On Monday, Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was named to The Maxwell Award watch list, an award given to the best all-around player in college football. Three more Duck received prestigious preseason honors as well on Tuesday, as cornerback Brandon Finney Jr., safety Koi Perich and defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington were named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list.
The Bronko Nagurski Award has been an annual honor since 1993, awarded to the top defensive player in college football. Recent winners include Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (2025), South Carolina EDGE Kyle Kennard (2024) and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (2023). No Duck has ever won the award.
But with a trio of stars highlighted on the watch list, there's a chance that one of them blasts ahead of the rest and becomes a leading candidate to be the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Award winner.
Finney and Washington will each be heading into their second seasons as starters, as both stepped into big roles early on and excelled, flashing NFL-caliber talent along the way. While Finney still has one season of eligibility remaining after the 2026 season, Washington passed on the 2026 NFL Draft to run it back one more time in Eugene. The Ducks' defense will certainly be better because of it.
The defense also was aided mightily by the transfer of Perich, who began his first two seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. During that time, he emerged as a playmaker from the safety, kickoff return and punt return spots. With a portion of his workload now off his plate in a much more talented defense, we could see even more of the high-level play that Perich showcased as a Freshman All-American in 2024.

#finney #washington #watch #safety

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Christian Norgaard is set to complete a transfer to Everton imminently, holding a medical with his potential new club today ahead of a £7m move. But Norgaard is unlikely to be the last ******* nal player to depart this summer, with at least a few more on the transfer list.
James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, and Gabriel Jesus all remain avaiable for transfer this summer, should an appropriate buyer be found.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Previous reports have suggested that Vieira would ideally like to return to Hamburger SV, where he spent last season on loan. But the German club remain at least €10m apart from ******* nal in their valuation of the midfielder, making that deal unlikely as things stand.

#images #arsenal #last

"Robzilla" is extra motivated.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Robert Valentin returns to action this weekend against hometown fighter Dusko Todorovic on the UFC Belgrade main card, which goes down Sat., Aug. 1, 2026, inside Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.
And for the first time in a while, Valentin sounds like himself again.
It has been a brutal two years for the Swiss fighter, who entered UFC with plenty of eyeballs on him after a strong run on season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Unfortunately, his official Octagon career got off to a nightmare start.
Valentin was stopped by eventual TUF winner Ryan Loder in the finale (watch highlights). He then was one half of one of the most boring fights you will ever watch when Torrez Finney wrestled him for 15 minutes. After that, Valentin got crushed by super prospect Ateba Gautier in one minute at UFC 319 (watch highlights).

#valentin #fighter

After a busy offseason with three trades, the Hornets may not stop there. Thus far, Charlotte has shipped out LaMelo Ball, Josh Green and Miles Bridges and received Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen, Naz Reid and Dorian Finney-Smith in return.
However, with the loss of Ball, the Hornets have been linked to another backcourt addition to support their new starter Coby White and rookie point guard Christian Anderson Jr. According to HoopsHype, Charlotte has been "linked with interest" in 13-year veteran Dennis Schroder.
Schroder has played for 11 NBA franchises after being traded from the Kings to the Cavaliers at February's trade deadline. In over 900 career games, the German guard is averaging 13.7 points, 4.9 ***** ists, 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals. During his best season (2019-20), Schroder averaged 18.9 points off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting as a result.
Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson worked closely with Schroder in Atlanta as an ***** istant general manager with the Hawks.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets linked to veteran guard and former Sixth Man of the Year candidate

#linked #ball

Former Florida basketball standout Dorian Finney-Smith is heading to his fifth NBA franchise after the Houston Rockets traded him to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Finney-Smith spent just one season in Houston after signing a four-year, $52.7 million contract ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. He underwent ankle surgery during the 2025 offseason and struggled to find his form, resulting in a dramatic decrease in productivity.
The 33-year-old forward's playing time dropped from around 29 minutes per game the prior season to 16.8 — even less than his previous career low of 20.3 during his rookie season. He also started just one game, which is well below his previous low of 13 during his second year, further illustrating his struggles to justify his presence on the court.
The native of Portsmouth, Virginia, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016 with the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he would spend the next seven years. He also spent three-plus years with the Brooklyn Nets and part of one with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Finney-Smith played for the Gators from 2013-16, having sat out the 2012-13 season after transferring from Virginia Tech. During his three-year tenure at Florida, he averaged 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.9 **** ists over 101 games — 61 of which were starts.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Arsenal have seemingly made another addition to their backroom staff, with Antonio Gómez leaving Braga to join the club as part of the continuing reshaping of the medical and performance departments.
According to Record in Portugal, Gómez has left his role as fitness coach at Braga, where he had been part of Carlos Vicens’ coaching staff, to join the Gunners.
His place at the Portuguese club has been taken by Ramiro Marín, who worked as fitness coach for Barça Atlètic, Barcelona’s reserve team, last season.
Record, 4 July 2026

Trade talks regarding wing defender Dorian Finney-Smith are best described as fluid at this point, sources say. Houston has had a number of conversations regarding possible structures and outlines — some iterations moving him to clear additional cap **** e, others to bring back a player — but its free-agency dealings lessen the urgency to some degree, compared to before the draft.
Yahoo! Sports
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Trade talks regarding wing defender Dorian …

