MLB Power Rankings: Who are the top teams one week into the season?
We’re one week into the 2024 MLB season, and after the Brewers and Pirates each suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday, we have one team still undefeated through seven days of play — the Tigers?!
We’ve seen hot starts across the league from not only a few surprising teams but also typical ones, such as the Yankees, whose new slugger, Juan Soto, has shined in his debut for the team. Mookie Betts has also bashed 5 home runs for his Dodgers, who also boast superstars in Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
Is your favorite team off to a dominant start — and more importantly, will it last? Or are you hoping the first week’s returns aren’t a glimpse of the future?
Our expert panel has gotten together to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 3-2
Previous ranking: 1
The new additions to the rotation had positive results in their initial starts. Pitching against the Phillies, Chris Sale allowed two runs in 5⅓ innings, striking out seven. He did serve up a leadoff home run to Kyle Schwarber, who jumped on an 0-1 fastball down the middle, but settled in after that and recorded five of his seven strikeouts on his fastball, which touched 96 mph. Reynaldo Lopez had an easier matchup against the hapless White Sox on a cold night in Chicago, but he allowed just one run in six innings, throwing an efficient 82 pitches — a key for a guy who didn’t have great control even as a reliever. “This start meant a lot to me,” Lopez said after the game. — Schoenfield
Record: 7-2
Previous ranking: 2
There was so much hype around everything that was new about the 2024 Dodgers that we seemingly forgot one really important thing: Betts is incredible. No worries — he has been kind enough to remind us. He began the spring transitioning full time to second base, then moved over to shortstop to cover Gavin Lux‘s throwing issues, a spot where he will now spend the majority of his time. And despite all the defensive turmoil, Betts has been the sport’s best offensive performer thus far. In 42 plate appearances, he has 16 hits, including a major league-best five home runs, and nine walks. His OPS is 1.686. Not bad. — Gonzalez
Record: 6-1
Previous ranking: 7
Soto’s first week in a Yankees uniform couldn’t have gone any better. The superstar outfielder went 9-for-17 in New York’s season-opening four-game sweep of nemesis Houston on the road, a performance that earned him American League Player of the Week. He drove in the Yankees’ first run of the season. He concluded his debut by throwing out the tying run at home in the ninth inning. He provided the go-ahead home run two nights later. He’s been an exhaustive at-bat for pitchers every night, setting the tone for an offense that prides itself on grinding opponents down. Soto is locked in for his platform season. That’s scary for the rest of the AL East. — Castillo
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 4
Jackson Holliday, to just about everyone’s surprise, was left off Baltimore’s Opening Day roster. The official reason, according to Orioles general manager Mike Elias, was that the club wants Holliday, the consensus top prospect in baseball, to face more left-handed pitching in Triple-A. In response, Holliday homered in his first at-bat of the season — off a left-handed pitcher. It’s only a matter of (very little) time before the 20-year-old infielder bulldozes his way to the majors. When he does, the Orioles, a team already loaded with young position player talent, will become that much more explosive as they seek their second straight AL East title. — Castillo
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 6
It’s too early to tout anyone for awards honors, but at the very least, we can say that Wyatt Langford did not look overmatched during his first few big league games. Langford was in the Rangers’ Opening Day lineup less than a year after being drafted No. 4 overall in 2023 out of Florida. He even became just the 44th player to be intentionally walked in his debut, though he had worked a 3-0 count before the free pass was issued. Still, Langford leads a deep Rangers lineup in hard-hit balls during the first week even as he acclimates to frequent DH duties, something he never did at Florida or in the minors. — Doolittle
Record: 4-3
Previous ranking: 9
The D-backs doubled down after an unlikely trip to the World Series last fall, signing Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery to bolster their rotation and Joc Pederson to provide more punch to their lineup. But the core group in Phoenix is really good on its own. And nobody represents that better than ace Zac Gallen, who showed out on Tuesday, throwing six scoreless innings to hand the Yankees their first loss of the season. Gallen, in his second-to-last season before free agency, has allowed just one run in 11 innings thus far, having also stifled the Rockies. — Gonzalez
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 5
After a rough first two games against the Braves to start the season — the bullpen imploded to allow nine runs after Zack Wheeler had tossed six scoreless innings in the opener, and then Aaron Nola allowed a career-worst 12 hits the next day — the Phillies salvaged the series finale with three runs in the seventh as Alec Bohm delivered the go-ahead hit.
