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Dec 21, 2024, 11:37 PM ET

Beginning with snow in South Bend, the College Football Playoff made its on-campus debut this weekend. The scenes have not disappointed.

Up next is the quarterfinal round, which features four games played at traditional postseason sites: the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Peach Bowl. Much like the first round, the quarterfinals will span two days. No. 3 Boise State kicks things off and will make its first-ever CFP appearance — albeit in a very familiar game, the Fiesta Bowl, where 18 years ago much of the country learned about the Broncos in their unforgettable win against Oklahoma. They’ll face No. 6 Penn State.

The New Year’s Day slate begins with perhaps the most surprising CFP entrant: Arizona State, which was picked to finish last in the 16-team Big 12 and won the league to earn the No. 4 seed. Coach Kenny Dillingham’s Sun Devils will be in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the first time since 1970 and will face No. 5 Texas. Up next will be the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, in which No. 1 seed Oregon, the nation’s only undefeated team this season, will take the field and face No. 8 Ohio State in a highly anticipated rematch. An incredible day finishes up in New Orleans, where No. 2 seed Georgia, the only team in the CFP field to win a national championship in the past four seasons, will face No. 7 Notre Dame at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Ten teams are left in the hunt for a national championship, following a season of unpredictability. Here’s a look at the first two quarterfinal matchups and what to expect Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. — Adam Rittenberg

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Penn State vs. Boise State
Texas vs. Arizona State
Ohio State vs. Oregon
Notre Dame vs. Georgia

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State

When: Dec. 31, 7:45 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

What we learned in Round 1: Perhaps we learned Penn State has an elite defense, but that seemed pretty clear before the 38-10 win over SMU in which the D picked off Kevin Jennings three times in the first half, returning two for touchdowns. Moreover, those interceptions were as much a statement about SMU’s incompetence on the execution of those plays as Penn State’s brilliance. Perhaps we learned that, once again, the 106,000-plus fans in Happy Valley can create havoc for opposing teams, but that won’t be an advantage through the rest of the playoff for Penn State. Perhaps we learned coach James Franklin can win a big one. He had been just 5-21 vs. top-12 teams at Penn State entering this year’s playoff. But while SMU might have earned its No. 11 ranking, the talent disparity on the field clearly favored Penn State, and had the Mustangs not imploded of their own accord so early, there might’ve been real hand-wringing over Franklin’s perplexing fourth-down call from his own 20-yard line up 14-0 or the offense’s inability to break big plays against SMU until the score was entirely lopsided. In other words, Penn State’s win was encouraging, because things mostly went right, and the Nittany Lions did what they were supposed to do. But beyond that, an easy victory against an SMU team that helped by beating itself didn’t exactly prove that this year’s Penn State is finally capable of getting over the hump against a genuinely top-tier opponent. The really good news is, the Nittany Lions are going to get at least one more chance to do just that.

X factor: QB Drew Allar. Allar and the Penn State passing game have been a mixed bag over the past two years. The top-line numbers speak for themselves. Allar wins, he doesn’t turn the ball over, and he has moved the ball consistently against lesser competition. But the downfield threat has never quite materialized for Allar, even as the offense’s explosiveness has improved with Andy Kotelnicki calling plays in 2024. Part of that comes from the lack of a true speed demon on the outside, and part of it comes from a game plan built around two talented tailbacks. But there will come a time in these playoffs — and quite possibly against Boise State — when Allar needs to change the dynamic, force a defense to respect the vertical threat and win some battles downfield.

How Penn State wins: It’s unlikely Penn State can completely run back the blueprint for beating SMU, as it’s not often a defense is gifted so many big plays by the opposing quarterback, but the basic framework for a win should look a good bit like what the Nittany Lions did in Round 1. It’s no secret Boise State’s magic is created by tailback Ashton Jeanty, so if Penn State can force the game into Maddux Madsen’s hands instead, there’s reason to think it can cash in on some QB mistakes, just as it did against SMU. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Jeanty has faced his share of stacked boxes this season, so not only does Penn State need to game-plan to stop Jeanty on defense, but Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton & Co. have to actually bring down the Heisman Trophy runner-up before he can escape into space. — David Hale

Key player: RB Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty has turned in one of the best seasons college football has ever seen from a running back, rushing for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns, to finish second in the Heisman voting. He needs 132 yards to break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, which has stood since 1988 (when bowl stats did not count toward official stats). Jeanty can do it all: get tough yards, break long ones, catch passes. And he has done it as the focal point from opposing defenses in a way few players ever are.

X factor: QB Maddux Madsen. There isn’t really a question of what the Broncos will get from Jeanty. He’s going to deliver when the chances are there and, probably, when they aren’t. In the Mountain West, he was dominant enough to minimize the importance of the passing game. That won’t be the case in this game. The Broncos will need complementary football and Madsen to rise to the occasion. In the regular season, Madsen did an excellent job protecting the football — he threw 29 touchdowns to just three interceptions — and that has to be the case against Penn State. The Nittany Lions terrorized SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, and SMU never stood a chance with his poor performance.

