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It’s 2025 MLB draft week, so it is time to expand my ranking of the top prospects in this year’s draft class to 250 players.

While my mock draft later this week will attempt to predict which teams will draft specific players, this list is based on how good I think the players actually are.

Behind the scenes, I’ve updated my overall minor league top 100 rankings (here’s my recent top 50) to make adjustments and remove the graduated players, so I can tell you roughly where the top players in the draft would slot on that list the moment they sign. I’ve also included Future Value grades (FV) so you can see where those players would slot in your team’s overall prospects rankings (now updated monthly). I’ve also included present and future tool grades for all of the players with a 45-plus FV or better.

This year’s class is highlighted by a group of college left-handed pitchers near the top of the rankings. Which one is No. 1? It’s time to find out.

More draft coverage: Mock draft 2.0 | Big question for all 30 teams

Watch: July 13 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN

55 FV tier

1. Kade Anderson (21.0), LHP, LSU

Fastball: 50/55, Slider: 55/60, Curveball: 45/50, Changeup: 50/55, Command: 45/55

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 25

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His durability doesn’t continue to progress, his stuff and/or command dips below 55-grade and he’s a back-end starter.

Anderson had Tommy John surgery in high school that took him off the trajectory he was on as an underclassman, to be a seven-figure prospect out of high school. He’s eligible as a sophomore because of his age and showed flashes during the 2024 season as a freshman but threw only 38⅓ innings.

Entering this season, he was seen as a speculative comp/second-round prospect because of his lack of history. Then, he struck out 180 hitters this spring as the ace for national champs, not that far behind Paul Skenes’ 209 strikeouts on a similar journey at LSU.

Anderson’s elbow surgery and slighter frame make some evaluators hesitate about his long-term ability to post 180-plus innings as a potential frontline starter. The other hesitation is he has more good, above-average stuff than truly standout plus or better stuff. Max Fried is a name that comes up a lot, as a similarly framed lefty who overcame those questions and has a similar ability to create four or more good, distinct shapes and hit spots with some precision.

Given the track record of ACC/SEC aces taken in the top 10 picks rushing to the big leagues of late, Anderson is seen as a likely quick-mover who might need only slight tweaks — throwing his slider out of the zone more for chases, throwing his curveball a tick or two harder, maybe adding/tweaking his pitch shapes slightly, making a timing tweak or adding muscle to deliver a little more velocity — to reach his potential.

Chase Burns (No. 2 pick last year) was a better draft prospect, but I think Anderson is right there with Hagen Smith (No. 5 last year) as a draft prospect. I’m not worried Anderson will go down the path of other top-10-pick lefty college starters who became MLB relievers (A.J. Puk, Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Miller) because of his feel to execute. Also, his supinator lean (like Fried) gives him more avenues to find new shapes to attack hitters, while his left-handedness and polish give some margin for error.


2. Ethan Holliday (18.3), SS, Stillwater HS (OK), Oklahoma State commit

Hit: 25/45, Game Power: 30/65, Raw Power: 60/70, Speed: 45/40, Fielding: 40/50, Throwing: 55/55

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 31

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His hit tool is closer to a 40 (.230ish hitter), and the lower contact rate limits his power upside to around 20 homers.

I’ve taken a journey when it comes to Holliday over the past year, from being lower on him than the industry consensus until the middle of this spring, then eventually coming around to rank him basically where the vast majority has him — as virtually a co-No. 1 in the class with Anderson. I broke down that journey in detail here after I scouted him this spring, and I also wrote a feature about him and fellow prospect Eli Willits in which Holliday explained how he lived that journey that I scouted without me even asking him about it directly.

The short version is Holliday hasn’t performed that well in the summer, when the best pitchers in the class face the best hitters — who hit with wood bats. That period is seen as the best proxy for pro ball, and teams weigh it heavily in their draft models because it is proven to be predictive.

I noticed Holliday didn’t pull a fastball in any of the games charted by Synergy last summer, and his timing with his hands seemed to be to blame. He fixed that this spring but wasn’t facing much pro-level velocity, so it isn’t battle tested, though it looks like he’s now ready to perform at the level of his tools. Teams that are heavily model oriented don’t think Holliday belongs up here because of his weaker summer performance and unproven timing adjustment.

I’m now most of the way to believing he’ll live up to his tools but that he will be something like a .250 hitter with a strong walk rate and 25-30 homers while playing an above-average defensive third base.

There’s still some risk in that projection, so that’s why I give Anderson the slight edge right now. Because there’s a larger-than-normal error bar on my Holliday projection, he could move up significantly on my pro top 100 ranking if he demolishes A-Ball like his brother Jackson did; the potential is there to be the top prospect in this draft class and in all of baseball if it clicks like some expect.


3. Eli Willits (17.6), SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK), Oklahoma commit

Hit: 30/60, Game Power: 20/45, Raw Power: 40/50, Speed: 60/55, Fielding: 45/55, Throwing: 55/55

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 37

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His athleticism backs up a tick and he’s a 10-15 homer type playing second base.

I’ve written a lot about Willits this spring, from detailing why he’s in the mix at the top of the draft despite medium tools and profiling him and fellow Oklahoman Holliday’s journey to this point — like how Willits moved hay bales on his family’s ranch the day before I spoke to him. The short version is Willits is another in the line of medium-framed, medium-tooled players with excellent performance and skills that the industry tends to overlook.

I pounded the drum about this with Kevin McGonigle and hit a home run on that call; he’s now a top-15 prospect in the game after getting the 31st-highest bonus in the 2023 draft as the 37th pick after I ranked him 21st predraft.

Willits is younger, faster and a better defender than McGonigle at the same point, so there’s even more here. Willits’ upside is becoming one of the better hitters for average and on-base in the majors, with 20/20 potential as a shortstop — still not the face of the sport but one of the top 20 players in the league.

50 FV tier

4. Seth Hernandez (19.0), RHP, Corona HS (CA), Vanderbilt commit

Fastball: 55/60, Slider: 40/50, Curveball: 45/50, Changeup: 60/70, Command: 40/50

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 43

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His velocity slips a bit, the fastball and breaking pitches play average at best and he begins to pitch backward, as a streaky back-end starter or two-pitch reliever.

Hernandez could be the rare prep righty to go high in the draft and go wire-to-wire becoming an ace, similar to fellow two-way SoCal standout Hunter Greene, but this player demographic is seen as the riskiest in the draft because the hits are less frequent than you might think while the busts are spectacular and numerous.

Hernandez is also a comp/second-round prospect as a third baseman, similar to Green or Jared Jones (another two-way SoCal standout now finding success in a big league rotation), and has been a fireballer with athleticism and a standout changeup for a while. This spring his curveball and slider both improved from both being below-average pitches, with the curveball the better of the two, to flashing above average at times.

There are theories in pitching development circles that standout position players (check; I detail the long list of examples here), changeup-forward pitchers (check again), and above-average athletes (three for three!) are the three most important markers for developing from where Hernandez is now to making the adjustments necessary to be a big league ace. Others say that fastball shape and breaking ball/spin capacity are keys though and those are the two spots that Hernandez is notably below average.

Some GMs/presidents have told their draft rooms that they will never take a prep righty in the top 10 picks under any circumstances — at least one of those teams is picking in the top 10 this year, and I think there are a few. Hernandez might be the best prep righty prospect in over a decade, or … well, I’d rather be optimistic.


5. Jamie Arnold (21.2), LHP, Florida State

Fastball: 45/55, Cutter: 40/50, Slider: 55/60, Changeup: 50/60, Command: 40/50

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 51

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His fastball plays average, he pitches backward, and his command isn’t fine enough to be a No. 2/No. 3 starter, so he’s a solid backend type instead.

