How Ichiro’s HOF induction helps tell the story of Japanese baseball
-
Bradford Doolittle
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Hall of Famers coming to Cooperstown — the newbies and the veterans alike — are typically subject to a fairly regimented schedule. They have a garden party. Ozzie Smith holds an annual charity event. There’s a golf tournament on Saturday morning. They roll down Main Street on Saturday night during the Parade of Legends. Finally, there is the induction itself.
Ichiro Suzuki, a 2025 inductee, took part in much of this, but even though he is an avid golfer, he did not play in the golf tournament. It turns out that doing so would’ve meant that he wouldn’t be able to maintain his usual workout routine. So he headed out to one of the numerous Little League fields a few miles outside of Cooperstown and got in his work.
At 51 years old, he follows the same routine he always has. He played long toss, did his stretching and running, played catch with Billy Wagner’s son — an aspiring ballplayer himself — and took batting practice against Wagner.
When asked why, Ichiro kept it simple.
“Because I love it,” he said.
That much has been clear, not only through his 19-year MLB career but well before it and since. His induction weekend was not the first time Ichiro made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown — he has been here many times. Each trek he made as a player was to view and study different relics that held special meaning to him.
“You just don’t see players come to the Hall of Fame, while they’re actively playing in the winter time — seven, eight times, because they just want to touch the bat of the guy whose record they broke,” Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch said, “or be here in the freezing cold and snow to see this place.”
Ichiro didn’t limit those travels to the stops in Cooperstown — he famously visited the gravesite of Hall of Famer George Sisler after he broke Sisler’s single-season hit record in 2004 — but the beauty of the Hall of Fame is that it ties all of these interlocking stories together, linking the stars of the past with the stars of the present with the stars of the even more distant past, and in some cases, the stars of the future.
For a person like Ichiro, who is deeply interested in historical artifacts and the stories they represent, there is no better place than Cooperstown, and there is no better ambassador for Cooperstown than Ichiro.
“The history of baseball is very important,” Ichiro said. “We’re able to play the game today because of players of the past. I really want to understand them and know more about them. I think we all need to know the game of the past, things of the past, so we can keep moving it forward.”
Ichiro’s plaque there suggests the closing of a historical, cultural and symbolic loop that brings together two great baseball cultures.
It was the converging of paths, joining the practice of yakyu, the game Ichiro began playing at age 3, and the pastime of baseball, the game he still plays — with ritualistic abandon — at 51.
For all of the cultural significance and the historic nature of Ichiro’s induction, it’s this work ethic and his meticulous nature that is almost certainly going to be his greatest legacy. And it’s one that spins into the future, as he blazes a path to serve as a guide for the Japanese and American stars of the future — and present — to follow.
Before Shohei Ohtani, there was Ichiro. Before Ichiro, there were many, but none who followed the path that perhaps only he could see.
EVEN BEFORE SUNDAY, Ichiro Suzuki had a Hall of Fame plaque on a wall. That one was hung in January at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame Museum, located within the Tokyo Dome.
The contrast between Cooperstown, a tiny rustic village in upstate New York, and Tokyo, one of the world’s largest and most dense cities, couldn’t be more stark. But the baseball galleries within them look very similar, right up to the shape and size of the plaques themselves.
This is no coincidence. The American version came first; the very concept of a Hall of Fame is a purely American convention. So when one was built in Japan, back in the late 1950s, it was an early sign of the dissolution of differences between the two leading baseball cultures.
The differences, convergences and exchanges between the two is the story told in the Hall of Fame’s stunning new exhibit “Yakyu | Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game.”
“This isn’t just an exhibition about baseball in Japan,” said RJ Lara, the curator of the exhibit. “This isn’t just an exhibition about baseball in the United States. It’s about how the two countries and how baseball in two countries has come together and exchanged equipment, ideas, concepts, players, teams.”
Baseball’s roots in Japan trace to the 1850s, the game exported there by visiting Americans and seafarers. For decades, even as the popularity of baseball spread, it remained a strictly amateur practice, with the college level seen as the pinnacle of the sport into the middle of the 20th century.
While baseball grew into America’s pastime as a source of joy and play for anyone who could toss a ball or swing a bat, in Japan, at least in the early years, yakyu was viewed as a martial art. In fact, the first thing you see when you walk into the exhibit is a suit of traditional Samurai armor, full of red and gold — a gift from the Yomiuri Giants to Los Angeles Dodgers president Peter O’Malley in 1988.
Yakyu, one of the Japanese words for baseball, describes a game that evolved from the American version and still differs in mainly intangible ways and strategic preferences. The gap between the two has narrowed, as the success of Ichiro, Ohtani and others strongly suggests. But it might never completely disappear.
The “Samurai Way of Baseball” — as author Robert Whiting described it — meant a painstaking focus on practice and repetition, a heavy emphasis on fundamentals and a standardized version of the game in which every discrete act had a precise method behind it, and everything was about the team: the “wa,” as outlined by Whiting in the seminal “You Gotta Have Wa.”
Starting around 1905, teams on both sides of the Pacific began making the voyage to compete against one another. But the biggest influence on the professionalization of baseball in Japan came in 1934, when a team of American barnstormers stuffed with future Hall of Famers — including Babe Ruth — toured the country, drawing huge crowds nearly everywhere they went.
Plans for a professional league were already being hatched, and the success of the 1934 tour helped to cement them. The Yomiuri Giants were founded in 1935, and, as longtime Tokyo resident Whiting put it, grew into a behemoth that became as popular as the Dodgers, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox combined. It set the stage for Sadaharu Oh, Shigeo Nagashima and the legends who laid the foundation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) — and the collision of Japanese and American baseball that the exhibit celebrates.
THE YAKYU EXHIBIT has three centerpieces, and appropriately the first one you encounter focuses on Hideo Nomo. (Ichiro is the second and, though you can probably guess who is the third, we will come to that a bit later.)
Nomo was not the first Japanese-born player to make the transition to the major leagues: The seal was broken in the mid-1960s, when Masanori Murakami pitched two seasons for the San Francisco Giants. There was a lot of rancor in Japan over the move, and after two seasons, Murakami went back to Japan. Meanwhile, greats such as Oh and Nagashima stayed put, both spending their careers with Yomiuri, thanks to the reserve clause in place in Japan, as well as a societal pressure to remain true to Japanese baseball.
Oh talked in later years about how he would’ve liked to have played in the majors, but he just couldn’t do it. The taboo against jumping the pond remained in place until the mid-1990s. This was when Nomo “retired” from his team in Japan, a ploy cooked up by agent Don Nomura to exploit a loophole. Nomo ended up with the Dodgers, and Nomo-mania was born.
Nomo was heavily criticized at the time in Japan, and doubt existed in America about whether a Japanese player could truly make the leap. Nomo more than proved his ability to make the transition, and did so with such verve that it swept through Southern California and beyond, and also captivated audiences in Japan. The practice of baseball fans on the other side of the Pacific rising in the early morning to watch MLB began at that time.
The exhibit features some of Nomo’s equipment, as well as videos of hitters flailing at his nasty splitter. There are also some model baseballs with which you can try to simulate the grips Nomo used on his various pitches, including that splitter.
Jack Morris was in the midst of praising the nastiness of Nomo’s splitter when fellow Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith interjected, “You should try to hit it!”
NOMO’S DEBUT SEASON in 1995 preceded the now-celebrated 1996 Japan tour, which saw an MLB all-star team that included Cal Ripken Jr. play an eight-game series against players from the NPB, then called All-Japan. Ripken had gone on a similar tour in 1986, along with Morris and Smith, and a decade later he already noticed a marked difference in the caliber of play from his Japanese opponents.
