Northwestern cross country is gearing up for its first race of the season on Friday, and the team has plenty to be confident about. NU is fresh off one of its most successful seasons in program history. The 'Cats finished 18th at the 2025 NCAA Championships, which marked the program's best finish of the modern era. As the Wildcats strive to continue building on last year's record-breaking campaign, NU enters this season ranked No. 11 in the Preseason National Coaches' Poll, joining three other Big Ten schools in the national rankings.
Here's a comprehensive preview of everything to know about the Wildcats' runners in 2026.
Returners: Maddy Whitman (Gr.), Skye Ellis (Gr.), Erin Boler (Sr.), Ava Criniti (Sr.), Anna Delgado (Sr.), Jackie Holman (Sr.), Maddy Powers (Sr.), Lydia Sommer (Sr.), Kailey Zagst (Sr.), Cary Drake (Jr.), Katherine Klimek (Jr.), Olivia Capala (So.), Allegra Massey (So.), Marley McCullough (So.), Jaya Simmons (So.), Bentley Thomas (So.)
Losses: Ava Earl, Serena Frolli, Mallory Grubb, Anna Hightower, Mia Mraz, Holly Smith, Samree Dishon, Delilah Helenhouse
Additions: Sophie Magson (Gr.), Katie Clute (Sr.), Eliza Nicholson (So.), Kyla Babb (Fr.), Sofia Balistreri (Fr.), Zoe Carroll (Fr.), Ella Goodsell (Fr.), Natalia Guaresimo (Fr.), Elyse Henricksen (Fr.), Isabelle Mahoney (Fr.), Emma Patrick (Fr.), Lauren Virmani (Fr.), Marella Virmani (Fr.), Isabelle Yttre (Fr.)

#maddy #anna

Texas A&M will open up the season against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field on Saturday night. It's always difficult to judge a team in these matchups, where talent alone can carry you, but you can still learn a lot about your players.
In this game, I don't think there will be a true X‑factor, but the defensive line needs to show pure dominance, two‑deep, for fans to feel comfortable heading into Week 2 against the Arizona State Sun Devils. It's not completely new faces, but with most of last year's production headed to the NFL, the question is how good this group can actually be in 2026.
Returners T.J. Searcy, D.J. Hicks, and Marco Jones have all flashed high potential, and with the addition of Anto Saka, they now have another legitimate speed rusher off the edge.
They also beefed up the middle by adding C.J. Mims and Angelo McCullom. How much will this unit actually play on Saturday? Who knows, but when they're on the field, it needs to be obvious they are leagues better than the offensive line across from them.
Below is a breakdown of what we would like to see from each of these players.

#players #actually #missouri

True to his DNA as a longtime high school coach, UTSA's Jeff Traylor said the Roadrunners will tailor the 2026 offense to the strengths of their personnel.
New offensive coordinator Rick Bowie has six years of high school experience in his roots, too, understanding the need for adaptability and experimentation through the preseason as the unit takes shape.
UTSA at least has a few standout returners to work with on offense, while the defense was largely overhauled, bringing back just two players who started more than half of last season.
READ MORE: 'I'm still Will': How UTSA's star running back keeps true to himself
Whether to gain a tactical advantage or because of true uncertainty, Traylor has stopped short of highlighting potential standouts on defense, and he's keeping the expected shape of the Roadrunners' offense a mystery, too.

#true #traylor #shape #back

Head coach Lane Kiffin put together a talented roster ahead of his first season leading LSU football. Six of those players, returners and transfers, were recognized as being among the best in the game on ESPN's top-100 college players list.
LSU signed the nation's top transfer portal class, bringing in over 40 transfers. The new crop includes the portal's top player in quarterback Sam Leavitt and the top offensive lineman in Jordan Seaton. Kiffin also brought Princewill Umanmielen and others over from Ole Miss, where he coached for six seasons.
The Tigers also retained some of their biggest weapons from last year. Tight end Trey'Dez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks will run it back as well as freshman All-American cornerback DJ Pickett. The future NFL stars will attempt to take LSU back to the postseason for the first time since 2019, when Joe Burrow led the program to the national championship.
Offseason buzz puts LSU among the best programs in the nation with College Football Playoff expectations. Whether it can knock off some of the SEC ****** ans on its schedule remains to be seen but the talent on the team is undeniable.
Here are the six players named to ESPN's top-100 college football players list.

