A year ago at this time, college football fans around the country were counting down the days to get on the sticks and play EA Sports College Football 25, the first release of the video game in over a decade.

Now, fans are looking forward to playing as their favorite teams for a second straight year when EA Sports College Football 26 is released between July 7 and July 10.

Here are the 10 best teams, by overall, in EA Sports College Football 26:

10.  LSU — 86 overall

9. Oregon — 86 overall

8. Texas A&M — 88 overall 

7. Clemson — 88 overall

6. Georgia — 88 overall

5. Notre Dame — 88 overall

The Fighting Irish were one game away from capturing their program’s 12th national title last season and will have a mixture of new players and proven production in 2025—26. A new quarterback will be at the helm following the departure of Riley Leonard to the NFL. However, running back Jeremiyah Love will return as one of the best tailbacks in the country, as well as wide receivers Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison. Defensively, Notre Dame has a new defensive coordinator in Chris Ash, who replaced Al Golden.

4. Penn State — 88 overall

The Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Drew Allar, are going to face immense pressure to make a run at a national championship this season. Penn State is returning not only Allar but its elite running back duo in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. As a program that always prides itself on defense, the Nittany Lions brought in Jim Knowles from Ohio State as their defensive coordinator, a strong move that could propel them to the top of college football.

3. Ohio State — 88 overall

The defending National Champion Buckeyes lost 17 players to the NFL, but are reloaded and ready to make a run to go back-to-back. Ohio State will have a new quarterback in 2025 and will be surrounded by young talent on both sides of the ball, including receiver phenom Jeremiah Smith and do-it-all safety Caleb Downs.

2. Texas — 88 overall

The Longhorns are one of the favorites to win the National Championship in 2025—26 after falling to Ohio State just one game short of a national title game appearance. With quarterback Arch Manning ready to take the reins at quarterback, it should be no surprise that the video game is buying into the well-deserved hype.

1. Alabama — 89 overall

The Crimson Tide, who are coming off a disappointing 9-3 regular season record, are the video game’s highest-rated team. Alabama has seven players rated in the game’s top 100, including wide receiver Ryan Williams, a 95 overall, who is one of the game’s cover athletes and the fifth-best player.

The post EA Sports College Football 26: Who are the best teams in the video game? appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Set to launch worldwide on July 19, a full reveal of the modes and features of EA Sports College Football 25 was announced on Friday.

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes will be available in College Football 25, according to a release. Those two modes will allow players “to construct their own powerhouse program as a created coach or vie for the Heisman as a player” in what the video game introduces as CampusIQ, which will be “a suite of features that brings to life the true depth of college football through wide open, fast-paced gameplay across all 134 FBS schools in all areas of the game.”

READ: ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery introduce Venu Sports streaming service

Over 10,000 players have opted into College Football 25, it was announced in March. Any student-athlete who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used will receive $600 and a copy of the video game.

College Football 25 will also offer “the all-new Road to the College Football Playoff and College Football Ultimate Team” that will “bring fresh online experiences and ways to play.”

“EA SPORTS College Football is BACK! We’ve felt the passion and anticipation of college football fans every step of the way since we first announced this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally be able to show everyone what we’ve been building,” EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt stated in a release. “College Football 25 is built with authenticity at its core, inspired by experiences our fans have loved from our games, and fully evolved to reflect modern college football – all of which will immerse them in the sights, sounds, and true-to-life gameplay of the sport they love.”

READ: Northwestern announces 2024 schedule, will play 2 games at Wrigley Field

READ: ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule

EA Sports unveiled the cover of College Football 25 on Thursday, showcasing Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter. They will star on the covers of the Standard and Deluxe editions.

“Donovan, Quinn and Travis are extraordinary talents who impressed and entertained millions of college football fans on the field last season and are poised to do so again this year,” Holt stated in a release. “We’re proud to be able to incorporate thousands of current athletes in College Football 25, and featuring this trio of playmakers and their iconic college programs on the cover is a perfect fit as we usher in a new era for EA SPORTS and college football. I can’t wait for the world to learn more about the game tomorrow.”

ESPN broadcasters such as Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will “call marquee matchups,” along with other broadcast teams such as Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack will comprise the virtual booth and “take the mic for all other games.”

Among the gameplay features include Homefield Advantage, which will allow players to “through distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.” Additional features consist of Pre-Snap Recognition and the Wear & Tear System, which means virtual player stamina is affected by more play so it will be important to “manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on-field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best when it counts the most.”

The traditions within college football that make it one of a kind will be immersed in College Football 25. Along with team mascots and fight songs, the video game will include “unique team run-outs, rivalry rituals, synchronized crowd-chants, loudness meters as well as real game-day audio.”

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes are also offered in the video game alongside Road to the College Football Playoff, where players will “experience a new way to play competitively across consoles” and “earn rank by upsetting the toughest opponents and securing the votes you need to progress and level up divisions,” as well as College Football Ultimate Team.

College Football Ultimate Team will allow players to “build your dream team of college football stars and legends” in Solo Challenges or H2H seasons, and they can test their skill across consoles “in more competitive formats like College Football Ultimate Team Champs and Champs Gauntlet.”

EA Sports College Football 25 is available for pre-order now. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, the video game will not be available for PC at launch. EA Sports is also offering an MVP bundle on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S that will include deluxe editions of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 “with 3-day early access and unlocks a multitude of benefits across both titles.”

The post EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Beginning this season, the “SEC on ABC franchise” will debut with the Miami–Florida matchup Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m., according to a release. The SEC on ABC brand will include “a new graphics package, theme music and more.”

According to a release, all special date games and ESPN’s broadcast schedule for the first three weeks of the season will be revealed May 30. The network’s Bowl Season schedule will also be unveiled June 6.

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

READ: Joe Alt cherishes Notre Dame career, hopes to put ‘best foot forward’ with Los Angeles after No. 5 overall NFL Draft selection

ESPN’s College GameDay, which will welcome former Alabama head coach Nick Saban on set this fall, will begin the season in Dublin, Ireland, at noon on Aug. 24 when Florida State matches up in Week 0 with Georgia Tech. It will be the first time the show originates from outside the United States.

Saban and College GameDay will return stateside Aug. 31 from College Station where new Aggies head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M will face Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.

ESPN will also broadcast the Southeastern Conference debuts for Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners will open at home Aug. 30 against Temple at 7 p.m., and Texas will host Colorado State on Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m.

