The NBA’s Christmas Day slate has been highly anticipated since the 2024-25 schedule was announced in August. The five-game schedule is filled with superstar matchups, highly anticipated rivalries and a few holiday debuts for some rising stars.
Victor Wembanyama, fresh off a handful of history-making performances, makes his Christmas debut as the San Antonio Spurs take on Karl-Anthony Towns and the new-look New York Knicks. Will the French phenom Dunk the Halls, or can Jalen Brunson & Co. get a win in front of the home crowd at the Garden? In a rematch of the Western Conference finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Dallas Mavericks in their second meeting this season. Will Anthony Edwards get the best of the Mavs this time?
The dominant Boston Celtics will take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers to kick off the evening slate, while LeBron James and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers will face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. James is the career leader in points (476) and games played (18) on Christmas. Lastly, MVP-favorite Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will take on the host Phoenix Suns to wrap up the holiday festivities.
Which stars will shine the brightest this holiday season? What teams will need a Christmas miracle to boost them to the postseason? Our NBA insiders preview all five matchups by answering some of the biggest questions surrounding these teams.
What are the next steps this season for the Spurs to become playoff contenders with Victor Wembanyama?
In Thursday’s win over Atlanta, the Spurs finally played with the starting lineup they envisioned at the start of training camp. Injuries to Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan kept them out for extended periods, thrusting rookie Stephon Castle into the starting lineup along with sharpshooter Julian Champagnie. Now that everybody is healthy, it’s up to the coaching staff to figure out optimal lineups to play alongside the franchise centerpiece. Acting head coach Mitch Johnson said it’s a good problem to have, especially considering all the experience gained by reserves playing more prominent roles earlier in the season. Wembanyama is already doing his part by gradually picking up the diverse strategies teams are using to defend him and learning how to use teammates more effectively in attacking them. — Michael Wright
Will the return of Mitchell Robinson be enough to give the Knicks a deep postseason run?
With how the Knicks are playing (third in the East) — and with how much they invested in upgrading their starting five this past offseason, with trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges — they have expectations to make a deep postseason run regardless of when Robinson comes back. The team is dominant offensively (second in the league) and has made considerable strides on defense over the past month despite a slow start. A healthy Robinson will give the team depth at center (a must given Towns’ occasional foul troubles) and improved rim protection. — Chris Herring
What will Wemby’s Christmas debut against the Knicks look like (KAT vs. Wemby)?
Dominant, if Wembanyama’s recent production is any indication. Over five games since returning from low back soreness, Wembanyama has averaged 29 PPG on near 40% 3-point shooting as well as 5.2 BPG, including a career-high-tying 10 Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Because of Wembanyama’s dangerous shooting, New York may put forward OG Anunoby on him rather than Towns. But that would give Wembanyama a massive eight-inch height advantage that Anunoby will seek to negate with his lower center of gravity. Anunoby defended Wembanyama in their lone meeting in November 2023, when Wembanyama scored 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting. — Kevin Pelton
What will it take for the Wolves to climb out of the play-in?
It’s a must for Minnesota to be an elite defensive team, which was the foundation of the Timberwolves’ success last season. That has happened in December, when the Wolves have had the stingiest defense in the NBA, allowing only 108.2 points per 100 possessions. Now, Minnesota has to work its way out of the muck offensively, which likely requires Donte DiVincenzo busting out of an extended slump. The Wolves anticipated that DiVincenzo’s volume 3-point shooting would boost their offense when they acquired him as part of the Towns trade, but he has shot only 37.3% from the floor and 33.1% from long range so far this season. — Tim MacMahon
What do the Mavs need to have a second-half surge like they did last season?
Stay healthy. This is the best the roster has looked during Luka Doncic’s career, as evidenced by the Mavs’ 6-2 record in games missed by their superstar. The Mavs might upgrade their frontcourt depth before the trade deadline, but unlike the past couple of seasons, Dallas doesn’t have any glaring needs. An opposing general manager told ESPN last week that the Thunder and Mavs are clearly the two best West teams. After a relatively slow start, Doncic’s best is likely yet to come this season, and he’s surrounded by a deep, well-rounded supporting cast. — MacMahon
Which duo dominates Christmas: Luka-Kyrie or Edwards-Randle?
First, we need to see whether Doncic returns to the lineup after missing two games with a heel contusion. Before the injury, Doncic delivered his best game of the season against the Warriors, a 45-point triple-double on 16-of-23 shooting. Having lost wing stopper Derrick Jones Jr. in the offseason, the Mavericks are no longer as well-equipped to defend Anthony Edwards, who went off for a game-high 37 points when these teams played in Minneapolis in October. But it was Doncic and Kyrie Irving who walked away winners, combining for 59 points and 13 assists. — Pelton
Should the 76ers reconsider their strategy and mark this season as a rebuild?
No, and for a variety of reasons. First, with the completely disastrous start, the 76ers enter Christmas with the league’s 24th worst-record with six teams behind them with better lottery odds. Plus, the team in front of them in the Eastern standings, the Brooklyn Nets, just traded their starting point guard, and there’s a chance they could play worse. Philadelphia has stabilized itself after its slow start, and Joel Embiid has impressed in his past couple of games. If the 76ers can have any sort of healthy stretch, they should be able to get themselves into the play-in, and if they can get into the playoffs healthy — a couple of huge ifs — they still believe they can make a deep run. — Tim Bontemps
How long will this dominant Celtics run last?
This season will play a large part in determining that. In its attempt to become the first Celtics team to defend a title since Bill Russell was playing, Boston also has one of the league’s highest payrolls — and is on pace to skyrocket to over $500 million in combined payroll and luxury taxes for the 2025-26 season. If the Celtics win the title, as they are favored to do, it’s virtually impossible to see them making a cost-saving move going into next season. But if they don’t? Well, then the math gets a little more interesting, especially when factoring in the looming sale of the team, which is expected to be completed between now and the end of the regular season. — Bontemps
What’s on the 76ers’ and Celtics’ wish list for this matchup?
For Philadelphia, it’s continued health for Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, who have played together just five times all season. The Sixers have outscored opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions in the 71 minutes all three have played, according to NBA Advanced Stats, but are 2-2 in those games. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has already gotten his Christmas wish: 51 3-point attempts per game, eight more than any other team, and two more makes than the second-place Chicago Bulls. –Pelton
Can LeBron continue to be the gift that keeps on giving through a postseason run for Los Angeles?
In the crowded Western Conference, the Lakers’ playoff projection has varied vastly week to week. They ran out to a 10-4 record and were in third place on Nov. 20. Losses in seven of their next nine games dropped them to No. 10 on Dec. 6, with LeBron James appearing ineffective at best and destructive at worst. James took advantage of the schedule to take eight days off to rehabilitate his left foot and only missed two games. With James back in the lineup, the Lakers won three straight, climbing back to No. 5 in the West on Dec. 21. James was brilliant in Saturday’s win over Sacramento, commanding the defense while punishing the Kings inside, scoring 32 points on 13-for-24 shooting. L.A. should not need nor expect that version of James on a nightly basis to qualify for the playoffs — not if they want James to have something left in the tank for the postseason. But getting that level of engagement out of him, combined with Anthony Davis returning to the MVP form he showed to start the season, will keep L.A. on track for a playoff berth. — Dave McMenamin
How is Dennis Schroder fitting in with Stephen Curry & Co. so far?
The Warriors have only had three games with Dennis Schroder so far but it hasn’t taken him long to show flashes of what he can do. During Saturday’s win at Minnesota, Schroder displayed some of the leadership qualities he will bring beyond his play, initiating player huddles despite it being just his second game. Having another point guard is also going to benefit younger players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga. Podziemski had perhaps his best game of the season in Minnesota with 12 points and seven rebounds. The Warriors will need Schroder to make some outside shots and score, and it will take some time for Schroder to adapt, but he’s already shown why Golden State needs him. “That [Minnesota] game was so illuminating for me,” Kerr said. “Watching Dennis, his leadership, when we talk about point guard, it’s not just how to run pick and roll or guarding the ball, it’s leadership. What he did in that game, his second game with us, barely knowing anybody, pulling young guys aside, pulling the whole group together. He’s a true leader and that’s one of the reasons we wanted him.” — Ohm Youngmisuk
LeBron or Steph: Which superstar will have a better Christmas Day performance?
I’m betting on Curry in part because he gets to play against the weaker defense. The Lakers rank 20th in defensive rating this season, 11 spots behind the Warriors. Curry averaged 33 PPG as Golden State won the season series 3-1 in 2023-24, his highest scoring average against any opponent he faced more than twice. Of course, James was even better against the Warriors, putting up 36.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.7 assists in the three games he played head-to-head. — Pelton
What do the Nuggets need before the trade deadline to build around Jokic?
The Nuggets are no longer a top-two team in the Western Conference but three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is still playing like the best player in the world. Jamal Murray is picking up his scoring lately, scoring 24 or more points in the three games prior to Monday night. Michael Porter Jr. (18.4 PPG) and Christian Braun (15.0 PPG) have been solid, as well as Russell Westbrook off the bench, but the Nuggets are in serious need of another reliable outside scorer who can create his own shot if they are to contend. On defense, they also need another perimeter stopper to help Aaron Gordon, Braun and Westbrook. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth doesn’t have a ton of assets to work with, although Porter would likely have to be dealt in any trade for a significant player. But what their record doesn’t necessarily show is the championship chemistry between Porter, Jokic and Murray. — Ohm Youngmisuk
What are the biggest factors holding the Suns back this season and can they overcome them for the postseason?
Just like last season, the biggest factor keeping Phoenix from coalescing is cascading injuries suffered by their stars. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have each played only 17 games apiece this season. The 36-year-old Durant has been brilliant when he’s been on the court — averaging 27.4 points on 52/42/83 splits — and the Suns have been dreadful without him, going 1-9. While Phoenix has been linked to the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler as a potential trade destination, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 35-year-old Butler comes with his own durability concerns. He’s missed 65 games over the past three seasons. On the plus side, even with the time their stars have missed, the Suns still have the No. 8 offense in the league under new coach Mike Budenholzer. If they can sustain their health — with Butler included or not — the Suns could still make a push from their No. 11 spot in the Western Conference standings by unleashing that offense on the rest of the league. — McMenamin
How do the Suns stop Jokic from crashing their Christmas?
Phoenix’s game plan against Jokic was solid last season. Although Jokic averaged a triple-double against the Suns, Jokic’s 21.1 average game score was his second lowest against any West foe. Phoenix won two of those three games, which is no surprise. When opponents hold Jokic below a game score of 25 this season, Denver has gone 2-3. Familiarity is a plus for the Suns: not only did starting center Jusuf Nurkic play alongside Jokic to start their careers with the Nuggets, so too did new backup Mason Plumlee. — Pelton
The creation of the NBA Cup has created a relatively clean divide in the season’s schedule. The first third or so of the season is built around the Cup. The last third is the playoff push. But that middle third? That’s the build up to All-Star, the point in the season in which we start to seriously evaluate the league’s best players and reconsider the hierarchy.
The All-Star format this year is going to be different. Rather than two teams, the NBA is dividing 24 All-Stars into three, and they, along with the winning team from the Rising Stars Challenge, will duke it out in a four-team tournament. We’re still more than a month away from the actual selection of 2024-25 All-Stars, but now that the Cup is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start considering who’s going to be playing in San Francisco in February.
To that end, we’re going to pick All-Star teams for both conferences based on the two-month sample we currently have. The goal of this exercise will be to choose the 12 players who I expect to deserve selection when the real teams are chosen based on their performance so far. This means that I will not be beholden to anticipated voting results, but that injuries that will likely cost a player too many games will ultimately count.
Essentially, if things continue on their current path, these would be the 12 players I would select in each conference. We’ll be retaining the typical roster format: two guards and three frontcourt players starting, the same split on the bench for the first five reserve slots, and then, for the last two, anything goes. We’re tackling the Eastern Conference today and the West tomorrow, so without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Starters
Let’s start with our two no-brainers. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum are the East’s two somewhat viable MVP candidates at this point. There’s no world short of injuries in which they are not named starters.
Antetokounmpo is the conference’s leading scorer, and is on track to shatter his own career-high in scoring and field goal percentage. Though his 3-point shot never quite came around, Antetokounmpo is having a monster mid-range season. Only DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Ingram and Devin Booker have taken more mid-range shots than he has this season, and the 46.3% of them he’s made puts him squarely in superstar territory. His defense isn’t quite what it used to be, but that level of scoring dominance coupled with his typical playmaking and rebounding makes him an obvious All-Star starter.
Tatum’s case is similarly straightforward. He ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, 11th in rebounding and 17th in assists. His shooting has cooled off a tad, but his defense remains as strong as ever, and he’s leading the universally agreed upon championship favorite. For years he has been arguably the NBA’s most adaptable superstar. When Boston needs him to score 40, he scores 40. When it needs him to guard a center, he guards a center. There are a few players he’ll just never catch statistically, but the Celtics get to be the Celtics because they don’t have to stylistically conform to the needs of a single player in the ways that many other contenders need to. As long as Tatum remains a skeleton key to the flexibility that makes Boston so special, he’ll remain an easy choice for All-Star starter.
