College Football

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 Washington Huskies will get another year of Michael Penix Jr. under center.

Penix announced Sunday that he has decided to forgo the 2023 NFL draft and return to Washington for his senior season. He said it was "one of the hardest decisions" of his life, before closing his post by saying that he believes the team will reach new heights next year.

The 2022 season was Penix's first with Washington. He spent the first four years of his college career at Indiana, where he was plagued by injuries, including a torn ACL in 2018 and 2020. He never appeared in more than six games in a season with the Hoosiers, posting a 12-5 record.

It wasn't until this year that Penix broke out as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

The 22-year-old leads college football with 4,354 passing yards and 362.8 passing yards per game. In addition, Penix has completed 66 percent of his passes and tossed 29 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Led by Penix, the No. 12 Huskies finished the regular season 10-2. They are set to face the No. 21 Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29.

Penix's draft stock rose significantly this season, and he was expected to be a Day 2 pick at the latest had he decided to declare for the draft. Now that he's returning to Washington, he'll get to improve his draft stock even more.

With Penix's decision to return to Washington, the focus will be shifted to wide receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, who both could declare for the 2023 draft.

Odunze put together his best season this year, catching 70 passes for 1,088 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. He also rushed for six yards and a score. McMillan also had a career year, catching 71 passes for 1,040 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games.

If both receivers return to Washington in 2023, the Huskies could make some serious noise in the Pac-12.

With Michigan back in the College Football Playoff, there have been questions about head coach Jim Harbaugh's future with the team as NFL clubs could come knocking at his door this offseason.

However, Harbaugh shut down rumors of a potential departure from Michigan on Sunday, telling reporters that he would return to the Wolverines in 2023, via ESPN's Tom VanHaaren:

"That time of the year type of speculation, but I think no man knows the future. But I think that people that think we've done a good job and are pleased with the job that we've done here at Michigan, they're going to be very happy to learn that we will be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023. And for those people that don't approve of the job we've done or would rather see somebody else coaching here, I think they'll be most likely disappointed to learn we'll be back coaching the Wolverines and in 2023."

Harbaugh's comments come after NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported that "multiple NFL teams have been doing background work recently" on the Michigan head coach.

Pelissero and Rapoport wrote:

"One NFL source plugged into the situation said they believe Harbaugh would consider a return to the NFL, and a source with another team that could be running a head-coaching search said they believe Harbaugh would discuss an opening if asked and weigh the right situation."

Harbaugh has been head coach of the Michigan Wolverines since 2015. In his eight years at the helm, he is 75-24 and has now led the team to back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Last season, Michigan finished 12-2, falling to Georgia in the CFP semifinals. This year, the Wolverines are 13-0 and set to face the TCU Horned Frogs in the CFP semifinals on Dec. 31.

Harbaugh's college success isn't the only reason why he's drawing interest from NFL teams. He previously coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, going 44-19-1 and leading the team to the NFC Championship Game three times and an appearance in the Super Bowl.

The 58-year-old flirted with an NFL return after the 2021 season, interviewing for the Minnesota Vikings' head coaching vacancy, though they never offered him the job instead hiring Kevin O'Connell.

Harbaugh is under contract with Michigan through 2026 after agreeing to a five-year, $36.7 million contract with the Wolverines in February.

Deion Sanders was officially introduced as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday, and we now know what the former Jackson State bench boss will earn in his new role.

Sanders agreed to a five-year, $29.5 million deal with Colorado, according to Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera.

Full details:

Sanders coached Jackson State over the last three seasons, amassing a 27-5 record while leading the Tigers into the national spotlight during his tenure.

Jackson State put together its first undefeated season in program history in 2022, finishing 12-0. The Tigers won the SWAC title Saturday with a 43-24 win over the Southern Jaguars and will take on the North Carolina Central Eagles in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17.

During his introductory press conference in Colorado, Sanders expressed his desire to rebuild a Buffaloes squad that finished last in the Pac-12 this year with a 1-11 record.

Sanders said, via Zach Koons of Sports Illustrated:

“Now that I’ve gotten here and I see and I can understand it and I can grasp it, and I can feel it and I can touch it and I can taste it. I truly understand what you want. All you want is an opportunity to win. To compete, to dominate. To be among the elite, to be among the best. And darn it, I’m gonna give you that.

“We’re not here to compete but to win. Not to show up but to show out. Not to be among the rest but to be the absolute best. We’re coming to work, not to play. We’re coming to kill, not to kick it. Baby, I got to believe that we’re coming.”

The Buffaloes fired head coach Karl Dorrell following an 0-5 start to the 2022 season and replaced him with interim head coach Mike Sanford. Dorrell had been the coach at Colorado since 2020.

Sanders will be tasked with leading Colorado to its first winning season since 2016 when his team hits the field in 2023. While that could be a difficult task, the Buffaloes are expected to receive commitments from some top recruits with Sanders aboard.