Deion Sanders and Colorado will also make their debut in the Big 12 Conference Aug. 29 when the Buffaloes host North Dakota State at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

READ: Former Penn State SAF King Mack transfers to Alabama

ESPN’s run of teams in new conferences continues in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Aug. 30 when Stanford, departing the Pac-12 Conference, plays TCU at 10:30 p.m.

ESPN will also carry Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama debut against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.

ABC will begin its Week 1 coverage in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium where Dabo Swinney and Clemson will take on Kirby Smart and Georgia at noon.

Here is ABC and ESPN’s Weeks 0-1 schedule.

Week 0

Florida State at Georgia Tech — Aug. 24 at noon on ESPN

Florida A&M at Norfolk State — Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Week 1

North Dakota State at Colorado — Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. on ESPN

Temple at Oklahoma — Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

TCU at Stanford — Aug. 30 at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

Clemson at Georgia — Aug. 31 at noon on ABC

Miami at Florida — Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC

Colorado State at Texas — Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

Western Kentucky at Alabama — Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

Notre Dame at Texas A&M — Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

USC at LSU — Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Boston College at Florida State — Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

The post ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Over 700,000 fans attended the draft this week in Detroit according to The Associated Press via NFL.com, a record-breaking number topping the previous best set in Nashville in 2019.

READ: No. 1 pick Caleb Williams says he wants to be part of ‘a big portion’ of winning with Chicago Bears after NFL Draft

READ: Malik Nabers showcases ‘dog mentality’ at LSU’s Pro Day

Like the previous two, offensive players began the third day of the NFL Draft with Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders going No. 101 overall to the Carolina Panthers and Troy Franklin reuniting with Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at No. 102 overall to the Denver Broncos.

Spencer Rattler, Jordan Travis become first QBs taken since Round 1

More than 100 picks went between the six taken in the first round on Thursday, which already set a record for most quarterbacks taken in the opening round of the draft.

Former South Carolina and Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler broke the streak in round four when he went No. 150 overall to the New Orleans Saints. 

Rattler leaves South Carolina as the all-time leader in completion percentage with 67.5% completion.

READ: ‘Adversity teaches a man a lot about himself’: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. pens letter to NFL GMs in Players Tribune

Former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis was chosen No. 171 overall in the fifth round by the New York Jets. He later would be paired with wide receiver teammate Johnny Wilson when the Jets picked him in the sixth round.

Travis finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season despite suffering a season-ending broken leg in the second-to-last regular season game.

Alabama’s Jaylen Key is Mr. Irrelevant

Every year, the final pick of the draft is regarded as “Mr. Irrelevant.” It’s so widely recognized as a special selection that “Irrelevant Week” is an annual celebration that honors that last player picked in the draft recognized by the NFL, according to MrIrrelevant.org.

Alabama defensive back Jaylen Key is this draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” as he was chosen No. 257 overall in the seventh round by the New York Jets.

READ: 5 takeaways from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Key played last season with the Crimson Tide after spending the previous four years with Alabama at Birmingham. He started 12 games at Alabama and made 60 tackles, one pass break-up and an interception.

Key earned an honorable mention nod in 2022 with the All-Conference USA team. He had three interceptions for the Blazers that season, tying for the team lead.

2024 NFL Draft results

Here are the full results from rounds four through seven of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Fourth round

No. 101: Carolina Panthers: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders — Texas

No. 102: Denver Broncos via trade with Seattle Seahawks (from Washington): WR Troy Franklin — Oregon

No. 103: New England Patriots: OG Layden Robinson — Texas A&M

No. 104: Arizona Cardinals: SAF Dadrion Taylor-Demerson — Texas Tech

No. 105: Los Angeles Chargers: DT Justin Eboigbe — Alabama

No. 106: Tennessee Titans: LB Cedric Gray — North Carolina

No. 107: New York Giants: TE Theo Johnson — Penn State

No. 108: Minnesota Vikings: CB Khyree Jackson — Oregon

No. 109: Atlanta Falcons: DT Brandon Dorlus — Oregon

No. 110: New England Patriots via trade with Los Angeles Chargers (from Chicago): WR Javon Baker — UCF

No. 111: Green Bay Packers via trade with New York Jets: SAF Evan Williams — Oregon

No. 112: Las Vegas Raiders: CB Decamerion Richardson — Mississippi State

No. 113: Baltimore Ravens (from Denver through N.Y. Jets): WR Devontez Walker — North Carolina

No. 114: Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Javon Foster — Missouri

No. 115: Cincinnati Bengals: TE Erick All — Iowa

No. 116: Jacksonville Jaguars (from New Orleans): DT Jordan Jefferson — LSU

No. 117: Indianapolis Colts: OC Tanor Bortolini — Wisconsin

No. 118: Seattle Seahawks: LB Tyrice Knight — UTEP

No. 119: Pittsburgh Steelers: OG Mason McCormick — South Dakota State

No. 120: Miami Dolphins via trade with Philadelphia Eagles (from L.A. Rams through Pittsburgh): RB Jaylen Wright — Tennessee

No. 121: Seattle Seahawks via trade with Denver Broncos (from Miami): TE AJ Barner — Michigan

No. 122: Chicago Bears (from Philadelphia): P Tory Taylor — Iowa

No. 123: Houston Texans (from Cleveland): TE Cade Stover — Ohio State

No. 124: San Francisco 49ers (from Dallas): SAF Malik Mustapha — Wake Forest

No. 125: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Bucky Irving — Oregon

No. 126: Detroit Lions via trade with Green Bay Packers: OT Giovanni Manu — University of British Columbia

No. 127: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with Houston Texans: RB Will Shipley — Clemson

No. 128: Buffalo Bills: RB Ray Davis — Kentucky

No. 129: San Francisco 49ers via trade with Minnesota Vikings (from Detroit): RB Isaac Guerendo — Louisville

No. 130: Baltimore Ravens: CB T.J. Tampa — Iowa State

No. 131: Kansas City Chiefs: TE Jared Wiley — TCU

No. 132: Detroit Lions via trade with San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection): RB Sione Vaki — Utah

No. 133: Kansas City Chiefs via trade with Buffalo Bills (Compensatory Selection): DB Jaden Hicks — Washington State

No. 134: New York Jets (from Baltimore; Compensatory Selection): RB Braelon Allen — Wisconsin

No. 135: San Francisco 49ers: WR Jacob Cowing — Arizona

Fifth round

No. 136: Seattle Seahawks via trade with Denver Broncos (from Carolina through Cleveland): CB Nehemiah Pritchett — Auburn

