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  • Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterSep 15, 2023, 04:30 PM ET

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    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
    • Graduate of Northwestern University.

Michigan State has elevated defensive analyst TJ Hollowell to become the team’s 10th on-field assistant, while former Spartans coach Mark Dantonio will serve in an advisory role on game days.

After suspending coach Mel Tucker without pay, athletic director Alan Haller brought back Dantonio as the team’s associate head coach. Dantonio, who went 114-57 as MSU’s coach from 2007 to 2019, will assist acting head coach Harlon Barnett in practices and meetings during the week, and will serve as an advisor on game day, beginning Saturday against No. 8 Washington at Spartan Stadium.

Hollowell will serve in a formal assistant role, and also recruit for MSU on the road. The former Nebraska and NFL linebacker joined Michigan State’s staff in 2020 after two seasons at Coastal Carolina.

“Mark Dantonio is an excellent football coach and it’s been great having him back in the building this week,” Barnett said in a statement. “Coach D brings the calming presence, the wisdom, and the knowledge of being a head coach. … In terms of the coaching staff, after evaluating our immediate needs this week, we felt that it was best served for Coach D to help in an advisory role and for TJ Hollowell to be our 10th on-field assistant coach.

“TJ has knowledge of our defensive schemes and personnel having been on staff for four seasons, which provides the most seamless transition for our program.”

Barnett, an All-American defensive back for MSU, had been coaching the Spartans’ secondary before Tucker’s suspension. He also coached defensive backs under Dantonio from 2007 to 2017 at MSU, and from 2004 to 2006 at Cincinnati.

Tucker was suspended while the university completes an investigation into claims that he sexually harassed prominent sexual assault awareness speaker Brenda Tracy. Michigan State will hold a hearing in early October to assess whether Tucker violated the school’s sexual misconduct policy.

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Sources: ASU’s top WR Tyson expected back

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November 22, 2025

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Sources: ASU's top WR Tyson expected back
Nov 22, 2025, 02:48 PM ET

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State‘s leading receiver, is expected to return from a hamstring injury and play Saturday when the Sun Devils visit the Colorado Buffaloes, sources tell ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Tyson is expected to participate in pregame warmups, and barring any setbacks, he’ll be cleared to play against his former team.

Tyson suffered the injury Oct. 18 in Arizona State’s upset win over then-undefeated Texas Tech. He finished that game with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown but has not played since.

Despite missing the past three games, Tyson leads the Sun Devils in catches (57) and yards receiving (628), and he is the team leader with eight touchdowns.

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UAB: Player arrested after stabbing 2 teammates

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3 hours ago

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November 22, 2025

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UAB: Player arrested after stabbing 2 teammates

  • Jake TrotterNov 22, 2025, 02:36 PM ET

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      Jake Trotter is a senior writer at ESPN. Trotter covers college football. He also writes about other college sports, including men’s and women’s basketball. Trotter resides in the Cleveland area with his wife and three kids and is a fan of his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder. He covered the Cleveland Browns and NFL for ESPN for five years, moving back to college football in 2024. Previously, Trotter worked for the Middletown (Ohio) Journal, Austin American-Statesman and Oklahoman newspapers before joining ESPN in 2011. He’s a 2004 graduate of Washington and Lee University. You can reach out to Trotter at jake.trotter@espn.com and follow him on X at @Jake_Trotter.

A UAB football player stabbed two of his teammates Saturday morning at the football facility ahead of the Blazers’ home game against USF, a university spokesperson told ESPN.

The suspect has been arrested, and both injured players are in stable condition after being taken to UAB hospital. The school has not released the names of any of the players involved.

UAB’s game against USF began as scheduled at 3 p.m. ET.

A UAB official said an investigation is ongoing.

“UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students,” the school said in a statement.

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Sources: Ohio St. to be without WRs Tate, Smith

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8 hours ago

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November 22, 2025

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Sources: Ohio St. to be without WRs Tate, Smith

  • ESPN News Services

Nov 22, 2025, 09:32 AM ET

Ohio State wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith are not expected to play against Rutgers on Saturday due to lower-body injuries, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Tate will miss his third straight game. Smith played in last week’s win over UCLA but missed the second half after being seen limping before halftime. Both are considered day-to-day, sources said, ahead of a potential return next week against rival Michigan.

On Tuesday, coach Ryan Day would not rule out either wide receiver but also did not want to go into specifics on their availability.

“Our policy is we don’t discuss specifics on injuries, and once you start going down a little bit here, a little bit there, you can create a problem,” Day said. “So for a number of reasons, we don’t discuss those things.”

Smith leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the nation with 10 touchdown catches while ranking third in the conference in receiving yards per game (90.2) and second in catches per game (6.9). Tate is fifth in the Big Ten with 88.9 receiving yards per game.

Brandon Inniss started in place of Tate against UCLA and led No. 1 Ohio State with six catches for 30 yards during a 48-10 win.

The 5-5 Scarlet Knights are looking to beat Ohio State for the first time in their 11th try since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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