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How Terry Rozier arbitration ruling affects Miami Heat trade situation

The Miami Heat just got some good news. Terry Rozier, too.

The franchise had been waiting on a ruling about the contract status of Rozier, whose 2025-26 salary had been placed in escrow after he was arrested Oct. 23 for his alleged role in an insider sports-betting scheme.

But on Monday, Feb. 2, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Rozier and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), dictating that his salary should be paid in full.

‘We are pleased with the arbitrator’s ruling and remain committed to ensuring that Terry’s due process rights are protected and that he is afforded the presumption of innocence throughout this process,’ an NBPA spokesperson texted USA TODAY Sports.

What does this mean for the Miami Heat and their trading strategy?

This carries significant implications for Rozier and the Heat in the trading market.

For one, Rozier is on an expiring deal, which can be attractive to teams that are looking to clear up cap space for the following fiscal year. And since Rozier’s salary is substantial, he suddenly becomes a potential asset that could be used in a trade. So as the Heat remain engaged in conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks over a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, Rozier could eventually become part of that framework or in any other potential deal.

This, in essence, removes any uncertainty that may have been hanging around the Heat front office about its ability to include Rozier in any potential trade package.

If Miami is unable to move Rozier before the Thursday, Feb. 5 trading deadline, he would be on the books through the remainder of the season, and Miami would get a sizable chunk of cap space once his contract expires.

Rozier is in the final season of a four-year deal that pays $26.6 million, per Spotrac.com. The NBA and Heat had been holding Rozier’s salary in escrow, pending the results of the ongoing investigation; Rozier has been away from the Heat since his arrest.

What accusations is Terry Rozier facing?

Rozier, 31, pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

Rozier is accused of manipulating his performance during an NBA game to benefit illegal betting. The game took place on Thursday, March 23, 2023, when Rozier was a member of the Charlotte Hornets.

He had averaged 35.3 minutes and 21.1 points per game that season, and entered the night with no injury designation.

He started the game, but played only 9:34 minutes before he left the game with a supposed foot injury. He did not return and would subsequently miss the remaining eight games of the season.

That night, Rozier took just four shot attempts, making two of them, and scored five points, while adding four rebounds and two assists.

According to the indictment, Rozier informed his childhood friend, De’Niro Laster, that he “was going to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to a supposed injury and not return to play further.”

Per the indictment, Laster then allegedly sold the information about Rozier’s participation to multiple co-conspirators so that they could place fraudulent wagers.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. called the alleged setup, “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”

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Players’ union frustrated with WNBA’s lack of urgency in CBA talks

The WNBA and its players’ association met on Monday to continue ongoing negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

The two sides talked face-to-face in New York City at the NBA’s offices, the first such meeting in weeks. The league arrived to the meeting with no response to the WNBPA’s last proposal, a person with knowledge of what transpired told USA Today Sports.

“They volunteered that they did not have a proposal prepared at the top of the meeting,” Nneka Ogwumike told Front Office Sports. “That kind of set the tone for the conversation because we were hoping to hear otherwise.” 

The sides instead spent time hammering out sentiments and philosophies around their last proposals, the person with knowledge of the meeting said. The WNBPA’s position, according to the same person, is that the league is not moving with a sense of urgency and have not shown up with a willingness to compromise.WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert attended Monday’s meeting along with members of the labor relations committee and New York and Liberty owners Clara Wu and Joe Tsai. From the player side, union vice president Alysha Clark, treasurer Brianna Turner and player representative Stefanie Dolson, player rep for the Washington Mystics, were in attendance as well.

Vice presidents and Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier (travel issues) and Breanna Stewart did not attend in person and participated virtually. Los Angeles Sparks guard and vice president Kelsey Plum, who was traveling with Collier, also attended via video call. Secretary Elizabeth Williams was also on the call from Turkey, where she is playing this offseason.

Close to 40 players joined the meeting via zoom including the executive committee members.

The WNBA and players’ union have been at an impasse, extending the negotiation deadline twice before entering a ‘status quo’ period on Jan. 9.

