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  • SEC football media days: One big question for all 16 teams, including OU and Texas

    SEC football media days: One big question for all 16 teams, including OU and Texas

    The circus that is SEC Media Days will convene this week at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, where the Sooners and Longhorns will host a housewarming party of sorts, inviting all of their crazy new neighbors into what used to be Big 12 country.

    OU and Texas leveled up, and we’re about to find out how comfortable they are in their new digs.

    In SECville, there are crazy Cajuns staying up all night and Gators lurking in the neighborhood pond. Lane Kiffin egging houses and Kirby Smart pocketing HOA fees. Hogs wreaking havoc on lawns and the ghost of Nick Saban haunting enemies of old.

    Other than that, it’s really a nice place!

    Four teams will take the SEC Media Days stage each day from Monday through Thursday. The Sooners will take their turn Tuesday with the Longhorns following on Wednesday.

    Here’s one big question for each team heading into SEC Media Days. We’ll go in order of when they’ll take their turn in Dallas.

    More: What to watch for OU football at SEC Media Days: All eyes on Jackson Arnold

    LSU

    What is Blake Baker’s plan for fixing the defense? 

    LSU had the Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Jayden Daniels flanked by a couple of first-round NFL Draft wide receivers in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.

    But the Tigers’ supercharged offense was held back by the nation’s 108th-ranked total defense.

    Coach Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Matt House and replaced House with Blake Baker, the former defensive coordinator at Missouri. LSU is paying Baker $2.5 million annually, making him one of the highest-paid assistants in college football.

    LSU will have to remake its offense this season under quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, but as we saw, not even a Daniels-led offense could overcome LSU’s pitiful defense.

    South Carolina

    Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line protect quarterback LaNorris Sellers?

    Last season, South…

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  • NFL coordinator claims 49ers’ Williams has ‘no weakness’ in his game

    NFL coordinator claims 49ers’ Williams has ‘no weakness’ in his game

    NFL coordinator claims 49ers’ Williams has ‘no weakness’ in his game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    Trent Williams widely is regarded as not just the best NFL offensive tackle of all time, but one of the greatest players in the game.

    Even entering Year 14, not much has changed regarding the 49ers star’s sustained dominance.

    In an ESPN survey, league executives, coaches and scouts ranked the top 10 offensive tackles, and Williams, to really no surprise, cracked the top spot on the list.

    “[He] does it all at a high level, still,” an NFL coordinator said. “Protection, run game, second-level stuff downfield — no weakness in his game and I haven’t seen the skill set diminish.”

    This is the third consecutive year the 35-year-old tackle ranked No. 1 on the annual ESPN list.

    And aside from his flat-out talent, his durability has been one of the most impressive things about Williams. Last season, Williams missed two games, and in 2022, he missed three.

    “I thought he was playing hurt last year and it affected his play a bit,” an AFC executive said, referring to Williams’ ankle injury in the second half of the 2023 season. “But that’s nit-picking. He’s still dominant.”

    Williams’ résumé includes 11 Pro Bowl selections and three First Team All-Pro nods.

    The rest of the rankings are as follows:

    2. Lions – Penei Sewell
    3. Texans – Laremy Tunsil
    4. Buccaneers – Tristan Wirfs
    5. Eagles – Lane Johnson
    6. Vikings – Christian Darrisaw
    7. Eagles – Jordan Mailata
    8. Giants – Andrew Thomas
    9. Chargers – Rashawn Slater
    10. Ravens – Ronnie Stanley

    Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

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  • Alabama football recruiting: Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham commits to Crimson Tide in 2025 class

    Alabama football recruiting: Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham commits to Crimson Tide in 2025 class

    247Sports

    Alabama landed a major commitment from five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham on Saturday. Cunningham, a Class of 2025 prospect from Ackerman, Mississippi, picked the Tide over Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Ole Miss and others. 

    Cunningham lists among the best recruits of the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama. The Choctaw County High School product ranks as the No. 22 overall player and No. 3 wide receiver in the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports. His commitment adds to an already stacked No. 2 overall recruiting class in the nation that sits behind only Ohio State. 

