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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The mood inside Michigan’s Crisler Center media room late Saturday afternoon was equally reflective and forward-looking.

Michigan had beaten rival Ohio State and won the Big Ten East. The division title didn’t come as a surprise, given the strong roster the Wolverines returned in 2023, but it continued a historic season. This was the first time Michigan had beaten its rival three straight times since 1997, the program’s last national championship season.

As the Wolverines return to the Big Ten championship game for the third consecutive year, they have national championship aspirations again.

Safety Rod Moore‘s diving interception of an underthrown pass by Ohio State’s Kyle McCord secured Michigan’s 30-24 win Saturday and ensured a return to Indianapolis. But the twists and turns of Michigan’s journey have made this season stand apart from the school’s past two championship runs.

“It’s been a lot,” quarterback J.J. McCarthy said.

Michigan won six of its 12 games without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline because of two separate suspensions. The program has been under intense scrutiny since mid-October, when the NCAA began investigating an off-campus scouting/signal-stealing operation led by former staff member Connor Stalions. There have also been standard obstacles, like injuries to key starters — guard Zak Zinter, cornerback Will Johnson — in the Ohio State game. But whether self-created or not, Michigan found ways to navigate whatever obstacles fell in its path, reaching 1,001 all-time wins.

“No one cried, no one whined,” running back Blake Corum said. “It was like, ‘OK, this is what we have to do.’ The job has to get done, no matter what.”

And there’s still work left to do as Michigan faces No. 17 Iowa this coming Saturday. A win would give the Wolverines three straight outright Big Ten championships for the first time in team history.

“It’s been a tremendous season, right in the exact position that we hoped for, that we worked so hard to be in,” Harbaugh said Sunday. “It’s onward now. We’ve accomplished many of our goals, but not all of them yet.”

Here are five factors that helped Michigan complete its journey back to Indianapolis and could help the Wolverines finally win an elusive national title.


1. A veteran-laden roster that doesn’t flinch, starting with QB McCarthy

The experience of this Michigan team has been especially important given Harbaugh’s suspension and the intense media scrutiny on the program. Almost every position group boasts numerous players with significant starts or notable field time. Even after a devastating injury like Zinter’s against Ohio State, Michigan responded by moving fifth-year lineman Karsen Barnhart to right guard and then sliding in Trente Jones, another fifth-year player, to Barnhart’s spot at tackle. The offense continued to move.

“We’re always talking about the six best guys, the five best guys, whoever it is,” said Sherrone Moore, who oversees the line.

McCarthy’s savvy has stood out this season as Michigan has asked different things of him than in 2022, when the team rode running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. After an excellent start — he had 2,134 pass yards with 18 touchdowns on 75.7% completions through Michigan’s first nine games — he didn’t attempt a pass down the stretch against Penn State, as the Wolverines called 32 consecutive runs. Then, after a shaky performance last week at Maryland, McCarthy executed a precision passing game to near perfection against Ohio State, completing 16 of 20 attempts for 148 yards and a thread-the-needle touchdown to Roman Wilson. He completed 12 of 12 passes of 5 yards or less, and recorded his fifth game with at least 80% completions, tying Oregon’s Bo Nix for most in the FBS. His mobility also stood out against a fast Buckeyes defense.

“I told him before the game: ‘Listen, when the game matters in some critical situations, I’m going to put the ball in your hands, because I know you’re going to make a great decision,'” Moore said. “I know where his mindset is at, especially on those critical downs.”


2. Moore’s growth as a coach

Harbaugh has generally hired good staff members at Michigan. Several of his ex-assistants have moved on to head-coaching positions or to the NFL. His 2023 staff projected well, especially with two up-and-coming coordinators in Jesse Minter, a Broyles Award finalist in 2022, and Moore. Back in late spring, Michigan had no idea how much of the season Harbaugh would miss and how much it would have to rely on the rest of the coaching staff in his absence.

Although the 37-year-old Moore has never been a head coach and only became a coordinator in 2021, he was the clear choice to lead Michigan on game days during the stretch run. Moore took a necessary conservative approach in an emotionally charged game against Penn State, which has an aggressive defense filled with NFL-level talent, but an offense that was not set up to truly challenge Michigan. He got Michigan through a shaky performance against Maryland, in which the Wolverines needed scores in all three phases to overcome the Terrapins.

