NIL
Let This Bull Run
Why NCAA should stand for “Not Competent At All” after latest ruling on Louisville basketball center Aly Khalifa. The NCAA is a funny organization – and when I say “funny,” I don’t mean ‘Richard-Pryor-in-a-red-suit-talking-about-prison-on-the-Sunset-Strip-in-1982’ funny. No…the NCAA is more ‘how-a-landfill-next-to-a-dog-food-factory-on-a-sweltering-hot-day-following-a-flash-flood-smells’ funny. In a decision that is as bewildering as it is aggravating, the governing body […]


Why NCAA should stand for “Not Competent At All” after latest ruling on Louisville basketball center Aly Khalifa.
The NCAA is a funny organization – and when I say “funny,” I don’t mean ‘Richard-Pryor-in-a-red-suit-talking-about-prison-on-the-Sunset-Strip-in-1982’ funny. No…the NCAA is more ‘how-a-landfill-next-to-a-dog-food-factory-on-a-sweltering-hot-day-following-a-flash-flood-smells’ funny. In a decision that is as bewildering as it is aggravating, the governing body of college athletics denied Louisville basketball center Aly Khalifa’s request for an extension of his five-year eligibility clock.
That request would have allowed him to participate in a fourth season following last year’s knee surgery that caused him to miss the season. The consensus reaction of the basketball world has been shock, disappointment, and outrage: this ruling, like a hot, wet city dump, stinks.
Khalifa, a 6-foot-11 center from Egypt who cut his basketball teeth in Australia, had high hopes for next season. His skill set, as a five who can shoot the three and distribute the ball with the prowess of an elite guard, is as dynamic as it is rare amongst men of his stature. Add to that the fact the Khalifa shed fifty pounds following his surgery rehabilitation and practiced in Kelsey’s system for most of 2025, and the stage was effectively set for Aly to shine as a potential starter for Louisville basketball.
The NCAA, however, seeks to close the curtains, turn off the spot lights, and get the Cards’ resurgent center off center stage.
And nobody understands why.
Also relevant: Kasean Pryor makes Card a National Title contender
Aly Khalifa’s path to Pat Kelsey
Khalifa’s college career looks like this in a nutshell: Aly spent his freshman year in Charlotte, where he redshirted in 2020-21. He was then an on-court 49er for two seasons before transferring to BYU, where he played under current Kentucky coach Mark Pope in 2023-24.
He became a Cardinal last year, but never clocked a minute of game-time basketball in Louisville basketball red. Instead, he spent the first half of the season mending his knee, then practiced with the team from January, on.
Do the math: that’s three years of on-court college basketball. What’s more, Khalifa’s redshirt season in Charlotte fell during the COVID year, which has been universally written off do to the viral shutdown’s effect on the season, for everyone…
Everyone, except Aly Khalifa, it would seem.
Smells like bullshirt to me
In an era during which the landscape of college basketball has been completely transformed by NIL money and the transfer portal, players are seeking more extra eligibility than ever. More often than not, they get it.
Gonzaga’s Khalif Battle, for example, played games in six different college seasons. Battle was granted extensions because two of his seasons were cut short by injury, limiting him to seven and eleven games in them, respectively. How on Earth is it then possible that the NCAA permitted Battle’s extensions because multiple seasons were ended because of injury, while simultaneously denying Khalifa, whose seasons-in-question never even began?
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If the NCAA is trying to assert its authority in an age when it is becoming increasingly irrelevant, the hypocrisy of this decision only further subverts the Association’s validity.
Grabbing the bull by the horns
Khalifa has lawyered up, filing an appeal that most experts believe he should win. At face value, there is no reason he is not cleared to play. His first season at Charlotte shouldn’t be an issue for multiple reasons: either because he redshirted, or because of COVID. If that were the issue, then the NCAA should have notified Louisville basketball long before May of 2025.
