Football News

Philadelphia, PA — One season after landing in Washington, Deebo Samuel is back on the open market. The Commanders released the 28-year-old wideout after a 2025 campaign in which he recorded 72 receptions on 99 targets for 727 yards and five scores, adding 17 carries for 75 yards and another touchdown. The numbers represented a rebound from a quiet 2024 and placed him 25th among PPR receivers with an 11.8-point weekly average. Now entering his eighth season, Samuel has drawn interest from multiple franchises but remains unsigned heading into Week 3 of the offseason. Here are the three most logical landing spots for the former All-Pro: New England Patriots Following a Super Bowl loss and the departure of 1,000-yard receiver Stefon Diggs, New England signed Green Bay’s Romeo Dous to bolster second-year quarterback Drake Maye’s options. Signing Samuel would give Maye a premier run-after-catch threat capable of operating between the hashes and converting short throws into chunk gains. While target share could be squeezed by the depth around him, Samuel’s efficiency and 72 percent catch rate would keep him in the high-end WR2 conversation for fantasy managers. San Francisco 49ers A reunion with the franchise that first made him a household name is on the table. After allowing Jauan Jennings to test free agency, San Francisco added future Hall of F Mike Evans to pair with Ricky Pearsall. Samuel’s familiarity with Kyle Shanahan’s system and the ability to operate with fewer than 90 targets makes him a plug-and-play option. He could reopen his rushing ledger inside a crowded offense, freeing Evans and Pearsall for vertical looks. Tennessee ans Tennessee is stockpiling talent around sophomore quarterback Cam Ward, who surged in the second half of his debut season. With a clear need at receiver opposite Calvin Ridley and Elic Ayom or, Samuel would step in as the likely leader in target share. His combined receiving and rushing skill set would give Brian D D a multidimensional weapon and could make him the most productive fantasy option of any potential destination. Samuels’ next stop will hinge on whether he prioritizes a familiar scheme, a clear alpha role, or a chance to compete for a title. Until he signs, the suters above represent the most intriguing destinations for the veteran who has proved he can still produce when healthy and engaged.

PITTSBURGH — The Dallas Cowboys ground out a gritty win over the Pittsburgh Steelers early Monday morning, but the league’s television partners are facing a much bleaker reality. The extended contest, which stretched into the early hours, has become a symbol of Week 5’s ratings collapse, with viewership numbers plummeting to historic lows. Industry insiders say the late finish and lopsided time slots contributed to the steep decline, leaving networks scrambling to explain the shortfall to advertisers who bank on primetime NFL audiences. While the Cowboys celebrated a hard-fought victory, executives in New York and Los Angeles were left tallying the financial fallout. The double-digit drop marks one of the most pronounced downturns in recent memory, raising fresh questions about scheduling, market saturation, and the broader appetite for nationally televised games that drift past midnight on the East Coast.

Columbia — South Carolina’s football program continues to overhaul its routine, with the latest shift coming in the form of a “minicamp” practice style designed to maximize reps and sharpen fundamentals ahead of the upcoming season. According to multiple program sources, the new format condenses the traditional practice calendar into shorter, high-intensity sessions that mirror the structure of professional minicamps. The approach emphasizes rapid-fire drills, situational scrimmaging and specialized position work, all compressed into a tighter daily window. The move is the newest entry on a growing list of changes within the Gamecocks’ football operation. While athletic department officials declined to detail every modification, players and support staff confirmed that the minincamp model has already replaced the older, two-and-a-half-hour practice templates used during spring ball. Advocates inside the program say the tweak should reduce wear-andowear on players’ bodies while sharpening mental focus through uptempo periods and condensed meeting times. Critics question whether the truncated schedule will provide enough live-contact opportunities to adequately prepare an inexperienced roster for SEC competition. What remains certain is that the coaching staff is gambling on a streamlined approach to produce crisper execution when fall camp opens in August. With the season opener drawing closer, the Gamecoks will find out quickly whether the minicamp mentality translates into Saturday success. SEO keywords:

Angela has bled Liverpool red for seven decades, yet on match-day she still hears the same sneer: “Shut up. What do you know about football? You should be in the kitchen getting your husband’s tea.” At 72, her presence in the stands is questioned for one reason—she is a woman. Her story is not isolated. Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out logged 131 sexist incidents between August and February, more than double the tally for the same stretch last season. The rise is echoed by Greater Manchester Police, whose Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) reports at football climbed from 18 in 2023-24 to 28 last term, with further increases expected. For many, the hostility begins long before kick-off. One mother told BBC Sport that misogyny has barred her daughter from men’s games. “I’ll take her to the women’s game if that doesn’t get ruined, but I won’t be taking her to the men’s game until she’s a lot older. I wouldn’t feel safe.” Zoe Hitchen, a Football League-accredited photographer from 2008-2010, recalls routine sexist chants and mascots “creeping up” behind her as she worked. Complaints to clubs, she says, were ignored. “I was quite outspoken for a woman working in football and I would complain and nothing would get done.” Online, the abuse mutates. Derby County volunteer Simran Atwal found a match-day photo of herself and friends reposted without consent, flooded with sexualised comments. Others have discovered AI-generated “nudified” images of themselves circulating—an act illegal under UK law—leaving victims fearful that “these images are out there forever”. Even basic facilities can feel hostile. One supporter described entering women’s toilets at a stadium only to find men urinating in the cubicles, an experience she calls “the norm”. Experts argue the sport’s hyper-masculine culture normalises such behaviour. Sports psychologist Dr Misia Gervis says some fans feel entitled to shout “whatever they like”, while Professor Stacey Pope notes that sexist acts inside grounds often go unchallenged in ways “we would not accept in other spaces in society”. Police insist the spike in numbers reflects better reporting. Ch Supt Colette Rose, head of specialist operations at GMP, recalls being followed and verbally abused while off-duty at a match in Germany. “It shook me to the core… I couldn’t locate a police officer in uniform to support me.” She believes education inside male-dominated terraces can ripple outward: “If we can work with males around behaviours that may make women feel unsafe… that will have an impact on wider society.” Clubs are beginning to act. In 2023 Gillingham became the first EFL side to ban supporters for misogynistic chanting, using fan-camera evidence. Stockport County’s safeguarding lead Sarah Collins urges supporters to “question those behaviours and get people to speak up”. Campaign group Her Game Too, which receives at least one report every match-day, has partnered with more than 500 pubs to create safe viewing spaces for women and girls. National bodies are also mobilising. Kick It Out launched a 2024 anti-sexism campaign, the FA unveiled a four-year equality strategy, and the Home Office will deploy covert online teams to target tech-savvy abusers. Universities and the Football Supporters’ Association have begun a research project inviting female fans to detail their match-day experiences, while curriculum reforms aim to tackle sexism in schools. Progress, however, is fragile. Kick It Out warns that “clubs and governing bodies need to do more to build trust with female fans. Accountability builds trust, trust encourages reporting, and reporting drives change.” Angela’s wish is simple: “Wouldn’t it be lovely for in 10-20-30 years’ time, some women to sit down and say, ‘I cannot believe what people used to go through at football matches’ because it doesn’t happen to me.” Until that day, the terraces remain a battlefield where too many women still have to fight simply to be seen—and heard.

Vanderbilt baseball is seeking a return to form, according to The Anchor, the university’s daily briefing on all things Vanderbilt Athletics. While the briefing offered no additional specifics, the headline alone signals that the program is at a pivotal moment and eager to reverse recent fortunes. The Anchor, a concise daily rundown of what’s happening across Vanderbilt sports, placed the baseball team’s rebound effort atop today’s agenda, underscoring the heightened attention surrounding the squad as the season progresses.

Vincent Kompany has dismissed any suggestion that Manuel Neuer’s looming 40th birthday should signal the twilight of the Bayern Munich goalkeeper’s career, insisting the milestone is no barrier to prolonging elite-level performance. Neuer, who celebrates the landmark at the end of March, has returned to peak form this season after a serious injury lay-off, and Kompany believes the veteran’s mental drive is the decisive factor in his longevity. “40 is young – I didn’t realize that back then,” the Bayern head coach reflected in comments carried by @iMiaSanMia. “But now I know. My knees had other ideas; otherwise I could have carried on playing. ‘Hunger’ is the key word.” Kompany, himself still only a year younger than his skipper, highlighted the psychological resilience required to maintain top-flight standards. “Manuel has fought his way back from a serious injury. He was in incredible form this season – that was impressive. He keeps delivering time and again. We’re almost the same age. It’s about the mental side, not just the physical. If his body stays in good shape, that’s one thing. But what’s impressive is how he keeps motivating himself mentally time and time again. You really need a lot of motivation to reach that level.” Footage released on Bayern’s social channels shows Neuer training with the intensity of a player a decade younger, prompting Kompany to joke that he too could dust off his boots if granted a clean bill of health. The shared mindset between coach and captain underpins Bayern’s belief that age is merely a footnote when ambition and professionalism remain intact.

Paul Clement’s home office is a museum of modern football. Medals from Chelsea, Paris Saint-Galermain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich glint in a glass cabinet; a replica of the 2014 Champions League trophy sits alongside a Premier League manager-of-the-month award and a man-of-the-match trophy Didier Drogba pressed into his hands for support during a difficult Stamford Bridge spell. The newest curios are bright yellow Brazil caps, eight and counting, accumulated while assisting Carlo Ancel-otti as the national team prepares for this summer’s World- Cup. Yet amid the gleaming proof of a life in the elite game, the most treasured items are the oldest: five England caps, a No 2 shirt, and a photograph of a four-year-old Paul wearing one of those caps while standing next to his father, Dave Clement, at a Christmas tree in 1976. Dave was the formidable QPR right-back who helped take the 1975-76 title race to the final day, earned five England caps and was renowned for a physique sculpted by squash courts, road runs and relentless push-ups. “Ray Wilkins told me he roomed with Dad on England duty and said he was unbelievable: ‘Come on, Ray, let’s do some press-ups,’” Paul recalls. Paul’s childhood memories are fragmentary—waiting beside the training pitch, sensing pride when his father watched him play for primary-school sides—but they end abruptly on a March morning in 1982. Ten-year-old Paul woke to find the house in chaos; he was told he would not be going to school, and then his grandfather explained that the man he idolised was dead. The previous months had been brutal. A broken leg sustained in January 1982 while playing for Wimbledon had left Dave, 34, in a full-length cast, fearing the end of a career already sliding from QPR’s title chase to the old Third- Division struggle. Relegation worries, shrinking wages and uncertainty over how to support his family gnawed at a man who had lost a brother to suicide three years earlier. The coroner recorded depression exacerbated by football-related anxiety; Dave had convinced himself he had cancer, though pathology found none. Paul remembers being driven to London Zoo that day with his three-year-old brother Neil, “in a daze”, while the adults tried to shield them. The tragedy made Paul the second active England full international to die after Munich 1958, preceded only by Laurie Cunningham seven years later. It also shaped a career Paul never imagined. He played semi-pro football, realised at 14 he would not reach the top, and channelled his drive into PE teaching and coaching. A part-time role at Chelsea’s academy snowb-alled into full-time work at Fulham, a return to Cobham, and rapid promotion from under-16s coach to first-team assistant under Guus Hiddink and then Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian’s trust took Paul to Paris, Madrid, Munich and now Brazil, where World-Cup preparation awaits. “Even when I went into Chelsea and Fulham, I thought I might have a career in youth development,” Paul says. “I never thought I’d get to this level.” Four managerial posts—Derby County, Swansea City, Reading and Belgian side Cercle Brugge— lasted less than a year each, but his partnership with Ancelotti has yielded a Champions- League medal and, imminently, a global stage with Neymar and company. Somewhere between the academy and the Bernabéu he found time to guide Swansea to a Premier-League manager-of-themonth award, tangible proof that a surname synonymous with English football fortitude has now earned its own coaching stripes. Fifty years on from Dave’s debut against Wales—QPR were top of the First Division that week—R’s supporters staged a reunion. Paul’s mother Patricia received a commemorative shirt with No 2 on the back; the FA later handed her a red legacy cap numbered 917 to mark Dave’s place in England’s chronological roll. Paul’s own son, David, took it all in. “Our dad would be proud that both of his boys have had good careers in football,” Paul says of himself and Neil, who played 103 Premier-League games for West Bromwich Albion. “And he would be proud of everything our mum has done for us.” Paul keeps a 1970s Norwegian television clip in which his father, articulate and forward-thinking, predicts English football’s commercial future and warns academy players to stay in school because “you’ve got to be prepared for the worst”. The footage also catches Dave teaching young Paul to putt and laying a driveway with Patricia. “Family must always come first,” he insists. The words echo across four decades to a home office where new Brazil caps keep arriving and a son who never got to ask his father “Why?” or “How bad were you?” channels the answer into every training session.

