Spring football games are in full swing this weekend. Here's what to know ahead of Friday and Saturday.
Spring football is in full swing Friday and Saturday, with 23 Power 4 games among those on the schedule. The ACC leads Power 4 conferences with eight games, and the SEC trails slightly with seven. We'll get a first look at Virginia Tech football under new Hokies coach James Franklin, plus a glimpse at the Kyle Whittingham era in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Spring storyline: Cal alum Tosh Lupoi takes over the program, replacing Justin Wilcox, who spent nine seasons as head coach of the Golden Bears. Lupoi has injected fresh energy and optimism, and he has reset expectations for a program that has hovered around .500 over the past decade. So the biggest storyline is: How does Lupoi set the foundation this spring in his first year as a head coach? We know how passionate he is about Cal, and we know what an elite recruiter and defensive coordinator he has been over the bulk of his career. The next step is showing that as a head coach. Lupoi has plenty to work with -- he got freshman All-American quarterbackto return to Cal -- and used an increased financial investment to go into the transfer portal and upgrade the entire offense. The defense lost the bulk of its most productive players, so how the defensive-minded Lupoi navigates that will be a big story to watch.Linebacker. We could have picked any position on defense because this unit lost eight starters and several key reserves to either the transfer portal or graduation. But we will go with linebacker because arguably the two best players on the defense are gone. Leading tackler and team leaderleft for BYU, and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year left for Ole Miss after briefly transferring to Clemson. Those two players combined for 191 tackles -- 17 of them for loss., an outside rush linebacker, also transferred after leading the team with 5.5 sacks. Cal was active in the portal in bringing in several linebackers and hybrid rush ends, most notably adding. Cal had no sustained run game to help ease the pressure on Sagapolutele a year ago -- and a lot of that falls on the offensive line, which Cal worked to revamp through the transfer portal.did what he could as the featured back a year ago, but bringing in Mohammed signals Cal knows it needs much more from its run game. Mohammed averaged nearly 1 yard more per carry than Raphael did a year ago, and his playmaking ability as a receiver out of the backfield cannot be ignored. --. Coming off an ACC title with star QB Mensah locked into a contract for 2026, the Blue Devils looked like a serious playoff contender. But at the last moment, Mensah opted to transfer -- bringing top receiverwas supposed to be the QB of the future, but that future might be now. Either way, what once looked like a promising year for the Blue Devils will begin with massive questions about whether they have a QB who can win games.Defensive end. OK, the real answer is QB, but let's set that aside for a moment and focus on another of Duke's 2025 strengths that took a hit this offseason.combined for 22 sacks over the past two seasons, both asserting themselves among the most productive pass rushers in the ACC. But they're off to the pros now, which puts the focus on second-year players like. Duke surrendered far too many explosives last year, and if the back end of the defense is going to improve in 2026, it'll need plenty of help from the front four. At this point, the pass rush might be as big a question mark as QB for the Blue Devils., who blossomed into one of the most prolific runners in the country. Sheppard finished 2025 with 1,132 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, topping 90 yards on the ground in four of his last six. A year ago he paired withfor a nice one-two punch, and he found ample room to run as defenses accounted for Mensah's downfield passing. The job is going to be tougher this year, and Duke is counting on Sheppard to take the next step in order to give the offense some life while the QB position gets settled. --? Georgia Tech's offensive attack was among the most effective in the ACC over the past two years, playing a unique style of run-first, physical football, led by King. He's out of eligibility, though, and Faulkner is off to Florida to join Jon Sumrall's new staff , but it's a lot to ask a true freshman to step in on the line and contribute immediately. Instead, the Hokies will look to mix and match among some key returners and some new additions via the portal. Start with Ohio State transferall got serious action last year -- for better and for worse -- and look to take a big step in 2026. The run blocking was solid last year, and frankly, the QB play will be better by default in 2026, so if the O-line can find a mix that helps get the Hokies to the middle of the pack in pass blocking, there's room for much improvement.went down with a season-ending injury midseason, and the early results were ugly. But over his final four starts, he was 4-0 with an 80.1 Total QBR, six TD passes and no interceptions, completing nearly 74% of his throws. If Grunkemeyer can build on that finish at Virginia Tech, there's no reason to think he can't be among the ACC's top QBs. Throw in the addition of once-heralded UNC prospectas his backup, and the most important position on the field appears to be in good hands at Virginia Tech. That alone should offer some hope that Franklin's first season is a big step forward in the