NFL overtures, NCAA suspensions and fired assistants: Can Michigan get past the offseason chaos?
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When Santa Ono’s phone pinged on Jan. 16 with intel that Jim Harbaugh would return to coach Michigan in 2023 and not bolt for the NFL, he did what any true blue Wolverines fan would do.
Ono grabbed his phone, opened X and started typing. But Ono isn’t just any Michigan fan — he’s the university president — and his text had come from a pretty good source: Harbaugh himself. Ono hit post.
Was this a Santa Scoop? A Har-bomb?
“I’m not your typical university president, I get excited and I really care about our teams,” Ono told ESPN. “So in this backdrop, I tweeted it out when [Harbaugh] texts me, ‘I’m staying.’ All I did was to say I’m excited that he’s staying and I told Warde.
“That’s all it was.”
Ono’s Harbaugh announcement and the addendum that he had communicated the news to athletic director Warde Manuel — not the other way around — set off alarms about the Harbaugh-Manuel relationship, which had reportedly frayed. Ono, not Manuel, had been the public face of the Harbaugh-NFL saga, first expressing the desire for Harbaugh to stay at U-M, and then ultimately confirming the coach’s return.
The lingering speculation about the Harbaugh-Manuel relationship led Ono to mention the Harbaugh tweets, unprompted, during a joint interview with Manuel on campus in June.
“Warde and I have always been absolutely 150 percent aligned,” Ono said. “We both wanted [Harbaugh] to stay here. I want to be really clear about that.”
Michigan football is at its highest point in a generation under Harbaugh, but the rise has coincided with some turbulent times away from the field.
The Wolverines have won back-to-back outright Big Ten titles for the first time in 20 years and have made their first two College Football Playoff appearances. They have consecutive wins over archrival Ohio State, after going 1-15 in their previous 16 matchups. And they start this year No. 2 in the AP poll.
But the last six months have brought a decade’s worth of drama.
Harbaugh, after a second straight offseason of NFL flirtation, will begin 2023 serving a self-imposed three game suspension for NCAA violations committed during the COVID dead period.
In January, co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was fired for alleged “computer access crimes.” In May, Michigan hired Shemy Schembechler — son of legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler — only to see him resign three days later because of offensive social media activity.
To this point, Michigan has navigated the self-generated storm clouds.
MICHIGAN’S RENAISSANCE IS significant, not only because of the hazards it has encountered, but how quickly the team has improved. The Wolverines completed a shortened 2020 season at 2-4 and faced significant questions about Harbaugh, who had become the first Michigan coach to start 0-5 against Ohio State and was 3-3 against Michigan State. Harbaugh overhauled much of his staff, and agreed to an incentive-laden contract with a reduced salary that also gave Michigan a more favorable buyout if it chose to fire him.
He then hired talented young assistants, leaned on a group of veterans to shift the culture in the locker room, and doubled down on his run-heavy offense. Michigan entered the 2021 season unranked for the first time since Harbaugh’s debut season of 2015, but finished No. 3.
“That was a year where everybody was calling for me to fire Jim, because of losses in the pandemic, when you had kids opting out, kids that were sick, injuries that occurred. You had all these things that were so different,” Manuel told ESPN. “But Jim was a great coach before the pandemic, and he’s a great coach now. He made the adjustments that were necessary to do it, and I give him all the credit.
“You have to adapt, you have to learn, you have to modify, you have to change. And he did it. That’s why we are where we are today.”
After 2020, Michigan players became more intentional about their shared goals. The fights that offensive lineman Zak Zinter saw in practices stopped. Wide receiver Roman Wilson saw the team’s biggest stars coming in for extra film study. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy saw divisive cliques splinter.
Team leaders like Josh Ross, Aidan Hutchinson, Brad Hawkins and Hassan Haskins would hold meetings, asking the group a simple question.
“What do we want to be as a team?” Edwards recalled.
The answer: A Big Ten champion that finally got the upper hand on Ohio State. After reaching those goals, the Wolverines focused on repeating their steps.
