Sports
Shedeur Sanders’ recruiting pitch to bring talent to Colorado is playing out as promised
BOULDER, Colo. — Terrell Timmons Jr. was, like so many now, sold on the grandiose vision. The transfer wide receiver was convinced Colorado would make a stunning charge toward a conference title not just because of the Buffs’ famous coach — but powered by his new quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. Sanders had a direct hand in swaying many key players to take the risk.
“Two is going to take us there,” Timmons said before the start of the season.
A guarantee that, at the time, could’ve seemed a smidge idealistic.
But three months on, Colorado is not hard to find at 8-2, ranked No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings and in control of its own destiny in the shortening race toward a Big 12 Championship Game appearance. A Colorado win over Kansas on Saturday inside Arrowhead Stadium combined with No. 16 BYU beating No. 21 Arizona State on the road and Utah beating No. 22 Iowa State at home Saturday would clinch the Buffaloes a shot at the conference crown. They can also get there by winning out, including against Oklahoma State on Black Friday.
Yes, the Buffaloes are headlined by their effervescent head coach, Deion Sanders, the Heisman Trophy front-runner in two-way rarity Travis Hunter — and their quarterback. Shedeur Sanders is a pretentious lightning rod to some, a celebrity athlete with a celebrity father to others, and is in contention to be the first quarterback selected in next year’s NFL Draft. He has thrown for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions through the first 10 games and is completing 72.9 percent of his passes, tied for second place in the FBS with Ohio State’s Will Howard.
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But to get to where they are now, the Buffaloes needed much more. Shedeur, teammates say, knew it, which is why he went to work.
Beyond the endless reels of social media interview clips, beyond being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in college football for a second consecutive season, perhaps Shedeur Sanders’ most impressive feat was his role in aiding in building this Buffs roster.
His stardom helped lure a likely successor, too. On Thursday, Colorado landed a commitment from five-star quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, a former USC commit. During Lewis’ first visit this summer to Boulder, he posed in a Colorado uniform on a gold throne as Shedeur handed him a set of keys, signifying what he would be inheriting.
Deion Sanders made no bones about flipping rosters if something isn’t up to snuff. He’s cleaned house at a historic rate. And after a humbling 4-8 season in 2023, Colorado had no choice but to beef up its offensive line and add to an already talented wide receivers group that featured Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Omarion Miller. Shedeur Sanders went recruiting, too.
Timmons said Shedeur reached out on social media to gauge interest after Timmons entered the portal from NC State last December.
“I would say 2’s approach is a very pro-mindset,” Timmons said when asked to describe working with him now on a day-to-day basis. “He’s very detailed with everything he does in the film room, on the field, off the field, everything. He’s very intelligent. You can tell he really looks up to Tom Brady with just the way he moves and operates.”
When former Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden was in Boulder on his official visit after entering the portal in April, Hayden said Shedeur wanted to sit down with him and explain what this year’s offense would need.
In January, Shedeur came across tape of former FAU wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, who had entered the portal a few weeks earlier.
“I pulled up his film, and I was recruiting him myself,” Shedeur said in April. “I pulled it up myself and was like, ‘Nah, we need this guy. This is the guy we want, this is the guy we need on the field.’”
Like his dad, Shedeur sold Wester on the vision of what it could look like if it all came together in Boulder. In his first year with the Buffaloes, Wester has nine total touchdowns and has been one of most dynamic receivers in the conference. In last week’s 49-24 win over Utah, Wester had a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown.
“He’s just a complete quarterback,” Wester said of Shedeur last month. “I’m glad to be on his side.”
LaJohntay Wester (10) has been a key addition for Colorado this season. (Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images)
Another new wideout, former Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard, caught two touchdowns against Utah. At 6-foot-3, Sheppard is Shedeur’s most physically imposing receiver, an ideal complement to the all-around skill of Hunter and the speed of Wester and Horn.
While the receiving corps was boosted in the offseason, Hunter remains Shedeur’s go-to option. Hunter leads the team with 74 receptions, 911 yards receiving and nine receiving touchdowns.
The pair spoke of the chemistry they’ve developed earlier this month on Shedeur’s podcast “2Legendary.”
“You’ve just got to have that brotherly bond, even outside of football,” Hunter said. “If you trust me outside of football, of course you’re going to trust me on the field.”
