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Iowa State football has added a promising defender to its 2026 recruiting class, securing a verbal commitment from three-star safety Bryson Williams.
The Omaha Westside product announced his pledge on June 18, giving the Cyclones a versatile, high-upside addition to their secondary of the future.
Cyclone Nation I’m locked in #AGTG pic.twitter.com/TwmV0zcyZv
— Bryson Williams (@bwilliams_2828) June 18, 2025
Williams, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs approximately 175 pounds, is regarded as one of the top overall players in Nebraska for the Class of 2026. Rated inside the national top 1,300 prospects by 247Sports, Williams has drawn attention for both his frame and athleticism. A track athlete with sub-11-second 100-meter speed, he brings impressive range and closing burst to the back end of the defense.
The Omaha native took an official visit to Ames on June 13, part of a busy June schedule that included stops at Washington State and Vanderbilt. Iowa State made a strong impression during his visit, particularly through the coaching staff’s focus on fit and development. Williams cited the Cyclones’ defensive vision and the comfort level he felt with the program as key reasons for his decision to commit.
For Iowa State, the addition of Williams addresses a long-term need in the secondary. His frame and length allow him to match up against taller Big 12 receivers, and his athletic traits make him an ideal candidate to develop into a coverage safety with range. While he will need to continue filling out his frame and refining his technique, the physical tools and upside are evident.
This also marks another strategic win for Iowa State in the Midwest recruiting footprint. Nebraska has become an increasingly competitive battleground in recent cycles, and pulling a high-level talent out of Omaha sends a strong signal for the future.
As the Cyclones look to retool their defense in the coming years, Bryson Williams stands out as a foundational piece for Matt Campbell’s staff. His development will be closely watched as he continues to rise through the high school ranks, with potential to become a difference-maker once he arrives in Ames.
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Wisconsin Badgers Among Top Programs After Big 2027 In-State OL
The Wisconsin Badgers staff is currently embarking heavily upon developing connections with members of the in-state 2027 recruiting class. The 2027 in-state Wisconsin class is set to be one of the better classes the state has seen in recent years. The Badgers staff is keen on landing a commitment or two within the 2027 in state recruiting class, however, Wisconsin will have to go up against serious competition in order to do so. One such commitment the Badgers staff has been looking for is from impressive four-star offensive lineman Cole Reiter. The talented offensive lineman is currently the second overall recruit within the class sitting behind fellow four star recruit and talented tight end Korz Loken. Wisconsin has also displayed interest in the exceptional tight end, however, the Badgers likely will not be a program that makes it to the end stages of his recruiting process. Wisconsin Badgers Working to Keep Cole Reiter In-State For Collegiate Career For the offensive lineman, Wisconsin refuses to allow the recruit to exit the state without a fight, and the Badgers have been heavily pursuing Reiter. From the moment the Wisconsin Badgers offensive line coach AJ Blazek had a chance to see the talented offensive lineman play on the field, the coach knew that he would be special. Wisconsin was one of the earliest programs to get in contact with the offensive lineman being the third program to extend a scholarship and the Badgers have since stayed in consistent contact despite other major offers coming in. Along with Wisconsin displaying heavy interest in the offensive lineman, Iowa State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Kansas, and Indiana have displayed loads of interest in the recruit early. Thus far into the 2026 recruiting class, the Wisconsin Badgers have added just two offensive lineman after adding an entire line in the previous recruiting class. Wisconsin currently holds commitments from three star offensive lineman, Benjamin Novak and Maddox Cochrane along with a preferred walk-on commitment from Aiden Dirksen. Wisconsin has been tied to other 2026 recruits such as Zach Poole, but plenty of additions are expected in the 2027 cycle for Wisconsin along the offensive line. At the top of the list, Reiter is the man the Badgers hope to land and could be the player Wisconsin has the best chance of landing. Recently, the offensive lineman indicated that Wisconsin had been heavily interested, and currently the feelings are mutual. However, the important questions will be answered in the future as other programs begin to offer the offensive lineman. As seen with other recruits such as Isaac Miller and Korz Loken, the Wisconsin Badgers can quickly become a small fish compared to other programs and such programs will surely begin to extend offers to the talented offensive lineman. For the Wisconsin Badgers, the question is not whether the program can land the recruit or not as Reiter has interest in staying home, but rather if the Badgers can hang on as other programs begin to extend offers.
Troubling report surfaces on Patriots' first-round rookie
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye might not feel comfortable with his blindside protection early in the upcoming season. Following troubles at left tackle in 2024, the Patriots invested in the position by drafting LSU standout Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick in April's draft. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, Campbell has been trending down at training camp this summer. "All eyes are on him every practice, which is a tough spot for a rookie," Graff wrote of Campbell. "So far, he’s been about what you’d expect from a rookie. He has some strong moments, particularly in the running game. But there have been struggles in the passing game. He’s been beaten for a sack in just about every practice, which isn’t great considering he’s usually on the field each practice for only 15 or so passing plays in full-team drills. "He tends to get beaten to the inside after oversetting, and it probably doesn’t help that the Pats don’t yet know who their left guard is next to him. Still, extrapolate those numbers, and that’s allowing two sacks each NFL game if you throw the ball 30 times. Not great." Graff believes the future is "bright" for Campbell, but doesn't think he will be a top-20 left tackle in 2025. NFL scouts had questions before the draft about Campbell's 32⅝ inch (or 33 inches, depending on whether one believes the league or LSU) arm length. Some suggested he'd be better suited to play guard in the league than left tackle. If Campbell continues to give up sacks, the Patriots might consider moving the 21-year-old to the interior part of the offensive line. Per OurLads, Campbell is projected to win the left tackle starting job for Week 1. If Campbell doesn't develop quickly in the preseason, Maye's progress as a thrower in the pocket could take a hit in the upcoming season.
