Wide receiver Hollywood Brown was active for Sunday's game, but the veteran never got on the field during the Eagles' 24-22 win over the Commanders.
DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks started for the Eagles with first-round pick Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper also seeing time on offense. At a Monday press conference, head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about how Brown fits into the team's plans.
"So, with yesterday, you know, we have our rotations that we're doing, you know, Hollywood could obviously help us," Sirianni said, via Brooks Kubena of TheAthletic.com. "We obviously want to get him into the football game because his speed is real. It just didn't work out that way yesterday. There are games like that. There are games where you get shut out on catches. Unfortunately, there are games, they get shut out on reps. But we know that Hollywood can help us win football games, and his speed is real, and, quite frankly, just from my end, we want to get him into the football game, right? And so, you know, we'll make a better effort to do that next time, 'cause I know the playmaking ability that he can bring with his speed. But was pleased with how the wideouts played as a whole. Of course, there were things that you want back. They made a lot of plays down the field — and with different things with their job description. But, you know, I do want to see him in that football game and getting reps and contributing to this football team."
The Eagles' offense looked like a work in progress for considerable portions of Sunday's game, which was their first with offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Quarterback Jalen Hurts engineered enough big plays to overcome the rough spots and we'll see if Brown fits into the Week 2 plan to create more of them.

#know #Eagles

Coming off the Indianapolis Colts' Week 1 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Alec Pierce's left hand/wrist is fine, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59.
Following Sunday's game, Chappell wrote that Pierce briefly exited the game and was taken to the locker room after his left wrist hit the helmet of Ravens' linebacker Roquan Smith at some point in the first half.
Chappell added that Pierce's X-rays came back negative. He then spoke to the Colts' wideout about the injury after the game.
"It's good,'' Pierce told Chappell. "I just bruised up my hand. No worries.''
Pierce underwent offseason ankle surgery that landed him on the PUP list for much of training camp. He has spent the past few weeks ramping up, which included taking on a smaller role in Sunday's game.

#chappell #pierce

As I write this on Sunday night, all but one Week 1 game is comfortably in the books, and as is always the case on opening weekend, we encountered a slew of surprises. Some promising, others concerning and many that may have affected our outlook on a player or an offense. We're all doing our best not to overreact to one Sunday (and one Wednesday and one Thursday), but some of these shifting perspectives are bound to have permanent ramifications.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
With that in mind, I've compiled the (first) full weekly fantasy football stock report. These are the most notable risers and fallers heading into Week 2.
Ankle sprain, schmankle schprain (sorry, editors). Ashton Jeanty looked incredible on Sunday and had absolutely no limitations on his workload. He handled 23 carries and had six catches, totaling 147 yards while scoring twice through the air. He totaled 74 rushing yards after contact and scored both of his receiving touchdowns from the 13-yard line. Translation? The second-year RB's upside is arguably somewhere in the Christian McCaffrey stratosphere. The one caveat to all of this, of course, is that he did it against the Miami Dolphins. We'll see whether things change in Week 2 against the Chargers. But for now, Jeanty looks fully healthy and completely dominant, and anyone who got him at the "ankle sprain discount" is doing cartwheels.
At just 61% rostered on Yahoo, Jalen ******* er was closer to being a waiver-wire player than a fantasy stud. Not anymore. The third-year wideout led the Panthers with nine targets, eight catches, 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns, finishing as the WR1 overall on Sunday (29.8 fantasy points). He ran the second-most routes on the team (32), behind Tetairoa McMillan (36), and averaged 13.8 air yards per target and 4.31 yards per route run. He made a very strong opening argument to be a 1B to McMillan's 1A this season. And while all of Carolina's numbers were inflated by this barn-burner of a game with Chicago, ******* er had flashed late last year and looks like a legitimate third-year breakout candidate. He'll be among the most-added players on waivers this week (despite starting at 61%) and should be at least a FLEX consideration until further notice.

#yards

The Detroit Lions now have a substantial cushion in terms of financial stability heading into their first game of the 2026 campaign. This will allow Brad Holmes and the rest of the front office more flexibility in whatever direction they see fit whether that is in-season moves or in preparation for the contracts they will need to negotiate next offseason.
But it is also an indicator of how much faith the team has put into their top two players. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell have each restructured their contracts without changing how vital they are to the squad.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) practices during mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
The Lions have restructured the contracts of wideout Brown and offensive tackle Sewell, creating about $35.6 million in salary cap ***** e, per Spotrac. The news was announced on September 12, just one day ahead of the Lions' season opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Lions restructure contracts of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell; create $35.6M in salary cap ***** e, per spotrac.

