“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
CUBS 5, DODGERS 1
BREWERS 4, PIRATES 2
ORIOLES 3, ANGELS 1
BRAVES 4, MARLINS 2
RED SOX 14, WHITE SOX 2
METS 6, GUARDIANS 2
PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 0
YANKEES 2, CARDINALS 0
ASTROS 7, BLUE JAYS 2
REDS 5, ATHLETICS 4
RAYS 9, ROCKIES 7 (11 INNINGS)
ROYALS 8, TWINS 2
TIGERS 8, MARINERS 0
PADRES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 4
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BASEBALL NEWS
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NFL NEWS
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NBA NEWS
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NHL NEWS
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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 14 IOWA1
WEST MICHIGAN 12 FT. WAYNE 5
SOUTH BEND 6 CEDAR RAPIDS 0
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WNBA SCORES
VALKYRIES 92 TEMPO 81
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INDIANA HS FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
https://scoreboard.homestead.com/football/teams.htm#load
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/cross-country
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/cross-country
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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS
https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/tennis
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, AUG. 28
IDAHO AT CAL POLY | 10 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, AUG. 29
TCU VS. NORTH CAROLINA (AVIVA STADIUM IN DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
SAN JOSE STATE AT USC | 3 P.M. | NBC
ALABAMA STATE VS. SOUTHERN (LEGION FIELD IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.) | 3 P.M. | ESPNU
NC STATE AT VIRGINIA | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SACRAMENTO STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I AT STANFORD | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NEW MEXICO STATE AT FLORIDA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
EAST TEXAS A&M AT MERCER | 7 P.M. | ESPN
HOWARD VS. ALABAMA A&M (CENTER PARC STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT TARLETON STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN2
MEMPHIS AT UNLV | 10 P.M. | FOX
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, SEPT. 3
UMASS AT RUTGERS | 6 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT UCF | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
AKRON AT WAKE FOREST | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
MERRIMACK AT DELAWARE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WEST GEORGIA AT KENNESAW STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UALBANY AT BUFFALO | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF AT MISSOURI | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
COLORADO AT GEORGIA TECH | 8 P.M. | ESPN
EASTERN ILLINOIS AT MINNESOTA | 8 P.M. | PEACOCK
IDAHO AT UTAH | 9 P.M. | ESPNU
UAB AT ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 3
SAN JOSE STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
INDIANA STATE AT PURDUE | 7 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT GEORGIA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP AT OKLAHOMA | 8 P.M. | SECN+
LIU AT KANSAS | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
TOLEDO AT MICHIGAN STATE | 8 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) AT STANFORD | 9 P.M. | ESPN
FRESNO STATE AT USC | 9 P.M. | FOX
SATURDAY, SEPT. 4
EAST CAROLINA AT ALABAMA | 12 P.M. | ABC
OREGON STATE AT HOUSTON | 12 P.M. | ESPN
COASTAL CAROLINA AT WEST VIRGINIA | 12 P.M. | TNT/HBO MAX
NEW HAMPSHIRE AT SYRACUSE | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS AT INDIANA | 12 P.M. | FOX
OHIO AT NEBRASKA | 12 P.M. | FS1
BRYANT AT ARMY | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
TARLETON STATE AT BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
LIBERTY AT JAMES MADISON | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
MIAMI (OHIO) AT PITT | 12:30 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
BALL STATE AT OHIO STATE | 12:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
KENT STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA | 12:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT KENTUCKY | 1 P.M. | SECN+
SE MISSOURI STATE AT IOWA STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
DUQUESNE AT AIR FORCE | 1 P.M. | MW+
RHODE ISLAND AT TEMPLE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT GEORGIA | 3 P.M. | SECN+
AUBURN VS. BAYLOR (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
FURMAN AT TENNESSEE | 3:30 P.M. | SECN+
TEXAS STATE AT TEXAS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE AT CINCINNATI | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
TULANE AT DUKE | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
BOISE STATE AT OREGON | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
MARSHALL AT PENN STATE | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
THE CITADEL AT CHARLOTTE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TOWSON AT NAVY | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY AT UTSA | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FORDHAM AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
MAINE AT APP STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE AT TULSA | 3:45 P.M. | ESPNU
NORTH ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS | 4:15 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT IOWA | 4:15 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
ALCORN STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
WYOMING AT COLORADO STATE | 6 P.M. | USA NETWORK
NORFOLK STATE AT OLD DOMINION | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MISSOURI STATE AT TEXAS A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN
AUSTIN PEAY AT VANDERBILT | 7 P.M. | SECN+
ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT TEXAS TECH | 7 P.M. | FS1
NICHOLLS AT KANSAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
IDAHO STATE AT UTAH STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
ARKANSAS STATE AT MEMPHIS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT RICE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT SOUTH FLORIDA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MURRAY STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
EASTERN KENTUCKY AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SE LOUISIANA AT SOUTH ALABAMA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SAM HOUSTON AT TROY | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CLEMSON AT LSU | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
UL MONROE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPNU
VMI AT VIRGINIA TECH | 7:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
NORTHWESTERN STATE AT LOUISIANA TECH | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT FLORIDA | 7:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH TECH AT BYU | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAMPTON AT MARYLAND | 8 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT NORTHWESTERN | 8 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
LAMAR AT LOUISIANA | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
MORGAN STATE AT ARIZONA STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCYHURST AT NEW MEXICO STATE | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHERN ARIZONA AT ARIZONA | 9:30 P.M. | ESPN+
PORTLAND STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 9:30 P.M. | USA NETWORK
UNLV AT HAWAI’I | 10 P.M. | ESPN UNLIMITED AND THE CW NETWORK
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NEW MEXICO | 10 P.M. | FS1
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AT SACRAMENTO STATE | 10 P.M. | ESPN+
UCLA AT CAL | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
WESTERN KENTUCKY AT NEVADA | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 6
TEXAS SOUTHERN AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M | 12 P.M. | ESPN2
FLORIDA A&M VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (HARD ROCK STADIUM IN MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.) | 3 P.M. | ESPN
WASHINGTON STATE AT WASHINGTON | 4 P.M. | NBC
OLE MISS VS. LOUISVILLE (NISSAN STADIUM IN NASHVILLE, TENN.) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. WISCONSIN (LAMBEAU FIELD IN GREEN BAY, WIS.) | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
MONDAY, SEPT. 7
SMU AT FLORIDA STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
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NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUG. 6
CAROLINA VS. ARIZONA – 8PM, NBC/PEACOCK
WEEK 1
THURSDAY – AUG. 13
DETROIT AT CINCINNATI – 7PM
GREEN BAY AT PITTSBURGH – 7PM
INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW ENGLAND – 7:30PM
LA CHARGERS AT HOUSTON – 8PM
ARIZONA AT LAS VEGAS – 8PM
TENNESSEE AT SAN FRANCISCO – 9PM
FRIDAY – AUG. 14
DENVER AT ATLANTA – 7PM
TAMPA BAY AT NY JETS – 7PM
MIAMI AT WASHINGTON – 7PM
SATURDAY – AUG. 15
CAROLINA AT BUFFALO – 1PM
CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO – 1PM
MINNESOTA AT NY GIANTS – 1PM
LA RAMS AT KANSAS CITY – 4PM
JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ORLEANS – 4PM
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE – 7PM
DALLAS AT SEATTLE – 8PM
WEEK 2
THURSDAY – AUG. 20
LAS VEGAS AT HOUSTON – 8PM, ESPN
SAN FRANCISCO AT LA CHARGERS – 10PM
FRIDAY – AUG. 21
NY JETS AT PITTSBURGH – 7PM
CAROLINA AT JACKSONVILLE – 7:30PM
GREEN BAY AT DENVER – 9PM
SATURDAY – AUG. 22
WASHINGTON AT DETROIT – 12PM
BUFFALO AT CLEVELAND – 1PM
ATLANTA AT INDIANAPOLIS – 1PM
BALTIMORE AT MINNESOTA – 1PM
NEW ORLEANS AT LA RAMS – 4PM
NY GIANTS AT MIAMI – 4PM
CHICAGO AT CINCINNATI – 7PM
PHILADELPHIA AT NEW ENGLAND – 7PM
KANSAS CITY AT TAMPA BAY – 7:30PM
DALLAS AT ARIZONA – 10PM
SUNDAY – AUG. 23
SEATTLE AT TENNESSEE – 8PM, FOX
WEEK 3
THURSDAY – AUG. 27
PITTSBURGH AT BUFFALO – 7PM
NEW ENGLAND AT CLEVELAND – 8PM, PRIME VIDEO
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS – 8PM
LA RAMS AT LA CHARGERS – 10PM
FRIDAY – AUG. 28
WASHINGTON AT BALTIMORE – 6PM
HOUSTON AT CAROLINA – 7PM
ATLANTA AT MIAMI – 7PM
TAMPA BAY AT JACKSONVILLE – 7:30PM
NY GIANTS AT NY JETS – 7:30PM
NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS – 8PM
ARIZONA AT GREEN BAY – 8PM
SEATTLE AT KANSAS CITY – 8PM
CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA – 8PM, CBS
MINNESOTA AT DENVER – 9PM
SATURDAY – AUG. 29
DETROIT AT INDIANAPOLIS – 1PM
CHICAGO AT TENNESSEE – 6PM
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2026 NFL TEAM SCHEDULES
https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2026/by-team
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TV / TIME (ET)
WEEK 1 THU, AUG 13 @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LOCAL (7:30 PM)
WEEK 2 SAT, AUG 22 VS. ATLANTA FALCONS LOCAL (1:00 PM)
WEEK 3 SAT, AUG 29 VS. DETROIT LIONS LOCAL (1:00 PM)
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2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) TV / STREAMING
1 SUN, SEPT 13 VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00 PM CBS
2 SUN, SEPT 20 @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 8:20 PM NBC
3 SUN, SEPT 27 VS. HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM CBS
4 SUN, OCT 4 @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 9:30 AM NFL NET
5 SUN, OCT 11 @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00 PM CBS
6 SUN, OCT 18 VS. TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM FOX
7 SUN, OCT 25 @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1:00 PM CBS
8 SUN, NOV 1 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS
9 SUN, NOV 8 VS. DALLAS COWBOYS 1:00 PM FOX
10 SUN, NOV 15 VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS 1:00 PM CBS
11 THU, NOV 19 @ HOUSTON TEXANS 8:15 PM PRIME VIDEO
12 SUN, NOV 29 VS. NEW YORK GIANTS 1:00 PM FOX
13 BYE WEEK
14 SUN, DEC 13 @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 1:00 PM FOX
15 SUN, DEC 20 @ TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM CBS
16 TBD – FLEX VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS TBD TBD
17 SUN, JAN 3 @ CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00 PM FOX
18 TBD – FLEX GAME VS. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS TBD TBD
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TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/SPORTS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
2026 TEAM PREVIEW: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Changes:
Offense
Josh McDaniels commences his second season in his second tenure with the New England Patriots.
Defense:
Head Coach Mike Vrabel remains with the organization as he navigates one of the more unusual offseason narratives this year. Zak Kuhr has been elevated to defensive coordinator following his management of defensive plays for a significant portion of the 2025 season, subsequent to the cancer diagnosis of former defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
Personnel Changes:
The organization acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round pick in 2027. Additionally, the Patriots signed wide receiver Romeo Doubs, safety Kevin Byard, offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, fullback Reggie Gilliam, safety Mike Brown, cornerback Kindle Vildor, and linebacker K.J. Britt.
In the recent draft, the team selected offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round, linebacker Gabe Jacas in the second round, and tight end Eli Raridon in the third round. The organization released wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Departures via free agency included defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, tight end Austin Hooper, offensive tackle Vederian Lowe, running back Antonio Gibson, linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Anfernee Jennings, cornerbacks Alex Austin and K’Lavon Chaisson, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6):
Buffalo Bills (twice), Miami Dolphins (twice), New York Jets (twice).
AFC West (4)
Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, at Kansas City Chiefs, at Los Angeles Chargers.
NFC North (4)
Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, at Chicago Bears, at Minnesota Vikings.
Additionally, the team will face the Pittsburgh Steelers, and compete against the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars on the road.
Quarterback Drake Maye is entering his third professional season and his second year under the guidance of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. This is particularly significant due to the unique aspects of McDaniels’ offensive scheme, which heavily emphasizes reading concepts and options. He consistently seeks to create mismatches through formations, plays, and structural designs, placing trust in the quarterback’s ability to assess developments swiftly and execute timely throws. Following substantial progress in Maye’s understanding of the game during his second season, further advancement is anticipated in 2026. The team also bolstered its skill position roster by departing from veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs while acquiring both Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown. There is potential to surpass the 26.5 points per game achieved in 2025 (ranking eighth), potentially propelling the offense into the top five in the forthcoming season.
The running back duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson is expected to deliver consistent production, combining reliable short-yardage execution (Stevenson) with explosive play-making ability (Henderson). Both athletes are also adept pass-catchers, providing McDaniels with the flexibility to target multiple areas of the field. Furthermore, the New England secondary ranks among the most skilled units in the AFC, bolstered by the addition of Kevin Byard in 2026 and Carlton Davis in 2025.
There are significant concerns regarding the performance of the New England offensive line, particularly concerning the abilities of the soon-to-be second-year left tackle, Will Campbell. Campbell entered the league with considerable potential; however, concerns regarding his length became apparent during the playoffs, where he permitted four sacks at an alarming pressure rate of nearly 12 percent. These uncertainties were compounded by the selection of left tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round of the draft. The organization appears to prefer Lomu’s development at right tackle as a future solution, particularly after veteran Morgan Moses retires. Nevertheless, Campbell’s on-field performance may compel the franchise to reconsider its strategy. Despite these challenges, the acquisition of Alijah Vera-Tucker allows Jared Wilson to revert to his natural position at center, and the right side of the line remains robust, featuring Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses.
It will be interesting to see how McDaniels chooses to deploy his new weapons. A.J. Brown is the easy one, but how will he integrate Romeo Doubs into an offense that sees Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, and DeMario Douglas return? Doubs has seen modest slot snap rates the previous three seasons while in Green Bay (13-18 percent) and the only holdover to rarely see the slot was Boutte (9.9 percent slot snap rate) last season. Brown also rarely played in the slot with the Eagles and the team clearly values Hollins’ well-rounded skillset. Considering all those moving pieces and the types of players they currently have on the roster, I would expect Brown and Doubs to lead the team in route participation while primarily playing on the perimeter, with Hollins largely reserved for package snaps, Boutte the primary “backup perimeter” receiver, and Pop Douglas and the tight ends largely handling slot duties. McDaniels’ offense makes it difficult to place these players into a descriptive box like that, but I believe that’s what we’ll see in the data at the end of the season. Either way, this offense clearly gets a substantial boost as Brown and Doubs represent significant improvements to the pass catching corps from a season ago.