I’m aware that the redshirt paperwork doesn’t get filed until after the season, which is problematic in and of itself: take a look at the current predicament. Still, the fact that Khalifa was even allowed to transfer to Louisville should have made his eligibility waiver a mere formality: his intention to have knee surgery and sit out was made public and tied to his decision to transfer from BYU.
As the transfer was approved, the waiver should have followed, because without the waiver the transfer had no point.
Khalifa is a big deal… no bull
With or without Khalifa, Pat Kelsey has the Cards loaded for next season. But if Khalifa’s appeal is denied, things could get dicey for the Cards in the front court should anything else go awry.
James Scott became an Ole Miss Rebel after Kasean Pryor declared his intent to return and the Cards acquired Sananda Fru: playing time could have been scarce for Scott with Pryor, Fru, and Khalifa all competing (I would have liked to see him stay and elevate his game, though). But Pryor is coming off a torn ACL, and Fru is a freshman from Germany, untested by American elite talent.
Without Scott and Khalifa, the roster that seemed to be bursting at the seams with talent when the portal opened now seems an injury away from having some quite literally sizable gaps to fill.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope said that Khalifa changed the very way he thought about the game of basketball. Any player that can profoundly impact the way an experienced college player and coach like Pope sees the game would surely have a remarkable impact within it.
And Pope coached a Khalifa who was fifty pounds heavier and struggling with a bad knee.
Let this bull run
Hopefully, the NCAA will do the right thing. But in denying Aly’s waiver, and allowing things to enter the legal realm, the NCAA risks setting a new precedent for player eligibility if they lose in court. Make no mistake: if Aly wins, and my God I pray he does, there will be further lawsuits for more eligibility by other players. It is this precedent, and nothing at all to do with the validity of Aly’s claim, that makes me wary of the upcoming face-off in court. But I, quite honestly, couldn’t care less about the implications for the NCAA, or NCAA in general, for that matter. I just want to see what Aly can do in the eye of the storm of talent Kelsey has coming to Louisville.
All things considered, Aly Khalifa is a Master’s level immigrant student who has played in only three seasons of college basketball. If anybody deserves another year of eligibility, it’s Aly. Unfortunately, though, if Louisville’s past dealings with the NCAA have showed us anything, it’s that it rarely gives the Cards what they deserve, and takes things from them that they have earned.
NIL
Missouri’s Damon Wilson makes donation to youth football program in hometown using NIL dollars
Before Damon Wilson was a five-star recruit, he began his football journey at the youth level in his hometown of Venice, Fla. He went on to play college football at Georgia before transferring to Missouri this year. As he prepares for his first season in Columbia, Wilson saw an opportunity to give back. Using his […]

Before Damon Wilson was a five-star recruit, he began his football journey at the youth level in his hometown of Venice, Fla. He went on to play college football at Georgia before transferring to Missouri this year.
As he prepares for his first season in Columbia, Wilson saw an opportunity to give back. Using his NIL dollars, he donated to his hometown Pop Warner program.
Wilson made a donation to the Venice Vikings youth team, vowing to match donations made during a fundraising drive which brought in more than $6,000. He also previously donated to the Venice high school program, where he developed into a five-star recruit and a Top-20 player from the 2022 cycle.
Between the two, Wilson’s donations totaled more than $10,000, per the St Louis Post-Dispatch. The former highly rated recruit said it’s part of his goal to give back using the NIL money he’s earning in the SEC and remembering where it all started.
“NIL is not going anywhere,” Wilson told the Post-Dispatch. “It’s probably gonna be here forever. Just starting a cycle of athletes who come back and give back to their community and to their local Pop Warner or youth football team, because we were all kids at one point who played football. That’s just what we’re meant to do.”
Wilson – who has a $989,000 On3 NIL Valuation – spent two years at Georgia and turned in his most productive season in 2024. He totaled 22 tackles, including six tackles for loss and three sacks, while adding two fumble recoveries across 14 games.
Following his sophomore campaign, Wilson entered the transfer portal and came in as the No. 7-ranked player to hit the open market this past cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. He announced his commitment to Missouri in January and is set to take his first snaps with the Tigers next month.
