Fernando Mendoza, Drew Allar impress in NFL preseason; College football’s top 150 players

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🏈 Five things to know Friday

1. Fernando Mendoza and Drew Allar kicked off NFL preseason Week 1 in style. Even though not every NFL star loves the preseason, it is a critical time for rookies to settle into the league and those on the roster bubble to secure roles. Two rookie quarterbacks made the most of their opportunity on Thursday as Mendoza and Allar headlined the night’s six-game slate. The No. 1 overall pick put up modest numbers but looked the part of a soon-to-be starter while Allar exceeded expectations and filled up the box score with three touchdowns. One rookie signal-caller who was not in action, however, was Carson Beck. The Hall of Fame Game standout sat due to the rib injury he sustained in last week’s exhibition.
2. The NBA regular season schedule is public. After unveiling the Opening Week slate and Christmas Day games earlier in the week, the NBA revealed the rest of its 2026-27 schedule on Thursday. A few of the key dates this season include LeBron James’ return to Cleveland on Nov. 6, the NBA Cup final on Dec. 11 and the rookie battle between A.J. Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson on Feb. 27. Speaking of James, his new team might be the biggest winner from the schedule reveal. The 76ers will play 34 national TV games (the maximum allowed for one team), they have only 13 back-to-backs and they rank in a tie for the fewest stretches of three games in four nights.
3. Jayden Daniels issued a cease-and-desist letter to LSU. Daniels reminded the Tigers of his NIL agreement with the athletic department, which allowed it to use his name, image and likeness for 180 days after his final college game in 2023. The Heisman Trophy winner reportedly launched the legal battle with his old school because coach Lane Kiffin permitted cornerback DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey. He reportedly thinks he is being treated differently from Joe Burrow, whose No. 9 jersey has not been worn since 2019. That begs the question: Does Daniels have his priorities in order?
4. Hunter Greene underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time. Elbow issues limited Cincinnati’s Greene to just five starts and a 6.83 ERA this year and ultimately required surgery. The Reds can expect to be without their ace not only for the rest of the season but potentially also all of 2027. It’s a devastating break for Greene, who bounced back from his first procedure during his rise as a top prospect and now faces an uphill battle in returning to elite status. His absence will be costly for Cincinnati, which owes Greene more than $42 million through 2028.
5. Terrion Arnold plans to sign with the Seahawks. Arnold’s quest to remain in the NFL takes him to Seattle, where he will land with the reigning champions on a one-year deal. There are a couple of elephants in the room around the standout third-year cornerback. The first is whether Arnold will be convicted on felony charges stemming from a February robbery and kidnapping — he could face life in prison if found guilty — and the second is whether the NFL will suspend him because of his alleged involvement in the scheme.

👀 Do not miss this: NFL preseason Week 1 previews

The first six games of Week 1 are complete, but even though Thursday offered a stacked slate of NFL preseason action, there is plenty more left to come over the weekend. Tonight features three games, all at 7 p.m. ET, and there are a whopping seven games on tap for Saturday. This is the first time all 32 teams have been in action since the first week of January so soak it up!

Yes, preseason games are meaningless in the standings. And, yes, backups will see more action than starters. But there are still so many reasons to tune in. For eight teams in particular, these three tune-up games are critical in sorting out position battles, getting first-year players settled and installing new schemes. Our Jordan Dajani says the Eagles are one of those squads.

• Dajani: “Nick Sirianni doesn’t typically play starters very much in the preseason, if at all. But could that change this year, since Sean Mannion is introducing a brand-new offense? Mannion is implementing a system that more closely resembles what you would see with Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan. That means more Jalen Hurts under center, and outside zone runs for Saquon Barkley. Hurts needs some action in the preseason, even if it’s limited.”

The next three weeks also give us a first look at the 2026 rookie class in game action. In addition to the early first-round picks, we’re also dying to see training camp standouts like Denzel Boston and Harold Perkins Jr. They are among the 10 rookies worth monitoring most closely this preseason.

And for those of you who play fantasy football, you know how important it is to keep tabs on potential sleepers, breakout candidates and polarizing early-round draft picks. Here are a few sleepers who will be in action Friday and Saturday:

• Zachariah Branch, WR, Falcons
• Jonah Coleman, RB, Broncos
• Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, Ravens
• Ted Hurst, WR, Buccaneers

⭐ College football’s top 150 players

At the start, middle and end of every college football season, Blake Brockermeyer empties his notebook to formulate a ranking of the 150 best players in the nation. After countless hours of film study and numerous conversations with coaches, it’s that time of year again. Brockermeyer’s preseason top 150 for 2026 is here.

