On Tuesday, the first University of Washington. spring football practice came with a listed start time of 3:30 p.m. in Dempsey Indoor, but 18 players already were stretching nearly an hour earlier.
Think these guys weren't a little eager to get going?
In waves, nearly 100 players showed up for a padless practice that lasted two and a half hours and was notable for how much bigger and fit Jedd Fisch's Huskies appeared in a year's time.
An initial observation: Arizona transfer Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, at a well-defined 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, was the most physically impressive player out there. He wore No. 11, Alphonzo Tuputala's old number, only 50 pounds heavier than the graduated linebacker.
The defensive lineman, whose position is intentionally kept vague because of his versatility, demonstrated Bralen Trice-like quickness with his spin moves and exceptionally strong hands in shedding those who got in his way in drills.
Uiagalelei likely will line up wherever he wants on the defensive line, whether it be as an edge rusher or inside coming out of a stance.
"Both," Fisch said when asked if the newcomer is an inside or outside defender. "Obviously, we're really excited he came here. We recruited him early on and had him for [three] years at Arizona. He's in a great spot now."
Another takeaway: Sophomore Zach Henning will receive the first opportunity to claim maybe the only real vacant job on the No. 1 offensive line -- right guard.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, he looked much more buff after apparently going for a winter weight room makeover.
With touted 6-foot-5, 330-pound freshman Champ Taulealea and equally highly regarded 6-foot-6, 320-pound freshman John Mills opening spring drills as the No. 2 offensive guards, Henning no doubt realized he had to do something to stay out in front.
"He's a guy that loves it, a guy who wants to become a starter, a guy that's tough, competitive," Fisch said of Henning. "I think he was young last year and he's grown into his body a little bit."
Yet another takeover: New linebackers coach Brian Odom, previously at North Texas, USC and Oklahoma, is a yeller who often will be heard over everyone else no matter how noisy practice gets.
He begin the scheduled part of practice with the entire defense gathered around him while he went off on what seemed like a five-minute tangent.
Welcome to Husky football, bigger, possibly much better and definitely louder.
Competition apparently will know no bounds, certainly not ones created by matching bloodlines.
Brothers Landen and Geirean Hatchett appear to be the 1-2 centers to begin with, with the younger Hatchett holding onto the starting job he was given for the Sun Bowl and his sibling acting as the back-up after coming home as an Oklahoma transfer.
Fisch himself showed up for practice at 3:07, between arriving groups of players, clapping his hands from the outset.
Demonstrating himself to be a player's coach, he called wide receiver Kevin Green Jr. out of a stretching line and gave him a heartfelt shoulder hug, likely signaling his return from a lost season.
Green, who followed his coach from Arizona to the UW, went down in fall camp last year with a season-ending knee injury and is back healthy, looking for playing time.
New punter Dusty Zimmer, his Australian accent clearly recognizable in sideline conversations, was in sweats and didn't take part in practice. He apparently hasn't been cleared to play yet.
One notable group that appeared at the beginning and the end of practice, all dressed in black T-shirts and shorts, were edge rusher Zach Durfee, linebackers Jacob Manu and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and defensive tackle Jayvon Parker.
Coming off surgery, they presumably spent most of their time in the weight room or training room, or both, still in recovery, aiming for a fall return. Durfee, Manu and Parker are potential starters, with Rainey-Sale considered the No. 1 freshman in his class.
And one last observation: Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans can play.
At the end of the opening practice, he caught three passes, almost in a row. He ran under a 30-yard toss from Tulane transfer Kai Horton and caught 25- and 15-yard touchdown passes from Shea Kuykendall, formerly of Northern Colorado. He beat redshirt freshman Elias Johnson on all three plays, high-pointing the last ball in the end zone.
Evans, sending his offensive teammates into a sideline frenzy each time, almost pulled a Giles Jackson Sun Bowl impersonation without having Demond Williams Jr. on the field. Now that was impressive.
