Colorado coach Deion Sanders has decided to redshirt freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis.
Lewis will not play in the season finale, preserving a year of his college eligibility.
Veteran quarterback Kaidon Salter will start in place of Lewis against Kansas State.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has pulled a reverse and decided to place a ‘redshirt’ on freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who will now sit out his team’s season finale at Kansas State as a result.

Sanders made the announcement at his weekly news conference Tuesday while admitting that he’s “not going to say (Lewis) was happy” with the decision.

“I’ve made a decision that JuJu is gonna redshirt,” Sanders said. “That’s my decision. I want what’s best for the kid, what’s best for his family, what’s best for this wonderful university.”

Lewis said Nov. 8 after his first career start at West Virginia that he didn’t want to redshirt and instead wanted to play in the rest of the team’s games this season after sitting so long on the bench. Sanders also said his redshirt plan was to go with the player’s wishes, telling reporters Nov. 1 that he’s ‘not gonna mandate’ that decision. TNT reported during its broadcast Nov. 8 that Colorado said it planned to not redshirt him.

Colorado lost Lewis’s two starts at West Virginia and last week against Arizona State, but he’s shown flashes of moxie and poise at age 18. Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter instead will start against Kansas State on Saturday Nov. 29 after previously being demoted.

What does this decision by Deion Sanders mean?

According to NCAA rule, players can play in up to four games in a season and not lose a season of eligibility, making it a so-called redshirt year. Lewis has played in four games so far, including two starting assignments the past two contests. By playing at Kansas State, he would exceed that limit and return next year as a sophomore with three years of college eligibility left. By sitting out for the final game on Saturday, Lewis instead will return in 2026 as a redshirt freshman with four seasons left. Players have five years to play in four seasons under the current rule.

The redshirt issue still might be moot anyway, because litigation is underway seeking to allow players to have five years to play in five seasons. A court hearing in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 15 could lead to a preliminary injunction against the NCAA’s four-year eligibility limit, but it only would affect five players for now if granted.

Sanders still said this decision is “best for the program” and is betting Lewis might be around long enough to take advantage of four more seasons through 2029.

Colorado is 3-8 this year and is “trying to play spoiler this week” against Kansas State, Sanders said. The Wildcats are 5-6 and trying to become eligible for a postseason bowl game with a win against Colorado Saturday.

“It’s best for everyone, but mainly it’s great for him” Sanders said. “So I’m not going to say he was happy because he’s a competitor. He wants to compete. He wants to play.”

Decision removes injury risk for Julian Lewis

Lewis, a top recruit out of Carrollton, Georgia., finishes the season having completed 52 of 94 passes for 589 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. Colorado has started three different quarterbacks this season, including Lewis, Salter and Ryan Staub.

All have struggled to replace last year’s starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, who made his NFL starting debut Sunday in a 24-10 win for the Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas.

By sitting Lewis against Kansas State, Deion Sanders also is avoiding the risk of injury to Lewis. His son Shedeur suffered a fractured back in 2023 as the Colorado offensive line gave up the second-most sacks in the nation (56). This year, Colorado has given up the most sacks in the Big 12 (35), just like they last year (43),

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story was updated to add new information).

The Buffalo Bills kicked off Week 12 NFL action with a loss to the Houston Texans on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Buffalo struggled to slow the Texans’ ferocious pass rush as Houston registered eight sacks for 70 yards.

With the extra time off ahead of their Week 13 game on the road versus Pittsburgh, the Bills are bringing in some veteran reinforcements to help the offense.

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is signing with the Bills, per multiple reports. The former first-round pick spent less than a full week as a free agent after the New Orleans Saints released him Nov. 19.

Buffalo is the sixth team Cooks has played for in the NFL. He joins the AFC contender and follows a recent trend for the Bills after they added Amari Cooper via trade last season.

Here’s how he fits in to a crowded wide receiver room in Buffalo.

Bills WR depth chart

Joshua Palmer
Khalil Shakir
Keon Coleman
Tyrell Shavers
Elijah Moore
Curtis Samuel
Brandin Cooks
Gabe Davis (practice squad)
Stephen Gosnell (practice squad)

Cooks is the latest veteran addition to the room for the 2025 season. Palmer and Moore came to the team via free agency this past offseason.

