On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
After recently landing 2026 running back Javian Osborne, Notre Dame has not been shy about pushing for another back to complete its pair for the 2026 cycle.
Messiah Mickens, Brian Bonner and Jonaz Walton, along with the aforementioned Osborne, were far and away Notre Dame's top targets for this class and it appears the Irish are in pole position to land two of them.
247Sports' Tom Loy dropped a Crystal Ball prediction for Notre Dame to land Walton on Tuesday night, citing that he believes Notre Dame is in the lead for the four-star playmaker.
To even further that perceived lead over Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and others, Wednesday morning, On3's Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong dropped a "Fong Bomb" prediction for Notre Dame to land Jonaz Walton.
Walton, a top-10 back in the 2026 cycle, would give the Fighting Irish one of the back tailback pairings in the country, if Wiltfong's prediction comes true.
On3’s @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for Notre Dame to land 4-star RB Jonaz Walton☘️
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 7, 2025
Read: https://t.co/LiBfPMJvxI pic.twitter.com/2oWKbPMBSf
Walton, a 5-9, 205-pounder out of Carrollton, GA is a powerful runner despite his shorter stature. He uses his strong lower body to muscle through tackles and even run over larger defenders at times.
He can make people miss in space, but is more of a north-south runner than someone who will bounce it outside at every chance possible like a Jadarian Price.
Walton is a true "all-purpose back" as he has racked up over 4,000 yards through his two seasons on varsity, with 900+ of it coming through the receiving game out of the backfield.
The pairing of Osborne and Walton would give Notre Dame an exciting duo for the 2026 cycle and something fans should definitely look forward to if it comes together.
Notre Dame running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider is looking for the next star back after current studs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price leave after this upcoming season.
He may have one here in Walton.
More must-reads:
- CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
- What five-star pledge means for South Carolina's 2026 class
- The '2024-25 NFL rushing touchdown leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
Kansas State HC defends controversial fourth-down call, blames field conditions in Ireland
Five takeaways from college football's Week 0
College football is back. The wacky, wild and unexpected that makes the sport so beloved was on full display Saturday with rainy weather, walk-off field goals and near-upsets welcoming fans back. Here are five takeaways from Week 0. Iowa State secured a major win Most college football programs haven't played a down yet, but No. 22 Iowa State has already secured a very important win. Five different teams have won the Big 12 in the last five seasons. Iowa State has been close during that stretch, but hasn't been one of the. Defeating rival No. 17 Kansas State, 24-21, to open the season is a big step forward, no matter how sloppy it was. It's Iowa State's fifth win in the last six Farmageddon meetings. In a wide-open Big 12 race, beating another challenger early in the year means something. The Dan Mullen era at UNLV got off to a rocky start The former Florida and Mississippi State head coach spent the last three seasons away from coaching, but he's returned to the sideline at UNLV. The Rebels needed all 60 minutes to hold off FCS Idaho State, 38-31, despite being favored by 25.5, according to DraftKings. It's not like Idaho State is an FCS juggernaut either. The Bengals have won just 10 games since 2021, but behind 555 yards of total offense they nearly pulled off the upset. UNLV's saving grace was four interceptions. It's just one game, but it showed there's work to do for Mullen. A short week of practice is in store ahead of a Friday matchup at Sam Houston State. Jalon Daniels made a statement Looking for a Heisman-worthy performance? Look no further than Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels. He was nearly flawless in the first half of KU's 31-7 win over Fresno State, going 13-for-15 for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't need to finish the blowout and wound up with three total touchdowns. Daniels' talent is unquestioned, but his health has hampered both his career and the Jayhawks. He started every game last season, which was a welcome sight after missing 10 games in 2023 to a back injury and four games in 2022 for a shoulder injury. If he stays healthy, KU could be a factor in the Big 12 race. Stanford has fallen hard From 2009-18, Stanford won at least eight games each season. More recently, the Cardinal haven't won more than four games in each of the last six seasons. New quarterback Ben Gulbranson struggled in his Stanford debut, going 15-for-30 for 109 yards and a pick. Meanwhile, Hawaii's Micah Alejado (27-for-39 for 210 yards and two touchdowns) suffered a foot injury early in the game, but hobbled his way through the game to give his team a 23-20 victory. Stanford has lost nine of its last 10 games dating back to September 28, 2024. These are tough times for a once-proud program. Week 0 needs a little more energy College football's Week 0 isn't a new thing, but it does feel like the sport needs to decide how big it's going to be. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has become the tentpole event of Week 0, bringing two quality programs to Ireland. However, the game generates excitement in the early part of the day, but the rest of Saturday left much to be desired. There isn't another marquee matchup, and it seems the primetime slot could provide another big moment to kick off the season. Schedules are made well in advance, but a fun idea would be to have the defending champion play in primetime during Week 0. Honor the champion, raise a banner and give the program an opportunity to stand alone in the limelight before the full slate of Week 1 games.
