Colin Cowherd Podcast - Top 10 Quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels Sophomore Slump? Trade TJ Watt? Best College Football Programs

Jul 15, 2025

Colin Cowherd welcomes John Middlekauff, a former NFL scout and host of the '3 and Out' podcast. They talk about the charm of Lake Tahoe and the celebrity golf tournament, sharing experiences meeting athletes. They debate the accuracy of a Top 10 quarterbacks list and explore if defensive coordinators will catch up to Jayden Daniels. Middlekauff praises Lions HC Dan Campbell's cultural shift in Detroit and discusses the implications of potentially trading T.J. Watt. They also analyze the growing financial dynamics in college football and the necessity of key positions for Super Bowl contenders.

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INSIGHT

Accurate Top 10 QB Rankings

ESPN’s top 10 quarterback list closely matches Colin Cowherd’s views on elite QBs.
The list ranks Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Lamar, Stafford, Goff, Hertz, and Baker in that order.

INSIGHT

Jaylen Hurts Year Two Challenge

Jalen Hurts excelled as a rookie, showing traits of Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow on the field.
Defensive coordinators will target him now after last year's success, making year two challenging.

INSIGHT

Dan Campbell’s Authentic Leadership

Dan Campbell’s authenticity and passion have transformed the Lions’ culture.
Great front office picks and player-friendly coaching build a winning environment.

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Colin Cowherd is joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out”!

They start with Colin recapping his vacation and the contents of his golf bag (3:30) and discuss why they LOVE traveling to Lake Tahoe and why the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament is amazing to attend (9:00). They share stories about meeting professional athletes out in the real world and why there’s a relatable quality to NFL players (15:00).

They pivot to a recently released Top 10 quarterbacks list and Colin laud it for being one of most accurate top 10 lists they’ve seen (24:00), and debate whether defensive coordinators will catch up to Jayden Daniels in year 2 (28:15). They also tip their cap to Lions HC Dan Campbell for creating a winning culture after years of futility in Detroit (33:00) and give their takes on Bears GM Ryan Poles after he received a three year extension (37:30).

They entertain the idea of the Steelers trading TJ Watt and argue that trading for DK Metcalf makes far less sense (47:00). They discuss the lack of parity in the NFL between top and bottom teams and point to the increased importance of a quarterback paired with a great offensive coach in the past decade (56:00) . They break down the 5-6 premium positions that are must-haves for teams wanting to compete for a Super Bowl and why players at traditionally undervalued positions are making big money (1:02:00).

They rank their top college football programs based on staff, NIL, recruiting and their five year outlook, and discuss why the huge injection of money is creating a system of haves and have nots (1:08:00).

Finally, they preview the Open Championship and debate whether John Rahm can carry over his momentum from the LIV Tour and what to make of Rory McIlroy’s chances playing on his home turf (1:28:00).

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