Ranking every prospect dealt before the MLB trade deadline: There’s a new No. 1 — again!
-
Kiley McDaniel
MLB trade season has officially kicked into high gear with contenders looking to add to their rosters for the stretch run ahead and rebuilding teams aiming to stockpile young players with an eye to the future before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline arrives.
As the moves go down, you can probably form your own opinion of the MLB veterans headed to new teams, but it’s much more difficult to figure out what to make of the minor leaguers who have moved.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our running ranking of every notable prospect who was dealt during July sorted by tiers using my Future Value grades so you can see where they slot in an MLB top 100 list or your team’s farm system ranking.
This story will be updated with top prospects headed to new teams added to the list with every new deal, so come back every time a move goes down to see which stars of tomorrow are on the move this month.
More: Top 10 prospect rankings for all 30 MLB teams
60 FV tier
1. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics
Acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Mason Miller deal
Take a moment to consider how rare this sort of deal is. The last prospect of this caliber to be traded was probably Yoan Moncada headlining the trade package for Chris Sale at the 2016 winter meetings. Four years of control after this season of arguably the best reliever in baseball in Mason Miller is quite a prize, but De Vries has star potential, and that’s why players like this rarely even get discussed in deals.
De Vries is one of those international signees who had scouts whispering his name as early as age 13 or 14 as the clear best player in his signing class. He signed for a $4.2 million bonus in January 2024. The Padres are aggressive in promoting their top prospects, so De Vries opened his pro career in Low-A as a 17-year-old months after signing his contract, then went to the Arizona Fall League after the 2024 regular season. The switch-hitter has played all of this season in High-A while being the same age as domestic high school seniors.
De Vries has been thrown into the deep end of the pool and has excelled by any measure, with signs that he could grow into stardom. He has present above-average raw power that will grow into 60- or 65-grade raw power along with excellent pull/lift numbers and solid pitch selection that will help him get to all of that power in games, roughly 25-35 homers annually. His bat-to-ball ability plays as roughly average, in part because of the power/pull/lift approach, but the innate ability is above average. Being so young for his level — the average age at High-A is 22 years old — obscures his ability a bit, but having tools, performing while switch hitting and playing shortstop at almost four and a half years younger than the average player at your level is something you only see from the best prospects in the sport. None of his offensive splits are worrisome: He performs against velocity, breaking stuff, with two strikes, etc.
Defensively, De Vries has the tools you’re looking for — an easy plus arm, quick and smooth hands — and some soft skills, like an internal clock and feel for throwing from different platforms. He can get a little lackadaisical at times, but that’s somewhat typical for players this talented. De Vries is a fringy runner and his range is below average for a shortstop, so time will tell if he’s the kind of defender who can make up for his lackluster range with all of his other abilities, or if he just becomes an above-average defensive third baseman.
You can interpret his talent differently — he could be a top-five prospect in the game or maybe more in the teens to 20s (I lean the former) — but he’d be the No. 1 pick in almost any draft.
50 FV tier
Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal
Tait is an electrifying prospect with massive raw tools from the enticing demographic of an 18-year-old lefty-hitting catcher. He has some of the biggest raw power in the entire minor leagues, even if you don’t adjust for his age. He hit a ball 116.2 mph this season; the average max velo for an 18-year-old minor leaguer is between 103 and 106 mph, depending on how you’re qualifying it. And yes, that 116.2 mph rocket was hit 424 feet to the pull side, exiting the entire stadium. Tait has a solid feel for bat-to-ball, but there’s a concerning amount of chase, which is in keeping with the power-based, high-effort pull-and-lift approach.
Beyond that, Tait has plus-plus arm strength behind the plate, posting some insane pop times in games but also rushing and losing his mechanics at other times, so his caught-stealing numbers are merely good instead of great. The subtle art of framing is another area where Tait excels — particularly at the top of the zone — but his ball blocking and agility suffer as he often can sell out to frame a pitch or set up for a throw to second.
I can see a scenario in which his raw tools carry the profile and he doesn’t improve much more, with a career similar to that of Gary Sanchez. Or Tait could really take a step forward and be a future 30- to 40-homer stalwart who also is a solid catcher — that is to say, a potential star.
Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the Shane Bieber deal
In 2023, Stephen was a mediocre prospect as a starting pitcher at Purdue. He transferred to Mississippi State in 2024 and had a breakout year, improving at almost everything but staying on the board until the 59th pick because he had merely average-or-so raw stuff. Stephen’s stock has rocketed up this year not because his stuff got that much better, but because it’s now clear he has plus command, which makes his pitches play up a tick or two, akin to George Kirby or the pitcher he was traded for in Bieber.