But even before his Mizzou debut, Damon Wilson said he wants to join the group of college football stars giving back through NIL. While it’s not always possible, he pointed out more players across the sport are making donations with their dollars.
“I just hope they’re able to see what I can do,” Wilson said. “Not everybody has the ability (to donate NIL earnings) because other people might be trying to take care of their family or other situations like that. Some people aren’t in the position to donate a large amount. But if they are, I feel like a lot of people in college football are kind of trending towards that and trying to better their own communities.
“That’s one thing that a lot of college football teams talk about: giving back to your community instead of just taking, taking, taking, taking all the time.”
NIL
NIL Executive Order Only Makes Need For Legislative Solution More Apparent – Sport
On July 24, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order relating to college athletics and name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments. This order seeks to limit third-party NIL payments and require universities to preserve Olympic sports programs as they work to implement the House settlement, which permits universities to engage in direct revenue sharing contracts […]

On July 24, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order relating
to college athletics and name, image, and likeness (NIL)
payments. This order seeks to limit third-party NIL payments
and require universities to preserve Olympic sports programs as
they work to implement the House settlement, which permits
universities to engage in direct revenue sharing contracts with
their athletes. This order also aims to prevent, as stated in a published fact
sheet, “endless litigation seeking to eliminate the basic
rules of college sports.” The legal significance and
correctness of this order, which implicates student athletes’
right to contract, the anti-commandeering principle of the United
States Constitution as applied to state universities, and other
significant legal matters, will be hotly debated.
Regardless of this executive order’s direct legal impact,
however, it displays the competing policy positions and concerns at
play in this area. As has been widely reported, many universities
in the so-called “Power Four” conferences intend to
provide a significant majority of revenue sharing funds to their
football and/or men’s basketball teams. These sports are the
revenue drivers for most institutions and financially subsidize
other programs. To defray the cost of revenue sharing, some
universities have implemented or considered cuts to
non-revenue-generating sports and/or various roster limits. This
executive order, however, states plainly the President’s intent
to ensure that such Olympic sports are preserved at the collegiate
level. This creates uncertainty as to how and whether universities
can focus their funds on football and men’s basketball, as many
intend.
Perhaps most significantly for universities, this order requires
that “any revenue-sharing permitted between universities and
collegiate athletes should be implemented in a manner that protects
women’s and non-revenue sports.” Providing a majority of
revenue sharing payments to football and men’s basketball
players would not appear to comply with this intent. Although
stated in the executive order as more of a policy goal, the major
question it begs is whether the Executive Branch interprets Title
IX as requiring such balanced implementation of revenue sharing
payments. If so, this would absolutely prohibit any football and
men’s basketball-focused model and force many universities back
to the revenue-sharing drawing board.
The competing policy considerations and legal issues reflected
in this executive order only make the need for federal legislation
in this area even more apparent. Currently, federal courts are
considering issues such as college athlete employment, as well as
the legality of the House settlement itself. Legal
disputes relating to whether and which third-party NIL payments
will be permitted and whether Title IX applies to such payments
will come in the near future. This executive order attempts to
resolve these issues with a priority on protecting women’s and
Olympic college sports programs. However, aside from additional
litigation this order might invite, doing so could threaten the
projected financial model for college football and men’s
basketball. The only manner to definitively establish law and
policy around these questions is through federal law.
In these uncertain times, universities require partners who can
assist them with not only fighting and interpreting legal matters,
but also with shaping the legal landscape itself. To the extent
universities wish to advocate for a future in which they can
financially prioritize certain sports or avoid apparent legal
problems, they must be prepared to actively engage in the federal
legislative process to make their interests known. Otherwise, as
discussed in the executive order, “the basic rules of college
sports” will be decided around them.
SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed
an Executive Order to protect student-athletes and collegiate
athletic scholarships and opportunities, including in Olympic and
non-revenue programs, and the unique American institution of
college sports.
www.whitehouse.gov/…
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.