“Going over there, you kind of look and shake your head and go, ‘These people are crazy about baseball,'” Ripken said. “They were talking about drawing 60,000 fans for a high school championship game.
“I thought the Japanese were always really competitive and very serious. They wanted to do really well. They wanted to beat us.”
One of the opponents of the all-star group in 1996 was Ichiro, and that experience for the Japanese star, in combination with the phenomenon that Nomo created, began to turn his head toward the other side of the Pacific. He wanted to test himself.
“The excitement I felt in that series was definitely a turning point,” Ichiro told author Narumi Komatsu in “Ichiro on Ichiro.” “Instead of something I just admired from afar, the majors became a set goal of mine.”
Ichiro had become a phenomenon in his home country, his face splattered on billboards all over Tokyo and beyond, as he exploded on the scene by becoming the first player in Japanese professional history to record 200 hits in a season, setting the since-broken record of 210 at age 20. He hit .353 during his nine years for Orix, which would far away be the all-time highest average in Japanese history if he qualified for the career leaderboard.
He did it in his own way, forging a path unlike any players before him. He famously refused to change the batting stance he’d used since high school — much to the chagrin of his first manager with Orix.
Ichiro also donned the name “Ichiro” on his jersey, departing from Japanese tradition. Suzuki is a common name in Japan and his club felt that would make him all the more marketable, which it did. To this day, in baseball everywhere, when you hear the name “Ichiro”, you know exactly who’s being referenced.
Bobby Valentine, who initially bucked against tradition when he went to manage in Japan, eschewing conventions such as marathon practice sessions and incessant meetings, saw things evolving, especially when he prepared for his first stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1995, the year Nomo debuted with the Dodgers.
“That was the year after Ichiro was Rookie of the Year for Orix in 1994,” Valentine said. “Every night, all the coaches got together and looked at video and looked at charts, trying to figure out one guy, Ichiro.
“He showed me what he could do. I asked him for an autographed bat and told him that he was one of the best players I ever saw.”
Later, when Valentine was managing the New York Mets, he unsuccessfully lobbied his front office to pursue Ichiro.
“I was told at the end of the day, that they didn’t want a singles hitter in the outfield,” Valentine said mournfully. “And I said, ‘What if you get 200 of them?’ I swear. And he got like 240 of them.”
AT TIMES, IT has been far from certain that the paths that came together through Ichiro on Sunday would indeed merge. That part of the story isn’t overlooked in the yakyu exhibit.
It’s depicted in a couple of very different ways that relate the baseball sliver of the story of the years during and after World War II, including the post-war period when the United States occupied Japan under the supervision of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
One object from the war years is the most melancholy relic in the exhibition, and indeed perhaps in the entire Hall of Fame.
It is a handmade, wooden home plate that once was part of Zenimura Field at the Gila River in Arizona internment camp during the war. The field was built by Kenichi Zenimura, a baseball advocate born in Hiroshima who spent most of his childhood in Hawaii.
The home plate is a a solemn reminder of how the forces that too often keep nations apart can’t be overcome by baseball alone. But if baseball can’t keep nations from conflict, conflict can’t keep people from baseball.
“It was the anchor of the Gila River community, and that’s how we like to describe it,” Lara said. “During these tragic, incredibly hard times at this camp in Arizona, it was the anchor that brought the community together, around a single baseball diamond that they built with their hands.”
After the war, when the occupation of Japan began, much of the country, and especially Tokyo, was in ruin. The battle for the ideological soul of the country was well underway in those early years of the Cold War, and the influence of communist Russia was of chief concern for the Americans.
MacArthur thought that reigniting the dormant cultural elements of Japanese society might help to calm things down and help make some headway in turning heads from the encroaching communist influence. With many of the country’s cultural institutions in rubble or ashes, sports, especially baseball — which can be played outside and a sport the Japanese already loved — was the answer.
Author Robert K. Fitts describes the sequence in “Banzai Babe Ruth.” League play resumed in 1946. Things improved enough that in 1947, Japan celebrated Babe Ruth Day at the same time that the major leagues were honoring the dying slugger. Quality of play began to recover but the overall fervor around yakyu still fell short of the pre-war years.
In 1949, on a suggestion from MacArthur staffer Cappy Harada, the project was turned over to Lefty O’Doul, who had fallen in love with Japan on a 1931 tour with other major leaguers and played a key role in helping convince Ruth to join the 1934 tour.
O’Doul, manager of the San Francisco Seals, brought his Pacific Coast League squad to Japan after the 1949 season to tour the country. The Seals were welcomed with a parade and, over the course of four weeks, helped boost the morale of a struggling nation. One evening before a game, for the first time, the flags of the United States and Japan were raised together, bringing many fans to tears.
Japanese journalist and historian Tadao Kunishi sees the O’Doul tour as one of the turning points in the evolution of Japanese baseball, especially in its gradual move toward becoming more like the American game.
“During that time, Japan was still doing the rebuilding,” Kunishi said. “We did not have much entertainment, and baseball is outside. So many movie theaters were burned down, so they cannot play, but baseball is outside, and anybody can go there. And really [Lefty] O’Doul brought the joy of watching baseball.”
A veritable baseball Forrest Gump, O’Doul always seemed to be in the middle of baseball history. He pitched for John McGraw. He converted to hitting and one year batted .398 in the National League. He managed and mentored life-long friend Joe DiMaggio, whom he brought along on a later, much-celebrated tour of Japan. He saw the potential of Japan as a baseball nation from the start.
“He said it was just a matter of time that Japanese ballplayers are going to be playing in America,” said Tom O’Doul, Lefty’s cousin. “And they’re going to be playing American baseball because they’re good and they respect the game. And that’s what happened.”
Though you don’t need to attribute the eventual boom in Japan — baseball and beyond — entirely to Lefty O’Doul and baseball, those tours proved to be a turning point in the ongoing exchange in the sport between Japan and America, which had seemed hopelessly severed.
THE THIRD CENTERPIECE of the yakyu exhibit, along with Nomo and Ichiro, as you probably have guessed, is the display for Shohei Ohtani, who is in the midst of a Hall of Fame career, and thus years away from joining Ichiro in the Japanese and the American plaque rooms. But he will get there.
Ohtani’s display looms in the back of the room behind Ichiro and indeed, from a certain angle as you stand there and look upon Ichiro’s uniform and bat and shoes and batting glove, a little lower to the left and against the wall behind him, you see an image of Decoy, the most famous dog — and literary muse — in all of baseball.
As for the player himself, Ohtani’s display is a stunning piece of museum technology. Depending on which angle you take to look at his image, you might see him pitching or hitting for the Los Angeles Angels, doing the same for the Dodgers, or celebrating the end of Japan’s victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which he clinched by fanning Mike Trout for the last out.
The rise of Ohtani is also a chief part of the legacies of Oh and Nagashima and Nomo and Ichiro. By now, 74 players have made the transition to the major leagues — not all with resounding success, but many have reached All-Star status. All you have to do is look in the financial ledgers and the contracts that have been dolled out to the likes of Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki to know how Japanese stars are valued today.
For his part, Ichiro does think that the differences between yakyu and MLB have softened, but they still exist — and they should.
“It usually takes a few years for Japanese baseball to pick up the things that happen in major leagues,” Suzuki said. “It’s definitely getting closer.
“I don’t think that Japan should copy what the MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball in the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are. I think they should be different.”
And yet in so many ways, Ichiro himself was the bridge. He was yakyu and he was baseball.
