Indiana University Football Lands Two Special Teams Players out of the Transfer Portal Indiana’s special teams got a boost for 2025 via the transfer portal on Sunday afternoon. UCF punter Mitch McCarthy and Texas State kicker Brendan Franke both announced transfers to Indiana. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, McCarthy is a product of Australia. He has punted 115 times over 37 games. He has a career average of 43 yards per kick, including 44.1 yards in 2024. He had the 42nd best average in the nation, a few spots behind current IU punter James Evans. McCarthy was 52nd nationally in 2024 with 18 punts inside the 20, and 23rd in hangtime at 3.99 seconds per kick. McCarthy has one season of eligibility remaining.
Franke will likely step in as Indiana’s kickoff specialist and possibly handle longer field goal attempts. In 2024 for Texas State, Franke kicked touchbacks on 64 of 78 kickoffs (82%). PFF graded Franke No. 11 in the nation for kickoffs. They say his kickoff average was 70.2 yards, good for sixth best nationally, and he had the 11th lowest return percentage, both among kickers with at least 50 kickoffs. Franke enrolled at Texas State in January 2024. He registered a touchback rate of 63 percent (83-of-132) in 3 years at Georgia Southern (2023) and Nebraska (2021-22). A product of Nebraska, the 6-foot-3 and 255-pound Franke has one year of eligibility remaining.
Indianapolis Colts have a Bad Second Half in a 31-13 road loss to the Denver Broncos Nik Bonitto’s defensive touchdown was jaw-dropping. Jonathan Taylor’s botched touchdown run was head-scratching. Bonitto foiled a trick play by stepping in front of quarterback Anthony Richardson and hijacking Adonai Mitchell’s lateral pass, then racing 50 yards for a touchdown Sunday that sealed the Denver Broncos’ 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. A blunder by Taylor turned the game around in the third quarter. Indy’s star running back dropped the ball milliseconds before crossing the goal line on what would have been a 41-yard touchdown. “That can’t happen,” said Taylor, who finished with 107 yards — but no touchdowns — on 22 carries. “No, you’re never consciously aware you’re dropping the ball. Otherwise, you wouldn’t do it.” The blunder breathed new life into the Broncos, whose special teams and defense would bail out a sputtering offense that managed just 193 yards. “If he would have scored that touchdown, it would have been even more of a dogfight to get back,” Denver pass rusher Jonathon Cooper said. “We would have had a tougher fight. … I just hope it never happens to us.”
Denver’s defenders dejectedly retreated to the sideline, but suddenly the 76,416 fans roared. Safety P.J. Locke said he looked up and saw the replay on the giant scoreboard and suddenly the Broncos had a holiday gift. Instead of lining up for the extra point to give the Colts a 20-7 lead, the touchback left the reeling Colts clinging to a six-point edge they would soon relinquish. “That was a game changer, yeah, absolutely,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, it hurt us, but he’s one of our leaders. Sometimes that happens in football, but he’s our guy, and that’s what you say to him.” With five takeaways, the Broncos (9-5) ended a seven-year string of losing records and strengthened their grip on an AFC wild-card berth that would end a playoff drought dating to 2016. They began defense of their Super Bowl 50 title that season with a 4-0 start, which was the last time they sat four games above .500. The Colts (6-8) blew both an early 10-0 lead and a big opportunity to tighten the AFC wild-card race, and the biggest reasons were Taylor’s blunder and Bonitto’s plunder. Denver had just taken its first lead of the game on Bo Nix’s 15-yard touchdown toss to tight end Nate Adkins that made it 17-13 when Bonitto scored his second touchdown in two games.
Bonitto, who had a pick-6 against Cleveland before the Broncos’ bye week, was in full stride when he caught Mitchell’s pass at the midfield logo and raced untouched to the end zone. The play was officially recorded as a fumble recovery and not a pick-6 because it was a backward pass. Whatever you want to call it, Cooper said it was just the spark the Broncos needed. “Man, I love playing with this dude,” Cooper said. “His football instincts are off the charts. He’s a phenomenal football player. He’s got my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.” Mitchell said his coach had admonished him to throw the ball away if he saw the Broncos sniffing out the trickery, but he said he never sensed Denver had deciphered the play. “It was there pretty much until 15 turned into Ed Reed and just came through out of nowhere,” Mitchell said. Denver’s five takeaways more than made up for Nix’s first three-interception game of his rookie season. One of Denver’s interceptions was by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who limped to the sideline tent with a sprained right ankle. He went back in the game but was helped off the field just before the 2-minute warning after seemingly aggravating the injury. He left the stadium without comment but wasn’t in a walking boot, a good sign because the Broncos have a short week before their next game. The Broncos’ barrage of points started with Wil Lutz’s 44-yard field goal that pulled Denver to 13-10 and ended with Nix’s 20-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton.
Indiana University Football Lands Northern Illinois Cornerback out of the Transfer Portal The newest addition to Indiana knows something about the next opponent. Northern Illinois cornerback Amariyun Knighten has committed to Indiana, he announced on Sunday. Knighten had three tackles in NIU’s victory over the Notre Dame earlier this season, along with his first career interception in the fourth quarter. He picked off Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard with under six minutes to go, returning the interception 33 yards to give NIU the ball at the fifty yard-line to set up the Huskies’ game-winning drive. The 6-foot product of Hollywood, Fla. played in eight games this season and recorded 17 tackles, and four passes defensed.