Under ‘status quo,’ the working conditions established in the current CBA remain as is, allowing both sides to continue negotiating. The current agreement also prevents either side from engaging in a work stoppage without giving notice.

The main source of contention between the WNBA and the WNBPA continues to be revenue sharing. The players are reportedly prioritizing increased revenue sharing and salary structures. However, the sides differ on whether revenue sharing should be net or gross income, the percentage of the share and the salary cap.

Pending a CBA agreement by the WNBA and WNBPA, the 2026 WNBA season is scheduled to begin May 8. It will be the league’s 30th season.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Costa Rica swings right as voters embrace tough-on-crime leader amid surging violence

Costa Ricans have elected conservative populist Laura Fernández as their next president, according to preliminary results, making her the latest right-leaning leader to win office in Latin America.

With results from 96.8% of polling places counted, Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party won 48.3% of the vote, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported.

Her closest challenger, economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, trailed with 33.4%, the Associated Press reported. 

Ramos conceded the race on election night, with Fernández, 39, to begin her four-year term in May.

A former government minister, Fernández is the chosen successor of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking re-election.

She campaigned on continuing Chaves’ populist agenda, which reshaped Costa Rican politics by arguing against traditional parties and promising tougher action on crime.

Fernández served as minister of national planning and later as minister of the presidency, giving her a central role in Chaves’ administration.

Crime had dominated the campaign in Costa Rica amid sharp rises in homicides, gang activity and drug trafficking by cartels.

The murder rate had increased by 50% over the last six years, according to reports.

Fernández pledged a hard-line security strategy, including increased cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and tougher measures against organized crime.

She has also floated controversial proposals inspired by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.

This included construction of a special prison for gang leaders, the Associated Press reported.

‘My hand won’t shake when it comes to making the decisions we need to restore peace in Costa Rican homes,’ Fernández said during the campaign.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández in a statement Monday.

‘Under her leadership, we are confident Costa Rica will continue to advance shared priorities to include combating narco-trafficking, ending illegal immigration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and strengthening economic ties,’ Rubio said.

‘I hope that we can immediately lower the flags of whichever political party and start working only in favor of the Costa Rican flag,’ Fernández said after the result. 

‘I believe the Costa Rican people expect nothing less of us,’ she added.

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DOJ removes Ed Martin from Trump admin’s Weaponization Working Group amid increased activity

The Justice Department (DOJ) has removed its pardon attorney from an internal ‘Weaponization Working Group,’ even as officials say the politically sensitive panel is now meeting more frequently, Fox News has learned.

Ed Martin currently serves as the DOJ’s pardon attorney, a role appointed by President Donald Trump that involves reviewing clemency applications and advising the White House on pardons and commutations. He had also participated in the department’s internal Weaponization Working Group.

A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to Fox News on Monday that Martin had been removed from the working group, though it was not immediately clear why.

‘President Trump appointed Ed Martin as Pardon Attorney and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,’ a DOJ spokesperson said.

Trump nominated Martin, a former defense attorney who represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia in February of last year.

But after concerns from lawmakers stalled Martin’s confirmation, Trump withdrew the nomination.

Trump instead nominated Jeanine Pirro for the role, and she was ultimately confirmed.

Martin was appointed to serve as U.S. pardon attorney on May 14, 2025, and was named by Trump at the time to serve as director of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, a role he held until his removal was announced Monday.

The working group was formed in early 2025 and is now meeting more frequently, with the goal of eventually meeting daily. It is an internal review body created to examine claims that federal law enforcement and prosecutorial powers were misused for political or partisan purposes.

Martin has previously drawn scrutiny over his actions involving New York Attorney General Letitia James. In August, a lawyer representing James criticized Martin for visiting her Brooklyn residence and publicly suggesting she resign, calling the visit a ‘made-for-media stunt.’

Martin later said he visited the property to ‘lay eyes on it’ and shared images of the visit on social media.

He was subsequently granted special prosecutorial authority to pursue mortgage fraud investigations involving James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., both of whom have denied wrongdoing and described the probes as politically motivated.