For this pass-happy offense to reach its apex, more trust was needed elsewhere, too. As stellar as the second year in Boulder has been for Shedeur, the first was equally maddening.
Despite being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country and having a 27-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio, he was also the most sacked quarterback in college football. He was sacked 52 times in 11 starts.
Shedeur called former Indiana right tackle Kahlil Benson after he went into the transfer portal last November to introduce himself. That same day, former UTEP guard Justin Mayers went into the transfer portal, and he had five missed calls from the same number. The guy who kept trying him? His future quarterback. A few months after he signed at Colorado, Mayers posted a video on his own YouTube channel of Colorado’s offensive linemen snowmobiling in the mountains above Breckenridge, Colo., with Shedeur.
One of those linemen was former five-star left tackle Jordan Seaton, who jokingly jumped out of his blocking stance shin-deep in snow with Shedeur laughing nearby. Shedeur, Seaton has said in various interviews, was one of the main reasons he chose the Buffaloes. As the race for Seaton’s signature heated up last December with other high-profile programs vying for his talent, Shedeur FaceTimed Seaton showing off his pricey diamond necklace and said, “We can shine together.”
Seaton was a mandatory blindside addition for the Buffaloes to try to keep Sanders upright. Still, the Buffaloes rank 94th in allowed pressure rate in 2024 (33.6 percent), only slightly better than last year’s brutal year in which they were 110th (36.7 percent). Shedeur and the line also have allowed 31 sacks through 10 games, which is 17 fewer sacks than this point a year ago.
Seaton said Shedeur’s desire to dissect defenses from the pocket and not overreacting to mistakes has helped his learning curve as a true freshman left tackle.
“Having a calm quarterback makes me more calm,” Seaton said last month. “It’s like Mike and Ike with me and Shedeur.”
Clint Trickett knows the range of Shedeur’s magnetism. Now Georgia Southern’s pass-game coordinator, Trickett recruited Shedeur while an assistant at Florida Atlantic four years ago. Before Shedeur joined his dad when Sanders took the Jackson State job in September 2020, Shedeur had committed to FAU.
“You want to have a quarterback who is your lead recruiter and who is that driving force, but at the same time, to have one that makes people want to come play with him, that’s not common,” Trickett said. “Most quarterbacks are all about going and getting it, but most don’t have the star power to bring them in the boat. That’s what makes him special.”
Colorado’s ambitious plan is working.
Yet Shedeur’s approach to leadership has been called into question by some. After Colorado was smoked by Nebraska in Week 2, his postgame comments about being sacked five times in comparison to none taken by Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola appeared to some like he was pointing blame at his own offensive line. In September, The Athletic’s Jim Trotter spoke to two former NFL general managers about how Shedeur’s personality and leadership style may impact how he’s viewed throughout the rigorous draft process.
“The stuff about the comments and things like that, people will worry about that a little bit, but the work ethic is the thing,” one former GM said.
On the first play of the game against Utah last week, Shedeur telegraphed a pass that was intercepted. He responded by going 30 of 40 for 340 yards, three touchdowns and completed 73 percent of his passes. Critical of himself afterward, Shedeur said he needed to “take over a little bit more” and was going to apologize to the rest of the offense.
“I can’t put the team in that type of situation,” he said. “I’m thankful for the defense. I may need to take them out to dinner this week for saving me and saving the team.”
His father has routinely said that if Shedeur is given adequate protection from his offensive line, he is good enough to win games with his talent. Deion recently said he will “privately” have a hand in which teams draft Shedeur and Hunter, speaking specifically to Shedeur on FS1’s “Speak” sports show, he wants an organization “that can handle the quarterback he is.”
The duo strolls the sidelines together before every game as Deion bestows advice on his son. “Show them who you are,” he said before the win over Utah.
Shedeur has been known to clap back at those who speak disparagingly of the Buffaloes or flaunt any number of his ritzy possessions — diamond-encrusted watches, cars, you name it — in the general direction of detractors.
Teammates say they don’t see that side of him as being a true representation of who he is. They chose to listen to what Shedeur Sanders was pitching because it’s playing out just the way he said it could. Or, in the parlance of his father, the way it always would.
“You know, he’s all on social media and famous, but he’s really a normal person,” Timmons said. “He’s not Hollywood. He’s a normal person like me and you. He’s just really good at what he does.”