#Football #first #back

Brian Mason has never been shy in his views of Ashton Dulin's performance on special teams, calling the 29-year-old receiver veteran "one of the three-best special teams players in the NFL" last fall.
How much the Colts will be able to take advantage of those skills – on his most active days, Indianapolis uses his 4.4 speed as its primary gunner on punt coverage, as well as one of its two returners on kickoffs – may vary week-to-week, depending on the team's health across the board.
After last week's signing of six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, Dulin finds himself no longer in contention for one of the Colts' three starting wideout spots. Instead he's jockeying with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for fourth on the depth chart on a team whose star second-year tight end Tyler Warren makes Dulin or Westbrook-Ikhine the fifth receiving option at-best.
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Dulin has performed arguably the most consistently of Indianapolis' rotational wideouts in the preseason, all while taking very few reps on special teams. It gave the appearance the Colts planned to significantly reduce his role on punt and kick teams to preserve his energy and impact for offense. But with Allen's signing dropping Dulin a spot, the receiver who has just seven catches since the end of the 2022 campaign finds himself in virtually the same spot as the end of last season.

#ikhine #year

There isn't an obvious candidate on this Washington team to be a super star national level type of player. But, every college football season a handful of under-the-radar players end up atop the national leaderboards. Washington enters Jedd Fisch's third season in Seattle with a roster that's deeper and more experienced than either of his first two, and among that depth are a handful of players with a shot at topping an FBS statistical leaderboard by December. Here are five Huskies worth watching.
Green might be the safest bet on this list. The graduate transfer punter comes to Montlake after ranking sixth nationally last season with a 47-yard average on 63 punts at San Diego State, including 22 kicks of 50-plus yards. Before that stop, he averaged better than 45 yards a punt across two seasons at Northern Colorado and earned first-team All-Big Sky honors as a true freshman. He's already on the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list. He's 6-foot-4 and 230-pounds with a big leg and if his career averages continue into Big Ten play, he should be in national leader contention.
Roebuck was a true freshman revelation in 2025, finishing second on the team with 42 catches, 554-plus yards and seven touchdowns. He's the one healthy and proven returners among the pass catchers and will be relied upon quite a lot. Roebuck has since moved to a new number and a full-time slot role, the exact alignment most likely to rack up "easy" catches in Fische's scheme. His offenses historically favor the top two receivers with the vast majority of targets, so there should be plenty of chances for Roebuck, who gets open easily anyway. After 42 receptions last season, a leap into the 80-90 catch range isn't far-fetched if he's the number one or two guy from the start.
Williams is possibly the biggest reach on this list. He posted a 161.0 NCAA passer rating in 2025 — 10th nationally — while throwing for just over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns and adding 611 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. Those are obviously very good numbers, but a good chunk of it came in games against the softer part of Washington's schedule. In Washington's four losses last season (Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon), his passer rating dropped all the way to 107.8, and he simply hasn't risen to the occasion against that caliber of opponent yet. If Williams can close that gap in 2026 and prove he's just as efficient against Ohio State- and Oregon-caliber defenses as he is against the bottom half of the conference, his baseline efficiency is good enough that a national passing **** le becomes realistic. He's a preseason Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Award watch-list pick and clearly has the ceiling. The question is whether he takes that step against the teams that have given him trouble.
Manu isn't a name without a track record as he's already done this. In 2023 at Arizona, under Jedd Fisch, Manu led the Pac-12 in tackles with 116 to go with 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and an intercep

Aug. 24—PULLMAN — Washington State's starting quarterback for this season is in place.
The Cougars will start UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick, the program announced on social media Monday afternoon, ending a quarterback battle with returners Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman that spanned from spring practice to fall camp, which wrapped up Sunday evening.
A redshirt sophomore, Pinnick earned the reins thanks to a solid fall camp, in which he earned first-team reps across nearly all 15 practices. He had been atop the Cougs' QB rotation since the first week of practice, showing accuracy and impressive athleticism to scramble from the pocket in 11-on-11 settings.
Pinnick won't get much of an easy runway into his tenure with the Cougs. WSU's season opener is set for Sept. 6 at No. 17 Washington, whose defense limited Pinnick to 8 for 16 passing for 50 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a matchup with UC Davis last season.
Also early on WSU's schedule are games against Big 12 opponents Kansas State and Arizona, the first on the road and the second at home.

