Arch, NIL, and the ACL Heard ‘Round Lubbock

Strap in, degenerates, the wait is over… college football is back this weekend.

If fall camp was a movie, this year’s script would be half soap opera, half blooper reel. Arch Manning is fending off family drama, ESPN replaced Corso with Chase Daniel, Sonic somehow became an NIL acting school, and Quinten Joyner’s ACL just took down half of Lubbock’s fantasy hopes. Meanwhile, Matt Campbell reminded everyone that injury reports are for gamblers, not polite company.

This newsletter is for the psychos who can smell an NIL valuation from a mile away, the freaks laughing at Adidas trying to fix Tennessee, and the diehards who know BYU’s best QB right now might be a true freshman.

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📰 Two-Minute Drill

Arch Manning Says Grandpa Archie Owes Him an Apology
Texas QB Arch Manning revealed his grandfather Archie had to walk back comments about him bolting for the NFL in two years. Arch said he’s “taking it day by day.” Translation: the Mannings might control the TV rights, but not his career timeline.
📎 Read More

Ohio State’s Secret Weapon Might Be a Purdue Tight End
Max Klare, a transfer from Purdue, is drawing buzz as the Buckeyes’ unexpected X-factor. He hauled in 51 catches last year, and Ryan Day is already scheming ways to make him more than just a safety valve. Don’t be surprised if he becomes the third-down lifeline.
📎 Read More

College Football Has Run Out of Geniuses
The Wall Street Journal says the sport has officially plateaued. No more Mikes (Leach) or Chips (Kelly) inventing new playbooks—just a sea of copycats running the same stuff. Innovation’s dead, and defenses are loving it.
📎 Read More

ESPN Shakes Up College GameDay, Adds Chase Daniel
Lee Corso is stepping away from the desk, and ESPN is turning to Chase Daniel to freshen up the crew. It’s a youth movement on college football’s flagship show. The only thing scarier than Daniel breaking down tape? The fact he made nearly $42 million as an NFL backup.
📎 Read More

Bill Belichick’s Off-Field Soap Opera Hits UNC’s Orbit
Belichick’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson fired a public shot at his ex after a run-in in Nantucket. And yes, this sideshow is happening as Belichick takes over in Chapel Hill. Welcome to college football, where your new coach arrives with more tabloid ink than Lane Kiffin.
📎 Read More

🚗 Car Dealership Chronicles: The NIL Tracker

Sonic Rolls Out NIL for Longhorns and Aggies with Acting School Bonus
Five Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M stars just became the face of Sonic Drive-In, complete with acting lessons from Terry Crews. Fast food meets improv comedy in the NIL era. Next stop: Broadway, but only if they can memorize the Chili Cheese Coney menu.

South Carolina QB Flaunts $3.7M NIL Portfolio and $186K Mercedes
LaNorris Sellers is rolling into 2025 with a $3.7 million NIL valuation and a new Mercedes G63 courtesy of a dealership partner. Nothing screams “college athlete” like showing up to practice in a car worth more than half your O-line’s combined NIL packages.

Tennessee Dumps Nike for Adidas—with NIL Ambassadors Included
The Vols are trading swooshes for stripes in a mega-deal that ropes athletes into an NIL “ambassador network.” Translation: Tennessee players now get to star in ads for sneakers everyone stopped buying in 2012.

Arch Manning Tops NIL Charts with $6.8M Valuation, Plays It Cool
Arch Manning is still the NIL king at $6.8 million, but he’s keeping the brand profile subdued and letting teammates get the spotlight. Humility looks great when you can casually buy half of Austin before kickoff.

🔥 Bet Your Team On This Guy

Chase Roberts, WR, BYU

Why you should bet on him
Chase Roberts emerged last season as BYU’s go-to wideout, piling up 52 receptions for 854 yards, a sturdy 16.4 yards per catch average, and 4 touchdowns across 13 games. He’s a tall, reliable chain-mover with big-play upside in the new-look Big 12 landscape. Pro Football Focus even ranks him among the top 10 college WRs for the 2026 NFL Draft class, one of only two Big 12 receivers to land that honor.

This Week’s Buzz

• QB Trust Fund
  BYU tabbed true freshman Bear Bachmeier as the new starting quarterback, and Roberts is billed as his primary security blanket heading into the opener.

• Locked & Loaded
  Scouts have Roberts circled as a mismatch nightmare, with size and route polish that translate to mid-round NFL upside.

• Big 12 Volume Play
  If you’re banking on shootouts and garbage-time accumulation, Roberts is the kind of reliable chain-setter scoring when games get hectic.

What it means for your fantasy/futures bet pool
Roberts is the fantasy equivalent of investing in S&P 500 stocks—safe, steady, and dependable. He’s a PPR staple and red zone threat waiting for volume. Slip him into your roster before the season and thank me when your lineup doesn’t feel slimy without volume from the bye weeks.

⚠️ The Walking Boot

Quinten Joyner, RB, Texas Tech
The breakout dream died before it started. Joyner, the USC transfer penciled in as Texas Tech’s RB1, tore his ACL in a preseason scrimmage and is out for the entire 2025 season. Last year he averaged 7.6 yards per carry at USC, flashed NFL-caliber burst, and was set to inherit Tahj Brooks’ workload. Instead, he’s inheriting a spot on the rehab table.

What it means: Tech now leans on J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey to patchwork the backfield, while fantasy owners who drafted Joyner early are looking for the eject button. In Lubbock, this isn’t just bad luck, it’s NIL money torched before the first kickoff.

🗣️ Coachspeak Decoder Ring

What they said:
“I don’t even know enough about it to probably comment... we’ll roll with it.”
— Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach, on new injury-reporting rules

What they meant:
Campbell basically told the Big 12 that “injury reports are for gamblers and journalists, not me.” Translation: Don’t expect transparency out of Ames any time soon. If a QB limps off in the first quarter, good luck figuring out if it’s a cramp, a concussion, or the bubonic plague. Campbell’s official word is “¯\(ツ)/¯,” which fits perfectly with a program that seems to enjoy playing hide-and-seek with competence anyway.

That’s it for this edition of “Matt Campbell doesn’t owe you an injury report, or eye contact.”

See you next time, unless we’ve been cast in a Sonic commercial alongside Arch Manning and a Chili Cheese Coney.

Until then, remember: punting is for cowards.

— The Convert on Fourth Down Team

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