Month: July 2020

Oklahoma target Caleb Williams atop Elite 11 Finals rankings after day 2

Oklahoma last had an Elite 11 Finals winner just two years ago. Caleb Williams, who has a scheduled commitment on Saturday, could be No. 2.

Oklahoma last had an Elite 11 Finals winner just two years ago.

Spencer Rattler, a five-star from the 2019 recruiting class, took it home after leading his team to the Elite 11 Finals. This year’s Elite 11 isn’t coinciding with The Opening Finals due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Caleb Williams is leading the event heading into the final day.

The 2020 five-star Sooners target sits atop the Elite 11 Finals’ rankings after day two.

Here are throws from Williams during the pro day workout the Elite 11 Finals’ quarterbacks were put through on day two. He scored a 34 on his pro day workout, getting 10th out of the 20 quarterbacks there.

Williams was also ranked No. 1 after day two. The rankings are based 50 percent of junior film and 50 percent evaluation at the competition.

Oklahoma sits in the five-star and No. 1 overall quarterbacks final three with Maryland and LSU. Williams is scheduled to announce his commitment on Saturday.

The Sooners last landed the No. 1 overall quarterback in the country with Rattler in 2019.

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Jared Goff’s 2018 supporting cast named NFL’s best of the decade

The Rams had the best offensive supporting cast of the decade in 2018.

Jared Goff got very little help from his friends last season due to struggles along the offensive line and in the running game, but that wasn’t the case in 2018. That season, Goff had one of the best supporting casts in the NFL, led by a dominant running game, an outstanding offensive line and a receiving corps that caught just about everything thrown its way.

It was so good, in fact, that Pro Football Focus ranked it as the best of the decade. That’s right, no other team from 2010-2019 had a better supporting cast than the Rams did in 2018.

It includes all non-quarterbacks on offense and is calculated by PFF’s WAR (wins above replacement) metric.

In 2018, Todd Gurley rushed for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns, and added another 580 yards receiving with four more scores. Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods each caught at least 80 passes for more than 1,200 yards, while Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds – who split time as starters due to Kupp’s knee injury – combined for 69 catches and another 968 yards.

The Rams also won 2018 Offensive Line of the Year at the NFL Honors show, even though PFF ranked it sixth in the league; still a high mark for the unit. Goff was only sacked 33 times and threw a career-high 32 touchdown passes with just 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 101.1.

Only one team scored more points and gained more yards than the Rams two years ago, but no one picked up more first downs or won more games than the Rams’ 13 victories. It was truly a historic season for the franchise, making it all the way to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Patriots, 13-3.

Considering it was only Sean McVay’s second season as a head coach, it’s remarkable just how much success the Rams had in 2018, and it was truly a complete team effort from top to bottom.

When will Dolphins be allowed to report to the team facilities?

When will Dolphins be allowed to report to the team facilities?

Amid uncertainty in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, American sports are on the verge of a return. For the NFL, the timing was fortunate — the league narrowly avoided the explosion of COVID-19 cases and has been given a luxury available to none of the other major sports leagues: time.

With more time and notice than any of the other leagues, the NFL has closely monitored the failures and successes of other sports leagues as they’ve tried to navigate their way to a safe return to play and it seems as though the NFL is going to forge ahead with their return to the field this fall. But the limitations in the meantime have put the NFL teams in a challenging spot — they’re very much behind in face time versus a regular offseason. July 28th looms as a big date for the return of the majority of team camps, but we now have some additional information regarding when the Dolphins will be able to return to the facility.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the first big date for players in Davie comes a week ahead of the scheduled start of camp.

“The Dolphins’ 21 rookies are expected to be permitted to report to the team facility on July 21, seven days before the start of training camp July 28,” wrote Jackson.

“Miami’s four quarterbacks and every other QB under contract can report to their team facilities on July 23, according to Carolina coach Matt Rhule.”

If this is indeed fact, we’re now less than three weeks from rookies reporting to team facilities en masse and the beginning of the process that will hopefully see the league back in action on schedule in early September. There are many unanswered questions relating to training camp and the NFL’s return to action, but it seems as though when players can get into the building is no longer among them.

Georgia football target Dallas Turner set to make commitment

Georgia and Alabama football recruiting target Dallas Turner is committing July 1st.

The Georgia Bulldogs are looking to land a commitment from St. Thomas Aquinas High School outside linebacker Dallas Turner. Turner is a four-star player in the class of 2021. Turner is set to make his commitment on July 1st at 1 PM.

