Pac-12 Football

Oregon State and Washington State have taken control of the Pac-12 ahead of its final seven months as a 12-team conference.

The Washington Supreme Court on December 15 denied a request to review a lower court's decision to give the universities control of the Pac-12 board, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura.

The decision lifted the emergency stay granted by a Washington State Supreme Court commissioner to the University of Washington on November 28.

The November 14 decision by Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey to make OSU and WSU the sole governing members of the conference will now go into effect.

The 10 schools planning to depart from the Pac-12 in August at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season will no longer be able to vote on conference decisions.

Libey's initial ruling stated that whenever OSU and WSU meet as the Pac-12 board, they must create an agenda and share it with the 10 departing schools, per KHQ's Noah Corrin, Emily Frint and Ava Wainhouse.

Departing schools impacted by the state Supreme Court's decision include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Southern California, Stanford, UCLA, Utah and Washington.

The 10 schools have previously accused OSU and WSU of wanting direction of the board to control the revenue earned by the Pac-12's current members.

OSU and WSU argued that the 10 schools already gave up their seats on the board by sharing plans to leave the Pac-12, citing the absence of USC and UCLA representatives from board meetings after the schools announced their upcoming departures in 2022.

WSU and OSU are set to play a six-game schedule against Mountain West opponents as a two-team conference in the 2024-25 season.

Colorado and Deion Sanders continued their work in the transfer portal Friday afternoon, adding a pair of players out of the SEC.

Twin brothers Destin and Keaten Wade are transferring from Kentucky to play for Sanders and the Buffaloes next season, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren.

Destin, a redshirt freshman, is a quarterback and Keaten, a sophomore, is a linebacker.

Destin has logged just one game since joining Kentucky in 2022, playing against Iowa in the 2022 TransPerfect Music City Bowl. In that game, Destin had 98 yards and two interceptions, completing 16 passes on 30 attempts.

Keaten brings a little more experience than his brother, getting reps the last two seasons. This season, he recorded 36 tackles and a sack.

Coming out of high school, Destin was named Mr. Football in the state of Tennessee for Division I, Class 6A his senior season. At the time of his commitment to the Wildcats, he was considered to be a 4-star prospect, the No. 24 athlete nationally and the No. 13 player in the state of Tennessee in the Class of 2022 according to 247Sports Composite. He received offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati and others.

Destin will likely play backup quarterback to Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to return to Colorado next season.

Keaten was considered to be a 4-star prospect by 247Sports Composite and was listed as the No. 19 linebacker in the Class of 2022 and the No. 5 player in the state of Tennessee. He also held offers from Arizona State, Baylor and Cincinnati.

Together, the twins bring more depth to Colorado after the Buffaloes were hit hard by players leaving for the portal.

While he lost several pieces to the transfer portal, Sanders has also brought in some crucial pieces from the portal. Colorado added Vanderbilt wide receiver Will Sheppard, Indiana offensive linemen Kahlil Benson and Matthew Bedford, Houston offensive lineman Tyler Johnson, UTEP lineman Justin Mayers and others already, and the Buffaloes could be adding to that haul as the offseason continues.

Colorado showed promise in the early stages of the season, winning the first three games of the year, including an upset over TCU. Following that hot start, the Buffaloes won just one more game and finished the season 4-8.

Now adding some talent out of the portal, the second year of the Sanders era could be more promising than the first.

Will Sheppard is heading to Colorado to play for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes.

The wide receiver, who spent the last three seasons at Vanderbilt, announced that he will be transferring to Colorado for his final season of eligibility.

Sheppard entered the transfer portal following a season where he recorded 684 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He led the Commodores in receiving yards and led the wide receiver group in touchdowns. On his career, Sheppard has notched 2,067 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. He is tied for third all-time in receiving touchdowns in Vanderbilt history.

Now, Sheppard is looking to help Sanders and the Buffaloes improve next season following a 4-8 finish to the year.

As a transfer, Sheppard is considered to be a 4-star prospect, the No. 35 overall player and the No. 7 wide receiver in the transfer portal by 247Sports Composite rankings. His best season came in 2022 when he notched 776 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Now he is looking for that kind of success with the Buffaloes.

He will join wide receiver Terrell Timmons Jr., who is transferring to Colorado from NC State. Colorado also has a pair of wide receiver commits in the Class of 2024 joining the team next year in Zycarl Lewis and Drelon Miller.

The group will look for success with quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the Buffaloes enter Year 2 of the Prime era.

Last season, Colorado began the season looking poised for a big year, winning its first three games, including an upset over TCU. The Buffaloes won just one more game against Arizona State, and the year was ultimately underwhelming.

Following the conclusion of the season, Colorado saw several key players enter the transfer portal, but now Sanders is drawing in some transfers to try and fill the void.

Colorado is looking for a big year in 2024, and picking up one of the best offensive pieces in the transfer portal should help.

As Oregon departs the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, the future for the Ducks' rivalry with Oregon State became more clear on Thursday.

According to The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, Oregon State will host Oregon on Sept. 14, 2024 and Oregon will host Oregon State on Sept. 20, 2025. To help accommodate the games, a three-game contract between Oregon and Boise State was reduced to two games. Oregon will host both games against Boise State in 2024 and in 2026.

Oregon will be joining the Big Ten in 2024 along with Washington, UCLA and USC. The Pac-12 will also be losing Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12, along with Cal and Stanford to the ACC, leaving just Oregon State and Washington State in the conference.

Oregon's full slate for its inaugural season in the Big Ten was released in November. It's schedule is highlighted by matchups with Big Ten powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan along with some of the conference's new additions of UCLA and Washington.

Oregon State has announced its opponents for the 2024 season, but some dates are still being determined. The Beavers will face the only other Pac-12 team, Washington State along with former Pac-12 team Cal, as well as Oregon. Oregon State will also face Purdue, Idaho State and a handful of Mountain West Conference opponents in its season opener.

Oregon is coming off a successful season and gearing up to face Liberty in the VRB Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks finished the regular season 11-1 before losing to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship in a game that could have seen Oregon land a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win.

Oregon State finished 8-4 on the season, losing their final meeting with Oregon in the Pac-12 31-7. The Beavers will take on Notre Dame in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Oregon State lost head coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State, promoting defensive coordinator Trent Bray to take his place.

The future of the Pac-12 remains uncertain, but fans will get the Oregon vs. Oregon State rivalry for at least two more seasons.

Florida State's search for a new quarterback has led them to former Washington State signal-caller Cameron Ward.

Ward is set to visit with the Seminoles after visiting the Miami Hurricanes, according to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. The 21-year-old told VanHaaren that while he has no further visits set up after Florida State, he could still visit USC, Nebraska and Washington.

Ward joins former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei as confirmed official visitors at quarterback for Florida State this winter.

Ward announced earlier this month that he was entering the transfer portal after two seasons at Washington State. He has one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.

The Texas native is one of the hottest quarterbacks available in the transfer portal following the commitments of Riley Leonard to Notre Dame and Dillon Gabriel to Oregon. He is ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in 247Sports transfer rankings behind Aidan Chiles and Dante Moore.

Amid controversy over the NCAA's rules barring two-time transfers from being immediately eligible with their new programs, Ward will be able to play for his next program because he is a graduate transfer.

Ward began his college career with FCS program Incarnate Word and transferred to Washington State ahead of the 2022 season.

He's coming off a solid 2023 campaign with the Cougars, completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 12 games, in addition to rushing for 144 yards and eight scores.

Washington State finished the season ninth in the Pac-12 with a 5-7 record.

Florida State is looking for a new quarterback with the departure of Jordan Travis, who is eligible for the 2024 NFL draft.

Tate Rodemaker is in line to be the team's next starter, though Chris Hummer of 247Sports reported that "there's a sense among industry sources that they'd jump on the right transfer quarterback if one became available," adding that Ward "is one such player."

Despite not being selected for the College Football Playoff, the Seminoles are coming off a brilliant 13-0 2023 season and have every intention of competing for a postseason berth in 2024.

Adding a quarterback such as Ward would give the program a better shot at contending.

Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze told reporters Wednesday that he suffered a broken rib and punctured lung while recovering an onside kick against Arizona on Sept. 30.

That matchup, which resulted in a 30-24 road win for the Huskies, took place in Tuscon. Per Mike Vorel of the Seattle Times, Odunze also said he was at a local hospital until 5 a.m. before his mother and two trainers took turns on a 23-hour drive back to Seattle.

Odunze did not miss any time due to the ailments. Following a bye week, he then caught eight passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a big 36-33 win over Oregon just 14 days after suffering the injuries.

Odunze ended the season with 81 catches for 1,423 yards and 13 touchdowns. Thanks largely to his efforts, the Huskies finished 13-0, won the Pac-12 title and earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff.

There's certainly no doubting the 6'3", 215-pound Odunze's skillset and toughness, especially after he didn't miss any games despite a midseason hospital stay due to injuries.

He even finished the year as a consensus All-American and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the most outstanding receiver in American college football.

Odunze also looks like a first-round NFL draft prospect if he turns pro. Per the B/R NFL Scouting Department, Odunze is the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2024 draft class.

There's still more work to be done now, though, for Odunze and the Huskies, who will play No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl. That game will take place on New Year's Day at 8:45 p.m. ET.

Deion Sanders has made quite the impression on the University of Colorado, and not just on the field—the school is now offering a course named after him.

The course, named "CMCI 4021: Prime Time: Public Performance and Leadership," will essentially help college athletes navigate the world of NIL deals and prepare them for the complicated world of professional athletics and celebrity.

According to the course description, a "variety of media experts" will "focus on helping college athletes explore how to manage their time in college, prepare for [their] career, manage their celebrity, identify when to best speak into their profit center, advocate for worthy causes, coordinate with sports agents and how to interact with journalists and the media."

Given that many athletes—especially football and basketball players—essentially major in their sport while in college, given the amount of time they dedicate to the craft, having more courses dedicated to the business and public relations side of the sporting world makes a lot of sense.

Former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is taking an official visit to Florida State this weekend, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Thamel reported on Nov. 30 that Uiagalelei had entered the transfer portal and "will be deciding in the upcoming weeks whether he'll pick a third college address or declare for the NFL draft."

Uiagalelei began his college career at Clemson in 2020 and he entered the program as one of the top recruits in the country. He was the No. 10 ranked prospect in 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2020.

The 22-year-old appeared in nine games as a freshman, completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 914 yards and five touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 60 yards and four scores.

However, He struggled as a sophomore in 2021, completing 55.6 percent of his passes for 2,246 yards and nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 308 yards and four scores.

The 2022 season was also tough for Uiagalelei as he completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 2,521 yards and 22 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 13 games, in addition to rushing for 545 yards and seven scores, before being pulled late in the year for Cade Klubnik.

Uiagalelei entered the transfer portal after the 2022 campaign and joined Oregon State, where he played well for the Beavers. He completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 12 games, in addition to rushing for 219 yards and six scores.

Oregon State went 8-4 with Uiagalelei under center, including wins over No. 10 Utah and No. 18 UCLA.

Uiagalelei is one of the top quarterbacks remaining in the transfer portal after Dillon Gabriel committed to Oregon from Oklahoma and Riley Leonard committed to Notre Dame from Duke.

Florida State is coming off a brilliant 13-0 campaign in Mike Norvell's fourth season as head coach. However, the Seminoles missed out on the College Football Playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis sustained a leg injury in November.

If Uiagalelei commits to the Seminoles, he would replace Travis, who is eligible for the 2024 NFL draft.

The much-maligned Colorado offensive line is getting reinforcements for the 2024 season.

Guard Tyler Johnson and center Yakiri Walker both announced on Saturday they are transferring to the Buffaloes to play for head coach Deion Sanders.

This is the third notable offensive line recruit the Buffaloes have landed this week. Jordan Seaton, a 5-star prospect and top-ranked tackle in the 2024 class, committed to Colorado on Thursday.

Johnson entered the transfer portal on Wednesday after spending the past two seasons at the University of Houston. He appeared in 12 of the Cougars' 13 games during the 2022 campaign, with 10 starts coming at right guard.

The 23-year-old began his college career at Texas from 2019 to '21. His only appearance with the team came during the 2020 season in the Alamo Bowl against Colorado. He transferred to Houston in April 2022.

Walker spent the past three seasons at the University of Connecticut. After redshirting in his first year, he got into five games during the 2022 campaign. The Texas native appeared in all 12 games for the Huskies this season.

Per On3.com, Johnson is the No. 7 interior offensive line prospect in the transfer portal. Walker checks in at No. 16 overall on that list.

Sanders wasn't shy about criticizing Colorado's offensive line this season. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked an FBS-high 52 times in 11 games. He does have a propensity to hold onto the ball longer than he should, but there were plenty of times when the protection in front of him broke down and forced him to go into playmaking mode.

This season did showcase the type of skill-position talent Sanders can recruit, but the next step in the offense's evolution is being able to stop opposing defenses in the trenches.

The early returns for Sanders in recruiting and the transfer portal are very encouraging that Colorado can fix those protection issues quickly.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning wasted no time in finding Bo Nix's replacement for the 2024 season.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel announced on Saturday he is transferring to Oregon.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported Gabriel made his decision after visiting Oregon's campus in Eugene earlier this week.

Gabriel announced on Monday he was entering the transfer portal after being the Sooners' quarterback for the past two seasons. The move came after Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was hired as Mississippi State's new head coach.

Ryan Aber of The Oklahoman also pointed out the Sooners' "plan all along" was for Gabriel to serve as a mentor to 5-star prospect Jackson Arnold during his freshman season before moving on.

Oregon will be more than happy to benefit from Gabriel's decision to leave the Sooners. The program was in need of a new quarterback with Bo Nix in his final season. The 2023 Heisman finalist threw for 4,145 yards, 40 touchdowns and a 77.2 completion percentage this season.

The Ducks also needed a high-level quarterback as they prepare to face a new challenge in 2024 as they move to the Big Ten. Their conference schedule includes games against Ohio State, Michigan and Washington.

Nix led the Ducks to a 21-5 record in his two seasons as their starting quarterback. He hasn't made a decision about playing in the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty on Jan. 1.

Gabriel just wrapped up his fifth college season. He played three years at UCF before transferring to Oklahoma in November 2021. The 22-year-old threw for 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns and a 69.3 completion percentage in 12 starts this season.