The velocity, movement and angle of Stephen’s fastball make for a fringe-to-average pitch but it plays as at least a 55-grade pitch, while his solid-average slider plays as the same grade. His above-average changeup now plays as at least a 60-grade pitch. It’s hard to tell until the upper minors or even majors if Stephen’s command is more 55- or 60-grade or maybe even better, but the weak contact allowed this season, largely in A-ball, suggests there’s some real magic. His delivery backs up the heat maps and outcomes, and his range of possibilities go from No. 2 to No. 4 starter, likely as soon as next season.
Acquired from the New York Mets in the Ryan Helsley deal
Baez has a rare combination of plus raw power, plus bat control and the arm strength to stick in the infield. There’s still some work to do to reach his upside, though. He is pretty pull-oriented with a flatter swing plane — so he doesn’t always lift the ball as much as he should — in addition to (understandably) being vulnerable to pitchers with better raw stuff with two strikes. Those are all somewhat expected offensive hurdles with this skill set, but not every prospect can make the adjustments.
Baez splits time between second base, shortstop and third base, but he seems to fit best at third long term. He has an above-average arm that will play anywhere and solid, quick hands. However, he is a below-average runner, so he also has below-average range, which are reasons for his well-below-average defensive metrics. Being an average defensive third baseman isn’t a slam dunk, but he can get there with some work. For what it’s worth, he looks to me to be a little more comfortable at second base.
Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal
Abel was a highly touted draft prospect, going 15th out of an Oregon high school in the 2020 draft, when he was peaking in the upper 90s at 6-foot-5. He only got his walk rate under four per nine innings this season, which is also when he made his big league debut and answered the questions as to whether he could still be a long-term starter.
One big reason for that walk rate improvement is his fastball command, helped by slight delivery/timing adjustments. Abel sits at 94 to 97 mph and hits 99 with a four-seamer that peppers the top of the zone as an above-average pitch, along with a sinker that plays around average. His slider is an above-average pitch that he throws in the strike zone too often to get above-average results. Abel’s curveball is a solid average third pitch, and while he doesn’t throw it much, his changeup is a solid average pitch when located. With an extra tick of command, he should be a third/fourth starter, and the Twins have a solid track record of teasing that last bit of ability out of talented pitchers — so it could happen as soon as this season.
45+ FV tier
Acquired from New York Mets in Tyler Rogers deal
I was a big fan of the 5-foot-9 Gilbert coming out of Tennessee in the 2022 draft because of his plus speed, plus arm, plus contact rates and average-or-so raw power along with his strong performance in the SEC. He’s mostly the same player but has evolved a bit; he’ll turn 25 in September and is likely to make his big league debut soon, too. He has lost a tick of speed — he’s now a 55-grade runner who doesn’t try to steal many bases — and is a fringy center fielder who might end up in right field long term, where he’d likely be an above-average defender.
Gilbert’s raw power is now a grade better — also a 55-grade tool — so you can expect around 20 homers at his peak if his approach holds up. His contact and on-base skills are both similar to what they were in college (plus contact, average chase rate). He can also pull a plus velocity fastball, though keep an eye on his two-strike approach against off-speed stuff from big league arms. That’ll be the problem if he sputters a bit when he comes up.
45 FV tier
Acquired from Cincinnati Reds in Ke’Bryan Hayes deal
Stafura was the No. 43 pick in 2023 and signed for an overslot $2.5 million out of New York high school. The scouting report now is still pretty similar to what it was then: he’s a plus athlete with easy plus speed who has a shot to stick at shortstop and above-average power potential but might be a 40-grade hitter (.230 average or so), which could undermine the profile. He has the tools to stick at shortstop and makes the plays, but he can be upright and stiff at times.
He has solid pitch recognition, bat speed and ball flight, which are the basic components to success as a hitter in the big leagues. That said, Stafura’s timing against mid-90s or better velocity and steep bat path (i.e., geared for fly balls) will cause many more whiffs at higher levels against better pitching, so adjustments will be necessary.
40+ FV tier
Acquired from Seattle Mariners in Josh Naylor deal
A 2023 11th-rounder out of Texas A&M, Garcia was a sleeper in the Seattle system who broke through as a starter in 2024. This season, he was moved into a full-time relief role, leading to his big league debut earlier this month.
