Never-before-seen history? A battle of villains?! The best World Series matchup for every type of fan
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David Schoenfield
It’s still early in the postseason, but it’s never too soon to start to dream about some of the possible World Series matchups we could get later in October.
With eight teams left, there are 16 possible Fall Classic scenarios — a matchup for seemingly every type of fan to enjoy. Well, unless you were really hoping for that Colorado Rockies–Chicago White Sox or Pittsburgh Pirates–Los Angeles Angels World Series. If that’s the case, you probably need to rethink your dreams.
Here are eight of the most exciting potential matchups — one of which a majority of fans might strongly disagree with including. There is something for everyone, from history to star power to longstanding droughts. Let’s get to it.
If you like No. 1 seeds making it: Blue Jays vs. Brewers
The Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers were together in the AL East from 1977 through 1993, when the Brewers moved to the AL Central (and then to the National League in 1998).
The only year they finished 1-2 was 1992, when the Blue Jays won the division title by four games. The Brewers went 15-2 at one stretch in September to close the gap to two games with two games left to play, but they lost both while the Blue Jays won theirs. The franchises have had a limited trade history, although former longtime Brewers general manager Doug Melvin (still a front office adviser for the club) is an Ontario native and member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Paul Molitor, Lyle Overbay, Buck Martinez, Roy Howell, Matt Stairs
Combined years without a championship: 75
Why this would be fun: Both teams finished with the best record in their league — well, the Jays tied with the New York Yankees but won the tiebreaker to get the top seed — and since the wild-card era began in 1995, the nature of baseball’s postseason makes it rare for the top seeds to meet in the World Series. It has happened just five times:
If you’re a traditionalist and want the most deserving teams to make it, this is the matchup for you. Even if you’re not impressed with Toronto’s run differential (third best in the American League), the Jays have been excellent since late May. Since May 27, they had the second-best record in the majors — behind just the Brewers.
Best potential drama: Blue Jays’ defense versus Brewers’ defense. These are two of the best defensive teams in the majors, a key reason they ended up with top records. The Blue Jays are led by infielder Ernie Clement, who tied for the MLB lead with 22 defensive runs saved while having started at all four infield positions; second baseman Andres Gimenez, who is playing shortstop with Bo Bichette injured; and center fielders Daulton Varsho and Myles Straw, who combined for 25 DRS. The Brewers are solid across the board and loaded with speed in the outfield with Jackson Chourio (whose status for Game 2 is uncertain after an MRI on his right hamstring came back inconclusive), Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick.
If you like left-handed pitching: Yankees vs. Phillies
The Yankees last won the World Series in 2009 — when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies, who were trying to defend the title they won in 2008, the last time they won it all. The Yankees took the 2009 title in six games with Hideki Matsui hitting .615 (8-for-13) with three home runs and eight RBIs to win MVP honors. The teams also met in the 1950 World Series, when the Phillies’ “Whiz Kids” were the surprise pennant winners in the National League. The Yankees swept in four games.
The obvious current tie-in is Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who served as third-base coach and bench coach with the Yankees from 2008 to 2017 before joining the Phillies as their bench coach in 2018 after the Yankees hired Aaron Boone over Thomson to replace Joe Girardi as manager.
Five players to fill our Immaculate Grid: Bobby Abreu, Oscar Gamble, Kenny Lofton, Andrew McCutchen, Charlie Hayes
Combined years without a championship: 33
Why this would be fun: Lefty pitching against lefty power. The Yankees feature lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, who combined for 37 wins in the regular season, while the Phillies run out Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez. The last team to win the World Series with at least four games started by lefties was Atlanta in 2021, but two of those were openers. The Boston Red Sox had three southpaw starters when they won in 2018 (Chris Sale, David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez), as did the Dodgers when they lost in 2017 (Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Alex Wood), but prior to the Red Sox, the last team to win with three lefty starters was the 1996 Yankees with Andy Pettitte, Jimmy Key and Kenny Rogers.