Jets coaches try to calm situation in wake of Justin Fields' comments
According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields did not throw a pass that traveled 10 yards in the air during his two preseason appearances. Some have voiced concerns about the Jets' passing attack with Fields in the lineup, but he insisted while speaking with reporters on Tuesday that he's "fine with taking eight-yard completions every play." On Wednesday, Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand addressed Fields' comment. "He's going to play the play the way the defense allows him to play it," Engstrand said about Fields, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "So if they're going to allow him to take a shot down the field, he's going to take it. If they don't allow him, he's going to check the ball down, and we'll move on to the next play. We're all good with that." Fields completed just one of five passes for four yards in the Jets' 31-12 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday. According to Fox Sports, he connected on four of nine pass attempts for 46 yards across his first two preseason appearances of the summer. Despite such lackluster numbers, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn suggested on Tuesday that he is ignoring "the noise that happens on the outside" regarding the team's passing offense. On Wednesday, Jets passing game coordinator Scott Turner praised Fields for knowing when to take a checkdown and when to challenge an opposing defense. "I think you've seen a lot of quarterbacks in this league, Josh Allen pops into mind, who really cut down his turnovers last year and won MVP by not always trying to make the big huge play, but make the right play. Justin has done a nice job with that," Turner said. ESPN stats show that Fields averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt over six starts and 10 appearances with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Per Pro Football Reference, 22 qualified quarterbacks had a better yards per pass attempt average for the 2024 campaign. Dan Graziano of ESPN noted Wednesday that the $10M guaranteed that the Jets owe Fields for 2026 "won't prevent them from" looking for an upgrade at the position next year if he doesn't make "a major leap as a passer." It's still early into this experiment, but there's no sign that such a leap is coming anytime soon.
Winners and losers from Packers' dominant preseason win over Seahawks
The Green Bay Packers have completed their last preseason game before the start of the NFL regular season, doing so in dominant fashion against the Seattle Seahawks. With a final score of 20-7, the Packers got the final word after the two teams had several brutal fisticuffs on Thursday’s joint practice. The team had several players star in their roles during their final auditions before roster cuts on Tuesday, but while Saturday’s game was all Green Bay, several players also missed their chance to leave a lasting impression. Winner: Ty’Ron Hopper impresses with several splash Plays Any Green Bay Packers fans who watched Saturday afternoon’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks are now familiar with the name Ty’Ron Hopper. The second-year linebacker out of Missouri was all over the field, making several impressive plays. He finished with three tackles, a sack, and some good plays in coverage as well. Additionally, he had a forced fumble on a fourth-down play where Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe had achieved enough yardage to move the chains, but found himself unable to hold onto the ball. Hopper was not a name getting a lot of attention entering camp, but there’s no chance of him not making the roster following an excellent preseason. With starters Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie cemented as the top three ‘backers for the team, Hopper appears to firmly have his hands on the reins for the fourth spot. Winner: Kalen King makes his presence felt Kalen King may have been an outside shot to make the roster a few weeks ago, but it seems like many think the former Penn State star has done enough. King ran with some of the Green Bay starters on defense during the opening periods of the game and had several important contributions. None stands out more than his fumble recovery, which was one of four turnovers forced by the team on the afternoon. In addition to the fumble recovery, he had a strong tackle on Jalen Milroe as the Seattle quarterback scampered towards the end zone, which resulted in no gain. While the secondary remains an area of concern for the Pack, King looks like he may have done enough to ensure he is a part of it entering the