He has an upper-body-reliant delivery with very short extension and a near-sidearm slot that nonetheless creates a lot of velocity, with his fastball peaking at 100.4 mph this season and living at 95-98 mph with his plus sinker. He also mixes in an 88-90 mph cutter and 84-86 mph sweeper that are both plus pitches. Garcia’s fastball command improving and the cutter continuing to be a useful weapon against righties are keys to him becoming a late-inning reliever.
Acquired from Milwaukee Brewers in Danny Jansen deal
Areinamo is listed at 5-foot-8, is a below-average runner and has below-average range that will keep him from being a long-term everyday shortstop; he’s already splitting time between shortstop and second/third base in High-A this year. Those facts limit his upside a bit, though he has an average arm and can catch the ball when he gets to it. The sales pitch is that he’s growing into fringe-to-average power with a sometimes wild swing but manages to also post plus contact rates. The offensive hesitation is that Areinamo, as his swing suggests, can get a little wild chasing pitches out of the zone, even if his standout bat control bails him out of some bad swing decisions. With some progress on his chase rate, Areinamo could move from a projected platoon guy to a lower-end starter at second base.
Acquired from New York Mets in Tyler Rogers deal
Tidwell is a good athlete with a fine delivery who is a classic control-over-command pitcher — meaning he can throw any of his pitches over the plate, but has trouble hitting specific spots regularly. Despite his raw stuff being above average, and him already starting big league games, many evaluators worry he’s more of a multi-inning reliever than a true starter.
His four-seam fastball plays down a tick or two from its plus velocity due to the locations and plane/shape. He seems like a better fit to rely more on his sinker as his primary fastball given his steep angle into the strike zone tied to his higher arm slot. His slider is roughly average but he throws it in the strike zone way too much, so it’s getting hammered, while his sweeper is above average by movement but he locates it well and it’s performing above average, too He doesn’t use his changeup much and it’s around average.
Tidwell is on the back-end starter/middle reliever (who is also a spot starter) spectrum and it may take until this time next year to have a better idea of what he’ll be.
Nos. 11-20
40 FV tier
Acquired from New York Yankees in Ryan McMahon deal
Herring, selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, has an 88-92-mph heater that touches 94 and looks as if it’ll be a fringe-to-average pitch, while his slider is above average and his changeup (which should be used more often) also flashes above average. He’ll move up to the 40+ FV tier with a little more bulk of performance and/or a strong finish/promotion in Double-A.
12. Wellington Aracena, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Acquired from New York Mets in Gregory Soto deal
Aracena was a low-profile international signee, getting a $70,000 bonus in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic. He sat 90-94 mph for his first two pro seasons, then his velo exploded in 2024 to 95-98, hitting 100 mph. This year he’s been even a bit higher, sitting 96-99 and hitting 101 mph at 20 years old as a starter in Single-A.
13. Enrique Jimenez, C, Minnesota Twins
Acquired from the Detroit Tigers in Chris Paddack deal
Jimenez is a 19-year-old, switch-hitting catcher playing in Rookie ball who has a solid chance to stick behind the plate long term, but as you’d guess, he still has some defensive work to do.
14. Ashton Izzi, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Acquired from Seattle Mariners in Josh Naylor deal
Izzi was a classic projection righty who signed for $1.1 million after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of an Illinois high school. With some progress in his mix and locations, this is a No. 4 starter package, but Izzi is more of a long reliever as currently constituted.
15. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in Seranthony Dominguez deal
Watts-Brown was projected to be a first-rounder entering his draft spring in 2023 at Oklahoma State because of his projectable frame, athleticism, starter traits, fastball shape and above-average breaking stuff. If he can find an additional notch of command and/or velocity, there’s still a shot he can be a No. 4 starter, but time is starting to run out.
16. Andrew Hoffmann, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Acquired from Kansas City Royals in Randal Grichuk deal
Hoffmann was a 12th-round pick out of Illinois in the 2021 draft who was traded to the Royals in 2022 and finished the season in Double-A, beating predraft expectations. He was seen as a potential back-end starter at that point, but moved to full-time short relief this season en route to making his big league debut. With better fastball locations, Hoffmann could move from middle relief into the later innings.
35+ FV tier
17. Clayton Beeter, RHP, Washington Nationals
Acquired from New York Yankees in Amed Rosario deal
Beeter was a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and has slowly moved down the starter-to-reliever spectrum to becoming a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025. Beeter is still a solid prospect because of his 65-grade slider and above-average fastball that peaks at 99 mph. His fastball command is the variable that, with more progress, could turn him into a late-inning reliever, but Beeter is a higher-variance middle reliever who needs to avoid walks in Triple-A to get his next big league shot.
