Category: College Football

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order of “urgent national action to save college sports,” an intervention at the highest level aimed at federally regulating NIL collectives, limiting transfer movement, capping player eligibility, and enacting funding requirements for the Olympics and women’s sports, the White House announced Friday.

Trump’s recommendation includes strict guardrails on player transfers and even mentions the return of the NCAA’s “one-time” transfer rule, a source with direct knowledge of the order told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. That rule was previously deemed illegal in court. Under the revised transfer rules, athletes would be allowed to transfer once without penalty, but a second transfer would trigger an automatic redshirt season. The order also redefines eligibility with a 5-for-5 model where athletes have five years to play five seasons, the source said.

Trump’s order includes a provision to review federal government grants and contracts for schools and potentially cut funding if they fail to comply with NCAA rules, according to the fact sheet released by The White House. 

NCAA president Charlie Baker released a statement on the order Friday evening:

“The NCAA has modernized college sports to deliver more benefits for student-athletes, and the Executive Order reinforces many of our mandatory protections – including guaranteed health care coverage, mental health services, and scholarship protections.

“This action is a significant step forward, and we appreciate the Administration’s interest and attention to these issues. Stabilizing college athletics for student-athletes still requires a permanent, bipartisan federal legislative solution, so we look forward to continuing to work alongside the Administration…

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When you get fired nine months after almost leading your team to the national championship game, it would probably be a motivator for the rest of your career. That’s the situation Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin finds himself in these days.

When Penn State fired Franklin, it was a gift for Virginia Tech, which had only recently fired Franklin’s good friend, Brent Pry. An early opening, a school in desperate need in a recruiting area Franklin knows all too well, was a perfect storm.

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Virginia Tech desperately needed James Franklin. And Franklin needed Virginia Tech, too. While some coaches would’ve taken Penn State’s money and sat out for a year or two, not Franklin. He’s wired differently — in a good way.

Franklin was a guest on “Andy & Ari” of On3 this week, where he discussed his departure from Penn State and how it will serve him well for the future.

“One of the things I talked to this team about, coaches are constantly challenging the players to get better,” Franklin said. “And the same goes for coaches. Through this experience, my 15 years, and what happened this past year, we took on some risks, thinking that we needed to take on some risks to get over the hump. And get those last few wins……we were a game away from playing for the national championship six games earlier.”

Franklin is referring to hiring to coaches from outside of his comfort zone. Lesson learned. That’s why his coordinators for the Hokies, Pry and Ty Howle, are coaches he trusts and knows well.

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He also acknowledged that wasn’t the only thing he would do differently, but it was a big one.

So, does Franklin have a chip on his shoulder?

“I got a huge chip on my shoulder, kind of an unusual situation again six games earlier we’re playing for the national championship,” he said….

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Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne became the most recent administrator to come out against conference championship games. Despite appearing in 10 of the last 14 SEC title games — including the 2025 version — Byrne believes that the competition has outlived its usefulness. 

“I think the ship has sailed,” Byrne told USA Today. “It’s run its course. … It’s a great event. I don’t like the idea of it going away, but I think it’s reality, with an expanded playoff.” 

Conference championship games are a relatively new invention in the history of college football. The SEC started playing one in 1992, after the league added Arkansas and created divisions. When Texas and Oklahoma joined the league, divisions went away, but a title game remained. 

2026 SEC win totals, odds, picks: Predictions for every team as Georgia, Texas aim for CFP berths

John Talty

At this point, every FBS conference plays a conference title game on either the final Friday or Saturday before the College Football Playoff’s Selection Sunday. The games are especially consequential at the power conference level, where the winner is vying for an auto-bid to the CFP. 

However, many have started coming out against the games in recent years. Lane Kiffin made headlines at Ole Miss in 2024 by saying that coaches would rather not play in the game, even with a potential bye on the line. More…

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The Virginia Tech Hokies finally have depth and upside at the quarterback position. After seemingly years of uncertainty about the game’s most important position, new head coach James Franklin attacked the position hard this offseason. Presumed starter Ethan Grunkemeyer started seven games for Penn State last season and was one of the most prized players in the transfer portal.

Next, you have redshirt freshman Bryce Baker. A four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Baker committed to North Carolina. After one season in Chapel Hill, Baker transferred to the Hokies, where he had a prior relationship with Franklin and the new quarterbacks coach, Danny O’Brien. Then you have redshirt freshman Kelden Ryan, a prized pickup in 2025 for the Hokies. Finally, there is true freshman Troy Huhn.

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Huhn had been committed to Penn State and Franklin for a year and a half before decommitting and pledging to the Hokies after Franklin’s hiring. However, not much was expected from the 6-foot-4, 222-pound California native.

Well, according to Franklin, Huhn put on a show in last weekend’s intrasquad scrimmage, throwing four touchdown passes. Franklin called Huhn’s performance “unbelievable.”

“He kinda had an unbelievable scrimmage on Saturday, statistically,” Franklin said of the true freshman passer. “I think he threw four touchdowns and was very efficient. He had one interception. But he played really, really well. Played really well. He’s very calm, he’s very poised, he’s very smart. He works at it. He’s wired the right way. I’ve been very impressed with him.”

When asked to name any other players who stood out, Franklin circled back to Huhn.

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“Troy was probably the big one that really stood out in the scrimmage. He had a really good scrimmage. He’s probably the one that…

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Coming off a conference championship and College Football Playoff appearance in his first season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Gunner Stockton is working through a minor setback this spring, according to coach Kirby Smart.

Stockton was seen wearing a sleeve on his knee after what Smart described as a “little offseason injury” during a recent practice.

