NIL

LaNorris Sellers returning to South Carolina: What it means for Shane Beamer, Gamecocks

Published

2 weeks ago

December 23, 2025

The metrics — near the bottom of the SEC in as many categories as you could count — were enough to make your stomach churn and there was nothing available over-the-counter to aid Shane Beamer and his team’s recovery.

After flying home from a road loss to Ole Miss earlier this season, South Carolina’s fifth-year coach severed ties with offensive coordinator Mike Shula, signaling change that commenced a string of events highlighted this month by the arrival of Kendal Briles as the Gamecocks’ new offensive director, two additional staffers and LaNorris Sellers’ pivotal return at quarterback.

Sellers announced Monday he was “running it back” with the Gamecocks, putting an end to questions there were other programs in the mix.

With Beamer’s potential tenure-defining decision, the Briles-Sellers pairing means South Carolina is scheduled to press the issue offensively for the first time since the Steve Spurrier era, the height of the program’s success. And with the ink finally drying on Sellers’ updated terms, the Gamecocks’ offseason outlook is considerably more positive than it looked after the season ended with a disheartening loss to Clemson that slapped South Carolina with a 4-8 final record to end a season that began with so much hope.

“This job is not for on-the-job training,” Beamer said on his OC hire this month. “When you talk about someone that has done it in this league and done it in other conferences at a high level, has done it with multiple personnel, different styles of quarterbacks, it’s really impressive. Offensively, explosive, wants to run the ball.

“Go back in 2021-2022, his offense in Arkansas was one of three offenses in the entire nation that averaged over 230 yards a game, rushing and passing. They protect the quarterback, which we need to do a better job of. We need to do a better job of protecting the football and being explosive, and he certainly can do that.”

For teams in schematic transition like the Gamecocks, figuring out the quarterback situation was the first step in getting the ball rolling toward putting together an early two-deep and determining where else this program needed help in the talent department.

Behind Sellers’ decision to stay

Multiple sources told CBS Sports during Sellers’ conversations with South Carolina about re-signing that the quarterback’s return would impact roster construction and how this team looks in 2026. Sellers isn’t the type to give ultimatums, but he at least needed to know who he would be working alongside next fall and what the plan was for the offensive line and strengthening that unit moving forward.

There was significant worry, at least from inside the program, that the Palmetto State native could leave this cycle for another program. During the negotiation process, Sellers wanted assurances — more than fair for a player who was sacked 42 times as a sophomore and would’ve likely been a first-round pick in April had South Carolina not been historically bad offensively this season.

Beamer needed to get his offensive coordinator hire right, plain and simple. Sellers could have tested the market. At the end of the season, it was believed by national sources that Sellers had three options: Stay, go pro, or transfer.

Beamer said last week that conversations between Sellers and Briles were positive and he felt strongly about the return of his top offensive player despite nothing being finalized in terms of an NIL and revenue share-based contract until now. Sellers’ decision to stay put for next season reset the quarterback transfer market, giving way to players like Florida’s D.J. Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola making themselves available this cycle, among others.

Figures will not be released, but CBS Sports was told through a source that Sellers’ 2026 contract far exceeds his previous deal, which was $1.7 million for 2025.

Last summer, Sellers’ father told The Athletic that his son fetched an NIL offer from an interested team worth $8 million for two years. That matched the reported figure ex-Tulane signal caller Darian Mensah agreed to at Duke. This offer surfaced after Sellers became just the third freshman in FBS history to throw for 2,500 yards and rush for 500 yards, joining Johnny Manziel and Jalen Hurts.

“He was offered all kinds of crazy numbers,” Norris Sellers said in May 2025. “I told him he could say, ‘I’m gonna stay or I’m gonna go.’ By my two cents: It was to get into college on a scholarship, play ball, get our degree and go on about our business. This NIL deal came later. We didn’t come here to make money. We came here to get our education, play ball. And with schools calling, we’re not gonna jump ship because they’re offering more than what we’re getting. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“You’re 19. You don’t need ($8 million). You’re in a great spot. There were several talks, but it never really crossed his mind (to leave). It’s a challenge with colleges offering younger guys that kind of money. Who’s gonna say no to $8 million for two years? They’re gonna be swayed if you don’t have the right people in your corner.”

