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Before the transfer portal opened on Wednesday, the USC Trojans were not expected to be major players except for the possible addition of some depth pieces at certain positions, including linebacker.
As reported by 247Sports' Chris Hummer, USC coach Lincoln Riley is pursuing former South Dakota linebacker Gary Bryant out of the transfer portal. Hummer reported that USC, Cal, and West Viriginia will be receiving visits from the FCS transfer.
As a member of South Dakota's defense, Bryant competed in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. In 2024, Bryant's second year of college football, his 103 total tackles led the team, including 37 solo tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.
His breakout season in 2024 seemingly put Bryant on the radar of FBS programs and led to him entering the transfer portal. If the Trojans are feeling thin at the linebacker position, a player like Bryant could be a good fit. Bryant has two years of eligibility remaining, giving him time to adjust to any major differences between competing in the FCS and in the Big Ten, one of the best conferences in college football.
USC has linebackers Eric Gentry, Desman Stephans II, and Jadyn Walker on the roster, but adding an experienced defender like Bryant for depth certainly would not hurt. Before the transfer portal opened, Riley spoke to the media about the Trojans' plan and highlighted the linebacker position.
"I think there are some of the obvious positions where we're a little bit thin that we may look at. Linebacker is one of those. Certainly it will kinda depend on how spring plays out and some of those other position battles and all that," said Riley. "That will determine the most. But I don't think it will be a huge, incredibly active period for us. My gut is we'll end up having a handful of positions that we're going to look at, and if we feel like someone fits, then we may pursue it."
Bryant is not the only linebacker that is planning to visit USC during the spring transfer portal opening. 247Sports' Connor Morrissette reported that the Trojans are also hosting former Boise State Broncos linebacker Andrew Simpson during the week.
Simpson has played three full seasons with Boise State, and he started 22 games for the Broncos over the past two seasons. He has 12.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, three interceptions in his career with Boise State. Can the Trojans add him to their linebacker unit?
Unlike Bryant, Simpson is only expected to have one year of eligibility after using a redshirt during his freshman year with the Broncos. With Gentry expected to leave USC after the 2025 season, will the Trojans prioritize Bryant over Simpson because of his eligibility? Who is to say that Riley and his coaching staff can't land both Simpson and Bryant?
Simpson played his high school football for St. John Bosco, and the Trojans have the opportunity to offer the former Boise State linebacker a chance to play for his hometown team as he finishes his collegiate career.
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Seminoles' chances at beating Alabama to start the season just got a whole lot better but at the cost of an unfortunate situation
Sooners HC Brent Venables gave fans the perfect news they needed after having some PTSD from an eerie 2024 situation
We all remember what happened last season – the Oklahoma Sooners had maybe the worst injury luck of any team in the entire country last year. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you all, but let me know another team that had their best five receivers out all at the same time. And that was just the beginning of it for Brent Venables. The offensive line dealt with so many injuries, too, so much so that they never had the same combination of a starting five more than one or two times last year. Every week, it was a new guy starting, and every week, those injuries showed their biggest impact on the team. There was no cohesion at all. On the defensive side of the ball, it wasn’t as bad, but they still dealt with injuries in their secondary and in the linebacker room. Sure, these injuries provided some good members and learning experiences for the Sooners, but ultimately, it’s one of the biggest reasons they were as bad as they were. In 2025, that simply can’t happen. So, you can see why fans are starting to freak out with some of the things we are hearing coming out of fall camp. Sooners are all good on the injury front We have heard so many things about players like Eli Bowen and others who haven’t been full participants in fall camp. For Bowen, he’s dealt with a foot injury and hasn’t really done anything in fall camp. Then there are the two Gibson receivers, whom you can say the same about. Some of the offensive line have dealt with injuries in fall camp, as well as Jayden Ott at running back, and a few other skill positions players, enough to make them miss a few practices. So, yes, fans started to get worried, because why wouldn’t they after what happened last season? They have PTSD. According to reporters on-site at fall camp, Venables told them all during a media scrum that the injuries they have are all just some bumps and bruises here and there. Their health as a team is “good.” And, that’s the perfect update for fans of the Sooners.
Milwaukee Brewers: Craig Counsell Blasts Former Team’s 14-Game Winning Streak, Gets Caught Lying
The Milwaukee Brewers saw their 14-game win streak, the longest in franchise history, come to an end on Sunday afternoon in an extra innings loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Milwaukee’s bats, which had been red hot for weeks, suddenly cooled and the taxed bullpen could not close out the game, which the Brewers led in the ninth inning. Now, Milwaukee will look to start a new win streak as they head to Chicago for a five-game series, which will be played in a four-day span, against the Cubs. Of course, the Brewers and Cubs have one of the most intriguing rivalries in the game as Chicago’s manager, Craig Counsell, is the winningest skipper in Milwaukee’s franchise history. But, after the 2022 season, Counsell ditched the Brewers, the team his father worked for and he himself played for Milwaukee for a good portion of his career in order to take the Cubs’ job away from David Ross, who was still the team’s manager when they decided to hire their former rival. Earlier this season, Chicago led Milwaukee in the standings by as many as 6.5 games, but now, thanks to the Brewers’ long run of stellar play, are eight games behind the Brewers in the standings. Chicago Cubs Manager Craig Counsell Doesn’t Think the Milwaukee Brewers Are Doing Anything Great Counsell, who still resides in Whitefish Bay on Milwaukee’s north side, is not much loved anymore by Brewers fans, and he has done little to save face in their eyes with comments he has made about the team since joining their I-94 rivals. He added more fuel to the fire in a recent interview with the Chicago Sun Times, Counsell was asked about his thoughts on the Brewers’ winning streak. “What’s so great about it?” he responded. “They’re playing good. I mean, they’re playing great. They haven’t lost since we played them.” And then, to the bewilderment of many, Counsell claimed that, despite being a Milwaukee native, he had “never seen” a George Webb’s” restaurant. Former Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell Flat Out Lied Aside from saying that Milwaukee’s 14-game winning streak was not that great, Counsell flat-out lied about his knowledge of George Webb’s. As fans may recall, he himself was the manager of the Brewers the last time they won 12 games in a row, the needed amount of consecutive wins for fans to be able to claim a free hamburger at the local chain. Local fans and reporters quickly unearthed a story from 2018, the year the Brewers won 12 consecutive games (eight at the end of the regular season and their first four postseason games) in which Counsell talks about the giveaway: “I remember the concept of free hamburgers going back so long, it’s hard to believe that it’s never happened since then.” At this point, it is not hard to determine why Counsell said what he said on Sunday. He is just stoking the fires of what is sure to be a hard-fought five-game series in Chicago.
