Consensus four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, has officially set his top schools. USC has made the cut. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Merritt has a list which includes USC, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Alabama, Missouri, Kansas, Florida State, Texas A&M, and Michigan. His spring visits will be Ole Miss (March 21), Alabama (March 23), Oklahoma (April 6) and …

The Panthers have created a bit more cap space to use this offseason. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that they did that by adjusting the contract of linebacker Shaq Thompson. The team has reduced his base pay to $3.1 million, which includes $1.7 million in guaranteed money. With that change in place, the Panthers have $3 million more in …

A Nebraska class of 2025 commit has set his official visit date. Caden VerMaas, a 6-0 195-pound safety/running back from Millard North High School in Omaha, will visit the Lincoln campus the weekend of June 21-23. VerMaas announced his commitment to the Cornhuskers in April of 2023. 110% Committed! Dreams to Reality!!!! After a great talk with Coach Matt Rhule, I am excited …

The Steelers decided to move on from quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Eagles decided to move him in. Almost as surprising as Pittsburgh’s pivot from Pickett (and Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky) to Russell Wilson is Philadelphia’s decision to embrace the 2022 first-round pick. His skillset doesn’t mesh seamlessly with the abilities of starter Jalen Hurts, making the transition from QB1 …

No. 6 Tennessee (18-1, 1-0 SEC) defeated No. 12 Alabama (15-3, 0-1 SEC), 11-3, Friday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to open Southeastern Conference play. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. Friday’s win is Tennessee’s 17th consecutive, the second-longest streak in program history. The Vols’ program record for a win streak is 23 games during the …

The Giants added some depth to their offensive line on Friday by signing guard Aaron Stinnie to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Stinnie, 30, was an undrafted free agent out of James Madison who spent the last three-and-a-half years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting in 11 games last season. He essentially replaces Ben Bredeson, who coincidentally …

The 49ers have made a signing to bolster their special teams. Chase Lucas has signed with the 49ers on a one-year contract, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Although Lucas is listed as a cornerback, last season he didn’t play a single snap on defense. However, he got on the field for 230 special teams plays and did good …

Why Pats shouldn’t overlook J.J. McCarthy in first round originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The New England Patriots could find their next franchise quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Either UNC’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels is expected to arrive in Foxboro via the third overall pick. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy hasn’t been linked to New England as often. …

Well, this news may make Mike Vrabel joining Wisconsin as an analyst or special assistant more challenging, if not impossible. The former NFL Coach of the Year is signing on with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant, according to reports from ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter. Related: Ranking Big Ten football teams by highest 2024 ceiling …

The Panthers are signing free agent safety Jordan Fuller to a one-year deal, Joe Person of TheAthletic.com reports. Fuller, 26, spent his first four seasons with the Rams after they made him a sixth-round pick. In 2023, Fuller played all 17 games and totaled 94 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and eight pass breakups. It was a bounce-back season …

Heading into today’s massive 14-game slate, one of the major storylines we’re following is: Who will win the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference? As it stands now, the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings both have 72 points; the Isles are given the tiebreaker in the standings right now as they have a higher points percentage, but …

Greg Wyshynski, ESPNMar 15, 2024, 08:00 AM ET CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Inside the Tampa Bay Lightning’s gym, there’s a team photo taken at the 2022 Stadium Series in Nashville. Every time coach Jon Cooper sees it, he marvels at how much can change in the span of two years. “Of the 23 guys in that picture, …

The Titans have moved on from one of their offensive linemen. Tennessee announced on Friday that the club has released left tackle Andre Dillard. Dillard, 28, signed with the Titans last offseason on a three-year deal but struggled through the 2023 season. He appeared in 16 games with 10 starts playing 562 offensive snaps. He was on the field for …

The Bears signed receiver/return specialist Dante Pettis to a one-year contract Friday, the team announced. Pettis, 28, spent the 2022 season with the Bears, appearing in all 17 games with seven starts. He caught 19 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 37 yards on two carries and averaged 9.1 yards on 18 punt returns. He did not …

Quarterback John Wolford will be back with the Bucs in 2024. Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht announced on Friday that Wolford has re-signed with the team. Licht did not shed any light on the terms of the agreement. Wolford joined the Bucs last year after spending the last four years in the Rams organization. He spent a couple of months …