How Boise State wins: When the Broncos lost by three at Oregon in September, they went toe-to-toe with the Ducks from start to finish. That performance earned them a lot of credibility with the selection committee and is perhaps the blueprint for how to advance. The key part here is not falling behind early. They never trailed by more than a score against Oregon, and that allowed Jeanty to stay as involved as possible. He’s going to see loaded boxes, as usual, but the opposing talent level is much higher than anything the Broncos have seen since Oregon. If Boise State can hang on to the ball and avoid third-and-long, it will have a puncher’s chance. — Kyle Bonagura

When: Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

What we learned in Round 1: Texas can morph into whatever form necessary to advance. Quinn Ewers started 8-for-8, but he cooled off after a ball bounced off DeAndre Moore Jr.’s hands and turned into an interception. But the running game took over Saturday for the Longhorns. After running for a total of 60 yards in two losses to Georgia this year, the Longhorns had two 100-yard rushers against Clemson, just the fourth pair of running backs to top the century mark in the playoff. Jaydon Blue, who had 38- and 77-yard touchdown runs — the second the Longhorns’ longest run of the season — added some explosiveness to an offense that has been methodical all season. This Texas team has dimensions where it can shift gears.

X factor: Texas tight end Gunnar Helm is a reliable security blanket for Ewers and the Longhorns, catching a touchdown with 33 seconds left in the first half, and three of his other five catches went for first downs, all coming on first down. The threat of Helm on early downs over the middle softens up looks for the rest of the offense. The 6-5, 250-pound senior is now first in Longhorns history in catches by a tight end and second in yards and touchdowns by a tight end in a season.

How Texas wins: Run the ball and shut down Cam Skattebo. The Texas pass defense was gashed by Clemson at times, giving up three passing TDs after surrendering only four all season, but without Jordyn Tyson, the Sun Devils might not have enough weapons to keep spreading out the nation’s best pass defense. If Texas can contain Skattebo (in the passing game, too) and feed its own running backs behind a strong offensive line, the Longhorns can stifle the Sun Devils and milk the clock while making them play from behind. — Dave Wilson

Key player: RB Cam Skattebo. What is not to love about the way Skattebo plays? His emergence became one of the best storylines of the season, as he ended up finishing fifth in the Heisman voting. He rushed for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding 506 yards and three touchdowns receiving — the only player in the country with 1,000-plus yards rushing and 400-plus yards receiving (even with one missed game). As if that weren’t impressive enough, the last player to hit those marks was Christian McCaffrey in 2015. Skattebo got better as the season progressed — and his performance in the Big 12 championship game speaks to that. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the game after scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), with 208 yards of total offense.

X factor: DB Xavion Alford. It is hard to call one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 an X factor, but so much of the focus on the Sun Devils has been on their offense that Alford deserves some of the spotlight — and he is likely to have an opportunity to come up big. An All-Big 12 first-team selection, Alford has been the model of consistency and an ironman of sorts. He played the fourth-most snaps in coverage in the Big 12 this season (424, 33rd among all FBS players) and allowed just seven receptions, the third fewest in FBS (minimum 300 coverage snaps). Teams have learned to not throw his way — he has been targeted just 17 times this season. As a result, he has allowed only 76 yards in coverage, fourth lowest among FBS players.

How Arizona State wins: Texas presents the biggest, most physical challenge up front that Arizona State has faced this season. The Longhorns completely owned Clemson at the line of scrimmage in their first-round game, so to defeat them, Arizona State will have to match or beat that physicality — and force Ewers into making mistakes. We all know what Skattebo can do, but Texas ranks as one of the best defenses in the country — so keeping that group off-balance is going to be key. Sam Leavitt has shown incredible poise as the starting quarterback, but the offensive line is going to have to make sure to keep Texas at bay so he does not get rattled. — Andrea Adelson

When: Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

What we learned in Round 1: Despite falling to Michigan, Ohio State is plenty capable of winning the national championship. The Buckeyes bounced back in a big way, throttling one of the SEC’s top teams all year in Tennessee. Ohio State jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka got open at will, and quarterback Will Howard put the ball on the money. Defensively, linebacker Cody Simon set a physical tone, cracking Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava‘s helmet on the opening drive with a devastating hit. It’s hard to see anyone else in the playoff defeating this version of the Buckeyes.

X factor: The Volunteers simply couldn’t cover Smith, who ignited the Ohio State scoring barrage with a 37-yard scoring grab on the opening possession. Ohio State curiously gave Smith only two targets in the Michigan loss, with both coming in the third quarter, resulting in just one catch for 3 yards. This time around, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s game plan against Tennessee clearly was to get the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Wide Receiver of the Year involved early and often. The Buckeyes have capable veteran playmakers (Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins), but Ohio State’s offense is at its most dangerous when Smith is touching the ball.

