Tag: reaction

Eagles to host UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson on a top 30 pre-draft visit

After having a formal meeting at the NFL scouting combine, the Philadelphia Eagles will host a top 30 predraft visit with UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson

The Eagles are about developing quarterbacks, and a player that made our NFL combine sleepers list will meet with team brass again.

After meeting with former UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the 2023 NFL scouting combine, the Eagles will host the dual-threat signal-caller on a top-30 predraft visit.

During his final season with former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, Thompson-Robinson completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards, 27 touchdowns, and ten interceptions for the Bruins in 2022, adding 12 rushing touchdowns.

At UCLA, the 23-year-old signal-caller completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 10,710 yards, 88 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions in his five seasons.

Similar to Jalen Hurts in size and stature(6-1, 205), Thompson-Robinson was also efficient on the ground, totaling 1,826 rushing yards in his career, including a career-high 645 yards last season.

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Michigan State basketball almost at scholarship limit

A look at Michigan State’s current 2023-24 roster, which is almost at it’s scholarship limit:

Michigan State received great news this week, learning Tyson Walker and Malik Hall would return for a fifth collegiate season, seriously bolstering MSU’s roster for the 2023-24 season.

With both players returning, the roster management phase of Michigan State’s offseason could be coming to a close. With the two seniors back, the Spartans are near their scholarship limit.

Tom Izzo is allowed to use 13 scholarships in any given year, and the Spartans have 12 scholarship players. As long as no one enters the portal, MSU may be done with adding to their roster.

Take a look at MSU’s 12 scholarship players for next season:

WATCH: More video of Trey Lance moving, throwing

There’s more video of Trey Lance throwing — and this time it’s even more encouraging.

There’s more video out from Trey Lance’s offseason training sessions in Texas. This time it’s more than just one slow motion throw. An Instagram video from cinematographer Preston Smith shows Lance throwing in slow motion again, but there’s some additional footage of him dropping back and moving around.

The footwork and speed of his movement on dropbacks are the most notable parts of any offseason Lance workout videos.

As with the first slow-mo video that came out, we can’t glean much from a couple of throws in a controlled practice environment. However, Lance looks to be moving regularly on the ankle he injured in Week 2. Here’s the video via Niners Nation:

Ultimately any improvements Lance makes to his footwork and throwing motion have to be replicated in a game where he’s moving at full speed and there are defenders around him.

Still, recovery from his two ankle surgeries appears to be going well, and that’s a better sign than any minute changes to his throwing motion at this point. Assessment of his throwing motion can begin in camp and preseason games when the reps are live.

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Looking at recruits that may commit to Michigan State football soon

UPDATED: Looking at prospects who may commit to Michigan State soon with a new addition:

Michigan State football is off to a somewhat slow start to its 2024 recruiting class, securing only two commitments to this point. Compared to recent years, this number is down, but that isn’t something to be worried about yet.

Recruiting is sure to pick up in the near future. As the spring game approaches, several key visitor weekends are scheduled in the coming weeks.

Several prospects high on the Spartans could pull the trigger on a commitment with one more good visit to East Lansing.

Let’s take a look at three prospects who could commit to MSU soon:

SEC Softball: Power rankings after fifth week of conference play

The best teams in the SEC are beginning to separate themselves with four conference weekends remaining.

Another week of conference play has come and gone and there was not much movement throughout the SEC this week.

The Georgia Bulldogs are the league’s hottest team, still not having dropped s series. A road test against the No. 15 Florida Gators awaits the Bulldogs this weekend.

The No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide has been underwhelming. They will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road this weekend.

Some of the best series taking place this weekend is The no. 13 LSU Tigers at the No. 21 Auburn Tigers, the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs at the No. 15 Florida Gators, and the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats.

Once again, each team has an overall record above .500, but conference play is starting to separate the pack.

Projecting the Falcons’ starting lineups in 2023

#Falcons CB Jeff Okudah cracks the starting lineup in our latest projection

Since taking over in 2021, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has shown a willingness to upgrade the roster by any means necessary. On Tuesday, the team sent a fifth-round pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for former top-five pick Jeff Okudah.

The Falcons have already added some significant pieces on defense, including safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle David Onyemata and defensive end Calais Campbell. On offense, Atlanta traded for tight end Jonnu Smith and gave hefty contracts to right guard Chris Lindstrom and right tackle Kaleb McGary.

