Tag: Roster

Chiefs elevate fan-favorite WR for ‘Monday Night Football’ matchup vs. Buccaneers

The Kansas City #Chiefs elevated fan-favorite WR Justyn Ross for their matchup against the Tampa Bay #Buccaneers on ‘Monday Night Football.’

The Kansas City Chiefs decided to elevate fan-favorite wide receiver Justyn Ross for their Week 9 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Monday Night Football.”

Ross, who has developed a cult following with the Chiefs since signing with Kansas City after the 2022 NFL draft, is set to get his first chance to make an impact for the defending Super Bowl champions this season.

A former Clemson Tiger, Ross was a highly coveted prospect as a collegian, but injuries caused him to fall off many teams’ draft boards.

He saw action with the Chiefs in 10 games last season, hauling in six passes for 53 yards.

 

Though head coach Andy Reid is unlikely to make Ross a featured part of Kansas City’s offensive game plan for the Buccaneers, fans should expect the third-year receiver to be eager to make an impact if his number is called.

Stay tuned to see if Ross sees the field when the Chiefs face Tampa Bay on “Monday Night Football.”

Wisconsin vs. Penn State matchup highlights recent recruiting rivalry

A look at Penn State’s recent recruiting success in the state of Wisconsin, and vise versa:

Saturday’s primetime matchup between the Wisconsin Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) and No. 3-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) carries significant weight in the Big Ten race.

Penn State currently sits in first place with an unblemished record, tied with No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) and No. 13 Indiana (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten). Wisconsin, meanwhile, is one signature win away from entering the conference race. A win over Penn State would push the Badgers to 4-1 in Big Ten play, likely just one game back of Oregon and Indiana, depending on Saturday’s results.

Related: 10 stats that will define Wisconsin Badgers vs. Penn State football

Saturday’s game also sees the on-field battle between two programs who have gone head-to-head on the recruiting trail over the last half-decade. Wisconsin has some big recruiting wins over Penn State, highlighted by 2021 five-star OT Nolan Rucci (who has since transferred to Penn State) and 2024 four-star OT Kevin Heywood.

Those are the two most significant recent examples of Wisconsin entering the state of Pennsylvania and earning a commitment from one of its top recruits.

Penn State, on the other hand, boasts similar recent success recruiting in the state of Wisconsin. It has recently earned commitments from four-star TE Jerry Cross (No. 4 recruit from Wisconsin in class of 2022), four-star OT Garrett Sexton (No. 2 in class of 2024), four-star RB Corey Smith (No. 3 in class of 2024) and four-star iOL Donnie Harbour (No. 4 in class of 2024).

Context surrounding each of those commitments is unique. This is listed not to point to a large trend or project into the future. Rather, it is done to outline significant context entering the game. Wisconsin has had recent success recruiting in the state of Pennsylvania, while Penn State has had the same in Wisconsin.

None of Rucci, Heywood, Cross, Smith, Sexton or Harbour figure to play big roles in the outcome of Saturday’s game. Rucci and Heywood are the closest to the field — each enters as their respective team’s top backup at offensive tackle. Still, they all represent an added layer of the matchup’s importance.

That added importance exists because on-field head-to-head win will inevitably contribute to the recruiting pitch for whichever program finds a victory. Given recent history, that recruiting pitch is likely to be made in the opposing state.

Wisconsin is trending positively on the recruiting trail under Luke Fickell, highlighted by a program-best 2024 class. Marquee home victories against top-ranked opponents are what Fickell needs to push that recruiting output to the next level.

Penn State, on the other hand, is already at that recruiting level with perennial top-15 classes and a No. 11 overall ranking in the 247Sports team talent composite for 2024.

It’s tough to overemphasize what a win could mean for the future of the Badgers program under Fickell, both on the field and on the recruiting trail.

Wisconsin and Penn State will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be broadcast on NBC and available via stream on Peacock.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Raiders sign former Bengals draft pick after he visits with Saints

Former Bengals third-round pick Zach Carter visited the Saints this week. He played for their defensive line coach in college but ultimately signed with the Raiders:

This is interesting. The Las Vegas Raiders announced Thursday they had signed defensive tackle Zach Carter to their practice squad, just days after he visited with the New Orleans Saints, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Carter, 25, was a third-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2022 NFL draft but was waived last week. That’s after he played for Todd Grantham, the Saints’ defensive line coach, for three years in college at Florida. So clearly that relationship wasn’t enough to seal the deal, even though the Saints have a vacancy on their practice squad right now just like the Raiders.

