RALPH D. RUSSO
FILE - Quarterback Drake Maye throws the ball at North Carolina's NFL football Pro Day in Chapel Hill, N.C., Monday, March 27, 2023. The 2024 NFL draft class could be tank-worthy. With a full season of college football still to be played, two future franchise quarterbacks are already being penciled into the top of draft boards. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker, File)
Williams, Harrison, Maye are top prospects in 2024 NFL draft

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 30, 2023 10:11 AM EDT
The 2024 NFL draft class could quickly transform losers into winners.

FILE - TCU quarterback Max Duggan (15) warms up before an NCAA college football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Boulder, Colo. Teams had shied away in recent years on taking a late-round flyer on quarterbacks as fewer teams kept three quarterbacks on the roster after the NFL eliminated the game-day roster exemption for an emergency third quarterback. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
NFL draft Day 3: All-Americans, Heisman finalists on board

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 29, 2023 06:00 AM EDT
In today's pass-happy NFL, you can never have enough cornerbacks. So

Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. celebrates with fans after being chosen by the Houston Texans with the third overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Breaking down players selected in 1st round of NFL draft

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 27, 2023 08:57 PM EDT
The players chosen in the first round Thursday of the NFL draft: 1)

FILE - These are 2023 photos showing possible picks in the NFL football draft. From top left are: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Anderson, Anthony Richardson, Jalen Carter, Devon Witherspoon, Tyree Wilson, Will Levis, Peter Skoronski, Lukas Van Ness, Myles Murphy and Nolan Smith. (AP Photo/File)
NFL draft: Top defensive players on the board

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 21, 2023 11:21 AM EDT
The value of defensive players in the NFL is determined by how effective they can be

FILE - Kentucky's Will Levis catches his breath during the NCAA college football team's NFL Pro Day in Lexington, Ky., March 24, 2023. (AP Photo/James Crisp, File)
NFL draft: Top offensive players on the board

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 21, 2023 11:11 AM EDT
Last year's draft broke a streak of four straight in which a quarterback was selected

FILE - Kentucky quarterback Will Levis looks for a receiver against during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Oct. 29, 2021. The quarterback with the active and entertaining TikTok account has become an intriguing NFL prospect. That combination of personality and athletic potential has never been more valuable in college athletics. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Kentucky QB Levis balances NIL gains with long-term goals

By Ralph D. Russo Jun. 30, 2022 01:22 PM EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — Heading into last season, the most notable moment of Will Levis'

FILE - Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher speaks to reporters in Cleveland on March 12, 2020. With sports betting now legal in more than half the states and generating millions in revenue for once-apprehensive professional sports leagues, college conferences are starting to explore ways to cash in, too. The MAC was the first to jump in, selling the rights to its data and statistics to a company called Genius Sports, which will in turn sell it to sportsbooks. Steinbrecher said it is impossible to ignore the changing reality. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
College sports eye gambling money amid safeguard concerns

By Ralph D. Russo May. 26, 2022 02:23 AM EDT
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The NCAA stance against gambling on sports by its athletes

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson celebrates being selected by the Detroit Lions as the second pick in the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher )
Breaking down players selected in 1st round of NFL draft

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 28, 2022 08:54 PM EDT
The players chosen in the first round Thursday of the NFL draft: 1)

NFL draft: Breaking down top defensive players available

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 24, 2022 02:54 PM EDT
Top defensive players available in the NFL draft, scheduled for April 28-30:

NFL draft: Breaking down top offensive players available

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 24, 2022 02:33 PM EDT
Top offensive players available in the NFL draft, scheduled for April 28-30:

Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean is greeted by a large crowd of fans as he and his teammates return to the Georgia campus, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Athens, Ga., after defeating Alabama in the College Football Championship NCAA college football game. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Number of early NFL draft entrants hits nine-year low at 73

By Ralph D. Russo Jan. 21, 2022 11:56 AM EST
The NFL announced Friday that 73 underclassmen have been granted special eligibility

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2019, file photo, the Pac-12 logo is displayed on the field at Sun Devil Stadium during an NCAA college football game between Arizona State and Kent State in Tempe, Ariz. The Pac-12 hired sports entertainment executive George Kliavkoff to be the conference's next commissioner on Thursday, May 13, 2021, replacing Larry Scott with a person with a similar resume short on college sports experience. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso, File)
Pac-12 picks MGM executive Kliavkoff as next commissioner

By Ralph D. Russo May. 13, 2021 05:34 PM EDT
The Pac-12 hired George Kliavkoff to be the conference's next commissioner

Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace catches a pass at NFL pro day, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
NFL Draft: Nixon, Hufanga, Book among possible Day 3 steals

By Ralph D. Russo May. 01, 2021 02:07 AM EDT
Two days down, yet the NFL Draft is only half done and there are still plenty

FILE - Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore (58) celebrates a sack against Western Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in this Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, file photo. Cleveland Browns veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson's surprise release last week due to salary-cap concerns has created an unexpected hole up front. Alabama's Christian Barmore could fill it. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
NFL Draft: Irish LB; Big 12's best; 'Bama DT still on board

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 30, 2021 08:00 AM EDT
One of the best linebackers in college football, the top defensive tackles in

FILE - Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (84) breaks free from a Missouri defender as he runs a pass pattern during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., in this Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, file photo. Pitts is a possible first round pick in the NFL Draft, April 29-May 1, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
NFL draft: Players selected in the first round

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 29, 2021 11:38 PM EDT
Players selected in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night.

FILE - BYU quarterback Zach Wilson (1) celebrates an overtime win against Tennessee with fans in an NCAA college football game in Knoxville, Tenn., in this Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, file photo. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are expected to be the top two picks selected in the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 29, 20212, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
NFL Draft: Players selected in the first round

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 29, 2021 09:05 PM EDT
Players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

NFL draft: Breaking down top defensive players available

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 22, 2021 01:01 PM EDT
Top defensive players available in the NFL draft, scheduled for April 29 to May

NFL draft: Breaking down top offensive players available

By Ralph D. Russo Apr. 22, 2021 01:01 PM EDT
Top offensive players available in the NFL draft, scheduled for April 29 to May

Northwestern University Athletic Director Jim Phillips poses outside his home in Wilmette, Ill., in this Oct. 9, 2008, photo. The Atlantic Coast Conference is finalizing a deal to make Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips the league's next commissioner. Two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press they expected an agreement to be reached with Phillips and the conference soon. (John J. Kim/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
ACC hires Northwestern AD Phillips as new commissioner

By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 14, 2020 11:19 AM EST
The Atlantic Coast Conference hired Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips

FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2020, file photo, Detroit Lions linebacker Jamie Collins signals touchdown as Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley tries to stop short of the end zone to control the final minutes of the clock in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Atlanta. Against a conceding opponent, whose only hope was to take advantage of a ballcarrier's natural inclination to find the end zone, Penn State and the Falcons inadvertently took the bait and ended up losing games they pretty much had wrapped up. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
Do Not Score! How to avoid touchdowns defenses celebrate

By Ralph D. Russo Oct. 30, 2020 02:06 AM EDT
When the defense is celebrating having allowed a touchdown, something has most