Bryant Wesco Jr. spent months waiting to do the things that once felt routine.Run routes. Make cuts. Compete against Clemsonfootballs defensive backs. Even take a hit.Now, after a frightening injury ended his 2025 season, the Clemson receiver is finally back on the field and preparing for another year.It feels great, Wesco said. Im just so happy to get back out here, go up against the defense and, even more than anything, just be able to run routes again.There is even one part of football Wesco never expected to miss.I never knew how much I missed getting hit until I wasnt getting hit anymore, Wesco said.Wesco suffered a severe spinal contusion during Clemsons October loss to SMU after taking a low hit and landing awkwardly. He initially got back to his feet, but the injury ultimately ended his sophomore season.It was heartbreaking, seeing where we were and the season we were having, Wesco said. Finding out that youre not going to be able to play six or seven more games in general was just heartbreaking in itself.I was just sad that I wasnt going to be able to play again.The injury stopped what had been a huge year for the former five-star recruit. Wesco had 31 receptions for 537 yards and six touchdowns through Clemsons first six games and had emerged as one of the ACCs top receiving threats.More importantly, it created uncertainty about his football future.Wesco said a doctor asked whether he still wanted to play after the injury. Walking away crossed his mind briefly, but his answer didnt change.It was a thought, Wesco said. Not much thought behind it, but just a doctor asking if thats something I wanted to do. I was like, No, I want to keep playing football. So thats just what I pursued.Wesco underwent surgery in November and began a lengthy recovery. His workload slowly increased over the following months before doctors eventually cleared him to return.I just had to approach it day by day, knowing that each day is going to get closer to the day I want to get to, Wesco said. Itll pass eventually. Thats how I handle everything. Itll pass eventually.Wesco couldnt fully participate during Clemsons spring practices, forcing him to contribute differently.Known as one of the quieter players on the roster, he made an effort to become more vocal and help younger teammates while he waited for his opportunity to return.I knew that deep down I had another role to fill, Wesco said. I had to become a verbal leader, even though thats not really me. Especially this spring, I took it upon myself thats where Im going to step up this year just be more verbal and help the younger guys.Once Wesco was able to resume more extensive receiver work, he focused on regaining the quickness and explosiveness that made him so dangerous during his first two seasons.It felt like it was all coming back, he said. I had to get my twitches back.Now hes back with Clemson for fall camp and isnt concerned about taking contact again.I feel like Im ready for it now, Wesco said. The injury itself isnt something that could reoccur just by anything. Its kind of a freak-accident type of thing. Its not really anything that Im too worried about happening again.His return gives new offensive coordinator Chad Morris one of Clemsons most proven weapons.Through 19 career games, Wesco has 72 receptions for 1,245 yards and 11 touchdowns. He reached 1,000 receiving yards in his 15th game, joining Sammy Watkins, Artavis Scott and Justyn Ross among the fastest Clemson players to reach the mark.Former Clemson cornerback signs free agent deal with new NFL team Bob Donnan, Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports https://t.co/kmfYnXYdVmpic.twitter.com/O8J3V6yO23 Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) August 10, 2026Wesco believes Morris will find plenty of ways to get the ball into the hands of Clemsons top playmakers.Hell get the ball to his playmakers any way he can, Wesco said. Just like any great offensive coordinator would. If theyve got a player, theyre going to try to get him the ball. Whether its down the field, handing it off to him or a screen, it doesnt matter.For Wesco, though, being back on the field already represents a victory.Its a blessing to get back out here and be able to play this sport again, Wesco said, because some people dont get to after that injury.Contact us at@Clemson_Wireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookfor ongoing coverage ofClemson Tigersnews, notes and opinions.This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson star receiver Bryant Wesco is ready to go after neck injury