Since that sizable offer last offseason, CBS Sports has learned Sellers’ family and representation has taken a more “NFL mindset” ahead of his final college season and confidence that he would develop into a Day 1 draft pick for 2027 was the most pressing matter in this decision with terms secondary.

Transformation offensively in Columbia

The Gamecocks endured major decline across several categories this season under the direction of Shula offensively, leading to multiple staff changes from Beamer and the decision to bring an entirely new scheme to the program under Briles.

The historic regression in 2025 offensively nearly cost Beamer his job. Reported to be among the initial candidates for the Virginia Tech vacancy from sources at both programs, Beamer reaffirmed his commitment to South Carolina and called the Gamecocks his “dream job” before saying he planned on sticking around to help the program get things back on track.

After the loss in Oxford against Ole Miss dropped South Carolina to 3-6, the belief from sources inside the program was Beamer would get the remainder of the season and the first half of the 2026 campaign before being evaluated as long as significant changes were made offensively. Part of that was due to Beamer’s raise and extension signed last January that raised his buyout by nearly $20 million.

Athletic director Jeremiah Donati confirmed Beamer’s safety a few weeks later prior to the finale against Clemson. The slate’s been wiped clean for Briles, who brought offensive line coach Randy Clements with him from TCU and had a say in signing off on the hire of Penn State’s Stan Drayton as South Carolina’s new running backs coach.

Even marginal improvements should mean the Gamecocks are a bowl-team again in 2026, at minimum, which should increase the runway for Beamer after moving to a nine-game conference schedule. Negative factors like bad offensive line development, head-scratching third-down decisions and seemingly no sense of game flow snap to snap should be behind South Carolina since Beamer made on-field results with these new additions as a priority.

Sellers is close with Appalachian State coach Dowell Loggains, who called plays during the quarterback’s first two seasons on campus after coming over from Arkansas. That included Sellers’ redshirt year in 2023 when he was the understudy of Spencer Rattler, whose 19 touchdown passes that season is the most in a single campaign at South Carolina since Jake Bentley’s 27 in 2018. Loggains and Briles previously worked under Sam Pittman with the Razorbacks where K.J. Jefferson was a successful multi-year starter behind center.

Sellers is an ideal fit for Briles’ scheme and almost a carbon copy of Jefferson from a size standpoint, albeit a bit more lean. The expectation is South Carolina’s 2026 attack will mirror much of how Arkansas looked in 2022 when the Razorbacks finished second in the SEC in rushing with much of that total going through their quarterback in Briles’ third season as OC.

At his best, Sellers would be a more polished and physically-gifted version of Jefferson under Briles, but that will depend on how quickly he familiarizes himself with the scheme and where to go with the football.

Too often during the 2025 season, Sellers looked unsure of himself from the pocket and lacked confidence, perhaps a product of Shula’s pro-style, overly-complicated ideas. When Sellers was able to freelance somewhat under Loggains in 2024, he was one of college football’s most prolific playmakers over the second half of the season and nearly led the Gamecocks to their first playoff appearance.

Briles noticed those abilities on film before moving his family from Texas to South Carolina, he said.

“I’m not going to go out there and ask him to do something he’s not great at, so we’re going to build the offense around him and the rest of the personnel and do the things that he’s really good at,” Briles said during his introductory press conference. “So we want him to be comfortable. He’s out there with people running full speed at him, probably in a bad attitude, and trying to get after him. So we’re going to do the things that he feels really comfortable with, and I’m excited to work with him. He seems like a great kid.”

***

One aspect of Sellers’ game that was significantly hampered this season by play-calling and scheme was his prowess as a run-threat. He was hand-cuffed by Shula’s directives and painted as a pocket-passer when Sellers was not comfortable in that role. Processing was a struggle at times, this coming after South Carolina’s former OC said during the spring his plan for Sellers was to enhance his abilities as a runner while keeping him upright.

Sellers finished second on the team in rushing with 166 carries for 674 yards and seven touchdowns as a first-year starter in 2024 compared to 270 yards and five scores this season, more than half of that production coming in wins over Kentucky and Coastal Carolina.

