The Gophers were blown out at home by Mississippi State 38-13 in Week 2, and the game didn't even feel that close. Was it a difference in talent? Coaching? Let's play the blame game and figure out what went wrong for Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday's result was completely different than Minnesota's blowout losses at Oregon or Ohio State last season. Mississippi State has been near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) over the last two seasons. Its preseason win total was set at over/under 4.5 wins, and the Gophers were favored to win Saturday's game, according to some sportsbooks. So what happened?
Recruiting site 247Sports makes a "Team Talent Composite" every season, which gives us a data point to use when comparing talent. Mississippi State is ranked 20th in the country with 26 four-star players on its roster. Minnesota is ranked 36th with 15 four-star players on its roster, according to the site.
If talent dictated results on the field, the Gophers shouldn't have lost 41-3 at Iowa last season, as they ranked one spot higher than the Hawkeyes on last year's team talent composite. Minnesota beat teams like Wisconsin and Nebraska last season, which ranked higher on the list.
The Gophers have two legit NFL Draft prospects in the trenches with Greg Johnson and Anthony Smith, an NFL-hopeful QB with Drake Lindsey, and plenty more talented playmakers across the field. 247Sports' points system gives Mississippi State's 2026 roster 798.6 compared to Minnesota at 745.8. Is that big enough of a difference for a 25-point loss at home?

#gophers

MINNEAPOLIS — The start to Kamario Taylor's 2026 season as Mississippi State football's quarterback has led to a crazy stat.
The Bulldogs have scored points on 12 consecutive possessions when Taylor has been on the field.
They took that streak into halftime on Sept. 12 with a 28-6 lead at Minnesota. MSU has scored four touchdowns on its four drives against the Gophers.
It's also the second straight time that Mississippi State has begun the game with four consecutive touchdowns.
Taylor is 11-for-13 with 181 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 37 rushing yards.

#touchdowns #scored

One more sleep until the Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium. Until then, let's dive into some prospects Packers fans should keep tabs on during the Week 2 slate of the college football season.
With the Packers expected to have a heavy presence at the Mississippi State at Minnesota game, we'll start with the SEC vs. Big 10 matchup.
Ashton Beers, iOL: Beers fits what the Packers look for in interior lineman. The Gophers starting center has 14 starts at center, seven at right guard and two at left guard to his name. He also has taken snaps at left tackle. With his position versatility, size (6-6, 320) and football acumen, Beers could be a target for the Packers on Day 3 of the 2027 NFL Draft.
Jaray Bledsoe, DT, Mississippi State: Bledsoe is an active interior presence. Last week the former Texas transfer recorded 1.5 tackles for loss after he recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season. The 6-4, 290 pound defensive tackle will face a tough test against Minnesota's interior offensive line that boasts potential first-round pick Greg Johnson and Beers.
John Walker, DT, Ohio State: A month ago if you were to discuss the Ohio State defensive tackles, you'd likely hear the names James Smith and Eddrick Houston and for good reason, both prospects are fine players. Houston looked like an immovable object last week against Ball State. John Walker though was the defensive tackle that caught my attention. He showed good initial quickness off the snap and power to make an impact against the run and impact the timing of the quarterback. I charted him with a pair of run stops and two pressures.

#defensive #minnesota

High school football is in full swing across the country. The Gophers' 29 commits in the class of 2027 were busy, and here are the most notable performances from the Week of Sep. 7-12. Last week's top performers.
The star-studded Spuds had another impressive 42-26 win over Woodbury in their second game of the season. Quarterback Jett Feeney went 15 of 20 for 206 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver David Mack had five receptions for 76 yards and DB/WR Zak Walker had an 88-yard kick return. Running back Taye Reich had the best game of the four with 12 carries for 177 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns.
Picture via: tayereich (X)
Las Vegas, Nevada native Jayden Thomas continues to have a red-hot start to his senior season. He had three receptions for 87 yards this week, and his season-long total is now up to 28 catches for 591 yards and 6 touchdowns through five games.
Maryland native Carlos Ferguson probably had the best performance from the wide receivers this week with 7 receptions for 92 yards and 2 TDs. He now has 18 catches for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns through three games. Texas native Kevin Ferrygood also had a 20-yard touchdown. First-year wide receivers coach Isaac Fruechte's class looks promising.