Itd be wrong to say that the Pittsburgh Pirates collapse during the past couple of weeks is unprecedented because, lets be honest. This particular franchises losing ways are almost always precedented. It has four winning seasons since 1992.That reality doesnt make the sudden fade from MLB postseason contention any less stunning after months of building legitimate buzz.Just 15 days ago, Fangraphs gave the Pirates 47.6% odds to qualify as a likely wild-card team. The path was crowded with National League foes such as the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres all within two games in the standings for the final NL wild-card spot. But manager Don Kellys club seemed set up to play meaningful games down the stretch.Required reading MLB wild card standings: Which teams hold final playoff spots?As of Monday morning, that number has plummeted to 7.7% following four consecutive series losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets. The Pirates are now four games under .500 and 5 games back of the final playoff spot with five teams ahead of them in that race.All this despite GM Ben Cherington acting as a buyer for once at the MLB trade deadline, notably adding dominant reliever Luke Weaver in a trade with the Mets.Weaver has barely seen the mound. His only appearance since his Aug. 3 acquisition came Friday night with the Pirates trailing. He allowed a hit and a walk but kept a run from crossing in his debut, which became a 6-4 loss to his former team.Why 2012 still haunts PiratesThe slide is starting to become evocative of 2012, when fans awoke on Aug. 1 to their team sitting third in the National League overall with a 60-44 record. Then-GM Neal Huntington had just acquired reliever Chad Qualls, first baseman Gaby Sanchez and outfielder Travis Snider to make a postseason push. Spirits were high.By Aug. 15, theyd fallen to the second wild-card spot at 64-53. And by the end of the month, they were out of playoff position entirely.The swoon continued into September until manager Clint Hurdles club finished 79-83. It was Pittsburghs 20th consecutive losing season, which still stands as the longest such skid for any team in the NFL, NHL, NBA or MLB.The 2026 team didnt start from quite as high a perch it was just 54-52 before this tumble began in earnest. Still, the hope was that even that relative mediocrity would be enough in MLBs expanded postseason bracket that includes seven teams in each league.No dice. The previously dangerous offense has scored two or fewer runs in seven of the 15 games since July 26 amid injuries to key contributors Ryan OHearn, Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin. And the pitching staff gave up at least four runs in five of seven games during the past week since the deadline.Reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes will make his latest attempt to right the proverbial ship Tuesday night in Miami, but its been months since hes been a stopper consistently. The Pirates have lost 12 of his 15 starts since May 12.That will have to change if this team is going to get back into it and avoid that 2012 teams fate.Either way, the good news from history for Pirates fans is that their two decades of nightmares ended the following year. Andrew McCutchen led the team to 94 wins, a memorable wild-card victory against the Cincinnati Reds and a hard-fought NLDS loss to the Cardinals in five games.Todays club could use a similar shot in the arm. It hasnt posted a winning season since 2018 and hasnt appeared in the playoffs since 2015.Pirates playoff oddsPostseason odds per Fangraphs:Monday, July 27: 47.6%Monday, Aug. 10: 7.7%This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pirates' playoff odds are collapsing. It's bringing back memories of 2012.

Bryce Harper has benefitted from trade for Luis Arraez more than any Phillies hitter originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Luis Arraez one week ago today, on Monday, August 3. Arraez didn't arrive in Philadelphia until Tuesday, but since then, he's become beloved by the fan base and has made a big impact on the club.While there have been some mixed results in the win-loss column, there's no denying that Arraez has been a positive presence in the Phillies' lineup. But there's one player who's benefited more than any other with his addition.Matt Gelb of The Athletic highlighted how he thinks Bryce Harper "likes" having Arraez hit behind him. Based on Harper's statistics since Arraez came to the club a week ago, Harper has really turned a corner offensively.Bryce Harper might be benefiting more than any Phillies' hitter from Luis Arraez trade"I think Bryce Harper likes Arraez hitting behind him," Gelb writes. "Harper has hit .263/.517/.474 in 29 plate appearances since Arraez joined the Phillies."The MLB trade deadline was on August 3, and Arraez arrived and was in the lineup the very next day. So, the Phillies and Harper have played in six games since Arraez joined the team.As Gelb notes, Harper's slash line is in a very good spot. But, across those 29 plate appearances, the thing that stands out more than anything else is Harper's 10 walks.Walking 10 times in a six-game span is a very good pace for Harper, who came into the season expressing a desire to be more patient at the plate.MORE:Dave Dombrowski reveals why Phillies didn't trade for a righty-hitting outfielderHarper's .991 OPS in the last six games is great, but the 10 walks and .517 on-base percentage are very noteworthy. He's now able to be very patient, as he can trust Arraez to put the ball in play behind him.Whether it's a walk to advance a runner ahead of him or to get on base, Harper has been taking more walks than ever since Arraez came to Philadelphia.This 10-walk stretch with Arraez is the most Harper has walked across a six-game span this season. He's up to 78 walks this year, which is more than the 70 he had last year in 580 plate appearances compared to 505 this season.If Harper can be more patient, chase less, and rely on Arraez behind him, this Phillies offense will be in a much better spot.No hitter on this team has benefited from the Arraez addition more than Harper, as even though he's back in the outfield, his offense has taken a huge leap forward.More MLB news:Phillies receive slightly worrying 65% playoff odds projection from ESPNRed Sox get 8.2% chance to win World Series, which is more than Yankees oddsMLB experts voted Red Sox's Adley Rutschman trade as most surprising by wide marginEx-MLB GM wishes Braves had traded 22-year-old RHP prospect for Orioles' All-Star Trevor RogersBrewers toyed with idea of trading for Padres closer Mason Miller

Six top 25 rankings will be released by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee during the 2026-27 season, including final CFP field selections on Sunday, Dec. 6.