18. Matthew Etzel, LF, Miami Marlins
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Nick Fortes deal
Etzel is a long-term left field fit who was also traded at last year’s deadline from Baltimore in the Zach Eflin deal. He has a solid feel for drawing walks and pulling/lifting the ball with his solid-average raw power (think 15-20 homers at peak). His contact rates suggest he might be a .230 or .240 hitter, so Miami is hoping it can get a solid role player out of Etzel.
19. Browm Martinez, CF, Washington Nationals
Acquired from New York Yankees in Amed Rosario deal
Martinez signed for a $130,000 bonus last January and was solid last summer in the Dominican Summer League before having a huge repeat season in the league this year — posting an OPS of 1.139 driven by higher contact rates. There is still a wide range of potential outcomes for Martinez as an 18-year-old playing in the lowest level of the minors. There’s some physical projection left given his age, but his power projects to continue to be below average, so sticking in center would be key to his long-term value.
20. Josh Grosz, RHP, Colorado Rockies
Acquired from New York Yankees in Ryan McMahon deal
Grosz is a potential No. 5 starter/swingman type with some feel and deception from his abruptly quick delivery. He throws a 92-95 mph dead-zone fastball with heavy tail that plays around average, an above-average changeup and a fringy slider.
He has a tougher road to being a solid big leaguer if he can’t stick as a starter because most teams prefer a middle reliever to have an above-average breaking ball to get right-handed hitters out.
21. Cameron Foster, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Acquired from New York Mets in Gregory Soto deal
Foster is a 26-year-old long reliever who sits 93-96 and hits 99 mph from a high slot (it’s on the whole an average big league pitch). He’s a solid back-end-of-the-roster-type utility arm who can be used in multiple roles and should debut this year or next. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season to protect from the Rule 5 draft.
As we approach the one-month mark of the 2025 college football season, the state of quarterback play among the contenders (and pretenders) across the country is becoming clearer.
LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Texas’ Arch Manning — all for different reasons — have followed hefty preseason hype with relatively slow starts this fall. Elsewhere, Josh Hoover (TCU), Haynes King (Georgia Tech) and Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) are looking very much as expected, and some of the nation’s biggest offseason question marks, including Oregon’s Dante Moore and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed, have emerged as surprise stars.
Week 4 was a big one for transfer passers as Joey Aguilar (Tennessee), Carson Beck (Miami), John Mateer (Oklahoma), Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) and Beau Pribula (Missouri) all built on impressive starts with their new programs. Meanwhile, fellow portal quarterbacks Jackson Arnold (Auburn), Devon Dampier (Utah) and Jake Retzlaff (Tulane) experienced their first stumbles in their new uniforms Saturday.
With four full weeks of college football in the books, here’s our take on the Top 25 and how early-season quarterback situations are developing across the country. — Eli Lederman
Previous ranking: 1
Freshman Julian Sayin is off to a terrific start through three games, having replaced national championship-winning quarterback Will Howard. Sayin ranks 29th nationally in QBR (77.2) and is completing almost 79% of his throws. Sayin didn’t put up big numbers in Ohio State’s season-opening 14-7 victory over then-top-ranked Texas. But he was accurate and avoided any big mistakes (sacks or turnovers), which allowed the Ohio State defense to salt away the win. In Week 2’s 70-0 victory, Sayin set a school record with 16 straight completions to begin the game. Then, in Week 3, he passed for 347 yards as the offense got rolling against Ohio in the second half after a slow start. Some big tests loom ahead, most notably on Nov. 1 against Penn State and in the regular-season finale at Michigan. But Sayin has impressed so far with his poise and precision. — Jake Trotter
Previous ranking: 3
Carson Beck has helped lead the Hurricanes to a 4-0 start following a 26-7 win over Florida on Saturday. Though his performance against the Gators was not up to his standard — Beck went 17-of-30 for 160 yards with one interception — he is still completing 73% of his passes on the season and has helped position Miami in the top five as a CFP contender. Beck has shown an ability to make big plays in the passing game with his receivers, who are skilled at going up and making acrobatic catches or coming down with jump balls. Following an open date, Miami plays Florida State in Tallahassee, and Beck said he is looking forward to playing in Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time. — Andrea Adelson
Previous ranking: 2
