Tag: Yahoo Sports

Ivan Pace, Jr. named to The Sporting News’ top 25 under 25 team

Minnesota linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr. went from undrafted free agent to one of the league’s best young linebackers in just one season.

It’s not uncommon to see undrafted free agents make the team in the NFL. In fact, according to Yahoo! Sports, from 2019-2023, well over 400 undrafted free agents went on to not only make their team but reach the team’s starting lineup.

What’s more rare, though, is an undrafted free agent playing so well that he becomes somewhat of a household name. That’s becoming a reality for Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr. Pace went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft but quickly worked his way into the lineup and has become one of the league’s rising young stars, according to The Sporting News.

In his list of the top 25 players in the league under 25 years old, Vinnie Iyer put Pace on the team in one of his three linebacker spots, saying:

The undrafted gem from Miami (Ohio) was on the field everywhere making big plays for Brian Flores as a rookie in 2023. He can become more prolific out of the gate this season.

Pace earned his spot on The Sporting News’ list by being a productive player in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defensive scheme at all levels. Pace’s rookie season ended with him notching 102 tackles while also accounting for two tackles-for-loss, nine quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks.

But Pace wasn’t just a force at or behind the line of scrimmage. Pace also had two passes defended and one interception while playing in all 17 games for the Vikings, with 11 starts.

It truly was an exceptional rookie season for the young linebacker—one worthy of praise and likely worthy of an expanded role for Flores’ defense in year two.

Vikings get aggressive for QB in latest Yahoo Sports mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings trade up with the Los Angeles Chargers for J.J. McCarthy in the latest mock draft from Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald.

We’re still more than a month away from the NFL draft, but with the scouting combine behind us and the free agency period on the horizon, a good portion of the puzzle will start to fall into place. With the Minnesota Vikings likely to lose out on quarterback Kirk Cousins, they’ll need to find his replacement.

That’s exactly what happens in the latest Yahoo Sports mock draft from Charles McDonald and Nate Tice. In this mock, McDonald is the one picking for the Vikings, and he has them trading up with the Los Angeles Chargers to get Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Here’s McDonald’s analysis of the selection:

In this world where Kirk Cousins has become the quarterback of the Falcons, the Vikings need to find their new guy. Here, they trade up for McCarthy, who has the upside to become a good NFL starter, even if he needs time to grow into the player people hope he can be in the future.

The idea of the Vikings drafting McCarthy is nothing new. He’s become a popular target for the Vikings in mock drafts. Minnesota trading up for a quarterback isn’t anything new, either. What is new here is the trade partner, the Chargers. Los Angeles would make a lot of sense in a trade down, as they need to replenish the weapons and offensive line around young star Justin Herbert.

The mock doesn’t go into detail on what the compensation in the move up would be, but if it’s a deal that allows Minnesota to keep All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, it’s worth exploring.

[lawrence-related id=91641,91637,91609,91622,91610,91603,91598,91545,91554,91551]

Minnesota Vikings add a quarterback in latest Yahoo mock draft

Once again, Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy is sent to the Minnesota Vikings in a mock draft

It’s no secret that the Minnesota Vikings have some serious questions at the quarterback position. Will they address those questions in the 2024 NFL Draft? Charles McDonald and Nate Tice over at Yahoo Sports seem to think so, if their latest mock draft is any indication.

In their latest for Yahoo Sports, McDonald and Tice took turns projecting the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with McDonald taking even numbers and Tice getting odds. With Tice at the helm for the 11th pick, the Minnesota Vikings grabbed former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Here’s Tice’s justification for the selection:

Coaches from the Shanahan tree are going to love McCarthy’s skills (hello, Kevin O’Connell). He’s a good athlete and thrower on the move, and he’s willing to stand in the pocket and fire the pigskin over the middle of the field. McCarthy has below-average size and will need to bulk up at the next level. Whatever happens with Kirk Cousins this offseason, McCarthy will give the Vikings some shape of bridge into the future at the signal-caller spot.

