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Keeler: CSU Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi chose Colorado love over Kansas State money. Know what? He’d do it again.

Published

5 months ago

July 28, 2024

Keeler: CSU Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi chose Colorado love over Kansas State money. Know what? He’d do it again.

Add Georgia to the list, now that we’re naming names. And USC. BFN is a BFD.

At least 9.3 million people watched CU and CSU trade haymakers last September in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. You don’t think Lincoln Riley happened to be one of them?

“His DMs were ringing off the hook (in December),” Rich Nicolosi, father to Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, told me Friday. “Everyone from USC to Georgia, and everyone in between. Several in Texas. Some of those offers, most of it, (was) just B.S.”

Some of them, though? Some of them weren’t.

“The K-State one is absolutely legitimate,” Rich said of the Wildcats’ alleged NIL push. “And there were several others.”

Which makes you wonder: What sort of dad lets his kid turn down $600,000, as Rams coach Jay Norvell recently accused the Wildcats of putting on the table, for the glitz of the Mountain West?

A dad who raised his kid right. A dad who says his kid would make the same choice again.

No receipts. No regrets.

“Brayden didn’t ever really take it seriously,” Rich said. “That’s why he was always committed to (CSU coach) Jay (Norvell). It was Jay who believed in Brayden. It was Jay who gave him a shot. He’s extremely loyal to Jay.

“And Brayden loves CSU … (he’s) an outdoors kid, he loves hunting and fishing. He loves everything about it, and I think that tied it all into a neat little bow.”

As a redshirt freshman, BFN led the Mountain West in total offense per game (286.1 yards) and passing yards per game (288.3). As a sophomore heading to camp on Thursday, he’s shaved his 40-yard dash time down to the 4.6-second range and his 20-yard shuttle time to 4.19.

That last number, if you’re curious, is quicker than the 2024 combine times posted by Michigan’s JJ McCarthy (4.23), the No.10 overall pick in the ’24 NFL Draft, and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler (4.37), who wound up getting taken in the fifth round by the Saints. He’s squatting 460 to 480-ish pounds, with sights on topping 500 soon.

“It’s fun to see some of the (social media posts),” Rich laughed. “Like, ‘They offered $600K for a QB2? Really?’ Maybe you’re not seeing what the NFL scouts see right now.”

The scouts see BFN, CSU’s Big Freakin’ Deal, as a 6-foot-4 RPG. They see a kid who’ll hang in the pocket until he can smell the linebacker’s chewing gum. They see guts. They see vision. They see a fast processor. They see a photographic memory. They see a guy who took honors classes in chemistry and advanced placement courses in world history.

And yeah, they’ve seen the 16 picks from last fall. Brayden and Rich, a football coach himself, even got together to break them down: Three came on end-of-half or end-of-game heaves, another handful on third-and-forevers.

“Probably half of them were really mental mistakes, being a freshman, being new,” Rich said. “I would say he’s not really going to change his gunslinger mentality.

“And I think that’s one of the things that, when you compare him to Jordan Love, how he played for Green Bay, and had similar stats, but the NFL looks back and goes, ‘He’s not afraid to let it rip.’”

No receipts. No regrets.

BFN’s never been cowered from the stage. Never shirked a challenge. Growing up, Rich made a point to never “let” his kids, including Brayden, beat him in anything.

Victories were earned. They even made up a fake medal out of a jar lid, a carrot at the end of the family stick, and presented it to the “Champion Of The Garage.”

Brayden won it for the first time at age 14 when he finally beat Rich in table tennis. Young BFN put the medal on, then went outside and did a ceremonial lap of honor around the neighborhood.

“From then on,” Rich laughed, “there’s nothing that I can beat him at.”

Colorado State Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (16) celebrates with fans after defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 30-20 at Canvas Stadium November 18, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Brayden became a 5-foot-8 underclassman being chased by 300-pound linemen at San Diego’s Torrey Pines High School. But by the time that first major growth spurt hit, in 2020, BFN was SOL — a 6-foot-ish QB with no prep football in California to play that fall thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The family moved to Texas, where young Brayden transferred into Aledo High, zipped from JV to QB1, and won a state championship within months of joining the program.

“Get him on a board game like Rummikub, you play him in anything, he instantly locks into ‘kill’ mode,” Rich said. “He’s just like his mom — he won’t let anybody win.”

BFN grew up at Rich’s practices and games, shagging balls and joining drills, soaking it all in like a young Kyle Shanahan or a young Jim Harbaugh,

At 9, he was watching film with Rich, who showed him how to dissect defenses. At 12, his fastball was clocked at 72 miles per hour. At 15, he was throwing the rock so stinking hard that Rich decided, rather than busting up his fingers, to let someone else run routes with his new missile launcher.

Although even dad admits that a spare $600,000 sure would’ve come in handy recently. Brayden just sprung for a $3,000 bed, complete with one of those “smart” therapy mattresses that contour to your spine.

