May 2025

There were 2,285 posts published in May 2025 (this is page 10 of 229).

NBA Draft withdrawals: Florida is the big winner, while Duke is on the losing end

Condolences to any NBA franchise hoping to unearth an overlooked gem late in next month’s NBA Draft.

This year’s second round appears to be historically barren as a result of the skyrocketing NIL market across college basketball.

In the pre-NIL era, college basketball’s top underclassmen routinely entered the NBA Draft even if they were projected to slip to the second round or go unselected. They earned more money chasing an NBA two-way contract or an overseas payday than they could returning to a college model where the only payouts came under the table.

The calculus began to change in 2021 when a series of court rulings forced the NCAA to allow athletes to benefit financially from their name, image, and likeness without fear of penalty. Now underclassmen who are fringe NBA prospects are returning to college in record numbers because they can earn as much as $3 to $4 million per year playing for deep-pocketed college programs.

Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Florida’s Thomas Haugh, UConn’s Alex Karaban, Duke’s Isaiah Evans and Purdue’s Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn were among the prominent college stars who did not even test the waters this spring. Only 106 players entered the 2025 NBA Draft as early entry candidates, the league announced last month. That’s the lowest number of early entrants since 2015, down from a peak of 353 in 2021.

Many of those 106 early-entry candidates did not remain in the NBA Draft — even some who had a chance to be selected as high as in the 20-45 range. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg pulled out on the eve of Wednesday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline. So did Houston’s Milos Uzan and Florida’s Alex Condon. Days earlier, Boogie Fland and Darrion Williams did the same.

Others truly took their decisions down to the wire. On Wednesday afternoon, promising Auburn point guard Tahaad Pettiford revealed he’d return to school, as did Kentucky’s Otega Oweh and San Diego State’s Miles Byrd. Arkansas’ Adou Thiero, reigning Big East player of the year RJ Luis and ex-Florida State star Jamir Watkins chose to stay in the draft.

Late Wednesday night, minutes before the deadline, Alabama rising sophomore Labaron Philon posted to Instagram that he was coming back to school after originally saying he intended to stay in the draft.

The flood of returning talent to college basketball reflects how much money top-tier programs are willing to spend to try to build the best possible rosters. The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported last month that as many as 15 teams will have $10 million rosters next season. Those in the NIL space who have spoken to Yahoo Sports say that it will take up to $6-8 million just to be competitive in a power conference.

For as long as that kind of money remains available, the sport of college basketball will always be a big winner at the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline. Fringe NBA prospects are staying in college longer than they have in at least a decade or two, maybe longer.

Which stay-or-go decisions were the most impactful this season? Below is a list of college programs who got stronger and a few programs who lost key players they may struggle to replace.

Defending national champion Florida gets a huge boost with both Alex Condon (21) and Rueben Chinyelu choosing to return to Gainesville next season. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Jamie Squire via Getty Images

1. FLORIDA

Don’t count out Florida as a potential repeat national champion. The Gators project as no worse than a preseason top-five team next fall thanks to a wildly successful offseason so far.

It starts in the frontcourt where Florida returns all four players who were part of the rotation during last season’s NCAA tournament. In late April, versatile forward Thomas Haugh opted to bypass the NBA Draft and return to school. He’ll see more playing time at small forward next season with frontcourt stalwarts Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu withdrawing from the draft over the past week and reserve center Micah Handlogten also coming back.

All four of last season’s top perimeter players are moving on, but Florida went on a shopping spree via the transfer portal to help replace some of that lost firepower. Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee averaged 16.9 points and 5.5 assists last season. Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland is a former five-star recruit who might have gone in the second round of this year’s NBA Draft had he not pulled his name out last week.

2. HOUSTON

Houston received unexpected good news on Tuesday when point guard Milos Uzan announced that he was withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning for his senior year. The potential preseason No. 1 Cougars had been bracing for Uzan’s departure, adding talented freshman Kingston Flemings and proven veteran Pop Isaacs via the transfer portal.

