Brooks scores on interception return as Ward has mixed results in Titans' 23-20 win over Falcons By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer The Associated Press ATLANTA
ATLANTA (AP) — Kendell Brooks scored on a 53-yard interception return and rookie quarterback Cameron Ward had mixed results as the Tennessee Titans beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 in a preseason game Friday night.
Joey Slye's 23-yard field goal with 9:03 remaining gave Tennessee (1-1) the lead.
Falcons backup quarterback Emory Jones was stopped on a fourth-down run near the Tennessee 20 with 2:57 remaining. Jones was shaken up on the hit by linebacker Amari Burney and cornerback Jemari Harris. Jones walked off the field with assistance.
Ward played three series and completed 2 of 7 passes for 42 yards. Ward's highlight was a 35-yard completion to Elic Ayomanor on the Titans' opening series. Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, had another long pass dropped by Van Jefferson.
“I'm very encouraged,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said about Ward's performance. “That ball that was dropped was an incredible throw. ... He's shown all the things we need to see from an operations standpoint.”
Callahan hinted during the week Ward would play two series but said he added the third series because the play count was still low.
Ward said the extra snaps were “real good for me ... game-time reps instead of practice.”
The teams traded third-quarter touchdowns. Jemar Jefferson's 16-yard scoring run, which capped a 13-play drive, gave the Titans a 20-13 lead. Easton Stick, who played the first three quarters for Atlanta, threw a 52-yard scoring pass to Chris Blair to tie the game.
Brandon Allen, who played behind Ward, threw a 25-yard scoring pass to tight end Gunnar Helm late in the first half.
Nathan Carter produced the Falcons' first touchdown with a 43-yard run in the third quarter. Younghoe Koo kicked field goals of 42 and 36 yards for Atlanta (0-2).
Just watching
Among the Titans held out on offense were RB Tony Pollard, WRs Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett, RG Kevin Zeitler. Center Lloyd Cushenberry, who passed his physical Monday as he continues his return from an Achilles tendon injury, participated in pregame drills but did not play.
Atlanta's top two quarterbacks, starter Michael Penix Jr. and backup Kirk Cousins, sat out for the second straight preseason game after receiving the bulk of the snaps in team drills in two joint practices against the Titans this week. RB Bijan Robinson and WRs Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud also were spectators.
Falcons rookie edge rusher Jalon Walker was held out after playing last week in a 17-10 loss to Detroit.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Walker “tweaked a groin” late in Wednesday's practice with the Titans. “We look forward to getting him back next week,” Morris said.
Long road home
The game completed a string of nine nights away from home for the Titans, who had a joint practice at Tampa Bay last week before their 29-7 loss to the Buccaneers.
“I think we accomplished a lot of connectivity, guys handing around together,” Ward said. “... We showed tonight we can overcome adversity.”
Backup QB shuffle
Trevor Siemian , who was signed Monday, took over at quarterback for Tennessee in the fourth quarter and led the drive capped by Slye's go-ahead field goal.
Siemian spent much of 2024 on the Titans’ practice squad. He replaced Tim Boyle, who was released after completing only 4 of 13 passes for 24 yards with two interceptions against the Buccaneers.
Stick, competing for Atlanta’s No. 3 quarterback job, completed 15 of 25 passes for 145 yards with one touchdown and the one interception returned for a touchdown by Brooks. Allen completed 11 of 14 passes for 119 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Up next
Titans: Following two road games, the Titans host Minnesota next Friday night.
Falcons: Visit Dallas next Friday night in their third preseason game.
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Sam Darnold impresses in preseason debut with Seattle Seahawks, win against Kansas City Chiefs By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press SEATTLE
SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold looked the part of a franchise quarterback in his first appearance at Lumen Field as the Seattle Seahawks beat the Kansas City Chiefs 33-16 in a preseason game on Friday night.
Darnold, who did not appear in the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders , completed 4 of 4 passes for 34 yards on the opening drive.
