COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Top WR returns for Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech wide receiver Ayden Greene is returning, per his Instagram. He led the Hokies with 31 catches and 516 yards receiving in 2025.
But Hokies wideout Micah Matthews, who redshirted in ’25, has entered the transfer portal with four years of eligibility remaining.
Virginia Tech has hired veteran coach Warren Ruggiero as a senior offensive analyst, sources told 247 Sports. He most recently served as an offensive analyst for Iowa and spent the previous 11 seasons as Wake Forest’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Liberty hires defensive coordinator from Hokies’ staff
Shawn Quinn, a seasoned veteran on the defensive side of the field, was named Liberty’s new defensive coordinator.
Quinn joins the Flames’ coaching staff following four seasons at Virginia Tech. His nearly three-decade coaching career includes stops at LSU, Tennessee, Georgia Southern and Louisiana, plus three seasons as the head coach at Savannah State.
Quinn has coached in six bowl games, and he has worked with NFL standouts like 11-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten.
UVA returns key tight end
Tight end Dakota Twitty, who had 11 catches for 129 yards in 2025, is returning to Virginia.
Offensive lineman Deacon Rawls is returning to James Madison. He played 159 snaps this season, most at right tackle.
JMU is hiring Michigan assistant strength and conditioning coach Sean Lockwood as director of strength and conditioning, a source told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. JMU is also hiring Michigan’s Everett Hume as director of sports science, per a source.
Report: Clemson brings back UVA QB Morris’ dad
Clemson is finalizing a multiyear contract for new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, per ESPN sources.
Morris served in a similar role for the Tigers from 2011-14 before becoming the head coach for SMU (2015-17) and Arkansas (2018-19). He has since worked as an aide or analyst for Auburn, South Florida, Clemson and Texas State.
His son Chandler was a standout quarterback for UVA this season.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
Four Cavaliers reach Scuffle quarterfinals, lose there
Virginia put four wrestlers through to the quarterfinals at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee: Keyveon Roller (125 pounds), Colton Washleski (157), Nick Sanko (165) and Dylan Newsome (184).
Sanko and Newsome lost to top seeds in the quarterfinals, and Roller forfeited because of concussion protocol. Washleski lost 6-1 to The Citadel’s Kyrel Leavell. Little Rock’s Matty Bianchi ousted Sanko 9-4, and North Dakota State’s Aiden Brenot downed Newsome 4-2.
Those four Cavaliers are among eight who will compete Sunday in hopes of a podium finish.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CAA reprimands NC A&T coach Ross
Commissioner Joe D’Antonio issued a public reprimand to North Carolina A&T coach Montè Ross for violating the Coastal Athletic Association’s sportsmanship policy during the Aggies’ home loss to Northeastern on New Year’s Eve.
Ross received a technical foul with 25 seconds remaining and then confronted the game officials on their way off the floor and in the locker-room area.
“I’ve spoken with Coach Ross and let him know that his actions toward the game officials were unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” D’Antonio said. “Any further incidents during the remainder of the season will result in a more severe penalty.”
TENNIS
Starodubtseva wins in Auckland qualifying
Former Old Dominion standout Yuliia Starodubtseva, 25, of Ukraine began her 2026 season with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 170th-ranked Jessika Ponchet of France in qualifying for a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand.
The victory advanced Starodubtseva, a two-time Conference USA Player of the Year who is ranked 113th in the world, to a second-round qualifier against No. 159 Lilli Tagger of Austria.
In less than two weeks, Starodubtseva will play in the qualifying bracket for the Australian Open in Melbourne. She accomplished a rare, if not unprecedented, feat in 2024 by advancing to the 128-woman main draw of all four majors by winning three rounds in each qualifying bracket. She got as high as No. 63 in the world before dropping due to injury and defeats.