Getting back to what Sellers does best — gutting opposing defenses with his arm and legs — is paramount for Briles and this new-look scheme to find success.

The following statistical projection was provided to CBS Sports by Matrix Analytical, an analytics company that has assisted in several coaching searches around college football this cycle through the use of data models, statistical projections and measurable efficiencies.

Third-party analytics are expecting a huge boon for the Gamecocks in 2026.
Matrix Analytical

Offensive PPA (Predicted Points Added) is a per play statistic, commonly used in determining overall success rate for play-callers. A positive PPA means the play improved the team’s scoring chances and is a measure of points added (or lost) on each play compared to the predicted value. These categories from a unit-wide standpoint are expected to significantly rise under Briles for the Gamecocks as well as this team’s passing game situation.

Most assume the Air Raid is pass-heavy, but it’s moreso dependent on personnel and Briles’ interpretation of this offense does not mean the Gamecocks are going to throw it 40 times a game. It’s different, obviously, from Lane Kiffin’s run-to-set-up-pass spread he perfected at Ole Miss, but it still flows through the quarterback’s decision-making ability and Briles will have a proven, mobile player back there setting things up.

Sellers should have confidence in what South Carolina returns from its wideout room, too. While no announcement has been made, multiple sources tell CBS Sports top-threat Nyck Harbor (30 catches, 618 yards, six TDs) is expected to re-sign and the Gamecocks are in good hands with Vandrevius Jacobs, Jayden Sellers and Donovan Murph, too.

For the most part, Briles’ offense from a wideout standpoint is not sum-of-its-parts based like we’ve seen in recent years at South Carolina, sans former first-rounder Xavier Legette. Each of the past two seasons at TCU and going back to Briles’ tenure at Arkansas, there were three, clear go-to players at the position with targets, catches, yards and touchdowns essentially revolving around three players. He utilizes the tight end as well and Brady Hunt is back for the Gamecocks.

Wide receiver is one position group where the Gamecocks would like to add a ‘high-end’ weapon in the transfer portal to accompany the rest of what’s returning under assistant coach Mike Furrey, who called plays during three games this season as interim OC following Shula’s firing.

***

Peering deeper into the additions of Clements and Drayton, that duo could be more consequential than the Briles signing for the Gamecocks. Clements comes to South Carolina widely-regarded as top-tier considering Beamer’s decision to push interim offensive line coach Shawn Elliott back to his original tight ends spot.

With more than two decades of college experience at the line of scrimmage, Clements helped usher the most remarkable era in Baylor history during Art Briles’ tenure as coach as the leader up front for the Bears. Clements was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator during three straight double-digit win seasons from 2013-15 and later joined Briles for one year at Houston in 2018 before assisting Kiffin at Ole Miss in 2020 and Mack Brown at North Carolina thereafter.

Drayton helped develop developed Ezekiel Elliott and J.K. Dobbins at Ohio State, where he coached units that ranked No. 1 in Rush Success Rate and No. 1 in Power Success, via Matrix Analytical’s metrics. Drayton, who worked at Mississippi State with Beamer in 2004, spent this season at Penn State. Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 1,852 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground.

Drayton’s brief stay at Penn State came after a three-year, unsuccessful tenure as Temple’s head coach. Speaking with those inside the industry for background on this story, the blame was placed elsewhere on Drayton’s run-game imbalance and overall struggles with the Owls.

“That data is misleading,” one source said. “(Those) issues were program-wide resource constraints, not coaching deficiency.”

Where Clements and Drayton should bring the most substantial, immediate help is protecting Sellers and generating some semblance of discipline in the run game. South Carolina’s rushing offense ranked 120th this season at 111.9 yards per game, second-worst among Power programs in third-down conversion rate (31.8%) and 133rd in total sacks allowed (43).

Beamer’s confidence level draws Brian Kelly parallels

Here’s the thing about Beamer: no one knows this program better or is more confident the 2026 campaign will look nothing like the warts of this past season. His recent bold declaration that South Carolina would be a playoff team is gutsy considering the financial impact drops considerably when it’s time for Donati to re-evaluate and assess around this time next year.

