College Football Player Injury News & Notes

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Draft Scout College Football Player Injury News & Notes

Previous 15 Notes

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02/13/23 - OLB Abdul Carter, Jr/2025, Penn State + More +

It would be easy for Penn State to take a step back defensively and brush it off to the losses the team had. After all, there are plenty of them. There are vocal leaders gone, like safety Ji'Ayir Brown and defensive tackle PJ Mustipher. There's a likely first round pick gone in cornerback Joey Porter Jr. There are longtime rotational pieces who have moved on, like defensive end Nick Tarburton and linebacker Jonathan Sutherland. Those pieces will be missing at all three levels of the unit, but there isn't much thought to the group stepping back. There are high level replacements for many of those players - like Kalen King for Porter - but the expected performance next year is only partially about players like King who have multiple years of experience and will be stepping up.

The other reason is the team's young talent and the increased impact it could have next season. Players like sophomores Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton could have a massive impact in 2023 and lead yet another elite Penn State defense. Those two will be the cornerstones for at least the next two seasons, with Carter at linebacker and Dennis-Sutton at defensive end. Their talents are evident every snap with both possessing the athleticism that pops whenever they're on the field. And their teammates took note. "It feels amazing," redshirt freshman KJ Winston said about playing with the duo. "Abdul, that's my roommate, building that connection with him. Just knowing that they're gonna do what they gotta do to make things a lot easier for you, they're gonna do their job, it's a blessing knowing that you'll be able to go out and play with guys like that every game." - Centre Times

Jr/2025

OLB Abdul Carter, Penn State
News Source: Centre Times
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02/12/23 - ILB Keenan Pili, rSr/2025, Tennessee + More +

Tennessee's third spring football practice of the Josh Heupel era should be the most appealing one yet for defensive coordinator Tim Banks, who was having to play catch-up with Heupel and all the other assistants two years ago and had to work last spring with a secondary ravaged by injury. "It's exciting," Banks said this week in a news conference. "We just didn't have a bunch of guys in the back end last year, and they were beat up in the fall for the most part before camp started, so knowing that a lot of those guys will be able to participate is obviously a good thing because you invest. We talk about compound interest a lot, and obviously the more reps they can get, the better it is for them and the program. "Do we have everybody ready to go? We don't know, but at this point it seems on paper that we'll have our lion's share of guys who will be able to contribute this spring."

Tennessee had one of the biggest defensive meltdowns in program history last Nov. 19, traveling to South Carolina with the chance of continuing its College Football Playoff hopes only to get humiliated 63-38, surrendering 606 yards and 35 first downs. The Volunteers responded, however, by smothering Vanderbilt 56-0 in Nashville and then thumping Clemson 31-14 in the Orange Bowl to complete an 11-2 season. Edge rusher Byron Young and linebacker Jeremy Banks are among the seven Tennessee players who soon will be heading to Indianapolis for the NFL combine, but the cupboard isn't bare for the defense, which also has three newcomers via the transfer portal. The arrivals have occurred at each level - defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott from Arizona State, linebacker Keenan Pili from Brigham Young University and cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally also from BYU. - Chattanooga Times Free Press

rSr/2025

ILB Keenan Pili, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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02/12/23 - QB Jordan Travis, rSr/2024, Florida State + More +

The Florida Senate voted unanimously to repeal the state's name, image and likeness (NIL) law Friday, sending the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk. The 34-0 vote on the Senate floor means the bill, HB 7B, went through two committees and both chambers in this week's special session without a single vote against it. "We've done the part to push the NCAA to stop abdicating their responsibility back to the states," said Sen. Corey Simon, the former Florida State football star. "And we're now putting it on the universities to educate our kids at what their best practices are going forward."

The bill is intended to fix a perceived disadvantage for Florida schools and their athletes caused by the current structure. Florida was one of the first states to vote to allow its college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness when the law passed in 2020. But it included some restrictions. Teams and coaches, for example, can't facilitate players' deals. Some states never passed NIL laws. Others, including Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina, have repealed, suspended or loosened them. All three of those states have big-name programs that compete for recruits against programs like Florida and Florida State. - Tampa Tribune

rSr/2024

QB Jordan Travis, Florida State
News Source: Tampa Tribune
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02/11/23 - RB Brian Battie, rSr/2025, Auburn + More +

Brian Battie wasn't on Cadillac Williams' radar until Philip Montgomery planted a seed during an early film session among Auburn's new offensive assistants. Before Battie, the former South Florida running back, hit the portal, Montgomery and Williams were studying film when the former Tulsa head coach recalled one of the best individual performances against his team last season. In Tulsa's 48-42 win against USF on Nov. 18, Battie rushed for 169 yards while averaging 8.89 yards per carry. It was the highest individual rushing performance surrendered by Tulsa's defense last season. "Cadillac, South Florida's got a running back that's tough," Williams recalled Montgomery saying. Williams took note and filed it away in the back of his mind. Auburn's running back room was in need of another option; it was returning Jarquez Hunter and a less-experienced piece in Damari Alston while bringing in four-star 2023 signee Jeremiah Cobb, but the Tigers wanted more depth after leading rusher Tank Bigsby declared for the NFL Draft. The only problem? At the time, Battie wasn't in the transfer portal.

That changed on Jan. 6, when Battie opted to transfer from USF after three productive seasons, including a consensus All-America nod as a return specialist in 2021 and a 1,000-yard campaign in 2022. Williams perked up as soon as he saw Battie's name in the portal, recalling Montgomery's earlier mention of the 5-foot-8, 165-pounder. "To have a guy like him jump in there, I was ecstatic," Williams said. "So, (I) got an opportunity to cut on his film, and his film speaks for itself." It's not every day a program has an opportunity to bring in a former All-American through the transfer market, and Williams was thoroughly impressed with what he saw from Battie during his time at South Florida in the various roles he played. There was of course the 1,186 rushing yards last fall, when Battie averaged 6.7 yards per carry-the 20th-best mark among FBS running backs in 2022. His 98.83 rushing yards per game ranked 23rd among all qualifying players in the country. He had seven 100-yard performances as a junior, including five in a row to close out the year, and has nine for his career. - Birmingham News

rSr/2025

RB Brian Battie, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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02/09/23 - QB Jordan Travis, rSr/2024, Florida State + More +

Florida State football coach Mike Norvell, whose team ended last season with a six-game winning streak, was rewarded with a three-year contract extension that will pay him an average of $8.05 million annually through 2029. The school released the contract Wednesday. It will pay Norvell $5.6 million in 2023, $7.6 million in 2024, $7.8 million in 2025, $8.1 million in 2026, $8.3 million in 2027, $8.6 million in 2028 and $8.8 million in 2029. He also gets a $250,000 retention bonus if he's still employed every Dec. 31. Norvell earned $4.5 million last year and would have made $7.25 million in the final year of his previous deal.

This is the second extension for Norvell, who was hired after the 2019 season. The Seminoles added a year to his contract following the 2021 season. FSU finished 10-3 last season and ranked No. 11 in the final AP college football poll. The Seminoles beat Florida State and Miami - and scored at least 45 points against both in-state rivals in the same season for the first time. FSU also was the only team to lead its conference in both total offense and total defense. Along with Southeastern Conference heavyweights Alabama and Georgia, FSU was one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in yards per play on both sides of the ball. "Coach Norvell has re-established a culture that the entire Seminole Family can appreciate," athletic director Michael Alford said in a statement. "We are proud of the way Coach Norvell, his staff and his team represent Florida State University on and off the field." - AP College Football

rSr/2024

QB Jordan Travis, Florida State
News Source: AP College Football
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02/09/23 - OT Josh Simmons, rJr/2025, Ohio State + More +

San Diego State starting right tackle Josh Simmons plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he announced on social media Tuesday. Simmons, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound sophomore from Helix High School, started all 13 games in 2022 as a redshirt freshman. He played 799 snaps, second only to left tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson among the team's returning offensive linemen. Simmons was among four returning starters on the offensive line for SDSU, which begins spring camp on Feb. 20. - San Diego Union Tribune

rJr/2025

OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State
News Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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02/08/23 - QB Cameron Rising, rSr/2025, Utah + More +

Utah announced its four captains for spring ball on Monday, naming quarterback Cameron Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe as the offensive captains, and safety Cole Bishop and linebacker Karene Reid as the defensive captains. Rising returns for his third full season as Utah's starting quarterback. He's led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships as a starter. He threw for 3,034 and 26 touchdowns last season. - Deseret News

rSr/2025

QB Cameron Rising, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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02/03/23 - WR Ainias Smith, rSr/2024, Texas AM + More +

Texas A&M wide receiver and punt returner Ainias Smith is returning for a fifth season, according to Smith's father, Maurice Smith. Ainias Smith later announced his decision on social media Thursday. "I have made many prayers and have had a plethora of thoughts, but after everything, I had to make an important decision that will set up my future," Smith said on the post. "With that being said, I will be returning to school for one more year. Aggie nation, let's run it back."

Smith spent the last several months weighing his options as he worked to rehabilitate a leg fracture suffered during the Aggies' 23-21 win over Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sept. 24. He had until Saturday to decide if he wanted to enter this year's NFL draft. His social media post Thursday included a video of Smith running drills on a what appears to be a healed leg. It concludes with Smith tossing A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher a football and telling him, "Let's run it back." Smith has 127 receptions for 1,612 yards and 17 touchdowns in four years at A&M. He also has rushed for 384 yards and four TDs on 67 carries. - Bryan/College Station Eagle

rSr/2024

WR Ainias Smith, Texas AM
News Source: Bryan/College Station Eagle
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02/01/23 - SS Otis Reese, rSr/2023, Mississippi + More +

Fifth-year senior and safety Otis Reese transferred from the University of Georgia but came to Ole Miss his junior year and played three seasons with the Rebels. Reese was smooth with his hands and can get in contact with the ball without drawing flags. For the Rebels, he showed natural balance, quick feet, excellent awareness and was skilled at reading routes and quarterbacks. Reese showed great talent during his final year as an Ole Miss Rebel and is a promising prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft. - Daily Mississippian

rSr/2023

SS Otis Reese, Mississippi
News Source: Daily Mississippian
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02/01/23 - QB Haynes King, rSr/2026, Georgia Tech + More +

From birth, Haynes King has lived a life revolving around football. Growing up the son of a high-school football coach in Texas, King was a ballboy for the Longview High Lobos "as soon as he was old enough to protect himself on the sideline," Haynes' father John said. As a young boy and later a star quarterback in Longview, an east Texas city of about 82,000 roughly 40 miles from the Louisiana border, he spent many an hour in the Lobo Den, the school's fieldhouse. "He's just a guy that leads by example," John King said of his son in a phone interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Not a big rah-rah guy. Hard worker, great teammate. Enjoys the locker room, the coaches office. He just kind of grew up a coach's kid and that's what he likes to do. It doesn't take much to make him happy. He's just kind of one of the guys." That approach will surely find itself welcome within the confines of the Georgia Tech locker room.

After three years at Texas A&M, King seeks a new start at Tech and a fair shot at playing time -- and has three remaining seasons of eligibility. "That's all he wants," John King said. "He just wants a chance to win a job and play college football, be a starter." At Texas A&M, King was a heralded recruit - he was ranked the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class by 247Sports Composite - who twice won the Aggies' starting job (2021 and 2022) coming out of the preseason. He was recognized by the team with awards for his toughness, attitude and conditioning level and earned the praise of coach Jimbo Fisher. But on-field success was not to be his as an Aggie. - Atlanta Journal Constitution

rSr/2026

QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech
News Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
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01/28/23 - QB Joe Labas, rSr/2026, Central Michigan + More +

When it comes to quarterbacks, the transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh away. The Iowa football team gained two quarterbacks from the portal and lost two quarterbacks to the portal. The turnover, along with Spencer Petras' shoulder injury, means Iowa's quarterback room will look significantly different in 2023. Gone: Alex Padilla and Carson May were Iowa's two departures via the transfer portal at quarterback. Padilla appeared in 13 games in an Iowa uniform since 2020 and completed 49 percent of his passes while throwing three touchdowns and four interceptions. May, a true freshman, did not see any game action in his lone season in Iowa City.

Who is back: Joe Labas is expected to return for his sophomore year after making his collegiate debut in the 2022 Music City Bowl. Labas went 14-for-24 with one touchdown and no interceptions despite practicing almost exclusively on the scout team until bowl prep began. Spencer Petras is staying with the Hawkeyes at least through the spring as he rehabs his shoulder. He tore his rotator cuff and labrum in his throwing shoulder in Iowa's Nov. 25 loss to Nebraska. - The Gazette

rSr/2026

QB Joe Labas, Central Michigan
News Source: The Gazette
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01/24/23 - WR Bru McCoy, rSr/2025, Tennessee + More +

Tennessee gave coach Josh Heupel a big raise that puts him among the highest-paid coaches in college football after he led the Volunteers to their best season in more than 20 years. Heupel will make $9 million per year through the 2028 football season under the contract extension announced by the school Tuesday and signed Jan. 19. That's an increase from the $5 million extension signed last July that pushed his deal through 2027. Athletic director Danny White said Heupel's results speak for themselves with an 18-8 record, including 11-2 last season, capped by a win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

White said Heupel and his staff have energized the program and fans with his aggressive style of football. "We just needed an innovative leader like Josh Heupel to reignite the spark," White said of program that dealt with what he called a brief period of dormancy. "It’s been fun to crash the party, but as Josh said after our Orange Bowl triumph, the best is yet to come." The Vols have beaten seven Top 25 teams since Heupel was hired in January 2021, which ranks third nationally among FBS head coaches in that span. Tennessee went 3-7 in 2020 before Heupel was hired to replace Jeremy Pruitt. Tennessee finished Heupel's second season ranked sixth by The Associated Press college football poll, the Vols' highest finish since 2001. The pay increase features a $225,000 base salary with $8.725 million in supplemental pay. - AP College Football

rSr/2025

WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: AP College Football
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01/23/23 - FB Chad Terrell, rSr/2023, South Carolina + More +

Three South Carolina seniors with eligibility remaining aren't expected back in 2023. Head coach Shane Beamer told reporters on Saturday he doesn't anticipate receiver/tight end Chad Terrell or offensive linemen Hank Manos and Wyatt Campbell will return for another season, despite having varying amounts of eligibility available.

All three walked during senior day festivities on Nov. 19 prior to the win over Tennessee. "They're not involved in our workouts right now," Beamer said. "But great young men and want to certainly wish them well and (thank them) for everything they did for Gamecock football, as well." Terrell, a high-three-star recruit in the 2017 class, battled injuries and position changes throughout his Gamecocks career. The Mississippi product tore an ACL three times over five-plus years in Columbia - once in 2018, again in 2020 and finally during fall camp in 2022. Despite that, he appeared in 27 contests, working at both tight end and receiver. He recorded seven career receptions for 76 yards. Manos and Campbell both worked mostly in reserve roles along the offensive line. - Rock Hill Herald

rSr/2023

FB Chad Terrell, South Carolina
News Source: Rock Hill Herald
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01/22/23 - RB Keshawn King, rSr/2024, Western Michigan + More +

Virginia Tech running back Keshawn King tweeted Wednesday that he has entered the transfer portal. King rushed for a team-high 443 yards on 74 carries in nine games as a fourth-year junior last fall. He ran for three touchdowns. He led the team with an average of 6.0 yards per carry. He made eight starts last season. He led the Hokies with 680 all-purpose yards last fall. He had 20 catches for 127 yards and one touchdown. He returned six kickoffs for 100 yards. King ran for 340 yards and two touchdowns on 79 carries in 11 games as a freshman in 2019. After playing in just three games in 2020, he ran for 117 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries in nine games in 2021. - Roanoke Times

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