Latest news with #Big10
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Popular college football analyst leaves Aidan Chiles off top 10 Big Ten QBs ranking
Top 10 Big 10 quarterbacks in 2025. A popular college football analyst has released his top 10 quarterbacks of the Big Ten list, and the Spartans' Aidan Chiles didn't make the cut. Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports is one of the latest to power rank the signal callers of the 18 Big Ten schools, and he doesn't have Chiles in his top 10 list. In Walker's top 10 list, he elected to include the likes of Michigan's Bryce Underwood, Washington's Demond Williams and USC's Jordan Maiava over Chiles. Included below is a post from Walker with his top 10 preseason list for Big Ten quarterbacks: Walker's list has been comparable to many others I've came across this offseason, with Chiles in particular typically being listed outside the top 10. However, our own Cory Linsner recently released his own Big Ten quarterback rankings that had Chiles higher than many others on the national scale. Click here to read our Spartans Wire version of similar Big Ten quarterback power rankings. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dan Lanning kicks off Oregon Ducks 2025 season at Big Ten Media Day
After a long offseason, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has finally stepped out of the shadows and into the public eye once again. Big Ten Media Days kicked off earlier this week in Las Vegas, and the DUcks took the stage on Wednesday, led by Lanning and flanked by Bryce Boettcher, Matayo Uiagalelei, and Kenyon Sadiq. After a successful 2024 campaign where Oregon won the Big Ten Championship in their first season as league members, the Ducks have high expectations to uphold the standard in 2025. However, they've got a lot to prove with an almost entirely new starting lineup, and only a select few starters returning from last year. There will be a lot of questions about how his team can step up this season, and which guys will prove to be the biggest difference-makers that Lanning has to answer over the coming weeks and months. On Wednesday, though, Lanning took some preliminary questions and talked about the current state of the program. Here are some of the top quotes from that press conference on Wednesday: Opening Statement Lanning: "Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to be here with you guys today. We certainly wanted to let you know that we appreciate the job you do here. I know sitting around in this room all day can be a challenge, especially in Vegas. You guys seem to be handling it well, though I don't see too many closed eyes. Really thrilled to be representing the University of Oregon. It's a dream come true for me. You know, going into my fourth season, to get that opportunity and wake up forever grateful for that chance. Want to continue to thank the leadership that we have at the University of Oregon, and President Schultz, Rob Mullins, they do an unbelievable job in our program. Also thrilled with the leadership we have here in the Big 10. Tony Petitti and his staff do an unbelievable job representing us, getting to do this and the conference that we get to do it in against the caliber of teams that we get to play against, is a real thrill for our team, something that we really pride ourselves in, and are thrilled that we get that. That opportunity coming in a year ago, it was uncharted waters for us. It was, 'Okay, what's the Big Ten going to be like?' And it's been super fulfilling. You know, getting the opportunity to win the Big 10 in our first year, play some unbelievable teams has created a really special experience." Kenyon Sadiq Lanning: Along with me today, I have some unbelievable players. We could have brought several guys from our team, really proud of where our team's at right now, but want to take some time to acknowledge those guys that came along with me. Kenyon Sadiq, our tight end, has had an unbelievable offseason. He's been an integral part to our team. He's done a lot of special things. And I think many of you realize that he's a really special talent, you know, but beyond that, he got the opportunity this offseason to travel to Africa and help build courts for kids. He's taken a real interest in real estate, which I'm excited about for him. And on top of that, he runs 23 miles per hour, and can vertical jump 41 inches. So that's pretty good too, especially when it comes to football. Unbelievable player. Excited to see him jump into a leadership role on our team. I think several of you got to see what he can do in the Big 10 Championship this past year. Will be an integral part of our team. Matayo Uiagalelei Lanning: This year, we also got to bring Matayo Uiagalelei. One thing I'm really excited