NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans certainly hope picking a first-round quarterback for the third time in 15 NFL drafts proves to be the charm. The Titans selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall selection Thursday night. Ward joins Jake Locker as the No. 8 pick overall in 2011 and Marcus Mariota at second overall in 2015 in the franchise’s attempts to find a winner at that position in that span. That doesn’t even count the Titans’ later draft whiffs at that spot. Will Levis had been the Titans' highest quarterback drafted since Mariota at No. 33 in 2023. But Levis is 5-16 as a starter with a turnover problem that got him benched by first-year coach Brian Callahan.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers selected North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Hampton had consecutive seasons with more than 1,500 yards rushing in his final two seasons for the Tar Heels, finishing his third and final collegiate season with 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games. He also proved adept in the passing game, making 73 receptions for 635 yards and four touchdowns during his career in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
UNDATED (AP) — The judge overseeing the sprawling $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement involving the NCAA and the nation’s five largest conferences has delayed final approval of the plan until it is modified to address concerns about roster limits. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken signaled she is ready to approve the rest of the settlement but wants both sides to come up with a way to not harm current athletes who will lose their spots on teams. The settlement calls for scholarship limits to be replaced by roster limits. Some attorneys argued that Wilken's order could throw college sports into chaos.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina looks at its 2026 game in Ireland against TCU as an example of the bump from hiring Bill Belichick in its efforts to boost the school's football profile. Belichick won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach and is a first-time college coach with the Tar Heels. His opener comes at home on Labor Day against TCU. The return trip in that home-and-home series is now set for Dublin in August 2026. Chancellor Lee Roberts called it “another example” of the opportunities UNC sought in its bet on hiring the 73-year-old Belichick.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU and North Carolina will play their 2026 opener in Ireland. That will come a year after Bill Belichick’s debut as coach of the Tar Heels comes at home against the Horned Frogs. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Aug. 29, 2026. It will be the first game abroad for both TCU and North Carolina. Their season opener this year will be on Sept. 1, which is Labor Day. TCU will be the home team for the game in Ireland. The two teams were initially scheduled to open the 2026 season in Fort Worth, Texas.
