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Nebraska Running Back Mekhi Nelson Arrested on Battery Charge
Nebraska running back Mekhi Nelson was arrested on Monday following an alleged altercation with his pregnant girlfriend, according to the New York Post. The redshirt sophomore was taken into custody at the Blue Flamingo Resort in Key West and booked on a misdemeanor battery charge. The woman in the incident alleges that Nelson threw her phone across the room and ripped her bathing suit top and bottoms off her, scratching her stomach in the process. "The Nebraska Athletic Department and football program are aware of the arrest of Mekhi Nelson in Florida." the school said in a statement. "We have no further comment at this time." After redshirting in 2024, Nelson played in 12 games in 2025, rushing 27 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. It remains to be seen if he'll be punished during the 2026 campaign.
Source: New York Post
Source: New York Post
Ohio State Lands Commitment From Marcus Fakatou
247Sports Composite five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou committed to Ohio State on Monday. The California native is the No. 2 defensive line prospect in the Class of 2027 and the No. 26 prospect overall. At 6'6", 275 pounds, the rising high school senior will step on campus with ample size to make an immediate impact. The Buckeyes have had seven defensive linemen/edge defenders selected in the last three NFL Drafts, making Columbus one of the top destinations for high school prospects on the defensive front.
Source: 247 Sports
Source: 247 Sports
Caleb Hawkins Looking to Lead Big 12 in Rushing?
Perhaps the most underrated transfer this offseason was Oklahoma State's addition of former North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins, who led the NCAA in rushing touchdowns last season despite a slow ramp-up as the Mean Green's workhorse. As a true freshman, Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 370 receiving yards and four scores through the air. While the Big 12 defenses he is set to face won't quite be the AAC defenses he faced a season ago, the talented running back will look to prove he's more than a piece of a successful offensive system. The Cowboys have a recent history of great running backs between Ollie Gordon II, Chuba Hubbard, and Justice Hill, and Hawkins looks to be the next one in line.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
CJ Carr a Heisman Favorite in 2026?
As of right now, Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2026. Carr had a productive season as a redshirt freshman, completing 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He led the Irish on a 10-game winning streak to end the season and became very efficient as the year went on. Without Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to carry the load offensively in 2026, Carr is expected to take on a heavier workload. It remains to be seen how Carr will look with the run game expected to take a step back, and we will get our first glimpse of the Heisman hopeful on September 6 in Lambeau as the Irish take on Wisconsin.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Bryce Underwood Due for Sophomore Jump?
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood showed potential as a true freshman last season, but ultimately had a very underwhelming season. Underwood completed just 60.3% of his passes for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also scrambled for 392 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. The former five-star certainly looked like a freshman for most of the season. However, there is reason to believe that the young signal caller can take a step forward in his sophomore campaign. With Sherrone Moore out and Kyle Whittingham in, the shift in leadership should make Michigan a more serious program. The addition of a locker room leader could help Underwood's leadership and game evolve to the next level as he attempts to build on his freshman season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Malik Washington Set For Breakout Sophomore Campaign?
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington impressed as a true freshman. In his first season of college football, he threw for 2,963 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while adding 303 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. Washington is very physically gifted, standing 6-foot-5 with a big arm and quick acceleration. Despite his rock-solid freshman season, the individual success did not translate into a successful season for the Terrapins. Maryland won just one Big Ten game and ended the season on an eight-game losing streak. With head coach Mike Locksley firmly on the hot seat, Washington is looking to take a step forward as a sophomore in an attempt to stack more wins for the Terrapins in 2026.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Darian Mensah Faces Lofty Expectations in 2026
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah will be playing for his third school in three seasons this fall when he suits up for the Hurricanes. Mensah has thrown for 6,696 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions through his first two seasons at Tulane and Duke, and follows in the footsteps of Cam Ward and Carson Beck as an experienced signal-caller set to lead Mario Cristobal's offense. Miami's ceiling is extremely high in 2026, as they return a lot of offensive production in Mark Fletcher Jr. and Malachi Toney from last season's national title runner-up team. In a weak ACC, the expectation is playoff or bust for the Hurricanes. Mensah, meanwhile, will also be attempting to raise his NFL Draft stock while competing for a national title in a pivotal season for the young signal caller.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Will Hammond Targeting Week 3 Return
Texas Tech's quarterback situation is officially in flux with Brendan Sorsby leaving the school and Will Hammond (knee) still recovering from last season's torn ACL. While Hammond has been practicing in a limited fashion, he is restricted to non-contact practice as he continues his recovery from the torn ACL that he suffered on Saturday, October 25th last season. It sounds as if Hammond is targeting a Week 3 return, as Joey McGuire does not intend to rush his new starting quarterback back to action. Texas Tech opens up Big 12 play in Week 3 when they host Houston on a Friday night. Hammond is expected to miss at least the season opener against Abilene Christian and Week 2's road game at Oregon State. Former Tulsa quarterback Kirk Francis looks like the guy who will get the nod in the season's early stages.
