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INSTEAD OF A bank vault or a Brink’s truck, the betting slips from what could be the largest payout in sports gambling history are being guarded by nothing more than an old, tattered Houston Astros backpack. On a recent Tuesday afternoon in Houston, with the MLB playoffs about to begin, the faded blue nylon bag — its contents worth potentially millions — sits on the floor of the massive Gallery Furniture showroom, just within arm’s reach of its owner: the Houston furniture magnate and Astros superfan Jim McIngvale, better known around these parts and in the world of high-stakes sports gambling as “Mattress Mack.”

Lanky and seemingly equal parts ears, teeth, cowboy boots and charisma, McIngvale has been a household name in Houston for decades thanks to his wacky TV commercials and his Ross Perot delivery. “I just have what you might call a high tolerance for risk,” McIngvale says. “Damon Runyon said ‘All horse players die broke.’ And I know I shouldn’t bet with my heart, but it’s hard not to and it’s a lot more fun.” In 2017, McIngvale gained national notoriety for opening his doors and sheltering hundreds of victims of Hurricane Harvey for weeks inside his furniture showroom, something he also did after Hurricane Katrina years prior. After the storm, as the Astros continued their historic run to the 2017 World Series, McIngvale was in the news yet again, this time for an only-in-Texas furniture promotion through which anyone who bought a mattress from Gallery Furniture would get it for free if the Astros won it all.

In a rather ingenious move at the dawn of the legal sports gambling era, McIngvale hedged his potential business losses by placing seven-figure bets on the Astros. Good thing. He ended up having to refund more than $10 million worth of mattresses. “We take large wagers from sports bettors of all stripes, but I’m not sure anyone does it with as much panache as Mack,” says Ken Fuchs, head of sports at Caesars Entertainment. “That’s why I bring in [Hall of Fame baseball owner and promoter] Bill Veeck as the only comparison with Mack. He’s never afraid to make a statement or take a risk and, clearly, he has fun doing it.”

By the end of the 2017 MLB season, McIngvale was such a Houston institution the Astros brought him along as one of their own for the trip to the White House. “We invited Mack because he had become such an example of everything the Astros and Houston had been through together in that year,” says Anita Sehgal, the Astros’ senior vice president of marketing and communications. “Houstonians have watched him build his life in Houston while giving back every step of the way. That’s why they have a special love for him. For Mack it’s not about words, it’s about action.”

In more ways than one.

Now, five years later, with the Astros poised to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, McIngvale’s original furniture promotion — and the epic sports bets behind it — have quintupled in size to what is about to be a record-breaking $75 million World Series squeeze play. By the start of the Fall Classic on Friday, McIngvale says he’ll have around $10 million (at an average 7.5-to-1 odds) riding on the Astros. In other words, the exact kind of nerve-frying, death-defying stakes Mattress Mack, 71, has been drawing aces his whole life.

On the eve of the MLB postseason, we spent time with McIngvale for a look behind the scenes at the remarkable life and times of Mattress Mack and the moments during the past four decades that led him to take such a big swing on his hometown team.

“I just get bored to death with stability, which is why I guess I like all of these big bets,” he shrugs, even as he faces the culmination of all his business success, sports-gambling excess and Astros madness. “I thrive on chaos.”

If that’s true, with an entire furniture fortune now riding on the Astros, McIngvale is about to have the time of his life.

IT’S JUST AFTER noon inside the bustling, 110,000-square-foot original Gallery Furniture showroom on the north side of Houston, and McIngvale is where he always is and where he hopes to remain “until I die” — behind the front desk, noshing on an orange and taking customer service calls. While McIngvale, who is worth an estimated $300 million, checks on the delivery status of a bedroom set, visitors wander through the property, a mesmerizing wonderland of furniture, kitsch, memorabilia and community outreach.

The football field-sized warehouse out back is stuffed with mattresses in anticipation of another Astros title. On the north side of the building is a daycare funded by McIngvale. To the south, a trade school. (The saying around here is that since the hurricane this location has become a community center disguised as a furniture showroom.) One 360-degree panorama near the entrance includes, I swear, the customized Texas A&M presidential motor scooter that belonged to George H.W. Bush, four stuffed raccoons playing poker on top of a bar, a glass showcase overflowing with humanitarian awards, a 30-foot nutcracker doll next to a similarly ginormous Christmas tree, a series of paintings of steers relaxing on sofas, a framed excerpt from Thomas Paine’s 1776 “Common Sense,” a 5-foot wooden fish carved from a tree stump and painted like the Texas flag, a six-piece leather, reclining living room set (last one, as is — no returns), a giant slab from a 513-year-old African Bubinga tree, a signed poster from the Chuck Norris movie “Sidekicks” and an ornately framed oil painting portrait of McIngvale’s north star, his father, George Sr.

In the 1960s Jim was a prep football standout at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, a school his father helped found. (Jim claims his junior high coach, Bob Barrett, was among the group of officers who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald at the Texas Theatre.) A few years later when a former high school teammate of McIngvale’s didn’t have the money or the means to get back to college, George McIngvale put him in his car and drove him 2,000 miles back to Dartmouth. “My father was a giver, even when he didn’t have money to give, so he died without a lot, but he died very happy,” McIngvale says. “And that spontaneity, that taking care of people, that, maybe not a lot of thinking, but more just ‘ready-fire-aim’ approach to life? That’s where it comes from.”

EVEN THOUGH McINGVALE was a member of the legendary 1969 and 1970 Texas Longhorns football teams that won 30 straight games and back-to-back national titles, you can tell the overall importance of this experience in his life by where the Longhorns team photo is displayed inside Gallery Furniture: right above the customer restrooms. “I was a great football player, I just had two small problems,” McIngvale says. “I was too small and I was too slow.” Spending all that time on the sidelines, however, McIngvale became close with another major influence in his life, Frank Medina, the Longhorns trainer from 1945 to 1978. “He was all of 4-foot-10, but he was a fireball,” McIngvale says. “He’d get right up in your face and scream ‘What are you saving it for, son? Is that all you got?’ And he taught me this line: ‘Ask, take and give no quarter.’ In other words: Never give up and never ask for anything. Do it yourself.”