season. Loser: Rookie Anthony Belton still has a lot to learn Rookie offensive tackle Anthony Belton has certainly had his struggles this preseason. Just a week after being called for five first-half penalties against the Indianapolis Colts, Belton continued to show up with some poor moments against Seattle. Although he was only called for one false start on Saturday afternoon, head coach Matt LaFleur was seen ripping into Belton during the late first half. Later, it was revealed that LaFleur was upset with Belton’s stance on a third–down play where the team was hoping to secure field goal position. Belton will likely not be counted on for many snaps on offense this upcoming season. He clearly has a way to go before he can develop into a reliable player. Loser: Sean Clifford fails to impress in third-string QB battle King certainly had a strong day, but for another Penn State alum, it was more of a struggle. Reserve quarterback Sean Clifford did not have his best outing in limited action. Clifford finished 6-9 passing, but managed only 19 yards. He had multiple inaccurate balls on some shorter throws that many would expect him to convert. Competing with Clifford for the last quarterback spot is Taylor Elgersma, who had a better day. He went 6-8 for 33 yards. Even though both QBs did not do much of note against Seattle, Elgersma has had a much better preseason overall. In fact, his QB rating was over double of that of Clifford’s entering the final preseason game. Saturday’s contest was a chance for Clifford to rebound, and he failed to take advantage of the opportunity. One other advantage that Elgersma has is that he is four years younger than Clifford. Despite Clifford being just a second-year pro, he is already 27 years old. Theoretically, Elgersma has more room to grow if he was kept around.
Astros designate former first-round pick for assignment
The Astros have designated right-hander Shawn Dubin for assignment, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Righty AJ Blubaugh has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move (KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported earlier on Saturday that Blubaugh was on his way to the Astros’ active roster). Dubin is out of minor league options, so Houston had to go the DFA route in order to remove him from its active roster. Dubin doesn’t have the service time or the past outright necessary to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A, so chances are he’ll just remain in the Astros’ farm system if he clears waivers. A pitching-needy team might consider claiming Dubin off the waiver wire, though his out-of-options status will probably scare off a few clubs, plus his case for sticking on a big league roster isn’t helped by his brutal month of August. Dubin had a 1.33 ERA over his first 20 1/3 innings of 2025, even if that standout ERA wasn’t quite supported by his secondary metrics. A forearm strain sent him to the 15-day injured list near the end of June, however, and since returning on Aug. 12, Dubin simply hasn’t looked the same. He has been tormented for 13 earned runs over five appearances and 5 1/3 innings since being activated from the IL, inflating his ERA up to 5.61 over 25 2/3 total frames. A bout of shoulder inflammation during Spring Training already put Dubin on the IL to begin the season, and he then didn’t make his 2025 debut until May 11 since an ankle injury set back his recovery. Things seemed fine once he finally got onto the Astros’ mound, yet whether Dubin is just rusty or is still feeling some after-effects from his forearm issue, his recent performance has been too rough for Houston to ignore. Selected in the 13th round of the 2018 draft, Dubin has spent his entire career in Houston’s organization, debuting in the Show with seven innings during the 2023 season. He then had a 4.17 ERA over 45 1/3 innings in 2024, getting a couple of spot starts but primarily working out of the bullpen. Dubin battled control problems last year, but while his walk rate is vastly improved in 2025, his strikeout rate has dropped (from 23.7% to 18.9%). The Astros’ bullpen has been strong for most of 2025, but the relief corps has hit some major roadblocks beyond just Dubin’s struggles. Star closer Josh Hader will miss at least the rest of the regular season due to a capsule sprain, and southpaw Bennett Sousa (already on the 15-day IL) is now also a question mark, as he’ll be shut down for the next two weeks while dealing with a flexor/pronator strain. Blubaugh is a rookie who has only nine MLB innings on his resume, but he’ll at least be a short-term fresh arm to act as a long man in the pen.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
