Spring football is still going strong as 10 Power 4 programs plus Notre Dame, will hold spring games throughout the end of the week. The Big Ten leads Power 4 conferences with six games this week, the Big 12 will hold three and the SEC will hold one.
Indiana, the reigning national champions, will hold its spring game Thursday where we’ll get a first look at transfer quarterback Josh Hoover and others that are backfilling big roles that were left after many players departed for the NFL draft. On Saturday, Penn State will hold its spring game where we’ll get a glimpse at how the Nittany Lions are looking under new head coach Matt Campbell.
Here’s a look at the top storyline, a position of intrigue and a player to watch for each game.
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Notre Dame | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC
Spring game: April 25 at 2 p.m. on Peacock
2025 record: 10-2
Spring storyline: A year ago, Notre Dame’s offense had a generational tailback as the centerpiece and a giant question mark at quarterback, with four players vying for the starting job and no decision in sight. The script has flipped this year. This is unquestionably CJ Carr’s team now, after the second-year QB threw for more than 2,700 yards and accounted for 27 touchdowns, leading the Irish to the brink of the playoff. But if there’s certainty at quarterback, the running back room will look quite a bit different after the departures of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who combined for more than 4,500 scrimmage yards and 60 total touchdowns over the past two seasons. More than anything though, the storyline that will hover over Notre Dame until the season kicks off — and perhaps well beyond — is the lingering sting of being left out of the playoff last year. The Irish are out for revenge, and that means using every day to take a step further than they did a year ago.
Position of intrigue: The good news for Notre Dame is the biggest intrigue entering spring has mostly been — well, pretty boring. The new-look offensive line, which features redshirt freshman Will Black at left tackle, veteran Anthonie Knapp sliding to left guard, center Joe Otting, right guard Sullivan Absher and right tackle Guerby Lambert has held up well, built some chemistry and, perhaps most importantly, stayed healthy. If Notre Dame wants a ground game approaching last year’s elite status, it starts up front. While the lineup looks a bit different from a year ago, this has the makings of a very strong group.
Player to watch: Freshman receiver Devin Fitzgerald is still a long ways off from cementing a major role on offense this year, but he has certainly turned heads this spring. The son of NFL great Larry Fitzgerald, the freshman had two TDs in an eary spring scrimmage, and given the fluid state of the receiver depth chart and the injury that held Ohio State transfer Quincy Porter out for the spring, Fitzgerald could end up being a key member of the rotation. At the very least, his name and skills he has shown already should make him one of the most talked about newcomers in South Bend. — David Hale
Big 12
Spring game: April 25, time TBD
2025 record: 9-4
Spring storyline: After a rough 2024 season in coach Brent Brennan’s debut, the Wildcats roared back last season to finish 9-4 — a five-win year-over-year improvement. Now, with quarterback Noah Fifita back to begin his fourth season as the starter, few programs are in better hands at the position. It all adds up to a belief that Arizona can compete for the Big 12 title — a rare offseason position in Tucson.
Position of intrigue: Running back. After Ismail Mahdi ran out of eligibility, the Wildcats have a solid trio to handle running back duties in 2026. It starts with Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig, both of whom ran for over 300 yards for Arizona last season. Then, there’s Antwan Roberts, a transfer from Marshall, where he was the Thundering Herd’s featured back, rushing for 512 yards. If one of them can have a breakout season, this could be a position of strength, but there is still a lot to prove from the group.
Player to watch: DE Prince Williams. At famed Bishop Gorman High in Nevada, Williams was one of the most dominant defensive players in high school football in 2025. He was MaxPreps’ Nevada Player of the Year after making 91 tackles, including an incredible 44 for loss. At 6-foot-3, 264 pounds, he has the size to compete for playing time right away and will use the spring to see if he can work his way into the rotation. — Kyle Bonagura
Spring game: April 25, time TBD
2025 record: 5-7
Spring storyline: The Bears took a gamble in retaining coach Dave Aranda following the program’s third sub-.500 season in four years. And after losing nearly all of the leading contributors from a team that finished 5-7 a season ago, Baylor was forced to place another bet on rebuilding via the transfer portal. Will either wager pay off in 2026? At the heart of the roster retool is Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, who joins coordinator Jake Spavital’s offense alongside a new-look wide receiver unit led by transfers Gavin Freeman (Oklahoma State), Hardley Gilmore IV (Kentucky) and Dre’Lon Miller (Colorado). First-year defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman takes over playcalling duties and a similarly overhauled Bears defense that ranked 122nd nationally against the run a season ago. Aranda’s future at Baylor hinges heavily on the acclimation of transfers such as Lagway and defenders Hosea Wheeler (Indiana) and Garrick Ponder (Southern Miss) in 2026, and that process begins this spring.
