Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons Sign 10 Free Agents Including Illinois QB

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2024

Atlanta Falcons Sign 10 Free Agents Including Illinois QB

The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their 2024 NFL Draft class on Saturday evening and quickly got to work signing 10 undrafted free agents (UDFA).

Atlanta didn’t address the secondary in the draft, but three of the 10 players they signed were cornerbacks. They also added a pair of offensive linemen, quarterback, two offensive linemen, two wide receivers, tight end, and a punter.

Here’s a list of the Falcons 2024 UDFA class including their college bios.

Ryan Coll, OL, 6-5, 324, Richmond

• Started all 13 games
• Named a Third Team AP and Phil Steele All-American
• Earned DIvision I FCS All-ECAC honors
• Helped the Spiders rank second in the CAA in completion percentage
• Helped the Spiders average 345 yards and 28.2 points per game
• Helped move Richmond to fourth in the CAA and 19th nationally in first downs
• Named First Team All-CAA
• Named Top Offensive Lineman in Virginia by Touchdown Club of Richmond
• Named a Preseason All-American by Phil Steele
• Named First Team Preseason All-CAA by Phil Steele
• Named Preseason All-America by Stats Perform
• Of 720 names to make the list, was one of 45 FCS players to be added to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

JaQuae Jackson, WR, 6-2, 190, Rutgers

2023 (Senior): Played in all 13 games with 12 starts at wide receiver … signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons … placed second on the team with 361 receiving yards … totaled 22 receptions with one for a touchdown … had at least one catch in 10 games … rated as the ninth-best wide receiver in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus … saw action in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami (12/28) … added a 16-yard catch at No. 12 Penn State (11/18) … collected three catches for 41 yards and a score versus No. 1/3 Ohio State (11/4) … picked up 46 yards at Wisconsin (10/7) … recorded four catches for 71 yards against Wagner (9/30) … added three receptions for 37 yards at No. 2 Michigan (9/23) … totaled a season-high 95 receiving yards on four catches with a long of 61 versus Temple (9/9) … contributed a reception in Rutgers debut versus Northwestern (9/3).

John Paddock, QB, 6-0, 190, Illinois

• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (coaches)
• Played in seven games with three starts at quarterback
• Made first Illinois start in 48-45 win vs. Indiana (11/11/23), throwing for 507 yards while tossing four TD passes, including the OT game-winner to Isaiah Williams, to earn B1G Offensive Player of the Week honors
• Paddock’s 507 passing yards vs. Indiana marked a Memorial Stadium record, the second-most in Illinois history, and the most ever by a winning Illini quarterback
• Led Illinois to a win at Minnesota (11/4/23) after entering the game for the first time with 1:25 remaining and facing a 4th-and-11 from the Minnesota 15-yard line with Illinois trailing by five. Paddock needed just 35 seconds to drive the Illini 85 yards on three straight completions, including a 46-yard game-winning touchdown throw to Isaiah Williams. Paddock finished the game 3-for-3 passing for 85 yards, one touchdown, and a 448.0 passer rating in one of the all-time great performances by an Illini back-up quarterback.

Nolan Potter, OL, 6-6, 301, Northern Illinois

• Earned All-MAC honors from league coaches for the third time, including back-to-back first team honors in 2022 and 2023.
• An honorable mention All-American by Phil Steele.
• Also made the Phil Steele and PFF All-MAC first team.
• Named to the Outland Trophy watch list.
• Qualified for the Academic All-MAC Team for the third time.
• Served as one of the Huskies’ permanent team captain.
• Led the way for a rushing offense ranked 36th in the country as NIU averaged 179.6 yards per game on the ground.
• THe Huskies ranked 19th nationally in fewest sacks allowed, surrendering just 16 sacks in 13 games.
• Cleared holes for All-MAC running back Antario Brown who rushed for 1,296 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
• NIU backs posted six 100-yard rushing games, including a 280-yard performance by Brown at Akron.
• Helped pave the way for the Huskies’ 380 rushing yards in win at Akron (10-7).
• NIU had 506 yards of total offense at Central Michigan (10-31), second-highest total of the season.
• Offensive line dominated as NIU ran for 287 yards on 50 carries in win over Western Michigan (11-14)

