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Mid-January is always a period of great adjustment. That icy time when we hopefully have finally started ending dates with ’25 instead of ’24 and also finally stopped awkwardly wishing people “Happy New Year” even when the year is no longer all that new.

However, for college football fans, the entrance into 2025 has been more of a challenge than in years past. Why? Because gone are the days when the national champion was decided on a single-digit January date. And as we officially begin to look toward the first College Football Playoff title game at the tail end of the inaugural 12-team bracket, let’s pause to take a look back. As we grab a Pop-Tart, heat up a mug of Scooter’s Coffee, kick back in the home we bought through Union Home Mortgage and before firing up our TaxSlayer app on our Cricket Wireless phone, why not spend a moment reminiscing about the games those sponsors proudly backed?

For as much as was made about the new CFP overshadowing and overrunning bowl season, for all the sky-is-falling worry about opt-outs and teams no longer wanting to make non-CFP postseason trips, what we received was a month-long holiday gift of gridiron greatness, goofiness and good times.

So, before we become all-consumed with Notre Dame versus Ohio State for all the college football marbles, let’s make our annual trip through the Best of Bowl Season for 2024-25.


Best performance by a game winner: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse

McCord arrived at the Holiday Bowl as the nation’s leading passer and he added to his Orange legend by throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns against Pac-2 rep Washington State. On Syracuse’s first play of the second half, he launched a 50-yard pass to Darrell Gill Jr., who made an amazing over-the-shoulder snag, a play that pushed McCord past Deshaun Watson as the ACC’s all-time single-season passing leader, finishing with 4,779 yards — accomplished in 13 games vs. Watson’s 15 in 2016. McCord is so awesome that he has never been late to anything, or at least he has everyone convinced he has never been late to anything …


Best performance in a losing effort: Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington

The Huskies trailed Louisville by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, but Williams threw two touchdown passes on UW’s final two drives, the second coming with only nine seconds remaining. Alas, his would-be game-winning 2-point conversion toss was batted down and Washington lost 35-34. Williams finished the day 26-of-32 passing for 374 yards and 4 TDs after entering the game with only two career TDs. He’s a freshman, so this won’t be the last time you read about him.


Best bowl bargain: Free football

Four bowl games reached overtime and each of those games wasn’t decided in the first extra session. The headliner was the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where Texas advanced after outlasting Arizona State (and outsmarting targeting rules). But there have been few four-day bowl season stretches more glorious than Dec. 23 to Dec. 26.

It started when Northern Illinois defeated Fresno State in double OT in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. That was followed 24 hours later by a Christmas Eve 5-OT Hawai’i Bowl victory for South Florida, which traveled 4,682 miles to play San José State. Then, after a day off to let Santa do his thing, Toledo won a de facto home game, Detroit’s GameAbove Sports Bowl (the artist formerly known as the Motor City Bowl), but needed a bowl-record six overtimes to do it … after the team stormed the field thinking it had already won. Twice. Not bad for a game, played next door to the Detroit Tigers’ ballpark, that ended the first quarter with a baseball score (6-2).


Best bowl coaches: Special teams

From wacky kick return formations and suddenly diverse 2-point conversion playbooks to kickers attempting passes and punters whipping underhanded shuttle shoves, as a special teams coordinator texted me in mid-December: “All that stuff we spend all season practicing and trying to convince the head coach to do, he’ll finally say yes in the bowl game.”


Best nuptials: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Remember how horrifying the Red Wedding was in “Game of Thrones”? Well, imagine if we replaced all the knives with foam headwear, replaced the blood with soda and mixed in a lot of orange with all that red. I was at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl to watch Illinois, South Carolina and, of course, the antics of Ched-Z the Cheez-It. But even the mascot being launched through the uprights like a paper desktop football took a backseat to what occurred during a first-half TV timeout.

