Sports
The legacy and legality of the Bush Push 20 years later
ON THE SIDELINE at Notre Dame Stadium, USC coach Pete Carroll frantically waved for quarterback Matt Leinart to spike the ball. The Trojans trailed 31-28, inches from the goal line with seven seconds left.
“[Leinart] was to look back at [offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian] on the sidelines, and if we wanted to sneak it, we could sneak it,” Carroll said this week. “And he had to point at him. So, we tell him to sneak it. So, he points at the line, and he looks at the line of scrimmage, and he goes, ‘There’s no way, they’re all jammed up.’ And he looks back at us, and Reggie [Bush] yelled something at him, ‘Go for it. Go for it.'”
Moments earlier, Leinart had fumbled out of bounds inside the 1. The clock mistakenly ran out, and NBC’s Tom Hammond declared, “Notre Dame has won,” as Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis raised his arms and fans stormed the field.
When play resumed, the Trojans would have one last chance to extend their winning streak to 28 games.
Leinart sneaked left from under center, but he was bounced backward into a half spin and into the path of Bush, who famously shoved him across for the winning score.
“It was about as sweet a finish as you could have in a great situation to keep the streak alive and all that, too,” Carroll said.
Twenty years ago, the “Bush Push” would become one of the most unforgettable moments in college football history — and one of its most controversial. In the box score, it was the touchdown that preserved USC’s dynasty and allowed for the Rose Bowl matchup with Texas that became an all-time classic. In the rulebook, though, it was illegal.
Except, it was almost never called. In fact, the rule had become a running joke among officials.
“You were teased if you made the call,” said former NCAA official and current ESPN analyst Matt Austin. “It was such a rare occurrence.”
In the years that followed, an obscure rule became a flashpoint. It was debated, tweaked and, eventually, led to strategic evolution.
THE “HELPING THE Ball Carrier” rule had been part of the NCAA rulebook for decades. Its language was virtually identical in every edition dating back to at least 1950.
“No [teammate] shall grasp, pull, push, lift or charge into him to assist him in forward progress.”
The idea is believed to have originated as a way to differentiate football from rugby. Teammates could block defenders, but once the ball carrier was engaged, the play was meant to be his alone. Anything more — a shove, a tug, a lift — was considered an unfair advantage.
It was almost impossible to enforce in short-yardage piles, where pushes and blocks blur together, especially near the goal line.
Steve Shaw remembers that problem well. Now the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials, Shaw spent more than two decades on the field, and he has seen just about everything. But in the 2000 season, his crew made a rare, yet memorable call.
It happened during a Middle Tennessee–UConn game. Late in the contest, a Middle Tennessee lineman reached out and grabbed his running back, helping drag him toward the end zone. Shaw’s line judge, Mike Taylor, threw the flag.
“At the end of the year, there’s a report listing every penalty called nationally,” Shaw said. “Under aiding the runner, there was one — and it was ours. We gave him a hard time for calling it, but it was the right call.”
The rule technically existed, but almost nobody enforced it. And when it was flagged, it was usually because a player was being pulled, not pushed.
So when Bush shoved Leinart across the goal line in 2005, the officials did what most would have done: They kept the flag in their pockets. In fact, after Leinart’s touchdown, the Pac-10 officiating crew huddled up to discuss the play only to emerge with an unsportsmanlike contact penalty against the Trojans for their celebration after. There was no mention of the legality of the push on the broadcast, either.
It wasn’t until the next day when the conversation shifted from the game’s remarkable ending into a nationwide rules debate that is still built into the game’s lore.
Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen admitted to the Los Angeles Times that his conference’s officiating crew could have called a penalty, but made essentially the same point Shaw did two decades later.
“I just don’t think they ever call it,” Hansen said, adding it would have been different if it was a pull, not a push.
This is where the consensus seemed to land. The play looked like part of the normal chaos that happens at the goal line. By the letter of the law, Bush committed a foul. But by the spirit of the game, he just did what any teammate would do.
RULE CHANGES IN college football often move slowly. Proposals wind through the NCAA Rules Committee, a rotating group of coaches, officials and administrators who meet each offseason.
Most suggestions come after issues are identified over the course of a season. If the committee deems something urgent, it can move quickly. If not, it can linger in discussion until a consensus forms.
