Utah center Alex Harrison has heard all of the talk about the Utes' new offensive line.
Utah is replacing all five starters from a sensational unit that helped the Utes set school records in 2025. The tackles from that line, Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, were both selected in the first round of the NFL draft. The other starters — Jaren ******* p, Tanoa Togiai and Michael Mokofisi — all either signed NFL free agent or minicamp deals or worked out for NFL teams.
Replacing those five starters is going to be a tough task for the Utes, but the members of the 2026 offensive line are frankly tired of hearing about it.
"It's really fun for us because if you look, I can't remember who it was, was it Phil Steele or one of the social media traps you get into, I don't think we were in the top 50 O-lines in the country. It's one of those things where it's like, great," Harrison said.
"I love the fact that ******* ody believes in us. I love the fact that everyone doubts us. Bring it on. I just can't wait because I think we'll show a lot of people this year."

#utes #offensive #can 't

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hao-Yu Lee drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning with a pinch-hit single and the Detroit Tigers beat the San Fracisco Giants 3-1 on Sunday in the rubber game of their series.
Spencer Torkelson singled off Sam Hentges (1-4) after Lee's base hit scored automatic runner Riley Greene for a 2-1 lead. Max Clark's groundout added an insurance run.
Kenley Jansen (3-4) struck out the side in the ninth for the win. Tyler Holton pitched a perfect 10th for his second save as the Tigers finished 7-2 on a three-city trip to the West Coast.
Detroit starter Troy Melton allowed an unearned run on four hits and a walk over six-plus innings, striking out five. The right-hander hasn't permitted an earned run in his last 20 innings. Melton has given up two runs or fewer in 12 of his 13 starts this season.
Logan Webb yielded one run on four hits and a walk over eight innings for the Giants, throwing 100 pitches.

#Giants #melton #walk #francisco

The Tigers didn't need eight runs in this one. Troy Melton spun another shutout performance, and great work from Kenley Jansen and Tyler Holton carried the day late. The Tigers broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 10th inning with a clutch knock from Hao-Yu Lee, and Holton shut the door to wrap up a 7-9 road trip.
Right-hander Troy Melton has busied himself recently by staking a claim as the Tigers #1 starter. He came into this one looking to extend his scoreless innings run. Melton last allowed a run on July 23 against the Royals. He blanked the Orioles and the Mariners each for seven innings in his last two outings. He'd have some tough competition in Logan Webb.
The two starters really did lock up in an old fashioned pitchers duel. Spencer Torkelson singled in the second inning for the game's first hit, but he was stranded. Drew Gilbert smoked a triple off of Melton with two outs in the bottom of the second, but Melton got Daniel Susac to ground out to Colt Keith at third to turn them away.
In the bottom of the fourth, Melton finally got into some trouble as Willy Adames led off with a single. Melton struck out Osleivis Basabe, but Drew Gilbert lifted a relatively shallow fly ball to Zach McKinstry in right, and the versatile utilityman cut down Basabe at the plate to end the inning. That play really took the wind out of the Giants sails.
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#troy #holton #gilbert

Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Atlanta Braves ace pitcher Chris Sale was ejected from the game prior to the start of Sunday's contest against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, even though he wasn't scheduled to pitch.
Third-base umpire Dan Merzel ejected Sale moments before the start of the Braves' 2-1, 10-inning win over the Yankees after he was previously observed talking with the star lefty at the Braves' dugout.
That conversation appeared to have ended amicably, but moments later as Merzel and the game's three other umpires were walking onto the field at the start of the game, he abruptly tossed Sale from the contest.
The reason for the ejection was not immediately given, MLB.com reported, but the incident appeared related to an event from Saturday's game in which Merzel, who was acting as the home plate umpire, charged Sale with a balk.
The Yankees' Spencer Jones scored on the play.

