NCAA

Warren Moon is doling out some seriously high praise on Michael Penix Jr. ... telling TMZ Sports the Washington quarterback straight up "throws as pretty a ball as mine!"

The former Huskies signal-caller didn't stop the compliments there, however ... telling us he believes the current UDub QB1 could end up being the No. 2-ranked quarterback behind Caleb Williams when the 2024 NFL Draft officially rolls around in April.

"I watch him throw," Moon said, "and I've watched a lot of quarterbacks throw the football -- and this guy throws as pretty a ball as mine."

"I think once he goes through the scouting process," the Hall of Famer added, "and goes through the combine and people watch him throw and they watch him throw in his Pro Day coming up, I think he's going to really dazzle people with his arm talent."

Moon says that while Penix Jr. put all of that on display against Texas in the Sugar Bowl -- he really expects the college football world to take note when the Huskies kick off against Michigan for the national championship later Monday night.

Moon explained ... he believes that due to UDub's location as well as the Pac-12's TV deal, not many are aware of what the quarterback is really capable of.

"He's had a tremendous two years at the University of Washington," Moon said.

Kickoff for the natty is slated for 4:30 PM ... and it's clear Moon believes his alma mater will walk away from it all with another trophy for its case in Seattle.

If J.J. McCarthy's able to pull off the win vs. Washington on Monday night, he will go down as the best Wolverines quarterback EVER -- at least, that's according to Ty Law.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Michigan star made it clear to TMZ Sports that all McCarthy needs to do from here in order to claim the title of UM G.O.A.T. is simply just beat the Huskies.

"If he pulls this off," the ex-defensive back said, "you know what, he's going to stand alone being the only undefeated quarterback in the history of the program."

UM has had some historically great signal-callers over the years -- the list includes Tom Brady, Chad Henne, Elvis Grbac, Jim Harbaugh and a whole lot more -- but Law says McCarthy's resume will top them all if he's able to bring the CFP trophy back to Ann Arbor.

Of course, there might not be that many people who would argue against Law ... after all, McCarthy is 26-1 as a starter -- and is perfect against Ohio State.

Harbaugh certainly wouldn't be one who would fight Ty over the issue -- he said following Michigan's Rose Bowl win over Alabama that McCarthy is already the Wolverines' best ever.

Robert Nelson Jr. -- a former Arizona State Sun Devils football star who spent three seasons in the NFL -- was arrested in Los Angeles last month for allegedly illegally possessing a gun ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement tells us the arrest happened in Burbank back on Dec. 22.

We're told Burbank Police officers were patrolling a local mall parking lot at around 9 PM when they observed Nelson's vehicle in a handicap spot without a placard.

Cops say when officers looked into the car, they noticed a loaded handgun sitting in plain view on the floorboard. They later located Nelson and threw him behind bars.

Court records show Nelson was charged with one count of carrying a loaded firearm on/in person vehicle ... and was arraigned on Dec. 26. He's now due back in court in late February for another hearing on the matter.

Nelson Jr., a defensive back, played for ASU from 2011 to 2013 and became a star for the Sun Devils in his senior year, recording First-Team Pac-12 honors after logging six interceptions.

He went unpicked in the 2014 NFL Draft ... but still managed to latch on with several NFL teams -- earning playing time with the Browns, Texans and Jets from 2014 to 2017.

If Jim Harbaugh does indeed leave Michigan following this week's national championship game ... Tyrone Wheatley is making it clear he'd love to be considered for the gig, telling TMZ Sports the role is his "dream job."

Of course, rumors have swirled for weeks that Harbaugh might be looking to make a jump back to the NFL after finding so much success with the Wolverines since 2015.

It's unclear if there's any validity to the chatter -- though if it does ultimately end up being true, Wheatley said he sure wouldn't mind filling in.

"To play there, to come back now to be the head coach, goodness gracious," the ex-Wolverines running back said, "to check that off the bucket list, that'd be awesome."

Wheatley certainly has the résumé to be a candidate for the opening if Harbaugh bolts ... he's had a ton of coaching experience since he wrapped up his 10-year NFL career in 2004.

