Texas Rangers' Globe Life FieldThe Texas Rangers welcome back a key player as they fight to stay atop a tight American League West.Texasactivated Corey Seager off the injured list before Friday's game against the Houston Astros. The shortstop is starting and batting third in his first game since June 30.Seager went on the IL with lower back inflammation for three weeks before returning on June 5. He played five games before a concussion cost him two more weeks, and returned for four games before a back injury sidelined him again.Injuries are an unfortunate pattern for Seager, who has reached 135 games played in just one season since 2018. However, the five-time All-Star has often made up for lost time when on the field.Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!That hasn't been the case this year. Seager is batting .182/.292/.374 with 10 home runs in 219 plate appearances, and a 26.9 percent strikeout rate hovers far above his career 18.3 percent clip.The Rangers can certainly use a late-season return to form from the three-time Silver Slugger, who boasts a .284/.359/.504 slash line over his 12-year career. Texas enters Friday ranked 16th in team OPS but lost third baseman Josh Jung to a calf injury earlier this month.Seager returns just in time for a massive three-game road series against the Astros, who trail the Rangers by a half-game in the AL West. Friday's game starts at 8:15 p.m. ET on Apple TV.More MLB:Red Sox Predicted To Acquire All-Star Infielder Before Trade Deadline

Jul 31, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (29) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Yankees entered this game with 48-percent of their runs scored via the home run, which is third-highest in the majors. The Cubs entered this game with 51-percent of their runs surrendered coming via the home run, which is the highest in the majors. Those two facts plus the soft-tossing lefty Shota Imanaga combined to wake the Yankees bats up just enough, Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones crushing a pair of solo home runs to account for all the scoring in this contest. Will Warren rebounded from his worst start of the season to post his best start of the season en route to a 2-0 win in the opener over the Cubs. The Yankees struck out ten times in six innings against White Sox starter Sean Burke on Thursday and that swing-and-miss followed them from the South Side to Wrigley. Ben Rice and Amed Rosario struck out in the first, Jasson Domnguez and Anthony Volpe in the second, and Spencer Jones in the third as Imanaga retired the first eleven batters he faced. Fortunately, Will Warren picked a good day for a bounce-back start and was largely able to match Imanaga whiff for whiff. He struck out Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner to end the third, and then punched out Micheal Conforto, Dansby Swanson, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the third to navigate around a Miguel Amaya double. Imanaga made it two outs into the fourth before throwing his first mistake, and boy did it travel a long distance. Rosario pounced on a get-me-over 1-0 sweeper and launched it 450 feet just left of center for the games opening run. Initially brought back to platoon with Ryan McMahon at third, Rosario has actually been way worse against lefties (75 wRC+) than against righties (133 wRC+), so it was nice to see him finally put a charge into a mistake from a southpaw.View LinkHe made his second mistake in the fifth and that too was sent a long way. Spencer Jones was handed a rare start against a lefty with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of the lineup after departing Tuesdays game in the 11th with cramps, which opened a spot in right as Jos Caballero filled in at second. He repaid that trust by crushing a middle-middle 0-1 sinker from Imanaga on a frozen rope into the seats in right, the ball leaving his bat at 109 mph and traveling 418 feet. Its his second homer in his last three games and his first in MLB off a lefty. Jones looks way more like he belongs at this level since his second call-up on June 5th and now has an OPS above .800 in this 27-game stretch. View LinkWarren entered cruise control in the middle innings, retiring 12 straight batters starting with the PCA punch out to end the third. He encountered his first spot of bother in the seventh, yielding back-to-back two-out singles to Alex Bregman and Happ. Despite his pitch count sitting at just 88, it was refreshing to see the urgency from Aaron Boone being proactive and retrieving his starter rather than risk the inning spiraling as is frequently the case when multiple runners reach against Warren. Paul Blackburn came on for the final out and induced a routine ground ball from Hoerner that Anthony Volpe still almost turned into disaster, his nonchalance on the simple flip to second sailing high and pulling Caballero off the bag. Umpires initially ruled Happ safe at second to load the bases, but the Yankees challenge fortunately overturned the call and ended the inning as Caballero got his foot down just in time.View LinkWarren entered todays outing with a 6.57 ERA in his previous eight starts with the bulk of his struggles coming when facing lefties, pitching out of the stretch, and facing the lineup for a third time. You worried that with five lefties in the lineup and the second best OBP (.340) in the majors, the Cubs would pose a particular threat for Warren, but he completely switched up his pitch mix