“I hate that we’ve gone through this,” Beamer said after South Carolina’s 28-14 loss to Clemson to end November. “I hate it for the seniors that don’t come back. But I can one billion percent promise you this. When we have a hell of a season in 2026 and when I’m doing this press conference after the Clemson game next year and we finished a regular season because of the success that we’re going to have next season, I know we will.

“We’re going to look back at this season and say, ‘it sucked going through it, but because of what we went through in ’25, it led us to what we just did in ’26.'”

To Beamer’s credit and moreso his point despite a 4-8 finish, this was a team that nearly knocked off several elite opponents this season despite anemic numbers offensively. The Gamecocks led fourth-ranked Alabama as a three-touchdown underdog late in the fourth quarter before Germie Bernard’s two touchdowns in the final 2.5 minutes gave the Crimson Tide a 29-22 victory and torched Texas A&M for 30 first-half points on the road before losing in historic letdown fashion.

In all, South Carolina went 0-4 against four playoff teams with an average margin of loss at 10.7 points per game.

Beamer’s guarantee is similar to what former LSU coach Brian Kelly said last November when he guaranteed the Tigers would reach the national championship game in 2025 after his regular-season finale win against Oklahoma. Like Beamer’s Gamecocks, LSU was a preseason top-15 team with playoff aspirations before failing to meet expectations and finishing unranked.

“We’re taking receipts and we’ll see you at the national championship (in 2025),” Kelly said, unknowingly scripting his eulogy that would come to fruition in October after the Tigers pulled the plug on his tenure.

Beamer’s name will be near the top of most preseason hot-seat lists next summer, though the situation at South Carolina is more akin to turning the knob on the thermostat compared to the three-alarm fire that was unfolding in Baton Rouge early this season following LSU’s loss to Ole Miss.

The Tigers exhausted resources and went all-in on a portal-infused roster after re-signing its star quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, which is exactly the plan for the Gamecocks with Sellers in tow when the free-agency window officially opens on Jan. 2.

Balance in transfer portal

This is the second pivotal transfer cycle for Darren Uscher, South Carolina’s director of player personnel and recruiting who was hired last summer. He’s tasked with ensuring the salary numbers for next year’s roster fit relative to NIL/revenue share standards and establish first observations on potential portal targets that may assist the team.

The Gamecocks’ 2025 portal class was ranked 15th overall by 247Sports, but didn’t include as many impactful players as the previous group, which featured former SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Kennard, running back Rocket Sanders and linebacker Demetrius Knight.

Beamer said last week while he hadn’t given player deadlines on making a decision on next season following exit meetings, he reiterated his desire for knowing “ASAP” and the program would not “sit around and wait forever” on yes or no’s with the portal opening next month.

In other words, the Gamecocks are trying to figure out how much money they need to earmark for retention and the balance of what’s going toward a new crop of signees from the transfer market. Beamer’s plan is to attack portal where he deems fit with difference-makers. Depth is built through South Carolina’s already-established roster.

“It’s not like we need to go outside (and get) 40 portal guys and flip this roster,” Beamer said earlier this season. “We don’t.”

While the Gamecocks need reinforcements on Briles’ side of the football, the defense loses a significant portion of its production as well, including several starters in the secondary. Safety Jalen Kilgore and cornerback Brandon Cisse both have declared for the NFL Draft as potential first-rounders and there are other positions of need there, notably edge and linebacker.

South Carolina’s play defensively this season under Clayton White gave the Gamecocks a fighting chance in several games despite the offense’s dreadful numbers. South Carolina led the SEC in takeaways and ranked fifth in red zone defense, accolades that went relatively unnoticed considering the unfortunate spotlight elsewhere.

If Beamer and his recruiting staff can fill a few notable holes in the roster, it’s going to make the situation much more conducive to success for Sellers and his three new coaches.

Link

NIL

Trinidad Chambliss addresses if he considered following Lane Kiffin, transferring to LSU

Published

39 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Trinidad Chambliss is set to return to Ole Miss next year pending an eligibility waiver, but there was a chance he was going to follow Lane Kiffin. Or, so it seemed.

Kiffin left Ole Miss and Chambliss prior to the College Football Playoff for LSU and people started connecting the dots. If Chambliss was able to return to college football in 2026, the Tigers would be a logical landing spot considering he’d reunite with Kiffin and likely command a sizable NIL deal.

