Travis Hunter's mixture of size and speed made him a two-way player at Colorado and it led the Jaguars to trade up to take him with the second overall pick of the 2025 draft, but that didn't stop him from changing his body ahead of his second NFL season. Hunter spent his first full pro offseason working his way back from the knee injury that ended his rookie season and he told reporters on Friday that he also worked to bulk up. Hunter said that he put on 10 pounds while working out and that initial concerns that he might hamper his speed turned out to be unwarranted. "I was scared at first. I was like Oh, dang, I aint never played at this weight. Im gonna feel heavy, not going to be able to do what I do,'" Hunter said. "Training and being able to put those months in, not just on the grass but in the weight room too. Just putting in that work, it made me feel lighter on my feet when I finally touched the grass. Im just happy to be at this weight and continue to play at this weight."Hunter said he's been clocked at 22.6 miles per hour since putting on the weight, which is a new high for him and he hopes to keep adding speed before resuming his roles as a wide receiver and defensive back in Jacksonville this fall.

On the an episode of Yahoo Sports' "Football 301" podcast, host Nate Tice and guest Anthony Prohaska of Cover 1 broke down their top 10 NFL defenses for the upcoming season. What immediately stood out: The Texans, Seahawks and Rams dominated the top of both of their lists. Let's dig into why these three teams sit so comfortably above the rest, according to their discussion.Tice's top 10Prohaska's top 10SaintsChargersJaguars49ersSteelersVikingsRavensRavensVikingsJaguarsBroncosEaglesEaglesBroncosRamsRamsSeahawksSeahawksTexansTexansHere's why Houston is No. 1 Tice described the Texans' defense as "Randy Johnson throwing 103 mph Can you hit it?" Most opponents can't.If there's one defense in the NFL that perfectly blends physical dominance with schematic simplicity, it's the Texans. Prohaska put it best: "There isn't a lot schematically happening but you can't do anything about it because you can't beat their guys and it feeds off one another."Having Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter gives Houston arguably the best pass-rushing tandem in the game. They pressure QBs without having to blitz, meaning they can focus resources on pass coverage and run fits.Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!The tandem of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter is, in Prohaska's words, "the best corner tandem in football." Both can tackle and play great man or zone coverage, letting the Texans "lock" the solo side and play with a numbers advantage elsewhere.The Texans barely blitz and run primarily Cover 3, Cover 1, and quarters. Their consistency lets defenders play incredibly fast, knowing exactly what their rules and roles are. As Tice put it: "They're easy to break down they only run a couple coverages but they have really good players and they play really fast." From the front four (with depth additions like Kayden McDonald and Logan Hall) to linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and safety upgrades like Reed Blankenship, Houston doesn't field a weak link.Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has his eyes on another stellar defensive unit. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP via Getty Images)JOSH EDELSON via Getty ImagesSeahawks: Kaleidoscopic scheme, velociraptors everywhereSeattle doesn't have just a great scheme. The Seahawks have the coaching and athletes to push offenses to the limit.Prohaska calls head coach Mike Macdonald "the McVay-Shanahan equivalent on the defensive side." His sequencing, blitz design, and ability to create confusion for quarterbacks set him apart from other play-callers.Seattle has "every type of guy up front you want," from pass rushers and run-pluggers to players who can move around and disrupt in different ways.Even after losing some talent in the secondary, Macdonald continues to maximize his players, deploying creative dime and nickel sets.The Seahawks don't blitz constantly, but their blitzes are "curated," producing game-changing moments. They finished first in DVOA, passing DVOA, rushing DVOA, and weighted DVOA .Seattle's defense can stop the run with light boxes and overwhelm the pass with coverage flexibility. Or as Tice described: "they have Sauron's army every type of orc, goblin, banshee they have every type you want."Rams: Depth, upgrades and Myles GarrettL.A.'s defense was already strong last year and it got even scarier in the offseason.The Rams' secondary was vulnerable in 2025, so L.A. upgraded with Jaylen Watson and huge addition Trent McDuffie, a legit All-Pro-level corner.Adding Myles Garrett to a line featuring breakout star Kobie Turner and steady linemen like Braden Fiske and Byron Young turns a strength into a nightmare for offenses.Coordinator Chris Shula described by Tice as a film geek's dream mixes and matches dime and nickel personnel, maximizing the inside-outside versatility of McDuffie, Watson, Kam Kinchens, Kam Curl and Quentin Lake.The Rams led the NFL in dime usage, giving them a schematic edge against passing attacks.They're "well-coached, creative, and can play the run and pass however they want," Prohaska noted and with a top offense, the Rams will regularly be playing with a lead, unleashing their full pass-rush arsenal.For more NFL insight, tune into "Football 301 on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