about for Matayo is that he's been a guy who's been himself since the day he stepped on campus. He's unique. You know, our guys were joking with him about how he dressed on the airplane yesterday. He looks super comfortable. Had his hair in this cool thing and a neat backpack. I think he's wearing a coat that he got at a thrift store today, and he looks fantastic. But he's been uniquely him, and beyond being uniquely him, he's been a terror for quarterbacks this past season as a sack leader in our conference; he's done an unbelievable job. He's worked really hard this offseason, gained 10 pounds of muscle, and his voice has grown this offseason as well. All the guys that you see that came with us today are not guys of many words; they like to show with action. And Matayo certainly is a guy who does that. Bryce Boettcher Lanning: "Also had the opportunity to bring Bryce Boettcher here, you know, returning after an all-conference year as a linebacker for us. You know, Bryce is one of those unique guys who also had the opportunity to win a Golden Glove in baseball at the University of Oregon. Was two sport athlete, has been a lifeblood of this program. He's a heartbeat in a lot of ways. He's the guy that's excited for practice. When he steps on the field, it means something to him. He's prideful to wear the Oregon O, it means a lot. He grew up wanting to be a part of this program, and we were thrilled to get him back. You know, this season, obviously, had the opportunity, after being drafted by the Astros, to go play baseball, but wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to play for us a little bit more. He's put on some great weight this offseason. He's done an unbelievable job. Double Down Lanning: "Since we're in Vegas, you know, it seems like the right time to say our theme for this team is 'double down.' We have done an unbelievable job of building this team over time. You look at our success season to season, and as this team has grown, the process works. You know, we're close, and we've been able to accomplish a lot, so that's really what's going to feed our program this off-season, and will feed us into fall camp is believing in the process that we have. We got great buy-in from our players. It is a cast of new characters. You're going to see new people on the field, which is exciting. I'm very excited about this team." Leadership Lanning: "You know, going to the off-season, we felt like we had to take an opportunity to really develop leadership. We did that through a leadership retreat. We've done that through focusing on our DNA traits that have always been a big piece of our program, and continue to see our team grow in that area. You know, whether it's connection, whether it's growth, when you see our team play, you're going to see a team that plays with toughness. You know, I know a year ago, we got asked the question, 'Are we tough enough to be in the Big 10?' I think that we were able to answer those questions on the field last year." Off-Season Gains Lanning: "I do want to take the time to recognize the efforts of some of our support staff. You know, back in Oregon, you know, our strength staff, Coach Love and his crew, our nutrition staff with Brenna, sports performance with Ben McKay, these guys have done an unbelievable job this summer of putting our team in position to be better. Our players have worked really hard. They put on over 1300 pounds this offseason. Our overall peak power numbers have gone up over 21%, our freshmen, you know, the average gain from our freshmen is over 17 pounds. So there are some exciting things that you can look for wins in the off-season. Those are some great wins for our team. Just as proud as I am of what we've done, you know, training in the off-season, I'm really proud of what we've been able to do off the field. You know, over 600 hours of community service in the last six months. Again, we partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and built over 150 beds for kids in the community who don't have beds. We're able to support 300 Foster and at-risk youth this off season, as well as many other contributions to our community and outside, and for our player,s you know, to develop that education off the field, our player personnel staff has done an unbelievable job." Staff Retention Lanning: "Heading into year four, I feel like we've got a really strong foundation. Kind of said that about our team. Our guys have embraced the work, the experience on our staff, you know, I continue to be impressed with the staff that we have going into year three. Now with the same offensive and defensive coordinator, we've got several of our staff members back, even though they've been given opportunities to be in other places, they've chosen to be here. And that's a credit to the