“That’s almost like the norm now,” McCarthy said. “It’s really special to be in the locker room where there’s not a single person that wouldn’t do anything for me and vice versa. That’s one of the main things you need. If we don’t have to worry about getting that chemistry, we can focus our efforts on the little stuff that’s going to make us even better.”
Michigan has transformed significantly since 2020, but that season remains a layered reference point for veterans like Zinter.
“I always think back to the 2020 season,” Zinter said. “Everyone wanted our heads. Everyone told us we were terrible, we sucked, Coach Harbaugh should be fired. We didn’t care about any of that. We knew what we had in the building. So it’s up to us older guys to be like, ‘Hey, all you know is winning, but it’s not always pretty.’ It’s not easy. You got to come in and work.
“And if there’s distractions, forget about it and move on.”
That mind-set has been tested.
1:04
Are Michigan the title favorites with J.J. McCarthy at QB?
Tom Luginbill outlines why Michigan can be the title favorites with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.
McCARTHY REMEMBERS A Monday morning weight training session in the winter — perhaps an indicator of Harbaugh’s frequent NFL dalliances, he can’t pinpoint if it happened in 2022 or 2023 — when Harbaugh was talking with an NFL team. Angst was building in Schembechler Hall.
Ben Herbert, Michigan’s director of strength and conditioning, began to speak.
“Let’s address the elephant in the room,” McCarthy recalled Herbert saying.
Herbert explained that Harbaugh was talking to an NFL team and might leave to pursue his dream of winning a Super Bowl. He said he supported Harbaugh and hoped the players would, too.
But it didn’t change that day’s plan.
“Coach Herb’s like, ‘We all know where he’s at. It doesn’t change what’s going on here,'” Wilson said. “We’re still about to put this work in. We’re still a great football team.”
Several players credited Herbert, one of Harbaugh’s most trusted assistants since his arrival in 2018, for helping the team overcome challenging moments.
Herbert, who was promoted to associate head coach last week, uses different strategies to redirect players.
Running back Blake Corum recalled being sent to the cold tubs before workouts, which are then done in wet shoes and clothes.
“He trains our mentals, and it helps with distractions,” Corum said. “So when stuff happens, it is what it is. We don’t think too hard about it.”
Still, Harbaugh’s continued dialogue with the NFL is a factor in forecasting Michigan’s future. When the NCAA rejected the negotiated resolution from Harbaugh earlier this month regarding the alleged violations in 2020, some immediately speculated the coach wouldn’t be at Michigan when the full penalties ultimately came down. No other CFP contender has a coach who stirs NFL rumors like Harbaugh.
“It’s an ongoing thing, something that we treat as a really positive thing,” Harbaugh said in February (he declined to be interviewed for this story). “NFL franchises, NFL teams, have a lot of interest in all of our personnel: coaches, players, staff. If somebody in our organization feels that’s going to benefit them professionally and personally, we say, ‘Have at it.’ We don’t hold anybody back.”
Harbaugh, who turns 60 in December, went 44-19-1 as San Francisco 49ers coach. He reached the Super Bowl once and the NFC championship game three times in his four seasons.
“Seeing what he did in San Francisco, I would have some interest, if I’m the GM or president or owner of an NFL team,” Manuel said. “So it is something we talked through. Jim was very open with me about it, each of the years, and I was open with him. Is it something you want to deal with every year? No, but it’s understandable that teams are interested in Jim, and given his longevity as [an NFL] player and his success as a coach, it’s also understandable that Jim might have some interest in talking to them.
“I don’t try to hold back people from having conversations about other things.”
Harbaugh’s NFL interest doesn’t worry Manuel because he believes the coach is “100 percent focused” on Michigan, which is thriving on the field.
“I’m here as long as Michigan wants me here,” Harbaugh said in February.
There have been other more delicate personnel challenges for the program, though. Manuel said Michigan responded exactly as it should have in the Weiss situation, immediately alerting university police (he declined to comment further, citing an ongoing investigation). The Schembechler situation “saddened” Manuel, who, like Harbaugh, played for Bo Schembechler at Michigan, and knew Shemy when he was growing up. Michigan now reassesses how it screens the social media of job candidates university-wide before making hires.