We're still more than a month away from Week 1 of the NFL season, but the trash talk is nearing midseason form.Coming off a stellar 13-win season, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen feels that his squad has been overlooked. According to the second-year head coach, that is one of the great benefits of coaching his team.Speaking with 1010 XL in Florida, Coen said all the motivation his team needs comes from the shortage of attention given to them."This is the best part about coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars you don't have to make up telling your players stuff," Coen said. "You don't have to make up the fire, you don't have to make it up. It's given to us everyday. ..."I just go, pull out my phone, look at the NFL Network website, and just pop up here, and I'm just curious if I see any photos or anything about the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think I'll just scroll right on through, I think I'll see 40 pictures of Caleb Williams, and I won't see a single thing about any of our players on here."Williams, the Chicago Bears quarterback, has garnered plenty of eyes for his electric play since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.His head coach, Ben Johnson, isn't worried about another head coach invoking his quarterback's name, adding that he noticed some less-than positive press thrown his team's way."Well, were the No. 1 regression candidate, so I think weve got plenty of motivation ourselves," Johnson told reporters on Friday, July 31. "Weve talked about Caleb in the past. Hes used to handling a lot of attention, so Im not worried about that."Williams is looking to become the Bears' first-ever 4,000-yard passer. He flirted with that figure in 2025, tossing 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions as the Bears made the playoffs and downed NFC North rival Green Bay in the wild-card round.Both teams figure to be in contention for the playoffs again this season, with a fun twist: Chicago hosts Jacksonville in Week 13 this season, when both teams should be in the thick of the race.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liam Coen says Jaguars don't get hype, cites '40 pictures of Caleb Williams'

Four-star shooting guard RJ Moore has narrowed his list of offers down to seven schools, he told Rivals. Moving forward, the 6-foot-7 rising senior out of Ambassador Christian (NC) will consider Alabama, Rutgers, Texas Tech, Utah, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest.He goes in-depth on each of his finalists here.Moore currently has three official visits scheduled: Rutgers (September 5), Vanderbilt (September 12), and Alabama (September 25). [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]He is ranked as the No. 40 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 8 ranked shooting guard, according to theRivals Industry Ranking, an average of all three major recruiting media companies (Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports).Before trimming his list, Moore also received offers from Mississippi State, Georgia, Florida State, Virginia, Syracuse, Charlotte, Washington, and others. Moore talks his game and what hes looking for in a schoolIn a previous interview with Rivals, RJ Moore discussed his game and what hes looking for in a school.Im a three-level scorer who can shoot the ball really well, Moore toldRivals in a previous interview. I am a long guard and can play the one, two, or three. Im able to get to my spots easier this summer, getting to the rim more, and getting stronger in the weight room. I watch a lot of Klay Thompson. Just the way he gets to his spots, and he is balanced, and how he shoots the ball.I want to go to a school where I am going to play at, for sure. You know, it is not going to be all about the money; Im trying to play and be able to fit into their system. I want to play for a coach who trusts me and is going to put me in the best situation to succeed. And just go to a school that is the right choice and where my game is going to be able to help their program win.Scouting RJ MooreRivals national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw wrote the following about Moores game:Mooreis a shooter. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard has as pure of a stroke as you will see when he gets his feet set. He does a good job playing off the ball and getting to his spots with a purpose. I like his balance off movement and his release is consistent. His game is streamlining and the production is continuing to follow.

