The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Roberts said following the Dodgers’ 14-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, which Ohtani was sidelined for. “We tried to kick the bucket as much as we could.”

Ohtani has missed six of the last seven games due to lingering soreness in his right biceps and left knee. Roberts said Ohtani would be in the lineup on Thursday “if it were a postseason game.”

Ohtani, a four-time MVP, is a key component of the Dodgers’ bid for a third consecutive World Series championship, even though he won’t be pitching the rest of the season because of his injuries.

“Most likely, no,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked about pitching again this season following the team’s Monday night win at home over the Cincinnati Reds, per MLB.com. “I’m going to be focusing on hitting moving forward.”

The Dodgers are off Thursday and open a seven-game trip in Miami on Friday. Top prospect Josue De Paula is expected to join the team in Miami.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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LOS ANGELES — It’s the start of practice, and Nate Scheelhaase has some pep in his step.

Scheelhaase, the new Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator, is bouncing around the field. The 35-year-old pedals back into coverage, simulating a defensive back to give his tight ends a good look as they run routes with the quarterbacks, stopping a player to correct footwork or offer a word of encouragement.

Scheelhaase’s energy and enthusiasm are something that doesn’t go unnoticed by his boss, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay. 

“He’s done a great job,” McVay told me. “He’s got great organizational skills, great communication skills. He shows great leadership to be able to bring people together. He’s got a great capacity for the game, and he’s continuing to learn the foundation of some of the things we’ve been doing. But he’s been awesome. And I’ve been really pleased with the job he’s done.” 

The former University of Illinois quarterback is the latest offensive assistant of the McVay coaching tree expected to springboard to stardom as an NFL head coach. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), Mike LaFleur (Arizona Cardinals) and Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings) are all current head coaches who served as offensive coordinators for McVay, while Brandon Staley (ex-Los Angeles Chargers head coach) and Raheem Morris (ex-Atlanta Falcons head coach) are defensive coordinators who moved on to earn head coaching jobs in the league.

“You just learn how to communicate with people on a clear and concise level,” Coen told me when asked what he learned from McVay. “Obviously, you learn the schematics and techniques of all three phases. But honestly, I think what makes Sean different is just the way he can connect with people — white, black, purple, green, rich, poor, from here or there — it doesn’t matter. Sean can connect, and I think that’s something you always appreciate about learning from him.”

Scheelhaase interviewed for head coaching jobs in Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas during the last hiring cycle. But he returned to take on the offensive coordinator role in Los Angeles, replacing Mike LaFleur. Scheelhaase understands he’s a work in progress, as he looks to add value to a loaded roster considered to be a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl. 

“What doesn’t change in this game and being involved in it is you feel like you’re one piece of the puzzle, and your contribution can make an impact,” Scheelhaase told me. “That was one of the things that excited you as a player to be in the locker room. And a lot of guys stepped into coaching for that reason — to be a part of something bigger than themselves. That’s what I love about coaching, being able to make an impact. And it looks different based on the role that you have or based on the position you play. But it matters.

“It matters from our head coach to our backup left guard, to our athletic trainers and to the people that are making our food in the morning. So, being able to own my role and make meaningful contributions is a huge deal to me.” 

Sean McVay has the most extensive coaching tree in the NFL with former Rams OC and current Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell being one of his five former assistants to hold a head coaching job this season. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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How Scheelhaase’s Coaching Journey Began As A Player

Tony Severino, a recently retired legendary head coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, told me he saw something in Scheelhaase as an aspiring player at his football camp.  

“I saw something special in him back then,” Severino said. “He’s one of the first freshmen we ever started. He started in the secondary and at slot receiver because we had a senior at quarterback. Midway through his sophomore year, we put him at quarterback, and he was special, and then whenever we needed him on defense at safety. He was always a great football player.”

Scheelhaase told me he got his foundation from playing for Severino. Along with Severino, Scheelhaase said he also got his first football education from his parents, former University of Iowa defensive back Nate Creer and LouAnn Scheelhaase. 

“My dad was my coach, and my mom was the head video coordinator,” Scheelhaase told me. “She had the video recorder in the crowd. We’d play on Saturday and watch on Sunday after the game. 

“I learned the behind-the-scenes parts after games could make a huge impact on what you were trying to do on the field. You could learn and become a better player from the behind-the-scenes stuff. So, I think somewhere inside me, it created an appreciation for everything that happened before the snap, and so that carried on. He coached me all the way through eighth grade.” 

Nathan Scheelhaase was a four-starter at Illinois, playing against the likes of Kirk Cousins. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/Getty Images)

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Scheelhaase describes his father as a survivor. Creer grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised by an older sister after losing both parents at 10 years old. From that, Scheelhaase said he learned how to grind and battle through adversity from his parents, who sold their house and moved to Illinois to be closer to him when he played football in college.

“He knows how to work,” Scheelhaase told me about his father. “He’s worked warehouse jobs his whole life, freaking third shift. And knowing a little bit of where he comes from, I have a lot of gratitude for where I’m at and what I get to do here. So, I think you learn a lot, not only from the football side but how to work.

“My mom is the same way. My mom is a stud. I was able to go to private school that was out of our budget because she freaking took a job that was not her favorite, but she knew she could make enough money to get me through high school at the place that I wanted to go to school. She is meaningful in probably every character piece that I have and still is to this day. I’ve got awesome parents. And certainly, on the human side, but also on the football side, I’m super grateful for them.” 

A Natural Leader

Scheelhaase, who was a four-year starter at Illinois, holds the program record for total yards with 10,634, and while things didn’t always go as he would like, Scheelhaase played his best when the game mattered the most, according to Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm, who served as one of the four offensive coordinators he worked with at Illinois.

“Nathan was intelligent, very bright,” Brohm told me. “He was a very good teammate, supportive of everybody — even the guys he was going against. To be quite honest, he performed better on game day than he did at practice. He was a guy who always came through in the game, had a lot of grit, toughness and character – and those things always showed up in the game and helped us win.”

Brohm pointed to two performances in bowl games by Scheelhaase that were key moments in his rise. He led Illinois to wins over Robert Griffin III in the Texas Bowl in 2010 before a victory over UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl a year later, earning MVP honors in the latter. 

Nate Scheelhaase threw for a touchdown and ran for 110 yards in Illinois’ win over UCLA in the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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As Scheelhaase had a strong college career, he credited his playing days for helping him succeed so far as a coach. Scheelhaase said playing quarterback from youth football to college helped him see and coach the game through a quarterback lens. 

“Obviously, the quarterback is the trigger man; he’s going to make a meaningful impact on the offense and the team at large,” Scheelhaase told me. “I think anytime you can view things through his lens as a starting point, it’s going to just give you a good barometer of where to go and what to do as far as what should we put into the install? How should we schedule our offseason programming? And what’s going to ultimately be on the third-down game plan?

