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New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
All-Geezer College Football Team: A farewell to the COVID-19 eligibility era
The Athletic's All-Geezer Team began in 2021, the first season of 'super seniors' taking advantage of their free year of eligibility. Now we have former junior college guys using their 'Pavia year.' Sadly, we are finally reaching the end of both eras, but not before unleashing a torrent of sixth-, seventh- and even eighth-year seniors. Advertisement It's a team full of guys who feel like they've been in college forever; who first made a name for themselves as freshmen sometime in the late 2019s/early 2020s; who, because of regular redshirts, medical redshirts or something else, still haven't used up their eligibility. Also: Texas A&M quarterbacks galore. (Note: We picked 11 players on offense and defense but did not limit numbers per position.) First season of college football: 2020 Johnson has been around long enough to have played for three national championship coaches: Ed Orgeron, Jimbo Fisher and Mack Brown (all since fired). He was QB1 at LSU in 2020 and 2021 before leaving for Texas A&M but has had the worst luck since. He suffered season-ending injuries both years with the Aggies and then again in UNC's Thursday-night opener at Minnesota last season. Now he gets to add Bill Belichick to that list of coaches with rings. First season of college football: 2020 It's hard to believe the former three-year Georgia Tech starter and (brief) Nebraska savior has been in college for only six years. Sims was the Yellow Jackets' starter from the first game of his true freshman season but never built on his early promise. After three years there, Matt Rhule tapped Sims to be his first Nebraska quarterback, but he managed to commit six turnovers in his first two games and lost the job. He backed up Sam Leavitt during the Sun Devils' Big 12 title run last season and opted to return for the same role in 2025. First season of college football: 2020 This is career stop No. 4 for Pyne, though he remains most synonymous with Notre Dame. You may recall him taking over in the Irish's 2022 home loss to Marshall in Marcus Freeman's second game or completing 89 percent of his passes against Lincoln Riley's first USC defense. Advertisement After Freeman brought in Sam Hartman, Pyne left for Arizona State, where he spent one injury-shortened season. Then it was off to Missouri, where he backed up Brady Cook before leaving this spring to join new coach Eddie George at Bowling Green. First season of college football: 2020 Now comes the second former A&M guy. King began the 2021 and '22 seasons as QB1 in College Station, but an injury cut short the first season, followed by a demotion and more injuries in the second. But he has since blossomed into a dual-threat star at Georgia Tech, where he befuddled Kirby Smart's defense in the Yellow Jackets' eight-overtime loss to Georgia. Now he's slated to be a Week 1 starter for his fifth straight year of college. First season of college football: 2019 Remember Calzada from Texas A&M? After King got hurt in the second game in 2021, Calzada led the Aggies to a prime-time upset of Bryce Young and No. 1 Alabama. He left for Auburn after that season with designs on succeeding Bo Nix but never saw the field due to injury. He spent the past two seasons tearing it up at FCS Incarnate Word, where he became a Walter Payton Award finalist in 2024. Now, he's back in the SEC at Kentucky — where he'll turn 25 this fall. First season of college football: 2019 Zeno first made a name for himself with Baylor in the 2019 Big 12 title game — where the opposing QB was Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts. The true freshman came in during the fourth quarter and improbably threw an 81-yard touchdown and a 78-yard pass to help take the Sooners to overtime. He spent the next two seasons as a backup before heading to UAB, where he threw for 3,126 yards in 2023 but played only four games last season. He'll spend his seventh and (we think) final season backing up A&M's Marcel Reed. Advertisement First season of college football: 2019 How old is Emery? He played on the Joe Burrow national championship team at LSU. Unfortunately, the former five-star recruit was frequently injured over his next five seasons in Baton Rouge. His lone career 100-yard performance came in the Tigers' second game of 2020 against Vanderbilt. And just when he'd finally resurfaced in last year's opener against USC, he tore his ACL in practice the next week. Brian Kelly indicated at the time that Emery would be retiring from football, but that is not the case. First season of college football: 2020 What a ride this guy has had. After two seasons at running back for Arizona