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Kansas State football preview 2025

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Kansas State football preview 2025

MANHATTAN — If there was one position group where Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman and his offensive staff looked to upgrade over any other, it was wide receiver.

Other than Jayce Brown, who established himself as a legitimate No. 1 receiver last year as a true sophomore, the Wildcats lacked a consistent threat out wide that could take pressure off quarterback Avery Johnson, the running backs, and tight ends.

With that in mind, K-State aggressively pursued the transfer portal, and by all accounts, improved significantly through the spring and summer. Just ask defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, who also coaches the Wildcat safeties.

“I think part of it is Avery has gotten a lot better, too. (But) some of the additions that we’ve made there through the transfer portal, I would say from a speed, from a reliability, you don’t see as many mistakes,” Klanderman said during the spring. “There was just a lot less chaos with that group in particular, and just a lot more steady play.

“It’s so much more competitive on the edge, and that’s not an indictment of the guys that were here in the past, it’s just a notable thing with (Jaron) Tibbs and Jerand (Bradley). Those guys are special players.”

Kansas State wide receiver Jayce Brown (1) breaks a tackle attempt by Arizona's Genesis Smith (12) during their game last year at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan. Brown is the Wildcats' top returning receiver from 2024.

Jayce Brown is not a bad place to start

While most of the focus in the spring and heading into preseason camp has been on the transfers, Brown clearly was Johnson’s go-to receiver last year in his first season as a starter, and he did not disappoint.

With no other receiver reaching 30 catches, Brown’s 47 for 823 yards and five touchdowns stood out. Klieman said a goal this season is to establish more depth in the slot, which would allow the 6-foot, 179-pound Brown to play more on the perimeter.

“We’re trying to move more guys around, which sometimes will stunt their growth from a mental standpoint of having to learn multiple positions,” Klieman said, singling out junior Sterling Lockett as a potential threat in the slot.

“But we probably need to do that so that if the fourth-best guy is only playing one position and somebody gets hurt, we’ve got to be able to move him back in or move him to a different position to get the best players on the field.”

Jaron Tibbs and Jerand Bradley as good as advertised

Junior transfer Jaron Tibbs from Purdue and senior Jerand Bradley from Boston College via Texas Tech have drawn rave reviews from coaches and players alike since arriving in the spring.

Both have good size — Tibbs is 6-2, 212 pounds, and Bradley is 6-5, 223 — and speed to make contested catches as well as getting open deep.

“They’ve got a physical presence and they’re confident,” offensive coordinator Matt Wells said of Tibbs and Bradley. “They’re good route runners that are getting better understanding of the scheme and the timing and the depths of the route, which is a timing thing for the quarterback.

“They’ve got really good hand-eye coordination, and they’ve got really good ball skills. They’re going to be really good. They’re going to catch a lot of balls.”

Even still, depth could still be a concern

While Brown, Tibbs, and Bradley appear to be locked in as the top three receivers, there remains a lack of proven depth in the room.

Klieman said during his first preseason news conference that he has been impressed early with Trinity Valley (Texas) junior college transfer Jemyri Davis and true freshman Adonis Moise, as well as junior special-teams player Isaac Koch.

Senior New Mexico transfer Caleb Medford, who started his career at TCU, also received high marks during the spring.

A look at K-State’s wide receivers

  • Jayce Brown, 6-0, 179, junior, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (Choctawhatchee HS)
  • Jaron Tibbs, 6-2, 212, junior, Indianapolis (Purdue)
  • Jerand Bradley, 6-5, 220, senior, DeSoto, Texas (Boston College)
  • Sterling Lockett, 5-10, 169, junior, Leawood (Blue Valley HS)
  • Caleb Medford, 6-0, 211, senior, Henderson, Texas (New Mexico)
  • Jemyri Davis, 6-0, 172, junior, Fort Worth, Texas (Trinity Valley CC)

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.

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2025-26 College Football Playoff quarterfinal, bowl game predictions, picks, odds

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There is no juggernaut. There is no team still standing that will be talked about in the decades to come.