That’s when Erin Doolin and Erik Yakes were wed in a “Two-Minute Drill” marital ceremony while riding atop a trailer being towed around the playing field as Ched-Z and 47,129 fans served as witnesses. After exchanging orange rings, they spent the remainder of the game holding their reception with family and friends just off a corner of one of the end zones, complete with a dance floor and orange wedding cake.


Best postgame food bath: Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock

Stuff dumped on the heads of coaches this winter included iced coffee, eggnog and Frosted Flakes. When you beat CFP finalist Notre Dame, win eight games, earn your second consecutive bowl victory and get a bucket of fries dumped on your head at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, you can say whatever you want in the postgame interview.


Best celebrity postgame food bath: Duke’s Mayo Bowl, BOI!!!!

We’ve all grown to love the postgame dumping of mayonnaise on the winning coach’s head after the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, unless you’re Shane Beamer, who still might be concussed from his celebratory moment three years ago. But even Minnesota’s coach P.J. Fleck, a man who never needs help getting fired up, was sent to a different level of energy when surprise celeb Flava Flav emerged from behind the curtain to unleash this year’s mayo mess.


Best celebrity everything else: (Insert Famous Person) Bowl

Gronk hoisting wrestling belts. Matthew McConaughey wearing “Rusty,” his way-too-worn leather tassel jacket at Longhorns games. Snoop Dogg not just on the TV mic (“He stood over him because it’s business he’s standing on”) but with his name painted in giant letters on the playing field. Who do these people think they are, a Herbstreit dog?


Best canine celebrity: Hudson the Bahamas Bowl Racer

OK, we all know that Ben and Peter Herbstreit have been the Tail-or Swifts of college football. And it was amazing to see Myrtle Beach Bowl champs UTSA carry Fredo the Frenchie around like he was Sean Astin at the end of “Rudy.” But Hudson the hound stole the show at the Bahamas Bowl when he raced a bunch of kids on the track that surrounds the playing field where Buffalo rolled over Liberty in the last non-CFP game of bowl season.


Best new trend: The decline in highest-profile opt-outs

When their regular seasons ended, Beamer and Deion Sanders grinned through their disappointment at not being part of the CFP and pledged that their stars and seniors would be on the field for their bowl games. Meanwhile, multiple players on other teams promised the same, most notably at Ole Miss and Alabama. Were there still a lot of opt-outs? Yes, most were powered by the insanity of having transfer portal deadlines in the middle of the postseason. But with an adjustment to that timetable seemingly inevitable, as well as contracts tied to revenue sharing, the hope is that more teams will be loaded for future bowl appearances.


Worst trend: Opting out midgame (bonus category)

I needed to include one “worst” in this list because it’s not right to mention the best trend without pointing out the worst. Miami said the plan was to have Cam Ward sit out the remainder of the Pop-Tarts Bowl once he threw three touchdown passes to break the NCAA career record at 158. Do I think it was the worst crime in the history of the sport? Of course not. But the image of the Heisman Trophy finalist standing on the sideline perfectly healthy having achieved an individual record and watching his team lose to Iowa State by one point was a terrible look for Ward, Miami and college football.


Best trend that digs at the worst trend: Cal Band trust fall

“You can’t trust Fernando Mendoza [the Cal QB who transferred to Indiana]. But you can trust the Cal Band to be there at the LA Bowl tonight.”


Best postgame shoutout: Kansas State Pride

Speaking of bands, how about Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman acknowledging the K-State Pride making the 20-hour bus ride to provide the soundtrack for the Wildcats’ win in the Rate Bowl (aka what used to be the Copper, Insight.com and Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl)!


Best pregame perk: Becoming Phil Knight

From NASCAR ride-alongs to gift suites packed with tech and bling, there has never been a shortage of fun and free stuff for bowl participants, but the Las Vegas Bowl stepped things up. USC and Texas A&M players got to custom design their own Nike Air Force 1s.


Best pregame move: Boston College honoring an Eagle hero

As soon as BC coach Bill O’Brien knew his team was going to New York for the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, he reached out to Alison Crowther, mother of BC alum Welles Crowther. Known by many as the Man in the Red Bandana, Welles was an equities trader and a volunteer firefighter who helped first responders rescue victims of the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center before dying when the towers collapsed. He saved as many as 18 people. Members of the BC football team met Crowther’s mother at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum before their game against Nebraska.


