Player Notes
USC football coach Lincoln Riley offers response to critics ·
Lincoln Riley shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and offered a tight smile.“How long do you got?” the USC coach responded when faced with yet another question about his defense.After the team’s Heisman-winning quarterback provided unprompted, emphatic support of USC’s embattled defense last weekend, the coach provided his own Tuesday, saying the outside perception of the Alex Grinch-led unit fails ...
UCLA’s Chip Kelly patient with Dante Moore’s ‘on-the-job training’ ·
UCLA has had stability at the quarterback position the past four seasons. And while there have been strides toward a level of stability at the position this season, Dante Moore is still on a learning curve.While most true freshmen usually spend the first year of their college season on the sideline and some as a redshirt, UCLA coach Chip Kelly has given the 18-year-old a vote of confidence by sticking ...
Gamecocks' Shane Beamer urges more NIL money for team ·
COLUMBIA — It isn’t going away. Name-Image-Likeness compensation for college student-athletes may have its regulations tweaked in the future, but paying athletes these days is legal and allowed, and to the richest programs often go the best players.South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was asked about it on Tuesday, and as he always has, he supports his players getting whatever they can. While clarifying ...
New Pitt starting quarterback Christian Veilleux (Vay-er) sounds like he's ready to lead ·
If you’re wondering how Pitt’s quarterbacks prepare for a game, let new starter Christian Veilleux take you behind the curtain.First of all (and of least importance as it relates to Pitt’s game Saturday against undefeated No. 14 Louisville), the Canadian-born Veilleux prefers the pronunciation of his name to be “Vay-er,” such as you would say conveyor belt. His father, Martin, prefers Vay-u — as in ...
Andrel Anthony to undergo season-ending surgery ·
As Oklahoma prepares to move on from its biggest win of the season, it will have to do so without the help of one of its top pass-catchers.On Monday head coach Brent Venables revealed that junior wide receiver Andrel Anthony will undergo season-ending surgery after going down in the second half of Saturday’s win over Texas.The transfer from Michigan led the Sooners with 27 catches and 429 receiving ...
Gerad Parker tries to reboot the sagging Notre Dame football offense ·
SOUTH BEND — Amid a troubling three-game downturn in production against nationally ranked opponents, Notre Dame football’s offensive coordinator Gerad Parker offered a novel remedy after Tuesday’s practice.“Sometimes the best answer on not being good on third down is not being in third down,” Parker said ahead of Saturday night’s rivalry game against 10th-ranked USC. “Or certainly not being in third ...
How Jeff Brohm and Louisville plan to avoid letdown vs. Pitt after big win over Notre Dame ·
Louisville Courier JournalJeff Brohm’s coaching career has been full of big moments.As an assistant coach at Illinois in 2011, Brohm helped the team start 6-0. As a head coach at Purdue, the former signal caller led the Boilermakers to three top-five wins during six seasons.Achieving those milestones was one thing, but sustainability was another. After Illinois’ 6-0 start, the Illini lost their next ...
Kentucky football’s Mark Stoops reiterates support for fans after radio show controversy ·
10/11/2023During an appearance on the SEC football coaches teleconference Wednesday, Mark Stoops clarified his intention when he asked disgruntled fans to “pony up” with name, image and likeness donations on his radio show.“To me, I was responding to one person at a radio show,” Stoops said. “And that was one part that was taken completely out of context. I love our fans, whether they give one cent, ...
Deacon Hill’s winding road takes him back to Wisconsin as Iowa’s starting QB ·
10/11/2023MADISON, Wis. — Deacon Hill hadn’t taken a snap in a college football game by the time Wisconsin’s Las Vegas Bowl preparations arrived in December 2021, but the buzz about his potential already was palpable.Hill, a freshman in the midst of his redshirt year, had spent the season leading the scout team offense as the fourth-string quarterback behind upperclassmen Graham Mertz, Chase Wolf and ...
Caleb Brown uses his elite speed in multiple roles for the UH football team ·
When the Hawaii football team feels the need, the need for speed, it turns to its top gunner.As one of the fastest Rainbow Warriors, Caleb Brown is assigned as the gunner on kickoffs, the outside sprinter who leads the charge to the returner.At 6 feet 1, Brown uses long and powerful strides to run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds. In the “flying 10” — a 10-yard measurement off a running start — Brown has been ...
Recent Stories
2025 Draft: Previewing edge prospects
The edge rusher is a premier position in the a modern version of pro football always seeking ways to encourage more passing.
The importance of franchise passers like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and Jalen ...
2025 Draft: ILBs seek relevance, respect
Over the past few draft cycles, there has been a lack of a bonafide, blue-chip prospect at the interior linebacker position. In recent memory, we have heard differing opinions on who is the top linebacker and what is his value in a draft.
The position of inside ...
Bet on future DBs—they can cover
As part of our series on football’s defensive back scene, the Hall of Football consulted our ever-evolving database of ~17,000 active college and high school players to evaluate the position's future, looking at the horizon at least six years down the road—approximately ...
2025 Draft: DBs have a tough act to follow
The 2024 cornerback class was one of the deepest in recent memory, with elite talent at the top of the class and unprecedented depth that followed. While it will be tough for the 2025 class to replicate that amount of talent, there are potential stars at the ...
Heisman Trophy odds: keeping track
The Heisman Trophy picture is constantly changing, and BetOnline.ag tracks those changes to create the best odds at any given time.
It has been about half a year since they first posted odds on who may win the coveted Heisman.
Check the changes and reasons ...
Seeking nuggets in pile of rookie DBs
Whether it be too little talent or too many rule changes favoring wide-open passing attacks, NFL secondaries no longer impact the game as they once did.
Newcomers from the 2024 Draft are not likely to fix the first part of that issue. Only three DBs went in the ...
History of mystery behind decline of RBs
We began this series on running backs with a warning:
“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be … running backs. Not anymore. Not unless something changes.”
Apparently, mama listened or already knew. My concern over the demise of this once heralded position ...
Diving into Hall of Football database
Now that we have settled into the Hall of Football (HallofFootball.substack.com), here is our first dive into the massive database that has been at the heart of NFL Draft Scout for more than 25 years.
Led by our player savant, Brian “Hitman” Hitterman, we gather ...
2025 NFL Draft: Running amok?
After coming off of a slim running back class in 2024, the 2025 draft includes more runners than usual as potential first or second-round picks. Optimistically there could be as many as seven good enough to go in the first two rounds. Realistically, there could ...
2025 Draft: Travis Hunter, a twofer?
It’s no secret Travis Hunter is the most dynamic and versatile player in college football. It’s not just that he plays both cornerback and wide receiver but that he plays both positions at a very high level.
Hunter has become a trailblazer in college football ...
2025 Draft: Does James Pearce have Edge as No. 1?
Overview
Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee is regarded as the top edge rusher in the SEC heading into the 2024 season. He is also projected as the top edge rusher for the 2025 draft, with many viewing him as the No. 1 overall pick.
Teams and scouts ...
My backstory to EA's CFB relaunch
In the mid-1980s, I sat down with Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins and his programmers to create the underlying rating system for Madden Football.
That rating system is essentially the same as the one that drives EA’s College Football 25, the latest in ...