Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Episode: Heisman Trophy Preview | Transfer Portal Outlook | Day Trading Danny | MORE!

Date: December 10, 2025

Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Bud Elliott

Episode Overview

This lively episode centers on previewing the 2025 Heisman Trophy finalists and exploring bigger trends in the current college football landscape, including a major look at the evolving transfer portal "market" and insider thoughts on quarterback movement. The hosts provide not just analysis but also unfiltered opinions, witty banter, and the inside stories that College Football fans crave. Key themes include a spirited debate over whether this Heisman year is "weak," why the portal market is more chaotic than ever, and which schools are poised for a transfer portal splash—or a stumble.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Heisman Trophy Finalists: Debate & Context

• Finalists Announced:
  • Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
  • Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia
  • Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
  • Notre Dame RB Jeremiah Love
• Why these names? The group unpacks why the list shaped up this way, what players just missed the cut, and whether statistics or "Heisman moments" still matter most.

Notable Quotes:

• Danny Kanell [04:12]:
  "Haynes King would have been somebody that, you know, had he knocked off Georgia, been in that conversation, even with the loss to Pitt… Jeremiah Smith’s probably the one that I'll be interested to see if he comes up fifth just after this group."

• Bud Elliott [05:07]:
  "We have to start thinking because the flattening of the sport, right? Like teams like Indiana and Vanderbilt have finalists... those teams have had the best seasons they've ever had in program history. It's harder now to post these insane numbers. Teams are playing a lot slower... I don't think this is a bad Heisman year."

Discussion Highlights:

• Is it a "weak" Heisman year?
  Bud and Tom push back against the “weak” label, explaining that lower overall stats stem from slower play and changed clock rules, not lesser players.
• Moment vs. Season:
  The hosts discuss how Mendoza's comeback against Penn State became a signature "Heisman moment," while other candidates lacked similar late-game heroics.
  • Tom Fornelli [07:24]: "Fernando Mendoza practically died on the first play… That, to me, was the Heisman moment of the season."
• Statistical Decline:
  Tom notes that with new college football clock rules and fewer possessions, 40+ TD seasons are rare, so 39 total TDs (Mendoza) is now elite.

Media Influence & Recency Bias:

• Discussion of how media coverage and the gambling odds market now dominate the Heisman discourse, changing the narrative week to week.
  • Tom Fornelli [09:46]: "You'll see on Twitter during a Saturday, this guy's down to plus 500... It changes every day."

2. Heisman Voting Mind Games & Context

Notable Quotes:

• Danny Kanell [12:03]: "To his question, I do think it hurt Julian Sayin how good his team was. ...Is Julian Sayin even the best player on his own team? ...Ohio State’s dominance hurt Julian Sayin."

• Tom Fornelli [13:44]: "It is, it's a lot like the Coach of the Year awards. It's never the coach who’s supposed to be good, who actually has a great season, who wins. It’s always the coach of the team that surprised people."

Discussion Highlights:

• The crew emphasizes how much perception—a player’s adversity, “carrying” a team, or doing “more with less”—matters in Heisman voting, maybe more than raw numbers.
• The notion of "best player on best team" versus "most outstanding" player is dissected, with reference to previous years' closely contested field and surprise winners.

3. Transfer Portal Outlook: Who's Buying, Who's Selling? (Day Trading Danny)

• Quarterback Carousel Heats Up:
  The portal officially opens January 2, but announcements and rumors are already swirling. Schools are desperately in the market for quarterbacks, but with a new twist: they're shopping for multiyear assets, not one-hit rent-a-QBs.

Danny’s "Buy and Sell" List:

• Buying:
  • Mason Hechel (Pitt)
  • Drew Mestemaker (North Texas, possibly following his coach to Oklahoma State)
  • Jaren Kiawe Sagapolatelli ("JKS", Cal)
• Selling:
  • Sam Levitt (Arizona State) — Too erratic, handled exit poorly.
  • Len' Norris Sellers — Turnover-prone, not worth a 3-4M risk.
  • DJ Lagway — Big arm but little proven consistency.

Notable Quotes:

• Danny Kanell [28:18]:
  "If I was looking in the market, I would target these style of quarterbacks, freshman years… those would be the ones I would kick the tires on."
• Bud Elliott [29:20]:
  "If I was Hechel, if they don't get me some better offensive linemen… Like you guys are hampering my development. I need to see a real plan or I'm going to bounce."
• Danny Kanell [35:43]:
  "I think the price is going to be sky high... but... you could find a pretty good quarterback for 2 million. Spend an extra 2 million on linemen... and get a really good college quarterback."

