Why Clemson, Texas, and Penn State Top Todd’s Preseason Power Rankings

Summary

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The McShay Show – Episode Summary

Episode: "Why Clemson, Texas, and Penn State Top Todd’s Preseason Power Rankings"

Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Daniel Jeremiah (DJ), Mitch Light
Purpose: Todd McShay reveals and debates his top three preseason college football teams—Penn State, Texas, and Clemson—breaking down roster strengths, coaching factors, and questions marks as the 2025 season kicks off.

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Episode Overview

Todd McShay and co-hosts dive deep into the final unveiling of McShay's preseason top three college football teams: Penn State, Texas, and Clemson. The discussion unpacks the logic, concerns, and high-stakes storylines behind each ranking, focusing on roster composition, coaching acumen, quarterback play, and the likelihood of each program breaking through amidst high preseason expectations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

[04:19] – Penn State at #3

Strengths & Key Players:

• Returns more starters (15; 9 on offense) than any other 2024 playoff team.
• "This is a team that everyone thinks is going to make a run...everything comes back to the reason everyone’s so high on Penn State is because there’s questions everywhere else." – Mitch Light [04:19]
• Notable returning offensive weapons: QB Drew Aller, RBs Nick Singleton and Katron Allen, an upgraded WR room with Tyron Hudson (USC), Devonte Ross (Troy), Trayvar Pena (Syracuse).
• Strong tight end tradition, with Khalil Dinkins hyped as next breakout by position coach Frank Leonard.

Coaching & Schedule Talk:

• Concerns center on head coach James Franklin’s record in big games (4–20 vs AP Top 10), and Drew Aller’s struggles against top competition.
• Relatively easy early schedule allows time for new WRs to gel with Aller before facing Oregon and Ohio State.
• "It’s the two most important spots in college football: head coach and quarterback. That’s why I don’t have them number one." – Daniel Jeremiah [07:35]
• Defense lost key star Abdul Carter, but “they always have edge rushers.”
• Penn State's deep, NFL-bound talent, but "seen this movie before" skepticism from Mitch Light.

Aller, Pressure & Playoff Odds:

• Aller is 23–6 as a starter, but 0–6 vs AP-ranked Power 4 programs. Sub-50% completion rate and 8/5 TD/INT in those games, but 67% and 52/5 in all others.
• "I don’t think he’s a choke artist...But against those teams, defensive lines come at you and I don’t even know… I think that’s part of it." – DJ [20:25]
• Team could endure a loss and still make the playoff with the new format, but must defeat at least one blueblood.

Notable Quote:

"I am not a James Franklin guy. I don’t trust him...But I have to say, this roster is talented enough...maybe I gotta put all that aside this year." – Daniel Jeremiah [25:00]

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[33:13] – Texas at #2

Why a "Home Depot Renovation" Pick:

• Massive NFL Draft exodus: 14 players lost, 6 in first three rounds.
• "Why are we high on them? Blind faith…but I believe in Sark so much. And I believe in their continuity." – DJ [34:09]
• Steve Sarkisian’s fifth year; program stability in coaching staff (Pete Kwiatkowski, DC; Kyle Flood, OL).
• Talented roster, even if only 2 top-75 prospects entering the year—it’s expected to rise.

QB & Offensive Evaluation:

• Arch Manning steps up as starter, praised for his "physical readiness for the SEC," running ability, and leadership development.
• Deep but unproven receiver room: Ryan Wingo (breakout candidate), DeAndre Moore (needs to catch more consistently), Emmett Mosley (Stanford transfer), plus explosive young burners (Livingston, Butler, McCutcheon, French, Lockett).
• RB room led by C.J. Baxter (fully healthy post-injury), Trey Wisner, and newcomer Herrick Gibson provide punch and rotational depth.
• Jack Andries, TE, seen as next impact transfer (from Cal).
• OL replaces 4 starters: key test, but faith in Kyle Flood's coaching.

Defense Outlook:

• Secondary excelled last year (22 INTs, 9 TDs allowed) despite losing playmakers Jayden Baron and Andrew Mukuba.
• Front seven returns Colin Simmons (potential top-five pick, edge), Anthony Hill Jr. (possible LB1), depth up front bolstered by portal additions (Marade Watson, Cole Brevard, Travis Shaw).
• Defensive scheme praised as disciplined and confusing for QBs: "It’s confusing for a quarterback...They can play the ball." – DJ [48:27]

Biggest Questions & X-Factors:

• "It really comes down to the offensive line on the offensive side of the ball because the running backs, again, are super talented." – Mitch Light [45:28]
• Offense's ability to get big plays, improve consistency, and defense’s adaptability after significant roster churn key to Texas’ ceiling.
• Brutal schedule includes Ohio State, Florida (off a bye), Georgia, and Oklahoma (one week after Georgia).

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[57:43] – Clemson at #1

Main Arguments for #1:

• "My concerns with Penn State are the head coach and quarterback. When I look at Clemson, you can say whatever you want about Dabo...he’s won two national championships, nine ACC championships." – Mitch Light [57:43]
• Real confidence in QB Cade Klubnik’s "ascension," experienced offensive line, and emerging run game (Adam Randall, top recruit Gideon Davidson, backup Eziomum).
• Offensive skill corps includes Antonio Williams ("better than DeAndre Moore"), Bryant Wesco, Tyler Brown, and FCS transfer Tristan Smith.
• "I love the depth on the defensive line...they brought in help from the transfer portal. Defense brings back difference makers Peter Woods, TJ Parker, and 5-star Sammy Brown." – DJ [60:59]

Scheme & Defensive Edge:

• Tom Allen (ex-Indiana, ex-Penn State DC) takes over as defensive coordinator; emphasis on better tackling and unleashing deep talent.
• "The biggest thing...that team kind of sucked for a really good defense at tackling last year. That has been addressed. Tom Allen’s number one thing was ‘we’re going to be a better tackling team.’" – DJ [61:00]
• Loaded with NFL-caliber talent (5 in McShay’s top 75), scheme will "let them play fast but smart."

Running Game Questions:

• Will the run game be "championship enough"? Both hosts believe yes, with more explosiveness and depth than previous years.
• "I think it will be because I think the talent’s there at running back and I think the experienced offensive line comes together...All of that comes together for that to be good enough as a running game." – Mitch Light [66:04]

Schedule/Circumstances:

• Not an easy road: key out-of-conference tilt with LSU in Week 1 (debated at length), plus traditional ACC title race.
• If Clemson were in the Big Ten? "No hesitation," says Mitch Light, asserting they’d still be #1 outside the SEC.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Penn State’s Big Game Woes:

  “Franklin’s teams, 34 and 8 the past three years, but one in six versus top 10 teams and that one win came against a non-power four program in Boise State.” – DJ [13:48]

• On Texas’ Confidence in Coaching:

  “I believe in Sark so much. And you know what else I believe in? I believe in the continuity...Pete Kwiatkowski still at defensive coordinator, Kyle Flood a damn good O-line coach.” – DJ [34:09]

• On Clemson’s Dabo Swinney:

  “Say what you want about him and you can say a lot about him. He’s won two national championships, nine ACC championships...he knows how to win.” – Mitch Light [58:13]

• On the Modern SEC Grind:

  "The best team in the country might be a two or even three loss SEC team, and people are going to go nuts about this...it is what it is." – DJ & Mitch Light [59:51]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:19] – Penn State's ranking, strengths, and flaws
• [13:48] – Franklin’s big game record; WR room upgrades; early schedule overview
• [19:22] – Drew Aller’s tale of two performances
• [21:56] – Penn State roster depth, NFL prospects, skepticism on breakthrough
• [25:00] – McShay’s reservations with James Franklin vs. faith in roster
• [33:13] – Transition to Texas, draft losses, coaching faith
• [34:57] – Deep dive on Texas’ coaching staff, offensive playmakers, and breakout candidates
• [41:05] – Arch Manning’s differential upside vs. last year’s offense
• [45:28] – Offensive line questions, wide receiver room depth, overall unit assessments
• [47:17] – Defense: scheme, returning talent, and potential breakout defenders
• [53:58] – Clemson over LSU pick, Week 1 implications
• [57:43] – Clemson’s championship formula: QB, defense, coaching
• [66:04] – The running game verdict
• [66:51+] – Depth chart tweaks, running back rotation, closing predictions

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Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Informal, energetic, analytic, friendly-argumentative—true to "inside football" banter with deep expertise.
• Takeaway: McShay’s top three is less about 2024 results than about projecting stability and upside. Penn State rises due to national chaos. Texas is a reconstructed juggernaut with an exceptional coach and emerging QB. Clemson combines championship pedigree, rising stars, and defensive depth—making them this year’s consensus pre-season top dog, despite running game questions.

