ACC Football

The University of Virginia granted football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry posthumous degrees Tuesday. All three players were killed in an on-campus shooting in November.

According to ESPN's Andrea Adelson, University of Virginia Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs Rachel Most was the catalyst behind requesting that the players be honored with degrees.

Chandler, Davis and Perry were shot and killed on a charter bus on Nov. 13 after returning from a class trip to Washington, D.C.

Virginia student and former UVA football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who was also on the trip, is alleged to have shot and killed the players. Two other Virginia students, Marlee Morgan and Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins, were also injured in the shooting.

Jones has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, as well as two counts of malicious wounding.

Chandler was a junior wide receiver from Huntersville, North Carolina, who transferred from Wisconsin. He had two catches for 28 yards for the Badgers in 2020 and was exclusively a special teams player in 2021.

Davis was also a junior wide receiver who hailed from Dorchester, South Carolina. He had 20 receptions for 515 yards and five touchdowns for the Cavs in 2020 and followed that up with 16 grabs for 371 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Perry was a junior linebacker from Miami, Florida, and had seven tackles this season. Back in 2020, Perry returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown against Abilene Christian.

The Virginia football team finished 3-7 this season after cancelling its final two scheduled games against Coastal Carolina and Virginia Tech in the wake of the shooting.

North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

Leary suffered a torn pectoral in October and was ruled out for the rest of the season, but Thamel reported he is expected to be cleared to throw by March. It could put him on track to compete in spring football for his new team, while likely being fully healthy by the start of the 2023 season.

The New Jersey native had 62 career touchdown passes across four seasons with the Wolfpack.

Leary came to North Carolina State as a 4-star recruit in 2018, redshirting his first season before earning a starting job as a freshman in 2019. He was in and out of the lineup the next two years, although he truly broke out in 2021 when he totaled 3,433 passing yards with 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

The Wolfpack went 9-3 that year while Leary was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

After entering 2022 as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Leary threw 11 touchdown passes with four interceptions in six games before suffering his injury.

North Carolina State went 5-1 in Leary's starts but had just a 3-3 record without him.

MJ Morris could enter 2023 as the starter for NC State after impressing during his brief opportunity this season, throwing seven touchdown passes with one interception, while Ben Finley could also compete for the job.

Leary should have no shortage of suitors around the country as a proven quarterback with significant experience against top competition. The 23-year-old should be an immediate starter wherever he lands, potentially getting a chance to improve his stock for the 2024 NFL draft.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will reportedly have an opening at quarterback in 2023, as this year's starter Drew Pyne is set to part ways with the team.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Pyne intends to enter the transfer portal and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Pyne started 10 games this season for the 8-4 Fighting Irish, leading the team to an 8-2 record. His 4-1 record against Top 25 teams was the best by a Notre Dame quarterback in the last 10 years, per Thamel.

Notre Dame inserted Pyne as the starter following the team's upset loss to Marshall. He immediately provided a spark and threw for 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 64.6 percent of his passes and ranking 20th in the nation in individual quarterback efficiency.

If Pyne's last appearance in a Fighting Irish uniform was an audition for other schools, he will undoubtedly have a long list of suitors. He went 23-of-26 for 318 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a 38-27 loss to USC last Saturday. According to Thamel, Pyne's "decisiveness in the pocket stood out to opposing coaches, as they characterized him as a quick-twitch thrower."

Pyne was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2020 coming out of New Canaan High School in Connecticut, per 247Sports' composite. He chose Notre Dame over offers from Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma and Auburn, among others.

With Pyne unlikely to play in Notre Dame's upcoming bowl game, it can be expected that the team will turn back to sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner, who threw for 378 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in his two starts this season.

Defensive lineman and 5-star recruit Vic Burley announced his intention to attend Clemson in June and should instantly find himself competing for playing time next season.

The Warner Robins star announced his commitment in June and is the No. 52 overall player in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Burley is already listed at 6'5" and 265 pounds, making him a ready-made star at the next level from a physical standpoint.

"Of course he has the size and the length and all that," Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook said of Burley. "But I think his preparation at his age makes him stand out even more because his approach to the game is unlike any other. Last year as a sophomore, he was really focused, really dedicated to his craft. I think that makes the difference in his game.

"We try to tell our players, 'You can't turn it on at any time.' He's one of those guys who can do that, but he keeps it there. He's different from that standpoint. I think his preparation and his mentality, the way he approaches Monday through Thursday for practice is different, which makes it easy on Friday for him."

Burley is joined in Clemson's 2023 class by 5-star defensive lineman Peter Woods, one of the crowned jewels of Dabo Swinney's haul, and fellow 4-star linemen Tomarrion Parker and Stephiylan Green. The Tigers' defensive line class should help replenish the depth chart that will see several departures this offseason.

Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee are potential first-round picks, while Tyler Davis and K.J. Henry will also be playing on Sundays next season.

The holes across the front seven should give Burley, Woods, Parker and Green a chance to battle it out in camp for significant playing time early in their careers.

The No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell to the No. 6 USC Trojans 38-27 on Saturday and fell to 8-4 on the season following an uninspired performance from the defense.

Notre Dame's defense failed to contain Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and the USC offense through all four quarters of Saturday's game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Williams, a Heisman Trophy favorite, completed 18-of-22 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown, in addition to rushing for 35 yards and three scores on nine carries. Trojans running back Austin Jones also rushed for 154 yards on 25 carries.

USC put up at least one touchdown in each quarter and totaled 436 yards of offense against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish defense didn't force one turnover, and they allowed the Trojans to convert 8-of-12 third-down attempts.

Following the loss, college football Twitter ripped the Notre Dame defense for its performance:

Saturday's loss was a tough way for the Fighting Irish to end their 2022 season, but there's optimism they'll be better in 2023 with another full season of Marcus Freeman at the helm.

For the first time since Nov. 12, 2016, the Clemson Tigers have lost at home.

The unranked South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the No. 8 Tigers 31-30 on Saturday at Clemson Memorial Stadium to put an end to the team's 40-game home win streak, which is an ACC record.

Aside from the rushing performance by running back Will Shipley, who posted 15 carries for 132 yards and one touchdown, the Clemson offense was wildly disappointing against South Carolina.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei completed just eight of 29 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown against one interception in the loss. His performance was unacceptable, and now the Tigers have been knocked out of College Football Playoff contention.

College football fans ripped Clemson for the loss, which dropped it to 10-2, on Twitter, and understandably so:

Saturday's win marked South Carolina's second upset victory over a Top 10 opponent after the Gamecocks took down Tennessee last weekend.

With Clemson out of CFP contention, Dabo Swinney will have a lot to figure out moving forward, including whether or not he wants to stick with Uiagalelei as his starting quarterback in 2023.

This year's College Football Playoff is shaping up to be very exciting with a fresh mix of teams.

Former NC State defensive lineman Joseph Boletepeli was arrested and charged with misdemeanor stalking and communicating threats to Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren.

ESPN's David M. Hale reported Friday that Boletepeli, a member of the NC State football team in 2018 and 2019, allegedly sent out a Twitter post that read: "Imma get him I promise. Dave Doeren and the rest."

The 22-year-old North Carolina native was also charged with resisting arrest, per Hale.

Along with the Twitter post, investigators allege Boletepeli "went to Doeren's place of work several times and sent threats through text message" to both Doeren and other Wolfpack staff members, according to WRAL.

Boletepeli was released from custody and placed on house arrest with an ankle monitor Friday.

Court records allege the former NC State player acted in a way that "would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress by placing that person in fear of death, bodily injury ... or the safety of the person's immediate family," per Josh Shaffer and Virginia Bridges of the Charlotte Observer.

Boletepeli was ordered to remain away from Doeren and the NC State campus as part of the conditions for his release on $25,000 bond.

Boletepeli was a 3-star prospect when he committed to NC State ahead of the 2018 season. He transferred to Maryland in 2020, appearing in four games for the Terrapins.

He appeared in the Terps' 2021 spring game but wasn't on the team's final roster last year.

NC State hasn't provided a statement about the arrest beyond confirming Boletepeli's status as a former Wolfpack player.

The ACC announced that it will honor the lives of the three University of Virginia football players who were shot and killed on campus Sunday.

Adam Lichtenstein of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel relayed a press release outlining the conference's plans, which include helmet decals for all conference teams, a moment of silence for all ACC home games and the use of "UVA Strong" graphics across the league.

Emily Leiker of Syracuse.com tweeted the helmet decal, and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic shared the "UVA Strong" graphic:

Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch also revealed the helmet decal that numerous Virginia college football teams will wear to honor UVA this weekend:

UVA football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were shot and killed after returning from a class field trip.

Another Cavalier player, Mike Hollins, was injured and is still in the hospital, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. A fifth student, who is not a football player, was hospitalized but has since been released.

Former UVA football player and suspected shooter Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. has been arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder in addition to other charges.

UVA has canceled a previously scheduled home game against Coastal Carolina, which would have taken place Saturday. A decision on the team's final game, a Nov. 26 road matchup with Virginia Tech, has not yet been made.

University of Virginia running back Mike Hollins is "doing great" after his second surgery following a mass shooting at the school Sunday evening that killed three Cavalier football players and injured Hollins and another teammate.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana attorney Gordon McKernan, who is serving as the Hollins family spokesperson, relayed the news to Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger. Hollins' mother Brenda also provided updates to WRBZ.

Hollins suffered a gunshot wound to the back. He was on a ventilator, but that has since been removed and his critical status has been upgraded to stable condition, per WRBZ.

Earlier Tuesday, Brenda Hollins provided some updates on her son:

The junior running back out of University Lab High School in Baton Rouge has amassed 319 total yards and a pair of rushing scores this year. He notably rushed for a season-high 75 yards against UNC on Nov. 5.

His old high school head coach, Andy Martin, spoke to WBRZ about his character.

“Mike was a great kid," Martin said. "Was awesome to be around, had a great personality, always a smile on his face. It was just a pleasure to have him on the team and coach."

UVA President Jim Ryan confirmed Monday that football players D'Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were killed. The student-athletes were on a charter bus that had just returned from a class field trip.

Suspect Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former member of the football team, was arrested Monday after an hours-long manhunt.

According to Gun Violence Archive, there have now been 598 mass shootings in the United States in 2022.

University of Virginia football players D'Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were killed at the university Sunday night, UVA President Jim Ryan confirmed Monday.

Earlier in the day, Ryan said five people were shot at Culbreth Garage on the university's Central Grounds, three of whom had died. The names of the two who were shot and survived have not been released.

"This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send, and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia," Ryan wrote in an email to students and faculty. "This is a traumatic incident for everyone in our community and we have cancelled classes for today."

Police have identified Christopher Darnell Jones as the suspect in the shootings. Jones is a former University of Virginia football player. Jones was later arrested, charged with murder and is in police custody, authorities confirmed at a press conference.

Perry, 22, was a junior linebacker who appeared in seven games this season for the Cavaliers. He recorded seven total tackles in 2022, including two in Saturday's game against Miami.

Chandler was a wide receiver in his first season at Viginia after transferring from Wisconsin. He had not made an appearance in 2022.

Davis was a junior wide receiver who made 16 catches for 371 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott and athletic director Carla Williams each issued a statement:

Gun violence remains a harrowing issue in the United States. The U.S. ranks among the deadliest countries for gun violence, and gun ownership is higher than any other country in the world. Pushback from groups like the National Rifle Association and politicians have led to a lack of meaningful change in the country despite gun reform being overwhelmingly popular.

There is no official definition of a mass shooting, but there have been around 600 incidents where at least four people were shot in the United States this year. There have been 25 such incidents in the month of November, including three Sunday.