Tag: reaction

Former UCLA Bruin Gerrit Cole ranks #9 in MLB Top-100

Former UCLA Bruins star Gerrit Cole is one of the top players in the MLB.

The Major League Baseball season is almost underway, with spring training starting this weekend.

In the leadup, the MLB ranked their top 100 active players, and one former Bruin cracked the top 10.

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole came in at 9th on the list. The 2023 AL Cy Young winner and six-time All-Star played for the Bruins from 2009 to 2011. In his time as a Bruin, Cole pitched his way to second in career strikeouts (376), third in career games started (49), and 153 strikeouts in 2011, the third-most in a single season at UCLA.

One of the best pitchers to com out of the program, the honor of 9th best in 2024 is a reflection of the UCLA baseball program.

Drafted #1 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cole has lived up to the lofty expectations. Recording the most strikeouts in a single season for two franchises, the Astros (326) and Yankees (257), Cole is one of the premier aces in all of baseball.

With the Yankees loading up for a potential World Series run, Cole can make soem more history for New York this season and make his alma mater proud.

UCLA’s Laiatu Latu mocked to Dolphins in College Sports Wire mock draft

Laiatu Latu going to the Dolphins is a common pick.

With the college football season cooling down, the NFL Draft season is just heating up.

For former UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu, it means lots of buzz.

The standout Bruin is tapped to be one of the first edges taken off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. In a recent USA TODAY Pre-Combine mock draft, Latu is heading to South Beach with the #21 overall pick.

With a depleted defensive line due to injury, the Miami Dolphins look to add youth and explosiveness to their front four. Latu and his ability to set the edge and rush the passer effectively makes him the perfect “do-it-all” prospect along the defensive line.

As Ryan Roberts of College Sports Wire writes: “Before the season, edge was unlikely to be a need for the Dolphins this offseason. Unfortunately, injuries to Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb have changed that equation. Latu, talent-wise, is a steal in this spot. He adds immediate pass-rushing help.”

Latu’s range of skills helped him log 28 solo tackles, 13 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 2024 for UCLA. With that upside, Latu should be a hot commodity for teams looking to add a versatile defender.

If a run on defensive linemen occurs earlier than expected in the draft, Latu could rise in the ranks, potentially cracking the top ten on the draft board.

Report: ‘Very doubtful’ Browns make a big splash at WR this offseason

Expect a veteran and a rookie to be added to the room, but not a big named splash.

Despite a big need on paper at the wide receiver position, it looks like the Cleveland Browns are comfortable with the threat of Amari Cooper and David Njoku leading their passing attack again in 2024.

Outside of these two players, however, the Browns got little from the likes of Elijah Moore, David Bell, and Cedric Tillman. This has led to many believing the team is destined to attack the market in free agency in just three weeks.

However, according to Cleveland dot com’s Terry Pluto, a big move is not expected this offseason to upgrade the talent in the wide receiver room:

“It’s very doubtful the Browns will make a big move (read expensive) for a receiver. They want to upgrade that area of the team, but they believe they have two Pro Bowlers in Amari Cooper and David Njoku. One of the parts of adding new coaches to the offense is to make better use of Njoku’s pass-catching ability.

I expect them to add a less expensive veteran receiver, and probably draft another receiver. But that could happen in the middle rounds.”

Outside of the trade for Cooper two years ago, this falls in line with how the Browns have attacked the wide receiver room in the last half-decade. With the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, this is their best shot at landing the biggest upgrade to the room.

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Here’s what Todd Golden said about Vanderbilt win on Saturday

Here’s what the Gators skipper had to offer following Saturday afternoon’s home win.

Florida basketball hosted the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday afternoon inside the O’Connell Center and came away victorious against its Southeastern Conference foes, 77-64, to rebound from its loss last Wednesday at the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Gators went wire-to-wire from the opening tipoff to the final buzzer in this one. While the visitors slowed the pace to a crawl in comparison to some of Florida’s high-flying affairs, the Gators’ talent, depth and home crowd were too much to overcome.