In the absence of one, Ohio State was often treated like one, sporting a historically efficient defense, last season’s national championship rings and the No. 1 ranking for nearly the entire season. But the potentially fatal flaw has been visible since the season opener, when the Buckeyes squeaked by Texas with 14 points. It emerged again in the Big Ten title game, when Ohio State scored 10 points in the loss to Indiana.

The defending champs enter the playoff as the No. 2 seed, but with the 28th-ranked offense, having been limited to less than 20 points per game against the four toughest defenses (Texas, Washington, Michigan, Indiana) it faced, led by a first-year starter (Julian Sayin) who has struggled under pressure, and was sacked five times against the Hoosiers.

Miami’s front is built to create similar havoc — featuring All-American Rueben Bain Jr. and senior Akheem Mesidor — part of a top 10 defense that forces nearly two turnovers per game, shuts down the run and excels in the red zone. The Hurricanes (+9.5) may also struggle to score, but their College Football Playoff first-round upset at Texas A&M will be far more beneficial than the Buckeyes’ 25 days off heading into Wednesday night’s quarterfinal.

Ohio State — still the betting favorite to win the national title — has fallen short of that goal the past three times it spent the majority of the season atop the polls (1998, 2006, 2015). The Buckeyes’ three most recent national championships (2002, 2014, 2024) were all unexpected, including last season’s run as an 8-seed.

Orange Bowl: Texas Tech (+2.5) over Oregon

Texas Tech has exceeded its NIL-fueled hype, winning its first Big 12 title, while going undefeated with Behren Morton under center, as well as 12-0 against the spread with its starting quarterback healthy.

Though Dan Lanning has made the Ducks annual contenders, he has also lost the team’s biggest games every season, most often as the favorite.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Texas Tech’s top-ranked run defense will force Dante Moore to shoulder too much responsibility, having thrown for an average of 149 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions in his two previous matchups against top 10 defenses (Indiana, Iowa), when the Ducks averaged 19 points.

Rose Bowl: Alabama (+7.5) over Indiana

It was no coincidence that each team that received a bye last year came out flat. The Hoosiers will not be immune to the effects of being off for nearly four weeks, of spending the past month as the top-ranked team in the nation, and no longer able to play the card that no one believes in them.

For once, Alabama carries that chip, in the unthinkable scenario of the most dominant program in the sport’s history playing the role of the underdog against the FBS team with the most all-time losses. The pressure is on the Hoosiers — who have won three games by five points or less — and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, whose stock has been inflated by a generationally poor quarterback class.

The Tide won’t lack confidence, coming off an incredible comeback at Oklahoma, and entering with more talent and depth than the nation’s top-ranked team.

Sugar Bowl: Georgia (-6.5) over Ole Miss

The Rebels wouldn’t have signed up for this rematch after surrendering the game’s final 17 points — of a season-worst 43 allowed — against the Bulldogs on Oct. 18, when Georgia controlled possession and Gunnar Stockton had his best performance of the season.

Kirby Smart’s core won’t face-plant in back-to-back playoffs, with his defense peaking — allowing an average of 7.3 points in the past four games — and Lane Kiffin’s absence certain to be felt.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. AP

ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa (+5.5) over Vanderbilt

The Hawkeyes always have hope, suffering their four losses — all against ranked teams — by an average of less than four points. It doesn’t feel good to bet against Diego Pavia, but Iowa’s top 10 defensive ranking is well-earned, having held a pair of top 10 offenses (Indiana, Oregon) to nearly 20 points below their season averages.

Sun Bowl: Duke (-3.5) over Arizona State

The Sun Devils haven’t been the same without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. Now, Kenny Dillingham will be without his top receiver, running back and pass rusher, as well as both starting tackles.

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

That is enough to tilt the field in favor of one of the ACC champs, whose opportunistic defense should give extra possessions to Darian Mensah, the nation’s fourth-leading passer.

Citrus Bowl: Michigan (+6.5) over Texas

It’s hard to know which team will show up when so many key players from each side won’t show up. Though Arch Manning will suit up — who knows for how long? — the Longhorns defense and backfield has been decimated, making the Wolverines a live dog after their upset of Alabama in the same bowl last year. New coach Kyle Whittingham will be watching. Will Sherrone Moore?

