Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that LSU QB Jayden Daniels will not be among the quarterbacks throwing at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week.
According to Rapoport, Daniels plans to work out for teams at his Pro Day instead. Daniels will, however, meet with teams this week.
Daniels joins USC Caleb Williams as notable quarterbacks who will not be participating in on-field workouts at the Combine.
Daniels, 23, is considered to be one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. He’s projected to be a top-5 pick this year by many of the draft experts.
Daniels began his college career at Arizona State back in 2019. He spent three years at ASU before transferring to LSU for the 2022 season.
In total, Daniels threw for 12,750 yards while completing 66.3 percent of his passes to go along with 89 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He also rushed for 3,307 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Daniels was the 2023 Heisman trophy winner.
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Ryan Day might have led Ohio State to a national championship, but it's clear he still doesn't understand what it takes to win "The Game." Yes, Day has led Ohio State to a win over Michigan before. However, this is a different Wolverines program. Don Brown is no longer the defensive coordinator, and Michigan is now the one living rent-free in the minds of Ohio State. For nearly two decades, that was Ohio State. Jim Tressel, and then Urban Meyer, who famously went 7-0 against Michigan, owned the Wolverines. Owned the rivalry. But there is a price to pay, and that's what Day doesn't get. Like Jim Harbaugh when he first arrived at Michigan, Day has essentially treated Michigan as just another game. When asked this week at Big Ten Media Days what the Buckeyes need to do to beat Michigan, Day responded: "Score more points than them," via Ari Wasserman of On3. In a way, that's fair. Ohio State doesn't need to overthink, something they did in 2024. It's also a lot different from Jim Harbaugh saying, "We are going to beat Ohio (State) or die trying." That was in 2021, right after Harbaugh took less money to remain Michigan's head coach. He was on the hot seat, and the reason was that he couldn't beat the Buckeyes. Harbaugh, like Day, tried to treat "The Game" like just another game. Standing across from the maniacal Meyer, that strategy was never going to work. So Harbaugh adapted. Michigan started the "Beat Ohio" drill and focused on dominating in the trenches. After all, the team that wins the rushing battle usually wins "The Game," or at least it has every season dating back to 2001. That's why Ohio State was trying to pound the rock last season against one of the best defensive tackle duos in Michigan history instead of throwing it to Jeremiah Smith. Although the inability of the offensive line to block the Wolverines didn't help. Looking ahead to the 2025 edition, the Buckeyes are once again considered the more talented team. They are the defending national champs and have the two best non-quarterbacks in college football — Smith and Caleb Downs. Ohio State should win. But it should have won last season, as three-touchdown favorites. The biggest difference between the two programs is their attitude toward the rivalry. Michigan is built to beat Ohio State, because the Wolverines figure that if they can beat the Buckeyes, they can beat anyone else. Michigan designed its defense to beat Ohio State. It works every single day to beat the Buckeyes. OSU used to be like that. It was under Meyer. Things changed under Ryan Day, and his answer at Big Ten Media Days only reinforces the fact that he still doesn't get it. The Buckeyes proved they can win a national championship last season. But can they beat Michigan? That remains to be seen.
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.
The Boston Red Sox have plenty of firepower at their disposal that would interest opposing teams ahead of the trade deadline. Despite this, it recently was reported that the Red Sox are expected to keep their outfield intact for now, at least. While this is the case, FOX Sports made an unlikely suggestion that the American League East rival Toronto Blue Jays would be a solid landing spot for Jarren Duran. "The Blue Jays, who lead the Yankees by three games in the AL East, should operate like a legit contender. Acquiring Duran would fortify that status," FOX Sports said. "Last offseason, Toronto made a presumably cost-effective and high-impact move by signing former Baltimore Orioles outfielder/designated hitter Anthony Santander — who blasted 44 home runs in 2024 — to a five-year, $92.5 million deal. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, Santander hasn't played since May 29 due to a shoulder injury and boasted a .179/.273/.304 slash line before going down. "Furthermore, center fielder Daulton Varsho has missed the last two months due to a hamstring injury and struggled to get on base beforehand. Acquiring Duran could help Toronto replenish some of the production that both Santander and Varsho's absences have vacated. Duran would provide slug and somebody who files around the basepaths to a plausible offense but one that could use more slug; while Toronto entered Wednesday second in MLB with a .332 on-base percentage, it was also 12th with a .407 slugging percentage. At full force, Duran, Varsho, George Springer, Davis Schneider and Santander — who was the team's designated hitter before going down — would make for an outfield depth chart of multiple players who are adept at playing multiple spots." Maybe this is true, but Duran is under team control for a few years. Why trade a fan-favorite within the division? This can be ruled extremely unlikely.
Over the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders have emphasized the importance of growing closer as a team. The Raiders have taken steps on and off the field to help cultivate a more competitive and team-oriented environment. It appears to be working. The bond between Maxx Crosby and Jackson Powers-Johnson has been evident to teammates and coaches, as the two often collaborate to improve their respective skill sets. Crosby is the leader of the team, and Powers-Johnson has quickly developed into a leader on the offensive side of the ball. Both players mutually respect the other's game, but although they are close friends now, Crosby noted it was not always that way. "Yeah, it's funny. It's something, like to be 100% real, like last year, I mean me and Jackson did not have a great relationship," Crosby said. "I'm hard on guys, especially young dudes. Like, there's respect that's got to be earned when you come into this league, in this locker room, especially. Like, there's a certain standard I expect from the guys, and he did a lot - like the amount of growth he's had in the last year has been unbelievable. If I were sitting here a year ago and you would have told me all the stuff he did this offseason to get himself in this position he's in, I truly wouldn't believe you, but that's the beauty in this game. After spending last season at guard and center, Powers-Johnson entered the offseason programs as the team's starting center. Powers-Johnson is expected to develop into one of the Raiders' most dependable offensive linemen. After the second day of training camp, Powers-Johnson elaborated on Crosby's words from the day before. "I mean, coming in, I had a lot of rough trials. I missed a little training camp, missed a little bit of Organized Team Activities. I came in not proven, so in his eyes, I look at and see, 'Oh here's a second-round pick who hasn't really proved anything.' And then I ended up proving a little bit in-season, a little bit of my work, and really putting in a lot of work in the offseason with him," Powers-Johnson said. "I mean, you got to think of it -- you're not just going to meet a girl and she's going to love you right away. You got to take her out to dinner a couple of times, meet her parents, and then maybe she'll love you. So I just had to put in the work." Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and weigh in on this take. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss this take
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