What would make this an intriguing World Series, however, is the left-on-left matchups. The Yankees have righty slugger Aaron Judge but also led the majors in home runs by left-handed batters, while the Phillies, with left-handers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, ranked fourth. The Yankees’ splits were even, but Boone did bench lefties Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ben Rice and Ryan McMahon against lefty Garrett Crochet in favor of right-handed hitters.
Best potential drama: Judge! Giancarlo Stanton! Schwarber! Harper! If those names don’t get you excited, go watch pickleball.
If you like a never-before-seen historical matchup: Tigers vs. Dodgers
Of the 16 original franchises that existed when the American League formed in 1901, there have been 44 out of a possible 64 World Series matchups (including franchise relocations). This is the most surprising one not to have occurred because the Dodgers have played in 22 World Series and the Detroit Tigers in 11. Tigers-Phillies would be the other original 16 matchup that could be crossed off this year.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Kirk Gibson, Max Scherzer, Gary Sheffield, Enos Cabell, John Shelby
Combined years without a championship: 41 … that’s 41 for the Tigers and zero for the Dodgers
Why this would be fun: You think the Dodgers might like revenge on A.J. Hinch, Houston’s manager in 2017 when the trash-can-banging Astros beat L.A. in seven games to win the World Series? Yeah, most of the guys from that matchup are gone, but Clayton Kershaw is still here, as is L.A. manager Dave Roberts. And though the Dodgers have won two World Series since then, you know they think they were wronged in 2017.
Aside from that, we would get two classic franchises, two classic uniforms, maybe one last World Series appearance from the retiring Kershaw and the chance for the Dodgers to become the first repeat champions since the 2000 Yankees.
Best potential drama: Tarik Skubal versus Shohei Ohtani. The best pitcher in the AL versus the best player in the world. If the baseball gods are in an especially compassionate mood, they will give us Skubal starting against Ohtani. May the baddest man on the planet win.
If you like a drought-buster World Series: Mariners vs. Brewers
You want history? We have history. The Brewers were born in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, but the Pilots went bankrupt before the start of the 1970 season and a Bud Selig-led group purchased the team (whose equipment trucks were literally stranded in Utah after leaving spring training waiting on where to go). Indeed, the Brewers’ blue and gold colors are a remnant of the Pilots’ original colors.
The Seattle Mariners came aboard as an expansion franchise in 1977 after the City of Seattle and King County sued the AL for breach of contract. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the teams had a heated rivalry that led to a massive brawl at the Kingdome in 1990. Lately, they have been frequent trade partners. Brewers ace Freddy Peralta came over from the Mariners as a minor leaguer in exchange for Adam Lind, one of Jerry Dipoto’s first trades as Mariners GM.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Gorman Thomas, Chris Bosio, Richie Sexson, Mike Cameron, Yuniesky Betancourt
Combined years without a championship: 104
Why this would be fun: First off, this is the matchup that gives us the longest combined title drought, with neither franchise having won a World Series (at least Milwaukee has the Braves, who won in 1957, but even that was 68 years ago). The Pilots tie-in is certainly interesting, but mostly this is fun because you can make the argument that the biggest story in the AL this season was Cal Raleigh bashing 60 home runs and the Mariners winning 17 of 18 in September to capture their first division title since 2001, and that the biggest story in the NL was the Brewers finishing with the best record in the majors, winning more games than the superstar-laden Phillies or Dodgers.
The contrast in styles would be intriguing as well. The Mariners — despite playing in a pitcher’s park — finished third in the majors in home runs. It wasn’t just Raleigh, as Eugenio Suarez hit 49 (between the Diamondbacks and Mariners) while Julio Rodriguez (32), Randy Arozarena (27) and Jorge Polanco (26) each topped 25. The Brewers were second in the majors in batting average and stolen bases while ranking fourth in lowest strikeout rate. Don’t, however, view the Mariners as a one-dimensional team: Though they can’t match Milwaukee’s speed up and down the lineup, they did finish third in the majors in stolen bases as Arozarena, Rodriguez and Josh Naylor each swiped at least 30 bags.
