Police arrested Tennessee women’s basketball guard Ruby Whitehorn Friday in Knox County where she faces charges of aggravated burglary and domestic abuse, according to court documents obtained by The Daily Times. Whitehorn, 21, started 28 games as a junior last season, was involved in a domestic dispute at a North Knox County residence, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. The incident followed a physical altercation with a woman outside the home.

Authorities say Whitehorn kicked in both the front door and a bathroom door during the dispute. Video evidence was submitted to deputies, who confirmed the damage and identified Whitehorn as the aggressor in the incident. Neither Whitehorn nor the other woman reported visible injuries, per the report.

The victim told deputies she heard glass break and saw Whitehorn in the parking lot. During the fight, the victim’s dog got loose but was later retrieved from the back of the residence. After a physical fight, the victim ran inside and locked the door. Whitehorn told deputies she was trying to retrieve her personal belongings, including a phone and passport, which she claimed the victim took.

Whitehorn reportedly shouted from outside before forcibly entering the home, chasing the victim upstairs, kicking in a bedroom door and breaking a mirror before recovering her phone and leaving the scene.

Whitehorn received her release on bond Saturday and is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 12. The University of Tennessee issued a statement to The Daily Times saying it is aware of the situation and is gathering more information.

Whitehorn averaged 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds last season after transferring from Clemson.

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Western Kentucky redshirt senior linebacker Dominic Oliver (30) rushes the passer during the Red & White Spring Showcase at Houchens-Smith Stadium.(STEVE ROBERTS / WKU Athletics)

Dominic Oliver had a pretty sweet setup.

The native of San Jose, California, had moved down the coast to San Diego State to play college football – a NorCal guy soaking up that SoCal sun and playing for a traditionally strong program.

Oliver spent four seasons with the Aztecs – first a redshirt year in 2021, then three more before he opted to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Surf and sand is one thing, opportunity is another. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound linebacker wanted a clear chance to compete for a starting job with an eye toward continuing his career at the professional level.

Oliver played in 33 games over the past three seasons at San Diego State, totaling 18 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks – last year was his most productive, with 15 stops, 2.5 TFLs and a half sack.

With just one season of eligibility left, Oliver felt he needed to make a change.

So when WKU edges/defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey and head coach Tyson Helton came calling after he entered the portal, Oliver was ready to listen.

“My dream is to play in the NFL and I wasn’t getting an opportunity to start,” said Oliver, who prepped at Valley Christian High School in San Jose. “I know you’ve got to start to get there, so I talked to coach Helton when I hit the portal – loved my relationship with him, man of God and I really valued that. I feel like I can get to my dream here.”

” … Super excited, it’s been a blessing to get out here and play for coach Lindsey, coach Helton and I’m really excited. One good year will change your life, so I’m trying to make this be a productive year.”

Oliver has that chance at WKU. Recruited to play the Jack linebacker – a sort of hybred linebacker/defensive end focused on rushing the passer, but also capable of pass coverage – Oliver thinks joining the Hilltoppers will give him a better shot at showcasing his ability. He said he’s also worked some at Sam (strong side) linebacker in an effort to provide even more options for WKU co-defensive coordinators Da’Von Brown and Davis Merritt.

“I feel like I fit really well,” Oliver said. “It’s really similar to my defense at San Diego State. We run a 4-2-5. I get a lot of opportunities to cover, but also show that I can rush the passer, so I think it’s really going to help me with scouts in the future (showing) that I’m versatile.”

Under former defensive coordinator Tyson Summers, Brown and Merritt were part of a staff that continued a trend of creating turnovers and big plays on the defensive side last year. That emphasis won’t change this season.

“I would say we were very multiple last year and we’ll be very multiple this year,” Merritt said. “Offenses nowadays, man, you’re trying to defend every different thing under the sun. Our offense gives us a bunch of different problems in practice, so we have to use different schemes and utilize those whether you play pressures, you play coverages … whatever it is, we’re going to have some ammo to try to change it up for those guys too and make it harder on them.”

Versatility is a major attribute in the Tops’ aggressive defensive scheme, which places added value on defenders who don’t have to specialize. That’s one trait the Tops focused on in the portal, but Merritt said there’s more to it than just athleticism.

“Guys that love ball, being coached hard and want to be physical as well as good people,” Merritt said. “I think that’s one of the best things that coach (Helton) has done since he’s been here. Yes, we’ve taken a lot of transfers but we’ve brought good people in here that want to be here. And obviously it’s paid off for us.”

Count Oliver among those who very much are glad to be in Bowling Green, even if it was a bit of an adjustment since he arrived on campus in January.

“The biggest thing has probably been the weather,” Oliver said. “I remember my first time ever seeing snow was out here. One of my first times hearing a thunderstorm was out here, so a lot of the weather. But as far as the players and coaches, it’s been been really easy jelling with them – a lot of great guys and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Oliver is focused on making this final season of college football count.

