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David Hale, ESPN Staff Writer
Miami tight end Cam McCormick confirmed Thursday that he’d be returning to play for the Hurricanes in 2024 — his ninth season of college football.
McCormick, who began his career at Oregon in 2016, missed significant parts of four different seasons due to injury, which along with his redshirt year and the COVID year of 2020, allowed him to petition the NCAA for an unprecedented ninth season of eligibility.
McCormick announced his return on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday with the tagline “the pursuit of excellence has no goal line,” calling 2024 his “last ride.”
Appreciate all of the support! #84Resilient #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/KKYlI2jO8P
— Cam (@McCormick_Cam) January 18, 2024
“I’m blessed that it was me to go through it because a lot of people would have folded under the pressure — both mentally and physically,” McCormick told ESPN. “But it’s pushed me to be a better person and teammate — everything. I’ve learned so much from every year and everything I’ve had to overcome.”
McCormick, 25, was originally a three-star prospect out of Bend, Oregon. He was part of the 2016 signing class at Oregon that included QB Justin Herbert, and a national class that included Nick Bosa, Ed Oliver, Rashan Gary and Jalen Hurts — all now established NFL veterans.
McCormick redshirted as a true freshman in 2016 then played in 13 games as a reserve in 2017. Then came a string of injuries — a broken leg in 2018 followed by complications that cost him 2019 and 2020, followed by a foot injury two weeks into the 2021 season. He was granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2019, had another added in 2020 when the NCAA gave an extra season to all FBS players.
In 2022, McCormick finally was able to play a full season, earning the Capital One Orange Bowl FWAA Courage Award for his perseverance, appearing in 13 games and making six starts. He was granted an eighth and ninth year of eligibility for 2023 before transferring to Miami where he was reunited with coach Mario Cristobal. He caught eight balls for 62 yards for the Hurricanes last season, but he had to resubmit his waiver to the ACC for the ninth year this offseason.
The ninth-year waiver was approved by the ACC, and McCormick said it was an easy decision to return, noting that his goal is to play in the NFL and, “I want to say I gave it my best opportunity and best shot.”
McCormick acknowledged that critics have suggested he shouldn’t still be playing, but he said he “isn’t going to be cut short by what people are saying,” and hopes his story will be an inspiration to other players battling injuries.
“I feel like my journey can help those that have to experience that,” he said. “It’s tough, but hopefully there’s some inspiration there and guys who get injured can see my journey and dig deep within and keep pushing toward their goals and their future.”
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Jesse Rogers
Free agent pitcher Julio Urias, who hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2023, was suspended through this year’s All-Star break for violating Major League Baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, commissioner Rob Manfred announced in a Friday news release.
It’s Urias’ second suspension for violating the policy. He was suspended for 20 games in 2019 after being arrested on suspicion of domestic battery.
He’ll be reinstated on July 17, 2025, and then free to sign with any team.
Urias, 28, spent eight seasons with the Dodgers before being placed on administrative leave after his latest arrest in September 2023. He remained there until becoming a free agent at the end of that season. He did not sign with a team last year while under investigation.
Urias’ latest arrest occurred outside a soccer match in Los Angeles after the pitcher got into an altercation with his wife. In 2024, he plead no contest to the battery charges stemming from that arrest and entered a treatment program.
Since Urias isn’t employed by a team the league could not assign him a number of games for the suspension, instead choosing a date that corresponds with the end of the All-Star break.
Urias was signed out of Mexico as a 16-year-old, making his debut for the Dodgers just three years later. He was an important contributor on L.A’s playoff teams during that era, recording the final out of the 2020 World Series, winning 20 games in 2021 and finishing third in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2022.
Urias was widely projected to sign a $200 million-plus contract before being arrested.
PEORIA, Ariz. — San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish will start the season on the injured list because of inflammation in his right elbow, manager Mike Shildt said Friday.
Shildt said there is no timetable for Darvish’s return but the team is confident he will be back in the rotation following rest and a ramp-up period.
Darvish made a pair of spring training starts but was shut down after the second, a four-inning, 54-pitch outing against Kansas City on March 13. The Padres decided to have him back off his throwing program after he played catch a couple times.
Kyle Hart, Stephen Kolek and Randy Vasquez are candidates to fill Darvish’s spot in the rotation behind Michael King, Dylan Cease and Nick Pivetta.
Darvish is 110-88 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 major league seasons after pitching for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan’s Pacific League from 2005-11. The 38-year-old had Tommy John surgery on March 17, 2015, and returned to a major league mound on May 28, 2016.
He had back, neck and elbow problems last season and was on the restricted list for personal reasons from early July to late August. He won three of four starts in September and was 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series
Darvish came to the major leagues in 2012 after agreeing to a $56 million, six-year contract with the Texas Rangers. He was traded to the Dodgers in July 2017, became a free agent after the World Series and signed a $126 million, six-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. Darvish was dealt to San Diego after the 2020 season and in February 2023 agreed to a contract with the Padres that added an additional $90 million in guaranteed money for a total of $108 million over six year.
His 2023 season ended in late August because of a bone spur in his right elbow.
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