No. 137: Los Angeles Chargers via trade with New England Patriots: CB Tarheeb Still — Maryland

No. 138: Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Xavier Thomas — Clemson

No. 139: Washington Commanders: LB Jordan Magee — Temple

No. 140: Los Angeles Chargers: CB Cam Hart — Notre Dame

No. 141: Buffalo Bills via trade with Carolina Panthers (from N.Y. Giants): OC Sedrick Van Pran-Granger — Georgia

No. 142: Indianapolis Colts via trade with Carolina Panthers (from Tennessee): WR Anthony Gould — Oregon State

No. 143: Atlanta Falcons: LB JD Bertrand — Notre Dame

No. 144: Chicago Bears via trade with Buffalo Bills (from Chicago): EDGE Austin Booker — Kansas

No. 145: Denver Broncos (from N.Y. Jets): CB Kris Abrams-Draine —Missouri

No. 146: Tennessee Titans (from Minnesota through Philadelphia):CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. — Louisville

No. 147: Denver Broncos: RB Audric Estime — Notre Dame

No. 148: Las Vegas Raiders: LB Tommy Eichenberg — Ohio State

No. 149: Cincinnati Bengals: CB Josh Newton — TCU

No. 150: New Orleans Saints: QB Spencer Rattler — South Carolina

No. 151: Indianapolis Colts: SAF Jaylon Carlies — Missouri

No. 152: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with Washington Commanders (from Seattle): WR Ainias Smith — Texas A&M

No. 153: Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Deantre Prince — Mississippi

No. 154: Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Brennan Jackson — Washington State

No. 155: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with Los Angeles Rams (from Pittsburgh): LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. — Clemson

No. 156: Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia through Arizona): WR Jamari Thrash — Louisville

No. 157: Carolina Panthers via trade with Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland): CB Chau Smith-Wade — Washington State

No. 158: Miami Dolphins: EDGE Mohamed Kamara — Colorado State

No. 159: Kansas City Chiefs (from Dallas): OL Hunter Nourzad — Penn State

No. 160: Buffalo Bills (from Green Bay): LB Edefuan Ulofoshio — Washington

No. 161: Washington Commanders via trade with Philadelphia Eagles (from Tampa Bay): SAF Dominique Hampton — Washington

No. 162: Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): OT Christian Jones — Texas

No. 163: Green Bay Packers via trade with Buffalo Bills: OC Jacob Monk — Duke

No. 164: Indianapolis Colts via trade with Detroit Lions: SAF Jaylin Simpson — Auburn

No. 165: Baltimore Ravens: RB Rasheen Ali — Marshall

No. 166: New York Giants (from San Francisco through Carolina): RB Tyron Tracy Jr. — Purdue

No. 167: Jacksonville Jaguars via trade with Minnesota Vikings (from Kansas City): RB Keilan Robinson — Texas

No. 168: Buffalo Bills via trade with New Orleans Saints (Compensatory Selection): EDGE Javon Solomon — Troy

No. 169: Green Bay Packers (Compensatory Selection): SAF Kitan Oladapo — Oregon State

No. 170: New Orleans Saints (Compensatory Selection): WR Bub Means — Pittsburgh

No. 171: New York Jets via trade with Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory Selection): QB Jordan Travis — Florida State

No. 172: Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory Selection): OG Trevor Keegan — Michigan

No. 173: New York Jets via trade with Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection): RB Isaiah Davis — South Dakota State

No. 174: Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Selection): CB Caelen Carson — Wake Forest

No. 175: New Orleans Saints (Compensatory Selection): LB Jaylan Ford — Texas

No. 176: New York Jets via trade with San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection): CB Qwan’tez Stiggers — Canadian Football League

Sixth round

No. 177: Minnesota Vikings (from Carolina through Jacksonville): OT Walter Rouse — Oklahoma

No. 178: Pittsburgh Steelers (from Arizona through Carolina): DT Logan Lee — Iowa

No. 179: Seattle Seahawks (from Washington): OG Sataoa Laumea — Utah

No. 180: New England Patriots: CB Marcellas Dial — South Carolina

No. 181: Los Angeles Chargers: RB Kimani Vidal — Troy

No. 182: Tennessee Titans (reacquired through Philadelphia): WR Jha’Quan Jackson — Tulane

No. 183: New York Giants: LB Darius Muasau — UCLA

No. 184: Miami Dolphins (from Chicago): WR Malik Washington — Virginia

No. 185: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with New York Jets: WR Johnny Wilson — Florida State

No. 186: Atlanta Falcons via trade with Arizona Cardinals (from Minnesota): RB Jase McClellan — Alabama

No. 187: Atlanta Falcons: WR Casey Washington — Illinois

No. 188: Houston Texans (from Las Vegas through New England and Minnesota): LB Jamal Hill — Oregon

No. 189: Detroit Lions via trade with Houston Texans (from Denver through L.A. Rams and Buffalo): DT Mekhi Wingo — LSU

No. 190: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with New Orleans Saints: OC Dylan McMahon — NC State

No. 191: Arizona Cardinals via trade with Indianapolis Colts: WR Tejhaun Palmer — UAB

No. 192: Seattle Seahawks: CB DJ James — Auburn

No. 193: New England Patriots (from Jacksonville): QB Joe Milton III — Tennessee

No. 194: Cincinnati Bengals: TE Tanner McLachlan — Arizona

No. 195: Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Ryan Watts — Texas

No. 196: Los Angeles Rams: DT Tyler Davis — Clemson

No. 197: Atlanta Falcons (from Cleveland): DT Zion Logue — Georgia

No. 198: Miami Dolphins: SAF Patrick McMorris — California

No. 199: New Orleans Saints (from Philadelphia): DT Khristian Boyd — Northern Iowa

No. 200: Carolina Panthers via trade with Buffalo Bills (from Dallas through Houston): DT Jaden Crumedy — Mississippi State

No. 201: Indianapolis Colts via trade with Detroit Lions (from Tampa Bay): CB Micah Abraham — Marshall

No. 202: Green Bay Packers: OT Travis Glover — Georgia State

No. 203: Minnesota Vikings via trade with New York Jets (from Houston through Cleveland, Denver): K Will Reichard — Alabama

No. 204: Buffalo Bills: OT Tylan Grable — UCF

No. 205: Houston Texans via trade Detroit Lions: RB Jawhar Jordan — Louisville

No. 206: Cleveland Browns (from Baltimore): LB Nathaniel Watson — Mississippi State

