The ripple effects of Tom Brady’s retirement, plus of course Alabama has the top 2023 recruiting class

Good morning to everyone but especially to…

THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Exactly one year ago, Texas A&M brought in the highest-rated recruiting class ever. Shortly thereafter Nick Saban said the Aggies “bought every player on their team.” Ah, the joys of college football recruiting.

Saban and his Alabama program wasted little time officially reclaiming the throne on Wednesday, wrapping up the top recruiting class of 2023 and the third highest-rated class ever, only behind the Aggies’ 2022 class and Alabama’s 2021 class.

Not every five-star recruit signed with the Crimson Tide, even though it sometimes seems that way. In fact, another SEC team — South Carolina — signed five-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor, and the Gamecocks were one of the big winners of National Signing Day, writes Brandon Huffman.

No recruiting battle was more dramatic, though, than Jaden Rashada’s, and he ended up at Arizona State. I really enjoyed Dennis Dodd’s story on new Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham.

Honorable mentions And not such a good morning for… Getty Images

THE CAROLINA PANTHERS AND MATT RHULE

Matt Rhule’s tenure with the Panthers went poorly, and apparently, things still haven’t been smoothed over, even nearly four months after his firing. Last week, Rhule — who got hired by Nebraska in late November — filed an arbitration suit against the franchise, claiming the Panthers are refusing to pay his severance compensation.

Contract terms indicate there’s roughly $5 million being disputed, writes our NFL insider Jonathan Jones.

There should be a conclusion in the coming weeks.

What Tom Brady’s retirement means for Bucs and everyone else 🏈

Welcome to your first full day of retirement, Tom Brady! In case you somehow missed it, Brady is calling it quits — this time “for good,” he says — after 23 seasons, seven Super Bowl wins and so many ridiculous numbers that we’d be here forever if I listed them all. His career is truly one-of-one, and it will likely stay that way forever. Robert Kraft certainly thinks so. The winning, the longevity, the records… it’s truly overwhelming.

His retirement created shockwaves across the NFL — here’s how the sports world reacted, and here’s how two of his closest teammates reacted — and the impact of his departure will reach far and wide, especially ahead of what appears to be another hectic quarterback carousel this offseason.

Our Cody Benjamin looked at the ripple effects of Brady walking away, especially on one hypothetical destination.

We also have winners and losers from the decision, and it’s important to note that Brady himself is the biggest winner, as our Bryan DeArdo writes. One big loser, though, is the Buccaneers, and Bryan has options for what’s next under center in Tampa Bay. Could it be Garoppolo? Maybe, says Tyler Sullivan. I have to give major props to our NFL team, which has every single angle covered:

Breanna Stewart joins Liberty as a superteam grows in New York 🏀 Getty Images

Breanna Stewart is taking her talents to the Big Apple. And, my goodness, what a talented team the New York Liberty will be.

After being picked No. 1 overall in the 2016 draft Stewart spent the first seven years of her career with the Storm, where she filled up her trophy case:

Stewart joins 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones, acquired from the Sun in mid-January, and 2022 All-Star Sabrina Ionescu to form one heck of a “Big Three.” Expectations are now high, writes our Jack Maloney.

Stewart’s free agency was maybe the biggest in WNBA history, with Kevin Durant even recruiting her to New York. Now that she’s there, expect her to continue to be outspoken on some major issues — including chartered flights — off the court while dominating on the court. As Jack notes, “the WNBA has officially entered its superteam era.”

As LeBron James closes in on scoring title, enjoy the ride 🏀 Getty Images

LeBron James is 89 points from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. It’s no longer a matter of “if,” but “when” and “when” is probably next week — potentially Feb. 7 at his current rate.

Of course, the gray cloud hanging over this is that the Lakers are not very good. Only the Spurs and Rockets are worse in the West. If the season ended today, James would miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year — something that hasn’t happened since his first two years in the league. Injuries, underperformance, bad luck, tension, questionable decisions. You name it, the Lakers have dealt with it.

For a few nights, though, let that subside and focus on James passing a record long believed to be untouchable, writes our Bill Reiter.

What we’re watching Thursday 📺

🏀 No. 19 FAU at UAB, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network🏀 Grizzlies at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT🏀 No. 8 Maryland at No. 6 Iowa, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN🏀 Clippers at Bucks, 10 p.m. on TNT