Maybe Carter sees more opportunities to get on the field with Las Vegas. Bryan Bresee is seeing the lion’s share of snaps at defensive tackle for the Saints (225 in five games), followed by Nathan Shepherd (176 in five games) and Khalen Saunders (58 in two games). John Ridgeway (61 in three games) and Khristian Boyd (51 in four games) have been competing for that fourth spot in the rotation each week, and Kendal Vickers (21 snaps in Week 1) remains on the practice squad.

None of them are currently listed on the injury report, so this may have just been an opportunity to try and improve depth rather than a real search for more help.

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Greg Gard: Badgers freshman PG Daniel Freitag ‘has some things physically that you can’t teach’

Greg Gard has high praise for freshman PG Daniel Freitag

Wisconsin basketball head coach Gard Gard had high praise for true freshman point guard Daniel Freitag earlier this week.

His comments come as the Badgers prepare to start their 2024-25 season in less than four weeks. Freitag, who joined the program this offseason as a four-star point guard recruit in the class of 2024, has been one of the early camp standouts.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season: A first look at the expanded conference

“Probably there’s nobody that had a better week of practice than [Freitag],” Gard told reporters in a video shared by 247Sports. “I think the game is, I don’t want to say slowed down, but mentally he’s slowed down a little bit. He’s still playing as aggressive and I think his decision-making. He has some things physically that you can’t teach — does some things physically with his burst. He brings an electricity to us on both ends of the floor.”

Freitag figures to compete for the starting point guard job after Chucky Hepburn’s surprising departure after the 2023-24 season. He, transfer Camren Hunter and veteran Kamari McGee are the primary contenders for the spot.

But regardless of whether he starts each game on the floor, Freitag guarantees to play a significant role immediately.

“Whatever role I get, I’m happy with,” Freitag said. “Although I’m striving to have the biggest role possible. Every team I’ve been on, I haven’t wanted to be the fourth, fifth option. Or even second option. I’ve always wanted to be the guy. And not even the guy that scores the most or gets the most attention. But the guy that people can lean on in big moments…So I want that No. 1 [point guard] spot, kind of like how Anthony Edwards wanted on Team USA. He was probably cool with what he got, but I want to be the guy.”

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native was 247Sports’ No. 127 player in the class of 2024, No. 11 point guard and No. 2 recruit from his home state. He appears on track to surpass what his initial recruiting ranking projected.

Freitag hopes to lead a Wisconsin basketball program in need of a resurgent stretch. The program has not reached the Sweet 16 since 2017, and only has two NCAA Tournament wins in that span. It is fresh off a first-round exit in 2024 at the hands of 12-seed James Madison.

With Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl all gone from the 2023-24 team, Freitag’s arrival hopes to mark the start of a new era of Badger basketball. That era will begin at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross.

It will be worth monitoring whether Freitag is introduced as the Badgers’ starting point guard on that date.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Recently-cut Saints WR is now a free agent after clearing waivers

A.T. Perry cleared waivers, and the Saints have an open spot on their practice squad. But what happens next might be up to him:

Now this is interesting. The New Orleans Saints waived wide receiver A.T. Perry last Friday, and when the waiver wire updated on Monday no team chose to pick him up, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Now Perry is a free agent, but what happens next may be up to him.

Saints coach Dennis Allen has already expressed an openness to keeping Perry around on the practice squad, and wouldn’t you know it but the team has a spot open after promoting rookie offensive lineman Kyle Hergel to the 53-man roster. But that’s not to say Perry doesn’t have options. He could choose to sign with another team’s practice squad and see if he has more success, depending on whether he’s received any offers.

You just have to wonder what’s out there. 32 teams saw his name on the waiver wire and decided they had better players on their rosters already; had someone claimed him, that team would’ve had to let another player go to make room. Swapping out rostered players with those on practice squads is a much lower-stakes affair.

