The Vikings interest in this quarterback class has been quiet but that changed on Thursday when they scheduled a visit with Jayden Daniels.
The Minnesota Vikings have had workouts and visits with several prospects during this process. To date, however, they had not had any workouts with quarterbacks from the 2024 class. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media is reporting that has changed.
The Minnesota Vikings will be holding a private workout for LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
The workout comes on the heels of Daniels visiting both the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Both teams have selections ahead of the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft which could make things complicated. The Heisman Trophy winner is expected to be drafted as high as number two to the Commanders,
The workout from the Vikings perspective serves as two-fold. One being that the team is starting to make it publicly known they are in on this quarterback class. Two, it could be something that the New England Patriots used to do. They would bring in passers even if they knew they couldn’t get the quarterback they were able to scout him in a way that helped them prepare for him.
The 2024 NFL Draft is two weeks away, a lot left to unfold.
Justin Jefferson was apart of one of the best offenses the college football world has ever seen, now he is jealous of seeing it in the NFL.
The 2019-2020 college football season was memorable for several reasons. Primarily, we saw the LSU Tigers utilize a record-breaking offense on their way to a national championship. The offense had a three-headed monster leading it: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson.
Fate would have it as Burrow and Chase would play professionally together in Cincinnati while Jefferson became a Minnesota Viking.
Jefferson was on comedian Kevin Hart’s “Cold as Balls” YouTube show this week. He discussed the feeling of seeing his former college teammates playing together.
“I love them together, I love the chemistry that they have, but it’s definitely some jealousy on that side, we always want the best for each other, but also we wanna be better than one another so it was always a competitive thing. . .”
Jefferson would also discuss his love for his former teammates and the joy he has watching them play. The Vikings wide receiver is a looming free agent, and while some may point to this as a sign of him wanting to join his former teammates on the Bengals, it’s highly unlikely.
The Bengals currently have the franchise tag placed on wide receiver Tee Higgins. They are expected to sign him to an extension, which would make having three top-paid receivers close to impossible.
While he hasn’t been extended yet, there shouldn’t be any panic yet from Vikings fans despite the jealousy comment.
Here’s a look at a a handful of highlights from the softball team’s big victory on Monday.
The Florida softball team earned the rubber-match win over the LSU Tigers, 6-5 (8 innings), in walk-off fashion Monday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium to win the three-game home series.
It was the second consecutive extra-inning affair for the Gators while becoming the first walk-off of the year for the program. Trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Orange and Blue rallied to force the extra frame before finishing off the visitors with its sixth unanswered run.
Florida is now 34-6 overall and 9-3 in SEC play while LSU fell to an identical 34-6 overall and 9-3 SEC mark.
In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, Bruce Feldman made no outlandish predictions. Feldman, one of the most respected writers with high-level connections in college football and the NFL, has USC quarterback Caleb Williams going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears.
Who does Feldman project going No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders?
That would be LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. There are no surprises here. Regardless of what you hear about Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Washington is expected to choose between Daniels and North Carolina signal-caller Drake Maye.
Why does Feldman see Daniels landing in Washington? He calls it a hunch — which is not a report. As we mentioned, Feldman is well-connected.
Where it got interesting was what Feldman said regarding the “coaching intel he received on Daniels. Here’s the first bit of intel he provided:
I tell people this: Outside of Patrick Mahomes, I haven’t coached against someone like this. He’s just very hard to defend. We tried to force him to run it to take it out of his hands. The throws he makes and the timing he has, I thought was second to none. He throws the deep ball extremely accurately.
This isn’t Feldman comparing Daniels to Mahomes. The coach told Feldman that preparing against Daniels was almost as difficult as preparing to face Mahomes. Washington has lacked a quarterback that puts fear into opposing defenses for years.
The next coach:
As a junior (in 2022), he would just hang onto the ball, but he got so much better playing quarterback. Without him, with as bad as they were on defense, I think they’d win six games. Tops. If there’s a concern if you’re an NFL team, it’s that he will take some shots and he is narrow. How well will he hold up?
