Atlanta, GA
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
Atlanta, GA
Charlotte hosts Atlanta following overtime win against Cleveland
Atlanta Hawks (15-12, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (8-18, 12th in the Eastern Conference)
Charlotte, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte hosts the Atlanta Hawks after the Hornets took down the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 in overtime.
The Hornets have gone 7-12 against Eastern Conference teams. Charlotte is 7-11 against opponents over .500.
The Hawks have gone 9-8 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta ranks ninth in the league averaging 14.0 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 37.2% from deep. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the team averaging 2.9 makes while shooting 39.1% from 3-point range.
The Hornets average 114.8 points per game, 2.6 fewer points than the 117.4 the Hawks allow. The Hawks average 14.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 more makes per game than the Hornets give up.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Hawks won the last meeting 113-110 on Nov. 23. Jalen Johnson scored 28 points to help lead the Hawks to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: LaMelo Ball is scoring 19.4 points per game and averaging 6.0 rebounds for the Hornets. Kon Knueppel is averaging 29.0 points and 4.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Onyeka Okongwu is averaging 16.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Hawks. Dyson Daniels is averaging 27.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 68.4% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 4-6, averaging 112.1 points, 42.8 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 6.9 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.5 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 118.7 points, 43.3 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.2 points.
INJURIES: Hornets: Grant Williams: day to day (acl), Pat Connaughton: day to day (calf), Josh Green: out (shoulder), LaMelo Ball: day to day (ankle), Collin Sexton: day to day (thigh), Tre Mann: day to day (ankle).
Hawks: Kristaps Porzingis: out (reconditioning), N’Faly Dante: day to day (concussion), Jacob Toppin: day to day (shoulder), Trae Young: out (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta, GA
Former Atlanta Hawks finance executive pleads guilty in $3.8M fraud case
A longtime Atlanta Hawks executive has pleaded guilty in a federal fraud case, after prosecutors alleged that he stole more than $3.8 million from the NBA team over several years.
Lester T. Jones Jr., the Hawks’ former Senior Vice President of Finance, changed his plea to guilty in federal court. A sentencing date has been set for March 24, 2026, according to court records.
Federal prosecutors charged Jones with one count of wire fraud, alleging he carried out the scheme from at least May 2017 through June 2025 while working in the team’s accounting and finance department.
Jones joined the Hawks organization in 2016 and eventually became the most senior accounting executive under the team’s chief financial officer. Prosecutors say he used his position and access to the team’s bank accounts, expense reimbursement system, and corporate American Express cards to divert team funds for personal use.
According to court documents, Jones submitted — or directed others to submit — fraudulent expense reports, often using fake or altered invoices to seek reimbursement for expenses that never occurred. Prosecutors also allege he charged millions of dollars in personal expenses to company credit cards.
Those charges allegedly included luxury travel to destinations such as the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Switzerland, and Thailand, along with purchases from Louis Vuitton, Porsche-related expenses, jewelry, and sports and concert tickets.
Federal filings say Jones attempted to conceal the scheme by manipulating financial reports, altering emails, and falsely attributing large credit card balances to legitimate team operations.
Prosecutors also allege Jones exploited a weakness in the Hawks’ expense reimbursement system that, prior to July 2024, did not display actual corporate credit card transactions to employees responsible for processing reimbursements.
One example cited in court records involves a January 2025 incident in which Jones allegedly submitted a fake invoice totaling $229,968 for a team event at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Prosecutors say no such event or charge ever occurred. They allege Jones forwarded an altered American Express email to colleagues, approved the reimbursement himself, and then used the funds to pay off personal credit card charges.
As part of the case, Jones will be required to forfeit any money or property connected to the fraud, according to prosecutors.
The case is being handled in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
CBS News Atlanta reached out to the Atlanta Hawks organization for comment. The team declined to comment.
Atlanta, GA
Bill Belichick takes in girlfriend Jordon Hudson’s Atlanta cheerleading competition
She’s cheer captain, and he’s in the bleachers.
Bill Belichick was in Atlanta over the weekend to cheer on his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, during a cheerleading competition, TMZ reported.
Hudson was competing for Code Black, which she cheered for in a Cheer Extreme All-Stars event in Raleigh, North Carolina, in November.
Belichick sported a button-down shirt, jeans and a Navy submarine cap, while Hudson donned the Code Black uniform, as did the rest of her teammates.
Photos published by the outlet showed the two all smiles as they stood next to one another.
Hudson had also posted a video of part of the routine Code Black performed during the first day of the competition.
Belichick has not been shy about supporting his younger paramour since their relationship became public over the summer of 2024.
The University of North Carolina football coach, and six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, attended the cheer competition in November and was there to support Hudson at the Miss Maine USA pageant earlier this year.
Hudson has been there to support Belichick throughout his first season at the helm at UNC, which drew plenty of headlines off the field.

The relationship between the 73-year-old and Hudson has generated plenty of interest and drama, aside from Belichick going 4-8 in his first season at UNC and repeated questions about whether he would leave the football program. Belichick ended up making major staff changes after the season.
Hudson created waves earlier this year when she stepped in during a “CBS Sunday Morning” interview when Belichick was asked how the pair met, creating weeks of headlines.
More recently, she has been in a back-and-forth with investigative sports journalist Pablo Torre – at one point claiming she would sue him – and last month The Post reported that Jen Belichick, the daughter-in-law of Bill – went on a nearly hour-long rant in the coach’s office about Hudson and how she was “f–king twisting” Belichick’s brain.
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