Yardbarker

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans. You can find him on Twitter/X and Threads at @ericsmithling and at Bluesky at @ericsmithling.bsky.social.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, College Football, NBA, Men's and Women's College Basketball, NHL

With draft decision, Quinn Ewers aims to take advantage of poor QB class

As perplexing as it seems, Quinn Ewers' draft decision could be wise.

Five burning questions for NBA season's second half: Cavs remain a juggernaut? Who wins two-man MVP race? 

With teams hitting the halfway point in their 2024-25 schedules, it’s the perfect time to survey the NBA landscape.

No. 21 Ole Miss notches a program first in road win over No. 4 Alabama

Ole Miss accomplished a first on Tuesday evening. With its 74-64 win at Associated Press No. 4 Alabama (14-3, 3-1 SEC), the Rebels notched their first road win against an AP top-five team in program history.

Brian Kelly's past words come back to haunt him amid Notre Dame's playoff run

LSU head coach Brian Kelly did himself no favors when he recently backtracked previous comments about his former team, Notre Dame.

Lions' praise shows why Aaron Glenn should be a head coach in 2025

Already on multiple teams' coaching-search radars, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn received two ringing endorsements from Lions defenders that should make him an even more attractive candidate.

Top 10 2025 NFL free-agent quarterbacks: Where does Sam Darnold rank after 'MNF' clunker?

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold lost money on Monday night. With an ugly performance against the Rams, Darnold's stock entering free agency took a hit. Where does he stand among the options at the position?

Vikings-Rams takeaways: Rams rediscover Super Bowl form in wire-to-wire win

The Rams closed wild-card weekend with an emphatic 27-9 win against the Vikings, setting Los Angeles up for a road trip to the Eagles on Sunday.

Why hiring Deion Sanders is a bad idea for the Cowboys

Deion Sanders? As the Cowboys next head coach? As bad of an idea as it seems, of course Dallas is considering it.

Watch: Troy Aikman offers brutal assessment of Cowboys' HC opening

The Cowboys entered the head-coaching market on Monday, but Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman suggested the team might not like what it finds.

Laughable Mickey Loomis comments show Saints haven't reached rock bottom

If you thought the Saints were bad this season, wait for 2025. General manager Mickey Loomis spoke with reporters for the first time since the team ended the 2024 season 5-12, the franchise's worst record since 2005, when it was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Packers-Eagles takeaways: Philly needs to solve offensive malaise

It wasn't pretty, but the Eagles escaped their home wild-card game against the Packers with a 22-10 win.

Watch: Disaster strikes for Packers on opening kick vs. Eagles

The Packers had a nightmarish start to their wild-card game against the Eagles. 

Ranking Mike Tomlin’s potential coaching destinations in 2025

Following another one-and-done playoff run from the Pittsburgh Steelers, calls are mounting for the franchise to part ways with head coach Mike Tomlin after 18 seasons.

Watch: C.J. Stroud's incredible throw leads Texans to halftime lead over Chargers

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud made something out of nothing to spark Houston's 99-yard go-ahead touchdown drive against the Chargers in the first game of Super Wild Card Weekend.

Chargers-Texans takeaways: Houston's stars shine; Jim Harbaugh gets full Chargers experience

The Texans (11-7) defeated the Chargers (11-7), 32-12, after entering Saturday's wild-card game as a 2.5-point home underdog.

Watch: Clutch late baskets propel Iowa State to gritty Big 12 road win

Iowa State withstood Texas Tech's best effort to notch a tough Big 12 road win on Saturday. The Cyclones erased a 13-point first-half deficit in their 85-84 overtime win.

Falcons make major changes to coaching staff after disappointing 2024 season

Following a disappointing end to the 2024 season, Atlanta wasted little time making changes to its coaching staff.

Cooper Flagg shows why NBA teams should tank for him in Duke win

Flagg gave the NBA's worst teams something to hope for with his strong effort in an 86-78 win over Notre Dame on Saturday.

Watch: Jack Sawyer scoop-and-score propels Ohio State to first national title game appearance since 2020

Ohio State senior defensive end Jack Sawyer returned to Columbus for moments like Friday night at the Cotton Bowl.

Watch: Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson makes up for penalty with massive TD vs. Texas

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson made up for an early blunder in a major way at the end of the first half of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl against Texas.

Penn State QB Drew Allar still has time to change NFL Draft decision

While Penn State quarterback Drew Allar told the coaching staff he plans to return for his senior season in December, ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates noted he has time to alter plans.

Three reasons why Notre Dame can win the national championship

The Irish will play either Ohio State or Texas for a chance to win their first national title since 1988. Here are three reasons why Notre Dame's championship drought could soon be over.

Notre Dame dealing with flu outbreak ahead of Orange Bowl

Penn State isn't the only thing standing in Notre Dame's way as it seeks a trip to the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Falcons GM makes surprising Kirk Cousins admission

Kirk Cousins isn't good enough to be Atlanta's starting quarterback, but the Falcons still want him as their backup.

Ranking the seven known Saints head-coaching candidates

So far, NFL media reporters have linked seven candidates to New Orleans' opening. Here's our ranking of the candidates for the Saints job, from the worst to best fit.