NIL

Analyzing Missouri basketballs 2025 incoming transfer class

Replacing production every year has become commonplace in the college basketball landscape, but it’s even more prominent now with NIL dominating the college sports world. The transfer portal sees more than a thousand names each offseason, making retooling rosters a little more complicated since so many players are jumping ship every year looking for better […]

Published

2 months ago

May 27, 2025

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Luckily for the Missouri faithful, Dennis Gates has done a great job finding pieces to fill out his roster, helping get the program to the NCAA Tournament twice in his three seasons at the helm. A third trip to the tournament would have most likely been in the cards if two major transfer additions had stayed healthy two seasons ago.

This offseason was no different. Dennis Gates needed to find suitable replacements for Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill, and a couple of promising role players. The Tigers needed to add some solid perimeter scoring, a secondary ball handler, and a starting-caliber center. And for the most part, he was successful in filling in any gaps in the roster, though if I’m being honest, the constant misses on scoring bigs are starting to become a concern. Nonetheless, this Missouri roster should have plenty of depth at nearly every position between the incoming Freshman class, returning production, and the new transfers.

Missouri might not have brought in any big portal names this offseason, but that doesn’t mean this roster won’t compete at a high-level next season. If Gates didn’t have confidence in his returners, the approach to the transfer portal would have been different – more urgency to find clear starting-level players. His ability to improve players from one year to the next is one of the big reasons for Gates’ success at Missouri. A complete roster overhaul wasn’t necessary, only a few gaps in the rotation needed to be filled.

There’s little doubt in my mind that the roster is in a good position this summer, but getting everything to gel is solely up to Gates and his assistants. Here is a breakdown of what I saw from diving into each of the five transfer portal additions this offseason.

Jevon Porter

Before transferring to Missouri, Jevon Porter spent last season at Loyola Marymount where he averaged 12.5 points per game making 39.4 percent from the floor. His first two college seasons were at Pepperdine, where he put up slightly better numbers, averaging nearly 14 points per game. The drop in production wasn’t a result of drastic changes in his usage. His year at LMU only saw his minutes dip by 0.6 per game and his shot volume drop by 2.4 per game, but Porter’s shooting percentages took a nosedive, which wasn’t ideal as he wasn’t the most efficient scorer to begin with – going from 42.5 percent from the floor the prior year to a concerning 39.4 percent last season.

One area where Porter needs to improve to see extended minutes is at the rim. Porter’s ability to finish at the basket, for someone with his size, leaves a lot to be desired. Last season, Porter shot 51.7 percent around the rim – he only finished 10 of 31 games at LMU with a two-point percentage higher than 50 percent. While his inside game isn’t great, he does become a better offensive threat as he moves away from the basket. Porter made at least one three in all but seven games last season and hit a career-high six threes in a win over Wyoming, a game where he finished with 29 points – only once did Porter make more than six shots inside the three-point arc. Think of him as the inverse of Mark Mitchell. Mitchell is nearly automatic at the rim but is much less reliable the further he gets from the rim.

Jevon Porter’s rebounding and ability to stretch the floor are his biggest upsides for Mizzou this upcoming season. Last season, Porter averaged more than seven rebounds per game which would have easily led the Tigers – only Josh Gray pulled in more than five per game. And as a 32 percent career three-point shooter, Porter is good enough to provide an offensive spark if shots aren’t falling.

Defensively, Porter improved last season but wasn’t what anyone would consider a top-level defender. You expect someone close to seven feet tall to be a formidable rim protector, but so far in his college career, that hasn’t come to fruition. Porter averaged just over one block per game last season, with a season-high four blocks in the aforementioned win over Wyoming. He moves well for a big man. And if he can lock in defensively, Missouri won’t have to alter its preferred defensive scheme – switch everything. Porter’s length should help take away passing lanes on the perimeters, but defensive issues arise when he’s defending a traditional big in the paint. Porter, much like his offensive style, isn’t the most physical player on the defensive end. Which could be of some concern against some of the stronger traditional bigs in the SEC.

