Tag: Jr.

Oregon Ducks Playoff Preview: Diving into Tennessee Volunteers’ defense

Tennessee’s defense gets overlooked with their great offense, but it’s one of the best in the SEC.

The Oregon Ducks were crowned Big Ten Conference Champions on Saturday night and were awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff on Sunday morning. With the top seed, Oregon will receive a first-round bye in the playoff, watching from home as both the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers fight for a chance to meet the Ducks in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. 

While the Ducks have already played Ohio State this year, it’s been over a decade since they saw the Volunteers on the field. At this point in the year, the Buckeyes also have a different roster and outlook than they did in their Week 7 trip to Eugene. 

While Oregon enjoys the next three weeks off, we felt it would be a good time to examine the potential opponents and learn what the Ducks could face. We continue with the Tennessee defense.

Defensive Line

Bryson Eason: 24 tackles, 7 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 5 QB hurries
Omari Thomas: 21 tackles, 5 for loss, 1 sack, 3 QB hurries
James Pearce, Jr.: 35 tackles, 11 for loss, 7.5 sacks, 10 QB hurries (1st team)
Dominic Bailey: 24 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 2 sacks, 4 QB hurries

With Tennessee’s offense being so prolific, the defense gets a bit overlooked, but it’s one of the top defenses in the country, led by SEC first-teamer and defensive lineman James Pearce, Jr. At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, Pearce could be a first-round NFL draft pick if he decides to leave the Vols early. He’s one of those edge rushers that an offensive line has to keep tabs on the entire time.

Eason and Thomas are a combined 635 pounds in the middle of that line and Bailey is a robust 292 pounds himself. When you imagine an SEC defensive line, Tennessee fits the bill and is a handful for any opponent.

The Vols are able to get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing, which makes it tough to move the ball on this defense with every level able to stay home.

Linebackers

Arion Carter: 65 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 QB hurries, 5 pass breakups, 1 INT
Jeremiah Telander: 33 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 0.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles

Tennessee plays a 4-2-5 defense most of the time and the two linebackers are big and athletic that can come up to stop the run and go back into pass coverage with equal ability and success.

Carter leads the Vols with those 65 tackles. As his stats show, he’s able to pull double duty in stopping the run and the pass. He’s also just a sophomore and has one more year to terrorize SEC offenses.

Telander is another sophomore who has made the most out his opportunity as a starter this season. He was a four-star recruit out of Georgia and Telander has looked every bit the part this season.

Secondary

Rickey Gibson III: 29 tackles, 2 for loss, 5 pass breakups
Andre Turrentine: 35 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 3 pass breakups
Jermod McCoy: 39 tackles, 4 INT, 9 pass breakups (2nd team)
Boo Carter: 35 tackles, 3 for loss, 3 QB hurries
Will Brooks: 54 tackles, 3 INT, 5 pass breakups

McCoy is yet another sophomore on this defense that leads the team with four picks, including one against Alabama. He was selected to the All-SEC Second Team with his interceptions and nine pass breakups. McCoy also doubles as a kick returner.

Brooks is the heart of the secondary as a fifth-year senior. He started out at Tennessee as a walk-on in his freshman season and has worked himself up the ranks to become one of the top safeties in the SEC.

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The Match with Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky and more starts Thursday

TNT is going big with the 10th installment of The Match.

TNT is going big with the 10th installment of The Match.

This time around, it’ll be a two-night event in prime time with no pro golfers but eight big-time celebrities as well as a star-studded announcing crew.

Dubbed “The Match: Superstars,” the competition will be televised on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday, Nov. 22, with coverage simulcast on TNT and Max. The event was filmed at The Breakers Rees Jones Golf Course at Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Check out the celebrity lineup: Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Blake Griffin.

The initial matches will pit Murray and Gretzky against Barkley and Griffey as well as Wahlberg and Phelps vs. Bargatze and Griffin.

There will then be semifinals and a final match. Those will be individual match play contests with the eventual winner banking $1 million.

Thursday Nov. 21

  • Wahlberg/Phelps vs. Bargatze/Griffin, 7:30 p.m.
  • Barkley/Griffey Jr. vs. Gretzky/Murray, 9 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 22

  • Semifinals, 7:30 p.m.
  • Final match, 9 p.m.

Calling the action is TNT’s Ernie Johnson, back at the Match for a fifth time. He’s joined by Charles Barkley, who will be making his ninth appearance at The Match as either a player or commentator. Also, a pair of Masters champs – Trevor Immelman and Bubba Watson – will provide analysis. Kathryn Tappen returns as the on-course reporter.

