The 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason schedule from Canton, Ohio, as the Arizona Cardinals take on the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. New head coach Mike LaFleur makes his debut for Arizona, which looks to improve upon a 4-13 2025 campaign. Carolina went 8-9 last year but hopes to build off a surprise postseason berth after winning the NFC South. Bet Cardinals vs. Panthers at DraftKings:
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Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The latest Cardinals vs. Panthers odds have Carolina as a 1.5-point favorite, while the over/under for total points scored is 35.5. Before making any Panthers vs. Cardinals picks or 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game predictions, be sure to see what NFL expert R.J. White has to say.
White has worked as a writer and editor for CBS Sports full time since 2014, currently serving as the managing editor of betting and Fantasy content. His betting content can be found at SportsLine, where he’s delivered remarkable success on NFL picks since 2017, especially against the spread, ranking as SportsLine’s most profitable expert during that span. Anybody following his NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
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After examining Panthers vs. Cardinals from every angle, White is learning Over 35.5 points.Different teams and coaches treat preseason games different from one-another, but this opening game has trended Over recently. It’s possible LaFleur looks to make an offensive statement in his first game on an NFL sideline as a head coach.
“I’m a slight lean on the Over after the last four HOF Games made it to 37+ points,” White told SportsLine. “But the highest scoring of the four only made it to 41 so we don’t have much of a margin for error, particularly if the Panthers coaching staff is on autopilot.” You can see which team to back at SportsLine.
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How to make Cardinals vs. Panthers picks
For Panthers vs. Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame Game, the elite NFL expert has found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.
Cardinals’ Kitan Crawford: Participating in training camp
Crawford (ankle) is participating in Arizona’s training camp, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reports.
Crawford is now fully recovered from the ankle injury that landed him on the Cardinals‘ injured reserve in January. The 24-year-old is expected to serve as the team’s backup strong safety behind Budda Baker during the upcoming campaign.
Cardinals’ Jeremiyah Love: Won’t play in preseason opener
Love won’t play in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday against Carolina, Darren Urban of the Cardinals‘ official site reports.
Per usual, both teams are holding out most of their starters and many key backups for the first game of the NFL preseason. We should see Love later this preseason, at least briefly, but that won’t offer much hint about what his Week 1 role looks like. Love and Tyler Allgeier reportedly have been sharing first-team snaps, while James Conner (foot) remains absent from team drills.
PHOENIX (AP) Mitch Bratt struck out nine and allowed one hit in seven innings for his first career victory, Ildemaro Vargas drove in four runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 10-4 on Wednesday night.
Bratt (1-1) finally broke through in his sixth start in the majors, all this year. The 23-year-old Canadian set career marks for innings, strikeouts and hits.
Arizona is 16-7 in its last 23 games. It holds the second wild-card spot in the National League.
Gabriel Moreno started the scoring in the third with a sac fly. Four pitches later, Tim Tawa launched a 414-foot blast to left-center for his sixth homer.
Trade deadline acquisition Lars Nootbaar had his first hit and RBI as a Diamondback to begin a six-run fourth. Corbin Carroll also had an RBI single and Moreno walked with the bases loaded to end Casey Mize’s first start as a Padre.
Mize (4-7) allowed eight runs on nine hits, walking three and striking out one.
Tawa tacked on a sac fly and Vargas doubled to drive in two before San Diego got out of the inning. Vargas added a two-run triple in the eighth to extend the lead to 10.
The Padres got one back in the ninth thanks to Fernando Tatis Jr.’s solo homer, and Gage Workman added more with a three-run double. Paul Sewald came in to record the final out after Kevin Ginkel allowed two hits and two walks.
Padres RHP Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.18 ERA) was set to face LHP Kohl Drake (0-0, 4.85) in the final game of the series Thursday.
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San Diego sends out newly acquired Casey Mize, for his Padre debut. He owns a 2.71 ERA while allowing seven earned runs over his last 28 innings pitched. Arizona’s Mitch Bratt makes his second home start for the season, owning 5.35 ERA, and allowed 12 earned runs over his last 20 innings pitched. Bratt has had control issues, and the Padres offense has averaged six runs per game over their last three outings.
The Padres F5 ML is up near -150 and they have one of the best bullpens in the league but this is -120. San Diego has a well rested bullpen and the edge over Arizona, while Casey Mize also gives us an edge for starting pitchers, with a 2.91 ERA in the 2nd half so far. Young lefty Mitch Bratt starts for the DBacks and his expected stats have his ERA near five and he’s walked nine batters in his last two starts with 13 free passes in 17 innings during July. The Padres have won nine of their last 11 while the DBacks are 6-5 in that time. I’ll back Casey Mize to be solid in his first start with his new team.