Bryce Harper broke out of an 0-for-11 start to the season on Tuesday with three home runs and six RBIs against the Reds, including a grand slam. Two of the home runs were blasts of 107 and 108 mph — and he almost went 4-for-4 but was robbed of an extra-base hit by a diving catch in center field. And how about this: Following a six-hour drive from Rochester, New York, Ricardo Pinto, back in the majors for the first time since 2019, arrived in the fourth inning and then pitched the final four innings of the game for his first career save. — Schoenfield
Record: 2-5
Previous ranking: 3
The Astros’ early bullpen problems and four straight season-opening losses to the Yankees aren’t forgotten, but their opening week was still dominated by the no-hitter thrown by Ronel Blanco. To say the gem was unexpected is a massive understatement. For one thing, it was the earliest — by date — no-hitter in MLB history, coming at a time of the season when starters seldom work deep. Also, for the 30-year-old righty, the no-no gave him just his third career MLB victory. Blanco hasn’t even been a starter for the most part, with just 34 of his 202 career minor league outings coming in that role. And yet, Blanco authored the 305th single-pitcher no-hitter in history. Go figure. — Doolittle
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 10
Perhaps the Mariners’ splashiest offseason pickup was the addition of former All-Star infielder Jorge Polanco, acquired in a trade with Minnesota. The early returns were … not great. Polanco’s Seattle career started in ice-cold fashion as he managed just three singles and a walk over his first six games for the Mariners while striking out more than 40% of the time. It’s only six games, of course, but it would be better if Polanco started hitting sooner rather than later, as these numbers are either an acceleration or an exaggeration of trends that appeared to crop up last year for him with the Twins. Perhaps the worst part about it is that in each of Seattle’s first six games, manager Scott Servais penciled Polanco into the 3-hole as protection for Julio Rodriguez at No. 2. — Doolittle
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 8
Wander Franco‘s future as a major leaguer remains unclear. The All-Star shortstop was placed on paid administrative leave through June 1 before the start of the season as a potential criminal case remains unresolved in the Dominican Republic. Prosecutors allege the 23-year-old Franco broke sexual exploitation and money-laundering laws, but he hasn’t been formally charged yet. His status with MLB could change based on developments in the case. Without Franco, the Rays have turned to Jose Caballero at shortstop to start the season. The 27-year-old Panamanian made his major league debut last season with the Mariners. — Castillo
Record: 4-1
Previous ranking: 21
Longtime bench coach Pat Murphy got his managerial career off on the right foot as Milwaukee won its first four games. Meanwhile, first baseman Rhys Hoskins endeared himself to his new team, ticking off the Mets with a hard slide which led to the benches clearing and Hoskins getting thrown at. It’s the kind of spark the Brewers need as they begin a new chapter without former manager Craig Counsell, Brandon Woodruff (for now — he’s out for the entire 2024 season) and Corbin Burnes. Their first week could not have gone better. — Rogers
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 11
Offense was the Blue Jays’ projected weakness entering the season, and the first week was evidence of that. They were held to two or fewer runs in four of their first six games and were no-hit by Blanco, a 30-year-old right-hander, in his eighth career start Monday. Toronto’s pitching, meanwhile, has limited opponents to five or fewer runs in four of the six games behind two dominant outings from starter Jose Berrios. The Blue Jays will jockey for a playoff spot if the offense can provide consistent support for the strong pitching staff. Justin Turner is off to a strong start, but it’ll come down to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette carrying the load. — Castillo
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: 19
New uniform, same Opening Day results for Tyler O’Neill. The former Cardinal homered in his Red Sox debut, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit a home run on five consecutive Opening Days in the team’s win over the Mariners. Red Sox fans were disappointed with Boston’s inactive offseason after they were promised a “full-throttle” effort to improve the last-place club. All they got was a whimper, but O’Neill, one of the team’s few free agent additions, delivered in Game 1 once again. Next up: Frank Robinson’s record eight career Opening Day home runs. — Castillo