#touchdowns #receptions #class

The Gophers originally opened as high as 2.5-point betting favorites for this week's game against Mississippi State. According to The Action Network, the consensus odds have continued to flip back and forth throughout the week, with the Bulldogs being favored by as much as 1.5. As of Friday morning, Minnesota is currently a one-point favorite. Could we be looking at a potential classic on Saturday afternoon?
Realistically, the consistent change in betting odds is pretty standard for a nonconference matchup in Week 2. Mississippi State and Minnesota were both viewed as potential wildcard teams with young quarterbacks heading into the season, and blowout wins in Week 1 didn't tell us much. **** ody really knows who should be favored in Saturday's game. But approaching college football with common sense and reason is boring.
Sep 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman Anthony Smith (0) and defensive lineman TJ Bush Jr. (3) celebrate during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
With the current total set at over/under 54.5 points, there's a scenario where Minnesota and Mississippi State easily clear that number, and we see a back-and-forth shootout. Both teams made improvements to their defenses in the offseason after rather disappointing 2025 campaigns.
The Gophers made transfer portal splashes with Cal pass rusher TJ Bush Jr. and Michigan State cornerback Aydan West, while the Bulldogs brought in Zach Arnett as their new defensive coordinator. After Mississippi State opened with a 62-13 win over UL Monroe and the Gophers comfortably beat Eastern Illinois 59-7, their new-look defenses will be tested in Week 2.

#state

College football is back and the Big Ten Conference had 18 games played in the first week of the 2026 college football season with the result of many being blowouts.
The anticipation for the season has finally come to an end and most of the teams played as advertised. However, some teams hit the snooze **** on and it took them a moment to get into the game. Here is the Big Ten Roundup of each game involving a Big Ten Conference team.
Rutgers started the season off with a loss as the Minutemen dominated the Scarlet Knights from start to finish. The turning point in the game came in the second quarter as the Scarlet Knights turned the ball over twice, which gave Massachusetts the chance to create a massive 17-point second lead entering the second. Rutgers could be in for a long season.
The Golden Gophers flew past the Panthers with ease as they controlled the game on offense, defense and special teams. Senior wide receiver Javon Tracy started the Golden Gophers season with a bang with two punt return touchdowns to cap off Minnesota's exhilarating blowout.
The Fighting Illini's new senior quarterback Katin Houser took over Illinois' offense exceptionally as they moved up and down the field at will. Illinois' defense also held strong as they limited the Blazers' scoring opportunities with senior linebacker Ismael Kante getting a late-game pick-six.

#game #teams #conference #golden

Second-year safety Zack Harden was the talk of the town for Gophers football in the offseason. He played just 14 defensive snaps last season as a true freshman, but the departure of Koi Perich left a golden opportunity for a young player to ******* ume a bigger role. Harden was getting plenty of hype in the spring and summer, and he showed why on Thursday night against Eastern Illinois.
Harden started at safety alongside Kerry Brown. He played 12 snaps at strong safety, six at slot cornerback and nine at free safety. He produced with four total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him a 79.2 defensive grade, which was the best in Minnesota's secondary.
Sep 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Zack Harden (4) celebrates during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Hailing from Covington, Georgia, Harden was heavily pursued as a high school prospect. He was just a three-star recruit, but he held notable top offers from programs such as Auburn, USC, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and many more. He was the Gophers' 11th-highest-rated signee in their 22-player class in the 2025 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, and he has hit the ground running.
Minnesota has had a long history of producing elite safety talent since P.J. Fleck arrived at the school in 2017. Antoine Winfield Jr., Tyler Nubin, Jordan Howden and Koi Perich have all produced at an elite level. Brown has established himself, but Harden has all the traits to be the next star at the position.

