Samwise College Football Newsletter
Monday, July 20, 2026
SEC Media Days 2026 Opens in Tampa for First Time as Conference Eyes Historic Season
The 2026 SEC Kickoff officially opened Monday at the Tampa Marriott Water Street — the first time in conference history that Florida has hosted the annual event. Commissioner Greg Sankey and Day 1 coaches Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Brent Venables (Oklahoma), Will Stein (Kentucky) and Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri) set the tone for four days of storylines. The conference enters a historic season with nine scheduled conference games for the first time, six new head coaches, and the shadow of Lane Kiffin departing Ole Miss mid-CFP run to take the LSU job. The SEC hasn't won a national championship in three consecutive seasons, adding urgency to a conference-wide reset.
Sources: MySuncoast.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Iowa State Faces Unprecedented Rebuild Under Jimmy Rogers After Campbell's Exit to Penn State
Iowa State is staring down the most dramatic rebuilding project in modern Big 12 history. Matt Campbell's departure for Penn State triggered an exodus of 103 players, including quarterback Rocco Becht, tight end Ben Brahmer, and 21 others who followed their coach to Happy Valley. New head coach Jimmy Rogers — who led South Dakota State to an FCS title in 2023 before a 6-6 stint at Washington State — inherits an essentially blank roster. Transfer QB Jaylen Raynor arrives from Arkansas State bringing 3,361 yards and 19 touchdowns from 2025. Most prognosticators have Iowa State pegged at the bottom of the 16-team Big 12.
Sources: Deseret News Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Kentucky Adds JUCO Running Back Ahmir Smith as Will Stein Builds Year 1 Roster
Kentucky's backfield depth chart got more interesting this week as JUCO transfer running back Ahmir Smith officially joined the Wildcats. Smith, a 5-foot-10, 204-pound back from Garden City Community College in Kansas, rushed for 322 yards and five touchdowns last season and arrives with three years of eligibility remaining. Head coach Will Stein's first Kentucky roster is taking shape around transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey, who joined from Notre Dame in the off-season. Stein himself was at SEC Media Days Monday representing the Wildcats, a sign of the program's optimism heading into what it hopes is a Year 1 statement.
Sources: Saturday Down South Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Former Texas OL Cole Hutson Files Age-Based Eligibility Lawsuit; Sarkisian Monitoring Situation
A new front in the college football eligibility wars opened Sunday when former Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson filed suit in Travis County court seeking to compete under the NCAA's new age-based eligibility standard. Hutson logged 48 career appearances and 23 starts with the Longhorns before going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He is piggybacking on a ruling from last week when an Ohio judge granted injunctions for 24 basketball players on similar grounds. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian responded Sunday: 'We'll see where it goes.' The NCAA's 'five-in-five' age-based model — which eliminates redshirt years — applies fully to 2027 recruits.
James Franklin Honors Beamer Legacy at ACC Media Days After Leaving Penn State for Virginia Tech
James Franklin opened a new chapter at ACC Media Days, speaking publicly about leaving Penn State for Virginia Tech after 11 seasons and 104 wins in Happy Valley. Franklin revealed he called Frank Beamer twice before the legend answered — Beamer dismissed the calls as spam — and finally reached him through former defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Beamer gave his blessing and joined Franklin for dinner the night before. 'I want Frank Beamer watching on Saturdays and saying that is what Virginia Tech football is supposed to look like,' Franklin said. He is 128-60 combined at Penn State and Vanderbilt.
Final 2025 AP Top 10
2025 CFP Champion: Indiana (16-0)
1. Indiana (16-0)
2. Miami
3. Ole Miss
4. Oregon
5. Ohio State
6. Georgia
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas A&M
9. Alabama
10. Notre Dame
2026 Preseason Outlook
Official AP Poll releases mid-August
Early frontrunners: Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame
Rankings shown are the final 2025 AP Top 25. The 2026 preseason AP poll has not yet been released.
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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