Diamond Draft
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Just as the MLB All-Star Weekend kicks underway deep in the heart of Texas, the 2024 MLB Draft got underway on day one on Sunday night.
Shortly after 7pm Sunday, Commissioner Rob Manfred approached to kick off the first 74 picks from the Fort Worth Stock Yards and Cowtown Coliseum, so let’s dive into the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Guardians had the largest bonus pool in the draft with over $18 million and had the first overall selection. Cleveland called the name of Travis Bazzana from Oregon State. The final Pac-12 Player of the Year was also selected as a Golden Spikes Award Finalist after blasting 28 homeruns which set the Oregon State record in a season and most in the Pac-12 in 25 years.
The Cincinnati Reds didn’t waste much time raising some eyebrows when they took Chase Burns out of Wake Forest with the second pick of the draft.
Burns was dominant at times in his career as a Demon Deacon. Burns had been susceptible to giving up homeruns in his career, but the Reds deemed the upside was more important.
The third pick on Sunday went to the Colorado Rockies and some would say the Rockies got a gift that Charlie Condon was still on the board to be selected.
Colorado jumped on the opportunity. We have well documented the fantastic story Charlie Condon has become in the past few years at Georgia.
To me, this will prove long term to be the “steal of the draft.” I understand that the third pick isn’t stealing much, but Charlie Condon was thought to be a projected number one overall by many publications.
More proven talent (at the college level at least) would follow with the next few picks. Wake Forest would see the second Demon Deacon off the board in the first four selections with Nick Kurtz heading to the Athletics.
Arkansas Razorback ace Hagen Smith was taken off the board by the Chicago White Sox before Florida’s two-way talent Jac Cagliaone would put on the “KC” cap after being selected by the Royals.
The Big 12 saw their first selection in pick number 7 from St. Louis with the Cardinals calling JJ Wetherholt’s name after leading the nation with a .449 average for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
In a draft where it was projected by many to be one of the most “college player heavy” that the MLB Draft has seen in recent memory at least, it held true in Round 1.
The first high school prospect that was selected in the draft was the 9th selection when the Pirates drafted Konnor Griffin out of Jackson Prep HS in Mississippi.
Wake Forest really were feeling well when the third Demon Deacon was taken in the top 10 picks when Seaver King was taken off the board.
Wake Forest became just the second school to have three players selected in the first 10 picks. King was the vocal and emotional leader for the Deacs after transferring from Division II Wingate University prior to the 2024 season.
The Atlanta Braves had the 24th pick of the day and went the lefthander from Saguaro High in Arizona in Cam Caminiti. Caminiti is the cousin of former MLB All-Star third baseman Ken Caminiti who was the 1996 NL MVP.
Overall, the first round saw the first 30 names taken in the 2024 Draft with only 10 of those being high school prospects and the remaining 20 coming from the college ranks.
Wake Forest led the way with three players taken in the first round for the most by one team. Florida State would follow with two consecutive picks with James Tibbs III going to San Francisco with the 13th pick and Cam Smith selected by the Cubs with the 14th.
The SEC took the top spot, seeing seven players off the board from SEC institutions, with the ACC close behind with six.
To me, the MLB Draft is one of the more exciting days (yes, I know I may be a baseball dork), but it’s a fantastic time to see the college game and the pro game come together.
In a weekend where the Pirates’ Paul Skenes, the 2023 MLB Draft 1st overall selection, will be starting the 2024 MLB All-Star Game on the mound, the future of the game takes one of the most crucial steps in their careers on a special night deep in the heart of Texas.
Buc-ing The Trend
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There was a point, not too long ago, where the McIntosh Academy Buccaneers’ football program was as unstable as it came. The Bucs football program suffered through 5 head football coaches in 7 years.
Then entered Bradley Warren. Warren has now been the head man in Darien entering his sixth season. During that stretch the Bucs have made the playoffs every year that Warren has been the coach for MCA.
This season’s expectations are no different. Every year for the past several MCA has been talked about as being capable of making a deep run in the playoffs and even a dark horse for a state title.