That leaves plenty of room for Brown to return a top-five wide receiver season if touchdown variance cooperates and it’ll be interesting to see how the team’s red zone tendencies change now that they have a legitimate red zone threat. Mike Clay currently has Brown projected for a solid 86/1,215/7 receiving line, and there is room in that projection for further upside should he crack double digits in the scoring column. Furthermore, his spike week potential remains elite considering the potential for the Patriots to be a top-five offense. No problems with Brown in Best Ball drafts, even into the end of the first round.
Doubs has also proven to be a legitimate red zone option in his own right but he remains a long shot to pierce 750-800 receiving yards. That still leaves him with plenty of value at current ADP, and I am most interested in Doubs when paired with Maye as opposed to a later-dart-one-off-type pick.
Rhamondre Stevenson has proven that he can be a reliable weapon in this offense, and I think the general fantasy community continues to over-hype second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson. Both backs could flirt with borderline RB2/3 numbers by the end of the season, making me much more likely to click Stevenson’s name at ADP. The backfield depth behind those two is almost nonexistent, meaning we should be clicking both of their names in drafts for the event that one of them misses time as this backfield would almost certainly devolve into a borderline workhorse unit in either’s absence.
Finally, Hunter Henry should be a target at current ADP due to his significant red zone role for a potential top-five offense.
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2026 NEW YORK JETS TEAM PREVIEW
Changes
Offense: Out is former OC Tanner Engstrand and in comes Frank Reich, giving the Jets one of the bigger offensive scheme changes in the league heading into 2026.
Defense: HC Aaron Glenn was retained for his second season with the Jets. Former Dolphins passing game coordinator Brian Duker joins the Jets as their new defensive coordinator. Glenn confirmed he will call defensive plays in 2026 after former DC Steve Wilks did so a season ago.
Personnel Changes
The Jets were busy in free agency this offseason, signing EDGE/OLB Joseph Ossai, LB Demario Davis, DT David Onyemata, OG Dylan Parham, DB Kinsley Enagbare, S Dane Belton, WR Tim Patrick, and CB Nahshon Wright.
Acquired DT T’Vondre Sweat from the Titans in exchange for DE Jermaine Johnson, S Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Dolphins in exchange for a seventh-round pick, and QB Geno Smith from the Raiders for a late-round pick swap.
Drafted TE Kenyon Sadiq, WR Omar Cooper Jr, and EDGE/OLB David Bailey in the first and CB D’Angelo Ponds in the second. All four should be key starters for the Jets this season. Selected QB Cade Klubnik in the fourth.
Saw OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG John Simpson, LB Quincey Williams, and K Nick Folk depart in free agency. WR Josh Reynolds and RB Khalil Herbert also failed to re-sign with the Jets.
Schedule
Divisional Games (6)::
Patriots x 2, Bills x 2, Dolphins x 2
AFC West (4)::
Raiders, Broncos, @Chiefs, @Chargers
NFC North (4)::
Packers, Vikings, @Lions, @Bears
Browns, Broncos, @Titans
I’m going to be completely honest here – I struggle to find any argument for a bull case with the Jets in 2026. Only the Cardinals and Dolphins are projected for fewer wins (4.5) than the Jets (5.5) after the team registered only three wins a season ago, their answers at quarterback were aging veteran Geno Smith and fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik, and much of their efforts this offseason were directed towards the defensive side of the ball. I’ll spend the rest of this team’s exploration expanding on that sentiment.
As is so normally the case in these team explorations, things truly start with the offensive line for the Jets. The addition of Dylan Parham gives the Jets five starters that played over 1,000 snaps a season ago, with each player playing a full 17-game season. That said, the team ranked just 28th in adjusted line yards and 30th in pressure rate allowed in 2025 and require significant improvements to play the style of football their coaching staff likely wants to play in the new season. Furthermore, their depth along the offensive line is entirely lacking, ripe with former, and current, late-round selections. Things can certainly turn south in a hurry for this unit if one or two key players gets bitten by injury variance.
The New York defense appears much improved on paper after a busy offseason and this team should continue to derive its identity from that side of the ball considering the retention of head coach Aaron Glenn. Which is to say, we shouldn’t expect this offense to be fully pushing games throughout the season. On top of that, the elite concentration that we’ve grown accustomed to from the Jets in recent years could be subject to a bit of smoothing after the additions of Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq.
The Jets enter 2026 with eight to nine projected new starters on the defensive side of the ball, a bridge quarterback in his second stint with the franchise in Geno Smith, and two new primary skill position players in wide receiver Omar Cooper and tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Not that those moves are bad, but that is a lot of turnover for a franchise that has not reached the postseason since 2010 (the longest active playoff drought in the league). I don’t think I’ll get much push back by saying this team is likely to start off slow, particularly with a gauntlet of NFC North teams (Packers, Lions, and Bears) on their schedule in the first month of the season. The “defense first” identity of the Jets should continue into 2026 considering their offseason personnel moves and the decision to retain Glenn, something that is likely to lead to a situation where the Jets are not the ones pushing games.
It’s hard to completely argue against Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall at current ADP, but I am currently taking an underweight stance on both. The current state of this team, mixed with the potential for volume smoothing after the offseason additions, leaves me less than excited on both. I completely expect Hall to finish at or above his current RB14 valuation, but I fully question the spike week potential and we’re paying a third-round cost for his services. Wilson is a bit more palatable at a current WR18 and No. 40 overall valuation (although that number is far higher at No. 35 overall on Drafters, currently). Even then, Wilson has nine career 100-yard performances in 58 games, which would put him in line for an expectation of 2.6 100-yard games in 2026; except the elite volume we’ve seen throughout his career could take a slight hit. Again, I don’t doubt he’ll finish right around his WR18 valuation over the course of the entire season (or his WR16 projections), but I fully question the spike week potential in this weekly game we play.
Both Cooper and Sadiq are “fine, I guess” at current valuation but neither does enough for me to fully target overweight stances. Geno Smith is a pipe dream, if we’re being completely honest with the expectations from this team. And that’s really it for the Jets in 2026 – we’re not targeting Adonai Mitchell or Mason Taylor in Best Ball this season.
In total, the Jets are an extremely interesting team to discuss regarding the theoretics of Best Ball and why per-week ranges of outcomes are so much more important than season-long projections or expectations. Sure, Wilson and Hall appear highly likely to finish somewhere around where they are being drafted as far as end of season stats versus current ADP, but the per-week upside is a tough sell. It isn’t wise to fully fade players of their caliber in playoff formats as they are always capable of hanging crooked numbers – both players should put up two to three spike weeks in 2026, at minimum, and if it happens when it matters most to playoff formats (in the playoffs), they could become a player you need this season. That said, I don’t know if I’ll have much of either, if any, in cumulative scoring formats.
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2026 NFL TEAM PREVIEW: BALTIMORE RAVENS
Changes:
Longtime HC John Harbaugh was let go following another disappointing end to their season, failing to make the playoffs after a loss to the Steelers in a winner-take-all, Week 18 game. It was the first time they missed the playoffs since 2021, and only the second time since Lamar Jackson entered the league in 2018.
Offense: Also new to the franchise is OC Declan Doyle. Doyle served as the OC for the Bears in 2025, making him the youngest OC in the league at that time (28). That said, it was HC Ben Johnson that called the offense, making this Doyle’s first opportunity to call an offense.
Defense: Former Chargers DC Jesse Minter was hired as the new HC in Baltimore, joined by former Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver as the new DC. Weaver coached with the Ravens from 2021 to 2023. Minter announced in his introductory press conference that he will be calling defensive plays in 2026.
Personnel Changes:
The Ravens were involved in the biggest story of the offseason with the handling of the trade with the Raiders. Star DE Maxx Crosby was on his way to the Ravens before they backed out with the classic “failed physical” excuse. More interesting was the fact that they hastily swooped in and signed FA OLB Trey Hendrickson, the timing of which raised some serious questions around the league. The fallout is easy to digest—Hendrickson is a Raven.
The biggest offseason departures for the Ravens were C Tyler Linderbaum, EDGE Dre’mont Jones, TE Isaiah Likely, TE Charlie Kolar, EDGE Odafe Oweh, S Alohi Gilman, and FB Patrick Ricard.
OG John Simpson was the most impactful free agent brought in. Others include C Jovaughn Gwyn, C Danny Printer, TE Dyrham Smythe, and S Jaylinn Hawkins, none of whom is expected to immediately enter the starting lineup (save Hawkins, who should see the field regularly from three-safety formations).
The Ravens spent the No. 14 overall pick on OG Olaivavega Ioane, who should immediately start. EDGE Zion Young joined the franchise in the second while WR Ja’Kobi Lane was added in the third. WR Elijah Sarratt, TE Matthew Hibner, TE Josh Cuevas, CB Chandler Rivers, RB Adam Randall, P Ryan Eckley, DL Rayshaun Benny, and OG Evan Beerntsen rounded out their 11 picks in this year’s draft.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Bengals x 2, Browns x 2, Steelers x 2
AFC South (4)::
Jaguars, Titans, @Texans, @Colts
NFC South (4)::
@Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, @Panthers
Chargers, @Bills, @Cowboys
Todd Monken brought former OC Greg Roman’s offense into the 21st Century in his three seasons with the team, immediately making an impact, as evidenced by Lamar Jackson’s MVP season in 2023. Monken departed to take the HC position for the Browns, leaving the Ravens with a complete overhaul amongst their coaching ranks after the team decided to move on from the then-second-longest-tenured HC John Harbaugh. In comes the youngest OC in the league in Declan Doyle, who had his come-up coaching under Sean Payton and Ben Johnson, both of whom have long been considered two of the top offensive minds in the league. Their offense remains anchored by Jackson and RB Derrick Henry, creating one of the scarier backfield duos in the league for opposing defenses to prepare for. That, alone, keeps the bull case high for the Ravens heading into 2026, particularly from a fantasy perspective for those two key players.
The continued presence of one of the most dynamic defenders in the league in Kyle Hamilton gives the defense a solid outlook for 2026. On top of that, the introduction of Trey Hendrickson should help the defense create more pressure than the middling numbers they were able to generate in recent history, giving Minter solid athleticism to scheme around. It’s not often we see first-time head coaches and offensive coordinators make an immediate impact for new teams, but this is a storied franchise with elite talent on both sides of the ball, playing in a division where three of four teams have completely new coaching ranks (only the Bengals have coaching continuity). The Ravens should once again challenge for the division come December and January.
The team saw 13 free agent departures, chose not to (as of this writing) re-sign six more players (including DE Kyle Van Noy, WR DeAndre Hopkins, and OT Joseph Noteboom), and have an entirely new coaching staff. That is a lot already working against them as they enter 2026. The team failed to add any impactful skill position players and 2026 will be the first season of Jackson’s career without FB Patrick Ricard. TE Mark Andrews turns 31 in September, Derrick Henry enters his age-33 season with 2,662 career carries at the NFL level on his frame, and the team’s top two wide receivers remain Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. The diminutive-but-speedy Flowers has not scored more than five touchdowns in any of his three seasons in the league, while Bateman has gone over a modest 32 receptions in just two of five professional seasons, scoring more than two touchdowns just once (his ridiculous nine touchdowns on 45 receptions in 2024 was a massive outlier). Furthermore, the team continues to have very little depth on the offensive side of the ball (which makes sense considering the monetary value attached to Jackson and Henry), something we have seen impact recent seasons.
There is a lot to be excited about in Baltimore considering the coaching changes, but this is still a team with an aging offense, very little depth on that side of the ball, and an entirely new coaching staff. We shouldn’t be surprised to see the Ravens win the division, but we also shouldn’t be surprised if a key injury or two, inefficiencies or inconsistencies in play calling, or a slow start has this team floundering in 2026. It feels like a cop out to say the Ravens carry an extremely wide range of outcomes heading into the new season, but that is the most accurate way of describing where this franchise is at. That said, this is still a team with a perennial MVP candidate at quarterback (who, in my eyes, should have won a second consecutive MVP in 2024 after completely surpassing all the metrics that won him the award the season prior), keeping the fantasy ceiling high for their primary contributors.
Aging TE Mark Andrews played only 37.1 offensive snaps per game in 2025, by far the lowest mark of his career. That said, the departure of both Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar could force Andrews back into a heavier emphasis in the offense. It remains unlikely that Andrews will sniff career-highs of 107 receptions and 11 touchdowns, but it could be a relative bounce back season for the veteran. Along the same lines, Derrick Henry played 23 percent fewer offensive snaps in 2025 (32.6 offensive snaps per game), as compared to 2024, his first season with the team. The general lack of depth on offense remains a legitimate concern for the Ravens, as an injury to Jackson, Henry, Andrews, Flowers, Bateman, or any of the five offensive linemen would be catastrophic. The team will also have two new interior offensive linemen in John Simpson and rookie first-rounder Olaivavega Ioane and lost FB Patrick Ricard in free agency.
Non-division games against the AFC South and NFC South could be a solid boost to their end-of-season win total, in addition to six games against a largely rebuilding division. Finally, the Ravens should remain a highly concentrated offense amongst their primary skill position players, and the weekly touchdown upside brought to the table through Jackson, Henry, and Andrews, alongside the per-target upside of Flowers, keeps the Best Ball upside palpable.
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WALTER NOLEN, OMARION HAMPTON, LUTHER BURDEN AMONG THE YEAR 2 PLAYERS POISED FOR A BREAKOUT
Some rookies take little time to adjust to the NFL, such as last season’s AP Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, Tetairoa McMillan and Carson Schwesinger.
They were among several rookies that made major impacts in 2025, including Seattle’s versatile defender Nick Emmanwori, who helped elevate a defense that led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title, top-10 pick tackles Armand Membou and Kelvin Banks, and pass catchers Tyler Warren and Emeka Ebuka.
But failing to become a star in year one doesn’t mean a draft pick was wasted.
Here’s a look at some players who showed promise as rookies in 2025 who now have a chance to break out and become stars in their second seasons in the NFL:
Arizona DT Walter Nolen
Nolen never really got started as a rookie, missing the start of the season with a calf injury and then getting shut down early with a knee injury. Nolen had flashes in his limited time in six games that showed why the Cardinals drafted him 16th overall. He had two sacks and 15 pressures in just 99 pass rush opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus, and also returned a fumble for a TD. If he can have close to that kind of production in more extensive time, he could quickly become one of the top pass rushing defensive tackles in the game.
Los Angeles Chargers RB Omarion Hampton
Hampton rushed for 545 yards in nine games behind an injury-riddled offensive line after being drafted 22nd overall. With tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater expected back from injuries and Hampton healthy after dealing with ankle injuries, he is position for a big season in new coordinator Mike McDaniel’s offense. McDaniel has a history of creating big plays for speedy players such as Hampton, who had 15 carries for at least 15 yards in limited action last season.