The Ducks continue to boast one of the most balanced offenses in the country as they totaled 305 passing yards and 280 rushing yards in their 41-7 win over rivals Oregon State Saturday. One slight difference about this week’s performance, however, was that they let quarterback Dante Moore loosen his arm a bit more. Whether it was by design or not, it worked; Moore threw 31 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, all season highs. It was another reminder that no matter how good the Ducks have been this season, Moore still has more in the tank. Even if he doesn’t have the kind of off-the-charts pop that others at his position might boast, the sophomore has proved he can be efficient, explosive when needed and, most importantly, capable of managing Oregon’s offense to perfection so far. — Paolo Uggetti
Previous ranking: 4
After a slow start to the season due to a torso injury, Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier again looked like one of the best passers in the FBS on Saturday, albeit against FCS program Southeastern Louisiana. And with a trip to Ole Miss coming up next, it couldn’t have come at a better time for LSU. Nussmeier completed 25 of 31 passes for 273 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in 2½ quarters of action against the Lions. It was the first game in which he threw for more than 250 yards this season. “This week was big about trying to find our rhythm and getting in stride heading into SEC play,” Nussmeier said. LSU coach Brian Kelly thought Nussmeier did a better job seeing the field and throwing in rhythm. — Mark Schlabach
Previous ranking: 7
Veteran Drew Allar is off to a bit of a slow start statistically. He ranks 111th in QBR (38.4) and has thrown just four touchdowns over three games. But the Nittany Lions have yet to be pressed, as they coasted past Nevada (46-11), Florida International (34-0) and Villanova (52-6). The spotlight, however, will be on Allar and Penn State next weekend when Oregon visits for a prime-time, “White Out” showdown. Allar admitted over the summer that the time has come for the Nittany Lions “to get over that hump” against big-time opponents. Under coach James Franklin, Penn State is 4-20 against teams ranked in the AP top 10 — and Allar has only one career top-10 win (Boise State last year) as Penn State’s starting quarterback. Beating the Ducks this time around would be a huge statement for Allar and the Nittany Lions. — Trotter
Previous ranking: 5
Any lingering quarterback concerns that Georgia fans had about Gunner Stockton were probably put to rest after his performance in a 44-41 overtime victory at Tennessee on Sept. 13. The sophomore completed 23 of 31 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns and ran 13 times for 38 yards with another score. It was a much better performance for Stockton, who struggled to get the ball down the field in a 28-6 victory against Austin Peay the week before. He led the Bulldogs on four touchdown drives of 72 yards or longer, including one near the end of regulation that resulted in his 28-yard scoring pass to London Humphreys on fourth down. Georgia’s offensive line needs to get better, and Stockton needs to improve at keeping his eyes down the field while scrambling. — Schlabach
Previous ranking: 8
So far, things could not have gone better for the Seminoles with transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who has been a perfect fit for the offense and the team in general. Castellanos has thrown for 594 yards and three touchdowns this season, completing 71% of his passes, while adding 139 yards rushing and three scores. Florida State has not had to rely on the passing game just yet, as the Seminoles have steamrolled their opponents on the ground. Castellanos did have a bit of a scare in a 66-10 win over Kent State when his leg got rolled up on, but he said afterward he was “all good.” — Adelson
Previous ranking: 9
Washington State transfer John Mateer has delivered on the hype that followed his offseason arrival in Norman. Through four games, he has already taken care of his principal objective: stabilizing a Sooners offense that finished 113th in total offense a year ago. But Mateer has also brought with him a brand of playmaking ability Oklahoma hasn’t had at the quarterback position since Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts rolled through the program in the late 2010s. Following Saturday’s 24-17 win over then-No. 22 Auburn, Mateer ranks sixth nationally in passing yards (1,215) and tied for second among Power 4 quarterbacks in rushing scores (five). He was far from perfect facing an SEC defense for the first time, and Mateer’s turnover tally (four) and propensity for working himself into trouble are worth keeping an eye on as Oklahoma stares down ranked matchups in six of its final eight games of the season. But there’s no doubt that Mateer has significantly raised the floor for the Sooners’ offense. The question now is just how high the ceiling can be this fall. — Lederman
Previous ranking: 6
The Aggies had a bye week, a fortuitous break after an emotional trip to Notre Dame where they won on a fourth-down touchdown with 13 seconds left. It was A&M’s first road nonconference win against a ranked team since 1979 and first road win against any ranked team at all since 2014. Marcel Reed was just 17-of-37 in that game but threw for 360 yards, and KC Concepcion and Mario Craver have provided the 3-0 Aggies with the big-play threats they lacked last season. Last year, A&M got off to a hot start, beginning 7-1, including a win over No. 8 LSU. Then, a slide started, beginning with a road loss to South Carolina followed by a 43-41 triple-overtime loss to Auburn. The Aggies get the Tigers at home next week, who are coming off a road loss to Oklahoma, to try to keep this year’s momentum rolling. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 20
