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On Friday, an NCAA medical panel called for the removal of marijuana from the organization’s banned drugs list. The Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommends shifting focus to testing for performance enhancing drugs. 

The committee intends to seek support from the NCAA Board of Governors to temporarily stop testing for cannabis at NCAA championship events while legislative action is considered.

While the committee’s recommendation marks a major milestone in the battle to stop marijuana testing for college athletes, the process still has several major steps before it can become official. All three divisions NCAA competition must draft and pass legislation before any permanent changes could take effect. 

The NCAA panel’s proposal comes after last year’s Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics, which concluded Marijuana and its byproducts were not performance enhancing drugs. The summit also reccomended a policy of “harm reduction” when it comes to cannabis. According to the NCAA’s press release, additional rationales included:

Focusing on testing for substances that provide an unfair advantage by enhancing athletic performance.Shifting toward a harm reduction philosophy for cannabis, similar to the approaches taken with alcohol.Realigning toward institutional testing and how that testing supports/enhances campus efforts to identify problematic cannabis use.Educating student-athletes on the health threats posed by contemporary cannabis and methods of…..

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For about a year, Notre Dame had what it thought to be a solid football player committed along the defensive line. However, there’s a reason they say don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

2024 Princeton (N.J.) Hun School four-star defensive lineman Owen Wafle had decommitted from the Irish on May 24, the same day he got an offer from the Wolverines. He took an official visit to Ann Arbor the weekend of June 9, and that was apparently good enough for the four-star prospect.

Wafle announced his commitment to the maize and blue on Sunday, thus completing the flip from Notre Dame.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 290-pounds, Wafle is rated highest by Rivals and ESPN, each of which has him as a four-star, with Rivals having him as the No. 15 defensive lineman in the country.

The scouting report from 247Sports’ Brian Dohn:

Thick build with plus length. Has low center of gravity and plays low to win leverage. Has snaps on both sides of ball as fullback and defensive lineman. Strong, physical, hard-nosed player with strong work ethic. Showed ability to bend during spring workout. Ferocious style of play evident during in-game eval in fall 2021. Gets off quickly at snap and covers ground well in first three steps. Shows stack-and-shed ability. Can take on block and re-direction along line of scrimmage. Can anchor in run game. Willing to take on and fight through double teams. Relies heavily on power and strength and often wins leverage by sinking hips. Plays with high effort and has strong work ethic. Does show rip and spin moves but needs to continue to develop technique and diversify move sets. Has to maintain lower body flexibility while also getting stronger. Multi-year starter at high-level program. Has late round NFL draft potential.

Not only was Wafle previously committed to ND, but he has offers from Iowa, Michigan State,…

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The transfer portal has been generous and cruel across the Power Five landscape, providing both a way to improve rosters while also creating position needs due to player exits. The ACC has been no different, with each member finding at least one addition ready to make an impact for the 2023 season. 

In terms of quality, the ACC has three teams in the top 10 of the 247Sports Transfer Team Rankings for the 2023 cycle. Florida State (No. 6) and Miami (No. 7) have plugged holes in the depth chart with portal additions, while Louisville (No. 10) has seen a more dramatic roster overhaul in the wake of the coaching change that brought Jeff Brohm back to the Cardinals. 

Not every team in the ACC has gone heavy in the portal this offseason, with Clemson and Wake Forest among the schools to see far less action than programs like Louisville or Georgia Tech. Still, we’ve identified at least one notable transfer for each team heading into the 2023 season, starting with some of the biggest names we expect to have an instant impact.  

Florida State CB Fentrell Cypress II 

Mike Norvell has built Florida State back into an ACC title contender with key transfer portal additions that have bolstered the roster and powered last year’s 10-win campaign. This year’s top-10 transfer class is headlined by former Virginia cornerback Fentrell Cypress II, who was rated as the No. 5 overall prospect in the portal. Cypress led the ACC in pass breakups last season in just nine games of action — his 1.6 pass breakups per game average led the nation — on the way to All-ACC honors and plenty of portal interest when he made his transfer intentions official. He is one of four players in the top 20 of the transfer portal rankings on the Florida State roster, joining tight end…

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Auburn football landed its most notable transfer in May when former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne signed with Auburn.

Thorne’s presence completes an offensive overhaul built by Hugh Freeze, as the Tigers are expected to have a new receiver rotation, offensive line, and quarterback in 2023.

Thorne has plenty of experience as he arrives at Auburn with two full seasons of experience. After losing an experienced quarterback to the transfer portal, how will Michigan State rebound?

Spartans head coach Mel Tucker recently spoke to the media during a recruiting camp at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. During his availability, the topic of Thorne’s transfer was discussed. Tucker says that he feels that his team will rebound following the loss of Thorne, but has nothing but great things to say about him.

“I just wish Payton the very best of luck,” Tucker said. “He’s a really good player, a better person, got a great family. We wish him well.”

Tucker also shared his thoughts on the transfer portal as a whole. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for a college athlete to transfer to another school, could one reason be the idea of “greener pastures?” Tucker says yes.

“We’ve seen it right? We’ve gotten guys out of the portal, and it’s really common. So, I don’t think it’s anything that anyone should be surprised about,” Tucker said.

Thorne is on campus and is set to compete with incumbent Robby Ashford for the starting quarterback job this summer. Thorne has passed for 6,493 yards and 49 touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan State and brings two full seasons of starting experience to Auburn. His best season came in 2021 when he threw for 27 touchdowns and 3,232 yards while leading Michigan State to an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on…

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