Week 1 didn’t waste any time handing out answers, and a few of them came in loud.
Indiana may have found its next passing-game machine right away. In its season opener against North Texas, the Hoosiers rolled to a 52-16 win, and the new Josh Hoover-led attack looked ready to keep humming after Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy run.
On Hoover’s first pass in an Indiana uniform, he hit Michigan State transfer wideout Nick Marsh on a back-shoulder throw that Marsh snagged with one hand for a touchdown. Hoover later found Charlie Becker for another score.
Marsh and Becker are both viewed as potential first-round picks in next year’s NFL draft, and with Hoover now in the mix, Indiana’s aerial game already looks dangerous. Hoover, after all, has more career passing yards and touchdowns than any other quarterback currently, and if Week 1 is any clue, the Hoosiers might be even more explosive through the air than they were a year ago.
Miami had its own instant chemistry on display. Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah arrived with a reputation for being elite, and the only real question was how quickly that would show up in Coral Gables.
It showed up immediately against Stanford. On the first play of the game, Mensah found Malachi Toney streaking down the sideline for 48 yards.
Two plays later, they hooked up again for a touchdown. Toney finished with 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns, which was the best single-game receiving performance in program history.
If that connection stays hot, Miami has a case as one of the nation’s top threats.
LSU also made a statement, and it came in a big one. Lane Kiffin’s first game as LSU’s head coach was against Clemson, a team trying to rebound from a 7-6 season.
Instead, LSU took control from the opening whistle and never let go. Quarterback Sam Leavitt, the Arizona State transfer, played like the version that broke out in 2024, while running back Dillin Jones gave the Tigers a major boost on the ground.
Clemson ended up taking the worst loss of Dabo Swinney’s coaching career. It’s only one week, but LSU looked the part of a team ready to chase a national championship right out of the gate.
The season is still brand new, and college football has a way of turning certainty into chaos fast. But after Week 1, Indiana, Miami and LSU all left behind more than a little smoke.
In Other News...
Former Miami CB D'Yoni Hill Lands In A Strange New Situation
DYoni Hills football path has already taken him from Marshall to Miami and then Wisconsin, and now he is set for another stop, with Oklahoma planning to add the veteran cornerback as a midseason transfer. Hill has experience starting games at both Miami and Wisconsin, which gives him the kind of rsum teams look for when they need help in a hurry, even if his role this time is expected to be more about depth than jumping straight into the lineup.
For Miami fans, the odd part is not just the new destination, but the timing and the larger question hanging over his career. Hill is also tied up in a lawsuit seeking an additional year of eligibility, so the move to Oklahoma comes with another layer of uncertainty beyond simply getting cleared to join the roster. If the process goes through, it would give Oklahoma a seasoned defensive back with a familiar track record, but the full shape of his next chapter is still far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have Found A Freshman Defender Ready For More
Miamis defense got a closer look at true freshman J.J. Dunnigan in his college debut against Stanford, and the early signs were encouraging. Dunnigan logged 33 snaps and finished with a tackle for loss, a useful first impression for a player who arrived as a four-star recruit in the 2026 class and picked the Hurricanes over several other programs.
Mario Cristobal and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman both singled out Dunnigans physical traits and versatility, which is usually the kind of praise that matters most when a young defensive back is trying to earn more than a cameo. The intriguing part for Miami is how he might fit moving forward, since the staff sees him as someone who can line up in more than one spot and potentially give the secondary another piece to work with sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Just Sent A Message About Miamis Most Hyped Newcomers
Damon Wilson II and Jackson Cantwell arrived in Coral Gables with plenty of buzz, but Miami opened the 2026 season by easing both into backup roles rather than handing them jobs on reputation alone. Wilson worked 44 snaps as a second-team edge rusher, while Cantwell logged 34 snaps at right guard behind starter Max Buchanan, a reminder that the Hurricanes are still sorting out the depth chart even for some of their most talked-about newcomers.
Mario Cristobal has made the message plain: nothing is promised, and young players have to earn their way onto the field. For Miami, that approach may be the point, especially with a roster built around development as much as immediate impact. The early usage of Wilson and Cantwell suggests the Hurricanes are willing to be patient, even with players many expected to push for bigger roles right away. [Read more 🡒]