ACC Football

The Miami Hurricanes will reportedly add Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor to their football staff, per Manny Navarro of The Athletic. 

The position will be an "off-the-field role," which Taylor preferred.

Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports first reported the connection, noting that the 47-year-old had previously turned down other coaching opportunities at the college level.

Taylor has spent the past five years at high school powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving as the team's defensive coordinator the past two years.

After Taylor spent his college career at Akron, the majority of his time in the NFL came with the Miami Dolphins. A third-round pick by the team in 1998, the Pittsburgh native finished his 15-year career with 139.5 sacks, 11th in league history, while earning six Pro Bowl selections and the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year award. 

He was inducted into Canton in 2017.

The hire adds another person with an impressive resume to the Miami staff under new coach Mario Cristobal.

Fellow Hall of Famer Ed Reed is also in an off-field role for the Hurricanes as the chief of staff, while former coaches Kevin Steele and Charlie Strong were hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, respectively. Josh Gattis, the reigning Broyles Award winner as the top assistant coach in the country, was hired as the offensive coordinator away from Michigan.

All of this should help raise expectations for the program after finishing 7-5 in 2021. Miami has just one 10-win season in the last 18 years, but the new coaching staff is looking to return to national contention.    

Former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones could be released on $850,000 bond while awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge related to the 2006 death of Hurricanes teammate Bryan Pata.

ESPN's Paula Lavigne reported Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda said prosecutors presented a "viable case" against Jones, who's been held without bail since being arrested in August, but she didn't view him as a threat to flee. She also ordered him to not make contact with Pata's family or potential witnesses.

"I can't say he's not a danger to the community," Miranda said. "The risk of flight is what I'm looking at."

Juan Segovia, a homicide detective with the Miami-Dade Police Department, was among the people questioned during the bond hearing. He was the assistant officer on the case 16 years ago and took over the lead in 2020 when colleague Miguel Dominguez retired.

Segovia explained he would have handled the investigation differently but thought there was enough evidence to move forward with charges at the time, per Lavigne.

"If it was up to me, I would have arrested him in 2006," he said.

The prosecution's case leans heavily on the testimony of Paul Conner, a former University of Miami English professor who now resides in Ohio, who lived in the same apartment complex as Pata and provided police with a description of a man he saw walking away from the area after a loud bang was heard.

Conner picked Jones out of a photo lineup in both 2006 and when the case reopened in 2020, but defense attorneys noted he only placed his confidence level at "90 percent" originally, creating reasonable doubt, per Lavigne.

The defense used character witnesses to discuss Jones' work in the community, including as a youth coach, as part of his successful appeal for bond.

Michael Mirer, one of Jones' attorneys, said in an email to ESPN they "firmly believe that when this case is brought before a jury, Rashaun will be exonerated."

"There is a complete lack of evidence to substantiate the charge in this case and we look forward to our day in court," Mirer wrote.

The Associated Press reported in September, when Jones pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, that investigators found a pattern of confrontations between Jones and Pata, and Pata's brother said Jones threatened to shoot his brother two months prior to his death.

Jones told investigators he was home on the night of the shooting, but prosecutors said they obtained information showing his cell phone pinging different towers throughout the evening, according to the AP.

The next court date in the case is scheduled for Sept. 1.

Rashaun Jones, who is facing a second-degree murder charge for the 2006 killing of Bryan Pata, told police he "had nothing to do with" the death of his former Miami Hurricanes football teammate.

Paula Lavigne of ESPN reported Thursday on the video statement made by Jones for police after he was arrested in August and pleaded not guilty ahead of Monday's scheduled bond hearing.

Pata was shot in the head outside of his apartment in 2006, and an ESPN investigation in 2020 found that Jones has been a suspect since 2007. Per Lavigne, August was the first time Jones had been questioned by police about the evidence against him.

Retired University of Miami writing instructor Paul Conner, who picked Jones out of a photo lineup in 2007 after he told police the day after the shooting he heard a "pop" noise and saw a man jogging through a parking lot, is among those who will be questioned at the bond hearing.

Jones' comments come from a videotaped interview with Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Juan Segovia from the day of his arrest.

"I know how that could look because of the situation," Jones said in the interview while also acknowledging if he was a detective he would see himself as a suspect. "But I'm telling you, I had nothing to do with him dying."

