Will Deion Sanders be served papers at CU’s home opener?

Will Gideon Lampron or Julian Lewis get subpoenaed during their postgame interviews?

Coach Prime’s Buffs are a walking prop bet right now, college football’s most curious outfit.

Shilo Sanders’ bankruptcy trial, stemming from a physical altercation with a high-school security guard more than a decade ago, begins Monday — a few days before CU opens its 2026 football season at Georgia Tech.

Despite efforts to quash a subpoena, a Colorado judge ruled that Sanders, CU’s fourth-year football coach, must testify if asked, but not until after the Buffs-Yellow Jackets game on Thursday night in Atlanta. Which means the work week for the elder Sanders’ biggest game since his Buffs debut at TCU three years ago just gets weirder and weirder.

“There is a lot of pressure, a lot of external expectations and stuff like that,” CU wide receiver Danny Scudero said. “But if we can narrow it down to what our team believes in, and just focus on going 1-0 each week, that kind of eliminates a lot of the external factors that weigh on us as players and coaches.”

When it comes to Coach Prime 2.0, there’s only one way to get this train back on the football track. Just win, baby.

“I feel like us collectively as a team, we understand that the most important game is the next one,” Buffs linebacker Liona Lefau, a transfer from Texas, told me earlier this month. “And especially if it’s the season-opener — that kind of sets the tone to see how we want the season to go. The coaches, they keep preaching as well, that (it’s) going to set the tone for our season. We’re really hoping to come out there (at Georgia Tech) firing, preparing the best we can to just be ready, to be at the top of our game and ready to go.”

We joke about the prop market, but a nugget of Buffs wagering news kind of went under the radar this past week. Ben Fawkes, a betting analyst with Yahoo Sports, — sandwiched between the over on Oklahoma’s 8.5 victories (No. 1) and the over on Nebraska’s 5.5 wins (No. 3).

2023: Welcome to The Coach Prime Effect.

2026: Welcome to The Coach Marion Effect.

“I think based on the track record for (Marion), I see nothing but success coming out of this,” Connor Fetterhoff told me by phone recently. “There’s no doubt.”

Fetterhoff doesn’t know Coach Prime. But he knows Brennan Marion, CU’s new offensive coordinator, well. And he kind of likes the Buffs at over 4.5 wins this fall, too.

Connor’s an insurance broker these days in Waynesboro, Pa., a little burg along southern border of the state, roughly 72 miles northwest of Baltimore. A dozen years ago, he was the starting quarterback at Waynesboro Area High School in 2014, a 5-foot-11 plugger who ran, by his own admission, a “5.0 in the 40 (yard-dash).” Marion had just arrived in town to be his head coach. Waynesboro went 0-10 the year before. The program hadn’t produced a winning season in 22 years. Fetterhoff didn’t play varsity football in 2013, and wasn’t even sure he was going to in ’14, either.

“We’re at the YMCA, just shooting hoops, and Coach Marion and his younger brother Justin, they walked into the YMCA, and I don’t know if he’d (met) me before or not,” Connor recalled. “And he said to me, ‘You’re going to be my QB this year.’ And it was crazy how it all played out there.”

Marion, then just 27, had brought this new-fangled, no-huddle offense with him from California. Fetterhoff and his pals hadn’t run anything like the “Go-Go” before. Two running backs lined up as “sidecars” on either side of the quarterback taking a shotgun or pistol snap. Five eligible wide receivers gathered on the same side of the formation. Tempo, tempo, tempo.

“As soon as somebody was down, you’re all getting right onto the ball for the next snap,” he recalled. “The defense had no time to recover.”

In Marion’s Waynesboro debut, his kids won 53-7. Fetterhoff threw for 417 yards, five touchdowns and two picks. Waynesboro piled up 607 yards. They’d gone from 0-10 to 6-4, from averaging 11.4 points the season before to 36.6 points per contest under Marion. Fetterhoff, he of the 5.0 40, finished the season with 19 passing touchdowns and ran for five more.

Marion bolted for a job working quality control at Arizona State not long after that, and the rest his history.

“He sat us down when we first met him and was very upfront about his goal,” Fetterhoff recounted. “To build something really crazy here and then move up. I didn’t know if any of this would go and extend (for him) like it has. It’s awesome.”

He would call plays at Howard (2017, ’18), William & Mary (2019), UNLV (2023, ’24) and as head coach at Sacramento State last fall. The teams in each of his initial seasons at those four stops wound up with a combined 28-21, for an average of seven wins. In his Howard debut in 2017, the FCS Bison went to UNLV as 45-point underdogs and wound up running for 309 yards, throwing for 140 more, and notching a 43-40 upset in Sin City. What worked in Waynesboro worked against the Mountain West, too.

“It definitely switched the whole town’s mindset on the whole football program,” Fetterhoff said. “He started making it exciting to go watch the games.”

Something that could not be said for Marion’s CU predecessor, mind you. Compared to Pat Shurmur practicing incompletions or “free-balling” it with JuJu Lewis last year, any upgrade for the Buffs’ offense would feel like a breath of fresh air. But when Marion’s guys are humming, the vibe’s more like a tsunami. His Sac State Hornet teams in 2025 scored at least 30 points on seven different occasions and went 6-1 in those tilts.

That’s the magic number to watch. Thirty. 3-0. Since 2023, Sanders’ Buffs are 13-3 when CU scores 30 points or more, and 3-18 when that number is 29 points or fewer. To that end, a no-huddle offense at altitude is exactly the kind of offense the Buffs should be running, given Sanders’ remit. And the 38-year-old Marion, on paper, is exactly the sort of young, innovative play-designer Coach Prime should be hiring.

You bring up CU’s offensive line being small on the eyes, and Fetterhoff takes you back a dozen autumns, when he says Waynesboro under Marion featured maybe one guy who weighed 300 pounds protecting the pocket, while the rest of the offensive line checked in at between 180-230 pounds.

You bring up Lewis’ height —, and that might be generous — and Connor reminds you that he’s still probably 5-10 and change, but had an arm that could chuck the ball 65-70 yards and get it out quick. Sound like anybody we know?

“Just buy into the system,” Fetterhoff would tell Lewis.

“Just listen to (Marion) … and know that system is built for success, no doubt … just building that team atmosphere and knowing that you can trust those guys, and knowing that they can trust you.”

Can we trust these Buffs? The only thing that’ll change CU’s narrative is the scoreboard. And you can that the one at will speak volumes.

We kid, of course, but goodness gracias — this CU football season, which is slated to open on Sept. 3 in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, can’t get here quick enough for Buffs fans. Just so they’ll have something to talk about other than the latest round of reported subpoenas.

The college football wonks on the Grading The Week crew were already raising eyebrows with the news that the lawyer for an ex-security guard at Sanders’ private school, John Darjean, had attempted to serve papers to the Buffs football coach on campus in order to get him to testify in the bankruptcy trial of Sanders’ son, former CU safety Shilo Sanders.

The trial is slated to begin on Aug. 31, just four days before the Buffs’ opener against the Yellow Jackets, and concerns Darjean’s efforts to enforce a $11.89-million default judgment for damages arising from an altercation that occurred when Shilo Sanders was 15. Darjean alleges he suffered permanent injuries while trying to obtain the younger Sanders’ phone.

While it remains to be seen whether Deion Sanders will testify during the week of the Buffs’ first game, is also seeking damages in court from the elder Sanders over Coach Prime’s trademarks.

Actually, it’s the “trademark” part that has Alan Tipp, a graphic designer from Omaha, crying foul over the Buffs’ football coach.

According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, Tipp designed the now-famous “PRIME21” logo in 2011, which became synonymous with Sanders and CU football.

Tipp alleges in said documents that Sanders and his management team, SMAC Entertainment,

Shade thrown over Deion’s shades — D

In the filing, Tipp alleges that he signed a conditional agreement to forgo rights to the logo after a representative from SMAC Entertainment, Sam Morini, made promises that the designer would be “an integral part of the Sanders’ (sic) marketing and branding team”; that Tipp would serve as advisor for CU student-athletes and their marketing efforts; that he would collaborate with Nike on Sanders branded apparel and footwear; and would be “retained to design, brand and develop a marketing plan” for a line of Sanders-themed sunglasses using the “PRIME21” logo.

Tipp alleges that none of the above happened. He also contends in the documents that “Sanders and his representatives began evading Tipp” after the agreement was executed, and that in April 2023, SMAC told the designer that his “services were no longer needed” for the planned sunglasses launch.

In September 2023, Sanders partnered with Blenders Eyewear to produce signature sunglasses. The partnership garnered $1.2 million in pre-orders and reportedly generated nearly $5 million in sales within the first few days of release.

Tipp wants the court to render his agreement with Sanders to be nullified; for all Sanders’ and SMAC’s trademarks to be canceled; and seeks injunctive relief, as well as compensation of at least $75,000 plus legal costs. It’s probably not the best sign for a pivotal Year 4 of The Sanders Era when folks are throwing that kind of shade at Coach Prime before a ball’s even been snapped.

Peyton Watson trade — D-minus

The Nuggets still have a month or so to salvage what’s been a depressing offseason to date — and an almost 180-degree flip of the enthusiasm and good vibes that stemmed from the summer of 2025.

“I’m happy for Peyton. He deserved it,” Nuggets icon Nikola Jokic told Miroslav Cuk in Serbian on Thursday when asked about Denver’s trade of Peyton Watson to Cleveland for draft picks

“We will miss (Watson’s) energy and skill. I don’t think about (the) season yet … we have to play this (summer), but it’s going to be OK.”

Is it, though? Unless trading away a promising wing who had all the things this roster needed — good defender, athletic, potential 3-and-D threat with upside — wasn’t the first chess move that sets up another roster addition before preseason camp, Heaven help Nuggets faithful. Heaven help the Joker, too. Because ownership clearly won’t.

BOULDER — Linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron while boarding a flight in December. Days later, he was landing in Colorado as a member of the Buffaloes.

His final season is now ready for take off.

“I’m so thankful that I approached him and everything worked out,” Lampron said.

This is how the airline encounter unfolded for the fifth-year player with a distinctive middle name: Lampron boarded a plane leaving Dallas and bound shortly after the transfer portal opened. He was heading home and Sanders was off to see his QB son, Shedeur, who is with the NFL’s Browns.

Deion Sanders was sitting up front and Lampron summoned the courage for a quick introduction before heading to his seat. He was in the market for a new school after leaving a Bowling Green program coached by Eddie George.

Nothing fancy, just announcing his desire to play for Sanders. The Colorado coach gave Lampron a fist bump and said, “Godspeed.”

That was that. Or so he thought.

Lampron was putting his bag in the overhead compartment when Sanders walked back toward him. Sanders told and he’d make some calls.

“A few days later, I was in Boulder,” said Lampron, one of numerous transfers added to that went 3-9 last season. “That����ap insane.”

New linebacker unit

Lampron is part of a revamped linebacker corps in a system directed by new defensive coordinator Chris Marve. Lampron joins fellow transfers Liona Lefau (Texas) and Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State), who quickly have become two of his closest friends. Lampron and Lefau are on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s top collegiate linebacker.

“Gideon has exceeded expectations,” said Sanders, whose team opens the season on Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech. “Gideon is not just a dawg; he’s a bona fide leader. He’s a playmaker. He’s a guy who loves to practice, loves the game, shows affection to his teammates.”

All part of the lessons he learned while working his way through the ranks. Coming out of high school in LaGrange, Ohio, he wasn’t highly recruited. The 6-foot, 220-pound Lampron started his career in the FCS at Dayton, where he had 27 1/2 tackles for loss over three seasons and earned first-team in 2024.

Next stop: a two-hour move north to Bowling Green. He had 119 tackles for a team under the direction of George, the Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State and standout NFL running back.

Now, there’s another elite NFL player serving as his coach in Sanders.

“Being around greatness, it����ap definitely something younger athletes like me should chase,” Lampron said. “I’ve been fortunate enough for my two head coaches to be some of the greatest football players ever. I’ve learned so much from them.”

One of the biggest pieces of advice he received came from Sanders.

“He said: ‘Everyone in your life is there for a season or a reason. You’ve got to decide what they’re there for,’” Lampron recounted. “That really stuck with me.”

Middle name being ESPN

About his conversation-starting middle name of ESPN: It was the idea of his father, Marty, who, it pretty much goes without saying, is an enormous sports fan.

“Sports are a big part of our family,” Lampron said. “I appreciate” the name.

To build camaraderie with his fellow linebackers, they naturally watch sports. This summer, their viewing lineup included UFC fights and World Cup soccer games.

“It was fun watching those with the boys,” Lampron said.

The next assignment is helping shore up a defense that gave up 30.5 points and 425.7 yards per game last season. Marve steps in for , who left to take a position with the Denver Broncos.

Lampron is certainly flying high since he landed in Boulder. He was one of several Buffaloes players invited to Sanders’ mansion near Dallas for a leadership retreat last month.

“It put things into perspective for a lot of us for what you could attain if you really lock in,” Lampron said. “This is my last year of college football. I don’t want to leave any stone unturned.”

Each year, 10 junior college baseball teams from across the country make the pilgrimage to the largest city in western Colorado for the right to compete for a national title in the NJCAA Division I Junior College World Series.

Grand Junction has been home to JUCO, as it����ap simply known by locals and junior college ball clubs, since 1959. The tournament has not only energized the city of nearly 72,000 people in the six decades since its arrival, but also much of Mesa County and the baseball community on Colorado’s Western Slope.

Teams from across the U.S. battle through 60-game seasons for the right to play in Grand Junction. Those teams then duke it out in a week-long, double-elimination tournament until one is left standing on the final weekend of May.

It����ap not some folksy, podunk event. The fireworks game on Memorial Day usually fills or nearly fills the 10,000-seat stadium. The tournament also draws top-end talent. What Omaha’s College World Series is to four-year Division I schools, Grand Junction is to the JUCO world.

Kirby Puckett, the namesake for the tournament����ap MVP award,. in the late 1990s. Bryce Harper starred for the College of Southern Nevada in 2010 before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Washington Nationals in the MLB draft. And, in 2022, Milwaukee Brewers’ budding ace pitcher Jacob Misiorowski touched triple digits on the radar gun in a hail-delayed win for Missouri’s Crowder College. On Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan called the JUCO World Series “the purest form of baseball” that he’s seen in ages.

Dusty Hart, the head coach of Blinn College in Texas, one of this year’s finalists, is well-acquainted with the tournament. He played for Texas’ Grayson College in the 1998 JUCO tournament and coached Grayson back to the tournament. He guided Blinn to the 2024 national championship.

“It����ap incredible. We’ll go eat lunch in the afternoon, and there’s 10 kids trying to get you to sign their Chick-fil-A bags at lunch,” Hart said. “I’ve had players that have played in Omaha after they played in Grand Junction. And they tell me, man, Omaha is awesome, but Grand Junction is right up there with it.”

This year’s field featured Blinn, Harford Community College (Maryland), Johnson County Community College (Kansas), Louisiana State University Eunice, Midland College (Texas), Miami Dade College (Florida), Salt Lake Community College (Utah), Seminole State College (Oklahoma), Wabash Valley College (Illinois) and Walters State Community College (Tennessee).

As of Friday, Blinn and Johnson County are the last two teams standing.

Grand Junction’s pastime

The first JUCO World Series was played in 1958 in Miami, Oklahoma. As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking. So, JUCO moved to Grand Junction in 1959. Then-Mesa College earned auto bids early on as the hosts, though it eventually had to earn its way into the tournament. In all, Mesa made 13 JUCO tournaments before transitioning to a four-year school.

The Grand Junction Baseball Committee, also known as the JUCO Committee, had a series of short-term contracts with the NJCAA to host the tournament. It had to continually bid on those deals to keep the tournament in town. In 2010, the committee secured a 25-year contract with the NJCAA with the promise that it would construct a tower for special seating and a press box, and more seating in the stadium. That contract has since been extended, so .

JUCO is played at Suplizio Field, which also hosts independent baseball and high school baseball. Suplizio shares a facility with Ralph Stocker Stadium, a football stadium that also hosts track meets.

“The $10 million upgrade to the tower over there was done because of grants, income from the sales of tickets here, and getting people to contribute to it without having a tax increase in the facility, ” said Jamie Hamilton, who was the chairman of the JUCO Committee from 2003-2024 and first volunteered with the tournament in 1986. “People own this facility. High school players get to play in this facility. The community gets to walk on the football field and the track.”

Hamilton was born in Grand Junction, raised in Arvada, won a state baseball title with Regis Jesuit High School, played for Mesa State College and for the then-California Angels in their minor league system before returning to Grand Junction and helping out with JUCO.

Patti Arnold, a longtime Grand Junction sportswriter and JUCO volunteer who died last year, wrote in a 2017 book on the tournament that fans would camp in front of Suplizio Field the night before the first JUCO game, before seating was expanded at the stadium. She also wrote that, when putting together a special JUCO section for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, coaches “bent over backwards” to help out when they heard “Grand Junction.”

Once the 10-team field is set and everyone arrives, the fun begins. Players and kids participate in a baseball clinic, and some teams get to play Challenger Baseball with kids who have physical or mental disabilities. Each team and some community members then attend a banquet the night before the first day of games to honor the latest inductees into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. The likes of Tony La Russa and Drew Goodman have delivered the keynote speech at the JUCO Banquet.

For Darren Coltrinari, the current JUCO committee chairman, the annual tournament is about community and tradition.

“You sit through a nine-inning game that could be two-and-a-half hours, it could be four-and-a-half hours. In baseball, less now, but there is dead time and a lot of the time, you’re sitting there talking,” said Coltrinari, who graduated from Grand Junction Central High School and played baseball at New Mexico. He’s also Hamilton’s godson.�� “You’re reviewing the last pitch, you’re talking about what you’re doing tomorrow, things like that. There’s a social aspect to baseball.”

Coltrinari added: “Our goal as a community is to make this the best tournament possible.”

That effort comes through partnerships with local partners — the school district, business community, government, media outlets and about 83 volunteers. The regulars’ hearts are heavy this year following the deaths of longtime volunteers Arnold, the former sportswriter, and Greg Hazelhurst.

“Losing both of them was hard because they’re really the anchors; they’re really the rocks of everything that goes on up here,” said Jermaine Williams, who helps run media operations for JUCO. “(Saturday morning) was tough to not have them here. Obviously, we will continue to move on and do what we need to do. But both of them just meant a lot … I wish we had taken the time to hug them one more time.”

Thousands of people pack the stands for the first weekend of games. Chatter echoes through the ballpark, only to be interrupted by the smack of an aluminum bat, cheers and a foghorn sound effect after a player hits a home run. Sometimes, you’ll even hear the ball thumping off a car in the parking lot beyond center field.

Each team has a deck of baseball cards for sale. Local food vendors line the concourse, serving up foot-long corn dogs out of a 20-foot red tent, ice cream, or kettle corn, to name a few. No alcohol is served at the games, keeping in line with the family-friendly atmosphere.

Williams has been involved with JUCO since 2009. He once worked in athletics for Colorado Mesa University and is now an assistant athletics director at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. He and his family — wife Shayla, daughter Emma, and son Jaxon — still make the 1,600-mile trip every year for JUCO.

Williams has worked in athletics at five universities. While he hasn’t been to Omaha, he thinks it����ap hard to compare many college sports events to JUCO.

“The big events that I’ve been a part of are events that drop into a city, they’re there for four days and then they move on to the next city. The NCAA Regional or a Final Four or something like that,” Williams said. “The difference for me is just the homegrown feel of this event. It����ap been here for (67) years, and you’ve got people who grew up watching JUCO baseball that are now helping. You got families, kind of like ours, that are either in the Grand Valley or on the Front Range or anywhere in the country, and they come back for this week.

“And I think that����ap what makes it special.”

‘This was my big leagues’

Hunter Smolinski, the lead-off second baseman for Blinn, is from nearby Fruita.

Smolinski played for Division I Grand Canyon last season and was there until last fall, when it seemed unlikely he’d be an everyday player, he said. So, Smolinski got in touch with Hart, the Blinn coach, and got a spot on the Buccaneers’ roster.

Smolinski is one of three Colorado kids who played in this year’s tournament. The others were Erie’s Holden Pantier (Walters State) and Montrose’s Gage Wareham (Salt Lake).

When he was growing up, Smolinski’s parents would drop him off at the stadium for the morning game. He’d meet his friends there — they, too, dropped off by their parents, he said — and they’d spend all day hanging out at the stadium and watching baseball.

“There’s no money, no nothing involved in this. This is just straight passion for the game,” said Smolinski, who was hitting .500 with a 1.245 OPS on 20 at-bats as of Thursday.

Smolinski added that he thinks that mindset is clear to Grand Junction fans.

“I think that����ap the reason you see so many people coming out to watch these games,” he said.

Most of the schools that make it to JUCO come from areas of just a few dozen thousand people. And even those from larger areas — Miami Dade and Salt Lake, for example — are far from the main event in their communities.

And because many of these JUCO players won’t reach Omaha, let alone the majors, JUCO is their time to have that big-league attention.

Many JUCO teams don’t report their game attendance. Generally, though, those games are lucky to have 100 folks in the stands. Playing in the nightcap fireworks game on Memorial Day, Johnson County and Walters State drew a crowd of more than 11,000 people.

Hart����ap Buccaneers are on the precipice of another championship. His kids are in the midst of a week they’ll probably remember for a long time. It����ap been 30 years since Hart played in JUCO and he can still recall that experience.

Hart hit leadoff for Grayson in 1998. In his team’s second game, sent the first pitch he saw into Suplizio’s left-field bleachers.

“That����ap literally my best memory as a player … I don’t even remember going around the bases. It����ap just such a surreal moment,” said Hart, who admitted he probably played in front of bigger crowds later on in his career, “but never in a World Series type environment … This was my big leagues.”

1,300 miles away, the biggest news of the day inside a quiet Broncos facility in Dove Valley: ?

The Broncos’ brass, of course, all took their seats in the war room for the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. They sat. And continued to sit, for 32 picks, as the rest of the league maneuvered around them. This was the reality all but ensured since March 17, when general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton and the rest of the staff decided that trading for Dolphins star receiver Jaylen Waddle would be well worth the ultimate price of their first-round pick.

NFL draft 2026 first-round winners and losers: The Jets QB of the future is smiling somewhere. Matthew Stafford? Maybe not

"We spent a lot of time looking at that selection, and trying to determine — we could safely say that pick would’ve been one of these 7 or 8 players," Payton said at league meetings in late March. "And we didn’t feel like that would help us as much as Jaylen Waddle.”

In a pre-draft press conference last week, Paton all but promised that Denver's draft festivities wouldn't start until Day 2 on Friday night, with the Broncos' current capital too limited to swing a massive trade to leap back into the first round from their No. 62 selection. And a handful of potential Denver options already leaped off the board in the first round as the Vikings swung on high-upside but injury-concern DT Caleb Banks at No. 18 (a Broncos top-30 visit) and the Seahawks snagged Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the last pick of the first round.

There's even more urgency for the Broncos to hit on their Day 2 selection now, though, as other AFC West teams leveled up Thursday night. The Raiders, of course, took their franchise man in quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall. The Chargers added a potentially instant-impact edge rusher, Akheem Mesidor, late in the first round. And the Chiefs to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane as a new antidote to the Waddle-Courtland Sutton combination in Denver.

The Broncos, however, will enter Day 2 with a slew of targets still left on the board, as Paton said last week, there's "six players we're kinda focused on" that the Broncos feel could fall to them at No. 62. Most of those six should still be there, come Friday night — whether the Broncos move up or back to get them.

Here's a breakdown of the 10 best remaining fits for Denver at their late-second-round slot Friday.

10 best remaining for Broncos at No. 62

RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas:��One NFL assistant coach who's heavily evaluated this RB class told The Post that "some team will take (Washington) higher than they should" because of his size and speed. Maybe that's Denver. It'd be incredibly hard to imagine Paton spending back-to-back second-round picks on a running back, but Washington's upside — at 223 pounds with a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash — is as high as any RB in his class not named Jeremiyah Love.

WR Germie Bernard, Alabama:��Denver won't — and shouldn't — take a receiver here, after the Jaylen Waddle trade. But Bernard is too good, and too perfect a fit in a Sean Payton offense, not to be listed here. The production (64 catches, 862 yards) is solid, the size (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) is good, and the blocking mentality is even better. Alas, in a different timeline.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt:��The Post's second-round selection in our final mock draft of this cycle, Stowers still lingers, an explosive receiving threat who profiles as a hybrid receiver at the next level. But Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, the consensus top tight end in this class, went relatively early at No. 16 to New York. That could well mean a team will swing on Stowers early in the second round.

TE Max Klare, Ohio State:��This draft, as Payton said in a pre-draft presser last week, is ripe in both in-line "Y"-type tight ends and versatile "F"-type receiving threats. Klare combines the best of both worlds into one tidy Day 2 package, a 6-foot-4 pass-catcher who thrived from both the slot and as a run-blocker last year for the Buckeyes. He's not as athletic as a Stowers, but he'd be an excellent option for Nix.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon:��Similar to Stowers' situation, Pregnon could find himself flying off the board early in Round Two after Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge went higher than consensus (No. 26 to Houston). The Denver native took a top-30 visit in Denver, but the Broncos might have to move up to grab him.

OT Travis Burke, Memphis:��No. 62 might be high for Burke, but Denver's done plenty of work here for a reason. Burke has rare size at nearly 6-foot-9, and a nasty disposition to match. With veterans Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey both still locked in as 2026 starters, Burke could be a fascinating investment for offensive-line coach Zach Strief.

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech:��One of ����apountry's original favorites at the beginning of the draft process, Rodriguez has risen considerably up boards across the last few months — but not high enough to be off the table before Day 2. That could be good news for Denver, whether he manages to slip into a trade-up situation in the middle of the second round or simply prolongs an inevitable run of linebackers to fall into the Broncos' lap at No. 62.

LB CJ Allen, Georgia:��Take your pick of Rodriguez or Allen as the second-best linebacker in this class. Allen revealed to reporter Brett Kollmann late in February that Georgia largely let Allen run calls and checks at the , and he could slot into the heart of Denver's defense for a long time.

LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas:��Everything about Hill, traits-wise, screams star. 4.51 40-yard-dash. 37-inch vertical. Good size at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds. He led the SEC with 16.5 tackles for loss in 2024, and has some upside as a blitzer in Vance Joseph's scheme. He'd be a perfect fit to push Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad for starting reps while contributing in a third-linebacker role as a rookie.

S A.J. Haulcy, LSU:��Not a frequently-discussed option for Denver at No. 62, given the Broncos' positional needs beyond safety. But Haulcy has fantastic ball production across his last two seasons, with eight interceptions total for Houston and LSU. Starting Broncos safety Brandon Jones will be a free agent after next season, and Haulcy played a season for new Broncos defensive backs coach Doug Belk with the Cougars in 2023.

He has already come further than anyone could’ve reasonably expected, a walk-on safety at Texas who molded himself into an All-American and legitimate NFL Draft prospect this spring. And Taaffe has existed, for two months, in the carefree limbo that comes with the utter lack of choice over his future. He’s done pre-draft training in Austin, Texas. He’s played golf. He’s hopped on countless calls with NFL teams. And his mind has wandered, naturally, to old teammates who could become new again.

Recently, after a pre-draft Zoom with new Broncos defensive passing-game coordinator Robert Livingston, Taaffe told Broncos cornerback and former Longhorns buddy Jahdae Barron that it’d be “awesome” to play with him again.

Barron, however, has learned such dreams are not so simple.

“He was like, ‘You don’t even know,'” Taaffe said, describing Barron’s advice. “Don’t even fixate on a team. Don’t even fixate on a round.”

Such is life, in particular, as a Denver draft target, as such targets are usually fairly unaware they’re actually targets. Numerous agents across the NFL landscape share similar stories of minimal pre-draft communication with this Broncos regime before their client suddenly received a call from Sean Payton. Take Barron, who told reporters on a post-draft conference call last year — shortly after Denver swooped on him at pick No. 20 in the first round — that he “truly didn’t know it was coming.”

Between Payton and general manager George Paton, the Broncos have built a particular reputation for holding pre-draft cards close to their vests. Their top-30 visits, where NFL clubs host prospects at their facilities to gather further intel, are often smokescreens. Predicting their draft leanings is often a fruitless endeavor, for the media and for players themselves.

Let’s try anyway.

Across the last two months, The Denver Post has spoken to hundreds of league sources to collect information on the Broncos’ draft process — visits, calls, needs, general leanings — and the countless flavors of prospects they’re coveting.��Welcome to “The Horse” — a Broncos-specific 2026 NFL Draft guide (and a play on ).

Coming off a 14-3 regular season and a blockbuster move for receiver Jaylen Waddle, Payton, Paton and company enter this cycle with no first-round pick and just seven choices in total. The Broncos still have plenty of flexibility to add key contributors; they’ll likely flip some capital to move up or back at some point once the festivities kick off this coming Thursday.

Here’s the breakdown.

The picks

Day 2, Friday:��No. 62 (second round)

Day 3, Saturday: Nos. 108, 111 (fourth round); No. 170 (fifth round); Nos. 246, 256, 257 (seventh round)

Fun fact: The Broncos can become the first NFL team to draft both Mr. Irrelevant and Mr. Slightly-More-Relevant since the seven-round modern era began in 1994. For the last three decades, no team has ever selected the last two picks of the draft back-to-back.

The needs, in order of importance

1.��Tight end.��Broken record here. The Broncos still view 2025 signee Evan Engram as a “key piece” and want to “add to his workload,” as Payton said in his pre-draft presser Thursday. But Denver explored potential upgrades or alternatives in free agency before the price got too high, and the 31-year-old Engram’s contract is up one way or another after this year. Denver desperately needs a young, athletic target for Bo Nix who can be a factor both as a blocker and as a receiver. There are quite a few such types in this draft.

2. Inside linebacker. Denver brought back captain Alex Singleton and ascending reserve-turned-starter Justin Strnad on multi-year deals this offseason, but cut Dre Greenlaw after an injury-plagued 2025. The Broncos are planning to deploy edge rusher Jonah Elliss inside, but that shouldn’t preclude Denver from dipping into a pretty solid ILB class. It’d make sense to take a high-upside ‘backer who can play behind and alongside Denver’s starting duo in 2026 while developing for the future.

3. Running back. On paper, the Broncos’ one-two punch of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey is solid. The thing about paper is that it tears. Quite easy. Denver’s rushing attack cratered after Dobbins’ season-ending injury last year, and the Broncos can’t count on the veteran to play 17 games. They’ll be looking to add a third RB as either a change-of-pace upgrade from veteran Jaleel McLaughlin or a third-down upgrade from Tyler Badie.

4. Offensive line. As presently constructed, Denver will roll the same starting front out for the third straight year. That’s great for continuity. But the Broncos haven’t once pursued high-end draft talent on their offensive front in the Payton era, instead preferring to develop seventh-round picks and undrafted free agents. Starting left guard Ben Powers is entering the final year of his deal, and tackles Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey have both cleared 30.

5. Safety.��Here’s a sneaky one. Veteran Brandon Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and starter Talanoa Hufanga had been frequently bitten by the injury bug before playing in every game last year for Denver. Offseason signee Tycen Anderson profiles as more of a special-teams ace, and a young piece here would make a lot of sense.

The sinister six

At Thursday’s pre-draft conference, Paton offered an unusually forthcoming tidbit: Denver has “six players,” the general manager said, that it favors should they be available at No. 62. The Broncos have honed in on the crop available between roughly Nos. 40 to 75 on their board, Paton also said, to arrive at that determination.

Here’s a guess at those potential six, informed by learned intel and positional needs, that Denver could be favoring.

DT Caleb Banks, Florida

If Banks weren’t facing some very real injury concerns, he’d be a first-round pick. Possibly top-15. The��if��could drop Banks into the Broncos’ lap. He played just three games in 2025 with a foot injury, and . He also stands 6-foot-6, weighs 327 pounds, racked up 4.5 sacks from the interior in 2024, and . Risk. Reward.

OT Travis Burke, Memphis

A massive pre-draft riser. Literally massive. Burke measured 6-foot-8 and three-quarters at the combine, had an excellent season at Memphis in 2025, and has played at both right and left tackle in a five-year collegiate career. Denver’s done plenty of work here: meeting with Burke at his Pro Day and conducting a Zoom call with him. A source told The Post that multiple Broncos area scouts had a third-to-fourth-round grade on Burke, which could make this a slight reach at No. 62, but Burke would be off the board by the time the fourth round rolled in.

LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh

It’s wholly rare to find a linebacker who can capably hold their own in man coverage against tight ends or running backs. Louis, a safety-LB hybrid, can be that guy. He ranked in the top four at his position in every single speed and agility drill at the combine, and has proven ball production (six INTs combined between 2024 and 2025). The size — weighing at 220 pounds — is a slight concern against the run, but Louis could be an excellent, versatile piece in Vance Joseph’s defense.

G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

There’s no way Pregnon slides to Denver. Right? Probably not. The Oregon product has visited with a handful of teams who sit in the late-first-round to early-second-round range, and will likely fly off the board shortly after consensus top guard Olaivavega Ioane gets snapped up. If Pregnon — a Denver native — slides a bit into Day 2, though, the Broncos could look to move up. Denver did a top-30 visit with him, which raises the antenna on a prospect they seem to have little shot at with their current slot.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

Stowers set the modern combine record for all tight ends with a 45.5-inch vertical, so let’s start there. He ran a faster 40-yard dash than first-round WR prospects Makai Lemon and Carnell Tate, and profiles more as a hybrid receiving weapon rather than a true tight end. Drafting Stowers could bring an end to Engram’s time in Denver, as Stowers doesn’t profile as a piece that Payton would trust to stay on the field in blocking situations.

RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

One NFL assistant coach who spoke with The Post on this year’s running-back class described Washington’s 2025 season as a “tale of two halves,” but noted his size and speed — a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash at 223 pounds — “might fit” what Denver’s looking for in a third back. The traits are all there, and the consistency isn’t.

The top-30 visits

Here’s a run-through of every Post-confirmed prospect who’s taken a top-30 visit with the Broncos.

DT Caleb Banks, Florida:��As much potential as an interior pass-rusher as anybody at his position, but the foot injuries are tough to swallow.

DT Uar Bernard, International Player Pathway: Literally the most athletic defensive tackle in the history of the NFL pre-draft cycle. The issue: he’s never played a snap of professional football.

TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M:��Classic blocking Y-type tight end who could have a tinge more receiving upside than he showed in college, with a career-best 19 catches last year.

RB Kaelon Black, Indiana:��A combine snub after a 1,060-yard rushing season for the national-champion Hoosiers. He’ll be 25 in October. A possible Day 3 fit.

OT Jude Bowry, Boston College:��High-ceiling, developmental, mid-round prospect who jumped 34.5 inches at the combine.

RB Jonah Coleman, Washington:��Steady, solid back who doesn’t wow but doesn’t make many mistakes. Denver might have to move into the third round to get him.

WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana:��This visit happened before the Waddle trade. Cooper will go somewhere in the first round.

ILB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU:��4.47-second 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical jump at 234 pounds. Phew. A potential fourth-round difference-maker.

G Josh Gesky, Illinois:��Underrated, productive left guard in college who ran a 4.94-second 40-yard dash and had a 33-inch vertical at Illinois’s Pro Day. Would be a seventh-round or PFA target.

TE Justin Joly, NC State:��Only 6-foot-3, but a productive receiver who had 49 catches and seven touchdowns in 2025. Could be right there in the fourth round.

DT Chris McClellan, Mizzou: Draft riser who racked up six sacks last year.

LB Dasan McCullough, Nebraska: Hybrid-type linebacker who never quite found a consistent role in collegiate football but has intriguing size (6-foot-5, 235 pounds).

DT Christen Miller, Georgia:��321-pound nose tackle who can be a consistent presence in the middle of an NFL defensive line. Might not be there at 62.

OT Gavin Ortega, Weber State:��Sleeper! A late visit this cycle, Ortega was terrific in pass protection at Weber State and should have some versatility at several spots at the NFL level.

G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon:��24-year-old strongman who could be an instant starter, but probably won’t land in Denver.

OT Paul Rubelt, UCF:��Another skyscraper. Rubelt stands 6-foot-10, and the Broncos will have a good read on him from watching Harvey’s tape last year.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt:��Athletic marvel who could be gone well before Denver could grab him at the back of the second.

OLB Josh Weru, International Player Pathway:��A converted rugby player who’s studied tape of Nik Bonitto for a year and has been timed at a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. Obvious PFA target.

The larger-scale takeaways from all this: the Broncos are pretty intent on evaluating both top-end and sleeper talent across the defensive line, and are exploring high-upside offensive linemen.

The runners

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love might just be the best outright player in this draft, regardless of position. After him, though, there’s an unusually steep drop to the next tier of running-back options, a glut that stretches anywhere from the back of the first round to the back of Day 3.

Payton said at league meetings in late March that running back was a position that “could get addressed, if the opportunity presents itself.” It will present itself next week, no matter how the chips fall. Washington, Coleman and Black have already been covered here; for more options, The Post spoke with an NFL assistant coach who’s done extensive work on this RB class for thoughts on the post-Love crop.

Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Likely draft slot:��Late-1st, early-2nd round

Love’s complementary option for the Fighting Irish, Price carries lead-back NFL potential in his own right. His per-touch production over the last two years at Notre Dame has been ridiculous. Price, though, caught just 15 passes across three seasons and will need to develop three-down value.

Coach’s comments: “If you want to hand the ball off to somebody, I think Jadarian Price is just as good, if not better (than Love). So it wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone took him late-first.”

Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Likely draft slot:��3rd-to-4th round

The testing wasn’t inspiring, as the 202-pound Johnson ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash. The tape and the production, though, tell a different story. Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing last year (1,451 yards), and caught 46 passes in 12 games.

Coach’s comments:��“The more you watch that kid, the more he looks like LeSean McCoy at Pittsburgh.”

Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest

Likely draft slot:��Day 3

Huge pop here, as Claiborne ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash and has standout agility. He increased his yards-per-carry average every season of his collegiate career, but has less-than-ideal size at 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds.

Coach’s comments:��“Best speed-and-space back in the draft … can score from anywhere at any time.”

Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Likely draft slot:��Day 3

Allen, rather quietly, became Penn State’s all-time leading rusher this past fall, and ran for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in a rough overall season for the program. The athleticism doesn’t stand out, but the motor does.

Coach’s comments:��“He was the most cerebral back I evaluated. He’s extremely smart. Football IQ is very high … that’s a guy that won’t get you beat, that you’d love to have on your team.”

The nuts and bolts

A young Joker? Clemson’s Adam Randall could be an incredibly intriguing fit in Payton’s offense. A receiver-turned-running back, the 232-pound Randall ran for 10 touchdowns last year and caught 36 passes in his first year playing full-time RB. In a best-case scenario, Randall could become a matchup-threat TE/RB hybrid from the backfield; Denver has enough interest in him that a coach flew out this past week to visit him, a source said.

QB options. Denver is set to roll its same quarterback room from last season into 2026, with Nix, backup Jarrett Stidham and QB3 Sam Ehlinger all under contract. But the Broncos have been active in evaluating young depth in this class. Quarterbacks coach Logan Kilgore has hopped on Zoom calls with Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis, Illinois’s Luke Altmyer and Minnesota-Morehead (DII)’s Jack Strand. Denver also sees Georgia Tech’s Haynes King — a 6-foot-3 athlete who ran for 953 yards and 15 touchdowns last season — as a potential Taysom Hill-type, a source said.

Big-bodied targets. No matter how much WR depth the Broncos accumulate, Payton will always love big receivers. A few notable prospects Denver has called about or hosted Zooms with: Baylor’s Josh Cameron (6-foot-2, 872 yards, nine TDs in 2025); Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas (6-foot-3, 846 yards, 7 TDs); SMU’s Jordan Hudson (6-foot-1, 766 yards, six TDs); TCU’s Joseph Manjack IV (6-foot-3, 579 yards, three TDs); St. Thomas’s David Hayes (6-foot-4, 790 yards, 10 TDs); and Michigan’s Donaven McCulley (6-foot-4, 588 yards, three TDs). Keep an eye on McCulley in particular, as a source said newly-crowned Broncos OC Davis Webb was on a Zoom with him — notably different from normal pre-draft calls with position coaches or scouts.

Local day? Denver hosted Wyoming QB-turned-TE Evan Svoboda and OL Jack Walsh at their facility earlier this week, among others, for what sources termed a “local day.” This, however, wasn’t open to anyone, as multiple prospects from Colorado and CSU weren’t in attendance. Svoboda is an interesting project who caught 11 passes for the Cowboys this past year.

Broncos draft previews
Offense: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defense: Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties

Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: Re-signed Alex Palczewski to a two-year deal.

Under contract: Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Palczewski, Frank Crum, Alex Forsyth, Matt Peart, Nick Gargiulo, Michael Deiter, Calvin Throckmorton, Marques Cox and Nash Jones.

Need scale (1-10): 6. At first glance, the offensive line might not seem like a pressing Broncos need. After all, Denver has all five starters back from last year, is paying all of them handsomely and has built a developmental group in Palczewski, Crum and Forsyth behind that have all stepped into games ably. At some point, though, the Broncos are going to need a fresh wave of younger, cheaper players. Not all at once, most likely, but over the next couple of years. Powers is in the final year of his deal and Bolles and McGlinchey will be 34 and 32, respectively, when the season starts. Now’s the time to build depth and options for the future.

The Top Five

Francis Mauigoa, Miami

It����ap not a bad year to need an offensive lineman in the draft, but it����ap not a good year to need a left tackle. Mauigoa is a big, athletic right tackle. One of many in this class. There’s no one or two linemen in this group that are head-and-shoulders above the rest. There’s not a guy that teams look at and say, ‘Easy enough. Just pick him and you’ve got your left tackle for the next decade.” But there are still quality options and Mauigoa is one of a small handful who could be the first off the board.

Spencer Fano, Utah

Fano could also be the first lineman to go. He’s a veteran right tackle — his teammate with the Utes, left tackle Caleb Lomu, could also end up being a first-round pick. Fano is 6-6 and 311 pounds and could probably play any of the interior spots, along with tackle. He’s one of the best athletes in the group, having run 4.91 seconds in the 40 at the combine to go along with explosive jumping and agility numbers.

Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Ioane is one of the best examples of an interesting trend in the 2026 draft class: Several of the players who are considered to have the best combination of talent and safety —��a good recipe for the top of the board — play what are considered non-premium positions. RB Jeremiyah Love. ILB Sonny Styles. S Caleb Downs. So on and so forth. Ioane fits that mold, too. He’s a mauler. He’s athletic. He’s likely plug-and-play. He’s also a guard. Ioane is a sure-fire first-rounder and could easily go in the top half despite his position.

Monroe Freeling, Georgia

In a class where many prospects are five and six-year college players, Freeling won’t turn 22 until around the time training camp starts. So he might not be as polished as some of the older players, but he’s big (6-7, 315), athletic and talented. He ran 4.93 at the combine and jumped 33.5 inches vertical. He played left tackle for the Bulldogs in 2025 and might be the best bet to be a long-term solution on that side in this draft.

Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

An absolutely massive player who might have the most upside in the class, but also comes with more question marks. Proctor has struggled with consistency in his career, but he’s 6-7 and 352 pounds, played left tackle at Alabama, and, if he hits his ceiling, can be a premier player at a premier position. If the edge athletes are too fast for him to handle in pass protection, he could be a road-grading guard.

Broncos options

Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

There’s no guarantee Rutledge will be around at No. 62, but he’d be a compelling option if he made it that far. At the combine, Rutledge said he models his game after Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz and Indianapolis LG Quenton Nelson. At 6-4 and 316, he clocked a 5.05 in the 40 and had explosive testing numbers. According to The Athletic, Rutledge has a foot injury stemming from a 2023 car crash that could be a flag for teams.

Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

Pregnon would be a great story at No. 62. He’s a Denver native who played at Thomas Jefferson High before starting his college career at Wyoming (2020-22). Then played two years at USC before spending last year at Oregon. He started 51 games the past four years, including time at both left and right guard. He took a top-30 visit with the Broncos.

JT Tuimoloau, Northwestern

A massive and perhaps under-appreciated tackle from the alma mater of Broncos offensive line coach and run game coordinator Zach Strief? Now that would make some sense, too, but would likely have to be at No. 62. Tiernan checked into the combine at 6-8 and 323 pounds and jumped 35.5 inches vertical. He’s played both tackle spots and could probably handle either guard spot, too. Add him to Palcho and Crum and you’ve got a versatile trio with which to sort out your future up front.

Jude Bowry, Boston College

Bowry might still be on the board when the Broncos’ fourth-round picks come up. He’s got attributes to like in that he’s a good athlete and he’s strong. He’s played both left and right tackle at 6-5 and 314 pounds. He took a top-30 visit to the Broncos. Denver believes strongly in its ability to develop pass-protectors, so this would be an interesting development project.

Brian Parker, Duke

Would require a bit of imagination since Parker is training as a center after spending his college career mostly playing tackle. Denver is set at center after extending Luke Wattenberg in November, but a guy who could legitimately play any spot along the line would no doubt be an asset. Even if he were best suited for the interior three spots, that would be just fine for a Day 3 pick.

1. Welcome to November��

Two months down, one stretch run to go and please pass the Dramamine. If the final month is anything like the first month and the middle month, the sport is on the brink of coming completely unhinged.

Who figured preseason No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Penn State and No. 4 Clemson would be irrelevant by the end of October.

That Georgia Tech would be alone atop the ACC and Vanderbilt just 1.5 games out in the SEC.

That Florida State would pound Alabama in the season opener but start 0-4 in ACC play.

That Northwestern would lose to Tulane but beat Penn State and Mississippi would have a better shot at the playoff than Georgia.

That a former Cal quarterback would be the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, just ahead of a former New Mexico State quarterback.

Thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, every major conference has taken on the Big 12’s personality, which favors parity and mayhem and leaves room at the top for anyone interested in making the climb.

The Hotline is here for it — for every remarkable, unpredictable, indescribable minute.

But let����ap forget the on-field events of Week 9 and��focus instead on the final month.

Our predictions for the awards and honors that matter …

2. CFP forecast

The second season of the 12-team College Football Playoff is hurtling toward a chaotic selection process, but clarity exists if you know where to look.

Based on records to date and upcoming schedules, Ohio State, Indiana and Mississippi constitute the lead pack; they are as close to locks as possible with a month remaining.

That said, the SEC has more strong candidates to make the cut on Dec. 7 than the Big Ten.

And keep the Notre Dame factor in mind. The Irish are well positioned for a bid with five consecutive wins (after an 0-2 start) and no ranked opponents left to play. If they qualify, there would be six at-large berths available — not seven — for the non-champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.

We see the situation unfolding in this manner:

ACC: Miami (champion), Georgia Tech (at large)

Big 12: Texas Tech (champion)

Big Ten: Ohio State (champion), Indiana (at-large) and Oregon (at-large)

SEC: Alabama (champion), Mississippi (at large), Texas A&M (at large) and Georgia (at large)

Independent: Notre Dame (at large)

Group of Five: Tulane (American champion)

3. Heisman Trophy front-runners

The Hotline has a Heisman vote and will wait for the conference championship games to play out before submitting our three-player ballot.

But if asked to name our current preferences, here’s the order:

1. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia. The former New Mexico State quarterback is neither an elite NFL prospect or one of the nation’s leaders in key passing categories. But statistics don’t begin to reflect his value to the Commodores. In fact, we’d argue Pavia has done more to transform his school’s football program than any player in any conference in years. Vanderbilt is a juggernaut — Vanderbilt! — and the psychology starts with Pavia.

2. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King. The Yellow Jackets are undefeated, and King is the biggest reason for their surreal start. The former Texas A&M transfer is a sixth-year senior who has seen everything the sport can throw at him twice over. He’s tough, unflappable and perfect for Georgia Tech’s run-heavy offense, with one game of more than 250 passing yards but four games of more than 100 rushing yards.

3. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. The Cal transfer has been sublime for the undefeated Hoosiers, carving up opponents with his arm and legs. Mendoza leads the country in passing efficiency (rating: 191) and is tied for fourth in yards-per-attempt. He has 21 touchdown passes and only two interceptions and was impressive in Indiana’s 10-point win at Oregon.

Also under consideration: Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed

4. Coach of the Year candidates

Just as the opening months have generated a slew of in-season coaching terminations — with more dismissals expected in coming weeks — so has this parity-driven season produced a handful of stellar performances.

Our top three:

1. Vanderbilt����ap Clark Lea. Picked seventh in the SEC preseason media poll, the Commodores are 7-1 and will be ranked in the top 10 when the new AP Top 25 is released Sunday. But they are more than their record. The Commodores are a bully in the SEC — a reflection of Lea’s vision and Pavia’s passion.

2. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti. The 2024 AP Coach of the Year is a threat to repeat. The Hoosiers are 8-0 with a dominant win over Oregon (in Eugene) and possess a soft finishing schedule, which makes them a frontrunner for the Big Ten title game and a near lock for the CFP.

3. Texas A&M’s Mike Elko. The second-year coach leads the only undefeated team remaining in the SEC and owns one of the best results of the season: The pulsating Week 3 victory at Notre Dame. The Aggies are tough on defense and dynamic on offense and, for our money, the best team in Texas.

Also considered: Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, BYU’s Kalani Sitake, Cincinnati’s Scott Satterfield, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, South Florida’s Alex Golesh and Virginia’s Tony Elliott

5. November showdowns

The final five weeks are littered with matchups that will impact conference races and the playoff chase. We have attempted to pinpoint five that should not be missed (chronologically).

Nov. 8: BYU at Texas Tech. The Cougars (8-0) have a bye next weekend, meaning they will be undefeated upon arrival in Lubbock. Meanwhile, the one-loss Red Raiders and their quarterback carousel will be in must-win mode in order to qualify for the conference championship game.

Nov. 15: Notre Dame at Pittsburgh. The Panthers (6-2) are arguably the best of the five teams left on Notre Dame’s schedule, meaning they will have support from every playoff hopeful across the power conferences. If the Irish (5-2) lose again, they are out of the CFP and a spot opens for a second team from the ACC or Big 12 or a fourth team from the SEC or Big Ten.

Nov. 28: Georgia at Georgia Tech. The drama probably won’t match last year’s eight-overtime affair, but the stakes will be higher with both conference title and playoff positioning in the balance. Don’t be surprised if the Yellow Jackets are 11-0 at kickoff, with the Bulldogs 10-1.

Nov. 29: Oregon at Washington. One of the top rivalries on the West Coast is hurtling toward a high-stakes affair in Husky Stadium. Washington (6-2) must win out to have any shot at the CFP, while the Ducks (7-1) could be in need of a victory if they take a second loss before the regular season finale.

Nov. 29: Vanderbilt at Tennessee. The 120th edition of this rivalry could be a playoff elimination game for the loser. At the very least, the Commodores will need a victory to secure their spot in the CFP. And goodness, what a story that would be.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

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With 1:55 left in a seven-point game, CU faced a third-and-16 at its 29-yard line. You give the ball back to Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, and anything could happen. Georgia Tech proved that. So did BYU.

Buffs coach Deion Sanders and Pat Shurmur, his offensive coordinator and play-caller, didn’t give the Cyclones that chance.

CU QB Kaidon Salter dropped back and found wide receiver Joseph “JoJo” Williams streaking open over the middle of the field. The Buffs quarterback nailed Williams in stride for a 38-yard gain to the Iowa State 33. And that was that.

“Had to go get it,” Sanders said of the decision, and the catch, that helped his Buffs knock off No. 22 Iowa State, 24-17, to improve to 3-4 overall, 1-3 in Big 12 play. “Yeah. We had to go get it.”

Gutsy call. Confident throw. A trust fall straight into the arms of a giddy student section at Folsom Field.

It was Salter’s 16th completion of the day. A day that began with the undergrads chanting for his replacement, freshman QB Julian Lewis, somehow ended with those same students looking to carry him off the field.

“I feel like that����ap one of my best attributes — playing the next play,” Salter reflected after throwing for 255 yards and two scores. “I can go out there and do some bull (crud) like last game (at TCU) and play the next play.”

In this game, short memories tend to have longer shelf lives. Salter threw three picks in Fort Worth. Instead of dwelling, he kept swinging. The Buffs’ frustrating 2025 has life again. Life and a postseason purpose.

“This team right here, we never quit,” Salter said. “We have a team full of dawgs that just don’t quit.”

The Buffs go as Salter goes, for better or for worse. As a roster, CU isn’t just better than its 3-4 record. It’s tougher.

Give Coach Prime 11 Tawfiq Byards, and you can start printing College Football Playoff tickets. Byard, a sophomore safety, played much of the second half Saturday with one of his mitts taped after re-aggravating a broken hand. On a third-and-goal 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the CU defensive back leapt high to pluck a Becht pass out of the air with one good hand, returning it 18 yards the other way.

“Came back, gotta finish,” Byard reflected. “(Becht) threw the ball right to me. I made a play.”

There would be more. With 7:15 left, the Buffs were nursing a 21-17 lead. Cyclones coach Matt Campbell faced a fourth-and-1 at his own 18. He went for it, only for Iowa State tailback Abu Sama III to run headlong into a wall of Buffs. CU pushed the corn-fed pile backward, taking over on downs.

“I love my defense,” Salter said. “They fight. They fight real hard.”

Salter finally started landing some haymakers himself after halftime.

On CU’s second play of the second half, No. 3 dropped back on second-and-7 and lofted a rainbow to a wide-open Omarion Miller, who walked into the end zone from 70 yards out to give the hosts a 13-10 lead before the extra point.

Trailing 17-14 with 9:17 left in the third stanza, Salter went to work again after a Cyclones penalty and a 30-kick return gave him a short field. The Buffs senior completed four out of five throws, scrambled for a 13-yard pickup, and converted two third downs, capping a 52-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Williams in the back of the end zone.

It was a surreal end to a game that started with something of a Halloween vibe, in that it felt as if it was played almost entirely in CU’s coffin corner. The Buffs’ first three possessions started at their own 5, their own 13, and their own 10.

On third-and-5 from his own 25 with 10:55 left in the second quarter, Salter whiffed on an open Zach Atkins. On the Buffs’ next possession, he misfired on a throwback screen to the right that was off from the jump, even though it had a phalanx of linemen waiting to form a convoy.

Shurmur went into turtle mode awfully early after that big fourth-down stop gifted his offense the ball at the Cyclones’ 18. The Buffs ran it three times, taking only 1:54 off the clock rather than going for the final nail, letting Alejandro Mata kick a 29-yard chippie for a 24-17 cushion.

Turns out that was enough.

More than enough to start the party, anyway.

“PLEASE CLEAR THE FIELD,” the public address announcer begged the students as they raced onto the artificial turf. “PLEASE CLEAR THE FIELD.”

They ignored him.

“THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION,” the voice continued.

“Streets are different when you win,” Sanders cracked as he left his news conference.

Trust is a two-way street. And the Buffs dance into the bye with a season that’s on the road to somewhere again.

1. An epic Saturday

The most anticipated Saturday of the season was better than the hype, with marquee games across all broadcast windows decided near the wire, at the wire or beyond the wire.

The drama actually began Friday night, with back-to-back-to-back thrillers: Virginia upset No. 8 Florida State in double overtime; Arizona State beat TCU with a field goal in the final minutes; and Houston edged Oregon State in overtime.

Then came a scintillating Saturday in which nine games involving ranked teams were decided by a touchdown or less, from the 9 a.m. kickoff (USC-Illinois) and through the 7:15 p.m. matchup (BYU-Colorado).

No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Georgia all lost.

No. 6 Oregon won in overtime. So did No. 15 Tennessee. And No. 16 Georgia Tech.

The two longest home winning streaks in the country (Georgia and Washington) were broken.

It will take days to unravel the connective tissue and sort through changes to the conference races and the College Football Playoff chase.

But the riveting action offered a heaping dose of clarity to one section of the larger puzzle, courtesy of the Big Ten’s western wing.

2. Oregon stands alone

Five weeks into their second season in the Big Ten, the West Coast foursome is exactly what we thought it was back in August, when as “Oregon and everyone else.”

(You can imagine how that conclusion was received in Seattle and Los Angeles.)

The Ducks proved they are good enough to repeat as Big Ten champions and contend for the national title with a 30-24 double-overtime victory at Penn State.

It was the most impressive performance of the Dan Lanning era: The Ducks controlled the game for three quarters, let a two-touchdown lead slip away, then made one big play after another in the two overtime sessions — all of it unfolding in one of the most intimidating, raucous environments in sports, a White Out game at Beaver Stadium.

Oregon’s defense answered the challenge, holding the Nittany Lions to 276 yards a mere 10 months after they blasted the Ducks for 523 in the Big Ten title game.

Sophomore quarterback Dante Moore was equally impressive, completing 29 of 39 passes for three touchdowns and never appearing rattled by the noise or Penn State’s defense.

The Ducks (5-0) have a favorable schedule ahead. They don’t play Ohio State or Michigan, they get USC and Indiana at home, and they have plenty of cushion. Oregon can afford two losses without jeopardizing a spot in the CFP, whether the Ducks win the conference or not.

3. L.A. gloom

The outlook isn’t nearly as bright for Washington, USC and UCLA.

We knew that about the Bruins (0-4), who lost at Northwestern on Saturday and (in case there was any doubt) solidified their status as the worst team in the conference.

Yes, worse than Purdue.

But it����ap equally clear that USC (4-1) isn’t ready to seriously compete for a top-tier finish.

A few days after coach Lincoln Riley bemoaned the 9 a.m. kickoff at Illinois — an excuse, planted in advance? — the Trojans did what the Trojans do in a 34-32 loss.

They were beaten at the line of scrimmage, allowed more than 500 yards, failed to run the ball when they should have run the ball, blew another fourth-quarter lead and couldn’t close out a game in which the Illini cost themselves 14 points with two fumbles on the goal-line.

“We showed a lot of fight coming back to take the lead, but the reality is we squandered too many opportunities on both sides of the ball,” Riley said.

It was classic USC — at least, the Big Ten version of USC.

Put another way: The Trojans weren’t good enough to beat an opponent that lost by 53 points (to Indiana) a week earlier.

If Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State constitute the top tier of the conference — Penn State and Michigan might have claims to that territory, as well — the Trojans are clearly a level below.

4. Shut down in Seattle

Then again, the Trojans have company on the conference’s second tier.

Washington entered its showdown with Ohio State as a trendy pick to upset the defending national champions — just as the Huskies toppled the 2023 champs, Michigan, last October in Husky Stadium.

But those Wolverines won’t be confused with these Buckeyes, who were in command throughout the second half on Saturday afternoon as they powered to a 24-6 victory.

Washington (3-1) struggled to defend Ohio State’s short passing game and lost receiver Jeremiah Smith at exactly the wrong time, with the Buckeyes in the Red Zone late in the first half.

But Ohio State’s complete containment of UW’s high-powered offense was the most surprising development. The Huskies were 1-of-11 on third down, gained a paltry 234 yards and were inept in the Red Zone. Their offensive line struggled to protect Demond Williams Jr., and big-play receiver Denzel Boston had just three catches for just 26 yards.

“Some situational football that we’ve been good at, we struggled in this one,” UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

At no point did Ohio State look threatened or uncomfortable.

At no point did Washington have the upper hand.

And at no point did the ingredients needed for an upset present themselves across the three-hour affair.

Yes, the Buckeyes started slowly on offense, but that was intentional — a conservative game-plan that allowed inexperienced quarterback Julian Sayin to find his footing.

And yes, they benefited from an atrocious roughing-the-passer penalty on UW. Without that call, would the game have turned out differently? Not in our view.

If the Buckeyes represent the standard in the Big Ten, the Huskies aren’t particularly close to being ready to contend, especially on the lines of scrimmage.

It was a mismatch.

5. Outclassed in Ames

Clarity came in the Big 12, as well: We can state definitively that Arizona isn’t ready to compete for the conference title.

The Wildcats appeared vastly improved as they sprinted to a 3-0 start in a critical season for coach Brent Brennan. But reality arrived Saturday evening in a 39-14 loss at Iowa State.

Arizona trailed by two touchdowns early in the second quarter and never recovered. The Wildcats weren’t good enough on the line of scrimmage or at the skill positions. They weren’t tough enough, efficient enough or resourceful enough.

And that����ap okay, because the bar for Arizona this season isn’t the Big 12 title. It����ap showing substantive year-over-year progress. It����ap being competitive more often than not. It����ap qualifying for a bowl berth.

Those goals remain entirely attainable despite the beat down in Ames.

The Wildcats have loads of winnable games remaining, but they can’t let one bad performance become a string of bad performances. What happened in Ames must stay in Ames.

That said, the Big 12 schedule offers a sterling opportunity to regain momentum: Oklahoma State visits Tucson next weekend with an interim coach and three-game losing streak.

The first Saturday in October is typically a tad early for must-win games. But that����ap precisely the case for the Wildcats.

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