Michigan players have grown accustomed to changes, whether they’re the standard variety — defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald returning to the NFL after one year, for example — or more jarring, like Weiss. McCarthy was most directly impacted by Weiss’ removal, but said Kirk Campbell, an analyst promoted to coach the quarterbacks, has been a “game changer” for him.
“Coaches come and go,” Edwards said. “Like, [offensive coordinator] Josh Gattis left after my first year and it’s like, ‘OK, Sherrone Moore is stepping up.’ We love the coaches, but you can’t fall in love with them. It’s like leaving your parents to go to college. They’re not going to hold your hand forever.”
Although Harbaugh has contributed to potential distractions for Michigan, he hasn’t been a bystander to them. Wilson said Harbaugh addressed his NFL talks with the team, to ensure players would hear from him directly and not from social media.
“When it gets on Twitter, that doesn’t bother us, we already knew,” Wilson said. “It just feels better when Coach Harbaugh’s straight-up with us.”
After Michigan announced the self-imposed suspension for Harbaugh, the coach, who seemingly wanted to share his side of what happened with NCAA investigators, issued a short statement that read: “I will continue to do what I always tell our players and my kids at home: ‘Don’t get bitter, get better.'”
Asked earlier this month about how Michigan overcomes possible distractions, Harbaugh said the team is on “a happy mission.” Even one of his signature quotes — one borrowed from his father, Jack, a longtime college coach — has contributed to players remaining in the moment.
“It’s the beauty of my dad’s mantra: Attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” Harbaugh said. “He just frames it right there: Attack each day, attack this day.”
THE SON OF Japanese immigrants, Ono was born in Canada but went to high school in Baltimore, where he developed a love of football. Ono felt the energy in the sport as he watched Colts stars Johnny Unitas and Bert Jones play on muddy fields at Memorial Stadium.
His excitement for football has only amplified since becoming Michigan’s president in 2022, after a six-year run at University of British Columbia. Michigan has had presidents who supported football or at least recognized its value, but perhaps none are as immersed as Ono, who even threw passes with McCarthy and Manuel this spring.
Ono knew Manuel from their time in the Big East/American Athletic Conference — Ono was Cincinnati’s president and Manuel was UConn’s athletic director — and said the AD was part of the draw to Michigan. Ono says he is in sync with Manuel and Harbaugh, calling them “three peas in a pod.”
“It’s incredible alignment,” Ono added. “If you look at a lot of the universities, you might have a president that barely knows there is a football team. That’s certainly not the case with me.”
Manuel and Harbaugh overlapped as players for the 1986 season under Bo Schembechler, when Harbaugh served as captain and Manuel was a freshman offensive lineman. Although Manuel did not hire Harbaugh, the two seemed like a natural pairing. During Manuel’s introduction as Michigan’s AD in 2016, Harbaugh interrupted, saying, “I just want to give you a hug!” He then presented Manuel with a personalized jersey.
“He’s been great for our athletic department and our university,” Harbaugh said in February of Manuel. “Nothing but good. I trust Warde; he trusts me.”
But Harbaugh has butted heads with his bosses at other stops. According to media reports earlier this year, his relationship with Manuel had deteriorated to the point where they barely spoke. Both Harbaugh and Manuel have pushed back against those claims.
“It doesn’t bother me, but it’s ridiculous,” Manuel told ESPN. “In any relationship, you’re going to have differences. That tension, in many ways, is healthy. It’s a healthy environment when you have discourse between two people working together so closely.”
POSTSEASON SUCCESS IS the next, obvious goal for Michigan and Harbaugh. Michigan is 1-6 in bowls under Harbaugh, including the two CFP semifinal defeats. The team’s struggles on the national stage extend a pattern that stretches back decades, even during Schembechler’s tenure. Michigan has claimed only one national title since 1948. Since 1969, the year Schembechler took over as coach, Michigan is 7-18 in the five major bowl games they have played in: Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Peach.
