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Four-star athlete Michael Terry III, the 30th-ranked prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300, announced his commitment to Texas when the early signing period opened Wednesday morning, picking the Longhorns over Nebraska and Oregon in a ceremony at Texas' Alamo Heights High School. Terry is ESPN's No. 3 athlete prospect in the 2025 cycle and began Wednesday as the nation's third-ranked uncommitted recruit. A versatile, two-way star from San Antonio, Terry visited Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M and Nebraska in the summer before taking return trips to the Longhorns and Huskers earlier this fall. Upon Terry's pledge, Texas now holds commitments from 17 ESPN 300 prospects in the 2025 cycle, including eight of ESPN's top-100 recruits. Terry began his senior season with more than 3,000 career all-purpose yards as Texas' reigning District 13-5A MVP. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he projects as a do-it-all offensive weapon at the next level, capable of playing...

Ball State has hired Butler head coach Mike Uremovich as the school's new football coach, the school announced. The deal is for five years, sources told ESPN. Uremovich, 48, brings significant experience from his time at Butler, where he is 23-11 the past three years. He also spent seven seasons as the head coach at the University of St. Francis (Illinois), where he led them to a 17-7 mark his final two seasons. The diversity of experience attracted Ball State to Uremovich, per sources. Uremovich brings extensive time in the MAC, including three stints at Northern Illinois that span six different seasons. He was specials teams coordinator on the 2012 Orange Bowl team and offensive coordinator on the 2018 MAC champions. He has also worked as an offensive coordinator in the AAC at Temple and as an assistant coach in the ACC at North Carolina State. He has been on coaching staffs that have appeared in six bowl games, and his experience ranges from high school to the top levels of...

Athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU are in a turf war over the latest College Football Playoff rankings, leading to a "stay off my lawn" moment on social media . The background: SMU, at 11-1 and riding a nine-game winning streak into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, was slotted at No. 8 in Tuesday night's latest ranking. Iowa State, meanwhile, is at 16th and playing for the title of the Big 12, which appears set to receive only one bid in the 12-team field that comes out Sunday. Cyclones AD Jamie Pollard doesn't like that, and he  made his feelings clear on X, pointing out that SMU hasn't played Clemson, Syracuse, Georgia Tech or Miami -- four of the ACC's top seven teams -- and lost at home to BYU of the Big 12. "Looks like your lawn may be artificial," Pollard wrote in a post directed to SMU's AD, Rick Hart. Hart mowed down Pollard with a response of his own that started with...

Ball State has agreed to a five-year deal to hire Butler head coach Mike Uremovich as the school's new football coach, sources told ESPN. Uremovich, 48, brings significant experience from his time at Butler, where he is 23-11 the past three years. He also spent seven seasons as the head coach at the University of St. Francis (Illinois), where he led them to a 17-7 mark his final two seasons. The diversity of experience attracted Ball State to Uremovich, per sources. Uremovich brings extensive time in the MAC, including three stints at Northern Illinois that span six different seasons. He was specials teams coordinator on the 2012 Orange Bowl team and offensive coordinator on the 2018 MAC champions. He has also worked as an offensive coordinator in the AAC at Temple and as an assistant coach in the ACC at North Carolina State. He has been on coaching staffs that have appeared in six bowl games, and his experience ranges from high school to the top levels of college football. The...

DENVER -- A furious Steve Kerr screamed at officials following  Golden State's 119-115 loss at Denver on Tuesday night, saying the crew failed to see that  Nuggets guard Christian Braun signaled for a timeout after securing a loose ball with 1.9 seconds left -- despite Denver being out of timeouts.  Kerr argued that Denver should have been assessed a technical foul, which would have given the Warriors a free throw and possession of the ball. Instead, crew chief Tyler Ford called for a jump ball with 1.9 seconds remaining in the game and the Warriors trailing by four.  "Braun called a timeout," Kerr said. "He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games, and that makes me angry. That's a technical foul. They don't have a timeout left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game. "They [the officials] all told me they didn't see it. ... It's up to the referees to see...

DALLAS -- An anticipatory buzz broke out in the American Airlines Center crowd when  Grizzlies star  Ja Morant had nothing but blue paint between him and the rim after stealing the ball near half court midway through the second quarter Tuesday night. The fans booed when Morant -- the creator of countless viral highlights during his five-plus-year NBA career -- finished the fast break with a basic, two-hand dunk that wasn't even hard enough to rock the rim. "I'm not trying to dunk at all," Morant said after Memphis' 121-116 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks. "Y'all think I'm lying. I'm dead serious." Morant, who has dunked only three times in the 12 games he has played this season, is especially attempting to avoid the sort of spectacular dunks over defenders that helped make him one of the league's most popular players. It's a matter of prioritizing self-preservation for Morant, a high-flying 6-foot-2, 174-pound guard who has had durability issues...