Record: 4-0
Previous ranking: 22
Detroit began its season with a three-game sweep of the White Sox. Yeah, the White Sox aren’t expected to be any good this season, but it was monumental nonetheless. The Tigers began 3-0 for the first time since 2016, their most recent winning season. They did so by way of three consecutive one-run victories for the first time in their history. The most encouraging of those wins came on Opening Day, when Tarik Skubal, who many expect to elevate to one of the game’s best pitchers, fired six scoreless innings. Said Javier Baez: “I think he can win a Cy Young if he’s got a good plan, which we do.” — Gonzalez
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 14
Justin Steele‘s injury, which will keep him out at least one month, is a big one. Even before he strained his hamstring fielding a ground ball on Opening Day, the Cubs weren’t top-heavy in their rotation. It means when they go up against another team’s ace, they’ll be behind the eight ball from the get-go. However, Japanese starter Shota Imanaga pitched well in his debut, striking out nine. As long as the wind is blowing in at Wrigley — like it was on Monday — the fly ball pitcher can match another team’s ace. But navigating April, which includes a West Coast trip, without Steele is going to be difficult. — Rogers
Record: 5-1
Previous ranking: 25
The Pirates are at it again. After getting off to a good start — and then fading — last season, they have won their first five games to start this one. Their production has been spread out — 12 different players drove in at least one run in their first five games while the bullpen was 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA in that time frame. Shortstop Oneil Cruz carried over his hot bat from the spring to start the season 6-for-23. He’s key to the Pirates’ success, as is center fielder Bryan Reynolds, who drove in eight runs in the first week. — Rogers
Record: 3-2
Previous ranking: 12
Significant injuries have already surfaced in Minnesota. Anthony DeSclafani, signed to take Sonny Gray’s rotation spot, was lost for the season before it started. Three innings into Opening Day, Royce Lewis pulled up lame running the bases after starting the season 2-for-2 with a home run. Lewis, whose career has been marred by injuries, will miss at least two months with a strained quad. Those are two major setbacks for the Twins, who spent just $7.7 million in free agency figuring they were the favorites to win the AL Central anyway. But the division has improved. The Guardians, Tigers and Royals will challenge them — so the margin for error to reach the postseason has already shrunk. — Castillo
Record: 4-5
Previous ranking: 13
New Padres manager Mike Shildt made the rather surprising decision to slot Jake Cronenworth into the No. 3 spot of his lineup — between franchise pillars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado — and Cronenworth has delivered early on, slashing .286/.333/.429 through his first 39 plate appearances. He signed a seven-year, $80 million extension last April and turned in a brutal 2023 season, finishing with an adjusted OPS of just 92. If Cronenworth can get back to producing like he did from 2021 to 2022, when his adjusted OPS was 115, it will be a major boost for a Padres team that traded away Soto and still has major holes in left field and at designated hitter. — Gonzalez
Record: 2-5
Previous ranking: 15
We can’t quite know yet whether the Giants’ flurry of offseason moves will vault them back into the playoffs, but it seems pretty clear early on that San Francisco fans are going to love Jung Hoo Lee. The Giants gave Lee a whopping six-year, $113 million contract, a record for an Asian-born hitter. But he looks like he fits in nicely as a major league center fielder and leadoff man, with six hits and three walks in his first 24 plate appearances. He didn’t have a great series against the Dodgers, but the 25-year-old left-handed hitter had just two whiffs on his first 31 swings this season. He also has a great personality, which is already starting to come through. — Gonzalez
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 16
Journeyman Nick Martini was the hero of the first week for Cincinnati, which already has had to tap into its depth after spring injuries and a suspension reared its head. Martini was 4-for-8 with three extra-base hits in his first three games, giving the Reds a boost from the bench they’ll need this season. Meanwhile, starter Frankie Montas‘ debut for the team could not have gone better as he threw six shutout innings against the Nationals. Cincinnati is counting on him to be really good as the veteran at the top of the rotation. — Rogers
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: 20
