THE HERD - Hour 2 - Knicks might have a chance, thoughts on Fernando Mendoza, Nick Wright

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Hour 2 – March 3, 2026)

Main Theme:
This episode centers on shifting power dynamics in college sports, specifically the waning dominance of the SEC in football and basketball, and pivots into in-depth discussions about Luka Dončić’s fit in the NBA, the Knicks' potential, the rise of "nerd" quarterbacks like Fernando Mendoza, as well as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Special guest Nick Wright joins Colin for an insightful, lively exchange, highlighted by natural back-and-forth debate and sharp observations.

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1. NIL, Transfer Portal, and the Decline of the SEC

(03:14–06:00)

• Topic: Surprising results from NFL executive mock drafts; impact of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and transfer portal.
  • Key Insight: For the first time, zero SEC players appear in the top 10 mock drafts by four anonymous NFL execs. Notable names mentioned: Fernando Mendoza, Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Carnell Tate (Ohio State/Miami connections), Makai Lemon, Jeremiah Love, Peter Woods.
  • Colin's Take:

    “The NIL has been a Netflix Uber-level disruptor... The SEC and their money just don’t go as far. They used to pay players under the table, now that it’s above board—they can’t keep up.” (05:03)

  • College basketball’s AP Top 15 has only one SEC team, signaling broader struggles.
  • Joel Klatt is quoted noting a reversal from SEC draft dominance to Big Ten/ACC-heavy first rounds.

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2. Big Ten’s Surge, Quarterback Play, and Changing Power in College Football

(06:00–09:03)

• Colin and Joel Klatt discuss how the Big Ten now boasts the deepest quarterback group in decades, and SEC’s slide.
  • Nick Wright’s Reaction: “Wow.” (06:00)
  • Colin notes: “There’s eight Big Ten QBs who look like they could play Sundays—a conference’s never had that before. The gap is growing.”
    (08:28)
  • Reflection on how the Pac-12 used to be the ‘quarterback conference,’ but the Big Ten now surpasses those historical years.

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3. NBA Focus: Coaching, Luka Dončić & Locker Room Dynamics

(09:03–16:27)

• JJ Redick vs. Luka Incident

  • Nick Wright characterizes JJ Redick:

    “Smug is fair... a little full of himself. He’s kind of the same guy he’s been since Duke.” (09:03)

  • Rich Paul describes conflict between stars and coaches as “healthy”; Colin disagrees, detailing NBA’s unique culture where players wield more power than coaches.
  • Nick Wright’s take:

    “It is incumbent upon coaches... to remember—I’m not allowed to be immature, the player is. It’s unfair, but that’s reality.” (12:28) “JJ cannot meet Luka’s immaturity with his own. JJ is the literal adult, the coach.” (12:41)

• Luka as a Teammate / Systemic Fit

  • Colin:

    “LeBron works with everybody... It’s like salt in a kitchen. But when LeBron and Luka are on the floor, it’s the Lakers’ worst tandem. Doesn’t that give you pause?” (13:02)

  • Nick:

    “Luka is not easy to build around... He’s not as plug-and-play as Kevin Durant.” (14:39)

  • Noted issue: even with the Lakers, Luka’s usage rate is higher than ever, which puzzles both hosts. Question over whether team construction is actually helping or hurting Luka/LeBron fit.

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4. The Knicks’ Playoff Hopes and Team Construction

(16:27–19:44)

• Colin observes that less-established teams (like the Knicks) play with more urgency in the regular season, but are “completely flawed” and vulnerable to targeted playoff strategies.
• Nick responds:
  • “I think this Knicks team makes sense... They built the right supporting cast. If your two top guys are Brunson (undersized) and Kat (defensively suspect), then OG, Hart, Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson—the wings and defense make sense.” (17:22)
  • “With Tatum’s injury, the East is wide open. Knicks are a very live threat to make their first finals this century.” (18:43)

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5. Fernando Mendoza & the ‘Nerd’ Quarterback Phenomenon

(19:44–23:35)

• Mendoza’s Image and Draft Status
  • Colin relays that Matt Hasselbeck advised Mendoza to “lean into being a nerd,” and wonders if being “a goober” matters in the NFL locker room compared to the NBA.
  • Nick:

    “If the quarterback’s great, I don’t think it really matters. Luck is a good comp. It worked until it didn’t for Russell Wilson, too.” (21:12) “My concern is... he’s the number one QB almost by default. If we stack him against the last five years’ Top-10 QBs, where does he really fit?” (21:57)

  • Both hosts agree: Mendoza would be a reasonable third QB in a draft, but being the #1 pick this year says more about the class than him.

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6. World Cup 2026: U.S. Ambitions and Global Storylines

(23:35–27:52)

• U.S. National Team Outlook
  • Colin: “We might be a top-12 team, maybe better on home soil. Can we make a run?”
  • Nick lays out:

    “Not making it out of the group is a catastrophe. Expectation is round of 16; hope is the first quarterfinal in my adult life. That would set up the biggest American soccer game in 32 years.” (24:12–25:07)

  • Spain is Nick’s global favorite, but also intrigue around aging legends (Messi, Ronaldo) making a final run; Brazil’s somewhat floundering status after decades of dominance is highlighted.
  • Nick:

    “My life growing up watching soccer—it was, ‘Who gets to lose to Brazil?’ They’ve disappointed the last 20 years. Maybe that changes.” (26:24)

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7. NFL Draft Discourse: Mendoza vs. Ty Simpson

(31:47–35:42)

• Jason McIntyre discusses skepticism among NFL insiders regarding Mendoza’s status as top prospect, notes one veteran coach prefers Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
  • Colin: “Ty Simpson’s probably a better athlete than Mendoza. But [Alabama] wasn’t great... not your typical five-star everywhere. The SEC is weaker than five years ago.” (32:37)
• McIntyre and Colin agree that one-year starters rarely succeed in the NFL; Joe Burrow as the rare exception, but he had two years of starts.

