College football media personality Josh Pate, the host of the Late Kick football podcast, played EA Sports College Football 25 this week and shared a few interesting details concerning the Buckeyes’ roster in the game. Per Pate, both quarterback Will Howard and wide receiver Carnell Tate have an overall rating of 85 in the game while freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith slots in as an 84 overall. The rating may seem low for Smith, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024, to OSU fans who saw clips of his acrobatic catches in spring practice. But EA Sports has traditionally been conservative…

In recent league history, players who ascend to the upper echelon of pass rushers usually make a solid case for inclusion in that group by their second season. There are certainly some exceptions. However, looking across the landscape of the league, many of the sack leaders are hitting double digits by his second season. Lukas Van Ness turned the corner after a quiet first 10 weeks but finished with just four sacks on his 2023 ledger. If Van Ness wants to find himself in the mix among the league’s best, his sophomore campaign would be an excellent time to start…

The Cleveland Browns officially begin training camp in two weeks so it seems like a good time to make some predictions about what we might see and hear from the players, coaches, and media members. The team officially announces that Ken Dorsey will be calling the offense Though it’s been hinted at over the past few weeks, the team officially announces that Ken Dorsey will be taking over offensive playcalling on gamedays. Kevin Stefanski makes the announcement during an end-of-camp press conference. Media members mention that the food at the Greenbriar is amazing The Greenbriar is known for having delicious…

EUGENE — A trial has been scheduled for mid-February in the felony case against Oregon defensive back Daylen Austin, whose attorney claims he “did nothing wrong” and requested for the charge to be dismissed.Lane County Circuit Court Judge Clara Rigmaiden presided over a settlement conference between Lane County Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Geil and Bryan Boender, Austin’s attorney, Thursday afternoon. The sides could not reach a settlement in the case, in which Austin is accused of failing to perform the duties of a driver when another person is injured, a Class B felony, and set trial for Feb. 19, 2025.Geil…

LINCOLN — When Rob Dvoracek became Nebraska’s linebackers coach, John Bullock was a safety and special teamer. Early on, Dvoracek spoke to Mikai Gbayor and asked the then-redshirt sophomore about his goals, and Gbayor said he just wanted to get on the field. He hadn’t played a snap in two years of college football.A year later, Bullock and Gbayor are key members of a new-look linebacking corps.Their ascension underscores just how much has changed within the room since Dvoracek took over, contrasting with the familiarity of a coach entering his second season at NU.“Obviously when you get here there’s a…

The 49ers will open their 2024 training camp on Thursday, July 25 and it will run just under two weeks, concluding on Wednesday, Aug. 7 — also known as 87 Day to honor San Francisco legend Dwight Clark, who died in 2018 after a lengthy battle with ALS. The defending NFC champions will hold 10 training camp practices open to the public. Each open 49ers practice will run from approximately 10:15 a.m. PT to 12:15 p.m. PT. The Faithful will get their first chance to see MVP candidates Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey as they prepare for the 2024 NFL…

Monte Kiffin Passes Away July 11th, 2024 Monte Kiffin reportedly passed today. Former Bucs defensive coordinator and inductee into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor, Monte Kiffin, reportedly passed away today. He was 84. Kiffin passed away, per Nick Schultz of On3.com, in Oxford, Miss. The official Twitter account of Ole Miss football, where Kiffin’s son Lane is the head coach, also announced Kiffin’s passing per Kiffin’s grandson Knox. Joe will update when more details are available. Joe offers condolences to the Kiffin family. Kiffin of course was the famed former Bucs defensive coordinator who crafted one of the greatest defenses…

Eighth-year tight end Jonnu Smith is coming off a monster season with the Atlanta Falcons but believes the best is yet to come after signing a two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. Smith, a 2017 third-round draft pick, is optimistic about the possibilities when catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa, the league leader in passing yards last season. “Tua is probably the most talented when it comes to arm — I’m not even going to say probably, he is,” Smith said on The Dive Bar Podcast Wednesday night. “When it comes to arm talent and the way he moves his eyes,…

There’s been plenty of focus put into the Chicago Bears’ offseason, and rightfully so. They made plenty of big splashes, including coming away with a pair of Top 10 selections. Yet they only made five total picks due to multiple trades before April’s draft. Because of that, it should allow a few undrafted free agents to compete for a 53-man roster spot. In total, Chicago signed 13 undrafted free agents, but only a few have a chance at making the final roster. We’ll highlight three intriguing names that should have the best chance at cracking the 53-man roster come September.…

A lifelong fan of the Buckeyes, Damarion Witten has long dreamed of following in the footsteps of Glenville greats before him by playing for Ohio State. 10 years after he watched fellow Glenville alumnus Cardale Jones lead the Buckeyes to a national championship, the No. 464 overall prospect in the 2024 class is beginning his Ohio State career along two of his Tarblooders teammates. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Witten brings an elite combination of length and athleticism to Ohio State that could enable him to be a mismatch-creating playmaker at either tight end or wide receiver. How He Became a Buckeye…