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Minium

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Minium

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – The offseason buzz for Old Dominion football is different than it’s been in many years and by that, I mean in a very good way.

The Monarchs are confident that they will have a good team this season, and for once, some in the media seem to agree.

Although it’s still early – fall camp begins later this month – Athlon Magazine recently picked the Monarchs to finish third in the East Division, have a winning season and go to a postseason bowl game.

That’s higher than the Monarchs have been picked in a while and, if true, would be the best season under Head Coach Ricky Rahne.

“The Monarchs are a sleeper pick to win the Sun Belt in 2025,” opined Athlon.

It helps that ODU is only one of about two dozen FBS schools to return its head coach and all three coordinators for the third year in a row – winning often comes from continuity.

But there are also high expectations because ODU’s coaching staff has adjusted to the modern era of college athletics, in which, because of the transfer portal, you have to re-recruit everyone on your roster, as well as find good transfers.

The Monarchs had a ton of success in holding onto key players, including All-American linebacker Jason Henderson, who would have had a lot of offers had he put his name in the portal.

“Obviously, today, with the portal and everything, everyone has the thought that the grass is greener, and they just want to jump into the portal and go somewhere. But the truth is, the grass is greener where you water it,” Henderson said just after the spring football game, in which he confirmed he was returning to ODU.

“I’m very happy where I am.”

So were ODU’s top two quarterbacks from last season – starter Colton Joseph and backup Quinn Henicle both return. Having two talented players at the most important position on the field is a major reason for optimism.

Rahne said President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., and Dr. Wood Selig, ODU’s director of athletics, OK’d a significant boost in Name, Image and Likeness funding that allowed the Monarchs to be competitive.

“Our president and Dr. Selig are committed to building a championship program,” Rahne said. “But it also shows a great commitment from our donors, who, with the changing times, have been willing to change with it. And I know that hasn’t been easy for some of our donors.

“I appreciate what they have done because without them, it would have been difficult to retain people on our roster the way we did.”

Joseph solidified his role as ODU’s starter last season and has had a good spring and summer, said Offensive Coordinator Kevin Decker.

Joseph was sidelined from the final game at Arkansas State with an injury, but Henicle stepped in and led the Monarchs to a 40-32 victory by passing for 143 yards and rushing for 206 more.

“Having two quarterbacks who were named Sun Belt Player of the Week last season, that’s really a great thing,” Decker said.

ODU’s offensive line will be larger, deeper and more experienced than any in years. Zach Barlev, a 6-4, 318-pound senior who transferred from Illinois in 2024, was a third-team All-Sun Belt choice and anchors the O line.

Transfer Ryan Joyce, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior from Stockton, New Jersey, will start at center, Decker said. Joyce was a three-year starter at Fordham, where Decker coached before coming to ODU.

Suffolk native Griffin Duggan (6-5, 295), a redshirt senior, transferred from Virginia Tech and will see extensive playing time. Logan Cox (6-4, 328) is a transfer from Kansas State whom Decker said will see a lot of playing time.  

Quarterback Ryan Huff, a freshman who played at Pensacola Catholic in Florida last season, enrolled at ODU in the spring and impressed. He is third on the depth chart.

“He throws the ball the way you want a quarterback to throw,” Decker said. “He’s really going to be a good freaking player.”

ODU will rely on a lot of newcomers at running back and wide receiver. And while most of the wide receivers are newcomers, ODU will be much taller and more talented than last season.

Devin Roche rushed for 283 yards last season and Maurki James, who did not carry the ball in 2024, had a great spring, Decker said. Trequan Jones, a transfer from Georgia Military College, is a newcomer expected to play a lot. He rushed for 607 yards last season.  

Running back Ke’Travion Hargrove, from Ruston, La., was a late transfer from Grambling. The 6-foot, 202-pound senior rushed for 505 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Freshman wide receiver Josh Rodriguez (6-1, 195), who had 27 receptions for 478 yards last season at Somerville, High in New Jersey, will likely play right away.

Two wide receivers from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas will see extensive playing time – Tre’ Brown III (6-2, 185) and Ja’Cory Thomas (6-3, 195).

Brown had 30 receptions for 566 yards and 10 touchdowns while Thomas had 28 receptions for 477 yards and four TDs for Hutchinson, which finished 11-1 last season.

Sidney Mbanasor (6-4, 209), a sophomore from Pflugerville, Texas, is a transfer from Tulane also expected to see playing time.

ODU will be much deeper at tight end. Jalen Butler (6-4, 295), returns after being out last season with an injury. Florida transfer Dawson Johnson (6-4, 225), a redshirt freshman from Denver, Colorado, will battle for the starting position, as will freshman Chris Warren (6-3, 220) from Birmingham, Ala., and transfer Karl Peterson (6-3, 240) from New Mexico Military Institute.

Peterson hails from Tallinn, Estonia, and is a late comer to American football.   

With Henderson and starters Mario Thompson, Koa Naotala and Jahleel Culbreath returning at linebacker, ODU clearly has the best linebackers in the Sun Belt Conference and likely the best in the Group of 5.

Jackson Forrest, a 6-1, 225-pound linebacker from Concord, N.C., could see playing time as a freshman. Keshawn Thomas (6-2, 220), a Mississippi Golf Coast junior college transfer, will also see time.  

ODU’s defensive line returns a lot of experience, including Kris Trinidad, the 6-foot-5, 272-pound fifth-year senior defensive lineman from Richmond who was a third-team All-Sun Belt choice.

But the Monarchs will have to fill a ton of holes in the defensive backfield.

Kollin Collier, a sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., and a transfer from Hutchinson College, will compete for playing time at free safety, said Defensive Coordinator Blake Seiler.

Collier had a scholarship at TCU but lost it because of the recent House Settlement that reduced FBS roster sizes.

“That was unfortunate for him but good for us,” Seiler said. Seiler played under TCU defensive coordinator Brian Norwood at Kansas State. “They loved him at TCU,” Seiler said. “And he’s doing well.”

Lucas Struck, a transfer from Iowa Western junior college; Botros Alisandro, a transfer from Purdue; Marco Tyson, a junior from Coahoma Community College; and Nickendre Stiger, a senior transfer from Kansas State; are all newcomers to watch.  

“Botros was a dominant special teams player for Purdue,” Seiler said. “He came in late in the spring and had a great spring.

“I think all of our fans are going to get to know Kendra Stiger,” Seiler said.

Trey Caver, a 6-foot transfer from Benedict College, was a late comer in the transfer portal. He had 33 tackles and an interception in 10 games for the Division II school.

Defensive lineman Fred Giles, a 6-4, 230-pound junior college transfer from Jonesboro, Ark., had 71 tackles and five sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery at Coffeyville College in Kansas.

Hunter Malecki (6-3, 250), a freshman from South County High in Lorton, Va., and Javen Gibson (6-3, 235), a transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast, are other newcomers who may play on the D line.

“Malecki is a workhorse,” Seiler said. “He’s going to play as a true freshman.”

Special teams coach Kevin Smith has two newcomers expected to compete for starting roles – long snapper Brendan Durkin, a redshirt junior transfer from New Mexico, and placekicker Riley Callaghan, a senior transfer from Northern Virginia who played at Southeastern Louisiana.

Seiler said, on paper, this defense looks strong. “But we’ve got a lot of new guys,” he said. “We’ve had to replace 15 starters the last two years and that’s hard.

“It will take some time, but I think this is going to be a very good group.”

ODU had the nation’s 14th-best rushing attack last season, and with two fleet quarterbacks, depth at running back and the best offensive line the Monarchs have had in years, Decker is optimistic.

“We were 14th in the country last year, and we have all of these guys back,” he said.

“I’m very excited about the potential of this offense.”

ODU’s newcomers:

Four-Year College Transfers

Botros  Alisandro (6-1, 186), Sr., DB, Manchester, New Hampshire (Purdue)

Riley Callaghan (6-3, 19), Sr, Kicker, Ashburn, Va. (Southeastern Louisiana)

Trey Caver (6-0, 280), So., Safety, Montgomery, Alabama (Benedict College)

Logan Cox (6-5, 330), Jr., OL, Topeka, Kansas (Kansas State)

Griffin Duggan (6-5, 295), R-Sr., OL, Suffolk, Va. (Virginia Tech)

Brendan Durkin (6-1, 210), R-Jr., Long Snapper, Florida, N.Y. (New Mexico)

Josh Hamel (6-2, 200), Sr., Kicker/Punter, New Hartford, Conn. (New Haven)

Ke’Travion Hargrove (6-0, 200), Sr., RB, Ruston, La. (Grambling)

Zach Hobson (6-3, 190), Sr., Dallas, Texas (West Virginia State)

Dawson Johnson (6-4, 225), R-Fr., TE, Denver, Colorado (Florida)

Ryan Joyce (6-5, 305), R-Sr., OL, Stockton, New Jersey (Fordham)

Sidney Mbanasor (6-5 185), WR., R-Jr, Pflugerville, Texas (Tulane)

Nickendre Stiger (5-11, 187), Sr., Safety, Wichita, Kansas (Kansas State)

Junior College Transfers

Carson Bradley (6-6, 310), R-So., OL, Quincy, Fla. (Hutchinson Community College)

Tre’ Brown III (6-2, 185), R-So., WR, Savannah, Ga. (Hutchinson Community College)

Kollin Collier (6-0, 190), So., Safety, Memphis, Tenn (Hutchinson Community College)

Javen Gibson (6-3, 235), Jr., DL, Church Point La. (Mississippi Gulf Coast)

Fred Giles (6-4, 230), Jr. DL, Jonesboro, Arkansas (Coffeyville Community College)

Jorian Haynes (5-9, 170), So., DB., Rockmart, Georgia (Georgia Military College)

TJ Johnson (6-1, 190), Jr., WR, Alexandria, La. (Southwest Mississippi)

Trequan Jones (5-9, 175), Jr, RB, Bartow, Florida (Georgia Military College)

Titus Myers (6-2, 175), So., WR, Statesville, N.C. (Iowa Western)

Karl Peterson (6-2, 240), So., TE, Tallinn, Estonia (New Mexico Military)

Jayden Sheppard (6-2, 195), Jr., LB, Niceville, Fla. (Coffeyville Community College)

Lucas Struck (6-1, 200), R-So., Waukee, Iowa (Iowa Western)

Marco Tyson (5-10, 185), Jr., Safety, Memphis, Tenn. (Coahoma Comm. College)

Ja’Cory Thomas (6-3, 195), WR, Walker, La. (Hutchinson Community College)

Keshawn Thomas (6-2, 220), Jr., LB, Ocean Springs, Miss (Mississippi Gulf Coast)

High School Players

Ashten Dunman (5-9, 200), Fr., Long Snapper, Moneta, Va. (Staunton River)

CJ Floyd (6-0, 175), Fr., DB, (Pensacola, Fla. (Pine Forest)

Jackson Forrest (6-1, 225), Fr., LB, Concord, N.C. (Northwest Cabarrus)

Cameron Hill (6-3, 307), Fr., OL, Jacksonville, N.C (Jacksonville)

Justin Kalitsnik (6-2, 200), Fr., LB, Milford, Pa. (Delaware Valley)

Ryan Huff (6-3, 215), Fr., QB, Gulf Breeze, Fla. (Pensacola Catholic)

Hunter Malecki (6-3, 250), Fr., DL, Lorton, Va. (South County)

LeDarrion Menter (6-2, 245), Fr., DL, Cornelius, N.C. (Hough)

Tavares Murray Jr. (5-11, 174), Fr., Safety, Bartow, Florida (Bartow)

Zay Prince (5-11, 190), Fr., WR, Seat Pleasant, Md. (Rock Creek Christian Academy)

Josh Rodriguez (6-1, 195), Fr., WR, Somerville, New Jersey (Somerville)

Jack Sheehan (6-6, 295), Sr., OL, Fuquay-Varina, N.C., Cardinal Gibbons

Je’Hahj Sherrill (6-1, 165), Fr., DB, Statesville, N.C. (Statesville)

Andy Silverthorn (6-5, 295), Fr., OL, Toronto, Ohio (Toronto)

Justin Watts (6-0, 170), Fr., CB, Charlotte, N.C. (Mallard Creek)

Chris Warren (6-3, 220), Fr., TE, Birmingham, Ala. (Hoover)

CLICK HERE for detailed biographies on 2025 ODU football team

Minium is ODU’s senior executive writer. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

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Oregon State’s NIL management deal with Blueprint Sports is officially dead

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December 15, 2025

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Oregon State athletics’ NIL management deal with Blueprint Sports has been terminated, the university confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday.

The controversial deal — the terms of which faced scrutiny from media and fans amid the resignation of Brent Blaylock, the former OSU deputy athletic director who negotiated it — was mutually agreed to be terminated effective Dec. 8.

“Blueprint will retain the $280,000 management fee that OSU paid for the 2025-2026 contract year, but OSU will not make any additional payments to the company,” a university spokesperson said in a written statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Within 30 days of termination, Blueprint will transfer to OSU all net proceeds stemming from NIL activity under the contract, including 100% of net revenues from memberships and/or subscriptions. Those proceeds will be placed in OSU Athletics’ revenue sharing account to benefit Beaver student-athletes.”

Effective with the termination, Dam Nation — acquired by Blueprint as part of the deal — will no longer serve as OSU’s NIL collective and won’t have any official affiliation with the school, OSU said. But all donations made to Dam Nation under Blueprint’s control are required to be surrendered back to OSU by Blueprint under the terms of the contract.

After news of the Blueprint deal being wound down, Dam Nation co-founder and former Oregon State athletics general manager Kyle Bjornstad re-filed the LLC’s annual report on Nov. 5 in order to prevent its administrative dissolution, he said. His plans going forward with the name are as of yet unclear.

“The LLC’s annual report, which all Oregon LLCs must file, was due in September,” Bjornstad told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Because the transfer of the ‘Dam Nation Collective’ name was not — and has not been — completed, I filed the annual report to prevent administrative dissolution of the LLC. While my LLC still has the ‘Dam Nation Collective’ name, it is not involved in providing NIL opportunities to Oregon State student-athletes.”

OSU athletics said fans can continue to support individual OSU athletes through the Woodshop Exchange, and Oregon State Athletics through gifts to Our Beaver Nation.

“Moving forward, we will continue to pursue revenue sharing and NIL efforts within the department and through the OSU Foundation and Beaver Sports Properties,” OSU’s statement reads. “More details – including a possible new option for fans interested in membership subscriptions – will be forthcoming in the next few months.”

Whatever OSU ends up deciding in terms of NIL-related memberships for everyday fans, NIL will make up a smaller piece of the pie when it comes to compensating student-athletes. OSU athletic director Scott Barnes said in an October Q&A with The Oregonian/OregonLive that revenue sharing — for which OSU can raise up to a $20.5 million cap as determined by the House settlement — is the far bigger pot to draw from.

The Beavers are unlikely to come close to the cap, however. Their revenue sharing budget is not publicly known. This is not unique to OSU, as most schools including the biggest spenders like Oregon do not disclose their revenue share and NIL budgets.

OSU is set to bring in former Alabama assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges to manage NIL deals and recruiting specifically for football. His exact title and responsibilities have not been made public, nor have OSU’s specific plans for allocating athlete payments toward other sports.



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Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss on waiver, transfer portal, NFL draft

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December 15, 2025

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Dec. 15, 2025, 3:17 p.m. CT



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DJ Lagway Transfer Sparks Wild College Football Portal Season With NIL Market

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December 15, 2025

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DJ Lagway’s bails on Florida looking for greener pastures in the transfer portal.

Published•Updated

Here we go, the college football transfer portal is three weeks away from opening, and we already have one significant name deciding it’s time to move on, with Florida quarterback DJ Lagway announcing his intentions on Monday. 

The Gators prized recruit in Billy Napier’s first year is moving on, and I hope college football fans are ready for what is set to be a wild month of movement. Unfortunately for Florida and Lagway, it seemed as though both needed a fresh start. 

Florida’s New Coach Has A Chance To Turn DJ Lagway Into A Monster, Or Another Lesson On NIL Risks

While fans of the program were ecstatic when the 5-star committed to Florida, the expectations exceeded reality. Even though Lagway ended the 2024 season with a bang, the offseason shoulder surgery felt like a catalyst for things to come. Not once during the 2025 season did he look comfortable in the pocket, and neither did his throwing motion. 

But, the bigger question is what will happen over the next four weeks in terms of others deciding to look for a better opportunity? 

After Sherrone Moore Scandal, Michigan Board Orders Investigation Into Athletic Department

Payments Are Being Completed, New Destinations Await

One of the most interesting parts of this past summer came when schools were racing to the finish line before the House Settlement was complete. 

Needing to beat the ruling, programs were financially taking care of contracts with front-loaded deals that saw athletes cashing lump-sum checks to help offset the $20.3 million roster caps that schools were forced to stay under. 

Don’t forget that a lot of players are receiving final payments over the next few weeks from pervious contracts, though some even signed long-term deals that could have them owing the former school money. 

NIL Collectives Are Back In The Game Like They Never Left, As House Settlement Lawyers Reach Agreement

This meant the majority of payments to athletes were taken care of from the start. But, this also led to players potentially having to pay back some of that money if they were intending to leave. It could be anywhere between $30,000 to the high six-figures, but players are going to take what they eventually earn at their next school, and pay back their previous team. 

I don’t know if you’d want to call it a ‘buyout’, but more of a repayment plan. And, while some might think the market will settle down, the College Sports Commission not having enforcement in place right now could complicate matters. 

But, are boosters getting tired of spending money on lackluster results?

Return On Investment Fatigue Is Real For Boosters

Whether a school wants to admit it or not, there are plenty of high-dollar donors across the country that have grown tired of the lack of ROI. 

Let’s be clear, these boosters are not going to be happy if the school they donate to is not holding up a trophy at the end of each season. That’s a given. But, even while some colleges continue to say they are in great shape when it comes to roster retention and receiving that extra $10-15 million from outside sources. 

Heck, Monday morning, current Tulane, and Florida, coach Jon Summrall announced he was donating $100,000 to the Green Wave for its ‘Talent Fund’. Yes, that’s what some are calling this period of buying players. 

What Happens When College Athletes Don’t Disclose NIL Deals In House Settlement Era? Backdoor Deals Return

The reason why LSU was so hellbent on making it known that they would be providing Lane Kiffin with at least an extra $10-15 million in NIL money centers around the shiny new toy they hired to become the head coach. 

Being able to actually spend that type of money will rely on schools making sure they can make this all look legitimate. This is the part that is intriguing. How do you funnel the money? 

You can expect some pretty big names to test the waters that are also known as the ‘transfer portal’. Will every player that makes an announcement end up leaving for a different school? No, it’s also a bargaining tool, just like coaches using other openings to garner a new contract at their current school. 

But, this will certainly turn into a pretty wild month for programs across the sport of college football. And, DJ Lagway was the first big name to kick things off. 





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Florida coach Jon Sumrall donates $100,000 to Tulane’s NIL fund

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December 15, 2025

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Florida’s newly hired head coach, Jon Sumrall, has made it clear he intends to leave the Tulane program in a better place than he found it. 

After two seasons with the Green Wave, Sumrall is headed to Gainesville, though not before helping lead the program through the remainder of the 2025 season, with Tulane set to take on No. 6-seeded Ole Miss Saturday in Oxford in the College Football Playoff’s first round. 

Along with continuing to coach his team, unlike former Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, who’s now in Baton Rouge at LSU, Sumrall chose not to poach commits from Tulane ahead of Early Signing Day. 

“I Zoomed with my signees or my commits at Tulane, and I told them to sign at Tulane because I’m not trying to poach their class,” Sumrall said at his introductory press conference in Gainesville. “I want those guys to go play there.”

Now, Sumrall has taken another step in ensuring the Green Wave remain competitive after he’s no longer in New Orleans. 

Sumrall has donated $100,000 to the Green Wave Talent Fund in support of newly promoted head coach Will Hall. 

The six-figure gift to the Green Wave Talent Fund, Tulane’s associated NIL collective, will aid Tulane’s ability to recruit, retain, and develop collegiate athletes. 

“Tulane University and New Orleans are special to me and my family. Ginny and I are honored to support the Green Wave Talent Fund because we believe in the vision of Tulane Athletics and want to contribute to the continued success of its student-athletes. The future is incredibly bright, and we are excited for Will Hall and his family to be part of it,” Sumrall said. “Coach Hall possesses a keen understanding of Tulane University and its football program, along with a passion that greatly benefits the Green Wave. As a leader, he cares deeply about helping others reach their full potential and is dedicated to equipping them to achieve that goal in every way possible. He has our family’s full support, and we wish him nothing but success as he leads Tulane Football!”

It’s not the first time the Sumrall family has looked to invest in Tulane’s continued success; In 2024, they joined the Olive & Blue Society through a recurring philanthropic commitment to Tulane Athletics.

Sumrall’s high regard for the program is clear, and he’s taken another step to ensure the program won’t experience a significant decline now that he’s no longer leading the program. 

“We are grateful to Jon and Ginny for this incredible gift,” David Harris, the Ben Weiner Director of Athletics Chair, said in a statement. “Their leadership and generosity will have a direct and lasting impact on our student-athletes as we continue to grow and elevate Tulane Athletics.”



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Brendan Sorsby, DJ Lagway could be Tennessee football quarterback picks

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December 15, 2025

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Updated Dec. 15, 2025, 12:57 p.m. CT





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Jon Sumrall donating $100,000 to Tulane’s NIL fund

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December 15, 2025

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Dec. 15, 2025, 12:33 p.m. ET



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