Month: July 2024

Tyler Boyd tops FanDuel’s list of third wide receivers

Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd was named the top third wide receiver in the NFL by FanDuel.

Tyler Boyd is a veteran wide receiver who spent his first eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He joined the Tennessee Titans as a free agent this offseason, helping to create a three-headed wide receiver monster the Titans will loose on the NFL in 2024.

A solid add to the Titans’ wide receiver corps, Boyd was named the top third wide receiver in the league by FanDuel.

Boyd is a versatile player who has recorded stats in almost every stat line on both sides of the ball and special teams. Offensively, he’s recorded 513 receptions for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns with just five fumbles. He’s rushed 19 times for 166 yards, and he’s completed three passes for 85 yards with one sack and one interception.

Playing alongside Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, Boyd rounds out a trio of ball catchers that will stress out the best of defenses. The Titans have the potential to have a really good season if this team comes together well. Boyd will be a big part of that, and the league is on notice.

WATCH: Titans’ WR Tyler Boyd climbs the ladder in dazzling training camp catch

Tyler Boyd had the catch of the day in Titans’ training camp.

When training camp first opened, wide receiver Tyler Boyd talked at length about adjusting to a new team. It’s safe to say that he is feeling at home with the Tennessee Titans.

The 29-year-old had the catch of the day on Wednesday on a deep ball from quarterback Will Levis. Boyd climbed the ladder to grab the football over cornerback Roger McCreary and came down with it, much to the delight of his teammates and coaches.

Here is the clip that everyone was talking about:

If that is a preview of things to come, the Titans’ receiving group should be in much better shape than they were in the last couple of years.

Boyd figures to be a big piece of that group after spending the first eight years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, during which he totaled 6,000 receiving yards on 513 catches and 31 touchdowns. He recorded career-bests in catches (90) and receiving yards (1,046) during the 2019 season.

The former University of Pittsburgh standout’s production dropped off over the last couple of seasons as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow leaned more and more on star wideout Ja’Marr Chase.

However, Boyd will be entering a similar situation in his first season with the Titans, as DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Treylon Burks will all command playing time.

Penn State lands commit from four-star edge rusher Daniel Jennings

Penn State closed July with a four-star edge rusher for its Class of 2026.

On the same day Penn State added a commitment to the defensive line in the Class of 2025, the Nittany Lions also added another quality addition to the defensive line in the Class of 2026. Penn State received a verbal commitment from edge rusher [autotag]Daniel Jennings[/autotag], from West Virginia, on Wednesday evening.

Jennings is a 6-2, 220 lb edge rusher for Princeton High School in Princeton, West Virginia. He was reportedly down to Penn State and his in-state option, West Virginia (Penn State opens the 2024 season at West Virginia; you can download our 2024 schedule wallpaper for your phone). Jennings also had offers on the table from Illinois and UNLV at the time of his Penn State commitment.

247Sports ranks Jennings as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2026. He carries a three-star rating from On3 and Rivals.

The commitment of Jennings comes days after an unofficial visit last weekend to Penn State’s campus. It was the second unofficial visit to Penn State this summer. Penn State extended an offer in March 2023 during another unofficial visit.

Jennings is the fifth commitment in Penn State’s Class of 2026 and first defensive lineman. Other commitments in Penn State’s Class of 2026 include offensive tackle Kevin Brown, running back Messiah Mickens, quarterback Troy Huhn, and wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers.

It is still incredibly early in the Class of 2026 timeline, but Penn State currently owns the no. 2 ranked recruiting class for 2026 according to 247Sports. The only school ahead of the Nittany Lions is Auburn.

 

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Why are college football analysts sleeping on Big Ten quarterbacks?

Big Ten quarterbacks might be underrated on a national level.

In a recent episode of the Conquest Call-In Show at The Voice of College Football, Trojans Wire discussed the upcoming 2024 Big Ten quarterbacks. While they may not match the caliber of last year’s Pac-12 signal callers, it’s far from a return to the days of three yards and a cloud of dust.

The Pac-12 regularly has elite quarterbacks, but last year the passing games across the board in the conference were especially strong, producing three top-12 NFL draft picks this year (Caleb Williams, Michael Pennix and Bo Nix).

We had to remind a caller on the show that the Big Ten has a collection of veteran quarterbacks who have had moments of brilliance at previous stops in their playing careers. These quarterbacks are also working with established offensive minds and play-designers on their respective coaching staffs. Look at this list:

Miller Moss and Lincoln Riley, Dillon Gabriel with Will Stein, Will Rogers with Jedd Fisch, Tyler Van Dyke and Phil Longo, dual-threat quarterback Aidan Chiles with Jonathan Smith in East Lansing, and more. At the very least, it is the best quarterback coaching conference in college football.

Check out our conversation at the 2:26:09 mark of the video:

https://www.youtube.com/live/WIczn-l-zmw?si=nXVxjqECBpRheuk-&t=1021

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Connor Heyward to have larger role in Pittsburgh Steelers offense

Connor Heyward is poised for a larger role in 2024-25 with the Steelers

NFL training camps are underway and things are starting to shake out in terms of depth charts and how players are going to be used in the new season of football. One former Michigan State standout, Connor Heyward, is poised to see an increase in his role in 2024-25.

