Sporting News – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Sporting News sends Vikings an edge rusher with upside in latest mock

The debate between high-upside and the ability to contribute right away will be a heavy discussion over the next two months

The NFL offseason underway and the Minnesota Vikings have their work cut out for them. They started with 25 impending free agents and many decisions to be made from a salary cap standpoint, they’ll need to be savvy to ensure this roster is ready at the start of 2023.

Edge rusher is a position that is not currently required but will be in the future. Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith are getting older, and no clear succession plan exists.

On Tuesday, Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News gave the Vikings that successor in their latest mock draft by selecting Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness.

“The Vikings need to boost their pass rush badly behind Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter. Van Ness can be a situational star at first with his burst and relentlessness before rounding out into a complete edge player.”

There is a lot of intrigue around Van Ness, and rightfully so. He’s a versatile defensive lineman with insane power and a motor to match it. While others are higher than Van Ness, I’m not completely sold. His upside is there, but he was inconsistent on the tape I watched.

The Vikings need guys who can step in and contribute to an aging defense. In the long term, Van Ness could develop into a star, but I’m not sure the timeline matches what the Vikings need.

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Vikings select Joey Porter Jr. in latest 2023 NFL mock draft

Size and ability in press coverage should be a priority for the Vikings

The cornerback class in the 2023 NFL draft is deep and skilled which is a good thing for the Minnesota Vikings. They continue to be mocked cornerback and it continued with Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News. He has the Vikings selecting Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

With the cornerback class, there are players of different skill sets and Porter Jr. is one of the bigger options. Here is what Iyer had to say about the Vikings selecting Porter Jr.

“The Vikings need to give Cam Dantzler better help on the back end with Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan heading into free agency. They could use some of Porter’s size, speed and physicality to make more plays on the ball in coverage.”

The Vikings’ defensive scheme is still up in the air due to the defensive coordinator search, but adding corner help should be a priority for this team whether in free agency or the draft. Porter Jr. would help the Vikings in either press coverage or in zone with his rumored 35″ arms and aggressive nature.

Sporting News way-too-early top 25 slightly less optimistic about Penn State in 2023

Sporting News is slightly less optimistic about Penn State’s outlook in 2023 compared to other way-too-early rankings

It seems that most of the way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2023 season are suggesting Penn State will be in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff hunt with rankings sitting just outside of the College Football Playoff. The Sporting News also sees Penn State having a top-10 worthy season but is coming off slightly less optimistic about its ranking next season.

The Sporting News’ way-too-early top 25 ranking released this week places Penn State at no. 9 in its look ahead to the 2023 season. That is a few spots lower than similar way-too-early rankings released by 247Sports and ESPN, for example. But it may be unfair to suggest Sporting News thinks Penn State won’t be as good as the other rankings suggest. It may be more of the fact Sporting News is more optimistic about some other programs than the other outlets have been.

The top four in the Sporting News ranking are similar to most others with Georgia and Alabama taking the top two spots and Michigan and Ohio State each ranked ahead of Penn State. But Sporting News has USC, TCU, LSU, and Tennessee all ranked ahead of the Nittany Lions.

Here is what Sporting News had to say about Penn State in 2023;

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] broke the losing streak against top-10 teams with Penn State’s impressive 35-14 victory against Utah in the Rose Bowl. Now, the [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] era at quarterback begins, and running back [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] seems primed to be one of the best running backs in the country. Tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] is back, too. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] returns a solid unit that features [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag]. This might be their best team since the 2016 Big Ten championship team. Michigan visits Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions have to win at Ohio State. The stakes have not changed.

Penn State going 2-0 against Michigan and Ohio State would in all likelihood put Penn State firmly in the playoff picture, as long as it avoids a speedbump elsewhere on its 2023 schedule. But just earning a split between the two teams could be enough to factor into Penn State having a shot at the Big Ten title, and perhaps a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time. But the assessment is correct in suggesting Penn State has to do some damage against the Wolverines and Buckeyes if it wants to take the next step toward a playoff berth.

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What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame vs. Marshall

The Irish got this, or so people think.

Notre Dame will have another chance get on the board for the 2022 season Saturday. Against a program like Marshall, that shouldn’t be a problem. Then again, college football has seen crazier things happen.

