NFL Combine Grades, UCL Bracket, Four Conference Titles Clinched

Indianapolis—The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and while a handful of marquee names opted out of drills, the on-field workouts still delivered clarity at the top of April’s draft board. CBS Sports graded every position group, concluding that the majority of projected first-rounders reinforced their pedigree with crisp athletic testing and position-specific drills. Several lesser-known prospects—mid-round hopefuls entering the week—boosted their stock into the coveted Day 2 conversation with eye-catching 40-yard dashes and seamless on-field transitions.

Away from the turf, the NFL Players Association’s confidential survey results surfaced late last week. Of the 1,759 players who responded, only two head coaches earned the elusive A+ mark, a sharp drop from six in the previous cycle. Four of the six coaches who fell below a B have already been dismissed; the survivors are Packers head man Matt LaFleur (B-) and Chargers rookie boss Jim Harbaugh (C+).

On the hardwood, the regular-season finish line is in sight. Four high-major conferences have already locked up their automatic bids, every power league except the Big East having crowned a champion during a loaded penultimate weekend that featured six top-25 showdowns. One-third of the nation’s 31 leagues closed regular-season play and now pivot to tournament mode. The Horizon League tips first-round action today, followed by the Patriot League and Sun Belt on Tuesday and seven more conferences on Wednesday.

Miami (Ohio) remains the sport’s great story of perfection. The RedHawks improved to 29-0 after erasing another second-half deficit and winning on a buzzer-beating layup, putting them two wins from an unblemished regular season. The shine dimmed for bubble resident USC, which absorbed a 15-point home loss to No. 14 Nebraska and learned that guard Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer with the program.

In women’s hoops, No. 21 North Carolina toppled No. 12 Duke 74-69 in a thriller that highlighted the weekend’s biggest upsets. Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo flirted with a triple-double against No. 10 Louisville, while Ohio State’s Cambridge sisters controlled both ends of the floor in a statement victory over No. 15 Michigan State.

Soccer and baseball calendars are also heating up. Today’s viewing slate features Bologna–Pisa and Fiorentina–Udinese in Serie A on Paramount+, plus spring-training tilts headlined by the Braves visiting the Tigers on ESPN and the Athletics meeting the Padres on MLB Network. Prime-time basketball includes No. 1 Duke at NC State, No. 4 Iowa State at No. 2 Arizona, and an NBA Western Conference clash between the Clippers and Warriors.

With conference tournaments, Selection Sunday, and draft season converging, the next fortnight promises nonstop scoreboard drama across the American sports landscape.