St. Thomas Aquinas is an elite high school football program. They won the Florida’s state championship last season partially due to 2020 University of Georgia signee Marcus Rosemy.

Dallas Turner anticipates playing against high-level competition in high school  next season. He’s trimmed down his list of top schools significantly. Here are Turner’s top five schools:

Turner puts Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Florida in his top five. Turner will likely be another talented recruit head outside the state of Florida for college. Georgia and Alabama are considered the top two schools for Turner at the moment according to 247Sports, but they project him go with the Crimson Tide.

Turner is one of three juniors to make all-state defense as a junior. It’s even more impressive considering the elite talent in the state:

Dawg fans hope Turner will consider being the latest Florida recruit to come north to Athens. Either way it is looking like he’ll be another talented recruit to leave the Sunshine State.

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The fragility of this college football season: “All it’s going to take is one bad outcome”

SportsPulse: Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg discuss if there will be college football this fall. As Wolken put its, all it takes is one bad outcome due to the pandemic to sent the sport into chaos.

SportsPulse: Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg discuss if there will be college football this fall. As Wolken put its, all it takes is one bad outcome due to the pandemic to sent the sport into chaos.

ESPN projects Raiders WR Henry Ruggs to record more than 800 yards during rookie season

ESPN projects Raiders WR Henry Ruggs to record more than 800 yards during rookie season

Most rookie receivers are eased onto the field by their respective teams. Often, they aren’t asked to be anything more than the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver on their team as they get up to the speed of the NFL. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Henry Ruggs III will have that luxury with the Raiders.

Instead, look for the No. 12 pick in the 2020 draft to open the season as the team’s “X” receiver, opposite of Tyrell Williams. Ruggs will be a big part of the team’s offense this season and very well could lead all wide receivers in targets. But just how productive can the former Alabama receiver be in his first season in the NFL?

On ESPN, senior writer Mike Clay predicted Ruggs’ stat line for the 2020 season and the numbers were somewhat surprising. He has Ruggs catching 59 passes for 788 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 24 rushing yards. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about Ruggs entering the season:

The Raiders have a history of targeting speed at wide receivers, so it was no surprise when they selected Ruggs (4.27 40-yard dash) with the 12th pick of April’s draft. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound playmaker has great hands, ball skills and is exceptional after the catch. The Alabama product was limited to 55 targets in 2019, but his 13.6 YPT and 10.5 RAC were both top four in this year’s rookie class. Ruggs figures to operate as a perimeter lid-lifter and returner in the pros, which would be good news in the explosive-play department, but it could cap his target upside. That said, the Raiders have such a severe need at wideout that Ruggs is very likely to step right into an every-down role.

If Ruggs is able to come close or exceed that projection by Clay, that would be quite an impressive rookie season for the team’s new star receiver. Of all the receivers to be drafted in the first-round since 2010, only 10 players have reached 800 yards from scrimmage.

Expect Ruggs to be inconsistent from game to game, but for the rookie to have some bright moments and explosive plays. Given all of the opportunities he will receive with the Raiders this season, don’t be surprised if he leads all rookies in receptions, yards and touchdowns this year.

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Forward Press podcast: The PGA Tour’s response to COVID-19, Rocket Mortgage Classic preview

In Golfweek’s latest podcast episode, we discuss how the PGA Tour is responding to COVID-19 and the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Welcome to episode 53 of Forward Press, a weekly podcast from your friends at Golfweek.

In this edition of Forward Press, David Dusek chats with Golfweek managing editor Tim Schmitt, about how the PGA Tour is responding to COVID-19 after competition has resumed. Schmitt and Dusek also discuss the upcoming Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club and how the sport of golf can take advantage of being one of the only sports available to the public right now.

You can download the podcast and listen on all of your favorite platforms, including: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Castbox and Radio Public.

Catch up on previous episodes of Forward Press here.

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Manel Kape to make UFC debut against Rogerio Bontorin at UFC 252

Former Rizin FF bantamweight champion Manel Kape will look to gatecrash the flyweight Top 10 as he takes on Rogerio Bontonin on his debut at UFC 252.

Former Rizin bantamweight champion [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] will look to instantly blast his way into title contention as he faces Top 10 opposition on his octagon debut.

Kape (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will take on No. 9-ranked flyweight contender [autotag]Rogerio Bontorin[/autotag] at UFC 252, which is scheduled to take place on August 15 at a venue to be confirmed.

Kape recently confirmed the fight on his Facebook page after an initial report from Combate earlier this month.