Chicago WR Luther Burden
Coach Ben Johnson said early in the offseason that he was “ buying Luther Burden stock.” There’s a good reason to do so. The second-round pick put up solid numbers as a rookie with 47 catches for 652 yards and two TDs in the regular season. But he had some big performances late in the season that showed he has the potential to do even more, highlighted by his eight catches for 138 yards and a TD in a Week 17 game against San Francisco. Burden averaged 2.69 yards per route run during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking third in the league among wide receivers.
Dallas DE Donovan Ezeiruaku
After trading away Micah Parsons before the start of last season, the Cowboys were lacking on the defensive line. That put added pressure on Ezeiruaku to perform at a high level immediately as a second-round pick. He was strong against the run but had only two sacks and 36 pressures as a rookie, according to PFF. With better talent around him, with Quinnen Williams there all season on the inside and Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence helping on the outside, Ezeiruaku is in position to be an even more effective pass rusher in year two.
San Francisco DB Upton Stout
The 49ers used their first picks last season on defense with much of the focus on big bodies on the defensive line. But the smallest player showed some of the most promise, with 5-foot-9 cornerback Upton Stout flashing as a third rounder. He excelled in the slot last season and could be in position to make even splashier plays with a year of experience under his belt after having four tackles for loss, two QB hits, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and a sack last season.
Kansas City CB Nohl Williams
The Chiefs traded Trent McDuffie and lost Jaylen Watson in free agency in the offseason and are planning to go young at cornerback with No. 6 pick Mansoor Delane and Williams, a third-rounder last season, as the potential starters. Williams played just less than half of the defensive snaps as a rookie but had a strong finish to the season in coverage in a sign of potential bigger things to come this season.
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RAVENS REACH CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH 2-TIME PRO BOWL RECEIVER ZAY FLOWERS
The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension with two-time Pro Bowl receiver Zay Flowers, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the terms hadn’t been announced. The agreement, which includes $108 million guaranteed, is a sizable commitment to Flowers, who is coming off a season in which he caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns. Baltimore drafted him in the first round in 2023, and the shifty 5-foot-9 receiver immediately became a factor with his quickness. He’s now posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a top target for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Great day for the Ravens. Shoutout to Zay Flowers,” Baltimore coach Jesse Minter said. “Nothing better as a coach than to see those guys get what they deserve. Really happy for Zay and excited for him. I can’t wait to see him thrive in our offense.”
The Ravens drafted a receiver in the first round three times from 2019 through 2023. They haven’t done it again since taking Flowers. He’s missed only one regular-season game in three seasons, although he was unavailable for the 2024 playoffs.
Flowers became the fastest player in Ravens history (21 games) to reach 100 receptions and the first Raven with multiple 1,000-yard seasons in the first three years of his career. He ranked 11th in the NFL in receptions in 2025 and seventh in yards receiving. That was despite an underwhelming, injury-plagued season from Jackson — and Baltimore’s willingness to run the ball with Derrick Henry.
Flowers was asked last week about his contract situation as he entered his fourth season.
“Honestly, I am just working right now. I am trying to get better. I leave that to my agents,” he said. “Right now, I am trying to learn this offense, get closer to my teammates and my coaches, and just keep getting right for the season.”
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FALCONS RUNNING BACK BIJAN ROBINSON IS LOCKED UP THROUGH 2030 AFTER AGREEING TO A 3-YEAR EXTENSION
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a three-year contract extension with running back Bijan Robinson through the 2030 season.
Robinson reposted the NFL’s Instagram post detailing the extension on Tuesday morning, writing “God this is for you! Blessings. Love this team and this city!”
According to Spotrac.com, the extension is worth up to $75 million, with $51 million guaranteed.
NFL Network and ESPN first reported the extension. Robinson’s agent, Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports, posted on X on Tuesday morning “Anyone have a brinks truck?” while the Falcons posted a photo of a smiling Robinson.
The deal with Robinson continued the Falcons’ trend of locking up foundation players on their offense.
On Saturday, the Falcons announced signing left guard Matthew Bergeron to a four-year contract extension. The team gave new contracts to wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts in the offseason.
The new deal comes after Robinson spent the first week of training camp, including Monday’s first day in pads, as a spectator. He attended the practices but did not participate in an apparent contract “hold-in” as he seeks a new deal.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked Robinson the league’s top running back in a preseason poll.
Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage and scored 11 TDs last season.
Robinson has been the focus of Atlanta’s productive ground game since he was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He flourished as a dual-threat back last season, finishing fourth in the league with 1,478 rushing yards while adding 820 receiving yards.
Steven Jackson in 2006 is the only other player ever with at least 1,400 rushing yards and 800 receiving yards in the same season.
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GIANTS’ ABDUL CARTER SETS THE GOAL OF BEING THE NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Abdul Carter is setting a lofty goal for himself.
“I want to be Defensive Player of the Year,” Carter said. And he absolutely thinks he can do so right away.
Carter goes into his second NFL season with the New York Giants having come a long way from the edge rusher selected with the third pick in the 2025 draft and who asked Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor to wear his No. 56 — and was denied. He has visibly evolved as a player and a person since struggling through the first two months as a rookie and getting disciplined twice for off-field team violations.
After finishing strong last year with 3 1/2 sacks in his final five games, Carter has been a disruptive force early in training camp and could soon be an every-down linebacker and a difference-maker in all situations.
“I know what I’m capable of,” Carter said last week at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. “I know if I put the work in and believe in myself, trusting myself, trust in my teammates, trust in my coaches, I can be whoever I want to be.”
Carter has shown flashes of brilliance in practice, working against established starting left tackle Andrew Thomas and often beating him to the backfield. Thomas notices Carter being better than this time last year.
“He’s using his power more, and you can tell he just has a better understanding for different types of blocks, different types of attacks, recognizing play schemes,” Thomas said, acknowledging Carter has exhibited growth all around. “He wants to be a good player, so when you have that drive, you just have to get it going in the right direction. You just learn as you go. He’s a young kid. He’s going to learn. He’s going to get even better.”
The learning happened in a very public way. Carter had just half a sack in his first 10 pro games, got benched from the first defensive series of his 11th by interim coach Mike Kafka, who then sat him again for the first quarter two weeks later.
Carter, who is 22 with his 23rd birthday coming up on Oct. 3, said at the time he owned his mistakes. Asked at this camp if he could tell his younger self anything, he brushed that off as not the way he thinks about life.
“I feel like everything happened the way it was supposed to,” Carter said. “I learned from it, moved on from it, so I’m ready to go into year two.”
What are the Giants getting from Carter in year two? Brian Burns, who’s coming off a career season in which he ranked second in the league with 16 1/2 sacks behind record-setter Myles Garrett, sees big things.
“He ended the year strong,” Burns said. “I expect him to break out, pick up where he left off.”
Carter intends to do that by leaning on the video, playbook study and practice habits he has developed. That approach fits in with what Burns and others have observed about Carter showing more maturity.
It doesn’t hurt that Carter also has a new coach in John Harbaugh, who brings Super Bowl-winning gravitas to the job and hired Dennard Wilson to be defensive coordinator. It’ll be up to Wilson to figure out the best ways to use Carter to unlock his potential, though that’s something Harbaugh already has a good idea of.
“Just a consistency level: down, after down, after down, all downs, all situations,” Harbaugh said. “Play the run, rush the passer, all the movements, stunts — things like that — (and) cover for guys on movements. All those things that he’s determined to do, I’ve heard him say it many times, to be a complete player.”
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RAVENS REACH CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH 2-TIME PRO BOWL RECEIVER ZAY FLOWERS
The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension with two-time Pro Bowl receiver Zay Flowers, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the terms hadn’t been announced. The agreement, which includes $108 million guaranteed, is a sizable commitment to Flowers, who is coming off a season in which he caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns. Baltimore drafted him in the first round in 2023, and the shifty 5-foot-9 receiver immediately became a factor with his quickness. He’s now posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a top target for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Great day for the Ravens. Shoutout to Zay Flowers,” Baltimore coach Jesse Minter said. “Nothing better as a coach than to see those guys get what they deserve. Really happy for Zay and excited for him. I can’t wait to see him thrive in our offense.”
The Ravens drafted a receiver in the first round three times from 2019 through 2023. They haven’t done it again since taking Flowers. He’s missed only one regular-season game in three seasons, although he was unavailable for the 2024 playoffs.
Flowers became the fastest player in Ravens history (21 games) to reach 100 receptions and the first Raven with multiple 1,000-yard seasons in the first three years of his career. He ranked 11th in the NFL in receptions in 2025 and seventh in yards receiving. That was despite an underwhelming, injury-plagued season from Jackson — and Baltimore’s willingness to run the ball with Derrick Henry.
Flowers was asked last week about his contract situation as he entered his fourth season.
“Honestly, I am just working right now. I am trying to get better. I leave that to my agents,” he said. “Right now, I am trying to learn this offense, get closer to my teammates and my coaches, and just keep getting right for the season.”
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JETS ROOKIE TIGHT END KENYON SADIQ HAS A SETBACK IN RETURN FROM HERNIA SURGERY, OUT ‘A LITTLE BIT’
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq will be sidelined “a little bit” after coach Aaron Glenn said the first-round pick had a setback in his recovery from offseason hernia surgery.
Sadiq, the No. 16 overall selection out of Oregon in April, had the injury while in college and he and the team opted to have the procedure done during the offseason. Glenn said Sadiq, who was on what the coach called “a maintenance program,” practiced the first three days of training camp, but didn’t participate Monday or Tuesday.
“He had a little setback as we watched his exams,” Glenn said. “So he’ll be out a little bit. I can’t tell you exactly how long right now, but I will let you know that at some point. But I’m just expecting him to be out for a little bit. But he’s working his way back.”
Glenn said he was “very confident” Sadiq would be healthy in time to play in the regular-season opener at Tennessee on Sept. 13.
“I’m not real worried, but the thing is I want to make sure that I make the right decision,” Glenn said. “I want make sure I take care of him so he can be ready for the regular season.”
Sadiq was the second of the Jets’ three first-round picks this year and is expected to have a big role in Frank Reich’s offense as a pass-catching threat for quarterback Geno Smith. The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Sadiq set an Oregon record last season for tight ends with 51 receptions — while dealing with the hernia.
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DEVIN WHITE PUSHING FOR STARTING ROLE WITH LIONS AFTER RECORD-SETTING SEASON WITH RAIDERS
ALLEN PARK, MI (AP) — Devin White finished last season as the NFL’s third-leading tackler. He’s still no lock for a starting job with his new team.
The 28-year-old White had a career-high 174 tackles — a franchise record — for the Las Vegas Raiders last season. A free agency after the season, he was still available until the Detroit Lions, in need of depth at linebacker, signed him to a one-year contract on Saturday.
“It’s a great opportunity and I don’t want to let it pass me by,” White said after Tuesday’s practice.
With Jack Campbell, who signed a 4-year, $81 million contract extension this offseason, entrenched at middle linebacker, White will look to push for a starting job at one of the outside spots. Derrick Barnes started all 17 games last season, but White could compete with Malcolm Rodriguez for the weakside job.
Rodriguez suffered a torn ACL in November 2024 and was limited to seven games last season. Rodriguez left Tuesday’s practice early with an ankle injury. Rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder, a fourth-round pick, is expected to miss several more weeks with a hamstring injury.
White says he’s ready for whatever role the team has in store for him.
“They control all the depth chart things and whenever it’s handed to me to go in, I just run in there as fast as I can so (the coaches) won’t put somebody else in,” he said. “That’s all I’m trying to do. I just feel if I keep doing that and just stay humble, my role will increase and I’ll get better and better within the defense to help these guys make plays.”
The fifth overall pick of the 2019 draft, White spent his first five seasons with Tampa Bay. He signed with Philadelphia in March 2024, but never played a snap for the Eagles before he was released. He then hooked on with Houston and had a limited role with the Texans.
The Raiders took a flier on him last offseason and White set the franchise record for most tackles in a single season. However, his deficiencies in pass coverage made him expendable.
The only guarantee he’ll get with the Lions is a chance to earn a regular role.
“It’s all about competition,” defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said. “We have the chance to acquire somebody that we feel like can come in, whether that’s push to start or push guys in the room to make them better. ”
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JAGUARS OL TRYSTAN COLON RETIRES AT AGE 28
The Jacksonville Jaguars placed veteran offensive lineman Trystan Colon on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday, marking his retirement after six NFL seasons.
Colon, 28, signed a one-year contract with the Jaguars in early June before the start of minicamp.
He played in 12 games at center with four starts last season for the Detroit Lions. He participated in 24% of the offensive snaps (183) and 19% of special teams snaps (66).
Formerly known as Colon-Castillo, he played in a total of 63 games with 19 starts for the Baltimore Ravens (2020-22), Arizona Cardinals (2023-24) and Lions. He played all three interior line positions.
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REPORT: TE ZACH ERTZ (TORN ACL) CLEARED FOR FOOTBALL ACTIVITIES
Free agent tight end Zach Ertz has officially been cleared for all football activities following a torn ACL last season, ESPN reported on Tuesday night.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, the 35-year-old Ertz intends to play this season, which would be his 14th. ESPN reported that he was catching footballs thrown by his former college quarterback, Andrew Luck, on Tuesday at Stanford University in California.
Ertz injured his right knee during the Washington Commanders’ 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 7, 2025.
He posted 50 receptions for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (all starts) last season while playing on a one-year contract with the Commanders.
Ertz won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2017 season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
His 825 career receptions are fifth all-time among tight ends, while his 8,592 yards rank eighth at the position.
Ertz has 57 touchdowns in 181 regular-season games (143 starts) with the Eagles (2013-21), Arizona Cardinals (2021-23) and Commanders (2024-25).
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COWBOYS TE PRINCETON FANT OUT FOR YEAR WITH TORN ACL
Dallas Cowboys tight end Princeton Fant suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will miss the season.
Fant had to be carted off the practice field on Monday after he was blocked backward into a teammate. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed the diagnosis Tuesday and said the tight end would have surgery within the next couple of weeks.
Fant, 27, was entering his fourth NFL season, all with the Cowboys. He has taken only 14 offensive snaps in his pro career, none last year, but he has contributed on special teams.
Fant spent most of last season on the practice squad, appearing in one game and making one tackle.
Dallas has Jake Ferguson as its projected No. 1 tight end and Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford and undrafted rookie Michael Trigg behind him on the depth chart.
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BEARS, RT DARNELL WRIGHT AGREE ON DEAL WITH REPORTED $93M GUARANTEED
The Chicago Bears and right tackle Darnell Wright reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension on Tuesday.