SHERMAN, Texas — Sherman ISD announced Monday morning that it has parted ways with Head Football Coach Josh Aleman after the Bearcats closed the 2026 season with a 2-7 record. Aleman, a 2004 graduate of Sherman High, guided the program for three seasons and compiled an overall record of 8-21. His tenure did include a signature moment in 2024 when the Bearcats snapped Denison’s 11-year streak in the Battle of the Ax, rolling to a 31-13 victory. With summer workouts approaching, district officials said the search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Illinois guard Destiny Jackson kept probing, slicing, searching for daylight against Vanderbilt’s long-armed forward Aiyana Mitchell, but every lane she found closed almost as quickly as it opened. The snapshot of Jackson (No. 2) trying to navigate around Mitchell (No. 14) in the second half Monday at Memorial Gym summed up the Illini’s night: plenty of effort, precious few answers. By the final buzzer, the Commodores had rolled to a 75-57 victory that sent Illinois home and propelled Vanderbilt into the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The game turned early and never pivoted back. Illinois shot 21-for-71 overall (29.6 percent) and a frigid 3-for-23 from beyond the arc (14.3 percent). Berry Wallace’s 18-point effort required 20 shots; Cearah Parchment added 12, but no other Illini reached double figures. Nine assists against 16 turnovers told the story of an offense that devolved into late-clock heaves against one of the nation’s most disciplined defenses. While Illinois misfired, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes put on a clinic. The guard finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, falling one dime shy of a triple-double. Justine Pissott complemented Blakes with 18 points, drilling four threes as the Commodores consistently produced the timely basket or defensive stop that blunted every Illini surge. The loss ends Illinois’ season at 20-12, the third 20-win campaign in four years under head coach Shauna Green. With the bulk of the rotation expected back in Champaign next fall, the Illini will carry both the sting of Monday’s lopsided defeat and the experience of a tournament-tested core into 2026-27.

The race for Europe’s final four tickets to the 2026 World Cup reaches its climax over the coming seven days, with 16 contenders still in contention and Italy among those feeling the heat. All remaining berths allocated to the continent will be settled in the condensed play-off window, leaving no margin for error as teams chase the sport’s ultimate stage. Italy, four-time world champions, enter the do-or-die phase knowing that anything short of victory will see them miss out on a second consecutive World Cup. Their predicament underscores the stakes for every side still in the hunt: with only four places left, the knockout tension is absolute. Across the continent, training grounds are locked in, travel schedules are finalized, and stadiums are being prepped for a series of sudden-death encounters that will complete the 2026 tournament lineup. For the Azzurri and their 15 fellow hopefuls, the next week will decide whether dreams are realized or a cycle of rebuilding begins.

Latrobe’s offense erupted for 13 runs and needed every one of them, as Grady Riffner’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth lifted the Wildcats to a dramatic 13-12 walk-off victory over visiting Penn-Trafford in Monday’s Section 1-5A baseball opener at Latrobe. The contest was a back-and-forth slugfest from the first pitch. Cole Short paced the Wildcats with a 4-for-6 performance that included two doubles, a home run and four RBIs, while Noah Noel added four hits in five trips, doubling once and driving in a run. The win keeps Latrobe perfect at 4-0 overall and 1-0 in section play. Penn-Trafford, now 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the section, received a monster effort from Nico Casciato, who went 3 for with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs. Elsewhere on the area diamond: Section 2-A Aquinas Academy 19, Summit Academy 1 Brendan Roney and Ian Patterson each doubled twice and drove in four runs, and Henry Hynds doubled, tripled and knocked in two to pace the Crusaders in their season opener. Jonah Burchill added two hits and three RBIs, while Jackson Stanton singled, tripled and plated two. Section 3-A Bishop Canevin 9, Sewickley Academy 8 JT Healey delivered a walk-off RBI single in the seventh, capping a wild finish. Jackson Maddix powered the offense, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and six RBIs. For Sewickley, Billy Pietrogallo was 2-for-2 with a homer, and both Carter Jackson and Logan Berezney doubled twice. Serra Catholic 15, Monessen 0 (3 innings) Liam Sommerer fired a no-hitter and Jake Anderson singled, doubled and drove in four runs as the Crusaders opened section play at 3-1 overall. Section 3-3A Deer Lakes 10, Southmoreland 0 Andrew Connelly struck out nine in five scoreless innings and doubled home a run to lead the Lancers. Eli Misera singled, tripled and knocked in three, while James Gall doubled and drove in two. Nonsection games Ligonier Valley 13, McGuffey 4 Miles Smith singled, tripled and plated four runs, and winning pitcher Austin Harr went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI for the 2-0 Rams. New Castle 19, Clayton (N.J.) 0 Alex Rodgers, Dominic Miller and Phillip Laurenza each went 3-for-3, combining for three homers, five doubles and eight RBIs as the Red Hurricanes improved to 4-0. Plum 9, Armstrong 3 Max Vollmer’s 3-for-5 performance featured a double, home run and five RBIs. Andrew Monaco added three hits, two doubles and three RBIs for the 5-0 Mustangs. Greene County Tech 15, Avonworth 2 (Myrtle Beach) Kannon Ring went 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs, while Cooper Scharding and Carson Franc each singled and doubled for the Antelopes.

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, staged last Saturday at the L.A. Coliseum, began as a marketing spectacle and ended as a statement game for the sport’s Olympic future. Tom Brady’s first touchdown toss since 2022 drew headlines, but the day belonged to the athletes already wearing the red, white and blue of the U.S. national program, who routed a star-studded NFL squad 106-44 across three games and reminded onlookers that flag football is a discipline all its own. Brady, 48, looked comfortable in the five-on-five format, completing 8 of 12 passes for 85 yards and two scores. Yet the eye-opener was the performance of Team USA quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette, who went 8-for-8 through the air with three touchdowns, rushed six times for 76 yards and three more scores, and added five receptions for 79 yards. The 5-foot-7 former track standout earned tournament MVP honors and, voice cracking in the post-game interview, said the lopsidian result validated his August claim that he is “better than Patrick Mahomes” in flag football. “When it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him,” Doucette reiterated. Doucette’s teammate, Nico Casares, was nearly perfect as well, finishing 24-of-27 for 332 yards and five touchdowns. The pair exposed the NFL contingent’s learning curve: unfamiliar rules—ball carriers cannot jump, for example—produced a rash of penalties, while the Americans’ speed and space-creating ability repeatedly left defenders grasping at flags that were no longer there. Future Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly, playing for the NFL side, admitted the transition was jarring. “Their skill set was very different than anything we’ve seen in the NFL,” he said. “Our inability to put our hands on those guys made the game very difficult.” The exhibition carried added weight because flag football debuts as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Jalen Hurts, the league’s Global Flag Football Ambassador, ignited the 2024 Olympic torch to herald the sport’s inclusion, a moment that rankled national-team veterans who fear NFL marketing muscle could muscle them out of roster spots. Saturday’s rout was their rebuttal. “We just don’t think they’re going to be able to walk on the field and make the Olympic team because of the name,” Doucte had said earlier. The scoreboard backed him up. Team USA coach Jorge Cascudo suggested the door remains open for crossover talent, noting Odell Beckham Jr. as a possible convert if he masters the nuances. Brady, meanwhile, has two years to reach the 50-year-old mark and attempt a redemption tour on Olympic soil. The other lingering off-season storyline concerns the veteran names still unemployed after the first wave of free agency. All are over 30 and all come with recognizable résumés: tight end Darren Waller (No. 88), quarterback Joe Flacco (No. 92), linebacker Bobby Wagner (No. 111), quarterback Russell Wilson (No. 113), receiver Tyreek Hill (No. 136) and pass rusher Von Miller (No. 144). In an era that prizes youth, their market has cooled, prompting a look back at the most fruitful “leftovers” signings in league history. Four stand out among players age 32 and up: 4. Jerry Rice to the Raiders at 39. Cut by the 49ers for salary-cap reasons in 2001, Rice signed a four-year, $5.4 million deal and averaged 1,000 receiving yards over three full seasons before continuing his march through the record books in Seattle. 3. Rod Woodson to the Ravens at 33. After seven Pro Bowls at cornerback, Woodson converted to safety, earned four more Pro Bowl nods, twice led the league in interceptions and anchored the 2000 defense that allowed fewer points than any unit since. 2. Shannon Sharpe to the Ravens at 32. The former Bronco instantly became Baltimore’s primary target, pacing the team in every major receiving category and clinching the AFC title with a 96-yard touchdown on third-and-18. 1. Peyton Manning to the Broncos at 36. Coming off spinal fusion that cost him the entire 2011 season, Manning signed an incentive-heavy contract and responded with an NFL-record 54 touchdown passes in 2013, two Super Bowl trips and a championship in 2015. The common thread: each veteran found a scheme that accentuated his remaining strengths while masking diminished physical traits. For today’s unsigned thirty-somethings, the template exists, but the waiting game continues. In Seattle, the Seahawks moved to secure their own young building block, agreeing to a four-year, $168.6 million extension with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The deal, which ties the reigning Offensive Player of the Year to the franchise through 2031, resets the market for fourth-year receivers and sets the stage for similar negotiations involving Rams standout Puka Nacua. Taken together, the weekend offered a glimpse of football’s evolving landscape: Olympic flag football has its first marquee showdown, veteran NFL stars face an uncertain market, and one 24-year-old just became the highest-paid wideout in league history. The next chapter is already underway.