NEW YORK -- The field for the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup is set, and there will be a new champion as well as an almost entirely different field than last year's inaugural version. By the time the dust settled Tuesday night, the eight teams were set: the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference; and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference. Last year's NBA Cup champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, were eliminated from advancing to the knockout rounds with losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Thunder last week. The Bucks and the Knicks are only teams from the eight who also advanced to the in-season tournament last year. The quarterfinal matchups next week will be the Magic at the Bucks and the Thunder hosting the Mavericks on Tuesday, with the Hawks at the Knicks and the Warriors...

DALLAS -- An anticipatory buzz broke out in the American Airlines Center crowd when  Grizzlies star  Ja Morant had nothing but blue paint between him and the rim after stealing the ball near halfcourt midway through the second quarter Tuesday night. The fans booed when Morant -- the creator of countless viral highlights during his five-plus-year NBA career -- finished the fast break with a basic, two-hand dunk that wasn't even hard enough to rock the rim. "I'm not trying to dunk at all," Morant said after Memphis' 121-116 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks. "Y'all think I'm lying. I'm dead serious." Morant, who has dunked only three times in the 12 games he's played this season, is especially attempting to avoid the sort of spectacular dunks over defenders that helped make him one of the league's most popular players. It's a matter of prioritizing self-preservation for Morant, a high-flying 6-foot-2, 174-pound guard who has had durability issues...

PHOENIX -- Kevin Durant left shortly before halftime of the  Phoenix Suns' 104-93 NBA Cup win over the  San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday because of a sprained left ankle, and Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said his team's medical staff planned to reevaluate the star forward Wednesday morning. "I think he stepped on somebody's foot in transition, and I think at halftime it stiffened up," Budenholzer said. "We will have to evaluate him again in the morning, see how he feels coming out of it, see how he does overnight. I don't really know a whole lot more than the report at halftime." Sprinting downcourt in transition with 4:30 left in the second quarter, Durant drove to the basket and attempted to cut between Spurs defenders Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell. Durant stepped on Champagnie's left foot as he rose to take a shot. Durant immediately fell to the floor, landing flat on his back before grabbing at his left ankle. ...

CALGARY, Alberta -- With the Gaudreau family watching from the stands, Rasmus Andersson, Kevin Bahl and Yegor Sharangovich scored goals as the Calgary Flames shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets  3-0 in a game between the two franchises for which the late Johnny Gaudreau played. The Gaudreaus, including Johnny's father and mother, Guy and Jane, Johnny's wife, Meredith, and Johnny's sisters, Katie and Kristen, traveled to Calgary this week, and Guy Gaudreau actually took part in the Flames' practice Monday in advance of the game. The Flames held a pregame ceremony that included a video tribute and ceremonial puck drop that was led by Guy Gaudreau. During the video, which the Flames posted to their social media accounts, there was a quote featured from Johnny Gaudreau that read, "I hope the people of Calgary can remember me not only as a hockey player, but also a good person with good values." Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew,...

PHOENIX -- Kevin Durant headed to the locker room just before halftime of Tuesday's 104-93 win in their NBA Cup matchup against the San Antonio Spurs with a left ankle sprain and was later ruled out.  The Suns didn't have an update on Durant's status after the game. Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer said Durant's ankle stiffened up on him at halftime.  Sprinting the floor in transition, Durant drove to the basket and attempted to cut between Spurs defenders Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell. Durant stepped on Champagnie's left foot as he rose to take the shot. Durant fell to the floor, landing flat on his back before immediately grabbing at his left ankle. Teammate  Ryan Dunn helped Durant back to his feet, as officials had whistled Champagnie for a foul on the play with 4:30 remaining before intermission.   Durant remained on the floor to connect on both free throws. Durant also knocked down a 14-foot jumper 22 seconds later,...

Tuesday's release of the College Football Playoff rankings, the last installment leading up to the finale Sunday, was not favorable to the Miami Hurricanes. And their conference took issue with it. Indeed, Alabama snuck into the coveted No. 11 spot, as announced on ESPN's rankings release show, while Miami fell to No. 12. That means, barring an upset in Saturday's ACC championship game between Clemson and SMU, Alabama might be headed back to the CFP for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons -- despite losing three times under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer -- while the Hurricanes get left out of the first 12-team tournament. In a statement, released after the show concluded, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said the league was "incredibly shocked and disappointed" that Miami fell six spots to No. 12 and added coach Mario Cristobal's team "absolutely deserves better from the committee." "As we look ahead to the final rankings," he added, "we hope the...