Darnold, who signed to a three-year, $100.5 million contract with Seattle in the offseason, made good use of both his legs and his tight ends during his sole series. He had no issues rolling out to either his left or right, locating tight ends AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo for short passes, as well as fullback Robbie Ouzts and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for deeper completions.
“I thought today, first of all, it was awesome just to get out there in front of the 12s,” Darnold said. “And that atmosphere, too, I felt like that was kind of a perfect atmosphere. It felt like it was almost November, December already out there in the rain.”
Backup quarterback Drew Lock also impressed in relief of Darnold on a slippery Seattle evening, throwing a couple of touchdown passes to wide receiver Jake Bobo, and completing 10 of 12 passes for 129 yards. Coach Mike Macdonald was particularly complimentary of Bobo’s performance.
“This guy’s a Seahawk, man,” Macdonald said of Bobo, “The way he operates and goes and attacks the football."
Running backs Zach Charbonnet and Damien Martinez each added touchdowns on the ground in the first and third quarters, respectively.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, did not play quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and other starters from the team that fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s Super Bowl.
Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew found tight end Robert Tonyan for a 1-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
The Seahawks’ defense in large part held strong, limiting the Chiefs’ reserves to three points in the second half. Kansas City wide receiver Skyy Moore, though, did return a punt for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
“Now, we’re chasing perfection as much as you can’t obtain it,” safety Julian Love said. “That’s kind of what we’re trying to make the standard on defense.”
Scampering Seahawks
After rushing for the fifth-fewest yards as a team in 2024, the Seahawks have made it their prerogative to be more effective on the ground in 2025. They demonstrated on Friday, racking up 268 rushing yards on 48 carries. Five different players rushed for at least 30 yards.
“The backs ran really hard,” Macdonald said. “Every back today, I thought, ran the ball hard and going forward, how we finish plays, I can’t wait to watch it.”
Tight end time
Since Noah Fant is now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals , tight end remains a key position battle for the Seahawks. Arroyo and Barner combined for three catches and 24 yards on Friday, not letting any passing attempts escape them despite slippery conditions.
Barner is the more veteran player, with 30 catches and 245 receiving yards under his belt from last season. But Arroyo, who was a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, has been more productive in the preseason. He has four catches for 33 yards through two exhibition games.
Up next
Seahawks: Visit the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 23.
Chiefs: Host the Chicago Bears on Aug. 22.
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Commanders activate Terry McLaurin off the PUP list as contract extension talks linger The Associated Press ASHBURN, Va.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders activated Terry McLaurin off the physically unable to perform list on Saturday amid lingering contract extension talks with the All-Pro wide receiver.
McLaurin, who is entering the final year of a three-year, $68.2 million contract signed in 2022, reported to the team on July 27 after skipping the initial four days of training camp and June's mandatory minicamp. That turned a holdout to a hold-in but has not necessarily accelerated extension talks or returned McLaurin to practice. The team placed its top target on the PUP list with an ankle injury, and McLaurin requested a trade on July 31.
McLaurin and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels fueled an offense that ranked fifth in points scored last season and carried the Commanders to a 12-5 regular-season record and the franchise’s first NFC championship game appearance since 1991. They haven’t built off that success in camp with the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the New York Giants approaching. Three other offensive starters have missed significant time with injuries.
The activation comes one day after offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury expressed a desire to work with a full lineup. “We need to start getting those guys, when they’re available out there,” Kingsbury said.
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No. 11 Arizona State now seeks something special after Big 12 title debut in unpredictable league By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
Arizona State was a big surprise debuting in the Big 12 with a conference championship and making the College Football Playoff after being picked to finish at the bottom of the 16-team league.
Kenny Dillingham, the 35-year-old coach now in his third season at his alma mater, bluntly told his Sun Devils they really didn't do anything special last year.
“The reality is there’s been a lot of teams in college football who have done what we’ve done, who have won one year and then come back to reality,” Dillingham said. “What would be special would be to continue to build off of that. The real challenge was how do we not become what normal teams in our situation do, which is fall back to where we’ve always been.”
