THOMASVILLE, N.C. – Rick Ware Racing has added 26-year-old Joey Gase to its NASCAR Cup Series lineup for the upcoming season.

Starting during the season-opening Daytona 500 in February at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Gase will be piloting an RWR entry full time at the top level of the sport.

“I am excited to have Joey Gase join the Rick Ware Racing family in 2020,” said team owner Rick Ware. “Joey and his family are great people whose values align perfectly with RWR. I am looking forward to growing our team and having a great season next year.”

“I am very excited to be able to call Rick Ware Racing my home for 2020,” added Gase. “It’s a dream come true to be able to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time. It has been a dream of not only mine, but my whole family ever since I can remember, and it’s taken a lot of hard work and sacrifices to get me here. I feel very fortunate to be able to say this and can’t thank Rick, Lisa and everyone at RWR enough for this opportunity, and all of our partners for making it possible.

Gase’s Cup Series confirmation continues a month of December that also saw he and wife Caitlin welcome twin boys – Carson and Jace – into their family.

“December has been an amazing month that God has blessed me with so far,” noted Gase. “I started the month with Caitlin and I’s one year wedding anniversary, and then a few days later the birth of our twins, and now this. Daytona can’t come soon enough!”

Gase, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa native, will welcome back many of his long-standing partners, as well as several new ones. Those supporters include Donate Life and OPO partners, EFX Corporation, Page Construction, Agri Supply, The Racing Warehouse, SAFE, ProMaster and Eternal Fan.

More backers for Gase’s tenure at Rick Ware Racing will be announced at a later date.

“I am very fortunate to have so many great, loyal partners with me and they are all passionate about raising awareness for organ, eye, and tissue donation and honoring donor heroes, like my mom, which is something that is very important to my family and I,” said Gase.

WILKESBORO, N.C. — Junior Johnson, widely regarded as “The Last American Hero” and an inaugural inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, has died at the age of 88.

Johnson’s career encompassed both the earliest days of NASCAR, as the sport grew from moonshining into a Southern phenomenon, as well as its modern era. He was both a renowned driver and car owner.

Johnson has been in declining health and had entered hospice care earlier in the week. The news was confirmed by NASCAR officials and the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday evening.

“Junior Johnson truly was the ‘Last American Hero,’” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has.

“The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Born Robert Glenn Johnson on June 28, 1931, the fourth of seven children of Lora Belle Money and Robert Glenn Johnson Sr. became known as “Junior” in his youth as he grew up in Ronda, N.C.

Johnson’s early days were spent in the shadows of North Wilkesboro Speedway, and as he became older he was involved in both of the family’s businesses — farming and the distribution of untaxed liquor.

The latter of those was what shaped his driving style, an all-out assault that struck fear into his competitors and led to 50 victories in the formative days of what is now the NASCAR Cup Series.

His win total still stands today as the most of any driver without a Cup Series championship, and Johnson later added 132 victories and six Cup Series titles as a car owner.

Among Johnson’s wins were the second annual Daytona 500 in 1960, as well as a pair of fall race victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway earned back-to-back in 1962 and ’63. He later won the Daytona 500 twice as a car owner, with LeeRoy Yarbrough in 1969 and Cale Yarborough in 1977.

Adding to Johnson’s legend was the belief that he was never caught while moonshining on the road, but he was convicted in 1956 after authorities staked out the family still.

Johnson was pardoned 30 years later, on Dec. 26, 1986, by President Ronald Reagan.

“No maybe about it. Best Christmas gift I ever got,” Johnson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2007 of his 1986 pardoning.

Johnson won in eight straight seasons into the 1960s, but never ran a full season and as such, only finished a best of sixth in the final point standings. He did so twice, in 1955 and 1961.

Johnson retired from driving at the tender age of 35, transitioning into team ownership and fielding teams for the likes of Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Geoff Bodine and Bill Elliott.

