If there was anyone from last season’s Kentucky team who wanted to see a sophomore season of Travis Perry in Lexington more than head coach Mark Pope, it would be his fellow Bluegrass native.

Trent Noah and Perry were roommates at UK in 2024-25, their first season as college players. Neither expected to be teammates before arriving on campus as young and eager freshmen. They’d competed against each other as opponents in high school, including the 2024 state championship game at Rupp Arena, won by Perry’s Lyon County squad in an exciting matchup against Noah’s Harlan County.

But teaming up as Wildcats was not the vision when Perry was hoisting the championship trophy.

Perry was committed to Kentucky at the time, but under former head coach John Calipari. Meanwhile, Noah was signed with South Carolina, Calipari showing little interest in the three-star high school recruit. But once Pope was brought on board, he wasted no time linking the two in-state talents together. Injuries to players ahead of them in the rotation helped, but both played significant roles off the bench as true freshmen.

Those two, along with fellow freshman Collin Chandler, quickly formed a bond as the rookies on a team filled with veterans. So when Perry shocked the Big Blue Nation by entering the transfer portal in the offseason, and thus committed to an intraconference foe in Ole Miss, it hurt.

“It definitely stung,” Noah said Monday of Perry’s departure. “I did everything I could to keep him here, he’s one of my good friends and he was an excellent player. But at the end of the day, you got to do what’s best for you, and that’s what he thought was best for him. I love him and wish him the best, not looking forward to playing him, that’s for sure.”

Noah says that Perry kept everyone in the loop with his decision, notifying the remaining members of the team of his intentions to transfer before it all went public. Perry didn’t want his teammates to learn the news on social media. They understood the reasoning, especially with the 2025-26 roster expected to be even deeper than it was in 2024-25. Perry has known Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard since high school.

A better opportunity, in Perry’s eyes, was out in Oxford. In that regard, there are no hard feelings.

“We definitely talked. We’re both freshmen and we lean on each other for little things,” Noah said. “That’s how just how it goes in this day and age of college basketball. You just try to put yourself in the best position and he thought Ole Miss was the best position, so I hope he has a great year.”

“I feel like God has a plan for people,” Chandler added. “And that’s what he felt he needed to do for him and his life, which we all have to respect. It’s just gonna be sad when we have to beat up on him when we play him in SEC play.”

Noah, Chandler, and Perry all shared similar growing pains as college freshmen. Chandler found his rhythm as the season rolled along and returns with expectations of being an impact player in 2025-26. The path to playing time was not going to be as clear for the other two, though. Perry elected to find those minutes elsewhere, but Noah wants to continue fighting for them in his home state.

“No. Nah. This is the greatest place on earth,” Noah said when asked if he thought of transferring in the offseason. “I love Coach Pope’s vision for me and he sees kind of the same path that I see. That’s what we’re looking to do this year and on the way win number nine.”

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

The post LaNorris Sellers’ father opens up about $8 million NIL offers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

South Carolina football quarterback LaNorris Sellers is walking around wealthy on campus. Sellers inked a blockbuster deal with South Carolina’s NIL collective around Christmas. But he’s since reeled in his million in endorsements.

Advertisement

Sellers’ father Norris opened up about the son’s high volume of offers. Turns out one was worth $8 million — which was an offer to transfer.

Was the Gamecocks’ quarterback considering jumping into the college football transfer portal? Norris Sellers revealed why the son opted to stay in Columbus in a Monday interview with The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.

“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,” Norris Sellers said.

He also let his son know he’s going to operate differently in CFB era dominated by NIL deals.

Advertisement

“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,” Norris Sellers explained.

South Carolina hearing NFL hype for LaNorris Sellers 

The Gamecocks have a potential Heisman Trophy winner on their hands for 2025. And a possible top five pick ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Sellers has become that dynamic in his short time of playing QB for SC.

Even with the offers to transfer, Sellers’ father reminded him where he really is.

“You don’t need ($8 million). You’re in a great spot,” he told Feldman. “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.”

Advertisement

The 6-foot-3, 242-pound QB threw 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added 674 rushing yards and scored seven times. Sellers could now become the first South Carolina QB to land in the first round if he delivers a monster ’25 season. His father helped remind him of the great situation he has in the Palmetto State.

Related: Texas A&M beats out Texas, Ohio State for massive 4-star

Related: Penn State football beats out ACC trio for 4-star LB

Day one in Colorado Springs lived up to the hype, Mark Pope making his USA Basketball coaching debut while Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno represented the Kentucky Wildcats on the U19 Training Camp roster — with a ridiculous number of other major targets to keep an eye on, including nine 2026 recruits holding scholarship offers.

KSR kept things rolling with a Live Blog throughout the day, but how about the big-picture updates on the top standouts? The list is long on takeaways, but we’ll narrow it down to some of the best as we inch closer toward the final roster going to Switzerland for the 2025 FIBA World Cup.

AJ Dybantsa is on a planet of his own at No. 1

It was a performance that led to a postgame debate wondering how many points per game he’d average in the NBA today. Down big in the final minutes of the afternoon session scrimmage, the BYU signee single-handily led his team back to victory with not one, not two, but three separate clutch buckets with defensive stops and forced turnovers to pull it off. The one kid in the gym with nothing to prove — No. 1 in his class, all of the NIL money in the world, likely No. 1 draft pick in 2026 — was screaming to his teammates to pick up 94 feet with defensive call-outs and counting down each second on the inbounds begging for a violation. He was obsessed with earning what amounts to a meaningless scrimmage win in a training camp he could have skipped entirely and still made the final 12-member 2025 FIBA World Cup roster without losing a second of sleep.

It’s because he’s different, in a category by himself in this ’25 high school class. Any other conversation is overthinking it or trying too hard to be controversial. Dybantsa owned the highest highs of any player in the gym on day one and it wasn’t close.

Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno prove they belong

Johnson was red-hot in drills and skill work to open the day, but couldn’t get shots to fall in the first scrimmage. That changed in the second, going on his own dynamite scoring run to get rolling with pretty floaters and catch-and-shoot makes. College coaches in attendance were talking about his talent in the gym after the day wrapped up and what Kentucky is getting in his addition.

While his individual run turned heads, Moreno was more consistent and had the better day overall. He uses his body well to create space and positions himself for boards with the best of them, a top-two center in the gym behind only Michigan’s Morez Johnson — No. 1 among ’25 and ’26 kids in attendance. The Georgetown native is long and runs the floor well, skilled with soft hands and feel. Scouts raved about his growth over the last year and his body transformation, wondering if he’ll play more in year one as a Wildcat than anticipated.

Point being, it was a good day for the in-state freshmen, who both fit right in among returning collegiate talent and the best newcomers and rising high school seniors in the country.

… but so does Mikel Brown Jr.

That was the good news as it relates to Kentucky. The bad news is that Louisville freshman Mikel Brown Jr. — who took an official to Lexington and was a top target for the Wildcats before other dominoes fell and the two sides parted ways — is really freaking good too. He’s a shot-maker at the highest level and a crafty finisher, but most importantly, he’s got some dog in him that should allow him to become one of the best first-year players in college basketball next season. The 6-3 guard is thin and limited athletically, but he’s skilled with all of the confidence in the world.

And he’s going to Kentucky’s bitter in-state rival, likely to be very good as a one-and-done and potential lottery pick. Be prepared for plenty of national attention on the Cardinals — it’ll probably be deserved.

Koa Peat is MVP of the day

Dybantsa had the highest highs and talent was all over the floor, but no one impressed me more from the time I walked into the gym until the time I walked out than Arizona’s Koa Peat. He’s in great shape and moving extremely well, playing above the rim after being previously seen as an undersized four who made up for athleticism with skill and a high basketball IQ. The 6-8 forward swatted shots away and threw down some vicious posters as a grab-and-go threat off the rebound. One of the most decorated players in high school basketball history, he wrote his name into the 12-member final roster with Sharpie after an unbelievable start in Colorado Springs. Peat just produces and contributes to winning, no question about it.

Last Updated on June 16, 2025

WWE has launched the fifth installment of its name, image, and likeness “Next In Line” program featuring 12 new collegiate athletes. This latest class features some familiar names that have etched their names in professional wrestling lore.

Leading the class is Jacob Henry, the son of WWE Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Famer Mark Henry. Henry made a name for himself as a renowned weightlifting superstar before transitioning into the WWE, where he set records and won awards at the national and international levels. Jacob is a member of both Oklahoma’s football and wrestling teams. 

Jacksonville State wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner is the son of WCW Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame along with his brother Rick. It is also worth noting that not only did the Steiner Brothers become one of the best tag team wrestling duos, but they also wrestled collegiately at the University of Michigan. 

UCF Junior linebacker TJ Bullard is the son of former WWE wrestler Titus O’Neil. O’Neill, whose real name is Thaddeus Bullard, had played football collegiately for the University of Florida. Thaddeus also serves as a Global Ambassador for the WWE. 

Colorado State’s senior defensive lineman, Hidetora Hanada, rounds out the football players in this class. Before his time on the gridiron, Hanada was an all-world Japanese Sumo wrestler. He even earned gold in the World Games in 2022. 

Next In Line continues to highlight collegiate talent across various sports. This class includes track and field athletes Meghan Walker (Nebraska), Kerrigan Huyh (University of Central Oklahoma), and Zuriel Jimenez (Columbia), as well as lacrosse standout Garrett Beck (Grand Canyon). In field hockey, Bianca Pizano (Michigan State), in women’s basketball, Fatima Katembo (LSU Shreveport) and Gina Adams (Lynn University), and in women’s ice hockey, Madison Kaiser (Minnesota). Collectively, this recent class demonstrates that the talent pipeline is more robust and diverse than ever for WWE, with the hope that these athletes will soon be entering the ring.