No. 207: Seattle Seahawks via trade withDenver Broncos (from San Francisco): OT Michael Jerrell — Findlay

No. 208: Las Vegas Raiders (from Kansas City): RB Dylan Laube — New Hampshire

No. 209: Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection): K Joshua Karty — Stanford

No. 210: Detroit Lions via trade with Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory Selection): OG Christian Mahogany — Boston College

No. 211: Kansas City Chiefs via trade with San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection): DB Kamal Hadden — Tennessee

No. 212: Jacksonville Jaguars (Compensatory Selection): K Cam Little — Arkansas

No. 213: Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection): WR Jordan Whittington — Texas

No. 214: Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory Selection): EDGE Cedric Johnson — Mississippi

No. 215: San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection): OG Jarrett Kingston — USC

No. 216: Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Selection): WR Ryan Flournoy — Southeast Missouri State

No. 217: Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection): OC Beaux Limmer — Arkansas

No. 218: Baltimore Ravens (from N.Y. Jets; Compensatory Selection): QB Devin Leary — Kentucky

No. 219: Buffalo Bills via trade with Green Bay Packers (Compensatory Selection): CB Daequan Hardy — Penn State

No. 220: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Compensatory Selection): OG Elijah Kelin — UTEP

Seventh round

No. 221: Buffalo Bills via trade with Kansas City Chiefs (from Carolina through Tennessee): OT Travis Clayton

No. 222: Washington Commanders: EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste — Notre Dame

No. 223: Las Vegas Raiders (from New England): SAF Trey Taylor — Air Force

No. 224: Cincinnati Bengals (from Arizona through Houston): SAF Daijahn Anthony — Mississippi

No. 225: Los Angeles Chargers: Brenden Rice — USC

No. 226: Arizona Cardinals (from N.Y. Giants): DB Jaden Davis

No. 227: Cleveland Browns (from Tennessee): CB Myles Harden — South Dakota

No. 228: Baltimore Ravens (from N.Y. Jets): OC Nick Samac — Michigan State

No. 229: Las Vegas Raiders (from Minnesota): CB MJ Devonshire — Pittsburgh

No. 230: Minnesota Vikings (from Atlanta through Cleveland and Arizona): OC Michael Jurgens — Wake Forest

No. 231: New England Patriots (from Chicago): TE Jaheim Bell — Florida State

No. 232: Minnesota Vikings (from Denver through San Francisco and Houston): DT Levi Drake Rodriguez — Texas A&M-Commerce

No. 233: Dallas Cowboys (from Las Vegas): OT Nathan Thomas — Louisiana-Lafayette

No. 234: Indianapolis Colts: DT Jonah Laulu — Oklahoma

No. 235: Denver Broncos via trade with Seattle Seahawks: WR Devaughn Vele — Utah

No. 236: Jacksonville Jaguars: DE Myles Cole — Texas Tech

No. 237: Cincinnati Bengals: OC Matt Lee — Miami

No. 238: Houston Texans (from New Orleans): EDGE Solomon Byrd — USC

No. 239: New Orleans Saints (from L.A. Rams through Denver):OT Josiah Ezirim — Eastern Kentucky

No. 240: Carolina Panthers (from Pittsburgh): LB Michael Barrett — Michigan

No. 241: Miami Dolphins: WR Tahj Washington — USC

No. 242: Tennessee Titans (from Philadelphia): SAF James Williams — Miami

No. 243: Cleveland Browns: DT Jowon Briggs — Cincinnati

No. 244: Dallas Cowboys: DT Justin Rogers — Auburn

No. 245: Green Bay Packers: QB Michael Pratt — Tulane

No. 246: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TE Devin Culp — Washington

No. 247: Houston Texans: DT Marcus Harris — Auburn

No. 248: Kansas City Chiefs via trade with Buffalo Bills: OL C.J. Hanson — Holy Cross

No. 249: Houston Texans via trade with Detroit Lions: OG LaDarius Henderson — Michigan

No. 250: Baltimore Ravens: SAF Sanoussi Kane — Purdue

No. 251: San Francisco 49ers: LB Tatum Bethune — Florida State

No. 252: Tennessee Titans (from Kansas City): EDGE Jaylen Harrell — Michigan

No. 253: Los Angeles Chargers (Compensatory Selection): WR Cornelius Johnson — Michigan

No. 254: Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection): OG KT Leveston — Kansas State

No. 255: Green Bay Packers (Compensatory Selection): CB Kalen King — Penn State

No. 256 Denver Broncos (from N.Y. Jets; Compensatory Selection): OC Nick Gargiulo — South Carolina

No. 257: New York Jets (Compensatory Selection): DB Jaylen Key — Alabama

The post Round 3 Recap: 2024 NFL Draft appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The 2024 NFL Draft continued Friday with the second and third rounds picking through No. 100 overall. It began with wide receivers Keon Coleman of Florida State and Georgia’s Ladd McConkey going back to back at Nos. 33-34 to the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively, and ended with Rice’s Luke McCaffrey being picked by the Washington Commanders. No quarterbacks were selected after six went in the first round on Thursday.

READ: No. 1 pick Caleb Williams says he wants to be part of ‘a big portion’ of winning with Chicago Bears after NFL Draft

More than 150,000 fans attended the draft on Thursday, and all 32 picks are listed in First Round Live Reaction: 2024 NFL Draft.

Michigan men go back-to-back in second round; Jim Harbaugh takes Los Angeles’ first Wolverine in third

Defending national champion Michigan sent an NFL Scouting Combine-record 18 participants to Indianapolis earlier this offseason.

Michigan saw six players drafted in the second and third rounds, bringing its total to seven so far this draft after quarterback J.J. McCarthy went No. 10 overall to the Minnesota Vikings.

READ: ‘Adversity teaches a man a lot about himself’: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. pens letter to NFL GMs in Players Tribune

Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was the second Wolverine picked in the draft when he went No. 49 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round. He began back-to-back selections of former Michigan players as cornerback Mike Sainristil went next at No. 50 overall.

New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh drafted his first former Wolverine when he chose linebacker Junior Colson in the third round at No. 69 overall.

The crosstown rival Los Angeles Rams selected former Michigan running back Blake Corum at No. 83 overall in the third round. He started a string of three-straight Wolverines drafted when wide receiver Roman Wilson went No. 84 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers and guard Zak Zinter was picked No. 85 overall by the Cleveland Browns.

