Sports
From NCAA Division III to the Big Ten: The unlikely rise of UCLA's Luke Schuermann
Luke Schuermann often gets “the look” whenever he mentions his last football stop. It can be a quizzical expression or a blank stare based on the level of knowledge of the words just spoken.
Johns Hopkins? Wait, give me a second. Oh, you mean the school known for producing renowned journalists, doctors and scientists?
That’s right. That one. Among its most famous alumni are CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, former President Woodrow Wilson and film director Wes Craven.
Something the Baltimore-based private research institution is not known for is its football program. Its first team, in 1882, had to play as the Clifton Athletic Club because of the school’s contempt for the emerging sport. For its first 13 seasons, students served as coaches.
More than a century later, the Blue Jays are still playing in the shadows. They’re a plucky NCAA Division III operation that averages a few thousand fans for home games, its players doubling as promoters.
“I’ve had people be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know they had a football team, you know, I just thought they had like a med school,’ ” Schuermann said with a chuckle.
Even as a three-time All-American, Schuermann never became a household name outside his own abode. Maybe that’s why UCLA is the transfer edge rusher’s new football home, the next stop on an improbable journey that Schuermann hopes can take him from Division III to the Big Ten to the NFL.
“He’s not like, if it happens, it happens,” said Jennifer Schuermann, Luke’s mother. “He’s going to do everything he can to try to make it happen.”
The NFL is already well-versed in this underdog story, every team having sent a scout to watch Luke play or practice while at Johns Hopkins, according to Dan Wodicka, the Blue Jays coach who was the defensive line coach and defensive coordinator when Luke played there.
Those scouts saw an edge rusher who more than looked the part at a stout 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds. He was faster than most of the team’s skill players in conditioning drills and a blur in the backfield, finishing his career as Johns Hopkins’ all-time leaders in tackles for loss (62.5) and sacks (34.5) despite playing only three seasons.
Like every quality edge rusher, Schuermann has a signature move — his involving the Gumby-like ability to bend his shoulder so that he can elude the offensive tackle on his way to the quarterback.
What makes Wodicka believe that Schuermann can thrive at a much higher level are the smarts and drive that helped him attain a 3.69 grade-point average as a mechanical engineering major while becoming a finalist for the Campbell Trophy — known as the “Academic Heisman” — that was awarded to Oregon’s Bo Nix.
Somehow, Schuermann also found time to serve as a de facto assistant coach.
“He’s the best I’ve ever coached in terms of the preparation he puts in,” Wodicka said. “He would be sending me game-planning notes late at night on a Tuesday as he’s seeing tendencies” of the other team.
Now he’s prepping to go after Big Ten quarterbacks following an assist from another Johns Hopkins success story. Chip Kelly, whose first full-time coaching job came as Johns Hopkins’ defensive coordinator in 1993, always kept tabs on his old team even as he rose to become a major college and NFL coach.
Schuermann’s big showing on the small stage caught Kelly’s interest and earned him a recruiting visit to UCLA, where coaches praised his relentlessness and told him and his father that he could help mentor younger players based on his own constant improvement.
Coach DeShaun Foster and his new staff kept the commitment to Schuermann even after Kelly departed to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, believing that the redshirt senior’s size and speed (he’s been clocked at 21.23 miles per hour at a dead sprint) could allow him to contribute for a team needing to replace its entire fleet of edge rushers.
“We got some size guys for defensive ends, we got some quick guys, and then I need a motor guy,” UCLA defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe said, referring to Schuermann with his last description. “So, as long as we can teach him the technique and he can unlearn some things because our [style of pass rush] is a little bit unorthodox, I think he’ll be a great addition.”
After one early preseason camp practice, Malloe commended Schuermann in front of the entire defense for his effort in sprinting to the other end of the field as part of a post-play conditioning drill that others sometimes completed with a half-hearted jog.
There remains a lot of ground to cover given that Schuermann was competing with the third string during a practice open to reporters last week. Acknowledging that the early transition has been “a little intimidating,” Schuermann said the challenge could fuel his growth.
“I’ve had good days and bad days,” he said, “but I’m trying not to focus too much on right now, at least, how well I’m doing and focus more on what can I improve on every single day.”
Those closest to Schuermann say he’s never been one to concede defeat. A straight-A student his whole life, Schuermann was frantic in middle school when a teacher gave him a C as part of a summer writing assignment.
“He worked on that like half the night to get the paper right,” Jennifer Schuermann said of revision efforts that proved worthwhile. By summer’s end, Luke won the award for most dedicated student.
He’s already risen from humble football beginnings. As a high school prospect from St. Louis, he was recruited mostly by Football Championship Subdivision schools and Iowa, which offered him a spot as a preferred walk-on. He chose Johns Hopkins because of its academic reputation and coaches who made him feel valued.
Similar thinking went into his decision to transfer to UCLA instead of accepting a spot as a walk-on at Missouri. Schuermann was drawn by the chance to complete a project management program through the extension school that will give him business savvy to complement his undergraduate degree.
