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Week 1 is finally here. There is plenty to know going into Thursday’s 21 matchups and the games that will be played this weekend. Some notable names will make their returns after suffering major injuries last season, and many freshmen will have their first chance to show out on the field. Plus, what were coaches saying this offseason?

Utah quarterback Cam Rising is coming off of a knee injury that sidelined him last season, but don’t forget he led Utah to back-to-back Pac-12 championships. Can he do the same for the Utes in their first year in the Big 12 Conference? And can Alabama freshman cornerback Zabien Brown earn a starting role this season?

Our reporters break down records that could be broken this season, five freshmen to know and other big topics entering Week 1.

Big names who are back from injury

Utah‘s Cam Rising:

Cam Rising’s absence last season because of a major knee injury — sustained in the Rose Bowl the season before — took the Utes off track before they had a chance to really get going. Rising’s return should immediately return the Utes to the nation’s elite, given how successful they were in his previous two seasons as the starting quarterback. Remember, both of those seasons ended with trips to Pasadena.

In 2021, he was the first-team All-Pac-12 quarterback when he guided the Utes to the conference title. They repeated as champions in 2022, and although Rising was relegated to honorable mention all-conference honors, his stats — 3,034 yards passing, 26 touchdown passes, 8 interceptions — were just as good. With a talented receiving corps, Rising should go out with another productive season as Utah tries to make a name for itself in the Big 12. — Kyle Bonagura

Texas A&M‘s Conner Weigman:

The Weigman era in College Station has been one of promise but also frustration. He set a Texas A&M true freshman record in his first start in 2022 with 338 yards passing, throwing four touchdowns against Ole Miss before throwing two touchdowns in an upset of No. 6 LSU at the end of a 5-7 season. He began last season by throwing five touchdown passes in the opener against New Mexico.

He played three complete games last year and looked the part of the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2022 class, throwing for 909 yards, 8 TDs and 2 interceptions, but a foot injury against Auburn ended his season as the Aggies limped to a 7-6 finish. New coach Mike Elko lured Collin Klein from Klein’s alma mater, Kansas State, to revitalize the offense, and his first order of business was to fix an offensive line that has struggled to keep Weigman and his other QBs upright. Weigman said this week that he’s finally back to 100 percent and is ready to get to work. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I can’t wait to be out there Aug. 31st.” — Dave Wilson

Notre Dame‘s Riley Leonard:

Although it wasn’t technically his final game in a Duke uniform, the Riley Leonard era in Durham unofficially ended with a final heave and a brutal tackle in a 21-14 loss to Notre Dame last September. He came back from an ankle injury to hobble through two more games, but the magic was gone.

Coincidentally, that injury led him from the losing sideline to the winning one, with Leonard transferring to Notre Dame in December. He sat out spring practice but insists his ankle is fully healed and stronger than before, which means the Irish have a potential superstar at QB. In 2022, the last season he was fully healthy, Leonard was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, throwing 20 touchdowns and running for 13 more. — David Hale


Five freshmen to watch

Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver, Ohio State: The dynamic pass catcher will start alongside returners Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate against Akron in Week 1. For all the elite wide receiver talent at Ohio State lately, Chris Carter still holds the program’s freshman receiving records for catches (41), yards (648) and touchdowns (eight) set in 1984. Could Smith — expected to be relied upon heavily by the Buckeyes — make a run at those marks in 2024?

Jordan Seaton, left tackle, Colorado: Seaton’s Year 1 transition is an intriguing layer within one of college football’s most fascinating stories. The five-star tackle is a definite upgrade on a Colorado offensive line that struggled to protect Shedeur Sanders in 2023. But like most freshman offensive linemen, Seaton probably will experience ups and downs. Can he mature quickly and minimize mistakes across a highly anticipated fall in Boulder?

KJ Bolden, safety, Georgia: The 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back has impressed as a playmaker since arriving in Athens as a midyear enrollee. Coach Kirby Smart is keeping his depth chart a secret ahead of Georgia’s Week 1 opener against Clemson, but Bolden is certain to see early playing time in the secondary, and he might be pushing for a starting role by the back half of the season as the Bulldogs’ latest standout freshman contributor.