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8. Coaching in the NFL: Mike McDaniel, Player-Friendly Coaches, & Cliff Kingsbury

(36:00–39:44)

• Raheem Mostert criticizes Mike McDaniel for a lack of toughness and resilience; “player-friendly” doesn’t always work as head coach.
  • Colin:

    “Players have never had more leverage. There will be more confrontation. That’s just part of the game.” (38:54)

  • Discussion about head coaches needing to command respect—but not fear—unlike position or coordinator gigs.
  • Kingsbury’s move to Assistant Head Coach of the Rams may suit him, raising future succession questions if McVay leaves.

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9. Other NFL News: Kenneth Walker’s Free Agency

(40:45–42:48)

• Adam Schefter reports Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker likely won’t get the franchise tag, becoming a free agent.
  • Colin: “He was perfect for Seattle... but he’s been hurt a lot. One-dimensional back. The right move for the future.”
  • McIntyre: “There’s a market for Walker, but letting him go creates pause for other teams.”

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10. Closing NBA Thoughts: Luka, LeBron & Locker Room Trends

(46:15–49:43)

• Colin hammers home that Luka’s well-documented struggles with coaches (Carlisle, Redick) and star teammates (Brunson, LeBron) may not be coincidence, citing mounting evidence of a pattern.
  • Colin:

    “This idea that Luka is liability-free is just not true. The GM struggled, coaches struggled, LeBron doesn’t really fit... The officials and Luka, it’s obnoxious.” (48:02 & 48:50)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Colin Cowherd:

  • “The NIL has been a Netflix Uber-level disruptor... The SEC and their money just don’t go as far.” (05:03)
  • “LeBron works with everybody... It’s like salt in a kitchen.” (13:02)
  • “Luka with LeBron is the Lakers’ worst tandem. Doesn’t that give you pause?” (13:02)
  • “This idea that Luka is liability-free is just not true... It’s obnoxious.” (48:02 & 48:50)

• Nick Wright:

  • “It is incumbent upon coaches, even young coaches like JJ... I’m not allowed to be immature, the player is. It’s unfair, but that’s reality.” (12:28)
  • “Luka is not easy to build around... He’s not as plug-and-play as Kevin Durant.” (14:39)
  • [On the World Cup]: “Not making it out of the group is a catastrophe. Expectation is round of 16; hope is the first quarterfinal in my adult life. That would set up the biggest American soccer game in 32 years.” (24:12–25:07)
  • [Knicks]: “The team makes sense. ... After Boston, the Knicks are a very live threat to make their first finals this century.” (18:43)

• Jason McIntyre:

  • “Quarterbacks that only started one season have not thrived in the NFL.” (34:41)

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Key Timestamps

• [03:14] – College football’s power shift, Big Ten over SEC
• [10:09] – Luka Doncic and JJ Redick sideline incident
• [13:02] – Luka/LeBron pairing issues, Luka as challenging teammate
• [17:22] – Knicks’ playoff viability
• [21:12] – ‘Nerd’ quarterbacks: Does it matter if the QB is a goober?
• [24:12] – World Cup 2026: Expectations for USMNT
• [31:47] – NFL Draft talk, Mendoza vs Ty Simpson
• [36:00] – Mike McDaniel, player-coach balance in the NFL
• [40:45] – Kenneth Walker’s free agency and fit
• [46:15] – Luka Doncic’s coach/teammate conflict history re-examined

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Tone and Style:
Conversational and insightful, with sharp but respectful disagreements and plenty of humor and wit. Colin, Nick, and Jason all balance analytical breakdowns with personal observations, keeping the flow lively and engaging.

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For New Listeners:
This episode offers a rich blend of high-level sports analysis spanning collegiate athletics, the NBA, NFL, and soccer. The conversation is driven by current events but peppered with reflective context, making it perfect for sports fans interested in how trends at the top reverberate through leagues and locker rooms. Expect candid opinions, researched stats, and personality-driven commentary without descending into hot-take territory.

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Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Rob Parker]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go. It's hour two. Alexi Lawless going to be showing up hour 300 days out from the World Cup. So I Mike Sando, who does excellent work, he pulled four executives in the NFL and he said, you know, forget all these mock drafts. Four executives in the NFL, give me your top 10, give me your top 10 mock draft. And couple things just jumped out to me. Fernando Mendoza, Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Carnell Tate, who feels can't miss. Bunch of Miami guys. Makai Lemon, the receiver. Jeremiah Love the running back, Peter Woods, Clemson 0SEC guys. 4 NFL execs who used to fall over themselves to draft SEC guys. 0 SEC guys in the top 10. I'm telling you, the NIL has been a Netflix uber level disruptor. The transfer portal and the NIL and the they have hurt the sec, college basketball and college football. They don't have the money. I mean, think about Alabama football. They have a first round quarterback, potentially a first round tackle offensively and an excellent head coach. Blown out by Indiana men's college basketball. Current AP poll, top 15, one SEC team. I mean, just let me read you the teams. ACC, Big 12, Big 10, UConn. SEC, Big 12, Big 12, Big 10, Big 10, Big 12, Big 10, Gonzaga, ACC, Big 12, Big 10,. One SEC team. I mean, that it is. Five years ago we were worried about the lack of competitive balance in college sport. And I think it's funny, when the SEC was paying players, everything is rosy. Now that it's above board, we've got a real problem. College football and basketball. Now the problem is down south. One basketball team in the top 15, top 10 according to Mike Sando. Four NFL execs. No best receivers, best big 10, best back, Notre Dame, best O lineman, Utah, Miami.