Players look at the Georgia and TCU losses very differently. Michigan had never been to the CFP before 2021, and faced a Georgia team that produced five first-round NFL draft picks and 15 total, a record for the seven-round draft era. Last year, Michigan faced TCU as a favorite, threw two pick-sixes and allowed 50% of third downs to be converted in a performance that didn’t resemble any other it had delivered all season. Michigan created a “Beat Georgia” period in practice to match the longstanding period labeled “Beat Ohio State.” There is no such designation for TCU.
“Definitely hurt a whole lot more,” McCarthy said of the TCU loss. “When I went in freshman year and we were playing the defense of the decade, it was like, ‘All right, let’s see what I can do.’ … But this TCU one, it was all in my hands. It was obviously a team effort, but I was in the driver’s seat. It’s just a whole different pain.”
One of the few links between both games was McCarthy remaining on the field long after each had ended. McCarthy listened to a podcast from Tim Grover, the longtime trainer for Michael Jordan, who advised not to run from losses.
“Sit in it, soak in it, like really sit there and embrace all the pain, all the regret, all the disgust that a loss like that can bring you,” McCarthy said. “What that did for me both times has been very, very profound going into the offseason, because I feel like I can now go back to that point and channel the pain of regret and anger and use that as a sense of motivation.”
Michigan is set up to push for its first national championship since 1997. The Wolverines have experience, star power and depth. They once again have a favorable schedule, which includes no nonleague games against power conference teams and four home contests to begin the season. They end with Ohio State visiting the Big House.
The all-too-familiar distractions will be there, too, starting with Harbaugh missing the first three games. Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins, a potential first-round pick, said in July that Harbaugh’s absence will “hurt our hearts,” but the coach has prepared Michigan’s players to charge forward, undeterred, just like they have during the past two years.
“There’s always going to be distractions, there’s always going to be adversity, and it’s always going to hit you at the most random points in time,” Jenkins said. “You’ve got to keep pushing, regardless of what happens in your direction, on your path, to be great.
“That’s what we try to do every day.”
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Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
The midway point of the 2024-25 NHL occurred recently, which led to a slew of content this week: Midseason grades for all 32 teams, the Panic Meter, and the Wyshynski Awards at midseason.
But which fantasy players have been the MVP at this juncture?
In this week’s edition of the Power Rankings, we have identified that player for each club. And a reminder, it’s not too late to sign up for a team!
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 10. Points percentages and paces are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 72.22%
Tom Wilson, RW. It’s honestly hard to pick one Capital for this fantasy MVP award, as it’s been such a great season. Logan Thompson, Connor McMichael, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun … even an injury-shortened run from Alex Ovechkin has been epic so far. But Wilson is the team’s fantasy leader as of Wednesday, with one more fantasy point than Thompson, so let’s acknowledge the effort.
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 18), @ EDM (Jan. 21), @ SEA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 70.65%
Connor Hellebuyck, G. He’s not just the Jets’ fantasy MVP, he’s easily the NHL fantasy MVP this season! Hellebuyck has a 35-point lead on Nathan MacKinnon for the most overall fantasy points and is pushing into territory we haven’t seen in the modern NHL. Carey Price has the 15-year water mark at 313.6 fantasy points in 2014-15 and Hellebuyck is on pace to beat it.
Next eight days: vs. CGY (Jan. 18), @ UTA (Jan. 20), @ COL (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 69.32%
Jack Eichel, C. Health has been a big reason why, but it’s still a shock to think that Eichel hasn’t scored more than 82 points in a season. Well, he’s going to blow the doors off that career mark this campaign as he’s well on his way to triple digits!
Next eight days: @ CAR (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 18), vs. STL (Jan. 20), @ STL (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 67.78%
Leon Draisaitl, C. Chicken or egg, we may never know, but Draisaitl is the easy pick from the Oilers even though he’s on a team with the consensus best player on the planet. His fantasy returns are through the roof and he’s dominating in the offensive categories at a per-game rate only eclipsed by two other players. No one is sad even if he was picked first overall at the draft — which he probably wasn’t.
