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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Some NFL draft prospects get worn out by the NFL’s marathon draft process. Fernando Mendoza has embraced it. He did the interviews, made the rounds and firmed up his draft night plans with his trademark smile and positive attitude. Now all he can do is wait to see what happens Thursday night. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and overwhelming favorite to be taken No. 1 overall says as he embarks on a new partnership with pharmaceutical company Pfizer to push early cancer screenings, that he’s enjoyed each step along the path to the draft.

UNDATED (AP) — Former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell is heading to Duke. Blackwell announced his commitment in an Instagram post. Blackwell was one of the most highly regarded players to enter the transfer portal after he teamed up with Nick Boyd this season to give Wisconsin one of the nation’s top backcourt tandems. Blackwell’s decision was part of a productive day of commitments for the Blue Devils and top rival North Carolina. The Tar Heels landed commitments from Utah guard Terrence Brown and guard Matt Able from fellow instate program N.C. State ahead of Michael Malone’s debut season leading the Tar Heels.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Fernando Mendoza finished his prep career four years ago in Miami as an overlooked college prospect. He initially committed to Yale while being recruited by the likes of FIU, Bryant, Lehigh and Pennsylvania. He even seemed ready to accept a preferred walk-on spot with a Football Bowl Subdivision power, until California offered him a scholarship. With big-time schools investing heavily to find the kind of talent that can turn their programs into contenders, virtually everyone whiffed on the first Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to also win a national championship since Joe Burrow in 2019. Now Mendoza is positioned to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But Mendoza isn’t the only big surprise in this year’s draft class.

UNDATED (AP) — Establishing team chemistry in college football is tougher than ever with so many players not staying at the same school for four years. But it’s still doable. Succeeding in the transfer portal era requires altering offseason objectives. Players aren’t just getting to know the playbook. They’re getting to know one another. New Mexico provides a model example on how teams can build chemistry even after roster overhauls. The Lobos had 75 newcomers last year and still went 9-4 for their first winning season since 2016.

UNDATED (AP) — Nebraska’s baseball team is putting together one of its best regular seasons in years. The Cornhuskers outscored a then-top 10 Southern California 36-15 with two run-rule victories in a three-game weekend sweep in Lincoln and have put themselves in strong position to host an NCAA regional for the first time since 2008. The sweep was Nebraska’s first against a ranked opponent since 2015. The Huskers already have matched their 2025 Big Ten win total of 15 with 12 conference games left. They are alone in second place behind UCLA and are No. 20 in the D1Baseball.com and Baseball America rankings.

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