New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) reacts after a game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in New Orleans. | Tyler Kaufman, Associated Press Taysom Hill may be done playing football for New Orleans, but his on-the-field performance and his off-the-field persona have earned him Sainthood among the Who Dats for years to come. Hes the guy that a lot of our guys can look to as an example of growing in the NFL and finding roles and finding opportunities, said Saints coach Kellen Moore after Hill announced his nine-year run in New Orleans was over. Everyone, for the last few years, has been chasing to find the next Taysom. But there really is just one Taysom. That one Taysom was going to be Jim Harbaughs Swiss army knife quarterback at Stanford prior to Hills two-year church mission to Sydney, Australia. When the 49ers lured Harbaugh away, Hill redirected his post-mission plans to Provo.BYU figured it had someone special, but it wasnt until Sept. 7, 2013, that the Cougars knew for sure. Facing No. 15 Texas and following a two-hour weather delay, Hill produced one of the single greatest performances in program history. BYU quarterback Taysom Hill (4) runs away from Texas linebacker Steve Edmond (33) Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at LaVell Edwards stadium. BYU won 40-21. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News ESPN had the national broadcast. Blaine Fowler and I called BYUtvs version. Trailing 7-3 with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter and on third-and-two, Hill faked a handoff to Jamaal Williams and ran around the left side of the line.Three Longhorn defenders each had a shot at him, but the 6-foot-2, 221-pound Ford truck with a Ferrari engine shifted into a different gear.There he goes! was all I could muster on the mic. The 60,000-plus soggy fans took the call from there and screamed in delight for all 68 yards of Hills touchdown run. Midway through the second quarter, Hill scrambled up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown to give BYU a 17-14 lead.Early in the third quarter, on third-and-10, Hill grabbed the shotgun snap and took off again for a 26-yard touchdown. His momentum turned him around and Hill back-stepped his way across the goal line like he was back home in Pocatello, Idaho, battling his buddies on the side yard.Hill averaged 15.2 yards per carry and totaled enough yards (259) to prompt Texas coach Mack Brown to fire his defensive coordinator after the game. Burying the Longhorns 41-20 was enough to put Hill on the NFLs radar. Doing it again 364 days later earned him a job.There was no way the Texas defense, and their new defensive coordinator, was going to let Hill run over them again when BYU and Texas staged a rematch on Sept. 6, 2014, in Austin.They were mistaken.The Texas heat was stifling, but Hill ran cool. Even after his electrifying 66-yard touchdown run was called back in the first quarter, he just kept coming. With Fox broadcasting the game, Blaine and I were relegated to the sideline for BYUtvs pre- and post-game coverage. We watched BYU drive into scoring position early in the third quarter, but there was no indication that Hills signature moment was about to unfold in front of us.Then it happened.Leading 6-0 on second-and-eight at the 30, Hill dropped back to pass. The Longhorns brought pressure, so he stepped up in the pocket and then took off. The television announcer did his best to keep up with him. BYU quarterback Taysom Hill leaps over Texas defenders during game Sept. 6, 2014. Hill scored on a 30-yard touchdown. | Jon Hardy, BYU Hill steps out of pressure, has a seam for a first down and more hurdles his way highlight reel! Touchdown!Hills iconic leap over the diving Texas defender was around the 8-yard line and about 10 yards away from us. As he scored the first of his three touchdowns in a 41-7 BYU victory, Blaine and I looked at each other and marveled with all the Longhorns fans Wow!The only mistake bigger than the Texas game plan when it came to containing Hill was the Green Bay Packers cutting him as a free agent signee before the 2017 season. Their loss was New Orleans gain. Head coach Sean Payton was fully aware of what Hill was capable of and he scooped him up.In 124 games with the Saints, Hill amassed 2,426 passing yards, 2,511 rushing yards, 1,034 receiving yards and 46 total touchdowns. He also had 20 kickoff returns and a punt return, and when he was playing defense on special teams, Hill collected 22 tackles and a blocked punt. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton greets quarterback Taysom Hill (7) before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. | Butch Dill, Associated Press Hill remains the only player in the Super Bowl era to have at least 1,000 yards passing, receiving and rushing. He is also the only player since 1957 and one of five overall with at least 10 touchdown passes, receptions and runs and if he keeps playing, hell keep scoring.If there isnt room for him in the current Pro Football Hall of Fame, they should build an additional wing, tweak the requirements and offer occupancy for the first returned missionary to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Hill has earned it by changing the game like no other, even while battling through several major injuries.When we needed more, he gave us everything because thats what it means to be a Saint in New Orleans, former Saints quarterback Drew Brees said during a tribute video for Hill released this week by New Orleans. We adapt. We endure. No shortcuts. No excuses. All heart and soul. Forever a Saint. Forever a legend.Mr. Football. Narrated by @drewbreespic.twitter.com/11Uoq8U4mC New Orleans Saints (@Saints) July 29, 2026What happens next is up to Hill. He turns 36 in August but still has the tools, and there are enough contenders with plenty of creativity to suit his skill set. Hills former coach, Sean Payton, is now in Denver. Fellow Cougar Andy Reid is in Kansas City. Sean McVay, another offensive guru, is in Los Angeles with Puka Nacua. Seems like Hill could fit nicely with any of them.The next few weeks will be interesting for an athlete good enough to keep playing and smart enough to know when he has played enough. In simpler terms, does he want to finish more drives in the end zone or crush more drives with his driver at Riverside Country Club? Both seem like pretty good options but one doesnt involve getting tackled.Hill isnt perfect. He never professed to be, but because of his effort, hell forever be a Saint in New Orleans, and thanks to Texas, he will remain on the highlight reel at BYU no matter what he chooses to do next. New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) leaves the field after a game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in New Orleans. | Ella Hall, Associated Press Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts Ys Guys at ysguys.com and is the author of the childrens book C is for Cougar, available at deseretbook.com.

Photo by Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGood news: Joan Laportas is back in action after a few days rest following a medical procedure.The FC Barcelona club president had to undergo surgery to fix a cardiac arrhythmia that is, an irregular heartbeat on Tuesday. Doctors used a defibrillation procedure, essentially using controlled electrical impulses to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm.Afterwards, he had to take a few days off to recover. On Friday, hes been officially cleared to return to work.Laporta celebrated on Instagram: Ive been discharged! Heading home!The president thanked the Hospital de Barcelona, including the Emergency, ICU, Laboratory, Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Radiology, and Endoscopy departments and several specific doctors by name.He also took a second to highlight the sponsorship agreement between the club and Assistncia Sanitria, a medical insurance company, which guarantees medical care for all Barcelona players.Laporta missed a board meeting and the trip to St. Georges Park in Staffordshire, England, where Barcelona did preseason work ahead of a match against Birmingham City. Laporta caught that game on TV.

BELGRADE, SERBIA - JULY 31: (L-R) Opponents Uros Medic of Serbia and Daniel Rodriguez face off during the UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-in at Belgrade Arena on July 31, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)MMA Fighting has UFC Belgrade results for the Uros Medic vs. Daniel Rodriguez fight, a live blog for the main event, and more from Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday afternoon.In the main event, No. 15-ranked welterweight Uros Medic looks to continue his climb up the charts as he takes on veteran Daniel Rodriguez. Medic has rattled off three straight knockout wins, all in the first round, and takes on the returning Rodrigue, who is eager to get back on track following an eight-month stint in a Mexican prison.Former UFC champion Jan Blachowicz and Navajo Stirling square off in a light heavyweight contest in the co-main event.Check out UFC Belgrade results below.Main Card (Paramount+, 1 p.m. ET)Uros Medic vs. Daniel RodriguezJan Blachowicz vs. Navajo StirlingAleksandar Rakic vs. Marcin TyburaDusko Todorovic vs. Robert ValentinVlasto Cepo vs. Gilbert UrbinaMilos Janicic vs. Noah GugnonPreliminary Card (Paramount+, 10 a.m. ET)Ludovit Klein vs. Tofiq MusayevOban Elliott vs. Michael OliveiraMark Vologdin vs. Borislav NikolicBogdan Grad vs. Dennis BuzukjaMateusz Rebecki vs. Kyle PrepolecNina Milosevic vs. Hailey CowanJovan Leka vs. Alexander PoppeckMarina Spasic vs. Stephanie Luciano

