SEC Football

Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian has agreed to a contract extension to remain with the Longhorns, per Brett McMurphy of Action Network, who noted that the 50-year-old previously declined interviews with two NFL teams.

ESPN's Pete Thamel provided more details.

Sarkisian has been Texas' head coach since 2021. He's led the Longhorns to a 38-17 mark, including 25-5 over the last two seasons. The Longhorns reached the College Football Playoff in 2023 and 2024, falling in the semifinal round both times.

Last year's Texas team won the Big 12 title before earning the CFP's No. 3 seed. This year's team reached the SEC Championship Game and earned the No. 5 seed, defeating Clemson and Arizona State before losing to Ohio State. The Longhorns are also the only team to make the CFP each of the past two years.

It's no surprise that Sarkisian had interest from NFL teams given how well Texas has done the past two years. He has a lengthy two-decade resume that also includes stops in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders (2004, quarterbacks coach) and the Atlanta Falcons (2017-2018, offensive coordinator).

However, it's clear that Sarkisian is committed to Texas. This X post from Thursday also seemed to indicate Sarkisian's loyalty to the school.

The contract extension seals it, of course. Ultimately, it's easy to see why Sarkisian is sticking around given how much success he's found in Austin. And Texas obviously wanted him back given how well the Longhorns have performed under his stewardship.

Now Sarkisian is around long term as he strives to give Texas its first national title since 2005.

LSU freshman quarterback Colin Hurley has been hospitalized after being found unresponsive but breathing following a car accident near the gates of LSU's campus, per ESPN's Chris Low.

Hurley's family released a statement saying the player is stable and are confident he will make a full recovery:

The crash report said Hurley was found by LSU police and the Baton Rouge Fire Department just before 3 a.m. on Thursday. EMS and fire department personnel took the 17-year-old out of his Dodge Charger and transported him to a local hospital.

LSU school officials said they were not able to comment on the cause of the crash because Hurley is still a minor. His parents were on their way to Baton Rouge from their home in Jacksonville.

"We are working through proper protocols with his family before we can have any comment," LSU senior associate athletic director and chief communications officer Zach Greenwell told Low via text message.

Hurley was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2024 in 247Sports' composite. He didn't see the field in 2024 as a true freshman for the Tigers. 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins noted that he led Trinity Christian Academy to a Florida 2A state title as a freshman. He reclassified from the 2025 class to 2024 and started college classes at the age of 16. Ivins described him as "a quarterback protege of sorts."

Let the Arch Manning era begin at Texas, because Quinn Ewers is heading to the next level.

Ewers' agent confirmed to ESPN's Pete Thamel his client is declaring for the 2025 NFL draft. Ewers also shared a video thanking his Longhorns coaches and teammates while announcing his decision.

Ewers was listed as the eighth-best quarterback in a January big board of prospects from B/R's NFL Scouting Department, so he has plenty of ground to cover.

However, he has the opportunity to do just that during the NFL Scouting Combine and predraft process. He could also thrive in those environments, as he has been accustomed to being under the spotlight from an early age.

Ewers was the No. 1 overall player in the recruiting class of 2021, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and chose Ohio State before eventually transferring to Texas ahead of the 2022 season.

While there were some ups and downs at first, he took quite the leap from his first year with the Longhorns—when he completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions—to his second, when he completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The team also went from 8-5 in 2022 to Big 12 champions and the College Football Playoff in 2023. Even though the Longhorns lost to Washington in that CFP, expectations were sky-high for Ewers and Co. heading into the 2024 campaign.

And he wasted little time delivering on them by throwing for three touchdowns in a road win over the reigning national champions in Michigan in the second game. That put Texas into the CFP discussion for the rest of the season, although Ewers faced some adversity when he missed time with an injury and was then temporarily benched for a stretch during a loss to Georgia after he returned.

Yet he bounced back and impressed from there with a road win over a tricky Vanderbilt team and five touchdowns in a win over Florida that put Texas in position to control its destiny for an SEC title and CFP berth.

It delivered and reached that SEC Championship Game with a victory over rival Texas A&M to close the regular season, although Ewers was inconsistent at best with an interception and lost fumble.

He was also inconsistent in the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia with one touchdown pass to two interceptions, but the Longhorns still made the CFP as the No. 5 seed.

They advanced to the semifinals in the CFP with victories over Clemson and Arizona State, although their championship aspirations ended against Ewers' former team when they lost to Ohio State.

Ewers' future was a talking point going into that game against the Buckeyes, as he sat down with Thamel and said "yes" when asked if he believed he will be in the NFL next season.

Even though he couched that by adding, "we'll see," he also added that his expectation is he was not going to play in college football any longer.