Sometimes, a single play can trigger an immediate rewrite. When Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett faked a slide in the 2021 ACC championship game — beginning to give himself up before resuming his run for a long touchdown — the reaction was instant. Within days, the NCAA issued a memo closing the loophole. The same thing happened last year when Oregon‘s Dan Lanning found a way to shave off game time by using a 12th man on defense.
The Bush Push didn’t work that way.
Despite the fierce public debate — and the way it was officiated — the rule remained unchanged in the years that followed.
It wasn’t until 2013, when the rules committee formally decided to adjust the official wording.
“The rules committee had a good debate about this and they watched much video, including the Bush Push play,” Shaw said. “Overall, they came to the conclusion that it was very difficult to determine when a push was truly a foul.
“There were few guidelines that could be given to make this a consistent call. Examples were pushing a rugby scrum pile vs. pushing the runner specifically, and they felt it was nearly impossible to distinguish between pushing a runner, leaning on a runner, pushing the pile or leaning on the pile. They felt removing the ‘push’ component would be the best course of action.”
When the NCAA released its updated rulebook for the 2013 season, the word “push” was simply deleted, bringing it in line with a similar rule change the NFL made in 2005.
Without realizing it, the committee paved the way for innovation in the sport.
Right away, coaches tried to use the subtle change to their advantage, including former Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose Wildcats started running what is now commonly referred to as the tush push later that year.
“It was just a natural thing to do,” Snyder told ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler earlier this year. “We needed to create a way in which we could take the shortest distance to get the short distance we needed to go and not get held up, because everybody put all the people over there, so we wanted to compete against no matter how many people you put there.
“We wanted to be strong enough not to get held up at the line of scrimmage. And we would bring one or two, or on occasion, three backs up right off of the hip of the center, and on the snap of the ball, we would push the center or push the back of the quarterback.”
That small tactical adjustment eventually made its way to the pros. Nearly a decade later, the Philadelphia Eagles adopted a version of the play built around quarterback Jalen Hurts, perfecting it into an almost unstoppable short-yardage weapon. Which, once again, led to a nationwide debate about whether pushing — once outlawed, then ignored and finally embraced — belonged in football at all.
In May, a proposal from the Green Bay Packers to ban the tush push came up two votes shy of the 24 it needed to pass.
At the NCAA level, the play drew some discussion over the offseason, too, but those conversations were more centered on potential injury concerns.
“The NCAA rules committee has looked at it and really up to now have not seen it become an injury, a player safety issue,” Shaw said. “So it really becomes a strategic part. Is that something strategically we want in the game? And so far there’s not been a big driver to try to put together a reason to eliminate it from our game.”
Over the past four seasons, the current rule has been enforced only six times, according to Shaw. Three times in 2022, and just once in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
AS USC RETURNS to Notre Dame this weekend for a top-20 matchup, the Bush Push helps define one of the sport’s most storied rivalries.
Carroll, now the Las Vegas Raiders coach, has very specific memories of that game in South Bend: the high grass, the green Notre Dame jerseys, the legends in the crowd.
“The stories I heard are that they sold out the night before the game at their rally that they had,” Carroll said. “And they brought Joe Montana back, and Rudy [Ruettiger] came back to speak to the crowd and a guy dressed up as Jesus showed up trying to bring home the power. … It was just an incredible setting for college football.”
The push that once went uncalled now defines the rule. Twenty years later, it’s still moving the game forward.
ESPN NFL reporter Ryan McFadden contributed to this story.
Sports
Ex-Jets linebacker, charged with first-degree murder, allegedly consulted ChatGPT about cover-up
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Darron Lee, the New York Jets’ former first-round pick, allegedly consulted ChatGPT about how to “cover up” the murder of his ex-partner, who he allegedly stabbed to death last month.
Prosecutors said Lee, 31, allegedly tried to use AI to help carry out the brutal murder of Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, who was found dead in a home in Ooltewah, Tennessee, during a preliminary hearing on Monday, per WCTV.
Prosecutors read aloud the prompt that Lee allegedly sent to ChatGPT.
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Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee, 31, was arrested by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 6, 2025 and charged with first degree murder and tampering with fabricating evidence. (Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com/Hamilton Country Sheriff’s Office)
“Don’t know what to do right now,” he allegedly wrote to the chat bots. “Fiancée did her crazy thing again and now she’s messed up, I wake up and she has two swollen eyes (I didn’t do anything, self inflicted) she stabbed herself, slit her eye? Idk but she isn’t waking up or responding, what do I do?”
