U-M AD Manuel named chair of CFP committee
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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer
After a tumultuous but successful season that culminated with a national championship, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel has been named the chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee for the first season of the 12-team playoff, the CFP announced Thursday.
“We are delighted that Warde will serve as chair,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. “He has been a valuable member of the committee the last two years and that experience will serve him well in leading the group. As a former student-athlete, he will also be a good spokesperson to let fans know how the committee reached its rankings.”
Manuel, a former defensive end at Michigan, will replace NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan, whose term has expired after serving as the group’s chair for the past two seasons. The CFP also announced six new members to the 13-member group tasked with selecting the teams for the playoff, including former Minnesota Vikings great Randall McDaniel, one of the most decorated offensive linemen in NFL history.
Other new committee members include Washington State athletic director Pat Chun; former Toledo and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel; Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades; Virginia athletic director Carla Williams; and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek.
The new members will begin their three-year terms this spring. They will replace Corrigan, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor, former Hall of Fame coach Joe Taylor and former Notre Dame linebacker and tight end Rod West, whose terms have expired. The CFP extended the term of former All-American Nebraska lineman Will Shields for an additional year.
In addition to running the weekly meetings this fall, Manuel’s role as the committee chair places him in the kind of public role he has typically shied away from, as he is often reluctant to take the spotlight away from the coaches and athletes in his program.
Manuel has been unable to avoid the public eye recently, though, as his program was simultaneously the No. 1 team in the country and under two separate NCAA investigations, which are ongoing. He also just emerged from one of the most high-profile coaching searches in the country, as former coach Jim Harbaugh left to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Manuel promoted offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to the head-coaching job, but the entire athletic department is still under the cloud of the NCAA’s dueling investigations. The first is for alleged recruiting violations under Harbaugh during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period, and the second is for allegations of a widespread cheating scandal from prohibited off-campus scouting and sign stealing. The two have so far amounted to Harbaugh being suspended for half of the 2023 regular season.
As controversial as Michigan’s season was last year, the unprecedented allegations against a CFP team with its leader on the committee didn’t impact the group’s discussions last fall. The CFP reiterated that as long as Michigan was eligible for the postseason, it was eligible to be ranked by the committee. Manuel missed only one CFP meeting last fall because of the sign-stealing scandal. Per CFP policy, he also recused himself from the room when voting and debates about Michigan took place.
As the committee chair, Manuel will be the sole voice in the group permitted to speak on the record about the committee’s process during a season of enormous change. Unlike in the four-team playoff, which has existed for the past decade, the 12-team field will likely include the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will earn the top four seeds and a first-round bye. The seeding and final bracket could look different from the committee’s ranking — a new process of explanation for Manuel.
“My first two years on the committee have been a great experience,” Manuel said in a statement. “I have so much respect for the time and effort each committee member puts in each week because of their commitment to the game. I’m honored to be asked to serve as committee chair.”
Although the playoff field and format have changed, the selection committee’s role has not. The new members will continue to use mostly the same protocol to determine their weekly top 25 ranking and ultimately the final teams on Selection Day. If there are any changes to the way the teams are selected, it will be determined at the CFP’s annual spring meeting in April.
Incoming committee member Chun, who is entering his sixth year as athletic director at Washington State, is representing the remains of the Pac-12 and a school that has been part of the CFP’s inability to formally approve a 5+7 model. Conferences take turns nominating committee members, and the dwindling league is down to Washington State and Oregon State after a mass exodus of conference realignment. Washington State president Kirk Schulz is on the CFP’s board of managers, which consists of 11 presidents and chancellors who have the ultimate authority over the playoff. They need a unanimous vote to approve the 5+7 model, and although it is expected eventually, it hasn’t happened yet because of the Pac-12’s precarious position.
Before his arrival at Washington State, Chun spent 5½ years as athletic director at FAU and the previous 15 years at his alma mater, Ohio State. Chun, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State and a master’s degree from Duquesne.
McDaniel was an All-American guard and four-year starter (1984-87) for Arizona State and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft and made an NFL-record 12 consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl at left guard. He is a member of the Vikings Ring of Honor and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Although there are several former coaches and players in the group, seven sitting athletic directors representing seven conferences (including one from each Power 5 league) make up the majority. Williams is in her seventh year at Virginia but also has extensive experience as a former athlete. She was a three-year starter and All-SEC guard for the Georgia women’s basketball team (1987-89). She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgia and a doctorate from Florida State.
Yurachek is in his seventh year at Arkansas and is also a member of the NCAA’s football oversight committee, a role he has held since 2021 after serving on the football competition committee. Yurachek earned his bachelor’s degree at Guilford College in 1990, where he was a four-year letter winner in basketball. He earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Richmond in 1994.
Rhoades, who is entering his seventh year as Baylor’s athletic director, graduated from Arizona and earned his master’s degree from Indiana. He was previously athletic director at Missouri (2015-16), where fellow committee member Pinkel coached from 2001 to 2015. Pinkel has the most wins of any head coach in the history of both Toledo and Mizzou. Pinkel, who has since retired, was a tight end at Kent State. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
The other returning committee members are former Nevada coach Chris Ault, Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk, former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler, former sportswriter Kelly Whiteside, Manuel and Shields.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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