Harbaugh broke out in song among Chargers personnel during the draft in a video posted on X.

Kirby Smart shouts out drafted Bulldogs

Georgia continued its streak of at least six Bulldogs picked in every draft since 2018.

READ: Florida State’s Braden Fiske motivated by ‘huge impact’ leading up to NFL Draft

Four more of head coach Kirby Smart’s former players heard their names called in Detroit: McConkey and defensive backs Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith.

Smart shouted each of the four Bulldog draftees on Friday, as he did Thursday for former tight end Brock Bowers and tackle Amarius Mims.

About McConkey, Smart posted: “Congrats @laddmcconkey02 !! So excited to watch you be a part of the @chargers. You’re such a great young man & I’m thankful for your time in Athens. You meant so much to this team, school & community. Always grateful for your impact on this program. GO DAWGS !!”

Of Lassiter, Smart posted: “Another Dawg off the board @kamari_lassiter!! You were such a good player, teammate and leader for this program, and I am so thankful for your impact. The @houstontexans are going to get a great player for their defense. I know you’ll represent us the right way and you’ll be very successful.  Enjoy this moment! GO DAWGS!!”

Of Bullard, Smart posted: “Bull to Green Bay!! @cravejaaye I know you’ve worked really hard for this & so happy you were able to reach your goals and more. You have a bright future & I’m proud of you. The @packers are getting a great player and an even better person. I hope you can come back to Athens sometime this fall. GO DAWGS !!”

Of Smith, Smart posted: “Let’s go @TykSmith!! Can’t wait to see what you do in Tampa Bay. You’re such a great player, leader and person and I am so happy for you that your dreams are becoming a reality. Soak in this moment with your family! Thanks for all you’ve done & GO DAWGS!!”

READ: Jayden Daniels says he’ll ‘be ready’ for NFL after LSU Pro Day

2024 NFL Draft results

Here are the full results from rounds two and three of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Second round

No. 33: Buffalo Bills via trade with Carolina Panthers: WR Keon Coleman — Florida State

No. 34: Los Angeles Chargers via trade with New England Patriots: WR Ladd McConkey — Georgia

No. 35: Atlanta Falcons via trade with Arizona Cardinals: DT Ruke Orhorhoro — Clemson

No. 36: Washington Commanders: DT Jer’Zhan Newton — Illinois

No. 37: New England Patriots via trade with Los Angeles Chargers: WR Ja’Lynn Polk — Washington

No. 38: Tennessee Titans: DT T’Vondre Sweat — Texas

No. 39: Los Angeles Rams via trade with Carolina Panthers (from N.Y. Giants): DT Braden Fiske — Florida State

No. 40: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with Washington Commanders (from Chicago): CB Cooper DeJean — Iowa

No. 41: New Orleans Saints via trade with Green Bay Packers (from N.Y. Jets): CB Kool-Aid McKinstry — Alabama

No. 42: Houston Texans (from Minnesota): CB Kamari Lassiter — Georgia

No. 43: Arizona Cardinals via trade with Atlanta Falcons: CB Max Melton — Rutgers

No. 44: Las Vegas Raiders: OC Jackson Powers-Johnson — Oregon

No. 45: Green Bay Packers via trade with New Orleans Saints (from Denver): LB Edgerrin Cooper — Texas A&M

No. 46: Carolina Panthers via trade with Indianapolis Colts: RB Jonathon Brooks — Texas

No. 47: New York Giants (from Seattle): SAF Tyler Nubin — Minnesota

No. 48: Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Maason Smith — LSU

No. 49: Cincinnati Bengals: DT Kris Jenkins — Michigan

No. 50: Washington Commanders via trade with Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans): CB Mike Sainristil — Michigan

No. 51: Pittsburgh Steelers: OC Zach Frazier — West Virginia

No. 52: Indianapolis Colts via trade with Los Angeles Rams: WR Adonai Mitchell — Texas

No. 53: Washington Commanders via trade with Philadelphia Eagles: TE Ben Sinnott — Kansas State

No. 54: Cleveland Browns: DT Michael Hall Jr. — Ohio State

No. 55: Miami Dolphins: OT Patrick Paul — Houston

No. 56: Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Marshawn Kneeland — Western Michigan

No. 57: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Chris Braswell — Alabama

No. 58: Green Bay Packers: SAF Javon Bullard — Georgia

No. 59: Houston Texans: OT Blake Fisher — Notre Dame

No. 60: Buffalo Bills: SAF Cole Bishop — Utah

No. 61: Detroit Lions: CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. — Missouri

No. 62: Baltimore Ravens: OT Roger Rosengarten — Washington

No. 63: Kansas City Chiefs via trade with San Francisco 49ers: OT Kingsley Suamataia — BYU

No. 64: San Francisco 49ers via trade with Kansas City Chiefs: CB Renardo Green — Florida State

Third round

No. 65: New York Jets via trade with Carolina Panthers: WR Malachi Corley — Western Kentucky

No. 66: Arizona Cardinals: RB Trey Benson — Florida State

No. 67: Washington Commanders: OG Brandon Coleman — TCU

No. 68: New England Patriots: OT Caedan Wallace — Penn State

No. 69: Los Angeles Chargers: LB Junior Colson — Michigan

No. 70: New York Giants: CB Andru Phillips — Kentucky

No. 71: Arizona Cardinals (from Tennessee): OG Isaiah Adams — Illinois

No. 72: Carolina Panthers via trade with New York Jets: LB Trevin Wallace — Kentucky

No. 73: Dallas Cowboys via trade with Detroit Lions (from Minnesota): OG Cooper Beebe — Kansas State

No. 74: Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Bralen Trice — Washington

No. 75: Chicago Bears: OT Kiran Amegadjie — Yale

No. 76: Denver Broncos: EDGE Jonah Elliss — Utah

No. 77: Las Vegas Raiders: OT Delmar Glaze — Maryland

No. 78: Houston Texans via trade with Washington Commanders (from Seattle): SAF Calen Bullock — USC

No. 79: Atlanta Falcons (from Jacksonville): OT Matt Goncalves — Pittsburgh

No. 80: Cincinnati Bengals: WR Jermaine Burton — Alabama

No. 81: Seattle Seahawks (from New Orleans through Denver): OG Christian Haynes — UConn

No. 82: Arizona Cardinals via trade with Indianapolis Colts: TE Tip Reiman — Illinois

No. 83: Los Angeles Rams: RB Blake Corum — Michigan

No. 84: Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Roman Wilson — Michigan

