Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The depth chart looks a bit different than last week.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made a few notable changes to the depth chart ahead of the Kansas game on Nov. 13. Continue reading “Texas Football: Several notable changes to the depth chart ahead of Kansas game”
One week after losing Bryce Callahan to injured reserve, the Broncos are adding needed depth with the return of Duke Dawson.
The Denver Broncos added some much-needed depth at cornerback on Tuesday by promoting defensive back Duke Dawson from the reserve/physically unable to return list to the active roster.
Denver had room for Dawson on the 53-man roster after placing quarterback Drew Lock on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Dawson’s return comes at a good time for the Broncos because the team just lost slot cornerback Bryce Callahan to injured reserve last week. Dawson has 26 games of experience, with most of his playing time in the slot.
Denver was in a pinch last week, so outside cornerback Kyle Fuller filled in the slot. Fuller played surprisingly well, so he will probably hold on to that job, at least for the time being. Here’s an estimated updated cornerback depth chart for the Broncos entering Week 10.
| CB | Slot | CB |
| Ronald Darby | Kyle Fuller | Pat Surtain* |
| Nate Hairston | Duke Dawson | [Michael Ojemudia] |
| Mike Ford | [Essang Bassey] |
*Surtain has an ankle injury and it remains to be seen if he will miss any time. Ojemudia (injured reserve) and Bassey (physically unable to perform list) are not currently on the 53-man roster, but they should be getting close to returning to the active roster.
Ideally, Denver will play Ford and Hairston primarily on special teams, but injuries have forced them to step up on defense in recent weeks. The return of Dawson will give the team more depth and flexibility at the position.
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The Saints activated linebacker Chase Hansen after designating him to return from injured reserve:
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Some help is on the way for the New Orleans Saints, who activated linebacker Chase Hansen after designating him to return from injured reserve. Hansen had been sidelined since Week 2 with a groin muscle issue. Now he’s back on the 53-man roster though it’s unclear what role he could play.
Hansen competed for a backup job over the offseason, doing his best work on special teams alongside Andrew Dowell. He was inactive for the season opener and may continue to be a healthy scratch on game days, with few snaps on defense to go around behind Demario Davis, Kwon Alexander, and Pete Werner. Kaden Elliss is also ahead of him on the depth chart.
We’ll know soon whether other injured Saints players will be able to return or not. Tight end Nick Vannett and cornerback Ken Crawley have two more days remaining in their 21-day practice window, though Crawley is also in COVID-19 protocols and that changes things for him.
If Vannett isn’t activated to join the 53-man roster like Hansen was by Thursday, Nov. 11, he’ll go back to injured reserve and be shut down for the season, as was the case for Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz. But Vannett has been participating in practice in recent weeks and could get the green light soon. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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Georgia releases its depth chart ahead of the Tennessee game.
Tennessee (5-4, 3-3 SEC) will play No. 1 Georgia (9-0, 7-0 SEC) Saturday in Week 11 at Neyland Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST and will be televised by CBS.
Ahead of Saturday’s contest, Georgia released its depth chart. The Bulldogs’ Week 11 depth chart is listed below.
Follow us at @VolsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of University of Tennessee athletics.
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Tennessee releases its depth chart ahead of the Georgia game.
Tennessee (5-4, 3-3 SEC) will play No. 1 Georgia (9-0, 7-0 SEC) Saturday in Week 11 at Neyland Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST and will be televised by CBS.
Ahead of Saturday’s contest, Tennessee released its depth chart. The Vols’ Week 11 depth chart is listed below.
Follow us at @VolsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of University of Tennessee athletics.
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Five ruled out, five listed as questionable for Wisconsin’s contest vs. Northwestern
Wisconsin released its status report for this weekend’s contest against Northwestern, revealing the current status of the numerous players who went down with injury during Saturday’s win over Rutgers.
The biggest storyline is the health of running back Chez Mellusi, who went down with a non-contact injury. The update given on today’s status report: he’s currently questionable (not already ruled out) for Saturday’s game.
Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 10 — Lookout for Wisconsin
Here is Wisconsin’s full Monday status report for the Northwestern game:
#Badgers RB Chez Mellusi and OL Jack Nelson questionable for Saturday. pic.twitter.com/3LZjWyRs8b
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) November 8, 2021
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.
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It looks like Wisconsin will have a new starter at left guard today at Rutgers
Wisconsin started Josh Seltzner at left guard for the first seven games of the season. Then Michael Furtney slotted in for the team’s win last week against Iowa.
Today at Rutgers, it looks like there will be a third starter at left guard in as many weeks. Multiple reports from the game are saying redshirt freshman Tanor Bortolini is taking the first-team reps at left guard during warmups.
Related: There is a scenario where four teams tie at the top of the Big Ten West
Bortolini played in two games during his redshirt season last year including one start at center against Iowa.