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For in-depth breakdowns on each team’s position units, day-of reactions, and a full scouting report on key prospects (e.g., Drew Aller, Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik), check out previous McShay Show episodes or subscribe to The McShay Report.

Next: Live reaction show on YouTube during the closing minutes of Clemson-LSU.

Transcript

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

Saturday's Almost here, and college football kicks off for real. But today we wrap up my preseason power rankings with the top three teams in the country. And for those of you counting, 238 days until the NFL draft meant you good?

[Mitch Light]

I'm good, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You always are. Let's roll this thing. We got a lot going on today. Mention. I love it. You know me. I love chaos in the pocket, right? All right, first of all, we.

[Mitch Light]

We.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I can't thank our sponsors enough. We've got two that are sponsoring our show today. They're like, they've become, you know, absolute partners with us, fanduel and Home Depot. And the beauty is I love working with both of them because we bake in the content with the promotions. We've got some special segments coming up today. That's just part of our show. We were doing the content anyway. I hate when we have to do side things because we have a partnership. It was sponsor like we're. We're doing our work and they've worked with us to make sure it's all together. That's the first thing. We'll get to those things in a little bit. Okay. The second is Saturday night. It's our favorite, the favorite thing of both of ours. I can speak for you here, Mitch. Saturday Night Live show. We're, we're gonna, we're gonna break into to the primetime game. Come join us. We will be live at the end of the primetime game. Why don't you look it up right now? Is that the Clemson are we talking about? Yes, Clemson, Clemson, lsu. So if you're watching Clemson, lsu, and it's probably going to be close at the end, come join us for the last like, five, seven minutes. Have it on the big screen. Get us on your phone, your device, iPad, whatever it is. Right? So, so make sure, and by the way, go right now, YouTube.com or to YouTube and make sure it's the McShay Show. It's our page. You can already. The link is up. You can already click on it. Now. Be prepared. Have an alert come. We're going to jump in, I don't know, maybe five, ten minutes before I'll send out information on, on, on X and, and threads and Instagram. We'll, we'll have you covered because I know you'll forget between now and then, but what you shouldn't forget is go to the McShay show page on YouTube and click on that thing. So you're ready to go because we're going to dive in live in the last 5, 7, 10 minutes of the game. And we're going to do a full recap of week one Saturday college football. With no further ado, let's get to our power rankings that I promised Penn State number three. What do you think about that, Mitch?

[Mitch Light]

I, my biggest question right away is, is Penn State number three because we feel good about this Penn State team or is Penn State number three because, again, there's all this volatility that we've talked about with all these new starters at quarterback. Here's my biggest question for you. Outside of the potential development of Drew Aller, the quarterback, how is this team better than last year's team? And I, and I kept coming back to this, you know, this is a team that everyone thinks is going to make a run. And it, everything comes back to me as the reason everyone's so high on Penn State right now is because there's questions everywhere else. The rest of the Big Ten looks vulnerable. Ohio State looks vulnerable. More vulnerable than they have in years. Michigan looks vulnerable. So is that why Penn State is here? I think all of this comes down to Drew Aller and James Franklin. So that's the first thing.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yes, we'll get to all that. I, I think just to answer quickly before we dive in. It's, it's part. Well, first of all, like, they had a lot of success a year ago and they get in the College Football Playoff. Secondly, like, college players are still developing. Players like even in the NFL still developing. So you got to assume that core, it's going to be as good, if not better, than a year ago. Okay. Ohio State, that defense with eight guys that went on to the NFL draft, this feels to me a lot like Ohio State a year ago and Michigan in 2023. So. And I want to get into a. We're going to deep dive in here in a second.

[Mitch Light]

Can I just push back on that right away though? The core is not better if you lose Abdul Card, Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren. It's not better if you lose those two. Okay. And to, to play the, the devil's advocate of here of who they played in the playoffs last year.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, they beat Boise State and they lost. They lost. Yes.

[Mitch Light]

I think there's a little bit of pushback there. I'm just saying.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I'm not, I'm not disagreeing. And there's a reason I don't have number one. Because you can argue in terms of what's returning upgraded wide receivers.

[Mitch Light]

Yes, agree.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

13 and three last season, 34 and eight the last three seasons for, for James Franklin. 15 starters returning, nine start returners on offense. By far the most returning of the four teams that were in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Okay. So digest all of that. And then there's the fact that, yes, there's a lot of uncertainty with quarterback at other places. The addition of some wide receiver talent. That's a different wide receiver group than a year ago.

[Mitch Light]

Completely different.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And you'd like to think the, the one, two punch of, of, of Singleton, Nicholas Singleton and, and, and, and Katron Allen at running back. So like, how do you not feel like it's Ohio? Because what Ohio State did last year, better than anyone in the country, was keep their own. That was their best recruiting. That was their best portal work. And then they went and plucked a couple guys. Quinchon Judkins, right?

[Mitch Light]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Two years prior, Michigan best recruiting, keeping all those guys intact, developing. The guys from 2022 got a lot better in 2023. They got over the hump. The reason I don't have them at one, though, if I'm being totally honest, if I'm being candid, because I think you can make an argument they might be the best team in the country. It's the two things that you just mentioned, and they're the two most important spots on a foot on the college football team, head coach and quarterback. So let's just get into it, because here's what's scary, here's why I don't have him at number one. And it's not losing Abdul Carter and it's not losing Tyler Warren. They're phenomenal players, but I. But they always have edge rushers. They always do. Danny Dennis, by the way, they've had.

[Mitch Light]

They've had four tight ends drafted in the last five drafts. Four tight ends drafted in the last five drafts. These guys know how to recruit tight ends.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

They get studs for tight end. And Frank Leonard, our guy, has always been offensive line tight end coach. And I'll get into some of his quotes and stuff about this team, but, like, yeah, like, that's what they do.

[Mitch Light]

Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Warren Strange, Theo Johnson, Friarmouth Gasecki, Jesse James.

[Mitch Light]

Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Get out of here. And Khalil Dinkins, according to Frank Leonard. And Frank Leonard coached at University of Richmond. We've known him for 25 years or so. Almost 30 now, actually. My 30th high school reunion coming up in November.

[Mitch Light]

I don't even. Yeah, me too. Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I don't. Thanksgiving weekend, admitting that. I don't even like admitting that. And I'm talking to this gamer that I want to bring on our show. This guy coming up soon. It feels weird, you know, Amazing shoot. But, yeah, I'm talking to Frank Leonard. Every year he sends me a text. One year it was about Friarmouth, the next it's about Theo Johnson. Then it's about Strange, then it's about Warren. Has he ever been wrong?