Las Vegas Bowl: Utah (-14.5) over Nebraska

The Cornhuskers will have plenty of issues putting up points without their star quarterback (Dylan Raiola) and running back (Emmett Johnson), but the defense is a bigger problem, most recently surrendering 40 points to Iowa’s 121st-ranked offense.

Utah’s longtime defensive coordinator turned head coach, Morgan Scalley, knows the path to success comes from pounding the rock. Anything under 200 yards would be a shock.

Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley watches the team warm up before the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Armed Forces Bowl: Rice (+14.5) over Texas State

A game that highlights the absurdity of the bloated bowl season features an Owls (5-7) team that has no business being rewarded. But Rice — which was only invited after multiple schools declined — should demonstrate urgency, looking for its first bowl win since 2014 under first-year coach Scott Abell. The Bobcats are 0-2 against the spread this season as favorites of two touchdowns or more.

Liberty Bowl: Navy (-7.5) over Cincinnati

Since 2013, the service academies are 19-3 against the spread in bowl games, being largely shielded from opt-outs and the transfer portal.

Cincy isn’t so lucky, entering this game without standout quarterback Brendan Sorsby — who will soon collect seven figures elsewhere — and at least five other starters. Even at full strength, the Bearcats would’ve struggled to stop Navy’s top-ranked ground game, owning the nation’s 104th-ranked run defense.

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) warms up before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Holiday Bowl: Arizona (-2.5) over SMU

The Wildcats will want it more, bouncing back from a 4-8 campaign to potentially finish this season with six straight wins, while the Mustangs — who are 0-3 in the postseason under Rhett Lashlee — may struggle to find motivation, most recently blowing their chance to make the playoff for the second straight year. Arizona hasn’t allowed more than 200 yards passing since September.


Betting on College Football?


Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Mississippi State (-3.5) over Wake Forest

The Bulldogs endured a grueling SEC gauntlet, and are far better than their record (5-7) suggests, having also gone 3-0 against the spread as a favorite. True freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start against Ole Miss, while the Demon Deacons’ inconsistent offense will be without leading-rusher Demond Claiborne.

Best bets: Georgia, Navy

This season: 116-131-1 (18-31) (entering Tuesday)

2014-24 record: 1,392-1,309-31


Why Trust New York Post Betting

Howie Kussoy has long been the New York Post’s main handicapper in college basketball (since 2011) and college football (since 2013).



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James Nnaji NIL signing with Baylor basketball has Nick Saban up in arms

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James Nnaji NIL signing with Baylor basketball has Nick Saban up in arms appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2025 college basketball season has been upended by the fact that a former NBA Draft pick, James Nnaji, joined the Baylor basketball program mid-season. James Nnaji was picked 31st in the 2023 NBA Draft, and after trades, the Knicks currently own his draft rights. The Bears added Nnaji because he has never played college basketball or the NBA, but the move has sent ripples through college basketball.

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One of the biggest names in college sports and a legendary college football coach, Nick Saban, addressed the situation with Nnaji on the most recent episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.” Saban made clear that he likes that the players can make money, but he does not like the constant transferring and how muddied the eligibility rules are. He also said that he got a lot of complaints from John Calipari and Tom Izzo despite not being involved in basketball.

Saban said, “I want them to make money. I think they should make money, but there should be some restrictions on how they go about doing it, and the movement is as big an issue to me as the money itself. I mean, everybody being able to transfer at all times. I mean, that’s not a good thing.

“Now we even have a basketball player going to Baylor after he played in the NBA. I mean, you heard me say this before: you want a quarterback drafted by the New York Giants? He’s going to be playing for Penn State. What about that? How crazy it’s got. I got Calipari and Izzo blowing me up. I’m not even a basketball guy. Blowing me up about this kid.”

One massive reason Saban retired in the first place was the issues that have popped up in college football and college sports in general, related to the lack of guardrails on NIL and the excessive emphasis on the transfer portal.

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Nick Saban has also been consistently trying to fix college sports. While the NCAA said no one who plays in the NBA will be eligible, Nnaji never played in the NBA, which is a big loophole.

