👋 GOOD MORNING — Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a good start.

I just wanted to take a moment to honor the life and legacy of Ryne Sandberg, who tragically passed away yesterday following a courageous battle against prostate cancer. The 10-time All-Star played his entire career with the Cubs, and I can think of many times in the early 90s when I would get home from school and catch the Cubs on WGN — Sandberg was one of my favorites to watch.

He was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, and his legacy will live on among not just Cubs fans, but baseball fans, forever.

Sending my deepest condolences to Ryne’s loved ones, friends, and Cubs nation. May he rest in peace.

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

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Sun Devils, Wildcats Each Represented on Maxwell Award Watch List

Photo credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

80 players in all of college football have been nominated.

The two most prominent college football programs in the state account for three of them.

The Maxwell Football Club announced its watch list yesterday for the 89th annual Maxwell Award, which has been presented to the college football player of the year since 1937. Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson were both among the names listed, as well as Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita.

Fifita earned the accolades for the second straight year, while Leavitt and Tyson are just one of three QB/WR duos on the entire list, joining Auburn and Clemson.

Impressive, to say the least.

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Prestigious Award The Tip of the Iceberg For Both Programs

It feels like in this day and age, award watch lists are a dime a dozen.

The Maxwell Award is not one of those — it’s the real deal.

Previous honorees include Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty (2024), Washington’s Michael Penix Jr (2023) and USC’s Caleb Williams (2022), not to mention other marquee names like Joe Burrow (2019) and Peyton Manning (1997).

Tim Tebow actually won the award twice, in 2007 and 2008.

Schools from the SEC led the way with 17 nominees (shocking), while the ACC (16) and Big 12 (15) aren’t far behind. Those three conferences are the only three to have at least 15 players nominated (Take that, Big Ten!). Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 11, finalists on Nov. 25, and the winner on Dec. 11.

The Sun Devils are one of 17 schools to have multiple student-athletes represented on the list, and for good reason — both Leavitt and Tyson dazzled during Arizona State’s magical run to the College Football Playoffs last season. Leavitt has racked up the accolades since debuting at ASU last season, and despite loads of transfer rumors this past offseason, the sophomore QB has clearly bought into coach Kenny Dillingham’s program.

A few highlights from Leavitt’s freshman campaign:

He finished his first year in Tempe as the school record holder for total offense by a freshman with 3,328 yards.
He was the nation’s second-highest graded freshman player (true or redshirt with 400 snaps) on either side of the football by PFF (88.9), behind only Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith (89.8).
His six interceptions were tied for sixth-fewest in the FBS among those with at least 300 dropbacks.

Tyson, a redshirt junior, is in rare company on the list, as he’s one of just seven wideouts named to the watch list. His 2024 campaign was truly impressive after catching 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he did not participate in the Big 12 Championship Game or the CFP after sustaining an injury against the Wildcats.

Tyson was also the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

He had five games of 100-yards receiving including 12 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns at No. 16 Kansas State on Nov. 16.
Captain clutch: Three of his seven touchdown catches came in the fourth quarter of games - which was tied for fourth among FBS receivers.
His ten touchdowns tied him for sixth all-time in Sun Devil history, one of just 11 Sun Devils total to reach double digits in a season, and the most since Jaelen Strong had 10 in 2014.

Fifta, who is entering his third season as starting QB for the Wildcats, received the honor for the second consecutive season. The redshirt junior passed for 2,958 yards and 18 touchdowns last year, and all eyes will be on him to continue his stellar playmaking ability after the departure of star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan via the NFL Draft this past offseason.

Fifita has combined to throw for 5,955 yards and 44 touchdowns at Arizona, which ranks eighth in program history.
His all-time completion percentage is 65 percent.
He finished 21st nationally in passing yards last season.

Keep your eyes fixed on the field this fall —- there are plenty of exciting times ahead!

Double Whammy: The Diamondbacks may have lost more than another game yesterday, as Eugenio Suárez left yesterday’s 5-1 defeat to the Tigers in the ninth inning after getting hit on the hand by a fastball from Detroit closer Will Vest. Suárez was in visible pain, but early reports were promising, as the team announced initial x-rays were negative.

The irony should not be lost on you that the Tigers, who are very interested in acquiring the D-backs’ slugger, were the one to potentially derail his trade value heading into Thursday’s trade deadline. Further test are expected today, so we’ll wait on pins and needles until we hear more.

Shipping Back: The Cardinals announced their new radio analyst yesterday, as Ron Wolfley will not be back after stepping down from his post after last season. A.Q. Shipley, who played for the Cardinals from 2015-19, is taking over as the team’s new color commentator on the radio.

Welcome back, and we can’t wait to hear you on the airwaves!