standings. --Jake Dickert put together one of the biggest turnarounds in college football last year, inheriting a 4-8 program and leading it to nine wins and a bowl victory over Mississippi State in Year 1. Though that may have surprised some outside the program, those at Wake Forest expected it -- considering the success Dickert had at Washington State, and the success Wake Forest previously had under both Dave Clawson and Jim Grobe. An increase in financial investment certainly helped, and so did the ability to use the transfer portal to help build up the roster. So now headed into spring, Wake Forest is no longer in a position to "surprise." Rather, the Demon Deacons want to keep going. The biggest story will be the revamped offense, withtransferring in from North Carolina to lead the offense. He previously played for offensive coordinator Rob Ezell at South Alabama, so the familiarity is there. Wake needs to replace three-year starterRunning back. Wake Forest had one of the most dependable, consistent running backs in the entire country over the last three seasons in Demond Claiborne. Even playing hurt last year, he still carried the Demon Deacons offense with 907 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. With his departure to the NFL, the position will have a new look for the first time since 2022. Expect Wake Forest to use more of a running back by committee approach. Among the players to watch this spring:at William & Mary and slated to be the No. 1 cornerback going into spring ball last year after transferring to Wake. But he got hurt on the first day of spring practice and missed the entire season. Garcia is expected to be a full go this season, and the Demon Deacons are hoping they can rely on him to play a big role in their secondary.--The Bearcats are working through quite a bit of change this spring with newly hired defensive coordinator Nate Woody coming in fromand Nic Cardwell and Pete Thomas being promoted to co-offensive coordinator duties. Woody did an impressive job with the Black Knights, building top-five scoring defenses in 2020 and 2024, and coach Scott Satterfield is plenty familiar with him from their time together at. After fading late in the season with another five-game losing streak to close out the season, Satterfield is looking for new answers and shook things up a bit with his staff this offseason., a two-year starter who ranked fifth in the Sun Belt in total offense last season with 3,244 total yards, 26 TDs and eight interceptions. Then they doubled down in the portal with, who earned first-team All-Ivy honors in 2025. Both have one more year of eligibility and will compete with third-year backupthis offseason. The 5-foot-8 redshirt freshman from Georgia rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in his first year in the program. The Bearcats must replace their top four rushers from 2025, and added a trio of transfers inThe Cougars stormed to their second double-digit win season since 2016 in coach Willie Fritz's second year in charge, and Houston appears poised to keep building in 2026. Quarterback, who hauled in 67 passes for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Cougars do have to account for the departure of top pass catcher-- the highest-ranked signee in program history. The Cougars will have to find replacements for several notable starters on defense, including star defensive linemen. But on the basis of experience, returning talent and the foundation that Houston laid a season ago, Fritz and the Cougars can be legit Big 12 challengers in 2026.Secondary. This category is often reserved for positions of concern. But that's not the case here for what projects to be an exceptionally talented and deep Houston defensive back group in 2026. Cornerback. marks the lone departure from the program's primary starting secondary unit in 2025, handing defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong continuity in the back end of the defense between junior cornerback, a 14-game starter and a third-team conference selection with the Green Wave last fall, brings another talented veteran presence to the safeties room. Meanwhile, Houston appears to have secured its replacement for McCutchin with the addition of Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks transfer cornerbackHughes. After posting 2,779 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns across his first two seasons at Tulane in 2023 and 2024, Hughes never fully acclimated at Oregon last fall. In 2026, he'll reunite with Fritz and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle -- the duo that recruited Hughes to Tulane -- not only with a shot at a rebound season, but to fill the void left byIt was time for a reset in Stillwater, and the Cowboys have gotten that in coach Eric Morris' debut offseason with the program. More than 60 players from the Oklahoma State team that finished 1-11 a year ago entered the transfer portal this offseason, and Morris replenished his roster with an impressive portal class anchored by 17. How high can that revamped group of players lift the Cowboys in 2026? It's the question Morris, who carries a reputation for quick turnaround and high-scoring offenses, will begin to answer this spring as a new era begins.Offensive line. The Cowboys ranked 13th among Big 12 programs in pressures allowed last fall. After hitting the portal hard for offensive line talent, they could start an entirely new offensive line unit in 2026. Left tacklestarted 24 games across his first two seasons at North