Month: July 2024

Jay Higgins named preseason first-team All-American by Lindy’s

Lindy’s named Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins as a preseason first-team All-American.

Jay Higgins waited his turn and then had a breakout season for the history books.

In his first full season starting, the 6-foot-2 linebacker matched Iowa’s all-time single season record with 171 tackles. Those 171 tackles also led the nation.

The fifth year product from Indianapolis could have bolted for the professional ranks, but Higgins instead opted for another full season’s work of starting duty in the black and gold.

Naturally, after his massive 2023 campaign, Higgins is squarely on the national radar heading into the 2024 college football season.

In its annual preview magazine, Lindy’s recognized Higgins’ impact on Iowa and his status as one of the best linebackers in college football. Lindy’s joined Athlon Sports, Phil Steele and Walter Camp in naming Higgins as a preseason first-team All-American.

Higgins joins Clemson‘s Barrett Carter and LSU‘s Harold Perkins Jr. as linebackers on Lindy’s preseason first-team All-American team. Alabama‘s Deontae Lawson, Oklahoma‘s Danny Stutsman and Georgia‘s Mikel Williams comprise Lindy’s preseason second-team All-American team.

In its player ratings, Lindy’s ranks Higgins as its No. 2 inside linebacker behind LSU’s Perkins.

While breaking down Iowa’s primary strengths, here’s what Lindy’s said about the Hawkeyes:

It all starts with the defense, which allowed just 14.8 points per game last season. With so many starters back, including LBs Higgins and (Nick) Jackson, this should be another dominant defense. – Lindy’s.

Lindy’s also had this to say about Iowa’s defense overall:

It looked like there might be only a couple of starters returning to Iowa’s defense in 2024, but six players, including All-America candidate linebacker Jay Higgins, opted to use their COVID year and return. The result is that the Hawkeyes return eight starters on a defense that was among the best in the country last year.

Higgins, who tied the Iowa single-season mark for tackles (171) last year, will again team with Nick Jackson, who (including three years at Virginia) has put together four consecutive seasons of more than 100 tackles. – Lindy’s.

In addition to his 171 tackles, Higgins registered five tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two sacks and one interception last season.

Over his Iowa career, Higgins has tallied 217 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five passes defensed, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.

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Former LSU receiver commit Dakorien Moore pledges to Oregon

Moore spent nine months committed to the Tigers, but he’s now pledged to the Ducks.

In a bit of a twist, one-time LSU receiver commit [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] announced his commitment to Oregon on Thursday night.

Moore is a five-star who ranks as the top receiver and No. 3 overall recruit in the nation, and he committed to the Tigers back in August. The Duncanville, Texas, prospect backed off that pledge in May, however, and was widely predicted to end up at Texas.

He threw everyone for a loop on Thursday, announcing his commitment to the Ducks, who enter their first season in the Big Ten. Moore committed to Oregon over LSU, the Longhorns and Ohio State.

It’s a tough break for LSU, which will now look elsewhere for a top-tier receiver commit in the 2025 class.

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Dakorien Moore, a 5-star wide receiver, commits to Oregon

Dakorien Moore has made his college commitment.

The biggest fireworks of Saturday came from Texas, with five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore committing to Oregon. He committed using a pyrotechnic show that utilized green smoke and green fireworks.

Moore committed to Oregon from a final group that also included LSU, Ohio State and Texas.

A consensus five-star recruit, he is the top-ranked wide receiver in the class of 2025. He is ranked as the third overall recruit in the nation by ESPN.

Last year, Moore had 65 receptions for 1,303 receiving yards with 15 touchdowns for Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas). It was a 14-1 season for Duncanville and they finished sixth in the nation in the final USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25.

During his commitment announcement, Moore said he made this decision over the past week.

“After today, I am done with my recruitment,” Moore said on Instagram Live prior to making his commitment announcement.

“I am shutting everything down. I am locked in on the school that I pick.”

In May, Moore de-committed from LSU.

Oregon Ducks land massive commitment from 5-star WR Dakorien Moore

The Oregon Ducks landed a massive commitment from 5-star WR Dakorien Moore, getting him over Texas, Ohio State, and LSU.

Dan Lanning did it again.

The Oregon Ducks gave fans quite the firework show on the Fourth of July, landing a massive commitment from 5-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, one of the top players on the Ducks’ board in the 2025 cycle.