Martin also urged James to step down in a letter he described as ‘confidential’ but later shared publicly on X.

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Trump undercuts GOP push to attach SAVE Act to shutdown bill as conservatives threaten mutiny

President Donald Trump is trying to quell a growing rebellion against the funding deal he negotiated with Senate Democrats as a growing number of House conservatives threaten to sink the legislation if a key demand is not met.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is walking a tightrope with House Republicans demanding the inclusion of election integrity legislation to the Trump-backed deal, which he negotiated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last week. 

The government is in its third day of a partial shutdown. Adding the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, to the package would send the legislation back to the Senate, where Schumer has already vowed to block it. 

That would likely extend what was intended to be a temporary closure.

Trump took to Truth Social to lower the temperature among House Republicans, and noted that he was ‘working hard with Speaker Johnson to get the current funding deal, which passed in the Senate last week, through the House and to my desk, where I will sign it into Law, IMMEDIATELY!’

‘We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY,’ Trump said. ‘There can be NO CHANGES at this time.’ 

‘We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly — One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats,’ he continued. ‘I hope everyone will vote, YES!’

A cohort of House Republicans, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wants to see the SAVE Act attached to the five-bill funding package plus short-term extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

It would require states to obtain proof of citizenship in-person when people register to vote and remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital on Monday that he was leaning against voting to advance the funding deal if the SAVE Act was not attached. Reps. William Timmons, R-S.C., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have foreshadowed similar threats.

It’s legislation that has long been shelved since advancing from the House last year. Its passage in the upper chamber is even more unlikely because of the 60-vote filibuster threshold and Senate Democrats’ reticence to even consider supporting it. 

Their demands come as the House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper for most legislation to get a chamber-wide vote, is set to meet Monday evening to consider the funding deal. Johnson met with Rules Committee members on Monday afternoon ahead of their scheduled meeting.  

Tacking on the SAVE Act would likely kill any chance of the spending deal earning support from House Democrats, who are already resistant to the deal. 

And if it were to make it to the Senate, Democrats in the upper chamber are primed to block it.

Without it, however, the group of House conservatives could kill the spending deal during a procedural hurdle called a ‘rule vote.’ The House Rules Committee advancing the bill sets up a chamber-wide rule vote, which if successful would unlock debate and set up a final vote on passage. 

Rule votes generally fall along partisan lines. And with a one-vote majority after the swearing-in of a new House Democrat who won a special election in Texas over the weekend, Johnson can afford little dissent.

Schumer laid out an edict on Monday against the idea, where he accused Republicans of pushing legislation ‘reminiscent of Jim Crow-era laws,’ that he argued would act as a means to suppress voters rather than encourage more secure elections. 

‘It is a poison pill that will kill any legislation that it is attached to,’ Schumer said in a statement. ‘If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown.’

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Fox News Digital report spurs 22 AGs to urge expanded House probe into alleged judicial bias

Nearly half of state attorneys general will demand the House Judiciary Committee expand its probe into climate policy-related influence on federal judges to include a gold-standard guide judges use to examine subjects they are not typically versed in.

The development comes after a Fox News Digital report highlighted criticisms of the latest edition of the Federal Judicial Center’s (FJC) 1,600-page ‘Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence.’ Critics said the traditionally apolitical reference guide is now rife with climate change–related ideological bias, citing extensive footnotes drawn from left-leaning and climate-alarmist sources.

The Federal Judicial Center itself is the research and education agency of the federal judiciary, and its governing board is chaired by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is leading the effort, writing to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, urging them to expand their improper-influence probe to include what they call an ‘inappropriate attempt to rig case outcomes in favor of one side.’

The latest edition was published December 31 and includes a foreword by Justice Elena Kagan before delving into subject matter footnoted to environmental law expert Jessica Wentz, climatologist Michael Mann, and a slew of others involved in climate change research and advocacy.

‘Those same improper influence concerns apply to the Federal Judicial Center and its new ‘Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence’,’ the attorney generals wrote in part.

