Category: College Football

USATSI

The College Football Playoff has finalized a new media rights contract, and what’s left of the Pac-12 is set to benefit from the updated distribution model. Oregon State and Washington State will each receive $3.6 million annually from 2026 — when the new agreement is set to begin — to at least 2028, three years before the deal is set to expire, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd confirmed. 

The negotiated amount pales in comparison to what other power-conference schools will make under the model, but it is a huge increase for the nominal “Pac-2’s,” financial prospects. Prior to the amendement, Oregon State and Washington State were set to make around $350,000 annually from CFP distribution — the same figure granted to independent programs not named Notre Dame. 

“The Pac-12 is pleased the College Football Playoff will continue to grow as an incredible sporting event for our student-athletes and fans,” the Pac-12 said in a statement. “The new agreement to continue on ESPN platforms provides excellent exposure opportunities for Oregon State and Washington State football programs to succeed on the biggest stage in college sports.” 

Tuesday’s finalized media rights deal allows ESPN to broadcast College Football Playoff games through the 2031 season. In exchange, the College Football Playoff will receive $1.3 billion annually, according to Dodd, which triples the amount of the previous contract. 

The SEC and the Big Ten will receive around 29% of the annual conference distribution, or approximately $22 million per school, per Dodd. The ACC will get 17% ($13-14 million per…

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WEST LAFAYETTE − Day one of year two feels a lot different.

Ryan Walters is fully established in his role as Purdue football head coach.

Most of the players already have a feel for the operation and expectation of the coaching staff, which remained largely in tact from last season.

Tuesday, the first day of spring football for the Boilermakers, was a seamless transition from the offseason.

“It’s a night and day difference,” Walters said. “You know the roster. You know what you are trying to accomplish. You’re not trying to figure things out. … We’re in a much more, I don’t want to say comfortable, but a much more educated place.”

More: Purdue football recruiting class 2024: Meet Boilermakers’ early signees

Sure, some things have changed, too.

Here’s a few notable storylines as spring season gets underway.

Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card (1) passes the ball during Purdue football practice, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at Mollenkopf Athletic Center in West Lafayette, Ind.

Hudson Card’s development

The challenge last season was just to get through it for Purdue quarterback Hudson Card.

He did miss one game, at Northwestern, but otherwise gutted through rib and shoulder injuries in his first season after transferring from Texas.

More: How Purdue football’s Hudson Card played through injury to beat Indiana

Walters said Card has beefed up from 190 pounds a year ago to 212 currently.

“Obviously I was a little bit banged up last year, so just trying to put more weight on so I can take those hits and be able to sustain them,” Card said. “That’s been a big part of my offseason is just try to put on some pounds and be durable.”

By all accounts, Card is much more comfortable entering his second spring at Purdue.

Beefing up the O-line

The biggest position of need after last season was offensive line. Purdue had a solid base with…

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Football and men’s basketball have historically headlined college athletic departments, but finding success in both sports remains an elusive task for many schools. Hitting on both hires and supporting them successfully has been a challenge for even the most high-profile colleges, but a select few have managed to stand apart. 

The past few years have been a rapid period of change across both sports. At one time, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Alabama’s Nick Saban could swing this list. Now, both are retired. So is North Carolina’s Roy Williams, while Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL. Other tremendous combos were also recently split up as Mike Elko left Duke for Texas A&M, while Arizona’s Jedd Fisch abandoned Tommy Lloyd for Washington. None of this factors in women’s college basketball — otherwise, LSU with Brian Kelly and Kim Mulkey would make a strong case for the top spot. 

With so much turnover, the coaching landscape is shifting almost daily. Even a strong appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament could be enough to shake up the list. But heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament, let’s have a look at the top 10 college football/men’s basketball coaching combinations in the country. 

1. Kansas: Lance Leipold/Bill Self

The best coaching combo in college athletics resides in … Lawrence, Kansas? Self is the consensus best coach in college basketball with 16 Big 12 regular-season titles, two national titles and an 809-247 career record. Leipold, meanwhile, is the fastest-rising veteran on the football side, transforming woeful Buffalo and now Kansas programs into consistent winners. He’s coming off a 9-4 season in 2023 with this Jayhawks program and back-to-back bowl berths (for Kansas!). 

2. Kentucky: Mark Stoops/John Calipari

The…

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Despite already adding Jameis Winston, NFL rumors indicate the Cleveland Browns are not done at the quarterback position yet. This time, they add former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley on a one-year deal.

Huntley made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2022 after filling in for Lamar Jackson for four starts. That season, Huntley had a statline of 658 yards passing, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He added another touchdown and 137 yards rushing as well.

A year ago, the Browns were forced to start five different quarterbacks, somehow stringing out 11 wins on the season. They appear ready to make sure history does not repeat itself in 2024 should starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffer another setback with his shoulder.

First, they added perhaps the best backup quarterback on the market in Jameis Winston, and now, they have added a former Pro Bowl quarterback in Huntley. They now have four quarterbacks on the roster including Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

While the hope is that Watson plays all 17 games, and plays well, the Browns are in a much better position in their quarterback room than they were a year ago.

Story originally appeared on Browns Wire

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247Sports

Notre Dame landed a commitment Sunday from 2025 wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr., the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Fighting Irish running back Jerome Bettis. The three-star wide receiver from Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, picked Notre Dame over a plethora of major college offers, including Texas A&M, NC State and Arkansas. 

Listed at 6-feet-2 and 190 pounds, Bettis is ranked as the No. 83 wide receiver in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports ratings and the No. 671 overall player in the 247Sports Composite. He played both ways for a Woodward Academy program that pushed for a state championship in the ultra-competitive state of Georgia. 

“What made the school so special for me is the feeling I get when I’m there and the comfortability and sense of home that makes the place super special,” Bettis Jr. told 247Sports. 

Bettis is just the latest standout to join Notre Dame’s loaded 2025 recruiting class. The Fighting Irish rank No. 1 in the nation with 18 commits, including four members of the Top247 rankings. Bettis is the third wide receiver to join the class. 

Jerome Bettis Sr. played three years of college football at Notre Dame, rushing for 1,912 yards and 27 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he set the Notre Dame record with 23 total touchdowns in a season. He was selected in the first round (10th overall) in the 1993 NFL Draft and rushed for more than 13,000 yards with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, eventually winning a Super Bowl and landing in the Hall of Fame. 

Notably, Bettis returned to Notre Dame…

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For Rutgers football, their Week 3 match-up at Virginia Tech is likely to be a make-or-break game for their season. A win at the Hokies, much like this past year, and Rutgers has the chance to be bowl-eligible. But there is some hype around Virginia Tech’s football team heading into 2024 with the Hokies returning several key pieces on their offense from last season.

Virginia Tech’s quarterback Kyron Drones, running back Bhayshul Tuten, and wide receivers Ali Jennings, Da’Quan Felton, Stephen Gosnell, and Jaylin Lane will all return in 2024. This is quite an array of offensive talent.

Athlon Sports recently placed Virginia Tech as sixth in their ACC Power Rankings. They hyped up the offense in their latest power rankings update:

“Can the Hokies build off last season’s strong finish? This unit averaged 33.5 points a game in November – largely fueled by the emergence of quarterback Kyron Drones – and posted 41 in the bowl victory over Tulane.”

The Scarlet Knights and the Hokies faced off last season with Rutgers defeating Virginia Tech 35-16. Rutgers’ 2023 victory was the first time since 1992 that the Scarlet Knights defeated the Hokies, breaking a 12-game skid in the series.

Drones recorded 84 yards on 22 attempts, averaging 3.4 yards per carry in his first collegiate start. The redshirt junior added 19 completions on 32 attempts for 190 yards with one touchdown and an interception in a losing effort.

The Scarlet Knights will try to make it consecutive winning seasons as they prepare to face a creative and explosive Virginia Tech offense. Rutgers finished the 2023 season as the No. 7 ranked defense within the Big Ten Conference and with many key pieces returning the Scarlet Knights’ defense will continue to stay strong in 2024.

Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire

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USATSI

Blaise Taylor, who starred at defensive back at Arkansas State from 2014-17 and served as a scout for the Tennessee Titans and staffer at Utah State, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder after his girlfriend and unborn baby died in early 2023, per The Tennesseean. 

Jade Benning, the girlfriend of Taylor, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Feb. 23, after Taylor called 911 to report that she was having some sort of allergic reaction. Benning died in the hospital on her 25th birthday, March 6, while her unborn child, who Taylor is thought to have fathered, died on Feb. 27.

Following an investigation, crime lab scientists and a medical examiner determined that Benning was, “poisoned without her knowledge.” A Nashville grand jury returned an indictment against Taylor on Wednesday, and he was then arrested in Utah. 

Taylor worked as a pro scout for the Titans for four years. According to the Titans’ official website, his role included, “advance scouting for upcoming opponents, as well as evaluating potential free agents for the free agency period every spring.” Taylor served as a defensive analyst at Utah State in 2023, and reportedly was hired by Texas A&M for the same position earlier this month, per Football Scoop. Taylor’s father, Trooper Taylor, was hired by Texas A&M as their associate head coach and running backs coach. 

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko released a statement following Taylor’s arrest, per ESPN.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking situation, including the family and friends of the victim. It’s…

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According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the UConn football program is expected to promote offensive line coach Gordon Sammis to offensive coordinator, following the reported departure of Nick Charlton.

Sammis joined the Huskies with head coach Jim Mora two seasons ago and consistently received high praise from players like offensive guard Christian Haynes, who recently participated in the NFL Combine.

In addition to his role as offensive line coach, Sammis served as the Huskies’ run-game coordinator last year. Coaching college football since 2012, Sammis spent time at Columbia, VMI, Lafayette and William & Mary before coming to Storrs.

Charlton, Thamel reported Wednesday, is leaving for the Cleveland Browns, where he will be an offensive assistant and run-game specialist.

The promotion of Sammis means UConn football will have new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The program hired former Mississippi State assistant Matt Brock as defensive coordinator last month.

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