Player News Today — October 31, 2026
Coroner: SNU safety Tyler Ulrich, 21, died from TBI, brain bleed and more — today's player signal.
The sports world is grappling with tough news, as the cause of death for 21-year-old SNU safety Tyler Ulrich has been determined to be a traumatic brain injury and brain bleed. Our thoughts are with Ulrich's family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. Meanwhile, on a more positive note, star players are making moves that will shape their teams' futures - like the Mets, who appear set to retain a key player as source confirm that Francisco Bichette will exercise his $42M option to stay with the team.
As we look ahead to the new season, storylines are emerging across college football and men's basketball. In the NCAA, Texas Tech QB Alan Bowman and others have gotten a boost with a court ruling that keeps them eligible. We're also breaking down the biggest preseason storylines for every Division I conference in both football and men's basketball - from teams looking to make a championship push to programs trying to bounce back from tough seasons. And on the NFL side, Mel Kiper has released his updated Big Board for 2027, ranking the top 25 draft prospects and giving fans a glimpse of the future of the league.
Today's signal:
• Coroner: SNU safety Tyler Ulrich, 21, died from TBI, brain bleed (espn.com)
• Source: Bichette to exercise $42M option to stay with Mets (espn.com)
• Texas Tech QB Castellanos, others still eligible as court rules against NCAA (espn.com)
• A preseason storyline to watch for every Division I conference (espn.com)
• A preseason storyline to watch for every Division I men's basketball conference (espn.com)
• Kiper updates his 2027 Big Board: Ranking the top 25 NFL draft prospects (espn.com)