Southern Sports Edition
Jason Bishop Show August 14 2026
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show with Brandon Derrick August 12 2026
Texas Longhorns 2026 Preview
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Entering year three in the SEC, most are becoming comfortable with the Texas Longhorns and the SEC being in the same sentence.
Texas has racked up a 23-6 record as a member of the Southeastern conference the past two seasons, and year three looks to be much more of the same as the Longhorns were picked 4th in the preseason coaches poll.
If there has been a knock against the burnt orange, it’s been the performances when the lights are the brightest.
Last season, two of the three losses came against Georgia in a dominant 35-10 Bulldog victory and a 41-27 shortcoming at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl.
2024 was more of the same. It was a pair of missteps against Georgia that accounted for two of the three losses for the Longhorns.
One of those Georgia matchups was a highly built-up regular season matchup in Austin where the Bulldogs out physical-ed Texas to the tune of 30-15, with the other coming in the SEC Championship with Georgia edging the Longhorns 22-19 on a late Gunnar Stockton touchdown.
2024 was a magical season for Texas with the run to the Cotton Bowl in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff and the folks in Austin are hoping (and expecting) a repeat of that in 2026.
The name Arch Manning has been talked about in the lone-star state since what feels like Texas was still in the SouthWEST Conference, but the now fourth-year quarterback is poised to take the next step leading the Longhorns.
Manning has racked up a 12-3 record as the starter for Texas with over 4,100 yards through the air and 49 total touchdowns.
There has been so much scrutiny on Manning (some because of the name, some because of what he did in his high school career) but most of that has been from the national media.
Locally in Austin, it’s been the trajectory that was expected from the now junior. Manning played two games in his true freshman season then split time with Quinn Ewers in 2024 as the redshirt freshman. Last year took over in a hugely productive season, now looks to take the next step into dominance under center.
Much of the excitement heading into the season revolves around some key transfers, especially on the offensive side of the ball. In the backfield along Manning will be NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers. Smothers averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2 years with the Wolfpack and was one of the most heralded transfers in the class.
The receiver’s room has been retooled with the addition of Sterlig Berkhalter from Wake Forest, and Emmett Mosley from Stanford along with the premier transfer Cam Coleman from Auburn.
All that talent couples with 2nd team All-SEC wide-out Ryan Wingo returning.
On the defensive side, the biggest addition may be one wearing a headset as Steve Sarkisian hired longtime defensive guru Will Muschamp as the defensive coordinator.
The former head coach at South Carolina and Florida has spent the past five years as various positions on staff for Georgia returns to Austin after leading some of the toughest Texas defenses from 2008-2010.
Sixth year head coach Steve Sarkisian has rebuilt the Texas football brand into a national power and looks to take the next step this season and reach the pinnacle of college football.
There is a lot of buzz around this Texas program and well warranted. The Longhorns have quickly become a perennial pick to be in Atlanta the first weekend of December for the SEC Championship (while it still exists), but that just scratches the surface of what could be coming home to Bevo this year in Austin.
Kennesaw State Owls 2026 Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Kennesaw State kicks off the 2026 football season Thursday, September 3rd at home (Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium) against West Georgia. We are going to take a look at how the Owls will do this season.
Jerry Mack took over as the head coach on December 1, 2024. KSU went 2-10 the previous season after Brian Bohanon stepped down in November after a 1-8 start. Bohanon was the head coach for the Owls since the inception of the program in 2013.
He led the team from the FCS level until they moved up to FBS and joined Conference USA in 2024. His overall record was 72-38.
Coach Mack was the head coach at North Carolina Central from 2014-17, with a record of 31-15. He was the offensive coordinator/assistant head coach at Rice (2018-20) then he became the running backs coach at Tennessee (2021-23). He was hired as the RB coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2024 season.
The Owls shocked everyone and went 10-4 last season. They started the season on the road against Wake Forest and Indiana, who won the national championship last year. KSU almost pulled the upset against Wake Forest, losing 10-9.
They went 7-1 in C-USA, with their only loss on the road against Jacksonville State, 35-26. They met them again in the C-USA Championship Game, which was also on the Gamecocks home field. They beat them, 19-15 and went to the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
With the success of last season, the expectations are high coming into 2026. They have 6 Owls selected to the Pro Football Network Preseason All C-USA team. The First team selections are RB Latrelle Murrell, DL Marcus Patterson and LB Baron Hopson.
WR/KR Davis Bryson was selected to the Second team. DB Isaac Paul and WR/PR Zion Booker were selected for the Third team.
In 2025, Murrell rushed for 894 yards and 3 touchdowns, while averaging 5.1 ypc. He also had 22 receptions for 246 yards and 4 TD’s.
Last season’s starting QB, Amari Odom transferred to Syracuse. Ironically, QB Rickie Collins transferred to KSU from Syracuse. He was at LSU from 2023-24.
KSU added a total of 28 players from the transfer portal. Some of the marquee players are LB Josh Anglin (Tulsa), OL Luke Duska (Elon), DB Perry Fisher (UAB), DB Kaleb Gray (West Virginia), OLB Corey Kelly (Baylor), P Matt McKenzie (Arizona State), DB Tony Williams (UCF) and DB Maliki Wright (Duke).
“This is an excellent group of young men and we’re excited to have them join the Kennesaw State family,” coach Mack said. “Our coaches worked extremely hard this offseason to add both experience and depth, and I can’t wait to see them out on the field this spring.”
West Georgia moved up to FCS from Division II in 2024. That will be an easy win to start the season.
The rest of the non-conference schedule is against Georgia State, at #18 Tennessee and at Arkansas State.
Conference play begins October 7th against Jax State.
The rest of the CUSA schedule is at Missouri State, Liberty, at Middle Tennessee, Delaware, at Sam Houston, FIU and at Western Kentucky. The first four CUSA games are played on Wednesday or Thursday.
With the transfer portal, rosters change drastically each season. I believe KSU can continue the momentum from last season but they also have a lot of new players on the team.
I expect them to contend for the C-USA championship again and make a bowl game. I believe they will win seven or eight regular season games.
Miami Hurricanes 2026 Preview
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Miami Hurricanes are looking to build on their momentum from last season’s success. They made it all the way to the National Championship game but fell short to the Indiana Hoosiers.
This season, they are reloaded and are looking to bring home the trophy.
To start with, there is a new quarterback for the Hurricanes as Carson Beck has graduated out and is now with the Arizona Cardinals. If I may add, Beck looked very promising in the Hall of Fame game against the Panthers.
Darian Mensah has been the story of the offseason in college football, and his saga of leaving the Blue Devils of Duke and coming to Miami has certainly been interesting to follow.
He led the Blue Devils to the ACC title last season and originally committed to come back, but in the end transferred to Miami.
Mario Cristobal is the head coach of the Hurricanes and is entering his 5th season, and during his tenure has brought them back into the national spotlight. Currently, according to 247sports, the Hurricanes have the #2-ranked recruiting class for the 2027 cycle, headlined by 5 five-star recruits.
On a local note, former Benedictine Cadet standout Herbert Scroggins III is set to make a real impact on the defensive line this season for the Hurricanes.
As the Hurricanes look to return to the National Championship game, they will start week 1 in conference play as they will take one of the longest trips in college football this season from Miami, FL to California and take on the Stanford Cardinal.
Next, they will welcome the Rattlers of FAMU to Hard Rock Stadium before traveling to Deac Town to take on Wake Forest, which is coached by Jake Dickert, coming off a 9-4 record.
Then the Hurricanes will come back home to host Central Michigan before heading to Death Valley and taking on Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers in what will be a key early-season matchup.
The Pitt Panthers will then make a trip to South Beach before the Hurricanes head to Chapel Hill to take on Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels in what could potentially be a must-win game for Coach Belichick.
Next, a trip to South Bend is in store for the Canes in what will be one of the top matchups in college football this season.
To end the season, Miami will host 3 ACC games that will have a lot of ACC Championship and CFP implications on the line
The Duke Blue Devils will head to Hard Rock Stadium in what will be a very interesting game for the Dariah Mensah saga.
After that, both Virginia Tech and Boston College will make trips to South Beach.
This is a very manageable schedule for the Hurricanes, and there is a strong possibility they will go 12-0; however, I see them closer to the 10-win mark.
There are some tough road games: at Wake Forest, at Clemson, and at Notre Dame, it would be very east for them to drop a couple of these tough road games.
Now, with that being said, I think Miami has one of the best chances to make the CFP, and if they do what they are supposed to do this season, they will find themselves right in the playoff mix at the end of the season.
Wanting More
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia rolls into the 2026 football season with high hopes.
What we have all realized is that in the Kirby Smart era, every year has high hopes! So, what makes this team special?
First is experience. The Dawgs won the SEC again last year and they did it with the second youngest team in the league. Now they return 14 starters from last year’s 12-2 outfit.
Add in a few portal pieces that were starters and this team is loaded with talent and experience. Kirby Smart’s mantra of building from within will show results this year. All that youth is a year older and bigger, stronger and faster.
Second is the schedule. While there are toughies at Alabama and at Ole Miss. They get Oklahoma at home and Florida in Atlanta. Throw in no Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee or LSU on the schedule and it is manageable.
Next and probably the most important is the system. Georgia builds from within. Kirby is the Saban of here and now. This staff, team and fan base are an ALL IN bunch of rabid DAWGS.
Georgia went 12-2 last year and lost 2 games by a total of 8 points. Ask anyone associated with this bunch of Dawgs and they will say that isn’t good enough. Such are the expectations now in Athens Georgia and throughout the Bulldog Nation. This edition of the Dawgs is hungry.
There are questions. Where did the receivers go? What the hell happened to the pass rush? Legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. Let’s take a quick look at the 2026 team.
On offense it all starts with Gunner Stockton. Back for his second year as a starter. Gunner is a leader and a player. He is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country. If Gunner has a great 2026 then the Dawgs will also. Enough said.
The running game will be one of the best in the nation. Returning are Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens who accounted for some 1500 yards last year. Add in 3rd year Dwight “peanut” Phillips with his 4.28 40 and lets GO! This will open everything else up for what should be a dynamic offense.
The receivers will be a question mark. The plug and play transfer Isiah Canion will definitely be a go to.
Add in returners London Humphreys and Sacovie White-Helton along with youngsters Talyn Taylor, C. J. Wiley and others and while untested, there is talent. I wouldn’t be surprised to see UGA wide receivers mixed in on the outside and slot with some of the tight ends.
Speaking of tight ends, the tight end room at Georgia is arguably the best in college football. Lawson Luckie, Elyiss Williams, and Ethan Barbour are outstanding. Add in depth and new arrival Kaiden Prothro and Mike Bobo has the opportunity to ruin some defenses this fall.
None of the above will work without a solid offensive line and Georgia has that. Returning starters Drew Bobo, Earnest Green III, and Dontrell Glover are All SEC caliber players. Add in Jah Jackson, Juan Gaston, and exciting freshman Zykie Helton and others and the line should be one of the best in the conference.
Defensively the Dawgs will be good. Whether they can be elite will hinge on two things. First is consistency. As mentioned, in the two games Georgia lost in 2025 they gave up a combined 63 points. They lost those games by a total of 8 points.
Next is an answer to the first. It comes down to a pass rush. If Georgia has 35 sacks in 2026 then you can count them in. If they repeat 2025 and have 20 sacks then you can count them out.
The pieces of the puzzle are all there. Elijah Griffin, KJ Bolton and Ellis Robinson IV are All-Americans and potential first round NFL draft picks.
On the front seven Justin Williams Gabe Harris, Quentavius Johnson, Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, and Xzavier McLeod, all return.
In the secondary Khalil Barnes, Rasean Dinkins, and Demello Jones are back. There is depth and quality waiting to get on the field behind them.
The kicking will once again be handled by Peyton Woodring and the new punter Drew Miller has big shoes to fill!
After two years of SEC Championships it’s amazing that for Kirby and the Dawgs, that isn’t good enough. The 2026 Bulldogs know where they stand. They want it all.
New Gator Era
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Swamp in Gainesville is buzzing as the Billy Napier era ends and the Jon Sumerall era has begun.
Coach Sumerall comes to the Gators from Tulane, where he was head coach for 2 years; prior to that, he was head coach at Troy for 2 years. He has a record of 43-12 and led Tulane to a CFP berth last season.
The Gators have also been hot on the recruiting trail this summer, and according to 24/7Sports, they are number 11 in the country and number 6 in the SEC; their class is currently headlined by 5-star O-Lineman Maxwell Hiller.
But the focus is starting to turn to their 2026 campaign as the Gators look to turn this recharged energy into wins on the field.
To start, the Gators are moving forward Lagway-less; their quarterback of the future is now a Baylor Bear. So, at the quarterback position, the Gators will look to either Tramell Jones Jr., who was a 3-star recruit for the Gators in the 2025 class, or Aaron Philo, who many Georgia Tech fans thought would replace Haynes King in Atlanta.
The new Offensive Coordinator for the Gators also came from Georgia Tech, as Buster Faulkner will be calling plays, and if I had to bet who was going to start game number 1 against Florida Atlantic, it would be Philo.
It’s also worth noting from a local perspective that former Portal Panther and Redshirt Sophomore Amir Jackson has a lot of signs pointing his way towards being an impact player this season at Tight End.
According to ESPN, the Gators have the 7th toughest strength of schedule in the country; as a side note, 14 of the top 15 are all SEC teams.
To start off the season, the Gators will host Zach Kittley’s Florida Atlantic Owls and their high-octane offense. He is currently the youngest coach at the FBS level at age 34. I am putting the Gators on upset watch for this game.
Next, they will host FCS opponent Campbell University Camels before a trip to The Plains of Auburn for their first SEC matchup of the season.
Then they will get deep into SEC play as they will host Ole Miss, who is fresh off a trip to the CFP. This will be followed by a trip to take on Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Tigers squad in Columbia, Missouri.
Then Shane Beamer’s squad will come to town in what will probably be a must-win game for both squads.
This will be followed by a trip to Austin, Texas to take on the Longhorns.
Next is what is slated to be a “neutral site” game against the Georgia Bulldogs at The Benz in Atlanta.
Following that game, the Sooners of Oklahoma will visit The Swamp, also fresh off a CFP appearance.
The Gators will then travel to Lexington, Kentucky for what will most likely be another must-win game for both squads. Then, for the final home game of the season, they will host the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Then, for rivalry weekend, they will travel up the road to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles.
With a first-year head coach, there is always a big unknown, and anything can happen.
The Gators return a lot of talent and have good coaches in place, so I set the ceiling at 9 wins and the floor at 6-6, which would put the Gators headed to a bowl game in the first season under Coach Sumerall.
Jason Bishop Show August 6 2026
The Kiffin Effect
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If you are looking for the team that could shake up college football in 2026, look no further than the Bayou Bengals of LSU.
The Tigers did not just hire a new football coach this offseason. They made one of the biggest moves in college football by bringing Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
At LSU, the expectation is never just to have a winning season. The expectation is to compete for SEC championships and national championships.
Based on what Kiffin has already accomplished this offseason, I believe the Tigers are built to do exactly that.
Kiffin has won everywhere he has coached. He turned Florida Atlantic into a winner, made Ole Miss a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, and now takes over one of the most talent rich programs in America.
This is the first time in his career that he has inherited a roster and resources capable of competing for a national title from day one.
The biggest reason for the excitement is the transfer portal. LSU landed what many believe is the top transfer class in the country, and almost every addition fills a major need.
After finishing 7-6 last season, the Tigers needed a complete makeover on offense, and Kiffin delivered.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt could be the key to everything. If he stays healthy after recovering from a foot injury, he is an ideal fit for Kiffin’s offense.
He also has plenty of weapons around him. Receivers Jayce Brown, Tre Brown, Jackson Harris, Winston Watkins, and Eugene Wilson III give LSU one of the deepest and fastest receiving groups in college football.
Just as important is the rebuilt offensive line. Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton may prove to be the most valuable addition on the roster.
LSU struggled to protect it’s quarterback and establish a running game last season.
Seaton and several experienced transfers should completely change that. If the Tigers can simply become a respectable rushing team, Kiffin’s offense has the potential to become one of the best in the nation.
The defense should be every bit as impressive.
One of Kiffin’s smartest decisions was keeping defensive coordinator Blake Baker in Baton Rouge. Baker already had LSU playing solid defense despite the offense often putting the unit in difficult situations.
Now he has even more talent to work with. The addition of edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen strengthens the defensive front, while linebacker.
Whit Weeks returns as the emotional leader of the defense. When Weeks was sidelined by injury last year, LSU simply was not the same football team. His return gives the Tigers one of the best linebackers in the SEC leading an already talented group.
Even with all the excitement, the schedule will certainly test LSU. Clemson, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Ole Miss are all capable of making life difficult. But championship teams do not shy away from challenging schedules.
Several of LSU’s biggest conference games will be played in Death Valley, where few opponents enjoy success.
There may be a few growing pains early with so many new faces learning a new system, but I do not expect them to last very long. Kiffin has consistently built explosive offenses throughout his coaching career, and now he has the roster to match his creativity.
Everything appears to be in place. LSU has upgraded the quarterback position, rebuilt the offensive line, added explosive playmakers, strengthened the defense, and hired one of the brightest offensive minds in college football.
I believe the Tigers will not only return to the College Football Playoff this season, but they will be right in the middle of the SEC championship race from start to finish.
If they stay healthy, do not be surprised if LSU is playing for the national championship when the season comes to an end.
Rocky Top
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In the words of the late great Voice of the Vols John Ward, “You can sense the intensity as they await the arrival of the Tennessee Team here in Neyland Stadium.” There’s a very similar feeling to those archived words around the Orange and White as we inch closer to a September 5th kickoff.
Sixth year Head Coach Josh Heupel has several questions to answer, but there’s also much to be excited about.
The most pressing question around the Vols entering the ’26 campaign is at quarterback. After the departure of the one-year stopgap of Joey Aguilar, Tennessee will be deciding between a pair of young guns to take the snaps.
True freshman Faizon Brandon was a top five overall prospect nationally out of high school where he completed 72 percent of his career passes and racked up over 6,300 yards passing.
The competitor is redshirt freshman George McIntyre. The 6-6, 208 local Tennessee native made two appearances in his redshirt season last year with just nine pass attempts after being a consensus four-star prospect out of high school.
Josh Heupel has said that he would like to name a starter earlier in camp, but “the job won’t be won or lost on day one.
One of the big stories coming out of Knoxville in the pre-season is the NCAA handing down a two-game suspension to middle linebacker Arion Carter.
Carter had declared for the NFL Draft after the 2025 season, and while going through the draft process discovered he needed a medical procedure. Taking that into account, Carter removed his name from the NFL Draft just before the deadline to do so and come back to Tennessee for his senior year.
During the Draft process, Carter had a flight paid for by an NFL club (with the grand total under $500 which he paid back) which violated the NCAA rules (yes, those still exist).
While the September 5th opener against Furman doesn’t necessarily have anything change because of the absence of Carter, it could loom large for week 2 when Tennessee heads to Bobby Dodd Stadium to take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Around whoever takes the snaps for the “Power T” are tons of weapons. DeSean Bishop rushed for over 1,000 yards a year ago to become the third straight Tennessee starting running back to eclipse the 1K threshold.
Braylon Stanley, Mike Matthews, Radarious Jackson lead the receiver room along with a litany of young talent waiting in the wings.
On the offensive side the biggest improvement needs to be on the offensive line. A much re-tooled unit looks to take a huge step forward with the addition of Sam Pendleton coming in from Notre Dame, Wendell Moe transferring from Arizona, and Ory Williams from LSU.
The Tennessee defense is one of the more intriguing I think in the SEC. The talent is there, but the intriguing aspect is the leader of the defense with Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles being named DC in the offseason by Josh Heupel.
Knowles has been heralded as one of the top defensive minds in college football, especially after winning the 2024 National Championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The schedule is do-able for this Tennessee squad. The Vols don’t play Georgia this season and get Alabama, LSU, Texas and Auburn all at the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium, so while the SEC Media selected Tennessee to finish 8th in the league, there’s a path for the Vols to make some noise and there’s a quiet buzz around Knoxville.
So, to finish the quote from the Legendary Voice of the Vols John Ward, “wherever you listen throughout the world, ITS FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!”
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