Ever since Brent Venables became the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners in December of 2021, he's worked tirelessly to build the kind of defense in Norman that Sooner Nation can be proud of. It took time, but that vision has been realized over the last couple of seasons.Venables' defensive chops are well-known in college football circle. Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy claimed he was the best defensive play-caller in the nation back at SEC Media Days during an interview with Brooks Austin of "The Film Guy Network.""I mean the two years he's coordinated the defense at Oklahoma (2023 and 2025), they've won 10 games," Nagy said. "As the defensive coordinator, I don't want to hear any argument who the best one is. We can have the argument who the second-best one is."Nagy isn't the only one who thinks highly of Venables' defensive prowess. On3's Crain & Cone ranked the top defenses in college football for 2026, and they placed the Sooners right at the very top of the list.NEW: Top 10 College Football defenses entering the 2026 season(via @crainandcone) https://t.co/mh8WueVT5cpic.twitter.com/KAXADC782J On3 (@On3) July 30, 2026Of course, Venables is only part of the recipe. He's got a great staff around him on the defensive side of the ball, and there are some truly terrifying players that the Sooners will trot out this fall. Jayden Jackson, David Stone, and Taylor Wein are all back on the defensive line, which has become the strength for the Sooners over the past two seasons. With Jackson and Stone bullying offenses on the interior, Wein will look to get after the passer off the edge.Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke are veterans at the linebacker position, and they'll form the starting inside linebacker duo for Venables this year. They are the engines that make everything happen, and they know the system inside and out.Courtland Guillory, Eli Bowen, and Peyton Bowen highlight the defensive backfield, which has a strong mix of youth and experience. Guillory and Eli Bowen are the starting cornerback duo, while Peyton Bowen is the new leader of the safety room. OU's secondary has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years.At the end of the day however, it's Venables' show. He's the mad scientist putting it all together. It's his scheme, his system, his defense, and he's going to be calling the shots again in 2026. That bodes well for the Sooners this fall. It's obvious that a remarkable turnaround has occurred on defense in Norman. For many years before Venables came back, the Sooner defense would have never appeared on lists like these, much less topped them. Now, Venables has righted that ship, and Sooner Nation hopes he's started to stack great defenses on top of each other."When Brent gets up in front of our team, man," Nagy said. "You talk about owning a room and commanding a room, he's got a gift. He's got a gift."Contact/Follow us@SoonersWireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where does Oklahoma land on On3's list of top 10 defenses?

Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesLast week, Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham kicked open the door to a very public discussion around transgender athlete participation in womens sports.Its a conversation that has been happening in earnest across league social media, t-shirt slogans, and promotions. However, after Cunningham voiced a desire to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldnt have to go against biological men,it was now an issue that the WNBA needed to face head-on, whether it wanted to or not.Conservative media and provocateurs have seized the opportunity to highlight not only Cunninghams comments but also all the reactions (or non-reactions) to them. That includes an incident during the Fevers game against the Seattle Storm on July 28, in which a co-owner of the Storm approached two girls with signs supporting Cunningham and allegedly called them f*cking insane.While Cunningham hasreceived pushback from others, includingher podcast co-host, WNBA players and coaches reactions had mostly been limited to well-timed t-shirts. That is, until Fridays press conferences before the Fevers game against the Portland Fire.Both Fever coach Stephanie White and Fire coach Alex Sarama were asked for their thoughts on the situation ahead of Friday nights game.I wouldnt say Im educated enough from a scientific standpoint, but I dont ever believe that exclusion is an answer, said White. I just dont. I do think, when we think about various levels of sport, various governing bodies of sport and things that go into that, as I said, Im not educated enough at the different levels. I know growing up that I played with the boys all the time. There werent girls sports back then.White was then asked if she would welcome abiological maleinto the WNBA.I dont know, when we talk about biological males scientifically where we are, I think its a totally different scenario, White added. As I said, Im not educated enough in transgender and transitioning to give you a smart answer. I would say, though, that I just dont think that exclusion is an answer, and I think that we need to have deeper, more layered conversations.Fever Head Coach Stephanie White addressing her personal stance on transgender people playing girls and womens sports: pic.twitter.com/xqe9z6bJBp Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) August 1, 2026Sarama offered similar thoughts, sharing her support for the transgender community.I think as this great league grows, it attracts fans from all walks of life, Sarama said. But when I think about Portland and what it means to live here, its inclusivity, its respect, and thats why Im so proud to be here. So, I just think thats whats most important tonight and for our fans. I want them to come and be comfortable and be safe like normal.I know what it means to be here and to live in Portland, and Im so proud of all the values and what it means to be part of a community where these values are important, and it matters.[The transgender community] have full support, and theyre a very important part of what the values of the Portland Fire are at the end of the day. And thats why I said I want to make sure that all the fans who are coming here tonight just making sure our fan base feel comfortable and supported when they come here to the Fire Pit.Fire head coach Alex Sarama spoke pregame tonight about the recent wave of attention on Sophie Cunningham and the rallies outside of Fever road games.(FWIW, I have no clue who the guy was that asked the last two questions. Never seen him before and he left immediately.) pic.twitter.com/8KPqE0Hjmm Sean Highkin (@highkin) August 1, 2026Sarama was also asked if hed be okay with biological males playing in the WNBA, replying, I think Ive given my answer already on that question. I dont feel like I need to go deeper there.White and Saramas answers appear to align with the WNBAs values. A sizable percentage of players are LGBTQ+, and the league has long championed inclusion and diversity. And while Cunningham might be the loudest person in the room, it stands to reason that shes outnumbered on this debate within league circles.However, if the WNBA wants to counteract whats coming for them right now, vagueness and feigning a lack of education on the topic wont cut it much longer. Support without being able to refute the strawman arguments and logic pretzels often presented by right-wing journalists doesnt do much in the long run.Its clear that certain media types smell blood in the water and are sinking their teeth into this story. Platitudes and a desperate hope that the spotlight shifts arent going to suffice in the face of that scrutiny.The WNBA had a debilitating lack of leadership, and its situations like this where it becomes most apparant. If the league as a whole doesnt align with Cunninghams view of things, leaving its coaches and players to the wolves without creating a thoughtful plan or campaign seems destined to fail.The post Indiana Fever, Portland Fire coaches call for inclusivity amid Sophie Cunninghams transgender concerns appeared first on Awful Announcing.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) Chiefs wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Cyrus Allen left training camp with injuries on Saturday, depleting a position group that was disappointing last season and that Kansas City needs to be significantly improved this season.The Chiefs said after the workout that Worthy had left early because of a shoulder injury. The third-year pro missed time last season with another shoulder injury he sustained when he collided with tight end Travis Kelce in the season opener against the Chargers.Worthy returned to play in 13 more games and catch 42 passes for 532 yards and a touchdown.Allen, a fifth-round draft pick, had turned heads early in camp and drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff. He collided with Kaiir Elam during a special teams drill and remained on the turf until a cart came and took him from the practice field.The exact nature and severity of his injury was not immediately available.I hate to see somebody get hurt, especially on a special teams drill, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. Hes really doing well on offense and hes doing well for me, too. Hes at gunner and returner and hes doing a real good job, putting himself in a good position to be a guy thats going to help us this year.One of the big reasons that the Kansas City offense struggled amid a frustrating 6-11 finish last season was the wide receivers, who were unable to provide Patrick Mahomes much help. Rashee Rice was their leader at the position, but he only played in eight games because of injuries and suspension, catching 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns.Marquise Brown, their No. 2 wide receiver a year ago, signed with the Eagles in free agency.The Chiefs are off Sunday before they resume Monday with their first padded practice of training camp.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