#start #ejected #umpire

Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski became the second-fastest pitcher to ever reach 200 strikeouts in a season on Sunday.
The Brewers ace managed the feat in 129 1/3 innings this season. He entered Sunday's start against the Minnesota Twins with 195 strikeouts on the season.
Misiorowski struck out Twins outfielder Alan Roden for his fifth strikeout of the game, officially reaching 200 for the season. While he is the second-fastest to the mark all-time, he obliterated the Milwaukee franchise record.
Corbin Burnes struck out 200 batters in 145 2/3 innings in 2021. With this new record, Misiorowski is the ninth Brewers pitcher to ever tally 200 strikeouts in a single season.
While it is impressive that Misiorowski accomplished the feat in 129 1/3 innings, that gets him second place all-time. The top spot belongs to Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider, who struck out 200 hitters in 123 1/3 innings in 2023. Strider finished his 2023 campaign with 281 total strikeouts.

#misiorowski #brewers #innings

Chris Sale slept on it. It obviously did not help.
The Braves left-hander got ejected before the first pitch Sunday, Aug. 9, which takes some doing when he's not even playing in the game. Sale just could not resist when umpire Dan Merzel and the rest of the crew walked by the visitor's dugout at Yankee Stadium.
Sale started barking at Merzel as the umpires came out onto the field for Sunday's series finale. Mezel didn't waste much time, ejecting the Cy Young Award winner quickly. Before exiting the dugout, however, Sale had a few more words for crew chief Dan Bellino.
Clearly, Sale had not finished his argument from pitching on Saturday night.
In the fifth inning, Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones had just tripled home the tying run. Sale started his first pitch to Austin Wells and Merzel called him for a balk over a slight hitch in his right leg. It was the third balk of Sale's 16-year career. Jones jogged home. Sale and Walt Weiss argued it for several minutes before Weiss got run with the Yankees up 3-2. It was the first ejection of his managerial career.

#crew

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale was ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before a pitch was thrown in Sunday's game against the New York Yankees, a day after being called for a balk that scored a run.
As umpires took the field and walked by the Braves' dugout on the third base side, Sale began barking. Merzel tossed him and Sale said something to crew chief Dan Bellino as the two talked near the dugout rail.
Sale was called for his third career balk by Merzel during the fifth inning of Saturday's 5-4 loss. Rookie Spencer Jones scored on the balk after getting an RBI triple and Sale began fiercely yelling at Merzel before manager Walt Weiss continued the argument and was ejected.
Bellino told a pool reporter afterward that Sale was called for the balk because he did not declare he was going to pitch from the windup. Bellino said Sale declared he was pitching from the windup when he struck out José Caballero but did not do so ahead of the at-bat to Austin Wells.
It was Sale's fourth career ejection. It was his first since Aug. 3, 2019, when he pitched for Boston and was tossed by Mike Estabrook for arguing **** and strikes during the fourth inning of a 9-2 loss at Yankee Stadium.

#balk #york #ejected

Yankees get bad news from rival clubs on Jasson Dominguez trade value originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees are running into a bit of a problem, and it's not necessarily a bad one to have. With Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Heliot Ramos, Spencer Jones, and Jasson Dominguez, plus others, the outfield is stacked.
This club is likely going to need to shake up the outfield in the offseason, and if they're going to ship a few players out, Dominguez seems to be an obvious trade chip.
However, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the trade value for Dominguez, in the eyes of rival MLB clubs, has "plummeted," and the former top prospect isn't nearly as valuable as he once was.
"It's time for the Yankees to trade former prized prospect Jasson Dominguez, but rival clubs insist that his trade value has plummeted," Nightengale reports.

#trade #yankees #jasson #outfield

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale threw six innings Saturday, Aug. 8 against the New York Yankees. He left with a 3-2 deficit in an eventual 5-4 loss.
More than the five hits or two walks he allowed, Sale was bothered by a balk call in the fifth inning by home-plate umpire Dan Merzel. Because a runner (Spencer Jones) was on third base at the time, the Yankees got a free run as a result of the controversial call.
Braves manager Walt Weiss was ejected from the game for arguing the balk call.
MORE: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani takes major step in return to mound
Sale waited a day to get his shot in. Home plate umpire Dan Bellino ejected him for arguing before the series finale between the Yankees and Braves got underway — a rarity for an MLB game.

