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Entering his freshman season with some of the highest expectations that can be put on a player, Cooper Flagg has exceeded those and then some, putting together one of the all-time most impressive seasons by a Duke basketball talent.
In addition to leading the Blue Devils in every major statistic, Flagg’s competitiveness and defensive tenacity has helped cement a culture and standard as this year’s Duke basketball team aims to make a run to the Final Four and potentially cut down nets in April.
Those attributes and his play on the court have helped the phenom live up to expectations and receive some extra special recognition.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the 18-year-old had been awarded with the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which goes to the most outstanding NCAA Division I men's basketball player, selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
GOT THE NPOTY ON OUR SQUAD
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 26, 2025
@Cooper_Flagg ️ pic.twitter.com/bS59S3ZUSI
He becomes the first freshman and the first Blue Devil to win the award since the 2018-19 season, in which eventual No. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson took home the honors in his lone season as a Duke basketball sensation.
Other former winners of the trophy to don the Blue Devil jersey are JJ Redick, Jason Williams, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, Christian Laettner, Danny Ferry and Art Heyman.
Flagg and the rest of the Duke basketball squad will look to continue their season on Thursday night, as the No. 1 seed Blue Devils take on No. 4 seed Arizona at 9:39 p.m. (CBS).
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Jeff Hafley hints at Lukas Van Ness growing into a problem
Luka Van Ness has been through two seasons in the NFL, but the Green Bay Packers linebacker hasn’t quite yet lived up to the hype that came with him when the team took him 13th overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. In his rookie season, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star played in 17 games and recorded four sacks. He took a step back in 2024, recording just three sacks in 17 games. His Pro Football Focus grade slid down from 64.0 in 2023 to 53.8 in 2024. But at least he’s been durable for Green Bay, having not missed a game thus far in his career. Availability is one thing, though. It’s what he does when he’s on the field that the Packers want to see improve. Year 3 for Van Ness could be where he truly breaks out, an exciting thought for the Packers, who were 12th in 2024 with a defensive sack rate of 7.42 percent. Packers DC shares 2025 outlook for Van Ness Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who is entering his second year in the role with the team, is feeling optimistic about Van Ness. Here’s what Hafley said about Van Ness, via Green Bay’s official website). “He’s a year older. He’s got another year in the scheme. I think he’s starting to understand the position, how to use his hands, how to set edges, some pass rush tools, some counter moves. It was a good offseason for him truthfully. He did a good job at OTAs and then he left here and he put in a lot of work. He came back in really good shape, he’s healthy. I think he’s starting to feel comfortable. DeMarcus (Covington) has done a really good job with him and that entire group, but again, it’s still early.” At just 24 years old, Van Ness likely hasn’t reached his peak yet, and if he does take a leap in 2025, that should be a huge plus for the Packers.
One player from each AFC team who deserves Hall of Fame call
Let the (preseason) games begin. With the Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Chargers Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicking off 2025 action, Yardbarker NFL writers mulled a player — past or present — on each AFC team who merits enshrinement in Canton. AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | LB Von Miller | As the NFL’s active leader in sacks (129.5), Miller — who's now with the Commanders — is a sure bet for the Hall of Fame even though he missed 14 games in three years with Buffalo. In 10 seasons with Denver, Miller earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, made eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, the last defensive player to win the award. MIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill | His subpar 2024 season aside (81 catches, 959 yards, six TD catches), the 31-year-old receiver boasts a Hall of Fame resume (eight Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nods in nine years). Hill led NFL receivers with 1,799 yards in 2023 and has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, two fewer than Cris Carter, who spent the last five games of his Hall of Fame career with Miami. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) narrowly missed induction as a finalist in 2025, his first year of eligibility, and will be an automatic finalist in 2026. Vinatieri, who retired in 2021, holds records for most field goals made in the regular season (599) and playoffs (56) and helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls before winning another with the Colts in 2007. NEW YORK JETS | QB Aaron Rodgers | The enigmatic passer disappointed as a Jet, but four first-team All-Pro honors, four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP with the Green Bay Packers can’t be overlooked. Rodgers’ 62,952 passing yards are the seventh most in league history, and his 4.34 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best of any quarterback, past or present. — Bruce Ewing AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | WR Rod Smith | Smith played a key role when the Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler had 152 receiving yards in a 34-19 Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Atlanta Falcons, tied for the sixth most in a Super Bowl. The undrafted WR starred for Denver from 1995-2006, becoming the club’s career leader in receiving yards (11,389). KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | QB Patrick Mahomes | Star tight end Travis Kelce would be an excellent pick, too, but the Chiefs had won only one Super Bowl before Mahomes became the starter during the 2018 season. The 2017 first-round pick has won three Super Bowls and two MVPs in eight seasons with the Chiefs. Expect Mahomes, who turns 30 on Sept. 17, to keep bolstering his stellar resume. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | QB Philip Rivers | Rivers, who retired as a Charger in July, never reached a Super Bowl during his career, but neither did former Chargers QB Dan Fouts. That didn’t prevent him from making the HOF in 1993. The same should go for eight-time Pro Bowler Rivers, who ranks sixth in career TD passes (421). LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Guard Steve Wisniewski | It’s surprising Wisniewski isn’t in Canton already. Per Pro Football Reference, his HOF monitor score (76.58) is higher than that of HOF guard Mike Munchak (72.7). The former O-lineman is also a member of the HOF’s All-1990s team. — Clark Dalton AFC North BALTIMORE RAVENS | LB Terrell Suggs | Suggs, who played from 2003-19, and former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda were finalists for the 2025 class but missed out. Suggs was one of the more dominant pass-rushers of his era, accumulating 139 career sacks, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro, a Defensive Player of the Year award and an NFL-record 202 tackles for loss. He was a key part of two Super Bowl winners. CINCINNATI BENGALS | QB Ken Anderson | The Bengals did not win a Super Bowl during Anderson’s career (1971-86), but that is pretty much the only thing separating him from other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, especially from his era in the 1970s. Anderson has an NFL MVP award and led the league in passing twice, completion percentage three times and passer rating four times. CLEVELAND BROWNS | Edge Myles Garrett | Garrett is still active, but it’s not hard to see the path his career is on. He has been the more dominant pass-rusher in the league from pretty much the day he arrived. He may not win a title in Cleveland, but he is going to finish as one of the best Browns players of all time and one of the best defenders of the modern era in the NFL. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | QB Ben Roethlisberger | Roethlisberger, who retired in 2022, does not have many individual accolades, but spending nearly two decades as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and earning two Super Bowl rings will be more than enough to get him in. It is just a matter of how long he might have to wait for induction. — Adam Gretz AFC South HOUSTON TEXANS | DE J.J. Watt | Widely considered to be a first-ballot lock, Watt — who retired following the 2022 season — will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028. His career could have been even better if not for several seasons being shortened by injury, but Watt is one of only three players to win three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Few players were capable of changing the game the way a healthy Watt could. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The three-time Pro Bowl selection made 29 game-winning kicks in his career, including two that won Super Bowls for the Patriots. Vinatieri has four Super Bowl rings and could be considered the most clutch kicker of all time. There are four kickers in the Hall of Fame, and it is almost impossible to argue against Vinatieri becoming the fifth. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | RB Fred Taylor | The wait continued in 2025 for Taylor, a Hall of Fame finalist for the second straight year, but he did not get the nod. Taylor, who retired in 2011, ranks 17th in NFL history with 11,695 rushing yards and holds numerous Jaguars records. The only running back ahead of him on the all-time rushing list who is not in the Hall of Fame is Frank Gore, and he is likely to get into Canton eventually. TENNESSEE TITANS | RB Derrick Henry | Titans legends Eddie George and Steve McNair advanced in the Hall of Fame voting process for 2025, but there is a good chance neither will get into Canton. Henry, meanwhile, is already 19th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,423 yards and coming off a season in which he ran for 1,921 yards. Henry, who spent the majority of his career in Tennessee, should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. — Steve DelVecchio
Steelers Add Familiar Face To Defensive Line Depth Chart After Recent Plague Of Injuries
The Pittsburgh Steelers likely have a handful of "bubble" players on speed-dial throughout training camp. Some guys always seem like they are on the cusp of making the roster, so they get called upon when injuries pile up. Recently, Pittsburgh lost three defensive linemen to knee issues, including Dean Lowry. There is no word on how severe they are just yet. At this point, it feels like the team needs bodies to work with the second and third-team defense. The Steelers signed more than just a camp body, however. They signed a veteran that knows the system. The announcement came via the player himself, as defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko posted on X that he is signing with the Steelers once again. Fehoko has spent 2023 and 2024 on the Steelers' practice squad after a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers. In Los Angeles, he appeared in 19 games, including four starts. He has racked up 36 total tackles in his career, and he is looking to prove that he can do more than that, so he can get a chance to stick on the Steelers' 53-man roster finally. He will definitely have a window of opportunity with all the injuries on the defensive line, as well as the recent influx of youth. Captain Cameron Heyward is one of very few long-time veterans in the position group, so the coaching staff would likely be happy with having another veteran stick around for the entire 2025 season. Lowry was another veteran expected to make it past the final cuts, but that status is now up in the air. The injuries are not the only thing giving Fehoko a chance here. The Steelers' defensive line depth was already rough before the injuries piled up, and now it's even worse. It appears to be a very top-heavy unit, depending on how well rookie Derrick Harmon plays. Outside of that, there is a lot to be desired from the collective unit. A little bit of veteran presence from a familiar face is surely welcomed. Steelers Have Been Looking For Better Performances From Their Defensive Line Obviously, the 2024 season did not end the way the Steelers had hoped, as they routinely lost in the trenches late in the season. That failure forced a positional overhaul, including two rookie defensive linemen getting drafted together. That kind of end-of-year performance is absolutely unacceptable, and everyone knows it. It's time to get bigger, stronger, and meaner together, and that was what they went for in the 2025 offseason. So far, early returns have been great from training camp, although it's unclear if the defensive line is performing that well, the offensive line is performing that poorly, or a little bit of both. Either way, the first-team unit seems to be doing its job well. More depth is never a bad thing, however, and that's why Fehoko was brought back. They could really use someone like him holding down the fort for the backups. This will be a unique camp competition for Fehoko, as he will be competing against Logan Lee, who was essentially red-shirted in 2024, DeMarvin Leal, who has positional flexibility, and then more of the typical bubble players. Outside of the three projected starters and rookie Yahya Black, nobody's job is safe and secure. There are many bones for all the dogs to fight for. The roster move to free up a spot for Fehoko is to be determined, but the most likely scenario is one of the three injured defensive linemen either going on injured reserve or getting released with an injury settlement.
Saints Shocker? New Orleans Linked To Trade For Breakout QB
The New Orleans Saints lost Derek Carr to retirement earlier this offseason and replaced him with rookie Tyler Shough. The Saints' quarterback room is now one of the worst units in the league and it's clear they need to make an addition ahead of the season, no matter how small. FanSided's Wynston Wilcox recently urged the Saints to pick up the phone and call the Los Angeles Chargers to swing a trade for Trey Lance. "It will take more than one good preseason half, but if Lance continues to look like his former self, it's possible a team jumps at the chance to trade for him," Wilcoz wrote. "One team to watch would be the New Orleans Saints. They could probably benefit from veteran experience in the quarterback room. Spencer Rattler is in his second year, Tyler Shough is a rookie and Taysom Hill isn’t really starter quality. "If he does enough to impress Kellen Moore, it could be a chance for him to prove he can be a starter in the NFL again. The San Francisco 49ers gave up on him; so did the Cowboys. The Chargers provided a chance for him to revive his career. Now he just has to capitalize on the opportunity in front of him." Lance, 25, has never been given a shot in the NFL. He's a former top pick with a lot of potential and a lot of raw talent. Earlier this week, Lance turned heads with a very impressive performance at the NFL's preseason Hall of Fame game. The youngster likely doesn't have a future with the Chargers, but he could battle for playing time in New Orleans. The Saints could part ways with one or two draft picks in order to land Lance. At worst, he'd be a much better backup than the Saints have. At best, the Saints and head coach Kellen Moore could rejuvanate his potential and help Lance become a starter in the NFL. More NFL: Saints Shockingly Linked To Blockbuster Trade For Talented QB
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