That raised the question about how his skill set will translate to the next level, and he has proved capable of making throws to all levels and using his mobility to extend plays and stress opposing defenses.

There is still work to be done before solidifying his place in the NFL draft, and he will now focus on doing just that before April.

Carson Beck resisted overtures from Georgia about returning for the 2025 season before he transferred to Miami, according to USA Today's Matt Hayes.

Hayes reported Alabama also reached out to Beck after he entered the transfer portal. The fifth-year senior decided to head south for the Hurricanes and secured an NIL package reportedly worth between $3 million and $4 million.

While that's a sizable sum of money, Hayes laid out the football-related reasons Beck came to the conclusion there were greener pastures outside of Athens, Georgia.

The Bulldogs' offensive line and receiving corps were both lacking in 2024. Hayes added that head coach Kirby Smart "historically hasn't recruited well at wide receiver," so there were no guarantees he could rapidly improve the unit through the portal.

Miami, on the other hand, built a system around Cam Ward this past year that allowed him to be the fourth-place finisher in the Heisman Trophy voting. Ward was second in the FBS in passing yards (4,313) and first in touchdowns (39).

Perhaps most importantly, the Davey O'Brien Award steadily climbed NFL draft boards as the year went on. Ward is the No. 6-ranked player on Bleacher Report's 2025 big board and went second overall to the Cleveland Browns in B/R's mock draft.

Contrast that with the trajectory of Beck's draft stock. He was the 13th-best player on B/R's initial big board in October and slipped to 37th in the most recent update. Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com reported he "wasn't a lock to go in the first three rounds" even before he suffered a UCL injury in the SEC title game.

Especially at a time when he can be compensated handsomely through NIL deals, returning to college for one more season made plenty of sense for Beck, and he was equally sensible in asking whether Georgia was the optimal place for him.

That the Bulldogs couldn't make the strongest pitch before their own starting quarterback is the kind of thing that might keep Smart awake at night.

Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond declared for the 2025 NFL draft following the Longhorns' elimination from the College Football Playoff.

"I'm very appreciative of my time at Texas," he said to ESPN's Pete Thamel. "I told Coach [Steve Sarkisian], 'I appreciate the opportunity for him giving me a chance to play on his football team at this great university. I'm grateful and deeply appreciative he took me in as one of his own."

Bond is the No. 52 overall player and sixth-best wideout on Bleacher Report's 2025 big board.

The junior transferred in to Texas after spending his first two college seasons at Alabama. In 14 appearances for the Longhorns, he caught 34 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns.

Bond battled an ankle injury that limited his effectiveness toward the end of the campaign. He had just two receptions and 30 yards across Texas' final five games.

Despite the fact his on-field production doesn't jump off the page, Bond could be a Day 2 pick or maybe even move into the first round thanks in large part to his physical tools. ESPN's Matt Miller reported in September that one NFL scout believes he might be faster than former Texas star Xavier Worthy, who ran a record-setting 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"Bond makes plays from anywhere on the field because of a combination of elite speed and explosiveness," B/R's Dame Parson wrote in the big board. "He is a game-breaker who can outrun pursuit angles with relative ease. Route-running is an underrated part of his game, though. Bond is a good off the stems and moves with twitch, explosiveness and suddenness to defeat single coverage. He's a Day 2 prospect and weapon for NFL offenses to covet."

Last year, Worthy's performance at the combine helped catapult him into the first round, where the Kansas City Chiefs picked him 28th overall.

Bond is the kind of prospect who thrives at showcases such as the combine and Texas' pro day, and he could climb draft boards in the same way Worthy did.

Ty Haywood, a 5-star offensive tackle, has decommitted from the Alabama Crimson Tide, per On3 Recruits.

The move comes amid growing speculation that Haywood favors the University of Michigan.

Speculation about Haywood's recruitment started swirling after he opted not to sign with the Crimson Tide during the early signing period, according to Sports Illustrated's Andrew Nemec.

Michigan quickly emerged as the front-runner for Haywood, despite finishing the season 8-5 and placing seventh in the Big Ten.

Standing at 6'5" and 285 pounds, Haywood is ranked as the No. 20 overall prospect and the No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports' composite rating.

The Denton, Texas, native also received offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon, among several others.

Gabe Brooks, a 247Sports scouting analyst, projected Haywood as a future NFL first-round draft pick and compared him to Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith.

"Imposing offensive tackle with impressive length relative to height. Long-armed with a huge reach," Brooks wrote. "Gradually improved quickness off the ball throughout junior year and performed well on the elite camp circuit prior to senior season to ascend a loaded 2025 OT board."

With Haywood's decommitment, Alabama's 2025 recruiting class drops from No. 2 to No. 3, while Michigan's class is projected to rise from No. 9 to No. 6 if Haywood commits to the Wolverines, per Nemec.

Some Texas fans are ready to see Arch Manning play for a shot at the national championship game.

Viewers of the 2025 Cotton Bowl called for Steve Sarkisian to make a quarterback change after Ewers struggled against Ohio State in Friday night's first half.

After falling into an early 7-0 deficit, Texas punted on four straight first-half drives to start out the national semifinal.

Ewers connected on eight of his first 16 passes while getting pushed back nine yards on four carries. The Buckeyes defense had already racked up three sacks by halftime.

In the final minute of the half, Sarkisian put Manning in the game to convert a crucial 4th and 1.

Manning delivered, losing the ball only after he was ruled down to help the Longhorns extend the drive.

Ewers then capped off the drive by putting an 18-yard passing touchdown in the hands of Jaydon Blue.

The Longhorns didn't get to enjoy the tied score for long. Ohio State answered the tying score with 75-yard touchdown on a single-play drive that sent TreVeyon Henderson into the end zone.

Ewers finished out the first two quarters having gone 10-of-20 for 133 yards and a touchdown with a fumble.

Texas went into halftime staring down a seven-point deficit, while some Longhorns fans went into the break hoping to see Manning come out again for the start of the third quarter.

Whichever team emerges victorious from the Cotton Bowl will advance to face Notre Dame for the national title on Monday, Jan. 20.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers believes he has played his final season of college football.

When asked by ESPN's Pete Thamel if he expects to play in the NFL next season, Ewers answered "Yes."

He added, "We'll see," per Thamel.

Thamel also asked Ewers if he expected to play in the NCAA next season. The Longhorns quarterback answered, "No."

Ewers and Texas kick off the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The winner will advance to face Notre Dame in the national championship game.

According to Thamel, "sources close to Ewers" told him there is an "overwhelming likelihood" the quarterback declares for the 2025 draft.

Ewers was already expected to move on from Texas this spring as Longhorns backup Arch Manning eyes a shot at starting next season.

But that path could take him to another college program rather than the draft. On3's Pete Nakos recently reported Ewers had received a $6 million offer to enter the transfer portal this spring.

When asked about that report on Wednesday, Ewers said he was focused only on the matchup with Ohio State, per USA Today's Dan Wolken.

Wolken then asked Ewers if the result of the semifinal, and potentially the national championship game, would impact his decision. "That's a great question," Ewers answered, per Wolken.

Ewers went on to tell Thamel he "hadn't even paid attention to" the rumors regarding the transfer portal offer.

"I'm not really sure what's going on," Ewers said.

This is the second straight season in which Ewers has led the Longhorns to a national semifinal appearance. His completion rate dipped to 66.5 percent this season, but he has thrown for 3,189 yards with 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions through 13 starts.

The fourth-year senior, who began his career as a backup at Ohio State before transferring to Texas, had originally planned to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, according to Thamel.

He decided not to enter because he finished the campaign with fewer than 25 college starts, a benchmark correlated with quarterback readiness for the NFL, per Thamel.

One NFL general manager told Thamel there is "wild variance" among his scouts as to where Ewers should go in the upcoming draft. He could help increase his stock, and his chances of being selected early by a quarterback-needy team, by leading Texas to victory on Friday night.

Following his legendary tenure as Alabama's head coach, Nick Saban will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class.

Saban, who now serves as a college football analyst for ESPN, was surprised with the news during an appearance on College GameDay.

Saban retired at the end of the 2023 season after spending 17 years at Alabama, winning six national championships with the Crimson Tide.

The 73-year-old also won a seventh national title with LSU in 2003. He finished with an overall record of 297-71-1 as a college head coach with Alabama, LSU, Michigan State and Toledo.

"Thank you so much but anytime anything like this happens, it's because you had a lot of great people in your organization," Saban said on College GameDay after the news was revealed. "A lot of great players, a lot of great coaches, lot of support staff and they made a great team. I was happy to drive the bus but we had some great people on it, so thank you so much."

He opened his head coaching career with Toledo in 1990, leading the team to a 9-2 record before joining the NFL to become the Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator. Saban stayed in the role for four years before returning to the college level, taking over as head coach of Michigan State from 1995-99 until starting at LSU in 2000.

He returned to the NFL for two years as the Miami Dolphins head coach in 2005 and 2006 before beginning his impressive tenure at Tuscaloosa. After compiling a modest 7-6 record during Saban's first year with the Tide, they reached double-digit win totals in every subsequent season that he spent with the program.

He'll now be part of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class, which will be officially inducted on Dec. 9.

The rest of the 2025 class will be announced on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.