The dog days of cornhole. No big events, no crazy schedule release. The only thing we rely on to get our cornhole fill are juicy stories, and boy have there been a ton. While the top two teams of last season, Mark Richards and Tony Smith, as well as Jamie Graham and Jacob Trzcienski, have announced that they’re running back another season, there have been a slew of new teams that have been announced. Some are really good; some aren’t great. Today, I am taking a look at my top 10 favorite new team signings for this upcoming season, and ranking them, 10-1.
10: Jordan Power and Chris Kingsbury- Titan Bags
This team is hot off the presses, and a little bit surprising. Jordan Power and Cheyenne Bubenheim finished as the number five team in the world, but after the surprising decision for Cheyenne to leave, Jordan was left without a partner. As for Kingsbury, this will be his first season not playing with Alan Rawls and Ultra Cornhole since the 2021-2022 season.
Both players like a faster style bag, and the Titan Dart feels like the perfect bag for these two. The only reason I have them at 10 is because of the chemistry. These two have never played together, have very contrasting personalities on the board, and I genuinely don’t know what to expect from them. I will say, Kingsbury hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in Doubles in multiple years, and Power comes off an incredible performance on the Doubles side. This is a top-10 caliber team.
9: Richard Nyberg and Colin Powers- Brotherhood Cornhole
These two had fantastic performances last season. Nyberg was one of the best Elite players in the country, and rolled through everyone in the Pro Qualifier. Nyberg is a top-five player in the state of California.
Colin Powers had an incredible second half of the season last year. The rookie from Wisconsin finished 32nd in Pro Singles even with a lackluster start to the season. He also won Singles and Doubles at the Wisconsin State Championships.
With that being said, I am scared that they were both one-hit wonders. It is so incredibly difficult to continue dominating performances across an entire calendar year. Very rarely will someone have back-to-back seasons as good as Powers and Nyberg. If I’m wrong, this is without a doubt a top-10 team. But if I’m right, we won’t be talking about them much. I hope I’m wrong because I love watching these two play.
8: Spencer Fabionar and Tony Forbes- Brotherhood Cornhole
These two have a ton of chemistry, even more talent, and are going to be fun to watch all season long. The team that made the overall finals at Spencer Makenzie’s in 2024, Forbes and Fabionar will be a fan favorite to watch. The question is, will they be able to duplicate it? This will be both players' first time fully in the Pro division. Fabionar was an Elite player last season, and Forbes was an ACL Junior Pro.
I am really excited to watch this team. They have all the shots, and if they can stay away from attempting trick shots, this team will be dangerous. Both players are from California and they play together a lot so we know there’s no lack of chemistry. I’m not saying they’re a lock for a top-10 team, but if they can play like they have in the past, this team for sure will be in the running.
7: Brayden Wilson and Eddie Grinderslev- AAR Cornhole
I love love love this team. Probably the biggest age gap between Pro partners, but I think that's a good thing. Eddie Grinderslev needs to get back to being the role model he was for Kaleb Batson when they won three straight titles, and Wilson continues to learn under some of the best players from Texas who have been around for some time.
It stings that Sims and Wilson broke up, but all good things must come to an end. Eddie Grinderslev and Dillon Turpin, on the other hand, had an uninspired season, finishing 19th in Pro Doubles, way under their prediction. With that being said, I think this is a much needed change for Eddie. I think Brayden can give him that boost he was missing, and this team has a good chance to finish inside the top 10, with top-five potential.
6: Sammy Soto and Colby Shearer- BG Cornhole
It was a shocking surprise to see Gavin Cano and Sammy Soto split up, and my initial reaction was “how will Sammy fill the void?” Well he filled it in a fun, exciting, and loud way with the king of Mountain Dew, Colby Shearer.
These two have identical play styles, and have broadcast experience on both the Singles and Doubles side. While this is an upgrade for Shearer, it is a downgrade for Soto, so I’m curious to see how he will handle his third Pro partner in three seasons.
Best case scenario this is a top-7 team, but if these two start to frustrate themselves they could fall apart. Will Colby have another season where he's “doing it for Jake Brannon?” Will Sammy smile during a game? Who knows! That's what makes it so exciting.
5: Colin Hodet and Gage Landis- Brotherhood Cornhole
Two of the best roll bags in the sport of cornhole are teaming up, and the entire Pro division should be nervous. Both players finished inside the top 28 in pro singles, and made their first ever Pro Singles broadcast last season. Hodet is poised to have his best season ever, as there are talks of him being a top 10 player in the country.
As for Landis, nobody may know this, but in his three seasons as an ACL Pro, he has never finished lower than 30th in Pro Singles. That means he’s been having sneaky good tournaments for multiple years now, and with this new bag company, I think this is the season Landis takes his game to the next level. I think he has a solid chance to finish inside the top 20 in Pro Singles, and I think he and Hodet are a sure top 10 Doubles team in the country.
4: Devon Harbaugh and AJ Sims- BG Cornhole
I will admit, when I saw this team initially, I wasn’t very impressed. Harbaugh coming off a season with a struggling Jeremiah Ellis, and Sims breaking up with Brayden Wilson after another top-10 season, I just wasn’t expecting this. However, the more and more I thought about it, the more and more I started to change my mind about this team.
Both Sims and Harbaugh have similar personalities that try to pick you up and keep your energy high the entire time. Sims will have to move away from a role model personality, which I think will allow him to focus more on his game, and I think the same goes for Devon.
I think there were certain times where Harbaugh tried to do too much on his end, and I don’t think he will have to do that as much this season. This team excites me, and I would be shocked if they aren’t a top-10 team.
3: Jackson Gore and Zack Aiken- Cornhole Scenario
This was one of the first bombshells to drop, and boy was it big. These two both had incredible individual seasons. Both players won their first career Pro Singles titles. Aiken was on the Rookie of the Year ballot, and Gore was on the Comeback Player of the Year ballot.
These two also live close to each other. Aiken from South Carolina, Gore from North Carolina, so they have the ability to play every regional together. There is no reason this team won’t thrive.
The only thing that confused me was the bag company. Aiken coming from Lucky Bags and Gore coming from AAR, yet they decided on Cornhole Scenario. Obviously it will take some time to get used to the bags, and I hope the decision to move to a different bag company doesn’t hinder them.
I think this team is a top-10 lock, with top-5 potential and possibly even more.
2: David Morse and Ethan Walker- Logic Cornhole
Finally, David Morse has a Pro partner that is better than him. I know that sounds weird, but I think this will help him a ton. Morse is finally a part of a team where he’s not necessarily meant to be the alpha. He will be able to play his own game and not worry about picking up loose ends.
On the other hand, after a disappointing 2024 season, Ethan Walker is just happy to have a friend on the other end. Morse and Walker’s chemistry is through the roof, and there’s no reason why this team won’t be in the top 10. They’ve already played one tournament together, where they made the king seat before falling, but I think that gives them a lot of momentum going into the new season.
Logic Cornhole is going to grow exponentially because of these two. Book it.
1: Logan Chamberlain and Gavin Cano- BG Cornhole
Was there ever a doubt as to who #1 would be? This announcement dropped right after the World Championships, and it came as a shock to everyone. They finished 3rd and 4th with their respective partners and still decided to leave them and team up.
When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Justin Burton Jr. is about to have a kid. Gavin moved closer to Logan so they are able to practice in Logan’s warehouse. Every. Single. Day.
The question at the end of last season became “who will be able to stop Mark Richards and Tony Smith?” and I truly think we found our answer. Am I already saying this will be the next #1 team by the end of next season, no. but I’m telling you there’s a chance.
This team isn’t top 10. This team isn’t top 5. In my opinion, anything less than top 3 is a disappointment for these two. Does that put a lot of pressure on them? Sure, but pressure makes diamonds. Prove me right.
The season is fast approaching. The first event is October 3-5 in Rock Hill, SC. How many of these teams will show up? Tune in to find out.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ACL.