Segovia presented evidence to Jones that included testimony from an eyewitness saying Jones was quickly exiting the area after the shooting, phone records disputing his assertions he was home the night of the shooting, a gun Jones owned and allegedly used to threaten people with, and statements from those who knew them that said Jones threatened Pata after they quarreled about a woman—Jones' ex-girlfriend who was dating Pata.

"I got up from there and went downstairs," Jones said when talking about the fight regarding his ex-girlfriend. "I might have cried a little bit, but it wasn't any ongoing beef where I was at Bryan or trying to hurt Bryan."

He also continued to deny he went near Pata's apartment that night even though he knew where it was because he was friends with his teammate's cousin. He also said allegations he threatened people with the gun were untrue.

"I can't explain to you," he said when asked about the cellphone records indicating he wasn't home. "I don't know. Just really bad luck, really bad. Look, I'm telling you. I have nothing to do with this guy being murdered, nothing. It ain't no 15 years of telling myself I didn't do it."

Jones also said the reason he changed his phone number on the day of the shooting and didn't attend a team meeting was that then-head coach Larry Coker said he was suspended for failing a second drug test and he didn't want people to be able to reach out to him and criticize him for it.

He also pointed to a video of him helping Pata tie his shoes at a football game shortly before the latter's death as proof he did not want his teammate dead.

"If I'm beefing with somebody and I want somebody dead, why am I tying their cleat for? I'm literally down there tying his cleat," Jones said.

In August 2021, Elizabeth Merrill and Lavigne reported Jones could face the death sentence or life without the possibility of parole if he is convicted.

North Carolina State has extended head football coach Dave Doeren's contract through the 2026 season, the school announced Thursday. All 10 of his assistants also got new contracts. 

According to ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Doeren's deal is worth $5 million per year. He previously received $3.5 million per season.

"Dave continues to provide tremendous leadership for NC State football and elevate the standards for our program," athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. "We continue to see competitive growth, academic growth and there is great continuity among our entire staff. ... We're excited for even greater days ahead."

Doeren has been head coach of the Wolfpack since 2013, leading the team to a 64-49 record. In his nine years at the helm, NC State has had just two losing seasons in 2013 and 2019. 

The Wolfpack have played in a bowl game six times under Doeren and have gone 3-3 in those games. They could not play in its bowl game last year despite finishing 9-3 after the Holiday Bowl was canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the UCLA program.

Doeren is the second-winningest coach in NC State history, and he has coached 21 players who have been drafted into the NFL during his tenure. Now that he's back for a 10th season, the Wolfpack could compete for the top spot in the ACC.

Before coaching NC State, Doeren coached Northern Illinois in 2011 and 2012. He went 23-4 during his tenure with the Huskies and led them to a win in the GoDaddy.com Bowl during his first season. 

Josh Gattis will reportedly become the next offensive coordinator for the University of Miami, according to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports.

Gattis has reportedly informed players at Michigan that he has taken the new job, per Tom VanHaaren of ESPN. 

In a text to some Michigan players, Josh Gattis said, “Unfortunately the past few weeks has told a different story to me about the very little appreciation I have here from administration. In life I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted…”

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) February 6, 2022

Gattis spent the past three years as Michigan's offensive coordinator, winning the Broyles Award in 2021 as the best assistant coach in the country. The Wolverines won the Big Ten title last season while earning their first-ever spot in the College Football Playoff before losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

The Michigan offense ranked 16th in Division I with an average of 35.8 points per game.

Prior to Michigan, Gattis was co-offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2018 and receivers coach for a unit that featured DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs III.

The 38-year-old also has experience at Penn State, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan.

He now joins a program looking to turn things around under new coach Mario Cristobal. The team finished 7-5 last year under Manny Diaz, but there are high expectations for the new staff, especially after hiring Gattis and seasoned defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

Gattis will have plenty to work with in his new job, starting with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The 4-star recruit totaled 2,931 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games as a freshman in 2021.

Michigan, meanwhile, will have to replace another key member of its staff after defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left for the Baltimore Ravens. Prior defensive coordinator Don Brown left to become head coach at UMass a year earlier and recently hired another former Michigan coach in Steve Casula, whom Gattis referred to as his "right-hand man," per Aaron McMann of MLive.com.

It leaves plenty of questions for the Wolverines even after Jim Harbaugh remained with the program amid NFL interest. 

Gattis reportedly had internal support to become the next Michigan head coach if Harbaugh had left, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. Just a few days later, he is no longer part of the program.

