The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the FASTEST combine in history.
Every single position group, except the QB’s. ran the fastest 40 times ever.
For the final day, MY favorite group took to the field, the offensive linemen. The hogmollies, baby. The guys that really make things work.
Coming in, we all knew that this was a deep class of prospects, and that played during the on the field drills.
There could be as many as 6 or even 7 offensive linemen taken in the 1st round in the NFL Draft this April.
Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, Olaivavega Ioane, Caleb Lomu, Kadyn Proctor, and Monroe Freeling, are sure fire locks to go Round 1.
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My biggest winner was Logan Jones, the center from the Iowa Hawkeyes. He not only ran the fastest 40 of all the offensive lineman (4.90), but he also looked so smooth, with quick feet, during the on the field portion of the day.
Personally, I’d love for my Cleveland Browns to snatch him up at #70, IF he’s still available at that spot.
This is a nice OC class. Jones, Connor Lew (Auburn), and Jake Slaughter (Florida), could all go inside the Top 100.
My biggest loser of the day was Dametrious Crownover from Texas A&M. He has impressive size for an offensive lineman, but he struggled badly during the on the field portion. He couldn’t keep his balance, slow feet, looked very uncomfortable pulling, it was a bad day.
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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night, April 23rd, at 8:00 PM (EST) and goes through Saturday, April 25th, on ESPN and NFL Network.
Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books. The theme of S-P-E-E-D speed, continued!!! Absolutely nobody thought that this particular draft class, would be breaking all-time speed records.
The first group of Day 3 was the Running Backs. As anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE me some running backs. I’m a run-first guy.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love only solidified his position as the #1 RB in this class. We all knew that he was fast, and he ran a 4.36 in the 40, with a 1.55 10 yd split. He showed his smooth footwork and ability to get skinny, during the on the field portion of the drills.
His teammate Jadarian Price ran a 4.49 in the 40, with a slower than expected 1.61 10 yard split. His footwork isn’t as smooth as Love in the running drills, but he did EXCELLENT catching the ball during the on the field portion of the drills.
My biggest winner was Alabama RB Jam Miller. He ran a 4.42 in the 40, with a 1.53 10 yard split. He was smooth with his footwork , kept his balancing cutting, and did a good job catching balls.
Penn State RB Kaytron Allen did EXACTLY what I’ve been telling everyone he would during the on the field portion of the drills. Smooth footwork, quick feet, can catch the ball. I’ve always thought he was better than his Nittany Lions counterpart Nicholas Singleton.
My biggest loser was Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson. He ran a 4.56 in the 40. He looked like a board, his feet looked sluggish, his reaction to the bags, on cut drills were slow.
Outside of Love, there isn’t a first rounder here, but there is very quality depth, and varied abilities in this class.
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QB Group 1 ran the 40, and the news was Arkansas QB Taylen Green ran a 4.36 in the 40. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King ran a 4.46 in the 40.
When it came to throwing, the biggest winner overall was Penn State QB Drew Allar. He had the best deep ball, by far. He was accurate with his ball placement on almost every drill.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King did quite well. He was great on all the underneath throws, but his lack of arm strength showed on the deep balls.
The biggest loser for on the field drills, was EASILY Teylan Green. He completely airmailed throws on all the outroutes, both short and deep. His ball placement was high and low on slant routes. He has great arm strength though.
Next up, was WR Group #1. Oklahoma Deion Burks (4.30), Cincinnati Jeff Caldwell (4.31), Georgia Zachariah Branch (4.35), Oregon Malik Benson (4.37), Tennessee Chris Brazzell (4.37), and Texas Tech Caleb Douglas (4.39), all ran under 4.40 in the 40.
The big winner was Zachariah Branch. He was so smooth and really crisp on his breaks. Just snapping them off. He caught everything, including some horrible throws by QB Fagnano and Green. It was so fun to watch him today. He made himself some money and climbed many draft boards.