But, Chambliss put those rumors to bed on Monday when he joined SportsCenter. Plus, he’s focused on Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

“I mean, I guess, but not really,” Chambliss said. “I mean, I knew that was right. And you know, I always had trust in, you know PG, and you know Coach Judge. And you know I gotta give thanks to coach Kiffin, coach Weiss as well for giving the opportunity to play that Ole Miss. But I know, I knew that this was the right choice.”

Chambliss opted to stay with Ole Miss as long as his waiver for a sixth year is granted. But speaking with ESPN host Matt Barrie, he was again asked if LSU specifically was a possibility.

“Like I said, like I guess so,” Chambliss said if LSU was a possibility. “But you know, at the end of the day, I just made the right decision, and that was, you know, to stick with my gut. And you know, Ole Miss has been good to me, and I feel like I owe it to Ole Miss. And you know, I just love it here, and I love the community, so that was, you know, the right choice.”

In total, Chambliss has completed 66.4% of his pass attempts for 3,660 yards and 21 TDs this season, while only throwing three interceptions. Though Chambliss spent four seasons at Ferris State, he only played in two of them.

He redshirted in 2021 after seeing no action. He didn’t make any appearances in the 2022 campaign, either. Chambliss is seeking a medical redshirt for that season, claiming he battled respiratory issues, which ultimately led to the removal of his tonsils.

“I deserve it,” Chambliss said Dec. 30 at Sugar Bowl media day. “I’ve only played three seasons of college football. I feel like I deserve to play four. I redshirted in 2021. That was my freshman redshirt. Then I medically redshirted in 2022. Played in 2023, 2024 and this is 2025.

“… I have records from an ear, nose and throat doctor that I was getting treated for the issue that I had in 2022. … I was in communication with Ferris (State), doctors, all of that.”

Link

NIL

Trinidad Chambliss strikes NIL deal with Ole Miss, awaiting NCAA decision

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Superstar quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has signed an Name, Image and Likeness deal to stay at Ole Miss that is if the NCAA will allow him another season.

Yes, yes, verily verily I say unto you as much as the NCAA shouldn’t continue to be a part of the Rebels’ future success it somehow always creeps back up again. There is a history here dating back to the days of Jerrell Powe where the NCAA dragged its feet on a decision only to stymie Ole Miss. Those long held memories and grudges from recruiting violations and investigations from the Hugh Freeze and Houston Nutt eras were an albatross for years in Oxford as well.

While the media and sources can say whatever positivity there is, the Cup is in the camp of “we’ll believe it when we see it.”

Chambliss is seeking a waiver for a medical redshirt from one of his seasons at Ferris State and is now under the legal counsel of Tom Mars (a name any long time Ole Miss fan will know). A sixth year of eligibility is not unheard of, and a denial of the waiver from the NCAA could open a can of worms into a lawsuit much like the efforts of Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt this past season.

The commitment of Chambliss to Ole Miss and from the Rebels to its starting QB is the first step or domino to fall, however. He is not ready to jump on the first train to Baton Rouge after the season ends giving the fanbase at least some assurance he could be in red and blue in 2026.

Chambliss came into the starting job after an injury to Austin Simmons who has announced his intentions to transfer. The senior from Grand Rapids, Mich. immediately provided a spark offensively and held onto the starting job for the rest of the season guiding Ole Miss to its first ever College Football Playoff berth. Then, as everyone in the country has seen, Chambliss won back to back playoff games to get Ole Miss in the national semi-final against Miami this week.

His 3,660 passing yards, 520 rushing yards and 29 combined touchdowns were good enough to get him to eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting. A return would easily put him among the favorites in 2026 after the incredible exposure of the CFP first round and quarterfinals.

Chambliss’ attorney is making the case on social media that dozens of pages of medical documents have been submitted to the NCAA to provide for future eligibility. Ole Miss can now do nothing but wait and hope.

Link

NIL

Trinidad Chambliss strikes NIL deal with Ole Miss, awaiting NCAA decision

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Superstar quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has signed an Name, Image and Likeness deal to stay at Ole Miss that is if the NCAA will allow him another season.

