Colorado Defense Preview 2025: Coach Prime's Best Buffaloes D Yet
The defense improved in a big way.The Buffaloes were 130th in the nation in total defense in 2023. The run defense was bad, and the pass D worse, but the pass rush wasn't awful. Last year, under new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, the pressure ramped up and the big plays followed.Colorado led the Big 12 in sacks and tackles for loss, and so did the takeaways, finishing seventh in the nation in forced mistakes and eighth in turnover margin.
2025 Colorado PreviewColorado Offense Breakdown Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season
- Top pass rusher BJ Green is gone from the line, but overall the front three should be stronger thanks to the addition of 6-5, 323-pound Jaheim Oatis (Alabama), one of the top defensive tackles in the portal. He'll combine with veteran Anquin Barnes in the middle, and Tawfiq Thomas and Amari McNeill are talented tackles used like defensive ends. The Buffs are big up front and …
- The pressure will come from the outside linebackers. Samuel Okunlola and Arden Walker both have All-Big 12 talent - Walker was a monster at pressuring the quarterback, finishing with 4.5 sacks - and there's good depth starting with speedy junior Quency Wiggins playing a big role.Martavius French is about to be a Big 12 star. The UTSA transfer made 163 tackles in his three seasons with 17 tackles for loss last year.
- No, the Buffaloes don't have another Travis Hunter at corner, but DJ McKinney is talented enough to be a lockdown No. 1 on one side. He's great, and RJ McKinney will be more than fine on the other side.The safeties are solid, too. All-Big 12 Preston Hodge was banged up for a while, but still finished with 33 tackles and seven broken up passes with two picks. Carter Stoutmire is back after a 43-tackle season, and coming in is Tawfiq Byard (USF), an all-around hitter who can get into the backfield.Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season2025 Colorado PreviewColorado Offense Breakdown
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Fox Sports
26 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
LeBron James has issued a warning to the Lakers, but will they respond?
An unofficial warning has been issued to the Los Angeles Lakers. When LeBron James exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season on Sunday, his commitment came with a parachute string. Build a winning roster now ... or else. The pressure is on for the Lakers, who are balancing two timelines. On one hand, they have a 40-year-old superstar who defied logic and the rules of aging by making an All-NBA team and being a top-10 MVP contender in his 22nd season, an unprecedented feat. James wants to return for another season, but there's a caveat: He wants to win his fifth championship. And on the other hand, they have the 26-year-old superstar in Luka Doncic, whom they acquired from Dallas in February in what was widely considered the most shocking trade in sports history. Doncic is the type of player who could make them championship contenders for another 10 years. So, they'd be remiss in not prioritizing the future. But if they can't figure out a way to win now, they could risk losing James, who averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds last season. James made that crystal clear through his agent, Rich Paul. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future," Paul told ESPN on Sunday. "He understands that. But he values a realistic chance of winning it all." Paul went on to acknowledge that the Lakers aren't in an easy position. "We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future," he said. "We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him." It's clear that James wants to play for the Lakers. Otherwise, he could've opted out of his contract and become a free agent. His hope is to remain in Los Angeles, where he has played the last seven years, matching the longest stint he has had in any city over his career. For James and his family, Los Angeles has become home. It's the place where both of his sons graduated from high school. It's the place where the biggest star in the league planted his roots in the sunset of his career. James' time with the Lakers has been filled with highs and lows. When James joined the Lakers in free agency in 2018, he wanted to dispel the narrative that his streak of eight straight Finals appearances from 2011-2018 came with an asterisk because he was playing in the easier Eastern Conference. He went on to transform a Lakers team that had missed the playoffs six straight years into champions in 2020, carrying them to their first title in 10 years and their 17th overall. But what's also clear is James doesn't have a lot of patience for losing. In five of James' seven years with the Lakers, they've failed to get past the first round of the playoffs. He has issued not-so-subtle threats to the Lakers before. When the Lakers were languishing in February 2023, he told me : I still feel like I've got plenty of gas in this tank to help any franchise win a championship." The word "any" was clearly a warning to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to make some major changes or risk losing the King. Pelinka responded by trading Russell Westbrook and adding six players. The Lakers went on to reach the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the Denver Nuggets. Getting that close to the championship yet still being so far away clearly disturbed James, who, for the first time in his career, intimated he was considering retirement after the Lakers' Game 4 loss. But James decided to return. And the Lakers took another big swing at making him happy by drafting his son, Bronny, with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, fulfilling his dream of them becoming the first father-son duo in NBA history. James called playing with Bronny the greatest accomplishment of his career, but last season ended in disappointment, with the Lakers getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Minnesota. In the immediate aftermath of the Lakers' Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves, James said he wasn't sure of his future plans. But