Last season, it was a bit of an underwhelming season, at least by the standards that now exist with the Bucs program. MCA went 4-6 in the regular season, including a 14-6 loss to 6A Glynn Academy and a loss to 5A Bradwell Institute. McIntosh Couty Academy also suffered a loss to rival Emanuel County Institute and took shut-out losses from Lanier, Jenkins County, and Portal.
Despite the tough losses, MCA still made the playoffs as a lower seed. However, just to add insult to a far less than stellar year, the Bucs were eliminated in the first round by Clinch County. It was the third time in four years that Clinch had eliminated the Bucs from the playoffs. Rough.
MCA was young in 2023 and 2024 promises to field a much more mature and older group. I actually think this team will be contending for a region title in 2024.
New regions were announced for the next seasons and MCA’s region (Region 3A DII) will consist of Bryan County, Claxton, ECI, Jenkins County, Metter, Portal and Savannah
Here is the schedule.
August 16-@ Islands
August 23-Charlton @ The Ship
August 30-Bye
September 6-@ ECI
September 13-Claxton @ The Ship
September 20-@ Screven
September 27-Bye
October 4-Jenkins County @ The Ship
October 11-@Bryan County
October 18-Metter @ The Ship
October 25-Savannah @ The Ship
November 1-@ Portal
Again, I think MCA will be very good and contend for a region title. It will be tough though. That region is stacked.
I think MCA will go 8-2 in the regular season.
Maybe the Bucs will see Clinch in the playoffs and shake that albatross on the way to a state title.
Dollar Delivery
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas) last week, the impending House settlement dominated conversations at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention.
Panels were filled with questions, and not many answers. The top leaders in college sports don’t know the exact date when revenue sharing and the new world order will begin – speculation is the 2025-26 academic year.
Meanwhile, others are trying to figure out how much revenue they can share while keeping an athletic department up and running.
Alongside this, another major question remains: How will revenue actually be split up?
The NCAA and Power 5 conferences voted to sign off on the settlement agreement in May, agreeing to pay $2.77 billion in back damages to athletes over 10 years. The second piece of the agreement is revenue sharing, allowing institutions to pay $20-22 million annually to athletes.
How plaintiff attorneys divide back damages is expected to be how schools approach Title IX. This might shape a framework for revenue sharing. The settlement is on track to disperse 75% of TV revenue in back damages to football. From there, 15% would be funneled to men’s basketball, 5% to women’s basketball and the final 5% divided by the remaining athletes.
As administrators try to figure out how to split up revenue-sharing dollars, if Judge Claudia Wilken ratifies this portion of back damages it’s expected to be looked at as a “framework for the future”, antitrust attorney Jay M. Ezelle believes. The Birmingham, Alabama, based litigator with Starnes Law has advised NIL collectives and institutions in the NIL Era. Additionally, Ezell previously worked on NCAA investigations.
If Wilken ratifies a settlement that follows a similar breakdown of TV revenue, Ezelle believes it could help institutions navigate Title IX
.“Title IX pervades everything you do and an athletic department has to be in compliance with Title IX,” he said. “So, it is thoughtful and the right thing to do to be considerate. This is an issue that has not been litigated. And so, that presents uncertainty.
You have to address that uncertainty. That being said, the people who just say, ‘Let’s just distribute this 50-50 in order to comply with Title IX’ are not looking at the flip side of that. Because if you do it that way, you may actually be in violation of antitrust laws. Because you’re doing something that’s against the market.
The top-funded NIL collectives are spending between $13 to $20 million annually on football rosters at the moment. In basketball, the highest spending programs are pushing $5 million.
Ezelle believes splitting revenue evenly will only necessitate the need for collectives to step up. And it would also open up the possibility for football players to rationalize how much money they’re receiving vs. the revenue they’re producing.
For reference, The Big Ten announced a seven-year, $8 billion media deal with CBS, NBC and Fox in 2022. The SEC starts its new deal with ESPN this season, expected to be worth around $811 million annually.
The industry-wide financial stress test created by the House settlement is forcing campus leaders to look in the mirror and see the same image many have identified for years: bloated athletic departments.
