Neighborhood Gems Pepper West Bench

UCF has added a veteran coach to its football staff, hiring former Appalachian State coach Shawn Clark as its new offensive line coach. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the move, which the Orlando Sentinel confirmed. Clark, 49, spent nine seasons at his alma mater, first as offensive line coach and then head coach, guiding the Mountaineers to a 40-24 overall record, including a 25-15 record in the Sun Belt.

The Hurricanes continued their offseason overhaul of their secondary, landing former Washington State cornerback Ethan O’Connor on Saturday. O’Connor is the third cornerback and fourth defensive back Miami has added via the transfer portal this offseason, joining former Michigan State cornerback Charles Brantley, former Arizona cornerback Emmanuel Karnley and former Jacksonville State safety Zechariah Poyser.

ORLANDO — Miami Carol City linebacker Jordan Campbell has been committed to the Miami Hurricanes longer than many of the players who signed in UM’s most recent recruiting class. But the local star, who has been committed since Nov. 2023, is still building his relationship with Miami’s coaches while he works on improving his game. “Since I committed — I want to be 100 percent honest — I wouldn’t say I was one of the best players out there,” Campbell said at the Under Armour All-America Game media day Saturday. “Yes, I was ranked and stuff like that or projected, but film-wise and me knowing the best I could do, not the best.

The Miami Hurricanes landed one of the top tight ends in the transfer portal Saturday afternoon. Former Tulane tight end Alex Bauman committed, according to multiple reports. Bauman shared the news of his commitment on his Instagram page. Bauman is rated the No. 8 transfer tight end by 247Sports. Bauman was not a highly recruited prospect out of high school.

MIAMI — Complete closure will not come until Jimmy Butler is traded. But hours after the Miami Heat suspended the six-time All-Star and began soliciting outside offers, it is evident the team has moved on. “You go through this league with purity. And then for us, it’s taking it one game at a time,” center Bam Adebayo said ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Utah Jazz at Kaseya Center.

A child and an adult were hospitalized after a dog attack in Deerfield Beach Friday evening. A little before 6:30 p.m., Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of an animal bite near the 400 block of Southwest 13th Place, the Sheriff’s Office said in an email. A child and an adult were taken to local hospitals with injuries from dog bites.