LOS ANGELES -- Blake Snell donned a white  Los Angeles Dodgers jersey for the first time Tuesday, representing the latest high-priced free agent to sign with a franchise now coming off a championship. Snell's five-year, $182 million contract -- with $52 million up front and another $66 million deferred through 2046 -- marked the fourth nine-figure signing the Dodgers have consummated over the past 12 months, following Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. All three of those players will be in the Dodgers' rotation in 2025, but they all bring varying levels of injury concerns. Snell himself has faced durability questions throughout his career, most of them aimed at an inability to pitch deep into games, but he also brings another frontline starter to a staff that, at full strength, might be the best in the sport. And though he'll celebrate his 32nd birthday on Wednesday, the Dodgers believe he can be even better. "I've...

LOS ANGELES -- Juan Soto's much-hyped free agency is nearing its final stages, with a source familiar with the process opening the possibility that the star outfielder could pick his destination by the end of this week -- before the start of the annual winter meetings. The industry's agents and executives will descend upon Dallas this Sunday. Soto is widely expected to sign a record-breaking contract before they depart the following Thursday and could do so before they even arrive, an industry source told ESPN on Tuesday. Soto's agent, Scott Boras, declined to offer a definitive timetable. "When you go through these things, you just have a lot of information to meld through," Boras said of Soto while attending  Blake Snell's introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. "We've had meetings with a number of franchises. He's begun the process of eliminating teams and doing things. Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we'll see. I don't think...

Barring an upset in Saturday's ACC championship game between Clemson and SMU, Alabama might be headed back to the College Football Playoff for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons. The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 11 in the CFP selection committee's penultimate rankings Tuesday, one spot ahead of Miami. The Tide lost three times under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, including an unsightly 24-3 defeat at Oklahoma on Nov. 23. The Hurricanes suffered their second defeat of the season Saturday, 42-38 at Syracuse. Miami would be the first team left out of the 12-team playoff based on the current rankings because the fifth-highest-rated conference champion would jump it. Since neither Alabama nor Miami qualified for their respective conference championship games, it would seem the Hurricanes would have a difficult time jumping the Tide in the final rankings, which will be released by the selection committee Sunday. CFP selection...

Lamine Yamal dished out advice for recreating his "trivela" assist on FIFA after starring in Barcelona's 5-1 win against Mallorca in LaLiga on Tuesday. The 17-year-old returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Nov. 3 after recovering from an ankle injury as Barça ended a three-game winless run in the league. He won the penalty that led to Barça's second goal and then set up Raphinha for the third with a sublime pass with the outside of his boot, which he pointed out can be easily recreated on PlayStation. "I think the button on FIFA is L2 [for the trivela pass]," he told Esport3 after the match. "It is something I can do quite well, something I usually do and something I will keep doing." It's the second time this season that Yamal, who has a league-high eight assists, has teed up Raphinha with the outside of his boot. He played a similar pass, albeit from a much longer distance, in the win over Villarreal earlier in the season. "I...

United States coach Emma Hayes said retiring veteran Alyssa Naeher leaves the team as the "the greatest goalkeeper" the country has produced after Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Netherlands. "What I did say to her yesterday, in my opinion, she's the greatest goalkeeper this country's ever had, for lots of reasons," Hayes said about the 36-year-old, who made six saves in her final USWNT match. "Most people don't really realize what it takes to stay at the top. For her to do it, for the number of years she's done it, wow." Naeher announced last week that the winter friendlies against England and the Netherlands would be the last of her national team career. The veteran, who will continue playing at club level for the Chicago Red Stars, earned a shutout in a 0-0 draw with England before emerging as one of the top performers in Tuesday's narrow victory against the Dutch. "I'm going to miss the coffee dates, hanging around the team room, talking. I'm going...

United States coach Emma Hayes said retiring veteran Alyssa Naeher leaves the team as the "the greatest goalkeeper" that the country has produced after Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Netherlands. "What I did say to her yesterday, in my opinion, she's the greatest goalkeeper this country's ever had, for lots of reasons," Hayes said about the 36-year-old, who made six saves in her final USWNT match. "Most people don't really realize what it takes to stay at the top. For her to do it, for the number of years she's done it, wow." Naeher announced last week that the winter friendlies against England and the Netherlands would be the last of her national team career. The veteran, who will continue playing at club level for the Chicago Red Stars, earned a shutout in a 0-0 draw with England before emerging as one of the heroes in Tuesday's narrow victory against the Dutch. "I'm going to miss the coffee dates, hanging around the team room, talking. I'm going to...

