The Preferred Walk-On: The People's College Football Show

Saturday gave us another reminder that nothing in college football stays settled for long.

George Somerville of The College Chaps joins Seth for the first Sunday Walk-Through to unpack a weekend that reshaped the conversation around several teams.

Alabama walked into Starkville and overwhelmed one of the hottest stories in the sport, with Keelon Russell making his own case for the spotlight. Missouri brought Florida crashing back to earth with a dominant performance in Columbia. Kentucky erased a 17-point deficit at South Carolina before Will Stein put the game - and maybe Shane Beamer's time in Columbia — on ice with a two-point conversion in overtime.

The guys discuss whether Alabama should now be viewed as one of the very best teams in America, what Florida’s loss means for Jon Sumrall, why Missouri continues to be overlooked, and whether Shane Beamer is running out of runway at South Carolina.

Then it’s on to Minnesota, where P.J. Fleck and Minnesota reclaimed the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014, before closing with an early look at next weekend’s heavyweight showdown between Georgia and Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Plus: the changing Big Ten picture, UCLA’s resurgence, Gunner Stockton’s next test and the problems Keelon Russell presents for Kirby Smart’s defense.

The Sunday Walk-Through: coffee on one side of the Atlantic, afternoon tea on the other, and college football everywhere in between.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

Follow George Somerville and The College Chaps for more interviews, analysis and college football coverage from across the pond.

The College Chaps
YouTube: The College Chaps
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George Somerville
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Instagram: @GeoSomerville

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO
Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

Is a 24-team College Football Playoff inevitable? And if expansion is coming, does anyone actually have a plan for what college football should look like when it gets here?

Seth and James dive into the latest CFP expansion conversation, including automatic bids, the future of conference championship games, the G6, an FCS-style postseason model and the larger problem facing the sport: college football keeps changing, but its structure hasn’t caught up.

Then the boys turn to the field after another wild weekend. Dylan Raiola delivers a breakout performance for Oregon, Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State continue their remarkable start, Florida suddenly looks dangerous, and Oklahoma State refuses to stay buried.

From there, it’s time for the Week 5 board:

🏈 Pitt at Virginia Tech
🏈 Penn State at Northwestern
🏈 Alabama at Mississippi State
🏈 Ohio State at Iowa
🏈 Florida at Missouri
🏈 North Dakota State at Wyoming
🏈 Oregon State at Colorado State
🏈 Miami at Clemson

PLUS, The People’s Division:

🏈 South Dakota State at Illinois State
🏈 Northern Arizona at Idaho State
🏈 Youngstown State at Southern Illinois

Also discussed:

• Is a 24-team CFP actually good for college football?
• Why guaranteed conference bids could create even more problems
• Dylan Raiola’s breakout moment at Oregon
• Kamario Taylor, Keelon Russell and a huge SEC quarterback matchup
• Is Florida for real under Jon Sumrall?
• Ohio State’s matchup advantage against Iowa
• North Dakota State’s path to the College Football Playoff
• Can the Pac-12 reclaim “power conference” status?
• Jesse LeGree and Braden Atkinson powering Oregon State
• The Battle of the Basins trophy
• Why the Missouri Valley is the SEC of the FCS

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO
Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

Texas somehow found a way.

Seth and James open Week 3 by breaking down Texas’ comeback win over Ohio State - and why the final score doesn’t necessarily erase the questions surrounding Arch Manning. Did Ohio State get too conservative? Should Ryan Day have taken the points early? And what happens when Texas faces another elite defense?

Then the guys try to figure out what exactly happened to Oregon in Stillwater. After escaping Boise State and falling to Oklahoma State, are the Ducks simply working through early-season growing pains - or did losing both coordinators create a bigger problem than expected?

Plus: Michigan and Oklahoma’s offensive struggles, the latest wins for the People’s Division, Malachi Toney’s electric start at Miami, and picks for a loaded Week 3 slate.

Games discussed:

• Syracuse at Pitt
• Miami at Wake Forest
• Houston at Texas Tech
• SMU at Louisville
• North Carolina at Clemson
• Mississippi State at South Carolina
• LSU at Ole Miss

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

College football is back — and so is James, back alongside Seth as The Preferred Walk-On Show kicks off its seventh season.

Before the first full Saturday of the season, we’re putting some early 2026 takes on tape: the teams nobody is talking about enough, potential conference disruptors, a Group of Six playoff sleeper and our picks for 10 of the most interesting games on the Week 0 slate.

Could Syracuse make noise in the ACC with a healthy Steve Angeli? Is Houston a legitimate Big 12 title contender under Willie Fritz? How dangerous could Missouri be with Austin Simmons? And could Navy actually find its way into the College Football Playoff?

Then, Week 0 picks, including:

🏈 William & Mary vs. Villanova
🏈 TCU vs. North Carolina in Dublin
🏈 San Jose State vs. USC
🏈 NC State vs. Virginia
🏈 Jacksonville State vs. North Dakota State
🏈 Monmouth vs. Tennessee Tech
🏈 Eastern Kentucky vs. Western Carolina
🏈 Stephen F. Austin vs. McNeese
🏈 Hawaii vs. Stanford
🏈 Memphis vs. UNLV

Plus: the Fran Brown factor at Syracuse, why Seth came away impressed with SMU at ACC Media Days, Willie Fritz’s rebuild at Houston, the FargoDome advantage, a little William & Mary homerism and why “Week Zero” deserves a much better name.

College football Saturdays are back.

And as Buck Showalter once said: the good old days are right now.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

What makes a great college football trip?

For Josh Sims - better known as CFB Travel Guy - the game itself is only part of the answer.

It’s arriving in town on Friday. Finding the restaurant that’s been serving fans for 70 years. Walking a campus for the first time. Seeing the traditions you grew up watching on television. Tailgating with people you’ve never met. And feeling the energy build until kickoff.

Josh has crisscrossed the country chasing those experiences, and he joins Seth for a wide-ranging conversation about the places, people and traditions that make college football unlike any other sport.

They talk about the surprising greatness of Pullman, Lubbock, Starkville and Raleigh; why Bloomington deserves a place among America’s best college towns; the appeal of MACtion and Big Sky Country; the intensity of Brawl of the Wild; and why experiencing Army–Navy in person completely changed Josh’s appreciation for the rivalry.

They also get deep into the art of the college football road trip: scheduling, flights, hotels, points, multi-game weekends and the difference between simply attending a game and truly experiencing a college town.

And because no proper road trip conversation is complete without food, Josh builds his ultimate college-town menu: from breakfast and barbecue to pizza, ice cream, breweries and 1:30 a.m. donuts.

Most importantly, Josh explains why, for all the changes surrounding college football, the feeling that keeps people coming back remains the same.

The traditions. The towns. The rivalries. The people. The magic of Saturday.

This is college football beyond the box score.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

Matt Schumacker spent years envisioning himself calling college football in front of 80,000 fans.

Now he gets to do it for real.

The new lead play-by-play voice for SEC Network football joins The Preferred Walk-On Show to tell the story behind an 11-year climb through sports broadcasting, from calling minor league baseball for free and driving hours for $200 assignments to nearly leaving the profession altogether during COVID.

Matt discusses the moments he wondered whether the opportunity would ever come, the role his wife and faith played in keeping him going, and why he became a believer in visualizing the life and career he wanted before they became reality.

We also go behind the scenes of a major college football broadcast: the preparation fans never see, communicating with producers during live television, developing chemistry with Aaron Murray and Taylor Davis, and the responsibility that comes with telling the story of SEC football every Saturday.

Plus, Matt shares what he learned participating in a mock College Football Playoff selection committee, his bucket-list college sports venues, his background as a college track athlete and, because this is college football, the best places to eat barbecue and best college-town fare.

⏰ CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Matt Schumacker joins the show
01:18 — St. Louis food, toasted ravioli & SEC food spots
05:28 — Matt's ultimate barbecue destination
08:28 — From college track athlete to broadcaster
10:33 — How fast is a 3:42 mile?
13:57 — The long road through sports broadcasting
14:44 — “When are you going to get a real job?”
15:39 — Calling games for free & driving eight hours for $200
16:00 — COVID, real estate & nearly leaving broadcasting
17:21 — Faith, family & believing before anyone else does
19:20 — Visualizing himself calling SEC football
20:32 — Getting the call from ESPN
22:18 — What fans don’t see during a live broadcast
24:22 — How broadcasters prepare for a game
25:18 — Working with Aaron Murray & Taylor Davis
28:08 — Inside the College Football Playoff selection room
31:37 — Three must-visit venues in college sports
37:07 — Matt’s advice to his younger self

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

Western Carolina head football coach Kerwin Bell knows what it means to be overlooked.

Bell arrived at the University of Florida as an eighth-string walk-on quarterback before climbing the depth chart, earning the starting job, and becoming the SEC Player of the Year. That journey launched a professional playing career and eventually a coaching career defined by explosive offenses, championships, player development, and a willingness to believe in players others might overlook.

In this episode of The Preferred Walk-On Show, Bell joins Seth Saunders to discuss the mindset behind his remarkable journey and the lessons that continue to shape the way he leads Western Carolina.

Bell explains why he believes luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation, how his own walk-on experience changed the way he evaluates and develops players, and why Western Carolina has awarded scholarships to numerous walk-ons who proved they could help the Catamounts win.

Bell shares the characteristics he believes are essential to building winning programs—particularly his search for talented, high-character self-starters who are willing to work when nobody is watching.

The conversation also explores Western Carolina’s “Live on the Edge” philosophy, the difference between simply making a roster and becoming an indispensable player, and why Bell believes the 2026 Catamounts have the depth and physicality to compete for a Southern Conference championship.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction and Coach Bell's Background
01:20 Rebuilding Belief at Western Carolina
03:08 Overcoming Being Overlooked in High School
05:13 Moments of Belonging and Confidence
08:39 Influence of Coach Spurrier and Offensive Philosophy
10:32 Building Winning Teams Across Levels
12:51 The Meaning of 'LOTE' and Playing Aggressively
14:09 From Walk-On to Scholarship Player
15:31 Excitement for the 2026 Season
17:06 Coach Bell's Impact on Players' Lives
19:42 Advice for the Final Game and Life Lessons
21:33 Supporting Western Carolina and Future Goals

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

UTRGV football is being built from the ground up, and Coach Marco Regalado is right in the middle of that foundation.

In this episode, Seth Saunders sits down with Coach Regalado to talk about his South Texas roots, his non-traditional climb through the coaching profession, and what it means to help build a new Division I football program in the Valley.

Coach Regalado shares how his football journey took him from Zapata, Texas, to Texas State, to creating a football club when his own playing path did not unfold the way he hoped, to grinding through Texas high school football, recruiting, player personnel, Rice, Washington State, and now UTRGV.

The conversation also covers Coach Regalado’s life as a Texas country music artist, the lessons he learned from mentors throughout the profession, and the walk-on values that shape the way he coaches: heart, hustle, toughness, humility, relentless effort, and doing the things that take no talent.

This is a conversation about betting on yourself, building belief before results, and shifting from proving doubters wrong to proving believers right.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:47 Coach Regalado joins the show
02:11 Football coach by day, Texas country artist by night
07:57 Coming home to South Texas and UTRGV
09:00 Building a program from scratch
11:00 Recruiting belief before results
11:48 What UTRGV looks for in players
14:11 Coach Regalado’s non-traditional climb
15:14 Trying to walk on at Texas State
16:00 Creating a football club from scratch
17:11 Walk-on values and TNT traits
20:10 Coaches who shaped the journey
24:19 Washington State, Nick Rolovich, and taking a chance
25:58 Lessons from Rice and Mike Bloomgren
27:44 Coach Bush and the UTRGV opportunity
29:19 What players remember years later
31:34 Doc Brown's DeLorean
33:55 How to support UTRGV football

“Instead of trying to prove people who doubted you wrong, focus on proving every single person who believed in you right.”

“You’ll go very far in life if you work hard and treat people right.”

“We have to find tough kids that love football.”

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

Missouri State head football coach Casey Woods joins The Preferred Walk-On Show to talk about leadership, culture, faith, toughness, family, and what it takes to build a football program that lasts.

Coach Woods shares his journey from playing at the University of Tennessee, earning his way as a walk-on, coaching on a national championship staff at Auburn, helping build winning programs at UAB and SMU, and now leading Missouri State football into a new era.

This conversation goes beyond wins and losses. Coach Woods opens up about the influence of his father, long-time head coach Sparky Woods, the lessons learned from adversity, the five core values guiding his program, and why the walk-on mindset still matters in college football.

If you love conversations about college football culture, leadership, player development, program building, and the people behind the game, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: The press conference is the result, not the beginning
01:39 – The moments that prepared Woods for the head chair
04:11 – Sparky Woods: a hero, a mentor, and now a staff member
07:23 – The non-negotiables of a Casey Woods program
11:12 – What a player should carry beyond football
14:43 – The walk-on mindset & the TNT All-American
17:37 – What adversity teaches you about yourself
21:38 – Advice to young Casey leaving Tennessee for the last time
25:15 – Closing thoughts

“Love your team. Love your teammates. Always compete. Enjoy the journey.”

“You can’t separate the wins and losses from the impact, because the cost of the platform is winning.”

“The proudest day of my life is when the University of Tennessee put me on scholarship.”

“Two things every single coach can be: organized and enthusiastic.”

“Don’t ever, ever, ever settle for average.”

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer sits down with The Preferred Walk-On Show to trace his path from walk-on player to leading a Power Four program - and to explain why culture, core values, and resilience matter more than any recruiting ranking.

Coach Beamer opens up on the leadership lessons that shaped his coaching philosophy, the outsized role walk-ons play in building winning culture, and how adversity and failure became catalysts for growth. He digs into the core values - love, gratitude, and trust - that anchor his program, why authenticity and hard work earn lasting respect, and how the relationships you build become your real legacy.

Whether you're a coach, a player grinding for your role, or a fan who loves the human side of the sport, this conversation is a blueprint for building something that lasts.

🏈 Shane Beamer's journey from walk-on to South Carolina head coach

🏈 Why walk-ons are the heartbeat of championship culture

🏈 The core values that define South Carolina Football

🏈 Leadership lessons from success, failure, and adversity

🏈 How players can earn trust and create opportunity

🏈 Why "every day is a résumé builder"

🏈 Advice for young coaches and future leaders

• "Core values are the foundation of a program."

• "Every day is a résumé builder."

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 Intro to Coach Shane Beamer
01:17 The Importance of Walk-Ons
02:35 Beamer's Journey as a Walk-On
04:31 Finding Your Role
09:07 Building a Program: Core Values
13:10 The Legacy of Coaching
15:09 Lessons on Adversity
17:28 Advice to Young Coaches
20:55 Walk-Ons in South Carolina

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show"
Instagram — @preferredwalk_on
TikTok — @preferredwalkon
Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn
X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.