Before the Ohio State game, Harbaugh had two messages for Moore: Love you and be you. The latter meant: make more aggressive play calls. Moore kept the offense on the field for three fourth-down opportunities and converted each time, including twice on a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that put Michigan up 14-3 in the second quarter. He also opened the fourth quarter with a halfback pass, as Edwards found tight end Colston Loveland for 34 yards, and mixed in Alex Orji as a “change-up” quarterback and got a 20-yard run.

“Coach Moore said from the get-go that he’s going to call the most aggressive game he’s ever called,” McCarthy said. “For the big boys, for Blake, for myself, it’s music to our ears, just knowing that he has confidence in us to go get that extra yard or go get that 2 yards. It means the world because that’s who we are.”

Harbaugh said Ohio State’s defense was the best he had seen, and Michigan’s game plan required creativity.

“Not a thing I would have changed in the way he called that game and the decisions he made in that kind of environment, that kind of pressure,” Harbaugh said.

Moore’s 3-0 Big Ten stretch without Harbaugh showed that he’s ready to lead his own program. Given the uncertainty about Harbaugh’s future — Harbaugh has interviewed for NFL jobs each of the past two winters, and likely will face another NCAA suspension if he returns to Michigan in 2024 — Moore has emerged as a very capable option to take over at Michigan, whenever that day comes.


3. A defensive front with few stars but plenty of depth

When Michigan broke through in 2021, winning its first Big Ten title in 17 years, its frontman was defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. He shined down the stretch, becoming the Heisman Trophy runner-up and cementing himself as a top NFL draft pick. And Michigan has had plenty of other star defensive linemen during Harbaugh’s tenure — David Ojabo, Kwity Paye, Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, Taco Charlton, Mazi Smith and Mike Morris.

The 2023 line might not be remembered for its big names, but it will be remembered for its depth, skill, experience and performances in big games. No Michigan defensive lineman has more than 5.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss or five quarterback hurries, but eight have at least 1.5 sacks and seven have multiple QB hurries.

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Sam Acho: Michigan’s defense the difference in win vs. Ohio State

Sam Acho breaks down the keys to Michigan’s victory over Ohio State and the Buckeyes’ chances of reaching the College Football Playoff.

There have been expected contributions from veterans such as tackle Kris Jenkins and end Jaylen Harrell, but sophomore Mason Graham has emerged into a surprise star — he’s tied for the team lead with 6.5 tackles for loss and has contributed three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The California native was an ESPN three-star recruit who originally committed to Boise State. And Josaiah Stewart, a Coastal Carolina transfer, has been a valuable addition on the edge.

Kenneth Grant, a 339-pound sophomore, has contributed 2.5 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries and 4 pass breakups, and drew national attention when he raced down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen, saving a possible touchdown and wowing Harbaugh and his teammates.

“We get ourselves just ready for the moment, and when that moment comes, we know what we’re going to do,” Graham said. “That’s a big part of our team in handling adversity.”


4. Those who stayed have positioned Michigan for more championships

The famous Bo Schembechler line that appears everywhere around Michigan’s program — “Those who stay will be champions” — has taken on new and added meaning. Michigan had several players pass up potential NFL opportunities to return for another run at a Big Ten title and the CFP. The “One More Year” fund, started by the Champions Circle NIL collective, helped the program retain standouts such as Corum, Zinter, Jenkins, offensive lineman Trevor Keegan and wide receiver Cornelius Johnson. Michigan also brought back other accomplished players, such as defensive back Mike Sainristil and linebacker Michael Barrett. The Wolverines had only three underclassmen enter the NFL draft — Smith, Morris and cornerback D.J. Turner.

All of Michigan’s returnees have made significant contributions this fall. Sainristil is an All-America candidate, recording five interceptions and five pass breakups, while Barrett leads the team in both forced fumbles (three) and fumble recoveries (two). Johnson recorded his third consecutive season of 32 or more receptions. Zinter and Keegan have anchored a line for a remarkably balanced offense that averages 37.6 points per game.