It’s a three-man race for the two guard spots here, and Jalen Brunson nabs the first with a bit of breathing room. He and Damian Lillard have the slight statistical edge on Donovan Mitchell, but Brunson has been more efficient than Lillard, he plays for the better team, and unlike Lillard, he is a No. 1 option. Add all of that together and he takes the first spot. The battle between Mitchell and Lillard is where things get interesting.
Lillard scores more than Mitchell, and he has a sizable lead in assists as well. Does that necessarily mean he’s playing better on offense, or just that he’s on a team that’s asking more out of him? Lillard touches the ball an average of 88.9 times per game, more than all but six players in the NBA. Cleveland is running a much more egalitarian system. No Cavalier ranks in the top 50 in the NBA in terms of touches per game, and it’s working for them. Cleveland has the NBA’s best offense. Milwaukee’s ranks 11th, and Mitchell is using the extra energy he’s saving on offense to play some of the best defense of his career. Lillard, as always, is a glaring negative on that end of the floor. It’s a genuine debate here. Lillard is doing more of the traditional primary ball-handler stuff. Mitchell is doing more of everything else, and he’s doing it for a much better team. For now, I’ll give Mitchell the slim edge and make Lillard our first reserve lock.
The debate between Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaylen Brown for the last Eastern Conference frontcourt slot will be fought on similar terms. Brown is the more well-rounded player. He’s a much better defender, and New York’s defensive deficiencies start with Towns’ limitations as a rim protector. But Towns is absolutely lapping Brown as a shooter. The efficiency numbers for similar scoring totals aren’t remotely close. And remember, Towns isn’t playing power forward anymore. That shooting becomes significantly more powerful at center. Not only is Towns drawing opposing big men away from the basket, he’s doing it from a lineup slot that allows the Knicks to play more shooting around him. That’s what gives him the slimmest of edges on Brown for now. Towns’ shooting is a much bigger part of New York’s dominance on offense than Brown’s overall excellence is to Boston’s.
Reserves
We’ve already covered two of our reserve choices above. Brown and Lillard may miss out on starting nods, but they are easy picks for the roster. Lillard may not have developed the unstoppable pick-and-roll partnership with Antetokounmpo that we hoped he would upon joining the Bucks, but the two have grown significantly more comfortable coexisting offensively in more than a “your turn, my turn” arrangement. Lillard has looked like his Portland self for a month or so now. Brown looks like his typical self as well, though that should surprise no one. He’s not shooting especially well this season, but he remains very good at almost everything else. He’s averaging a career-high in assists while continuing to play his standard, excellent defense. Like Tatum, his versatility is his selling point. Wings that are great at everything are almost automatic All-Stars.
Evan Mobley isn’t quite in the Lillard-Brown lock tier, but he’s a comfortable choice in what has been his best offensive season to date. Many of the touches Mitchell is sacrificing this season have gone to Mobley, who is now initiating more offense than he ever has and giving opponents fits in the process. He’s not the high-volume 3-point shooter critics want him to be yet, but he’s making the jumpers he’s taking. And when you factor in his consistently excellent defense, there’s not much of an argument for keeping him off of the team.
Mobley and Brown cover two of our front-court spots. The East has a much, much deeper group of guards to work with than forwards and centers, so let’s start by settling the last front court spot before we move into the back-court bloodbath. With apologies to Bam Adebayo, we have three serious candidates to consider: Jimmy Butler, Pascal Siakam and Jalen Johnson.
They’re all scoring at roughly identical rates. Siakam is having the best shooting season of the three, and he’s just about the only core member of the Indiana Pacers having a completely normal season. If he were posting these numbers with Tyrese Haliburton or Andrew Nembhard having the seasons we expected, he might not be a candidate here. But the truth is that Siakam has been the only consistent stabilizing force in Indiana this season. That hasn’t really been the case for Butler in Miami. He’s been all over the place, looking like his peak self some of the time and a 34-year-old at others. He’s hit the highest highs this season and would probably qualify as the best player of the three. He’s also played the least and probably has the most supporting talent on his own team.
Why does Johnson beat them out? The fact that he leads the trio in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks helps. Johnson does everything for Atlanta, and that includes shot creation in ways you might not expect. Johnson ranks fifth in the NBA in average touches per game. Neither Butler nor Siakam are in the top 65. We’re sacrificing a bit of shooting here to take the most versatile of the three players.
Alright, now we have to address the guards. There will be plenty of others that we cover in the bubble section, but for now, we’re going to focus on four: LaMelo Ball, Derrick White, Darius Garland and Cade Cunningham. The last guard to miss the cut for us was Ball.
Some voters are going to see 30 points per game next to Ball’s name and choose him by default, but there is precedent for such a scorer missing the cut. Bradley Beal missed the 2020 All-Star Game in a season in which he averaged 30 points per game, though he was a shade below that number before the break, because he did so on an uncompetitive team, missed a handful of games, and brought little else to the table besides shot creation.
Well, that’s Ball in a nutshell. He just missed seven games, ironically the exact number Beal missed before the break in 2020. Virtually all of his numbers except for scoring volume are down on a per-minute possession from his 2021 All-Star campaign. His defensive metrics range from “bad” to “disastrous.” There’s just not much evidence here that Ball is playing substantially better than he usually has. He’s just shooting more. There’s something to be said for raising scoring volume without significantly declining in efficiency, but that doesn’t mean what Ball does is driving winning.
You don’t have to actually be on a winning team to play winning basketball. Cade Cunningham is a prime example of that. The Pistons are well below .500, but they play competitive basketball mostly because Cunningham’s presence creates it. Averaging nearly 10 assists with the supporting talent he has is borderline impossible. He defends. He’s actually making his 3s now. It’s just much easier to imagine Cunningham dialing up his volume under different circumstances than it is to see Ball setting an overall tone for his team through overall play the way Cunningham has for the Pistons. Scoring volume on a bad team, in itself, doesn’t mean all that much. But succeeding at just about everything despite adverse circumstances? That says more about what sort of player a prospective All-Star is, and just how tantalizing their future might be once those circumstances improve.
White and Garland represent extreme ends of the middle ground Cunningham occupies. White isn’t the primary shot-creator that Cunningham is. Garland isn’t as versatile. But they are both so good in their respective niches, and so critical to the very best teams in the conference, that they have to be chosen on the basis of their impact on winning. For what it’s worth, though, both White and Garland have perhaps the most complete cases of their careers.
White isn’t an All-Star-level scorer… but he’s averaging career highs in points (17.4) and virtually every measure of shooting efficiency. His growth as a pick-and-roll player is as significant in Boston’s rise to the top of the NBA as its incredible 3-point shooting. Having all of that shooting means nothing without players who can create shots. White may not get credit for the assists because of how many passes it takes to kill a defense in rotation, but more often than not, he’s the one creating the advantage that started the breakdown in the first place. He’s an All-Defense-caliber guard almost every year, and when you package that with the offense he’s playing now, he becomes incredibly hard to deny as a first-time All-Star.
Garland’s volume is down for the same reasons that Mitchell’s is. Cleveland has made a concerted effort to share the ball, and Garland has benefitted. He’s making a real run at a 50-40-90 shooting season, and while he’ll never be a good defender purely on the basis of his size, he’s learned how to function well enough within Cleveland’s scheme to be useful. Like Mitchell and Ty Jerome, Garland helps generate turnovers by playing aggressive and racking up deflections without sacrificing basic positioning. The raw numbers are never going to be what they were before Mitchell’s arrival, but Cleveland’s dominant offense works because Garland and Mitchell are comfortable making sacrifices for the good of the whole. Their numbers don’t reflect their value, but Cleveland’s team numbers do.
Who’s on the Bubble?
We’ve covered Ball, Butler and Siakam as obvious bubble picks, but there are a handful of others that need to be mentioned as well. Let’s start with a player who would have been a lock had he stayed healthy: Franz Wagner. Orlando’s season easily could have collapsed without Paolo Banchero. Wagner’s on-the-fly growth as a shot creator saved it. He may not make it this year due to injury, but the version of Wagner we saw after Banchero went down is a player we should expect to make the team at some point in the very near future.
Two star rim protectors, Bam Adebayo and Jarrett Allen, both have cases, but they’re steeped primarily in defense. It’s not exactly fair to say they’ve disappointed on offense, but neither is playing their best on that end of the floor. It’s very, very hard to justify sending a center to an All-Star Game when he’s shooting 44% from the floor as Adebayo is. Allen’s offensive functions are primarily to dunk and pull in offensive rebounds. He’s doing both less than he did when he was chosen as an All-Star in 2022. Mobley is the best defender of the three, and he’s been the most heavily involved on offense as well, so he beat both out.
We went deep on the four-man race for the last three guard spots, but the reality is that a handful of other guards warrant some consideration as well. Trae Young isn’t shooting well enough to make the team, but he’s also leading the NBA comfortably in assists on a roster that has outperformed expectations with very little shooting. Zach LaVine is Zach LaVine again, but the bar is higher today than it was when he made the team in 2021 and 2022. His defensive limitations are too much of a detriment today. The opposite is true for Dyson Daniels. He’s probably the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up if voting were held today. Obviously, it won’t be, and his shooting is still too much of an issue for his offense to get him in.
Lastly among the guards, we have to give a special mention to Tyler Herro. His scoring numbers are not far off of Brunson’s or Lillard’s, and he’s averaging a career-high in assists. It’s translating to team success as well. Miami’s offense is nearly 10 points per 100 possessions better with Herro on the floor. There are two core problems with his candidacy. The first is his defense. It’s as problematic as anyone’s we’ve covered today. The second is just the reality that he is the third-best player on a mediocre team. When teams play the Heat, they game-plan for Butler and Adebayo. Herro is having a remarkable season. He’s just not doing it under the same circumstances that the All-Stars we chose are. If he keeps this up for another year, he’ll have a strong case next season.
The final player we’ll point out is OG Anunoby. A few weeks ago, he was right in the thick of the race and might ultimately have landed Johnson’s spot. He’s a Daniels-level defender doing far more on offense, but a recent slump on that end of the floor has cost him. This has still been a career year for Anunoby on offense, and the Knicks have benefitted greatly from his low-maintenance approach to scoring. But making an All-Star Team that way means playing basically perfectly in a lower-usage role for three months, and since his 40-point explosion against Denver, he’s been in the middle of a serious slump that has knocked him down to the lower end of the bubble. You can’t shoot 24% from 3 for three weeks as a 3-and-D player and still make the All-Star Team.
The 2024-25 bowl season is right around the corner, kicking off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl (Jackson State vs. South Carolina State) on Dec. 14.
In a span of 19 days, 36 bowl games will be played — on top of the College Football Playoff.
Our college football experts provide their thoughts on all 36 bowl matchups, including key storylines to follow and a player to keep an eye on in every game.
Get ready, because it’s an exciting time of the year!
Cricket Celebration Bowl Atlanta Dec. 14, noon ET (ABC)
Jackson State
Season storyline: The Tigers, who were picked third in the SWAC East preseason poll, won their third conference championship in four years, and the first for coach T.C. Taylor. Jackson State overcame adversity in the title game after quarterback Jacobian Morgan was injured just before halftime. Zy McDonald came off the bench and rushed for 95 yards and passed for 75, accounting for two total touchdowns.
Player to watch: RB Irv Mulligan, the 2024 SWAC Player of the Year. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound back and Walter Payton Award finalist had 116 yards rushing in the SWAC championship against Southern and was named first-team All-SWAC at running back. Mulligan passed Jackson State and NFL great Walter Payton’s single-season rushing yards record (1,139), which Payton set in 1973.
South Carolina State Season storyline: Replacing a legend like Buddy Pugh isn’t a small task, and Chennis Berry and his South Carolina State Bulldogs performed up to that task in 2024. The Bulldogs went 5-0 in MEAC play, en route to a 9-2 season overall after being picked fourth in the preseason poll. South Carolina State played spoiler in Deion Sanders’ first year as Jackson State’s head coach in 2021, defeating them in the Celebration Bowl 31-10. Now, Berry will have an opportunity to do the same in T.C. Taylor’s first appearance as head coach.
Player to watch: QB Eric Phoenix. He has a successful transfer story after coming in from Murray State and being named first-team All-MEAC. Prior to his time at Murray, he was with Berry at Benedict College. At Benedict, Berry and Phoenix won the SIAC championship and reached the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history. His dynamic play has translated nicely in his grad transfer season and could culminate in a Cricket Celebration Bowl victory. — Harry Lyles Jr.