(Top photo: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
Lakers coach JJ Redick, speaking for the first time since he and his family had their Pacific Palisades home destroyed by a fire that devastated a community, fought back tears as he talked about the loss he and his neighbors suffered, the resolve to rebuild Los Angeles and the sanctuary basketball provided him on Friday as the team held a practice.
The Lakers are scheduled to host San Antonio on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, and despite the unimaginable loss Redick and his family suffered this week, he wants the Lakers to play.
“Being around the guys and coaching — and I told them this — we’re prepared for whatever tomorrow. We obviously are going to work with the NBA, the Spurs, the city and do what’s right,” he said. “I want to play tomorrow, I want to coach tomorrow. I want these guys to play tomorrow and if we can play, we’ll play.
“I do believe for everybody, for everybody that has been impacted by this, there is a grieving process. There’s a healing process. I can only speak for myself, part of my healing and grieving process is being here with these guys and coaching basketball.”
Tears filled Redick’s eyes as he recounted a conversation he had with his wife, Chelsea, after seeing the destruction in Pacific Palisades with his own eyes Wednesday morning.
“I’m not sure I’ve wept or wailed like that in several years,” he said. “And she said to me, ‘I was very hesitant to move out here. I was very hesitant for you to go into coaching. I’ve never loved living somewhere more than I’ve loved Brooklyn, and I’ve never loved the community more than I love the community I’ve had in Brooklyn. And then, you know, it’s like, we move out here and the Palisades community has really just been so good to us.’
“And … I think that’s the part for us that we’re really struggling with is just the loss of community. And I recognize that people make up community, and we’re going to rebuild and we want to help lead on that. But all the churches, the schools, the library, like it’s all gone.”
In particular, the community’s recreation center had become an important place to the family beginning with the first time they saw the house that they rented and filled with their most important possessions while trying to find a permanent base in Los Angeles.
“The day we visited the house and decided we wanted to live in the house, we’re like, let’s go explore the village. And we stumbled upon the rec center and there was some summer rec league basketball games going on. One kid, Milo, was playing. I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty good.’ He ended up being one of our neighbors; they lost their home. The rec center was like this, this place we were at every day. I mean, flag football, basketball, the playground, baseball, tennis courts. Like it’s just … and everyone we knew was there every day. And … it just hurts to lose that.”
Redick said he and his family were committed to being a part of the recovery effort in the city.
“For our family, we’re as committed as ever to Los Angeles,” he said. “We recognize, like it’s not just our community that has been impacted by this. There’s people in Malibu, there’s people in Brentwood, there’s people up in the Valley, there’s people in Pasadena … it’s all over L.A. And if there’s anything we can do to help and lead, we will. … We’re still figuring that out. It’s still pretty fresh, but, we’re committed to helping other people as much as we can. And we’re going to do that. And we recognize that it’s going to be a long process. …
“This has impacted so many people. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me and my family. We’re gonna be all right. We’re gonna be all right. There’s people that, um, you know, because of some political issues and some insurance issues are not going to be all right. And we’re going to do everything we can to help anybody who’s down and out because of this.”
As I put finishing grades on prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, I find myself wishing it were as strong of a class as the 2024 version.
Based on the rookie film, last year’s draft class certainly hasn’t disappointed in the NFL. Here is a look at The Athletic’s All-Rookie team:
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (Round 1, No. 2 overall)
Because of the season Bo Nix had, this was a much closer race than anyone expected. From start to finish this season, though, Daniels was the best rookie quarterback.
He engineered a dramatic franchise turnaround, leading a Commanders team that won just four games a year ago to a 12-5 finish. Daniels passed for 3,568 yards and accounted for 31 total touchdowns, finishing No. 1 among rookies in completion percentage (69 percent), yards per attempt (7.4) and passing first downs (204).
.@JayD__5 made history while clinching a playoff berth for the Washington @Commanders on Sunday!
Daniels is the ONLY rookie in @NFL history to have 3+ passing TDs and 125+ rushing yards in a single game. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TdLlSTkHrG
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) December 31, 2024
Daniels is a high-completion passer, but it’s what he brings with his legs that separates him. He set a rookie QB rushing record (891 yards) and finished 10th in the NFL with 28 carries of 10-plus yards. He also scrambled an NFL-high 75 times, so it will be interesting to see how that number fluctuates over the next few seasons.