How Ohio State wins: In their first meeting, the Buckeyes allowed Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to operate with a clean pocket (no sacks, only two QB hurries). The Heisman Trophy finalist made them play with 341 passing yards, highlighted by several completions downfield and two touchdowns on the way to the 32-31 victory. As the Tennessee game illustrated, Ohio State has the pass rushers — notably Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau — to overwhelm the opposing quarterback. Getting to Gabriel in the rematch will be paramount for the Buckeyes. — Jake Trotter

Key player: QB Dillon Gabriel. This is why Gabriel left Oklahoma and made his way to Eugene, to play in games like this. The fifth-year senior will lead Oregon into the Rose Bowl with a chance to stay undefeated and get one step closer to his ultimate goal of winning a national championship. Only Shedeur Sanders had a better completion percentage than Gabriel this season, an impressive feat when you consider this is his first year in the Ducks’ offense. Gabriel fit in seamlessly into offensive coordinator Will Stein’s unit and has produced his best games when Oregon has needed him the most — 341 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State and 283 yards and four touchdowns in the Big Ten title game against Penn State. For Oregon to advance, Gabriel will need to not just replicate those kinds of performances, but likely dig deeper for more.

X factor: DE Jordan Burch. Oregon’s defense hasn’t exactly lacked for much given its depth and talent, but Burch has been a force. Despite missing four games with an injury, he has been able to tally 8.5 sacks (20th in the country), including a 2.5-sack outing against Washington in the regular-season finale. Having an extended rest period between the Big Ten title game and the Rose Bowl is a boon for a player like Burch, who could single-handedly tilt the game in the Ducks’ favor by wreaking havoc in the opposing team’s backfield.

How Oregon wins: The Ducks have the benefit (or the curse, depending on how you look at it) no other team in the quarterfinals has: They’ve already beaten their opponent once. Against the Buckeyes in October, Oregon fought fire with fire, out-gaining, outmatching and ultimately outscoring Ohio State by a single point in Eugene, thanks to a handful of explosive plays, fewer penalties and winning the turnover battle (2-0). The margin between these two teams is already slim and on a neutral site, Oregon will have to be more explosive, more disciplined and simply better — especially on defense, where they allowed 467 total yards — to be able to beat a tough opponent twice. The way the playoff bracket shook out is not how the No. 1 seed Ducks would have likely preferred, but what we get as a result is a rematch that could provide us with an all-time classic between arguably the two best teams in the country this year. It’s only fitting that the setting will be the Rose Bowl. — Paolo Uggetti

When: Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

What we learned in Round 1: Notre Dame has a championship-level defense with stars at all three levels. Safety Xavier Watts won the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2023, but he’s actually even better this season and showed why against Indiana with 10 tackles and an interception. Jaiden Ausberry led a playmaking group of linebackers and Rylie Mills created havoc up front, as Notre Dame flexed on third down (7 of 13 conversions). Notre Dame’s offense isn’t always the most fluid unit, but with so many running options, chunk plays are always possible, and Jeremiyah Love can deliver them, as he showed with a 98-yard touchdown, the longest play in CFP history.

X factor: WR Jordan Faison, a standout lacrosse player thrust into action at wide receiver in 2023 because of attrition, has become a sneaky good target for quarterback Riley Leonard. Despite missing three early-season games with a sprained ankle, Faison has made multiple catches in every contest he has appeared in, and he had a career-high seven receptions for 89 yards against Indiana. “He’s a playmaker, man,” coach Marcus Freeman said. The sophomore also has a knack for shining in the postseason, as he earned Sun Bowl MVP honors last year with 115 receiving yards and a touchdown against Oregon State. Notre Dame can’t beat Georgia strictly with its run game, and it will need wideouts such as Faison to make notable contributions.

How Notre Dame wins: The Irish must harass Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, likely filling in for injured starter Carson Beck, just as they did Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke on Friday. Notre Dame’s defense, which has carried the team much of the season, recorded 10 tackles for loss and three sacks against Indiana and rarely let the Hoosiers operate on schedule. The Irish also need to replicate the offensive balance they showed against Indiana while being a bit more consistent on the ground. Remove Love’s 98-yard touchdown, and Notre Dame had 95 net rushing yards on 34 carries. Notre Dame also must play a cleaner game on special teams after having a field goal attempt blocked and an onside kick recovered by Indiana late in the game. — Rittenberg

Key player: QB Gunner Stockton. With Bulldogs starter Carson Beck probably sidelined for the CFP because of an elbow injury on his throwing arm, they’ll turn to Stockton, who is expected to make his first start in the Sugar Bowl. Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in Georgia’s 22-19 victory over Texas in the SEC championship game. He came off the bench to rally the Bulldogs back from a 6-3 deficit at the half. The third-year sophomore has completed 78.1% of his attempts for 206 yards in parts of three games in 2024. Stockton is more of a runner than Beck, but he has far less experience. At Rabun County High School, Stockton had 13,652 career passing yards and 177 passing touchdowns to go with 4,372 rushing yards and 77 rushing touchdowns in his four-year career. He set Georgia state high school records for career passing touchdowns, passing yards and rushing touchdowns.