ESPN BET early line: Jackson State -1.5
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Montgomery, Alabama Dec. 14, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
South Alabama Season storyline: Remember that team that dropped 87 points in a game this year? That was South Alabama. In its first year under coach Major Applewhite, the Jaguars have had some explosive offensive performances. Don’t let their 6-6 record fool you, this team played well down the stretch, winning four of its last six games, including a victory over Sun Belt West winner Louisiana on the road just a few weeks ago.
Player to watch: QB Gio Lopez. When the South Alabama offense is humming, Lopez is at his best. With star freshman running back Fluff Bothwell transferring, Lopez will have to do even more against Western Michigan. Bothwell opened up a lot for the USA offense, averaging 7.5 yards per carry this season with his explosive play. Lopez was third on the team in rushing this season with 463 yards.
Western Michigan Season storyline: With losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State, Western Michigan has some scars from the first couple of weeks of the season. The Broncos went on to win five of their next six games, but then lost three straight before finishing the season with a win against Eastern Michigan. Despite the ups and downs, Lance Taylor gets his first bowl team at WMU, led by quarterback Hayden Wolff and running back Jaden Nixon. A bowl victory would mark Western Michigan’s first since 2021.
Player to watch: Wolff had the best season of his collegiate career in his second year at Western Michigan. He’s one of the oldest veterans in the sport, having played his first season in 2019 at Old Dominion, before transferring to Kalamazoo in 2023. He posted a career-best completion percentage (67), along with 2,214 passing yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also led the conference in passer rating (147.0). — Lyles
Memphis Season storyline: After a 10-3 finish last year and a Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State, this season was highly anticipated with the expansion of the 12-team College Football Playoff. For the first time ever, Memphis was the preseason pick to win the AAC and for much of the season looked like it might be the Group of 5 representative in the CFP. A 56-44 loss to Navy in September was a setback, then a 44-36 loss at UTSA in November was the knockout blow for those hopes. The Tigers rebounded to finish strong with a win over Tulane and ended the season at No. 25 in the CFP rankings.
Player to watch: All-everything Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan will return to the Dallas area to play in Frisco, about 20 miles from his high school. Henigan, who threw for 3,208 yards with 23 touchdowns and six INTs this year, is the Tigers’ all-time leading passer with 13,972 yards, the winningest quarterback in the program’s history and, along with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Washington’s Will Rogers, is one of just three active QBs to surpass 100 TD passes in his career.
West Virginia Season storyline: West Virginia entered the season with modest expectations after last season’s 9-4 finish, including a victory in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, a year after finishing 5-7. The Mountaineers opened the season with a home loss to Penn State, then lost two weeks later at Pitt. Embattled coach Neal Brown was fired after a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech on Nov. 30, with the Mountaineers ranking 106th nationally in total defense. Brown ended his six-year run at WVU with a 37-35 record and four bowl appearances. Offensive coordinator Chad Scott will coach the bowl game.
Player to watch: Senior quarterback Garrett Greene has earned admiration from opposing coaches for his toughness, but he struggled at times this year in the passing game, going 9-of-19 for 85 yards with a TD and two INTs in a blowout loss to Kansas State. His legs make him a threat (he had 22 carries for 129 yards and two TDs against Baylor), but as Greene goes, so goes the WVU offense. He will finish his career in the top 10 in several categories in West Virginia history, throwing for 5,042 yards with 34 TDs and 18 INTs and running for 2,032 more with 27 TDs. — Dave Wilson
Western Kentucky Season storyline: The Hilltoppers began the year with a not entirely surprising drubbing (63-0) at the hands of Alabama, but they bounced back and went 7-3 over their next 10 games. Then came Jacksonville State, which WKU edged 19-17 in the season finale, only to lose to them in the Conference USA championship game by a shocking 52-12 result. The Hilltoppers’ defense has been a sieve at times this year (they are one of the five worst teams in the country at stopping the run) and it reared its head against JSU, which totaled 386 rushing yards on the night and a whopping 562 total yards as a team. For the fourth year in a row, WKU heads into a bowl game with five losses.
Player to watch: QB Caden Veltkamp. The sophomore replaced TJ Finley, who sustained a leg injury in early September and was never able to win the job back. Veltkamp became the Hilltoppers’ starter, and though he had an up-and-down season that included a five-touchdown game against Middle Tennessee and a three-interception game against Liberty, he was able to lead the team to a conference title game. Head coach Tyson Helton clearly felt that Veltkamp was WKU’s best option in the present and near future. Case in point: Finley announced his decision to enter the portal shortly after the season ended. The growing pains are still there for Veltkamp, but he did throw for 23 touchdowns this season and has shown potential to be a capable, efficient option under center for WKU going forward.
James Madison Season storyline: After a historic season last year in which the Dukes entered the FBS, won 11 games, quickly earned an AP poll ranking and found themselves in a bowl game, the second year could have easily been a regression. Instead, JMU lost coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana and stayed well above water under Bob Chesney, going 8-4 (losing two of those games by just two points each) and making another bowl. The Dukes have not only proved that they belong in the FBS, but their defense is among the best in the nation. JMU ranks 11th in stop rate, allowing 1.57 points per drive, which is better than playoff teams Penn State, Oregon, Clemson and SMU. In other words, good luck trying to score on the Dukes.
Player to watch: CB Terrence Spence. The senior from New Jersey has been a fixture of the Dukes’ impressive pass defense. In 12 games, Spence has 25 solo tackles, seven pass deflections, a forced fumble and five interceptions (tied for third among FBS players). James Madison leads the nation in turnover margin, having forced 26, including 17 interceptions, and Spence has been a crucial part of its pass defense, which has allowed an average of 198 passing yards per game. — Paolo Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: James Madison -7.5
Art of Sport LA Bowl Inglewood, California Dec. 18, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Cal Season storyline: The Golden Bears’ season had its highs (“College GameDay” in Berkeley and Cal nearly taking down then-undefeated Miami) and its lows (a four-game losing streak that included Florida State) but it was never boring. A 6-6 season, however, placed them 14th out of 17 teams in the ACC. Though coach Justin Wilcox has helped the program make some strides, the Bears have not had a winning season since 2019, and this year felt like a squandered opportunity. Only one of Cal’s losses (to SMU) was by a margin bigger than eight points, and three of its losses were by a combined four points. Though the Golden Bears are heading to a bowl game, this was a year of missed opportunities for the new ACC members.
Player to watch: QB Fernando Mendoza. When Wilcox informed the media last week that Mendoza would be returning to the team for his junior year and wouldn’t enter the portal as some expected, Cal fans breathed a sigh of relief, and for good reason. Mendoza was a bright spot for the Golden Bears, throwing for over 3,000 yards, completing nearly 69% of his passes and adding 16 touchdowns too. Mendoza proved his worth throughout the year, especially when he couldn’t suit up in the season finale against SMU because of illness. The offense scored only six points and the Mustangs handed Cal their worst loss of the year.
UNLV Season storyline: Had it not been for Boise State, who beat the Rebels twice, including in the Mountain West title game, UNLV may be preparing for a first-round College Football Playoff game in a few weeks. Instead, the Rebels will go into their bowl game looking for a moral victory without their coach, Barry Odom, who took the Purdue head coaching job Sunday. For those who remain, this season had its share of drama (remember Matthew Sluka’s NIL demands?) but also success: With quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams taking over for Sluka, the Rebels handled inferior opponents with relative ease and lost to Syracuse by only a field goal. The season may have been devoid of signature wins but had plenty of highlights for the program to hang its hat on.
Player to watch: WR Ricky White. The senior may have been stifled against the Broncos, but he remains an electric figure on the field who is oozing with more talent than perhaps any other player in UNLV colors. This season, White caught 79 passes for 1,041 yards and added 11 touchdowns — tied for fifth in the country. If White opts to return to school for another year and plays in the bowl game, he’ll be a must-watch. If not, the NFL should be getting a good one. — Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: Cal -2.5
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana Dec. 19, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Georgia Southern Season storyline: Georgia Southern delivered its best season under third-year coach Clay Helton, going 6-2 in Sun Belt play with wins over league champion Marshall as well as James Madison and South Alabama. The Eagles challenged themselves early with games against Boise State and Ole Miss.They won six of their final eight games, leaning on an offense with a diverse passing attack. Derwin Burgess Jr. and Dalen Cobb combined for 103 receptions and four others have 24 or more, as quarterback JC French spread the ball around the field. Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, leads a unit that performed well in wins over James Madison, Coastal Carolina and others.
Player to watch: Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors for the second straight season after leading the league with 110 tackles. He reached the 110-tackle mark for the third straight season and had at least seven stops in every game and 10 or more five times. Watson-Trent also forced three fumbles during a two-game span. The 5-11, 225-pound Pittsburgh native returned from an ACL injury in 2021 to earn second-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2022. Since the start of the 2022 season, Watson-Trent is tied for fourth nationally in total tackles.
Sam Houston Season storyline: The Bearkats flipped their record from 3-9 in 2023 to 9-3 thanks to a defense that led Conference USA in fewest points allowed. Sam Houston surrendered 21 points or fewer in each of its past five games, recording consecutive wins of 10-7 over FIU and 9-3 over Louisiana Tech. A loss to Western Kentucky kept Sam Houston out of the Conference USA title game, and Bearkats coach K.C. Keeler immediately left to take the top job at Temple. Sam Houston had a flurry of players enter the transfer portal last week, including star safety Caleb Weaver, and will have significant personnel challenges for the bowl game.
Player to watch: Quarterback Hunter Watson. He will need a big performance to give Sam Houston a chance after all the portal departures. Watson is a capable dual threat, averaging 4.1 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 11 passing touchdowns. He and Jay Ducker will lead Sam Houston’s offense, which must stay on the field and help a defense that will be undermanned after the portal departures. Watson had three 100-yard rushing performances and three games with multiple rushing touchdowns. He also increased his volume of passes late in the regular season, averaging 30 attempts in the final three games. — Adam Rittenberg
ESPN BET early line: Georgia Southern -5.5
StaffDNA Cure Bowl Orlando, Florida Dec. 20, Noon ET (ESPN)
Ohio Season storyline: Ohio University won its first MAC championship since 1968 with a blowout 38-3 victory over rival Miami (Ohio) in the conference championship game last week, making it three straight seasons the Bobcats have won 10 games. But there will be a new look to the team in the bowl game after head coach Tim Albin left to take the Charlotte head-coaching job. Brian Smith, Ohio’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator, will serve as interim head coach. Despite losing six all-conference players from year’s team, including quarterback Kurtis Rourke to Indiana, Ohio (10-3) played its best football the second half of the season and won six straight, which included avenging an earlier loss to Miami in the conference title game.
Player to watch: The Bobcats replaced Rourke at quarterback with a talented transfer of their own in Parker Navarro, who started his career at UCF. Navarro, a senior, played one of his best games of the season in the conference title game. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns. Both of the quarterbacks in this game are dual threats. Navarro has 2,169 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and 943 rushing yards and 15 more touchdowns on the ground. He has also thrown 10 interceptions. Injuries have slowed Navarro at times, where he was replaced at quarterback by Nick Poulos in the first Miami game after throwing two interceptions, but has accounted for 15 touchdowns in his past four games.
Jacksonville State Season storyline: After starting the season 0-3, Jacksonville State won nine of its past 10 games and the Conference USA championship with a dominant 52-12 win over Western Kentucky in the title game. That win came a week after losing 19-17 to Western Kentucky, which snapped the Gamecocks’ eight-game winning streak. Jacksonville State is ranked 12th nationally in scoring offense (36.7 points per game) and rolled up 562 yards of total offense and 26 first downs in the blowout win over Western Kentucky. It’s Rich Rodriguez’s third season at Jacksonville State, and he has won nine games all three seasons. But he has also been mentioned prominently in the West Virginia head-coaching search.
Player to watch: Senior running back Tre Stewart and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty are the only two players in the country to rush for more than 1,600 yards and average more than 6 yards per carry this season. Stewart is a great story. He played at Division II Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his past two seasons there before transferring to Jacksonville State this year. He has 24 total touchdowns (23 rushing and one receiving) and teams with quarterback Tyler Huff to give the Gamecocks a potent one-two punch in the running game. Huff has rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns. — Chris Low
ESPN BET early line: Ohio -2
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Tampa, Florida Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tulane Season storyline: Jon Sumrall picked up where Willie Fritz left off in his first year as Tulane head coach, guiding the Green Wave to their third straight AAC championship game appearance and third straight season with at least nine wins. Though it lost in the conference title game to Army, Tulane is making its third straight bowl appearance. Quarterback Darian Mensah (2,723 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs) and running back Makhi Hughes (1,372 yards rushing) led them offensively though Mensah entered the transfer portal Monday with three years of eligibility remaining.
Player to watch: RB Makhi Hughes. The sophomore running back has put together outstanding back-to-back seasons, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two years and earning first-team All-AAC honors those two seasons as well. Hughes ranked second in the AAC in the regular season in rushing and third in rushing touchdowns (15). He ran for 100 or more yards on the ground in five of the team’s eight regular-season conference games.