A common thread between Daniels and Nix? Both were five-year starters in college, and that experience certainly played a part in their successes.
Second team: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (Round 1, No. 12)
In most years, Nix runs away with Offensive Rookie of the Year. His finished the regular season with 3,775 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions, adding 430 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. And, like Daniels, Nix played a critical part in leading his team to double-digit wins and the playoffs.
The two things I liked best about Nix as a prospect: He understood where to go with the football, and his scrambling gave defenders fits. The main concerns, however, were how much he relied on the quick game in college and how he struggled when his eyes sped up on him. All credit to Nix and Sean Payton for the QB’s development. He’s been proving a lot of people wrong, including me.
Honorable mentions: Caleb Williams (Bears), Drake Maye (Patriots), Michael Penix Jr. (Falcons), Spencer Rattler (Saints), Joe Milton III (Patriots)
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Running back
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Round 4, No. 125)
Just four running backs rushed for 1,100-plus yards while averaging more than 5.0 yards per carry this season: Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs and … Irving. He played only 45.2 percent of Tampa’s offensive snaps and had single-digit carries in eight of 17 games, but Irving proved to be a valuable part of the Bucs’ run to an NFC South title — Tampa finished 6-1 in its final seven games and Irving averaged 119.1 total yards per game during that stretch.
The sixth back drafted in April, Irving finished No. 1 among all first-year running backs in rushing yards (1,122), rushing touchdowns (eight) and receiving (47 catches for 392 yards). Some soured on him during the draft process due to his average testing (4.55-second 40-yard dash and 29.5-inch vertical, at only 192 pounds), but his instinctive run qualities and pass-catching skills made it easy to appreciate Irving’s skill set.
Bucky Irving scores!
NFC South in their sights.
📺: #NOvsTB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/nBRgpPWSxS— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
Second team: Tyrone Tracy, New York Giants (Round 5, No. 166)
In basketball terms, Tracy would be that high-energy sixth man who can swing games when he catches fire. The Purdue product was a threat to rip off an explosive play any time he touched the ball — he finished with six carries of 20-plus yards (one more than Bijan Robinson). Tracy (839 yards) was the only rookie back other than Irving to top 500 yards rushing.
Honorable mentions: Ray Davis (Bills), Isaac Guerendo (49ers), Braelon Allen (Jets), Trey Benson (Cardinals), Audric Estime (Broncos)
Wide receiver
Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (Round 1, No. 23); Malik Nabers, New York Giants (Round 1, No. 6)
LSU teammates a year ago, Thomas and Nabers took the NFL by storm — despite dealing with inconsistent quarterback play.
Thomas finished with a rookie-best 1,282 receiving yards, third most in the NFL behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He had the fastest “flying 20” at the combine, so it was no surprise that he proved to be a big-play weapons almost immediately, producing a league-best five catches of 50-plus yards. He felt like a steal on draft night, and that is even more true now.
Nabers, meanwhile, finished third among all NFL receivers with 109 catches (behind only Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown), even though he missed two games. His 1,204 receiving yards ranked seventh in the league, and he was one of the best at making defenders miss in space and moving the chains. Nabers is (already) knocking on the door of being considered a top-five NFL receiver.
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Second team: Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals (Round 1, No. 4); Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs (Round 1, No. 28)
Harrison’s production pales in comparison to expectations, but he still had a very respectable rookie campaign. He finished fourth among first-year receivers with 822 receiving yards, and his seven touchdowns tied with Nabers and Ladd McConkey for second most among rookies. On 108 targets, Harrison was tagged with just one drop.
Worthy wasn’t considered a first-rounder by most teams, due to his lack of size and the undisciplined areas of his game. Although those concerns popped up in almost every game Worthy played, the Chiefs leaned into his explosive talent to maximize his impact. Worthy finished with nine total touchdowns (six receiving, three rushing).
Honorable mentions: Rome Odunze (Bears), Keon Coleman (Bills), Jalen McMillan (Buccaneers), Xavier Legette (Panthers), Troy Franklin (Broncos)
Slot receiver
Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers (Round 2, No. 34)
In an exceptional wide receiver draft, the Chargers addressed their offensive line in the first round and trusted the depth of the class. And the strategy worked — Los Angeles traded up a few spots to secure McConkey, whom many around the league believed would be a first-rounder.
