The Indianapolis Colts took Micah Abraham in the sixth round (201st overall pick) of the 2024 NFL Draft. While he wasn’t an intriguing first-round pick, the cornerback out of Marshall could become a household name in Indy.
Abraham comes from a football family. Both his father (Donnie Abraham) and cousin (Tim Jennings) played cornerback in the NFL. A third-round pick in 1996, Donnie played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2000. Jennings was ironically drafted by the Colts. The two-time Pro Bowler won a Super Bowl with the franchise.
With that said, Michah Abraham certainly knows a thing or two about the cornerback position and the life of an NFL player. Surely, he learned a lot from his family members over the years. It’ll be interesting to see if he follows in their footsteps and has a productive pro career.
Abraham spent five seasons with the Marshall Thundering Herd. He played safety as a freshman in 2019. That year, he appeared in 13 games, producing 36 tackles (21 solo), four passes defensed and one interception. He was named to the Conference USA’s All-Freshman Team. During the Gasparilla Bowl, he made three tackles and came away with a 75-yard interception returned for a touchdown.
Abraham moved to cornerback the following season. He played 10 games, registering nine tackles (six solo), one forced fumble and one pass defended.
Abraham played 13 games (12 starts) during the 2022 season. He accumulated 36 tackles (22 solo), 16 passes defensed, six interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He also took home First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
Last season, Abraham was named to the First Team All-Sun Belt Conference once again. He recorded 36 tackles (22 solo), four interceptions, 19 passes defended and a blocked field goal.
Cornerback was one of the Colts’ biggest needs heading into the draft. They were expected to take a CB like Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell or Alabama’s Terrion Arnold in the first round. Instead, they selected UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu 15th overall. Indianapolis waited to land a cornerback, as they took Auburn’s Jaylin Simpson in the fifth round and then Abraham in the sixth.
The Colts haven’t acquired a veteran this offseason so far. That means they must be satisfied with their current CB room. JuJu Brents and Dallis Flowers are expected to start at the outside while Kenny Moore II will play the nickel spot.
Abraham will play behind Moore at nickel. At 5-9 and 185 pounds, he is a bit undersized. Plus, he had a low Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of just 3.70. Yet, Abraham has solid speed. He recorded a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, faster than what Brents ran last year.
Abraham may be small in stature and isn’t the world’s greatest athlete. However, he’s a ball hawk who possesses a high football IQ. The Florida native is known for his production on the field. He had an impressive 150 tackles and 12 interceptions during his collegiate career. Also, he doesn’t shy away from physicality, which is ideal for an NFL cornerback. Don’t sleep on Micah Abraham.
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New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is in peak off-season mode, enjoying his time off while staying ready for his upcoming 23rd season in the NBA, eighth with Los Angeles. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Lakers last season. On a separate note, his youngest son, Bryce James, is preparing for his first collegiate season with the Arizona Wildcats, where he committed early in 2025. Before this new chapter, he spent most of his high school basketball career playing for Sierra Canyon, where he won a State Division 1 title in his senior year. Meanwhile, upon Bryce's first trip back home since leaving for college, James was taken aback by his appearance. In the Lakers star's latest Instagram story, he welcomes home his youngest son after his first stint away at Arizona. Within the video, James is overcome with excitement as he points out Bryce's latest physical change to his 159 million followers: his beard. "Y'all see his beard? Oh my goodness!" said James. Born in 2007, Bryce is just 18 years old and stands 6'6 tall ahead of his first season with the Wildcats. Primarily playing the shooting guard position, he's poised for a bright future under legendary coach Tommy Lloyd, who is entering his fifth season with the team. Lloyd's 61 wins in his first two seasons with Arizona are an NCAA Division 1 record. The Wildcats will open their season on November 3 against the defending champion Florida Gators at a neutral site in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris still has yet to return to action after a July 4 fireworks accident, and it sounds like he does not necessarily have a job guaranteed to him when he does. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman admitted Tuesday that the team is planning a steady rotation at running back whether or not Harris is available to play in Week 1. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, however, is the player who has part of the rotation locked down, not Harris. The Chargers likely intended to use Harris as a part-time back no matter what. However, he certainly cannot have helped himself with his eye injury. The issue was described as superficial after it happened and Harris was expected to be ready for the season, but he is still on the non-football injury list and has yet to participate in a full practice. Harris, 27, is entering his first season with the Chargers after signing with them in March. He can earn up to $9.25 million on his one-year deal, but that will require him to remain part of the rotation with Hampton.