The chat bot responded, saying, “Got it. Here’s exactly what [redacted] is the safest way to handle it without framing it as “police trouble,” according to WDEF.
JUDGE ORDERS EX-NFL PLAYER DARRON LEE HELD WITHOUT BOND AS PROSECUTORS WEIGH DEATH PENALTY
Lee continued the conversation with ChatGPT, asking if someone who has slipped and fell could suffer “puncture wounds.”
“Yeah – it can happen**, but there’s [redacted] to make,” the bot responded. “Can a slip-and-fall cause puncture wounds? Yes, but usually only under specific conditions?”
District Attorney Coty Wamp said to the court that Lee was using ChatGPT as a “legal adviser,” having “dozens of conversations” over a two-day span where he detailed what he allegedly did.
Darron Lee (50) of the Kansas City Chiefs walks off the field before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
“He asks how to cover it up. He asks what to say to 911,” Wamp added.
Judges ordered Lee be held without bond last month, as he faces a first-degree murder charge in this case. He also faces a charge of tampering with or fabricating evidence.
Wamp made it clear last month that there was no final decision concerning the pursuit of the death penalty, but he did cite factors that could result in the case becoming eligible for capital punishment.
“Mr. Lee was in a home with a female (who) was, for lack of a better term, beaten to death,” Wamp said in court last month, arguing for the judge to withhold bond. “And the explanation that he gave doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Det. Brian Lockhart detailed the home they found Perpétuo in.
“A lot of stuff in the living room. The deceased was in the floor lying on her back. There was blood going up the staircase. On the hand railing there was blood. On the walls, there was blood. On the floor in the living room there was blood. On the floor in the hallway and the stairs.”
The detective added that he was present during the autopsy, which found the potential cause of death was blunt force trauma homicide.
Darron Lee (50) of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the bench during a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sept. 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
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Authorities carrying out a search warrant found multiple types of trauma to the woman’s body, including a stab wound to her abdomen, an apparent human bite mark on her shoulder, a large bruise on her head, black eyes with heavy swelling and dried blood on her face and neck, according to the affidavit.
Lee was taken in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Jets, who played three seasons at linebacker following his time at Ohio State. He would later play with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
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- PSL 11 scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.
- Gaddafi Stadium will host most number of matches.
- PCB allots reserve day for the PSL final on May 4.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday unveiled the complete fixtures for Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, scheduled from March 26 to May 3.
The 11th edition of the tournament league will see eight teams, including two new entrants, Pindiz and Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen, playing a total of 44 matches in the 39-day event.
The tournament will commence with defending champions Lahore Qalandars taking on Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen at their home ground on March 26.
As per the schedule, each team will play a total of 10 matches, with the top four qualifying for the playoffs, comprising Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, followed by the final, scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on May 3.
Furthermore, the PCB has also allotted a reserve day for the final on May 4.
The PSL 11 will also feature six double-headers, out of which three will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium.
The landmark 11th edition will be played across six venues in Pakistan, with Faisalabad and Peshawar to host PSL matches for the first time, joining Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Rawalpindi.
Among the six venues, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host the most number of matches (15), followed by Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with 11, while Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium will host seven.
The iconic National Bank Stadium in Karachi will host six matches, while four matches will be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Peshawar’s Imran Khan Cricket Stadium to host one match – a day fixture between home side Peshawar Zalmi and Pindiz on March 28.