Related: Tiffani-Dawn Sykes gets real on potential Virginia State move to the MEAC

Related: Caleb Wilson accomplishes North Carolina Tar Heels feat not seen in 30 years



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Joey McGuire plays ol’ high school coach as Texas Tech faces pivotal moment vs. Oregon

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Dan Lanning made a feeble attempt to match Joey McGuire on the humility meter this week at the Orange Bowl by noting both had started out as high school coaches, but he was in over his head. Lanning once drove 13 hours to talk Todd Graham into rescuing him from his high school job. He went on to work for Mike Norvell, Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, a pretty good start on this century’s Mount Rushmore of coaches.

The coach McGuire cited this week as his mentor? Robert Woods, who hired him at Crowley. He credited Gina Farmer, athletic director much of his two decades at Cedar Hill, where he won three state titles, with teaching him to keep the kids first.

Then he slipped this in near the end of Wednesday’s final presser before the biggest football game in Texas Tech history on New Year’s Day:

“For Joey McGuire,” he said, “an ol’ high school coach, to be able to coach in this game and bring the Red Raiders in the College Football Playoff, it’s pretty cool.”

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Perfect.

Now all he has to do is beat Oregon and advance to next week’s semis in Atlanta, because there’s no going back from here.

The storylines of both Tech and McGuire dovetail nicely. Both got a late start on this CFP thing. The Red Raiders filled the Big 12 vacuum left by Texas and Oklahoma and looked every part the best team in the state in the process.

Tech earned the fourth seed with a defense that gave up only 10.9 points a game. Beating BYU twice was good, too.

But let’s face it: This wasn’t the high-flying Big 12 of years past. A nice league, but it’s not the SEC or Big Ten. Or at least that’s the consensus.

Don’t get me wrong, the Red Raiders deserved their bye into the quarterfinals. But now they’ve stepped up in competition. This is their chance to prove they didn’t take advantage of a lesser league.

Beating Oregon, a Big Ten power with a considerable CFP history, would make a good case that these aren’t the same old Red Raiders in a different dress.

Right, Shiel Wood?

“Every team that’s left in the College Football Playoff,” Tech’s defensive coordinator said, “is an outstanding team with outstanding coaches and outstanding players. Oregon’s got a great outfit. It’ll be a really good, stiff test for us.

“But it’s a tremendous opportunity for our players and our university on a national stage, and we’re excited about it.”

McGuire gets it, too, in case you were wondering. He was reminded in cards, letters and emails from long-suffering Tech boosters, alumni and former players after they won their first outright conference title since 1955. They’ve been waiting a long time out on the High Plains for a moment such as this. McGuire acknowledged Wednesday that he carries that with him into the game. If that message hadn’t already been delivered by the Tech faithful, Brett Yormark, the Big 12 commissioner, hammered it home in several calls over the last few weeks.

“It’s going to mean a lot,” McGuire conceded, “but we have focused every single week on being in the moment and being where our feet are.

“This is a game that’s a huge game, but our guys know what’s at stake.”

This is where McGuire probably doesn’t get enough credit. Twenty-five million buys a nice roster these days. Twenty-two Red Raiders were voted one Big 12 award or another, but the league’s coaches voted BYU’s Kalani Sitake Coach of the Year. Not saying he didn’t deserve it, but managing Tech’s roster, one with so many new parts, not to mention amid such high expectations, is no small feat. McGuire first demonstrated that ability at Cedar Hill, and it serves him well in the NIL era.

If you ask me, the Orange Bowl comes down to how well Behren Morton plays. Tech’s defense is at least as good as Oregon’s, which gave up 34 points to James Madison. Morton isn’t a hundred percent, but he probably hasn’t been that since high school. He’s as healthy as he’s been all season. If he can move, Tech stands a good chance to win.

Beat Oregon, and Tech will go at least as far as Texas did last year; where Oklahoma hasn’t gone in five years; where Texas A&M hasn’t been in the CFP era. The Red Raiders made a statement in winning their first Big 12 title. They can make a bigger one Thursday.

Do that, and McGuire may have to retire his “ol’ high school coach” bit. No need for him or Tech to try to sandbag anyone if they get past the quarterfinals. They’d better. You can’t be the poster school for the new NIL era if you can’t prove winning pays, too.

Twitter/X: @KSherringtonDMN

Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.



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Major college football program among candidates to land $1.4 million QB

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The NCAA transfer portal officially opens for college football players on Friday. The portal will be open for a two-week period ending on Jan. 16, 2026.