#davis

SIOUX CITY, IA (KCAU) - Next group up for Two-A-Days is the Pender Pendragons, after a huge 9-2 2025 season after back-to-back five-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.
The Dragons got themselves to the D1 state quarterfinals before falling to Shelby-Rising City 28-6.
The 8-man squad enters the new year without two of last season's biggest offensive weapons in the run game and passing game; however, there is a large group of returners, including quarterback Zander Welsh, who had over 1,700 total yards of offense and 31 touchdowns.
This team also brings back a familiar face to the head coach position, Andy Welsh, who has served as the head coach for the boys basketball team for the last several years. With his return, this group is very excited for the guys they are putting out on the field!
"We have 33 kids on the team. We are sitting here with 12 seniors on an 8-man football team, so we have a lot of depth. Our expectations are extremely high, and the kids have been working really hard to show what we can do," said Welsh.

#team #back

MASON − For the second time in three years, Jessica Pegula will compete for the Rookwood Cup.
Pegula, the WTA's No. 3 ranked player, defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals of the 2026 Cincinnati Open on Saturday, Aug. 21. The American also snapped Swiatek's 10-match win streak that extended back to the National Bank Open.
In a match between two of the best returners in the WTA, there were 13 breaks across two hours and 47 minutes of play. Sets came down to who performed best down the stretch, which was Pegula in the first and third sets. It also helped that many shots down the line went in Pegula's favor, and vice versa for Swiatek.
Pegula broke Swiatek first. Swiatek pounced on Pegula's serve to break right back but dropped the next game to Pegula, which was briefly interrupted by a drizzle of rain. Two breaks later, Pegula won the first hold of the match at 4-2, before Swiatek held for the first time next.
Swiatek beat Pegula's serve again at 4-4, but couldn't break for the set when she had the chance. Instead, Pegula won the next three games, taking advantage of Swiatek rushing her shots to gain a 7-5 lead. On set point, Swiatek dumped a wide-open volley into the net.

#swiatek #match #next

Coming into tonight's action, the Green Bay Packers hadn't won a game since December 7th against the Chicago Bears, as their last trip to Denver started them on a five game-losing streak (six if you want to include the preseason opener) that capped off with the team being sent home by those same Bears in the Wild Card round. Tonight, they sort of got that monkey off their back, as they beat the Broncos 33-13 at elevation.
Overall, the depth of the team played well on Friday, unlike their Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when their fourth-team defense gave up a lead and allowed three touchdowns in a row to end the game. This time, the Packers' defense (and offense) held strong, despite the Broncos keeping their first- and second-team units in the game significantly longer than Green Bay.
The story of the game, and the preseason, continues to be rookie kicker Trey Smack, though. The sixth-round pick went three of three last week, not including a deep field goal that was taken off the board because the Steelers committed a penalty. How would he outdo himself in Week 2? By going four of four (and three of three on PATs), including a 59-yard field goal, one yard longer than his long the previous week.
In the kickoff game, Smack's kickoffs continue to be placed inside the 10-yard line and near the numbers, the toughest place for returners to bring the ball out from under the NFL's new "dynamic kickoff" rules. All signs are positive on the rookie in live action. Hopefully, it'll continue through the regular season.
Elsewhere on special teams, fourth-string running back Pierre Strong Jr. busted a 68-yard kickoff return, while receiver Skyy Moore had a nice 16-yard punt return himself.