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Official: Parma buy Diallo from Borussia Dortmund, U19 European title winner with SpainParma have officially bought Ousmane Diallo from Borussia Dortmund, securing the Spain Under-19 international talent, signing a contract to 2031.According to Sky Sport Italia, the cost of the transfer is believed to be around 1.5m.Primarily a left-sided attacking winger, but also able to play on the right, Diallo was born in Gran Canaria and has dual Spanish and Senegalese citizenship.Diallo new talent for ParmaDORTMUND, GERMANY JULY 28: (L-R) Jobe Bellingham challenges Ousmane Diallo during a training session of Borussia Dortmund after resume of summer break at Training Ground Hohenbuschei on July 28, 2025 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)He represented Spain throughout all the youth levels, making a big mark for the Under-19 side with five goals and one assist in 11 caps.Diallo was part of the side that won the European Under-19 Championship earlier this month, scoring in three different games on their way to the trophy.Coming through the Las Palmas and Alaves youth academies, he moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2023 and now will launch his Italian career at Parma.The winger put pen to paper on a contract at the Stadio Tardini to June 2031.Its time to welcome Ousmane to Parma Ousmane Diallo Thiao begins his Giallobl journey with a special moment with Karim, one of the children from the All Inclusive project pic.twitter.com/038QYy6tHB

On Friday, new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy switched things up again with how he does business at training camp practice. Today's latest twist was a tandem set of 11-on-11 in an accelerated walkthrough without helmets but working at a fast pace.Of note, McCarthy split the quarterbacks between the two fields and spent his time working with young quarterbacks Drew Allar and Will Howard. McCarthy knows he has his starter in Aaron Rodgers but understands Rodgers is gone after this season and he has to know if he's got his 2027 starter on the roster now or not.In a telling sign, McCarthy is on the "second field" so he can get more hands-on with the 3rd-team offense -- surely as a way to work more with Will Howard and Drew Allar https://t.co/sDvVF5f65R Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 31, 2026McCarthy has changed up everything when it comes to practice concepts and scheduling and we can't wait to see if it translates to game day. Of Friday, McCarthy is running almost zero individual drills and is going almost exclusively team work, which we never saw under Mike Tomlin.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers training camp: McCarthy getting a close look at his young quarterbacks.

Five of Northwestern's seven wins last season came at home, and head coach David Braun thinks that the team might have an even greater advantage at home with the new Ryan Field.Braun likened his home stadium to a historic venue during Big Ten Media Days on Thursday."I think the two things that really stand out when you step into the New Ryan Field, if you're ever fortunate to stand at field level, I mean, you truly feel like you're in a new-age Roman Coliseum. You feel the intimacy. You feel the fans on top of you, the canopy, the acoustics are going to act more like a dome than an outdoor stadium," Braun stated.Northwestern's David Braun percolated with optimism over the "transformative" OC hire in Chip Kelly and "new-age Roman Colosseum" stadium in New Ryan Field. He tells ESPN: "There's no greater visual to what level of investment we're putting into football than that." Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 31, 2026Braun continued by talking about the construct of the seats further away from the field."Then the reverse engineering of that is try to find a bad seat. Go to the so-called upper deck and go to the back row. I've sat in those seats. The view for the fan is incredible. What I'm most excited about is what this opportunity provides for us to reinvent how we do game day at Northwestern football and ultimately impacts the experience for our players," Braun said.Northwestern fans will have their first chance to cheer for their gladiators at Ryan Field on September 5 against South Dakota State.Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Northwestern coach likens new home field to Roman Colosseum