Moore chose Oregon over the Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes, and LSU Tigers.

Rated as the No. 3 overall player in the 2025 class, and the No. 1 receiver, Moore now comes to Oregon as the top-ranked player in the class for the Ducks, and the third 5-star, joining WR Dallas Wilson and CB Dorian Brew.

Moore has taken several visits to Oregon over the past year, including an official visit back in June. He left with rave reviews of the program, and it ultimately swayed him in his decision to commit to the Ducks.

With his commitment, Oregon now has a top-five class once again in the 2025 recruiting rankings.

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page vows to rebuild in first statement after UFC 303 loss to Ian Machado Garry

Michael Page does not appear to be deterred by his UFC 303 loss against Ian Machado Garry.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] does not appear to be deterred by his UFC 303 loss against Ian Machado Garry.

Former Bellator contender Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered his first octagon defeat this past weekend in the form of a unanimous decision to Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was a big moment for “Venom” after winning his promotional debut against Kevin Holland in March, but he could not get over the hurdle.

MVP has remained in silence since his defeat to Garry on Saturday, but on Thursday he finally shared insights on social media, and were positive in tone (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Ai_YgJuZN

When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. #ufc303

After nearly being submitted by Garry’s rear-naked choke in the opening round of the welterweight bout at UFC 303, Page rallied to take the second round. The third frame came down to the wire, but ultimately the judges scored it in Garry’s favor.

In the aftermath of the event, UFC CEO Dana White stated that he scored Page vs. Garry as a draw.

It’s unknown at this time when Page, 37, will return to competition.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

Isaiah Collier wasn’t the only Pac-12 NBA draft pick on the Jazz

Isaiah Collier can swap stories with another Pac-12 star who is joining him on the Jazz.

Isaiah Collier wasn’t the only Pac-12 NBA draft pick on the Utah Jazz a week ago. Colorado, like USC, is moving out of the no-longer-existing Pac-12, but in the last year of Pac-12 basketball, Cody Williams joined Collier as a Pac-12 first-round draft pick.

Rookie Wire has more on the Cody Williams-Isaiah Collier combination which is preparing to make some fresh new Jazz tunes at the NBA summer league:

The Jazz are in talent-collection mode and have added two highly touted players in Williams and Collier in the first round of the draft. They both project to have bright futures ahead and were highly ranked coming out of high school.

The two players will suit up for the Jazz in summer league, beginning in Salt Lake City on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies. They will play at least five games in the NBA Summer League starting on July 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Williams and Collier will be joined by No. 32 pick Kyle Filipowski and roster players Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Walker Kessler and Brice Sensabaugh, among others.

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Jon Scheyer throws out first pitch at a Durham Bulls game on Fourth of July

Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer spent the Fourth of July throwing out the first pitch at a Durham Bulls game.

Few American pastimes hold the history that baseball does, and the Fourth of July brings more reason than any day of the year to sit in a ballpark and enjoy nine innings with your closest friends and family.

Duke men’s basketball coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] got a little closer to the action in 2024, however. Ahead of a Durham Bulls game against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday, the third-year Blue Devils coach trotted out to the mound for the ceremonial first pitch.

The team released a video of Scheyer on the mound as he tossed the ball toward home plate. He brought his three young children out to celebrate the moment with him, and Durham’s Rob Brantly waited behind the plate for the pitch.

The former Blue Devils star would undoubtedly be more comfortable with a basketball in his hands instead of a baseball, but based on the video of the pitch, the ball seemed to find the strike zone in our eyes.

Despite the festivities of summer, and despite their being months before the first Duke basketball game of the season, Scheyer remains deep in preparation for the 2024-25 schedule. The team’s social media accounts have already released footage from the team’s first scrimmages, and star freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] is already one of the most popular players in the country.

Lindy’s tabs Iowa football among nation’s top 10 linebacker, defensive backs position groups

Lindy’s tabbed Iowa’s linebackers and defensive backs among the nation’s top 10 units.

Lindy’s annual college football preview magazine hit the shelves nationally several weeks back.

The publication shared its preseason Big Ten power rankings. Iowa just missed Lindy’s preseason top five within the league power rankings, checking in at No. 6.

Lindy’s is particularly high on what the Hawkeyes have coming back on the defensive side of the football. The publication included both Iowa’s linebackers and defensive backs in its national top 10 position group rankings.