While Isaacs ultimately chose to transfer to Texas A&M once Uzan decided to return, that’s a tradeoff Houston should welcome. Uzan averaged 11.4 points and 4.3 assists in his first year in Kelvin Sampson’s system, helping lead the Cougars within two points of a national title. He should be even better next season, surrounded by returning standouts Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler, as well as one of the nation’s best freshman classes.

“One of the reasons why Baylor was so good the year they won the national championship, they had a lot of transfers who stayed and came back their second year,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said Tuesday. “The second year is an opportunity to take a big step because June, July and August will be different for a guy in his second year versus a guy in his first year.”

Michigan is celebrating landing Yaxel Lendeborg in the transfer portal from UAB. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
ASSOCIATED PRESS

3. MICHIGAN

The most coveted player in Michigan’s transfer portal haul is officially on his way to Ann Arbor. Yaxel Lendeborg, the former UAB star forward who led the Blazers in every major statistical category last season, withdrew from the NBA Draft on Monday after previously announcing he would join the Wolverines if he opted to return to college.

Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks at UAB last season and is viewed as a potential replacement for NBA-bound Danny Wolf. The hope for Lendeborg is that the 6-foot-9 forward can play alongside transfer big men Aday Mara and Morez Johnson much like Wolf and 7-footer Vlad Goldin did last season.

Had Lendeborg received a first-round guarantee from an NBA team, he might have opted to stay in this year’s draft. He instead returns to college as the centerpiece of a Michigan team that has Final Four potential if it can overcome concerns about inadequate outside shooting.

4. AUBURN

Auburn will return one of the standouts from last season’s juggernaut team that won the SEC regular-season title and advanced to the Final Four. The Tigers are bringing back point guard Tahaad Pettiford, who averaged 11.6 points per game last season as the program’s sixth man.

While concerns about Pettiford’s size and ability to hold up defensively prevented him from securing a first-round guarantee this draft cycle, he has a chance to establish himself as a 2026 first-round selection. The 6-foot sophomore will be the centerpiece of a reloaded Auburn team brimming with elite transfers and incoming freshmen.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was certainly happy to have Pettiford and Serbian big man Filip Jovic back in the fold.

5. ALABAMA

The surprise winner of draft stay-or-go decision season was undeniably Alabama. The Tide returned promising guard Labaron Philon despite Philon himself closing the door on the possibility during an interview with ESPN at the combine and coach Nate Oats intimating that the freshman was almost certain to stay in the draft.

Philon’s announcement came minutes before Wednesday’s midnight deadline. “I’m back,” he posted to Instagram, drawing a joyous response from Alabama fans. 

Philon joined the Crimson Tide as a four-star prospect, started 29 games and made the SEC’s all-freshman team. He averaged 10.6 points per game and 3.8 assists per game for a Tide team that contended in the SEC and nationally. Now, with Mark Sears moving on to pro ball, the ball will be in Philon’s hands next season. And, judging from the events of the past 24 hours, he’ll be paid handsomely in NIL money for the opportunity.

6. TEXAS A&M

The biggest beneficiary of Uzan’s return to Houston might not have been the Cougars. Uzan’s decision paved the way for Texas A&M to scoop up a combo guard who has shown the ability to score in bunches.

On the same day Uzan announced his intent to return to Houston, Pop Isaacs backed out of his previous commitment to the Cougars and transferred instead to Texas A&M. Isaacs will have the ball in his hands at Texas A&M, whereas he would have played off-ball alongside Uzan had he stuck with Houston.

“Texas A&M needed a point guard,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said Tuesday. “Pop’s a very, very talented kid. I was looking forward to working with him but with Milos coming back changed some things. I think it worked out for everybody, which, to me, is the perfect scenario.”

Isaacs averaged 15 points per game two seasons ago as a sophomore at Texas Tech. He was on his way to an even bigger season at Creighton last year, scoring 27 against Kansas, 25 against Texas A&M and 18 against San Diego State before a hip injury ended his season after just eight games.