today to excellent effect.Entering today, Warren threw his four-seamer 38.1-percent of the time, sinker 27.6-percent of the time, changeup 10.8-percent of the time, and curveball a measly four-percent of the time. That got turned on its head today, Warren throwing 27-percent changeups, 26-percent four-seamers, 16-percent curveballs, and just eight-percent sinkers. Most encouraging was the uptick in changeups and curveballs, those two pitches the two most platoon-neutral offerings in his arsenal and therefore seemingly the obvious solutions to his struggles against lefties. Imanaga made it two outs into the seventh with just the two runs allowed, more than qualifying for a quality start, but Warren was simply the superior pitcher on the day, departing after 6.2 scoreless innings allowing four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts on 88 pitches.Where there's a Will, there's a way. #RepBX | @warrenwilliam07pic.twitter.com/8ZhNWTKqbR New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 31, 2026The Yankees created one final scoring opportunity in the eighth, Jones and pinch-hitter Austin Wells drawing a pair of walks to open the frame. However, Caballero bunted into a force out and Paul Goldschmidt and Rice struck out to strand them in place. Blackburn stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and struck out the side, all on absolutely filthy changeups, while David Bednar navigated around a Pedro Ramrez single to lock down the save and win, 2-0, in the ninth. Paul Blackburn, K'ing the Side with Changeups. pic.twitter.com/7BhVW3xk6M Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 31, 2026Once again, the pitching carried the day for the Yankees, the offense managing just four hits. Nonetheless, its just the start the Yankees needed in the final series of the road trip. Max Fried will look to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow night against David Peterson in a battle of southpaws. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET with the broadcast moving to FOX.Box Score

The Los Angeles Rams have always opened their doors to friendly faces around the coaching community, welcoming those who teach the game at every level to witness how they operate. Since Sean McVay took command in 2017, the Rams have had one of the best records for coaching turnover, with many assistants receiving internal or external promotions.McVay himself has been credited with his constant evolution of coaching practices and how the franchise operates in totality. Thus, even his contemporaries are always looking to study McVay and the Rams to see what elements of their day-to-day operation they would like to incorporate into theirs.On Friday, former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott became the latest to take an inside look at the team that is garnering the NFL's top headlines. He is visiting the Rams on Friday, seeing how they run things during training camp.Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott is visiting today with the Los Angeles Rams. McDermott is using his off time to see how a few teams such as the Rams operate. pic.twitter.com/uWajqQuYIv Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2026McDermott coached the Bills from 2017 to 2025, getting them out of football purgatory and turning them into championship contenders behind his stout defense and the skills of quarterback Josh Allen. Despite eight playoff trips in nine seasons, including five AFC East titles and two trips to the AFC Championship Game, the Bills let McDermott walk due to postseason shortcomings.McDermott and McVay last faced off in a shootout where the Rams outlasted a six-touchdown performance by Allen to win, 44-42. Matthew Stafford also had a whale of a performance, throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns.The Rams play the Bills this season at SoFi, with McDermott's offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, now occupying the permanent Bills head coaching role.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Former Bills coach Sean McDermott visiting Rams training camp

Durham's unbeaten start to the One-Day Cup campaign came to a shuddering halt against Yorkshire, who made it four consecutive wins in the competition to move top of Group B.Ex-England captain Ben Stokes fell cheaply as Durham struggled to 165 at York, with James Wharton and Sam Whiteman steering the home side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory.Worcestershire moved up to third in the group with victory over Middlesex, while there were also wins for Derbyshire and Hampshire.Rishi Patel scored a century as Leicestershire moved third in Group A with victory over Northamptonshire, while Kent claimed a dramatic win against Somerset and Surrey beat Gloucestershire in their day-night game to go fourth in the standings. Stokes falls cheaply as Yorks cruise to winLed admirably so far by Kasey Aldridge and boosted by the availability of superstar all-rounder Stokes, Durham have cut an impressive swathe through the first three rounds of the competition.But after winning the toss and electing to bat at York, they were cut down in brutal style to post 165 in 48.1 overs as Ben Cliff (4-38) and overseas spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2-23) dominated, the latter dismissing Stokes for 12.Yorkshire spluttered a touch early in their reply with Liam Robinson and Stokes striking to leave the hosts 5-2 in the third over.But Will Bennison (36) steadied