Next eight days: @ VAN (Jan. 18), vs. WSH (Jan. 21), vs. VAN (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 64.77%
Jake Oettinger, G. It hasn’t been a straight line to get there, but here at the halfway mark, Oettinger is the top-five goaltender we drafted. That’s worthy of fantasy MVP on a team with most of the other personnel putting up totals that lag behind last season.
Next eight days: @ COL (Jan. 18), vs. DET (Jan. 19), vs. CAR (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 64.44%
Kirill Kaprizov, LW. He’s missed 10 games and still has the lead in fantasy points for the Wild, though Filip Gustavsson might catch him). Actually, if Kaprizov wasn’t so extremely dialed in, Gustavsson may have been worthy of the nod here for answering the bell as the unquestioned starter after a down season in 2023-24.
Next eight days: @ NSH (Jan. 18), @ COL (Jan. 20), vs. UTA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 61.70%
Jacob Markstrom, G. Forget fantasy MVP, maybe just plain MVP. The Devils knew they needed a reliable goalie to change their fortunes in the standings, and Markstrom has more than filled that void. It’s a bonus for us in the fantasy game that the results have translated well and he’s (distant, admittedly) second to Connor Hellebuyck among all goalies.
Next eight days: vs. PHI (Jan. 18), vs. OTT (Jan. 19), vs. BOS (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 63.04%
Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, G. Maybe the fantasy MVP should be coach Craig Berube, who brought his defensive stylings to a team that seemed to have had an appetite for it all along. Both Stolarz and Woll have proven to be worthy of fantasy rosters — especially in leagues that allow daily lineup changes to pick the actual starter. They rank fourth and 13th respectively for fantasy points per game.
Next eight days: @ MTL (Jan. 18), vs. TB (Jan. 20), vs. CBJ (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 61.11%
Shayne Gostisbehere, D. Averaging half a point per game with the man advantage, Gostisbehere is just what the Hurricanes needed to elevate their special teams this season. He’s not just a great fantasy starter, but he’s lifted all boats for the Hurricanes by making the power play more dangerous. That’s true fantasy MVP status.
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 20), @ DAL (Jan. 21), vs. CBJ (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 65.48%
Brandt Clarke, D. Though the sun is setting on his time in the spotlight and one could argue it’s been fading since his early season returns, Clarke did a stand-up job of filling in for Drew Doughty as the Kings power-play quarterback until the veteran returns, which for the record, is expected to be soon.
Next eight days: @ SEA (Jan. 18), vs. PIT (Jan. 20), vs. FLA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 59.78%
Nathan MacKinnon, C. One of only two skaters averaging 3.0 fantasy points per game, MacKinnon is a fantasy MVP even relative to his starting value, which couldn’t possibly have been any higher for the top player drafted in most leagues. There are no complaints if you want to give this to Mikko Rantanen or Cale Makar, who are right there with him.
Next eight days: vs. DAL (Jan. 18), vs. MIN (Jan. 20), vs. WPG (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 59.78%
Sam Reinhart, RW. Leon Draisaitl, Alex Ovechkin, Dany Heatley … Reinhart? If he keeps up his current pace, he’ll join an exclusive group of players with consecutive 50-goal seasons in the post-lockout era. How’s that for an answer as to whether he can repeat his fantasy value from his contract season?
Next eight days: vs. ANA (Jan. 18), @ ANA (Jan. 21), @ LA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 59.30%
Nikita Kucherov, RW. Life without Steven Stamkos has been just fine for Kucherov, as Jake Guentzel has filled the void on the power play. He joins only Nathan MacKinnon in the rarified air of earning 3.0 fantasy points per game as a skater. Brandon Hagel emerging as a fantasy lock would be another consideration here, but Kucherov is too good to pass on.
Next eight days: vs. DET (Jan. 18), @ TOR (Jan. 20), @ MTL (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 55.68%
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW. Cast aside after the terrible fantasy showing last season, Huberdeau was widely available for fantasy teams when it became clear he was having a bounce-back campaign. Rookie Dustin Wolf was an equally eligible choice here as he continues his takeover of the crease.