After a CFP quarterfinal loss in double overtime to now preseason No. 1 Texas, the No. 11 Sun Devils are the highest-ranked team from the unpredictable Big 12, even after the departure of do-everything running back Cam Skattebo to the NFL. They return quarterback Sam Leavitt (2,855 yards, 24 TDs passing), the preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year , and receiver Jordyn Tyson (75 catches, 1,101 yards, 10 TDs) is healthy after missing the end of the last season with a collarbone injury.
The last time Arizona State was higher in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 was No. 8 in 1998, what turned into a 5-6 season.
The Big 12's other ranked teams are No. 17 Kansas State and league runner-up No. 22 Iowa State, who open against each other with a conference game in Ireland on Aug. 23, along with No. 23 Texas Tech. All return quality starting quarterbacks.
Texas Tech transformed its program with big money through the transfer portal and made the preseason poll for the first time since 2008, six years before three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes played a game for the Red Raiders.
Passers and a rusher make contenders
Baylor redshirt sophomore Bryson Washington (1,028 yards, 12 TDs) is the only of the Big 12's eight 1,000-yard rushers back from last season. The Bears, who won their last six regular-season games , also return quarterback Sawyer Robertson (3,335 yards, 27 TDs).
Leading passer Shedeur Sanders (4,134 yards, 37 TDs) went in the NFL draft after two seasons at Colorado, but the next eight top QBs were all coming back, including Iowa State's Rocco Becht, Texas Tech's Behren Morton and K-State's Avery Johnson. The only change was Jake Retzlaff unexpectedly leaving BYU this spring after a since-dismissed civil sexual assault lawsuit.
Three seasons after making the national title game, TCU has Josh Hoover (3,949 yards, 27 TDs) after a 9-4 season capped by four consecutive wins.
Old coaches feeling some heat
Only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz in his 27th season has been with his FBS team longer than Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham. The Big 12's stalwarts are coming off huge disappointments in their 20th seasons.
Utah was the presumptive favorite last year to be the team to make its Big 12 debut with a title, but had its first losing season (5-7, 2-7 Big 12) since 2013. Two-time Pac-12 champion quarterback Cam Rising had to “medically retire” , but dual-threat QB Devon Dampier followed new offensive coordinator Jason Beck from New Mexico.
Oklahoma State was 3-9 and didn't win a conference game, its first losing season since Gundy's 4-7 debut in 2005. And there is still plenty of uncertainty with two new coordinators and a lot of transfers.
“The changes in how we go about rebuilding, whether it’s financially or roster management, have been challenging but also intriguing,” Gundy said. "It’s different than it’s ever been before.”
Familiar new coaches
Scott Frost has reunited with UCF and Rich Rodriguez is back at West Virginia, but they are new coaches to the Big 12 since those schools weren't yet in the league when they were there.
“Whatever head coaching spot, it takes you six to nine months to kind of get a lay of the land," Rodriguez said. "Well, West Virginia took six to nine minutes. ... But, then again, there’s also times of change.”
The Mountaineers are in their 14th Big 12 season. They has three consecutive 11-win seasons in the Big East from 2005-07 before Rodriguez went to Michigan .
This is UCF’s third Big 12 season. Frost coached UCF’s undefeated season out of the American Athletic Conference in 2017, when the Knights declared themselves national champions and he left for Nebraska .
Games to watch
TCU opens 2026 in Ireland against North Carolina, but this year will be in Chapel Hill as the visitor for Bill Belichick’s UNC debut on Labor Day night.
The Horned Frogs two years ago lost their season opener in coach Deion Sanders' first game with Colorado . Sanders, who was treated this summer for bladder cancer , has his first Buffs game without a son on the team Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech.
Other notable games: No. 11 Arizona State at Baylor, and No. 23 Texas Tech at Utah, Sept. 20; TCU at No. 11 Arizona State, Sept. 26; No. 17 Kansas State at Baylor, Oct. 4; No. 11 Arizona State at Utah, Oct. 11; No. 23 Texas Tech at No. 11 Arizona State, Oct. 18; No. 11 Arizona State at No. 22 Iowa State, and No. 23 Texas Tech at No. 17 Kansas State on Nov. 1; Big 12 championship game, Dec. 6.