the ship with Wharton (68 not out) before the latter chased down the total with Whiteman (52 not out) to help Yorkshire to a seven-wicket win with 54 balls to spare. Middlesex opener Josh de Caires is enjoying a fine tournament with both bat and ball having posted a career best 75 and 6-35 against Hampshire last week, and he raised his mark with the bat to 130 against Worcestershire as his previously unbeaten side posted 293-7.Unfortunately for Ben Geddes's side he was unable to add a wicket as the Rapids judged their chase to perfection.Brett D'Oliveira (50) ensured the hosts got their reply motoring, but it was Jake Libby with an unbeaten 109 and Henry Cullen (73) who combined for a 117-run partnership for the fourth wicket, leaving Worcestershire needing 70 from 57 balls.Middlesex bagged two more wickets, but could not get the pivotal one of Libby as Worcestershire went third in Group B with Yorkshire's earlier win dropping Middlesex to second spot. Essex opener Noah Thain continued his fine form with the bat in this competition by posting the second century of his campaign, but it was not enough to prevent Hampshire winning a second match to move up a place to fifth.The 21-year-old sits second in the batting charts with 325 runs behind Yorkshire's Will Luxton (335) after his 109 here as Essex scored 317 in 49 overs after electing to bat first at Chelmsford. However, Ashutosh Sharma, with 5-51, went one better to move top of the wicket-taking charts. Hampshire were in good order in reply as captain Nick Gubbins (53), Fletcha Middleton (47), Tom Prest (51) and James Fuller (58 not out) all contributed in a total of 321-7, getting home with 14 balls to spare to win by three wickets.In the other Group B match, Derbyshire posted a first win of the competition at the fourth time of asking, beating Glamorgan by 44 runs at Repton.Wicketkeeper Brooke Guest hit an unbeaten 108 and was ably supported by Caleb Jewell (84) as Derbyshire posted 315-5 in 50 overs.Zain-ul-Hassan (61) and Alex Horton (81) did their best to keep Glamorgan in the hunt but the latter's exit with 53 still needed from 28 balls removed all the wind from their sails. The last two wickets fell in the 48th over as the innings was becalmed.Foxes stay in hunt after second Patel centuryLeicestershire opener Rishi Patel has two centuries in the competition this season [Getty Images]A second hundred of the campaign for Leicestershire opener Patel ensured the Foxes kept the heat on Group A pacesetters Lancashire and Nottinghamshire, moving into third place level on points with the top two but behind on net run rate.Lancashire moved into pole position with a win over their nearest pursuers Notts Outlaws on Thursday night, but Leicestershire kept tabs with a victory over Northamptonshire that came at a canter despite the Steelbacks opting to bat after winning the toss at Wantage Road. Ricardo Vasconcelos (46) and George Bartlett (66) continued their fine form with the bat, but Northamptonshire's 246 total never looked likely to be enough and so it proved with Patel launching a blistering attack on the home bowlers, bettering his 110 against Surrey in round two with a 115 in 61 balls with 13 fours and five sixes.After the opener holed out at deep mid-wicket, Ben Mike (71 not out) and Hamza Sheikh (20 not out) brought home the win by eight wickets with 67 balls remaining providing a welcome boost to the net run rate into the bargain.Kent pulled off a brilliant run chase at Canterbury to post their second win of the campaign, running down a formidable total of 313-9 from Somerset, by two wickets with eight balls to spare.Savin Perera (75), captain Lewis Goldsworthy (87) and Joshua Thomas (60) looked to have help build a significant total for the visitors, but Kent captain Daniel Bell-Drummond (100) put the chase on track.Ekansh Singh also provided a power-packed 40 from 20 balls, while an unbeaten 35 from 26 balls from Grant Stewart kept Kent on target.Stewart hit the winning runs in company with Matt Milnes, who had earlier taken 3-53 as Kent moved from the bottom of the table to sixth spot.In the day-nighter at Bristol, Surrey beat hosts Gloucestershire by 19 runs after successfully defending a total of 311-5.Dom Sibley struck his first century of the competition with captain Rory Burns adding a 71-ball 89 as Surrey posted a solid score after being put in to bat. In reply, Graeme van Buuren hit a belligerent 85 from 79 balls, taking up the charge at 123-4 and taking it to 275-9 before falling to Ralphie Albert with 37 still needed from 19 balls with just one wicket left.Albert wrapped up the innings and the win with the wicket of Will Williams to finish with 3-48 as Surrey moved to fourth in the Group A table. Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