Wilson — First-year head coach Matt Padgett earned his first series sweep at the helm of the Barton College baseball program Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs polished off a weekend sweep of Conference Carolinas foe Chowan with an 11-5, 14-6 doubleheader victory at Nixon Field. The twin wins gave Barton (7-17, 5-13) its first back-to-back victories of the season and completed a commanding three-game set that began with an 18-0 triumph on Friday. Game 1 – Barton 11, Chowan 5 Trailing 3-0 before they came to bat, the Bulldogs responded with a five-run third inning to seize control. Tyler Hughesman keyed the uprising, collecting three of Barton’s 13 hits and driving in two runs, including the go-ahead RBI. Gregory Melo delivered a two-run triple, and four different Bulldogs finished with two RBIs apiece. Reliever Joshua Wolkin quieted the Hawks the rest of the way to earn the win. Game 2 – Barton 14, Chowan 6 The offense erupted for 16 hits and seven runs in the decisive fifth inning. J.J. Faulkner led the charge, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run single during the game-breaking frame. Nathan Waldridge provided 3 1/3 innings of solid relief to secure the victory. Friday’s series opener saw Barton pound out 12 hits and score 11 runs across the seventh and eighth innings. David Lieux and Faulkner each drove in five runs—Lieux on a three-run homer and Faulkner on a pair of long balls. Myles Odom added three hits, while Hughesman chipped in two hits and two RBIs. Mason McDougall tossed six shutout innings for the win as Chowan managed only seven hits. The sweep drops Chowan to 3-19 overall and 3-15 in league play. Barton returns to the diamond Tuesday at 3 p.m. for a non-conference meeting with Lenoir-Rhyne before traveling to Belmont Abbey for a three-game conference set beginning Friday at 5 p.m.

São Paulo – The Brazilian eNational Team clocked in at CBF headquarters on Monday afternoon and immediately hit the virtual pitch, opening preparations for a demanding pair of friendlies against France and Croatia. The matches will be contested on both eFootball (Mobile and Console) and EA FC platforms, with kick-offs set for 25 March at 13:00 local time against Les Bleus and 30 March at 17:00 against the Croatians. While the French encounter will feature bouts on eFootball Console and EA FC, the Croatian clash adds eFootball Mobile to the slate. In keeping with this season’s FIFAe Series regulations, the mobile segment will be played in tandem, requiring seamless coordination between teammates. PHzin, a two-time world champion and anchor of the Seleção squad, underlined the unique challenge awaiting the side. “Representing the Brazilian National Team in any friendly or competition is always special. It will be a different experience; we are not used to playing with such a distance. These will be two complicated games that require our attention. The French team is strong, experienced, and one of the best in the world.” Head coach Thiago Avaré echoed his star player’s caution while expressing confidence in the group’s readiness. “We are ready, the team is prepared. We have a new pair in eFootball Console, but they already know each other and have chemistry. They played the eBrasileirão last year for Flamengo and also in other competitions. We had to refine some things, bring our style of play to achieve the result we expect, which is victory in these friendlies. These will be complicated games with differences in actions during the match, as the teams are not in the same location. Whoever adapts better to this variable may have an advantage.” The squad will train again on Tuesday before traveling virtually to face France. All fixtures will be streamed live on CBF TV and follow a best-of-three format, with the first side to claim two victories declared the winner.

Buffalo continued its offseason offensive-line evaluation Monday by hosting veteran interior lineman Austin Corbett, according to Aaron Wilson of KPCR 2. The 30-year-old, who has logged 94 NFL appearances with 78 starts, is among the most seasoned blockers still available in free agency. A second-round selection out of Nevada in 2018, Corbett is searching for his fourth professional home as he readies for an eighth season. Cleveland drafted him but dealt him to Los Angeles in October 2019 after a benching; the Rams immediately plugged him in as a full-time starter and reaped the benefits during their 2021 championship run. Carolina signed Corbett to a three-year, $26.25 million contract the following spring. He responded with 17 starts at right guard in 2022, but a Week 18 ACL tear began a frustrating stretch of injuries. From 2023-25 he suited up for only 22 of 51 possible games, though he did reclaim a starting role last year. After beating out Cade Mays for the Panthers’ center job in camp, a Week 2 MCL sprain landed him on injured reserve; Mays held the spot during Corbett’s four-game absence, prompting the veteran to slide back to right guard for the remainder of the schedule. He ultimately started 11 of 13 contests and earned a 32nd-place ranking among 79 qualified guards from Pro Football Focus. In Buffalo, Corbett would not be ticketed for a starting center or right-guard role. The Bills locked up center Connor McGovern with a three-year, $52 million extension before the legal tampering window, and 2023 draftee O’Cyrus Torrence is entrenched at right guard. The left-guard job is less settled after David Edwards departed for New Orleans on a four-year, $61 million pact. Second-year pro Alec Anderson is the early favorite to replace Edwards, but Corbett’s experience could create legitimate competition. Even if he does not unseat Anderson, Corbett would give Buffalo a reliable, versatile reserve. Interior depth behind the projected starters is thin—Tylan Grable, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Nick Broeker have combined for four career starts—making Corbett’s résumé an attractive insurance policy as the Bills look to protect quarterback Josh Allen in 2026.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Michigan’s football program has quietly landed one of the most intriguing front-office additions of the offseason, appointing longtime NFL evaluator Chris Pettit as assistant general manager, 247Sports first reported Monday evening. Pettit arrives in Ann Arbor with more than two decades of professional scouting experience, the bulk of it spent with the New York Giants. During his tenure as the Giants’ director of college scouting, he helped assemble the rosters that captured two Lombardi trophies, establishing a reputation for identifying difference-makers at the highest level of the sport. Beyond his traditional résumé, Pettit brings a technological edge to the Wolverines. He serves as chief operating officer and co-founder of Scout Smarter AI, a patented, AI-powered talent-evaluation platform engineered by former NFL executives. The system promises to streamline scouting workflows, sharpen decision-making, and deliver predictive analytics on player performance—tools that could immediately amplify Michigan’s recruiting operation. Pettit will report directly to newly installed general manager Dave Peloquin, who was hired in February after two decades in Notre Dame’s recruiting department and a subsequent stint leading the college division of Athletes First. Peloquin’s first personnel move was the addition of Skylar Phan, previously USC’s director of recruiting strategy and described by industry sources as an “up-and-coming superstar” in the recruiting landscape. Phan is expected to oversee visitor experience and strategic outreach for the Wolverines. While Michigan has not publicly confirmed adoption of Scout Smarter AI, Pettit’s presence makes its integration all but certain. Pairing his evaluative acumen with Peloquin’s relational expertise and Phan’s event management savvy gives Michigan a three-pronged approach designed to compete for elite prospects on every front.

CLEMSON, S.C.—Five-star quarterback Elijah Haven touched down in Clemson on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, for the Dabo Swinney Football Camp, adding another marquee stop to a recruitment that has become one of the most-watched storylines in the 2027 cycle. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Baton Rouge native is rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 quarterback, the top prospect in Louisiana, and the No. 2 overall player in the class. In three seasons as the starter at Dunham School, Haven has amassed 9,229 passing yards and 134 touchdowns against only 17 interceptions, while also rushing for 2,383 yards and 44 scores. His dual-sport athleticism includes back-to-back Louisiana 2A state semifinal runs on the basketball court, where he earned All-State Second Team honors as a freshman and District and Defensive MVP accolades as a sophomore. 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in December that Haven is a “supersized quarterback that is going to have a chance to be the face of a franchise,” comparing his skill set to that of former Florida and NC State signal-caller Jacoby Brissett. Despite holding offers from heavyweight programs stretching from Tuscaloosa to Athens, Haven is narrowing his focus. He is eyeing April 25 as a potential commitment date, with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Georgia still firmly in the mix. Alabama extended its scholarship in June 2025 and has hosted Haven for three game visits plus January’s junior day. Auburn followed with an offer in September 2024 and has welcomed him for June and Iron Bowl trips, plus February’s junior day. Florida, the first to offer way back in December 2023, has seen Haven twice in 2025, most notably for the October showdown with Texas. Georgia entered the picture during a June 2025 camp and later hosted him for the November clash with Texas. With the 2026 early signing period still months away, Haven’s every move—including Tuesday’s session under Swinney’s watchful eye—will be dissected by coaches and fans eager to secure the signature that could shape the next decade of their program’s fortunes.

Manchester United and Chelsea are preparing to step up their pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, undeterred by the Midlands club’s £100 million-plus valuation, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke. Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast for Football Insider, O’Rourke revealed that Villa regard the 23-year-old as integral to their future and would offload fringe players before entertaining any bid for their prize asset. Rogers, who signed a six-year contract extension in November 2025 that ties him to Villa Park until June 2031, has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most dynamic talents this season. With eight goals and five assists in the league and a club-best 10 goals across all competitions, the former academy graduate has eclipsed more experienced team-mates to become Unai Emery’s primary creative force. Despite Villa’s third-place standing in the table and a Europa League last-16 berth, the absence of Champions League football has left the door ajar for Europe’s heavyweights. Rogers showcased his ability on Europe’s grandest stage last term, memorably scoring a hat-trick against Celtic, and top clubs believe the step down to the Europa League could accelerate his desire to move. O’Rourke insists the blockbuster price tag will not act as a deterrent. “Even with that price tag, it won’t scare people off,” he said. “Some of the big clubs in the Premier League and across Europe will be ready to test Villa’s resolve in the summer. Maybe if they have Champions League football to offer and Villa can’t offer that, top players like Rogers will want to play at the highest level possible.” Villa’s hierarchy remain publicly defiant, pointing to the long-term contract as evidence of both the club’s ambition and the player’s commitment. Yet modern football economics often favour the buyer when elite clubs come calling. United’s global commercial pull and Chelsea’s aggressive recruitment strategy could prove decisive if Villa fail to secure a return to the Champions League in 2026-27. For now, Rogers continues to spearhead Villa’s push for silverware on two fronts. Whether the Birmingham club can fend off the circling giants may depend less on their valuation and more on their ability to match the sporting ambitions of their most coveted star. SEO keywords:

Manchester United’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on Friday night has ignited a fresh debate over Premier League officiating after two contentious penalty incidents ended with only one whistle and a red card. Former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher has now weighed in, telling Sky Sports’ Ref Watch that Stuart Attwell and the VAR team should have treated both situations identically. The match at the Vitality Stadium remained goalless until the second half, when four goals and a flurry of flashpoints unfolded. Referee Attwell pointed to the spot for each side: first for United after a foul on Matheus Cunha, and later for Bournemouth when Harry Maguire was adjudged to have impeded Evanilson, a decision that also brought the United captain a straight red for denying an obvious scoring opportunity. Yet the pivotal moment, Gallagher insists, came seconds before Bournemouth’s opening equaliser. Amad Diallo went down in the home penalty area under what appeared to be a comparable shove, only for Attwell to wave play on. While VAR reviewed the incident, play continued, and the Cherries scored almost immediately. “I think they are both penalties,” Gallagher told viewers. “They are so similar. On balance, give both.” He noted Attwell had “the most perfect position” and rejected the appeal instantly, leaving VAR to decide whether the error met the “clear and obvious” threshold. Officials ultimately stayed with the on-field call, believing there was “not enough” contact to intervene. The inconsistency became glaring when Maguire’s later challenge, described by Gallagher as “slightly different” but still a push, was punished with both a penalty and a dismissal. “Whichever way the referee jumps, you expect him to jump the same way twice,” Gallagher added, acknowledging Michael Carrick’s right to feel aggrieved. United, who remain a point ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea after both rivals lost over the weekend, are preparing an official complaint to PGMOL. Maguire will now miss April’s home meeting with Leeds United through suspension, while Carrick’s squad must regroup for the final push toward Champions League qualification. SEO keywords:

New Orleans – The American Athletic Conference recognized two Tulane standouts on Monday afternoon, placing sophomore outfielder Jason Wachs and graduate reliever Jude Abbadessa on its Weekly Honor Roll after the Green Wave posted a 4-1 record and claimed a conference series from Memphis. Wachs, a Pembroke Pines, Florida, product, paced the offense by going 6-for-15 at the plate, good for a .400 average. He scored eight runs, delivered two doubles, a triple and his fourth home run of the season, amassing 13 total bases. The left-handed slugger also displayed uncommon plate discipline, drawing seven walks to boost his on-base percentage to .609 and his slugging mark to .867 while driving in four runs. Through 25 games Wachs paces Tulane with 27 RBIs—seventh-best in the league—and his 10 doubles lead the entire conference. His .341 batting average tops all Green Wave regulars, and his 17 walks rank second on the club. Abbadessa, an Endicott, New York, right-hander, proved nearly untouchable out of the bullpen during the week’s four victories. Appearing twice, he logged 7.1 innings, allowed only one run on five hits, walked two and struck out six, good for a 1.23 ERA. The graduate student faced 28 batters and earned wins in both of his outings, stabilizing the back end of the staff. The accolades mark the second career conference citation for Wachs, who also appeared on the Honor Roll on May 12, 2025. Abbadessa earns his first weekly recognition since arriving in Uptown, pushing Tulane’s 2026 season total to five conference weekly honors. Over the past two campaigns the program has now collected 14 such awards. The Green Wave (13-12, 2-1 American) return to Greer Field at Turchin Stadium on Wednesday, March 25, to host Grambling at 6:30 p.m., closing a nine-game homestand. Tulane then travels to Birmingham for an American series at UAB (14-10, 1-2) from March 27-29, with first pitches scheduled for 5:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.

Indianapolis, IN – One month after the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. jointly agreed to explore trade possibilities, the fourth-overall selection of the 2023 draft remains on the roster and in uniform at Lucas Oil Stadium. Richardson went through his normal pre-game routine Sunday ahead of the Colts’ Week 2 matchup with the Denver Broncos, but his long-term future with the franchise remains murky. General manager Chris Ballard has made it clear the organization will not simply give Richardson away. League sources say Indianapolis is open to packaging the quarterback with one of its 2026 draft picks to acquire an established edge rusher who could elevate a defense still searching for consistent quarterback pressure. Two scenarios have gained traction inside league circles: Cleveland has fielded calls about 25-year-old outside linebacker Alex Wright, who signed a lucrative extension in November and finished 2024 with a career-best 5.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus graded Wright as the 19th-best edge defender (78.5 overall), and the Browns could clear significant cap space by moving his $33 million remaining salary. Richardson’s $5 million cap hit fits comfortably within Cleveland’s quarterback budget, especially with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders still on inexpensive deals. Atlanta, meanwhile, owns a crowded defensive-line room but could be willing to part with 2023 third-round pick Zach Harrison. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Ohio State product recorded 4.5 sacks in only seven games last season before a knee injury ended his year. Harrison’s inside-out versatility would address Indi’s thin pass-rush rotation, while the Falcons would add a high-upside quarterback to compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the primary backup role behind Kirk Cousins. Neither proposed deal would fetch Indianapolis a marquee superstar, yet both would address the club’s most pressing defensive need. Ballard, who has acknowledged the risk of moving on from a former top-five pick, must decide whether to pull the trigger before the mid-season trade window narrows. For now, Richardson continues to wear the horseshoe, but every pre-game warmup carries the weight of an uncertain future.

London — Pep Guardiola and several of his Manchester City players offered sharply contrasting takes on what Sunday’s Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal will mean for the Premier League title race, exposing a rare public divergence of opinion inside the Etihad camp. City survived an early Arsenal barrage at Wembley before second-half goals sealed a 2-0 win and a record-extending triumph in the competition. Guardiola, who joked he “wouldn’t have bet £1” on such a polished performance, nevertheless insisted the result will have “no impact” on the league table, where Arsenal currently hold a nine-point advantage over the champions. “I would like to have nine points in front of Arsenal,” the Catalan said. “Different competitions.” Yet match-winner Nico O’Reilly, pressed by CBS Sports on whether the squad can now “smell blood” in the championship chase, replied without hesitation: “Yeah, 100%. The blood never went—we’ve always smelt blood. We’re confident in ourselves… they’ve got to come to our place, which is a tough place to come.” Rodri echoed the youngster’s optimism, arguing the psychological boost stretches beyond the trophy cabinet. “That’s why I say it’s a game not only for this title but to show that we can beat them,” the midfielder stressed, while admitting the recent Champions League elimination by Real Madrid had left the squad determined to channel their energies into the domestic cups. Guardiola, however, sounded a cautious note, suggesting Arsenal could emerge more motivated for the league meeting at the Etihad on 19 April. “They will be more concerned when they come to Etihad,” he predicted. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, still smarting from only his fourth defeat of the campaign, promised to channel the setback into “the most amazing two months” of his tenure. History offers the Gunners encouragement: after each previous loss this season they have stitched together lengthy unbeaten runs. City’s game in hand means the gap can shrink to three points before kickoff that spring evening in Manchester, but whether Sunday’s Wembley statement truly alters the trajectory of the title fight remains a matter of fierce debate—inside the City dressing room as much as anywhere else. SEO keywords:

Tottenham Hotspur’s search for a new first-choice goalkeeper has taken an unexpected turn toward a player once deemed surplus by Leeds United, according to emerging reports from Italy. With doubts swirling over Guglielmo Vicario’s long-term future in North London, Spurs scouts have identified Cagliari’s Elia Caprile as the leading candidate to succeed the 29-year-old, who joined from Empoli for £17 million in the summer of 2023. Vicario’s second season in the Premier League has been punctuated by high-profile errors and, most notably, a surprise benching by interim manager Igor Tudor for the Champions League last-16 first-leg trip to Atlético Madrid. Although teenage deputy Antonin Kinsky endured a nightmare quarter-hour in which he conceded three times before being substituted after 17 minutes, the episode intensified speculation that Tottenham could move on from Vicario at season’s end. Juventus and Inter have already been credited with interest in bringing the Italian international back to Serie A. Enter Caprile, a 24-year-old keeper whose career arc has taken him from Leeds United’s academy to the fringes of the senior Italy squad within four years. Signed from Chievo by Leeds in January 2020, Caprile never made a first-team appearance for the Whites but featured on the bench eight times and became a regular for the club’s under-23s. He returned to his homeland in 2023 with Bari, earned promotion-chasing plaudits in Serie B, and secured a transfer to Napoli last summer before immediately heading to Cagliari on a temporary deal. Caprile’s form on Sardinia has been impossible to ignore. Journalist Nicolo Schira reports that Tottenham have dispatched scouts to run the rule over the 6ft 3in stopper, while Aston Villa—bracing for potential upheaval around World Cup winner Emi Martínez—have also monitored his recent performances. Caprile’s burgeoning reputation was rubber-stamped by Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, who drafted him into the Azzurri’s World Cup play-off squad after Vicario withdrew to undergo hernia surgery. Club medics expect Vicario to return “within the next month,” but the national-team snub underlines how quickly Caprile’s stock has risen. Transfermarkt values Caprile at €15 million, a fee that would rise further given his contract at Cagliari runs until 2029. Tottenham’s willingness to meet such a valuation may hinge on which division they are playing in next season; the club’s European qualification hopes remain delicately poised. Yet Caprile’s prior experience of English football, coupled with his age and upward trajectory, ticks multiple boxes for a Spurs hierarchy intent on refreshing a squad that has underachieved for much of the campaign. For a player once released by Leeds without a senior minute to his name, a potential leap to the Premier League represents a remarkable turnaround. Whether Tottenham firm up their interest—and whether Caprile can truly fill the gloves of a goalkeeper signed for eight figures only two summers ago—will be one of the summer window’s more intriguing storylines.

Truro City manager John Askey praised his side’s remarkable display after they halted a nine-match winless streak with a resounding 3-0 victory away to Sutton United in the National League. The result, only the Cornish club’s second away win since their promotion to the fifth tier almost a year ago, arrived after a run that had yielded just one point from a possible 27 and left the Tinners anchored at the foot of the table. Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, Askey said the margin of victory could have been even greater. To come here and put a performance on like they have done is remarkable, he said. I would have said it could have even been six, the chances that we had. The win reduces the gap to safety to nine points, though Truro remain six behind their nearest rivals with only seven fixtures remaining. City face a quick turnaround, hosting 15th-placed Solihull Moors on Wednesday before fourth-placed Boreham Wood visit the Truro Community Stadium on Saturday. Askey, forced to name just five substitutes because of injuries, insisted the squad must maintain belief. You’ve got to keep going, he added. You just move on to the next one and just see what we can get on Wednesday. I’m just really pleased for the players who’ve been putting in the effort they have and got some reward. The manager believes the performance at Sutton underlined how close his team have been to turning results in their favour. We’ve been so close and you can’t say that players were playing without confidence because of the football that we were playing and we were in every game. It’s just been those little moments at both ends really where we’ve been lacking, but today we weren’t—so as regards belief for the ones who’ve played—we go into Wednesday’s game now a little bit more buoyed than if we’d have come here and not got a result.

Tottenham Hotspur’s survival hopes took another body-blow on Sunday as a 3-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest left the North London club hovering one point above the Premier League relegation zone. The loss, Spurs’ sixth in seven league outings, deepens the misery of a side still without a top-flight victory in 2026 and still awaiting a first league triumph under interim head coach Igor Tudor. Tudor, appointed in February to rescue a season derailed by injuries and poor form, left the stadium immediately after the final whistle because of what the club termed a “personal family matter”. Assistant coach Bruno Saltor faced the media instead and, when pressed on whether Tottenham can still steer clear of the drop, delivered an 83-word rallying cry. “Completely. The best way to do it is focusing every day on doing your best, trying to be the best version of yourself, trying to push through difficulties, focusing on every action, not focusing on the end goal. It’s just focusing and giving your best every day,” Saltor said. “That sounds a topic, but that’s the only thing that you can do. And players, obviously, as us, we need to reflect on ourselves and try to get the best version because we need it now.” The result extends Spurs’ winless league run under Tudor to five matches and leaves them in 17th place, just above the bottom three. Having taken only one point from a possible 15 since the Croat’s arrival, the club’s decision-makers now face mounting pressure to act with ten fixtures remaining.

