CFW Week 0 Forecast - Irish coffee for breakfast

 CFW Week O Forecast – Irish coffee for breakfast

‘These are the good old days’

 

“Anticipation, anticipation.”

 

It’s only appropriate to say that this week is the prelude to the college football season. It’s the appetizer before the entre. It’s the calm before the storm. It’s Week 0.

 

The traditional and official start of the college football season is Labor Day Weekend. Labor Day Weekend is Week 1. That’s when everybody plays. But several years ago, a handful of games, usually five or six, began appearing on the weekend before Labor Day Weekend. They had to give the week a name. Maybe because most of the five or six games were zero games, they called it Week 0. No, not really.

 

“Anticipation, anticipation

Is making me late

Is keeping me waiting”

 

But, what else are you going to call the week before Week 1? It’s Week 0. Although looking at this week’s slate of games, maybe it should be Weak 0.

 

That’s not quite true. One of this week’s games matches two Top 25 teams. And it so happens that it is the game being played in Dublin, Ireland. The Dublin-based game – known as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic – has become a tradition of Week 0. Who can forget last year’s game? Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired. Georgia Tech upset Florida State, 24-21. Talk about luck of the Yellow Jackets.

 

This year at the 47,988-seat Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road in Dublin, Ireland, it’s #17 Kansas State vs. #22 Iowa State. I’d say, that’s a pretty good matchup. And it’s the first game of the day – 12 noon EST, Saturday on ESPN.

 

“We can never know about the games to come

But we think about them anyway”

 

Another good matchup Saturday takes place in Lawrence, Kansas – the Fresno State Bulldogs take on the Kansas Jayhawks. These aren’t Top 20 teams, but both Fresno State and Kansas have potential. The game is at 6:30 pm ET on FOX.

 

Then there are the three Weak 0 games. Two are on TV and one isn’t. The two TV games are Sam Houston at Western Kentucky, 7 pm ET on CBSSN, and Stanford at Hawaii, 7:30 pm ET on CBS. The one game that isn’t being televised is Idaho State at UNLV, 4 pm ET. The Idaho State-UNLV game marks the return of former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen. Mullen is the new head coach at UNLV.

 

By the way, next year, the Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland, will match TCU against North Carolina. And in 2027, it will be Pitt vs. Wisconsin.

 

“And I wonder if I’m really with it now

Or just chasing after some finer day”

 

 

We haven’t even expanded to a 14 or 16-team College Football Playoff, and already the Big Ten Conference is floating the idea of a 24 or 28-team CFP. And wouldn’t you know it; the Big Ten wants to be guaranteed seven automatic spots in the 28-team playoff; six automatic spots in the 24-team playoff. The Big Ten really does suffer from an inferiority complex.

 

In the delusional world of Tony Petitti, the Big Ten and SEC would be guaranteed seven spots each in the 28-team format (six spots each in the 24-team format). The ACC and Big 12 would be guaranteed five spots each in the 28-team format (four spots each in the 24-team format). The Group of Five teams would be guaranteed two spots in both the 24 and 28-team formats. They would be the two highest-ranked Group of Five teams. The remaining two spots in both formats would go to the next two highest-ranked teams, regardless of conference.

 

I would be vehemently opposed to expanding to anything more than 16 teams in the CFP. And the only automatic spot in the 16-team format should go to the highest-ranked Group of Five team. The other 15 spots should go to the highest ranked 15 teams, regardless of conference affiliation. A 24-team or 28-team playoff would all but destroy the importance of the regular season in college football. Not to mention that you would have a number of teams in the playoff that have no business being there.

 

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti has no background for and no appreciation for the college football game. Fortunately, reaction to the 24-team/28-team CFP from other conferences has been negative. Let’s hope it stays that way.