AUSTIN, TEXAS - APRIL 18: KJ Lacey Jr. #9 of the Texas Longhorns looks to throw a pass during the Texas Spring Football Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 18, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images for ONIT) *** KJ Lacey Jr. | Getty Images for ONITThe Texas Longhorns have high hopes and higher expectations heading into the 2026 season.Texas is clearly going all-in for the season, spending big money to add the missing pieces to the offense around returning starting quarterback Arch Manning the Longhorns added two of the top running backs in the portal, at least one starter along the offensive line, and perhaps the biggest receiving threat in the country in Cam Coleman.All of this to put the right pieces around Manning for a title run in what most presume to be his final season on the Forty Acres.Heading into the 2025 season, expectations were sky high for the signal caller heading into his first season as the starter, perhaps unfairly so. Those expectations came crashing back down after he struggled in the marquee season opener on the road against Ohio State, at home against UTEP, and again in the loss to Florida to open SEC play, two early-season kill shots to Texas chances at a third consecutive berth in the College Football Playoff.Then, at the halfway point of the season, Mannings play shifted, as well as the offensive line composition, and he looked more like the quarterback everyone expected him to be. Gallons of digital ink have already been spilled about Manning, his expectations, and how it can propel the Longhorns in 2026, but perhaps the most intriguing quarterback conversation is about who will back him up.While Manning didnt miss a start due to injury last year the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season that Texas had the same starting quarterback in every game Matthew Caldwell did have to come in for several high-leverage moments, tossing the game-winning touchdown to Emmet Mosley in overtime against Mississippi State when Manning left the game due to a concussion and also completing a pass against Florida as Texas tried to mount a late comeback.Consensus five-star quarterback Dia Bell is the heir apparent to Manning after stepping on campus last January, following a prep career that ended with the Florida product ranked as a top-20 player in the country. Bell has all of the tools that you would want from a starter in head coach Steve Sarkisians offense, an elite deep ball, great ability to read the field, and can use his feet when necessary.He is a natural passer of the football. He has a great feel for the game Sarkisian said on National Signing Day. Hes a football junkie. Hes a sport junkie. He works out. He works his tail off and so I just think his leadership, his personality, his ability, but probably most importantly, his competitive spirit, are things that were definitely very excited about.View LinkThere is, however, one thing that Bell lacks that Sarkisian clearly values from anyone taking snaps for him experience.While he enrolled early, Bell missed most of his senior season with an injury and was slowed during spring practice after he enrolled at Texas, receiving limited reps during the spring-ending open practice due to a minor ankle injury. A year ago, Texas went into the portal and Caldwell to fill in the experienced backup role behind Manning, but it seems like Sarkisian and quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee will turn to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey to take on the role in 2026 after luring the top-200 quarterback from Alabama.Lacey is no slouch in the backfield himself, passing for 9,667 yards and 122 touchdowns in his three seasons with Saraland, a run that includes three trips to the state championship, with one win.Hes a gamer, Sarkisian said about Lacy when asked about the backups following Mannings injury in 2025. He has a natural feel in the pocket and anticipating throws. He uses his legs really well. I feel like the more this guy grows within our system, hes going to really elevate his game and he continues to grow and thats what hes done.A consistent theme for Sarkisian with Lacey is that the 60, 188-pounder has earned the gamer reputation because he improves as practices move from routes on air to more game-like situations like team periods or scrimmages.It showed up during the open practice with a touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon that was well placed at the front pylon.What a Throw from KJ Lacey to Daylan McCutcheon! pic.twitter.com/MxzjD31Q56 Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) April 18, 2026Earlier in the practice, during 7-on-7 drills, Lacey found early enrollee wide receiver Jermaine Bishop up the seam for a 40-yard touchdown.The consistent comparison for Lacey is former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the Heisman Trophy winner in 2021 Milwee made it at the Peach Bowl Media Day when asked about Lacey by Burnt Orange Nation, former Texas wide receiver Parker Livingstone made it last October, and Sarkisian made it at SEC Media Days.I think he would be a dangerous guy this fall if get in the game, Sarkisian said.There was also a Caldwell-like signing with the addition of redshirt senior quarterback MJ Morris, like Caldwell a journeyman with previous stops at NC State, Maryland, and Coastal Carolina. Unlike Caldwell, who looked capable in his limited opportunities, Morris struggled during the open practice after arriving on the Forty Acres with a career 58.1-percent completion percentage and a 20-to-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The 4.8-percent interception rate is particularly concerning as it relates to the decision making by Morris over 320 career passes.For Texas in 2026, the goal is clearly titles or bust, and that rests on the skill and continued progression of Manning. But in a grueling SEC schedule in a punishing sport, a backup you can trust may be all the difference between making the CFP for the third time in four years or finding yourself on the outside looking in once again, setting up an important preseason camp battle between Lacey and Bell for the right to back up Manning.

