‘He’s meant everything to our group:’ What’s next for Joe Pavelski after 18 seasons in the NHL?
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
Every offseason, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill will chat with the organization’s younger players about a number of items. Part of that discussion includes what it means to be successful with details such as winning puck battles.
That’s when Nill begins asking a set of questions.
Are you stronger than Joe Pavelski? Are you faster than Joe Pavelski? Can you compete as hard as Joe Pavelski?
“They’ll say, ‘Yep’ and I’ll ask, ‘So why is it that he wins the battles and you don’t?'” Nill said. “I said, ‘That’s what you gotta do.’ You’ve got to find your way. Joe has found a way to do it. What it is? I don’t know. … He’s figured out a way to do it and that’s what he can pass on to other kids.”
Stories such as these can be found in great supply throughout the Stars organization whether it be from Nill, others in the front office, the coaching staff or players. Talking about Pavelski can make people feel many things ranging from reverence and respect to getting emotional because that’s what he means to so many.
This is why everybody wants to see Pavelski play at least one more season. This is also why nobody wants to see him leave the Stars no matter what he decides to do next, should he call time on a career that could see him in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A 2-1 loss Sunday to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals ended the Stars’ season in the conference final for a consecutive campaign.
It’s also a defeat that may have brought Pavelski’s career to an end.
Pavelski, who turns 40 in July, had five shots on goal while logging 16:50 of ice time in what might have been his last game. For his career, he has scored 476 goals and notched 1,068 points while appearing in 1,332 career regular-season games. In the postseason, he has had 74 goals and 143 points in 200 playoff games throughout his career.
That career has allowed him to win everything but a Stanley Cup, and there’s a realistic chance it could remain that way. Between his age and the fact he’s a pending unrestricted free agent who has signed rolling one-year deals, there is a scenario in which Pavelski’s Game 6 on Sunday is his final one.
As of now, Pavelski may be the only person who truly knows what his next step will be going forward. Does he play at least one more year? Does he retire? And if he does choose to retire, what will be his next step, and could it involve joining the Stars’ front office in some role?
“I think he could probably pick whatever he wants [with his future] whether that’s GM, front office management, coaching. He’s a smart cat,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “He loves the game of hockey and knows a lot about it. I think the options are endless for him with whatever he decides to do.”
Go back to Game 6 of last year’s Western Conference semifinal against the Seattle Kraken. It’s not so much about what Pavelski did during the game. If anything, it’s more about what he did afterward.
The Stars had a chance to close out the series in six games in Seattle only to lose 6-3 with the Kraken forcing a Game 7 back in Dallas.
Stars assistant general manager Mark Janko was on his way to his hotel room when the double doors of the elevator parted and he saw Pavelski. It was 11:30 p.m., and Janko was curious why the Stars’ veteran forward was still awake when he and his teammates had the sort of long day they likely wanted to forget.
Pavelski told Janko that he’d just spent 30 minutes talking to Jason Robertson inside his hotel room. He wanted to check in on Robertson and make sure he was OK. Pavelski wanted to be a sounding board who could provide Robertson a sense of reassurance after a difficult loss in a series that would see Robertson go goalless.
Hearing this led to Janko inviting Pavelski back to his hotel room. That’s when Janko mentioned that he heard Stars defenseman Esa Lindell was having trouble with the loss. Pavelski texted Lindell to find out his room number and then left Janko’s room before spending another 30 minutes talking to a teammate.
“That’s the thing. He’s such a good leader,” Robertson said. “He cares about our players. He cares about everyone and wants to see us succeed. It definitely shows his character and his leadership. That’s something that will definitely follow him throughout his whole life.”
What Pavelski did for Lindell and Robertson is one of the many examples that’s often used to detail why he has been crucial from a player development standpoint.
Trace the steps of those who become an NHL GM. They follow one of two paths: Either they were involved with player development or some form of player procurement.
Benn, Nill, Wyatt Johnston and Ryan Suter have all seen the side of Pavelski that could allow him to make the transition into player development. There are some within the organization who have semi-joked that Pavelski is already doing player development while he’s still playing.
