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Yesterday — 2 June 2026Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

ESPN projections for Pac-12 football and how Colorado State will fare

✇Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games
2 June 2026 at 02:45

The Pac-12 is back.

Not quite back like it never left, though, because this is a very new-look league. A bevy of Mountain West squads, one from the Sun Belt and two legacy Pac-12 teams join up to make the league.

It sets up for a fascinating, and important, 2026 college football season for the Pac-12.

How will the league shake out? Here's how ESPN sees the league with its preseason metrics and projections:

Who will compete for Pac-12 football title?

The Pac-12 rebuilt with the top teams from the Mountain West. Oregon State and Washington State were left over from the old iteration of the league and are now joined by five former MW members and one from the Sun Belt (Texas State).

The MW defectors won 13 of the last 14 Mountain West titles, led by Boise State's dominance.

So, who is expected to run the league as the Pac-12 relaunches in 2026?

Bill Connelly writes that Boise State is favored to do so, but San Diego State, Fresno State, Washington State, Texas State and Oregon State are all contenders in a league with not a ton of difference in quality top to bottom.

Boise State "is far and away the most proven entity in this new conference," Connelly writes. "Four teams are within a touchdown of second, however, and even CSU has a little bit of hope if the 'new coach brings tons of his former players with him' formula works out."

Is the Pac-12 a Power 5 conference?

The Pac-12 lost the Power 5 status when the league almost collapsed as everyone but Oregon State and Washington State left for elsewhere.

The league and its new members are fighting to regain that status, but the goal for Year 1 will be for the winner of the league to get into the College Football Playoff. Will that happen? Connelly likes the chances.

More: In battle of Pac-12 vs Mountain West, here's who won the league titles

He writes that the Pac-12 has the "best projected average SP+ rating of any conference in the Group of 6. It isn't a power conference, but it should be the best of the rest."

Is Colorado State set to improve under Jim Mora?

Connelly has CSU as the worst team in the league following a 2-10 season that saw Jay Norvell fired and Mora brought in to replace him.

The metrics from ESPN place CSU's conference win total at 2.5 games (the Rams will play eight Pac-12 contests) and 4.7 wins overall.

"That CSU was able to pull Mora back West was a reminder of the potential this job forever has," Connelly writes. "But the Rams certainly haven't shown much of that potential of late, enjoying just one winning season in eight years."

It's not all gloom, though. Connelly says Mora has done a "nice job of creating competition throughout most of the roster." Connelly thinks the offensive line might be a little too thin overall but has the addition of Quinton Harris (from TCU) as one of the top transfers in the league.

Colorado State football player Quinton Harris during a spring practice on March 31, 2026.

Pac-12 conference projections

Here is how ESPN's SP+ metrics project the Pac-12 heading into the season:

  • Boise State (38th overall in FBS)
  • San Diego State (71)
  • Fresno State (78)
  • Washington State (85)
  • Texas State (88)
  • Oregon State (93)
  • Utah State (97)
  • Colorado State (100)

Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Here's who ESPN projects as best Pac-12 college football teams

Michigan State 2026 Class Finishes in Mid-40s

✇Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games
2 June 2026 at 01:18

Pat Fitzgerald’s first full recruiting finish at Michigan State landed in the mid-40s nationally for the 2026 cycle, with the Michigan State football 2026 recruiting class settling around No. 46 in the 247Sports Composite after the signing period closed. Fitzgerald took over in East Lansing on December 1, 2025, then had to stabilize the class through a late coaching change and National Signing Day on February 4, 2026.

The final placement matters because the class moved during the cycle. Michigan State entered early signing day with 19 committed prospects and the No. 39 class nationally in the 247Sports Composite, based on a December snapshot of the rankings.

Samson Gash headlines the group

Michigan State’s signing-day coverage put Samson Gash at the front of the Michigan State football 2026 recruiting class. He signed on February 4, and the program identified him as a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 1 wide receiver in Michigan in its signing-day recap.

Gash gives Fitzgerald a headline skill-position addition in a class that also includes four-star offensive tackle Collin Campbell and quarterback Kayd Coffman among the better-known names tied to the group in the 2026 cycle. The class also included defensive back KJ Deriso, safety Eliyjah Caldwell, and defensive lineman Hudson Aultman among the higher-rated enrollees on the 247Sports commitments page referenced in the research brief.

Why the ranking shifted

The Michigan State football 2026 recruiting class did not hold the same spot all cycle. The early-signing position at No. 39 nationally shows Michigan State had built a stronger standing before the class fully closed, then finished a few spots lower once the broader national board settled.

An updated national ranking published on February 4 placed Michigan State outside the listed top 25, which lines up with a lower-end top-50 finish after the signing period. That national benchmark supports the final picture of a class that remained competitive nationally, but not near the top tier in Fitzgerald’s first short-window push.

What stands out for Michigan State

The clearest takeaway is the makeup of the Michigan State football 2026 recruiting class after a December coaching change. Fitzgerald inherited the cycle late, kept Michigan State in the top 50 nationally, and signed a group with recognizable talent at receiver, quarterback, offensive line, and across the secondary.

The next piece to track is how fast that group gets on the field. Gash’s path in the receiver room, Coffman’s development at quarterback, and Campbell’s timeline up front will shape how much immediate help this class provides in East Lansing.

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Gideon Gash Gives Spartans an In-State Recruiting Boost

✇Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games
1 June 2026 at 04:47

Michigan State brought in 2027 four-star athlete Gideon Gash for an official visit during the weekend of May 29-30, giving the Spartans face time with one of Michigan’s top prospects in an early stretch of the 2027 cycle. Gash, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound Detroit Catholic Central standout, has become a priority in-state target as his recruitment picks up.

The visit matters for Michigan State because Gideon Gash is not just a local name. He is a two-way prospect with reported upside at wide receiver or defensive back, and the Spartans appear to see him on defense with coach Pat Fitzgerald, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi and defensive backs coach James Adams all involved in his recruitment, as detailed in recent reporting on the visit.

Family ties give Michigan State a real opening

Michigan State already has strong connections inside the Gash family. Gideon’s brother Caleb is on the roster, and brother Samson signed with the program in February 2026 after starring at Detroit Catholic Central, as confirmed when Samson joined the 2026 class.

Gideon Gash is also the son of former NFL fullback Sam Gash, a detail that has stayed central to this recruitment as schools keep pushing. Michigan State has a built-in level of familiarity here, and that can matter in a battle that already includes several national programs.

The Spartans are not alone in this fight

Gash previously identified a six-school focus group of Michigan State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Indiana, Alabama and LSU in reporting on where his recruitment stands. Another report laid out official visits scheduled for Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas Tech in June, which means Michigan State got an early shot before a busy month ahead.

There is also an in-state angle beyond East Lansing. Michigan made a push for Gideon Gash this spring and stopped at Detroit Catholic Central in April, adding another layer to a recruitment that already had plenty of heavyweight attention, as noted in coverage of Michigan’s in-state recruiting efforts.

Why this one stands out

Detroit Catholic Central went 14-1 and won the Michigan Division 1 state championship in the 2025 season, and Gideon Gash’s profile has only grown from there, based on reporting on his recruitment and upcoming visits. For Michigan State, getting him on campus now keeps the Spartans firmly in the middle of one of the state’s most important 2027 battles.

No commitment date or post-visit decision timeline has been confirmed in the available reporting. The next part to track is how Michigan State’s early official visit stacks up once Gideon Gash completes his June trips to Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

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