“Racing has been good to me,” Johnson told the Associated Press in November of 1965 as he trimmed down his driving career. “I want to make it clear that I am not quitting because I am too old to drive or am afraid of high-speed racing. I have accomplished about everything I had hoped to as a driver. Now I want to relax and enjoy life, but still be connected with the sport in a supervisory capacity.”

He did just that en route to winning three straight Cup Series championships with Yarborough from 1976 to ’78, the first such streak in the sport’s history, then added three more titles with Waltrip in 1981, ’82 and ’85 when Yarborough elected to cut back to a part-time schedule at NASCAR’s top level.

Johnson’s final victory at NASCAR’s Cup Series echelon was the 1994 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, with Bill Elliott beating Dale Earnhardt that September afternoon.

Just more than a year later, Johnson sold his operation to Brett Bodine.

Among Johnson’s off-track contributions included aiding in the brokering of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s long-running title sponsorship of the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as items to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, including an operational moonshine still for the Hall’s Heritage Speedway section after his enshrinement as an inductee in 2010.

Johnson was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

In addition to his NASCAR Hall of Fame honors, Johnson was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame back in 1990 before being called for induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America the following year.

Johnson was also recognized with the North Carolina Achievement in Motorsports Award presented by the North Carolina Motorsports Ass’n in 2011.

Ian Kinsler is retiring after a 14-year major league career, he announced Friday.

Kinsler, 37, told The Athletic that a herniated cervical disk that ended his 2019 season in August played a factor in his decision to retire. He ends his career one hit shy of 2,000, with 257 home runs, 909 RBIs and 243 stolen bases.

"My pride wouldn't let me go halfway at something that I've been doing at 100% for my whole baseball life," the veteran second baseman said.

Kinsler will stay on with the San Diego Padres as an adviser to baseball operations. He will work with the team on settling the $4.25 million left on his contract for 2020, according to The Athletic.

"Ian had a long and distinguished career and will go down as one of the best second basemen of his generation," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. "We're excited to have him join our front office to share his passion for the game and experience as a World Series champion. His breadth of baseball knowledge will be extremely beneficial to our organization."

Kinsler, a four-time All-Star, spent eight seasons with the Texas Rangers before a 2013 trade to the Detroit Tigers, followed by another trade to the Los Angeles Angels four years later.

The Boston Red Sox landed him at the trade deadline in 2018 before going on to win the World Series, after which he joined the Padres.

"It just felt like this is the end, time to move on," Kinsler told The Athletic. "I gave it everything I had. It's time to do something else."

BOSTON -- Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill has won the Tony Conigliaro Award.

The honor goes to a major leaguer "who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were the trademarks of Tony C."

"I'm really humbled and honored by this award and honestly a little thrown by it," Hill said. "Having grown up here, I am very familiar with Tony C.'s story, so this means a lot to me and my family."

Hill, 39, worked his way back three times from an arm injury and two knee injuries to finish the season with the Dodgers, starting Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals.

Conigliaro was a Boston-area native who was the youngest player to lead a league in homers, hitting 32 in 1965, his second full season. He was hit in the face by a pitch on Aug. 18, 1967, fracturing his cheekbone, dislocating his jaw and damaging the retina in his left eye. He returned after missing all of 1968 to play two more seasons, but retired due to declining vision in 1971.

He died in 1982 at the age of 45. The award in his name has been given out by Major League Baseball since 1990. It will be presented on Jan. 16 at the 81st annual Boston Baseball Writers' dinner.

Junior Johnson, a bootlegger turned NASCAR Hall of Famer immortalized as the "Last American Hero," has died, NASCAR announced. He was 88.

NASCAR said Johnson had been in declining health and had entered hospice care this week.

"Junior Johnson truly was the 'Last American Hero,'" NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. "From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior's family and friends during this difficult time."

A member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class inducted in 2010, Johnson won 50 races as a driver and 132 races and six championships as a car owner in NASCAR's Cup Series.

The on-track success alone makes Johnson a NASCAR icon, but it's Johnson's life story taken as a whole that made him a legend of the sport.