#Braves #balk #plate #game

Last week was busy for Veritas Capital.
On Thursday, the New York-based private equity firm, which makes investments in government-adjacent and regulated industries, agreed to acquire Texas-based Saber Power Services, marking its third acquisition announcement in less than a week.
Days earlier, it agreed to acquire federal contractor Steampunk and environmental consultancy Trinity Consultants, and submitted a 914 pence-per-share proposal for London-listed Bodycote, valuing the industrial services company's equity at about £1.56 billion ($2.1 billion).
The bid places Veritas in a takeover contest with CVC Capital Partners, which proposed 915 pence per share. The bidders face a Sept. 2 deadline.
This dealmaking spree followed Veritas's July agreement to buy facilities management and engineering business BGIS.

#week #Equity

With strong pitching keeping the game close early, the Tigers used a 6-run seventh inning to pull away from the host San Francisco Giants and take a dominant 8-0 shutout victory on Saturday.
Jackson Jobe, making his first start since May 28 of last year, looked incredible on the mound. His first strikeout topped 100 mph on a fastball, and he added three more strikeouts in five innings of work. Allowing just one hit and one walk in his comeback from Tommy John surgery last summer, he was more than efficient.
Meanwhile, Giants starter Landen Roupp had his way in the first five innings, striking out three and allowing just two hits against a Tigers squad that looked to repeat Friday night's hitting struggles.
After five scoreless innings, Detroit finally broke through ... but in a very anti-climactic way. Every runner that got on base for the Tigers in top of the sixth was because of a walk, with Spencer Torkelson's five-pitch walk bringing in the first run of the game.
The Tigers went into the top of the seventh and took advantage of Trent Harris making his major-league debut for the Giants. Zach McKinstry, Kevin McGonigle, and Dillon Dingler hit back-to-back-to-back big hits, scoring two runs for Detroit and gave Harris his "welcome to the big leagues" moment.

#harris

It took seven innings, but the Tigers ended up with a blowout and a shutout against the Giants with an 8-0 win on Saturday.
After dropping the first game in their series against the Giants, the Tigers were looking to pull even on Saturday evening. They would have the newly activated Jackson Jobe on the mound. Jobe hasn't pitched in about 14 months, so the Tigers would likely have a short leash on him depending on how well he was doing, but it's nice to see him back and healthy. The Giants were leaning on Landen Roupp to get the job done on their end.
The Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 to open the first. In the home half we got the best-case scenario for Jobe, as he also got a 1-2-3 inning.
In the second, Colt Keith got a one-out walk. Spencer Torkelson then singled. This was followed by a Max Clark single to load the bases with only one out. Unfortunately, despite the incredible opportunity to take an early lead, the next two batters were out in order leaving all three batters stranded. In the home half, Jobe had another three-up, three-down inning, but he owed a big thanks to Max Clark for the third out, with a stellar catch that sent Clark right into the outfield wall.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, Drew Cavanaugh got a one-out walk, making him the first Giants' baserunner of the game. Jobe got the next two outs to get out of the jam.

#Giants #clark #first #three

Jackson Jobe was impressive in his long-awaited return to the mound for the Detroit Tigers, pitching five outstanding, scoreless innings against the Giants in San Francisco on Saturday.
Jobe allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out four, throwing 46 of his 71 pitches for strikes.
The game was scoreless when Jobe retired the side in the fifth, but the Tigers had taken a 1-0 lead on a bases-loaded walk to Spencer Torkelson by the time Tyler Holton spelled him on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, putting Jobe in position to earn the victory.
The Tigers had stretched that lead to 7-0 by the end of the seventh inning.
The only hit Jobe allowed was a single to Willy Adames in the fourth inning. He retired the side in order in each of the first three innings.

#jobe #scoreless #innings #retired

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals made Clay Holmes' debut with the Chicago Cubs a forgettable affair Saturday night, hammering him for four runs in his return from the injured list, while Jac Calgianone helped to power Kansas City to a 6-3 victory.
Caglianone hit two homers, two doubles and finished with four RBIs for the Royals. Josh Rojas also had a pair of RBIs.
Seth Lugo (5-7) out-shined Holmes with his eight-pitch repertoire, which included a looping 65 mph curve that fanned MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong. Lugo wound up allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings, striking out five.
Nate Pearson handled the ninth against his former team to pick up his second save of the season.
Holmes (4-5) last started a big league game May 15, when he was still with the Mets, and a 111 mph liner from the Yankees' Spencer Jones fractured his right fibula. He was in the midst of making rehab starts when the Cubs traded for him earlier this week.

#kansas #Royals #four #five

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and outdueled Chris Sale in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners as the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Saturday.
George Lombard Jr. hit his second career homer in the seventh to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The shortstop, who homered in his big league debut Tuesday, also drew a walk in the fifth following consecutive successful ABS challenges.
New York rookie Spencer Jones drove two runs, with a single in the second and his first career triple in the fifth. Jones also scored the tiebreaking run on a balk by Sale in the fifth. Ben Rice added his 32nd homer in the eighth.
Cole allowed two runs in the fifth and four of his six hits in the frame. He struck out nine and walked two in his third straight win.
Cole, who was the 2023 AL Cy Young winner, became the 13th Yankee to reach 1,000 career strikeouts when he got Matt Olson to end the fifth.

#fifth #york #yankees

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and outdueled Chris Sale in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners as the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Saturday.
George Lombard Jr. hit his second career homer in the seventh to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The shortstop, who homered in his big league debut Tuesday, also drew a walk in the fifth following consecutive successful ABS challenges.
New York rookie Spencer Jones drove two runs, with a single in the second and his first career triple in the fifth. Jones also scored the tiebreaking run on a balk by Sale in the fifth. Ben Rice added his 32nd homer in the eighth.
Cole allowed two runs in the fifth and four of his six hits in the frame. He struck out nine and walked two in his third straight win.
Cole, who was the 2023 AL Cy Young winner, became the 13th Yankee to reach 1,000 career strikeouts when he got Matt Olson to end the fifth.

#york #young #jones

On a beautiful Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees beat the Braves, 5-4 the final score, to clinch the series victory.
-Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale faced off against each other for the third time in their illustrious careers.
-The Yankees opened the scoring in the second inning, when Spencer Jones singled home Trent Grisham - who had doubled a few batters earlier - with two outs. Sale wasn't fazed, however, and the southpaw retired each of the next seven Yankees batters he faced.
-The Braves roared back to take the lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs before Cole could record a single out. The first RBI came off the bat of Mike Yastrzemski, who doubled over the head of an ill-positioned Heliot Ramos in left field to bring home Mauricio Dubon. Austin Riley then singled to put Atlanta runners on the corners, before rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis roped a line drive into right field to bring home Yastrzemski and make the score 2-1 Braves. Yankees skipper Aaron Boone kept the faith in his veteran right-hander, and Cole battled back to retire the next three batters in order to escape the jam, including two strikeouts. Cole's strikeout of Braves slugger Matt Olson was his 1,000th in just 139 games with the Yankees, making him the fastest to reach that milestone in franchise history.
-Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, George Lombard Jr. successfully challenged two straight pitches to turn a strikeout into a walk. Jones got the best of Sale yet again, driving a front-door slider into the gap for a triple which easily brought home Lombard to tie up the game. Much to the chagrin of Sale and Braves manager Walt Weiss, the umpire ruled that Sale balked, and Jones was allowed to walk home from third base. Weiss was ejected in the ensuing argument. Austin Wells kept the momentum rolling for the Yanks with an opposite-field double, but Ramos grounded into a double play to end the inning with New York leading 3-2.

#jones

NEW YORK (AP) — Mariano Rivera was back on the field at the Yankees' annual Old-Timer's Day on Saturday after tearing an Achilles tendon playing the outfield at the event last year.
With former teammate Jorge Posada catching him, Rivera threw 11 pitches to four batters. The 56-year-old faced Mickey Rivers, Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher and Shane Spencer in the exhibition game, which returned last season for the first time since 2019.
"They're still moving," Rivera said about his pitches on the YES Network broadcast. "That's good and the reaction is good."
Rivera, who hit an inside-the-park homer in his 2019 appearance, also took an at-bat against Mike Stanton and jogged to first when he flew out to center field.
Rivera was introduced last, just as Joe DiMaggio used to be. To the strains of Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the Hall of Fame closer doffed his cap and waved to the fans.

