Matt Hayes

19 hours ago | usatoday.com | Matt Hayes

Let’s not go overboard, there’s nothing philosophical about this. Above everything else, the NFL is a copycat league. See successful, copy successful. See Pat Mahomes and Andy Reid reinvent the passing game, be the passing game. Right down to declaring, without hesitation, that football is now a vertical pass game ― and anyone who doesn’t abide by the unwritten rule falls behind.

2 days ago | usatoday.com | Matt Hayes

The absurdity would be hilarious if it weren't so dangerously reckless. College football is dying, everyone. And the sport's leaders don't really care. Somewhere in Las Calinas, Texas, in a posh $600 a night five-star hotel, the muckety-mucks of the College Football Playoff are dining on five-star meals and bickering about playoff formats and automatic qualifiers and generating revenue — and getting nothing done. That’s four of these highfalutin’ meetings in the last four months, thank you.

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Matt Hayes

He’s not throwing in spring practice, and there’s no timetable for his return. And that’s about the only certainty this offseason for injured Florida quarterback DJ Lagway. This much we do know: if Florida signs a quarterback when the spring portal opens next week, there’s more to unfold from this developing story. Florida coach Billy Napier says Lagway has a shoulder injury, and a “lower body” injury.

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Matt Hayes

This makes no sense. Absolutely none. But it’s the NFL, and here we are. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has apparently been invited to the NFL draft by the league office. Typically what this means is the league believes there’s a high probability Milroe will be selected in the first round. To this I say: quarterbacks make NFL franchises do the dumbest things. Draft high, dream big. And more times than not, fail spectacularly. Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett; they’re all the same.

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Matt Hayes

Like Tim Beck doesn’t have enough to sort through this offseason. Let’s throw something else on his plate.ÂSo I called the Coastal Carolina football coach, and we talked briefly about hot dogs and burgers and nachos — and how through an innovative marketing plan, they’re all free at Chanticleers home games in 2025.“It’s a great idea to reward our fans,” Beck says. It was also, I soon found out, a peek into something of greater importance.