Jayden Price, CB, 6-0,184, North Dakota State

2023 SEASON (SENIOR): Returned to North Dakota State for an extra year of eligibility due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the 2020 season…Started all 15 games at cornerback…Honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference return specialist…Averaged 14.2 yards per punt return on 16 attempts…Scored on a 66-yard punt return against Murray State and broke the NDSU career record for punt return touchdowns with an 82-yard score at South Dakota in the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS playoffs…Finished his career third on the NDSU all-time list for career punt returns (63), punt return yards (910) and yards per return (14.44)…Made a career-high eight tackles at South Dakota State…Had 2.0 tackles for loss including a sack against Drake in the first round of the NCAA FCS playoffs…Intercepted passes against Drake and Missouri State…Finished sixth on the team with 47 total tackles and was second with four pass breakups…One of six team captains.

Ryan Sanborn, P, 6-3, 211, Texas

SENIOR (2023): Honorable mention All-Big 12 … appeared in all 14 games … punted 40 times for 1,828 yards … averaged 45.7 yards per punt, the seventh-best single-season average in program history … had 15 punts of 50-plus yards with a long of 64 … recorded 15 punts inside the 20 with nine fair catches and two touchbacks … punted twice for 89 yards with one inside the 20 in the season-opener against Rice … booted three punts for 150 yards including a 56-yarder the landed inside the 20 at No. 3 Alabama … named to the Ray’s 8 list for his performance against the Crimson Tide … punted four times against Wyoming for a season-high 193 yards against Wyoming with one inside the 20 and one fair catch … flipped the field three times of more than 50 yards against the Cowboys including a long of 56 yards … punted four times for 179 yards at Baylor … had a long of 50 yards against the Bears with one wait catch and one inside the 20 … had a punt of 38 yards against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry that was fair caught at the OU 13-yard line … booted three punts for 159 yards at Houston with two over 50 yards, including a 59-yarder … had one punt inside the 20 against the Cougars … totaled three punts for 162 yards (54 ypp) against BYU … had two punts of 50-plus yards against the Cougars including a season-long 64-yarder … tallied four punts for 172 yards with two for 50 yards against Kansas State with two inside the 20 … totaled four punts for 157 yards at TCU … registered four punts for 171 yards at Iowa State with one landing inside the 20 and two punts for over 50 yards … punted twice for 72 yards against Texas Tech with both ending inside the 20 … had a 51-yard punt against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game victory … named to the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award … chosen first-team Preseason All-Big 12 by Pro Football Focus and third-team Preseason All-Big 12 by Athlon Sports.

Anthony Sao, CB, 6-1, 200, MidAmerica Nazarene

Listed as a defensive back by MNU, Sao had 24 tackles and a sack for the Kansas University in 2023. Originally from Compton, Calif., there’s not a lot of bio information on him. The Falcons really did their homework on this one.

Austin Stogner, TE, 6-6, 258, Oklahoma

Played first three seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina for the 2022 campaign and then back to OU for his final season … started 33 of his 59 career games (23 of 47 contests as a Sooner) and caught 84 passes for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns (nine TDs at OU). 2023: Started all 13 games … caught 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown … averaged 11.5 yards per catch … tallied at least one reception in 11 games … recipient of Alamo Bowl Sportsmanship Award … caught two passes for 26 yards vs. TCU (11/24) … recorded a 10-yard reception at BYU (11/18) … served as a game captain and registered a season-high 69 yards and a TD on four catches (including a season-long 35-yarder) vs. West Virginia (11/11) … caught three passes for 24 yards vs. Texas (10/7) … had one reception for 19 yards vs. Iowa State (9/30).

Trey Vaval, CB, 6-0, 170, Minnesota State-Mankato

Had a kick return for a touchdown as a senior in 2023 and also posted 31 tackles with two interceptions. 2022: Played and started in all of Minnesota State’s 13 games… Tied for sixth ranked on the team with 38 total tackles… Also had 29 solo tackles and six assists… Saw a season-high of eight tackles vs. U-Mary… Was named to the D2CCA All-Super Region First Team, All NSIC First Team… All-NSIC Second team and was named NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week…Named to the D2CCA All-American Second Team…Received a Don Hansen All-American Honorable Mention.