X factor: RB Trevor Etienne. The Florida transfer returned from a nearly monthlong absence because of a rib injury and ran for 94 yards with two scores in the SEC championship game. He ran for 87 yards with three touchdowns in a 30-15 victory over the Longhorns in the regular season. Etienne can become a big safety valve for Stockton because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield — he has 28 receptions for 168 yards. Etienne is also a more-than-capable blocker, which will be important if Notre Dame’s defense decides to dial up the heat on Stockton. The Irish are 39th in run defense in the FBS (133 yards per game), and they held Indiana to only 63 yards in the first round.

How Georgia wins: With Stockton stepping under center, the Bulldogs are going to need their defense to rise up big time. This hasn’t been Georgia’s best defense under coach Kirby Smart; it ranks 21st in scoring defense (20.4 points), 36th against the run (127.8 yards) and 35th in total defense (334.8 yards). The defense has played well in some of Georgia’s biggest games, including wins over Texas and Tennessee. Linebackers Smael Mondon Jr. and Jalon Walker will need to control Notre Dame’s running game, and they’ll need to force the Irish into a couple of turnovers. — Mark Schlabach

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

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August 2, 2025

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

  • Seth Wickersham

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    Seth Wickersham

    ESPN Senior Writer

    • Senior Writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine
    • Joined ESPN The Magazine after graduating from the University of Missouri.
    • Although he primarily covers the NFL, his assignments also have taken him to the Athens Olympics, the World Series, the NCAA tournament and the NHL and NBA playoffs.

Jul 31, 2025, 11:10 PM ET

Stanford has hired former Nike CEO John Donahoe as the school’s new athletic director, the university announced Thursday.

Donahoe, 65, will arrive in the collegiate athletic director space with a vast swath of business experience, as Stanford officials viewed him as a “unicorn candidate” because of both his business ties and history at the school. Stanford coveted a nontraditional candidate for the role, and Donahoe’s hire delivers a seasoned CEO with stints at Nike, Bain & Company and eBay. He also served as the board chair of PayPal.

He also brings strong Stanford ties as a 1986 MBA graduate. He has had two stints on the Stanford business school’s advisory board, including currently serving in that role.

“My north star for 40 years has been servant leadership, and it is a tremendous honor to be able to come back to serve a university I love and to lead Stanford Athletics through a pivotal and tumultuous time in collegiate sports,” Donahoe said in a statement. “Stanford has enormous strengths and enormous potential in a changing environment, including being the model for achieving both academic and athletic excellence at the highest levels. I can’t wait to work in partnership with the Stanford team to build momentum for Stanford Athletics and ensure the best possible experiences for our student-athletes.”

Donahoe replaces Bernard Muir, who announced in February that he was stepping down after serving in that role since 2012. Alden Mitchell has been the school’s interim athletic director.

The hire is a head-turning one for Stanford, bringing in someone with Donahoe’s high-level business experience. And it comes at a time when the athletic department has struggled in its highest-profile sports, as football is amid four consecutive 3-9 seasons and the men’s basketball team hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament since 2014.

In hiring Donahoe, Stanford is aiming for someone who can find an innovative way to support general manager Andrew Luck and the football program while also figuring out a sustainable model for the future of Stanford’s Olympic sports.

“Stanford occupies a unique place in the national athletics landscape,” university president Jonathan Levin said in a statement. “We needed a distinctive leader — someone with the vision, judgment, and strategic acumen for a new era of college athletics, and with a deep appreciation for Stanford’s model of scholar-athlete excellence. John embodies these characteristics. We’re grateful he has agreed to lead Stanford Athletics through this critical period in college sports.”

Stanford’s Olympic sports remain the best in the country, as Stanford athletes or former athletes accounted for 39 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If Stanford were a country, it would have tied with Canada for the 11th-most medals. Stanford has also won 26 of the possible 31 director’s cups for overall athletic success in college, including a 25-year streak from 1995 to 2019.

School officials approached Donahoe in recent weeks about the position, with both Levin and former women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer among the chief recruiters. Donahoe has a long-standing relationship with both, as he maintained strong ties to the school throughout his career.

Sources said Luck will report to Donahoe. Luck spent time with him in the interview process and is excited to work with him, sources said. It’s also a change from the prior structure, as upon Luck’s hiring he had been slated to report to Levin.

“I am absolutely thrilled John Donahoe is joining as our next athletic director,” Luck said in a statement. “He brings unparalleled experience and elite leadership to our athletic department in a time of opportunity and change. I could not be more excited to partner with and learn from him.”

