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Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Wednesday that he was “confident” he wouldn’t face charges following a battery accusation that was made against him.

News emerged Sunday via the South Bend Tribune that an assistant high school wrestling coach accused Freeman of battery at a wrestling meet on Jan. 3. Freeman was not charged by the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office because prosecutors said they “would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred.”

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Chris Fleeger claimed that Freeman pushed him while attending his son’s wrestling meet. Fleeger said that Freeman initiated a “two-hand push” against him. However, there was no evidence found to support Fleeger’s claim.

“A review of the video evidence does not support those assertions,” prosecutors said about an alleged push. “While the video of the incident is from a distance, officers were able to identify Mr. Freeman and the complainant. In the video officers were able to observe Mr. Freeman moving to leave a crowded gym with his son. The exit doors were partially blocked by other people. As Mr. Freeman walked toward the doors, the video shows the complainant moving from his position near the doors and approach Mr. Freeman. Mr. Freeman turned toward the complainant and paused for approximately one second. Mr. Freeman then left the auditorium at a walk.

“The video shows that while Mr. Freeman’s right arm is not fully visible, his left hand remained in a pocket during the interaction between the complainant and Mr. Freeman. The head and body movements of both the complainant and Mr. Freeman do not support the supposition that any violent physical contact occurred.”

In his opening remarks at his news conference on Wednesday, Freeman issued a lengthy statement regarding the accusation. After news of the accusation became public, Notre Dame immediately stood behind Freeman and said that video evidence would “fully exonerate” him.”

“First of all I want to thank Notre Dame for their support and immediate response to this matter. I’m grateful for their trust and defense of me even before the video evidence was released. I also want to thank Penn High School administration, the community and countless others who have reached out to me and my family.

“I want to commend the journalists who handled the reporting with integrity. I know many of you in this room were aware of the situation as it was unfolding and I appreciate your patience in not rushing to report without having all the facts and information.

“It is also important to me to express my extreme disappointment with one particular local media outlet and a reporter who I believe chose to do the opposite. Had they handled themselves more professionally and waited for more facts to become available, this would not have become a sensationalized story making national headlines.

“Because they chose not to do so, my family and I have been dragged through the mud unnecessarily with clickbait headlines. The reality is, I behaved in a respectful and professional manner while protecting my family and that should have been the only headline. Journalistic integrity should matter. Of holding ethical principles in news reporting with accuracy and fairness should matter.

“I know I am a public figure and I understand the scrutiny that comes with that. That scrutiny should not extend to my children or any other child of a public figure.

“Lastly, I want to thank the Mishawaka police department and St. Joseph County prosecutors for their efforts in this matter. They examined all the evidence, including video footage and witness statements and concluded that no criminal battery took place and that no charges should be filed.

“I was confident in this outcome because I know I did not intentionally touch anyone in a rude, angry or disrespectful way. I’m glad this matter has been thoroughly reviewed and resolved. Out of respect for everyone involved I won’t comment further and we’ll move forward with my family and team.”

Freeman also reiterated at his news conference that he was staying at Notre Dame. With nine NFL coaching jobs currently open, he has been mentioned as a possible candidate to go to the NFL. However, he said in December that he was staying at Notre Dame and continued that position on Wednesday.

“I didn’t have to reevaluate,” Freeman said. “Other people may say I reevaluated, I didn’t ever have to reevaluate. Again, the only statement was ‘Let’s run it back’ and I was intentional about that. I don’t need to come out with a statement every time one of these job openings happen. You know I always say the future is uncertain. That’s what I tell our players, that’s what I tell myself, it’s the reality of life. But everything I want and everything that I need personally can be achieved right here as the head coach of this program.

“And so I hope this is something we have to address every year. I really do, because it means we’re having a lot of success right here at Notre Dame. And if this isn’t something we have to address then there’s bigger issues within what we’re doing as a football program because as your program has success these type of things are going to occur.”

NFL Free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft will completely shake up the fantasy football landscape in the coming months.

Before the roster movement begins, Justin Boone is identifying one fantasy-relevant player from every team who’s most likely to break out during the 2026 season.

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Early Breakout Candidates

Chicago Bears – Colston Loveland, TE

While some teams barely have one breakout candidate to highlight this far ahead of the season, the Bears have multiple in Loveland and wideout Luther Burden III.

Loveland was the TE18 in fantasy points per game during his rookie campaign, but over the final nine weeks of the fantasy season, he really began to assert himself by emerging as the fifth-highest scoring tight end during that span.