“He’s great, he’s practicing,” Smart told 247Sports. “He had a little offseason injury in our workouts, but he’s fine now. He was limited a little bit the first couple of days, but he’s out there competing and doing a good job, focusing on things he needs to improve on and competing with those other guys. I’ve been really pleased with Gunner.”

In 14 starts as a junior, Stockton completed 69.7% of his passes for 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Georgia, ranked No. 3 in CBS Sports’ way-too-early top 25 for 2026, has notable depth at quarterback behind Stockton. Ryan Puglisi made six appearances last season, and three others — Ryan Montgomery, Hezekiah Millender and Bryson Beaver — are competing for reps this spring. Beaver, a transfer from Oregon, is the only quarterback Georgia signed in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

“They’re all doing a great job,” Smart said. “They’ve been able to get some reps. We’re doing a lot of work around practice to guarantee extra 7-on-7 time. I don’t think you get better at the quarterback position without reps, so we’ve been pouring into those guys and telling them to value every opportunity they get.

“So many teams across the country can’t get the reps we can from a volume standpoint because they don’t have the depth and the pieces. All those guys are getting quality reps, quality work, growing in that room. In between practice days,…

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Every college football team’s fandom thinks their favorite squad must be despised by opponents. Everyone else is out to get them. And while it’s rarely true, sometimes, the reality hits close to home.

Over at CBS Sports this week, Brad Crawford wrote about the 10 teams in modern college football history he believed are among the most hated. Not the programs, mind you, but teams specific to one year in particular. Oklahoma made the list.

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It’s probably the team you figure, too, as the 2017 Sooners ranked No. 5 on Crawford’s list. That’s the year Baker Mayfield planted the OU flag at the Ohio State 50.

“The first of several in-season stunts in 2017 that also included a crotch-grab during a win over Kansas, Mayfield was easy to despise. He was a damn good football player — and winner — too,” Crawford wrote.

Before the season even began, Mayfield was arrested for public intoxication after a night on the town in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That came after he took off running from the police, earning him plenty of justified disdain. His continued, albeit less serious, antics during the season earned him a slew of haters. Some were giddy when it looked early on like his professional career would not pan out. The struggles of the early 2020s have since subsided and statistically he’s become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff that season, falling to Georgia in double-overtime in the semifinals and cementing Lincoln Riley’s status as one of the top young coaches in the sport.

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The four teams ranked ahead of Oklahoma on the list? The 1996 Florida Gators, the 2010 Auburn Tigers, the 2014 Florida State Seminoles, the 2005 Southern California Trojans and the 1986 Miami (FL) Hurricanes.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Ten most hated college football…

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Former coaches Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford, along with Louisiana athletic director Bryan Maggard, are joining the College Football Playoff Selection Committee ahead of the 2026 season, CFP executive director Rich Clark announced Monday.

Malzahn retired earlier this year after one season as Florida State’s offensive coordinator following a four-year stint as UCF’s head coach. Tedford last worked as Fresno State’s coach in 2023 before stepping aside after a nine-win season. Maggard is entering his 10th year leading Louisiana’s athletic department efforts.

The trio replaces Chris Ault, Jeff Long and David Sayler, whose committee terms have expired. The CFP also announced Hunter Yurachek will remain in his role as selection committee chair.

“The additions of Bryan Maggard, Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford will introduce strong, fresh perspectives to the selection committee as we enter our 13th season,” Clark said in a release. “Each brings a deep understanding of the game, a genuine passion for college football and a commitment to integrity and excellence. Their diverse backgrounds as university leaders, recent coaches and former student-athletes will complement our returning members and allow for a seamless transition.”

2026 CFP selection committee

Troy Dannen, Nebraska ADMark Harlan, Utah ADChris Massaro, Middle Tennessee ADCarla Williams, Virginia ADHunter Yurachek, Arkansas ADMark Dantonio, former coachGus Malzahn, former coachJeff Tedford, former coachMike Riley, former coachRandall McDaniel, former All-American OLWesley Walls, former All-American TEIvan Maisel, retired media

Last season’s final CFP verdict from the committee was arguably the most controversial since the playoff expanded in 2014 after Miami was voted as the last at-large…

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Notre Dame has landed another extremely talented running back as Springfield, Mass./Central standout Isaiah Rogers has committed to the Fighting Irish. It’s a huge pickup for the Irish and the second running back commitment in the last week. Rogers picked Notre Dame over Georgia, Penn State and Indiana.

Notre Dame has been recruiting Rogers for some time, offering the 5-11, 205-pound running back over a year ago. His first visit came much earlier, with Rogers trekking to South Bend all the way back in June 2024. He visited campus again a week ago, and the Irish went from a top contender to the ultimate choice for Rogers.

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Rogers recently announced a Top 8 programs that included the Irish, Georgia, Penn State, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and UCLA. Notre Dame was always considered a top school, but it wasn’t until recently that the program was able to vault to the top of the list. That was solidified during his visit last weekend.

The Central runner is a talented back with loads of upside. He possesses a stout build with an athletic frame that should allow him to fill out quite nicely and add a lot of strength. His technique must continue to be refined, as does his timing, but the physical skills and instincts are there. Rogers shows a really good downhill burst, he changes direction well and he shows legit home run speed. His 100-meter dash time is listed anywhere from 10.5 to 10.7, but when you pop in the film you can see that long speed.

As a junior, Rogers rushed for 1,172 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 8.1 yards per carry. A legit pass game threat, Rogers also caught 21 passes for 219 yards and three more scores.

Rogers is the second running back to commit to Notre Dame in the 2027 recruiting class, with the Massachusetts standout joining Waco, Texas/Midway star Lathan…

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