Florida Season storyline: For most of the season, there was widespread speculation that coach Billy Napier might be done with the Gators, particularly after a 4-5 start. But following a dispiriting 49-17 loss at No. 3 Texas, athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Napier would return for 2025. Florida closed the season on a three-game winning streak, including big home wins against LSU and No. 14 Ole Miss, not only rewarding the patience that has been shown Napier but providing a measure of hope for the future — considering the roster is filled with young players set to return. Add to that a top-tier recruiting class that Napier finished off with a bang, and there is finally optimism around the Florida program.
Player to watch: DJ Lagway. Florida turned to Lagway permanently after Graham Mertz went out for the season in early October. Lagway came into Florida as the No. 12-rated player in the ESPN 300 in the Class of 2024 and quickly showed why so many had such high expectations for him — showing off his exceptional arm talent and his ability to run. Florida was beating Georgia until Lagway hurt his hamstring and missed the rest of the game. This season, Lagway threw for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions and added 97 yards rushing on the ground as a true freshman. — Andrea Adelson
ESPN BET early line: Florida -12
Myrtle Beach Bowl Conway, South Carolina Dec. 23, 11 a.m. ET (ESPN)
Coastal Carolina Season storyline: It was an all-or-nothing season for Coastal — the Chants scored 40 or more points five times and fewer than 20 three times, but November wins over App State and Georgia State secured bowl eligibility (and a bowl home game) in Tim Beck’s second season. We’ll see who suits up at QB, however: Their top two, including starter Ethan Vasko, have entered the transfer portal.
Player to watch: RB Braydon Bennett. The senior is one of the most explosive running backs in the Sun Belt; he averages 6.5 yards per carry, and among his 112 rushes are gains of 67, 49, 37 and 25 yards (plus receptions of 37 and 25 yards). He was responsible for a lot of the “alls” in the all-or-nothing year.
UTSA Season storyline: A disappointing 2-4 start turned into a happier 4-2 finish as UTSA found its offense midseason and scored at least 38 points in five of its past six games. After going 32-9 from 2021-23, it’s obviously a step backward to have to scrape out six wins, but Jeff Traylor’s Roadrunners head toward the offseason with momentum, at least. That’s doubly true if they can finish the season with a second straight bowl victory.
Player to watch: QB Owen McCown. Last year’s bowl hero began the season in patchy form but caught fire late. Over his past six games, he averaged 310 passing yards per game — five guys caught between 13-24 passes — with a 2-to-1 TD-INT ratio. Not including sacks, he threw in over 50 rushing yards per game in that stretch as well. When he ignited, so did UTSA. — Bill Connelly
ESPN BET early line: UTSA -6.5
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Boise, Idaho Dec. 23, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Northern Illinois Season storyline: Thomas Hammock’s sixth NIU team began the season with maybe the most momentous win in program history, a 16-14 shocker against a Notre Dame team that could make serious noise in the College Football Playoff. The season got bumpier from there as injuries took their toll on the Huskies’ offense. But the defense remained sturdy most of the way, and NIU won three of its final four games to secure a third bowl bid in four seasons.
Player to watch: Safety Nate Valcarcel. NIU ranks third nationally in completion rate allowed and fifth in yards allowed per dropback, and while pass rushers like Devonte O’Malley played a role and corner Jacob Finley is an absolute star, Valcarcel runs the show. He’s stellar in coverage but also a heck of a playmaker, picking off two passes, breaking up eight more and even tossing in a pair of sacks via the good-old safety blitz.
Fresno State
Season storyline: Following Jeff Tedford’s awkwardly timed July resignation, Fresno State stumbled through an up-and-down season under interim coach Tim Skipper. The Bulldogs started the season 3-1 and reached 5-3 after a pummeling of rival San José State, but they lost three of four in a home stretch littered by tight games. The defense played its part, but with no semblance of a run game, the offense got bogged down quite a bit and went from averaging 35.5 points over the first four games to just 22.1 over the past eight. And since the season ended, seven starters, including quarterback Mikey Keene and star corner Al’zillion Hamilton, have entered the transfer portal.
Player to watch: CB Julian Neal. Fresno State was blessed with three excellent corners in 2024, and while Hamilton is in the portal and senior Cam Lockridge’s status is uncertain, the Bulldogs still have Neal, a junior who had more interceptions (two) than TDs allowed (one) and allowed a team-low 15.4 QBR as its primary coverage guy. It will be a surprise if either NIU or Fresno State passes particularly well in Boise. — Connelly
ESPN BET early line: Northern Illinois -2.5
Hawai’i Bowl Honolulu, Hawaii Dec. 24, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
South Florida Season storyline: After a surprising seven-win campaign in 2023, USF entered 2024 as a sleeper pick for the AAC title but faceplanted out of the gates, starting 2-4. Alex Golesh’s Bulls rallied, however, winning four of their last six to clinch bowl eligibility. After averaging just 23.5 points per game in the first half of the season, they improved to 39.3 per game over the back half. They can still match last year’s seven-win tally, which, for a program that won just eight total games from 2019 to ’22, is still a pretty big deal.
Player to watch: RB Kelley Joiner. When he thrives, USF wins. Joiner averaged 9.4 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns in the Bulls’ six wins and 2.9 yards per carry with no scores in their losses. Quarterback Bryce Archie found a solid rhythm down the stretch, too, but Joiner is the team’s X-factor.
San José State Season storyline: Seven is becoming an awfully common number in San José. SJSU won seven games in three of Brent Brennan’s past four years in charge and finished 7-5 in Ken Niumatalolo’s first regular season succeeding Brennan. With a bowl victory, however, it would reach eight wins for the first time since 2012. That would be a deserved plaudit for a team that came achingly close to big things: The Spartans lost by nine combined points at Washington State and Colorado State and gave Boise State and UNLV fits at home before fading late. A 34-31 win over Stanford did salvage some late-season joy, and a bowl win would add to that.
Player to watch: LB Jordan Pollard. The junior from Los Angeles leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss and run stops. With tackles Soane Toia and Gafa Faga eating up blockers up front and Pollard roaming from sideline to sideline, the Spartans have put together one of the better run defenses in the Group of 5, allowing just 4.1 yards per carry (not including sacks), which ranks 18th nationally. — Connelly
Pittsburgh Season storyline: The Panthers had a season of two halves. Behind quarterback Eli Holstein, Pitt won its first seven games, culminating with a 41-13 rout of Syracuse, to jump to 18th in the polls. But then Holstein suffered an ankle injury, and the Panthers remarkably didn’t win again, dropping their final five games of the season in a late collapse. Overall, 7-5 was a solid year for Pitt, given the preseason expectations. But the way the season swooned down the stretch felt disappointing.
Player to watch: Senior Gavin Bartholomew is set to play his 50th career game, the most for a tight end in Pitt history. Bartholomew has 37 receptions for 303 yards and four touchdowns, all coming in Pitt’s final four games. He’s now one touchdown away from tying Dorin Dickerson (2006-09) for third most touchdowns by a tight end in Pitt history.
Toledo Season storyline: The Rockets started the year hot, rolling past Mississippi State 41-17 in Starkville to start 3-0. But Toledo couldn’t keep the momentum going. The Rockets, who at one point looked like the obvious MAC favorites, lost their final two conference games to fall out of contention for the MAC championship game, including an overtime defeat to rival Akron, which hadn’t defeated Toledo since 2013.
Player to watch: Both Jerjuan Newton and Junior Vandeross III earned All-MAC honors at wide receiver after combining for 137 catches and 1,712 yards. Newton, however, led the MAC alone with 11 touchdowns. The senior from Florida enters the bowl season with 32 career touchdown catches, a Toledo record. — Jake Trotter
ESPN BET early line: Pittsburgh -9
Rate Bowl Phoenix, Arizona Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Rutgers Season storyline: The Scarlet Knights got off to a promising start, which included back-to-back, three-point victories over Virginia Tech (26-23) and Washington (21-18) in late September. But Rutgers couldn’t sustain that momentum. The Scarlet Knights went three quarters without scoring in a 14-7 loss to Nebraska, which sparked a four-game losing streak. Rutgers bounced back, though, with consecutive wins over Minnesota (26-19) and Maryland Terrapins (31-17) to reach bowl eligibility. The Scarlet Knights routed Michigan State (41-14) in the regular-season finale to win seven games for the first time in a decade.
Player to watch: Kyle Monangai earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the fourth player in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two straight seasons. Monangai finished his senior year with 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Monangai could opt out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. That would create an opportunity for Canadian freshman Antwan Raymond, who rushed for 344 yards and five touchdowns while backing up Monangai.
Kansas State Season storyline: The Wildcats opened the year as one of the co-favorites alongside Utah to make the Big 12 championship game, and potentially, advance to the playoff. But K-State dropped three of its final four games, including one to Arizona State (24-14) and another to Iowa State (29-21), both of which advanced to the Big 12 title game instead. The Wildcats tied West Virginia for eighth in the Big 12 standings.
Player to watch: Defensive end Brendan Mott finished the regular season with a Big 12-high 8.5 sacks. He also had a fumble recovery and an interception on the way to earning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. Mott was a former walk-on from Iowa City, Iowa. Mott’s father, Joe, was an All-Big Ten defensive end at Iowa and a third-round pick of the New York Jets in 1989. — Trotter
Arkansas State Season storyline: Arkansas State extended coach Butch Jones’ contract through 2029 after he became the third FBS coach to lead at least four programs to bowl appearances (Jones previously coached at Tennessee, Cincinnati and Central Michigan). The Red Wolves won four of five games, beginning on Oct. 19 with a 44-28 victory over Southern Miss. Player to watch: Trevian Thomas was Arkansas State’s lone first-team All-Sun Belt selection. The senior safety finished the regular season with 73 tackles and five interceptions, which tied for most in the league. He ensured Arkansas State’s first winning season since 2019 with an acrobatic interception to seal a 28-21 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 24.
Bowling Green Season storyline: The Falcons emerged out of a rugged non-conference slate, which included narrow losses at Penn State (34-27) and Texas A&M (26-20), as a legitimate MAC title contender. But Bowling Green couldn’t get going offensively in a loss to Miami (OH) in the regular-season finale, which sent the RedHawks to the MAC title game, and the Falcons home.
Player to watch: Harold Fannin Jr. has emerged as one of the top playmakers in all of college football. He leads all FBS tight ends with 100 receptions for 1,342 yards to go along with nine touchdowns. Fannin topped 100 yards receiving in seven games this season. He also had a game-winning, 31-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter against Akron on Oct. 5. Fannin became just the second tight end to be named any league’s Offensive Player of the Year. He’s rising up draft boards, but if he plays in the bowl game, he’ll be the best player on the field. — Trotter
ESPN BET early line: Bowling Green -6.5
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Fort Worth, Texas Dec. 27, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Oklahoma Season storyline: Not a lot went right for the Sooners this season. They were beset with injuries, especially at receiver, and went back and forth at quarterback between Jackson Arnold and true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Arnold, a former five-star prospect, finished the season as the starter but has since entered the transfer portal. Oklahoma struggled on offense most of the season, and Brent Venables fired Seth Littrell as his offensive coordinator. Co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley is expected to call plays in the bowl game. The Sooners (6-6) were held to 17 or fewer points in five of their eight SEC games.
Player to watch: With Arnold in the portal, Hawkins is in line to get another shot at quarterback. He started three games after replacing Arnold in the first half of the Tennessee game and led Oklahoma to a 27-21 win over Auburn on the road in his first career start. But a few weeks later, in a blowout 35-9 home loss to South Carolina, Hawkins turned the ball over on the Sooners’ first three possessions and was benched in favor of Arnold the rest of the season. Hawkins has passed for 536 yards and a touchdown to go along with two interceptions.
Navy Season storyline: Navy (8-3) reeled off six straight wins to open the season and moved into the AP poll. The Midshipmen won all six of those games by double digits, but then lost their next two games to Notre Dame and Rice. Navy scored 14 or fewer points in all three of its losses. Navy finished third in the ACC after being picked 11th in the preseason, and even with the bowl game looming, faces its biggest game of the season on Saturday against Army. The Midshipmen have lost the past two games in the series.
Player to watch: One of the best comeback stories of the season, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath bounced back with a vengeance in 2024 after missing the final seven games of the 2023 season with an injured thumb. Horvath, a junior, became the first Navy quarterback to pass for more than 1,000 yards in a season since 2019. Horvath finished with 1,154 passing yards and 11 touchdowns and also rushed for 895 yards and 13 more touchdowns on the ground. — Chris Low
ESPN BET early line: Oklahoma -8.5
Birmingham Bowl Birmingham, Alabama Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Georgia Tech Season storyline: Georgia Tech (7-5) faced a difficult schedule with three of its final five games coming against top-12 teams, and the Yellow Jackets came painfully close to pulling off one of the upsets of the year in college football. After upsetting No. 4 Miami and then beating N.C. State the next week, both at home, Georgia Tech lost 44-42 in eight overtimes at No. 7 Georgia in the regular-season finale. The Yellow Jackets had a chance to win it in regulation but fumbled on third down with a minute to play, leaving Georgia enough time to drive for a touchdown and force overtime.
