Pac-12 Football

Henry Hasselbeck will not follow in his father's footsteps at Boston College.

Hasselbeck, the son of former BC Eagles and NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, announced his commitment to the UCLA Bruins on Wednesday. He also received offers from Michigan State, Pittsburgh and UAB, among other programs.

Committed. @UCLAFootball 🐻 #4sUp@XBHS_Football 🟨🟦 pic.twitter.com/uVcTiql75z

— Henry Hasselbeck (@HenryHasselbeck) December 20, 2023

Hasselbeck said of his decision, via Brian Dohn of 247Sports:

As a kid you always say, 'Oh, I want to play in the prime time. I want to play under the big lights.' That is something really cool and I'll be given that chance at UCLA, but you can find that in any game you play. I am going to bring that same level of competition as I would in a recess football game against my best friends here but UCLA, there is definitely a big spark to it.

A lot of my friends here love to watch the games on Saturdays and there is definitely a big, bright lights about it but I just love to compete. I love to compete whether it is a big game at UCLA because they're going to be in the Big Ten now or something out in the backyard.

Hasselbeck also said the opportunity to play for head coach Chip Kelly factored into his decision.

"Talking to him really opened my eyes to what football can be. He knows the whole language about football and he's a great guy, first and foremost," he said. "When he came up to visit me here before my (official) visit, just starting a relationship with him and seeing him talk to my parents and talking to him myself, he's just a great guy overall.

"He seems like a really good coach. All his players love him. When I was on my visit, I was asking all the guys on the team and they had no bad words to say about him."

Hasselbeck initially committed to Michigan State before pulling out after the Spartans fired head coach Mel Tucker following sexual harassment allegations.

Hasselbeck is a three-star prospect in the class of 2024 out of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts. He's the No. 70 ranked quarterback and the No. 6 ranked prospect out of Massachusetts in the 247Sports composite rankings.

His father, Matt Hasselbeck, was drafted by the Packers in 1998 out of Boston College and spent 17 seasons in the NFL playing for Green Bay, the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, earning three Pro Bowl selections in that span.

Hasselbeck will be hoping to follow in his father's footsteps at the NFL level, but first he'll have to prove himself worthy at UCLA.

USC defensive end Korey Foreman, who was the No. 2 overall recruit on the 247Sports composite list for class of 2021 college football recruits, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Antonio Morales of The Athletic (and others) reported the news on Foreman, who is among numerous 4- or 5-star recruits leaving the program:

Roll call on who USC has lost to the portal so far:
• Five-star DE Korey Foreman
• Five-star QB Malachi Nelson
• Five-star CB Domani Jackson
• Four-star LB Tackett Curtis
• Four-star RB Raleek Brown

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) December 19, 2023

USC head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters in October that it was possible Foreman, who played sparingly in three games (just one tackle) in 2023, could redshirt this season.

Lincoln Riley when asked if former five-star DE Korey Foreman could redshirt this season as a junior — he has only played in 3 games.

“It’s something we’re exploring right now.”

See video clip below and full interview/transcript in the link ⬇️https://t.co/R9Q0MDk6kZ pic.twitter.com/hOQffxpUaB

— Ryan Young (@RyanYoungRivals) October 4, 2023

"It's something we're exploring right now. It's, this early in the season, I don't want to say anything for sure because a lot of things can transpire, but both us as a staff and the players that have that available – it's something you have to be aware of. And it's something we're open with guys.

"We have conversations with all of our guys that have redshirt years available, and so occasionally, if a guy maybe is not going to have a huge role in a game, you might hold him back right now and then if an opportunity presents itself to have a bigger role, you can obviously revisit that down the line. But I would put Korey in that category."

Foreman didn't play the rest of the way, and now his time at USC has come to an end.

In 23 games over three years, Foreman made 25 tackles (2.5 sacks) and one huge interception—a game-sealing pick to end a 48-45 win over UCLA in 2022.

Korey Foreman called GAME. 😤

Did his interception to seal @uscfb’s win over rival UCLA earn the @76 Fan Fueled Moment? Tweet #FanFueled3 to vote! pic.twitter.com/srWHsSk8q7

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 23, 2022

Foreman played high school ball at Centennial High School in Corona, California before heading to USC.