They noted that Kagan’s foreword said previous editions of the manual helped ‘bring about better and fairer legal decisions,’ but argued her words would not echo the same in the latest edition.

‘Like [the] Climate Judiciary Project that the Committee is investigating, the new chapter presents a highly biased, agenda-driven view favoring radical interests pursuing lawsuits against producers and users of traditional forms of fossil fuel energy,’ the attorneys general argued, citing the inclusion of findings from Jessica Wentz, a climate change advocate at Columbia University, among other names.

They cited a court brief crafted by Wentz in opposition to the Willow drilling project in Alaska, where she was quoted as saying ‘the world needs to phase out fossil fuels as rapidly as possible in order to avert potentially catastrophic levels of global warming and climate change.’

The prosecutors also pointed to the inclusion of work from an attorney who represented the city of Honolulu in cases against traditional energy firms.

‘Not surprisingly, given the strong biases of its authors, reviewers, and sources, the climate change chapter presents as settled the very methodologies that plaintiffs rely on to impose liability on fossil-fuel defendants,’ the letter reads.

‘The chapter presents this science as authoritative without acknowledging contrary views or disclosing the many conflicts of the authors, reviewers, and sources. Ethics experts have noted that these issues raise serious ethics concerns.’

In comments to Fox News Digital, Hilgers said the FJC’s new science manual should present complex evidence impartially, but instead ‘appears to embed the views of climate activists and diversity, equity, and inclusion ideologues into what is presented as neutral guidance.’

‘When the same advocates and experts who are actively litigating climate cases help write and review a chapter that will be used by federal judges behind the scenes, it raises obvious and serious concerns about the impartiality of the judicial system,’ Hilgers said.

‘Nebraskans, and all Americans, deserve courts that are neutral and fair.’

The letter was also signed by Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and their fellow state prosecutors in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming.

Chicago mayor criticizes Clarence Thomas while defending city’s reparations task force

‘We’ve seen ridiculous legal warfare grow across the country — politically motivated groups, using our courts and liberal justices to push their climate agenda. That’s bad enough,’ McCuskey told Fox News Digital, saying it is time to prevent the influence of ‘junk science.”

‘We… must protect our judicial system and its impartiality,’ he said.

McCuskey also fired off a missive to the FJC itself, co-signed by Marshall, Uthmeier, Cox and others.

He told the center’s director — Obama-appointed federal judge Robin Rosenberg of Florida — that the manual’s ubiquity must remain trusted.

‘At least up to this point, [FJC] has been careful to stress that the Manual merely ‘describes basic principles of major scientific fields… Instead, the Fourth Edition places the judiciary firmly on one side of some of the most hotly disputed questions in current litigation: climate-related science and ‘attribution’.’

‘Such work undermines the judiciary’s impartiality and places a thumb on one side of the scale,’ McCuskey said.

Trump calls out SCOTUS judges for

American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac added that the FJC wrongly used taxpayer funds to publish a reference manual that ’embeds disputed, plaintiff-driven climate alarmist theories into materials judges consult.’

‘That is not education, it is outcome-shaping, and it directly undermines judicial impartiality,’ Isaac said.

O.H. Skinner of Alliance for Consumers called the development ‘the woke lawfare playbook in action’ and said climate change activists see the courtroom as their best chance to bring permanence to their ideology.

When reached for comment on the matter of her footnotes coming under scrutiny, Wentz replied, ‘no comment.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Jordan and Grassley for comment, as well as the FJC.

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2028 LA Olympics chair ‘deeply regrets’ flirty emails in Epstein files

The chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games organizing committee said he ‘deeply regrets’ his presence in the most recent batch of files and documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the federal investigation related to convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Casey Wasserman acknowledged in a statement what appear to be a series of flirty and sexually suggestive emails he exchanged in 2003 with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Epstein over the course of a decade.

