Bryce Underwood is returning to Michigan for his sophomore season, he announced via social media on Jan. 5.

Underwood never entered the transfer portal, but his status was in question due to the Wolverines’ coaching change. Michigan hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore, and Whittingham brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him.

Underwood said during Michigan’s bowl preparations for the Citrus Bowl against Texas he would decide on his future after the game. His decision comes five days after Michigan’s 41-27 loss on Dec. 31.

Whittingham said early Jan. 5 he was expecting a decision soon from Underwood, and he expected the signal caller to return to Michigan.

‘He seems to really enjoy his time here, has enjoyed his time here,’ Whittingham said on ‘Wake Up Barstool.’ ‘He’s one of the team leaders. He’s a young guy, but he’s one of the team leaders, obviously, by virtue of the position. And so, he is a guy that we think is going to be a part of what we’re doing going forward.’

Underwood struggled in his final start of the 2025 season in Michigan’s loss to Texas. He completed 23-of-42 passes for 199 yards with two touchdowns but threw three interceptions. He also rushed for 69 yards and another touchdown.

The Belleville, Michigan native made headlines when he flipped his longtime commitment from LSU to Michigan just a few days before the early signing period opened on Dec. 4, 2024. Underwood committed to LSU in January 2024 before flipping his commitment in November of that year.

Whittingham and Michigan’s new coaching staff now look to build around Underwood, as the talented young quarterbacks looks to build on his true freshman season.

There’s always next year.

For some NFL teams, that’s all there ever is. The 2025 NFL regular season is officially over and that means 18 of the league’s 32 teams won’t play another game that matters until September. A nine-month break is an awfully long time to wait, but every fan base can at least dream about the opponents for next season.

The opponents are set for all 32 teams, which continue to be based on the NFL’s schedule rotation. Each team will play a home-and-away contest against its three divisional opponents, while also taking on one other division within its conference and another outside it.

Even with the opponents known, the NFL schedule isn’t typically released until May. That means there will be about a five-month wait before fans can plan their weekends in the fall and winter.

For now, everyone can dream about potential records while sizing up the competition for next season.

Here’s a look at every team’s opponents for the 2026 NFL regular season.

2026 NFL opponents by team

AFC East

1. New England Patriots

Home: Buffalo, Miami, N.Y. Jets, Denver, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Pittsburgh
Away: Buffalo, Miami, N.Y. Jets, Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Seattle

2. Buffalo Bills                       

Home: Miami, New England, N.Y. Jets, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers
Away: Miami, New England, N.Y. Jets, Denver, Green Bay, Houston, Las Vegas, L.A. Rams, Minnesota

Home: Buffalo, New England, N.Y. Jets, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers                   
Away: Buffalo, New England, N.Y. Jets, Denver, Indianapolis, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Minnesota, San Francisco

4. New York Jets                   

Home: Buffalo, Miami, New England, Cleveland, Denver, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Minnesota
Away: Buffalo, Miami, New England, Arizona, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Tennessee

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 

Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Atlanta, Carolina, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis
Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Jacksonville, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Tennessee

2. Baltimore Ravens              

Home: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, L.A. Chargers, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Tennessee
Away: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis

3. Cincinnati Bengals            

Home: Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Tennessee
Away: Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Washington

4. Cleveland Browns             

Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas
Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets, Tennessee 

AFC South

1. Jacksonville Jaguars        

Home: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Cleveland, New England, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Away: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, N.Y. Giants

2. Houston Texans                

Home: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, N.Y. Giants
Away: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Cleveland, Green Bay, L.A. Chargers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

3. Indianapolis Colts             

Home: Houston, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Miami, N.Y. Giants
Away: Houston, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Cleveland, Kansas City, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

4. Tennessee Titans              

Home: Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Cleveland, N.Y. Jets, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Away: Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, N.Y. Giants 

AFC West

1. Denver Broncos                

Home: Kansas City, Las Vegas, L.A. Chargers, Buffalo, Jacksonville, L.A. Rams, Miami, Seattle
Away: Kansas City, Las Vegas, L.A. Chargers, Arizona, Carolina, New England, N.Y. Jets, Pittsburgh, San Francisco

2. Los Angeles Chargers      

Home: Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Arizona, Houston, New England, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco
Away: Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Buffalo, L.A. Rams, Miami, Seattle, Tampa Bay