Following Florida’s ninth SEC win of the season and 19th overall, head coach Todd Golden spoke to the sports media about his team’s recent triumph.

Report: Browns ‘bullish’ on how LT Jedrick Wills played before injury

Entering the last year of his contract, the fate of their former first round pick and starting left tackle is not yet sealed.

The Cleveland Browns may be looking for some offensive line reinforcements this year, but are reportedly not looking to replace starting left tackle Jedrick Wills.

With veteran Jack Conklin coming back from another injury, but with guarantees that are hard to part with until next season, and with the emergence of rookie Dawand Jones, the Browns have a surplus of offensive tackles. This has made Wills a popular potential trade candidate this offseason.

However, according to Cleveland dot com’s Terry Pluto, that’s not currently on the table in Berea:

“I hear the Browns ‘feel good’ about the offensive line. They believe Dawand Jones may soon be a Pro Bowler. They are “bullish” on how Jedrick Wills Jr. finished the season. They hope Jack Conklin can stay healthy. That would give them three starting caliber tackles.”

The contract of Wills, however, is one of the more tradeable ones currently on the roster. The Browns could trade him, and save $12 million or more off of the cap depending on when that deal would theoretically go down. The amount of dead money the Browns would have to eat would also be minimal to clear trade Wills this offseason.

This could just be offseason banter as the Browns head to Indianapolis this week, where they will have the chance to work out deals over steak dinners. However, it’s trending toward Wills being back in Cleveland in 2024.

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Browns: Greg Newsome II’s fifth-year option pricetag set with decision looming

The price tag is now set for Newsome’s fifth year option

The Cleveland Browns have a big decision on former first round cornerback Greg Newsome II and his fifth-year option by May.

With the new NFL league year set to start with free agency in a few weeks, the price tag for first-round picks from the 2021 draft has been set. Browns’ 2021 first-round pick’s price tag for that fifth year is $13.377 million to hit the books in 2025.

The team has a tough decision to be made with Newsome who at times has shown he is worth more than that but at times hasn’t been worth the price tag. Moving him back and forth between the slot and working outside may be part of the issue as he hasn’t been able to focus solely on one or the other.

You could see the team focus on one or the other this season. Honestly, Newsome might be better suited at playing inside especially as both Martin Emerson Jr. and Denzel Ward have shown they are much better than Newsome on the outside.

In the end, there are not enough good corners in the NFL and whether they sign him long-term or look to move him the Browns will likely pick up the option.

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Cowboys News: Mazi’s Michigan stuff, Dallas hires another Commanders staffer

From @ToddBrock24f7: A TikToker buys a storage unit full of Smith’s gear, a defensive assistant joins the staff, could Jamal Adams finally come to the Cowboys?

The News and Notes have a decidedly defensive tone in this edition. From an embattled D-lineman who appears to have had a storage unit full of valuable personal belongings unearthed by an internet reseller to a new assistant hired away from an NFC East rival, and the longtime veteran DB once pursued by the star who may finally find his way there to the newly-revealed price tag for keeping the unit’s superstar in a fifth season, we’ll look at Mike Zimmer’s crew… as well as why he and head coach Mike McCarthy are skipping the biggest week of draft season.

Elsewhere, the Cowboys are tops in the NFL (again) in one of Jerry Jones’s favorite categories, Jake Ferguson puts the playoff loss in the rearview mirror, a former Cowboys staffer takes the reins of a new herd in the UFL, we explore what King Henry could bring to Cowboys Nation, and the franchise says a sad farewell to one of the heroes of its first generation.

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Ravens GM Eric DeCosta confident in Baltimore’s veteran free agent culture

Ravens’ GM Eric DeCosta is confident in the team’s veteran free agent culture

The Baltimore Ravens have always been an organization that has been a place for veteran free agents to sign with and thrive with. While not every addition works out for the player or the team, Baltimore has had a consistent track record of getting the best out of free agents that come to the organization.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta made successful move after successful move during the 2023 offseason, with many of the veterans he brought in making a significant impact. He talked about his confidence in the team’s free-agent culture. He mentioned players such as outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, and cornerback Arthur Maulet.