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Boise State again favored to win Mountain West as conference prepares for major changes By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
Change is coming to the Mountain West , but this season will feel like so many others.
No. 25 Boise State was picked to win the conference.
For the 15th year in a row.
Broncos coach Spencer Danielson pointed out that didn't equate to a conference title every time, but Boise State is the two-time defending champion . The program lost Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty and still received 35 of 39 first-place votes from the media.
“That's just the culture that we have,” said left tackle Kage Casey, a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft. “Everyone in the conference knows that we're putting in the work to be the best, and that's what we're going to show game by game, day by day.”
Boise State and four other schools — Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — will be playing their final season in the Mountain West. Those five will depart for the Pac-12 Conference in what has been a contentious divorce that saw UNLV turn down overtures from the Pac-12 to remain in the Mountain West .
The Rebels made the championship game the past two seasons before falling short against Boise State, and they were picked to finish second again this year. With first-year coach Dan Mullen , who previously coached Florida and Mississippi State, there is great optimism at UNLV of taking the next step and perhaps qualifying for the College Football Playoff.
Junior safety Jake Pope was recruited by Mullen coming out of high school in 2022, but chose Alabama over the Gators. He transferred to Georgia two years later and then to UNLV.
“A really, really great players' coach,” Pope said. “He's always down to listen to what we have, positive and negative. ... It's pretty cool to be back here with him.”
Moving on from Jeanty
Jeanty had a season for the ages last year, leading the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing. He fell just 27 yards short of Barry Sanders' NCAA record.
It might take a committee to come close to making up such production.
Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines is back after missing nearly all of last season with an injury; in last year's opener against Georgia Southern, he rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Malik Sherrod is a sixth-year transfer from Fresno State who also had his season ended prematurely by injury, but in 2023 he rushed for 966 yards and nine TDs.
Whether the Broncos can make up the difference remains to be seen.
“Ashton is one of the top leaders I've ever been around in all my years coaching," Danielson said. "He had that innate sense that could grab a kid, have a one-on-one conversation. Could speak to the entire room. Would also lead by example.”
Taking the next step
Boise State appeared in the playoff last season for the first time . The Broncos, who received a first-round bye, were demolished by Penn State 31-14 in the quarterfinals.
“We went to the playoffs, but we lost,” Casey said. “That’s the thing that I always think about. We were the fourth team to go to the Fiesta Bowl; we were the first Boise State team to fall short. That is deep in our hearts and deep in our thoughts, that we are not going to let that be our legacy. We want to build off of something no Boise State team has ever done. We want to go on a run.”
SEC West at UNLV?
Mullen isn't the only one who gives UNLV a Southeastern Conference feel as he replaces Barry Odom, who parlayed back-to-back Mountain West title game appearances into the Purdue job .
In addition to Pope, other new Rebels include cornerbacks Denver Harris (previously LSU and Texas A&M) and Laterrance Welch (LSU).
Drawing players from one of the country's most dominant conference probably isn't the worst strategy.
“The more guys in the program that knows what it takes in an SEC program to win, it's going to translate over to here,” Pope said.
Spartans on the rise
San Jose State, like UNLV, for many years was at or near the bottom of the Mountain West until recently.
The Spartans posted four seven-win seasons in the past five years under two coaches. Brent Brennan built the program before leaving for Arizona after the 2023 season. Ken Niumatalolo — who went 109-83 over 16 years at Navy — took over and guided San Jose State to a 7-6 record last season.
San Jose State was picked third in the Mountain West.
“I think we're way more mature,” Niumatalolo said. “I felt a little chaotic at this time last year implementing our culture, implementing what we do. I feel like that stuff's already in place.”