McConkey finished with the ninth-most receiving yards (1,149) among all wide receivers and showed off his shiftiness after the catch (14 forced missed tackles). Despite two fumbles, he was one of the most reliable rookies (74.8 percent reception rate when targeted). Most importantly, McConkey stayed healthy, missing just one game.
LADD. Chargers take a 17-0 lead.
📺: #LACvsNE on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7dO9Ch30WH— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2024
Second team: Devaughn Vele, Denver Broncos (Round 7, No. 235)
I don’t think many predicted Vele to have the same number of receiving touchdowns as Deebo Samuel, Puka Nacua or George Pickens. But he found a home in Denver and took advantage of his playing time. With 70 percent of his snaps coming in the slot, Vele finished with 41 catches for 475 yards and three touchdowns.
Honorable mentions: Jalen Coker (Panthers), Ricky Pearsall (49ers), Malik Washington (Dolphins)
Tight end
Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, No. 13)
The easiest decision on this All-Rookie team, Bowers had arguably the best debut season for a tight end in NFL history.
Despite the Raiders’ below-average quarterback play, Bowers led all NFL tight ends in catches (112), receiving yards (1,194) and first-down grabs (58) and finished second in catches of 20-plus yards (15). He broke Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end, and his drops were rare (three on 139 targets). Bowers’ touchdown total (five) doesn’t match the rest of his production, but that is more a reflection of the team than the player.
TE Brock Bowers (@brockbowers17) has now passed Puka Nacua (105 in 2023) for the most receptions in a single season in #NFL history by a rookie.#RaiderNation | @Raiders pic.twitter.com/OUSaxE69Mi
— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) December 29, 2024
Second Team: AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks (Round 4, No. 121)
There was a massive gap between Bowers and the next-best rookie tight end. Barner gets the nod because he was reliable catching the football and solid as a blocker. He finished with 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns, joining Bowers as the only rookie tight ends with multiple TDs.
Honorable mentions: Ja’Tavion Sanders (Panthers), Theo Johnson (Giants), Erick All (Bengals), Cade Stover (Texans)
Offensive tackle
Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers (Round 1, No. 5); JC Latham, Tennessee Titans (Round 1, No. 7)
The Chargers passed on Nabers, but I don’t know many who believe they made the wrong choice. That is how good Alt has been.
He is incredibly consistent with his steps, hands and body movements to frame up rushers and win with leverage. And he is doing all this at a position he hadn’t played before this season. This is going to sound hyperbolic, but based on Alt’s performance and development, it wouldn’t be surprising if he ascends to be the league’s top right tackle at some point the next few seasons.
While Alt moved from the left side to the right, Latham made the reverse transition and played well in his first season at left tackle. It was far from perfect, and he had understandable struggles for a rookie, but Tennessee can feel comfortable it has its long-term left tackle.
Second Team: Taliese Fuaga, New Orleans Saints (Round 1, No. 14); Roger Rosengarten, Baltimore Ravens (Round 2, No. 62)
Unsurprisingly, Fuaga was the only rookie tackle close to Alt as a run blocker. And his improvements in pass pro at left tackle over the final month were encouraging (see his tapes vs. the Commanders and Buccaneers). Similarly, Rosengarten was outstanding as a pass blocker at right tackle over the final two months (10 pressures and one sack allowed in his final eight starts).
Honorable mentions: Olu Fashanu (Jets), Amarius Mims (Bengals), Brandon Coleman (Commanders), DJ Glaze (Raiders), Tyler Guyton (Cowboys), Matt Goncalves (Colts)
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Guard
Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers (Round 3, No. 86); Jackson Powers-Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 2, No. 44)
There were 25 offensive linemen drafted before Puni, but he would be one of the first offensive linemen off the board if a redraft happened today. Not only did Puni play at a high level for a rookie, especially in the run game, he was reliable, starting all 17 games and leading his team in snaps played.
Powers-Johnson got a late start this season due to injury and went through his share of hiccups early. But he improved as the season progressed and his confidence increased, which allowed him to lean on his movement skills and physicality. His versatility was a strong selling point, and he showed that with eight starts at guard and six at center.