There was also the opportunity to play for Malloe, who helped send a slew of players to the NFL when he coached at Washington before developing UCLA’s Laiatu Latu into a first-round pick last spring. If all goes well, Schuermann will join the list of 21 Division III players who have been drafted since 1990, even if his stopover in Westwood adds an asterisk.
Malloe recently asked Schuermann and the other defensive players to read the book “Chop Wood Carry Water,” which provides insight on the discipline it takes to accomplish something extraordinary. It might feel as if Schuermann is on the verge of writing his own epilogue.
“Everything that you’ve seen that he’s done in college at the D-III level,” Foster said, “he’s capable of doing here.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Earlier this month, Michigan defeated UConn in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game.
Shortly after the Wolverines captured the program’s first title since 1989, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the NBA Draft.
Despite declaring for the NBA Draft, Johnson has maintained his NCAA eligibility throughout the process. However, he has until May 27 to withdraw if he plans to return for his junior season.
Johnson played for Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. walks on the court against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated)
After joining Michigan, Johnson quickly emerged as a key contributor, averaging the second-most points on the team. He also led the Wolverines in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game.
Michigan head coach Dusty May eventually dubbed Johnson “The Enforcer” and “Junkyard Dog,” a nod to his tenacity on the defensive end. Johnson was named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team.
RANKING THE TOP 20 PLAYERS IN THE MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TRANSFER PORTAL
But Johnson’s offensive prowess didn’t take a back seat to his defensive strengths. His shooting from beyond the 3-point line showed improvement as the season progressed.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the 2026 NCAA national championship game in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Many early NBA projections gave Johnson a first-round grade. It’s unclear how much name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation he would command if he returns to Michigan or transfers elsewhere.
Johnson has been active on social media, interacting with teammates as they consider returning to Michigan for another championship push.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after scoring in the second half against the UConn Huskies during the 2026 NCAA national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Michigan added a key piece this week, with Jalen Reed transferring from LSU, On3 reported. Reed was limited during the 2025-26 season by an Achilles injury.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Quarterback Ty Simpson arrived in Los Angeles on Friday — and the Rams’ first-round draft pick sounded as if he couldn’t wait to start learning from coach Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford.
“The best head coach in the league, the best quarterback in the league, the best … franchise in the league — it’s a perfect situation,” Simpson said during a news conference at the Rams’ draft headquarters in Inglewood.
How the situation plays out — short and long term — remains to be seen.
Stafford, 38, will enter his 18th NFL season as the reigning NFL most valuable player.
With free agent Jimmy Garoppolo mulling retirement, McVay said Thursday night that Simpson would compete with Stetson Bennett to be Stafford’s backup.
The Rams used the 13th pick to select Simpson, 23, who started 15 games for Alabama.
McVay said that he had informed Stafford that the Rams would select Simpson.
“He was great,” McVay said of Stafford’s reaction. “He’s a stud. He’s always first class in every sense of the word.”
But McVay and general manager Les Snead were not their typically ebullient selves when discussing Simpson during their Thursday night news conference. Some observers perceived that as a break in what is regarded as one of the NFL’s best coach-general manager partnerships.
On Friday, Snead said in an interview with ESPN radio that he and McVay work “in lockstep.”
So their muted reactions Thursday might have been out of sensitivity, warranted or not, to not upset Stafford after drafting his heir apparent in the first round. McVay took pains to remind that the Rams are Stafford’s team, seemingly to not offend the Rams’ most important player.
After last year’s draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams went into the offseason with two first-round picks — their own at No. 29 and the one acquired from the Falcons at 13.
Ty Simpson poses for a photo with his family during a news conference in Inglewood on Friday.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams used the 29th pick in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, so perhaps the 13th pick was regarded as a luxury.
They spent it on a player who was at Alabama for four seasons, but started only one.
Snead acknowledged that as Simpson pondered whether to remain at Alabama or make himself available for the draft, Snead spoke with Simpson’s father, Jason, who like Snead played college football in the Southeastern Conference and is now the coach at Tennessee Martin. Snead said it was in the role similar to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, which evaluates prospects and lets them know in what round, if any, that they might be selected. Snead reportedly told Jason Simpson his son was first-round caliber.
“You try to get across it’s not about where you get drafted,” Snead said Thursday night. “It’s more about where you go and what situation you go and what you do with that opportunity after.”
A few months later, the Rams drafted Simpson, who was upbeat as he met with reporters, while his parents and his brother and sister sat nearby.
-
Share via
The Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Simpson, who passed for 28 touchdowns, with five interceptions last season, was in Southern California last January when Alabama lost to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide did a walkthrough at SoFi Stadium.
Now he will begin his NFL career there.
“I’m, I guess, like a redneck in Southern California,” he joked. “So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m super excited to be here. This is a great place, with great people and I can’t wait to get started.”
Simpson said that Rams safety Quentin Lake had texted him. He also received a social media message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, inviting him and his family to reach out if they need anything.