The 21-year-old has become a focal point of the Bears’ passing attack down the stretch, posting stat lines of 6-94-1, 10-91-1 and 8-137-0 over his last three outings, including Chicago’s Wild-Card victory vs. the Packers. He also saw 38 targets combined in those contests.

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After Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, you could make a case for Loveland being the next most valuable tight end in 2026 fantasy drafts. At worst, he should be viewed as a top-five player at the position heading into next season.

His teammate Burden also started to spread his wings late in the year, with six catches for 84 yards and eight catches for 138 yards and a score during his two appearances in the fantasy playoffs.

Though Burden has just as much upside as Loveland, he (currently) has more competition to deal with in the receiver room. Either way, I’ll be targeting both players heavily next season.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★★

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Detroit Lions – Isaac TeSlaa, WR

The Lions are one of those offenses that have a plethora of playmakers, which makes it tough for anyone new to emerge as a significant fantasy option.

It’s still hard not to recognize what TeSlaa did as a part-time player during his rookie season. Even in a passing attack that features Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs, the 23-year-old TeSlaa scored six touchdowns in his first campaign.

The fact that he did it on just 16 total receptions is remarkable, yet unsustainable at the same time. However, it’s clear the Lions value TeSlaa after they traded three third-round picks to move up and acquire him in last year’s draft. So, you can expect his role to grow in Year 2 beyond just being a random contested-catch specialist.

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For a true fantasy breakout to occur, it’ll likely require an injury to one of the top two receivers. That makes TeSlaa a late-round target only for fantasy, but a very intriguing dynasty stash.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★☆☆

Green Bay Packers – Tucker Kraft, TE

Kraft was one of my favorite tight ends to draft last summer and it felt good having him in lineups during the first eight weeks of the season, when he was the top-scoring fantasy tight end overall (14 FPPG).

Unfortunately, an ACL tear in early November ended that party far too soon and prevented him from having a full breakout campaign.

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Though his recovery will need to be monitored throughout the offseason, there’s very little doubt that a healthy Kraft will return as one of the top pass-catchers and a yards-after-catch monster in Green Bay’s offense. He’s led all tight ends in average YAC per reception each of the last two seasons.

The 25-year-old will also likely have an injury-discounted ADP in 2026 fantasy drafts, despite having top-five potential at the position.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★★

Minnesota Vikings – Jordan Mason, RB

The first order of business for the Vikings will be finding some legitimate veteran competition for J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.

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If Minnesota can get even average QB play, this team will go back to being a solid playoff contender and an offense fantasy managers want to be invested in.

Despite the struggles of the offense as a whole, Mason had stretches of quality production in his first year with the team. When Aaron Jones Sr. was out of the lineup for over a month early in the season (Week 3 to Week 7), Mason was the RB16 in FPPG.

When Jones sat out Week 18, Mason had his second-highest yardage total of the season with 94 yards on 14 carries versus the Packers.

Jones will turn 32 next December, which is concerning for a player with his extensive injury history:

Jones has now missed 11 games over the last three seasons and it’s entirely reasonable to question his durability moving forward.

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Mason has had moments as a fantasy difference-maker over the last couple of seasons, but in 2026, we could see him actually take over the backfield in a Vikings offense that should be more dangerous if they can find a reliable starter at quarterback.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★☆

Early Breakout Candidates

Virginia has added a second quarterback through the transfer portal.

Per CBS Sports, former Pitt QB Eli Holstein has signed with the Cavaliers, just days after Virginia added former Missouri QB Beau Pribula. Holstein was considered one of the best quarterbacks still remaining in the transfer portal after Pribula had signed with the Cavaliers and Sam Leavitt made his commitment to LSU official.

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Holstein played two seasons at Pitt and opened the 2025 season as the Panthers’ starter before he was replaced by Mason Heintschel. Over eight games this past season, Holstein was 77-of-125 passing for 1,081 yards and 12 TDs with six interceptions.

In 2024, Holstein played in 10 games and was 180-of-291 passing for 2,228 yards and 17 TDs with seven interceptions. He transferred to Pitt after spending a season at Alabama and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Pribula has just one season of eligibility left, so Holstein could ostensibly start in 2027 if he doesn’t win the QB competition over the spring and fall. Pribula is also on his third school after he spent just one season at Missouri following a transfer from Penn State.

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The Cavaliers are needing to replace Chandler Morris at QB following the team’s most successful season ever. Virginia went 11-3 in 2025 to set the school record for wins in a season. It was just the second time in school history that Virginia had won 10 or more games.

Georgia Tech has added one of the top running backs in the transfer portal.