success of our team, but that's also a piece of the success of our team, which is the continuity that we've been able to have, and we're grateful to Rob and our support here to be able to make that happen. Also really excited about some of the future stars we have on our team. There's guys that are unbelievable players, but they're also going to be, you know, unbelievable humans, and that's something that we're excited about. You know, several of our coaches are going to make outstanding head coaches in the future. You know, I want to make sure that I always get the opportunity to say that, because these guys do a great job. They make it work. They make my job easier and certainly makes a lot of fun for us." New Challenges Lanning: "We do have a brand new team and brand new challenges, and what happened last year has nothing to do with the future. So building that, starting from scratch, getting the opportunity to head back to the kitchen, figure out what we're going to be able to throw in from a recipe and create a great meal, is something we're super excited about. I have confidence in this group more than anything, because I've seen the work, right? Not everybody always gets to see the work. We've been a little bit under the radar this offseason, but these guys have worked extremely hard. They put their best foot forward, and that's part of what makes this so much fun for me." Player Retention Lanning: I'm really excited about the retention that we've had with our team. Look at Oregon, the players that we've been able to recruit have done well. Have been able to use the portal to be a real success for us, but we've done an unbelievable job of keeping our players, and not losing them to somewhere else." Family Fun Lanning: "I really enjoyed the last couple of weeks getting to spend time with my family. As I said before, there is no balance in this profession. You are all in, and we've been all in, but these last couple of weeks, I've been all in on being a dad. It's been unbelievable. Caton's 15 now, Miles is 14. Titan is 12. We've had flag football this summer, a couple summer camps, a couple trips on the lake. They're getting harder to throw off the tube, but we've had an unbelievable experience. It's been fun hanging out with my wife and the boys this summer, but we were excited to get to run." Tampering Question: There have been more instances of schools getting sued for tampering in the transfer portal, do you think there needs to be more of a crackdown on this? Lanning: "Yeah." Question: Can you expand on that? Lanning: "I just like, play the game the way it's supposed to be played, right? But there have to be consequences for actions, and if there aren't consequences, then there's going to continue to be issues like that." Rose Bowl Motivation Question: You said last year has no weight on the future, but how much motivation do you find in the way the season ended in the Rose Bowl? Lanning: "Yeah, for me as a coach, I've always, I think every coach probably feels this way, but we always remember the losses over the wins. I think there's a lot you can learn from that, which doesn't take away from what we were able to accomplish, but we lost to a great team. You know, Coach Day did an unbelievable job last year of having his team in a position to have success there. And there's some things that I feel like I could have done better there. At the end, I don't think we played our best football. That being said, we, you know, we did go undefeated in conference. We won the Big 10 Championship in our first year. So like I said, double down, learn. You know, focus on our process. What do we have to continue to improve? There's always learning lessons, but it doesn't necessarily impact the future." Quarterbacks Learning Question: How have your QBs been able to learn from the likes of Dillon Gabriel and Bo Nix? Lanning: "Yeah. I mean, all of our quarterbacks have. Austin, Dante, Luke, we've been really fortunate the last few years. And I've said this to a few that we've had a great mentor in that room. We've had guys who have had unbelievable experiences, right? That were these guys were able to watch and see. And I think probably what impresses me most with Dante is not wanting to be in a microwave society, not wanting to just get it fast because there's an opportunity in front, but to have the slow-cooked meal, right? To have the opportunity to sit back and mature and learn, learn from experiences that you don't necessarily have to be on the field to feel and that's that same goes for Austin, that same as goes for Luke and the other guys in our program, like those guys have learned from great quarterbacks that have done it at a really, really high level. For him to have that opportunity, show maturity, and develop in his leadership, I