Included among the electronic correspondence made public in recent days was a March 2003 email in which Wasserman wrote, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”

Wasserman, 51, is the founder and CEO of an eponymous global sports marketing and talent agency with clients such as Adam Sandler, Brad Pitt and Katie Ledecky. He is considered a prominent Democratic Party donor and serves as a trustee for the Clinton Foundation. He has not been charged in the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell.

‘I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,’ Wasserman’s statement said. ‘I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.’

Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting a federal sex-trafficking trial, and has ties to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people, including former President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump. Both men have denied any wrongdoing, and neither has been charged.

Wasserman helped lead the efforts to bring the Summer Olympics back to Los Angeles in recent years. The city previously hosted the Olympics in 1984.

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WNBA, players’ union meet for three hours in ongoing CBA negotiations

The WNBA and its players’ association met on Monday to continue ongoing negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

The two sides reportedly talked face-to-face in New York City, the first such meeting in weeks. However, after three hours at the NBA’s offices, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike declined to speak to the media about any developments as she left.

‘No, we can’t talk,’ she said.WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert also attended Monday’s meeting along with members of the labor relations committee and New York and Liberty owners Clara Wu and Joe Tsai. From the player side, union vice president Alysha Clark, treasurer Brianna Turner and player representative Stefanie Dolson were in attendance as well.

Vice presidents and Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier (travel issues) and Breanna Stewart did not attend in person and participated virtually. Los Angeles Sparks guard and vice president Kelsey Plum, who was traveling with Collier, also attended via video call.

The WNBA and players’ union have been at an impasse, extending the negotiation deadline twice before entering a ‘status quo’ period on Jan. 9.

Under ‘status quo,’ the working conditions established in the current CBA remain as is, allowing both sides to continue negotiating. The current agreement also prevents either side from engaging in a work stoppage without giving notice.

The main source of contention between the WNBA and the WNBPA continues to be revenue sharing. The players are reportedly prioritizing increased revenue sharing and salary structures. However, the sides differ on whether revenue sharing should be net or gross income, the percentage of the share and the salary cap.

Pending a CBA agreement by the WNBA and WNBPA, the 2026 WNBA season is scheduled to begin May 8. It will be the league’s 30th season.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Arizona leads, Illinois surges in men’s college basketball Top 25 poll

The first USA TODAY Sports men’s college basketball poll for February is out, with the top four teams from the end of January holding steady.

Arizona remains at No. 1 with all 31 first-place votes. Michigan stays at No. 2 thanks to a pair of solid Big Ten wins this week. Connecticut and Duke remain at third and fourth respectively.

Gonzaga inherits the No. 5 spot, followed by a surging Illinois vaulting four positions to No. 6 after its Sunday defeat of Nebraska. Iowa State jumps ahead of fellow Big 12 contender Houston by just two poll points for the No. 7 position. Nebraska and Michigan State each fall back multiple spots but stay in the top 10.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

There’s a strong Big 12 presence in the next five as Kansas is back up to No. 11 leapfrogging No. 12 Purdue. Texas Tech and Brigham Young hold the next two positions, and Vanderbilt now leads the SEC contingent at No. 15.

Texas A&M joins the rankings at No. 25. Thanks to last week’s tie there are actually two dropouts as Alabama and Iowa fall.

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What NCAA’s top returning passer says about joining nation’s top team

BLOOMINGTON, IN – Just as Josh Hoover needed little introduction to the football program he joined out of the transfer portal, the former TCU quarterback said he feels no pressure walking in the footsteps of outgoing Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

Hoover — who initially committed to Indiana out of Texas high school football before flipping to the Horned Frogs — ranks among Curt Cignetti’s highest-profile additions in this year’s portal class.

His 9,629 career yards passing rank Hoover first in the nation among returning players in that category, positioning the Big 12-turned-Big Ten QB to help Indiana transition seamlessly from one transfer quarterback to another.

“Obviously, Fernando’s an unbelievable player, won the Heisman, won all the awards, they had all the team success you can have last year,” Hoover said Saturday, Jan. 31. “For me, I’m just gonna be myself. That’s why I’m here — to be myself, put my imprint on the program and try to encourage guys and bring people along. Be the best player I can be.”

