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As the top-ranked rising junior in North Carolina and No. 3 overall prospect nationally on the 247Sports 2027 Composite, it didn't take long for Northern Nash High School (N.C.) and Team United standout CJ Rosser to pop up on the 2027 UNC basketball recruiting radar. And he's remained at the center of it ever since.
In fact, the 6-foot-9, 185-pound sophomore forward has already visited the Tar Heels twice.
Rosser's unofficial Tar Heel tours coincided with the 2024-25 squad's Dec. 4 double-digit home loss to Alabama and March 1 double-digit victory over Miami in Chapel Hill, with the latter Dean E. Smith Center experience culminating in an official scholarship offer from fourth-year head coach Hubert Davis.
The long-limbed phenom became the first full-fledged UNC basketball target. Now, given Davis' courtside positioning for at least one of Rosser's potent EYBL performances in Memphis, Tenn., this weekend, there's no doubt the 55-year-old views the Rocky Mount product as a top priority and was determined to deliver that message again on Saturday.
With a packed crowd also featuring Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and Houston's Kevin Sampson, CJ Rosser shined to the tune of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks. As SportsCenter NEXT noted in the following highlights of his winning effort, the mere 16-year-old is already "a matchup nightmare":
C.J. Rosser (No. 2 ESPN 60) is a matchup nightmare
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) May 17, 2025
The 6’8” sophomore did it all for Team United 16U in an 8-point victory.
-27 points
-11 rebounds
-2 blocks pic.twitter.com/ajksLn9yaC
Meanwhile, he's still the only UNC basketball offer holder on the 2027 trail.
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Commanders flaw exposed in blowout preseason loss to Ravens
The Washington Commanders have a potentially significant problem on special teams. During Saturday's 30-3 preseason Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, kicker Matt Gay missed a 53-yard field goal wide left at the end of Washington's first offensive possession. Gay finished the preseason 3-of-5 on field goal attempts. He also missed a 49-yarder wide left in preseason Week 1 against the New England Patriots. Gay's struggles continue the chaotic journey for the Commanders at kicker. Last season's Week 1 starter, Cade York, went 0-of-2 in the opener and was promptly released. His replacement, Austin Seibert, was in the midst of a fantastic season through Week 9, going 25-of-27 on field goals and 22-of-22 on extra points before missing two weeks with a hip injury. He was later placed on injured reserve after missing three kicks in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, including a would-be tying extra point following a wild 86-yard touchdown with under a minute remaining. Zane Gonzalez and Greg Joseph combined to go 7-of-10 on field goals the rest of the season, including each missing a 50-yard attempt. Overall, Commanders kickers struggled from long distance, with the four combining to go 2-of-8 on attempts of 50 yards or more. Only the Philadelphia Eagles had a worse percentage (14.3%) on attempts of at least 50 yards, per Pro Football Reference data. Washington signed Gay to a one-year, $4.25M fully guaranteed contract in late April following the 2025 NFL Draft. Per CBS Sports, it's the largest guaranteed contract for a kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. Last season, while with the Indianapolis Colts, Gay was 3-of-9 on 50-yard field goals. The Commanders have the talent on offense to be one of the league's top scoring units, so they might not need to convert many tries from over 50 yards. Still, having a kicker who can reliably hit from that distance is an undeniable asset, particularly late in close games or on possessions that stall after crossing midfield. Washington largely has a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl. But following its final tune-up before the regular season, kicking is a notable flaw.
Winners and losers from Packers' dominant preseason win over Seahawks
The Green Bay Packers have completed their last preseason game before the start of the NFL regular season, doing so in dominant fashion against the Seattle Seahawks. With a final score of 20-7, the Packers got the final word after the two teams had several brutal fisticuffs on Thursday’s joint practice. The team had several players star in their roles during their final auditions before roster cuts on Tuesday, but while Saturday’s game was all Green Bay, several players also missed their chance to leave a lasting impression. Winner: Ty’Ron Hopper impresses with several splash Plays Any Green Bay Packers fans who watched Saturday afternoon’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks are now familiar with the name Ty’Ron Hopper. The second-year linebacker out of Missouri was all over the field, making several impressive plays. He finished with three tackles, a sack, and some good plays in coverage as well. Additionally, he had a forced fumble on a fourth-down play where Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe had achieved enough yardage to move the chains, but found himself unable to hold onto the ball. Hopper was not a name getting a lot of attention entering camp, but there’s no chance of him not making the roster following an excellent preseason. With starters Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie cemented as the top three ‘backers for the team, Hopper appears to firmly have his hands on the reins for the fourth spot. Winner: Kalen King makes his presence felt Kalen King may have been an outside shot to make the roster a few weeks ago, but it seems like many think the former Penn State star has done enough. King ran with some of the Green Bay starters on defense during the opening periods of the game and had several important contributions. None stands out more than his fumble recovery, which was one of four turnovers forced by the team on the afternoon. In addition to the fumble recovery, he had a strong tackle on Jalen Milroe as the Seattle quarterback scampered towards the end zone, which resulted in no gain. While the secondary remains an area of concern for the Pack, King looks like he may have done enough to ensure he is a part of it entering the season. Loser: Rookie Anthony Belton still has a lot to learn Rookie offensive tackle Anthony Belton has certainly had his struggles this preseason. Just a week after being called for five first-half penalties against the Indianapolis Colts, Belton continued to show up with some poor moments against Seattle. Although he was only called for one false start on Saturday afternoon, head coach Matt LaFleur was seen ripping into Belton during the late first half. Later, it was revealed that LaFleur was upset with Belton’s stance on a third–down play where the team was hoping to secure field goal position. Belton will likely not be counted on for many snaps on offense this upcoming season. He clearly has a way to go before he can develop into a reliable player. Loser: Sean Clifford fails to impress in third-string QB battle King certainly had a strong day, but for another Penn State alum, it was more of a struggle. Reserve quarterback Sean Clifford did not have his best outing in limited action. Clifford finished 6-9 passing, but managed only 19 yards. He had multiple inaccurate balls on some shorter throws that many would expect him to convert. Competing with Clifford for the last quarterback spot is Taylor Elgersma, who had a better day. He went 6-8 for 33 yards. Even though both QBs did not do much of note against Seattle, Elgersma has had a much better preseason overall. In fact, his QB rating was over double of that of Clifford’s entering the final preseason game. Saturday’s contest was a chance for Clifford to rebound, and he failed to take advantage of the opportunity. One other advantage that Elgersma has is that he is four years younger than Clifford. Despite Clifford being just a second-year pro, he is already 27 years old. Theoretically, Elgersma has more room to grow if he was kept around.
