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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders spent Wednesday morning going back and forth with his detractors on social media, but one of them had a mean comeback for Coach Prime.
When Sanders posted a tweet disparaging Austin Peay defensive back Jaheim Ward's stats, Ward fired back that he eclipsed Sanders' son, Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, in a key stat:
Coach Prime also threw a shot at a fan who called out his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, for acting "like he the coldest out here then put up a 4-8 season." He responded by declaring that the signal-caller would be a top-five pick in the NFL draft and asking, "Where yo son going?"
The social media activity by Sanders is a continuation of the fallout from a story by The Athletic's Max Olson about the 53 scholarship players who left Colorado after Sanders was hired as head coach in December 2022. Xavier Smith, who transferred from Colorado to Austin Peay, told Olson that Sanders "was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves" by virtually forcing them to enter the transfer portal.
To make matters worse, Shedeur Sanders responded to the story by calling Smith "very mid":
In his first year as Colorado's head coach, Sanders led the team to a 4-8 record. The Buffaloes are in for another massive roster turnover, as Chris Hummer of CBS Sports noted that 24 players entered the transfer portal since it opened on April 16. Colorado is set to add 34 new players via the portal, giving the team the sixth-ranked transfer class in the country, per 247Sports.
Sanders is known and loved for his antics, but at this point, it could be best for him to tone things down while Colorado prepares for the 2024 season.
Austin Peay freshman defensive back Jeremiah Collins died Friday in a single-car crash near the university's campus in Clarksville, Tennessee, law enforcement officials announced, according to the Associated Press.
The 18-year-old "was driving too fast while exiting a highway and his pickup truck rolled several times before coming to rest in a grassy area," the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.
Collins was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"We are all devastated and heartbroken by the loss of Jeremiah Collins," head football coach Scotty Walden said in a statement. "Jeremiah was an outstanding young man who brought an incredible attitude and energy every day. We grieve with the Collins family for their tragic loss and lift them up in prayer."
Collins, a prospect out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, committed to Austin Peay after also receiving offers from Louisville, Kentucky, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others.
He was the No. 23-ranked prospect out of Tennessee and the No. 54-ranked athlete in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Jacksonville State football commit Philstavious "Phil" Dowdell was one of four people killed in a shooting at a birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, on Saturday.
According to the News-Herald, Dowdell was identified among the dead by his grandmother and a pastor who also serves as chaplain of the Dadeville High School football team. Per Maxwell Donaldson of USA Today, Dowdell was attending his sister's 16th birthday party and his mother was one of 28 people injured in the shooting, as she sustained two gunshot wounds and her status is not yet clear.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Philstavious Dowdell and the other victims of the senseless tragedy last night. He was a great young man with a bright future. My staff and I are heartbroken and hope that everyone will support his family through this difficult time," Jacksonville State head coach Rich Rodriguez said in a statement.
Authorities are reportedly still investigating the incident, which occurred at a dance studio at around 11:30 p.m. ET in Dadeville, which is a town of approximately 3,000 people located about 45 miles northeast of Montgomery.
Dowdell recorded 1,160 all-purpose yards with 13 touchdowns while intercepting two passes as a senior at Dadeville High. He was an All-State defensive back but was slated to play wide receiver for Jacksonville State. He was also a sprinter for Dadeville's track and field team.
"He was a very, very humble child," Dowdell's grandmother Annette Allen said. "Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face."
Eddie George is allowing his touted son, Eriq, to make his own college decision—provided he doesn't try going to a rival.
The former Tennessee Titans running back and current Tennessee State head coach said Eriq will not be permitted to attend Jackson State (a Tennessee State rival) or Michigan (the rival of Eddie's alma mater, Ohio State).
"He can't go to Jackson State," Eddie George told The Tennessean. "He's not going there or that team up north (Michigan, the rival school of Eddie George's alma mater, Ohio State). But I tell him to see all that's out there and ultimately trust your intuition, trust your gut."
Eriq George, an unrated defensive lineman in the Class of 2023, has received attention from the likes of Marshall, Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin. It's unlikely he'll be on the radar of Michigan but could have been a target of Deion Sanders at Jackson State.
Sanders' program drew the ire of Tennessee State when the team announced it would no longer play in the Southern Heritage Classic against the Tigers after the 2022 season. The game has been an annual event since 1990 and has drawn significant attention to historically Black colleges and universities.
The elder George says he has pitched his son on coming to play for him at Tennessee State, but he'll ultimately allow Eriq to make up his own mind.
Defensive back Marquae Kirkendoll has been suspended from Eastern Kentucky's football team after being charged with robbing a postal carrier.
In court documents filed in federal court in New Mexico (via the Associated Press), five charges were filed against Kirkendoll, including robbing a postal carrier, stealing a key from the carrier used to open mailbags and lockboxes, brandishing a gun, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy.
According to the Associated Press, the robbery took place on Jan. 18 and allegedly also involved former University of New Mexico football player Rayshawn Boyce.
Boyce was arrested in February and also been charged.
Kirkendoll enrolled at New Mexico in 2019 and redshirted as a freshman. He appeared in 16 games for the Lobos over the past two seasons, recording five total tackles.
Soon after New Mexico's 34-7 loss to Fresno State on Nov. 13 last season, Kirkendoll entered the transfer portal. The Chicago native announced he was going to Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 15.
Per Christopher Leach of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Eastern Kentucky football spokesperson Rixon Lane said Kirkendoll's suspension is indefinite pending the results of the legal process.
Boyce, a linebacker from Los Angeles, originally attended L.A. Valley College after graduating from Salesian High School in 2015. He transferred to New Mexico as a junior in 2017.
In eight games with the Lobos, Boyce recorded three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
Eddie George turned back the clock to his playing days when seeking advice on whether he should accept the Tennessee State football head coaching job.
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted the four-time Pro Bowler decided to accept the position after speaking with his former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
"I was still very lukewarm on the idea of taking the opportunity," George said. "I was probably at a 30 percent chance I would do it at that point … I said, 'Hey man, I want to talk to you about this. Listen to this ridiculous idea: I just got approached with this opportunity to coach at TSU.'"
Fisher told George he believes the running back "would be awesome," which convinced George to accept the job.
"Jeff drafted me in 1996," George said. "We went on an amazing run here in Tennessee. And he knows how to push my buttons. I tell you I was ready to run through a brick wall when I got off the phone with him. I said, Let’s do it."
George was a Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State and entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Houston Oilers in the 1996 NFL draft.
He played nine years in the NFL for the Oilers/Titans and Dallas Cowboys, eight of which came with Fisher as his head coach. George was the 1996 Offensive Rookie of the Year and helped lead the Titans to the Super Bowl during the 1999 campaign.
Tennessee State announced the hiring on Tuesday:
The Tigers were just 2-5 during their most recent season and haven't made the FCS playoffs since 2013. George is replacing Ron Reed, who was with the school since 2010.
He is the latest in a line of former NFL players who accepted head coaching positions in the FCS.
Ed McCaffrey became the head coach of North Colorado in December 2019, and Jackson State notably hired Deion Sanders to become its head coach.
While George does not have head coaching experience, he is familiar with the state of Tennessee from his playing days and figures to resonate with recruits given his NFL career.
Longtime Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George will take over as head coach at Tennessee State, according to Brett McMurphy of Stadium.
The Tigers are playing Southeast Missouri in their final game of the season Sunday afternoon, having gone 2-4 so far. The spring season replaced the traditional 2020-21 season for FCS programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
George, who played collegiately at Ohio State, has no coaching experience.
Rod Reed is currently the head coach of the Tigers, a role he has held since 2009. A TSU alum, Reed was the inaugural defensive coordinator for East Texas Baptist from 2000-03, the same position he held upon his arrival to Tennessee State in 2003.
George, a four-time Pro Bowler and the 1996 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, played for the then-Houston Oilers following his selection with the No. 14 overall pick and subsequently had immediate success upon the franchise's relocation to Tennessee.
He earned his Pro Bowl nods in the four seasons following relocation from 1997-2000. The final year resulted in his only All-Pro selection, as he led the league in rushing attempts (403) with a career-high 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also posted 458 receiving yards and four touchdowns that season.
He spent the final year of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, appearing in 13 games in 2004—the only time in his nine-year career that he did not start all 16 games.
While he hasn't spent his post-football years coaching, George earned his MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and appeared on Broadway in a production of the musical Chicago.
Eastern Kentucky linebacker Michael Harris was reportedly arrested and issued a felony charge of assault and three misdemeanors, and video of him bodyslamming a police officer during the incident has emerged.
TMZ Sports reported the news, noting court records said the misdemeanors were disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
Police footage of the officers interacting with Harris shows a heated exchange that turned physical. At one point, Harris picked up one of the police officers and threw him to the ground.
TMZ Sports noted the officer avoided serious injury.
"Eastern Kentucky University Athletics is actively monitoring an incident involving one of our student-athletes, Mr. Michael Harris, that resulted in criminal charges against Mr. Harris," the school said in a statement to ESPN.com's Heather Dinich. "Mr. Harris is currently enrolled at EKU and listed as a redshirt sophomore on the EKU football roster. He has been suspended from all team and football-related activities at this time."
Police, who arrived at the scene when a woman called and said Harris was being "aggressive" and "did not seem to be 'all there,'" then took the linebacker to the hospital, where he was sedated before taken to jail.
The report said police found pills and a digital scale "consistent with drug use" in his car even though Harris said he was not taking medication or drugs.
Harris was a highly regarded recruit in the class of 2018 and arrived at Auburn as a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports.
However, he announced he was leaving Auburn in December after limited playing time. Giana Han of AL.com noted he played in 11 games in 2019 but tallied just three tackles.
Eastern Kentucky announced him as part of its signing class earlier this month.
Tennessee State quarterback Demry Croft was arrested and reportedly charged with six felony counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery on Monday.
Mike Organ of the Nashville Tennessean reported the news, noting the charges are related to the report of a rape that occurred on Dec. 1. Croft was booked in jail for approximately four hours on Monday before he was released on $50,000 bond.
"Due to federal and state student privacy laws, no further comment can be made at this time," Tennessee State said in a statement that acknowledged the school was aware a student-athlete was arrested. "However, the University takes seriously any allegation of sexual misconduct that may affect our campus community."
Organ cited Tennessee State crime logs and noted the rape was reported on April 4.
According to the report, university police led the investigation and presented evidence during a grand jury process that Organ pointed out "can take months."
Croft transferred to Tennessee State from Minnesota, and Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press reported he was suspended from the team when he was on the Golden Gophers. Croft said he was "falsely accused of damaging a door" when he was at Minnesota, adding that "video clearly shows my innocence."
He started four games for Tennessee State during the 2018 season and was expected to compete for the starting job in 2019.