In 2023 Knighten made 17 tackles while playing in all 13 games and making five starts. He started the last four games of the season, including the Camellia Bowl, where he collected his second pass break-up of the season. Depending on how things shake out with the roster, Knighten could be a depth addition. Indiana is slated return both starting cornerbacks from their 2024 roster, as both D’Angelo Ponds and Jamier Johnson have eligibility remaining. Knighten has two years of eligibility remaining. As a transfer prospect he was also being recruited by Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and others.
Indiana Pacers beat the New Orleans Pelicans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 10 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers past the struggling New Orleans Pelicans 119-104 on Sunday. Andrew Nembhard had 17 points, and Myles Turner finished with 14 points and four blocks as the Pacers won for the third time in four games. Brandon Boston scored 20 points to lead five Pelicans players in double figures. Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones each scored 19 points while Murray had seven rebounds and seven assists. New Orleans had 18 turnovers and was 10 of 33 from 3-point range in its fourth straight loss. The Pelicans have lost 13 of 14 since mid-November. Indiana swung the game with its second-quarter defense. New Orleans scored only 14 points in those 12 minutes, falling into a 59-42 halftime deficit. The Pacers extended the lead to as many as 23 points in the third quarter and coasted through the fourth. Haliburton and Obi Toppin each made four 3s, accounting for half of Indiana’s 16 3s.
A rash of injuries has hit New Orleans hard, and Sunday’s contest was yet another illustration. It was overwhelmed as last season’s highest-scoring offense seems to be rounding into form. Andrew Nembhard’s return from injury has helped Indiana put together its best stretch of the season. When both Pacers guards playing fast and free, they roll. If they keep it up, their season could soon get back on track. New Orleans scored just two points over the final 4:15 of the first half, and Indiana took full advantage by extending an eight-point lead to 17 at the half. Indiana finished the game with nine blocks, eight in the first half when they pulled away. New Orleans returns to action Thursday at Houston. Indiana begins a three-game trip Thursday at Phoenix.
UAB Running Back Lee Bebee Reopens his recruitment days after Committing to Indiana University Football One of Indiana’s first commitments this portal cycle has elected to reopen his recruitment just days after committing to the Hoosiers. On Friday, UAB running back transfer Lee Beebe committed to Indiana. However, on Sunday night, just two days later, Beebe has reopened his recruitment, per reports. Other than wide receiver E.J. Williams announcing his withdrawal from the transfer portal, Beebe was the first addition this portal season for head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers. With running backs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton out of eligibility at the end of the season, and Elijah Green looking for a new home elsewhere, the Hoosiers are once again in search of a running back to pair with Kaelon Black next season.
During his three seasons with the Blazers, Beebe made 24 total appearances, he redshirted his true freshman season in 2021 after appearing in just one game. He has amassed 1,276 yards on the ground, while scoring 11 rushing touchdowns throughout his career. The 5-foot-10, 220-pound tail back has added 44 catches for 317 yards receiving and one touchdown through the air in his career. The 2024 campaign was the best of the Montgomery, Alabama native’s career. Beebe rushed 166 times for 884 yards–averaging 5.3 yards per carry–and seven touchdowns this past season at UAB. He also caught 30 passes for 219 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Beebe was named third team All-AAC this past season for his efforts with the Blazers.
Notre Dame gives Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman a Contract Extension Marcus Freeman opened his first playoff week as a head coach by holding a team meeting and fielding questions from reporters. A few hours later, Notre Dame made sure Freeman wasn’t going anywhere. Freeman has agreed to a long-term contract extension, making him one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches. It was announced on NBC’s Football Night in America pregame show Sunday night. NBC holds the broadcast rights to televise Notre Dame games. “I am grateful for the support of the Board of Trustees,” Freeman said in a statement released by the athletic department. “The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff. This commitment goes well beyond me, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football.”
The 38-year-old Freeman has gone 30-9 in his three seasons in South Bend, Indiana, and led the Fighting Irish to their first playoff appearance since 2021. After No. 3 Notre Dame lost its second game of the season to Northern Illinois, Freeman, knowing a second loss could eliminate the Irish from playoff contention, treated each of the final 10 contests like an elimination game. The Irish responded by winning all 10 games, moving back into The Associated Press’ top five and earning a first-round home game as the No. 7 seed. They will host No. 9 Indiana (No. 10 seed) Friday night in the first playoff game held on a college campus. The winner advances to face No. 2 Georgia (No. 2).
Freeman was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 2009 and also spent time on the rosters of Buffalo and Houston before announcing his retirement in 2010. He then returned to his alma mater, Ohio State, as a graduate assistant. His coaching stops included Kent State and Purdue, where he was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2016. The next season, Freeman left for Cincinnati where he stayed through 2020. He was hired as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator in 2021 and was promoted to coach when Brian Kelly took the LSU job. Freeman won nine games in his first season as head coach, 10 in his second season and 11 this year.