UNDATED (AP) — PJ Haggerty is heading to Texas A&M and Isaiah Johnson is joining Texas as the Lone Star state’s two Southeastern Conference programs have landed former Big 12 stars in the transfer portal. Haggerty scored 23.4 points per game for Kansas State this season to rank fourth among all Division I players. Johnson is coming off a freshman season in which he averaged 16.9 points for Colorado. Haggerty will be playing for his fifth different school. The 6-foot-4 guard was at TCU in 2022-23, Tulsa in 2023-24 and Memphis in 2024-25.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama didn’t need to turn to the transfer portal or the recruiting trail to find a replacement for potential first-round draft pick Ty Simpson. The Crimson Tide had two options waiting for a shot: Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Mack and Russell have spent spring practice vying for the starting job. Coach Kalen DeBoer has declined to offer much detail on any separation. But the team’s annual spring game Saturday could provide a glimpse into the competition.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — New Florida coach Jon Sumrall went 5 for 5 in his quest to keep running back Jadan Baugh, receiver Vernell Brown III, linebacker Myles Graham, receiver Dallas Wilson and edge rusher Jayden Woods. The plug-and-play starters – who will cost a combined $5.2 million in 2026 — should improve Sumrall’s chances of pulling the Gators out a five-year funk and returning the once-proud program to some semblance of normalcy. Sumrall says he's “grateful those guys stayed” and adds they "give us a shot to have success.”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Kentucky guard Denzel Aberdeen is headed back to Florida — possibly to play basketball again. Aberdeen visited with the Gators on Friday and then announced he is planning to re-enroll at the university to finish his undergraduate degree. He also would like to finish his basketball career where it started. Aberdeen spent three years at Florida and helped the Gators win the national championship in 2025. He transferred to Kentucky for what was supposed to be his final season. Now, the 6-foot-5 Orlando native is back in Gainesville and hoping to be granted a fifth year of eligibility.
UNDATED (AP) — Jim Knowles has installed new defenses in a lot of places. Having familiar faces around is making the experience much smoother this spring at Tennessee. Volunteers coach Josh Heupel hired Knowles as his new defensive coordinator in December. Then he added three defensive assistants who’ve worked with Knowles in the past. Four players also followed Knowles from Penn State to Knoxville thanks to the transfer portal. Knowles says that helps give them a step up. How well this new defense comes together won’t truly be tested until the season opener Sept. 5 against Furman. The first public look comes Saturday as Tennessee wraps up spring practice.
UNDATED (AP) — The NFL draft is seeing fewer longshots from small schools. The rise of NIL deals and the crowded transfer portal have concentrated talent in power conferences. The shift is impacting the draft, with fewer players from nonpower conferences being taken during the three-day event. Only 24 of 257 NFL draftees last year came from nonpower conferences. The NCAA's policy changes on name, image, and likeness, along with transfer rules, have altered scouting strategies, focusing more on traditional football powerhouses.
UNDATED (AP) — The NIL deals that are transforming college sports are also allowing NFL teams to gain insight into how a young player will react to having money before they get a big pro contract. For many evaluators, it has become an important tool in the draft process. A prospect who stays focused despite lucrative deals is more likely to make a smoother transition to the pros. Scouts want to see if a player’s performance dips after making a lot of money or if he maintains the same work ethic and consistency. How they interact with teammates is also a key dynamic.