Bronny made it clear he wanted his father to return to the Lakers for another season. "Yeah, for sure," Bronny told me in May . "However long he can come back for, it's always a pleasure being around him." It makes sense for James to play for the Lakers. His son is on the team. The coach, JJ Redick, is his former podcast partner and someone whom he backed throughout all the ups and downs of last season. And the acquisition of Doncic clearly breathed new hope into his title-winning aspirations. But the Lakers have some glaring holes to fill. Most notably, they need a center. After losing Anthony Davis in the deal to acquire Doncic, they've greatly lacked interior defense and rim protection. That was never more obvious than in their Game 5 loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Timberwolves, when Rudy Gobert looked like Shaquille O'Neal, finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds. The Lakers tried to add a center at the trade deadline in February, when they acquired Mark Williams from Charlotte in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft capital. But they rescinded the trade, alleging Williams failed a physical. Williams didn't buy that, telling me in February that he believed the truth was a bit more nuanced. "They had second thoughts," he said. Now, the pressure is on the Lakers to figure out something else. Or else. James has earned the right to play on a winning roster. He carried the flailing Lakers to the mountaintop. He became the league's all-time leading scorer while wearing a purple and gold jersey. He's still the best player on the court most nights despite being 20 years older than many of his opponents. In many ways, making James happy benefits the Lakers. James was one of three players to average 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists from Dec. 30 to the end of the season, along with Nikola Jokic and Doncic. And amid all the narratives that arose last season about Doncic's professionalism and conditioning, who better to show him the ropes than James, whose fitness regimen is legendary? Even though the Lakers have to balance their future goals with their current needs, they need to figure out a way to compete for a championship next season. James has issued his threat. And now the rumor mill is churning. Will James demand a trade? Could James return to Cleveland, where his career began? Now, the pressure is on for Pelinka. And that's just what James wanted in pursuit of his fifth ring. Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @ melissarohlin . FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers National Basketball Association recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
70 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.70?
Who is the G.O.A.T. at No. 70? The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast. Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has won No. 72 since the inaugural season in 2002. Texans players to wear No. 70 No. 70 currently belongs to offensive lineman Juice Scurggs, who could be fighting for a roster spot after two underwhelming seasons. Scurggs, whom the Texans traded up for in 2023 out of Penn State, was expected the long-term starting center after an All-Big Ten season. So far, he's struggled to maintain consistency at both center and right guard. Entering training camp, former New England Patriots lineman Jake Andrew is seeing the most action at center, while fellow third-year lineman Jarrett Patterson is seeing reps with the 2s. At right guard, Tytus Howard has shifted into the starting role next to former second-round pick Blake Fisher. At left guard, former first-round pick Laken Tomlinson seems settled into the starting role. This isn't to say Scurggs won't see action or be on the chopping block, but everything is on the table after two underwhelming campaigns to start his Texans' tenure. Scuggs will need a stellar fall camp to prove he's worthy of starting action in a pivotal year for the franchise and his tenure here. Best Player: Fred Weary Weary didn't excel on the offensive line, but he was a stable backup for seven seasons. A member of the inaugural draft class, Weary started 43 games over his time with the Texans. He was limited in 2004 and 2005 due to injury, but he returned to start under new coach Gary Kubiak in 2006 and 2007. There's nothing special to write about regarding Weary's tenure in Houston, but he was part of the initial draft class that debuted in 2002. He's also the longest-tenured player with the number, so that counts for something, right?
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
‘Not a ball-stopper': Rockets legend Rudy Tomjanovich expects Kevin Durant to fit in well
'He's not a ball-stopper,' Rudy Tomjanovich says of new Rockets star Kevin Durant. 'He's the kind of guy who gets passes and shoots jumpers off of picks. I think he'll fit in beautifully.' Another Hall-of-Famer weighs in on Kevin Durant heading to the #Rockets. Former Rockets head coach Rudy T on KD: Calvin Murphy isn't the only Houston Rockets legend who is excited about the impending arrival of All-Star forward Kevin Durant. Rudy Tomjanovich, a playing teammate of Murphy and subsequently the Hall of Fame coach that directed Houston to its only two NBA championships (1994 and 1995), largely echoed the positive assessment from his Hall of Fame teammate. 'It's one of the greatest players of all-time, coming in,' Tomjanovich said (via Sal Maneen of Fox 26 Houston) at the team's 2025 NBA draft event last week. Beyond his elite play, 'Rudy T' pointed to Durant's veteran status and his shared history with head coach Ime Udoka as among the reasons for optimism. Tomjanovich also appreciates Durant's playing style, which could mesh well with a Houston squad that isn't starting from scratch — as shown in its 52-30 record and No. 2 placement in the Western Conference last season. 'He's not a ball-stopper,' Tomjanovich said. 'He's the kind of guy who gets passes and shoots jumpers off of picks. I think he'll fit in beautifully... I think it's going to be great chemistry.' The complete interview can be viewed below. More: 'Finally got the go-to man': Calvin Murphy reacts to Houston trading for Kevin Durant