Every April, draft rooms preach the same gospel: “You can find receivers after the first round.” The past decade has proved it, and the 2026 class may do it again. From Tyreek Hill’s 4.29-speed heist in the fifth round to Jauan Jennings’ bully-ball artistry at pick 217, value has come in every round since 2016. With that history in mind, here are the era’s best mid-round steals—and the prospects who echo their scouting stories. Tyreek Hill, 2016, West Alabama – Round 5, pick 165 NFL résumé: 4,755 deep yards, 47 deep touchdowns, 99.9 PFF grade on 20-plus-yard throws. 2026 mirror: Oklahoma State-to-Mississippi State burner Jaxson Thompson (4.26 speed, 96.0-plus PFF grades on deep and intermediate targets). Cooper Kupp, 2017, Eastern Washington – Round 3, pick 69 NFL résumé: 2019-21 triple-crown season, 4,638 yards, 35 TD, 93.2 PFF slot grade vs. man. 2026 mirror: SEC slot technician Jordan Coleman—97.6 PFF slot grade since 2023, 149 grabs for 1,863 yards, 94th-percentile separation rate. Chris Godwin, 2017, Penn State – Round 3, pick 84 NFL résumé: five straight 1,000-yard seasons, 89.9 PFF grade 2019-23, 85.7 contested-catch grade. 2026 mirror: UConn inside-outside producer Marcus Bell—2,138 yards the past two seasons, 84.9 contested grade, 54.0% separation vs. man (same pre-draft knock). Terry McLaurin, 2019, Ohio State – Round 3, pick 76 NFL résumé: 5,762 yards and 140 explosive plays despite 12 starting QBs. 2026 mirror: well-traveled deep threat Dorian Daniels—80.3 contested grade, 89.2 PFF mark on deep shots after knee issues at LSU and Miami. Jakobi Meyers, 2019, NC State – UDFA NFL résumé: 91.7 PFF grade on outside targets since 2024, 2.3% drop rate, sixth-best intermediate grade (90.0). 2026 mirror: Alabama Swiss-army knife Xavier Bernard—84.7 slot grade, 87.0 wide grade, 92.3 intermediate grade, 1,194 yards on passes 10-plus yards downfield. Jauan Jennings, 2020, Tennessee – Round 7, pick 217 NFL résumé: 91.1 contested grade since 2024, 39 grabs for 474 yards in traffic. 2026 mirror: Notre Dame’s 6-4 jump-ball specialist Ethan Fields—48 contested targets since 2024, 90.8 grade in those situations, 4.61 speed, 79.1 overall receiving grade. None of the 2026 prospects above are clones; each merely shares the size, usage or grading DNA that once pushed their predecessors down boards. History says at least one will make the league regret waiting.

Sutter Health Park came alive on Saturday as the Sacramento River Cats edged the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition contest, signaling the long-awaited return of baseball to the region. The win provided an early-season boost for the River Cats and offered fans a first glimpse of the 2025 campaign. “Finally, the drought is over between football and the start of baseball,” one spectator said, capturing the collective relief of supporters eager to shift focus from winter sports to the sounds of bat meeting ball. The exhibition matchup drew a spirited crowd, with families, longtime season-ticket holders, and first-time visitors filling the concourses and cheering every crisp play. While the final score was not specified, the River Cats’ victory sets an upbeat tone as the club prepares for its regular-season slate. Fans departed the ballpark with renewed optimism, already counting down the days until the next home game and the promise of summer nights at Sutter Health Park.

Paris — French football may be on the verge of its most glamorous appointment in years, as reports circulate that Zinedine Zidane is poised to become the next manager of the national team. The 1998 World Cup winner and former Real Madrid coach is said to be the preferred candidate to take the reins of Les Bleus, succeeding the current bench boss whose tenure has come under increasing scrutiny. Sources close to the federation indicate that discussions have accelerated in recent days, with the 51-year-old legend emerging as the standout option to restore both results and swagger to a squad brimming with talent. Zidane, who steered Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, is viewed by senior officials as the ideal figure to unite a dressing room that has occasionally splintered under pressure. While the French Football Federation has yet to confirm an agreement, insiders suggest an announcement could arrive before the next international break. Should the move materialize, it would mark a sensational return to the global stage for Zidane, whose calm demeanor and tactical acumen transformed Los Blancos into Europe’s dominant force during his first managerial stint. For a nation that cherishes flair and silverware in equal measure, appointing one of the sport’s most iconic figures signals a bold statement of intent ahead of upcoming qualifying campaigns and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.

TAMPA, Fla. – Latrell Wrightsell Jr. waved his arms toward the Crimson-clad crowd, the moment captured as he celebrated another dagger three that all but sealed Alabama’s 90-65 victory over Texas Tech and a ticket to the Sweet 16. The senior guard’s emotion summed up a night when experience trumped everything inside Benchmark International Arena. Wrightsell poured in 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, drilling 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, to pace five Crimson Tide players in double figures. Backcourt mate Houston Mallette added 15 points and eight rebounds, canning five triples of his own, while forward Noah Williamson supplied a perfect 3-for-3 outing for eight points. The trio combined for 47 points, embodying head coach Nate Oats’ pre-game message: seniors don’t let seasons end in March. “We came out there with energy and effort that wasn’t matched today,” Wrightsell said after the game. “I don’t feel pressure—I feel preparation.” Preparation turned into dominance early. Alabama opened on a 14-2 burst, stretched the margin to 49-25 by halftime and peaked at 34 in the second half. Each Red Raiders run stalled against a veteran counterpunch: Mallette tracked down a loose ball for a momentum-killing three, Williamson slipped a back-door cut for an and-one, Wrightsell stepped into transition corners and buried them. Defensively, the Crimson Tide harassed Texas Tech into 34 percent shooting overall and a frigid 16 percent from deep. The Red Raiders never found rhythm against Alabama’s switching man-to-man, managing only two fast-break points. “All three of these seniors came with the mentality we’re not going home,” Oats said. “Be about the right stuff, lose yourself in the game, and the other stuff takes care of itself.” For Mallette, the performance capped a winding journey. After redshirting last season and fighting for minutes, the Pepperdine transfer has evolved into a indispensable piece. Oats calls him a “future coach” and hopes he stays within the program when his eligibility ends. “I told everybody I don’t want to leave Alabama. I will die for this school,” Mallette said. “We’ve dealt with more adversity than any program in the country, but our response is what matters.” Junior forward Taylor Bol Bowen, who rooms with Wrightsell on the road, said the seniors’ influence stretches far beyond shot-making. “When they play well, it makes all of us happy with their infectious energy,” Bol Bowen noted. “It’s everything for us, especially off the court.” Freshmen starters Amari Allen and London Jemison echoed that sentiment, calling Wrightsell and Mallette “big brothers” whose example steadies the youngest rotation in Oats’ five Sweet 16 trips. Alabama (28-7) advances to face Michigan next week in Chicago, but the immediate vibe in the locker room was gratitude. Another game means another week together, another bus ride, another scouting report—another chance to extend a career. “You never want to stop playing,” Wrightsell said. “We fought to move on, and that’s what we did.” The Crimson Tide will need a similar collective effort against the Wolverines, yet for one night in Tampa, senior leadership turned a knockout-round matchup into a statement victory, setting off a celebration worthy of the tournament’s biggest stage.

MIDLAND, Texas—The Scharbauer Sports Complex echoed with cheers and cleats this weekend as the West Texas All-Star Classic brought together youth squads from every corner of the state. Teams from Odessa, Midland, Lubbock, El Paso and San Angelo converged for three days of nonstop action, spanning age groups from 5-and-under flag football through 14-and-under tackle. Pool play on Saturday and Sunday set the stage, with each program battling for one of the coveted quarterfinal and semifinal berths in its division. By Championship Sunday the stakes were unmistakable: every snap, every route and every tackle carried title implications. When the final whistles blew, a new batch of divisional champions had been crowned, adding their names to the growing legacy of the event.

Manchester United’s long-standing admiration for Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies has been confirmed by Sport Bild’s Christian Falk, yet any concrete pursuit remains on hold after the Canadian international signed a contract extension at the Allianz Arena. Falk reports that United officials first positioned themselves at the negotiating table when uncertainty lingered over Davies’s future in Bavaria, and the Premier League club continues to monitor developments. The 23-year-old’s new deal complicates a potential transfer, but sources indicate that Bayern would at least entertain a conversation should an enticing offer arrive. Persistent injury setbacks have prompted internal debate among Bayern bosses over whether additional cover is required on the left flank, especially with Hiroki Itō viewed as a capable deputy. While no formal bid has been tabled by United, Falk insists that the reigning German champions would weigh the merits of a lucrative proposal, mindful of the significant financial outlay already committed to secure Davies’s extension. Despite the speculation, selling the dynamic full-back still appears improbable. Bayern’s reluctance is underscored by Davies’s importance when fit, even as his recent spell of ailments raises questions about squad depth. For United, left-back remains a priority area with Luke Shaw’s ongoing fitness concerns, yet prising Davies away from Bayern would demand a premium fee and persuasive negotiations. For now, United’s interest remains in the scouting phase, and any move hinges on Bayern’s willingness to reverse course on a prized asset they fought to retain. The situation bears watching as the summer window approaches, but the balance of power clearly lies with the Bundesliga giants.

San Diego – Arizona’s march through the West Region required every ounce of its depth Wednesday night, but when the horn sounded inside a raucous Viejas Arena the top-seeded Wildcats were still standing, 73-64 victors over No. 9 Utah State and owners of a fourth Sweet Sixteen berth in the past five seasons. Guard Brayden Burries, limited to seven first-half minutes after picking up two quick fouls, re-entered with 14:41 remaining and promptly detonated an 18-point second-half cushion, drilling a momentum-stopping three and then creating a late isolation bucket that pushed the lead to 73-64 with under a minute to play. The Aggies, who clawed within five on multiple occasions, never drew closer. The Wildcats’ early script mirrored their opening-round rout of Long Island: tenacious defense, rim pressure, and opportunistic outside shooting. Arizona buried 4 of 8 threes in the first 13 minutes while holding Utah State to 4-of-15 inside the arc, racing to a 27-16 advantage. Yet the Aggies, widely regarded as the nation’s premier mid-major, refused to fold. A 9-0 Wildcat burst that made it 51-33 with 14:41 left appeared to be the knockout punch, but Utah State answered with a methodical 18-8 surge, trimming the deficit to 59-51 and forcing Arizona into six second-half turnovers in a three-minute span. With 7:27 to go and the scoreboard reading 56-49, Arizona’s Koa Peat picked up his fourth foul, sending Utah State to the line and the partisan Wildcat crowd into anxious murmurs. The Aggies twice sliced the gap to five, the last time at 66-61 on a pair of free throws with 3:24 remaining. Each time, Burries responded—first with a pull-up jumper, then with a step-back triple that restored a double-digit cushion and quieted the Utah State contingent that had turned Viejas into a wall of sound. Arizona finished 8-of-19 from beyond the arc and 19-of-48 inside it, numbers that underscored the game-long tactical chess match: Utah State packed the paint, daring the Wildcats to beat them from deep, while Arizona countered with relentless dribble penetration and second-chance opportunities. The Aggies shot 38 percent overall and were out-rebounded 37-29, a margin that loomed large in a contest decided by a handful of possessions down the stretch. The victory sends Arizona into the regional semifinal, keeping alive national-title expectations that have trailed the program all season. Utah State exits at 28-7, its best campaign in school history, having pushed the tournament’s No. 1 seed to the final media timeout before running out of answers—and time. Arizona now awaits the winner of Thursday’s Iowa-Florida clash, setting up a potential blue-blood showdown in the Sweet Sixteen. For the moment, the Wildcats can exhale, having survived their first true March test and proven, once again, that they have more dudes when it matters most.

Jerry Hanlon, a fixture on the Michigan sideline for more than two decades, has died at 96. Hanlon spent 23 seasons with the Wolverines, the bulk of that tenure working under legendary head coach Bo Schembechler. Known for his demanding style and keen eye for line play, Hanlon was widely credited with molding the tough, rugged offensive and defensive fronts that became a hallmark of Michigan football during his era. His longevity and influence helped shape the program’s identity, leaving an imprint that extended well beyond his retirement.

Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith has started every game but six since entering the league in 2021, yet the path to becoming a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion was nearly derailed before his NFL career began. During an otherwise routine offseason workout at the University of Tennessee, Smith felt his body shut down without warning. “I can’t stand up straight. I can barely catch my breath,” Smith recalled. “I’m like, ‘Damn. Am I that out of shape? What is going on?’ …I lost 13 pounds in a day. I feel horrible.” The then-college lineman received an urgent call from the team physician: stay put; an ambulance was on the way. Hours later, doctors delivered a sobering diagnosis—blood clots had formed in both of his lungs. The physician’s next words remain seared into Smith’s memory: “They can be fatal.” Catching the clots early likely saved his life, though physicians still classified the episode as severe. While the diagnosis rocked his world, Smith’s first concern reflected the single-minded focus that would later define his professional career. “I just remember thinking at the time, almost ignorantly, like, ‘Will I still be able to play football?’” he said. “Like, what’s my timeline for getting back?” Only after doctors reiterated the life-threatening nature of the condition did the offensive lineman grasp the gravity of his situation. Following treatment and a full recovery, Smith entered the 2021 NFL Draft with a clean bill of health. The Chiefs selected him in the sixth round with the 226th overall pick, and he immediately became a mainstay on the league’s most explosive offense. Smith’s durability and performance earned him Pro Bowl nods in both 2024 and 2025, and last summer the Chiefs locked him up with a four-year, $94 million extension that made him the highest-paid guard in football. Given both his on-field production and the medical scare he overcame, few players have proven more worthy of the lucrative deal.

Spokane, WA — Within minutes of Gonzaga’s 70-66 Round-of-32 loss to Texas on Saturday, a FanDuel tweet lit the match: “Should Gonzaga fire Mark Few?” The reaction was swift, loud, and—according to anyone who has followed college basketball this century—absurd. Few has guided the Bulldogs to 27 consecutive NCAA tournaments and nine Sweet 16s in the past 11 years. Over the last decade, no program owns more March victories than Gonzaga’s 28, a total that eclipses blue-blood brands Kansas, Duke, and Kentucky. Yet the Zags’ third seed and early exit were enough to turn Twitter into a digital kangaroo court. Kansas-centric account @RockChalkBlog, followed by 23,000 users, typified the pile-on: “Another year where Gonzaga boatraces a swath of crap in the WCC, racks up lots of wins, gets a bloated seed, and comes up short in the NCAA tournament. It’s never happening for Mark Few, ever.” The facts suggest otherwise. Gonzaga finished 30-3, defeated eight Power-Four opponents, and beat three teams that advanced out of the tournament’s first round. The West Coast Conference placed three schools in the field, and Santa Clara—one of those supposed “cupcakes”—had Kentucky on the ropes until a last-second half-court heave. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 7 in the NCAA’s NET metric, and a season-long injury to second-leading scorer Braden Huff likely cost them a No. 2 seed. Historical context also undercuts the critique. Gonzaga is 2-0 versus Kansas in the past five seasons, including an 89-68 thrashing of the fourth-seeded Jayhawks in the 2024 NCAA event. Former ESPN analyst Darren Rovell offered a different angle to his 1.8 million followers, suggesting the Bulldogs’ relevance was an “anomaly” that name-image-likeness money would erase. Since NIL’s 2021 arrival, however, Gonzaga has produced an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s—hardly a program poised to cede ground to the next High Point. Critics from NBA meme pages, Missouri radio hosts, and Seattle sport-talkers joined the chorus, but none could explain how a Jesuit school in Spokane with no football bowl budget keeps outrunning most of the nation. The answer remains Mark Few, whose nearly three-decade tenure provides the continuity that modern mid-majors almost never achieve. As Gonzaga prepares for its move into the restructured Pac-12—where it will devote the bulk of its resources to basketball while future league mates subsidize football—the path to a 28th straight tournament berth looks more probable than another early exit. Zags backers, the message is simple: let the timeline rage. History, metrics, and the roster returning in 2025 all say Few’s program will be back in the second weekend sooner than the detractors think. Keywords:

BIRMINGHAM — Labaron Philon’s shot refused to fall, yet the sophomore guard still steered second-seeded Alabama to a 90-65 second-round victory over Texas Tech, ensuring the Crimson Tide’s continued march through the South Region. Philon, who torched Hofstra for 29 points on Thursday, finished with a modest nine points on 2-for-12 shooting, including 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. The off-night from the field, however, did little to diminish his overall impact: he dished out a career-high 12 assists, corralled six rebounds and flirted with his second straight triple-double before finishing with four turnovers in 29 minutes. The performance flipped the script on his traditional role. After averaging 20.4 points entering the weekend, Philon became the game’s primary playmaker, repeatedly collapsing the Red Raiders’ zone and finding open teammates for easy looks. His 12 assists tied the program’s NCAA Tournament record for a single game, set in 1991. Alabama shot 54 percent from the floor, and Philon initiated much of the offense. He recorded five assists in the first 10 minutes as the Tide built an early double-digit cushion, then added seven more after halftime as the lead ballooned past 20. His lone first-half field goal came from deep, a right-wing triple that gave Alabama a 19-10 advantage. He added a second three midway through the second half to push the margin to 28. Despite the shooting slump, Philon’s fingerprints were everywhere. He grabbed a team-high five rebounds in the opening period, finished with six overall, and his four turnovers were offset by the dozen assists that kept possessions alive. The guard entered the day fifth on Alabama’s single-season scoring list with 681 points; the nine-point output leaves him 16 shy of overtaking Mark Sears’ 2024-25 campaign and Brandon Miller’s 2022-23 tally for third place. With the win, Alabama advances to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years. Philon’s next opportunity to climb the record books — and rediscover his stroke — arrives next weekend.

Los Angeles—YouTube-turned-wrestling personality Logan Paul issued a public apology to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady on Sunday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the two crossed paths at the Fanatics flag football event in Los Angeles. Paul, who competed in Saturday’s exhibition, addressed Brady directly in a social-media post, acknowledging an unspecified incident that occurred during the star-studded charity game. While the 29-year-old did not elaborate on what prompted the mea culpa, he described the moment as “a lesson in respect” and thanked Brady for “setting the standard.” Brady, 46, has not publicly responded to the apology. The Fanatics event, which pairs celebrities with former NFL players, concluded without further controversy.

Piscataway, N.J. — Less than a week after crowning five medalists at the individual state championships in Atlantic City, Jackson Township showed why depth still matters most, rolling past Morris Hills 47-15 to capture the NJSIAA Girls Wrestling Team Championship at Rutgers Athletic Center on February 22, 2026. The Jaguars’ dominance was on display from the opening whistle, but the bout that best illustrated their superiority came at 120 pounds, where senior Marlowe Donato—fresh off a third-place finish at Boardwalk Hall—methodically dismantled Sophia Salazar 9-0 for a major decision that widened Jackson’s already comfortable margin. “We don’t need superstars; we need six minutes of effort across fourteen weight classes,” veteran head coach Joe Lemke told reporters afterward, echoing the philosophy that carried Jackson to a flawless 19-0 dual-meet record this winter. “Tonight was another example of our girls buying in, executing technique, and trusting the training.” Donato’s victory capped a remarkable two-week stretch for the senior, who reached the individual semifinals last weekend before battling back through the consolation bracket to secure bronze. Her major over Salazar provided four critical team points and set the tone for a lineup that surrendered only three bouts all evening. Jackson’s path to the inaugural team title was paved during the individual tournament, when Donato (114), Briana Dugo (126), Ava Bonilla (100), Madison Reach (107) and Victoria Tandari (132) combined for 79 points to edge Central Regional 72 and claim the state’s championship banner. By adding the dual-meet crown seven days later, the program became the first in New Jersey history to sweep both major postseason prizes in the same season. “We heard all year that we didn’t have a state champ, so we couldn’t win anything meaningful,” Donato said while clutching her latest medal. “But wrestling is a team sport, and every point counts—tonight we made that point loud and clear.” The Jaguars will celebrate the historic double this week before shifting focus to sustaining a run that, according to Lemke, shows no signs of slowing. “We had freshmen and sophomores in the lineup tonight who will only get better,” he noted. “If they keep buying in the way this senior class has, Jackson will be in the conversation for a long time.”

East Rutherford, N.J.—The New York Jets’ latest balance sheet reads like a cautionary tale of modern roster management: $48 million in cap space—roughly 16 percent of this year’s ceiling—has evaporated into “dead” charges tied to two quarterbacks no longer on the roster, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported Tuesday. That figure represents the combined cap remnants of Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields, the team’s last two opening-day starters. While Rodgers’ exit after an injury-marred tenure was well-documented, the revelation that Fields will count $8 million against the 2026 cap while serving as Patrick Mahomes’ backup in Kansas City underscores the lingering cost of past decisions. Compounding the optics, the Jets will pay Geno Smith $3.3 million to lead an offense still searching for stability. Smith, whose 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders ended disastrously, returns to the franchise that drafted him, tasked with bridging the gap until the front office can target a quarterback of the future—most likely in the heralded 2027 draft class. Head coach Aaron Glenn, now in his second season, has been aggressive in free agency as he attempts to reverse a decade-long spiral. Yet league insiders caution that the roster’s ceiling remains low, and ownership’s patience could wane quickly if early-season losses pile up. For a fan base that has endured serial disappointments, the arithmetic is stark: nearly one-sixth of this year’s spending power is tethered to players wearing different helmets, leaving Glenn with limited flexibility to accelerate the rebuild. Jets officials have not commented on the cap allocation, but the numbers illustrate the uphill climb facing an organization still trying to escape football purgatory.

Beaver Stadium, best known as the thunderous home of Penn State football, briefly traded cleats for blades as defenseman Jackson Smith glided across a temporary rink for the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten showdown with Michigan State. The outdoor setting provided a dramatic backdrop for Smith, whose steady presence on the blue line has been one of the few constants during a roller-coaster season that now leads the Lions straight into the NCAA Tournament. Smith and his teammates are set to face No. 2 seed Minnesota-Duluth at Albany’s MVP Arena on March 27, a single-elimination test that arrives with little margin for error. The matchup marks the first meeting between the programs and Penn State’s third NCAA appearance in four years, but the Lions carry scant momentum after going 3-7-2 down the stretch and failing to record a victory over a ranked opponent in that span. Center Reese Laubach recently acknowledged the team’s fragile psyche, saying players were “starting to check out” after a lopsided loss to Wisconsin. Yet Laubach also reminded observers that the current roster “is light years ahead” of last year’s Frozen Four squad, urging a return to selfless, team-first play. Injuries have ravaged the lineup since January, though the return of star center Charlie Cerrato for the final three games offered a late boost. Now healthy and refreshed after a two-week hiatus, Penn State will need every healthy body—including Smith’s reliable defense—to slow a Bulldogs attack led by the Plante brothers. Max Plante ranks fifth nationally with 49 points, while Zam Plante sits 11th with 46. The Albany Regional shapes up as a minefield, featuring No. 1 overall seed Michigan and AHA champion Bentley. With Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin also securing bids, the Big Ten has placed four teams in the field, underscoring the conference’s depth and the challenge that awaits Smith and the Lions if they hope to return to the Frozen Four. Penn State and Minnesota-Duluth drop the puck at 9 p.m. ET, their first-ever meeting, with a berth in college hockey’s final four hanging in the balance.

Los Angeles—The 2028 Summer Games will mark flag football’s Olympic debut on American soil, and a familiar face from Sundays past wants in on the history. Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner and eight-year NFL veteran, announced Saturday that he will pursue a roster spot with the United States national team. “Proud and Honored to announce that I will be going for Gold in Flag Football with the USA National Team in 2028,” Griffin posted on X. “The journey starts now and there is no greater honor than wearing USA across your chest and representing something more than yourself. USA! USA! USA!” The declaration lands amid a weekend of flag-football fanfare in Los Angeles. At BMO Stadium, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic pitted NFL luminaries—Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr., Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and Von Miller—against a cohesive U.S. men’s national squad. The national side rolled to a 43-16 victory, underscoring the gap between all-star collections and a unit trained specifically for the five-on-five, non-contact discipline. Griffin, 34, has not played in the NFL since 2020 but has stayed close to the game through podcasting and analyst work for Fox Sports. He noted earlier this month that any hopeful Olympian must be “entrenched” in flag football’s unique rhythm for the next two years to reach elite form by 2028. While Brady flashed vintage precision—hooking up with Diggs for a touchdown and watching Gronkowski convert a two-pointer—the seven-time Super Bowl champion dampened speculation that he might suit up for Los Angeles, telling Good Morning America he is content in retirement and with his duties as a Fox broadcaster and Raiders minority owner. Griffin’s résumé includes 9,271 passing yards and 43 touchdowns across Washington, Cleveland and Baltimore stops, plus 1,800 rushing yards and 10 scores. Whether that mobility translates to the flag game will be tested over the coming qualification cycles. For now, the former Baylor star has set his sights on the one accolade missing from his football life: an Olympic medal. Keywords:

Wembley, Sunday – Manchester City lifted a record-extending fifth Carabao Cup and Pep Guardiola’s 19th trophy as manager with a ruthless 2-0 dismissal of Arsenal, the story of the afternoon distilled into four second-half minutes when 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly punished a goalkeeper haunted by ghosts of finals past. The teenager, nominally starting at left-back, finished as match-winner, burying two headers in quick succession to turn a tight contest into a procession. Both finishes were born of conviction: the first, on 68 minutes, when Kepa Arrizabalaga misjudged a teasing cross from Jeremy Doku and O’Reilly attacked the loose ball; the second, four minutes later, when he ghosted in at the far post to convert Matheus Nunes’ delivery. In a stat that underlined his predatory instinct, O’Reilly’s only two touches inside the Arsenal box produced goals. For Kepa, the nightmare was familiar. The Spain international, remembered for refusing substitution in the 2019 League Cup final and for failing to stop any of Liverpool’s 11 penalties in the 2022 shoot-out, again found himself the unfortunate protagonist. After flapping at Doku’s initial centre, he was beaten to the rebound by O’Reilly; the second strike slipped beneath his despairing dive. From that moment Arsenal’s resistance evaporated. Guardiola’s side, shorn of both first-choice centre-backs, controlled every department. Rodri touched the ball 103 times, completed 14 passes into the final third and screened with imperial authority. Bernardo Silva, indefatigable, recovered possession nine times—more than any player on the pitch—while Bernardo’s compatriot Doku tormented full-back Hincapié, winning 12 duels and completing six dribbles. City’s width and relentless pressing forced Arsenal backwards; the Gunners mustered no shot of note after the 12-minute mark. Arsenal’s attacking trident barely left a footprint. Bukayo Saka, remarkably appearing in his first cup final for the club, saw an early effort tipped onto the woodwork by James Trafford but faded to extend a run of two goals in 24 games. Leandro Trossard was anonymous, Viktor Gyokeres failed to register a single attempt, and Kai Havertz, substituted after 65 minutes, never imposed himself. Behind them Declan Rice, so often the heartbeat, was subdued, attempting only 23 accurate passes as City’s midfield monopolised the ball. Defensively the Gunners were stretched. Centre-back William Saliba stuck doggedly to Erling Haaland yet received scant protection; left-sided Hincapie, booked before half-time, was repeatedly isolated against Doku and Semenyo, and both goals originated down his channel. Ben White, diligent in his own box, could not provide the customary attacking overlap, stifled by City’s disciplined set-piece defence. City’s collective maturity contrasted sharply with Arsenal’s stage-fright. Manuel Akanji led by example, winning every aerial duel, while stand-in full-back Sergio Gomez offered width and security, registering nine recoveries and six duels won. Between the posts Trafford enjoyed relative calm after early heroics, parrying efforts from Saka and Calafiori when the game was still in the balance. The victory continues City’s domestic cup dominance and leaves Arsenal to reflect on a fourth consecutive defeat in major finals. For O’Reilly, the night belonged to him alone: a local product announcing himself on the national stage with the coolness of a seasoned striker rather than a makeshift defender. Guardiola hailed another milestone; Arsenal, meanwhile, depart Wembley with questions louder than the answers provided across a chastening 90 minutes.

Philadelphia—When the Eagles drafted Kelee Ringo in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, the organization believed it had secured a long, fast corner with championship pedigree fresh off two College Football Playoff titles at Georgia. Ringo immediately validated part of that projection by becoming a core special-teamer, the kind of versatile piece Philadelphia’s coaching staff has traditionally prized. Nearly two years later, however, his path to meaningful defensive snaps—and perhaps even a roster spot—has narrowed dramatically. The first warning signs surfaced last offseason. With Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers out of the picture, Ringo was penciled in to battle veteran Adoree’ Jackson for a starting outside job. Both competitors sputtered during training camp and the preseason, yet Jackson stabilized enough to earn the coaching staff’s trust. Ringo, meanwhile, never seized the moment, and the anticipated leap in coverage skills never materialized. If that missed opportunity felt like a temporary setback, the current depth chart suggests a more permanent problem. Second-year corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have entrenched themselves as foundational pieces, while nickel defender Michael Carter II signed an extension this spring. The front office further fortified the room by adding veteran Riq Woolen, acquiring Jonathan Jones via trade, and drafting UCF’s Mac McWilliams—each move pushing Ringo another spot down the ladder. Roster construction math only compounds the pressure. NFL teams typically keep six cornerbacks on the 53-man roster; the Eagles have carried seven before, but that exception is hardly guaranteed. With at least eight players now vying for those chairs, every rep in OTAs and August practices becomes an audition for survival. Ringo’s special-teams résumé keeps him in the conversation, yet coverage units alone rarely justify a roster spot when the defensive staff questions a corner’s ability to hold up on Sundays. In short, Ringo’s battle has shifted. The goal is no longer unseating a starter; it is simply remaining in midnight green. The writing, as they say, is on the wall.

Miami Gardens, FL — The Miami Dolphins’ off-season has been defined by subtraction, not addition. Yet when the team finally did add a player this week, the headline-grabbing number attached to the move—$20.9 million—had nothing to do with the contract he just signed. On the opening week of NFL free agency, the Dolphins agreed to terms with veteran punter Bradley Pinion on a one-year, $1.2 million deal containing zero guaranteed money. The 31-year-old’s career cash haul now sits at $20.9 million after 11 seasons with San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, according to salary-tracking site Spotrac. That cumulative figure, not the modest new pact, is what ricocheted across social media once the signing became public. Pinion arrives as a roster placeholder on a franchise conducting the most dramatic teardown in recent league history. Miami already absorbed a record $99.2 million dead-money charge by releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, part of a broader purge that will leave the team carrying more than $165 million in cap obligations for players no longer on the roster by 2026. The moves cleared the way for an extensive rebuild that has seen the Dolphins make more than 25 low-cost free-agent signings, almost all on one- or two-year contracts designed to keep 2027 books clean. The punter swap amounts to a specialist exchange between Miami and Atlanta. Jake Bailey, the Dolphins’ punter the past three seasons, signed a three-year deal with the Falcons, following former Miami special-teams coordinator Craig Aukerman to Atlanta. Pinion, who spent the last four seasons with the Falcons, now heads south to compete with undrafted free agent Seth Vernon for the starting job. Every specialist spot is unsettled: kicker Jason Sanders was released, and Riley Patterson and Zane Gonzalez are battling for place-kicking duties, while Tucker Addington projects as the long-snapper. Pinion’s 2025 numbers with Atlanta—45.1-yard gross average, 53.1 percent of punts downed inside the 20—were solid if unspectacular. More important to Miami’s front office, his market value fit a strict budget. The $1.2 million base salary is the league minimum for a player of his experience and creates no dead money if he is cut before Week 1. In a year when the Dolphins are spending over half of the $301.2 million salary-cap ceiling on ghosts of rosters past, the punter’s contract barely registers. The headline-grabbing $20.9 million figure merely reflects the sum of Pinion’s previous earnings, including the three-year, $8.6 million contract he completed with the Falcons. It is not a reflection of future guarantees, nor does it alter the financial landscape for a club already navigating uncharted cap waters. The deal that truly altered the league’s economic conversation this off-season was Tagovailoa’s record-setting dead charge, eclipsing the $85 million Denver once absorbed for Russell Wilson. For Miami, the objective is simple: fill a specialist vacancy at minimal cost, avoid a training-camp distraction, and preserve every possible dollar for the 2027 spending spree once the dead money evaporates. Pinion, Super Bowl champion with Tampa Bay in 2020, understands his role. He will compete in camp, provide veteran stability if he wins the job, and depart without cap ramifications if he does not. The Dolphins’ rebuild is far from finished. The front office has stockpiled short-term fliers while scouting the 2027 college crop and future free-agent classes. Pinion is one of many placeholders, a procedural signing in a roster overhaul that has already become a cautionary tale across the league. In Miami, the story is the teardown, the record dead-money figure, and the long road back to contention—not the punter signed for a rounding error.

Former Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper, whose on-field toughness was matched by a widely publicized victory over cancer, has died at 28. Culpepper, who played for the Orange from 2016 to 2020, passed away following a crash, according to initial reports. The former signal-caller’s athletic journey was defined as much by resilience as by statistics: after a testicular-cancer diagnosis sidelined him in 2018, he returned to the program and completed his collegiate career, embodying the spirit of perseverance that teammates and coaches frequently praised. Though details surrounding the crash remain limited, university officials confirmed Culpepper’s death Sunday. He finished his Syracuse tenure having appeared in 18 games, leaving an imprint on the program that extended beyond the box score. Culpepper’s post-cancer comeback became a rallying narrative for both the team and its fan base, illustrating an athlete’s refusal to surrender to circumstances off the field. His passing marks a somber close to a life already marked by extraordinary challenges and public triumph. Syracuse has not yet announced memorial plans.