Financial terms were not confirmed, but multiple reports said it was worth $116 million and included $93 million guaranteed — the most guaranteed money for an offensive lineman in league history, according to ESPN and Spotrac.
Wright’s $29 million average annual value trails only Laremy Tunsil’s $30.1 million yearly average as part of his March extension with the Washington Commanders, per ESPN and Spotrac.
Wright, 24, was the first first-round pick made by Bears GM Ryan Poles in 2023.
Though the Bears had already picked up the fifth-year option ($19.07 million) on Wright in April to secure his presence in a Chicago uniform through the 2027 season, the team reportedly was keen to keep the 2025 second-team All-Pro long-term.
The No. 10 overall pick by the Bears in the 2023 draft, Wright has started all 49 NFL games he has played, including all 17 in his rookie season. He was a second-team All-Pro last season.
Chicago went 11-6 in the 2025 regular season, their most victories since winning 12 games in 2018. The Bears were eliminated from the playoffs in the divisional round in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
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FALCONS DE JALON WALKER CARTED OFF WITH LEG INJURY
Atlanta Falcons pass rusher Jalon Walker was carted off the field with a leg injury at training camp on Tuesday.
The 2025 first-round draft pick is feared to have torn his left ACL and will undergo an MRI exam, NFL Network reported.
Walker sustained the injury during a two-minute simulation in a non-padded, 11-on-11 practice.
Teammates took a knee and surrounded Walker as he was being treated, bringing an end to Tuesday’s session.
Walker, 22, had 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 36 tackles in 15 games (nine starts) in 2025 after being selected with the 15th overall pick out of Georgia.
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CARDINALS STARTING ROOKIE QB CARSON BECK FOR HALL OF FAME GAME
The Arizona Cardinals will start rookie quarterback Carson Beck for Thursday’s preseason Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers in Canton, Ohio, head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters on Tuesday.
Beck, Arizona’s third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, was listed as the third-string QB on the team’s first depth chart of the season behind Jacoby Brissett, who got a reworked one-year contract worth a guaranteed $15.5 million late last month, and Gardner Minshew II.
Beck, 23, completed 69.5% of his passes for 11,725 yards, 88 touchdowns and 32 interceptions over five seasons at Georgia (2021-24) and Miami (2025).
The Panthers will start 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett for the preseason opener. Pickett is listed as Carolina’s backup behind Bryce Young and ahead of third-string rookie Haynes King.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OHIO STATE TOPS COACHES POLL; DEFENDING CHAMP INDIANA OUT OF TOP 5
Defending College Football Playoff champion Indiana, coming off an undefeated season, is not the Big Ten conference member at the top of the preseason coaches poll.
Instead, it is Ohio State that was voted No. 1 in the poll, according to results released Tuesday by USA Today.
Another Big Ten program, Oregon, landed at No. 2, ahead of Southeastern Conference programs Georgia and Texas, then Notre Dame, an independent.
Indiana comes in at No. 6 but with 14 of the 72 first-place votes cast, second only to Ohio State’s 38. Each of the top six finishers received at least two first-place votes.
Ohio State last topped the preseason coaches poll in 2015. It’s the first time since 2008 that six teams earned first-place votes.
Miami, which lost to Indiana in the CFP title game last winter, was voted No. 7, with Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Ole Miss rounding out the top 10.
Alabama is No. 11, marking the first time since 2008 that the Crimson Tide will start a season outside the top 10 in the coaches poll.
Ohio State (Julian Sayin), Oregon (Dante Moore), Georgia (Gunner Stockton), Texas (Arch Manning) and Notre Dame (C.J. Carr) all return their starting quarterbacks from the 2025 season. Indiana will have a new QB (TCU transfer Josh Hoover) following the graduation of Francisco Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In all, the SEC is represented by nine teams, and the Big Ten by eight in the preseason poll. The Big 12, topped by No. 12 Texas Tech, has four members on the list. The Atlantic Coast Conference has three, with No. 23 Clemson in its lowest starting spot since 2011.
Texas was the preseason No. 1 last season and finished 10-3, never recovering from an opening-week 14-7 loss to Ohio State.
The Buckeyes, 12-2 in 2025, open their season Sept. 5 at home against Ball State, then travel to Austin for a Week 2 showdown with Texas.
2026 COACHES POLL PRESEASON TOP 25 RANKINGS
1. OHIO STATE (38 FIRST-PLACE VOTES)
2. OREGON (6)
3. GEORGIA (7)
4. TEXAS (2)
5. NOTRE DAME (5)
6. INDIANA (14)
7. MIAMI
8. TEXAS A&M
9. OKLAHOMA
10. OLE MISS
11. ALABAMA
12. TEXAS TECH
13. LSU
14. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
15. BRIGHAM YOUNG
16. MICHIGAN
17. PENN STATE
18. TENNESSEE
19. WASHINGTON
20. SMU
21. UTAH
22. IOWA
23. CLEMSON
24. HOUSTON
25. MISSOURI
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PAC-12, MOUNTAIN WEST ANNOUNCE POACHING LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT
The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences called a truce in their legal dispute over the former “poaching” member institutions from the latter.
A settlement between the rival leagues was reached and announced Tuesday, with terms not disclosed.
The Mountain West pursued legal action in 2024 after the Pac-12 announced it would add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State as member institutions beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.
Published reports said the Mountain West wanted up to $55 million in total penalties for the poaching, as the conferences at the time had a football scheduling agreement to help the only remaining members of the old Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State.
Their agreement required the Pac-12 to pay escalating exit fees for each Mountain West school it wanted to add. The Pac-12 sued, calling it an anti-competitive practice, and the Mountain West countered by saying the Pac-12 understood the terms of the contract it had agreed to and was trying to evade the fees.
The case expanded in recent months due to discovery disputes and other counterclaims, but neither league apparently wanted to get into a protracted legal fight.
The Pac-12 begins a new era this season with Texas State joining Oregon State, Washington State and the five Mountain West defectors playing football. The league also added Gonzaga for all sports besides football, with men’s basketball being the main draw, and Saint Mary’s has been floated as a 10th member also due to its men’s basketball history.
The Mountain West has added UTEP as a full member and perennial FCS power North Dakota State and Northern Illinois as football-only affiliates while converting Hawaii from a football-only member to a full member. The league will have 10 teams for the 2026 football season as the newcomers join Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming.
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2026 PREVIEW: OHIO STATE
After winning the national title, Ohio State had 14 players drafted – four first-rounders – for the second-biggest draft class in modern history.
But here on the Dynasty Tier there are no “rebuilding” seasons, only reloads. With five straight Top 5 recruiting classes, 2025 was simply just the next round of young five-stars stepping up into the starting lineup.
The defense clicked right away, with new coordinator Matt Patricia replacing Jim Knowles, and they suffocated preseason #1 Texas and their Heisman favorite Arch Manning to just seven points, stopping them twice inside the ten-yard line. Ohio State snapped Washington’s nation-best 22-game home win streak holding them to 1/11 on third downs and just 234 yards. It took until the eighth game for Ohio State to allow a first-half touchdown, and they eventually finished with the #1 scoring defense in America. Ryan Day kept the offensive scheme safe and conservative for first-time starter Julian Sayin but then took off the training wheels after the first month. Sayin was
flawless. He ended up setting an NCAA regular season record with a 78.4% completion rate and earned a seat at the Heisman ceremony.
Day was able to get that final team goal off the checklist by finally beating Michigan, snapping their
four-game series streak, and they did so with a 27-9 physical beatdown. “Nobody wants to win this
game more than me,” said a relieved Day.
A perfect 12-0 regular season started to show some imperfections in the postseason. In the Big Ten title game and Playoff quarterfinal, Indiana and Miami combined for 10 sacks and held Ohio State to just 2.1 yards/carry. Sayin threw critical first-half interceptions, and was unable to create when the pocket broke down. Indiana won by 3, Miami won by 10, and Ohio State was bounced from the bracket on New Year’s Eve.
In April, the NFL’s 33rd Team sent another 11 players to the draft. They became the first school to have 7+ drafted in the first two rounds in consecutive drafts, and became the first since 1967 with four of the top 11 picks.
OFFENSE
Most of the talent drain was on defense, and Ohio State returns their Heisman candidate quarterback, 1,000 yard running back, four offensive line starters, and superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith who many believe is the best overall player in college football.
Sayin finished his first season with 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight picks to win the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. His passing accuracy and ball placement are as good as anyone, but to unlock the final tier of his game, Sayin needs to create plays with his legs in crunch time – whether it be pocket elusiveness to extend the play, or tucking the ball on a critical third-and-medium. Basically the Craig Krenzel type plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but eventually win national titles.
Bo Jackson is back after his surprise 1,000-yard freshman season, and the offense looks to add more explosiveness to the run game (#73). They may have found lightning in a bottle with incoming Top100 athlete Legend Bey who Day has already compared to Tyreek Hill and Buckeye great Curtis Samuel. Bey will be the do-it-all from the slot, H-back, etc.
Since 2019, Ohio State has featured at least two future first-round picks in their receiver room. Brian Hartline built a conveyor belt of five-stars and 2025 was no different with Smith earning unanimous All- America honors with 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. Carnell Tate was selected fourth overall. Smith is back for a final season and is on pace to break all school receiving records, and five-star Brandon Inniss also returns to the starting trio. A pair of five-stars Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter both transferred out to Notre Dame, likely due to the breakout of five-star Chris Henry who surged all the way to the #2 role in spring and will be the beneficiary of Smith’s double-teams. Devin McCuin (UTSA) earned All-AAC last year with 65 catches and 726 yards, and another freshman Brock Boyd drew big spring reviews.
Both All-Big Ten tight ends Max Klare and Will Kacmarek are gone, but the staff signed another all-
leaguer in Hunter Welcing (Northwestern). Mason Williams (Ohio) was All-MAC, but the spring hero
was Top 200 Nate Roberts. The offensive line was strong in the regular season, had its pinnacle performance against Michigan, but then struggled against the elite lines of Indiana and Miami. Four starters are back, all four earned All- Big Ten honors, and their 91 combined starts make this one of the most veteran lines in America: tackles Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, guard Luke Montgomery, and center Carson Hinzman. Siereveld did not allow a single sack all year and is their best shot at an All-America season. Tegra Tshabola transferred out to Kentucky after losing his starting job. A trio of former Top200 prospects will battle to be the fifth starter – Joshua Padilla, Gabe VanSickle, and spring hero Ian Moore.
DEFENSE
The “mad scientist” Patricia built the best defense of the entire College Football Playoff era. Ohio State allowed just 9.3 points/game, 219 yards/game, which were both Playoff era bests (2014-2025). 12 defenders earned All-Big Ten, three were unanimous All-Americans, and three were drafted in the first 11 picks.
Kayden McDonald was a force in the middle, posting a productive stat line for a defensive tackle (65 tackles, 9 for loss, 3 sacks), Caden Curry led with 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles-for-loss, and Tywone Malone earned the other starting tackle spot. All three are gone, and end Kenyatta Jackson is the only returning starter on the line. Ohio State added two starters off the Alabama line – tackle James Smith and end Qua Russaw – and both were former five-star recruits who earned four-star transfer grades. They signed another former Top100 starter John Walker (UCF), and still have five-star Eddrick Houston ready for a breakout season at tackle.
Even the greatest reloading programs would struggle here. Ohio State has to replace two All-American, first-round linebackers in Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Payton Pierce was their third backer and he steps into the top role, the staff signed Wisconsin starter Christian Alliegro who was ranked the #3 linebacker transfer this cycle, and then a trio of blue-chippers add to the position battle. Riley Pettijohn and TJ Alford were both Top100’s from the 2025 class, five-star Cincere Johnson was the #1 linebacker of 2026, and spring reports mention that Alford was the early standout. Ohio State has as strong a claim as anyone to the “Defensive Back U” title, and
Caleb Downs leaves as one of their best safeties of all-time along with Mike Doss and Jack Tatum. Jaylen McClain returns at the other safety spot with star potential, and the staff signed a pair of All-ACC safeties in Earl Little (Florida State) and Terry Moore (Duke). They added more firepower with five-star Jay Timmons and Top100 Blaine Bradford. Davison Igbinosun heads to the pros but Jermaine Mathews returns at one corner, and five-star Devin Sanchez is poised
to be yet another Buckeye great.
OUTLOOK
11 more draft picks gone? No problem. The Ohio State machine rolls on into 2026 with a top five offense, multiple Heisman contenders, a veteran offensive line, and another round of five-stars moving up into starting roles. This time around they added six Power 4 starting defenders from the transfer portal for extra firepower for Patricia’s second season calling the defense.
Ohio State will return to the Big Ten title game and then gear up for another Playoff run. If Sayin takes the next step and makes those X-Factor plays off-script, Ohio State can win the national title.
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2026 INDIANA FOOTBALL PREVIEW
It’s a shame their namesake “Hoosiers” was already used in an award-winning sports film, because Curt Cignetti’s turnaround story here was made for Hollywood. ESPN’s Sean McDonough said, “it’s one of the great stories of all time – not just in college football, but in American sports.”
Cignetti took over the losingest program in the sport, boldly claimed “I win, Google me” at the opening press conference, and then proceeded to do just that. The 11-win transition season was impressive enough, but the 2025 team unlocked another tier: perfection.
The regular season had six 40+ point blowouts, including a 63-10 beatdown of #9 Illinois that boosted Indiana up into the Top 10. Fernando Mendoza found Elijah Sarratt for game-sealing, fourth-quarter touchdowns in wins over Iowa and Oregon, and then had his “Heisman Moment” when he delivered a knockout punch against Penn State: Omar Cooper’s unforgettable toe-tap touchdown.
Sarratt had another game-winner in a 13-10 defensive battle with the defending champs, as Indiana snapped their 30-game losing streak to Ohio State and notched their first outright Big Ten title since 1945.
In the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, Indiana physically dominated Alabama, dealing the 21st century dynasty a taste of its own medicine. They outrushed the Tide by 200+ yards and won by 35.
The semifinal set up a rematch with Oregon, but on the first pass of the game All American D’Angelo Ponds took back a Pick Six to start the 56-22 rout.
The final test was Miami, a roster packed with top recruits and future pros, on their home turf. Cignetti made two gutsy fourth-down calls, and his players delivered. Mendoza hit Charlie Becker on a back-shoulder fade, and then on another fourth down, Mendoza took a quarterback draw, broke tackles, spun around, and then launched over the goal-line for the iconic title-moment.
“I had to go airborne… I would die for my team,” said Mendoza.
From Big Ten punching bag to a perfect 16-0, Cignetti’s program turnaround will be the new standard that all are compared to going forward. A collection of words I never thought I would write: Indiana won the National Championship.