I have Arnold and Doyle ranked back-to-back on the pro top 100 because they’re very different versions of a generically similar thing: an accomplished college lefty starter.

Arnold throws from a low slot that gives him a number of advantages and is the type of pitcher some teams love to stockpile in their minor leagues. He has a flatter approach angle that allows him to get a solid plane for his four-seam fastball but also a lower slot that gets more dive on his sinker and changeup along with letting him get around the ball to generate above-average sweep on his slider.

Facing him is an uncomfortable at-bat that became harder this year as his changeup and cutter became bigger parts of his arsenal.

The hesitations are that Arnold’s fastball got hit a little too hard, his cutter is just an OK pitch that he needs to bridge his heater and slider, and he has more control (throwing it over the plate) than command (hitting spots). He could be a No. 2/No. 3 starter with three above-to-plus pitches if it clicks, but there’s still some work to do.


6. Liam Doyle (21.0), LHP, Tennessee

Fastball: 60/65, Cutter: 50/55, Slider: 45/50, Splitter: 45/55, Command: 40/50

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 52

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His frame/delivery/approach doesn’t allow him to turn over a lineup, so he pitches 60 to 100 inning per year with some impact in a lesser role.

Doyle was a second-round follow after last season, then burst onto the scene this spring throwing harder and more strikes and showing crisper off-speed stuff. Scouts still hesitate given the effort of his delivery, his heavy fastball usage, the fact that his stuff can fade a bit late in games and his poor performances down the stretch.

That said, his fastball could probably get big league hitters out right now, and he can throw it in the right part of the zone. His cutter and splitter are both above average, so you could argue that the fastball usage and control (throwing it over the plate) over command (hitting spots) can both be fixed almost immediately.

The question then becomes whether his general power approach to pitching and delivery with some effort will hold him back from turning over a lineup and make him a reliever. Doyle might be in the big leagues in the first half of 2026 in shorter stints while he’s looking to answer that question. Some teams like the idea of an immediate return on their pick with a shot for a home run if he then can prove he’s a starter, similar to what former Vols lefty Garrett Crochet did.


7. JoJo Parker (18.8), SS, Purvis HS (MS), Mississippi State commit

Hit: 30/60, Game Power: 30/50, Raw Power: 45/55, Speed: 50/45, Fielding: 40/45, Throwing: 55/55

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 55

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? He’s a tick worse offensively than expected, say .260 with 15 homers, while playing second/third base.

Parker has steadily climbed from a second- or third-rounder last summer to a late first-rounder early in the spring to now a clear top-10 prospect in the class.

The sales pitch is clear: Many evaluators think he’s a 70-grade hitter with 70-grade makeup, excellent performance and polish, while everything else he does is around average.

Parker is not the biggest, strongest or fastest but could be one of the rare players who is such a good hitter that it floats his whole profile, helping him get to all of his solid-average raw power (roughly 20 homers annually), and then if he ends up at second/third base long term, he’d offer some of the upside of a high school player with some of the certainty of a college player. His twin brother, Jacob, is a seven-figure prospect this year (ranked 99th below), and some teams have shown a willingness to draft them both.


8. Billy Carlson (19.0), SS, Corona HS (CA), Tennessee commit

Hit: 30/50, Game Power: 30/50, Raw Power: 50/55, Speed: 50/50, Fielding: 50/60, Throwing: 80/80

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 85

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? The offensive adjustments don’t take, and he has to choose hit or power but can’t be average to above average at both, despite the raw tools

Carlson has been one of the top players in the class for years and physically looks like a lesser version of Bobby Witt Jr. because of his bouncy athleticism in all phases. Carlson is in the mid-90s on the mound, has one of the best infield arms I’ve ever seen and projects as a plus defender at shortstop. His batting practice is impressive, with above average-to-plus raw power projection. He has above-average bat speed and, while his run times are inconsistent, he has shown above-average speed at times.

So you might be wondering why he isn’t ranked higher. It’s the accumulation of some smaller quibbles. His swing is too big (his hands get too far away from his body for some scouts to think he can hit pro pitching with those mechanics). Konnor Griffin had a much bigger question about his swing in last year’s draft (could he change his path through the zone?) and has already fixed it, so Carlson’s issue isn’t seen as huge, but teams want certainty in the top 10 picks.

If and when it’s fixed, that will probably undermine his raw power a bit, and some evaluators are wary of projecting him to be average or better as both a hitter and power hitter, thinking he’ll eventually have to choose one as he progresses through the minors.

On top of that is his age, which is a big historical negative factor to the point that many analytically minded teams wouldn’t consider him in this tier. Adding all of these things together is making teams pause enough, but don’t forget Carlson could be above average to plus at almost everything on the field if it all clicks.


9. Aiva Arquette (21.7), SS, Oregon State

Hit: 30/45, Game Power: 30/55, Raw Power: 55/60, Speed: 50/50, Fielding: 40/50, Throwing: 60/60

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 95

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? He slides over to third base and is a .230 or .240 hitter with a worse-than-average walk rate, which limits his power upside to 18-20 homers per year.

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Arquette still has a chance to stick at shortstop, though it would be more as an acceptable, average defender, and most teams like to have an above-average defender at the position.

The other question on Arquette is tied to his bat-to-ball and pitch selection, which are both average at best, and that makes some sense given his size and big power.

Arquette could be a big league shortstop who hits 25-30 homers, or he could be a third baseman who hits .235 with 18-20 homers. He’s a big leaguer and almost certainly a useful one, but there’s still some uncertainty.

45-plus FV tier

10. Kyson Witherspoon (20.9), RHP, Oklahoma

Fastball: 55/60, Cutter: 50/60, Slider: 45/50, Curveball: 45/50, Changeup: 40/50, Command: 40/50

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His delivery/arm action doesn’t allow for his command to improve, and his fastball/cutter play more 55-grade than 60-grade, so he’s a back-end starter or reliever.

Witherspoon (along with his brother, Malachi, ranked below) was a bit of a prospect out of high school in Florida but then fell off the radar as his velo slipped down the stretch, and he went to junior college. He reemerged in the past year as he remade his delivery and arm action, causing a spike in stuff and performance.

His shorter arm circle looks like Dylan Cease or Lucas Giolito, while his arsenal is very similar to Gage Wood (ranked below), with a four-seam fastball; hard cutter; and big, power curveball as their primary pitches. I tend to like betting on pitchers with athleticism, a hard-breaking pitch and an upward development trajectory, and Witherspoon fits. Some scouts think he’s on the verge of making a big jump.


11. Ike Irish (21.6), RF, Auburn

Hit: 35/55, Game Power: 35/55, Raw Power: 50/55, Speed: 40/40, Fielding: 40/50, Throwing: 55/55

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? He’s a good-not-great hitter with medium power (.260 with 15-18 homers) who is streaky enough as a corner outfielder to get platooned

Irish entered the spring as an offensive catcher with real questions about his defense and the need for a big spring to prove to scouts that he was the hitter they hoped he’d be. He delivered offensively with some of the best in-conference numbers in the SEC and comes with other indicators that analytical draft models love: long track record in the best conference, left-handed hitter, has a secondary position that’s more valuable and was a real prospect out of high school.

Some teams think he’s a 60-grade hitter (I think that’s a touch aggressive) with 55-grade power and plus makeup who also might be able to catch, at least as a backup who moves around the diamond based on matchups.

He has a lot of interest in the top 10 picks, likely on a deal, and most teams think he lands a few spots higher than I have him ranked. Irish is a classic lower-ceiling/higher-floor pick teams like to make with savings when their targeted players aren’t available, akin to James Tibbs at the 13th pick last year.


