Despite being one of the first major Power Four openings following the Oct. 12 firing of James Franklin six games into the season, Penn State was without a full-time head football coach for 58 days until Iowa State‘s Matt Campbell was formally hired on Dec. 5.

During the two-month-long coaching search, more than 10 candidates — from Alabama‘s Kalen DeBoer to Nebraska‘s Matt Rhule — were reportedly mentioned in connection to the Nittany Lions opening, even if most were never serious options. Several of those candidates — Rhule, Indiana‘s Curt Cignetti and BYU‘s Kalani Sitake — received lucractive contract extensions just for being mentioned in connection to Penn State.

In the meantime, longtime assistant and interim head coach Terry Smith did his best to pick up the pieces of the once-promising season and closed out on a three-game win streak to secure bowl eligibility for Penn State (6-6). That late-season surge helped boost support for Smith to be promoted to full-time head coach, especially among current and former players.

During Penn State’s victory over Rutgers, multiple players held up signs that read, “Hire Terry Smith,” which showed the amount of support the veteran coach had built within the program. Former PSU star Michael Robinson also advocated for Smith to get the top job.

Terry Smith on support from PSU alumni: ‘It means everything’

“It means everything,” Smith said in late November. “Obviously, the support that the lettermen are giving me, especially Michael Robinson doing that, obviously it means we’re doing something right. Just trying to create a culture for our team to play hard, play tough, and for our fans to get behind us and support us and stay in our corner.”

Smith, a four-year letter winner between 1987-91 under legendary head coach Joe Paterno, was ultimately retained and will return as the associate head coach under Campbell. But the lengthy search left many wondering why the 56-year-old alum and longtime associate head coach wasn’t given more serious consideration.

Turns out Smith was a “legitimate candidate,” according to a detailed report from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Max Olson and Eli Lederman released on Christmas Eve. The ESPN report revealed Smith was among five candidates that actually interviewed with PSU athletic director Pat Kraft, though he “ultimately lacked the FBS head coaching experience Penn State desired.”

Of course, prior to his interim gig this season, Smith has never led his own collegiate football program. The former collegiate receiver nicknamed “Superfly” has served as the Nittany Lions’ cornerbacks coach since 2014, adding the title of assistant head coach two years later in 2016 before becoming the associate head coach in 2021. Given that wealth of experience, Smith was a priority for Campbell and Penn State, which reportedly made him college football’s highest-paid non-coordinator, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

Tom Izzo has been vocal about disliking the direction in which college athletics are headed, and it has a lot to do with the transfer portal and the crazy NIL deals that players are signing.

Some college athletes are making more than professionals and that irks Izzo. He also thinks that it’s doing these athletes a disservice. He’s not against NIL, if it’s used correctly.

Izzo has to love what Kaleb Glenn is doing with his NIL money, however.

Glenn donated $5,000 to his local United Way for their Hardship to Hope effort over the holiday break, and that’s something that no one told him to do, but he wanted to give back. Glenn is from Louisville, so he’s giving back to his hometown’s United Way. That’s exactly why NIL can be a good thing because these players want to be able to give back.

The FAU transfer hasn’t even played a game this season, but he’s now the second Spartan that has done charity work during the holidays (at least publicly).

Earlier this month, Trey Fort provided food at a local food bank for people in need. Izzo has built a program of players who are willing to give some of their hard-earned NIL money back. That’s something that not a lot of programs have.

Tom Izzo has assembled a roster of OKGs

Not often does it feel like all the players on a team are great for the program, but you can just tell that Michigan State’s roster is full of “OKGs”, as Izzo calls them.

Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of the best leaders that Izzo has ever coached, Jaxon Kohler has turned into a great leader, too, Carson Cooper and Coen Carr have also grown into that role, the freshmen seem to be learning quickly, and the transfers are doing charity work left and right.

The entire team feels like a perfect Izzo mold.

Rarely has Izzo had guys who didn’t buy into his culture or sense of family, but this year’s team seems to be exactly what he hoped for — much like last year’s squad.

We’ll see if this pays off with a run at a national title.

After five seasons with Texas, safety Michael Taaffe is leaving the Longhorns and declaring for the NFL Draft. In those five years, Taaffe went from a walk-on with no guarantee of playing time to an All-American fan favorite who proved he was capable of standing out among SEC safeties.