Celebrate IU’s season with books, special sections!

Speaking following a more than two-hour meet-and-greet session with IU fans, hosted by a Bloomington CVS, Hoover spoke admiringly at the fan support he watched coalesce around Indiana during its run to the national championship.

That support was on display Saturday, as a crowd comfortably beyond 500 fans passed through CVS, the line snaking through multiple aisles while Hoover, several of his new teammates — Tyrique Tucker, Khobie Martin and Lee Beebe Jr. — and Omar Cooper Jr., who declared for the NFL draft, also attended, signed memorabilia, posed for pictures and chatted with supporters.

A small handful of those fans even split their attire between Indiana and TCU gear, a nod to Hoover’s success across three-plus seasons in Fort Worth.

“The fans are awesome. Great people. Love football, love the Hoosiers, for sure, and it’s super cool as a player to have that support,” Hoover said. “How much the fans love football, love this program, love this city and love this state, it’s been super cool.”

A starter across most of the past three seasons at TCU, Hoover has been among the nation’s most-productive passers in a system not dissimilar to the one he’ll now captain in Bloomington.

Just in the past two years, Hoover attempted 884 passes, throwing for more than 7,400 yards, with 56 total touchdowns.

He showed a consistent ability to push the ball down the field vertically, something Indiana will want to maintain following Mendoza’s outstanding 2025 season. And Hoover spoke with confidence about his strength in run-pass option calls, another staple of coordinator Mike Shanahan’s offense.

“It’s something I’ve done for the last eight years of my life (going back to high school),” Hoover said. “The offenses I’ve played in have all been heavy RPO offenses, and so I feel like I’ve got a really good feel for that. I’m excited to bring my skillset in that area to this program, this offense.

“I think it’s going to translate well. We can distribute the ball, get easy touches for these receivers, who do well with the ball in their hands. That’s always a big part of offense: getting positive plays, stealing yards, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.”

IU’s lengthy playoff run — coupled to the attendant time off for players following its conclusion — likely moves the spring calendar back. Cignetti is also in the process of onboarding new strength coach Tyson Brown, further affecting the offseason calendar.

With spring practice still relatively far into the future, Hoover’s focus right now is building his rapport with his teammates and furthering his own comfort in his new offense.

As his career comes full circle, from IU commit under one staff to QB1 under another, the Texas native said transferring north to Bloomington for his final year of college football was an easy decision.

“It’s a special place to be right now,” Hoover said. “I’m definitely excited to be here. It’s the place I wanted to go, and it feels good to be back.”

Indiana football transfer portal commitments, exits

IN

  • OL Joe Brunner (Wisconsin)
  • DE Josh Burnham (Notre Dame)
  • LS Drew Clausen (Iowa State)
  • P Billy Gowers (Hawaii)
  • DB A.J. Harris (Penn State)
  • DT Joe Hjelle (Tulsa)
  • QB Josh Hoover (TCU)
  • WR Nick Marsh (Michigan State)
  • K Paddy McAteer (Troy)
  • EDGE Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State)
  • RB Turbo Richard (Boston College)
  • EDGE Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State)
  • WR Shazz Preston (Tulane)
  • CB Jiquan Sanks (Cincinnati)
  • TE Brock Schott (Miami)
  • CB Carson Williams (Montana State)
  • S Preston Zachman (Wisconsin)

OUT

  • S Jah Jah Boyd (Colorado)
  • EDGE Aden Cannon
  • WR Ace Ciongoli (Florida)
  • EDGE Andrew DePaepe (UMass)
  • EDGE William DePaepe (UMass)
  • CB Dontrae Henderson
  • WR Makai Jackson (Liberty)
  • CB Amariyun Knighten
  • OL Evan Lawrence (San Diego State)
  • QB Alberto Mendoza (Georgia Tech)
  • DL J’mari Monette
  • OL Mitch Verstegen
  • EDGE Finn Walters
  • DL Hosea Wheeler (Baylor)
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