While the media and sources can say whatever positivity there is, the Cup is in the camp of “we’ll believe it when we see it.”

Link

NIL

College Football Playoff Predictions: Nick Saban’s Coaching Tree on Display at Semis

Published

3 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Sith Lord Nick Saban is responsible for all of this — the four College Football Playoff teams, and their respective head coaches, left standing in this year’s postseason action.

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Miami’s Mario Cristobal and Ole Miss’ Pete Golding: Those are Saban’s former assistants at Alabama that became head coaches at Power 4 programs across the country. Those are men he recruited, developed and, as he often says, “left to go somewhere else” so that they could bring themselves closer to calling their mentor and boss a peer.

It’s not just that the 2025 CFP national champion will be a program that hasn’t worn the crown in at least 25 years (Miami) — or even once (Indiana, Oregon) — but also that none of their head coaches have either.

So it is with some glee, I’m sure, that Saban will watch one of these men lift the national title trophy and applaud them for winning their first. Leave it to me to remind that one apprentice who will ultimately clutch glory in a couple weeks: He’s got six to go before he even equals Sith Lord Saban (and Kirby Smart already has two).

[2025 College Football Playoff Odds: Lines, Spreads for Each CFP Semifinal Game]

Now, people of college football’s Galactic Empire, here are my latest CFP bracket predictions for the semifinal games:

CFP Predictions: Semifinals

Fiesta Bowl: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Winner: Miami

(Photo by Michael Chang /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal has put together one of the most devastating defensive lines in the sport. That defensive line, led by edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, has faced some of the most talented signal-callers college football had to offer in 2025: from former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown, to former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway to Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed.

And the Canes’ defense beat them all.

Still, even Cristobal acknowledged during his first media availability ahead of the Fiesta Bowl that none of those quarterbacks bring the level of improvisation and outrageous acts of escape fit for Cirque Soleil that Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss does.

“We’ve faced some really good [quarterbacks] throughout the course of the year, especially in the last couple of weeks,” Cristobal said. “Watching him on film, he’s on a different level.”

[College Football Playoff Predictions: Ole Miss Has Momentum Ahead of CFP Semis]

Chambliss is the hottest passer in the country, the former Division II hero who toppled one of college football’s mythic-like giants in the Georgia Bulldogs defense. He did it with a Herculean act of labor — 362 passing yards, two touchdowns and one awe-inspiring drive to lead Ole Miss in a comeback win to take the Rebels as close as they’ve ever been in the last 64 years to winning the national title.

“He can do it all. He has excelled in every aspect of the game. He certainly brings a ton of energy to their team. He’s a limitless football player.”

And I’m still picking Miami.

That Canes defense bullied and dizzied No. 2 Ohio State’s offense like a Rubik’s Cube does a fully-functional adult. Perhaps Chambliss the rare nerd — like me — who memorized the algorithm to beat the Rubik’s Cube. But it took me three months. He’s got seven days. Good luck.

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 5 Oregon (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Winner: Indiana

(Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Perhaps it’s as simple as this: Among the good (Lane Kiffin?) and great (Kirby Smart!), it’s Indiana coach Curt Cignetti who took notes and listened to everything Nick Saban said simply so he could replicate it, just as the new era of college football ran Saban off to TV land and allowed Indiana’s head coach to pull out the 55-gallon drum of whoop-ass and pour it all over the sport.

For Cignetti, it’s no coincidence that all four head coaches in the CFP semis were assistants at Alabama for Saban at one point in a 15-year span — 2007 to 2022.

[The Big Picture: Is a CFP First-Round Bye Actually a Disadvantage?]

“I think everybody learned a lot from Nick,” Cignetti said at his first media availability ahead of the Peach Bowl. “He was a great mentor, very organized, detailed; had a plan for everything. Manage, lead, how to stop complacency, game day, recruiting, in recruiting evaluation, player evaluation. I mean, he had it all. And if you were serious about your career and wanted to be a head coach one day, you took great notes or great mental notes.”

“So I felt like after one year with Coach Saban,” Cignetti said, “that I had learned more about how to run a program than I maybe did the previous 27 as an assistant coach, and stayed with him for three more years. So there’s a lot of disciples out there doing well, and that’s why he’s the greatest of all time.”