In September, Golfweek reported on a Match featuring Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler against Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. That PGA Tour vs. LIV event is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.

Here are some photos from The Match Superstars.

Sooners favored to land 2026 wide receiver Aljour Miles, Jr.

Oklahoma looks like the trending favorite to land 2026 wide receiver Aljour Miles out of Kaufman, Texas.

The Oklahoma Sooners have earned significant commitments to kick off the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag].

Four-star prospects [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag], [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag] have gotten the ball rolling for the Sooners for next year’s recruiting class. As it looks to build upon it, OU appears to have some momentum in the recruitment of Kaufman athlete Aljour Miles.

Parker Thune and Brandon Drumm of OUInsider, along with Marshall Levenson, issued Rivals futurecasts favoring the Sooners in the recruitment for Miles.

According to Thune, the Sooners see him as a wide receiver at the collegiate level. Though he hasn’t been rated by any of the primary recruiting sites at this point, Miles has the athleticism to be a difference-maker out wide. He shows off good route-running ability and reads the ball well in the air. Miles has the ability to win deep and shows off good hands.

It’s likely he ends the 2026 recruiting cycle as a four-star prospect by signing day.

Miles holds offers from Oklahoma, Colorado State, SMU, Pitt, Tulsa, North Texas, UTEP, UTSA and Boston College.

 

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

The Chicago Bulls have officially hired former Wizards coach Wes Unseld, Jr. as their lead assistant coach

Unseld served as the Wizards’ top coach from 2021 until this current NBA offseason.

The Chicago Bulls have officially hired former Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld, Jr. as their lead assistant coach for the 2024-25 season, with Unseld bringing a high level of experience to helm Bulls head coach Billy Donovan’s bench.

Unseld served as the Wizards’ top coach from 2021 until this current NBA offseason. Previously, he has had assistant coaching stints for the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, and, under his father as general manager, the Wizards at the start of his coaching career. He also played as a small forward for the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays before making the leap to the other side of the clipboard.

The hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Haize and Pat the Designer, sat down to take a closer look at the hire and what it means for the Bulls next season.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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These are the 10 father-son combinations who have won PGA Tour events

The first happened all the way back in 1861. The most recent occurred in 2018.

First, a disclaimer. We are not predicting future professional success for Charlie Woods, the golfing offspring of proud papa Tiger Woods. We’re enjoying watching him grow up right in front of our eyes alongside dad at the PNC Championship, but Charlie, like any young phenom, has a long road ahead before he starts hoisting trophies.

Nonetheless, it is fun to think of the possibilities. And if Charlie were to ascend to the Tour and starting winning on that level, those two would join a pretty exclusive list.

There are 10 father-son combinations to win on the PGA Tour. The first happened all the way back in 1861. The most recent occurred in 2018. Here’s the list.

Eric Axley goes low at PGA Tour Champions Q School with front-nine 28; Wes Short, Jr. leads

After an opening eagle, Axley had six straight birdies to start his second round.

There’s going low.

And there’s what Eric Axley is doing Wednesday during the second round of the PGA Tour Champions Q School final stage.

Starting on the back nine on the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale, Axley eagled the par-5 10th hole. Nice start.

He then went birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie to get to 8 under through six holes.

Axley finally cooled off with pars on the par-5 17th and par-4 18th. Still, he made the turn in 28 and was officially on 59 watch.

“Once I eagled No. 10, it seemed like the birdies weren’t much more than tap-ins,” Axley said. “I think I had it inside three feet on each of my first eight holes, except the par-3 16th. There, I had 192 yards and hit it to six feet, but still made it. So, everything just felt really comfortable down that stretch of holes.”

The 28 ties the low nine-hole score on the PGA Tour Champions in 2023.

He then parred Nos. 10 and 11 but a disastrous quadruple 7 on the par-3 third hole, his 12th of the day, did some damage to his scorecard. He would later birdie Nos. 5, 6 and 7 to post a 7-under 64 and walk off the course tied for sixth. He ended the day in a tie for seventh.

“I hit a weird tee shot on No. 3 that ended up in a bad spot,” he said. “I couldn’t get it on the green from where I was, so I ended up having a bogey putt from 20 feet. I ran that by three feet, then ran it by three feet coming back. So, that was a four-putt. It was like getting punched in the stomach when you aren’t prepared for it. But, I did bounce back somewhat with three more straight birdies on 5, 6 and 7. So, that helped.”