Sources say that the Rockets have thus engaged several teams in trade discussions in recent days to try to offload Dorian Finney-Smith and clear the way to furnish Smart with a multiyear offer expected to land in the $7 million range in annual average value. Without trading Finney-Smith. Houston would still be able to sign Smart to a two-year deal valued at an estimated $13 million.
marcstein.substack.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Sources say that the Rockets have thus engaged several …

‪Yossi Gozlan‬: Houston Rockets salary cap situation with Fred VanVleet opting in. They can re-sign Tari Eason and offer Marcus Smart a significant portion of their non-tax mid-level exception while remaining under the first apron if they clear money first, such as Dorian Finney-Smith.
bsky.app
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: They can re-sign Tari Eason and offer Marcus Smart a …

NRG Stadium will host Brazil vs ***** an in the World Cup round of 32Credits: Julian Finney - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Brazil will make its debut at Houston Stadium this Monday (29), at 2 p.m. (Brasília time), against ***** an in the World Cup round of 32. The venue, located in Houston, Texas, has a capacity of 68,777 spectators and is home to the NFL’s Houston Texans.
The stadium is one of the 16 venues for the 2026 World Cup. It has already hosted five group-stage matches and, besides Brazil vs ***** an, will also stage a round-of-16 match. Its first game of the tournament was Germany’s 7-1 win over Curaçao in Group E on June 14.
Check out all the matches the venue will have hosted by the end of the World Cup: Portugal 1-1 Democratic Republic of the Congo (06/17); Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (06/20); Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan (06/23); Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia (06/26); Brazil vs ***** an (06/29); and a round-of-16 clash on July 4.
Host of Brazil vs ***** an in the World Cup round of 32, NRG Stadium is home to the NFL’s Houston TexansCredits: FIFA

The heartbreak of last summer’s transfer deadline day still stings at Elland Road. A done deal, collapsed at the eleventh hour because Fulham couldn’t secure a replacement. Now, Leeds United are back for Harry Wilson.
This time, the playing field looks vastly different. The 29-year-old winger is a free agent, having officially parted ways with the West London club. According to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Leeds have already jumped into positive discussions, desperately trying to iron out a deal. It won’t be a free run. Champions League clubs are interested.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 21: Harry Wilson of Fulham during the Premier League match between Fulham and Burnley at Craven Cottage on March 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Wilson is coming off an absolute blinder of a Premier League campaign. 10 goals, seven ******* ists. He was quite rightly named Fulham’s player of the season.
He is exactly what Daniel Farke needs. The German manager craves absolute control over possession, transitioning into a fluid, suffocating attacking shape. Wilson brings sheer technical quality to the right flank. He naturally stretches opposition defensive lines, but that lethal left foot means he is always ready to cut inside and cause chaos. 19 domestic goal contributions last term prove he delivers when it matters.

USC football plays Oregon this season, in what is the most important game of the Trojans' campaign. When USC's offense takes the field, it will need to account for Oregon's Koi Perich. ESPN has more on the Ducks' star newcomer:
"Oregon didn't need many portal additions, but landing Perich was a major move after Dillon Thieneman departed for the NFL. The former Minnesota standout fills the Ducks' biggest defensive need at safety and helps preserve the playmaking identity that fueled their CFP run. He projects as an immediate impact player in Oregon's secondary under Chris Hampton.
"Perich arrives with proven production, recording 128 tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack over two seasons while earning consecutive All-Big Ten honors. At 6-1 and 200 pounds, he brings a strong blend of range, physicality and coverage instincts that fits the star/rover role in Oregon's defense. He is versatile enough to support aggressive pressure packages while still functioning as a reliable last line of defense. Alongside Aaron Flowers and Brandon Finney Jr., he strengthens Oregon's secondary into one of the more complete units in the country."
USC's offense made far too many mistakes and left far too many points on the field against Oregon last season. The Trojans obviously want their defense to be better in 2026 than it was against Oregon in 2025, but in order for USC to have its best chance of winning, the Trojans might need to hang over 40 points on the Ducks. Jayden Maiava will have to keep an eye on Koi Perich and make sure the new Duck isn't able to pull any tricks in the UO secondary.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football offense will need solutions for Oregon's Koi Perich

Rockets predicted to swap ex-Lakers disgruntled forward for $150 million Cavaliers star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
What’s next for the Houston Rockets after flaming out in the first round of the postseason in May?
Well, the consensus is that the franchise will keep its core intact while potentially trading for a perimeter-oriented ***** et that would help take them over the top. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz’s recent trade proposal would help Houston do exactly that, as it would send a 33-year-old ex-Los Angeles Lakers disgruntled forward (Dorian Finney-Smith) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 29-year-old star guard.
“If the Cavs don't want to move (Donovan) Mitchell to an Eastern Conference team, the Rockets would be a strong trade partner,” Swartz wrote Tuesday. “Poor guard play doomed Houston this season, a franchise that's perhaps just one piece away from contending for a ***** le.”
“A starting five of Fred VanVleet, Mitchell, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Alperen Şengün, with Tari Eason (restricted free agent), Steven Adams, and others, is the making of a core that could challenge even the best in the West. (Jabari) Smith, 23, has star potential and could thrive in a bigger role. A frontcourt of him and Evan Mobley is big, long, and athletic, although it could use some added muscle. Smith's five-year, $122 million extension is set to kick in, potentially making him a steal if he's in the right role.”