Fernando Mendoza eventually taking over as the Raiders' starting quarterback seems inevitable, so much so that the only question is a matter of when it occurs. Kirk Cousins doesn't appear to be in any terrible hurry to hand the position to him, exhibiting the emotions and precision of someone ready to secure the spot entering Las Vegas' season. "I think in this league, its kind of one day at a time," Cousins said. "Youre only as good as your last throw, your last practice. You try to every day go out and earn that opportunity and never take anything for granted." Coach Klint Kubiak made national news on the eve of training camp that Cousins would be the starter when practices began, but he was stating the obvious. Cousins ran the first-team offense in organized team activities and minicamp and there was no indication that would change entering camp. Kubiak also made it clear at the time that he expected Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell to push Cousins, noting Friday he thought that position was off to a good start this camp. "Any time they complete a ball better than (Cousins) does or get it out faster than he does, then he should get pissed and want to do it better," Kubiak said. "Thats the goal, and I think theyve done that in these first three practices. Every guy is doing something good every day, and it makes the other guy want to stay after practice a little bit longer to work on that throw that they missed." Cousins doesn't hold back much emotionally on the field, though none of that has been directed at Mendoza or O'Connell. He has punched his fist in the air after throwing a touchdown pass and gotten into some verbal back and forth with the defense. "I think Ive always kind of been pretty spirited and competitive in practice and kind of have a little inner fire," Cousins said. "Sometimes I can be relatively calm, but if you rattled the cage, then maybe youll see a little different guy. Sometimes its good then to get my cage rattled because it brings out the best in me." The Raiders brought in Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler entering his 15th season, to be a bridge rather than hand the offense directly to a rookie. Cousins is playing for a guaranteed $20 million, though his former club, Atlanta, is responsible for $8.7 million of that. Las Vegas drafted Mendoza first overall after he won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to a highly unlikely national championship. The hope is he will help deliver the Raiders, who haven't won a playoff game in more than two decades, back to contention. For his part, Mendoza is still adjusting to NFL life, learning to take snaps under center and the footwork adjustments that come with that. He struggled during much of OTAs and minicamp, his passes often nowhere close to on target. That wasn't the case so far in training camp. Mendoza was not only on point, he completed some tight-window passes. "I love the mindset that he has," Kubiak said. "Thats what all of our players should have. Nobody has arrived, especially a rookie quarterback." Mendoza would not argue, saying sometimes a play he feels good about on the practice field looks a lot different when reviewing the video, that he's had to get used to the fact the margins are a lot smaller than in college. "When it was rookie minicamp and OTAs, it happens very quick," Mendoza said. "However, now in training camp, I truly feel like a member of the team rather than a new rookie on the scene." That was evident on Thursday in just his second camp practice during a seven-on-seven drill. Before the snap, Mendoza signaled to ninth-year wide receiver Phillip Dorsett II to move to his left. Dorsett indeed moved over and then Mendoza hit him in stride with the throw. When asked later about taking such command of the offense, Mendoza deflected the praise. "Theres a lot of times that the offensive line would correct me," Mendoza said. "The running backs, tight ends, receivers, they would help put me in place. Its that relationship that we have, that dynamic relationship where we can hold each other accountable." That kind of answer likely sits well in the locker room. Rather than expecting to be handed the job as the top draft pick, Mendoza has shown he is willing to work for it. "Every day, hes trying to get better," fourth-year wide receiver Tre Tucker said. "Im watching him in meetings and hes listening, taking the corrections. Those are the type of things that you want to see from a guy like him, and he has a very bright future." Reporting by the Associated Press.