7. KENTUCKY

Otega Oweh came through for Kentucky at the buzzer on Wednesday as he did so many times during his debut season in Lexington. The 6-foot-4 all-SEC guard took himself out of the NBA Draft hours before Wednesday’s midnight deadline for prospects to withdraw.

In many ways, Oweh was the quintessential example of a player with incentive to return to college in the NIL era. Despite a strong showing at the combine, he would have been lucky to be selected had he remained in the draft, yet he provides invaluable scoring punch to a Kentucky team that needs his star power.

Last season, Oweh averaged a team-best 16.2 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals. He scored more than 20 points eight times in February and March, including a pair of game winners against his former team Oklahoma. Next season, he’ll anchor a transfer-laden Kentucky team that has a chance to contend in the SEC and crack the preseason top 10.

8. SAN DIEGO STATE

San Diego State already appeared to be the class of the Mountain West next season. Now the Aztecs will be an even bigger favorite to return to the NCAA tournament and perhaps do some damage there.

Hours before Wednesday night’s draft withdrawal deadline, Miles Byrd announced he is coming back to San Diego State. “Back to work,” Byrd, a redshirt junior and projected second-round pick, posted to Instagram.

Byrd’s return means San Diego State will bring back six key rotation pieces from last year’s NCAA tournament team, including 7-foot NBA prospect and Mountain West newcomer of the year Magoon Gwath. Also part of the fold is 2024-25 preseason all-conference guard Reese Waters, who missed the entire season with a foot injury.

Drake Powell will not return to North Carolina next season. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Patrick McDermott via Getty Images

1. NORTH CAROLINA

Drake Powell was arguably the most important potential returner for North Carolina. The bouncy 6-foot-6 guard averaged a modest 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman, but he boasted the talent to blossom into a lethal perimeter scorer and lockdown defender as a sophomore.

It was bad enough for North Carolina that Powell told ESPN at the NBA Draft Combine that the “door’s closed” on a return to Chapel Hill. Powell elevated himself into a potential late first-round pick by measuring prototypical wing size, 6-foot-5 barefoot with a 7-foot wingspan and a 37-inch standing vertical jump.

What was worse was the perhaps unintentional parting shot he took at North Carolina on the way out the door. When asked why he was ready to jump to the NBA, Powell said, “I feel like I’m the same two-way player that was coming into college. Obviously I don’t think I got to showcase that at UNC, but the potential is still there.”

Those comments won’t help Hubert Davis recruit future NBA prospects, especially since Powell is not the only decorated recruit who didn’t reach his potential with the Tar Heels. Ian Jackson transferred to St. John’s this spring after his stock sank during his lone season in Chapel Hill. Elliot Cadeau transferred to Michigan last month after spending two underwhelming seasons with North Carolina.

2. SCHOOLS STILL SEEKING AN IMPACT TRANSFER

Schools hoping to make a late splash in the transfer portal are running out of options. Two of the best remaining transfers came off the board on Wednesday when RJ Luis and Jamir Watkins both announced they intended to remain in the NBA draft.

Luis, the reigning Big East player of the year, averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, leading St. John’s to a sweep of the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. Watkins, a 6-foot-7 forward, earned second-team All-ACC honors this past season at Florida State after averaging 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds.

North Carolina, Kansas, Ole Miss, Villanova and Georgetown were among the teams pursuing Luis, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported. It’s unclear which programs were targeting Watkins, but Pittsburgh reportedly was among those who initially reached out.

3. DUKE

Duke coach Jon Scheyer made a slight miscalculation this spring when identifying potential targets in the transfer portal: He zeroed in on a prospect who was too good.

Cedric Coward began his career at Division III Willamette, spent two seasons at Eastern Washington and then followed David Riley to Washington State. The long-armed, explosive 6-foot-6 wing was averaging 17.7 points and shooting 40% from behind the arc for the Cougars before a shoulder injury halted his season after just six games.