12. Gavin Fien (18.2), 3B, Great Oak HS (CA), Texas commit

Hit: 25/55, Game Power: 30/55, Raw Power: 55/60, Speed: 45/45, Fielding: 40/50, Throwing: 55/55

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His uneven spring is more indicative of his future, and he has a below-average hit tool that limits the power and makes the corner profile tough to fill.

Fien had arguably the best pure hit/power combo on the summer circuit last year and has grown into plus projections for his raw power along with enough defensive ability to stick at third base. I basically had him ranked here entering the spring based on that and have chosen to leave him here despite a rough spring that has confused scouts.

The players couldn’t be more different, but James Wood had a similar situation — good summer, bad spring, but the tools and swing were the same — and scouts had trouble ignoring what they saw in the spring, and now he is an All-Star. Aidan Miller was somewhat similar, and he is now a top-25 prospect in the sport.

That bias is easy to understand when a room full of scouts have only mixed/negative things to say spread over a dozen looks that cost their team 10s of thousands of dollars. Why would they go to games in the spring to just ignore what they saw? I get the benefit of not having seen Fien in person since the summer and thus taking a more 30,000-foot view. That might not be the correct way to evaluate him, but I feel like I’ve read this story before.


13. Steele Hall (17.9), SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL), Tennessee commit

Hit: 25/50, Game Power: 25/50, Raw Power: 40/50, Speed: 70/70, Fielding: 45/55, Throwing: 55/55

If it doesn’t work out, what happened? His contact ability is at the low end of expectations, so he’s more of a utility guy with some speed/defense and tools that he can’t quite get onto the stat sheet

Hall reclassified from the 2026 class last fall, so he’s one of the youngest players who will be picked on Day 1, a huge positive indicator historically speaking. I’ve compared his ability to pack tools into a smaller frame (5-foot-11, maybe shorter) and also lift/pull the ball in games to Anthony Volpe, Jett Williams and Trea Turner.

Hall has shown enough yellow flag swing-and-miss at times over the past year that some teams have him in the back half of the first round; others say he’s a little too aggressive when ahead in the count, and that issue is easily fixable. I’m on the high side.

45 FV tier

14. Brendan Summerhill (21.7), CF, Arizona
15. Wehiwa Aloy (21.4), SS, Arkansas
16. Gage Wood (21.5), RHP, Arkansas
17. Josh Hammond (18.8), SS, Wesleyan Christian HS (NC), Wake Forest commit
18. Tyler Bremner (21.2), RHP, UC Santa Barbara
19. Daniel Pierce (18.9), SS, Mill Creek HS (GA), Georgia commit
20. Gavin Kilen (21.2), SS, Tennessee
21. Jace Laviolette (21.6), CF, Texas A&M
22. Marek Houston (21.2), SS, Wake Forest
23. Caden Bodine (21.6), C, Coastal Carolina
24. Andrew Fischer (21.0), 3B, Tennessee
25. Kayson Cunningham (19.0), SS, Johnson HS (TX), Texas commit
26. Xavier Neyens (18.7), 3B, Mount Vernon HS (WA), Oregon State commit
27. Cam Cannarella (21.8), CF, Clemson
28. Dax Kilby (18.6), SS, Newnan HS (GA), Clemson commit
29. Kruz Schoolcraft (18.2), LHP, Sunset HS (OR), Tennessee commit
30. Ethan Conrad (21.0), RF, Wake Forest
31. Jaden Fauske (18.7), RF, Nazareth Academy HS (IL), LSU commit
32. Aaron Watson (18.5), RHP, Trinity Christian HS (FL), Florida commit
33. Patrick Forbes (20.9), RHP, Louisville
34. Slater de Brun (18.1), CF, Summit HS (OR), Vanderbilt commit
35. Sean Gamble (18.9), 2B, IMG Academy HS (FL), Vanderbilt commit
36. Quentin Young (18.2), 3B, Oaks Christian HS (CA), LSU commit
37. Tate Southisene (18.8), SS, Basic HS (NV), USC commit

Summerhill’s exit velos were 55-grade (something like 20-25 homers annually in pro ball) last spring and summer, then were just above 40-grade (10-15 homers annually) this spring, but there wasn’t a clear injury or mechanical change to explain it. Some teams think he could revert back to that old level of power and will be an average defensive center fielder; that player would rank somewhere around No. 5 to No. 8 on this list if that had happened this spring.

I don’t think Aloy is that far behind Arquette, and they might be a fun duo to track going forward because every team I’ve asked has them ranked this way, but the margins between them as players are very small. Aloy’s teammate Wood would rank right with Liam Doyle and Jamie Arnold if he was healthy and posting the whole spring, but he has had shoulder issues in the past, so teams are operating like he is a definite reliever who might start. If those concerns are unfounded, he’ll be a steal.

Hammond is my third pound-the-table player this year behind Willits and Fien. There are some teams picking in the twenties that are very interested, while some have no interest and there’s spottier interest in the teens. He looked like a young Austin Riley last summer as a standout, right-handed two-way talent who wasn’t getting much position-player scouting attention but outperformed others who were. This spring, he slimmed down, got stronger and looked like prime Josh Donaldson, with 65- or 70-grade raw power, a solid shortstop glove and limited range that will likely slide him over to third base. Hammond visually looked like a power-over-hit type with this adjustment, and his spring was just OK (yes, like Fien) but in large part because he faced awful pitching. Hammond was up to 97 this spring, and his teammate Sam Cozart was also regularly in the mid-90s, but Hammond never faced anyone like that this spring. A summer performer who got even toolsier but didn’t give scouts the spring look they wanted, though he’s still the same guy, if not better than he was in the summer.

The biggest risk to end up not signing in this group is Schoolcraft. There are a handful of teams that I think would pay him a bonus in line with slots in the twenties (which I think is the asking price), but there are also a number of teams that aren’t close to that because of concerns about his breaking ball. The Padres and White Sox are his two most rumored landing spots.

There are probably a few high school prospects in this range who will get pushed beyond the top 40 picks, but they should all get bonuses commensurate with the areas where I have them ranked.

I know some people are reading this wondering who is the sleeper with star potential but is ranked lower. Your guy is Quentin Young. He’s a nephew of former big leaguers Dmitri and Delmon, has true 80-grade power potential and can play third base if not shortstop, but he had the worst contact rate of any prospect last summer. You have to believe he’s an outlier who has outlier skills and also can make outlier adjustments. The Padres and Dodgers seem to be all over him, which helps me believe. Neyens is a lefty hitter with 70-grade power and can also play third base, with shades of Joey Gallo.

40-plus FV tier

38. Luke Stevenson (21.0), C, North Carolina
39. Devin Taylor (21.5), LF, Indiana
40. Marcus Phillips (21.0), RHP, Tennessee
41. Riley Quick (21.1), RHP, Alabama
42. J.B. Middleton (21.6), RHP, Southern Miss
43. Mason Neville (21.5), CF, Oregon
44. Matthew Fisher (19.3), RHP, Evansville Memorial HS (IN), Indiana commit
45. Anthony Eyanson (20.8), RHP, LSU
46. Josh Owens (18.5), SS, Providence Academy HS (TN), Georgia Southern commit
47. J.D. Thompson (21.8), LHP, Vanderbilt
48. Zach Root (21.4), LHP, Arkansas
49. Malachi Witherspoon (20.9), RHP, Oklahoma
50. Michael Oliveto (18.4), C, Hauppauge HS (NY), Yale commit

This is a fascinating group of players who should go in the comp to early second round. Phillips has a 20-grade arm action in the opinion of some scouts, while with some command progress he could be a frontline starter with four plus pitches. Quick is a former four-star offensive tackle prospect who could have five plus pitches, but he has already had Tommy John surgery and his command is below average.