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding McCarthy and his draft stock at the moment, but there are also some reasons for concern. As Tice pointed out, McCarthy is a bit undersized for the position. He also ran a run-heavy offense for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines, which may lead some to question whether he has the talent to be a consistent quarterback worthy of a top-15 pick.

[lawrence-related id=90728,90720,90718,90708,90709,90706,90702,90693,90696,90688]

Michigan football in potential hot water with the NCAA once again

Well, well #GoBucks

[autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag]’s main rival, Michigan, is once again under an NCAA investigation, for the second time this year.

Earlier this season, Wolverines head coach [autotag]Jim Harbaugh[/autotag], sat out the first three games of this season as a “self-imposed” penalty for recruiting violations. This recent accusation, is a bit more serious in nature.

[autotag]Yahoo Sports[/autotag] is reporting that the “NCAA is investigating Michigan for possibly scouting opponents in person in an alleged attempt to ascertain play calling signs,” per industry sources. The piece goes on to explain that sign stealing is not a violation, but the fact that they have in-person scouts at games is.

With this investigation is just in it’s infancy stages, if the NCAA found Michigan at fault for it’s recruiting violations, they very well could find evidence against them for this as well.

For now, we’ll just let it all play out.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Jim Harbaugh, NCAA negotiating a 4-game suspension to start 2023

Michigan is currently ranked No. 4 in the 2024 national recruiting rankings.

It’s been several months since we heard any word on the NCAA’s investigation into alleged recruiting violations by Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

Today, we finally got an update courtesy of some reporting from Ross Dellenger at Yahoo Sports, who notes that Harbaugh is negotiating with the NCAA over an expected four-game suspension to begin the 2023 season.

“Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the NCAA are working toward a negotiated resolution that is expected to see him suspended four games this season in penalties stemming from alleged false statements he originally made to investigators, sources tell Yahoo Sports.”

Harbaugh’s attorney Tom Mars has released a statement responding to Dellenger’s reporting, saying they are cooperating with the NCAA staff on an enforcement matter.

The Wolverines’ first four games of the year are against ECU, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers, all at home.

Michigan is currently ranked No. 4 in the 2024 national recruiting rankings.

More football stories

Nation’s No. 1 LB Justin Williams comments on Georgia commitment

Oklahoma ’24 class gets huge boost from top-ranked RB Taylor Tatum

CB Joey Porter Jr. goes to Vikings in latest mock draft from Yahoo Sports

The Vikings need cornerbacks and they get a good one with Joey Porter Jr.

With defensive coordinator Brian Flores in place, the Minnesota Vikings are likely to reshape the cornerback room in his image.

A major part of that image is physical cornerbacks who thrive playing in man coverage. Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports believes the Vikings will go that direction as he has them selecting Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

New defensive coordinator Brian Flores needs more athleticism at cornerback than he currently has with the Vikings setup. Joey Porter Jr. can fix that.

The best way to describe Porter is to compare him directly to his father, who played linebacker for the Steelers: a physical monster. He knows how to play physical at the line of scrimmage and can stick with receivers. When he does get beaten, his length helps him attack the ball.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=595424714]

Yahoo Sports continues popular trend of sending Cam Smith to Vikings

Cam Smith has been a popular pick for the Vikings in mock drafts this offseason. Yahoo Sports continues that trend in their latest mock

The Minnesota Vikings have a cornerback need this offseason, especially since two of their best starters, Duke Shelley and Patrick Peterson, are set to become free agents in 2022. Luckily, this year’s NFL Draft is loaded with talent throughout days one and two.

In a Yahoo Sports mock draft by Charles McDonald, he has the Vikings fulfilling their need at cornerback by drafting South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith.

“The Vikings got off to a great start in their first season with Kevin O’Connell, but they need to continue adding talent if they want to repeat their success from this past season. Smith is a nice option at this point in the draft and has starting upside for the Vikings’ next defensive coordinator.”