“Can’t wait to talk to Matthew,” said Simpson, who characterized the veteran as “an assassin” on the field. “I’m super excited because I just want to pick his brain about everything.”
Simpson met with McVay on Friday.
“He’s got the juice, man,” Simpson said, “like that dude … he’s a fireball.”
Simpson said he benefited from the years he spent at Alabama before he got his opportunity to play last season.
“The years that I sat were … probably more important,” he said, “because I had to learn how to practice. I had to learn how to study when I wasn’t playing because I didn’t know when that time was going to come.
“And so whenever that time did come — it was this year — I made the most of it.”
Now he is ready for the next phase of his career.
He said his faith was his foundation, and that he aspires to be “not only be the best football player I can be,” but also a better teammate and person.
“I want people to come into the locker room and smile, knowing that ‘Hey, Ty’s here,’” he said. “I want to lead, influence people and I think at the quarterback position that’s what you need to do.”
His immediate goal is modest.
“My plan is just to get better each and every day,” he said, “so, eventually, I have a long career like Matthew.”
Sports
Olympic legend Kaillie Humphries signs with activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics amid political rise
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The most accomplished Olympic women’s bobsledder in history is now an official brand ambassador in the movement to “save women’s sports”.
Olympic bobsled legend Kaillie Humphries has signed with the activist sportswear company XX-XY Athletics, becoming the latest medal-winning Olympian to represent the brand.
“Being able to partner with a brand that believes in the same things I do, that’s willing to stand up and actively work on protecting the women’s space and women’s sports is huge,” Humphries told Fox News Digital.
Humphries first spoke out about her support for protecting women’s sports from biological male trans athletes in a Fox News Interview that went viral after the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Humphries had just returned after winning bronze in women’s bobsled, marking her sixth career Olympic medal. She later revealed that she received backlash for coming out as a Republican with other conservative stances in that interview, but didn’t back down.
Humphries went on to be honored at a White House Women’s History Month event by President Donald Trump in March, and gave her Order of Ikkos medal to Trump, citing his actions to protect women’s sports.
“Being able to come back to the USA after the Olympics and then be able to make connections and meet some people, I was able to, when I went to the White House, I was able to meet people that were connected obviously in working with XX-XY and that’s how the conversation started,” Humphries said.
Humphries, who is originally from Canada and competed in her first three Olympics for Canada, moved to the U.S. in 2016 and then competed for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
FEMALE ATHLETES ANXIOUSLY AWAIT SUPREME COURT DECISION TO TAKE UP TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Kaillie Humphries, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist bobsled athlete, presents the Order of Ikkos to President Donald Trump during a Women’s History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg)
Just months after that, America was rocked by the news that male transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was winning championships for UPenn’s women’s swim team.
Humphries, who was following the story in the news, found it startling.
Now, as a California resident and the mother of a newborn son, she is energized to help combat the wave of trans athletes in girls’ sports in the state, as California has become the nation’s biggest hotbed for the issue.
XX-XY Athletics co-founder and former U.S. gymnast Jennifer previously told Fox News Digital one of her biggest goals for the brand was to land high-profile superstar women’s athletes as brand ambassadors, especially Olympic medalists.
Now, with Humphries, the brand has a three-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time Olympic podium finisher across her stints for Canada and the U.S.
Humphries joins Olympic silver medalist gymnast MyKayla Skinner and gold medal swimmer Nancy Hogshead on XX-XY Athletics’ growing roster of Olympians.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
USA’s Kaillie Humphries holds a USA flag after winning bronze in the bobsleigh women’s monobob heat 4 at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 16, 2026. (Marco Bertorello/AFP)
“Kaillie is the GOAT of her sport. She is the only Olympian to win gold for two different countries. She is an elite athlete and a courageous, fierce woman who has fought for female athletes to have equal opportunities in sport.” Sey told Fox News Digital.
“The women’s monobob event exists because of Kaillie’s leadership, and she has gold-medal proof that women have the skill, strength, and speed to compete at the highest level. She has driven meaningful change and expanded opportunities for women at the Olympic level — more female athletes represent Team USA because of Kaillie. And that’s exactly why we’re leading with her as we grow in how we support female athletes.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
Health2 minutes agoYour daily coffee habit may be quietly reshaping your gut and mood, study finds
-
Sports8 minutes agoMorez Johnson Jr declares for NBA draft, maintains college eligibility
-
Technology14 minutes agoFox News AI Newsletter: Your next Dairy Queen order could be taken by AI
-
Business20 minutes agoBed Bath & Beyond is back in California after vowing never to return
-
Entertainment26 minutes agoJada Pinkett Smith asks court to make Will Smith’s former friend pay her $49,000 legal bills
-
Lifestyle32 minutes agoHow to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tig Notaro
-
Politics38 minutes ago
Voter ID is headed for California’s November ballot
-
Sports50 minutes ago
Rams first-round pick Ty Simpson aiming to ‘have a long career like Matthew’