Five biggest losers from the 2025 MLB trade deadline
The 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline was 6 p.m. ET on Thursday. Some teams managed to get better in either a short-term or long-term outlook. Other teams did not. We've already gone over the five biggest winners, which featured some surprising teams. Here we are focusing on the five teams that were the biggest losers. Minnesota Twins The good news for Twins fans is the team did not trade outfielder Byron Buxton or starting pitcher Joe Ryan. The bad news for Twins fans is the team traded pretty much everybody else. The worst news is the Twins have pretty much sabotaged any goodwill the team had built up in recent years, including their 2023 trip to the American League Division Series. Since then the Twins collapsed late last season, did very little in the offseason and then completely gutted the roster over the past two weeks, including a straight salary-dump trade of Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros, his former team. This is going to be a long, slow climb back to the top. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates had a chance to have a potentially impactful trade deadline with some intriguing trade chips in what had become a seller's market. They ended up trading closer David Bednar, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, starting pitcher Bailey Falter and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson. They held on to pending free agents Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham and Andrew Heaney. What's so baffling about the trades they did make is that they gave up useful, productive players with years of team control still remaining, did not get a single highly-ranked prospect back in return and kept the players that are going to leave for nothing. The only winner here is owner Bob Nutting's bank account for all of the money he saved in the future by dumping Hayes' contract and potential arbitration years from Bednar and Falter. Chicago Cubs After paying a steep price to get outfielder Kyle Tucker in the offseason everybody in Chicago knew the clock was ticking on the Cubs to build a winner around him. He is a free agent after this season and seems determined to hit the open market for the highest bidder. Even though the Cubs have emerged as a contender, it was pretty clear as the season has gone on that they needed at least one more starting pitcher. They did not get one, and instead only added a utility infielder (Willi Castro) and reliever Taylor Rogers. While so many teams around them in the NL managed to get better, it's an underwhelming deadline performance for a team that should be going all in. Atlanta Braves It's not that the Braves did anything poor at the trade deadline that makes them losers. It's that they didn't do ... anything. At least not anything that they needed to do. None of their pending free agents were moved, no significant changes were made to a team going nowhere this season and the only move they did make was a marginal trade involving Rafael Montero. That is extremely underwhelming. Boston Red Sox The Red Sox were rumored to be in the market for a significant starting pitcher, including Minnesota's Joe Ryan. They did not make that sort of splash move, and instead added Steven Matz and Dustin May. For a team trying to hang in the American League playoff race, that is not really exciting. They also paid a steep price to get May, giving up one of the top prospects — outfielder James Tibbs III — they acquired in the Rafael Devers trade to the San Francisco Giants.
‘Concerns’ Emerging for Matt LaFleur, Packers Coaching Staff
Matt LaFleur and the Packers coaching staff remain one of the most respected across the NFL, but some are beginning to wonder if this group is capable of bringing a Lombardi back to Green Bay. While the Packers made the postseason in each of quarterback Jordan Love’s first two seasons as the starter, Green Bay regressed last fall and there are some significant questions at cornerback, pass rush, and along the offensive line as the 2025 season nears. If Green Bay makes big strides this season, and Love makes a leap, it could turn out to be one of LaFleur’s most impressive coaching jobs to date in his career. Is it Time to Worry About Matt LaFleur, Packers Coaching Staff? There’s real optimism about Jordan Love taking the next step and the Packers making noise in the NFC North, but not everything in Green Bay is trending in the right direction — especially on the coaching side. ESPN’s Ben Solak sees some red flags developing if 2025 plays out similarly to 2024. “Two key coaching points give me pause in Green Bay,” Solak writes of LaFleur and staff, for ESPN. “It ended the season dead last in defensive success rate against dropbacks but second in EPA per dropback faced. How? Tons of interceptions. The Packers ripped off 17 picks, tied for third most in football, and recovered 14 fumbles. They finished third in defensive EPA on takeaways (behind Denver and Buffalo), and though I don’t think their defense was poorly coached by any stretch, it probably punched above its weight last season. “The second is Green Bay’s performance against elite teams. It ended the season 1-5 in its division (beating only Chicago on a game-ending field goal block) and lost to the Eagles twice, including in the playoffs. The best defensive coordinators — Vic Fangio, Brian Flores and Aaron Glenn — were able to flummox Love and expose that opportunistic defense. Green Bay’s staff never found a solution as the season went on.” If the Packers are going to take that next step, LaFleur and his coordinators will need to prove they can scheme consistently — not just rely on turnovers or hot streaks. Defensive volatility and an offense that falters against elite play-callers isn’t a recipe for sustainable success. Follow Matt Lombardo on Threads at @MattLombardoNFL. To read more of our articles and in-depth NFL coverage, click here.
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