Before he started selling furniture, McIngvale was a “broke failure” living at home in Dallas, trying to keep the lights on at his first business, a fitness center. Around 1978, hoping to sell some gym memberships, he attended “Muhammad Ali Appreciation Day” at Market Hall in Dallas. Late in Ali’s career, in between fights, the three-time heavyweight champ cashed in on his popularity with barnstorming-type “exhibitions” where he’d spar with local heavyweights and sign autographs for fans. After quickly dispatching a handful of local heavyweight hopefuls, Ali, always the showman, grabbed the ring announcer’s microphone and taunted the crowd: “Any y’all want to fight?”

Only one hand went up.

It was McIngvale’s.

“OK, come on up here then, Great White Hope,” Ali yelled.

Inside the ring, as a trainer laced up McIngvale’s gloves, Ali leaned in and told McIngvale the plan for the spectacle. After sparring for a round, Ali would drop his guard and McIngvale would seemingly knock his lights out, then stand over Ali and taunt the fallen champ. McIngvale did exactly as Ali told him, and when the crowd turned on McIngvale, Ali miraculously sprang back to life, grabbed the mic and confessed to choreographing the entire stunt.

And not a second too soon.

“People in the crowd were already asking my friends, ‘Hey, are you with him?’ And they were like, ‘Uh, no, no, we’re not with him,'” McIngvale says.

McIngvale’s wife, Linda, was with him at the event. “It just showed what a great personality Ali had, and of course Mack loved that side of Ali. [Ali] was obviously the greatest boxer of all time, but what Mack also loved was he was also the greatest promoter of all time, too.”

Says McIngvale, “I just seem to stumble into these things. I’m not shy, and I have a high tolerance for risk. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

“It’s like when you lose a million-dollar bet, you just say, ‘What’s next?’ That’s all you can do. But I do know we sold a lot of gym memberships that day.”

AFTER GALLERY FURNITURE opened in 1981, a Texas oil bust forced Houstonians to tighten their belts and threatened to bankrupt McIngvale. Down to his last $10,000, McIngvale spent half on inventory and half on a TV commercial shoot. After three hours in front of the camera, though, he had nothing on tape he could use. “I was stuttering and stammering and down to my last take,” McIngvale says. “I had the day’s receipts in my back pocket, so I pulled those out and waved them around and said ‘Gallery Furniture will save you … MONEEEY!’ The producer said, ‘That’s it, that’s the commercial.’ And it stuck.” The over-the-top spots started airing late at night on Channel 39 in Texas, where McIngvale enjoyed a long association with Houston Wrestling and WWE Hall of Fame announcer Paul Boesch.

Mattress Mack was born.

Combined with McIngvale’s longtime association with the Astros, it’s a character who immediately draws comparisons to legendary MLB owner and promoter Bill Veeck, the man who, in 1979, gave us Disco Demolition Night. “Someone who bets big and bets with his heart, with a colorful personality,” Fuchs says. “Like Veeck, Mack thinks about ideas in such a large way, but he’s able to act on them and execute them.”

McIngvale’s catch phrase has been flooding the Houston airwaves nonstop since the 1980s. (He has screamed it while wearing a mattress, while nearly being trampled by livestock, while fighting Chuck Norris, tumbling with Olympians, arm wrestling comedian Joe Piscopo and posing next to pretty much every B-level celeb in Texas.) Mattress Mack has become a part of the community’s subconscious. McIngvale says he recently walked past an autistic teenager shopping for furniture with his parents, and the normally nonverbal child said, “Hiya, Mack!” His mother burst into tears.

“I’ve always been bombastic and wanted to be a big promoter like W.C. Fields or Bill Veeck,” McIngvale says. “That’s what I’ve always dreamed of being, and now I’m getting to live it out.”

McINGVALE’S APPETITE FOR sports gambling started in 2006 when he says he won $250,000 on Texas and Vince Young in the national championship game. But it was two die-hard Peyton Manning fans who helped him develop the idea to hedge his furniture promos with massive sports wagers. Well, kind of. In 2014, before the Broncos played the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, two employees convinced McIngvale there was no way on Earth that their boy Peyton would ever lose to the lowly Seahawks. So — ready, fire, aim! — McIngvale announced that if the Seahawks somehow beat Manning everyone would get their furniture for free. “I didn’t hedge anything on this at all,” he says, “and it really got away from me in the last three or four days.”

By Saturday, Gallery Furniture had sold every mattress, every sofa, every ottoman and every last lamp in stock. “The damnedest promotion we ever had,” McIngvale says. “On Saturday night at 7 o’clock I’m standing on top of the desk at the front of the store screaming at the people that they have to go home now, we have no more furniture. It. Was. Unbelievable. We sold every last stick of furniture we had. Never happened in our history before.”

McIngvale knew he was on to something. He was ecstatic. Right up until he did the math just before kickoff.

“I hadn’t told my wife or anyone else about this, but we were on the hook for a whole lot if Seattle won,” he says.

Far too nervous to watch the game, McIngvale ran on the treadmill in the exercise room at the back of his warehouse for three hours. (He doesn’t have a TV at home.) When the two Peyton Manning fans were nowhere to be found, McIngvale knew he was screwed. All he could do then was wait for the postgame call every gambler dreads. “The phone rang at the end of the game, I picked it up and I said, ‘Who won?’ and my wife says ‘Seattle won you big dummy, how much money did we lose?’ And I just spit it out: ‘Nine million. We’re out nine million,'” McIngvale recalls. (McIngvale has run this story through the Mattress Mack Filter in recent years. An ESPN story from 2014 says he actually lost $7 million.) “Let’s just say, yeah, she wasn’t a happy camper. That’s when I realized I needed to find a way to hedge this stuff somehow.”

In 2017, a day after Hurricane Harvey decimated Houston, Gallery Furniture inventory control manager Anthony Lebedzinski arrived at the showroom where, he says, McIngvale was already handing out keys to the company’s fleet of delivery trucks to any able-bodied adult willing to help rescue people from the floodwaters. Later that day while trying to reach a trapped family, Lebedzinski nearly drowned when he was sucked into the filthy floodwater by an open manhole cover. “He was halfway to Galveston Bay before he saved himself,” McIngvale says. Daring rescues like Lebedzinski’s continued for days until there were hundreds of families not just sheltering but living inside McIngvale’s pristine showroom. “Mack’s always first, first in the water, first to open his doors, first to help,” says Houston schoolteacher and Astros fan Deirdre Ricketts. “All Houstonians have big hearts, but Mack’s might be the biggest.”