OFFENSE
The dream season was capped off with the school’s first Heisman winner. Mendoza led the nation
with 41 passing touchdowns, posted the #1 QB Rating, and made every clutch play required for a 16-0 perfect season. He was selected first overall in the NFL Draft, but that same night, Indiana was hosting its spring game and breaking in their next signal-caller.
Cignetti focuses on veteran, experienced transfers and followed that strategy at quarterback with
TCU’s multi-year starter Josh Hoover who is the active FBS leader in passing yards (9,627) and
passing touchdowns (71) and nearly hit the 4,000-yard mark in 2024.
Cignetti says Hoover is at a similar point post-spring that his other two transfer quarterbacks –
Kurtis Rourke and Mendoza – were at, however one remaining issue is Hoover’s high number of
turnovers. In 31 starts he turned it over 42 times.
Indiana uses a running back duo and last year both Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby went over
1,000 yards but both went pro. Khobie Martin rushed for 505 yards as the third option and is joined
by Boston College starter Turbo Richard. Last season Richard fumbled at the goal-line twice which
cost BC two winnable games, but it rounded into a solid season and he earned a four-star transfer
rank.
Sarratt had go-ahead scores against Iowa, Oregon, and Ohio State, Cooper had the iconic toe-tap to beat Penn State, and both All-Big Ten receivers went pro. Sarratt led the nation with 15 touchdowns and Cooper was second in Power 4 with 13. Title game hero Becker returns and the staff signed one of the top-rated transfers Nick Marsh (Michigan State) who put up 1,300 yards combined over his first two seasons. Tyler Morris is back from injury and was the spring hero in the slot. The staff also added Shazz Preston who was Tulane’s #1 receiver last year and his 16.8 per-catch average was a Top 5 AAC mark.
The tight end room is the biggest question heading into fall camp after the departure of All-Big Ten
Riley Nowakowski. Andrew Barker is a blocking tight end and incoming four-star Brock Schott
(Miami) is the receiving threat. Given the uncertainty, coordinator Mike Shanahan may show some
new wrinkles or more four-WR sets.
Four starters are back from their Joe Moore Award semifinalist line, including All-American, “Big
Ten Lineman of the Year” Carter Smith at left tackle. All-Big Ten center Pat Coogan is the lone
departure from their national title line. Bray Lynch shifted in to the center spot, Drew Evans is
back at guard, and Adedamola Ajani who surged up the depth chart in the playoffs. The staff signed Wisconsin starter Joe Brunner, who was ranked the #3 interior lineman this cycle.
DEFENSE
Indiana allowed just 11.7 points/game (#2) and 266 yards/game (#4) and coordinator Bryant
Haines was named the Broyles Award winner. Oregon’s Dan Lanning faced Haines’ defense twice
last year and noted several challenges: “they’re really good at post-snap movement, the defensive
line plays with relentless effort, and it’s the best zone break defense I’ve seen this year.”
Nine defenders earned All-Big Ten honors, six return for 2026, plus the staff added five more
starters off other Power 4 rosters.
The interior tackle duo of Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino could be one of the nation’s best pairs.
Tucker could push for All-America honors, and Landino was a wrecking-ball throughout the season.
Three ends are gone, but Daniel Ndukwe played well after the starters were injured, and the staff
hit the portal here. Indiana signed both of Kansas State’s starting ends with All-Big 12 Chiddi
Obiazor and elite pass rusher Tobi Osunsanmi. Josh Burnham (Notre Dame) and Joe Hjelle (Tulsa)
were three-star additions.
The quarterback-of-the-defense Aiden Fisher went pro, but the other two backers return after All-Big Ten seasons: Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones. With a proven pair, they may show more 4-2-5 looks rather than their three-backer 4-3 last year.
Two first-team All-Big Ten defensive backs are gone with lockdown corner D’Angelo Ponds and strong safety Louis Moore both going pro. Jamari Sharpe had the national title-sealing interception and returns at corner, and the other corner spot is a battle between Ryland Gandy and former five-star, Penn State starter AJ Harris.
Amare Ferrell returns at free safety and the staff added two more Power 4 starters in Quan Sanks (Cincinnati) and seventh-year Preston Zachman (Wisconsin).
OUTLOOK
Cignetti’s national champion Hoosiers head into 2026 with a clear top five defense with an impressive six All-
Big Ten stars returning on that side of the ball. The offensive line should contend for the Joe Moore Award and their coordinators are both elite.
It’s splitting hairs at the top of the Big Ten, but the loss of the Heisman winner and two game-changing receivers moves Indiana out of the top spot. They are still a Playoff pick and have a shot at a repeat title.
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2026 USC FOOTBALL PREVIEW
In last year’s preview magazine I wrote that the 2025 season was critical for Lincoln Riley and the USC program overall. They were projected to sign the #1 recruiting class in America, but a losing season could have been enough to fire Riley – and ultimately break apart that top class.
Riley needed to do enough to survive 2025 to get to the other side with a talent-packed roster.
USC dropped a 73-point bomb in the opener and stayed atop the offensive charts for most of the season, finishing 3rd of 68 Power 4 in my opponent- adjusted ranking. The 4-0 start was soured by a shootout loss at Illinois, and then a kickoff return touchdown cost them the Notre Dame game.
Other USC teams over the past decade would have crumbled, but this one found an extra gear. Down two linemen and three running backs, walk- on King Miller overpowered #15 Michigan with 158 rushing yards.
Nebraska neutralized their pass game, but Miller again helped lead the win in a “Blackout” game at Memorial Stadium.
USC trailed Iowa 21-7 shortly before halftime but didn’t flinch. Instead, the offense scored on
five straight possessions for the comeback win to push to 8-2 overall and a Top 15 AP ranking.
They were unable to break through in a quasi Playoff play-in game against Oregon, losing 42-
27 in Eugene, but they capped a perfect 7-0 home slate by beating UCLA 29-10 in the finale.
They don’t hang banners in the LA Coliseum for nine-win seasons, but it was certainly enough
to get Riley through to this program-changing recruiting haul. It was an important nine wins.
Riley agrees and said, “we’ll have better teams here in the future than this team, but I don’t
know if we’ll have had a more important team.”
OFFENSE
Jayden Maiava took a major step forward in his first full season as the starter here. He earned
third-team All-Big Ten, placed second in the league with a high 9.2 yards/attempt, and threw
24 touchdowns. Maiava will need to cut down on the 10 picks, but this should remain a Top 10
offense with him at the helm. Five-star Husan Longstreet was projected as the 2027 starter of
the future but he transferred out to LSU.
Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders were both injured in the Michigan game, forcing the walk-on
Miller into the lead role. While healthy, Jordan was averaging 6.6 per carry and posted two 100-
yard games in the five before the injury. Miller nearly broke the 1,000-yard milestone (6.2 per carry)
and these two return to form a top duo in 2026. They added a pair of Top100 backs in Shahn Alston
and Deshonne Redeaux.
Makai Lemon was simply unstoppable. He led Power 4 in receiving yards/game (96), cashed in 11
touchdowns, and earned the Biletnikoff. His co-star Ja’Kobi Lane also graduated, but Tanook Hines impressed as a freshman and leads another crowded room into 2026. Zacharyus Williams was Utah’s #1 receiver and is back from injury. The staff added NC State’s lead receiver Terrell Anderson who was graded a four-star transfer and was fifth in the ACC in yards/catch. Then USC signed some extra firepower with two near-five-stars Ethan Feaster and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, and another Top200 fresh off a CA state title run in Trent Mosley.
It’s the same deal at tight end. Star veterans Lake McRee and Walker Lyons are gone, but five-star
Mark Bowman (Mater Dei, CA) could start right away as a true freshman. The staff added blocking
end Tucker Ashcraft (Wisconsin) who was called an “instant impact.” Riley’s tight end usage more
than doubled from 2024 to 2025 in targets and yards, but he may shift back to more 11 or 10
personnel if those elite receivers are as-advertised.
The offensive line returns all five original starters, but this group was crushed with injuries and they were forced to start seven different line combinations. Still, the line made it consecutive Top 25 finishes in both OL Run Push and Pass Protection. Elijah Paige is the anchor at left tackle, Austin Tauanuu started all year at right tackle, Alani Noa has 22 career starts, and Tobias Raymond has shown positional flexibility to play anywhere. Kilian O’Connor is back at center, plus the staff added the nation’s #1 tackle in five-star Keenyi Pepe.
In total, they have eight offensive starters back, plus NC State’s #1 receiver, plus four incoming five-stars.
DEFENSE
After the defensive collapse under Alex Grinch, Riley hired D’Anton Lynn from across town. There
was no breakthrough and after two years Lynn left.
A few weeks after playing TCU in the bowl game, Riley hired Mr. TCU himself – former head coach
Gary Patterson – to take over the defense. Patterson’s unique match-zone 4-2-5 defense helped
build TCU into a mid-major powerhouse and eventually thrive through the transition up to the Big
12. TCU went just 21-21 overall in his final four years there, but his 20-year sample size of elite defenses is no fluke. He inherits quite the stockpile of blue-chip talent, and at his opening presser he noted “I’ve never had this big of a defensive line.”
Three starting linemen return with Jide Abasiri at tackle and Kameryn Crawford and Braylan
Shelby on the ends. Former five-star tackle Jahkeem Stewart earned Freshman All-America honors
last year and the room was beefed up by three major signings: Michigan State starter Alex
VanSumeren, five-star Jaimeon Winfield, and Top100 Tomuhini Topui.
The staff added two more to the end spots with Penn State starter Zuriah Fisher (rated as a four-
star transfer) and five-star Luke Wafle (Princeton, NJ) who was ranked the #1 DE in the 2026 class.
USC hasn’t posted a Top 30 run defense since 2014 but this is their best shot. USC loses do-it-all Eric Gentry whose skillset allowed for creative packages. Desman Stephens led with 89 tackles and is back and will likely start alongside Deven Bryant (Washington) who brings Big Ten starting experience. Incoming Top100 Talanoa Ili could push into the rotation.
Injuries plagued the secondary with two original starters — Chasen Johnson and Prophet Brown — lost by mid- September. Then in November both star safeties Kamari Ramsey and All-American Bishop Fitzgerald were injured. Johnson and Brown are back, the safeties are gone, and Patterson has plenty to sort out in the secondary. Marcelles Williams, Alex Graham, and Christian Pierce all started games last year. The staff signed the #1 transfer corner Jontez Williams (Iowa State) who earned All-Big 12 honors and is an instant starter here. And of course, they grabbed another Top100 super-recruit in corner Elbert Hill.
OUTLOOK
For the first time since the Pete Carroll dynasty, USC signed the nation’s #1 recruiting class. Add in that extra firepower to last year’s #12 Game Grader team (#7 in opponent-adjusted yardage margin), with 14 starters back plus six more Power 4 starters transferring in…2026 is Playoff or Bust for USC. They are my pick for the final at-large Playoff spot in the 2026 bracket.
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BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: CUBS SPOIL TARIK SKUBAL’S DODGERS’ DEBUT
Dansby Swanson went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double for the Chicago Cubs in a 5-1 win against the visiting Dodgers on Tuesday, helping spoil the Los Angeles debut of left-hander Tarik Skubal.
Nico Hoerner singled and homered while Pete Crow-Armstrong contributed two hits, an RBI and a run for the Cubs, who won the opener of the three-game series 10-5 on Monday. Starter Javier Assad gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two. Ryan Rolison (6-1) retired all three batters he faced.
Skubal (7-6), the reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out six. Kyle Tucker homered for the Dodgers, who have lost a season-high five in a row.MLB news
The Cubs. who won for the eighth time in 12 games, got a perfect eighth from reliever
Ryan Zeferjahn in his Cubs debut, a day after he was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels.
Brewers 4, Pirates 2
Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn homered to lead host Milwaukee to a win over Pittsburgh.
Chourio went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Brewers, who reached 70 wins faster than any season in franchise history. The Brewers also became the first major league team to record 70 wins this year. Milwaukee starter Logan Henderson (6-1) gave up two runs and four hits in six innings.
Jacob Gonzalez and Endy Rodriguez homered for the Pirates, who had won two of their previous three. Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones (2-3) allowed three runs and eight hits in four innings.
Orioles 3, Angels 1
Cade Povich pitched six shutout innings in his first major league game in nearly three months as Baltimore topped visiting Los Angeles in the series opener.
Pinch hitter Tyler O’Neill homered and Pete Alonso delivered a two-run single for the Orioles, who had been shutout victims in their two previous games and won despite collecting only four hits. Povich limited the Angels to seven hits while striking out seven.
It was a strong homecoming for Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez, but he was saddled with the loss despite logging seven innings. The right-hander, a former highly regarded Orioles prospect, gave up two runs and three hits while striking out six. Vaughn Grissom had the lone RBI for the Angels.
Braves 4, Marlins 2
Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley each hit a home run and Grant Holmes threw six-plus scoreless innings to help Atlanta beat visiting Miami for its sixth straight victory.
Riley and Matt Olson had two hits apiece for the Braves. Olson played in his 895th consecutive game, tying Stan Musial for the eighth-longest streak in history. Holmes (7-4) allowed five hits.
Miami starter Ryan Gusto (0-3) tossed a season-high six innings and yielded one run on five hits. Leo Jimenez hit a two-run single in the ninth inning.
Red Sox 14, White Sox 2
Boston scored six runs in both the first and sixth innings en route to a win over visiting Chicago.
Seven Boston batters logged multi-hit games highlighted by Wilyer Abreu cracking two long homers, Caleb Durbin punctuating the opening frame with a grand slam and Willson Contreras recording RBI singles and scoring in both big innings. Jarren Duran also went deep and left-handed starter Patrick Sandoval (1-0) pitched five-plus innings for the Red Sox, who have won six straight and 15 of 18 since the All-Star break.
Chicago starter Davis Martin (9-6) allowed a career-high nine runs on 10 hits across five innings.
Mets 6, Guardians 2
Luis Torrens belted a three-run homer and drove in four runs while Bo Bichette and Carson Benge added solo shots as visiting New York handed Cleveland its ninth loss in 12 games.
New York starter Sean Manaea (3-5) beat Cleveland for the first time in nine years, working six innings and giving up two runs on seven hits. The left-hander struck out seven and matched his career high with five walks.
The Mets, who began a nine-game road trip, had dropped six straight to the Guardians. Their previous win in the series occurred on May 21, 2023. New York hadn’t won a game in Cleveland since April 17, 2016.
Phillies 5, Nationals 0
Jesus Luzardo pitched eight scoreless innings and Luis Arraez enjoyed a successful Phillies debut Tuesday in Philadelphia’s 5-0 victory over visiting Washington.
Arraez, acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on Monday, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run out of the cleanup spot. Trea Turner added three hits and scored twice for Philadelphia, which has won four games in a row following a stretch of eight losses in nine games.
The Nationals managed only four hits and two walks against Luzardo (10-5), who struck out seven in a 98-pitch effort. Washington right-hander Zack Littell came on midway through the first inning and allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 frames. He walked one and struck out two.
Yankees 2, Cardinals 0
George Lombard Jr. hit his first career home run in his major league debut, Ryan Weathers pitched six strong innings and host New York topped St. Louis to win for the 10th time in 16 games.
Lombard started at shortstop and batted eighth after the Yankees called him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 21-year-old became the first Yankee to homer in his debut since Jasson Dominguez on Sept. 1, 2023.
Hunter Dobbins (2-2) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked three. Nelson Velazquez had a double for the Cardinals’ only extra-bases hit.
Astros 7, Blue Jays 2
Taylor Trammell clubbed a three-run homer, Hayden Wesneski delivered a quality start and Houston evened its three-game series against Toronto.
The Astros were victorious for the 12th time in 14 games behind Wesneski (2-0) and a four-run fifth inning, a midgame rally that enabled Wesneski to record his second win in as many starts after missing the previous 14 months following Tommy John surgery. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. Jose Atuve had three hits and two RBIs.
Myles Straw, who doubled in the third, was the lone baserunner to reach scoring position against Wesneski until he produced an RBI triple that plated Andres Gimenez with one out in the fifth. Wesneski uncorked a wild pitch that scored Straw to tie it.
Reds 5, Athletics 4
Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart scored on a pair of wild pitches in the eighth inning to help Cincinnati rally past the visiting Athletics in the opener of a three-game series.
For the Athletics, who lost their sixth straight and their 22nd in 26 games, Hogan Harris (3-1) walked De La Cruz and Stewart to begin the eighth. It appeared the Athletics would escape with two outs, but a sacrifice fly sent De La Cruz to third and Stewart advanced a critical 90 feet when Harris, backing up third base, didn’t throw to second.
Julian Garcia (2-2) pitched a perfect eighth, while Emilio Pagan tossed a scoreless ninth for his 12th save in 15 opportunities. Brady Singer went six solid innings, giving the Reds another quality start, his sixth since June 1. He allowed three runs on five hits over six innings.
Rays 9, Rockies 7 (11 innings)
Liam Hicks hit a grand slam in his Tampa Bay debut and Ben Williamson scored the tiebreaking run on an 11th-inning wild pitch as the Rays beat Colorado in Denver.
Junior Caminero drove in an insurance run in the 11th with his second hit of the game for Tampa Bay, which earned its fifth win in seven games. Garrett Cleavinger (4-3) retired both batters he faced in the 10th inning. Bryan Baker recorded a 1-2-3 bottom of the 11th for his 32nd save.
Mickey Moniak and Willi Castro homered, Jake McCarthy had three hits and Ezequiel Tovar added two hits for the Rockies. Reliever Nick Frasso (0-1) lost in his major league debut.
Royals 8, Twins 2
Bobby Witt Jr. returned from the injured list with three hits and two RBIs, and Randy Dobnak continued his Kansas City success by allowing one run over five innings to beat visiting Minnesota.
Out since July 20 with low-back tightness, Witt didn’t miss a beat, highlighted by his two-RBI double during a three-run fifth for the Royals, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel each posted two hits with an RBI and Starling Marte added a two-run double in the eighth.
Ex-Twin Dobnak (2-0) allowed three hits and three walks, but only a fourth-inning run. In six outings for the Royals, including four starts, since making his 2026 debut, the right-hander owns a 1.16 ERA. Twins ace Joe Ryan (6-8) yielded five runs (four earned) plus seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He’s yielded 16 earned runs over 15 1/3 innings.
Tigers 8, Mariners 0
Troy Melton pitched seven scoreless innings as Detroit defeated host Seattle.
Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Dillon Dingler homered for the Tigers, who won their fourth game in a row and fifth out of six. Melton (7-1) allowed just three singles.
Emerson Hancock (6-6) went six innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits for the Mariners, whose two game-winning streak ended.
Padres 9, Diamondbacks 4
Manny Machado had three hits and drove in four runs, Randy Vasquez pitched six scoreless innings, and San Diego beat Arizona in Phoenix.
Jackson Merrill had three hits, two RBIs and two runs for the Padres, who jumped to a 6-0 lead after two innings off Eduardo Rodriguez (10-4). The gap grew to 8-0 in the seventh inning before the D-backs scored. Vasquez (7-6) gave up two singles in six innings for his first victory since June 13.
Arizona’s Nolan Arenado and James McCann hit two-run homers off German Marquez in the seventh to close the deficit to 8-4 before Jake Cronenworth had a run-scoring single in the ninth.
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GOLF NEWS
PGA Tour
WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Greensboro, North Carolina.
Course: Sedgefield CC. Yardage: 7, 131. Par: 70.
Prize money: $8.5 million. Winner’s share: $1,530,000.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).
Defending champion: Cameron Young.
FedEx Cup leader: Scottie Scheffler.
Last week: Michael Thorbjornsen won the Rocket Classic.
Notes: This is the final tournament of the regular season, with the leading 70 players in the FedEx Cup advancing to the postseason. … There is no longer a bonus for leading the FedEx Cup after the regular season. Instead, a bonus is paid out after the second playoff event at the BMW Championship. … Brooks Koepka is No. 86 in the FedEx Cup and faces his last chance to qualify for the postseason. … Among those outside the top 70 are Keegan Bradley (72) and Jason Day (75). … Blades Brown is playing of the Korn Ferry Tour, where he is No. 9 on the points list. Brown was a sponsor exemption, but got one of two spots made available with Koepka playing. … Those in the field trying to improve their position for the postseason are Justin Thomas (40) and Jordan Spieth (55). … The highest-ranked players in the FedEx Cup are defending champion Cameron Young (3) and North Carolina native Ryan Gerard (16).
Next week: FedEx St. Jude Championship.
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LIV Golf League
LIV GOLF NEW YORK
Site: Bedminster, New Jersey.
Course: Trump National Bedminster GC. Yardage: 7,651. Par: 71.
Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.
Television: Thursday, 1-6 p.m. (Fox Sports app); Friday, noon to 2 p.m. (Fox Sports app), 2-5 p.m. (FOX); Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. (FOX); Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (FOX).
Previous winner at Bedminster: Cameron Smith in 2023.
Points leader: Jon Rahm.
Last tournament: Lucas Herbert won LIV Golf UK.
Notes: Jon Rahm leads by 219 points over Bryson DeChambeau with two individual events remaining, in New Jersey and Indianapolis. … Lucas Herbert is coming off a six-shot victory in LIV Golf UK. He joins Rahm and DeChambeau as the only two-time winners on LIV Golf this year. … The relegation zone has not been getting much attention over uncertainty whether LIV Golf is around next year or what it will look like. … LIV Golf played at Trump Bedminster in 2022 and 2023. … Scott Vincent (Phil Mickelson) and Travis Smyth (Elvis Smylie) are in the field for players who are not available. … No one from LIV Golf were among the 14 players who made the cut in all four majors this year. … Rahm is coming off a tie for 23rd in LIV Golf UK, the first time he has finished out of the top 10 since joining the league. … Tyrrell Hatton has won and finished second in his last two LIV Golf events.
Next tournament: LIV Golf Indianapolis on Aug. 20-23.
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Korn Ferry Tour
PINNACLE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Omaha, Nebraska.
Course: The Club at Indian Creek. Yardage: 7,721. Par: 71.
Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.
Television: None.
Previous winner: Christo Lamprecht.
Points leader: Ian Holt.
Last week: Derek Hitchner won the Utah Championship.
Next week: Albertsons Boise Open.
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LPGA Tour
Last week: Shiho Kuwaki won the AIG Women’s British Open.
Next week: The Standard Portland Classic.
Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda.
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European tour
Last tournament: Ryan Fox won the British Open.
Next week: Danish Golf Championship.
Race to Dubai leader: Patrick Reed.
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PGA Tour Champions
Last week: Zach Johnson won the Portugal Invitational.
Next week: Boeing Classic.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink.
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Other tours
USGA: U.S. Women’s Amateur, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tennessee. Television: Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel mobile), 7-10 p.m. (Golf Channel-TD); Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Previous winner: Megha Ganne.
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NWSL NEWS
NWSL SEASON TO START EARLIER THAN EVER IN 2027
The NWSL will begin its 2027 schedule more than a month earlier than ever before, ESPN confirmed on Tuesday.
The regular season will kick off on Feb. 11 with Angel City FC hosting a match in Los Angeles, three days before the region hosts Super Bowl LXI in Inglewood, Calif.
Until now, the earliest league game was a NWSL Challenge Cup contest on March 7, 2025.
The league is trying to fit in a full 30-game schedule while still taking seven weeks off for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, running in Brazil from June 24 to July 25.
“Given the realities of the match calendar in 2027, we tried to think through if we’re playing on Super Bowl weekend, how do we try to be a part of the conversation and not separate the sports world, but just aggregate it more around that area?” Carlin Hudson, the NWSL’s vice president of strategy who is heavily involved in the league’s schedule-making process, told ESPN.
The NWSL will have the shortest offseason in league history following the 2026 championship game, with only six weeks passing before the 2027 preseason begins on Jan. 2.
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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/SPORTS RELEASES
COLTS CAMP TUESDAY
(COLTS RELEASE)
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Daniel Jones and the Colts’ offense opened things up toward the end of Tuesday’s training camp practice at Grand Park, with the veteran cornerback firing a trio of passes resulting in three spectacular catches.
In the final 11-on-11 period of Tuesday morning, Jones first ripped a throw downfield to tight end Tyler Warren, who physically snagged a 50/50 ball with safety Cam Bynum in coverage. Then Jones launched a deep ball to wide receiver Ashton Dulin, who tracked it downfield and came down with a catch with cornerback Charvarius Ward Sr. contesting the pass. Finally, Jones threw a laser to tight end Will Mallory, who impressively plucked the ball out of the air with tight coverage around him, too.
And earlier in practice, Jones lofted a deep ball into the waiting hands of wide receiver Laquon Treadwell for an explosive gain.
We’ve covered this a decent amount of the last week, but it’s worth repeating: There’s nothing Jones can’t do, or hasn’t been asked to do, on account of the torn Achilles’ he sustained about eight months ago.
“I’ve felt really good and I’ll continue to stay on the recovery part and make sure I’m available and out here every day,” Jones said. “… I feel good doing everything and moving around.”
So while Jones is moving well and pinging passes to all three levels of the field, the bigger takeaway is his Achilles’ recovery isn’t preventing head coach Shane Steichen from calling anything in his playbook. And when those plays are called, Jones has largely been executing them well – getting the Colts’ offense into the right looks, and then throwing with timing and accuracy.
And on Tuesday, he also threw with some aggression down the field.
Other news & notes from Tuesday’s practice:
Cornerback Sauce Gardner did not practice due to an illness.
Tuesday’s practice brought about our first look at one-on-one drills with the pads on. In O-line vs. D-line work, center Tanor Bortolini held off a powerful rush from defensive tackle Grover Stewart; defensive end Laiatu Latu used his hands to cleanly win a rep and defensive end Arden Key had an impressive win as well.
Wide receiver Josh Downs won several reps during wide receiver vs. cornerback drills in one-on-ones.
Two seventh-round picks flashed on Tuesday. First: Running back Seth McGowan broke off a chunk gain on a run to the outside, with tight end Mo Alie-Cox helping pave the way. He also picked up a nice gain, again to the outside, with Downs scrapping as a blocker to help create a path on the perimeter.
Second: Wide receiver Deion Burks used his speed to separate horizontally to catch intermediate balls from both Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard during 11-on-11.
Defensive end Jaylahn Tuimoloau crashed into the backfield and stopped a rushing play in 11-on-11.
In seven-on-seven, both cornerback Charvarius Ward Sr. and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt notched physical pass break-ups.
Safety Jonathan Owens plugged a hole and stuffed a run play during 11-on-11.
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INDIANA FEVER
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 4, 2026) — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 10 of the 2026 WNBA season, it was announced today.
Clark scored a cumulative 77 points this past week, the third-most scored by any player in the WNBA over the span, only behind her teammate, Kelsey Mitchell (91) and A’ja Wilson (97). Averaging 25.7 points per game, Clark had the fifth highest points per game average within the league. Meanwhile, Clark’s 27 total assists and 9.0 assists per game both led the league throughout the week.
On July 28 against the Seattle Storm, Clark led the team to victory with a team-high 32 points and seven assists. The game marked the ninth 30+ point scoring game of Clark’s career, one away from tying Tamika Catchings (10) for the second most in franchise history.
Then, on July 31 against the Portland Fire, Clark earned her fourth career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, giving her the third-most triple doubles in WNBA history. Finally, against the Minnesota Lynx, Clark recorded her 27th career double-double with 19 points and 10 assists, marking the 25th points/assists double-double of her career, just three shy of Sue Bird’s record for the third most in WNBA history.
This is the sixth time in her career Clark has won Player of the Week, and her third win of the season. With her selection, Clark joins Tamika Catchings (22) as the only Fever players to win six or more Player of the Week awards. Clark’s award also marks the third-consecutive week an Indiana Fever player has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, dating back to Mitchell’s win in week 8. Additionally, the Indiana Fever swept all Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards for the month of July, winning the award each week it was given for this past month.
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INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS – Jack Brannigan went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and six RBI to open the Indianapolis Indians’ homestand with a massive 14-1 victory over the Iowa Cubs. Brannigan’s grand slam was his second of the season and fourth of his career, and his six-RBI performance matched his single-game career high.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Chicago (NL) No. 5 prospect Jaxon Wiggins (L, 0-5) allowed a double and two walks to load the bases. Tyler Callihan, in his return to Victory Field since he was recalled to Pittsburgh on May 28, drew a walk to push Mitch Jebb home and get the Indians’ (22-12, 53-56) first run on the board. With the bases loaded and two outs, Jack Brannigan unloaded on a 2-2 pitch, launching it to the left-field lawn to take a 5-1 lead.
Iowa (13-21, 43-63) scored their lone run in the first inning, with an RBI single from Owen Miller.
After Brannigan broke the game wide open in the third, Indianapolis kept the fire coming. Johnathan Rodríguez continued his hot start with the Indians in the fourth inning, smoking a single off the first baseman’s glove to plate two. Callihan followed with another walk, and Brannigan made it a 9-1 ball game with his fifth and six RBI of the day with a line-drive single. The Indians piled on three more, 12-1, on a fielding error by the right fielder Hayden Cantrelle.
Sac flies from Duce Gourson and Rodríguez in the six and seventh innings rounded out the night’s scoring, 14-1. Jebb (three hits), Rodríguez (two hits) and Brannigan (three hits) led the charge, each collecting a multi-hit game. Derek Diamond (W, 5-0) pitched a perfect seventh and eighth inning to earn the win.