Jayden Jackson, defensive tackle, Oklahoma: Brent Venables has compared Jackson to former Sooners nose guard Dusty Dvoracek and this month praised the first-year defender’s “different level of maturity.” It’s part of why Jackson is slated to start alongside veteran TCU transfer Damonic Williams in Week 1 against Temple. Time will tell on Jackson’s readiness to battle SEC offensive lines, but his 6-2, 300-pound frame will make him an immediate impact run defender.

Zabien Brown, cornerback, Alabama: The Crimson Tide return without six cornerbacks from last fall, needing to replace starters at both corner spots. The obvious candidates for those roles are Alabama-experienced transfers Domani Jackson (USC) and DaShawn Jones (Wake Forest). But Brown — one of the Crimson Tide’s three top-100 defensive back signees in 2024 — has wowed the coaching staff in Tuscaloosa and should feature early and often, whether he ends up earning starting duties somewhere along the way this fall. — Eli Lederman


Notable offseason quotes

“Honestly, every player is technically a transfer. We just signed a whole class of guys transferring from high school.” — Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney on the school’s lack of additions via the transfer portal.

“We’re paying players.” — Baylor coach Dave Aranda, on how the Bears improved recruiting.

“I don’t have bad days, man. I may have a bad moment, maybe even a bad hour, but never a bad day. I don’t. Cause I set my own thermostat.” — Colorado coach Deion Sanders to rapper Lil Wayne.

“In Hebrews it says, ‘Faith is the assurance of things hoped for.’ I’ve got all the faith in the world in the people in our building.” — Florida coach Billy Napier ahead of a critical third season with the Gators.


Records that could be broken this season

Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel has four 3,000-yard passing seasons on his résumé already, but if he could reach 4,000 in 2024 — or, more specifically, 4,353 — he would pass Case Keenum as the all-time passing yards leader in FBS history. Is that a long shot? It’s worth noting that Bo Nix, Oregon’s QB last season, threw for 4,508 yards, and if the Ducks live up to expectations, there’s a scenario in which Gabriel has 15 games to hit that mark. — Hale

The NCAA record for most wins in a season is a three-way tie at 16 between William Rhodes of Yale in 1894, Amos Alonzo Stagg of Chicago in 1899 and Yale’s Walter Camp in 1899. Teams could play 17 games this season between a regular season, a conference title game, and potentially four playoff games (18 games if they play Hawai’i and get an exemption). There’s a fair bet someone could tie or surpass that mark in the near future. — Wilson

This isn’t technically tracked by the NCAA for record-keeping purposes, but there appears to be a chance that the career games played record could fall this year. Unofficially, the record stands at 69 games, a tie between Minnesota‘s Nyles Pinckney (2016-21) and the Clemson trio of James Skalski (2016-21), Will Spiers (2016-21) and Will Swinney (2017-21). UTSA‘s Oscar Cardenas enters this season with 57 games played (thanks to four games in his redshirt season, plus 12 games in the Covid 2020 season), meaning that 70 games is feasible. He’ll have to stay healthy, of course, and UTSA will have to reach a bowl game, but the purported record is in play. It’s possible other players are in the mix, too, but participation stats are not as readily available en masse like most stats. — Bonagura

Let’s talk place-kickers. Since 1956, only three have eclipsed 90 career made field goals: NC State‘s Christopher Dunn (97 in 2018-22), Arizona State‘s Zane Gonzalez (96 in 2013-16) and Auburn’s Daniel Carlson (92 in 2014-17). This fall, however, Boise State‘s Jonah Dalmas is in position to reach that group, and then to pass them all. The Broncos’ fifth-year kicker enters 2024 with 80 career field goals, only 17 shy of Dunn’s career NCAA record. A two-time Lou Groza Award semifinalist, Dalmas has logged at least 23 made field goals in each of his three seasons as Boise State’s full-time kicker. There’s a good chance he’ll clear 100 career field goals this fall and to close the season as the NCAA’s all-time field goal king. — Lederman

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Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

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Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

Chase DeLauter, an outfielder with no major league experience, was included on the Cleveland Guardians‘ roster for their wild-card series against the Detroit Tigers.

Selected 16th in the 2022 amateur draft, DeLauter hit .278 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Columbus. He turns 24 on Oct. 8.

DeLauter was sidelined by injuries for much of this year. He was hurt during a pregame workout at spring training on Feb. 28 and had bilateral core muscle surgery on March 4 for a sports hernia.

