Tag: Illinois

Wisconsin no longer in contention for a popular class of 2025 running back

Wisconsin no longer in contention for a popular class of 2025 running back

Wisconsin football is no longer in contention for class of 2025 running back John Forster, according to a report from 247Sports’ Brian Dohn.

The Badgers had previously made his final five schools along with Illinois, West Virginia, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. That list has reportedly been trimmed to only Illinois and Rutgers.

Related: Wisconsin updated class of 2025 commitments after flipping DT Torin Pettaway

Wisconsin had an official visit scheduled with the three-star running back for the weekend of June 14. That visit is reportedly canceled, along with Forster’s planned trip to West Virginia. He had previously visited Illinois and Rutgers respectively over the last two weekends.

Forster is 247Sports’ No. 422 player in the class of 2025, No. 32 running back and No. 13 recruit from his home state of New Jersey.

He was one of Wisconsin’s top remaining running back targets in the class. The Badgers are yet to land a player at the position in the cycle. They now seem to be all-in on four-star Byron Louis, who was on campus for an official visit last weekend and is still yet to announce his commitment.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks No. 13 in the nation with 17 players committed. All eyes are on the impending announcements by four-star LB Mason Posa and four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr. The Badgers are considered the favorite in each race, and could soon have a top-10 class if they land both players.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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Wisconsin top class of 2025 WR target Davion Chandler commits to a Big Ten rival

Wisconsin top class of 2025 WR target Davion Chandler commits to a Big Ten rival

Wisconsin top class of 2025 wide receiver target Davion Chandler committed to Illinois on Sunday.

The three-star wideout chose the Illini over other top contenders that included the Badgers, Kansas Jayhawks and Indiana Hoosiers.

Related: Ranking the highest rated recruits in the history of Wisconsin football

Chandler is 247Sports’ No. 1,150 player in the class of 2025, No. 173 wide receiver and No. 22 recruit from his home state of Indiana.

He committed to Illinois on the heels of an official visit with the program. He was scheduled to visit Wisconsin the weekend of June 14 and Kansas the weekend of June 21.

Chandlers’ commitment gives Illinois a win in what was a growing recruiting battle between the Badgers and Illini. Head coach Bret Bielema is working hard to dig into Wisconsin’s long-established recruiting footprint in the Midwest.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 ranks No. 15 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten. The group has one wide receiver committed: three-star Cameron Miller.

The Badgers are up to 14 commitments in the class, a number sure to grow as official visit weekends continue throughout June.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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Warriors add Illinois playmaker in second round of latest Rookie Wire mock draft

In the latest mock draft from Rookie Wire, the Warriors landed Coleman Hawkins out of Illinois in the second round.

Although the Golden State Warriors don’t have a pick in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft, Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have the chance to add a player when they hit the clock in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Heading into June’s draft, the Warriors have one pick, the 22nd pick in the second round (52nd overall). As draft season heats up, mock drafts are beginning to release predictions for the draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

In the latest mock draft from Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire, the Warriors added a playmaker out of Illinois in the second round of the draft. At No. 52 overall, the Warriors selected 6-foot-10 forward Coleman Hawkins out of Illinois.

Via @RookieWire on X:

https://x.com/RookieWire/status/1794639651052920961

Read Taylor’s full mock draft via Rookie Wire here.

Hawkins played four seasons for Brad Underwood with the Fighting Illini. In 2024, Hawkins earned All-Big Ten third-team honors, averaging 12.1 points on 45.1% shooting from the field to go along with 36.9% from deep. Hawkins added 6.1 boards and 2.7 assists in 31.6 minutes per game last season with Illinois.

Hawkins helped lead Illinois to the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual champion UConn.

The 2024 NBA draft is set for June 26-27 in Brooklyn, New York.

Wisconsin football offers another top class of 2026 defensive lineman

Wisconsin football offers another top class of 2026 defensive lineman

Wisconsin football extended an offer to four-star class of 2026 DL Gabriel Hill on Monday.

Hill was the second 2026 defensive lineman to receive an offer from the Badgers on Monday, joining four-star EDGE McHale Blade.

Both 247Sports’ composite ranking and On3’s industry ranking have Hill as a four-star recruit. The Naperville, Illinois native has received offers from some of the most prestigious Midwest programs including Notre Dame, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin.

247Sports has Hill as the No. 29 defensive lineman in the class of 2026, No. 7 recruit from Illinois and No. 211 overall player in the class.

He currently stands at 6’2,” 240 pounds and represents Naperville North High School. Outside the turf, Hill is also a member of his school’s varsity track and field team.

His first gridiron offer arrived from Iowa in December 2023. Alongside Minnesota and Tennessee, Wisconsin became the latest program to offer Hill in May 2024.

247Sports has yet to release a crystal ball prediction, but On3’s recruiting prediction machine has Notre Dame as a heavy favorite to land Hill. Rivals’ FutureCast also has Notre Dame at 100%.

Whether it be through recruiting cycles or the transfer portal, Wisconsin is certainly looking to bolster its defensive front.

Over the past week, UW’s recent DL transfer targets have committed elsewhere. Those include C.J. West to Indiana, Khurtiss Perry to Virginia Tech, Jay’Viar Suggs to LSU and Brandon Lane to Louisville.

Wisconsin has offered several 2026 recruits over the past few weeks, including Blade, Brayden Trimble, Kaleb Woods, Jarin Mock, Nick Reddish Brayden Robinson, Amari Sabb, and Will Conroy.

Notre Dame gets transfer center Nikita Konstantynovskyi from Monmouth

We’ll see how he does for the Irish.