The best sign a week into the season: Shane Bieber has thrown two gems, allowing no runs in 12 innings with 20 strikeouts and just one walk. He had 18 swinging strikes in his first start and 10 in his second, so he’s showing swing-and-miss stuff. His velocity is up a tick to 92.0 mph on his four-seamer — up from 91.3 last year, although still below the 94 he averaged in 2020, when he won the Cy Young. Granted, those starts came against the A’s and the Mariners in Seattle (a tough place to hit early in the season), but zero runs are zero runs. — Schoenfield
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 17
Shortstop Masyn Winn looks like he belongs after starting the season 5-for-14 while playing flawless defense. The 2020 second-round pick got his feet wet last year, though his production was nothing to write home about. However, that time in the majors might have set him up for this season. The newly 22-year-old looks more comfortable at the plate and doesn’t have that same wide-eyed look about him that he sported last season. So perhaps something came of the Cardinals’ awful showing last year: experience for their new man up the middle. — Rogers
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 26
Small sample caveats apply but it sure looks like Bobby Witt Jr. is even better after his second-half breakout in 2023. Witt’s average exit velocity (102.1 mph, based on his first 13 batted ball events) is the best in the majors over the first week, as was his barrel rate (38.5%). Witt is still seeing an average percentage of pitches in the strike zone and his approach remains aggressive: if in doubt, swing. It will be interesting to see how Witt adapts if that strike percentage begins to plummet as pitchers start to treat him with even more deference. — Doolittle
Record: 0-4
Previous ranking: 18
You can argue that no team had a more disappointing/embarrassing/awful first week than the Mets. Let’s see here: (1) Jeff McNeil whining about a tough — but legal — slide from Hoskins; (2) Yohan Ramirez responding by throwing behind Hoskins and getting suspended (manager Carlos Mendoza had to serve one game as well); (3) Luis Severino getting roughed up in his Mets debut; (4) Tylor Megill landing on the IL with a shoulder strain; (5) losing a game in extra innings due to a couple of defensive misplays; (6) Mendoza needing just three games to reshuffle the batting order, moving Francisco Alvarez up to the cleanup spot. Not the start the Mets needed. — Schoenfield
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 24
Even though Mike Trout hit about five miles’ worth of homers over the first week, perhaps the most encouraging development for the Halos during those games was that Nolan Schanuel went deep. Schanuel has elite on-base skills, but after he hit just a lone dinger during his 132 plate appearances in 2023, questions remained if he was going to hit for enough power as a corner player. One homer is just one homer, but it’s a start. Schanuel is the kind of hitter who doesn’t need to hit 30 bombs to be a plus offensive player — 15 to 20 will do. Well, that’s less than one per week over a full season, so he’s ahead of pace so far in 2024. — Doolittle
Record: 0-7
Previous ranking: 23
This has not gone well. With Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera all starting the season on the IL after injuries in spring training, these opening weeks were all about just keeping things together until the rotation got healthy. Instead, the Marlins started 0-7, lost two games in extra innings and were outscored 51 to 24, allowing at least six runs in six of their seven games. A.J. Puk had a great spring as he moved from the bullpen to the rotation — and then walked six batters in his first start. The lineup hasn’t hit either, and the early returns on the Tim Anderson signing don’t look good. — Schoenfield
Record: 2-3
Previous ranking: 27
I hate to pick on the Nationals one week into the season but can’t ignore what is going on here with an outfield of Jesse Winker in left field and Eddie Rosario in center. Winker is a notoriously bad outfielder — one of the worst in the game — and while he had a great season for the Reds in 2021 (.949 OPS), he struggled with the Mariners and Brewers the past two seasons as he battled injuries (hitting .199 last season). I could maybe see taking a flier on him as a DH, but not as a left fielder. Rosario is 32 years old and has spent the vast majority of his career in left field (just 39 career starts in center before this season). Why not help your pitchers and at least give them some good defense? — Schoenfield
Record: 1-4
Previous ranking: 28