Mike Boynton Jr. is going outside the college ranks to fill another position on his inaugural coaching staff at Michigan.The Wolverines are set to hire Dylan Murphy, who most recently was head coach of the NBA G Leagues Osceola Magic, as an assistant coach.Elfus Sports Management, which represents Murphy, shared the news on social media Friday night.Murphy has spent the past eight years as a member of the NBAs Orlando Magic organization and the last three as head coach of Orlandos affiliate club. He guided the Osceola Magic to first-place finishes in the Eastern Conference each season and to the G League Finals in 2025.Prior to that, he was an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic for three seasons (2020-23) and served as the teams basketball operations analyst from 2018-20.Murphy, though, has a unique basketball background and took an unconventional path into the profession. After graduating from Columbia with a bachelors degree in classics in 2012, he got his start when he turned his basketball blogging into an assistant role with the G Leagues Fort Wayne Mad Ants.After spending three years as an assistant coach with the Mad Ants (2013-16), he spent one season (2016-17) as a G League scout in the Atlanta Hawks' organization. His only experience in college basketball came as a graduate assistant at Ball State (2017-18).I feel very confident that we're going to be able to put together some really good experience from a wide variety of backgrounds that can bring different things to the table, Boynton said this week of his staff.One of the beauties of being able to sit next to (former head coach) Dusty (May) and listen to how a beautiful mind of basketball thinks is that not being afraid to try things that may be a little bit nontraditional can lead you to some really cool places.Murphy certainly checks that box, as he rounds out Boyntons fifth and final assistant coaching position. Boynton retained Akeem Miskdeen and Kyle Church, promoted KT Harrell from director of basketball operations, and hired former longtime Brown head coach Mike Martin.jhawkins@detroitnews.com@jamesbhawkinsThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan basketball to add NBA G League head coach to staff

The Lobos fall camp schedule is out.New Mexico released dates and times for 13 practices over the next month, starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the practice fields adjacent to the Tow Diehm Athletic Facility.Practices are open to the public at no charge. UNM is asking fans in attendance to not film practice and to sit in the stands when a session is in University Stadium.The full schedule, with dates and times:*Aug. 5: 9 to 11:30 a.m.*Aug. 6: 12 to 2:30 p.m.*Aug. 7: 3 to 5:30 p.m.*Aug. 9: 2:15 to 4:45 p.m.*Aug. 10: 4:45 to 7:15 p.m.*Aug. 11: 7:15 to 9:45 p.m.*Aug. 13: 9 to 11:30 a.m.*Aug. 14: 9 to 11:30 a.m.*Aug. 15: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.*Aug. 17: 3:05 to 5:05 p.m.*Aug. 18: 3 to 5:15 p.m.*Aug. 19: 3 to 5:15 p.m.*Aug. 20: 3 to 5:15 p.m.Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.

Just two days after the start of fall camp, one of New Mexico States key assistants is no longer with the program.NMSU assistant head coach, general manager and running backs coach David Cobb was fired after a university review, a program spokesperson told the Journal on Friday.Cobb, 33, had served in a variety of roles on NMSUs staff since 2023. Considered one of the Aggies most valuable staffers, he was promoted to assistant head coach and general manager in January 2025.It is unclear why the university fired Cobb.Before the start of football camp, David Cobb was placed on administrative leave, an NMSU spokesman said in a statement to the Journal. Following the universitys review process, coach Cobb was separated from the program and the university.Our athletics department remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, compliance and professionalism. Out of respect for the process and university policy, we will have no further comment regarding this matter.Cobb did not immediately respond to the Journals request for comment. News of his termination was first published early Friday on Aggregator, an NMSU-centric Substack published by James Baca.Cobb was not at NMSUs practice Friday, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. Speaking with media members afterward, NMSU head coach Tony Sanchez said the program was working through who might coach the Aggies running backs following Cobbs firing.Well have something to announce next week, he said. Obviously the administration is dealing with stuff, so I cant really comment on that right now But yeah, weve got that taken care of, and well announce that early next week.Cobb joined NMSUs staff in 2023 as the programs director of scouting and NFL liaison under former head coach Jerry Kill. After Kill was replaced by Sanchez, Cobb was promoted to running backs coach and oversaw a room with a pair of All-Conference USA honorees in Seth McGowan and Mike Washington.Cobb maintained his on-field coaching duties when he was promoted to assistant head coach and general manager entering the 2025 season. As the programs GM, he helped manage the Aggies recruiting efforts, player contracts and NIL payments.Before joining NMSU, Cobb served as a scout for the Carolina Panthers and a scouting intern for the Tennessee Titans, the team that drafted him as a fifth-round pick in 2015.Cobb spent three years in the NFL after a successful playing career at Minnesota. The former All-Big Ten running back notably ran for 1,626 yards as a senior, setting a new program record for rushing yards in a single season.Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.