The Indians and I-Cubs meet again for a day game tomorrow, 1:35 PM at Victory Field. LHP Connor Wietgrefe (4-3, 2.76), the Indians July Player of the Month, will take the mound for Game 2. Iowa will look for a win behind RHP Edward Cabrera (0-1, 16.20), making his second major league rehab appearance since hitting the injured list on June 24.
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INDIANA MEN’S GOLF
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head men’s golf coach Mike Mayer announced the program’s 2026-27 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The schedule includes 12 regular season events, two individual tournaments, and hosting a 2027 NCAA Regional at the Pfau Course.
“We have put together a schedule for the 2026-27 season that will give us every opportunity to continue to build our program at the highest level,” Coach Mayer said. “We will face talented teams at great venues around the country with everything leading to the Big Ten Championship in New Jersey and the NCAA Regional at The Pfau Course. Our schedule fits into to our gameplan for the season – high level competition, high level golf courses, and high level success.”
Indiana opens the season at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate (Aug. 31-Sept. 1) at the Fox Den Country Club. The Hoosiers will then play back-to-back weeks in the Highlands Invitational (Sept. 21-22) at the Chicago Highlands Club and the Windon Memorial Classic (Sept. 28-29) at the Onwentsia Club.
The month of October will feature three events: the Fighting Irish Classic (Oct. 4-5) at the Warren Golf Club, the Golfweek Invitational (Oct. 5-6) at the Delaware Country Club, and the Purdue Fall Invitational (Oct. 12-13) at the Kampen-Cosler Golf Course.
The nine-event spring schedule will begin with the Battle at Briar’s Creek (Feb. 15-16) at the Golf Club at Briar’s Creek. The slate heats up in March with four events: the Colleton River Collegiate (March 7-8) at the Dye Course, the Johnnie-O at Sea Island (March 15-16) at the Seaside Course, the Schenkel Invitational (March 19-21) at Forest Heights Country Club, and the Butler Spring Invitational (March 29-30) at the Highland Golf and Country Club.
IU will continue the spring schedule with The Kepler (April 9-10) at the OSU Scarlet Course before a return trip to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Invitational (April 17) at the Kampen-Cosler Golf Course. The regular season will conclude with the Illini Spring Invitational (April 24-25) at the Atkins Golf Club.
Postseason play will begin with the Big Ten Championships (April 30-May 2) at the Baltusrol Golf Club. NCAA Regionals will take place May 17-19 with the Pfau Course being one of six host locations. The NCAA Finals from May 28-June 2 will be contested at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
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INDIANA WOMEN’S GOLF
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s golf coach Brian May announced the 2026-27 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The season includes 10 regular season tournaments.
“We are looking forward to building off last season as we enter the 2026-27 season at Indiana,” said May. “We have put together a really competitive schedule to test the team and prepare us for postseason play. We look forward to a tremendous season and the support along the way from Hoosier Nation!”
For the fourth-consecutive season, the Hoosiers will open the season at the Boilermaker Classic (Aug. 31-Sept. 1) at the Kampen Course in West Lafayette. IU will next play in the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational (Sept. 21-22) at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington.
October will feature three tournaments for Indiana. The month will begin at The Ally (Oct. 5-7) in West Point, Miss., at the Old Waverly Golf Club. After a short prep week, the Hoosiers will compete in the Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah (Oct. 12-13) at the Medinah Country Club. The fall schedule will conclude at the Landfall Tradition (Oct. 23-25) at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington.
The fall slate will conclude with the Illinois Invitational at Medinah from Oct. 6-7 at the Medinah Country Club and will be followed by the Landfall Tradition at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C, from Oct. 24-26.
Indiana will take its annual training trip to Naples, Fla., in January before the spring season kicks off with the Paradise Invitational (Feb. 1-3) hosted by FAU at the Osprey Point Golf Club in Boca Raton. The Hoosiers will continue play at the Westbrook Invitational (Feb. 21-22) at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz.
IU will play one tournament in the month of March, the PING ASU Invitational (March 25-27) at the Popago Golf Club in Scottsdale.
The regular season will end with a pair of April events. First, the Hoosiers will play the Western Kentucky Invitational (April 4-5) at the Clube at Olde Stone in Bowling Green followed by a return trip to the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (April 17-18) at the OSU Golf Club in Columbus.
Postseason play will begin with the 2027 Big Ten Championships played from April 23-25 at the Nemacolin Resort in Farmingdale, Pa. NCAA Regionals will be contested from May 8-12 at one of six locations: Aiken, S.C.; Dallas, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Franklin, Tenn.; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; and Stanford, Calif. The NCAA Finals from May 16-21 at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif.
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INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana volleyball program began fall practice on Tuesday (Aug. 4) afternoon as the 2026 campaign gets underway at Wilkinson Hall. IU’s roster gathered for a series of meetings before the first team practice in the afternoon.
Fresh off a trip to the NCAA regional semifinals, IU will return a large core of its 2025 team including preseason All-Big Ten outside hitter Jaidyn Jager and setter Teodora Krickovic. Defensive specialist Audrey Jackson and middle blocker Victoria Gray each made over 30 starts a season ago.
Head coach Steve Aird, who is entering his ninth season in Bloomington, has put together a grueling non-conference schedule. It includes a matchup against the defending national champions, Texas A&M, as part of the inaugural Big Ten – SEC Challenge week. Additional marquee non-conference matchups come against Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee and Cal Poly.
All 16 members of IU’s current roster were part of its foreign tour to Türkiye, Spain and Portugal back at the beginning of the summer. All but one player spent the entirety of the spring training in Bloomington with each other and the coaching staff.
Below is a list of news and notes to know ahead of the 2026 volleyball campaign.
DATES TO KNOW
• Tuesday, August 4th: First Day of Practice
• Friday, August 14th: Notre Dame Exhibition
• Friday, August 21st: Cream and Crimson Scrimmage
• Friday, August 28th: Season Opener
• Thursday, September 10th: Home Opener
• Thursday, September 24th: Big Ten Opener
• Tuesday, November 17th: Regular Season Finale
PRESEASON BIG TEN NOTES
Indiana was picked to finish sixth in the preseason Big Ten poll by a vote of the league’s coaches. Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Minnesota were picked to finish in the top five. Sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager and sophomore setter Teodora Krickovic were named to the 19-player Big Ten All-Preseason team.
2025 IN REVIEW
Best Season in Program History
• The Hoosiers went 25-8 last year on their way to just the second regional appearance in program history. IU broke single-season records for wins (25) and Big Ten wins (14) in the NCAA era and hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the second time ever.
All-American Hoosiers
• For the first time ever, IU had two different players named AVCA All-Americans in the same season. Opposite hitter Avry Tatum and setter Teodora Krickovic had their names etched into history at Wilkinson Hall after brilliant 2025 campaigns.
Playing the Kids
• A deep and talented freshman class was one of the big reasons behind a great campaign last year. Outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, setter Teodora Krickovic, libero Audrey Jackson and middle blocker Victoria Gray were all 30-match starters during their debut seasons.
B1G Wins
• IU won four matches against AVCA top-25 opponents last year with three of them coming on the road. That included the first ever victory on the road at Penn State and back-to-back wins in Los Angeles against USC and UCLA. IU also knocked off Colorado in the NCAA Tournament.
2026 QUICK FACTS
Bringing Back Boersema
• Middle blocker Ella Boersema was one of the league’s best defensive players before suffering a season-ending injury against Purdue (Oct. 16). After rehabbing through the spring, she is back and ready for a massive junior season alongside IU’s deep group of middle blockers. Boersema spent parts of the foreign tour playing in the middle and on the right side. She averaged 1.76 kills per set and 1.40 blocks per set last year.
Fresh Faces
• The Hoosiers added a pair of veteran pieces out of the transfer portal last winter. Graduate student middle blocker Kiki Granberry and junior outside hitter Izzy Clark add veteran experience to an already talented roster. The two transfers bring over 1,200 kills and 400 blocks to Bloomington with six years of combined experience. They have both played in the NCAA Tournament as well.
Big Ten Tournament
• For the first time ever, a Big Ten Tournament will decide a postseason champion for the country’s best volleyball league. The top 15 teams in the conference will gather in Fishers, Indiana for a single-elimination tournament the week leading up to Thanksgiving.
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INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana welcomed the 2026 men’s soccer season, training together for the first time on Tuesday (Aug. 4) as it opened its preseason.
IU welcomed 13 newcomers to its squad, including seven members of the top-ranked transfer class according to Top Drawer Soccer. Kicking off his 17th season as head coach of the program, Todd Yeagley met with the media to discuss early impressions of his new squad.
“It’s a good mix. The mix that we’re looking for,” Yeagley said.
“Our focus is very much what [we are] doing right now to prepare for what is our first real game, Notre Dame.”
Indiana comes into the fall the No. 22-ranked team in the country in the United Soccer Coaches poll, a reflection of its 2025 national finish, pending the Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News preseason rankings.
The Hoosiers open the season with a three-match homestand, kicking off with the season opener August 20 against Notre Dame. Fans will get their chance to see the 2026 team for the first time in a pair of home preseason exhibitions, August 10 versus Bowling Green and August 15 versus Loyola Chicago. Admission is free for both exhibitions.
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PURDUE TRACK AND FIELD
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Track & Field head coach Tony Miller announced the addition of Cam Miller to the staff as an assistant sprints coach. With the addition, Purdue rounded out its staff of five assistants under Miller for the 2026-27 season.
Miller is a former collegiate track & field star who competed for two seasons at Purdue (2023-25) after one year at Louisville (2022-23) and three years at Florida (2019-22). During his career, Miller was a five-time First Team All-American, three-time Second Team All-American and one-time Honorable Mention All-American. Five of his All-American honors came as a Boilermaker.
“One of the things we needed more of here at Purdue was an elite mindset,” said Tony Miller. “Cam knows how to win at this level and has an elite name as far as recruiting’s concerned… He’s a nice guy between old-school and new-school and it’s nice to have someone who can bridge that gap between the generations.”
One of the most decorated Boilermakers in school history, Miller’s two years in West Lafayette featured a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships, three Big Ten titles in the 200m and a Big Ten title in the 4x400m indoors in 2025.
He remains Purdue’s 200m record holder, both outdoors (20.12) and indoors (20.27), and was part of the 4x400m record-setting team indoors (3:03.64). His indoor 200m and 300m (32.43) set a Big Ten records at the time prior to USC’s Garrett Kaaland breaking both during the 2026 season. Miller remains the 12th-fastest 300m runner in collegiate history.
“It feels great to come back,” said Cam Miller. “I would love to bring the championship and winning attitude I felt when I was here. Having those moments with my teammates and my coaches was always a beautiful thing, and I want to provide that now on the coaching side.”
Prior to joining Purdue, Miller had a successful season at Louisville where he was a four-time All-American, ACC Champion in the 200m indoors and four-time ACC medalist. He holds Louisville records indoors in the 200m, 300m and 4x400m and outdoor records in the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m. Miller ran his best all-conditions time in the 200m, 19.93 (+2.9 m/s), as a Cardinal.
Miller’s career started with three seasons at Florida where he was the SEC silver medalist in the 200m during the 2022 indoor season. While in Gainesville, injuries held Miller to competing in just six meets.
The father-son duo of Tony Miller and Cam Miller reunite on a coaching staff that is set to lead Purdue in the 2026-27 season.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
MARCUS FREEMAN PRESSER:
https://fightingirish.com/news/2026/08/4/marcus-freeman-press-conference-8426-or-notre-dame-football
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IRISH TRIO TABBED TO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Irish trio of linebacker Drayk Bowen, cornerback Leonard Moore and defensive lineman Boubacar Traore were all tabbed to the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, an award recognizing college football’s best defensive player in character and performance.
An Irish player has won the Nagurski Trophy on two occasions: linebacker Manti Te’o (2012) and safety Xavier Watts (2023). Moore was a finalist last year in 2025, while Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a finalist in 2020 and Shane Walton was a finalist in 2002.
Bowen, a team captain last season, started all 12 games and led the team with 67 tackles – 33 solo and 34 assisted. He also logged three and a half sacks with four pass breakups.
A product of St. John, Indiana, Bowen recorded a career-high 14 tackles, all solo, in a win at Boston College last November. Those 14 tackles were the most by an Irish defender since Alohi Gilman’s 18 against Clemson in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal and the most by any player in the country at that point in the season.
Moore is the lone returning Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist featured on this year’s watch list. He started in 10 games for the Irish and led the team with five interceptions, which was tied for the seventh-most in the country. He tallied 31.0 total tackles, forced one fumble and had seven pass breakups.
The Round Rock, Texas native made his presence known in multiple games throughout the season. Against Boise State last October, he forced three turnovers (two interceptions, one forced fumble), for his first career multi-interception game. Moore, who also had six solo tackles against the Broncos, was named the Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and the Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week following his performance.
Moore, who has already earned Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-America honors and a spot on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, earned a 91.8 PFF grade and a 92.5 coverage grade in 2025, both leading the nation. He allowed just a 45.9 passer rating when targeted last season.
Traore led the team last year with 6.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries and 10 tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble in 11 starts in 2025 and was named a College Football Comeback Player of the Year Semifinalist.
In last year’s home finale against Syracuse, he posted a career-high three tackles for loss, the first one coming on the game’s opening snap. He also logged two sacks in the win over NC State, tying a career-high.
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KNAPP, LAMBERT SELECTED TO OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Irish offensive linemen Anthonie Knapp and Guerby Lambert earned selection to the 2026 Outland Trophy watch list, which recognizes the best interior lineman in college football.
The pair of Irish are part of a group of 68 linemen on the watch list. Notre Dame has had three past winners of the Outland Trophy: OT George Connor (1946), OG Bill Fischer (1948) and DE Ross Browner (1976). The Irish have had four additional finalists: Aaron Taylor (1993), Quenton Nelson (2017), Liam Eichenberg (2020) and Joe Alt (2023).
Knapp, who was named to the 2026 Walter Camp Preseason All-America First Team in June, has started in all 29 games he’s played in his Irish career the past two seasons, including all 12 games last year at left tackle. Lambert started 12 games at right guard in 2025.
Behind Knapp and Lambert, the Irish displayed one of the nation’s premier rushing attacks. Notre Dame finished the 2025 season tied for third nationally with 5.69 yards per carry, tied for fifth with 38 rushing touchdowns and ranked sixth among Power 4 programs with 203.4 rushing yards per game. The Irish’s 5.69 yards per carry marked the second-highest single-season average in program history, while their 38 rushing touchdowns matched the third-most in a season at Notre Dame.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Ball State soccer team is set to host Indiana State in an exhibition at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Briner Sports Complex in Muncie.
It will be the first opportunity to see the Cardinals in action ahead of the 2026 season, which officially begins on August 12 with a home match against IU Indy.
The Sycamores went 8-6-6 (4-2-3 Missouri Valley) in 2025 for a third place finish in the MVC standings in head coach Paul Lawrence’s third year in Terre Haute.
Ball State’s second home regular season contest and first after the start of the semester is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 30 against Cincinnati.
The Cardinals are coming off a 10-7-3 (7-4-1 Mid-American Conference) season in 2025 in head coach Andy Stoots’ first year leading the program.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team is set to host Western Michigan on Wednesday (Aug. 5) for an exhibition against the Broncos at 5 p.m.
Game Day Information
Who: Western Michigan Broncos
When: Wednesday, August 5 | 5 PM
Where: Hefner Soccer Complex | Fort Wayne, Ind.
Live Stats: None
Watch: None
Know Your Foe
Western Michigan finished 16-4-1 on the season last year and 10-1-1 in Mid-American Conference play. The Broncos return sophomore goalkeeper Reagan Sulaver, who was named MAC Freshman of the Year, and Meredith Vance, who was named to the MAC All-Tournament Team during their MAC Championship title run.
Series History
Western Michigan has won all five meetings against the Mastodons. The latest contest was in 2018 when the Broncos won 2-1 in Kalamazoo.
New Faces
The Mastodons added former goalkeeper Jordan Imes as an assistant coach and Josh Routte as associate head coach. Routte had previously served as the goalkeeper coach for Purdue Fort Wayne men’s and women’s programs for three seasons. The team also added six freshmen, Aimee Abraham, Reese Alexander, Dalia Sabet, Lexi Toporcer, Soraya Flading and Ellie Ulrich, along with three transfers, Maggie Marlin, Paige Radel and Elise Mayfield.
Honor Roll
16 Mastodon women’s soccer players were named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll after the spring semester: Madelyn Bravata, Grace Dunham, Jenna Ellsworth, Morgan Gallagher, Emersyn Geik, Kailey Hansen, Hailey Hoskins, Maddy Kopala, Amanda Leonard, Cyann Retzloff, Maci Toporcer, Scarlett Webster, along with graduated Lauryn Brucchieri, Jordan Imes, Lauren Klusek and Chloe Mariotti.
Coming Up
The Mastodons will travel to Miami University (Ohio) for an exhibition on Saturday (Aug. 10) at 7 p.m.
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EVANSVILLE TRACK
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville Vice President for Athletics Dr. Ziggy Siegfried has announced the hiring of Matt Logan as Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach for the Purple Aces.
“We are excited to welcome Matt and his family to the University of Evansville! Throughout the interview process Matt set himself apart with his commitment to an environment where our student-athletes will thrive in the classroom and in competition,” Siegfried said. “Matt has a proven record of success that makes him an excellent fit with our track and field/cross country programs.”
Logan makes the move to Evansville from Young Harris College in Georgia where he has been the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country since January of 2023. He oversaw the growth of the program from 11 student-athletes to 60 in just two recruiting cycles with limited scholarships. Under his watch, the program launched its indoor and outdoor track and field programs.
“I am deeply honored by the confidence Dr. Siegfried has placed in me to lead the track and field and cross country program at the University of Evansville. I want to thank Joel Zimba, Morgan McDowell, and the entire search committee. I like the direction the program is headed and feel blessed to be able to work alongside Associate Head Coach Dre Litsey,” Logan exclaimed. “This is a bit of a homecoming for me and my family, returning to the Midwest. My priority will be establishing and developing relationships with the current student-athletes. I want to ensure they have a great student athlete experience and create a competitive environment that allows them to grow as students, athletes, and people. We are thrilled to be new members of the Evansville community and I cannot wait to get started.”
His teams at Young Harris enjoyed a strong amount of success highlighted by the first regional ranking in program history as the men’s cross country team took 7th at the 2025 NCAA Southeast Region Championship. Young Harris earned its highest team finish in program history taking second place at the Conference Carolinas Championship in 2025.
On the individual side, Young Harris student-athletes won three Conference Carolinas Championships, 23 All-Conference honorees, and three conference Freshmen of the Month. In the classroom, his teams have excelled with multiple Scholar-Athlete and Elite 26 award winners.
“Matt distinguished himself throughout the search with his proven success, thoughtful leadership, and unwavering commitment to the student-athlete experience. He is a championship-caliber coach who values integrity, academics, and personal growth as highly as competitive success,” UE Executive Deputy AD Joel Zimba stated. “We are excited to welcome him and his family to Evansville and are confident he is the right leader for our program’s future.”
Prior to joining the Mountain Lions, Logan was the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Averett University where he played a pivotal role in launching the indoor and outdoor track and field squads. Logan was the institutional liaison for a $4.5 million track and field complex and had multiple student-athletes earn the first Old Dominion Athletic Conference Athlete of the Month honors in any sport at the institution.
Logan’s first head coaching position came at Barton College where he was Head Cross Country Coach while assisting with the track program. Under his direction, school records were set in four events while Hailey Russell won the conference championship in the 1500m while placing second in the 800m.
He began his collegiate coaching career in 2021 at UNC Greensboro where he was Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach. His squad achieved its highest regional ranking in 10 years while directing a pair of student-athletes to All-Southern Conference accolades. The men’s team brought home top honors at the ECU Pirate Invite. Logan assisted in bringing the program its largest recruiting class. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History & Theology from Olivet Nazarene University in 2014 before receiving his Masters in Theological Studies from Duke in 2016.
Logan and wife Annie have four children – Callum, Lakelan, Noah, and Maeve.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I am truly excited for both Coach Logan and the Evansville Athletics community! I’ve had the privilege of working with Matt my first year at UNCG and can guarantee that he will not only challenge his teams towards competitive success but do so while positively impacting the lives of his student athletes.” – Kaleigh Roach, Head Cross Country/Track Coach at UNC Greensboro
“The University of Evansville made an excellent choice in hiring Matt. He has consistently demonstrated that he is an outstanding leader and a remarkable developer of both student-athletes and teams. Matt understands that sustained success comes from developing people first, and his athletes consistently respond to his leadership with dedication and trust. I have no doubt he will build a program that the university, alumni, and community will be proud of.” – Adam Puett, Director of T/F & XC at UNC-Asheville
“This is a tremendous hire for Evansville Athletics. Coach Logan will not only have an immediate and positive impact on the cross country and track & field programs, but the local community and athletic department as a whole. His passion and commitment to the student-athletes and their success is second to none.” – Aaron Bessey, Senior Associate AD for External Operations at Appalachian State
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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team finished out a perfect 2-0 week of exhibition action as part of the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League in Nassau, The Bahamas, beating Dalhousie 90-70 on Tuesday evening. Sophomore JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) paced the team with 23 points and eight rebounds, leading four Beacons in double figures.
How It Happened
Dalhousie led 6-5 early, but the Beacons bolted ahead with a 9-0 run that culminated on a 3-pointer by Pettigrew to make it 14-6.
Freshman Rajan Roberts (Chicago, Ill. / AZ Compass Prep) hit a 3 with 12:34 left in the first half to give Valpo its first double-figure lead at 20-9. Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand) had a dunk at the 11:53 mark of the first half that made it 22-12.
Valpo extended the lead to 16 when Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West) drained a 3 to make it 33-17 with 7:38 left in the first half.
The Beacons ran off 12 straight points leading in the half including back-to-back 3s by Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Robert Auburn [212 Sports Academy]), pushing what was already a 17-point bulge to 29 at 56-27 with 45 seconds left in the first half. The Beacons went into the locker room ahead 56-29.
Hopoi’s traditional 3-point play early in the second half lifted the gap to 30.
Hopoi and Pettigrew had dunks on consecutive possessions, with Pettigrew swiping a steal that started his runout slam.
Roberts added another dunk at the 15:01 mark to extend the lead to 36, which stood as the largest of the contest.
Sophomore Terron Garrett (St. Louis, Mo. / Vashon [Mineral Area College]) connected on a 3 to put the lead back at 30 at 79-49 with 7:53 left in the second half.
Walk-on Camden Webster (Wheatfield, Ind. / Kankakee Valley [Bosco Institute]) got on the stat sheet with a driving layup, then fellow walk-on Nick Lombardi (Lisle, Ill. / Montini Catholic) went 2-for-2 at the foul line to close the Valpo scoring.
Inside the Game
Valpo improved to 13-1 all-time in preseason Foreign Tour games, including 2-0 this week at Baha Mar.
Pettigrew poured in 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting while going 6-for-6 at the free-throw line, squeezing eight rebounds and adding three assists.
Chaney finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting including 3-of-5 from 3.
Roberts tallied 13 points and went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line.
Hopoi was the fourth Beacon in double figures with 11 points on 5-of-8 from the field to go along with six rebounds. McNair had nine points and Kai Yu (Zhuhai, Guangdong, China / Link Prep [Bradley/Liberty]) added seven.
The Beacons played 14, 11 of whom scored.
After scuffling at the free-throw line on Monday, the Beacons had a strong showing at the stripe on Tuesday, going 21-of-26 (80.8 percent). Valpo shot 54.1 percent from the field in the first half before cooling off to 28.6 percent after halftime.
Chaney (+31) and Pettigrew (+30) led the way in the plus-minus column.
Garrett grabbed five rebounds, joining Pettigrew (eight) and Hopoi (six) with five or more. The Beacons secured 18 offensive boards in the game, led by four from Yu.
Valpo held a 21-6 edge in the turnover category.
The Beacons dished out 14 assists against just six turnovers, with three Beacons distributing three helpers apiece.
Up Next
Valpo will play additional exhibition games back in the States closer to the start of the season. The regular season will open on the first day of the NCAA Division-I basketball season across the country – Monday, Nov. 2 – with Valpo slated to play a home game that evening at the ARC. The full nonconference and conference schedules will be announced once they have been finalized.
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INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
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TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
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TV SPORTS TODAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Wednesday, August 5
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
10 a.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 13, Greenville, N.C.
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 14, Greenville, N.C.
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited Softball Little League Pro Game: Team Watley vs. Team Fernandez, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
7:05 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — St. Louis at N.Y. Yankees
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — TBA
WNBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
USA — Seattle at New York
9 p.m.
CNBC — Los Angeles at Chicago
PEACOCK — Los Angeles at Chicago
_____
Thursday, August 6
GOLF
9 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies Euro Tour: PIF London Championship, First Round, Centurion Club, Saint Alban, England
11 a.m.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Round of 64, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
3 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, First Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
GYMNASTICS
10 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 15, Greenville, N.C.
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 16, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — TBA
NFL FOOTBALL
8 p.m.
NBC — Preseason: Carolina vs. Arizona, Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio
WNBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Las Vegas at Indiana
9 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Los Angeles at Minnesota
_____
Friday, August 7
AUTO RACING
4:30 p.m.
FS2 — Indy NXT Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
5:30 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
GOLF
9 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies Euro Tour: PIF London Championship, Second Round, Centurion Club, Saint Alban, England
2 p.m.
FOX — LIV Golf League: Second Round, Trump National Golf & Country Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
3 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Second Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
7 p.m.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Round of 32 and 16, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn. (taped)
GYMNASTICS
10 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
3 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 17, Greenville, N.C.
6 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 18, Greenville, N.C.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
10 p.m.
ESPN — PFL: Main Card: Charlotte, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
8:05 p.m.
APPLE TV — Baltimore at Texas
9:40 p.m.
APPLE TV — Tampa Bay at Seattle
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ION — TBA
9:30 p.m.
ION — Golden State at Dallas
_____
Saturday, August 8
AUTO RACING
Noon
FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
1 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Practice, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
3 p.m.
FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Qualifying, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
5 p.m.
CW — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Iowa, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa
7 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Qualifying, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
BOXING
10 p.m.
ESPN — MVPW-05: Main Card, Orlando, Fla.
GOLF
Noon
FOX — LIV Golf League: Third Round, Trump National Golf & Country Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Third Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
3 p.m.
CBS — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Third Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Quarterfinals and Semifinals, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
GYMNASTICS
2:30 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
4 p.m.
NBC — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
HORSE RACING
5 p.m.
FOX — Whitney Stakes: From Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — PLL: Denver vs. New York, Boston
LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
5:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — WLL: California at Boston
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
3 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 19, Greenville, N.C.
6 p.m.
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 20, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
4 p.m.
FS1 — Athletics at Boston (4:10 p.m.)
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Texas (7:15 p.m.), Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (7:15 p.m.) OR Detroit at San Francisco (7:15 p.m.)
NFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony: From Canton, Ohio
NFLN — 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony: From Canton, Ohio
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Utah at Denver
6:30 p.m.
ION — NWSL: North Carolina at Washington
8:45 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Kansas City at Houston
SOFTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: TBD, Rosemont, Ill.
WNBA BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Las Vegas at Minnesota
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Indiana at Chicago
8:30 p.m.
NBATV — Seattle at Portland
_____
Sunday, August 9
AUTO RACING
1 p.m.
FS1 — NTT IndyCar Series: Warmup, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
2 p.m.
FS1 — Indy NXT Series: Grand Prix of Portland, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
3:30 p.m.
USA — NASCAR Cup Series: Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa
4 p.m.
FOX — NTT IndyCar Series: OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
BIG3 BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Week 8: Dallas Power vs. Chicago Triplets, Boston Ball Hogs vs. Detroit Amps, Boston
GOLF
9 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies Euro Tour: PIF London Championship, Final Round, Centurion Club, Saint Alban, England
11 a.m.
FOX — LIV Golf League: Final Round, Trump National Golf & Country Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Final Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
3 p.m.
CBS — PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship, Final Round, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
GOLF — 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Championship Final Match, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
GYMNASTICS
1:30 p.m.
NBC — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
4 p.m.
NBCSN — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
6 p.m.
NBC — USGA: 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Phoenix
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
2 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
4 p.m.
ESPN — Little League World Series: TBD, Regional
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
Noon
ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 21, Greenville, N.C.
3 p.m.
ABC — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Game 21, Greenville, N.C.
MLB BASEBALL
Noon
NBCSN — Cincinnati at Washington (12:15 p.m.)
PEACOCK — Cincinnati at Washington (12:15 p.m.)
8 p.m.
NBC — Houston at San Diego (8:20 p.m.)
PEACOCK — Houston at San Diego (8:20 p.m.)
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
CBSSN — NWSL: Portland at Boston
9 p.m.
ESPN — NWSL: Angel City at Seattle
WNBA BASKETBALL
12:30 p.m.
ABC — Las Vegas at New York
3:30 p.m.
NBC — Dallas at Minnesota
PEACOCK — Dallas at Minnesota
7 p.m.
ESPN — Golden State at Los Angeles
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