Ichiro, who will generally give frank answers about himself and his thoughts about baseball, almost always deflects when asked about the thoughts or impressions of others. He still does it.
When asked about his role or his sense of how Japanese fans are reacting to his induction to Cooperstown, he says he doesn’t know. When asked about his relationship to the current Japanese stars in the major leagues, he says that he sees them at the ballpark when they come through Seattle.
He doesn’t get any more detailed when asked about the path that he has opened up for other Japanese stars, but he does open up a little when discussing his role in spreading knowledge to the next generation of players on both sides of the Pacific.
“The players need to tell the younger players about the game,” Ichiro said. “That’s a responsibility that those who have played this game have. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to help in that aspect, but it’s something I’d really like to do.”
As much as anything, Ichiro’s legacy is helping to bring the paths of two different baseball cultures together.
“We used to say that yakyu and baseball are different games with the same rules,” Kunishi said. “Now yakyu and baseball is the same game and the same rules.”
As far as legacies go, that’s not bad, even if the process remains ongoing. In the meantime, Ichiro will be there, connected with Cooperstown and Japan alike, making sure that no aspects of all the history he has been a part of will be lost.
Sports
12 colleges stacked with NFL draft talent: Why scouts are watching Penn State, Clemson this season
-
Jordan Reid
The 2025 college football season is fast approaching. Over the next few months, NFL scouts and front office execs will hit the road to watch prospects, talk to coaches and begin building their boards for next year’s draft. But which schools will they visit most? And who are the players to keep a close eye on?
I spoke to scouts and talent evaluators to come up with a cheat sheet of college programs for fans to watch in preparation for the 2026 NFL draft. A lot will happen between now and the end of the season, of course, but think of this as an early primer on which schools NFL franchises will be keeping tabs on this fall, along with. I settled on 12 schools and separated them into three tiers, considering the overall number of draft prospects and how many of those will be first-rounders. I also picked an under-the-radar program to watch.
Let’s start with a loaded Big Ten team looking to keep the national championship in conference.
Jump to a section:
Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3
Under the radar
Tier 1
Top prospect to know: Drew Allar, QB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Trebor Pena, WR
Game circled on the schedule: at Ohio State, Nov. 1
The Nittany Lions are loaded, and all eyes will be on Allar as he enters a crucial senior season. He contemplated entering the NFL draft last season before announcing his decision to return prior to the College Football Playoff. At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, he has tools scouts covet and showed improvement in his accuracy, with his completion rate improving from 59.9% in 2023 to 66.5% last season. He finished with 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first season in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s scheme.
But despite the completion percentage jump, opinions on Allar remain mixed, as many evaluators are taking a wait-and-see approach.
“I think he has what it takes, but he has to be more consistent in big games,” an NFC director of scouting said. “That’s really the only thing keeping me from being all-in on him.”
Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen make up college football’s best backfield duo after both surprisingly returned for their senior season. Singleton is more highly regarded, as he received Day 2 grades from the scouts to whom I talked. The 5-foot-11, 217-pound Allen is a bruiser who can gain tough yards and was labeled an early Day 3 option. Penn State’s overhauled wide receiver room includes transfers Pena (Syracuse), Kyron Hudson (USC) and Devonte Ross (Troy). Each of them have Day 3 grades entering the season.
Penn State also has three offensive linemen on the NFL’s radar. Offensive tackle Drew Shelton is the most highly regarded; he has second-round grades. Right tackle Nolan Rucci was repeatedly mentioned by scouts after an impressive run during the end of last season. Interior blockers Olaivavega Ioane and Nick Dawkins have received a mixture of Day 2 and Day 3 grades.
AJ Harris is the top-ranked corner on my board and could become the first Penn State cornerback to ever be selected in Round 1. Safety Zakee Wheatley is viewed as a midround option by scouts.
Even with the loss of Abdul Carter, Penn State has plenty of early-round defensive line talent. Edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton finished fast, with two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in the Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame. He has a Round 2 projection, as scouts want him to expand his pass-rush regimen.
Zane Durant is an undersized but powerful defensive tackle at 6-foot-1, 290 pounds. Some scouts indicated a willingness to bypass his size concerns because of his disruptive abilities and would select him in the top 75. Linebacker Amare Campbell, a North Carolina transfer, has received early Day 3 grades, as has reliable weakside linebacker Tony Rojas.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 3
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 13
Top prospect to know: Peter Woods, DT
Sleeper prospect to watch: Will Heldt, Edge
Game circled on the schedule: vs. LSU, Aug. 30
For the first time since 2009, Clemson didn’t have a player drafted in the first two days of the draft. That will not be the case in 2026, as the Tigers have one of the best rosters in the country. Woods is the top-ranked prospect on my early board. At 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, he’s an anchor in the middle who has the versatility to play every position up front. He’s expected to spend more time inside in new defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s defense after playing primarily off the edge last season.
T.J. Parker is one of the top defensive ends in the country. He finished with 11 sacks last season, and his 16.5 tackles for loss were second most among all FBS defenders. Heldt is a rare transfer addition for Clemson, as he came from Purdue and is expected to play a major role opposite Parker. Nose tackle DeMonte Capehart has also received midround grades from NFL evaluators after an injury-riddled junior season.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik enters his third season as a starter with heightened expectations after a breakout junior year. He finished with 3,639 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions, and scouts want to see if he can continue that upward trend. Klubnik is my top-ranked signal-caller and was the No. 1 overall pick in my way-too-early 2026 mock.
Avieon Terrell is a feisty, aggressive, tone-setting cornerback who has gotten a mixture of late first-round and early Day 2 grades. Senior linebacker Wade Woodaz and safety Khalil Barnes are viewed as late-round prospects.
Wide receiver Antonio Williams is a fast-paced, quick receiver who finished last season with 904 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He is getting top-50 grades but could be in contention to be WR1 in this class. Southeast Missouri State transfer Tristan Smith is receiving Day 3 grades.
Clemson has four returning offensive line starters on scouts’ radar. Tackle Blake Miller is considered a Day 2 pick, while Tristan Leigh is viewed more as a Day 3 selection. Interior blockers Ryan Linthicum and Walker Parks are hoping to get into the late-round picture.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 4
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 12
Top prospect to know: Isaiah World, OT
Sleeper prospect to watch: Bryce Boettcher, LB
Game circled on the schedule: at Penn State, Sept. 27
The Ducks were again active in the transfer portal, and World was one of their top additions. The 6-foot-8, 318-pound tackle spent three seasons at Nevada.
“We literally just saw a tackle go from the Mountain West to the Big Ten and be drafted in the first round [Josh Simmons], and I believe this dude has even more upside,” an NFC area scout said about World.
World allowed five pressures and didn’t surrender a sack last season. He still needs to play with more control, as he had eight penalties (five for holding, three for unsportsmanlike conduct). Interior blockers Iapani Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon (USC transfer) and Alex Harkey (Texas State transfer) have received Day 3 grades.
Makhi Hughes and Noah Whittington are expected to be the Ducks’ 1-2 backfield punch. Another noteworthy transfer, Hughes rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns at Tulane last season. He has gotten primarily midround grades from scouts to who I talked, while Whittington is a late-round hopeful.
Kenyon Sadiq is my top-ranked tight end and will take over the primary role from the departed Terrance Ferguson. Sadiq caught 24 passes for 308 yards and two scores as a backup in 2024, and he has the traits and upside to hear his name called in the first round.
Defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei is Oregon’s highest-rated defensive lineman after finishing with 10.5 sacks last season. He has received Day 2 grades. Defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington has also received middle-to-late-round grades.
