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Oklahoma, Kansas State can imagine what might have been at QB, but did they have a choice?

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Oklahoma, Kansas State can imagine what might have been at QB, but did they have a choice?


Late in the second quarter Saturday, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold committed his third turnover of the night, this one a pass toward the sideline that bounced short and then off the intended receiver before being recovered by Tennessee after a mad scramble.

Arnold, a redshirt freshman and former five-star, appeared for only one more play the rest of the night, a handoff, as the Sooners fell 25-15 at home.

A few hours later, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson threw a pair of interceptions at BYU. The Wildcats’ final three possessions all resulted in turnovers on downs, and K-State lost 38-9, stumbling early in a season that began with Big 12 title hopes.

A frustrating evening for both programs was made more so by imagining what might have been.

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Former K-State starting quarterback Will Howard is enjoying success at Ohio State, and former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel is leading Oregon, with both teams looking like College Football Playoff contenders.


Ohio State, with quarterback Will Howard, is ranked No. 3 in the AP poll. (Jason Mowry / Getty Images)

Months later, it’s easy to point to their success in new places and the growing pains or failures of their replacements and wonder if more should have been done to keep them. Or if both programs should have kept their more experienced passer and let the chips fall where they may with highly rated prospects who didn’t want to wait long to get their turns.

But in the new era of college football, where no position is more valuable or transfers more often than quarterback, keeping two players of a certain caliber is rarely possible. Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers at Texas is an anomaly. 

In reality, the scenarios are far more complex than they appear on the surface.


A season ago, there was a clear understanding at Kansas State: Howard, who led the Wildcats to the 2022 Big 12 title, would be the starter. Johnson, a four-star Kansas native and the No. 9 quarterback in the 2023 class, would be the backup. And Howard would be headed to the NFL after the season.

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But as any human can attest, sometimes life’s plans go awry.

Howard struggled early, and coach Chris Klieman turned to Johnson at midseason. He played both quarterbacks, leaning on Johnson’s lightning speed and Howard’s experienced and more refined abilities as a passer.

At the end of an 8-4 regular season, Howard entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer but also entered his name for consideration in the NFL Draft. For six weeks, he was in limbo. He’d visited USC, but Miller Moss’ stellar bowl performance made starting for Lincoln Riley there a near-impossibility.

Then Ohio State’s offense cratered behind Devin Brown in a 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. Less than a week later, Howard was headed to Columbus, where he won the starting job this offseason.

Gabriel’s two seasons at Oklahoma were similar. Once Arnold committed and enrolled, it was understood that Gabriel, who had started his career at UCF, would be headed to the NFL, too.

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Gabriel led the Sooners to a 10-2 record and win over rival Texas, but after the 2023 season, the NFL Draft Advisory Committee examined Gabriel’s film and gave him a seventh round/undrafted grade.

“I was just devastated, Gabriel told The Athletic this offseason.

Oklahoma’s coaches were publicly supportive of Gabriel staying, but the writing was on the wall.

From Gabriel and Johnson’s perspectives, it makes no sense to stick around at a program and compete for a job when there are “guaranteed” starting spots to step into and money to be earned elsewhere.

And for as glorified as it may be to be a “team player,” who wouldn’t want to leave for a program that clearly sees you as their answer at the roster’s most important position?

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Staying at their current schools means likely undercutting their own NFL value, too. A quarterback can’t cement his status as an NFL Draft pick if he’s stuck on the bench behind an underclassman. And some collectives can only spend so much on one position.

“Maybe we could pay a guy $800,000 or whatever to stay and do nothing,” said a person briefed on Kansas State’s roster decision-making, granted anonymity for their candor. “But if you have that money, are you going to use it on a backup? Or are you going to spend it on an impact receiver? Or a big-time edge rusher or an offensive tackle?”

Kansas State and Oklahoma lost offensive coordinators, too. Oklahoma’s Jeff Lebby left to become Mississippi State’s head coach. K-State’s Collin Klein went to Texas A&M.

At Ohio State, Howard is 11th nationally in passer rating. Johnson is 78th (he also rushed for 110 yards in a win over Arizona). Gabriel, who has started more than 50 college games, is ninth nationally in passer rating. Arnold is 100th. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables announced Monday he’s turning to a true freshman in Michael Hawkins Jr.

For coaches like Klieman and Venables, sticking with a more experienced quarterback might sound good in the short term, but blue-chip quarterback recruits are hard to sign everywhere. If a program gets one, it’s necessary to at least attempt to build around them, just like an NFL team does after drafting a first-round quarterback.