“So, if you’re always viewing things through his lens — as far as are we providing clarity for him and are we putting him in the best position to be successful – it’s the lens in which I view the game.”

Severino echoed Scheelhaase’s sentiment, believing the player he once coached in camp was ready to take on the challenge of coaching due to his playing background.

“Quarterback is kind of like a catcher,” Severino told me. “A catcher sees the whole game out in front of them, and they make great Major League managers. Quarterbacks, a lot of times, if they’re good people, they make great leaders. And they become good head coaches.”

How Scheelhaase Found His Coaching Voice  

After his playing career was over, Scheelhaase said he earned his first full-time job as a running backs coach for head coach Matt Campbell at Iowa State in 2018 after a few years on Illinois’ coaching staff. Scheelhaase spent six seasons with the Cyclones, coaching running backs and receivers before ultimately being promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, where he helped to groom Brock Purdy and Rocco Becht.

Campbell, who is now the head coach at Penn State, remembers how infectious Scheelhaase’s personality was when he was at Iowa State.

“No. 1, he galvanizes the players, galvanizes the people around him,” Campbell told me. “There’s a humility and curiosity with how he comes in and really tries to grow himself and the people around him in football. And then I think the second thing I really appreciate about him is he just has a sense of trust and leadership.

“He just had this ability to lead in a positive way, and I think everyone around him felt that.”

Nate Scheelhaase cut his teeth in coaching as an assistant at Iowa State. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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That personality allowed Scheelhaase to form a close bond with Campbell. In fact, Scheelhaase, his wife Morgan and his family went on a vacation with Campbell’s family to Hawaii once. 

It was moments like those that Scheelhaase shared with Campbell that the new Rams offensive coordinator credited with helping build his foundation as a coach. 

“He helped to form a lot of who I’ve become as a coach,” Scheelhaase told me about Campbell. “The way to do it, the way to treat people, the way to come to work every day, the way to go about it with the right mindset — which is how you can put players and people in the best position to be successful. And pouring everything you’ve got to help that happen. I learned a whole lot and will forever be indebted to him. He’s the man.” 

Scheelhaase has continued that building process with the Rams. McVay allowed him to call plays during preseason games the last two years, and he’s constantly working to help Los Angeles find an edge that will help them on game day.

An example of that last season included daily work with receiver Konata Mumpfield, which led to the rookie contributing to L.A.’s NFC Championship run last season.

“Mumpfield was a rookie receiver who is really talented and has continued to make a great impact for us,” Scheelhaase told me. “But we started utilizing him on third down, and he was really our third receiver on third down. I can remember behind the scenes working with him in walk-through practice just so he had a great idea of the concepts we were running and how he fit in the puzzle before he was even playing. This was probably seven, eight or nine weeks before he may have been out there in those situations, but behind the scenes he was working. 

“And then seeing him get into a Sunday night game against Tampa and Matthew [Stafford] hit him on a backside in-cut, and you feel like you were able to contribute to help create clarity for him, which is obviously our job as coaches.”

Now, Scheelhaase should have even more say in the Rams’ offense in 2026. He’s quickly risen through the ranks of McVay’s staff, going from offensive assistant and passing game specialist in 2024 to pass game coordinator in 2025 before his promotion to offensive coordinator over the offseason. 

Nate Scheelhaase has added responsibilities in 2026, getting promoted to offensive coordinator. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

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But Scheelhaase said he has already had the freedom to find his role and voice as a coach, crediting McVay as he said that’s one of the Rams head coach’s secret sauces. 

“There’s so much more to it than the X and Os,” Scheelhaase told me. “The way he builds a culture in the NFL where people matter, and connection matters, is one of our secret sauces, for sure. And the way he brings up leaders and allows them to see behind the curtain, be able to see behind the scenes and learn, to hear his thoughts and how he’s thinking. 

“How he moves and how he operates throughout the course of a year, I’ve been fortunate enough to just be a sponge and be able to soak up a ton of insight in those situations. That’s a part of it.”

McVay still remains the offensive playcaller for the Rams in 2026. That shouldn’t deter teams from pursuing Scheelhaase as a head coach candidate next offseason, though, if everything goes right this year. It certainly hasn’t stopped teams from pursuing McVay disciples in the past, either, as the likes of Kevin O’Connell and Mike LaFleur didn’t call plays under the Rams head coach before getting head coach opportunities themselves. 

And while McVay still holds onto playcalling duties, it’s the way he leads that Scheelhaase is taking note of as he potentially becomes the next McVay disciple to become a head coach. 

“He knows what the foundational pieces in this game are always going to be, and he’s willing to double down on those things time and time again,” Scheelhaase told me. “I don’t think he’s trying to chase a different identity. I don’t think he’s trying to chase what maybe somebody else is doing.

“But I think he has a great belief in what it looks like to be a successful organization, and what that emphasis looks like throughout the year. It’s not just in the fall, but it’s a 365-day-a-year job, and I think he’s got that mapped out pretty darn well for what’s important.”  

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LOS ANGELES — Another day, another ominous turn in the Shohei Ohtani health saga. 

Knee and bicep issues have already downgraded the two-way sensation to a one-way slugger for the remainder of the year. 

For the next couple of weeks, though, he is neither.

Ohtani’s insistence on trying to play through aches and pains for the last three months — and the Dodgers’ unwillingness to shut him down and place him on the injured list before it got to this point — had relegated the four-time MVP mostly to spectator status with the postseason just weeks away. 

On Wednesday, Ohtani was held out of the lineup for the sixth time in the Dodgers’ last seven games. 

And with only 16 games remaining in the regular season, he will now require the IL stint that the Dodgers have spent months trying to avoid. 

“It’s the right thing to do,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I think that we tried to kick the can as much as we could.”

In Ohtani’s place, the Dodgers plan to call up top prospect Josue De Paula directly from Double-A to make his MLB debut on Friday. De Paula, the No. 6 overall prospect in the sport according to MLB Pipeline, will primarily serve as the team’s DH for the next couple of weeks but could also find some time as a corner outfielder. 

The 21-year-old starred at Double-A Tulsa, where he slashed .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs and 31 steals. But the excitement of adding De Paula is tempered by the reason for his addition. 

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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A week ago, Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a game against the Cardinals and looked to be in obvious discomfort at the plate, shaking out his arm between half-hearted swings. He was mired in a 6-for-46 stretch without a home run over his last 12 games at that point. 

Clearly, Ohtani’s injuries were causing him issues at the plate, despite what he was telling his team and what Dodgers officials were publicly acknowledging. The next day, general manager Brandon Gomes attempted to dismiss what seemed clear to anyone who had watched Ohtani over the last few weeks. 