Although Indiana retained many of its top players from its 2024 CFP team, it needed to replace standout quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The team plucked one of the top available transfers in Cal‘s Fernando Mendoza, who joined his younger brother and fellow quarterback Alberto Mendoza at IU. How would Mendoza adjust? The answer came Saturday with a near-flawless performance, as Mendoza had three more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (two), finishing with 267 passing yards and finding four different teammates for scores. He became the second FBS player with five passing touchdowns and 90% completions against an AP ranked opponent in the past 30 years, joining Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud in 2021 against Michigan State. Mendoza could end up being an upgrade from Rourke. — Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 12
After four games, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin has a good problem on his hands. Ole Miss has two quarterbacks who are more than capable of running the offense. Starter Austin Simmons won the job in camp and has thrown for 580 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Simmons injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of a 30-23 win at Kentucky on Sept. 6, and backup Trinidad Chambliss has played even better in his absence. In Saturday’s 45-10 rout of Tulane, Chambliss passed for 307 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 112 yards on 14 attempts. In the past two wins over Arkansas and Tulane, Chambliss threw for 660 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, while running for 174 with two scores. With LSU going to Oxford, Mississippi, next week, Kiffin faces a difficult decision. “I’m not saying he’s Russell Wilson, don’t get me wrong, but there’s some similarities in that kind of in the ‘it factor’ and how he moves and holds himself, you know, that I’ve kind of said that since he’s gotten here,” Kiffin said of Chambliss, who won two Division II national championships at Ferris State in Big Rapids, Michigan. — Schlabach
Previous ranking: 17
Behren Morton took some rough hits on Saturday, including a hit to the head that knocked him out of the Red Raiders’ road test at Utah. But Texas Tech did not miss a beat when backup Will Hammond stepped in to replace him. The redshirt freshman threw for 169 yards, rushed for 61 yards and led a 21-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter for a massive 34-10 victory against then No. 16 Utah. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said Morton will be fine, and a bye week is arriving at a good time for this team. But Hammond, who put up the second-best QBR (96.3) in FBS during Week 4, has done more than enough to prove he’s ready to help this team win if called upon. — Max Olson
Previous ranking: 10
A tuneup against 0-4 Sam Houston might have been what the doctor ordered for several scuffling Longhorns who had yet to find their stride this season. Arch Manning accounted for five touchdowns — three passing and two rushing — and completed 14 passes in a row a week after the Longhorns’ offense got booed after 10 straight incompletions against UTEP. Saturday, Manning finished 18-of-21 for 309 yards, including two touchdown passes of 53 and 13 yards to Ryan Wingo, who had just nine catches and one touchdown in the first three games, and edge rushing star Colin Simmons recorded his first solo sack of the year. The Longhorns head to Florida on Saturday hoping to keep building momentum in their SEC opener against the 1-3 Gators before facing Oklahoma, which beat Auburn to move to 4-0, in Dallas the following week. — Wilson
Previous ranking: 16
Joey Aguilar and Tennessee faced a unique test this week, needing to get back on track after a devastating loss to Georgia last week. Safe to say, they passed it. Aguilar threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns and needed to play only one drive in the second half as the Vols broke out to a 42-7 halftime lead and cruised 56-24 over UAB. The Vols are averaging 53.5 points per game through four games, and Aguilar has 1,124 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. They have an explosiveness that they lacked with Nico Iamaleava at quarterback last season, and the defense has been fine against teams not named Georgia. Starting next week at Mississippi State, however, the Vols embark on a run of three road trips in four games. We’ll see if Aguilar’s solid early form travels. — Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 13
The Cyclones were idle this week ahead of next week’s home game against surging Arizona. At 4-0, Iowa State is off to a promising start, but it has to turn in a comprehensive win against an FBS opponent as all three such wins have come by one score. Quarterback Rocco Becht is finding a way to help pull these games out, but Iowa State needs more explosive plays from its offense if it expects to seriously compete for the Big 12 title. — Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 15
Ty Simpson had to wait years to win Alabama’s starting job, and his tenure began as inauspiciously as possible with a dire loss at Florida State. Simpson has been almost perfect since, however, completing 41 of 46 passes for 608 yards and seven TDs against UL Monroe and Wisconsin. The Tide rolled in both games, setting the table nicely for an enormous and potentially season-defining trip to Georgia next Saturday. If Simpson looks good in a Tide win, he enters the Heisman discussion and Alabama’s CFP bona fides get a nice boost. If he struggles and Bama loses, the CFP starts to seem like a pipe dream. — Connelly
Previous ranking: 19
Beau Pribula has had it pretty easy early in his tenure as Mizzou’s starting quarterback. He has completed 72% of his passes with an 8-to-2 INT-to-TD ratio, he has been a solid scrambling weapon at times, and he has been able to turn around and hand the ball off to Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts. They’ve taken it from there. The running back duo rushed 35 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns in Mizzou’s 29-20 win over South Carolina on Saturday night. Despite missing left tackle Cayden Green, Mizzou had 285 yards rushing, Pribula took only one sack and Mizzou went 7-for-13 on third downs. Only some third-down brilliance from the Gamecocks’ LaNorris Sellers kept this one competitive, but the Tigers moved to 4-0 by finishing the game on an 11-0 run. With a buy game against UMass and a bye week coming up, it looks like Pribula will lead an unbeaten team against Alabama in Columbia in a couple of weeks. — Connelly
Previous ranking: 18
Saturday’s win over Temple wasn’t exactly pretty, but then again, things rarely are for the Yellow Jackets. QB Haynes King likes it that way. Few quarterbacks in the country have proved their toughness more than King, who added three touchdowns in Week 4’s 45-24 win over the Owls. King’s ability to make plays with his legs is what sets him apart, but he has also been stellar as a passer — a big question coming off last season’s shoulder injury. Georgia Tech’s next two games are against Wake Forest and Virginia Tech — two of the ACC’s bottom-feeders — meaning he’ll have a shot to pad his stat line even more before a showdown at Duke on Oct. 18. — David Hale
Previous ranking: 21
Freshman phenom Bryce Underwood earned his first Big Ten road victory on Saturday with a 30-27 win at Nebraska. He didn’t put up crazy stats on the day — 105 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, one TD — but didn’t need to while the Wolverines’ run game overwhelmed a top-10 scoring defense with 292 rushing yards on 9.1 yards per carry (excluding sacks). Interim coach Biff Poggi loved the poise Underwood brought to the sideline and huddle that gave his team no doubt it’d win. The young QB’s developmental trajectory through four games remains extremely exciting to watch. — Olson
Previous ranking: 22
Diego Pavia fought for an extra year of eligibility in 2025 and is absolutely making the most of it. The sixth-year senior avenged last year’s upset loss to Georgia State with a 70-21 rout on Saturday night that has Vanderbilt off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2008. Pavia has dramatically raised his completion percentage from 59.4% last season to an SEC-best 73.9%, ranks among the top 10 in QBR (85.7) and is powering a top-10 scoring offense that’s putting up 47.5 points per game. The Commodores have one more nonconference tuneup against Utah State before an epic October schedule against four of the SEC’s best in Alabama, LSU, Missouri and Texas. — Olson
Previous ranking: 25
The Horned Frogs played a bit sloppy but never panicked against SMU in a 35-24 win, the last iteration of a rivalry that dates back to 2015. Josh Hoover threw for 379 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, and a stacked receiving room saw Eric McAlister become this week’s star, with eight catches for 254 yards (second best in school history) and three touchdowns, narrowly missing two more, one on an interception that was wrestled away from him and another on a possible TD catch that was ruled incomplete and wasn’t reviewed by officials. The defense held SMU to 384 yards, 4-of-13 on third down and the Mustangs’ fewest points all season. The Frogs, who snuck into the AP Top 25 at No. 24 this week, head to Tempe to take on defending Big 12 champs Arizona State on Friday night, a test that could start to reveal if TCU is back on its 2022 trajectory. — Wilson
Previous ranking: NR
If there wasn’t much talk about Jayden Maiava‘s season so far, then let the chatter begin. The Trojans’ quarterback was impressive against Michigan State in a 45-31 win, looking as comfortable as ever in Lincoln Riley’s offense. Maiva completed 20 of 26 passes for 234 yards (and crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season) while adding three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns too. It’s not clear yet just how good USC is and can be in the Big Ten and beyond this season, but through four contests, there’s no doubt that the explosive offense the sport has come to expect when Riley has a dynamic quarterback in tow is alive and well with Maiava under center. In fact, after putting up 517 yards of offense against the Spartans, the Trojans’ average yards per game for the year (604 per game, tops in the country) will go down. At the center of it all has been Maiava. — Uggetti
