2025 Marshall Football Tickets 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Football had two players named to the prestigious Doak Walker Award Watch List on Tuesday.

Redshirt junior Jo’shon Barbie and redshirt senior Tony Mathis were named to the list, which annually honors the top running back in college football.

Barbie exploded onto the scene as a top-tier running back and McNeese State at the end of 2023 and carried that momentum into the 2024 season.

The 5-9, 190-pound product of Harvey, La., has rushed for 1,251 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 17 career games as the primary back for the Cowboys.

In 2024, Barbie finished with 831 yards and eight touchdowns while being a consistent producer in the rushing attack. 

Mathis comes to Marshall from Houston where he spent the last two seasons. Prior to his injury-riddled time with the Cougars, Mathis was one of the best running backs in the Big 12 while in a running back rotation at West Virginia.

In 2022, Mathis started 10 games at running back, finishing No. 7 in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game at 56.2 and No. 11 in rushing yards at 562 while splitting time with two other backs.

The 6-1, 195-pound rusher had three 100-yard rushing games and two multi-TD games to his credit. He earned Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week following a performance against Baylor in which he rushed for 163 yards on 22 carries with 2 TDs. 

Both Barbie and Mathis join a Marshall offense that will be led by offensive coordinator Rod Smith, whose offenses at Jacksonville State have finished in the top-3 in rushing yards in each of the last two seasons. Smith’s Illinois rushing attack in 2019 also led the B1G.

Marshall Football opens its 2025 season on Aug. 30 at Georgia. The team’s first home game is a Sept. 6 matchup with Missouri State. To purchase tickets, click HERE. 

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 —HerdZone.com—

Class of 2026 guard Jordan Smith is down to six schools and Indiana is among his finalists.

The six finalists for Smith include Arkansas, Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky and Syracuse. Smith is a five-star prospect and the No. 3 player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He plays at Paul VI Catholic in Chantilly, Virginia and played for Team Takeover on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. Indiana assistant coach Kenny Johnson has strong ties to the Team Takeover program, which features many players from the DMV area.

Smith landed a scholarship from the IU basketball staff in early May. Here’s a scouting report on Smith from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports:

“There may not be a player in high school basketball who impacts winning in more ways or with the same consistency as Jordan Smith. The Paul VI and Team Takeover guard has terrific physical tools and even better competitive intangibles that allow him to change the game on both ends of the floor. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1 block per game during the recent EYBL season.

“Physically, he’s long and powerful with a 6-foot-8.5-inch wingspan and chiseled physique. He’s also a good athlete who excels defensively, has switchability on that end of the floor because of his physical strength and toughness, and is also an elite perimeter rebounder.

“Offensively, he gets downhill like few other guards in the class and has consistently developed his ball skills over the years so that he now has legitimate on/off ball versatility. He can initiate offense and make decisions (3.4 assists vs. 1.5 turnovers), put pressure on the rim with his force and physicality when he turns the corner, or take smaller guards into the post. He’s an improved shooter, with a notably high release, but still more consistent with his mid-range pull-up than his three with some occasional sidespin (25% 3pt & 68% FT).

“Smith’s transition to subsequent levels will also be lightened by the fact that he doesn’t need to be an offensive focal point to impact the game. He can do it with his defense, rebounding, energy, competitiveness, or unselfishness. His intangibles are truly elite and so while he may not have totally ideal size or ball skills, he’s extremely hard to bet against.”

NEWS: 5?? Jordan Smith Jr. is down to six schools, he tells @Rivals:

Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana, Syracuse

Smitty is the top-ranked guard in the 2026 class. https://t.co/Elv1UvU5bt pic.twitter.com/auybPMh9Zb

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 5, 2025

See More: Recruiting, Jordan Smith

RALEIGH, N.C. – ESPN has unveiled its broadcast schedule for the 2025 college women’s soccer season, with NC State set to appear three times on the nationally-televised ACC Network. Each of the Wolfpack’s ACCN matchups will come against opponents who reached the 2024 College Cup.

NC State’s first national appearance will take place on Thursday, October 2 at 7 p.m., when the Pack hosts Wake Forest at Dail Soccer Field.

The Wolfpack will return to the network later in the month for two more contests, starting with another home match against Duke on Sunday, October 26 at 7 p.m. The regular season will conclude with a nationally-televised showdown on the road at North Carolina on Thursday, October 30 at 8 p.m.

All games airing on ESPN platforms will be available to stream via the ESPN app and ACC Network Extra (ACCNX). All home matches not selected for linear broadcast, as well as ACC road contests, will be streamed live on ACCNX.

For the most up-to-date schedule and streaming information, visit the women’s soccer schedule page on GoPack.com.

 

 

The preseason top 25 rankings, via the Coaches Poll, are here ahead of the 2025 college football season. So, it’s time to pop the champagne!

The rankings will certainly change week to week and by the end of the season of course. But this is a solid indication of where we will begin in a few weeks.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the top 25 rankings from the preseason Coaches Poll. We start at the top!