No. 85: Cleveland Browns: OG Zak Zinter — Michigan

No. 86: San Francisco 49ers via trade with Houston Texans (from Philadelphia): OG Dominick Puni — Kansas

No. 87: Dallas Cowboys: LB Marist Liufau — Notre Dame

No. 88: Green Bay Packers: RB MarShawn Lloyd — USC

No. 89: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: SAF Tykee Smith — Georgia

No. 90: Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): CB Elijah Jones — Boston College

No. 91: Green Bay Packers (from Buffalo): LB Ty’Ron Hopper — Missouri

No. 92: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Detroit): WR Jalen McMillan — Washington

No. 93: Baltimore Ravens: EDGE Adisa Isaac — Penn State

No. 94: Philadelphia Eagles via trade with San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Jalyx Hunt — Houston Christian University

No. 95: Buffalo Bills via trade with Kansas City Chiefs: DT DeWayne Carter — Duke

No. 96: Jacksonville Jaguars (Compensatory Selection): CB Jarrian Jones — Florida State

No. 97: Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory Selection): DT McKinnley Jackson — Texas A&M

No. 98: Pittsburgh Steelers (from Philadelphia; Compensatory Selection): LB Payton Wilson — NC State

No. 99: Los Angeles Rams (Special Compensatory Selection): SAF Kamren Kinchens — Miami

No. 100: Washington Commanders (from San Francisco; Special Compensatory Selection): WR Luke McCaffrey — Rice

The post Notes and Reaction: Rounds 2-3 of 2024 NFL Draft appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Texas is coming off its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, and head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are working to return to the postseason amid their move to the Southeastern Conference.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns held their annual Orange-White Game on Saturday, splitting the team into an intrasquad scrimmage and seeing Team Orange win 35-34 over Team White. Between their 37-31 defeat to Washington in the Sugar Bowl, managing roster construction and building during spring practice, Sarkisian said the Longhorns have looked for their identity for the 2024 season.

READ: Former Trojans WR Mike Williams joins USC as Director of Player Development

“Between a lot of these mid-year high school kids and the transfers that showed up in the program, we had to kind of recreate ourselves this spring,” Sarkisian said. “And I thought that the buy-in was there. I would say this, like, our practices were really competitive. And they were hard. And they were tough, and they were physical. But yet, they really were working with one another to try to get better, and to me that that sets us up for June. As you guys know, in June and July, we do a ton of culture work and that’s when we really start on that stuff. But man, I feel like we’ve almost got a head start on that because of the way they competed in spring.”

READ: NCAA penalizes Arizona State for ‘impermissible in-person recruiting contacts’

Texas took in several transfers since the offseason began, including Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond. He impressed with 98 receiving yards across three catches, including a 75-yard touchdown thrown by redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning. Bond, entering his junior year, caught 888 yards and five touchdowns with the Crimson Tide, and he figures to be a weapon for Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Ewers played two series, and senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins returned a tipped pass 32 yards for a touchdown when Ewers was in the game. Texas’ returning third-year starting quarterback said gaining chemistry with new receivers was among his top priorities this spring.

“Some of the goals were obviously just needed to get to know those guys — a bunch of new faces in that room — and be able to connect on the field and even off the field,” Ewers said. “But I think as a whole that whole room did a great job of coming in this entire spring and really trying to put their head down whether that’d be learning the offense for some of these guys or continue to work on their routes for the guys that do know the offense and just come out each day. And again, just put their head down and go to work, so proud of those guys for that.”

Wide receivers senior Thatcher Milton had a 50-yard receiving touchdown, sophomore DeAndre Moore Jr. had 93 receiving yards and a touchdown, and freshman Ryan Wingo scored on a 56-yard touchdown.

READ: NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves ‘optional technology rules’ for 2024 season

Manning shined in the spring game. By halftime he’d gone 11-for-13 with 190 passing yards and two touchdowns eventually finishing with 335 yards and three scores.

“The biggest thing I saw from Arch was something that we kind of really harped on with him about a week and a half ago about just dialing into playing the play, keeping your eyes up, and I think I talked about this last week: when he gets himself in trouble at times at quarterback is when he relies on his athleticism, which he has a ton of and he can do, and there’s times today I blew the whistle on him,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t know if he was really happy with me that I blew it, but he’s noncontact. But when he keeps his eyes up and steps up in the pocket, and he can deliver those balls down the field the way we’d like to play. And so it was good to see and was good to see some of the guys around him play with him the way that they did.”

The Longhorns will begin summer workouts until the start of fall camp in August. They’re looking forward to opening the season against Colorado State at home on Aug. 31.

Texas will have an interesting schedule its first year in the Southeastern Conference. Sarkisian and the Longhorns will host Florida, Georgia and Kentucky, and they’ll travel to Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

READ: Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada announces transfer

The summer yields vital results when players focus on continuing their progress from the spring. Sarkisian said he’ll hold exit meetings with each player who’ll also meet with their position coaches. Sarkisian listed the defensive line and secondary among the areas he hopes the Longhorns can address this summer — as well as getting Texas back to the Playoff.

“What excited me today is that playmakers made plays, and that’s something that you try to recruit to, and how do playmakers make plays? You got to be effective at the line of scrimmage, right?” Sarkisian said. “I think that that we’ve got a lot of talent. We’ve got — there’s a lot of playmakers. We play a physical brand of football. But more importantly, I like the kind of energy of this team. They’re in it together, and they want to be really good. And when you as a coach, when you have a team that’s motivated to shoot towards a goal like you are, that’s what makes it exciting to come in every day and to tap into them and go to work.”

The post Steve Sarkisian says Longhorns had to ‘recreate ourselves this spring’ after Orange-White Game appeared first on Saturday Glory.

UCF defensive end Josh Celiscar posted on social media Monday committing to Mike Elko and the Aggies. Celiscar spent the 2023 season with the Knights and played in all 13 games totaling 47 tackles, sixth most on the team.

READ: Florida State’s Braden Fiske motivated by ‘huge impact’ leading up to NFL Draft

READ: Michael Penix Jr. set out to ‘write my own narrative’ at Washington Pro Day

Celiscar spent each of the past four years at UCF developing into a two-time captain along the D-line. He had a breakout year in 2022 earning Honorable Mention All-American Athletic Conference recognition after posting career-highs three sacks and 54 tackles including 8.5 for loss.

Celiscar has 156 tackles in his career across 50 games, including 39 starts, and 24.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, five forced fumbles and three passes defended.