This is the type of improvement that encourages you about Daniels. He improved in each college season before his tremendous 2023 season. It’s reminiscent of former LSU — and fellow Heisman Trophy winner — Joe Burrow’s rise.
Finally, more talk on Daniels’ improvement:
He improved a lot. He’s a really good deep ball thrower with more than above-average arm strength. Those 15-, 20-yard touch throws were better than I thought. He didn’t look like he was that fast, but he just glides and runs by people, and he outruns their angles.
It remains to be seen if Daniels will be the pick. There is a lot of time remaining until the 2024 NFL draft. Could he be the leader? Sure. But so could Maye or even McCarthy. General manager Adam Peters has kept this close to the vest, which is unlikely to change. It’s doubtful anyone will know who the pick is until the Commanders turn the card in on April 25.
Although there was some drama between her and LSU coach Kim Mulkey earlier in the year, Reese and her seemed to have a strong relationship especially after winning a national championship together last year.
Mulkey took to Instagram to pay tribute to Reese after the news broke that the star was off to the WNBA, and it was a simple message about her accomplishments and the coach saying to “keep growing the game.”
Iowa and LSU shattered their previous record for viewership in the Hawkeyes Elite 8 victory.
On Monday night the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers women’s basketball teams faced off in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA women’s national championship game. That game set viewership records with an average of 9.9 million viewers and peaked at 12.6 million.
The Elite 8 showdown shattered those numbers. According to a report from Scooby Axson of USA TODAY Sports, this game was the most-watched women’s basketball game ever with 16.1 million viewers.
According to ESPN, the game drew the second-most viewers of any basketball game since 2012.
Caitlin Clark got a bit of redemption from last year after pouring in 41 points with 7 rebounds and 12 assists. She continues to set records in her swan song season as Clark is set to take her talents to the WNBA following the season.
Likewise, Angel Reese of LSU announced that she would also head to the professional level after the Tigers’ defeat at the hands of Iowa.
Next up for the Hawkeyes will be another rematch. Clark and Iowa will take on Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies in the Final Four. The Huskies defeated Iowa 92-72 in the 2021 Sweet 16. Clark scored 21 in that game while Bueckers scored 18.
Recently, UConn’s head coach Geno Auriemma called Bueckers the “best player in the country.” It will all get settled on the court in this matchup of two basketball powerhouses. The winner will face off with the winner of South Carolina-North Carolina State in the national championship on Sunday.
After winning a title last season, LSU star Angel Reese is turning pro.
Reese, however, didn’t just make the announcement with a post on Twitter or Instagram like many other basketball prospects. Instead, she announced her plans with a photoshoot in Vogue.
She also tweeted some of the images included in the article with a caption quoting “Dip” by Nicki Minaj. It was a strong statement from Reese, who will hear her name called as one of the first picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
BAYOU BARBIE⏩WNBA. all that rah-rah never was the icon issue. Magazines, i’m covering the icon issue…VOGUE, I got REAL issues.💋 @voguemagazinepic.twitter.com/51MomWrEXr
Reese explained that she was inspired by Serena Williams, who announced her retirement from tennis in 2022 with a fashion photoshoot (via Vogue):
“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese says: “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [Southeastern Conference] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro—and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”
She added that she didn’t want to be basic with her announcement.
The 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player led her team back to the Elite Eight this season.
The Chargers are hosting the dynamic wide receiver on a pre-draft visit.
The Chargers are hosting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers on a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, according to NFL Media’s Cameron Wolfe.
Nabers is visiting the Cardinals, who have the No. 4 overall pick, on Tuesday.
Nabers has been pegged to Los Angeles at No. 5 overall in mock draft since the beginning of the pre-draft process.
The Bolts will be looking to add to their wide receiver room after the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and Nabers could be a welcomed addition.
Nabers is a dynamic playmaker whose release, play speed and run-after-catch ability make him a home-run threat each time he touches the ball.
Nabers is coming off his most productive season for the Tigers, which included 89 receptions for 1,569 yards (17.6 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns. Seventeen of those catches went over 30 yards.
