Month: July 2021

Four-star 2023 tight end has Ohio State in top four

Ohio State appeared in the top four of 4-star 2023 tight end Ty Lockwood on Saturday. Could he be OSU’s first commitment for that cycle?

As the recruiting world turns, so do the writings of our lives.

We continue to get news circulating on the recruiting front for Ohio State. The 2021 class is now complete with the addition of 5-star J.T. Tuimoloau — albeit in late fashion — and the 2022 class is looking otherworldly. But we’re still awaiting that first 2023 prospect to flash a little scarlet and gray.

That could come soon, and it’s possible that it comes in the form of 4-star tight end Ty Lockwood. He released his top four programs on Saturday with the help of recruiting analyst Chad Simmons, and the Buckeyes are in the mix.

At 6-foot, 5-inches, and 225-pounds, Lockwood is out of Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, Tennesee. He is ranked as the No. 98 prospect in the class and fifth tight end overall according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

There’s no clear timetable or leader that seems to be out there, but the word is that he could be making a decision soon. The other three schools in his top four are Florida State, Penn State, and South Carolina. We’ll keep abreast of anything further that develops.

[listicle id=54884]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

DeVonta Smith reportedly being evaluated for minor leg injury suffered during training camp

The injury is believed to be minor.

Former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith reportedly suffered a minor leg injury during Philadelphia Eagles training camp, per Jeff Skversky of WPVI in Philadelphia.

The injury, which Skversky stressed is not serious, is minor, but the 2020 Heisman-winning wide receiver is being evaluated by training staff.

Minimal information has been made public regarding the injury, such as how it happened or its extent.

Smith has been the focal point of the Eagles training camp. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft has reportedly been performing at a high level for the team, and has been putting in additional work with former college teammate and current quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to publish updates regarding Smith’s minor injury and how that will impact his participation in training camp.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

Ohio State basketball 2022 recruiting class

Get up to speed with Ohio State basketball’s stellar 2022 recruiting class. Will these guys help put OSU among the elite in the country?

Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball program have been working diligently to put together its next recruiting class for the 2022 cycle.

And in case you haven’t noticed, it’s a pretty good one. So good in fact, that the Buckeyes’ 2022 class ranks as the best in the country right now. It has four commitments that have already pledged verbally, with three of them in the top 50 prospects according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

It remains to be seen if OSU will finish atop the rankings because traditional blue-bloods like North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, and North Carolina are still putting classes together, but no matter how you look at it, it looks to be a top-five or top ten class when it’s all said and done. That is, as long as the class remains and there aren’t any defections from here until the official signing day.

So in case you haven’t gotten up to speed on the four players Ohio State is bringing in to keep the momentum going with the Buckeye basketball program, we’ve got them all here for you. We’ll continue to update the list if any changes happen.

 

Watch: Jalen Ramsey picks off Matthew Stafford, returns it for TD

Jalen Ramsey made the play of the day Saturday with a pick-six against Matthew Stafford.

Jalen Ramsey was a first-team All-Pro, a Pro Bowler and earned the title of being the best cornerback in the league from “Madden NFL 22” by checking in with a 99 overall rating. If you’re wondering why he’s regarded as an elite defender, just check out this play he made in training camp Saturday.

He read Matthew Stafford and broke on a pass intended for Cooper Kupp, stepping in front for the interception. And with nothing but green grass in front of him, Ramsey returned the pick all the way to the other end zone for a would-be touchdown.

The Rams look wiser every day for landing Ramsey in that blockbuster trade nearly two years ago. And giving him a five-year deal ensures he’ll be making plays in L.A. for a long time.

[vertical-gallery id=650301]

Video: Donovan Peoples-Jones continues to make plays at training camp

Donovan Peoples-Jones continues to make plays in training camp. Another video of a well-run route by the second-year man.

The Cleveland Browns are hoping to have a more explosive offense in 2021. Last year, en route to the playoffs, the offense came alive as the season went on but lacked big-play ability at times.

As a rookie, Donovan Peoples-Jones was a part of last year’s success but hopes to be even more so in 2021. Last year, he made the most of his 14 receptions turning them into 304 yards and two touchdowns.

With the return of Odell Beckham Jr. and the drafting of Anthony Schwartz, Cleveland added two dynamic weapons to go along with Peoples-Jones, Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins at the receiver position.

So far in training camp, Peoples-Jones has been making a lot of plays as Beckham has sat out most of the team drills. In this video clip, the second-year receiver runs a great route and hauls in a great pass from Baker Mayfield:

 

Mayfield’s eye manipulation, ever so slight, holds two defenders to the flat and the Michigan product called for the ball right out of his break. Mayfield keeps the ball slightly inside to avoid Troy Hill in underneath coverage and his receiver did the rest.

It will be interesting to see how receiver snaps go this season with everyone back but the second-year man made some big plays last year and has continued to do the same in training camp this year.

