Month: December 2021

By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP College Football Writer The No. 1 high school football recruit in the country pulled a signing day shocker Wednesday, deciding to attend Jackson State and play for coach Deion Sanders after being verbally committed to Florida State for months. Travis Hunter, a cornerback from Suwanee, Georgia, made the unprecedented announcement during a ceremony at Collins Hill High School. Hunter was Baltimore Ravens Jersey  the top prospect in the country in 247 Sports' composite rankings, which take into account its own ratings plus those of other major recruiting websites. Sanders is a former Florida State star and Pro Football Hall of Famer who is in his second year coaching Jackson State, a historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi. ...

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — When Kevin Stefanski received word he'd tested positive again for COVID-19, Cleveland's cool coach barely blinked. Nothing new for him or the Browns. On Wednesday, the team's virus outbreak widened and worsened with Stefanski, quarterback Baker Mayfield and three others starters testing positive, jeopardizing their chances of participating in Saturday’s critical game against the Las Vegas Raiders. In all, Cleveland has 18 players — 11 of them starters or regulars — and two coaches on the COVID-19 list. It's the second straight year the Browns are dealing Hey Dude Shoes with a major spike in COVID-19 cases while in the midst of pursuing a playoff spot. Last season, Stefanski had to sit out Cleveland's...

By ERIC OLSON, AP College Football Writer Through all the changes to the college sports landscape with money-making opportunities for athletes and open transfers, one thing remains the same. A bunch of Southeastern Conference schools along with venerable programs like Ohio State and Texas are at or near the top of the national recruiting rankings. The three-day December signing period opened Wednesday, with Texas A&M finishing the day with the lead according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher put together his fourth straight top-10 class. Alabama, which won nine of the previous 11 recruiting titles, was No. 2. Georgia was No. 3, Skechers Womens Outlet  marking the fifth straight year the Bulldogs have been in the top five....

By ROB MAADDI and SCHUYLER DIXON, AP Pro Football Writers IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL is planning “significant changes” to its COVID-19 protocols amid the worst three-day stretch for the league during the pandemic, a person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details haven’t been finalized, said the league and the NFL Players Association are discussing three main areas: testing protocols; return to play guidelines to allow asymptomatic players who’ve tested positive to return sooner; and encouraging booster shots. On Monday, the league informed coaches, front-office Vans Shoes For Womens  staff and other team personnel to receive a COVID-19 booster by Dec. 27. Players weren...

DALLAS (AP) — Rookie Austin Reaves swished a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 107-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. Reaves’ basket, his fifth from behind the arc on six tries, came from 25 feet on a kickout from Russell Westbrook. He had the Lakers' only overtime points scored by someone other than the team’s Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook. “There was about one second left, and I didn’t have Hoka Shoes  anything to do but shoot it,” said Reaves, who played two seasons each at Wichita State and Oklahoma, signing a two-way contract with the Lakers in August that was converted to a regular contract in September. “Great pass, and I made a shot.” James scored 24 points, Westbro...

By CLIFF BRUNT, AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Devonte' Graham's 61-foot heave at the buzzer gave the New Orleans Pelicans a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just hit an off-balance 30-footer to tie the score with 1.4 seconds remaining. The Pelicans inbounded to Graham, who launched the ball from near the 3-point arc on the other end of the floor to win it. “I just wanted to get one up, honestly,” Graham said. Hoka Shoes,“I didn’t want to take the ball out. I waited. Then J-Hart (Josh Hart) passed it to me and I just let it fly." Brandon Ingram, who led the Pelicans with 34 points, went through a wide range of emotions as the shot went up. “I thought it was going in,” I...