Safety Dillon Thieneman, a Purdue transfer, was Oregon’s biggest defensive addition. He had six interceptions as a freshman in 2023 and could be the team’s highest-drafted defensive player. He has a top-75 grade. Boettcher is an underrated player to watch at linebacker and has a chance to move up from his current Day 3 grade.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 4
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 12
Top prospect to know: Anthony Hill Jr., LB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Trevor Goosby, OT
Game circled on the schedule: at Ohio State, Aug. 30
The Longhorns had 12 players drafted in April and are again stocked with talent. All eyes will be on quarterback Arch Manning as he takes the reins of the offense. Even though he has thrown only 95 career passes, there’s plenty of excitement from the small flashes that he has shown. At 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, he has prototypical size and easy arm strength, combined with picture-perfect mechanics. He is draft-eligible, but his sample size is way too small and, based on what his grandfather Archie Manning told Texas Monthly, there’s a good chance he won’t be in the 2026 draft.
Hill will likely to be in the next draft, as he is a versatile linebacker who can make high-impact plays on the second level and off of the edge, finishing last season with 113 tackles and eight sacks. He is already receiving first-round praise, but scouts want to see more consistency with his tackling and vision in run defense.
Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter are a formidable backfield duo that could compete with Penn State’s as the FBS’ best. Wisner is a smooth runner that fits well in the team’s zone-based scheme. He has gotten midround grades. Baxter returns after suffering a significant knee injury that kept him out last season.
Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. is a versatile target who must show more consistency as a catcher. Tight end Jack Endries, a Cal transfer, steps into a starting role and could expand on his 56 catches for 623 yards and two touchdowns last season. Both have Day 3 grades.
1:08
Roman Harper on Texas’ Manning: ‘It just looks and feels right’
SEC Network’s Harper breaks down why Arch Manning will be a perfect fit for the Longhorns with his poise and experience in Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
Guard DJ Campbell is the only returning offensive line starter. The 6-foot-3, 321-pounder plays with a powerful base and is projected to be a midround pick. Goosby takes over at left tackle after starting two games last season. Even though he’s only a redshirt sophomore, the 6-foot-7, 312-pounder has good tools but needs to gain strength and fill out his frame.
Edge rusher Trey Moore enters his second season with the program after transferring from UTSA following a 14-sack season in 2023. Fellow edge Ethan Burke has mostly gotten Day 3 grades.
Cornerback Malik Muhammad steps into the CB1 spot and will anchor a strong secondary after receiving Day 2 grades. Safety Michael Taaffe is a hard hitter who could be a midround pick, while nickel corner Jaylon Guilbeau needs to take a step as a senior to emerge on draft radars.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 2
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 12
Tier 2
Top prospect to know: Kadyn Proctor, OT
Sleeper prospect to watch: Germie Bernard, WR
Game circled on the schedule: at Georgia, Sept. 27
The Crimson Tide had two first-round picks last season, including an offensive lineman (Tyler Booker). That could happen again in 2026, as Proctor is the highest-ranked prospect on the roster. A starter since stepping foot on campus in 2023, he’s an imposing presence at 6-foot-6, 370 pounds. He is a physical run blocker who generates plenty of movement but needs to show more consistency as a pass protector.
“There are moments where I’m a big believer, and then he’ll have a few quarters that leave me scratching my head — like the fourth quarter against Oklahoma and against Michigan in the bowl game last year,” an AFC assistant general manager said.
Senior guard Jaeden Roberts has received midround grades from scouts I’ve talked to due to his power at the point of attack. Center Parker Brailsford is an agile technician but undersized at 6-foot-2, 290 pounds.
Bernard followed coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington is aiming to take a bigger step in his second year at Alabama (50 catches, 794 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season). Jam Miller is a determined runner who enters his second season as the Tide’s RB1. He’s a likely Day 3 pick.
Defensively, LT Overton is a throwback, reliable edge rusher who fits into any defense at 6-foot-5, 283 pounds. There are scouts who believed he could have been an early Day 2 pick had he entered the 2025 draft. Defensive tackle Tim Keenan III is 6-foot-2, 325 pounds and one of the best run-stopping interior defenders in the country, but scouts want to see more from him as a pass rusher. James Smith could also break out in his first year as a starter.
Linebacker Deontae Lawson returns after suffering an ACL tear against Oklahoma in late November, cutting short a season in which he had 76 tackles and an interception. He’s an active and instinctive second-level defender who was trending toward being a top-50 pick.
Alabama has one of the deepest secondaries in the country, with three players on draft radars. Cornerback Domani Jackson (USC) and safety Keon Sabb (Michigan) are in their second year with the Tide after transferring in, with Jackson regarded as a potential early Day 2 pick, and Sabb being a potential riser if he fully recovers from a broken foot that limited him to seven games last season. Fellow safety Bray Hubbard led Alabama with three interceptions in 2024.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 2
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 11
Top prospect to know: CJ Allen, LB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Raylen Wilson, LB
Game circled on the schedule: vs. Alabama, Sept. 27
Georgia’s defense has had many dynamic linebackers in previous seasons, and Allen in next in line. At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, he’s an active and urgent defender who finished with 76 tackles and an interception during his sophomore campaign. Wilson and Allen are arguably the best pair of linebackers in the country.
Defensive tackle Christen Miller‘s name repeatedly came up from scouts when discussing potential breakout candidates. Some evaluators believe he could be selected as high as the middle of Round 1 if he can expand on his 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks from 2024.
Cornerback Daylen Everette showed improvement in 2024 but is still regarded as an early Day 3 prospect due to inconsistency in man coverage. Daniel Harris enters his first year as a full-time starter opposite Everette but could be a riser thanks to his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame.
Right tackle Earnest Greene III — the lone returning offensive line starter — and left tackle Monroe Freeling are projected as Day 3 picks. Guard Micah Morris is an easy mover who also has power and projects as a late-rounder.
Wide receivers Dillon Bell and Zachariah Branch (a transfer from USC) are receiving a mixture of middle-to-late-round grades from scouts. Tight ends Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie also have Day 3 grades.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 2
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 11
Top prospect to know: Jeremiyah Love, RB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Jaden Greathouse, WR
Game circled on the schedule: vs. Miami, Aug. 31
Fresh off a run to the national title game, the Irish have plenty of NFL talent. Love is the consensus RB1 among scouts and a chance to be the only first-round rusher in the 2026 draft. He has a special blend of vision, suddenness and versatility out of the backfield, which helped him to 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
“He’s a mixture of [James] Cook and [Jahmyr] Gibbs,” an AFC assistant GM said. “I think he’s a game-changer and some team will take him in the top 20 [picks] because he makes a lot of things right in your offense.”
Backfield mate Jadarian Price brings power and toughness, as he added 746 rushing yards and seven TDs in 2024. He’s viewed as a player who could rise from a late-round projection. Wide receivers Malachi Fields (Virginia transfer) and Greathouse are projected midround picks, which they could improve as Notre Dame’s top two pass-catching options.
Tackle Aamil Wagner and guard Billy Schrauth return for an offensive line that’s again expected to be among the best in the country. Wagner has primarily received midround grades.
Edge rusher Jordan Botelho is a high-energy and effective rusher. Cornerback Christian Gray and linebacker Drayk Bowen are other defensive players seen as Day 3 prospects.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 1
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 11
Top prospect to know: Caleb Downs, S
Sleeper prospect to watch: Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Edge
Game circled on the schedule: vs. Penn State, Nov. 1
The Buckeyes had 14 players drafted in 2025 after winning the national title, but the best defensive player on that team remains in Columbus. Downs is the top defensive back prospect in the country. At 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, he’s a versatile player who can play multiple secondary spots. His 28.6% completion percentage allowed in coverage was fifth best among defensive backs in the FBS last season. He also added 81 tackles and two interceptions.