The 51-year-old has had stops as an assistant with the Buffalo Bills, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos ... and he was even an RBs coach for Harbaugh a few years back. He's now working as the head coach of Wayne State.

While Wheatley is adamant he's focused on his current role -- it's obvious, there will always be a piece of his heart in Ann Arbor.

"It would be crazy for me not to say that's my dream job, right?" he said.

Wheatley told us coaching for his other former team -- the Raiders -- would also be considered a "dream" gig for him.

As for if he has any insider information on whether Harbaugh is staying or going -- he doesn't, telling us, "I'm not sure at this point he knows."

Dunking is definitely in Bronny James's DNA ... the star USC freshman looked just like his pops LeBron as he threw down a rim-rocking alley-oop during Wednesday's game!

The 4-star recruit added a highlight to his college basketball reel during the first half of USC's home game against California at the Galen Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Trojans star and future top lottery pick Isaiah Collier stole the ball and pushed down the court, throwing a sweet lob to Bronny for the two-handed jam.

The crowd went crazy!

James ended up dropping 10 points in the 82-74 win, their 7th of the season.

Bronny, since debuting for USC in mid-December, is averaging 7.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.

It wasn't just college hoops fans who went wild over the dunk ... so did dad. LeBron posted video on his Instagram like a proud papa.

Watching the clip, you surely see similarities -- especially in the number 6 jersey -- with how the James' move ... despite Bronny being a few inches shorter than his father.

Not to play favorites with his kids, the NBA legend also shared a highlight from his younger son, Sierra Canyon star Bryce James, who also dunked in his game last night ... which the Trailblazers won 91-52.

ESPN is apologizing for showing a woman drop top during its broadcast of the Sugar Bowl on Monday ... saying the NSFW footage should have never seen the light of day.

Football fans were left stunned after the network aired a clip from Bourbon Street while returning from a commercial break in the Washington Huskies vs. Texas Longhorns matchup ... which featured the lady's negotiation for a set of beads by exposing her breast as the camera made its way down the iconic area.

It's common for TV crews to show b-roll of the host city's landmarks during games ... and given the College Football Playoff contest between the No. 2 and 3 seeds was played at New Orleans' Superdome, Bourbon Street is an understandable choice.

But producers probably didn't take into account how things can get a bit raunchy around there ... which was made clear by the video that went viral shortly after it made its way to millions of viewers' screens.

ESPN is owning up to it all ... releasing a statement on the flub to the Associated Press.

"We regret that this happened and apologize that the video aired in the telecast," ESPN P.R. guy Bill Hofheimer said.

Los aficionados quedaron atónitos cuando el canal emitió un clip al regresar de comerciales en el juego de los Washington Huskies vs Texas Longhorns, donde se pudo ver a una mujer mostrando sus pechos en cámara.

Es común que los equipos de televisión muestren los lugares emblemáticos de la ciudad anfitriona durante los juegos, y esta vez el juego se realizó en el Superdome de Nueva Orleans... Bourbon Street es una opción comprensible.

Pero los productores probablemente no tuvieron en cuenta que las cosas se pueden poner un poco subidas de tono, lo cual quedó claro en el video que se hizo viral poco después de llegar a las pantallas de millones de espectadores.

ESPN ha publicado una declaración sobre la metedura de pata a Associated Press.

"Lamentamos lo sucedido y pedimos disculpas por la emisión del video", dijo Bill Hofheimer, relaciones públicas de ESPN.

"Let's gooooooooooo!!!!!"

Tom Brady started off the new year with a bang ... the former Michigan quarterback absolutely lost his mind as his alma mater beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl!

The 46-year-old retired signal-caller shared video on social media on Monday ... showing a topless Tom, rocking a gold chain, watching the final play of the overtime thriller from an unknown location.

UM stuffed Bama and punched their ticket to the National Championship game ... and it'd be an understatement to say Tom was elated!

“Let’s go, woo!” Tom yelled.

Brady captioned the video ... "OMFG" and "Go BLue @umichfootball"

Although Brady couldn't be in the building in Pasadena to watch the game in person, Tom's been supportive of the team all season.

