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Quarterbacks: The year of the probably pretty good college QB
Pulse Hypothesis, six days before the start of college football season: Now that teams can pay players, nobody with a clear shot at the playoff will ever go into a season with a black hole at quarterback.
All 25 teams in the preseason Associated Press poll have a QB situation that I would at least describe as “hopeful.” The highest-ranked team that doesn’t is BYU, which came in first in the “also receiving votes” section. That’s because the Cougars’ starter exited in July. A safe bet: If you are spending several million dollars on an otherwise good team, you won’t forget to stock a QB.
There’s something funny about how this is all playing out in 2025. Every team has reason for QB optimism, but the number that should expect QB dominance is roughly zero. There’s nothing resembling a clear Heisman favorite this year — though looking for a value pick is fun — and this moment in quarterbacking explains why. The floor is high. The ceiling may be low.
A few teams have multiyear starters who are definitely good but have left a little meat on the expectation bone. (Of the QBs at the top of The Athletic’s QB Tiers, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Penn State’s Drew Allar fit here.) South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Florida’s DJ Lagway and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier are clearly good, but also either young (Lagway) or fresh off a breakout that didn’t make them a Heisman-type player yet (Sellers, Nussmeier). SMU’s Kevin Jennings and Boise State’s Maddux Madsen are good-ish, but you will recall the combined six interceptions they threw to Penn State defenders in the playoff. And there is a long list of hopefuls:
Oh, and the No. 1 team in the country will start a Manning scion who happens to be the most famous QB prospect maybe ever. Across two years, he has thrown a majority of his college passes in two games against ULM and Mississippi State. Arch Manning is probably good, butQuinn Ewers was once almost as hyped as Manning is now, and I wouldn’t claim that Ewers turned out to be “good” in the way that Texas fans (or Ohio State fans before them) hoped.
So, does your top-25 team have a good QB? The answer is simple: Yeah, maybe. Probably! I think so. All of this makes for the main reason this season is unusually mysterious.
News to Know
Big Ten discusses 28-team CFP
No, that headline is somehow not a joke. While it’s just an idea at this point, the Big Ten has at least had preliminary discussions surrounding a college football tournament with as many as 28 teams. The report comes as CFP expansion talks have hit a wall in recent months, with the Big Ten continuing to push for a 16-team model and four auto bids for its own teams. More details on what a 28-team playoff would even look like in Ralph Russo’s full report.
Brewers extend winning streak to 14
Milwaukee may never lose another game. After erasing a seven-run deficit Friday, the Brewers put together another storybook comeback last night to extend their winning streak to a franchise-record 14 games. Last night’s comeback featured the Brewers tying the game with two outs in the ninth before a pinch-hit three-run homer in the 11th sealed the deal. Unreal scenes.
More news:
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was put on the 15-day injured list after medical staff found a blood clot near his shoulder. It could put the rest of his season in jeopardy.
Luka Dončić appears to have avoided serious injury after a scary play during Slovenia’s EuroBasket game yesterday, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported.
Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson barely bested American Noah Lyles in their first meeting in the 100-meter since Lyles won Olympic gold. A budding track rivalry.
Five former Wisconsin women’s basketball players filed a federal lawsuit against former coach Marisa Moseley, alleging psychological abuse. More here.
Watch Guide
📺 EPL: Manchester United vs. Arsenal
11:30 a.m. ET on NBC
United try to get started on the right foot after last season’s disaster. Here’s a good overview of the club’s plan to not be terrible this year.
📺 Golf: BMW Championship, Final Round
Golf Channel/NBC until around 6 p.m. ET
The top 30 players in the FedExCup standings after today’s round will advance to the TOUR Championship. Robert MacIntyre, whose putter is on fire this week, leads the field by four strokes.
📺 MLB: Mariners at Mets
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Mariners are my personal World Series pick at the moment. I’ll also use this space to point you toward Sam Blum’s story about a dog whose owner dresses her in Mets gear and farms her out for photos in the New York heat all summer. Good reporting, bad dog ownership.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Greg Olsen has strong opinions on the biggest issues facing youth sports right now. This interview is worth a read today.
Even the 7-year-old now eats one Reese’s cup and is willing to wait for the other out of the freezer. That’s growth. Refridge your Reese’s, people. — Chris Sprow
If our crash course for new card collectors in last weekend’s Pulse piqued your interest, you’ll be fascinated by this story on a Jay Cutler card selling for over $12,000 last week. The buyer of the card got in touch to explain the situation, and his explanation is frankly hilarious.
My daughter went back to school this week (what a delight) and our new water bottle, this “Caticorns” Thermos, is a massive hit. — Chris Branch
The Athletic’s weekly sports news quiz.
How many times have I heard the title of Octavia E. Butler’s classic 1993 novel “The Parable of the Sower”? Hundreds, probably. But I hadn’t read it until this week. It’s set in — or at least it starts in — a dystopian version of 2024 and goes through the next few years, so it’s a good time to start it if you haven’t. — Levi Weaver
Jim Bowden has an early look at the top 25 potential MLB free agents as the offseason draws nearer. Kyle Tucker is about to get paid how much?
I finally bought into the HOKA hype my family has been selling me on for years. Unfortunately, they were right. Incredibly comfortable — and a little extra height never hurt anyone either. — Sam Settleman
Matt Baker had a fun story this weekend on Missouri State football’s rise to the FBS level, 10 years after a 70-7 loss ended any conversation of the Bears leaving the FCS. Not as fun: Their FBS debut is at the Coliseum against USC in two weeks.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Brewers’ first comeback of the weekend.
Most-read on the website yesterday: How a catfishing scam is putting both fans and female golfers in danger. Scary stuff.
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(Top photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