#last #field #good

Spencer Pratt may have lost the Los Angeles mayoral election in June, but the reality TV villain isn't giving up on politics just yet. On August 7, the former star of The Hills, 42, shared a photo on Instagram of himself sitting down with President Donald Trump at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles.
"Working with the President on a 25% FEDERAL film tax credit to bring back Hollywood," wrote Pratt in the caption. "While Gavin Newsom's commissioner is actively outsourcing production jobs to Hungary, and his rogue AG is trying to destroy CA production companies, the adults in the room are actually trying to repatriate the most quintessential American industry. I'm committed to saving Hollywood," he continued.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Pratt went on to say that 80-year-old Trump "is very passionate about revitalizing the entertainment industry and we will not let Canada, or the UK or Budapest steal our lunch anymore."
He then shared a few details about the meal they shared, writing, "Speaking of lunch…best clam chowder I ever had."

#hollywood #production #lunch

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano hosted his first press conference of training camp last Tuesday on August 4. In the beginning of the press conference, Schiano announced that defensive back Zilan Williams is out for the season with injury while EDGE Canaan Edwards is no longer with the program.
Schiano did not go into detail about William's injury besides saying that he is done for the season. Williams, a senior, was mostly used in a reserve role at cornerback and on special teams as well. Williams did appear in all 12 games last season, mostly on special teams, where he recorded 4 total tackles. He has appeared in 25 games and made 6 total tackles during his 4 seasons so far at Rutgers.
Canaan Edwards came to Rutgers as a part of the 2025 recruitment class and was listed as a three star athletes by 247Sports when he committed. He only appeared in one game last season, the Scarlet Knights blowout win against Norfolk State. It is currently unknown why he decided to leave the program.
Neither scenario is exactly uncommon for the start of training camp for any team, as their is usually a bit of off-season attrition for most teams.
Schiano also takes the time to discuss other things in the press conference, such as how he thinks this team has the most depth out of any team he has had since being back and how he thinks the change in the strength and conditioning program under new coach Spencer Brown has changed the team for the better overall.

#schiano

Faced with the Boston Red Sox being the hottest baseball team on the planet right now, the New York Yankees have to keep winning either to stay just ahead in the American League standings or maintain pace to hold their postseason bid.
Ryan McMahon's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Yankees to a 3-2 walk-off win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night. That victory kept them a half-game ahead of the charging Red Sox for second place in the AL East in addition to the league's top wild-card playoff spot.
Against Braves reliever Tyler Kinley in the 10th, José Caballero struck out with a two-strike bunt attempt going foul. Kinley then intentionally walked Spencer Jones and walked George Lombard Jr. after missing low and outside with several sliders. That moved designated runner Luis Garcia Jr. to third base.
Facing McMahon, Kinley worked the Yankees' third baseman inside with five pitches before leaving a slider on the low, outside corner of the strike zone. McMahon lifted the ball to right field, deep enough for Garcia to score the game-winner.
The Braves and Yankees were tied 0-0 into the eighth inning with Atlanta's trade-deadline addition Tyler Mahle pitching 6 scoreless innings with 9 strikeouts and 3 hits allowed. Max Fried countered for the Yankees by keeping his former team off the scoreboard for 6 1/3 frames, allowing 3 hits with 7 strikeouts.

#mcmahon

BEREA ― Neither was the first player the Browns selected in April's draft. However, the importance both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston hold to the team's success this season is every bit as significant as what top pick Spencer Fano provides.
That weight is perfectly fine to them. They're ready to carry it with them.
"I would say I know that we are rookies but, I mean, I don't even look at it like that," Concepcion said before the Browns' ninth training camp practice Aug. 7. "We're all pros. They brought me in, then Denzel, to make plays. So I mean, we got to make them."
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The good news for the Browns is that both rookie wide receivers have shown up to training camp seemingly ready to make every play their way. It could be argued that Boston, the No. 39 overall pick in the second round, has been the offensive Most Valuable Player in camp through nine practices.

#make

Tottenham Hotspur defender Joao Victor de Souza Menezes was attracting interest in the transfer market as he seeks more playing time.
However, according to Eduardo Burgos, the 20-year-old is poised to remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the season.
Spurs received three offers for the youngster from FC Porto – two official bids and a loan offer. Benfica were also reportedly interested.
It appears that Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is backing him to be a game-changer for the North London club.
Souza joined from Brazil in January but struggled for game time with Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence ahead of him in the pecking order.