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The Chargers have added some depth on defense.Los Angeles announced on Monday that the club has signed outside linebacker Andre Carter.Carter, 26, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023 out of Army. Hes spent time with the Vikings, Raiders, Lions, Dolphins, and Commanders though hes appeared in games for just Minnesota and Las Vegas.As a corresponding move, the Chargers have waived receiver Mante Morrow.

It was long ago etched in the Red Reporter constitution that the writer of any particular article was encouraged obligated, even to cherry pick some stats to support their argument. Today, thats no different, and the Cincinnati Reds once again got to wake up with the worst offense in all of Major League Baseball on Monday morning.Their collective 90 wRC+ ranks last, ahead of (behind?) the Toronto Blue Jays (91) and Colorado Rockies (92). Similarly, they also rank dead last in OFF (Offensive Runs Above Average), a metric that combines their collective work at the plate and on the bases they check in at a robustly negative -54.9 on the season.If you cut the PA threshold for individual players at 170 for the season, youll find that the Reds have not only the worst hitter in the sport by wRC+ (KeBryan Hayes at 12), they also have the two worst hitters in the sport as TJ Friedl ranks 2nd worst at 36. Noelvi Marte checks in with a mark of 52 that earns him spot #8 on that leaderboard, meaning the Reds account for three of the eight worst hitters in the sport among that robust 332 player sample.Pair that with the poor grades that FanGraphs gives their overall team defense, and its unsurprising to find that their total 7.0 fWAR from position players is also the worst among the 30 MLB franchises so far this season. Only the lowly Rockies (7.3) rank anywhere close, while some of Cincinnatis NL Central rivals rank 1st (Chicago Cubs, 26.4), 7th (Milwaukee Brewers, 16.8), and 8th (Pittsburgh Pirates, 15.7).And if youre still one of those baseball fans who doesnt give a hoot about any of those stats, just know that their team batting average of .229 also ranks you guessed it as the lowest in the sport, too.Frankly, its a wonder that the people in charge of building this roster still get the opportunity to do it again day after day.

It's lonely at the top.According to Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt, Oregon must be pretty lonely as he has the Ducks as the No. 1 in the nation, and "it's not even close."In most preseason polls, the Ducks are in the Top 5 at the very least, and in Joel Klatt's poll, Oregon is the No. 1 team, and it's 'not even close.' Oregon is No. 2, only behind Ohio State. But Klatt, who usually talks highly of the Ducks, has Oregon as his preseason No. 1 in the land and the favorite to win the national championship.Klatt cites the overall roster in Eugene is just stronger than those around them."Guess who doesn't have any questions. It's Oregon, and it's not even close," he said in his weekly podcast. "If you're going through this evaluation and process in the preseason, there is no question about Oregon. The only question about Oregon is, can you rewrite these performances from your last two blowout losses in big games?"That is a fair question, as Oregon has been smacked around in those losses to eventual national title winners. Ohio State defeated the Ducks 41-24 in the 2025 Rose Bowl, and Indiana handed them a 56-22 shellacking in the Peach Bowl last year.Oregon does have all the ingredients to win the whole thing this time around, as the Ducks have elite talent at quarterback, running back, receivers, and virtually the entire defense. The offensive line is the most popular so-called question mark about this team, but Oregon has had a history of figuring that out as the season goes along, and there's no reason to think 2026 won't be any different.As for the rest of the Big Ten, Klatt has the Buckeyes at No. 3, Indiana at No. 5, Michigan at No. 10, USC at No. 12, Washington at No. 20 and Iowa at No. 22. The Ducks play all those teams, except for the Hoosiers.Contact/Follow@Ducks_Wireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of OregonDucksnews, notes, and opinions.This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Joel Klatt: Oregon Ducks No. 1 team, and it's 'not even close'