Rodgers reunited with childhood idol

Amari Rodgers remembers watching his new teammate Randall Cobb when he was just a little kid. The former Clemson standout grew up in the same town as Cobb, Knoxville, Tennessee and in elementary school watched Cobb play high school ball at Alcoa …

Amari Rodgers remembers watching his new teammate Randall Cobb when he was just a little kid.

The former Clemson standout grew up in the same town as Cobb, Knoxville, Tennessee and in elementary school watched Cobb play high school ball at Alcoa High School right down the road from Rodgers’ hometown.

Now Rodgers is reunited with his childhood idol after the Packers traded an undisclosed draft pick to the Houston Texans to bring Cobb back to Green Bay. And for Rodgers it’s a dream come true.

“It’s a dream come true to be honest, I remember being a kid and just being able to work out with him was like the most amazing thing ever,” Rodgers said in a press conference Saturday. “I thought I was like working out with Lebron because he was the best athlete I had seen at that moment, and I grew up in Knoxville where he played in high school.”

The Packers drafted Rodgers with the 85th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and the rookie wide out has looked impressive so far in his first training camp.

When Rodgers made the switch to play wide receiver, he made sure to keep in touch with Cobb even at Clemson. Now he feels his new teammate will help take his game to the next level.

“I always throughout my whole career since I started playing receiver I’ve reached out to him and tried to get advice and now I can get it from him every single day so I know it will increase my game even more,” Rodgers said.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Report: Vikings WR Bisi Johnson tears his ACL

Some bad news for the Vikings.

Minnesota has not had a defined wide receiver three for several seasons.

Oftentimes, Bisi Johnson has fulfilled that role. But now, Minnesota could be without the wide receiver for a long time.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Johnson tore his ACL during a Friday practice.

”Rough break for a promising young player who has 45 catches over his first two NFL seasons,” Pelissero wrote on Twitter.

The Vikings recently shored up the wide receiver position, signing Dede Westbrook in free agency. Westbrook will likely be the wide receiver three, but Johnson still could have been an important wideout without the injury.

Chad Beebe, Ihmir Smith-Marsette and others can step up and fill the void Johnson will ostensibly leave behind.

This is still bad news for the Vikings. The team is thin at wide receiver outside of Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson and Westbrook. The Vikings can’t take any serious injuries at the top of the wide receiver depth chart.

 

 

 

Eagles training camp: DeVonta Smith leaves practice with minor leg injury

Eagles training camp: DeVonta Smith leaves practice with a leg injury

Eagles rookie wide receiver DeVonta Smith just left the evening training camp practice with an apparent leg injury that’s not deemed serious.

Smith initially stayed on the field, before trotting off with the training staff, but he never headed to the locker room or the medical tent.

The No. 10 overall pick has had a solid first week that included growing pains with Darius Slay and some deep ball magic with Jalen Hurts.

[vertical-gallery id=651463]

[lawrence-related id=651625,651620,651602,651554,651556]

Panthers GM Scott Fitterer talks about why Taylor Moton deserved his new deal

Taylor Moton did everything the right way for four years.

Taylor Moton did everything the right way for four years, never missing a game, never complaining and performing at a high level. It came down to the wire, but in the end he got paid. The Carolina Panthers signed Moton to a new contract with only minutes to go before the franchise tag deadline, leaving no question about his future with the team.

Watch general manager Scott Fitterer talk about Moton’s four-year, $72 million extension and why he deserved it.

Moton may become even more valuable in the near future. He’s been taking some reps at left tackle during training camp.

[lawrence-related id=638601]

[vertical-gallery id=638605]

Details of the Nick Chubb, Browns contract extension

Taking a look at Nick Chubb’s contract extension details with the Browns. How does his extension compare to other backs in the league?

The Cleveland Browns and running back Nick Chubb have reached a contract extension that ties him to the team for another three seasons. With one year remaining on his rookie contract, Chubb contract will run through the 2024 season.

A second-round pick out of Georgia, Chubb has outplayed his draft position. In 2019, the Browns running back had the second-most rushing yards in the NFL. Despite sharing carries with Kareem Hunt for the second half of the season, Chubb was just 46 yards behind league leader Derrick Henry.

Last year, despite missing four games and having less than 200 carries, the Georgia product still led the team in rushing with 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Rarely one to go down on first contact, Cleveland’s top back has a career average of 5.2 yards per carry and 28 touchdowns.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Browns and Chubb agreed to an extension worth $36.6 million:

 

According to Over the Cap, the just over $12 million a year average is sixth-most in the league for running backs. The $20 million guaranteed also places him with the sixth most in the NFL for rushers.

Once the structure of the extension is revealed, we will have further analysis.

With one contract down, Cleveland now turns its attention to Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward and Wyatt Teller. While Mayfield may be the biggest priority, he and Ward have two years left on their first-round deals. Teller, as Chubb was before the extension, is set for free agency at the end of 2021.