NIL
Phil Steele ranks Top 12 most improved teams in College Football for 2025
Every college football season, under the radar teams rise from the ashes (such as Indiana last season) and surprise the entire sport while other teams (such as Florida State last season) enter the season with high expectations and fall hard. This will be no exception this season, which is the second to be played under […]

Every college football season, under the radar teams rise from the ashes (such as Indiana last season) and surprise the entire sport while other teams (such as Florida State last season) enter the season with high expectations and fall hard. This will be no exception this season, which is the second to be played under the 12-team College Football Playoff format.
College football writer Phil Steele ranked his top-12 most improved teams in college football in his College Football Preview Magazine. The full list is below:
The 2024 season was an abject disaster for Mike Norvell‘s Florida State program, as it went from a 13-0 team that narrowly missed the College Football Playoff (would have been a top-four seed in the new CFP system) to finishing with a 2-10 record last season. With Boston College transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos behind center, anything would be an improvement for the ‘Noles this season.
“This time they lost just two NFL [Draft picks] and are much stronger on offense with a solid defense,” Steele wrote in his College Football Preview Magazine. “Florida State made my Most Improved List in 2022 and went from five to 10 wins but this year they are my No. 1 Most Improved team and will contend in the ACC.”
2. Utah Utes (2024: 5-7, 2-7 Big 12)

Utah was tabbed as one of the favorites in the Big 12 last season but crashed and burned hard with a 5-7 (2-7) record. It was the first full season in which the Utes finished with less than six wins since 2013, but they immediately bounced back and won nine games the next season. Making a bowl game in 2025, which is a low ceiling for the Utah program, would be an improvement from last season.
“The last time Utah had a losing season was 2013,” Steele wrote. “They made my Most Improved list in 2014 and went 9-4. This year they are my No. 2 Most Improved team and last year they were the favorites to win the Big 12 and this year with a much improved offense could live up to those expectations and are a legitimate Big 12 title contender.”
The first year of SEC play was not kind to the Oklahoma Sooners, which went just 6-7 and just barely earned a bowl berth by upsetting Alabama near the end of the season. After winning just six games in two of the first three seasons of the Brent Venables era, a massive improvement is needed this season to alleviate the pressure put on the 54-year-old head coach.
“The Sooners are my No. 3 Most Improved team and should have similar improvement to the last time they were in that spot,” Steele wrote. “After going over the team with coach [Brent] Venables, I believe this is a playoff caliber roster. So despite the rugged schedule, they are also my No. 1 Surprise team this year and have a great shot at going from a losing season all the way to a playoff berth!”
With just two teams in the Pac-12 last season, Oregon State had to play a near fully non-conference schedule and finished with just a 5-7 record. With the second season under new head coach Trent Bray approaching fast, improvement is expected quick before the Pac-12 expands back to eight schools in 2026.
“Oregon State had been 17-2 at home the previous three years (4-3 in 2024) and if they re-establish that dominant home edge they should get back to a bowl game as they again have seven home games,” Steele wrote. “With all those factors pointing for a better record the Beavers make my Most Improved List!”

It’s been a rough stretch of season for the North Texas football program, which has won at least seven games in a season once since it won nine games in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018. The Mean Green are just 11-14 in two seasons under head coach Eric Morris, so a promising season could be needed to secure his job for the 2026 campaign.
“North Texas had six players named to one of the AAC All-Conference Teams and none of them return, but they will have a winning season in [Eric Morris‘] third year and be a dark horse American Conference contender,” Steele wrote.
The first season of the Bill Belichick era in Chapel Hill is set to be an absolute circus, but the move provided a jolt of energy to a North Carolina program that hasn’t won 10 games in a season since 2015. Last season, legendary head coach Mack Brown led the ‘Heels to 6-7 record and was fired following the conclusion of the regular season.
