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Dexter Southfield School (Mass.) offensive lineman Anthony Hall, considered by some as the No. 1 prep in his state, announced his commitment to first-year UNC football head coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels on Friday afternoon. He selected Carolina over fellow finalists Tennessee and Rutgers.
The 6-foot-4, 340-pounder, a top-tier three-star appearing at No. 655 overall and No. 58 among interior offensive linemen on the 247Sports 2026 Composite, revealed his decision at his school.
Hall, who advertises his "Big U-Hall" nickname on social media, compiled over a dozen offers in his recruitment. He ended up on Belichick & Co.'s official 2026 wishlist just over a month ago during his unofficial trip to Chapel Hill.
Decision Day for one of the Top Prospects in NE! Anthony “U-Hall” Hall
— Alex Agrella (@AlexAgrellaRB) February 21, 2025
Final three: Tennessee, UNC, and Rutgers
One of the best prospects and people you’ll meet up here. We know that where he goes, they will have some great food @AnthonyHall25 @CoachCDay @coachdinofb pic.twitter.com/tCQPfnQBpm
And the former six-time New England Patriots Super Bowl champion head coach visited Hall in Massachusetts.
"He is from New England, and I am from New England," Hall recently noted about Belichick to 247Sports' Brian Dohn. "And that is a big thing. I could imagine playing for him one day, and a big future is coming his way, UNC's way, so that is a factor."
Belichick and his cohorts now enjoy a seven-deep 2026 collection. It's a three-star-only class ranking No. 23 in the country, per 247Sports, before Hall joined the club.
More must-reads:
- Reporter details Red Sox's updated stance on trading star outfielder
- Giants' Jaxson Dart discusses how he has already improved during training camp
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Reacts To Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith's Autzen Stadium Claim
The Oregon Ducks boast one of the best stadium environments in college football in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Autzen is relatively "small" but mighty in home-field advantage. Oregon has lost only one game at home since hiring coach Dan Lanning in 2022, going undefeated at Autzen the past two seasons. After winning the Big Ten Championship in their first year in the conference, word is starting to spread about "that team out West" with the shiny Nike uniforms, elite talent and the rocking stadium. At Big Ten Media Days, I asked Ohio State sophomore receiver phenom Jeremiah Smith about his impression of Autzen Stadium. "It was rocking. Probably the loudest I've ever been in," Smith said. "The fans were definitely getting hyped. Couldn't hear anything. Probably the best stadium I played in last year." Smith's claim has gone viral. In exclusive interviews with Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus, Oregon coach Dan Lanning, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and linebacker Bryce Boettcher respond to Smith's comments. "100 percent underrated," Sadiq said. "I think everyone kind of found out what (Autzen Stadium) was like when we played Ohio State. That was unbelievable, and everyone got to experience it. Autzen is for sure special, and it's very underrated." Does it give Lanning a sense of pride? "Yeah, I think (Smith) experienced what a lot of us Duck fans know, that our fans make a huge impact, that our stadium and our venue is really impressive and special. And not everybody in college football gets to experience that. So it's part of what makes our place so awesome," Lanning said. Considering Smith and the Buckeyes beat Penn State in Happy Valley, and then played matchups vs. Texas, Tennessee and Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff to become National Champions... His take on Autzen Stadium is compared to some of the most elite college football programs in the country. "Certainly underrated," Boettcher said. "You look at the stadium and you walk in it, it's obviously incredible, but there's not a lot of seats compared to some of these big stadiums... But as Jeremiah Smith said in that (Ohio State) game and amongst a lot of other games, that stadium is rocking. I think it's just a testament to the culture that we built in Eugene and Oregon and just what Oregon football is about. Our fans are awesome." The record crowd of 60,129 fans at Autzen Stadium were deafening during Oregon's 32-31 win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, 2024. The instant classic game will be talked about by Ducks fans around the campfire for years to come. It was the first top-five showdown in stadium history, and the win over No. 2 Ohio State matched the highest-ranked win in program history. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs echoed Smith's sentiment about Autzen Stadium, pointing out the noise level per person. "I think going into it, they told us it was probably 50,000 or 60,000 (capacity.) And somebody was like, 'Oh that's not crazy.' But they were rocking there," Downs said. "They came out with the motorcycle on the field, and I was like, 'Ooh (leans back and smiles).' But, I mean, I love that type of energy. So, I mean, it was a positive for me, and I like those type of atmospheres. So, it was great." Oregon and Ohio State do not play each other during the 2025 Big Ten regular season, but they could meet in the postseason. Undoubtedly, a postseason game between Oregon and Ohio State would be another must-see, boisterous environment for the Big Ten foes. After the Ducks beat the Buckeyes in the regular season, the Buckeyes ended the Ducks season in the College Football Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. The Ducks brought a perfect 13-0 record into the 'Granddaddy Of Them All' but the Buckeyes beat Oregon 41-21, and continued on to win the National Championship. The two teams have a mutual respect for one another... and now, Autzen Stadium is getting that respect too.
Fever Coach Stephanie White Has Given One Player the Green Light Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury
Caitlin Clark is expected to sit out for a fourth straight game on Sunday when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky in a much-awaited rivalry matchup. The 23-year-old is still dealing with a reaggravated groin strain and has no timetable to return. The rest of her Fever teammates have had to step up in her absence. There is, perhaps, no other player who has taken a bigger role on the offensive end amid Clark’s injury spell than three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell, however, struggled with her shot in Thursday’s win against the Las Vegas Aces. The 5-foot-8 guard shot the ball poorly in the first three quarters, going just 4-of-19 from the field for 12 points. Mitchell caught fire in the fourth, though. She went 4-of-5 in the final frame for nine points, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. This is exactly why head coach Stephanie White remains completely confident in Mitchell’s scoring ability. The veteran coach has made it clear that she has given Mitchell the green light to shoot the rock. “The biggest thing with Kelsey is just telling her, ‘Let it fly.’ It’s going to go,” White said after Thursday’s win against Las Vegas. "... Keep shooting it from outside. She made some big ones when we needed them.” Kelsey Mitchell Has Stepped up Amid Clark's Injury Mitchell has answered the call for the Fever of late. In the three games Clark has been sidelined, Mitchell has put up averages of 22.0 points on 42.9% shooting. She also knocked down 2.7 triples during that stretch on a 34.8% clip. The 29-year-old veteran will need to keep her foot on the gas on Sunday as the Fever try to take down the Sky at United Center. With Clark watching from the bench, the Fever will rely on Mitchell’s scoring against Chicago as they look to improve on their 13-12 record. The Fever and Sky meet at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.
Why SS Bo Bichette's stellar play could cost Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in Major League Baseball. Depth contributions throughout the lineup and on the pitching staff are a major factor in their success, but what might be even more important is the heater shortstop Bo Bichette is on. Like most of the rest of the team, after a slow start, Bichette has found his groove, and he put it all on display as Toronto (63-43) won three of four at AL Central-leading Detroit from Thursday-Sunday. Already with two RBI on Thursday and Friday, Bichette added two RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win that included this unreal 13-pitch at-bat against Tarik Skubal. Not many are taking arguably the best pitcher in baseball 13 pitches deep and forcing a walk. In Toronto's 10-4 loss Sunday, Bichette went 5-for-5 with two more RBI. Per StatMuse, it was his fourth five-hit game in the big leagues. Bichette entered the four-game series with a .281 average and now heads to Baltimore with a .289 average. That's superstar stuff from the 27-year-old two-time All-Star. Through 103 games, Bichette has 13 HRs and 65 RBI, putting him on pace for a 20-HR, 99-RBI season. He has driven in 100 runs only once during his seven-year MLB career. Bichette is doing himself wonders in a contract year, especially after a down, injury-plagued 2024 season. Toronto's chance to extend him at a discounted rate is long gone, and it feels like a formality that Bichette will at least test the market this winter. We've seen megadeals handed out to some of the league's best shortstops in recent years, including the Mets' Francisco Lindor, Texas' Corey Seager, Philadelphia's Trea Turner and Minnesota's Carlos Correa. Combine that with the increasing contract values around baseball, and Bichette is set to receive a massive payday. For now, Bichette's focus is on helping the Blue Jays win and make a postseason run that includes Toronto's first World Series title since 1993.
How Vikings' J.J. McCarthy 'has checked critical boxes early on' in training camp
Those running the Minnesota Vikings took somewhat of a gamble when they decided to trust that quarterback J.J. McCarthy would be ready to win meaningful games in September after the 2024 first-round draft pick spent his entire rookie season recovering from a meniscus repair. For an article published on Monday morning, Vikings reporter Alec Lewis of The Athletic explained how McCarthy "has checked critical boxes early on" while serving as Minnesota's QB1 during training camp. "The Vikings have gotten in and out of the huddle on time, and the operation at the line of scrimmage has been smooth," Lewis wrote. "McCarthy used cadences Saturday to create a free play, and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown patted him on the helmet afterward. Processing the defensive picture hasn’t been an issue either. McCarthy executed Saturday’s red zone period as well as anyone could have hoped." Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson raised some eyebrows when he said ahead of the weekend that outsiders "definitely have to have patience" regarding McCarthy's development. Such a comment understandably could've caused an outsider to wonder if the Vikings should've done more to hold onto Sam Darnold after he guided the club to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth last season. After Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5M contract to join the Seattle Seahawks early into free agency, stories linked the Vikings with current Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins and with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. Cousins played under Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell from September 2022 up until the 36-year-old suffered a torn Achilles in October 2023. Meanwhile, O’Connell and Rodgers have known each other for over a decade. That said, O'Connell handed the offense over to McCarthy before the start of training camp. "The Vikings are fortunate that defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ unit simulates the need for angled throws more than most," Lewis wrote about O’Connell and McCown wanting McCarthy to "add some air" to passes in certain instances. "Defenders positioned on the line of scrimmage often drop, and safeties regularly step down from depth. The changing picture provides a textured feel, which forces McCarthy’s hand." McCarthy seemingly has passed tests thrown his way during his first training camp as Minnesota's undisputed starter. If he doesn't look the part during upcoming exhibition games, however, the Vikings could potentially call the Falcons about Cousins' availability in August. Minnesota opens the preseason with a matchup versus the Houston Texans on Aug. 9.
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