Growing up in then-rural Wilkes County, North Carolina, Johnson not only ran moonshine, but worked at his father's still. Found working there by federal agents, Johnson served 11 months of a two-year federal sentence after his 1956 conviction for manufacturing non-tax-paid whiskey.

Johnson received a full and unconditional pardon from President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

The NASCAR world mourns the passing of Hall of Famer Junior Johnson, who has died at the age of 88: https://t.co/QBv0RjnB47 pic.twitter.com/MqcKrT8MA0

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) December 20, 2019

Johnson earned his first five Cup Series wins in 1955, but because of the conviction, he ran just 13 races the following year and only one in '57 before he resumed his career in earnest. Despite never running the full schedule, Johnson won 45 races from 1958 to 1965.

With NASCAR's notoriety largely limited to the Southeast in the sport's formative years, Johnson's profile grew nationwide in March 1965 when Esquire published Tom Wolfe's now-legendary feature, "The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson. Yes!" The piece summed up Johnson thusly: "Junior Johnson is one of the last of those sports stars who is not just an ace at the game itself, but a hero a whole people or class of people can identify with."

Johnson retired after the 1966 season, remaining active in the sport as a car owner. During his driving days, he was credited with discovering the aerodynamic phenomenon known as the draft -- where two cars running nose-to-tail cut through the air easier than cars running separately and provided the trailing car an opportunity to "slingshot" past the lead car.

As an owner, he's credited with suggesting R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company partner with NASCAR, which led to the company becoming the first full-season sponsor of the Cup Series via its Winston brand. Winston's backing helped the sport's growth on numerous fronts via its promotional and financial efforts.

As an owner, Johnson won three consecutive championships with driver Cale Yarborough from 1976 to 1978 and three more championships with Darrell Waltrip in 1981, '82 and '85.

Johnson got out of the ownership ranks following the 1995 season. His eventual Hall of Fame induction nearly left him speechless

"This is a big, big deal to me," Johnson said during his induction. "This is probably the greatest thing that's happened to me, you know. I was really proud of the pardon that Reagan gave me, but this is ...

"You know, I'm almost speechless to even think that you could talk about, 'Well, I just went into the Hall of Fame.' It's so big, and it's so honorable that you just don't know how it feels to be selected as one of the first five people."

The quarterback class for the 2020 NFL draft has the potential to be loaded. There's still much to learn about the signal-callers, however, and questions remain about whether at least a few might still return to school for another season.

Heisman-winning LSU quarterback Joe Burrow leads the group and could be the No. 1 pick in April's draft, according to ESPN NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, recovering from a season-ending hip injury, is a special talent. Oregon's Justin Herbert has all the size and arm strength that you could ask for. NFL teams on the hunt for a quarterback will have plenty of options in Round 1.

We've identified seven quarterbacks to watch for the 2020 draft and outlined everything you need to know about them. We'll include how you can watch them in their respective bowl games, their rankings from Kiper and McShay, strengths and weaknesses from McShay and input from NFL evaluators as told to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Jump to a QB:
Burrow | Tagovailoa | Herbert
Eason | Fromm | Love | Hurts
Best of the rest

Jordan Love, Utah State

Year: Fourth-year junior | Age: 21 | Career starts: 31
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 225

Bowl game: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

A California native, Love burst onto the scene in 2018 as a sophomore, throwing 32 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. He was the MVP of the 2018 New Mexico Bowl after dominating to the tune of 359 yards and four scores. With stellar 6-foot-4 frame and NFL-ready arm strength, scouts took notice. But a loss of playmakers from the Aggies' offense this season led to a subpar 17-16 touchdown-interception ratio. And after rushing for seven touchdowns in 2018, Love failed to score even one in 2019, though he rushed 28 more times. In a potential showcase game against LSU in October, Love went 15-for-30 with no touchdowns and three picks.