#safety #minnesota #brown

The Gophers did what they were supposed to do against an overmatched FCS opponent on Thursday night, thrashing Eastern Illinois 59-7 at Huntington Bank Stadium to kick off a new season.
Quarterback Drake Lindsey also did what he was supposed to do, completing 19 of 24 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game in the third quarter with a very comfortable lead. With the caveat that it's hard to learn much against an FCS foe, Lindsey's 2026 debut lived up to the NFL buzz he's been getting all offseason.
The Gophers' pro-style offense under Greg Harbaugh Jr. presents a lot of opportunities for Lindsey to make plays that are easy to see translating against much tougher defenses, both in college football and at the next level. What stands out about Lindsey, beyond his obvious size and arm strength, is how smooth he looks when operating from under center and in play action. The ball gets out of his hands in rhythm and zips to his intended target. Most of his completions came at the top of a short drop; Lindsey's average time to throw was just under 2.5 seconds, per PFF.
Perhaps the best example came late in the first quarter, with the Gophers already up 14. Lindsey took the snap, gave a slight play-action fake to draw in the linebackers, and then fired the ball to new wide receiver Noah Jennings in a big void of ****** e over the middle of the field. It was an easy 28-yard gain.
Eastern Illinois caveat, but Drake Lindsey has had a good start to the season. Several strong under center plays. https://t.co/anP2ZiunD8

#lindsey #season

It seems like every day there's a new NCAA college eligibility lawsuit and more questions about who can play this season. The leading scorer of last season's Gophers men's basketball team, Cade Tyson, is included in those conversations, and head coach Niko Medved would love to have him back.
"I think there is definitely still a possibility that he could play for us next year, but a lot of that is out of his control, and a lot of it is out of our control, to be honest," Medved told Chad Hartman on WCCO Radio. "There are so many moving parts, not only with him but with all of these other players. But Cade had a great experience with us. He is a great guy, and he would obviously add a lot to our team. So we will see what happens here in the near future."
Minnesota has 15 players on its 2026-27 roster, which is the limit according to NCAA rules. Those rules continue to be pushed every day, so it's fair to think the Gophers could try to get around that in order to add an All-Conference-level player like Tyson.
"You could get in a situation where a player on your roster has to wait and see if he is eligible several games into the year, or you could be waiting four games into the season to see if he is eligible. There are only so many guys you would risk having on your roster, but (Cade) is one of those guys," Medved admitted.
Tyson was originally among a group of athletes named in a Colorado lawsuit in July who are pursuing a fifth year of eligibility after the NCAA did not include the class of 2022 in its new five-for-five rules. The judge granted a class-wide preliminary injunction on Aug. 2, requiring the NCAA to grant a fifth year of eligibility to high school class of 2022 athletes. But the Tenth Circuit later granted the NCAA's stay request in the Wisne vs. NCAA lawsuit, which means qualifying players from the class of 2022 are once again ineligible unless they have already been granted temporary restraining orders (TROs) or injunctions on a state-by-state basis.

#medved #class #eligibility #roster

The wait is finally over! College football is back, and the Gophers open their 2026 regular season on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT against Eastern Illinois at Huntington Bank Stadium. Minnesota is currently favored to win by as many as 43.5 points on some sportsbooks, but the Panthers are already 1-0 on the season.
Here are our staff's predictions for Thursday night.
The Gophers were favored by a similar spread last season against FCS opponent Northwestern State, and they won that game 66-0. Oddly enough, the Demons also snapped a losing streak before playing Minnesota in that one.
A returning QB, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator makes me think Minnesota could get off to a hot start on Thursday night and cover the massive 43.5-point number. Eastern Illinois has lost its last three games against FBS opponents by a combined score of 132-7. I think Minnesota flexes its muscles early, and the majority of the starters are done before the fourth quarter, as they prepare for a massive Week 2 game against Mississippi State.
Aug 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck walks onto the field before the game against the Buffalo Bulls at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

#game #eastern #illinois #bank

The Minnesota Golden Gophers volleyball team knew their season opening pair of games against ranked opponents in Sioux Falls in the State Farm Women's College Volleyball Showcase would be tough, and sure enough it was. Then #14 Minnesota was swept 3-0 by #13 Arizona State in Friday's season opener before the Gophers returned the favor to #12 Creighton on Saturday picking up a 3-0 sweep of their own.
In their season opener against Arizona State, the Gophers knew they would still be shorthanded as they slowly worked in their four starters who all missed large chunks of the season a year ago with injuries. Two of the four in McKenna Wucherer and Zeynep Palabiyik returned to action this past weekend while Minnesota still missed middle blocker Calissa Minatee and outside hitter Alex Acevedo. The Sun Devils had opened their schedule the weekend before with an upset win over #2 Texas 3-1.
The opening set was a back and forth affair with the two teams going through 11 ties and five lead changes before ASU took the set, 26-24. Minnesota led 22-20 but the Sun Devils would run off four of the next five points to take control.
In only went downhill from there for Minnesota. ASU jumped on the Gophers in the second set and won 25-17. ASU took an 8-2 lead out of the gate and while Minnesota would make several runs to cut the lead to just three points at multiple points, ASU would run off a 6-1 run to close the set for the win.
Minnesota showed signs of life in the third set, but once again could not hold a late 20-19 lead as ASU would win 26-24. Sun Devils star Una Vajagic finished of the match with back to back kills, two of her match high 20.