[Mitch Light]

No. Outstanding tight ends, all of them.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Outstanding titles. Has he ever been. He hasn't been wrong. No. And so now he's telling me Khil Dinkins is this guy. He's got Theo Johnson, speed, and Tyler Warren's blocking ability. Hell of a player. Should have a tremendous year and a tremendous NFL career is what he's saying. So. And then a wide receiver. I talked about it. Okay. Tyron Hudson comes in from USC. 462 and 10 starts last year. Receiving yards, that is 12.2 yards per catch. Devonte Ross, 1043 receiving yards, 13.7 yards per catch. Granted 12 starts at Troy.

[Mitch Light]

Talent.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Trayvar Pena Pena. 941 receiving yards, 11.2 yards per catch and 10 starts at Syracuse last year. Now, getting Aller on the same page is a. Is. Is obviously that's something we're going to be looking for early in the season, but I also like this too much. And, and again, I'm not, I'm not doing any of these rankings off of schedule. But when you look at quarterback and receivers getting on the same page and Gelling three portal guys are relying heavily on veterans, but not guys that have been. That have developed in the same system with Aller. I. I always in situations like this. What's the early schedule lines up nicely. It lines up really nicely, man. Three games to kind of get their bearings. Okay. Before and then a buy.

[Mitch Light]

Right?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Three games against significantly lesser opponents. A double digit, maybe 20 plus point spread is my guess in those first three games before Oregon comes to town. Comes to town. They don't go out to Eugene, come to Happy Valley on the 27th. And speaking of Oregon, the other two Big Ten playoff teams from last year or the other. Or the, the sorry, the Big Ten playoff teams from last year, including Oregon, Oregon and Indiana, they both come to Happy Valley. All right. No Michigan on the schedule this year for Penn State, but they do travel to Ohio State on November 1st. And even with that loss, they probably get in the College Football playoff if they're 11 and one in the regular season.

[Mitch Light]

But they can lose two. I think it would, it would. It would have to be Oregon and Ohio State, I think. But they could lose too.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I think, you know, a little interesting nugget too there in that Ohio State game.

[Mitch Light]

What's that?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Going. Going to Columbus. They both have buys, but why is it that it just feels more important that Ohio State has a buy before that game than Penn State?

[Mitch Light]

Interesting.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

It's Penn State because you got to understand, man, this is a program rich in tradition. Expectations as high as the Alabama's, Georgia's, Notre Dame's, Michigan's, Ohio states, LSU's, everyone name them all. But the pressure. Michigan's the pressure with that Ohio State game. It's not a specific team for Penn State because I nearly choke on myself. It's not a specific team. It's the big game.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

So a bye week helps. Obviously. Franklin and. And Jim Knowles, their new defensive coordinator, which I'm excited to get to. And I want to talk about their defense for a second and in a second I should say. And Andy Kotalenki. Kotalinki, right. Their offense coordinator did a really creative job I'm excited to see in year two without Tyler Warren with wide receivers they trust more. Hopefully they're all very good football coaches.

[Mitch Light]

Yes.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But why does it feel like maybe Ohio State benefits? They're used to these big games. They played 16 games last year they want coming up. So like, I don't know. That part's interesting to me and I mean, let's just go through the elephant in the room. Penn State's 4 and 20 against AP top 10 teams under Franklin, 4 and 20 Franklin's teams as I just mentioned, 34 and 8 the past three years. But one in six versus top 10 teams and the one win came against a non power four program in Boise State. As you alluded to off the top. I get you Allers. Inconsistencies in those big games have been glaring.

[Mitch Light]

Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I've talked to you in depth. We did a whole show. Want to go back to the McShay show page on, on YouTube if you want to watch it. Same with Spotify, same with Apple. If, if you want to listen to it and wherever else you download and listen to your podcasts if you want to go. We did a full 50 or so minute show on Drew Outer and it was honestly the most intrigued, no, the most complex quarterback prospect of all of these guys. And we get some great names this year. Arch Manning we're considering for 2027, but we did a show on him. Lenora Sellers, Cade Klubnick, Garrett Nussmeier, Sam Levitt, John Matier. Okay. We did all the top quarterbacks and it's a great class. And it's deeper than that. It's Sawyer Robertson, it's Avery Johnson, it's Rocco Beck. It could be a bunch of other guys. Okay. He's the most complex and I talked about throwing to receivers that are running away from him. It's not necessarily the like anticipation thrown to a spot on an in breaking route or coming back or out. It's when receivers, whether it's a running back flaring out of the backfield. Okay. Whether it's a tight end running a post route, whether it's a receiver running a, you know, a corner post. It's something about the visualization and the ability to anticipate and throw to a spot when a receiver's running away from him. Picture that in your mind. That's what he has a hard time with the visualization and, and they didn't. Is it the chicken or the egg? I feel like every show we're talking about it which, like what, what's the Real problem. Which one came first. Is it. They had Tyler Warren and the. He was better than the receivers on the outside. So that was the target, 100 or the 4. 104 receptions. I think it was last year. Right. Or is it because they know. What we saw on tape is that higher percentage is going to be middle field, tight end, receivers coming back to him. Those are the throws he's most comfortable with. Well, now we're going to find out.

[Mitch Light]

Right? They've eliminated the excuse by bringing in those guys.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But beyond, beyond like this, the NFL draft scouting report of Aller because he's a big guy, he sees the whole field. He processes. He's strong, he's smart, he's tough. I freaking love him as a competitor. He's got this weird thing about him where he, he's got sluggish feet and he's not fast, he's not twitchy, he's not agile. But somehow through competitiveness, toughness and instincts, he's got this like athletic instinct about him. He knows when and how and where and the angles and how to just pick up that first down.

[Mitch Light]

It's strange, man.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

It is.

[Mitch Light]

I think you said he plays more athletic than he is, and I think that's true.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

So you got all those components about Aller. I just talked about the throwing the ball on the perimeter, receivers running away from. Not even. Yeah, just receivers running away from him. That's the scouting report stuff. The stuff that we're going into the college football season with is like the main thing. Can he play more consistently and avoid those. They were like unexpected in weird spots, these mistakes that he made. He's 23 and 6. Alaris as a starter at Penn State, awesome record. Guy's a winner. But he's 0 and 6 in regular season games versus Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan. And include this postseason games versus Power four programs. Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff and Ole Miss the year before in a bowl game. That's six games he's had against ranked power four programs. Owen six his touch. Listen, I, I when I actually had my calculator out yesterday. You ready for this, men? Because I know you, you did a lot of these numbers earlier and you're dead on. I went through and looked in those six losses. Aller's a paltry 49.7. He's sub 50% throwing the ball. And I know you mentioned that with an 8 to 5 touchdown ratio for context. So this is critical for context. My man Aller, all the other games in the last two years, not those Six games. All the other games I went back and looked and this is where I need the calculator. He completes 67% and his touchdown to interception ratio is 52 to 5.

[Mitch Light]

It's insane. Different player. So now it's down.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

That's 52 to 5 versus 8, 8 to 5.

[Mitch Light]

So is that a confidence thing or is that just a level of competition or is it both? Does he go into those games and press too much and not. Not just. Honestly, just be yourself, just do what you've done to get you there, or is it the level of competition jump so much? I mean, you tell me. What do you. What, what's the reasoning for that? I mean, I know honestly, I. I.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Think in part because here's what I, I honestly think. I don't think he's a choke artist. That's. I don't think it's harsh. Yeah, but, but read the comments, read the chats.

[Mitch Light]

Read like, yeah, he's not fringe.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Right? He's not. And it's not like he comes out and plays poorly like throughout those games necessarily. There's just moments in there. One thing I want to chalk it up to is he's not a great athlete. He's not very twitchy and sudden in movement. And you know what changes in those games because all six of those teams that I just mentioned, all six talking Notre Dame, Remember that Ole Miss defense? Okay.