Player to watch: Quarterback Haynes King’s toughness was on full display all season, but never more than the eight-overtime loss to Georgia. He became the first FBS player in history to pass for 300 yards, rush for 100 yards and have three rushing touchdowns against an AP top-10 opponent. His fumble late in regulation was a killer, but the Yellow Jackets would have never been in the game without him. King, a transfer from Texas A&M, will be without his top receiver Eric Singleton Jr., who recently entered the transfer portal
Vanderbilt Season storyline: Clark Lea engineered an incredible turnaround this season at Vanderbilt, which has a chance to have its first winning season since 2013 if it can take down Georgia Tech in the bowl game. The Commodores lost 10 straight games to close the 2023 season, and Clark completely overhauled the program in the offseason. The results were immediate, as Vanderbilt started out 5-2 and made an appearance in the top 25 rankings. Along the way, Vanderbilt upset then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35 on Oct. 5, which was Vandy’s first win in the series in 40 years. The Commodores (6-6) seemed to run out of gas to end the season and lost their past three games.
Player to watch: Few players were more entertaining this season than quarterback Diego Pavia, whose ability to scramble and make big plays added a new dynamic to Vanderbilt’s offense. Pavia started his career in junior college at New Mexico Military Institute, then went to New Mexico State and transferred to Vanderbilt, where he led the Commodores in passing and rushing. He accounted for 23 touchdowns (17 passing and six rushing). — Low
ESPN BET early line: Georgia Tech -2.5
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Memphis, Tennessee Dec. 27, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Texas Tech Season storyline: Texas Tech entered the month of November still holding onto hopes of playing in the Big 12 championship game, but those hopes were dashed by a 41-27 home loss to Colorado on Nov. 9. The Red Raiders (8-4) had several big moments and wound up beating both of the teams that did play for the Big 12 title – Arizona State and Iowa State. But in losing three of four games from Oct. 19 through Nov. 9, Texas Tech gave up a total of 135 points. Coach Joey McGuire grew up in Texarkana on the Texas-Arkansas border and was a big Arkansas fan as a kid.
Player to watch: Redshirt senior Tahj Brooks broke the school’s career rushing record this season previously held by Byron Hanspard. After rushing 1,538 yards a year ago, the bruising 5-10, 230-pound Brooks has 1,505 yards in 11 games this season. He has rushed for 17 touchdowns and is ranked third nationally with 286 rushing attempts. He has been the centerpiece of the Texas Tech offense, and the Red Raiders are hopeful he will opt to play in the bowl game.
Arkansas Season storyline: The Hogs (6-6) need a win in the bowl game to avoid their second straight losing season. The high point was upsetting playoff-bound Tennessee 19-14 at home on Oct. 5, but the Hogs could never find any rhythm as the season progressed. They won just two more games the rest of the way against Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech. Three of their six losses were by a touchdown or less, and with some questions swirling about coach Sam Pittman’s future, he’s set to be back in 2025.
Player to watch: Quarterback Taylen Green’s best football is ahead of him as he tutors under offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bobby Petrino, but Green showed flashes this season after transferring to Arkansas from Boise State. Green passed for 2,813 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also threw nine interceptions. He’s great at keeping the play alive and tough to tackle. He rushed for 521 yards and seven touchdowns. — Low
ESPN BET early line: Arkansas -2.5
DirecTV Holiday Bowl San Diego, California Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)
Syracuse Season storyline: Coach Fran Brown’s first regular season at Syracuse was an overwhelming success, leading the program to its first 9-win season since 2018 and just second since 2001 (both of those were 10-win seasons). Had it not been for a puzzling home loss to Stanford early in the season, Syracuse would have had a chance to tie the single-season school wins record in this game. It was ranked No. 21 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and had two wins against top 25 teams: No. 13 Miami and No. 24 UNLV.
Player to watch: After transferring from Ohio State, quarterback Kyle McCord led the nation in passing yards (4,326) and threw 29 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. He was held to less than 300 yards in only one game all season — an overtime win against Virginia Tech — and was particularly good down the stretch, throwing for 850 yards over the final two games of the season — wins against UConn and Miami — with five touchdowns and no picks. McCord was named second-team All-ACC.
Washington State Season storyline: Wazzu’s season almost needs to be evaluated in two parts: The first nine games and the past three games. Because after starting 8-1, the Cougars rose to No. 18 in the playoff rankings and with New Mexico, Oregon State and Wyoming left on the schedule, they were chasing the school’s first 12-win season. Then disaster struck. WSU was upset in all three games to limp to the finish line, eroding much of the positive momentum it had built along the way. Coach Jake Dickert fired defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was hired away by Oklahoma at season’s end.
Player to watch: QB John Mateer was one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in college football, throwing for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdown passes and rushing for 826 yards with 15 touchdowns in the regular season. But with that success — in this new era of college football — comes questions about his future at Washington State. As former WSU starter Cam Ward was last offseason, Mateer would surely be a sought-after player in the transfer portal and if he chooses that route, it would likely mean he would not play in San Diego. — Kyle Bonagura
ESPN BET early line: Syracuse -6
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl Las Vegas, Nevada Dec. 27, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Texas A&M Season storyline: After a 7-1 start, Texas A&M looked like it had a chance to do something special — and even after losing two of its next three games — against South Carolina and Auburn — the Aggies still could have played their way into the College Football Playoff. But a 17-7 loss to Texas in the regular-season finale ended that dream, relegating the Aggies to Las Vegas. Still, Mike Elko’s first season in College Station represented a step forward following Jimbo Fisher’s ouster.
Player to watch: DE Nic Scourton. Assuming he plays, Scourton will be one of the best pass rushers USC has seen all year. He finished the regular season with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks, leading the team in both categories. In ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller’s November mock draft, Scourton was projected as the No. 20 overall pick.
USC Season storyline: USC’s third season under Lincoln Riley was such a disaster that he was forced to address reports that he was a candidate for the vacancy at UCF. Riley quickly dismissed them, but the possibility that was even slightly plausible speaks volumes. The Trojans went from 11-3 in Riley’s first season to 8-5 last year to 6-6 in 2024 and finished with a losing record (4-5) in then Big Ten. If not for a buyout of reportedly in the neighborhood of $90 million, it’s fair to question whether Riley would still be the coach.
Player to watch: RB Woody Marks. A transfer from Mississippi State, Marks was a seamless addition for USC, rushing for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns — by far the most productive season of his college career. He was one of two USC offensive or defensive players named second-team All-Big Ten, alongside offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon. — Bonagura
North Carolina Season storyline: A season that started with real promise hit a road block on Sept. 21 when the Tar Heels were demolished by James Madison, 70-50. In the aftermath, head coach Mack Brown hinted that he might walk away if the team didn’t feel it could win with him anymore, leading to speculation he’d quit. The Tar Heels lost three more in a row after that, dooming their season. The Heels did rebound late, as QB Jacolby Criswell — the Heels’ third starter of the season — found his footing, and tailback Omarion Hampton continued to abuse defenses. But losses to BC and NC State to close out the year left UNC at 6-6 and left Brown out of a job. The bowl game is as much a chance to erase the bad taste of the season as anything, but the future of North Carolina football won’t begin until a new head coach can take the reins.
Player to watch: The Heels’ defensive front was one of the year’s bigger disappointments, but seniors Kaimon Rucker, Beau Atkinson and Jahvaree Ritzie still have a chance to put a positive spin on the season against UConn. Rucker, in particular, battled injuries all year, but still finished with eight tackles for loss.
UConn Season storyline: UConn had its best campaign since 2010, finishing 8-4 in the regular season. It was another step up for a program considered arguably the most embarrassing in all of college football four years ago, now in a bowl game for the second time in three seasons under head coach Jim Mora Jr. The progress for the program was a long time coming, and the Huskies have built a roster that has the talent to compete at the Group of Five level, including QB Joe Fagnano, who threw for 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions. A win in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl would be another big turning point. The Huskies haven’t won a postseason game since 2009.
Player to watch: Senior linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown is the centerpiece of a UConn defense that will be tasked with slowing down UNC’s balanced offensive attack. Faumuina-Brown finished the regular season with 88 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss, to go with 4.5 sacks, six QB hurries and six pass breakups. — David Hale
ESPN BET early line: North Carolina -4
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl New York, New York Dec. 28, Noon ET (ABC)
Boston College Season storyline: This was always going to be a season of change for Boston College, with Bill O’Brien taking over as head coach and a new approach to a system for the Eagles. A big part of that shift was reeling in QB Thomas Castellanos, who was a prolific runner in 2023 but asked to play more from the pocket in 2024. That formula didn’t quite work out, and Castellanos was ultimately benched — a decision that resulted in him leaving the team. After Grayson James took over, however, the offense came to life and BC won its final two games against North Carolina and Pitt. James had four touchdowns and no picks in those games.
Player to watch: Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward have been a dynamic duo in BC’s backfield this season, combining for 1,131 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. They’re a thunder-and-lightning combination, with Robichaux serving as the power back who dominates at the goal line, while Ward is explosive and a weapon in the passing game.
Nebraska Season storyline: Here’s the good news: Nebraska is playing in a bowl game. That’s something the Cornhuskers couldn’t say since 2016. This year, they ended the longest bowl drought in the country, so that’s an unquestionable success story. But, it’s not exactly where Nebraska fans wanted their team to be either. After a 5-1 start to the season, the Huskers dropped five of their next six to finish at .500. Their woeful record in one-possession games continued, too, with losses to Illinois, Ohio State, UCLA, USC and Iowa all coming by eight points or less. And while heralded freshman QB Dylan Raiola had some nice moments, his final stat line — 12 touchdowns, 10 INTs, 6.8 yards-per-pass — wasn’t exactly going to get him into the All-Big Ten conversation. So yes, Nebraska is happy to be here. But it would be a lot happier if it’s fighting for a playoff berth this time next year.
Player to watch: Ty Robinson is the leader of a veteran defensive front that has been one of the nation’s best at stopping the run. Nebraska ended the regular season allowing just 106 yards per game on the ground, No. 12 nationally, along with just six rushing touchdowns. Robinson had 22 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage, leading the way, along with John Bullock and Jimmy Butler, who each chipped in with a run stuff rate better than 5%. — Hale
ESPN BET early line: Nebraska -4
Isleta New Mexico Bowl Albuquerque, New Mexico Dec. 28, 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Louisiana Season storyline: In his third season as the Ragin Cajuns’ head coach Michael Desormeaux delivered a 10-3 campaign that featured a six-game winning streak and an improvement on close games (they lost five games by a touchdown or less last season). Getting back to double-digit wins was huge for Desormeaux after back-to-back 6-7 years following the departure of Billy Napier to Florida. The Cajuns finished atop the Sun Belt during the regular season, and though they lost to Marshall in the conference championship game, the trajectory of the program seems to be headed in the right direction under Desormeaux.
Player to watch: RB Bill Davis. Despite his youth, Davis’ carries increased and he made the most of them. He led the team in rushing yards (775) and touchdowns (nine) and was an immediate difference maker for the Cajuns in just his first full year. Heading into the bowl, Davis has showed both consistency and explosiveness as he had touchdown runs of 49, 60 and 73 yards this season and could be due for a breakaway any time he touches the ball.
TCU Season storyline: After a disappointing 5-7 season that followed their 2022 national title run, TCU bounced back this season with an 8-win campaign that culminated with the Horned Frogs winning five of their last six games of the season. Sonny Dikes seems to have TCU’s passing offense back on track. This season, it was one of eight teams in the country that averaged over 300 passing yards per game. The imbalance, however, was pretty stark — the Horned Frogs are 90th in rushing attack and only averaging just over four yards per carry this season. The recipe is quintessentially air raid and, though it was good enough in 2022 (when they ranked 79th in rushing) it might need some work going forward.
Player to watch: QB Josh Hoover. The sophomore had a quiet breakout year and showed his talent as a passer. Hoover threw for 3,697 yards and 308 per game (top 10 in the nation among all quarterbacks) while adding 23 touchdowns plus four more on the ground. The 10 interceptions are an eyesore, but Hoover has shown he is capable of leading TCU’s offense in the near future should he remain with the Horned Frogs for the bowl game and beyond. — Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: TCU -10
Pop-Tarts Bowl Orlando, Florida Dec. 28, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Iowa State Season storyline: The Cyclones, like Miami, cracked the top 10 in the rankings at one point this season, but a midseason lull against Texas Tech and Kansas upended lofty expectations. The losses were due, in large part, to myriad injuries that had taken their toll on Iowa State, but the Cyclones rebounded nicely to secure a spot in the Big 12 title game before ultimately falling to red-hot Arizona State. Still, at 10-3, this is already the most successful season in Iowa State history, and finishing it off with a bowl win would be the cherry on top for a program that should return a number of key players for 2024, including QB Rocco Becht.