State, Trayanum transferred to Ohio State to play linebacker but switched back when the Buckeyes suffered injuries in their backfield. After getting just one carry all season, he notched 14 for 83 yards in the 2022 Michigan game and scored the game-winning touchdown against Notre Dame in 2023. Still buried on the Buckeyes' depth chart, he jumped to Kentucky but missed most of last season with injuries. At Toledo, he might finally get to be someone's top ball carrier. First season of college football: 2020 Berger has taken a six-year, three-stop tour across the Big Ten. As a Wisconsin true freshman, he had three 80-plus-yard games in a shortened season, but he was dismissed by then-coach Paul Chryst in October 2021. He again got off to a promising start at Michigan State, but injuries and inconsistency marred his next two seasons. So last year, he headed to a new member of the conference, UCLA, where he's back for one more hurrah this fall, including a trip back to Michigan State on Oct. 11. First season of college football: 2020 Advertisement Here we have a rare entrant who's been at one school throughout. As a true freshman, Porter exploded in the Wildcats' last three games, scoring a touchdown against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game and going for 98 yards against Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. After missing all of 2021, the two-time captain spent the past three seasons struggling to regain his freshman form. He'll get one last chance alongside another fellow blast-from-the-past: ex-TCU quarterback Preston Stone. First season of college football: 2020 Corcoran, a former top-100 recruit, was the highest-rated member of Scott Frost's 2020 recruiting class. He became a mainstay at left tackle for 30 straight games, of which an estimated 23 were excruciating one-score losses decided by Huskers special-teams miscues. Injuries cut short his 2023 and 2024 seasons, so he took a redshirt last season and will suit up this fall for Nebraska's 18th straight 'this could be the year.' Key backups: Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris, Miami of Ohio quarterback Dequan Finn, Sam Houston running back Alton McCaskill, Penn State receiver Trebor Pena, Ole Miss receiver De'Zhaun Sterling, Clemson OL Walker Parks. First season of college football: 2018 We normally wouldn't include an FCS player, but this is an extreme case. Tuliaupupu spent the past seven seasons at USC, where he became the new Cam McCormick. He missed his first two seasons because of foot surgery, then the next two seasons because of a knee injury. He finally saw the field in 2022, then missed the entire next season. All told, he played in 21 games in seven years and theoretically has two more medical redshirts at his disposal. First season of college football: 2020 Advertisement Most people have to play an EA Sports video game to sample as many college stadiums as Height. He has moved from the SEC (Auburn in 2020-21) to the Pac-12 (USC in 2022-23) and the ACC (Georgia Tech in 2023-24), then to the Big 12 (Texas Tech in 2024-25). He finally had his breakout as a fifth-year guy in 2024, and at the perfect time, as Texas Tech became an ATM for offensive and defensive linemen. First season of college football: 2020 Buried deep on Mesidor's Miami bio is a nod to his second-team Freshman All-America pick by The Athletic in 2020 at West Virginia. He moved to Coral Gables in 2022 and has earned equally prestigious acclaim as an All-ACC honorable mention pick in two of the past three seasons (he was injured in between). Now he's the top returning pass rusher for Mario Cristobal's fourth Miami team. First season of college football: 2020 Flowe is himself a former five-star Mario Cristobal recruit and was the highest-rated member of a top-15 Oregon class. That's why it feels like he's been a name forever, even though his on-field career has been largely uneventful. Flowe had 13 tackles in the Ducks' 2021 season opener against Fresno State but missed the rest of that season with a foot injury. He spent the past two seasons at Arizona, where another injury cut short his production. He left Tucson in April to join Dan Mullen's debut UNLV squad. First season of college football: 2018 Ladies and gentlemen, our second real-life eighth-year senior. Reese spent his first five years at Florida, where he managed to go four seasons without using any eligibility because of a freshman redshirt (2018), medical redshirts (2019 and 2021) and the free COVID-19 year (2020). Then, in the fifth season, he notched two tackles. He finally made his mark with 11 sacks in two seasons at Cal, then made what might be an unprecedented 2,800-mile transfer within the same conference. Advertisement First season of college football: 2018 Taylor participated in Hawaii's senior