“People asked, ‘How can you let them sleep on the brand-new furniture like that?'” McIngvale says. “What am I going to do, let them all drown? So that was it. To me, it was nothing. It was the right thing to do. And I wanted my kids to see me doing that. At the end of the day we’re all going to be judged by our creator, and he isn’t going to ask how much money we made. Instead, he or she will ask us how much of a difference did you make?”

McIngvale’s immediate, large-scale, open-arms policy set the tone and created a path forward in the terrifying, chaotic and critical early days of the city’s recovery. It was the best of Houston, Sehgal says, the way people took McIngvale’s example and ran with it, coming together across the board to help each other.

One of the temporary residents pulled out of the floodwaters and fed, clothed and sheltered at Gallery Furniture for several days was Khanh Doan, 31. At a recent home Astros game, Doan finally got to thank McIngvale in person.

For saving his life?

“No,” he says.

“For saving my life, my mother’s life and my father’s life.”

During the past decade McIngvale has also helped raise $12 million for tsunami relief, he delivered 25,000 care packages to seniors during the COVID pandemic and he opened his showroom again during last year’s winter storm and power outages. In August when the team from nearby Pearland, Texas, made it to the Little League World Series, McIngvale and the Astros raised money to send the players’ families to Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

“Mack’s always the first to step up for anything that’s impacting Houston,” Sehgal says. “Big or small.”

IF YOU REALLY want to catch a glimpse of McIngvale’s electric Mattress Mack alter ego, don’t ask about Texas football, his Elvis memorabilia collection or even his weakness for racehorses and Ferraris. Instead, ask about his life’s masterpiece: The Promotion. By combining all of his passions — furniture sales, community, sports, gambling and Texas-sized spectacle — McIngvale has achieved a kind of gambler’s nirvana by finding a way to bet millions upon millions on his beloved Astros and other teams without ever really “losing” a cent, all while pushing his brand equity through the roof.

Here’s how it works: It starts with picking underdogs and getting favorable odds. Because, without the futures aspect, none of the math works. For example, this season McIngvale’s initial $3 million bet at Caesars for the Astros to win it all at +1000 covered him for the first $30 million in potential furniture refunds. Next, McIngvale makes the grand announcement, which is some variation of: Spend $3,000 or more on a mattress and accept delivery within 24 hours, and if the Astros go on to win it all, your purchase is free. Then, the more furniture he sells through the promotion, the more McIngvale bets on the Astros, whose line has moved from 10-to-1 to 8-to-1 to 4-to-1 to their current status as World Series favorites.

Fuchs says McIngvale’s idea to use sports gambling as a business hedge is a different angle than anyone has ever seen before. “He’s laying off the risk with these wagers, covering one big loss with one big win,” adds Patrick Everson, senior reporter for Vegas Insider. “It’s kind of a genius business move, really. And, clearly, he’s got the money to lose. He’s not losing any sleep at all.”

What McIngvale really understands better than gambling, furniture or promotion, though, is human nature. Even the slightest chance to get something for free is practically irresistible to most consumers, especially those already on the fence about needing a new mattress. The more sales increase, the more McIngvale gets to do the thing he loves most: bask in the attention and fly off to Vegas to place ridiculously large bets, sometimes with a briefcase full of cash. “It’s just like in the movies, the briefcase gets its own seat on the plane,” says Gallery’s Gerald McNeil, a former Pro Bowl returner with the Browns in the 1980s who now works with McIngvale. After the first few spur-of-the-moment trips to Vegas with McIngvale, McNeil started keeping a change of clothes in his car at work. “I guess it’s my job to save the suitcase if the plane goes down,” McNeil says.

Sports gambling is still illegal in Texas, so when he doesn’t feel like jetting to Vegas, McIngvale will simply drive roughly 125 miles east until the betting app on his phone pings to let him know he’s in Louisiana and free to drop another million or five. On the eve of the past Super Bowl, outside a rest stop in Vinton, Louisiana (and on live TV, of course — this is Mattress Mack after all), McIngvale dropped $5 million on the Cincinnati Bengals, the largest Super Bowl bet in history. And this summer, as the Astros caught fire and the promotion exploded — until July, McIngvale was refunding double the customer’s money on mattresses and furniture — McIngvale flew to sportsbooks in Iowa and Vegas to bet another $4 million in a single night.

“I sweat these games because of these promotions and it is so much anxiety,” McIngvale’s wife, Linda, says. “I don’t know how he doesn’t get anxious about it. I think he does and pretends like he doesn’t.”

“My wife says I have a gambling problem,” McIngvale says. “I say I have a promotion problem.”

They’re both probably right.

If the chosen team happens to win, great, McIngvale’s losses are covered, thousands of ecstatic customers blab for years to everyone they know about that time they won the lottery at Gallery Furniture, and many of them turn around and spend the refund on more furniture.

After the Astros won it all in 2017, McIngvale got to live out every gambler’s dream, flying home from Vegas with that raggedy old Astros backpack of his stuffed with almost 50 pounds of the sportsbooks’ money.

If the team loses, well, that’s when McIngvale really wins. For example, last season McIngvale “lost” his $3.35 million wager when the Braves beat the Astros in the World Series. McIngvale pulled out all the stops for that bet, trying to appeal to a higher power by packing a suite at Minute Maid Park with nuns from the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province. The sisters became known as the “Rally Nuns” until a 7-0 loss at home to the Braves in a godforsaken Game 6.

It wasn’t quite as soul-shattering a defeat as you’d imagine for McIngvale, though. The odds on that bet covered McIngvale for more than $35 million in freebies. So, assuming the promotion brought in around $30 million in sales (during the fall, no less, which is typically a slow time in the furniture biz), at even a 40% markup, minus his wager, McIngvale confirms that he still came away with a cool profit, probably somewhere close to $9 million. And that’s not even counting the value of all the free advertising, promotion and goodwill that McIngvale says is “exponential,” or the fact that, according to TurboTax, itemized gambling losses can be tax deductible.

“Oh, it’s definitely a win-win,” McIngvale says. “These promotions just bring the brand to life and give us a ton of brand equity that we wouldn’t have otherwise. The customers love it so they’re totally engaged and talk about it for years. Because it runs all season long it probably ups the number of people following the Astros, too, because now they have a real vested interest in the team.”

