College Football Offseason Buzz: UCLA Hires Ex-NFL QB Derek Carr As Special Advisor

This is college football. At some point, the games pause, but the news and drama never does. Here’s an offseason tracker for buzz across the college football landscape, including coaching changes, injury news, personnel moves and more. Aug. 10 With the college football season just weeks away from kicking off, the UCLA Bruins are making a major addition to the offensive staff. Bruins head coach Bob Chesney has officially hired former NFL quarterback Derek Carr as a special advisor to work with the offense and quarterback group. Carr will also assist with game-planning and quarterback development. While he lacks formal coaching experience, his 11-year NFL career under various head coaches and offensive coordinators gives him extensive, firsthand knowledge of different systems. The Bruins are set to travel to Berkeley to open up the season against the California Golden Bears on Sept. 5. Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris have rejoined the team following a court ruling granting Class of 2022 athletes an extra year of eligibility. Arizona announced Monday the two players were beginning to integrate into the team’s preseason activities. Their return comes after U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Colorado granted an extra year of eligibility to athletes who began college careers in the 2022-23 season and completed four seasons of eligibility. The judge later clarified that it does not apply to football players who signed pro contracts over the summer. It comes after the NCAA approved its so-called five-for-five rule in June. That allowed Division I athletes to have five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. The new eligibility rule was set to take effect for athletes enrolling in college for fall 2027 but led to lawsuits from athletes in the 2022 class seeking the fifth year. The NCAA has indicated it will appeal the ruling. Mahdi was Arizona’s leading rusher last season, with 853 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Harris was an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection last season after finishing with 78 tackles, including 3.5 for loss. Aug. 7 Defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt has decided to return for his fifth season with the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made. Wyatt becomes the second starting linemen from last season’s title run to come back since last week’s U.S. District Court ruling in Colorado granting players from the 2022 high school graduating class one more year of eligibility. Coach Curt Cignetti confirmed Wednesday that all-Big Ten honorable mention defensive end Stephen Daley also had returned following the ruling. The NCAA plans to appeal the court decision. Wyatt started the first seven games in 2025 before a season-ending knee injury. The transfer from Maryland finished his first year at Indiana with 27 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks. He has 11 career sacks but was not selected in April’s NFL draft, which along with the court ruling opened the door for his return. The addition of Wyatt to an already deep, experienced group of defensive linemen could make Indiana’s defensive front even stronger. “Whether we had really good depth there or not, I think the return to play doesn’t change a whole lot because you don’t want to throw a guy out there until he’s ready to where he gets hurt,” Cignetti said Wednesday when asked about Daley, who will be limited early in practice as he returns from the injury. “There will be competition. Guys that can play winning football, they’ll play.” Aug. 6 USC Trojans starting center Kilian O’Connor will miss the upcoming season due to injury. Head coach Lincoln Riley announced O’Connor’s injury Thursday at USC’s new $225 million Bloom Football Performance Center. Riley wasn’t specific about the nature of O’Connor’s setback, only calling it a non-contact “freak injury” that required surgery. “Tough one for us, I think more than anything from an emotional standpoint,” Riley said. O’Connor started seven games last season as a redshirt junior in his first year on scholarship at USC. He was expected to anchor the Trojans’ offensive line again this fall in his fifth year in the program. USC had hoped to return its entire starting offensive line from last season’s 9-4 team, but O’Connor’s injury will prevent it. Riley has said the Trojans have more depth on their offensive line than at any other point in his five-year tenure. Riley wasn’t immediately sure how the Trojans would replace O’Connor. Guard Tobias Raymond has played center in spring practice at USC, filling in when O’Connor was slowed by previous injuries. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos is the plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s Age-Based Eligibility Model. Castellanos will be represented by attorneys Darren Heitner and Ryan Downton as he seeks a fifth year of eligibility. If he’s granted an injunction, Castellanos will likely have the option to enter the transfer portal; or he could return to Florida State. Castellanos threw for 2,760 yards, 15 touchodwns and nine interceptions, while rushing for 557 yards and nine touchdowns for the Seminoles in 2025. He spent time with UCF and Boston College before transferring to FSU. North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the son of head coach Bill Belichick, is on medical leave, his father said Thursday morning. The Tar Heels are in the second week of preseason camp. UNC opens the season Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland. “It’s a medical situation so I really can’t make any further