#game

Aug. 20—PULLMAN — Somehow, in the blink of an eye, Washington State has all but wrapped up fall camp.
After going through a gameday walk-through on Thursday morning, technically speaking the Cougars' 13th practice of fall camp, they have just two more to go: A second and final scrimmage on Friday, then a practice on Sunday evening to complete the 15-session slate.
Across the last two weeks, WSU has solidified almost all positions on both sides of the ball, even if coaches are reticent to acknowledge how they have unfolded in public settings. They have been loath to detail the QB race, for example, but all signs point toward UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick getting the starting nod over returners Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman. And their starting defensive ends will be Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk, transfers from Idaho and Vanderbilt, respectively.
In fact, even with two more practices ahead of them, the Cougars have likely established their starting lineups. It's possible many of those players don't play the entirety of Friday's scrimmage, set for 11 a.m. at Gesa Field, for rest and injury-prevention reasons.
So what will they get out of the scrimmage, and what will their final practice of camp entail? Details on the latter have yet to materialize, but here are a few guesses at questions head coach Kirby Moore and **** istants might look to answer on Friday morning.

#fall #even

ST. CLOUD, MN — The soccer season is right around the corner, and there are a handful of girls' soccer squads with high hopes going into the season. Others might just wish to see the ball go into the net in each game.
Starting with the best the St. Cloud metro has to offer:
2025 record: 18-3-1, Class 1A co-third place finish
Top returners: F Amelia Newiger, F Nora Simones, F/GK Jordan Bovy
While not quite as dominant in recent years as their boys team counterparts, the girls over at Cathedral have certainly impressed in their own regard with three consecutive seasons without a conference loss, and most recently a co-third place finish at the state tournament.

#place #finish

Great Britain and Ireland now have its 10.
Still buzzing from his U.S. Amateur victory on Sunday at Merion, England's Jack Whaley was among the players named to the GB&I Walker Cup team by the R&A on Tuesday morning.
"I think I proved that I'm good in match play," Whaley said.
Whaley, whom captain Dean Robertson admitted was not in line to be selected for his debut until he lifted the Havemeyer Trophy to earn an automatic bid, joins six returners from last year's 17-9 defeat to the U.S. at Cypress Point: Englishmen Tyler Weaver, Luke Poulter and Eliot Baker, Scotland's Niall Shiels Donegan and Connor Graham, and British Amateur champion Stuart Grehan of Ireland; all six had previously secured their spots via the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
"He performed so well under the umbrella at Merion with his double gloves on, showcasing that he can not only perform brilliantly in the U.S., but he can perform in adverse weather, too," Robertson said of the 22-year-old Whaley, a rising senior at Florida State and one of seven U.S. college products representing GB&I. "Before last week, I wouldn't have seen Jack in the team, but after watching him, the talent that he's got and the humility that he's got and the way that he spoke, I'm really excited to welcome him."

#robertson #perform

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — With 12 returners on the roster, the University of Southern Indiana women's volleyball team has been able to speed up the learning curve during offseason workouts.
Last year, the Screaming Eagles went into the season with eight new players, but this year it's just three new faces on the roster.
USI was just two sets away from playing for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship last season, so the continuity should help the team once again battle for a top spot in the conference.
"We can already tell like this preseason we've all been gelling really well and it's kind of like we weren't even apart for very long," said outside hitter, Ashby Willis. "It's been really great coming back and having some good team chemistry again that we worked on in the spring."
Even though there will be some players stepping into new roles the big returning group already has the team ahead of schedule this year utilizing the spring period.

#team #year #conference #roster

The Warren Central Vikings are coming off a 12-2 season and MHSAA 6A state championship. Head coach Josh Morgan says they have some key returners on the this years squad who know the standard of excellence and can pass it on the younger players.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.

#Vikings

Jordan Seaton arrived at LSU football as the nation's top transfer portal offensive lineman after two years as a starter at Colorado. He came into a room of returners and fellow transfers. The left tackle said the unit built trust over the offseason.
"I think being with each other for a long period of time is a great thing and not only that, just trying to build that non-verbal communication," Seaton said. "I think that's huge in a game where it's a stadium of 110, 105, 100,000 at that. Just being able to know what's what and being able to have those non-verbal communication, I think that goes very well with playing and playing together and practicing together."
LSU experienced instability at offensive line last year between injuries and shifting positions. The Tigers' inconsistent offensive line played a large role in LSU falling short of expectations in 2025. LSU ranked 129th in offensive line yards and 80th in pass blocking efficiency.
LSU retained fifth-year senior Braelin Moore at center along with left guard Bo Bordelon and right tackle Weston Davis. Combined with Seaton and Aliou Bah, the Tigers have a solidified starting five early in fall camp.
But Seaton says the camaraderie extends beyond the projected starters down the depth chart. He sees every offensive lineman as important to the unit's success throughout the 2026 season.