After going 9-1 on the regional scene in Portugal, Kape built his name during a nine-fight stint with Japanese promotion Rizin FF. His tenure in Japan saw him go 6-3 with the promotion, with all six victories coming by way of stoppage. He arrives in the UFC’s flyweight division riding a three-fight win streak, with his most recent performance featuring an eye-catching second-round knockout of Kai Asakura as he captured the Rizin FF bantamweight title.

Now a UFC fighter, Kape will take on Bontorin (16-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who is looking to bounce back to form after suffering the second loss of his professional career. A graduate of the inaugural season of Dana White’s Contender Series, Bontorin picked up UFC victories over Magomed Bibulatov and Raulian Paiva before dropping a unanimous decision to former title challenger Ray Borg at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.

UFC 252 takes place Saturday, August 15 at a venue to be confirmed. The card airs on ESPN+ pay per view following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN.

The latest UFC 252 lineup now includes:

  • Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier
  • Livinha Souza vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
  • Felice Herrig vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Rogerio Bontorin vs. Manel Kape
  • Zelim Imadaev vs. Laureano Staropoli

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Miguel Herrera se encuentra en la mira del Betis

El técnico mexicano de las Águilas del América, Miguel Herrera, suena en la baraja de técnicos que el Real Betis de LaLiga española tiene considerada para la siguiente temporada. De acuerdo a información de Mediotiempo, el Piojo estaría en las …

El técnico mexicano de las Águilas del América, Miguel Herrera, suena en la baraja de técnicos que el Real Betis de LaLiga española tiene considerada para la siguiente temporada.

De acuerdo a información de Mediotiempo, el Piojo estaría en las opciones junto a nombres como Marcelino García Toral que y dirigió al Villarreal y Manuel Pellegrini de amplio recorrido en el balompié ibérico, sería el chileno la primera opción del Betis.

Cabe recordar la buena relación entre las directivas del Betis y América, pues en épocas recientes han concretado los pases de Diego Lainez y Guido Rodríguez, ambos futbolistas ya han sido dirigidos por Herrera, una cierta ventaja en las aspiraciones del Betis.

Otro de los futbolistas que conoce bien Herrera es Andrés Guardado a quien lo dirigió en selección mexicana en el Mundial de Brasil 2014, por lo que tiene mucho sentido que el Piojo encaje en el perfil del técnico que pretende el Betis.

Miguel Herrera recientemente renovó con el América por cuatro años, pero en más de una ocasión ha manifestado su interés de seguir los pasos del Vasco Aguirre en el futbol europeo.

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Daily Hike: Top 10 Mountain West Hoops Coaches Since 2000

Get caught up on the news you may have missed from the Mountain West.

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Daily Hike: Top 10 Mountain West Hoops Coaches Since 2000

Catch up on the latest Mountain West news you may have missed.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Ten best from this century.

Who are the best Mountain West coaches since 2000? [Busting Brackets]

Over the past 20 years, the Mountain West has had a lot of good college basketball coaches and Busting Brackets rank those best coaches. We won’t give away the list but two of the most surprising rankings are former Utah head coach Rick Majerus at No. 8 and Rodney Terry came in at No. 10 after a seven-year run at Fresno State.

NCAA president Mark Emmert is optimistic about college football and hoops could be starting early. [Salt Lake Tribune]

“I certainly think, sitting here today, there will be football in the fall,” Emmert said. “I think it will be different in many respects, whether it be the audiences in attendance or not in attendance, whether it’s the nature of the schedule, whether it’s the length of the season, all of those things will be different. Certainly, the protocol in the way the games are played and the healthcare surrounding that has got to be different.”

Could top-end basketball talent start heading to HBCU? [ESPN]

“All it takes is one person to change history,” Carmelo Anthony said. “I think it’s a better chance of this new generation, this next generation, to go to a HBCU and be accepted and bring something different to a HBCU, as opposed to what was happening in 2002.”

Wyoming doing great in COVID testing [Twitter]

Wear your dang mask. [Twitter]

It is time to move college football to the spring [MW Wire]

With positive tests across the country increasing and college football less than two months away, perhaps we need to push the season back and possibly to the winter/spring. This would allow more time to figure out how to prepare for football, have fans, and maybe there is a vaccine that will allow fans and a safer game.

NCAA still wary of Name, Image, and Likeness [Sports Illustrated]

U.S. Congress is getting involved in NIL for NCAA athletes but a questionnaire sent out detailed that those in charge feel it will negatively impact the student-athletes. Sure, ok… but here is a snippet below.

“Less than half of surveyed NCAA leaders support the modernization of rules governing name, image and likeness (NIL), and more than 80% believe that NIL rules will have a negative impact on amateurism.”

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