SOUTH BEND — For the second straight season, Notre Dame football has included a transfer quarterback among its five team captains. Duke senior transfer Riley Leonard was never formally named the starter, but Sunday afternoon’s announcement of his captaincy came as no surprise. This is Leonard’s second turn in the role after being voted a Blue Devils captain his junior …

It remains unclear if Matthew Stafford will return to practice this week as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) That tightness in quarterback Matthew Stafford’s hamstring? The twinge Rams coach Sean McVay described as a “little something” initially? It’s looming as a larger issue. Stafford was sidelined for most of the …

WEST POINT – The Army football preseason camp has taken a turn toward the next phase. Saturday’s successful second scrimmage at Michie Stadium will be followed by the return to classes on Monday, signaling the affirmation from the junior class for five years of military duty following graduation. It also marks the end of nearly three weeks of football-exclusive preparation. …

Getty Images Shortly after trading for pass rusher Matt Judon, the Atlanta Falcons made another splash by signing former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. The Falcons officially announced the move Sunday. Simmons recently met with Atlanta and the New Orleans Saints.  Simmons was waived by the Broncos back in March in a cost-cutting move that saved the organization $14.5 million. That came after eight seasons …

USATSI The Cincinnati Bengals have locked down another member of their core with an extension. First, it was quarterback Joe Burrow.  On Friday, Cincy took care of kicker Evan McPherson, re-signing him to a three-year, $16.5 million deal, according to NFL Media. The $10 million he is set to earn in new money for the first year of the contract …

Manny Diaz was inside his Duke football office when Saturday night turned into Sunday morning. Less than two weeks from the Blue Devils’ season opener on Aug. 30 against Elon at Wallace Wade Stadium, Diaz was watching film after Duke wrapped up its debut training camp under their first-year coach in Durham. Now, it’s time for Diaz and his staff …

Minshew Mania is officially hitting Las Vegas. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew the team’s starting quarterback in his Sunday video conference. “A lot of things went into it. It wasn’t based on [the preseason game] last night — there’s a lot of factors,” Pierce said, mentioning he, G.M. Tom Telesco, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy discussed the …

Game week has officially arrived for Florida State football. FSU’s preparation for its trip to Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Georgia Tech has gone well. However, coach Mike Norvell announced his plan Sunday for the absence of one of his top assistant coaches. Alex Atkins, the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, will not be …

If you thought the Tyreek Hill-Noah Lyles drama was over, you’re mistaken. The Miami Dolphins’ superstar wide receiver has been going back and forth with the Team USA sprinter and Olympic gold medalist all month, and now he has put the ball in Lyles’ court, telling him to “sign the contract” to race him. Lyles made headlines last year with …

Training camp stock watch: Drake Maye’s decisiveness on display originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston FOXBORO — Patriots coaches have long known about Drake Maye’s athleticism and arm strength. They learned about his ability to think through the game during the pre-draft period. Now they’re getting a feel for just how quickly he’s able to process behind the line of …

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) warms up ahead of the Longhorns’ game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. According to Pete Nakos of On3, the Texas Longhorns are projected to be in the most-watched games of the 2024 College Football season. The Texas at Michigan game is projected …

Deshaun Watson’s preseason debut remains on schedule. It’s still not known who will be blocking for the Cleveland Browns quarterback. Three more offensive tackles got hurt during Cleveland’s exhibition loss to Minnesota on Saturday, further depleting the vital position as the Browns wait for starters Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin to return from season-ending injuries. Watson is set to …

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been dealing with hamstring tightness that caused him to miss practice time last week and it could keep him off the field for some of this week as well. Head coach Sean McVay said last Thursday that he expected Stafford to return to practice this week, but he was less certain about the plan for …

PHILADELPHIA — After a rainy start to the weekend, the sun shined brightly on a crisp Sunday morning at the NovaCare Complex. The Philadelphia Eagles are entering their final week of training camp and open practices, having practices in five of the next six days before their preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings.  This practice was one of the longest …

Ohio State football camp opened August 1 and the Buckeyes are hard at work preparing for a season they hope will culminate in a College Football Playoff berth. The field has been expanded from four teams to 12 this season, which could mean the season stretches to as many as 17 games for some programs. Preparing for that grind is …