As the season rapidly approaches, CBS Sports’ NFL experts ranked the top 10 head coaches leading teams into battle this year.
This exercise produced a wide variety of responses. Some coaches are offensive gurus; others are defensive geniuses. Still others don’t specialize on one side or the other and are rather CEO-type leaders. Think Dan Campbell or the Harbaugh brothers, Jim and John. None of those three will call plays for either side of the ball this season, meaning their choices for who will handle those responsibilities are crucial.
Of course, just because they don’t call plays doesn’t mean they’re not involved. The best coaches are intimately involved in every aspect. And that, of course, includes being a leader in and outside the locker room, designating roles and much, much more.
Each voter ranked their top 10 head coaches, and each spot was assigned a point value: 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote and one for a 10th-place vote.
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1. Sean McVay, Rams
Points: 108 | Highest rank: 1 | Lowest rank: 2
McVay, who sports a sterling 92-57 record (.617 win pct) and delivered winning seasons in eight of his nine years, has a near stranglehold on the top spot. Only two voters didn’t have him first, and both had him second. McVay has been bold, pushing for the Matthew Stafford-for-Jared-Goff swap, even though he had been to a Super Bowl with Goff. It worked marvelously: Stafford and McVay won the Super Bowl in their first year together, and the two were on the doorstep of another trip last year.
McVay can clearly handle big-name superstars in the locker room, but his organization’s grassroots talent recognition and development has also been crucial. There are so many mid- and late-round players who have turned into solid starters at the very least. Some, such as Puka Nacua, have become stars. McVay has also been adept at finding strong defensive coordinators: Raheem Morris, Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley and Chris Shula. On offense, his coaching tree includes current head coaches Liam Coen, Matt LaFleur, Mike LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell and Zac Taylor.
Simply put, there’s a reason there’s a Wikipedia page for the “Sean McVay effect.” He has changed the game.
2. Mike Macdonald, Seahawks
Points: 85 | Highest rank: 1 | Lowest rank: 6
Macdonald has been simply outstanding, and like McVay, he’s done so while being bold. After a strong 10-7 debut season in Seattle, he was fine shipping Geno Smith off to the Raiders and firing offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, simply because Macdonald had a different vision for his team. The Seahawks brought in Sam Darnold and Klint Kubiak and went on to win the Super Bowl. It’s been impressive to see him transition to that aspect of head coaching responsibilities so easily.
It’s no surprise that Macdonald has excelled defensively. He was an elite defensive coordinator in Baltimore before landing the top gig in Seattle, and he has absolutely flummoxed opponents at both stops. Last year, the Seahawks ranked first in scoring defense and sixth in total defense. Macdonald was terrific on the biggest stage, sending blitzers from all over against Drake Maye in the Super Bowl. Seattle’s defense forced Maye into three turnovers and sacked him six times.
Macdonald’s defensive designs, his knowledge of when to use them, and his ability to teach them to (and tailor them to) his players make him truly special.
3. Kyle Shanahan, 49ers
Points: 84 | Highest rank: 2 | Lowest rank: 5
Shanahan’s ability to get the most out of his quarterbacks is second to none. He went 38-17 and reached a Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo, whose play outside the Bay Area has been lackluster. He is 30-15 with Brock Purdy as his starting quarterback, and when Purdy missed time last year, Mac Jones stepped in and went 5-3.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the Super Bowl. Shanahan has blown second-half leads in both Super Bowls he’s been in with the 49ers, and he was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons‘ infamous 28-3 collapse against the Patriots. If he doesn’t ever lift a Lombardi Trophy, he will go down as one of the ultimate “so close yet so far” coaches, though at 46, one would think he has time.
Reid came in eighth in CBS Sports’ 20 best NFL coaches of all time, so how is he “only” fourth among the active coaches? Well, it’s a “What have you done for me lately?” sort of business, and Reid is coming off a 6-11 season in which Patrick Mahomes and company looked simply ordinary. In truth, the offense has been just OK over the last three years, though Reid still has a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl appearance during that span.
This will be a big year for Reid. The Chiefs are in a semi-reset after losing several top players, and Mahomes is on the mend from a torn ACL. Another down offensive year would be a tough look and lead to more questions. Overall, though, it’s hard to question the three Lombardi Trophies, 279 wins and .640 winning percentage Reid has accrued.