The White Sox might lose more games this season than the 101 they lost in 2023. They’re debuting an entirely new pitching staff outside of Michael Kopech and now Mike Clevinger. Add two new catchers to the mix and it’s going to take a while for any chemistry to develop. The lone bright spot might be Garrett Crochet, their Opening Day pitcher. He threw well in his first two career starts this week — though Chicago lost the first game. Baby steps. — Rogers
Record: 1-6
Previous ranking: 29
It’s probably going to be another long year for the Rockies, who have been outscored 58-24 through their first seven games and already suffered two blowouts. But it has been nice to see Charlie Blackmon get going. While the Rockies are starting to incorporate some of their younger guys, Blackmon is by far their longest-tenured player, as a 37-year-old outfielder navigating through his 14th season in Colorado. He has been a bright spot thus far, slashing .417/.440/.625. He recorded both the first stolen base and the first outfield assist of the Rockies’ season, and he even gave them their first lead. — Gonzalez
Record: 1-6
Previous ranking: 30
The Athletics’ decision to demote speedster Esteury Ruiz, who stole 67 bases last season, led to some head-scratching. For an explanation, maybe you need to look no further than the guy occupying Ruiz’s position in center field, J.J. Bleday. It’s very early but Bleday was the fourth overall draft pick by Miami in 2019. He entered the season with that baseline talent — and still had just a .190 career average. However, Bleday started 2024 on fire, enjoying perhaps his best week as a big leaguer with 15 total bases over Oakland’s first six games. We need to see much, much more of this to buy in, but on a team that needs all the good news it can get, Bleday’s early play is a reason to smile. — Doolittle
-
Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
Tennessee‘s Nico Iamaleava has been cleared medically to play Saturday against Georgia and is set to return as the Vols’ starting quarterback, sources told ESPN.
Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman, missed the second half of the 33-14 win over Mississippi State last week after suffering a blow to the head. He was listed as questionable earlier this week on the SEC availability report but has been removed in the latest report.
Iamaleava practiced this week, including team periods, and there was optimism among the staff that he was trending in the right direction and would be able to play. But the final call was made by medical personnel. Iamaleava was examined by doctors for what sources told ESPN were concussion-like symptoms after leaving the Mississippi State game. He did not return to the sideline for the second half.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Monday that he felt like Iamaleava would be in “great shape for Saturday” and noted that Iamaleava was with the team earlier Monday morning for meetings and team activities. The Vols’ first full-scale practice was Tuesday.
Iamaleava was having his most productive outing against an SEC team this season before leaving the game against Mississippi State. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 174 yards, no interceptions and a pair of touchdowns as Tennessee built a 20-7 halftime lead. In Iamaleava’s previous five SEC games, he had accounted for three touchdowns and turned it over five times. He was also sacked 15 times in those five games.
Redshirt senior Gaston Moore filled in for Iamaleava in the second half last week and finished 5-of-8 for 38 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Getting Iamaleava back for the Georgia game is big news for Tennessee, which is right in the middle of the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.
Receiver Dont’e Thornton (hand) has also been given the green light to play for Tennessee after earlier being listed as questionable.
Week 12 is here as we take a look at an SEC matchup that has College Football Playoff implications, learn about three of the nation’s top passers who all played under the same coach and see what’s going on in the Big 12.
No. 7 Tennessee will visit Sanford Stadium as it takes on conference opponent No. 12 Georgia on Saturday night. With so much at stake, what can each team improve on ahead of this SEC showdown?
The Big 12 has six teams in the hunt for a spot in the conference title game. With the final CFP rankings coming out in less than a month, what scenario looks most realistic for the conference in terms of how many of its teams could make the 12-team field?
Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 12 slate.
Jump to a section:
Tennessee-Georgia | The coach behind three top QB passers
What’s going on in the Big 12 | Quotes of the Week
What has each team done well in conference play? What improvements can be made?