“A good portion of their incoming transfers have little experience but [Bill] Belichick develops players and puts them in the right spots,” Steele wrote. “This is a wild card team in the ACC but off a losing season the Tar Heels are my No. 6 Most Improved team and could be a surprise ACC contender.”
The first three seasons of the Sonny Cumbie era at Louisiana Tech have been downright dreadful, as the Bulldogs are just 11-26 and have been mostly uncompetitive. Steele however expects a big jump this season for the Bulldogs after increasing their win total from three to five in 2024.
“I consider them a legitimate contender in C-USA,” Steele wrote. “The bowl practices were helpful as well and this year Louisiana Tech is my No. 7 Most Improved team and a CUSA title contender.”

Following Luke Fickell‘s jump to Wisconsin at the conclusion of the 2022 season, Cincinnati has missed back-to-back bowl games in its first two years under former Appalachian State and Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield. Led by veteran quarterback Brendan Sorsby, a bowl appearance would be a step forward for the program.
“This year they have 18 returning starters including QB [Brendan] Sorsby so are a veteran team,” Steele wrote. “They had three Net Close losses and were +26 ypg in B12 play (No. 8). They make the Going Up Chart for Off YPP and go from No. 112 on my Experience Chart to No. 26. The Bearcats make my Most Improved list and will surprise a lot of folks this year.”
Air Force found national relevance after going 29-10 over a three-year span from 2021-2023, but fell off last year with a disappointing 5-7 record. Steele however expects the Falcons and their dynamic offense to rise back to Mountain West title contention this season.
“This will be more of your typical Air Force squad and they are my No. 9 Most Improved team this year and are a legitimate Mountain West title contender,” Steele wrote.
The 2024 season felt like a bit of an anomaly for the NC State program, which failed to win at least eight games for the second time in the past eight seasons. In a bit of a down Atlantic Coast Conference, Steele expects Dave Doeren to have his team contending for a conference title once again this season.
“Dave Doeren has had three losing seasons in his 13 years here and the first two times he bounced back with an eight win year,” Steele wrote. “NC State averaged 8.5 wins the previous four years and will get back to normal and they make my Most Improved list.”

Former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason took over the Middle Tennessee program last season and led the Raiders to a 3-9 record in his first season. With a season under his belt, Steele expects Mason to lead the Raiders back to relevancy in his second year.
“This year, head coach [Derek] Mason got his first full recruiting class and now has a veteran team and is ready to take the usual second year coach jump,” Steele wrote. “They are much improved on both offense and defense and go from No. 107 to No. 36 on my experience chart.”
The 2025 season is absolutely make or break for head coach Brent Pry, who has led the Hokies to just a 16-21 record in three seasons. For a program that expects to constantly be in the upper echelon of the ACC, a promising season for Pry could mean nailing down his job security.
“While they drop to 12 returning starters, this is head coach [Brent] Pry‘s best team and they come into the year under the radar but make my Most Improved List and will make some noise in the ACC and top last year’s win total.”
NIL
Sophie Cunningham receives pro wrestling offer from Lakers owner Jeanie Buss
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the faces of the WNBA this season. Beyond her play on the court, Cunningham has blown up on social media and partnered with companies such as Adidas, Arby’s and Ring. Now, it looks like she has another job waiting for her if she wants it. Los […]

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the faces of the WNBA this season. Beyond her play on the court, Cunningham has blown up on social media and partnered with companies such as Adidas, Arby’s and Ring.
Now, it looks like she has another job waiting for her if she wants it. Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss, who also co-owns Women of Wrestling (WOW), would love to see Cunningham join the professional wrestling promotion.
“We would love to have [Cunningham] join us at [WOW],” Buss wrote on X. “She is talented, dedicated and a fierce competitor!!”
Cunningham, the seventh-year pro, has become an enforcer-like presence for the Fever this season. She notably came to the defense of teammate Caitlin Clark in the June 17 contest against the Connecticut Sun. During the third quarter, Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye, resulting in a scuffle between the two teams. Cunningham later retaliated by committing a flagrant foul on Sheldon, and the two went at it before officials ejected both of them from the game.