Player to watch: Assuming both suit up for the bowl game, Iowa State will be the only team in the country to feature a pair of 1,000 yard receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The duo has been dynamic all year, combining to account for 159 of the Cyclones’ 181 catches and 16 of 17 touchdowns by wide receivers.
Miami Season storyline: At 10-2, the 2024 campaign marks the precipice of Mario Cristobal’s return to Miami, and yet there’s no way to interpret this season other than a disappointment considering what the Hurricanes’ expectations were and the opportunity missed after blowing a 21-0 lead at Syracuse in Week 14. The consolation prize is a bowl game against another team that came up one win short of the College Football Playoff, but the question is just how interested Miami is in putting a bow on a season that fans have already decided is a gift they want to return to the store. That said, Miami is 1-11 in its past 12 bowl games, so finishing with a win here would still represent real progress — even if it’s not the finish line Canes fans had dreamed about.
Player to watch: The fatal flaw for the Hurricanes all season has been a makeshift secondary that was torched routinely, including by Syracuse’s Kyle McCord in the regular-season finale. Iowa State’s passing game is among the most dynamic in the country, putting freshman corner OJ Frederique Jr.and the rest of the Miami defensive backs on notice. Frederique was perhaps the lone bright spot at the position, finishing the regular season having allowed just 38% completions and one touchdown. — Hale
Miami (OH) Season storyline: A year after winning the MAC, the RedHawks began the season 1-4 and could have easily been 0-5 had it not been for a close win against UMass. The offense appeared to be discombobulated and its inability to finish drives and score at a high level was putting too much pressure on Miami’s defense. Then, things flipped. The offense found a rhythm and the RedHawks ripped off seven straight wins to once again finish atop the conference. Though they were soundly beaten by Marshall in the conference championship, the way they were able to bounce back from a slow start to the season was impressive. Last year, they could not cap off their year with a bowl win, losing to Appalachian State in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl, and they’ll be hoping to change that this time around.
Player to watch: Running back Keyon Mozee. After getting only 19 carries and running for just 60 yards in his first three games of the season, the senior started getting more opportunities and proceeded to carry the RedHawks through the year. From the fifth game of the season against Toledo through the end of the year, Mozee got double-digit carries in every game and posted six games of 100 rushing yards or more. In fact, the RedHawks won all seven games in which Mozee crossed the 100-yard mark this season.
Colorado State Season storyline: A 2-3 start to the season did not fluster the Rams, who are bound for the new Pac-12 in 2026. Colorado State went on a five-game winning streak, finished second in the Mountain West and were a UNLV loss away from playing in the conference title game. The Rams’ 8-4 season is nothing to shrug at; the program hadn’t had a winning season since 2017, and it appears that coach Jay Norvell has it headed in a positive direction.
Player to watch: RB Avery Morrow. Talk about saving your best for last. Morrow, a fifth-year senior, had never had a season as productive as this one and was coming off a 2023 campaign in which he did not see much of the field and had only 262 yards. Though there may have been other running backs in the Rams’ room who had more potential coming into the season, Morrow led the team with 956 rushing yards on 166 carries and added nine touchdowns. — Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: Miami (OH) -1.5
Go BowlingMilitary Bowl Annapolis, Maryland Dec. 28, 5:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)
East Carolina Season storyline: The Pirates looked to be a sinking ship after coach Mike Houston was fired after a 3-4 start. Defensive coordinator Blake Harrell was named interim coach, then was hired to replace Houston after guiding ECU to a four-game winning streak in which it had more than 500 yards of offense in victories over Temple, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa and North Texas. The Pirates’ winning streak ended with a 34-20 loss to Navy on Nov. 29. The Pirates will be playing in a bowl game for the third time in four seasons, and they finished with a winning record in AAC play (5-3) for the third time since joining the conference.
Player to watch: Sophomore Michigan State transfer Katin Houser took over the starting quarterback job in a 45-28 loss at Army, the day before Houston was fired. Houser has a 4-2 record as ECU’s starter, averaging 287.5 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In a 49-14 victory over Florida Atlantic, Houser completed 17 of 22 passes for 343 yards with five touchdowns and ran for another score. He has passed for 1,859 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. One of Houser’s favorite targets has been Anthony Smith, who transferred from NC State before the season.
NC State Season storyline: Things went sideways for the Wolfpack in a 51-10 loss to Tennessee on Sept. 7, and coach Dave Doeren and his staff struggled to get things back on track. After going 9-4 in 2023, the Wolfpack limped to a 6-6 finish, including 3-5 in ACC play. The Wolfpack had to defeat rival North Carolina 35-30 on Nov. 30 to become bowl eligible. NC State’s Hollywood Smothers scored the winning touchdown with 25 seconds to play in Tar Heels coach Mack Brown’s final game. The Wolfpack will be without defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, who was named Marshall’s new coach on Sunday. Former NC State linebacker Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay will serve as the interim coordinator and call defensive plays in the bowl game.
Player to watch: Defensive end Davin Vann led the FBS with six forced fumbles, which matched NC State’s single-season record. The Cary, North Carolina, native had 41 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss and 6½ sacks. Vann had three tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble to help NC State rally from a 23-10 deficit in a 24-23 win at California on Oct. 19. One of the Wolfpack’s captains, Vann helped residents of North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene by mobilizing his family’s moving company. — Mark Schlabach
ESPN BET early line: NC State -5
Valero Alamo Bowl San Antonio, Texas Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
BYU Season storyline: After winning their first nine games, including a 22-21 victory at rival Utah on Nov. 9, the Cougars were ranked No. 6 in the second edition of the CFP selection committee’s rankings. But then back-to-back losses to Kansas and Arizona State knocked BYU out of the CFP and the Big 12 title game. The Cougars rebounded to beat Houston 30-18 on Nov. 30, which gave them 10 victories in a season for the third time under coach Kalani Sitake. The Cougars have already doubled their win total from last season’s 5-7 campaign. On Saturday, BYU announced it had signed Sitake to a long-term contract extension.
Player to watch: Quarterback Jake Retzlaff excited BYU’s fan base with his strong play in his first season. A transfer from Riverside City College in California, Retzlaff completed 57.9% of his passes for 2,796 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In his first start against FCS program Southern Illinois, he threw for 348 yards with three touchdowns. Retzlaff is one of only three Jewish students at BYU, according to The Associated Press, and once brought a kosher food truck to a team weight training.
Colorado Season storyline: If Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders was indeed “keeping receipts,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback will have a lot to crow about after his turnaround season. After losing eight of their last nine games to finish 4-8 in Sanders’ first season, the Buffaloes went 9-3 in 2024. They were on a four-game winning streak until a 37-21 loss at Kansas on Nov. 23 knocked them out of the Big 12 championship race. The Buffaloes are led by Travis Hunter, a two-way star and Heisman Trophy favorite, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a potential No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft. Sanders has completed 74.2% of his attempts for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Buffaloes did a better job of protecting Sanders this season; he was sacked 38 times after being dropped 52 times in 2023.
Player to watch: Deion Sanders said his son and Hunter will play in the bowl game. Hunter is the only player in the FBS to log over 150 snaps on both offense and defense. Hunter is the Buffaloes’ leading receiver with 92 catches for 1,152 yards with 14 touchdowns. As a cornerback, he has 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions and one forced fumble. Hunter had the fifth-highest offensive grade (86.2) among receivers in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus, and the third-highest coverage grade (90.9) among cornerbacks. — Schlabach
Marshall Season storyline: It was a highly successful but strange season for the Thundering Herd, which won their last seven games, including a 31-3 rout of Louisiana in Saturday’s Sun Belt championship game. The next day, Marshall coach Charles Huff was hired as Southern Miss’ new coach. Huff was working in the final year of his contract and had turned down a chance to extend the deal in 2023. The Thundering Herd moved quickly to hire NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to replace Huff. Marshall associate head coach Telly Lockette will serve as interim coach in the bowl game.
Player to watch: Thundering Herd defensive lineman Mike Green was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year after he led the FBS with 21 tackles for loss and was second with 16 sacks. Green, who transferred to Marshall from Virginia, had a sack in nine of 12 games this season. Green needs one more sack to break Marshall’s single-season record of 17, set by Cecil Fletcher in 1986.
Army Season storyline: It has been a dream season for the Black Knights, who won the academy’s first conference title in the 134-year history of the program by defeating Tulane 35-14 in Friday’s AAC championship game. Army won its first nine games; its only loss was a 49-14 defeat against Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 23. There’s still one big prize left, as the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy is up for grabs in Saturday’s Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland. The Black Knights won 11 games for the second time in program history; the other time was in 2018 under coach Jeff Monken.
Player to watch: Army senior Bryson Daily is the heart and soul of the offense, running for 29 touchdowns, which is tied with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty for the FBS lead (Daily has played two fewer games). The senior from Abernathy, Texas, has completed 57.7% of his passes for 877 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. He has been more potent running the ball with 1,480 yards on 264 attempts. Daily was named AAC Offensive Player of the Year and was MVP of the AAC title game. — Schlabach
ESPN BET early line: Army -13
TransPerfect Music City Bowl Nashville, Tennessee Dec. 30, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Iowa Season storyline: It has been your typical Iowa storyline: a team that’s really good defensively (10th in points allowed) with some offensive challenges. Overall, it was a good season for Iowa at 8-4, with its only blowout loss coming against Ohio State in Columbus. A number of opt-outs will have this team looking different in this particular game, but for a team that finished the season winning four of its last five and going up against a good Missouri team (that will have its own share of opt-outs), it will be an interesting test for Iowa entering 2025.
Player to watch: Running back and Doak Walker Award finalist Kaleb Johnson isn’t playing, but Kamari Moulton is. Moulton was the starter to begin the season, before being replaced by Johnson. He had 70 attempts on the season for 377 yards and two TDs, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Quarterback Cade McNamara is transferring out, and Brendan Sullivan will be the starter for Kirk Ferentz’s team, so we could be seeing plenty of No. 28.
Missouri Season storyline: The Tigers were a popular preseason pick for the College Football Playoff. They finished the season 9-3, with their three losses coming on the road and against teams that were in the Playoff mix in the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers can still clinch a 10-win season, which would mark the third time they did so in back-to-back seasons.
Player to watch: The rest of the receiving room at Missouri. Luther Burden III, one of the best receivers in the nation, won’t be playing in this one. But Missouri is not without other talented wideouts who could step up. Theo Wease Jr. has been credited by Burden for his growth as a player, and Marquis Johnson is another whom the coaching staff has raved about. Of course, Iowa’s defense won’t make anything easy. — Lyles
ESPN BET early line: Missouri -1.5
ReliaQuest Bowl Tampa, Florida Dec. 31, Noon ET (ESPN)
Alabama Season storyline: Kalen DeBoer finished his first regular season with the Crimson Tide at 9-3 and outside the playoff, which might make the Alabama faithful a bit restless considering all the success they were used to under Nick Saban. The Tide’s ugly 24-3 loss at Oklahoma in November (as a double-digit favorite), perhaps the biggest reason Alabama just missed a playoff spot, is also a big source of frustration for the fan base. While there was a big win against SEC champion Georgia and a nice road win at LSU, this season will more than likely be remembered for not only the Tide’s loss to Oklahoma, but also their first loss to Vanderbilt in 40 years.
Player to watch: WR Ryan Williams. All season long, Williams has dazzled Alabama and college football fans with his spectacular and often jaw-dropping catches as an 18-year-old true freshman. His presence alone makes the Alabama offense appointment viewing, even if the unit as a whole has struggled with consistency this season. You just never know when Williams might do something extraordinary that he makes look like another day on the football field. In the regular season, Williams had 857 yards receiving with eight touchdowns and averaged 19 yards per catch. He finished the season with five straight games with at least one catch that went 40 yards or longer.
Michigan Season storyline: Let’s be honest. The season was saved thanks to a 13-10 win at rival Ohio State that stunned not only the Buckeyes but just about every college football observer. Up to that point, the defending national champions had a season they would rather forget — as the offense struggled with ineffective quarterback play for the bulk of the season. Michigan first-year coach Sherrone Moore found it difficult to replace the production of so many players the team lost to the NFL draft. As a result, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell has already been fired. But Moore is now 2-0 vs. the Buckeyes (he was the Wolverines’ interim coach in last year’s game while Jim Harbaugh was serving his three-game suspension) and delivered one of their most memorable wins in the series. Perhaps just as satisfying, Michigan’s win prevented Ohio State from playing for a Big Ten title.