Previous ranking: 24
When the season opened, the biggest question looming over Notre Dame was at quarterback. It took until late in fall camp before CJ Carr won the job, and the Irish — fresh off a trip to the national championship game — might’ve reasonably been concerned about putting their fate in the hands of a QB with no starting experience. Turns out, Carr has been fine — throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-30 win over Purdue on Saturday — and Notre Dame’s Achilles’ heel has been the area the Irish might’ve felt best about: the secondary. Purdue threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, and the battered and struggling defensive backs in South Bend showed little ability to adjust. Notre Dame might have its QB1, but the job now is stopping the other team’s quarterback. — Hale
Previous ranking: 11
When the Illini slogged through the first half Sept. 6 against Duke, struggling along the line of scrimmage, quarterback Luke Altmyer kept the team on track, avoiding major mistakes and buying enough time for a second-half surge. But Altmyer had no chance to be a hero at Indiana, which swarmed him all night, recording five sacks in the first half and seven in the game. Other than a 59-yard touchdown pass to Collin Dixon, Altmyer was limited to 87 passing yards on 13 completions and constantly faced pressure. He certainly can play better and will need to beginning this week against USC. But Altmyer was far from Illinois’ biggest problem in the Indiana debacle. He has given the Illini a veteran presence who, when given time, can pick apart defenses. — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 14
The celebration in Utah about a revived Utes offense was premature, it turns out. Utah and Texas Tech were locked in a defensive tussle for much of Saturday’s 34-10 Texas Tech win before the Red Raiders finished the game with a flurry of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Utes struggled in both phases on offense, managing just 101 yards rushing on 31 carries (3.3 yards per carry) and only 162 yards through the air. The ineffectiveness of the offense was compounded by four turnovers that served as an unpleasant reminder of the past two seasons. — Bonagura
-
Greg Wyshynski
The Chicago Blackhawks have settled a second lawsuit brought by a former player who claimed they were negligent in dealing with sexual assault allegations leveled against then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.
The complaint was filed in 2023 in Cook County (Ill.) Circuit Court. Romanucci & Blandin, the firm that filed the lawsuit, identified “John Doe” as a Black Ace — a prospect who joins an NHL team as a reserve player for the postseason — during Chicago’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. It listed 15 counts of negligence.
The lawsuit claimed that Doe was targeted by Aldrich, who “used his authority as a coach to groom, harass, threaten, and assault John Doe for sexual gratification.” Doe’s lawsuit accused the Blackhawks of “utter indifference and/or conscious disregard for the safety of its employees” in not taking action when made aware of Aldrich’s actions. The suit claimed that Doe suffered injuries and damages, including “great pain of body and mind.”
The two sides issued separate statements confirming that a deal was struck with Doe, but terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Doe was the second former Blackhawks player from that season to file a lawsuit against the team and reach a settlement. Forward Kyle Beach filed a lawsuit claiming he was sexually assaulted by Aldrich and that the organization’s senior leadership put off taking any action until after the Stanley Cup was awarded that season. He settled with the team in 2021.
The Blackhawks allowed Aldrich to resign in 2010. In 2013, Aldrich pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct with a 16-year-old high school hockey player he coached in Michigan. He spent time in prison and is now listed as a sex offender.
A trial date of Oct. 27 was set for John Doe’s lawsuit before the settlement.
Beach’s complaint inspired an independent review by the law firm Jenner & Block, which Doe participated in as “Black Ace 1.” That investigation resulted in the NHL fining the Blackhawks $2 million for their “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response.”
Stan Bowman, the Blackhawks’ president of hockey operations and general manager, and Al MacIsaac, senior director of hockey administration, both stepped down in October 2021. Joel Quenneville, who coached the 2010 Blackhawks, resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers in October 2021 after a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
All three executives were reinstated by the NHL in July 2024.
“While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership,” the NHL said in a statement in July 2024. “Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse.”
Bowman was hired by the Edmonton Oilers as general manager in July 2024. Quenneville was named coach of the Anaheim Ducks in May 2025.
-
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 agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment12 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024