Axley, 49, has one win – the 2006 Valero Texas Open – in 209 starts on the PGA Tour and $3.2 million in career earnings. He doesn’t turn 50 until April 22 next year but is vying for one of five tour cards being handed out this week for the 2024 season.

Wes Short, Jr., shot a 63 on Wednesday and sits at 12 under, alone in first at the halfway mark. He had seven birdies and an eagle. Daniel Chopra, Shane Bertsch and Cameron Percy are tied for second at 11 under. Alan McLean is solo fifth at 10 under.

Other notables include Dick Mast, the last golfer in the field at age 72, beat his age by shooting an even-par 71; Scottsdale’s Bryan Hoops, the lone amateur in the field, tied for 12th after scores of 64-72; and former Major League pitcher John Smoltz is last. He followed his first-round 80 with a 76. He is 14 over.

Andrew Booth, Jr. could practice as early as tomorrow per ESPN

Cornerback Andrew Booth, Jr. may be nearing a return to practice after suffering an injury last week.

After suffering an injury during training camp last week, it appears that Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth, Jr. may be nearing a return.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported on Saturday that Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth, Jr. was on the field during walk-thru, and said that the injury he suffered was “nothing serious.”

https://twitter.com/SeifertESPN/status/1687891940191109121

While this news is indicative of Booth’s injury being just a minor setback, it does raise concern for the second-year cornerback. He has been battling injury concerns since high school, and there has not been any sign that these battles will cease anytime soon. 

Minnesota took a bet on Booth’s talent when he was on the field when they took him 42nd overall in the 2022 NFL draft. But, they have yet to get a return on that investment.

With all of the swings at the cornerback position that they have made since then, from Mekhi Blackmon to working out Ronald Darby, it makes you wonder if the Vikings are starting to raise their concerns about Booth.

Duck defensive end Jordan Burch on Lott Impact Trophy watch list

Jordan Burch was named to the Lott Impact Trophy watch list, an award given to players who display on-field prowess, and off-field character.

When Jordan Burch announced he would be transferring from South Carolina and looking for another place to play, Oregon’s Dan Lanning was one of the first ones to get the former 5-star on the phone.

The Ducks needed to replace DJ Johnson, and it was celebrated when Burch said he was coming out west to play in Eugene. Oregon knew the on-the-field talent it was acquiring, but Burch is as impressive off the field as well.

He is on the watch list for the Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy, an award named for former San Francisco 49ers great and NFL Hall of Famer, Ronnie Lott.

According to the Pacific Club Foundation’s website, the award is “unique because it represents the first college football award to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance from a defensive college player and is the first national college football award based on the West Coast.

“The IMPACT award is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity.

Burch battled injuries during his time at South Carolina, but he had a career season in 2022 with 60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Alabama’s Will Anderson, Jr. was the 2022 winner.

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NFL Draft: 7 of first 10 picks were former 5-star prospects

Some will tell you that stars don’t matter, but when you look at the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, that is a different story.

In college football, there’s an age-old saying that “stars don’t matter.”

Well, don’t tell the 2023 NFL Draft that.

According to 247Sports’ rankings, seven of the first ten picks in the NFL Draft were former five-star prospects.

The Carolina Panthers started that run by selecting Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the 1st overall pick. Young was a five-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class, earning the No. 1 ranking nationally.

Third-overall pick Will Anderson, Jr., Young’s college teammate, was also a five-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. Anderson, Jr. was ranked as the No. 14 player overall in the class.

The only three players in the top ten who were not five-star prospects are C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Devon Witherspoon.

According to 247Sports, their rating system is designed to project NFL success, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the stars rating was successful this season.

Our ultimate goal is to accurately project college success with an element of raw ability baked in. To that end, we have turned to the NFL Draft as the measuring stick and answer key that best indicates, in a quantitative manner, the level of success and ability players showcased during their college careers.

What the Byron Murphy signing means for the Vikings

Murphy will make an immediate impact for Minnesota as a starter in Brian Flores’ aggressive #Vikings defense

Even though it’s taken a while, the Minnesota Vikings have another cornerback.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Vikings have agreed to terms with cornerback Bryon Murphy. The deal is worth about $22 million over two seasons.

The announcement of Murphy’s contract comes at a critical time for Minnesota. Heading into free agency, only Akayleb Evans played a significant amount of snaps for the Vikings at cornerback last season.

Minnesota saw two former cornerbacks move to different teams since free agency opened on Monday. Veteran Patrick Peterson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cameron Dantzler Sr. was claimed by the Washington Commanders.

Here is how Byron Murphy can fit into the Vikings’ plans.