“That’s partly their own ability as players and their desire at this stage in their careers, but I also think it’s this place. Players come in here, and they’re part of our strength and conditioning program and the way that we practice and the way that we coach. Other players and the vibe that this place has – you guys see it at practice every day – we’ve become a place where veteran players can come and succeed and really play well. There are a lot of reasons for that – the performance stuff that we do upstairs and the wellness stuff that we do and nutrition with [director of sports nutrition] Sarah [Snyder] and [football performance coordinator] Sam [Rosengarten] and the trainers and [head coach] John [Harbaugh] and his program. Guys come in here and flourish, and so it speaks to that, but also to the type of guys that they are – [Kyle] Van Noy, [Jadeveon] Clowney, [Arthur] Maulet, [Ronald] Darby, all those guys. Those guys are wired the right way, and they really, really wanted to win this year. They saw a potential to win this year, and they hit the ground running, and they played very well.”

Clowney and Van Noy eclipsed nine sacks in Baltimore that year, with Clowney having 9.5 and Van Noy contributing nine of his own. Maulet also had a solid year, as did many more of DeCosta’s additions. Most of them were brought in on cost-effective deals, which reasonably gives the organizations confidence that with their reputation and on-field success, they’ll be able to bring in more of the same kinds of free agents in 2024.

Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners Bedlam Basketball Sweep

Both the Oklahoma Sooners men’s and women’s basketball teams completed sweeps of Oklahoma State in Bedlam on Saturday and here’s how social media reacted.

It was a wonderful day to be a Sooner fan on Saturday. In addition to the displays put forth on the diamond by OU Baseball and Softball, the teams that call the hardwood home provided some memorable performances in Bedlam.

The OU Men’s team won in dramatic fashion on Javian McCollum’s buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime. OU Women’s Bedlam win was a little less dramatic as Jennie Baranczyk and the Sooners cruised to a 35-point win in Norman.

Porter Moser hadn’t beaten Oklahoma State prior to this year and now he’s earned a sweep. Baranczyk, on the other hand, is 6-0 against the Cowgirls, who can’t wait for the OU Women’s team to be in the SEC and not a thorn in their side.

Freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] had a career-high 20 points to lead the Sooners, while [autotag]Lexi Keys[/autotag] became a part of NCAA history with her 1,000th career point.

Javian McCollum cemented his legacy with the buzzer-beater to win the game. It was a huge win that likely helped solidify Oklahoma’s spot in the NCAA tournament.

Here’s a look at some of the best reactions on social media from both the men’s and women’s outcomes.

Best Photos from the Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball dominant Bedlam win

A look at some of the best photos from Oklahoma Women’s Bedlam domination of Oklahoma State.

On an afternoon when they celebrated 50 years of Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball, Jennie Baranczyk’s squad put on a clinic.

The Sooners completed the Bedlam sweep with a 35-point domination of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. In the process, Baranczyk moved to 6-0 against Oklahoma State and the Sooners are now 14-2 in Big 12 play and 20-7 overall.

True freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] had a career-high 20 points, and [autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag] continued her fantastic couple of months with a double-double. [autotag]Lexi Keys[/autotag] scored her 1,000th career point in college basketball on what turned out to be a historic day for the Sooners.

The Sooners were up by just eight at halftime and then proceeded to outscore the Cowgirls by 27 points in the second half to earn the win.

This sets up a Red River Rivalry rematch that could decide the Big 12 championship on Wednesday. If the Sooners win, they’ll clinch an outright Big 12 title. If Texas wins, it’ll all come down to Saturday where Oklahoma could earn at least a share of the conference title with a win over Kansas.

Here are some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in Bedlam.