Best potential drama: Mariners hitters versus late-game heat. Unsurprisingly, considering his 60 blasts, Raleigh led the majors with 34 home runs against fastballs, and improving against four-seamers up in the zone was a key to his big season. But the Brewers’ bullpen can really dial it up. Abner Uribe throws a 99 mph sinker. Trevor Megill throws 99 mph. Jacob Misiorowski, if he’s in the pen and not starting, throws 99 and reaches triple digits. Aaron Ashby is a lefty with 97 mph gas. Nick Mears sits at 95 with a wipeout slider.
If you like cold weather: Tigers vs. Cubs
These teams have met in four World Series — although the last one was 80 years ago. The Chicago Cubs won in 1907 and 1908, defeating the Ty Cobb-led Tigers. Detroit won in 1935 and 1945. Aside from that, this would give us another original 16 matchup, and those always seem a little special. As long as these two teams have been around, they haven’t had much intertwining history. They didn’t even make a trade with each other from 1987 to 2004.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Bill Madlock, Luis Gonzalez, Keith Moreland, Richie Hebner, Kyle Farnsworth
Combined years without a championship: 50
Why this would be fun: The cold weather joke aside (anybody who was at Games 3 and 4 in Detroit in the 2012 World Series can attest to the possibility of needing to wear their winter parka in late October in Detroit), this looks as if it might be the ultimate battle of the bullpens. So, no, not exactly 1907 when Cubs starters Jack Pfiester, Ed Reulbach, Orval Overall and Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown reeled off four consecutive complete games to defeat the Tigers. This might be the ultimate second-guessing matchup as Cubs manager Craig Counsell would have to know how to deal with Detroit’s two lefty sluggers, Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene, while Hinch would churn through his relievers in the non-Skubal starts.
Best potential drama: If he gets healthy, Cubs rookie Cade Horton could get his postseason moment. Horton was one of the best starters in the majors in the second half, going 8-1 with a 1.03 ERA in 12 games while allowing a .154 average and just three home runs in 61⅓ innings. He allowed more than one run just once. Horton, however, missed the wild-card series with a right rib fracture and is still out for the NLDS against the Brewers.
Aside from that, we would get Javier Baez, who was part of Chicago’s 2016 title-winning (and drought-breaking) team, going against the team he spent his first eight seasons with, as well as Cubs starter Matthew Boyd facing a Detroit team he was with for seven seasons.
If you like Joe Carter highlights: Blue Jays vs. Phillies
This would be a rematch of the underrated 1993 Fall Classic, which featured the wildest game in World Series history — a 15-14 slugfest in Game 4 that the Blue Jays won — and, of course, Joe Carter’s walk-off, three-run homer against Mitch Williams in Game 6.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Roy Halladay, Scott Rolen, Jose Bautista, Jayson Werth, Juan Samuel
Combined years without a championship: 49
Why this would be fun: Well, all the highlight clips from the 1993 World Series would be worth it by themselves — not just Carter hitting the biggest home run of his life but the star-studded rosters of both teams that included Rickey Henderson, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, John Olerud, Curt Schilling, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra and Dykstra’s chewing tobacco.
Aside from that, we would have the Blue Jays in the World Series for the first time since those back-to-back championships in 1992-93 and the Phillies trying to finally win with this roster that is aging and has Schwarber heading into free agency in the offseason. We also would get one of the best uniform matchups in the sport. The Phillies, in my opinion, have the best uniform set in the majors, while the Jays have the classic baby blues to go with their traditional home whites. Do not underestimate the value of a good uni matchup.
Oh, and both fan bases are among the loudest in the sport — Phillies crowds are notoriously loud from the first pitch of games, although Blue Jays fans probably broke the noise meter back in 2015 when Jose Bautista (a different Jose Bautista from the aforementioned one) hit that grand slam against the Rangers.