There appeared to be a real chance Coward might play alongside the Boozer twins at Duke when he committed to the Blue Devils earlier this spring while also keeping his name in the NBA Draft. Then Coward measured a condor-like 7-foot-2-inch wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine, unleashed a 38.5-inch max vertical leap and ranked as one of the most consistent shooters in drills.

The question after that was no longer whether Coward would be a first-round pick. It became how high in the first round could he rise?

As so often is the case for Duke, reinforcements are on the way. Scheyer responded by nabbing Dame Sarr, a heralded 6-foot-8 wing from Italy, and by persuading five-star forward Sebastian Wilkins to not only pick the Blue Devils but also reclassify from Class of 2026 to 2025.

Here’s why Rockies’ free fall is worse than historically bad 2024 White Sox

The Rockies are on pace to win only 26 games this season, 15 short of the White Sox’s epic face-plant of 2024. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)

If you can’t stand the sight of bad baseball, shield your eyes from the 2025 Colorado Rockies.

Just one season after the Chicago White Sox set the modern MLB record for worst season in MLB history, a new contender for the infamous claim to baseball infamy has risen. The Rockies are swiftly heading down a tumultuous path to top what the White Sox did and they’re on pace to obliterate the not even year-old record.

Colorado is 9-47, the worst record in baseball. Its latest setback Wednesday was a 2-1 defeat against the Chicago Cubs, marking the end of a three-game sweep. The Rockies haven’t won a series this season in 18 tries.  

Aside from having single-digit victories just a few days from the beginning of June, the Rockies’ slow and grueling drift to the doldrums of baseball’s worst teams somehow feels worse than the White Sox’s free-fall last season.

When comparing the two abysmal seasons, Colorado’s outlook looks even more bleak.

The manager of the worst team in baseball has a tall task. It’s his job to keep things together despite plenty of losing, and there’s always the question of if/when it will be his last day in the dugout. For the 2024 White Sox and 2025 Rockies, both Pedro Grifol and Bud Black, were fired for their respective teams’ poor performances.

Grifol was a dark cloud over the White Sox. Even before the losing, there was a disconnect between him, his players and the media. His firing last August after going 28-89 that season was addition by subtraction. It also opened up the path for the hiring of new manager Will Venable, considered around baseball to be one of the bright young minds in the sport. General manager Chris Getz is the running mate to help steer the ship of the rebuild.

Black, who had been in Colorado since 2017, always felt right for the Rockies, and the beginning of his tenure felt much different than the bitter end. Colorado made the postseason each of his first two seasons, but after that, with the departure of franchise staples like Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story, things began to snowball.

Back-to-back 100-loss seasons is usually a recipe for a manager to get fired. In the case of Black, unlike Grifol, his firing was falling on the sword for an incompetent organization that is more of a rudderless ship than a baseball team.

While the team’s third-base coach, Warren Schaeffer, has taken over on an interim basis, it’s not a job that is going to be highly sought after this offseason. And while there’s only 30 of them, whoever Colorado ends up hiring, is going to have an uphill battle from talent and organizational standpoints.

There’s a glimmer of hope for one rebuild … and it’s not in Colorado

The White Sox were openly in a rebuild last season. After inheriting the reins of a beaten-down organization, Getz began a long, grueling process to turn the team’s roster over and inject talent back into an organization that needed more of it.

On a team with several strong veterans, Getz moved them for prospect capital. The traded players included Tommy Pham, Tanner Banks, Michael Kopech, Erick Fedde, Eloy Jiménez and Paul DeJong. The trading continued in the offseason as the White Sox dealt All-Star Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for a huge prospect haul.

Conversely, the Rockies’ roster doesn’t have many, if any players who could help a playoff team. Many of them are young, pre-arbitration guys who are still trying to find their bearings in the big leagues. And with the exception of the team’s best players — shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle, each highly unlikely to be traded — there’s not much else to choose from.

Colorado’s most-tradable asset is third baseman Ryan McMahon. The Rockies could have moved him over the past two seasons as he was productive and has a team-friendly deal. But Colorado kept McMahon and with each passing year, it looks like a bigger mistake. McMahon is having the worst offensive season of his career and while a team could still take a flier on him, the value lost over the past two seasons is immense.

To add insult to injury, even for being in a rebuild as long as they have, the Rockies don’t have a ton of impact prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues like most rebuilding teams. Last season’s No. 3 overall draft pick Charlie Condon is still in High-A and top pitching prospect Chase Dollander (currently on the IL) has already made it to the majors. That’s about it for a while.

Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon is having a down year, making things worse amid the team’s dreadful season. (Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images)
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters

This is where things get tough for Colorado. The NL West is a monster, with two World Series contenders in the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks are both postseason hopefuls as well.

It’s not hard to imagine a world where all four teams finish the season with at least 84 wins. But if you combine the fact that you have four of the best teams in the National League in one division and the other team in the division is the worst in baseball, what you have is a recipe for an all-time bad season.

The Rockies are 3-13 against their own division and as the other teams in the division get better and likely add at the trade deadline, it could be a long summer in the NL West for Colorado.

The Rockies are on pace to go 26-136 this season, which would be 15 games worse than the White Sox in ’24. And for a team on a winding path to nowhere and lacking talent or a plan to acquire it, Colorado seems destined to be MLB’s newest historic laughingstock.

Stars pull goalie Oettinger after Oilers score on 1st 2 shots in Game 5 of West final

DALLAS (AP) — Stars starting goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled after giving up two goals on the only two shots he faced in the first 7:09 of a must-win Game 5 for Dallas in the Western Conference final against Edmonton on Thursday night.

The Stars called a timeout after Mattias Janmark’s short wrister that went under Oettinger’s legs to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead. Casey DeSmith took over in net after not playing since April 26.

Edmonton, which went into the game with a 3-1 series lead and trying to knock Dallas out in the West final for the second year in a row, got its first goal when 40-year-old Corey Perry scored on a power play only 2:31 into the game.

Less than a minute after DeSmith came into the game, Jeff Skinner scored his first career playoff goal to put the Oilers up 3-0.

Oettinger was 9-8 with a .908 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against-average in the first 17 games this postseason. This was already the fourth consecutive postseason for the 26-year-old Oettinger, who has won six playoff series.

DeSmith’s only playoff action had been in the third period of Game 4 in the first round against Colorado. He stopped 13 of 14 shots in Dallas’ 4-0 loss.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Chip Kelly has hit it off with Geno Smith, calling the quarterback “special”

The Raiders have had seven quarterbacks the past three seasons. Geno Smith, the team’s new starter, arguably is better than any of them.

The Raiders acquired Smith in a trade with the Seahawks in March, providing the team some stability they haven’t had at the position since Derek Carr left after the 2022 season.

“He’s great. Geno is literally like a second coach,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN. “When you’re in that room with him and [quarterbacks coach] Greg Olson, there [are] a lot of ideas going around.

“His football acumen is really off the charts, and it’s impressive to be around him.”

Smith calls Kelly in the evening after practice to discuss the day’s work, and Kelly picks Smith’s brain about how Smith’s former offensive coordinators, Shane Waldron and Ryan Grubb, might handle certain situations or call plays.

Smith has seen a lot in his career. He went from getting drafted by the Jets in the second round in 2013 to stints as a backup with the Giants, Chargers and Seahawks before finally getting a second chance when Seattle traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos in 2022.

He completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts for 12,961 yards, 76 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in 54 games in Seattle.

“There’s not a lot of guys that have shown that resiliency,” Kelly said. “He can be so relatable to everybody, because he’s kind of lived that life. He’s been a high draft pick, [but] he’s also been a guy that has been told that a team doesn’t want him.

“The fact that he’s done it and come out to be the way he is now is a testament to him. He’s special.”