Texas, and Oklahoma State has experienced hands to turn at right tackle between transfer reunites with Morris and the coaching staff he blossomed under as a true freshman at North Texas in 2024. Protecting Mestemaker is imperative, so the Cowboys' offensive line competition will be worth following.. So much of the focus around North Texas' 2025 season lies with the offense, and for good reason. But that shouldn't obscure the dominant season Wesloski unleashed a season ago, either. His 113 total tackles ranked tied for 22nd among FBS defenders, and Wesloski added 1.5 sacks with an interception and two forced fumbles as a junior. Oklahoma State's best defenses in recent years have been anchored by elite linebackers -- see:After achieving the school's first Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance, Texas Tech has no interest in taking a step back in 2026. This team reloaded with another prolific transfer portal haul, led by top-ranked transfer quarterback, to complement a strong core of 14 returning starters. Joey McGuire and his coaches are again working with the most talented roster in the conference. If McGuire can pull off the culture component, the way he did in 2025 with exceptional player leadership, the Red Raiders should be right back in the national title hunt.The competition in Texas Tech's wide receiver room should be fun to watch. Which players will step up and shine alongside returning starterplayed the second-most snaps among Texas Tech's returning options last season, and it's time for the former five-star recruit to earn a major role in his third year. Tech coaches are also high on the potential of rising sophomoresdid an impressive job of leading Tech's rushing attack in his absence, and now all three are back for 2026. That's a great problem to have if you're second-year offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich. Joyner gives this offense another home run threat and averaged 7.4 yards per carry at USC. Don't be surprised if he puts together a breakout season. --It has been yet another offseason of mass roster turnover for the Mountaineers under Rich Rodriquez with 50 players entering the portal. West Virginia won't return much experience from last season's 4-8 finish, but it substantially boosted its offensive potential with the additions of FBS rushing leader. Those newcomers should deliver a jolt of excitement, it's fair to wonder how consistently successful the Mountaineers can be considering the substantial churn of onboarding 69 newcomers to a roster with only a handful of returning starters in 2026.Quarterback. West Virginia's ceiling this fall might ultimately be determined by the outcome of its quarterback battle and just how far Hawkins,can take the Mountaineers. Hawkins joins the program after making four starts and appearing in nine games in two seasons at Oklahoma, flashing arm talent and legitimate rushing ability that could spark an offense that averaged just 21.8 points last fall . But Fox is likely to get a chance to claim the starting job he filled over the back half of the season in 2025 when he finished his freshman year with 1,276 yards and seven touchdowns to six interceptions on 59% passing, while Brown -- a former Florida andpasser -- offers a more experienced option. The Mountaineers need stability and a jolt of energy in 2026, and that could start with the winner of the program's position battle under center.. The nation's reigning rushing yards leader should give West Virginia quite a bit more than it had on the ground a season ago. In fact, Cook's 1,659 rushing yards in 2025 finished only 268 shy of the program's team rushing total. Cook has already competed against Big 12 defenses -- he spent two years at TCU before transferring to Jacksonville State -- and if he can replicate the running style that made him one of college football's most dominant rushers last fall, the Mountaineers will have a game-changing backfield talent. --The Kyle Whittingham era has launched in Ann Arbor, and Michigan's adjustment to its new coach will shape how the spring goes. Whittingham's line-of-scrimmage-based approach should resonate at Michigan, but he's not there for a slow build at age 66. The goal coming out of spring practice should be a clear identity, especially on offense with sophomore quarterbacks unit in 2025. Michigan has depth and talent in the offensive backfield but must start getting more out of Underwood and a passing attack that ranked 105th nationally last year and ranks 127th nationally in total passing yards since the start of the 2024 season.accounted for 14 of Michigan's 28 sacks last season, and there's almost no returning pass-rushing production. Whittingham's staff brought over, who ranked second nationally in sacks per game for Utah in 2025, but he's recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. EdgeQuarterback Bryce Underwood. The Big Ten is loaded after three consecutive national titles, and it's hard to see Michigan rising up without Underwood taking a significant step as a sophomore. The nation's No. 1 recruit eclipsed 200 passing yards in five of his first seven games with only two interceptions before November. But he was picked off seven times in his final five contests, including three times in the Citrus Bowl loss to. Underwood needed a reset after 2025 and got one with Whittingham and Beck, who generated strong results the past two seasons with a very different type of QB inPat Fitzgerald makes his return to college coaching for the first time since July 