ncaa football – Syndication Server

Two Trojans earn Pro Bowl invitations

Sam Darnold will make his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance, and he completely deserves it. Congratulations, Sam!

This past weekend marked the conclusion of the NFL’s 2024 regular season. With the playoffs on the horizon, there is still plenty of football left to be played. With the regular season now concluded, however, the league released its annual NFL Pro Bowl rosters earlier this week, and two Trojans saw their names selected. One of those players was Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. After starting his career with six disappointing seasons and largely being written off, Darnold experienced a career resurgence in 2024. In his first season in Minnesota, he threw for a career high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.

In addition to making his first career Pro Bowl, Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff spot. Minnesota will take on the Los Angeles Rams in a homecoming matchup Monday evening. (The game was originally supposed to be a homecoming trip to LA for Darnold, but was instead moved to Glendale, Arizona, due to the ongoing wildfires in Southern California.)

While Darnold is headed to the Pro Bowl for the first time, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will be making his third straight appearance. St. Brown went over the 1,100-yard mark for the third consecutive year, and also caught a career-high 12 touchdown passes.

By finishing with a 15-2 record, St. Brown and the Lions earned the top seed in the NFC playoffs. They will enjoy a bye this weekend, where they will get to rest up and see who their opponent is for the divisional round. It could be the Vikings and Darnold if Minnesota beats the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Washington Commanders,

Former Texas A&M commit Anthony Hill discusses playing at ‘crazy’ Kyle Field for Longhorns

“Playing at Kyle Field was crazy. I can’t lie, the atmosphere was jumping. It was really cool to play in that stadium. It was fun,” he said.

Texas sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. spoke to the media yesterday prior to playing in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Hill, a former Texas A&M commit, reflected on his choice to sign with the Longhorns and what it was like playing in the stadium that he initially thought would become his home.

“Do I have to say anything? I mean, I feel like I made the right decision. Look where I’m at,” Hill proclaimed. “Decommitting, I want to leave that in the past.”

“Playing at Kyle Field was crazy. I can’t lie, the atmosphere was jumping. It was really cool to play in that stadium, of course after decommitting from there. It was fun.”

When he flipped to Texas, the Aggies set their sights on sophomore linebacker Taurean York, who Hill was complimentary of Thursday.

Is Jeremiyah Love playing today? Injury updates for Notre Dame running back

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] hurt his knee against USC and then tweaked it against Georgia in Notre Dame’s 23-10 win over the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

He has a brace on his knee, but Notre Dame head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] has said he should be able to play against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Capital One Orange Bowl, which is a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.

Jeremiyah Love injury update

Freeman said Love “had a good week of practice” before adding: “We have to be smart in terms of how much we’re asking him to do in practice. We’ve got to get him ready for the game. Nobody feels 100%, but J Love will be good to go.”

How long will Jeremiyah Love be out?

It appears Love will be able to play against Penn State, though he may be somewhat limited.

Notre Dame running back depth chart

If Love can’t go, or even if he’s available but is limited in terms of snaps, the Fighting Irish have a capable backup in [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag] — Price would be a starter on many teams.

[autotag]Aneyas Williams[/autotag] has made some nice plays in limited action, and [autotag]Devin Ford[/autotag] is listed behind him on the depth chart.

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Lake McRee return to USC for 2025 is a rare piece of good news

USC finally got some good news with the announcement that Lake McRee is returning to solidify the tight end room.

Amid several unexpected transfer exits, USC football got one piece of badly-needed good news this week. On Monday, tight end Lake McRee confirmed on social media that he will return to USC for his final season of eligibility. The redshirt junior has started at tight end for the better part of the past three seasons.

In his career as a Trojan, McRee has caught 67 passes for 704 yard and three touchdowns. However, his contributions go beyond the stat sheet, as he has also served as a valuable blocking presence during that time.

With the return of McRee, USC’s tight end room should be in a good place heading into 2025. The Trojans also bring back Walker Lyons and Kade Eldridge, both of whom saw playing time as freshmen in 2025.

The room will have a new coach leading the way, however. With Zach Hanson moving over to coach the offensive line, USC on Tuesday hired Colorado State’s Chad Savage to serve as tight ends and inside receivers coach.

USC hires new tight ends coach

USC makes another coaching staff change as part of a domino effect of events.

Last month, USC football announced that Zach Hanson would move from coaching tight ends to the offensive line. While that filled the Trojans’ void at OL coach, it also meant that they needed a new tight ends coach.

On Tuesday, USC filled that void when the Trojans hired Colorado State’s Chad Savage. Savage will coach both tight ends and inside receivers at USC.

Savage has been at Colorado State since 2022, where he has served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to that, he was the tight ends coach at Nevada.

Just 30 years old, Savage quickly established himself as one of the top young recruiters on the West Coast during his three years with the Rams. That should certainly help the Trojans, whose recruiting classes have not nearly lived up to par the last two cycles.

Savage will inherit a solid tight end room at USC. The Trojans are set to return Lake McRee, Walker Lyons, and Kade Eldridge in 2025.

Former Notre Dame star gets coaching gig

A Notre Dame alum comes home to Chicago to coach.

Former Notre Dame safety [autotag]Tom Zbikowski[/autotag] has been hired as the football coach at a Chicago high school.

Zbikowski, who also played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens, will coach the Saint Patrick’s Shamrocks. St. Patrick’s is on the city’s northwest side.

“Returning to Chicago to coach at St. Patrick is a full-circle moment for me,” Zbikowski said in a statement. “I’m excited to bring a tough, disciplined mentality to the team and to build a program that the entire community can be proud of. I recognize that I’ve accomplished many things in life, but having the ability to impact a kid’s life is the most important of them all.”