#offensive #tigers #communication

Saturday's Red-Blue intrasquad scrimmage showed some of the promise of the 2026 Arizona Wildcats and answered some of the questions, but there were still some left open when the Red team emerged victorious in four sets (20-25, 27-25, 25-18, 15-10).
Red was superior in kills (56-35), hitting percentage (.181 to .109), and blocking (10.0 to 5.0). Both teams had four aces, but they struggled overall on serve.
The initial team lineups were made to be as competitive as possible. Neither team was dominated by presumed starters or returners from last year's team. After the second set, the roster was shaken up where more of the returners and presumed starters were stacked on the Blue team, but that didn't slow down the Red squad.
The Blue team started with Carlie Cisneros and Payton Woods at outside hitter, Britt Carlson at opposite, Journey Tucker and Maya Flemister at middle blocker, Harmony Sample setting, and Brenna Ginder at libero.
Red featured Destiny Ndam-Simpson and Hayden Reeder on the left side, Kennedy Osunsanmi on the right, Mo Siapani at setter, Kristen Dear and Marina Vosloo at middle, and Brookelyn Hatton at libero.

#blue #returners #middle #arizona

UNCASVILLE, CT – The celebration surrounding the careers of Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker as the latest members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is a welcome reminiscence of Lady Vols basketball incredible history.
It is also, unavoidably, a stark reminder of where the Tennessee is right now.
The Lady Vols recorded the worst winning percentage in program history at 16-14 last season, which ended with an eight-game losing streak. All eight returners entered the transfer portal following Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell's second season, and Caldwell had to rebuild her entire roster.
Holdsclaw, who led the Lady Vols to three straight national championships during her career from 1995-99, was asked for her perspective on the state of the program a day before the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement for the 2026 class on Aug. 15 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Holdsclaw said it has been "a common conversation" amongst former Lady Vols.

#vols #hall

Vanderbilt football's deepest position may be at safety. At least players at the position believe so.
There's a good blend of returners and new talent. CJ Heard is back after co-leading the team with 71 tackles a year ago. While Marlen Sewell and Randon Fontenette are gone, Dontae Carter, Carson Lawrence and Jalen Gilbert return after being reserves at the position in 2025.
Davin Chandler could be a breakout candidate after appearing in one game as a freshman. Then there's Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones, who had six interceptions a year ago and was a All-ACC third team selection.
"My goal here is to get that plus more every year," Jones said Aug. 11.
The safeties are simultaneously young and experienced. There are only two seniors at the position − Gilbert and Payne Daniel − and no fifth-year players. But the group has plenty of starting experience.

#position

Photo via ******* nal.com
Ryan Taylor reports that there's a decent chance that Bruno Guimaraes will be involved for ******* nal against Como 1907 in Wednesday's Emirates Stadium friendly match.
Guimaraes reportedly did individual training with ******* nal's fitness coaches last week, and he was then spotted taking part in a light team session on the Emirates pitch after the Borussia Dortmund match on Sunday.
Photo via ******* nal.com
As a result, perhaps the most likely outcome is that Guimaraes follows in the footsteps of ******* nal's other late returners by playing 30 minutes on Wednesday to prepare him a possible start in the following game.

#match #ryan #taylor #borussia

Aug. 10—PULLMAN — Jeremiah Bernard left his feet and dove like he was Superman about to snuff out a local crime. The ball had just left the hands of Owen Eshelman, one of three Washington State quarterbacks vying for starting duties, and it was headed for a receiver toward the sideline of Rogers Practice Field.
It never made it there. Bernard made sure of that, roving over from the safety position and laying out to break up the pass, a feat of athleticism and football savvy. He leapt to his feet in a second, in a heartbeat, the moment's adrenaline propping him back up as quickly as he had soared through the air.
"The guys that we brought in, we're hoping they're gonna be what they are," WSU safeties coach Greg Burns said, "and they're working their **** s off."
A transfer from FCS Cal Poly, Bernard certainly fits that bill, a junior safety who is well on his way to earning a starting role in the Cougs' secondary this fall. Bernard, 6-foot and 196 pounds, doesn't just look the part. He plays like it too, making plays like that seem routine, like they're just in his bag.
How does Bernard fit into WSU's defense? For one, he's a face in a crowded WSU safety room, which also includes San Jose State transfer Jaylen Thomas, Arizona transfer Jshawn Frausto-Ramos and Arizona State transfer Jack Bal. That's without mention ing returners like Kyle Peterson and Kayo Patu, both of whom could also secure roles on this year's defense.

#bernard #like #they 're #starting

The Oregon Ducks are working in a rotation to replace three spots along the offensive line this season, but one returning starter is still working his way back.
Dave Iuli started every game last season for the Ducks, primarily at right guard. However, Iuli revealed at Oregon's media day that he suffered a torn triceps in the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech. He attempted to play through the pain in the Peach Bowl against Indiana, but wound up leaving the game in the third quarter.
As the Ducks ramp up the intensity in fall camp, Iuli's absence is still notable, but it might not be an issue once the Ducks arrive for game day. Offensive line coach A'lique Terry is confident Iuli will be back in the trenches when Oregon needs him to be ready.
"Dave is cooking. Man, Dave's back grilling," Terry told reporters on Monday. "Dave was doing a really good job today in one-on-ones. He's doing a really good job. He's done a phenomenal job of getting back and rehabbing too. I expect Dave to be around when it's time for ball to be played too."
Iuli has been working his way back all offseason. He missed spring camp and did not play in the spring game while he recovered. As one of only two returners up front, alongside center Iapani Laloulu, Iuli is a critical piece to the puzzle this season.

#season

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- As the second week of fall camp gets started, Corey Parker is as excited about his room as ever.
Parker returns strong athletes like Matthew Bailey and Jaheim Clarke, who are poised to teach newbies like Jakwon Morris and Nick Hankins the ropes, something Parker says his returners can do well with their different backgrounds and leadership styles.
"They understand that every day is a new day," Parker said. "I can't get too high, can't get too low, and with great leadership in a room like Jaheim Clarke, you have that. And so you see younger guys coming along really, really good, because he doesn't let one rep go by that he's not talking to them when they're coming off the field."
Clarke returned to illinois this season after starting in eight games with 21 solo tackles..
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#parker #jaheim #room #leadership

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This week's query was simple one. After the 2025 season, the Huskers staff looked at a talented but inexperienced running back room and decided their lead back (or backs) was already on the roster and put their portal recruiting efforts at other positions. The choices included three returners, none of whom reached 30 carries in 2025, a Penn State transfer who had three and headed to Iowa Western CC where he was found by the staff, and a true freshman from North Carolina:
Mekhi Nelson – So. – Consensus recruiting ranking/score *** – 85.62
Isaiah Mozee – So. – **** (WR) – 90.18

#recruiting #three #click

Auburn basketball is preparing for the 2026-27 season by taking an overseas trip to Greece, where it will face some of the toughest competition the European circuit has to offer.
On Saturday, the Tigers open their excursion by facing KK Mega Superbet at Ano Mera Indoor Hall on the island of Mykonos at 11 a.m. CT, and will get a rematch with the same club on Sunday at the same time.
The Tigers are nearly as healthy as possible entering this weekend's action, with key returners Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton, as well as notable transfers Thomas Dowd and Adam Olson, available to play.
According to Auburn Athletics, four players will be unavailable for this weekend's games. Vanderbilt transfer George Kimbel II and Creighton transfer Owen Freeman are injured, and international signees Mantas Rubštavičius and Narcisse Ngoy are being held out of this weekend's games in Greece as they await eligibility clearance from the NCAA.
This year's overseas excursion is the first for Auburn basketball under head coach Steven Pearl, and the first since the Tigers visited Israel ahead of the 2022 season. This weekend's games will not be live-streamed or broadcast, but fans will be able to view behind-the-scenes content via TheStreamU.

#transfer

Just a few weeks out from starting their 2026 football campaign, the North Carolina Tar Heels are hoping their mix of returners and offseason additions propel them to heightened success.
UNC trudged to a 4-8 record in 2025, with anticipation from Bill Belichick's hiring quickly dying out during the blowout loss to TCU. North Carolina beat Charlotte and Richmond in consecutive September weeks, then didn't win again until a Halloween victory over Syracuse.
One of the Tar Heels' best 2025 surprises came in the form of defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude. On Tuesday, Abou Jaoude earned himself a nomination to the Bronco Nagurski Award Preseason Watch List, an award annually given to the best defensive player in college football.
Abou Jaoude continued UNC's recent trend of promising pass rushers, leading his teammates with 12 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. The Delaware transfer's best stretch came during late October/early November, when he totaled eight sacks between a 2-1 stretch for North Carolina.
The Tar Heels lost most of their other 2025 pass-rushing production. Tyler Thompson (7.5 TFLs, seven sacks) transferred to Louisville and Andrew Simpson (nine TFLs, five sacks) graduated, while CJ Mims (2.5 TFLs, two sacks) transferred to Texas A&M.

#sacks #jaoude #best #award

When Fatmata Janneh went on her official visit Lady Vols basketball in April, Isoken Uzamere had already committed to be an ***** istant coach for the Nigerian national team, which was preparing to play in three preseason WNBA games.
But Uzamere, who was hired to Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell's staff only weeks before, wasn't missing the chance to help recruit the Texas A&M transfer. So, she took a red-eye flight from the Nigerian team camp in San Diego to get back to Knoxville in time.
Janneh committed two days later.
"I mean, off her doing that, I knew I was committing," Janneh said Aug. 3. "Because from then, just seeing how much they were willing to invest in me – she was willing to not be with the Nigerian national team and come back just for me. I was like, 'Oh yeah, they're willing to ride for me. They're going to do anything that they can for me to come here.' And I just needed that."
The 6-foot-2 senior forward was one of the biggest commitments out of the transfer portal for Caldwell, who had to rebuild her entire roster after all eight returners entered the portal.

#team

The 2026 high school football season is right around the corner.
Here are the schedules for all Oshkosh and Fond du Lac area teams in alphabetical order:
More: Oshkosh West football starts 2026 fresh under Nathan Wara
More: Top Oshkosh, Fond du Lac returners in passing, rushing, receiving and tackles
Week 1: Friday, Aug. 21, vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 7 p.m.

#weyauwega

Aug. 2—Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of stories that will run each day previewing Washington State's preseason camp before it begins on Aug. 6. This edition covers the Cougars' cornerbacks.
PULLMAN — When September rolls around and Washington State players take the field at Husky Stadium to take on rival Washington, and when the Cougars' defense rolls out, good luck recognizing any of the players in the visitors' secondary.
That's because among the 32 transfers WSU landed over the offseason, several of them play cornerback, a position at which the Cougs desperately needed to restock. Head coach Kirby Moore and staff did well to do so, likely using connections like new safeties coach Greg Burns and cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson to land a couple players.
But who are the new guys in this position group? And how might they fare this fall?
Players who will be vying for starting jobs include Texas State transfer Khamari Terrell, Oregon State transfer Jalil Tucker, Cal Poly transfer CJ Solis-Lumar, junior college transfer Elmo Wharton and others. A few returners will be in the mix too — keep an eye on redshirt freshman Jamarey Smith, who started in the Potato Bowl last winter, plus Kai Rapolla and Ishmael Gibbs — but the biggest roles will likely belong to a combination of transfers.

#coach #cornerbacks #take #transfers

With Penn State beginning training camp Wednesday, here are five storylines to follow leading up to the first game of the Matt Campbell era Sept. 5 against Marshall at Beaver Stadium:
1. How will all the jigsaw pieces fit on the field?
Campbell has been talking about the importance of team unity since his arrival. He has ******* embled a team with about 50 Penn State returners and 40 transfers from 18 schools, including 24 from Iowa State, Campbell's previous institution.
By all accounts, the players began meshing during winter workouts and continued to bond during spring practice and the summer. But because so many front-line players missed all or part of spring practice and because many of these guys have never played in games together, it's natural to wonder how all the pieces will fit once the games start.
"There's certainly some unknown," Campbell said at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. "Probably a little bit of our good fortune is that we have such a good history with the (former Iowa State) players that missed a good portion of the spring. I think the Penn State (returning) players that missed a portion of the spring have earned videotape evidence of what they can do.

#good #iowa #pieces