Best drama: Jeff Hoffman facing his former teammates. Last year with the Phillies, Hoffman was an All-Star who had a dominant regular season before losing two games in the NLDS against the Mets. In 2025, he had an uneven season as the Blue Jays’ closer, allowing 15 home runs — the second most of any reliever — but saving 33 games. Hoffman facing Schwarber and Harper with the game on the line would be the reverse tension of Williams facing Carter in 1993.
If you like center fielders: Mariners vs. Cubs
The Cubs owe a little favor to the Mariners for ending their World Series curse in 2016. Mike Montgomery, whom Chicago acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline in 2016 for Daniel Vogelbach and Paul Blackburn, recorded the final out of the Game 7 victory — certainly one of the most obscure pitchers to get the last out of a World Series.
Lou Piniella managed the Mariners from 1993 to 2002 and the Cubs from 2007 to 2010, making the playoffs four times with Seattle and twice with Chicago, but he couldn’t guide either team to a World Series. The two teams shared another manager in Jim Lefebvre.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Jamie Moyer, Goose Gossage, Steve Henderson, Gary Matthews, Heathcliff Slocumb
Combined years without a championship: 57
Why this would be fun: Julio Rodriguez and Pete Crow-Armstrong. They were the two best center fielders this season — and two of the most exciting players in the sport — with Rodriguez ranking fifth among all position players in Baseball Reference WAR and Crow-Armstrong ranking 11th. They also ranked 13th and 15th in FanGraphs WAR. Both finished with 30-30 seasons.
Both provide power, speed and highlight-reel catches in center field. J-Rod got hot in the second half: He hit .290/.341/.560 after the All-Star break with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs in 65 games. Crow-Armstrong looked like the NL MVP in the first half when he had an .847 OPS with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases before hitting just .216 after the break.
Best potential drama: The Mariners winning the World Series? That’s all the drama some of us need.
If you like villains: Yankees vs. Dodgers
Lots of history between these two teams, with 12 World Series matchups, including last year when the Dodgers won in five games.
Five players to fill out your Immaculate Grid: Rickey Henderson, Willie Randolph, Robin Ventura, Kevin Brown, Darryl Strawberry
Combined years without a championship: 16 (long years for the Yankees)
Why this would be fun: Haters are going to hate, and it would certainly be understandable if you’re not a Yankees or Dodgers fan considering the purchasing power of these two franchises. Indeed, though the Yankees held the “villain” title among the general population of baseball fans for the longest time, the Dodgers have usurped them in recent years with their slew of high-priced free agents (Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Freddie Freeman, Tanner Scott) and big extensions (Mookie Betts, Tyler Glasnow). Heck, even Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner complained in the spring that it is “difficult” for other teams to keep up with the Dodgers — though he didn’t receive much sympathy.
Still, a rematch would be … dare we say … let’s put this as gently as possible … entertaining! Sure, some of you wouldn’t be able to handle it, but it would be the first World Series rematch since 1977-78, between the … yes, Yankees and Dodgers (the Yankees won both times). The Dodgers would be trying to become that first repeat champion since the Yankees in 2000 to further cement their historical legacy. The Yankees would be trying to end that — for them — long World Series drought since 2009. There would be big stars all over the field. And considering both teams have had bullpen issues, perhaps some late-game drama that could turn this showdown into a seven-game epic.
Best potential drama: Judge vs. Ohtani. This didn’t quite materialize in last year’s World Series when the two MVPs didn’t do much at the plate — Judge hit .222 with one home run (in the fifth game) and three RBIs while Ohtani hit just .105 with no home runs and no RBIs. Of course, now that Ohtani is pitching, it sets the stage for the sport’s two biggest stars going directly head-to-head. That, my baseball friends, is October drama at its best.
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Eli Lederman
With just a few weeks to go before the early signing period, the 2026 class is mostly wrapped up. Only eight of the prospects ranked inside the ESPN 300 remain uncommitted, including just one — defensive end Jordan Carter — among ESPN’s top 100 recruits.