STORRS — March in Connecticut has always belonged to UConn basketball, but this year the Huskies are commanding the spotlight long before the opening tip. From I-91 billboards to prime-time commercials, the men’s and women’s programs have turned the state into a living storyboard for name-image-likeness deals that few universities can match. Since Selection Sunday, television audiences have seen Solo Ball calm a taxpayer’s nerves for TurboTax, Geno Auriemma diagram breakfast plays for a hotel chain, and guards KK Arnold and Silas Demary Jr. coax viewers into a new Nissan Pathfinder. Sarah Strong and Malachi Smith appear as good-neighbor agents for State Farm, while Azzi Fudd’s Geico spots remind fans that even aliens would feel at home with the Huskies’ marketing reach. “Everybody in America knows our starting five,” Auriemma said. “We have more sponsorships and NIL opportunities with Fortune 500 companies than anyone else in the country, men or women.” The ads are more than 30-second cameos. A January shoot for Ball’s TurboTax spot filled Gampel Pavilion with 100 student extras for 14 hours. Invesco QQQ turned the program’s new volleyball arena—once the old hockey rink—into a three-court production lot for 18 hours across three days, complete with a live goat cameo from the Yard Goats staff. Nissan filmed Arnold and Demary cruising through February snow on campus; State Farm’s “Stanchion to Stanchion” series demanded half-court makes from Strong (on the first take, teammates swear) and Smith. Behind the scenes, UConn’s NIL office, Learfield’s production crews, and third-party broker CampusOne coordinate everything from location access to post-production. An Overtime-branded content studio is now under construction inside Gampel, promising even faster turnaround between buzzer-beaters and brand rollouts. “They’re naturals behind the camera,” said Dominic Godi, UConn’s associate AD for strategic initiatives. “The bigger the stage, the higher the NIL value climbs, and that momentum feeds future deals.” While the Huskies chase banners, another Connecticut team will open its season under far heavier hearts. Hall-West Hartford boys lacrosse takes the field April 4 without senior Camden Siegal, who died two days after being shot outside PeoplesBank Arena on Feb. 22. Siegal, a midfielder and two-sport athlete, will serve as honorary captain; the team will wear No. 23 decals and warmup shirts bearing his name. The opening game will feature 23 seconds of silence and a memorial fund to support local academic and sports scholarships. Quick hits from around the state: Jada Habisch, one of UConn women’s hockey’s all-time leading scorers, has debuted with Seattle in the PWHL; lefty reliever Josh Simpson, traded from Miami to Seattle, could surface in the Mariners’ bullpen this summer; slugging outfield prospect Max Belyeu, the 2025 second-round pick and former Big 12 Player of the Year, is headed to Double-A Hartford; and Jim Calhoun insists European kids shoot better because they learn on eight-foot rims, not 10. As the NCAA Tournament tips off, UConn’s players already look like seasoned pitchmen—ready to sell victories and Volkswagens in equal measure.

Chula Vista, Calif. — Darrell Green, the 66-year-old Washington icon and first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, is chasing one more chapter in football, this time on the flag gridiron. While the Fanatics Flag Football Classic spotlight shone on Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels this weekend, Green was quietly running routes and defensive drills alongside roughly 100 hopefuls vying for a place on Team USA’s flag football roster. Green’s path began with a digital combine that caught the attention of USA Football evaluators. “Darrell qualified through our digital combine. He’s later in his career than the other trials participants, but his testing results were impressive,” said Callie Brownson, senior director of high performance and national teams for USA Football. “Our coaches and staff felt he deserved a closer look… He’s a rare athlete who has stayed in shape and is ready to compete this week.” The immediate objective is an invitation to April’s training camp and, ultimately, selection to the 2026 national squad that will compete at the world championships. A berth there would position Green for a shot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where flag football will make its Olympic debut. Green has never been conventional. Toward the end of his 20-year NFL career, he clocked a 4.2-second 40-yard dash at age 40. Taken in the first round of the 1983 draft by Washington, he spent every season of his two-decade career with the franchise, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, three first-team All-Pro selections, second-team All-Pro honors once, placement on the 1990s All-Decade Team, and a spot on the NFL 100th Anniversary Team. The Commanders officially retired his No. 28 jersey during the 2024 season, a number no player had worn since his 2002 retirement. “I’m going to give it my best, and I’ll walk away with my head up, either way,” Green said on the USA Football Instagram page. For now, the legend who once terrorized NFC receivers hopes to trade burgundy and gold for red, white, and blue, proving that speed, at least in his case, truly has no age limit.

Tyson Fury swears this comeback was never part of the script. Three weeks before he walks into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April, the former two-time heavyweight world champion says a family Christmas holiday in Thailand snowballed into a full-scale training camp and, ultimately, another blockbuster night under the lights. “I had zero intentions of making a comeback when I came here in December,” Fury told Sky Sports from his Thai base. “None. I was happily retired.” The 36-year-old had announced he was finished with boxing after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. While travelling with his family, the warm weather and an impromptu training schedule rekindled old urges. “The sunshine brought me back,” he said. “One thing led to another and next thing I’ve signed a massive contract.” The result is a headline showdown with Russia’s Makhmudov, a similarly seasoned puncher who, like Fury, has suffered recent losses yet carries 20-plus knockouts on his ledger. “We’re similar age, similar size, similar weight, similar record,” Fury noted. “He was No 2 in the rankings when I held the WBC belt. Now we’re actually doing it.” Fury last fought in the UK four years ago and admits the lure of a football-stadium atmosphere proved irresistible. “There’s nothing like a UK football stadium to get you going,” he said. “I’m looking forward to soaking up that atmosphere again.” Despite billing the return as a spur-of-the-moment decision, Fury is characteristically confident about the outcome. “Makhmudov’s in some serious bother,” he warned. “He’s in trouble.” The bout will mark Fury’s first fight since his second loss to Usyk and his first appearance on home soil since 2021, setting the stage for another dramatic chapter in a career that has repeatedly flirted with finality only to be revived by the roar of a crowd. SEO keywords:

By Jacob Whitehead Michael Carrick stood on the Vitality Stadium touchline on Saturday evening trying to reconcile two penalty-box grapples that looked the same, sounded the same and, according to the laws of the game, were the same. One brought a spot-kick and a 1-0 lead; the other brought only a wave-away and, 13 seconds later, a Bournemouth equaliser. Manchester United left Dorset with a 2-2 draw and a dossier of grievances already dispatched to PGMOL. The flash-point sequence began just past the hour. Matheus Cunha cut inside Alex Jimenez, felt a two-handed tug on his shirt and hit the turf. Referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot; Bruno Fernandes converted. Six minutes later Amad, darting in from the opposite flank, was seized by Adrien Truffert in an almost carbon-copy hold. Attwell said play on. United’s bench erupted; within a breath Ryan Christie levelled. Carrick, normally reluctant to rail against officials, could not hide his bemusement. “You get one, you must get the other,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s pretty much identical, two-hand grab — so either way, he’s got one wrong. To give one and not give the other… I just can’t get my head around it. It’s crazy.” The interim United boss was equally accepting of the decision to send off Harry Maguire for a professional foul on Evanilson late on, acknowledging the defender had denied a clear scoring opportunity. Yet the symmetry of Maguire escaping censure for an earlier shove on the same striker — one of four major incidents Attwell allowed to stand without VAR intervention — underlined the inconsistency Carrick believes is warping matches. United’s complaint to the refereeing body centres on that scatter-pattern of calls. In the 24th minute Maguire nudged Evanilson in the back as he shaped to shoot; no penalty. After 78 minutes the roles were reversed, Evanilson tumbled again, and this time Attwell did point to the spot. Between those moments came Cunha’s award and Amad’s denial. All four, slowed to a freeze-frame, carry the textbook characteristics of a foul. PGMOL’s silence has only amplified the noise. Unlike rugby union, where referee-TMO exchanges are broadcast, football offers no window into the process. Viewers were left to guess why Truffert’s more forceful grip was judged less punishable than Jimenez’s, or why the VAR, Michael Salisbury, never asked Attwell to re-screen either incident. The league’s pride in having Europe’s lowest VAR intervention rate offers a partial answer: officials are under renewed instruction to let the on-field call stand unless a “clear and obvious” blunder stares them in the face. But the phrase itself is elastic, and the grey area is widening. Pulling an attacker’s shirt is routinely labelled “soft” until the moment it is penalised; at set-pieces identical wrestling matches are ignored almost by tradition. Add the summer mandate to speed up play and the VAR becomes reluctant to muddy already turbulent waters. The result is a sport trapped between two irreconcilable ambitions: absolute consistency and respect for the referee’s autonomy. Cricket can achieve the former because its decisions are binary — in or out, caught or not caught. Football’s laws are interpretative, and even PGMOL’s five-man key-match-incidents panel regularly splits 3-2 on whether an overturn was required. United’s selective video edits — omitting Evanilson’s first tumble while highlighting Amad’s — and Bournemouth’s mirror-image cherry-picking illustrate another truth: every club calibrates memory to its own grievance. Yet Carrick’s broader point survives the spin cycle. When identical offences produce opposite outcomes inside the same match, the product risks looking arbitrary.

Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid believe disciplinary action from UEFA against FC Barcelona in the long-running Negreira case is now a realistic prospect, sources familiar with the club’s thinking have told journalist Jesús Bengoechea, raising the possibility of a Champions League ban and severe financial fallout for the Catalan giants. The case centres on payments totalling more than €7 million made between 2001 and 2018 by Barcelona to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, then vice-president of Spain’s referees committee. Prosecutors contend the arrangement may constitute sporting corruption, arguing the money was designed to secure favourable refereeing treatment. Barcelona have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, maintaining the fees were for technical reports on match officials. UEFA opened a disciplinary file when the scandal surfaced but suspended proceedings while Spanish courts took the investigative lead. That pause is nearing its end, according to Bengoechea, who says witness testimony in Spain is almost complete and UEFA is poised to re-engage. “UEFA declared itself competent in the case when it first emerged,” he noted. “From a legal point of view that step is extremely important.” Inside Real Madrid, optimism has grown that European football’s governing body will act. Club officials are preparing formal submissions to both UEFA and FIFA setting out their concerns, though under sports administrative law they cannot request a specific penalty. “Sanctions are discretionary and it is the governing bodies that decide,” Bengoechea explained. Should UEFA proceed, the most probable punishment is exclusion from the Champions League, with the duration ranging from a single season to a maximum of ten. A one-year ban beginning next season is viewed as the starting point, but a multi-year suspension has not been ruled out. Such a scenario would deprive Barcelona of substantial revenues from prize money, broadcast rights and commercial bonuses tied to Europe’s elite competition. Sponsorship contracts often contain Champions League participation clauses, meaning income could fall further, while elite players may reconsider their futures at a club absent from the continent’s premier tournament. “A ban of four or five years from the Champions League would be a financial catastrophe for Barcelona,” Bengoechea said, highlighting the wider economic and sporting ramifications. The impending conclusion of the Spanish court’s witness phase is seen as the trigger for UEFA’s next move. Several Barcelona presidents have acknowledged the payments in testimony, while former coaches, including Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde, have reportedly stated they never received the refereeing analyses the fees were meant to fund. These admissions, Bengoechea argues, are pivotal from a sports-law perspective. For months, scepticism prevailed that the scandal would yield meaningful consequences. That mood has shifted inside the Bernabéu. “I had already fallen into pessimism and thought nothing would happen,” Bengoechea admitted. “But the latest information I am hearing from inside the club makes it seem there is now a very high probability that sanctions will arrive.” Any UEFA decision to sanction Barcelona would reverberate well beyond Spain, setting a precedent for how sporting governance bodies address allegations of refereeing-related corruption and reshaping the competitive landscape of European club football.