Owens and Oliveto were both late risers who are big with plus raw power from the left side and have a shot to play a premium position but also haven’t been high-profile summer performers for years like some others ranked around here. And yes, Malachi is Kyson’s twin brother.

40 FV tier

51. Cooper Flemming (18.9), SS, Aliso Niguel HS (CA), Vanderbilt commit
52. Nick Becker (18.6), SS, Don Bosco HS (NJ), Virginia commit
53. Josiah Hartshorn (18.4), LF, Orange Lutheran HS (CA), Texas A&M commit
54. Kane Kepley (21.3), CF, North Carolina
55. Brock Sell (18.7), CF, Tokay HS (CA), Stanford commit
56. Jordan Yost (18.5), SS, Sickles HS (FL), Florida commit
57. Max Belyeu (21.5), RF, Texas
58. Mitch Voit (20.9), 2B, Michigan
59. Alex Lodise (21.4), SS, Florida State
60. Charles Davalan (21.6), LF, Arkansas
61. Jack Bauer (18.5), LHP, Lincoln Way East HS (IL), Mississippi State commit
62. Jake Cook (22.0), CF, Southern Miss
63. Brandon Compton (21.7), LF, Arizona State
64. Ryan Mitchell (18.5), SS, Houston HS (TN), Georgia Tech commit
65. Taitn Gray (17.8), C, Grimes Community HS (IA), Oregon commit
66. Angel Cervantes (17.8), RHP, Warren HS (CA), UCLA commit
67. A.J. Russell (21.0), RHP, Tennessee
68. Chase Shores (21.0), RHP, LSU
69. Coy James (18.3), SS, Davie County HS (NC), Ole Miss commit
70. Alec Blair (18.7), CF, De La Salle HS (CA), Oklahoma commit
71. Mason Pike (18.9), RHP, Puyallup HS (WA), Oregon State commit
72. Cam Appenzeller (18.5), LHP, Glenwood HS (IL), Tennessee commit
73. Briggs McKenzie (18.8), LHP, Corinth Holders HS (NC), LSU commit
74. Dean Moss (19.1), CF, IMG Academy HS (FL), LSU commit
75. Ethan Petry (21.0), 1B, South Carolina
76. Landon Harmon (18.8), RHP, East Union HS (MS), Mississippi State commit
77. Easton Carmichael (21.7), C, Oklahoma
78. Dean Curley (21.1), 3B, Tennessee
79. Lucas Franco (18.1), SS, Cinco Ranch HS (TX), TCU commit
80. Aiden Stillman (18.6), LHP, Trinity Prep HS (FL), Vanderbilt commit
81. Jayden Stroman (18.1), RHP, Patchogue-Medford HS (NY), Duke commit
82. Cade Obermueller (22.0), LHP, Iowa
83. Kyle Lodise (21.8), SS, Georgia Tech
84. Daniel Dickinson (21.5), 2B, LSU
85. Miguel Sime Jr. (18.1), RHP, Poly Prep Country Day HS (NY), LSU commit
86. Gavin Turley (21.7), LF, Oregon State
87. Joseph Dzierwa (21.1), LHP, Michigan State
88. Korbyn Dickerson (21.7), CF, Indiana
89. James Ellwanger (21.0), RHP, Dallas Baptist
90. Cade Crossland (21.4), LHP, Oklahoma
91. Brian Curley (22.0), RHP, Georgia
92. Gustavo Melendez (17.8), SS, Colegio La Merced HS (PR), Wake Forest commit
93. Michael Lombardi (21.9), RHP, Tulane
94. Sam Horn (21.8), RHP, Missouri
95. Kaleb Wing (18.5), RHP, Scotts Valley HS (CA), Loyola Marymount commit
96. J.T. Quinn (21.1), RHP, Georgia
97. Aidan West (18.1), SS, Long Reach HS (MD), North Carolina State commit
98. Johnny Slawinski (18.3), LHP, Johnson City HS (TX), Texas A&M commit
99. Jacob Parker (18.8), CF, Purvis HS (MS), Mississippi State commit
100. Henry Godbout (21.7), 2B, Virginia
101. R.J. Austin (21.6), CF, Vanderbilt
102. Max Williams (20.9), RF, Florida State
103. Micah Bucknam (21.9), RHP, Dallas Baptist
104. Henry Ford (21.0), LF, Virginia*
105. Drew Faurot (21.7), 2B, Florida State
106. Cam Leiter (21.4), RHP, Florida State
107. Talon Haley (19.5), LHP, Lewisburg HS (MS), Vanderbilt commit
108. Marcos Paz (18.7), RHP, Hebron HS (TX), LSU commit
109. Frank Cairone (17.8), LHP, Delsea Regional HS (NJ), Coastal Carolina commit
110. Parker Rhodes (18.8), RHP, Greenfield Central HS (IN), Mississippi State commit
111. Tanner Franklin (21.0), RHP, Tennessee
112. James Quinn-Irons (22.0), CF, George Mason
113. Mason Ligenza (18.4), CF, Tamaqua Area HS (PA), Pitt commit
114. Will Rhine (18.1), SS, John Carroll HS (MD), Alabama commit
115. Brady Ebel (17.9), 3B, Corona HS (CA), LSU commit
116. Ethan Hedges (21.2), 3B, USC
117. Tim Piasentin (18.3), 3B, Foothills Composite HS (CAN), Miami commit
118. C.J. Gray (18.4), RHP, A.L. Brown HS (NC), North Carolina State commit
119. Brayden Jaksa (18.4), C, Irvington HS (CA), Oregon commit
120. Trent Caraway (21.2), 3B, Oregon State
121. Reagan Ricken (18.8), RHP, Great Oak HS (CA), LSU commit
122. Nathan Hall (21.9), CF, South Carolina
123. Brock Ketelsen (18.0), CF, Valley Christian HS (CA), Stanford commit
124. Jase Mitchell (18.8), C, Cape Henlopen HS (DE), Kentucky commit
125. Griffin Enis (18.8), CF, Corinth HS (MS), Duke commit
126. Rory Fox (21.4), RHP, Notre Dame
127. Shane Sdao (21.8), LHP, Texas A&M
128. Jared Spencer (22.0), LHP, Texas
129. Sean Youngerman (21.0), RHP, Oklahoma State
130. Mason Morris (21.9), RHP, Ole Miss
131. Antonio Jimenez (21.1), SS, UCF
132. Ethan Frey (21.3), RF, LSU
133. Murf Gray (21.6), 3B, Fresno State
134. Blaine Bullard (18.9), CF, Klein Cain HS (TX), Texas A&M commit
135. Michael Winter (18.0), RHP, Shawnee Mission East HS (KS), Dartmouth commit
136. Nolan Schubart (21.1), 1B, Oklahoma State
137. Ethan Rogers (18.2), LHP, Lone Jack HS (MO), Wichita State commit
138. Luke Hill (21.3), 3B, Ole Miss
139. Cade Kurland (21.3), 2B, Florida
140. Cooper Underwood (18.5), LHP, Allatoona HS (GA), Georgia Tech commit
141. Ben Jacobs (21.1), LHP, Arizona State
142. Colby Shelton (22.6), SS, Florida
143. Nico Partida (18.7), SS/RHP, Pearland HS (TX), Texas A&M commit
144. Riley Kelly (21.1), RHP, UC Irvine
145. William Patrick (19.0), CF, St. Frederick HS (LA), LSU commit

* signifies the player has committed to another school in the portal.

Some high schoolers known to be very tough signs are Brock Sell, Jayden Stroman, Marco Paz, Reagan Ricken, Brock Ketelsen and Nico Partida. Closer to 50/50 odds to sign are: Nick Becker, Jordan Yost, Jack Bauer, Ryan Mitchell, Alec Blair, Cam Appenzeller, Aiden Stillman, Parker Rhodes and Michael Winter. There are some others with $1 million to $1.5 million bonus demands that I think will be met, but there are always a handful of players with a smaller group of teams on them, and those teams just run out of money before they can pay all of their targets.