 

“So, I’ll try and see into your mind right now

And stay right here cause these are the good old days”

 

And speaking of the Big Ten, the NCAA finally handed down its long-awaited ruling in the Michigan sign-stealing saga. Basically, Michigan received severe financial punishment, but very little else. Michigan will pay fines totaling $30-35 million, maybe more. The money for the fines – to be paid over the next two years – will come from any post-season revenue that Michigan receives and from other football and athletic department revenue sources. The Wolverines have been placed on a four-year probation but will not be banned from participating in post-season bowl games. Michigan will not have to forfeit any victories, nor will the Wolverines have to relinquish their national championship crown. On an individual basis, former head coach Jim Harbaugh was hit with a 10-year show-cause penalty and assistant coach Connor Stations got an 8-year show-cause order. That says that Harbaugh and Stations have effectively been banned from any association with college sports for 10 and 8 years, respectively. Current Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore received a three-game suspension – two games this season and one game next season.

 

Effective July 1, 2026, Tennessee Tech will leave the Ohio Valley Conference and become a member of the Southern Conference.

 

“Anticipation, anticipation.”

 

Enjoy the prelude. Enjoy the appetizers. Enjoy the calm before the storm. The anticipation is growing for Labor Day Weekend.

 

“These are the good old days

These are the good old days”

 

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more. Slan libh.

  

Touchdown Tom

August 21, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

“Anticipation” is a song that was written and recorded by Carly Simon. It was the lead single and opening track on Simon’s 1971 album of the same name. The song peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the winter of 1972. Simon wrote the song on a guitar in 15 minutes, as she waited for Cat Stevens to pick her up for a date. The song was used in commercials for Heinz Ketchup in the late 1970s and early 1980s. My apologies for taking liberties with the lyrics.

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

Week 0’s Two Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…..and then none

 

1. #22 Iowa State vs. #17 Kansas State – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – This game is not only the season opener for both teams, but also, the opening conference game for both teams. That’s right. It’s a Big 12 vs. Big 12 encounter. Both teams have experienced solid quarterbacks. Iowa State is led by junior Rocco Becht. Kansas State counters with junior Avery Johnson. Becht is the better passer. Johnson is the better runner. Both teams have experienced running backs. For Iowa State, it is junior Carson Hansen. Kansas State has junior Dylan Edwards. Generally, these two teams have no problem scoring. It’s their defense that can be soft. Iowa State is under 10^th-year coach Matt Campbell. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman is in his 7^th year. So, here we go – the Cyclones vs. the Wildcats. There could be lots of points put on the scoreboard. Cy can’t hold his Jameson – Kansas State 30, Iowa State 27.

 

2. Fresno State at Kansas – (MWC vs. Big 12) – 6:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Kansas should win this game. But if the Jayhawks aren’t careful, Fresno State could cause some problems – serious problems. A lot depends on how Fresno State senior quarterback E.J. Warner plays. Fresno State is Warner’s third team. Last year he quarterbacked Rice. Two years ago, he was the quarterback at Temple. The son of former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, E.J. can be good. And when he’s good, he’s really, really good. But he can be bad – really bad. Kansas is set with senior quarterback Jalon Daniels and senior running back Daniel Hishaw. The experience is there. Daniels can pass and run. Fresno State is under first-year coach Matt Entz. Kansas is coached by Lance Leipold in his 5^th season. The Bulldogs get Rocked and Chalked – Kansas 27, Fresno State 17.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Coach Cignetti has had a lot of success everywhere he’s been. He’s an incredibly gifted coach,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema, on Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.

 

“I don’t know where he got that from. He texted me to apologize about that. I’m really just taking it day by day right now,” Texas quarterback Arch Manning, on his grandfather’s comment that he would not enter the NFL draft after this season. Archie Manning recently told reporters that his grandson would be back playing for Texas next season.

 

 

The Teams – 2025 (Touchdown Tom’s Consensus Top 40)

 

Every year, I record the results of all the legitimate preseason polls – AP, Coaches, CBS, ESPN, Sporting News, College Football News, Athlon, Lindy’s, Phil Steele, etc. etc. I then combine the results of the polls to produce a consensus agreement on the top teams. This year, I recorded the results of 15 preseason polls.

 

Here then are the combined results of those 15 polls – Touchdown Tom’s Consensus Top 40.

 

Drum roll please. The consensus of the polls says that (1) Texas is the No. 1 team in the country. The Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in eight of the 15 polls. None of the polls ranked Texas lower than 4^th. The strongest challenger to Texas was (2) Penn State. Just seven points behind Texas, the Nittany Lions were No. 1 in four of the polls. None of the polls ranked Penn State lower than 5^th.

 

The remainder of the Top 5 are (3) Ohio State, (4) Georgia and (5) Clemson. None of the polls ranked Ohio State No. 1, but Georgia was ranked No. 1 in one poll, while Clemson was 1^st in another poll. Clemson is followed by (6) Notre Dame and (7) Alabama. The Crimson Tide garnered the remaining No. 1 ranking. However, Alabama was ranked as low as 12th in one poll, while Notre Dame was ranked no lower than 8^th by any of the polls.

 

Th rest of the Top 10 are (8) Oregon, (9) LSU and (10) Miami. Among the Top 10 teams, four are from the SEC, three from the Big Ten, 2 from the ACC and one team is an Independent.

 

The second 10 is led by (11) Michigan, followed by (12) Florida, (13) Arizona State, (14) Texas A&M and (15) Illinois. Rounding out the Top 20 are (16) Oklahoma, (17) South Carolina, (18) Ole Miss, (19) SMU and (20) Indiana. Bringing up the bottom of the Top 25 are (21) Kansas State, (22) Tennessee, (23) Texas Tech, (24) Iowa State and (25) USC.

 

The Top 25 teams consist of 10 teams from the SEC, seven from the Big Ten, four from the Big 12, three from the ACC and one Independent. Closing out the Top 30 are (26) Utah, (27) Baylor (28) Louisville, (29) Boise State and (30) Iowa.

 

The final 10 in the Top 40 begins with a three-way tie (31) Auburn, (31) BYU and (31) Nebraska followed by  (34) Missouri and (35) Georgia Tech. The Top 40 is filled out by (36) TCU, (37) Washington, (38) Florida State, (39) Minnesota and (40) Pitt. That says the consensus Top 40 teams in the country represent 12 teams from the SEC, 11 from the Big Ten, 8 from the Big 12, seven from the ACC, one from the MWC and one Independent. Boise State was the only Group of Five team to break the Top 40.

 

Just missing the Top 40 were (41) Arkansas and (42) Duke.

 

Four of the five Group of Five conferences – AC, Sun Belt, MAC and C-USA – placed no teams in the Top 40. The highest ranked team from the American Conference is (44) Tulane. From the Sun Belt Conference, it is (60) James Madison. The highest ranked team from the Mid-American Conference is (61) Toledo, and from Conference USA is (71) Liberty.

 

And that’s Touchdown Tom’s Consensus Top 40 for 2025.

 

 

The next posting of College Football Week – CFW Week 0 Results – will be released Monday morning, August 25.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

CFW Preseason 2025 - The Top Running Backs and Other Positions

 CFW Preseason 2025 – The Top Running Backs and Other Positions

When it comes to running backs,

Penn State loaded with a dynamic duo

 

Teams playing Penn State this season better be prepared for a one-two punch on the ground. If Nicholas Singleton doesn’t rack up yards, running the ball down your throat, then Kaytron Allen will – or vice versa. One or the other, or both, will dazzle you. Simply put, they will overpower you.

 

Singleton is a Pennsylvania native, from Shillington, Pennsylvania. Allen was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. But he went to high school at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

 

Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Oregon, Louisville, Baylor, Kansas State, Boise State and Navy have strong running back tandems, but none compare with Penn State.

 

 

The Running Backs – 2025

 

At preseason, there are four running backs receiving most of the love. They are Penn State senior Nicholas Singleton (6-0, 220), Notre Dame junior Jeremiah Love (6-0, 212), Pitt senior Desmond Reid (5-8, 175) and Oregon junior Makhi Hughes (5-11, 210).

 

Last year, Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards, averaging 6.4 yards a carry. He scored 12 touchdowns. Love rushed for 1,125 yards, scoring 17 touchdowns. He averaged 6.9 yards a carry.

 

Reid rushed for 962 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Hughes transferred to Oregon from Tulane during the offseason. Last year with the Green Wave, he rushed for 1,401 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns. He averaged 100 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.

 

 

ACC

 

Behind Pitt’s Desmond Reid, the ACC has four more good running backs led by Louisville sophomore Isaac Brown (5-9, 190). Last year, Brown rushed for 1,173 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Following Brown is Georgia Tech senior Jamal Haynes (5-9, 190). He rushed for 994 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

 

Two more running backs to keep an eye on in the ACC this season are NC State sophomore Hollywood Smothers (5-11, 185) and Miami junior Mark Fletcher (6-2, 225).

 

 

Big 12

 

The best running back in the Big 12 in 2025 appears to be Baylor sophomore Bryson Wahington (6-0, 203). Last season, Washington rushed for 1,028 yards, averaging 5.9 yards a carry.

 

Two more outstanding backs are Kansas State junior Dylan Edwards (5-9, 167) and West Virginia junior Jahiem White (5-7, 190). In 2024, Edwards averaged 7.4 yards per carry, while White averaged 5.7 yards.

 

Three other quality running backs in the Big 12 are BYU junior L.J. Martin (6-2, 220), Iowa State junior Carson Hansen (6-2, 220) and Kansas senior Daniel Hishaw (5-10, 220).

 

 

Big Ten

 

Along with Oregon’s Makhi Hughes and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton, the best running back in the Big Ten is Penn State senior Kaytron Allen (5-11, 225). Last year, Allen runed for 1,108 yards. Washington senior Jonah Coleman (5-9, 225) follows Allen. Coleman rushed for 1,053 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

 

Three more good Big Ten running backs are Minnesota junior Darius Taylor (6-0, 215), Michigan junior Justice Haynes (5-11, 205) and Northwestern senior Cam Porter (5-10, 213). Last season Taylor rushed for 986 yards.

 

 

SEC

 

Two of the best running backs in the SEC are out of the Lone Star state – Texas junior Quintrevion Wisner and Texas A&M senior LeVeon Moss. In 2024, Wisner rushed for 1,064 yards, while Moss averaged 6.3 yards per carry.

 

Oklahoma has an outstanding runner in junior Jaydn Ott (6-1, 224). Ott transferred to OU from California during the offseason.

 

Four ore running backs to keep an eye on in the SEC are Georgia sophomore Nate Frazier (5-10, 205), LSU sophomore Caden Durham (5-9, 204), Alabama senior Jam Miller (5-10, 220) and Missouri sophomore Ahmad Hardy (5-10, 210).

 

 

AC

 

Navy’s running game is set with two of the best running backs in the AC – senior Alex Tecza (6-0, 204) and senior Eli Heidenreich (6-0, 201). UTSA has a solid runner in senior Robert Henry (5-9, 205).

 

Three other outstanding running backs in the AC are Tulane junior Maurice Turner (5-10, 190), Temple senior Jay Ducker (5-10, 195) and South Florida senior Cartevious Norton (5-11, 225).

 

 

C-USA

 

In C-USA, Liberty is looking good with two of the best running backs in the conference – sophomore Vaughn Blue (5-11, 195) and senior Julian Gray (5-11, 195).

 

Three other good runners to keep an eye on in C-USA are Delaware senior Jo’Nathan Silver (5-10, 200), Jacksonville State junior Cam Cook (5-11, 195) and Missouri State senior Shomari Lawrence (6-0, 207).

 

 

MAC

 

The best running back in the MAC is Buffalo senior Al-Jay Henderson (6-0, 210). Last year, Henderson rushed for 1,078 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

 

Th other top running backs in the MAC are Ohio senior Seth Bangura (6-0, 210), Toledo senior Chip Trayanum (5-11, 227) and Western Michigan junior Jalen Buckley (5-11, 210).

 

 

MWC

 

In the MWC, Boise State is loaded at the running back position with not one but two great backs. They are freshman Sire Gaines (6-1, 225) and senior Malik Sherrod (5-8, 177).

 

The best back in the MWC may be UNLV junior Jai’Den Thomas (5-9, 180). Last season, Thomas rushed for 918 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

 

Three additional quality running backs in the MWC are New Mexico junior Scottre Humphrey (5-10, 201), Air Force senior Dylan Carson (6-0, 215) and Nevada sophomore Herschel Turner (5-9, 190).

 

 

Sun Belt

 

James Madison is stacked with two of the best runners in the Sun Belt Conference. They are junior George Pettaway (5-10, 199) and senor Ayo Adeyi (5-8, 193). In 2024, Pettaway rushed for 980 yards, averaging 6.0 yards a carry.

 

Two remaining strong running backs in the Sun Belt are South Alabama senior Kentrel Bullock (5-10, 203) and Texas State senior Lincoln Pare (5-9, 200).

 

 

Independents

 

Among the Independents, Notre Dame not only has Jeremiah Love, but also, the Irish have junior running back Jadarian Price (5-11, 209). Last year Price averaged 6.2 per carry.

 

Connecticut has a strong, dependable runner in junior Cam Edwards (5-11, 210). Edwards averaged 5.7 yards per carry last year.

 

 

TT’s Top 10 Favorite Running Backs at Preseason

 

1.     Nicholas Singleton – Penn state

2.     Makhi Hughes – Oregon

3.     Jaydn Ott – Oklahoma

4.     Jeremiah Love – Notre Dame

5.     Jamal Haynes – Georgia The

6.     Kaytron Allen – Penn State

7.     Desmond Reid – Pitt

8.     Quintrevion Wisner – Texas

9.     Jahiem White – West Virginia

10.  Isaac Brown – Louisville

 

However, I also like:

 

Jai’Den Thomas (UNLV), LeVeon Moss (Texas A&M), Hollywood Smothers (NC State), Dylan Edwards (Kansas State), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Bryson Washington (Baylor), Al-Jay Henderson (Buffalo), Alex Tecza (Navy), Cam Edwards (UConn), and George Pettaway (James Madison).

 

 

The Other Positions – 2025

 

Wide Receivers

 

With five each, the Big Ten and the SEC have 10 of the best wide receivers in the country. In the Big Ten, who else but Ohio State has two of the top receivers. They are sophomore Jeremiah Smith (6-3, 215) and junior Carnell Tate (6-3, 191). The other three top receivers in the Big Ten are Indiana senior Elijah Sarratt (6-2, 209), USC junior Makai Lemon (5-11, 195) and Washington junior Denzel Boston (6-4, 207).

 

Of the five top receivers in the SEC, two are from Auburn. They are sophomore Cam Coleman (6-3, 195) and junior Eric Singleton (6-3, 195). The remaining three top receivers in the SEC are Alabama sophomore Ryan Williams (6-0, 175), LSU junior Aaron Anderson (5-8, 188) and Florida sophomore Eugene Wilson (5-10, 189).

 

The ACC has two outstanding receivers. They are Clemson junior Antonio Williams (5-11, 190) and Georgia Tech senior Eric Rivers (5-11, 175).

 

The final two quality receivers in the country are Arizona State junior Jordyn Tyson (6-2, 195) from the Big 12 and Notre Dame senior Malachi Fields (6-4, 220) from the Independents.

 

 

Tight Ends

 

Two of the four best tight ends in the country are from the SEC. They are Vanderbilt senior Eli Stowers (6-4, 235) and Texas junior Jack Endries (6-4, 240).

 

The other two are NC State senior Justin Jolly (6-3, 251) from the ACC and Ohio State senior Max Klare (6-4, 236) from the Big Ten.

 

 

Centers

 

Two of the four best centers in the country are from the SEC. They are Florida senior Jake Slaughter (6-5, 294) and Alabama junior Parker Brailsford (6-2, 290)

 

The other two are from the Big Ten. They are Iowa senor Logan Jones (6-3, 285) and Oregon junior Iapani Laloulu (6-2, 325).

 

 

Offensive Linemen (Guards and Tackles)

 

With five each, the SEC and the ACC have 10 of the best offensive linemen in the country. In the SEC, Alabama has two of the best offensive linemen. They are junior Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 360) and senior Jaeden Roberts (6-5, 325). Other top offensive linemen in the SEC are Texas A&M senior Ar’maj Reed-Adams (6-5, 340), Missouri junior Cayden Green (6-5, 320) and

Arkansas senior Fernando Carmona (6-5, 325).

 

Of the five best offensive linemen in the ACC, two are from Miami. They are junior Francis Mauigua (6-6, 315) and senior Anez Cooper (6-4, 330). Also from the ACC are Clemson senior Blake Miller (6-6, 315), Georgia Tech senior Keylan Rutledge (6-4, 310) and Duke sophomore Brian Parker (6-5, 300).

 

The Big Ten has four outstanding offensive linemen and two are from Oregon. They are senior Isaiah World (6-8, 310) and senior Emmanuel Pregnon (6-5, 320). The other two linemen from the Big Ten are Penn State junior Olaivavega Ioane (6-4, 334) and Iowa senior Gennings Dunker (6-5, 316).

 

The Big 12 has a couple of top offensive linemen – Utah junior Spencer Fano (6-2, 302) and Colorado sophomore Jordan Seaton (6-5, 330). The final three guys making the list are Boise State junior Kage Casey (6-5, 316) from the MWC, Tulane junior Shadre Hurst (6-2, 293) from the AC and Notre Dame junior Aamil Wagner (6-6, 293) from the Independents.

 

  

Defensive Linemen (Ends and Tackles)

 

The SEC leads the list of best defensive linemen with eight players. Two of those eight are from Florida – senior Tyreak Sapp (6-3, 274) and senior Caleb Banks (6-3, 329), while two are from Alabama – senior L.T. Overton (6-5, 280) and senior Tim Keenan (6-2, 325). The other four from the SEC are South Carolina sophomore Dylan Stewart (6-5, 245), Texas sophomore Colin Simmons (6-3, 238), Auburn junior Keldric Faulk (6-6, 270) and Georgia freshman Christen Miller (6-4, 305).

 

The Big Ten steps in with five of the best defensive linemen and Penn State has two of them – senior Dani Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 265) and senior Zane Durant (6-1, 292). Also, from the Big Ten are Indiana senior Mikail Kamara (6-1, 265), Oregon junior Matayo Uiagalelei (6-5, 270) and Iowa senior Aaron Graves (6-4, 300).

 

From the ACC, Clemson has a couple of top-notch defensive linemen. They are junior T.J. Parker (6-3, 265) and junior Peter Woods (6-3, 315). Also, representing the ACC is Miami junior Rueben Bain (6-3, 270). The best defensive linemen from the Big 12 are Cincinnati senior Dontay Corleone (6-1, 325) and Texas Tech senior Lee Hunter (6-4, 325). Last but not least from the MWC is San Diego State junior They White (6-2, 245), a superb defensive lineman.

 

 

Linebackers (Inside and Outside)

 

The SEC stands out with eight of the best linebackers in the country, and two of those eight are from LSU – junior Whit Weeks (6-2, 225) and junior Harold Perkins (6-1, 220). Each of the other six are from a different school. They are Texas junior Anthony Hill (6-3, 237), Texas A&M junior Taurean York (6-0, 235), Ole Miss junior Suntarine Perkins (6-1, 210) Georgia junior C.J. Allen (6-1,235), Alabama senior Deontae Lawson (6-2, 230) and Oklahoma junior Kip Lewis (6-1, 226).

 

The Big Ten has four top linebackers, led by Ohio State senior Sonny Styles (6-4, 235). The other three from the Big Ten are Indiana senior Aiden Fisher (6-1, 233), Illinois senior Gabe Jacas (6-3, 275) and Oregon senior Bryce Boettcher (6-2, 230).

 

Three of the best linebackers are from the ACC – Pitt junior Kyle Louis (6-0, 225), Clemson senior Wade Woodaz (6-3, 235) and California junior Cade Uluave (6-1, 235). The Big 12 comes in with three of the top linebackers – Kansas State junior Austin Romaine (6-2, 240),

Texas Tech senior Jacob Rodriguez (6-1, 230) and Baylor junior Keaton Thomas (6-2, 224).

 

The remaining two top linebackers are Old Dominion senior Jason Henderson (6-1, 225) from the Sun Belt and Notre Dame junior Drayk Bowen (6-2, 238) from the Independents.

 

 

Defensive Backs (Cornerbacks and Safeties)

 

Among the best defensive backs, the Big Ten leads the country with seven. Two of those seven are from Ohio State – junior Caleb Downs (6-0, 205) and senior Davison Igbinosun (6-2, 193). The others from the Big Ten are Oregon junior Dillon Thieneman (6-0, 210), Indiana senior D’Angelo Ponds (5-9, 170), Minnesota sophomore Koi Perich (6-1, 200), Illinois senior Xavier Scott (5-11, 190) and Penn State junior A.J. Harris (6-1, 184).

 

The SEC has five top defensive backs and four of those five are from Georgia and Texas. They are Georgia senior Daylen Everette (6-1, 190), Georgia sophomore K.J. Bolden (6-0, 185), Texas senior Michael Taaffe (6-0, 180) and Texas junior Malik Muhammad (6-0, 178). The fifth player is Tennessee junior Jermod McCoy (6-0, 93).

 

In the ACC, Duke leads the way with two of the best defensive backs. They are senior Chandler Rivers (5-10, 185) and senior Terry Moore (6-1, 195). Also from the ACC are Clemson junior Avieon Terrell (5-11, 180) and SMU senior Isaiah Nwokobia (6-1, 202).

 

From the Big 12, Iowa State has a pair of top-notch defensive backs. They are junior Jontez Williams (5-11, 200) and junior Jeremiah Cooper (6-0, 190). Independent Notre Dame has an ace defensive back in sophomore Leonard Moore (6-2, 180).

 

 

Kickers

 

Of the five best kickers in the country, two are from the SEC. They are Georgia junior Peyton Woodring (5-10, 185) and Ole Miss junior Lucas Carneiro (5-11, 190). The other three are from the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC – Michigan senior Dominic Zvada (6-3, 180), BYU senior Will Ferrin (6-3, 175) and SMU senor Colin Rogers (6-4, 219).

 

 

Punters

 

Two of the five best punters in the country are from the SEC and two are from the Big Ten. From the SEC are Georgia senior Brett Thorson (6-2, 235) and Texas senior Jack Bouwmeester (6-3, 209). From the Big Ten are Michigan State junior Ryan Eckley (6-2, 208) and Iowa sophomore Rhys Dakin (6-4, 225). The fifth of the best punters is from the Big 12 – Baylor junior Palmer Williams (6-2, 201).

 

 

The next posting of College Football Week – CFW Week 0 Forecast – will be released on Thursday morning, August 21.

 

 

Touchdown Tom

August 15, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com