#hotspur #joao

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The new Michigan football staff inherited a former five-star with a ton of upside, but one who hasn't seen the field yet in a real capacity.
The only time that offensive tackle Andrew Babalola suited up in a winged helmet on the field at The Big House in front of fans was in the 2025 spring game, but he tore his ACL in fall camp, precluding him from seeing game action in his freshman year. Before his injury, he was pushing Evan Link for the left tackle position, and it was in no way a decided contest between the true freshman and the elder statesman.
At Big Ten media days last week, head coach Kyle Whittingham gushed about Babalola's potential, noting that he has similar traits to his two first-round draft pick tackles, Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu. Offensive line coach Jim Harding agrees with the ****** sment, but also notes, there's a lot of work it's going to take for him to get there.
"We recruited him at the last place. I think he's a really talented kid," Harding said. "Now, he's also he hasn't played football in darn near 12 months. Tomorrow will be the first time he puts shoulder pads on in 12 months. Two days ago was the first time he put a helmet on in nearly 12 months. So could he potentially -- I think there's a lot of guys in that room that can be high draft picks and things like that. But Andrew would be one of them, and we'll just see how he develops and see how he gets back to what I think I saw on the fall camp (tape) last year."
The encouraging news is that two practices in, Babalola has been a full go in both. In order to get an idea of what he's capable of, just like Whittingham, Harding went back to his high school, spring ball, and fall camp film and liked what he saw. But now, he's going to have to get back into form, given that, as Harding noted, Babalola hasn't played football in a year.

#babalola #Football #time #first

For a decade, Hall of Famer Joe Thomas anchored the Browns' offensive line at left tackle.
With training camp ongoing, Thomas has been at the facility this week to ***** ist with coaching the rebuilt group at the behest of head coach Todd Monken.
Monken revealed to reporters after Thursday's practice that he offered Thomas a full-time job after he was hired in January.
"Well, when I was interviewing for the job and then when I got the job, I reached out to Joe," Monken said in his press conference. "Joe, obviously, played for [offensive line coach] George Warhop as well. And I said, hey, we've got a spot for you if you want to help us coach. And he said, 'I'd love to coach.' He said, 'I don't think I want to commit to an everyday contract.' I said, 'That's fine. Anytime you want to come out and help our guys, you're more than welcome.' And we certainly would welcome him."
With the Browns bringing in offensive tackle Spencer Fano with the No. 9 overall pick of this year's draft, Thomas likely had some useful pointers for the rookie to excel as he begins his first season.

#well #Help

Liverpool's search for defensive reinforcements continues to gather pace, and Djed Spence is increasingly becoming a name that refuses to disappear from the conversation. The Tottenham full back enjoyed an impressive campaign before enhancing his reputation on the international stage, leaving Liverpool with another important decision as Andoni Iraola reshapes his squad.
Recruitment rarely revolves around one outstanding tournament. Clubs invest months, sometimes years, in building profiles on players before deciding whether circumstances make a move worthwhile. In Spence's case, there appears to be enough evidence across club and international football to justify serious consideration.
Liverpool's interest in Djed Spence makes sense for several reasons. His ability to operate comfortably on either flank offers valuable flexibility, something every elite squad now prioritises across a demanding campaign.
Last season, Spence featured 23 times in the Premier League for Tottenham and added another eight appearances in the Champions League. More importantly, he demonstrated that he could adapt to different tactical demands while maintaining his athleticism and defensive discipline.
His performances earned him an England call up for the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel, an opportunity that further underlined how far his stock has risen.

#spence #TOTTENHAM #campaign #Liverpool

Whew. The hype building up around Barion Brown isn't dying down. On Thursday, the rookie wide receiver ended the New Orleans Saints' seventh training camp practice with an exclamation point by catching a touchdown pass deep downfield from Spencer Rattler. It's just the latest explosive play from a sixth-round pick most fans expected to make the squad for his skills in the return game on special teams. Instead, it's looking like Brown has real potential to help out offensively.
Rattler deserves a lot of credit on the throw that ended Thursday's practice session. He was throwing on the move, outside the pocket and under duress, but kept his eyes downfield and placed the pass where only Brown had a chance at catching it. It officially went down as a 46-yard completion that traveled more than 30 yards through the air. That's a Sunday throw. Brown came down with the pass even with veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom covering him tightly. He's made a lot of plays against Yiadom and his fellow backup Martin Emerson Jr. on the second-string defense. There's 5,159 career defensive snaps and 169 games played between the two of them (including the playoffs).
But you can count Saints coach Kellen Moore as one of those observers who wasn't surprised to see Brown thriving on offense. Even if the team drafted him for his chops on special teams, Moore saw plenty of quality reps through Brown's college tape. Brown caught 122 passes in three years at Kentucky before transferring to LSU in 2025, where he posted a personal-best 53 receptions. That experience against a strong quality of competition prepared him for the challenges he's now facing in the NFL.
"I think we watched a lot of evidence of him playing receiver, and playing impactful plays in the SEC for a number of years, not just the LSU year, but the Kentucky year(s)," Moore told reporters after practice on Wednesday. "And when you watch all that exposure and get to know Barion, you're really fired up to have this guy, and so he's doing a great job. And I think the hardest part for these young guys really isn't the physical. You know, there's an acclimation there, but there's so much mental and so I think that's a credit to him that he's been really prepared to go out there and play."
It's a wide-open competition for the fourth and fifth roster spots at wide receiver. With the Saints having their top three locked in between Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, and Devaughn Vele, guys who started training camp on the roster bubble like Brown need every rep they can get to stand out and build their case. Brown is certainly making the most of his chances so far. With joint practices and preseason games against other teams coming up fast, he'll get more opportunities to prove he belongs.

#down

BEREA ― Jared Verse had spent the better part of nearly two hours making life miserable for Browns rookie left tackle Spencer Fano during training camp practice. The 15 or 20 minutes after practice, the Pro Bowl defensive end was going to do his part to help his teammate.
So there on the hot practice field, as others headed toward the cool of the locker room, was Verse working one-on-one with Fano. With each move he showed the young tackle, he explained some of the secrets to counter what he was doing.
"That's really cool," Browns coach Todd Monken said the next day. "I walked up to Jared and said, 'man, we're so lucky you're a Brown. I mean holy s*** how cool is this?' Because he's not only a great leader, but he also works his rear end off every day, and after practice he's trying to get Spencer better. I stood right behind him listening to what he was talking about, and it was bang, bang, bang, five reps in a row of his footwork, then talking through what he was going to do, how he could redirect, how he could use his hands and punch. It was within five reps I saw Spencer get better."
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That hasn't been the first time Fano has gotten pointers from Verse. It's just one of the most recent examples.

#cool

Everton have reportedly tried to pay Tottenham Hotspur £25 million to sign Liverpool target Djed Spence. The Spurs star is likely to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium club this summer, and both the Toffees and Reds want him. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola want to bring a right-back that can defend to Anfield, while his Everton counterpart David Moyes is desperate for reinforcement in the position. The Toffees have offered £25m for Spence, but Tottenham want at least £35m, and Liverpool are keeping tabs on his situation.
The 25-year-old is open to joining the Reds, but nothing concrete is happening right now as Iraola has other options on his radar. Premier League legends Gary Neville and Ian Wright recently admitted that Spence was England's best defender this summer following his impressive displays at the World Cup. He is not in the plans of Lilywhites manager Roberto De Zerbi from the look of things, but he will not be short of suitors in and outside of the Premier League this summer.
Everton could do with such a right-back, but they must be willing to part with at least £35m. Spurs could demand more from suitors as Spence increased his value with his outstanding World Cup performances. The Toffees also have Celtic's Alistair Johnston and RB Leipzig's Ridle Baku as targets in the position and could be looking to sign a player for around £25m. Liverpool are always ready to splash the cash and will likely pip their city rivals to the Spurs star if it comes down to the money.

#summer

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Djed Spence is reportedly open to joining Liverpool.
Spence is not guaranteed a starting berth at Spurs next season, with Pedro Porro considered the club's first-choice right-back.
The 25-year-old is also unlikely to start at left-back following the signing of Andy Robertson.
Liverpool struggled at right-back last season, with Jeremie Frimpong failing to impress and Conor Bradley missing a significant spell through a knee injury.
Bradley is injury-prone, while it remains to be seen whether Frimpong will recover his best form next season.

#season #bradley #TOTTENHAM