Co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore could be an internal candidate to replace Gattis, while quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss will also likely get consideration.

Five-star quarterback Arch Manning has reportedly removed Clemson from his list of prospective schools, according to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. 

Manning reportedly has Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas toward the top of his list, Wiltfong notes.

The young star isn't taking visits and is currently focused on the basketball season. However, Wiltfong detailed what's next for the most-recruited quarterback in the nation. 

"The next step in his process will be trying to get out and see some of his teams participate in spring practice and get a feel for what that looks like," he wrote. 

Manning is ranked as the top quarterback in the 2023 class, per 247Sports Composite. He is also the No. 1 ranked quarterback out of Louisiana and the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 class, coming in higher than Malachi Nelson. 

Gabe Brooks, a midlands region recruiting analyst for 247Sports, said Manning is a "natural pocket passer with pro-style feel, but good functional athlete with terrific off-schedule instincts and playmaking ability." 

Brooks also says Manning has a first-round NFL Draft ceiling, which certainly doesn't come as a surprise considering who he is related to.

The 6'4", 215-pound quarterback is the son of Cooper Manning, and his uncles are legendary NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. He is also Archie Manning's grandson. Archie was a two-time Pro Bowler over his 13 NFL seasons. 

Mack Brown will be the head football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels for the foreseeable future.

Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported the ACC program and the 70-year-old coach agreed to a one-year contract extension. It will keep Brown in place through the 2026 season and into January 2027.

"Since his return to Carolina, Mack has done an outstanding job building a positive culture and energizing our fan base,'' athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in the program's announcement. "Under his leadership, we will continue to win both on the field and in the classroom, and we are all excited about the future of our football program. Sincere thanks to Mack and Sally for all of their contributions to the Chapel Hill community."

Brown was a coaching legend even before he came to North Carolina ahead of the 2019 campaign for his second stint with the Tar Heels.

He coached Tulane from 1985 through 1987, North Carolina from 1988 through 1997 and Texas from 1998 through 2013.

He is best known for his time with the Longhorns when he went 158-48 and won a national championship during the 2005 season with Vince Young as his quarterback. He also reached the national title game during the 2009 campaign with Colt McCoy under center, but Texas lost to Alabama after its quarterback suffered an injury.

Brown's 259 career wins rank seventh on the all-time list and second to only Nick Saban among active head coaches.

It was something of a surprise when he came out of retirement to lead the Tar Heels in 2019, but he provided an immediate boost to a program that went 3-9 in 2017 and 2-9 in 2018. North Carolina went 7-6 in Brown's first season, 8-4 in his second and 6-7 in his third, reaching a bowl game all three years.

While the 6-7 mark was a disappointment in 2021 given elevated expectations and the presence of quarterback Sam Howell, the future looks bright with a 2022 recruiting class that is rated ninth in the country by 247Sports' composite rankings.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has never been shy about sharing his feelings, and that was no different while speaking about name, image and likeness deals during an appearance on The Players Club Podcast with Darien Rencher. 

Swinney said:

I'm not against NIL at all. What I am against is anything that devalues education. That's what I'm against, and I'm against the professionalization of college athletics, and what does that mean? Well, that means, now we're paying you guys your salaries and 18-year-olds have to pay taxes, and, you know, I don't think that's good. I think we should keep the focus on graduation, incentivize graduation and do everything we can to modernize and improve the scholarship in addition to these NIL opportunities. I think it's great, but again, with the NIL, with the transfer portal, there are some things going on that I don't think is sustainable, and I don't think it's good for a lot of young people. 

You're talking 18-19-20 year olds that shouldn't be equipped (yet to handle what's going on), you know? And 98% are not going to the NFL. So let's help them maximize this for sure, but let's not allow some of the craziness that is creeping up.

Swinney said back in 2019 that he might as well quit coaching college football and move to the NFL if players in college were ever paid, per Zach Barnett of NBC Sports:

Who knows what's going to happen down the road? I have no idea. I just try to be great where my feet are. That's my focus every day. Who knows? They may do away with college football in three years. There may be no college football. They may want to professionalize college athletics. Well, then, maybe I’'l go to the pros. If I'm going to coach pro football, I might as well do that. I may get a terrible president or a terrible AD one day. I don't know. I have no idea what's down the road. But I know what we have at Clemson is special, and I wanted to make a commitment to the university. That's what the message of the contract was.

