Faizon Brandon’s decision to return to the field late in his senior senior was eerily similar to the decision made by another Grimsley player just five seasons earlier.

“I’m very glad to end it the right way,” he said.

Travis Shaw, who at the time was ranked as high as the No. 4 defensive lineman in his senior class class, was — like Brandon — coming off a state championship the year before. Also like Brandon, Shaw was injured early in the year — Shaw missed all eight of the first games to start the 2021 season, returning to the field just in time for senior night and a playoff run.

But Brandon, the nation’s top-ranked quarterback and 2024 N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year, had to have had more on his mind than Shaw did.

After all, a lot has changed in five years.

Shaw had to weigh the possibility of returning to the field and getting re-injured and how that might affect his ability to play right away as a freshman.

The birth of the “NIL era” in college football means players have a real financial risk.

Brandon’s injury — a ligament on his right thumb — was in an area where you can’t be too careful.

“Faizon,” who has earned the first-name-only recognition statewide that few players reach in four years in any sport, was also the athlete who challenged the state’s NIL rules and won.

If anyone understood what was at stake, he did.

But sports are not made with the spirit of accounting.

They were made for competitors.

“When he goes out and everybody that thinks they know says ‘You shouldn’t come back.’ I got phone calls saying he had already moved to Tennessee. I thought that was funny because he was in my office when I got that call,” Grimsley coach Darryl Brown said. “And everything else, you know, like he’s done, he’s not playing at Grimsley High School anymore. And he does everything within his power to get himself back to be a part of this run with his teammates. He could have said, I’m good, I already won a state championship.”

In his final year, he returned to the playoffs after missing all but the season opener, wasn’t quite himself. Yet, while playing a total of just six games, and throwing 11 touchdowns, he also walked away as a two-time N.C. High School Athletic Association champion and a two-time MVP.

“Playing high school football in anywhere, playing varsity high school football, for anybody listening, it means something,” Brown said. “It matters. It’s important. A lot of times everybody wants to speed stuff up. But that school you’re at and the teammates you’re with, and the coaches you play for, that matters. And you can see that it means something to our kids.”

He had all the reasons, probably millions if you count every potential dollar, to not play again for the Whirlies. He would have still walked away as one of the best North Carolina high school quarterbacks since the turn of the century.

But he didn’t go out as a healthy scratch.

He went out as a two-time champion, two-time MVP, and his legacy at Grimsley — like Shaw’s — was cemented where it should have always been: on the field.

“I was just trying to give it everything I got, you know, go out there and lay it on the line,” Brandon said. “That was the biggest thing that I felt whenever I came to realization that it would be in my last high school game is just giving it everything I got.”

The search is on for Michigan to not just find a quality replacement for Sherrone Moore as its next head football coach, but more importantly to scout a figurehead who will bring stability to a program that badly needs it.

And despite the Wolverines arriving late to the college football coaching carousel, with seemingly all the best options already accounted for, a recent resignation at a major program could actually help the school at this crucial moment.

The departure of coaching veteran Kyle Whittingham from Utah could spell a blessing in disguise for Michigan, ESPN broadcaster Matt Barrie said on his eponymous show.

What Michigan needs right now

“What they need is Kyle Whittingham. They need Kyle Whittingham,” Barrie said on his college football program of Michigan’s ongoing search.

Not only is Whittingham a coaching figure who has been a proven winner and fielded consistently-competitive teams. He also has a very good reputation.

“They need Whittingham, who ran a good, clean program at Utah,” Barrie said. 

“I get it. He’s older. He’s not the sexiest hire in terms of name recognition and youth. But you need a guy to steady that ship.”

Michigan needs to be steadied

The ship has most certainly not been steady these last couple years.

Whether it was the Covid-era recruiting scandal under Jim Harbaugh, the sign-stealing affair connected to former assistant Connor Stalions, or the shocking removal of Sherrone Moore following an alleged relationship with a staffer that resulted in him facing criminal charges, it’s clear Michigan needs a reboot.

And yet, despite everything, it’s also been quite a run for the Wolverines for one very good reason, as the program won its first national championship of the century under Harbaugh’s direction in 2023.

But given everything that happened during and since then, change is in order.

So, is Whittingham the answer?

Judging by his own recent remarks, he very well could be.

Following his own departure from Utah, the veteran coach very much gave the impression that he is still interested in patroling a sideline somewhere.

“Who knows? We’ll see, I guess, stepping down, stepping away, and re-evaluate things and see where we’re at. I’m a free agent. I’m in the transfer portal,” Whittingham told reporters.

“Like I said, I’m at peace and I did not want to be that guy that overstayed his welcome with people just saying, ‘Hey, when’s this guy gonna leave?’ That was not my intention, ever. I hope I didn’t do that. I’m sure with some people, I did do that, but the timing to me, the timing is right.”

He is a proven winner

Whittingham is the all-time winningest coach in Utah football history, going 177-88 during his 21 seasons with the program.

Michigan is looking for known commodity, although at 66 he may be on the older end of the spectrum as the school considers what it hopes will be a long-term solution.

But having an experienced head coach suddenly come on the market at this exact moment must have Michigan wondering if he could be the answer, as most of the other high-profile names are already taken or staying put where they are, getting lucrative extensions to prevent their fleeing.

Known as someone who has recruited and fielded some punishing defenses over the years, and whose teams have traditionally dominated at home, Whittingham could be the man for the job.

