Ryan Mallett, a former Arkansas and NFL quarterback, perishes by apparent drowning

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who later had a seven-year NFL career, died on Tuesday in an apparent drowning at a Florida beach. He was 35.

Around 2:12 p.m., according to the sheriff's office, first responders were summoned to a beach in Destin, Florida. During local time, a group of swimmers in the Gulf of Mexico battled to reach land along a sandbar. One of the victims, subsequently named as Mallett, was dragged from the river unconscious and sent to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.

In a message on its website, White Hall, the Arkansas school district where Mallett coached high school football, said, "It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett." Please keep Coach Mallett's family, team, students, other coaches, and the staff of the White Hall School District in your thoughts. He was a cherished coach and educator.

Prior to moving to Arkansas, Mallett played for the University of Michigan for one season. In his two seasons there, he threw for 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns. He led the Razorbacks to an 8-5 record and victory in the Liberty Bowl in 2009 as a redshirt sophomore for coach Bobby Petrino, for which he was named Offensive MVP.

His greatest year was 2010, when he completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 3,869 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, earning second-team All-SEC accolades for the second consecutive year. In the 2010 Heisman Trophy vote, he came in sixth place.

Ryan Mallett's demise has left the Arkansas football team "shocked and saddened," according to a statement on Twitter from the program. "Everyone who knew him will miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his mother Debbie and his entire family. He was a Razorback icon with larger-than-life skill and a personality to match. He led our program to some of our finest moments in recent memory.

Mallett was chosen by the New England Patriots in the third round (74th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Mallett was chosen as one of Tom Brady's backups because, according to head coach Bill Belichick, the club could never have enough quarterback depth.

Then, Belichick remarked, "We simply felt that he was a terrific player. He is an outstanding person to talk to and has won wherever he has gone, including high school and college.

Prior to being chosen by the Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Ryan Mallett threw for 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns in two seasons with the Razorbacks.Getty Images/Ronald Martinez

Belichick explained how the Patriots had studied Mallett's collegiate career from the time he enrolled at Michigan in 2007 until he went to Arkansas in response to a new Wolverines coaching staff implementing a different offense. Mallett was a pro-style quarterback at Arkansas under Petrino, and Belichick remarked how well he performed there in 2011, saying: "He's pretty far along relative to some other quarterbacks we've seen."

Belichick issued a statement on Tuesday in which he expressed his "extreme sadness" over Mallett's "tragic passing" and his condolences to his family and "the many people whose lives he touched."

Brady said in a tweet on social media: "We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan."

Brady's durability and infrequent game exits in New England limited Mallett to only 24 snaps as his backup. Prior to the 2014 campaign, he was traded to the Houston Texans, where he spent parts of two seasons playing nine games and making six starts until being released in October 2015. Later, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, for whom he appeared in eight games and started twice through 2017.

Coach John Harbaugh of the Ravens remarked, "Ryan was a part of us," in a team tweet. "I will always remember the love he had for his teammates and for making the most of, and enjoying, every football day while here."

On November 16, 2014, Mallett led Houston to a 23-7 victory over Cleveland in his debut start. His 2-yard touchdown throw to defensive end J.J. was the first of his career. Watt.

"Horrible news to read about Ryan Mallett," Watt tweeted. "Gone way too soon. Rest in Peace, brother."

Mallett made eight starts over his career's 21 NFL games of appearance. In the NFL, he finished 190 of his 345 passes for 1,835 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

After beginning his coaching career as an assistant at Mountain Home High School in 2022, Mallett was appointed as the head football coach at White Hall High School in his home state of Arkansas.

After being hired as White Hall's coach, Mallett reportedly commented, "I always knew I was going to coach," as reported by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. You get to educate kids the proper way at an early age, and that's something I really like. It just comes naturally to me. I understand it. I know how everything works, and then I just love football.

The ultimate aim, according to Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, is to win the championship.

J.J. McCarthy's two years at Michigan have been highlighted by victories against Ohio State, Big Ten titles, and College Football Playoff exits. ANN ARBOR, Mich.

Keep the first two trends going and turn around the outcomes in the third category are McCarthy's clear objectives as he gears up for his third season at Michigan and second as the starter. Michigan is 0-2 in the competition following semifinal defeats to Georgia and TCU. The team hadn't qualified for the CFP until 2021. Since 1997, the Wolverines have been searching for a national title.

"That's my ultimate goal," McCarthy said on Tuesday to ESPN. We're simply so close to bringing a national title to Ann Arbor. "I have a lot of aspirations, and we have a lot of ambitions.

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Early in the 2022 campaign, McCarthy, Michigan's new starter, achieved a career high with 343 throwing yards against TCU. He had a career-best 39-yard run, two throwing touchdowns, one running score, and a 2-point conversion. But he also had two interceptions returned for scores, which helped Michigan lose 51-45 despite being down 21-3 and 34-16 at the time.