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5. Sean Payton, Broncos
Points: 58 | Highest rank: 3 | Lowest rank: 8
There is a steep drop-off here, and Payton is in fifth. But it’s a pretty remarkable rise for Payton regardless. The offensive guru navigated the financially unprecedented release of Russell Wilson and took the Broncos to the playoffs each of the last two seasons anyway. Last year, they were likely a horribly unlucky Bo Nix ankle injury away from going to the Super Bowl.
Payton has a .630 career winning percentage and has won 13 or more games five times, including a career-high 14 last year. He is a brilliant offensive mind, though in an interesting twist, he is handing off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Expect Payton to still be heavily involved, though.
Johnson exceeded even the highest of expectations last year, going 11-6 and winning a playoff game in his debut season. Johnson is the latest offensive whiz kid, but this somehow feels different, given Johnson’s ability to win over the locker room and elevate what had been a downtrodden franchise.
Johnson, 40, proved his short but incredibly successful time as the Lions‘ offensive coordinator was no fluke. He is excellent, especially in his blocking schemes. Guard Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman were both Pro Bowlers last year, and guard Jonah Jackson and tackle Darnell Wright took huge steps forward. Caleb Williams had one of the league’s lowest sack rates after struggling majorly in that facet as a rookie, and Chicago was among the best rushing attacks in the NFL.
Harbaugh’s .679 career win percentage speaks for itself; it’s a top-10 rate ever and second among active coaches behind only the Eagles‘ Nick Sirianni. A former quarterback, Harbaugh is taking a big leap of faith this year after parting ways with longtime offensive coordinator/confidant Greg Roman and bringing in Mike McDaniel, who could not be in a starker juxtaposition. Harbaugh will also hope his newest defensive coordinator hire, Chris O’Leary, works out as well as his last one, Jesse Minter, did.
Vrabel’s value can be seen in how organizations perform when he’s not there. Vrabel went 54-45 and made the postseason three times in six years with the Titans before being fired. The Titans are an NFL-worst 6-28 since. The Patriots went 4-13 in 2024, hired Vrabel and went 14-3 and made the Super Bowl last year. Numbers don’t lie. Vrabel’s off-field involvements have been the topic du jour this offseason, but make no mistake: He can really coach.
9. DeMeco Ryans, Texans
Points: 25 | Highest rank: 5 | Lowest rank: 10
Ryans appeared on every ballot this year, joining McVay, Macdonald, Shanahan, Reid and Payton in an elite group. A former linebacker, Ryans is closely involved with the defensive game-planning, but the actual play-calling belongs to defensive coordinator Matt Burke. The Texans have built a world-class defense under Ryans’ watch, but in order for both Ryans and Houston to take the next step forward, they have to get it right on offense with C.J. Stroud. This year is a crucial one for all parties involved.
Ryans has won at least 10 games in all three of his seasons as a head coach after two excellent years as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
On one hand, Matt LaFleur’s resume includes a terrific .654 win percentage; the resurgence of Aaron Rodgers (who won MVP in 2020 and 2021 — LaFleur’s second and third years on the job); and just one losing season. On the other hand, LaFleur is just 3-6 in the postseason and has lost five of his last six playoff games. Much like his current quarterback, Jordan Love, it feels like his team is always scratching at the surface of breaking into the upper crust but never quite getting there. Is a breakthrough coming?
Also receiving votes …
Dan Campbell, Lions (Points: 9 | Highest rank: 7)
John Harbaugh, Giants (Points: 6 | Highest rank: 8)
Kevin O’Connell, Vikings (Points: 6 | Highest rank: 8)
Mike McCarthy, Steelers (Points: 4 | Highest rank: 7)
Benson (knee) returned to practice Tuesday, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Benson sat out Monday’s session due to discomfort in his left knee, which stems back to the concern that sidelined him after Week 4 last season. The “little flair-up [sic],” as coach Mike LaFleur described it, probably won’t keep Benson off the field long, but it remains to be seen if the third-year pro will be cleared to play in Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game against the Panthers. Benson is vying for slotting with James Conner (foot) behind rookie first-round pick Jeremiyah Love and offseason pickup Tyler Allgeier in the Cardinals backfield.
Cardinals’ Carson Beck: Starting Hall of Fame Game
Coach Mike LaFleur announced Tuesday that Beck will start Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game versus the Panthers.
The Cardinals provided some clarity with their quarterback situation by agreeing to give Jacoby Brissett a pay raise last week, indicating he’ll have some leeway as the starter to begin the campaign. The team also rosters Gardner Minshew and Beck, a rookie third-round pick, at the position, and both players seemingly have a decent chance to see the field at some point this season. Beck capped his collegiate career at Miami in 2025, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Cardinals’ Evan Hull: Claimed by Arizona
The Cardinals claimed Hull off waivers Monday, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Hull was waived by the Texans on Sunday and now finds a new home in Arizona. The running back participated in six 2025 regular-season games with the Saints, rushing 19 times for 48 yards, recording one reception for six yards and compiling 179 kickoff-return yards. Hull joins a crowded running back room headlined by rookie first-round pick Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier, James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee).
Cardinals’ Trey Benson: Tending to sore knee
Coach Mike LaFleur said Monday that Benson is dealing with discomfort in his left knee, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Benson wasn’t able to play after Week 4 last season due to a knee injury, finishing with 29 carries for 160 yards, 13 catches (on 16 targets) for 64 yards and no touchdowns in four contests. LaFleur noted that the team doesn’t expect the current issue to be a long-term concern, and there’s a chance Benson will play in Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game against the Panthers, per Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. With James Conner (foot) still not operating at 100 percent in training camp, Bam Knight, Corey Kiner and Evan Hull are the reserve RBs behind the top duo of rookie first-round pick Jeremiyah Love and offseason signing Tyler Allgeier.
PHOENIX (AP) Manny Machado had three hits and four RBIs, Randy Vásquez threw six scoreless innings and the San Diego Padres jumped out to a big early lead in a 9-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
The Padres won for the ninth time in 11 games, moving one game behind the D-backs for the third and final National League wild-card playoff spot.
Jackson Merrill had three hits and two RBIs, while Jake Cronenworth also had a three-hit night. Vásquez (7-6) gave up just two hits and walked one while striking out one.
The Padres jumped all over All-Star Eduardo Rodríguez in the first inning with leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. starting the game with a double to left. Machado followed with an RBI double before Merrill and Xander Bogaerts added run-scoring singles for a 3-0 lead.
San Diego extended its advantage to 6-0 in the second, partly because of Arizona’s sloppy defense. Jase Brown reached on a bunt single when there appeared to be confusion on who was covering first base and Ketel Marte’s error on a grounder led to a pair of unearned runs.
Rodríguez (10-4) gave up a season-high seven runs on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings, though only five of those runs were earned. The left-hander was coming off one of his best outings of the season, when he pitched eight innings in a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Arizona’s Nolan Arenado and James McCann hit two-run homers in the seventh off Germán Márquez to cut the deficit to 8-4. Geraldo Perdomo added two hits.
Diamondbacks LHP Mitch Bratt (0-1, 5.23 ERA) will start on Wednesday against RHP Casey Mize (4-6, 2.70), who is making his San Diego debut.
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San Diego isn’t great vs. lefties in ranking 27th in the majors in OPS and didn’t solve that at the trade deadline. It faces a good southpaw in Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 2.48 ERA). The Padres haven’t seen him in 2026. They go with utterly average Randy Vasquez (6-6, 4.45 ERA). The Snakes’ lineup is a bit longer tonight with the trade addition of lefty-hitting Lars Nootbaar as he’s in the starting lineup. Nootbaar hits righties very well, so hopefully he makes a big impression right away vs. Vasquez. Corbin Carroll has great splits off him.
Eduardo Rodriguez’s best year of his career was 2019 with Boston, when he went 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA. But in his 11th season, he’s having his best year yet with the Diamondbacks at 10-3 and a 2.48 ERA. In the last two seasons, he posted ERA’s over 5.00. But he found the fountain of youth in 2026. In 22 starts this year, the Diamondbacks have won 17 of them. The problem today is he’s got to face the Padres, who hit him hard last year, beating him twice while giving up nine runs off five homers in 10 innings. The new Eduardo Rodriguez shows up to stop the Padres this time. Arizona to win.
A preliminary injunction issued last Friday by U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Colorado opened the door for members of the 2022 recruiting class who exhausted their eligibility after four consecutive seasons to return to college football in 2026. The ruling came after a group of athletes sued the NCAA, arguing they were unfairly excluded when the organization adopted its new age-based eligibility model. It applies to players who never redshirted and were previously out of eligibility under the NCAA’s former rules.
The decision doesn’t create a free-for-all. Players generally must return to the school where they played during the 2025 season because the transfer portal is closed to athletes who were not already in it. Players who have signed professional contracts — such as NFL or CFL deals — also are ineligible to return, though participation in rookie minicamps alone does not affect eligibility.
Schools, meanwhile, are under no obligation to make room after months of building their 2026 rosters and fall camp around the corner. Any decisions also carry uncertainty, as the NCAA is expected to appeal the injunction, potentially putting the eligibility of the 2022 class back in question.
Inside college football’s frantic response to the eligibility court ruling that changed everything overnight
Chris Hummer
CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz reported the names of more than a dozen FBS players who have already expressed interest in returning under the ruling. For some, the path back is straightforward. For others, roster spots have already been filled, creating difficult decisions for programs less than a month before the season begins.
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Here’s a look at the Power Four players who could be back on the field in 2026 and how realistic each return appears.
Thomas Castellanos, QB — Florida State
The former starting quarterback at Florida State has expressed interest in returning to play college ball for another year, but his spot on the roster is already filled. After initially exhausting his eligibility, the Seminoles turned to a veteran transfer as their replacement for Castellanos, bringing in former Stanford and Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels, who is set to be Florida State’s Week 0 starter in 2026.
It really wouldn’t make sense for the Seminoles to bring Castellanos back just 26 days before the opener and fall camp already underway.
Castellanos started his college career at UCF in 2022 before transferring to Boston College, where he made 20 starts in two seasons. He returned to the Sunshine State in 2025, starting all 12 games for Florida State while throwing for a career-high 2,760 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Castellanos has 1,984 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns on the ground across three stops.
Jacob Holmes, DL & Cazeem Moore, EDGE — Virginia
Virginia already has the most experienced roster in the entire FBS when looking at career snaps. But one position group that lacks the same volume as others is the defensive front. Holmes and Moore both played meaningful snaps for the Cavaliers in 2025.
Holmes is an option that makes sense for Virginia to add after potential transfer defensive lineman Zion Wilson had his waiver for a sixth year denied by the NCAA in June. Holmes would bring more than 1,100 career snaps to the Cavaliers’ defensive front after appearing in all 14 games last season. He started his career at Fresno State in 2022. He has 79 career total tackles, including 20.5 for loss with 11.5 sacks.
Moore transferred to Virginia last season after a three-year stint at Elon (FCS). He also played in all 14 games, recording 18 total tackles with three sacks.
Cole Hutson, OL — Texas
The path is open for Hutson to rejoin the Longhorns. He initially planned to return to Texas after receiving a temporary restraining order in his legal challenge against the NCAA, but the latest ruling clears the way for him to continue pursuing another year of eligibility.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged at SEC media days the value of bringing back a player with Hutson’s experience, saying the Longhorns would get a veteran presence in the locker room and on the offensive line if everything goes through.
“If we’re fortunate enough to have him back, it’d be great,” Sarkisian said.
Hutson played in 48 games and made 23 career starts at Texas, primarily taking snaps at right guard while also seeing time at center. His more than 1,800 career offensive snaps would make him not only the most experienced offensive lineman on Texas’ 2026 roster, but the most experienced player overall.
There’s also a position battle brewing for the starting nickel spot this fall camp, with sophomore Julius Simms and redshirt junior Kylin Jackson both pushing for the job Jordan vacated. Would TCU feel comfortable giving that starting role back to Jordan? He was one of the top coverage defenders for the Horned Frogs last season, allowing just 12 catches for 91 yards on 21 targets.
Jayden Fielding, K — Ohio State
Fielding has the résumé to warrant another season, but an Ohio State reunion appears unlikely. The Buckeyes have already rebuilt their kicking room after Fielding initially exhausted his eligibility, with Baylor transfer Connor Hawkins expected to handle place-kicking duties this fall. Ohio State also added Notre Dame transfer Marcello Diomede and freshman Cooper Peterson to bolster the position, making a late change just weeks before the season difficult to envision.
Fielding appeared in 46 games across four seasons and handled Ohio State’s place-kicking duties for the past three years, leading the Buckeyes in scoring each season while totaling 313 career points, the fifth-most in school history. He converted 45 of 57 career field-goal attempts, including 16 of 20 in 2025, and made 178 extra points (second in program history).
Justice Finkley, EDGE — Kansas
Kansas enters the 2026 season replacing every starter from its defensive line, making Finkley an intriguing potential return candidate under the ruling. The Jayhawks aren’t starting from scratch at edge rusher with Alex Bray and Leroy Harris III returning, while Michigan State transfer David Santiago brings more than 700 career snaps across 22 games to add experience to the rotation.
Even so, Finkley would be a logical addition if the Jayhawks have the opportunity to bring him back. After transferring from Texas ahead of the 2025 season, he started all 12 games for Kansas and finished with 27 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Myles Rowser, S — Arizona State
Arizona State aggressively retooled its secondary this offseason, adding five transfer defensive backs to help replace a unit that returns just one starter from last season. Even with those additions, Rowser would immediately become the most experienced defensive back on the roster if he were to return.
Rowser started 12 games in 2025 and logged more defensive snaps than any Sun Devils player last season, earning third-team All-Big 12 honors after finishing third on the team with 84 tackles.
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