Sam Khan Jr.

How does an FCS program deal with modern college football? Meet Tennessee Tech’s GM Tennessee Tech has one of the most robust personnel departments in the FCS ranks.

How does an FCS program deal with the transfer portal, NIL and rev share in modern college football?

In our latest GM Spotlight Q&A, I visit with Tennessee Tech general manager Justin McMullen to learn how the 11-2 Golden Eagles manage roster challenges.

Read @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/449efJP

SOURCES: Billy Napier will be the next head coach at James Madison, @theathletic.com has learned. A five-year deal is being finalized with an announcement coming after Friday's Sun Belt championship game.

Napier was formerly the head coach at Florida and Louisiana.

Six-pack of major CFB games in Texas this weekend. Five of six are on Saturday.

FBS
North Texas vs. Tulane (Friday)
BYU vs. Texas Tech

FCS
North Dakota at Tarleton
ACU at SFA

D2
UTPB at Harding

D3
Trinity at Berry

JUCO
Tyler JC at Iowa Western

BREAKING: K-State coach Chris Klieman is retiring, per source. Texas A&M OC Collin Klein, the former K-State star, is set to replace him. The Mercury first reported the news.

😆 I'm definitely partial to Texas HS quarterbacks but love Bowe for Arbuckle's offense. Not quite as fast as Mateer but plenty athletic, has great ball placement and can throw well on the run. Should be fun to watch in that scheme.

Bowe is great! my favorite QB in this class

The top 2 high school QB recruits in America are signing with Vanderbilt and Houston today.

What a time to be alive.

CFB coaching carousel catch-up, plus No. 1 recruit flips to … Vanderbilt? Until Saturday is The Athletic's free college football newsletter.

Today in the world's largest college football newsletter

- Lots of coach stuff
- Cookie kingpin crusades cross-country to keep Kalani
- Tim Beck fired
- Tim Beck swipes #1 recruit
- Tim Beckman whereabouts unknown
- Kiffin, the Brian Kelly of Tommy Tubervilles

the rates above are for HS recruits only. The market for established college starters is much higher (top end QBs get $2M+).

It doesn't take away from your overall point, but the proven elite QBs with legit college snaps get a good bit more (anywhere between $2-4 million). HS recruits get less because, well, they're just out of HS.

And there are exceptions. Bryce Underwood got much more (closer to $2.5 million annually).

How much does a high school football recruit earn in the NIL and revenue-sharing era? Similar to their college and pro counterparts, Power 4 quarterback recruits are often the highest-paid among their peers.

The early signing period for recruits begins Wednesday. How much will a typical 2026 HS recruit get?

For @theathletic.com we asked college GMs, personnel staffers and agents what the going rate is by position. Here's what we found: nyti.ms/4q3IA5d

Marcus Jones always been that dude 💨💨

Max Brosmer what on earth were you doing there

a group of baseball players standing in a dugout with a cooler in the foreground . ALT: a group of baseball players standing in a dugout with a cooler in the foreground .

Kalen DeBoer

SEND KENT AS AN APR REPLACEMENT

This has been easily the best year in human history for dudes named Mark Carney stepping into troubled situations and stabilizing them

Kent State about to get their fifth win!

Cortez Braham is an absolute stud.

Just recorded a jam-packed Rivalry Week episode of Bunch Formation with @skhanjr.bsky.social Will be up shortly in your feeds before the holiday.

Follow the show here: linktr.ee/bunchformation

Need a College Football Playoff expansion plan that makes sense? Look to the FCS format This format provides a path to the Playoff for virtually every team in the FBS. Win your conference and you are in.

thank you! the people in charge of this sport makes it so much harder than it needs to be.

do the FCS format and call it a damn day.
nyti.ms/45Gv9iG

Definitely. As someone who has seen many a coach leave for greener pastures when my alma mater wasn't in a power conference, I get it.

That said: North Texas is a good G5 job. Good AD, good facilities, great recruiting location. They need a bigger roster budget (who doesn't?) but you can win there.

Oklahoma State hiring North Texas’ Eric Morris to replace Mike Gundy Oklahoma State will turn to North Texas' Eric Morris as its next head coach, who coaches the nation's leading passer Drew Mestemaker.

Oklahoma State nailed its hire.

If Eric Morris can bring Drew Mestemaker (and maybe DC Skyler Cassity + RB Caleb Hawkins, too?) the Pokes can be in a bowl game or better in 2026, IMO.

Regardless of what happens next year, Morris has shown he can do more with less. www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Good hire for them. No idea if they'll ever get any money but Morris has the No. 1 offense in college football this year with what @skhanjr.bsky.social has reported is a $2 million roster budget (i.e. less than Mestemaker would personally make next year if he went into the portal)

SOURCE: Oklahoma State is targeting North Texas head coach Eric Morris to be its next head coach, @theathletic.com has learned.

North Texas is 10-1 this year, and Morris would finish the rest of the season with the Mean Green, including a potential conference title and CFP bid.

UCLA tried a blind pitch fake FG and it worked about as well as you'd expect

UCLA just learned the hard way not to go full Les Miles unless you are Les Miles

Oh, Haynes King, no…

North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker has attempted only 8 passes so far tonight and completed 6.

He has 252 passing yards and 3 TD.