The common theme for this USC Trojans team has been exclusion, whether it's a Big Ten or top-25 ranking. In a recent ranking of all 136 programs in the FBS, USC was ranked as the No. 29 team in the country. USC Trojans Ranked No. 29 In FBS Rankings USC was placed No. 29 in CBS Sports' ranking, falling right behind SEC's Missouri Tigers. While the Trojans poor 2024 performance could have been ranked even lower, USC's progress in the offseason needs to be accounted for. Here are the teams ranked above the Trojans: 1. Texas Longhorns 2. Penn State Nittany Lions 3. Ohio State Buckeyes 4. Clemson Tigers 5. Georgia Bulldogs 6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7. Oregon Ducks 8. Alabama Crimson Tide 9. LSU Tigers 10. Miami Hurricanes 11. Arizona State Sun Devils 12. Florida Gators 13. Illinois Fighting Illini 14. Kansas State Wildcats 15. Michigan Wolverines 16. South Carolina Gamecocks 17. SMU Mustangs 18. Texas A M Aggies 19. Iowa State Cyclones 20. Tennessee Volunteers 21. Texas Tech Red Raiders 22. Ole Miss Rebels 23. Indiana Hoosiers 24. Oklahoma Sooners 25. Utah Utes 26. Baylor Bears 27. Louisville Cardinals 28. Missouri Tigers 29. USC Trojans While majority of the teams listed have proven talent and forged a playoff-caliber season, some could argue teams like Utah should not be ranked as high. The Utes finished their 2024 campaign 6-7 with a seven-game lose streak. USC might not have much to argue with their one extra win, however, their scores and opponents speak heavily on the competition difference both programs. The Trojans finished 2024 7-6 and 4-5 in their first Big Ten conference season. No, it's not their best record or most desired results, but the statistics on paper show that USC has the potential to compete, but not enough was done. USC went 1-5 in one-score games, five fourth-quarter mishaps that could have been resolved into wins. A flip from the losses to wins could prove their dominance in the Big Ten and be the USC Trojans they used to be in the past years. The Trojans secured wins over two SEC opponents to start and end the year, USC defeated LSU in a comeback win in the Model Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas for their season opener, and returned to Las Vegas and defeated Texas A M in the Las Vegas Bowl to close out their season. The Trojans Must Capitalize in One-Score Situations College Football analysts have noticed the dire need to capitalize in one-score situations, especially after dropping multiple last season. Joel Klatt believes if the Trojans can find a solution, they could very-well be a first time College Football Playoff competitor. “They’ve got tough games against Oregon on the road. Don’t think that they’re going to win that one. So now you’re just talking about like, can you steal a victory here or there,” Klatt said on an episode of the Joel Klatt Show. “At Notre Dame is going to be difficult. But again, those close losses could turn into close wins this year, and if they do, they could be a team making their very first playoff appearance.” USC's schedule is deemed as favorable, but will face some of their toughest opponents on the road including Notre Dame, Oregon, and a rising favorite in Illinois. After this year's Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas and the start of fall camp, the Trojans and coaching staff have only nodded to their positive progress to their roster. Roster Improvements are Paving a Path for Success Coach Lincoln Riley pointed out quarterback Jayden Maiava's impressive progress that has proved his leadership and readiness to take on the starting quarterback position. “I think he would say he feels like it’s his team,” Riley told the Media after a fall camp practice. “I think he knows the guys better, he knows what he’s doing as a player better....We challenged him as coaches pretty heavily...He's responded." Coinciding with the offensive progress, positive reinforcement has also arrived on defense. The addition of linebackers coach Rob Ryan and defensive analyst Adrian Klemm only bolster the Trojans coaching staff alongside defensive D'Anton Lynn in his second year leading USC' Linebacker Eric Gentry, the leader and veteran of his position group, suffered multiple concusions all last season and saw few snaps. Defensive back Maliki Crawford missed all of last season and defensive end Anthony Lucas was ruled out all season. While USC may not have not displayed top-25 ranked talent last season, college football fans should not count them out this season, especially with their rapid progress made in the offseason.