Kaidon Salter is a major dual-threat QB. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

This week TCU added former Houston Coach Dana Holgorsen to its staff; Auburn got a commitment from DB Anquon Fegans, its third Top 300 2025 recruit pledge in four days; and USC landed its highest 2026 recruit yet in four-star DE Xavier Griffin.

Can Liberty Make the College Football Playoffs?

The Liberty Flames kicked off their fall camp on Wednesday amid high expectations. Coming off a season in which the team went undefeated en route to winning the Conference USA championships, the Flames are the overwhelming favourite to again win the CUSA.

However, there’s hope that this season — given the expanded college football playoff format — that the Flames have a legitimate shot to be the non-power conference rep among the 12 teams left standing at the end. Further fueling this goal is the fact that Liberty has one of the easiest schedules in all of college football.

Junior quarterback Kaidon Salter leads the way as he looks to build on a superb first full year as the team’s starter, a performance which earned him CUSA Male Athlete of the Year honours (see video below). He’s gotten more accurate the more work he’s had and if his connection deepens with redshirt senior wide receiver Treon Sibley as we expect, then Salter’s could be a Heisman Trophy dark horse.

Salter is a dual threat QB with blazing speed (he’s in the 97th percentile for the 40), but his size (6’1, 200) may hold him back. It’s very much in question whether he can withstand the beating he’ll take as a pro. Still, it’s hard to ignore someone with a great arm who set a new school record for touchdown passes. Liberty has a recent history of producing NFL QB prospects, so expect Salter to go somewhere in the middle rounds of the 2025 draft, ideally to a team that has time to allow him to develop.

Notre Dame Seeks Third Playoff Appearance

Another team with a superb chance of playing in this season’s playoffs is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (currently -170 as per FanDuel). Since that ugly 4-8 campaign in 2016, Notre Dame has been a consistent Bowl team, playing almost exclusively as an independent (except for that sole season as part of the ACC in 2020).

The Irish have twice made the playoffs before (2018 and 2020) and look like they have their best chance yet to punch another ticket to the show this year — and perhaps even bag their first ever playoff win.

Notre Dame is coming off arguably its best season in 10 years, finishing seventh in the nation in scoring on both offense and defense. Given its stellar freshman class that includes plenty of four-star candidates, the good times should continue to roll in 2024.

Perhaps the gem of the 2024 recruiting class is DL Bryce Young, not to be confused with the former Heisman winner and current Panther QB. This Young may not have any hardware yet, but his dad is Bryant Young, the four-time All Pro and Super Bowl winner for the San Francisco 49ers.

The freshman has incredible size (6’7, 258) yet great mobility, making him a potential force as an edge rusher. Given the depth Notre Dame has here, it’s not clear how much Young will play this season, but it won’t be a surprise to see him force his way into a bigger role as the season progresses. Either way, this is a kid to watch long term given his work ethic and massive upside — there’s a reason he was ranked as the top 2024 recruit from the entire state of North Carolina.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Nirvana may have done more to bring alt rock into the mainstream than any other band. Here’s another track from their 1992 compilation album, Incesticide, the previously unreleased “Aero Zeppelin.”