“He doesn’t care about any of that stuff,” Rich said. “We really just don’t care about that. We have a really great (adviser) who is our brand manager … he always told us, ‘Don’t try to get rich playing college football. The real money is in the NFL.’”

No receipts. No regrets.

“I’ve seen his accountability going up, his sense of responsibility going up big time,” Rich said. “He won that (CSU) locker room last year, to be honest with you, before the season even started. People loved him. He’s got no enemies. Except for some CU Buffs fans.”

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Originally Published: July 28, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

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Kansas State Has Another Second-Half Collapse In Loss To Wichita State

Published

16 minutes ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Kansas State Has Another Second-Half Collapse In Loss To Wichita State

The Kansas State Wildcats looked like a strong basketball team for one half.

And then the second half happened.

The Wildcats were outscored by 23 in the final 20 minutes in an 84-65 loss to Wichita State Saturday night on the road.

“They were better than us, especially in the second half,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said. “I thought their staff did a great job of putting a game plan together of how they wanted to attack us.”

It was the second time the Wildcats had a second-half collapse. The same thing happened in a blowout loss at St. John’s earlier this month.

“The other coaches did a better job of making adjustments than our staff did,” Tang said.

Xavier Bell led the Shockers with a season-high 24 points. Macaleab Rich led the Wildcats with 20 points.

WILDCATS SIGN RECEIVER

Kansas State is making moves within the transfer portal. Their most recent acquisition former Boston College wide receiver Jerand Bradley.

Bradley had just six receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Eagles. However, he compiled 92 receptions for 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns with Texas Tech, illustrating his ability to produce. He will have many opportunities to replicate this in Manhattan, with the Wildcats reeling after losing their top two receivers.

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS HAVE NEW UNIFORMS FOR RATE BOWL AGAINST RUTGERS

As Kansas State gears up for the Rutgers Scarlet Knight, storylines have been flying around regarding the transfer portal, new recruits, and possible breakout performances.

But a more light-hearted note was the Wildcats getting to unveil their new uniforms in the Rate Bowl.

Wildcats veteran Taylor Poitier said it was “really cool” to be able to suit up in these newer designs.

“We rarely get to wear those types of uniform combos, so I’m really excited to wear them,” Poitier said. “They’ll look pretty cool out there.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Taylor Swift shares group hug with mom Andrea and Donna Kelce after Chiefs’ big win against Texans

Published

8 hours ago

December 21, 2024

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Taylor Swift shares group hug with mom Andrea and Donna Kelce after Chiefs’ big win against Texans

‘Tis the damn season for Taylor Swift to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play football!

The Grammy winner was spotted sharing a group hug with her mom, Andrea Swift, and Travis’s mom, Donna Kelce, after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

In a video shared on X, the “Cruel Summer” singer — who wore a red Charlotte Simone coat ($404) and black Chanel bucket hat — could be seen hugging Andrea as Donna stood and clapped alongside them. Then, as Donna turned toward them, the ladies pulled her in to join their warm embrace.

When they eventually pulled away from the group hug, Taylor, Andrea and Donna turned back toward the field and continued clapping.

This weekend’s victory was a special one for the Chiefs as it marked their first undefeated season at home since 2003.

The last time the Chiefs went 8-0 at Arrowhead was 2003. And now that they’re 14-1 overall, they have matched their most victories in the regular season — also accomplished in 2020 and 2022.

The pop star’s attendance at the game came a week after she and Kelce — who began dating in summer 2023 — celebrated her 35th birthday together on Dec. 13.

Although the Super Bowl champion, 35, had a “mandatory” team Christmas party to attend, he made sure to “leave early to go be with Taylor for her birthday.”

A source told Page Six that the pro athlete showered Swift with a “a ton of gifts” for her special day.

We also learned that they had an intimate gathering “just them two,” with a separate source telling us that Kelce wanted to make her birthday “extra special.”

Prior to her private birthday festivities, Swift gushed about Kelce during her visit to a children’s hospital in Kansas City.

The “Anti-Hero” singer chatted with a young patient who said, “I like Travis now,” to which Swift replied, “Yes, me too!”

“That’s an absolute yes on that one,” she added.

The billionaire musician had skipped Kelce’s previous away game against the Cleveland Browns, which the Chiefs won 21-7.

The pop songstress has only attended home games this season due to security reasons.

Swift also did not attend the team’s Dec. 8 match-up versus the Los Angeles Chargers as she was wrapping up her record-breaking Eras Tour in Vancouver.

However, the singer paid tribute to her beau during her final concert with a shout-out to the “guy on the Chiefs” while performing her hit song “Karma.”