Expenses must be adjusted in a new financial model, of course, and the safe bet is fat will be trimmed behind the desks and not the sidelines – and college sports will continue to flourish.
SEC Media Days
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If you are a die-hard fan of collegiate sports just like I am, then you certainly feel the current doldrums. The College World Series is over. The volleyball, softball and tennis seasons are in the books. July can feel so empty.
But just when it feels that all hope is lost, we can count on college football Media Days to turn our attention to the unofficial start of the football season, or at least the “talking season”.
With the start of the 2024 college football season just around the corner, the excitement is building as the SEC gets ready for its annual Media Days from July 15-18 in Dallas.
This year’s event is extra special since it’s the first time Texas and Oklahoma will be part of the mix. Each of the 14 schools is sending three players, making up a total of 42 athletes.
Interestingly, 11 quarterbacks will be there, but Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Kentucky decided not to send their QBs. Instead, many schools are spotlighting their defensive talent, with 10 linebackers and nine defensive linemen on the list.
SEC Media Days is one of the biggest preseason events where players and coaches chat about their expectations and plans for the upcoming season.
Some of the standout players attending include Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (QB), Arkansas’s Taylen Green (QB), Auburn’s Payton Thorne (QB), Florida’s Graham Mertz (QB), Georgia’s Carson Beck (QB), and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (QB). On the defensive side, players to watch include Alabama’s Malachi Moore (DB), Auburn’s Keldric Faulk (DE), Florida’s Shemar James (ILB), and Georgia’s Mykel Williams (DL). Each school is bringing a mix of talent that highlights their strengths and sets the stage for a competitive season.
The coaches will also be there to talk about their teams. Brian Kelly of LSU will start things off on Monday, followed by Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Shane Beamer (South Carolina), and Clark Lea (Vanderbilt). On Tuesday, we’ll hear from Kirby Smart (Georgia), Eliah Drinkwitz (Missouri), Brent Venables (Oklahoma), and Josh Heupel (Tennessee). Wednesday’s lineup includes Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), Billy Napier (Florida), Jeff Lebby (Mississippi State), and Steve Sarkisian (Texas). The event wraps up on Thursday with Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Hugh Freeze (Auburn), Mark Stoops (Kentucky), and Mike Elko (Texas A&M).
Besides the formal sessions, the vibe around Media Days is always electric. Fans, media, and analysts are eager to hear from the key players and coaches about their strategies, challenges, and outlooks for the season.
This year’s event promises plenty of buzz and storylines as teams gear up for what’s expected to be an intensely competitive season.
The SEC Network will have extensive coverage all four days. With live broadcasts and analysis, viewers can expect to get insights into each team’s preparations and prospects. Special editions of SEC Now and other shows will provide a platform for expert opinions, predictions, and behind-the-scenes looks at the event.
In short, the 2024 SEC Media Days in Dallas will be a major event featuring a strong lineup of quarterbacks and defensive players from all 14 schools, extensive media coverage, and a stellar roster of coaches ready to discuss the upcoming season. This year’s event highlights the evolving dynamics of the SEC, especially with Texas and Oklahoma joining in, promising an exciting preseason narrative for college football fans.
Get ready for an action-packed week of football talk, star players, and coach insights as the SEC sets the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable 2024 season.
Swamp Birds
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In three years I want you to remember that you read what I am about to say here. The Brantley County Herons are going to be competing for region titles by 2026.
In this last cycle of coaching hires the Brantley County school system made the biggest hire in the state, they hired David Shores as their head football coach.
Who is David Shores you ask? Glad you asked. Shores is the best coach that has flown under the radar over the last five years.
Shores has former head coaching experience in Alabama and has coached at nothing but elite programs since. These stops include Hoover, DC at Lowndes, DC at Camden and Special Teams Coordinator at Brunswick High.
As a matter of fact, when Camden hired Jeff Herron a few years ago they almost hired David Shores instead. That is how good of a coach he is.
Most importantly, Shores has gotten a commitment from the Brantley County school system to commit resources to the football program, something that has not been common in Nahunta, GA.
Brantley is a huge county filled with that talent. That talent often finds its way onto other rosters that are not in Brantley County…..Ware, Pierce, Brunswick, Charlton, etc.
If Shores can keep his talent inside county lines you will see overnight success and improvement for the Heron program.
The Herons will play in a brand new region this season that will consist of Berrien, Bacon County, Fitzgerald, Jeff Davis, Thomasville and Worth County. This is Region 1-A Division 1.
While I don’t expect Brantley to be able to unseat Fitzgerald as the favorite in that region, I do think the playoffs are a reality for the ‘Swamp Birds’.
Last season the Herons went 5-5 overall and 2-4 in region play. A record of 5-5 isnt terrible but the losses are very telling. Against the better teams (Pierce, Toombs, Appling) on their schedule the Herons were outscored 148-20.
The Herons travel to Folkston to take on Charlton to open the season on August 16.
Brantley will also travel to Pierce, Worth, Thomasville, and Bacon County.
The Herons will host Windsor Forest, Vidalia, Jeff Davis, Fitzgerald and Berrien.
Probably the most crucial game on the schedule is going to be the Jeff Davis game. I think the winner of that game will finish with the #4 seed and a playoff berth, where the loser will have to look to 2025 for a playoff appearance.
In 2024 I will predict the Herons go 5-5 in 2024 and begin to build some special things in Nahunta.
By the way, former UGA QB Stetson Bennett is from Brantley but did not play for the Herons. Remember what I was saying about keeping talent inside county lines?
Wolf Pack
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 high school football season is kicking off next month. One of the new developments is that class 7A has been eradicated and 6A is now the highest classification.
We are going to look at the Buford Wolves and see how they will do this season.
Buford is always a state championship contender. They have 14 football state championships from single A up to 6A. They have one championship prior to the year 2000.
This year will be no different. They have a very talented roster so I expect them to have another great season.
Last season they were 11 – 2. Buford was 9 – 1 during the regular season with their only loss to Mill Creek, 31 – 24. They advanced to the third round of the playoffs and lost to Grayson, 19 – 14.
They have the No. 13 ranked recruit in the state, four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte. He’s 6’3, 210 pounds and he’s committed to Georgia.
Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is also a four-star recruit and the No. 16 player in Georgia. He’s 6’7 and 310 lbs. so he’s a behemoth, especially at the high school level. He’s committed to Clemson.
Four-star corner back Devin Williams is the 21st ranked player in Georgia and he’s an Auburn commit.
Three-star linebacker Mantrez Walker has committed to Colorado.
Running back Justin Baker is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He also runs track so he has good speed.
Wide receiver Jordan Allen is also a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Louisville.
Three-star linebacker AJ Holloway is committed to South Carolina.
Junior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright is a four-star recruit and the No. 5 player in the class of 2026 in Georgia.
Four-star corner back Nassir McCoy is also a junior.
Buford is in AAAAAA Region 8. Their non-region schedule to start the season is pretty tough.
The first game is August 16th on the road against the defending 7A champs, Milton. The Eagles are very talented so I think this game can go either way. It’s too tough to call but I will give the advantage to Milton.
Week 2 is the home opener against Benedectine (Savannah). The Cadets are in 4A but they are a very good program. They were 13 – 1 in 2023. The Wolves will win this game.
Buford travels to Roswell after a bye week. The Hornets were 11 – 2 last year and they also have a very good program. I think Buford will win a close game.
The final non-region game is at Douglas County. The Tigers were 13 – 1 last season and they expect to have similar results in 2024. The Wolves will win this game.
The region schedule begins September 20th at Discovery (Lawrenceville). The Titans are one of the newer schools in Gwinnett County and they have not had much success. They were 1 – 9 in 2023. This is a blowout win.
After another bye week they play Collins Hill at home. Collins Hill has produced some great players but they are inconsistent as a program. Last season they were 5 – 7. This is another W.
The last four games are against Dacula, Central Gwinnett, Mountain View (Lawrenceville) and Mill Creek (Hoschton). The only team that has a chance to beat Buford is Mill Creek. The Hawks won last year’s matchup and they were 12 – 1. I believe Buford will get their revenge this year.
I think Buford will win eight or nine regular season games. Their tough schedule should prepare them to make a deep playoff run.
Rule Change
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the 2024 season just around the corner, everyone is scouring websites, rosters, and Phil Steele Preseason magazine.
While rosters and coaching staffs in this day-and-age of college football change year to year, there is another aspect that does as well…the rules of the game.
While 2024 High School football will look virtually the same (the only rule change for HS Football is the home team jersey has to be a darker color to contrast with white numbers), there are a couple of key changes in the rule books for both the college and NFL games that will undoubtedly affect the game this year.
Saturdays in college football have seen a “trickle down” effect for rules implemented in the NFL a few years prior but changes this year have taken longer than usual to find their way to the college game. The main changes include the implementation of the 2-minute warning, player-to-coach communication, and tablets on the sidelines.
The 2-minute warning is a term that most football fans have known for a while in the NFL and was first implemented in professional football in 1942.
For the second and fourth quarters of a college football game, there will be an additional timeout at the 2-minute mark for the first time in the history of college football.
The new pair of two-minute stoppages are designed to not only help players and coaches with late game and late half execution while also making it slightly easier for officials when timing changes in the last two minutes of the half (clock stopping on a first down to set the ball).
A couple of technological advances that again stem from the NFL are entering the college game in 2024 as well.
The first that was a hot topic of conversation last season in the Michigan sign-stealing saga of 2023 is coach-to-player communication systems in players helmets.
This is a system that places a speaker in one player’s helmet on the field that allows a coach to speak to that player to call in a play.
These helmets that have the communication device will have the green dot sticker on the back (much like the NFL protocol), and allow a coach to talk into the player’s ear until the system is cut off with 15-seconds remaining in the play-clock or the snap of the ball (whichever happens first).
The other technological advancement is the ability to have tablets on the sideline which will actually give coaches more of a resource than are in the NFL.
NFL Tablets have been on the sideline since 2014, but in the professional side, the tablets only show images and not instantaneous video replays.
The college game will implement the allotted 18 tablets on the sidelines that can view in-game video only from either the broadcast feed as well as coaches video angles from the sideline and endzone.
While the rule modifications for college football are more ancillary, the NFL changes for 2024 affect the game more directly.
The biggest that has been a point of conversation for many years now was the new kickoff rule adjustment that follows a similar format that the XFL spring league used in 2023.
While the kickoff will still take place from the 35-yard line, the remaining 10 members of the kicking team will line up on the opposite 40-yard line. The receiving team will have a minimum of 9 players between the 30 and 35-yard lines with a maximum of 2 players back deep to receive. The play doesn’t begin (meaning players can’t move) until the ball is either caught by a returner or bounces inside the “landing zone” which is defined as the goal line to the 20-yard line. Any kick that touches in the landing zone must be returned (or downed) even if it bounces into the endzone.
The other NFL rule change for the coming fall is the elimination of the “hip-drop” tackle when a defender grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner up with both arms, then unweights himself by dropping his lower body AND trapping the runner’s legs at or below the knee underneath.
While there could be some late additions like the NFL experimenting in the pre-season with the chips in the ball to determine a first down, this is the majority of the changes you’ll see this fall.
While the NFL is more an “on-the-field” change, the college game may get talked about more and deeper into the season as an impact of whatever this ever-changing college football landscape looks like.
GHSA NIL
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Special thanks to GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines for taking time from a busy week to discuss the GHSA NIL with me.
Recently, there were well-designed black boxes with a stern warning floating all over social media. GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines put out this message over the emergence of NIL “Clubs,” and how they were a clear violation.
Hines told me, “Charlie they’re basically jacked up Gofundme pages.”
The skinny? An adult starts a page and entices high school athletes to be a part of their Gofundme group. The athletes are paid a percentage…More on that later.
Do you remember when a couple of our national leaders tried to convince us there were Jewish space lasers? And many Americans actually believed that?
Now we’ve got GHSA and NIL …. where schools can pay 14- to 18-year-old highschool athletes.
Again, don’t believe it just because it’s on the Internet. Read it. Study it. Use your head.
“One conversation at a time, Charlie.” That’s what Dr. Hines told me this week, about an hour before he boarded his return flight home from Boston and a national convention of state high school league officials.
“Charlie,” said Dr. Hines. “When we first put this out, I had athletic directors calling and asking me how they were gonna pay their players. I had to reassure them of the basics of this thing and that there was absolutely no allowance for schools paying players.”
Knowing most wouldn’t understand the difference between the NCAA and GHSA versions of NIL, there was and still is, a huge hill to climb. No, not the kind of disproving the Jewish laser theory. If someone has to convince you of that, that’s a “you” problem.
Hines says, “Charlie, one conversation at a time. No matter how we rolled it out, folks were gonna think it was the college version. We’re clear. The GHSA NIL only allows for a kid to profit off of their own name, image and likeness. But it does not allow for that to be tied in any way, to a school or a team.”
So, what does that mean? If a business wants to compensate a player for promoting their business, that promotion cannot include anything tied to the player’s school. They can’t wear a jersey. They can’t say their school’s name. The school or team logo cannot appear.
And what does that look like? Dr. Hines told me. “Charlie, there’s a local breakfast place in Barnesville, GA that honors one athlete each week or month with a free meal. But if they take pictures or post it on social media, they can’t say anything about the school or the sport.”
What about these NIL Clubs? Hines says they’ve been popping up nationwide and it was a major point of discussion in Boston. They first began in New Jersey and recently, a few popped up in Georgia.
Hines says, “They were reported to us. Schools were contacted. They contacted the kids and the pages were immediately taken down. Some of the parents didn’t even know their kids were on these pages.”
Yes, you heard that right – adults secretly signing up high school athletes, without parental permission. It’s certainly not illegal per se. But all of it is definitely a GHSA rules violation.
It began with AAU basketball 40 years ago. Fast forward to now, where we’ve got everything from 7-8 year olds playing for weekend rings in all sports, to adults trying to skirt a rule for their Gofundme pages. The line between youth playing for the love of the game has been skewed.
Needless to say, Hines and GHSA stood their ground on drawing that line. They will not allow adults to cash-grab their to NIL Clubs, all in the hopes of a few extra dollars.
Of note: Schools must report any NIL deal. As of this week, there are only 47, less than .004% of all GHSA athletes.
Fine Print
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Is Trevor Lawrence’s new deal as record breaking as it seems?
When it comes to NFL contracts, the big numbers you see in the headlines are often misleading.
Take Trevor Lawrence’s new deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, for example. His five-year extension, worth $275 million, certainly grabbed attention. But, as usual with NFL contracts, the real story is in the fine print.
Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars’ star quarterback, just signed a massive contract extension, but the numbers aren’t as straightforward as they appear.
The deal, which includes $200 million in guarantees and $142 million fully guaranteed, averages out to $55 million a year. This seemingly ties him with Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals for the highest annual salary in the league. Yet, when you dig deeper, the deal isn’t as stellar as it seems.
Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt explains that to understand an NFL contract’s true value, you need to focus on the yearly cash flow, not just the headline numbers.
In his analysis, Lawrence’s contract doesn’t compare favorably to other top quarterbacks. For instance, in the first year of his new deal, Lawrence will pocket $39 million. While that’s no small change, it’s much less than the $80 million-plus that quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson will earn.
Even after two years, Lawrence’s $76.5 million trails behind guys like Jackson and Burrow, who will rake in $111 million over the same period.
Over three and four years, this trend continues, with Lawrence making $114 million and $155 million, respectively, while others are pulling in significantly more, such as Jackson, who will make $207 million, and Burrow, who will earn $181 million over the same periods.
So, even though Lawrence’s contract looks record-breaking at first glance, it’s actually on the lower end compared to other recent quarterback deals when you look at the cash he’ll earn in the first few years.