“I just think there’s also just ebbs and flows of the season, and what to attribute things to and what not to is just too hard to say,” Gomes said. “We haven’t had any indication that he’s not feeling good enough physically to go out and play.”

Ohtani then sat out each of the next four games.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The hope was the time off would help Ohtani’s body get to a place where he could bounce back as a hitter. He returned to the lineup on Monday and went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. 

The Dodgers then planned to give him Tuesday off and continue to sprinkle in off days the rest of the regular season to try to get him as right as possible before October. 

But Ohtani was expected to return to the starting lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Reds, so it was a surprise when he wasn’t in the lineup again. 

“There was a swing Monday that he didn’t feel great on,” Roberts explained Wednesday afternoon. “He hasn’t totally recovered from Monday. So, the thought is to give him today and then huddle up with him, the medical staff, and figure out what’s the next steps.”

Clearly, communication between Ohtani and the Dodgers remains a work in progress.

(Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images)

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Roberts did not know about Ohtani’s setback the day after that painful swing. Ohtani swung in the cages on Tuesday and was expected to be available off the bench “in a big spot” that night before he reported his discomfort from the previous day’s game. 

The main issue this time was Ohtani’s arm, according to Roberts. 

“It’s not really localized, and that’s why when you see him a week ago shaking his arm, it’s just the arm,” Roberts said. “So, it’s not specific to elbow or shoulder. It’s just his bicep, arm, but it’s not one specific thing.”

This is not where the Dodgers hoped to be as they ramp up for the playoffs, months after Ohtani first reported his knee and bicep pain.

(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3, and every attempt to ramp back up since then invited setbacks that have clearly impacted his performance at the plate. He is slashing .198/.294/.396 since Aug. 8, when he first started back up his throwing program. He is hitting .186 since Aug. 14, when he threw his first bullpen session in more than three weeks. 

Those sessions are now done. 

On Monday, after months of delaying the decision, Ohtani finally acknowledged that he would shift his focus strictly to hitting — the only logical choice at this point as he tries to get right at the plate. 

Two days later, though, he’s now too hurt to even do that. 

This will be Ohtani’s first stint on the IL since he joined the Dodgers before the 2024 season. 

The Dodgers didn’t place him on the IL on June, when he first reported his knee pain. They didn’t do it in July, when he first reported the bicep issue while he was still dealing with knee pain, which required an injection over the All-Star break. 

They didn’t do it a week ago, when he was clearly compromised at the plate, or throughout a second half in which he has a pedestrian .246 batting average and .332 on-base percentage. 

“It really hasn’t even been something that we’ve discussed,” Gomes claimed last Thursday. 

One week later, though, those discussions picked up. 

“I think that we tried to play both sides and try to play him, not play him,” Roberts said. “And then, ultimately, after not playing him for four days and then playing him and not being able to play a day after an off day, it was more just really huddling up and saying, ‘Hey, how are you going to feel on Friday? How are you going to feel on Saturday? Talking to the doctors and training staff, there was not much certainty that he’d be in a much better place. With that, just taking it off the table seemed like the best course of action.”

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The timing is not ideal. 

Because Ohtani is a two-way player, he needs at least 15 days on the IL. And because he played Monday after the four days off, he will not be eligible to return until Sept. 23. That would give him just five games maximum before the end of the regular season to try to find his rhythm. 

In retrospect, Roberts wishes the team handled that differently. 

“I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL,” Roberts acknowledged. “But I did feel at that moment in time, we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient.”

Though it wasn’t, Roberts remains confident that Ohtani will return this year. He reiterated multiple times that Ohtani would be in the lineup if the Dodgers were in the postseason right now, and he thinks Ohtani will only need the minimum IL stay. 

The question no one can answer is what he’ll look like when he’s back. 

If he can’t find his usual form, the Dodgers’ delayed decision threatens to be their undoing. 

“He’ll be in a much better place than he was today,” Roberts said. “Is it going to be to 100 percent? Probably not. But I do think that with this time that we’re taking now, he’ll be in an adequate spot to finish the season.”

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The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in a first for the league: a regular-season game at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, with kickoff set for 8:35 p.m. ET.

The same team ended both of their 2025 seasons. Seattle routed the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round, then beat the Rams 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game, one win short of Super Bowl LX. Los Angeles enters 2026 as the outright favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, at +500.

Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.

How to Watch 49ers vs. Rams

• When: Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 8:35 p.m. ET
• Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
• TV/Streaming: Netflix

Players to Watch

For Los Angeles, the clearest skill position name to watch is Puka Nacua because his availability changed the shape of this matchup. He was not listed on the Rams injury report released Tuesday after dealing with a core issue, and that points to him being expected to handle his usual role against San Francisco.

That matters in a game where both teams enter 0-0 and there is no 2026 production yet to lean on. With the Rams still waiting for regular season statistical leaders to emerge, Nacua stands out as a proven focal point whose health is one of the most relevant developments going into this opener. If he is moving freely, Los Angeles gets a major piece of its passing game back at full strength.

On the San Francisco side, Christian McCaffrey is central because the 49ers expect him to step right back into his regular role. He was not listed on Tuesday’s injury report after his status had been watched through camp, and the latest update points to him being back at 100 percent for this opener.

In a Week 1 game with no 2026 team production on the board yet, that kind of clarity matters. San Francisco does not have official statistical leaders established for the regular season, so McCaffrey’s role becomes one of the strongest grounded indicators of where the offense can flow early. His involvement would give the 49ers their most dependable all purpose threat and a steady way to test the Rams from the opening series.

If this turns into a game where San Francisco needs answers over the middle and on key downs, George Kittle becomes one of the most important swing players to monitor. He was listed as a limited participant Tuesday because of an Achilles issue, but he has been practicing regularly since coming off the active/PUP list, and the door remains open for him to suit up.

His watch value comes from uncertainty tied directly to this matchup. The 49ers know what his presence can do for structure, toughness, and quarterback comfort, but his status is still something to track right up to kickoff. A healthy Kittle would give San Francisco another major piece in a game that could hinge on which offense settles in first.

One of the more interesting under the radar Rams names is Terrance Ferguson because his health is settled even if his exact usage is not. He was not listed on Tuesday’s injury report after dealing with soreness, which removes the immediate concern heading into the opener.

What makes him worth watching here is the role question. The Rams have all five tight ends healthy for Week 1, so his place in the rotation is still unclear, but he has generated buzz and enters this game available. In a season opener where established 2026 production does not exist yet, players who can carve out a role quickly matter. If Ferguson earns meaningful snaps early, he could become a useful change up piece in the Rams offense.

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With millions to be made via NIL and an open transfer policy, projecting who will enter the NFL draft in a given year is more complicated than ever. This is especially true at quarterback. 

With that said, it is impossible for scouts not to fantasize about the talent potentially available in the 2027 NFL Draft — a class that could include a handful of franchise-altering QBs (and several stars elsewhere).

