites with Pavia after spending last season at Mississippi State. Hudson and Pavia played together at New Mexico State in 2023, and Hudson had 10 touchdowns.
Player to watch: Who else but Pavia, who sparked Vanderbilt’s revival last season and electrified the SEC with his fearless play at quarterback. He gets another shot at SEC defenses after passing for 2,293 yards and rushing for 801 yards last season. Pavia, who’s seemingly never out of a play, accounted for 28 touchdowns (20 passing and eight rushing). — Chris Low
Game time: Saturday, 2 p.m.
2024 record: 11-3
Spring storyline: The Vols have knocked down several barriers under Josh Heupel. They’ve beaten Alabama twice and Florida twice in the past three seasons and made their first playoff appearance a year ago. The defense was the backbone of Tennessee’s run to the playoff, and several key pieces from that unit are gone and need to be replaced. Keeping defensive coordinator Tim Banks was a priority for Heupel. One of the big challenges for the Vols in Year 5 under Heupel will be playing better on the road, particularly in night games in hostile environments.
Position of intrigue: The young talent in Tennessee’s secondary is promising, and keeping safety Boo Carter from transferring was important. Carter may also play some offense in 2025. But at cornerback, it could be dicey. Jermod McCoy had an All-SEC season in 2024 after transferring from Oregon State. He tore his ACL in January, though, and is working toward getting back in time for the start of the season. Reports surfaced that the Vols’ other starting cornerback, Rickey Gibson III, was planning to enter the transfer portal, but he has changed his mind. His return would help the Vols’ situation in the secondary.
Player to watch: Nico Iamaleava has been the most closely watched player at Tennessee since his first season in 2023 when he arrived with a reported $8 million NIL deal. Now in his third season on campus and second as starting quarterback, Iamaleava would seem poised to have a breakout year. He was solid a year ago in leading the Vols to the playoff. He needs to provide more firepower in the downfield passing game if they’re going to get back to the playoff in 2025. — Low
Game time: Saturday, 3 p.m.
2024 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: Fran Brown surprised and impressed in Year 1, leading Syracuse to its first 10-win season since 2018, including a regular-season finale victory over Miami that kept the Hurricanes out of the ACC title game. But this will be a very different team on offense this spring with Kyle McCord, LeQuint Allen and Oronde Gadsden all gone to the NFL draft. Indeed, the biggest questions this spring surround how the Orange are going to replace all that production.
Position of intrigue: Replacing McCord is at the top of the list. Syracuse signed transfer Rickie Collins from LSU and Brown said earlier this week he has emerged as the starter to begin the season. The Orange also return backup Michael Johnson Jr. and redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams, and signed two freshman quarterbacks in Luke Carney and Rich Belin. Though the room is missing the veteran presence McCord brought last season, offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon said he is pleased with the depth he has among his QBs.
Player to watch: Syracuse was not nearly as aggressive in the transfer portal as it was a year ago, but landing defensive lineman Chris Thomas Jr. from Marshall should help shore up a run defense that was inconsistent for most of last season. — Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 3 p.m.
2024 record: 6-7
Spring storyline: Last season was supposed to be a breakout year for Virginia Tech. Instead, the Hokies struggled to a 6-7 record, lost 24 players to the transfer portal and saw some of their best players move on to the NFL draft. Though the Hokies bring back veteran quarterback Kyron Drones, there will a lot of changes, not only from a personnel perspective but among its coaching staff, with new offensive (Philip Montgomery) and defensive coordinators (Sam Siefkes).
Position of intrigue: The Hokies have holes to fill across the board, given the roster turnover. But let’s stick with offense and look at the running back room, where leading rusher Bhayshul Tuten is off to the NFL and backup Malachi Thomas transferred. Virginia Tech signed three transfer backs: Terion Stewart (Bowling Green), Braydon Bennett (Coastal Carolina) and Marcellous Hawkins (Central Missouri State) to fill the void.
Player to watch: Wide receiver Donavon Greene, a Wake Forest transfer, brings much needed experience and a veteran presence to the young, unproven Virginia Tech receiver group. Greene has been limited by injuries over the past few seasons, so staying healthy is imperative. — Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
2024 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: Can the defense get turned around? Miami parted ways with Lance Guidry after the D let the Canes down in 2024, and new coordinator Corey Hetherman is taking over with sights set on a far more dominant unit. Getting star defensive lineman Rueben Bain healthy will be a big first step, but figuring out a game plan for a beleaguered secondary will be even more significant.
Position of intrigue: Did we mention the secondary? Yes, breakout freshman OJ Frederique Jr. returns, but most of the rest of the DB room gets a fresh start with transfers Ethan O’Connor (Washington State), Charles Brantley (Michigan State), Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State) and Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) arriving with ample hype, alongside blue-chip freshman Bryce Fitzgerald, among others. Miami’s DBs were a mess down the stretch last season — in part due to talent, in part due to injuries — so this spring is about breaking in the new faces and developing some depth at key spots.