On the college side, Henry Ford committed to Tennessee in the portal and Cade Kurland is widely expected to return to Florida. Henry Godbout also has some chance to return to school, but most of the other college players are expected to sign without a hitch.

Jacob Parker is JoJo’s twin brother and, yes, one half of the Parker brothers.

If you read my breakdown here (search for “Mickey Moniak”), I think this draft might have a disproportionate number of stars in the late second round and later, like the 2016 draft, so let’s try to find some prospects with traits that fit historical breakout types.

Some potential quick movers (polished college arms with some traits that suggest shorter stints/relief): A.J. Russell, Chase Shores, Cade Obermueller, Brian Curley and Mason Morris.

Some college relievers or split duty types that teams want to start: Tanner Franklin, J.T. Quinn. Sean Youngerman, Sam Horn and Michael Lombardi.

And some injured pitchers: Jared Spencer (shoulder), Cam Leiter (elbow), Shane Sdao (elbow) and Marcos Paz (just returned from elbow surgery but has thrown only bullpens).

Lastly, let’s jump into some huge upside guys and sleepers to keep an eye on, first with high schoolers.

Prep LHP Jack Bauer hit 103 mph this spring (the hardest high school pitch ever thrown) and has a plus-plus slurve/sweeper, but he also walked a ton of hitters, so some teams aren’t interested at a seven-figure price and some might be willing to take him in the comp/second round for big money. Josiah Hartshorn was a hit-first corner type who grew into big power this spring. Ryan Mitchell offers a lower-tier version of the Eli Willits toolset. Taitn Gray has plus-plus raw power and standout athletic testing, and he might be able to catch but hasn’t faced much high-end pitching.

I didn’t love my look at Coy James this spring, but he’s an infielder with plus power, and I think he’ll go in the comp round. Cam Appenzeller looked like a first-rounder last summer and had a terrible spring but could still emerge in the next few years. Miguel Sime is up to 100 mph, and his offspeed pitches have really progressed this year.

The low-seven-figure prep lefty group — Briggs McKenzie, Aiden Stillman, Johnny Slawinski, Talon Haley, Frank Cairone, Cooper Underwood and Ethan Rogers — is deep and probably has a few standout big leaguers. C.J. Gray is one of the most athletic and loose prospects in the draft and had 20-grade command early this spring but really came on late. I’ll hold my breath, but that isn’t wildly different from Jacob Misiorowski’s early journey.

On the college side, Jake Cook is an 80-grade runner who converted from pitching, can really put the bat on the ball and has lots of second-round interest — sort of like Chandler Simpson did a few years ago. James Ellwanger improved the mediocre shape of his fastball late in the season, adding a few inches of vertical movement, and now has late second-round buzz, because he has always been big and physical with mid-90s velocity and multiple swing-and-miss breaking pitches.

Michael Lombardi was my semi-secret reliever-to-starter conversion pick early in the spring, but the industry has come around and there is a chance he also goes in the second round. J.T. Quinn was one player I got on board with later in the spring, but then he shoved as a starter on the Cape and now teams are jumping on board with that idea, too. Cade Crossland wasn’t completely optimized in college and has a shot to be a No. 3 starter with some tweaks. Sam Horn has an above-average sinker/slider combo but a fresh arm because of elbow surgery and playing quarterback at Missouri. Rory Fox is another pitcher with two-way history who showed a starter fit and flashes of above-average stuff, but his stuff tailed off down the stretch.

Shortstop Antonio Jimenez draws extremely varied responses from the industry but should go around the fourth round and could develop into a power-over-hit shortstop with a shot to play a big league role. Ethan Frey came out of nowhere to be one of the best hitters for LSU and has some history catching; he’ll be taken as a DH with a short track record of success but might be more than that.