However, there’s still plenty of activity expected over the homestretch of the 2026 cycle. As committed prospects hit the road for November visits across the country and top programs scour the flip market for late-cycle additions, recruiting drama this time of year is expected. Adding to the intrigue this fall is early activity on the coaching carousel that left job openings at major programs, including Auburn, Florida, LSU and Penn State, sparking flip interest from other top schools and sending committed recruits to reconsider their options before December.
As the business end of the 2026 cycle arrives, ESPN spoke to sources across the industry about 10 prospects who could be on the move in the 23 days between now and the early signing period.
Hometown: Erwinsville, Louisiana
ESPN 300 rank: No. 1
Position rank: No. 1
Committed to: LSU
Recruiting intel: Brown became the highest-ranked pledge of the Brian Kelly era at LSU when he committed to the Tigers over Miami and Texas A&M in July. Five months later, the nation’s top-ranked recruit remains the cornerstone of the program’s incoming class as the school searches for its next coach in the wake of Kelly’s firing.
Brown, who was recruited as a legitimate two-way offensive/defensive line prospect, recorded 91 tackles and eight sacks across his first three varsity seasons at Louisiana’s University Laboratory School, which is located on the LSU campus, just one mile east of Tiger Stadium.
The latest: Brown has emphasized the value of playing at LSU as a Louisiana native and the chance to remain close to home throughout his recruitment. More than two weeks after Kelly’s dismissal, ESPN sources continue to expect Brown to sign with the Tigers during the early signing period, regardless of where the program’s coaching search stands at that point.
Brown’s continued commitment is critical for LSU, not only because he would be the program’s first No. 1-ranked signee since Leonard Fournette in 2014 but because the 6-foot-5, 285-pound defender is seen as the linchpin of the Tigers’ incoming class, according to sources within the program. If Brown sticks with LSU, those sources expect the majority of the 2026 class to do the same.
Still, Brown has been the subject of renewed interest from Miami and Texas A&M in recent weeks. Between those two, sources believe Texas A&M — a narrow runner-up for Brown’s pledge in June — presents the biggest threat to LSU. Brown is not slated to take any visits this month, but his recruitment will be one to watch.
Hometown: Flowood, Mississippi
ESPN 300 rank: No. 39
Position rank: No. 3
Committed to: Auburn
Recruiting intel: Auburn beat Florida, Ohio State and Texas A&M to Womack’s commitment in August, and Mississippi’s 2024 Gatorade Football Player of the Year remains the Tigers’ top-ranked 2026 pledge.
ESPN sources viewed Womack’s pledge as tied heavily to the future of Auburn coach Hugh Freeze before the program fired the third-year coach Nov. 2. After Freeze’s exit, Womack is considering all of his options, with major programs interested.
The latest: Texas A&M is working on several high-profile flip targets in the final stages of the cycle, including Womack, Brown, Anthony Jones (Oregon) and Kevin Ford (Florida). Among that group, Womack might be the most attainable for coach Mike Elko and the Aggies.
Texas A&M finished second in Womack’s recruitment over the summer, and the Aggies are expected to have him back on campus this weekend for the program’s visit from South Carolina.
In-state programs Mississippi State and Ole Miss are two others in pursuit of Womack; his visit for the Bulldogs’ Week 11 loss to Georgia marked a significant development for Mississippi State. Summer finalists Florida and Ohio State can’t be counted out either.
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
ESPN 300 rank: No. 78
Position rank: No. 13
Committed to: Penn State
Recruiting intel: College talent evaluators view the longtime Penn State commit as a potential multiyear starter at the next level. It’s a big part of why Ohio State and West Virginia, among a group of other major programs seeking to land an impact, late-cycle addition on the offensive line, have swarmed Brown since the Nittany Lions fired coach James Franklin last month.
“The programs that are coming in right now are teams that need a right tackle,” Brown’s father, Tim, told ESPN. “It’s very specific — it’s not the recruiting we experienced before.”
An agile, big-framed blocker capable of playing across the offensive line, Brown marked a seismic in-state win for Franklin’s staff when he committed to Penn State in July 2024. Nearly a year and a half later, his future increasingly appears to lie somewhere other than Happy Valley.