[Mitch Light]

Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We're talking Michigan, we're talking Ohio State, we're talking Oregon. They are fast and their defensive lines come at you and I don't even know. Like, I think he's smart. I think he processes. I don't even think it's that. I think it's. Versus those other teams for the last two years. He's able to maneuver around, nudge a guy off, do. He's not able to against those guys. I think that's part of it. I'm not saying that's all of it. I think that's part of it.

[Mitch Light]

But you have this as your number one team in the Big Ten. And by the way, I'm. I'm throwing some. Some devil's advocate. It's kind of my role some things. And I don't.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I don't.

[Mitch Light]

I.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Look, I think they'll. They'll.

[Mitch Light]

Big Ten's wide open. And why not Penn State this year? So I want to say that because I don't want people to misrepresent that. I think you're. You're crazy or that you're off base here, but this is the number One team in the, in the Big Ten this year. This is the team. Are you. So you've told me all of these things. Now I want to know at the end of it all, do you feel confident that Franklin and Al are going to take the next step this year, if not now?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

If, if not now, when?

[Mitch Light]

Yeah, I. Doesn't sound very confident, by the way. It doesn't sound very confident. And how could you be with those numbers? I just don't know how you could be with those numbers. And I'll go and say to you, yes, they recruit tight ends well and yes, they have a good defense. There's some guys on their defense that I love. But you lost Abdul Carter and there's no Abdul Carter in that roster. Denied Dennis Sutton, a nice player. He ain't Abdul Carter.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, yeah. Yes. But, but let's look at the draft pick. They. They lost. They lost Abdul, third overall pick to the Giants. They lost Tyler Warren, 14th, 14th overall pick for the Colts. And you don't need to know their draft slot to know how impactful they were. But they lo. But they only lost three other players in the draft. They only had five players drafted. Bud. Kevin Winston played two games last year. He was drafted in the third round. There are other two guys who were drafted. Jalen Reed and Kobe King, safety and linebacker, respectively. Bad players. Yeah, good. But six. Six round picks. Okay, I hear you. And I'm looking at our top 75 in terms of prospects. And I'm looking at A.J. harris at cornerback and what he can become. I'm looking at Nicholas Singleton and, and, And Katron Allen. And I'm. And I'm looking at Drew Shelton at offensive tackle, Drew Aller, quarterback Danny, Dennis Sutton at edge. That's five. Five or six guys that could be in our top, like 75. Top 100. Okay. That would be tied for second most with. And then you add Ola Ione and Khalil Dinkins. Yeah, two. Two guys at. Frank Leonard is putting his stamp on with me. Yeah, I haven't watched the guard. He's good.

[Mitch Light]

He's very good. He's very good.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He's about to break out.

[Mitch Light]

Shelton is one of the most fascinating offensive line prospects. The left tackle, one of the most fascinating tackle prospects in this class. Because the good tape is amazing and the bad tape is really concerning. So he is up. And if that kid's consistent this year and he has all the tools to be consistent, watch out. Look, it's an amazing offensive line and I was just on the show with you telling you about how Notre Dame has the best backfield in the country. And I know that Lee Corso is on almost every football fans mind at this point. And I pick up the stuff to look at Penn State, it was like, not so fast, my friend. I mean this Penn State backfield is insane. Insane with Allen and Singleton. So there's the offensive line's good, better receivers, the running backs.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I just want to make a point before we run.

[Mitch Light]

A lot of talent coming back on defense.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But still you lost. I'm talking five guys in our top 75 right now. That's not including Ola Ione.

[Mitch Light]

I hear you.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Khil Dinkins and K Tron Allen. So that would give them eight, which would be two more than the next best at Alabama, which was six. And, and at 10, Senior bowl top 300 prospects, not including those three guys at 10, they're third behind LSU with 14 and Alabama with 13. You give them those three guys which I, I believe they'll wind up having that. Now you got. So we're talking about a talented roster.

[Mitch Light]

With cast, but I've seen this movie before, McShay. It's a great cast though. It's entertaining until the very end and then you walk out disappointed.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And what I'm telling you right now, I'm telling you right now, I'm telling you right now, men. And you know this, and I don't have to remind you, I am not a James Franklin guy.

[Mitch Light]

I know, I know.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I love Frank Leonard. He worked on his staff and I've been trying to, I'm trying to pit.

[Mitch Light]

You in the corner.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, well, now you got me. And now I'm not a James Franklin guy. I, I, I, I don't trust him. I worked and I did games and I don't trust him. Like the information.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And more importantly for this matter, I don't trust him as a coach in these big games. And no one can, nobody can argue that. But I think something about like the personal how you handle people and how you deal and all those things can kind of leak into what you get from your players in the biggest games and all that. So I'm not, But I have to say this, this roster is talented enough with experienced guys who have been in these moments now and he was able to get all these guys back. So maybe I got to put all that shit aside this year and recognize at least in these power rankings, this is one of the best three teams in the country. And I actually think if you take the helmet off, the logo off, you take Franklin's name off of it. I actually think this is the year that they break through.

[Mitch Light]

I don't think you're wrong. I don't think you're wrong. I'm needling you a little bit because I think that's kind of my role. I don't think you're wrong. It is a loaded roster and I hope for Penn State fan sake, because I think, you know, it's been a tough road for them. I wouldn't mind seeing that happen for the, the Penn State fans. But again, I've seen this movie before. Great cast, entertained for most of it. And then I walk home and say, what happened at the end there?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You drive me crazy. But I do love it. It reminds me like, I feel like I'm with Kuiper again. Why am I yelling in my office with, like, you know.

[Mitch Light]

But.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But you. But the. I think the reason I'm yelling is because I know you're right and I know I'm going against my, like, moral compass and my football compass. And so it feels icky.

[Mitch Light]

But it is, it's.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

It comes back to the original what's my number? As the kids, what's my number one ick. My number one ick is, is actually buying Independence State, if I'm being honest. And I'm sure there's a lot of fans are going to be pissed at me right now. But honestly, it's been an ick for me for a long time, since I was doing sideline sidelines with espn, since I was a sideline analyst for ESPN and had to deal with that program and that man running that program. It's just not been my bag.

[Mitch Light]

I think you've answered the question.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

All right.

[Mitch Light]

It's. They're, they're there because of more volatility than you actually are in love with this team making a championship run.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We didn't get to a lot of this stuff on the defense. I've got some prospects in there that I want to talk about, but you know what? There's some dudes where you can get it. And I went way deeper on these because they're the number the top three teams in the country. Go to the McShay report. Google it. The McShay report. You can subscribe for free now. You still have till September 1st. If you want to, if you want to be a premium member. We're doing mailbags where you can get your questions in. You get, you know, all the additional stuff down the road. Just go, go and be a part of that. I think it's it's worth the value 50 off between for the year between now and and September 1st. The McShay show is brought to you by FanDuel Week one of college football is finally here and FanDuel is kicking things off with a no sweat bet just for you. That means you can place any bet on college football this week and if it doesn't hit you, get it back in bonus bets like what are we doing here, folks? Get involved. Whether you're riding with your ALMA material or backing a top 10 matchup, FanDuel has you covered with live betting game props, alternate lines and more. So bet confidently because with a no sweat bet, even your first miss comes with a second chance. Download the FanDuel app now or head to FanDuel.com McShay to get started, must be 21 and older in present in select states or 18 and older and present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Opt in required refund issued as a non withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Max refund $5 unless otherwise specified. Restrictions apply including token expiration. See [e-mail] Gambling problem. Call 1-800-gambler or visit rghelp.com Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Chat in Connecticut this episode is brought to you by the all new ESPN app. All of ESPN all in one place. Your home for the most live sports and best championship moments. It's the ultimate fan experience. Step up your game and get even more than before with no annual contract required. Level up. For More on the ESPN app or at stream.espn.com sign up now.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

The other thing is now, as we get to the number two team, Penn State, number three, Texas, number two, Home Depot is like, they've come in and they've been a wonderful partner. Right. And I just want to say, like, we are doing this segment in the preseason that I've loved doing this second time we're going to do it, and we're doing it with the Home Depot. They want us to find teams that are renovated. Right? Right. And Texas is a team that's renovated. But I want to tell you this. The. I like. You look at me and I don't look like that guy. And I told you on the last one, I like the. The side of the house project, the pea gravel, all that stuff.

[Mitch Light]

Outdoor shower.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Outdoor shower. Marissa's out there grinding with me. We're putting in the. I told you, it's like Athens between the hedges, hydrangeas. But I'm banging up this outdoor shower and. And I got all my stuff. The first thing I did, she. I get done with the show. I go down there, and she's got two. No, it was four tons. She's now saying it might have been two and a half tons. I'm going with four. It's a better story.

[Mitch Light]

I'm stunned. You're exaggerating.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Right? But before I even got started on it, we went. I was like, fine, we're going to Home Depot. I need to get, like. I got like, a nice collar shirt on. I was talking to men for an hour. We did a show. I'm not ready for all this. So we go to Home Depot, get all the supplies, and. And perfect for me. Right on brand. I didn't realize, like, six of the things that I needed, whatever it was. And I found out that Home Depot does delivery. I live kind of away, but they delivered this stuff, man. So they saved my. My, my rear end. Home Depot saved me. Okay, so listen, what's the connection here? Just like the Home Depot can help you get your house in shape like they did with me. No matter what the season, college football programs across the country have to use the off season to retool, reload, rebuild. So let's take a look at a team, as I mentioned, that nailed it this off season in terms of their makeover just. And they probably had some Home Depot working on their things, too. It's Texas, all right. It's Texas 13 and 3 last year, overtime, lost to Georgia in the SEC championship game. 12 College Football Playoff games before losing to, in the national championship to Ohio State, or, I'm sorry, in the semifinals To Ohio State.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Sark's got this program cranking, doesn't he?

[Mitch Light]

Yeah. Remember that concern about, about Texas being able to compete in the sec? There was like that. Those whispers of when they made the transition to the SEC last year. We'll see how good this Texas program really is. I don't. No one's even talking about that anymore.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, they're 38 and 17 overall. They're 38 and 17 overall. This is his fifth season. He got in a year before all those other guys. We talked about Lanning and Crystal Ball and Brian Kelly and.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You know, 38 and 17 overall, but 25 and five the last two years. All right. They lost 12 players to the NFL draft. This is why. It's a Home Depot renovation, man.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

14 players to the draft, three of them in round one. Fix in the first three rounds. These are quality players. Only Ohio State with 14 and Georgia with 13 lost more to the NFL than the Texas Longhorns. All right. And what's interesting to me is you look at this, and I've got him as the number two team, ahead of that Penn State team that we just argued about. And I said this with Ohio State, and I believe it's true here. It's a blind faith and like an educated, but blind assessment. In a lot of ways, it truly is, because I believe in Sark so much. And you know what else I believe in? I believe in the continuity that they have. I, I, I can't.

[Mitch Light]

I love that you're making this. We don't talk about this. I love that you're making this note. It's one of the things that jumped out to me.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Pete Krakowski, still a defensive coordinator. Continuity. Okay. You talk about, like, the offensive line coach. You talk about all the things that you need. Like, they, they just, they've been able to keep their things.

[Mitch Light]

Kyle Flood. Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Kyle Flood's a damn good old line coach, man. Look at the offensive lineman. He's pumping out to the NFL. So. So I look at their draft prospects this year. It's weird. Second fewest of the of the 12 teams we've talked about. They only got two guys in our top 75, but it won't be the case at the end of the year. The two guys, Anthony Hill at linebacker and DeAndre Moore at wide receiver.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And if you think, mention I suck at our jobs, which is fine. That's your. That can be your prerogative. The Senior Bowl's got a bunch of scouts who worked in the NFL and know what they're doing. They only have six in their top 300. That's tied for fourth fewest of the top 12 teams. Okay. And just to give you, like, D.J. campbell, offensive lineman Ethan Burke and Trey Moore, defensive lineman Anthony Hill, as I mentioned before, Jalen Gil Bo and Michael Taff, corner and safety, respectively. So that's the talent. So why are we so high on them? I. I think enough has been said about Arch. Right. Again, go to the McShay Show, YouTube page, Spotify, Apple. We did a whole show on. On Arch. We broke down every single snap of his. Both Steve and I did, and we gave what we saw. The thing that I'm most intrigued by with Arch, though, this year is his running ability. That's not going away. I expect. I expect an improved passer. I expect a little bit more patience and not. Not. It wasn't a lack of poise, but it was like a little. And who wouldn't be like, it's not your job. You're coming in certain spots. You're starting a game here. You're starting two games. I expect a little bit more. Like, this is. This is my. My gig now. These are my receivers. This is my offense. I'm practicing with the first team the whole off season.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But with that improvement as a passer, and I have sources that I trust that running game stuff isn't going away. So I think one of the critical things for me is Arch is a big dude. He's well put together. Sat there, talked to him for a while at Manning Passing Academy. Like, he. He's the type. Like, he's physically built the way you need to be built if you are going to run in the sec.

[Mitch Light]

Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And against Ohio State. But dialing it up, dialing up the right things the right times to protect him, but also to maximize that aspect is going to be interesting because it's a long year, man. Yeah. So that part's fascinating for me with Arch. Here's. Here's the state of the union on offense, and I'll let you take this wherever you want to go. The wide receivers, to me are lacking consistency and proven production, but my goodness, they are talented.

[Mitch Light]

That Stanford kid they got, I mean.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You got Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore, the returning guys that are right, but they're not yet.

[Mitch Light]

Wingo has a chance to be like, elite. I mean, one of the best receivers in the country. That kind of talent.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He's got to play a little bit more consistent. He's got to be a better route runner. He's like, everything's got to happen. Like, but we were talking about him in that freshman class like he and Wesco were the two guys that didn't quite live up to what Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams did in their respective freshman years. But those are the four dudes, right?

[Mitch Light]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And you saw flashes of it with Wingo. I, I've talked to people this summer who say he's. They're expecting him to break out six 1,210 pounds. I also talked a lot about DeAndre Moore in my, you know, evaluation of him when we went through the top wide receivers in, in the draft. He's got to catch the ball more consistently. But don't forget, Texas has had that guy each of the last two years. AD Mitchell, which was homegrown, and Matthew golden, transfer from Houston in their third years of college football. Sark got the best out of them. They were ready, they were mature, they had developed like, you know, I think this could be the year DeAndre Moore steps it up and becomes a real dude. Okay, I'm not saying the Matthew Golden's level, but I'm saying with Wingo and Moore on the outside, okay, then you get Parker Livingston and Aaron Butler, both rising sophomores, both burners. There's a trend here. Wingo, Burner, Moore Burner, Livingston and Butler burners. Then true Freshman Dalen McCutcheon, Jamie French with two Fs. Kali Khalik Lockett. They're the future of the position for ut. But I'm told the future may be closer to now with McCutcheon, it's 511, 175. My notes from talking to someone who knows is like the thing that's, you know, he's twitchy, he's got all the athletics. The thing that separates him and gives him a chance this year is he's a really refined route runner and understands the offense. So.

[Mitch Light]

Sounds like a dude who could turn five touches into like serious production though. I mean, he sounds like a guy who doesn't need a lot of to. To make an impact.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

No question. So like, here's the thing. All this speed, I, I don't think. And they had speed like Matthew golden ran what, a 4, 2 9, second fastest 40 in the combine last year. That speed wasn't utilized with Quinn Ewers.

[Mitch Light]

You're right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I think the mobility, extending plays, the stronger arm of arch is going to allow this Texas offense to big, like hitting on big plays. You know, Sarc had him dialed up. They just didn't hit him at the level they needed to and then he had to dial some of it back to put viewers in his comfort spot. I think with this, this offense, with the running ability of the quarterback, the speed at wide receiver, the arm of the quarterback, I, I think this thing's going to be a lot more open. We left, I want to remind you, Mitch, every Saturday night and every Monday on this show, we kept saying just, yeah, Texas looked good, another win left me wanting, right? And then two breakout players and I'll let you go. I'm sorry, but two breakout players that I think, and I'm told by NFL scout scouts, they're not in your top 100. Now, these offensive guys could be in your top 100 at the end of the year. C.J. baxter, everyone knows the story. Fall camp last year has a torn acl, PCL and lcl kind of went underground. People in Austin are like, dude had his head down. Dude was grinding. He is like everything you want in a young man. He has been like, I'm gonna, you know, and, yeah, and, and what was interesting is Sark came out recently and was like, I love, I love the young man. I came into fall camp when he had a big knee brace on and he was like 70, 80%. And I was like, I got to protect this young man from himself, right? Be smart and calculated about the touches. Not going to be overly aggressive with him this year and we'll get him ready for, you know, see how it goes. At the end of fall camp, they had a last scrimmage he took. He had the brace off by then, 100% explosive. Everything that he was in a little bit more before the injury. And Sark came out and he's like, what, what a relief, right? I'm. He's my guy. Like, we're, let's go. And by the way, he's a backup. Trey Wisner is a returning 1000 yard rusher. I don't even want to say backup. Like, I think there's going to be a rotation where you got. And if you have any questions about Wisner, like, he's not the explosive, he's not the twitch, he's not all that stuff. But go watch that Texas A and M tape that you and I watched. He's a grinder, so that's a nice compliment, right? Explosiveness of Baxter with the grinder of Wisner. And then this Herrick Gibson, I'm told he was in injured last year, limited, but he's going to be in the rotation now. He's healthy again. And then the tight end position. Remember how Helm, last year we watched that Michigan game early on Gunner Helm. Right away we were both like, I like this guy. Where's he been? Jack Andries could be that guy. I talked to a scout, thinks he could have emerged as a difference maker like Helm did a year ago. Different path.

[Mitch Light]

Cal transfer. Right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Cal transfer. 26 games, last two seasons. Led Cal with 623 receiving yards, 56 catches last year. But he runs a four six. Steve.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah, yeah, he can move.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Gunner didn't run a four six.

[Mitch Light]

Well, we don't know because he basically broke his leg on the, on his first.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Or he got shot coming out of the blocks, so.

[Mitch Light]

But no, your point stands. I, I joke.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Those are two guys, C.J. baxter and, and Jack Andries, running back, tight end, respectively, that, that we could be talking about first three rounds of the draft next year.

[Mitch Light]

Where do you think I'm going with it? Where do you think I'm gonna go?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Go anywhere you want. Defense, call offensive line.

[Mitch Light]

Man, you got to go. Offensive line.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I left it for you. Sorry. Four.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah, four new starters. DJ Campbell back at guard. They, I like their tackles. Brandon Baker has got a chance to be really good. Trevor Goosby was good and relief last year. And I just think they're going to be talented enough. And I, I know there are certain teams you look at and you're like, oh, man, you make excuses for this offensive line, but you bang this, this offensive line for the same reasons and all that. I, I do think that Kyle Flood's going to be able to put together a pretty good group up front, but it'll be. That's, that's one of the, that's, I mean, maybe the biggest question they have. I think they're loaded at wide receiver. The guy you didn't mention, Emmett Mosley, the fifth from Stanford.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yes.

[Mitch Light]

Is a good, good wide receiver.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I don't know how I didn't. Yeah, he's a big body guy.

[Mitch Light]

Like, he's, you know, good size. He's gonna, he's gonna play. Then you got injuries at tight end, so you're, you kind of reloaded very quickly there, so all kinds of weapons and you could call me whatever you want. You could. Whatever you want. I'm a believer in arch until I see otherwise. I'm a believer that this kid is everything that we think he's going to be. So then it really comes down to the offensive line on the offensive side of the ball because the running backs, again, super talented. I hope Baxter stays healthy. Super talented and deep there. If he stays healthy, Offensive line. I think Kyle Flood figures it out with that group and, and I think that they're, they're, they're good enough if not above average as an offensive line. And when you look at all of that put together, that's, and then we haven't even gotten into the defense which is, I mean you would think that defense would at this point be looking to bounce back and it's the opposite. I mean, well, I feel like I.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Had to talk less about the defense than I did the offense because you look at the offense. New starting quarterback, two new starting wide receivers, a tight end and four offensive linemen. So like there's a lot more to cover there. But don't like, don't get me wrong, the secondary lost two damn good players. Jade Baron, my favorite defensive player in the entire draft last year. One, I think 20 overall to Denver. And then Andrew Makuba, who the more tape I watched, I really liked him too. Same could be said for the defensive line. Three damn good players they lost Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, Baron Sorel. Yeah, okay, but not many defenses come into the country Stevie boy that can boast the same returning starters like, like Texas does. Colin Simmons was awesome and I'm told he's going to be even better. One of the best edge rushers in the. True sophomore. True sophomore.

[Mitch Light]

That kid, I, I really believe that he's, he would be in the mix to be a top five pick if he was. Is coming up.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I really do not disagree. Okay. Anthony Hill Jr could be LB1 before it's all said and done. Could be the top drafted.

[Mitch Light]

Always around the football, does it all.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Can cover, can rush the quarterback, all of it. Okay. Malik Muhammad, six foot corner right early round draft potential. Michael Taff, leader of the secondary. That's a secondary by the way, that allowed just nine passing touchdowns and had 22 picks last year. And yeah, they'll miss Baron and they'll miss Makuba, but they got dudes. Pete Krakowski, I mentioned he's back this. And here's the thing with this defense, when you get ready for Texas, it's different than almost every other program that you're facing. They are zone, they are disciplined, they are eyes up. They are right. And yeah, there's holes in every zone, but they mix things up. They, and they got these, they got robbers, they get stars, they get guys. It's, it's confusing for a quarterback. Okay? And so now the breakout players I'm.

[Mitch Light]

Talking about and they can play the ball, man. They have guys who can play the Ball.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Like, those are the two things. You got to be smart. Three, you got to be smart, you got to be tough, and you better have wide receiver bow skills in that secondary. Yeah, I swear.

[Mitch Light]

Because it's one thing. No, it's one.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You don't have to be 4, 3, 4, 4 speed. But you got to be those three things in Kratkowski and that program, they find the right guys for.

[Mitch Light]

It's one thing to confuse a quarterback or force a quarterback into making a mistake. It's another thing to capitalize and they take advantage. There's a lot of. Like, you just don't get away with a lot. One, it's really difficult not to make a mistake, and then when you do, it's not. They don't let you off the hook.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Three guys or two? No, three guys I'm told to watch out for. Okay. Jelani McDonald, versatile defensive back. One NFL scout told me to keep an eye on this guy. Rare physical tools. Could go up draft here. Okay. He's. He's played corner, nickel safety, even some dime linebacker. Sound like somebody.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Okay. Marade Watson, M A R aad. I hope I'm saying it right. Stars, a freshman last year at Syracuse. Comes in in the portal. He's an interior defensive lineman. Texas got a lot. Here's the big question for Texas. A lot of interior defensive linemen through the portal. Cole Brevard. You got Watson from Syracuse, Cole Brevard from Purdue, Travis Shaw from North Carolina. I'm told the Brevard kid is going to start. And then Watson, that kind of three technique role next to Brevard at nose tackle is kind of competing with some other guys. Then this guy Trey Moore they brought in. Have you heard about him?