Porter looks to be a replacement for Aidan Shaw. While it’s not an exact swap, Shaw was a better defensive player, Porter’s offensive upside should allow him to be a regular rotation player. His return to his hometown might bring with it some heightened expectations, especially with the Porter last name, but Dennis Gates has proven to be able to improve the transfer players he brings in. And with Porter’s offensive upside, any defensive improvement can only help with playing a larger role for this Mizzou team.

Luke Northweather

Luke Northweather spent the last two seasons at Oklahoma, where the 6’11” center played a limited role for the Sooners. He saw his minutes increase in year two, but Northweather never put together a strong stretch of games to make the case for a larger role in the rotation. He scored a season-high 10 points in games against Arizona and Texas, but other than that, never had any noteworthy offense performances.

Northweather, while technically being a center, is far more inclined to do any offensive damage from the perimeter. Last season 50 of his 63 shots came from behind the arc, making 34 percent from deep. However, on the 13 attempts inside the three-point line, Northweather only missed three shots in 30 games.

It’s hard to see how Northweather breaks through on this roster. Any minutes that he does see will be in relief of the likes of Mark Mitchell, Trent Pierce, and even Jevon Porter. With two seasons of power conference basketball under his belt, Northweather has some decent experience, but without a major upside, his role for Missouri will likely be a small one.

Sebastian Mack

After starting nearly every game in his Freshman season, the UCLA transfer moved to a bench role last season, becoming the Bruins’ sixth man. Which led to his scoring numbers dropping. Sebastian Mack averaged just over 12 points per game in his first collegiate season, and with the reduced minutes saw his scoring average drop down to 9.6 points per game last season. However, his efficiency numbers improved with his transition to a bench role. He went from shooting 38.7 percent from the floor to 42.6 percent – including improving his three-point percentage by 3.1 percent.

Sebastian Mack is a willing scorer at all levels but often seems most comfortable driving hard to the basket after a high ball screen. He has a strong first step and absorbs contact well to keep the defender on his hip as he takes the ball to the rim. Mack made nearly 59 percent at the rim in half-court processions, but even if he didn’t score on those drives, he did a solid job drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. Last season, Mack attempted four free throws per game, hitting them at a 74 percent clip. After losing the country’s top free throw shooter, Tamar Bates, Sebastian Mack’s willingness to get to the line will be very welcome in Columbia.

As mentioned earlier, Mack is an improved three-point shooter. However, he still needs to improve a little to become a more consistent outside threat. Last season, he only attempted two shots per game from beyond the arc. If he can showcase more of a willing outside shot, defenders will have to respect his deep ball, which should open up wider driving lanes. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see his three-point percentage take another jump up since we’ve seen Dennis Gates improve the outside shots of multiple players since taking over at Mizzou.

Defensively, Mack should provide plenty of upside for the Tigers. While he isn’t necessarily a lockdown defender, he does a solid job off the ball. He’s rarely out of position and does a good job closing out on his man. Mack’s ability to fight over screens and still keep tabs on his man should be a nice addition to Mizzou’s defense. Mack is a strong defender, but there is always room for improvement. However, having him defending the perimeter alongside Anthony Robinson should make Missouri’s guards tough to get past.

Mack should slot in as the starting off-ball guard, serving as the secondary ball handler behind Robinson. He has plenty of upside and has already proved that he is willing to take on different roles if asked. There aren’t many question marks about his game. After two seasons under his belt we, mostly, know what to expect from Mack on a game-to-game basis. While he should start for Missouri next season, I expect that Gates and the Mizzou staff will help him get a little more consistent with his shot. What I’m most excited to see is his ability to get to the rim. Tony Perkins did a good job of this last season, and that is who Mack’s game most closely resembles. While Perkins might have had a little more offensive upside, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that Mack could take that next step offensively, becoming one of the scoring leaders for this Missouri team.

Shawn Phillips

Shawn Phillips comes to Missouri after spending the past two seasons at Arizona State. Though not the biggest offensive threat, he averaged around 5.5 points per game during his time at ASU. And while he did improve his shooting percentages, his biggest contribution to the Sun Devils was his rebounding. From his Sophomore to Junior seasons, Phillips improved his rebounding by nearly two rebounds per game – averaging 5.2 rebounds last season, with 1.5 of them coming on the offensive end of the court.