Notre Dame always could use some depth down low as it seems like most of its production comes from the guard position. Concerns about height undoubtedly increased after Carey Booth transferred to Illinois. Now, the Irish seem to have at least attempted to the solve that problem after transfer center and Ukraine native [autotag]Nikita Konstantynovskyi[/autotag] announced he was coming to the program:

https://www.instagram.com/konstyk_n12/p/C69IHoRtGh2/

Konstantynovskyi, the first European player for the Irish since Lithuania native [autotag]Martinas Geben[/autotag] left in 2018, has had a long journey and not only geographically. He began his collegiate career with two seasons at community college Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. That was followed by two seasons at Tulsa before spending last year with Monmouth, where he averaged career highs of 9.3 points and 8.1 rebounds a game.

Konstantynovskyi is the second player the Irish have added via the transfer portal this offseason after [autotag]Matt Allocco[/autotag]. They are allowed to add one more player to the roster, so the question now is how [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] and his staff want to use it. Stay tuned.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Wisconsin top transfer portal target takes visit to Big Ten rival

Wisconsin top transfer portal target takes visit to Big Ten rival:

Wisconsin’s top transfer portal target, Gavin Meyer, took an official visit to Illinois on Tuesday, according to 247Sports’ Jeremy Werner.

The Badgers and Fighting Illini are among the former Wyoming defensive lineman’s finalists, along with USC and Cal. He also has visits scheduled with the two California schools.

Related: Post-spring Big Ten football 2024 power rankings, starting quarterback rankings

Meyer entered the portal this month after four years at Wyoming. He was a major part of the team’s defensive line in 2022 and 2023, recording a combined 66 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks over those two seasons.

The 6-foot-4, 282-pound lineman is originally from Franklin, Wisconsin. He was a three-star recruit in the class of 2020, though he did not receive an offer from the Badgers. He chose Wyoming during his high school recruiting cycle over other offers, including Air Force, Ball State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State and Navy.

Wisconsin is among three top Big Ten programs in pursuit of the lineman during his transfer recruitment.

Wisconsin is in heavy pursuit of several transfer defensive linemen. It is also a finalist for Grand Valley State transfer Jay’Viar Suggs and reportedly in pursuit of Alabama transfer Khurtiss Perry.

Luke Fickell has recognized defensive line as a clear deficiency on the roster as the program enters a pivotal 2024 season.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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Jewell Loyd had challenging experience at Notre Dame despite dominance

An eye-opening story.

[autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] is one of the most decorated players in Notre Dame history, and she has continued collecting awards with the Seattle Storm. But it turns out that while she dominated at Notre Dame, her time there was incredibly difficult.

In a new story from Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, we learn that Loyd, a native of Lincolnwood, Illinois, wasn’t happy in part because Notre Dame wasn’t nearly as diverse as the Chicago area. It got so bad that she frequently thought about transferring only to be talked out of it by her mom, who didn’t like the idea of her sitting out a year. Keep in mind this was before the transfer portal became what it is now.

While at Notre Dame, depression and anxiety set in for the first time in her life. It wasn’t until she struck up a friendship with teammate [autotag]Natalie Achonwa[/autotag] that she really began to feel at ease. But even that wasn’t enough to stop her from declaring for the WNBA draft after only three seasons with the Irish because of how unhappy she was.

This serves as a reminder that sometimes, people you love and care about need you to reach out. You don’t know what’s going on with them necessarily, but all they might need at that moment is someone willing to listen and offer support. Maybe that’s what you should do on this Mother’s Day weekend if you encounter such a friend or family member. It’s the least anyone can do.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

20 best players available for Ravens on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft

Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever. Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the …

Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever.

Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the board without trading up.

Rounds two and three will play out on Friday night, and the Eagles will have two picks in Round 2 and none in Round 3.

Here is our list of the best players on the board during day two of the NFL draft.

Saints attend first-round DT Johnny Newton’s pro day

The Saints were one of many teams attending first-round DT Johnny Newton’s pro day. He’d be a great addition next to Bryan Bresee:

The New Orleans Saints continue to do their homework in the trenches prior to draft day. Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report reported that the Saints were one of many teams in attendance for Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton’s pro day.

Newton would have been worked out last month with the rest of his Illinois teammates at the school’s pro day, but opted to have foot surgery to repair a partial Jones fracture, pushing his pro day to Tuesday, April 16.

Newton, at 6-foot-2, 304 pounds is an athletic specimen along the defensive line. His hand usage at the point of attack to go along with his ability to bend around offensive linemen makes him one of the premier players at the defensive tackle position this year. Over his last three seasons at Illinois, Newton compiled 16.5 sacks and over 150 tackles, which shows the level of production he can potentially bring to a team as well.

With the Saints still very much in need of talent across the defensive line, Newton would be a great addition next to last year’s first round pick defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. Having these two side-by-side would not only provide some much needed pass rush but it would also shore up the position for the next 3 or 4 years.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan leads UConn in win over Illinois

Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan leads UConn in win over Illinois.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

With the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament underway, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is UConn center Donovan Clingan. He finished with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals in 22 minutes in No. 1 UConn’s 77-52 win over No. 3 Illinois in the Elite Eight on Saturday.

In his second season, Clingan has been part of a dominant UConn squad that seeks to repeat as national champions. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 12.5 points on 64% shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

At 280 pounds, he has an NBA-ready frame and can give a team a classic rim-running big who can protect the rim. UConn went 31-3 and is No. 1 in the East Region.

The Thunder could envision Clingan adding serious size at center. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups or serve as an efficient backup center for OKC.

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