MAC has 4 on Bednarik watch list

PHILADELPHIA — Four Mid-American Conference football student-athletes were named to the watch list for the 31st Chuck Bednarik Award, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club. Buffalo teammates Red Murdock and Kobe Stewart as well as Ohio’s DJ Walker and Toledo’s Avery Smith were selected to the award’s watch list, which is presented annually to college football’s top defensive player.

Murdock was an All-MAC First Team selection in 2024 after ranking second in the nation in tackles with 156 and adding 16.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. His seven forced fumbles were a school record and ranked first in the nation. Along with being named All-MAC, Murdock was also an Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District selection.

It is the third preseason watch list for Murdock who is also on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.

Stewart was a second-team All-MAC selection in 2024 after leading the Mid-American Conference in sacks with 9.5. It was one sack shy of Khalil Mack’s UB FBS-era record of 10.5 sacks set in 2013. Stewart added 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

A Second-Team All-MAC selection a season ago, Smith totaled 58 tackles, 16 passes defended, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions. He had the game-winning pass breakup at Eastern Michigan on the final play in a 29-28 thriller, and tied a career high with eight tackles and broke up a pass in Toledo’s six-overtime GameAbove Sports Bowl victory over Pitt. He was second in the FBS in PBUs and second in the MAC in passes defended.

Walker was a staple in the 2024 defense, starting in all 14 games. He amassed 53 total tackles, including 34 solo stops and seven tackles for loss. Walker logged the second-most pass breakups (7) and recorded his first collegiate interception against Akron (Sept. 28, 2024). Following the regular season, Walker was named All-MAC Second Team.

The Bednarik Award has been given to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995.

Oklahoma QB denies gambling

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer says he has never gambled, and the school says there is no NCAA investigation after a recent report showed Mateer twice paid someone on Venmo in 2022 for “sports gambling.”

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer said in a statement Tuesday on social media. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.”

Mateer, who was at Washington State during the time in question, said he can understand why the Venmo descriptions could lead one to believe otherwise, so he decided to set the record straight.

“I have never bet on sports,” he said. “I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”

In a statement, Oklahoma said it uses ProhiBet for comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities.

Mateer followed former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Oklahoma this past offseason. Mateer passed for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions and ran for 826 yards and 15 scores last season.

Mateer was one of three players who accompanied Oklahoma coach Brent Venables at SEC Media Days in July. Venables and Oklahoma’s players have raved consistently about Mateer’s leadership. He’s considered one of the nation’s top transfers and a key reason the Sooners open the season ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25.

NFL appeals Jon Gruden ruling

LAS VEGAS — The NFL will appeal the Nevada Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden can proceed with his lawsuit and not go through the league for arbitration.

The league will request a rehearing from the same court that overturned a prior Nevada Supreme Court panel ruling in May 2024 that the matter could go to arbitration. But in October, Gruden was granted a hearing by the full court.

Gruden filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging that a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to destroy his career by leaking old emails he sent that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments that pressured the Raiders to fire him.

Gruden resigned from the Raiders in October 2021 and sued the league a month later.

In 2022, the NFL appealed to Nevada’s high court after a judge in Las Vegas rejected league bids to dismiss Gruden’s claim outright or to order out-of-court talks through an arbitration process that could be overseen by Goodell.

The Nevada Supreme Court, in a 5-2 ruling, said that “the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution is unconscionable and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.”

Vols guard will plead not guilty

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The attorney for Ruby Whitehorn says the Tennessee guard will plead not guilty when arraigned on felony charges of domestic assault and aggravated burglary.

“She is, in fact, not guilty,” attorney Gregory P. Isaacs said in a statement. “Our firm’s investigation has also revealed that the factual allegations contained in the warrants are not accurate and are contradicted by eyewitness accounts. Ruby Whitehorn looks forward to having this matter resolved in the very near future.”

Whitehorn’s preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday was rescheduled for Sept. 5.

The 6-foot guard from Detroit, Michigan, was arrested Aug. 8 after the Knox County Sherriff’s Office responded to a call around 4:15 p.m. According to reports, police said Whitehorn got into an altercation outside a woman’s residence and kicked in a front door and bedroom door.

Whitehorn reportedly told officers she was getting her property back after the woman took her phone and passport, then locked the door.

Tennessee issued a statement Sunday saying officials were aware of the situation and gathering information.

Whitehorn started 28 of 34 games last season for the Lady Vols and ranked fourth scoring 11.6 points a game shooting 46.3%. She also had four rebounds per game. She started her career at Clemson where she started 62 of the 66 games she played.

She helped Tennessee go 24-10 in coach Kim Caldwell’s debut season. The Lady Vols lost to Texas in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.