Pavelski was homegrown talent in San Jose, who developed into a captain who became one of the franchise’s all-time greats, and helped them challenge for the Stanley Cup for several seasons.
What he learned from older players in San Jose became part of the teachings he has passed on to a Stars franchise that is using homegrown talent to build a consistent Stanley Cup contender.
In Dallas, Pavelski seamlessly fit into a leadership group that already had an established captain in Benn. Pavelski made tipping pucks a group activity at practice, with the way he gets younger players involved. He has used the lessons learned over an 18-year career to share insights with a new generation.
“I can ask him anything, and he’s so good,” Johnston said. “He takes his time and shares thoughts if I want to ask him about something. He’ll also come up to me and tell me some stuff or talk to me if he sees something. It’s just natural. I try to do my best and ask him a lot of questions and learn from him and see his point of view with things.”
Pavelski has been an instrumental figure for a franchise that feels it’s on the cusp of winning a Stanley Cup. It’s what also makes the discourse within the Stars’ dressing room about Pavelski’s future one that draws several opinions.
Suter agrees that Pavelski has a strong love for the game that could help others. He said that Pavelski could become an NHL GM if he wanted. But Suter also sees a world in which his longtime childhood friend opts to spend more time coaching his children.
Pavelski and Suter’s children are the same age and play youth hockey together. And as Suter shared, Pavelski is actively involved with details such as doing video for the team.
“He can still play, right?” Suter said. “If he’s not playing I think then he’s going to be a hell of a youth hockey coach.”
Suter’s statement about Pavelski still being able to play, along with what Nill said about how he can still win puck battles, is what makes talking about his future complex.
Pavelski was the NHL’s second-oldest player during the 2023-24 season, but he has found a way to increase his offensive production as he gets older. From his rookie season at 22 to his age-29 season, Pavelski scored 415 points in 561 games for an average of 0.74 points per game. Since he turned 30, he has scored 653 points in 771 games, an average of 0.85 points per game, while remaining a nightly fixture in the Stars’ lineup.
“I think his hockey sense is through the roof. I think his hockey sense, positioning, the way he plays, the people he plays with, the positions he’s put in — it all benefits him,” Suter said of why Pavelski has found success at an advanced age. “I think he’s had a hell of a career to say the least. I think his style, he’s never been a good skater and he’ll be the first to tell you that. But he thinks the game. He’s ahead of it. He knows where the puck is going. He competes. He’s a bastard.”
Benn pointed out that any player who wants to join a front office once they’ve retired has certain personality traits. Namely, they’re someone who took hockey extremely seriously in one manner or another.
He said Pavelski has that sort of personality with the way he approaches his job. Talking about Pavelski made Benn recall the five seasons he spent with Jason Spezza in the years before the latter retired to work in a front office. Benn said Spezza was one of those players who took hockey extremely seriously, to the point that it only made sense he would join a front office when his career ended.
Spezza retired after the 2021-22 season. His first job was as the special assistant to the GM with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s currently the assistant GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We all love the game, but there are guys who go above and beyond,” Benn said. “It shows. You don’t play 19-plus years in this league and work your tail off and do all that if you don’t love the game. [Spezza] was an obvious one, and I think Joe can do whatever he wants.”
Benn, who has been the Stars’ captain since the 2013-14 season, said the love Pavelski has for hockey comes through with how he talks to teammates. He said Pavelski has shown a willingness to talk to players about anything, even if it means they’re going to have a difficult discussion.
“You know in the end, it’s going to make that player better, and it’s going to be what’s best for the team,” Benn said.
Johnston and Logan Stankoven are the most prominent examples of the development work Pavelski has done. They are among the group of young players who have spent countless hours doing on- and off-ice work with Pavelski as part of establishing their foundation as NHL players.
“There should be 32 teams trying to get someone like him to be working with them,” Johnston said. “It sure would be great if Dallas would be one. I can see him doing so many different roles in the front office.”
Pavelski spoke with ESPN during the second round about why he makes time to speak with his teammates, if he has any interest in joining a front office, and how long he would keep playing.