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Bengals assessing options at safety with starter Geno Stone sidelined because of injury By CHARLIE GOLDSMITH Associated Press The Associated Press CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI (AP) — After the Cincinnati Bengals secondary struggled in the preseason opener, starting safety Geno Stone learned that he has a soft tissue injury that has him out on a “week-to-week” basis.
Those recent developments gave the Bengals a lot to discuss and work on heading into their second preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Monday night.
Coach Zac Taylor said that the Philadelphia Eagles’ success against the Bengals in last week’s preseason opener showed the Bengals defensive backs some areas to focus on going forward. Penalties from the Bengals also made a big difference last week, and Taylor wants to see those cleaned up in Washington.
“We were just in a lot of one-on-one positions where we were fingertip away a lot of times,” Taylor said. “Continue to be competitive, continue to be detailed up on scrimmage. I think overall, operationally, there were some things on offense, defense and special teams that we’ve we’ve got to be better at. That had nothing to do with Philly, and that’s, that’s one of our primary focuses right now as a team, not having a joint practice this week.”
Without Stone in the short term, Tycen Anderson, Daijahn Anthony and PJ Jules have been battling for first-team reps on defense.
Even though the Bengals didn’t utilize their safety depth last season, they only added undrafted free agents into that position group. As a result, the backups behind Stone who are now contenders for a first-team role are getting their first real chance to show what they’re capable of in a starting opportunity.
Anthony played some backup slot cornerback during the first two weeks last season. But after he committed a key penalty, he lost that role and didn’t play much during the rest of his rookie season.
He has received a fresh start in 2025 with a new defensive coordinator, and he has been Stone’s primary backup as the second-team free safety.
“Safety is just slowing down for me now,” Anthony said. “What’s changed the most is that Coach Al (Golden) has given us our own freedom. He gives us the tools and played to run. Then, he gives us the opportunity to make those plays and run the show back there. That’s the biggest change for me. There’s not as much stress with this is exactly what we have to do.”
Anderson, a fifth-round pick in 2022, has played one career defensive snap while establishing himself as the team’s top special teamer. He has played in 24 total games, and Anderson has 18 total tackles in the NFL on special teams.
Jules was an undrafted free agent last season who spent 2024 on the Bengals’ practice squad. An interception last Sunday during practice with the second team opened some eyes and led to him getting more opportunities.
“I don’t care who you are, how you got here, I’ll give you the same promise my coach gave me 15 years ago,” safeties coach Jordan Kovacs said. “The best players will play. Every spot is open. Let’s go compete and let’s see how good we can get. Because competition is ultimately what’s going to make us better players.”
Taylor also didn’t rule out the Bengals adding a free-agent option at the safety position.
“That’s a group that we’re looking to make sure we’re deep enough there, so they’re gonna continue to get a lot of opportunities,” Taylor said.
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Teddy Bridgewater is hoping to make the best of his NFL return amid high school coaching suspension By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater always planned to play football this year.
Just maybe not quite this early.
In a perfect world, the well-traveled quarterback wouldn't be spending this weekend in Pittsburgh getting ready for his preseason debut with Tampa Bay , but in Miami helping Northwestern High prepare to defend the Florida Class 3A title he coached his alma mater to last winter.
Don't get Bridgewater wrong. The 32-year-old — whose retirement hasn't quite stuck more than 18 months after he announced it — is eager to go out and show he can still “spin it." And he's grateful to do it for a team that has ripped off four straight NFC South titles, a team that also happens to be not that far from home.
Still, Bridgewater would be lying if he said this was his first choice. The plan was always to coach until Northwestern's season was over, then explore his options in the NFL, just as he did last year when he made a cameo with Detroit as Jared Goff's backup during the Lions' playoff push.
A seemingly innocuous social media post changed everything.
Suspension changes plans
Bridgewater's Facebook message was designed to find donors willing to help offset team expenses not covered by the school, expenses — from food to rides home from practice — that he freely admitted he paid out of his own pocket in 2024.
Yet his admission also constituted potential violations concerning impermissible benefits. Bridgewater — who did not take a salary as head coach — self-reported the payments and was subsequently suspended . The Florida High School Athletic Association's investigation is ongoing.