In fact, before Monday's Rose Bowl, he tweeted a photo of himself wearing a Michigan vs Everybody wristband ... along with an incredibly expensive and rare Richard Mille watch.

Brady wasn't the only famous alum to express support for UM with the rubber accessory ... Michael Phelps also posted a photo wearing the yellow bracelet. The 23x Olympic gold medalist tagged Brady.

The win vs. Nick Saban's bama squad was huge, but the work isn't done yet ... Michigan will play Washington Monday night with a National Championship title on the line!

Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended from the Illini men's basketball team after he was charged with rape, the university announced Thursday.

According to the school, Shannon Jr. turned himself in to police in Douglas County, Kansas, on a warrant for his arrest this week ... after he was accused of sexual misconduct while he was in Lawrence back in September for Illinois' football game against the Jayhawks.

The school said Shannon Jr. was "not in Lawrence on official University business, nor was he a member of the University's travel party" when the alleged incident happened.

Jail records show Shannon Jr. posted $50,000 bail shortly after cops placed him in custody on Thursday.

The basketball player's attorney, Mark P. Sutter, said in a statement his client is innocent ... writing, "Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning."

"Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS," Sutter added. "In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial."

Shannon Jr. just transferred to Illinois last season after three years at Texas Tech -- and he's become the Illini's best player.

Calvin Johnson says it's no surprise to him that Roman Reigns has become one of the most legendary WWE Superstars of all time ... telling TMZ Sports the dude was a total "badass" at Georgia Tech.

Believe it or not, the guys were actually teammates for the Yellow Jackets' football team in the mid-2000s ... and Johnson says he knew right away that Reigns had mega-star potential.

"He was just always like a badass," the Hall of Fame wide receiver explained. "He didn't say much, but when he did say something, you listened."

Reigns went by his real name, Joe Anoa'i, when he was playing defensive line at the time ... and he performed so well alongside Johnson, many believed he had a bright future in the NFL.

His battle with cancer derailed those aspirations, however -- but Johnson said that all clearly ended up being "a blessing in disguise" for him ... as he's now poised to break numerous records in the squared circle.

"My man is killing it out here," Johnson said.

Calvin Johnson dice que no es ninguna sorpresa para él que Roman Reigns se haya convertido en una de las más legendarias superestrellas de la WWE de todos los tiempos y le mencionó a TMZ Sports el tipo era un total "badass" en Georgia Tech.

Lo creas o no, los chicos eran en compañeros de equipo en el equipo de fútbol de los Yellow Jackets a mediados de la década del 2000 y Johnson dice que supo de inmediato que Reigns tenía potencial de mega-estrella.

"Siempre fue un tipo duro", explica el receptor del Salón de la Fama. "No decía mucho, pero cuando decía algo, lo escuchabas".

Reigns iba con su verdadero nombre, Joe Anoa'i, cuando jugó en la línea defensiva y se desempeñó tan bien junto a Johnson que muchos creían que tenía un futuro brillante en la NFL.

Sin embargo, su batalla contra el cáncer desbarató esas aspiraciones, pero Johnson dijo que todo eso terminó siendo claramente "una bendición disfrazada" para él, ya que ahora está a punto de batir numerosos récords en el círculo cuadrado.

"Mi hombre está arrasando", afirmó Johnson.

The Disney World patron who bragged that he was a UCF football player during a heated confrontation with other parkgoers has actually NEVER been a member of the Knights team -- at least, that's according to the school itself.

Just hours after video of the man getting into an argument in a line at Epcot in Florida went viral on TikTok ... UCF said in a statement the guy "is not a member of our football team and never has been."

Of course, the man -- ID'ed as KJ Brathwaite -- claimed over and over again during the spat about apparent line-cutting at the Soarin' attraction that he did, indeed, suit up for the Knights on gamedays.

In the video -- which, warning, features offensive language -- Brathwaite can be heard saying during the tiff with other Disney fans, "You watch me on Saturdays, you and your family tailgate outside of my stadium."

He also can be heard saying in the clip, "Look me up. Google me. Google me!"