#brown #detroit #season #restructured

UPDATE: 9:38 a.m. Saturday
A lot has happened since our early posting this week. The biggest injury news is the meniscus tear suffered by the No. 1 tight end, the Raiders' Brock Bowers. He will miss Week 1, and at least a couple of weeks after that.
The season-opening game proved painful for New England star receiver A.J. Brown. He's now on injured reserve.with a high-ankle sprain that will sideline him at least a month.
Several questionable players are more likely to play this week. Arizona rookie RB Jeremiyah Love and Las Vegas sophomore Ashton Jeanty are now expected to start, as is Chicago wideout Rome Odunze. And while Giants WR Malik Nabers is playing it coy, he should be on the field tomorrow night against Dallas.
Cooper Rush will now quarterback Atlanta thanks to injuries to Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa. That might turn out to be good news for top Falcons performers Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts.

#raiders

When the Miami Dolphins take the field on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, a trio of first-year players have the potential to collectively make NFL history. Three of Miami's 13 selections from the 2026 NFL Draft were wide receivers Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr.
Douglas was Miami's first receiver taken during this past April's draft when the Dolphins used pick No. 75 on the Texas Tech product. Bell from Louisville was selected with pick No. 94, and Coleman Jr. with pick No. 177 out of Missouri.
While a rare occurrence in any team class, there have been several instances where three receivers were selected by one team in a single draft. In fact, the Dolphins last tripled up at the position in 1975 with Freddie Solomon, Morris Owens and Leonard Isabell.
What has never happened before in league history is three drafted receivers each recording a reception during Week 1 of their rookie season. Douglas, Bell and Coleman could be that lone trio come Sunday. There have been a few close hits, but in the dozen or so cases, Miami's young trio could break the ice.
For Miami in 1975, none of these three recorded a catch back in Week 1 when they lost to the Oakland Raiders. Back in 2014, the Jacksonville Jaguars had three wideouts haul in a catch during Week 1 as rookies, but only two were actual draft selections.

#week #trio #receivers

Gulf Coast won a wild shootout over Estero with senior running back Gio Marenco having a record-breaking performance, Golden Gate outlasted Barron Collier in overtime and Fort Myers outlasted Mariner.
Those were just some of the storylines from Week 4 of the 2026 high school football season in Southwest Florida.
To honor the players who stood out, The News-Press and Naples Daily News hand out their Game ***** for the top efforts each week. Here are the honorees for this week's games.
The freshman wide receiver had 5 catches for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns in a win over North Fort Myers.
The senior wideout had 147 receiving yards and scored fouy touchdowns in the Vikings' win over Williston.

#myers #gulf

There's no doubt who the biggest star for Texas is right now. Arch Manning is the projected top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and likely would have been the first pick in April's draft had he declared.
After opening up last season throwing for 170 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State, Manning finished the season with 26 passing touchdowns and 3,163 yards, while adding 10 rushing touchdowns. Manning is one of the favorites to win this year's Heisman Trophy.
The biggest acquisition for Texas in the transfer portal during the offseason was wide receiver Cam Coleman from Auburn. In two seasons with the Tigers, Coleman grabbed 93 passing touchdowns for over 1,300 yards and 13 scores.
In his first game in the burnt orange, Coleman hauled in three passes for 70 yards, finding the end zone twice. The junior is expected to be in the mix for the Biletnikoff Award this season, trying to keep up with Ohio State wideout Jeremiah S,it's in their pursuit for the honor.
Prior to last year's game Simmons provided Ohio State with some bulletin board material when he boasted how eager he was to sack new Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin.