Stanford is set to begin a football season in which it is picked to finish last in the 17-team ACC. Former NFL coach Frank Reich is the interim coach, and both sides have made clear this is a definitive interim situation and that he won’t return after the 2025 season.

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Iowa State extends Campbell, bumps pay to $5M

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August 2, 2025

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Iowa State extends Campbell, bumps pay to M

  • Max OlsonAug 1, 2025, 04:59 PM ET

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    • Covers the Big 12
    • Joined ESPN in 2012
    • Graduate of the University of Nebraska

Iowa State and coach Matt Campbell have finalized a contract extension through 2032 after the winningest coach in program history led the Cyclones to their first-ever 11-win season in 2024.

Campbell will earn $5 million per year in total compensation, according to a copy of the contract obtained by ESPN on Friday. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year honoree took a discount on the deal, sources told ESPN, to ensure that his staff salary pool increased and to allow Iowa State to allocate an additional $1 million to revenue-sharing funds for its football roster.

Campbell earned $4 million in 2024 while leading the Cyclones to a Big 12 championship game appearance, an 11-3 record and a No. 15 finish in the AP poll. He’s entering his 10th season in Ames and has won a school record of 64 games during his tenure.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders will be the Big 12’s highest-paid head coach this year at $10 million after landing a five-year, $54 million contract extension in March. Campbell’s new salary will not rank among the top five in the conference, but he prioritized maximizing Iowa State’s ability to invest in its football roster following a historic season.

Campbell, 45, told ESPN in July at Big 12 media days that “probably our top 20 guys took a pay cut to come back to Iowa State” for 2025, relative to what they could’ve earned in NIL compensation by entering the transfer portal.

The head coach’s deal includes performance incentives based on the Cyclones’ regular-season record, starting at $250,000 for seven wins and climbing to $1.5 million for a 12-0 season. He’ll earn at least $100,000 for a Big 12 title game appearance and up to $500,000 for a Big 12 championship. The deal also permits him to distribute up to $100,000 of his performance incentive earnings each year to his football staff.

If Campbell accepts another Power 4 head coaching job before the end of his contract, his buyout would be $2 million. He would not owe liquidated damages if he departs for an NFL coaching opportunity. Campbell interviewed with the Chicago Bears in January during the organization’s head coaching search.

Campbell surpassed Dan McCarney as the program’s winningest head coach last season and has led the Cyclones to bowl games in seven of the past eight seasons, including a Fiesta Bowl victory and a top-10 finish in 2020.

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What you missed from college football recruiting this summer

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August 2, 2025

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What you missed from college football recruiting this summer

  • Eli LedermanAug 2, 2025, 07:33 AM ET

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      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.

The busiest 60 days of the annual recruiting calendar are officially behind us. And while another four months still remain before the December early signing period, college football’s top programs have already wrapped up the majority of their business in the 2026 cycle.

Per ESPN Research, a total of 155 prospects in the 2026 ESPN 300 made commitments in an avalanche of summer recruiting business from June 1 to July 31. In the wake of that, only 16 uncommitteds remain in the ESPN 300 as of Saturday morning. Within that group are just nine top-100 recruits, with five-star defensive end Jake Kreul, No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and No. 2 defensive tackle Deuce Geralds among those expected to come off the board in August.

More settled by this point of the cycle than any other in recent memory, college football’s 2026 class is unfolding against the backdrop of yet another moment of change in the sport. The House settlement and earliest ebbs of college athletics’ revenue sharing era have already shaped the 2026 cycle, and their effects will continue to ripple across the class until February’s national signing day.

As the recruiting trail prepares to take a (relative) back seat to fall camp practices, here’s a look at how the cycle played out this summer and what could come next for the class of 2026:

Revenue sharing and a new era in recruiting

The House settlement, which now permits schools to pay their athletes directly, among other sweeping changes, officially took effect July 1.

But according to personnel staffers, agents, recruits and parents surveyed by ESPN this month on the condition of anonymity, byproducts of college football’s new reality and the initial revenue sharing cap of $20.5 million across all sports have been steering the 2026 cycle for months. “In the past, collectives would always say we’re only going to offer what we know we can pay you,” a player agent told ESPN. “Now programs know what the budget will be, and harder numbers were discussed earlier than usual. The ability for programs to get those numbers out there early was huge.” As schools prepared roster budgets and braced for post-settlement oversight this spring, a number of Power 4 programs began front-loading their 2025 rosters in the lead-up to July 1.

In some cases, that meant negotiating updated, pre-settlement contracts with transfers and current players, deals that will not count against the post-July 1 revenue share cap. In others, sources told ESPN that programs and collectives found workarounds on the recruiting trail, doling out upfront payments as high as $25,000 per month to committed recruits in the 2026 class, primarily through advantageous high school NIL laws that exist in states such as California, Oregon and Washington.