Everyone knows about Arch Manning and Dante Moore, but this class will offer a lot more than just those two superstar passers. That’s why I’ve tiered my 16 favorite draft-eligible quarterbacks below and will be updating this list all season long. 

DAY 3 PROSPECTS

There are a handful of quarterbacks across the country firmly on scouts’ radars who have not yet shown the consistency to project as future NFL starters.  

UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and Oklahoma’s John Mateer (6-1, 224) are already well known by a lot of college football fans and play for prominent programs that will help them generate plenty of buzz, should they play well this season. Both are gifted athletes with strong arms and NFL-caliber size, but questions linger about their accuracy and decision-making on and off the field. 

Nico Iamaleava has desirable physical traits but a lot to prove after taking a step back last season at UCLA. (Photo by Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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A pair of current Day 3 prospects have already squared off in a Week 0 ACC showdown. North Carolina State’s CJ Bailey (6-6, 218), a true junior with a whip of an arm, struggled in a 31-8 loss to Virginia. Beau Pribula (6-2, 209), meanwhile, led the Cavs with 110 rushing yards and completed nine of 11 passes, including two long touchdowns off of play-action. He is a fifth-year senior who began his college career at Penn State. His 11 touchdown passes (against nine interceptions) for Missouri last season were a career high. The 2026 season opener was just the 11th start of his college career.

DAY 2 PROSPECTS

In this era of eye-popping statistics, LaNorris Sellers (6-3, 238) and his 60.8% completion rate with 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions last year hardly look like the stuff of an early-round draft pick. But the South Carolina star is among the biggest of this year’s quarterback prospects and has the strongest arm. And Sellers’ best traits may be his intangibles. He was voted a team captain as a redshirt freshman. No freshman at South Carolina had ever earned that distinction before. 

Like Manning, Sellers needs to do a better job in the quick game. His accuracy is actually worse on short throws. Improving in this area could vault him into the first-round conversation. But if he doesn’t make gains in this area — in his third season as a starter — Sellers could drop into the Day 3 “project” zone. 

And that brings us to Brendan Sorsby (6-3, 235), who, of course, is an unprecedented case. 

He has the physical talent to warrant first-round consideration, but he’ll enter the draft following a one-year layoff after being ruled ineligible for sports betting. The NFL’s opinion of his off-field decision-making was made obvious when the league opted not to hold a supplemental draft this summer after Sorsby had declared for it. A QB-starved league actually shut the door in the face of a first-round-caliber quarterback. Folks, the NFL just doesn’t do that. 

In a piece full of juicy quotes from anonymous NFL scouts and executives, FOXSports.com’s Ralph Vacchiano and Eric Williams did a fine job of breaking down the unique talent and concerns with Sorsby.

The 2027 NFL Draft is still seven-plus months away. With that amount of time to repair his image, I think Sorsby’s talent wins out and — pardon the pun — a team “gambles” on him on Day 2. 

Jayden Maiava finds Trent Mosley for 68-yard TD, extending USC’s lead over Fresno State

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Jayden Maiava (6-4, 230) is a redshirt senior with excellent size and a very strong arm. A year ago, Maiava showed a tendency to spray the ball when his feet weren’t settled, and he struggled to loft the ball between defenders. Few are better at developing quarterbacks than Lincoln Riley, and Maiava has the traits worth investing in. But he’ll have to prove himself this season without the luxury of throwing to Makai Lemon and J’Kobi Lane.

Maiava, Sorsby and Sellers are all relative wild cards. Teams prioritizing consistency over traits might like Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss (6-0, 210) and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin (6-1, 214) more.

As the only national champion of the bunch, Chambliss demands a close look despite the fact that he’s shorter and older (25) and was the backup to begin three of his four collegiate seasons. 

He led Ferris State to the DII crown in 2024 and then transferred to Ole Miss, where he began last season as the backup to Austin Simmons. However, when Simmons injured his foot in Week 2, Chambliss seized his opportunity, emerging as SEC’s Newcomer of the Year by completing 66.1% of his passes for 22 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Chambliss is also a legitimate scrambling threat, showing impressive vision, elusiveness and acceleration to scoot for eight touchdowns on the ground. The season prior at Ferris State, he ran for 25 scores. 

Chambliss may be short, but he’s got a compact, well-developed frame similar to Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson. Like them, Chambliss is a gifted passer who throws with better vision and arm strength than one might expect given his height. The biggest question shouldn’t be about his size but how well he can acclimate to a pro-style offense. I hope he attends one of the prominent All-Star games to ease that transition. 

The biggest question with Sayin might be how much scouts are willing to overlook the fact that his receiving corps at Ohio State will likely be better than the ones he inherits in the NFL. 

With all due respect to Fernando Mendoza, Sayin was the most accurate passer in the Big Ten last year, completing a staggering 77% of his throws for 32 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Critics will point out that it’s considerably easier to produce when one is throwing to the likes of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, perhaps masking an average arm. 

I disagree. National championships are the expectation at Ohio State, and Sayin showed impressive poise in his first year as a starter. While he lacks elite size and isn’t the scrambling threat of many others on this list, he sees the field well and rarely puts the ball in harm’s way, showing impressive diagnostic skills for a player beginning his true junior season. He demonstrated as much all the way back in the 2025 season opener, against Texas in what was Sayin’s first career start.

Julian Sayin connects with Jeremiah Smith for 48-yard TD, giving Ohio State an early lead versus Ball State

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Finally, let’s acknowledge two very young quarterbacks more likely to be in play in the 2028 or 2029 NFL drafts but have already shown enough to excite scouts. After all, it has become almost an annual tradition of at least one breakout quarterback ascending from “sleeper” to one of the most exciting prospects of the draft. 

The most compelling breakout superstar this year might be Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker (6-3, 215), a strong-armed gunslinger who transferred to Stillwater earlier this year to continue playing under head coach Eric Morris. Last season at North Texas, Mestemaker led the country with 4,379 passing yards. 

It’s worth noting he was a late-blooming prep who didn’t start in high school and walked on at North Texas. He’s just a redshirt sophomore but is already creating buzz in the scouting community. 

Another redshirt sophomore, Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey (6-5, 230), is another QB to watch. 

He completed 63.2% of his passes with 18 touchdowns against six interceptions while leading Minnesota to eight wins last season. Lindsey is one of the few quarterbacks in this article with experience playing under center, and he throws deep balls with excellent trajectory. 

DAY 1 PROSPECTS

The next three quarterbacks on my board lack elite physical traits, but they are accurate and instinctive passers whose games translate easily to the NFL. The flashes for each are bright. But they need to prove that previous breakout campaigns were not a fluke. 

I’m eager to see how CJ Carr (6-2, 215) progresses in his junior year, with Notre Dame’s offense no longer being funneled through first-round running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. 