comment on that,” Belichick said, adding only that the team hoped to have him back “as soon as possible” when asked about a timeline for his return. He also said the defensive staff already works “collectively” when asked how the team would adjust during his son’s absence. UNC’s defense improved as a 4-8 season wore on, ranking 38th in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in total defense (336.9 yards) while finishing tied for 20th with 2.67 sacks per game. Steve Belichick joined his father’s staff ahead of the NFL coaching great’s first college season last year, following a year as the University of Washington’s defensive coordinator. Before that, he had worked on his father’s staff with the NFL’s New England Patriots. Last week the school announced general manager Michael Lombardi had been placed on paid administrative leave and was the subject of a school investigation. Aug. 4 Defensive lineman Stephen Daley will reportedly receive a fifth year of eligibility and return to the Indiana Hoosiers football team. Daley played his fourth season of college football for the Hoosiers, helping them to a National Championship in 2025. He then went undrafted in April’s NFL Draft and wasn’t able to latch onto a team as a free agent. But after Colorado-based U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a class-wide injunction rewarding the class of 2022 with eligibility for the 2026 season, Daley announced he would return to Indiana. Daley’s return to Indiana adds depth to an already strong defense. The NCAA is appealing Sweeney’s ruling in Colorado, which could impact Daley’s eligibility, but for now, he’s signed with Indiana and available as the Hoosiers begin fall camp. July 30 The College Sports Commission has approved $7.5 million in restructured name, image and likeness opportunities spread among 18 Nebraska football players after those deals initially were rejected in a decision upheld by an arbitrator two months ago. Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen announced the CSC’s approval at Big Ten media days, The Athletic reported Wednesday. Dannen did not respond to an Associated Press message seeking comment. The CSC initially had rejected third-party NIL agreements between Nebraska’s multimedia rights (MMR) partner, Playfly, and the players. At issue was whether Nebraska’s MMR partner would be considered an “associated entity” — deals from which are subject to CSC scrutiny. The arbitrator said the deals lacked what the CSC called a “valid business purpose” because they did not include goods or services offered to the general public for profit. Also, Playfly was found to have violated a rule against “warehousing” NIL rights — i.e., paying for the rights to use for some purpose later instead of employing them right away. Dannen said in Chicago the deals were restructured and resubmitted to the CSC. He said full payment to the 18 players would be made after they fulfill responsibilities associated with the deals. Schools are allowed to pay up to $21.3 million in revenue sharing with athletes in 2026-27. Marketing firms that partner with schools are providing third-party NIL deals that allow schools to exceed the spending cap. July 29 Tennessee senior linebacker Arion Carter will miss the first two games of the season because of an NCAA suspension tied to an agent paying for a $427 flight to an NFL training facility during the pre-draft process. The Knoxville News Sentinel first reported Wednesday of the suspension, with the two-game length later confirmed by the school to The Associated Press. In a statement, coach Josh Heupel said the Volunteers “disagree” with the suspension, noting Carter repaid the agent for the flight cost as he returned to Tennessee. The suspension will sideline the third-year linebacker and two-year starter for the Sept. 5 opener against Furman at home and the Sept. 12 trip to Georgia Tech. The ruling comes amid a changed landscape across college athletics with athletes able to be paid directly by schools through revenue sharing, as well as having the ability to profit from use of their name, image and likeness. Those changes have meant millions of dollars in payouts in a far more permissive era compared to decades of rules that blocked athlete compensation. Yet Carter’s case is tied to travel worth a few hundred dollars. He had declared for the NFL draft in December, signed with an agent and accepted the $427.48 flight, Heupel said in his statement. Carter ultimately withdrew from the draft because of a medical procedure for a foot injury. “Last January in good faith, he disengaged from the agent in terms of the NFL and paid back the flight in full,” Heupel said. “We disagree with the NCAA’s ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being.” The NCAA initially issued a three-game suspension, though Tennessee appealed and it was reduced to two, according to the News Sentinel. July 28 Thought no school would top Ohio State’s NIL partnership with Chase? Think again. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish announced a long-term deal with SoFi Technologies, making the company the official financial services partner of Notre Dame athletics and the first non-apparel brand to have a jersey patch on in-game team attire. This deal is expected to pay Notre Dame athletics between $18-20 million per year, according to Yahoo Sports. “Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country,” University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. “SoFi shares in this commitment to developing strong, ambitious leaders who are set up for success at Notre Dame and beyond. Together, our relationship will create lasting value for our student-athletes and their families for generations to come.” “Notre Dame has spent generations developing champions in the classroom and on the field,” SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said in a statement. “The grit, discipline and determination of Notre Dame’s student-athletes reflect the same ambition we see in our members every day. We are proud to partner with Notre Dame Athletics to help inspire the next generation and create opportunities that will shape their financial futures.” The Fighting Irish are coming off a 10-2 season that saw them miss the College Football Playoff. There might be a Brutus sticker at your local Chase bank. The Ohio State Buckeyes announced an NIL deal with JPMorgan Chase that will make the company the official bank sponsor of Ohio State athletics and put the company’s logo on each of the Buckeyes’ 36 teams. This partnership will rake in roughly $17 million per year for Ohio State, per ESPN. “JPMorganChase is a global brand with deep roots in Ohio, making them a natural partner that shares our commitment to innovation, excellence and long-term community impact,” Ohio State Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director Ross Bjork said in a statement. “Together, we have built a comprehensive and historic partnership that reflects the strong commercial strength of the Ohio State Athletics identity and the broader college athletics landscape. This relationship creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes that support the sustained excellence and competitiveness of our athletic programs, while honoring the tradition and values of Ohio State.” “Ohio State is a driving force in Columbus, and this partnership is another way we’re demonstrating our commitment to the people and places we serve,” Becky Griffin, Columbus Location Leader at JPMorganChase, said in a statement. “With 18,000 employees in central Ohio and more than 155 years in Ohio, we’re proud to build on our longstanding relationship with the university, supporting student engagement, financial education and career pathways that create opportunity beyond the game.” As for their group on the gridiron, the Buckeyes are coming off an 11-2 season that saw them lose to the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal round, which came a year after winning the National Championship. July 27 North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave. The school announced the move with a statement Monday morning, coming days before the Tar Heels open preseason camp. The school didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.” Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he was an immediate hire by the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Chapel Hill. The school had hired Belichick to jolt a football program that had largely been an Atlantic Coast Conference also-ran while making periodic but unsustained climbs into national relevance. A few months into Belichick’s tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” due to the staff connections to the pros. The Tar Heels went just 4-8 in Belichick’s first season. They open his second against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29. The College Football Players Association, an organization advocating for unionization and collective bargaining, announced Monday that Stanford has become the first team to organize a player-led chapter. CFBPA executive director Jason Stahl said the goal is for other Atlantic Coast Conference schools join Stanford in forming chapters. That would create momentum for unionization and the ability for players to bargain with conferences over working conditions. Stanford players elected offensive lineman Fisher Anderson and linebacker Ernest Cooper as their representatives. “Stanford has been a pioneer and innovator not just in football but as a school in general,” Cooper said “This first-ever current player-led chapter at Stanford is just another example of this innovation. We want to be leaders in college football and show other schools how they can create a chapter on their campus because we believe this is the future of college football.” Anderson said the CFBPA will play a role in giving players a voice in all aspects of governing college football. “Over the past five years, college football has been rocked back and forth by the waves,” he said. “When a CFBPA chapter becomes a reality on every college football team, it would put down an anchor where there isn’t one right now for the sport. The chapters can then become the building blocks for conference-wide collective bargaining agreements, which would bring sustainability, transparency and player protections to a sport in need of all three.” The NCAA and conferences have been working with federal legislators on a Senate bill that would grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to be able to enforce rules such as a salary cap and transfer restrictions. Some athletic directors have suggested collective bargaining as an alternative if federal legislation is not passed, but a number of obstacles related to giving college athletes employee status would have to be cleared. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will be paid a lump sum of $7.14 million as part of his separation agreement with the university, according to a document obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The school announced July 20 that it would buy out the remaining three years on Manuel’s contract and he will step down at the end of 2026. Manuel agreed to step down following investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant and a probe into the athletic department. In addition to the payout, Manuel will receive former athletic director perks such as being eligible for tickets to Michigan games and having golf privileges. The university also agreed to make a $108,000 contribution to his retirement account and pay his attorney fees of $82,000. Manuel agreed to remain employed by the university until he voluntary resigns Dec. 31, and his personnel record will reflect a resignation. He also agreed to not be an athletic director or senior athletic adviser for any Big Ten school for two years from the date of his resignation. Manuel is allowed to accept employment outside the Big Ten with no penalty. The agreement was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. July 23 The Texas Longhorns are getting a major boost in the secondary with the addition of five-star cornerback John Meredith III. He is expected to reclassify into the 2026 recruiting class and join the program for the upcoming season. Meredith III is the No. 4 overall prospect and the top-ranked cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class, per 247Sports. While he isn’t expected to play an immediate role for the Longhorns this season, he’ll have the opportunity to begin developing within the program right away. By skipping his senior year of high school to enroll at Texas, Meredith will begin his development sooner while facing the high expectations that come with being one of the nation’s top prospects. He chose the Longhorns over Texas A&M and Alabama. “For us to get him now, we’ll see how far we can take him,” coach Steve Sarkisian said to Texas reporter Eric Henry. “Like I told him, I told his mom, Coach Muschamp, Coach Orphey, we don’t have an expectation on him of a timetable. We’re going to coach him. We’re going to develop him. When he’s ready, I think he’ll be good enough to play.” July 20 Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that leaders of the powerhouse league are having “real” conversations about breaking away from the rest of college sports, though that’s not the preferred solution. “They’re real,” Greg Sankey said Monday of conversations with school presidents involving the SEC separating itself from the rest of the NCAA. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different.” Sankey’s 45-minute meeting with reporters to kick off SEC football media days detailed the entire list of issues that college sports is struggling with: Congressional legislation, litigation stemming from the new five-year eligibility rule, the future of the College Football Playoff and an overall lack of transparency regarding name, image and likeness payments to players. Sankey acknowledged the conference’s frustration with all those issues, but also touted the league’s 13 national championships won last season across a variety of sports as a key reason it’s in no rush to move away from the current framework. “There is meaning and value and I do think a national expectation that we participate in a national organization,” he said. Virginia Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott on Wednesday named Missouri Tigers transfer Beau Pribula the team’s starting quarterback to open the 2026 season. The defending Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season champion Cavaliers open the season at home on Aug. 29 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Pribula completed 67.4% of his passes last season for 1,941 yards for the Tigers with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 297 yards and six touchdowns. Pribula played his first two seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He has played in 34 college games during his last three seasons with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. “He’s a competitor, and he has a ton of leadership and a lot of moxie,” Elliott said. “He’s extremely intelligent as a quarterback, and he has an awareness of the areas that he wants to improve upon and has attacked those with tenacity this offseason. I’m excited about the potential that he has.” Elliott notified his team of the news before summer workouts. Pribula said that vote of confidence from Elliott was reassuring heading into the summer workouts. “You know, you can kind of get a head start in terms of communication with my guys and see the things that I’m comfortable with,” Pribula said. “That makes it kind of easier from my perspective to take a bigger leadership role.” Texas Tech’s appeal regarding quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility has been denied by the NCAA, per ESPN. The ruling is separate from Sorsby’s own lawsuit. Sorsby was initially ruled ineligible after he acknowledged gambling on sports, including on his former team Indiana. After starting his career at Indiana, Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati for two seasons and transferred to Texas Tech this offseason. Sorsby still awaits the decision of his lawsuit that was filed on May 18. The hope for Sorsby is a temporary injunction against the NCAA, which would allow him to play with the Red Raiders this season. One of Tennessee’s top offseason additions, sophomore edge rusher Chaz Coleman, has yet to report to summer workouts, per On3Sports. Voluntary workouts began earlier this week, but Coleman was not in attendance. “Chaz [Coleman] has been dealing with some things, and we’re here to support him, coach Josh Heupel said. “We’ll continue to go through that process.” Coleman was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 3 edge rusher and No. 17 overall prospect in the transfer portal this offseason after leaving Penn State. In five games with the Nittany Lions, he recorded eight tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Coleman was expected to play a major role for Tennessee this season and his absence will be worth monitoring as the offseason continues. New LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has reportedly added former Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron to his coaching staff, Pete Thamel reported. Orgeron had a 51-20 record over six seasons as LSU’s head coach from 2016-2021, leading the Tigers to a College Football Playoff national championship in 2019 to conclude a perfect, 15-0, season. Following that season, though, the LSU program diminished both on and off the field. The Tigers went a combined 11-11 in 2020 and 2021, and had multiple scandals, the combination of which led to Orgeron’s departure after the 2021 season. Kiffin came to LSU from Ole Miss after the 2025 season, amid the Rebels’ CFP run. The addition of Orgeron brings a coach who understands the history and recruiting landscape at LSU. The Iowa Hawkeyes announced the hiring of former player and longtime assistant Tom Moore as a senior consultant to the head coach and offensive advisor. Moore will join head coach Kirk Ferentz’s staff at 87 years old. Moore brings decades of coaching experience in both college football and the NFL, including four Super Bowl championships. He also played on Iowa’s 1958 team that won a national championship and the Rose Bowl. Coach Kirk Ferentz and Moore have maintained a long-standing relationship rooted in their shared ties to Iowa and decades of involvement in football coaching circles. “I have known Tom Moore for over a decade and am thrilled that he has agreed to join our program in an advisory role,” Ferentz said in a statement. “Coach Moore has had a long and very successful career in football. He was a player at Iowa, coached at the collegiate level and spent many years working alongside Hall of Fame coaches in the National Football League. I am grateful that a four-time Super Bowl champion will share his wisdom and perspectives with us – coaches and players.” With the addition of Moore, Ferentz brings one of the most experienced voices in the game to his staff, and at 87, Moore is believed to be the oldest active coach in college football. Syracuse and Wake Forest will hold their 2027 opener in Canada. The Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN Events announced Thursday that the Orange and Demon Deacons will meet for a Week Zero game at Toronto’s BMO Field. That game would take place either Aug. 28 or 29 and would air nationally on ABC or ESPN. This would be the first NCAA college football game played at BMO Field, which is home to the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and the Canadian national soccer teams. It is also a host stadium for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The game will count as one of Wake Forest’s home ACC games and as a league game. It will take place roughly four hours from Syracuse’s campus in New York. This is the latest of multiple international games played by ACC teams. Games on this fall’s schedule include North Carolina and TCU in Dublin, Ireland, as well as N.C. State facing Virginia in Rio de Janeiro. University of Nebraska regents on Friday approved a $600 million overhaul of Memorial Stadium that will make the 103-year-old venue more fan-friendly and increase revenue potential for the athletic department. The project will be funded by a mix of $250 million in philanthropic support and $350 million in private bond financing. Completion is targeted for the start of the 2028 football season. The Cornhuskers have played at Memorial Stadium since 1923 and will enter this season with an NCAA-record sellout streak of 410 games dating to 1962. Amenities throughout the stadium will be upgraded and a new concourse will connect the east and west sides. Planned capacity is 80,000, including 20,000 new chairback seats. Officials said the stadium would host concerts and other events year-round and annual stadium revenue would increase 40%, to an estimated $95 million. “Memorial Stadium is, of course, iconic in Nebraska and in all of college athletics,” university president Jeffrey Gold said, “and this project, which we are calling ‘Big Red Rebuild,’ is ambitious and strategic. The Big Red Rebuild is a fan-driven, once-in-a-multigenerational investment that modernizes Memorial Stadium while preserving its legacy, ensuring it remains a premier destination for college athletics and other year-round events.” Louisville and football coach Jeff Brohm have agreed to a contract extension through the 2033 season. The school announced the agreement Thursday, coming after Brohm has led Louisville to 28 wins in three seasons with his alma mater. That included the program’s lone appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2023. “This extension reflects the dedication and commitment of our players and staff,” Brohm said in a statement from the school. ‘We’ve made meaningful progress the past three seasons, and we look forward to continuing to pursue higher goals. ‘We are committed to putting in the work that is necessary to consistently compete for championships and play an exciting brand of football. We are proud of where we are but even more excited for the future that lies ahead.” The Louisville native is 28-12 in his three seasons, winning 10 games in 2023 followed by nine in each of the past two seasons. That made him only the second coach in school history to win at least nine games in three straight seasons. “Over the past three seasons, Jeff has clearly demonstrated that he is the right person to lead our football program, now and into the future,” athletic director Josh Heird said in a statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read More​Latest College Football News & Videos from FOX Sports college-football ​