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Jim Nagy and the Oklahoma Sooners are showing they don’t care about any Group of Five school’s feelings for recruits they target
UCLA Freshman Spotlight: Chase Coleman
UCLA's defense has definitely been the highlight of the team for the past few years. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe has done an excellent job of developing and getting his guys NFL-ready. Recent Bruins like Laiatu Latu and Carson Schwesinger have been drafted early and are now thriving at their respective teams. With many new transfers and freshmen entering the program, Malloe will surely want to keep the streak going. Freshman defensive back Chase Coleman could be next on the list in just a few short years. A three-star recruit according to 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, Coleman came out of Frisco, Texas, as the 89th-ranked corner in the class and 137th out of the state. Like many of his secondary counterparts, Coleman will likely redshirt this upcoming season, just looking to take in as much knowledge as he can from his fellow teammates. "Taller, leaner, wiry-framed cover corner who's shown capability to play on a perimeter island," wrote 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks. "Quicker-footed than your average long-framed cover man. Displays promising technical awareness and stays in phase to remain sticky downfield. Flashes some catch-point disruptiveness thanks to longer levers. Shows a willingness to get involved in the run game that should improve with added mass and strength. Checks the multi-sport category with long jump and triple jump participation. Projects as a quality FBS corner prospect who can fit multiple schemes. Could become a P4-caliber starter with developmental upside given frame spec." Brooks even described Coleman as someone who reminds him of the great Marcus Allen, which is not something that should be taken lightly. He's been put in one of the best situations as a young collegiate defender and will hopefully do big things for the Bruins when the time is right. So why the Bruins? Coleman has always admired the greats of the NFL. He looks up to Sauce Gardner, Christian Gonzalez, and Jalen Ramsey. He was even a big fan of UCLA's Lonzo Ball when he played basketball growing up. The main reason that Coleman admitted to coming to Westwood was that he "believed in the Fos Era and I want to be a part of something special.” Coleman is surrounded by players, coaches, and even family members who can aid in his professional development. His father, Fredrick Coleman, was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1998 (6th-round), but was a wide receiver on New England's Super Bowl XXXVI championship team.
Even Mike Macdonald couldn't rattle Sam Darnold, Seahawks insider reports
With so much riding on Sam Darnold, the Seattle Seahawks are doing everything they can to make sure he's ready for the season itself. In such cases, having a defensive mastermind like Mike Macdonald as a head coach comes in handy. Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune detailed how Macdonald has tested Darnold throughout training camp with various pressures and coverages. While Macdonald's defense gave Darnold trouble early on, but the quarterback has adjusted and is now throwing the ball with ease. Sam Darnold figuring out Mike Macdonald's complex defense "Darnold has gotten accustomed to Macdonald’s tricks along the defensive front," Bell wrote. "The quarterback is now anticipating rookie safety Nick Emmanwori really being an outside linebacker off the edge, about to blitz him. Darnold is figuring out Macdonald’s shifting of defensive backs, from what looks like man-to-man coverage at the snap to what is in fact zone, and vice versa. "Darnold is acing it. After a spate of interceptions early in camp, he hasn’t thrown one in practice since Monday, Aug. 4, an overthrow that landed into the arms of safety D’Anthony Bell. He’s looking more like the quarterback who went 14-3 with 4,300 yards passing and 35 touchdowns in a breakout 2024 season with Minnesota. He’s looking more like the QB the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to get." Even Macdonald conceded that Darnold has figured out his defense, noting how his quick release is giving the unit trouble. “It’s a pain in the butt to pressure you, because the ball’s out and you’re making (quick throws)," Macdonald told Darnold during Sunday's practice. “It’s hard to get to you.” What version of Darnold the Seahawks are going to get is crucial for their season as a whole. Will they get the version that excelled last season with the Minnesota Vikings, or will they get the career journeyman he was before that? Only time will tell for sure, but they're doing everything they can to bring out the best version of him. “I thought we’ve had a really good few weeks,” Darnold said. “Just awesome to see where the team has come from the beginning of training camp.”