Player to watch: K Dominic Zvada. While we concede it is a bit unusual to choose a kicker as a player to watch, Zvada has provided the lion’s share of the Michigan offense this season — and is the reason for the win over Ohio State, when he kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left. The Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year, Zvada is the first kicker in school history with four or more field goals for 50-plus yards in one season (he has a whopping seven). His only miss on the season was a 28-yard attempt against Illinois that was blocked. — Adelson
ESPN BET early line: Alabama -11.5
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl El Paso, Texas Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)
Louisville Season storyline: For the most part, Louisville is a good example of how uneven scheduling can make an impact as these power conferences get larger. The Cardinals drew conference games against SMU, Clemson and Miami, in addition to the nonconference game against Notre Dame scheduled by the ACC. The Cardinals went 1-3 in those games, leaving little doubt about where they belonged in the conference pecking order. Louisville was competitive in all those games, which makes its 38-35 loss to Stanford that much harder to comprehend.
Player to watch: WR Ja’Corey Brooks. After three years at Alabama, Brooks transferred to Louisville in the offseason and immediately became one of the Cardinals’ most important players. The former five-star recruit finished the season with 61 catches for 1,013 yards with nine touchdowns and was a first-team All-ACC selection.
Washington Season storyline: After reaching the national title game last season, this season always figured to be a step back in Seattle. The loss of coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama and significant roster turnover — due to departing seniors and the transfer portal — resulted in what amounted to a reset for new coach Jedd Fisch. It was clear after losing the Apple Cup in September, this wasn’t a team that was going to be a serious challenger in its first Big Ten season, and it remained mediocre the rest of the way.
Player to watch: LB Carson Bruener. Bruener committed to UW in 2019, when Chris Petersen was still the coach, then played for Jimmy Lake, DeBoer and Fisch during a standout career. He led the Huskies this season with 93 tackles and three interceptions and was the only player on the team that received higher than honorable mention all-conference honors (he was a third-team selection). — Bonagura
South Carolina Season storyline: South Carolina closed the season as one of the hottest teams in the country, with six straight victories — including three at the time its opponents were ranked (Texas A&M, Missouri and at rival Clemson). The Gamecocks thought that should have been enough to at least get them into the conversation for the 12-team playoff, but they finished No. 15 in the final CFP selection committee standings. Putting the playoffs aside, South Carolina had a terrific season, and has an opportunity to win 10 games for the first time since going 11-2 in 2013. The fact it was able to push past heartbreaking losses to LSU and Alabama and end the season as one of the best teams in the country speaks to the job Shane Beamer has done this season.
Player to watch: QB LaNorris Sellers. If you have not watched Sellers play yet this season, make sure to tune in because boy is he fun to watch. At 6-foot-3, 243 pounds, Sellers has the size to run through people but also the speed to run by people – a combination that has gotten the best of many good defenses this season. That includes Clemson in the regular-season finale as the Tigers had a hard time wrapping Sellers up and tackling him. His 20-yard run through the heart of the Clemson defense with 1:08 left delivered a 17-14 win. He delivers a pretty ball, too, and completed nearly 65% of his passes this season while throwing for 2,274 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Illinois Season storyline: What a season it has been for Illinois and coach Bret Bielema, who have gone 9-3 in one of the biggest surprises not just in the Big Ten but the entire country. Indiana might have Illinois beat for best turnaround, but that does not diminish the job Bielema has done any less, as Illinois has won nine games for the first time since 2007. The last time the Fighting Illini won 10 games? That would be 2001. While they did not beat any teams ranked in the top 25 at the time, there were still several solid wins on the schedule, including Kansas, Michigan and Nebraska.
Player to watch: QB Luke Altmyer. The junior emerged as one of the most efficient passers in the country, throwing 21 touchdown passes to just five interceptions, while adding another four scores and 219 yards on the ground. Altmyer threw for 2,543 yards and completed nearly 61% of his passes, but beyond the numbers he’s as clutch as they come. According to Illinois, he’s the only quarterback in the nation with three game-winning touchdown passes in the final two minutes or overtime this season — in overtime wins over Purdue and Nebraska, and with 4 seconds left in a win over Rutgers. — Adelson
Baylor Season storyline: Dave Aranda came into the season fully on the hot seat after the Bears went 3-9 and ranked 101st in offense (23.1 ppg) and 116th in defense (allowing 33.3 ppg). Aranda, who arrived from LSU after the 2019 national championship season where he served as defensive coordinator, took over the play-calling duties for the defense and hired Jake Spavital to spread the field on offense. Baylor started 2-4, with losses to BYU, Iowa State, Colorado and Utah, but suddenly put it together, beating Texas Tech 59-35, the start of a six-game winning streak,, finishing the season averaging 34.7 points per game, 21st nationally.
Player to watch: Redshirt freshman running back Bryson Washington had 10 carries for 45 yards in three games as a freshman in Waco and had 21, 31 and 28 yards in Baylor’s three early-season losses, and did not play against Utah. But against Texas Tech, he had 10 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and went on to average 136 yards per game when Baylor got hot, including 196 yards and four TDs in a 3-point win over TCU and finishing the season with 192 yards and two scores against Kansas.
LSU Season storyline: The Tigers, breaking in new offensive and defensive coordinators this season, opened with what looked like a heavyweight bout with USC, losing to the Trojans, 27-20, at the Vegas Kickoff Classic on Sept. 1. They rattled off six straight wins, including an OT victory over No. 9 Ole Miss to climb back to No. 8 in the country. But three straight losses to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida knocked them out of the SEC race before finishing with home wins against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
Player to watch: Garrett Nussmeier skipped the Texas Bowl in 2022 after the 2021 season to preserve his redshirt amid the coaching change from Ed Orgeron to Brian Kelly. He said recently he will play in this year’s game while he’s still deciding if he’s going to return to LSU or enter the NFL draft after throwing for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns with 11 interceptions this season. Nussmeier was MVP of LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin last season, throwing for 395 yards with three TDs. — Wilson
Duke Season storyline: When Mike Elko left at the end of the 2023 season to take the Texas A&M job, it appeared as though the sky might be falling at Duke. A host of big-name talent left behind him, including Riley Leonard, RJ Oben and Aeneas Peebles. Manny Diaz was hired to rebuild the ship, and most doubted it could be done quickly. Instead, Diaz landed a prized QB transfer in Maalik Murphy and bolstered the line of scrimmage with transfers from smaller schools at lower levels. The unlikely alchemy worked, and Duke rolled to a surprising 9-3 season, led largely by explosive plays from Murphy and an attacking defensive front that finished the regular season with the second-most tackles for loss in the country, trailing only its bowl game opponent, Ole Miss.
Player to watch: Duke right tackle Brian Parker is one of the top edge blockers in the ACC, and transfer Bruno Fina has handled himself well at left tackle. The pair will be critical in giving Duke any hopes at pulling off a win against a ferocious Ole Miss pass rush. The key to Duke’s offense is the big play downfield, but giving Murphy time to throw will be a concern.
Ole Miss Season storyline: If Duke’s season is one marked by surprising success, Ole Miss enters its bowl game wondering what might have been. The Rebels lost three games, all by a touchdown or less, including defeats at the hands of Kentucky and Florida. Win either of those games, and the Rebels are likely in the College Football Playoff. So, what does that mean for the bowl game? Lane Kiffin’s team might justifiably view this as an unwanted consolation prize, and given the amount of veteran talent that was expected to help propel Ole Miss toward a championship, it wouldn’t be a shock if the roster for the bowl game looks a good bit different than the one Kiffin had at his disposal during the season. Still, Ole Miss remains an incredibly talented team, and with all due respect to Alabama and others, the Rebels could rightly claim the title of best team not in the playoff.
Player to watch: Sophomore Suntarine Perkins was a standout performer on the Ole Miss defensive front this season, racking up 10.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, eight QB hurries and an interception. Just how many of his teammates on the Rebels’ D-line will be joining him in this game is an open question, but Perkins is enough of a handful on his own to warrant ample attention from the Duke coaching staff, who’ll be desperate to protect its quarterback. — Hale
ESPN BET early line: Ole Miss -11.5
SERVPRO First Responders Bowl Dallas, Texas Jan. 3, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)
North Texas Season storyline: The Mean Green started 5-1 with only a loss to Texas Tech, then suffered 8-point losses to two of the AAC’s best, at Memphis and home against Tulane. They lost 14-3 against Army, followed by losses at UTSA and against East Carolina. The Mean Green rebounded with a road win at Temple to end the five-game skid and become bowl eligible for the first time under second-year head coach Eric Morris.
Player to watch: Former Oklahoma and TCU quarterback Chandler Morris threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns this year and ran for 242 and four touchdowns. He had four 400-yard games this season, including 439 yards and 5 TDs against Tulsa and 449 and three more against Tulane, while leading a UNT offense that ranks third nationally in yards per game (488.7). His father, Chad Morris, is the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for Texas State.
Texas State Season storyline: The Bobcats return to the First Responders Bowl after beating Rice 45-21 last year in the first bowl win in school history. It was a breakthrough season in coach G.J. Kinne’s first year after the Bobcats had won four or fewer games for the previous eight seasons. Expectations were high, and they started 2-0 with Arizona State coming to town, the eventual Big 12 champs and No. 4 seed in the CFP, escaping with a 31-28 win. Close losses would become a theme: The Bobcats finished 7-5, with those five losses by an average of 5.6 points.
Player to watch: Senior Jordan McCloud was the Sun Belt player of the year at James Madison last season, transferring in to take the reins of Kinne’s offense. He’s experienced and well-traveled, making 43 career starts at Arizona, South Florida, James Madison and Texas State, has thrown for 9,828 yards and 87 TDs with 37 INTs and run for 984 yards and 20 scores. This year, he has thrown for 2,920 yards and 29 TDs with the Bobcats averaging 37.1 points per game, 10th-best nationally. — Wilson
ESPN BET early line: Texas State -7.5
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Charlotte, North Carolina Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Minnesota Season storyline: PJ Fleck’s eighth season in charge at Minnesota was as up-and-down as any he has had. The Gophers started with a disappointing 2-3 record with home defeats to North Carolina and Iowa, but they rallied, upsetting USC and Illinois, nearly doing the same to Penn State and pummeling Wisconsin 24-7 in a game that both returned Paul Bunyan’s Axe to Minneapolis and prevented the hated Badgers from reaching bowl eligibility.
Player to watch: CB Ethan Robinson. The Bucknell transfer earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors, and you could make the case that he deserved even better than that: He led the Gophers with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups and allowed just one touchdown pass. Robinson and a sticky secondary could make things awfully difficult for the Virginia Tech offense.
Virginia Tech Season storyline: Entering the season with top 25 expectations following last season’s late surge, Tech instead began the year 2-3 with disappointing losses to both Vanderbilt and Rutgers. They played brilliantly in a last-second loss to Miami and seemed to be peaking just in time for injuries to wreck their offensive backfield. Still, a midseason three-game winning streak and a late-season pummeling of Virginia salvaged bowl eligibility.
Player to watch: The quarterback, whoever it is. With so many senior stars — running back Bhayshul Tuten, edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland, nickel back Keonta Jenkins — who might choose to opt out in the coming weeks, it’s hard to figure out which Hokies will definitely see the field in Charlotte. But whether it’s Kyron Drones’ swan song after an injury-plagued season or it’s freshman William Watson III attempting to continue a pretty solid audition for the 2025 starting job, Tech will have someone pretty intriguing behind center. — Connelly
ESPN BET early line: Minnesota -4.5
Bahamas Bowl Nassau, Bahamas Jan. 4, 11 a.m. ET (ESPN2)
Buffalo Season storyline: The Bulls rebounded nicely from a 3-9 season in 2023 under first-year coach Pete Lembo, who returned to the MAC and helped Buffalo to its highest wins total since 2019. Buffalo recorded notable MAC wins against Northern Illinois, triumphing in overtime on the road, a win against Toledo, and overcame several blowout defeats to win its final four regular-season contests. Lembo’s team has a balanced offense that limits turnovers and a defense with some star power but some inconsistent play. The Bulls boast one of the nation’s best and most prolific linebacker tandems in Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock, who have combined for 302 tackles to lead the MAC, including 30.5 for loss and eight quarterback hurries.
Player to watch: Dolac. The senior linebacker won MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the FBS in total tackles with 159, while leading the conference in both tackles for loss (16.5) and interceptions (5). He also led the league in tackles last season with 147, which ranked second nationally. Dolac earned MAC defensive player of the week honors five times, a program record, and had a pick-six and two interceptions in a late-season win against Eastern Michigan. Liberty will need to craft its offensive game plan around identifying the 6-1, 225-pound Dolac, who is all over the field for coordinator Joe Bowen’s defense.
Liberty Season storyline: The Flames won a team-record 13 games and reached the Fiesta Bowl in 2023, and returned star quarterback Kaidon Salter and other key pieces for coach Jamey Chadwell. But after a 5-0 start, Liberty saw its nation-long win streak end against winless Kennesaw State, marking the first time in 23 years – and just the sixth time in the AP Poll era, that a team 5-0 or better fell to an opponent 0-5 or worse. The Flames would drop two more games and failed to qualify for the Conference USA championship game. Led by Salter and Quinton Cooley, Chadwell’s offense remained solid but didn’t reach its standard productivity level.