So, what will the team’s starting lineups look like in 2023? Check out our latest projections for the Falcons offense, defense and special teams units below.

Baseball composite: Tigers once again unranked in every major poll

Auburn receives no love from the national polls after last weekend’s series loss to Texas A&M.

The Auburn Tigers dropped to 19-12-1 overall and to 4-8 in the Southeastern Conference after falling to the Texas A&M Aggies in two out of three games.

Auburn has started to slip, dropping five of its last six games including a 6-5 loss to the UAB Blazers in Birmingham last week.

Auburn’s series against the Aggies got off to a rough start as the Tigers lost 9-5 to open things up on Thursday night. Due to the threat of inclement weather the Tigers and Aggies played a doubleheader on Friday. Auburn came out on top in the first game, narrowly beating the Aggies 10-9. Texas A&M answered back in the final game, however, picking up a 12-6 win to close out the weekend and to secure the series victory.

Up next for Auburn is a midweek contest with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. CT. The Tigers picked up a thrilling 12-11 victory in 12 innings in the last meeting between the teams last month in Plainsman Park.

Auburn will follow that up with a trip to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide (23-10, 4-8 SEC). The Crimson Tide will also be looking to bounce back after back-to-back rough outings, dropping two out of three games against the No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Here is a look at this week’s six major polls.

3 Cowboys stars, 1 famous missed connection make list of best draft picks over last 10 years

Zack Martin and Micah Parsons are no-brainers. But a third should have been a Cowboy, and there’s an honorable mention sure to spark debate. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The cards will be turned in, the names will be called, the bro-hugs will play out on TV. Immediately afterward, the report cards will be handed out and the projections will start to roll in.

But once we get even a few years into the future beyond the 2023 NFL draft, how many of the names we’re obsessing over right now will still be considered stars? Of the 259 college prospects about to have their lives changed, how many will go on to achieve real superstar status?

Not many.

Sports Illustrated narrowed down the 20 best draft picks of the past 10 years. Any team, any position, any round.

Only two of the players listed as the best of the best were top-three selections, suggesting that maybe the difference between the choices now facing Carolina and Indianapolis aren’t as life-or-death as they feel to their front offices and fans. What’s more, six of the 20 weren’t even first-rounders, meaning that greatness can be found all draft weekend long.

The Cowboys, traditionally an excellent drafting team, has two recent picks on the list, one infamous missed opportunity, and another ex-playmaker landing a perhaps controversial honorable mention.

Auburn makes the cut in Malik Blocton’s top 10

Auburn is the current favorite to land the class of 2024’s No. 34 ranked DL.

Auburn continues to impress one of the state’s top 2024 prospects.

After a recent visit to campus, three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag] revealed that the Tigers had made his top-10 list. Along with Auburn, Blocton is considering Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia.

The Pike Road product took a visit in March to watch one of Auburn’s spring practice exercises, where he came away impressed.

“It was fun, the energy out there was high,” Blocton said in an interview with Auburn Live’s Cole Pinkston. “It was a real fun practice.”

While on campus, he also stated that he really enjoyed being around the new staff put in place by Hugh Freeze, and even said that he could see himself playing under DL coach Jeremy Garrett.

Blocton is a three-star DL from Pike Road, Alabama. According to 247Sports, Blocton is the No. 25 recruit from the state of Alabama for the 2024 cycle, and he is the No. 34 defensive lineman in the country. Blocton has not received a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports yet but has a 52% chance to commit to Auburn according to On3’s recruiting prediction machine.

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Falcons Twitter reacts to Jeff Okudah trade

#Falcons Twitter reacts to team trading for cornerback Jeff Okudah

The Atlanta Falcons executed their second trade of the 2023 offseason on Tuesday, acquiring the former No. 3 overall pick, cornerback Jeff Okudah, in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick.

Originally hailed as the top cornerback in the 2020 NFL draft class, Okudah has had an up-and-down career thus far. He now joins a secondary featuring cornerback A.J. Terrell, the player that Atlanta selected 16th overall in that same 2020 draft.

Okudah will likely compete with Casey Hayward for a starting job opposite Terrell. Here’s how Falcons Twitter reacted to the trade.