We’re just a couple of days away from Week 9 of the college football season truly kicking off, and there’s a ton of news to talk about.

Clemson and Rutgers both have big QB announcements, a Miami star just made a bag off an NIL deal, Florida is expected to get one of their star players back and so much more.

Here’s everything you need to know before Week 9 kicks off.

Dabo Swinney Makes QB Announcement

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced on Wednesday that Christopher Vizzina will be the Tigers’ QB2 behind Tait Reynolds for their matchup against Florida State despite Vizzina being “more than 90 per cent” healthy.

Vizzina suffered a left elbow injury minutes into his second start of the 2026 campaign, but despite their Week 1 starter being ready to play in this game, Clemson will stick with freshman Tait Reynolds, who has 1,096 passing yards and one touchdown with three interceptions this season.

Vizzina waited his turn at Clemson, getting his first-ever start as a senior, and after 1.5 games and an elbow injury, he may never start again. You gotta feel for the guy, because there aren’t many loyal players in college football anymore.

North Texas to Host ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter on Campus’ Before Week 9 Game

The University of North Texas has a big time showdown against Florida Atlantic this weekend. Both teams are 5-2 on the season and in the American conference race, so a win on Saturday would be massive for both sides, while a loss could be catastrophic.

To celebrate the big game, ESPN is sending “SportsCenter on Campus” to UNT. The show will air live at 4 p.m. ET on the east side of the stadium, and host Matt Barrie will be joined by former NFL QB Chase Daniel. This will be UNT’s first time hosting SportsCenter on Campus.

SportsCenter on Campus has made stops at Georgia Tech, Coastal Carolina, Tulsa, UTSA, UAB and Memphis this season, and now they’ll add UNT to the list.

Florida Star Expected to Return After Missing 3 Games

The Florida Gators are a dangerous team. Over the past four weeks, they’ve lost to South Carolina and Missouri, but they’ve also taken down Ole Miss and Texas, and this week, they play No. 3 Georgia in what could be another massive upset.

When Florida wins, it’s because they’ve been able to run the ball well. But this week, the Gators will get a big part of their passing attack back in the form of WR Vernell Brown, who, in four games this season, has 17 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns.

Florida’s offense can already outscore anybody, so getting a massive threat in the pass game back will only make them that more dynamic, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Rutgers Starting QB Ruled Out For Michigan Game

Rutgers starting QB Dylan Lonergan is set to miss the Scarlet Knights’ upcoming game against Michigan. He left last week’s game early after taking a big hit to the head, and now he will be out this weekend.

Longergan has thrown for 1,066 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions this season, and it seems that AJ Saurace will take over as Rutgers’ QB1 this week. Surace has played a good amount this year, throwing for 539 yards and six touchdowns with five interceptions.

To make matters worse, star receiver KJ Duff is doubtful with an undisclosed injury. Things could get real ugly for Rutgers this week.

SMU Star Claims Passing TD Record

Kevin Jennings has been leading the charge at SMU for three years now, so it only makes sense that he’s taking over their record books. Heading into last week, Jennings was the Mustangs’ all-time leader in total touchdowns, passing yards, completions and total offenses, and after a three-touchdown game this past weekend, he also set the school record for most passing touchdowns with 74.

Since he took over as the starter in 2024, Jennings has passed for 3,000+ yards and 23+ touchdowns each season, and this year he’s on pace for his best season yet. With five games to go, Jennings is on pace for 3,534 passing yards, 207 rushing yards and 36 total touchdowns. He’s had an incredible career at SMU.

Miami’s Malachi Toney Inks Mega NIL Deal

Miami sophomore receiver Malachi Toney has quickly made a name for himself. As a true freshman, Toney caught 109 passes for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns, and through seven games this season he’s already up to 66 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has been unstoppable, and now he’s raking in the money.

Toney already boasts a $2 million NIL valuation on On3, and now he’s adding more money to his pockets after signing a lucrative NIL deal with JPMorgan Chase. There’s no official word on how much the deal is worth, but signing someone like Toney is going to cost a lot of money.

Four-Loss Syracuse Football Loses Commit

Outside of one good year in 2024, the Syracuse Orange haven’t been good for a while now, and that’s largely because they struggle to recruit. I can’t remember the last time they had a top-30 recruiting class, and right now, their 2027 class ranks 44th in the nation according to On3. And now, they just lost one of their 2027 recruits.

Three-star offensive tackle Edwin Guzman announced on Wednesday that he will be decommitting from Syracuse and will be reopening his recruitment. There was no official reason for his decommitment, but Syracuse has nevertheless lost a big piece of its 2027 class.

Former Steelers HC To Help NC State in Coaching Search

NC State just fired long-time head coach Dave Doeren, meaning they’re about to kick off a nationwide search for their next head coach, and on Wednesday afternoon, the Wolfpack announced that former Steelers head coach and NC State linebacker Bill Cowher will be assisting the team in its search.

NC State has the capabilities of being one of the top programs in the ACC, so they should be able to get the attention of a lot of coaches around the country. It will be very interesting to see who they land on as their new leader.

Jax State Records First Shutout Since 2023

Since joining FBS, Jax State has been one of the best teams in Conference USA. They’ve finished with nine wins in each of their first three seasons in the FBS and have gone 2-1 in bowl games, and this year they’re off to a 6-2 start.

This past week, Jax State dominated New Mexico State, 24-0, logging their first shutout since their inaugural FBS season in 2023, when they beat Eastern Michigan, 21-0.

Jax State didn’t move up to the FBS level to get more money; they did it because they knew they could compete at the highest level, and they’ve delivered so far.

Purdue Football Adds FCS Team to 2027 Schedule After UNC Backs Out

Earlier this year, the UNC Tar Heels backed out of their non-conference matchup against Purdue after the ACC moved to nine conference games, leaving the Boilermakers with a hole in their schedule. They finally filled that hole on Wednesday, announcing that Albany, an FCS team, will come to town on August 28th, 2027. Purdue will pay Albany $500,000 for the game.

Purdue has officially rounded out its 2027 schedule. They will start the year at Notre Dame before hosting Miami (OH). They will face a Big 10 foe in Week 3 before hosting Albany and jumping into their final eight Big 10 games.