Isaiah Wooden, WR, 5-9, 170, Southern Utah

• Appeared in all 11 games for the Thunderbirds

• Caught 61 passes for a total of 904 yards and a long of 66

• Scored 14 touchdowns on the season

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Atlanta, GA

Falcons deny Cowboys’ request to interview DC Jeff Ulbrich, per report

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Falcons deny Cowboys’ request to interview DC Jeff Ulbrich, per report

The Atlanta Falcons are in the process of hiring a new head coach and general manager, but that doesn’t mean the team is completely cleaning house. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has done an incredible job with the Falcons defense since replacing Jimmy Lake in the offseason.

The Falcons would prefer to keep Ulbrich, as team owner Arthur Blank stated, but the new head coach will have the final say. According to a report from ESPN’s Todd Archer, Atlanta blocked the Dallas Cowboys’ request to interview Ulbrich on Thursday.

“The Cowboys were denied by Atlanta to talk with Jeff Ulbrich for DC job, according to sources,” wrote Archer. “He remains under contract [with] the Falcons despite their search for a head coach. A potential interview can be revisited later if they hire a [head coach], who has a different coordinator in mind.”

Blank discussed Ulbrich’s impact during his Thursday press conference and said he was impressed with the work he did with the team’s rookie draft class. James Pearce Jr. led all rookies in sacks with 10.5 this season, while third-round pick Xavier Watts racked up a rookie-high five interceptions as the team’s starting safety.

“You can’t dictate to the new head coach who their coordinators would be, but I’d certainly recommend to the new head coach to consider Ulbrich,” Blank said of the Falcons’ current defensive coordinator.

It sounds like the Falcons aren’t going to let Ulbrich out of their sights, and it’s hard to blame them. The Falcons defensive coordinator helped the team record a franchise-record 57 sacks this season, just one year after finishing 31st in the NFL with just 31 sacks.

Follow along with each request and interview with our Falcons head coach tracker.

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Atlanta, GA

What the $245M refinance of a Midtown office tower signals for Atlanta

Published

23 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

What the 5M refinance of a Midtown office tower signals for Atlanta

Business

The tower at 1105 W. Peachtree St., which bears Google’s logo, recently secured a new loan at a time many landlords are struggling to do so.

1105 West Peachtree (Google Tower in Midtown) is shown Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Atlanta. The Google Tower is one of the developments done by Selig Enterprises. (Jason Getz/AJC)

It hasn’t been easy the past few years to be an office landlord.

Many tenants shrunk their workspaces coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning buildings that lost rental revenue also lost value. Interest rates surged. Many banks got gun shy over having too much money lent to office tower owners, and a whole lot of loans have been coming due.

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The tower at 1105 W Peachtree St. in Midtown Atlanta is one of the city’s newest office buildings.

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Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He’s been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people’s lives.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta meth lab kingpin sentenced to 30 years after massive seizure

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Atlanta meth lab kingpin sentenced to 30 years after massive seizure

ATLANTA – A Mexican national will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for operating clandestine methamphetamine laboratories across the Atlanta area, federal officials announced Wednesday.

What we know:

Ramiro Contreras-Sandoval, 41, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross following his conviction for running conversion labs that housed more than 135 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine hidden in paint buckets. Contreras-Sandoval, who also went by several aliases including Manuel Santiago Vazquez and “Mirin,” was also convicted of possessing firearms as an illegal alien to protect his drug trafficking operation.

The investigation began in April 2019, when law enforcement seized the methamphetamine mixture from a conversion lab in Morrow, Georgia. Contreras-Sandoval and his co-defendant, Genaro Davalos-Pulido, fled the area after a vehicle they were using to transport the drugs was stopped by police.

The pair remained at large until the fall of 2021, when agents tracked them to a neighborhood in Norcross, Georgia. During a search of a Norcross residence, agents discovered a full-scale liquid meth operation, a loaded Beretta handgun, $84,000 in cash, and a .50-caliber rifle that appeared ready for shipment to Mexico. Contreras-Sandoval was arrested nearby with approximately $12,000 in his vehicle and pockets.

What they’re saying:

“This case should send a clear message to anyone thinking about running drugs or using deadly weapons to protect their operation: the federal government will relentlessly seek justice and protect the community from drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.

“Operating methamphetamine labs is a reckless and dangerous crime,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This conviction underscores that DEA will aggressively pursue anyone who engages in drug trafficking activities that put lives at risk.”

What’s next:

Contreras-Sandoval’s 30-year sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release. His co-defendant, Davalos-Pulido, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October 2024.

The Source: The U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office provided the details for this article.

AtlantaNewsCrime and Public Safety

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