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After being noticeably absent throughout camp, the Wisconsin Badgers confirmed a class of 2025 commitment did not join the program. Drayden Pavey, a three-star defensive lineman who flipped his commitment from Purdue to Wisconsin, did not join the program after announcing his decision. The defensive lineman quietly flipped to Wisconsin months ago following an official visit, but went dark on social media after the announcement. Pavey decommitted from Purdue and then quickly connected with the Wisconsin Badgers staff before announcing a new commitment. During Big Ten Media Day, the Wisconsin Badgers released an initial roster and received multiple questions in regards to the roster. Coach Luke Fickell was asked about the absence of Pavey, and confirmed the recruit did not join the program and will not do so in the future. Coach Fickell did not give many details on the situation for obvious reasons, but stated that “personal issues” were the reason why the recruit did not enroll. The Badgers had known Pavey would not join the program for quite some time and acted accordingly thus meaning the loss of the defensive lineman is not a surprise for the staff. Wisconsin Badgers Defensive Lineman Drayden Pavey Does Not Enroll, Will Not Join Program Pavey had previously been a recruit the staff thought highly of and felt could make an impact on the field given his playing style. However, the recruit will not be a member of the team nor will he continue his collegiate career at this moment in time. Currently, Pavey is not enrolled in another school and will not be playing this upcoming season. Whether or not this is the end of the road for Pavey is unclear, but for the Wisconsin Badgers another man has already stepped into his role. Wisconsin worked extensively to add to the defensive line and the rush during the off-season which hopefully turns into more pressure, sacks, and disruption on the field. Without being able to add anyone to the roster currently, Wisconsin has compromised by working hard to land talent along the defensive line in the 2027 class. Currently, commitments Djidjou Bah and Arthur Scott are set to be pivotal growth pieces once in Madison. The staff is likely not done, however, as three defensive line commitments were once held before Carmelow Reed flipped his commitment to Ole Miss.
The Cleveland Guardians got some bad news on top prospect Chase DeLauter Wednesday, as he is set to miss much of the rest of the season with injury. Per Zack Meisel of 'The Athletic:' Guardians prospect Chase DeLauter underwent surgery today for a fractured hamate bone in his right hand/wrist. He’s expected to miss 6-8 weeks. DeLauter, 23, was a first-round pick of the Guardians in 2022 out of James Madison. He had been expected to make his debut this season, but it's unclear if that's possible now. He's hitting .264 this season in 42 games, having already dealt with an injury prior. He has seven total home runs and 24 RBIs. An outfielder, he is the No. 31 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. The following comes from a portion of his prospect profile: Few players in the Minors can match DeLauter's combination of size (6-foot-3, 235 pounds), athleticism, ability to hit for both average and power, and plate discipline. He rarely strays from the strike zone and makes repeated hard contact against all types of pitches. He has an unorthodox left-handed swing that can get long and he'll get caught on his front foot at times, but his bat speed and strength allow him to pull pitches for power and drive them the other way with authority. The Guardians enter play on Wednesday at 50-50 through 100 games. After winning the American League Central last season, they are 2.5 games back of the third and final wild card spot in the AL. They'll take on the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. Related MLB Stories DOMINANT OUTING: Cristopher Sanchez threw a complete-game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, making rare history among Phillies lefties. CLICK HERE: 20/30 ONCE AGAIN: Jose Ramirez just keeps doing things that no player in Cleveland history has ever done. CLICK HERE: TURNING DOWN AN OFFER: According to reports, D-backs star Corbin Carroll will not play for Taiwan at the World Baseball Classic. CLICK HERE:
The NBA's summer leagues have quickly come and gone, and if there has ever been a truism about the showcase for rookies and other league longshots, it is this: Let what happens in summer league stay in summer league. For Lakers second-year player Dalton Knecht, that's certainly the hope. After struggling in the California Classic in San Francisco to start July, Knecht and the Lakers went to Las Vegas and there, the former No. 17 overall pick failed to turn around his fortunes. Knecht averaged 10.3 points in three games, shooting 27.9% from the field and 23.8% from the 3-point line. That showing, combined with a streaky rookie year (9.1 points, 46.1% shooting, 37.6% 3-point shooting) has left Knecht's future with the Lakers in some question. In fact, Jovan Buha of The Athletic noted this week that Knecht's stock has plummeted. Lakers Losing Value on Dalton Knecht? Remember, many considered Knecht to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft, but he fell all the way to the Lakers at No. 17, primarily on concerns about his age (he turned 24 in April) and defense. When the Lakers were set to trade Knecht in a package for Mark Williams of the Hornets last February, along with a future first-round pick, it was seen as the team giving up two first-rounders for Williams. But Buha said in his podcast that Knecht would not eb considered a first-rounder anymore. "Summer League has not helped Knecht's stock, and I don't think at this point he is valued as a first-round pick, in terms of an asset valuation," he said. "That was what I heard in Vegas from talking to multiple people, non-Lakers people, just gauging what would you give for Dalton Knecht? Or if the Lakers are putting Dalton Knecht in a trade, what is he worth? And the feedback I got was, no longer worth a first-round valuation." Dalton Knecht 'Can Shoot, He Has Value' But asked about Knecht's value, one Eastern Conference GM said that the summer did not change anything. "He is a shooter, and he has shown he can shoot," the GM said. "He needs to show he can do something else to get and stay on the floor, for sure. But his value has not gone anywhere, not based on a few summer games. Once you're drafted, it does not matter, no one is thinking of you as, 'You're a first-round pick, you're not a first-round pick.' It's what you can do to help us win. "Knecht can shoot, so that's his value. He rebounds his position. If he can be a better passer, and not be a big minus defensively, he is going to have a nice NBA career."
When Auston Matthews signed his four-year, $53 million extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs in August 2023, some fans breathed a sigh of relief. The franchise cornerstone had committed to staying. But for how long—and with what intent? If you’re reading the tea leaves, there’s an argument that this is Matthews’ final contract as a Maple Leafs player. Matthews Has Signed Several Short-Term Deals Unlike many other NHL superstars, Matthews has never signed a max-length deal with Toronto. His five-year extension in 2019 and his current four-year contract run counter to the 7- or 8-year commitments inked by the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, and even William Nylander. Matthews has always prioritized flexibility and maximum earnings—and that’s his right. But it also signals something: perhaps he’s not here for the long haul unless everything lines up in his favour. Matthews Hasn’t Given the Maple Leafs a Hometown Discount Matthews led the NHL in cap hit last season at $13.25 million. That’s more than MacKinnon, a Cup champion, and more than McDavid, a multi-time Hart and Art Ross winner. While Matthews’ total earnings trail those who’ve signed longer-term deals, he’s consistently positioned himself to maximize annual value. Toronto has accommodated that, in part through massive July 1 signing bonuses. But changes to signing bonus limits and tax implications could now work against the Maple Leafs’ ability to make such offers in the future. That may be more than just a financial footnote—it could tip the scales when Matthews decides on his next deal. The Maple Leafs Have a Diminishing Core and a Murky Future Then there’s the team around him. Mitch Marner—Matthews’ closest friend and long-time linemate—moved this offseason. He’s unlikely ever to return. By 2028, Morgan Rielly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Chris Tanev will all be well into their 30s. John Tavares will be 37. And Toronto’s prospect pipeline is thin, with no elite reinforcements on the horizon. What kind of team will this be when Matthews’ deal expires? Probably not a contender. So, Why Would Matthews Stay in Toronto? That’s the real question. If Matthews wants to win—and he’s said repeatedly that he does—then staying in Toronto beyond 2028 seems unlikely. He’ll be 30 years old, still in his prime, and positioned to command one more major payday. Will he spend it in the twilight years of an aging, capped-out roster? It’s hard to imagine the answer will be Yes. A Final Thought About Matthews and Toronto Matthews has done well in Toronto as a player. While he could earn more in another, likely US city, he has done well financially playing in Canada. So, what’s the story with his loyalty to Toronto? Are there conditions? So far, since he’s been a regular, the city has been blessed with strong teams. Matthews has also built strong friendships and has had favourable financial terms. What if all three of these aspects erode? What, then, are the odds that when this deal ends, so too will his time as a Maple Leafs player? We could all see sooner rather than later.