Although Corum’s overall rushing production (976 yards) doesn’t match what he did last season (1,463), he has gained the most critical yards, setting a Michigan single-season record with 22 rushing touchdowns.

“I just look back and pray that I left a legacy, I stamped my mark here, I made a difference, on and off the field,” Corum said. “Looking back at [the Ohio State game], this is why I came back. I couldn’t go out in the Big House like I did last year, hurt. I’m so appreciative for the University of Michigan.”


5. Special teams remain solid

Michigan didn’t enter the season with many glaring concerns, but special teams carried some question marks after kicker Jake Moody and punter Brad Robbins both were selected in the NFL draft. The Wolverines became only the second team in the past 40 years to have two specialists picked in the same draft. Moody, the 2021 Lou Groza Award winner and Michigan’s career scoring leader, seemed to be a particularly big loss.

But the Wolverines have continued to shine in the kicking game. On Saturday against Ohio State, James Turner went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 50-yarder early in the third quarter, while Ohio State’s Jayden Fielding missed from 52 yards out to end the first half. Tommy Doman averaged 63.3 yards per punt, placing one at the Ohio State 2-yard line late in the opening half.

“He was money,” Corum said of Turner. “He was calm, cool and collected, hit all of them. Couldn’t ask for a better kicker than my guy, so jolly good fellow to him.”

Turner, a Louisville transfer, is 12-for-14 on field goal attempts this season and 8-for-8 from within 40 yards. Doman averaged 45 yards per punt with 18 fair catches and 14 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Although Michigan isn’t exceptional on returns, Jake Thaw and Tyler Morris have been a solid tandem on punt runbacks, and the coverage teams haven’t had any busts. The Wolverines’ special teams play shined at Maryland, as they blocked a punt for a safety and downed a Doman punt inside the Terrapins’ 1-yard line, leading to another late safety.

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After suffering a catastrophic injury, can UNC quarterback Max Johnson get his career back on track?

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After suffering a catastrophic injury, can UNC quarterback Max Johnson get his career back on track?

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Max Johnson seethed as he stared at the clock on the wall in his hospital room. He could not move his right leg, bandaged from hip to foot after surgery to fix a broken femur. He smelled like days-old sweat. Though his foot felt numb, the pain up and down his leg sometimes brought him to tears.

He always had been a guy who relied on his faith, but this injury was testing him. Johnson had transferred to North Carolina for what he thought would be a fifth and final college season. He’d hoped for a relatively straightforward time in Chapel Hill: a solid year that would lead him seamlessly into the NFL, just like Drake Maye and Sam Howell — the quarterbacks who preceded him at UNC.

Instead, three quarters into the opener at Minnesota in 2024, Johnson had been carted off the field while he held his bones in place. He could not get past all the questions swirling in his head as he listened to the second hand on the clock tick.

Why me?

Tick.

Why now?

Tick.

What next?

Tick.

Every second in that bed meant no football, and no football meant no NFL, the only dream he’d ever had. Even as he laid there, having suffered an injury on the football field most commonly seen after high-speed car wrecks, the draft was a first-level concern. That was nothing new. Max’s dad, former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, remembers driving a young Max and two friends when they started talking about what they wanted to be as grown-ups.

Max turned to his friends and said, “I’m No. 14. I’m going to be like my dad.”

So, despite the anger, frustration and disappointment, despite the months of excruciating surgeries and rehab ahead of him, he knew, in that hospital bed, that his dreams had not changed. He was no quitter.


NEVER QUITTING IS part of the Johnson family mythology. Brad began his college career as a third-string quarterback at Florida State before working his way up the depth chart to start. The Vikings drafted him in the ninth round in 1992. Again, he was buried on the depth chart. But he played 17 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. There is a photo from the postgame celebration: Johnson has his back to the camera, holding his 18-month-old son. Max looks into the camera, a slight smile forming, as a crowd envelops them.

Everybody in the family is athletic and competitive. Nikki Johnson, Max’s mom, played volleyball at South Florida and set school records for kills, digs and hitting percentage. Her sister also played volleyball, and her brother, Mark Richt, played quarterback at Miami before eventually coaching at Georgia and Miami.

