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Gophers' star Darius Taylor is the seventh-best running back returning to college football next season, according to a list published by Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus (PFF) on Thursday.
After breaking out for 799 rushing yards and five touchdowns in only six games as a true freshman, Taylor showed his versatility as a do-it-all back in 2025. He totaled 989 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards with 12 total touchdowns.
"Taylor has been a do-it-all back for the Golden Gophers across his first two seasons. His 79.9 PFF receiving grade since 2023 leads all Power Four halfbacks, and his 1,317 yards after contact in that span rank second among returning Power Four runners," Chadwick wrote. "He has good size at 6 feet and 215 pounds with long strides and the mentality to punish any defensive backs who try to tackle him."
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In Chadwick's list, Notre Dame's Jeremiah Love is No. 1 followed by Louisville's Isaac Brown at No. 2. Then it's four Big Ten running backs before Taylor. Nicholas Singleton from Penn State, Washington's Jonah Coleman, Tulane transfer Makhi Huges with Oregon and Kaytron Allen from Penn State, prove that the conference will be loaded with top running back talent in 2025.
Taylor showcased a unique skillset in 2024 with 54 receptions. There are not many college running backs who have proven to be that level of weapon out of the backfield. His yards per carry dropped from 5.8 in 2023 to 4.8 last season, but he could be in line for his most effective college season in 2025.
The Gophers added three offensive linemen from the transfer portal this offseason and some questions at the quarterback position mean their offense could revolve around Taylor even more next season. He could find himself even higher on the list by season's end.
More must-reads:
- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
- Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Main reason Nebraska won't make College Football Playoff revealed
Nebraska is a program that is trending up heading into the 2025 season. If anything, look at the trends for head coach Matt Rhule. In Year 3 at Temple, he had the Owls as a 10-win program and considered one of the top teams in the AAC. At Baylor, the Bears went 11-3 in his third season in Waco, and that included an 8-1 record against Big 12 opponents. Rhule is a program-builder, and especially with star quarterback Dylan Raiola entering his second year in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers will be one of the more interesting teams in the country to watch. But can they compete for the College Football Playoff this season? Interestingly enough, Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt recently revealed that he thinks Nebraska is close to being a "playoff party crasher." There is one reason he thinks the Huskers will fall short, though, and that's the defensive side of the football. First, losing former defensive coordinator Tony White to the same position at Florida State is going to be tough. "Well, I didn’t pick them because they lost Tony White, their defensive coordinator. He’s very good. So they promoted from within with John Butler," Klatt said (h/t On3). Klatt doesn't seem to think hiring from within was the right move to elevate Nebraska in 2025. He also seems worried about losses on the defensive line. Nash Hutmacher, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive lineman, is now in the NFL, as is 6-foot-5, 288-pound defensive tackle Ty Robinson. Those are two huge (literally) players that Nebraska may have a hard time replacing. "That was the heart and soul of their defense, so I question whether their defense will be as strong this year as it was a year ago," Klatt said. Even in a 12-team CFP, a team with a massive weak link probably won't cut it. It will be interesting to see if the defense really does hold back Nebraska in 2025, or if Klatt is simply overthinking it. Again, Rhule's track record is hard to ignore.