Elko will have a veteran presence guiding the defensive front in his first year in College Station. He made the move from Duke after former Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher was dismissed last season.

The post UCF’s Josh Celiscar announces transfer to Texas A&M appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The SEC announced its 2025 football scheduling format on Wednesday and revealed that each team “will play eight conference games plus one required opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or major independent” much like in the upcoming 2024 season.

READ: Reports: Alabama DB Kool-Aid McKinstry runs 40 with Jones fracture in foot at Pro Day

2024 will be a major year for the SEC. It will be the first with Oklahoma and Texas joining the conference from the Big 12, and it will also be the first year that the conference does away with divisions.

“We continue to monitor changes across college sports as they relate to future scheduling,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey stated in a release. “Continuing with our current format for the 2025 season provides additional time to understand the impact of the changes happening around us as we determine the appropriate long-term plan for SEC football scheduling.”

The SEC Presidents and Chancellors followed a recommendation from conference athletics directors and approved the 2025 schedule format, according to a release.

READ: Miami lands four-star running back

Sankey and the SEC formatted it in a way that teams will play the same opponents in 2024 that they will in 2025, only the site will be changed to ensure “equal home and away competition over the course of the two seasons,” according to a release.

The SEC’s full schedule “will be announced at a later time,” according to a release.

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Nebraska interim university president Chris Kabourek announced the hiring less than a week after previous athletics director Trev Alberts departed for Texas A&M.

READ: CFP, ESPN reach new media rights agreement

“Joining the Nebraska family is truly an honor,” Dannen stated in a release. “My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to be part of such a proud athletics program, institution, community and state. Growing up in Iowa, I watched a lot of Nebraska football on Saturdays with my family. I’ve spent a lot of time in the state and I’ve found that we share a similar approach to life, work and sports: Work hard, stay humble, compete and expect to win. There is a storied tradition at Nebraska, but more work to be done. I truly believe our best years are ahead of us. I couldn’t be more grateful to Interim President Chris Kabourek for this opportunity. Chris has championed an inspiring vision for excellence across the University of Nebraska and he and I are completely aligned on where Nebraska needs to go in the future. I look forward to doing my part to helping Nebraska win championships across the board, graduate our student-athletes and elevate the world-class reputation of the University of Nebraska. I can’t wait to arrive in Nebraska and get to work.”

Dannen was originally appointed Huskies athletics director in October 2023. He made the move from Tulane where he led an overhaul of the program.

Dannen had been athletics director at Tulane since 2015. He was part of the program when it reached three-consecutive bowl games from 2018-20 and won two straight.

READ: Reports: NCAA issues waiver increasing preseason roster size for 2024

Dannen was also in charge when Green Wave student-athletes earned a record-setting department Academic Progress Report of 992, according to a release.

Under Dannen’s guidance, Tulane secured “the largest unrestricted gift in Tulane Athletics history, an endowment gift which funds the operation of a new sport (sailing), and a $10 million lead gift for capital renovations, which is the second largest gift in department history,” according to a release.

“From my first conversation with Troy Dannen, I knew he was a perfect fit for Nebraska,” Kabourek stated in a release. “He is a fierce competitor, he holds himself and his programs to uncommonly high standards, and he cares personally about the success of student-athletes in sports, school and life. Troy sees the vision and momentum we have here at Nebraska, from our bold investments in facilities to our record success in the classroom to our bold plan to elevate our national reputation and competitiveness, and he is excited to be a part of it. I am thrilled that we’ve found someone who is 100% aligned with our high expectations and will be all-in on Nebraska. Husker Nation, we’ve found a winner in Troy Dannen. I can’t wait to welcome him and his family to Nebraska.”

READ: Reports: CFP deal extended through 2031 by conference commissioners, Notre Dame

Dannen previously served as director of athletics at Northern Iowa from 2008-15. Before that he was the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s Executive Director for seven years.

“I’m so fired up about this hire,” Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said. “Interim President Kabourek has found exactly the right person to lead the Huskers forward. Troy sees what we see – that Nebraska is a special place, with special people, a great vision and the courage to be unabashed about wanting to win across the board. The fact that someone of Troy’s caliber wants to join Team Nebraska will light a fire across our entire department. Let’s go!”

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Alberts will take over for former Aggies athletics director Ross Bjork, who took the same role at Ohio State in January.

READ: Sen. Ted Cruz says ‘clock is running’ for Congress to pass college athletics legislation at NIL roundtable

“From my perspective, there has never been a more consequential time in history for higher education and the evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics,” Alberts stated in a release. “Leadership matters now more than ever before. My interest in Texas A&M is not only due to its prestigious reputation but also because of President (Mark A.) Welsh’s compelling vision in which, I believe, Athletics can play a small but important role in helping Texas A&M achieve unprecedented success.”

According to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Alberts is “expected to get a five-year deal with Texas A&M that will put him near the top of the SEC and among the top 10 athletic directors nationally in terms of salary.”

Alberts had a long history at Nebraska — his alma mater. There he’d been AD since 2021, and his Cornhusker roots dig deeper than that.

Alberts was the No. 5 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft from Nebraska, and he turned in a three-year professional career.

READ: Reports: Xavier Worthy’s Combine cleats, jersey to be displayed in Pro Football Hall of Fame

Texas A&M’s new athletics director also has a lengthy history as a broadcaster and has stints with CNN, Sports Illustrated and as an analyst for ESPN’s College GameDay.

Alberts was athletics director at University of Nebraska at Omaha from 2009-21 where he led the transition from Division II to Division I.

At Nebraska, Alberts and the Cornhuskers saw a school-record 95% graduation rate across all sports for the past two years according to a release. Alberts also secured a $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium that will begin later this fall and oversaw a 15-year multimedia rights agreement valued at $301 million.

“With Trev’s expertise, the Aggies are poised to not only excel on the fields, tracks and courts, but also successfully navigate the multi-faceted intersection of sports, commerce and student-athlete empowerment,” Welsh stated in a release. “He has a profound understanding of the intricate business of athletics and the evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly in the realm of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).”

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EA Sports announced Monday on social media that “10,000+” student-athletes “are in the game.” It was announced in February that any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of “College Football 25.”

READ: 5 takeaways from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine 

“10k and counting… pretty pretttyyy good,” @EASPORTSCollege posted on X.

All 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools will be available to play in the new video game.

READ: Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks 40-yard dash record with 4.21 time at NFL Combine

ESPN broadcasters such as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit will make up “the voices” of “College Football 25.”

If a player doesn’t opt into the “College Football 25” video game, then “a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school” will be created by EA Sports, according to ESPN.

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This year, record-breaking runs and jumps took center stage, all the while spiral passes were aplenty and many an NFL executive likely left with new impressions on some of their future players. 

READ: Pitt WR Bub Means looks to gain momentum from NFL Combine

Widely projected No. 1 overall pick USC quarterback Caleb Williams was among the biggest talking points of the combine. Williams chose not to take part in measurements and on-field workouts, instead opting to share medical information with specific teams interested in drafting him, and he did take the podium for a media session. 

Also absent from the combine was Biletnikoff Award winner and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He’ll likely compete at the Buckeyes Pro Day on March 20. 

The NFL Draft is less than two months away beginning April 25 in Detroit. Here are five takeaways from this year’s combine. 

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy breaks records. Could he climb the draft board? 

John Ross’ previous combine 40-yard dash record has been broken. 

It took Texas wide receiver Xaver Worthy two tries before he earned the crown of fastest 40 time in combine history. Worthy blazed his way to a 4.21 official time, topping Ross’ best by 0.01 seconds. 

So now, how does this affect Worthy’s draft positioning? According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects, Worthy is No. 41 among top players expected to be taken in April’s NFL Draft. 

Ross went No. 9 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft. Worthy might not be selected that high while competing against other receivers such as Harrison, LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze for who takes WR1 this draft, but his 40-yard dash time will certainly draw interest from NFL teams. 

Worthy finished second in the Big 12 Conference with 1,014 receiving yards and third with 75 receptions. He added five touchdown receptions. 

Could a defensive back make a surprise early selection? 

Every year since the 2020 NFL Draft, a defensive back has been selected within the top 10 picks. 

READ: Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks 40-yard dash record with 4.21 time at NFL Combine

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50draft-eligible prospects, the highest ranked defensive back is Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold at No. 9. 

Arnold had a strong combine performance in Indianapolis. He scored a 90 on the production rating to place first among cornerbacks, according to NFL.com. 

Arnold ran a 4.5 40 and leapt to a 10-foot, nine-inch broad jump and 37-inch vertical. He led the Southeastern Conference with 17 passes defended and tied for first with five interceptions last season. 

Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins also impressed with his speed. He ran a 4.28 40, fastest among cornerbacks, but felt a pop in his groin and dealt with injury. 

Among other combine standouts in the secondary were Utah safety Cole Bishop and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Bishop ran a 4.45 40, fifth-fastest among safeties, and Mitchell led with 20 reps on the bench press. 

Each year it seems a defensive back rises the draft board and hears his name called earlier than expected. The 2024 NFL Draft might not be much different for teams looking to upgrade their secondary. 

Which lineman saw his draft value rise most? 

Sometimes, the game is won in the trenches. 

Defensive linemen kicked off the combine on Thursday and offensive linemen wrapped up the event on Sunday. Plenty of players stood out along the line of scrimmage and during on-field workouts, leading to eyebrow-raising evaluations for some. 

Penn State tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Georgia’s Amarius Mims didn’t compete fully due to injuries. Fashanu suffered a right thigh injury, while Mims had a right hamstring injury, according to Stacey Dales of NFL Network. Both are projected to be among the top offensive linemen taken in the draft. 

READ: Alabama WR Jermaine Burton ready to ‘bring the same intensity and energy’ on Saturdays to NFL Combine

Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini might be one lineman who saw his value rise most. Bortolini ran a 4.94 40, which was the second-fastest time among offensive linemen, and his 99 athleticism score was first among centers according to NFL.com. 

Who might’ve rose most along the defensive line? Well, one wouldn’t have to look much further than the South. 

Florida State’s Braden Fiske and Texas’ Byron Murphy II clamored some of the most buzz on Day 1 of the combine. Both defensive tackles placed among the top-three at their position in the 40, running 4.87 or better, while Fiske led with a 33.5-inch vertical, 9-foot, nine-inch broad jump and 4.37 shuttle run. 

Murphy had top-five finishes in the 10-yard split, vertical and on the bench. The DeSoto, Texas, native had 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season. 

For teams looking to take an anchor along the line this draft, they’ll have some viable options to choose from. 

Longhorns likely a strong combine winner 

Perhaps no other college program had a better combine than Texas. 

Murphy opened some eyes during defensive tackle drills, and his teammate and Outland Trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat was expected to lead in his group as well. 

Sweat ran a 5.27 40 with a 1.8-second 10-yard split, and he also jumped 26 inches on the vertical and 8-feet, 2-inches on the broad jump. His production score was fourth among defensive tackles according to NFL.com. 

READ: Arizona WR Jacob Cowing hopes to impress at NFL Combine

In addition to the defensive line standouts was Worthy, who broke the record for fastest 40 time with a 4.21 clock. 

Texas had 11 participants in the combine this year: Murphy, Sweat, Worthy, running backs Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson, wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, offensive lineman Christian Jones, linebacker Jaylan Ford and defensive back Ryan Watts. 

The Longhorns went 12-2 last season and won the Big 12, advancing to their first College Football Playoff appearance under third-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. They’ll return quarterback Quinn Ewers for his senior season. 

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects, Murphy is the highest projected at No. 22. Mitchell is close behind at No. 33. 

All eyes are on USC’s Caleb Williams and LSU’s Jayden Daniels 

The combine this year didn’t get to see a pair of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks throw on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. 

But the beat goes on. 2022 Heisman winner Williams will have the chance to throw at the Trojans’ Pro Day on March 20, and LSU quarterback and last season’s Heisman recipient Jayden Daniels will throw at his Pro Day on March 27. 

Williams said it was a team decision for him not to take part in measurements and on-field workouts, and Daniels spoke similarly while both met with numerous NFL teams. 

Williams is No. 1 and Daniels is No. 6 — one spot behind North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at No. 5 — according to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects list. 

READ: Oregon State WR Anthony Gould wants to ‘give the scouts a reason to cut up my tape’ at NFL Combine

The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, and they have an interesting situation to address with starter Justin Fields. The Bears have been tied to Williams plenty this draft cycle, while rumors swirl about Daniels being picked as early as No. 2 to the Washington Commanders or No. 3 to the New England Patriots. 

Much is left to be determined between now and the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. Both Williams and Daniels will throw at their pro days and continue to meet with NFL teams. 

But the race for the No. 1 pick is on. 

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