#minnesota #gophers

In a conference long known for its stout defenses, being recognized as the top player on that side of the ball is no easy feat. The last five winners reflect that. Since 2021, the last four winners of the award — Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan), Jack Campbell (Iowa), Jer'Zhan Newton (Illinois), and Abdul Carter (Penn State) — have made their presence felt on Sundays in the NFL. Caleb Downs, who is the most recent winner, was selected No. 11 overall by the Dallas Cowboys and could be in for a highly impactful rookie campaign.
Typically, I like to present a list of options and riddle the breakdown with several pumpfakes that'll make you believe I'm picking that player to take home the award later this year. Not this time.
2026 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year: EDGE Anthony Smith, Minnesota
Last season, Smith was a disruptor. He finished the year with 21 solo tackles and 12.5 sacks. Those numbers are sometimes inflated in blowout wins against non-Power Five opponents, but that wasn't the case for Smith. The Golden Gophers opened the season against Buffalo and Northwestern State (FCS). Smith had just two sacks during that stretch, despite the victory over NWSU coming in the form of a 66-0 shellacking. He did add two sacks against a Non-Power Five foe, but that was in the Rate Bowl against New Mexico, so you can't dock him there.
Smith isn't my pick because he's the best defender. Nor is he my pick because Cleveland.com has the same projection. The team with the most candidates is Oregon. If the Ducks live up to expectations, they'll boast one of the most balanced defenses. With their mixture of talent and depth, we probably won't see any extraordinary stat lines from a Duck defender. This is where Smith benefits. If the award is not given to the best defender on the best defensive team, the second qualifier will boil down to numbers. Smith has already proven that he's capable of posting big ones.

#last #defender

Two members of the Golden Gophers football team have suffered season-ending injuries.
Head coach P.J. Fleck, speaking Thursday at the Minnesota State Fair, announced that backup center Brett Carroll and sophomore defensive lineman Enoch Atewogbola have sustained injuries that will force them to miss the entire 2026 season.
Carroll is the No. 2 center behind starter Ashton Beers. The redshirt sophomore is a physical specimen at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds. He was a four-star recruit coming out of Olathe East High School in Kansas in 2024. He picked Minnesota over offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Illinois, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State.
Atewogbola is a sophomore who has not played in a game yet for the Gophers. However, he has a high ceiling as a former three-star recruit from Indiana who rushes off the edge at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds.
The Gophers open the season on Thursday, Sept. 3, at home against Eastern Illinois.

#gophers #sophomore #atewogbola #illinois

The Slipper Still Fits sat down with the former leader of the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 1997-99, the man who helped orchestrate the name of this website through that magical 1999 Elite Eight run.
Dan Monson is now the head coach of the Eastern Washington Eagles. The 2026-27 group in nearby Cheney, Washington, plays a stacked non-conference slate on the road at the Stanford Cardinals, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Utah Utes, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, Loyola Marymount Lions, and Wyoming Cowboys. Plus, a neutral-site game with the Washington State Cougars in the Spokane Arena for the 509 Classic on Dec. 22. It feels like Monson was taking a page right out of Gonzaga's playbook to schedule heavily in the first half of the season.
He spoke about his recent trip to Springfield, Massachusetts, for Mark Few's Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction, leaving Spokane, Washington, for the Minnesota Golden Gophers job, the current messy state of the NCAA, and learning from his dad, the late great Don Monson, in the Tri Cities.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X a_cravalho