Max has always held onto hope. Brad tells a story to that point. Max was in sixth grade; Brad was his coach. They were down 16 points with 12 seconds to go. Brad was ready to run out the clock, but Max would not have it.

“I swear he yelled at me because the game wasn’t over,” Brad says. “He’s that kid that believes the game is not over until the clock hits double zero.”

Max grew into an elite quarterback prospect in the class of 2020, signing with LSU out of high school. He played in six games as a true freshman and made two starts, then started all 12 games in 2021. But then-coach Ed Orgeron was fired, and Johnson transferred to Texas A&M to play for then-coach Jimbo Fisher. But multiple injuries marred his two seasons with the Aggies, and Fisher was fired there, too, leaving Johnson with another decision after the 2023 season. North Carolina under then-coach Mack Brown seemed the best choice for him to get to the NFL.

“I think it was really big for me to watch Sam and Drake over the last few years under Coach Brown light it up, make plays with their legs, and I feel like that could do that,” Max Johnson says. “I wanted to play one year and go pro. That was my plan.

“Then the injury happened.”


THIRD-AND-10 FROM THE North Carolina 33, late third quarter. North Carolina trails Minnesota 14-10. Johnson drops back to throw a backside curl route. As he releases the ball, Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley hits him on a blitz and starts to take him down to the ground. As Johnson begins to land awkwardly on his right leg, pinned under Walley, Darnell Jefferies hits him high.

Johnson says he remembers being on the ground, staring at the dark night sky. He felt indescribable pain. It was hard to breathe. Then and there, he knew his season was over. He said he believed he had torn a knee ligament.

Frustration and anger set in. Trainers asked if he could get up. Johnson said no. When they picked him up to assist him off the field, Johnson felt his femur shift out of place and his foot dangle. He knew then his leg was broken.

Johnson made it to the sideline, but the pain was too intense to make it to the locker room. The cart came out, and all Johnson remembers is the pain. Teammates came over to give him words of encouragement. His brother, Jake, a tight end on the team, told Max he loved him.

As he made his way off the field, Johnson thought about giving a thumbs-up to show he was OK. But he was not OK. Brad and Nikki, watching from the stands, had no idea how badly Max was hurt. But they knew something was terribly wrong when the cart came out and they began to make their way down to the tunnel to find him.

Trainers tried to put on an air cast, but the pain was too intense. They gave Johnson morphine, but he still felt pain every time the broken bone shifted inside his leg, a sensation Johnson described as “flopping back and forth.” The ride to the hospital was horrible, every bump more painful than the last.

Once he arrived, he was placed on a hospital bed. He couldn’t help but ask for the score of the game. Backup Conner Harrell had led North Carolina to a 19-17 victory.

The doctors told Johnson, still in his football gear, that they needed to take him back for an X-ray. They cut off his uniform, pads and all. Johnson sat there in his underwear, sweaty and bloody, crying, in a daze.

The X-ray confirmed the broken leg. He also had to hold his bones in place during that process. You can see his right hand in the image, holding just underneath the bone.

By this time, his parents had arrived at the hospital from the game. UNC trainer David Mincberg was there as well. Jake also asked to go to the hospital, but his parents told him it would be best to go back with the team to Chapel Hill.

Because it was so late in the evening, Johnson would have to wait until morning for surgery. To help keep the bone in place through the night, Johnson had a hole drilled through his tibia, where doctors inserted a string and attached a five-pound weight, which hung off the side of the bed. Max’s parents and Mincberg slept in chairs in his room, refusing to leave him alone.

Dr. David Templeman, who performed the surgery at Hennepin County Medical Center, said he had never seen an in-game injury like that to an athlete. During surgery, Templeman inserted a metal rod that ran from Johnson’s hip to his knee to stabilize the injury.

After the surgery, Johnson realized his leg felt numb and started to panic. Doctors came in and started touching his feet. Johnson saw their demeanors shift from mild concern to outright worry. The initial operation had caused pressure to build up in his leg, a problem that sometimes occurs after surgery. Johnson feared amputation was a possibility, but Templeman says his team was able to react quickly enough to avoid that scenario.