Zbikowski worked as an assistant coach in the college ranks, coaching at Western Michigan and Brown.

The 39-year-old grew up near Chicago and attended Notre Dame from 2003-2007. In addition to playing safety, he returned punts and served as a team captain in 2006. He earned several second- and third-team All-American nods.

He also was a professional boxer, going undefeated in a career that stretched from 2006-2020.

Now he’s coming home to coach.

Punt returner Tom Zbikowski #9 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish carries the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers on Nov. 5, 2005 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish defeated the Vols 41-21. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

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Notre Dame schedule: Is Notre Dame playing today?

Is Notre Dame playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come.

Will the Notre Dame Fighting Irish be on the field today in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff?

Following a 23-10 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame will return to the field to face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 EST in the Capital One Orange Bowl. This will be a semifinal matchup for the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame has not played against Penn State since 2007, when the Nittany Lions won 31-10. The all-time series stands at 9-9-1. The winner of this game will move on to the national championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

Notre Dame 2024 schedule

Aug. 31: at Texas A&M (W, 23-13)
Sept. 7: vs. Northern Illinois (L, 16-14)
Sept. 14: at Purdue (W, 66-7)
Sept. 21: vs. Miami (Ohio) (W, 28-3)
Sept. 28: vs. Louisville (W, 31-24)
Oct. 5: Bye
Oct. 12: vs. Stanford (W, 49-7)
Oct. 19: at Georgia Tech (game played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) (W, 31-13)
Oct. 26: at Navy (game played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey) (W, 51-14)
Nov. 2: Bye
Nov. 9: vs. Florida St. (W, 52-3)
Nov. 16: vs. Virginia (W, 35-14)
Nov. 23: vs. No. 19 Army (game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City) (W, 49-14)
Nov. 30: at USC (W, 49-35)
Dec. 20: vs. Indiana (W, 27-17)
Jan. 2 (postponed): vs. Georgia (W, 23-10) (This was the Allstate Sugar Bowl, a CFP quarterfinal game, played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans)
Record: 13-1

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Former USC QB heads to third school in three seasons

Will Malachi Nelson be able to make a name for himself in El Paso? He should finally get a chance to play a full season of college football.

After entering the transfer portal once again in December, Malachi Nelson has a new home. On Sunday, Nelson announced his commitment to UTEP. It will be the third different school in three seasons for Nelson, who spent 2023 at USC and this past year with Boise State.

After signing with the Trojans as a five-star recruit in the 2023 signing class, Nelson was seen as USC’s quarterback of the future. In his first season on campus, Nelson served as the Trojans’ third string quarterback behind Caleb Williams and Miller Moss. He appeared in one game and attempted just three passes, preserving his redshirt.

The expectation was that Nelson would compete with Moss for the starting job in 2024 following Williams’ departure. Instead, however, Nelson elected to enter the transfer portal. According to reports, Nelson did not want to have to compete for the job, and USC’s coaching staff was less than thrilled with his work ethic.

Nelson committed to Boise State. However, he lost the QB competition to Maddux Masden, who went on to lead the Broncos to the College Football Playoff. As Boise State’s backup this season, Nelson completed 12 of his 17 pass attempts for 128 yards and one interception.

Nelson left the team prior to their Fiesta Bowl matchup against Penn State. The Broncos lost the game 31-14, bringing their historic season to a close.

USC adds quarterback help with a familiar name in transfer portal

USC has a Huard on the coaching staff, and now another Huard on the 2025 football roster.

It’s not Jalen Milroe, but USC football officially has quarterback help in the transfer portal. On Monday, the Trojans landed a commitment from former five-star quarterback Sam Huard. Huard has previously spent time at Washington, Cal Poly, and Utah.

Huard is the nephew of USC quarterback coach Luke Huard.

A highly-touted recruit in the class of 2021, Huard originally committed to Washington, where his father Damon and uncle Brock starred in the 1990s. However, he was stuck behind Michael Penix Jr. and Dylan Morris on the depth chart, and started just one game in two years with the Huskies.

Following the 2022 season, Huard transferred to FCS Cal Poly. He appeared in nine games during the 2023 season, completing 185 of 304 passes for 2,205 yards, 18 touchdowns, and ten interceptions.

He transferred again ahead of thew 2024 season, this time landing at Utah. However, he did not see any action in his lone season with the Utes, and received a medical redshirt.

Now, Huard heads to USC, where he will reunite with his uncle. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

In addition to Huard, USC’s QB room consists of Jayden Maiava, who started the final four games of the 2024 season for the Trojans, and five-star freshman signee Husan Longstreet. While Maiava will likely enter spring ball as the favorite to win the job, expect USC to have an open competition at the position.

USC lands top JUCO running back transfer

USC is beginning to collect some more pickups in the transfer portal.

As it turns out, the addition of Purdue offensive line transfer DJ Wingfield was not the only commitment USC football landed this weekend.

On Sunday, USC landed a commitment from Hutchinson Community College (located in Hutchinson, Kansas) running back Waymond Jordan Jr. 247Sports ranks Jordan as the top JUCO back in this year’s cycle.

At Hutchinson this past season, Jordan had more than 1600 total yards and 20 touchdowns. For his performance, he was named NJCAA Division I Football Offensive Player of the Year.

Jordan will be a part of a new-look USC running back room in 2025. The Trojans also added New Mexico State’s Eli Sanders in the transfer portal. In addition, they will return rising sophomores Bryan Jackson and A’Marion Peterson, both of whom performed well in the Las Vegas Bowl victory over Texas A&M.