#gonzaga #oregon #still #fits

The New York Giants have one preseason game left before the 53-man cutdown. Many players on the back end of the roster received ample playing time in the Giants' 26-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Josh Ezeudu played 47 snaps for the Giants in Miami and was then traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2028 seventh-round pick. Some possible starters received snaps, but most of the first-team rested.
Nevertheless, we saw a Jameis Winston rushing touchdown, 81 J.C. Davis snaps, and a suffocating defense versus a Malik Willis-less — already bad — Dolphins' offense. Here are some tales from the timeline after preseason Week 2.
Arvell Reese played 10 snaps for the Giants and showed his physicality against the Dolphins' 21 personnel package; Reese took on the fullback at the line of scrimmage and created no rushing room in the B-Gap. Reese's fit in the 4-hole to the weak side forced Jaylen Wright (5) into the arms of three Giants' defenders. The upgrade at linebacker for the Giants will secure the continuity of the defense, which should inspire discipline and confidence.
Tyler Nubin (27) breaks on a football just outside his opposite hash. New York ran Cover-2 third-and-10, and Nubin initially opened to his deep half responsibility, but quickly turned to almost intercept the seam pass. Tyler Nubin tied the Minnesota Golden Gophers' interception record with 13 and has yet to secure a regular-season interception through two seasons.
Dru Phillips (22) has always been effective around the line of scrimmage. He's had 63 STOPs over his two-year career. He surrendered a 30-yard catch earlier in the drive above, but he bounced back by showcasing his strength. He does, though, need to get better in coverage to earn a larger snap share in Wilson's scheme.

#Giants #tyler #back

Later this month, we will be watching college football. The season kicks off when North Carolina and TCU square off in Ireland, while the first Big Ten in action will be USC when they host San Jose State. With the season only weeks away, we are seeing preseason polls released, award watchlists revealed, and predictions for this year's CFP participants being shared. Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana are common favorites to make this year's playoff and are earning spots in the 12-team field in each of the last two seasons.
Back in the first year of the 12-team field, Indiana shocked the college football world when Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff in his first year as head coach at the coach. Is there another surprise in store for the CFP this season? If Indiana can do it, then why can't another Big Ten school that has been a perennial loser or a program that has been stuck in the middle of the conference make the playoff? What if Bob Chesney is Cignetti 2.0? Chesney is now the head coach at UCLA after leading James Madison to the playoff last season.
Today we want you to call your shot and let us know which Big Ten team could be a sleeper to make this year's College Football Playoff. Obviously you didn't understand the ***** ignment if you are picking Ohio State, Oregon, or Indiana. Everybody else is on the table since all the other teams in the conference have at least +250 odds to make the CFP. What will be interesting is to see if anyone wants to go on the record and pick Purdue to make the playoff, as they have the lowest odds of any team in the conference at +25000.
We'd love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
It's obvious why P.J. Fleck and Minnesota are in favor of an expanded College Football Playoff. At 24 teams, the Golden Gophers would have likely made the CFP a few times since 2021, as Fleck and the Golden Gophers have won at least eight games four times in those five seasons, while also winning all five bowl games they have played in. This isn't even taking into account the 2019 season when Minnesota won 11 games and finished the season ranked 10th in the country.

#team #first

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

Last week was the Big Ten Media Days and as part of that annual gathering of Big Ten media, Cleveland.com published the results of its media poll, predicting the Big Ten standings.
The bad news…the collective media predicted Minnesota would finish 10th in the league this fall.
The good news…they have typically been wrong about Minnesota.
A year ago, Minnesota was projected to finish 11th out of the 18 Big Ten teams. They finished tied for 7th. In 2024, they were projected to finish 12th, and they also finished tied for 7th.
As we know, the Gophers are returning quite a bit of production from last season, and at key positions. ESPN's returning production ranking has Minnesota 7th nationally. Maryland and Nebraska rank ahead of them and UCLA, Oregon and USC rank behind them but still in the top 15.

#minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota coach Niko Medved has received a one-year contract extension with a slight raise after a promising first season at his alma mater.
The university board of regents approved the contract amendment at its regular monthly meeting, giving Medved a $100,000 pay **** p on top of the $100,000 annual increase in his initial six-year deal. Medved is now signed through the 2031-32 season and will make $3.2 million in 2026-27, which ranks 17th out of 18 head coaches in the Big Ten, according to university documents.
The Gophers went 15-18 overall and 8-12 in Big Ten play in Medved’s first year, with a lineup depleted by injuries. The former student manager and **** istant coach for the Gophers was hired last year after seven seasons at Colorado State. He’s entering his 14th year as a head coach, including stops at Drake and Furman.

#medved #gophers #university

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Niko Medved has received a one-year contract extension with a slight raise after a promising first season at his alma mater.
The university board of regents approved the contract amendment this week at its regular monthly meeting, giving Medved a $100,000 pay ***** p on top of the $100,000 annual increase in his initial six-year deal. Medved is now signed through the 2031-32 season and will make $3.2 million in 2026-27, which ranks 17th out of 18 head coaches in the Big Ten, according to university documents.
The Gophers went 15-18 overall and 8-12 in Big Ten play in Medved's first year, with a lineup depleted by injuries. The former student manager and ***** istant coach for the Gophers was hired last year after seven seasons at Colorado State. He's entering his 14th year as a head coach, including stops at Drake and Furman.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-... and https://apnews.com/hub/col...

#year #Basketball #gophers #contract

The Atlanta Falcons are off for two more weeks before rookies officially report to Flowery Branch to for training camp on July 24. The team will have 12 open practices, including two joint practice sessions with the Indianapolis Colts, before the 2026 roster cut deadline.
Atlanta's relatively small six-person draft class will be joined by the team's 13 undrafted free agents, including four rookie wide receivers. The Falcons needed help at the wide receiver position and will look for someone in this group to stand out when camp begins.
In today's Falcons Wire training camp spotlight, we take a look at UDFA wide receiver Le'Meke Brockington to see what he can bring to the team in 2026.
2025 Stats: 46 catches, 484 yards, 4 TD
Brockington's 2025 season was the best of his collegiate career, finishing with 484 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound wideout appeared in 45 games for the Golden Gophers, recording 80 total catches for 1,042 receiving yards.

The Cyclones have strengthened their softball roster with the addition of two impactful transfers, pitcher Kennedy Diggs from Kansas and utility player Maggie Werner from the Minnesota.
Kennedy Diggs joins the Iowa State program as a sophomore following two seasons at Kansas. A standout pitcher from Creighton, Missouri, Diggs entered college with a legendary high school resume, holding the career record at Sherwood High School with 1,308 strikeouts, including a single season where she retired 511 batters. In 2025, she was recognized on the Softball America Freshman Watch List after finishing her debut season with a 4–1 record and a 4.04 ERA, highlighted by a nine-strikeout shutout performance against East Texas A&M. During the 2026 season, she proved highly efficient in the circle, posting a 1.91 ERA over 18.1 innings and recording a shutout victory against DePaul.
Maggie Werner, a 5-10 utility player from Greenville, Wisconsin, moves to Ames as a junior after a productive four-year tenure at Minnesota. Werner is coming off a breakout 2026 season where she led the Golden Gophers in several offensive categories, including batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.426), and runs scored (26). Beyond her 42 hits and five home runs, she was a defensive anchor with a .990 fielding percentage and 278 putouts. Her collegiate journey is marked by steady progression, having transitioned from a redshirt freshman year in 2023 to becoming a central starter and a team leader by 2026.
In addition to their on-field production, both athletes bring a high level of character and academic excellence to the Cyclones. Werner is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was the recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2026.
Both players competed against the Cyclones in the 2026 season; Diggs pitched 3.1 innings of relief against the Cyclones in April, while Werner appeared in a matchup against Iowa State earlier this year in February at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Head Coach: PJ Fleck (10th year, 66-44 at Minnesota, 96-66 overall)
2025 Record: 8-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
Quick 2025 Recap
Minnesota completed its second straight 8-5 season, thanks to an overtime win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl. Their most notable wins from the season include a snowy 17-7 win over bitter rival Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and a 24-6 beatdown of a then 25th-ranked Nebraska team, which almost immediately blew up the “Matt Rhule-to-Penn State” hype train. Unfortunately for the Gophers, their other two games against ranked opponents ended rather poorly, suffering a 42-3 shellacking at No.1 Ohio State and a 42-13 beatdown at 7th-ranked Oregon. They also got waxed 41-3 against their other bitter rival, Iowa at Kinnick Stadium and lost a close one at Northwestern, 38-35. Overall though, for program standards under PJ Fleck’s tenure, it was about par for the course.
Offensive Player to Watch: QB Drake Lindsey