Big Ten's College Football Playoff expansion idea is 'absurd,' ESPN host says
Rece Davis doesn't want to see the College Football Playoff expand to two dozen or more participants. The longtime host of ESPN's "College GameDay" said on Saturday, per On3's Nick Schultz, that the Big Ten Conference's idea being floated around that could grow the CFP to 24 or 28 teams is "absurd." Davis made his comments on ESPN just before No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State were set to battle in the opener of the 2025 college football season from Aviva Stadium in Dublin. According to a recent report by ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Big Ten's idea is in the early stages of being discussed. This proposal would eliminate conference title games and offer a sizable number of automatic bids to the four power conferences. "I’m just going to say this flat-out: I don’t believe they’re serious about this,” Davis said on "College Football Countdown," per Schultz. "I believe this is like when you go to sell your house, and you say, 'I’m going to ask $1 million more than I’m willing to settle for.' They’re trying to get something back on the other side because on its face, this is absurd. It’s absurd, on its face. So they have to be looking for something else. That’s my guess." CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello reported on Aug. 18, citing sources, that the Big Ten's CFP expansion idea isn't off to a great start and has caught stakeholders off guard. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti recently floated the two expansion models to athletic directors in that conference, per Marcello. The Southeastern Conference, the other dominant league in college football, was later informed. Others conferences weren't told about the idea until reports leaked out, according to Marcello. A CFP executive said to CBS Sports, "We sound like immature children throwing garbage against the wall." Per Thamel, in the 28-team model, the Big Ten and the SEC would each command seven automatic bids, while the ACC and the Big 12 would both get five. There would then be two auto bids for non-power-four conferences and also two at-large teams. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, there will be a 12-team CFP. The event also had 12 participants last season, with Ohio State winning, and before that, four teams. Over the past year or so, stakeholders have discussed potentially expanding the CFP to 16 participants. However, an agreement hasn't been reached due to different conferences wanting a different number of automatic bids versus at-large teams, according to Thamel.
Matthew Knies Speaks On 'Weird' Maple Leafs’ Locker Room Change
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies acknowledged that Mitch Marner’s departure will leave a noticeable void inside the team’s locker room, even if the two only shared two seasons together. Speaking at a promotional event on Saturday, via the Toronto Sun, Knies admitted that the absence of the long-standing member of the Leafs' now-former "Core Four" will be felt when the group reconvenes for training camp ahead of the 2025-26 season. "I’m looking forward to camp and thus get to enjoy these last two weeks off because we want to go as far as possible," Knies said. "Without Mitch, it’s going to obviously be different. Definitely weird in the locker room not seeing him at first. There’ll be a new (locker room) deejay." Core Four Era Ends With Mitch Marner’s Exit The Leafs dealt Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade in parallel with the star winger signing an eight-year, $96 million deal with his new franchise, closing the book on his nine-year tenure in Toronto. Marner's exit officially ended the "Core Four" era that defined the franchise for nearly a decade alongside current captain Auston Matthews, fellow winger William Nylander, and former captain John Tavares. During their time together in Toronto, those four didn't amount to much success outside of the regular season. Although the team hasn't missed the playoffs since they returned in 2017, the Leafs will enter their post-Marner era having won just two playoff series since then, never advancing past the second round. Matthew Knies' Take on How to Replace Mitch Marner's Production Knies, who broke out with 29 goals and 58 points last season before signing a six-year, $46.5 million extension, said he expects the Leafs to adjust quickly with the offseason additions of Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua. “It’ll be a bit different without Mitch, but the acquisitions we’ve made have been looking good,” Knies said. “I don’t know what we’ll put together at the start of the season, but we have a lot of great players on our team.” Asked who might take over Marner’s right-wing role to make up for his voided production, Knies pointed to Nylander, saying, “Willy is pretty dynamic. (Moving Nylander to the first-line gap) wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.” The Leafs and Golden Knights are scheduled to meet on January 15 in Las Vegas, with Marner returning to Scotiabank Arena on January 23.
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