Texas comes back with national championship expectations following two straight years making the semifinal. Arch Manning takes over at quarterback with the weight of the world on his shoulders, practically.

Steve Sarkisian has weapons all over the field and it’s arguably his best team during his Texas tenure. Buckle up Austin, this could be a historic year.

Can Ohio State win back to back national titles? They’re ranked in the preseason polls with a narrative that yes, they could do so.

Ryan Day can coach freely now that he has that elusive first title. Stars like WR Jeremiah Smith and DB Caleb Downs lead this group. TBD on new quarterback Julian Sayin or Lincoln Keinholz to continue the trend of high level play under center.

Penn State is running it back, similar to what Big Ten foe Ohio State did last season. Drew Allar leads the charge at QB and is aided by RBs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

On defense, Dani Dennis-Sutton headlines an elite defensive unit, as they’ll collectively replace Abdul Carter. The Nittany Lions are on the short list of national title contenders.

Georgia might not be as talked about compared to recent years. Coming off an SEC title and No. 2 seed in the CFP, the Bulldogs should be back in the thick of the title race.

New QB Gunner Stockton has a large task ahead of him: continue a high level of play. WR Zachariah Branch, who transferred in from USC, should help. Army LB transfer Elo Modozie should be a factor.

Marcus Freeman nearly went on one of the best runs we’ve seen last year, but the Irish fell short in the national championship. But, Notre Dame brings a lot of talent back to compete for another CFP run.

CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey will come out on top in the QB race, but the offense likely runs through Heisman contender Jeremiyah Love at RB. Defensive back DeVonta Smith transferred in from Alabama and should be key in the secondary.

Dabo Swinney and Clemson returned to a large national spotlight last season with their most successful year in a few seasons. Winning the ACC and returning to the CFP was just the first step.

As far as how the Coaches Poll sees them, this will be a very competitive team that could climb its way to national title contender. QB Cade Klubnik is the de facto leader, but there are first round picks, potentially, on defense with Peter Woods and TJ Parker on the defensive line.

Oregon has to replace a lot of production at QB and step it up at wide receiver with the potential season-ending injury to Evan Stewart. Dante Moore is expected to step up for QB Dillon Gabriel after sitting a year.

But if there’s one thing Dan Lanning can do, it’s coach up his squad. They’ve improved each season under his watch and perhaps they could win the Big Ten for a second straight year.

Year 1 for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama didn’t go as planned, not making the playoff and losing to Michigan in a bowl game. Still, DeBoer’s coaching prowess and development can’t be understated.

Ty Simpson is the expected QB and he has an all-star at WR in Ryan Williams to throw to. The defense is loaded with stars such as LT Overton. They’re back to SEC contender and have a chance to make a run in the CFP.

Can Brian Kelly finally get his team to the College Football Playoff? The LSU coach should have a great chance based on the preseason Coaches Poll.

QB Garrett Nussmeier is a Heisman contender going into the fall. Not only that, Harold Perkins captains the defense at linebacker and if he returns to form, that could be a scary unit for the Tigers.

Miami fell short last season with some missed opportunities to get to the ACC title game. To be fair, they had a little bit of Lady Luck on their side as well.

Carson Beck transferred in to replace Cam Ward at QB. That’ll be the biggest spotlight in Coral Gables this season. Mario Cristobal has a lot of talent at his disposal and the College Football Playoff should be the minimum.

Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings for 2025

11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Ole Miss
16. SMU
17. Florida
18. Tennessee
19. Indiana
20. Kansas State
T21. Texas A&M
T21. Iowa State
23. BYU
24. Texas Tech
25. Boise State

Others receiving votes in Coaches Poll: Oklahoma 221; Missouri 142; Louisville 126; USC 116; Utah 86; Baylor 76; Auburn 50; Iowa 49; Memphis 34; Army West Point 33; Tulane 31; Georgia Tech 27; TCU 24; Nebraska 19; Syracuse 16; Washington 15; Navy 14; Arkansas 14; Duke 12; Colorado 12; Minnesota 11; UNLV 8; Florida State 8; Kansas 6; Vanderbilt 3; Buffalo 1

College athletics are in the midst of a whirlwind type of transformation, with the landscape constantly changing.

From the advent of NIL and the transfer portal just a few short years ago, to the implementation of the House Settlement, which now allows schools to pay student athletes directly.

Athletics Director Graham Neff has been one of the people responsible for leading Clemson into this brand new world, and deserves a lot of the credit for having the school well-positioned in this new era.

“The implementation of the House Settlement has certainly been a frontal focus, couldn’t be a higher priority,” Neff said on Tuesday from the Smart Family Media Center. “Certainly, what that looks like locally with the deployment of our revenue share dollars. We have talked about that, we are without question fully funding and all in on our revenue distribution strategy on how we allocate that among teams.”