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It wasn't the World Cup that Germany had hoped for following an early exit in the round of 32, thus stretching its drought of not reaching at least the semifinals to three tournaments.The four-time champions weren't tabbed to win it all, but there's always expectations of a deep run for this team. Things started off on the right foot with 7-1 win over debut side Curaao in their Group E opener. That followed a 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast, but then 2-1 loss to Ecuador to close group stage play set the Germans back. Then it was a loss on penalties after a 1-1 draw to Paraguay in the round of 32 that sent the Germans home. So what's next for Germany's top players after the 2026 World Cup? Havertz finished with three goals for Germany, including two in the 7-1 victory over Curaao. He scored the equalizer in the game against Paraguay, but his penalty attempt against Oscar Gill was saved. Havertz was key to Arsenal's Premier League winning campaign and scored in the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. He'll be back in action for the Gunners, who'll look to defend its league crown. Things have been rocky lately for Germany's talented attacking midfielder, who saw his first season at Liverpool fall short of lofty expectations. He scored just five goals in Premier League action amid questions on which position best suited him. At the World Cup, he finished with three assists but couldn't find the back of the net. He'll now head back to Liverpool under new manager Andoni Iraola, where Wirtz will look to get back on track for both club and country. Undav was Germany's best player at the tournament despite being used as a substitute for most of it. He finished with three goals and two assists, including bagging a brace in the win over the Ivory Coast. A well-traveled veteran at age 30, Undav returns to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, where he has been one of the team's most consistent scorers. Regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of all-time, Neuer became the oldest Germany player to feature at a major tournament, breaking the record previously held by Lothar Matthus at 40 years and 79 days. Neuer was the sole player on this squad who was part of the 2014 Germany team that won the World Cup. With four editions on his rsum and with the most World Cup games played by a goalkeeper, he'll go down as a legend of the game. Neuer retired from international duty after this summer, the second time he did so after initially saying he was done after the 2024 European Championship tournament. He continues to play for Bayern Munich, where he equally holds numerous records. He has a staggering 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League titles to his name.

When Ohio State unveiled a splashy jersey patch sponsorship with JPMorgan Chase this week, the deal was said to be worth eight figures annually for its athletic department.ESPN reported the nations largest bank is due to pay Ohio State nearly $17 million per year as part of the partnership.But the announcement did not disclose the full terms, including the compensation details and length of the agreement. Those might never be made public.Ohio State denied a public records request by The Dispatch for a copy of the agreement, noting it is structured as a deal between JPMorgan and Learfield, the sports marketing company that handles corporate sponsorships, advertising and multimedia rights for athletic departments across the country. Learfield maintains exclusive rights to sell sponsorships that include corporate patches on uniforms, ranging from jerseys to pregame warmup gear and equipment, under its multimedia rights deal with Ohio State.Ohio State amended the agreement last year to allow Learfield to solicit jersey patch sponsorships as part of its inventory in anticipation of the NCAA rule change allowing for corporate logos on uniforms. The association adopted the policy in January.As a private entity, Learfield is not subject to public records laws. Ohio State has used a similar arrangement for other major sponsorship assets. It engaged Learfield to sign Safelite as a field sponsor at Ohio Stadium in 2022. The terms were not disclosed.Sponsorship deals are a large source of revenue for the schools athletic department.The department reported $42.8 million in revenue from royalties, licensing, advertising, and sponsorships during the 2025 fiscal year, according to its financial statement provided to the NCAA. Only ticket sales ($81.7 million), contributions ($68.3 million), and media rights ($64.9 million) generated more during the period.Expanded sponsorship deals offer a potential boost for athletic departments that are dealing with rising expenses related to athlete compensation.The settlement of three antitrust cases last year allowed schools to begin directly sharing revenues with their athletes for the first time.Ohio State is due to disburse the maximum allowable amount of $21.3 million to football, men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball players during the 2026-27 academic year. The maximum amount is subject to an annual percentage increase.Jersey patch sponsorships figure to become a popular revenue source for athletic departments in the near future. Three other Big Ten schools Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin have announced deals this summer, and Notre Dame announced a deal hours after Ohio State revealed its sponsorship with JPMorgan.The Chase logo will appear on the uniforms of all of the Buckeyes 36 varsity sports beginning this fall. Its placement is on the chest or sleeves of the various jerseys in images shared by the athletic department.Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him atjkaufman@dispatch.comand follow him on@joeyrkaufman on X.This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Ohio State's reported $17M jersey patch deal with JPMorgan Chase isn't public