After the video went viral, however, Brathwaite released a video statement admitting he did not play football for UCF ... while claiming that all of his actions in the line were provoked by racial slurs.

Travis Hunter ... wide receiver, cornerback, and angler!

The Colorado Buffalos' season is over, but that doesn't mean the star player and coach aren't spending time together ... Trav was hanging With Deion Sanders at Coach Prime's lakehouse, and he even caught a big fish!

The CU head football coach shared video on social media, showing Hunter in his backyard, holding a large fish, pulled right out of "Lake Prime."

"Oh my God!" Sanders yelled, "Oh my God! Oh my goodness! Oh, Lord Jesus!"

Hunter's catch allegedly weighed over 10 pounds, relatively large for a lake fish ... and the 20-year-old was stoked!

It wasn't the only fish Trav caught ... he also reeled in a five-pounder earlier in the day, proclaiming himself the "Fishing God."

Sanders -- who was hired at CU in December 2022, and has changed the perception of the program -- takes bonding with his players very seriously, telling CBS Sports it goes beyond football.

Deion and Travis together is also a welcome sight for Buffs fans ... after the squad finished with a 4-8 record following a fast start to the season.

Despite being one of the more polarizing teams in college football, Sanders had a huge positive effect on the Boulder, CO community.

"Our goal is to win on the field, off the field, in the community, and in the classrooms!" Sanders said.

LSU superstar Jayden Daniels was on top of the world after winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday ... and he ate like it, too -- hitting up a New York City hot spot to celebrate the accomplishment with a fancy dinner!!

TMZ Sports is told ... college football's top player and 12 of his closest family members and friends hit up Sei Less restaurant around 11:30 PM on Saturday ... getting a private room for the occasion.

We're told Daniels' crew chowed down on all the best food on the menu ... including king crab legs, chicken satay, rock shrimp tempura and Beijing chicken.

Our sources say Daniels and Co. also had a celebratory toast with Ace of Spade champagne ... and they were able to enjoy their night an hour past the joint's usual closing time.

The quarterback also got the superstar treatment ... putting his signature on a plate, which is a tradition at the establishment -- and posing for a pic with restaurant founder Dara Mirjahangiry.

Next weekend's LA Bowl will have it all -- football, food, booze ... and Rob Gronkowski singing?!?!

It's true ... at least, that's according to the ex-NFL star, who tells TMZ Sports he's slated to be on the microphone when it comes time to belt out the national anthem before the big game's kickoff.

The former Patriots tight end, though, said it won't be a solo act ... explaining to us the New Directions Veterans Choir will be there to help him get through it.

"It's kind of like I'm the quarterback," Gronkowski said, "and I have the best offensive line in front of me so they can make me look good."

Gronk says he'll certainly be in need of the assistance ... telling us that when he performed the song recently for the bowl game's committee -- which included his good pal Julian Edelman -- it was met with some rotten reviews.

"I got to keep practicing," he admitted.

Outside of Gronkowski's vocals, the game -- which will pit UCLA against Boise State at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16 -- will feature a whole lot of other fun activities ... including a dance cam and a special Gronk-themed drink.

As for why the future Hall of Famer will be so prominently displayed during the college football matchup ... he's actually the game's host -- explaining to us that he took the role from Jimmy Kimmel after he found out the LA Bowl (formerly the Las Vegas Bowl) was the final game he played in when he was a student-athlete at U of A.

Bronny James just made his college basketball debut ... and his dad, LeBron, had a front-row seat for the special moment.

The 19-year-old USC hooper entered Sunday's home contest against Long Beach State around the 13-minute mark in the first half ... and the Galen Center erupted as James stepped onto the court.

Of course, the former Sierra Canyon standout's college career was put on hold after he suffered cardiac arrest during a workout back in July ... but as we previously reported, he was given the green light late last week to finally suit up for games.

LeBron -- who vowed not to miss Bronny's first game, even if it conflicted with his Lakers schedule -- held up to his promise ... getting a courtside seat and documenting his son's entrance on his iPhone.

He also said following the Lakers' In-Season Tournament championship win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday he was looking forward to being in L.A. for the game ... so we take it it was one helluva weekend for the James Gang.