2022. Fitzgerald has brought necessary enthusiasm to a Michigan State program that looked lifeless at the end of Jonathan Smith's brief tenure. Now he must show he can lead effectively during a time when rosters turn over every year and the path to success in the Big Ten is significantly tougher than it was when he led Northwestern. Fitzgerald and his staff -- which includes a key holdover in defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, and key additions in special teams coordinator LeVar Woods and co-defensive coordinator Max Bullough, the former Spartans star -- get their first chance to work with players on the field. What type of identity will they shape this spring?Offensive line. Michigan State needs better results from a group that ranked 123rd in sacks allowed last season and finished 110th in rushing offense. The return of quarterbackprovides some stability through the coaching transition, but MSU must protect him and create more room for its ball carriers. Senior tacklemight have started at guard last fall if not for injury, which limited him to 47 snaps. But the group has holes to fill and depth to build, and likely will lean on transfers such as tackle. Usually when a multiyear starter transfers out, he doesn't come back to his original school, but that's what happened with Brantley and MSU. Brantley made 24 career starts for the Spartans, including 11 in the 2022 season, and recorded five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, and 18 passes defended during his time in Green and White. He led MSU in interceptions and pass breakups in 2024, despite missing three games with injury. The 6-foot, 170-pound Brantley transferred toafter the 2024 season but struggled to find any traction with the Hurricanes. Brantley now rejoins MSU as a sixth-year player and will team with fellow transfer cornerbackThe Buckeyes welcomed a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, who takes over playcalling for USF head coach Brian Hartline. Smith comes from the NFL, where he forged a strong reputation scheming up effective rushing attacks, from theat his disposal. Jackson rushed for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry as a true freshman. Jackson also led the Big Ten with 4.18 yards after contact per rush. That running style should fit in nicely with Smith's hardnosed rushing attack., could be top-10 picks in the upcoming NFL draft. That leaves linebacker as a question mark heading into next season, especially given how productive both Styles and Reese were., who transferred in after racking up 124 career tackles for Wisconsin, will be a key rotation player if he doesn't start., the No. 1 2026 recruit from the state of Ohio, who attended the same high school as Reese, has the talent to factor in, as well.. Wide Receiver University did it again, adding the top-ranked WR recruit in the 2026 class in Henry, also the nation's No. 7 overall prospect. The hype surrounding Henry resembles that ofwhen he first arrived in Columbus two years ago. Smith went on to immediately win a starting job, shatter Ohio State freshman receiving records and snag the game-clinching catch late in the fourth quarter in the national championship victory over. At 6-foot-5, Henry already has the tools to also make an immediate splash complementing Smith from the other side of the field. --Auburn hasn't looked like itself this decade: How fast can Alex Golesh fix that? The newfound hope and expectations for a turnaround are going to be present with any new head coach. But Golesh took South Florida from 1-11 to 7-6 in his first season as head coach and left the gig as one of the best coaches in the Group of 6. This program needs stability as much as anything, and Golesh seems more than capable of bringing it. Having theIt will be intriguing to see how the wide receivers Golesh brought over from USF translate into the SEC. The continuity from playing with quarterbackis going to be a plus no matter what conference they're in, but generally speaking this was a group Golesh and his staff felt really good about, withWhen Brown is at his best, he's one of the most exciting players in college football. He's physically gifted and tough, the type of player Auburn fans can get behind. A lot of the Tigers' success in Year 1 under Golesh is going to depend on the performance of Brown, who will be playing alongside plenty of familiar faces from South Florida. --After winning a second straight SEC championship and reaching the College Football Playoff for the fourth time in five years, Kirby Smart's program is still in great shape. But the Bulldogs haven't been able to stockpile talent like they did while winning back-to-back CFP national titles in 2021 and 2022, as revenue sharing and NIL have leveled the playing field. Georgia's roster was one of the youngest in the SEC in 2025, so filling holes and building depth will be priorities in the spring. There are two new assistants with former NFL offensive line coach Phil Rauscher replacing Stacy Searels, who moved into an analyst role. Smart hired West Virginia's Larry Knight to replace outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe, who joined the Dallas Cowboys., a 6-foot-4 sophomore, was a big pickup from the transfer portal. He caught 33 passes for 480 yards with four touchdowns at Georgia Tech in 2025.from the transfer portal. The Clinton, North Carolina, native was the No. 13 defensive end in the Class of 2024. He had 14 tackles and two sacks last season. The Bulldogs are hoping a change in scenery