Golden State Warriors jersey history – No. 12 – Ish Smith (2011-12)

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

 To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the 22nd of 28 players who wore the No. 12 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State guard alum Ish Smith. After ending his college career at Wake Forest, Smith would go unselected in the 2010 NBA draft.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native instead signed with the Houston Rockets, and also played for the Memphis Grizzlies before he signed with the Dubs in 2011. His stay with the team would span just 6 games, ending when he was cut in January of the next year.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Smith wore only jersey No. 12 and put up 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and as many assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 12 – Ish Smith (2011-12)

OKC Thunder jersey history No. 30 – Reggie Evans (2002-06)

The Oklahoma City Thunder (and the Seattle Supersonics before them) have 51 jersey numbers worn by the players who have suited up for the franchise since its founding at the start of the 1967-68 season. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Thunder Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And while those Supersonics jerseys may not remain part of the franchise history should a new team be established in Seattle as was the case with the return of the Charlotte Hornets, they are part of the Thunder’s history today.

For this article, we continue with the 30th jersey number in the series, jersey No. 30, with 13 players in total having donned the jersey in the history of the franchise.

The 10th of those players did so in the Seattle SuperSonics era, forward alum Reggie Evans. After ending his college career at Iowa, Evans would go unselected in the 2002 NBA draft, instead signing with the SuperSonics.

The Pensacola, Florida native would play parts of the first four seasons of his pro career with Seattle, coming to an end when he was dealt to the Denver Nuggets in 2006.

During his time suiting up for the Sonics, Evans wore only jersey Nos. 34 and 30 and put up 4.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder jersey history No. 30 – Reggie Evans (2002-06)

Lakers head coach JJ Redick visited a Rams practice this week

JJ Redick has silenced plenty of his critics by leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 50-32 record and the third seed in the Western Conference this season. Although they were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, it looks like they have found a quality coach to lead them into the future.

Even better, it looks like Redick has gained respect from others. On Wednesday, the head coach of the Purple and Gold made an appearance at a Los Angeles Rams offseason practice session, and he even talked to some of their players.

Sean McVay, the innovative and bright head coach of the Rams, had some nice things to say about Redick.

The Rams have rebuilt very quickly following their Super Bowl championship three calendar years ago. With young stars coming into their own on both sides of the football, as well as newcomer Davante Adams, a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, they’re hoping to get back into the mix for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Redick is likely hoping the Lakers supply him with some young studs of their own so that he can deliver a world championship trophy of his own to the Southland.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers head coach JJ Redick visited a Rams practice this week

Paul Finebaum shares blunt opinion on former Texas QB1 Quinn Ewers

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum did not mince words when discussing former Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, saying the signal-caller failed to impress during his final season in Austin and predicting the program will see a significant upgrade under new starter Arch Manning.

“The guy that was there last year didn’t impress me,” Finebaum said during his show Wednesday. “He didn’t impress anyone”

Ewers, who was once one of college football’s most high-profile athletes and appeared on the cover of “EA Sports College Football 25,” completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 14 games last season. However, the Longhorns fell short of a national championship, and Ewers’ struggles in big moments — including a costly fumble in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State — drew increased scrutiny. His underwhelming finish led to a slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, where he was selected in the seventh round.

Finebaum’s guest, Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman, offered high praise for Manning, calling him potentially the best Texas quarterback since Colt McCoy. “I think he’s going to be the best quarterback at Texas since Colt McCoy,” Golden said. “And Colt McCoy had a hell of a career at Texas, those numbers don’t lie. So, I do think he’s the next great quarterback at Texas after VY (Vince Young) and Colt.”

The transition from Ewers to Manning has fueled debate among fans and analysts, with Finebaum questioning head coach Steve Sarkisian’s decision to stick with Ewers during the Cotton Bowl. “There is nothing finer than Arch Manning starting at Texas. It’s long overdue,” Finebaum said on ESPN College Football.