Their presence undeniably made things easier on Carr, but he showed a savvy and poise last year that was uncommon for a first-year starting quarterback. Despite being smaller than many of his peers at the position, many of his best throws were downfield strikes to beat blitzes, showing the combination of pre-snap recognition, courage and accuracy that have scouts excited about where his game is headed. The 2027 NFL Draft will mark 20 years since Brady Quinn was the last Fighting Irish QB to be drafted in the first round. Carr could end that streak. 

CJ Carr is vying to become the first Notre Dame QB drafted in the first round since Brady Quinn in 2007. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

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Similar to baseball players working their way to the majors through various levels of A-ball, Darian Mensah (6-3, 205) has spent the past two seasons starring at Tulane (2024) and Duke (2025) and now will be throwing fastballs at the University of Miami. Despite a relatively weak supporting cast, Mensah guided the Blue Devils to an ACC title — its first since 1962 — and could have a bigger title in mind given the current talent at The U. 

In both size and style, Mensah reminds me a bit of Jayden Daniels. He has a slight build and needs to play with greater game-to-game consistency, but he’s elusive and accurate in the pocket and on the move. 

After leaving Arizona State for LSU, Sam Leavitt (6-2, 216) is also playing with an entirely new supporting cast. I think that could be a good thing for his development as a passer. Prior to suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury in his right foot last year, Leavitt often relied too heavily on star wideout Jordyn Tyson. Leavitt needs to prove his health first, of course, but also showcase better field vision and ball distribution.  

It’s why I’m excited about his pairing with Lane Kiffin and all the talent at LSU. Love him or hate him, Kiffin is one of the sharpest minds in football. I think coupling the exciting backyard element of Leavitt’s game with Kiffin’s clever play design is going to light up SEC defenses this year and spark a steady rise up the draft boards. 

TOP-5 TALENTS

The unquestioned top two quarterback prospects to open this season are Arch Manning (6-4, 222) and Dante Moore (6-3, 220), both of whom would have been top-five picks this past spring had they declared. 

It might surprise some to learn that I’m actually higher on Moore — if the draft were held today. 

The tape shows that the Oregon quarterback is the more accurate of the two, with Moore especially better than Manning in the quick game — an increasingly important skill in today’s high-tempo NFL. Moore has already earned kudos this summer from scouts who have traveled through Eugene and seen how he’s bulked up from a year ago. That’s significant, as a relatively slight frame was one of the real concerns scouts had last year about him, along with his relative inexperience. 

He entered this season with 20 career starts, including five at UCLA as a true freshman back in 2023. Last year was his first as a full-season starter, and he starred immediately, completing 71.8% of his throws for 30 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions. Projecting him to the NFL is relatively easy given his arm talent: He’s not only accurate but possesses a snappy release and consistently throws receivers open with both velocity and touch. 

CJ Carr, Arch Manning and Darian Mensah early Heisman favorites? Can a non-QB win it this season? | Big Noon Kickoff

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But, as with a lot of young quarterbacks, Moore’s decision-making and accuracy have waned in the face of pressure. Now bigger, stronger and more seasoned, I think he’s going to demonstrate improvement in these areas and contend for the national championship, Heisman Trophy and No. 1 overall draft pick all in the coming year.

With Manning, it is important to recognize his growth amid impossible expectations when trying to project what he can become. No player in college football is under a more intense microscope.

Given the attention Manning has drawn over his three-plus years at Texas, it is easy to forget that he has started just 15 games at the college level. Last year, he completed 61.4% of his passes for 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. By any standard other than being a Manning, this production — again, his first as a starter — would be considered a stellar achievement, especially when you factor in that he ran for another 10 scores. 

And that’s the point. Manning is already very good. And it is so easy to think this is just the beginning. He blends prototypical size with a rocket arm and excellent mobility. He checks every box and I think he’s going to shatter last year’s numbers and team with Auburn transfer Cam Coleman to rival Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith as the most dynamic QB-WR combo in college football. (Manning, of course, had a rough go last year at Ohio State, but this Saturday in Austin should be an epic clash.)

If Manning corrects a few flaws in particular over the next few months, he’ll likely be the favorite to go first overall in the 2027 NFL Draft — if he turns pro. 

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A.J. Brown’s first game with the New England Patriots went well until the opening drive of the second half. 

The Patriots’ new star wide receiver departed Wednesday night’s season-opening game against the Seattle Seahawks after suffering an ankle injury early in the third quarter. Brown was initially ruled questionable to return, but was later ruled out for the remainder of the game in the fourth quarter. It’s now believed that the three-time Pro Bowler suffered a high-ankle sprain, NFL Media reported on Thursday morning.

After the game, Brown reportedly walked out of the locker room wearing a boot on his right foot.

The ankle injury occurred when quarterback Drake Maye targeted Brown on a third-and-4, with the wide receiver’s leg being rolled on by a Seahawks’ defender when the ball was knocked away.

Brown was able to walk off the field under his own power. However, Brown went to the blue medical tent for further evaluation before going to the locker room. He went into the X-ray room during the third quarter, according to the NBC broadcast. 

Prior to the injury, Brown recorded a team-high three receptions for 26 yards. His biggest contribution came on a play that didn’t go down in the stat sheet, though; he drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone in the second quarter that led to the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game, giving them a 7-0 lead.

Brown was the Patriots’ biggest acquisition of the offseason, as they traded a future first-round pick and a fifth-round pick to acquire him from the Philadelphia Eagles.

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This is a tough one for Drake Maye and the New England Patriots to swallow.

In what was a 13-10 loss to the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks — who New England lost to in Super Bowl LX — in the 2026 NFL season opener on Wednesday night, Maye threw three interceptions.

Moreover, his last pick came with 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, with the Patriots being in position to at least attempt a game-tying, 33-yard field goal. Instead, Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe pulled off a top-tap interception of Maye in the end zone on third-and-5 from the 16-yard line. Game over.

Maye took all the blame for the loss.

“I think we had the game under control. I thought we had a good plan to try to start chipping away and be patient, and I lost patience and costed us,” Maye said after the game. “I think it was decisions that cost us the game on my end. I vow to myself to be better and realize that it’s a long season but, at the same time, you can’t have those.

“It’s unacceptable, and I know I got to get back to work because that wasn’t how I play football and how I want to represent my game and playing quarterback for the Patriots.”

Maye finished the night with 178 passing yards, one passing touchdown, three interceptions and a 54.9 passer rating, while completing 69.7% of his passes (23 of 33) and rushing for 47 yards on 6.7 yards per carry.

New England lost star wide receiver and premier offseason acquisition A.J. Brown to an ankle injury in the third quarter. Granted, Seattle lost starting quarterback Sam Darnold to a hip injury on its first possession of the game and Drew Lock steered the ship to victory, posting a 113.3 passer rating and completing 72.7% of his passes (16 of 22).