“It's very upsetting,” Bridgewater said following a joint practice between the Buccaneers and Steelers ahead of their preseason game at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday night.
“Just knowing that you have good intentions and those good intentions will be turned against you and used against you.”
It's unclear when a resolution might come. For Bridgewater, who still communicates regularly with his at-the-moment former players, it can't get here fast enough.
“I’m hoping to get it resolved because those kids have a special place in my heart,” Bridgewater said. “And I’d love to finish what I started with them.”
Bridgewater didn't even rule out making the four-ish hour drive from Tampa to Miami on Fridays when the Buccaneers' schedule allows to attend a Northwestern game as a fan, at least for now.
He'd love the opportunity to return one day as the coach of the school where he became a star in the late 2000s before embarking on a decorated college career at Louisville , followed by a nomadic journey through the NFL.
Setting an example from afar
When Bridgewater announced after the 2023 season that he was stepping away, he thought it would stick. He quickly agreed to become the head coach at Northwestern, eager to start the next chapter of his life.
Yet he also stayed in shape, even taking snaps during the spring game, headset on all the while. He also remained in contact with Lions coach Dan Campbell and realized that playing could not only let him feed a passion to play that is very much still there, but set another kind of example in the process.
“I always see it as motivation for the kids to know that you can do whatever you put your mind to," Bridgewater said. “As long as you build those healthy relationships, continue to train, work hard year-round, opportunities are going to come.”
Enter Tampa Bay, which reached out looking for someone experienced to join a quarterback room that includes Baker Mayfield , coming off the best season of his career.
Bridgewater isn't with the Buccaneers to be the starter like he was during stints in Minnesota, Carolina and Denver, but a resource.
“Most good quarterbacks have another guy in there that’s a veteran, that’s pretty savvy, that understands the game and knows the game," Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. "And (Teddy) can help Baker out. Coaching helps (Baker) out, but there’s nothing like seeing it from a player’s standpoint, and (Teddy) can give that to Baker.”
There's also a fair amount of life left in Bridgewater's right arm. Wearing No. 16, he more than held his own while taking snaps during the joint practice with Pittsburgh. And with Mayfield getting the night off on Saturday, Bridgewater figures to get some extended run for the first time in a long time.
However the rest of his 2025 goes, don't expect Bridgewater to commit full time to becoming one of those quarterbacks who are just fine with bouncing around the NFL deep into their 30s. His preference in the near term would be to find a way to still have the best of both worlds: coaching high schoolers during the fall, then seeing what work might be there for him when the calendar nears late December.
He received feelers during the offseason after his stint with the Lions, and his answer was always some version of “I'm up for it, check back when Northwestern is done.”
Told preferring an unpaid coaching gig over the far more lucrative life of an NFL quarterback — even a backup one — makes him an outlier of sorts, and Bridgewater just shrugged.
“Yeah, I can make a ton of money playing football and coaching high school ball, I get nothing,” he said. “But it’s not even about the money. It’s about giving those kids a building block to go out into the real world and be productive."
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James Madison a favorite to win Sun Belt as chaos reigns in the conference By MAURA CAREY AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
The Sun Belt has created a bit of a reputation for chaos. The days of single-team dominance have been replaced by fast risers, rapid turnover, unpredictable outcomes and fierce competition.
Defending champion Marshall lost coach Charles Huff and a significant portion of the roster to conference foe Southern Miss. The West Division has its own intrigue with Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas State splitting opinion on which will be on top this season.
JMU was the clear favorite in the Sun Belt preseason coaches poll, earning a league-high 11 first-place votes.
James Madison the consensus favorite
James Madison is in its fourth year in the conference and the Football Bowl Subdivision and has 28 wins to show for it, a steady performance that followed a run near the top of the FCS.
The Dukes finished 9-4 overall and third in the East Division with a 4-4 conference record in coach Bob Chesney’s first year at the helm. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III completed 60% of his passes for 2,598 yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 442 yards and seven TDs. A leg injury cut Barnett’s season short, sidelining the sophomore from the Boca Raton Bowl.