Perry fell to the sixth round in last year’s draft for unquantifiable “character concerns,” and that may have played a part in the decision to not claim him. And his problems in New Orleans have been with picking up the playbook and executing his role on offense. Maybe that’s what scared off those teams in the first place. There’s a good chance Perry remains with the Saints on their practiice squad, but that’s no sure thing. Otherwise they wouldn’t have risked losing him on waivers at all.

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Wisconsin great Braelon Allen shares thought on Chez Mellusi’s departure from Badgers program

Braelon Allen comments on Chez Mellusi’s departure from Badgers program

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen has chimed in on the news that veteran running back Chez Mellusi is leaving the Badgers program.

The reporting notes that Mellusi left ‘to continue rehabbing injuries that prevented him from playing to his expectation.’ The veteran recently returned from a broken leg and ankle suffered early in the 2023 season. It was his third significant injury in as many seasons with the program.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s blowout victory over Purdue

Mellusi departs after leading Badgers in rush attempts (56), rushing yards (232) and touchdowns (3) through the first four games of the season.

Most of the dialogue surrounding Mellusi’s departure was overwhelmingly positive. Most fans were appreciative of the running back’s efforts, determination and overall contribution to the program.

As can be the case, however, some sentiments skewed in the opposite direction.

That’s where Allen enters the conversation. He responded to a post on X that tried to spin Mellusi’s departure into a positive for the program, calling it a ‘blessing in disguise.’ His response: a thumbs-down emoji.

The conversation on X continued as Allen was then asked to elaborate on a recent cryptic tweet surrounding his experience with the program in 2023. He responded with the following post:

“I love Wisconsin and everything about it,” Allen wrote. “But I also have strong feelings about the way things were done and how people were treated and how nobody needed to be held accountable besides the players.”

The conversation never entered specifics. But it continued an overall air of mystery surrounding Allen’s thoughts on the state of the program, or at least his thoughts on ‘the way things were done and how people were treated.’

Allen and Mellusi shared the backfield from 2021-23. The two were a formidable 1-2 punch when Mellusi was healthy. Their best collective season came back in 2021 when Allen, as a 17-year-old true freshman, rushed for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Mellusi added 815 yards and five touchdowns in nine games of action.

The two importantly elected to remain with the program after the hire of Luke Fickell in November 2022. Their collective leadership presence was important as Fickell worked to bridge the gap from the prior regime.

Right now, Mellusi’s departure leaves Tawee Walker as Wisconsin’s likely leader in the backfield entering the rest of the season. Darrion Dupree was the primary backup during the team’s dominant win over Purdue, with Cade Yacamelli also figuring into the mix.

But the current implications take an occasional backseat to stories like this one. Allen continues to hint at more extensive thoughts on the state of the program, but he is still yet to share any specifics.

One of his specific thoughts is clear: Mellusi’s departure is not ‘a blessing in disguise’ for the Wisconsin football program.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Greg Gard highlights breakout player on Wisconsin basketball’s 2024-25 roster

Greg Gard highlights breakout player on Wisconsin basketball’s 2024-25 roster

Wisconsin basketball head coach Greg Gard spoke with reporters at Big Ten media days in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday. The event marks the start of the ramp-up to the season, which is just four weeks away.

One topic of conversation was Gard’s thoughts on his roster entering the season. Specifically, on a player who could experience a breakout campaign.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season: A first look at the expanded conference

His answer: sophomore center Nolan Winter.

BadgerExtra’s Michael McCleary relayed Gard’s sentiment: “For Nolan to take the jump he has … he still’s got a ways to go, but we really like what we’ve seen so far.”

Winter played in 36 games as a true freshman in 2023-24. He finished with per-game averages of 9.4 minutes, 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds on 56% shooting. Most significantly, he was thrust into action against some of the best players in the country, headlined by Purdue superstar center Zach Edey.

The sophomore enters 2024-25 still as Wisconsin’s backup center behind senior Steven Crowl. This role should allow Winter to continue his development without being relied upon as arguably the most critical member of the Badgers’ starting lineup. If Gard’s words are any indication, Winter could be ready for the same midcareer jump seen with several recent Badgers centers. Crowl and Nate Reuvers are two prominent examples.

Wisconsin enters the 2024-25 season tied for 12th in the preseason Big Ten media poll. While the team has real questions after offseason departures of Chucky Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl, Gard reloaded the roster in the transfer portal and welcomes top 2024 point guard Daniel Freitag to campus.

