Category: College Football

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 will continue to grow. That is, if you believe the possibilities going forward regarding automatic qualifiers in the College Football Playoff.

That’s a reference to possibly more Big 12 games, not more Big 12 teams as the format and structure of the CFP begin to take shape for the 2026 season when the new six-year deal with ESPN begins. 

Some are almost resigned to the fact there will be automatic qualifiers in the field at the urging of the Big Ten and SEC. Their proposed model of 4-4-2-2-1-1 means four AQs each for the Big Ten and SEC, two each for the ACC and Big 12, one at-large spot and one for the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion. 

After making the rounds this week at the Big 12 Tournament, it’s clear the conference has begun to consider its place in that new world. Commissioner Brett Yormark has not publicly committed to the AQ model for his conference, but it’s fair to say every league has at least considered the concept of play-in games for those AQ spots.

“Let me ask you something,” Yormark replied to a questioner Tuesday at a tournament kickoff press conference, “do you think I’m shy or no?”

CBS Sports reported on the details of play-in games in December. While the possibilities are preliminary — and almost endless — at this point, there are at least two models to consider to determine those two Big 12 automatic qualifiers. 

1) The top four regular-season teams qualify with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 4 seed and No. 2 playing No. 3. The two winners on that championship weekend in December would advance to the CFP. 

Using last year’s standings, these would be the matchups:

2) The 16-team league could split into two divisions, looking a lot like the old Big 12. One…

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The Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of spring football as they prepare for the 2025 season. Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables and Year 2 in the SEC is crucial for this program. OU is looking to rebound from their second losing season under Brent Venables, the only losing seasons they’ve had since 1998.

The first season in the SEC provided a glimpse at just how far Oklahoma is from the top of the world of college football. At key spots on the coaching staff, at quarterback, and along the offensive line, OU was not nearly good enough in 2024.

The offensive line is still a big question mark. CBS Sports Will Backus believes the Sooners’ offensive line is the biggest question for OU in 2025.

Oklahoma allowed an FBS-worst 50 sacks last season, as the Sooners’ offense sputtered in their third year under coach Brent Venables. The offensive line has been a fairly consistent issue throughout Venables’ tenure, despite the presence of veteran OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh. Oklahoma isn’t going to take a step toward SEC contention if it can’t upgrade in the trenches. Starting left tackle Logan Howland is back as a good starting point. He played better as the 2024 season went on. The Sooners also earned the pledge of four-star offensive line transfer Derek Simmons (Western Carolina) and signed Michael Fasusi, the top offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class. Fasusi has a college-ready frame and could see plenty of snaps early. Oklahoma is hoping those new faces are enough to upgrade the level of play. – Backus, CBS Sports

The offensive line during their 10-3 season in 2023 was pretty good, but the bottom fell out as Oklahoma had to replace all five starters in 2024. Venables and Bedenbaugh missed on portal additions, and injuries certainly didn’t help up front. The rest of the SEC showed the Sooners how far off they were…

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UNLV athletic director Erick Harper admitted that the school can only afford to pay the first two years of new football coach Dan Mullen’s five-year, $17.5 million contract.

Harper made the admission at a Board of Regents meeting last week, telling the group that the athletic department is in at least $26 million worth of debt and could only afford the first two years of a contract that pays the former Florida coach $3.5 million annually.

“We have the funds to pay the coach over the next two years,” Harper said. “We have been working with our donors to assist with philanthropic dollars. We have one that has already paid their commitment, and that money is in an unrestricted line and that will be utilized in the future to help with the salaries.”

UNLV hired Mullen in December to replace Barry Odom, who left for Purdue. The Big Ten school will pay UNLV $3 million to buy out Odom’s contract, slated to arrive in two $1.5 million payments paid over the next two years. Mullen hadn’t coached since 2021, instead working as an analyst for ESPN, after a four-year stint at Florida where he finished with a 34-15 record that included three top-15 finishes. 

Mullen’s contract also calls for an annual $100,000 retention bonus starting in 2027 and bonuses ranging from $25,000 for playing in the Mountain West championship game to $100,000 for participating in the College Football Playoff. Making any bowl game comes with a $75,000 bonus. 

2025 college football coaching carousel grades: Rich Rodriguez’s return to West Virginia earns perfect mark

Dennis Dodd

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Walking off the field after Alabama football’s first practice of the spring, Kalen DeBoer instantly turned the conversation to what he feels is most important heading into 2025: the players who decided to return, the voices he expects to be strongest in the locker room even without those clear, commanding, “over-the-top” voices that defined his first Crimson Tide season a year ago.

“I think all of them working together and just kind of picking each other up on top of themselves, I think it’s in a good spot,” DeBoer said.

Experience is something Alabama will need, especially with a high-profile road matchup against a Florida State team looking for vengeance to kick off 2025. But then again, experience isn’t the end all, be all.

Freshmen were on the field in high-profile moments in 2024: Ryan Williams and Zabien Brown, both first-year players who rarely left the field.

The same could be said about certain members of Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class and its share of highly-touted freshmen, including three five starts who are already generating buzz after one week on the spring practice field.

Who could Alabama see in those Williams and Brown roles next fall? DeBoer, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb seemingly gave a preview.

Keelon Russell trending in right direction for Alabama football

Mar 5, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Quarterback Keelon Russell (12) works a drill during Spring Practice for the Crimson Tide.

Both things can be true: Keelon Russell is one of the most talented freshman quarterbacks DeBoer has ever seen. And that he has a long way to go.

It’s how DeBoer said Russell looks at it too, that he hasn’t arrived, but plans to continue to grow through spring as a strong-looking, all-around athlete of a quarterback who has already taken advantage of the offseason weight program, gaining…

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Diego Pavia is now a commodity. Check that — an empire if you count the fact his lawyer lives in Puerto Rico.

