For the second season in a row, the Missouri Tigers finish the season ranked inside the top 25 of the AP Poll.
The ranking comes after Missouri finished the season 10-3, the second straight season with double digit wins for the Tigers. It was capped off with a win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.
"Back-to-back seasons finishing ranked is an unbelievable accomplishment for our program," Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference after the win over Iowa. "Really, really proud of them."
Missouri is the sixth ranked team in the Southeastern Conference.
1. Ohio State, (56), 14-2, 1400
2. Notre Dame, 14-2, 1342
3. Oregon, 13-1, 1255
4. Texas, 13-3, 1211
5. Penn State, 13-3, 1203
6. Georgia, 11-3, 1141
7. Arizona State, 11-3, 1041
8. Boise State, 12-2, 958
9. Tennessee, 10-3, 945
10. Indiana, 11-2, 906
11. Ole Miss, 10-3, 780
12. SMU, 11-3, 721
13. BYU, 11-2, 718
14. Clemson, 10-4, 712
15. Iowa State, 11-3, 594
16. Illinois, 10-3, 533
17. Alabama, 9-4, 415
18. Miami, 10-3, 411
19. South Carolina, 9-4, 405
20. Syracuse, 10-3, 320
21. Army, 12-2, 307
22. Missouri, 10-3, 266
23. UNLV, 11-3, 178
24. Memphis, 11-2, 154
25. Colorado, 9-4, 79
Others Receiving Votes: Navy 55, LSU 39, Michigan 36, Kansas State 11, Marshall 8, Ohio 8, Florida 7, TCU 2, Texas A&M 1
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The Tennessee Vols are working to build a strong 2026 class as the college football offseason comes to a close and fall camp gears up this week. But recruiting never stops, and a big name in the 2027 class continues to be a top priority for Josh Heupel and his staff. It appears their work has been paying off. According to Rivals, the #1 linebacker in the 2027 class, Cooper Witten, has established a date that he will visit Knoxville and the Tennessee Vols, and that will be on the date of Tennessee's biggest game of the season - September 13 against the Georgia Bulldogs. Tennessee obviously has a strong tie to the Witten family, as his father, Jason, was a standout for the Big Orange from 2000-02. He had 39 catches for 493 yards and 5 touchdowns in his final season with UT. He would go on to a 17-year career that will see him end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton one day. However, Cooper told Rivals that he plans to take visits to a number of schools across the country, including the two biggest programs in his home state of Texas in the Longhorns and Aggies. He's also looking to visit Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. Witten checks in as the #21 overall player, #1 linebacker, and #4 player in the state of Texas in the Rivals/On3 industry ratings. We'll see on September 13 if the Vols can snap an ugly streak (8 straight losses) against their border rival and give a little bit more incentive for the younger Witten to build another memorable legacy in Knoxville.
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76M deal. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps. An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury. “We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday. 2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.
The Los Angeles Lakers could make yet another addition to their roster this offseason. After a poor postseason run, the Los Angeles Lakers have been active this summer in hopes of bolstering their roster. In fact, general manager Rob Pelinka has already made some key additions to the roster, including Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart. Signing an elite center was arguably the most important task for Pelinka this offseason, and he fulfilled it with the arrival of Ayton. However, one could argue that the Lakers still need a quality backup center. Luka Doncic could recruit Nikola Vucevic to the Los Angeles Lakers While the Lakers re-signed Jaxson Hayes, a player of Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic’s caliber would undoubtedly be a major upgrade. Moreover, with Vucevic being on the Lakers’ radar for years, it means that the organization rates him highly. Previously, the Bulls didn’t indulge in a trade with the Purple and Gold around Vucevic. It has led to Vucevic’s trade value diminishing so much that he is expected to complete a contract buyout with the Bulls. The Laker Nation would love to sign the 34-year-old, and Luka Doncic can help in this quest. How? Well, Doncic and Vucevic share the same agent in Bill Duffy. This means that if Vucevic completes a buyout, the Lakers could have the upper hand in negotiations. The 2x NBA All-Star has given the last five and a half seasons of his career to the Bulls, but it’s obvious that their time together is about to end sooner rather than later. Adding fuel to the fire were former Orlando Magic star Evan Fournier’s comments. Fournier ridiculed the Bulls while taking a shot at Vucevic after the latter called out his move overseas. Luka Doncic has already proven he can recruit stars Ahead of his first full season with the Lakers, Doncic is doing everything in his power to bring back the glory days for the Lakers. He has already undergone a massive transformation to silence his critics. Additionally, Doncic has been actively involved in recruiting players for the Lakers. Smart admitted Doncic was a huge reason behind his decision to sign with the Lakers. Ayton also acknowledged Luka’s role in his decision to join the Purple and Gold. Let’s not forget Ayton also has the same agent as the Slovenian superstar. So, Doncic has already given the inside track for one star; there’s no reason to doubt he would do the same in Vucevic’s case.
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