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Record-setting TE Fannin declares for NFL draft

  • Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior WriterDec 30, 2024, 02:58 PM ET

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    • ACC reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
    • Graduate of the University of Florida.

Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. declared for the NFL draft on Monday.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Fannin thanked the Bowling Green staff, university and community — in addition to his high school coaches — for helping him go from zero-star recruit to future NFL draft pick.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Fannin ranked No. 2 overall among fullbacks/H-backs for the 2025 draft.

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Fannin shattered FBS and school single-season school records this season for receiving yards by a tight end (1,555), receiving yards per game by a tight end (119.6) and receptions by a tight end (117).

Those numbers were also good enough to lead the nation by any player at any position. In addition, he was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in the nation.

In the 68 Ventures Bowl game against Arkansas State, Fannin had 17 receptions for 213 yards — both bowl records for a tight end.

NFL

Rookie WR Malik Nabers reaches 1K for the season with a 31-yard TD reception

  • Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff WriterDec 29, 2024, 01:43 PM ET

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      Jordan Raanan is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Raanan covers the New York Giants. You can follow him via Twitter @JordanRaanan.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A couple of New York Giants rookie playmakers reached milestones on a first-quarter drive against the Indianapolis Colts that concluded with a 31-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown by one of them, wide receiver Malik Nabers.

Nabers took a screen pass on third-and-14 from quarterback Drew Lock and slipped through tackles from Colts cornerback Nick Cross and safety Julian Blackmon on the right side. He then raced for the score to give the Giants a 7-3 lead.

Nabers came into Sunday’s contest with 97 receptions for 969 yards. His first target of the game put him at exactly 1,000 yards for the season. It was his fifth receiving touchdown in 14 games.

The Giants were in scoring range because of a 40-yard rush from fellow rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. earlier in the drive. That rush put Tracy over 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season.

Nabers and Tracy are just the third rookie duo to reach 1,000 scrimmage yards each in a season. The last to do it was running back Reggie Bush and wide receiver Marques Colston of the 2006 New Orleans Saints.

NFL

Patriots' Drake Maye throws spectacular 36-yard TD pass to DeMario Douglas

  • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterDec 28, 2024, 02:19 PM ET

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      Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Not much was going right for the New England Patriots in the first half of their game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Drake Maye’s 36-yard touchdown pass to receiver DeMario Douglas late in the second quarter gave them a much-needed spark.

One key to the play was Maye’s cadence, which drew the Chargers offside, allowing for a free play.

The rookie then took advantage, even in the face of pressure. Chargers outside linebacker Joey Bosa had sliced through untouched and was in Maye’s face when the quarterback uncorked a high-arcing throw down the middle of the field. Douglas was running a deep route up the right side and adjusted to catch the ball at the goal line before rolling into the end zone.

The ensuing extra point helped cut the Chargers’ lead to 17-7.

With at least one passing touchdown pass in his eighth straight game, Maye established a Patriots record for a rookie.

Maye also has three touchdown passes this season of at least 35 air yards, the most such touchdown passes by a Patriots quarterback in a season since Tom Brady (3) in 2009.

NFL

Eagles prepare Pickett with Hurts still in protocol

  • Tim McManus, ESPN Staff WriterDec 27, 2024, 12:42 PM ET

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      Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.

PHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Nick Sirianni signaled that Kenny Pickett will get the start Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys as Jalen Hurts continues to recover from a concussion.

“[Hurts] is still in the protocol. It’s going to be tough for him to make it this week,” Sirianni said Friday.

Hurts exited last week’s game against the Washington Commanders midway through the first quarter after his head collided with the turf as he was hit by linebacker Frankie Luvu while going to the ground following a 13-yard run.

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Hurts was replaced by Pickett, who went 14-of-24 for 143 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 36-33 loss.

Pickett injured his ribs in the fourth quarter when he was wrestled down in the backfield by linebacker Bobby Wagner. He remained in the game but had X-rays taken immediately afterwards and follow-up tests Monday.

Pickett did not reveal the results of those tests but said the injury “is something that I’m going to have to deal with.” He plans on wearing additional padding around the rib area in addition to the flak jacket that he normally wears on game day.

Tanner McKee will assume the role of No. 2 quarterback behind Pickett. A sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, McKee has impressed in training camp practices and in preseason games over the past two seasons. He has been working on taking snaps from center Cam Jurgens this week so it’s not new to him should he be called on in Sunday’s game.

The Eagles’ chances of securing the top seed in the NFC dropped to 4% following the loss to the Commanders, per NextGen Stats, but they can still win the division with a victory over Dallas or a Commanders loss or tie to the Atlanta Falcons.

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