College Football News

Marshall Faulk is joining head coach Deion Sanders at Colorado, giving the Buffaloes three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on its coaching staff.

Sanders and Faulk were 2011 inductees in Canton, with Warren Sapp joining them in 2013.

Sapp is the Buffaloes' senior quality control analyst on defense. Faulk will coach the running backs and will be tasked with improving a running game that ranked 134th in the nation with 65.1 yards per game.

Faulk brings a lengthy resume to his role as running backs coach at Colorado.

He was a first-team All-American three times at San Diego State and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

In the NFL, he was the league Most Valuable Player in 2000, a three-time Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time first-team All Pro. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, he won the Super Bowl with the then-St. Louis Rams and its "Greatest Show on Turf."

Faulk, 51, played 12 seasons in the NFL and tallied 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards and 136 total touchdowns.

Sanders is entering his third season as head coach at Colorado. The Buffaloes finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record.

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels will be limited in spring practices after recently undergoing knee surgery.

The school released the news on Thursday and said the surgery was minor.

Daniels missed most of spring drills prior to the 2024 season due to a back injury.

Daniels will be entering his sixth season with Kansas. He has thrown for 6,751 yards, 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 37 games.

Last season, Daniels passed for 2,454 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Ohio State and football coach Ryan Day are in agreement on a seven-year contract through the 2031 season. The deal is valued at $12.5 million per year.

The new pact, which adds three years to his current contract, is pending approval by the university's trustees.

The Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff national championship in January, making Day one of just three active coaches -- Dabo Swinney of Clemson and Kirby Smart of Georgia are the others -- to hoist the trophy.

"Ohio State Football has long been defined by excellence and, under Ryan Day's leadership, that tradition has not only continued, but thrived," athletic director Ross Bjork said in a school statement.

"Stability at the head coaching position is crucial in today's evolving college football landscape, and this new contract guarantees continued momentum in recruiting, player development, and overall program success," Bjork continued. "It is a great pleasure to work side by side with Ryan and we know that his vision and leadership will continue to bring championship success and pride to our program for years to come."

The Buckeyes finished the regular season with a 10-2, but a 13-10 home loss to bitter rival Michigan in November had fans calling for the dismissal of the 45-year-old Day.

Ohio State entered the CFP as the No. 7 seed, then won four games in dominating fashion, defeating Tennessee, Oregon and Texas to earn a meeting with Notre Dame in the title game in Atlanta. The Buckeyes won 34-23.

It was Ohio State's ninth national championship and first since 2014 and moved Day's career record to 70-10.

"My family and I are incredibly grateful to be a part of the Ohio State community, this football program and Buckeye Nation," Day said.

"I want to thank my assistant coaches and the entire staff for the tireless efforts they all put in to keep Ohio State positioned as one of the elite programs in the country ... on and off the field.

"And I especially want to thank and commend all the young men, and their families, who are a part of this football program. This is a team of tough and determined individuals who drive our culture of respect, commitment and love."

Ohio State is promoting wide receivers coach Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator, On3 reported Wednesday.

Hartline replaces Chip Kelly, who left the Buckeyes after just one season to become OC of the Las Vegas Raiders over the weekend.

It's unclear if Hartline or head coach Ryan Day will be the chief offensive play-caller in 2025, per the report. Hartline was also the OC during the 2023 season, but Day did the play-calling.

Hartline has been with Ohio State since 2017 and was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2018.

In addition, Billy Fessler is expected to be promoted from analyst to quarterbacks coach, and the Buckeyes are expected to name Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen their new offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Bowen would replace Justin Frye, who left Ohio State to take the offensive line job with the Arizona Cardinals.

Ron Rivera, who took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl a decade ago, said Wednesday he's headed to the football staff at Cal, his alma mater.

The former coach of the Panthers and Washington Commanders, Rivera interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets this offseason but didn't land any offers. But he seems content with his Plan B, and, after all, if six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick can work on the NCAA level, he can, too.

"Coach Belichick has made going back to school, cool," Rivera posted to X about his new job. "Stay tuned I am coming home."

ESPN reported that Rivera, 63, largely will help Cal head coach Justin Wilcox and the program in an administrative role. He'll assist in overseeing the big picture of the program, including budget and coaching staff, per the report.

Rivera was an All-American linebacker at Cal after his senior season in 1983. That year, he set a school record with 26.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 13 sacks. He had 337 tackles during his Golden Bears career.

He was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.

This will be the first foray into college for Rivera, who posted a 102-103-2 record with the Panthers (2011-19) and Washington (2020-23).

He was fired by the Commanders following the 2023 season.

Georgia Southern has agreed to a new five-year deal for football coach Clay Helton, ESPN reported Wednesday.

The contract runs through the 2029 season and includes a raise to an average of $1 million per year, per the report.

Helton, 52, has guided the Eagles to a 20-19 record and three bowl games in three seasons on the job.

Georgia Southern was 8-5 in 2024, including 6-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Eagles lost 31-26 to Sam Houston in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19.

He previously coached at Southern California (2013, 2015-21), going 46-24 with five bowl appearances with the Trojans.

Top 50 prospect and blue-chip offensive tackle Ty Haywood signed with Michigan on Wednesday.

Haywood, out of Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, was the top remaining uncommitted recruit in the Class of 2025 after decommitting from Alabama last month. He is rated the 39th best prospect in the class and sixth-best offensive tackle, according to the 247Sports composite. ESPN rates Haywood the 16th best prospect.

The 247Sports composite ranks Haywood as a four-star prospect; ESPN gives him five stars.

The 6-foot-5 Haywood chose the Wolverines over Florida State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma among 33 offers.

He rates as the second-best prospect in Michigan's class behind 5-star quarterback Bryce Underwood.

His commitment gives Michigan the sixth-best class, according to the 247Sports composite.

"We all have the same mindset of winning," Haywood told ESPN. "We're going to go in and do what we're supposed to do. But we're also going to have fun with this process and this next chapter of life. I'm ready to go dominate, win games and make it a fun time in our lives."

While most players sign with teams during the early signing period in December, Haywood chose to wait until Wednesday, which is the traditional National Signing Day.