Smith has been a popular pick for the Vikings throughout the early stages of mock drafts, and he’d be able to come in and provide the Vikings with additional depth in the cornerback room. Smith would have the potential to be a starter for this team for the foreseeable future, which is something they’ve lacked since the departure of Xavier Rhodes.

Alabama MBB’s Brandon Miller projected to be a top-5 pick in 2023 NBA draft

Brandon Miller is projected to go No. 4 to Charlotte Hornets in updated Yahoo mock draft

The 2023 NBA draft is going to be one of the most highly anticipated drafts in recent years with prospects such as Victor Wembanyama from France and Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite headlining the show. Alabama’s Brandon Miller will also be among those stars competing for a top spot in the draft.

Miller has been one of, if not the best player in college basketball so far this year, and according to Yahoo Sports, he will be the first collegiate player taken in this year’s draft. In Yahoo’s updated mock draft, Brandon Miller is projected to be selected No. 4 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. If Miller continues to play at the level he has been there is a chance he can sneak into a top two or three spot.

Yahoo also projects that the Arkansas Razorbacks will have two players selected in the top 10: Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black. The Tide beat Arkansas by 15 back in early January, but they will meet again next month on Feb. 25.

[mm-video type=video id=01gqjjz6yw96ds2y4kg2 playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gqjjz6yw96ds2y4kg2/01gqjjz6yw96ds2y4kg2-5a0b9192fa864151a57229700d9f77e7.jpg]

[listicle id=62643]

[listicle id=62555]

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Twitter reacts to Michael Mayer’s touchdown to get Notre Dame on board

This kid is something special.

[autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag] is going to be a valuable asset for somebody in the NFL. As this season has gone on, people have had no choice but to notice him. Of course, whether he has success at the next level depends on whether he has the right scheme, the right coach, the right breaks and all kinds of things. Teams definitely will want to look at this 22-yard touchdown reception, which allowed Notre Dame to cut USC’s lead to 10-7 in the second quarter:

Yes, the microphone picked up Mayer shouting some NSFW language, but that’s to be expected when you’ve just made a big play against your biggest rival. The Irish will benefit from Mayer in this game and possibly whatever bowl they end up getting. After that, another team will learn one way or another just how special a player it has come into. If you don’t believe that, check out these tweets from both within and outside the Irish fan base:

Yahoo Sports reports rumblings of the Thunder really liking Purdue guard Jaden Ivey

Jaden Ivey, who some compare to Ja Morant, is being linked to the Thunder.

In Yahoo Sport’s Krysten Peek’s article from last Friday, she mentions some new information that previously hasn’t been talked about regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder and who they might take second overall in the 2022 NBA draft.

The article mentions how the Thunder really like Purdue guard Jaden Ivey and that there were rumblings during the combine that he is a wildcard candidate for going second overall.

“There are essentially four players in play for the Thunder’s second pick: Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey. Smith and Holmgren are favored to go one and two, but there have been rumblings this week at the draft combine in Chicago that the Thunder really like Ivey and he could be Ja Morant 2.0.”

The top two picks in most mocks have Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren going one and two in one order or another, so it’s a little bit surprising to hear this tidbit of news about the Thunder liking Ivey. With that said, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has a history of going against the grain with drafts, with the most famous example being selecting Russell Westbrook fourth overall in the 2008 NBA draft.

It is important to keep in mind that it’s that time of the year where draft rumors and speculation are flying everywhere as sources have ulterior motives when it comes to leaking information to the public. So it’s best to just wait and see what happens while keeping information like this under consideration.

[mm-video type=video id=01g3swx8q0mfp7x9xxtx playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g3swx8q0mfp7x9xxtx/01g3swx8q0mfp7x9xxtx-47d87eb6680fe2e3f11383e664cb9a93.jpg]

[listicle id=458645]