Biggest loser was WR Malachi Fields from Notre Dame. He ran a slow 4.61 in the 40, with a 1.63 10-yard split. He couldn’t keep his feet and hips under control on his breaks, and had 3 drops on The Gauntlet Drill. The film is better than his performance Saturday afternoon, but it did cost him some spots.
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Only 2 players from QB Group 2 ran the 40. North Dakota State’s Cole Payton (4.56) and Baylor Sawyer Robertson (4.65).
When it came to the on the field drills, Alabama’s Ty Simpson was the winner of the group. Good accuracy on the out breaking routes. He had great ball placement and timing on the medium and deep routes.
Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was a close 2nd place though.
The loser of the group was the aforementioned Cole Payton. His best 2 passes didn’t come until the 2nd to last drill, on deep balls. It was a terrible night for him, after the 40-yard dash.
WR Group 2 saw the fastest 40-yard dash of the weekend. Brenen Thompson from Mississippi State ran a 4.26, with a 1.54 10-yard split. North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance ran a 4.34 in the 40, with a 1.49 10-yard split, and Ole Miss’s De’Zhaun Stribling ran a 4.36, with a 1.53 10-yard split.
When it came to the on the field drills, the winner was actually 2 this time. Makai Lemon from USC and Colbie Young from Georgia. Both of them were catching absolutely everything thrown their way. With some of the bad balls, both of them showed great body control and the ability to adjust mid-air to catch the bad throws.
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Day 1 of the NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and I must say, that it provided more overall depth of talent than I thought it would.
The day started out with the defensive tackles taking the field for on the field drills.
For teams like the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, and teams that run the 3-4 defense, they were loving it. This DT class is a strong, run stopping, nose tackle class. There’s nobody that’s going to get inside pressure.
My two biggest winners were Lee Hunter from Texas Tech, who absolutely solidified his position as DT1; and the surprise guy Zane Durant from Penn State, who came in and just crushed the drills.
My biggest loser was Kaden McDonald from Ohio State. He looked sluggish, stiff, and his footwork was sloppy, causing him to lose his balance, causing slips and falls.
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Group 2 was the Edge Rushers, and they showed that there was some quality depth this year.
David Bailey from Texas Tech, and TJ Parker showed everyone why they are not just MY #1 and #2 ranked Edge players, but a lot scouts and pundits as well.
Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State showed that the down year this past season, was not a reflection of his true talent. He did quite well, and is my #3 Edge.
The two players that shocked me the most were, Mason Reiger from Wisconsin and Max Llewellyn from Iowa. They crushed the on the field drills. Whether it was the Wave Drill or the 4-Bag Agility, they looked smooth, and their footwork was great. They really helped their draft stock bigtime.
The biggest loser to everyone but me, was LT Overton from Alabama. He’s not a pass rusher. He ran slow, his footwork was sloppy, his couldn’t keep his hips, knees, and feet in tandem, it was bad. LOT of my fellow Browns fans were mocking him at #24. I’ve told them and even a family member, that I’m not touching him in the first round.
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The day finished with Group 3, the Linebackers.
HOLY CALCUTTA WHAT A CROP IT IS THIS YEAR!!!
Starting with the two standout Ohio State Buckeyes, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Both ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash. Then turned around and made the on the field drills look like a walk in the park, barely breaking a sweat and completely dominating.
I felt bad for Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodrigeuz, who a GREAT day, but was overshadowed simply by being next after Reese. He’s a turnover machine and so smooth.
Kyle Louis from Pitt had a great day on the field as well. Ran a solid 4.53 and looked so smooth and fluid during the drills.
My biggest loser was Jack Kelly from BYU, and that’s simply just nitpicking because he wasn’t all that bad. He ran slower than I thought he would. He was stiffer than he looked in games, and kept losing his balance during the early drills, like the Wave and 4-Bag.
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Day 2 of the NFL Scouting Combine continues tomorrow afternoon, starting at 3:00 PM (EST) on NFL Network.
