Evaluating NHL draft prospects at the world juniors is always an interesting process.

You’re watching players who are 17 or just recently turned 18 years old play up against the top under-20 talent in the world. It’s also a two-week tournament, which means there’s a small sample for what we are actually evaluating.

Whether it should be or shouldn’t be, NHL scouts value this tournament and other high-pressure events like the Under-18 World Championship quite highly. They look at how these players perform in high-leverage situations. They are looking to answer questions about the player.

Can they show up when it matters? Do they keep doing the small things when they are winning or losing a lopsided game? Are they able to elevate their game when they are playing the best competition?

Scouts inevitably make judgments on NHL draft-eligible prospects, so let’s look at how the stock for some of the top players changed at the World Junior Championship.

Stock up: Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sweden

In arguably his worst game of the tournament, Stenberg scored the game-winning goal in Sweden’s tournament-opening victory over Slovakia.

Then it was Stenberg, in one of his best games of the world juniors, who scored the empty-netter to seal the gold medal in the final.

Throughout this tournament, Stenberg got better and began to take over shifts and then periods and in the semifinal and gold medal game, he took over the game at times. 

Finishing with 10 points in seven games was impressive, good for fifth in scoring, but it was everything else that Stenberg did that bumps his stock up. His defensive intensity, excellent puck-carrying ability in transition and intelligent forechecking were all major factors throughout this event.

When Sweden needed someone to answer the bell, Stenberg was right there to do so. By the end of the tournament, he was arguably one of the best players on the gold medal-winning squad.

Stock down: Gavin McKenna, LW, Canada

It’s hard to say McKenna’s stock is down when he was second in tournament scoring with 14 points, and he helped Canada to a bronze medal. The reason that his stock is down is that his game was on full display with all of the eyes fixated on him at the highest level, and although his offensive game was evident, his play away from the puck left many questioning his ability to be the potential generational talent that he was once deemed to be. 

McKenna is a stud. His puckhandling and vision are elite among the elite. He sees the ice in a way very few players do. He exploits the opposing team’s small defensive mistakes with his passing.

He’s an unreal offensive talent, but when you’re a player looked at as a potential first overall franchise-altering player, NHL teams want a more complete game.

Stock up: Viggo Bjorck, C, Sweden

The unsung hero of Sweden, Bjorck, took on a massive role for the Swedes, playing down the middle on the second line when Anton Frondell and Eric Nilson moved to the wing.

The undersized forward has been viewed as too small or unable to play a pro-style game, but between the way he’s adapted in the Swedish League against men in Sweden and the two-way prowess that he displayed at the world juniors, Bjorck’s name should be moving up NHL draft boards. 

Bjorck has been an offensive juggernaut at every level as an underage player. He destroyed Sweden’s U-18 level and then proceeded to annihilate the U-20 level, setting the single-season scoring record at both levels as a 15 and 16-year-old.

Now at 17, he’s added a great deal of strength, defensive acumen and a work ethic that has overcome any issues scouts felt his size would impact.

Bjorck ended the world juniors with a gold medal around his neck while getting plenty of talk about whether he should have been on the tournament all-star team. 

Stock down: Adam Novotny, RW, Czechia

It wasn’t that Novotny had a bad tournament. But on a team where everyone seemed to make a big impact, Novotny wasn’t really a factor for much of the tournament.

He had two assists against Denmark and one against Canada in the semifinal. Only one of his assists, one of the two against Denmark, was primary. Novotny just seemed like he wasn’t getting bounces all tournament long. 

His speed wasn’t nearly as big a factor as expected coming into this tournament, and he wasn’t really comfortable being the primary puck carrier through the middle of the ice, one of his strengths.

Novotny ended up leading the tournament in shots on goal but didn’t have a single goal to show for it. Many of his shots came from distance, and he wasn’t getting to the middle of the ice much. A very weird, ineffective tournament for Novotny. 

Stock up: Alberts Smits, D, Latvia

Hands down, Alberts Smits was Latvia’s best player at the World Junior Championship.

There is a reason we will see him featured on the men’s team at the Olympics next month. Smits showed he has everything you could want in a defenseman. He has size, mobility and the ability to play effective hockey at both ends of the ice. Smits was a big reason Latvia pushed Canada to overtime in their round-robin game. 

Smits flexed his offensive chops as the tournament went on, adding five points in his last three games. Smits showed himself to be a defensively steady presence on the back end whenever the Latvians needed him to be, playing over 24 minutes a night.

All in all, Smits might be the closest thing to a Moritz Seider-level prospect that we’ve seen since the big German.

Stock steady: Oliver Suvanto, C, Finland

It was a bit of a head scratcher for some that Suvanto was named one of Finalnd’s best three players. He ended up with just two goals at the tournament, but it must be noted that the coaches vote on the top three players for each team, and coaches are suckers for a guy who does the little things right. 

Suvanto was a constant defensive presence for the Finns. He was a constant force in shutting down the opposition, using his size and strength to lean on puck carriers.

The Finnish center was always in the right position in both zones. He wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet often, but the 17-year-old pivot was a big reason the Finns were able to play their typical structured game, earning them a trip to the bronze medal game. 

Stock up: Tomas Chrenko, C, Slovakia

Chrenko isn’t a perfect player by any means, but for much of this tournament, he led the way in goals and points.

He is a bit on the smaller side, but he plays with pace, works hard to get the puck back, and he’s got some really nice finishing ability. Playing alongside his club teammate Adam Nemec, they both had a very solid tournament as draft eligibles. 

The Slovak team couldn’t keep up against the top-end teams, but Chrenko gave them a very solid counterpunch. His speed allowed him to put pressure on defenders in transition. When they were in the attacking zone, Chrenko was buzzing around the zone looking to get open.

Even though his team was eliminated in the quarters, Chrenko finished second in goal-scoring at the WJC. 

Stock steady: Chase Reid, D, USA

This was an interesting tournament for Reid. He’s the perfect example of why small samples shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

He was excellent early in the tournament, particularly against the lower-end teams, such as Germany or Slovakia.

But when the competition increased in difficulty, his impact fell off. He had a few notable turnovers against Sweden and Finland, looked a bit overwhelmed in his own end and showed his youth more often than not.

The positives were really great. He was pinching and activating, looking to be the player who dictates play. The lows were worrisome, though. All of that culminates to the opinion that Reid was fine overall. Anyone who got too high early or too low late needs to remember that this was a five-game sample and nothing more. 

Stock steady: Carson Carels, D, Canada

It was a bit of a surprise when Carels was added to Canada’s training camp roster, but not only did he make the team, he started the tournament in the top six over fellow draft-eligible prospect Keaton Verhoeff.

Carels was fine throughout the tournament, but he was often playing in a reduced role and was eventually healthy scratched for a couple of games. He looked his best when paired with Verhoeff, but both draft-eligible defenders had some ups and downs. 

Carels will get the boost from just having made this team, but his on-ice results brought some of the hype back down to reality. He is a 17-year-old defender on a team that wasn’t particularly strong in its own end.

Carels looked like a player worthy of a first-round pick, but the top-10 hype at the start of the world juniors may have been a bit premature.

Stock up: Tomas Galvas, D, Czechia

It’s very rare that an overage prospect is included here, but the tournament that Galvas just had justifies his inclusion.

Galvas was arguably the most effective two-way defenseman at this tournament. He was deservedly named to the tournament all-star team, the only undrafted player in the group. His mobility is elite, and he uses it at both ends of the ice. 

Galvas is a small defenseman who plays sound defensive hockey because of how he reads plays and cuts opponents off.

His offensive skill is incredibly fun to watch, firing passes through traffic and generating chances all over the zone.

Galvas getting drafted as a 19-year-old is gaining more steam. An NHL club is going to try to find a way to get this kind of person in their organization, somehow or another. He’s been too good not to at least take a late-round flyer.

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There’s always a lot of hype surrounding the NBA’s trade deadline, and sometimes the speculation ends up becoming reality.

Last year, for instance, the weeks surrounding this de facto league holiday delivered all kinds of transactional fireworks. Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, De’Aaron Fox and Brandon Ingram were among the notable players to switch teams, and the reverberations from those deals can still be felt now. But two years ago, none of the stars rumored to be on the trading block at the deadline were dealt and only a group of role players wound up changing teams.

So the 2026 NBA trade deadline, scheduled for Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET, is poised for more landscape-shifting moves based on names being rumored as possibly available during the opening few months of the 2025-26 regular season. Or it could yield mostly ancillary trades with the NBA’s salary cap limiting how many teams can chase after high-priced stars. It depends what reports you believe.

With that in mind, USA TODAY Sports picked one player from every NBA team that could be traded around the trade deadline next month. The selections are based on public trade reports and speculation, contracts and salary cap considerations, as well as the likelihood a deal is made before the NBA trade deadline arrives.

Players like Trae Young and Davis are included in this exercise for those reasons, while rumored trade targets such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball are not. There are also a wide range of salaries represented depending on a team’s needs and current roster.

Here’s one player from all 30 NBA teams who could be dealt as part of the 2026 NBA trade deadline:

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Speculation about Young’s future had been increasing throughout the start to this season and recent reports indicate Young and the Hawks are working together on a trade ahead of the deadline. Atlanta didn’t win any of the five games Young played after returning from injury last month and the Hawks front office seems ready to move on with Jalen Johnson as its leading star. Young could be the biggest star available at this year’s trade deadline, but his contract and defensive liabilities will limit his list of suitors.

Anfernee Simons, Boston Celtics

A month ago, Simons appeared a likely trade candidate with an inconsistent role on a new team and an expiring contract. But the Celtics now sit in third in the Eastern Conference standings, right as Simon’s play is on the uptick and a potential Jayson Tatum return draws closer. Simons might be better than any trade deadline addition Boston can make, but a big move would almost certainly involve his $27 million salary.

Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

Porter is averaging career highs in points and 3-pointers while playing a leading role for the rebuilding Nets, but his experience as a role player for the Denver Nuggets in years past could make him a coveted trade piece at the deadline to teams looking for another offensive weapon.

Coby White, Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are once again treading water in the Eastern Conference, but they could be active at the trade deadline this year with a collection of expiring contracts. White is the biggest target for point guard-needy teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, though Ayo Dosunmu might be an enticing consolation prize. Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter and Jevon Carter are also on expiring deals for Chicago. White recently returned from a calf injury.

Collin Sexton, Charlotte Hornets

Though LaMelo Ball is the biggest name from the Hornets attached to trade deadline rumors, his max rookie extension contract is going to be difficult to move mid-season. Sexton, a veteran guard playing for a Charlotte team that appears to be resetting around rookie Kon Knueppel, would be a useful scorer and ballhandler for a contender.

Dean Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers

This season hasn’t gone as smoothly for the Cavaliers as last year, but they aren’t reportedly ready to make a drastic move. Dealing one of their smaller expiring contracts is a more likely route to shake up the rotation a bit. Lonzo Ball and DeAndre Hunter also fit the bill, but Wade might be the most valuable to move given his $6.6 million salary and versatility as a stretch big.

Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks

What’s a team willing to give up for the oft-injured star who’s still plenty effective when he plays? And what are the Mavericks willing to take for the centerpiece of their failed Luka Doncic trade? Those questions linger over any potential Davis deal and could make a player like fellow center Daniel Gafford the more likely trade piece for Dallas to move at the deadline. But it appears the Mavericks need to rebuild around Cooper Flagg and they can’t fully embrace that until Davis is off the roster.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets

The former first-round pick has not come to terms on a contract extension with the Nuggets and he’s having the most impactful season of his career. Denver could risk losing Watson for nothing after the season if he signs elsewhere, but he’s playing an important two-way role on the wing for an NBA title contender that already made a splashy offseason move to trade for wing Cameron Johnson.

Caris LeVert, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons don’t seem eager to part with any of the young players that have led them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, but they could use another shooter. LeVert is averaging a career low in minutes after signing with Detroit this offseason, though he’s shooting 38.4% from 3-point range on three attempts per game and has postseason experience. A recent injury to veteran Tobias Harris complicates his trade value ahead of the deadline, but his expiring contract would likely be included should the Pistons opt for a bigger move.

Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors

Kuminga doesn’t want to play for the Warriors anymore and coach Steve Kerr isn’t playing him in the team’s rotation much. A divorce seems inevitable. It’s just a matter of when. Kuminga isn’t eligible to be traded until Jan. 15 due to the contract he signed this offseason as a restricted free agent after a lengthy stalemate in negotiations. That gives Golden State three weeks to execute a deal before the trade deadline.

Clint Capela, Houston Rockets

Capela is a luxury for the Rockets when Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams are healthy and the veteran’s return to Houston coincided with his smallest role since being a Rockets rookie in 2014. But his contract is reasonable and he could net Houston some insurance on the perimeter for the playoffs. Otherwise, the Rockets already made their big move this season by acquiring Kevin Durant.

Benedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are in the midst of a lost season after last year’s NBA Finals run and they have not signed Mathurin to a contract extension despite having the opportunity to do so. It would be prudent, then, to trade him and get some value from the former first-round pick before he departs via free agency this offseason. A recent thumb injury suffered by Mathurin would limit a trade if the recovery extends for more than a month.

Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers

Though the Clippers got off to a horrific start, they’ve perked up of late with a recent six-game win streak that occurred without Zubac in the lineup. Considering their first-round pick belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder this year, the Clippers and aggressive owner Steve Ballmer don’t appear to be tanking candidates. Zubac is the team’s best asset if it’s looking to upgrade the overall roster, but the Clippers haven’t been open to trading him in the past. The expiring contracts of John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Chris Paul could help facilitate a deal at the deadline.

Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers need defensive help to support a starting lineup that will presumably feature Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James in the postseason. Hachimura’s expiring $18 million contract is likely to be used if they swing a deal for a two-way wing.

John Konchar, Memphis Grizzlies

There’s a lot of buzz about trading Ja Morant, but the Grizzlies don’t seem as keen on dealing their star at a relative low point compared to what his reputation was a few years ago. The franchise appears more likely to stand pat than shake up its roster at the deadline, even if recent results suggest the latter is an approach worth exploring. Perhaps, however, they will try to extract a draft pick or unload an unwanted contract ‒ Konchar, at more than $6 million through next season, fits the bill ‒ by latching on as an additional trade partner on the periphery of a bigger trade.

Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat

The Heat are considered one of the more aggressive potential landing spots should Giannis and the Bucks part ways and Wiggins’ contract would help facilitate the deal. Though the 30-year-old former No. 1 pick is set to make $30 million next season, it’s a player option that he might decline in pursuit of more guaranteed years. The Heat could treat this like an expiring contract and deal it at the deadline to a contender looking for help on the wing. Wiggins has shown this season he’s still a net positive on the court.

Kyle Kuzma, Milwaukee Bucks

Though the rumors are flying about a potential Antetokounmpo trade, a deal this offseason appears more likely than a deadline move. But the relationship between the Bucks and their star continues to be trending towards its conclusion and all of Milwaukee’s potential moves over the next month revolve around Antetokounmpo. General Manager Jon Horst is looking for help on the wing by trying to trade for Zack LaVine or Malik Monk using the likes of Bobby Portis or Kyle Kuzma, according to a recent Sports Illustrated report. Kuzma is an expiring contract next season, while Portis has a player option for the 2027-28 season.

Donte DiVincenzo, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves reportedly want to upgrade at point guard and DiVencenzo could wind up being the bait to get a deal done around the deadline given his reasonable $12 million salary and looming status as an expiring contract. Julius Randle is another intriguing trade option, but a team could be on the hook for more than $68 million in guaranteed money since Randle has a player option for 2027-28.

Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans are in the midst of another awful season and the backcourt is going to get awfully crowded once Dejounte Murray returns from a torn Achilles suffered in January 2025. But trading Murray at the trade deadline is likely to be too complicated given his uncertain return date and Jordan Poole is owed more than $34 million next season. New Orleans could sell high on Bey, a former first-round pick who’s been among the team’s few bright spots and plays a sought-after position (wing) during this trade deadline.

Guerschon Yabusele, New York Knicks

The 30-year-old 2024 Paris Olympics star from France hasn’t worked out like the Knicks hoped thus far after signing with the team this offseason. Yabusele is likely to be included in a deal if the Knicks can upgrade their bench with an additional point guard or big man.

Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder

The defending NBA champions are unlikely to shake up their core by dealing the longest-tenured member of the organization at the trade deadline, but Dort is on an expiring contract with an $18 million team option the Thunder probably can’t pick up with the bill on their stars coming due. If there’s a move to make involving a rotation player, Dort would be the easiest to part with for Thunder GM Sam Presti.

Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic

The Magic pushed their chips in by trading for Desmond Bane this past offseason and Isaac’s role as a defensive stopper has been diminished. His contract is filled with health-related provisions that could protect a team if Isaac’s injury issues limit his ability to fulfill the final three years of his $59 million deal. The Magic could use the salary cap relief.

Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers would love to trade Joel Embiid or Paul George, but finding a team to take on those contracts is a long shot at this point. Of Philadelphia’s five expiring deals, Oubre’s $8.3 million is the easiest to move since Quentin Grimes reportedly has a no-trade clause in his contract.

Nick Richards, Phoenix Suns

The Suns are one of the NBA’s surprise teams this season after their strategy of unloading draft capital and assets in pursuit of big stars failed on the court. For that reason alone, a significant move is unlikely (and unwarranted). But they could get something of value for Richards, who seems to be an odd man out at center with younger options Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach on the roster.

Robert Williams, Portland Trail Blazers

Dealing Jerami Grant’s contract would be ideal for the Trail Blazers. Finding a team desperate enough to potentially commit more than $70 million to Grant over the next two seasons is the challenge. Williams is an expiring contract who was a lot more effective on a contender in Boston than he has been in Portland. Injuries are always a concern with him.

Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings

The Kings are reportedly willing to trade several prominent players in order to blow up their roster, but Monk and teammate Zack Lavine are the names that come up most often. Lavine’s $48 million salary next season will make his deal tougher to execute. Monk is three years younger at half the cost and a season removed from a career year.

Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs

The former top-10 pick is a restricted free agent after this season and averaging a career-low in minutes. He could present the Spurs with the easiest path to upgrade their roster this season without mortgaging any future assets.

Ochai Agbaji, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are emerging as a potential contender in the wide-open Eastern Conference and Agbaji’s expiring contract and decreased role this season make him a prime candidate to be on the move.

Jusuf Nurkic, Utah Jazz

Though Lauri Markannen is on a lot of wish lists this trade deadline, the Jazz have shown no signs of being willing to trade him for anything less than a blockbuster offer. Instead, Nurkic’s expiring contract could present an opportunity to add another draft asset or take a flier on a younger alternative.

CJ McCollum, Washington Wizards

The rebuilding Wizards acquired McCollum and Khris Middleton to provide some veteran guidance to a young roster and perhaps be included in a future trade. Well, the time has come. Both are on expiring contracts. McCollum is playing better and could help a contender. He’s already been linked in a potential deal for Young.

Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios’ ‘state-of-the-union’ speech to local reporters last week raised eyebrows as his club tries to stay in contention for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Staios attempted to temper fan expectations, citing the club’s struggles, the parity around the league and their goaltending situation.

Meanwhile, reports from Postmedia say Staios continues to shop aggressively in the trade market seeking a right-shot defenseman and a depth forward, with the defense being the priority.

The Senators revisited their interest in Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, per a report. They’re not the only club interested in the 29-year-old blueliner, as the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings are believed to be among the suitors.

Some teams have asked Staios about prospect defensemen Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler, but he doesn’t want to part with those promising youngsters. That’s understandable, as the Senators’ prospect pipeline is not as well-stocked as it once was.

Meanwhile, speculation persists over Kiefer Sherwood’s future with the Vancouver Canucks.

On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Canucks made another contract offer to the30-year-old right winger. However, he said that a significant gap remains between the two sides, adding that there’s no timetable for a trade or an agreement on a contract.

According to Ben Kuzma and Patrick Johnston of The Province, the possibility of the Canucks retaining Sherwood is “highly unlikely.” There’s not much interest in tripling his $1.5-million cap hit, and his style of play could fetch a good return from contenders such as the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins.

Friedman also provided an update on Edmonton Oilers winger Andrew Mangiapane after he was a healthy scratch on Saturday for the second time in three games.

The Oilers signed Mangiapane to a two-year contract last July, but the 29-year-old left winger struggled to produce despite seeing top-six minutes during the first two months of this season. Being scratched from a Dec. 29 game against the Winnipeg Jets stoked speculation that he could be traded.

Friedman believes there are some clubs interested in Mangiapane, mentioning the Anaheim Ducks had been poking around. Meanwhile, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal indicated that NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggested the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils as potential trade partners.

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• Nick Saban is not around to save SEC football anymore. But, would Saban coming out of retirement rally the SEC? Probably not much.
• As the SEC descends, the Big Ten grows in strength.
• Saban saw writing on the wall: NIL and transfer free agency would strip away at Alabama and SEC chokehold on power.

In any case, he’s not around to save SEC football anymore. The once-mighty conference is knee-deep in a postseason flop, while the GOAT who helped propel the SEC as Alabama’s coach breaks it all down on a television set.

As the SEC descends, the Big Ten grows in strength.

Is the SEC’s loss on its grip of power as simple as Saban retiring? No. That barely scratches the surface.

On this edition of ‘SEC Football Unfiltered,’ a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate why the SEC has fallen off its throne as college football’s overlord and why not even Saban could have prevented this.

Toppmeyer says Alabama’s whimpering finish under Indiana’s fist at the Rose Bowl shows just how far the SEC has fallen. He compares the Tide to a Big Ten team that finished 9-4.

Even Paul Finebaum, generally a staunch supporter of the SEC, says this postseason has been a “terrible” showing for the conference where it “Just Means More.”  

The SEC’s humbling outcomes include Tennessee losing to Illinois and Vanderbilt falling to Iowa, a pair of Big Ten flexes in bowl games. Indiana didn’t just flex on Alabama. It annihilated the Tide.

Here’s the upshot:

Did the SEC relinquish its perch because Nick Saban retired?

Toppmeyer: No. It’s the other way around. Saban had the foresight to realize the SEC and Alabama would have a tougher time maintaining its edge in a landscape where donors could openly pay players and athletes could transfer without penalty. He saw the writing on the wall and got out.

Give Saban his flowers. From the 2006 through 2022 seasons, a 17-year span, the SEC produced 13 national champions. Saban delivered six of those titles. His last came in the 2020 season. Notably, that was the final season before NIL and transfer free agency began.

Saban perfected the blueprint for the landscape before NIL and transfer free agency. Kirby Smart learned Saban’s blueprint and used it to win back-to-back national titles at Georgia.

College football’s evolutions since 2021 made it so that Saban’s sign, stockpile and develop blueprint isn’t the only way to pursue greatness.

Adams: No. The SEC didn’t stumble because Saban retired. Saban retired, because he knew the SEC (and Alabama) would stumble. Once it became harder for coaches to control the athletes, Saban wanted no part of this.

Why has the SEC slipped?

Toppmeyer: You can’t point to just one thing. A number of factors contributed to this. The SEC’s gleaming facilities, competitive recruiting budgets, unbridled fan and donor passion, and prime location in a portion of the country that pumps out premier recruits gave it a leg up in the era before NIL and transfer free agency.

Plus, the SEC sort of mastered the art of recruiting in a time before above-board pay-for-play, if you catch my drift. Even beyond the SEC’s footprint, before NIL, why wouldn’t a top prospect from California or Texas want to play for a blue blood like Alabama and compete inside the SEC’s cathedrals, while prepping for the NFL?

SEC schools, by and large, acquired the most high school talent, and retaining talent was easier within the old rules structure. Plus, the SEC generally attracted the nation’s best coaches.

Now that anyone can buy players, booster bucks are spreading out the talent to places like Texas Tech, Miami and lands in between. Schools that don’t sit in fertile high school recruiting terrain (see Indiana) can pack a punch by nabbing instant-impact transfers who come with experience.

The SEC still holds good cards, but it doesn’t horde them like before the 2021 rules changes.

Adams: Well said. I’ll add one more item for consideration. Used to be, players aimed to use college ball to set them up for NFL value. The best players were in the SEC, so that’s where the top recruits wanted to be, too.

It’s like Frank Sinatra sang about New York: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

If you could make it in the SEC, you could make it in the NFL.

Now, players don’t have to wait for the NFL to cash in on their value. They can cash checks from a West Texas billionaire just as easily as they can cash checks in Alabama. Oregon’s got money, too. And Indiana. And Miami.

The talent’s getting spread out, because players are cashing in on their value now, and striking deals across the land, instead of everyone gravitating to one conference that served as the NFL’s minor leagues.

So, is the SEC still the top football conference?

Toppmeyer: No. The Big Ten has that claim right now.

You can’t argue the facts. The Big Ten has produced the past two national champions and is well positioned to produce another, with Indiana and Oregon in the semifinals. The B1G’s crème de la crème has become sweeter than the SEC’s. The SEC’s down-ballot depth advantage eroded, too. Iowa showed us that by handling Vanderbilt. The SEC remains a top-two conference, but it’s staring up at the Big Ten.

Adams: No. Advantage, Big Ten.

The SEC’s best argument at the moment might amount to: “Our last-place team is better than the Big Ten’s last-place team.” What a meek argument that is. That’s a loser’s battle cry.

Later in the episode

∎ Toppmeyer fesses up: He wishes he could make one change to his Heisman ballot, involving an SEC quarterback.

CFP semifinal picks against the spread!

Toppmeyer’s CFP picks (picks in bold):

∎ Oregon vs. Indiana (-4)

∎ Miami (-3.5) vs. Mississippi

Season record: 42-41 (3-1 last week)

—Adams’ CFP picks (picks in bold):

∎ Oregon vs. Indiana (-4)

∎ Miami (-3.5) vs. Mississippi

Season record: 44-39 (2-2 last week)

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

There’s an old saying about what NFL means for players and coaches who fail to meet expectations – Not For Long.

While there’s a short list of coaches with real staying power, the ranks of longest-tenured NFL head coaches is being rearranged this week, most notably after the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 6 fired John Harbaugh, ending the Super Bowl-winning coach’s 18-year run with the franchise.

Harbaugh’s tenure was second-longest among active NFL coaches, behind only Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomlin is preparing the Steelers for an AFC wild-card showdown against the Houston Texans on Jan. 12 after Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed the potential game-winning kick in the Steelers’ 26-24 win over the Ravens that clinched the AFC North title on Jan. 4.

Tomlin hasn’t been immune to calls for the Steelers to part ways with their longtime coach this season, but that conversation will be shelved as long as the Steelers remain Super Bowl contenders.

For now, here’s a look at the longest-tenured NFL coaches, which aside from Harbaugh was also changed by the Cleveland Browns’ firing of Kevin Stefanski (six years in Cleveland) on Jan. 5, this year’s ‘Black Monday.’

For those wondering, Curly Lambeau in Green Bay (1921-49) and Tom Landry in Dallas (1960-88) are tied for the longest tenure leading one team at 29 seasons.

1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

• Age: 53
• Number of seasons: 19
• Record with Steelers (through 2025 regular season): 193-114-2 (.628)
• Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 13 (2; won Super Bowl 43, lost Super Bowl 45)

2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

• Age: 67
• Number of seasons: 13
• Record with Chiefs: 149-64 (.700)
• Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 10 (4; won Super Bowl 54, lost Super Bowl 55, won Super Bowl 57, won Super Bowl 58, lost Super Bowl 59)

T3. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

• Age: 51
• Number of seasons: 9
• Record with Bills: 98-50 (.662)
• Playoff berths: 8

T3. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

• Age: 39
• Number of seasons: 9
• Record with Rams: 92-57 (.617)
• Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 7 (2; lost Super Bowl 53, won Super Bowl 56)

T3. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

• Age: 46
• Number of seasons: 9
• Record with 49ers: 82-67 (.550)
• Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 5 (1; lost Super Bowl 54, lost Super Bowl 58)

T6. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

• Age: 46
• Number of seasons: 7
• Record with Packers: 76-40-1 (.654)
• Playoff berths: 6

T6. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

• Age: 42
• Number of seasons: 7
• Record with Bengals: 52-63-1 (.453
• Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 2 (1; lost Super Bowl 56)

T8. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

• Age: 49
• Number of seasons: 5
• Record with Lions: 48-36-1 (.571)
• Playoff berths: 2

T8. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

• Age: 44
• Number of seasons: 5
• Record with Eagles: 59-26 (.694)
• Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 5 (2; lost Super Bowl 57, won Super Bowl 59)

T10. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins

• Age: 42
• Number of seasons: 4
• Record with Dolphins: 35-33 (.515)
• Playoff berths: 2

T10. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Age: 62
• Number of seasons: 4
• Record with Buccaneers: 35-33 (.515)
• Playoff berths: 3