Next eight days: @ WPG (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 54.55%
Kevin Lankinen, G. Although the fantasy value is starting to fade as Thatcher Demko creeps back into the picture, Lankinen was a boon to rosters for months as his replacement. And it was a very late replacement, as he wasn’t even on the Canucks roster until after some fantasy drafts. But with Demko still not seemingly 100 percent, maybe the ride isn’t over.
Next eight days: vs. EDM (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 21), @ EDM (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 55.56%
Zach Werenski, D. Mike Green’s 31 goals in 2008-09 still stands as the 21st century mark to beat for a defender. Werenski picked up two on Tuesday to put him on pace for 28. The results are only made better by the fact that he was a typically an 11th round draft pick in most leagues.
Next eight days: @ NYR (Jan. 18), @ NYI (Jan. 20), @ TOR (Jan. 22), @ CAR (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 54.55%
Brady Tkachuk, LW. Five-category forwards are a rare commodity, but Tkachuk checks all the boxes for fantasy production. But he’s not just checking them, he’s filling the boxes in with a permanent Sharpie and signing them. He’s top 10 in both shots on goal and hits!
Next eight days: vs. BOS (Jan. 18), @ NJ (Jan. 19), @ NYR (Jan. 21), @ BOS (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 53.26%
David Pastrnak, RW. Like … who else are we going to pick? Jeremy Swayman and Elias Lindholm are falling way short of high hopes, Charlie McAvoy — just placed on the IR — and Brad Marchand are treading water for value. Pasta hasn’t been as dominant as his recent seasons, but you probably aren’t mad you picked him for your team, which is going to have to be good enough for fantasy MVP here.
Next eight days: @ OTT (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 20), @ NJ (Jan. 22), vs. OTT (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.55%
Lane Hutson, D. It took him a little bit of time, but Hutson climbed the depth chart to the top of the blue line and is reaping the rewards. He has been a top-10 fantasy defenseman for the past month with 2.3 fantasy points per game and leads all Habs in fantasy points over that span.
Next eight days: vs. TOR (Jan. 18), vs. NYR (Jan. 19), vs. TB (Jan. 21), @ DET (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 52.27%
Moritz Seider, D. With the way the offense has turned around after the coaching change, this answer might be different in a couple of weeks (Patrick Kane?), but for now, Seider returning the top-five defenseman value we hoped for is fantasy MVP-worthy.
Next eight days: @ TB (Jan. 18), @ DAL (Jan. 19), @ PHI (Jan. 21), vs. MTL (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 52.17%
Dylan Holloway, C. After getting modest chances in Edmonton with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, it was far from expected that Holloway would start producing once he escaped them. Holloway ranks third on the Blues in total fantasy points and has only been improving his output as the season progresses — as in, this might not even be the ceiling yet.
Next eight days: @ UTA (Jan. 18), @ VGK (Jan. 20), vs. VGK (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 51.14%
Will Cuylle, LW. Frankly, Cuylle shouldn’t be on fantasy rosters anymore since his early-season hot streak inevitably petered out, but giving him the fantasy MVP nod here is a message to the rest of the Rangers. No one has met, let alone exceeded fantasy hopes on this roster this season. Vincent Trocheck is just starting to get to a good place, but it’s thumbs down all around after him.
Next eight days: vs. CBJ (Jan. 18), @ MTL (Jan. 19), vs. OTT (Jan. 21), vs. PHI (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 50.00%
Travis Sanheim, D. While Travis Konecny is the team leader for fantasy, he was also a popular pick at drafts. Sanheim was a bench addition defenseman in most leagues — if he was even drafted at all. Well, here he is, sandwiched between Quinn Hughes and Roman Josi for total fantasy points from the blue line at the halfway mark.
Next eight days: @ NJ (Jan. 18), vs. DET (Jan. 21), @ NYR (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 48.86%
Ian Cole, D. Cole is easily having the quietest fantasy campaign in the league. He ranks 19th in fantasy points among all defensemen, yet remains available in 60% of leagues. The fuel for his performance are his 124 blocked shots, which rank second overall to Jacob Trouba. Cole even has more fantasy points than any forward on Utah’s roster.