3 Ways Craig Berube Is Changing the Maple Leafs’ DNA
When Craig Berube took over behind the Toronto Maple Leafs bench in May 2024, it wasn’t just about swapping one coach for another. Toronto brought him in to change the way the team thinks, plays, and competes. Less about tweaks, more about rewiring the team’s DNA. DNA Change 1: The Maple Leafs Have Moved From Star Reliance to Team Accountability For years, the Maple Leafs leaned on pure offensive talent to cover for defensive lapses. Berube’s not buying it. Under his watch, everyone—from Auston Matthews to the last guy on the fourth line—is held to the same standard. If you don’t compete shift to shift, you won’t get minutes. That doesn’t mean the stars won’t shine, but they’ll have to do it while committing to a 200-foot game. Matthews’ defensive reads are now a feature, not a bonus. William Nylander is being pushed to round out his play. And role players like Matthew Knies or Nicolas Roy have a clear mandate: excel in your lane. DNA Change 2: The Maple Leafs Have Moved to Structure Over Chaos In the Berube era, the Maple Leafs won’t be the same freewheeling team fans have known. Expect layers of structure—consistent forechecking, five-man defensive units, and smarter puck management. It’s hockey built for playoff survival, not just regular-season fireworks. That might mean fewer highlight-reel plays, but it’s the kind of style that doesn’t break under pressure in May. Of course, the jury remains out on the success of this venture. DNA Change 3: The Maple Leafs Now See Culture as a Competitive Edge Perhaps Berube’s biggest shift is intangible: culture. He’s stripping away the drama and replacing it with clarity and purpose. In St. Louis, that approach turned a last-place roster into Stanley Cup champions in 2019. In Toronto, it’s already giving young players and depth guys a clear role, while keeping the stars invested in the same system. That unity—between front office, coaching staff, and players—is something the Maple Leafs have chased for years. If Matthews can emerge as a leader in this venture, all the better. The Maple Leafs Might Not Win Pretty, But … The 2025–26 Maple Leafs might not always win pretty, but if Berube’s changes stick, they’ll be harder to play against, more resilient in tight games, and less likely to beat themselves. And that, in Toronto, might be the real breakthrough.
Is Cameron Heyward serious about his threat toward Steelers?
Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman and team captain Cameron Heyward raised eyebrows when he recently suggested he could forfeit money by sitting out regular-season games if he doesn't receive a desired pay raise. During the latest edition of the "North Shore Drive" podcast, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed whether or not Heyward is serious about that threat. "I think his threat is realistic," Fittipaldo said about Heyward, as shared by Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "I don't know deep down what he and his agents have calculated...Cam's already been paid 90 percent of his salary this year in the form of that roster bonus. He's making $1.3M in salary this year. Have he and his agents calculated that, yeah, he'd be willing to miss [Pittsburgh's Week 1 game at the New York Jets on Sept. 7]? Who cares? It's $85,000, or whatever that is, pro-rated. They could have calculated that in their mind and said, 'Okay, we are willing to do that.'" Similar to the situation involving star pass-rusher T.J. Watt, Heyward chose a great time to pursue some additional financial security. After all, the Steelers became a win-now team after they added wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith and quarterback Aaron Rodgers to their roster earlier in the offseason. Meanwhile, Heyward is coming off his fourth first-team All-Pro season of his career. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Heyward's current deal ranks him 22nd among defensive tackles and 36th among all defensive linemen in terms of average annual value. As for Watt, he reset the market for players at his position when he received a three-year, $123M deal that included $108M guaranteed from the Steelers ahead of training camp. Per Josh Carney of Steelers Depot, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported during Tuesday's edition of the "NFL Live" program that Pittsburgh and Heyward have not yet "bridged any of their differences," in part because "it doesn't seem like the Steelers want to pay him right now." "The Steelers have not had a huge appetite to reward him right now," Schefter added about the 36-year-old. Heyward is not fully participating in practices as the Steelers prepare to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a preseason game this coming Saturday. It sounds like he wants Pittsburgh to know that he could remain a spectator through Week 1 if the Steelers don't provide him with additional monetary reasons to take the field at MetLife Stadium on the first Sunday of September.
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