Breaking down Chargers’ pick in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft

The Chargers trade back in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his latest mock draft on Tuesday.

Let’s break down what one of the highly touted draft analysts thinks for Los Angeles in the 2024 NFL draft after the NFL Scouting Combine.

Round 1, No. 9, OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State (via Bears)

Brugler included a few trades in this mock draft, including the Chargers, who moved back four spots with the Bears. Chicago jumped up to grab Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. In return, Los Angeles acquired a third-round pick (No. 75 overall) and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

The Bolts selected Fuaga at No. 9 overall to take over as the team’s starting right tackle. Jim Harbaugh has a vision of running the ball, and they need road graders up front to make it come to fruition. Fuaga is a massive man with the power and plus run-blocking skills.

Joe Alt has been the commonly mocked player to the Chargers at No. 5 overall, but I believe that if they want to address the offensive line, they’re better off trading down to get a true right tackle, like Fuaga or Alabama’s JC Latham and acquiring more draft ammo.

Lady Vols defeat Oregon State, UCF at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Tennessee wins two games on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

No. 5 Tennessee (7-3) won two games during the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Saturday in Cathedral City, California.

The Lady Vols defeated Oregon State, 6-1, and shut out UCF, 3-0.

Tennessee opened the day with a victory over the Beavers (6-8).

Kiki Milloy, Rylie West and Sophia Nugent each hit solo home runs against Oregon State.

West went 2-for-3, while Milloy hit her 59th career home run in the contest.

Tennessee’s Payton Gotshall (3-2) pitched a complete game. She allowed four hits and one run, while recording nine strikeouts.

Against UCF, West went 3-for-4 with one double and one run, while Taylor Pannell hit a two-run double.

The Lady Vols totaled eight hits and committed three errors against UCF (7-6).

Karlyn Pickens (4-1) pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and two walks. She recorded 14 strikeouts.

Diamond Hogs meet Oregon State for the first time since 2018 CWS

Will the Diamond Hogs have their long-awaited revenge or will Friday end with heartbreak?

Arkansas fans can still hear the low, muffled sounds of baseballs thumping the warning track of Charles Schwab Field in their nightmares. On Friday, those same fans could have their faux trauma partially healed… or it could mean they’re stuck holding their breaths on every time an opponent hits a pop-up, foul ball.

For the first time since the 2018 College World Series, Arkansas will meet No. 7 Oregon State on the diamond during the Kubota College Baseball Series. Heading into the game, the Beavers are perfect, boasting a 5-0 record over New Mexico, Minnesota (twice), CSU Bakersfield, and Texas Tech.

Oregon will be a great early test for Arkansas’ Bullpen. They outscored their foes 52-17 and scored at least 10 runs in 3 of their 5 games. The team averages a .339 batting average and .412 on-base percentage. Whatever weakness the Hogs have on the mound, the Beavers have the talent to find it.

Second baseman and leadoff hitter Travis Bazzana has been a bull at the plate. So far this season, he has recorded 12 RBIs on 16 hits and 5 home runs. Although he doesn’t have the RBIs like Bazzana, nine-hole hitter Trent Caraway likes to get on base with 18 hits and an OBP of .526 in his first five games.

The Beavers are led by former Oregon State player and two-time National Champion Coach Mitch Canham. Canham has led Oregon State to the postseason every year since his move to Corvallis in 2019, making just one super regional in 2022. If the name sounds familiar to some in Fayetteville, Canham had a small stint as a Northwest Arkansas Natural in 2013

The two ball clubs are dead even in their all-time record, 3-3. One of those wins by Oregon is a game that all Hog fans remember vividly.

In 2018, Arkansas played Oregon State in the CWS finals. The Razorbacks won the first game 4-1, but in the second, Arkansas dropped a championship-clinching, gimme fly ball in foul territory in the bottom of the ninth with two out. OSU came back to win 5-3 and took game 3, winning the CWS.

So this begs the question, will Friday night in heartbreak again? Or will the Diamond Hogs have their long-awaited revenge?

USC women’s basketball plays elite defense, grabs giant road win at Oregon State

The Trojans are 20-4 and are tied for second in the cutthroat Pac-12. You have a great team at USC, folks.

This was a big game for USC women’s basketball. Not only did the Trojans have a chance to beat top-15 opponent Oregon State on the road; they learned before tipoff that Oregon State star post player Raegan Beers would not play due to an injury. Oregon State probably deserved to be favored with a fully intact lineup, but Beers — who has given USC all sorts of problems with her defense and rebounding — needed to be on the floor for Oregon State to maintain an edge. Without her, USC had an opening to do something. Could the Trojans take advantage? Yes.

There’s a lot to unpack from Sunday’s 58-50 USC win in Corvallis. Let’s go through the details of the game and its significance:

Is Oregon State the best women’s basketball team in the Pac-12? Beavers are climbing

Oregon State swept Colorado and is tied in the loss column for second place in the Pac-12. Watch out.

Sunday in Pac-12 women’s basketball was not straightforward or normal. That’s a warning to USC, which prepares to host Arizona in a Galen Center Monday night special on ESPN2. The Trojans, if they were watching other Pac-12 games on Sunday, watched a few upsets happen which should have them attentive and on upset alert against the U of A. Leading the pack: Oregon State.

The Beavers might soon lead the Pac — not just the pack — if they keep playing the way they are playing.

Pac-12 women’s basketball is extremely cutthroat, and Oregon State is playing cutting-edge defense right now. That and more in our latest installment of Pac-12 women’s basketball notes as the month of March gets closer:

5 offensive tackles the Dolphins could consider with the pick No. 21

A few offensive tackle options for the Dolphins in the first round.