[Nick Wright]

Wow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Joel Clatt on the lack of SEC talent in the NFL draft. Poignant. Joel Clatt. You know, it's something, I mean, it was weird to watch. Alabama's got a great coach, great quarterback, a great left tackle and Just gets housed by Indiana. And for the record, I thought the NIL would change college sports and make the Big Ten and the ACC more viable. I did not think it would become this. And this is nobody in the top 10. I will say I think the best corner I saw play college football this year played at lsu. I do think they have the best corner, but I mean, and Fernando Mendoza didn't even come from the SEC to go to Indiana. He was at Cal, whatever conference they're in now. So it was Cal to Indiana. So again, I. We all knew the transfer portal and NIL would change, but it's. It's distinct here. Here is clap. In my mock 1.0, I had 10 players from the Big Ten in the first round and only nine from the SEC. That's obviously a vast difference than what we saw in the late 2000. You know, teens, you know, 17, 18, 19, when it was just SEC littered with the SEC in the NFL. Best running back, Notre Dame, best wide receiver. A debate between Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon, both from the Big Ten. So even the skill is sitting outside of that footprint, which is something that we haven't seen in a long time. And it's not going anywhere. Back to back to back. Natty's by I mean the Big Ten basketball conference and the Big 12 are a mile above the SEC this year. And if you go look at the quarterback play next year in the Big Ten, returning quarterbacks. I've never ever seen a singular conference was eight quarterbacks who I think could play on Sunday, seven or eight. I mean, I think it's getting worse. I think the gap is growing. I mean, if you go look at the quarterbacks coming back to school next year in the Big Ten, it is incredible. The Pac12 was always a quarterback conference in their best year. I mean, there was. There was a year. Was it. Was it the. The Nick Foles, Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley. There was a year. The Pac 12 had a several. You know, I never thought Matt Barkley was a top NFL prospector. Nick Foles, Andrew Luck was. But it's like double this year in the Big Ten with that Nick Wright. First Things first is joining us live on a Tuesday. So I like Rich Paul. I think he usually makes a lot of sense, but he said something about the J.J. redick, Luka Doncic, kerfuffle on the sideline. And I mean, it's confrontational and blowing somebody off. And J.J. redick is a. He's a. You know, he's a guy that's combative he's going to give you his opinion.

[Nick Wright]

Hey, smug. I think smug is fair. Yeah. A little full of himself. I mean, we've known JJ Redick for 20 years. Yeah, he's kind of the same guy he's been since he walked onto the Duke campus. Smart guy, good coach. You know, I don't know if I would enjoy a round of golf with him. Maybe I would, but it's. Go ahead.

[Colin Cowherd]

As you were so rich. Paul says very healthy. He said coach and star conflict healthy. And I said, no, no, no, no, no, no. In the NFL, Andy Reid, Travis Kelsey, now that's the football culture, right? You all need each other. The basketball culture is LeBron didn't like David Blatt. Luka didn't like Rick Carlisle. Kawhi didn't like Pop. KD got his feelings hurt in Golden State. The NBA is different. Come into the league at 19, supermax, 23, 24. The coaches, I mean, Spo and LeBron had their issues. LeBron left, didn't give him a heads up. Like, I don't buy into this. Oh, it's no big deal. Do you?

[Nick Wright]

Well, I don't think it's nothing. I maybe don't think it's quite as big of a deal as it appears. You do. Listen, Luca annoys his coaches. Luca annoys a lot of people. Luca, the. His incessant griping at the officials and kind of stubbornness in style of play can be grading for I think his coaches, his management, fans of other teams. Now, it's the tax on a guy who this year, in what is universally being regarded as a down year, is going to win the scoring title, is scoring 33 a night and giving you 8 rebounds, 9 assists to go along with it. And so the juice is obviously worth the squeeze. Yes, I do think it is incumbent upon coaches, even young coaches like jj, even former players like JJ to remember I'm not allowed to be immature. The player is. It's unfair. But that's reality. Like we saw the other night, Chris Finch tell Anthony Edwards, pass. When you're double teamed. And Anthony Edwards then got triple teamed and took the shot anyway, made it, and then started screaming at Chris Finch, this is who I am. This is what I do. And Chris Spence just kind of had to eat it in the moment. And then privately they can chat. They have a great relationship because players can be emotional, players can be immature. Coaches can't be. So I wouldn't have thought this video was a huge deal. What I like about it the least is, and I don't know if it's going to loop one more time. The confrontation starts because Luka won't give JJ a handshake. Like, if you really watch what happens here. Al Arrington pointed this out on the show yesterday. Like, JJ's trying to give Luka a five. Luka won't do it. So Luka walks away. And they go back and forth and they're barking at each other. And then watch the end before JJ walks away. Luca relents and puts his hand out right there to give him five. And JJ won't give it to him. Like, you didn't give me five, I won't give you five. And that's what got Luka going. Now shout out to Jared Vanderbilt for playing peacemaker.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Nick Wright]

But I just don't. I think JJ cannot meet Luka's immaturity with his own. JJ is the literal adult, the coach. He has to be, I think, better than that.

[Colin Cowherd]

And.