Phillips hasn’t been much of a scoring threat throughout his college career. He rarely looks to create shots on his own. His offensive output is usually the product of him cutting or rolling to the rim after setting a ball screen at the top of the key. Phillips can usually find the gap in the low post defense and has solid hands to catch passes in a little traffic. His offensive upside is a little higher than what Mizzou fans saw from Josh Gray this past season, but unlike Gray, he isn’t going to even consider a shot away from the basket. In three seasons, Phillips has yet to attempt a single three-pointer. I can see him having an offensive upside for this team if he can convert offensive rebounding into second-chance points, otherwise his scoring will be limited.

On the defensive end, there is some real concern. Other than his shot-blocking ability (1.1 per game in each of the last two seasons), Phillips doesn’t add a ton on that end of the court. For being seven foot tall, opposing bigs don’t seem to have much trouble scoring over the top of him. He did alter some shots, but for the most part, if the man he was guarding took a couple of dribbles and rose up for a hook shot, they were most likely going to score. If he’s guarding off the ball he often tries to use his length rather than actually closing out hard, which often leads to wide-open makes for the opponent.

Phillips might be thrust into the starting lineup just because there isn’t another experienced center on the roster. Even if this were to happen, I don’t anticipate him getting extended minutes with how ineffective he is on the defensive end. His rebounding will be helpful this upcoming season, but that alone most likely won’t be enough to solidify his role as the top big man.

Jayden Stone

Jayden Stone is the fifth and final transfer portal addition of the offseason for Dennis Gates and the Missouri Tigers. And like many transfers of the Gates era, Stone put up huge numbers in the mid-major ranks. Stone played two years at Grand Canyon before transferring to Detroit Mercy, where he saw his scoring numbers skyrocket. He spent last season at West Virginia, where he missed the entire season with an injury.

Stone was one of the top scorers in the country during his final season in Detroit – he averaged 20.8 points, making just over 42.2 percent from the floor. While his scoring average did increase that final season, his efficiency numbers took a hit with Stone shouldering most of the offensive workload. From his Junior to Senior seasons, Stone’s usage percentage nearly doubled so it’s not hard to see why his efficiency numbers slumped. When he wasn’t the only offensive output for Detroit Mercy, Stone had good shooting numbers. In his junior year, most of the offense ran through Antoine Davis – Stone still averaged nearly 14 points per game that season, making 49.2 percent from the floor and an incredible 51.9 percent from behind the arc on four attempts per game.

Stone is a good scorer on catch-and-shoot attempts, making 36 percent of his shots. That percentage jumps up to over 42 percent when unguarded. But this isn’t the only reason that Dennis Gates was interested in Stone. He’s comfortable playing off the ball and can either bury a deep three, or he can use his speed to get past his defender and take the ball to the rim.

There are a couple of big concerns with Jayden Stone. The first, like all of the mid-major transfers Dennis Gates has signed, how well will his scoring translate to the SEC? There would be less of a concern had he been able to get on the court at West Virginia, but scoring nearly 21 points at night – even against Horizon League opponents – is still worth taking a chance on. The other major question is about his health. In his first four seasons of college basketball, Stone only played more than 15 games once. This season, Missouri shouldn’t need to rely on him to keep the offense afloat. So if he does miss time, the team should still be in a good position.

In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 2.5 steals per game, but other than that there isn’t a ton of defensive upside in Stone’s game. However, he has shown the propensity to pull down some defensive rebounds, averaging nearly five per game at Detroit Mercy.

Stone’s role should be similar to the one Marques Warrick played last season. He should be able to provide a scoring spark off the bench, although he could see his minutes increase if he can be, at least, an average defender. The big caveat on all of this is that he needs to stay healthy. Maybe playing a secondary role will help him stay on the court for most of the season.