PSL 11 match schedule
March 27 – Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
March 28 – Peshawar Zalmi vs Rawalpindi Pindiz at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, Peshawar
March 28 – Multan Sultans vs Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
March 29 – Quetta Gladiators vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
March 29 – Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
March 31 – Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 1 – Multan Sultans vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
April 2 – Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 2 – Rawalpindi Pindiz vs Karachi Kings at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 3 – Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
April 4 – Rawalpindi Pindiz vs Islamabad United at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 5 – Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
April 6 – Multan Sultans vs Rawalpindi Pindiz at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
April 8 – Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Peshawar Zalmi at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
April 9 – Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 9 – Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
April 10 – Quetta Gladiators vs Rawalpindi Pindiz at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
April 11 – Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 11 – Karachi Kings vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
April 12 – Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Islamabad United at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
April 13 – Peshawar Zalmi vs Multan Sultans at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 15 – Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 16 – Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Rawalpindi Pindiz at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 16 – Karachi Kings vs Islamabad United at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
April 17 – Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 18 – Lahore Qalandars vs Rawalpindi Pindiz at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
April 19 – Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 19 – Quetta Gladiators vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 21 – Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 21 – Rawalpindi Pindiz vs Multan Sultans at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 22 – Karachi Kings vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 22 – Peshawar Zalmi vs Multan Sultans at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 23 – Rawalpindi Pindiz vs Islamabad United at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 23 – Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 24 – Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 25 – Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 25 – Lahore Qalandars vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
April 26 – Rawalpindi Pindiz vs Peshawar Zalmi at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 26 – Islamabad United vs Multan Sultans at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 28 – Qualifier at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
April 29 – Eliminator 1 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
May 1 – Eliminator 2 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
May 3 – Final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
With spring finally on the horizon after a long winter for much of the country, optimism is in the air.
In that spirit, we asked our college football reporters about teams and players they think will be on the rise in the 2026 season.
No one rose higher than national champion Indiana and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza last year, but plenty of teams took big steps in the right direction. Texas Tech, Miami, Oklahoma and Ole Miss are among the teams that made the College Football Playoff for the first time, and Houston, Utah and Virginia went from losing records in 2024 to double-digit wins in 2025.
Who could be in store for similar improvement this fall and beyond? These are the potential CFP contenders, breakout performers and bounce-back candidates our reporters have their eyes on.
Which non-CFP team from last year do you expect to make the playoff in 2026?
Adam Rittenberg: Texas. If the Longhorns can’t make the College Football Playoff in quarterback Arch Manning‘s second season as the starter, with all the talent around him on both sides of the ball, something is wrong in Austin. Manning looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate late in the 2025 season, and Texas made major portal investments in wide receiver Cam Coleman, linebacker Rasheem Biles, running back Hollywood Smothers and others. The Longhorns face a challenging schedule, but several of their toughest games (Ohio State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss) will be at home. Coach Steve Sarkisian’s team is talented and experienced enough to return to the CFP.
Jake Trotter: Notre Dame honestly should have been in the playoff this past season. CJ Carr had a strong freshman season, ranking eighth nationally with a QBR of 83.4, and figures to be sharper with a year of experience under his belt. Even with running back Jeremiyah Love moving on to the NFL, the Irish will still have weapons, especially if wideout Jaden Greathouse can return to his 2024 playoff form coming off a serious hamstring injury. The defense will be seasoned. And off the playoff snub, coach Marcus Freeman will have his team playing with an edge.
Andrea Adelson: I was tempted to say LSU because Lane Kiffin put together one of the best portal classes in the country, but then I remembered Brian Kelly put together one of the best portal classes in the country last year and that did not exactly work out. Still, I think LSU will be in the mix late. The team I am going with is BYU. The Cougars return quarterback Bear Bachmeier and leading rusher LJ Martin, shored up their offensive line and made some key transfer portal additions on defense, starting with standout linebacker Cade Uluave from Cal. The schedule is manageable, though an October matchup with Notre Dame in Provo could have huge CFP implications.
Heather Dinich: Texas is my preseason No. 1, but I’ll add USC to this conversation. The pressure is on coach Lincoln Riley, who hasn’t reached 10 wins since his first season, and the pieces are in place to get there. With quarterback Jayden Maiava returning, along with all five starting offensive linemen and running back King Miller, the offense has the potential to be potent. Riley lured in the No. 1 recruiting class and also has help coming from the transfer portal. If he can upgrade the defense, which allowed 23 points per game last year, USC should be a playoff team. The Trojans should be 3-0 heading into their Sept. 26 home game against Oregon, and a win against the Ducks would change the narrative and position USC for a playoff run.
David Hale: This is, perhaps, an outside-the-box pick, but I’ll offer Louisville as an under-the-radar option. The ACC may have a clear-cut favorite in Miami, but beyond that, the league is wide open. The ACC has given us two first-time playoff programs in the past two years — SMU and Miami — and it certainly wouldn’t be a stretch to add another in 2026. And although Louisville hasn’t been a true playoff contender late in the season the past few years, the Cardinals’ 28 wins since 2023 are the second most by any Power 4 program to not make the playoff (Missouri has 29). What’s more, of Louisville’s 12 losses under Jeff Brohm, eight have come by a touchdown or less, including three by a field goal or less last year. Brohm might have something special in QB transfer Lincoln Kienholz, who brings an added dimension of athleticism to the position that Brohm hasn’t had in the past. Add in a deep corps of running backs and an improved defense, led by Clev Lubin, and there’s a lot to like about this year’s Louisville team.
