NORMAN — OU football coach Brent Venables apparently isn’t taking long to fill his defensive coordinator opening. Just hours after Venables announced Ted Roof would not return as the Sooners’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, 247Sports first reported the Sooners would hire Jacksonville State defensive coordinator Zac Alley to replace Roof. Alley knows Venables well from his time as a student …

New Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith has made the latest addition to his program, adding a nice piece to his offensive coaching staff. According to reports, the Spartans are hiring Aaron Pflugrad as a senior offensive analyst that will work with the quarterbacks. A former AFCA 35 Under 35 recipient, Pflugrad is a highly thought of young coach that …

Purdy explains challenge as ‘competitor’ sitting vs. Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Week 18 has already been a huge challenge for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, but not in the usual way. For the first time since becoming the 49ers starting quarterback, Purdy will sit out of the team’s Week 18 matchup with the Los …

Super Bowl LVIII is coming up, but exactly when is it played? If you’ve been wondering when the big game is, you’ve come to the right place. This year’s NFL championship game, concluding the 2023 season, will be played on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The action will take place at the home of the Las Vegas …

Jyaire Brown is headed home to the Bayou. Brown announced on Thursday that he has committed to LSU after entering the transfer portal in early December. Originally born and raised in New Orleans, Brown moved to Cincinnati for his final two years of high school playing at Lakota West High School. The former Ohio State cornerback came to Columbus as …

Brock Purdy earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his second season, though the 49ers quarterback hopes not to be in Orlando for the week-long festivities. “What an honor,” Purdy said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Very thankful, obviously, to everyone who voted and all the support across the country. It’s so cool, actually. And for all my …

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announced his intention to transfer to Ohio State on Thursday night, giving the Buckeyes a replacement for Kyle McCord after his own decision to transfer to Syracuse. Howard made the announcement on his social media channels. Howard has one season of eligibility remaining after he went 12-5 as a starter for …

Sidney Crosby has been named an NHL All-Star for the 10th time, as the league unveiled its initial rosters Thursday night for the event next month in Toronto. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain was one of the first 32 All-Stars chosen by the league’s hockey operations department. One player from each team is picked, with others added by fan vote later. …

Penn State’s running game will be losing one key veteran in 2024. Trey Potts who spent one season in Happy Valley, has announced he will be passing on his remaining eligibility at the college level and enter the 2024 NFL draft pool. “I am excited to announce my decision to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft,” Potts said in a …

Dalvin Cook is joining the Baltimore Ravens for a playoff run after being waived by the New York Jets. The move, confirmed by Cook’s agents with LAA Sports & Entertainment to The Associated Press on Thursday, came after Cook cleared waivers and became a free agent. NFL Network first reported the decision by Baltimore to sign Cook, who agreed to …

49ers injury report: Jennings’ Week 18 status remains uncertain originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Wide receiver Jauan Jennings has progressed through the NFL’s concussion protocol in order to return to practice this week. Jennings, who sat out the past two games, took part Thursday in his second day of limited practice in a row. However, …

The names of the first 32 All-Stars for the 2023-24 season have been announced, which leads us to the obvious next question: Who are the biggest snubs? We’ll get to our answers for that, as well as our predictions on the player that will be taken first overall in the All-Star player draft, along with players not among these first …

USATSI Oklahoma defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof will not return in 2024, coach Brent Venables announced in a release. Roof spent the past two seasons as the Sooners’ DC, arriving as part of Venables’ first staff ahead of the 2022 campaign, after previously working alongside Venables as a defensive assistant at Clemson in 2021. The decision to move …

Things have been awkward and confusing for the Bills and receiver Stefon Diggs or a while. Lately, it’s gotten more awkward and more confusing. As noted by Tim Graham of TheAthletic.com, Diggs hasn’t spoken to reporters since he explained that his production is down because opponents have double-teamed him and Chiefs safety Justin Reid responded by saying that they didn’t …

STARKVILLE — Former Louisville wide receiver Kevin Coleman is transferring to Mississippi State football, he announced via social media on Thursday. He’s the second addition at the position to coach Jeff Lebby’s first portal class, joining former UTEP receiver Kelly Akharaiyi. He spent the 2023 season at Louisville where he caught 26 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. Prior …