3. Kansas City Chiefs            

Home: Denver, Las Vegas, L.A. Chargers, Arizona, Indianapolis, New England, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco
Away: Denver, Las Vegas, L.A. Chargers, Atlanta, Buffalo, Cincinnati, L.A. Rams, Miami, Seattle

4. Las Vegas Raiders            

Home: Denver, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Buffalo, L.A. Rams, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee
Away: Denver, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Arizona, Cleveland, New England, New Orleans, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco 

NFC East

Home: Dallas, N.Y. Giants, Washington, Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis, L.A. Rams, Pittsburgh, Seattle
Away: Dallas, N.Y. Giants, Washington, Arizona, Chicago, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Tennessee

2. Dallas Cowboys                

Home: N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Arizona, Baltimore, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Tennessee
Away: N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, L.A. Rams, Seattle

3. Washington Commanders    

Home: Dallas, N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Houston, Indianapolis, L.A. Rams, Seattle
Away: Dallas, N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia, Arizona, Jacksonville, Minnesota, San Francisco, Tennessee

Home: Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, Arizona, Cleveland, Jacksonville, New Orleans, San Francisco, Tennessee
Away: Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, L.A. Rams, Seattle 

NFC North

1. Chicago Bears                   

Home: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Jacksonville, New England, New Orleans, N.Y. Jets, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay
Away: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Miami, Seattle

Home: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Dallas, Houston, Miami
Away: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, L.A. Rams, New England, New Orleans, N.Y. Jets, Tampa Bay

3. Minnesota Vikings             

Home: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Indianapolis, Miami, Washington
Away: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, New England, New Orleans, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco, Tampa Bay

4. Detroit Lions                     

Home: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, New England, New Orleans, N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets, Tampa Bay, Tennessee
Away: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Miami 

NFC South

1. Carolina Panthers             

Home: Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Seattle
Away: Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Green Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh

Home: Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans, Cleveland, Green Bay, L.A. Chargers, L.A. Rams, Minnesota, Pittsburgh
Away: Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit

3. Atlanta Falcons                 

Home: Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, San Francisco
Away: Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Green Bay, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Washington

4. New Orleans Saints           

Home: Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Cleveland, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Pittsburgh
Away: Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, N.Y. Giants 

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks              

Home: Arizona, L.A. Rams, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, New England, N.Y. Giants
Away: Arizona, L.A. Rams, San Francisco, Carolina, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington

2. Los Angeles Rams            

Home: Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, Buffalo, Dallas, Green Bay, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, N.Y. Giants
Away: Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Washington

3. San Francisco 49ers          

Home: Arizona, L.A. Rams, Seattle, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington
Away: Arizona, L.A. Rams, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, N.Y. Giants

4. Arizona Cardinals              

Home: L.A. Rams, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, N.Y. Jets, Philadelphia, Washington
Away: L.A. Rams, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, New Orleans, N.Y. Giants

Rose BC’s title defense starts now.

The inaugural Unrivaled champions open the season on Monday with a matchup against the Lunar Owls BC, one of eight teams that make up the 3-on-3 league created by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Rose BC returns all but two players from its championship roster, including Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull and Azurá Stevens, and are in prime position to make another title run.

They’ll have to go through the Lunar Owls, who are looking for revenge. The team finished ahead of the standings and earned the No. 1 overall seed heading into the playoffs last season, but were upset in the semifinals by the Vinyl BC. The Lunar Owls will be without 2025 league MVP Napheesa Collier who has to have surgery on both ankles.

‘We didn’t win it, so we want to win. I’m not going to lie,’ Lunar Owls’ Skylar Diggins told USA TODAY Sports. The Lunar Owls are rounded out by Aaliyah Edwards, Rachel Banham, Rebecca Allen, Temi Fagbenle and Marina Mabrey, a fellow Notre Dame alumna Diggins joked she’s ‘happy I don’t have to play against.’

Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s matchup between Rose BC and Lunar Owls BC:

Halftime: Rose 52, Lunar Owls 27

Rose BC guard Chelsea Gray exploded in the second quarter, scoring 12 of her 16 points in the seven-minute frame to extend Rose BC’s lead to 26 points at halftime. Gray is shooting 6-of-7 from the field including 4-of-5 from 3. She also has five assists and two rebounds. Aaliyah Edwards has 15 points for the Lunar Owls, who are 0-of-7 from 3.