As a matter of fact, according to Lindy’s, Iowa’s linebacker and defensive back units each rank No. 6 nationally among their position group rankings.

Lindy’s had this to say about the Hawkeyes’ linebackers:

Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson are the playmakers who led the Hawkeyes in college football’s most impressive defense last year, and both of them are back in 2024. Higgins led the whole country in tackles last season and Jackson wasn’t far behind. – Lindy’s.

Higgins finished his 2023 season with 171 tackles to lead the nation and to tie the Hawkeyes’ all-time single-season tackles record alongside Andre Jackson.

Jackson joined Iowa as a transfer from Virginia ahead of last season. The 6-foot graduate linebacker tallied his fourth straight season with 100-plus tackles, finishing the 2023 campaign with 110 tackles.

The Hawkeyes’ defensive backfield is expected to be one of the nation’s finest as well. Lindy’s shared its thoughts on the Iowa defensive backs:

Cooper DeJean is gone to the Philadelphia Eagles, but plenty of talent returns for the Hawkeyes at the back end. Sebastian Castro, Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte have all made plays and Benn reliable at the safety position. Phil Parker has a lot to work with in the secondary once again. – Lindy’s.

Castro and Schulte were third and fourth in tackles last season for Iowa, respectively. Castro tallied 67 tackles, while Schulte registered 65. The pair also combined for four interceptions, including Castro’s 30-yard pick-six in the Hawkeyes’ 20-13 rivalry win over Iowa State.

Nwankpa added 42 tackles, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one interception. Graduate cornerback Jermari Harris returns as well after also tallying 42 tackles and recording eight pass breakups and one interception.

DeShaun Lee is projected to start at the cornerback position opposite Harris. The sophomore defensive back started six games for Iowa last season, finishing with 32 tackles and three pass breakups.

Collectively, Iowa’s defense brings back 192 career starts.

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Notre Dame football misses out on former Ohio State commit, goes to SEC

Another receiver is off the Irish’s 2025 recruiting board

It seemed like Notre Dame football was in great position to ultimately land former Ohio State football wide receiver commit [autotag]Jayvan Boggs[/autotag].

The Irish offered about a month before the 2025 Florida prospect decommitted from the Buckeyes, which led many to believe that Notre Dame was at the forefront of his recruitment.

An official visit never happened, which clearly put the Irish behind in the pursuit of the nation’s No. 211 overall prospect and 24th ranked receiver according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

On July 4th, Boggs made his decision, he committed to the Missouri Tigers, taking another receiver target off the Irish’s board.

Although the Irish missed out on Boggs, they currently have Elijah Burress, and Jerome Bettis Jr. as verbal commitments in their 2025 recruiting class. They are still looking to add one, maybe two, more players at the position for the cycle.

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USC is about to celebrate a 100-year Summer Olympics anniversary in Paris

A special 100-year Olympic anniversary with a USC angle will soon be marked in Paris.

The 2024 Summer Olympics start later this July in Paris. It was 100 years ago that the 1924 Summer Olympics were held in Paris. USC made history in the person of Charley Paddock. The 100-year anniversary of his special Olympic moment will be celebrated. Here’s what Trojans of all ages will be celebrating in a few weeks in France:

At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Charley Paddock ran against (Eric) Liddell in the men’s 200 meter final. Paddock didn’t win the gold medal — United States teammate Jackson Scholz did — but Paddock beat out Liddell for the silver medal. Liddell claimed a bronze in that race before winning the 400 meter gold medal, a supreme triumph which lent weight and resonance to the story portrayed in “Chariots of Fire.”

(Harold) Abrahams joined Liddell as an Olympic champion by winning the men’s 100 meters at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Paddock, trying to defend his 1920 gold medal from the Summer Games in Antwerp, Belgium, moved through the preliminary, quarterfinal, and semifinal heats to return to the final, but Abrahams beat him and the rest of the field to claim Olympic glory.

Paddock added to his medal count at the 1924 Olympics. He gained the distinction of having medaled in two separate Olympic Games, a fact which separates him from numerous Olympians in the larger scope of Olympic history.

Charley Paddock competed — and medaled — against the two athletes at the center of the story which became the movie “Chariots Of Fire.” This will certainly be discussed at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

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