“There’s not a lot that he can’t do honestly,” said a highly ranked AFC scouting executive. “I don’t love him as much as I did with [Kyle] Hamilton [in 2022], but I think he could be picked in a similar range when it’s all said and done.”
Linebacker Sonny Styles has gotten high praise as a potential top-50 pick. He’s a 6-foot-4, 237-pound hybrid defender who can be deployed in multiple ways. Fellow LB Arvell Reese is receiving Day 3 grades.
Jackson enters his first year as a starter and there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder. North Carolina transfer Beau Atkinson arrives in Columbus after a 7.5-sack season. Both received Day 3 grades from scouts.
Cornerback Davison Igbinosun returns after an inconsistent 2024 that saw him flagged 16 times while in coverage. At 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, he’s a physical press-man corner and must learn to contain his overreliance on his hands, which has resulted in him getting late Day 2 and early Day 3 grades. Cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. could rise in his first season as a starter.
It’s not an Ohio State class without a top pass catcher, and Carnell Tate is a sure-handed, all-around receiver projected to be a Day 2 pick. Tight end Max Klare transferred from Purdue after finishing with 51 receptions for 685 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.
Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa takes over at left tackle, where he’s receiving early Day 3 buzz. At 6-foot-6, 333 pounds, there will likely be an adjustment period for him, but his stock could rise as the season progresses.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 1
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 10
Tier 3
Top prospect to know: Garrett Nussmeier, QB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Barion Brown, WR
Game circled on the schedule: at Clemson, Aug. 30
The Tigers are led by Nussmeier, who returns for a highly anticipated senior season. He finished with 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first year as a starter; he’s my No. 3 QB for next year’s draft. Nussmeier plays with fearless anticipation and steady confidence despite his below-average size (6-foot-1, 205 pounds). He has gotten a mixture of late Round 1 and early Day 2 grades from scouts to whom I’ve talked.
“He reminds me a little of [Brock] Purdy, but with even more confidence,” said an AFC scout from a QB-needy team. “I think [the Tigers] just weren’t as good as they have been at receiver, and he pressed into some bad decisions way too much last year.”
LSU remodeled its receiver room, with in-conference transfers Brown (Kentucky) and Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) projected to be Day 3 picks. Aaron Anderson and Chris Hilton Jr. return as starters and provide more explosive-play capabilities. Tight end Bauer Sharp, another Oklahoma transfer, is also worth watching.
The Tigers added multiple transfers on the defensive line with edges Patrick Payton (Florida State) and Jack Pyburn (Florida). Scouts that I talked to give Payton a mixture of Day 2 and Day 3 grades after a disappointing 2024 season. Pyburn is receiving early third-day considerations.
Linebacker Whit Weeks is impossible to ignore on tape; he had 120 tackles and two forced fumbles last season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder is physical and has infectious energy, part of why he’s getting midround grades.
Harold Perkins Jr. returns after suffering a torn ACL early last season. But where does the 6-foot-1, 222-pounder play? That’s the big question, as he has split time between off-ball linebacker and the edge. He’s considered a Day 2 guy by scouts even with the injury.
Virginia Tech transfer corner Mansoor Delane has received strong Day 2 grades, while Ashton Stamps is in the Day 3 picture after showing flashes in 2024. Safety A.J. Haulcy, a Houston transfer, could emerge after finishing with five interceptions in 2024.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 1
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 11
Top prospect to know: Jordyn Tyson, WR
Sleeper prospect to watch: Max Iheanachor, OT
Game circled on the schedule: at Utah, Oct. 11
The Sun Devils again have a well-constructed roster full of draft prospects after their surprising Big 12 title in 2024. Tyson is their highest-rated prospect, as the 6-foot-2, 200 pound receiver is viewed as a potential first-round pick. He broke out as a redshirt sophomore, finishing with 75 catches for 1,101 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Tyson is a diverse route runner that plays with physicality throughout his patterns.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt improved weekly, passing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns to only six interceptions. With only 13 career starts entering the season, Leavitt’s sample size is still small, but multiple scouts believe he could be the candidate who catapults up draft boards.
Running back Kanye Udoh transferred from Army, where he finished with 1,117 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season. At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Udoh is a bigger rusher who will attempt to fill the void left by Cam Skattebo.
Iheanachor is a toolsy blocker who received high grades from multiple scouts because of his upside. Some NFL personnel believe he could be picked as early as Round 2. Guards Kyle Scott and Ben Coleman and tackle Josh Atkins are projected to be drafted on Day 3.
Three starting defensive linemen are on NFL radars, with defensive tackle C.J. Fite and edge rushers Clayton Smith and Prince Dorbah receiving late-round grades. Linebackers Keyshaun Elliott and Jordan Crook also have Day 3 grades.
Cornerback Keith Abney II has caught the eye of evaluators because of his consistency in man coverage and is seen as a potential Day 2 pick. Safeties Xavion Alford and Myles Rowser are viewed as late Day 3 selections.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 1
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 10
Top prospect to know: David Bailey, Edge/LB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Brice Pollock, CB
Game circled on the schedule: at Arizona State, Oct. 18
Bailey is the top-rated prospect on a replenished Tech roster. A late addition from Stanford, he finished last season with seven sacks and three forced fumbles. His 2.64-second average time to first pressure ranked 23rd in the FBS; he’s projected to be a Day 2 pick. Fellow edge Romello Height and interior defenders Lee Hunter and Skyler Gill-Howard have gotten early Day 3 grades from scouts.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who began his career as a quarterback at Virginia in 2021, is considered a late-rounder with the potential to boost his stock as the centerpiece of the Red Raiders’ defense.
Safety Cole Wisniewski returns after missing the entire 2024 season due to a foot injury. He was one of the top players in the FCS during his time at North Dakota State. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has Day 3 grades. Pollock, a Mississippi State transfer, kept popping up when talking to NFL evaluators. He is firmly on the NFL’s radar with Day 3 grades but has the potential to climb higher. A.J. McCarty and Dontae Balfour are two more defensive backs regarded as late-round hopefuls.
Quarterback Behren Morton enters his third season as a starter after throwing for 3,335 yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2024. Morton has primarily received early Day 3 consideration. USC transfer running back Quinten Joyner is also a prospect who could make his presence felt.
Wide receivers Reggie Virgil, Caleb Douglas and Coy Eakin are seen as potential third-day selections. Tight ends Johncarlos Miller II and Terrance Carter Jr. (Louisiana transfer) have gotten similar grades.
Tackles Hunter Zambrano and Howard Sampson and guards Will Jados and Davion Carter are regarded as Day 3 selections.
Predicted first-rounders in 2026: 1
Predicted total draft picks in 2026: 9
Under-the-radar school
Top prospect to know: Fernando Mendoza, QB
Sleeper prospect to watch: Hosea Wheeler, DT
Game circled on the schedule: at Oregon, Oct. 11
The Hoosiers were one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season in making the College Football Playoff, and their roster still has plenty of talent. Mendoza follows Kurtis Rourke as a transfer passer who hopes to boost his draft stock in Curt Cignetti’s offense. Mendoza finished the season at Cal with 3,004 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to six interceptions. He has gotten high praise from scouts that I have talked to — some believe he could go in Round 1.
