North Carolina offensive lineman Avery Jones hits transfer portal

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North Carolina will hit the weekend down one player to the NCAA transfer portal.

As first noted by Inside Carolina, offensive lineman Avery Jones has submitted his name to the database.

The redshirt offensive lineman was considered a four-star as part of the Class of 2018. That pre-dates Mack Brown‘s (second) time in Chapel Hill but he was expected to provide some depth for North Carolina whenever the 2020 campaign rolled around.

Instead, Jones Will Likely be playing elsewhere for the eventual season’s kickoff. He wound up appearing in just one game for the Tar Heels during his time on campus, a single snap against FCS Mercer last year.

Interestingly, Inside Carolina notes that Jones is the ninth player to depart from the UNC program this offseason. Tight end Carl Tucker (to Alabama) is the most notable of those names.

It goes without saying that playing time could be a big factor for Jones’ departure. Not only did he not see much of the field, but he was recruited over in recent classes quite a bit. Add in an upcoming haul from Brown and snaps would be hard to come by.

No word on any potential destinations for Jones in the report. He was recruited out of high school by a number of ACC programs, however. In addition, East Carolina, Maryland and Vanderbilt also offered him.

Former Navy coach Niumatalolo joins UCLA staff

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LOS ANGELES – Former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo is joining UCLA’s coaching staff as director of leadership.

The school said in an announcement Friday that Niumatalolo will serve as an advisor to the Bruins’ football staff and players.

Niumatalolo led Navy for 15 years and was the winningest coach in school history at 109-83. The Midshipmen, however, finished with losing records the past three seasons, including 4-8 the past two.

Navy played in 10 bowl games under Niumatalolo. He also was the only coach to win his first eight games in the storied Army-Navy rivalry.

Troy, Jon Sumrall agree to new 4-year contract through 2026

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TROY, Ala. ⁠— Jon Sumrall agreed to a new four-year contract as Troy’s coach after leading the Trojans to a Sun Belt Conference championship and national ranking in his debut season.

The school announced the deal, which runs through 2026, but didn’t release details.

The Trojans went 12-2 and won their final 11 games, second only to national champion Georgia, including the league championship game and the Cure Bowl against UTSA. For the first time, they finished a season ranked, ending up 19th in The Associated Press Top 25.

“When we appointed Coach Sumrall in December 2021, we challenged him to return Troy football to the top of the Sun Belt Conference,” Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. said. “It didn’t take long, as the 2022 season was the best in our FBS history.”

Troy held all 14 of its opponents to under their season average in scoring, beating UTSA 18-12. The Trojans beat Coastal Carolina 45-26 in the Sun Belt title game.

“Last year was an amazing accomplishment for everyone associated with Troy football and was the product of relentless effort from our players and staff, athletic administration and university leaders,” Sumrall said.