Those conversations, much like the ones he had with Robertson and Lindell, are about what it means to be a good teammate. Pavelski said being a responsible teammate is something that everyone in the Stars’ dressing room takes seriously, adding the appreciation he has for former Sharks teammates Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton and how they handled those moments.
“You learn a little bit of it but at the end of the day, it’s an experience that you’ve gone through yourself,” Pavelski said. “If it helps someone, great. If it doesn’t, so be it. But I’ve just always tried to be around.”
Pavelski said he loves being around the game, but if he were to join an organization in a front office role, it wouldn’t be right away.
Given his love for the game, exactly how much longer does Pavelski see himself remaining in the NHL?
“We’ll see,” Pavelski said. “We’re having a good time with this run. We’re in a good spot. There’s a lot of work to be done. So, we’re enjoying it and I’m just kind of living in the moment right now, but I’m not too worried about it.”
Nill, who also spoke to ESPN when the Stars were in the second round, said that Pavelski didn’t want his future to be a distraction during the playoffs, with Nill echoing that same sentiment.
“He’s going to know,” Nill said. “There comes a time when your body, your mind — you just say it’s enough. Right now, we’re focused on doing well in the playoffs and him being successful so we haven’t really brought it up. Over the last three years, we’ve just kinda talked about, year by year, we’ll just see where things go.”
Nill said that he doesn’t know when he would talk to Pavelski about potentially joining the Stars’ front office. But he did say that it’s a conversation they would have whenever Pavelski was ready to have that discussion.
If Pavelski decides to return to the ice, he’d be coming back to a team that would have 13 players under contract for next season. There are some, such as Thomas Harley, who remain under team control as they are pending restricted free agents, while others such as Matt Duchene and Chris Tanev are pending unrestricted free agents who could depart in free agency.
But if this was it for Pavelski, the sights and sounds from his final game could prove rather memorable.
He went through the handshake line after the Stars were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games. In the line, he had an embrace with Oilers rookie forward Dylan Holloway, who played two seasons at the University of Wisconsin as Pavelski did. He had a brief chat with Stuart Skinner before having a long hug with former teammate Mattias Janmark. His longest moment was saved for when he met Corey Perry. Once divisional foes for several years, they became teammates for a season in Dallas. Having that many shared moments led to them spending 10 or so seconds together talking and hugging before Pavelski would eventually skate back to the bench.
Perhaps the most emotional moments came when the Stars spoke with the media. Johnston answered questions with the subdued tone that comes with being eliminated from the playoffs. But when the discussion shifted to Pavelski, his voice started to become shaky.
“I can’t thank him and his family enough for what they’ve done for me,” said Johnston, who lived with Pavelski’s family the past two seasons.
Benn appeared to have been teary-eyed when he was asked about Pavelski, while Tyler Seguin cracked a smile before asking, “Can we not ask about Joe?”
“He’s meant everything to our group,” Seguin said. “On the ice, off the ice. All our golf games, he’s improved all of those. Just an amazing person to have in here.”
The last person to comment on Pavelski was Stars coach Peter DeBoer. They were together for four-plus seasons in San Jose where they made it to one Stanley Cup Final and two Western Conference finals. Whenever DeBoer has talked about what made him come to Dallas, he has openly shared how Pavelski influenced his decision, which allowed them to spend two more years together.
“I don’t know if it’ll be Joe’s last game or not, but it was an absolute privilege of my coaching career to coach a guy like that,” DeBoer said. “Our young players are all better for having been around a guy like that.”
Was something in the air in Week 12? We are now down to three undefeated FBS teams following No. 6 BYU’s loss to Kansas on Saturday night, and in total, five AP Top 25 teams lost to unranked opponents.
With BYU suffering its first loss of the season and now tied with Colorado in the Big 12 standings, what do the Cougars need to do in the last few weeks to reach the conference title game?
Georgia gained a much-needed win over Tennessee at home Saturday. The Bulldogs are well positioned to make a College Football Playoff appearance, but injuries have taken a toll on their roster depth. How can Georgia prepare for the playoff over the next few weeks, should it gain one of the 12 spots?
How did Saturday’s action affect our Power Rankings?