Next eight days: vs. STL (Jan. 18), vs. WPG (Jan. 20), @ MIN (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 47.83%
Rickard Rakell, RW. He was on radars at the start of the season, but he may not have even been in many top-five lists for Penguins with the most fantasy potential. So to have Rakell not only doing well, but leading the entire team in fantasy points — by a healthy margin — is fantastic news for those that picked him up in the early going. Heck, Rakell is 11th among all skaters in fantasy scoring!
Next eight days: @ BUF (Jan. 17), @ WSH (Jan. 18), @ LA (Jan. 20), @ ANA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 46.59%
Anders Lee, LW. With only Lee and Noah Dobson approaching 2.0 fantasy points per game — and barely — across the Islanders’ entire roster, we don’t really have a choice but to go with Lee for the fantasy MVP, as we expected more from Dobson. But long story short, if Ilya Sorokin isn’t the fantasy MVP in an Isles season, we know things aren’t going to plan.
Next eight days: vs. SJ (Jan. 18), vs. CBJ (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 44.57%
Joey Daccord, G. Look, the Kraken are an example of playing above the sum of its parts, but it means there are no superstars here. No player averages more than 1.7 fantasy points per game, which means some shallow leagues might be better off with no Kraken on any rosters. That said, Daccord has been an above average secondary fantasy goaltender when deployed with focus.
Next eight days: vs. LA (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 20), vs. WSH (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 46.67%
Jackson LaCombe, D. Before the season, if you had to guess the young defender that would the Ducks’ fantasy MVP at the halfway mark, LaCombe might have been your third guess. He’s playing top-pair minutes with Radko Gudas and patrolling the blue line on the power play to the tune of 1.9 fantasy points per game.
Next eight days: @ FLA (Jan. 18), vs. FLA (Jan. 21), vs. PIT (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 44.32%
Jason Zucker, LW. A prime choice in deep-league fantasy games, Zucker has a lot going for him amongst a disappointing showing from his teammates in fantasy. A freebie pickup with 1.7 fantasy points per game? Nice. Gets most of his points on the power play? Excellent. Eligible at both LW and RW for leagues that use those? Beauty!
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 17), @ SEA (Jan. 20), @ VAN (Jan. 21), @ CGY (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 42.05%
Roman Josi, D. Even though he ranks ninth among blueliners for fantasy points and is behind his pace from last season, Josi is as close to a fantasy MVP as we’ll get with this club. Maybe better days are ahead, but the Predators are a lesson in not betting too strongly on fantasy returns based on offseason moves.
Next eight days: vs. MIN (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 21), @ SJ (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.17%
Jake Walman, D. An extraordinarily pleasant surprise on the Sharks’ blue line, Walman is running the power play, firing shots, scoring goals and blocking shots. He wasn’t on any preseason shortlists as a sleeper, so to be getting quality production out of him as a free-agent addition has been helpful to those who jumped on board.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 18), @ BOS (Jan. 20), @ NSH (Jan. 21), vs. NSH (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 34.44%
Alex Vlasic, D. The results are dipping of late, but Vlasic was a solid play overall this season, especially when Seth Jones was out of the lineup. Vlasic ranks second on the team in fantasy points and was even tied with Connor Bedard for the lead as recently as Dec. 27.
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 18), vs. CAR (Jan. 20)
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
LSU freshman quarterback Colin Hurley was found unresponsive but breathing by LSU police and the Baton Rouge Fire Department just before 3 a.m. on Thursday following a car crash near the gates of the LSU campus, according to a crash report.
Hurley was taken out of his Dodge Charger by EMS and fire department personnel and transported to a Baton Rouge area hospital.
The cause of the crash has not been released. LSU school officials said they were unable to comment because Hurley, 17, is still a minor. Hurley’s parents were on their way to Baton Rouge.
“We are working through proper protocols with his family before we can have any comment,” LSU senior associate athletic director and chief communications officer Zach Greenwell told ESPN via text message.
Hurley, who is from Jacksonville, Florida, signed with LSU as part of the 2024 recruiting class and did not play this season as a true freshman.
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