Eli Lederman: This prediction relies on a lot of “what ifs,” but why can’t a Michigan team that finished 9-4 with loads of on- and off-field issues a year ago play its way into the 12-team field in 2026? The arrival of longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham should bring sorely needed stability to Ann Arbor this offseason, and he brought a number of key former Utes with him, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck and star defensive end John Henry Daley. Any level of success this fall will be tied heavily to the Year 2 progression of coveted quarterback Bryce Underwood. Beck’s innovative scheme and fresh skill talent, including five-star freshman rusher Savion Hiter and Utah transfer pass catcher JJ Buchanan, should certainly help. Meanwhile, Michigan plugged some key holes on defense through the additions of Daley and fellow ex-Utes Jonah Lea’ea and Smith Snowden. Visits from Oklahoma, Penn State and Indiana combined with November trips to Oregon and Ohio State make for a daunting schedule but could provide the platform for the Wolverines to get back to the CFP if Whittingham can execute a quick turnaround.
Schlabach: BYU narrowly missed making the CFP in 2025, losing to Texas Tech 34-7 in the Big 12 title game. The Cougars fell to the Red Raiders twice last season — they lost 29-7 on the road in the regular season — so they’re going to have to figure out how to crack Tech’s stingy defense. But the Cougars did a great job of keeping coach Kalani Sitake around after he was wooed by Penn State. BYU brings back Bachmeier, who completed 64.9% of his passes for 3,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a freshman. He should be much better in Year 2. Martin, the Big 12’s leading rusher with 1,305 yards and 12 scores in 2025, also came back. BYU will need to rebuild its offensive line and find some reliable receivers. The best news? The Cougars won’t play the Red Raiders nor Houston in the regular season, and they’ll face Arizona and Arizona State at home.
Which team will show the greatest improvement from last year?
Rittenberg: Virginia Tech. I also expect James Franklin’s former Penn State team to rise in 2026, but Virginia Tech certainly will improve on a 3-9 mark from last season. Franklin has had a head start on most new coaches in implementing his vision and had a solid portal haul, which included Penn State imports quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds. A favorable first-half schedule should help the Hokies build confidence and belief. Expect them to pull off one notable upset in November, too.
Trotter: After going 0-18 in the Big 12 over the past two years, Oklahoma State, behind new coach Eric Morris and an array of talented transfers, will bounce back to finish with a winning conference record in 2026. The North Texas star transfer trio of quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wideout Wyatt Young will ensure that the Cowboys get back to putting up points after two dismal offensive seasons in Stillwater. Don’t be stunned if the revamped Pokes make a run to the Big 12 title game.
Adelson: I think Florida will have a chance to double its win total from a year ago for a few reasons. First, new coach Jon Sumrall made a great hire in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who will have familiarity with his quarterback, Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo, plus former Jackets receivers Eric Singleton Jr. and Bailey Stockton. Jadan Baugh, Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III return on offense, giving Florida playmaking ability. Second, the schedule sets up nicely for a rebound. Florida had one of the toughest schedules in the country the past two years. With the new nine-game conference schedule in the SEC, Florida has a more manageable nonconference slate and faces only four teams ranked in our Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Dinich: Clemson because … there’s just no way Dabo Swinney can lose six games again. Can he? Bringing back former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris is interesting because he hasn’t called plays since 2020 and hasn’t coached at Clemson since 2014. He’s a proven playcaller, though, who helped the Tigers to a 41-11 record during his tenure. How first-year starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina fares is a valid question, but when searching for a team that will make a significant leap this fall, it’s hard to believe Clemson will continue to be irrelevant in the ACC race. With a road opener at LSU, the Tigers will find out early how far their climb back will be.
Hale: Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State feel like obvious answers here, if only because there’s so much room for improvement. And it’s tempting to say Bill Belichick will pull off a miracle at North Carolina after a disastrous 4-8 campaign in 2025, but its schedule doesn’t look promising. So, who’s someone a bit outside the box? How about South Carolina? The pressure is on coach Shane Beamer after a disappointing 4-8 year, but LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart are back, five of the Gamecocks’ first six games come against teams that missed a bowl last year, and although the back end of the schedule is tougher, it would take only an upset or two to get South Carolina into the eight- or nine-win range. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from the Beamer-era Gamecocks, it’s that they tend to play their best when no one’s expecting it.