This 2025-26 college football season has not only been completely wonky on the field, but also, off the field.
So many head coaches were fired during the season, that it was hard to keep track of who was coming and going.
The upheaval of not just the program and players on the teams, but also the families of those assistant coaches.
This “win now mentality” at programs and with the donors, is actually hurting the programs, not helping.
These schools like to complain that they’re “operating at a loss”, then they go and fire a head coach, that has a $33 million dollar buyout clause (Michigan State with Jonathan Smith).
They wonder why a significant number of fans have no loyalty or sympathy anymore, THAT’S WHY!!!
All that aside, I’m going to tell you which hires were good. Which hires were bad. Which coaches out there, deserve a chance at being a head coach.
LSU has hired Lane Kiffin away from fellow SEC rival Ole Miss. I see a lot of media pundits giving this an A to A+ grade. I DON’T SEE IT.
While I don’t think this move is as bad as the Brian Kelly hire (which I despised from the nanosecond it was announced), for what LSU wants to do, it isn’t all that much better either.
Kiffin has a career record of 13-25 against Top 25 teams.
He’s going to give the Tigers much more credibility in the south with recruits again, and the offense will be better.
This is a simple B hire.
Virginia Tech went out and hired former Penn State head coach James Franklin.
The Hokies have been mostly irrelevant since Frank Beamer retired.
This is an A hire.
Franklin is a program builder. He did it at Vanderbilt, which had been a joke for basically a half century, and turned them into a consistent winner and to bowl eligibility. He took over a Penn State program that was dead in the water after the sex abuse scandal and took them to the College Football National Championship Semi-Finals, just last season.
He knows the Eastern Midwest and Mid-Atlantic recruiting scene very well. We’ve already seen recruits that decommitted from Penn State, follow and announce their intentions to play for the Hokies next season.
I’m not saying he’s going to bring a Natty to Blacksburg, but Virginia Tech will be an ACC power player as early as next season, and beyond.
GREAT MOVE by VT.
UCLA has hired Bob Chesney away from James Madison, to be their next head coach.
From all accounts, and from JMU fans that I’ve spoken to, he’s a good guy.
Chesney is known for being a “turnaround artist”. He turned around programs such as Salve Regina (D3), Assumption University (D2), and Holy Cross (FCS), before going 20-5 at JMU.
He has a long history of coaching at programs that have rigourous academic standards.
The biggest problem is that he has 0 recruiting ties to the west coast, and doesn’t have the name recognition, that will keep players. The Bruins don’t have the cache to recruit nationwide, so keeping California kids’ home is paramount to their success.
I’m rooting for the guy, and hope he brings glory back to the gold and blue, but right now, this is a D hire.
If you’ve been following me on Twitter/X (JoeAmerican6771); I’ve been SCREAMING this guy’s name.
Bryant Haines.
He’s the current defensive coordinator for the Indiana Hoosiers and had the same role at James Madison. He followed Curt Cignetti from the Dukes to the Hoosiers.
Yes, he’s an assistant coach.
Yes, he doesn’t have head coaching experience.
He’s had staggering success at JMU and Indiana, where he turned poor defenses into top ranked defenses.
I STRONGLY believe that the aforementioned James Madison, should bring him back home, and make him their new head coach.
They’ve seen him succeed not just on the field, but off the field in recruiting the Carolinas’ and VA/DC area. Which is vital to a program like JMU, because they don’t have a nationwide network.
I think whichever team gets him, is going to get a gem.
The worst hire so far of this cycle, is the Stanford Cardinal hiring Tavita Pritchard as their next head coach.
Yes, I understand that he played QB there.
Yes, I understand that like Chesney above, he gets the difficulty of an academic power.
The truth, and fact of the matter is that he was never going to get a head coaching gig other than Stanford. This was Cardinal GM Andrew Luck keeping this cheap and in house.
To me, this is a F.