Love was just a two-star prospect when he was recruited by the Aggies, but he is now primed to be the first Utah State quarterback drafted in 30 years (Brent Snyder, seventh round in 1989), joining the likes of Carson Wentz and Josh Allen as Group of 5 quarterbacks to be selected in recent drafts.

2019 stats: 3,085 passing yards, 17 TDs, 16 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB6 | McShay's QB6 (No. 46)

Love's strength: Raw tools, including good size, a strong arm and mobility
Love's weakness: Ball security

What's next for Love: Love declared for the NFL draft on Dec. 10, forgoing his senior season at Utah State. A week later, however, Love was charged with possession of a controlled substance, along with two teammates. He is expected to play in Utah State's bowl game.

Love will get a chance to talk to scouts and compete against elite talent at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in January, and then will be one of the key quarterbacks to watch at the combine in Indianapolis in late February. There is still some mystery around Love's true ceiling, but he has the potential to be a top-50 pick.

Jacob Eason, Washington

Year: Fourth-year junior | Age: 22 | Career starts: 25
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 227

Bowl game: Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl, Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

On natural physical ability alone, Eason is an elite quarterback prospect. He's big, strong and mobile, and he has a rocket arm. But he could still use a little more game experience.

Eason started his college career at Georgia, playing in 13 games for the Bulldogs back in 2016. But after just three passes in the 2017 opener, he was injured and turned the reins over to Jake Fromm. Fromm remained the starter for the rest of the season, leading Eason to transfer after the season and sit out the 2018 campaign as a result.

The son of a former Notre Dame receiver, Eason returned to his home state to play for the Huskies, starting the 2019 season with a four-touchdown performance in the opener. In fact, he recorded five games with at least three passing scores this season. Eason had an up-and-down season for the Huskies, however, leading McShay to call him the wild card of the 2020 class and suggest that he "would benefit from another full season of college reps."

2019 stats: 2,922 passing yards, 22 TDs, 8 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB4 | McShay's QB5 (No. 28)

Eason's strength: Arm strength
Eason's weakness: Flexibility and short-area agility

NFL evaluator on Eason: "He's an interesting one because he's got such limited tape. Hardly played at Georgia, then transferred and had to sit out. He's tall, athletic and has big-time arm talent. But with him there's a lot of inexperience, and it's hard to evaluate quarterbacks if you don't see them go through situations more than once. If he comes out, there will be a limited amount of tape to evaluate him. But you can feel the arm strength and the athleticism." -- NFL scout, as told to ESPN's Dan Graziano

What's next for Eason: All eyes turn to Jan. 20, the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2020 draft. Will Eason enter this year's class? Or will he tack on some more game experience with another season at Washington? Before he makes his decision, Eason faces Boise State and first-round edge-rush prospect Curtis Weaver in the Huskies' bowl game.

Joe Burrow, LSU

Year: Fifth-year senior | Age: 23 | Career starts: 26
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 216

Bowl game: College Football Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 28 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

What more can we say about Burrow? A fringe draft prospect just a few months ago, he obliterated college football en route to an undefeated 2019 season, SEC records in passing yards and touchdowns and a Heisman Trophy. Now, not only is he a legitimate NFL prospect, but also a potential No. 1 overall pick (he is the first selection in McShay's first mock draft).

An Ohio native, Burrow's collegiate career began at Ohio State, where he threw 39 passes and two touchdowns during the 2016-17 seasons as J.T. Barrett's backup. And after losing a quarterback battle with Dwayne Haskins in 2018, Burrow jumped on an opportunity to be a graduate transfer at LSU. Year 1 in Death Valley produced so-so results (57.8% completion percentage and a 16-5 TD-INT ratio), but when former New Orleans Saints assistant Joe Brady took over the passing game coordinator position with LSU in 2019, Burrow thrived. He is on pace to set the FBS record for completion percentage (77.9%) and is second to Tagovailoa in Total QBR (93.7).

