Tag: Scholarship

Wisconsin gives scholarship to former walk-on wide receiver

Wisconsin gives scholarship to former walk-on wide receiver

Wisconsin football announced on Tuesday that it extended a scholarship to walk-on wide receiver Haakon Anderson.

Anderson originally joined the program as a walk-on in its class of 2020. After redshirting as a freshman in 2020, he’s appeared in 33 games over the last three seasons for the Badgers — primarily on special teams.

Related: Big Ten football 2024 season win-loss record predictions for each team after spring practice

His career numbers include four special teams tackles, two kickoff returns, 27 return yards and one reception for eight receiving yards.

The veteran wide receiver figures to again contribute on special teams for the 2024 Badgers. He is unlikely to crack Phil Longo’s talented starting wide receiver rotation of Will Pauling, Bryson Green and C.J. Williams, nor the backup group of Joseph Griffin Jr., Quincy Burroughs, Tyrell Henry, Vinny Anthony and Trech Kekahuna.

The modern age of college football has eliminated many of the sport’s time-honored traditions. The awarding of a scholarship to a former walk-on player thankfully still occurs:

The awarding of the scholarship to Anderson brings the Badgers to 85 scholarships and likely brings them out of the running to land a transfer defensive lineman.

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Drew Brees announces scholarship in honor of retiring Eagles center Jason Kelce

Drew Brees announced a scholarship in honor of retiring Eagles center Jason Kelce aimed at supporting walk-on college athletes:

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Drew Brees continues to do great deeds off the field. The former New Orleans Saints great has announced a scholarship honoring Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, who started his college career as a walk-on at Cincinnati. Kelce announced his retirement last week after 13 seasons.

Brees shared the big news on social media, saying the scholarship will be awarded to 13 walk-on collegiate athletes. These scholarships will be given out on behalf of Walk-On’s Bistreaux, a restaurant chain of which Brees is the co-owner.

“These scholarships represent more than just financial aid. They’re a salute to the relentless spirit and unwavering dedication that drives athletes to excel, mirroring the qualities that Jason Kelce showcased throughout his career,” Brees said during his announcement.

Kelce steps away from the game as one of the most decorated offensive linemen of his generation. He earned seven Pro Bowl nominations, six first-team All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl championship. To say the least, a very accomplished career for the former walk-on.

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Notre Dame Football: Former Walk-On Safety Earns Scholarship

When betting on yourself goes according to plan…

Notre Dame recruited preferred walk-on Luke Talich a bit differently than most preferred walk-ons are recruited.  The Wyoming product chose to walk-on for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish instead of take a scholarship offer from a variety of Division I programs.

On Thursday it was announced that his belief in himself paid off in becoming an official scholarship player for the Fighting Irish.

He’s earned that right,” Freeman said of Talich. “He’ll be in the competition with [fellow sophomore safety] Adon (Shuler) and everybody that’s there. It’s good. Those two guys make each other better.”

It’s safe to assume returning All-American safety Xavier Watts will be one starting safety in 2024 but the other spot is up for grabs.  Talich is included in that as is Northwestern graduate-transfer Rob Heard and Shuler.

Talich played in eight games as a freshman, primarily on special teams.  His season ended prematurely with a broken collar bone, but he was a full-go in Thursday’s practice to kickoff the spring season.

Alabama Football Student Athletes of the Week

Alabama Football recognizes their Student-Athletes of the Week with some expected key contributors making it!

In the modern day of Name, Image, Likeness licensing deals, and big-time college football stars, we often lose sight of what really matters when it comes to college athletics. To win on the field you must win in the classroom first, and Alabama head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] has always preached the importance of getting an education and a degree.

Whether fans admire or despise Saban, they must admit his commitment to his players is admirable. Whether it’s a walk-on player or a star who declares for the NFL draft before his eligibility is up, Saban will preach the importance of a degree until he is blue in the face. No matter who it is, there is life after football and he wants his players to be the most well-developed man, father, and husband they can be.

This week, Alabama football recognized James Smith, Malik Benson and Jam Miller as the Student-Athletes of the Week. For me, Benson is a guy who I think has all of the talent in the world and the ability to change the offense, so to see him succeeding academically should be a very encouraging sign for Tide fans.

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Breaking down Alabama Football’s scholarship situation for each position heading into 2023 season

The roster is likely set for the Alabama football program heading into the 2023 season. Roll Tide Wire breaks down the team’s scholarship at each numbers position.