[Nick Wright]

And he also has to recognize this in this moment right now, Luka Doncic is way better at his job than J.J. redick is at his Luke. And it's one of the handful of very greatest players in the league. Even with his flaws, JJ Redick has not earned that distinction yet.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Don't you think everybody, you know, J. Mac thinks I'm constantly hating, but LeBron is older. But that said, he played well immediately with Austin Reaves. He actually was the best teammate Ads ever had. He worked with kooky J.R. smith. Kyrie Irving was a. Was kind of a broken brand in Cleveland before LeBron got there. I mean, Dwyane Wade and LeBron never really fit, but it worked. LeBron works with everybody. It's like salt in a kitchen. Of course. Good on everything. And my take is yet when LeBron and Luke are on the floor together, it's the Lakers worst tandem. Doesn't that give you a little pause on that? Jalen Brunson becomes a star when he leaves him. LeBron struggling to make it worse work. Doesn't that give you some pause with Luca?

[Nick Wright]

I. I do. It does give me some pause, however, not enough to overwhelm the fact that. That I saw this guy be, in my opinion, in the discussion for best player alive and carry an underwhelming team to the finals. Now it does. Not long ago that a year and a half ago, he's in the finals with again. Kyrie's a really good player, but not a superstar. And it was role players. What is definitionally true is Luka is not easy to build around. You need specific archetypes of players to build around him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Nick Wright]

And to me, what is such a shame of the Lakers squandering last year their first year with Luka and this year is the reason they didn't have the right pieces. The right players to put around Luka Doncic is because they didn't have the right pieces put around LeBron James. Because it's the same type of player. Who do you need for old LeBron James? Defenders and three point shooters. Who do you need for young Luka Doncic? Defenders and three point shooters and they didn't get them. And so it is a. He is not an easy of a fit to plug into a team as Kevin Durant. Like Kevin Durant just drop on any team. He's going to take his 17 shots, he's going to score his 27 points, going to be awesome. Luca is different. What has surprised me is this Colin LeBron this year, career low in usage rate. That's not surprising. He's 41. He's in year 23.

[Colin Cowherd]

This would be the Luca before the year. I said, folks, there's going to be a gap LeBron and Luka Luca's going to take over the offense. So LeBron doesn't have the ball that much.

[Nick Wright]

And that, and that part's fine. LeBron being at his career low makes sense. What doesn't make sense is Luka's usage rate this year with the Lakers is higher than any year of his career with the Mavs. So it doesn't make sense that Luka with LeBron who is no longer one of the 10 best players in the league, but still one of the 20 best players and Austin Reaves coming on that Luka's actually has a higher usage rate than he had when he was playing Daniel Gafford and P.J. washington. That is confusing and confounding and not ideal for the Lakers path forward.

[Colin Cowherd]

One of the things that's always been true in the NBA and as I was watching the spurs and the Knicks on Sunday, I watched the whole game and one of the things that's always been true is if you're a talented team that doesn't have a title, you play harder in the regular season. And then once you get the title, like an Oklahoma City last year or a Celtics team, you know, a little different vibe. That Bulls team with Derrick Rose, you know, they played like it was game seven of the finals all regular season. So I'm watching the Knicks, their net rating I think leads the league. They very good defense against a Kind of worn down San Antonio team, but I still see a completely flawed team that will get to the postseason and you can hunt their two best stars, Jalen and Kat, you can just go after them. Or do you think there's something. There's a secret sauce. Mike Brown, it's different because right now this is about as well as they have played in the last two to three years.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, I mean I think that they have to be. I was actually at this Knicks spurs game and it looked like the spurs were going to blow them out of the water. They were up I think 22 to 7 early and then the Knicks just hit an onslaught for the next hour and the game was over. I do really like this Knicks team. I think it is it, it makes sense the way it's built. If your two best stars, one is going to be undersized in Jalen Brunson, the other is going to be a defensive liability in cat. If those are going to be your two leading scorers, then you must build the exact type of supporting cast they built. They built with og, with Hart, with Mikhail Bridges, Mitchell, Robinson, length and defense on the wings, a good backup center. I like the addition of Alvarado. I do think that they are more likely to use their depth this year with Mike Brown than they did with Tibbs. And so I do. The team makes sense. And the east does feel wide open. I think Detroit is really good and Detroit has dominated the Knicks this regular season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Detroit's a very limited half court offense. They don't have a dependable great second score. You know, in the playoffs when you can just basically drop a game plan for five games against Kate Cunningham, you know, there's a ceiling with Detroit.

[Nick Wright]

That's what worries me. I maybe wouldn't be quite as adamant as you, but Detroit, it worries me a little bit like Houston did last year where it's like, man, this is a really good team having a great season, but can you trust him to go get a bucket in a seven game series repeatedly? Other than Cade, I don't know. So Cleveland I don't trust at all. And then there's Boston, which is if Jayson Tatum, I believe is coming back soon. If Jason Tatum is even 80% of Jayson Tatum by the playoffs, they're the team to beat in the east. But right after them is New York. And because Tatum's coming off an injury, I think the Knicks are a very live threat to make their first finals this century, which would be awesome. And then listen, going into the finals last year, I Don't think anybody thought Indiana had a shot. They find themselves in game seven with a lead before Halliburton goes down. You make the Finals, you can win the title.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I got about five questions I could ask you here. And I. And I. And I. And I got one more. Fernando Mendoza met with Matt Hasselbeck this weekend. And he said, I know I'm a goober. And, and Hasselbeck said, you know, I, I played with Andrew Lock. Just lean into being a nerd. And Mendoza is a funny player. Like, we've. I talked about this earlier. Cameron Boozer is not flashy. Either is Cade Cunningham. There's a lot of guys in the NBA that aren't flashy, but they're really winning players. Kaminga's flashy, John Morant's flashy. Zach Levine's flashy. Zion's flashy. Like, in the NBA, the culture flash sells. Like, I totally get it. Fans wear their favorite basketball players gear, so you're more loyal to a player. Even if Zach Levine doesn't win games in football, there does feel like there's this reality, is that a lot of the great quarterbacks are kind of nerds, are kind of not cool. How do you land with Mendoza? You. You don't love college football, but you watch a lot of sports. What do you make of the nerd thing? I don't think it will. Adam Morrison came into the NBA out of Gonzaga. I remember a GM telling me he will not fit in the locker room. He's just too odd. But it doesn't seem to matter in football.