Heyward is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and has found a nice niche for himself as a tight end. The former sixth round pick has already caught 35 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career and those numbers look like they will be increasing this season.

According to a SteelerNation article, Heyward is excited for the larger role that looms in 2024-25:

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Saints legend Jahri Evans set to be added to team’s Ring of Honor

The date has been set for New Orleans Saints legend Jahri Evans to be added to the team’s Ring of Honor, in front of a full house:

The New Orleans Saints have announced another addition to their Ring of Honor, which currently only is host to seven members. Legendary offensive lineman Jahri Evans will be added to the group and will be forever enshrined in Saints history as one of the team’s most influential members.

The Saints Ring of Honor was created on Oct. 9, 2013, and inducted three players in its first year, but has not inducted any since 2021. The first three added were Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson, and Willie Roaf. From then on, it was Morten Anderson in 2015, Tom Benson in 2019, Will Smith in 2019, and Sam Mills in 2021. It would also be a fair assumption to believe Drew Brees will eventually be added to this group as well.

The ceremony for Evans’ induction into the Ring of Honor will take place at halftime of their Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, on Nov. 17 with a 1 P.M. CT kickoff time. After 11 seasons with the Saints of extremely high level play, he is no doubt deserving of this honor and his name will forever be displayed on the upper terrace of the Caesars Superdome.

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Jack Conklin’s Madden 25 rating released

Jack Conklin has a pretty good rating in Madden 25

The release of the flagship NFL video game Madden 25 is being anticipated by fans all over the country, with the excitement building for another step closer towards action on the field resumes. A part of the anticipation is the release of how players are rated on Madden.

One former fan favorite Spartan, Jack Conklin, will be playing his ninth season in the league, along with his fourth with the Cleveland Browns. He has been rated as an 80 overall and the Browns highest rated tackle in the video game.

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Kevin Durant bites back at Keyshawn Johnson

The superstar forward clapped back at Keyshawn Johnson’s recent criticism.

Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016 has generated significant criticism over the years. Many NBA fans and analysts have questioned the legitimacy of Durant’s two championships with the franchise due to his inability to win another ring without the help of Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

Even now, five years after Durant left the Bay Area, his tenure with the Warriors is still questioned. The latest instance of this was when Keyshawn Johnson noted that Paul Pierce could have had a similar impact if he was put into the same situation in Golden State. However, Durant quickly chose to snap back at the Fox Sports analyst.

“If the Jets would’ve took Jonathan Ogden, Marvin Harrison, Ray Lewis or Eddie George number 1 they would’ve been better off……I hate comparisons,” Durant wrote.

Durant’s comments were aimed at Johnson’s tenure in the NFL, and the fact he was drafted ahead of multiple future Hall of Fame talents. The Phoenix Suns star was likely making the point that it’s easy to make historical claims without them ever needing to be tested.

Durant is currently in Paris with Team USA as Steve Kerr attempts to lead a star-studded roster to a gold medal.

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MSU Football considered to have one of hardest schedules in Big Ten

See where MSU ranks among its peers in CBS Sports’ hardest schedules rankings for the Big Ten teams

Frankly, there are no easy schedules in the Big Ten. But, Michigan State has apparently one of the hardest ones.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports ranked the Big Ten teams in hardest to weakest schedules, and unfortunately Michigan State has one of the harder slates. Fornelli put Michigan State at No. 6 in his rankings, noting the Spartans’ brutal four-game middle stretch of Ohio State, at Oregon, Iowa and at Michigan as a main reason for why its so difficult.

Here’s a bit of what Fornelli had to say about Michigan State’s schedule:

“Michigan State’s schedule should be broken into three parts. The first part features four games against Florida Atlantic and Prairie View at home and road games against Maryland and Boston College. The road games aren’t fun, but it’s manageable for a program with a new coach and a new quarterback. …”

Click on the link below to read the complete story from Fornelli:

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Watch Texas A&M Football’s first fall practice hype video

Texas A&M Football is back, baby!

With just a month remaining until Texas A&M kicks off the 2024 season against the visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish, head coach Mike Elko, and his talented squad are taking the practice field for the first time this fall with several unanswered position-based questions.

On Tuesday, Elko, alongside three players, took questions from the local media leading up to Wednesday’s first practice. They addressed a couple of injury updates, new OC Collin Klein’s offense, and the status of the Aggies’ offensive line, which will solidify several position battles, including at center.

However, redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman’s return to the lineup after missing the final eight games of the 2023 season due to injury will continue to dominate Texas A&M football-related content,

Weigman’s success under center will be determined by play calling, protection, and consistency from A&M’s talented but unproven wide receiver core, as Klein is deemed to put a heavier emphasis on the run game to make Weigman’s job a whole lot easier.

Defensively, Elko and new DC Jay Bateman have inherited and added to one of the deepest defensive lines in the country. At the same time, the secondary is vastly improved on paper after more than six additions through the transfer portal, essentially rebuilding the cornerback room.

While takeaways from the first practice are usually relatively thin, Texas A&M’s media team did a fantastic previewing things with a quick hype video to get every Aggie fan excited for what’s to come this fall. Enjoy!

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