It has been a historic (and dominant) season for Tennessee’s defense, which has yet to give up more than 19 points in any of its nine games. Against SEC competition, the Volunteers lead the conference in scoring defense, giving up 16.7 points per game, and also lead the way in third-down defense and red zone defense. In other words, they’ve given up very little of anything on defense and are buoyed by a line that’s both talented and deep. Tennessee plays a ton of players up front and has been especially good at forcing key turnovers. In 23 trips inside its own 20-yard line, the Vols have forced six turnovers.
The reality is that Tennessee has played to its defense for much of this season out of necessity. The offense has lacked consistency and struggled to generate explosive plays, particularly in the passing game. It’s not all on redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, either. Iamaleava has thrown only five touchdown passes in six SEC games, and the Vols are tied for 10th with an average of 7.5 yards per completion. Iamaleava, who sustained a head injury in a win over Mississippi State last week, has been the victim of poor pass protection at times, and his receivers have dropped some costly passes. Iamaleava has also been shaky when it comes to overthrowing receivers and occasionally holding onto the ball too long.
The bright spot on offense for Tennessee has been running back Dylan Sampson, who has a school-record 20 rushing touchdowns. He has been a constant for the Vols on offense and has an SEC-leading 772 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in conference play. As good as he has been, the Vols are probably going to need more from their passing game to win in Athens. — Chris Low
The Bulldogs didn’t do much of anything well in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, which was the first time in a long time that Kirby Smart’s team was manhandled on the lines of scrimmage.
The good news for Georgia: It’s heading home to Sanford Stadium for the first time in more than a month. Georgia hasn’t dropped back-to-back games in the regular season since 2016, Smart’s first season, and it has bounced back after each of its past eight losses. The Bulldogs have won seven of their past eight games against the Volunteers.
For all of quarterback Carson Beck‘s turnovers, Georgia’s problems on offense probably start up front. The offensive line hasn’t done a good job of protecting him, and the Bulldogs’ lack of a potent running game has prevented them from effectively utilizing play-action passes. Their banged-up offensive line is going to face another formidable defensive front Saturday. Georgia has 27 dropped passes, fourth most in the FBS, according to TruMedia, so its receivers need to become more reliable as well. — Mark Schlabach
The coach behind three of college football’s top passers
Miami‘s Cam Ward, Washington State‘s John Mateer and North Texas‘ Chandler Morris are three of the top five quarterbacks in total offense this season in FBS. All three have the same head coach to thank for where they are today.
North Texas coach Eric Morris coached Ward at Incarnate Word and Washington State, recruited Mateer to the Cougars and signed Morris out of the transfer portal this offseason. All three hailed from Texas and are putting up big numbers this season. Morris, a Mike Leach disciple, knows what he’s looking for when it comes to QBs.
For each one, the journey was different. Ward was a zero-star recruit out of West Columbia, Texas, played in a wing-T offense and had no scholarship offers. But he showed up to Incarnate Word’s camp in 2019 and impressed with his quick release and accuracy. Morris saw appealing traits, too, in Ward’s multisport talents.
“He was such a good basketball player,” Morris said. “He was a bigger guy who could really handle the ball and move with ease. He had a twitch and quickness about him that was almost Mahomes-esque, where he’s not fast but you see him get out of the pocket and scramble and he’s nifty on his feet. He saw the floor great and shot the basketball great.
“It might be easier at an FCS school to take that risk, but it was something we were really confident in.”
Ward came in with extreme confidence, telling coaches he’d win the starting job over their returning all-conference player (and he did). He followed Morris to Pullman, Washington, out of loyalty to the coach who believed in him. Now he’s playing on a big stage, chasing a College Football Playoff bid and a Heisman Trophy with the No. 9 Hurricanes.
“It’s been fun to watch him flourish and get rewarded for being patient all these years,” Morris said.
When Morris left UIW to become Washington State’s offensive coordinator in 2022, he brought Ward but needed another QB. On his first recruiting trip in Texas, he stopped by to check out Mateer. The two-star recruit had a prolific senior season at Little Elm High School but was committed to Central Arkansas. Morris didn’t understand what FBS programs were missing and convinced Mateer to flip.
After two seasons behind Ward, Mateer has emerged as one of the top dual-threat QBs in college football with 2,332 passing yards, 805 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and 33 total TDs.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” Ward said. “He’s just so dang hard to tackle in the open field. Just a kid that loves ball and was under-recruited. The tide’s turned and he ends up being a big-time ballplayer.”
Chandler Morris was not an under-the-radar talent, but he’s having his best season yet at North Texas. He began his career at Oklahoma, won the starting job at TCU in 2022, sustained a knee injury in its season opener and then watched Max Duggan lead the Horned Frogs to the national title game.
Morris had a six-game stint as TCU’s starter last season before injuring the same knee. At UNT, he’s leading the nation’s No. 3 passing offense with 3,244 total yards and 30 TDs. Like Ward and Mateer, he processes information quickly, makes plays with his feet and throws outside the pocket with accuracy. If you ask Eric Morris, those traits are a must in today’s game. When paired with his version of Air Raid ball, you get big-time results.
“It’s been fun to see him get his swagger back,” Morris said.
Eric Morris points to Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. The QBs thriving at the highest level are becoming unstoppable by creating plays out of the pocket. And so are his guys.
“Everybody obviously watches Cam and the magic he makes,” Morris said, “but I think all three of ’em can make plays when it’s not a perfect play call. There are a bunch of really good pure passers nowadays, but that’s what sets them all apart.” — Max Olson
What’s going on in the Big 12?
Two-thirds of the way through the Big 12 schedule, six teams are still in the hunt for a title-game appearance: BYU (6-0), Colorado (5-1), Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State and West Virginia, all of which are 4-2. There are too many variables to discuss all the scenarios, but the conference has a straightforward tiebreaker policy.
It’s possible to come up with scenarios in which the Big 12 could get two bids, one bid or shut out altogether.
For the Big 12 to get two bids, BYU probably would have to finish 12-0, then lose a close game in the championship to a two-loss team (Colorado, Iowa State or Kansas State). A 12-1 BYU team would get consideration, but it would become a question of how far it would fall and what else happens around the country.
The most likely scenario is the Big 12 will get one team in: whichever one wins the conference title game. If BYU wins out, it will have a bye, but if it slips up even once — or if another team wins the title — Boise State might be in position to get a first-round bye, assuming the Broncos win out.
The doomsday scenario in the Big 12 is if the conference champion has two or three losses and Army and Boise State win out. If that’s the case, there is a good possibility both of those schools would be ranked ahead of the Big 12 champion and the Big 12 would be left out. — Kyle Bonagura
Quotes of the Week
“They’re stubborn, man. They’re physical. He is an elite runner. The runs they run are sometimes nontraditional. They run some runs that other people don’t run because of the space in the box. He’s very patient. He hits small creases. He’s hard to tackle. How many touchdowns has he got in the SEC? Twenty-something? That’s crazy. In the SEC? The SEC is the hardest league in the world to run the ball in on because they’ve got the most size defensive lineman, and he continues to do it at a crazy pace to me.” — Kirby Smart on Volunteers tailback Dylan Sampson.
“I never try to take a step back. I try to take a step up. I’m always putting my head out the window. I’m trying to see around the corner, not trying to see straight ahead. It’s normalcy for everybody to see what’s in front of them. I’m trying to see around the corner. That’s the relationship I have with the Lord, to help me see around the corner so I can help navigate these young men as well as the women that’s attached to our program to a better way and a better life. So I don’t get caught up in the ‘You go, boys!’ or the ‘You ain’t nothing.’ You know, if I would’ve listened to you guys earlier, I’ve gotta listen to you now. So I might as well just put some headphones on and block you out. Notice I don’t have a sponsor for headphones, but that would’ve been a good placement for a sponsor.” — Deion Sanders when asked if he takes time to step back and appreciate the magnitude of Colorado’s turnaround.
“I hope anyone who has ambitions about playing in the National Football League, let’s see what you’ve got against Clemson. Let’s see you play your best game here. If you weren’t focused for Virginia, which I can’t imagine you weren’t — and I’m not saying anybody was not focused — but if they didn’t get your focus, I imagine Clemson will get your focus when you put the tape on.” — Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi on whether playing Clemson gets the attention of his players.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports7 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway