NCAA

The QB coach from Season 3 of "Last Chance U" just got hired to join the staff at a major college football program ... which means he had to quit his job bagging groceries at Trader Joe's.

Yep, you read that right.

You remember Frank Diaz from Independence Community College in Kansas -- where he spent months coaching up insanely talented quarterback Malik Henry, who wasn't exactly the easiest guy to work with.

Diaz was impressive enough on the show that Lane Kiffin, from FAU, called and offered him a job after the 2017 season ... and, guess what? Frank took it!

In his new role, Frank will be working as an assistant to offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. -- which is a huge opportunity for a guy looking for a shot to coach at the Division 1 level.

Diaz says he hasn't talked to his old head coach, Jason Brown, after landing the gig with the Owls ... but he insists there's NO bad blood between the two.

BONUS -- we had to ask Diaz if he's gotten any extra attention from the ladies since the show aired. You're gonna love his response.

Don't start the tomahawk chop just yet ... Deion Sanders' football star son tells TMZ Sports he's flattered by his scholarship offer to Florida State -- but he's not ready to commit.

It's not a diss -- Shilo Sanders says he just doesn't want to rush into a decision since he's still got some time to weigh his options ... and he's got PLENTY of options.

Major programs including Oregon, Nebraska, Georgia and South Carolina have been after Shilo and for good reason ... he's a STUD senior cornerback at Trinity Christian School in Texas.

But, Shilo's dad is arguably the greatest player to ever don a 'Noles uniform -- which can cut both ways when making a college decision.

On one hand, it would be cool to follow in Dad's shoes. On the other hand, it might be better for Shilo to forge his own legacy somewhere else.

Shilo tells us he's been hearing both arguments and simply wants to give it more thought.

"I'm not saying [FSU] won't be the right fit, I'm just saying I'm not making the decision right now."

What's cool ... Shilo says he credits his football skills to his father, who's been teaching him the Jedi ways of the cornerback position.

In fact, Shilo -- one of Deion's three sons -- says it was Prime's idea to move him from quarterback to cornerback a few years ago and it was the best thing he's ever done.

"He was like, 'Just believe me, just trust me, and I'm going to get you some offers,'" Shilo tells us.

"'I'ma teach you how to play corner.' And, when the best corner ever tells you something like that, you can't deny it."

Cops have made an arrest in the shooting death of 20-year-old LSU basketball player Wayde Sims.

According to the Baton Rouge Police Department ... Dyteon Simpson was taken into custody Saturday morning after admitting to shooting Sims. He's been charged with 2nd degree murder.

Police Chief Murphy Paul told reporters at a press conference Sims suffered a gunshot wound to the head after intervening in an altercation between his friend and Simpson.

Simpson left his glasses at the scene, which were recovered by cops and used to test DNA ... which found a match with Simpson.

Chief Paul says ... "Simpson was questioned and admitted to being in possession of a weapon, admitting to being on the scene and admitted to shooting Wayde as well." The investigation is ongoing.

As we reported ... Wayde was killed outside a Subway restaurant near Southern University's campus early Friday morning, about a 15-minute drive from LSU's main campus.

Former Clemson All-American Tajh Boyd says Trevor Lawrence could be the greatest QB in the history of the ACC ... but he still feels horrible for that Kelly Bryant lost his starting job.

It's an age-old football tale ... Lawrence -- the hot shot former #1 recruit freshman -- usurped the starting spot from Bryant, the steady senior leader who played great and waited his turn.

The change set the college football world on fire, with Bryant immediately announcing his transfer. Some critics said head coach Dabo Swinney had done KB dirty. Others said it's just the way football goes.

We talked to Boyd -- a Clemson legend -- who told us it could be BOTH.

"In his eyes, he felt like he earned the right to be the guy and felt like he didn't do anything to deserve to lose the spot and maybe he has some merit to that."

As far as Lawrence goes ... Boyd says Bryant was up against a transcendent talent ... because he believes Trevor could be the best signal caller the conference has ever seen.

"When it's all said and done, I think he's gonna be the best quarterback to play in the history of the conference."

UCLA basketball star Shareef O'Neal -- Shaq's son -- says he'll be forced to sit out next season due to a heart issue that will require major surgery ... but vows to return ASAP.

TMZ Sports spoke with the 18-year-old superstar who said he was having a routine checkup recently when the docs "found a medical issue dealing with my heart."

Shareef didn't specify the exact problem -- but said the issue is severe enough that he'll be having heart surgery in the near future.

"Thank God the UCLA medical staff caught it early," O'Neal tells us.

Shareef says he's been talking with his dad and mom Shaunie O'Neal about how best to handle the situation -- and will NOT withdraw from school while recovering.

"During rehab, I'll be attending my classes and being a normal student."

Shareef says he vows to return to the court in 2019 after redshirting this upcoming season -- and describes the ordeal as "just a bump in the road."

"I'll be back in no time."

