Buckeyes captain launches special Ohio State Beats by Dre headphones in ‘Beats Elite’ campaign originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

Ohio State Buckeyes fans will have the chance to get some of the coolest school-branded headphones on the market as the 2025 college football season arrives. On Tuesday, Beats by Dre announced that nine athletes have partnered with the brand to represent their Beats Elite class. At the forefront of the marketing is Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs.

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It includes some of the best players in the sport ahead of their upcoming seasons with Alabama WR Ryan Williams, Michigan QB Bryce Underwood, Georgia RB Nate Frazier, Texas LB Colin Simmons, Oregon QB Dante Moore, Florida QB DJ Lagway, Oklahoma QB John Mateer, and South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers.

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For the third consecutive year, Beats by Dre has rolled out its name, image, and likeness (NIL) campaign, showcasing some of college football’s brightest stars. Each year’s group has featured standout athletes who dominate on the field, including Downs, now a two-time member of the prestigious ‘Beats Elite’ after earning the honor in 2024.

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This year’s class includes seven of the most marketable figures in college sports, extending beyond just football. The lineup boasts impressive NIL valuations: Sellers ($3.7M), Lagway ($3.7M), Underwood ($3M), Mateer ($2.7M), Williams ($2.7M), Downs ($2.4M), and Simmons ($1.5M), all ranking among the Top-50 overall and Top-30 in college football. Frazier ($827K) and Moore ($640K) also command significant valuations, cementing their influence.

These athletes are not only marketable but also among the top talents projected for the upcoming season, representing some of the sport’s elite programs. Sellers, Lagway, Moore, Mateer, Williams, and Underwood rank in the top 12 for Heisman Trophy odds, according to BetMGM.

They’ve also earned widespread preseason accolades, with Williams, Downs, and Simmons named AP Preseason All-Americans, while Sellers and Frazier joined them as preseason all-conference picks in the SEC and Big Ten. Additionally, their nine programs are all among the top 12 in BetMGM’s odds to claim the College Football Playoff national title.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.

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TEMPE – Sun Devil Soccer returns to the pitch on Thursday when it faces Texas in Austin for Arizona State’s first road match of the season, scheduled for 5 p.m. MST at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field. 

The match can be seen on SEC Network+, which is part of ESPN+ that requires a subscription. 

The Sun Devils meet the Longhorns for the first time since August 22, 2014 when both sides played to a 2-2 draw in extra time at the Outriggers Resorts Shootout in Honolulu, Hawaii. Texas holds a 1-0-2 series advantage and this will mark the second trip to Austin for the Sun Devils since 2008.

ASU opened the season at home last Thursday with a 2-0 clean sheet victory over Nevada with goals by Miki Hayashi and Peyton Marcisz. Veteran goalkeeper Pauline Nelles secured her 19th career shutout with two saves to secure the victory.

The Sun Devils finished their first contest outshooting the Wildcats 18-5, with 11 shots coming on goal. ASU also managed 12 corner kicks last Thursday without allowing Nevada a corner kick opportunity. 

Defender Addison Baltodano registered a team-leading four shots, three coming on goal in 45:22 minutes of playing time. Forwards Tatum Thomason and Cameron Valladores combined for six shots, three being on goal with Valladores earning an assist in the second half.

About Texas:
The Longhorns dropped their season opener against Northwestern State with a 3-2 result and totaled a 25-7 advantage in shots, with 16 coming on goal. They rebounded with a 2-1 victory over Long Beach State last Sunday.

Reigning SEC Freshman of the Year Amalia Villarreal has one goal and leads the team in shots with 12, 10 coming on net. Last season, Texas went 17-4-2 with a 10-1-2 record at home. The Longhorns then won the SEC tournament and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 16 Michigan State, 2-3, in overtime.

Nelles in Net:
The senior goalkeeper has made 58-straight starts in goal for the Sun Devils and notched her 19th career shutout in the win over the Wildcats. Currently, with 231 career saves, she ranks fourth in program history and is one of five Sun Devils to have recorded 200+ saves in their career. She has played 4,410 consecutive minutes in goal for the Sun Devils. Nelles is three wins away from surpassing Kim Bingham (2003-06) for third in program history in career wins.

The senior goalie is five clean sheets away from tying Chandley Morris (2011-15) for most shutouts by an ASU goalie in program history. She is aiming to become the second Sun Devil goalie to have 20+ shutouts in a career.

Milestone watch:

• Pauline Nelles is 34 saves away from surpassing Kim Bingham for third in program history.
• Nelles is two starts away from making 60 career starts at goalie, which would rank fourth by a goalie in ASU history.
• Forward Cameron Valladares is four games away from 50 career matches.
• Valladares is two points away from 30 career points.
• Washington transfer Tatum Thomason is 3 starts away from 50 career starts.
• Thomason is 2 goals away from 10 career goals.

Early Season Success:
Since 2018 the Sun Devils have had a run of success in the opening month of play, compiling a 15-0-6 record in the month of August. ASU has outscored teams 62-13 in those games.