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman is entering the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN in a phone interview Tuesday. A redshirt sophomore, Weigman will have two years of eligibility remaining.  Weigman is a former blue-chip recruit who went 9-4 in 13 career starts at Texas A&M, including 4-1 this season. That included throwing for 276 yards on 18-for-22 passing in a blowout win over then-No. 9  Missouri in October. "I feel like my best football is ahead of me," Weigman told ESPN. "I wasn't able to reach my full potential where I was at. I know what I'm capable of and what I can bring to a team and program." Weigman hopes to find a landing spot where he can lead a team to the College Football Playoff and "fight for the national championship." Weigman, who is 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, said he's hoping to "maximize" his ability at his next destination. He arrived at A&M as ESPN's No. 1 pocket passer in the 2022 recruiting class. He said he enters the portal with...

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from a July 12 arrest near Los Angeles International Airport, according to Superior Court of California online records. He has a pretrial conference hearing scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025. Addison, 22, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with at least a .08% blood alcohol content after a West Los Angeles police officer found him asleep at the wheel of a white Rolls Royce that was blocking a lane of I-105 westbound near the airport. Speaking to reporters in Minnesota at the start of training camp, Addison said he was in a "dark place" following his arrest. "I was feeling down, and [teammates] really uplifted me to come out here and just perform at a high level still," Addison said at the time. "So through everything that's going on, I'm going to put it behind me and I'm still going to perform at a high level, come out here give the...

Michigan fired offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell on Tuesday, ending his three-year tenure with the team and his first as playcaller. Campbell oversaw an offense that had slipped to 112th nationally in scoring and 129th in passing this fall, while using three different starting quarterbacks. He served as Michigan's quarterbacks coach in 2022, mentoring eventual first-round NFL draft pick J.J. McCarthy when the team won its first national championship since 1997. When Michigan promoted offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to head coach, Moore promoted Campbell to the coordinator role. "This was a decision that I felt was in the best interest of our football program," Moore said in a statement. "I want to thank Kirk for his hard work and dedication to the university, Michigan football and our student-athletes. I wish him well in his future coaching endeavors." Tight ends coach Steve Casula will serve as interim offensive coordinator. Michigan, which upset...

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Faced with the deadline to bring wide receiver Josh Reynolds back on to the roster from injured reserve, the Denver Broncos waived the eight-year veteran Tuesday. The Broncos, who had designated Reynolds to return from injured reserve Nov. 13, had to either move Reynolds to the 53-player roster this week or keep him on injured reserve to retain him. With two rookies now regularly in the receiver rotation to go with Marvin Mims Jr. in his second year, the Broncos chose to waive Reynolds instead. If they choose, they could bring Reynolds back to their practice squad if he clears waivers Wednesday. If he goes unclaimed, Reynolds would be a free agent, able to sign with any team. He had 12 receptions for 183 yards and one touchdown in five games, having suffered a fractured finger Oct. 6 on his touchdown catch against the Las Vegas Raiders. Reynolds signed a two-year, $9 million deal with the Broncos in free agency this past March...

Lynn Williams scored the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute and Alyssa Naeher made six saves in her final match as the United States defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in The Hague on Tuesday. Williams, who entered at the start of the second half, made a well-timed run to get a touch on Yazmeen Ryan's cross to the middle of the box to break the 1-1 tie. Her 21st international goal came two minutes after Naeher made a great save with her right leg on Daniëlle van de Donk. It was the last international match for Naeher, who wore the captain's armband in her 115th appearance. She debuted on Dec. 18, 2014, against Argentina. She is two-time World Cup winner (2015 and 2019) and a 2024 Olympic gold medalist. She shut out the Netherlands in the 2019 Women's World Cup final. Despite being outshot 23-5, the U.S. ended 2024 with a 18-1-4 record and a 20-match unbeaten streak. Emma Hayes has been the coach for the past 15 matches (13-0-2) since her...

"Herman needed help," the prosecutor said in opening statements.

Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren was chosen as the coaching finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 on Tuesday. In the seniors category, former Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe; Maxie Baughan, a linebacker who was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection in the 1960s for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams; and Jim Tyrer, the gigantic offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and 1970s, were named finalists. Tyrer's selection comes with controversy, as he died in a murder-suicide of his wife in 1980, but senior committee voters and his family members lobbied publicly for his induction. In the contributors category, as ESPN first reported last month, the finalist is NFL co-founder Ralph Hay, the owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922. He is recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that formed the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the...

Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren was chosen as the coaching finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, sources said Tuesday. In the seniors category, former Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe; Maxie Baughan, a linebacker who was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection in the 1960s for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams; and Jim Tyrer, the gigantic offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and 1970s, were named finalists. Tyrer's selection comes with controversy as he died in a murder-suicide of his wife in 1980, but senior committee voters and his family members lobbied publicly for his induction. In the contributors category, as ESPN first reported last month, the finalist is NFL co-founder Ralph Hay, the owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922. He is recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that formed the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the NFL. Robert...

Veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $10.75 million contract, sources told ESPN, bolstering a Boston bullpen in need of a power left-handed arm. The deal, which is pending the completion of a physical, adds the hard-throwing Chapman to a bullpen that finished 24th in ERA last season and went into the winter prioritizing late-inning left-handed help. Chapman, who turns 37 before the coming season, posted a picture of himself in a Red Sox cap on social media. In 61⅔ innings with Pittsburgh last season, Chapman posted a 3.79 ERA and struck out 98 while walking 39. With an average fastball of 98 mph that topped out at 105, Chapman has maintained top-end velocity and an elite strikeout rate into what will be his 16th major league season. The Red Sox will be Chapman's seventh team, and he returns to the American League East, where he spent seven years with the New York Yankees. While Chapman hasn't closed since...

The NFL suspended Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair three games for repeated violations of player safety rules after his hit to the head of  Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday. Jon Runyan, the NFL's vice president of policy and rules administration, announced the suspension Tuesday, adding in a letter to Al-Shaair that the league deemed the hit "unacceptable" and that his "continued disregard" for rules governing player safety "will not be tolerated." Al-Shaair was ejected in the second quarter of Houston's victory Sunday over Jacksonville after his violent blow to the face mask of Lawrence while the quarterback was sliding to the ground, causing the Jaguars star to suffer a concussion. "You were involved in a play that the [NFL] considers unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules," Runyan wrote Tuesday. "Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he...

Tiger Woods said Tuesday that he's not close to being physically ready to play in PGA Tour tournaments and has a "long way to go" before he's able to compete against the world's best golfers again. Woods, 48, is not playing in this week's Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he hosts in the Bahamas. "I'm not tournament-sharp yet," Woods told reporters during a news conference in the Bahamas. "No, I'm still not there. And these are 20 of the best players in the world, and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. When I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will." When Woods was asked whether he still has a desire to compete on tour, he said, "The fire still burns to compete." "As far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, for some reason, the body just won't recover like it used to," Woods said. "That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey." The...

Liverpool boss Arne Slot joked that Manchester City might not be in the Premier League next season amid the ongoing investigation into the club's compliance with financial rules. The Premier League charged City on 115 counts of breaches of financial regulations in February 2023 after opening an investigation five years earlier. Slot's comments came in response to a question about  Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future after the Egypt international said Sunday's 2-0 win over City could be the last time he faces Pep Guardiola's side at Anfield as the uncertainty over his future at the club continues. "Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 acquisitions [charges] so expects them not to be there in the Premier League next season," Slot quipped in a news conference on Tuesday ahead of Liverpool's trip to Newcastle United. "The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place for me to talk about Mo's contract. It was a joke. I...

Israel Vazquez, Mexico's three-time junior featherweight world champion, has died after a battle with cancer, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said Tuesday. He was 46. Known for his punching power and hand speed, Vazquez was one of Mexico's most celebrated boxers and shared a rivalry with compatriot Rafael Marquez, whom he faced four times. The boxer nicknamed "El Magnifico" revealed on Nov. 10 he had sarcoma, a cancer. "Israel is finally resting in peace. May God provide his family with strength we extend all the support to his wife Laura, his kids, family and friends during this difficult time," Sulaiman said on social media. "Thanks champion for leaving a special footprint. You will always be "El Magnifico.'" Vazquez who debuted in 1995, split his four fights against Marquez. The 2007 and 2008 bouts received fight of the year awards. After winning in 2008, Vazquez suffered a detached retina and eventually lost his right eye after his retirement. He stopped fighting in May 2010...

DENVER --  Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, playing his first game in Denver since being traded by the  Broncos in March, recorded a career-high nine catches for 235 receiving yards and one touchdown in Cleveland's 41-32 loss Monday night. It was the most receiving yards by a player in his first game against a former team in NFL history, according to Elias Sports Bureau research, but Jeudy said he would trade all the yardage for a win. "Hell yeah, I would," Jeudy said. "They can have that. I need that W. That was one step closer to get to the playoffs. We need that." The Broncos drafted Jeudy with the No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft. But after four inconsistent seasons in Denver, the Broncos traded him to the Browns for fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2024. Jeudy did his part in helping the Browns (3-9) nearly pull off another upset, including a 70-yard touchdown catch and 2-point conversion that brought Cleveland to within 28-25 early in the third...

DENVER -- In the end, even a coach with a résumé as long as Sean Payton has as an NFL head coach could only voice a quick sigh in the aftermath of the Denver Broncos' wild 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns Monday night in Empower Field at Mile High. "Holy cow," Payton said as he stepped to the podium. Payton had just seen his Broncos win a game despite surrendering 497 yards passing and four touchdowns to Browns quarterback Jameis Winston to go with 235 yards receiving from former Broncos' first-round pick Jerry Jeudy as Cleveland finished with a staggering 552 yards of offense overall. But in the swirl the Broncos' defense also produced three interceptions -- two returned for touchdowns -- and Denver moved to 8-5 to keep itself in the No. 7 spot in the AFC's playoff race. "Some games go in a direction you think they're going to go, obviously that game went in a much different direction, we made enough plays to win," Payton said. "...

Oklahoma has hired  Washington State's Ben Arbuckle to be the Sooners' new offensive coordinator and playcaller, the school announced Monday.  The deal is for three years, sources told ESPN.  The move comes in the wake of Oklahoma struggling significantly on offense in its initial season in the SEC, as the Sooners finished No. 15 of 16 teams in both scoring offense and total offense. Arbuckle replaces Seth Littrell, who was fired in late October as Oklahoma was on its way to a 2-6 season in the SEC and a 6-6 overall finish. In the 29-year-old Arbuckle, Oklahoma lands one of the country's top young coordinators and playcallers. Washington State finished No. 12 nationally in scoring offense this year, No. 9 in passing efficiency and No. 22 in total offense. The Cougars had great success with quarterback John Mateer, as he threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. Mateer is a sophomore from Little Elm, Texas, who would have high-profile options if he were to enter...

MINNEAPOLIS -- With LeBron James in the midst of his worst outside shooting slump since his rookie year, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said he was unsure whether the veteran star's goal to play in all 82 games is sustainable this season. "I don't know that's in the best interest of him and us if he does that, but if he's feeling well and feeling good, then he should play," Redick said after James tied a season low with 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field in L.A.'s 109-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. "But we obviously want to ... manage that as best we can." James went 0-for-4 on 3-pointers against the Wolves, extending his drought to 0-for-19 from deep in his past four games -- the worst he has shot from 3 since he missed 24 straight from Dec. 26, 2003, to Jan. 13, 2004, according to ESPN Research. James, who played in his 1,800th career game Monday between the regular season and playoffs combined -- the most all time by any...

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was vague on the future of recently acquired Diontae Johnson, a day after the wide receiver didn't play a snap in Sunday's 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. "At this time, I'm going to have to wait just to clarify it," Harbaugh said Monday. "There's some moving parts there that we're going to have to figure out and explore and just see where we're at. I know that's not the answer you want, but that's the best I can do in fairness to everybody right now." In four games with the Ravens, Johnson has one catch for six yards. He suited up Sunday but didn't play, even after starting wide receiver Rashod Bateman left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. Harbaugh was noncommittal on whether Johnson will remain with the team. "We'll just work it out [and] see where we're at over the next few days this week," said Harbaugh, whose team is on a bye this week. Johnson, 28, led the ...

Florida Atlantic has hired  Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley as its next head coach, the school announced Monday. The 33-year-old is now the youngest head coach in the FBS. "Following an extensive search with a tremendous amount of interest from candidates across the country, Zach emerged as the ideal choice to be our next head coach," FAU athletic director Brian White said in a statement. "He is a man of high integrity and character, with an incredible reputation in the profession for player development. Zach is one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, and I am confident in his ability to build a championship program with an exciting brand of football that can be a source of pride for our fans, our alumni, and the FAU community." Kittley has led some of the top passing offenses in college football during his stints as offensive coordinator at Texas Tech, Western Kentucky and FCS program Houston Christian. The Red Raiders produced the...

The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. off waivers from the Washington Commanders, head coach Sean McVay said Monday. Forbes, the No. 16 pick in 2023, was cut by the Commanders on Saturday. He started seven games in two seasons but only one in 2024. He was benched in both seasons and missed time due to injury. He was selected by the Commanders' previous front office and coaching staff that liked that Forbes was adept at taking the ball away. He intercepted 14 passes in his career at Mississippi State, setting a Division I record with six returned for a touchdown. McVay said Forbes was a player the Rams liked coming out of college, praising his ball production, versatility, "competitive toughness on the edge" and good ball skills. "He was a guy that we liked and had a familiarity with just based on the evaluation coming out of Mississippi State," McVay said. "And then I thought there was some good tape that he's put out there when...

The Texas Rangers on Monday signed veteran catcher Kyle Higashioka to a two-year contract with a mutual option for 2027. The deal is worth $13.5 million, according to the Dallas Morning News. Higashioka, 34, played for the San Diego Padres last season, after being a part of the Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees last offseason. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound catcher found his power stroke as the Padres raced toward the postseason. He finished with a career-high 17 home runs, to go along with 45 RBIs and 29 runs. He played in 84 games for San Diego, making 263 plate appearances. As a Padre, in his final year of arbitration eligibility, the right-handed-hitting catcher made $2.18 million and appeared in line for a raise headed into spring training. A defensive standout behind the plate, Higashioka was largely a backup during his time with the Yankees, often catching New York ace Gerrit Cole. In San Diego, another team full of stars,...

Oklahoma has hired Washington State's Ben Arbuckle as the school's new offensive coordinator and playcaller, the school announced on Monday.  The deal is for three years, sources told ESPN.  The move comes in the wake of Oklahoma struggling significantly on offense in its initial season in the SEC, as they finished No. 15 of 16 teams in both scoring offense and total offense. He replaces Seth Littrell, who was fired in late October as Oklahoma was on its way to a 2-6 season in the SEC and a 6-6 overall finish. In the 29-year-old Arbuckle, Oklahoma lands one of the country's top young coordinators and playcallers. Washington State finished No. 12 nationally in scoring offense this year, No. 9 in passing efficiency and No. 22 in total offense. Washington State had great success with quarterback John Mateer, as he threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. Mateer is a sophomore from Little Elm, Texas, who would have high-profile options if he were to enter the NCAA transfer...

Alabama's odds to make the College Football Playoff shifted significantly Monday, with the Crimson Tide going from small underdogs to odds-on favorites to earn a spot in the 12-team field at multiple sportsbooks. Alabama began Monday as a +105 underdog to make the CFP at ESPN BET but by the end of the day was a -200 favorite. The Crimson Tide (9-3) fell to No. 13 in last week's CFP rankings after losing to unranked Oklahoma. They rebounded with a win over Auburn on Saturday in the Iron Bowl but did not make the SEC championship game.  The latest CFP rankings will be released Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), followed by the final selections Sunday after this weekend's conference championship games. The top five conference champions in the CFP rankings and the next seven highest-ranked at-large teams will make up the field. Two other teams on the bubble, SMU and Clemson, are facing off in the ACC championship game Saturday, with the winner earning an automatic bid. An SMU win would...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As the San Francisco 49ers departed Buffalo in the wee hours Monday morning, they were bracing for the possibility that running back Christian McCaffrey had played his final game for them this season because of a right knee injury. What the Niners didn't know then was that not only were they going to lose McCaffrey for the season's final five games but that Jordan Mason, McCaffrey's backup, was also likely finished for 2024. On Monday afternoon, all of that became the Niners' new reality as coach Kyle Shanahan announced that McCaffrey's posterior cruciate ligament injury would keep him out for about six weeks and that Mason suffered a high ankle sprain in the 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Both players are expected to land on injured reserve, according to Shanahan. Shanahan said McCaffrey won't need surgery but lamented the loss of a player who was rounding into form after missing the first eight games with bilateral...

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Three days after the Chicago Bears changed course at head coach by firing Matt Eberflus following a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions, the organization has decided to retain the rest of their football leadership moving forward. Ryan Poles will remain the Bears' general manager, team president and CEO Kevin Warren said during a Monday news conference. Poles will serve as the "point person" and lead the team's search to find its next head coach, according to Warren. "Ryan is young. He's talented. He's bright. He's hard-working," Warren said. "He has done everything in his power on a daily basis to bring a winner to Chicago. And I'm confident in Ryan. My faith remains strong in Ryan." Poles said the Bears have not decided on whether they will use a search firm to find their next head coach, which would be the 17th in the franchise's 105-year history. Warren confirmed that Poles will have the final say on who is hired. Poles and Eberflus were hired...

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said Monday that he'll be ready if the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff calls upon him, but he knows the decision is out of his hands. In fact, he believes Kirk Cousins will be able to stem the tide this season. Cousins is in the middle of arguably the worst stretch of his 13-year NFL career, with six interceptions over the past three games without a touchdown pass. The Falcons have lost all three of those games and have turned a commanding NFC South lead into a statistical tie atop the division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team they swept earlier in the season. Cousins threw four interceptions in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. For all of those reasons, Penix's name has begun to come up among fans and pundits. The Falcons took Penix, the former standout University of Washington quarterback, with the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft back in April. He has been pegged...

