Ohio State has picked up a transfer quarterback.

Will Howard, an experienced signal caller from Kansas State who has one season of eligibility left, told ESPN Thursday that he has committed to the Buckeyes following a visit.

The addition will put him in the middle of a competition to replace Kyle McCord as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback after McCord transferred to Syracuse last month.

Howard was among the most sought-after passers in the transfer portal and was also reported to have taken trips to Miami and Southern California.

‘When I started talking to Ohio State, everything kind of lined up,’ Howard told ESPN. ‘I had a list of things I was looking for, in terms of needing to go somewhere where there was a lot of talent around me and somewhere I could compete for a national championship.’

Howard made 27 career starts with the Wildcats, including leading them to a win in overtime over TCU in the 2022 Big 12 championship game that resulted in a berth in the Sugar Bowl. He finished as Kansas State’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns.

Howard, a 6-foot-5, 242-pound super senior, is more of a dual-threat quarterback than either McCord or C.J. Stroud, the most recent starters behind center for the Buckeyes.

Along with throwing for 5,786 yards, 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions over four seasons, Howard ran for 921 yards and 19 touchdowns, making him the most prolific running threat that Ohio State has had at the position since Justin Fields.

It was not clear, though, how long the 22-year-old Howard would have remained entrenched as the starting quarterback at Kansas State had he remained for another season.

Avery Johnson, a freshman who was the highest-ranked quarterback to sign with the Wildcats in almost two decades, began taking more snaps in October and has figured into their long-term plans at the position.

Howard entered the portal in late November, leaving before the Wildcats wrapped up their season with a win over North Carolina State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last week.

Before Ohio State brought Howard into the fold, Devin Brown had appeared to be the heavy favorite to replace McCord as its starting quarterback.

But Brown, who had pushed McCord for the starting job last offseason as a redshirt freshman, did not get much of an audition in his first start in the Cotton Bowl.

He suffered a high ankle sprain late in the first quarter, leading him to be sidelined for most of the 14-3 loss to Missouri.

Lincoln Kienholz, a freshman who replaced Brown, looked inexperienced as he was under frequent duress.

Along with freshman Air Noland who enrolls this month, Brown and Kienholz are the other scholarship quarterbacks who will be on the roster for spring practice.

In the aftermath of the bowl game, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day did not rule out adding a quarterback through the portal, saying that everything was on the table.

It’s been a long-standing preference for Day to maintain at least four quarterbacks on scholarship.

Ohio State added Tristan Gebbia as a transfer from Oregon State last January to fill out its room of passers, but Gebbia was less experienced as a starter than Howard and not expected to be much of a factor in the competition to replace Stroud. Gebbia, who had started only five games with the Beavers, didn’t make an appearance for Ohio State in 2023.

If Howard prevails in a competition this offseason, he would become the first transfer quarterback to start for the Buckeyes since coach Ryan Day brought in Fields in 2019 for his first season at the helm.

The arrival of Fields from Georgia did have lingering effects on the rest of the depth chart, leading Tate Martell to transfer to Miami weeks later.

Brown might not follow that path. The window for undergraduate players to transfer does not re-open until April, and Brown has been resolved to compete for the job.

“I’ve always been worried about me,” he said before starting in the Cotton Bowl, “and that’s never going to change. I never cared who was in the room coming into this place. I was excited to have people in the room and go against them. That’s always been my deal.”

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard was just named the top rookie for the second month in a row.

And now, the Chicago Blackhawks center is getting another honor. He was one of the first 32 players, one from each team, named to the initial roster for next month’s NHL All-Star Game.

Bedard, 18, who will become the youngest All-Star in NHL history, leads his team and all rookies with 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points. Some of his goals have been spectacular.

Though players have been named, they haven’t been assigned to teams yet. The NHL will return to the format of having team captains pick the teams in a draft, which will occur two days before the All-Star Game.

Fans will get to vote for the final eight skaters and four goaltenders through Jan. 11.

Here is who made the initial roster for the Feb. 1-3 All-Star weekend (appearance in parentheses):

Which Eastern Conference players were named to the NHL All-Star Game?

David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (4th)

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres (3rd)

Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes (3rd)

Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets (1st)

Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings (2nd)

Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers (1st)

Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens (3rd)

Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (3rd)

Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders (3rd)

Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers (2nd)

Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators (4th)

Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers (2nd)

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (6th)

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning (5th)

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (5th)

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals (2nd)

Are there any snubs?

The Rangers’ Artemi Panarin didn’t make the list, even though he was fourth in the NHL in scoring at the time of the announcement. But there’s a good reason. He and his wife are expecting their second child, he said.