The Michigan State football 2026 campaign is quickly coming up on us, and fall camp is fully underway, as the Spartans have now gotten several practices under their belt to get acquainted with new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. However, it's not a completely new coaching staff in East Lansing, as the Spartans managed to hold onto some key personnel, such as defensive coordinator Joe Rossi.Rossi is sharing defensive coordinator responsibilities with Max Bullough, but this year, won't have to also coach a position group, while Bullough handles the linebackers. On Monday, Rossi talked to the media about the team, his role, and players that are starting to stand out. You can see a few key takeaways from that session below:According to Rossi, cornerback Charles Brantley told him that EDGE Kenny Soares Jr. is 'the most competitive' player he's ever been around. Soares was voted by MSU's players to wear the No. 1 jersey this season. Rossi also said that there are times the coaching staff has to pull Soares back (something they want).Rossi noted that it's different for him to work with Pat Fitzgerald, as he hasn't worked with a defensive-focused head coach since his Division III coaching days, so Fitzgerald gets where things are coming from on his side.Said that Brady Pretzlaff 'hasn't missed a beat' since being injured.He listed off several players he feels have 'high football IQ'. Those players were:Nikai MartinezJordan HallChuck BrantleyBen RobertsDevin VaughtMichael RichardBrady PretzlaffSaid that Anelu Lafaele is having a great camp rushing the passer.Said he expects Chuck Brantley to have his best season this year.Contact/Follow us@The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebookto follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State DC Joe Rossi speaks to media amidst fall camp opening

Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23) celebrates a touchdown he ran back from an interception during a game vs. the California Polytechnic State University Mustangs held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Do BYU and Utah both have a top 10 defensive secondary this season?One news outlet thinks so.Both the Utes and Cougars appeared on CBS Sports Blake Brockmeyers list of the top 10 defensive secondaries in the country, with Utah coming in at No. 7 and BYU at No. 10.Those are the only two Big 12 programs on the list dominated by four SEC schools and also includes two from the Big Ten, another from the ACC, and independent Notre Dame coming in at No. 1.Its not a huge surprise to see Utah among a top 10 defensive secondary group the Utes have been one of the countrys better programs at developing defensive secondary talent in the past decade-plus.Currently, there are seven former Utah players who played cornerback or safety on an NFL roster.The Utes current secondary is led by safety Jackson Bennee, who had a breakout sophomore season in 2025. The junior from Holladay had four interceptions a year ago tied for fourth in the Big 12 and started 11 games for Utah.Safety Jackson Bennee headlines the unit after recording four interceptions and nine passes defended last season. Bennee has excellent hands and play(s) with a ballhawk mentality. He impacts every phase of the defense and is one of my favorite safeties in the entire country, Brockermeyer wrote.Theres depth at safety with fellow returning starter Rabbit Evans back for his senior season, and local talent Nate Ritchie headed into his junior campaign after a season-ending injury made him miss half of the 2026 season.At corner, Scooby Davis is also a returning starter he had a pair of pick-sixs a year ago and Utah has Rock Caldwell back as the likely option at nickel hes a player Brockermeyer said whose instincts and range give him the potential to become a difference-maker. Transfers Elijah Reed (Akron), James Chenault (South Florida) and Nick Brown (Lamar) will compete for the other starting position. BYU Cougars defensive back Evan Johnson (0) is lifted onto teammates shoulders after making an interception to seal the win for the Cougars 25-21 over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A top 10 rating for BYU in the defensive secondary, however, is a bit more surprising, though it makes sense when looking at the talent the Cougars are returning at the back end of their defense.The Cougars return three starters in the secondary, a group that includes safeties Faletau Satuala and Raider Damuni, along with cornerback Evan Johnson.Faletau Satuala is a massive free safety who looks more like a future NFL linebacker. He combines strong ball skills with a high football IQ, showing an advanced understanding of route concepts and offensive tendencies, Brockermeyer wrote. Satuala recorded three interceptions and forced two fumbles last season, making him one of the Big 12s most intriguing defenders.Johnson, meanwhile, is the teams corner who is coming off a breakout junior season that earned him honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.Johnson is a true ballhawk with the press-man ability, smooth backpedal and ball skills that should eventually earn him an NFL opportunity, Brockermeyer wrote.Cornerbacks Tre Alexander and Jonathan Kabeya are also expected to play major roles for the Cougars this season.BYU will face who Brockermeyer rates as the No. 1-rated secondary when the Cougars host Notre Dame on Oct. 17 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.The Fighting Irishs headliners are cornerback Leonard Moore, as well as safeties Brauntae Johnson and Adon Shuler.The Irish boast the nations best secondary, led by the best cornerback in the country, Leonard Moore, Brockermeyer wrote. Moore, who had a historic true freshman season in 2024 for the CFP runners-up, is an exceptional athlete who plays sticky coverage with consistent technique, outstanding quickness and excellent ball skills. Notre Dame's Leonard Moore celebrates after making an interception during a game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend, Ind. | Paul Beaty