Let’s look at what some college football experts, including fellow College Wire sites, are predicting for this game:

Alabama Football: Sporting News predicts Crimson Tide’s postseason opponents

Sporting News predicts Alabama to make another National Title appearance in 2022

The Alabama Crimson Tide has won three out of the eight college football playoff national championships to date, with another two champions coming from fellow SEC schools, LSU and Georgia.

With one of the best quarterbacks and rosters in program history, anything short of a playoff appearance will be a disappointing season in the eyes of the Crimson Tide faithful. Fortunately for them, it’s hard for anyone to imagine the Tide not finishing the season among the top four.

Bill Bender of Sporting News predicted all of the bowl and playoff games for the upcoming 2022 season, including a third consecutive playoff birth for Alabama.

Bender projects that the Crimson Tide will meet up with a familiar foe, the Clemson Tigers, in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. After beating Clemson, Bender thinks that they will face the Ohio State Buckeyes for all of the marbles in the 2022 national title game.

Ohio State would love a chance to get some revenge on Alabama after the smacking the Tide put on them in the 2020 national title game when Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith posted the absurd stat line of 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns all in the first half.

Do you think Nick Saban can capture number eight this season?

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Sporting News predicts Alabama record, opponent in SEC championship

Sporting News’ predictions for Alabama in 2022

The Alabama Crimson Tide have their focus set on a seventh national title under head coach Nick Saban this season. The Crimson Tide returns Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young, and all-world defensive talent, Will Anderson, which alone makes them immediate contenders. However, after an offseason of working the transfer portal, Saban has one of the most well-rounded teams he’s had in Tuscaloosa thus far.

Bill Bender of the Sporting News sees the Tide as legit contenders once again as he predicts the Crimson Tide to defeat Texas A&M and make it to another SEC title game.

Bender envisions that the Tide will meet up with Georgia in Atlanta for the SEC title where the Tide will ultimately get their revenge.

Can Bryce Young become the second back-to-back Heisman trophy winner while guiding the Tide to another national title? We’ll find out soon.

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Where LSU lands in Sporting News’ preseason bowl projections

Sporting News has the Tigers facing a Big Ten team in the Music City Bowl.

Since capturing a College Football Playoff national title in 2019, LSU hasn’t had much to write home about during the postseason.

The Tigers went 5-5 in 2020 but self-imposed a bowl ban as a result of the ongoing NCAA investigation into the program, and a shorthanded squad finished the 2021 season with a blowout loss against Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.

New coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] isn’t necessarily expected to bring the team back to title contention in Year 1, but he is expected to improve LSU’s national standing quite a bit. The latest bowl projections from Sporting News don’t exactly reflect that, however, as the Tigers are predicted to land in the mid-tier Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 31.

These projections have LSU drawing Penn State in that game.

The two teams have met twice before — both in bowl games — with the Nittany Lions holding a 2-0 record in the all-time series. They won the 1974 Orange Bowl by a score of 16-9, and they survived a 19-17 affair in the Capital One Bowl in 2010.

This wouldn’t be the most exciting bowl matchup, and Tigers fans certainly hope the team can put together a good enough campaign to end up in a more high-profile game. But it would at least bring together two historic powers who rarely play against each other in a fun backdrop.

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Sporting News makes Penn State bowl prediction for 2022 season

The Sporting News bowl projections send Penn State to face an SEC opponent in a new bowl game

As August begins, our itch for college football is growing uncontrollably. Penn State opened fall camp on Monday and programs around the country are hitting the practice field with the hope of having a successful season in the fall. For Penn State, the goal is to rebound and be more of a player in the Big Ten title race than the past two seasons have netted. But with the start of fall camp comes updated bowl projections from some of college football’s finest experts.

Bill Bender of The Sporting News took some time on Monday to provide his fresh batch of bowl projections for the upcoming college football season, including a possible bowl destination for the Nittany Lions. Unfortunately, Bender doesn’t see Penn State playing in the College Football Playoff or a New Years Six bowl game. Bender doesn’t even see Penn State laying in a traditional January 1 bowl game.

Instead, Bender’s bowl projection for Penn State has the Nittany Lions heading to Nashville, Tennessee to play in this season’s Music City Bowl on Dec. 31. Bender’s bowl projection for The Sporting News pairs Penn State up against LSU from the SEC in the Music City Bowl, which would make for a fun New Years Eve matchup.