“I was pleasantly surprised with how well he played last year despite the lack of surroundings around him,” an NFC area scout said. “He has the size and accuracy, but it’s his constant toughness in the pocket that impressed me the most.”
2:13
Fernando Mendoza’s top plays from this past season
Check out some highlights from former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza as he announces his commitment to Indiana.
Indiana hasn’t had a wideout drafted since Cody Latimer in 2014 but have three receivers on NFL radars. Elijah Sarratt has gotten late Day 2 grades while E.J. Williams Jr. and Omar Cooper Jr. are viewed more in the Day 3 range. Notre Dame transfer center Pat Coogan received Day 3 grades, as did guard Bray Lynch. Running back Roman Hemby is also another player who could rise.
While Indiana had only one defensive player drafted in 2025 (DT CJ West), it could have several called in 2026. D’Angelo Ponds is an undersized corner at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, but his ball skills and physical nature have led to Day 2 grades as a nickel. Safeties Amare Ferrell and Louis Moore are Day 3 prospects entering the season.
Edge rusher Mikail Kamara received midround grades and is Indiana’s highest-rated defensive line prospect. Wheeler, a Western Kentucky transfer, could experience a breakout season in his first season in the Big Ten while Texas State transfer nose tackle Dominique Ratcliff has a similar opportunity. Linebacker Aiden Fisher was viewed as a Day 3 possibility.
-
Eli Lederman
Texas Tech‘s offseason talent-gathering spree continued on the high school recruiting trail Thursday with a commitment from five-star outside linebacker LaDamion Guyton, ESPN’s No. 5 overall prospect in the 2027 class.
Guyton, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound recruit from Savannah, Georgia, is the No. 2 defender in the ESPN Junior 300. He picked the Red Raiders over Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
“They do a very good job of making you feel like you’re one of their players already when you’re in the building,” Guyton said of Texas Tech to ESPN. “It’s a feeling that draws you in. They have things going in the right direction, and it’s exciting knowing I’m going to be part of that someday.”
Guyton cannot formally sign with a college program for another 16 months, but his commitment marks the latest domino in an abundant run for coach Joey McGuire and Red Raiders general manager James Blanchard.
The program invested heavily in the winter and spring transfer portal windows, ultimately securing 21 additions within ESPN’s top-ranked transfer class ahead of the 2025 season. The lengthy list of newcomers this fall is headlined by defensive linemen David Bailey (Stanford), Romello Height (Georgia Tech) and Lee Hunter (UCF) and FCS All-America safety Cole Wisniewski (North Dakota State). Former five-star signee Micah Hudson rejoined the program this spring following a winter transfer to Texas A&M.
The Red Raiders have also been active on the high school recruiting trail this summer, adding nine commitments in the 2026 class since June 1. The most significant was the pledge of five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo (No. 20 overall) on the back of a seismic, seven-figure revenue share contract.
In Guyton, the Red Raiders now hold one of the most coveted commitments in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Guyton has been credited with 134 total tackles and 16.5 sacks over two varsity seasons at Savannah Christian Preparatory School. He transferred to nearby Benedictine Military School in January, and Guyton told ESPN that he has not ruled out the possibility of reclassifying into the 2026 class and joining Texas Tech next year.
While the Red Raiders hold only two ESPN 300 pledges in the 2026 cycle, sources told ESPN that Texas Tech is expected to invest heavily in the 2027 class, with four-star offensive tackle Cooper Hackett (No. 19 in the ESPN Junior 300) and No. 2 quarterback Kavian Bryant (No. 48 overall) among the priority targets.
Will Ohio State claim the Big Ten title in 2025, or will Penn State finally break through in 2025?
The college football season is less than a month away, and it looks like these two perennial Big Ten powers will have the best shot to not just win the conference, but the College Football Playoff, too. But it won’t be without stiff competition from Oregon, which won the league last season.
In addition to the Big Ten’s playoff race, eyes will be on UCLA and Nico Iamaleava following his exit from Tennessee.
We get you caught up on the Big Ten by breaking down the conference’s CFP outlook, power rankings, must-see games, top freshmen, key transfers and numbers to know.
Jump to:
CFP outlook | Must-see games
Freshmen | Transfers
Numbers to know
Power rankings
CFP outlook
Should be in: Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon. Defending national champion Ohio State always will be penciled into the CFP field, even after losing 14 NFL draft picks, tied for the most in team history. The Buckeyes have wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, considered the nation’s best overall player, as well as safety Caleb Downs, arguably the No. 1 defender. But it’s Penn State, not Ohio State, that enters the fall as possibly the Big Ten’s strongest national contender. The Nittany Lions replace less than the other three teams that reached last year’s CFP semifinals, as they return quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and several standout defenders. Oregon is amazingly being overlooked a bit after winning the Big Ten in its debut season and becoming the only FBS team to finish the regular season at 13-0. The Ducks lost 10 NFL draft picks but will return a talented defensive front seven and add several top transfers and recruits.
In the running: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana. Illinois returns the core players from its first 10-win team since 2001, and it could become this year’s version of Indiana, especially with more explosiveness on offense and stout line play. If the Illini can navigate September road tests against Duke and, yes, Indiana, look out for Bret Bielema’s squad. Michigan hopes to rejoin the CFP mix after its strong finish to last season, leaning on a talented defensive front and possibly incoming freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1 recruit. Indiana largely will be counted out, but not here, as the team retained several All-Big Ten players from the historic CFP team, and added quarterback Fernando Mendoza and several notable offensive linemen from the portal. Iowa occasionally found itself in the four-team CFP mix and could take a leap if transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski elevates the offense.
Long shots: Nebraska, USC, Minnesota, Washington. Nebraska has had a tough time merely making bowl appearances in the Big Ten, but could be primed for a jump in wins, as quarterback Dylan Raiola returns to lead the squad. The Huskers are also helped by a favorable schedule that doesn’t include Ohio State or Oregon, and has no true road game until Oct. 11. USC is still seeking its first CFP appearance under Lincoln Riley and could enter the mix if it plays better away from home, where it dropped four games by seven points or fewer. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck is also seeking better results in one-score games and told ESPN that the CFP “isn’t a pipe dream.” Washington is only two years removed from a national title game appearance and brings back a team with upside, particularly dynamic young quarterback Demond Williams Jr. — Adam Rittenberg and Jake Trotter
Must-see games
From Bill Connelly’s Big Ten conference preview
Here are the 10 games — eight in conference play, plus two huge nonconference games — that feature (A) the highest combined SP+ ratings for both teams and (B) a projected scoring margin under 10 points. That second part is key, as neither Penn State (two) nor Ohio State (three) have many projected close games on the docket.
Texas at Ohio State (Aug. 30) and Michigan at Oklahoma (Sept. 6). The biggest games of Weeks 1 and 2 are Big Ten vs. SEC affairs, though they take on different flavors. Texas-Ohio State is a rematch of last year’s delightful CFP semifinal, in which Jack Sawyer’s late scoop-and-score ended a Longhorns comeback attempt. Both the Longhorns and Buckeyes will almost certainly start out in the AP top 5. Meanwhile, Michigan and Oklahoma are looking for ways back into the top 10, and both will bring remodeled offenses to the table.
Illinois at Indiana (Sept. 20). If things play out as forecasted and we have two different races going on in the Big Ten — the big names vying for the conference title and the pool of 14 other teams fighting among each other for another playoff spot — then this is the biggest Illinois-Indiana game of all time. The loser will have to be just about perfect to get to 10-2 and a potential bid.
Oregon at Penn State (Sept. 27). The Week 5 slate is overloaded with big games, but this will almost certainly be the biggest. The Ducks and Nittany Lions will almost certainly be a combined 7-0 at this point, as neither team will have played a top-50 team.