Preseason Recognition:
Reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Kierra Blundell was named to the 2025 Big 12 Preseason Team and is the only sophomore forward to make the list. She earned spots on the 2024 Big 12 Second Team All-Conference honors and on the 2024 Big 12 All-Freshman list.

Welcome to Tempe:
The Sun Devils have welcomed 14 new players to the roster and return 12 players from the 2024 season. Midfielder Miki Hayashi made an impact last week with the first Sun Devil goal of the year from a corner kick after playing her freshman season at Tyler Junior College. In addition, UCLA transfer Peyton Marcisz registered her first career goal in the win over Nevada last Thursday.

Spanning the Globe:
The Sun Devil soccer team has 17 international student-athletes competing, led by Canada with seven players. England (four) and South Africa (two) also have multiple players, while Japan, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands have one player each.

Barrett, The Honors College:
The Sun Devils have nine student-athletes enrolled in Barrett, The Honors College. Honors students are diverse and come from a wide range of backgrounds. Barrett students take additional honors courses and are required to complete a thesis during their college experience. 

Soccer student-athletes in Barrett, The Honors College:
Norah Bell, Business
Kierra Blundell, Sports Science and Performance Programming
Addison Haws, Biological Sciences (Biomedical Sciences)
Miki Hayashi, Data Science
Olivia Herrera, Business (Sports Business)
Brianna Nunley, Marketing
Katie Ozard, Medical Studies
Tano Uzezi-Itesa, Health Sciences
Ava Wright, Biological Sciences, (Biomedical Sciences)

Blundell’s Best:
Appearing in all 19 matches as a freshman last season, Blundell garnered 2024 Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors and scored a team-best nine goals, which was ninth nationally among freshmen last year and eighth in the Big 12 overall. 

The sophomore had two multi-goal games last season, including a hat trick against Penn. Her two game-winning goals came against Houston and Penn. In 2024, the Sun Devils were 7-3-1 when Blundell registered at least one point in a match.

Looking Ahead:
ASU continues its three-match road trip with a match against Texas State on Sunday, August 24 at 9 a.m. MST in San Marcos, Texas, which can be seen on ESPN+.

Be sure to stay connected with Sun Devil Soccer throughout the season on social media by following @SunDevilSoccer on Instagram, X (formerly twitter), and Facebook.

EASTON, Mass. – The Stonehill men’s basketball program has announced its NEC conference schedule on Tuesday afternoon.

In its fourth year as an NCAA Division I member and first as NCAA tournament eligible, the Skyhawks will open up NEC action a day into the new year, hosting the University of New Haven on January 2.

They will go on the road for a pair of games against Wagner College (Jan. 4) and Central Connecticut State (Jan. 8) before returning home to face Chicago State  (Jan. 10). After two games on the road against Mercyhurst (Jan. 17) and Saint Francis (Jan. 19), Stonehill will begin a three-game homestand against LIU (Jan. 23), Central Connecticut State (Jan. 25) and Fairleigh Dickinson (Jan. 29).

The Skyhawks will head back out on the road for three games, before concluding the regular season with four out of five games at home: Wagner (Feb. 14), Le Moyne (Feb. 21), Saint Francis (Feb. 26), and Mercyhurst (Feb. 28).

All Stonehill home games will be broadcast live on NEC Front Row – the NEC’s digital broadcast platform. Tickets for the 2025-26 season, including season ticket packages, will be available at a later date.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and check out its all new website, powered by Sidearm Sports, at stonehillskyhawks.com.

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A pair of Texas A&M stars began their NIL journey with SONIC, marking the fast-food chain’s first-ever NIL deals, which will feature the Aggie athletes in television commercials.

Alongside actor and former professional athlete Terry Crews, sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed and running back Rueben Owens II were invitees to take part in the groundbreaking commercial series. Reed and Owens II are two of three college football athletes selected, along with representatives from the Texas Longhorns. According to reports from KDAF CW 33 in Austin, Texas, Crews will serve as the on-set acting coach for the young stars.

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GigEm247 beat writer Carter Karels posted the hilarious preview snippet of Crews preparing the Aggies and Longhorns on techniques, which included how to hold SONIC’s burgers.

Per reports from KDAF, the first set of commercials featuring the athletes from the respective universities will air on the weekend of August 30. While Reed and Owens II are learning how to properly hold SONIC products for the upcoming NIL deal with the brand, the pair will also be integral pieces to head coach Mike Elko’s offense in 2025.

Reed was thrown into the fire and immediately rose from the ashes like a phoenix against elite competition, as the Nashville, Tenn., native thrived in his first collegiate start in 2024 in a 33-20 victory over the Florida Gators in Gainesville.

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Entering his third year at Texas A&M and joining Reed in the Aggies’ offensive backfield is Owens II. The 5-foot-11 back from El Campo, Texas, dons the Jason Vorhees famous hockey mask from Friday the 13th for a reason, as his innate ability to seek contact and zip past defenders makes him a tremendous piece to one of the best running back rooms in the Southeastern Conference, along with Le’Veon Moss.

Both stars have earned their reward off the field, but there are still major achievements the duo is aiming for as they enter this year’s campaign in College Station.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M’s Reed, Owens II earn historic NIL deal with SONIC