The New Mexico Goatheads have added some international experience to their roster.The Colorado Avalanches ECHL affiliate announced the signings of forward Artem Pugachev on Tuesday and defenseman Derek Daschke on Thursday for the 2026-27 season, which begins Oct. 16 at the Rio Rancho Events Center.The two are the fifth and sixth players, respectively, to join the first-year franchise.Pugachev, a 5-foot-11, 181-pound native of Moscow, spent the past four seasons playing in the All-Russian Hockey League, the countrys second tier behind the Kontinental Hockey League. This will be his first foray into North American hockey.The 25-year old appeared in 54 regular-season games for Izhstal Izhevsk in 2025-26 and recorded five goals and eight assists. During his VHL career, Pugachev has scored nine goals and tallied 16 assists in 135 games.Daschke, meanwhile, is returning to the ECHL after splitting last season between the AHLs Abbotsford Canucks, ECHLs Kalamazoo Wings and Lukko of Liiga, Finlands top professional league. Between the three, the 6-foot-2, 194-pounder finished with seven goals and five assists in 32 games.A native of Troy, Michigan, Daschkes most productive professional season came with the Utah Grizzlies in 2024-25. He recorded 17 goals and 39 assists in 65 games on his way to All-ECHL first-team honors.Over his four both full and partial ECHL seasons, Daschke has appeared in 156 games, scored 39 times and assisted on 70 goals. He played his college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth before transferring to Miami (Ohio).David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.More New Mexico Goatheads reading*Goatheads continue to get defensive1st-year ECHL franchise adds blueliners Emmett Serensits and Brandon Chabrier*Goatheads add another forward to rosterLynden Breen is the 3rd player signed by the 1st-year ECHL franchise*Goatheads focus on defense with 2nd signingTrevor Zins joins Avalanche's ECHL affiliate for inaugural season*Goatheads bring former ECHL standout on staff3-time Kelly Cup winner Matt Register joins Avalanche's minor-league affiliate*Goatheads sign 1st player to inaugural rosterAvalanche's minor-league affiliate brings on forward Grant Ahcan for the 2026-27 season*Goatheads new head coach brings strong roots to roleZack Stortini's former coaches, Mike Vellucci and Ryan Warsofsky, helped set the path to his own top job*New Mexico Goatheads announce home opener dateThe ECHL expansion team will bring professional hockey back to New Mexico for the first time in nearly 20 years*'Love letter to Albuquerque': Jack Justice puts on directing hat for first time with 'Goatheads'

A federal judge granted a class-wide preliminary injunction Friday requiring the NCAA to make eligible athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their four years of eligibility this spring.Issued by Judge Charlotte Sweeney in the U.S. District Court of Colorado, the order follows multiple NCAA losses in state courts after athletes challenged the application of an age-based eligibility policy the organization adopted in June.Colloquially known as the five-for-five rule, the change allows athletes five years to play five seasons starting with their full-time enrollment or the season after their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The new policy eliminates redshirts, giving athletes the chance to play the maximum number of games in any of their eligible seasons without penalty.But while the five-for-five rule has received support from coaches, the NCAA has recently been subject to legal challenges over its application of the policy. Notably, athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and exhausted their eligibility this year were not allotted fifth years, with the NCAA claiming their presence could destabilize rosters.Dozens of class of 2022 athletes have since been granted injunctive relief in state courts, allowing players such as former New Mexico forward Filip Borovicanin to return for a fifth year. Sweeneys class-wide injunction took it a step forward, opening the door for hundreds perhaps thousands of athletes to return for a fifth year across all NCAA-sanctioned sports.Plaintiffs have met their burden at every step They will suffer irreparable harm without issuance of an injunction, Sweeney wrote in a 50-page order filed Friday as part of Wisne v. NCAA. And the balance of equities, as well as the public interest, favor them. They are entitled to the injunctive relief they seek.This is far from a done deal, however: The NCAA is expected to seek an appellate review, likely through the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If Sweeneys order stands, it remains to be seen if players who signed with professional organizations after their eligibility was initially exhausted could return.At least for now, a few former Lobos might get another year.In football, defensive end Brett Karhu, safety David Murphy, kicker Luke Drzewiecki and safety Azariah Levells would all receive fifth years so long as the order survived appeals. Karhu is the only member of the group to sue the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility, filing an initial complaint and a motion for injunctive relief this month.If Karhu (7.5 sacks last season) were to return, he would provide an immediate boost to a Lobo defensive line in need of proven production off the edge. The complaint on his behalf noted that he would have a roster spot and a scholarship to play at UNM this season if he were eligible.Speaking at Mountain West media days earlier this month, UNM head coach Jason Eck said a player might be cut to accommodate Karhu's return. FBS football teams are subject to a 105-player roster cap as a stipulation of the House v. NCAA settlement, complicating the matter of where some players could return for a fifth year.Its tough because those are long shots, Eck said on July 16. We cant hold the spot for him, so that would be something where, if a guy like that all of a sudden got eligibility, we may have to cut somebody to get him. And I dont think theres a great chance.But I didnt expect James Laubstein (a UNM quarterback who received an extra year of eligibility this spring via an NCAA waiver) back either. We got him back, so never say never, you know?In December, Murphy and Levells were listed as plaintiffs in an extension of a case that previously granted Diego Pavia an extra season of eligibility; that lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in February. Drzewiecki has not been connected to any legal efforts for a fifth year of eligibility.In mens basketball, former Lobo guard Donovan Dent also stands to receive a fifth year via Sweeneys order. After announcing that he would not pursue any professional opportunities in May, the former Mountain West Player of the Year was expected to be listed as a party in a lawsuit challenging the application of the five-for-five rule.Dent plans to enter the transfer portal with a do not contact tag, On3s Joe Tipton reported Friday night.Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.