Cignetti joined Saban’s staff in 2007 and left it in 2011 to become head coach at Indiana University-Pennsylvania, and he’s only held the title of head coach since. See that, kids? Sometimes, the right internship does prepare you for the job you want. But, like Cignetti at Alabama, make sure they pay you handsomely for your time. Your labor ain’t free.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.

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

Link

NIL

Kirby Moore Adds Brad Larrondo, Seven Assistants to Cougar Coaching Staff

Published

4 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

PULLMAN, Wash. (Jan. 5, 2026) – Washington State University Head Football Coach Kirby Moore Monday announced that Brad Larrondo has been named the program’s Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director / General Manager, while also naming seven more assistants to his first coaching staff in Pullman.

Larrondo is a veteran of college athletics for more than two decades. Larrondo brings a wealth of experience to Pullman having spent the previous three seasons working closely with Moore at Missouri. For the 2024-25 seasons, Larrondo served as the CEO of Every True Tiger Brands, an NIL Marketing and Branding agency for Missouri athletes. The NIL marketing and brand agency has established itself as a leading collective in college football. Larrondo spent the 2023 season as an assistant athletic director/director football external relations & recruiting at Missouri. Prior to Missouri, Larrondo was the football chief of staff for Bryan Harsin at Auburn for two seasons and served in a similar role under Harsin at Boise State.

“This is a transformational step for Washington State Football,” said Moore. “The work required to manage a roster, including contract negotiations, player evaluation, strategic planning, recruiting and retention requires full time focus. Brad’s extensive experience in the SEC will help us improve our process and program. I look forward to working alongside Brad as we look ahead to great things for WSU Football.”

Of the seven new assistant coaches, three will be on the offensive side of the ball and four on defense. The 2026 Cougar coaching staff will include Jack Abercrombie (offensive line), Andrew Browning (rush/defensive run game coordinator), Greg Burns (secondary/safeties), Derham Cato (run game coordinator/tight ends), Eti Ena (defensive tackles), Derek Sage (wide receivers/special teams coordinator) and Brandyn Thompson (cornerbacks).

“Adding these seven members to our staff is an exciting step for our program,” said Moore. “Each of them brings experience, energy and a clear commitment to developing our student-athletes on and off the field.”

Last week, Moore announced both coordinator positions, Trent Bray (defensive coordinator/linebackers) and Matt Miller (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), as well as Malcolm Hardmon (director of football athletic performance).

Below are brief overviews for the seven new assistant coaches:

Jack Abercrombie – Offensive Line: Spent past three seasons working alongside Kriby Moore at Missouri, the last two as assistant offensive line coach… in 2025, Missouri rushing offense ranked eighth nationally at 234.1 yards per game, led by consensus All-American running back Ahmad Hardy…has also coached at VMI, Mississippi State and Gannon.

Andrew Browning – Rush/Defensive Run Game Coordinator: Arrives in Pullman after spending previous eight seasons at California, last seven as defensive line coach…Cal’s defense posted 24-plus sacks in five of those seven years…also coached at UTEP for five seasons…began coaching career at Boise State in 2010, where he spent three seasons when Moore and Miller were teammates.

Greg Burns – Secondary/Safeties: A coaching veteran with nearly three decades working with defensive backs at both the professional and collegiate levels…has coached throughout the west, including stops at USC, UCLA, Cal, Arizona, Arizona State and most recently, San José State…played at WSU from 1991-95 under coach Mike Price and was a part of two bowl teams.

Derham Cato – Run Game Coordinator/Tight Ends: Begins his Cougar coaching career after spending previous three seasons working alongside Kirby Moore at Missouri, the last two as tight ends coach…also has coaching stints at Washington, Davidson, Vanderbilt and his alma mater, Dartmouth…following college, played professionally in NFL Europe, the CFL and Arena League.

Eti Ena – Defensive Tackles: A veteran coach with two decades of collegiate experience…spent the past two seasons at New Mexico State preceded by two years at Hawai’i…member of Eastern Washington staff from 2016-21 as the Eagles reached the 2018 season championship game and 2016 semifinal…a native of Inchelium, Wash., graduated from Eastern Washington.

Derek Sage – Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coordinator: Has spent two decades coaching collegiately, most recently working with tight ends at Toledo the past two seasons…making his second stint in Pullman after coaching outside receivers on Mike Leach’s staff in 2017…has also coached at UCLA, where he was tight ends/special teams coordinator, Nevada, New Hampshire and Wyoming.

Brandyn Thompson – Cornerbacks: Thompson arrives in Pullman after spending the 2025 season coaching cornerbacks at Cal Poly…also has coached at Sacramento State and Sacramento City College…2011 seventh-round selection in NFL Draft by Washington after playing at Boise State, where he was a teammate of Kirby Moore…played one season in Washington and then five in CFL.

Link

NIL

The Indiana model arrives at Oklahoma State, where new ‘triplets’ could star

Published

5 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

When Oklahoma State hired coach Eric Morris, attention quickly turned to the spoils of the roster he left behind at North Texas.

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker was the crown jewel, the No. 3 overall player in Cooper Petagna’s 247Sports transfer rankings after leading the nation in passing yards. Running back Caleb Hawkins was close behind, the No. 15 recruit and No. 1 running back transfer after leading the nation in rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Wyatt Young came in at No. 43 after ranking No. 7 nationally in receiving yards.

In the first 48 hours of the transfer portal, Morris and his staff managed to lock all three players in. And now, the triumvirate is the perfect foundation to build the future of Oklahoma State.

College football transfer portal: Indiana, Oklahoma State among teams off to hottest starts in 2026 cycle

Cody Nagel

Mestemaker is one of the great stories in college football, a former walk-on who never started a varsity game in high school. In his second season, he threw for 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns, the latter of which trails only Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. Other major programs had interest in Mestemaker, but Morris closed the deal. Young was his favorite target, even posting a 295-yard game against Rice.

While 247Sports rated Hawkins as a high-end three-star recruit, the rest of the industry was far less optimistic. His only other reported offers were Emporia State and Central Oklahoma. However, Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns as a true freshman, one of the nation’s best seasons for a running back.

Immediately, the trio becomes the best set of “triplets” at Oklahoma State since the legendary 2017 combination of Mason Rudolph, Justice Hill and James Washington. And more importantly, the additions announce nationally that Morris and highly-touted general manager Raj Murti are ready to compete on the national stage.

“Having the relationships with the new coaches helped land all three guys, but they also had to pay them what they’re worth and pay serious money for the first time,” GoPokes’ McClain Baxley told CBS Sports. “Until this week, the highest reported player was running back Ollie Gordon in 2024 and that was less than $1 million. Oklahoma State has stepped up by making scoring points a priority and given other prospects in the portal something to think about.”

The Cowboys are coming off arguably the worst season in program history, a 1-11 disaster that lacked a single FBS win. Oklahoma State ranked last in nearly every category in the Big 12 as the final year of the Mike Gundy era ended with a thud.

Gundy was reluctant to embrace the new world of college football, often dismissing NIL and the transfer portal. It seemed to bottom out with a stunning 3-9 season in 2024, after which Gundy claimed he “bought” his first roster for 2025 with 65 new additions, plus nine new assistant coaches. Between bad identification and bad development, the Cowboys rated as one of the worst power conference programs of the past several years.

As of publication, Oklahoma State has 15 total commitments to hold the No. 2 transfer class in the nation. Eleven commitments are directly from North Texas. James Madison running back Ayo Adeyi also ironically started his career with the Mean Green and reunited with Morris in Stillwater.

The strategy echoes that of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who brought 13 highly-touted transfers from James Madison in 2024. Now, many of them are All-Americans and the leader of the national title favorite. Like James Madison, North Texas finished 11-1 in Morris’s final season.

The transition to the major college level could come with complications. The Mean Green struggled against Tulane and South Florida, the two most talented teams they played in The American. North Texas is bringing several starting linemen, but it’s unclear how they’ll translate. Gundy’s disastrous finish leaves almost no existing foundation on the roster, especially in the trenches.

However, the triplets give Oklahoma State something to build around. The Cowboys are spending big money and competing with the best. With Morris’s history of creating the best offenses in college football, Boone Pickens Stadium should be rocking once more.

Link