Schlabach: Penn State was finally able to lure Matt Campbell away from Iowa State, and he could be poised for a big turnaround in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions won their last four games to salvage a 7-6 campaign in 2026. Much of the roster followed Franklin to Virginia Tech and ex-defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Tennessee. But Campbell brought in 39 transfers, including two dozen from Iowa State. Quarterback Rocco Becht, tailback Carson Hansen, receiver Chase Sowell and tight end Benjamin Brahmer are plug-and-play starters on offense. The Nittany Lions don’t play Indiana, Ohio State or Oregon in the regular season, so a 10-win season isn’t out of the question.
Which player do you think could take a major step forward in 2026?
Trotter: We started to see Manning live up to the hype and potential late last season, as he posted a QBR of 92 or above in four of his final five games. There’s little reason to believe he won’t carry that over into next season. With Coleman’s arrival, Manning will have a legitimate No. 1 receiver. With a year of experience, he could reemerge into the conversation as the top QB prospect heading into the 2027 NFL draft.
Adelson: As Jake noted above, Notre Dame’s Carr was one of the most impressive freshman quarterbacks in the country a year ago, and his trajectory should only go up from here. He was poised, accurate, did not make many mistakes and rarely got flustered last season. It will be an adjustment not having Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the backfield, but Carr is more than capable of shouldering the load if necessary.
Rittenberg: Remember Ryan Williams‘ electrifying, spin-infused 75-yard touchdown against Georgia early in the 2024 season? Then a 17-year-old freshman, the Alabama wide receiver was the talk of college football following a blistering start to his career. But Williams struggled with drops and inconsistency during a sophomore season that fell well short of expectations. He’s pushing forward, though, and clearly has the talent and experience to break through as a junior. The road to stardom isn’t always linear, and Williams shouldn’t be overlooked in 2026.
Dinich: Alabama linebacker Caleb Woodson, who transferred from Virginia Tech, should be someone casual fans get to know this fall. Coach Kalen DeBoer told me he was looking for a mature guy to help compensate for the loss of three senior linebackers who graduated, and Woodson started 17 games for the Hokies. Last year, he was second on the team with 58 tackles and had 2.5 TFLs. He’s the kind of player who can get to the quarterback, disrupt passing lanes and make game-changing plays. With the Tide’s entire secondary returning, Alabama’s defense should be fast and physical.
Hale: If you’re a buyer on Dabo Swinney’s “what’s old is new again” approach to Clemson’s offense for 2026 with new coordinator Chad Morris, then you might as well invest heavily in running back Gideon Davidson‘s stock, too. Entering his true freshman year in 2025, Davidson was hyped as a game changer, with Swinney lauding him as one of the most talented backs he’d ever recruited, and an expectation that, at least by year’s end, Davidson would seize the primary role in the ascendant Tigers’ backfield. Instead, both Davidson and Clemson disappointed. Davidson had just 12 carries by the end of October, and it was only after Clemson had effectively punted on any hopes for 2025 that he carved out a bigger role. Down the stretch, though, he had a few moments for optimism, and switching from the clearly ineffective RPO game favored by Garrett Riley back to a more straightforward, vertical offense with a power run component under Morris should help Davidson’s growth. It’s a dice roll, but there’s a lot of upside here.
Lederman: Cal‘s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele emerged as the most productive freshman quarterback in the country last fall when he threw for 3,454 yards, 12th most among returning FBS starters in 2026. With another year of experience, a new offensive coordinator in Jordan Somerville and a fairly generous ACC schedule, there’s every reason to believe the left-hander from Hawai’i will make another big jump this fall. First-year coach Tosh Lupoi has injected new energy in the Bears’ program, and Sagapolutele — the quarterback Lupoi went to see hours after his hiring back in December — is at the center of all the optimism hovering over Cal right now.