Foreman entered college with rave reviews. Greg Biggins, 247Sports' national recruiting analyst, compared Foreman to New Orleans Saints star defensive end Cameron Jordan in a Jan. 4, 2021 write-up.

However, he noted that Foreman missed half of his 2019 season (junior year of high school) due to injury and then all of 2020 when the campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So Foreman entered USC without playing much ball at all over the past two years.

That certainly didn't help him heading into USC in 2021, and he never carved out a full-time role. Injuries notably played a factor, as Ryan Young of TrojanSports noted.

"Ultimately, he was mostly used as a situational pass rusher, playing a career-high 231 defensive snaps in 2022 but never earning a full-time or steady role. He battled persistent injury setbacks that disrupted his practice availability and opportunity to compete for more playing time."

However, Foreman's potential can't be ignored. A fresh start may be what's best for him to realize that as he looks to reboot his collegiate career.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly reiterated his belief that college football should be isolated from other college sports, especially after the newest round of conference realignment.

Kelly said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show "the realignment thing blows my mind" because of the logistical challenges for non-revenue sports. He posited that college football should be "separate" from the traditional model with its own structure:

"The realignment thing blows my mind..

Our football team is going to play in the Big Ten but why do the rest of our teams have to go play in the Big Ten..

Our softball team is off the charts & now they're not gonna play Arizona because football left" ~ Chip Kelly #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4xEBxMZdjr

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 19, 2023

Kelly initially outlined the idea during a media conference last week. He called for Power Five and Group of Five conferences that each have 64 teams where schools maintain some of their historic rivalries while cycling through opponents on the other side of the country.

I think we can all agree that college football is flawed right now.

The game we love has become very complicated.

Well, #UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has answers.

And I think the powers that be should listen to him.

🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/h9BOqvTeg0

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) December 16, 2023

Once the dust settled on the last realignment cycle, the more romantic of college football fans pointed to the continued shift away from the regional nature of the sport. The quirky traditions and geographic allegiances are what have set it apart through generations.

Even those with less of an emotional attachment almost immediately questioned the sustainability of college sports writ large when conferences now stretch from coast to coast.

The issue is less acute with football since there's enough revenue to offer players appropriate travel accommodations. Only playing one game a week eases the burden on athletes as well.

Those luxuries aren't afforded to every sport, though.

During both his press conference and on The Pat McAfee Show, Kelly referenced the UCLA softball team. The Bruins have road series against Washington, Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona State in Pac-12 play for the upcoming season. Those will be substituted out for Big Ten opponents either in the Midwest or on the East Coast.

Or consider the UCLA women's volleyball team, which played on the road for weekends at a time. Going from Arizona to Arizona State or from California to Stanford at least mitigated the travel hassle somewhat. That's not going to be the case in a conference as spread out as the Big Ten.

Assuming college football eventually embarks on some sort of super-conference era with the SEC and Big Ten (or comparable entities) reigning supreme, breaking it off from other college sports will be the most sensible path forward.

Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer was named the Associated Press coach of the Year on Tuesday after leading his team to a Pac-12 title, a perfect 13-0 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

"It's all about the people around me. This is a team award," DeBoer said. "When you win, I tell the players this, you win football games, you're going to get recognized and more awards are going to get shared. I'm fortunate enough to kind of be the figurehead of our team and receive these cool awards. Just really blessed."

He received 30 of the 52 first-place votes for the award and his 113 overall points bested Florida State's Mike Norvell (57 points), Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz (38) and Arizona's Jedd Fisch (28).

Washington will face Texas on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl, with a spot in the National Championship Game against either Michigan or Alabama on the line.

DeBoer has provided a major glow-up for the Huskies, going 23-2 in his two seasons after Washington was 4-8 in 2021. That ended the two-year tenure of former head coach Jimmy Lake and led to DeBoer's hiring from Fresno State.

"We were open ears to what he had to say, and he was so persistent in his genuineness and his commitment to take this program to the top that at the end of the day, it was unstoppable to be able to trust him," star wideout Rome Odunze told the AP.

"We've gotten here because he's carried through with everything he said he was going to do with all his effort," he added.

It wasn't an easy road. Washington had to beat No. 8 Oregon twice alongside victories over No. 14 Arizona and No. 19 Oregon State. Both USC and Utah were also ranked when Washington beat them, though neither finished in the top 25.

Another tough task awaits, as the Big 12 champions, Texas, loom. DeBoer, who is the first Washington head coach to ever win the AP's Coach of the Year award, is already a popular figure at the school for leading the team to the CFP.

Winning it would take his legend to a whole other level.

Assuming quarterback Shedeur Sanders returns to Colorado for one more season, it probably won't be because of his draft projection.

ESPN's Matt Miller cited on AFC scouting director who ranked the junior as the third-best draft-eligible QB on the board.

"I had no idea he could spin it like that," the team official said. "You saw him against small-school dudes before Colorado, but he came in dealing, and his poise in the pocket really impressed me. He would be in the QB3 conversation this year if he came out."

That aligns with what Miller reported on Dec. 5 when he wrote that "many NFL scouts agree the Colorado quarterback is right below" USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye.

Buffs head coach Deion Sanders said in November he was expecting both of his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, to stay in Boulder through 2024 and move on to the NFL the following year.

In an interview Monday with the Associated Press' Arnie Melendrez Stapleton, Coach Prime said Shedeur is on track to suit up for spring practice after a back injury ruled him out for the season finale.

"Oh yeah, most definitely. He will be," Deion said. "He just needs some rest and to heal up a little bit because he took a tremendous beating. And that provoked some things in me to do some things differently because the beating that he took — sometimes people forgot that I'm not only his coach, but that's my son — so I understand that's not how this is supposed to go."

Shedeur excelled at Jackson State, but there are always questions about how a player's production at the FCS level will translate to the FBS, especially when they're going to a Power Five program.

Sanders answered his skeptics by throwing for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions in 11 games.

Whereas Williams has long been considered the best QB prospect in the 2024 class, there isn't a clear standout right now for 2025. Miller listed Georgia's Carson Beck and Texas' Quinn Ewers as the top competition for Sanders, but nobody has a lock on the No. 1 ranking.

It's there for the taking, and another big season from Sanders could easily put him at the top of the group.

USC quarterback Malachi Nelson is expected to enter the transfer portal as the freshman looks for a change of scenery, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com.

The former 5-star recruit was originally expected to battle for the starting job leading the Trojans' offense should Caleb Williams leave for the NFL draft, although the recent campus visit of former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard may indicate that the coaching staff is interested in going a different direction (via Matt Zemek of Yahoo Sports).

Nelson was considered the No. 5 quarterback recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. In his junior year at Los Alamitos High School, the 6'3" passer averaged 244.5 yards per game through the air while tossing 39 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Nelson received offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, and Ohio State among several other schools before choosing USC.

He briefly appeared in a single game for the Trojans to preserve his redshirt season, completing one of his three pass attempts during the team's Week 1 victory over San Jose State.

Backup quarterback Miller Moss is also expected to get a shot at the starting job in 2024, as he's currently slated to start USC's matchup against No. 15 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27. In four games of limited action this season, Moss has completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 309 yards and a touchdown.

However, head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters on Dec. 5 that he would leave the door open for a transfer portal quarterback addition (via Antonio Morales of The Athletic).

"I like the guys we have in the room, but you also have a responsibility to the team to continue to look at potential people who can come in, make our room better and make our team better, so not ready to say we'd for sure do anything," he said.

Nelson will presumably look for a team that has a clearer path for him to earn a starting role in 2024.

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes continue to make noise in the transfer portal.

Transfer portal wide receiver Cordale Russell officially committed to join the Buffaloes Sunday. He spent the 2023 season with TCU, although he did not appear in any games for the Horned Frogs.

🚨BREAKING: TCU transfer WR Cordale Russell has committed to Colorado, per @Hayesfawcett3🦬

Russell is a former Top-100 recruit from the 2023 class👀https://t.co/JVhfYa5QYK pic.twitter.com/4VO3dbAR7Y

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 17, 2023

Russell was a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2023. He was rated as the No. 65 player nationally, the No. 12 wide receiver and the No. 11 overall player from Texas, per 247Sports. He was listed as 6'4", 210-lbs and will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Colorado notably was in on Russell during his recruiting period, but he would eventually choose to stay in-state. He recorded 34 catches for 725 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season at North Mesquite High School and could be a terrific target for quarterback Shedeur Sanders next season.

He joins a position group that has two-way star Travis Hunter as well as Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. He becomes the 13th player to join the Buffaloes transfer portal class for next season and is the first notable skill position pickup.

He should get an opportunity to be productive early with Colorado as the team looks to make significant strides from last season. The Buffaloes finished 4-8 despite a 3-0 start. The program is also joining the Big-12 next season, meaning that Russell will be remaining in the same conference that the Horned Frogs call home.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is an accelerationist when it comes to realignment in college football.

"I think we should all be independent in football," Kelly told reporters Friday. "You can have a 64-team conference that's in the Power 5 and you can have a 64-team conference in the Group of 5, and we separate it and we play each other."

His wider argument is that football should be separated from other college sports entirely. He alluded to the impending difficulties that will come with UCLA playing fellow Big Ten schools in non-revenue sports.

I think we can all agree that college football is flawed right now.

The game we love has become very complicated.

Well, #UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has answers.

And I think the powers that be should listen to him.

🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/h9BOqvTeg0

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) December 16, 2023

Kelly probably isn't alone in that thought at this point.

The most recent round of realignment has dramatically altered the landscape in college football and increasingly concentrated power in two conferences (Big Ten and SEC). College sports have undergone numerous changes across generations, but now they're entering uncharted territory to some degree.

With Florida State openly agitating for an exit from the ACC, it may not be long before the next wave of realignment arrives, too, one that could lead the ACC to go the way of the Pac-12. The Pac-12 went from being on the verge of building one of the biggest conferences in the country to dissolving within 12 years.

Even leaving that aside, the stratification in college football has only grown over the last decade or so to create another case for adopting something like Kelly proposed. Parity has never been a feature of the sport, but schools, particularly those in the Group of Five, are getting left behind because they simply don't have the resources to keep up.

If college football is going to cease largely being a regional enterprise, then pivoting toward a more pro-style structure with everybody playing under the same banner is arguably the most sensible approach.

The UCLA Bruins had a tough end to the 2023 regular season.

The Bruins lost three of the final four games, lost freshman quarterback Dante Moore to the transfer portal and looked like a prime candidate to lose the Starco Brands LA Bowl to the Mountain West champion Boise State Broncos.

Fortunately for the Bruins, a strong bowl performance allowed the team to go out on a positive note.

𝗟𝗔 𝗕𝗢𝗪𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗦! pic.twitter.com/xLZggtxvjN

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 17, 2023

Collin Schlee got the start at quarterback for UCLA and did show some flashes of greatness. He went 11-of-16 for 78 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 127 yards on seven carries. That was the only offensive touchdown the team produced while he was under center and he would leave after taking a big hit in the third quarter.

Ethan Garbers, who was declared to not be healthy heading into the game, would relieve Schlee and put on a masterclass.

Garbers ➡️ Ford for the TOUCHDOWN! 🙌

📺: ABC
📲: https://t.co/nZyOC9HyQI #GoBruins | @Ford_Kyle6 pic.twitter.com/eBPN8xJoBo

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 17, 2023

40-YARD TD PASS FROM GARBERS TO J.MIKE 🎯

📺: ABC
📲: https://t.co/nZyOC9HyQI #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Lolo7g0p5r

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 17, 2023

Garbers went 9-of-12 for 152 yards and two touchdowns in relief duty, helping the Bruins put the game away.

This electric entry had fans buzzing on social media, with many expressing excitement over his future as the team's signal-caller.

UCLA is dramatically better when Ethan Garbers is running the offense. It's like a stunning difference how much crisper they are.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 17, 2023

So…Ethan Garbers. Simple as that.

Don’t overcomplicate things.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) December 17, 2023

Ethan Garbers is 8 for 8 passing, which begs the question: Why didn't he start? Oh well. It's UCLA football.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 17, 2023

UCLA needs to double down on Ethan Garbers for next season or get someone out the portal. They need someone.

— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) December 17, 2023

A lot of UCLA fans (well, all five of them) are rightfully upset about Dante Moore transferring out. But the fact of the matter is that Ethan Garbers is clearly the best quarterback on their team. https://t.co/lymLITABwJ

— Adam Bradford (@Adam_Bradford14) December 17, 2023

UCLA QB Ethan Garbers completed all eight of his passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. He took over the offense after Collin Schlee was hurt early in the quarter.

— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) December 17, 2023

Bruins strike in three plays, capped off by a 14-yard TD run by T.J. Harden. Ethan Garbers doing a little "are you not entertained" to the crowd as UCLA goes ahead 27-16, 19 seconds left in the third.

— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) December 17, 2023

Eye-test aside, individual stats aside, limited ceiling aside, #UCLA is a completely different offense with Ethan Garbers. Gotta give him props.

— Gavin Carlson (@GavinCarlson_) December 17, 2023

UCLA fans will donate NIL only if it goes to Ethan Garbers.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 17, 2023

#UCLA Ethan Garbers is a machine at qb. Crazy accurate.

— J. Locke (@jlockefootball1) December 17, 2023

WE 💙 ETHAN GARBERS

— The Den (@uclatheden) December 17, 2023

ETHAN GARBERS THE GOAT!!!!! CHIP KELLY RESPECTS JUICE!!!!

— Kevin Walsh Jr. (@TheKevinWalsh) December 17, 2023

Dante Moore who?

Garbers is BALLIN!!!

I guess Chip knew it all along? #UCLA pic.twitter.com/2q7tcaG9fs

— Kyle McCarthy (@KyleCMcCarthy) December 17, 2023

That fact Dante Moore played one snap for UCLA is so dumb. Team is so much better with out him

— Ty Rasmussen (@TyRazzmo) December 17, 2023

https://twitter.com/JenSince96/status/1736228344809812386

Garbers' future with the Bruins looked bleak prior to Moore's decision to enter the portal, but Saturday's performance surely has things looking up for the 21-year-old.

He finishes the 2023 season with 1,136 passing yards and 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He appeared in eight games for the Bruins in 2023 and UCLA was victorious in six of them.

Barring any additions, it appears he took a big step in locking down the gig in 2024. He has one season remaining and could be the quarterback who leads the Bruins into its tenure in the Big Ten.

A consensus vote as first-team All-American isn't the only thing Colorado cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter has received following his breakout 2023 campaign.

Hunter posted on his Instagram story Friday thanking the Los Angeles Lakers' James LeBron as he posed in a signed pair of sneakers and a jersey.

Travis Hunter was hype to meet LeBron.... now he's sending him the gear he promised🙏 pic.twitter.com/3z27tLDYKh

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2023

"Thank you unc," wrote Hunter.

"Yessir nephew!!!" James responded on his own story.

Hunter and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders previously met James courtside at a Lakers game, where they asked the Lakers star for a jersey.

LeBron had to show love to Shedeur and Travis after the game 🙌👑 pic.twitter.com/dwzzFhZa1I

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 25, 2023

"Love y'all boys man," James said to Sanders and Hunter after the Lakers' season-opening loss to the Nuggets.

"You got to send us your jersey," Sanders said to James. "You got to get us right!"

After the interaction Hunter appeared to grab Sanders and scream in excitement.

Despite missing three full games due to a liver injury, Hunter dominated both offense and defense when he was able to play for the Buffaloes this season.

Through nine games, Hunter made 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns as a wide receiver. On the other side of the ball he made 40 tackles, including two for loss, as well as three interceptions and five passes defensed.

That dominance in two positions was apparently enough to catch the attention of James.

This is not the first time the Lakers star, who reportedly has a lifetime deal with Nike for over $1 billion, has gifted another athlete a pair of shoes.

In October, James gifted Las Vegas Aces star and two-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson with a pair of player-exclusive sneakers that Wilson debuted ahead of the WNBA Finals, and outfitted the entire Ohio State football team in custom cleats for their clash against Penn State.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase in November received an early pair from a new line of "Fruity Pebbles" themed cleats from James.

Now 20-year-old Hunter, who won't be eligible for the NFL Draft until 2025, already has a James-gifted pair of his own.