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There may be no more important story in LA football than the USC Trojans‘ turnaround on defense. In 2023, out of 133 programs, USC ranked 119th in yards per game and 121 points per game. So far this season they are 29th and 47th in those categories.
This is largely due to the complete overhaul of the defensive coaching staff, most notably the addition of defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, who authored a similar renaissance of the cross-town rival UCLA Bruins defense just a season ago.
USC Trojans Defensive Turnaround Captained By Kamari Ramsey
Lynn didn’t just bring his expertise to the USC Trojans, but he also brought with him several key pieces of the 2023 Bruins defense with him, including defensive back Kamari Ramsey.
As the Trojans’ defense regains credibility, Ramsey is turning heads. In Matt Zenitz & John Talty’s Insider Notebook, one NFL scout was very impressed with Ramsey
“He’s made a difference with USC this year,” an NFL scouting source said. “Really good at key and diagnose. And then he’s not afraid to put his face on guys. If you watch the LSU game, he is something that USC did not have, which is a safety that could secure tackles and eliminate explosive plays. But you can do a lot of different stuff with him. He’s a physical player, run the alley. He’s fun to watch. And when he hits people, they stop.”
UCLA was among several schools to recruit the four-star safety. Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, and USC had all extended offers to the Chatsworth, California native. He redshirted his first year with the Bruins, then started once Lynn joined the team.
After three games, Ramsey has 15 combined tackles including a tackle for loss and a sack. He also has a pass defended and a forced fumble. On 12 targets he has allowed seven receptions for a total of just 41 yards.
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Nebraska punter breaks down while talking about his family back home in Australia
Archie Wilson came all the way from Australia to play football at Nebraska, and the freshman punter is admittedly feeling a bit homesick. Wilson recently enrolled at Nebraska after growing up in Victoria, Australia, and playing a different brand of football. The 18-year-old spoke with the media for the first time on Tuesday, and he was asked about his family back home. Wilson became overwhelmed with emotion. "I love them a lot. I've got two little brothers and my mom and dad ... yeah, that's the tough part about being here," Wilson said. "I love them a lot, but they know this is what's best for me, and it's good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone, and they're coming here to see the first few games, so I'm looking forward to that." Wilson is a rugby-style punter who trained at Prokick Australia, which is a program that trains Australian athletes to become punters and kickers in American football. Several current NFL players and Division I student-athletes came from Australia and trained with Prokick. Nebraska will have a new starting punter this season after three-year starter Brian Buschini graduated, and Wilson is competing for the job.
Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.
Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
Milwaukee Brewers: Player Leaves Game With Concerning Head Injury Amid Crew’s Tuesday Win vs. Pirates
The Milwaukee Brewers came out on top once again on Tuesday, sending yet another strong statement to the rest of the big leagues in the form of a 14-0 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The Brewers have now won 11 straight games, while improving to 75-44 overall. As for the Pirates, they have lost their fourth consecutive contest while dropping to 51-70. Making the night even worse for the Pirates was the apparent head injury suffered by outfielder Oneil Cruz. He collided with teammate Jack Suwinski in the fourth inning as both players tried to make a defensive play. Cruz stayed in the game for a bit but was removed in the sixth inning for pinch-hitter and veteran Tommy Pham. The Pirates have yet to disclose the exact nature of Cruz’s injury, so it’s possible that he could be ruled out for the series finale this Wednesday. So far in the 2025 MLB regular season, the 26-year-old Dominican is leading the Pirates with 18 home runs to go with 51 RBIs, but is also hitting just .207/.304 /398. Milwaukee Brewers aiming for a Pirates sweep All eyes will once again be on the Brewers this Wednesday, as they have a chance to stretch their win streak to a dozen games and add more to their lead atop the National League Central standings. After Paul Skenes failed to deliver on the mound for the Pirates on Tuesday, Pittsburgh will have Mitch Keller toeing the rubber. Keller was solid in his previous start versus the Brewers, pitching six innings of one-run ball while striking out seven hitters in a 2-1 victory at home back in May. As for Milwaukee, it will give the ball to Brandon Woodruff, who is 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in three starts at home, thus far this season.
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