Player to watch: New quarterback Carson Beck, transferring in from Georgia, would be the natural choice, but he is rehabbing from an elbow injury and hasn’t thrown this spring. Instead, we’ll look to Bain, who as a true freshman in 2023 was a force of nature on Miami’s D-line, racking up 7.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles. Injuries set him back from the outset in 2024, however, and his production regressed significantly. Bain had just 5.5 TFL last season and missed four games entirely. Bain appears healthy this spring, however, and if he can return to form this fall, he could be a key piece in revitalizing the Canes’ defense. — Hale
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Eli Lederman
Four-star edge rusher Rodney Dunham, ESPN’s No. 6 defensive end in the 2026 cycle, announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Thursday, landing with the Fighting Irish as the top-ranked prospect in coach Marcus Freeman’s incoming recruiting class.
A 6-foot-4, 220-pound recruit from Charlotte, North Carolina, Dunham is the No. 57 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300. He picked Notre Dame over South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Duke following visits to all five schools in 2025. Dunham joins offensive tackle Tyler Merrill (No. 67 overall) and outside linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. (No. 146) as the Fighting Irish’s third top-150 commit and the program’s sixth ESPN pledge in the cycle.
Alongside two local programs (Duke and South Carolina) and a pair of nearby SEC powers (Georgia and Tennessee), Notre Dame stood as a regional outlier among Dunham’s finalists before surging in the late stages of his recruitment this spring.
Dunham told ESPN that his late March visit to see the Fighting Irish marked his first time on an airplane. That trip reinforced the school’s football tradition and academic prestige and strengthened Dunham’s connection with Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington. It also offered Dunham a valuable window into Freeman, the program’s fourth-year coach, through a chance encounter Dunham said ultimately helped seal his decision to commit.
“I was talking to one of the members of the staff there — someone who was serving food — and he was telling me how great of a leader [Freeman] is and how he presents himself in front of the players. That’s the type of guy you want to lead you growing up as a young adult and entering manhood. It’s not just all about football.”
Dunham projects as a high-upside, developmental prospect at the next level with speed off the line of scrimmage and standout pass-rush technique. He recorded 94 tackles (26 for loss) and 12 sacks across his sophomore and junior season at Myers Park High School in Charlotte.
An imposing pitcher with a fastball clearing 90 miles per hour, Dunham no longer plans to play baseball in college after initially considering a two-sport track earlier in his recruitment.
The defending national runner-up Fighting Irish closed the country’s 15th-ranked class in the 2025 cycle. If Dunham lands on campus in 2026, he’ll arrive to Notre Dame as the program’s highest-rated defensive signee since outside linebacker Jaylen Sneed, ESPN’s No. 48 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle.
Dunham’s pledge arrived less than a week after the Fighting Irish secured the commitment of four-star defensive end Ebenezer Ewetabe (No. 229 overall). With Davis — son of three-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis Sr. — also in the fold, Notre Dame has the early makings of a standout front-seven class in the 2026 cycle. Three-star cornerback Chaston Smith rounds out the program’s collection of four defenders committed so far in the class.
Dunham joins five-star Maryland pledge Zion Elee (No. 2 overall) and Texas A&M commit Jordan Carter (No. 59) among the earliest elite defensive ends to come off the board in 2026.
Five-star edge rusher JaReylan McCoy, a former LSU pledge, is set for a return to Florida this weekend, while fifth-ranked defensive end Nolan Wilson also remains on the Gators’ radar. Ohio State and Texas are two of the latest programs to host five-star reclass Richard Wesley, who will also take trips to Texas A&M and Tennessee over the next week. Five-star defensive end Jake Kreul visited Oklahoma on Thursday.
All told, seven of ESPN’s top 10 defensive ends in the 2026 class remain uncommitted this spring.
WASHINGTON — The Capitals wrapped up the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 5-4 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes while celebrating new goals king Alex Ovechkin at Capital One Arena for the first time since he made history.
Ovechkin, who assisted on a goal in the win Thursday night, was treated to a pregame ceremony for scoring his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record Sunday at the New York Islanders. The arena introduced Ovechkin before showing the crowd a video of the historic goal, and fans were able to cheer the Capitals legend for the first time at home.
Ovechkin and his family then were presented with a series of gifts, including an engraved gold stick commemorating breaking the goal record and a 6-foot sculptural painting of a puck with his image on it. The ceremony ended with a team photo before players from the Hurricanes lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand one-by-one.
In the game that followed, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the shootout winner after the Capitals rallied from a 2-0 deficit, then blew a 4-2 lead with Carolina’s Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis scoring in the third period to tie it. That came after Washington’s scoring spree in the second, with Dylan Strome, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson all putting goals past Frederik Andersen.
Dubois also scored in regulation, while Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves and stayed in the game after a nasty collision seven minutes in on Carolina’s second goal.
The Hurricanes, who are locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round matchup against New Jersey, managed to get to overtime but lost their fourth in a row. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake also scored, and Andersen allowed four goals on 28 shots in regulation.
Brandon Duhaime and Jalen Chatfield dropped the gloves early to settle a score from the teams’ game last week. The Capitals were unhappy with Chatfield’s takedown of Connor McMichael at the end of their fight.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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