As for the last time Maye went up against the Seahawks, the now-third-year quarterback threw for 295 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Patriots’ Super Bowl XL loss to Seattle, while posting a 79.1 passer rating, completing 62.8% of his passes (27 of 43) and rushing for 37 yards. In the regular season, Maye totaled 4,394 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 113.5 passer rating, while completing 72.0% of his passes. He also rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns.

Maye, who was the runner-up for the 2025 NFL MVP Award, led the NFL in passer rating and completion percentage, but he then posted an 82.2 passer rating and completed just 58.3% of his passes over New England’s four postseason games.

Next up for Maye and the Patriots is a home matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20.

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A year ago, Ohio State and Texas collided in a massive Week 1 showdown, with the Buckeyes notching a 14-7 home victory. It was among the most-bet college games all season.

So oddsmakers know what to expect when these two teams meet again, in easily the biggest game on the college football Week 2 oddsboard.

“Both teams are public darlings,” Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. “This game will take a significant amount of money. It will probably still be top-five by the end of the year.”

Bookmakers and sharp bettors serve up their insights on a handful of notable matchups, including the FOX Big Noon Kickoff pitting Oklahoma against Michigan.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Loving The Longhorns

Ohio State and Texas are both 1-0 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS), with easy Week 1 tune-ups. The Buckeyes drubbed Ball State 56-3 as monster 50.5-point home favorites, while the Longhorns (-29.5) smoked visiting Texas State 59-7.

In turn, Caesars Sports gave a very slight edge to Texas for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. On Sunday, the Longhorns opened as 1.5-point home favorites, and that’s where the number sat Wednesday night.

“So far, we’re seeing two-way action. There’s a little bit more on the Longhorns and a little bit more on the Over,” Feazel said, noting a total that’s already climbed from 47.5 to 49.5. “I would not expect this total to keep getting higher.

“It may even go down. We may see some sharp action on the Under.”

As for the spread, Feazel doesn’t think two-way action will persist either.

“I think as we get closer to kickoff, we’re gonna see more Texas action,” he said. “The public is gonna come in on Texas late Friday and early Saturday.”

  College Football Rocks On FOX

Another SEC-Big Ten battle starts Saturday’s festivities, when No. 11 Oklahoma travels to the Big House to face fortuitous Michigan at noon ET on FOX.

As everyone knows by now, the Wolverines pulled a great escape in Week 1. Michigan was a 27.5-point home favorite, yet needed a Hail Mary — two, in fact — to edge Western Michigan 13-12.

On the flip side, Oklahoma blanked UTEP 51-0 as a 40.5-point home favorite.

On Sunday afternoon, Caesars opened Oklahoma as a 5.5-point road favorite and quickly got out to -6/-6.5. The line has been steady at Sooners -5.5 since Monday afternoon.

“Despite Michigan playing poorly and Oklahoma looking good, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this line go down to 4.5,” Feazel said, noting that before Week 1, the Oklahoma-Michigan lookahead line was Sooners -1.5. “Sharps tend to see some value in the overreaction.”

In fact, Michigan +6.5 drew sharp action. But come Saturday, there won’t be enough sharp money to overcome the public betting masses.

“It’s gonna be one-way traffic,” Feazel said. “The public is on the Sooners, with a lot bets written at -6.5 and more at -5.5. I don’t expect that to lighten up at all.”

Most of the action is on the Sooners ahead of their showdown with Michigan (Getty Images).

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On-Campus Sharp Side

College football betting expert Paul Stone is already involved with Oklahoma vs. Michigan. But he’s not looking at either side in this game.

Rather, he’s on the total, betting on Under 43.5.

That’s due in no small part to Michigan’s eyesore of a Week 1 showing. Stone noted that before the controversial 47-yard Hail Mary TD pass, Michigan had just 229 total yards.

“I believe Michigan is going to keep it tight for at least three quarters,” Stone said. “And if it’s close, it’s going to be a defensive slugfest, not an offensive track meet. Oklahoma has one of the nation’s top defenses, but still lacks playmakers on offense, outside of receiver Isaiah Sategna.

“First team to 21 wins.”

  Eliminator Game?

The Group of 6 will again have one team in the College Football Playoff. Memphis or Boise State could potentially be that team.

Memphis is already 2-0 SU and ATS, including a solid victory over UNLV in Week 0. The Tigers were 4.5-point road underdogs and won 27-21.

Boise State is 0-1 SU and ATS, but had second-ranked Oregon in big trouble last weekend. The Broncos were 24.5-point road underdogs and led 17-7 late in the second quarter.

Boise State stuck around throughout, but ultimately lost 34-27.

Feazel said this 6 p.m. ET kickoff could see quite a bit more action than you’d expect.

“It might be sneakily up there in handle,” Feazel said. “We’re at Boise State -8.5, that’s what we opened at, and that’s what they’re betting, too. There’s more on Boise State and more on the Over.”

The total opened at 54.5 and sits there on Wednesday night, though it poked up to 55.5 for several hours Sunday.

  Big 12 vs. B1G

Iowa and Iowa State renew their annual instate hostilities for a 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday start.

There are times in this series when neither team can put up 14 points. Or both. In 2022, Iowa State won a 10-7 snoozer on the road. Last year, the Cyclones won a 16-13 slog at home.

Yet this year, the No. 22 Hawkeyes (1-0 SU and ATS) are 14-point home favorites at Caesars. Oddsmakers seemed at least a little intrigued by Iowa’s 40-0 punchout of Northern Illinois last week, when the Hawkeyes were 29.5-point home favorites.

And bettors are interested in the Hawkeyes this week.

“We’re seeing more Iowa money coming in, and that’s to be expected,” Feazel said. “Fourteen points for a team that usually doesn’t score a lot is a lot to ask. But bettors feel it’s worth the squeeze on Iowa -14, and I don’t anticipate that changing.”

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As Week 1 is in the books, Week 2 of the college football season is set for a top-10 matchup and early conference competition. 

FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst Joel Klatt shared his picks ahead of the Week 2 slate on Thursday’s edition of “The Joel Klatt Show.”

  Ohio State 27, Texas 24

Klatt’s thoughts: “I could go either way. I really, really like both of these teams. This is going to be a different team for each of these head coaches than they brought into this matchup a year ago. You got experienced quarterback play now. This is no longer an unknown. I don’t expect this to be a low-scoring game…I think it’s going to be different this year. I could see both of these teams scoring in the twenties. I don’t anticipate one of these teams running away from the other… this is as heavyweight as heavyweights get. 

“Do we have bigger brands in college football than Ohio State and Texas? Do we have teams that are better equipped from a resource perspective? Do we have more talented rosters than Ohio State and Texas? Any time these two teams and programs go anywhere, they are the big dog. They finally play eye to eye, and they get to walk into this one and go ‘that looks like us,’ that’s why I love this game… this difference in this game is going to be the five guys in front. This is a dependent game… the defenses will have to adjust.”