He and the rest of the Wisconsin offensive line will look to continue the team’s momentum in the run game against a Rutgers defense that has proven to be solid against the rush.
Tanor Bortolini is with the first-team OL at left guard. Josh Seltzner is here and dressed, as is Michael Furtney, who started at LG last week. #Badgers
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) November 6, 2021
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.
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Former Wisconsin WR Aron Cruickshank is dressed today for Rutgers
The status of former Wisconsin and current Rutgers wide receiver Aron Cruickshank was a significant storyline throughout the week leading up to today’s game.
Cruickshank had been battling an injury as of late, an ailment that has held him out since October 3.
The former Badger wide receiver has played in six of Rutgers eight games this season. He’s recorded 20 catches, 244 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 6 carries, 30 rushing yards, 14 kick returns, 20.5 average yards per return, 8 punt returns, 19.1 average yards per punt return and 1 punt return touchdown.
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He is a pivotal piece of a Rutgers offense that has struggled to consistently move the ball this season. When they need a dynamic play today in order to find any success against the Wisconsin defense, all eyes should be on Cruickshank no matter where he lines up on the field.
As reported by several in attendance, he is dressed and appears to be active for today’s game.
Rutgers WR Aron Cruickshank is in uniform to play against his former team, the #Badgers. UW just about to take the field for warmups. OL Josh Seltzner and OLB Spencer Lytle are the only questionable players on the status report.
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) November 6, 2021
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.
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It might be Emory Jones under center again for Florida if Anthony Richardson can’t go, but the rest of the depth chart is the same as it usually is.
Florida’s depth chart rarely changes from week to week. Head coach Dan Mullen has a propensity for keeping his plans quiet, and he only changes things up publicly when a player leaves the team or goes down with an injury.
Anthony Richardson left his first start of the year last week against Georgia with a concussion, but it’s unclear who will be under center for Florida against South Carolina. Emory Jones is listed at the top quarterback spot, but he was also technically listed ahead of Richardson last week as well. Richardson stayed on the depth chart when he sat out for three games earlier in the season with an injured hamstring, so he could be back in that “emergency only” role this week.
The other depth chart issue that became clear during the Georgia game was the issues at kicker. Jace Christmann missed two kicks last weekend, one of which was from just 23 yards out. Chris Howard‘s missed point-after attempt against Alabama lost him the job to Christmann. The question now is whether or not Mullen will make another change.
A final depth chart note is that Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis are both still listed as the starting running backs. Both have been great this year, but Mullen has begun to face criticism for not getting the ball to Pierce more often. Sophomore Nay’Quan Wright has almost as many carries as the two seniors, but Florida’s production on the ground has been slipping. This final stretch could be a fruitful one for Davis and Pierce if Florida gets back to what worked at the beginning of the year.
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Sean Payton preaches faith in Saints WR’s: ‘I’m not interested in your PFF grades’
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Let’s start with the facts. The New Orleans Saints won’t have Michael Thomas leading their receiving corps this season.
Sean Payton acknowledged the Saints could need another receiver, admitting that the team looked into a couple different players before the NFL trade deadline. But ultimately they weren’t able to agree on trade compensation, so now they’re stuck with who they have.
And Payton offered maybe the tersest vote of confidence you’ll get out of a coach who knows he’s backed himself into a corner, saying: “I’m not interested in your PFF grades or any of that other stuff.” For anyone curious, the Saints have three receivers ranked inside the top-100 from Pro Football Focus: Deonte Harris (4th), Marquez Callaway (53rd), and the retired Chris Hogan (66th).
That’s a familiar refrain from Payton and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who have repeatedly said that they like their receiving corps better than the media or the team’s own fans do. Maybe they like the pastries Tre’Quan Smith and Kevin White bring to Monday meetings. Maybe Lil’Jordan Humphrey or Easop Winston Jr. make great small talk in the elevator. Whatever Payton and the team’s shot-callers like about the receivers, it can’t be what they’ve done on the field.
The Saints don’t have a single receiver who has averaged better than 50 yards per game. Harris comes closest, leading the team with 45.2 receiving yards per game, and he’s already missed one game this season with an injury. Harris has yet to play a full season (14 games in 2019, just 9 in 2020). He can’t be counted on to lead the passing game, and he shouldn’t be. That’s just not what he’s built for.
“I thought they had a good game last week,” Payton added, referring to the Saints’ win over the Buccaneers in which White led the team with 38 receiving yards. Harris, Smith, and Callaway tied for the team lead with 3 receptions each. Instead of anything meaningful or visible, he turned to coaching tropes: “Those guys are tough, they’re competitive, and I like them.”
Maybe Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill can get more out of the receiving corps than Jameis Winston was able to. But we shouldn’t expect the Saints to change their run-heavy approach any time soon.
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