“During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA,” Cunningham said of the incident. “At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do.”
Women of Wrestling interested in Sophie Cunningham
It caught the attention of WOW founder and co-owner David McLane, who sees a potential superstar in Cunningham. McLane, an Indianapolis native, spoke highly of Cunningham last Friday at the San Diego Comic Con.
“I’m from Indiana,” McLane said. “I’m from Indianapolis, and that’s the home of not only the second-best basketball team in the country this last year, but the biggest name in professional basketball today, Caitlin Clark. And Caitlin Clark has an enforcer. She’s the Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky, and she is a stunning athlete.
“I flew to Las Vegas and watched them in action against the Aces, and I would love to have Sophia Cunningham in WOW, because she takes down the competition, and she makes sure that Caitlin Clark is safe on the basketball floor. We’d love to have Sophie in WOW.”
Cunningham has appeared in 21 games this season. She is averaging 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
NIL
K-State Baseball Summer Update – July 30
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A summer update of current and former Wildcats. MLB Will Brennan – OF – Cleveland Guardians Years at K-State: 2017-19 Brennan played 35 games for the Guardians Triple-AAA squad before he was recalled on May 12. In six games with Cleveland, Brennan is slashing .091/.231/.091 over 11 at bats. He was put […]

MLB
Will Brennan – OF – Cleveland Guardians
Years at K-State: 2017-19
Brennan played 35 games for the Guardians Triple-AAA squad before he was recalled on May 12. In six games with Cleveland, Brennan is slashing .091/.231/.091 over 11 at bats. He was put on a 60-day injured list on May 22. The Colorado Springs product was drafted in the eighth round by the Guardians in the 2019 MLB Draft.
TRIPLE-A
Nick Martini – OF – Las Vegas Aviators (OAK, AAA)
Years at K-State: 2009-11
Martini played 43 games with the Colorado Rockies in 2025 before electing to free agency on June 2 and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics. With Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, Martini is slashing .265/.406/.401 with four home runs and 20 RBI.
Carson Seymour – RHP Sacramento River Cats (SF, AAA)
Years at K-State: 2020-21
This season, Seymour boasts a 3.86 ERA with a 4-8 record and opponents hitting .225 against him. He has struck out 90 against 39 walks, that included striking out a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings against Tacoma on June 13. Seymour made his MLB debut on June 29, logging one scoreless inning against the Chicago White Sox and was sent back to Sacramento a few days later.
Jordan Wicks – LHP – Chicago Cubs
Years at K-State: 2019-21
In July, Wicks made two relief appearances for the Cubs, logging 6 1/3 innings before being option back to Triple-A Iowa Cubs. With Iowa, Wicks boasts a 4.10 ERA with a 1.4 overall record. The Conway, Arkansas native has struck out 50 this season in Triple-A, averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
DOUBLE-A
Blake Adams RHP Hartford Yard Goats (CO, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022
In 17 appearances (16 starts), Adams is 4-7 with a 6.45 ERA (48 ER, 67 IP) and 65 strikeouts. Alongside a 1.31 WHIP, Adams registers a 3.42 strikeout-to-walk ratio, recording season-high five-strikeout games on June 1 vs. New Hampshire and July 5 vs. Binghamton.
Kaelen Culpepper – INF – Wichita Wind Surge (MIN, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
Culpepper was quickly promoted to Double-A Wichita Surge, following a strong start to the 2025 season with High-A Cedar Rapids. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Culpepper is slashing .333/.414/.510 with an .924 OPS for Wichita. He was named to the American League Roster for the 2025 All-Star Futures Game —the only Twins prospect named to the squad.
Brendan Jones – OF – Somerset Patriots (NYY, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
Jones was promoted to Double-A Somerset on June 3. In 42 games for Somerset, Jones is slashing .238/.331/.449 with 35 hits that include seven doubles, three triples and six home runs. Jones has driven in 30 RBI and stolen 10 bases.