The Alabama football roster has a lot of potential heading into the 2023-2024 season. Nick Saban and the rest of the coaching staff assembled the No. 1 recruiting class in 2023. There are also a number of key contributors returning following a 11-2 season in 2022.

Plus, a handful of transfers have also been recruited to fill areas of need across the roster. Five of the newest additions to the roster are quarterback Tyler Buchner, tight end CJ Dippre, linebacker Trezmen Marshall, cornerback Trey Amos, and safety Jaylen Key.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down the football program’s scholarship situation at each position heading into the 2023 season.

Golf Coaches Association of America seeking nominees for 2023 Ron Balicki scholarship

The recipient, a current high school senior or current college undergraduate or graduate student, will receive two $2,500 scholarships, one per 2023 semester.

The Golf Coaches Association of America is accepting applications for the 2023 Ron Balicki Scholarship until Feb. 28. The recipient, a current high school senior or current college undergraduate or graduate student, will receive two $2,500 scholarships, one per 2023 semester.

The Ron Balicki Scholarship for aspiring golf journalists is dedicated to the memory of Ron Balicki for his lifelong commitment to covering the game of golf.

Few individuals have done more to bring exposure to college golf than Balicki. Since practically inventing the college golf beat while at Golfweek in 1983, Balicki became part of the fabric of the college and amateur game. He covered his first golf tournament in 1980 while with the Florida Daily News. He won first and third in GCAA writing contests and won four firsts and numerous honorable mention awards with the International Network of Golf. Balicki also won three first-place awards from the Texas Golf Writers Association. He was a winner of the Golf Writer’s Association of America Jimmy D’Angelo Award and the Northwest Florida Sports Association Al Byrne Award, both of which are presented to a person for contributions, devotion and service to the organization and the community.

A 2010 inductee into the GCAA Hall of Fame, Balicki covered every NCAA Championship dating to 1985 and every GCAA National Convention since its inception until 2013, when the cancer that claimed his life prevented him from traveling. Dubbed “Wrong Ron” for his propensity to incorrectly pick the winner of the NCAA Championships and playfully teased for his uncanny ability to bring the rain with him to events he covered, Balicki was truly fond of the sport and people he covered and was loved back by the players, coaches and everyone involved with college golf. 

“This past year has changed my life,” Alex Gelman, the 2022 Balicki Scholarship recipient, said. “I used to only cover basketball and football games, and although I am very passionate about these two sports, I never felt like I fit in. With golf, I’m home. I now know that I want to cover the sport of golf as a professional, and it is an honor to represent Ron Balicki’s name.”

Past winners of the Ron Balicki Scholarship include Gelman, Cade Tjomsland (Palm Beach Atlantic University), current Golfweek writer Brayden Conover (University of Oklahoma), Golf on CBS social media personality Tracy Peyton (Palm Beach Atlantic University) and Valero Alamo Bowl business developer Luke Hendry (University of Texas).

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‘The best of the best, they just get in the fight’: 5 Sooners placed on scholarship Monday

Watch as Brent Venables puts 5 Oklahoma Sooners on scholarship on Monday.

One of the coolest things in college sports is the promotion of a walk-on player to a scholarship student-athlete. Those scholarships can be given out for various reasons, but the moment is special nonetheless.

And on Monday, the Oklahoma Sooners honored five players with scholarships. Zach Schmit, Gavin Freeman, Josh Plaster, Major Melson, and Pierce Hudgens were placed on scholarship.

“Know how hard you work, all right.” Brent Venables said after announcing their scholarship status. You’re willing to get in the fight and not worry about what the result is. You will live with the result. ‘I just want to get in the fight,’ okay. And that’s what it’s all about. Not only if you can promise me a certain level of success. The best of the best, they just get in the fight because that’s what’s in their DNA. That’s what’s inside.”

In the summer, Gavin Freeman’s name popped as one of the players making noise for playing time. And it didn’t take long for him to make a splash in his Sooners’ career. On his first career touch, in the season opener against UTEP, Freeman took an end around and raced around the right side and down the field for a 46-yard touchdown. Later in the season against Kansas, he made a diving catch against Kansas for a 41-yard game. He wouldn’t get a ton of opportunities throughout the season, but he made the most of them.

Zach Schmit took over placekicking duties in the 2022 season after Gabe Brkic’s departure. Schmit was perfect on extra point attempts and went 12 of 18 on field goal opportunities.

Out of Flower Mound, Texas, Josh Plaster came to the Sooners a couple of offseasons ago after spending a year at Arizona State. He’s yet to kick at the collegiate level.

Pierce Hudgens worked his way into a role as a special teams player last season and appeared in four games. He was an Academic All-Big 12 first team selection last season.

Major Melson has yet to appear in a game for the Sooners, but as Venables mentioned, it’s not about the result.

In this moment, Brent Venables is highlighting the work ethic put in by these five individuals. And you can tell how special it is by the reaction of their teammates.

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Florida kicker put on spring scholarship

At least one walk-on at Florida is being put on scholarship for the spring semester, according to Billy Napier.

After serving as the team’s primary kicker in 2022, walk-on [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] has been awarded a scholarship for the spring semester, according to head coach Billy Napier during his national signing day press conference.

While Mihalek is the only walk-on being put on scholarship right now, Napier said that the team would continue to evaluate over the spring with one spot still freed up. For Napier, the move was an obvious one after Mihalek served as a starter for the entirety of the 2022 season.

“We did. Adam in particular,” Napier replied when asked if the team had put anyone on scholarship for the offseason. “He’s certainly very deserving. His role and how he contributed to our team this past year. We’ll have a handful more, but I think we’re going to observe the work this spring before we make those decisions.”

Mihalek passed up scholarship offers out of high school from Liberty, Navy and Stetson to play at Florida, and that gamble is paying off after two years with the program. He didn’t appear in a game in 2021 but quickly became the team’s only option after [autotag]Chris Howard[/autotag] transferred and [autotag]Jace Christmann[/autotag] graduated. Mihalek was the lone kicker on the team for a month or two before true freshman [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] enrolled over the summer, giving him a head start on the competition.

He made 14 of 21 field goal attempts for Florida in 2022, but three of those misses were from 50 yards or more. Mihalek hit as many 50-yarders as he missed too, nailing three throughout the year. He also extended the school’s historic scoring streak to 436 games with a late field goal against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

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Gators offer scholarship to standout 2025 QB, son of MMA legend

Florida is joining the race for 2025 QB Davi Belfort, the son of MMA legend Vitor Belfort.

Arch Manning might be the quarterback with the famous last name in the class of 2023, but there’s another name out of the class of 2025 starting to attract a lot of attention because of his play and family. While the name doesn’t hold the same football prestige as Manning’s does, [autotag]Davi Belfort[/autotag], son of MMA legend Vitor Belfort, is emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in his class early on.

The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, (Dillard High) recruit has been attending camps recently and was the top quarterback at a recent one held at the University of Florida, according to Corey Bender of Gators Online. He performed well enough to earn a scholarship offer from the Gators, officially entering Florida’s name into a race that already features Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas A&M.

The senior Belfort is known as one of the more explosive fighters in MMA history, winning 18 of his 26 fights via knockout. His 12 K.O.s in the UFC are good for second all-time in the promotion. His son won’t be doing much fighting though if all goes well.

During the camp, he got to work directly with coach Billy Napier and offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara. He thought it was unique to work directly with the man in charge at an event like this and didn’t take it lightly when he received the offer.

“They were telling me they don’t just throw offers out,” Belfort said. “They told me they have only offered one quarterback in the class of 2024 and I’m the only quarterback they offered in the class of 2025. This offer means a lot to me.”

Napier and Co. like his tape and seeing him in person confirmed that he’s one of the more talented quarterbacks in his class and perhaps beyond. This will be one of the first recruits that Napier has a chance to cultivate a real relationship with before decision time is near, so it’ll be interesting to watch how this is played.

His stock should only go up as more schools get a look at him and grades come out for the class of 2025.

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Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship established in memory of writer

Lou Somogyi’s name will carry on in a meaningful way.

The Notre Dame writing community was shaken last weekend by the sudden loss of longtime Blue & Gold contributor Lou Somogyi. However, efforts to keep Somogyi’s legacy alive already are underway. Coman, the publisher of Blue and Gold, has announced the establishment of The Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship. Donations will be accepted beginning Thursday.

Somogyi, who was from South Bend, took the Rudy Ruettiger route of transferring to Notre Dame from Holy Cross. Appropriately, South Bend natives who transfer from the smaller school to the big school will be given first priority for this scholarship. Next priority will be given to any other student who transfers from Holy Cross to Notre Dame. Finally, any Notre Dame student in financial need will be considered.

Somogyi may be gone, but this scholarship ensures he will remain an integral part of the university community. It’s the least that could happen after all of the lives he touched during his longtime association with Notre Dame.