The latest: Brown closed October with a midweek visit to West Virginia before spending Week 10 at Ohio State during the Buckeyes’ 38-14 win over Penn State on Nov. 1.
Brown’s father played at West Virginia in the early 2000s under coach Rich Rodriguez, and beyond family ties, the program has impressed Brown with its long-term vision for Rodriguez’s second stint leading the Mountaineers. The culture at Ohio State left an imprint on him as well, and Brown might return for an official visit with the Buckeyes later this month.
North Carolina is another program working to sway Brown. He also plans to leave the door open with Penn State and its next coach. But with the clock ticking on the Nittany Lions’ coaching search and Brown intent on making a decision no later than the first week of December, Ohio State and West Virginia appear well-positioned for an important flip.
Hometown: Vero Beach, Florida
ESPN 300 rank: No. 81
Position rank: No. 14
Committed to: UCLA
Recruiting intel: Smith’s June pledge to UCLA marked a once-in-a-decade offensive line commitment for the Bruins. But a lot has changed since then, most importantly, the team’s coach. With interest swirling from around the country, will Smith ultimately land at Ohio State or in the SEC? Or can the Bruins hang on to their lone remaining ESPN 300 pledge?
The latest: Though Smith has maintained his commitment to UCLA, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman has made the rounds this fall with Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee emerging among the most prominent flip contenders in his recruitment.
Smith visited Ole Miss in September, and he was on campus at Tennessee for an official visit during the program’s Week 10 game against Oklahoma. ESPN sources expect the Rebels and Vols to be the most serious players in Smith’s process.
Sources have also reinforced the possibility of Smith remaining with UCLA. His commitment earlier this year came with a significant financial package, and Smith remains close with UCLA offensive line coach Andy Kwon. It’s not out of the question that Smith could stick with the Bruins under a new head coach, particularly if Kwon remains on the program’s staff.
Hometown: Gonzales, Louisiana
ESPN 300 rank: No. 84
Position rank: No. 15
Committed to: LSU
Recruiting intel: Brian Kelly’s departure certainly accelerated potential movement in Martinez’s process. But the 6-foot-6, 280-pound lineman had been in contact with multiple SEC programs this fall, well before LSU moved on from its fourth-year coach last month.
With elite length and physicality, Martinez projects as a standout run blocker with positional flexibility in college. He held offers from Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, Texas A&M and Penn State upon his commitment to the in-state Tigers in February.
The latest: Texas made a notable jump in Martinez’s recruitment when he visited for the Longhorns’ win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 1, and Martinez is scheduled to return for an official visit when the program hosts Arkansas on Nov. 22.
“I’ve never heard him say, ‘I don’t want to go home,’ on a visit,” his mother, Kandace, said. “He loved it [at Texas]. He wanted to figure out when we were coming back before we even left.”
The Longhorns reach mid-November as clear front-runners among Martinez’s flip contenders. Oklahoma and Tennessee also are still involved in his process, and Martinez remains in contact with the LSU staff. But as things stand, the return trip to Texas later this month is the only visit Martinez has scheduled before the early signing period.
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
ESPN 300 rank: No. 141
Position rank: No. 13
Committed to: Penn State
Recruiting intel: The longest-tenured member of the Nittany Lions’ 2026 class, Mickens has been looking elsewhere over the past month, with Indiana, Oklahoma and Ole Miss emerging among the leading contenders.
Mickens accounted for more than 3,200 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns on the ground across the first three seasons of his high school career. He initially shut down his recruitment earlier this year after a brief flirtation with Notre Dame. But since Franklin’s firing Oct. 12, Mickens stands as one of the top available running backs across the 2026 class.
The latest: Mickens heard from nearly a dozen programs after Franklin’s departure. He has since narrowed his process to three programs and plans to hit the road in the coming weeks.
Mickens is set to visit Indiana this weekend for the Hoosiers’ Week 12 matchup with Wisconsin. He’ll travel to Oklahoma, where Mickens has developed a close relationship with running backs coach DeMarco Murray, on Nov. 29, and Mickens is working to set up a trip to Ole Miss before the end of the regular season. From that group, ESPN sources view Oklahoma as the leading contender for Mickens, who also has considered South Carolina.
Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida
ESPN 300 rank: No. 142
Position rank: No. 1
Committed to: Auburn
Recruiting intel: The nation’s top-ranked inside linebacker remains committed to the Tigers, but Balogoun-Ali has drawn significant interest from power-conference programs in the week-plus since Freeze’s departure from Auburn.
Balogoun-Ali entered his senior season this fall as a three-year varsity contributor with 161 career tackles. His initial commitment to the Tigers over Kentucky and Missouri in June was influenced heavily by a connection with Auburn linebackers coach and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who took over as the Tigers’ interim coach Nov. 2.
The latest: Georgia, Miami, Missouri and Notre Dame are among the programs that have continued pushing to flip Balogoun-Ali over the past week. But for now, Balogoun-Ali told ESPN he remains locked in with Auburn under Durkin while the program searches for its next head coach.
“The strongest reason I committed to Auburn was to play and learn under Coach Durkin,” Balogoun-Ali told ESPN. “With him becoming interim, I’m going to give it time. Right now, it’s still War Damn Eagle.”
Missouri has been the most active program in Balogoun-Ali’s recruitment in recent weeks. In-state Miami presents another attractive spot. Georgia and Notre Dame stand as two late-arriving contenders still looking to add high-level talent on defense in the 2026 cycle.
Hometown: Duncanville, Texas
ESPN 300 rank: No. 158
Position rank: No. 20
Committed to: Florida
Recruiting intel: Ford picked Florida over Ohio State and Texas in July. The promising edge rusher from Texas is still committed to the Gators, keeping in close contact with the program’s coaching staff since coach Billy Napier’s departure last month.
“It necessarily didn’t impact my recruitment,” Ford told ESPN of Napier’s firing. “I liked the campus at Florida and how the fans and culture are building for years to come. I’m not really hoping to see anything with the coaching search, just a person who can elevate the program.”
However, Ford is still drawing interest from multiple programs. He has already set for a visit with USC later this month, and looks likely to take a few more campus trips in the coming weeks.
The latest: Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC are leading the charge to pull Ford away from the Gators in the lead-up to the early signing period.
Initially expected to visit Texas Tech for the program’s top-10 showdown with BYU on Saturday, Ford did not make the trip to Lubbock but could still visit with the Red Raiders this month. Texas A&M, which has hosted Ford twice this fall, stands as another major player in his recruitment as the Aggies pursue late-cycle defensive line talent. USC has been a constant presence throughout Ford’s process and will host him when the Trojans face UCLA on Nov. 29.
Ford remains one of the top members of Florida’s 2026 class. But the Gators will have to fend off several surging programs to keep his pledge through signing day.
Hometown: McDonald, Pennsylvania
ESPN 300 rank: No. 162
Position rank: No. 42
Committed to: Penn State
Recruiting intel: Another longtime Penn State commit, Sieg is courting late-cycle interest from Indiana, Notre Dame, Pitt and West Virginia as he evaluates his next steps while keeping an eye on the Nittany Lions’ coaching search.
“I was really looking forward to getting set up there this December and being able to get into it,” Sieg said of Penn State. “But everything happens for a reason. So right now, I’m just trying to weigh my options and make sure me and my family make the best decision possible.”
A two-way star at Fort Cherry (Pennsylvania) High School, roughly 30 miles outside of Pittsburgh, Sieg remains the third-ranked pledge in Penn State’s 2026 class. But that could change over the next month as programs swarm to one of the nation’s top available safety prospects.
The latest: Sieg hit the road in the weeks after Franklin’s exit at Penn State, opening with trips to Indiana and Pitt before visiting Notre Dame this past weekend. He’ll also visit West Virginia later this month, as the Mountaineers have pitched Sieg on the chance to play both ways, tacking on opportunities at wide receiver/running back to his defensive duties.
Among the flip contenders, Indiana and Notre Dame appear best positioned in Sieg’s recruitment. Similar to other Penn State pledges, Sieg is also keeping an eye on where Franklin might land in a process that is expected to go down to the wire.
“My plan is to probably make a decision on signing day or right before,” Sieg said. “I’m trying to wait and see what ends up happening with Coach Franklin and a lot of the coaches that are still at Penn State and see what they end up doing before I make a final decision.”
Hometown: Leakesville, Mississippi
ESPN 300 rank: No. 258
Position rank: No. 14
Committed to: Auburn
Recruiting intel: Mathews, Auburn’s lone top-300 skill position pledge, fits the mold of the tall, playmaking wide receiver the Tigers have recruited in recent years. He told ESPN that the program’s decision to move on from Freeze, paired with consistent interest from a trio of rival SEC programs, has prompted him to reconsider his options in the late stages of the cycle.
“I’ve had to question myself multiple times,” Mathews said. “I’m hoping to see them grow and not falter from these losses, and in the process, see them strengthen our offense.”
Mathews’ senior season was cut short by an ACL tear. But if healthy, he projects as a potential Day 1 contributor wherever he lands next fall, which explains why the attention he has attracted this fall has only intensified since Freeze’s firing late last month.
The latest: LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M were among Mathews’ finalists when he committed to Auburn in August. Weeks out from the early signing period, he told ESPN that those three programs remain in close contact, working to flip the 6-foot-2 pass catcher from the Tigers.
Mathews saw two of those programs in person last month when he visited LSU for the Tigers’ Oct. 25 game with Texas A&M. Though Mathews intends to return to Auburn in the closing weeks of the regular season, he’s also likely to visit a few other campuses before signing day.
“Don’t be surprised if I’m on the road when the Tigers are not playing at Jordan-Hare,” Mathews said.
As Auburn conducts a coaching search, Mathews’ recruitment could roll into the first week of December, opening the door for one of his top-three suitors to make a late move.
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Greg Wyshynski
NEW YORK — Nashville Predators star Ryan O’Reilly said he regrets a frustration-fueled postgame rant last week in which he blamed himself for the team’s struggles.
“I think it came off as, ‘Gosh, you sound like a crybaby,'” he told ESPN on Monday.
After the Predators lost to the Philadelphia Flyers last Thursday, O’Reilly offered a brutal assessment of his own play, saying Nashville won’t have success “if I’m playing pathetic like that” as a No. 1 center. “[I] turn the puck over everywhere. Can’t make a six-foot pass to save my life,” O’Reilly said in a video clip that went viral. “It’s stupid. I’ve had one good year in my career. I don’t have an answer, that’s for sure.”
O’Reilly said that he “should have just bit my tongue” after the game. “Obviously, you don’t want things to get out there and it doesn’t look good on anyone on the team. I think I sound a bit like a baby where I should have politely shut up and be better and then that’s it,” he said.
The 34-year-old center has 6 goals and 6 assists in 17 games this season. His 12 points are second on the team in scoring. This is O’Reilly’s third season with the Predators. He won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
The Predators are 5-8-4 heading into their game at the New York Rangers on Monday night. They were 5-9-3 in their first 17 games last season before eventually finishing 7th in the Central Division, 28 points outside of the last Western Conference playoff spot.
O’Reilly didn’t like that his rant last week brought added attention to a Nashville team that’s once again off to a slow start. “Obviously that [frustration] gets out there and it doesn’t look good on anyone on the team. You don’t want to draw attention to anything like that for our team,” he said.
However, the Predators center was optimistic things are better for Nashville than they were last season at this time.
“I think we’re much better defensively. Bounces aren’t going our way, but it’s a long season. We’re not giving up by any means and we’re going to keep fighting to find it,” he said. “Being a No. 1 center on this team, I think I do have to be better. It’s simple as that. I just maybe could have worded it a little bit better [last week].”
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