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You probably didn’t think that Bart Simpson would be involved in the 68th running of the Daytona 500. But he is! NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway announced Friday that Bart Simpson, star of “The Simpsons,” will be the honorary starter for the Daytona 500 this Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). It’s not Nancy Cartwright, the genius voice behind Bart Simpson but the mascot of the beloved troublemaker. The Bart Simpson mascot will wave the green flag while perched above the iconic 2.5-mile track to start The Great American Race on FOX, which will air the 800th episode of “The Simpsons” on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. The show has aired on FOX since 1989. “It’s an honor to have Bart Simpson, an American icon of pop culture, serve as our honorary starter for the 68th running of the DAYTONA 500,” Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway, said in a release. “Bart’s historic run of pranks and mischief on FOX for over 30 years has provided laughs for all ages. There’s no doubt that he’s going to have an absolute blast waving the green flag for The Great American Race.” [4 TAKEAWAYS: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano Won Daytona Duels] The Wood Brothers Racing team served as the honorary starter for last year’s Daytona 500, with Eddie Wood, Len Wood, Jon Wood, Keven Wood and Jordan Wood Hicks all partaking in the starting duties. It was a race that saw William Byron take the checkered flag for a second consecutive year in the Daytona 500 as he now chases a three-peat. As for this year, Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe will start the 2026 Daytona 500 on the front row — Busch is on the pole — with Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five of the field. [NASCAR: All 41 Daytona 500 Paint Schemes] Catch the 2026 Daytona 500 on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app. Pre-race show “NASCAR RaceDay” will be live at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) — From 14 drivers with no career wins to a driver with 83 career wins, from drivers ages 19 to 50, from a driver with three career starts to a driver with 750 — the field for the Daytona 500 (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX) is officially set and features much variety. Here’s a look at how I rank the 41 drivers as far as chances of winning the Daytona 500. I based this on how well they run in the 500, at Daytona in general, at the similar-style drafting tracks (Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta) as well as some gut feeling: 41. Casey Mears (Starting: 17th)Garage 66 No. 66 Ford This will be the 495th Cup start for Mears, who is looking to get to 500 starts in Cup. Driving for team owner Carl Long, Mears is making his 14th Daytona 500 start but his first since 2019. The team had to fix a significant amount of damage from the qualifying race Thursday night. 40. B.J. McLeod (Starting: 38th)Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 Chevrolet Getting in after the Anthony Alfredo disqualification for failing tech after the qualifying race, McLeod will relish the second chance. McLeod, who owns his car, is making his 150th career start. Both of his two career top 10s came at Daytona. 39. Cody Ware (Starting: 33rd)Rick Ware Racing No. 51 Chevrolet Ware is trying to rebound after a year when he finished 36th in the standings (by far the worst among the charter teams). He’s also trying to get adjusted as the team has switched from Ford to Chevrolet. But what does the Rick Ware Racing driver look forward to? Both of his two top-10 career Cup finishes have come at Daytona. 38. Riley Herbst (Starting: 28th)23XI Racing No. 35 Toyota Herbst was 35th in the standings last year as a Cup rookie at 23XI Racing. So he needs to forget about last year, and what better place than Daytona? In his Cup debut in 2023, he placed 10th in the Daytona 500. [MUST SEE: All 41 Daytona 500 Paint Schemes] 37. Noah Gragson (Starting: 25th)Front Row Motorsports No. 4 Ford Gragson has one top-20 finish (ninth in 2024) in his four Daytona 500 starts and all three of his Cup top-5 finishes have come on the drafting tracks. But he needs to get in sync with new crew chief Grant Hutchens, and a mistake forgetting a new rule that resulted in his qualifying time being disallowed shows there’s more work to do in a pivotal year for Front Row Motorsports. 36. Josh Berry (Starting: 14th)Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford Berry isn’t known as a stout superspeedway racer but did finish ninth in his last trip to Daytona last August. The good thing for Berry is that as a Team Penske affiliate, he has plenty (and typically courteous) teammates if he gets up front. 35. Ty Dillon (Starting: 34th)Kaulig Racing No. 10 Chevrolet Dillon was sixth in the 2019 Daytona 500, and he has a tendency to finish the Daytona 500, which is saying something. But Dillon is likely looking beyond today as he looks to improve on a season where he finished 33rd in the standings driving for Kaulig Racing. 34. Cole Custer (Starting: 23rd)Haas Factory Team No. 41 Chevrolet Custer was fourth in his last trip to Daytona but still seeks his first top 10 in the Daytona 500. He’s making his fifth start, and his first in a Chevrolet as Haas Factory Team has moved from Ford to Chevy. 33. AJ Allmendinger (Starting: 35th)Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet Allmendinger isn’t the biggest fan of superspeedway racing, but he does have five top-10s, including two thirds in 12 Daytona 500 starts. That makes him a good sleeper pick. Maybe more significant, he has four top-10s in his last five Daytona 500 starts. What’s to be seen is, because Kaulig Racing has no manufacturer support as it has moved to Dodge and Ram for trucks, will no one help Allmendinger or will anyone help him because there are no allegiances? 32. Connor Zilisch (Starting: 32nd)Trackhouse Racing No. 88 Chevrolet Zilisch is one of the most heralded rookies to burst on the scene, but not much is expected from him in his Daytona 500 debut (only Zilisch and Corey Heim are making their Daytona 500 debuts). Zilisch technically won the O’Reilly race at Daytona last summer, but it was Parker Kligerman who crossed the finish line first in a relief role where he replaced Zilisch early in the race. This will be the fourth career start for the Trackhouse driver. [DRIVERS SOUND OFF: 4 Burning Questions for 2026 Cup Season] 31. Shane van Gisbergen (Starting: 13th)Trackhouse Racing No. 97 Chevrolet SVG placed 33rd in his first Daytona 500 and still seeks his first top-10 on a drafting track. The road-course ace, SVG still might find it hard to find a drafting partner to get his Trackhouse car out front. While SVG’s number changed from 88 to 97, his team is relatively the same for 2026. 30. Justin Allgaier (Starting: 40th)JR Motorsports No. 40 Chevrolet Allgaier will make his fourth Daytona 500 start and his second consecutive for JR Motorsports, an O’Reilly Series team that made its Cup debut a year ago. Allgaier will have plenty of fans as the 2024 O’Reilly champion will have team boss Dale Earnhardt Jr. rooting him on to what he hopes is even a better finish than an exhilarating ninth in the race a year ago. 29. Corey Heim (Starting: 29th)23XI Racing No. 67 Toyota Heim is making his Daytona 500 debut thanks to a great qualifying run that put him fifth overall in single-car qualifying Wednesday. The 2025 truck champion won 12 races last year, he is making his eighth Cup start. The 23XI Racing driver was sixth at Bristol last September and will make 12 Cup starts this year. 28. Erik Jones (Starting: 24th)Legacy Motor Club No. 43 Toyota Jones has won at Daytona — his first career Cup victory came in the July 2018 races. But he has only two top-10 finishes in the Daytona 500 and has five of these races where he’s wrecked out. But if he gets to the finish, the Legacy driver could be a threat. This will be the first race for Jones and new crew chief Justin Alexander, who came from Richard Childress Racing. 27. Todd Gilliland (Starting: 18th)Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford Gilliland has failed to finish three of his four Daytona 500 starts because of accidents, but he is another one of those drivers that if he is around at the finish, you can’t rule him out. The Front Row Motorsports driver needs to rebound from a little bit of a disappointing year in which he finished 27th in the standings. 26. John Hunter Nemechek (Starting: 11th)Legacy Motor Club No. 42 Toyota Nemechek finished fifth last year in the Daytona 500 and his 7.67 average finish in three Daytona 500 starts ranks second all-time among drivers with more than two starts. But is he a threat to win? The Legacy driver still seeks his first Cup victory. 25. Daniel Suarez (Starting: 15th)Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Suarez was the only Cup driver to move from one Cup team to another Cup team in the offseason as he and Trackhouse parted ways before he landed at Spire, replacing Justin Haley (who is racing trucks this year). He has made eight Daytona 500 starts with one top-10 and five races where he wrecked out. Suarez won’t take the green in 15th — he’ll drop to the rear of the field for the race because of a backup car needed following a crash in his qualifying race Thursday night. [DAYTONA 500 LINEUP: See the Starting Positions for Every Driver] 24. Jimmie Johnson (Starting: 31st)Legacy Motor Club No. 84 Toyota The seven-time Cup champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner is back for a fourth consecutive Daytona 500 after retiring from full-time Cup racing in 2020. Can he win? Johnson, who has 83 wins, wouldn’t have 84 as his number if the Legacy driver/owner didn’t think he could reach it. Johnson, by the way, is racing just for the result. Because he took the open exemption provisional that guaranteed him a spot in the race, he won’t get any purse money for competing. 23. Zane Smith (Starting: 30th)Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford Smith is making his fourth start in the Daytona 500 and still seeks his first top-10 finish. But he has some stability for the next two years, having had his Front Row Motorsports option picked up for two more years after last season. 22. Carson Hocevar (Starting: 6th)Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet Hocevar and the Daytona 500 haven’t been friends as he’s finished 40th and 30th in his two starts. But he led all drivers with four top-10s in the six drafting races (Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta) last year and finished second in his qualifying race Thursday night. Probably a go big or go home day for Hocevar, who recently signed a contract extension with Spire that will keep him there into the next decade. Hocevar will be ready to race — he is running each of the three national series events this weekend at Daytona. 21. Ty Gibbs (Starting: 20th)Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota Gibbs enters his fourth full-time Cup season, and he needs to win a Cup race. The Daytona 500 would be a great place to start. He has finished twice in the summer Daytona race but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver still seeks his first top-10 in the 500. 20. Alex Bowman (Starting: 21st)Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet Bowman has three Daytona 500 poles, and he is now looking for the finishes. He was second in the 2024 Daytona 500 and his “streak” of three consecutive Daytona 500 top-10s is the longest in the series. Most of Byron’s crew that works on the car during the race weekend is new to his team this year. 19. Ryan Preece (Starting:19th)RFK Racing No. 60 Ford The winner of the 2026 season-opening exhibition Clash, Preece seeks his first Cup win in his 224th career Cup start. The RFK Racing driver also has already won this week in a modified race at New Smyrna Speedway. But to win at Daytona — where Preece has flipped twice in recent years — could be a tall order. 18. Austin Dillon (Starting: 7th)Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500 but he hasn’t finished better than 23rd in the last four Daytona 500s. He loves this place and has full confidence that if he is up front, he can put the iconic Richard Childress Racing No. 3 into Victory Lane. 17. Ross Chastain (Starting: 37th)Trackhouse Racing No. 1 Chevrolet Chastain seeks his first top-five at Daytona in any Cup race and has only one top-10 finish in the last 10 drafting track races. The Trackhouse driver is also working with new crew chief Brandon McSwain, a former engineer for William Byron. Chastain will be in a backup car after a crash in his qualifying race. [MORE FROM DAYTONA: 20 Most Memorable Moments in 500 History] 16. Tyler Reddick (Starting: 26th)23XI Racing No. 45 Toyota Reddick finished second in the Daytona 500 last year — so close and yet so far in what ended up as a winless season. It was his first winless season since 2021 — for the 23XI Racing star. He has failed to finish five of his seven Daytona 500s because of an accident. 15. Brad Keselowski (Starting: 9th)RFK Racing No. 6 Ford Keselowski wasn’t sure he would be able to run this race after shearing his right femur two months ago while on a ski trip. He did a 50-lap test earlier this week at Charlotte to make sure he’s ready, to try to earn his first Daytona 500 win in his 17th Daytona 500 start. Hopefully, he doesn’t remember that he has failed to finish six of the last nine Daytona 500s because of an accident. 14. Kyle Larson (Starting: 8th)Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet Larson won his second Cup title in November but don’t think of him as someone bringing momentum. Daytona is the only track where he has more than two starts without a top-five finish (he’s 0-for-23). He’s also on the longest winless streak of his Hendrick career at 24 races. But Larson has no reason to worry. He just signed a five-year contract extension through 2031. 13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Starting: 16th)Hyak Motorsports No. 47 Chevrolet Stenhouse won the 2023 Daytona 500 — the only 500 he has finished in the last five. All four of his Cup wins have come on drafting tracks, so he’s one who could be a factor. 12. Chris Buescher (Starting: 41st)RFK Racing No. 17 Ford Buescher won the summer race at Daytona in 2023 and has finished top-10 in four of his 10 Daytona 500 starts. He went winless in 2025 for the first time since 2021, and the RFK Racing driver is seen to be primed for a comeback season. But it didn’t start well. He wrecked Thursday and will take the green at the rear of the field in a backup car. 11. Austin Cindric (Starting: 36th)Team Penske No. 2 Ford Cindric won the 2022 Daytona 500 as a full-time rookie, one of his two top-10 finishes in five Daytona 500 starts. He won at Talladega last year, solidifying himself as a threat on superspeedway, drafting tracks. 10. Christopher Bell (Starting: 12th)Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota Bell makes his seventh Daytona 500 start, and he hopes he can be near/at the front as he finished third in 2023 and 2024. He has a love-hate relationship with Daytona (as do many others), as he crashed out of this race a year ago and then went to the next drafting track, Atlanta, and won the following week. 9. Ryan Blaney (Starting: 5th)Team Penske No. 12 Ford Blaney has led in eight of the last nine Daytona 500s, has two runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 and has five drafting-track victories — but is winless in 11 Daytona 500 starts. So he’s one of those drivers, along with Keselowski and Busch and Elliott and Larson, where winning the Daytona 500 would pretty much round out his NASCAR resume. 8. Michael McDowell (Starting: 10th)Spire Motorsports No. 71 Chevrolet McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500 and has five top-10 finishes in 14 Daytona 500 starts. He knows how to be fast on a drafting track as he has won the pole for six of the last 11 races on those tracks. But he has just one top-10 finish in his last 14 drafting-track races. 7. Bubba Wallace (Starting: 27th)23XI Racing No. 23 Toyota Wallace has finished second in two Daytona 500s (he lost in 2022 by 0.036 seconds in overtime), so he just needs that one final spot. His six top-10 finishes at Daytona are his most at any track. He also knows how to win a crown jewel as he won the 2025 Brickyard 400. 6. Joey Logano (Starting: 3rd)Team Penske No. 22 Ford The three-time Cup champion won the 2015 Daytona 500, so you can look at him as a former winner or a driver with a Daytona 500 winless streak of 10 races. Of course, he’ll look at his most recent streak — he won his qualifying race Thursday night. So maybe he can forget that he failed to finish four of the last six Daytona 500s. He’s still a great superspeedway racer and not afraid to throw a critical block. 5. Denny Hamlin (Starting: 22nd)Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota Hamlin has won three of the last 10 Daytona 500s and nearly won a fourth last year as he was battling for the lead before a crash on the final lap. But he has no top-10s in his last nine Daytona starts and has a best finish of 17th in the Next Gen era in the Daytona 500. His 496 laps led in the Daytona 500 ranks fifth all-time. 4. William Byron (Starting: 39th)Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet Byron is going for a historic third consecutive Daytona 500 victory as no driver has won back-to-back-to-back. The 28-year-old is the youngest driver with multiple Daytona 500 victories. So he has the pedigree but probably not the odds. [SHOT AT HISTORY: Can William Byron 3-Peat at Daytona 500?] 3. Kyle Busch (Starting: 1st)Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet Busch is on the pole for the Daytona 500 as he seeks his first Daytona 500 victory. No driver has won his first Daytona 500 after his 20th start — and this will be Busch’s 21st Daytona 500 start. And no driver since Dale Jarrett in 2000 has won from the pole. His 342 laps led in the Daytona 500 are the most for any driver who has never won the race. 2. Chase Briscoe (Starting: 2nd)Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota Briscoe is making his second consecutive front row start for the Daytona 500. He was third in the Daytona in 2022 and fourth last year. He also won the previous drafting-track race at Talladega in October. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be a favorite. 1. Chase Elliott (Starting: 4th)Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet Elliott has come close to winning the Daytona 500. He ran out of gas while leading in 2017 with two laps to go. He finished second in the 2021 Daytona 500. He also has finished top-10 in three of the last four drafting-track races, including a win at Atlanta in June. But he brings good mojo into the Daytona 500 as he won his qualifying race Thursday.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) — Denny Hamlin has suffered through so much since the start of November. Now, he will take all the encouragement he can get. Hamlin knows he could be a sentimental favorite Sunday to win his fourth Daytona 500 and that he might hear more cheers than boos. That will be fine by him come Sunday. It is hard not to feel for Hamlin, who had dominated the season finale at Phoenix before a late caution resulted in pit stops. And ultimately, he ended up on the losing end of the title after taking four fresh tires while Kyle Larson prevailed on just two. He then went through an uncomfortable two weeks of the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports trial against NASCAR, which eventually settled in a victory for the race teams. Then a few weeks later, his terminally ill father died in a house fire that also seriously injured his mother. So it would make sense if the fans end up cheering for “11 Against The World” Hamlin. “It’s the noise that you really want,” Hamlin told me and other reporters during his Daytona 500 media scrum Wednesday. “The fans have been really supportive over the last few months and after Phoenix and how that ended, it’s just how many comments and messages I got from fans. It made me feel like I was a champion even though I didn’t have the ring and the trophy. “They certainly made me feel like I had accomplished what I was hoping to accomplish. If the boos turn to cheers, that will make me happy.” Hamlin, who starts 22nd in the Daytona 500, has barely been to the race shop in the offseason. During this time, he’s been grieving the death of his father. His dad, Dennis, was so sick last fall that he felt he probably wouldn’t live to see Denny attempt a run at another championship. For context, the 45-year-old Hamlin has excelled in his Hall of Fame career with 60 Cup wins … but no Cup title. “I feel good about the last race my dad got to see I was at my best,” Hamlin said. “He got to see as good as I’ll ever be, he got to see that moment. I don’t know where it goes from here, but I certainly feel as though I’m a competitive person, and I’m motivated by winning. “It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, whether I’m racing or doing a hobby or whatever that might be. I just haven’t been in that fierce competitor type of mindset in months and months now. It’s just now starting to get back.” Hamlin credited team owner Joe Gibbs with helping him through the hard times. Gibbs, who has endured the loss of both of his sons, would visit Hamlin’s father regularly over the last several months. “[He] talked stories with him, prayed with him,” Hamlin said. “My dad was really trying to get right with the Lord last year and felt like Joe was someone who kind of helped with that.” Gibbs actually got to the hospital before Hamlin after the house fire. “He’s just unbelievable how he is as a leader and obviously he has been through it,” Hamlin said. “My connection on that personal level is more so with Joe, and it’s always been that way since he took over as my at-track dad.” All three of Hamlin’s Daytona 500 wins have come in the previous generation car. In the four races with the Next Gen car, Hamlin has a best finish of 17th. It looked like that rough stretch would end last year when Hamlin was leading on the final lap before a crash eliminated several contenders. Eventually, William Byron, who was ninth heading into the final lap, ended up winning. “[Winning a fourth] certainly was on my mind on the last lap last year when we were leading, that we are going to get another one,” Hamlin explained. “I’ve just been really lucky to have the opportunities I’ve had to win these races but also been very unfortunate in the Next Gen era to not have won more. “I feel as though the opportunity will be there, and hopefully we can put ourselves in position to move ourselves up that Daytona 500 winners board.” Hamlin believes he will get back into the groove of racing soon. “I know I’m way too competitive to just go through the motions,” Hamlin said. “So as we get on the race track and go through practices and qualifying … we are slowly getting there.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The top 10 is stacked with veterans with NASCAR Cup Series champions and four previous Daytona 500 winners leading the 2026 edition of The Great American Race on Sunday. The 2026 Daytona 500 field is officially set following pole qualifying Wednesday and the Duels at Daytona on Thursday. Ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series season opener, Kyle Busch won his first Daytona 500 pole and will be joined by Chase Briscoe on the front row leading the field to green Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX. And Thursday’s two duels — won by Joey Logano and Chase Elliott — determined the remainder of the starting lineup with a 41-car field, which includes seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. [NASCAR: All 41 Daytona 500 Paint Schemes] Here’s the starting lineup for the 2026 Daytona 500 with Busch on the pole. *Driver will start from the rear for switching to a backup car.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

New coaches. New strategies. New blueprints. The 2026 recruiting cycle gave us our first real glance at how college football’s newest coaching regimes plan to build their programs. Who impressed us the most with their first class? Who left us uneasy? Which program surprised us most? And who mastered the art of juggling high school recruiting with the transfer portal? Following a season with new hires at elite-level programs like Penn State, Florida and Michigan, there is plenty of room for debate, and this season should be filled with several insights gleaned. Here are our takeaways in this week’s debate: Which first-year head coach impressed you the most or concerned you the most with their initial recruiting class? Michael Cohen: Lane Kiffin, LSU Despite all the resources and historical appeal of a place like LSU, which some consider the single-best job in college football, what Kiffin did by first salvaging, then assembling, an elite recruiting class after an avalanche of negative headlines was impressive. There’s never been a reason to doubt Kiffin’s eye for talent or charisma as a recruiter. The work he did in assembling one highly rated class after another at Ole Miss — his last four transfer portal hauls all ranked in the top five nationally; his last four high school classes all ranked among the top 30, even after he leaned more heavily into the former — speaks to his success in player acquisition. But logically, or perhaps morally, it seemed like Kiffin’s decision to bail on a College Football Playoff team might finally be the thing that stained his reputation. And yet here stands Kiffin, happily presiding over an LSU recruiting class that features four of the top 60 players in the country and ranks 11th nationally. Laken Litman: James Franklin, Virginia Tech Franklin impressed with his debut class at Virginia Tech. Penn State caught us all off guard by firing Franklin in October after his team started the season 3-3. The Nittany Lions were in the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024 and a hot pick to win the national championship this past season. Things didn’t go as planned, obviously, and Frankllin was let go after 12 successful seasons. Virginia Tech quickly scooped Franklin up and he got to work. He took quite a few former Penn State commits with him, flipping 10 Nittany Lions recruits to join him in Blacksburg. Franklin cites the relationships he built with those players previously, and clearly it’s been working. In fact, Virginia Tech’s 2026 recruiting class, ranked No. 28 in the country by 247Sports, is the highest-ranked class the Hokies have had since 2019. RJ Young: Jon Sumrall, Florida Not only did Sumrall put together a top 20 recruiting class this year, but he did so while still serving as head coach at Tulane through the Green Wave’s College Football Playoff run. That recruiting haul doesn’t even account for one of Florida’s most important offseason wins: retaining running back Jadan Baugh, who returned after rushing for more than 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. Between talent acquisition and key roster retention, the Gators are off to a fast start under a head coach who clearly understands both the value and difficulty of winning in the SEC. Which program’s recruiting class surprised you the most this cycle? RJ Young: Oregon Oregon’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class surprised me only because Ducks coach Dan Lanning continues to build through high school when he could just as easily fill his team with older veterans, something many programs are apt to do at this precarious time in the sport. There’s so much quality talent in his 2026 class with four five stars — tied with Alabama for the most in any class this cycle. This marks three years in a row that the Ducks have put together a top-five recruiting class. Michael Cohen: Washington For Washington to land the No. 13 class in the country reflects exemplary work by head coach Jedd Fisch at a time when his name was heavily linked with other vacancies across the sport during the coaching carousel. The Huskies’ current class includes an incredible 10 players rated among the top 250 nationally, headlined by five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene (No. 27 overall, No. 4 OT), whom Fisch and his staff flipped from rival Oregon. Washington hasn’t put together a high school class that finished among the top 15 in the country since 2019, according to 247Sports, the final season under former head coach Chris Petersen. In fact, the Huskies’ average national ranking across its six previous classes prior to the stellar 2026 haul — a stretch that spanned coaches Jimmy Lake, Kalen DeBoer and Fisch — was just 47.6 overall. Laken Litman: USC USC is the first non-SEC program since Clemson back in 2020 to finish a recruiting cycle with the No. 1-ranked class in the country. It’s also interesting that Lincoln Riley was able to lock down such a coveted class considering USC has yet to make a CFP appearance. But Riley landed three five-stars in offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe out of Florida, edge Luke Wafle from New Jersey and Jaimeon Winfield from Texas, plus a handful of top in-state commits. USC hasn’t had the No. 1-ranked recruiting class since Pete Carroll’s 2006 class. And since Carroll left, no coach has been able to achieve what he did. Perhaps things are finally going in the right direction for the Trojans. Time will tell. Which program did the best job balancing high school recruiting and the transfer portal? Laken Litman: Texas It’s not unreasonable to say that Texas underachieved this past season. The Longhorns started the season as the No. 1 team in the country, but never looked the part and didn’t make the CFP. This wasn’t what Steve Sarkisian envisioned – especially with Arch Manning at QB – and so he made a lot of changes this offseason. First, Sarkisian secured a top 10 recruiting class, which includes his quarterback for the future in five-star prospect Dia Bell (son of former NBA player Raja Bell). Couple that with what the Longhorns gained from the portal, like beefing up both sides of the line of scrimmage, especially the offensive line, which was their weakest position group of the 2025 season. Texas also improved its skill players, which included a commitment from former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman. So it seems like things just might be looking up for the Longhorns in 2026. RJ Young: Ohio State Ohio State is the only program in the 2026 cycle to put together a top five high school recruiting and transfer portal class, which is perhaps the biggest flex for off-the-field success that we’ve seen this season. The Buckeyes had aspirations of becoming the first back-to-back national champions in school history last year, but their hopes were dashed by the national title runner-up (Miami). Ohio State is investing in winning now and in the future by adding veterans and talented freshmen to a program that expects to win at a high level. Michael Cohen: Notre Dame When it comes to Notre Dame, there have been so many stories and so much air time dedicated to the nature in which the Fighting Irish’s season ended. From narrowly missing the College Football Playoff as Miami leapfrogged head coach Marcus Freeman’s team in the final rankings, to the school’s surprising decision to opt out of bowl games all together, to the future of Freeman himself — a coach still very much in the minds of NFL owners and general managers because of how well he’s performed the last four years. But in spite of all that, Notre Dame continues to reach new heights in its player acquisition efforts under Freeman. The Fighting Irish assembled a high school class that ranks fifth nationally and includes as many five-star prospects (four) as any team in the country, tied with Oregon and Alabama. In the transfer portal, Freeman added a relatively small seven-player class, which ranks ninth in the country, but with that has an average prospect score of 92.29, highest in the country by nearly three full points over Miami. In Let’s Debate, our experts tackle and explain the hot-button issues fans care about.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Raiders’ official hiring of former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak sets up what the long-suffering franchise hopes will be a perfect head coach-quarterback pairing entering the 2026 NFL season. With Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza the presumptive favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, the Raiders are expected to pair the Heisman Trophy winner with the hottest playcaller in the game. Kubiak will put Mendoza into a system that has routinely transformed average quarterbacks into Pro Bowlers and Pro Bowlers into MVP winners. Dating back to Mike Shanahan’s work with John Elway in the late 1990s — with Gary Kubiak, Klint’s father, serving as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach — this unique variation of Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense has produced fireworks with or without an explosive playmaker under center. While there are plenty of examples of Mike and Kyle Shanahan elevating underrated quarterbacks — Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan and Brock Purdy among them — the success the elder Kubiak enjoyed with Jake Plummer in Denver, Matt Schaub in Houston and Joe Flacco in Baltimore illustrates how the system can adapt to the talents of a quarterback. Utilizing various bootlegs, half-rollout and traditional play-action concepts based on the athleticism and arm talent of the quarterback, the elder Kubiak created easy, high-percentage throws for his students. With a complementary rushing attack that features various off-tackle runs designed to lure linebackers to the line of scrimmage, leaving huge voids for deep crossing routes and throwback tosses, the carefully scripted game plans make the game easy for the quarterback but challenging for the opponent. When the offense is humming with a dynamic running back splitting creases between the tackles and the quarterback tossing the ball around like a Blackjack dealer slinging cards at the casino table, the big plays and points come in bunches. In Las Vegas, Klint Kubiak will have a chance to light up opponents like a slot machine with an offense that already features blue-chip players at running back (Ashton Jeanty) and tight end (Brock Bowers). Kubiak’s experience as passing game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers will come in handy as he builds a scheme that operates from the inside out, with the running back and tight end utilized to create and exploit mismatches. While duplicating the success of Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle will be a tall task, the system can provide a blueprint for how the Raiders should operate with a couple of emerging Pro Bowl-caliber playmakers on the perimeter. Owning the No. 1 overall pick in the draft gives the Raiders a chance to select the perfect point guard for the offense, and it’s a no-brainer for the Silver and Black to usher in a new era with Mendoza. He’s an athletic drop-back passer who reminds me of 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, now a five-time NFL Pro Bowler. Mendoza is more athletic than Goff, and his ability to efficiently execute traditional drop-backs, play-action passes and movement-based concepts as a Hoosier provides a sneak peek at how he could flourish running the point for the Raiders. Granted, the high-IQ quarterback will need to get comfortable operating under center to execute handoffs and play-action fakes that force him to play “blind” (back to the defense) before taking deep shots on cleverly designed plays. As a polished field general who enters the league after a historic playoff run, during which he flawlessly executed carefully crafted game plans, Mendoza has the temperament and skill-set to bring Kubiak’s whiteboard wizardry to life. While questions persist regarding whether Mendoza can elevate the franchise as a game changer, there is no doubt he can excel with a stellar supporting cast around him. In Seattle, Kubiak helped Sam Darnold win a championship with strong support from a dominant defense, star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. If Kubiak follows that blueprint in Las Vegas, the Raiders could return to prominence with a managerial franchise quarterback and a playcalling savant joining forces.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The World Baseball Classic is going to be memorable. But because of its worldwide scheduling, it is also going to be on at all hours of the day. You’ll need to plan for that with alarms and early or late bedtimes. [RELATED: Full World Baseball Classic broadcast schedule] To help you out, we have identified the best matchup of each day in pool play — as well as hypothetical contests for the rest of the tournament — so you can know when it’s time to wake up to catch some international baseball. Pool Play March 4, Chinese Taipei @ Australia, 10 p.m. ET on FS1 The World Baseball Classic kicks off with Chinese Taipei taking on Australia in Tokyo, Japan in Pool C play. Neither is favored to win either their pool or the WBC at large, but none of that matters on day one — the fact the tourney is here at long last is reason enough to tune in. March 5, Czechia @ Republic of Korea, 5 a.m. ET on FS1 Korea is one of the better teams in Pool C and at the tournament — maybe not elite like Team USA or Japan, but capable of making some noise and hanging with any of the best. This one requires an early wakeup, but you get to see an intriguing Czechia squad as well. March 6, United States @ Brazil, 8 p.m. ET on FOX If you want to see Team USA in its first action of the tournament, it’s in primetime against Brazil, one of the biggest longshots of this year’s WBC. The USA has a loaded rotation – Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal, Cal Raleigh to name a few stars – and this team is favored to win it all. March 7, Republic of Korea @ Japan, 5 a.m. ET on FS1 Japan, the Pool C favorite, takes on its most significant competition in the Republic of Korea. Shohei Ohtani isn’t pitching, but watching him at the plate is always a treat, and this is a chance to see new MLB players Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto in action as well for the defending WBC champions. March 8, Colombia @ Cuba, 12 p.m. ET on FOX Neither Cuba nor Colombia are expected to be a WBC power this year, but neither is one that can be ignored by the competition. That makes this game even more vital for both teams. Anything can happen in a tournament setting, and a win here increases the chances that either gets to stick around beyond pool play. March 9, Dominican Republic @ Israel, 12 p.m. ET on FS1 The Dominican Republic’s lineup is ridiculous, as expected — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Oneil Cruz, Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto all in one place? Even the big-spending Dodgers haven’t pulled that off (yet). March 10, Canada @ Puerto Rico, 7 p.m. ET on Tubi If Canada is going to get out of pool play, it will likely need a win against Puerto Rico late into the schedule. Josh Naylor will try to power Canada to a win, while Denzel Clarke is a threat to catch any ball that hasn’t cleared the fence. And also some that have. March 11, Dominican Republic @ Venezuela, 8 p.m. ET on FS1 This very well might be two of the top-five teams in the whole tournament facing off, and on the last day of pool play. Chances are good that the game will be for more than just Pool D bragging rights. The Dominican lineup is loaded, but Venezuela has Ronald Acuna Jr., Eugenio Suarez, Willson Contreras, Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia, so it’s got plenty of pop, too. Quarterfinals Based on the current betting odds and favorites for pool play, here are the matchups you can expect in the quarterfinals and beyond. March 13, Pool A Runner-Up (Canada) @ Pool B Winner (United States), 8 p.m. ET on FOX Canada has talent, but this is probably the end of the road for the team given the tremendous pitching of the United States. You will want to watch either way, since a display of dominance or an upset is great television regardless. March 14, Pool D Runner-Up (Venezuela) @ Pool A Winner (Japan), 9 p.m. ET on FOX Under the assumption that the Dominican Republic wins Pool D and Japan wins on its home turf in Tokyo, we end up with Venezuela taking on the defending champions in the quarterfinals. Venezuela is an underdog here, but only slightly — this would be a serious clash. Semifinals March 15, Quarterfinal Winner (Puerto Rico) vs. Quarterfinal Winner (United States), 8 p.m. ET on FS1 Puerto Rico is favored to win Pool A, and here it would be in action against the would-be winner of Pool B – should the USA win the potential quarterfinal against Canada. Regardless of which starter is on the mound for the USA, viewers should be in for a treat. March 16, Quarterfinal Winner (Japan) vs. Quarterfinal Winner (Dominican Republic), 8 p.m. ET on FS1 Will Japan’s pitching, sans Ohtani, hold up against the intense lineup of the Dominican Republic? That would be must-watch TV, and not just because it’s the lone game on the schedule. Championship March 17, Semifinal Winner (United States) vs. Semifinal Winner (Japan), 8 p.m. ET on FOX The odds say that Japan does return to the Championship Game, leaving us with a rematch of the 2023 edition. Does the USA have the arms to get through this time? Or is a half-operational Ohtani still the most dangerous opponent around?​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

After coming up just short in 2023, the USA has a roster that has it as the favorite entering the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The big difference? Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes and Logan Webb headline an impressive pitching staff. USA’s journey will begin with pool play. All four of its games in Pool B will be played at Daikin Park (home of the Houston Astros) against Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil. The Americans’ quarterfinal game would also be in Houston before the semifinals and Championship Game take place at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. [RELATED: Full World Baseball Classic broadcast schedule] You can catch all the action on FOX. Here’s when you can tune in to watch Team USA this March: USA Pool B Schedule March 6 March 7 March 9 March 10 Quarterfinals If Team USA advances as the first-place team in Pool B, it will play in Houston at Daikin Park on March 13 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. If it finishes second in Pool B, it will play in Houston on March 14 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1. Every game in the knockout stage of the tournament will be on FOX Deportes, as well. Semifinals The two semifinals will be played on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park in Miami. If the USA advances from the quarterfinals after winning Pool B, it will play on Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. If the USA advances coming out of Pool B as the runner-up, it will play on Monday, March 16, at 8 p.m. ET. Final The WBC final will be in Miami on Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Strength of pitching might be what separates the 2026 World Baseball Classic favorites from the rest of the field like it was in 2023, but make no mistake: the best sluggers in the world will make sure to leave their mark on this year’s tournament. FOX Sports Research ranks the top-10 hitters in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and to no surprise, the superstars of Major League Baseball are well-represented: [RELATED: Full World Baseball Classic broadcast schedule] 10. San Diego Padres OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (Dominican Republic) Since making his big-league debut in 2019, Tatis has brought the juice. The shortstop-turned-right fielder is a menacing hitter from the right side of the plate with mammoth power. Tatis, who’s a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, led the National League with 42 home runs in 2021, boasts a career .513 slugging percentage and is among the most electric players in the sport. 9. Philadelphia Phillies DH/OF Kyle Schwarber (USA) Speaking of power, Schwarber will be playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. The left-handed hitter has a level, compact swing from the left side that generates an absurd amount of power and production. Last season, Schwarber totaled a National League-high 56 home runs and 132 RBIs and posted a career-best .563 slugging percentage. He has averaged 46.8 home runs and 108.5 RBIs per season from 2022-25. 8. Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. (Venezuela) It’s all about Acuna being healthy, because when the career-long Braves star is on the field, he’s one of the most gifted players in the sport (Acuna has played fewer than 100 games in three of the last five seasons). Acuna, who won the 2023 NL MVP and boasts a career .524 slugging percentage, is an impact hitter who hits for both contact and power and wreaks havoc on the basepath. He’s a three-time Silver Slugger and five-time All-Star. 7. Seattle Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) Rodriguez can do it all. He can hit for both contact and power, runs well, has a plausible arm and is a terrific center fielder. The face of the Mariners for the better part of his MLB career (2022-present), Rodriguez has earned three All-Star nods, blasted 30-plus home runs in two seasons and posted a career-high 6.8 wins above replacement in 2025, a season which saw Seattle come one win short of winning its first AL pennant; Rodriguez hit four home runs across Seattle’s 12 postseason games. 6. Toronto Blue Jays IF Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic) Guerrero is one of the most dangerous hitters that MLB has to offer. Just take this past postseason, as the Blue Jays star totaled eight home runs and 15 RBIs, while posting a .397/.494/.795 slash line. Guerrero, a two-time Silver Slugger, is a balanced hitter who has a great deal of power but also seldom strikes out and will lay off pitches. In 2021, Guerrero, a career .288 hitter, was the runner-up for the AL MVP Award. 5. Seattle Mariners C Cal Raleigh (USA) Even before a 2025 campaign that saw Raleigh hit an MLB record 60 home runs for a catcher and be the runner-up for the 2025 AL MVP, Seattle’s backstop was already among the best at his position. A switch-hitter, Raleigh averaged 32 home runs per season from 2023-24 and was a Gold Glover in 2024. He’s smooth behind the plate, an impact hitter from either side of the plate and arguably the best all-around catcher in the sport. 4. New York Mets OF Juan Soto (Dominican Republic) Many of the compliments that one could give Soto in his 2018 rookie season are the same as the ones that are given to him in the present. He’s an elite hitter who works the count, drives the ball to all fields and is battle-tested in postseason play. Soto, a six-time Silver Slugger with 42.6 wins above replacement for his career, is disciplined in the batter’s box, slugs at a high rate, hit 42 home runs per season from 2024-25 and just stole an NL- and career-best 38 bases in 2025. 3. Kansas City Royals IF Bobby Witt Jr. (USA) Witt is a force to be reckoned with. He’s an extra-base-hitting machine who creates noise on the bases, has become an elite shortstop and averaged 8.3 wins above replacement per season from 2024-25. Witt has led the AL in hits in each of the last two seasons, while winning the 2024 AL batting title (.332) and leading the AL with 47 doubles in 2025. Moreover, over his four-year MLB career (2022-25), Witt has averaged 26.3 home runs, 93.3 RBIs, 37.0 stolen bases and 5.4 wins above replacement per season, while posting a combined .290/.340/.504 slash line. 2. New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge (USA) Trying to find a weakness in Judge’s game is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The AL MVP in three of the last four seasons, Judge has terrorized opposing pitchers since his first full season in the big leagues in 2017. He has a crisp, overwhelming swing and has led the AL in intentional walks in each of the last two years. Judge — who has totaled 50-plus home runs in four seasons, 10-plus wins above replacement in two seasons and plays right field at a high level — has also led the AL in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and walks in each of the last two seasons. Judge has put himself in Yankees’ Mount Rushmore territory. 1. Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP Shohei Ohtani (Japan) When Ohtani is hitting and pitching at the same time — like he was last season — he’s the best baseball player on the planet. Sticking with the bat, he’s a year removed from becoming the first player to post a 50-50 season (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases) in MLB history. Ohtani has elite strength and power from the left side of the plate, sending pitches that are up in the strike zone near the concourse with ease. He has also led the NL in slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and runs scored in each of the last two seasons. Ohtani, who’s a four-time league MVP and has now won back-to-back World Series with the Dodgers, is a force at the plate, on the mound and on the basepath. Honorable mentions:​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

All-Stars, MVPs, and Cy Young winners. Plenty of MLB’s best players will be taking the diamond and representing their countries at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. FOX Sports announced the U.S. broadcast schedule for the tournament, which will begin Wednesday, March 4 and conclude with the much-anticipated Championship Game at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, on Tuesday, March 17 (FOX, 8 p.m. ET). In all, the WBC’s 47 games will air across FOX Sports’ family of networks (FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes), as well as the FOX Sports App and Tubi. All matchups will also be available to stream live and on-demand on FOX One. Additionally, 41 out of the 47 contests will air in Spanish across a combination of FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App, Tubi and FOX One. The tournament will begin with Pool C play in Tokyo on March 4, with the remaining three pools – Pool A in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Pool B in Houston; and Pool D in Miami – beginning on Friday, March 6. Pool B features the star-studded Team USA, whose squad includes top players like Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. FOX will broadcast its first game when the USA plays its opening game against Brazil at Daikin Park (home of the Houston Astros) on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET. FOX will carry a total of seven games, including two quarterfinal games: in Houston on Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET, and the matchup in Miami on Saturday, March 14 at 9 p.m. ET. FOX will also carry the Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET. FS1 coverage, which will include 19 contests, will be headlined by coverage of the semifinals in Miami on Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET and Monday, March 16 at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, FS1 will air highly anticipated pool play matchups between Korea and Japan on Saturday, March 7 at 5:00 a.m. ET; Cuba and Puerto Rico on Monday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET; and the Dominican Republic and Venezuela on Wednesday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Here’s the entire WBC broadcast schedule: World Baseball Classic Schedule All times are ET. March 4 (Wednesday) Chinese Taipei vs. Australia: 10 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 5 (Thursday) Czechia vs. Korea: 5 a.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Australia vs. Czechia: 10 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 6 (Friday) Japan vs. Chinese Taipei: 5 a.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Cuba vs. Panama: 11 a.m. on FS2/FOX Deportes Mexico vs. Great Britain: 1 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Puerto Rico vs. Colombia: 6 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes USA vs. Brazil: 8 p.m. on FOX/FOX Deportes Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia: 10 p.m. on FS2 March 7 (Saturday) Korea vs. Japan: 5 a.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Colombia vs. Canada: 11 a.m. on FS2/FOX Deportes Nicaragua vs. Netherlands: Noon on Tubi Brazil vs. Italy: 1 p.m. on FOX Sports App Panama vs. Puerto Rico: 6 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Israel vs. Venezuela: 7 p.m. on FS2 Great Britain vs. USA: 8 p.m. on FOX Chinese Taipei vs. Korea: 10 p.m. on FS2 March 8 (Sunday) Australia vs. Japan: 6 a.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Colombia vs. Cuba: Noon on FS2 Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic: Noon on FOX/FOX Deportes Great Britain vs. Italy: 1 p.m. on Tubi Panama vs. Canada: 7 p.m. on FS2 Nicaragua vs. Israel: 7 p.m. on Tubi Brazil vs. Mexico: 8 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 9 (Monday) Korea vs. Australia: 6 a.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Colombia vs. Panama: Noon on FS2 Dominican Republic vs. Israel: Noon on FS1/FOX Deportes Brazil vs. Great Britain: 1 p.m. on Tubi Cuba vs. Puerto Rico: 7 p.m. on FS1 Venezuela vs. Nicaragua: 7 p.m. on FS2 Mexico vs. USA: 8 p.m. on FOX/FOX Deportes March 10 (Tuesday) Czechia vs. Japan: 6 a.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes Canada vs. Puerto Rico: 7 p.m. on Tubi Israel vs. Netherlands: 7 p.m. on FOX Sports App/FOX Deportes Italy vs. USA: 9 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 11 (Wednesday) Canada vs. Cuba: 3 p.m. on FS2/FOX Deportes Italy vs. Mexico: 7 p.m. on Tubi Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela: 8 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 13 (Friday) Quarterfinals 1. Pool C runner-up vs. Pool D winner: 6:30 p.m. on FS2/FOX Deportes 2. Pool A runner-up vs. Pool B winner: 8 p.m. on FOX/FOX Deportes March 14 (Saturday) Quarterfinals 3. Pool B runner-up vs. Pool A winner: 3 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes 4. Pool D runner-up vs. Pool C winner: 9 p.m. on FOX/FOX Deportes March 15 (Sunday) Semifinal 1. QF1 winner vs. QF2 winner: 8 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 16 (Monday) Semifinal 2. QF3 winner vs. QF4 winner: 8 p.m. on FS1/FOX Deportes March 17 (Tuesday) Championship SF1 winner vs. SF2 winner: 8 p.m. on FOX/FOX Deportes​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports