NIL

OU twins drafted to MLB aim to do something baseball hasn’t seen in decades

As usual, Kyson Witherspoon was first, but eventually, like always, his twin brother Malachi followed. Kyson, who was born just minutes before Malachi, was taken 15th overall by the Boston Red Sox during the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday. Then, in the second round, Malachi went to the Detroit Tigers with the No. 62 pick. […]

Published

4 weeks ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

As usual, Kyson Witherspoon was first, but eventually, like always, his twin brother Malachi followed.

Kyson, who was born just minutes before Malachi, was taken 15th overall by the Boston Red Sox during the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday. Then, in the second round, Malachi went to the Detroit Tigers with the No. 62 pick.

The twins made up two-thirds of the Oklahoma Sooners’ weekend starting rotation this past college baseball season and now have a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t been done since another pair of Sooners. Kyson and Malachi could become the first set of twins to make the MLB after being drafted the same year since 1996, according to MLB.com. The last duo to do it was Ryan and Damon Minor, also from OU.

Malachi and Kyson Witherspoon taken same day in MLB Draft

Kyson and Malachi have taken the same route to this point. They both went to Northwest Florida State College out of Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, Florida. Both were MLB Draft prospects even in high school, but at that point, Malachi was actually ranked above Kyson.

In 2024, the duo transferred to OU, where Kyson eventually took over as the Sooners’ right-handed ace and emerged as one of the best pitchers in college baseball.

At the end of this past season, Kyson was named a First-Team All-American by Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game, and was a Second-Team All-American by ABCA. He was also a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the best player in college baseball.

Kyson was second in the SEC and No. 22 in the country with a 2.65 ERA in OU’s first season in a new conference. His 124 strikeouts ranked sixth in the country and fifth in the SEC. He tallied a team-high 10 wins with a 10-4 record, which was third-most in the SEC and 11th in the nation. He topped the SEC with a 5.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Malachi, meanwhile, had a 5.09 ERA and 4-8 record as a weekend starter. He was projected to go between the third and fifth rounds before the Tigers jumped on him early in the second.

With Kyson and Malachi getting drafted, OU coach Skip Johnson has now had 29 pitchers taken in the MLB Draft since taking over the Sooners in 2018. Kyson was the fourth first-round pick under Johnson in eight seasons.

Read more about OU baseball

Link

NIL

Rashul Faison Has Patiently Awaited NCAA's Decision To Play For South Carolina

Now that we are fully engulfed in lawsuits pertaining to the eligibility status of college athletes across different sports, one would think that a decision would not take upwards of eight months to make. But, for South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison, the wait continues, with the season set to begin in two weeks. His […]

Published

2 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Rashul Faison Has Patiently Awaited NCAA's Decision To Play For South Carolina

His path to the Gameocks practice field had been one filled with four different stops along the way, though head coach Shane Beamer understood the risk when he recruited him from Utah State during the winter transfer portal period.

Right now, there are multiple cases on courtroom dockets waiting to be argued over the eligibility of athletes looking for an additional season to play. Ever since Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was granted an injunction that allowed him to play for the Commodores this season, multiple athletes have chosen to take the risk of transferring to another school for an opportunity.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of athletes like Faison waiting for their case to be heard, or the NCAA to make a decision on their specific case. At least in his specific situation, the transfer running back from Utah State has been able to practice with the Gamecocks, after receiving a waiver that would allow him to.

In May, Faison hired noted sports attorney Darren Heitner to represent him through this waiver process with the NCAA.

For Rashul, he’s technically been a college student since 2018. After graduating from high school in 2018, the running back decided to enroll at Marshall, though he never played a down for the Thundering Herd. From there, he enrolled in Lackawanna College in 2020, but once again did not play football, taking online courses instead.

It was at that point in 2021 that Faison decided to attend Snow College, which is located in Utah. After not seeing the field that season, he finally got his opportunity to show off his skillset in 2022, which led to an offer from Utah State.

After waiting for his chance to show off his athleticism on the field, he rushed for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns last season, finally breaking through on the field, which would obviously open up doors for him to make some real NIL money in the transfer portal. But unfortunately, this is where the risk factor kicked in, knowing that it wasn’t an absolute given that he would be awarded an additional year of eligibility if he were to transfer.

At this point, you’ve seen how this has played out across college athletics, with the threats of lawsuits against the NCAA that could lead to them ultimately having to see a player gain another year through the court system, and not the waiver system.

And while there have been plenty of athletes that have made the tough decision to transfer without a guaranteed future, Faison chose South Carolina as the place where he wanted to put a stamp on his college career. I mean, given what we’ve seen with judicial decisions, the thought of Faison being granted another year seemed plausible. Multiple years at the junior college level, a stop at Marshall, though he never touched the field, and then two seasons at Utah State.

NCAA Now Has All The Information Needed To Make Decision On Rashul Faison

The problem with today’s reality in college athletics is that you cannot get a firm decision without having to wait a substantial amount of time, mainly due to the overwhelming number of cases the NCAA has on their desk. But, this is not some sort of sympathy piece for the organization.

Even though he has only played three seasons of actual football over the past five years, his NCAA clock had technically expired. Following the Diego Pavia decision, the NCAA issued new guidance to former junior college athletes, essentially giving them a blanket waiver for the upcoming season.

But, here we are, still waiting to see if Rashul Faison will be granted his additional year, just over two weeks away from the start of the college football season.

According to sources, the holdup in the decision being made was not the fault of South Carolina, but Faison was waiting for additional information from a school he had previously attended, with the NCAA now receiving all the information needed in the past week to make their final decision.

South Carolina RB Rashul Faison chose not to sue the NCAA to gain additional year of eligibility. But, eight months later, he's still waiting on a decision.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – APRIL 18: Rahsul Faison #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks takes off his helmet as he runs off the field during the Garnet and Black Spring Game at Williams-Brice Stadium on April 18, 2025 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Katie Januck/Getty Images for ONIT)

While the goalposts continue to be moved regarding NIL, third-party collectives, eligibility, transfer portal windows and roster spots, it’s time for a decision to be made. It’s been long enough, and the clock is ticking, with an uncertain future for Rashul Faison.

Maybe, just maybe, the NCAA can go ahead and grant him an additional year of football. Or call it a reset of his eligibility clock. No matter how they frame it, these athletes shouldn’t have to wait until right before kickoff for a decision. And, if other schools were dragging their feet during this process, I would imagine that wouldn’t go unnoticed either.

If we’re going to change the rules, issue waivers for some, but deny others. Can we at least do this in a timely manner?

NIL

Joel Klatt calls out hypocrisy around John Mateer's sports gambling controversy

On Monday night, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer became the center of controversy after screenshots of an apparent Venmo transaction from him titled “sports gambling” were uncovered and posted to social media. But according to Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt, the outrage surrounding the situation is far greater than it should be compared to other […]

Published

2 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Joel Klatt calls out hypocrisy around John Mateer's sports gambling controversy

The screenshots of the transactions show that Mateer, who was a freshman at Washington State at the time of the transitions in 2022, sent several payments to a man named Richard Roaten on November 20, 2022. One of was titled “Sports gambling” and the other was titled “Sports gambling (UCLA vs USC).” Additionally, three days later, Rotten sent a payment to Mateer titled “Ultra sports gambling Fifa World Cup.”

Oklahoma QB John Mateer has scrubbed his Venmo account after fans found screenshots showing he allegedly engaged in sports betting while at Washington State.

Should Sooner fans be worried about their QB1? pic.twitter.com/F9LLIt5I5z

— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) August 12, 2025

The Oklahoma athletic department is aware of the allegations against Mateer, which Mateer also addressed publicly in a statement on social media on Tuesday, claiming that the past descriptions of the Venmo transactions was simply an “inside joke” between he and his friends and that he has “never bet on sports.”

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” wrote Mateer in his statement. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”

pic.twitter.com/5PF0iOuAjJ

— John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) August 12, 2025

Obviously, this revelation will likely spark a full-fledged investigation from the NCAA into John Mateer and any potential involvement in sports gambling considering the NCAA has strict rules prohibiting student athletes from placing wagers on sports.

Interestingly, Joel Klatt had a bit of a different reaction to these screenshots as the vast majority of fans or media members around the sport. Instead of questioning whether Mateer did or did not place sports bets, Klatt largely absolved him of any blame either way, explaining how he believes it is far from the biggest concern in the landscape of college football.

In particular, Joel Klatt called the current landscape of college football a “lawless free for all” due to the lack of regulations in the transfer portal and NIL within college sports.

“So let me get this straight,” wrote Klatt. “We are gonna turn CFB into a lawless free for all with large sums of money flowing to players who can be free agents twice a year. But then gasp about three Venmo descriptions from 2022??? WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?”

So let me get this straight…we are gonna turn CFB into a lawless free for all with large sums of money flowing to players who can be free agents twice a year…but then gasp about three Venmo descriptions from 2022??? WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) August 12, 2025

One could argue that Klatt’s argument here is an apples to oranges comparison. It’s fairly obvious as to why regulations are in place on athletes placing sports bets, as it could jeopardize the integrity of the game as we have seen recently in the MLB and the NBA. So if John Mateer did indeed place bets on a college football game, whether he was involved in the game or not, there should be some sort of repercussions.

However, given the fact that there have been numerous media members around college football who have consistently aired their own grievances about the problems with the transfer portal in the NIL era of the sport, it is certainly fair to question whether more of the outrage about Mateer should be directed elsewhere.

NIL

Nil point

Have you been collecting Morrisons More Card points? If so, you will have to travel to Weymouth to use them – after it emerged that customers cannot redeem their points in Jersey branches. After Morrisons acquired 36 Sandpiper stores across the Channel Islands at the end of last year, the brand took over all former […]

Published

3 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Have you been collecting Morrisons More Card points? If so, you will have to travel to Weymouth to use them – after it emerged that customers cannot redeem their points in Jersey branches.

After Morrisons acquired 36 Sandpiper stores across the Channel Islands at the end of last year, the brand took over all former Checkers Express and Iceland shops in Jersey.

The supermarket has since been advertising its Morrisons More Card loyalty scheme across the island – but Express has now learned that the points cannot yet be redeemed in local stores.

We will very soon be providing customers the ability to redeem their Morrisons Fivers in our stores on the island

Morrisons spokesperson

The loyalty scheme offers shoppers discounted More Card Prices – which are available in Jersey – and a More Card, which allows shoppers to earn points towards vouchers called Morrisons Fivers.

Customers earn five More Card points for every product purchased at Morrisons.

But following queries from Express, the national supermarket chain confirmed that Jersey customers are currently unable to redeem their Morrisons Fivers vouchers anywhere in the island.

Islanders would have to travel to Weymouth to visit the nearest store that can accept the discount vouchers.

But a supermarket spokesperson said Morrisons will “soon” be providing customers the ability to redeem their Morrisons Fivers in Jersey branches.

The full statement said: “Over the last few weeks we have introduced our Morrisons More Card loyalty scheme to our Morrisons Daily stores in Jersey.

“This means that customers can now earn five More Points for every product they buy and we have also launched More Card Prices.

“We will very soon be providing customers the ability to redeem their Morrisons Fivers in our stores on the island.”

NIL

SEC Coaches On The Hot Seat Entering 2025 College Football Season

This is the time of year when anticipation has reached a boiling point, as the 2025 college football season has finally arrived. For some teams, the realistic chances of having a successful season are hit-and-miss, while others are hoping that they can build off last year and turn it into a spot in the college […]

Published

4 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Unfortunately, for a number of fans, the mixture of excitement and also hesitation to expect much from their team is the unwavering emotion that comes with the territory when rooting for a team that has led you to feel this pit in your stomach of anticipation, as the 2025 season begins.

While there is always hope, plenty of coaches in the SEC are facing expectations of a turnaround season that most certainly could fall flat on the field this season. And, thanks to this new era of college athletics, filled with revenue-sharing and NIL for athletes, schools are going to be quicker to pull the trigger on finding a replacement if things start heading south in short order.

The reality is that athletic directors and presidents can no longer wait until the end of the season to make tough decisions, given that the transfer portal remains the same, along with the temptations that other schools will present athletes on the current roster.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at which coaches are facing the most pressure to win in 2025, with their jobs on the line.

Mark Stoops Must Turn This Around At Kentucky. But, Will The School Pay The Buyout?

If there seems to be more enthusiasm for the basketball team compared to the product Mark Stoops is putting on the field at Kentucky, that is actually a yearly tradition in Lexington.

The problem is, with Stoops entering his 13th year as the head coach, the Wildcats are in the rearview mirror in terms of competitive teams in the SEC. Coming off a 4-8 season in 2024, there isn’t a lot of hope for Kentucky fans this year, especially when the team is hitching their wagon to quarterback Zach Calzada. Yes, the journeyman who has SEC experience. And, that’s not a shot at the transfer quarterback, it’s just reality.

While there have been a few early portions of seasons that have garnered hope for Kentucky fans, things usually fall off the tracks down the stretch. By now, it’s just a common ingredient in the football fandom recipe.

In reality, I don’t know if Mark Stoops has ever gotten over the fact that he was a few hours away from being the head coach at Texas A&M. Add in the fact that there seems to be this perception that Kentucky is spending more rev-share money on basketball than football, and you have a recipe for disaster. But, if the ‘Cats have another rough season in Lexington, the question won’t center around whether it’s time for Stoops to find another job.

Is Kentucky willing to pay Mark Stoops around $40 million to leave? Tough decisions are ahead if this team doesn’t make a bowl game.

Sam Pittman Loves Coaching Arkansas. But, Are The Razorbacks Going To Continue Settling?

It feels like a decade ago when Arkansas went 9-4 in 2021, right? While Sam Pittman is truly one of a kind, his personality can only get him so far in Fayettville.

Remember when I mentioned that schools are not going to wait around until the end of the season to make a decision on the head coach? You can use Arkansas as a prime example when testing this theory in 2025. For the Razorbacks to rebuild their football program into the old scary program that used to haunt teams in the SEC West, it feels as though they need an injection of life, just as John Calipari has done with the basketball program.

The first month of the season will define 2025 for Sam Pittman. The Razorbacks will square-off against Arkansas State, Ole Miss, Memphis and Notre Dame. If they come out of that stretch with a 1-3 record, it might be time for Hunter Yurachek to appoint an interim coach and start looking for their next head coach. As the guys on OutKick’s Hot Mic mentioned last week, Jon Gruden would be the type of hire that would have Arkansas fans calling the Hogs in a more profound way.

It’s Time For Hugh Freeze To Win At Auburn.

Coming off his second-straight losing season with the Tigers, the pressure is on for Hugh Freeze to start competing again for SEC titles, or at least be in contention for a playoff spot.

The excuses have run dry, no longer being able to point towards recruiting or even the financial aspects of this era in college football. Freeze cannot pull a Billy Napier, and have Duece Knight as a backup plan that would save his job if Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold doesn’t work out. The Tigers have receivers, a nice group along the offensive line, and a steady dose of talent on the defensive side.

I had one source recently tell me that it’s eight wins or bust for Freeze this season, but I don’t know if that would even sit well with the Auburn fans. The Tigers did not take advantage of the situation when Nick Saban retired, specifically kicking the dog while it was down, as Kalen DeBoer tried to figure out how to follow a legend.

Now, the pressure is on to win, and I don’t mean making the TaxSlayer Bowl. If Hugh Freeze doesn’t at least flirt with the CFP, the Auburn boosters will come up with the $17 million or so to start looking for a new coach.

DJ Lagway Saved Billy Napier In 2024. Pressure Is On Again In Florida

After it looked as though Florida boosters were going to pressure AD Scott Stricklin to fire Billy Napier midway through the 2024 season, the Gators gave fans something to be excited about in the process of surprising teams down the stretch.

And heading into the 2025 season, the fate of Napier lies on the shoulders of quarterback DJ Lagway.

If there ever was a season where Florida could regain that magic, this is it. Enough talent on the defensive side, along with plenty of weapons on offense to help Lagway, has fans in Gainesville expecting a massive turnaround in 2025. Heck, I have Florida ranked 15th in my preseason poll, which is the type of expectation that the Gators should be ready to thrive on.

Can DJ Lagway and the Florida Gators save Billy Napier from the hot seat, again? (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

The problem is that we’ve seen these types of stories before with other teams in college football. If the wheels somehow come off this 4X4 vehicle in 2025, the Gators’ administration is not going to sit by, hoping that it will fix itself. After three seasons, Billy Napier is 19-19 as the head coach. This year, he might only be able to afford to add three or four losses to that overall record, or he’ll be looking for a new job.

Even though that fire dimmed towards the end of 2024, all it takes is a little accelerant to have Gainesville engulfed in flames once again. Buckle up.

Honorable Mention

Brent Venables: While Texas is competing for national championships, Oklahoma is treading water in the SEC, as Brent Venables enters his fourth season as the Sooners head coach. Just like the situation in Gainesville, the Sooners’ fate hangs on the shoulders of transfer quarterback John Mateer. Don’t forget, AD Joe Castiglione is retiring, and you know how these new athletic directors like to bring in their own person for the job.

Jeff Lebby: It’s obvious that Mississippi State needs to win a few SEC games this season. But, would the athletic department pull the trigger after year three if he couldn’t? We’ll see, but the Bulldogs need a bowl game.

Brian Kelly: The only way LSU decides to move-on from Brian Kelly is if this team just falls flat on their face in 2025, with such high expectations. And even then, it would be a tough call for the Tigers administration. But, not contending for national championships in Baton Rouge will get you fired. So, I’m just slightly throwing it on your radar, though I expect the Tigers to have a big season.

Alright, that’s going to do it for the SEC. Next up, we’ll take a look at the Big Ten, where there is plenty of room for this same exact conversation with a number of coaches, especially out in Los Angeles.

Link

NIL

Here’s how Learfield plans to help athletes make NIL content that actually works

Good morning, and thanks for spending part of your day with Extra Points. I’ve written about this phenomenon a few times already, and I expect to do it several more times this year … but everybody in college sports is looking to drive more revenue. Sure, that’s always been the case, but it is especially […]

Published

5 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Good morning, and thanks for spending part of your day with Extra Points.

I’ve written about this phenomenon a few times already, and I expect to do it several more times this year … but everybody in college sports is looking to drive more revenue.

Sure, that’s always been the case, but it is especially true now, as programs face the new expenses of athlete revenue-sharing and expanded scholarship spending, while also navigating institutional financial challenges like the undergraduate enrollment cliff and vanishing federal research money.

Since media rights revenue is typically already accounted for in long-term contracts, and schools can usually only sell so many more tickets, many athletic departments are looking square at their multimedia rights (MMR) partnerships to drive more revenue. If you can’t sell more tickets or get more money from ESPN, perhaps you can sell more sponsorships.

This is also true at the athlete compensation level. If a school already has a corporate sponsorship agreement in place, the university and MMR partner can’t simply redirect funds from the athletic department to individual athletes without that money counting against the House settlement cap.

But if athletes sign new brand sponsorships, even if those sponsorships include university assets, those contracts won’t count against the cap, so long as the contracts pass inspection from the College Sports Commission.

So tl;dr, that means there will be a lot of interest in MMR companies helping to find, or create, legitimate marketing opportunities for college athletes. Every dollar an athlete makes from Nationwide Insurance is a dollar that doesn’t have to come from an athletic department.

The most common ways for athletes to secure brand deals is via social media influencer campaigns. But the dirty little secret is that being good at sports does not automatically mean you’re good at social media influencing. Many brands decided not to renew campaigns with athletes from 2022 to 2024 simply because they weren’t seeing the value of the campaigns. You can’t just give an athlete a smartphone, have them shoot some vapid behind-the-scenes content, and expect people or brands to pay for it.

So if you want to drive new marketing deals via influencer marketing, you have to figure out a way to make athlete-driven content actually work. And at scale, that has so far been difficult to pull off.

But Learfield thinks it has a strategy that actually works … one that won’t just provide financial opportunities for athletes, but educational and professional ones as well.

Want to read the rest of the newsletter? Subscribe today!

Premium Subscriptions make Extra Points possible. Upgrade today to get access to everything we write:

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

Link

NIL

Steve Spurrier downplays need to have a special quarterback to win: ‘Georgia went to a national championship with Stetson Bennett’

Steve Spurrier is never afraid to poke fun at some of his biggest rivals. Another one may have come on Monday, going after the Georgia Bulldogs for their two national championships. Specifically, quarterback Stetson Bennett. Even as Georgia was winning, a lot of conversation surrounded Bennett’s standing with the team. Well, Spurrier has the same […]

Published

5 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Steve Spurrier is never afraid to poke fun at some of his biggest rivals. Another one may have come on Monday, going after the Georgia Bulldogs for their two national championships. Specifically, quarterback Stetson Bennett.

Even as Georgia was winning, a lot of conversation surrounded Bennett’s standing with the team. Well, Spurrier has the same opinion of some fans in Athens. When downplaying the need for a “special quarterback” in order to win the whole thing, he brought up Bennett with UGA.

“I think there’s two areas that are, probably, going to determine the best teams,” Spurrier said. “Obviously, coaching is important. And then special players. It could be the quarterback but it could be other guys. Georgia won two national championships with Stetson Bennett. So, the quarterback, he needs to be a good player but he doesn’t have to be one of those guys that has to throw for 300 yards every game.”

Funny enough, Bennett did surpass the 300-yard mark in three of the four College Football Playoff games he played in. No performance better than the Ohio State win in 2022, throwing for 398 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Georgia’s first national championship, against Alabama, would be considered the worst outing, still putting up a solid 224 yards and two touchdowns while completing over 65% of throws.

There was even a performance against Florida where Bennett got over the mark Spurrier mentioned. It was a blowout victory in favor of Georgia, taking down their arch-rival back in 2022.

Michigan and Ohio State have won the two national championships after Georgia. JJ McCarthy left Ann Arbor and wound up being a first-round selection, slating to start this upcoming season for the Minnesota Vikings. Ohio State got an upgrade at the position via Will Howard, someone who threw for over 4,000 yards during his lone season in Columbus.

As for this season, we have an exciting five months ahead to see who winds up winning the national championship. Some “special” quarterbacks are thought to be playing for some massive programs. NFL scouts will be quite interested to see the likes of Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier.

However, Spurrier can see somebody without a big name ultimately hoisting the trophy in January. His example will get a laugh from a good amount of Florida, and maybe even SEC, fans — downplaying Bennett’s ability while Georgia made their famous two-year run.

Link