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
Steelers Considering Cutting Ties With Former Fan Favorite Prospect
The Pittsburgh Steelers finally ended training camp in Latrobe, PA and headed back to Pittsburgh on Tuesday in preparation for a joint practice (and preseason game) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Thankfully, the Steelers are leaving Latrobe without too many injury concerns. The most notable is likely Calvin Austin III, who has missed nearly two weeks of practices due to an injury, while other players have suffered minor setbacks that have already returned to the practice field. One player who has also missed considerable time is cornerback Cory Trice Jr., who went down with a hamstring injury. Trice was a seventh-round pick for the Steelers during the 2023 NFL Draft. Some believed he deserved to go higher in the draft, but he had injury concerns entering his professional career, and those concerns proved to come true. The young defender missed his entire rookie season in 2023 with a torn ACL, and he was only able to appear in six games in 2024 while battling a hamstring issue. Team insider Mark Kaboly had Trice listed as a "loser" of training camp due to his injury, even speculating that he might not be with Pittsburgh in the near future. "Trice is uber talented, but he just can’t stay healthy," Kaboly wrote. "At what point do the Steelers cut ties with him because of him being unreliable? It is getting close to that point in time." The defensive back has only been available in six games over the first two seasons of his career, but the coaching staff has remained excited about what he could become. However, there comes a time when the injuries just become too much, and Kaboly believes the Steelers might be at that point. The severity of Trice's hamstring injury has not been stated publicly, but he needs to get back on the field soon in order to stay on the roster. The injury isn't the only thing that is going against Trice. Pittsburgh also revamped the cornerback group during the 2025 offseason, which included bringing in high-end talent like Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay. Pittsburgh also signed Brandin Echols, who is competing with Beanie Bishop Jr. at slot cornerback in certain packages. The room is packed with talent, and Trice was going to have to have a good camp to make it onto the final roster. He can still do that, but he needs to find a way to get back on the field soon. By this point in his career, the hope was that Trice would be a consistent contributor to the Pittsburgh defense. He and Joey Porter Jr. were drafted in the same year, and some fans believed they had what it took to be the two starting cornerbacks in Pittsburgh for years to come, but the injuries have not allowed that to happen up to this point. Porter has turned into a solid starter with a ton of potential, but Trice is still waiting in the wings. Steelers' Cory Trice Jr. Just Needs More Experience Trice has shown some flashes when he has been able to get onto the field for Pittsburgh. He had the game-sealing interception against the Denver Broncos at the beginning of the 2024 season, but he suffered his hamstring injury during the next game. He was put on an island against Ja'Marr Chase at the end of the 2024 season, and he got beat pretty bad. He likely learned some lessons from that matchup and was going to come back even stronger in 2025, but fans are going to have to wait and see if he can get back on the field for the Steelers.
Mets manager gives blunt response to blowing six-run lead
The New York Mets appeared to be on their way to earning a much-needed win by the third inning of Wednesday night's game when they enjoyed a 6-0 lead on the Atlanta Braves. Following a disastrous fourth inning in which the Mets surrendered nine runs, the offense completely collapsed, and New York lost its 12th game in 14 tries in an 11-6 loss in front of 38,647 fans at Citi Field. Following the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that he didn't think Wednesday night's loss was the worst of the season, but said it "sucks" to blow a lead like they had early in the game. "We’ve had some tough ones, but I wouldn’t say worst loss of the season," Mendoza said, via the Mets. "They all count the same, but it sucks to lose a game when you’re up six right away." The Mets scored three runs in each of the first two innings. Starting pitcher David Peterson allowed six earned runs in the fourth inning before he was pulled for right-handed reliever Reed Garrett. Garrett allowed three earned runs before getting out of the disastrous inning. Mendoza then put in Paul Blackburn to complete the game, not even batting an eye when the right-handed reliever surrendered two more runs in the sixth inning. By that point, Mendoza said he was concerned with saving the bullpen for another day. The admission from Mendoza was odd, as he seemed to punt on the Mets' chances for a comeback with three more chances at the plate. He doesn't trust his offense, and he especially doesn't believe in his rotation. Mendoza said the coaching staff will try to figure out how to get more out of the talent that had the Mets playing quality baseball in the first half of the season. "They’re tough losses, but we gotta keep going," Mendoza said. "We have got coaches right now looking at pretty much everything--trying to figure out how we can continue to help these guys, especially the guys from the rotation because we know the talent is there. But we just haven’t been able to get much from them, especially the last time through." Forget the NL East, where they trail the Philadelphia Phillies by five games; the Mets are barely trying to hold onto a wild-card spot. They have a one-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds.
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