Penn State has never played in the Music City Bowl, although the game had bowl tie-ins with the Big East, ACC, and SEC for the majority of its history. The Big Ten, replacing the Big East, had a four-year stint with the Music City Bowl from 2002 through 2006 before being replaced by the ACC. The Big Ten and SEC are paired up against each other in the Music City Bowl in a contract that spans from 2020 through the 2025 season.

Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] is no stranger to the Music City Bowl, of course. In 2012, Franklin coached Vanderbilt to a 38-24 victory over NC State in the Music City Bowl to finish with a top 25 ranking for the Commodores. Franklin’s successful 2012 season with Vanderbilt helped fuel his candidacy to become Penn State’s next head coach following Bill O’Brien’s departure to the NFL.

Purdue won last season’s Music City Bowl with a 48-45 victory in overtime over Tennessee. Penn State opens the 2022 season on Thursday, September 1 at Purdue.

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Two Aggies named to Sporting News 2022 Preseason All-American Team

The 2022 Texas A&M Football squad has been on the receiving end of a lot of preseason praise as we’re officially seven Saturdays away from the week one kickoff on September 3rd against Sam Houston State. Whether it’s offense, defense, or special teams, the Aggies are loaded at every position group with the perfect mix of experience, and a youth movement of immense talent aided the historic 2022 recruiting class.

On that note, Sporting News has just released their 2022 Preseason All-American Team, which happens to include two well-known and vital members of the Texas A&M roster, defensive back Antonio Johnson, and offensive lineman Layden Robinson.

Antonio Johnson is slated to play at the nickel corner and safety position on defense this season and was named to the First-team defense at safety alongside Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo, and Alabama safety Jordan Battle. Sporting News writer Bill Bender described his reasoning for the selection:

Johnson made the most of his first season as a starter with the Aggies. He finished with 79 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups. Johnson guarded the slot out of the nickel cornerback position for the Aggies last season, and he excelled in that position as a dependable playmaker, and new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin could add a few new wrinkles to his game.

Layden Robinson was designated as a Second-team offense selection at right guard alongside Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence, Michigan Center Olesegun Oluwatimi, BYU tackle Clark Barrington, and Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson. Robinson is seen as the presumptive leader on the offensive line, and one of the best-run blockers in the country, with the hopes of having his best season yet while leading the Aggies to success on the field, and helping his draft stock in the process.

Expect to hear both Antonio Johnson and Layden Robinsons’ names come up a whole lot this coming season as two of the most impactful players for Texas A&M.

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Iowa’s Jack Campbell, Riley Moss named Sporting News preseason first-team All-Americans

More preseason honors roll in for Iowa’s Jack Campbell and Riley Moss. The pair were named preseason All-Americans by Sporting News.

The preseason awards train keeps on chugging along for a pair of Iowa defensive stars. Senior linebacker Jack Campbell and redshirt senior cornerback Riley Moss were both recognized as preseason first-team All-Americans by Sporting News’ Bill Bender.

Campbell finished the 2021 season as the national leader in tackles with 143. He added eight passes defensed, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and a pair of interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

The 6-foot-5, 246 pound linebacker from Cedar Falls, Iowa, was a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele in 2021. Phil Steele and the Big Ten media named Campbell as a first-team All-Big Ten member last season.

Campbell was a tackling machine for the Hawkeyes. He had 140 total stops, including 14 total tackles in the Citrus Bowl. He also had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and six pass breakups. Campbell missed spring practice with a knee injury, but is healthy and ready for a fifth season. – Bender, Sporting News.

Riley Moss got his 2021 season off to a blazing start with a pair of interceptions that he returned for touchdowns of 30 and 55 yards in Iowa’s 34-6 season-opening win over Indiana. Moss finished the 2021 season with 39 tackles, nine passes defensed, four interceptions and three tackles for loss.

In 2021, the 6-foot-1, 193 pound cornerback was honored as a first-team All-American by Sporting News and a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. He was also the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the league’s media and coaches.

Moss is a fifth-year player who took advantage of his opportunities in the Hawkeyes’ secondary last season. He had four interceptions and a pair of pick sixes. Moss missed three games with a left knee injury. Moss didn’t allow a TD in coverage in 2021 and can build on that on an experienced defense. – Bender, Sporting News.

Both Campbell and Moss were named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list, were listed as preseason All-Americans by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele and were named as preseason first-team All-Big Ten selections by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.

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