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Sticking with an older player who they mostly know — the good and the bad — runs the risk of a program never finding out the potential of a more promising young player in the era of perpetual free agency.

And coaches would be committing to one year of what’s known rather than rolling the dice on improving the program over the next two to three years and leveraging that success into a better roster through high school recruiting or the transfer portal.

There is often fan angst about getting to see the hyped young prospect as well, along with worry that he will transfer. If Johnson hadn’t been given a clear path to the field at the school he chose out of high school, who’s to say he wouldn’t have looked for one under Klein or elsewhere?

If you can have only one, the clear choice is potential and development within the program, rather than attempting to mine the portal for a new transfer quarterback every season. How’s that working out for Notre Dame?

Roster management in college football is more complicated, with more stakeholders and variables, than ever. K-State and Oklahoma are just the latest examples of teams trying to balance awkward offseason decisions at quarterback. More choices like they made are coming.

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It’s easy to pine for what they once had and easy to say they made a mistake.

Reality is simply more complex.

(Top photo of Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold getting tackled by Tennessee defensive lineman Tyre West: David Stacy / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)



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Kansas City Chief’s Hollywood Brown Has A Real Estate Investment Company And Wants to Empower Other Athletes To Invest

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Kansas City Chief’s Hollywood Brown Has A Real Estate Investment Company And Wants to Empower Other Athletes To Invest


Kansas City Chief’s Hollywood Brown Has A Real Estate Investment Company And Wants to Empower Other Athletes To Invest

The statistics aren’t kind. Eighty percent of pro athletes go broke soon after retiring. Kansas City Chiefs‘ Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will not be among them. Despite NFL stars’ eight-figure contracts, in most cases, their financial literacy does not match their salaries. Brown wants to change that.

“Players often leave their finances up to financial advisers who tend to invest in more traditional avenues, like stocks, because those methods also earn money for the advisers,” Brown told Mansion Global.

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“It hurts, seeing the stories of these guys who end up with nothing,” he said. “It’s a problem within the NFL, specifically for guys like myself who come from a background without a lot of money. We’re not educated on how to handle finances,” Brown, who has earned $25 million during a five-year career, continued.

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The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who was first drafted to the NFL in 2019 – first playing for the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens before signing with the Chiefs this year – has cofounded Platinum Pro Capital, a private equity real estate firm with his wife, real estate influencer Zoei Brown. The firm has joined Jason Caraway of Island Sky Investments to educate professional athletes on the advantages of luxury real estate investing – in their case – in the Caribbean and other resort areas.

See Also: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today.

According to Bloomberg, the company has backed an oceanfront luxury condo development in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is renovating a resort in Grand Bahama Island and is planning other projects in South Florida and Costa Rica.

Player investors are not urged to buy high-end rental properties from Brown’s company. Rather, they invest in his fund passively for returns on their money and the option to stay in vacation properties for free during the off-season.

“A lot of guys in our field, they like luxurious things, they are drawn to attractive places,” Brown said. “And a lot of us travel in the offseason, so instead of having a traditional house, they are drawn to places that feel like a vacation. That’s appealing to guys. I feel like it creates a sense of unity. So, owning property on Caribbean islands saves money in the long term because that’s where everybody wants to travel in the offseason. It really caught the eye of a lot of people.”

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How to Watch Kansas State vs. Rutgers: Rate Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – December 26, 2024

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How to Watch Kansas State vs. Rutgers: Rate Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – December 26, 2024


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Avery Johnson and the Kansas State Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will meet for the Rate Bowl on December 26, 2024, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN.

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You should check out ESPN in order to watch this matchup.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

USMNT goal filled weekend: Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Johnny Cardoso & more! | SOTU

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse broke down the United States Men’s National Team’s goal-filled weekend, where Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Johnny Cardoso, and Brenden Aaronson scored for their respective clubs. The guys are excited, as the USMNT players continue to stack strong performances one after another in Europe.