Not only does the settlement allow Clemson to share up to $20.5 million directly with its student athletes this year, but it has also allowed for the creation of 150 new scholarships combined across all sports. For example, football will go from having 85 to 105. Basketball will go from 13 to 15, and baseball will get a huge bump, moving from the archaic 11.7 to 34 full scholarships.

“Football continues and will be our investment strategy from a business standpoint, but that allocation of additional scholarships, 150, is significant,” Neff added. “We previously had 275 scholarships, kind of collectively, but adding 150 to that is significant. From a per capita standpoint, that might be the most, or as big of an increase as any other school in the country.”

At the same time, there are still some unanswered questions regarding some of the things surrounding the settlement, particularly when it comes to NIL. Originally, all NIL deals valued at more than $600 were to be submitted to a clearinghouse called NIL Go for approval. If it were determined that the deal was not a valid endorsement deal, it would be rejected. The guidelines were aimed at slowing down the “pay for play” deals that some of the collectives at other schools were putting together.

However, in recent weeks, the College Sports Commission, which oversees the new NIL guidelines, has changed its stance on collectives and will now allow them to be treated like any other third-party business.

As with any new change, especially one of this magnitude, there are bound to be some bumps in the road, and Neff is doing whatever he can to ensure Clemson is prepared for any and all possibilities.

While the school’s collective, The 110 Society, has already been folded into IPTAY, Clemson Ventures, which was designed with a true private-sector business structure and full-service marketing and NIL agency capabilities to drive revenue, was formed last year in an effort to help lead the Tigers into this new NIL landscape.

“Lastly, and certainly probably the most moving, or still being figured out, is commercial NIL,” Neff said. “How that looks with NIL GO under the leadership of the College Sports Commission. The build of our commercial NIL infrastructure is the highest priority. For as much as we are all in on revenue share, $20 million, a lot of schools like us, that differentiator for us, and how we leverage and facilitate commercial NIL is significant. It is one of our main focuses ahead. Certainly, Clemson Ventures has internal revenue generation strategies to it, but it was absolutely done a year ago in anticipation to facilitate and being strategic around that NIL type of structure.

Photo courtesy of Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network-USA TODAY NETWORK

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Quarterbacks were on the minds of those in attendance at Tuesday’s Kiwanis Club of Gainesville’s annual Football Coaches Program at the First Baptist Church.

So much so that even Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon was curious, asking Gainesville’s Josh Niblett about Kharim Hughley to get the topic started. The luncheon featured coaches from schools in Gainesville and Hall County.

Hughley, a rising junior, had a breakout season in 2024 after being thrust into the job last summer without much warning.

“We had a situation where a guy transferred out and then (Kharim) was the guy that we turned to,” Niblett said. “He had a tremendous season in my opinion. Can’t say enough about Kharim.

“Now, he’s become a leader on our team. When he talks, his teammates listen. He can make all the throws and we’re expecting another big year from him.”

North Hall’s Sean Pender got the next one about the Trojans’ embarrassment of riches at the position with both Alex Schleiman and Smith McGarvey. Both would be stand-alone starters for just about any team in north Georgia but are a formidable duo that drive a high-powered North Hall offense.

Both battled injuries last season. Schleiman missed the final month of the season while McGarvey got injured during this past baseball season and is just now back at 100 percent.

“We have two guys that have the experience and both are capable of running the offense,” Pender said. “They’re both great leaders and more importantly right now, they’re both healthy coming into the season. We’re excited about this year.”

First-year Flowery Branch coach Michael Perry had a different issue. He inherited a pair of players already in the program in rising seniors Riley Bourrie and Tristan Radford. But they were joined by West Hall transfer Brett Sturm, a former three-year starter for the Spartans, during the summer.

“We’re still two weeks away but Brett and Tristan have really kind of separated themselves at this point,” Perry said after the luncheon when asked. “Riley has transitioned more to defense at this point. Tristan is a great leader. He works extremely hard. At the same time, Brett’s come in and been very humble and done everything we’ve asked him to do. But I’m not ready to name a starter just yet.”

But of the nine coaches in attendance, only Niblett decided to tackle the opening question of the event — one from the crowd about NIL money and the ability to pay players to come to a particular school.

“The Georgia rules are that you can’t have any kind of contact with a kid getting an NIL deal,” Niblett explained. “Can’t set up anything like commercials or anything of that nature. It’s not really an issue at the high school level like it is at the college level.”

The 2025 season is slated to officially begin on Thursday Aug. 14 with a slew of games around the state. But none will be bigger than the nationally-ranked battle in Buford between the Wolves (13th in MaxPreps) and Milton (22nd in MaxPreps) at the new $62 million Phillip Beard Stadium. Milton is the defending Class 5A state champion. Buford is coming off a semifinal run in Class 6A. That game will be televised on ESPN 2.

Twenty more teams in the AccessWDUN and Friday Game Night coverage area will get started on Friday Aug. 15.