The Miami Dolphins enter the 2024 offseason with many questions regarding the immediate future of the team. One of them is the direction they will go with their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Dolphins own the 21st pick in the draft, and it is imperative that they find someone who will be able to pick up starting reps during the season.

This draft is loaded with offensive talent, especially at the wide receiver and offensive tackle positions. The Dolphins have a ton of work to do with the offensive line, as they have pending free agents at all three positions.

Starting left tackle Terron Armstead’s future with the team is uncertain due to a brutal run with injuries, while his backup, Kendall Lamm, is set to hit free agency. Miami was able to extend right tackle Austin Jackson during the regular season.

Using the 21st pick to choose from this stacked class of offensive tackles is a great decision for improving the offense around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Pick No. 21 unfortunately puts the Dolphins out of reach for the best tackles in the draft like Joe Alt (Notre Dame) and Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State), but this is a deep draft class for tackles that will provide many options for the aqua and orange.

Here is a list of five tackles that the Dolphins might consider taking with the 21st pick.

Pac-12 men’s basketball report: Oregon State shocks Arizona, Oregon crushes ASU

Arizona has lost at Stanford, Wazzu, and Oregon State.. The Wildcats almost lost at home to UCLA. They’re struggling.

The Arizona Wildcats looked like a really good team early in the college basketball season. They won at Duke. They beat Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Alabama. That’s a lot of high-quality wins. Heading into Pac-12 Conference play, Arizona’s only losses were to No. 1 Purdue and to nationally-ranked Florida Atlantic in a classic 96-95 overtime game which was one of the very best college basketball games played this season.

How is it that Arizona has become a much worse team in a not-very-good Pac-12 Conference? The same team that was beating Duke, Wisconsin, and Alabama — and played FAU in an epic game — now can’t beat Oregon State?

It happened.

Arizona led by as many as 12 in Corvallis on Thursday night. The Wildcats led the Beavers by eight points at halftime. Somehow, they still lost to the lowly Beavers, who had lost five straight games. OSU won 83-80 on a last-second 3-pointer by Jordan Pope, who finished with 31 points. Arizona’s NCAA Tournament seed took a big hit. The Wildcats might not be able to do better than a No. 3 seed right now, after previously looking like a strong No. 1 seed candidate.

Another result of Arizona’s loss: Oregon is all alone in first place in the Pac-12 at 6-2. Oregon hosts Arizona on Saturday in Eugene.

Speaking of Oregon, the Ducks handled Arizona State to improve their position. If Oregon beats Arizona, the Ducks will enter February in very good shape for an NCAA Tournament bid … but if they lose, they’re in real trouble after recent losses to Colorado and Utah.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Saints add more cornerback depth with this reserve/future deal

The Saints added more cornerback depth by signing Rejzohn Wright to reserve/future deal. The former All-Pac-12 corner has spent time with the Panthers and Raiders:

Here’s the big offseason personnel move New Orleans Saints fans  have been waiting for: free agent cornerback Rejzohn Wright has signed a reserve/future deal with the team, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, guaranteeing him a spot on their 90-man roster. He’ll have an opportunity to compete in training camp. Most of the Saints’ 2023 practice squad is coming back on these type of contracts.

A second-year pro out of Oregon State (where he earned All-Pac-12 recognition as a senior), Wright is listed at 6-foot-1.5 and 193 pounds, which fits the athletic prototype the Saints value at cornerback. He previously spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders.

Wright joins a crowded position group. The Saints are bringing back Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and Faion Hicks from the 2023 team with players like Isaac Yiadom and Shemar Jean-Charles headed for free agency. But you can never have enough cornerbacks (especially if a Lattimore trade is brewing behind the scenes). We’ll see if Wright can make some noise when practices kick off in a few months.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Michigan State football adds Oregon State transfer OL Tanner Miller

Michigan State football lands a huge transfer commitment for their offensive line

Have a day, Michigan State football fans! On Sunday, the Spartans first picked up transfer quarterback Tommy Schuster from North Dakota to shore up their quarterback room with an elite backup, then, shortly after, they landed Oregon State transfer offensive lineman Tanner Miller from Oregon State.

This is a huge pick-up for MSU. Tanner Miller, who can play both guard and center, was an ESPN All-American and a Pac-12 Second Team mmber. He was also an AP Midseason Second Team All-American.

Michigan State was able to fend off big names like Florida State to land the talented lineman in one of their biggest moves of the offseason.

READ: MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL TRANSFER TRACKER

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Notre Dame Football: Ketterer Touchdown a Win for Non-CFP Bowl Games

From Walk-On to a Walk-Off Touchdown!

For the hundreds of thousands still tuned into Notre Dame’s 40-8 victory over Oregon State in the Sun Bowl it was just the cap on a blowout contest that had been determined long before.  But to Chase Ketterer it was a play, and even more so a celebration, that won’t soon be forgotten.

Ketterer, a Notre Dame walk on running back from nearby New Prairie, Indiana, started his Fighting Irish career in 2021 and saw the field sparingly early on.  After starring as an option quarterback in high school, Ketterer handled scout team quarterback duties during Navy week in recent years.

This season he was able to get touches in blowout wins over both Tennessee State and Central Michigan before scoring his only collegiate touchdown to cap the season.

Ketterer spoke to Austin Hough of South Bend Tribune about what wound up being his final play of football.

“I was saying to my parents that 40 years down the line, I might not remember the touchdown, but I’m going to remember everything that happened right after it,” Ketterer said. “The brotherhood is just awesome, and having those guys there for me and being so happy in that moment was awesome.”

Ketterer is set to graduate from Notre Dame with a finance degree this spring with goals of one day working in an NFL front office.

To me it’s a special moment for Ketterer, his teammates and his family, all of which spoke to for his piece.

It’s also one that doesn’t happen if these “meaningless” bowl games were eliminated like some wish.