Texas Longhorns' 2024 recruiting class jumps to No. 3 after early signing period

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Texas Longhorns' 2024 recruiting class jumps to No. 3 after early signing period AUSTIN (KXAN) — Big additions late in the early signing period sent the Texas Longhorns up the recruiting rankings to No. 3 in the country with 26 signed recruits.Head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff signed 24 of their 26 recruits in the early period on Dec. 20 when it opened, and by Dec. 22 when the window closed, they added another big-time wide receiver to help replenish the cupboard at that position as well as a transfer on the defensive line. PREVIOUS SIGNING DAY COVERAGE: Texas adds 24 on 1st day of early signing period, No. 5 class in country so far Aaron Butler, the No. 21 receiver recruit in the country according to 247Sports' composite ratings, joins No. 4 wideout Ryan Wingo as two of the top recruits at their position to sign with Texas. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said restocking the wide receiver corps was a priority with this class, and along with Houston transfer Matthew Golden and Lucas Lovejoy's Parker Livingstone, it's clear the Longhorns mean busine...

Conley’s Corner: Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley is small-market Mike

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Conley’s Corner: Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley is small-market Mike EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Conley is one of the best sources of information in the NBA.Entering his 17th NBA season, the 36-year-old Timberwolves point guard has seen it all, and has the knowledge and willingness to explain what’s taken place and what’s to come with the media and, thus, the fans. That breadth of insight and analysis extends from the on-court Xs and Os to team dynamics and development.Conley is just as good at explaining why two teammates came to blows in the middle of a timeout as he is on what the team needs to do to decode a switch-heavy defense.So who better to sit down with twice a month to tackle different topics ranging from the Timberwolves to the league at large to, well, Mike Conley, than Conley himself.This is the fifth installment of Conley’s Corner.SMALL-MARKET MIKEMike Conley chuckled at the idea that he’s perhaps the only NBA player who could be traded to Minnesota and marvel at the variety of things to do around the Twin Cities.But that’s the reality when yo...

New Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer brings ‘pro’ mindset to new opportunity

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

New Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer brings ‘pro’ mindset to new opportunity DETROIT — New Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer wore a maroon and gold stocking hat on Saturday — practical given winter and illustrative to how he’s trying to get cozy with his new team.The graduate transfer from the University of New Hampshire traveled to Minnesota midweek and hopped on another flight with the team to Michigan for the Quick Lane Bowl on Tuesday.While Brosmer (pronounced BRO-smer) won’t play until the 2024 season, he’s displaying the level of investment he plans to bring daily to the Gophers — even while he’s only able to practice this holiday season.“We’ll celebrate after the 25th,” Brosmer told the Pioneer Press about spending Christmas with family. “But being with this team and molding into this culture is really important for me. It jumpstarts me.”Life has come fast at Brosmer this year. After leading FCS with 3,464 passing yards in the 2023 season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal in November but didn’t do the popular thing and announce the decision on social...

Recapping 2023 in St. Louis sports: Cardinals, Blues, CITY and Battlehawks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Recapping 2023 in St. Louis sports: Cardinals, Blues, CITY and Battlehawks ST. LOUIS - The 2023 calendar year marked a time of change in St. Louis professional sports. St. Louis essentially doubled its professional sports portfolio (from two teams to four), and success didn't always come where or when expected. Photos courtesy (From top left to bottom right): AP Photos/Jeff Roberson, Rick Scuteri, Joe Puetz & FOX 2)The St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues both navigated through relatively rare losing seasons and parted ways with several key players. The Blues also made a late-year coaching change. St. Louis CITY SC burst onto the scene as the newest MLS team, enjoying the most sustained success among STL's squads and riding a historic start to the playoffs before a disappointing end to year one. And the St. Louis Battlehawks packed record crowds as the XFL reincarnated, though they found themselves just short of playoffs due to a tiebreaker. That's the short version of how 2023 unfolded for St. Louis' big four. Here's a month-by-month breakdown of k...

Multiple people injured in what authorities describe as 'active shooting' at Florida shopping mall

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Multiple people injured in what authorities describe as 'active shooting' at Florida shopping mall OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Multiple people were injured Saturday during what authorities described as “an active shooting” at a shopping mall in central Florida.The Ocala Police Department said they were responding to “an active shooting” at the Paddock Mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.The police department later said on social media that the suspect had fled and that the mall was being evacuated.People were being urged to avoid the area.An email inquiry was sent to the mall's owner, WPG. The mall has dozens of stores, including J.C. Penney and Foot Locker.Calvin and Diana Amos, who were shopping in the J.C. Penney store, told the Ocala Star-Banner that they evacuated the store quickly once they figured out what was going on. They described themselves as scared and apprehensive.

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson inactive for Sunday’s matchup vs. Patriots

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson inactive for Sunday’s matchup vs. Patriots Kareem Jackson’s return to game action will have to wait.The Broncos did not activate the 35-year-old safety ahead of Sunday night’s game against the New England Patriots, as they opted to use his one-game exemption following his return from a four-game suspension.This week, Jackson returned to the field for the first time since the league decided to punish him for his hit on Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs in Week 10. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday that Jackson was in the process of getting his body back into football shape.Denver has until Monday to activate him to the roster.Related ArticlesDenver Broncos | NFL picks: Are we looking at a Super Bowl preview Christmas Day between Ravens and 49ers? Denver Broncos | Broncos coach Sean Payton on being in the playoff hunt: “It’s addictive” Denver Broncos | Broncos defense confident it can get back to dictating play after bad night vs. Lions: “We have to in or...

Home for the holidays: Marshall fire families begin celebrating first Christmas in rebuilt houses

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Home for the holidays: Marshall fire families begin celebrating first Christmas in rebuilt houses LOUISVILLE — Every ornament on Heather Szucs’ donated Christmas tree is special.There’s one signed by Isabella, age 4, from Alaska.There are family photos a friend secretly printed off Szucs’ Facebook page and then placed into tiny Christmas frames.Santa Clauses, glass bulbs, reindeer, the blinking yellow star on top — all donated.Heather Szucs said the ornaments on her family’s tree are special because they’ve been donated from all over the United States. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)“To me, now, the tree is more special,” Szucs said. “I never in my life realized how much community matters. I’m dedicated to paying it back for the rest of my life.”Members of the Szucs family are celebrating their first Christmas on Larkspur Lane in Louisville since the 2021 Marshall fire destroyed the entire Cornerstone neighborhood. They moved into their newly built house on Aug. 10 and are among the first few hundred...

2 Southern California cities among 'Grinchiest' in U.S.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

2 Southern California cities among 'Grinchiest' in U.S. The holiday season is in full swing but not every place you go will be as merry as the others. Recently, financial data outlet FinanceBuzz analyzed which U.S. cities have the fewest Christmas events and holiday activities — and some California cities came out seeing green. "Grinch"-green, that is. How rich was the McCallister family in ‘Home Alone’? To decide the ranking, FinanceBuzz scored the U.S.' 50 biggest cities based on a wide variety of holiday-themed factors, including number of department and toy stores, Google Trends searches, and more. Cities were given scores out of a 100, with the lowest scoring being considered the "Grinchiest."San Diego was third among humbug cities, with FinanceBuzz noting the SoCal city's search history shows little interest in the holidays. An analysis of San Diego's Google searches found search volume for terms like “Christmas party,” “Christmas festival,” and “Christmas dinner,” to be among the lowest in the country.The Grinchiest Cities in th...

Garden Grove man killed in early morning hit-and-run 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

Garden Grove man killed in early morning hit-and-run  A man from Garden Grove was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Westminster, law enforcement officials said. According to a release from the Westminster Police Department, the unidentified 36-year-old man was found lying in the road on Bishop Street west of Brookhurst Street just before 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning.  8 arrested for running cocaine delivery service in Southern California He had suffered injuries “consistent with being struck by a vehicle” and was pronounced dead at the scene by Orange County Fire Authority personnel, police confirmed. “Officers located a possible witness nearby who confirmed the male had been struck by a single vehicle which immediately fled the scene,” Westminster police said. “The witness described the vehicle as a small dark-colored sedan that was last seen driving westbound on Bishop Street at Belgrade.” Law enforcement officials are continuing to canvas the area for video or more possible witnesses. No suspect or vehicle description have ...

49ers bunkering in for Christmas Eve; Javon Hargrave may return to face Ravens

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:21:04 GMT

49ers bunkering in for Christmas Eve; Javon Hargrave may return to face Ravens SANTA CLARA – The logistics of playing on Christmas night are not the most family-friendly for the 49ers and Monday’s guests, the Baltimore Ravens.They’ll spend Christmas Eve holed up in their respective team hotel, then wake up Christmas morning waiting and waiting and waiting to open up the NFL’s marquee game this regular season.“Whenever those guys get up, they do have time to go home and see people real quick,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday. “If they have some young kids and want to do that, that’s fine.”Cornerback Charvarius Ward plans on opening gifts with his 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joi, on Sunday morning, then have a family dinner postgame Monday. He doesn’t mind bunkering in with his teammates Sunday night, saying: “I’ve got to work. That’s how I feed the family.”Left guard Aaron Banks, who also became a father last year, has no qualms with team protocol regarding a Christmas Eve sequestering, and he’s excit...