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Iowa State’s 2025 Football Season: How the Cyclones Plan to Build on Their Historic Success

Mark Haines on May 6, 2025

Iowa State just delivered the best football season in school history, and now they face their greatest challenge: doing it again.

After an unprecedented 11-win campaign in 2024 that included the program’s first-ever Big 12 Championship Game appearance and a thrilling Pop-Tarts Bowl victory, the Cyclones enter 2025 with a mix of returning talent, high expectations, and significant questions to answer.

The Historic Season Nobody Saw Coming

Last year wasn’t just good for Iowa State—it was program-defining.

  • First 11-win season in 133 years of Cyclone football
  • Finished as Big 12 runners-up, falling to Arizona State in the championship game
  • Capped the season with a dramatic 42-41 comeback victory over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl
  • Achieved a final AP ranking of No. 15, third-highest among Big 12 teams
  • Generated enough momentum for head coach Matt Campbell to sign an eight-year extension through 2032

The success cemented Campbell’s legacy as the winningest coach in Iowa State history, silencing NFL rumors and giving the program unprecedented stability.

Your first question should be: Can they possibly do it again?

With key departures at wide receiver and a challenging schedule with an international opener, the path to matching last year’s success won’t be easy, but the pieces are there.

Becht’s Evolution: More Than Just a Quarterback

Rocco Becht isn’t just returning as Iowa State’s starting quarterback—he’s returning as the team’s most important leader.

“Obviously, the leadership part, on and off the field, in the locker room—becoming a guy (like) Jaylin Noel and Beau (Freyler) were on their respective sides of the ball,” Becht said recently when discussing his goals for 2025. After throwing for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2024, he’s focused on becoming even sharper.

There are three specific ways Becht elevated his game during the 2024 season:

  • Clutch performance: Led four come-from-behind victories, including the bowl game
  • Ball security: Threw just three interceptions in the final six games
  • Dual-threat capability: More than doubled his career-high in rushing touchdowns with eight

This growth has established Becht as one of the Big 12’s premier quarterbacks entering 2025, but his impact extends beyond stats.

“Rocco is like another offensive coach on our staff,” says ISU offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. “He’s the guy, since we got back (from the Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Miami), who, when the coaches aren’t there, he’s there running practice and going through routes.”

This player-driven leadership will be crucial as Iowa State integrates new talent at key positions.

The Wide Receiver Question Everyone Is Asking

Iowa State lost its two biggest offensive weapons to the NFL Draft, creating the team’s most glaring question mark.

The departures of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who combined for 2,377 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, leave a massive production void that will be addressed through two primary channels:

  1. Strategic Transfer Portal Additions
    • Chase Sowell (East Carolina/Colorado): A 6-4 receiver who had multiple 100-yard games at ECU
    • Xavier Townsend (UCF): Versatile playmaker with 66 career catches and experience as a rusher and returner
  2. Internal Development
    • Young players like Carson Brown and Eli Green are stepping into expanded roles
    • Converting tight end Kai Black (now 240 pounds) into a potential outside receiving threat

How quickly these new pieces develop chemistry with Becht will largely determine the Cyclones’ offensive ceiling in 2025.

The Recruiting Pipeline That’s Changing the Program

Matt Campbell has slowly established Iowa State as the destination for top in-state talent.

The 2025 recruiting class, ranked No. 52 nationally, continues this trend by securing five of the top six players in Iowa, including:

  • Alex Manske (QB, Algona): Four-star quarterback and cornerstone of the class
  • Will Hawthorne (LB, Gilbert): Four-star linebacker, one of the state’s best defensive prospects
  • Will Tompkins (OT, Cedar Falls): Four-star offensive tackle adding size up front
  • Ethan Stecker (ATH, Spirit Lake): Versatile athlete with multiple positional options
  • Jack Limbaugh (EDGE, Algona): Highly ranked edge rusher with pass-rush potential

These aren’t just good recruits by Iowa State standards—they’re elite talents that would have typically gone to bigger programs.

The class includes 21 total signees (11 offense, 10 defense), with seven from Iowa, demonstrating Campbell’s emphasis on first building from within the state’s borders.

A Run Defense Problem That Could Derail Everything

For all of Iowa State’s success in 2024, one glaring weakness threatened to undermine it all.

The Cyclones allowed 188.4 rushing yards per game (ranked 98th nationally) and 5.3 yards per carry—a vulnerability exploited in their Big 12 Championship loss and several close games.

To address this, Campbell has:

  • Added multiple defensive linemen via the transfer portal, including Cannon Butler (UNI), Vontroy Malone (Tulsa), and Tamatoa McDonough (Yale)
  • Signed four-star LB Will Hawthorne and DL BJ Carter in the recruiting class
  • Developed young linebackers who were forced into action due to injuries in 2024
  • Converted WR Beni Ngoyi to defensive back before the Pop-Tarts Bowl, with promising early results

If the Cyclones can’t stop the run more effectively in 2025, even Becht’s offensive firepower may not overcome it.

Dublin Calling: The Historic Season Opener

Iowa State will make program history before playing a single snap in Jack Trice Stadium.

The Cyclones will play outside the United States for the first time when they open the 2025 season against Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on August 23 in Dublin, Ireland.

This international showcase brings unique challenges:

  • An earlier start to the season (Week Zero) means accelerated preparation timelines
  • Conference opponent in the opener raises immediate stakes
  • International travel logistics for players, staff, and fans
  • Three bye weeks (Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15) create an unusual rhythm to the season

“He’s trying to make it like fall camp,” Becht explained about Coach Campbell’s approach to spring practice. “We know that we start a week earlier because we play in Ireland, and we have one of the longest seasons in college football.”

The Ireland opener is just the beginning of what many consider one of the most demanding schedules in recent memory.

The SWOT Analysis Every Cyclone Fan Needs to See

The Realistic Outlook Every Fan Should Adopt

Expectations need calibration after the best season in program history, both up and down.

Here’s what’s realistic for the 2025 Cyclones:

  • Another Big 12 Championship appearance is possible but not guaranteed
  • 8-9 wins would represent continued success given the schedule difficulty
  • Offensive production may dip initially as new receivers develop
  • Defense must improve against the run to remain conference contenders
  • The international opener creates both opportunity and uncertainty

Matt Campbell’s eight-year contract extension signals that he and the university believe the program’s trajectory will remain upward despite the significant challenges ahead.

With Becht’s leadership, strategic portal additions, and Campbell’s developmental approach, Iowa State appears positioned to remain competitive in the evolving Big 12 landscape.

The question isn’t whether the Cyclones can match last year’s historic success—it’s whether they can sustain their place among the conference elite over the long term.

Based on the foundation built, the answer appears promising.

The Next Billion Dollar Game

College football isn’t just a sport anymore—it’s a high-stakes market where information asymmetry separates winners from losers. While the average fan sees only what happens between the sidelines, real insiders trade on the hidden dynamics reshaping programs from the inside out.

Our team has embedded with the power brokers who run this game. The coaching carousel, NIL deals, transfer portal strategies, we’ve mapped the entire ecosystem with the kind of obsessive detail that would make a hedge fund analyst blush.

Why subscribe? Because in markets this inefficient, information creates alpha. Our subscribers knew which coaches were dead men walking months before the mainstream media caught on. They understood which programs were quietly transforming their recruiting apparatuses while competitors slept.

The smart money is already positioning for 2025. Are you?

Click below—it’s free—and join the small group of people who understand the real value of college football’s new economy.

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College Football Warning: Utah Is About To Break Your Heart.

Mark Haines on May 5, 2025

Let me tell you what 5-7 means for Utah’s Kyle Whittingham.

It means 134 consecutive weeks of sleepless nights, obsessing over film, analyzing every missed assignment, every blown coverage, every quarterback injury that shattered his 22-year masterpiece. When a 65-year-old legend sits in his office at midnight questioning whether he should retire – that’s when transformation happens.

The Quarterback Carousel From Hell

Five quarterbacks. FIVE.

But here’s the part ESPN glossed over in their highlight reels: Starting quarterback Cam Rising went down after 2.5 games. Then came Brandon Rose. Then Isaac Wilson. Then Miguel Wilson. Finally, they handed the keys to Luke Bottari – the FIFTH string quarterback who wasn’t even supposed to see the field this millennium.

Meanwhile, the numbers told a story of offensive incompetence so profound it made Bill Walsh roll in his grave:

  • 55.6% completion percentage (lower than Manning’s rookie year in the NFL)
  • 329.8 yards per game (dead last among Power 5 programs)
  • 23.6 points per game (Georgia Tech scored more in 1990)
  • 3.9 yards per carry (high schoolers do better)
  • More interceptions per game than touchdowns (because why not?)