Second Team: Mason McCormick, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 4, No. 119); Layden Robinson, New England Patriots (Round 4, No. 103)
McCormick had a few “welcome to the league” moments (see his tape vs. the Ravens), but there were more positive moments in his debut season, as he started the final 14 games. Robinson wasn’t nearly as consistent, but the positive flashes — especially after he moved to left guard — were encouraging.
Honorable mentions: Dalton Tucker (Colts), Isaiah Adams (Cardinals), Christian Mahogany (Lions), Jordan Morgan (Packers)
Center
Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 2, No. 51)
As good as Alt and Puni have been, there is a strong case to be made that Frazier was the top first-year offensive linemen. Although his length and athleticism are more solid than exceptional, he already looks like a veteran with his strength at contact and ability to outmaneuver defenders. I think people get tired of hearing about wrestling backgrounds for offensive linemen, but with Frazier, you can clearly see how his skills on the mat translate to the NFL.
Second Team: Graham Barton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Round 1, No. 26)
In most years, Barton would have been a shoo-in for the top rookie center. He seemed to have at least one penalty a game, an area of his game which needs to improve (flags were an issue for him in college, too). But Tampa has to be thrilled with his development.
Honorable mentions: Tanor Bortolini (Colts), Cooper Beebe (Cowboys), Beaux Limmer (Rams)
Edge rusher
Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams (Round 1, No. 19); Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins (Round 1, No. 21)
Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett and Jonathan Greenard are the only players who created more pressures this season than Verse (77). To put that number in perspective, only Nick Bosa had more pressures as a rookie over the last dozen years. When Von Miller won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, he averaged 4.4 pressures per game; Verse averaged 4.5 this season.
Bro is DIFFERENT. 😮💨
📺: @NFLonFOX | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/VUQdP9PSA0
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 3, 2024
Robinson’s impact was more gradual. After tallying 14 pressures over the first eight games, he accounted for 42 over the second half of the season to finish with 56 — three more than T.J. Watt.
Second Team: Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts (Round 1, No. 15); Jonah Elliss, Denver Broncos (Round 3, No. 76)
As the first defensive player drafted, Latu had a bit of a disappointing season with just four sacks. But he led all rookies with three forced fumbles and showed enough promise off the bench that the Colts can be excited about a sophomore jump. Elliss, who finished third among rookies with five sacks, proved to be a quality subpackage rusher.
Honorable mentions: Chris Braswell (Buccaneers), Dallas Turner (Vikings), Marshawn Kneeland (Cowboys), Austin Booker (Bears), Javon Solomon (Bills), Jalyx Hunt (Eagles)
Defensive tackle
Braden Fiske, Los Angeles Rams (Round 2, No. 39); T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans (Round 2, No. 38)
Fiske finished as the rookie leader in sacks (8.5) and collected 51 pressures, three behind Quinnen Williams. He always had the twitchy urgency and quickness to make an impact in the NFL, but the continued development with his hands was awesome to see.
Selected one spot before Fiske, Sweat generally was viewed as a potential first-round pick based on size and ability, but questions about his weight and off-field consistency removed him from several boards. The Titans rolled the dice and, so far, that gamble has paid off. Sweat might never be a playmaker as a pass rusher, but he destroys gaps in the run game and has better range than his 360-pound size would suggest.
Second Team: Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks (Round 1, No. 16); Jer’Zhan Newton, Washington Commanders (Round 2, No. 36)
Injuries robbed us of seeing Murphy at full-go, but the flashes were enough to explain why he was so coveted in the draft. The same could be said about Newton, who started slow but has been a welcome part of the Commanders’ defensive line rotation.
Honorable mentions: Elijah Chatman (Giants), Mike Hall Jr. (Browns), Kris Jenkins (Bengals), Evan Anderson (49ers), Leonard Taylor III (Jets), Jonah Laulu (Raiders), Maason Smith (Jaguars), DeWayne Carter (Bills)
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Linebacker
First team: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers (Round 2, No. 45); Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, No. 98)
Part of Cooper’s appeal as a prospect was his do-everything skill set, which was on full display this season. Despite missing a few games, he led all rookies with 13.0 tackles for loss (No. 2 among all NFL off-ball linebackers). After he returned from injury, Cooper played like one of the best defenders — not just rookie defenders — in the league.
