Tag: Jaleel McLaughlin

The college that put Jaleel McLaughlin on the map is closing down

Notre Dame College put Jaleel McLaughlin on the map. The Division II school in Ohio is now closing down.

Some things (and institutions) only last for a while before unfortunate events happen.

In the case of Jaleel McLaughlin’s original school, Notre Dame College, the end is near. After originally announcing that they will close down their football program, the school has since announced the entire college is closing down.

McLaughlin played at Notre Dame College (the Division II college in Ohio, not the Division I university in Indiana) from 2018-2019 before transferring to Youngstown State. McLaughlin put up huge numbers at Notre Dame.

In his two seasons with the Falcons, he rushed for an astounding 4,737 yards and 48 rushing touchdowns. Those stats parlayed McLaughlin to eventually become the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher. Now, the school where McLaughlin started it all is closing down.

The running back reacted to the news on his Twitter/X page:

The transfer portal will allow current Notre Dame College players to transfer to new schools ahead of the 2024 college football season.

McLaughlin signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent last spring. He totaled 570 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns as the team’s third-string running back in 2023.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Broncos 2023 season awards: MVP, ROY and more

Who was Denver’s MVP in 2023? Check out Broncos Wire’s team awards from the 2023 season.

Every year, the NFL hands out its annual awards before the Super Bowl for both offensive and defensive excellence.

At Broncos Wire, we’d also like to recognize several Denver Broncos players who would be considered for those awards on a team level in 2023.

Broncos’ rushing leaders from 2023 season

Javonte Williams (774), Jaleel McLaughlin (410) and Russell Wilson (341) were the Broncos’ leading rushers in 2023.

Sean Payton aimed to beef up the Denver Broncos’ rushing attack when he joined the team in 2023, but it’s fair to say the ground game was a disappointment in Year 1 under Payton.

The Broncos rushed for 1,810 yards in 2023, a downgrade from the team’s 2022 total of 1,935 yards. As a team, Denver averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which was also lower than last year (4.4 YPC).

A contributing factor was the Broncos’ lead running back, Javonte Williams, returned from a serious knee injury and never regained his old form. After averaging 4.4 YPC in 2021 and 4.3 YPC in 2022, Williams saw his average drop down to 3.6 YPC in 2023.

Jaleel McLaughlin ended up being Denver’s most efficient rusher in 2023, averaging 5.4 YPC. After him were fellow running back Samaje Perine (4.5) and quarterback Russell Wilson (4.3).

The Broncos only gave carries to three RBs in 2023 — Williams, McLaughlin and Perine — with fullback Michael Burton (1.3 YPC), wide receiver Marvin Mims (3.3 YPC) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (0.9 YPC) each rushing fewer than 10 times. In terms of yards, Wilson was the team’s third-best rusher.

Here’s a look at Denver’s leading rushers from the 2023 season.

15 takeaways from the Broncos’ first season under Sean Payton

Here are 15 quick takeaways from Sean Payton’s first season with the Broncos.

After starting 4-11 last season, the Denver Broncos fired first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games remaining. Jerry Rosburg then took over on an interim basis and the club split their final two games to finish the year with a 5-12 record.

After firing Hackett, the Broncos’ new ownership group wanted to go big, so they agreed to trade first- and second-round draft picks to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a third-round pick and the rights to head coach Sean Payton last January.

While Denver did not qualify for the playoffs, the team did take a step forward in Year 1 under Payton, improving from 5-12 in 2022 to 8-9 in 2023. That marked the team’s best record since 2017. The next step is posting a winning record and qualifying for the postseason in 2024.

So, what did we learn from Payton’s first season in Denver? Here are 15 quick takeaways from the Broncos’ 2023 season.

5 takeaways from Broncos’ 16-9 win over Chargers

Here are five quick takeaways from the Broncos’ 16-9 win over the Chargers on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 16-9 on Sunday afternoon, but the team was also eliminated from NFL playoff contention due to other results in the AFC. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

Studs and duds from Broncos’ 16-9 win over Chargers

Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham won his first career start with Denver. Here are the studs and duds from the victory.