Former Michigan and Alabama running back Justice Haynes has signed with the Yellow Jackets, per multiple reports. Haynes was well on his way to a 1,000-yard season for the Wolverines in 2025 before he was sidelined by injury. Haynes rushed for 857 yards on 121 carries while scoring 10 touchdowns across just seven games.

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Haynes had 26 carries for 152 yards and two scores in Michigan’s 31-20 win over Michigan State on Oct. 25. That ended up being his last game of the season because of a foot injury.

He spent just one season at Michigan after spending the first two seasons of his career with the Crimson Tide. Haynes rushed 104 times for 616 yards and nine scores in his first two years of college football.

At Georgia Tech, Haynes will be a focal point of an overhauled offense as the Yellow Jackets look to repeat their 2025 success. QB Haynes King is out of eligibility and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner took the same position at Florida. Backup QB Aaron Philo also transferred to the Gators.

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Junior Malachi Hosley was the team’s leading running back in 2025 with 98 carries for 697 yards and seven scores. King was GT’s do-it-all player; he rushed for over 950 yards and 15 scores while throwing for over 2,950 yards.

Just a few days after making their first major offseason move by acquiring starting pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, the Chicago Cubs have stepped forward to break the deadlock atop the free-agent market. As it turned out, the Cabrera trade was merely Chicago’s opening act to the main event: a reported five-year, $175 million deal with third baseman Alex Bregman, an absolute haymaker of a signing that has massive implications on the North Side and promises to cause ripples well beyond the walls of Wrigley Field.

The Cubs reportedly had serious interest in Bregman a year ago during his first trip to free agency, before he agreed to the three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox that enabled him to retest the market immediately via opt-out. Sure enough, after a drama-filled campaign that featured the shocking trade of longtime star Rafael Devers to San Francisco — essentially in deference to Bregman as the superior option at third base and the team’s new leader on and off the field — Bregman exercised his opt-out and reentered the market in search of the long-term deal he was unable to secure the winter prior.

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It was no secret that Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, had no interest in settling for another shorter-term, high-average-annual-value pact. They were seeking the long-term security and firm foundation with one franchise that all premium free agents dream of. As such, it comes as no surprise that the five-year deal with Chicago reportedly contains a full no-trade clause and no opt-outs.

Bregman is now a Cub and will be for a while.

It’s an outcome that is all the more remarkable considering the Cubs’ hesitance to go all-in on Bregman last winter. Sure, there was the imminent arrival of top infield prospect Matt Shaw, who appeared primed to join Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner as a fixture in Chicago’s terrific infield. But perhaps more pertinently, the Cubs had lost credibility in recent years as the kind of club that would win any sort of bidding war for a top free agent.

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Last winter, the Cubs made an uncharacteristic, ultra-aggressive maneuver by dealing away valuable future assets to acquire Kyle Tucker entering the final year of his contract, but even so, the franchise’s appetite to spend on the open market appeared to be severely limited. In turn, fans bemoaned that Chicago was unwilling to push its payroll to the heights occupied by the majority of other big-market clubs and that president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was too often playing it safe with transactions, rather than swinging big.

Such sentiments lingered into this offseason, even after the club returned to the postseason for the first time since 2020 and notched a first-round triumph before bowing out in five games to the rival Brewers in the NLDS. The Cubs’ early activity in free agency consisted strictly of adding low-cost relievers, and there seemed to be virtually no interest in retaining Tucker, prompting concerns about how the offense would perform without his valuable left-handed bat atop the order. Those questions were amplified after the Cubs dealt away one of the young hitters who projected to play a key role in Tucker’s absence — 23-year-old outfielder Owen Caissie — in the Cabrera trade.

But as spring training inched closer, a quartet of premium free-agent hitters — Bregman, Tucker, Bo Bichette and Cody Bellinger — remained unsigned, leaving room for other suitors to emerge late in the process and destroy any preconceived notions about which teams were the favorites to land them. For Chicago, that meant a golden opportunity to dispel the notion that it’s not a major player in free agency and pounce on a much-needed offensive upgrade while other teams sat back and kept their wallets closed. More specifically, it meant a mulligan for the Cubs in their courting of Bregman.

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[Get more Chicago news: Cubs team feed]

Coming into this winter, the widespread assumption was that Boston, having fully understood and felt Bregman’s positive impact on and off the field, would make the necessary commitment to retain its third baseman, particularly in the wake of exiling Devers. Other teams ,such as Arizona and Toronto, briefly surfaced as viable alternatives, with the Tigers looming in the background after being involved a year ago.