To ease the pressure that had built up, doctors placed a wound vacuum in Johnson’s leg to help reduce swelling. Johnson would undergo other surgeries — he’d have five in total — to close the wound once the pressure eased. But he also had to get up and start walking to not only avoid blood clots but to start restoring the function of his leg.

Johnson initially needed multiple people to help him out of bed. His mom held the vacuum attached to his leg while Johnson held onto a walker. He took 12 steps, turned around and took 12 steps back.

“I was absolutely gassed. The most tired I’ve ever been in my life,” he said.

Johnson had already lost weight, and his hemoglobin levels had deteriorated so much that he needed a blood transfusion. Templeman told him it could take months to a year for full feeling to return in his foot. Johnson hated it when anyone touched his feet, but that was about to change.

“I’m not kidding you. I must have touched that kid’s foot 1,000 times,” Nikki Johnson said. “I know this is not scientific, but I will stick by this: Touching it and moving it and rubbing it helped those nerves regenerate. I believe there was some supernatural healing there. Maybe that’s just what I want to believe. But the doctors were amazed that his feeling and function came back so quickly.”

Max stayed in the hospital nine days. Despite the ordeal, the Johnsons asked repeatedly whether he could play football again. Templeman said, “Hopefully.” The Johnsons said they were given a recovery timeline of six months to a year.

“That’s all we needed to hear,” Nikki said.

Johnson knew injuries like this were exceedingly rare in football players, and only a handful had ever come back to play. So, obviously, he gave himself just six months to make it back.


AFTER LEAVING THE hospital, Johnson stayed in Minneapolis until doctors cleared him for air travel back to Chapel Hill. The family stayed with Brad’s friends from his time with the Vikings.

Max had yet to shower since the injury. But the shower was up the stairs, and he could not bend his bandaged leg. Max broke into a cold sweat debating whether to attempt the stairs or not. He begged his parents to help him. They relented.

He was able to make it up four steps before taking a break. Then he went up another four steps before stopping for another break. It went like this until he made it to the top … an hour and a half later. Max was wiped out.

When he finally got into the shower, he sat in a chair, his leg wrapped and sticking out the open shower door. He sat for 15 minutes, water finally washing him clean. “One of the best feelings in my life,” he says.

When he was done, he realized he now had to make his way down the stairs. It was easier to get down but still took time and an enormous amount of effort. Max needed help to do everything, from using the restroom to getting dressed and undressed every day. He felt like a child again.

Mincberg stayed the entire time, often doing shopping runs to stock up on clothes, food and other necessities for the four of them. His parents took care of him day after day, without hesitation. “They became my best friends,” Max says.

The following Saturday, he put on the UNC game against Charlotte and tried to figure out the offensive game plan just to keep his mind occupied. On Sept. 11, Johnson saw Templeman for a follow-up appointment and was cleared to return home. UNC sent a charter plane to bring Johnson, his parents and Mincberg back to Chapel Hill.


MAX GOT BACK to the apartment he shared with Jake. His parents rented one in Chapel Hill to continue to help. Nikki, Brad and Jake did whatever Max needed — from cooking to cleaning to helping him get from one appointment to the next.

Max could not drive, nor could he attend class in person because he was unable to sit in chairs. He also remained away from the team. The first few weeks home were a slog. He had trouble sleeping and would get about only two hours at a time. Sometimes he would stay awake all night.

He remembers one day he wanted to try to work out in the gym in his apartment complex, just to feel active again. He used his crutches to make it there. He picked up seven-pound weights and did curls to an overhead shoulder press. After 15 minutes, he was exhausted. It took him 25 minutes to get back to his apartment.

He still felt angry and frustrated, unable to play the sport that made him feel complete. The doubts about his future were there constantly. Max relishes his ability to run, because most people assume he’s slow. He ran a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. Would he ever gain back that speed? And even if he did, it was a near certainty he would face another quarterback competition, just as he had every other year he spent in college.

In late September, he took out his journal and started writing, letting go of his anger. He realized the injury gave him time to slow down, rethink his values and remember why he plays. He grew stronger in his faith and his conviction he would play again.