Player to watch: Running back Quinton Cooley. After a 1,400-yard season in 2023, Cooley continued to consistently pile up yards, even for a less-potent Liberty offense. He had eight 100-yard rushing performances and four multi-touchdown games, finishing the regular season with 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 contests (Liberty’s game against Appalachian State was canceled). A bowling ball at 5-7 and 220 pounds, Cooley averaged at least 4.1 carries in every game and six yards per carry in six games. He will be a challenge for a Buffalo team that ranks 62nd nationally in defending the run. — Rittenberg
The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery is in the books, which means it’s time for the league to turn its attention to the next major item on the offseason agenda: the expansion draft to determine the Golden State Valkyries’ roster.
After years of discussion, expansion has finally arrived. The Valkyries, first announced in October 2023, will begin play in the 2025 season. They are the first new team to enter the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, and will be followed in the 2026 season by yet unnamed Toronto and Portland franchises.
In order to fill out the Valkyries’ roster, the league will hold an expansion draft on Dec. 6. For a full explanation of the process, go here.
The short of it is this: the Valkyries can pick up to 12 players, but no more than one from each of the other 12 teams. The current teams, meanwhile, can protect six players who will be ineligible for selection. That includes those on the current roster, as well as those whose draft rights they hold.
The current teams must have their lists turned in to the league by Monday, which will give the Valkyries time to make decisions and discuss potential trades. Unfortunately, those lists will not be made public, but we can still predict what each team might do.
Ahead of Monday’s deadline, here’s a look at the six players that each team might protect:
Atlanta Dream
The Dream have three players who are certainly going to be protected: Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray.
After that, there’s a number of players who could earn the final three spots. French center Iliana Rupert, who didn’t play in the WNBA last season but has shown a lot of promise overseas, would likely be on the list. She probably has the most upside of any young Dream player. Her contract expired while she was suspended, so the Dream have exclusive negotiating rights.
Tina Charles might come to mind, but she is ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries because she will be an unrestricted free agent and has already played the maximum two seasons under the core designation. The Dream probably wouldn’t have bothered protecting her anyway given her age.
That leaves two more players to protect. Will the Dream lean toward youth and their recent draft picks? Or ensure they have solid veterans to fill out the roster? You have to imagine last year’s first-round pick, Nyadiew Puoch, who stayed overseas in Australia last season, would be safe. Given that none of the other players on the roster stood out last season, perhaps they just protect their future assets and add Isobel Borlase, another Australian who has shown promise overseas.
There are three names that we can write down in Sharpie for the Sky’s protected list: Kamilla Cardoso, Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese.
Considering some of the flashes Michaela Onyenwere showed this season, particularly after the Olympic break, she should make the cut as well. If her 3-point shooting (36.8% on two attempts per game) can translate to a higher volume, that would make her a great fit on this roster.
Speaking of shooting, this team desperately needs some players who can space the floor around Cardoso and Reese, so Rachel Banham makes sense as another one to ensure stays around. The Sky also would not want to lose her after acquiring her as part of the Marina Mabrey trade.
The final spot on the list would then come down to one of their veteran frontcourt players, Elizabeth Williams or Isabelle Harrison. Williams missed most of the season with a knee injury, but she’s a truly elite defensive player when healthy. Harrison, meanwhile, had a tough campaign after returning from a knee injury that cost her all of the 2023 season. She is also an unrestricted free agent, and considering the rules restrict the Valkyries to only one such player, it makes more sense to protect Williams.
The Sun are in a unique spot heading into 2025, as they have just three players under contract: Marina Mabrey, Tyasha Harris and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. They also have two players, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones, who are ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries because they’re set to be unrestricted free agents and have hit the limit of two seasons played under the core designation.
So, where does that leave the Sun? In a pretty good place for this process. Alyssa Thomas, 2024 Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington, Mabrey and Harris are all locks to be protected. In addition, 2024 first-round pick Leila Lacan will be on the list. The 20-year-old French guard didn’t come over to the W last season, and it’s unclear when she will, but with her potential the Sun have to protect that asset.
The last spot likely comes down to two players: Veronica Burton and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Neither has really done all that much in their short careers, and the Sun currently do not have a coach so it’s difficult to say for sure. Burton is a high-level perimeter defender, though, and that’s a skillset that will always be useful.
No team had a more disappointing 2024 season than the Wings, who won just nine games amid a horrible injury crisis. They suddenly have major hope for the future, however, after winning the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery and the right to select Paige Bueckers. Now, they must figure out who will still be in Dallas alongside her next season.
There are five names we can be pretty much certain will be on the Wings’ protected list: Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally (who is an unrestricted free agent and has expressed interest in leaving), Teaira McCowan, Maddy Siegrist and Jacy Sheldon, last year’s No. 5 overall pick.
That leaves one spot. Natasha Howard is ineligible, and likely wouldn’t have been protected anyway considering she’s an unrestricted free agent and has indicated she’ll leave. The Wings would be thrilled if the Valkyries took on Kalani Brown’s contract, so it won’t be her. Then there’s the Wings’ cadre of young players, none of whom have particularly impressed. As such, they might end up going with the one who hasn’t played in the W yet: Carla Leite, the 20-year-old Frenchwoman and No. 9 pick in 2024.
There shouldn’t be too much deliberation in Indianapolis. The five starters from last season are all locks: Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston. There’s no guarantee all of those players are in Fever uniforms next season. Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent and Smith is a candidate to be traded after posting what certainly seemed to be a farewell message. However, the Fever have to protect the assets.
The final spot should belong to Temi Fagbenle, who established herself as a key rotation player, and even started the team’s final playoff game, due to how well she connected with Clark. While Damiris Dantas could make a case with her ability to space the floor, Fagbenle was a much more important part of the team.
There are four names we don’t have to think twice about with the Aces: A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum — an unrestricted free agent — and Chelsea Gray. The core four will be protected.
The debate will start with the last two spots, which should come down to four other players: Alysha Clark, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kate Martin. Clark and Hayes are the two best players in the bunch, but they’re both unrestricted free agents — the Valkyries can only select one such player in total — and in their late 30s. Stokes can clog up the team’s offense, but she is the only reliable true big on the team outside of Wilson. As for Martin, she fell out of the rotation late in the season, but is the only intriguing young player on the roster.
In the end, it probably makes the most sense to keep Clark and Martin. Even at 37, Clark’s ability to space the floor and handle bigger matchups on defense remains crucial for the Aces. Would the Valkyries actually take her? Probably not, but why even take the chance? In regards to Martin, she showed some positive signs early in her rookie season and has potential as a solid role player given her shooting ability. Plus, the Aces’ cap crunch means they desperately need players on budget contracts who can produce.
Leaving Hayes unprotected is a risk, but a calculated one. She’s a 35-year-old unrestricted free agent who has already announced her retirement once, all of which are good reasons for the Valkyries to pass on her. As for Stokes, the team often looked better when she was off the floor, and her skillset is perhaps the easiest one to replace in the league.
The Sparks are another team that almost certainly have four locks to be protected: Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens. While Rae Burrell isn’t quite in that “locks” group, she should be safe as well. Her shooting and versatility on the wing figure to be perfect for new head coach Lynne Roberts’ system.
The final spot for the Sparks’ protected list is more difficult to predict. Stephanie Talbot is coming off a very rough 2024, but her career performance would suggest she’s a good fit for Roberts’ approach. Lexie Brown can really shoot the ball when she’s healthy, but has only played 28 total games in the last two seasons. Kia Nurse has never lived up to the early hype and is an unrestricted free agent anyway The team needs a point guard, especially after Layshia Clarendon’s retirement and losing the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes in the draft lottery, but the choices there aren’t super inspiring. Aari McDonald is a serious pest on defense, but she can’t shoot. Julie Allemand, meanwhile, might be the best player of the bunch, but there’s no guarantee she ever returns to the W.
Point guard is the most clear need, so perhaps they just go with Allemand and hope that they can convince her to come back to the States for the first time since 2022. This feels like a total toss-up, though.
Considering their depth, you might think that the Lynx would be a difficult team to predict. On the contrary, it seems quite obvious what they’ll do.
The entire starting lineup is a lock to be protected. That’s Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith. For their final spot, they’ll almost certainly add former No. 2 pick Diamond Miller to the list. Injuries and inexperience forced her out of the rotation late last season, but she has the most promise of any of their young players.
The reigning champion Liberty also have terrific depth, but their choices do not appear to be as clear cut as the Lynx, the team they snuck past to win the first title in franchise history.
We’ll start with the obvious ones. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Leonie Fiebich, their starters throughout the playoffs, are guaranteed to be protected. But what about the final spot? The downside of the Liberty’s impressive roster building is they’re going to lose a key piece, and they don’t have an obvious choice to protect. Let’s run through the list of options.
Rebekah Gardner: She missed all of last season with a foot injury and will turn 35 next season. Underrated player who will make an impact for the Liberty next season, but not a likely candidate for the Valkyries to steal.
Courtney Vandersloot: She’s going to be 36 by the time next season starts and fell out of the starting lineup in the playoffs, but is still one of the best playmakers in the league. Her age and unrestricted free agent status make her an unlikely choice for the Valkyries.
Kayla Thornton: The veteran forward has long been one of the best role players in the league. She’s extremely tough, can guard all over the floor and her energy can change games. But would the Valkyries actually take her given the other options on the Liberty roster?
Marine Johannes: One of the most exciting and inventive players on the planet, she was excellent in a sixth woman role in 2023. However, she can be a defensive liability and the Liberty won a title without her in large part due to their improvements on that side of the ball.
Nyara Sabally: The unlikely hero in the title-clinching Game 5 win, Sabally ultimately feels like the player the Liberty will choose for their sixth protected spot. The former No. 5 overall pick is the youngest member of their rotation and the one with the most upside. Plus, they’re most in need of frontcourt depth.
The Mercury are one of the more top-heavy teams in the league, and Brittney Griner is ineligible for selection given her free agency and previous core status, so this should be a pretty easy process for them. They’ll protect Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Mack. And if Taurasi has indicated she’ll retire, they’ll protect Celeste Taylor instead of her.
In regard to Taurasi, it’s fair to ask if the Mercury should bother using a protected spot on her if she decides to play next season. After all, she’s going to turn 43 and an expansion franchise trying to get off the ground isn’t in desperate need of someone who could be injured or retire at any moment.
But Taurasi isn’t just any player. She’s one of the all-time greats and has spent her entire career in a Mercury uniform. There’s no reason to risk a contentious end to that relationship, especially when there’s no other standout options on the roster.
The Storm’s coaching staff, led by Noelle Quinn, is reportedly under investigation for alleged harassment of players, and there’s a good chance big changes take place in Seattle this winter. For now, though, the organization still has to come up with a list of six players to protect, even if they look to trade some of them later.
Nneka Ogwumike is ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries due to her free agency status and time spent under the core designation, which will make this process a bit easier for general manager Talisa Rhea. There are five seemingly obvious choices: Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ezi Magbegor, Gabby Williams and Jordan Horston.
The player Seattle will choose for the final spot is a bit tougher to predict without knowing exactly what’s going on internally. Mercedes Russell could be an option if they fear Ogwumike might walk in free agency, which would leave them thin in the frontcourt. However, they will likely protect Nika Muhl, the No. 14 overall pick in 2024. She didn’t really get a chance last season, but she’s the most promising young player from the remaining group.
The Mystics are in an interesting spot. They are better than last season’s 14-26 record would suggest, but are still a ways away from being a serious playoff threat again. And while they have the Nos. 4 and 6 overall picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and maintain the rights to Elena Delle Donne, they do not have a coach or general manager. Furthermore, their roster is littered with young players who haven’t broken out, but have shown enough promise to make you think twice about letting them walk.
All of which is to say, good luck predicting what the Mystics are going to do with the final spots for their protected list. Shakira Austin, Brittney Sykes, Ariel Atkins and Aaliyah Edwards are locks, but who knows after that, especially when we don’t even have a philosophy or style of play to point us in the right direction.
The first big question is what to do about Delle Donne. Is she ever going to play again? If so, you probably have to put her on the list just to protect the trade value. Even with her age and injury history, you could extract a good return from another team this offseason. If not, then of course you leave her off. But what if it’s still unclear? Do you risk potentially wasting a spot on someone who decides in February that they don’t want to play again? That’s a tough call.
Then there’s the group of youngsters: Jade Melbourne, Sika Kone and Emily Engstler, all of whom showed real flashes last season, but also had bouts of inconsistency. And you cannot totally discount Karlie Samuelson, who isn’t in the prospect camp anymore but is an elite shooter.
In the end, the Mystics should choose Delle Donne and Engstler. They might get burned on the former, but you have to protect the asset. Meanwhile, if Engstler’s 3-point shooting (27 of 57, 47.4%) is in any way real, her versatility on the wing is going to make her a very valuable player. You have to keep her around to find out.