Klatt’s pick: “I think Ohio State wins it. I think they kick a field goal in a tie ball game in walk off fashion. 27-24.”

  BYU 24, Arizona 20

Klatt’s thoughts: “These two teams played an absolute thriller last year. This year, the game is in Provo, which I think is a very formidable place to play. Noah Fifita is experienced enough not to be intimidated. From an Arizona perspective, that’s great. The question is can Arizona hold up against what I think is going to be a very physical, run-oriented offense for BYU, led by Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin. LJ Martin was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year ago, and Bear is just… he’s a bear to deal with. There’s no doubt.

“Arizona is trying to replace a lot of guys, particularly on the secondary, from last year’s defense, which was very effective. Can Arizona move the ball? Probably. Are they going to score points? Yeah. At the end of the day. Is BYU better than they are? Probably. And they’re at home. To me it’s close. I think Fifita is too experienced, they’ve got enough on the outside. I really don’t know who is going to be their go-to guy. So can they run and hide from Arizona? No.”

Klatt’s pick: “I like BYU to win this, I think they win 24-20.”

  Alabama 28, Kentucky 17

Klatt’s thoughts: “I think this one will be more interesting than a lot of us realize. Keelon Russell played pretty well for his debut at Alabama. I’m a little concerned that he had to scramble so much. That offensive line struggled a year ago for Alabama. They need to run the ball better, they need to protect the passer better, we all know that: 95% of those rush yards that Russell had came on the scramble. That’s worrisome for me. Although, he looked dynamic doing it… and now you know why he won that job for Kalen DeBoer.  

“Kentucky, they got a brand-new kind of everything. Will Stein comes in as the head coach, he was the former offensive coordinator at Oregon. What I think Will did a nice job of is he brought in some really experienced guys at coordinators, including Jay Bateman from Texas A&M a year ago. What Bateman did best was put pressure on the quarterback, rush the passer. They were not great against the run. Kenny Minchey transfers in from Notre Dame… Minchey had 300 yards and four touchdowns [last week]. Kentucky’s got the former Texas running back CJ Baxter, who I thought a lot of before he got injured.

“I just come down to this: the Bama defense was great.. the real strength of this team and the real identity of this team is the defense. I just don’t know if Kentucky is going to be able to move the ball and sustain enough drives to sit there and cover the 10.5 [spread].”

Klatt’s pick: “I got Bama on the road 28-17, Russell gets his first road win in the SEC.”

Can Alabama stay hot heading into SEC play?

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  Texas A&M 30, Arizona State 17

“This could be a really interesting one. Texas A&M is actually favored by 14.5. I think this has to do with the fact that there are so many transfers into Arizona State. Having to replace 18 starters, including Sam Leavitt who just set the world on fire at LSU, including Raleek Brown, who transferred to Texas… and Jordan Tyson, who went to the draft. So you’re replacing some very good football players. They did get a really nice start from his quarterback, Cutter Boley. He was a Kentucky transfer. Kenny Dillingham did a really nice job with their schematics. 

“On the A&M side… they were a bit slow in the first half against Missouri State, but they ended up winning it 50-0. They just have a third-year starting quarterback which I really like. Marcel Reed is in his third year as starting quarterback… they’re in college station. This comes down to, to me, Kenny Dillingham. I think he’s going to put pressure on the new coordinators at Texas A&M. He’s going to make them defend the entire field. I like what ASU has on the outside. I’m not going to pick them.”

Klatt’s pick: “I see A&M winning this ball game 30-17.”

  Boise State 35, Memphis 21

“Boise State is favored by 7.5… I think that this juncture in the year, these are two of the very few handfuls of teams that I think could actually be the Group of Six representatives for the College Football Playoff… I really like Charles Huff, the head coach at Memphis. I really do. There’s some buzz around Memphis right now, and they played like it [in Week 1].

“Meanwhile, Boise goes up there and goes toe-to-toe and throws haymakers with Oregon. Listen, say what you will about Oregon’s struggles in the first few weeks of the last couple of years. That’s a real roster. Boise hung in there. Is it easier for a Group of Six team to hang in there earlier in the season? Yes… that best effort was a very good effort. I love what Spencer Danielson has built there… it’s a continuation of everything that’s been built up there in Boise. They’ve shown they can play at the top Power Four level. 

“They have an experienced quarterback in Maddux Madsen. He played well against Oregon, he had three touchdowns. Quarterback from Memphis is Marcus Stokes… he played really well. They’ve got a running back, Jaylin Carter, coming off a huge game last week… The problem for Memphis is, what I saw from Boise against Oregon was just too impressive.”

Klatt’s pick: “I’ve got Boise winning this ball game… Beating Memphis at home 35-21.”

College Football Related Stories

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The 3,000 hit club is an exclusive one.

Consider: in the long, long history of Major League Baseball and the proto leagues that preceded it, over 20,000 players have suited up for at least one game. Of those, just 1,421 players reached 1,000 career hits. And merely 676 of those made it to 1,500 — there are more players than that on active rosters in MLB right now. All of 299 of those 676 players would then reach 2,000 career hits, 103 of those made it to 2,500, and all of 33 players that have ever played have crossed the 3,000-hit threshold.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is No. 103 in the 2,500 hits club, as of Sept. 9. That’s a seriously exclusive club to be in, but its exclusivity is nothing compared to that of the 3,000-hit one: as close as Altuve seems to 3,000 now, for instance, he’s maybe not that close.

His chances are far from nonexistent, however: it’s a distinct possibility that Altuve, despite his age and diminishing bat, still makes it to 3,000 before hanging up his cleats. But of all the incredible players to play in MLB, of the many, many Hall of Famers and stars, again, just 33 of them ever managed to pick up at least 3,000 hits. 

What about the rest of the active hit leaders, though? Let’s take a look at those with realistic chances of reaching this exclusive milestone – a list that includes Altuve as one of the closest to 3K. (Hit totals through Sept. 9.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman is the active hit leader, and doesn’t appear to be that far off from 3,000 hits. Freeman turns 37 before the 2026 postseason, though, and is still 413 hits away. He has 156 hits this year, and a three-year average of 157.7, so he would need three more years of production around this level to be able to pull it off.

Freddie Freeman is still a tough out, but will he be able to make it all the way to 3,000 hits? (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

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Which is not to say that Freeman can’t manage it. The major concerns are his health and how it’s tied to his age: Freeman continued to thrive despite some significant injuries that very easily could have derailed him, but as he gets older the small things feel like bigger things, and he’s already seen a dip in his power this year. Even if he becomes more of a singles hitter in his age-37, -38 and -39 campaigns, those knocks all count the same in the quest for 3,000. Freeman is the most likely to pull it off, not just because he’s the closest, but because he’s still really, really good despite entering his late-30s.

