South-Carolina
Clemson football’s CFP hopes are over, more overreactions vs South Carolina
CLEMSON — No. 12 Clemson football was upset by No. 14 South Carolina on Saturday, losing 17-14 at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers (9-3) controlled the game against the Gamecocks (9-3), but South Carolina battled back and took the lead late behind quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ 20-yard rushing touchdown. Clemson was gearing up to kick a field goal to force overtime, but Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik threw an interception after the pass intended for Phil Mafah was deflected to end the game and Clemson’s CFP dreams.
Here are three overreactions from the Tigers’ third loss of the season:
Clemson will miss the College Football Playoff after wild ending
The Tigers didn’t play perfectly Saturday, but they built an early lead with Klubnik’s legs. Their defense generated three turnovers and forced three sacks. However, after scoring their second touchdown to begin the third quarter, their offense stalled, fumbling the ball and punting three times in their next four drives.
Clemson’s mishaps allowed South Carolina to get back into the game, setting up Sellers’ emphatic 20-yard rushing touchdown on third-and-16. Clemson’s shocking loss has significantly diminished its CFP hopes. It has only one route to make the ACC championship, but it needs Syracuse to upset Miami (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) on Saturday.
Cade Klubnik showcases growth in regular-season finale
Despite Klubnik’s last snap, he kept Clemson afloat. He rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns to generate all of Clemson’s points. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season to complement his 29 passing touchdowns.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney wanted Klubnik to use his legs more this season after rushing for only 182 yards with four touchdowns last year. Klubnik’s willingness to be more mobile has helped elevate Clemson’s offense this season, and he displayed it vs. South Carolina.
Clemson football’s linebacker room will thrive next season
The Tigers will lose standout linebacker Barrett Carter after this season, but their depth will keep the unit afloat. Linebackers Wade Woodaz and Sammy Brown showed out Saturday Brown had nine tackles and Woodaz six. Both recorded a sack and tackles for loss as they contained South Carolina’s rushing attack.
Woodaz, who returned from a leg injury, will be a senior next season, and Brown will be a sophomore. Their athleticism and high-tackle totals makes both of them contenders for the Butkus Award next season.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
Columbia, Mo. — The South Carolina softball team (25-21, 4-13) dropped the second game of its series at Missouri (24-23, 7-10) 5-0 Saturday night (Apr. 18).
Kai Byars led the Gamecocks with a pair of doubles on the night. It was her second multi-hit game of the season and her first game with multiple extra base hits.
The Tigers scored a run in the third inning without the aid of a hit. They would extend the lead and add four more in the fourth.
Carolina’s best opportunity for a run came in third. Byars doubled to lead off the inning and Shae Anderson followed with a bunt single. A double play on a potential sacrifice fly ended the rally.
Emma Friedel (8-4) took the loss, allowing one run on no hits in 3 1-3 innings. She struck out six and walked three.
The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
Audi Crooks on being in the transfer portal
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg catches up with college basketball star Audi Crooks, who is still looking for her next team.
Sports Seriously
Jordan Lee entered the transfer portal after a breakout season at Texas and the junior guard isn’t going too far. She’s staying in the Southeastern Conference.
Lee announced on Instagram Friday that she’s transferring to South Carolina to play for Dawn Staley after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Texas under Vic Schaefer. Lee captioned her Instagram post, which featured a video montage of her visit to Columbia, South Carolina, “Feeling cocky.”
Lee was one of four players from Texas to enter the transfer portal after the Longhorns’ second consecutive trip to the Final Four ended in a devastating loss to UCLA. She was named to the All-Region team in the Fort Worth 3 bracket in this year’s NCAA Tournament following her Sweet 16 and Elite Eight performance, where she recorded 22 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals while also providing strong defense.
After being limited to five starts her freshman year, Lee slid into the starting lineup last season and started a career-high 38 games. She also averaged career highs in points (13.2), assists (2.5), rebounds (2.5), steals (1.5), field-goal percentage (42%) and free-throw percentage (75%), while shooting 34% from 3-point range.
Texas’ Aaliyah Crump, Justice Carlton and Aaliyah Moore also entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Crump announced she’s transferring to Duke, citing her connection with head coach Kara Lawson.
“For me, choosing Duke University goes far beyond one sentence. The moment I connected with Kara Lawson and her coaching staff, I knew I was exactly where I belonged,” said Crump, who averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game her freshman season at Texas.
Crump continued: “Their dedication and vision for the program is truly special, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of it. The connection Coach Lawson and I have built is one of a kind, and I fully trust in her plan for the success of this program. I can’t wait to be coached by genuine people who support my growth not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well.”
Three-time All-American Madison Booker and junior starting forward Breya Cunningham are expected to return to Texas.
Contributing: Mitchell Northam
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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Each offseason, the NFL shakes up the landscape with free agency, as some of the top names at each position move around the league to new teams. The New Orleans Saints have fallen victim to this in 2026 so far, with Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor both moving on, and Cameron Jordan not having re-signed as of yet. Cornerback was a position that could already use a talent influx alongside Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley; now, it is even more of an issue.
Adding a new defensive back to fill the STAR role for the defense is certainly going to be a focus this spring, and that has been clear from the Saints’ pre-draft meetings. Recently, they added another name to the growing list; this time, it was South Carolina prospect Jalon Kilgore.
There is a lot to like about Kilgore, especially in that nickel or STAR role long term. He is enormously athletic and absolutely rapid both in straight-line testing and on the field. He got a decent chunk of his collegiate snaps at slot corner, 1,382 to be exact, but also had 541 in the box, 238 at free safety, 53 along the defensive line, and 24 as an outside corner.
His coverage metrics in 2025 were very solid, as on 65 targets, he allowed 34 receptions (52.3%) for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns. He picked up 2 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 54 total tackles, and 2 fumble recoveries in 694 total snaps this season. Throughout the combine, he ended up performing well in pretty much every drill, which bodes well for his ability to translate to the NFL. If the Saints are looking to add someone with slot experience already, Kilgore may be one of the best options available.
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