Shareef was one of the top high school players in the country in 2018 and was expected to have a real impact with UCLA this upcoming season.

Chip Kelly's first three games at UCLA have been a disaster -- but it ain't time to panic in Westwood yet ... so says ex-Bruins star, Donovan Carter.

Carter -- a former DL and current star on HBO's "Ballers"-- joined the guys on "TMZ Sports" (weeknights on FS1) ... and preached patience when it came to the embarrassing 0-3 start his alma mater is off to under Chip.

"You just gotta be patient," Carter says. "Rome wasn't built in a day!"

Carter says there are plenty of explanations for why Kelly's team can't find a win -- and he tells us once Chip has the chance to recruit HIS guys to the roster ... W's will come.

Ohio State might have lost Urban Meyer for 3 games amid the Zach Smith scandal ... but it ain't losing its top recruit -- 'cause Garrett Wilson tells TMZ Sports he's still all-in with the Buckeyes.

Wilson -- a 5-star receiver from Texas whose main OSU recruiter was Smith -- says after all the dust has settled on the drama in Columbus ... he still feels solid with his pledge.

"It was hard to hear, you know?" Wilson tells us about the serious situation at Ohio State.

"I wanted to let it all play out and now that it's all played out and I'm going to have my coach back, I feel comfortable with everything."

It's huge news for OSU because Wilson is an absolute monster on the field -- considered one of the top WRs to ever commit to the school.

Dude hauled in 96 receptions for 1,764 yards and 26 TDs as a junior last season.

He was recruited by just about every major program in the country, including Texas, Alabama and Florida State.

Garrett says he keeps in steady contact with interim coach Ryan Day daily ... and says OSU knows he's so locked in now, the conversations have shifted from the scandal to just football.

As for Zach Smith ... Garrett tells us the domestic violence allegations against the coach were "hard to hear," but Wilson did reach out to the coach to offer his support.

University of Michigan fans shouldn't point their fingers at Ohio State over the Urban Meyer scandal, 'cause the Maize & Blue don't exactly have clean hands either ... so says an ex-OSU football star.

Buckeye legend Shawn Springs -- the #3 pick in the '97 NFL Draft -- says he's definitely not proud of what went down at Ohio State and knows the school needs to do better. But, trash talk doesn't help anyone.

He also points out that OSU ain't the first big school to mess up -- and he's got this message for everyone throwing stones at the Buckeye athletics program.

"I would ask them what school they went to, and tell me a school that hadn't went through some type of trials and tribulations or problems."

"I can't name one. I know my Michigan buddies, they won't even mention anything. They have no room to talk up there, that school up north."

Springs wasn't specific about which scandal he was referencing -- but UM's had their fair share (remember the basketball scandal with Chris Webber?).

Shawn believes, in the end, the scandal will force the current OSU football players to rally together and it could make them better and stronger than ever before.

Ohio State has placed head football coach Urban Meyer on administrative leave in the wake of reports that he lied about having knowledge of a 2015 domestic violence allegation surrounding an OSU assistant coach.

OSU issued a statement saying, "The University is conducting an investigation into these allegations. During the inquiry, Urban Meyer will be on paid administrative leave."

"Ryan Day will serve as acting head football coach during the investigation. We are focused on supporting our players and on getting the truth as expeditiously as possible."

Meyer -- one of the highest paid coaches in college football -- also issued a statement saying, " [Athletic Director Gene Smith] and I agree that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion."

"This allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. I eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter."

The man at the center of the domestic violence allegations is Zach Smith -- who was a wide receivers coach for the Buckeyes for years.

Smith was fired on July 23 after he was charged with criminal trespassing after dropping their children off at his ex-wife Courtney's home during a May 12 incident. The court granted a domestic violence protective order against him.

Smith's ex-wife -- the alleged victim -- claims she told Urban's wife about the alleged abuse, but Urban took no action and then lied about having knowledge of the situation when asked at Big Ten media day.

Courtney has alleged Zach had repeatedly abused her physically since 2009. She also produced text messages to college football reporter Brett McMurphy which show a conversation between Courtney and the wife of another OSU coach in which Courtney was assured Urban was addressing the issue with Zach.

All the [coaches'] wives knew," Smith told McMurphy. "They all did. Every single one."

"I do believe he knew and instead he chose to help the abuser and enable the abuser and believe whatever story Zach was telling everybody," Smith said.

Courtney also told laid out the allegations in an interview with media outlet Stadium.

Baker Mayfield opened up about why he hates his former Texas Tech coach, Kliff Kingsbury, so much -- essentially saying the guy kicked him to the curb when he got injured during a game.

The QB pulled no punches in his new FOX Sports docu-series, 'All The Way Up' -- saying Kliff treated him like a god when he stepped in and won 5 games as a freshman walk-on back in 2013.

But, when Baker sprained his MCL against Kansas -- Mayfield says everything changed.

"It went from being 'the guy' for Coach Kingsbury ... and then when I got hurt, it just changed a little bit ... not a little bit, a lot."

"All the sudden it was as if I hadn't played for him, hadn't done anything for him. It was just different after I got hurt."

Baker's father says the coach "completely withdrew his contact" with the QB after the injury -- "He didn't talk to Baker. He didn't include Baker in the meetings."

But, Mayfield says what REALLY pissed him off was when Texas Tech officials told him they didn't have a scholarship for him after that season ... despite the fact he was 5-0 as a starter.

"I've invested a lot into this and now you're telling me you don't have a scholarship for a guy who won 5 games after choosing to come here? That was the final straw for me."

LaVar Ball's new hoops league just got a HUGE endorsement, with Metta World Peace telling TMZ Sports he thinks the JBA is going to be taking players from the NCAA ... SOON!!

We got Metta out on the streets of Venice when he told us he's HIGHLY interested in Ball's basketball league ... telling us it has REAL potential.

"I think that's going to be a league that's going to be competing with NCAA pretty soon," World Peace tells us.

In fact ... Metta says if he wasn't so busy ballin' in the BIG3 -- he'd actually consider WORKING for the league!

Kenyon Martin Jr. is like a Magic Johnson Jr. when it comes to LeBron James Jr. -- putting on the full-court press to get him to commit to his insanely high-profile California high school.

Of course, Kenyon -- one of the top high school players in the country -- is going into his senior year at Sierra Canyon ... playing alongside Scottie Pippen's son and other NBA spawn.

The school's basketball program is crazy famous -- drawing super high-profile fans like Drake and Kanye West. Also, Marvin Bagley -- the #2 pick in the draft -- just graduated from SC.

As we previously reported, LeBron's son, Bronny -- widely considered the #1 rated 13-year-old hooper -- is seriously considering going to Sierra Cnayon ... but nothing's in stone yet.

But, Kenyon Jr. is hoping he can help steer Bronny in the right direction -- it's a pretty good sales pitch.

Obviously, they won't end up playing together -- Kenyon graduates in 2019 ... and he's already getting offers from top colleges including Georgetown, Memphis, Oklahoma, Oregon State and UCSB.

Nick Saban finally took a major L.

The Alabama football coach took some of his players on a boat trip in Lake Tuscaloosa for some team bonding on Thursday ... which sounds like a perfectly great time, except for one minor detail:

Somebody forgot to fill the gas tank!!

Thankfully, national championship hero Tua Tagovailoa documented the players' hilarious reactions when they realized they were stuck ... while Saban appears to make a call for help.

But don't get too excited, Auburn fans ... the guys made it back to dry land.

If you thought LiAngelo Ball's dunk sesh at the Lakers practice facility was impressive ... wait 'til you see Zion Williamson's "hold my drink" response Tuesday.

The Duke commit -- clearly reacting to 'Gelo 'cause of the "dead legs" caption he shared -- nearly took down a rim trying to top the middle Ball brother's performance.

The first dunk: A self-lob, behind-the-back jam.

The second dunk: Another self-lob, left-handed hammer.

'Gelo's clearly got ups ... but yeah, we're givin' Zion the nod here.

A high school football star who takes CBD oil to control his seizures is willing to switch to another medication if it will clear the way to play for a top NCAA school ... his father tells TMZ Sports.

C.J. Harris says he was told his invitation to join the Auburn football team as a defensive back was rescinded -- and now there are conflicting reports about whether it was due to his CBD medication or his underlying medical condition, epilepsy.

We spoke with C.J.'s father who wouldn't clarify the reason Auburn pulled the offer -- but told us C.J.'s medication will not be a problem if any other program is interested in his son.

"He wants to play," Curtis Harris tells TMZ Sports ... "He's gotta find a way and he’s willing to find something that doesn’t have the THC in it.”

"We don’t want to look back and say we didn’t try, but C.J.’s health is most important."

FYI, C.J. has said the CBD oil -- which contains THC -- helps keep his seizures at bay and he hasn't had an episode since January 2017.

There are reports that the CBD oil was not the reason Auburn pulled the invitation -- instead sources told Auburn Undercover's Brandon Marcello the Auburn medical staff had concerns clearing a person with epilepsy to play full-contact football at the NCAA level.

Johnny Manziel says Baker Mayfield's drunken arrest shouldn't define him -- because it's just a part of being a star QB in college.

"Look, he got in a little bit of trouble last year but that's just part of being in college," Manziel said on the "Comeback SZN" podcast with Barstool Sports.

Manziel says most star QBs are "gonna go out, they're gonna have some drinks and one night you're gonna drink too much and somethings gonna happen that shouldn't have happened."

"It's just the way that things go."

Manziel is clearly referring to Baker's February 2017 arrest -- when he was arrested for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and fleeing after Mayfield tried to run from cops.

Manziel doesn't think it's a big deal. We'll see if the NFL teams agree.