Former Auburn forward Elyjah Freeman has committed to Texas coach Sean Miller. The 6-foot-8 wing announced the decision on his personal Instagram page. Freeman will have 2 seasons of eligibility remaining to use with the Longhorns.

The addition is a major coup for Texas and a bit of a sting for Auburn.

Freeman started 21 games for the Tigers last season — his first with the program — and appeared in 38. He averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 26.9 minutes a night. He also led the team in total steals, with 29.

Flashes of brilliance could be seen throughout the year. He scored 21 points in a November win over Wofford. He had 14 points and 5 assists in a game a week after that. He scored 19 points off the bench in a mid-December victory. He scored a career-high 27 points weeks later in a win over Queens.

“I would love for him to be here next year because he’s going to be a really good player,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said in March after Freeman scored 15 points and played all 40 minutes in a win over Nevada.

After Auburn won the NIT, Freeman said he was “locked in” with the Tigers.

Five days later, he hit the portal.

Freeman spent his freshman season at Lincoln Memorial University playing D2 ball. In 28 starts, he averaged 18.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while earning a South Atlantic Conference first-team nod.

He is 1 of 4 transfers to publicly pledge to the Longhorns during this portal cycle, joining guard Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), forward David Punch (TCU), and guard Amari Evans (Tennessee).

The post Texas basketball lands another intra-conference transfer appeared first on Saturday Down South.

As far as firsts go, major milestones are still ahead. Nevertheless, Saturday offered a tease at what is to come for Stein.

“I got emotional running out of the tunnel,” Will Stein said after his unofficial debut at Kroger Field for the Wildcats’ spring game. “I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely felt it. It was, like, a lot, like a wave running over me.”

The Blue team offense beat the White team defense in the exhibition, 23-18. With several projected contributors either held out or sporting non-contact jerseys, Stein said the goal of the scrimmage was to get out clean.

For the most, that’s what happened. But the lack of theatrics didn’t seem to dull the experience for the Louisville native.

“I’ve never ran out of that tunnel like that, so that was really cool and unique,” he said. “When the fight song plays, it literally got me emotional. It was just a really cool moment for me.”

The first of many.

Prediction Markets

College Football SEC Championship Winner (2026)

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Texas

24%

Georgia

23%

LSU

15%

Texas A&M

12%

Alabama

11%

Florida

11%

Missouri

10%

Oklahoma

10%

Arkansas

6%

Vanderbilt

3%

Predict

The post Will Stein reflects on his Kentucky debut at Kroger Field appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to arrest logs, Branch was booked shortly after 1 a.m. local time Sunday morning. He was released on bonds totaling $39 hours later.

A full police report of the incident had not yet been released at the time of publication.

The standout receiver was back in Athens this weekend for the Bulldogs’ spring game. He is hoping to hear his name called early in the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins next Thursday.

Branch led the Bulldogs with 81 receptions for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns last season. It was his first and only season with the program after spending 2 years with USC prior.

In Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft for ESPN, Branch was projected to be taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 53rd overall pick in the second round. Most projections list Branch as a Day 2 selection.

Georgia declined to comment on the incident when reached by DawgNation. It’s unclear if or how the incident will impact his draft stock so close to the start of the event.

The post Former Georgia receiver Zachariah Branch arrested in Athens appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This week, former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson gave Indiana’s defense a backhanded compliment. Indiana’s defensive coordinator responded to that perceived slight on social media, which then angered Alabama fans and prompted another (snarkier) response from the IU assistant.

Indiana beat Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl last season. Simpson completed just 12 of his 16 passes for 67 yards before exiting with an injury. Yet, on the Downs 2 Business podcast this week, Simpson said Indiana’s defensive gameplan was as basic as can be.

“I was like, they don’t do much. I was like, they do the same thing every down,” Simpson said. “When I got the ball, I knew exactly what was going to hapen. They just didn’t mess up, bro. They were in the exact same spot they were supposed to be. They were so well-coached. It was so much different than the SEC. The SEC will play man, they’ll do these unorthodox coverages because that’s kind of how it is.

“That game was crazy to me, of course I got hurt so that was a bummer. I just knew what they were going to do. We couldn’t really run the ball. We didn’t really throw. It was so crazy to me how it happened.”

Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines saw the clip floating around social media and took exception with the characterization of IU’s defense.

“Adorable,” he said Friday night. “We also, saw everything they were doing, on every single snap… It’s just that we exploited those cues. And didn’t get frozen and crushed by them.”

After waves of Alabama fans jumped into Haines’s mentions to say Simpson was simply complimenting the Hoosiers, Haines doubled-down on Saturday evening.

“That’s all it took to break your entire fanbase? Wow.. maybe I should’ve just said ‘Boo.’ No apologies, no compliments,” Haines tweeted. “Grow up folks. He had a bad take and I said the painful truth. Bounce back better.”

Can we get a nonconference game on the docket between these two programs? Soon? That might get in the way of IU playing powerhouses UMass, Indiana State, and Kennesaw State, though.

Like our coverage? Make SDS a preferred source in your searches!

The post Indiana defensive coordinator spars with Alabama fans over Ty Simpson comment appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“The injuries really set him back this year,” Kelly said earlier in the week when making an appearance on the CBS Sports news desk. “Staying healthy is going to be really important. If he does, he’s going to deliver the ball to playmakers.”

Prior to the 2025 season, Nussmeier was being talked about as a first-round NFL Draft pick. Some even wondered if he could build on his breakout 2024 campaign and become the first quarterback taken.

That obviously did not happen. The only consistency in Nussmeier’s game last fall was the presence of injuries. He threw for 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns against 5 picks in 9 games before being shut down for the year.

Nussmeier threw 35 times for just 168 yards in the loss to Texas A&M that officially ended Kelly’s tenure. Two weeks later, he threw 21 times for 121 yards in what was his final game as a Tiger.

Now, Nussmeier is projected to be a third-round pick. Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. First-round selections for quarterbacks carry a tremendous amount of weight. Passers taken in later rounds are generally afforded more time to learn before being leaned on.

Kelly said he’s excited to see what the future holds for the son of an NFL coordinator.

“He has an incredible football IQ and he has an incredible off-platform throwing ability,” Kelly said. “He doesn’t just need to be a three-step drop. He can throw it sidearm, he can move, he can escape. I just love the kid and can’t wait to see what happens in the NFL.”

The 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh. The second and third rounds take place on April 24. The draft concludes with the final 4 rounds on April 25.

Prediction Markets

Third quarterback drafted in 2026?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Drew Allar

46%

Garrett Nussmeier

39%

Ty Simpson

24%

Carson Beck

11%

Cole Payton

11%

Taylen Green

8%

Diego Pavia

4%

Cade Klubnik

1%

Luke Altmyer

1%

Predict

The post Ex-LSU coach Brian Kelly lobbies for Garrett Nussmeier ahead of NFL Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The deal is worth a reported $150 million and it includes a no-trade clause. According to Schefter, Anderson is also due $100 million of the $134 guaranteed at signing. The contract makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Anderson’s $50 million-per-year salary nudges him ahead of fellow pass-rushers Micah Parsons ($46.5 million) and Aidan Hutchinson ($45 million) for the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the league.

Anderson was the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In just 3 years in the league, he has amassed 30 sacks, 46 tackles for loss, and 64 quarterback hits. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season.

The former Crimson Tide star is also a 2-time Pro Bowl selection and a recent All-Pro selection.

His All-Pro nod came this past season, when he recorded a career-best 12 sacks to go along with His 54 tackles, 20 TFLs, 23 QB hits, and 3 forced fumbles. His 85 quarterback pressures were also second in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

The Texans went 12-5 last season. They won a Wild Card game against Pittsburgh, 30-6, but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to New England.

Jacksonville snapped Houston’s string of 2 straight AFC South divisional titles last season. In 2026, the Texans will be looking for more from their star pass-rusher to help regain control of the division.

Prediction Markets

AFC South Division Winner?

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Houston

35%

Jacksonville

33%

Indianapolis

19%

Tennessee

12%

Predict

The post Will Anderson Jr. gets historic extension from Houston Texans appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Evans spent just 1 season with the Volunteers, during which he appeared in 35 games. The 6-foot-5 guard will have 3 seasons of eligibility with the Longhorns. Evans announced his decision on his personal Instagram page.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Amari Evans (@marriiiii1)