Marina Mabrey, Sug Sutton exchange shoves

Tensions appeared to boil over as the Rose led 52-24 with 29.8 seconds remaining in the second quarter. As Lunar Owl’s Marina Mabrey was bringing the ball up the court, she made contact with Rose’s Sug Sutton. A frustrated Mabrey shoved Sutton and was pushed back by Sutton and Shakira Austin. A common foul was called on Sutton, while Mabrey, Sutton and Austin were all assessed technical fouls.

Napheesa Collier on CBA: ‘We’re not going to back down’

Napheesa Collier, co-owner of Unrivaled and Vice President of the WNBPA, said the players are ‘standing firm in what they believe in’ ahead of the impending WNBA CBA deadline on Friday, Jan 9.

‘You’ve just heard a lot of chatter about what we’re asking for is not sustainable for the business. Being on this side with Unrivaled, I know what it takes to run a sustainable business,’ Collier said during Monday’s broadcast. ‘I think if (the WNBA) can’t find a model that makes it happen, they need to put people in place who can, because we’ve proven that it is possible. There is a way and we’re thriving in that. And so I do think a deal’s going to get done, but we’re standing firm in what we believe in. We’re not going to back down and we can’t take less. The sport has just grown too much. It’d be a disservice to the people who came before us.’

End of Q1: Rose BC 25, Lunar Owls BC 9

Rose BC jumped to a 5-0 lead over the Lunar Owls and didn’t look back. Rose has a 21-7 lead after the first quarter, with 10 points and seven rebounds coming from Azurá Stevens. Shakira Austin added eight points and Chelsea Gray four points. Rose outrebounded the Lunar Owls 13-9, including five offensive rebounds that led to second chance points. The Lunar Owls have got off to a shaky start, shooting 4-of-14 from the field and 0-of-5 from the 3-point line. Aaliyah Edwards has all seven of the Lunar Owls’ nine points.

What time is Rose BC vs. Lunar Owls?

Rose BC opens the season against the Lunar Owls BC at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at Sephora Arena in Miami.

Rose BC vs. Lunar Owls: TV, streaming

Date: Monday, Jan. 5
Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
Location: Sephora Arena (Miami)
TV: TNT, Tru TV
Stream: Fubo, HBO Max

Lunar Owls BC starting lineup

Starters: Marina Mabrey, Aaliyah Edwards, Rebecca Allen

Is Napheesa Collier playing in Unrivaled?

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier will miss the 2026 Unrivaled season and is in jeopardy of missing the start of the WNBA season as well. Last week, ESPN reported Collier needs surgery on both ankles, which is expected to sideline her for 4-6 months. After consultation with her medical staff, the WNBA All-Star is reportedly scheduled to have the procedure next week in New York.

‘I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season,’ Collier wrote in an Instagram post. ‘I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with my [Lunar] Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward. I will still be cheering on my teammates every step of the way, and I will continue to work relentlessly with the rest of the players and our staff to push our sport forward and raise the bar for women’s basketball.’ — Meghan Hall

Lunar Owls BC injury report

Skylar Diggins (right lower extremity) and Napheesa Collier (lower extremity) were both ruled out.

Rose BC starting lineup

Starters: Lexie Hull, Chelsea Gray, Azurá Stevens

Rose BC injury report

Kahleah Copper (right lower extremity) has been ruled out for Monday.

Rose BC championship ceremony

Unrivaled took time to stop and smell the roses on Monday with a championship ceremony for the inaugural champions. The 2025 Rose BC squad of Naz Hillmon, Kahleah Copper, Brittney Sykes, Azurá Stevens, Lexie Hull and Chelsea Gray, who was accompanied by her son Lennox, reunited on the court Monday at Sephora Arena.

Each member of the team was gifted a bouquet of roses before watching a special highlight reel together. Afterwards, Unrivaled’s first-ever championship banner was unveiled. Angel Reese and Natisha Hiedeman weren’t present for the ceremony, but received applause from the crowd.

Skylar Diggins says Unrivaled sets example to follow

Skylar Diggins didn’t know what to expect when she signed on for the inaugural season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. She anxiously headed down to Miami last January, her two children in tow. What she found was a community made ‘for us, by us.’

Lunar Owls roster

Head coach: DJ Sackmann

Skylar Diggins
Marina Mabrey
Temi Fagbenle
Rachel Banham
Rebecca Allen
Aaliyah Edwards

(Temi Fagbenle replaces Napheesa Collier, who will miss the 2026 season following ankle surgery)

Rose BC roster

Head coach: Nola Henry

Chelsea Gray
Kahleah Copper
Sug Sutton
Azurá Stevens
Lexie Hull
Shakira Austin

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The United States’ attack on Caracas and capture of Nicolás Maduro has so far had a minimal impact on Major League Baseball.
Venezuela’s professional baseball league postponed its playoffs for four days but is scheduled to resume competition.
Dozens of Venezuelan players, including top prospects and stars, are on MLB rosters or participating in winter leagues.

For now, the instability in Venezuela following the United States’ attack on Caracas has had minimal impact on Major League Baseball, thanks largely to the timing of president Nicolás Maduro’s capture and transfer to New York, where on Jan. 5 he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.

Still, there are immediate affects in Venezuela and bigger-picture concerns as the game’s calendar drifts toward February.

The Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional postponed its playoffs following the raid in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, and announced competition is scheduled to resume Wednesday, Jan. 7 after a four-day delay.

Meanwhile, major league teams are aiming to keep connected to personnel there.

‘We created a player and staff chat making sure everyone is safe and to keep communication fluid,’ Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz told USA TODAY Sports. ‘It’s all been positive in regard to safety.

‘Obviously, there’s some anxiety with the unknowns, but people seem optimistic better days are ahead for their families.’

Venezuela’s winter ball playoffs – a five-team, 16-game round-robin tournament – run through January and several MLB players are participating, most notably Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, who hit a game-winning home run for his club, Aguilas del Zulia, just hours before the raid on Caracas began.

Like many MLB players participating in winter leagues throughout the Caribbean, Chourio was scheduled to play just a portion of the postseason for his club before preparing in earnest for the Brewers’ 2026 season. Major league spring training camps begin opening Feb. 9, though both domestic and international players often begin working out at or near their facilities far sooner.

Chourio was one of 63 Venezuelan players on major league opening-day rosters, the largest foreign-born contingent behind the Dominican Republic’s 100 players.

‘We don’t have much info at the moment but are trying to follow up,’ Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, via a team spokesperson. ‘We know the airports have been shut down but not much beyond that.’

Travel to and from Venezuela has grown more complex in the past quarter-century, beginning with greater scrutiny of passports and visas in the wake of 9/11. In 2002, a general strike and brief overthrow of then-president Hugo Chavez roiled Venezuela, and many veteran ballplayers and MLB personnel from Venezuela have opted to relocate to the USA.

Hall of Fame-caliber players such as Miguel Cabrera and Salvador Perez have become U.S. citizens, but for younger players, travel between the countries has grown increasingly difficult. The U.S. ended diplomatic relations with Venezuela – closing its embassy – in 2019, and players must seek visas from neighboring Colombia or other Latin American countries.

As a result of such complications, MLB franchises are accustomed to keeping close tabs on players and staff in Venezuela during the winter, a protocol that gained greater urgency this month. Venezuela is slated to compete in the World Baseball Classic beginning in March, with catcher Perez serving as team captain. National stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jose Altuve have expressed interest in returning to the squad, according to MLB.com. Venezuela is scheduled to begin its WBC slate with a March 6 game against the Netherlands in Pool D, at Miami’s LoanDepot Park.

Conference play is underway in men’s college basketball, but the teams near the top of the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll have thus far continued their winning ways. As such, there are only minor changes in the upper tier of the rankings.

Michigan remains No. 1, increasing its lead over No. 2 Arizona. The Wolverines received 24 of 31 first-place votes this week, with the Wildcats claiming the other seven. No. 3 Iowa State and No. 4 Connecticut also hold steady.

The rest of the top 10 saw a bit of shuffling. Purdue is back up to No. 5, once again swapping places with No. 6 Duke. No. 7 Houston also moves up a spot, edging ahead of No. 8 Gonzaga. Brigham Young and Vanderbilt rise one place to complete the top 10

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

Unbeaten Nebraska continues its upward trajectory at No. 11 after a defeat of Michigan State. Alabama improves to No. 12, one spot ahead of the Spartans, who slip four places.

No. 24 Villanova joins the poll this week, and SMU edges in at No. 25 just ahead of Central Florida. Defending champion Florida falls out of the rankings along with St. John’s.

Alabama football landed a commitment from NC State’s Hollywood Smothers on Jan. 5, one of the best running backs available in the transfer portal. He announced the move on social media.

Smothers, a two-year starter for the Wolfpack, rushed for 939 yards with six touchdowns on 160 carries this season, and also caught 37 passes for 189 yards and another score. He joins a running back room that desperately needs playmakers, as Alabama averaged 3.4 yards per carry as a team in 2025.

Smothers started his career at Oklahoma, where he played sparingly as a true freshman in 2023. He was a four-star recruit tabbed as the No. 26 running back nationally out of high school, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.

Smothers chose Oklahoma over Florida State and NC State out of high school, although he also held an offer from Alabama. The Crimson Tide ended up with Justice Haynes and Richard Young in 2023, both of whom have since left or entered the transfer portal.

Smothers projects as Alabama’s starting running back in 2026, after the Crimson Tide lost leading rusher Jam Miller, who declared for the NFL draft on Jan 5. Alabama also returns true freshman Daniel Hill, who rushed for 284 yards and a team-leading six rushing touchdowns.

Smothers is Alabama’s second transfer portal commit of its 2026 class, joining former Oklahoma State tight end Josh Ford.

Mississippi football quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will return to the Rebels for the 2026 season if he receives a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, he said on ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’ on Monday, Jan. 5.

Chambliss, who has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in college football in his first season at the Division I level, has led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals after taking over the job from Austin Simmons early in the season. Chambliss will return to Ole Miss for 2026 if he’s allowed, despite his former head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. leaving for LSU.

Chambliss said he considered LSU but ultimately realized Ole Miss was the right place for him, should he receive another year.

‘I guess so, but at the end of the day I just made the right decision and that was to stick with my gut,’ Chambliss said on ‘SportsCenter.’ ‘Ole Miss has been good to me, and I feel like I owe it to Ole Miss. I just love it here and I love the community, so that was the right choice.’

Chambliss, a first-year transfer from Division II Ferris State, is hoping to receive a retroactive redshirt for the 2022 season, in which he didn’t play due to chronic tonsillitis and heart palpitations. He redshirted in his first college season in 2021.

‘My respiratory system just wasn’t the best at the time,’ Chambliss said.

The 6-foot-1 senior passed for 362 yards with two touchdowns in Ole Miss’ 39-34 win over Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals on Jan. 1, avenging the Rebels’ lone loss this season. Chambliss has 3,660 passing yards with 21 touchdowns to three interceptions in 2025, also rushing for 520 yards and eight scores.

Ferris State won the Division II national championship with Chambliss at the helm in 2024, scoring 51 total touchdowns in 15 starts.

Austin Simmons, who started the season as Ole Miss’ starter, has already entered the transfer portal although he’s finishing out the season with the Rebels. Ole Miss also hasn’t shown interest in any transfer portal quarterbacks so far this offseason.

‘I deserve it,’ Chambliss said Dec. 30 at Sugar Bowl media day. ‘I’ve only played three seasons of college football. I feel like I deserve to play four. I redshirted in 2021. That was my freshman redshirt. Then I medically redshirted in 2022. Played in 2023, 2024 and this is 2025.’

Ole Miss faces No. 10 Miami at the Fiesta Bowl for a spot in the national championship on Thursday, Jan. 8.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders gave a measured response when asked about the team’s decision to fire head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons.

Sanders was among the first players to speak to the media after Stefanski’s firing. It came during a news conference that the rookie quarterback acknowledged came ‘a couple seconds’ after Cleveland’s players were made aware of the organization’s decisions.

‘I think it’s just overall the mentality like, things gonna happen. That’s just how the league is,’ Sanders said when discussing Stefanski’s departure. ‘Moving forward, just focus on what we can improve individually for the next head coach.’

Stefanski was twice named the NFL’s Coach of the Year with the Browns and led Cleveland to its first playoff win since the 1994 NFL season in his first year in 2020.

However, recent seasons haven’t gone as well for Cleveland. The Browns posted a combined 8-26 record over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, dropping Stefanski’s overall record with the team to 45-56.

And those recent struggles are ultimately what prompted the Browns to move on from Stefanski, as owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam communicated in a statement announcing the 44-year-old’s firing.

Now, Cleveland will shift its focus toward finding a successor for Stefanski.

Meanwhile, Sanders doesn’t know exactly what his future will hold but feels confident about the way he carried himself and performed during his rookie season.

‘I think I did what I was able to do,’ Sanders said when asked whether he had showed Browns general manager Andrew Berry enough to inspire confidence as the team’s 2026 starter. ‘I definitely grew from a lot of things. I got experience now. I’m always the same confidence-wise, I’m there. But that’s not in my hands. That’s not my decision. I can’t speak on what other people feel.’