How popular is college football? Ticket resale prices for next week’s College Football Playoff National Championship are starting at a staggering $3,508. Monday night’s matchup—unbeaten, top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers vs. the surging Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)—caps a wild college season.
Front and center is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, who powered the Hoosiers to their first undefeated regular season and a Big Ten title. On the other side is Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck, the former Georgia signal-caller looking to complete an amazing comeback after major elbow surgery in 2024.
While many of the athletes playing Monday night will go on to successful pro careers, most will transition to other fields—some even to country music. They wouldn’t be the first to trade the field for the stage. Several of today’s chart-toppers once wore college colors and roamed the gridiron long before country music came calling: Riley Green quarterbacked Jacksonville State (2007–09) before trading playbooks for platinum tracks; Sam Hunt started games at UAB and even had an NFL tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs; and although Kenny Chesney doesn’t make the list, the high school wideout and lifelong superfan threads football through his songs and stadium shows. The late Toby Keith didn’t play college ball but famously suited up for semi-pro ball in Oklahoma.
All eyes in Monday night’s championship game are sure to be glued to the two quarterbacks in what could be a high-scoring affair. That got Country Muscle thinking: What would country music’s elite 11-man offense look like—one that could give either team a run for its money or, at the very least, put on a kickass halftime show?
Without further ado, we present the unofficial Country Muscle All-Country Offense.
All-Country Muscle Football Team: Offense
Quarterback: Sam Hunt
College: Middle Tennessee State/UAB
The Scouting Report:
Before hits such as “Outskirts,” Sam Hunt was slinging footballs for the University of Alabama Birmingham. After transferring his freshman year from Middle Tennessee State University, the 6’3, 215-pound signal caller earned the starting nod for the Blazers his junior season. As a senior, Hunt completed 155 of 331 passes for 1,905 yards and 10 TDs
As a high school senior, Sam Hunt earned 2002 Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Rome News Tribune after leading Cedartown High School to the third round of the Georgia state playoffs. Recognized for his versatility, Hunt was named first team All-State Class AAA all-purpose player by the Georgia Sportswriters Association and also earned first team All-State honors from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee, Hunt completed 98 of 182 passes for 2,030 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also rushing for 810 yards and nine more scores. Hunt was an elite all-around athlete, earning additional letters in both basketball and baseball. Off the field, Hunt was also a member of the National Honor Society.
Running Back: Garrett Owens
College: Mercyhurst
The Scouting Report:
Garrett Owens was a record-smashing running back at Erie, Pa’s North East High, earning All-State honors in 2015 while setting 25 school records, including 2,914 rushing yards in a single season, 5,128 career rushing yards (sixth in District 10 history), including a 419-yard single game performance. The up-and-coming artist went on to play collegiately at Mercyhurst, where in three seasons he rushed for 2,743 yards. He then signed professionally with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks. After football, Owens relocated to Nashville to pursue country music, and just recently released his latest EP, 2AD Sessions.
Fullback: Trey Gallman
College: LSU
The Scouting Report:
Trey Gallman turned to country music after two seasons as a backup fullback for SEC powerhouse LSU. In high school Gallman earned Class 5A First-Team Louisiana All-State honors as an offensive lineman before joining LSU in 2014 as a preferred walk-on and transitioning to fullback. While he didn’t rack up major stats with the Tigers, he carved out a pivotal role on scout teams. As a musician, Gallman has released several EPs (first in 2020), charted songs like “Down a Little Backroad” and “Colorado Coronas.”
Wide Receiver: Tucker Wetmore
College: Montana State
The Scouting Report:
Tucker Wetmore was a multi-sport star at Kalama High (WA), earning first-team All-Conference and All-State honors at wide receiver, All-League Offensive MVP, and four senior-year state titles (one in football, three in track), while setting a 15’5″ state pole vault record and posting a 4.47 40-yard dash. He played wide receiver at Montana Tech before a significant leg injury as a freshman ended his career. Turning fully to music, has gone on to blow up the charts including a pair of No. 1, “Wind Up Missing You,” and “3,2,1,” and is now getting ready for his upcoming “Brunette” world tour.
Tight End: Zach Miller
College: Nebraska-Omaha
The Scouting Report:
Zach Miller carved out an eight-season NFL career after converting from college quarterback to tight end, earning a Pro Bowl alternate nod in 2011 and reviving his career with the Chicago Bears from 2015–2017 before a severe knee injury ended his playing days. Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round in 2009, Miller battled through multiple injuries, before moving on to Chicago where his career blossomed. In college Miller set a Nebraska‑Omaha record with 50 rushing TDs and earned NCC Offensive MVP honors in 2006 as a dual‑threat QB. Post‑football, he’s built a second act in country music, releasing the EP, This Side of the Dead End, on 2025.
Offensive Lineman: Thomas Edwards
College: Tennessee
The Scouting Report:
Thomas Edwards has the unique distinction of being the only person in Tennessee history to earn all-state honors in both football and cello. The 6’5”, 315-pound lineman starred as offensive tackle at the University of Tennessee (2013–2016), before an injury cut short his college career. After football, Edwards moved to Nashville and pivoted to country music, releasing his debut single “Runnin’ Through That T” (2023) followed by “Old Crowd” and “Drunk Enough.” signing with Warner Music Nashville in July 2025. He is currently a full-time songwriter and recording artist in Nashville, and recently released “I Know Better,” in 2025.
Offensive Lineman: Evan Blankenship
College: Ohio State
The Scouting Report:
At 6’3, 288 pounds, Blankenship earned a scholarship to Ohio State and played on both the offensive and defensive lines from 2007–2011. While injuries and burnout ended his football trajectory, he discovered a music path in college—singing at a 2008 student-athlete talent show and then began teaching himself guitar his senior year. A
After a stint in Nashville, Blankebship returned to Columbus and founded the band North to Nashville in 2018, opening for Luke Combs, Eric Church, and Lee Brice; the band’s 2023 self-titled album hit the iTunes Country top 10, its single “Whisperin’” topped MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart, and they were voted Columbus’ best band by 614 Magazine in 2024. The band continues releasing new music with the band.
Offensive Lineman: Kyle Turley
College: San Diego St.
The Scouting Report:
Kyle Turley is perhaps the most decorated athlete on the All-Country Muscle roster. A dominant offensive lineman at San Diego State (1993–97), he earned consensus All-American honors in 1997, two first-team All-WAC selections, and later induction into the Aztec Hall of Fame (2011). He was the seventh overall pick in 1998 by the New Orleans, and spent nine seasons in the NFL, earning first-team All Pro in 2000. After retiring in 2007, Turley made the switch to “outlaw/power country,” releasing Anger Management in 2010, the No. 1 EP Death, Drugs & the DoubleCross in 2011, and SkullShaker in 2013, He remains active in music as a co-founder of Gridiron Records and is a prominent advocate for medical cannabis and player support through the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund.
Offensive Lineman: Lee Brice
College: Clemson
The Scouting Report:
Lee Brice walked on at Clemson in 1998 as a 6’3, 270-pound reserve long snapper and lineman, and also worked on special teams. An arm injury and eventual surgery surgery ended his college career, cutting short his sting with the Tigers. After leaving Clemson, Brice moved to Nashville, penning hits like Garth Brooks’ “More Than a Memory” and Tim McGraw’s “Still” before scoring his own No. 1s with “A Woman Like You” and the ACM Song of the Year “I Drive Your Truck.” His platinum-certified album Hey World produced the multi-Platinum “One of Them Girls,” and he continues to tour and release new music.
Offensive Lineman: WIll Ulmer
College: Marshall
The Scouting Report:
Maybe not a household name in country music, the former Thundering Herd’s music journey is one of the more unique ones on the roster. Before the college sports NIL era, Ulmer had to use the stage name “Lucky Bill” to avoid personal brand conflicts while a college athlete. On the first day of the NIL rules implementation, Ulmer released the song “Back Home Kinda Thing. “The 6’5, 310-pound offensive lineman was an equally talented lineman, he holds the school’s record for consecutive starts (57), and even earned a tryout with the Buffalo Bills, where he signed as an undrafted free agent.
All-Purpose: Riley Green
College: Jacksonville State
The Scouting Report:
Could any country All-Star Team be complete without a mention of Riley Green? Riley Green walked on as a Division I quarterback at Jacksonville State University, redshirted as a freshman, and later started two games as a junior, completing 55 of 100 passes for 612 yards and four touchdowns—experience he credits for the competitiveness and poise he carries onstage. His athletic presence remains part of his lore: a 6’4” frame that he keeps tour-ready with gym work that includes enough conditioning that humbles other artists. He also golf rounds at elite courses like TPC Sawgrass, and the occasional exhibition throw (including a 2025 Pat McAfee Show challenge).
On the music front, Green closed 2025 with multiple CMA wins—led by his hit duet “You Look Like You Love Me” with Ella Langley. He earned his fifth career No. 1 with the solo-written “Worst Way,” and rolls into 2026 with the “Cowboy As It Gets Tour.”