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Exposing the West’s most deluded college football fan bases

Social media breeds self-delusion. Every fan base has its echo chamber, the memes and retorts they use to reinforce their favorite arguments. “Zero natties.” “Built not bought.” “We are so back.” Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality. Washington Huskies What they think they […]

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47 minutes ago

July 20, 2025

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Some fan bases specialize in living in the past and distorting their record. Others confuse hype with reality.

Washington Huskies

What they think they are: A blueblood program with no limits, a national championship contender.

What they actually are: A window program.

The Huskies had six straight losing seasons between 2004 and 2009, including an 0-12 season in 2008. They proceeded to go 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, and 7-6 under current Texas coach Steve Sarkisian before breaking through with a 9-4 record and a win in the Fight Hunger Bowl in 2009.

Chris Petersen came to Seattle and went 8-6 and 7-6 for two years, then had a run of 12-2 in 2016, settling back to 10-3, 10-4 before falling back to 8-5 in his last year before retiring, 2019.

Jimmy Lake imploded the program again, 4-8 in 2021. Kalen DeBoer had a two-year run before bolting for Alabama. Jedd Fisch took over and finished 6-7 last season.

PAC-12 Throwback:

9/17/22 – Washington stunned #11 Michigan State behind an aerial assault from Michael Penix Jr.

pic.twitter.com/fPMRn9v8Gc

— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) April 6, 2024

In the last 24 seasons, the Huskies have won 10 games or more five times, they’ve finished ranked in the AP Top Ten three times while suffering through eight losing seasons. They’ve had 15 seasons with six or more losses.

They are a window program, a school that occasionally stitches together a couple of good recruiting classes and keeps a staff together long enough to emerge from the shadow of Oregon, USC and UCLA.

UW hasn’t been a consistent top-tier program in over 30 years.

Delusion Grade: 97

While it’s nice to remember the glory years of Don James and Gloomy Gil Dobie or the One Shining Moment when DeBoer brought a potent offense to Montlake, the Huskies haven’t sustained success, and the Petersen era was more brief and more mediocre than remembered (first two years, 8-6 and 7-6, last year 8-5.) They’re competent in two or three-year stretches, awful the rest of the time.

Yet to interact with Dawg fans on X, they’re still the power in the West. In reality they’re living off their three straight wins over the Ducks when during Dan Lanning’s first two years as a head coach, all by a field goal.

USC

What they think they are: “We are back, once again the dominant program in the West.”

What they actually are: A program that had great runs under John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, but one that has fired its three previous head coaches including Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, who’ve gone on to success elsewhere.

Since Carroll left after the 2008 season, SC has finished in the AP Top Ten exactly once, when they went 10-3 in 2016 under Clay Helton. It’s been 22 seasons since their last national championship and since then they’ve had 11 seasons of 10-4 or worse, 8 seasons with 5 or more losses, never returned to the the college football playoff. In the last four years they’ve gone 30-22.

An impressive 2026 recruiting class can’t help the Trojans in 2025. Coming off seasons of 8-5 and 7-6, can Lincoln Riley survive another year in the same range?

Big Ten Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2025, per @jrs_rankings

LISTEN: https://t.co/bTAgxLaWKO pic.twitter.com/oaFH2e6Rzt

— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) June 27, 2025

Continuing the series of hot seats, Of these three B10 coaches with the hottest seats, who is the most likely to be out of a job after 2025, and who is the most likely to cool their seat after 2025? pic.twitter.com/fZfhUEfx3D

— Sidelines – CFB (@SSN_CollegeFB) July 15, 2025

Delusion Grade: 89

Oregon State

What they think they are: Lunchpail U., the Little Program That Could

What they actually are: A Power 4 also-ran with a small stadium.

Among Beaver fans the expectations are to be competitive against Oregon, have a winning season and make a bowl, so the fanbase is reasonably realistic. They’ve been to a bowl game 13 times in the last 25 seasons, won 11 games once and had 13 winning seasons, finished in the AP Top 25 five times.

Against Oregon since 2000, they’re 8-17, though the Ducks have won 14 of the last 17 and two in a row. In Trent Bray, they’ve hired a defensive-minded coach with roots in the program so they should be competitive in the reconfigured PAC-12.

Hopes are high for Duke transfer at quarterback Maalik Murphy, a former four-star who started his college career at Texas, 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns with the Blue Devils in 2024.

The Oregon State turnover chainsaw is the energy CFB needs ⚡️🔥 pic.twitter.com/KUvVPRKVHb

— College Football Alerts  (@CFBAlerts_) May 19, 2025

Although the OSU program has fallen on hard times, passed over by the Big Ten and relegated to a rebuilt conference with an unimpressive lineup, it’s hard to really hate on them. The fans are realistic; they’re loyal to their school and have modest expectations.

Delusion Grade: 53

Colorado Buffaloes

What they think the are: A resurgent juggernaut and future national champion.

What they actually are: Playing for clicks.

The national media has fueled the Deion Sanders hype, understandably because he’s quotable and flamboyant and had a brilliant career as a player.

In 2023 the Buffs started 3-0 and pundits like Skip Bayless and RJ Young went full blast about the Buffs being a national championship threat until Oregon thumped them 42-6. Moving to the Big 12 in 2024 they put together a nice season that ended with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl and a 9-4 record.

The “Cinderella Story is Over” Game.

Ducks dominate Colorado 42-6

pic.twitter.com/EzGxaZPLDV

— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) July 19, 2025

Travis Hunter won the Heisman and Shedeur Sanders got drafted by Cleveland in the 5th round. Coach Prime, battling health problems, has to start over with Kaidon Salter or Julian Lewis at quarterback. He’s trying to rebuild the offensive line around five-star Jordan Seaton and the portal.

Last season, Shedeur Sanders was sacked 40 times, and the Colorado defense ranked 71st against the run. It’s the lack of progress in the trenches that’s holding them back.

Travis Hunter’s stats today:

• 80+ snaps
• 8 catches for 53 yards
• 1 catch given up and 1 INT

It’s 100+ degrees out and Colorado is up 24-21 after coming into the game as 20-point underdogs.

Deion Sanders was right…he is HIM!pic.twitter.com/xXM4spaDkW

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 2, 2023

Although moving to the Big 12 gives them a renewed chance to be competitive, Colorado isn’t as back as the fanbase thinks, and it remains to be seen whether Coach Prime has staying power in Boulder. One thing is certain though: He’s elevated attention and interest.

Delusion Grade: 83

What about the Ducks?

Duck fans are pretty realistic about the Oregon program. They’ve known adversity and disappointment on big stages. The program has been a consistent winner with relatively few clunker seasons.

The Ducks have won 9 conference championships since 2000 and three Rose Bowls. They’ve been to the national championship game twice and finished in AP Top Ten 11 times. And no, they’ve never won a natty.

Yet Oregon fans are realistic about all this. They’ve remained loyal and enthusiastic through the downturns, filled Autzen Stadium and made it a loud, raucous environment. Oregon has had two losing seasons in 25 years; they’ve won 10 or more games 15 times over that span.

All in all, a successful if not elite program, though they are 35-6 under Dan Lanning. The noise and derision from opposing fans won’t stop until they win a national championship, and even then the references to “Phil Knight’s money” will end never.

Duck fans themselves have a pretty realistic view of the program and they’ve maintained admirable loyalty.

Delusion grade: 39

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Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Flau’Jae Johnson

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to NIL deals, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had name, image and likeness deals with […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 20, 2025

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INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to NIL deals, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.

Watkins, who plays for Southern California but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has also previously been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, both were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.

“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”

Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.

“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”

Guard Flau'jae Johnson warms up during practice at USA Basketball... — Guard Flau’jae Johnson warms up during practice at USA Basketball women’s Americup trials, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the USA Olympics training center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.

As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multi-day event at the league’s headquarters in Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.

“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”

Unrivaled completed its inaugural season this past March, and is gearing up for its second this coming January.

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JuJu Watkins, Flau’jae Johnson, Azzi Fudd Among 14 to Sign Unrivaled NIL Contracts

USC’s JuJu Watkins, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are among the 14 college stars who have signed new NIL contracts with Unrivaled ahead of its second season, the 3×3 women’s basketball league announced Saturday. UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre […]

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1 hour ago

July 20, 2025

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UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, TCU’s Olivia Miles, UConn’s Sarah Strong and Michigan’s Syla Swords also inked contracts with the league.

Johnson previously signed an NIL deal including an equity stake in Unrivaled ahead of the league’s inaugural 2025 season. Her new contract does not include a stake in the league, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

She joined Fudd, Hidalgo and Strong with league representatives in Indianapolis for an announcement made during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, per Winsidr’s Myles Ehrlich.

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers signed her own deal involving a stake in the league ahead of the 2025 season.

Unrivaled already inked Bueckers to a second deal spanning three years ahead of her selection on top of the 2025 WNBA draft.

According to Andrews, the first year of Bueckers’ Unrivaled deal is expected to pay her more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract.

Bueckers is set to earn just over $348,000 on her first WNBA contract if the Wings pick up her fourth-year club option, per Spotrac.

Johnson and Bueckers aren’t the only players to ink new deals with Unrivaled after previous involvement with the league. Watkins joined investors, including Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, in contributing to league’s $28 million Series A investment round last winter, per Sportico’s Jacob Feldman.

Unrivaled ultimately spent more than $7 million on player salaries while making $27 million in revenue during its first season, per Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports. Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler told Costabile the league “almost broke even.”

Unrivaled’s inaugural season featured 36 players split across six clubs of the Lunar Owls, Rose, Laces, Vinyl, Mist and Phantom.

League president Alex Bazzell told USA Today‘s Safid Deen that the league plans to add between six and eight players to the pool in 2026 and expand to multiple other playing sites outside of Miami in the future.

Drawing interest by bringing in some of the top players in college basketball, including the reigning player of the year in Watkins and defensive player of the year in Betts, could help Unrivaled pursue those revenue and expansion goals in the future.

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Veteran Florida OL arrested on multiple charges including felony weapon possession

The Florida Gators are getting ready to start fall camp in less than two weeks, but some eye-opening news has come in on a veteran offensive lineman. That’d be second-year Gator Devon Manuel, who transferred to Florida after previously playing for Arkansas. According to multiple reports, the redshirt senior was arrested a little after midnight […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 20, 2025

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According to multiple reports, the redshirt senior was arrested a little after midnight on Friday and he’s now facing charges for a misdemeanor DUI and also a second-degree felony for the possession of a concealed weapon. Manuel was arrested in Gainesville on Southwest 34th Street.

Veteran Florida OL Devon Manuel was arrested on Friday and he’s facing multiple charges

According to Graham Hall of 247Sports, Manuel was pulled over and officers quickly smelled an odor to marijuana – he admitted to smoking out of a cartridge. Per the police report that Hall referenced, the arresting officers asked Manuel if he had a card to possess marijuana and he confirmed with them that he didn’t.

On top of that, Manuel also admitted that he had a gun in the car with him. Per Hall, the officers then found a Glock 20 pistol right next to the driver’s seat. Manuel was taken to Alachua County Jail – he was then granted his release after posting bond.

Via On3’s GatorsOnline, a Florida spokesperson released the following statement after the news of Manuel’s arrest was made public: “We are aware of the situation with Devon Manuel. We will gather all the facts and monitor the situation.”

Last season for Florida, his first suiting up for Billy Napier, the 6-7 lineman appeared in three games as a backup for the Gators. The previous two seasons, he played in 10 games combined for Arkansas before he decided to enter the transfer portal.

Manuel was expected to battle for Florida’s right tackle job at fall camp, but we’ll now have to wait and see how Florida and Napier handle his arrest. Not long ago, nose tackle Stephon Shivers was dismissed from the program after being charged with felony false imprisonment.

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South Carolina women’s basketball star Ta’Niya Latson signs NIL deal with Unrivaled

South Carolina women’s basketball player Ta’Niya Latson is among a group of 14 college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced on July 19. The “Future is Unrivaled” group of college stars signed to NIL deal include Latson, former South Carolina player MiLaysia Fulwiley (who transferred to LSU this offseason), UCLA center […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 20, 2025

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South Carolina women’s basketball player Ta’Niya Latson is among a group of 14 college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced on July 19.

The “Future is Unrivaled” group of college stars signed to NIL deal include Latson, former South Carolina player MiLaysia Fulwiley (who transferred to LSU this offseason), UCLA center Lauren Betts, UConn stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, Southern California star Juju Watkins and others.

Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy just signed 14 of the top women’s college hoopers to game-changing NIL deals.

We’re kicking it off with The Future is Unrivaled Summit Presented by Samsung Galaxy in Miami at the end of July 🤩 Stay tuned for more 👀 pic.twitter.com/xhuCOewiWj

— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) July 19, 2025

Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier that completed its first season during the spring and featured a long list of WNBA players including Collier, Stewart, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu and more.

Latson, an incoming senior, transferred to South Carolina from Florida State in the offseason after three straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game. She is expected to give a major scoring boost to the Gamecocks’ 2025-26 team after Fulwiley’s transfer to LSU.

The start of the women’s college basketball season is less than four months away, though South Carolina’s season opener has not yet been announced. Announced non-conference matchups for 2025-26 include trips to Southern California, South Florida and Louisville along with Players Era Tournament games against Duke and either UCLA or Texas in Las Vegas.

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UConn’s Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong sign NIL deals with Unrivaled

UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization. Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this season during an event at WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday. The UConn duo appeared at Unrivaled’s All-Star headquarters alongside LSU star Flau’jae Johnson, who signed a deal with the league last year. Johnson and former UConn star Paige Bueckers launched the league’s “The Future is Unrivaled” campaign in Dec. 2024, and Bueckers is expected to compete in Unrivaled this upcoming season after completing her rookie year in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings.

The new class of NIL athletes also includes USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren and Sienna Betts and Kiki Rice, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Texas’s Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, TCU’s Olivia Miles, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords.

Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy just signed 14 of the top women’s college hoopers to game-changing NIL deals.

We’re kicking it off with The Future is Unrivaled Summit Presented by Samsung Galaxy in Miami at the end of July 🤩 Stay tuned for more 👀 pic.twitter.com/xhuCOewiWj

— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) July 19, 2025

Johnson and Bueckers, like every professional player who competes in Unrivaled, received an investment stake in the league as part of their agreements, so the same will likely be true for the 2025 NIL signees. Watkins is also already part of Unrivaled’s star-studded investor group, which includes UConn coach Geno Auriemma, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, NBA stars Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and USWNT legend Alex Morgan.

Unrivaled exceeded expectations in 2025, reportedly generating more than $27 million in revenue and nearly breaking even in its inaugural season. The league averaged 221,000 viewers on TNT during the regular season and the playoffs, and the championship saw a significant increase drawing 364,000 viewers. Unrivaled also paid its 36 players an average of $220,000, which is higher than the WNBA’s regular maximum salary in 2025.

Fudd has always had a national presence as the former No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, but she joins Unrivaled amid a spike in popularity following UConn’s run to the NCAA Championship. The redshirt senior’s first three college seasons were heavily impacted by injuries, but she completed a triumphant comeback from an ACL tear in 2024-25 and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Fudd’s NIL portfolio includes partnerships with Bose, TurboTax, skincare brand Paula’s Choice and hair color brand Madison Reed among others. She also announced Thursday that she is hosting a new podcast on the iHeart Radio network titled “Fudd Around and Find Out,” the viral phrase that her mother Katie wore on a t-shirt during the national title game.

Strong is also a rising star in the college game after coming to UConn as the No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2024 class and winning WBCA Freshman of the Year in 2025. She had a historic first season with the Huskies, making the All-Final Four team and breaking the record for most points by a freshman ever in an NCAA Tournament. Unrivaled will be one of Strong’s most prominent NIL deals to date, but she has also partnered with Epic Games and VKTRY, a performance shoe insole for athletes.

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