This is the second consecutive year in which Jeremiah Smith opens the campaign as the No. 1 player in college football. Brockermeyer says he is the greatest receiving prospect he has ever evaluated, and anyone who watched Ohio State over the past two years would find it hard to disagree.

• Brockermeyer: “Rare talents like Smith don’t come around often and he has the ability to take over the game every time he touches the football. Exceptional length and speed and the ability to run through defenders after the catch. His presence on the field opens up for teammates to make plays and when he gets his shots he delivers. If his willingness to consistently block improves, then he becomes the best prospect I’ve ever watched, regardless of position.”

If ever there was a “year of the quarterback” in college football, this is it. Signal-callers account for four of the top 10 spots and eight of the top 20 in these rankings. The amount of elite quarterback talent across the country is a reason why the national championship race is so wide open and why NFL teams are salivating at the idea of holding early first-round draft picks in 2027.

Here are the quarterbacks who stand inside the top 10 players overall:

2. Dante Moore, Oregon
3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
9. Arch Manning, Texas
10. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Our picks and predictions for UFC 330 are here. Ian Machado Garry is confident that he will take down welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, and you can watch him attempt to do so Saturday on Paramount+.
• Kevin McGonigle tops this month’s MLB Rookie Rankings, and more than that, he’s building a serious MVP résumé. Meanwhile, in the National League, Shohei Ohtani might need to return to the mound in order to beat Pete Crow-Armstrong in the MVP race.
• Star edge rusher Zahir Mathis will miss Maryland’s entire 2026 season, which is a huge blow for hot-seat coach Mike Locksley.
• Jordan Spieth headlines a five-way tie for the lead at the St. Jude Championship through one round. That’s huge for his chances of staying on the right side of the FedEx Cup Playoffs bubble.
• The WNBA took a stance against anti-transgender rhetoric amid conversations over eligibility. Should the league take it a step further?
• Some of the biggest narratives from NFL training camps are significant overreactions.
• The Padres leaped past six teams in the NL Wild Card race over the last 19 games. Here’s how they pulled off the surge.
• The Spirit’s multiweek reign atop our NWSL Power Rankings came to a close.
• Mike Renner’s 2027 NFL Draft scouting series continues with the top 10 offensive tackles.
• If the Bears relocate to Indiana, have no fear; they will not change their team name. Speaking of the Bears, Ben Johnson has his sights set on more than just the Super Bowl.

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

⛳ St. Jude Championship: Second round, 2 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚾ Cardinals at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Red Sox at Pirates or White Sox at Tigers, 6:40 p.m. on MLB Network
🏈 Buccaneers at Jets, 7 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Yankees at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Diamondbacks at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Wings at Fever, 7:30 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Gotham FC at Current, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Royals at Angels or Rockies at Giants, 9:38 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Rangers at Athletics, 9:40 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Fire at Storm, 10 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Brewers at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited

Saturday

🏀 Big3: Celebrity Game, noon on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Big3: Ball Hogs vs. Triplets, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Browns at Bears, 1 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ White Sox at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Big3: 305 vs. Power, 2 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⛳ St. Jude Championship: Third round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Rams at Chiefs, 4 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Nationals at Mets, 4:10 p.m. on FS1
👊 UFC 330: Islam Makhachev vs. Machado Garry, 5:30 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Legacy at Racing Louisville, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
🏀 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Diamondbacks at Braves or Brewers at Dodgers, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Revolution at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Lynx at Aces, 8 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Cowboys at Seahawks, 8 p.m. on NFL Network
⚽ Miami FC at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Pride at Thorns, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Minnesota at Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Royals at Angels, 9:38 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Rangers at Athletics, 9:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ St. Louis City at Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV

Sunday

⚽ FA Community Shield: Arsenal vs. Manchester City, 10 a.m. on ESPN
⚾ Orioles at Rays, 12:15 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Yankees at Blue Jays or Diamondbacks at Braves, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Red Sox at Pirates, 1:35 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Nationals at Mets, 1:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⛳ St. Jude Championship: Final round, 2 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ Cardinals at Cubs, 3:10 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Fever at Dream, 5 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Timbers at Fire, 6:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Fire at Mercury, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏁 NASCAR at Richmond, 7 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Mariners at Astros, 7:20 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Whitecaps at Sounders, 9 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Spirit at Angel City, 9 p.m. on ESPN