TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE NEWS

Zion Steptoe - 88 yards in opener Steptoe gathered in 5 of 6 targets for 88 yards during Thursday's 62-28 victory versus Northwestern State.

Impact Steptoe had a strong start to the season as he was one of three Tulsa receivers to catch five passes and led the team with 88 receiving yards. It was a nice way to open up his career with the Golden Hurricane after two forgettable seasons with Purdue.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Anthony Watkins - Scores in opener Watkins tallied five carries for 40 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's 62-28 victory against Northwestern State.

Impact Watkins saw just five touches in Thursday's opener but made the most of them, scoring a 33-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He was the first running back featured in the game, signaling that he is indeed the starter and the team did not want to put a big workload on him in an easier contest. As expected, he will still have to compete with Bill Jackson for carries and possibly Lloyd Avant after his strong Week 1 performance.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Anthony Watkins - Scores in opener Watkins tallied five carries for 40 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's 62-28 victory against Northwestern State.

Impact Watkins saw just five touches in Thursday's opener but made the most of them, scoring a 33-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He was the first running back featured in the game, signaling that he is indeed the starter and the team did not want to put a big workload on him in an easier contest. As expected, he will still have to compete with Bill Jackson for carries and possibly Lloyd Avant after his strong Week 1 performance.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Lloyd Avant - Scores kick-return TD Thursday Avant logged 11 rushes for 64 yards and scored a kick-return touchdown during Thursday's 62-28 win against Northwestern State.

Impact Avant led the team in rushing attempts and yards Thursday, although most of his action came towards the end of the game with the second team. The highlight of his day was a 100-yard kick return touchdown in the fourth quarter where he showcased his playmaking ability. He still looks set to be the team's No. 3 option at running back, but will continue to see playing time as the season progresses.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Lloyd Avant - Scores kick-return TD Thursday Avant logged 11 rushes for 64 yards and scored a kick-return touchdown during Thursday's 62-28 win against Northwestern State.

Impact Avant led the team in rushing attempts and yards Thursday, although most of his action came towards the end of the game with the second team. The highlight of his day was a 100-yard kick return touchdown in the fourth quarter where he showcased his playmaking ability. He still looks set to be the team's No. 3 option at running back, but will continue to see playing time as the season progresses.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Cardell Williams - Scores in opener Williams had four rushes for 35 yards with one touchdown during Thursday's 62-28 win against Northwestern State.

Impact Williams lost out the starting job to Kirk Francis but with the game essentially over, got his chance to see the field and scored a 22-yard rushing touchdown. It's currently unclear if Williams or Cooper Legas is the preferred option as backup quarterback, but Williams could still see some action as a change-of-pace, rushing threat.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Cardell Williams - Scores in opener Williams had four rushes for 35 yards with one touchdown during Thursday's 62-28 win against Northwestern State.

Impact Williams lost out the starting job to Kirk Francis but with the game essentially over, got his chance to see the field and scored a 22-yard rushing touchdown. It's currently unclear if Williams or Cooper Legas is the preferred option as backup quarterback, but Williams could still see some action as a change-of-pace, rushing threat.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Kirk Francis - Excellent in season opener Francis completed 23 of 30 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns during Thursday's 62-28 win against Northwestern State.

Impact Francis looked great in the season opener, tossing for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns and completing over 75 percent of his passes. Granted, it was against the weakest opponent he faced all season, but it was still a great way to open up the season. He won the quarterback battle over Cardell Williams and Cooper Legas and after his performance in Week 1, he appears to have locked down that job for the season.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Kirk Francis - Excellent in season opener Francis completed 23 of 30 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns during Thursday's 62-28 win against Northwestern State.

Impact Francis looked great in the season opener, tossing for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns and completing over 75 percent of his passes. Granted, it was against the weakest opponent he faced all season, but it was still a great way to open up the season. He won the quarterback battle over Cardell Williams and Cooper Legas and after his performance in Week 1, he appears to have locked down that job for the season.

SEPTEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Francis, Tulsa break game open in the second quarter on way to 62-28 win over Northwestern St.

Kirk Francis threw for four touchdowns — all before halftime — and Tulsa beat Northwestern State 62-28 in a season opener

AUGUST 30 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tulsa vs. Northwestern State: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time, How to Watch – August 29, 2024

Learn which TV channel or how to live stream the Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Northwestern State Demons game, Thursday, August 29.

AUGUST 29 • DATA SKRIVE

Tim Carpenter - Healthy scratch from depth chart Carpenter is not part of the Golden Hurricane's two-deep before their game Thursday against Northwestern State.

Impact Unfortunately for Carpenter, the Golden Hurricanes' two-deep includes Kirk Francis, Cooper Legas and Cardell Williams, every quarterback he was supposedly in a battle with earlier this summer. Being the team's fourth-string QB destroys all his statistical upside for 2024.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Zion Steptoe - Listed as starter Steptoe is listed as a starter for Tulsa's game Thursday against Northwestern State.