American golfer Yealimi Noh is on the verge of her first major, heading into the weekend with the sole lead at the AIG Womens Open, held at the historic Royal Lytham & St Annes.Noh set the tone early by firing an impressive 67 in the opening round and followed it up with a 70 in the second round to continue her pursuit of the top of the leaderboard.In the third round, Noh carded five birdies en route to a solid two-under 69, extending her lead to three shots at seven-under-par as the championship heads into its final day.World No. 1 Nelly Korda, meanwhile, continues to face challenges at Royal Lytham & St Annes.Despite posting five birdies in her third round, Korda was undone by three bogeys and two costly double bogeys, ultimately finishing with an overall score of 73. She now sits at one-over-par heading into the final round, needing a significant turnaround to contend for the title.More: PGA Tour suspends Trey Mullinax for anti-doping violationAIG Women's Open leaderboard Leaderboard after Round 3: 1: Yealimi Noh -7T2: Esther Henseleit -4T2: Lucy Li -4T2: Jeeno Thitikul -4T2: Shiho Kuwaki -4T2: Haeran Ryu -47: Lottie Woad -3T8: Ayaka Furue -2T8: Minami Katsu -2T8: Charley Hull -2T8: Chanettee Wannasaen -2T12: Lydia Ko -1T12: Soo Bin Joo -1This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 AIG Women's Open: American Yealimi Noh on verge of first major win

CHICAGO - Weeks and weeks ago, the Yankees had moved on from Camilo Doval as a high-leverage relief option. By Saturday afternoon, they had moved him out of the picture entirely.A year after Doval's trade deadline acquisition, the Yankees shipped the talented but erratic hard-throwing right-hander to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for prospects. ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report the agreement, as the Yankees cleared a bullpen spot on their active 26-man roster. Yovanny Cruz could be recalled by the Yankees, scheduled to play the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday night. Doval, 29, failed to gain any traction in parts of two years with the Yankees, who got him in a trade from the Giants - one year and one day ago - and sent four minor leaguers to San Francisco. In 44 games this year, Doval posted a 4.54 ERA with six home runs allowed in 39.2 innings. Over his 66 total games as a Yankee, Doval posted a below league average 91 ERA-plus. Doval was torched by left-handed hitters, who posted a .999 OPS against him this season, and he was clearly not in the Yankees plans going forward in 2026.A 2023 All-Star with the Giants, when he led the NL with 39 saves, Doval is eligible for free agency after the 2027 season. He's owed roughly a little over $2 million of his $6.1 million contract for 2026.This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees ship Camilo Doval to Pittsburgh