McCarthy did not start Michigan's CFP defeat to Georgia, but he did participate in some of the second half action.

He remarked, "[TCU] definitely hurt a whole lot more." The TCU game was all in my hands; it was obviously a team effort, but I was in the driver's seat. It's a whole different pain that I've felt and one that's still driving me today. "When I went in freshman year and we were playing the defense of the decade, it was kind of like, 'All right, let's see what I can do out here.' Realistic expectation set in, like, 'It's going to be tough.'"

McCarthy had not thrown more than one interception all season before to the TCU game and had contributed four touchdowns—three passing and one rushing—in Michigan's victory over Ohio State, the team's second straight triumph and its first at Ohio Stadium since 2000. Since 1995 to 1997, Michigan hasn't defeated Ohio State in three successive seasons.

McCarthy, who was the backup quarterback in 2021, completed the Buckeyes' lone pass attempt as Michigan snapped an eight-game losing run.

"My 1A goal is to bring a national championship to Ann Arbor; my 1B goal is to never lose to [Ohio State]," McCarthy stated. "That will mean a lot to me. From the guys who play scout team to the guys who are touching the ball every play, we have to be our best at all times. That's not always going to look pretty, but we just got to keep pushing, keep pushing and growing in every aspect, and we'll be where we want to be by Nov. 25."

McCarthy has made improvements to his nutrition and training throughout the offseason with the motto "100%, 100% of the time." He will be in charge of Michigan's attack, which will include star running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards among others.

Zak Zinter, an offensive lineman, stated, "He's locked in, you can see it in him, he wants to win." "You're going to see the best version of him," said the analyst. "He's dynamic, he's a playmaker, he can sit in the pocket and throw long distances, like he demonstrated at the end of the year. He can scramble out and make a play. He can throw while he's running. He can take off and run the ball. He's really an all-around threat."

McCarthy saw Georgia and TCU's celebrations on the field for a considerable amount of time following each of Michigan's CFP defeats. He claims that feeling regret and grief is a necessary stage in inspiring future ambitions. "Sit in it, soak in it," he said.

The Wolverines have three qualities to win a championship this season: skill, experience, and desire, according to Michigan president Santa Ono, who was moved by the postgame atmosphere.

We are undoubtedly one of the finest teams I've ever seen, as Ono said to ESPN, and we have tremendous skill. "You have a much more seasoned quarterback who took what he learned from that TCU game, and the hunger part, all these players coming back, they want the national championship. For me, the image that's most poignant, that illustrates that hunger in the games that they lost, was one guy watching the other team win, and that was J.J. McCarthy.

"He desires this very much. In reality, we all desire this.

Now, athletes may renege on NLI in specific situations.

On Tuesday, the organization in charge of the National Letter of Intent Program unveiled new regulations that, in some situations, would permit athletes to withdraw from NLI contracts without incurring any penalties.

Since 1964, NCAA divisions I and II have required athletes to sign letters of intent, which serve as a legally binding contract between the school and the athlete in which the athlete promises to enroll in the university for one academic year in exchange for a full or partial athletic scholarship for that same academic year.

Athletes who violate their NLI agreement are often required to sit out one season of competition at the next institution they enroll in.

The Collegiate Commissioners Association will not penalize an athlete for requesting a release due to a head-coaching change or for leaving their original school after one quarter or one semester as long as a release is requested, according to a committee review of NLI policy.

The new policy will go into effect for enrollees in 2024–25 during the signing periods for 2023–24.

The CCA will also broaden the initiative to provide a student-athlete the chance to sign an NLI if they are transferring to another four-year institution and have already accessed the NCAA transfer site.

The NLI program will be updated as a result of the modifications, according to Big Sky Conference commissioner and chair of the NLI policy and review committee Tom Wistrcill.

Regarding NIL transactions, new NCAA rules contradict with several state laws.

How certain state laws regarding NIL transactions contradict with new NCAA guidelines (2:11)

The national office of the NCAA notified member schools on Tuesday that various strategies used by colleges to get more actively involved in assisting its players earn money from name, image, and likeness partnerships were in contravention of the regulations of the association.

New NCAA rules directly conflict with some state laws that are already in force or will take effect by the end of the summer, creating a potential conflict that will once again test the association's legal capacity to enforce its rules. In a letter sent to the schools on Tuesday afternoon, Stan Wilcox, NCAA executive vice president of regulatory affairs, wrote that schools could be penalized by the NCAA even if state laws permit some specific types of NIL activities.

In the letter, Wilcox stated that "the Association has been clear and maintains that schools must abide by NCAA legislation (or policy) when it conflicts with permissive state laws." In other words, "if a state law permits certain institutional action and NCAA legislation prohibits the same action, institutions must follow NCAA legislation."

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A law that will take effect in Texas on Saturday will permit fundraising organizations like the Longhorn Foundation or the 12th Man Foundation -- which support the athletic departments at Texas and Texas A&M, respectively -- to raise money for NIL deals. In recent months, several states have passed laws that permit fundraising groups that are legally distinct yet closely partnered with universities to start paying athletes for NIL endorsements.

The NCAA stated on Tuesday that it is the responsibility of the schools to ensure that players are not paid for NIL deals by these fundraising groups.

The NCAA said Tuesday that this type of incentive to donate to a NIL fund is a violation of its rules, but the new law in Texas will allow schools to give perks to fans who contribute to these NIL funds. Schools like Texas and Texas A&M said in the past month that they are planning to give priority points to fans who donate to NIL funds that will help the fans get better seats at home games or have preferred access to tickets to bowl games or postseason events.

The 12th Man Foundation planned to begin offering that benefit to Texas A&M fans later this summer, according to Ross Bjork, the school's director of athletics, in an interview with ESPN conducted prior to the NCAA's letter on Tuesday. When asked if those plans would move forward even if the NCAA determined that type of perk was against its rules, Bjork said the Aggies and their partners planned to do as much as Texas law permitted.

We will continue to speak with the NCAA on a number of issues, but in terms of this, the state law will rule, said Bjork. "The state law is going to govern how we do business."

The NCAA isn't pressuring colleges to disobey any state laws, according to Tim Buckley, senior vice president of external relations, but is rather letting schools know that just because a state enables a specific sort of activity, it doesn't mean NCAA members are authorized to engage in it.

"Until the rules change, the rules are what they are for every member institution, whether you are in state A or B," Buckley said earlier this week to ESPN.

If the NCAA sanctions a school in Texas for giving perks to donors in exchange for NIL dollars, that school may take the NCAA to court, but the new law that goes into effect in Texas also includes a provision that says the NCAA and its conferences are prohibited from punishing any school that makes use of these new types of NIL activities.

Additionally clarified in Wilcox's letter are the following points:

Markus Allen, a former wide receiver for Wisconsin, won't be charged if the conditions are satisfied.

Markus Allen, a former Wisconsin wide receiver who is currently in the transfer portal, won't be held accountable for his April 29 arrest if he complies with the requirements of a deferred prosecution deal.

Ismael Ozanne, the district attorney for Dane County, declared on Monday that if Allen follows the conditions of what he called a "pre-charge referral," "the case will not be issued."

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Allen, who was one of more than 40 people detained at a block party on April 29, has subsequently declared he is entering the transfer portal and is no longer listed on Wisconsin's 2023 roster.

At a news conference in the days following the block party, police didn't disclose any information on who might have stolen the gun or how Allen came into possession of it. Madison police said they were arresting Allen on a municipal ordinance violation for having open alcohol on public property when a search of his backpack revealed a gun that had been listed as stolen.

In six games last season, Allen caught seven catches for 91 yards and one score.

Allen tweeted Friday that he's back in the transfer portal after initially posting on social media midway through the previous season that he was moving to Minnesota but ultimately deciding to stay at Wisconsin.

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Deion Sanders of Colorado underwent surgery to treat blood clots in his leg.

According to Instagram posts from both Deion Sanders and his fiancee Tracey Edmonds, the Colorado football coach underwent successful surgery on Friday to remove blood clots in his left leg.

No formal statement was made by the school.

In one of the social media posts, Sanders, 55, stated that he anticipates leaving the hospital on Sunday.

Sanders claimed he also had a blood clot in the right leg that doctors were "going to get soon" the treatment was for blood clots in his left thigh and another in the same leg below his knee.

After the procedure, Edmonds uploaded a picture of Sanders smiling and giving the thumbs up while sitting up in his hospital bed on Friday. God is taking care of #CoachPrime @deionsanders today! I appreciate all of your prayers, Fam."

His talk with physicians was featured on "Thee Pregame Show" on YouTube. Sanders, who is starting his first season at Colorado, recently had a conference with his medical team in which amputating his left foot was considered as a potential consequence.

The treatment on Friday was to "try to get those clots so I can have proper blood flow to the leg so they can fix the toes," Sanders said, adding that he had no sensation on the bottom of his foot at the time of the meeting. That is what is taking place.

After complications from surgery to fix a dislocated toe during Sanders' tenure at Jackson State, he was hospitalized in 2021, missed three games, had blood clots, and finally had two toes on his left foot amputated.

On September 2 at TCU, Sanders will oversee his debut game coaching for Colorado.