The Realities of NIL & Portal Economics:

• Hosts debate the current “market” value for QBs—some top names are getting upwards of 4 million. Retaining or luring a quarterback is now essentially a high-stakes bidding war, and most Power 5 programs can now scrape together 2 million+ for their starter.
• Teams must now choose between splurging on QBs or spreading the money around to build depth (especially on the lines of scrimmage).

4. Portal Dominoes & Team Outlooks: Who's Set to Win/Lose Big?

Teams Poised to Be Aggressive in the Portal:

• Texas Tech:
  Rumors swirling about a major NIL push to land Dylan Raiola at QB.
  • Bud Elliott [54:33]: "He's going to Texas Tech and he's gonna wear the number 15 for the Red Raiders. That's the hot rumor out there."
• Florida State:
  Bud Elliott [55:54]: "Not good. You have an AD that basically was out there believing like the salary cap, like the Easter bunny... they’re clearly not going to have this guy in place in time… I would say like a poor projected one overall, to be honest. I don't see a lot of hope for this."

Other Teams to Watch:

• Cal: Building around their young QB JKS, likely to focus on OL and WRs.
• Notre Dame, Miami, Florida: All likely to go "all-in" in the portal, especially at QB.
• Oregon: If Dante Moore leaves, could be a buyer.
• Penn State, Michigan, Auburn, Nebraska: All face crucial questions at quarterback and are likely to be major players.
• Auburn: May need both a new quarterback and reinforcements on both lines.

Notable Quotes:

• Bud Elliott [60:34]
  “Keep your eye on what Cal is going to do, what Tosh [Lupoi] is going to do, because their number one goal is to build around Jaron Kiave Sagapolatelli.”

• Bud Elliott [65:33]:
  "Nebraska. The messaging was, 'Look, 27, we are all in on high school'... But they are going to be pretty heavily in the portal this cycle. Especially if/when they lose Raiola."

5. Other Insightful or Memorable Moments

• Heisman Future Trends:
  Discussion of whether the era of "great" statistical Heisman seasons is over due to rule changes (fewer possessions, less scoring).

  • Bud Elliott [18:36]: "If the rules stay as they are now, then I think it's likely that [Joe Burrow] is the last guy to do a season like that."

• NIL, Donors, and Portal Drama:
  The hosts recount the Troy Aikman story as a cautionary tale—Aikman donated to help UCLA recruit a player, then swore off further gifts when the kid transferred after one year without even a thank you.

  • Danny Kanell [24:31]: "Thank your boosters... He said he was never going to give money again because... the player only stayed for one year and then never even thanked him."

• Portal Market Gamesmanship:
  Speculation on backup QBs as 'insurance policies' (e.g., Tommy Castellanos), creative NIL deals (e.g., land deals), and which unheralded teams or players might cash in this cycle.

Important Timestamps

• Heisman Finalists Announced & Debate: 03:00–17:00
• Heisman Voting Psychology & Stats Era: 09:45–18:36
• Portal Outlook & Day Trading Danny: 23:43–39:00
• QB Carousel, NIL Market, Specific Players/Schools: 39:00–54:00
• Texas Tech Raiola Rumors + FSU Outlook: 54:07–57:00
• Other Aggressive Portal Teams; Cal, Penn State, Michigan, Auburn, Nebraska: 60:00–67:00

Memorable Quotes

• Tom Fornelli [07:24]:
  “Fernando Mendoza practically died on the first play of the game... That to me was the Heisman moment of the season.”
• Bud Elliott [05:07]:
  "Teams Like Indiana and Vanderbilt have finalists... because those teams have had the best seasons that they've ever had in program history. So I think it's harder now to post these insane numbers."
• Danny Kanell [28:18]:
  "If I was looking in the market, I would target these style of quarterbacks, freshman years… those would be the ones I would kick the tires on."
• Bud Elliott [55:54]:
  "Not good... I would say like a poor projected [Transfer Portal] year overall [for FSU], to be honest, I don't see a lot of hope for this."
• Danny Kanell [24:31]:
  "He said he was never going to give money again because...the player only stayed for one year and then never even thanked him for the money."

Tone & Style

True to the Cover 3 brand, the episode is fast-paced, analytical, irreverent, and full of competitive, insider energy. The hosts are consistently candid ("I think Napier is a bad coach" – Bud), and their commentary is as much about the culture of college football as it is about the X's and O's. Their banter makes complicated portal economics and award voting psychology both entertaining and understandable.

TL;DR - Why Listen?

This episode gives fans:

• A nuanced preview and debate on a changing Heisman landscape.
• Insider talk on transfer portal strategy, QB valuations, and team-by-team outlooks.
• Unique stories and memorable soundbites—a microcosm of how the College Football world is morphing right now.
• And, as always, robust host chemistry and signature Cover 3 humor.

For complete Army-Navy preview and more action, catch the next Cover 3 podcast episode!