Altuve is a fascinating case, as his career took off back when he was a high-average guy racking up hits. Altuve led the American League in hits in four consecutive years, from 2014 through 2017, and also won batting titles in three of those seasons. He hasn’t come very close to those levels since: Altuve collected 1,189 hits in his first six full seasons in the bigs, and then 1,250 in his next nine, including his nearly complete 2026. Second basemen tend to age poorly, since they were at that position in the first place given they were missing something in their tool and skill sets that allowed them to play shortstop instead, but to this point, Altuve has held on strong. Mostly.

Altuve, who turned 36 in May, started the first few weeks of the season looking like the return to second base from the outfield had rejuvenated his bat, but has basically hovered around league-average since: Altuve is batting .244/.306/.397, 21 points of batting average lower than 2025’s already significantly lower than usual output. 

Altuve is 500 hits from 3,000, but from his age-33 season through his current age-36 campaign, he’s averaged 141 hits per year. At that pace, it would take four more seasons for Altuve to cross the 3,000-hit threshold: it’s possible, but he can’t afford to slip more than he already has since this hypothetical already requires that he plays into his 40s and gets another contract, too. Altuve’s current deal with the Astros runs out after 2029, when he turns 39.

Apologies to Andrew McCutchen and Paul Goldschmidt, who both rank ahead of Machado among the active hits leaders, but those two are 39 and 38, respectively – 3,000 is out of reach.

For Machado, though, it’s still a possibility – but less of one that it was this time last year. Machado is playing in his age-33 season, but he’s already been 34 for a couple of months, and is going to finish this season at least 800 hits shy of 3K. The problem was a terrible first half, in which Machado still had power, but little else: in his 100th game of the season, his batting average finally got over .200 to stay, and he’s hit .277/.360/.429 since that point, swapping some power for better overall contact and more times on base.

Machado is still young enough that 3,000 isn’t out of reach, but a rough start to 2026 made things that much more difficult. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

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Combine that with the fact that the Padres’ third baseman plays his home games at Petco Park, which depresses offense. That issue isn’t as extreme as it once was, but it still leans pitcher-friendly, and little things like that can be the difference between finishing a career with 3,000 hits or falling just short.

Still, Machado has averaged 153 hits per season since 2021 even with his dreadful first half in ’26. If he could keep that pace, it would take him five more full seasons and part of another to reach 3,000. He probably won’t keep that pace, though, given how aging works and all, so he might have more of an outside shot at the club than Freeman or Altuve. He’s under contract with the Padres through 2033, his age-40 season, however, so he’ll at least get plenty of chances to make it work by then.

This is where things get real dicey. Harper ranks seventh among active hit leaders: directly in front of him is Nolan Arenado, who has too few hits for his age for real consideration, and behind Harper is Carlos Santana, who is already 40 and over 1,100 away. There is also Xander Bogaerts, who is the same age as his teammate, Machado, and around 200 hits behind his not-a-lock pace. 

Harper is an outside shot, too, but it feels like he shouldn’t be discounted – basically solely because he’s Bryce Harper. Health is his most pressing concern — on top of the pandemic-shortened 2020 that everyone else in his cohort suffered through statistically, he also missed 63 games in 2022 and 36 in 2023, and has cleared 150 games just three times in a career that began in 2012. He looks like he’ll make it a fourth time in 2026, though, and while he’s never going to bat .330 again like in his all-world 2015, if he can continue to average 140 knocks per season like he has over the last four, 3,000 is a possibility, but he’ll be playing into his 40s for that to happen.

If Harper can stay on the field, though, and if he can continue to be Bryce Harper in all the ways that matter, then maybe something magical could happen here, and he’ll surprise us all. He doesn’t have much wiggle room for decline, however, owing to all the missed time he’s already accrued that has him behind.

Betts won’t turn 34 until October, but a tough season with just 105 hits through Sept. 9 and a .249 batting average have him well off the pace now. Before 2026, Betts was already unlikely to reach 3,000 hits by the time he turned 40 years old, as it would have required an average level of production he saw in his late-20s. Now, he’s 1,128 hits shy and nearly wrapped his age-33 season: he would need 161 hits per season to get to 3,000 by the time he turns 40, and tha feels about as unrealistic as him sticking it out another eight years to drop the average to 141. 

All of this just highlights how difficult 3,000 hits is. Betts has been one of the most dynamic, exciting and unbelievably talented players to ever suit up for an MLB game. But just 33 players have ever reached 3,000 hits, and there are far, far more than 33 hitters enshrined in Cooperstown.

What could have been. Mike Trout would be a Hall of Famer if he retired right now, but like with Betts, that doesn’t mean 3,000 hits will happen. What’s frustrating about Trout’s case is that he had his first 1,380 hits by the end of the 2020 season, and managed to add just another 487 over the next six years due to incessant injuries.

Injuries and strikeouts have made 3,000 hits an impossibility for one of the greatest to ever do it. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

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Trout has been relatively healthy the past two years, playing a combined 257 games, but it’s resulted in 219 hits. He’s a high-strikeout, low-contact player at this point, but one who can still drive the ball: of those 219 hits, 46 of them were homers and another 39 went for doubles. The volume just isn’t there for Trout, who turned 35 earlier this summer, but again: he’s already had an entire Hall of Fame career featuring one of the all-time great peaks. That’s a pretty good consolation prize. 

Another example of just how difficult it is to get to 3,000 hits is Mets’ superstar Juan Soto. On the active hits leaders list, there is arguably no one with a better shot than him at 3,000, beyond those players already mentioned.

Soto began his career when he was 19, and won’t turn 28 until the middle of this year’s World Series. He’s the highest-paid player in MLB, and it’s because he’s a tremendous, historic offensive force. And yet! He needs another 1,822 hits to get to 3,000 at this point, to some degree because his career included the pandemic-shortened 2020 as well as an injury-shortened ‘26. But it’s also because Soto is an elite drawer of walks.

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Soto has been on base 2,190 times in his career, and is the active leader in on-base percentage at .415. Just 20 players in the history of the game have reached base at least 2,000 times before turning 28; Soto ranks No. 7, behind Hall of Famers Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Jimmie Foxx and Ty Cobb, with Alex Rodriguez and Mike Trout ahead of him, as well. That’s some company, and it’s not difficult to envision Soto someday becoming just the 50th player to ever get on base 4,000 times in his career (Freeman is in line to become No. 49 in the next year).

As for hits, though? Soto needs to average 140 hits per year for the next 13 years – the remainder of his contract with the Mets – to get to 3,000. That’s certainly possible at his age, but so are a whole lot of other things like injuries or natural decline. The 3,000-hit club is an elite one for a reason. 

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