“It is an incredible place to live with a huge community of expats, entrepreneurial spirit and nice tax advantages,” Ryan Downton told CBS Sports.

These type of things matter now. As of December, we thought Pavia’s story had ended. Vanderbilt’s quarterback completed a colorful, inspiring career by leading the Commodores to a seven-win season, its first above .500 since James Franklin left 12 years ago.  

After five years and three programs, Pavia was off to the NFL. Or, so he hoped. 

“Shoot, I’d like to think I was probably the best quarterback in the country if I was coming out this year,” he said. 

But there has been more at work in this story than hopes and dreams. In November, Pavia sued the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. The shock waves from the result of that lawsuit are still being felt. Pavia just might be on the cutting edge of a new eligibility model as CBS Sports detailed last month. 

Downton had originally approached the quarterback the day before the epic upset of Alabama on Oct. 5. The veteran attorney had a right and the ability to seek out this unique client. Downton was a Vandy cheerleader while pursuing his undergrad degree in the business school. It occurred to him that Pavia deserved an extra year of eligibility despite a winding career that began at New Mexico Military Institute and migrated to New Mexico State before a transfer to Vanderbilt. 

The suit states that Pavia’s eligibility clock starting in junior college (at NMMI) violated anti-trust laws. It argues, in essence, that the restriction denied the quarterback of an opportunity at more NIL benefits. The judge who ordered the…

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BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake shakes hands with Bolden Crosby after giving a devotional at the Marriott Center in Provo on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

When he was first approached about giving a BYU devotional, Kalani Sitake was unsure about it.

But one of his heroes soon helped get him fully on board and behind the mic.

“At first I was a little hesitant to (speak), and then they said, ‘Well, LaVell (Edwards) did it,’” Sitake told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “And I said, ‘OK, if you want me to do it, then just say LaVell did it and I’m going to do it.’ … That’s why I go to some of the events that are out there, because LaVell started it and it was a big part of it. I want to be and I want to do exactly like he did, and he did it the right way.”

Sitake addressed nearly 8,000 Marriott Center attendees Tuesday morning as the assigned speaker for BYU’s weekly campus devotional, where he shared a message of God’s love and plan for His children.

“I actually really enjoyed it,” Sitake said. “It was really cool for me to review things and think about what I wanted to say to the students. I’m just so relieved now that it’s over with, I was so nervous about it. I was so nervous, but I was excited for the opportunity.

“That was a lot of fun, though, and I appreciate all the students showing up, our entire team being there and our entire staff. That was really cool for me to have my family and the team there.”

Sitake joins Edwards as the only Cougar football coaches in program history to be tabbed as devotional speakers. Edwards spoke on two occasions — once as an active coach in 1976, and again in 2001 following his retirement.

He also famously spoke at General Conference in the middle of BYU’s 1984 national championship season.

Other notable BYU athletic…

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Over the course of a college football season, almost every team will need to turn to a backup quarterback. At Texas, Arch Manning stepped in and led the Longhorns to two wins when Quinn Ewers went down. Notre Dame’s Steve Angeli spurred a run against Georgia in the national quarterfinals. The most famous example, of course, involved Ohio State’s third-string QB Cardale Jones leading the Buckeyes to a national championship. 

But while quarterback depth only gets more important in the expanded College Football Playoff era, it’s never been harder to keep players on campus. The transfer portal and NIL mean that any players without a pathway to the starting job typically leave. The opportunity cost is too great for most, which makes the deep rooms even more valuable.

It’s worth clarifying: This is a ranking of the deepest quarterback rooms in the sport. It’s not a listing of the best quarterbacks in the sport. Miami’s Carson Beck may be the best QB in college football, but the backups are far more unproven. The same is true of Texas, which ranked among the best last season. With Arch Manning moving from backup to starter, the depth is far less special. The top dog being exceptional helps, but is certainly not a requirement. 

In fact, quarterback uncertainty can be a quiet blessing. Several of the top teams on this list have open quarterback competitions between qualified players. Opportunity is a great incentive to stick around into the fall. With that said, here are the six deepest quarterback rooms in college football heading into the 2025 season. 

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The Oregon Ducks had one of the most successful seasons in program history last year, going 13-1 with a Big Ten Championship win and a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Now, in 2025, they will look to reach the same heights once again, but this time around with almost an entirely new roster.

Since coming to Eugene, Dan Lanning has recruited at an elite level. In 2025, talent acquisition and development will be tested. Gone are the players from past regimes; in will be the blue-chip players whom Lanning and his staff have hand-picked.

On offense, players like Dillon Gabriel, Tez Johnson, Jordan James, Terrance Ferguson, and Josh Conerly are leaving for the NFL. The defense sees the likes of Jeffrey Bassa, Jordan Burch, Derek Harmon, and Jabbar Muhammad move on as well. So, who will step up and replace them? That’s the million dollar question in Eugene. We have our depth chart projections on offense and defense, but the next several weeks of practice will determine a lot for the Ducks. As we continue our preview of the spring season leading up to Oregon’s annual spring game, let’s take a deep dive, position by position.

We’ve covered the offense and most of the defense, so today, let’s examine the cornerbacks in the secondary.

There will be a lot of turnover on the outside, with players like Jabbar Muhammad, Dontae Manning, and Nikko Reed all graduating. This will allow a handful of young players and capable veterans to step in and pick up where the previous group left off.

Let’s look at the whole picture, breaking down who arrived this year, who left, and who remains at the CB group going into spring football.

Departing Players

Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, Oregon Ducks defensive linemen Derrick Harmon (55), Oregon Ducks A’Mauri Washington (52) and defensive back Jabbar Muhammad (7) in the third quarter against…

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