Good morning, and welcome back to CFB Roundup from CFB Home – the first daily newsletter that’s all college football, all the time with no bias, no slant, and no fluff.

Current Subscriber Count: 492

Goal: 1,000 by the National Championship on 1/20/25

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS:

TODAY’S SCHEDULE:

Betting Information as of time of writing

Florida QB Graham Mertz Suffers Concussion in Loss to Miami, Lagway Makes First Career Appearance

Florida lost to #19 Miami by a score of 41-17, but Florida also suffered another loss by losing starting QB Graham Mertz with a concussion.

Coach Billy Napier shared that Mertz is in concussion protocol for now and there will be better updates on Monday and/or Wednesday of next week.

When Mertz came out from yesterday’s game, true freshman DJ Lagway played in relief, going 3/6 for 31 yards and an interception.

Sherrone Moore Says Both Davis Warren and Alex Orji Will Continue Playing QB

Michigan and Sherrone Moore started QB Davis Warren for the Fresno State, but the Wolverines offense also featured QB Alex Orji at times.

After a rough performance from both quarterbacks, Sherrone Moore shared that both QBs are still going to be getting playing time going forward. Moore specifically referenced Orji’s running ability to help provide a rushing threat in certain circumstances.

Warren was 15/25 passing for 118 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Orji, on the other hand, threw for 3 yards on two attempts, completing one of them, for Michigan’s first touchdown on the night.

Orji also added 32 rushing yards on 5 total carries, while Warren took one sack on 0 designed carries for a loss of 9 yards.

Cam Ward on Florida Game: Most Prepared I’ve Been In My Career

Cam Ward looked incredible for Miami against Florida yesterday in the Hurricanes’ 41-17 win over the Gators.

Ward threw for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 of 35 passing. After the game, he shared with the ABC reporter that he felt like it was the most prepared he’s ever been in his career.

Ward also gave credit to the defense, essentially saying that they played well all day in spite of the fact that Ward made a couple mistakes that put the defense in a tougher position than it needed to be in.

He also said that it he felt blessed to get a chance to play a game against an SEC opponent, and it’s clear that he made the most of the opportunity.

Kalen DeBoer Injury Update on Alabama LT Kadyn Proctor

Kadyn Proctor, Alabama’s starting left tackle, was in street clothes prior to the Western Kentucky matchup, which was certainly unexpected.

It didn’t prevent the Crimson Tide from rolling over Western Kentucky 63-0, but as Alabama gets going, the health of Proctor is going to be pivotal for Alabama.

Coach Kalen DeBoer admitted he was surprised that Proctor was not good to go for the game that night, but that Proctor will be getting monitored throughout the week.

Alabama plays next weekend against USF, and Proctor’s health will definitely be something closely monitored before then.

Riley Leonard on Notre Dame Debut, Win over Texas A&M

#7 Notre Dame took down #20 Texas A&M in College Station by a score of 23-13.

Irish quarterback Riley Leonard looked so-so at times, especially at the beginning, only throwing for 158 yards on 18 of 30 passing with no touchdowns or interceptions for the day. Leonard did add 63 rushing yards and was never sacked.

After the game Leonard admitted that it took him pretty much all of the first three quarters to settle in, but once he settled in, he started to make the right reads.

As for going on the road to College Station, Leonard said that being in a position like that is the sort of thing that every kid dreams of. Leonard gave credit to his teammates saying that the reason for them to win in such a great atmosphere and stadium with so many fans was because of them.

Kirby Smart: Trevor Etienne Suspension May Be More Than 1 Game

Georgia RB Trevor Etienne was out of Georgia’s season opener against Clemson as he was serving a suspension for his offseason DUI. However, Kirby Smart said that the suspension is not necessarily for only 1 game, as reported by ESPN’s Molly McGrath.

As for how long the suspension will be for, that is unclear.

Georgia athletics policy said that Etienne needed to serve a suspension for the arrest, so missing the game against Clemson was not incredibly surprising. But missing more than just the one game would be an additional penalty levied by Coach Smart.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola on 1st Start

True freshman QB Dylan Raiola made his first career start for Nebraska yesterday in a 40-7 win over UTEP.

There were some early jitters for Raiola, but he eventually finished with 238 passing yards and two touchdowns on a fairly efficient 19 for 27.

In reflecting on the game, Raiola said after the game that the first two drives were strictly adrenaline and the script, but it was on the third drive that Raiola really settled in and felt like he could get going.

He also said after the game that the realization and pressure of being the starting QB didn’t fully sink in until the bus drive to the stadium before the game. That’s when it all sank in and he felt grateful for everyone that got him to this point of his journey.

After a fairly easy matchup against UTEP, the pressure is going to be ratcheted up for Nebraska in Week 2 as Colorado and Coach Prime travel to Lincoln for a matchup in primetime on September 7th.

Syracuse’s Fran Brown on Kyle McCord: I Should Send Ryan Day A Bottle of Champagne

Former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord transferred to Syracuse this offseason, and look solid in the Orange’s season opener against Ohio.

McCord threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns on 27-of-39 passing. Following that performance, new coach Fran Brown playfully shared that he feels like he owes a debt of gratitude to Ohio State coach Ryan Day for letting McCord leave and join the Orange.

“Kyle’s a good football player, you’ve seen it right there. I should send Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for allowing us to get Kyle McCord.”

McCord and the Orange ultimately rolled over Ohio by a score of 38-22 and host the 2-0 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Noon on September 7th, which should be an interesting matchup.

4-Star LB Elijah Melendez Decommits from Miami

4-Star LB Elijah Melendez decommitted from Miami yesterday after having originally committed back in December of 2023.

Melendez has scheduled a visit to Auburn as they are a team expected to make the strongest run at the Blue Chip LB.

Melendez is ranked as high as the 92nd overall prospect (Rivals) and 4th ranked LB (ESPN & Rivals). According to On3’s industry composite, Melendez ranks 173rd nationally and 17th at the LB position.

Miami’s 2025 class still has 13 Blue Chip commitments and is ranked 13th nationally and 2nd in the ACC for 2025.

4-Star WR Phillip Bell Commits to Ohio State

Consensus 4-star WR Phillip Bell committed to Ohio State yesterday over offers from USC, Washington, and others.

Bell said that he watched Ohio State games growing up and always envisioned himself playing for the Buckeyes. He also said that all of his visits to Ohio State just felt different compared to other visits.

Bell is ranked as high as the 121st ranked prospect nationally (Rivals) and 22nd ranked WR (ESPN, Rivals). According to On3’s industry composite rankings, Bell ranks 180th nationally and 21st for his position.

This is Ohio State’s 21st Blue Chip commitment and 26th commitment overall for a 2025 class which ranks 1st in the country and in the Big Ten.

Other Commitments/Decommitments

None.