Those front-loading efforts helped several programs jump out to fast starts in the 2026 cycle. Per sources, the impending arrival of revenue sharing also played a significant role in speeding up the 2026 class this spring. With programs in position to present firmer financial figures, a flurry of elite prospects committed to schools on verbal agreements before July 1.

“People rushed to get deals done pre-House,” a Power 4 personnel staffer told ESPN. “You know there’s only so much money available, and schools let kids know that. The first one to say yes gets it.”

Friday loomed especially large in the short-lived history of the House settlement.

Per the settlement, Aug. 1 was the first official date rising seniors could formally receive written revenue share contracts from programs and NIL collectives, the latter of which will now operate under looser regulation from the newly founded College Sports Commission, per a memo sent to athletic directors on Thursday. Put another way, Aug. 1 was the first day committed prospects and their families could officially learn whether terms they had agreed to earlier this year were legit.

“We’re going to see how serious these schools are,” said the parent of an ESPN 300 quarterback. “I think we might see some kids decommit and find new schools this fall.”

Across the industry, sources believe programs will, for the most part, deliver on the verbal agreements. Multiple agents and personnel staffers told ESPN that a number of programs have also generally ignored the Aug. 1 stipulation across the spring and summer, presenting frameworks of agreements to prospective recruits or flouting the rule entirely. Another question hovering over the months ahead: How much will these agreements do to contain the annual shuffle of flips, decommitments and late-cycle drama in the 2026 class?

“These deals should keep things more in check,” another Power 4 personnel staffer said. “But I’m not naive to think some won’t flip. There’s some snakes out there.”

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No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown commits to LSU

No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown stays home and commits to play for the LSU Tigers.

Where do things stand with the 2026 five-star class?

Oregon offensive tackle commit Immanuel Iheanacho, No. 13 in the 2026 ESPN 300, initially planned to announce his commitment Aug. 5. But, like many of the 2026 five-stars who entered late spring still uncommitted, Iheanacho felt the heat of an accelerated market in June.

“There were a couple of schools I was looking at that asked me to commit early, really wanting to get me in their class,” Iheanacho told ESPN. “Oregon didn’t rush me at all.”

Even so, Iheanacho eventually shifted his commitment timeline forward more than a month. ESPN’s second-ranked offensive line prospect picked the Ducks over Auburn, LSU and Penn State on July 3, landing as one of 11 five-star recruits to commit between June 14 and July 20.

As of Saturday morning, only one of the record 23 five-star prospects in ESPN’s class rankings for 2026 remains uncommitted. LSU secured a class cornerstone and the highest-ranked pledge of the Brian Kelly era in No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown on July 10. Meanwhile, Florida (McCoy) and Texas A&M (Arrington) each landed a top-15 defender, Ojo landed a historic deal with Texas Tech, and Texas closed July with the most five-star pledges — four — in the country.

With Kreul, the skilled pass rusher from Florida’s IMG Academy nearing a decision from among Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas, ESPN’s 2026 five-star class could be closed out before Week 0.

No matter how it plays out from here, the cycle’s five-stars are already historically settled. As of Saturday morning, 95.6% of the five-star class is committed among 14 schools across the Power 4 conferences. Per ESPN Research, it’s by far the highest Aug. 1 five-star pledge rate in any cycle since at least 2020. Just over a decade ago, only six of the 20 five-stars (30%) in the 2015 cycle were committed on Aug. 1, 2014; nearly half the class committed after New Year’s Day.

Highest rate of five-star pledges by Aug. 1 since the start of the 2020 cycle

  • 2026: 95.6%

  • 2024: 76.1%

  • 2025: 72.7%

  • 2021: 66.6%

  • 2020: 58.8%

A number of factors — the early signing period, NIL, transfer portal, new rules around recruiting windows and on-campus visits — explain why elite recruiting continues to inch further and further from the traditional February signing day. Amid the fallout of the House settlement, the latest five-star class seemingly received another nudge this summer.

What’s left for the 2026 QB market after summer moves?

The last major quarterback domino in the 2026 class fell July 18 when four-star Landon Duckworth (No. 178 overall) committed to South Carolina. More than four months from the early signing period, the quarterback market in 2026 is effectively closed.

After Ryder Lyons (BYU), Bowe Bentley (Oklahoma) and Jaden O’Neal (Florida State) found homes in June, Duckworth was the last uncommitted ESPN 300 quarterback. Further down the class, several major programs across the Big Ten and SEC dipped into the flip market or outside the top 300 to secure their 2026 quarterback pledge(s) this summer.

Notable quarterback moves since June 1:

Oregon ended its monthslong chase for a quarterback pledge June 25 with former Boise State commit Beaver. One of the cycle’s top summer risers after a standout Elite 11 finals showing, Beaver landed with Ducks coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein over interest Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss in whirlwind, 13-day rerecruitment.