After eight games at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians, DeLauter played his first game this year for Triple-A Columbus on May 23, but he stayed in the lineup only until July 12. He had surgery 11 days later to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist.

DeLauter could be the first player to debut in the postseason since 2020, when Tampa Bay pitcher Shane McClanahan, San Diego pitcher Ryan Weathers and Minnesota outfielder Alex Kirilloff all accomplished the feat.

Manager Stephen Vogt said DeLauter has been taking batting practice at the organization’s Arizona complex. DeLauter had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League.

“As we were talking through it and looking through the series with three games, we felt 11 pitchers was the right move,” Vogt said. “When we looked at at-bats, Chase was healthy, and he’s the best bat we have available to us. We thought it would be a good idea to get him on the roster.”

DeLauter is among seven left-handed bats on the Guardians’ bench and could come in to play center or right field.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said DeLauter’s promotion was not a surprise.

“You can’t get into the building and not be seen by somebody. So we had some time to talk. And we have some pitchers and position players who spent some time in Toledo this year as well,” Hinch said. “Our teams, not only are we sort of intimately close at the big league level, but in Triple-A, in Double-A, in Single-A. We play these guys coming up throughout. And so you’ll hear our hitters talk about facing these guys in Akron or facing these guys in Erie, along with Toledo and Columbus.”

The Tigers left off right-handers Chris Paddack and Tanner Rainey but included right-hander Paul Sewald for the best-of-three series that started Tuesday.

Yankees rookie catcher J.C. Escarra and pitchers Paul Blackburn and Will Warren made roster against the Boston Red Sox, while pitchers Luis Gil and Ryan Yarbrough were left off along with outfielder Austin Slater.

New York is carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Escarra is the third catcher after Austin Wells and Ben Rice, giving manager Aaron Boone pinch-hitting and pinch-running options.

Warren is viewed as a better relief option than Gil, who averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings.

Boston included a pair of speedy potential pinch runners, infielders Nate Eaton and David Hamilton, and rookies left-handers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that right-hander Lucas Giolito will miss the series because of an ailing elbow.

Catcher Elias Díaz, who has a sore left oblique, was left off San Diego’s roster for its series at the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres included three catchers: Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin and Martín Maldonado.

Rookie infielder Mason McCoy was on the roster, and left-hander Yuki Matsui was left off.

Chicago included rookie outfielder Kevin Alcántara and catcher Moisés Ballesteros but left off right-hander Javier Assad and catcher Miguel Amaya.

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Twins fire Baldelli after roster purge, 70-92 mark

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Twins fire Baldelli after roster purge, 70-92 mark

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles after a second straight disappointing season.

“This is a difficult day because of what Rocco represents to so many people here,” Twins president Derek Falvey said in a statement. “He led with honesty, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our players and staff. He gave himself fully to this role and I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the way he carried himself and the way he showed up every single day.”

The Twins, who were expected to contend for the AL Central title this season, faltered in June and became active at the trade deadline, sending away 10 players while cutting $26 million from the payroll. The team went 23-43 after the All-Star break to finish fourth in the division with a 70-92 mark.

Minnesota went 19-35 after the trade deadline passed, with only the Colorado Rockies faring worse over the final two months.

The Twins finished with the fourth-worst record in the major leagues and their worst mark since 2016, when they went 59-103 after firing longtime general manager Terry Ryan at midseason. Falvey was hired to replace Ryan after that.

The 44-year-old Baldelli, who won the 2019 AL Manager of the Year award as a rookie, has led the Twins to three division titles. In 2023, Minnesota ended a record 18-game postseason losing streak and won its first playoff series since 2002.

Baldelli had an overall record of 527-505 in seven seasons, and he’s the third-winningest manager in Twins history behind Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field, with the Twins finishing with an 81-home game total of a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold, their lowest number in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the Metrodome and finished 69-93.

Fans have mostly directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost-cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough. The Pohlad family put the franchise up for sale last year, but decided last month to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.

The dizzying trade-deadline activity left Baldelli and his staff without much to work with down the stretch, though All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton was a bright spot in a breakthrough season for his health, and rookie second baseman Luke Keaschall provided consistent production and a professional approach at the plate belying his inexperience.

The departures of shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder Harrison Bader, first baseman Ty France and multi-position player Willi Castro robbed the lineup of experience and steadiness, but that was nothing like what happened to Baldelli’s bullpen.