Multiple starting quarterbacks across college football have entered the transfer portal in the weeks following the 2025 regular season. Dylan Raiola, Rocco Becht, Drew Mestemaker, DJ Lagway and Brendan Sorsby will be among the thousands of college football players searching for new destinations in 2026.

Another significant portal entrant in the 2026 offseason is TCU quarterback Josh Hoover. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his second college football program.

Some of the quarterbacks in the portal such as Mestemaker and Becht have clear linkages with schools out of the portal. As for quarterbacks like Hoover, the options remain more open than some.

One fascinating link to Hoover from the transfer portal is Alabama. While it may seem puzzling, Hoover was heavily recruited by Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan while DeBoer was at Indiana.

TCU quarterback Josh Hoover

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) warms up before the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mike Golic Jr. called attention to this connection between Alabama and Hoover during a recent edition of Bleacher Report’s “College Football Show.” Golic mentioned the fluidity of Ty Simpson’s NFL draft status when using the rationale for Hoover’s linkage to Alabama.

“A bit of connective tissue: his primary contact when he was being recruited by Indiana was Nick Sheridan, who is the co-offensive coordinator for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama,” Golic said. “That’s an offense that has really been one-dimensional, so they need a quarterback that can sling it all over the yard the way we watched Hoover do it a lot of the season at TCU.”

While quarterbacks transferring from one school to another in the Power Four ranks is nothing new, it would mark a significant moment in the brief history of the NCAA transfer portal. While Alabama has won a national championship with a transfer quarterback, Jake Coker, it has not started a transfer quarterback in the portal era, which began in the 2019 offseason.

As Golic mentioned, Simpson’s decision to stay or declare for the NFL draft could impact a potential pursuit of Hoover. Alabama also has coveted prospects on its roster behind Simpson in Keelon Russell and Austin Mack.

Hoover is leaving TCU as the third all-time leading passer for the Horned Frogs with 9,629 for his career, only behind Trevone Boykin and Andy Dalton. He threw 71 touchdown passes and 33 interceptions in his career with the Horned Frogs.



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Carson Beck college transfer timeline: Why Miami QB left Georgia with NIL money, NFL Draft in mind

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Carson Beck college transfer timeline: Why Miami QB left Georgia with NIL money, NFL Draft in mind originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Miami Hurricanes have advanced to the second round of the College Football Playoff after defeating Texas A&M in the first round.

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A big reason for the Canes’ success this season is the play of quarterback Carson Beck. Beck, a senior out of Jacksonville, Fla., transferred to Miami after spending the first three seasons of his career at Georgia.

So why did Beck transfer from Georgia to Miami? Let’s break down his college career and his decision to forgo the NFL draft and spend his last season of eligibility with the Canes.

MORE:Ranking the 19 greatest Miami players in history

Where did Carson Beck play last year?

Carson Beck played his 2024 season at Georgia, helping lead the Dawgs to the SEC Championship game against Texas. Georgia finished the season 11-3 during Beck’s last season in Athens.

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Where has Carson Beck played?

Carson Beck has played at just two schools in his college career, first at Georgia from 2021-2024 and then Miami for the 2025 season.

MORE:Why The Group of 5 still belongs in CFP

Carson Beck colleges timeline

Georgia: 2021-2024

Coming out of high school, Carson Beck was a 4-star quarterback prospect out of Jacksonville, Fla. Rated as the No. 9 pro-style quarterback and No. 34 overall prospect out of the state of Florida, Beck had offers from the likes of Alabama, Penn State and Arkansas, among several others. He committed to Georgia in March of 2019 and signed with the Dawgs that December.

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He spent two seasons in Athens backing up Bulldogs starters Stetson Bennett in 2021 and 2022, part of the Dawgs’ national title winning teams those years as a back-up.

He was named Georgia’s starting quarterback for the 2023 season and had his best season, statistically speaking, of his career that year. He threw for 3,491 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 116 yards with four scores on the ground. The Dawgs finished 13-1 that season, losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, which knocked the Dawgs out of the College Football Playoff.