Best stadium feature living up to its name: Pesky’s Pole

Speaking of football played in baseball stadiums, how two basketball schools — North Carolina and UConn — playing football in a baseball stadium. And how about the famous Fenway Park right-field foul pole, named for Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky, being … well … pesky?


Best wardrobe: Puffy pirate shirts

As Jerry Seinfeld will testify, it takes a certain level of confidence to pull off a puffy shirt. Well, Andre Ware, who won a Heisman Trophy, and Anish Shroff, just named North Carolina sportscaster of the year, displayed that confidence in the broadcast booth of the Gasparilla Bowl, which is named for a Tampa Bay pirate ship and festival. Whether they pulled it off is up to you.


One Pop-Tart taunted the back judge. All the Pop-Tarts crashed the postgame field rush. Strawberry returned from the Great Toasted Beyond, popping out of the top of the giant end zone scoreboard like Michael Jackson at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl. Then, Cinnamon Roll made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of football glory, being baked and devoured by Iowa State as the Cyclones hoisted their trophy, which is also a working toaster. All of the above was framed by a special NCAA-approved sideline that was painted to look like it was covered in sprinkles. God bless America.


Best season: Bowl season

Always. See you next year.

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Under-the-radar players who could emerge for every top 25 team

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Under-the-radar players who could emerge for every top 25 team

With less than two months left before college football is back in full swing, we’re taking a look at players who could be considered sleepers — under-the-radar players who could make a big impact — on each team in our post-spring top 25.

From true freshmen who could make a name for themselves to players coming back from injury to transfers looking to make an immediate impact, there are plenty of players to watch for this fall.

Our reporters break down the potential sleepers they’re keeping tabs on.

Sleeper: C Nick Dawkins

Offensive linemen naturally get overlooked, and Dawkins is no exception, but he once again will occupy a vital role as Penn State chases its first Big Ten title since 2016 and its first national title since 1986. Dawkins is at the heart of an offensive line that has stabilized and excelled in recent years. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last fall, when he served as a captain, started all 16 games and allowed only two sacks. The 6-foot-4, 297-pound senior has drawn excellent reviews from the staff and will lead a line protecting quarterback Drew Allar and creating space for running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. — Adam Rittenberg


Sleeper: WR Tyler Brown

One of the reasons Clemson is expected to compete for a national championship this season is the return of its stellar receiver group, which made vast improvements a year ago to help the Tigers offense rediscover its footing. Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore have received the bulk of the headlines nationally, but don’t forget about Brown, a freshman All-American in 2023 who was forced to take a redshirt last season with an ankle injury. Coach Dabo Swinney spoke highly about Brown during spring practice and is expecting him to have a big role in the offense. Adding depth to a position that had been a weak spot until last season is crucial. — Andrea Adelson


Sleeper: TE Jack Endries

Endries had a breakout season at Cal last year, catching 56 passes for 623 yards and two touchdowns, making him less of an off-the-radar prospect. But the former Golden Bears tight end signed with Texas in April and slides into a talented Longhorns offense. With star recruits Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore returning at receiver, 1,000-yard rusher Quintrevion Wisner back at running back with Cedric Baxter and Christian Clark returning from injuries alongside him, Arch Manning will have weapons. But Manning singled out Endries, a former walk-on, as someone who could emerge as a household name by season’s end as he solidifies a position of need after Gunnar Helm, who caught 60 passes for 786 yards and seven TDs last year, developed into a fourth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans and Amari Niblack transferred to Texas A&M. — Dave Wilson


Sleeper: RB Bo Walker

Walker wasn’t the most heralded prospect in Georgia’s most recent recruiting class, but he turned some heads in spring practice with his physical style and speed. Walker ran for more than 2,000 yards as a high school junior before spending his senior year at a smaller private school. Nate Frazier and Illinois transfer Josh McCray will probably be the top two backs entering preseason camp, but Walker has a chance to earn playing time. Would you expect anything less from a tailback named both Bo and Walker in the SEC? — Mark Schlabach