[Nick Wright]

No, listen, if the quarterback's great, then I don't think it really matters. I think luck is a good comp. I think they're, you know, it worked until it didn't for Russell Wilson, who has a unique personality. You know what I mean? Nobody cared so much as long as he was still a really good player. So my concern, Mendoza is less about, you know, his column, very unique interview style and all of that. And it's more this. If we were to take Colin, all of the quarterbacks taken in the top 10 in the last five years, where would he stack up? And that's where I fear, like, that this is. He is the number one quarterback kind of by default. Like, is he a better prospect than, you know, Caleb Drake, Jaden? No. So he's at BET in that class. He's at best fourth.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's not better than Herbert or Burrow either.

[Nick Wright]

Oh, no. And that's going back even further. He might be able to end Up a better player. He's not a better prospect than Trevor, but I think we can go. I don't know that he is. He's. I do think he's a better prospect than Cam Ward was, who also felt a little bit by default the number, you know, the, the. The number one pick of the draft. And so it is. I look at him as. He would make a ton of Sense as the third quarterback off the board in the 12th pick of the draft, but because it's a quarterback draft where Ty Simpson is going to go the second quarterback, he's the number one quarterback by a mile. And that's again, not putting a ceiling on what he can be. You know, your guy, Bo Nix, I didn't see it at all. He's had an awesome two years. A lot of people love JJ McCarthy. He's fighting for his job. So I'm not, I'm not saying it's definitive on what he'll be, but this is not, to me the type of number one pick where it's like, man, how lucky did the Raiders get? It's more like, okay, you might have your guy. That's where I land on Mendoza.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, any World cup story that, listen, it's on our soil, I think it's going to be. It's the most since I was a kid when I'm, I'm sold that when soccer started, the best player we had was Kyle Rote Jr. Who was. Looked like more of a football player, but he was the best guy and he loves soccer. And so, you know, and then we got into, you know, Clint Dempsey, Alexi Lawless, Landon Donovan, and now we're at a point with Christian Pulisic. Yeah, well, we have, we have strikers, we have goal scorers that play internationally. So I do think we're a top 12. Ish. Maybe we're better than that on home soil. What is your thought on the World Cup?

[Nick Wright]

So that, listen, if you can tell from my setup behind me, we're, you know, we're 100 days out from the World cup and our set looks like it. We do have Chris Richards on the show later today, so I'll give you one US take and one outside of the US take for kind of storylines. 100 days out for the US this is the way fans should look at it. They are going to get out of the group stage, particularly because this year with the expanded field, it's 32 teams make it out of the group stage instead of fewer as the way it used to be. So it would be a Catastrophe. Not to make it out of the group stage. They'll make it out of the group stage. The goal should be. Let me rephrase it. The expectation should be make it to the final 16. And the hope should be make the first quarter final. In my adult life, you said they're around the 10th to 12th best team in the world. That's about right. Can you play a little above your seed because it's at home and get to the final eight and set up the biggest American soccer game in 32 years. That would be. That, to me, is a realistic hope. Anything past that is gravy. And anything short of the final 16 is a disappointment. And if somehow they were to not make it out of the group stage, it's an utter travesty, like. But I don't think that's going to happen. So that's for the US and for the world at large. Spain is a deserving favorite. And what I. There you have arguably two of the three greatest soccer players ever for in Messi and Ronaldo four years ago, I don't think anybody thought either one of them would be playing in this tournament. Both of they're both playing. Assuming health, both of their teams, particularly Messi's, the defending champ, have a legit shot. So all of that with my own personal storyline of. You talked about your life growing up watching soccer. My life growing up watching soccer. It was who's gonna get to lose to Brazil, because Brazil's just the best.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

And the last 20 years, Brazil has been wildly disappointing in this tournament. They have only made one deep run and it ended in a 71 loss in the semifinals. Brazil's talented enough to change that this year. I wonder if they do. So there's my little World cup primer, which I am super into. You always preface. You kind of undersell my college football affinity because I'm not a nerd like you. I like college football, but I love the World cup. And so I'm super excited.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, it's going to be unbelievable. It just. It just. June is usually a dead time for our business. It is going to be a. The biggest June of our lives. Certainly at Fox, it's.

[Nick Wright]

Speaking of Fox stuff, can I give you one other plug? How about this? What a great. If I can pat myself on the back. Company man, I am. Guess where I'm going this weekend, Colin. Now, is it to cover the event? Maybe. Do I just happen to be there? No way to tell. But I'll be in Tokyo for the World Baseball Classic. I'm Going to go to some games, go to some WBC games. I'll be a man on the ground for first things first. You always joke our show with an unlimited budget. We're sending a correspondent to Tokyo to watch Japan take on South Korea Round 1 of the World Baseball Classic. How about that?