Position of intrigue: Secondary. For a unit that finished 31st nationally in passing yards per game, Baylor’s secondary was a decidedly trick-or-treat experience last fall. The departures of starters DJ Coleman (Florida transfer) and Devyn Bobby (graduation) leave cornerback LeVar Thornton Jr. and safety Jacob Redding as the top returners to that unit in 2026. Potential upside lies within the group of transfer defensive backs the Bears signed this offseason. Safety Daniel Cobbs, Kansas State’s 2025 interceptions leader, is one of three former K-State defensive backs who followed Klanderman to Baylor. Oklahoma transfer Devon Jordan joins the Bears after emerging as a versatile player in Brent Venables’ Sooners defense a year ago, and New Mexico State transfer Stilton McKelvey brings valuable experience to an intriguing position group.
Player to watch: Lagway. It was only last August that the former five-star passer held the 10th-best Heisman Trophy odds of any player across football. Lagway’s debut season as a starting quarterback subsequently fell short of expectations, complete with a 4-8 finish and more interceptions — 14 — than any other SEC passer. But Lagway’s overwhelming talent, presumably, is still there to be unlocked by Spavital and a retooled Baylor offense. And while it’s reductive to suggest the trajectory of the Bears’ 2026 season relies solely on his shoulders, the version of Lagway Baylor gets in the fall could swing everything, one way or another. — Eli Lederman
Spring game: April 25 at 11:30 a.m.
2025 record: 8-4
Spring storyline: For the first time since 2016, someone other than Matt Campbell is leading the Cyclones into a new season in 2026. The early weeks of coach Jimmy Rogers’ tenure were a time of widespread turnover in Ames as more than 50 members of Iowa State’s team departed the program — including roughly 24 who followed Campbell to Penn State — and another 45-plus portal additions that landed on campus to be part of Rogers’ rebuild. Fourteen of those newcomers were players who followed Rogers from Washington State, and Iowa State made some intriguing additions elsewhere, such as playmaking quarterback Jaylen Raynor from Arkansas State. But missing 15 starters from a year ago, Rogers and the Cyclones are undoubtedly facing an uphill climb in 2026 within a program that posted only two losing seasons in 10 under Campbell.
Position of intrigue: Wide receiver. Of Iowa State’s top 10 pass catchers from a season ago, only redshirt sophomore Dominic Overby remains. That’s a gut punch for a program that recently boasted star receivers such as Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. As for reinforcements around Raynor in 2026? Tulane wide receiver Omari Hayes projects as one of the program’s most impactful skill position additions after hauling in 78 passes for 1,105 and four touchdowns across his past two seasons. Elsewhere, former Oklahoma, Houston and Tarleton State pass catcher Cody Jackson joins after the most productive season of his winding career in 2025, and Washington State transfer Carter Pabst follows Rogers as a promising young talent. The rosiest outlook on the Cyclones season probably hinges on Raynor replicating a 2025 effort in which he finished with 3,361 yards, 20th most among FBS quarterbacks. To do it, he’ll need a proper receiving corps.
Player to watch: Defensive end Isaac Terrell. Edge rushers Tamatoa McDonough and Ikenna Ezeogu are two of the 15 starters Iowa State is working to replace in 2026. But Terrell’s portal arrival from Washington State represents one of the few spots on the depth chart in which the Cyclones will be improved, on paper at least, in the fall. Terrell tore up opposing backfields for seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a breakout junior season under Rogers a year ago and projects to be one of the leaders of Iowa State’s new-look defense. — Lederman
Big Ten
Spring game: April 23 at 8 p.m.
2025 record: 16-0
Spring storyline: Indiana’s journey through uncharted territory under coach Curt Cignetti continues this spring as the team begins its first national title defense. The Hoosiers will be under the spotlight and looking to replace many of the key players who shaped the team’s historic rise. Cignetti has been masterful in maintaining his team’s focus and operating the program with efficiency. But Indiana be replacing not only quarterback Fernando Mendoza but also its top two wide receivers, top two running backs and several defensive standouts, including cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and linebacker Aiden Fisher. There isn’t a comparable recent situation of a program like Indiana emerging from a national title, which adds intrigue to the Hoosiers’ spring.
Position of intrigue: Wide receiver. Incoming transfer quarterback Josh Hoover certainly will generate attention this spring as he steps in for Mendoza, but he also will be throwing to a largely new group of wide receivers. Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. combined for 1,767 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns on 134 catches last season, including Cooper’s toe-tapping score in the back of the end zone at Penn State with 36 seconds left. IU also loses E.J. Williams Jr. Charlie Becker’s emergence during the postseason was very encouraging, and he will team with Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh, who had 100 receptions and nine touchdowns in his first two seasons. The Hoosiers must fill out their depth at wideout to assist Hoover in his transition.
Player to watch: Running back Khobie Martin. Indiana loses two 1,000-yard rushers in Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black but should be in good shape at the position with Martin, who maximized his opportunities during the championship run. Martin recorded consecutive 100-yard rushing performances against Indiana State and then Illinois in the Big Ten opener. He had 80 yards on only 11 carries against Maryland and had 42 yards on just four carries in the CFP semifinal win against Oregon. He brings a level of explosiveness that could take IU’s run game to the next level and should be an asset to new quarterback Hoover. Martin averaged 6.5 yards per rush last fall and scored a touchdown on 7.7% of his carries. — Adam Rittenberg
Spring game: April 25 at 10:45 a.m.
2025 record: 9-4
Spring storyline: Iowa’s next logical step is CFP contention, especially after a 9-4 season where it pushed playoff teams like Indiana and Oregon to the brink. To move up a rung, the Hawkeyes are seeking improvement in their passing game, which still lagged at 127th nationally despite quarterback Mark Gronowski’s timely contributions. As offensive coordinator Tim Lester sorts through who will play at quarterback, he has a quality pass-catching option in sophomore tight end DJ Vonnahme, who led the team in receptions (29), receiving yards (434) and receiving touchdowns (three). Wide receiver production has long been an issue for Iowa, but the team could have a playmaker in Reece Vander Zee. Running back Kamari Moulton, who tied for fourth on the team in receptions, is also back.
Position of intrigue: Quarterback. The portal and teams’ willingness to spend on proven quarterbacks has reduced the number of true competitions, but Iowa appears to have one with sophomore Jeremy Hecklinski and junior Hank Brown. Hecklinski, a transfer from Wake Forest, is undersized at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds but brings a gunslinger-type mentality to an Iowa offense that typically doesn’t show much aggressiveness. Brown started two games at Auburn in 2024 and saw more action behind Gronowski last season. He has more of a traditional size at 6-4 and 215 pounds and won a Tennessee high school state title playing for coach Trent Dilfer. Gronowski leaves a significant void in Iowa’s run game — he ran for 545 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall — and Hecklinski and Brown will try to fill the production this spring.
Player to watch: Safety Zach Lutmer. Iowa’s defensive brilliance is often taken for granted, and with longtime coordinator Phil Parker in place, justifiably so. But the unit loses key players from 2025 at all three levels, including linemen Ethan Hurkett and Max Llewellyn, linebacker Karson Sharar and safeties Xavier Nwankpa and Koen Entringer. Iowa will lean on Lutmer and several other key returners to maintain the defense’s overall stinginess. Lutmer led Iowa with three interceptions in 2025 and ranked second on the team with seven pass breakups. He and Deshaun Lee will lead a secondary that could be a team strength in 2026. — Rittenberg
Spring game: April 25 at 1 p.m.