After a lengthy offseason full of movement with both the roster and coaching staff, fall camp has officially arrived for the Alabama football program.With only weeks remaining until the Crimson Tide open the season at home against East Carolina, Alabama still has a number of questions left to answer before the 2026 opener, some of which come at the most important positions on the field.At these same spots, there is also a mixture of returning players and newcomers competing for the starting jobs, a group which includes both high school and transfer portal additions. Here are five positions to watch for during fall camp, as well as names who could potentially emerge at each spot.QuarterbackWill it be senior Austin Mack or sophomore Keelon Russell claiming the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback job? A major talking point for Alabama during the offseason, the competition between Mack and Russell will reach a close during fall camp, with the winner starting under center for the Crimson Tide in Week 1 against East Carolina.Right TackleJackson Lloyd will start for the Crimson Tide at left tackle in Week 1, but the question still remains on the right side where Jayvin James is the likely favorite entering fall camp. The senior transferred from Mississippi State during the offseason, but will have to hold off talented fellow transfers such as Texas' Nick Brooks and Michigan's Ty Haywood in order to officially win the job. Inside LinebackerVirginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson is cemented as one of Alabama's two starting inside linebackers ahead of fall camp, and the second of those two will be decided in the coming weeks. QB Reese, a junior who made six tackles a year ago primarily in a special teams role, is the arguable favorite to win the job entering fall camp, but is joined by a number of other potential candidates such as fellow junior Cayden Jones and sophomore Luke Metz.KickerConor Talty does return as Alabama's starting kicker in 2026, but the senior does have some competition ahead of fall camp at the position as well. That comes via Marshall transfer Lorcan Quinn, a sophomore who led the Sun Belt with 21 made field goals a year ago, and it will be interesting to see which of the two emerges ahead of Week 1.PunterRemaining on special teams for the final position, Alabama also has a likely competition at punter entering fall camp. Alex Asparuhov returns for his sophomore season after serving as Alabama's backup a year ago, and will compete with North Alabama transfer Adam Watford to start Week 1. Contact/Follow us@RollTideWireon X, and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage ofAlabamanews, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: 5 positions to watch for during 2026 Alabama football fall camp

Is Sean Strickland now angling for a Khamzat Chimaev rematch?Strickland upset Chimaev to claim the middleweight title by split decision at UFC 328 in May, handing "Borz" his first-career loss. It was a close fight, where Chimaev slowed down early. He eventually caught a second wind, but it wasn't enough in the judges' eyes.Nassourdine Imavov is "100 percent confident" he's the No. 1 contender, something that Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) initially acknowledged. However, Strickland chose to go after Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in his latest tweet."Yall keep asking me when Im gonna fight again. Shoulder is getting solid, need a little longer.As to who Im fighting.. Chimeav keeps running his f*cking mouth.Want me to teach you how to cut weight so you can stop bitching for a second L?"Yall keep asking me when Im gonna fight again. Shoulder is getting solid, need a little longer. As to who Im fighting.. Chimeav keeps running his fucking mouth.Want me to teach you how to cut weight so you can stop bitching for a second L? Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2026Chimaev, who's been heavily campaigning to run things back, clapped back at Strickland."This coward started talking again, when you see me again, ask for forgiveness, you're good at that, the most important thing is don't cry like a girl next time."This coward started talking again, when you see me again, ask for forgiveness, you're good at that, the most important thing is don't cry like a girl next time Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) July 31, 2026With Strickland turning his attention away, Imavov (17-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) chimed in."Youll do what youre told. See you soon."Youll do what youre told. See you soon Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) July 31, 2026This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Rematch? Sean Strickland says Khamzat Chimaev 'keeps running his f*cking mouth'