ONE Archives - US Sports News

TRANSFER PORTAL: Arkansas State Adds Two Players To Roster

After entering the transfer portal for a second time in his career, quarterback Timmy Mcclain has committed to play for the Sun Belt's Arkansas State Red Wolves. In seven appearances this past season for the UCF Knights, Mcclain threw for 1,065 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Prior to his time with the UCF Knights, Mcclain spent one season at USF in 2021 where he played in 11 games and threw for 1,888 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Bulls went 2-10 that season. Mcclain transferred after his lone season with the Bulls, spending two seasons with the Knights. He took a redshirt in 2022.

Mcclain now enters a situation where Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Jaylen Raynor, who threw for over 2,500 yards, is the arguably clear starting quarterback. Still, Mcclain provides strong depth at the position with multiple years of eligibility left backing up Raynor who is just a sophomore.

On the defensive side of things, the Wolves brought in defensive back Adrian Cole. Last season for the FIU Panthers, Cole had 30 total tackles, 16 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles, and recovered one fumble for a touchdown in the season's final game.

Cole brings plenty of experience having played in the ACC with Syracuse and the Group of Five. Cole was one of the first transfers who joined FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre when he was hired.

The newest defensive back will have just one year of eligibility remaining but will join an Arkansas State defense that is coming off a season where they were towards the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt in most team statistics.

Arkansas State will open the 2024 season on August 31 when they host Central Arkansas.

3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Jax State Football: Head Coach Rich Rodriguez Agrees To Extension

The Jacksonville Gamecocks have agreed to a contract extension with head coach Rich Rodriguez that will go through the 2030 season.

Rodriguez was hired in 2021 and after a strong 9-2 record in 2022, their final one at the FCS level, the Gamecocks went to the FBS level in Conference USA and ended up going 9-4 including a win in the New Orleans Bowl.

"We couldn't be more excited that Coach Rodriguez is committed to Jacksonville State and continuing to lead our football program into this new era," Athletics Director Greg Seitz said. "The growth of our program since the day he took over has been incredible, with a conference title in year one, the first bowl win by a transition team in history in year two."

Entering 2024, Jax State brought in the replacement for quarterback Zion Webb in former UConn starter Zion Turner. The quick similar style of offense that was run last year should be in place again this season, especially with Turner’s own skill set.

Along with Rodriguez's success on the field, he has been a vital piece in improvements around the facilities and ensuring his players have the best equipment and work environment.

Although the Gamecocks still have one transition year left, Jax State still cannot play a postseason game without a waiver. If enough teams do not make a bowl game in 2024, there’s a likely chance that Rich Rodriguez's team can reach the six-win marker to make it into a second consecutive bowl game. The Gamecocks will also be one of the top teams in Conference USA. Against the conference last season, Jax State went 6-2.

2 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

REPORT: WKU Starting CB Anthony Johnson Jr. Exiting Transfer Portal

On3's Pete Nakos reported on Thursday that Western Kentucky Hilltoppers' defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. had withdrawn from the transfer portal. He originally entered the portal on April 16.

Western Kentucky cornerback Anthony Johnson has withdrawn from the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.
An On3 College four-star, he recorded 44 tackles and 4 interceptions this past season.https://t.co/VNvB2Ek6qR pic.twitter.com/5sHV5GCkBg
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) May 2, 2024

Johnson was the Defensive MVP of WKU's win over Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl this past December. He had eight tackles and an interception in that game. Johnson was Pro Football Focus' fourth-highest graded cornerback in 2023 with a score of 90.3.

A Miami native, Johnson spent two seasons at Division II West Florida before joining the Hilltoppers prior to the 2023 season. At UWF, appeared in 21 games, recording 69 tackles, 15 pass break-ups, five interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. He was an All-CUSA Honorable Mention last season with 44 tackles with one TFL, four interceptions, a fumble recovery, and five pass breakups. He also blocked a kick in WKU's win over Louisiana Tech.

Johnson Jr. should have one season of eligibility remaining.

1 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

UConn Starting Quarterback Enters Transfer Portal As Huskies Pickup Former Wisconsin Backup

University of Connecticut starting quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson announced his entrance in to the transfer portal on Wednesday, the final day that football players could do so for 2024 spring transfer window.

In 2022, Roberson suffered a season-ending leg injury in the first game of the season. He bounced back healthy in 2023, playing 11 games for the Huskies and completing 197 passes on 338 attempts for 2075 yards. He threw 12 touchdowns with six interceptions while rushing for two touchdowns and catching one.

Prior to UConn, Roberson spent three seasons with Penn State where he appeared in five games. The New Jersey native was originally a four-star high school prospect in the class of 2019.

Roberson's departure comes at an interesting time given his status as the regular starter. UConn earned a commitment from former Oklahoma and Wisconsin quarterback Nick Evers committed to the Huskies on Wednesday as well. UConn also has former Maine starting quarterback Joe Fagnano on the roster. Those two should be the frontrunners for the Huskies' starting job in 2024.

UConn open the 2024 season on August 31 at Maryland.

1 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

PODCAST: CFB Super League Ridiculousness + Audience Q&A

Time to take some questions from the audience about the upcoming G5 football season and more. Obviously, the expansion of the College Football Playoff opens the door for at least one team from the G5 to make that tournament. Who might that program be in this first year of the 12-team format?

Could all of that change with the potential creation of a G5 super league? Is this the potential impetus for the G5 to make their own playoff? Eric Henry of 247Sports joins once again for a discussion of what this offseason prognostication means for the sport. Happy football watching! Look for more audience participation and Q&A opportunities in future episodes of the show.

Happy football watching!

Listen on Apple.

Listen on Spotify.

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on your platform of choice!

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Follow Joe Londergan on Twitter/X

30 Apr 24 Jimm Sallivan

Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Recap

The weekend of the 2024 NFL Draft was a productive one for Confefence USA. In particular, it was something of a historic draft for the UTEP miners with not one, but two selections. Three total players from Conference USA schools heard their names called. With those three selections, CUSA has now seen 62 players chosen in the NFL Draft since 2016.

Here are the important things to know about the latest batch of Conference USA NFL talent.

Malachi Corley (Western Kentucky WR) - New York Jets, #65 Overall

Corley spent all four of his college seasons at Western Kentucky where he hauled 259 receptions for 3,035 yards and 29 touchdowns. Corley was also impressive in Senior Bowl practices, helping him land an opportunity in a Jets offense that needs help to reach rejuvenation.

Tyrice Knight (UTEP LB) - Seattle Seahawks, #118 Overall

Over the previous four seasons, nobody in Conference USA had more tackles than Tyrice Knight. He had 140 in 2023 alone. Knight was the first UTEP player to be drafted since 2018. He finished his college career with 32 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Elijah Klein (UTEP OL) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, #220 Overall

Klein started games at four different offensive line positions this season alone. He made a whopping 50 consecutive starts for the Miners over the last several seasons. With Klein's selection, 2024 marks the first time since 2008 that multiple UTEP players were selected in the NFL Draft.