This deal ties Lawrence to the Jaguars until 2030, giving him a solid financial foundation but not as much upfront cash as his peers.
For 2023, under his rookie contract, he only made $1.5 million. From 2026, his new contract will start paying out more substantially. It includes a $37.5 million signing bonus and guarantees that balance his financial security with the team’s salary cap.
There’s also a $35 million guaranteed option bonus in 2025 and 2026. The deal includes a no-trade clause and a potential out in 2029, making it more player-friendly.
Lawrence, picked first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, has been the face of the Jaguars and a crucial player for them. He’s racked up over 11,700 passing yards and 58 touchdowns, ranking fourth in franchise history for both stats. He’s been a team captain each year and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 after throwing for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 2023, he kept up his strong performance with another solid season.
The Jaguars clearly see Lawrence as their guy for the long haul, hoping he’ll lead them to future success, maybe even a Super Bowl.
For Lawrence, this big contract is both a financial win and a sign of his commitment to the team. Despite the pressure of such a huge deal, he’s focused on playing well and helping the Jaguars achieve their goals.
Ultimately, while the headline figures of Lawrence’s new contract seem huge, a closer look shows it’s less impressive when compared to other recent quarterback deals. The NFL’s funny money game continues, where contracts aren’t always what they seem at first glance.
It’s been a busy and eventful offseason for the quarterback. In addition to the recent news of the contract extension, Lawrence and his wife, Marissa, announce last week that they are expecting their first child.
The Frenchman
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are going to recap the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look around the Southeast and rate each team’s first round pick.
#1 Atlanta: 6’9 SF Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg (France)
For the second year in a row, the top pick from the NBA was a French player. It’s interesting to see France now as a hotbed for basketball talent.
This draft was a bit different from because there was not a person that was a consensus number one pick.
Another Frenchman, Alex Sarr was selected No. 2 by Washington. He obviously was in play to be picked by Atlanta but he refused to workout with the team, which forced them to go in a different direction.
Risacher has potential, which will get the general manager fired if he does not live up to it. He’s a solid 3-and-D prototype player. You do wish you could say more about a top draft pick though. His stats are not impressive when you look at them.
He played pro basketball in France and he averaged 10.1 points per game and played 22 minutes per game. He was 18 last season playing against adults so take that into consideration.
“I feel like there is no pressure,” Risacher said at the team’s introductory press conference. “I’m just realizing my dream, and I feel like I’ll just focus on the good stuff and on the right stuff.”
He wants to compete and contribute to winning in Atlanta.
“Just focusing on like the good stuff, like being a pro player, who is serious, who has his routine, who doesn’t pay attention to outside noise, who is always with his teammates, who feel like he’s a part of this family,” Risacher said. “And I think that those are important for, especially, first-round pick to have. Because there was a lot of expectations and a lot of noise around. So it’s important to focus on the good stuff, and I’m super glad to get into this great organization with those great people who want to develop me as a player, who want to win. So that’s amazing.”
Grade: B
# 6 Charlotte: 6’9 PF Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France)
He’s still 18 so we also cannot put a huge emphasis on his stats last season. He averaged 9 ppg, 4 rpg and 22.7 mpg. He does have a high motor and the potential to improve his shot. He does fill a position of need for the Hornets but he was also picked based off his potential
Grade: B-
# 9 Memphis: 7’4 C Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is one of the most decorated college players ever. He led the Boilermakers to a national championship game appearance against UConn.
Even though his team lost, he scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds. He was projected as a late first round pick because some people doubt his athleticism but I think this is a great pick.
Grade: B+
# 15 Miami: 7’0 C Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Ware averaged 15.9 ppg and 9.9 rpg last season. He has all of the measurables but there are questions about his motor and physicality. He has also said that he’s not sure how much he loves basketball.
Grade: B-
# 18 Orlando: 6’8 Wing Tristan da Silva, Colorado
He’s a four-year starter so he has a lot of experience. He can step in and play right away. He averaged 16 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He will probably play small forward now unless he bulks up enough to be a small-ball power forward.
Grade: B