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm impressed. I will tell you it'll be good. Bitter at your unlimited budget, but I'm impressed. It'll be good seeing you, buddy.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

World Baseball Classic. Yeah, I was just, I mean, it's, it's, you know, when you watch the hockey team, which everybody but sports writers loved in America, men's and women's, and then you watch the World Baseball Classic and then you get, guys like KD are like, yeah, I want to play for the country as much as everybody's like, you know, these athletes, these pro athletes, these guys care. Ohtani's there and Bryce Harper's going to be there and it's going to be fantastic. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington

[Rob Parker]

from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's right, you can now watch the

[Colin Cowherd]

Odd Couple Live on YouTube every day.

[Rob Parker]

All you gotta do, search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again.

[Nick Wright]

YouTube.

[Rob Parker]

Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

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All right, two truths in a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars. And I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, I lied.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums, you assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits, exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. That's why I like my policy advocate. They take your actual policies Home, Life, Auto, break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee. Before you assume you're covered, go to my policy advocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. My policyadvocate.com Every sports fan knows step

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[Colin Cowherd]

Alexi Lawless last hour. Great to have Nick Wright in today, Journalist J. Mac with the news.

[Nick Wright]

No no no no, turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the Herdline news.

[Jason McIntyre]

I do prefer journalists to hot take artists, which I get occasionally.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you know, you used to work at the big league.

[Verizon Advertiser]

You were very journaly journalismy.

[Jason McIntyre]

I didn't just work there, friend. I started the damn company and sold it. Anyways, let's start with the NFL draft Colin and this Fernando Mendoza, overwhelming favorite status at the number one pick. But interestingly, listen, you're going to find doubters out there. So of course your favorite outlet, the Athletic, found a veteran offensive line coach who has doubts about Mendoza saying are you ready for this Colin? I don't think he's sure fire at all. I like the Alabama guy better. Ooh, so we have one guy, a veteran offensive line coach. That's why he's not an oc. I should not. I don't know who the guy is, but like that. That seems a little goofy. Well I just love to hear more than like, hey, Ty Simpson was great the first eight games.

[Colin Cowherd]

I will say the thing I like about Ty Simpson, he's probably a little more athletic, he's less stiff. He's a better athlete probably than, than Fernando Mendoza. The second thing is and that when you have Nick SABAN Into Calyn DeBoer, you've had very good coaching. And the Alabama team was not very good running game.

[Verizon Advertiser]

None.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, that's the thing about Alabama defense. They had to win a lot of games by shootout. I mean, you watched Alabama. Calyn DeBoer won everywhere he was at. He went to Washington and the guy was a magician with Washington's talent. What does it tell you that he goes to Alabama? It's not that the SEC is great. SEC is weaker today than it was five years ago. Why couldn't he win in Alabama? So Ty Simpson did not play with as many good players arguably as Mendoza. You know, Alabama quarterbacks over the last 15 years, we always go, well, anybody could win there, right? Couple of guys, you know, one Natty's near like, you know, A.J. mcCarranish. This is not that Alabama team. They had no run game. So he really early in the season I thought was really good. At the end of the season it kind of, you know, just watered down. It didn't look great. But they were banged up and they had no run game. So he's not your typical Bama quarterback that did it with five star guys everywhere. Bama's just not that good.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I agree with a lot of that and I, you know, sometimes end of the season it's similar to a batting order, right? The, the pitcher has seen the bat or the batters have seen the pitchers and they catch up to them later in the game. Right. So was it a situation where they saw Ty Simpson early in the season and caught up to him late and defense has started bottling him up? I don't know. Like you said, there were some injuries. But I will say this. So I do a lot of, you know, March Madness stuff I posted online. And you can tell by the numbers historically which teams are going to have success in March. Okay. You can tell in the NFL draft, Colin, which teams and which quarterbacks are going to do well. The history says quarterbacks that only started one season have not thrived in the NFL.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's a question.

[Jason McIntyre]

Go and find them. There aren't many. And Ty Simpson was only a one year starter. He got beat out by Jalen Milro. I forget who the other quarterback was. Before that. So did Simpson just cook last year for a little bit as an older quarterback against young 18 and 19 year olds?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, no, I think the scarcity of starts is there's, there's 100%.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's a big thing.

[Colin Cowherd]

People forget. Joe Burrow transferred before his great year. He had a pretty solid year. Not spectacular.

[Jason McIntyre]

100%.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he. And the SEC was better. Deeper, thicker, more NFL bodies, at least defensively then. So Burrow had two years of starting in the SEC. You just didn't watch the first one.

[Jason McIntyre]

If you watched it. He. I think he was like, like straight up mediocre. Like 15 touchdowns, 10 picks, something along those lines. And then he just exploded and became like the greatest quarterback in college football history for a season. I think he set a bunch of records, didn't he?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, that team stacked, had a. One of the toughest schedules ever and bulldozed through it.

[Jason McIntyre]

So, yeah, unbelievable stuff. All right, let's stay in the NFL. Go to Mike McDaniel, the new Chargers offensive coordinator. Well, we had a guest on the show yesterday, Raheem Mostert, who played three seasons for McDaniel in Miami. I won't talk about what we talked about here privately yesterday regarding McDaniel, but here's what he said on air about

[Rob Parker]

his former head coach, head coach wise. Obviously, you know, the past couple years, what they've been going through has just been, you know, kind of, kind of rough. And, and I kind of feel bad for the players, you know, just because, you know, when you have a coach that, that is so, you know, player friendly, it doesn't really mix all that well. You know, I mean, look at, look at the coaching history. Not in, just in, in the NFL, but, you know, mlb, NBA, know all these different, these sports franchises, they, they have coaches that implement toughness, resilience, you know, and that's something that he kind of missed the mark on.