day festivities last November. Then Diego Pavia won his lawsuit, and Hawaii's two-time captain earned a waiver to reclaim a year of eligibility from his one season (in 2019) at a junior college. He told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: 'I can't believe this rule even passed.' Taylor has weathered two season-ending injuries on his way to becoming one of the Warriors' most productive players. Also, in February, Taylor and his wife welcomed their third child. First season of college football: 2019 Damuni originally signed with Stanford in 2017 before serving a two-year mission in New Zealand. That Stanford class included a bunch of guys who are already on their second NFL contracts (Walker Little, Paulson Adebo, Colby Parkinson, et al.). Damuni played four seasons for the Cardinal, notching 207 tackles, before heading to Utah in 2023. He was the Utes' leading tackler that season but tore his Achilles last spring. First season of college football: 2020 Grimes, a five-star in the Class of 2021 who reclassified to begin college a year early, was one of the biggest recruiting coups of Mack Brown's second North Carolina tenure. He started most of his first three seasons in Chapel Hill but is on his third school since, after a year lost to injury at Texas A&M and a year starting for UNLV during its 11-win season. In January, he followed coach Barry Odom from Vegas to Purdue, where he's set to become one of 21 new starters for the rebuilding Boilermakers. First season of college football: 2020 Clark is the last remaining legacy from TCU's run to the national championship game in 2022. He notched a pick six against Michigan's JJ McCarthy in that year's CFP semifinal. He has already had a distinguished career, twice earning All-Big 12 honors and racking up 11 interceptions. Advertisement On Sept. 1, he'll add the honor of having faced teams coached by Deion Sanders (2023 opener against Colorado) and Belichick (2025 opener against North Carolina). First season of college football: 2019 It does not seem humanly possible that a former Chad Morris-Arkansas signee is still playing college football, but here we are. Catalon became a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist for the Razorbacks in 2020 but suffered season-ending injuries the next two years. After one uneventful year at Texas, he became an all-conference standout for UNLV in 2024. Now he has come back full circle in the SEC and will return to Fayetteville for his last career regular-season game. First season of college football: 2020 Really, all you need to know is that Lawrence, a former top-100 recruit, was a freshman on Jeremy Pruitt's last Tennessee team. He spent the next three seasons at Oklahoma, earning an All-Big 12 honorable mention nod in 2021, then transferred to Ole Miss last year. But after playing sparingly in the first four games, Lawrence opted to take a redshirt and was off the team by mid-October. He landed at UCLA in December. Key backups: Texas defensive end Cole Brevard, Arizona State cornerback Xavion Alford, Northwestern cornerback Fred Davis II, TCU cornerback Avery Helm, Memphis safety Isheem Young. First season of college football: 2022 Kickers need only four years to feel like lifers. In Auburn's case, he became a national name in the second game of his freshman season at Texas by hitting a 49-yard field goal that nearly lifted the Horns to a home upset of No. 1 Alabama. By last season, though, Auburn had become more synonymous with costly misses in Texas' SEC championship loss to Georgia and CFP quarterfinal win over Arizona State. Steve Sarkisian and his kicker opted to move on. Advertisement First season of college football: 2021 Doman was the punter for Michigan's 2023 national championship team. No word on whether he had help from Connor Stalions. It seemed like Doman was on the field as much as nearly any Wolverine last season, thanks to that woeful offense, drilling a 68-yard punt in the Ohio State game. Now a grad transfer, the Rochester, Mich., native decided to spend his twilight year in Florida. First season of college football: 2022 I could have sworn Brown was at Kentucky for as long as Mark Stoops, but it was only for three seasons. He returned a kickoff to the house against Miami of Ohio in the first game of his freshman season, then ran one back 85 yards to set up a touchdown in the famous 22-19 Will Levis-Jaxson Dart showdown. He went on to become the first-team All-SEC return specialist last season. And he's not done terrorizing the SEC just yet. First season of college football: 2020 Describing Doty as 'all-purpose' is a stretch, but we had to find some way to recognize a guy who, once upon a time, was the Gamecocks' starting quarterback for six games (two in 2020, four in 2021). He eventually moved to receiver but is now officially listed as an 'athlete' on South Carolina's website. This seems like the most respectable way possible to honor an all-around good person, good student and good teammate who now mostly plays on special teams. (Top photo of Haynes King: Vasha Hunt / Imagn Images)