will help Williams do even more. --A new era begins with 36-year-old Will Stein, a Louisville native, arriving with hopes of bringing an exciting offense back to Kentucky, which ranked 101st in scoring last year with 23 points per game. There will be lots of changes after Mark Stoops was fired after 13 seasons, including Stein bringing in 34 players from the transfer portal., who caught just 12 passes because of injuries last year but is a 6-4 target who had 38 catches -- 10 of which went for TDs -- and 798 yards as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2023. Stein landed four-star recruit Kenny Darby from Louisiana, along with three other freshmen, and added transfersA 6-7 record in 2024 landed Brent Venables firmly in some choppy waters, but he hired coordinator Ben Arbuckle to take over the offense alongside QB, both from Washington State. Venables' defensive chops helped the Sooners allow just 15.5 points per game last year, seventh best in the FCS, and the rebound was on in Norman, with the Sooners finishing 10-3, including a CFP appearance. OU crashed after building a 17-0 lead at home against Alabama in that game and lost 34-24. The Sooners will begin 2026 in the top 10, and they hope a healthy Mateer can get them back in the SEC title mix.was a breakout performer for the Sooners last season, catching 67 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns after catching three TD passes in his first three seasons. But OU set out to add some playmakers for Mateer, and it brought in two starters alongside Sategna in Virginia transfer, Arch Manning's roommate at Texas, where he caught 26 balls for 516 yards and six TDs as a freshman.Mateer broke a bone in his throwing hand in Week 4 against Auburn last season, had surgery, rushed back in 17 days and then didn't quite get back up to speed. Before the injury, he was averaging 304 yards of total offense per game, ranked second nationally, and had thrown for 1,215 yards with six TDs. After returning, he averaged 208 passing yards per game, with eight TDs and eight interceptions in eight games. --The Longhorns opened with a tight -- albeit lackluster -- loss to No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus and missed the playoff, mostly due to a bad loss to Florida. But by the end of the season,was playing as well as any quarterback in the country and enters 2026 as a legitimate Heisman contender, unlike last year when it was too much too soon. The Longhorns made some tough roster choices and focused on surrounding Manning with some star power. They get a rematch with Ohio State at home and will again be among the SEC favorites.Last season, Texas played a rotation of running backs because of injury and attrition, and it lacked the consistent home-run threat that Steve Sarkisian teams have featured. That has changed, thanks to the departures of, who averaged 6.1 and was first-team All-Big 12 at Arizona State. The Horns also added Derrek Cooper, the No. 1 RB in the 2026 high school class., the 6-3, 200-pound soon-to-be superstar receiver who caught 93 passes for 1,306 yards and 13 TDs in two seasons at Auburn despite a bleak quarterback situation there. Sarkisian said Coleman already has been a huge addition because of his work ethic. --Mike Elko's first season was about holding a locker room together and building a foundation after Jimbo Fisher's firing, and in Year 2, Elko began to stockpile NFL-level talent, breaking through with an 11-2 record, a CFP appearance and a nation-leading 13 players at the NFL combine. Now, Elko has to replace two departed coordinators as he hopes for yet another step up the ladder to join the elite, as OC Collin Klein left to take over at his alma mater, Kansas State, and OC Jay Bateman left for Kentucky. Elko replaced them with internal promotions: Wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins takes over the offense, and longtime Elko assistant Lyle Hemphill takes over the defense.through the portal dramatically changed the A&M offense because of their big-play potential. The Aggies retained Craver, who had 917 yards last season, but they'll be looking for someone to replace Concepcion's 61 catches. The Aggies are very high onthrowing an interception on the goal line, and the quarterback will return for his third season as a starter on a mission after making a leap last season, throwing for 3,169 yards with 25 TDs and 12 interceptions, adding 493 rushing yards and six TDs. Elko said he believes in Reed and thinks he's ready to carry the Aggies where they want to go. --era begins, after the Heisman Trophy runner-up helped lead the Commodores to their first 10-win campaign in 2025. The Commodores were a senior-laden team last season, and other stars such as tight endwill be missed. Still, the Commodores have a good nucleus returning, and they've done as well as any program in identifying good fits out of the transfer portal. Head coach Clark Lea could have left for Penn State or another high-profile opening, but he stayed at his alma mater, which should prevent a huge drop-off.Quarterback Jared Curtis was the No. 1 pocket passer in the Class of 2026 and is one of the most high-profile recruits to ever sign with Vanderbilt. The local product flipped from Georgia shortly before signing day, and the early reviews are that his arm strength and talent are as good as advertised. Curtis will have to beat out last season's backup,Dozens of Napa Co. property tax checks stolen through mail: officials
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