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Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs prediction, odds, best bets for NFL on Saturday

Published

16 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs prediction, odds, best bets for NFL on Saturday

The Houston Texans will square off with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16 of the NFL season at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have yet to score 30 points in a game this season, and with a predicted score of 23-20, our data model thinks that streak will remain intact. However, our experts believe the oddsmaker have gotten overly aggressive with the total: our best bet for today is Over 41.5 points (-115).

In anticipation of this late-season AFC clash, the data analysts at Dimers.com have simulated the game 10,000 times, and then compared these results to current NFL betting odds to inform the data-driven betting preview provided to you below.

This preview includes Dimers’ best bets and predicted scoreline for Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs. To unlock Dimers’ full suite of data-driven betting insights, which includes daily props, trends, and parlays, sign up for Dimers Pro with promo code SYRACUSE10, which will save you 10% off your first subscription payment.

Bet365 is now legal in Pennsylvania, making this the perfect chance for Steelers fans to claim huge betting bonuses with our brand new exclusive bet365 bonus code “SYRACUSE”, while sports fans in New York State can take full advantage of our NBA League Pass FanDuel promo code. Additionally, bettors are encouraged to check out this exclusive promo offer from DraftKings and BetMGM.

Texans vs. Chiefs betting preview

Utilize the interactive widget below to discover the current spread, over/under, and moneyline betting odds and probabilities for the Texans-Chiefs game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

This prediction and best bet for Saturday’s NFL matchup between the Texans and Chiefs is from Dimers.com, a trusted source for sports betting predictions.

Check out all the important details on today’s game, as well as the best odds sourced from the top sportsbooks in the country.

Game details

Key information on the Texans vs. Chiefs matchup, including where the game is and what time it kicks off.

Teams: Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
NFL standings: Current NFL division standings
NFL injuries: Check the latest updates to the official NFL injury report

Odds

The latest and best odds for the NFL battle between the Texans and Chiefs.

Spread: Texans +3.5 (-115), Chiefs -3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: Texans +160, Chiefs -180
Total: Over/Under 41.5 (-115/-105)

The odds and lines presented here are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Expert prediction: Texans vs. Chiefs

Utilizing state-of-the-art data analysis and advanced algorithms, the experts at Dimers have performed 10,000 simulations of Saturday’s Texans vs. Chiefs game.

According to Dimers’ famous predictive analytics model, the Chiefs are more likely to beat the Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. This prediction is based on the model giving the Chiefs a 63% chance of winning the game.

Elsewhere on the betting board, Dimers predicts that the bookies have gotten it right and the Texans and Chiefs each have a 50% chance of covering the spread, while the over/under total of 41.5 points has a 56% chance of going over.

As always, these predictions and probabilities are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change.

Texans vs. Chiefs best bet

Our top pick for the Texans vs. Chiefs Week 16 NFL game is to bet on Over 41.5 points (-115).

This betting advice is formulated through detailed simulations and valuable wagering intelligence, designed to deliver you the best possible plays.

Score prediction for Texans vs. Chiefs

Dimers’ projected final score for the Houston vs. Kansas City game on Saturday has the Chiefs winning 23-20.

This expert prediction is based on each team’s average score following 10,000 game simulations, offering a glimpse into the potential outcome.

NFL player props: Saturday

NFL player props are an exciting way to wager on Saturday’s game without necessarily betting on its outcome.

This article features the most likely first and anytime touchdown scorers for the Texans and Chiefs, along with projected player stats.

Houston Texans

First touchdown scorer predictions

Joe Mixon: 14.4% probability
Nico Collins: 10.6% probability
Tank Dell: 6.6% probability

Anytime touchdown predictions

Joe Mixon: 53.3% probability
Nico Collins: 41.6% probability
Tank Dell: 28.4% probability

Projected box score leaders

QB passing yards: C.J. Stroud, 270 yards
Receiving yards: Nico Collins, 86 yards
Rushing yards: Joe Mixon, 73 yards

Kansas City Chiefs

First touchdown scorer predictions

Isiah Pacheco: 8.2% probability
DeAndre Hopkins: 7.3% probability
Xavier Worthy: 6.7% probability

Anytime touchdown predictions

Isiah Pacheco: 34.1% probability
DeAndre Hopkins: 30.0% probability
Travis Kelce: 28.7% probability

Projected box score leaders

QB passing yards: Patrick Mahomes, 274 yards
Receiving yards: Travis Kelce, 64 yards
Rushing yards: Isiah Pacheco, 51 yards

NFL Week 16: Texans vs. Chiefs

Get ready for Saturday’s matchup between the Texans and Chiefs in Week 16 of the NFL season at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. EST. We emphasize that all of the NFL best bets and NFL predictions on this page are based on 10,000 data-driven simulations of the Texans vs. Chiefs matchup, and they are accurate at the time of publication. They aim to assist you make more informed choices when placing bets at online sportsbooks.

Please note that when engaging in online betting, it is important to exercise responsible gambling practices and consult reputable sources for the latest and most accurate information.

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