WHEN McINGVALE WAS a panelist at a gambling conference and trade show in New Jersey this summer, Everson says he heard minor grumblings from bettors about the whole Mattress Mack phenomenon. Mainly, that it’s unfair how McIngvale is allowed to place multimillion-dollar bets while sportsbooks strictly limit what the average person can wager. Besides sounding a lot like airline passengers who blame the awful conditions in economy on the people flying first class, this really is an issue with sportsbooks policy, not McIngvale. One sports gambling industry insider said the reason sportsbooks love McIngvale so much and allow him to keep betting bigger and bigger amounts is all the free promotion they get out of it, and the fact that, well, he’s kinda terrible at it.

During a brutal losing streak in 2022, McIngvale dropped $15.4 million on the Patriots, the Titans, the Bengals and Alabama. He was about to be out another cool $5.5 million in the NCAA tournament until Kansas came back from 16 down at the half to defeat North Carolina. Just before the tip, McIngvale sneaked off to Louisiana to bet another $1 million on Kansas at -190. The wager broke all his rules about taking only underdogs and not gambling with his heart. “Stupid bet,” he says. “I see all these kids when I go to Vegas and it’s the weirdest thing because they all know me from gambling. People think I’m a great handicapper but I’m really not.”

After March Madness, McIngvale brought Jayhawks coach Bill Self into the store for the first day of the $14 million giveaway party. “First customers, a big family, comes up to say thanks to Self and I asked them, ‘How much did y’all win?'” McIngvale says, placing his hand on his forehead. “Sixty-four thousand. Sixty. Four. Thousand. It about knocked me over.”

Another reason the books love McIngvale is what Vegas Insider calls the Mattress Mack effect. McIngvale’s huge wagers on the Astros actually help defray the sportsbooks’ liability on more popular teams like the Yankees and Dodgers, teams that would normally be a loss for casinos. For the record, McIngvale doesn’t like the idea of limits, either. “I think they ought to take bigger bets,” he says. “It’s like if some customer comes in here and wants to spend a million dollars. Well? Knock yourself out. What difference does it make? Yes, the sportsbooks have to hedge it the other way, but they ought to have enough savvy to do that. They’re going to take some big losses, but they’re also going to get some big wins too if they have the numbers right.”

That math will continue to keep people like Fuchs up at night until the Astros are eliminated or sports gambling history is made. Although it’s clear he gets a kick out Mattress Mack, and the promotional mileage of his big bets, Fuchs stops short of rooting for the Astros. “It will be a lot of fun to be on this roller coaster as they progress through the postseason,” he says. “That’s the beauty of Mack’s hedge. It works out for everybody. Well, unless we lose $30 million.”

IN THE END, few things can capture the inexplicable phenomenon that is Mattress Mack better than McIngvale’s Astros game attire. About an hour before the Astros faced the Diamondbacks on Sept. 27, McIngvale shuffled into the mezzanine level of Minute Maid Park by himself, sporting his signature look: well-worn black cowboy boots, a slightly askew orange-billed Astros cap, blue business slacks and an authentic Alex Bregman home white Astros jersey over a white button-down oxford, covered in a galaxy of black dots from the Sharpie McIngvale uses to take notes and sign autographs. McIngvale always completes this ensemble with the single most egregious sports-fashion crime of them all: tucking his game jersey into his pants.

And yet, somehow, on him it works.

Apparently, $70 million in free furniture as an accent piece will do that for an outfit. McIngvale promises that number will keep climbing as long the Astros keep winning, the odds remain favorable and the sportsbooks keep taking his bets. McIngvale is close to several of the Astros, especially Bregman, who shares his passion for racehorses, and he insists the players get a kick out of his promotions and don’t feel the least bit of pressure to help remodel the living rooms of half of Houston.

“This year he’s done it right, and if the Astros win it all it’s so exciting for him and the customers,” Linda McIngvale says. “Mack has this huge connection to the team now, and he loves doing this. … The man works really hard so, you know, it’s all good.”

Mobbed by fans the second he steps into the park, it takes McIngvale an hour to walk along the mezzanine from home plate to right field. And when he does finally reach his seat about 10 rows behind the Houston dugout, Section 122 erupts in a wave of applause. The Astros’ response to McIngvale’s arrival is even more dramatic: three homers in four at-bats to blow the game open in the sixth. “He’s an icon, I love him, he’s Mack to me, not Jim McIngvale,” says Sehgal, the Astros SVP. “He’s just an authentic fan with a really big heart, the kind of person you can’t see without it putting a smile on your face.”

Outside of Houston, McIngvale has quickly become an irresistible storyline as a quirky curiosity in the burgeoning world of mega-sports gambling. Inside this city, though, he remains something completely different and far more impactful. For three straight hours inside Minute Maid Park, fans beam when they recognize Mattress Mack. Some yell out “Legend!” and keep walking to their seats. Others repeat his quirky catch phrase or reveal exactly how much free furniture they won in 2017. A little girl asks him if he’s a ballplayer. A few fans bend his ear for gambling advice on the Texans and Oklahoma State. But the vast majority of people who stop do so to offer some heartfelt variation of the same message: “Thank you for everything you’ve done for this city the last 40 years. Go Stros! Let’s get those free mattresses!”

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Sources: ACC ref, irked by replay handling, quits

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September 12, 2025

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Sources: ACC ref, irked by replay handling, quits

  • Andrea Adelson

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    Andrea Adelson

    ESPN Senior Writer

    • ACC reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
    • Graduate of the University of Florida.

  • David Hale

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    David Hale

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN in 2012.
    • Graduate of the University of Delaware.

Sep 12, 2025, 03:38 PM ET

After an awkwardly handled replay late in the first half of last weekend’s game between UConn and Syracuse, a longtime ACC official has quit his post over frustration with the way the review was handled, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Gary Patterson, who served as the head referee for Saturday’s matchup between the Huskies and the Orange and has worked as an official with the ACC since 2002, abruptly terminated his contract with the conference after the game.

The ACC confirmed Patterson’s departure from the conference’s roster of officials Friday but said that adjustments to officiating crews have already been made and that there will be no disruption to league officiating. Patterson had been scheduled to referee Saturday’s game between Pitt and West Virginia.

The sequence that reportedly led to Patterson’s departure began with 1:02 remaining in the half and UConn leading 14-3. Syracuse opened a drive at the Huskies’ 25-yard line, and on first down, quarterback Steve Angeli dropped back to pass. His arm was hit as he threw, and the ball went forward about 8 yards, landing on the turf.