Sleeper: WR Carnell Tate

Tate was overshadowed by first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and true freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith last season. But Tate still played a key role for the Buckeyes, starting every game for the national champions. In the playoff semifinals against Texas, he made the Longhorns pay for their coverages taking away Smith by hauling in a game-high seven passes for 87 yards. With Egbuka gone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tate is set to play an ever bigger role for the Buckeyes as a junior. He could easily surpass the 52 receptions and 733 receiving yards he had last season, and he should be a valuable wingman to Smith in yet another talented Ohio State receiving corps. — Jake Trotter


Sleeper: WR Barion Brown

If you’re familiar with Brown from his high school days, you may not consider him a sleeper. But the Kentucky transfer could finally reach his full potential in Baton Rouge. After a standout freshman season in Lexington, he never made the big statistical leaps many expected. But with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback and other talent at receiver (Aaron Anderson, Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson) and tight end (Trey’Dez Green, Oklahoma transfer Bauer Sharp), perhaps Brown can break out in 2025. — Harry Lyles Jr.


Sleeper: DL Bryce Young

With Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III leaving for the NFL, the Fighting Irish are looking for another player who can rush the quarterback. The answer might be sophomore Bryce Young, who certainly looks the part at 6 feet, 7 inches and 273 pounds. Last season, he played in all 16 games and had 23 tackles with a team-high three blocked kicks. Young has the right potential too. His father, Bryant Young, was an All-American at Notre Dame and a Pro Football Hall of Famer after a standout career with the 49ers. His mother, Kristin, ran track and field for the Fighting Irish. — Schlabach


Sleeper: WR Malik Benson

It’s difficult to call a four-star wide receiver a sleeper, but given the kind of season Florida State had last year, Benson was not exactly the talk of the sport after putting up 25 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown. Now in Eugene, Benson has the tools to be exactly the kind of wideout that flourishes in Will Stein’s offense. With a new quarterback in Dante Moore taking the reins and Evan Stewart dealing with a serious injury, I wouldn’t be surprised if Benson becomes Moore’s top target this coming season. — Paolo Uggetti


Sleeper: S Bray Hubbard

Now in his third season in the program, Hubbard is poised to be an All-SEC caliber player and will team with a healthy Keon Sabb to give Alabama one of the best safety duos in the SEC. Hubbard, who chose Alabama out of high school over Mississippi State, Navy and Tulane, started the final six games a year ago after Sabb suffered a season-ending injury against Tennessee and made a name for himself with three interceptions. Look for Hubbard in 2025 to be one of the top names on Alabama’s defense. — Chris Low


Sleeper: RB LJ Martin

After rushing for 518 and 718 yards in the past two seasons, Martin has steadily become a key player for BYU, but he hasn’t quite broken out nationally. He already figured to see his role grow as a junior in 2025, but with quarterback Jake Retzlaff set to transfer, Martin could be relied on more heavily — especially early in the season as the QB situation gets settled. Martin had a pair of 100-yard rushing games last season and finished with a strong performance in the bowl win against Colorado, with 88 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. — Kyle Bonagura


Sleeper: S Miles Scott

Miles Scott isn’t even the most decorated Scott in the Illinois secondary — Xavier (no relation) earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 — but contributes to a unit that could be among the Big Ten’s best this fall. Miles had two interceptions last season and finished fifth on the team with 55 tackles (33 solo). The team captain also forced and recovered a fumble last fall. Scott has played in all 38 games during his Illinois career, starting the past 25, beginning his career as a walk-on wide receiver before moving to safety. He joins his roommate Xavier Scott, leading tackler Matthew Bailey, cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. and others in one of the nation’s most experienced secondaries. — Rittenberg


Sleeper: CB Nyland Green

The Arizona State defense returns eight starters, including both cornerbacks (Keith Abney II and Javan Robinson) — the Sun Devils are blessed with continuity on that side of the ball that most top-25 teams don’t have. But that makes cornerback Nyland Green one heck of a luxury add: The Purdue transfer, who started his career as a blue-chipper at Georgia, was an all-or-nothing playmaker with an overwhelmed Boilermakers defense last year, but in more select roles, with better experience and talent around him, he could turn into a major difference-maker for the defending Big 12 champs. — Bill Connelly


Sleeper: Edge Bryan Thomas

Much of the attention within the Gamecocks’ pass-rush depth will be centered on sophomore phenom Dylan Stewart and Charlotte transfer Demon Clowney, cousin of former two-time All American Jadeveon Clowney. But as South Carolina works to replace the production of 2024 SEC sack leader Kyle Kennard, fourth-year edge Thomas will have an important role to play as well. The 6-foot-2, 247-pounder logged career highs in sacks (4.5) and total tackles (23) a year ago, and he’s poised to step into a starting role opposite Stewart this fall following Kennard’s jump to the NFL. If the Gamecocks are going to feature one of the nation’s fiercest pass rushes again in 2025, Thomas will have to be a big part of it. — Eli Lederman


Sleeper: DL Elijah O’Neal

O’Neal turned in a productive 2024 season, finishing with four sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in what was expected to be his final season in Tempe. However, as a former junior college transfer, O’Neal benefited from the ruling that granted juco transfers an extra year of eligibility and will return for his final season with a chance to develop into a more well-rounded pass rusher. He started six games last year, and with the strong possibility of an expanded role, it wouldn’t be a surprise if O’Neal chases double-digit TFLs or sacks. — Bonagura


Sleeper: RB Derrick McFall

Aside from SMU’s game against FCS Houston Baptist, McFall got just eight carries as a true freshman in 2024, but he flashed a skill set that could make him an apt replacement for Brashard Smith in the Mustangs’ backfield. A four-star recruit, McFall is quick, elusive and versatile — a lot like his predecessor at SMU. At 5-11, 183 pounds, he’s still looking to fill out his frame a bit, but his explosiveness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield figure to be serious weapons. More importantly, with Smith on to the NFL and LJ Johnson‘s transfer, McFall is the clear favorite to fill a major hole on SMU’s offense. — David Hale


Sleeper: DL Romello Height

A transfer from Georgia Tech, Height is not necessarily an unknown. But for as bad as the Texas Tech defense was last season (only Tulsa allowed more passing yards, and the Red Raiders allowed 35 points or more eight times), Height could play a massive role in Lubbock if he’s able to help fix what was a painful watch for Texas Tech fans at times in 2024. The more high-profile transfer on this defensive line unquestionably is David Bailey, who comes in from Stanford, but Height could very well become a name that Red Raiders fans will become familiar with given his potential. — Lyles Jr.


Sleeper: RB Roman Hemby

Stepping into a Hoosiers backfield without a settled returning starter, Maryland transfer Hemby has the opportunity to emerge as Indiana’s leader on the ground in 2025. Hemby hasn’t matched the 989-yard, 10-touchdown production he delivered in 2022 in either of his past two seasons, but the 6-foot, 208-pound rusher has averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry in each of his past three seasons and can be a threat in the passing game as well. Indiana spread its carries nearly evenly between top rushers Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton a year ago, and will likely do the same again with upperclassmen Kaelon Black and Lee Beebe Jr. also vying for carries. But Hemby has the potential to break through in a big way in 2025. — Lederman


Sleeper: Edge Tobi Osunsanmi

Kansas State returns four starters from last year’s defensive front six, but the Wildcats will need someone to replace the lost production of sacks leader Brendan Mott (13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks). Enter Tobi Osunsanmi. The converted linebacker played a backup role last season, averaging about 22 snaps per game, but he actually averaged more havoc plays (TFLs, forced fumbles, passes defended) per snap than Mott — a 3.0% rate to Mott’s 2.5%. Between Osunsanmi and sophomore Chiddi Obiazor (2.5% havoc rate at 23 snaps per game), K-State has a couple of exciting options on the edge up front. — Connelly


Sleeper: LB Myles Graham

We saw what Graham was capable of as a freshman for the Gators with 30 tackles. He also had three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception and a forced fumble. With a line that should only be stronger in front of him, along with playing next to Grayson Howard, Graham has the potential to take another step in 2025. The great Florida teams of the 21st century have all had good linebacker play, and it feels like Graham could play that part for this team as it looks to rise again. — Lyles Jr.


Sleeper: CB Zeke Berry

From Mike Sainristil to Will Johnson, Michigan’s dominant defenses in recent years have featured a big-time cornerback. Berry is primed to become the next one, on the heels of a breakout junior season. After starting the year at nickelback, Berry slid to the outside following an injury to Johnson and thrived. Berry finished the year with 37 tackles and a team-high 11 pass breakups. He also forced a fumble to go along with his two interceptions. If Berry can take another step forward as the leader of the Michigan secondary, he quietly figures to be one of the top corners in the Big Ten — if not the country. — Trotter


Sleeper: S Zechariah Poyser

You may have heard of Poyser, one of the top available players in the transfer portal this past season. But he should still be considered a sleeper because of the impact he is projected to have in his first year with the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety played his first two seasons at Jacksonville State, earning Freshman All-America honors as a redshirt freshman this past season with 75 tackles and three interceptions. His addition gives the Hurricanes an instant upgrade at safety, where they struggled at times last season. Miami made other additions at defensive back in the portal, but safety was the most glaring area of need and it appears to be filled. — Adelson


Sleeper: S D’Angelo Hutchinson

The Cardinals struggled against the pass last season, and they’ll enter 2025 with a markedly different secondary that comes with its own share of questions. But one carryover from 2024 could help provide some answers. Hutchinson, a 6-foot-3 senior, saw action in all 13 games last season and came on strong down the stretch, including a standout performance in a win over Clemson in which he racked up nine tackles, two pass breakups and a blocked kick. Hutchinson brings length and speed to the back end, and head coach Jeff Brohm said he thinks the veteran could be in line for a breakout campaign. — Hale


Sleeper: CB Tyreek Chappell

Chappell returns after missing almost all of last season with an lower leg injury suffered in a non-contact setting in practice, making just three tackles. The Aggies’ secondary play was particularly frustrating to Mike Elko as last year wore on, and the return of Chappell, a former starter who was a three-star recruit and the team’s top defensive newcomer in 2021, is a key to the Aggies’ hopes of bolstering that unit. With the return of Will Lee III and the addition of Georgia transfer Julian Humphrey, Chappell, who had 88 tackles in his first two seasons, but just 24 in the past two, might be overlooked by fans. But inside the program, Chappell is expected to have a big year at the nickel spot. — Wilson


Sleeper: WR Cayden Lee

It’s odd to classify Lee as a sleeper following his breakout sophomore campaign in 2024, but hype around the third-year pass catcher has been buried this offseason amidst the Rebels’ additions of five transfer receivers, headlined by De’Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III. Lee finished second among Ole Miss receivers a year ago with 57 receptions, which he converted into 874 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. As the Rebels enter a new era at quarterback in 2025 with first-year starter Austin Simmons, Lee has the potential to become a critical, go-to target, particularly if he can find the end zone more. — Lederman


Sleeper: WR Zion Kearney

The Sooners were besieged with injuries at the receiver position last season, and some of their more talented pass catchers hit the transfer portal, including Nic Anderson. With new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and his Air Raid offense coming to Norman, that means Oklahoma will utilize even more receivers. Kearney, a true sophomore, has a chance to make a big jump after playing as a backup in 11 games as a freshman. He has the size (6-1, 207 pounds) and speed (4.28 40-yard dash in high school) to be a staple in the Sooners’ passing game, especially with John Mateer stepping in at quarterback. — Low

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

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