Burrow's standout traits include his precise accuracy and pocket awareness. He has displayed complete control of the Tigers' offense all season, earning marquee wins over Auburn, Alabama and Georgia on his way to an SEC title and the College Football Playoff.

2019 stats: 4,715 passing yards, 48 TDs, 6 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB1 (No. 2) | McShay's QB1 (No. 2)

Burrow's strength: Pocket presence, toughness and high-end accuracy
Burrow's weakness: A solid but not elite arm

NFL evaluator on Burrow: "Amazing story. Really wasn't on the radar at the beginning of this year as an early-round guy, but he's got some skills, and he's answered every question. Looks like the kind of guy you want as a franchise-type guy. The pre-draft process will dig into it more, but he's got NFL throws. He seems like he's got the right stuff inside of him." -- NFL personnel executive, as told to ESPN's Dan Graziano

What's next for Burrow: First up in the CFP for No. 1 seed LSU is Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl. Win that, and it's on to the Jan. 13 title game in ... New Orleans. Burrow is the fifth Heisman-winning quarterback in the CFP era, but the previous four haven't won the title (Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Marcus Mariota). Burrow also has an invite to the Senior Bowl, but it's unclear whether he will accept. If not, NFL teams will wait until the LSU pro day and/or the combine to see him throw again ahead of the April draft.

Learn more about Burrow: Burrow electrifies LSU -- and all of college football ... Burrow's meteoric rise to potential No. 1 NFL draft pick

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Year: Senior | Age: 21 | Career starts: 41
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 219

Bowl game: College Football Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 28 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

After three seasons at Alabama, Hurts lit up scoreboards in his senior campaign after graduating and transferring to Oklahoma. And if not for Burrow's incredible campaign, Hurts likely would have been the third straight Sooners QB to win the Heisman. Instead, he'll have to settle for an opportunity to win his second national championship.

Recruited out of Houston by the Crimson Tide, Hurts is a former competitive powerlifter, squatting 570 pounds as a high school junior. But his more impressive feats have come on the gridiron. As a freshman in Tuscaloosa, Hurts passed for 2,780 yards and ran for another 954, leading the Crimson Tide to a national title. In Year 2, he amassed a 17-1 TD-INT ratio and led the Tide to another title game -- but was benched in the second half for Tagovailoa, who eventually led Bama all the way back to a second straight win. Hurts was Tagovailoa's backup in 2018, but in a reversal of fortunes replaced Tagovailoa in the SEC title game, leading the Tide to a comeback win that took them to the CFP, before Tagovailoa returned.

Hurts left as a graduate transfer for Norman for the 2019 season, and he threw for 3,634 yards and added 1,255 on the ground, scoring 51 total touchdowns. His 11.8 yards per attempt this season is the highest in FBS history. Even so, accuracy continues to be a concern for NFL scouts, despite a jump in completion percentage to 71.8%. Hurts has an above-average arm and solid athleticism, but how much of his improvement can be attributed to playing for Lincoln Riley's QB-friendly offense? That's a question NFL teams will try to answer before April's draft.

2019 stats: 3,634 passing yards, 32 TDs, 7 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB8 | McShay's QB9 (No. 99)

Hurts' strength: Competitiveness and mobility
Hurts' weakness: Accuracy

What's next for Hurts: Despite a decorated collegiate career and a Heisman runner-up, Hurts is likely a midround prospect. But with at least one more game on the schedule -- a CFP semifinal against LSU -- as well as an invite to the Senior Bowl and workouts at both the combine and Sooners' pro day on the docket, he has plenty of time to rise. Considering the successful years from mobile QBs such as Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, teams might be more interested in taking a flier on Hurts, who has rushed for 3,231 yards over four college seasons, and trying to develop him.