The officials immediately ruled the pass incomplete. Syracuse then snapped the ball again with 58 seconds left on the clock, though about 25 seconds of real time passed between plays. The second-down throw was nearly intercepted before two UConn players collided and the pass fell incomplete, bringing up a third-and-10 with 53 seconds to go.

A flag was thrown after the play, however, and Patterson could be seen talking on his headset to the ACC’s command center for nearly 90 seconds before announcing that “replay had buzzed in prior to the previous play.”

Sources who have reviewed numerous camera angles of the sequence said there was no physical indication by any official on the field that they had been buzzed by the replay booth before the second-down snap. An ACC spokesperson said that officials were buzzed to initiate the review but that the timing was not ideal for it to be a seamless replay. The conference has addressed the handling of this sequence internally, the spokesperson said.

Officials reviewed the first-down play to see whether Angeli had fumbled, negating the second-down play, before ultimately upholding the original call of an incomplete pass.

Syracuse and UConn officials were told the referee had simply “not heard” the initial request from the replay booth before the second-down snap.

ESPN rules expert Bill LeMonnier, who has decades of experience as an official, said the series of events was uncharacteristic of how a replay would normally be handled.

“Let’s say they’re right up at the line, the ball’s being snapped, and the buzzers go off,” LeMonnier said. “It’s the referee’s discretion to shut the play down vs. saying it’s too late. It’s supposed to be in the referee’s hands.”

LeMonnier also said a flag thrown after the second-down play, which was presumably due to a high hit on Angeli by a UConn defender, was ignored, despite rules saying a personal foul would be enforced even during a dead ball period.

“The mistakes were completely created by either the replay booth or the command center,” LeMonnier said. “It’s not the fault of the officials on the field.”

Every play is subject to review. When officials are buzzed to begin the process, they get on the headset with the replay booth in the stadium and the ACC command center and the review is initiated.

Two sources with knowledge of the situation said the directive came from the ACC command center.

One source said Patterson was upset at the ACC’s interference in forcing a replay after the next play had already occurred, instigating his resignation. Patterson did not respond to requests by ESPN for comment.

After the second-down incompletion was wiped out, Syracuse went 61 yards on its next seven plays and kicked a field goal as time expired in the half. The Orange went on to win the game 27-20 in overtime.

For select games this season, the ACC has allowed cameras and audio access to the review process, offering transparency into the discussions between on-field officials and replay officials at the command center. Last week’s game between UConn and Syracuse, however, was not among those with command center coverage.

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Pitt, WVU extend Backyard Brawl through 2036

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September 12, 2025

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Pitt, WVU extend Backyard Brawl through 2036

  • David HaleSep 12, 2025, 02:37 PM ET

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    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN in 2012.
    • Graduate of the University of Delaware.

The Backyard Brawl is set to continue until at least 2036 after Pitt and West Virginia agreed to an extension of the series.

The two schools will face off Saturday for the 108th time in their history before taking a three-year break. The series will begin again in 2029 and be played each year thereafter until 2036.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled for what this means for both Pitt and West Virginia,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. “But this goes far beyond four more games and the 75 miles separating us. This paves the way for future Panthers to carry on the history of this rivalry, while current ones get to forge new legacies for years to come. This extension isn’t just for Pitt and West Virginia, but for college football fans everywhere.”

The rivalry dates back to 1895, but it was interrupted after the 2011 meeting when West Virginia departed the Big East for the Big 12. Pitt joined the ACC a year later. The Brawl disappeared for 10 years until it was reignited as a nonconference matchup in 2022. Pitt holds an all-time edge, 63-41-3, and has won two of the past three.

The two schools had already scheduled games from 2029 through 2032 before Friday’s announcement of an extension.

West Virginia, which hosts Saturday’s showdown, will also welcome the Panthers in 2030, 2032, 2034 and 2036. Pitt will host the game in 2029, 2031, 2033 and 2035

Narduzzi was critical of West Virginia earlier this week, suggesting the Mountaineers could have added Pitt in 2026, too, after a home-and-home series against Alabama was shelved. Instead, the Mountaineers will face Coastal Carolina next season.

“I think our athletic director has reached out to them, and they already got it filled up, which means maybe they didn’t want to play us,” Narduzzi said. “I don’t know. They filled it up. I know if we knew that was going to happen, that would be our first call. Whatever. Can’t do anything about it. Stay in my lane.”

Narduzzi told ESPN earlier this week that “nobody’s chicken” and he may have gotten bad information but that he is eager to keep the rivalry alive, adding Pitt will “take Penn State, too” — referring to another heated rivalry that’s been played just four times since 2000.

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The most impactful recruit on each top-40 team

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September 12, 2025

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The most impactful recruit on each top-40 team

  • Craig Haubert

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    Craig Haubert

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU
    • More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience.
    • Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-Omaha

  • Billy Tucker

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    Billy Tucker

    Scouts, Football Recruiting

      • Recruiting coordinator for ESPN RecruitingNation.
      • Nearly a decade of college coaching experience.
      • Has been evaluating prospects at ESPN since 2006.

Sep 11, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

College football teams across the country are far from finished products this season, but the first weeks of the 2025 slate are already giving them a better sense of who they are — for better or worse.

At the same time, coaching staffs face the delicate balancing act of winning today and looking ahead, knowing some of the answers to weaknesses with their current rosters might come from the 2026 class and beyond.

Recruiting isn’t just about stockpiling talent; it’s about addressing future needs with the right kind of fit. Here’s a look at one impact newcomer, some blue-chippers and others who are still flying under the radar, who could make an impact once they arrive on campus and help shape what’s next for the top programs in the country. The order is based on current class rankings.

ESPN 300 rank: 74

Sitting atop the class rankings, there is a lot to like about the Trojans, and one thing that’s evident is the team needs to improve in the trenches. USC has shown improvement on defense, but the addition of Topui would put USC on par with other Big Ten powers. He is massive, quick and powerful and can be a stout presence. As a local product from Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei, this was a must-get.

ESPN 300 rank: 19

Whether Protho plays tight end or receiver doesn’t really matter, as he can contribute to the passing attack in a variety of ways. He possesses an outstanding blend of size, speed, agility and body control. We like his projection as a pass-catching tight end in Athens in the mold of Brock Bowers as a receiving threat. Prothro can be an impactful part of Georgia’s offense, which will lose Oscar Delp after this season. Prothro, a five-star, is very fluid as well, and if not deployed as a tight end, the 6-foot-6, 210-pounder with 4.57 verified speed could play the outside receiver position. Regardless of which position you slot him at, Prothro can be a playmaking target for the Bulldogs.