USC at Illinois (Sept. 27) and Indiana at Iowa (Sept. 27). Like I said, there’s just way too much going on in Week 5. Goodness.
Michigan at USC (Oct. 11). By this point, Michigan will have already played at Oklahoma and Nebraska and could be 5-0 and in the top 10, or 3-2 and flailing. USC will have just visited Illinois and could be 5-0 or flailing as well. This game will be huge, for any of about 17 different reasons.
Penn State at Ohio State (Nov. 1). In terms of combined SP+ ratings, this is the single biggest game of the 2025 regular season.
Indiana at Penn State (Nov. 8). Whether PSU is coming off of a win or a loss in Columbus, the Nittany Lions will desperately need to move on and avoid a hangover.
Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 29). Proof that even in a 12-team CFP era, a rivalry loss can send you into a spectacular, existential tailspin. (And proof that you might be able to steer out of it a little better now.)
Three freshmen to watch
Malik Washington, QB, Maryland
Washington already arrived on campus facing immense expectations after the four-star Maryland native opted to stay home and attend the school he grew up idolizing. His spring game showing — he went 12-of-18 for 170 yards and two touchdowns — did little to dispel any optimism he could become the face of a program resurrection in College Park. At 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, Washington is a true dual-threat with arm talent and mobility. His accuracy and ability to change arm angles should mesh well in an RPO scheme. Carving out a path to contention in the Big Ten won’t be easy, and he’ll need to beat out UCLA transfer Justyn Martin for the starting gig, but Washington has game-changing tools.
Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan
No freshman in college football faces more scrutiny than Underwood, who arrived in Ann Arbor as the highest-ranked player in the class and signed a multi-million dollar NIL deal after a lengthy pursuit by his hometown Wolverines. Underwood’s spring was more solid than exceptional, and he went 12-of-26 for 187 yards in the spring game, which included an 88-yard touchdown, but also a pair of sacks and several overthrows. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore hasn’t named a starter and has been consistent that Underwood is battling with Jadyn Davis, Jake Garcia, and Mikey Keene for the role, but Michigan’s offense has its highest ceiling with Underwood at the helm. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Underwood combines raw speed, clean footwork in the pocket and natural arm strength. The ball jumps out of his hand and he’s adept at keeping plays alive on the run to move the chains. It might require some patience — which isn’t easy in Ann Arbor — but Underwood has the ceiling of a dominant, Heisman Trophy-contending signal caller.
Dakorien Moore, WR, Oregon
Moore arrived in Eugene as the highest-graded high school receiver ESPN has evaluated since 2020, then dazzled Oregon teammates and coaches alike during the Ducks’ spring practices. Moore won the 2025 Under Armour All-America Game MVP and totaled more than 4,000 receiving yards at famed Duncanville High School in Texas. He’s also a decorated track star, and his blazing speed and savvy route-running ability should find a home in Oregon’s offense on Day 1. Moore’s offseason work has only helped solidify the high expectations. He could quickly become a reliable option for new starting QB Dante Moore, and his role in the offense only becomes more important with Evan Stewart set to miss at least a significant portion of the season with a knee injury. — Billy Tucker
Three top transfers
These selections are based on Max Olson’s ranking of the top 100 transfers from the 2024-25 transfer cycle.
Transferring from: Cal | Top 100 rank: 4
HT: 6-5 | WT: 225 | Class: Redshirt sophomore
Background: Mendoza was an incredible find for Cal, an under-the-radar three-star out of Miami who was committed to Yale until the Bears extended a late offer. He developed into one of the best young QBs in the country after taking over as Cal’s starter for their final eight games in 2023. As a sophomore, he was the ACC’s third-leading passer with 3,004 passing yards and raised his completion percentage to 69% (second in the ACC) while scoring 18 total touchdowns with just six interceptions over 11 games. He led all FBS quarterbacks with 41 sacks last season but overcame inconsistent protection to have a really productive year with strong performances against Miami and Auburn and a 98-yard game-winning drive to beat rival Stanford. Mendoza is viewed as one of the most promising QBs in the country by several personnel departments. — Olson
Scout’s take: Mendoza is one of the most undervalued players at the position in college football. He’s 6-5, a great athlete and is tough as nails. He was sacked a lot and kept getting back up. Mendoza can make all of the throws and is a sneaky, crafty athlete. — Luginbill
What he brings to Indiana: Indiana coach Curt Cignetti values production over potential when it comes to recruiting the transfer portal. He’s getting plenty of both with Mendoza as his successor to Kurtis Rourke. Mendoza is looking to take his game to another level in the Big Ten and help make the Hoosiers a contender again in Year 2 under Cignetti. — Olson
Transferring from: Tennessee | Top 100 rank: 5
HT: 6-6 | WT: 220 | Class: Redshirt freshman
Background: Well, this was a stunner. While there were rumors of discontent in late December at the winter portal deadline, it was still shocking that Iamaleava left a College Football Playoff team and hit the open market during the spring in search of a better deal than the one he had with the Vols. Tennessee invested a ton of money in Iamaleava and even successfully fought off an attempted NCAA investigation into the seven-figure agreement he struck with the Vols as a five-star high school recruit. He had an awful lot of hype to live up to as a redshirt freshman starter in 2024 and put together a solid year, throwing for 2,616 yards, completing 64% of his passes with 22 total touchdowns and nine turnovers while leading the Vols to 10 wins. Iamaleava closed out the season with a rough CFP performance, completing 14 of 31 passes for 104 yards in a 42-17 first-round loss to eventual national champ Ohio State, and still has plenty of room to grow. But it is exceptionally rare that a QB of his caliber becomes available in the spring. Iamaleava is looking to keep progressing and play up to his first-round potential. — Olson
Scout’s take: There is no debating that Iamaleava is one of the most physically talented quarterbacks in college football. He was highly coveted out of high school because of his stature, arm strength and athletic ability. During his one season as a starter, he showed flashes of brilliance but also mediocrity. He threw 19 touchdowns, but four of the nine touchdowns in SEC play came against Vanderbilt and seven came against Chattanooga and UTEP. Consistency is where he has to improve. He has the arm strength and overall talent to be a terrific vertical deep ball passer, but he has been wildly inconsistent in terms of accuracy in that regard. There are still tools here, but he will likely be playing on a team that is less talented than the one he just left. Meaning: He’s going to have to be better than he has ever been. — Luginbill
What he brings to UCLA: This ordeal might have played out perfectly for the Bruins. They’re getting a potential top-10 quarterback on a reduced contract who will generate a lot of attention for this program entering coach DeShaun Foster’s second year. Iamaleava’s arrival will cost them App State transfer QB Joey Aguilar, who reentered the portal after going through spring practice with the Bruins and landed at Tennessee. The challenge going forward for Iamaleava is learning OC Tino Sunseri’s system and winning over his new teammates this summer, but he’ll certainly be motivated after his split with the Vols. — Olson
Transferring from: Nevada | Top 100 rank: 7
HT: 6-8 | WT: 309 | Class: Redshirt junior
Background: The massive pass protector was a three-year starter for the Wolf Pack primarily at left tackle and brings invaluable experience with more than 2,300 career snaps. He did not surrender a sack during his junior season and picked up honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition. World is viewed as a potential first-round draft pick by NFL scouts entering his final season of eligibility and is making the move up to the Power 4 to prove he merits that praise. — Olson
Scout’s take: World is a huge presence with very good pass pro skills at left tackle. He has added 42 pounds since high school and retained his initial quickness and flexibility. World does a terrific job riding defenders past the pocket with his length and mobility. He plays balanced with good feet and shows his basketball background mirroring defenders in his set. He’s not as effective versus the run. World’s pad level can get high, but he’s still very productive at washing defenders down to open run lanes. — Tucker
What he brings to Oregon: Offensive tackle was one of the critical portal needs for the Ducks. Ajani Cornelius graduating and Josh Conerly Jr. potentially going pro made adding starter-caliber tackles a priority for Oregon, and it was able to hold off Texas A&M and Nebraska in this battle. A one-year addition makes sense to help give the Ducks’ young big men more time to develop. — Olson
Numbers to know
4: The number of seasons it has been since defending national champion Ohio State won the Big Ten title, the Buckeyes’ longest drought since a six-year stretch from 1987 to 1992.