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Learn more about the Kansas State Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

How to Watch Kansas State vs. Rutgers

  • When: Thursday, December 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona
  • Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Read More About This Game

  • Kansas State vs. Rutgers Predictions

Kansas State’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31/2024 vs. Tennessee-Martin W 41-6
9/7/2024 at Tulane W 34-27
9/13/2024 vs. Arizona W 31-7
9/21/2024 at BYU L 38-9
9/28/2024 vs. Oklahoma State W 42-20
10/12/2024 at Colorado W 31-28
10/19/2024 at West Virginia W 45-18
10/26/2024 vs. Kansas W 29-27
11/2/2024 at Houston L 24-19
11/16/2024 vs. Arizona State L 24-14
11/23/2024 vs. Cincinnati W 41-15
11/30/2024 at Iowa State L 29-21
12/26/2024 vs. Rutgers

Kansas State 2024 Stats & Insights

  • Kansas State is compiling 417.3 yards per game on offense (42nd in the FBS), and rank 38th on defense, yielding 338.6 yards allowed per game.
  • Kansas State is compiling 212.8 passing yards per game on offense, which ranks them 84th in the FBS. The defense ranks 78th, giving up 223.7 passing yards per contest.
  • The Wildcats are totaling 29.8 points per game on offense this year (50th in the FBS), and they are giving up 21.9 points per game (35th) on the defensive side of the ball.
  • The Wildcats have the 34th-ranked defense this season in terms of rushing yards (128 rushing yards allowed per game), and they’ve been better on the other side of the ball, ranking 16th-best with 204.5 rushing yards per game.
  • Kansas State ranks 75th in third-down efficiency (39.6%) on offense and 50th in third-down conversion rate allowed (36.7%) on defense this year.
  • With 14 forced turnovers (90th in the FBS) against 15 turnovers committed (40th in the FBS), the Wildcats’ -1 turnover margin ranks 65th in college football.

Kansas State 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
Avery Johnson QB 2,517 YDS (59.1%) / 22 TD / 9 INT
548 RUSH YDS / 6 RUSH TD / 45.7 RUSH YPG
DJ Giddens RB 1,343 YDS / 7 TD / 111.9 YPG / 6.6 YPC
21 REC / 258 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 21.5 REC YPG
Jayce Brown WR 42 REC / 763 YDS / 5 TD / 63.6 YPG
Dylan Edwards RB 350 YDS / 3 TD / 31.8 YPG / 6.3 YPC
17 REC / 106 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 10.6 REC YPG
Austin Romaine LB 72 TKL / 4 TFL / 2 SACK
Brendan Mott DL 37 TKL / 7 TFL / 8.5 SACK / 1 INT
Desmond Purnell LB 35 TKL / 7 TFL / 3.5 SACK
Marques Sigle DB 42 TKL / 4 TFL / 3 INT / 3 PD

Rutgers’ 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/29/2024 vs. Howard W 44-7
9/7/2024 vs. Akron W 49-17
9/21/2024 at Virginia Tech W 26-23
9/27/2024 vs. Washington W 21-18
10/5/2024 at Nebraska L 14-7
10/12/2024 vs. Wisconsin L 42-7
10/19/2024 vs. UCLA L 35-32
10/25/2024 at USC L 42-20
11/9/2024 vs. Minnesota W 26-19
11/16/2024 at Maryland W 31-17
11/23/2024 vs. Illinois L 38-31
11/30/2024 at Michigan State W 41-14
12/26/2024 vs. Kansas State

Rutgers 2024 Stats & Insights

  • Rutgers ranks 72nd with 381.2 total yards per game on offense, and it ranks 83rd with 382.4 total yards allowed per game on the defensive side of the ball.
  • Rutgers ranks 92nd in the FBS with 204.9 passing yards per contest on offense, and it ranks 95th with 234.1 passing yards given up per game on the defensive side of the ball.
  • In terms of points scored the Scarlet Knights rank 70th in the FBS (27.9 points per game), and they are 57th defensively (23.8 points allowed per contest).
  • The Scarlet Knights are putting up 176.3 rushing yards per game on offense this season (46th-ranked). Meanwhile, they are allowing 148.3 rushing yards per game (67th-ranked) on defense.
  • Rutgers is putting up a 42.9% third-down conversion rate on offense this season (40th-ranked). Meanwhile, it is surrendering a 41.8% third-down rate (91st-ranked) on defense.
  • After forcing 12 turnovers (109th in the FBS) and turning the ball over eight times (second in the FBS) this season, the Scarlet Knights own the 44th-ranked turnover margin of +4.