[Colin Cowherd]

I thought that was brutally forthcoming and honest yesterday. He just laid it out there is that we weren't a tough team, we weren't a resilient team. We were clever. And that's. That has always been the question. When you hire a coordinator, it's, you know, obviously if you get a head coaching job, Todd Monken may not work, but he succeeded at the coordinator level. But to be a head coach, you know, think about this. When you're a position coach, you're often, you know, you're a friend of the player. When you're a coordinator, you're a supporter of the player. When you're a head Coach. You coach coaches. And so a lot of these, you know, you have a different relationship, a player's coach. A lot of times you're really. You're the sounding board for the player. Like the players getting beat up by the head coach and the coordinate. You're the sounding board. You're their guy, you're their ally. And I think Mike McDaniel is a really good position or coordinator, but I'm not sure he can be the heavy. In Miami, he wasn't because we saw it last year. There were multiple reports that came out, like, not holding players accountable. So there's a fine line between, like, the players fearing you and respecting you. And that fear thing, it works.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, it's, you know, being a coordinator is one thing, like you said, and then being the guy as head coach, much more difficult. Reminds me a little of the Cliff Kingsbury saga. Remember in Arizona? Hey, great. As a coordinator, as a head coach. Yeah, I know you're down on it. I only. I believe the only way to find out if you're going to be a head coach is to be a head coach. McDaniel had a shot. They got to the playoffs twice. Kingsbury had a shot, got to the playoffs. I. I'm a believer that those are young guys. They should get another crack. I don't think, like, oh, three years, boom, you're done, it's over. Do you think McDaniel will be a head coach again?

[Colin Cowherd]

That's a good question. I think. I think if you had an established team with it, with a quarterback that just needed, like, an older quarterback, that needed an ally at Main, maybe it works, but I don't know. I mean, I. I was surprised. Brian Flores, he has a lawsuit, you know, against the NFL. I was surprised he didn't get a job. I don't know. Like, I've said this before about Cliff Kingsbury. I like Cliff, but the book is out. He, in Arizona and in college, didn't want to be the heavy. Like, some coaches just. Just want to cut the player, get rid of the player. They don't. They don't like that. The fissures in relationships. Well, that's the league. That's pro sports. Players have never had more leverage and been richer. You're going to have confrontation just part of the game.

[Jason McIntyre]

So you want to hear the craziest thing I heard? It's not that crazy. But since we started talking about Kingsbury and guys who were an offensive coordinator, so he's now with the Rams. Do you know what his title is? Assistant head Coach. He's not the offensive coordinator. Cliff Kingsbury is the assistant head coach of the Rams.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

So the. As the story goes, someone mentioned to me, well, what if McVay and Stafford win a Super bowl and McVeigh says I'm out?

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know.

[Jason McIntyre]

I want to hand it to Cliff Kingsbury, who was just my assistant head coach, watched me as the head coach for a year.

[Colin Cowherd]

He went to USC for a year and just did kind of the same thing. Keep an eye on staff, but didn't have to do the heavy stuff. He just worked with Caleb. So I think Kingsbury is like assistant to the head coach. That may be his jam.

[Jason McIntyre]

That may be what he does well for this year. We'll see what happens next year. We'll see. But float that to your boy. Less need. Let me know what he says. Final story. Let's go to Adam Schefter reporting that Kenneth Walker is not expected to get the franchise tag from Seattle, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent starting on March 11th. Walker would be just the fourth player to win Super Bowl MVP and start the next season with a following team. This feels like a jeopardy question. The other three Larry Brown the cornerback, Desmond Howard, the wide receiver, special teams guy and then Dexter Jackson, who I think was a cornerback as well. Not a surprise to you. Kenneth Walker going to be elsewhere next year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, I, I worry about Clint Kubiak and Kenneth Walker not being part of it, but I do think there's a reality in Charbonnet, the backup spine. They've got another running back they're okay with. Yeah, I mean I, I think he's a, I think he was perfect for Seattle and had a great playoff run. But in fairness, I liked him out of Michigan State. In fairness he was. He's very good after contact. He's a bit of a bulldozer, not a blocker, not a pass catcher. Little bit of a one dimensional back. And I think it's probably the right move going forward because Seattle's got tough decisions and what, what you don't want to do is judge his playoff run as his career. He's been hurt a lot as a running back.

[Jason McIntyre]

He is a home run hitter though. I'll say he's the big play guy. Charbonnet is not as explosive as Kenneth walker. Turn. He's 25, turns 26 in October. There's some chatter about the New York Giants as a potential landing spot as kind of a thunder and lightning with Cam Scout Scatter. Boo Sco. I haven't Heard any other teams. But I think there's going to be demand for Walker. You need two backs. Now, we've talked about this a lot.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it. That's a good question, Jason. There is a mark. Obviously there is a market for him, but Snyder is a very good gm. If Snyder lets him go, that will, that will create pause with some other teams. Like, well, he's letting him go, but again, I think he fits with somebody on a rookie deal.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

What about DK Metcalf? Remember, they let him go. People were like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Colin Cowherd]

But I mean, who's a. Like, you know, I'll give you an example. Who is a team with a young inex or inexpensive quarterback? You know, Pittsburgh could be with Aaron Rod.