Alabama has five-star freshman Keelon Russell. But still repairing the program’s quarterback pipeline under coach Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide added two pledges this summer between Thomalla — an Iowa State flip — and Kaawa. Across the state, Auburn and coach Hugh Freeze made their move June 26 flipping Falzone from Penn State before Ohio State (Fahey) and Kentucky (Ponatoski), another pair of quarterback-needy programs, landed pledges in July.

For now, the quarterback class is settled and only so many major programs are still searching in 2026.

Among the 68 Power 4 programs and Notre Dame, only 10 reached August without at least one pledge among the 106 quarterback prospects rated by ESPN: Colorado, Georgia Tech, LSU, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Stanford, UCLA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Who might still be looking within that group?

Colorado (Julian Lewis), Maryland (Malik Washington) and UCLA (Madden Iamaleava) each signed a top-300 quarterback in the 2025 class. With all three programs in the midst of roster rebuilds, none is likely to make a serious push at the position this fall.

With Garrett Nussmeier out of eligibility in 2025, and after the LSU lost No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood to Michigan last fall, the Tigers remain a program to watch in the coming months.

What did ESPN’s top five classes do this summer?

The Trojans got the bulk of their work done on the trail this spring and began June with the most ESPN 300 pledges of any program nationally. That remains the case as USC has bolstered its top-ranked incoming class with five more ESPN 300 pledges over the past eight weeks, adding defenders Talanoa Ili (No. 54 overall), Luke Wafle (No. 104) and Peyton Dyer (No. 269), a July 4 pledge from No. 3 wide receiver Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (No. 25) and the commitment of highly regarded four-star offensive guard Breck Kolojay (No. 198) on Friday.

Can USC hold on to secure its first No. 1 class since 2013? Time will tell. Sources told ESPN that the Trojans’ biggest moves in the cycle are likely finished while the program continues to target the tight end and safety positions, but there’s still time for plenty more to unfold this fall.

The Bulldogs went for volume and quality this summer, collecting 19 commitments including 12 from inside the ESPN 300. Georgia continued to build around five-star quarterback Jared Curtis with five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro, top-50 offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, running back Jae Lamar and pass catchers Brayden Fogle and Craig Dandridge. On the other side of the ball, defensive backs Justice Fitzpatrick, Chase Calicut and Caden Harris, and defensive tackle Pierre Dean Jr. rank among the newest arrivals in an increasingly deep Bulldogs defensive class.

Georgia’s summer wasn’t without a few major misses. Losing out to Texas on No. 1 outside linebacker Tyler Atkinson — a priority in-state target — stung. Top running back Derrek Cooper’s subsequent pledge to the Longhorns marked another blow, as did wide receiver Vance Spafford‘s decision to flip to Miami in late June. But the Bulldogs are loaded up once again on top during this cycle and will hit the fall in line to secure the program’s 10th straight top-three signing class for 2026.

The Aggies landed a key local recruiting win over Texas on June 17 with a commitment from No. 5 running back K.J. Edwards, the state’s No. 6 prospect in 2026. But Texas A&M’s summer of recruiting was defined on defense, where coach Mike Elko is building another monster class.

Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington, who will play defensive back in college, became the program’s top-ranked 2026 pledge on June 19. Behind him, the Aggies have added top-150 defenders Bryce Perry-Wright, Camren Hamiel and Tristian Givens, and top 300 linebacker Daquives Beck since June 1 to a defensive class that features nine ESPN 300 pledges.

Even after narrowly missing on top defenders Lamar Brown (LSU) and Anthony Jones (Oregon) in July, Texas A&M holds one of the nation’s deepest classes and appears poised to contend later this year for its first top-five class since the Aggies went No. 1 in 2022.

It was a five-star bonanza for coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns this summer.

It began with a late-June pledge from Oregon decommit Richard Wesley, ESPN’s No. 3 defensive end. From there, Texas went on to secure its latest pair of recruiting wins over Georgia last month, swooping in to land Atkinson on July 15 before earning Derrek Cooper’s commitment five days later. With No. 1 quarterback Dia Bell already in the fold, the Longhorns have as many five-star pledges in 2026 as the program signed across 11 classes from 2011 to 2021.

Top-50 offensive lineman John Turntine III marked a key addition July 4, and the Longhorns got deeper on defense with commitments from cornerback Samari Matthews and former Georgia defensive tackle pledge James Johnson. But the five-star moves have been the story for Texas this summer, and Sarkisian & Co. might not be done yet with the Longhorns heavily in the mix for Jake Kreul, the last remaining five-star in the 2026 class.

After a productive spring, the Irish landed five ESPN 300 pledges after June 1, plugging the few remaining holes in the program’s 2026 class with a series of elite high school prospects.