Matthews (30) is the NHL’s leading goal scorer, but teammate William Nylander is fifth in scoring and opened the season with an 18-game point streak. He’ll likely get voted in by fans.

Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle is worthy of an All-Star nod. Barzal leads the Islanders in scoring but defenseman Noah Dobson is one point back and would also be a good choice. Jenner, the Blue Jackets’ leading goal scorer, is currently out with a broken jaw but should recover in time.

Which Western Conference players were named to the NHL All-Star Game?

Frank Vatrano, Anaheim Ducks (1st)

Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes (4th)

Elias Lindholm, Calgary Flames (1st)

Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks (1st)

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (5th)

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars (1st)

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (7th)

Cam Talbot, Los Angeles Kings (2nd)

Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild (3rd)

Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators (2nd)

Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues (1st)

Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks (2nd)

Oliver Bjorkstrand, Seattle Kraken (1st)

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks (2nd)

Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights (4th)

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets (4th)

Are there any snubs?

Not really. The Canucks could have had multiple choices beyond Hughes, including forwards J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser and goalie Thatcher Demko. Seattle’s Vince Dunn was overlooked, but Bjorkstrand is the Kraken’s No. 2 scorer. Goalie Joey Daccord, who got a shutout in the Winter Classic, also would have been a good choice for Seattle.

When and where is the 2024 NHL All-Star Game?

All-Star weekend will be Feb. 1-3 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. The first night features captains drafting their teams (6 p.m. ET, ESPN). The revamped skills competition is on Feb. 2 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the 3-on-3 All-Star Game is on Feb. 3 (3 p.m. ET, ABC).

How does the fan vote work?

Fans can vote on NHL.com, the NHL app or on X, formerly Twitter. Here are the eligibility guidelines. Each fan post must include the complete hashtag “#NHLAllStarVote” and a player’s full name or X handle or tag the player’s X handle. Only referencing a last name will not count.

With the nonchalance of someone out for a neighborhood amble, Nikola Jokic ripped out the hearts of the Golden State Warriors with the buzzer beater of the year.

Granted, we are but a few days into 2024. But just after Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokonmpo gave us a finale for the ages, the Denver Nuggets and Golden State showed the league how it’s done.

How’s this for an ending?

Jokic’s 39-foot heave gave the Nuggets (25-11) the road win over the Warriors (16-18), 130-127. Jokic messed around and nearly got a triple-double, scoring 34 points while adding in 10 assists and nine rebounds. Of course, three of those points will be talked about more than the others.

For the Warriors, they skid to 18 losses on the season despite 30 points on 11-for-23 shooting from Steph Curry. They blew an 18-point lead with under seven minutes to play, per TNT.

The Nuggets play the Pistons on Friday, which doesn’t really seem fair.

Watch: Nikola Jokic’s epic 39-foot buzzer-beater

Sit or start? Rest or rust?

When it comes to the NFL regular-season finale, this is the age-old question.

Is it better to give key starters a final game off as a de facto second bye week that allows them to heal from the six-month grind of the season?

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

The Miami Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills on their home field Sunday night. That doesn’t mean they’ll have the advantage in the stands.

The majority of spectators will be Bills fans at Hard Rock Stadium for the showdown to determine the AFC East champion, according to Vivid Seats. Its Fan Forecast predicts a 52% to 48% edge for Bills fans. Hard Rock Stadium has a capacity of 64,767 so that’s about 33,679 Bills fans.

Ticket prices have hovered around $300 for the cheapest seats on secondary market sites.

Bills Mafia is known for traveling well, following the team across the country, in Toronto, in London, and greeting the team plane at airports. Announcers on television broadcasts for multiple road games this year, including at the Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders, commented that the crowd was louder for the Bills.

If the Bills defeat the Dolphins, western New Yorkers will be able to stay put for a couple of weeks. A victory gives Buffalo the No. 2 seed in the AFC and potentially two home games in the playoffs.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

There are more than 600 Bills Backers chapters worldwide. The Bills Backers Miami group has several events planned this week, including live music and a DJ, a welcome party in Fort Lauderdale, an ticketed event for 800 people with an open bar, food and giveaways, and a tailgate at Hard Rock Stadium. Now known as New Era Field South.

HOUSTON (AP) — Five-time All-Star and World Series champion Michael Brantley announced his retirement Friday after 15 MLB seasons.

The outfielder already has his next job lined up, too: coaching Little League.

“I have young kids, and now it’s time to be a dad, first and foremost,” Brantley told MLB.com. “It’s time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up and not miss important milestones.”

Brantley leaves with a .298 career batting average during 10 years in Cleveland and five more in Houston. He hit 129 home runs with 720 RBIs and 125 stolen bases in 1,445 regular-season games. He hit .283 over 62 postseason games, including .327 in two World Series with the Astros.

The 36-year-old Brantley was a free agent this winter. He was limited to 15 regular-season games in 2023, returning to play for the final month after a lengthy recovery from a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. Before his return in late August, he had not played in the majors since June 26, 2022.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

In 2008, Brantley was sent from Milwaukee to Cleveland to complete the trade that sent left-hander CC Sabathia to the Brewers. He made his debut in Cleveland the following season and played there through the 2018 season. He then signed with Houston, where he was on hand to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy in 2022.

Brantley hadn’t played since late June that year following a fourth surgery on his right shoulder, but his teammates put him at the center of the celebration.

“That was the most special part for me,” Brantley said. “My teammates putting me front and center, telling me to raise the trophy up — I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I’m always going to remember that.”

Despite opting out of Maryland’s Music City Bowl matchup against Auburn, seemingly in preparation for the 2024 NFL Draft, Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has reportedly entered the transfer portal, per numerous reports.

The former Alabama football quarterback and younger brother of Miami Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa has technically run out of eligibility, playing four seasons in a five-year span. Per numerous reports, he would need to apply for a waiver for an extra season of eligibility. Should he receive it, the graduate transfer would have another year to add to his already-impressive college football résumé.

Taulia Tagovailoa set a Big Ten record in 2023 with 11,356 career passing yards during his career at Maryland. After leading the Terrapins to a bowl game for the third straight season, Tagovailoa opted out of the Music City Bowl game to focus on his future.

“When he came to sit down and then he made the decision that he didn’t want to play in the bowl game in an effort to pursue future opportunities, whether it be the NFL, whether it be transferring, if in fact there were more time available, it was a pretty easy conversation because the mutual respect was there,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said on 105.7 “The Fan” in Baltimore on Dec. 22.

Here’s what you need to know about Taulia Tagovailoa’s decision to enter the transfer portal.

Taulia Tagovailoa stats

After a limited role in his freshman year at Alabama, Taulia Tagovailoa opted to transfer to Maryland ahead of the 2020 season. His brief stint with the Crimson Tide involved five games, in which he completed 9 of 12 passes for 100 yards and a single touchdown. Seeking a more prominent role, Tagovailoa made the move to Maryland for the 2019 season, a decision that significantly shaped his collegiate career.

Over four seasons with the Terrapins, Tagovailoa emerged as the Big Ten’s all-time passing yards leader, amassing an impressive 11,356 yards. As the starting quarterback from 2021 to 2023, he guided the Terrapins to three consecutive bowl game appearances.

Tagovailoa set multiple records at Maryland, including passing touchdowns (77), career completions (955), completion percentage (67.1), and 300-yard games (15), complemented by 13 rushing touchdowns. In his final season at Maryland, he accumulated 3,377 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, nearly matching his single-season career high.

Here’s a year-by-year look at his passing stats at Alabama and Maryland:

2019 (Alabama): 9 of 12 passing (75%) for 100 yards and a touchdown2020 (Maryland): 75 of122 passing (61.5%) for 1,011 and seven touchdowns to seven interceptions2021 (Maryland): 328 of 474 passing (69.2%) for 3,860 yards and 26 touchdowns to 11 interceptions2022 (Maryland): 262 of 391 passing (67%) for 3,008 yards and 18 touchdowns to eight interceptions2023 (Maryland): 290 of 437 passing (66.4%) for 3,377 yards and 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions

Taulia Tagovailoa eligibility

After a prodigious career in college football, Tagovailoa reportedly would need to get cleared for an extra season of eligibility to find a new team in the transfer portal. As he has technically used up all his eligibility, the quarterback may be able to gain that extra year of eligibility through a waiver.

Tagovailoa took advantage of the COVID-related free year in 2020 and remains ineligible for a medical redshirt throughout his college years.

“Honestly, if I could do it again, hopefully my brother doesn’t get injured and I’m not in that emotional state where I want to play in the game. If I got to do it over again, I wouldn’t have played in the game,’ Tagovailoa told Thamel. ‘Coach asked me if I wanted to go in. Of course I wanted to go in and play for my brother. And that’s what happened.”

If he cannot secure a waiver, the signal-caller possesses the arm skills necessary to secure a spot on an NFL roster, potentially as a late-round draft pick or even as an undrafted free agent.