Colorado already landed a commitment from five-star wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. on Sunday. Additionally, Sanders hinted at his son, Shedeur Sanders, transferring from Jackson State to Colorado for the 2023 season:

During the 2022 season with the Tigers, Shedeur Sanders completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 3,383 yards and 36 touchdowns against six interceptions, in addition to rushing for 174 yards and five scores.

Sanders spent 14 seasons in the NFL and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won two Super Bowl titles and the 1994 Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, he was a six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a "significant" hamstring injury in Saturday's 47-24 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game, Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters Sunday.

"It's probably good we're not playing for the next 2-3 weeks," Riley said. "We'll rehab him hard and hope to have him available."

Riley told reporters after Saturday's game that Williams suffered the injury on a 59-yard run in the first quarter.

"He was not even 50 percent," Riley said, per The Athletic's Stewart Mandel. "I thought about taking him out but he wouldn't let me ... maybe the gutsiest performance (at that position) I've ever seen."

Williams was a bit more candid when explaining his injury.

"You ever have an old rubber band? That’s kind of what it felt like," Williams said, per Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde.

Williams, who was seen limping by the start of the third quarter, played through the injury, completing 28-of-41 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns against one interception in the loss. He also rushed for 21 yards on 12 carries.

The 20-year-old entered the Pac-12 Championship Game as the Heisman Trophy favorite, and he's likely still the front-runner. In 13 games this season, he has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 4,075 yards and 37 touchdowns against four interceptions, in addition to rushing for 372 yards and 10 scores.

Williams followed Riley to USC after beginning his collegiate career as a freshman at Oklahoma, where Riley had been the head coach before accepting a deal to join the Trojans.

With a win in Saturday's championship game, USC might have been selected for the College Football Playoff. Instead, they dropped to 11-2 on the season and watched as the 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes were picked for the four-team playoff.

Despite not being selected for the CFP, USC will face Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2. If Williams is unable to play, Miller Moss would be in line to suit up.

The Georgia Bulldogs added a major piece to their 2023 recruiting class.

Samuel M'Pemba, who played on both sides of the ball in high school, announced he will be part of Georgia's class Sunday.

M'Pemba is a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He is also the No. 30 overall player, No. 4 edge-rusher and No. 8 player from the state of Florida in the class of 2023.

Some of the nation's top programs recruited him at some point during the recruiting process, underscoring his overall potential and talent.

In fact, his list of interested schools included Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin, among others.

Keegan Pope of On3 noted M'Pemba played on the offensive side of the ball for IMG Academy in 2021 as a tight end/H-back, although many schools were interested in him as a defensive prospect.

Pope pointed out On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power believes M'Pemba is best suited as a pass-rusher on the defensive side despite his ability as a tight end.

His overall athleticism and versatility stands out, and it isn't difficult to envision him using that explosiveness to burst past offensive tackles on the snap. Some of the physicality he used as a pass-catcher over the middle at tight end could also come in handy on the defensive side against the run if that is where he ultimately plays.

While M'Pemba's position could change at times, he is one of the best players in the entire 2023 class and will look to live up to his potential at Georgia.

This is a case of the rich getting richer, as the reigning champion Bulldogs are one of the programs that simply reloads instead of rebuilds by landing players like this on the recruiting trail.

Part of that reloading process will likely be replacing the dominant Jalen Carter along the defensive line, which will be a group effort.

M'Pemba is someone who can help with that group effort by generating pressure and drawing double-teams on the outside, which will open up more blitzing lanes for his teammates.

Deion Sanders just took over as head coach at Colorado, and he appears to already have his starting quarterback for the 2023 season.

At his introductory press conference after being named to the position, Sanders indicated his son, Shedeur, will join him in Boulder, Colorado, and suit up for the Buffaloes.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports noted Shedeur Sanders hasn't officially entered the transfer portal, which opens Monday, but that his transfer from Jackson State is considered a foregone conclusion.

Shedeur has thrown for 3,383 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 174 yards and five touchdowns this season. It's unclear whether he intends to play in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17, which pits Jackson State against North Carolina Central.

His transfer could have a domino effect for Colorado's quarterback situation.

J.T. Shrout, who transferred from Tennessee in 2021, just finished up his first year under center for the Buffaloes. With 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns, he was the team's leading passer.

Sanders' imminent arrival might have Shrout evaluating all of his transfer options.

True freshman Owen McCown already announced his intention to enter the portal, and there's seemingly no chance he'll walk back that decision now. McCown finished with 600 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in his four appearances in 2022.

Sunday's press conference illustrated how Coach Prime intends to hit the ground running.

Colorado, which has five 10-loss seasons since 2006, is a massive rebuilding project. In the era of NIL and the one-time transfer rule, a program can be rejuvenated with just one offseason. And that's what the Buffaloes intend to do with Sanders.

There may not be a program that hits the transfer portal harder than Colorado, and it has a coach who can potentially bring elite talent to Boulder.

At least Sanders can cross off the quarterback position for now.