Red Raider Soccer sweeps Lincoln County

Former Florida guard Riley Kugel will not play for Kansas this season, CBS Sports reported Wednesday. Kugel committed to the Jayhawks on April 1, days after entering the transfer portal, but Kansas coach Bill Self said Monday that Kugel's future in Lawrence was "up in the air." The 6-foot-5 sophomore is now back to being recruited by high-majors, per the report. Kugel averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds and shot 39.4 percent from the field in 33 games (11 starts) this past season but lost his starting job in December. He was on the bench for both the semifinals and final of the SEC tournament. The Gators beat Texas A&M in the semis but lost to Auburn in the final. Kugel did play in Florida's 102-100 loss to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He had 11 points, four rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes. In 2022-23, Kugel averaged 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds and shot 45.6 percent in 32 games (17 starts). He averaged 17.3 points over the final 10 games of the season and earned SEC All-Freshman honors. --Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing veteran wide receiver Scotty Miller to a one-year contract, ESPN reported Wednesday. Financial terms were not reported. Miller, 26, caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Atlanta Falcons under erstwhile head coach Arthur Smith, now the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh. Miller has 85 catches for 1,085 yards and six TDs in 67 career games (eight starts) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-22) and Falcons. He was a sixth-round pick of the Bucs in 2019. --Field Level Media

The Denver Broncos released quarterback Ben DiNucci on Wednesday, leaving three signal-callers on their roster. "All part of the journey!!" DiNucci posted on X. "Excited for what's to come." DiNucci, 27, originally signed with Denver in May 2023 but did not see any action last season and became the odd man out. In addition to the returning Jarrett Stidham, the Broncos drafted Bo Nix with the No. 12 overall pick and acquired former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson in a trade with the New York Jets this offseason. A seventh-round pick by Dallas in 2020, DiNucci made his only NFL start that season. He completed 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in the Cowboys' 23-9 loss at Philadelphia on Nov. 1. --Field Level Media

Sam Huard, a former five-star quarterback who began his career at Washington, announced he is transferring to Utah. Huard spent two seasons with the Huskies before transferring to FCS program Cal Poly. He passed for 2,247 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season for the Mustangs. Utah has star Cam Rising back for a seventh collegiate season after he missed all of 2023 with a serious knee injury. Huard figures to compete for a backup spot. "Utah has an unbelievable culture and the people and the program were some things that I felt were the best for me at this point in my career," Huard told 247Sports. "To be in a great spot and to compete every day with great people around me, being in the room and learning from one of the best quarterbacks in college football while being able to have two years in a great system was a big part of it." Huard made one start in two seasons with Washington, that coming in a 40-13 loss to Washington State in the 2021 Apple Cup. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 190 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in that contest. In 2022, Michael Penix Jr. transferred in to be Washington's starter. Huard, who threw 44 total passes for the Huskies, transferred to Cal Poly after the season. At Cal Poly, Huard passed for 483 yards in a 41-30 road loss to Sacramento State on Nov. 11. That was the second-most passing yards in a game in school history behind Seth Burford, who passed for 566 against Northern Iowa in 2000. Huard also set a school record with 37 completions in the game. Huard is the son of Damon Huard, who played at Washington and in the NFL. His uncle, Brock, also played for the Huskies and in the NFL. --Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is connected to another police investigation in Dallas, this time an alleged assault, WFAA and the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday. Police view Rice as a suspect in an incident that took place outside a nightclub early Monday morning, according to the reports. A man allegedly hit a photographer, who was then taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Rice's attorney declined comment to the Morning News, and no charges were filed as of Tuesday evening. The wide receiver, who grew up in the Dallas area and played for SMU, was already in trouble in the city for his connection to a six-car crash on March 30. Rice turned himself in to police several days later and faces one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. An arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Morning News showed that Rice was driving 119 mph before the accident. A friend and former SMU teammate, Teddy Knox, was traveling 116 mph in a separate car, and he faces the same charges as Rice. Seven people were left with injuries, including at least one woman who sustained "serious bodily injury" and another who was stranded on the highway with her 4-year-old son for about five hours after the crash. On April 3, Rice said he took "full responsibility" for his actions related to the crash. --Field Level Media

Reports: Chiefs' Rashee Rice suspect in alleged assault in Dallas

Joe Collier, the standout defensive coordinator of Denver's famed "Orange Crush" defense, Monday night at his home in Littleton, Colo., the Broncos announced. He was 91. Collier spent 20 seasons on the Broncos' defensive staff from 1969-88, including the final 17 as defensive coordinator. "Joe Collier is one of the most impactful coaches in the history of the Denver Broncos and regarded among the best defensive coordinators of all time," the Broncos said in a statement. "He was an innovator in the NFL with his 3-4 defense, helping the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances during a legendary career with our franchise that spanned more than two decades. "Intelligent, modest and soft-spoken, Collier provided steady leadership to five different head coaches as the Broncos emerged as perennial contenders in the 1970s and 1980s. His profound influence on countless players and coaches in Denver included 12 Broncos Ring of Famers, 11 Pro Bowl selections and 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar." The Broncos made Super Bowl appearances after the 1977, 1986 and 1987 seasons with Collier running the defense. However, they went 0-3 in those games and lost by an average of 22.7 points. Collier also served as head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 1966-68 and went 13-16-1. He was fired after an 0-2 start in 1968. Collier also served as defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots in 1991-92 after his stint with the Broncos. Collier was an All-America receiver at Northwestern in 1952 before being a 22nd-round selection by the New York Giants in the 1954 NFL Draft. He didn't play pro football. --Field Level Media

Quarterback Nathan Rourke wasn't out of a job for long after being claimed off waivers by the New York Giants on Tuesday, NFL Network reported. Rourke was waived by New England on Monday as the Patriots trimmed the quarterbacks on their roster to four. The Giants are adding Rourke, who turns 26 on May 24, to a QB room that already has incumbent Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. Rourke has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game after spending time on the Jacksonville Jaguars' active and practice squad rosters since January 2022. The Jaguars waived him in December and he was claimed by the Patriots, who re-signed him in March. A native of Canada, he played in college at the University of Ohio (2017-19) and appeared in 23 games for the Canadian Football League's BC Lions from 2021-22, throwing for 4,103 yards with 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. --Field Level Media