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Shocking post-mortem update on the Coonabarabran boys found dead in their grandmother's home
The case of a woman accused of murdering her young grandsons in their rural home has been briefly heard in court. Prosecutors are still waiting for post-mortem results in the case of a woman accused of murdering her two young grandsons in their rural home. Kathleen Joyce Heggs, 66, is facing two counts of domestic violence murder over the deaths of Max and Sam Johnson, aged seven and six. The brothers were found dead in their home on the outskirts of Coonabarabran, in north-west NSW, on the afternoon of May 5. Police will allege that Heggs drugged the boys before smothering them while they were asleep in separate bedrooms. It's also alleged an autopsy found traces of a prescription medication in the boys' systems. Heggs' case was briefly mentioned in Dubbo Local Court on Thursday morning, but she was not required to appear via audio-video link from Silverwater jail. Solicitor Kathleen O'Keeffe, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the brief of evidence was not yet complete. 'There are a few things outstanding, the most crucial though is the post-mortem,' Ms O'Keeffe told the court. Magistrate Margaret Quinn adjourned the matter until September, noting prosecutors have a November deadline to serve the brief of evidence. During a previous mention in July, Heggs' solicitor Christopher Ford said her defence would relate to mental health. 'This is going to be a question of my client's mental health at the time of the offences,' Mr Ford said. Heggs was the sole carer for the boys and the family had moved from the NSW Central Coast to Coonabarabran about a year before the alleged murders. Two junior police officers broke into their house on a semi-rural property after a message sent to the communities and justice department triggered an emergency response. They found the boys' bodies in their bedrooms. Heggs, their maternal grandmother, had harmed herself and was arrested and taken to a mental health unit at Orange hospital before being transferred to the Sydney prison. Charge sheets before the court alleged she may have killed the boys as early as 10.30am on May 5. Police have previously said there were no weapons involved in the alleged murders. The boys' deaths shook Coonabarabran, where they went to the local primary school and attended karate classes. Community members held a candlelight vigil in a park by the Castlereagh River, where they planted two trees in the boys' honour and displayed the yellow karate belts they were due to receive. Heggs' case will return to court on September 4. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Watch former Texas A&M QB throw after devastating 2024 injury with North Carolina
Former Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of his first starting season with North Carolina, which was devastating, to say the least. After two successful seasons with LSU, which included 2,814 yards and 27 pass touchdowns during the 2021 campaign, Johnson's brief backup/starting stint with the Aggies will continue to be remembered based on the Georgia native's toughness, similar to his father, former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champion Brad Johnson. Johnson will enter the 2025 season knowing that this his his final shot to prove his worth at the next level, and while his 2021 performance solidifed his ability to lead an offense, especially in the SEC, he will need to either match, or get close his final season with the Tigers for NFL scouts to take notice. Either way, this could be one of the great comeback stories to start off the 2025 season. Last season, Johnson's brother, tight end Jake Johnson, followed him to North Carolina and dealt with his only injury issues while appearing in two games, recording two receptions for 21 yards. On X, Max Johnson posted a video of himself throwing and working through his progressions during a recent workout, as his leg looks completely healed, while his mobility is back to form. This fall, Johnson will battle with transfer QB Gio Lopez and freshman Bryce Baker for the starting job. I can safely say that both the Texas A&M and LSU fan base are rooting for Johnson to succeed during his final season with the Tarheels, will will officially introduce NFL Hall of Famer Bill Belichick as the program's newest head coach. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick gives Max Johnson update after severe leg injury
The post Bill Belichick gives Max Johnson update after severe leg injury appeared first on ClutchPoints. North Carolina football head coach Bill Belichick has one significant injury on his hands. Which came before the eight-time Super Bowl winning coach arrived at Chapel Hill. Belichick now provided an update on where things stand with Max Johnson. Advertisement The 2024 quarterback sustained a severe leg injury in 2024. Belichick revealed via Dan Morrison of On3 where the quarterback's health currently stands. 'Max is doing very well,' Belichick began. 'His rehab has been long and I have a lot of admiration for him.' Belichick acknowledged that the quarterback endured a rough road to recovery. But has hit his recovery hard. 'It's a tough injury, but nobody's worked harder than he has, and he certainly is able to do a lot more than he was last spring,' Belichick said. 'So, we'll see exactly where he is when things start, but it's a whole lot closer, and we certainly expect to see him out there. So, it's been very encouraging.' Advertisement Max Johnson in new-look North Carolina QB room with Bill Belichick Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Johnson will be a seasoned veteran on the college football side. He's earning a sixth season of eligibility. Belichick once needed to game plan against Johnson's father before. The UNC QB's dad is Brad Johnson, who won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Johnson and the Bucs won one year after Belichick's first Vince Lombardi Trophy victory with the New England Patriots. North Carolina is the younger Johnson's third collegiate stops. He previously played for LSU and Texas A&M. Johnson enters 2025 with 5,853 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. He's completed 60.5% of his throws. He only started against Minnesota, however, before his devastating leg ailment. Advertisement Johnson now enters a vastly different UNC QB room through Belichick. Gio Lopez is on board for the Tar Heels as a college football transfer portal addition. Lopez arrives via South Alabama. Belichick and North Carolina landed one more high-profile QB in March. Travis Burgess chose UNC over Auburn and UNC rival North Carolina State — giving the 'Heels a 6-foot-5 quarterback. Related: Former NFL safety puts Kirby Smart on blast for record vs. Alabama Related: Texas strikes out on 4-star EDGE amid Georgia, Alabama pursuit
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick says QB competition will be good
One of the biggest questions going into the 2025 season for the North Carolina Tar Heels will be at the quarterback position. UNC saw a revolving door last year, their first season without Sam Howell or Drake Maye since 2018. And as the Tar Heels struggled with consistency at that position a year go, they have a stronger depth chart going into this season. North Carolina addressed the position by adding Gio Lopez out of the transfer portal while also welcoming in freshmen Bryce Baker and Au'tori Newkirk. Max Johnson is also back after missing almost all of last season, suffering a leg injury in the week 1 win over Minnesota. Advertisement Head coach Bill Belichick believes the competition will be good at the position and benefit the guys. "Well, again, at the quarterback position, we have five players there including the two freshmen who are coming in. Bryce is the only one that was here in the spring," Belichick said in his pre-Summer press conference via Inside Carolina. "Max was here, but wasn't able to participate much. And, of course, Gio is new. So I think, as we see the offense evolve, it'll obviously be reflective of how those quarterbacks do and how that position shapes up. So I think we have good competition there, and our offense is our offense, and we'll be able to adapt to whoever it is." With the quarterbacks having different skill sets, Belichick was asked if having multiple options impacts is quarterback philosophy. It doesn't seem to be a problem for him and the offense. "We've certainly had a lot of quarterbacks through the years with different skillsets, and we're able to work with all of them," Belichick said. "But we'll see how it all plays out. So right now, that position is one that we just don't have a lot of on-field experience with. And again, even though Max was here, he just wasn't able to participate in any of the team drills. So you know, it kind of also includes him, even though he's a very experienced player." Advertisement As it stands right now, Lopez appears to be the favorite to be the starter, but the status of Johnson as well as how Baker does in camp could impact things. It's something to keep an eye on this Summer and as practices begin. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick believes UNC football QB competition will be good