Source: USA Today
Source: USA Today
Texas Tech Adds Pitt State Transfer Jordan Rogers
Transfer safety Jordan Rogers, who was named a D2 All-American in 2025 at Pitt State, has opted to transfer to Texas Tech. Rogers spent five seasons at Pitt State and tallied 162 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 15 interceptions, 5.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles over the course of his career. He had five interceptions and four forced fumbles in a career year in 2025, and joins a Texas Tech defense that was among the nation's best last season.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Bowl Transition Penalty Eliminated
The NCAA DI Cabinet has voted to eliminate the bowl transition penalty. Previously, there was a two-year period where teams transitioning from FCS to FBS were ineligible to play in bowl games. The removal of this rule paves the way for North Dakota State and Sacramento State, two first-time FBS programs, to qualify for bowl games should they finish with 6+ wins. North Dakota State has won 10 of the last 15 FCS titles and is projected to be favored in all 12 games this season as they join the Mountain West, giving them a legitimate shot to qualify for the CFP in their inaugural FBS season.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Wide Receiver Duke Smith No Longer at Auburn
Redshirt freshman receiver Duke Smith is no longer listed on Auburn's roster. Smith did not record a stat last season, but played in four games at receiver and special teams. He had played well this spring and was getting work in with the second-team offense. Smith was a four-star athlete in the 2025 class, rated as the nation's No. 2 athlete. His twin brother, Erick Smith, remains a part of the team.
Source: On3
Source: On3
West Virginia Quarterback Competition Ongoing
Rich Rodriguez recently stated that there is not a starting quarterback in place for the Mountaineers' 2026 season as of right now. Michael Hawkins Jr., the Oklahoma transfer, is competing with Scotty Fox, who started five games for West Virginia a season ago. On Hawkins, Rodriguez stated that "We brought him in with the expectation he'd compete for the starting job. He's got three years. Scotty Fox played as a 17-year-old true freshman last year, and he's got three more years, too. Those two guys are leading the pack right now. I think Mike's got a great skill set. He can run and throw, and he's decisive. I've really been pleased with him. Scotty, as a true freshman, I thought he performed pretty well, and he's going to be even better." Hawkins likely has the edge due to his experience, but this competition is far from over.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Brian Kelly Joining CBS Sports
After a disastrous four-year run at LSU, Brian Kelly was fired mid-season. Kelly has now landed a broadcasting job, as the former Notre Dame head coach will now be calling Mountain West games for CBS Sports in his new role as a college football color analyst. As of right now, it is just a one-year deal. Kelly does still want to coach, so it remains to be seen if he will take a coaching job following the 2026 season. He has accumulated a career record of 297-109-2, with his best season coming in 2012 when he led Notre Dame to a title game appearance. It remains to be seen whether or not he will retain his Cajun accent during commentary this season.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Khobie Martin Looking to "Blossom" in 2026
Indiana sophomore running back Khobie Martin is an under-the-radar name for the 2026 season. Martin was stuck behind Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby last season on the National Championship-winning roster, but still managed to rush 78 times for 505 yards and six touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. Martin topped 100 yards and two touchdowns twice, early in the season in blowout wins over Indiana State and Illinois. Curt Cignetti has always deployed a committee backfield, and Martin is joined by Boston College transfer Turbo Richard this season. Despite that, there is real potential for Martin to break out. An NFL scout stated that "you'll see guys like running back Khobie Martin blossom after he played behind Black and Hemby, who are both in NFL camps."
Source: On3
Source: On3
Dylan Stewart Primed for All-American Season
Many were surprised when South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart decided to stay with the program after a 4-8 campaign, but the 2024 freshman All-American and 2025 All-SEC performer is back for at least one more season. Stewart is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the country after collecting 56 tackles (36 solo), 22.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three pass deflections, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries through his first 24 career games. The standout turns 21 years old during his true junior season and could play his way into being a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft if he lives up to his potential. With games against Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Clemson on the schedule, Stewart will have no shortage of attention on him heading into a big year for the Washington D.C. native.
Source: Sports Reference CFB
Source: Sports Reference CFB