35-plus FV tier

146. C.J. Hughes (17.8), SS, Junipero Serra HS (CA), UC Santa Barbara commit
147. Landyn Vidourek (21.6), RF, Cincinnati
148. Colin Yeaman (21.2), SS, UC Irvine
149. Davion Hickson (21.8), RHP, Rice*
150. Jacob Morrison (21.9), RHP, Coastal Carolina
151. Ty Harvey (19.0), C, Inspiration Academy HS (FL), Florida State commit
152. Uli Fernsler (17.9), LHP, Novi HS (MI), TCU commit
153. Dean Livingston (18.9), RHP, Hebron Christian HS (GA), Georgia commit
154. Justin Lamkin (21.0), LHP, Texas A&M
155. Mason White (21.8), SS, Arizona
156. Jaiden LoRe (18.4), SS, Corona Del Sol HS (AZ), BYU commit
157. Ethin Bingaman (18.8), RF/RHP, Corona HS (CA), Auburn commit
158. Remo Indomenico (18.0), CF, First Academy HS (FL), Oklahoma State commit
159. Ethan Grim (18.0), RHP, Governor Mifflin HS (PA), Virginia Tech commit
160. Will Hynes (18.0), RHP, Lorne Park HS (CAN), Wake Forest commit
161. Jason Reitz (21.0), RHP, Oregon
162. Trent Grindlinger (19.0), C, Huntington Beach HS (CA), Mississippi State commit
163. Xavier Mitchell (19.0), LHP, Prestonwood Christian HS (TX), Texas commit
164. Cam Maldonado (21.7), CF, Northeastern
165. Caden Hunter (21.8), LHP, USC
166. Matt Barr (19.5), RHP, Niagara County JC (NY), Tennessee commit
167. Adonys Guzman (21.6), C, Arizona
168. Kaeden Kent (21.9), SS, Texas A&M
169. Aaron Walton (21.3), CF, Arizona
170. Ben Abeldt (21.6), LHP, TCU
171. Angel Laya (18.8), RF, Eastlake HS (CA), Oregon commit
172. Ty Peeples (18.8), CF, Franklin County HS (GA), Georgia commit
173. Reid Worley (19.0), RHP, Cherokee HS (GA), Kennesaw State commit
174. Brent Iredale (22), 3B, Arkansas
175. Josh Flores (18.0), RHP, Lake Central HS (IN), Kentucky commit
176. Brett Crossland (18.9), RHP, Corona Del Sol HS (AZ), Texas commit
177. Sean Episcope (21.4), RHP, Princeton
178. John Stuetzer (18.8), CF, Pope HS (GA), Florida State commit
179. Matt Ferrara (18.0), SS, Toms River East HS (NJ), Pitt commit
180. Chris Arroyo (20.9), 1B, Virginia
181. Tre Phelps (21.0), RF, Georgia
182. Jake Munroe (21.9), 3B, Louisville
183. Gavin Lauridsen (18.6), RHP, Foothill HS (CA), USC commit
184. River Hamilton (18.8), RHP, Barlow HS (OR), LSU commit
185. Brendan Brock (20.9), C, Southwestern Illinois JC, Oklahoma commit
186. Aidan Teel (21.0), CF, Virginia*
187. Jacob McCombs (21.0), CF, UC Irvine
188. Jack Gurevitch (21.4), 1B, San Diego
189. Lorenzo Meola (21.7), SS, Stetson
190. Cameron Millar (18.1), RHP, Alhambra HS (CA), Arizona commit
191. Richie Bonomolo Jr. (21.8), CF, Alabama
192. Jack Lafflam (18.8), RHP, Brophy Prep HS (AZ), Arizona commit
193. Caleb Leys (22.0), LHP, Maine
194. Eli Pitts (18.7), CF, Parkview HS (GA), USF commit
195. Anthony Martinez (21.2), 1B, UC Irvine
196. Cody Bowker (21.7), RHP, Vanderbilt
197. Nick Dumesnil (21.3), CF, Cal Baptist
198. Ethan Moore (18.8), SS, Oak Park & River Forest HS (IL), Tennessee commit
199. Karson Bowen (21.0), C, TCU
200. Conor Essenburg (18.8), RF/LHP, Lincoln-Way West HS (IL), Kentucky commit
201. Michael Salina (21.5), RHP, St. Bonaventure
202. Josh Tate (21.9), CF, Georgia Southern
203. Griffin Hugus (21.4), RHP, Miami
204. Josh Jannicelli (18.2), RHP, Cardinal Newman HS (CA), UC Santa Barbara commit
205. Ryan Wideman (21.7), CF, Western Kentucky*
206. Justin Mitrovich (21.8), RHP, Elon
207. Carson Brumbaugh (18.8), SS, Edmond Santa Fe HS (OK), Arkansas commit
208. Blake Gillespie (21.8), RHP, Charlotte
209. Brooks Bryan (21.0), C, Troy
210. Hudson Barrett (21.5), LHP, UC Santa Barbara
211. Nelson Keljo (21.9), LHP, Oregon State
212. Nick Monistere (21.5), 2B, Southern Miss
213. Joe Ariola (21.5), LHP, Wake Forest
214. Jake Clemente (21.7), RHP, Florida
215. Landon Hodge (18.4), C, Crespi Carmelite HS (CA), LSU commit
216. Linkin Garcia (19.1), SS, A3 Academy HS (FL), Texas Tech commit
217. Evan Hankins (19.2), 1B, Miller School HS (VA), Tennessee commit
218. Riley Nelson (21.6), 1B, Vanderbilt
219. Tucker Biven (21.3), RHP, Louisville
220. Zane Taylor (23.1), RHP, UNC Wilmington
221. Jalin Flores (21.9), SS, Texas
222. Zach Strickland (19.1), RHP, Maranatha HS (CA), UCLA commit
223. Gabe Davis (21.7), RHP, Oklahoma State
224. Pico Kohn (22.9), LHP, Mississippi State
225. Mason Peters (21.6), LHP, Dallas Baptist
226. Peter Mershon (19.2), C, Eastside HS (SC), Mississippi State commit
227. Marcelo Harsch (18.1), RHP, Seton Hall Prep HS (NJ), Wake Forest commit
228. Brody Walls (18.9), RHP, McKinney Boyd HS (TX), Texas commit
229. Nate Snead (21.3), RHP, Tennessee
230. Grady Westphal (18.9), RHP, Blue Valley HS (KS), Texas commit
231. Mason Braun (18.3), LF, Penn HS (IN), LSU commit
232. Trevor Cohen (21.8), CF, Rutgers
233. Landon Beidelschies (21.3), LHP, Arkansas
234. Emilio Barreras (21.7), SS, Grand Canyon
235. Ethan Young (21.5), RHP, East Carolina
236. Ryan Weingartner (21.0), SS, Penn State
237. Dylan Brown (21.0), LHP, Old Dominion
238. Brandon Shannon (18.7), RHP, McHenry West HS (IL), Louisville commit
239. Grayson Boles (18.8), RHP, St. Augustine HS (CA), Texas commit
240. Matt Klein (21.8), C, Louisville
241. Zion Theophilus (19.0), RHP, Moeller HS (OH), LSU commit
242. Grady Lenahan (18.8), CF, Pro5 Academy HS (NC), East Carolina commit
243. Hunter Allen (22.0), RHP, Ashland
244. Cal Scolari (21.2), RHP, San Diego
245. Dixon Williams (21.5), 2B, East Carolina
246. Kolten Smith (21.5), RHP, Georgia
247. Wyatt Vincent (18.9), SS, Nixa HS (MO), Missouri State commit
248. Hunter Elliott (22.9), LHP, Ole Miss
249. Jared Jones (22.0), 1B, LSU
250. Anthony Frobose (17.9), SS, Lakeland HS (NY), Rutgers commit

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Sources: Va. Tech finalizing deal to hire Franklin

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Sources: Va. Tech finalizing deal to hire Franklin

Virginia Tech is finalizing a deal to make James Franklin the school’s next head coach, sources told ESPN on Monday. The deal is expected to be completed in the near future.

Franklin is the former coach at both Penn State and Vanderbilt, where he went 128-60 over 15 seasons. He brings a resume that includes winning more than 68% of his games, an appearance in the semi-finals of the 2024 College Football Playoff and a Big Ten championship in 2016.

He’ll replace his former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, who was fired in September after an 0-3 start and a 16-24 record through four seasons.

Franklin’s arrival in Blacksburg will give the Hokies their most accomplished coach since Hall of Famer Frank Beamer, who retired in 2015 after 29 seasons at the school. Since that time, Tech has endured the underwhelming tenures of Justin Fuente and Pry as the school struggled to assimilate to modern college football.

After firing Pry, Tech’s Board of Visitors passed a plan to add $229 million to the athletics budget over the next four years. The move was to help make Tech a more attractive job and attract a candidate that could revive the school’s lagging football fortunes.

In Franklin, they get an established coach whose availability on the open market wasn’t even considered a possibility at the start of the 2025 season. Penn State began the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

Franklin’s teams endured three-straight losses to open the season, including a double-overtime loss to No. 6 Oregon when they were ranked No. 3 in September.

After losses to UCLA and Northwestern, Penn State fired Franklin. They were originally on the hook for $49 million for his contract, but that number is subject to off-set and should end up being significantly less pending the terms of his Virginia Tech contract.

Franklin came to Penn State in 2014 in the throes of NCAA sanctions from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. He pushed the program through a dark period and led them to the Rose Bowl and Big Ten title in 2016.

Franklin’s tenure was ultimately defined by general success that never manifested itself at the very highest levels of winning, as he finished 4-21 at Penn State against AP Top 10 opponents. Over his 12 seasons there, he led Penn State to six seasons of double-digit victories, including three-straight from 2022 to 2024.

Virginia Tech hasn’t won double-digit games since Fuente’s first season in 2016. From 2004 to 2011, Tech won double-digit games each season under Beamer.

Franklin brings strong ties to the I-95 corridor, including the talent-rich DMV area. Along with recruiting that area heavily at Penn State, Franklin coached two stints at Maryland as an assistant and one year at James Madison.

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A weekend with the banana suits and shirtless fans surviving Oklahoma State

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A weekend with the banana suits and shirtless fans surviving Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. — The stands inside Boone Pickens Stadium are brimming with the usual unusual characters. Naturally, the fans in Section 2 NO-SHIRTY 1 are already shirtless. The most popular bananas on campus are here, too. The Kool-Aid Man, of course, is sitting just a few rows over.

This is the scene 40 minutes before Oklahoma State‘s Week 12 visit from Kansas State. Amid the most forlorn season in the Cowboys’ modern football history, the Stillwater faithful is coping as best it can this fall, uncovering new methods to mine slivers of joy out of its football misery.

“It’s Oklahoma State, man,” student Alex Jackson, shirtless, tells ESPN. “We’re loyal and true.”

“Loyal and true” is the school’s guiding motto; three words that have closed the second-to-last stanza of Oklahoma State’s alma mater since 1957. Seldom, if ever, has that maxim been tested more — from a purely on-field standpoint, at least — than in 2025 with the 1-9 Cowboys slowly, but surely crashing toward their worst finish of the 21st century, even worse than last year’s 3-9 finish.

Oklahoma State dropped its final nine games and snapped its 18-year bowl appearance streak in 2024. After an uninspiring 1-2 start this fall, the program fired Mike Gundy, the winningest coach in school history, three games into his 21st season in charge.