think it's going to create great opportunities for our team." Kenyon Sadiq Shouldering Load Question: How have you seen Kenyon Sadiq step up and shoulder a bigger load this offseason? Lanning: "I actually told Kenyon on the way down that, you know, yesterday was the first time I played it. But I played with my youngest son, Titan. We played the NCAA College Football, and Sadiq went off, right? He balled out. So I need to make sure I bring that up to our quarterbacks. Throw it to Kenyon, you know, because he's been unbelievable this offseason. Like I said, if you just see him work, it's not a secret. I feel like he would tell you that those are some of the traits that he learned from the guy—learned from the guys that were ahead of him, whether that's Terrance Ferguson or Pat Herbert. But yeah, there is a chemistry being developed, and that's part of what fall camps about, right? Our quarterbacks getting on the same page is our tight ends, is our wideouts, as our backs, and just, you know, creating that rhythm. Our guys have worked really hard this summer, but Kenyon is going to be, it's going to be hard for people to deal with. You know, he's a special player. I think he can be the best tight end in the nation. And you know, when you have a great rhythm with your quarterbacks, being able to get the ball to him, that's going to be a special weapon for us. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Saturday is for the buzz? Fox Sports finalizing TV deal with Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy
Fox Sports is nearing completion of a major deal with Barstool Sports, sources briefed on the deal confirmed to The Athletic. The agreement would call for the company's founder, Dave Portnoy, to become a regular on Fox's premier Saturday college football pregame show, 'Big Noon Kickoff.' On weekdays, Portnoy and top personalities, like Portnoy and Dan (Big Cat) Katz, would be part of a Barstool-produced daily show on FS1 that is expected to compete directly with ESPN's 'Get Up,' hosted by Mike Greenberg, and Stephen A. Smith's 'First Take.' Advertisement An official announcement of the deal could come as soon as Thursday, per the sources briefed on the deal. While Portnoy's move to 'Big Noon Kickoff' does feel like a direct response to Pat McAfee's success on ESPN's 'College GameDay,' Portnoy's role will likely be more of a voice of the fan; especially with Fox owning the biggest Big 10 game, Michigan versus Ohio State, and Portnoy being a Michigan alum. McAfee is an every-segment panelist on 'GameDay.' Front Office Sports first reported the 'Big Noon' aspect, while the X account, 'BackAftaThis,' initially mentioned the Barstool daily program connection. Sources told The Athletic that Barstool is also likely to have its own pregame show before 'Big Noon Kickoff' at select Big 10 games. Fox Sports declined to comment. FS1 has struggled to compete with ESPN in the mornings, which is partly due to ESPN's superior programming the night before that gives it a head start each morning. FS1 just canceled its previous morning programs, Craig Carton's 'Breakfast Ball' and Emmanuel Acho's 'The Facility.' The two programs did not rate, which made it so Colin Cowherd's noon show was at a huge disadvantage going against McAfee's daily program. The nature of the Fox Sports agreement is expected to be similar to ESPN's licensing of McAfee's program. McAfee produces his show and has editorial control. Cowherd's and Nick Wright's 'First Things First' programs remain in the afternoons. Fox Sports canceled Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson and Paul Pierce's 'Speak' earlier this week, as well. Barstool's previous foray into mainstream sports TV came in October 2017, when 'Barstool Van Talk' — a TV spin-off of its 'Pardon My Take' podcast — appeared on ESPN2 in the middle of the night for a single episode before being abruptly canceled after then ESPN president John Skipper responded to the backlash from employees over the controversial site. Advertisement 'While we had approval of the content of the show, I erred in assuming we could distance our efforts from the Barstool site and its content,' Skipper said at the time. Portnoy and Barstool employees have been embroiled in many controversies and misconduct accusations over the years, though, have remained very popular. Most recently, Portnoy apologized after a couple of his commentators spread a false rumor about a freshman student at Ole Miss. 'Pardon My Take,' which launched in February 2016, consistently ranks among the top five most popular sports podcasts.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Final 2025 Philadelphia 76ers draft big board: Best fits at No. 3
The Philadelphia 76ers were rewarded with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft following a tough 24-58 season. The Sixers entered the season with championship expectations, but injuries decimated the roster and derailed any chances the team had at seriously contending for a title. As they head into this draft, there are plenty of options for the Sixers to look into. The goal for them is to get younger and add a player who can help them bounce back and turn things around. Philadelphia should be looking into every option in order to take the next steps forward toward title contention. Here is the seventh and final draft big board with the draft a mere hours away on Wednesday. If one wants to see big board 1.0, it can be seen here and 2.0 can be seen here. While 3.0 can be seen here, 4.0 is here, and 5.0 is here. Big board 6.0 can be seen here. With that said, let's get into big board 7.0: 1. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor 2024-25 stats: 15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.1 spg, 43.6% FG, 34% 3FG Previous ranking: 1 Sixers Wire is firmly in the Edgecombe camp. He has the outlook to be the better player long term. He is supremely athletic, able to take any defender off the dribble, and attack the basket, and he is more than solid defensively as he is aggressive at the point of attack and can create turnovers. He is an outstanding worker, and even though there are some finishing issues at the basket, he is somebody who can contribute on that end right away. On top of that, he appears to be the frontrunner to be selected No. 3 after a strong visit with the Sixers. In terms of his catch-and-shoot ability, a skill needed on a team with Joel Embiid on it, he shot 45-for-124 (36.3%) on catch-and-shoot 3s per Synergy Sports. However, he did shoot 21-for-45 (46.7%) when unguarded on those attempts. It shows that he can knock down an open look should it be needed. That shows he has a lot of shooting upside for his position and should be a great option. All of these players have flaws, Bailey and Edgecombe included, but it feels as if Edgecombe has the best chance to produce right away. 2. Ace Bailey, Rutgers 2024-25 stats: 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 bpg, 1.0 spg, 46% FG, 34.6% 3FG Previous ranking: 2 Let's get one thing straight: Bailey is not Kevin Durant. It doesn't mean he isn't going to be a good player, but he is not Durant. He has good measurements with star potential, but the knock on him is that he settles for bad shots and the fact that Rutgers did not make the NCAA Tournament. Despite having Bailey, and Dylan Harper, the Scarlet Knights finished 15-17 and barely made their own conference tournament in the Big 10. He has fallen a bit on a lot of draft boards, but Bailey figures to be at least an All-Star at the next level, and the Sixers have to consider him along with Edgecombe at the top. In terms of his catch-and-shoot percentages, he shot 36-for-93 (38.7%) on those opportunities from deep. He shot 29-for-66 (43.9%) on those attempts while he was guarded. It shows that he has the skill and the want to take and make tough shots. There is a lot to like about his game, but there are some rough edges he needs to smooth out. 3. Tre Johnson, Texas 2024-25 stats: 19.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.9 spg, 42.7% FG, 39.7% 3FG Previous ranking: 4 Johnson has his flaws, scoring and shooting certainly aren't one of them. He has an ability to light up the scoreboard at any moment by taking defenders to the basket, being able to knock down tough 3s, and he can shoot off the catch or off the dribble. If the Sixers are thinking a microwave scorer, then Johnson should be their guy. One can argue that he isn't worthy of a No. 3 pick, but he has skills that will translate to the NBA level. He is reportedly gaining some buzz as a possible Sixers option at this spot. As mentioned, he shot 51-for-125 (40.8%) on catch-and-shoot 3s. He was 32-for-77 (41.6%) on those attempts while guarded. Even off the dribble, he shot 38-for-99 (38.4%) on those 3-point attempts. He is an electric player and the Sixers should certainly give him a look before they decide on a player with this selection. 4. Kon Knueppel, Duke 2024-25 stats: 14.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 47.9% FG, 40.6% 3FG Previous ranking: 3 I get it. Bailey is long and athletic, and Edgecombe has long term potential, but will they contribute right away at this next level? Knueppel has shot up draft boards and when considering the Sixers could use another playmaker, he makes a lot of sense. Either way, if the Sixers are thinking spacing and elite shooting, then Knueppel should be their guy. He has a high basketball IQ being able to navigate off screens to get himself open for looks, he competes on the defensive end, and he is an underrated passer. There are defensive limitations, but he is for sure a rotation player in this league due to his shooting ability and playmaking skills. He shot 77-for-178 (43.3%) on catch-and-shoot 3s and was an impressive 36-for-84 (42.9%) on those attempts while guarded. He cannot do the things Bailey, Edgecombe, or Tre Johnson can do, but Knueppel should be on the radar of president Daryl Morey and Co. should they decide to trade down and add to the depth of the roster--which is another need for this group. 5. Khaman Maluach, Duke 2024-25 stats: 8.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.3 bpg, 0.2 spg, 71.2% FG Previous ranking: 5 Maluach would be an option for Philadelphia should it want big man depth behind Embiid. With that being said, the Sixers do expect veteran Andre Drummond to exercise his player option for 2025-26 so he figures to return, and there is already young big man Adem Bona who made a name for himself as a rookie. However, Maluach stands at 7-foot-2 and the Sixers could always use some more size off the bench which has been an issue in the past. With that being said, Maluach is a bit raw offensively as he limited to putbacks and lob dunks off the pick-and-roll. While he does have soft hands to make all of this work on the offensive end, the Sixers would need him to add some type of jumper to his game. Philadelphia needs versatility out of its big men and Maluach would have to add to his game in order to stick. 6. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma 2024-25 stats: 17.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 43.4% FG, 28.4% 3FG Previous ranking: 6 These NBA Playoffs have shown the value of having three ball-handlers on the floor at times. One has to believe the Sixers are watching the playoffs with the idea that they can get to that level if they can bring in another ball-handler in the lineup. Fears fits that mold as somebody who can get the job done on the offensive end by running the offense and making things go smoothly. Fears was able to produce good numbers in the tough SEC and improved as the season wore on. Overall, he shot 36.1% on catch-and-shoot 3s and is an elite passer out of the pick-and-roll. If the jumper continues on an upward trajectory, then he is going to stick in this league for quite some time. The Sixers could always use another player with a high IQ to make life easier for the stars and Fears fits that mold.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michigan State Football Beats Out Big 10 Rivals for 2026 WR Zachary Washington
Michigan State Football Beats Out Big 10 Rivals for 2026 WR Zachary Washington originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Michigan State Spartans landed one of their big targets at wideout on Monday as they beat out a pair of Big 10 opponents for a Class of 2026 prospect. Advertisement St. Francis (Ill.) product Zachary Washington made the decision to attend Michigan State on Monday, according to On3. The three-star prospect chose the Spartans over offers from conference rivals Indiana, Washington, and Wisconsin, and recently took an official visit to Big 12 program West Virginia. Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith, right, talks with athletic director Alan Haller after MSU's victory over Florida Atlantic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORKNick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK Washington, a 6-foot-2, 183 pound wide receiver, took official visits to Wisconsin on May 29 and to Michigan State on June 6. And despite hitting West Virginia this past weekend he quickly made the decision to go public with his Michigan State commitment, announcing his decision within a day after the visit in Morgantown ended. Advertisement Wisconsin was widely assumed as the eventual landing spot for Washington after his visit to Madison in May, but his visit to East Lansing earlier this month seemed to have an effect on the highly-touted recruit. Washington posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he "had a great time" on his visit with the Spartans. Less than two weeks later, he made his commitment to Michigan State football. The commitment continues a string of success for Michigan State Head Coach Jonathan Smith on the recruiting trail as he continues to land big commitments in the Class of 2026. The Washington decision comes just days after the Spartans landed three-star cornerback TJ Umenyiora, four-star offensive lineman Collin Campbell, and a number of other big prospects. Related: Son of Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Commits to Michigan State Related: Michigan State Football Lands Class of 2026 4-Star Offensive Lineman Related: Michigan State Suffers a Four-Star Decommitment From Sole 2027 Recruit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