“Most importantly, we’re trying to be the best defense in the conference – the best defense in the nation,” Oliver said. “We’re trying to win a championship. But individually, I’d like to first of all win a starting job and then just be productive hopefully. I set high goals for myself but I just try to live each and every single day limiting my mistakes, play with high effort and be a guy that the other guys can look up to.”

On June 6, the House vs. NCAA reached a settlement over name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. One of the changes made was roster limits, and schools across the nation, including the USC Trojans, prepared. 

Ahead of the ruling, programs cut their rosters, and Judge Claudia Wilken ordered a clause to protect athletes losing their spot as a result of the agreement. Designated student-athletes who were cut are eligible for a grandfather status at a new school.

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley spoke to the media during fall camp and explained how the program can take advantage of the roster limits. The Trojans may not be able to take advantage of it this season, but perhaps next year.

“It’s unique how it’s being done,” Riley said. “It’s the, I don’t know if you say settlement, NCAA, whoever makes rules these days. They’ve gone with a more tapered approach where we’re not really feeling it this year. We’ll feel it a little bit more next year, and then each year, it’s going to work its way down to 105.”

“They’ve got these, we call them ‘Designated Survivors,’ but they’ve got these designated athletes that, as their eligibility runs out or if they transfer, then you don’t just lose the player. You lost that spot. It’ll cause everybody to eventually whittle down to 105, which will be an advantage for us,” Riley continued.

One of the reasons that Riley does not feel that USC has an advantage currently is due to the teams in the Big Ten. He cited the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a team that carries more players on the roster than USC does because of walk-ons.

MORE: USC Trojans’ Recruiting Momentum Under Lincoln Riley Slowing Down?

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“I mean, we’re playing teams that carry – and especially in this league, sometimes I don’t think people realize, carry 30 more players on their roster than we do. I mean, Nebraska easily carries 30 more guys on their roster. There’s Title IX and all types of things with it. It’ll be competitively good for us when it gets to that number, where the playing field’s a little bit more level.”

With the House vs. NCAA settlement, programs are allowed to pay their student athletes directly with an annual cap. The cap is beginning at roughly $20.5 million per school for the 2025-2026 season. 

How the schools spread the money could vary. Some programs are looking to give up to 90 percent to their football team, while others have sports they will spread more money to, such as basketball.

With the cap, teams can only keep so many players on the roster, and creating a limit could keep it fairer. While players will still be grandfathered in, once those players are off the team, the spot will no longer be there.

“This new framework that enables schools to provide direct financial benefits to student-athletes and establishes clear and specific rules to regular third-party NIL agreements marks a huge step forward for college sports,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a letter after the settlement. “Together, we can use this new beginning to launch college sports into the future.”

The USC Trojans have been one of the most successful programs in the NIL era of college football. While the program may not feel the impact of the roster limitations yet, each season will even out the playing field until the Trojans are the ones with the advantage.

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Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell was reportedly arrested for driving with a suspended license, per Knox News. Adam Sparks reported it was for that charge, as well as speeding and is scheduled to appear in court August 20th.

Police reportedly clocked Brazzell driving 60 mph in a 35 mph zone near the Tennessee campus. Brazzell allegedly handed over his US Passport but told officers he did not have his license with him.

However, his license was suspended due to an incident last summer. Brazzell failed to appear in court in Blount County on August 15th, 2024, per the report. He was placed under arrest due to the history of not appearing in court.

“We are aware of the traffic stop involving Chris Brazzell II and have no further comment at this time,” a Tennessee spokesperson told Knox News. As far as internal punishment from the program, that is to-be-determined.

Brazzell is the top returning wide receiver for the Vols this coming season. He reeled in 29 catches, 333 yards and two touchdowns last season. He also had the game-winning touchdown vs. Alabama in 2024.

However, Brazzell hasn’t been a full participant in practice during fall camp due to rehab of an unspecified injury. It is unclear when he’ll be full-go ahead of the 2025 regular season.

The 2024 campaign was the first for Brazzell in a Tennessee uniform. He spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons with Tulane before transferring. Overall, he has 74 catches, 1,055 yards, seven touchdowns and 14.3 yards per catch in three years.

As a member of the Class of 2022, Brazzell was a three-star recruit out of Midland (Texas) Christian, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 167 overall prospect in the state, the No. 165 wide receiver in the class and the No. 1,134 overall prospect in the class.

Welcome to the new college math: A college football player’s name, image, likeness dollar value is based on his marketability as much or more than his performance.

Arch Manning going into the 2025-26 football season has the highest NIL valuation in college football at $6.8 million according to Sports Illustrated. More than $2 million higher than the next closest player. He has yet to start a game for Texas.