Now, as he embarks on his NFL journey, Taaffe continues to provide advice for younger players entering their collegiate careers, most recently speaking on NIL.

Taaffe Emphasizes Brand Awareness to Young Athletes

“How do you want your platform to be remembered?” Taaffe said, according to On3. “I think everybody is an entrepreneur in the game of football. You all have your own business. You all have your own brand. How do you want your brand to be remembered?”

Texas is currently ranked as the nation’s most valuable athletic program, according to a report by CNBC. As one of the standout players for the Longhorns, Taaffe has been able to reap the benefits of that valuation, but is selective of what he endorses.

“When I say this, I don’t mean to take any shots at anybody, but do you want your brand to be… [an] Instagram filled [with] the local sandwich shop or the local smoothie shop or the local clothing store?” Taaffe said. “Or, do you want it filled for good and significance in your life that will be far more important than $5,000 or $10,000? That’s how I truly live it.”

According to a June article from Athlon Sports, Taaffe’s NIL valuation stands at $468,000. Some of his biggest partnerships have included Sonic, where he worked with some fellow Longhorns, and SeatGeek.

While he says he doesn’t have the exact formula for navigating NIL, what athletes must consider is what they want their brand to represent.

“There’s no wrong or right way to go about NIL, it’s just, how do you want your business to be programmed and ran?” Taaffe said. “I’ve been chosen to be on the side of, I want my brand to mimic who I am as a person. I believe that my calling is to give back. I’ve been trying to use my brand to give back.”

Taaffe was recently awarded the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, the college’s premier award for community service, according to the award’s website. Credited for his community service outreach, Taaffe now looks to the next generation of college players to carefully weigh their decisions when it comes to their brand.

Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston plans to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced on Wednesday on social media.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Boston had 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns this season as a junior, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors. Last year, he had 63 catches for 834 yards and nine touchdowns.

In Washington’s 38-10 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl on Dec. 13, Boston caught six passes for 126 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown.

The 22-year-old is from South Hill, Washington, 45 miles south of Husky Stadium.

“Every time I stepped on that field,” Boston said, “it was for the city that raised me and the people who supported me from day one.”

FOX Sports NFL Draft expert Rob Rang had the Los Angeles Rams selecting Boston with the 31st overall pick in his most recent mock draft. Rang also ranked Boston as the fifth-best wide receiver in the 2026 draft class in October. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off a disappointing college football season, but next year already seems promising with the return of quarterback LaNorris Sellers and edge defender Dylan Stewart.

As for what went into keeping both players in Columbia, there have been reports of millions of dollars in NIL payments.

Head coach Shane Beamer went directly to social media to refute one such report on Wednesday.

SportsTalk Media Network, a long-running South Carolina sports talk show, reported on Tuesday that the deals Sellers and Stewart signed will total around $5 million.

“A source confirmed for us Tuesday night that the two deals signed by South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and defensive end Dylan Stewart combined will cost in the neighborhood of $5 million from the school’s rev share total,” they posted on X.

That report made the rounds and eventually got back to Beamer, who quoted that post with a message of his own.

Sounds to me like you need some much better sources

This isn’t even remotely close to being true #AnythingForClicks #MerryChristmas https://t.co/ZTw4nKSLKr

— Shane Beamer (@CoachSBeamer) December 24, 2025

“Sounds to me like you need some much better sources,” he wrote. “This isn’t even remotely close to being true.”

Beamer also added two hashtags, #AnythingForClicks and #MerryChristmas.

The media company pushed back on Beamer as well, quoting his post with a response defending their reporting and challenging the head coach to disprove it.

First of all, we don’t do anything for clicks. Secondly, if that information is incorrect, prove me wrong. Be transparent. Tell the public how much. I think they’d like to know. And happy holidays to you. https://t.co/Sc8Rufuifj

— SportsTalk Media Network (@SCSportsNow) December 24, 2025

“First of all, we don’t do anything for clicks,” they wrote. “Secondly, if that information is incorrect, prove me wrong. Be transparent. Tell the public how much. I think they’d like to know. And happy holidays to you.”

Sellers amassed 5,915 total yards and 43 touchdowns as South Carolina’s starting quarterback this past season. Stewart, meanwhile, has six forced fumbles, 11 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 56 total tackles in 24 games across two seasons. Whatever it took, Beamer and South Carolina are probably pretty happy to have both of them back next year.