Impact Even though Steptoe changed his position to wide receiver during the offseason, so relatively recently, he is listed as a primary wideout for Tulsa's first game since then. The sophomore joins Kamdyn Benjamin and Jeremiah Ballard, more proven options.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Cardell Williams - Slated to receive Week 1 reps Williams will see the field in some capacity in Week 1, Cayden McFarland of KJRH TV reports.

Impact Tulsa head coach Kevin Wilson announced that Kirk Francis would trot out onto the field first in Week 1, but maintained that he's not yet the starter and that Williams and Cooper Legas will also receive reps. "The other two guys are playing pretty damn good, so I think I'm gonna play 'em," Wilson said. Last season with the Golden Hurricanes, Williams tossed for 1,149 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 59.8 percent of his passes.

AUGUST 23 • ROTOWIRE

Cooper Legas - Will be used in opener Legas is expected to be used in Tulsa's season opener alongside Cardell Williams, with Kirk Francis starting out the game according to head coach Kevin Wilson, Cayden McFarland of...

Impact Legas will reportedly not be the main starter, but Tulsa will run a committee of sorts at the quarterback position. Whether this plan will be a season-long strategy or just to establish the real starter is unknown, but Wilson was adamant that Legas' experience over the others will get him in the game at some capacity.

AUGUST 23 • ROTOWIRE

Kirk Francis - Will take first snaps in Week 1 Francis will take the first snaps under center for Tulsa in Week 1 but "isn't our starter" per head coach Kevin Wilson, Cayden McFarland of KJRH TV reports.

Impact Francis will be part of a Week 1 quarterback committee that will also feature Cardell Williams and Cooper Legas. Tulsa seemingly can't quite decide on a starting quarterback just yet, and this competition appears to have carried over into the regular season. Last season with Tulsa, Francis tossed for 967 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 56 percent of his passes.

AUGUST 23 • ROTOWIRE

2024 Tulsa football predictions: Ranked No. 119 by RJ Young

Find out where FOX Sports' RJ Young ranks the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in his ultimate 134 college football ranking.

AUGUST 11

Tim Carpenter - Competing to be QB1 Carpenter is battling for Tulsa's quarterback job against Kirk Francis, Cardell Williams and Cooper Legas, Cayden McFarland of KJRH TV reports.

Impact Though unlikely to win out over the other three, Carpenter being eligible at all is impressive and should be welcoming for him in its own right. He is a 6-foot-3, 227-pound quarterback looking to begin his collegiate career during Tulsa's 2024 season.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Cooper Legas - Battling for starting job Legas is battling for Tulsa's starting job against Kirk Francis, Cardell Williams and Tim Carpenter, Cayden McFarland of KJRH TV reports.

Impact Despite his previous experience, Legas will compete against several others to be Tulsa's primary quarterback. The experience is what separates him from his aforementioned teammates. While enrolled at Utah State for three years from 2021 to 2023, Legas completed 284 passes for 3,485 yards and 32 touchdowns across 21 games he played. Ideally for him, all that experience works in his favor going into preseason.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Cardell Williams - Healthy and in QB competition Williams (shoulder) is healthy and battling to be Tulsa's primary quarterback, Cayden McFarland of KJRH TV reports.

Impact Williams sat out Tulsa's spring practice to recover from shoulder surgery. Fast-forward more than three months later, and Williams will look to regain the QB1 position he held across 2023 before his injury. But after Cooper Legas' commitment to Tulsa and an impressive November 2023 from Kirk Francis, both quarterbacks could replace Williams as Tulsa's primary QB. Perhaps showing more promise and consistency in the passing game during preseason will reward Williams.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Kirk Francis - Battling for Tulsa's starting job Francis is battling for Tulsa's starting job against Cardell Williams and Cooper Legas, Cayden McFarland of KJRH TV reports.

Impact Cardell Williams (shoulder) sitting out most of November 2023 resulted in Francis being the Golden Hurricane's quarterback then. The latter played relatively well, logging 62 completions for 893 yards and a 6:2 TD:INT ratio across three games he started. Ideally, the Hurricane's head coach Kevin Wilson selects his QB1 before they begin their 2024 season against Northwestern State on Aug. 29.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Zion Steptoe - Listed as wide receiver Steptoe is listed as a wide receiver of Tulsa's 2024 roster.

Impact Steptoe has transferred to Tulsa from Purdue. Considering the Hurricane's updated roster, he is expected to add depth for a receiver corps relatively lacking wideout options.

JULY 21 • ROTOWIRE

Dodgers acquire Cavan Biggio and cash from Blue Jays for minor league pitcher Braydon Fisher

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired infielder-outfielder Cavan Biggio and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league pitcher Braydon Fisher

JUNE 12 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Reed Martin, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Running Back Reed Martin is a 6-1, 210-pound Running back/Outside linebacker from Tulsa, OK.

JUNE 10 • 247SPORTS.COM

Kai-Leon Herbert, Miami Hurricanes, Offensive Tackle 2017 Under Armour All-America Game selection

JUNE 10 • 247SPORTS.COM