Here’s the latest top 25 from our college football experts, who provide their insight on each team following Week 12.
Previous ranking: 1
The 11-0 Ducks escaped Wisconsin with a 16-13 comeback victory in the fourth quarter. But again, Oregon couldn’t stifle the opposing team’s running game, as Badgers running back Tawee Walker kept the Ducks offense off the field with 97 yards on 20 carries. Oregon now ranks 71st nationally in EPA (expected points added) on run defense (minus-8.99), and 12th in the Big Ten. The league’s other playoff contenders — Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State — all rank in the top 11 nationally in EPA run defense. Oregon is sure to face prolific rushing attacks in the playoff. Getting key stops against the run — and getting its high-powered offense back on the field — will be paramount, if the Ducks are going to make a run to their first national championship. — Jake Trotter
Previous ranking: 2
The Buckeyes’ defense has responded very well from its loss to Oregon, holding its past four opponents to under 20 points and fewer than 275 yards per game. But the Buckeyes (9-1) will need to be a bit sharper on third down this coming week against Indiana, which entered Week 12 ranked 10th nationally in third-down conversions (49.1%). Northwestern converted five of its first 11 third-down chances against Ohio State on Saturday at Wrigley Field, and could have made the game more competitive if it had finished drives in Buckeyes territory.
Coach Ryan Day noted the early third-down struggles and the defense’s improvement as the game went along, saying, “We settled down a little bit.” Ohio State will need its veteran defensive line to pressure Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who has been sacked only 10 times this season, and fluster a Hoosiers offensive line that struggled against Michigan. — Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 3
The 9-1 Longhorns avoided a major pothole on their road to a showdown with Texas A&M that could have SEC championship game implications, fending off a pesky Arkansas team. Texas still couldn’t get its vertical passing game on track due to the Hogs’ three-safety approach on defense, and Texas players admitted it was frustrating. But in a road game against old rivals who anxiously awaited a chance to break Texas’ hearts the way the Longhorns had done to them for years, Steve Sarkisian’s team adjusted and was able to grind out the 20-10 win. The star was the defense, which was smothering all day, holding an offense that averaged 484 yards per game to just 231. Texas has Kentucky on Saturday before the Aggies on Nov. 30. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 5
Areas of improvement are tough to find for an Indiana team that leads the nation in scoring margin (301) and is 10-0 for the first time. But the Hoosiers’ offensive struggles in the second half on Nov. 9 against Michigan sounded some alarm bells, especially since they will face an Ohio State team with a lot more talent this week. IU had only 17 net yards on 24 plays in the second half against the Wolverines, as reliable quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw an interception near the goal line and a banged-up offensive line showed cracks for the first time.
The second open week came at a good time, as Rourke is still recovering from surgery on the thumb on his throwing hand, while wide receiver Myles Price and others had a chance to rest up. Indiana’s line-of-scrimmage play has been overlooked with all the other highlights, but the Hoosiers must hold up there against Ohio State to have a chance in Columbus. — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 6
Penn State thrashed Purdue 49-10, as expected. But if the Nittany Lions are going to make a playoff run, they’re going to need to be sharper in the red zone. Coming into the weekend, Penn State (9-1) ranked just 48th in red zone scoring percentage (87.2%). Missed opportunities in the red zone doomed the Nittany Lions in their Nov. 2 loss to Ohio State.
Twice, Penn State had first-and-goal at the Buckeyes’ 3-yard line, but both times it came up empty. Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun wrestled the ball away for an interception just before halftime. Then, with a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Penn State couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone. Had the Nittany Lions converted both of those opportunities, they’d still be undefeated. Penn State can’t afford to come up empty on deep drives if it wants to advance in the playoff. — Trotter
Previous ranking: 8
It wasn’t supposed to be close, and it wasn’t Saturday in Alabama’s 52-7 rout of outmanned FCS foe Mercer. It was a scrimmage of sorts for the Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2) before diving into their final two games of the season and what would almost certainly be a berth in the SEC championship game if they can win out against Oklahoma on the road this coming weekend and then Auburn at home on Nov. 30.