His 2024 season wasn’t nearly as successful. He threw for 3,175 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions — a number that led the SEC. He had three interceptions in losses to Alabama, including another three vs. Texas and Florida. His 10th interception of the year came on the road against Ole Miss, handing the Bulldogs their second loss of the season.

Although he rebounded with a win over Tennessee to send Georgia to the SEC title game, his season was unfortunately cut short against Texas in that game. Right before halftime, Beck was tackled and ruled out with an elbow injury. He ultimately suffered a UCL tear on his throwing arm, which ended his season early. He briefly declared for the 2025 NFL Draft but ultimately transferred to Miami instead.

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MORE:Georgia football timeline of trouble under Kirby Smart

Miami: 2025

At Miami, Beck has put up similar numbers to what he did at Georgia, throwing for 3,175 yards with 26 touchdowns on the year. Although he has thrown 10 interceptions on the year, four of those came during Miami’s loss to Louisville earlier in the season. In fact, Beck hasn’t thrown an interception since Miami’s Nov. 1 loss to SMU.

While Miami relies heavily on its dominant rushing attack, Beck’s performances have been good enough to help the Canes win 11 games. Against Texas A&M in Miami’s first-round victory, Beck went 14-of-20, throwing for 103 yards with a touchdown.

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MORE:Revisiting Lee Corso’s greatest ‘College GameDay’ moments

Why did Carson Beck leave Georgia?

At the end of the 2024 season, Gunner Stockton had played adequately in Carson Beck’s absence. After his disappointing finish to the season, it was clear Beck needed a fresh start, either in the NFL or elsewhere.

At Miami, Beck was drawn to how he fit within its system as a quarterback.

“Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me, obviously, was the offensive fit,” Beck said via UGA Wire. “As a quarterback, the OC, the scheme, the talent and guys that you’re going to have around you is huge to the success and ultimately the future of a quarterback.”

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He added that the decision to leave Georgia was still a “very difficult” one.

“This is my future, and I think this is one of the better decisions I’ve made,” Beck continued. “And since I’ve been here in January, developing the relationships and building the chemistry between me, the wide receivers, the running backs, the tight ends, the O-line, and just trying to develop those relationships and that camaraderie, it’s just reinforced my decision in a positive way.”

MORE:College football’s 30 highest-paid players

Carson Beck NIL money

According to CBS Sports, Carson Beck’s NIL deal is around $4 million for the 2025 season.

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Carson Beck NFL Draft projection

Carson Beck’s current draft stock appears to be closer to a Day 2 or 3 pick, but that could change if he leads Miami on a deep CFP run.

ESPN’s Matt Miller lists Beck as a second-round pick, whereas NFL Mock Draft Database has him as a fourth-rounder. But with plenty of time between now and the NFL Draft process, there is plenty of time for that to change. 

MORE:History of Miami QBs in the NFL, from Jim Kelly to Cam Ward

Has Carson Beck won a championship?

Only as a backup. Carson Beck was part of two national championships with Georgia in 2021 and 2023, and Georgia defeated Texas 22-19 to win the SEC Championship game against Texas after Beck got injured. His backup, current Dawgs starter Gunner Stockton, came off the bench for Beck and helped Georgia win that game.



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Review of new Arkansas NIL partnership with TheLinkU

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On Tuesday, the University of Arkansas announced a new partnership with TheLinkU to expand name, image and likeness opportunities for Razorback student-athletes. Since then, I have taken some time to explore the website and hit all the buttons to see what all it entails. My early opinion? It’s actually pretty good.

First the backstory… Arkansas has gone through two failed platforms that attempted to enhance and streamline the NIL experience for its student-athletes in ONEArkansas and Arkansas Edge. ONEArkansas focused largely on non-profits and charitable works, while Edge was managed by Blueprint Sports in what turned out to be — at least from Arkansas’ perspective — a failed effort to connect fans, businesses and athletes.

First, before you read my opinion, I must acknowledge that I opened this website with a little prayer of hope for a new age and without the skepticism I have been dragging with me the last few years… I am trying to put that behind me as we move forward to 2026 and the Ryan Silverfield era. So understand my mental state on this New Years Eve is one of hope.

So, I am pleased with what I am seeing with regard to the layout and structure at TheLinkU. Backed by a little hope and faith for a new era, I think there is a lot of promise here.