The Dukes brought in other options at signal-caller, including Matt Sluka , who played for Chesney at Holy Cross and left UNLV over a contract dispute. Georgia Southern was picked to finish second in the East.
None of the Sun Belt Conference teams made the AP Top 25 preseason poll , but JMU (9) and Louisiana-Lafayette (1) got votes — and both are the coaches' picks to reach the title game.
Are the Golden Eagles the new Thundering Herd?
Under Huff, Marshall went 10-3 last season, including 7-1 in play, and beat the Ragin' Cajuns 31-3 in the league title game. Huff left for Southern Miss soon after and the Herd had to pull out of the Independence Bowl because more than 30 players jumped into the transfer portal, pushing the team below the necessary roster minimum.
Several of those players followed Huff, including quarterback Braylon Braxton, the preseason Sun Belt offensive player of the year. Braxton completed 124 of 206 passes for 1,624 yards, 19 touchdowns and two interceptions while tacking on 610 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in 2024 – all career highs.
Redshirt sophomore return specialist Ian Foster and redshirt senior defensive back Josh Moten also followed Huff and were 2025 preseason all-Sun Belt selections.
In the West Division
Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas State each got six votes from league coaches to win the division.
The Ragin’ Cajuns followed their loss to Marshall in the Sun Belt title game with a 34-3 loss to TCU in the New Mexico Bowl, but it was still the best season offensively since the departure of coach Billy Napier. Significant turnover looms over its offense, losing quarterbacks Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields.
Texas State’s offense faces similar changes, bringing in a new quarterback and offensive coordinator Landon Keopple. Of the five quarterbacks on the roster, redshirt freshman Brad Jackson is the sole returner. The Bobcats acquired several transfer quarterbacks from strong programs: Keldric Luster from SMU, Holden Geriner from Auburn and Nate Yarnell from Pitt. The Bobcats also welcomed freshman Gavin Parkhurst.
Key transfers
Braxton, Moten and Foster weren't the only notable transfers who could have an immediate impact:
— Kenard Snyder, Edge, Texas State
— Kaleno Levine, CB, Troy
— Zach Palmer-Smith, RB, ULM
— Walker Howard, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette
— Xavier Holmes, DL, James Madison
— Luke Murphy, LB, Coastal Carolina
Key matchups
Georgia Southern at James Madison (Sept. 27), Louisiana-Lafayette at James Madison (Oct. 11), Georgia Southern at Arkansas State (Oct. 25), James Madison at Texas State (Oct. 28), Georgia Southern at Appalachian State (Nov. 6), Texas State vs. Louisiana (Nov. 8), Troy at Old Dominion (Nov. 13)
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Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter sits out practice 'as a precaution' with an upper-body injury By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars two-way star Travis Hunter was held out of the team's light practice Friday “as a precaution" because of an upper-body injury.
When asked whether Hunter would play in the team's preseason game at New Orleans on Sunday, coach Liam Coen added “we don't know yet.”
Hunter was on the field for the hourlong session and carried a play-calling sheet while following the action closely.
“That's what they're supposed to do when they're hurt,” Coen said. “We want them to make sure that they're locked in, getting all the calls, understanding the call and being able to watch and execute it as well in their minds.”
Hunter played on offense and defense, totaling 18 snaps, in Jacksonville's preseason opener against Pittsburgh last Saturday. The Heisman Trophy winner also played both ways during a scrimmage Thursday and crashed hard to the ground while defending a deep pass.
Hunter was one of 10 players held out of Jacksonville's practice because of injury, joining right guard Chuma Edoga, right tackle Anton Harrison, defensive lineman Arik Armstead, defensive lineman Maason Smith, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen, safety Caleb Ransaw, linebacker Jalen McLeod and cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Montaric Brown.
It's unclear if any of them will play against the Saints, leaving Coen with a tough decision to make regarding playing starters in the second exhibition.