Turnovers will be key for Alabama the rest of the way. The Crimson Tide hurt themselves with turnovers in their two losses, so taking care of the ball will be critical. Quarterback Jalen Milroe was done midway through the third quarter after piling up 229 total yards of total offense and accounting for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). He has also been better at limiting his turnovers. Alabama’s defense forced three turnovers in what was the Tide’s third straight dominant performance. Since the 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5, Alabama has not given up more than 25 points in a game. — Chris Low
Previous ranking: 10
After what might end up being a season-defining win over Georgia, Ole Miss (8-2) enjoyed a bye in Week 12 in anticipation of a manageable but anxious home stretch. Lane Kiffin’s Rebels will wrap the season with a trip to Florida and an Egg Bowl visit from Mississippi State. They will be comfortably favored in both games, and at 11th in the CFP rankings, they’ll have a solid shot at ending up in the playoff if they win out. But it’s not a guarantee, and Florida, who just beat LSU on Saturday, is a pretty dangerous underdog at the moment. The Gators will test Ole Miss’ big-play prevention capabilities: On six of 43 snaps against LSU, Florida gained at least 20 yards. MSU can bite off chunk plays as well, and if Ole Miss is to win out, discipline in the back will be a must. — Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 13
Now that the sky is no longer falling in Athens, Georgia, after the Bulldogs took down Tennessee 31-17 on Saturday night, they need to focus on trying to get healthy for the stretch run. Tailback Trevor Etienne missed the game with a rib injury, leaving freshmen Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens to carry the load against the Volunteers. Receiver Dillon Bell went down with an ankle injury; coach Kirby Smart didn’t know the severity of the injury. Georgia’s depleted receiver corps, which was missing suspended Colbie Young, was already razor thin in terms of depth.
The Bulldogs (8-2) were forced to play only five offensive linemen the entire game because starting tackle Earnest Greene III is battling a shoulder injury. The starting unit of left tackle Monroe Freeling, left guard Dylan Fairchild, center Jared Wilson, right guard Tate Ratledge and right tackle Xavier Truss didn’t allow a sack and gave quarterback Carson Beck plenty of time to work. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards with three total touchdowns. Georgia had four scoring drives of 75 yards or more. With non-SEC games remaining against UMass and Georgia Tech at home, Georgia is well-positioned to make the CFP. — Mark Schlabach
Previous ranking: 11
The Irish (9-1) continued their dominance of the ACC, walloping Virginia 35-14 and finishing 5-0 against their part-time conference for the year. Since beginning a scheduling agreement with the ACC that guarantees five games against the conference each season in 2014, Notre Dame has finished without a regular-season loss six times and is 50-11 overall against the ACC. In the win over Virginia, Riley Leonard threw for three touchdowns, and Jeremiyah Love ran for two more. Notre Dame’s playoff hopes likely come down to next week’s game against undefeated Army. — David Hale
Previous ranking: 9
The 9-1 Hurricanes had an open date to prepare for their final two regular-season games, with an ACC championship game berth on the line. There is little doubt Miami spent that time focusing on its defense, and ways to ensure the breakdowns we have seen in recent weeks — especially in a loss to Georgia Tech — are fixed. While the Miami secondary had shown inconsistency throughout the season, what was particularly galling in the loss to the Yellow Jackets was a run defense that simply was out of position and unable to adjust — allowing 271 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Up next is Wake Forest and running back Demond Claiborne, one of the better rushers in the league. The matchup will provide a good test to see whether Miami has fixed one of its bigger issues. — Andrea Adelson
Previous ranking: 12
With BYU’s loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, Boise State (9-1) is inching closer toward the possibility of receiving a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The Broncos got off to a slow start at San José State on Saturday, but after falling behind 14-0, they closed the game on a 42-7 run to win convincingly as Ashton Jeanty broke the single-season school rushing record. With 1,893 yards through 10 games, Jeanty is sure to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and could soon be within striking distance of Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS rushing record of 2,628 yards from 1988. — Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 4
The Volunteers’ eighth straight loss to Georgia didn’t necessarily knock them out of the CFP, but they’re going to face an uphill battle to get back into the top 12 unless there are some upsets in the final two weeks of the regular season. Tennessee (8-2) had a great win over Alabama at home, but victories over struggling NC State and Oklahoma won’t do much to help its chances. Against the Bulldogs, the Volunteers couldn’t protect quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who returned after suffering a concussion last week, and couldn’t get enough pressure on Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.