It hasn’t gotten better since. After Saturday’s 14-6 loss to Kansas State, the Cowboys have been outscored 268-101 in seven games under interim coach Doug Meacham. They haven’t won a Big 12 game since the final week of the 2023 regular season, a drought of 723 days and counting.

Yet Oklahoma State fans haven’t folded. A reported crowd of 46,340 showed up for the Cowboys’ 18th straight FBS loss over the weekend, energized more by the organic movement that sprouted in the bleachers of Boone Pickens Stadium last month than anything on the field.

It started when one shirtless fan — an Oklahoma City-area banker named Trent Eaton — turned into hundreds waving T-shirts over their heads in the section of seats now known as “2 NO-SHIRTY 1” during a 39-17 loss to Houston. A week later, 100-plus students filled Section 124 wearing matching banana costumes; Pete’s Peelers became one of the few bright spots of a 32-point homecoming defeat when they formed a conga line as Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” one of Payne County’s most sacred anthems, blared from the stadium speakers.

The party in Section 231 raged on Saturday afternoon. The Peelers were back and received a visit from university president Jim Hess. Around them all, as the Cowboys rolled to their eighth loss in a row, were pockets of other costumed students, including a group of nearly a dozen women sporting Oklahoma State apparel and searing bright orange bobs.

“We decided we needed to create something for the girls,” said OSU student Lexsey McLemore, who picked out the wigs with a friend, Ava Smith, specifically for Saturday’s game.

Oklahoma State is far from the only major college football program “going through it” this fall. Preseason national title favorites such as Clemson, LSU and Penn State have stumbled. Across the country, there are properly irritated prestige fan bases at Auburn, Arkansas, Florida and Florida State. Gundy is one of 11 FBS coaches fired since the start of the 2025 regular season.

But in Stillwater, the home fans have responded with creativity, drawing delight and meaning from a series of moments made possible only by the woeful season unfolding in front of them.

“The morale is pretty low right now, obviously,” said Joel Sherman, a junior engineering student and one of the founding members of Pete’s Peelers. “But this season has given us the opportunity to do everything we’ve done. I think if Oklahoma State was actually in contention for the Big 12, we’re probably not doing this.”

“Not even if we were in the running to make a bowl game,” said fellow banana Tyler Blake, another costumed engineer.


THE MORNING OF Oct. 11 marked a historic sliding doors moment. If Eaton’s wife, Michelle, hadn’t answered the call, would a national movement have ever been reborn in Stillwater?

Eaton’s sister, Callista Bradford, is an Oklahoma State season-ticket holder. She also has a history of riling up fans in Stillwater. As a student, Bradford, 32, was part of the Paddle People, a student group that creates noise by smacking wooden paddles against the wall padding that surrounds the field at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Bradford initially planned to attend Oklahoma State’s Week 7 visit from Houston with her husband. When he backed out at the last minute, Bradford called Eaton with a late invite.

Eaton didn’t pick up. His wife, eventually, did, and Bradford picked Eaton up from his house 15 minutes later. The T-shirt he would later swing above his head in notoriety was waiting in the car.

“I was going to wear my orange, Whataburger, free giveaway T-shirt,” Eaton, a University of Miami grad, said. “But my brother-in-law told me that I couldn’t wear that, so [there was] an OSU shirt for me in the back seat.”

Bradford’s seats in the lower bowl of Boone Pickens Stadium are situated diagonally across from Section 231 in the stadium’s upper deck. From there, she and her brother watched Cowboys running back Rodney Fields Jr. turn a double pass into a 63-yard touchdown on the game’s opening possession, delivering the kind of jolt that has lately been all-too-rare at Oklahoma State.

But the Cowboys only mustered another three first downs before halftime. They trailed Houston 27-10 two minutes into the second half. With the program’s latest fall 2025 rout officially underway, Bradford and Eaton could see the home crowd beginning to file out of the stadium.

So Bradford pointed to an empty block of seats in Section 231, and offered up a sibling dare.

“We saw this completely empty section across from us,” Eaton recalled. “My sister goes, ‘I’ll give you 10 bucks if you go over there and take your shirt off.’ I said ‘Why not?’ The rest is history.”

It was a nervous walk to Section 231. Bradford recorded every step of her brother’s climb to the upper deck and made sure that the friends in the section around her paid attention, too.

When Eaton finally popped his shirt off and hoisted it above his head, Section 1 erupted.

“There was nothing to cheer for on the field at the time,” Bradford said. “So the people in the sections around us didn’t know why we were cheering. But slowly, everyone figured it out.”

Eaton wasn’t waving alone for very long before Luke Schneberger, an OSU student, approached him with a question: Could he join in? Soon, two became four, then six, then 10. After the stadium jumbotron flashed a shot of the expanding cluster of T-shirt-waving men, more fans raced over to join the party in Section 231, eventually overflowing into surrounding sections. In the final minutes of the game, a message flashed across the jumbotron: “New World Record (Probably) Most Shirtless Guys In A Section.”

“I thought maybe three or four people would join up and then one of us would get tired and leave and then would just die down,” Eaton said. “Waving that shirt gets really tiring.

“I think more than anything, people didn’t want to miss out on just having some fun. It was the biggest shirtless section of all time. So they were like, what the hell? Why not join it?”

The television broadcast took notice. Social media did, too. Bradford’s phone started blowing up with texts from friends and family before Eaton got back to his original seat. Days later, a Texas-based apparel brand, “Uncle Bekah’s Inappropriate Trucker Hats,” dropped a line of Oklahoma State hats, including one featuring a silhouette of Eaton waving a T-shirt. He got some free merch.

Since then, fans on campuses including North Carolina, North Texas, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Wisconsin have initiated their own shirtless sections. Another popped up at 3-7 Michigan State Saturday night. Eaton was particularly moved last weekend when a friend sent a clip of Hurricanes fans getting in on the act during a Week 11 win.

There’s dispute over the exact origins of the shirtless section craze. Indiana fans might have a rightful claim dating to an outburst during the Hoosiers’ 38-3 loss to Rutgers in Nov. 2021.

But in 2025, there’s no debate over where the movement reemerged.

“We’re a country school with a little bit of a rowdy side to it.” Bradford said. “Seeing our fans stay rowdy and loyal even though the team isn’t doing what we want them to do, I’m proud of that.”


DANIEL WANN IS a professor of psychology at Murray State. A devoted fan of Kentucky basketball who earned his PhD in social psychology at the University of Kansas, he has spent the past 35 years focused on the psychology of sports fandom.

Wann’s work has covered everything from superstitions to the consequences of excessive fandom to how different game start times affect fan’s moods. But his principle psychological curiosity lies in the simple question of why sports fans care so much and how fandom, above all else, meets many of our basic human needs. To Wann, Oklahoma State is a familiar case study.

“If you live on campus or in the town at Oklahoma State, by being a Cowboys fan, that’s going to help you meet the need to belong,” Wann said. “You don’t even need the team to be successful to be able to feel camaraderie and association with other fans regardless of the outcome. Fandom can still meet that need to belong. It also helps people meet the need for distinctiveness.”

In late September, weeks before Eaton peeled his shirt off in Section 231, Oklahoma State students Cy Barker, Hayden Andrews, Jake Goodman and Joel Sherman gathered in a house off-campus and debated that very concept, in a sense at least.

“We were sitting on a couch and one of us was like, ‘What’s something we could do for homecoming that would just be goofy?'” recalled Andrews, who studies aviation management.

Barker, Andrews, Goodman and Sherman belong to the same campus ministry and attend most Cowboys home games. They stormed the field together when Oklahoma State upset No. 9 Oklahoma in the final annual playing of the Bedlam Rivalry game in Nov. 2023. Since then, they’ve watched the program win just one of its past 18 games against conference opponents.

From their deliberations, overalls were deemed too expensive. Pajama onesies could get hot. Andrews had a banana suit from high school in his closet. Soon, the decision was settled.

The group pulled Tyler Blake, another ministry friend, in on the plan. And in the weeks leading up to Oklahoma State’s Oct. 18 homecoming visit from Cincinnati, they extended invites to members of six other campus ministries to join them.

“The vision was just kind of built around having a handful of dudes in banana suits at the game,” Goodman, a senior business student, said. “We didn’t plan on anything but that. Everything that followed just happened.”

On game day, the Peelers met on campus outside the Edmon Low Library. An initial group of just a few bananas quickly grew to 30 or so. Soon, there were nearly 100 of them. They marched to the stadium before kickoff alternating between church hymns and the Florida State “War Chant.” Like the shirtless fans seven days earlier, the banana-suited crew in Section 124 became the story as Oklahoma State tumbled to a 49-17 defeat.

Meanwhile, seven sections over and a stadium level up, Section 231 was bumping once again.

Eaton wasn’t on hand. But a collection of motivated fans enthusiastically took the baton, delivering a repeat performance of shirt-waving. At one point, that group included Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach Jacie Hoyt, who climbed into the upper deck wearing a T-shirt with the word “shirtless” written across the front. She had ordered it from Amazon that week.

“It was honestly the most fun I’ve had in years,” Hoyt told ESPN. “Those guys were just so fun and funny — truly loyal and true.”

Hoyt’s visit to the “2 NO-SHIRTY 1” crowd came just before halftime. Two hours later, the section became the site for a magical meeting of the minds.

As the Peelers’ conga snaked through the stands in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, their counterparts in the upper deck took notice. Soon, the Peelers themselves were being summoned to Section 231 while Oklahoma State’s shirtless devotees chanted a clear directive: “Take them off.”

Packed into Section 231, Pete’s Peelers, literally, peeled their costumes. Together, the two groups partied out the final minutes of the Cowboys’ second-worst conference loss of the season. “We had as much fun dressing up as bananas to watch a blowout as we did rushing the field when we beat Oklahoma,” Goodman said. “The score didn’t matter. We still had fun.”


FOR A MOMENT, the focus returns to the game. Down 7-6 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter, the Cowboys are driving deep into Kansas State territory. Not since Gundy’s final game, a 19-12 loss to Tulsa on Sept. 19, has Oklahoma State been this close to a win.

Section 231 is bursting with shirtless fans of all ages and, oddly, a fully clothed Batman. The Peelers are shouting below them.

Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores drops back to pass from the Wildcats’ 23-yard line. But tight end Carson Su’esu’e whiffs on a block and Kansas State defensive end Ryan Davis engulfs Flores to force a fumble. It’s one of three second-half turnovers within 25 yards of the end zone.

“Well, it’s over now,” says Blake, sliding the tip of his banana costume off his head.

Minutes later the Kool-Aid Man joins the Peelers. They sway together as Garth Brooks sings about friends in low places and chasing his blues away. They’ll be OK.

Like Pete’s Peelers, Eaton was back at Oklahoma State on Saturday for the first time since his October star turn. This time, he kept his shirt on (initially) and watched from the sideline.

Doug Meacham made sure of it.

Oklahoma State’s 60-year-old interim coach is an admirer of Eaton’s. Or at the very least, he’s a genuine appreciator of the juice those fans delivered this fall. “Our guys felt it,” Meacham said after the initial shirtless showing last month. “That was something.”

So Oklahoma State brought Bradford and Eaton back for Saturday’s game with sideline passes.

Meacham met them outside the stadium an hour before kickoff and personally escorted Eaton and Bradford onto the field, where they mingled with two legends of the 2011 Cowboys: Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, the latter of whom joined the program’s ring of honor at halftime.

“I thought [Eaton] was some frat kid — it’s a 30-something-year-old. Hats off to him,” Meacham said of Eaton after Saturday’s loss. “I appreciated his enthusiasm and I wanted to reward them for getting the fans into it. You looked up today and they’re still up there getting after it. It’s pretty cool.”

Eaton and Bradford enjoyed their view from the sidelines. But a return to Boone Pickens Stadium called for a hero’s welcome. After halftime, Eaton climbed back to Section 231.

Despite a scoreless second half, the 2 NO-SHIRTY 1 vibes were high and the bleachers were packed. A child in the section recognized Eaton immediately and shouted his name, prompting a swarm of high-fives, fist bumps and photo requests from the group of shirtless shirt-wavers.

When Eaton finally got his own shirt off, he pulled out his phone for a selfie with the crowd around him. Later, a caption underneath the photo on a family text chain read: “My people.”

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Kiffin on Gators rumors after win: ‘I love’ Ole Miss

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Kiffin on Gators rumors after win: 'I love' Ole Miss

As the final seconds ticked off Ole Miss‘ come-from-behind 34-24 win over Florida, the fans inside Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, started chanting, “We want Lane! We want Lane!”

Coach Lane Kiffin has long been rumored to be the top candidate for the Gators’ open head coaching job, making their matchup Saturday night somewhat awkward. Kiffin fielded questions about his coaching future during the week and again after the game, given the opponent across the sideline.

“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said postgame when asked about his future at Ole Miss. “Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We’ve got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here.”

The win moved No. 7 Ole Miss to 10-1 heading into an open date before it closes the season at Mississippi State. A berth in the College Football Playoff is all but certain if the Rebels beat the Bulldogs in the Egg Bowl.

Though nobody at Ole Miss said its result against Florida last year would serve as a motivating factor, it is hard to ignore the fact that the Gators’ win over the Rebels kept them out of the playoff.

For a large chunk of Saturday night, it appeared Florida might do the same thing for a second straight season. In the first half, Ole Miss did not have an answer for Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw for one touchdown and ran for another to give the Gators a 24-20 lead at halftime.

Ole Miss made one mistake after another in the red zone, costing itself valuable points. Twice the Rebels turned the ball over on downs after getting inside the 5-yard line, and on two other drives they had to settle for field goals inside the 10.

But the defense held Florida scoreless in the second half, and the offense made enough plays to pull out the win. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 301 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Kewan Lacy had a career-high 224 rushing yards and three scores.

Kiffin, in his sixth season at Ole Miss, has led the Rebels to three straight 10-win seasons — the longest streak in program history. His four 10-win seasons over the past five years are more than the team had in the previous 50 seasons combined (three).

“I told our guys this week, as you get older everybody always says the good old days,” Kiffin said. “I said, ‘Hey guys, I think we’re in the good old days right now.’ I think for our fans, for our players, it’s this utopia of what’s going on, so enjoy it. Because these runs don’t happen very often anywhere.”

It’s easy to see why a program like Florida would be interested in Kiffin. Former coach Billy Napier, whom Florida fired last month, never won 10 games in a season during his tenure. Over the past 10 seasons, Florida has two 10-win seasons, both under former coach Dan Mullen in 2018 and 2019.

During the television broadcast, the camera panned to Florida fans in the crowd wearing orange and blue shirts that read, “Please Lane Come to Gainesville.”

After the game, Kiffin was pressed further on how he handles the speculation about Florida and what message he has to Ole Miss fans who might want clarity on his situation.

“I don’t think we were distracted; 538 yards today for an offense seems pretty focused,” Kiffin said. “We’ve been dealing with what people would say are distractions for weeks now. It’s different nowadays. I think kids think differently.

“They’re getting pre-portaled every Saturday night they play well. I just talk to them and say, ‘That’s part of the process. When you guys play really well, these things happen, your coach gets talked about,’ and it ain’t the first time or first year that it’s happened around here. I don’t think it’s a problem.”

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