But as Bregman and Boston remained untethered — and once the Cabrera trade recentered Chicago as a main character this offseason — the Cubs emerged as an intriguing landing spot. While Shaw was Chicago’s primary option at the hot corner as a rookie and showed flashes of promise, it was not nearly the kind of breakthrough season that would preclude a follow-up pursuit of Bregman. All it would take was the kind of contract we’ve so rarely seen the Cubs willing to give out in recent years, save for the seven-year, $177 million with shortstop Dansby Swanson three years ago.

Evidently, Bregman was deemed worthy of a megadeal of that nature, and he’ll now share the left side of the infield with Swanson, another highly accomplished, all-around player renowned for his impact on winning, even beyond what he can do on the diamond. The deal also marks a remarkable pairing of two players whose ties date back more than a decade to when they were selected with the first two picks of the 2015 draft after starring in the SEC for three years.

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With Bregman and Swanson, plus second baseman Nico Hoerner and first baseman Michael Busch both coming off career years, Chicago now has a strong case as the best all-around infield in the sport, especially when factoring in defense. The complicating factor — and an important dynamic to monitor in the coming weeks, if not months — is that Hoerner is slated to hit free agency next winter, whereas the other three infielders are under contract for at least four more seasons.

That leaves Chicago with a few options for how to proceed. The Cubs could keep Hoerner and ride it out with an elite infield until he hits free agency, using Shaw as a utilityman set to replace Hoerner at second base in 2027. They could trade Hoerner now in an effort to improve another part of the roster, such as the outfield. Or — if the Cubs are still in the mood to spend — they could pursue an extension with Hoerner, which would be costly but likely worthwhile, considering how strong the unit could be for the next handful of years. In that scenario, Shaw could be used in a trade sooner rather than later.

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But however the Cubs’ infield shakes out, with Bregman in the fold, it projects to be the foundation on which this roster is built. Moreover, it’ll be fascinating to see how Bregman’s impact is felt on a roster that has a wealth of veteran leadership, headlined by Swanson and the team’s longest-tenured player in Ian Happ. Of course, the intangibles are the bonus feature of Bregman’s résumé as a ballplayer; the hefty contract is the result of his advanced approach at the plate and stellar defense, a balanced package of skills not too dissimilar from what Tucker provided, albeit right-handed and a few years older.

As with any lucrative, long-term, free-agent deal given to a player approaching his mid-30s, it’s natural to look ahead to the sizable sums guaranteed to Bregman down the road, when he might not be the player he is now, and wince a little bit. But for a franchise that should be focused on chasing championships — not fretting about its finances a half-decade from now — making the requisite offer to land a great player and certified winner in Bregman is an undeniable organizational victory for the Cubs. In a matter of days, Chicago has vaulted itself from the group of contenders toiling in winter irrelevance to the inner circle of this offseason’s winners.

And in the grand scheme of free agency, Bregman to Chicago is a refreshing twist in an offseason story that was starting to get stale. The focus now shifts to Tucker, Bichette and Bellinger — and the question of which teams will be willing to step up and make a rejuvenating splash like the Cubs just did.

The St. Louis Cardinals continued their offseason of offloading Tuesday, completing a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks to send highly accomplished third baseman Nolan Arenado to the desert in exchange for right-hander Jack Martinez, Arizona’s eighth-round draft pick last summer.

At first glance, seeing a possible future Hall of Famer swapped for a minor-league arm who has yet to throw a professional pitch looks jarringly imbalanced, but this trade is the product of a multitude of factors hovering over the names involved. It is the end result of a saga dating to last offseason, when the Cardinals sought to rid themselves of Arenado’s onerous contract while affording the veteran the opportunity to play for a contending team elsewhere while St. Louis shifts its organizational focus to the future.

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And while Arenado’s name still carries significant weight league-wide as one of the most decorated position players of his generation, it’s impossible to ignore the degree to which his performance has declined in recent years, which heavily informs the nature of the deal.

Arenado was an all-around force early in his career with the Colorado Rockies, compiling gaudy numbers at the plate playing half his games at Coors Field while delivering generational defense at third base, earning a Gold Glove in all eight years of his Denver tenure. Traded to St. Louis just two seasons into the eight-year, $260 million extension he signed with Colorado before the 2019 season, Arenado quickly proved his superstar stats weren’t merely the product of the hitter-friendly high altitude in Colorado, delivering a spectacular 2022 season that saw him finish third in NL MVP voting.

He continued to shine early in his third season as a Cardinal in 2023, making his eighth career All-Star Game, but his production plummeted in the second half of that season and has trended in the wrong direction ever since. His once otherworldly glove now merely rates as good, and his bat has sunk to slightly below league average: Among 120 hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances the past two seasons, Arenado’s 95 wRC+ ranks 107th.