Jets QB Justin Fields under fire for limited 'processing' in preseason
The biggest question coming into the summer about New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields has not been answered or even experimented with much during the preseason. Fields is known for his ability to scramble, but has been criticized for his inability to consistently push the ball downfield as a passer during his time with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. On Saturday, Fields finished 1-of-5 passing for four yards in the Jets' 31-12 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic has noticed that the Jets aren't requiring Fields to attempt deep throws at practices, joint practices and preseason games. Rosenblatt doesn't believe Fields' 3.9 air yards per attempt in the preseason can translate to winning when the games start counting in September. "So far this summer, Fields has not inspired confidence that he’s a different quarterback than he was in Chicago and Pittsburgh — that is, an extremely athletic quarterback with good arm strength but limitations in terms of accuracy and processing," Rosenblatt wrote. "It’s only the preseason and far too early to panic, but it is fair to wonder how long the Jets can survive without a passing game that can threaten defenses. A quarterback who’s not willing to take shots down the field, in the preseason, is not someone who’s going to scare opposing defensive coordinators." The Jets don't have another realistic option to start at quarterback other than Fields. Tyrod Taylor is a career backup. Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook are battling for a spot on the practice squad. The Jets need to see what Fields can do when he has to throw the ball downfield to win games. Even if Fields doesn't chuck passes in preseason games, the Jets coaching staff needs to force the 2021 first-round pick to attempt deep throws at practice. If Fields cannot execute that part of the offense, the Jets should look at bringing in another quarterback before the regular season.
'I love the one-week events' - Jannik Sinner criticises extended Masters 1000 events as he gets confused over final dates
There has been conflicting views on the controversial new format changes for Masters 1000 events, with the world number on Jannik Sinner confessing his love for one-week events over two. Masters 1000 tournaments have previously stuck to just one week, with just 56 players entered into the competition. The top eight seeds would recieve byes to the next round, whilst the other players joust for a place into the next round. Now, the majority of tournaments have been extended to 96 players, increasing the tournament schedule to 10-14 days. This gives players less time to prepare in between other tournaments. A prime example is the newly extended Canadian Open played consecutively ahead of the Cincinnati Open. Ben Shelton triumphed in Toronto for his first Masters 1000 title, but was back on court three days later in Cincinnati. The tight scheduling has also given players less time to relax and take their minds off tennis, which has led to many players skipping big tournaments. Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Jack Draper all skipped the Canadian Open, with the latter also missing out on Cincinnati with the US Open slotted just behind it. Sinner favours one-week tournaments Sinner has had an opinion on this matter, firmy favouring the old format of one week events. He praised Monte-Carlo, who, with the Paris Masters, remain the only 1000 events that span just a week. “It’s a question that’s quite irrelevant now to answer because we are in that position," Sinner said. "My personal view…I love the one-week events. I love it when you see that the tournament in Monaco, for example, you have for Monte Carlo, you have this one-week event, and you have the first-round matches, which are incredibly good. And if one good seeded-player loses, the next match is an incredible match still, and you have the quarterfinals and you know exactly when you buy the tickets.” The Italian has a final swiftly coming up against his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, with it being scheduled in an unfamiliar Monday slot. Not only is this unorthodox from usual Sunday finals, but in this scenario, the final sits a day before the US Open mixed doubles kicks off at Flushing Meadows, with the pair supposed to participate in the revamped tournament. “You have the quarterfinals and then you have the semi-final, which is Saturday, and then you have finally Sunday," Sinner said. "And now I lost a little bit of the view of when does actually a finalist [plays], because it used to be always Sunday,” he said. Now, here (in Cincinnati) it’s Monday. In Toronto, it’s Wednesday or Thursday. So it’s difficult even for us players. We lose a little bit of the days of the week, I would say.” Firmly disagreeing with him is ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi, who was adamant the new format was working wonders for tennis, helping it grow to new levels with more fan support, providing the recent tournament in Cincinnati as the perfect example. Gaudenzi recently told ATP.com: "The shift to a 12-day format gave tournaments the time, stability and confidence they needed to think bigger — and what’s happening in Cincinnati is a perfect example. Just look at what’s happening: record bonus pools, nine-figure infrastructure projects in Rome, Madrid, Shanghai, Cincinnati. None of this happens without the breathing room provided by the 12-day window. It’s allowed promoters to reinvest and enabled a 50-50 share of profits. That’s money flowing straight back to the locker room.” The world number one has to navigate his Cincinnati final with the upcoming US Open, where he seeks to defend his triumphs from 2024 in both events.
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