Head coach Kalani Sitake will remain at BYU, after agreeing to a long-term extension on Tuesday.
He had very heavy interest from the Penn State to make him their next head coach.
Since taking over as the head coach of the Cougars in 2016, he has an 83-44 overall record at BYU.
He has previous coaching stops at Oregon State, Utah, Southern Utah, and Eastern Arizona.
All these stops in the Mountain and Western time zones, has allowed him to build a very solid recruiting base and pipeline.
This is a solid A move by BYU.
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Question – With Penn State getting rebuffed, who do you think the Nittany Lions will end up hiring as their next head coach?
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats and information courtesy of…..NCAA and ESPN.
We are halfway through the 2025-26 college football season, and what an absolutely WILD ride it has been.
Big name head coaches have already been fired this season. James Franklin (Penn State), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Trent Dilfer (UAB), Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Brent Fry (Virginia Tech), and a few others.
Teams that a lot of “media pundits” thought would be in the national title picture are fighting just to stay at .500, like Penn State, Texas, and Clemson.
There have been teams that have “overachieved”, so far this season, like Indiana, Georgia Tech, USF, and Virginia.
Heisman “front runners” like Arch Manning, Drew Allar, and Cade Klubnik, have not lived up to the hype.
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The race for the college football playoff spot in the “Group of 5” is ABSOLUTELY LIT!!!
Navy, Memphis, USF, Tulane, Western Kentucky, UNLV, San Diego State, and James Madison, are all either undefeated or only have 1 loss. As much we all love the “Power 4” conference games, the “G5” school games are just as fun to watch. I highly recommend everyone watch these games, as the race for that spot, is going to be so much fun.
I could go on and out, but, without further ado, HERE are your mid-season awards.
Heisman Trophy – Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt Commodores.
The Heisman Trophy is an INDIVDUAL award, not a team award.
Without Diego Pavia, the Vanderbilt Commodores are probably 0-6, instead of 5-1.
He’s the best dual quarterback in the country right now.
He’s thrown for 1,409 yards, with 14 TDs to 4 INTs, as well as running for 60 carries, for 352 yards, with 2 TDs.
Pavia IS Commodore football.
Runner-up – Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor Bears.
Coach of the Year – Curt Cignetti, Indiana Hoosiers.
Nobody, and I mean, nobody, including myself, thought that the Indiana Hoosiers, would be a Top 3 football team in the country.
He won the award last season, and is the front runner this season, as they are currently undefeated (6-0) and ranked #3 in America. He has this team playing hard, playing fast, and most importantly, playing smart. Only 19 penalties in 6 games.
That’s the only word that can describe Week 6 of the college football season.
Then ranked #7 Penn State got beat 42-37, by a UCLA Bruins team, that hadn’t won a game all season.
Then #9 Texas lost to unranked Florida 29-21, in the swamp.
FYI, the final scores of those games do not indicate the true picture of how bad PSU and UT actually looked on the field.
Then #14 Iowa State could not overcome losing BOTH their starting CBs for the season, during the week, and lost to unranked Cincinnati 38-30.
The #3 Hurricanes and then ranked #18 Seminoles gave us a great game, as Miami won 28-22.
#10 Alabama got revenge on then ranked #16 Vanderbilt 30-14. In a game that was closer than the final score as well.
Then ranked #24 Virigina beat Louisville, in overtime, 30-27. The ACC has been completely whack-a-doo so far this season.
With so many performances to choose from, HERE are the Week 6 college football Helmet Stickers Awards.
(Team) UCLA Bruins.
The Bruins hadn’t won a game all season AND already fired their head coach. EVERYONE had written them off for this season, but they reminded the whole college football world to, NEVER POKE A BEAR.
Congratulations to all the players and staff.
(Offense) Blake Horvath, QB, Navy Midshipmen.
When you hear “Navy football”, you think Option and Wing-T offense. However, in the 1st leg of the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy, Horvath set a school record with 469 total yards. He went 20 of 26 passing, for 339 yards, with 3 TDs and 0 INTs, as well as having 17 carries, for 130 yards, and 1 TD, in a 34-31 win over Air Force.
(Defense) Nathan Voorhis, DE, Ball State.
The defensive end had 8 total tackles, and 3.5 sacks on the day, as his timely defensive plays, helped lead the Ball State Cardinals to a 20-14, come from behind win, over the defending MAC champion Ohio Bobcats.
Who would you give a helmet sticker to???
– by Sean McKenzie
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Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, yardbarker, and thestarpress.
What a banger of a college football weekend it was!!!
We had instant classics, as the #2 Oregon Ducks, went into Happy Valley, during a whiteout game, and beat the #7 Penn State Nittany Lions 30-24 in double overtime.
The #10 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide went in “Between the Hedges” and ended the nation’s longest home winning streak, as they beat the #12 ranked Georgia Bulldogs 24-21.
The Virigina Cavaliers pulled a major upset in double overtime, beating the (then #8), #18 Florida State Seminoles 46-38. Then followed that by having the fastest storming of the field, that I’ve ever seen. LOL. (see final play and students storm the field in video below.)
The #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes went into Husky Stadium and ended the nation’s 2nd longest home winning streak, beating the Washington Huskies, 24-6, in a very workman like performance.
It also took overtime for #15 ranked Tennessee and #16 ranked Georgia Tech to get wins over Mississippi State and Wake Forest (41-34 and 30-29).
Unfortunately, we had another head coach lose their job, as Arkansas fired Sam Pittman (really dumb move in my personal opinion) after getting their butt whooped by #22 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish 56-13, at home. Bobby Petrino has been named interim head coach.
With so many performances to choose from, HERE are the Week 5 College Football Helmet Stickers.
(Team) #22 Illinois Fighting Illini.
After getting absolutely molly-whopped last week, the Fighting Illini, showed some fight. They went toe-to-toe with (then ranked#21) USC Trojans and won the game, 34-32, on a 41-yard field goal as time expired. This was a great game, that showcased the best of both teams. Illinois showed the country, that they are going to get up and fight, after being knocked down. Statement win.
(Offense) Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
The senior quarterback did everything, and then some, as he led the Yellow Jackets to a hard fought victory.
King went 28 of 42, for 243 yards, with 1 TD and 0 INTs. He also had 21 carries, for 106 yards, with 2 TDs.
Because of him, Georgia Tech is not only highly ranked, but undefeated at 5-0.
(Defense) Noah Avinger, CB, Utah State.
The 6’0 senior cornerback, was all over the field on Saturday afternoon, as he helped the Utah State Aggies, give the #18 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores, all they could handle, in a 55-35 loss.
He had 12 tackles, and an interception.
Who would you give a helmet sticker to?
– by Sean McKenzie.
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Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, on3, and kslsports.
Week 5 of the college football season starts tonight, with the Army Black Knights (1-2) at East Carolina Pirates (2-2), at 7:30 PM (EST) on ESPN.
With conference play underway, the games start to have serious meaning towards season goals, and ultimately, the college football playoffs.
With so many great games available to watch, I’m here to give you the 3 games that you should.
1) #6 Oregon Ducks (4-0) at #3 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0). Game starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on NBC and Peacock.
The highflying Ducks offense is traveling across the country to take on the Nittany Lions, in Penn State’s “White out game”.
Sophomore QB Dante Moore has thrown for 962 yards with 11 TDs to only 1 INT. He’s completing 74.7% of his throws so, and the offense just hums along with quick strikes. The defense plays fast and downhill, making it difficult for opposing offenses to get anything started.
The Penn State offense has been anemic to say the least. Has head coach James Franklin been holding back so far?
The Nittany Lions have arguably the best running back tandem in the country with Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. They have a combined 8 TDs so far. QB Drew Allar was some people’s “QB1”, and he’s only thrown 4 TDs through 3 games. Their defense as always is tough and gets pressure on the quarterback. DC Jim Knowles will scheme something up for this big matchup.
Prediction – Penn State is 13-8 in “White out games”, make it 13-9, as Oregon wins this game 31-27.
2) #17 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1) at #5 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0). Game starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on ABC.
Where is the running game? They’ve only rushed for a combined 371 yards and 4 TDs, through 3 games. Where is the defense? They only have 4 sacks total. Can junior QB Ty Simpson carry this team? He’s thrown for 862 yards, with 9 TDs and 0 INTs so far. He just might have to find some magic.
The Bulldogs have found their running game. They have 3 HBs already over 100 yards each, and as a team, have run for 627 yards and 10 TDs. That means that junior QB Gunnar Stockton just need to not make mistakes, and he’s done that so far, throwing for 722 yards, with 4 TDs and 0 INTs. It’s Georgia, which means fast and active linebackers and safeties flying all over the field making tackles.
Prediction – I think this game is going to be ugly for Alabama. Give me Georgia to win 42-21.
3) #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) at Washington Huskies (3-0). Game starts at 3:30 PM (EST) on CBS and Paramount+.
The Buckeyes have arguably the best WR tandem in America, with WRs Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. That means sophomore QB Julian Sayin has a big edge. He’s thrown for 779 yards, with 8 TDs and 3 INTs. Projected starting HBs James Peoples and CJ Donaldson have been disappointing, but freshman HB Bo Jackson has done great in his brief appearances. On defense, S Caleb Downs is a playmaker that every team avoids, so LBs Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, are free to fly all over and wreak havoc.
The Huskies offensive gameplan is simple; get the ball to senior HB Jonah Coleman, as much as possible. He has 51 carries, for 347 yards, and 9 TDs. Sophomore QB Demond Williams Jr, is a dual threat as well. He’s thrown for 778 yards, with 6 TDs and 0 INTs, but he’s also ran the ball 34 times, for 220 yards, with 2 TDs.
KEY STAT: Washington has won 22 straight games at home.
TRAP GAME ALERT!!!
Prediction – The Huskies are going to give the Buckeyes, all they can handle. I won’t be shocked if they pull off the massive upset. However, I’m going with Ohio State to win a close game 42-38.
– by Sean McKenzie.
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Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, USAToday, ESPN, and CBSSports.
They are the only team with two, Top 25 wins so far this season. If a Power 4 school had won at Boise State and at Florida, in back-to-back weeks, the mainstream sports media would be heaping praise on them.
Since they weren’t “ranked” before the season started, they’re being ignored, and given a “courtesy ranking” by the clowns at ESPN and the AP.
I omitted the Texas Longhorns, because their offense is struggling. Yes, Arch Manning threw for 4 TD’s, but 3 of those were on busted coverages and most of his passes, were under 4 yards.
BOLO – Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas A&M Aggies, and Vanderbilt Commodores.
With the 2025-26 college football season starting in just under 100 days; I thought we should look and talk about the best returning players in the sport.
This list does not include quarterbacks. Yes, it’s the most important position. There will be a sperate list for that.
Y’all know me, so let’s get right into it.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State.
2024 stats – 76 receptions, for 1,315 yards, with 15 TDs.
Smith broke multiple records at Ohio State in his freshman season with ease. He was the Big Ten Receiver of the Year, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was a First-Team All-American.
The crazy thing is that the 6’3″, 215 lbs sophomore, still has 2 years of college football to play. He was unguardable last season and will continue to improve under OC/WR coach Brian Hartline.
Smith could walk into the NFL and be WR1 for most teams today. He has the size, speed, and hands to dominate the game for the next decade.
2, Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State.
2024 stats – 81 total tackles, .5 sacks, 2 INTs, 6 PDs, 1 Punt Return TD.
The 6’0″, 205 lbs junior can do everything on defense. He can come down and play in the box. He’s an excellent blitzer, hitting the gaps with speed. He can deliver big hits. He can drop back and play the deep safety. He can come up and play in the slot. He does it all.
He adds additional value in the return game, as evidenced by his punt return touchdown against Indiana.
As a sophomore last season, he won Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Award. He was a finalist for the Thorpe Award, and the Nagurski Award. He was also named a unanimous first team All-American.
The 6’3″, 235 lbs junior was a second-team All-American last season. He has the speed and burst to beat the offensive tackle off the snap and is able to drop back in coverage. He goes for the football, evidenced by his 4 forced fumbles.
4. Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama.
2024 stats – 48 receptions, for 865 yards, with 8 TDs.
The 6’0″, 185 lbs Williams started his freshman season very strong, scoring a touchdown in his first five games. The first thing that comes to mind when talking about him is SPEEEEEEDDDD.
Williams is very fast, and if you don’t get hands on him at the line of scrimmage, you’re eating dust and seeing his numbers.
He faded in the second half of last season. Teams figured out that he can be bullied on the LOS and be taken out of the play because of his small size.
I think that changes this season, and he’ll be better using his hands of the snap. He was first-team All-SEC and Freshman All-American.
5. Jeremiyah Love, HB, Notre Dame.
2024 stats – 163 carries, for 1,125 yards, with 17 TDs. 28 receptions for 237 yards, with 2 TDs.
The 6’0″, 212 lbs junior is the best running back in the country, especially when he’s healthy. All those numbers you see above and the highlights on YouTube, he did all that while battling a number of injuries.
He has the speed to score from anywhere on the field. The power to break tackles and run between the lines. He has the hands to catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s improved his pass blocking and blitz pickup as he’s progressed in his time in South Bend.
Fighting Irish OC Mike Denbrock even said that he was going to “deploy Love in the slot this season”, showing the he can be a playmaker anywhere.
The 6’3″, 265 lbs junior set a new school record for forced fumbles and had the most sacks in a season for Clemson, since 2018. He has good burst at the snap, and he’s always looking for the football.
Even if the offensive tackle gets his hands inside on him, Parker still has the strength to force him into the pocket and force the quarterback to get out of his rhythm.
Parker was the only FBS player in 2024 to finish in the Top 10 nationally in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles.
The 6’1″, 230 lbs senior is a tackling machine. He has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline. He has the strength to take on DT (see Iowa State game), and the toughness to take on the strongest of HBs at the LOS (see the hit on Arizona State HB Cam Skattebo).
He has great hand usage, to get off of blockers and make the tackle. He wraps up and doesn’t let go.
He was named Captain as a junior and has the complete trust of his teammates and coaches.
The 6’5″, 265 lbs, senior has ideal size and length at the position. He has the burst to win off the edge and strength to bull rush through the offensive tackles body.
He more than held his own, playing opposite of #3 draft pick Abdul Carter last season.
He played his best football in the college football playoffs, getting 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and an INT in those 3 games.
With new DC Jim Knowles now running the defense, he’ll have even more opportunities to make his mark this upcoming season.
The 6’3″, 315 lbs junior is the best DT in America, and possibly the best overall defensive lineman in college football.
That’s right, I said it.
Woods has the strength and speed inside, to demand double teams on every play. You absolutely cannot have him one on one. What makes him even better, is that he can kick out and not only play DE but play it well.
He can play in either a 4-3 or a 3-4, and be just as productive in both schemes.
He plays his best games, against the best teams (see Georgia and Texas games) last season.
Putting my “fan cap” on, I’d LOVE to see him in my Cleveland Browns Orange next season.
There you go, the 10 best non-QB returning players for the upcoming college football season.
Do you agree or disagree?
Who would put in or take out?
Let me know.
– by Sean McKenzie
Follow me on X (Twitter) at JoeAmerican6771 and allsportsfancom.
Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN and NCAA.
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