It is overdue, no doubt, but there is finally a clean and easy way for every Razorback fan to donate directly to the sport they want to support, from $10 to an infinite amount.

And, while Arkansas athletes are not individually integrated just yet, soon there will be opportunities for fans to directly connect with them.

So not only will fans be able to support the particular sport(s) they want, there are also ways to support an individual player if they choose.

HOW TO DONATE TO SPORTS

The donation page to support certain sports is pretty simple to access. Just click here: Donate to University of Arkansas NIL

Or from the homepage on desktop, click here (TheLinkU.com), hover over ‘SCHOOLS’ and scroll down to ‘University of Arkansas.’ The ‘U’ in University is alphabetical, not the ‘A’ in Arkansas. It’s right under ‘University of Alabama.’ I’d like this to change and just read ‘Arkansas.’

On mobile, it’s the same link, click here (TheLinkU.com). You will see three lines at the top right. Tap that. Select Schools, scroll to University of Arkansas.

There, you will see two options. ‘Donate’ and ‘Events.’ There are no events just yet. Click or tap ‘Donate,’ or just scroll down and you’ll see several options. Each option allows you to select the sport of your choice for which you would like to donate.

There’s the option to make a one-time donation to a particular sport, or you may sign up for monthly donations that come with perks, like a 10%, 15% or 20% discount to the NIL shop (where you can buy team merchandise), a monthly newsletter, gift boxes or ‘shout outs.’ More on the ‘shout outs’ below.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ATHLETES

As stated, you can also connect directly to the athletes. Just click here: The Athlete Shop

Or, go to the homepage by clicking here (TheLinkU.com), select ‘FANS,’ in the middle of the screen on both desktop and mobile, select ‘ATHLETE SHOP.’ There, you are able to search by school. Again, not the ‘A’ in Arkansas but the ‘U’ in University… so you’ll need to scroll down… or you can type in ‘Arkansas’ and it’ll bring up all Arkansas schools.

As noted, Arkansas players are not yet integrated into the system, so as of now this is not an option.

But it will be soon, and when it’s ready, fans will be able to select the athlete and choose ways to engage with them.

I selected Houston senior defensive back Blake Thompson just to see what my options are. I can select an ‘Autograph,’ a video ‘Shout-out’ that is labeled as ‘most popular,’ a ‘Post’ and a ‘Meet.’

Selecting Autograph, I can have Blake sign a sport specific item for $55, a university T-shirt for $40 and a photograph for $35. As I pay, I can include ‘additional information regarding your request’ to provide Blake details of what I want more specifically.

Blake charges $300 to do a video shout-out, which I found to be quite expensive for a defensive back based on others I saw. But he’ll roast my buddy if I want, he’ll give advice, give me a pep talk, offer a birthday wish or do just about anything. Think of this like Cameo.

Most shoutout costs I saw were in the $50 range. Amare Thomas, who had 972 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns this past season for the Cougars, is only charging $50 for a shout-out, so Blake definitely is on the higher end.

Niccolo Moretti, a basketball player from Florida Atlantic, only charges $20 for one of these shoutouts. But the autograph prices are the same for all athletes as far as I could tell.

Now if I want to meet one of these athletes, I can make a monetary bid and provide details about what I want, and they’ll “do their best” to respond to my bid in 24 hours. In my head, I live in town, so maybe I’d like to pay a star athlete $500 to come to my kid’s birthday or something?

It’s the same way for a ‘post,’ which I assume means a social media post from the athlete.

MERCHANDISE & UNKNOWN

I can also visit the NIL shop and buy player jerseys or university merchandise. Houston basketball jerseys for specific players run $95. Other team-oriented clothing and gear is about what you’d expect, $35ish for a cap or a t-shirt, $70 for a hoodie.

I am not sure what percentage of these purchases go to fund NIL opportunities, but I do know that a portion of those purchases do.

I am also unsure what percentage TheLinkU takes from the donations to support NIL, if it’s a direct payment from Arkansas to run things or what, but obviously they have to make money to operate.

As I reported in October, Blueprint Sports took 15% of Arkansas Edge NIL donations, which would have been considered reasonable had the partnership been fruitful.



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