2025 record: 4-8
Spring storyline: The Terrapins are coming off a disappointing 2025 season, losing their final eight games. This offseason, Maryland coach Mike Locksley brought in offensive coordinator Clint Trickett to help jump-start an offense that finished 93rd nationally in scoring and ranked 105th in expected point attempts per play. The good news is that Trickett, a former quarterback at West Virginia, has a promising young passer to rebuild the offense around in Malik Washington, who set Maryland freshman records with 273 completions and 2,963 passing yards last year. This spring will provide a glimpse of what Trickett and Washington can do together heading into a pivotal eighth year for Locksley, who’s now just 37-49 at Maryland after consecutive losing seasons.
Position of intrigue: Defensive tackle. Although the Maryland pass rush thrived at times, the Terrapins also surrendered 175.6 rushing yards per game last season — 15th most among Big Ten defenses. Maryland will be counting on multiple transfers to help plug the middle, including Armon Parker (Washington), Lavon Johnson (Texas) and Derrick LeBlanc (UCF). Four-star defensive tackle signee Jamarcus Whyce and Cameron Brickle, who was once an Ohio State commitment before inking with Maryland, could boost the interior, as well. Either way, the Terrapins have to do a much better job stopping the run in 2026 if they want to return to bowl eligibility.
Player to watch: Defensive end Zion Elee. The Terrapins recently won a massive recruiting battle, inking five-star pass rusher Elee, who toppled Stefon Diggs as the highest-rated player ever to sign with Maryland. The Baltimore native was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2026 class and was hotly pursued by several national powers. Last year, Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis combined for 13 sacks as freshmen. Assuming Elee, who enrolled early to participate in spring ball, is ready to play immediately, he could team up with them to give the Terrapins one of the top young pass-rushing trios in the country. — Jake Trotter
Spring game: April 25 at noon
2025 record: 8-5
Spring storyline: Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck has led the Gophers to five straight bowl appearances, with wins in all five of those bowl games. But the Gophers have reached double-digit wins only once (2019) since Fleck took over in 2017. Can the Gophers do more in 2026? Minnesota has talent returning, highlighted by defensive end Anthony Smith, who had 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss last year. Smith is now within striking distance of breaking Minnesota’s career sack record. With Smith back to lead the defense to complement a young, budding offense, the Gophers are hoping to finally challenge for double-digit wins again.
Position of intrigue: The Gophers lost star safety Koi Perich to Oregon in the offseason. But the Gophers still have talent in the defensive backfield. Aidan Gousby switched from safety to corner for Minnesota’s final two games last year and thrived. His versatility will again be key. Kerry Brown started 13 games as a sophomore at safety last year and finished with 56 tackles on the way to earning honorable mention Big Ten honors. John Nestor, who transferred in from Iowa last year, gives the Gophers a lockdown corner. He had two picks and a fumble recovery in Minnesota’s 17-7 rivalry win over Wisconsin to end last year’s regular season.
Player to watch: Quarterback Drake Lindsey. As a redshirt freshman last year, Lindsey passed for 2,382 yards and 18 touchdowns with only six interceptions. Three of those picks came against Iowa on Oct. 25. Lindsey didn’t throw another interception the rest of the year and won eight games, the most ever by a Minnesota freshman quarterback. In one of the losses, a 38-35 defeat at Northwestern on Nov. 22, Lindsey threw for four touchdowns, including a game-tying strike in the final two minutes (before Northwestern’s winning field goal). The Gophers need Lindsey to build off his promising first year. — Trotter
Spring game: April 25 at 4 p.m.
2025 record: 13-2
Spring storyline: After winning 26 games over the past two seasons, expectations in Eugene are as high as anywhere in college football. That would have been the case regardless of Dante Moore’s decision to return for another season, despite the possibility of being the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, but with Moore still in the fold, the Ducks have a strong case to be the preseason No. 1. That’s where the conversation about Oregon should begin this spring — and continue up until the season begins. The Ducks will break in new coordinators on both sides of the ball and — like everyone else — have a mix of outgoing and incoming talent from the portal, but coach Dan Lanning has this program operating like a machine.