    The rising senior quickly exploded onto the scene as a potential top-tier recruit, and eventually confirmed himself as a verified five-star with a 98 overall rating in May. Cunningham caught 48 passes for 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior and also starred as an all-area player of the year on the basketball court during a multi-sport campaign. 

    When DeBoer came to Alabama from Washington, many questioned his recruiting credentials after primarily coaching at the small college level. Quickly, he has quieted all doubters. Cunningham is the fourth five-star commitment in the Class of 2025, joining quarterback Keelon Russell (No. 10) and cornerback Dijon Lee (No. 31). 

    DeBoer’s Washington offense was known best for incredible production at wide receiver as the Huskies earned a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship. Three receivers were selected in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, including No. 9 overall draft pick Rome Odunze to the Chicago Bears. Cunningham will…

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  • Baker Mayfield compared himself to ‘dirty laundry’ before signing a long-term extension with the Buccaneers

    Baker Mayfield compared himself to ‘dirty laundry’ before signing a long-term extension with the Buccaneers

    USATSI

    Baker Mayfield didn’t hide how playing for four different teams in three years affected him. Mayfield was with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. 

    Mayfield has found a home in Tampa Bay after a career season with the Buccaneers, who committed to him as their starting quarterback for three seasons. The stability is what Mayfield has craved since his ouster from Cleveland. 

    “You’re having a lot more fun when you’re not getting shipped off to different places like a piece of dirty laundry, I’ll tell you that,” Mayfield said on the Mike Calta Show this week. “So, when I got embraced in Tampa, it made a world of difference. 

    “I’ve always played ball to enjoy it. I mean, it is a game. Yes, it is my job, but I love it so much. I’ve always worn my emotions on my sleeve and, so, let people embrace that, and that’s why I’m so excited for having more years to come in Tampa.”

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  • EA Sports has two Duck receivers as the fastest in the nation

    EA Sports has two Duck receivers as the fastest in the nation

    The hype for EA Sports’ College Football ’25 has been through the roof. Football fans, as well as non-football fans, are anxious for this game to come out.

    Needless to say after waiting a decade, this game will sell millions and millions of copies and downloads.

    Fans have their particular teams will surely want to play out the season using their favorite teams and fans of the Oregon Ducks will have a ton of fun leading the Ducks to the digital promise land.

    They’ll also play with two of the fastest players in the game as receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart were given a speed rating of 96 and 95, respectively.

    Game players will no doubt like to throw the bomb to Johnson and Stewart to utilize that Olympic-type speed. They’ll also be using quarterback Dillon Gabriel to throw those long passes, one of the highest-rated QBs in the game.

    The newest Duck signal-caller has an overall rating of 92, the fourth-highest rating among quarterbacks in the game. His speed (81) and awareness (99) make him one of the game’s most dangerous quarterbacks and nearly impossible to defend.

    For college football fans and Oregon fans, July 19, the date this game comes out, just can’t come soon enough.

    Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire

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  • Jamal Adams: I want to prove I’m still the guy

    Jamal Adams: I want to prove I’m still the guy

    Safety Jamal Adams signed with the Titans on Thursday and he will be making the league minimum for veteran players after playing just 10 games over the last two seasons.

    Adams tore his quad in his first game in 2022 and missed the other 16 games of that season and then dealt with a knee injury that limited his availability last year. During an appearance on The Official Titans Podcast, Adams called the 2022 injury “humbling” and that he didn’t feel all the way back when he got on the field last year.

    Adams said he’s in “a way better place now” mentally and physically and that he hopes to show that he can still be the kind of player he was before he missed all of that time.

    “I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder for a long, long time,” Adams said. “For me, it’s moreso I’m not trying to prove anyone wrong, I’m moreso trying to prove myself right. I’m trying to get back out there to prove myself, that I’m still that guy and I still can play. Whether anyone believes in me or not, as long as I believe in myself that’s what matters.”

    The move to Tennessee reunites Adams with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who was his first NFL position coach with the Jets. Adams began building the resume that made him the league’s highest-paid safety with Wilson and all involved will be hoping that their second run together can also be a productive one.

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  • Ranking college football’s Mount Rushmores based on NFL success: Pitt takes top spot, USC, Miami right behind

    Ranking college football’s Mount Rushmores based on NFL success: Pitt takes top spot, USC, Miami right behind

    Pro Football is a funny business. While some of the game’s greatest players hail from big, history-laden college programs, many have also come from schools that you may have never heard of. It’s the classic example of how you should never judge a book by its cover. 

    In that vein, I decided to compile, then rank, each of college football’s Mount Rushmores based on its most successful NFL players. As you would imagine, some of the schools that made the cut are household names, but there are more than a few surprise schools that made the cut. 

    Below is the criteria used when putting the ranking together: 

    Individual career records, achievements Inclusion in the Hall of Fame/NFL 100 All-Time Team Lasting impact on the game 

    If a player attended multiple schools, they were considered only at the school where they made the most significant contribution. Troy Aikman, for example, was only considered for his accomplishments at UCLA and not Oklahoma, where his NCAA career started. (Note: The names listed under “honorable mentions” are Hall of Fame inductees who didn’t make the cut on the team’s Mount Rushmore.)

    1. Pittsburgh

    Mount Rushmore: QB Dan Marino, WR Larry Fitzgerald, DL Aaron Donald, RB Tony Dorsett 

    Honorable mentions: CB Darrelle Revis, TE Mike Ditka, OL Jimbo Covert, OL Russ Grimm, LB Ricky Jackson, RB Curtis Martin, LB Joe Schmidt, DL Chris Doleman 

    Marino and Donald were slam-dunk choices to make Pitt’s Mount Rushmore, with Fitzgerald being a fairly easy choice, too. It was a tough call, however, when it came to choosing the final spot that came down to Ditka, Dorsett and Doleman. 

    All three players have compelling cases. Ditka was a record-setting tight end who led the Bears to the 1963 NFL title. Doleman enjoyed an incredible…

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  • Kyle Juszczyk admits taking pay cut ‘hurt,’ but top priority was remaining a 49er: ‘I absolutely love it here’

    Kyle Juszczyk admits taking pay cut ‘hurt,’ but top priority was remaining a 49er: ‘I absolutely love it here’

    The best teams have the best players, but when all the best players want to be paid as such, it can become impossible for teams to retain them all. Often, in order to keep a solid core around and stay with a winning squad, players end up taking pay cuts or revising their contracts.

    This was the case with San Francisco 49ers fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, who valued staying put more than he valued a bigger contract.

    Juszczyk admitted that it was not easy to hear that he would not get the money he wanted, but in the end it was all about being a 49er. The 33-year-old worked out a deal with the team and general manager John Lynch that would end up saving the team $4 million in salary cap space.

    He admitted that it wasn’t an easy conversation and was one he didn’t see coming. 

    “Honestly, it hurt,” Juszczyk said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “When John came to me and asked, I wasn’t necessarily expecting it, and I think it’s natural for anybody that it kind of hurts your ego. It hurts your heart a little bit. I do understand that it’s a business, but I do feel like I’m as valuable as what I was expected to get paid. All that said, there definitely was a process that we had to go through and I had to come to terms with it and that sort of thing. At the end of the day, though, I really, truly, I wanted to be a Niner. This is where I wanted to be. I absolutely love it here.”

    In the end, he said there are “no hard feelings” and he is still the highest-paid player in his position in the NFL, something that was important for him to remain.

    “Quite honestly, that was important to me,” he said, of remaining the highest-paid fullback. “That was something that went into negotiations: ‘All right, we can figure this out and take a cut, but I still need to be the highest paid.’ No knocks on other fullbacks in the league, but I’m the best fullback in the league.”

    The negotiations forced Juszczyk to think…

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