“There’s a chance,” he said. “We got to go get this injury report and make sure because I don’t really want to do too many, ’You’re playing, you’re not playing,’ that kind of deal.
"If we are putting (QB Trevor Lawrence out there), we got to make sure we’re protected and we have the right guys in front. Same with the runners, things like that. Just making sure that we’re not putting people in vulnerable spots because we are injured.”
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A way-too early guess at who will make the College Football Playoff this season By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer The Associated Press
It is a well-versed group of athletic directors, former coaches and players along with a sports writer, who will be armed with statistics, analytics, charts and graphs and enough highlights to start their own college football network as they settle into their work on the College Football Playoff selection committee.
In the end, though, the sport's method of determining a champion – or at least deciding who gets the right to play for the championship – comes down to a matter of opinion.
Now in its second year with an expanded bracket, 12 teams will make the playoff to close out the 2025-26 season. Five of those slots will go to conference champions. The rest will be at-large bids to be handed out by the 13-person committee.
Here’s a far-too-early prediction at where they will end up, and what the toughest choices will be before the bracket comes out on Dec. 8.
Conference champions
There’s no debate over this: The five conference champions with the best ranking from the committee will make the playoff. But in a change from last year , the top four won’t be guaranteed first-round byes.
Best guess here says these champions will be:
Southeastern: Texas, with Arch Manning, is the favorite. But Georgia wins a rematch of a Nov. 15 showdown with the Longhorns in the SEC title game that won’t have all that much riding on it, CFP-wise, since, after all, these both look like top-four teams.
Big Ten: Penn State coach James Franklin is 1-10 against Ohio State. Buckeyes have two Heisman Trophy hopefuls in Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin. Game is at the Horseshoe and Ohio State is the reigning national champion . Another Michigan upset could factor in all this, of course, but Ohio State wins the conference.
Atlantic Coast: Miami is a dark horse. Clemson has the goods and quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Big 12: Let’s assume, just because they’re a Power Four conference, that this league will produce one of the four best-ranked conference champions. But not by much. Kansas State has QB Avery Johnson returning, which could be enough to win a conference in which at least six teams, including defending champ Arizona State, have a chance.
Group of Five: If Boise State, sans Ashton Jeanty, wins at Notre Dame on Oct. 4, the Broncos are in. If not (more likely), then let’s assume Tulane takes care of business at home against both Duke and Northwestern and makes the playoff.
At-large and in charge
Texas: Longhorns split against Bulldogs with another matchup potentially in store?
Alabama: Hard to imagine the Tide losing four games again this season (or the committee overlooking any ugly number in the ‘L’ column if they do, regardless of their strong schedule.)
Oregon: QB Dante Moore chose Oregon, then UCLA, then Oregon again, and if he lives up to expectations, the Ducks could go far.
Penn State: CFP semifinalists last season, the Nittany Lions try to, once again, take advantage of the second chance the playoff offers.
Miami: QB Carson Beck came over from Georgia , but this defense will need to improve.
Notre Dame: The Irish game against better-than-expected USC on Oct. 18 will be the equivalent of a playoff play-in.
Mississippi: If only to save us from another Lane Kiffin social media barrage. But seriously, this program had one of the best transfer-portal hauls in the country. The Rebels are also getting used to winning 10 games a year and you can’t ignore that forever.
And the matchups are ...
The bye teams: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Clemson.
The first-round matchups, on campus:
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Alabama: This will be the conspiracy theory game. Tulane, probably ranked about 16th, will take the spot that could’ve gone to yet another SEC team. (Did you know Tulane was once in the SEC?) Meanwhile, Alabama might be good enough to be ranked fourth but the committee wanted to assert its independence by not handing byes to three SEC teams.
No. 11 Kansas State at No. 6 Oregon: The fifth, final and probably most decisive of the Big 12 vs. Big Ten matchups in 2025.
No. 10 Mississippi at No. 7 Penn State: They met in the Peach Bowl in 2023. Now, Ole Miss gets a cold welcome to the big time.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Miami: They play a regular-season game Aug. 31. You can't ever get enough of a good thing.
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