The mindset shift did not lessen the reality of his situation. Even if Max made it all the way back to the football field, there still might not be an NFL future. He pressed on nonetheless.

Eventually, he was able to go to one team meeting a week, where he had a special chair that allowed him to sit. He used FaceTime whenever he could. In October, Brad drove Max to one of his rehab appointments. He waited in the car for Max to finish and fell asleep, but then awoke to a knock on the window.

“Dad! I can walk!”

Brad got out of the car. Max took eight steps without his crutches. They cried.

Part of his initial rehab was simply focusing on bending his leg and perfecting his walking form. Max would stare at himself in the mirror, his right leg thinned out compared to his left. He had to work on making sure he was not putting too much pressure on his left leg to compensate for the injury to his right.

The bone was still broken, so he felt constant pain. But Johnson says to return to football form, he could not wait for the bone to heal completely.

“If you don’t walk on it in a certain amount of time, then the bone will never really heal back to where you want it to be,” Johnson says.

Eventually, Johnson started walking on an underwater treadmill. Around Thanksgiving, he transitioned from walking to slowly running on the same machine. There would be more challenges ahead. Brown was fired as coach before the final game of the regular season. Johnson faced the prospect of playing for a fourth head coach and sixth offensive coordinator, without knowing whether he would be healthy enough to compete for a starting job in 2025. Uncertainty filled the first weeks of December.

But Johnson remained adamant he wanted to play a sixth season, and that he wanted to stay at North Carolina.


IF YOU HAD told Max Johnson in high school that he would play for three coaches who won a national championship and one who won six Super Bowls, there is no way he would have believed you.

Transferring for a third time after the coaching change never entered his mind. The thought of playing for the coach who was with Tom Brady in New England excited Johnson. The two had an honest conversation about where Johnson stood after Belichick arrived on campus. Asked why he decided to give Johnson a chance, Belichick says simply, “Why not?”

The truth is, Belichick owes Johnson nothing. Coaches taking over programs flip rosters to fit their needs. The current Tar Heels roster features more than 40 transfers and 17 true freshmen, including ESPN300 quarterback Bryce Baker. Though Johnson was injured, he had been playing college ball for longer than every other player in the quarterbacks room and could provide valuable knowledge and steady leadership as he worked to return.

The rehab was going slower than Johnson had hoped. Initially, he wanted to be ready in time for spring football in March. But he was not fully healed and could not run and cut the way he needed to.

North Carolina had a decision to make once spring practice wrapped in April. Given the uncertainty around Johnson and the departure of quarterback Ryan Browne to Purdue, North Carolina signed quarterback Gio Lopez from South Alabama. Johnson says he understood.

“I get it. You have to go in the portal,” Johnson says. “I didn’t know if I was going to be ready. They didn’t know. They asked me those questions. I’m telling them I’m going to be ready, because I know myself. But it’s tough from their point of view because it’s like, ‘OK, we’ve got to make a business decision.'”

Johnson welcomed Lopez without reservation, helping him get up to speed with the offense.

“I transfer in, we’re both competing for the spot, and people paint this narrative like they must not like each other. Me and Max are actually great friends,” Lopez said. “He’s been super helpful with the offense. There’s no second agenda with him, where he’s trying to throw me off. He’s been great.”

Johnson worked every day, three hours a day, not only with his physical therapy but other forms of rehab, from scar tissue massage to electric stimulation.

“He never took a day off,” Jake says. “I know having a career in the NFL is his dream, and he’s not going to let [anything] stop him.”

Finally, several weeks after spring practice ended, Max was able to fully drop back with no pain. Max says that moment was “probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt.”

Johnson says his leg is fully healed and he is “ready to roll” for fall camp. He says he did every run and every lift with the team this summer and feels as good as he did last year. Templeman and the staff at the hospital have been amazed by his progress.

“Out of all the people I’ve taken care of in my career, he’s probably in the 100th percentile for [getting] healthy,” Templeman said. “It’s exceptional even within the realm of being an athlete.”

Now that fall camp has started, Johnson says the coaching staff told him he would be given a fair shot to win the starting job. Whether he does remains to be seen as the season opener against TCU on Labor Day inches closer.

“It’s not us picking them, it’ll be that player earning it — then we’ll decide on that,” Belichick said the day fall practice began. “If it’s clear-cut, then that player will be the player. If it’s not clear-cut, maybe the competition will continue into the early part of the season.”

Asked what he hopes for this season, Johnson says, “I want to play.”


MAX STILL KEEPS the white No. 14 Carolina jersey he wore in the opener last year, cut down the middle, as a reminder not only of how far he has come, but how much putting that jersey on means to him. There might be those who wonder why he would put himself through the agony of nearly a year of rehab without any guarantee that he would play again. Johnson has a quick retort: Nothing in life is guaranteed, so why not spend each day doing what you love?

“When it’s in you and something that you enjoy, you can’t listen to the noise of what someone else thinks,” Brad says. “It has to be your passion, your dream. You have to look back on your story and have no regrets. The chance for him to have the ball in his hands, the feeling of calling the play in the huddle, the feeling of the game, it matters.”

For now, Max is not listed among the quarterbacks to watch for the 2026 NFL draft. ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid said there’s a “wait-and-see approach,” not only because of the injury but because it’s not known yet how much he will play.

But Max sees his dad as the perfect example — someone who overcame his own roller-coaster college career to not only make it in the NFL but persevere and find a way to win at the highest level.

“I want to play football,” Max says. “That’s what I want to do. I’ll never give up.”

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D-backs’ DeSclafani to IL after turn as starter

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D-backs' DeSclafani to IL after turn as starter

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-hander Anthony DeSclafani on the 15-day injured list Wednesday because of right thumb inflammation after he made three starts.

DeSclafani (1-2, 4.36 ERA) has been primarily a reliever for the Diamondbacks but made the starts this month after Merrill Kelly was traded to the Texas Rangers at the deadline on July 31.

Arizona made the move with DeSclafani before the series finale at Texas, when Kelly was starting for the Rangers. The Diamondbacks recalled right-hander Casey Kelly from Triple-A Reno.

“We’re hoping for the minimal time. He’s going to get some imaging just to make sure that everything’s OK,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “This is something that popped up a couple days ago. We all felt that he was going to be able to take the baseball and go out there and compete, which he did. We saw the stuff in the first couple of innings, and we decided it was time to take him off the field.”

In the three starts this month, DeSclafani is 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA, allowing six runs in 9⅔ innings. He threw three innings Tuesday night, allowing two runs in a game Arizona won 3-2 on a homer by Ketel Marte in the ninth.

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Twins no longer for sale; owners eye investors

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Twins no longer for sale; owners eye investors

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins are no longer for sale, executive chair Joe Pohlad announced Wednesday on behalf of his family.

After exploring a variety of options over the past 10 months, the Pohlad family will remain the principal owner of the club and add new investors instead. Carl Pohlad, a banking magnate and the late grandfather of Joe Pohlad, purchased the Twins in 1984 for $44 million.

“For more than four decades, our family has had the privilege of owning the Minnesota Twins. This franchise has become part of our family story, as it has for our employees, our players, this community, and Twins fans everywhere,” Joe Pohlad said in his announcement. “Over the past several months, we explored a wide range of potential investment and ownership opportunities. Our focus throughout has been on what’s best for the long-term future of the Twins. We have been fully open to all possibilities.”

Pohlad said the family was in the process of adding two “significant” limited partnership groups to bring in fresh ideas, bolster critical partnerships and shape the long-term vision of the franchise that relocated to Minnesota in 1961 after originating as the Washington Senators. Details about the new investors will be kept private until Major League Baseball approves of the transactions, Pohlad said.

The Twins are on track for their lowest attendance total in 16 seasons at Target Field, and an ownership-mandated payroll reduction last year, among other factors, has contributed to a dissatisfied customer base. The Twins traded 10 players off their roster leading up to the July 31 deadline, furthering the frustration. Word that the Pohlads are staying put certainly won’t help the morale of Minnesota baseball fans, who’ve been waiting for another World Series title since 1991.

“We see and hear the passion from our partners, the community, and Twins fans. That passion inspires us,” Pohlad said. “This ownership group is committed to building a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for.”

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