What the markets are saying

Whittingham remains the favorite to become the next head coach at Michigan, sitting out in front with 22 percent odds to take the job, according to the prediction market Kalshi.

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch sits in second with 16 percent likelihood, and Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm places third at 14 percent.

(Barrie)

Read more from College Football HQ

We’re on to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. 

Let’s look at the odds for the second round at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Dec. 21.

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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31

No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Cotton Bowl

Spread: Ohio State -10
Moneyline: Ohio State -360, Miami +285
O/U: 41.5

What to know: Miami won a defensive slugfest in the first round at Texas A&M, and now it gets the defending champion Buckeyes, with a spot in the semifinals on the line. What has to worry Hurricanes fans is that Miami scored just 10 points against the Aggies on Saturday, a middle-of-the-pack defensive team. Ohio State has the best defense in the country, only allowing more than 10 points twice this season. No team has scored over 16 on the Buckeyes.   

THURSDAY, JAN. 1

No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana
Rose Bowl

Spread: Indiana -7
Moneyline: Indiana -258, Alabama +210
O/U: 48.5 

What to know: Would you believe that the Hoosiers are a 7-point favorite over mighty Alabama? It’s a new era in college football. The Tide went to Oklahoma and knocked off the Sooners in the first round of the CFP, and now they get a date with undefeated Indiana, the top team in the country. Indiana will trot out Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, and the Hoosiers have scored 55 points or more six times this season. 

No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
Sugar Bowl

Spread: Georgia -7
Moneyline: Georgia -270, Ole Miss +220
O/U: 56.5

What to know: Ole Miss dominated Tulane in the first round of the Playoff, jumping out to a 41-3 lead before winning 41-10. Now, the Rebels get another shot at the Bulldogs, who they lost to back on Oct. 18 in Georgia, 43-35. It won’t be a cakewalk for the Bulldogs, who trailed 35-26 in the third quarter of that game before scoring the final 17 points to eke out an 8-point win. 

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Orange Bowl

Spread: Oregon -1.5
Moneyline: Oregon -120, Texas Tech +100
O/U: 52.5

What to know: Oregon did what many thought it would do in the first round, and that’s rout James Madison. The Ducks led 34-3 before cruising to a 51-24 victory, setting up a date with Texas Tech on New Year’s Day. OU still has a single loss to its name this season, a 30-20 defeat at the hands of No. 1 Indiana on Oct. 11. The Red Raiders also have only one loss on the year, falling at Arizona State back on Oct. 18. 

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As No. 23 Iowa football (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) prepares for its ReliaQuest Bowl matchup against No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC), Hawkeyes’ sophomore offensive lineman Trevor Lauck discussed why Iowa’s roster is committed to playing in its upcoming bowl game.

In a college football climate where the influence of NIL opportunities and the transfer portal steer many away from playing in bowl games, Lauck commented on how the Hawkeyes view the ReliaQuest Bowl as a chance to finish the season the right way.

“I feel like the point of college football is to go out there and win games with your team,” Lauck said.

“I feel like people kind of lose track of that when it comes to the bowl season. It kind of turns into people thinking about themselves, and that’s why I’m super fortunate to be here at a school like this. It’s still a team. No one’s really thinking about themselves right now. This is still the 2025 season, and we want to finish it strong.”

NIL has been one of the biggest and most impactful changes to the world of college football for both programs and athletes.

For some affluent programs, NIL has allowed them to climb back up to be a college football powerhouse, and for those without a track record of great success in the sport its allowed them to gain a seat at the table.

And for the players, they are likely the biggest beneficiaries of it all, finally being able to be financially compensated for the efforts and hard work they put into their programs. However, one Texas Longhorns star has taken a different route when navigating the world of NIL.

Michael Taaffe Discusses his Use of NIL

With Longhorn star safety Michael Taaffe, whether on or off the football field, is one of the best representatives of the Texas program, there’s no better example of that than how the senior has approached NIL and optimized it.

“I think NIL, for me, has been a little bit different because there’s opportunities that I have taken to get a little cash in the wallet, in the pocket,” Taaffe told On3. “But I think, would you much rather have this little success? This little financial success that at the end of the day, when you have to go buy a house, when you have to get a car, when you have to pay rent, this little success isn’t going to matter in the long-term? Or, would you rather have success and significance to the University of Texas that will last 100 years? I chose that route.”

While Taaffe was a part of a few partnerships with outside brands and companies, his main focus was on partnering with Texas Against Fentanyl, where he helped raise nearly $60,000 for the organization through a fundraiser, which he said helped cover the organization’s yearly budget.

Taaffe’s efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was recognized with the Wuerffel Trophy, which is the premier award for community service and recognizes athletes who use their platforms to serve others and create positive change and who exemplify community service, academic excellence, and athletic achievement.

Not only was Taaffe heavily involved with raising awareness of substance abuse, but before the 2025 season, he played a big role in the relief efforts after the flooding at Camp Mystic. The safety participated in a fundraiser for the families and, during SEC Media days, wore a special tie to honor the victims.

The Longhorns’ star has used his platform to give back to communities in need and to try to make a difference in those communities, which he says hold plenty of importance to him.

“I don’t fault anybody for the routes they take,” Taaffe said. “But I just knew that I believe being significant is way more important than being successful.”