Edgerrin Cooper has a sack tonight. Now he has an interception 🙌
📺: #GBvsSEA on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Pr0cXreRKn— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2024
Wilson had a terrific year, too, defending the run, dropping in coverage and blitzing the pocket. Most importantly, he stayed healthy for all 17 regular-season games and was one of the Steelers’ best coverage players on kicks and punts (300 special-teams snaps).
Second Team: Tyrice Knight, Seattle Seahawks (Round 4, No. 118); Omar Speights, Los Angeles Rams (undrafted)
An off-and-on starter, Knight led all rookie linebackers in tackles (88) — not too surprising, considering he had 140 tackles last season at UTEP. He plays like a rabid dog against the run, with the instincts and play personality that directly lead to production. Speights ranked top 20 in the NFL with 60 tackles over the final two months of the season. He also has the lowest missed-tackle rate (5.7 percent) among rookie linebackers.
Honorable mentions: Trevin Wallace (Panthers), Marist Liufau (Cowboys), Jaylon Carlies (Colts), Junior Colson (Chargers), Winston Reid (Browns), Darius Muasau (Giants)
Cornerback
Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 1, No. 22); Mike Sainristil, Washington Commanders (Round 2, No. 50)
Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, Nabers — Mitchell faced some of the NFL’s best wide receivers and more than held his own. Despite not registering an interception (he had his chances), his snap-to-snap consistency made him the league’s most impressive first-year cornerback. Over the final 12 games, Mitchell allowed more than 35 receiving yards in a game just once. He also finished with 12 passes defended.
The second outside corner spot was much more competitive, but Sainristil gets the edge. He led all rookies with 14 passes defended and committed just two penalties, despite leading all first-year players in defensive snaps played (978). His competitiveness in coverage and against the run jumped off the screen — he finished with 93 tackles, second most among rookies.
GO DEEPER
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Second Team: Nate Wiggins, Baltimore Ravens (Round 1, No. 30); Kamari Lassiter, Houston Texans (Round 2, No. 42); Tarheeb Still, Los Angeles Chargers (Round 5, No. 137)
With his pick six in Week 18, Wiggins finished his rookie campaign with more touchdowns than touchdowns allowed. The only rookie corner to allow a lower reception rate than Wiggins was Lassiter (47.8 percent of targets resulting in a catch). And I couldn’t leave off Still, who finished second among rookies with four interceptions while posting 10 passes defended and committing just one penalty.
Honorable mentions: Terrion Arnold (Lions), Renardo Green (49ers), Josh Newton (Bengals), Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (Titans), Kool-Aid McKinstry (Saints), Max Melton (Cardinals), Kris Abrams-Draine (Broncos)
Nickel cornerback
Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 2, No. 40)
After missing most of the first five weeks, DeJean entered the Eagles’ starting lineup and played like one of the best nickels in the league. You could make a strong argument that he was the best run defender among all first-year players, and he didn’t allow a touchdown on 71 coverage targets. Add his impact on special teams, and DeJean has been a home run for Philadelphia — especially for a second-rounder.
Second Team: Andru Phillips, New York Giants (Round 3, No. 70); Tykee Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Round 3, No. 89)
Phillips was an outstanding run defender this season and flashed in coverage. One of the concerns with him as a prospect was that he produced zero interceptions in 38 career games at Kentucky, so his first career NFL interception in Week 17 great to see. Despite missing four games due to injury, Smith finished his rookie season as one of only five NFL players with at least three forced fumbles and two interceptions — he was the first rookie to post those numbers since 2018.
Honorable mentions: Beanie Bishop Jr. (Steelers), Jarrian Jones (Jaguars), Chau Smith-Wade (Panthers), Christian Roland-Wallace (Chiefs)
Safety
Calen Bullock, Houston Texans (Round 3, No. 78); Tyler Nubin, New York Giants (Round 2, No. 47)
In a lot of ways, Bullock lived up exactly to his scouting report — both the good and the volatile. With his range in coverage, he led all rookies in interceptions (five) and allowed just 42.3 percent receptions when targeted. However, his questionable play strength was an issue, especially as a run defender. Despite the hiccups, Bullock proved to be an integral part of DeMeco Ryans’ defense, playing almost 1,000 snaps.
Rookie Calen Bullock has his 3rd interception of the season!