Appalachian State, after its first losing season since 2013, has fired football coach Shawn Clark, who went 40-24 in his five seasons with the Mountaineers, it was announced Monday. Clark's buyout dropped from $1 million to $500,000 on Monday, sources told ESPN, and the move comes in the wake of a 5-6 season. Appalachian State had last had a losing season in 2013, when it went 4-8 in Scott Satterfield's first season. "I want to thank Shawn for all he has done for the App State football program," athletic director Doug Gillin said in a statement. "Shawn is a true Mountaineer. He has given his heart and soul to his alma mater. He has navigated numerous challenges in his tenure and done so with class and integrity. This was a difficult decision, but after an evaluation of the program, we decided to make the change now." Appalachian State hired Clark from the staff of former coach Eliah Drinkwitz after he left for Missouri following the 2019 season. The move was made in part...

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill will miss the rest of the season with the knee injury he suffered Sunday, tests conducted Monday confirmed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Hill appeared to take a helmet to his left knee while running for a first down late in the 21-14 loss to the  Los Angeles Rams. His knee bent back awkwardly as he fell to the ground, and he remained down as athletic trainers attended to him. Teammates and several Rams players knelt on the ground as trainers tested Hill's leg before calling for a cart. Hill got on the cart as the crowd chanted his name, and he waved to the fans before being driven off the field. "I love how our fans treated him," quarterback Derek Carr said of the cheers for Hill. "I would expect nothing less from our fans." Hill led the team with five catches for 37 yards and carried the ball five times for 10 yards before his injury. He left a Week 2 game against the Cowboys and was...

METAIRIE, La -- New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, interim coach Darren Rizzi announced Monday. "Taysom's got a knee injury. It looks like it's going to be season ending for him unfortunately. I think he'll probably get a second opinion on some of this stuff, but looks like he'll be season ending," Rizzi said. Hill appeared to take a helmet to his left knee while running for a first down late in the 21-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. His knee bent back awkwardly as he fell to the ground, and he remained down as athletic trainers attended to him. Teammates and several Rams players knelt on the ground as trainers tested Hill's leg before calling for a cart. Hill got on the cart as the crowd chanted his name, and he waved to the fans before being driven off the field. Rizzi said losing Hill means that multiple players will have to step up to fill all the roles Hill played. "It's hard to sit here and...

Missouri star Luther Burden III is declaring for the NFL draft, he told ESPN. Burden wraps up his three-year career at Missouri as one of the program's most productive players and a transformative recruit who helped the school go 20-5 over the past two years. He will not play in Missouri's bowl game and will begin preparing for the NFL draft. The decision is expected as it comes after Burden walked on senior day in Missouri's home finale against Arkansas this weekend, a win that took Missouri to 9-3. Burden is projected as Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 19 overall player in the upcoming draft and will be in contention for the draft's top wide receiver. "I feel like this is the best time to enter the draft," Burden told ESPN. "I'm confident in myself and what I can do at the next level. I'm ready for the next step." All of ESPN's draft analysts have Burden ranked in the top three wide receivers in the upcoming draft with Colorado's Travis Hunter and Arizona's ...

USC quarterback Miller Moss is entering the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN in a phone interview. Moss will have one year of eligibility remaining after starting 10 games during his time at USC, which began in the spring of 2021. He said he has informed the USC staff of his decision. "I really enjoyed my time at USC," Moss told ESPN. "It was transformative for my life as a whole and for me growing up for the last few years. I'm thankful. I gave that program everything I had. "There comes a point where there's a time to move on to new opportunities, and I'm hoping to better myself as a person and a player." In his career at USC, Moss threw for 3,469 yards and 27 touchdowns, completing 65.9% of his passes. Moss threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns for USC this season, where he started nine games before being replaced as the starter. There's expected to be a strong market for Moss, 22, who brings the combination of age, experience and production, which are generally...

The WNBA will begin its 2025 season on May 16, highlighted by expansion franchise Golden State hosting Los Angeles. Also on opening day, Dallas, which has the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft and is expected to take UConn guard Paige Bueckers, will host 2024 runner-up Minnesota. WNBA teams will play 44 games and conclude the regular season Sept. 11, followed by the playoffs, which have expanded to a best-of-seven series for the WNBA Finals. The semifinals remain best-of-five and the first round stays best-of-three, although that format changes to 1-1-1, guaranteeing both teams get a home game. The WNBA's television and streaming schedules will be released later. The Valkyries, who join the league as its 13th team, have their expansion draft Friday (ESPN, 6:30 p.m. ET). Golden State will pick fifth in the 2025 draft in April. The Sparks, who finished last in 2024, have the No. 2 selection in the draft. Washington, with the No. 4 pick in the draft, will host to the other...