The Twins traded their five best relievers, from closer Jhoan Duran on down, and left the final 54 games to a ragtag group that had eight blown saves in 18 opportunities during that span.

Baldelli was hired before the 2019 season to replace Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, with Falvey citing his adaptivity to the data-based direction of baseball strategy and his communication skill in distilling it to coaches and players and clearly setting expectations and preferences.

“Over the past seven years, Rocco has been much more than our manager. He has been a trusted partner and teammate to me in leading this organization,” Falvey said in a statement. “Together we shared a deep care for the Twins, for our players and staff, and for doing everything in our power to put this club in the best position to succeed.

“Along the way we experienced some meaningful accomplishments, and I will always be proud of those, even as I wish we had ultimately achieved more.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bochy, winningest active manager, out in Texas

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Bochy, winningest active manager, out in Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas — Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers after a three-year stint that began with the franchise’s first World Series championship in 2023 before missing the playoffs and not having a winning record in both seasons since then.

The Rangers said Monday night that the team and Bochy mutually agreed to end his managerial tenure in Texas. Bochy was offered a front office role to stay in an advisory capacity, the team said.

The move came a day after the Rangers finished 81-81. That was the first .500 record for the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961 before moving to Texas in 1972, and a first for Bochy in 28 seasons managing San Diego, San Francisco and Texas.

Bochy was at the end of the three-year contract he got when Chris Young, one of his former pitchers, hired him after the Rangers’ sixth consecutive losing season. Bochy went 249-237 with the Rangers.

“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history, and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Ranger fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” said Young, then their general manager and now the Rangers’ president of baseball operations. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout, and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career.”

After turning 70 this season as baseball’s winningest active manager, Bochy has a career record of 2,252-2,266, with those wins ranking sixth among all managers — the five ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame. No managers in the past 60 years have more than Bochy’s four World Series titles, and the only ones with more are Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack.

Bochy had been out of managing for three seasons when he was hired by Texas. He had stepped out of the Giants dugout at the end of 2019 after 13 seasons and three championships from 2010 to 2014. That followed 12 seasons and another National League pennant with the Padres.

San Francisco, also 81-81 this season, fired second-year manager Bob Melvin on Monday after the Giants missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Minnesota fired Rocco Baldelli, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles, but only one playoff appearance, over his final five seasons.

The Giants’ president of baseball operations is Buster Posey, the 2012 National League MVP and seven-time All-Star catcher who played all but the last of his 12 MLB seasons with Bochy as his manager.

Over the last week of the regular season, Bochy wouldn’t answer questions about his future with the Rangers, saying that the decision would wait until after the season. But he said he was having a great time and didn’t sound like he was ready to be done as a manager.

“It’s as much fun as I’ve had in the game,” Bochy said last week about managing again. “I said this when I came back, you have a deeper appreciation when you’re out, especially for three years and you realize what you have, how blessed you are to be doing what you’re doing. It’s been a lot of fun, and I still love it, and enjoy it.”

And that was during a strange and frustrating season on the field for the Rangers, who, for the first time, had a pitching staff that led the majors in ERA (3.47). They also set a single-season MLB record with their .99112 fielding percentage, bettering the 2013 Baltimore Orioles‘ mark of .99104.

Among the potential replacements for Bochy in Texas is former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who joined the Rangers last November as a senior adviser for baseball operations.

The 45-year-old Schumaker was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year after the Marlins went 84-78 and made the playoffs. They slipped to 62-100 in 2024 with a roster decimated by trades and injuries before the team and Schumaker agreed that he would not return for this season. He was previously a bench coach for St. Louis, where he had played for the Cardinals during their 2011 World Series championship over Texas.

Young said Schumaker would be a candidate, but that there had not yet been conversations within the organization about the search process.

The Rangers went more than a month at the end of the season without their half-billion-dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien (left foot), as well as 35-year-old right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA over his 14 MLB seasons before getting shut down because of a rotator cuff strain.

Even without those standouts and several rookies filling in, the Rangers went on a 13-3 run to get within two games of the AL West lead on Sept. 13, and in the thick of the wild-card chase. They then lost their next eight games and were eliminated from playoff contention.

The only manager older than Bochy this season was 73-year-old Ron Washington, but he didn’t manage a game for the Los Angeles Angels after June 19 because of quadruple bypass heart surgery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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