The defense? They fought like lions. 12th nationally in scoring defense. 20th in total defense. They watched their offense hemorrhage possessions and still held teams to 16.4 points per game. Then they had to watch their offense throw it all away.

Seven straight losses. The longest streak in Kyle Whittingham’s 22 years.

That wasn’t football. That was character assassination.

The Transfer Portal Retaliation

Here’s where this story takes a turn nobody saw coming.

While the national media was busy crowning Colorado’s “flashy” recruiting class, Utah went shopping for actual game-changers. Not followers. Not hype merchants. Winners.

Devon Dampier arrives from New Mexico with Jason Beck’s entire playbook downloaded into his brain:

  • 3,934 total yards in 2024
  • 1,166 rushing yards that made Pac-12 defenses look foolish
  • First-Team All-Mountain West honors
  • Chemistry with Ryan Davis (747 receiving yards together)

But the real coup? The running back room.

247Sports ranks it No. 6 in America. Best in the Big 12. Not just depth – ELITE depth:

  • Wayshawn Parker (735 yards, elite burst at Washington State)
  • NaQuari Rogers (New Mexico’s secret weapon)
  • Devin Green (UNLV’s explosive playmaker)
  • Daniel Bray (four-star freshman who benched 225 sixteen times)

You know what separates good programs from great ones? They don’t rebuild. They reload with precision-guided missiles while everyone’s distracted by shiny objects.

The Morgan Scalley Question

Picture this: You’re the defensive coordinator for one of the nation’s elite defenses. Your boss, a living legend, just went 5-7 for the first time in forever. The AD taps you as “head coach in waiting.” The pressure? Astronomical.

Morgan Scalley doesn’t just need this defense to perform. He needs it to dominate. Every linebacker tackle, every forced turnover, and every defensive touchdown is an audition for the biggest job interview in college football.

The additions scream intent:

  • Christian Thatcher (four-star linebacker sensation)
  • Lance Holtzclaw (Washington’s edge rushing terror)
  • Jaxson Jones (Oregon transfer with NFL bloodlines)
  • Donovan Saunders (Texas A&M transfer who quarterbacks fear)

This isn’t a defense. It’s a proving ground for the next era of Utah football.

The Schedule That Begs For Revenge

August 30 at UCLA: The statement game. September 6 vs. Cal Poly: Confidence restoration. September 13 vs. Wyoming: Chemistry check.

Then, the Big 12 gauntlet that could make or break Kyle Whittingham’s legacy:

  • Week 4: Arizona State at home (Colorado killer)
  • Week 8: Kansas State at home (Big 12 contender)
  • Week 11: Colorado at home (Prime Time’s revenge game)

Not a single back-to-back road trip all season. Utah gets its toughest conference games at Rice-Eccles Stadium, where opposing teams still have nightmares about the altitude and the noise and Whittingham’s glare from the sideline.

The Math of Desperation

Four wins projected. Six if they’re lucky. But here’s the real math:

  • One healthy quarterback equals +3 wins minimum
  • Elite running game equals +2 wins versus average rushing attacks
  • Scalley’s defense staying top-15 equals another +2 wins
  • Favorable schedule with key home games equals another +1

That’s not 4-8. That’s not even 6-6. That’s 9-3 with a legitimate shot at the Big 12 Championship Game.

But championships aren’t the point. Legacy is the point.

The Whittingham Principle

Every great coach faces the same crossroads: go out on top or risk diminishing returns. Bobby Bowden stuck around too long. So did Joe Paterno. So did Lou Holtz.

Kyle Whittingham chose the road less traveled – using rock bottom as the foundation for one final masterpiece. And here’s the beautiful irony: the injury-devastated quarterback room that wrecked 2024 forced Utah to build the deepest, most talented roster they’ve had in a decade.

By Thanksgiving, one of two stories emerges: An aging legend rides into the sunset with his reputation intact, or Kyle Whittingham reminds every Power 5 program why they spent 22 years fearing Utah football.

The scary part? They’ve got the horses to write either ending.

The Real Warning

Don’t count talent. Count desperation. Don’t count wins. Count motivations. Don’t count the schedule. Count the opportunity.

Because when a Hall of Fame coach with a 120-50 career record watches his program hit its lowest point in two decades, that’s not an ending.

That’s a beginning.

The 2025 season isn’t about bowl eligibility. It’s about whether the last chapter of Kyle Whittingham’s career reads like redemption or regret. Everything Utah does this offseason – every portal addition, every practice rep, every film session – leads to one question:

Can greatness be reinvented at 65?

The horses are saddled. The revenge tour starts in 179 days. And college football isn’t ready for what happens when a legend refuses to fade quietly into that good night.

The Next Billion Dollar Game

College football isn’t just a sport anymore—it’s a high-stakes market where information asymmetry separates winners from losers. While the average fan sees only what happens between the sidelines, real insiders trade on the hidden dynamics reshaping programs from the inside out.

Our team has embedded with the power brokers who run this game. The coaching carousel, NIL deals, transfer portal strategies, we’ve mapped the entire ecosystem with the kind of obsessive detail that would make a hedge fund analyst blush.

Why subscribe? Because in markets this inefficient, information creates alpha. Our subscribers knew which coaches were dead men walking months before the mainstream media caught on. They understood which programs were quietly transforming their recruiting apparatuses while competitors slept.

The smart money is already positioning for 2025. Are you?

Click below—it’s free—and join the small group of people who understand the real value of college football’s new economy.

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KNIGHT REVIVAL: UCF’S 2025 SEASON OUTLOOK UNDER SCOTT FROST’S RETURN

Mark Haines on May 2, 2025

UCF’s prodigal son has returned home.

After guiding the Knights to a historic undefeated season in 2017 and then departing for his alma mater, Nebraska, Scott Frost is back in Orlando with unfinished business and Big 12 dreams.

The reunion couldn’t come at a more critical time for a program desperate to reestablish itself following a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2024.

THE HOMECOMING THAT EVERYONE WANTED

Something didn’t feel right when Scott Frost left UCF after that magical 2017 season.

Frost admitted it years later, saying, “I don’t think my heart really wanted to leave. UCF was a special place to me then, and it always will be.”

With a 5-year contract through 2029, Frost can finish what he started—this time with UCF sitting at the big boy table in the Big 12.

  • Turned a 0-12 team into 13-0 national champions in just two years
  • Led the nation in scoring at 48.2 points per game in 2017
  • Won multiple national coach of the year awards after the perfect season
  • Returns after going 16-31 in his stint at Nebraska

As Athletic Director Terry Mohajir put it: “Today marks an exciting reunion for UCF Football as we welcome back Scott Frost, a coach who ignites the spirit and passion of Knight Nation.”

But make no mistake—this isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about bringing winning football back to Orlando.

2025 SCHEDULE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The schedule sets up nicely for a potential bounce-back season.

UCF opens with three consecutive non-conference home games:

  • Jacksonville State (Thursday, August 28)
  • North Carolina A&T (September 6)
  • North Carolina and new coach Bill Belichick (September 21) after a bye week

The conference slate features a mix of winnable home games and challenging road trips:

Home Games:

  • Kansas (October 4)
  • West Virginia (October 18)
  • Houston (November 8)
  • Oklahoma State (November 22)

Road Challenges:

  • Kansas State
  • Cincinnati
  • Baylor
  • Texas Tech
  • Season finale at BYU (November 29)

Frost recognizes the challenge ahead: “It’s a fun schedule. We got our work cut out for us. We’re taking off from a point that I don’t think anybody was happy with last year’s results. That being said, I think watching the tape and a few plays go different, UCF wins seven or eight games last year.”

THE MASSIVE ROSTER OVERHAUL

Your first rebuild is impressive. Your second rebuild? That’s where legends are made.

Frost didn’t waste time turning over the roster through both recruiting and the transfer portal:

  • Class ranked #77 nationally by 247Sports
  • Notable recruits include Taevion Swint (#19 RB), Tony Williams (#34 S), and RyShawn Perry (#39 DT)
  • Added four key linemen on National Signing Day, including Jacob Maiava from Hawaii and Raishaun McHaney from Indianapolis

The biggest impact might be felt at the transfer portal. Frost and his staff have been working tirelessly to reshape the roster.

“In this era of college football you land and immediately have to start putting a team together in the transfer portal,” Frost explained. “So my life was six in the morning till midnight, and falling asleep with my phone in my hand for five weeks just to try to get a team put together.”

THE QUARTERBACK QUESTION

If you want to find the most critical position battle of the 2025 season, look no further than quarterback.

After cycling through four different starters in 2024, stability under center is the top priority.

For the first time since 2019, the Knights enter a season without a clear-cut starting quarterback. The competition features returning quarterback Jacurri Brown alongside transfers Cam Fancher and Tayven Jackson.

The competition brings additional intrigue with former UCF quarterback legend McKenzie Milton serving as quarterbacks coach.

Milton’s approach is simple: “The thing we always harp on is there are two things you can always control: your attitude and effort. These guys have come in with the right attitude every day and they’ve been busting their butts out there.”

The four contenders each bring different strengths:

  • Tayven Jackson: Former four-star recruit with two years of eligibility remaining after stints at Tennessee and Indiana
  • Cam Fancher: Veteran with three years of starting experience from Marshall and FAU
  • Jacurri Brown: Athletic dual-threat who started games in 2024

THE ALEX GRINCH GAMBLE

Let’s be brutally honest—the 2024 defense was a disaster:

  • Ranked 94th nationally (339.0 YPG)
  • Surrendered 40 total touchdowns
  • Allowed 64.9% completion rate (5th worst in FBS)

The biggest coaching move this offseason? Hiring Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator is a decision that has raised eyebrows across college football.

Frost views Grinch as someone whose career mirrors his own: “I think I can really relate to Alex’s career. One time, he was probably the hottest defensive coordinator in the country. He went to another place where it didn’t go quite as well, and I don’t think that was necessarily all his fault.”

The truth is that Grinch’s recent track record is concerning:

  • Was fired midseason from USC in 2023 after defensive collapses
  • Allowed 101 combined points in his final two USC games against California and Washington
  • Oklahoma’s defense regressed in his final season, dropping to 76th nationally
  • Spent 2024 as co-defensive coordinator at Wisconsin in a reset year

Frost is betting on Grinch recapturing the magic he showed at Washington State (2015-17), where his aggressive “Speed D” concept earned him Broyles Award semifinalist honors.

The staff has prioritized defensive back recruiting and brought in multiple transfers to shore up the secondary:

  • Syracuse DBs Jayden Bellamy and Jyaire Brown
  • LSU DB Jyaire Brown
  • FAU DB Phillip Dunnam

Nyjalik Kelly returns after leading UCF with 5.5 sacks in 2024, providing some stability up front alongside transfers Sincere Edwards (Pittsburgh) and RJ Jackson (Tulsa).

Linebacker transfers Phil Picciotti (Oklahoma) and Keli Lawson (Virginia Tech) should immediately impact the middle of the defense.

The defensive coordinator hire remains the biggest gamble of Frost’s second tenure. If Grinch fails to deliver, it could derail UCF’s rebuild before it even gets started.

CULTURE CHANGE AND THE MINDSET SHIFT

Beyond schemes and personnel, Frost’s biggest job may be changing the culture and mindset.

Black & Gold Banneret states that Frost’s biggest test will be “restoring a winning mindset to UCF Football.”

It’s about creating belief and mentally flipping the script for a team that lost 8 of its final 9 games in 2024, including four one-score losses.

Spring practices have emphasized increased intensity, attention to detail, and developing a core of player leadership in a roster filled with newcomers.

A key advantage for Frost is his relationship with AD Terry Mohajir: “Terry’s been great. I’m so grateful to have an AD that’s on my side and working alongside me. When you’re in the other situation it’s really difficult, and it’s really debilitating to be honest with you.”

2025 OUTLOOK: REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

So, where does this leave us for 2025? Most projections point to UCF fighting for bowl eligibility:

  • Improvement from 4 wins to 6-7 wins
  • Bowl eligibility within reach
  • Building block for future success

The key factors that will determine UCF’s ceiling:

  1. Quarterback Development: Finding the right starter who can limit turnovers and maximize the offense’s potential
  2. Secondary Performance: Dramatic improvement needed in pass defense
  3. Line Play: Both offensive and defensive lines must get stronger
  4. Close Game Execution: Flipping the script in one-score games
  5. Home Field Advantage: Must capitalize on seven home games

THE VISION AHEAD

For Frost and UCF, 2025 is about more than immediate wins—it’s about reestablishing a foundation for long-term success in the Big 12.

As Frost said upon his return: “The foundation we built here has only grown stronger, and I am thrilled to continue shaping this program’s legacy. As we prepare for year three in the Big 12 Conference, I look forward to working alongside our dedicated student-athletes, talented staff, and passionate fans to reach new heights together.”

While bowl eligibility is the immediate goal, the ultimate vision is clear: building UCF into a legitimate Big 12 contender that can regularly compete for conference championships.

The reunion between Scott Frost and UCF offers a rare second chance to recapture magic—this time on a bigger stage, with higher stakes, and with the benefit of lessons learned.

Knight Nation, the revival has begun.

THE NEXT BILLION-DOLLAR GAME

College football isn’t just a sport anymore—it’s a high-stakes market where information asymmetry separates winners from losers. While the average fan sees only what happens between the sidelines, real insiders trade on the hidden dynamics reshaping programs from the inside out.

Our team has embedded with the power brokers who run this game. The coaching carousel, NIL deals, transfer portal strategies, we’ve mapped the entire ecosystem with the kind of obsessive detail that would make a hedge fund analyst blush.

Why subscribe? Because in markets this inefficient, information creates alpha. Our subscribers knew which coaches were dead men walking months before the mainstream media caught on. They understood which programs were quietly transforming their recruiting apparatuses while competitors slept.

The smart money is already positioning for 2025. Are you?

Click below—it’s free—and join the small group of people who understand the real value of college football’s new economy.

Free Subscription
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ALL-IN: Why Texas Tech Football Is THE Most Fascinating Team of 2025

Mark Haines on May 1, 2025

The championship window just swung wide open at Texas Tech in Lubbock.

After dropping $10+ million on the nation’s #1 transfer portal class, Texas Tech has officially pushed all its chips to the center of the table—transforming from a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team into a legitimate College Football Playoff contender overnight.

This is the story of college football’s most audacious offseason gamble and why the Red Raiders are about to shock the entire country.

Joey McGuire called his 8-5 season a “complete failure” and then went nuclear in the transfer portal.

When a coach publicly labels an 8-win season a “failure,” two things are happening:

  1. The expectations inside the building are sky-high
  2. Bold moves are coming

Bold doesn’t begin to describe what happened next. According to reports, Texas Tech assembled the most aggressive transfer class in college football history, spending north of $10 million (double their original budget) to secure elite talent nationwide.

Why such a dramatic approach?

  • Tech’s championship window is NOW (expanded playoff creates opportunity)
  • The Air Raid offense needs just a few more weapons
  • The defense desperately needed immediate upgrades
  • The Big 12 title race is wide open without Texas and Oklahoma

“This place has never gone to the Big 12 championship or won one. Everybody from the top down is wanting one in Lubbock, Texas. I can’t imagine. It’ll be a dream. But it’s gonna be a dream come true, because it’s about to happen.”

—James Blanchard, Texas Tech General Manager (who recently turned down the same position at Notre Dame)

When your GM turns down Notre Dame to stay at Texas Tech, something special is brewing in West Texas.

The return of QB Behren Morton gives Tech the most important ingredient for a title run: stability under center.

The quarterback position has been a revolving door in Lubbock since the Patrick Mahomes era ended.

That changes in 2025, with Behren Morton returning as the full-time starter after throwing for 3,335 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2024, despite battling shoulder issues during parts of the season.

Morton’s experience running the Air Raid offers three critical advantages:

  • He’s already shown he can produce at an elite level (37.6 points per game in 2024)
  • He knows the system inside and out (accuracy and decision-making will improve)
  • He’s fought through adversity and earned the respect of the locker room

With a healthy Morton directing traffic, the Red Raiders offense should be even more explosive than the unit that averaged nearly 463 yards per game last season.

The $10 million transfer haul brought in game-changers at EVERY position.

Most programs are happy to land one or two impact transfers each offseason.

Texas Tech signed SEVENTEEN.

The Red Raiders’ transfer class is mind-boggling in both quality and quantity:

  • 5-star WR Micah Hudson returns after briefly transferring to Texas A&M
  • TE Terrance Carter (Louisiana) brings 48 catches, 689 yards, and 4 TDs
  • WR Reggie Virgil (Miami OH) was an all-conference performer
  • RB Quinten Joyner (USC) averaged 7.6 yards per carry in 2024
  • OL Will Jados (Miami OH) adds 40 career starts to the offensive line
  • Multiple defensive backs with length and experience to boost a secondary that struggled in 2024

This isn’t just adding depth—it’s a complete roster overhaul with immediate championship aspirations.

The defense must improve if Tech wants to become more than just the Big 12’s most entertaining team.

Let’s be real: Texas Tech’s defense was a disaster in 2024.

  • 34.9 points allowed per game (121st nationally)
  • 460.2 yards allowed per game
  • 308.1 passing yards allowed per game (4th-worst in FBS)

No offensive firepower can overcome a defense that leaks points like a sieve. That’s why Tech’s transfer strategy focused heavily on adding length and experience in the secondary.

The defensive improvements must happen quickly. Tech’s schedule includes challenging road games at Utah, Houston, Colorado, Kansas State, and West Virginia.

But with eight defensive starters returning plus the transfer additions, this unit has nowhere to go but up.

The 2025 schedule provides a runway for success with three straight home games to open the season.

When you’re integrating 17 transfers, the schedule matters—and Texas Tech’s 2025 slate sets up perfectly for early momentum:

  • 3 consecutive home games to start (Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State, Oregon State)
  • Avoids Oklahoma and Texas in conference play
  • Key home games against Kansas and Oklahoma State
  • Strategic open dates before challenging road trips

The Red Raiders also benefit from two open dates (Sept. 27 and Nov. 22) that provide valuable rest and preparation time before critical stretches.

If Tech can navigate early-season chemistry challenges, they’ll be battle-tested and fully integrated by the time the most critical games arrive in November.

Will Texas Tech’s $10 million gamble pay off with the program’s first-ever Big 12 championship?

National media is already buzzing about Texas Tech’s potential:

  • CBS Sports listed Tech among the Big 12’s top five championship contenders
  • The Mercury News projected the Red Raiders to finish second in the conference
  • Multiple power rankings place Tech in the upper echelon of the reconfigured Big 12

But expectations are dangerous in college football, especially for a program that hasn’t won a conference title since the Southwest Conference era.

The question isn’t whether Texas Tech has assembled championship-caliber talent (they have). It’s whether they can transform a collection of transfers and returning stars into a cohesive unit capable of winning in hostile environments against elite competition.

The Red Raiders are now officially the most fascinating team in college football—a program that has decided its time is now and is willing to spend whatever it takes to make it happen.

We’ll know if the $10 million gamble paid off in December.

But one thing’s already certain: Texas Tech’s “all-in” approach has changed the game in college football’s NIL era.

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Kansas Football 2025: A Program at the Crossroads

Mark Haines on April 30, 2025

Kansas football is about to enter its most pivotal season yet.

After a rollercoaster 2024 campaign that teased fans with unprecedented highs (beating three straight ranked opponents) but ultimately crashed into a 5-7 finish, the Jayhawks find themselves at a critical juncture. With quarterback Jalon Daniels returning for his final chapter, 22 new transfers reshaping the roster, and a gleaming renovated stadium awaiting its grand reopening, 2025 represents the moment of truth for Lance Leipold’s program.

The central question hanging over Lawrence: Was the Jayhawks’ breakthrough in 2022-2023 the beginning of something sustainable, or just a fleeting moment of relevance?

The 2024 Season: A Promising Start That Fizzled Out

The optimism was electric entering 2024.

Kansas started the year ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2009, carrying momentum from back-to-back bowl appearances. But the excitement quickly faded as the Jayhawks stumbled to a 2-6 start, including a soul-crushing five-game losing streak.

Yet just when fans were ready to write off the season:

  • Kansas shocked No. 17 Iowa State
  • Followed by stunning No. 7 BYU
  • Then completed the trifecta by taking down No. 16 Colorado

This historic run marked the first time in FBS history a team with a losing record beat three consecutive ranked opponents. But the fairy tale couldn’t sustain itself – a season-ending loss to Baylor left the Jayhawks at 5-7, painfully short of bowl eligibility.

The offense remained potent (29.7 PPG, 420.8 YPG), buoyed by Devin Neal’s remarkable 1,266-yard, 16-TD farewell tour as he cemented his legacy as Kansas’ all-time leading rusher.

The Daniels Decision: QB1 Returns for His Final Act

When Jalon Daniels announced he was staying for 2025, the entire trajectory of Kansas’ season changed.

“I’m ready to lead the Kansas Jayhawks into the 2025 season and fully focused on becoming the best QB possible,” Daniels wrote in December. “I’m staying to finish what we’ve started, continue building, and to give back to the fans who’ve given us everything.”

This decision gives Kansas something precious in college football: quarterback continuity. In 2024, Daniels threw for 2,454 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 439 rushing yards and 6 scores on the ground.

But can he stay healthy?

Leipold revealed during spring practice that Daniels “really hasn’t done a whole lot this spring,” suggesting the staff is taking a cautious approach to ensure their star quarterback makes it through a full season. Given his injury history, managing Daniels’ workload will be the most crucial factor in Kansas’ 2025 campaign.

The Transfer Portal Makeover: 22 New Faces Transform the Roster

Kansas football isn’t just getting a new look but an extreme makeover.

With 22 transfers, Leipold is rebuilding half his roster in a single offseason. The departed stars, Neal, Bryant, and Dotson, leave massive shoes to fill, but the Jayhawks’ aggressive portal approach might provide immediate answers.

Five transfers who could transform Kansas immediately:

  1. Tyler Mercer (North Texas, OL): Freshman All-American center brings immediate credibility to the interior O-line
  2. Justice Finkley (Texas, EDGE): Former blue-chip recruit expected to boost a pass rush that desperately needs playmakers
  3. Leshon Williams (Iowa, RB): Power Five-tested back with the unenviable task of replacing Devin Neal’s production
  4. Trey Lathan (West Virginia, LB): Two-year starter in the Big 12 provides valuable experience on a defense in transition
  5. Bangally Kamara (Pitt/South Carolina, LB): Veteran defender with 129 career tackles brings immediate stability

Leipold seems pleased with how these newcomers are assimilating: “I really thank our staff and commend them for the job they’ve done. I think not only just what the guys have done on the field, but how they fit in their locker room.”

The New Brain Trust: Coaching Changes Set New Direction

The X’s and O’s are getting a fresh perspective in 2025.

Jim Zebrowski, previously co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, takes full control of the offense after Jeff Grimes departed for Wisconsin. This promotion provides valuable continuity for Daniels while potentially bringing new wrinkles to the attack.

Leipold has praised Zebrowski’s early work: “Jim Zebrowski’s done a nice job. I think the input that he has with Matt Lubick, who had been with us before in an analyst role, and I think they’re working extremely well together.”

On the defensive side, coordinator DK McDonald must improve a unit that allowed 239.1 passing yards per game in 2024.

Leipold believes McDonald is establishing a new standard: “I think DK McDonald’s done a great job on the defensive side, really establishing a standard of play and physicality of what we want to be and holding our guys to that standard every day.”

The 2025 Schedule: Historic Rivalries Return

The schedule offers a perfect blend of opportunity and challenge.

Kansas opens with a “Week 0” showcase against Fresno State on August 23, christening the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium before a tune-up against FCS Wagner.

Then comes the moment generations of Jayhawks fans have awaited: the Border Showdown rivalry with Missouri returns on September 6, rekindling a historic matchup that has been dormant since 2011.

The Big 12 slate offers a balanced approach:

  • Home games: West Virginia, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Utah
  • Road trips: UCF, Texas Tech, Arizona, Iowa State

The early home-heavy schedule provides a crucial runway for a team integrating many new pieces. But Kansas must navigate these crucial challenges:

  1. The emotional Missouri rivalry game could set the tone for the entire season
  2. Back-to-back October road trips to UCF and Texas Tech will test depth and resilience
  3. The continued Kansas State frustration (nearly two decades without a win) looms large on October 25
  4. Late-season trips to Arizona and Iowa State could determine bowl eligibility

The Formula for Success: Five Keys to the 2025 Season

For Kansas to break through and return to the postseason, these five factors must align:

  1. Daniels Must Stay Upright

Leipold noted, “It’s important for him to stay healthy.” With Daniels at full strength, “Kansas has conference championship upside.” That’s not hyperbole—a healthy Daniels transforms this program’s ceiling.

  1. Transfer Chemistry Must Develop Quickly

When half your roster is new, early-season cohesion becomes the difference between contention and confusion. Kansas can’t afford a slow integration period with 22 new transfers learning to play together.

  1. The Defense Must Take a Leap

Even moderate defensive improvement could win multiple close games in the high-scoring Big 12. The secondary must make significant strides after allowing 239.1 passing YPG in 2024.

  1. The Running Game Needs a New Identity

Life after Devin Neal begins now. Leshon Williams and the other backs don’t need to replicate Neal’s production individually, but collectively they must maintain Kansas’ ground-game identity.

  1. Leadership Must Emerge

Leipold has identified several potential voices: “Cole Ballard has great leadership qualities and has that charisma that instantly gives guys in the locker room that kind of respect when he speaks.” Defensively, “D.J. Withers is one of those guys” along with Bangally Kamara who “is probably one that’s going to need to step up vocally for us at that second level position.”

The Bottom Line: A Defining Season Awaits

The 2025 campaign represents the inflection point for Kansas football.

Early projections place the Jayhawks as a fringe bowl contender with an expected win total in the 5-7 range – eerily similar to 2024’s outcome. But there’s a much wider variance in potential outcomes this season.

Best-case scenario: The transfer portal additions gel quickly, Daniels stays healthy for 12 games, and Kansas not only returns to bowl eligibility but competes for the upper tier of the Big 12.

Worst-case scenario: Chemistry issues plague a roster in transition, Daniels misses significant time, and another 4-5 win season raises uncomfortable questions about the program’s direction.

Leipold remains optimistic: “I’ve been extremely pleased with the attitude, the effort, the work ethic of this team, embracing what we’re setting as standards. Got a lot of work to do yet. We got a lot to clean up in some things in critical times, but 12 practices in, I’m very pleased where we’re at.”

The Jayhawks’ 2025 season will determine their place in the standings and reveal whether Kansas football’s resurrection under Leipold was merely a brief moment in the sun or the foundation of something sustainable.

The newly renovated stadium awaits its answer.

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Arizona State’s 2025 Football Season: From Underdogs to Championship Defenders

Mark Haines on April 29, 2025

Arizona State just pulled off the biggest turnaround in college football.

In a single season, ASU went from a dismal 3-9 record to Big 12 Champions and College Football Playoff contenders. The Sun Devils finished 11-3 overall, dominated Iowa State 45-19 in the conference championship, and came within a double-overtime of beating Texas in the Peach Bowl. For a program projected to finish dead last in their new conference, the 2024 season wasn’t just successful—it was transformational.

Now comes the hard part: proving it wasn’t a fluke.

Kenny Dillingham: The Energizer Bunny Behind ASU’s Revival

Nobody embodies Arizona State’s resurgence more than head coach Kenny Dillingham.

The 34-year-old coaching prodigy turned a laughingstock into a powerhouse through sheer force of will, innovative strategy, and genuine connection with his players. As Dillingham told ESPN, “I love to compete. If you don’t like to compete, you’re not going to like it here. That’s really what started the turnaround was just getting guys who are competitive.”

Returning for his third season, Dillingham brings continuity with coordinators Marcus Arroyo (offense) and Brian Ward (defense) back for 2025. But his most valuable contribution transcends X’s and O’s—it’s the culture he’s built almost overnight:

  • Created a “nobody believes in us” mentality that galvanized the team
  • Established an energy level that ESPN described as the “Energizer Bunnies of college football”
  • Delivered on his promise to “activate the Valley” by reconnecting the program with its community
  • Won Big 12 Coach of the Year honors after engineering the conference’s most dramatic turnaround

The coach’s authenticity shows even in how he approaches the 2025 season—blasting Queen’s “We Are The Champions” on repeat during the first day of spring practice to make one point clear: last year is history.

Sam Leavitt: From Transfer Portal Gamble to Heisman Contender

Sam Leavitt wasn’t supposed to be this good this quickly.

The Michigan State transfer arrived in Tempe as a relatively unknown redshirt freshman, only to become the perfect conductor for Dillingham’s offensive symphony. Completing 61.7% of his passes for 2,885 yards with 24 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions, Leavitt added 443 rushing yards and 5 ground scores to establish himself as one of the conference’s most dynamic weapons.

Now, Leavitt enters 2025 with unprecedented expectations:

  • Tagged as “the No. 1 returning quarterback in college football” by multiple national outlets
  • Building Heisman Trophy buzz after leading ASU to their first-ever CFP appearance
  • Selected to participate in EA Sports College Football’s cover photoshoot at the Rose Bowl
  • Fully healthy after recovering from a rib injury suffered in the playoff loss to Texas
  • Bulked up physically during the offseason to better handle the dual-threat responsibilities

The quarterback’s confidence in the program speaks volumes. When asked by On3 about his transfer decision, Leavitt explained, “I came here and it was the right spot, so I canceled my other visits and just locked it down.”

The Skattebo-Sized Hole: Biggest Question for 2025

How do you replace a legend?

Cam Skattebo wasn’t just ASU’s best player in 2024; he was their identity. The All-American running back accounted for 56% of the team’s rushing touchdowns and 34% of their scrimmage yards. His legendary Peach Bowl performance against Texas (143 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 99 receiving yards, a touchdown pass, and a two-point conversion) showcased his unmatched versatility.

The 2025 Sun Devils must rebuild their backfield with:

  • Army transfer Kanye Udoh, expected to be the primary ball-carrier
  • Depth from Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown, both promising but unproven
  • More responsibility on Leavitt’s shoulders, likely increasing his rushing attempts
  • Creative scheming from Dillingham and Arroyo to distribute Skattebo’s workload

This position battle represents the most apparent threat to ASU’s championship defense. Without Skattebo’s production, the offense must evolve rather than replicate.

The Returning Foundation: Experience at Every Level

Sixteen starters return from last year’s championship team.

While Skattebo’s departure creates the most obvious void, the Sun Devils retain the majority of a roster that shocked the college football world. Most importantly, they return their on-field leadership at every level:

  • QB Sam Leavitt (2,885 passing yards, 24 TDs) enters his second year in Dillingham’s system
  • WR Jordyn Tyson (1,101 yards, 10 TDs) returns fully healthy after offseason surgery
  • LB Keyshaun Elliott (65 tackles) anchors a defense that ranked 21st nationally against the run
  • The majority of the offensive line that powered the Big 12’s 4th-best rushing attack
  • A secondary that generated 16 interceptions (2nd in the Big 12) in 2024

The roster’s continuity creates a championship foundation few Big 12 teams can match. For a program that emerged from the ashes just two seasons ago, this experienced core represents Dillingham’s most valuable asset.

Portal Power: Strategic Additions Fill Critical Gaps

Dillingham didn’t raid the transfer portal—he strategically targeted it.

Rather than overhaul a championship roster, ASU’s staff identified specific position needs and found experienced players to address them. The 2025 Sun Devils will feature key transfer additions at every position group:

  • RB Kanye Udoh (Army) steps into Skattebo’s featured role after productive seasons with the Black Knights
  • WRs Jalen Moss (Fresno State), Jaren Hamilton (Alabama), and Noble Johnson (Clemson) add depth and experience
  • TE Khamari Anderson (Kentucky) provides another red zone target for Leavitt
  • OL Xander Ruggeroli (Nebraska) and Jimeto Obigbo (Texas State) strengthen protection up front
  • CBs Kyndrich Breedlove and Nyland Green (both from Purdue) reinforce the secondary
  • DT My’Keil Gardner (Oregon) adds size and experience to the defensive front

These additions complement a 2025 recruiting class ranked in the mid-40s nationally, headlined by ESPN 300 quarterback Cameron Dyer and tight end AJ Ia. The combination of transfer experience and freshman potential maintains ASU’s momentum beyond just the 2025 campaign.

Navigating the Gauntlet: 2025’s Challenging Schedule

The target on Arizona State’s back has never been larger.

As defending Big 12 champions, the Sun Devils face a schedule befitting their new status. Seven home games provide a favorable foundation, but several key road tests will define their championship defense:

  • Opening at home against Northern Arizona before early road challenges at Mississippi State and Baylor
  • Navigating difficult conference road trips to Utah, Colorado, and Iowa State (a rematch of the 2024 Big 12 title game)
  • Hosting TCU, Texas Tech, Houston, and West Virginia at Mountain America Stadium
  • Closing the regular season against in-state rival Arizona in the Territorial Cup

The Vegas win total is 8.5 victories, and most analysts project ASU to hit the over based on their returning talent and momentum. However, the road gauntlet presents a significantly tougher path than the 2024 schedule, which produced 11 wins.

The Culture Shift: ASU’s Most Valuable Intangible

Arizona State isn’t just winning games—they’re transforming their identity.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Dillingham’s program building isn’t the on-field results but the cultural foundation behind them. The coach’s emphasis on competitive spirit and authentic relationships has created a program players want to join and represent.

When asked about ASU’s recruiting success (ranked #1 in the Big 12 for the 2025 class at one point), Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke: “We’re very selective over the people we bring into the program. I tell people all the time, ‘Right now, we’re the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big 12.’ They ask, ‘What are you doing?’ Nothing. Our players are recruiting other players because they like being here. They like the culture that’s being established.”

That culture will face its ultimate test in 2025: maintaining hunger after tasting success.

The Bottom Line: 2025 Expectations and Prediction

Arizona State has permanently changed the conversation.

No longer college football’s feel-good story, the Sun Devils enter 2025 as legitimate contenders for a second consecutive Big 12 championship and another CFP appearance. Their remarkable ascent from 3-9 to conference champions has accelerated expectations for the program’s trajectory under Dillingham.

The most likely outcome for 2025:

  • 9-3 regular season record with losses on the challenging road schedule
  • Top-15 ranking throughout the season with Leavitt generating legitimate Heisman buzz
  • Contention for the Big 12 championship game and another CFP berth
  • Further establishment of ASU as a destination program for recruits and transfers

The Sun Devils won’t sneak up on anyone in 2025. But with Dillingham’s energy, Leavitt’s talent, and a roster built to sustain success, Arizona State has the pieces to prove that 2024 wasn’t lightning. It was the foundation of a championship program, encapsulated in a bottle.

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The Fritz Factor: How Houston Football Plans to Rise in 2025

Mark Haines on April 24, 2025

The Big 12 will witness the real Willie Fritz effect with Houston Football.

After a challenging 4-8 debut season in 2024, the University of Houston Cougars aren’t just making tweaks for 2025—they’re executing a full-scale program transformation. With 15 strategic transfer additions, a promising recruiting class, and a more navigable schedule, the second-year head coach is building something that could surprise the conference this fall.

The question isn’t if Houston will improve, but by how much.

Why Willie Fritz Is College Football’s Ultimate Program Builder

You don’t accidentally win 212 games as a head coach.

Fritz arrived at Houston in December 2023 with one of the most impressive resumes in college football, ranking fourth nationally among active FBS head coaches in total victories. What makes his track record even more remarkable:

  • He’s won at least one conference title at every stop in his career
  • He transformed Tulane from a 2-10 hurricane-displaced team in 2021 to a 12-2 Cotton Bowl champion in 2022
  • His final two seasons at Tulane produced a stellar 23-5 record
  • He’s consistently achieved more with less throughout his 33-year coaching career
  • He demonstrated his upset capability at Houston already with wins over Utah, Kansas State, and TCU

“There is no ceiling for success, with the incredible fan support, excellent facilities, talented young men, and a collective desire to compete for championships,” Fritz said when taking the Houston job.

Year two is where his rebuilding projects typically accelerate.

The 2024 Season: Painful Lessons That Created Clear Direction

Houston’s first Big 12 campaign felt like freshman orientation—painful, overwhelming, but necessary.

The 4-8 record (3-6 in conference) revealed glaring weaknesses: an anemic offense averaging just 14.0 points per game, a defense allowing 22.9 points per game, and a -8 turnover margin that consistently put the team in difficult positions. The quarterback position remained unsettled for half the season, with Louisiana transfer Zeon Chriss eventually winning the job from incumbent Donovan Smith.

But amid the struggles emerged valuable bright spots:

  • Four quality wins, including upsets over Utah (17-14), Kansas State (24-19), and TCU (30-19)
  • A defense that ranked 22nd nationally in first downs allowed
  • The emergence of Zeon Chriss as a dual-threat quarterback, highlighted by his electrifying 71-yard touchdown run against TCU
  • Clear identification of roster weaknesses that needed immediate addressing

These struggles weren’t just growing pains—they were diagnostic tools.

The Great Roster Reset: 2025’s New-Look Cougars

Fritz isn’t renovating the house—he’s rebuilding the foundation.

Houston’s aggressive approach to the transfer portal netted 15 experienced players, strategically targeting the team’s most glaring weaknesses. Five offensive linemen lead the transfer class, addressing protection issues that plagued the offense throughout 2024. Additional wide receiver, quarterback transfers, and several defensive positions provide immediate experience and depth.

The 2025 recruiting class, while ranked 11th in the Big 12, brings high-ceiling talent in key positions:

  • QB Austin Carlisle: A dynamic improviser from Ridge Point High School with natural leadership skills
  • OL Demetris Dean II: A physically imposing, versatile lineman who could contribute immediately
  • DL Travis Buhake: An explosive interior defender with significant pass-rushing upside

At quarterback, Zeon Chriss returns after seizing the starting job midway through 2024. His dual-threat capabilities (66.7% completion rate, 6.7 yards per carry at Louisiana) perfectly complement Fritz’s offensive vision, though he’ll need to improve as a passer to maximize Houston’s potential.

This isn’t just a roster—it’s a strategic realignment.

The Coaching Brain Trust Gets Stronger

Fritz’s most significant offseason additions might be on the sideline.

Two SEC coaching imports bring Power 5 pedigree to critical coordinator positions:

  1. Offensive Coordinator Slade Nagle (from LSU) brings innovative concepts to jumpstart the struggling attack
  2. Defensive Coordinator Austin Armstrong (from Florida) adds schematic complexity to a unit that showed promise in 2024

With Fritz’s program-building expertise now supported by big-conference coordinator experience, Houston’s preparation and game-planning should take a significant leap forward in 2025.

Cohesion takes time, but the blueprint is becoming clearer.

A More Manageable Big 12 Schedule Provides Opportunity

Schedule luck matters in college football, and Houston’s 2025 slate offers more breathing room.

The season opens at home against Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, August 28, before the Bayou Bucket rivalry game at Rice on September 6. Big 12 play begins with Colorado visiting TDECU Stadium on September 13, followed by a non-conference finale at Oregon State.

What makes this schedule more favorable than 2024?

  • Alternating home/away games creates a consistent rhythm
  • Home contests against Colorado, Texas Tech, Arizona, West Virginia, and TCU
  • Road trips to Arizona State, Oklahoma State, UCF, and Baylor
  • Six opponents who played in bowl games last season (manageable, not overwhelming)
  • More balanced distribution of challenging opponents

The schedule isn’t easy—it’s winnable.

The 5 Critical Improvements Houston Must Make

For Houston to make meaningful progress in 2025, five specific areas demand immediate attention:

  1. Offensive Production: The 14.0 points per game in 2024 would doom any Big 12 team. Houston needs more explosive plays and significantly better red zone efficiency.
  2. Quarterback Development: Whether Zeon Chriss cements himself as the undisputed starter or a competition pushes everyone higher, the position needs stability and consistency.
  3. Offensive Line Cohesion: The five transfer additions must gel quickly to provide better pass protection and more consistent running lanes.
  4. Turnover Creation: The defense was solid in 2024 but rarely game-changing. Generating more takeaways would provide shorter fields for the offense and create momentum swings.
  5. Cultural Identity: Fritz’s greatest challenge remains establishing a unified team identity, with 63 new players in 2024 (tied with Colorado for most nationally) and more newcomers this year.

Progress in these areas will determine whether Houston merely improves or genuinely competes.

Setting Realistic Expectations: What Success Looks Like in 2025

Bowl eligibility would represent meaningful progress.

Houston should improve on last year’s 4-8 mark with the roster improvements and a more favorable schedule. Early projections suggest 5-7 as the most likely outcome, with 6-6 and bowl eligibility representing a successful season that would validate Fritz’s rebuilding approach.

History suggests Fritz’s second season could produce a significant jump:

  • At Tulane, his program went from 2-10 in 2021 to 12-2 in 2022
  • His teams typically show their most dramatic improvement in years two and three
  • The foundation established in year one typically bears fruit in year two

While 2025 won’t likely deliver a conference championship, it represents a critical developmental phase in Houston’s Big 12 journey.

The objective measure isn’t wins alone—it’s competitiveness.

The Bottom Line: Houston’s Big 12 Ascension Has Begun

Year two of the Fritz era won’t complete Houston’s transformation, but will reveal its trajectory.

The program has addressed its weaknesses through targeted portal additions and promising recruits. The schedule provides more opportunities for success. Fritz’s historically proven ability to engineer second-year improvements gives Cougar fans legitimate reasons for optimism.

The 2025 season isn’t just about wins and losses—it’s about establishing Houston as a rising force in the Big 12. While championship contention remains a longer-term goal, the stepping stones are being methodically placed.

For Cougar fans, patience with this rebuilding project should be rewarded with more competitive football, legitimate upset potential, and a realistic shot at bowl eligibility.

The Fritz Factor is real, and 2025 is when it truly begins to show.

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BYU Football 2025 Preview: The Underdogs Are Back

Mark Haines on April 23, 2025

Everyone in college football loves to talk about how BYU Football “overachieved” in 2024.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the college football landscape, it’s that no team accidentally wins 11 games and an Alamo Bowl.

This Wasn’t Luck, It Was a Statement

BYU’s 2024 campaign was one of the most impressive in recent memory:

  • They finished 11-2 overall (7-2 in Big 12 play)
  • They claimed a share of first place in just their second Big 12 season
  • They dominated Colorado 36-14 in the Alamo Bowl
  • They finished ranked #13 in the AP Poll (#14 in Coaches Poll)
  • They accomplished all this after being picked to finish 13th in preseason polls

And yet, as we enter 2025, national media projections have the Cougars with an over/under of just 7.5 wins.

The biggest mistake analysts make is thinking BYU’s 2024 success was a fluke.

History shows that Kalani Sitake and his staff consistently develop underrated talent into cohesive units that outperform expectations.

It’s not about star ratings with BYU—it’s about their development system and culture.

Retzlaff: From Gunslinger to Field General?

If there’s one player who embodies BYU’s boom-or-bust potential, it’s quarterback Jake Retzlaff.

The senior signal-caller threw for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2024, adding 511 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. But his 12 interceptions tied for the most in the Big 12.

What most people miss about Retzlaff is his steady improvement curve. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick isn’t mincing words about his expectations, either.

“I expect him to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football next year,” Roderick told reporters after the 2024 season.

The keys for Retzlaff in 2025:

  • Improve his 58% completion percentage
  • Cut down on his 18 “turnover-worthy” plays
  • Maintain his explosive playmaking ability
  • Keep his competitive fire that makes him special

The Transfer Portal Giveth and Taketh Away

The transfer portal has dramatically reshaped BYU’s roster for 2025:

Key Departures:

  • All-American KR/WR Keelan Marion
  • LB Harrison Taggart
  • P Landon Rehkow
  • DE Nathan Hoke

Impact Arrivals:

The 105-player roster limit has forced BYU to make tough decisions, but their strategic portal moves have prioritized the trenches, addressing their primary weakness from 2024.

2025 Schedule: No Easy Path

BYU’s 2025 schedule features six home and six road games, with two bye weeks.

Home Slate:

  • Stanford
  • West Virginia
  • Utah (Homecoming)
  • TCU
  • UCF

Road Challenges:

  • East Carolina
  • Colorado
  • Arizona
  • Iowa State
  • Texas Tech
  • Cincinnati

The most brutal stretch comes mid-October through mid-November: Utah, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and TCU in consecutive weeks.

Addressing 2024’s Weaknesses

What is the difference between good and great programs? They’re honest about their flaws.

BYU’s coaching staff has systematically addressed its 2024 shortcomings:

  1. Offensive Line Depth
    • Added transfers Gentry (Michigan) and Jatta (Colorado)
    • Return starters Lapuaho, Mitchell, Leausa, and Makasini
    • Young players like Thomason and Williams are ready to contribute
  2. Pass Rush Production
    • Added 301-pound DT Tanuvasa from Utah
    • Secured edge rusher Akana from Texas
    • Brought in Clegg from Utah to bolster the front
    • Defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s evolving scheme for personnel
  3. Third-Down Defense
    • Making third downs the top defensive priority
    • Linebacker group led by Kelly and Glasker considered best of Sitake era
    • Scheme tweaks focused on money-down situations
  4. Tight End Production
    • Added transfer Carsen Ryan from Utah
    • Developing young talent like Moeaki and Olsen

/

Where Questions Remain

Despite the improvements, several concerns linger:

  • Cornerback Depth: Lost a top cornerback, need portal help
  • Quarterback Depth: McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet competing for backup role
  • Wide Receiver Adjustments: How will the WR room compensate for Marion’s departure?
  • Offensive Line Health: Success hinges on Gentry’s recovery

The Bottom Line

Do not be shocked when BYU contends for another Big 12 title in 2025.

The Cougars have quietly built one of the most consistent programs in college football. Their development system maximizes talent, and their culture produces resilient teams.

If Retzlaff takes the next step in his development, the lines hold up, and key transfers make immediate impacts, BYU will surprise the Big 12 again and surpass those 7.5-win projections.

The underdogs are back for another run.

Even if Hot Seat Insiders and BYU die-hards Steve and Renee no longer play “where’s Billy” during every BYU game.

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Baylor Football 2025: Redemption Tour or Reality Check?

Mark Haines on April 21, 2025

Dave Aranda’s coaching career with Baylor football was hanging by a thread after a disastrous 3-9 season in 2023 and a rough 2-4 start to 2024.

Then something clicked. The Bears rattled off six straight wins, finished 8-5, secured a Texas Bowl appearance, and completely rewrote Aranda’s future in Waco. Now entering 2025 with a .508 winning percentage and a contract through 2029, the once-scorching hot seat has cooled to room temperature.

But the real question remains: Was 2024’s surge the beginning of something special, or just a mirage that raised expectations to dangerous heights?

The Offensive Arsenal Is Locked and Loaded

One sentence says it all: Baylor returns 9 of 11 starters from an offense that ranked 6th nationally with 440.1 yards per game.

This offensive continuity creates multiple advantages heading into 2025:

  • QB Sawyer Robertson (3,071 yards, 28 TDs) returns fully healthy after battling late-season ankle issues and enters with dark horse Heisman buzz
  • Freshman All-American RB Bryson Washington (1,028 yards, 13 TDs) provides the perfect ground complement
  • Alabama transfer WR Kobe Prentice joins returning deep threat Josh Cameron (754 yards, 10 TDs)
  • The offensive line that helped convert 92% of red-zone opportunities (5th nationally) remains largely intact

With this collection of talent, Baylor’s offense has the firepower to hang with any team in the reconfigured Big 12.

Defensive Vulnerabilities Required Immediate Intervention

The Bears’ defense gave up 234.2 passing yards per game in 2024, with opposing quarterbacks completing 60.3% of their attempts.

Aranda’s staff attacked these weaknesses with surgical precision:

  • Hired Paul Gonzales (13 years at TCU) as passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach to address technical issues in the secondary
  • Added Ohio State CB Calvin Simpson-Hunt and Northwestern S Devin Turner through the transfer portal
  • Brought in 380-pound NT Samu Taumanupepe from Texas A&M to strengthen the interior line
  • Repositioned veteran Cooper Lanz to defensive end to maximize his impact

The returning anchor is LB Keaton Thomas (114 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2.5 sacks), whose leadership will be crucial in implementing these defensive adjustments.

The Staff Overhaul Speaks Volumes About Priorities

Aranda didn’t just tinker with his coaching staff—he surgically targeted his team’s most significant weaknesses with precision hires.

The defensive backfield desperately needed new direction after allowing 246.3 passing yards per game (bottom five in the Big 12). Outside linebackers coach Caleb Collins and cornerbacks coach Kevin Curtis were not retained, replaced by Carson Hall (Western Kentucky) and Paul Gonzales (TCU).

Gonzales’s emphasis on technique and eye discipline directly addresses the pass interference penalties that plagued the 2024 squad. Meanwhile, Aranda expanded his support staff with key additions:

  • Kaeron Johnson (former Baylor player) returns as Assistant AD for Football Relations
  • Connor Killian joins as Director of Football Strategy
  • Jadyn Wells takes over as Director of On-Campus Recruiting

This balanced approach—stability at the coordinator level with targeted changes in position coaching—provides the perfect blend of continuity and fresh perspectives.

The Program Structure Has Been Modernized for Today’s College Football

The days of a head coach simply running practices and calling plays are long gone.

Baylor has responded to college football’s rapidly evolving landscape by restructuring its operations for 2025:

  • Aaron Hunt’s promotion to general manager professionalizes the front office
  • Anthony Mauro (Assistant GM) and Joe Reynolds (Associate Director of Player Personnel) focus specifically on portal management
  • David Kaye now serves as NIL General Manager, recognizing the importance of name, image, and likeness in talent retention.

These administrative changes might not make highlight reels, but they represent Baylor’s commitment to competing in modern college football’s talent acquisition marketplace.

Our Hot Seat Team Member Jeff Exemplifies the Fan Experience

Jeff is our newsletter’s resident Baylor superfan, having experienced every high and low of the Bears’ recent rollercoaster seasons.

The increased season ticket prices for 2025 haven’t dampened his enthusiasm, as he—like many dedicated Bears supporters—sees the potential in this revamped squad. His steadfast loyalty through the 3-9 disappointment of 2023 and the promising finish to 2024 mirrors the broader fan base’s journey.

Fan surveys reveal this dramatic shift in sentiment, with over 90% of respondents feeling optimistic about the program’s trajectory under Aranda. This remarkable turnaround in fan perception provides tangible evidence of last season’s impact beyond the win-loss record.

The Schedule: Opportunity or Obstacle?

The 2025 slate opens with a high-profile matchup against SEC opponent Auburn that 68% of fans identified as their most anticipated game.

But that’s just the beginning of a gauntlet that includes:

  • Reigning Big 12 champion Arizona State in the conference opener
  • Challenging road trips to TCU, Oklahoma State, Houston, and Arizona
  • Traditional Big 12 powers who are looking to establish themselves in the reconfigured conference

Two strategically placed bye weeks (October 11 and November 8) provide valuable recovery time before critical late-season matchups that could determine Baylor’s postseason fate.

Expectations Are Sky-High, But Reality Requires Caution

Fan surveys reveal dramatic optimism, with 44% predicting a 9-3 record, 28% forecasting 10-2, and 15% expecting 8-4.

This represents a stunning reversal from the uncertainty surrounding Aranda just one year ago. Over 90% of surveyed fans now express positive feelings about the program’s trajectory—a testament to what six consecutive wins can do for public perception.

But the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff has raised the stakes even higher. Nearly 70% of fans believe Baylor has a legitimate shot at making the field, especially if they can win the Big 12.

The most realistic path forward? Baylor’s success hinges on winning two-thirds of its toss-up games (Auburn, Arizona State, TCU, Arizona). With offensive continuity and defensive improvements, a 9-3 regular season record appears achievable but far from guaranteed.

So What’s The Final Verdict?

Baylor football enters 2025 with significant momentum following last season’s six-game winning streak and Texas Bowl appearance.

The offense features proven playmakers at every position. The defense has been reinforced through coaching changes and strategic transfer additions. The program structure has been modernized to compete in today’s collegiate landscape.

But expectations can be dangerous, especially in the unpredictable world of college football. While Baylor has positioned itself as a competitive program in the Big 12, the difference between 10-2 and 7-5 often comes down to a handful of plays, injuries, and bounces of an oddly-shaped ball.

What’s certain is that Aranda has earned the opportunity to build upon last year’s momentum, and Baylor fans have reason for cautious optimism that their program is headed in the right direction once again.

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Is Brennan’s Ship Already Sinking? The Arizona Wildcats 2025 Football Preview Reveals Hard Truths

Mark Haines on April 17, 2025

Brent Brennan’s Arizona Wildcats sit at a brutal crossroads heading into 2025.

After inheriting a 10-win team that had just claimed an Alamo Bowl victory, Brennan steered the program straight into an iceberg during his debut season. The wreckage was spectacular:

  • A disastrous 4-8 record (2-7 in Big 12 play)
  • Six fewer wins than the previous season
  • Embarrassing blowout losses, including a 49-7 humiliation against rival Arizona State
  • A complete collapse from a preseason #21 ranking to irrelevance

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Brennan’s coaching record portrays mediocrity.

His career .404 winning percentage (37-56) tells a story that Arizona fans desperately hoped wouldn’t repeat itself in Tucson. At San Jose State, Brennan established a clear pattern:

  • First two seasons: Abysmal (2-11, 1-11)
  • Middle seasons: Marginal improvement, but still losing records
  • One outlier 7-1 season during pandemic-shortened 2020
  • Return to mediocrity in subsequent seasons

When you strip away the coaching speak and recruiting rankings, you’re left with a simple truth: Brennan has never sustained success at any point in his career.

Key Players to Watch in 2025

The quarterback battle will dominate early headlines and could define Arizona’s ceiling.

With Noah Fifita’s inconsistent performance in 2024, all eyes will be on these signal-callers:

  • Braedyn Locke (Wisconsin transfer): Brings Big Ten experience and pocket poise that could stabilize the offense
  • Sawyer Robinson (Freshman): The Dallas-area record-setter has tremendous upside as the potential future of the program
  • Robert McDaniel (4-star recruit): Another high-ceiling freshman who could surprise in competition

At running back, the offense desperately needs a spark:

  • Ismail Mahdi (Texas State transfer): The home-run threat who averaged over 5 yards per carry across two seasons
  • Mike Mitchell (Transfer): Provides needed depth and power running to complement Mahdi’s explosiveness

The receiver room must replace Tetairoa McMillan’s production:

  • Kris Hutson (Washington State transfer): Expected to be the new WR1 with his speed and route-running precision
  • Tre Spivey (Kansas State transfer): At 6’4″, brings the size element missing from other receiver options
  • Luke Wysong (New Mexico transfer): Coming off a productive season with 69 receptions for 840 yards

Defensively, watch these potential difference-makers:

  • Blake Gotcher (Northwestern State transfer): The tackling machine (162 tackles in 2024) who must immediately shore up run defense
  • Tiaoalii Savea (Texas transfer): Expected to provide immediate impact on the defensive line
  • Jay’Vion Cole (Texas transfer): Cornerback who must stabilize a secondary that struggled last season
  • Zac Siulepa (Freshman DL): The massive 6’7″, 350-pound New Zealand native with immense potential

What Should Fans Look For?

The spring showcase on April 19th will provide the first authentic glimpses of what’s to come.

Early signs to monitor:

  1. Offensive scheme transformation: How drastically will new OC Seth Doege change the offensive approach? Watch for formation variations, tempo changes, and how the running game is incorporated.
  2. Quarterback hierarchy: Which QB takes first-team reps early will indicate the initial pecking order, though expect this battle to extend through fall camp.
  3. Defensive front seven improvements: The most glaring weakness last season was stopping the run. Watch how new DL coach Joe Salave’a reorganizes the front seven and whether the tackling fundamentals improve.
  4. Transfer integration: With 25+ transfers, team chemistry could be an issue. Watch for natural leadership emerging from the transfer group.
  5. Special teams emphasis: Often overlooked, but poor special teams play cost Arizona in multiple close games last season. Any visible changes here would signal a comprehensive program rebuilding.

Once the season begins, these benchmarks will determine success:

For Arizona fans, the 2025 season isn’t just about wins and losses – it’s about seeing tangible evidence that the program is moving in the right direction.

After the regression of 2024, even competitive losses that show fight and execution would represent progress over last season’s frequent blowouts.

The Portal Hail Mary: 53 New Players for 2025

If there’s one area where Brennan deserves credit, it’s that he recognizes that a total roster overhaul was necessary.

This offseason brought a staggering 53 new players to the program:

  • 23 high school recruits
  • 5 community college transfers
  • 25 four-year transfers (ranked 15th nationally by Rivals)

The transfer additions specifically target glaring weaknesses:

  • RB Ismail Mahdi (Texas State): 2,300+ yards over two seasons
  • WR Kris Hutson (Washington State): A proven big-play threat
  • QB Braedyn Locke (Wisconsin): Potential starter with P5 experience
  • LB Blake Gotcher (Northwestern State): Led Division I with 162 tackles
  • OL help from Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Texas Tech

The coaching staff also received a makeover with Seth Doege (OC) and Joe Salave’a (DL/associate HC), who brought fresh perspectives to a program desperate for new ideas.

A Schedule With No Mercy

Arizona opens at home against Hawaii on August 30th before welcoming Weber State on September 6th.

The conference schedule offers no relief:

  • Road games against Iowa State (11-3 last season), Houston, Colorado, Cincinnati, and rival ASU
  • Home matchups with Oklahoma State, BYU, Kansas, and Baylor
  • Two bye weeks (September 20 and October 25) that could provide crucial adjustment periods

This schedule offers no soft landing spots for a coach already on the hot seat.

The Bottom Line: It’s Bowl or Bust

Brennan’s track record suggests a coach destined to hover around mediocrity rather than build a consistent winner.

His career pattern shows brief flashes of potential surrounded by long stretches of underperformance. The 2020 pandemic season at San Jose State looks increasingly like an anomaly rather than evidence of building prowess.

For Arizona fans, the bar for 2025 is painfully clear: reaching bowl eligibility (6-6) would represent significant progress. Anything less likely means another coaching search by December.

The countdown to August 30th has already begun — perhaps the final chapter of the brief Brennan era in Tucson.

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