Signs point to Wisconsin entering the season under the radar with the ability to again contend for a conference title. Game 1 is at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Former Wisconsin wide receiver matching records in UConn win over Buffalo

Former Wisconsin wide receiver has record-breaking performance in UConn win over Buffalo

Former Wisconsin wide receiver Skyler Bell is in the midst of a career day as the UConn Huskies roll to a dominant win over Buffalo.

The Huskies lead 37-3 at the end of the third quarter. Bell’s line: six receptions, 153 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Related: How Graham Mertz, Wisconsin’s recent transfer departures fared in Week 4 of 2024 football season

The former Badger is setting career highs across the board. His performance is also climbing UConn’s single-game leaderboard. His three touchdown receptions are tied for second-most all time and his 153 receiving yards are 25 yards short of the top 10.

This dominant performance continues a fantastic start to the 2024 season for Bell. His first four games included 15 catches for 347 receiving yards and a touchdown. Those combined totals: 21 catches, 500 yards and four touchdowns.

For reference, Wisconsin’s leading receiver through three games is Will Pauling with 19 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown. Bryson Green is second with eight catches for 89 yards. Bell alone has almost as many receiving yards (500) as Wisconsin’s entire team (547) — Bell through five games and the Badgers through three.

Bell was one of several Wisconsin receivers to transfer elsewhere this offseason, joining Chimere Dike and Keontez Lewis. Lewis has already registered a record-breaking performance of his own, while Dike is still working to find a groove leading the Florida Gators passing game.

The recent departures serve as an interesting comparison as Wisconsin continues to work toward finding an offensive identity. Bell is a clear success story of a Badger from the Paul Chryst era moving to a new location.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Report: Wisconsin transfer WR forced to sit out entire 2024 season

Report: Wisconsin transfer WR addition forced to sit out entire 2024 season

Wisconsin transfer wide receiver Joseph Griffin Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, according to several reports, the latest being from BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew.

Griffin was reportedly deemed ineligible for failing to meet the transfer eligibility requirements. WOZN’s Zach Heilprin has clarified that it was an NCAA decision, not a Wisconsin decision.

Related: Wisconsin releases updated depth chart for Week 3 vs. Alabama

Griffin Jr. transferred to the Badgers this spring after a productive pair of seasons at Boston College. He recorded 43 catches, 579 receiving yards and six touchdowns with Boston College.

The 6-foot-4 outside receiver figured to join Wisconsin’s rotation immediately, serving as a complement to Bryson Green and others. However, he was not dressed for the team’s first two games of the season. Now, the reason has become clear. His potential on-field impact will have to wait until 2025.

Wisconsin’s two-deep depth chart entering Week 3 against Alabama lists starters Bryson Green, Will Pauling and Vinny Anthony OR C.J. Williams, plus backups Chris Brooks Jr., Tyrell Henry and Trech Kekahuna. The Badgers are still looking to get their passing offense in a rhythm after a pair of underwhelming performances.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Broncos have NFL’s 3rd-youngest roster in 2024

The Broncos have the third-youngest roster in the NFL going into the 2024 NFL season, including 17 players under 25 years old.

After setting their 53-man roster last week, the Denver Broncos have the third-youngest team in the NFL going into the 2024 NFL season, according to data collected by bookies.com.

With an average age of 26 years, one month and 19 days, the Broncos only trail the Los Angeles Rams (25.11.12) and Green Bay Packers (25.7.25). The Buffalo Bills (27.5.29) are the oldest team in the league.

This is a big age drop from last year when Denver ranked as the 10th-oldest team in the league. The Broncos moved on from several aging veterans this spring including quarterback Russell Wilson (35) and safety Justin Simmons (30).

Denver also parted ways with safety Kareem Jackson (36) late last season, and fullback Michael Burton (32) was dropped down to the practice squad this summer, so he does not count against the team’s active roster age average. 

“Sean [Payton] has said it a number of times, ‘We’re young and hungry,'” general manager George Paton said after roster cuts last week.

Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles (32) is the team’s oldest player. Denver has three other players older than 30 and four players older than 29. Rookie pass rusher Jonah Elliss (21) is the team’s youngest player. The Broncos have 17 players under 25, including rookie quarterback Bo Nix (24).

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