📺: #HOUvsGB on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/deEHrMJmr3— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
Nubin led all rookies in tackles (98), even though he missed four games. One of the reasons the Giants drafted him in the top 50 was his ball production in college (13 career interceptions), but he didn’t record an interception and registered just one pass breakup as a rookie — those numbers will need to improve next season.
Second Team: Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers (Round 4, No. 111); Kamren Kinchens, Los Angeles Rams (Round 3, No. 99)
If he hadn’t missed five games (and parts of others) due to injury, Williams likely would have made the first team. Regardless, he had a much better season than anyone anticipated, and the Packers can feel optimistic about their free safety situation moving forward. Kinchens allowed four touchdown passes this season, but he posted four interceptions and led all rookies in interception yards (123).
Honorable mentions: Malik Mustapha (49ers), Javon Bullard (Packers), Demani Richardson (Panthers), Jaylen McCollough (Rams), Cole Bishop (Bills), Jaden Hicks (Chiefs), Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (Cardinals), Dell Pettus (Patriots)
Kicker
Cam Little, Jacksonville Jaguars (Round 6, No. 212)
Second Team: Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings (Round 6, No. 203), Joshua Karty, Los Angeles Rams (Round 6, No. 209)
GO DEEPER
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Punter
Tory Taylor, Chicago Bears (Round 4, No. 122)
Second Team: Ryan Rehkow, Cincinnati Bengals (undrafted); Matthew Hayball, New Orleans Saints (undrafted)
(Top photos of Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers: Kara Durrette, Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
A coalition of women’s advocacy organizations have called on President-elect Donald Trump to demand the NCAA change its policies regarding trans athletes in women’s sports.
Our Bodies, Our Sports, the first and only coalition of women’s advocacy organizations fighting for fairness in women’s sports in the country, issued a letter to the president-elect requesting that he use his influence to have the NCAA take action “to protect the rights and opportunities of collegiate female athletes,” a press release read.
“We write now to ask you to also use your powerful voice to urge the NCAA to take action and clarify participation rules to protect the rights and opportunities of female athletes,” the letter read, in part.
President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Oct. 15, 2024 in Atlanta. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“The NCAA’s controversial and unscientific Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy continues to allow men to participate in women’s sports – taking away women’s opportunities to compete, roster spots on teams, medals, and safe and fair competition,” the release read.
This letter to the president-elect comes ahead of the 2025 NCAA Convention, which takes place from Jan. 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. The week is filled with issues, forums, business sessions and award presentations.
The letter also comes after a federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to redefine sex in Title IX as “gender identity,” striking it down nationwide.
FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN BIDEN ADMIN’S TITLE IX REWRITE
The ruling came in U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky Northern Division in Cardona v. Tennessee on Tuesday.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti celebrated the ruling with a post on X. “Another massive win for TN and the country!” the post read. “This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and vacated the Biden admin’s radical new Title IX rule nationwide.
“The court’s order is resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to speak biologically-accurate pronouns.”
The NCAA logo is displayed on center court as work continues at The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for the NCAA college basketball tournament on March 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
The Supreme Court has previously rejected the Biden administration’s emergency request to enforce parts of a new rule that would have included protection from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX.
As for the NCAA’s current transgender participation policy, it allows trans athletes to play in a “sport-by-sport approach,” which “preserves opportunity for transgender student-athletes while balancing fairness, inclusion and safety for all who compete.” The governing body says its policy aligns with that of the “Olympic Movement.”
Part of the NCAA’s policy requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation that meets the 2010 NCAA policy, plus meet the sport standard for documented testosterone levels at three points in time: Prior to competition during regular season, prior to the first competition in an NCAA championship and prior to any competition in the “non-championship segment.”
Our Bodies, Our Sports consists of the following member organizations: Independent Women’s Forum, Independent Council on Women’s Sports, Women’s Declaration International USA, Champion Women, International Consortium on Female Sport, Concerned Women for America, Women’s Liberation Front, Independent Women’s Law Center, Young Women for America, Independent Women’s Voice, and Independent Women’s Network.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“We stand together in honor of the generations of women who came before us and in defense of all the women and girls who will come next,” the letter to Trump ends. “We ask for your help in demanding that the NCAA finally act to restore fairness and opportunity in collegiate sports and we thank you for standing with us.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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