Rutgers 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
Kyle Monangai RB 1,279 YDS / 13 TD / 116.3 YPG / 5 YPC
14 REC / 75 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 7.5 REC YPG
Athan Kaliakmanis QB 2,459 YDS (54.8%) / 17 TD / 6 INT
233 RUSH YDS / 3 RUSH TD / 19.4 RUSH YPG
Dymere Miller WR 57 REC / 731 YDS / 4 TD / 60.9 YPG
Ian Strong WR 37 REC / 563 YDS / 5 TD / 46.9 YPG
Dariel Djabome LB 90 TKL / 5 TFL / 2 SACK
Shaquan Loyal DB 64 TKL / 3 TFL / 2 INT / 3 PD
Michael Dixon DB 54 TKL / 0 TFL / 1 INT / 1 PD
Desmond Igbinosun DB 55 TKL / 3 TFL

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Four Takeaways from the Chiefs’ 29-10 Win Over the Steelers

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Four Takeaways from the Chiefs’ 29-10 Win Over the Steelers


The Kansas City Chiefs were on the road this holiday season, capping off their 11-day gauntlet with a big-time win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fueled by a high-flying offensive performance and an inspiring effort from the defense, Andy Reid’s team accomplished plenty on Christmas Day.

With that in mind, here are four takeaways from Wednesday’s game.

When Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns, many thought the injury would limit Kansas City’s superstar signal-caller for weeks to come. While he clearly wasn’t 100% healthy in last Saturday’s win over the Houston Texans, he still played an efficient game and looked comfortable in the pocket. That continued into this week, with Mahomes himself saying he thought he’d be in an even better spot with the ankle for Wednesday. That certainly was the case in Pittsburgh.

In one of his better performances of the season, everything clicked for Mahomes at different points in the game. Early on, he moved well in the pocket and even got a deep ball to Justin Watson to convert. In the third quarter, he got the RPO game going and let his receivers do the work. The fourth quarter saw him connect with Travis Kelce on a record-breaking score. In all, the two-time MVP completed 29 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns. If this is Mahomes rounding into playoff form, Kansas City will be in good shape.

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Last weekend, Kansas City put up a mixed bag of defensive football against the Texans. Early on, C.J. Stroud and company had some explosive plays and didn’t have any trouble converting on third down. Things changed in the second half, even after defensive tackle Chris Jones suffered a strained calf. A Wednesday morning report confirmed that Jones wasn’t set to play in Week 17, which left the Chiefs’ defense shorthanded. While things were far from perfect without Jones, sitting him turned out to be the right call as the team managed in his absence.

Let’s get this out of the way: Pittsburgh very well could’ve – and should’ve – wound up with more points. On multiple occasions, the defense failed to contain Russell Wilson and the Chiefs struggled on third downs for most of the game. With that said, Steve Spagnuolo’s unit also forced some turnovers and generated a good deal of pressure on the afternoon. Things could’ve been worse than surrendering five yards per play against a big-play offense, especially down your top defender. Luckily for the Chiefs, they’ll take a 10-point output from the Steelers and also welcome Jones back with open arms whenever he’s healthy.

Last weekend, Chiefs rookie wideout Xavier Worthy hauled in a career-high seven passes and added 65 yards and a touchdown. He pitched in another score on Christmas, also topping his personal bests for receptions and yards with eight and 79, respectively. Mahomes and Co. have alluded to Worthy growing down the stretch of the season, which is exactly what he continues to showcase heading into the playoffs.

Kelce also deserves a huge tip of the cap. The future Hall of Fame man has already lost a step athletically and isn’t really a post-catch threat anymore, but he brought a bit of juice on Wednesday. At the age of 35 and in season No. 12, catching eight passes for 84 yards and a score will certainly do. There’s a case to be made that this was Kelce’s best game in nearly two months, and setting a record in the process is a big deal. He’s earned some rest over the next few weeks.

In the Week 17 playoff picture, the Buffalo Bills still stood a chance at securing the one-seed in the conference thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs from earlier this season. They also, however, gave the reigning champs a backup plan in case they fell flat on Wednesday. In the event that Kansas City lost to Pittsburgh on Christmas Day, they could’ve still locked up a first-round bye with a Buffalo loss or tie over the weekend. None of that applies now after the Chiefs handled business.

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As it turns out, Wednesday served as a Merry Clinchmas for the Chiefs. They now sit atop the conference and won’t have to play on Wild Card weekend, also making sure that they won’t have to hit the road until they (potentially) reach the Super Bowl. Additionally, the timing of this victory now makes Week 18’s game against the Denver Broncos more interesting from a personnel standpoint. With the most important spot in the conference playoff bracket secured, there are only good problems on the team’s hands now.

Read More: Steve Spagnuolo’s Latest Answer on Chiefs Activating Steven Nelson Is Telling



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