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Watch: ESPN reveals new college football anthem by artist Jelly Roll
The college football season is right around the corner, and that means fans will probably be glued to their televisions on Saturdays.
Viewers of ESPN's coverage will be hearing a certain tune quite frequently this year — Jelly Roll's new track "Get By."
The popular artist from Antioch, Tennessee, was tapped to create the network's "college football anthem" for the 2024-25 season — revealed in a hype video posted to X on Thursday featuring the song and several prominent college programs.
The countdown to college football is on and @JellyRoll615 is going to have you HYPED pic.twitter.com/MsSJTv03om
— ESPN (@espn) August 8, 2024
Jelly Roll, whose legal name is Jason Bradley DeFord, joined "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday to watch and react to the hype video's release.
McAfee and DeFord could be heard giggling and singing along throughout, with DeFord saying afterward, "This is a big deal, dude, this is huge."
"Where I'm from it goes College Football, Jesus, Lynyrd Skynyrd and in that order..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 8, 2024
This is a big deal" ~ @JellyRoll615 #PMSLive https://t.co/qtaaoISu1A pic.twitter.com/VIi6TsPEGP
The new theme song appears to be a brand shift for the sports network as it covers the College Football Playoff's transition from four teams to 12.
A voice could be heard at the start of the video welcoming fans to "a new era of college football."
ESPN's coverage of NCAA football begins Aug. 24 with Florida State and Georgia Tech facing off in Dublin, Ireland.
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10 bold predictions for the 2025 college football season
Expect the unexpected when it comes to college football. Though traditional heavyweights like Ohio State, Michigan and Georgia have recently won national titles, there is hardly a sport that produces weekly drama like college football. It's tough to forecast the unexpected, but here are 10 bold predictions for the 2025-26 season. 1. Alabama misses the College Football Playoff again Games at No. 5 Georgia and No. 13 South Carolina, plus Florida State, Missouri and Auburn, make for a tough road slate. Couple that with a new quarterback in Ty Simpson, and questions abound. A stacked defense could cover up for some offensive growing pains, but how quickly does Simpson settle in? The season will depend on it. By the way, you have to go back to 2006 and 2007 to find the last time Alabama missed a BCS bowl game or the CFP two seasons in a row. 2. Penn State finally breaks through This is the year James Franklin and Penn State defeat Ohio State and win the Big Ten. Drew Allar's return at quarterback for PSU for his senior season is the difference. An experienced quarterback is something neither Ohio State, Oregon or Michigan has. 3. Michigan finishes outside the Top 25 Michigan has the on-field talent (don't miss No. 1 QB prospect Bryce Underwood), but the recent sign-stealing sanctions hang like a cloud over the program. It might subside if Michigan wins, but what if it suffers early-season losses at Oklahoma and/or Nebraska? There could be a snowball effect. 4. A wide receiver will win the Heisman Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter excelled as a wide receiver and defensive back, claiming the 2024 Heisman. Another wide receiver will win this year. How about Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith (76 rec, 1,315 yards, 15 TD in 2024) or Alabama's Ryan Williams (48 rec, 865 yards, 8 TD in 2024)? 5. Three SEC programs fire their coach Last season was unusually quiet on the coaching carousel, especially in the SEC. All 16 coaches return, but several are on varying degrees of the hot seat. Billy Napier (Florida), Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Hugh Freeze (Auburn), Brent Venables (Oklahoma) and Mark Stoops (Kentucky) are all coaches to keep an eye on. None of the five programs listed is expected to finish in the top four of the conference, meaning some will be .500 or worse. 6. Utah wins the Big 12 The Utes are going to bounce back in a wide-open Big 12. Health is the key here as injuries ruined the 2024 campaign. One reason for optimism? New offensive coordinator Jason Beck and incoming quarterback Devon Dampier came from New Mexico, where they engineered the Lobos' best offensive season in eight years. 7. The Group of 6 CFP bid comes from the American Boise State is the favorite to represent the Group of 6 in the CFP, but the American champion will receive the bid this season. Look for as many as five teams to vie for the title. Tulane brought in 20 transfers to bolster its roster, but Navy returns quarterback Blake Horvath (1,353 passing yards, 13 TD, 1,254 rushing yards, 17 TD). It should be an exciting watch. 8. The ACC receives one bid for the CFP The ACC managed to grab two CFP bids last season, but it won't happen again this year. Clemson is the favorite and should be a part of the 12-team field. No. 10 Miami could be in the hunt, but games against No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 15 Florida and at No. 16 SMU pose a threat. Remember, the Canes were left out last season with just two losses. 9. Vanderbilt increases its win total again The Commodores were the surprise story of 2024, going 7-6 after a 2-10 season in 2023. Vandy will win at least eight games this year thanks to 77 percent of its 2024 production returning. Quarterback Diego Pavia (2,293 yards, 20 TD) is the little engine that could. The 'Dores season will be decided between Oct. 4 and Nov. 1 when they play road games at No. 8 Alabama and No. 1 Texas, along with home contests against No. 9 LSU and Missouri. 10. No agreement will be reached to change the CFP format We'll know the answer to this by Dec. 1, as that's the date the CFP committee has set to determine the format for 2026-31. With the Big Ten still throwing out radical ideas, people are upset and it seems no deal is imminent. "We sound like immature children throwing garbage against the wall," one CFP executive recently told CBS Sports.
Steelers have major injury concern leaving preseason
The No. 1 priority for NFL teams in the preseason is to get out of the games without major injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed with that one on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury while also looking visibly upset as he was taken back. The team announced almost immediately that he would be out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update after the game: Defensive line was a top priority for the Steelers this offseason, especially after their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed nearly 300 rushing yards to end their season. Along with Harmon, they also selected Iowa's Yahya Black in this year's class to help try to beef up their line. Harmon is expected to play a major role in this year's defense and was already in a starting position. With star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward holding in as he tries to get a new contract from the team, that puts even more importance on Harmon's ability to make an impact. He has had a strong training camp, and after a quiet first preseason game, he really took a big leap forward in the team's second game, recording a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Heyward returns, and if Harmon's injury is not serious, the Steelers would have the potential to have a really strong defensive line with those two joining rising star Keeanu Benton. Right now, though, those are a lot of "ifs," especially as it relates to the availability for Heyward and Harmon for the team's season opener.
Commanders' Jayden Daniels expands on prediction for Terry McLaurin contract standoff
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels raised eyebrows when he said during Monday's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals that he knew unsettled wide receiver Terry McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." During the latest edition of The Athletic's "Scoop City" podcast, Daniels spoke with NFL insider Dianna Russini about the ongoing contract standoff between McLaurin and the Commanders. "Hundred percent, I feel great (about the situation)," Daniels said about his confidence that he'll have McLaurin as a teammate when Washington opens the season against the New York Giants on Sept. 7. McLaurin remains in the final year of his current deal and requested a trade on July 31 amid his desire for an extension. On Monday, ESPN's Ben Solak revealed that he could not "find anyone who believes wide receiver Terry McLaurin will play for another team in 2025" during a visit to the Commanders during training camp. Furthermore, a Thursday report shared that McLaurin is not among the players who could be made available to would-be buyers before the summer comes to an end. "I just know that it is all gonna work out, that both sides will come to an agreement, and Terry’s gonna be back out here. We’re gonna be throwing some passes to him," Daniels added. Daniels' comments don't erase the fact that, as of Friday morning, there was no indication that McLaurin and the Commanders were close to an agreement. On Wednesday, it was reported that "one person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations" said the 29-year-old "has asked for more than" the average annual value attached to the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. On Friday, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to list the Commanders tied for sixth (with the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers) among the betting favorites at +2000 odds to win Super Bowl LX in February 2026, hence why Washington is in no rush to trade Daniels' favorite target for a future draft asset. Additionally, it appears Daniels understands McLaurin wouldn't forfeit money by sitting regular-season games out if he doesn't have an extension in hand by Week 1.
Green Bay Packers: Mike Macdonald’s First Message to Matt LaFleur After Mayhem-Marred Practice
Joint practices in the NFL can be really heated. Just take for example the one involving the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, with fights erupting on the field between players from both sides. Even though it’s just a practice session with nothing significant on the line, the competitive juices of players can get in the way and spark fiery moments on the field. If anything, at least no one appears to have been seriously hurt from the multiple altercations reported. However, Packers right tackle Zach Tom was reportedly tossed out of the field after throwing punches at a couple of Seahawks players. Despite all the chaos that transpired between the Packers and the Seahawks, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald had great things to say about Green Bay. Seahawks head coach sends message to Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers Brady Henderson of ESPN noted that Macdonald started his session with the media after the practice, “by thanking Packers coach Matt LaFleur and the organization for hosting them.” In any case, Macdonald felt good overall about his players. “It’s hard to tell what happened, who said what,” Macdonald shared. “Look, you want your guys to defend their [teammates]. There’s a line. Whether we go past the line, I don’t think we did, which is good. Our guys stayed composed. But some of these things do tend to happen, and however it gets started … hopefully it’s not our guys, but people are going to react to a certain extent. I think our guys handled it pretty well.” The Packers and the Seahawks will still see each other on the field this offseason, as they are scheduled to play in their 2025 NFL preseason finale on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
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