[Jason McIntyre]

What about Denver? If you're Denver.

[Colin Cowherd]

That. That's a. That's interesting, Harvey. Kenneth Walker is pretty interesting.

[Jason McIntyre]

Cam Ward go grab him in Tennessee to help Cam Ward in the backfield. I mean, there's options because Salah has seen Walker. He knows what he can do. Yeah, I think there's a market for Walker, bigger market than Kyler Murray. But that's another. That's another time.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Good discussion. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The Herd line news in Chicago. It's the herd. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

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[Verizon Advertiser]

All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwaine. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars, and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, I lied.

[Verizon Advertiser]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Here's something that'll freak you out. Most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums, you assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits, exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. It's not your agent's fault. Their job is to sell policies. You need somebody in your corner who protects you, not the insurance company. That's why I like my policy advocate. I like what they're doing. They take your actual policies. Home, life, auto, break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Here's the best part. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee for peace of mind to make sure your family's protected when it matters most. When disaster hits, you don't want surprises. You want certainty. Before you assume you're covered, go to my policy advocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. My policyadvocate.com this time of year, the

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[Jason McIntyre]

just 100 days, the biggest tournament on the planet comes to America and you can see it all right here on Fox. Get ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It all kicks off June 11th on Fox and FS1

[Colin Cowherd]

fired up. So I, you know, now J. Mack and Nick Wright think I'm being a bit of a fire starter. But I just think it's an interesting conversation where you know Rick Carlisle, an excellent coach now with the Pacers and Luca did not get along. And Jalen Brunson, who's now a star in New York, the red hot Knicks and Luca didn't see eye to eye. And it's pretty clear that J.J. redick, according to some video we saw Saturday night, and Luca don't always. I mean, it can be confrontational. So again, over the last 10 days, people are now acknowledging there is a trend Rick Carlisle gets along with. A lot of people couldn't get along with Luca Brunson exploded once he left. Luca lebron, who plays well with everybody, doesn't necessarily. A year in play well with Luca. J.J. redick confrontation right there with Luca constantly. Luca berating the officials. So here was Nick Wright earlier on the Luca JJ Redick incident.

[Nick Wright]

It is incumbent upon coaches, even young coaches like jj, even former players like JJ to remember I'm not allowed to be immature. The player is. It's unfair, but that's reality. JJ cannot meet Luka's immaturity with his own. JJ is the literal adult, the coach. He has to be, I think, better than that. And he also has to recognize this. In this moment right now, Luka Doncic is way better at his job than J.J. redick is at his.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. And I, and I, and I do think, though, as I stated earlier, the basketball culture and football culture are different. Football, Brady's yelling at Josh McDaniels. I mean, Peyton Manning's barking at Jeff Saturday, Bo Nix and Sean Payton. I mean, what do they have? Four dust ups this year, five in the last couple years. There's the Andy Reid, Travis Kelsey. This is just part of the football culture. There's an intensity on game day, one game a week. It gets loud and there's volume and it's confrontational and it's all good within minutes. Basketball, once the. Once. The Star's not happy. KD not happy with Steve Kerr, the GM, Bob Myers, maybe Draymond Green splits. LeBron and Spo. LeBron and David Blatt, Kawhi and Pop. You know, the player wins. And, and with the new cba, the star players make so much money, they've never had more power. So I, you know, people that you don't like Luca, there's no question he's gifted. But this idea that he was a liability free, I mean, we got multiple CO. The GM in Dallas struggled with him, Carlisle struggled with him. LeBron and he don't necessarily play well. The officials and Luca, it's a. I mean, it's obnoxious. It's just something. That's all. I mean, and it's just something. All right, and we're good.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's my fate. That's my favorite cowherd move. I, I don't know what it is.

[Colin Cowherd]

I.

[Jason McIntyre]

Maybe it's something. Meanwhile, you're over here lighting the match and throwing it at the gasoline tank to just try. This is why you're good man the

[Colin Cowherd]

NBA playoffs and it's going to be very, very engaging. Very.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know how insufferable I'll be when the Lakers win that first round series.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh boy. No, I wouldn't hold your breath on.

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[Colin Cowherd]

you want to maximize your performance or form healthier habits this year, knowing what your body needs can help put you on the right path. With Quest, you can buy your own lab tests [e-mail] no doctor visit required for purchase. Quest has a huge selection of tests, including the new Elite Health Profile, a panel made for men and Women and tracks 85 plus health markers affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, hormones, metabolism and immune system, delivering a ton of insights in one snapshot. For a limited time, save on select lab [e-mail] with code herd10. That's herd10 at checkout. Terms apply here. Here's something that'll freak you out. Most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums, you assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits. Exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. It's not your agent's fault. Their job is to sell policies. You need somebody in your corner who protects you, not the insurance company. That's why I like my policy advocate. I like what they're doing. They take your actual policies. Home, life, auto. Break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Here's the best part. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee for peace of mind to make sure your family's protected when it matters most when disaster hits. You don't want surprises. You want certainty. Before you assume you're covered, go to mypolicyadvocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. My policyadvocate.com I'll say it up front. I don't usually endorse supplements. Most promise shortcuts. Anybody who's done real work knows shortcuts fail, but I like EM Drive. Every morning I put that protein powder in my coffee. It's practical. As you get older, energy dips and weight comes easier. That's biology. EmDrive boost and burn support steady energy metabolism and fat burning, so effort actually counts. Clinically tested ingredients find that it sprouts. Amazon OR M drive drive for men.com mdrive for men who still show up. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.