Position of intrigue: Running back. The Ducks lost their leading rusher, Noah Whittington (829 yards, six TD), but might have a better backfield next season thanks to the expected development of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. The talented duo both rushed for over 600 yards as freshmen last season, combining for 20 touchdowns on the ground (Davison 15, Hill 5). As the Ducks experienced in the College Football Playoff, though, this is a position where depth is important, making this spring a key time to build confidence in the players behind them, including Da’Jaun Riggs, who received 28 carries and rushed for 168 yards over the past two seasons in low-pressure situations.
Player to watch: Koi Perich. Perich was one of the best true freshmen in college football in 2024, but after his sophomore season drew mixed reviews, he opted to leave Minnesota, his home state, and head west to Oregon. It’s a similar path to what Dillon Thieneman took last year when he left Purdue for Oregon and had a nearly seamless transition. Thieneman was an All-American as a junior for the Ducks, and now they’ll hope Perich can mirror that type of success. — Bonagura
Spring game: April 25 at 1 p.m.
2025 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: For only the fourth time since 1966, the Nittany Lions have a new head coach. Matt Campbell takes over for James Franklin, who was fired in the middle of last season after 12 years in State College. Before arriving at Penn State, Campbell was the winningest coach in Iowa State history and was a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year. Campbell regularly pulled off big upsets at Iowa State. Can he now win the big games for the Nittany Lions? That inability to do so doomed Franklin, who went 4-21 against top-10 opponents during his Penn State tenure.
Position of intrigue: Wide receiver. The Nittany Lions have featured multiple star tight ends in recent years, most notably 2025 first round pick Tyler Warren. But the receiving position has continued to underwhelm for Penn State. The Nittany Lions will have a completely new rotation at receiver, headlined by Iowa State transfers Brett Eskildsen, who had 30 receptions for 526 yards and five touchdowns last season, and Chase Sowell, who was the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after hauling in 32 catches for 500 yards and a pair of touchdowns. At Iowa State, Campbell produced several future NFL receivers. The Nittany Lions are banking he can do the same in State College.
Player to watch: Running back James Peoples. Peoples got 10 carries in last year’s opener for Ohio State against Texas. That was the most he would get all year, as true freshman Bo Jackson quickly won the starting job and took away the bulk of the Buckeyes’ rushing load. Still, Peoples averaged 5.6 yards per carry in a limited role for Ohio State. Now, he’ll get a chance to become one of Penn State’s featured running backs alongside fellow transfer Carson Hansen, who had 952 rushing yards and six touchdowns for Iowa State last year. The Nittany Lions have to replace outgoing seniors Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the school’s career leading rusher. — Trotter
SEC
Spring game: April 25 at 3 p.m.
2025 record: 2-10
Spring storyline: A breath of fresh air. After an up-and-down era during Sam Pittman’s tenure as head coach, Arkansas turns to Ryan Silverfield, who takes over the program after nine seasons at Memphis, the last six as head coach. One of his proven strengths that will be necessary in turning Arkansas around is his ability to bolster his roster in the transfer portal, and the Razorbacks already have promising players in OT Bryant Williams (Louisiana), LB Khmori House (North Carolina), DB Jahiem Johnson (Tulane) and others, including a handful of players from Memphis.
Position of intrigue: Quarterback. It appears the Razorbacks are going to have a battle on their hands. KJ Jackson returns, along with transfer AJ Hill from Memphis, Braeden Fuller from Division II Angelo State and Fayetteville’s own, freshman Hank Hendrix, who reclassified to 2026. Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey follows Silverfield from Memphis, where the offense was in the top 25 in scoring in all four seasons they were together.
Player to watch: RB Sutton Smith. Silverfield and his staff at Memphis knew Smith had NFL talent as a freshman, and he will be key to their success in their first season at Arkansas. Smith suffered an ACL tear early in 2024 but bounced back last season with 669 yards and seven touchdowns on 102 carries, along with 20 receptions for 109 yards. — Harry Lyles Jr.
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