Cam Ward has gone from zero-star recruit to No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Travis Hunter is taking his versatility to Jacksonville following a blockbuster deal.

After the Tennessee Titans selected Ward first overall, the Jaguars moved up from No. 5 to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the second pick. Hunter, a playmaking wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado, wants to become the first full-time, two-way player in the NFL since Chuck Bednarik did it with the Philadelphia Eagles more than 60 years ago.

The Jaguars gave the Cleveland Browns a ton to give Hunter that opportunity. The Browns got Jacksonville’s first-round pick (No. 5), picks Nos. 36 and 126, and a first-rounder in 2026. The Jaguars also received fourth- and sixth-round picks in this draft.

“I’m excited to go home,” said Hunter, who is from Boynton Beach, Florida.

The New York Giants chose Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick, bolstering an already strong pass rush. Carter led the country with 23 1/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks last season.

The New England Patriots took LSU left tackle Will Campbell with the fourth pick, giving quarterback Drake Maye more protection.

Campbell began to cry on stage, saying: “I’m gonna fight and die to protect him.”

Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham went fifth to Cleveland. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was picked at No. 6 by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jeanty was the runner-up to Hunter for the Heisman Trophy after leading the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing. Las Vegas averaged just 79.8 yards rushing per game last season.

The New York Jets selected Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou with the seventh pick. Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan went to the Carolina Panthers with the No. 8 pick.

The Titans explored their options with the first pick before it became clear a few weeks ago that Ward would be their man.

Television

Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe is stepping away temporarily from his ESPN duties while he deals with what he called false allegations in a $50 million civil lawsuit filed against him by a woman who alleges he raped and threatened her. Sharpe said in a statement that he would return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.

Attorneys filed the lawsuit Sunday for a woman listed in court documents as Jane Doe. The lawsuit also accuses Sharpe of using physical force on her and inflicting emotional distress.

golf

Masters champion Rory McIlroy teamed with Shane Lowry to shoot an 8-under 64 in better-play Thursday in the Zurich Classic in Louisiana, leaving the defending champions six shots behind leaders Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Vetlo, who opened with a tournament-record 58.

n Haeran Ryu and Yan Liu each shot bogey-free 7-under 65 to share the lead during the suspended first round of the Chevron Championship in Texas as top-ranked Nelly Korda struggled to a 77 on Thursday in her title defense. Due to a storm, the round was suspended with 24 players unable to finish.

College sports

A former Baylor athletic official has received a show-cause penalty from the NCAA after he placed nearly 3,000 impermissible daily fantasy bets on professional and college games over a five-year period, including 113 that involved Baylor teams and student-athletes. The NCAA says Sam Hancock, a former director of resource development at the school, placed 2,950 impermissible bets totaling $45,979 on three different sports betting platforms from July 2019 through Sept. 2024.

According to the NCAA case summary posted this month, Hancock acknowledged he engaged in sports betting before his employment at Baylor and continued to do so after being hired, despite receiving rules education from the school and knowing that his conduct violated NCAA rules.

nhl

Nate Schmidt scored his third goal in two games, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 shots and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Thursday to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Sam Bennett added an empty-netter with 4 seconds left. Bobrovsky got his fourth career playoff shutout.