Zach Kokoska – OF – Hartford Yard Goats (CO, AA)
Years at K-State: 2019-21
Kokoska, who was drafted in the 10th round by the Colorado Rockies in 2021, has produced a slash line of .187/.282/.393 in 2025 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. Kokoska has produced nine multi-hit games.
Connor McCullough – RHP – Birmingham Barons (CHW, AA)
Years at K-State: 2020-22
McCullough came back from rehab assignment on July 1. Across five starts, McCullough posts a 0-2 record and boasts a 4.22 ERA, striking out 11 in 10 2/3 innings. He is holding opponents to a .214 average.
Tyson Neighbors – RHP – San Antonio Missions (SD, AA)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
After a hot start with High-A Fort Wayne where he owned a 1.18 ERA and averaged 15.49 strikeouts per nine innings, Neighbors was promoted to Double-A San Diego on June 11. In 13 appearances with the Missions, Neighbors boasts a 2-0 record with a 2.75 ERA. In seven relief appearances in the month of July, Neighbors has only surrendered one run (unearned) with 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, limiting opponents to a .108 batting average.
HIGH-A
Nick Goodwin IF Vancouver Canadians (TOR, A+)
Years at K-State: 2020-23
In his third season in the minors, the Overland Park product is slashing .230/.346/.396 with 53 hits, including 10 homers and 38 RBI. He has produced 11 multi-hit games and eight games with two or more RBI, including three games with a season-high four.
Wesley Moore – LHP – Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI, A+)
Years at K-State: 2020-22
Moore has split time between High-A and Double-A in 2025, compiling an overall record of 1-4 with a 6.08 ERA and 27 strikeouts. With High-A Jersey Shore, Moore is 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA and three holds.
Dylan Phillips – LHP – Tri-City Dust Devils (LAA, A+)
Years at K-State: 2019-22
Phillips has split time between High-A and Triple-A in 2025, making his Triple-A debut on May 11. Overall, in 2025, Phillips boasts a 3.49 ERA with a 2-3 record and opponents hitting .235 against him. Against opponents in High-A, Phillips has registered eight saves with two holds with a 1.23 ERA.
Christian Ruebeck – RHP – Great Lakes Loons (LAD, A+)
Years at K-State: 2022
In 26 relief appearances, Ruebeck posts a 1-2 record with a 7.71 ERA and two saves. The right-hander has struck out 38 across 25 2/3 innings.
Jackson Wentworth – RHP – Vancouver Canadians (TOR, A+)
Years at K-State: 2023-24
Wentworth has a record of 1-4 with a 5.04 ERA. He has struck out 86 batters over 89 1/3 innings in his 19 starts with a 1.40 WHIP. Wentworth logged six innings of one-run ball with a season-high nine strikeouts on June 24 against Tri-City. Wentworth was drafted 158th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2024 MLB Draft.
SINGLE-A
Brady Day – INF – Clearwater Threshers (PHI, A)
Years at K-State: 2022-24
Before being placed on a 7-day injured list on July 23, Day was slashing .261/.346/.348 in his second season with Clearwater, registering 60 hits and driving in 25 RBI. Day has produced nine multi-hit games, including three-hit performances on May 8 and May 10, both against St. Lucie.
REHAB ASSIGNMENT
German Fajardo RHP Modesto Nuts (SEA, A)
Years at K-State: 2020-23
Fajardo appeared in five games in 2025 with a 0.00 ERA in 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and holding opponents to a .083 average. He picked up a win on May 17, striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. Fajardo, who signed as a free agent with the Mariners organization in 2023, was placed on the 7-day injured list.
2025 MLB DRAFTEES
Jacob Frost – LHP
Years at K-State: 2024-25
Frost was taken with the 315th pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out the round, becoming the ninth player in program history selected by the Dodgers.
Maximus Martin – INF
Years at K-State: 2025
Martin was selected in the 10th round by the Boston Red Sox with the 298th overall pick. Martin is just the second Wildcat ever drafted by the Red Sox, joining Robert Youngdahl (2011).
WILDCATS IN SUMMER BALL
Player | Position | Year in ’26 | Hometown | League | Team |
Adam Arther | LHP | JR | Altadena, Calif. | Cape | Harwich |
Tazwell Butler | RHP | R-SR | Sandy Springs, Ga. | Cape | Harwich |
AJ Evasco | INF/OF | SO | Lincoln, Neb. | NECBL | Newport |
Austin Haley | INF/RHP | JR | Howe, Texas | Northwoods | St. Cloud |
Shintaro Inoue | INF | SR | Yamaguchi, Japan | Cape | Harwich |
Cadyn Karl | OF | R-JR | Edmond, Okla. | Appy | Elizabethton |
Dee Kennedy | INF | JR | Fort Worth, Texas | Cape | Harwich |
Donte Lewis | RHP/OF | SO | Pearland, Texas | Appy | Elizabethton |
Adan Longoria | RHP | JR | Plant City, Fla. | Cal Ripken | Alexandria |
Chandler Murray | INF | R-FR | Honolulu, Hawaii | Appy | Tri-State |
Rohan Putz | OF | R-SO | Loch Lloyd, Mo. | Valley | Purcellville |
Jack Quetschenbach | OF | FR | Futures | Westfield | |
Miles Smith | RHP | R-SR | Flintville, Tenn. | Appy | Bristol |
Ty Smolinski | INF | SO | Gretna, Neb. | Appy | Tri State |
NIL
CBS Sports ranks Michigan’s Sean Magee among top college football executives
This article has been updated. Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for […]
This article has been updated.
Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for Ann Arbor — a stunning coup given his ability as a standout running back.
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Then, fans were ecstatic and understood exactly why immediate results earlier in the year weren’t feasible. Because general manager Sean Magee was plotting and planning.
Magee came aboard for his second stint with Michigan football after Sherrone Moore was hired as the head coach, and he masterfully made move after move. Even when fans got a little antsy when the 2026 recruiting class appeared to be languishing behind some of the field, after the month of June, it became clear that Magee still knew what he was doing.
CBS Sports put together a list of the 21 best college football executives, and Magee was one of a select few who made the cut.
Sean Magee, Michigan
Associate AD for football and general manager
Magee landed the coup of the 2025 recruiting class when he orchestrated the flip of No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood from LSU. He has one of the most unique backgrounds in the space as a former Navy offensive lineman, Surface Warfare Officer and former chief of staff for the Chicago Bears. (…)
NIL attorneys and agents who have worked with Magee praise his intellect and ability to navigate potentially difficult negotiations. His arrival in Ann Arbor signaled a shift in Michigan’s approach, showing a greater willingness to be aggressive in NIL efforts to land top talent such as quarterback Bryce Underwood and five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola.
Magee came aboard, working with the foundation set by collectives such as Valiant and Champions Circle which had established themselves in the years while he was in Chicago. There are always numbers bandied about for certain players (like Underwood), Michigan insists that they’re not always accurate.
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“First of all, there’s this random number that people throw out that they think Bryce got, which I don’t know where they got it from, but good for them,” Sherrone Moore said at Big Ten media days. “Bryce knows that. The conversation I have with Bryce is that, ‘Bryce, you come here, I’m not giving you anything. You have to go earn it.’ Verbatim out of his mouth, ‘I would want it no other way.'”
Surely, it was still a move made possible by NIL, and with Magee connecting with Larry and Jolin Ellison to make that recruitment possible after it was dead on arrival shows that much more of his prowess behind the scenes.
While there might not be any big, marquee transfers outside of Haynes, many appear to be flying under the radar, like wide receivers Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson. And, with a year under his belt, it will be interesting to see how he continues to modernize the football department from the inside.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: CBS Sports names Michigan’s Sean Magee a top CFB executive
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