Detroit With big names atop the leaderboard at the Rocket Classic, the galleries, already impressive through two rounds, are expected to swell on the weekend at Detroit Golf Club.But the field, at the halfway point, has now shrunk.The cut line came in at 3 under par after Friday's round, with 73 players at that number or better. The rest of the 146-player field is heading home after finishing 2 under or worse after two rounds. The field started at 147, but Patrick Rodgers withdrew after an opening-round 77.Among the big names who missed the cut was Wyndham Clark, the No. 9 player in the Official World Golf Ranking who won his second U.S. Open last month at Shinnecock Hills in New York.Clark got off to a good start this week, shooting 2 under through his first nine holes Thursday, but it was a struggle the rest of the way. He finished 5 over after a second-round 74 that included a double-bogey at the par-5 14th hole. It's Clark's second straight missed cut (British Open), after a scorching stretch in which he had a six-tournament stretch during which he won twice (Byron Nelson, U.S. Open), and didn't have a finish worse than a tie for 13th.The week started strong off the course, too, for Clark, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday's Tigers game, and threw a perfect strike with some velocity.Clark has become a bit of an adopted Michiganian, now that he is dating Metro Detroit native Emily Tanner, an Instagram model, social-media influencer and Michigan State alum. Tanner was in the gallery at the Rocket Classic, with her friends and family. The two now live out west, Tanner in L.A. and Clark in Scottsdale, but they spent the July 4 holiday in Michigan seeing a whole lot of lakes, and they were excited to return to Detroit this week. The stay, at least at DGC, was short, as it was for several other notables in the Rocket field.Chris Gotterup, world No. 7, who has won three times this season, also was heading home after finishing 1 over. He followed a 68 with a 73.Ben Griffin, world No. 19, finished just outside the cut at 2 under after a second-round 70 in which he made nine pars on his second nine. Griffin hit all nine greens in regulation on his second nine, but couldn't convert. He missed a 35-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 ninth, when a birdie would've kept him around for the weekend.Also narrowly missing the cut at 2 under was Jake Knapp, who finished tied for fourth last year, and amateur William Jennings, the University of Alabama golfer who earned a sponsor's exemption into the field by winning the Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes in Grand Haven last fall.Akshay Bhatia, who was runner-up to Cam Davis in 2024, missed the cut at 1 under, while Davis, who also won the Rocket in 2021, missed the cut at 3 over. Last year's Rocket champion, Aldrich Potgieter, also finished 3 over. Lucas Glover is out at 4 over, a week after Spikesgate. The two local players in the field, Ann Arbor's Patrick Wilkes-Krier and Detroit's Joe Hooks, finished 7 over and 8 over, respectively.And the two YouTube golf stars in the field are out, too. Ryan Ruffels of "The Lads" shot even par, and Brad Dalke, making his first PGA Tour start as a pro, finished 16 over, dead last in the field. Both were given sponsor's exemptions.tpaul@detroitnews.com@tonypaul1984This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: U.S. Open champ (and Emily Tanner's boyfriend) misses cut at Rocket