#state #season #biggest

The Green Bay Packers have become the NFC's Baltimore Ravens under head coach Matt LaFleur. They've found a way to stack winning regular seasons around an electric quarterback. Then, they crumble into powder in the postseason.
LaFleur is 76-40-1 in Weeks 1-18 and 3-6 in win-or-go-home playoff games. Jordan Love has advanced beyond the Wild Card round only once. His most recent postseason start saw a 21-3 halftime lead become a 31-27 Chicago Bears victory.
That leaves plenty to prove in 2026 and a roster loaded with holes. Wideouts Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks have departed. Josh Jacobs is on the exempt list as the league sorts out the domestic violence charges against him. Micah Parsons will miss at least the first four weeks of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL.
This year's Packers look like a diminished version of the one that stalked the NFC North in years past. What comes next?
Several new additions will have larger roles for the Packers, including linebacker Zaire Franklin and second round rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse. None may be able to provide more peace of mind than Smack if he can live up to his draft status.

#packers #become #postseason

MILFORD – With the dynamic duo of wideout Eli Rosenberg and quarterback Vincent Loscerbo, the Milford High football team certainly delivered their opening statements convincingly Thursday night.
The senior co-captain hauled in five receptions for 147 yards and three touchdowns and the junior signal caller completed eight of 12 passes for 211 yards and three scores as the Scarlet Hawks amassed a total of 476 yards in offense en route to a 49-7 grounding of Framingham in a non-league, season-opening matchup at Milford High's turf field.
"Honestly I didn't know what to expect heading into the season,'' said veteran Milford ******* istant coach Dana Olson. "We have a very young team, and we're relying on sophomores and juniors to help carry this team. With the new MIAA rules, we didn't have a lot of time to prepare, and we only had one scrimmage, so we weren't really sure of how things were going to turn out, but I'm happy with the way the guys performed. Sure we made some silly mistakes and committed some penalties, but we'll work on correcting them as the season moves forward."
As the estimated crowd of approximately 2,000 spectators looked on, the Scarlet Hawks struck on the first play of the contest
On the game's first play from scrimmage at their own 39-yard line, the Scarlet Hawks drew first blood and grabbed a 7-0 lead just :12 into the contest. On a backwards pass from Loscerbo to sophomore reserve quarterback Logan Snaddon, who fired a perfect strike downfield to Rosenberg, who raced into the end zone untouched for the 7-0 lead.

#team #season #rosenberg #loscerbo

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams met at Melbourne Cricket Ground at 8:35 p.m. PT on Thursday, and while Kyle Shanahan's team took an early 3-0 lead, they lost one of their rookies to injury.
Before the first quarter ended, The Athletic's Matt Barrows reported that wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling was in the blue medical tent. Then, the team announced at the end of the quarter that the wideout is dealing with an ankle injury and is questionable to return.
Stribling was San Francisco's top selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, following a collegiate career split between Washington State, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. He was a key piece of the offensive game plan during the preseason.
If the 23-year-old can't go, the 49ers will be left with Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and KhaDarel Hodge at wide receiver for the rest of the game.
More 49ers: 49ers vs Rams live updates: Score, highlights, predictions, **** ysis

#team #wide #francisco

We are only two days removed from Kentucky Football hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide as Will Stein tries to make some major noise in only his second game as head coach. The BBN is rocking, and many are believing an upset could happen at Kroger Field on Saturday. That will take a healthy roster, and fortunately for the Cats, it looks like they will have that.
When the first injury report dropped Wednesday, Kentucky got great news, as four major pieces of this team did not appear on the report: Jovante Barnes, Teryhon Nichols, Hasaan Sykes, and Malachi Wood. That means we should see them take the field for the Cats on Saturday.
Several reserves still appear on the report that weren't expected to play much, including backup offensive lineman Jay Clark, who has already been ruled out.
For the Crimson Tide, if you missed it yesterday, they will be without wideout Noah Rogers. Starting offensive lineman Michael Carroll also remains doubtful. This would be a major blow for the Tide's o-line in their first road game.
Not much movement tonight. Now, we wait until Friday to see if we get any surprise names.

#major

The San Francisco 49ers' first inactive list of the season is out. They'll lean into the veterans on the roster tonight, as every player on the inactive list is on a rookie contract:
QB Kurtis Rourke
CB Ephesians Prysock
RB Jordan James
WR Jordan Watkins
LB Tatum Bethune
OT Enrique Cruz
The 49ers having only two running backs active suggests Deebo Samuel will play a pivotal role out of the backfield. Expect him to be an option still in the passing game, but it likely comes from the running back alignment. If anybody knows how to take on a heavier workload against the Rams, it's Deebo.
It's also a sign that the team is comfortable giving Kaelon black touches. Kyle Shanahan said this past offseason that he regrets not involving more running backs last season. It means you're taking Christian McCaffrey off the field, so it's understandable. Still, the goal is to keep McCaffrey fresh for the last stretch of the season.
With Watkins inactive, Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, and KhaDarel Hodge are the wideouts. If Samuel's role is more underneath, we'll see whether that means Cowing has a role as the receiver who stretches the field for the offense.

#running #role #cowing

Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football ****** yst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players on here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Kyle Pitts Sr. @ PIT (Projected FPTS - 9.4): Despite the news of Cooper Rush likely being named the Week One starter, I am still high on Pitts. He finished last season as one of the top fantasy tight ends with Kirk Cousins under center. Besides, Atlanta doesn't really have many options for pass catchers after Bijan Robinson and Drake London, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski typically uses his tight ends. Pittsburgh is also a favorable matchup, allowing 11 touchdowns and the third-most points to the position last season.
Dallas Goedert vs. WSH (Projected FPTS - 8.5): Goedert finished last season with a career-high 11 touchdowns. While it's easy to ****** ume some regression, the Eagles traded A.J. Brown, and rookie wideout Makai Lemon is coming off a hamstring injury. Philly's passing attack will likely feature DeVonta Smith and Goedert for at least the early part of the season. He will take on a Commanders team that allowed 12 touchdowns the season before (tied for the second-most). Goedert should expect to see a fair share of targets, making him worth putting in your lineup.

#fantasy #touchdowns #projected

Perceptions of the 2026 Washington Commanders have changed a lot over the last month. Heading into training camp, the Commanders were a team of mystery, but many believed they could still compete for a playoff spot in 2026 if they could keep quarterback Jayden Daniels healthy.
Optimism grew when Washington signed four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs, giving Daniels another top-tier weapon, while also making life a bit easier for star receiver Terry McLaurin. But the day after Diggs competed in his first Commanders' practice, left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps. It was a devastating injury for many reasons. Tunsil is one of the NFL's best players, and he was critical in protecting Daniels.
Washington's solution was to move Brandon Coleman back to left tackle to replace Tunsil. It's a good plan, considering Coleman played left tackle in 2024. While he's no Tunsil, Coleman is better than multiple left tackles in the NFL. The only problem is that it took Coleman away from the left guard competition, which he was expected to win.
Making matters worse, new center Nick Allegretti missed almost all of training camp. The veteran offensive lineman moved to center this offseason to replace Tyler Biadasz. While the Commanders are confident in Allegretti, those on the outside don't believe Washington did enough at center. All summer long, journeyman Julian Good-Jones and rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin — who have a combined two career NFL snaps — took turns at center. They struggled; Good-Jones was cut and is now on the practice squad, while Gulbin is one snap away from replacing Allegretti.
As a result, several **** ysts have predicted that Washington will finish last in the NFC East.

#left #daniels #tackle

In a surprise move on Monday, the New York Giants cut wide receiver Darius Slayton.
Slayton was the longest-tenured Giant, having been with the team since they selected him with the 171st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. For his career, he appeared in 106 games, caught 296 passes for 4,435 yards with 22 touchdowns.
In 2025, he caught 37 passes for 538 yards with one touchdown. Slayton was one of the most respected players in the locker room. But he's been plagued by drops throughout his career and was at the bottom of the depth chart heading into this season.
General manager Joe Schoen re-signed Slayton to a three-year, $36 million deal last offseason. He was set to make $13 million for the upcoming season.
By releasing the veteran wideout, the Giants will save a little over $3 million, but they will have a dead cap hit of $12.749 million.

#slayton #passes #season

Rarely forthcoming, at least consistently, with updates on unavailable players, Oregon football coach Dan Lanning provided a pair of key updates to injured skill players Sept. 7 ahead of the Ducks' (1-0) game against Oklahoma State this weekend.
The fifth-year coach said freshman wideout Jalen Lott, a five-star prospect in the 2026 class, will be "down just for a little bit," after getting a minor corrective surgery on his hand earlier this fall.
Lanning also said UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, another player expected to receive playing time at receiver this season, tweaked his hamstring during practice last week and wasn't at full strength heading into Oregon's 34-27 win vs. Boise State.
He expects Hooks to be available this Sept. 12 against the Cowboys (0-1).
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#players #rarely

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling has stood out during preseason work ahead of the team's Week 1 Thursday Night matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia on September 10. Injuries in the receiving corps have created openings, and Stribling has taken full advantage in practice and preseason action.
Quarterback Brock Purdy praised the Ole Miss product directly, saying Stribling will be a big part of the offense this season. Purdy cited the rookie's playbook retention, consistency in practice, and ability to correct mistakes quickly as reasons for his confidence.
The San Francisco 49ers carry high expectations into the new season, and confidence surrounds their offense. Wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling turned heads during preseason workouts after joining the team as a draft pick out of Ole Miss, following his early college career at Washington State.
Stribling also led all receivers in the 49ers' preseason opener against the Tennessee ****** ans, catching seven passes for 63 yards in the first half alone against first-team defenders. That performance made him the second receiver in the past decade to record seven catches in the first 20 minutes of a preseason game.
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi wideout De'Zhaun Stribling (WO35) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

#preseason #receiver #francisco #Purdy

In each of the past two seasons, Kayshon Boutte ranked second in receiving yards among Patriots wideouts and first or tied for first in receiving touchdowns. His reward? A trade to Houston.
The Patriots traded for A.J. Brown in the offseason, signed free agent Romeo Doubs and brought back DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Mack Hollins. That left Boutte as the odd receiver out, and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said in explaining the trade that Boutte "probably would have been inactive" on game days if he had remained in New England.
Boutte responded Thursday.
"They did pay two guys to come in and do that job," Boutte said, via Timothy Rapp of the Bleacher Report. "Sadly, it is the way it is. Being that it's a contract year for me, I [sought] a bigger role. I feel like what Vrabes said in his media interview, it wasn't nothing bad. I wouldn't say I'll use that as fuel. . . . It was an honest opinion. He sat there, talked, [spoke] his truth, and [we'll] pretty much move forward from it."
The Texans needed a receiver after losing Jayden Higgins to a season-ending torn ACL last month. Boutte, who has 76 receptions for 1,140 yards and nine touchdowns over the past two seasons, joins Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne in the wide receivers room.

#seasons

The Ravens welcomed wide receiver Zay Flowers back to the practice field on Thursday.
Flowers was out of practice for the last two weeks with an undisclosed injury and head coach Jesse Minter said that the team's focus was on making sure he's ready for Week 1 of the regular season. The Ravens play a little over a week from now and Flowers's presence at practice is a good sign that he'll be ready to go against the Colts.
Flowers also missed time with a quad contusion earlier in August and he signed a four-year extension to kick off the month.
The Ravens say wideout Devontez Walker was the only player out of practice on Thursday.

#thursday #jesse #colts

"So that's who's going to be the Buffalo Bills punt returner this season," the thoughts of many fans after the report and subsequent team announcement of the Greg Dortch signing on Monday.
With 99 career punt returns in the NFL, which includes a hefty 11.6 yards-per-return average in 2025, Dortch's presence on the Bills (practice squad) roster does in fact mean Buffalo now has an experienced punt returner.
And for as much as this signing feels like a savvy move born from special-teams desperation, I'm sneaky into Dortch as a supplemental receiving weapon within the Bills offense this season.
The first move of the Joe Brady era was trading for D.J. Moore. Clearly, the new regime deemed it most vital to upgrade a receiver room that, frankly, was one of the least dynamic in football last year. Couple the original relative lack of premier talent with an unusually high amount of injuries… and the Bills were forced to lean on Tyrell Shavers, Gabe Davis, Mecole Hardman, and Brandin Cooks, the latter two signed in November, down the stretch. And it just so happened that Josh Allen's final two targeted throws of Buffalo's 2025 season were to Hardman and Cooks, neither of which were completed, of course.
Because Moore and fourth-round pick Skyler Bell were the only two receivers of genuine importance added to the Bills receiver contingent this offseason… heck yeah I'm intrigued by the possibilities of a newly signed veteran wideout with 145 career catches on his NFL resume to date.

#season

The Yahoo Expert League draft was held on Tuesday evening with a slew of talent throughout the ranks. The 12-team league was comprised of mostly Yahoo ******* ysts with a few surprise guests. Let's go over some of their favorite late-round WR dart throws from the action.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Joel Smyth went with Jaguars wideout Jakobi Meyers to kick off the 11th round. It's never bad to get a piece of one of the best offenses in the NFL from last season with Meyers expected to be one of the top targets for QB Trevor Lawrence along with Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington (both of whom landed on Matt Harmon's roster).
That started the run of wide receivers in the 11th round with four of the next five picks. Ray Garvin tagged Tre Tucker, who could be the No. 1 wide receiver in Las Vegas. Of course, Brock Bowers should be the top target but there's plenty of opportunity in the WR ranks for Tucker and Jalen Nailor to emerge as decent sleepers.
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#draft #wide

Micah Parsons left the Dallas Cowboys to join the Green Bay Packers, but he is still showing love to his former team.
The defender is not someone who is known for keeping his opinions to himself and he has now been sharing some of his predictions for the upcoming season.
Parsons is working on his recovery to return from injury in time to face the Cowboys in their Week Six matchup in Green Bay.
However, the defender has made it clear that his Packers teammates are going to have a tough task on their hands when they come up against the Cowboys and WR George Pickens.
Ahead of the new season getting underway next week, Parsons has already made a bold claim about the 25-year-old wideout.

#parsons #green #season

The Oregon Ducks continue to load up on recruiting visits for a critical November matchup at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks will host five-star wideout Braylon Clark on Nov. 14, when Michigan comes to Eugene for an important Big Ten clash.
Clark, a top 10 player in the 2028 recruiting class, has lined up six visits for the fall. The 6-foot-3 receiver from Charlotte, North Carolina, will check out LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama and Miami this fall, as well as taking two trips to Ohio State. He'll be in Columbus to see the Buckeyes take on the Ducks before heading to Eugene the following weekend.
Ohio State is seen as the favorite, but Oregon has also been involved from the start. The Ducks have not added a commitment in the 2028 cycle yet, but Dan Lanning has had historic success landing elite wideouts on the recruiting trail in recent years. Clark could continue the trend, but the Ducks will have to put in the work.
"My favorite thing that Dan Lanning has built is the culture he built and it gets me excited that I have an opportunity to play for him," Clark told Rivals. "(I have a) great relationship with receivers coach (Ross Douglas) and seeing their receiver production."
Clark broke out as a sophomore at Providence Day School, catching 65 passes for 1,093 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's already off to a hot start in two games so far this season, making 11 catches for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

#recruiting

Will Stein was ready to make waves the second he accepted the UK football head coaching job.
Stein was named the Kentucky head coach on December 1, 2025, and just four days later, he nabbed a massive four-star recruit in Kenny Darby.
Darby was a consensus four-star wide receiver ranked as high as No. 188 overall by Rivals. The shift wideout caught 83 passes for 1,124 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior in high school, while rushing for 609 yards on 49 carries with nine touchdowns.
The 6-1, 180-pounder chose Kentucky over Alabama, LSU, Colorado, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, among many other suitors. Darby was committed to LSU and followed offensive coordinator Joe Sloan from Baton Rouge to Lexington.
Darby has the chance to make a splash now in his first season donning the blue and white, and folks are paying attention nationally. 247 Sports has named Darby to their Preseason True Freshman All-American Team.

#four #stein #kentucky #named

The Carolina Panthers had us wait it out on Sunday evening, going well past the league's 6 p.m. ET deadline to officially announce their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season. But the reigning NFC South champions finally turned in their work, and made up for their tardiness with a bit of intrigue.
As is the case with every team every summer, the roster cutdown included some shockers. While many players are deserving of a spot on the program, there are only so many to go around.
So, whose departures caught us off guard?
Here are the Panthers' four most surprising cuts of the weekend . . .
Reed made plays throughout spring and summer workouts this offseason, establishing himself as an emerging talent in the wideout room. Heck, he even got some praise from president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan during the broadcast of the second preseason game.

#roster #many

The Chicago Bears have officially wrapped the preseason and are now faced with trimming the roster to 53 players by Sunday night's deadline.
Every year, there are some surprising additions and surprising cuts on initial 53-man rosters across the NFL, and we've seen that with the Bears in the past. While there are a number of players deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster, not everyone can make it, especially in position rooms that are already stacked.
There have been some standout performances for Chicago during training camp and preseason. But will it be enough to earn a coveted roster spot? With roster cuts looming, here are some potential surprise cuts for the Bears.
Kaden Davis has been the preseason darling for Chicago this summer, and it certainly feels like he's earned himself that final wide receiver roster spot. Davis has impressed in the passing game and has even garnered looks as a returner, which indicates he could be primed for a roster spot. But there have been some other standout performances at receiver, including Maurice Alexander, JP Richardson and Ray-Ray McCloud. Davis certainly feels like one of the safest bets on this list, but there's also a chance that the Bears only carry five wideouts.
Roschon Johnson, entering a contract year, has been forgotten in the running back room, but he's made a strong impression in the race for the RB3 spot. Johnson's work with the third-team offense, standout preseason performances and special teams contributions certainly make him the favorite for the spot. But Salvon Ahmed has had a standout training camp and preseason and could challenge for that spot. But it certainly feels like Johnson earned himself a spot on the 53-man roster with an impressive performance in the preseason finale.

#spot #standout #certainly #performances

Whether it be someone on your favorite team or your least favorite, it is always intriguing to see how former Michigan Wolverines grow after their time in Ann Arbor. As the NFL approaches and rosters fill with dozens of former Wolverines, let's take a look at some guys to watch for this season.
"Hutch" did not take long to become a fan favorite among Detroiters, and even after a season-ending injury in 2024, he came back last fall with an outrageous 14.5-sack performance. Last season, he was a Pro Bowler, second-team All-Pro, fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and the runner-up for Comeback Player of the Year.
We all know the ferocity and effort with which Hutchinson played at Michigan, and he is the same monster in the pros. Even if you detest the Lions, you have to appreciate watching this guy play.
A slight surprise choice at No. 10 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Loveland started his rookie year a bit slowly before emerging as one of Caleb Williams' more trusted options. He ended his first year in the NFL with 58 receptions on 82 targets for 713 yards and six touchdowns.
Gone is top wideout DJ Moore, and Loveland — along with receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III — are expected to carry the pass-catching responsibilities for the Bears in 2026. Loveland is still only 22 years old and has all the makings to be one of the league's premier tight ends, potentially joining superstars such as Brock Bowers and Trey McBride sooner rather than later.

#loveland #favorite #team

From one New York Giants legend to another, former NFL wide receiver Victor Cruz shared his thoughts on Odell Beckham Jr. and the latter's pursuit of a spot on the team's final 53-man roster.
The final cuts are looming across the NFL, and the former LSU Tigers star wideout Beckham is one of the biggest names to watch out for on that front. Beckham used to be a lock to make the roster, but that's no longer the case at this point in his career, with age and injury history becoming huge factors in ***** sing the 33-year-old wide receiver.
But for Cruz, there seems to be no doubt in his mind that Beckham has to be there on New York's roster come Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
"No one really gets that opportunity to get another crack at it and come back home and have that moment for themselves and for their career, so I commend him for having the courage to even do that and go there and humble himself to being the guy that's further down in the depth chart and have to fight and scratch and claw and make his presence felt to a certain degree," Cruz said, via Steve Serby of the New York Post.
Cruz was on the Giants team when Beckham arrived in the NFL as a first-round pick by New York in 2014, so he had seen firsthand what Beckham is capable of doing on the field.

#make

Several former Minnesota Vikings players have entered the podcasting ***** e. Ben Leber has his show "Sound the Horn," alongside Cy Amundson, while Antony Barr and Eric Kendricks have "Bent Outta Shape."
Nonetheless, Vikings fans will need to expand their bandwidth for podcasts, as former wideout Adam Thielen is also launching his own. Moreover, Thielen's show called "Dialed" isn't sticking to just football; he intends to cover other sports as well and aspects of life.
"Just showing how guys get dialed, right?" Thielen said during an Aug. 28 appearance on "Good Morning Football." "I always talk about, like, man, I got to go get dialed in, whether it's golf, football, what have you, being a husband, being a father.
"There's always improvement, always something to work on to get truly dialed. So this podcast dives into male and female athletes, performers, entertainers, how they got to the top of the top and how they stayed there.
"A lot of them are 10, 12, 15-year professional athletes. And how did they do that? And then at the end, it always ties back to golf. So why do you play golf? Why do you love golf? Does it help you in your sport? Does it not?"

#several