ESPN 300 rank: 51

The run game has not looked dominate in College Station, but Le’Veon Moss should heat up. The issue is he graduates after this season, as does Amari Daniels. The duo combined for 1,426 yards last season and 18 touchdowns. Rueben Owens II, the No. 4 RB in the 2023 class, has shown flashes, but the Aggies need additional firepower in the backfield. Edwards is built low to the ground with impressive contact balance combined with 4.47 verified speed when he breaks into the open field. He will enter College Station with good experience as a pass catcher as well, which will allow for more immediate impactful snaps.

ESPN 300 rank: 14

Quarterback Dia Bell is certainly an important commit, but he’ll have time to develop, similar to Arch Manning. Atkinson is a tackling machine, and the Longhorns will need to replace 2023 five-star Anthony Hill Jr., arguably the top linebacker in college football. Like Hill, Atkinson’s game relies on great instincts, pursuit speed and tackling skills. He will need to continue adding size to become a better take-on defender. Atkinson might not possess some of the same upside as others ranked on this list, but he looks poised to immediately jump into the mix with the Longhorns.

ESPN 300 rank: 85

The Irish have depth along the defensive line but didn’t look particularly stout against Miami on the ground. This group, particularly the interior, will take a hit next season, and that’s why Notre Dame put an emphasis on building the front in this class. Golden can play both defensive end and tackle in new coordinator Chris Ash’s defense, but we project he’ll physically develop into a true interior defender. Already at 6-5, 260 pounds, he possesses a great penetrating burst off the snap and is extremely disruptive with his powerful hands. He’s fast for his size and has been clocked at a 4.5 in the 5-10-5 pro shuttle. Defensive line coach Al Washington will still have a versatile edge if he stays on the outside, and that position flexibility will be very valuable.

ESPN 300 rank: 13

To replace NFL talent like Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius, the Ducks dipped into the portal for immediate depth. They likely won’t have to next season as Iheanacho is massive even for NFL standards (6-6, 350). Not only is he wide, he’s also long and uses his strong hands to finish defenders. His size and power project him at guard to start in Eugene, but it’s not out of the question he could play tackle with improved footwork.

ESPN 300 rank: 8

Brandon arrives in Knoxville at the ideal time as Joey Aguilar will be graduating and the position will be open for competition. It’s a quarterback-friendly system. Brandon is a more polished passer than Hendon Hooker at this same stage in his career but has equally impressive arm strength. Brandon throws an exceptional deep ball, which is a requirement in this scheme that loves to attack defenses vertically. He’s also a legit dual-threat and has the quick decision-making to execute one of the fastest tempo offenses in the country.

ESPN 300 rank: 23

As Alabama continues to navigate the post-Nick Saban era, its defense has gotten off to an uneven start. There is talent on that unit and it’s still very early in 2025, but a player like Edwards is poised to have an impact next season. In the five-star, Alabama has landed one of the more versatile defenders of this class. Measuring in around 6-foot-2, 210 pounds with excellent speed, having consistently been tested around 4.5 in the 40, Edwards can be moved around to address needs based on injury or lack of production. At safety, he has excellent range and an explosive closing burst. He also has experience at corner and is fluid in his movements and can match up in coverage with tight ends and bigger receivers. With his size and physicality, he can also move closer to the line of scrimmage and be a factor there. In addition to excellent physical tools, he has also demonstrated strong leadership qualities and has developed into a tone-setter for that unit.

ESPN 300 rank: 34

The Buckeyes have had the fortune of playing with one of the top safeties and overall defenders in college football the past two seasons. While Bradford doesn’t possess the straight-line speed of Caleb Downs, his ball-hawk skills and physicality are very similar, as is his size (6-1, 205). He has range to play over the top of routes as a true back-end safety, but his physicality and pursuit in the second level are also excellent. Downs could contend for the No. 1 draft spot, and the Buckeyes will need a playmaker with a high football IQ to develop there in coordinator Matt Patricia’s system.

ESPN rank: 116

While it’s still early in the season, adding playmakers at receiver for young QB Bryce Underwood is a top priority. Robinson, a versatile athlete with a strong track background, brings a nice blend of size (nearly 6-3) and speed, having been clocked at 4.47 in the 40. Not only can he be a vertical threat, but he uses his length well and can be a friendly target for Underwood, as he offers a wide catch radius and is effective after the catch. Robinson caught 42 passes as a junior, and two games into 2025, he has 10 grabs with a TD. Robinson alone will not elevate the Wolverines’ receiver corps but is a great place to start in terms of further surrounding the star QB with more big-play weapons.

ESPN rank: 9

Despite their early-season setback, the Gators are still in a better place than they were at this time a year ago. Still, their improved defense could use more pass rush firepower with Tyreak Sapp in his final year. McCoy could eventually be even better than Sapp. The five-star has an excellent motor, good practice habits and an alpha presence along the defensive line. He has the coveted length and collection of tools to become a top SEC defender.

ESPN rank: 1

Landing the No. 1 player in the country injects significant life into any program. That Brown plays his high school ball in Baton Rouge is the cherry on top. The defensive lineman has excellent hands, flexibility and mobility for his size. Jacobian Guillory II and Bernard Gooden are both seniors, so LSU will have an immediate need at the position. However, Brown is arguably even better along the offensive line and could develop in the mold of former standout Tennessee guard Trey Smith if a need arises for the Tigers.

ESPN rank: 3

Landing Cantwell was a massive win for Mario Cristobal, who was also a former Hurricanes offensive lineman. Miami is expected to lose several offensive line starters, including 2023 five-star Francis Mauigoa, who is a projected first-round pick. Cantwell is a massive, powerful presence at 6-foot-7, 320 pounds. Considering he’s also quite flexible and agile, Cantwell has all the tools to step in as a Year 1 starter, just like Mauigoa once did.

ESPN rank: Unranked

Johnny Wilson, Keon Coleman and Duce Robinson have all experienced varying levels of success in Tallahassee, but they were all transfers. The last great homegrown Florida State receiver is arguably 2011 signee Rashad Greene. Lopez is a sleeper who could change that. A two-sport star with legitimate college basketball potential, Lopez is an explosive athlete who creates separation and racks up yards after the catch. He also has a long track record of production for south Florida powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna. That adds up to a potential breakout target in Florida State’s passing attack, especially if he narrows his focus to football.