The Denver Broncos came into Week 17 with a lot of controversy — specifically at the quarterback position — but ended on Sunday with a win, a 16-9 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

We take a look at the studs and duds from the win on New Year’s Eve.

Stock up, Stock down in Vikings loss vs. Broncos

After a heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos, multiple players saw their stocks rise and fall

All good things must come to an end.

The Minnesota Vikings fall just short to the Denver Broncos 21-20 in front of a raucous Mile High crowd.

The Cinderella run that had the Vikings win five straight games, despite losing Justin Jefferson until further notice, despite losing Kirk Cousins for the season, is over.

The Broncos take the mantle of the feel-good NFL story, as they extend their improbable win streak to four games.

Even though the Vikings still sit at the sixth spot in the playoff race, this loss hurts. With a win, you go into next week against Chicago with a bit more confidence. However, after losing this game in the fashion that they did, next week’s pre-bye week game holds even more weight.

As for this game, some players of this game saw their stocks rise despite the loss. However, plenty of players in this game saw their stocks fall.

Brian Baldinger breaks down film of Broncos RB Jaleel Mclaughlin

Brian Baldinger believes the Broncos have found a gem in rookie running back Jaleel Mclaughlin.

It seems fair to say that the start of the Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton era has been lackluster. Although a win against the Green Bay Packers this past weekend was a step in the right direction, the Payton era isn’t off to a great start.

However, what has become an unlikely bright spot is the rise of undrafted running back Jaleel Mclaughlin. McLaughin plays sparingly, but his impact during his time on the field shines through. So far, he’s averaging a whopping 6.9 yards per carry.

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger is a big fan of Mclaughlin and believes if the Broncos utilized the rookie running back more, it could create more opportunities for the offense.

Baldinger briefly broke down a play on Twitter/X in which Mclaughlin’s vision led to him breaking out a big run. For Baldwin, Denver should dial up more of these servings for the offense.

To check out the quick breakdown, look below.

McLaughlin has rushed 34 times for 235 yards and hauled in ten receptions for 59 yards this season. The rookie has also scored three times. He’ll look to build on those totals against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 7 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver wire targets in fantasy football for Week 7.

Don’t look now, but we’re nearly halfway through the 2023 fantasy football season as Week 7 quickly approaches. Scouring the waiver wire has never been more prudent.

After being blessed with just two teams on a bye, this week won’t be as kind. There are six teams off this week, several of which boast superior fantasy talent. Teams on a bye in Week 7 include the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Broncos have a good RB duo in Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin

The Broncos have found an exciting backfield duo in Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.

The Denver Broncos can’t put it all together.

Early in the season, the team seemed to play one good half of football and one terrible half in each game. Through five weeks, the defense was terrible and the offense was competent.

Against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, the defense flipped a switch and had a great game — but the offense had its worst game of the season.

While the passing game was abysmal in Week 6, Denver’s ground game was a silver lining for the offense in Kansas City.

Broncos running backs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined to rush 17 times for 82 yards against the Chiefs, a combined average of just under five yards per carry. Denver quarterback Russell Wilson credited the offensive line for opening up running lanes for Williams and McLaughlin.

“I thought the offensive line — it starts with those guys up front — I thought they did a really good job being physical,” Wilson said. “It’s a really good defense and a really good defensive front, their linebackers do a good job and I thought our offensive line did a really good job battling with those guys, play after play. I thought that we ran it well when we needed to and did some really good things there.”

Wilson himself also scrambled four times for 31 yards in Week 6. Overall, the Broncos rushed 23 times for 115 yards, averaging exactly five yards per tote. If not for falling behind and needing to throw the ball, Denver could have totaled many more than just 17 running back carries on Thursday.

Going forward, the Broncos can count on their two backs to establish a productive rushing attack, but Denver will need to keep things close for the game script to allow a run-heavy attack on offense. When their numbers are called, Williams and McLaughlin have proven to be productive weapons.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]