Brandin Cooks stats

Here’s his stats for the 2025 season so far with 10 games played for New Orleans:

Targets: 25
Catches: 19
Receiving yards: 165
Receiving touchdowns: 0

What teams has Brandin Cooks played for?

Buffalo will be the sixth team Cooks has played for in the NFL during his 12-year career. Here are the others:

New Orleans Saints (2014-2016, 2025)
New England Patriots (2017)
Los Angeles Rams (2018-2019)
Houston Texans (2020-2022)
Dallas Cowboys (2023-2024)

The UConn women’s basketball team remains at the top of USA TODAY Sports women’s college basketball poll after a pair of wins at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase over the weekend.

The Huskies got all they could handle from No. 9 Michigan before rolling past Utah. The top six in the poll remain unchanged with South Carolina, UCLA, Texas, LSU and Maryland in that order.

TCU and Oklahoma swapped spots at No. 7 and No. 8. The Horned Frogs, who picked up Olivia Miles in the transfer portal from Notre Dame, remain undefeated. The Sooners have one loss, to UCLA, earlier in the season.

Iowa is the biggest riser in the poll after defeating then No. 10-ranked Baylor and Miami last week. The Hawkeyes leapt six spots, from No. 20 to No. 14. They play No. 12 Iowa State, which rose three spots in the poll this week, on Dec. 10.

Baylor fell to No. 16 after their loss. USC also took a tumble, falling seven spots in the rankings, to No. 18, after losing to Notre Dame. North Carolina State, which has been ranked as high as No. 8, fell eight spots to No. 24. With losses to USC, TCU and Rhode Island, the Wolf Pack are in danger of dropping out of the poll.

Duke, which was ranked as high as No. 11, did fall out of the rankings this week.

Chelsea and Barcelona were both seeking a crucial win in the UEFA Champions League as they faced off at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Fans expected these two storied clubs to offer a tremendous contest. But that wasn’t really the case.

Chelsea dominated from the get-go, earning a great opportunity after a near scoring chance, while Barcelona struggled to maintain possession in Chelsea territory.

The first half was littered with great chances for Chelsea, and although they only came out of the first 45 with one tally, they put themselves in a great position to extend their lead, especially after Barca’s Araujo suffered a red card near the end of the first half.

Playing a man down in the second half, Chelsea absolutely dominated the final 45, tallying two more goals. It could’ve been much worse, but regardless, a win of this magnitude puts the rest of the UEFA Champions League on watch.

Here are the highlights from Chelsea’s massive 3-0 win.

FINAL: Chelsea 3, FC Barcelona 0

From the get-go, this game was all Chelsea, and it could’ve been much worse. A few handballs and offsides and near-misses could’ve made this a four or five goal game rather than the three-goal differential that it wound up being.

19-year-old Brazilian phenom Estevao was certainly a standout in this game, scoring Chelsea’s second goal of the game and proving that he can succeed at the highest levels.

This was certainly a statement win for Chelsea. Everyone expected a close game, but this wasn’t much of a challenge for Chelsea. They were the better team for 90 minutes.

GOAL: Delap (75′); Chelse 3, FC Barcelona 0

Chelsea’s remarkable play is being rewarded in the second half. They have been perfect with their through balls, and this goal was no different. After thinking they were offsides, Chelsea’s goal was upheld after the initial through ball spurred a massive 2-on-1 that resulted in an easy goal for Delap.

It’s 3-0 and Barcelona would need a miracle at this point.

GOAL: Estevao (55′); Chelsea 2, FC Barcelona 0

Chelsea is making the most of their opportunities in the second half it seems. Just ten minutes into the half, Chelsea has found the back of the net yet again, thanks to the 19-year-old Brazilian phenom, Estevao. It’s 2-0.

New half, same gameplay

Well, if Barcelona fans were hoping the halftime break would give them some momentum, it appears Chelsea is not letting it happen. Just six minutes into the second half, Chelsea had yet another strong opportunity on goal when a cross into the middle of the box landed directly on Enzo Fernandez’s foot.