ESPN rank: 256

The Bill Belichick era is off to a bumpy start. He overhauled North Carolina’s roster, especially at quarterback, and the position still seems unsettled early in 2025. Burgess addresses a key need. An offseason riser, the 6-5 dual-threat has improved as a passer to better utilize his arm talent and quick release. An injury ended his senior season early, and he’s not quite a Bryce Underwood type plug-and-play option, but Burgess’ tools and upside provide intriguing building blocks for a potential long-term answer.

ESPN rank: 102

Clemson’s offense is struggling so far this season. Things will only get tougher if Antonio Williams leaves after the season, and Bryant Wesco Jr. is also heading into his junior year in 2026. So the Tigers are getting ahead of a key need by adding several ranked receivers, including Burroughs. The four-star Florida native has a nice blend of speed, agility and body control. His football IQ stands out during in-person evaluations, which will only help expedite his development into a potential big-play target early on.

ESPN rank: 135

While Penn State enjoys having arguably college football’s best backfield duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton a bit longer, Mickens is an in-state rusher who can one day absorb some of their production. The four-star is more in the mold of Allen as a bigger back with good vision, balance and enough speed to finish plays. The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder is roughly the same size as Allen and Singleton were at this stage, and he’s perhaps already faster. Replacing both will be tough, but Mickens seems equipped to one day take the baton for the Nittany Lions.

ESPN rank: 91

Flipping five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene from Oregon was a big win for the Huskies. Don’t be surprised if he steps into a starting tackle spot in 2026. But Bonner could also make a quick impact for a Washington team that graduates Jonah Coleman and didn’t sign much running back talent in 2025. Bonner has the requisite frame and speed (he has reached 21 mph in games) to develop into a productive back. He ran for over 1,400 yards last year as a high school junior and is off to a hot start in 2025. Bonner’s well-rounded skill set can also impact the pass game, only helping his chances of quickly becoming an every-down back.

ESPN rank: 49

This type of recruiting win for BYU can’t be ignored. While a planned Latter-day Saints mission trip will delay Lyons’ arrival in Provo to 2027, his commitment generated tons of buzz and he has a chance to add to the Cougars’ quarterback history. Lyons won California’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 46 touchdowns and is already on the cusp of surpassing 1,000 yards early in his senior season. BYU was first to offer Lyons. The reward? A potentially program-changing signal-caller.

ESPN rank: unranked

The Mustangs have several ranked commits, but a prospect like Woods adds key depth. He’s a dangerous in-state three-star who has notched double-digit sacks each of his past two high school seasons. He gets off the line well from the edge and has solid bend. Woods is a surprisingly savvy young pass rusher who knows how to use his hands and has an effective arsenal of rush moves. He can make an impact on SMU’s defense.

ESPN rank: unranked

UCLA’s season is off to a rough start, but the good news is the Bruins’ incoming class helps address a variety of needs that are already evident in 2025. Wide receiver is one such hole, and Moore could quickly step in to fill the void. Moore’s diminutive size (5-10, 160 pounds) is a concern, but he has plenty of wiggle and runs smooth routes. Moore won the wide receiver MVP at the Under Armour Salt Lake City camp this offseason after catching nearly 50 passes as a junior. He could inject a much-needed quick boost to the Bruins’ receiving corps.

ESPN rank: 73

South Carolina has cultivated plenty of talent in the greater DMV area, landing the likes of Dylan Stewart, Nyck Harbor and Tree Babalade. The Gamecocks struck again to land Gray, a top-10 offensive tackle in the class. He’s a bit on the lighter side, but Gray has good power, tenacity and bend to go along with excellent agility. The 6-4 bookend has excellent arm length and can project to tackle or move inside to guard. South Carolina has plenty of versatility to work with.

ESPN rank: 22

Once buried in the 2026 recruiting rankings, adding Kreul helped elevate Oklahoma’s class into the top 25. He’ll fortify a unit that is already a strength for the Sooners. Kruel is an explosive defender with a relentless motor who could develop into a disruptive pass rusher thanks to his bend and violent hands. Stacking the five-star alongside fellow IMG Academy defensive linemen David Stone, who is beginning to tap into his immense talent, and Jayden Jackson gives the Sooners the pieces to field one of the SEC’s most feared defensive lines.

ESPN rank: 173

Bret Bielema has done an excellent job reviving Illinois, and the early returns on his 2026 class suggest regression isn’t coming anytime soon. The class is loaded with talent, but good recruiting starts at home. Rankin is one of the state’s top prospects and was a priority target early on for Bielema and his staff. Rankin is a versatile playmaker on either side of the ball, but he projects best to receiver, where he has impressive ball skills and elusiveness after the catch.

ESPN rank: 287

Yes, landing wide receiver Calvin Russell grabbed headlines, but Syracuse needs more help rushing the passer than additional offensive firepower. The Orange have only one sack through two games this season after losing most of their pass rushing production from 2024. A productive high schooler, Wilson tallied 17 sacks as a high school junior, using his first-step quickness and bend to his advantage. He needs some time to develop his frame, but even if it’s just situational pass rush reps early, his addition will help a program that has taken strides under Fran Brown.

ESPN rank: 20

Texas Tech made noise with several splashy commitments in the 2026 and 2027 classes over the past two months, and Ojo was first to spark that wave. The five-star offensive tackle brings elite physical traits, including more than an 80-inch wingspan and impressive flexibility. He’ll need to add bulk to his rangy frame, which could slow his early impact, but his upside is clear. With time to develop, Ojo has the ceiling to become a top-tier Power 4 tackle and a centerpiece for the Red Raiders’ offensive line.

ESPN rank: Unranked

Baylor has stacked some ranked commits, particularly at receiver, but Battle stands out as a lesser-known name. The big-bodied defender can move around the defensive front and even contributed at tight end and linebacker in high school, showcasing rare mobility and versatility. Projected as an interior player for the Bears, he brings agility and leverage that can translate into disruptive play inside. With further development, Battle has the tools to carve out a key role in Baylor’s defensive line rotation.