Insert Nabers into the Chargers’ offense and he and Justin Herbert would do wonders together.
Cut down those Albany nets! A look back in pictures at Iowa’s confetti-filled celebration as the Hawkeyes punched their Final Four ticket.
The Iowa Hawkeyes put together a night that its fans will remember for the rest of their lifetimes.
After falling in the national championship game versus LSU a season ago, Iowa entered its Elite Eight contest against the Tigers with revenge on its mind.
Led by another historic performance from senior superstar Caitlin Clark, Iowa did indeed exact its revenge. Clark exploded for 41 points with an NCAA Tournament record nine made 3-pointers and 12 assists to guide the Hawkeyes’ 94-87 win over LSU.
Graduate guard Kate Martin scored 21 points and junior guard Sydney Affolter added 16 points as they both turned in strong performances as well.
As a result, the Hawkeyes are off to their second straight Final Four and the third in Iowa history.
Take a look back on the historic night and the celebration that ensued with these great photos from Iowa’s Elite Eight win over LSU.
Goooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win! Thank you so much for being here with us this morning. We appreciate you taking the time.
Last night’s instant classic between Iowa and LSU might’ve been the last time we see Angel Reese suit up for the Tigers. She has a big decision to make — is she returning for another season at LSU or is her future with the WNBA?
She’ll figure that out in due time. When she does, we’ll know it. But for right now, I want to give her so many flowers for how incredible she’s been through it all.
So many incredible hoopers and their stories were but on the backburner in the year of Caitlin Clark. Reese might be chief among them. She’s been an amazing ambassador for women’s basketball through it all. Not perfect, of course. But always visible. And always being herself, authentically, through both the good and bad.
It hasn’t been the most fun ride. Let her tell it: The year she’s had since winning a national championship in 2023 has been awful. Follow the news stories, and you can see why.
At the start of the season, LSU loses to Colorado and the vultures begin circling. Then you’ve got Reese’s mysterious suspension that we still don’t know much about. That didn’t stop people from speculating — we heard rumors about everything from something as minuscule as a low GPA to something more soap opera-y like beef with teammates and their parents.
That time was awful. It felt so gross. And it wore on her. Her words from her press conference after the Iowa loss paint that picture for us. She felt the need to remind us of her humanity. Think about how that feels at 21 years old. She spilled her heart out in that presser:
“I’ve been through so much; I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time, and I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and, like, not be there for them. So, I just want them to always just now, like, I’m still a human.”
That’s a lot. But you can understand why she feels that way with all that she’s been through.
But that’s the thing, man. That’s why, to me, Reese is so admirable. Through it all, she’s never backed down. She’s never stopped talking. She’s never stopped playing. She never quit. She’s always been the same Angel Reese we’ve come to know, respect and love. That’s the best part about her.
No matter what happens next for Reese, she’ll always be one of the best ambassadors college basketball has ever seen. And I’m so thankful we get to watch her.
Folks, the moment has arrived. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and part two. I cannot wait. They haven’t played against each other since 2021, when they met in the Sweet 16.
Honestly, it’s looking back on that moment is funny. Bueckers’ and Clark’s dispositions have flipped since then.
Clark was an incredible talent back then, too. But Bueckers was regarded as the best player in college basketball as a freshman. Watching that game, you can see why. She didn’t even give her best but still nearly came away with a triple-double on a stacked UConn team.
Today? Clark is a living legend. She’s the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and a player who some think is the best player they’ve ever seen. Because of injuries, Bueckers has moved to the back burner. It’s been an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing. She went 720 days between playing in tournament games.
There’s a chance that Tiger Woods just might be playing in the Masters this year, folks. At least, according to the internet sleuths out there, anyway.
Here’s our Charles Curtis with more:
“Here’s what we do know: Per those who track his private jets, Woods took a plane to Augusta earlier this week, presumably to start ramping up his practice for the tournament next week, which is the first major of the PGA Tour season.
Which means that until you see absolutely official word from the actual PGA Tour or Tiger himself, assume that he’ll be teeing it up next week.”