His shot would beat the Barca keeper for Chelsea’s second goal of the game…or it would have had the crosser not been offsides. It was a bit of a delayed call from the line judge, but the result was the same, another goal called back for Chelsea, their third of the game. It remains 1-0.

HALF: Chelsea 1, FC Barcelona 0

This was not the half you wanted to see if you’re a Barcelona fan. Chelsea was swarming all half long, and Barca is lucky they only trail by one. While Barcelona did have a good opportunity early on, almost every other scoring chance belonged to Chelsea. Every cross seems to find a Chelsea forward and if not for a few key blocks, misses, saves, and even a handball, Chelsea could be up by two or three.

Barcelona will need to start mounting a more serious attack if they want any hope of catching Chelsea. If the second half is anything like the first though, this game could get ugly quick. And that could be a difficult ask, considering Barca’s Araujo suffered a red card in the 44th minute. Barcelona will be a man down for the full second half, making it that much easier to hold their one-goal lead.

GOAL: Jules Kounde OG (27′); Chelsea 1, FC Barcelona 0

After a terrific attack from Chelsea, the team was awarded a corner kick. From the corner, Chelsea’s Cucurella found a blind spot past the Barcelona defense, and although even the analysts were unsure if he was offsides, his cross into the middle of Barca’s box found a sea of legs. Originally, it was Pedro Neto who angled the cross toward the Barcelona goal. Originally, it was blocked, but in all the confusion, Barcelona’s Jules Kounde knocked the ball into his own goal.

Chelsea leads 1-0.

Barca with a near-miss of their own

Less than two minutes after Chelsea’s goal was overturned, Barcelona had a great chance of their own. No handballs. No offsides, just a 1-on-1 with Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez. Unfortunately for Barca, that chance would skate by with a shot wide right of the goal.

Although both teams have had excellent chances, this contest remains knotted at 0-0.

Chelsea nearly takes ealy lead

It was a quick start for Chelsea, who took advantage of Barcelona’s soft defense off a corner kick. A cross from Garnacho was defended poorly by Barca, allowing Chelsea’s attackers to have good looks at the net, including a shot from Enzo Fernandez that wound up in the goal. However, a handball in the midst of the scrum for the ball would disallow the goal. This one remains scoreless.

How to watch Chelsea vs Barcelona

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 25
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Stream: Paramount+
Location: Stamford Bridge (London)

Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to play in Portugal’s opening World Cup matches after FIFA reduced a three-match ban.
Ronaldo received the ban for a red card during a World Cup qualifying match against Ireland.
FIFA has imposed a one-year probation instead of the final two matches of the suspension.
The 2026 World Cup will be Ronaldo’s sixth and final appearance for Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to play in Portugal’s opening matches of the World Cup next year after being handed a favorable suspension from FIFA in response to a recent red card.

Ronaldo, 40, didn’t finish Portugal’s second-to-last World Cup qualifying match against Ireland earlier this month after receiving a red card for delivering an elbow to the back of Dara O’Shea. Ronaldo also had to miss Portugal’s final qualifying match, a 9-1 win over Armenia on Nov. 16 to secure a berth in the 2026 World Cup, as a result.

FIFA confirmed at the time that Ronaldo had been given a three-match ban for the red card against Ireland, but soccer’s governing body announced on Tuesday, Nov. 25, that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star would no longer have to serve the final two matches of the suspension. FIFA has instead imposed a one-year probation, citing an article in the FIFA Disciplinary Code that allows the organization to ‘fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.’

The ruling will allow Ronaldo to play for Portugal when group play begins at the World Cup in June. The 2026 World Cup draw is scheduled to be held on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

‘If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team,’ FIFA said in a statement.

The red card was upgraded from an initial yellow card after a VAR check. It was Ronaldo’s first in 226 international appearances for Portugal, according to Reuters.

This will be Ronaldo’s sixth and final World Cup appearance for Portugal, he said earlier this month. Ronaldo holds the record for most international goals (143), despite never winning soccer’s most coveted trophy. He has played the past three years for Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League.

FIFA announced its decision six days after Ronaldo met with United States President Donald Trump at the White House during a dinner for Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Virginia State Police are searching for high school football coach Travis Turner, who is wanted on criminal charges.
Turner faces charges related to child pornography and soliciting a minor with a computer.
He was reported missing on Nov. 20, the same day federal agents were sent to his residence.

Virginia State Police are still actively searching for Travis Turner, the missing high school football coach who is now wanted on criminal charges related to child pornography and soliciting a minor with a computer in the midst of an undefeated season.

Turner, 46, was officially named as a missing person on the Virginia State Police website on Sunday and listed as missing since Thursday, Nov. 20, when federal agents were sent to Turner’s residence in Appalachia, Virginia, and informed in transit that Turner was no longer there. Additional charges are pending, the Virginia State Police said, and the case remained under investigation. Turner had not been reported found as of 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

Wise County Public Schools Superintendent Mike Goforth on Tuesday, told USA TODAY the district was aware law enforcement had filed charges against ‘a staff member who has been on administrative leave.’ He also noted that the staff member ‘is not permitted on school property or to have contact with students.’

Turner was a well-known figure around Southwest Virginia, with a long history of athletic achievement that included time as a college quarterback. Here’s more on Travis Turner as authorities continue the search to arrest him:

Travis Turner was in same recruiting class as Michael Vick

Travis Turner played quarterback at Appalachia High School in Virginia for his father, Virginia High School League Hall of Fame member Tom Turner. They won three state championships together (1995-97).

Travis Turner was recruited to become a member of Virginia Tech’s 1998 recruiting class, which also included Michael Vick. Turner transferred to Division-II UVA-Wise for the 1999 season when Vick memorably led the Hokies to the national championship game.

Travis Turner played against Tony Romo in college

After leading UVA-Wise in passing in 1999, Turner transferred to Football Championship Subdivision school Eastern Kentucky. He led the EKU in passing in 2002 when the team finished with an 8-4 record in legendary coach Roy Kidd’s final season. The campaign included a 25-24 loss to Eastern Illinois on Oct. 12 in which Turner dueled with future Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

Travis Turner coaching career

Turner has been the football coach at Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, since 2011, according to multiple reports. An assistant coach served as head coach in Turner’s place when Union’s football team improved to 12-0 this past Saturday with a 12-0 win over Graham High School to advance to Virginia’s Region 2D championship game.

This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Prior to his death, Marshawn Kneeland was involved in a chase with Texas state troopers that topped speeds of 145 mph and led to an extensive ground search, according to documents, police dashcam, body-worn camera and drone footage obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

An offense report and officer body camera footage from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) detailed the last hours of the Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman’s life.

Police say Kneeland, 24, died by suicide in the sometime overnight Nov. 5-6. Authorities had earlier pursued Kneeland on the night of Nov. 5 while he drove his Dodge Challenger, which police initially believed had been stolen. The chase reached may have reached speeds of 160 mph, one officer said in the footage. They discovered his body in the early morning of Nov. 6.

Body camera footage details reaction to Kneeland crash, ensuing search

The chase began at 10:33 p.m. Nov. 5 as Kneeland drove northbound on the Dallas North Tollway. But the trooper in pursuit lost sight of him before coming upon the car after a crash with a pickup truck at 10:42 p.m.

According to body camera footage, the driver of the truck told a trooper, “I saw him in my rearview mirror coming as fast as he was. I was like ‘Oh my God,’ he’s not stopping and then he just plowed into me.”

Police found an emptied gun holster in Kneeland’s crashed car and believed him to be armed; authorities were unaware the suspect was a Cowboys player at that point in the search.

Police fired pepper balls, deployed K-9 officers in search

Catalina Mancera, Kneeland’s girlfriend, arrived near the scene and was detained by police. After she relayed her connection to Kneeland and that she was tracking his location, a Frisco police officer said:

“The girlfriend has his location. But she’s not giving it to us … “She’s like, ‘He’s going to kill himself. I can’t tell you where he’s at.’”

Other footage showed police discussing that they were looking for a NFL player who had texted goodbye to family members. Police found Kneeland dead from suicide in a portable bathroom about 30 minutes later.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. You are not alone.

The Boston Red Sox, who vowed to be aggressive this winter to make their team a World Series contender, landed one of the premier pitchers on the trade market Tuesday by acquiring St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray.

Gray, who had a full no-trade clause, agreed to waive it, according to agent Bo McKinnis, for the opportunity to pitch for a contender, while the Cardinals go into a rebuild under new GM Chaim Bloom.

The Red Sox will send No. 5 prospect Brandon Clarke and right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts to St. Louis.

Gray was owed $35 million this year with a $30 million club option or $5 million buyout in 2027. The contract was restructured to pay Gray $31 million this year with a $10 million buyout on a mutual option in 2027, engineered by McKinnis for the trade to be consummated. The Cardinals agreed to pay $20 million of Gray’s contract, according to Masslive.com, in order to receive a better package of prospects from the Red Sox.

Gray, 36, was 14-8 with a 3.48 ERA for the Cardinals last season in the second year of his three-year, $75 million contract. The Cardinals were hoping to trade him at last year’s trade deadline but he declined to waive his no-trade clause, saying only that he would revisit the situation this winter. The Cardinals informed him this winter that they were going into a rebuild, which persuaded Gray to waive his no-trade provision.

While the Red Sox certainly have a fabulous 1-2 pitching dynamic on paper with Garrett Crochet and Gray, Gray has not only struggled in his lone experience pitching for a big-market team – going 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA with the New York Yankees – but also has had troubles pitching at Fenway Park. He is 0-4 with a 6.84 ERA at Fenway over 26 ⅓ innings, yielding a .326 batting average and .895 OPS.

Bloom, who was head of baseball operations for the Red Sox before being fired, now is relying on the Red Sox to jump-start his rebuild. He made it clear that instead of just dumping payroll, they needed prospects in return, and were willing to pay about half of the remainder of Gray’s contract.

The Cardinals will next try to unload Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado. He has two years left on his contract for $42 million and has informed the Cardinals he also is willing to waive his no-trade clause after rejecting trades to the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels last year.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

Red Sox rotation

Garrett Crochet
Sonny Gray
Brayan Bello
Kutter Crawford
Patrick Sandoval / Connelly Early / Payton Tolle

Cardinals rotation

Matthew Liberatore
Andre Pallante
Michael McGreevy
Richard Fitts
Kyle Leahy

Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham are the latest WNBA players to sign on with women’s basketball startup league Project B, which begins play in Europe, Asia and Latin America in 2026.

On Monday and Tuesday, the league revealed that Mitchell and Cunningham would join its expanding roster that includes names like Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury Forward Alyssa Thomas. As with Ogwumike and Thomas, the Fever stars will also have ownership in the league.’Project B represents the next evolution of women’s basketball,’ Mitchell said in a statement on Monday. ‘I’m honored to be part of this global movement and excited to compete on a stage built for the future of the game.”

Cunningham echoed her Fever teammate’s thoughts, saying she was ‘excited to join Project B’s athlete roster as they launch a new chapter in women’s basketball.’ The WNBA star, who has previously been critical of the WNBA, heaped praise on the startup organization as it pushes to grow basketball globally. ‘Our game is exploding in popularity, and I’m all in on carrying that momentum forward in any way I can, both at home in the US and beyond,’ she said.

Mitchell and Cunningham are the eighth and ninth announced players to join the league, founded by former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice. In addition to Mitchell, Cunningham, Ogwumike and Thomas, several other players with WNBA ties have joined the organization, including New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones, Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd, Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, former Washington Mystics guard Li Meng, and Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun.

Project B, which is slated to run from November 2026 to April 2027, will be made up of six teams of 11 players and played on a traveling circuit, similar to other sports like tennis and golf. The new league has emphasized player compensation, a point of contention in the WNBA’s ongoing CBA negotiations, reportedly promising to pay players salaries that start at $2 million annually.