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Most crucially, Arenado held significant power within these negotiations, as the no-trade clause in his contract enabled him to green-light his destination once the Cardinals found a willing trade partner. Arenado famously rejected an agreed-upon trade to the Astros last offseason in hopes a different suitor would emerge, but that never happened, nor did a trade come to fruition at last year’s trade deadline while Arenado was in the midst of his worst season as a big leaguer.

Nevertheless, Arenado and the Cardinals entered this offseason once again steadfast on finding a trade fit so that both sides could move on, recognizing that moving the $41 million owed to Arenado over the next two seasons would be difficult considering his recent performance.

[Get more Diamondbacks news: Arizona team feed]

As such, Arenado’s modest on-field projection entering his age-35 season, plus the fact that he still wielded a no-trade clause, meant there were minimal expectations for the Cardinals’ ability to reel in a return of significant value. That Martinez is the only player Arizona had to part with and that St. Louis is covering $31 million of the $42 million owed to Arenado over the next two seasons fully validates those low expectations.

The D-backs are a team that has spent much of the winter involved more in juicy rumors than actual transactional activity. Save the re-signing of backup catcher James McCann and a pair of free-agent pitching additions in December — the return of longtime rotation mainstay Merrill Kelly after he was traded to Texas at last year’s deadline, plus Michael Soroka — the D-backs have made far more headlines for moves they were reportedly contemplating than for moves they’ve made.

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First, it was the possibility that the Snakes would trade star second baseman Ketel Marte, a delicate gambit in theory intended to leverage their strong position-player depth by dealing the ultra-valuable Marte for sorely needed young pitching. Meanwhile, there was consistent reporting that the D-backs were interested in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, perhaps as a creative avenue to replace Marte in the event they did trade him. Ultimately, general manager Mike Hazen determined last week that Marte was no longer available in trade discussions. A few days later, Bregman agreed to a deal with the Chicago Cubs, rendering both scenarios irrelevant despite weeks of speculation.

Exactly how serious Arizona was in its pursuit of Bregman is unclear, but those rumors suggested the club viewed third base as an area of need. That’s not an enormous surprise considering the Snakes dealt Eugenio Suárez at last year’s trade deadline, but it also seemed reasonable to look at Arizona’s depth chart and view this as a chance to give the keys to 23-year-old Jordan Lawlar, the top infield prospect who has consistently raked in the minors but has yet prove himself in the majors, in part due to the series of injuries that limited his availability. A sensible path for Arizona could have been to roll with Lawlar at third base and focus its offseason strategy and spending almost exclusively on adding much-needed pitching.

Evidently, Arizona still viewed Arenado — for what will cost only $11 million over the next two seasons — as a worthy upgrade. That likely says more about the degree to which even this diminished version of Arenado could be a bargain at that price than it does about Arizona’s confidence in Lawlar long-term, but it’s an interesting roster-construction choice nonetheless. Just as we just saw with the Cubs signing Bregman despite the presence of a talented young infielder in Matt Shaw, contending teams are often willing to add veteran certainty even if it costs young, less-proven players playing time.

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That’s not to say Arenado should be expected to make remotely the same level of impact as Bregman in Chicago, but it’s not hard to imagine Arizona liking the idea of adding a well-respected veteran such as Arenado to a position-player group that skews quite young. And if he can provide some stability at third base, that could play a meaningful role in boosting Arizona’s chances of staying afloat in what is expected to be another heated National League postseason race.

Speaking of the Snakes chasing a return to the postseason, if there is something still lacking on Arenado’s loaded résumé, it’s memorable postseason success. Arenado has made just four trips to the postseason in his 13 years in the majors — two with Colorado and two with St. Louis — but has never advanced beyond the division series. He hasn’t exactly shined in those limited opportunities — he has just five hits in 33 career postseason at-bats — but in general, his lack of October experience reflects far less on his own efforts than it does on the teams he has been part of.

With that in mind, as his career winds down, it’s understandable that Arenado would prioritize a club with ambitions of contending when surveying the landscape of possible trade destinations. Of course, it wasn’t entirely up to him, as a team still needed to step up and view him as a worthwhile addition.

Acknowledging that Arenado likely didn’t have a wealth of contending teams desperate for a player of his current caliber, Arizona is a pretty solid landing spot, all things considered.

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Hoops 360 hosts Caroline Fenton and Cassandra Negley break down the latest WNBA CBA update as the offseason clock continues to tick. How could a potential moratorium impact the league and its players? The duo is also joined by WNBA and Unrivaled guard Erica Wheeler, who shares what makes playing for Unrivaled unique and what it’s like being coached by WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon.

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Plus, Caroline and Cass unpack Vic Schaefer’s comments after LSU hands Texas its first loss of the season and spotlight their favorite college players of the week.

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Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was considered a top-two quarterback prospect ahead of this year’s NFL Draft, but the 20-year-old is pressing pause on his pro career.

Moore revealed Wednesday that he’s returning to Eugene for the 2026 season. He made the announcement on SportsCenter.

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“I feel like I could have been excited going into there and wherever I got drafted, being blessed to be where I am,” Moore said. “But I kind of feel like coming back is the best thing for me, to make sure that when that day does happen, that I’m fully prepared and I’m able to go and play my best ball.”

Following a disappointing 56-22 loss to top-seeded and undefeated Indiana in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal this past weekend, a game in which Moore committed three turnovers, he said he hadn’t decided if he was going to enter his name in this year’s draft or return to Oregon for another season.

Yahoo Sports had the New York Jets taking Moore second overall in its latest mock draft and ranked him as the class’ No. 18 prospect at midseason.

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A quick scouting report from Yahoo’s Nate Tice:

Moore has shown much improvement this season. He is accurate and can put the ball where he wants when kept clean. He’s a solid athlete and can create enough as a player, but he’s best when operating from the pocket and on plays he has spent time on.

Tice also mentioned, though, that Moore could stand to add some bulk to his frame. And now the 6-foot-3, 206-pound signal-caller has a chance to do so at Oregon, where he’ll be joined by former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Raiola, the Rivals industry ranking’s No. 3 QB in the 2024 recruiting class, started 22 games at Nebraska over the past two seasons. He took a big step during the 2025 campaign, posting an 18:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio, along with a 72.4% completion rate, while leading the Cornhuskers back to the AP Top 25 and then to a 6-2 start. His sophomore season was cut short when he suffered a a broken fibula during the third quarter of a 21-17 loss to then-No. 23 USC in the Huskers’ ninth game of the year.

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He eventually hit the portal and committed to Oregon on Monday.

Raiola is expected to back up Moore, much like Moore backed up Dillon Gabriel in 2024. Before redshirting that season, Moore transferred in after having started as a true freshman at UCLA.

“He’s a great dude,” Moore said of Raiola during his SportsCenter interview Wednesday. “We haven’t talked much, but just seeing him and how he just competes, I know when he comes here that he’s going to be a great guy for the quarterback room.

“I want to make sure that I give him my ideas, my thoughts that Dillon Gabriel did for me and make sure that I just give him the resources to make sure he’s better on his game. But I know when he comes here, he’s not going to fall and not push me.”

Moore added: “I know he’s going to push me in order to compete and have fun. I’m glad to be able to see him.”

Moore threw for 3,565 yards, in part thanks to three 300-yard games, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Ducks this season. He completed 71.8% of his passes, a steep increase from his 53.5% completion percentage with the Bruins in 2023.

He led Oregon to an 11-1 regular-season record, notably guiding the Ducks to a double-overtime win over then-No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley.

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Oregon earned the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff and rattled off wins over James Madison in the first round and Big 12 champion Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl CFP quarterfinal.

But Indiana proved to be a thorn in the Ducks’ side. Moore was picked off twice in a 30-20 regular-season setback to the Hoosiers and then tossed one more interception to go along with his two lost fumbles versus Indiana in the Peach Bowl.

The Hoosiers came out on top, and so did Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, whom BetMGM now lists as a -10000 favorite to become this year’s No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Last week, before Moore’s decision, Mendoza was at -550.

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Moore’s decision to run things back is the kind that’s increasingly rare in college football. It will have a ripple effect on an already thin quarterback draft class.

It could also make the difference for an Oregon program that’s still searching for that elusive national title.

“I had many great throws, many great plays, but at the end of the day, I feel like I can still learn so much more,” Moore said.

“And of course, as a kid since 4 years old, I’ve dreamed about being in the NFL, but this team, we’ve been through a lot, and a lot of people are returning. So I feel like we got exciting things coming this year, and I’m excited to keep pushing my team.”

The college football transfer portal is open through Friday, but we have a pretty good idea of which teams have done well and which teams still have to fill some needs before spring practices.

Here is our early list of winners and losers from the 2026 January transfer period. This could change a bit if there’s a lot of late movement.

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Winners

Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders’ transfer spree worked so well in 2025 that they might as well try the same formula again for 2026. And this time, Tech went hunting for a quarterback. After the offense was impotent against Oregon in the Orange Bowl, the Red Raiders added former Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby on an NIL deal worth a reported $5 million. Sorsby emerged as one of the better quarterbacks in the country in 2025.

The defensive line is also getting reinforcements after David Bailey and Romello Height partnered to create a fantastic edge rushing duo in 2025. The Red Raiders added former San Diego State DE Trey White along with ex-Wake Forest DL Mateen Ibirogba, among others. With a lot of turnover at linebacker following Jacob Rodriguez’s departure, star Kansas State LB Austin Romaine should immediately be a starter. Tech will be the favorite to win the Big 12 again in 2026.

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Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have been aggressive adding talent around Arch Manning for what could be his final season of college football in 2026. Texas landed former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, a player who was widely seen as the best wide receiver available. He should form one of the best receiving tandems in the country with Ryan Wingo.

The run game should be a lot better, too. Texas struggled to run the ball over the course of the 2025 season and added Arizona State RB Raleek Brown after he rushed for over 1,100 yards in 2025. Not long after adding Brown, the Longhorns flipped NC State RB Hollywood Smothers away from Alabama. Both players can be very effective pass catchers out of the backfield too. Smothers had 37 grabs in 2025 while Brown had 34.

Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals have been especially active in the transfer portal as they look to get to the ACC title game. Remember, the Cardinals were one of just two teams to take down Miami this season.

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Louisville has signed former Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz and he’s got the chance to succeed USC transfer Miller Moss as the Cardinals’ starter. Coach Jeff Brohm also added former Vanderbilt wide receiver Tre Richardson. He can be a serious deep threat.

The biggest add was already on the Louisville roster, however. Running back Isaac Brown entered the transfer portal but decided to stay with the school. Brown appeared in nine games in 2025 and was one of the most dynamic rushers in college football with 884 yards and seven TDs on just 101 carries.

Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers could still have some roster attrition after the national title game. Players for Indiana and Miami have five days after Monday’s game to enter the transfer portal. But even if Indiana loses a key contributor or two, the Hoosiers have already restocked well as they go for the first national title in school history.

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Indiana has added TCU QB Josh Hoover to succeed Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman winner has the option to return to school in 2026 but he’s the likely No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and is widely expected to declare.

Curt Cignetti and his staff have also added Tulane WR Shazz Preston and Boston College RB Turbo Richard. The defense has been bolstered by Kansas State edge rushers Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor and corners AJ Harris (Penn State) and Carson Williams (Montana State).

Virginia Tech Hokies

James Franklin put his Penn State relationships to good use in the transfer portal. Eight Nittany Lions have committed to the Hokies, including tight end Luke Reynolds. That number will move to nine when former PSU QB Ethan Grunkemeyer officially commits.

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Virginia Tech has also added Missouri defensive end Javion Hilson and North Carolina QB Bryce Baker.

Baker originally signed with the Tar Heels out of high school as a four-star prospect and redshirted in 2025. Grunkemeyer backed up Drew Allar to start the 2025 season and became the Nittany Lions’ starter for the last seven games of the season after Allar suffered a season-ending injury.

Losers

Iowa State Cyclones

The Cyclones’ roster is going to be unrecognizable in 2026 under new coach Jimmy Rogers. Over 50 players entered the transfer portal following Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State and many of those players went to State College with Campbell.

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That group includes QB Rocco Becht, RB Carson Hansen, TEs Ben Brahmer and Gabe Burkle, CB Jeremiah Cooper and backup QB Alex Manske. Becht has one year of eligibility remaining and Manske could take over for Campbell as the Nittany Lions’ starter in 2027.

Rogers is very familiar with the Upper Midwest from his time as South Dakota State’s head coach. He’s going to need to recruit the area well to help rebuild the roster after the departure of the most successful coach in school history.

Utah Utes

The Utes also experienced significant roster turnover in the wake of Kyle Whittingham’s departure. Utah was likely expecting a level of roster consistency as defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley took over for Whittingham and there was no logical landing spot for Whittingham in 2026.

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But Michigan opened up after Sherrone Moore was fired with cause and Whittingham became the Wolverines’ new coach. In addition to bringing offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him, players like DE John Henry Daley, CB Smith Snowden, edge rusher Jonah Lea’ea and WR JJ Buchanan have all transferred to Michigan.

Colorado Buffaloes

The Buffaloes lost their best offensive player when Jordan Seaton announced his intention to enter the transfer portal earlier this week. Seaton was the highest-ranked recruit of the Deion Sanders era at Colorado and immediately became the best offensive lineman to potentially change teams this transfer cycle.

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Seaton is not easily replaceable, especially for an offense that took a significant step back in 2025 without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter on the field. Colorado has done well on the defensive side of the ball in the transfer portal, but the offense is still a major question mark, even with the addition of Texas WR DeAndre Moore Jr. and tackles Taj White (Rutgers) and Bo Hughley (Georgia).

Alabama Crimson Tide

It’s hard to say how Alabama has gotten better so far through this transfer cycle. Sure, Ty Simpson could have taken a mega NIL offer and changed schools instead of heading to the NFL, but the Tide have suffered some serious transfer portal losses.

LB Qua Russaw and DL James Smith transferred to Ohio State earlier in the week, edge rusher Keon Keeley is off to Notre Dame, and WR Isaiah Horton and OT Wilkin Formby transferred to Texas A&M. Those are all main playoff competitors of the Crimson Tide.

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Losing Smothers to Texas hurts too. Alabama really needs to figure out a better running game in 2026.

The Tide did add DL Devan Thompkins from USC and OL Ty Haywood from Michigan. But Alabama could be asking a lot of unproven skill position players to step up in 2026.

Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols have addressed their biggest weakness from the 2025 season this offseason. A defense that hampered Tennessee at numerous points a season ago added coordinator Jim Knowles from Penn State. Edge rusher Chaz Coleman and LB Amare Campbell followed him to Knoxville along with safety Dejuan Lane.

Michigan safety TJ Metcalf recently arrived and so did CB Kayin Lee from Auburn. But Tennessee ends up in this column because the Vols don’t appear to have an answer at quarterback.

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After hosting numerous transfer portal QBs on visits and pushing hard for Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, the Vols have struck out. It appears that QB Joey Aguilar is not going to get a seventh year of eligibility for 2026 and backup Jake Merklinger is in the transfer portal.

Dustin Johnson is sticking with LIV Golf for the foreseeable future.

Johnson, a two-time major championship winner and former top-ranked golfer in the world, has signed a multi-year extension with the league, it announced on Wednesday. Johnson was one of the biggest names to make the jump over to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour initially, and he currently is the captain of the 4Aces GC team.

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Specifics of Johnson’s new deal are not yet known. His initial contract with LIV Golf was reported to be worth more than $100 million when he first left the Tour in 2022.

Johnson won 24 times on the Tour in his career. He’s won two major titles, too, first the U.S. Open in 2016 and then the Masters in 2020. While he’s more than held his own with LIV Golf, Johnson has struggled significantly lately elsewhere. He has missed the cut in six of his last nine major championship starts. The 41-year-old has plummeted to No. 636 in the Official World Golf Rankings, too, as LIV Golf events still do not count toward ranking points.

LIV Golf also announced that Thomas Detry has joined the 4Aces GC team. Detry, who is currently No. 58 in the OWGR, picked up his inaugural Tour win last season at the WM Phoenix Open. He won that tournament by seven strokes, which made him the first player from Belgium to win on the Tour.

Detry and Johnson will join Patrick Reed and Thomas Pieters on the four-man squad.

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“This team is built for big moments, and 2026 is a chance for us to take another step forward,” Johnson said in a statement. “Thomas Detry is a great addition; he’s confident, competitive, and that fits exactly what we’re about. We’ve got the talent, the chemistry, and the mindset to be right there all season.”

Dustin Johnson doesn’t qualify for PGA Tour return

While Johnson has had dominant stretches throughout his career, he was not eligible to return to the PGA Tour under its new “Returning Members Program” that was announced earlier this week.

That deal, which Brooks Koepka accepted, allows a select group of LIV Golf members to return to the Tour if they accept several significant penalties. Koepka, for example, will have to make a $5 million donation to charity, can’t earn any FedExCup bonus money in 2026 and can’t receive any sponsor exemptions into signature events, among other things. The Tour estimated that it could cost Koepka up to $85 million in potential earnings.

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Koepka, who split with LIV Golf in December, will make his Tour return at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines later this month.

“There was no negotiating,” Koepka said on Monday. “It’s meant to hurt, it does hurt, but I understand. It’s not supposed to be an easy path.”

The program, however, is only available to golfers who have either won a major championship or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025. As Johnson’s last major win was in 2020, he does not qualify. Other than Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith are also eligible for the program if they wish — though those three have not yet accepted and appear to be, at least for now, committed to LIV Golf.

While it’s unclear if Johnson ever wanted to return to the Tour, the “Returning Members Program” wasn’t an option for him. So, he clearly decided to stick with LIV Golf for the time being.

Johnson and the 4Aces GC will open the new LIV Golf season on Feb 4 in Saudi Arabia.