However, Swinney clarified those comments in July 2021, saying they were taken out of context, per Zach Lentz of Sports Illustrated:

I've never had a problem with name, image and likeness. I think it should have been more. If I’d have been the czar, I'd have done it differently, because I don't think everybody's gonna have much opportunity with it. Some will. But not everybody will have opportunity.

I would have liked to have seen it tied to graduation, education. … What I said, whenever that was, I still say. I am against professionalizing college athletics where we get away from the collegiate model and the value of a degree and the value of an education. I've never, ever said I’m against name, image and likeness. I think it's a lot of common sense. I think it could be more. I think it could be tied more to the education process so everybody would have had a little more opportunity. I said that, whenever it was, but people hear what they want to hear.

The NCAA adopted an interim NIL policy in June 2021. It allows college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness.

After the Tigers got out to an inconsistent start in 2021, Swinney was asked whether the new NIL policy had created a distraction in the locker room. He shut down the notion, telling reporters there was no correlation between NIL deals and Clemson's on-field struggles. 

The Tigers ended up finishing the 2021 season with a 10-3 record and a 20-13 win over the Iowa State Cyclones in the Cheez-It Bowl. So despite all the noise, Swinney's Tigers were clearly unaffected by NIL deals, finishing the year on a high note. 

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said the conference's members are unified against an imminent expansion of the College Football Playoff.

"The membership of the ACC is very much aligned in its position that now is not the time to expand the College Football Playoff," Phillips told reporters Friday.

He laid out several concerns shared by the ACC programs, per Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated:

Phillips cites several issues complicating CFP expansion: length of season, academic calendar, student athletes healthcare, NCAA governance structure, federal legislation, impact on bowls.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 14, 2022

If ACC would be in favor of expansion in future, why not support it now?
Phillips lists 3 "buckets" of concerns: (1) impact of additional games on students; (2) disruption of college athletics (NIL & transfer portal); (3) needs a holistic review of football calendar.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 14, 2022

The ACC failed to send a team to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the eight-year history of the four-team tournament this season. Clemson had earned six straight berths from 2015 through 2020, while Florida State and Notre Dame each represented the conference once over the years.

Phillips explained Tigers players weren't in favor of a longer schedule to accommodate a potential eight- or 12-team postseason bracket.

"They don't want to play more games," he said.

Clemson played 15 games four times over the past six years when it appeared in the CFP National Championship Game. A 12- or 16-team field would increase the max games total to 17, barring reductions elsewhere in the schedule.

Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson told ESPN's Heather Dinich last week the most recent proposal centered around a 12-team playoff with automatic bids for all of the Power Five conference champions and the top-ranked Group of Five champion.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said he felt "strongly" the winners of the Power Five titles deserve a berth in the CFP field.

"It's just very important that we have the automatic qualifiers for the five conferences," Warren told Dinich. "It's just the demands of the schedule ... and I strongly believe that if you are crowned the Big Ten champion, that you should have an opportunity to participate for a national championship."

AAC commissioner Mike Aresco, whose conference earned its first playoff bid in 2021 thanks to Cincinnati, said there are still "some differences" that must get worked out, including the Group of Five's belief certain teams are given preferred treatment "based on their brand."

Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reported Monday the sides remained at a "stalemate" with no sign a final agreement was close.

"Everyone is more concerned about their own silo than someone else's," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.

Given the lack of compromise so far, it appears hope of expansion in the short term is starting to fade.

The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers 31-21 in the 2021 Peach Bowl on Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to close out the season with an 11-2 record, the program's best finish since 2015. 

The Spartans finished third in the Big Ten East Division to earn their first bowl appearance since 2019, when they defeated Wake Forest in the Pinstripe Bowl. 

Michigan State's performance on Thursday was impressive, especially because the team was without star running back Kenneth Walker III, who opted out to prepare for the 2022 NFL draft. 

---

Notable Stats

Payton Thorne, QB, MSU: 29/50 for 354 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT and 10 CAR for 4 YDS

Davis Beville, QB, PITT: 14/18 for 149 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT 

Jayden Reed, WR, MSU: 6 REC for 80 YDS, 2 TD

Jordan Addison, WR, PITT: 7 REC for 114 YDS

Jalen Nailor, WR, MSU: 6 REC for 108 YDS

---

Late Push From MSU Seals Win Despite Poor Rushing Performance

Obviously, replacing Walker is no easy task. The Walter Camp and Doak Walker Award winner finished with 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in his first season with the Spartans after transferring from Wake Forest. 

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker even acknowledged that it would be challenging to replace Walker while meeting with reporters earlier this week.

"It's hard to replace a guy like Ken, you really can't do that, but we have other players obviously on our roster at that position that are going to be next man up and they're going to step up and get the job done," Tucker said. "We have a plan for that, and I feel really good about our run game right now in our preparation."

Walker averaged 137.2 yards per game this season. The Spartans opted to give Jordon Simmons most of his workload on Thursday, and it didn't work out so well. 

Simmons finished the game with just 23 yards on 16 carries. As a whole, the MSU offense finished with just 56 rushing yards, which is far lower than the 185.6 yards on the ground they were averaging entering the Peach Bowl. 

Despite Simmons' underwhelming performance, fans should look forward to seeing him as the team's top running back in 2022. He entered the Peach Bowl with 54 carries for 255 yards, in addition to six receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Simmons also led Michigan State in rushing last year and proved he could be a top running back earlier this season when he rushed for 121 yards against Youngstown State in September. 

Despite the poor rushing performance, Payton Thorne got the job done under center, leading two late touchdown drives to capture the win. Receivers Jalen Nailor and Jayden Reed, who finished with a combined 188 yards, were also instrumental in the win. 

Jayden Reed climbed the ladder AND rocked the baby 👶 pic.twitter.com/s2vETumzPL

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 31, 2021

It should also be noted that Tucker agreed to a 10-year, $95 million contract earlier this season to continue serving as MSU's head coach. He's been a big reason the Spartans turned things around in 2021, and he'll only continue to have a positive impact on the program moving forward. 

---

Pittsburgh Defense Comes Up Big, but Offense Falters Without Pickett

For Pittsburgh, Thursday's Peach Bowl was supposed to be all about junior quarterback Nick Patti, who has sat behind Pickett throughout his college career.

However, Patti exited in the first frame after rushing for a 16-yard touchdown with 7:57 left in the quarter. He went to the sideline and was taken to the locker room by Pittsburgh's medical staff.

Patti later emerged from the locker room with his jersey off and his left arm in a sling, signaling that he was done for the night. Sophomore quarterback Davis Beville was then thrust into the starting lineup.

Not much was expected from the third-string quarterback, and he didn't do enough under center. He completed 14 of 18 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown and one late, costly interception.

Pittsburgh's top receiver Jordan Addison had seven catches for 114 yards and no touchdowns. Entering Thursday night, Addison was averaging 113.8 yards per game. It was his second straight game without a touchdown catch.

The big reason the Panthers were even in Thursday's game was because of their defense.

The Spartans were controlling play through much of the first half until Panthers defensive back Brandon Hill picked off MSU quarterback Payton Thorne with 2:03 remaining in the second quarter.

DUNK ON THEM @BrandonHill_6 🔥 @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/JV8LwGog5K

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 31, 2021

The Panthers turned that pick into a touchdown when Beville hit wide receiver Jared Wayne for a four-yard score just before halftime. That score helped give Pittsburgh a 14-10 lead.

.@DBthaQB11 ➡️ @jwayne_ 🎯@Pitt_FB takes the lead before half 😤 pic.twitter.com/mUEnKZD16q

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 31, 2021

The Spartans got the ball to start the second half, but the Pittsburgh defense forced Thorne into another costly turnover when defensive lineman John Morgan III recovered a fumble for a touchdown to help give the Panthers a 21-10 lead.

"BING BONG"

Pitt's defense adds a score of its own 💪 pic.twitter.com/sY4Q019L5d

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 31, 2021

The Panthers held the Spartans scoreless in the third quarter, but the defense eventually ran out of gas, allowing two four-quarter TDs.

In terms of the quarterback position, the Panthers are still in a good spot for 2022 after receiving a commitment from Kedon Slovis, who announced he would be transferring to Pittsburgh from USC earlier this month. 

"I was so excited when Coach Narduzzi called, because I knew that Pitt and this program were the right fit for me to keep developing into the best leader I can be," Slovis wrote in a piece for The Players' Tribune. "I'm ready to win now — and talking to the players who are returning, and seeing how hungry they are for next season, that got me pumped. They have a lot of talented players coming back. And, man … getting to throw the ball to the guy who just won the Biletnikoff?? That's something you don't pass up. The culture and identity that Coach Narduzzi has created is everything I want to be a part of."