[Mitch Light]

Have I heard about Trey Moore?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah.

[Mitch Light]

He's going to play more off the ball linebacker than he has in the past, but he can get after the quarterback who also kind of reminds you of a guy named Anthony Hill. Like he. That's.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

So now they can blitz you from everywhere.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He's 6 3-246-A UTSA transfer. Started 25 games past two seasons, 104 tackles, 22 and a half sacks.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Made the move just recently in camp from edge to full time linebacker. Was kind of doing both. Now he's full time. Talk about Kotkowski being multiple in his schemes. So there's a lot there.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But I think. I think everyone can hear it and with the names and my voice that this team like absolutely belongs.

[Mitch Light]

Yes.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And we both trust Arch too. Only three True SEC home games, the schedule is not easy. They also face Ohio State, Florida off a buy and Georgia on the road. Then they got Oklahoma in Dallas, which is always a rivalry game. But, like, that's an Oklahoma team that I believe a lot in and we talked about that And I got 12. And that Oklahoma game, by the way, is one week after that trip to the Swamp. Interesting.

[Mitch Light]

Just to clean one thing up, they had Trey Moore last year. I, I thought so. I just want to make sure. Treymore.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Oh, that's right. What am I talking.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Just what am I talking about? I know. Thank you.

[Mitch Light]

I know. You know, I just want to know. Everyone else knows.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You know, you're right. Yeah. The portal stuff throws me off.

[Mitch Light]

There's so many, but they also have a million guys. That's the thing about that Tech, you know, I mean, it's.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

It.

[Mitch Light]

That Texas defense in that front kind of reminds me of Georgia in that every time you look up there's a different dude and you're thinking to yourself, it's whose game is it going to be?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Who's.

[Mitch Light]

Who's going to be the big. The. The difference maker in that game. I think Simmons is a little bit different. I think he's a unique cat. But other than that, there's a lot of different players that are so talented that they could, they could step up and have the game that day.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And that, folks, is renovated. Brought to you by our friends at the Home Depot. We Whether you're making your home feel more like you getting your outdoor space organized or setting up the ultimate game day viewing space, the Home Depot has everything you need to get your home projects done this season fast. Free delivery. Over 2 million online items delivered free to your door, subject to availability. See home depot.com for details. The Home Depot how doers get more done. All right, let's get into it. The number one team is obviously Clemson. I didn't have him outside of the top 12 men. Is all of a sudden a Clemson guy. So much so. All of a sudden. So much so. We got our. Hey, fanduel, by the way, weekly picks. Not to Tommy John surgery but. And you can do it yourself. Mench. Pat, you go ahead. Go ahead.

[Mitch Light]

Here we go.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Both one and oh mentioned the under last week. We're gonna do weekly picks. It wasn't even by design. FanDuel didn't even ask us to do this. But we came out of the gates and we picked a game last week. Kansas State, Iowa State and now we're 1 0. So we got to keep it running. Right. Can't just.

[Mitch Light]

Yep, we can't.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We can't deprive our audience of winners. We have responsibilities. Responsibilities include provide the best, most most in detail, best intel, best rankings, best everything for the NFL draft and pick our friends, some winners. So, men, I'm doing this now because I think, I mean, I don't think. I know we talked before for a minute. You like Clemson? Is that your pick of the week?

[Mitch Light]

I like McCover.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah. What's the spread?

[Mitch Light]

It's three and a half.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Give me something like Clemson, LSU three and a half.

[Mitch Light]

Here's the thing. Clemson has not been great. I mean, LSU has not been great in openers under Brian Kelly, hasn't won one yet. Okay, so there's that.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Clemson's last three of its four of his five years.

[Mitch Light]

Okay, well, I'm trying to make a point here. You don't have to like, rain on my parade.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Right?

[Mitch Light]

Okay. Are you done?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You ready to give me a minute?

[Mitch Light]

Okay. You're right about Clemson too, but I like LSU has not been great in the openers. I think LSU is going to be a really good team, but I think it's going to take them a little longer to gel and, and kind of figure out where they are on the offensive and defensive fronts. That offensive line from LSU against that defensive front from Clemson scares me. I don't love the Clemson offensive line. We'll get into this a minute, but I know what I got there. They're an experienced group. I know what they got. This is a. More of a. I like the knowns with Clemson more than I like the unknowns with lsu. And when I'm looking at that and the game is at Clemson, I, I like Clemson.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

That's gonna be. I mean, I, I can't. And we're gonna break into that game. So come join us the last, last handful of minutes. Check your, your social media. We'll be all over it. I'll tell you when we jump in. What?

[Mitch Light]

Well, put your money where your mouth is. My. What do you. What do you think?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You couldn't hear it in my voice? I was getting ready to transition. It's called a segue in, in tv. All right, well, here you go.

[Mitch Light]

Tell me why I'm wrong.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

So join us Saturday night. I can't wait for that game. However, before then, you're already gonna have a winner on your hands. I like Nebraska minus six and a half. I like what Matt Rule's doing. Okay, I, I think I. And I'm just pulling it up. Right now I want to make sure it's. I'm pulling up my FanDuel app right now. Okay. I want to make sure it's still. The line has not changed. I like Nebraska. There we go. Minus six and a half against Cincinnati. I think Raiola at quarterback is going to take another step this year. We saw flash. Yeah, that's not my bag. That's not my cup of tea. But I, but we see the talent and I think more importantly, that program continues to recruit well. Matt Rule, like this is what he does. And I think they, they, they. I think they just, they're destined to get a good start and make an impact. Like, I wouldn't be surprised if they, like this was a, a game where they maybe like 10 plus points, maybe two touchdowns. I think they're coming out, they're coming out hot. I also, and fanduel has asked me to do this and I like doing this. And I think we have a winner here. Four game, four leg parlay.

[Mitch Light]

What could go wrong?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Absolutely nothing, Steve. I'm taking minus six and a half Nebraska for my pick of the week against Menches Clemson. Here's, here's what I want you to get on your FanDuel app. Nebraska Moneyline. We don't need. We're not giving away the six and a half points. Trust me, I'm going to get you good odds. Just listen to the end. Baylor plus two and a half. You know, I love Sawyer Robertson. It's going to start in week one underdog. Okay. Alabama money line against Florida State and Texas plus two and a half in the shoe against Ohio State.

[Mitch Light]

Okay.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You know, if we, and if and friends, if we hit on that +489 odds. So that's that Pretty good. All right. We started with Clemson. Mench likes Clemson. Clemson is the number one team. I'm done talking men. Where do you want to go with this?

[Mitch Light]

So for me, the formula, if you look at Penn State and the concerns I have, I think you flipped that script. Right? My concerns with Penn State are the head coach and the quarterback. Right. Now, when I look at Clemson, you can say whatever you want about dabo. I mean, this guy's won two national champions.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I like how you say dabo. Like you're, like you're some hoity toity Andover kid who went to the prep school. You went to North Andover. You went to the Palm Stab. Andover. Oh, you went to Andover. Not at North. North Andover was your rival. Sorry, that's mortal sin.

[Mitch Light]

Say what you want about him and you can Say a lot about him. He's won two national championships, he's won nine ACC championships. I believe that the guy knows how to win. So he knows how to win. I think Kate Clubnik Clubnick is coming off. I can't say anyone's name right now. You're in my head. Is coming off a great year. Is ascending. He's got that talented receiving core experience. Offensive line, talented young runner. They're gonna have to figure out the running game. I like that. And then you look at that defense, you look at that defensive front. The, the. What else do you need? What's in the equation? Great defense, good, excellent, experienced quarterback and a coach who's been there before and knows how to win. I don't. You're not seeing a lot of those teams in your top 12. I mean there's not a lot of teams that have those things. Those three things. The experienced quarterback, the outstanding defense and a coach who's won a national championship. To me, that's why Clemson is. Isn't first overall.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

If they played in the Big Ten or the sec, would you be still as comfortable with them?

[Mitch Light]

Big Ten, no hesitation. The Big Ten. No hesitation. The. The sec.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And I'm not doing this off a schedule. I'm doing. I told you throw Florida schedule out. Throw the good schedules out, the bad schedules out. I'm just asking you now last year's.

[Mitch Light]

BE and we're talking about the 20, 25 Big Ten. Yes, I would. Because there's a lot of questions at the Big Ten right now. A lot of questions. And I think they're better than Penn State. So yes, the SEC is gonna be a bloodbath. I think it's going to be an absolute bloodbath.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, they're gonna come. It's gonna be cannibalism, man.

[Mitch Light]

They are. And the best team in the country might be a two team or even a three team loss.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Three loss.

[Mitch Light]

SEC team and people. Yeah, or three. Yeah, whatever.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Might be one of those SEC teams.

[Mitch Light]

You're in my head right now. I can't stand it.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

This is exactly where I love to live.

[Mitch Light]

And people are going to go nuts about this. They're going to get so mad at like they do every year. Well, you guys just love the sec. It is what it is, man. It is what it is. Again, go look at that. ESPN Power Index the strength of the remaining schedules. Only one team outside of the SEC is in the top 14. It's a nightmare.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Three points I want to make here. We literally did an entire show on the defense. So go check it out on, on Apple, on Spotify, the video on Spotify and the video on YouTube. At our channels. At our channel. So like I don't feel like we have to break down Peter woods or TJ Parker as top 10 prospects or what as linebacker Sammy Brown, we didn't talk about their former five star is going to have an awesome season. Be Wood as and Sammy Brown love the depth on the defensive line. They brought in help the transfer from Purdue. They get Cape Heart and Barnes and Green to go along with those guys I just mentioned. Right. And Avion Terrell I didn't even mention. Okay.

[Mitch Light]

Yep.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

But I will say this about the defense that I'm really excited to see. Tom Allen, he came into. He came into Indiana. Okay. And he turned around that Indiana defense that was like absolutely abysmal and they turned things around. 2024 at Penn State finished seventh nationally in total defense. Now it had dudes, don't get me wrong, but eighth in scoring defense or 16 and a half points he comes in. I think we're going to see a difference in scheme letting these guys play fast but smart. And the biggest thing. And I read this and I'm appreciative of reading this, that team kind of sucked for a really good defense for all this talent at tackling last year. That has been the. And I'm just like I'm not being they they agree because they brought in Tom Allen and his number one thing was that we're going to be a better tackling team. I'm excited to see that group and I'm really excited to see it in week one. Although that won't define the season for Clemson but against Nussmeier.

[Mitch Light]

Who you got in that game?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Clemson, but barely man.

[Mitch Light]

You don't think they cover what a treat.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Oh, I think they could, yeah. I mean I think it's gonna be like a 2, 3, 4 point game. What a treat when your QB1 is going against your QB2 in a non conference game. Nussmeier versus Club Nick, not to mention all the other prospects. And Clemson's got five. They're tied with Alabama. Tied for second most in our top 75 with Parker and Woods and Clubnik and Antonio Williams and Avon Terrell and they got a bunch of other dudes. But I can't wait to watch club like sit back, relax and then break in and be live with you on YouTube. Do a live show for the last like five. What if we got Nussma? What if we've got Nussmeier? With like seven minutes left. Fourth quarter, down by three. Needs LSU on a touchdown on the road. Silences. Not the real Death Valley. This is a fake Death Valley. Nuss Meyer walking off like. And then Clubnick gets the ball back. A minute 50 left after that five minute drive from Nuss and drives him down the field. Can't be a field goal. Gotta get six.

[Mitch Light]

Jinx.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And we're. And we're on. And we're on live. I'll lose my mind. But the offense. I'm just excited to see these wide receivers. It's not unlike Texas, except Antonio Williams is better than DeAndre Moore. And I think. I think Wesco is as good. Maybe it's maybe a tick better than Wingo. No. Might be.

[Mitch Light]

Give me Wingo.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You're right.

[Mitch Light]

I love Wesco. I love Wesco. You don't back down.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

No, no, you're right. I thought about it. But Antonio Williams is definitely better. He's a better prospect without Andre Moore. And they're both burners and big time playmakers. But beyond that, man, there's a lot of buzz coming out of Clemson. Tristan Smith, 78 catches at the FCS level last year. Tyler Brown led the Tigers. And as a. As a freshman in 2023 and receiving. Everyone forgot about Tyler Brown. He's back from the injury. The ankle injury slowed him last year. This group is loaded. Four returners returning starters back along the offensive line. Running back, they've got running back, they've got talent. But I want to pose this question as they are my number one team and I'm clearly a believer. And by the way, keep on the lookout. We might be doing a live show at Clemson this year. Might be the Florida State game. I'm talking to my guy down at Clemson. Actually next week we're going to confirm some things, so be on the lookout. Here's my question to you. Does Clemson possess a championship caliber run game? That's.

[Mitch Light]

That is a. You son of a. I think they will.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I think it will be championship enough.

[Mitch Light]

Yes, I think it will be because I think the talents there. Running back and I think the experienced offensive line comes together, plays well enough. Again, I don't like that group as much as some other people do. I think this experience as it is, it hasn't been dominant. I like the talent at running back and I think the passing game keeps everyone honest. They're not going to see a lot of loaded fronts. Beware of doing that. And I think that all of that comes together for that to be good enough as a running game.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Garrett Riley has more juice at the running back position than he did a year ago. Adam Randall, wide receiver, former wide receiver. And then The Lynchburg Kid, 5 star Gideon Davidson, arguably the top running back in the 2025 recruiting class. Yeah, Ezo Ezio Moon. And I'm sure that's not right and I apologize. David, David Easy. He's another guy that I'm told keep an eye on Eziomum. Dan, where are you now with my pronunciation? But anyway, you got. You. You got Randall with some juice. Gideon Davidson.

[Mitch Light]

Yeah, that's.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He's supremely talented, but apparently not. Not town. Sorry. Not. Not ready enough yet to be planted as the number two back.

[Mitch Light]

We'll see, though.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And my guy Easy is apparently number two back right now behind Randall. So they got more juice at running back. Mafo is a really talented player. They haven't had juice at running back in a minute and they got four offensive linemen coming back. So we're going to find out a lot on Saturday.

[Mitch Light]

Can't wait. Can I wait?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Finally coming up. We got so much coming up. My head's spinning.

[Mitch Light]

I mean, Farmageddon was awesome, but this.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

This feels like the real deal now in Ireland too. My man. Five stars again. Mention you were awesome today.

[Mitch Light]

You were pretty good. You're right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hey, by the way, we're gonna have a bonus show on Friday I haven't even told you about.

[Mitch Light]

Oh, great. Let's go.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Top 10 prospects to watch in week one. All right, we'll see you then Friday. Bye. Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 + and present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-G GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MDG in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 1-800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY in New.