Learn more about Hurts: Hurts' storybook ending comes just in time for Alabama ... Is Hurts a legit NFL prospect? Kiper & McShay debate ...Inside Hurts' unprecedented spring at Oklahoma ... How the Hurts experiment was conducted successfully at Bama

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Year: Junior | Age: 21 | Career starts: 24
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 218

Bowl game: Vrbo Citrus Bowl, Wednesday, Jan. 1 (1 p.m. ET, ABC)

On talent alone, Tagovailoa would be the top-ranked quarterback in this draft class, even above Burrow, according to McShay. His 94.6 Total QBR is No. 1 in the nation, he displays elite accuracy -- especially downfield -- and is advanced in getting through his progressions. But of course, it's about much more than just talent. The lefty suffered a significant hip injury in mid-November, adding a level of cloudiness to his draft projections, and he won't be playing in the Crimson Tide's bowl game.

The highly recruited Tagovailoa entered the scene during the national title game two years ago, replacing Hurts and leading the Crimson Tide to a come-from-behind victory over Clemson. He'd remain the starter, throwing for 43 touchdown passes during the 2018 season. And he was once again posting fantastic numbers in 2019 before the injury. He had at least four TD passes in six of his nine starts, and he left two of the other three early with injuries.

2019 stats: 2,840 passing yards, 33 TDs, 3 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB2 (No. 3) | McShay's QB2 (No. 12)

Tagovailoa's strength: Natural instincts and deep accuracy
Tagovailoa's weakness: Durability

NFL evaluator on Tagovailoa: "You love the talent and what he's accomplished, but there were health concerns. What will the combine medicals show? You're going to want your own doctors to get a look at him. He comes with a lot of questions right now just because you don't know when you'll have him." -- NFL personnel executive, as told to ESPN's Dan Graziano

What's next for Tagovailoa: A right hip dislocation and posterior wall fracture leaves Tagovailoa unable to play in Alabama's bowl game, and unable to do much of anything else over the next few months as he recovers. NFL scouts will have to really monitor and evaluate how he progresses from the injury. And don't count out a return to Alabama just yet. He could throw a curveball by opting to return to Tuscaloosa if he doesn't declare for the draft before the Jan. 20 deadline.

Learn more about Tagovailoa: Tagovailoa injury timeline ... Tagovailoa: Tough to pass on draft if top 10-15 pick ... How Tagovailoa changed Alabama football forever

Justin Herbert, Oregon

Year: Senior | Age: 21 | Career starts: 41
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 237

Bowl game: Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual, Wednesday, Jan. 1 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)

If you want your quarterback to have size and a rocket arm, Herbert is your guy. A homegrown Eugene, Oregon, flamethrower who was a Ducks fan from an young age, he stepped into the starting gig early. And even as a freshman, Herbert managed 19 touchdown passes and threw only four interceptions. Herbert was one of the top names for the 2019 NFL draft class before opting to return to school.

This season, Herbert posted his best numbers to date, completing 66.7% of his passes with 32 touchdowns and five picks. Perhaps by no coincidence, it's also his first season with the same head coach and same offensive scheme from the prior campaign. Herbert first had Mark Helfrich as the Ducks' coach in 2016, then Willie Taggart in 2017. Now he is standing out in Mario Cristobal's second season on the sideline.

In addition to the big arm, Herbert has mobility for his size, but he's not a dual threat like Tagovailoa, Burrow and Hurts. And while Herbert's decision-making has improved, he is still inconsistent as a passer. He has four games with at least four passing touchdowns but also five games with one or none.

2019 stats: 3,333 passing yards, 32 TDs, 5 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB3 (No. 7) | McShay's QB3 (No. 17)

Herbert's strength: Arm/size combination with mobility
Herbert's weakness: Inconsistency

NFL evaluator on Herbert: "An immensely talented and athletic quarterback and an even better person. He's shown he's a winner. If you were building a video-game quarterback, it would look like this. The height, the arm, the athleticism all jump out at you. He showed he actually was a leader and had presence this year. You look at the way his teammates look at him and talk about him, and it says everything." -- NFL scout, as told to ESPN's Dan Graziano

What's next for Herbert: Will we get a look at Herbert at the Senior Bowl? We'll likely need to wait until after the Ducks' Rose Bowl showdown with Wisconsin and its No. 16 pass defense to find out if he'll accept his invite. Either way, be prepared to see the arm strength during the Oregon pro day and the combine testing.

Learn more about Herbert: If you haven't seen Herbert yet, you're missing out

Jake Fromm, Georgia

Year: Junior | Age: 21 | Career starts: 41
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 220

Bowl game: Allstate Sugar Bowl, Wednesday, Jan. 1 (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Before he was the quarterback whose talent pushed Eason and potential 2021 prospect Justin Fields to transfer from Georgia, Fromm was a Little League star for his hometown Warner Robins team that fell just one win shy of the U.S. title game, hitting three homers and striking out 11 batters on the mound. As a freshman at Georgia, Fromm entered when Eason was injured and took similar command, playing so well that he kept the job when Eason ultimately returned.

Fromm might not match up with some of the others on this list in terms of physical attributes or arm strength, but he is a smart quarterback, timing his throws well, knowing when to take his shots and finding ways to win. His three seasons have seen no fewer than 22 passing touchdowns and no more than seven interceptions. Statistically, no campaign was better than his sophomore year, when he averaged 9.0 yards per attempt and threw 30 touchdowns and six picks.

2019 stats: 2,610 passing yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs

Rankings: Kiper's QB5 | McShay's QB4 (No. 27)

Fromm's strength: Football intelligence and competitiveness
Fromm's weakness: Deep accuracy

What's next for Fromm: Fromm is a name to watch as far as players returning to school. Just a junior, there's a chance Fromm opts to play 2020 in Athens. But before we get to the Jan. 20 declaration deadline, Fromm first has to take care of business in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor, which is tied for third in the country in interceptions (17).

Learn more about Fromm: Fromm still isn't afraid of the big moment

Best of the rest

These quarterbacks are all thought to be likely Day 3 picks but could move up before the draft:

Nate Stanley, Iowa: A 6-foot-4 senior, Stanley has a good arm but comes with accuracy and decision-making concerns. After back-to-back seasons with 26 touchdowns, he threw just 14 this season. Stanley will look to improve on the final two months of his season, in which he threw more interceptions than TDs, in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 26 against USC.

Anthony Gordon, Washington State: A junior college transfer, Gordon had to wait until his redshirt senior season to get a shot, backing up Gardner Minshew II in 2018. But it's paid off for the 6-foot-3 passer. Gordon was among the nation's leaders in most categories, including 5,228 passing yards (first) and 45 touchdowns (second). He had a 600-yard game and nine 400-yard games. He had a nine-touchdown game. Gordon's plus-arm and great field vision will be on display at the Cheez-It Bowl against Air Force on Dec. 27. Gordon has also accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl.

Steven Montez, Colorado: Montez piled on 2,808 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his 2019 season, and he will also show his talents at the Senior Bowl in January. Montez's father, Alfred, played for one season with the Oakland Raiders in the 1990s.

NEW YORK -- The average salary in the major leagues has dropped in consecutive years for the first time since the players' association started keeping records more than a half-century ago.

The 988 players on Aug. 31 rosters and injured lists averaged $4,051,490, the union said Friday, down 1.1% from $4,095,686 last year. The average peaked at $4,097,122 in 2017.

This was just the fifth decline since records started in 1967, when the average was $19,000. There also were drops in 1987, when clubs were found guilty of collusion; in 1995, after the end of a 7½-month strike; and in 2004.

This year's drop followed two slow free-agent markets and new contracts with large signing bonuses for Mike Trout, Alex Bregman, Jacob deGrom, Paul Goldschmidt, Manny Machado and A.J. Pollock. Their bonuses, even if received in 2019, are prorated over the length of each contract.

Those stars all receive huge increases for 2020, and Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon agreed to $200 million-plus contracts last week.

Veteran free-agent left-hander Gio Gonzalez has agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, a source confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday.

Gonzalez will make $4.5 million in 2020 and is guaranteed $500,000 more if the $7 million team option for 2021 isn't picked up by Chicago, the source said.