Schlabach: Georgia is going to have to identify playmakers at receiver after losing Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Dillon Bell and Noah Thomas to the NFL draft. The Bulldogs picked up Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion in the transfer portal, but the buzz in Athens is that sophomore Talyn Taylor is poised to break out in a big way. He had a critical drop in the Bulldogs’ 24-21 loss to Alabama and missed a long stretch with a broken collarbone. He finished with two catches for 28 yards in six games. But Taylor was the No. 4 receiver in the country as a senior at Geneva (Illinois) High School in the class of 2025 and has elite speed.
Which off-the-radar team will we be talking about in December?
Rittenberg: Washington. I actually liked Jedd Fisch’s team in this category a year ago, but the Huskies struggled to keep pace with their toughest opponents. In hindsight, Year 3 always seemed more sensible for a potential breakthrough, as Fisch and his staff have gradually improved the roster. The fallout from quarterback Demond Williams Jr.’s near exit in January is worth watching, but if things are stable there, Washington should take a step forward offensively. Washington’s schedule also helps as its toughest games in September and October are at home — USC and Iowa in consecutive weeks. The Huskies conclude the regular season with Indiana (home) and Oregon (road).
Trotter: Last season was a disaster for the Gamecocks, who finished with only one SEC win. But two years ago, South Carolina was the hottest team in college football heading into December and nearly snuck into the playoff. The Gamecocks return two absolute stars in Sellers and Stewart. With better pass protection for Sellers — the Gamecocks are hopeful left tackle transfer Jacarrius Peak (NC State) will be ready to go after an offseason basketball injury — South Carolina could be a sleeper playoff contender come December.
Adelson: I am not sure whether it is fair to call SMU under the radar considering the Mustangs have won 42 games over the past four years, including 20 in their first two years in the ACC. But SMU should be considered a CFP contender this year. With quarterback Kevin Jennings returning, a strong offensive line and another solid portal class, SMU simply finds ways to win and stay relevant in the national conversation. The first three weeks of the season are hugely important. SMU opens at Florida State on Labor Day night, then plays at Louisville two weeks later.
Dinich: Boise State. The highest-ranked Group of 6 team will make the playoff this year — not the highest-ranked Group of 6 champion, which is different from previous seasons. Boise State will also be competing for a Pac-12 title this year after conference realignment, and the Broncos have one of the better schedules to impress the selection committee, starting with their season opener at Oregon. With senior quarterback Maddux Madsen returning, the Broncos should be in a position to contend for the Group of 6 spot.
Hale: Let’s go way off the radar. Like, so far off the radar, many people might not even realize what conference this team is in. But, here’s the case for Cal. First, the Golden Bears might have the best young QB in the country in Sagapolutele. Second, new coach Lupoi is coming from a program (Oregon) that has created a strong blueprint on how to win in the Northwest. Third, Lupoi inked one of the top portal classes in the country, completely renovating an offense that offered far too little support for its burgeoning star QB last year. And Lupoi is a defensive guru who has brought a handful of impact players with him from Oregon and stocked the rest of the unit with plenty of upside. Then, look at the schedule: Aside from a trip to UNLV (no easy win), five of Cal’s first six opponents lost at least six games last year. The Bears miss Miami, Louisville and Florida State. The only games where Cal figures to be at a distinct talent disadvantage are vs. Clemson and at SMU (and that talent disadvantage isn’t as huge as it might seem based on reputations). A lot would have to go right for Cal to make a run at the playoff — and, frankly, Cal isn’t a place where a lot has gone right in recent years — but on paper, there’s certainly a formula in which this all works out beautifully in Year 1 for Lupoi.
Lederman: Predicting a Group of 6 CFP contender this time of year is a bit of a fool’s errand … which is why it’s fun to dive into all the various possibilities, including San Diego State building on its 2025 momentum and thrusting itself into the CFP mix this fall. The Aztecs followed up a 3-9 finish in 2024 with a 9-4 campaign in coach Sean Lewis’ second season ahead of the program’s long-anticipated move into the reformed Pac-12 in 2026. Between quarterback Jayden Denegal and reigning All-Mountain West first-team running back Lucky Sutton, SDSU returns the foundational players in the nation’s 19th-ranked rushing offense in 2025. How the Aztecs rebuild following the departure of coordinator Rob Aurich and a number of starters from college football’s No. 6 defense, including Trey White and Owen Chambliss, will, of course, be critical. But with a friendly schedule and résumé-boosting opportunity in a late November trip to Boise State, SDSU has every chance of being in the CFP conversation come late fall.
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