As the Arch Manning era begins, comparisons between the two quarterbacks are expected to continue, with the Longhorns and their fans hoping Manning can deliver where Ewers fell short.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Paul Finebaum bluntly disses Quinn Ewers

Jason Kelce suggests game between flag team and tackle team to determine 2028 U.S. Olympic team

Last week, former Eagles center Jason Kelce helped save the tush push. This week, he has an idea for properly launching the Olympic flag football competition.

Kelce offered up this idea during the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, via Austin Nivison of CBSSports.com: “I think a coach that is familiar with flag football should select an NFL-represented team. That team should just play this flag football team that’s been playing for a long time and feels like they are the best at it and don’t need other guys.”

The winning team would then be the Olympic team.

Of course, the first challenge would be figuring out the players on the two teams that would meet in a winner-take-all showdown. But once the teams are set, it would be compelling. It would carry The Longest Yard vibes, with one hell of a twist. The more talented players would be the fish out of water. The more experienced players would be the physical Davids to the NFL Goliaths.

Of course, more games and more practices and more reps increases the injury risk for the active NFL players. Of course, if they lose the Olympic qualifying showdown, the injury risk will be minimized. They wouldn’t be playing in the Olympics at all.

Christian McCaffrey returns to 49ers practice, showing no ill effects from injuries

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field this week with a very important piece back after missing most of last season with injuries.

Running back Christian McCaffrey is fully recovered from the Achilles’ and knee injuries that limited him to just four games last season in a major boost to the Niners.

McCaffrey took part in the first team practice open to the media this season on Thursday, showing no ill effects from the injuries that led to a frustrating 2024 season.

“Christian is as ready as any player I’ve ever been around,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “When he gets hurt, he’s got to rehab and get better. Right now he’s healthy as can be. We’ve got to kind of protect him from himself, but Christian has a good idea of what he needs to do right now. He’s doing a lot less than he normally would do, but I know he is excited on how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.”

McCaffrey looked like his old self in drills, showing the speed and explosiveness that helped him win AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.

McCaffrey skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason last year awaiting a new contract and barely got any time on the field. He went down early in training camp with Achilles’ tendinitis that sidelined him for the first eight games.

He returned and played four games before injuring his right knee in Week 13 in Buffalo, then missed the final five games.

He rushed for just 202 yards on 50 carries in four games and was unable to match his sensational 2023 season. The Niners hope having a healthy McCaffrey will help them bounce back from a 6-11 season in 2024.

“He’s still really good at football, so that’s exciting,” tight end George Kittle said. “One year removed from being Offensive Player of the Year. Still very good at football, looks great. … Having Christian out there is awesome.”

McCaffrey won the award after leading the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and tying for the league lead with 21 touchdowns.

McCaffrey had missed just one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game in the 2023 season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf — after missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina.

The Niners have had good attendance this offseason thanks in part to getting lucrative contract extensions done early with stars Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner.

That’s in sharp contrast to recent years when contract disputes didn’t get resolved until after the start of training camp or later.

“I’m a huge fan of getting all the things done early,” Kittle said. “I’m glad they decided to do that. That’s awesome for us because now we have everybody in the building that’s just focused on playing football, and focusing on just getting a little bit better every single day. I’m huge fan us getting them all done. It’s good for football because now all we’re focused on is football.”

The one notable absence has been star left tackle Trent Williams, who took part in the start of the offseason program but has been away the past couple of weeks. Shanahan said he expected Williams back soon with mandatory minicamp starting June 10.

Injury updates

The Niners have several players still recovering from injuries and not taking part in the start of offseason practices, including receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and safety Malik Mustapha (knee).

Shanahan also said that safety Ji’Ayir Brown had ankle surgery in the offseason and will be out until training camp. Receiver Ricky Pearsall injured his hamstring during offseason workouts and likely won’t be ready until training camp.

Rookies Alfred Collins (calf) and Marques Sigle (unknown) also are currently sidelined with injuries.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is also away from the team awaiting the birth of his child.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL