Being able to compensate college athletes over the last few years has changed the landscape of college sports, most notably the revenue behemoth that is college football. Name, Image and Likeness has helped usher in a new era of bidding wars and recruiting efforts that didn’t exist just less than a decade ago. And now, with the House Settlement, things will change even more.

The Fighting Irish are on the lookout for fresh talent to help keep them on an upwards trajectory under Niele Ivey, but have suffered a blow after losing out on one top star

Notre Dame women’s basketball has suffered a major setback in its recruitment for its 2026 class after missing out on elite prospect Savvy Swords.

The Fighting Irish are keen to continue adding to their squad in years to come as part of efforts to land them a first national championship since 2018, yet head coach Niele Ivey and co. will have to do so without the 5-star wing after she committed to Kentucky on Saturday.

It comes as Notre Dame added a fifth player to combat the departure of Olivia Miles after Kelly Ratigan decided to join via the transfer portal last month. The Fighting Irish had already acquired the services of Gisela Sanchez, Malaya Cowles, and Vanessa de Jesus, and more could still follow.

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With regards to next year’s roster, however, Notre Dame will have to keep searching for the next best thing after losing out on the services of Swords, who also had offers from South Carolina, UCLA and Michigan, according to On3.

The 6-foot-1 star from Brookville (NY) Long Island Luthera is currently ranked No. 9 in On3’s top 2026 recruits in the nation, perhaps most notably averaging 16.3 points and six rebounds per game for Canada at last year’s U17 FIBA World Cup.

Swords achieved those stats while shooting 50 per cent from deep and 88 per cent from the free throw line, highlighting her versatility and strong ability to shoot from deep and rebound the ball at a high level.

The teenager is the younger sister of current Michigan women’s basketball player Syla Swords, who earned freshman All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2025. The 19-year-old is also a member of the Canadian national team and was an Olympian in 2024.

Swords took to Instagram on Saturday to announce her commitment to Kentucky, uploading a series of images from her signing shoot alongside the caption: “Big blue business. Let’s workk #committed.”

Her older sister, Syla, commented “so proud” followed by four love heart emojis, while premier point guard Maddyn Greenway, who was Kentucky’s first commitment in the 2026 class, wrote: “TEAMMIEEE.”

Notre Dame has already obtained the commitment of four-star college basketball prospect Bella Ragone to its 2026 class, who announced her decision with a TikTok video last month.

In Ragone, the Fighting Irish have landed themselves a top-25 2026 wing, beating over 35 schools including Iowa, UCLA, and UNC to her signature. The 6-foot-2 wing from Georgia became the first commit in Notre Dame’s 2026 class.

Ranked No. 25 overall in the ESPNW 2026 rankings, Ragone used her brand of humor to announce her commitment, posting a short skit joking about telling a boy she’d be playing in Indiana. When he guessed Purdue, the clip cut to Ragone in a Notre Dame No. 5 jersey, flashing the camera with a smile and the caption, “Holy Airball.”

On Instagram, she reposted the announcement with a simple “Go Irish,” followed by clovers and her social media exploded with congratulatory messages from coaches, teammates, national recruits, and some of the most influential names in the game on her level.

In today’s NFL, family often plays a big role in a player’s inner circle, especially mom. Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels have both shown this by employing their mothers as their agents, proving that, despite what some may say, moms can negotiate contract deals and become certified agents.

For Jackson, his mother, Felicia Jones, acts as his manager without NFLPA agent certification. Meanwhile, Jayden’s mother, Regina Jackson, holds her NFLPA certification and also has a dual master’s degree in hospital administration and entrepreneurial business.

That’s why, when the University of Colorado’s NIL director, Reggie Calhoun Jr., made this comment about mothers acting as agents, it caught us a bit off guard.

“Mom’s job is not to negotiate your deal. She doesn’t have that skill set. Mom has never negotiated a deal in her life. Her job is bookkeeping. Mom has always been good at keeping books. Let that be Mom’s job. Your agent is doing sales,” Calhoun shared via The Business of Athletes. 

They’re puzzling remarks coming from Calhoun. A bit of basic research shows he never made it past the college level, so should he really be advising players on something he has little experience with?

As mentioned, Lamar has no agent. His mother, Felicia, serves as his business manager. And just to rub it in the face of Calhoun, she even negotiated her QB son’s massive 5-year, $260 million extension in 2023. So, what is the Colorado director even talking about?

Furthermore, Jayden’s mom, Regina, is a certified NFLPA agent. It’s something she worked hard toward becoming, going back to when he was at LSU. Now, she’s been spotted on several occasions by Jayden’s side as his mentor, seemingly keeping the star QB out of trouble.

All in all, Calhoun’s opinions on mothers being agents fall apart when you examine the landscape of today’s NFL. Lamar and Jayden are not the only ones to ever have their mothers represent them as agents. Odell Beckham, Jaylon Jones, and Preston Brown are all current and former players who opted to do the same. 

Additionally, studies show that players in the 18-21 range are using their parents more than ever for representation. The trend may even continue to grow, as NIL rules become more stringent.

But through very different models, both Lamar and Jayden have shown us that it’s possible to be an elite NFL quarterback while having a mother as an agent. Certified or not, it can work both ways.

Top 2026 prospect Savvy Swords has committed to Kentucky, she announced on Saturday evening. Swords, a 6-1 wing from Brookville (NY) Long Island Lutheran chose the Wildcats over UCLA, South Carolina, Michigan and Notre Dame.

Swords is the younger sister of current Michigan women’s basketball player Syla Swords. Savvy is ranked No. 9 in On3’s recent update of the top 2026 recruits in the nation. She’s a versatile threat who has a strong ability to shoot from deep and rebound the ball at a high level.

Last year for the U17 FIBA World Cup Canadian National Team, she averaged 16.3 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 50% from deep and 88% from the free throw line.

Swords is Kentucky’s second commitment in the 2026 class, as they’ve also landed premier point guard Maddyn Greenway.

“In high school, I’m very much scoring at all three levels and playmaking,” Greenway told On3 in a previous interview. “I’m undersized, so I utilize my speed a lot and play at a fast pace. I thrive in transition. When I play at EYBL, I play more of a true point guard role and passing first.” 

The Wildcats are still in on some of the top recruits in the nation, including Olivia Vukosa, Mimi Thiero and Emily McDonald.

The Heisman trophy is the biggest individual award in college football, given to the player that is voted as the best player in college football every season, and while there have been a lot of players win the Heisman trophy, there has not been a single Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets player that has won it. However, quarterback Haynes King could change that in 2025.

To be a Heisman winner, there are two main categories that you have to hit the head of the nail on, and that is stats and likability. King already has one of those boxes checked, as he became one of America’s college football sweethearts overnight with his heroic performance against the Yellow Jackets in-state rival Georgia Bulldogs in the regular season finale last season.

However, the other box that King will have to check is for stats. While he has produced with his legs, becoming one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in college football last season, King missed/was barely used in a four game stretch last season due to injury. If he wants any chance of winning the trophy this season, he will need to remain healthy for every game.

King still has some work left to do in the passing game, as he only threw for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, but he did fix his turnover problem from the season before, only throwing two interceptions all season.

King and the Yellow Jackets are slated for a big season in 2025, and he could be the poster child for the team, and if they do well enough, IO think that King could generate significant buzz for the Heisman trophy, and could end up in New York for the Heisman ceremony in January.