ESPN rank: 276

With the way quarterbacks move around in college football, the excitement around any QB commit should be tempered. But Louisville starter Miller Moss is in his last season and his backup, Brady Allen, is a redshirt junior, so this addition could pay off down the road. Cherry always seems to embrace an opportunity to compete, and in in-person evaluations, he has shown leadership qualities. He threw for over 2,700 yards while completing 69% of his passes as a junior and possesses good arm strength and is fairly polished, with good footwork and poise.

ESPN rank: Unranked

Stanford once built its identity on dominant offensive lines, and the early signs are that reinforcements up front need to remain a priority. While this class doesn’t feature a quarterback, the Cardinal made promising additions in the trenches, highlighted by Thomassie. The Louisiana product is right on the cusp of four-star status, and he’s a strong, undervalued pickup who projects inside at guard or potentially center. Thomassie still needs to add bulk, but he shows good bend, body quickness and the ability to gain leverage with his hands. He’s the type of developmental interior lineman Stanford can build around.

ESPN rank: 118

Rutgers appears to be set with a solid group of receivers this season, but with the potential for turnover constantly looming, reinforcements are key. Freshman Jourdin Houston and 2024 signee Ben Black are in place, yet Carter adds another high-upside option who could factor in early. A 2025 Under Armour All-American, he has been clocked near 21 mph in game action, showing legitimate top-end speed. More importantly, Carter already runs crisp routes and is coachable, quickly absorbing and applying adjustments. He gives the Scarlet Knights another talented target with the tools to grow into a key contributor in their passing game.

ESPN rank: Unranked

Curt Cignetti quickly elevated Indiana into a College Football Playoff contender last season behind one of the nation’s top defenses. Reloading up front remains a priority, with several senior transfers filling roles this year. While Hugan ranks below two other ranked prospects in Indiana’s class, he highlights the depth of the haul. Hugan would likely enter the ESPN 300 if he had better size and length. Still, the four-star has a quick first step, active hands and a relentless motor. He produced more than 100 tackles and 18 sacks as a junior. Hugan is a tough, productive defender who projects as a valuable piece in Indiana’s defensive front.

ESPN rank: 282

A perpetually underrated prospect, Michigan State did well to snatch Wortham out of Florida. He erased any potential doubt this past offseason after showing up to the Under Armour Orlando camp with a hungry, competitive demeanor and putting forth an MVP performance. Wortham won’t overwhelm with size or straight-line speed, but he runs well, shows suddenness in his routes and consistently tracks the ball with strong hands. As a junior, he racked up more than 1,300 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns as his team’s primary big-play threat. He brings polish, production and toughness to the Spartans’ receiver room.

ESPN rank: Unranked

The Razorbacks currently have two young tackles with potential in backup roles that will bring more experience, so there is no guarantee that Gilmore will be needed to or able to step right into a starting role, but that is not what is key here. The four-star out of Texas gives Arkansas an offensive lineman with a big frame who bends well at the knees and has good balance and can develop into a top-tier SEC guard or tackle.

ESPN rank: Unranked

Boston College hasn’t had the same quarterback start every game of a season since 2018, so Bill O’Brien knows the value of depth. The Eagles dipped into the portal for their current starter and have a promising freshman in Shaker Reisig, but their 2026 class adds two more passers, led by Babalola. At 6-3, 215 pounds, Babalola has a wealth of physical tools. He combines size with arm strength and enough mobility to extend plays, even if he’s not a traditional dual-threat. He impressed us this offseason by winning quarterback MVP honors at the Nashville Under Armour camp. With O’Brien’s track record developing quarterbacks, Babalola is a high-upside prospect who could grow into a top ACC signal-caller.

ESPN rank: Unranked

Voss, despite being unranked, has received quite a bit of attention, including from Alabama, before Minnesota kept him home. The Gophers received commitments from both of the state’s top prospects in 2026. A high school quarterback, Voss projects as a versatile tight end with natural ball skills and big-play potential. He’s far more than a Wildcat option, though — he can legitimately throw the ball, giving the Gophers flexibility in how he is used. This fall, he showcased that versatility in one half alone, rushing for 100 yards and passing for over 200. Comparisons can be drawn to Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Syracuse’s Dan Villari, but whether it’s at tight end or even linebacker, Voss is a key in-state pickup who brings real value to the roster.

ESPN rank: 113

Early-season returns seem to indicate the Rebels scored with the portal addition of Kewan Lacy at running back, but Yates should bring solid depth when he arrives. A top in-state player (who at one point was committed to rival Mississippi State), he possesses a sturdy build that allows him to produce after contact. He has good speed and his explosiveness allows him to cut and separate. He has been productive in high school with over 1,300 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons and has shown the versatility to be a receiving threat, having caught 31 passes as a junior.

ESPN rank: 193

Lehman is tailor-made for Pat Narduzzi’s defense. Hailing from nearby McMurray, Pennsylvania, he’s a versatile edge with quickness and body control who doggedly pursues quarterbacks. He knows how to use his hands and can hold up in the run game, plus he arrives with the experience of playing off ball and dropping into coverage in high school. That showed up early in his senior season, when he dropped into the flat and intercepted a pass for a pick-six. Lehman’s tools pop on film, and he can develop into a key contributor for the Panthers.

ESPN rank: Unranked

At long last, the Jayhawks will have a new quarterback in 2026 with Jalon Daniels finally exhausting his eligibility. The good news for Kansas fans? Whoever calls the shots behind center will have a potential cornerstone offensive tackle arriving in Lawrence to protect him. Snyder could make the leap to four-star status this fall if he continues to add more bulk. The basketball and track standout has great feet and length and polished pass-protection skills to continue developing once he gets to school.

ESPN rank: Unranked

True freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele certainly looks like Cal’s quarterback of the future. Now, the Golden Bears need to build around him. Their short-term tight end prospects took a major hit when Jack Endries departed to Texas. But Purcell is one of the better tight ends in the country, and at 6-4, 225 pounds with a 4.8 40-yard dash, he has the athleticism and size of a player who typically fares well in new offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin’s offense.

ESPN rank: 201

It’s early, but Arizona’s offense under new coordinator Seth Doege looks much improved, and quarterback Noah Fifita has been the catalyst. Doege developed current Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton into the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year during their time together at Marshall in 2024. Rios is another ball of clay Doege could soon mold. He’s the highest-rated Wildcats pocket-passer recruit in the past 10 years and is equipped with a strong arm and big leadership skills that can flourish under Doege and propel Arizona back to storied heights.

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