Notre Dame landed its top two defensive back commitments within hours of each other on June 20 with pledges from cornerback Khary Adams and Joey O’Brien. On June 26, the Irish secured their highest-ranked tight end commit since the 2021 class in four-star Ian Premer. And in early July, Notre Dame bolstered its wide receiver class with an infusion of talent and NFL pedigree, adding Kaydon Finley (son of Jermichael Finley), Brayden Robinson and Devin Fitzgerald (son of Larry Fitzgerald).

Notre Dame’s trip to last season’s national title game arrived amid the program’s steady rise on the recruiting trail under coach Marcus Freeman. That has continued in 2026, where the Irish are poised to sign more ESPN 300 pledges — 17 — than in any cycle since at least 2006.

Five programs poised to push for a top-five finish this fall

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 6

Only one program can match USC’s count of nine top-100 pledges in 2026: Alabama.

The Crimson Tide’s second class under coach Kalen DeBoer boomed in June and July as the Crimson Tide secured a slew of commitments on defense with five-star safety Jireh Edwards (No. 23 overall), No. 3 outside linebacker Xavier Griffin (No. 30) and defensive ends Nolan Wilson (No. 53) and Jamarion Matthews (No. 92). Priority in-state offensive targets Ezavier Crowell (No. 31) and Cederian Morgan (No. 47) marked two more key additions this summer.

Alabama whiffed on another major in-state recruit Thursday when four-star outside linebacker Anthony Jones, the state’s No. 1 prospect in 2026, committed to Oregon. Jones represented one of the last elite targets on the Crimson Tide’s board. But Alabama has already flipped four Power 4 commits this summer and could continue to climb this fall as long as DeBoer and his staff remain active within the class from now to the early signing period.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 11

LSU enters the month with ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit, a five-star wide receiver in Tristen Keys (No. 10 overall) and 10 total ESPN 300 commits in the program’s incoming recruiting class.

How can the Tigers climb into the upper reaches of the 2026 cycle this fall? First and foremost, they have to hang onto Keys, ESPN’s No. 3 wide receiver. He has been committed to LSU since March 19, but that didn’t keep him from taking multiple official visits in the spring or shield him from serious flips efforts from Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M this summer.

The Tigers’ battle to keep Keys could stretch all the way to the early signing period.

Sources expect LSU to ramp up its own flip efforts with in-state safety and Ohio State pledge Blaine Bradford (No. 34 overall) in the coming months. The Tigers are also finalists for Deuce Geralds and remain top contenders in the recruitments of offensive linemen Darius Gray (No. 73) and wide receiver Jase Mathews, both of whom are set to commit in August. LSU can’t be counted out from renewing its work in the 2026 quarterback this fall, either.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 7

The defending national champs had a relatively quiet summer atop the 2026 cycle, adding only four ESPN 300 pledges highlighted by the in-state pledges of outside linebacker Cincere Johnson (No. 82 overall) and running back Favour Akih (No. 160). Fahey, ESPN’s No. 28 pocket passer, will pad Ohio State’s future quarterback depth after Air Noland‘s offseason transfer, too.

One priority target who could help push the Buckeyes over the edge is four-star prospect Bralan Womack (No. 32). Ohio State has been consistent a leader in the recruitment of ESPN’s No. 3 safety through the spring and summer, and coach Ryan Day & Co. will have to hold off late pushes from fellow finalists Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M from now until Womack’s Aug. 22 commitment date. The Buckeyes also remain involved in the recruitments of No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and Darius Gray, the nation’s 10th-ranked offensive lineman.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 8

Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore has filled out his class with nine ESPN 300 pledges since June 1, headlined by top-100 defender Carter Meadows (No. 88 overall), who trails only quarterback Brady Smigiel (No. 44) among the top prospects pledged to Michigan in 2026.

Who could be next for the Wolverines? Michigan are finalists for ESPN 300 defenders Davon Benjamin (No. 63) and Anthony Davis Jr. (No. 299) with each set for a decision Saturday. More prominently, the Wolverines remain focused on Hiter (No. 24 overall), a top priority for the Michigan staff this summer whose commitment date is set for Aug. 19. The Wolverines also continue to be linked with Syracuse wide receiver pledge Calvin Russell (No. 28). ESPN’s No. 4 wide receiver closed a narrowing process with a commitment to the Orange on July 5, but sources expect Michigan and Miami to remain involved with Russell this fall.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 10

No. 2 outside linebacker Anthony Jones committed to the Ducks on Thursday, joining five-stars Immanuel Iheanacho and Jett Washington in a string of high-profile pledges for Oregon this summer.

Insiders believe the Ducks have backed off at the very top of the 2026 class after spending in the 2025 cycle, but Jones’ pledge could be the first move in a late-summer surge for coach Dan Lanning. Oregon is viewed as the front-runner for both Deuce Geralds and Davon Benjamin as the pair of top-65 prospects prepare to announce their commitments Saturday afternoon. If the Ducks land both, Lanning & Co. could be in position to sign another top-five class by December.

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