Gonzalez was drafted by the White Sox with the 38th overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft, but was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005 -- as the player to be named later -- in the deal that brought slugger Jim Thome to Chicago.

The 34-year-old Gonzalez was 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA and 78 strikeouts last season for the Milwaukee Brewers, who signed him to a one-year deal in late April. He made only six starts before spending more than a month on the injured list with left arm fatigue, recording a 2-1 record with a 3.19 ERA and 25 strikeouts. But he did return to make 11 more starts and log 56 1/3 innings in the second half as the Brewers won the wild card.

Gonzalez also spent the final month of the 2018 season with the Brewers, who acquired the two-time All-Star in an Aug. 31 trade with the Washington Nationals. He was 3-0 in five starts for the Brewers down the stretch, then started Games 1 and 4 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was pulled after two innings of the opener and one inning of his second appearance, allowing one run in each.

Gonzalez signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees in mid-March last season but was released a month later after going 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in three starts and 15 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He was a career-best 21-8 in 2012, his first of six-plus seasons with the Nationals. After breaking into the majors with the Oakland Athletics in 2008, Gonzalez is 130-99 with a 3.68 ERA in 11 major league seasons and wrapped up the second option season of a contract last year that wound up being worth $65.5 million over seven years.

BATAVIA, Ohio – The final details for Wright Motorsports’ No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R entry for the Rolex 24 at Daytona have been secured, as the team prepares to begin its 20th year of professional competition in sports car racing.

Anthony Imperato and Klaus Bachler will join Ryan Hardwick and Patrick Long in the 1st Phorm Porsche in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener, taking place Jan. 23-26.

“We’ve put together an incredible lineup to kick off the 2020 season,” said team owner John Wright. “I’m thrilled to have Anthony and Klaus back behind the wheel. They’re perfect additions to what we know is a strong effort. We’ve been incredibly productive with off season testing, and we’re ready to get 2020 started.”

As previously announced in October, Anthony Imperato is returning to the team for his fifth consecutive year, kicking off the new season with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Continuing his relationships with Porsche and Wright Motorsports, the young racer has climbed the motorsport ranks of the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge and SRO America Championship, to return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class.

The remainder of Imperato’s race season plans with primary sponsor Henry Repeating Arms will be announced at a later date.

A former Porsche Junior driver, Klaus Bachler will bring with him a strong Porsche racing resume, returning to the team for the first time since his 2013 outing with Melanie and Madison Snow, Marco Seefried and Sascha Maassen.

The young Austrian is no stranger to endurance racing, having also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, and earned two podiums and eleven top five finishes in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The No. 16 Porsche will debut its 2020 livery in less than two weeks at the Roar Before the 24, the first official all-series test in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Building on the team’s 2019 livery, the main body of the car will be 1st Phorm blue, with sweeping white lines flowing with the car’s body to the black rear.

THOMASVILLE, N.C. – Rick Ware Racing is set to expand in 2020, competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting in January during the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“I am excited to expand the RWR brand. There is no better platform to market and promote sponsors and brands than motorsports,” said Ware. “We are able to cross-promote our partners in both the IMSA and NASCAR Series, adding huge benefits. I am looking forward to an exciting year, growing RWR both nationally and internationally.

“For the 2020 season, RWR will be racing in at least seven different countries around the world, as well as over 60 races between four different national touring series,” continued Ware. “We have incredible new partners, as well as sponsors that have been with the team for years, that we’ll be announcing, and can’t wait to head to Daytona next week to kick off the new year.”

Starting Jan. 1, Rick Ware Racing will head to Daytona Int’l Speedway for Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing. Piloting the No. 2 LMP2 Prototype for both testing and the race will be James Davison, Mark Kvamme, Cody Ware and Jonanthan Hoggard.

RWR also competes full-time in the Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 class, where the team is currently second in the standings with Kvamme and Ware behind the wheel.