8: The number of Big Ten quarterbacks who were in the top 25 of the ESPN300 recruit rankings at some point in their high school careers, the most of any conference. Those QBs are Michigan’s Bryce Underwood (No. 1 in 2025), Oregon’s Dante Moore (No. 2 in 2023), Ohio State’s Julian Sayin (No. 9 in 2024), Ohio State’s Tavien St. Clair (No. 10 in 2025), Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola (No. 11 in 2024), USC’s Sam Huard (No. 16 in 2021), UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava (No. 23 in 2023) and Michigan’s Jake Garcia (No. 24 in 2021).
+200: Ohio State’s odds of winning the Big Ten championship, according to ESPN BET, which are the longest odds for the Big Ten favorite in at least 15 years. Penn State is the second choice at +225. — ESPN Research
Power rankings
0:52
Should Penn State be the No. 1-ranked team in the country?
Heather Dinich joins “Get Up” to share why she believes Penn State should be the top-ranked team going into the new college football season.
If not this year, then when for the Nittany Lions? As other Big Ten powers sift through QB questions, Penn State features three-year starter Drew Allar, who has the makeup to be a first-round pick next spring. Throw in a dominant running game spearheaded by Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and a talented defense now led by veteran coordinator Jim Knowles, the Nittany Lions have the pieces to win the Big Ten — and even the national title.
The defending national champions lost a record-tying 14 players to the NFL and must fill significant holes at quarterback and along both the offensive and defensive lines. But Ohio State also has arguably the nation’s best two players in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs, other standouts such as wide receiver Carnell Tate and linebacker Sonny Styles, and notable transfers such as tight end Max Klare (Purdue). Never count out the Buckeyes.
3. Oregon Ducks
Dillion Gabriel, one of the most prolific QBs in recent college football history, is gone, leaving tantalizing former five-star recruit Dante Moore in charge of the Ducks’ offense. A season-ending knee injury to star wide receiver Evan Stewart stings. But Oregon still has enough on either side of the ball to defend its Big Ten title.
After winning 10 games for the first time since the Big Ten championship season of 2001, Illinois has its sights on the team’s first CFP appearance. Quarterback Luke Altmyer and outside linebacker Gabe Jacas are part of an impressive returning group that must navigate tricky September trips to Duke and Indiana before a home showdown with Ohio State on Oct. 11.
All eyes will be on five-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who has already been turning heads in Ann Arbor with his work ethic and dual-threat abilities. The Wolverines have the running game and figure to be stout defensively once again. If Underwood can supercharge the passing attack, the Wolverines could be back in contention for a playoff spot.
How will Coach Cig (Curt Cignetti) follow a historic debut that featured a team-record 11 wins and a once unthinkable CFP appearance? Indiana retained All-Big Ten players on both sides of the ball, and added quarterback Fernando Mendoza and several notable offensive linemen in the portal. The key for IU will be better line-of-scrimmage play in its biggest games, as the schedule doesn’t look nearly as favorable.
7. The Hawkeyes are banking that transfer QB Mark Gronowski, who won an FCS national title, can jumpstart a perennially moribund Iowa offense. Iowa’s offensive line, led by standout center Logan Jones and tackle Gennings Dunker, should be elite. If the defensive-minded Hawkeyes can finally find a way to put up points, they could be dangerous.
After reaching a bowl game for the first time since 2016, Nebraska is targeting much bigger goals under third-year coach Matt Rhule. The Huskers have a favorable schedule with no true road games until Oct. 11 and no Ohio State or Oregon. Quarterback Dylan Raiola has had a full offseason to develop under playcaller Dana Holgorsen.
9. USC Trojans
The Trojans lost five games by one score last season, tied for the most in the FBS. Playing from ahead will be critical for the Trojans, who trailed in 11 of their 13 games in 2024. The defense under first-year coordinator D’Anton Lynn took a step forward last season, but the Trojans need more improvement — they still allowed 5.83 yards per play (15th in the Big Ten).
Could Minnesota be a wild-card CFP contender? “This isn’t a pipe dream,” coach P.J. Fleck told ESPN, pointing to a record in one-score games that, if improved, could elevate the team’s outlook. Minnesota has a solid defense, a potential two-way star in Koi Perich and will lean on first-year starting quarterback Drake Lindsey for a spark.
The Huskies are excited about the potential of sophomore QB Demond Williams Jr., who passed for 374 yards and totaled five touchdowns in Washington’s bowl loss to Louisville. If Williams builds off that performance, the Huskies could surprise offensively, with 1,000-yard rusher Jonah Coleman flanking him in the backfield.
12. After a tough first year and a relatively quiet offseason, Michigan State could creep up on teams during coach Jonathan Smith’s second year. The Spartans made some key portal additions at offensive line and wide receiver to help second-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles. Areas to improve include takeaways and better play on the road, where MSU was 1-4 in 2024.
13. Athan Kaliakmanis is back after becoming the first Rutgers QB since 2015 to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season. Defensively, the pass rush could be a strength with the arrivals of transfers Eric O’Neill (James Madison) and Bradley Weaver (Ohio), who were both all-conference performers. Rutgers ranked just 84th nationally with only 22 total sacks last season.
14. UCLA Bruins
The Bruins have gone all-in on quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Tennessee transfer whose return home could signal a shift in how UCLA will operate under coach DeShaun Foster. If Iamaleava meets expectations and a defense with many new players and coaches shines, UCLA could rise in these rankings after a season where it had wins against Iowa and Nebraska.
15. Injuries robbed any chance Wisconsin had of fielding a viable offense in 2024, as the Badgers ranked 102nd nationally in passing (197 yards per game) on the way to losing their final five games. The onus is now on transfer quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland) and new coordinator Jeff Grimes to turn that around.
16. After bottoming out on offense in 2024, Northwestern had its most successful winter transfer portal haul, which included quarterback Preston Stone (SMU), wide receiver Griffin Wilde (South Dakota State) and several linemen. The Wildcats face a huge opener at Tulane and several tricky Big Ten road contests, but bowl eligibility should be within sight.
Coach Mike Locksley recently admitted he lost the locker room in 2024 over which players to pay, as the Terrapins stumbled to a 1-8 Big Ten record. Maryland doesn’t have much coming back offensively, either, though keeping four-star QB Malik Washington in state has given the Terrapins an intriguing player to rebuild around. The true freshman is battling UCLA transfer Justyn Martin and redshirt freshman Khristian Martin for the starting QB job.
18. Barry Odom is back in the Power 4 following an impressive run at UNLV. He takes over a Purdue team with almost an entirely new roster and a schedule that includes Notre Dame and Ohio State. Moderate improvement is the goal for Odom, whose track record on defense and with personnel suggests better days are ahead. — Rittenberg, Trotter
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike