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Appalachian State offensive lineman Jack Muprhy has died, coach Shawn Clark announced Monday on social media. Murphy died Friday and foul play is not suspected, according to a statement from the university provided to ESPN. No further details have been released by the school. 

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jack Murphy. He was a beloved Mountaineer,” Clark wrote in his post. “Please keep his loved ones and our App State family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Murphy started 14 games — one at left tackle and 13 at right tackle — for the Mountaineers in 2023 and earned third-team All-Sun Belt honors. Prior to transferring to Appalachian State, Murphy spent three years at Marshall. 

“The hearts of the App State community are with Jack’s loved ones during this very difficult time,” Megan Hayes, senior associate vice chancellor, said in a statement to ESPN. “We are respecting his family’s wishes and requests and are providing support and assistance as requested.”  

A native of Fairfax, Virginia, Murphy signed with Marshall in 2020 after a post-graduate season at Fork Union Military Academy. Murphy was also an all-state selection at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. 

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Kansas State football tight end Ben Sinnott learned early in the process leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft that in the Washington Commanders organization he found a kindred spirit.

That is why, when the call came in two-thirds of the way through the second round Friday night he was more relieved than surprised. As the No. 53 overall pick by the Commanders, he landed with a team that shared his vision for what the tight end position should be.

“Man, I’m so excited. This is an organization that I’ve been really hoping to get taken by, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity,” Sinnott said later during a media conference call. “I think the fit is perfect.”

The Commanders certainly did their homework on Sinnott, the first K-State tight end picked since Shad Meier went to Tennessee in the 2001 draft. He met with team officials at both at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, plus had a Zoom conversation with tight ends coach David Raih.

Related: Pros and cons of the Dallas Cowboys picking Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe in 2024 NFL Draft

Related: Pros and cons of the Los Angeles Rams picking Kansas State’s KT Leveston in 2024 NFL Draft

Kansas State junior tight end Ben Sinnott (34) celebrates a touchdown during the first quarter of Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

“I think it’s very like-minded people,” Sinnott said. “Coach Raih, we clicked very easily, had very similar values, and I just felt very comfortable instantly.

“I love what coach (Kliff) Kingsbury does. I’ve heard fantastic things about coach (Dan) Quinn.”

Quinn is starting his first year as Commanders head coach and he brought former Arizona Cardinals and Texas Tech head coach Kingsbury on board as offensive coordinator.

Sinnott’s draft stock shot up after his performances in the Senior Bowl and at the combine….

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With the 2024 NFL Draft wrapped, there’s no time wasted looking ahead to 2025, but the process of picking up the pieces from the seven-round extravaganza includes some highlights and lowlights for the biggest programs in college football. 

It was a banner weekend for the reigning champion Michigan Wolverines, who had seven players selected in the first three rounds and led all schools with 13 selections. It makes sense that the culmination of a three-year run that included three Big Ten titles, three College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship included some star power at the top of the depth chart. And that CFP success tracks with 2023 playoff participants Texas (11), Washington (10) and Alabama (10), all finishing with double-digit selections in the draft. 

The SEC once again led all conferences with 59 picks in the 257-player draft, but the Pac-12 had the second-most at 43. That headline is met with some melancholy, however, with the historic West Coast league losing 10 schools this summer to the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. 

If you want a further breakdown of the 2024 NFL Draft by conference and school, we’ve got you covered. But to dive a little bit deeper than the player is to reveal some interesting storylines and developments coming out of the weekend. And while most of our takeaways are more directly tied to the current state of these programs, we begin with an incredible note on one of the game’s greatest coaches who just recently announced his retirement. 

Winner: Nick Saban 

The NFL Draft production from Tuscaloosa under Saban set a new standard in college football. Alabama has produced 133 draft picks since 2009, the most of any program in that span, and the Tide have had at least seven draft picks for…

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The Chargers drafted two of head coach Jim Harbaugh’s players from Michigan over the last few days and they are signing another one of them as an undrafted free agent.

Offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart has agreed to terms with the team. Barnhart start 30 games while playing guard and tackle during his time with the Wolverines. He joins third-round linebacker Junior Colson and seventh-round wide receiver Cornelius Johnson in making the move from Ann Arbor to Los Angeles.

The Chargers also added another quarterback to their depth chart. Casey Bauman threw for 2,878 yards and 29 touchdowns at Augustana last season.

The rest of the undrafted free agents who have agreed to deals with the Chargers are Georgia Tech tight end Luke Benson, Florida State safety Akeem Dent, Fresno State wide receiver Jaelen Gill, Notre Dame safety Thomas Harper, South Dakota State tight end Zach Heins, N.C. State defensive lineman Savion Jackson, Ole Miss linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptriste, Oklahoma State wide receiver Leon Johnson III, East Carolina wide receiver Jaylen Johnson, N.C. State cornerback Robert Kennedy, Coastal Carolina defensive lineman Micheal Mason, UCF edge rusher Tremon Morris-Brash, Campbell tackle Tyler McLellan, TCU guard Willis Patrick, Clemson safety Jaylen Phillips, Western Carolina tackle Tyler Smith, Ole Miss corner Zamari Walton, Central Connecticut linebacker Luquay Washington, and Appalachian State offensive lineman Bucky Williams.

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