Iamaleava was sacked five times. He completed 20 of 33 passes for 167 yards. The UT defense didn’t have a sack and had only two tackles for loss, allowing Beck to throw for 347 yards with two scores. Georgia went 8-for-14 on third down and 5-for-5 in the red zone. If the Vols beat UTEP and Vanderbilt in their final two games, they’ll be in the CFP discussion. They’ll probably be wondering if they’ve done enough. — Schlabach
Previous ranking: 14
Certainly, there is plenty to clean up after a 38-28 win over Boston College in which the Eagles took the Mustangs (9-1) down to the wire. BC was able to run the ball for 180 yards and three touchdowns and held the ball for nearly 11 more minutes than the Mustangs — not a huge surprise, given the Eagles clearly planned to slow down SMU and limit its possessions. But SMU’s defense made the plays it needed to in the end, sacking Grayson James on consecutive plays late in the game to help secure the win.
SMU heads to Virginia next to keep its undefeated league mark intact and move one step closer to an ACC championship game appearance. Kevin Jennings and Brashard Smith were spectacular once again, combining to score all four of the Mustangs’ touchdowns. — Adelson
Previous ranking: 7
Another late game-winning drive wasn’t in the cards for BYU, which dropped its first game of the season, 17-13 at home vs. Kansas. The Cougars (9-1) remain tied with Colorado atop the Big 12 standings at 6-1, but are in a position now where they will likely need to win at Arizona State (5-2) on Friday to reach the conference title game. Their 13 points against Kansas were the fewest they have scored in a game this season, as Jake Retzlaff completed 18 of 28 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. — Bonagura
Previous ranking: 17
The Aggies (8-2) needed a get-right game after getting shut out in the second half of a 44-20 loss at South Carolina on Nov. 2 that snapped their seven-game winning streak. They worked out some kinks against New Mexico State, including allowing just 50 yards to the other Aggies in the first half. Marcel Reed further solidified his place as A&M’s starter with two passing touchdowns and a rush for another.
In the first game without leading rusher Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels had five carries for 84 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown, and A&M was able to empty the bench and even get the all-walk-on 12th Man kickoff team some time. The Aggies will have to lock in for a dangerous night game at Auburn on Saturday before returning home to defend Kyle Field against the Longhorns on Nov. 30. — Wilson
Previous ranking: 15
Army (9-0) watched Tulane clinch the other spot in the AAC championship on Saturday; the Green Wave and Black Knights will face off for the title on Dec. 7. But first comes maybe the biggest (non-Navy) Army game in decades Saturday, when the Black Knights head to Yankee Stadium to face Notre Dame in a game that could determine their CFP viability. With a win, they would almost certainly rise into the teens in the CFP rankings. To pull off the upset, though, the Black Knights might have to find their inner disruptor. They are great at the bend-but-don’t-break routine, forcing few negative plays but allowing no big plays and making stops in the red zone. But Notre Dame can run the ball (and finish in the red zone) with ruthless efficiency, and if Army can’t knock the Irish off-schedule, it might not make enough stops. — Connelly
Previous ranking: 16
The Buffaloes (8-2) are on a four-game winning streak and could legitimately win a Big 12 title in Deion Sanders’ second season. But a 49-24 rout of Utah on Saturday left their head coach wanting more from the rushing attack. Arkansas transfer Isaiah Augustave broke a 37-yard touchdown run against the Utes, but the Buffs’ backs combined for 32 yards on 11 carries over the rest of the game. “We can do some remarkable things if we have a more balanced offense,” Sanders said. Colorado has gained 1,017 yards on non-sack rushes this season, fewest among all Power 4 offenses. — Max Olson
Previous ranking: 20
The Gamecocks are one of those teams that nobody is lining up to play right now, and one of the things that will make them even more formidable the rest of the way will be holding on to leads. They’re finding different ways to win, growing up in key areas and smothering opposing offenses with a defensive line that’s right up there with any in college football. The Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3) rallied past Missouri in the final minute for a 34-30 win on Saturday, giving them their fourth straight victory and marking only the second time in the past 11 seasons they have finished with a winning SEC record.
The only real snag is that the Gamecocks had a two-touchdown lead early and couldn’t hold on. That could come back to bite them down the road. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, a redshirt freshman, is blossoming at just the right time. He passed for 353 yards and five touchdowns, with the final one being the game winner to Rocket Sanders on a 15-yard shovel pass. Two nonconference games remain for South Carolina: against Wofford at home this coming weekend and then at home vs. bitter in-state rival Clemson on Nov. 30. The Gamecocks are one of the more improved teams in the country from a year ago and a couple of close losses to LSU and Alabama away from being right in the middle of the playoff conversation. — Low
Previous ranking: 19
The Tigers are done with ACC play with two weeks to go in the regular season, going 7-1 (8-2 overall), and still have a slight chance to make it to the ACC championship game after an up-and-down 24-20 win over Pitt on Saturday. The easiest route would be for Miami to lose again. No matter what happens, Clemson suddenly has issues on its offensive line, which lost another player Saturday. The Tigers are down multiple starters, and it showed in a ragged effort against the Panthers in which they were unable to run the ball until Cade Klubnik‘s late touchdown; Klubnik was harassed for the majority of the game. The Citadel is up next, and then a huge matchup against rival South Carolina at home as the Tigers seek to notch another 10-win season. — Adelson
Previous ranking: NR
Kenny Dillingham and his coaching staff continues to pull off one of the best turnarounds in the country. The 8-2 Sun Devils notched another statement win on Saturday with a 24-14 road stunner over No. 16 Kansas State. Redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt is playing at a high level, Jordyn Tyson burned the Wildcats for 176 receiving yards and two scores on 12 catches and the Sun Devils’ defense didn’t allow a score until late in the third quarter. One area where they’ll need to improve if they hope to win out: the kicking game. Former USC and Ohio State transfer Parker Lewis has taken over the kicking duties and converted a 47-yard field goal against K-State. — Olson
Previous ranking: 25
It’s difficult to nitpick a Green Wave team that has won eight straight games by an average margin of 28.8 points and clinched a spot in the AAC title game with a 35-0 win over Navy on Saturday. However, if Tulane (9-2) wants to make the most of its outside shot at a playoff berth, it could use an uptick in the passing game. Freshman quarterback Darian Mensah delivered another efficient performance in Week 12 (10-of-14, 138 yards, two TDs), while Tulane’s 10th-ranked rushing attack totalled 220 yards. The Green Wave offense is rolling, but Mensah has eclipsed 14 completions just twice over the past eight games and 200 yards only three times during that stretch. The Tulane run game has carried Jon Sumrall’s program this fall, but it will need a passing attack when it meets Army — and the nation’s No. 3 run defense (82.6 yards per game) entering Week 12 — in the AAC championship game on Dec. 6. — Eli Lederman
Previous ranking: NR
The Cyclones (8-2) snapped a two-game skid Saturday with a 24-point second half powered by a pair of Rocco Becht touchdowns. But the biggest hitch in Iowa State’s slim Big 12 title game (and playoff) hopes remains a run defense that was gashed for 287 rushing yards in a 34-17 road win over Cincinnati on Saturday night. The injuries that have ravaged Iowa State’s defense in the back half of the season have shown up on the ground, where Jon Heacock’s unit has now given up 200-plus yards in five of the Cyclones’ past eight games. Can Iowa State improve against the run with a depleted and inexperienced defense in the coming weeks? Unclear. But it’s the area in which the Cyclones need to improve if they’re going to scrap back into the conference title race ahead of a visit to Utah and a home game vs. Kansas State to close the regular season. — Lederman
Previous ranking: 18
The Cougars escaped a number of close calls throughout the season, but their luck finally caught up with them in a poor road performance at New Mexico. Wazzu led 28-14 at halftime, only to collapse in a 38-35 loss, with New Mexico scoring the game-winning touchdown with 21 seconds to play. If the Cougars (8-2) win out, they can still tie their single-season school wins record (11), but there’s no sugarcoating this: It was a terrible loss to take this deep in the season. — Bonagura
Previous ranking: NR
There’s not much to nitpick about the 8-2 Rebels following their 41-20 win over San Diego State late Saturday night. UNLV was never in much danger in this one, pulling away with a 21-point second quarter and surpassing 250 yards both passing and rushing. The Rebels have a top-10 scoring offense in the FBS but haven’t been among the nation’s best in third-down efficiency, ranking 86th entering Saturday with a conversion rate of 38%. They boosted that percentage against the Aztecs by going 8-for-16, but coach Barry Odom knows it’s going to take excellent situational football to win the Mountain West. — Olson
Previous ranking: 24
For the first time since a loss to Kentucky in November 2022, Missouri lost a one-score game. The Tigers’ nine-game winning streak in such games came to an end at the hands of LaNorris Sellers, Raheim Sanders and the South Carolina offense. Mizzou got a gutty performance from quarterback Brady Cook, who started despite being listed as doubtful for much of the week because of a wrist injury; the senior threw for 237 yards and got 150 rushing yards from Nate Noel and a glorious late touchdown from Luther Burden III to give the Tigers the lead with 1:10 left. But the Gamecocks scored 55 seconds later, and Mizzou fell to 6-3. The biggest challenge for the rest of the season: remaining focused. Mizzou entered the season with playoff hopes, and those are out the window, but the Tigers will be favored in each of their last two games and could still finish 9-3. That’s never bad in Columbia. — Connelly
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Eli Lederman
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Eli Lederman
ESPN Staff Writer
- Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.
Julian Lewis, the No. 2 player and quarterback in the 2025 class, decommitted from USC on Sunday, sources told ESPN, sealing a seismic development for one of the nation’s top prospects in the closing weeks of the recruiting cycle.
Lewis’ decommitment, which had been expected, comes the day after the 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback took an unofficial visit to Georgia for the game against Tennessee. He also visited Colorado on Oct. 26 and expressed interest in Indiana throughout his recruitment.
The plan remains for Lewis to commit in the upcoming weeks and enroll early in school, according to sources. He’s the top uncommitted player in the class of 2025 and his choice looms as one of the biggest stories of the early signing period with Colorado, Georgia and Indiana expected to contend for his signature before the signing period opens Dec. 4.
Sources also told ESPN on Sunday that four-star Texas A&M quarterback pledge Husan Longstreet, No. 47 in the 2025 ESPN 300, has flipped his pledge to USC in the wake of Lewis’ departure from the Trojans’ incoming class.
USC quarterbacks coach Luke Huard attended Longstreet’s playoff game at Corona Centennial High School in California on Friday night, and ESPN’s No. 4 pocket passer visited the Trojans during their game against Nebraska on Saturday.
Lewis had been verbally committed to the Trojans since Aug. 22, 2023. Yet questions had swirled over his recruitment from the summer into the fall and all the way through to his decommitment from USC on Sunday.
Lewis’ move marks the latest blow to a USC class that has now lost six commitments from the 2025 ESPN 300 in this cycle.
That list of high-profile departures from Lincoln Riley’s incoming class includes five-star defenders Justus Terry and Isaiah Gibson, and Lewis’ exit stands as USC’s third recruiting loss in the past seven days following the flips of defensive lineman Hayden Lowe (Miami) and cornerback Shamar Arnoux (Auburn).
The Trojans sat ninth in ESPN’s latest class rankings for the 2025 cycle prior to Lewis’ decommitment.
With the move, Lewis instantly regains status as the one of nation’s most sought-after uncommitted prospects. He first entered that realm in 2022 when he burst onto the national scene with 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns while leading Carrollton to the Georgia 7A state title game in his freshman season.
That debut campaign earned Lewis a place as the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class before he reclassified into the 2025 cycle earlier this year, several months after his commitment to USC last August.
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