The Current State of College Football: The Wild West

Three issues have turned college football into the wild west entering the 2025 season:

1. The NCAA Transfer Portal

2. The Player Opt-Out Option

3. NIL Valuations

The main focus of this article will be around issue 3. NIL Valuations but I want to touch briefly on issues 1 and 2 first.

The NCAA Transfer Portal

Today coaches have to not only manage the year-round recruitment of high school players; They must be constantly vigilant of their own rosters and players transferring. Players can transfer currently during two windows a year: December 9-28 and April 16-25. Think about it. You are a head coach. Your team works hard and has a good season and gets rewarded with a bowl game in December or January. Then while preparing for the bowl game you unexpectedly lose a key player to the December portal!

Starting Georgia Cornerback Julian Humphrey is Exhibit A but just one of many. Last December Humphrey committed to Texas A&M after starting all 10 games for Georgia during 2024. I would presume Head Coach Kirby Smart did not see that one coming.

The Player Opt-Out Option

It used to be more rare but today many key players on college teams are opting out of bowl games or even entire seasons. Why? To avoid possible career threatening injuries. For upperclassmen to further prepare for the NFL draft. Understandable on one level, yes. But for a team sport like football where players depend on one another like soldiers in a foxhole during war, it can demoralize teammates. Opt-outs can undermine the collective commitment to team goals, particularly in high-stakes games.

In 2024 Michigan Football All-American defensive tackle Mason Graham opted out of the Wolverines’ upcoming bowl game, and skipped his senior year of eligibility to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. Graham was already a two-time all Big 10 player and second-team All-American as a junior. “Yes Mason has declared and will sit out of the bowl game,” his agent Ryan Matha said in a text message in December 2024. I am sure Head Coach Sherrone Moore took the high road wishing Graham well and defending his right to do what was in his best interests–while now scrambling to prepare for a bowl game without his best defensive lineman. Again Graham was just one of many examples in 2024.

NIL Valuations

I am not against college athletes getting paid based upon the perceived commercial value of their name or image or likeness. It is wrong for an institution or a retailer to profit off an athlete’s name and keep 100% of the profits generated by merchandise, ticket sales, etc., But too many student-athletes are making decisions more on potential NIL earnings and less on athletic development and academic fit.

Secondly the disparities in earning potential among teammates can create resentment and fracture team unity. Individual stars can overshadow team achievments. In the end NIL makes college football a more transactional relationship between a player and a program/university.

Lastly as was stated at the beginning of this story, NIL rewards an athlete as much or more for their marketability as their performance. NIL reflects as much as anything an athletes’ ability to “Sell snow to Eskimos.” No value judgements here–just calling it the way I see it.

Shedeur Sanders Versus Jeremiah Smith

Two college football stars from the 2024 season best illustrate this dichotomy between marketability and performance: Shedeur Sanders, quarterback of the Colorado Buffalo’s and Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Shedeur Sanders was the top NIL earner for the 2024-25 season. By the end of the season his NIL value was estimated at $6.5 million. He signed endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, Google, and the 5430 Alliance. Many of those deals are likely to follow him into the NFL.

In the meantime, what did Sanders accomplish on the football field for the Buffs? Make no mistake, he was truly good. In just two seasons with the Buffs, he threw for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He led his team to a four-way tie for first in the Big 12 only to lose to BYU in a bowl game 36-14. He was named the Big 12 Conference offensive player of the year as he helped turn the Buffaloes back into a winning football program. He set a program record for touchdown passes on the season with 37, and his 74% completion rate was both a program and FBS record for a single season. And he finished 8th in Heisman trophy voting.

However he would fall to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns took him No. 144 overall. The NFL uses a slotting system for rookie salaries, based on where a player is selected. Sanders’ pick, No. 144 overall, is expected to get a four-year deal worth $4.6 million. Sanders’ NIL value had little to do then with his NFL draft value which is a more purely performative-based metric.

Jeremiah Smith on the other hand.had an NIL valuation at the end of the 2024 season of $4.2 million ($2.3 million less than Sanders). And regardless of position or age, many around college football would argue today that Ohio State’s true sophomore wide receiver is the best player in the sport.

The former number-one recruit in the class of 2024 more than lived up to the billing, as he played a key role in the Buckeyes winning the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

In his 2024 season with Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith had a remarkable freshman campaign, recording 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. His 1,315 receiving yards ranked fourth in single-season history for Ohio State, and he became the first Buckeye freshman to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. He also led the team in receptions (76), receiving yards (1,315), and receiving touchdowns (15).

In the end Smith was arguably a better performer at his position and a more crucial piece of the puzzle in the Buckeye’s national championship run in 2024 than Sanders as quarterback of a 9-4 Colorado Team that lost their bowl game. Yet Sanders made millions more in NIL money.

College football desperately needs some new guard rails put in place to manage all these new capitalist trends and forces. I believe it can and must happen. But for now, welcome to the wild west.