Novak Djokovic's stint in the Queen City might have been a short one, but he made the most of it, including attending Divine Liturgy at a small Cincinnati church.A churchgoer, Dragan Petrovic, posted about Djokovic's surprise visit to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in College Hill in an Aug. 16 Facebook post. According to the post, the 24-time Grand Slam champion drove himself to the church, just a day after he'd fallen to Argentina's Thiago Tirante in a shocking upset Aug. 15 at the 2026 Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason."He lost the first round in the Cincinnati Open yesterday and today he went to Divine Liturgy at one of our smallest churches in America," Petrovic wrote.Father Andrej Pavlovi, the parish priest at the church, also confirmed Djokovic's attendance to the Sunday service, telling The Enquirer that parishioners were surprised, sharing the same sentimant as Petrovic's post."The people were shocked and didn't know what to say or do (especially didn't want to interrupt him in prayer)," Petrovic's post read, adding that Djokovic offered to take pictures after the service.Djokovic's return to the Cincinnati Open marked his first time back in the Queen City since beating Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament's longest match ever (3 hours, 49 minutes) in the 2023 final. It was also his first appearance since falling to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals last month. Djokovic appeared to struggle physically as the match crept toward the three-hour mark.The three-time Cincinnati Open champion said it was likely this year was his last at the tournament."I certainly hope so, but unfortunately, at this point it seems more likely that I won't," Djokovic said of whether he'd return to Mason. "However, we'll see what the future holdsThe Enquirer's Shelby Dermer contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Novak Djokovic surprised parishioners at church after Cincy Open defeat

The Buss siblings are not backing down following a legal challenge from their sister Jeanie to their plan to sell the familys remaining share of the Los Angeles Lakers.A day after the initial announcement, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Jesse and Joey Buss released a statement thru Shams Charania of ESPN Tuesday that they intend to move forward with their plan to sell their 17.8% share of the Los Angeles Lakers.Tuesdays statement is a response to their sister Jeanie, who challenged that plan in a letter from her lawyer Monday declaring that any sale of the Buss family share was void. The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team, the statement from the five Buss siblings reads, per Charania. They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community. Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse have made the decision to sell the family's remaining stake, and we remain united in that decision. We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process. We have tremendous respect for Bob Iger and Josh Kushner and believe they understand what the Lakers represent to Los Angeles and our incredibly loyal fan base. We are confident they will honor everything this franchise stands for while building upon the foundation our father created.Jeanie has been the Lakers governor since the 2013 death of their father, Jerry Buss, who had held majority ownership of the Lakers since he bought the team in 1979. Buss left his 66% majority stake in the Lakers in equal parts to his six children upon his death, and Jeanie took over at team governor. The Busses sold their majority share to Mark Walter in 2025 at a $10 billion valuation, but retained a collective 17.8% ownership via multiple trusts. Walter then agreed to sell his majority share to Iger and Kushner last week. On Monday, the five Buss siblings not named Jeanie announced their intent to sell that remaining share in a statement they shared with Charania. Hours after that announcement, Jeanie issued a scathing response through her attorney Adam Streisand challenging the planned sale."No sale can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss," Streisand wrote. "On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed "vote" to sell the 17.8% stake."This story will be updated.

Bad news as PSG hatch plan to drive Bradley Barcola price even higherLiverpool have been chasing Bradley Barcola ever since missing out on Yan Diomande. The Ivorian, 19, was the No1 winger target to replace Mohamed Salah with the Reds submitting an offer of up to 100m to RB Leipzig. That bid was knocked back however with Diomande going on to complete a money-spinning deal to join Real Madrid.Since then Barcola has been the focus.Bradley Barcola is Liverpool's first choiceThe 23-year-old has been reduced to a squad option at Paris Saint-Germain with Luis Enrique adding Mika Godts to his roster this summer.Accordingly the two-time European champions are ready to listen to bids for the France international who has only two years left on his deal. However the Ligue 1 side are playing hardball with Liverpool - demanding up to 145m for his services.Its understandable that Liverpool are reluctant to pay that price for Barcola - which would represent a new British transfer record.Liverpool won't pay 145m for BarcolaTalks have been centred on reducing the fee - with the sporting director Richard Hughes not keen to pay more than around 100m.But there could be a sting in the tail for the Anfield side with PSG concocting a plan which would push Barcolas price tag even higher.According to a report in LEquipe - as cited by Foot01 - the Parisians are optimistic of drawing out a bid from ANOTHER Premier League club.That club is believed to be Arsenal - with a bid coming from the Emirates sure to spark a bidding war for Barcolas services.PSG to get another Premier League bid for BarcolaPSG have accepted the idea of selling the French international and have a plan to push the price higher, the report reads.Within the Paris club, there is now little doubt that Barcola will leave.Liverpool are reluctant to go beyond 110 million, a figure PSG regard as insufficient, but an approach from another English club could change everything.The French newspaper says PSG expect another Premier League giant to make an offer for Barcola soon.For PSG, the involvement of a second English club would be a major opportunity to inflate the price.Arsenal would love to sign BarcolaArsenal would not be merely a stalking horse in this race either. Mikel Arteta has got serious designs on upgrading his attack.Leandro Trossard has already departed for Besiktas while Gabriel Martinell would be sold if the right bid is activated. The Premier League champions tried to sign Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid before the Brazil inked his new contract extension.Its clear that the Gunners consider their attack a work in progress and would love to onboard Barcola.

It is hard to believe that the Houston Texans found a way to make their defense better in the offseason after how well they performed last season.However, they made multiple additions that only strengthened the team, including signing Pro Bowl defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Super Bowl-winning safety Reed Blankenship.Blankenship spent the first four years in the league as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.Last season was a season to forget, but in 2024, he recorded four interceptions, had a fumble recovery, and recorded 78 total tackles, 52 of which were solo stops.Even though they have yet to play in the regular season, Blankenship has been learning a lot from his fellow safeties, including Jaylen Reed and rookie Kamari Ramsey."Yeah, 'K-Ram', 'J-Reed', they're fantastic guys and great athletes, Blankenship said Monday.Especially 'K-Ram', he put on a show his first preseason game. You like to see rookies do that. Trying to get him out of his shell a little bit. He's a little quiet. He's doing a great job. He's starting to communicate a little bit more. I feel like just being around him more and getting him out of his shell lets him play with a little more confidence. Especially 'J-Reed', last year, dealing with some injuries, but at the end of the day, he's a baller, too. Preseason, he's coming downhill. He's hitting guys and I'm just trying to be a good vet to him. Trying to be there to answer any questions and if I have any questions, I'm going to ask, 'J-Reed' about stuff and 'CB' [Calen Bullock]. Those two guys, they're doing really good and having some really great camps right now."Ramsey was a rookie out of USC and a fifth-round draft selection. He also had one of the best plays of the night for Houston in their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers with an interception shortly before halftime that gave the Texans the ball inside of Chargers territory.Between him, Blankenship and Houstons established safeties from last year including Reed, Bullock and Pitre, this may be the best safety room in the NFL.The Texans take on the Las Vegas Raiders this Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be locally televised on ABC. This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans' Reed Blankenship says Kamari Ramsey 'put on a show' in loss vs. Chargers

Just six weeks remain in the 2026 MLB regular season. Six weeks stand between our current selves and the more entertained, more fulfilled, playoff-watching versions of ourselves. What a notion, what a joy! Still, much is left to be decided as far as which clubs get to participate in the October jamboree.Strength of schedule, in MLB, is generally less relevant and meaningful than it is in the NFL or in college sports. With the new balanced calendar, every club plays every other club at least once. Plus, teams play their division rivals for four series per year instead of six, which evens things out over the long haul.But at this point in the year, SOS emerges as a crucial character in our baseball lives. With the standings so bunched up, getting to play a discombobulated opponent can make the difference between an autumn trip to Cancun and an autumn trip to glory. The American League, at present, is a particular disaster-fest, with seven teams separated by just two games, fighting it out for the third wild-card spot.Frankly, the wild-card picture is a mess one that, in the end, might be cleaned up by strength of schedule. Lets take stock of what the regular seasons final six weeks have in store for the teams fighting for a spot in the wild-card field. (Note: Not included on this list are the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs, who have comfortable holds on their wild-card spots entering play Tuesday.)American LeagueBaltimore OriolesRecord entering play Tuesday: 61-64, tied for AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .506 opponent winning percentage (10th-hardest in MLB)After a strong weekend in Tampa, the birds find themselves, somehow, tied atop this unseemly AL wild-card fiasco. Now they head home for a massive, six-game run against the Yankees and, once again, the Rays. From there, Baltimore will head out on a nine-game roadie, though one with a friendlier outlay of opponents: Cardinals, As, Rockies. After that, its all playoff contenders, plus the delightfully pesky New York Mets. This is easily the most difficult slate left among the AL wild-card hopefuls; Baltimores easiest remaining home series involve the Guardians and Blue Jays. If this team is going to make the playoffs, theyll have to earn it.Texas RangersRecord: 61-64, tied for AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .499 opponent winning percentage (13th-hardest in MLB)Texas just dropped five of seven on the road against the bottom-feeding Angels and Athletics, so maybe strength of schedule isnt relevant after all. The Rangers light run continues with home series against the suddenly-sputtering Nats and the always-sputtering Angels. Their season-ending tilt against the Twins could prove consequential in sorting out the postseason picture. Also of note: 22 of this clubs remaining 37 games are at home, the largest allocation among these teams. Thats particularly relevant, as the Rangers are playing .542 ball at Globe Life Field this year.Detroit TigersRecord: 61-64, tied for AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .493 opponent winning percentage (13th-easiest in MLB)A gauntlet homestand looms on the horizon, with the Tigers set to welcome the Rays and Dodgers to Comerica next week. Then its 10 games in 10 days against the Twins and Guardians, the two other AL Central clubs gunning for a wild card while hoping to chase down the division-leading White Sox. If the division race remains close in late September, a four-game set in Chicago from Sept. 17 to 20 will be must-see TV. The Tigers finishing with six at home against the Nats and Pirates is quite a friendly finale.With six weeks left to play, strength of schedule becomes a major character in the wild-card race.Joseph Raines/Yahoo SportsMinnesota TwinsRecord: 61-65, half-game back of AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .483 opponent winning percentage (sixth-easiest in MLB)From Aug. 28 to Sept. 13, the Twinkies have a critical stretch of 15 straight games against the White Sox, Tigers and Guardians. Sadly for the people of the Twin Cities, theyre all done playing the Royals. A West Coast roadswing in the final week will take the Twins to Anaheim and San Francisco before that trio of home games against Texas to finish things off. The Yankees also come to town at one point, which, given the history of those franchises, wont be music to Minnesotas ears. This schedule is harder than it looks, particularly with so many high-tension division games.Toronto Blue JaysRecord: 61-65, half-game back of AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .480 opponent winning percentage (third-easiest in MLB)Six left against the Royals? Sure! This is an impressively easy slate considering the Jays generally have a tough go of it in the AL East. A nine-game trip in early September to Cleveland, Kansas City and Sacramento presents a great opportunity to rack up wins. Toronto will need to be strong on the road, too, with 21 of its remaining 36 away from Rogers Centre. Finishing the season with a three-game set against an up-the-creek Reds team will be quite an odd way to wrap things up.Cleveland GuardiansRecord: 60-65, one game back of AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .453 opponent winning percentage (easiest in MLB)With a schedule softer than a newborn baby, Cleveland has the easiest remaining slate by a country mile. This alley-oop of opponents begins Tuesday, with a 12-game run against the Giants, Rockies, Angels and Royals, four of the five worst teams in the sport. Cleveland then has four consecutive series against other AL wild-card dreamers: home against Toronto and Detroit, away against Baltimore and Minnesota. Its a fascinatingly light last six weeks, which significantly elevates Clevelands postseason chances.Seattle MarinersRecord: 59-66, two games back of AL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: 471 opponent winning percentage (second-easiest in MLB)The Mariners are currently grinding through a preposterously tough stretch including three at home vs. the Rays, three each at the Yankees, Astros and Brewers, and a six-game homestand against the Cubs and Phillies. Thats six straight matchups against playoff teams. After that, though, the Ms have an exceedingly friendly September that features seven against the As, six against the Angels and three against the Rockies. Thats part of why Seattle, despite having the worst record among this AL wild-card group, has the highest postseason odds on FanGraphs.National LeaguePhiladelphia PhilliesRecord: 68-58, holding NL wild-card 2, one game up on NL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .522 opponent winning percentage (fifth-hardest in MLB)The playoffs start early for the Phillies, who complete the year with six at home against Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. They also have two ominous sojourns to tackle. First, theres a West Coast swing to Seattle, Anaheim and Arizona. Then theres a trip with fewer miles but more familiar faces: Atlanta, Washington, Queens. The Phils have been strong away from Citizens Bank all season, so dont expect this road-hardened, experienced group to fray from all the travel.San Diego PadresRecord: 67-59, holding NL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .496 opponent winning percentage (14th-hardest in MLB)The Dodgers have certainly looked catchable of late, but the eight-game gap between L.A. and San Diego is probably too much for the Padres to claw back over the final six weeks. Thats even truer considering they have only one series left against the two-time defending champs, with three at Chavez Ravine during the seasons final week. After that could come the ultimate decider: a series at home against the Diamondbacks that might determine the final NL postseason participant.Arizona DiamondbacksRecord: 66-60, one game back of NL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: 492 opponent winning percentage (12th-easiest in MLB)The ins and outs of Arizonas remaining schedule are significantly less important than the club remedying the Ketel Marte situation. The Snakes need Marte healthy, happy and at his best if theyre to have any chance of playing postseason baseball, so getting that very odd, very concerning saga sorted matters much more than any homestand or road trip. Having said that, Arizonas remaining slate is pretty straightforward, with some toughies (Yankees, Cubs, Phillies) and some cushions (Royals, Reds, Rockies).Miami MarlinsRecord: 64-62, 3 games back of NL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .523 opponent winning percentage (fourth-hardest in MLB)If the Fish are going to shock the baseball world, theyll have to earn it. Miami has six left against the Cubs, three against the Dodgers, three against the Braves and three against the Red Sox. Oh, and the frisky Mets come to town, surely intent on avenging last seasons gut-wrenching, playoff-ruining final weekend in Miami. One piece of good fortune for the Marlins: They have sets left against all three of the clubs ahead of them in the wild-card race.St. Louis CardinalsRecord: 64-62, three games back of NL wild-card 3Remaining SOS: .492 opponent winning percentage (10th-easiest in MLB)If the Cards were in the American League, theyd have a comfortable hold on the third wild card. Unfortunately for them, they play in the National League, and so playoff baseball might be just out of reach this season. However, the Cardinals sneaky easy remaining schedule might make things interesting. They still have six left against the Giants, six left against the unraveling Pirates, three against the Nats and three against the Rockies. Its a lot of road games (21 of 36), but St. Louis has a chance to go on a little run in September if it can survive series in Philly and L.A.

Wait a minute, INDYCAR is racing where? Yes, the streets of Washington, D.C. But not near the Capitol, right? Well, across the street. And by the Washington Monument and Smithsonian? Yup. Thats sick. In what is guaranteed to be a spectacle, INDYCAR drivers will navigate a 1.7-mile, seven-turn course on streets well known to the world, including Pennsylvania Avenue (the course does not reach The White House) and through the National Mall on Sunday afternoon. The FOX prerace show will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday with the green flag scheduled for 1:13 p.m. ET. Heres what to know about the Freedom 250 this weekend. Where Is The Course? The start-finish line is across from The Capitol on 3rd Street. It then takes a left on Pennsylvania Avenue a street wide enough to include a pit road. There then will be a left on 9th, a left on Constitution Avenue and then a right on 7th where the Washington Monument will be in the backdrop. The cars then take a left on Independence Avenue by the Smithsonian to get back to 3rd Street. How Long Is The Race? Loooooong. The race, at 250 miles, is the longest street race since some of the early Cleveland airport races in the mid-1980s. The race will likely be close to three hours instead of the usual two hours. "It very well will be a three-hour race," ECR driver Alexander Rossi told me and other reporters last week. "Its awesome. We have a four-[pit] stop street race. Thats just really cool. "It opens up the strategy and what you can do and the variables that go along into that." For comparison, here is the length (in miles) of the other five street courses on the INDYCAR circuit. Arlington: 191Markham: 189St. Petersburg: 180Long Beach: 177Detroit: 164 "Its going to be tough. Its going to be super long, especially on a street course where the races already feel long and theres so much going on," series points leader and three-time series defending champion Alex Palou told me and other reporters last week. "It will be like an endurance race, a survival race, where we just need to be able to stay alive, keep our nose clean and get to the end. It will be fun. Itll be super challenging for everyone, and hopefully were good there." So Will That Be A Problem? Maybe. "I kind of look forward to it because I love those sort of challenges," Andretti Global Will Power told me and other reporters last week. "That last 50 [laps] will be pretty tough. I think once you see the end coming, things just get easier because you know youre going to get there. "Youre probably going to be at the halfway point going, at [lap] 70 or 75, Weve got another 75 to go? Oh my God." Will The Heat Be A Concern? For sure. Well, the humidity. The mugginess of Washington, D.C., will make this a miserable race for the drivers. They train for it and they have cool shirts shirts where cold water is bumped through to keep them cool but the current INDYCAR is incredibly hot because it wasnt built with the current aeroscreen in mind. "The humidity makes it much tougher because the cooling is just nowhere near as efficient you go from St. Pete to Long Beach, its about the same temperature, but the difference of physicality is massive just because of the humidity," Power said. Drivers do train during the offseason and then throughout the year to be able to handle the high temperatures. "Im sure theres going to be drivers out there that fall out of the seat, theres no doubt," Penske driver Scott McLaughlin told me and other reporters last week. "But at the same time, you feel like you train for this and get ready for it." As of Tuesday, the forecast is for a heat index in the upper-80s. Not great but certainly not as hot as it was in Washington in the last month. "Its going to test us for sure," Pato OWard told me last week. "When you build in the humidity and the heat, thats what makes it tougher. We dont get a lot of fresh air into these races. "Some guys are going to feel it. I think were all going to feel it. Theres some that are going to feel it much more than others. Will It Be Physical? Oh, yes. These cars do not have power steering. It will test their arm strength. What About Pit Crews? The pit crews will be tested, too. Typically, the debate on the street courses is whether there will be two or three stops. This race likely will have four pit stops. Did They Adjust The Schedule? A little bit. Typically, on street and road courses, INDYCAR has one practice Friday, another practice and qualifying Saturday and race on Sunday. But to limit disruptions in the city, they are only on track Saturday and Sunday. That will put both practice and qualifying on Saturday. Ironically, because the track last weekend in Markham wasnt finished on Friday, the schedule ended up being the same as it will be this weekend in Washington. The schedule means limited time in evaluating data and deciding on the changes to improve the car to get ready to race. "Markham being a two-day event was hard for everyone but at least we got a taste of it," Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood told me Monday. "We kind of understand what the cadence needs to be on a street course to be ready for qualifying at the end of the day on Saturday. "Its going to be hard. Its not going to be easy for anybody, but we got a taste of it last weekend, so it might actually help." Will The D.C. Course Be Ready? All indications are that Penske Entertainment, which is handling this race (and also operates INDYCAR, promotes street races at Detroit and Long Beach and owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway), is on good pace. There are streets that they dont get access to until this week, which isnt rare for a street event. For instance, when NASCAR raced in Chicago, it didnt get full access to Michigan Avenue until the day before the race. Will President Trump Be There? Yes. What Other Parts Of The Spectacle Will Be Cool? Dont want to give everything away. But among the pagentary, this race will have an epic flyover. Will It Be A Good Race? Dont know. This is part race and part spectacle. And it depends on who you talk to on whether that matters. "Its the fact that this a race that is a showcase for our series and the nation," Rossi said. "Thats really cool." Of course, a good race makes it even a little more of a showcase. "Ultimately, were in the entertainment business, and if were not entertaining, then our jobs are going to be no longer," Kirkwood said. "This is obviously going to be an event that a lot of people around the world, particularly in America, are going to be watching. ... We want it to be a good competition, something that gets people jazzed up for INDYCAR." But Its Important To Win, Right? Yes, for two reasons. Drivers always want to win. But this also most likely will be the only time they race on this circuit. "Im a competitor I want to win the race," two-time INDYCAR champion Josef Newgarden told me Monday. "I want my team to be successful, but I want the series to be successful, and I want to get as many eyeballs on the sport as possible. "Im hoping that this D.C. event will draw more attention to our sport, which will draw more interest. As a driver, Im going to be focused on the competition side more than anything. Everything else around it will sort of take care of itself." Will There Be A Freedom 251? While the Washington, D.C., area potentially could have another race, it most likely wouldnt be on this circuit. "Its an event that as soon as it was announced, you were counting the days until you get to do it," Rossi said. "As we all know, its probably going to be a one-and-done thing. "So Im just super looking forward to getting there and experiencing it and doing something that very few people will get to do."

The BMW Championship has made its long-anticipated return to Bellerive Country Club, where second round action is set to continue on Friday.With a $20 million purse at stake and the chance to make it to East Lake next week, the Round 2 competition should be plenty fierce and full of unpredictable excitement. World No. 1 and tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler is playing with Matt Fitzpatrick, who he lost in a playoff at the RBC Heritage earlier this season. Let's take a look at the Scheffler-Fitzpatrick tee time for Friday and when the other 24 pairings are set to go out. How to watch the 2026 BMW Championship at Bellerive Country ClubThe golf worlds attention turns to St. Louis as the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings will battle it out over four days. Golf Channel Staff, Golf Channel Staff,BMW Championship Round 2 tee timesTimeTeePlayers10:03 AMEDT1Justin ThomasSahith Theegala10:14 AMEDT1Sepp StrakaSungjae Im10:25 AMEDT1Aaron RaiBen Griffin10:36 AMEDT1Gary WoodlandAdam Scott10:47 AMEDT1Collin MorikawaLudvig berg11:05 AMEDT1Ryan FoxTom Kim11:16 AMEDT1Justin RoseAlex Smalley11:27 AMEDT1Kristoffer ReitanAlex Fitzpatrick11:38 AMEDT1Akshay BhatiaHideki Matsuyama11:49 AMEDT1Wyndham ClarkSam Burns12:07 PMEDT1Cameron YoungSi Woo Kim12:18 PMEDT1Michael BrennanEric Cole12:29 PMEDT1Patrick CantlayRyo Hisatsune12:40 PMEDT1Michael ThorbjornsenNico Echavarria12:51 PMEDT1Jake KnappAlex Noren1:09 PMEDT1Robert MacIntyreRickie Fowler1:20 PMEDT1Rory McIlroyXander Schauffele1:31 PMEDT1Bud CauleyNicolai Hjgaard1:42 PMEDT1Viktor HovlandJ.J. Spaun1:53 PMEDT1J.T. PostonKurt Kitayama2:11 PMEDT1Ryan GerardMin Woo Lee2:22 PMEDT1Chris GotterupTommy Fleetwood2:33 PMEDT1Scottie SchefflerMatt Fitzpatrick2:44 PMEDT1Russell HenleyJacob Bridgeman2:55 PMEDT1Maverick McNealyMatt McCarty

Penn State's 2026 season will feature a completely overhauled roster following an offseason of significant transition. A coaching change led to a flurry of activity in the transfer portal, which led to a number of new faces on the program. We have taken some time to profile each player on the roster this season, but now it is time to dig a little deeper on the 25 players who will play the largest roles on the roster.The tight end position has been one of the more consistently productive positions at Penn State over the past decade, but there is a new coaching staff putting together the offensive game plans now. Despite the changes, the tight end position should still be instrumental in the success of the Penn State offense in 2026, and the return of Andrew Rappleyea gives Penn State a possible star in the making at the position as he enters his redshirt junior season. Could this be a breakout candidate?2025 in reviewAfter essentially missing the entire 2024 season due to injury, Andrew Rappleyea saw action in 13 games during the 2025 season, including eight starts. Rappleyea recorded 20 receptions for 180 yards with three touchdowns, and he ended the season with some momentum in the offense. Rappleyea had a career-long 53-yard catch in the regular-season finale against Rutgers, and he ended the season with a pivotal 11-yard touchdown in the Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson. In the Pinstripe Bowl, Rappleyea had five receptions for 18 yards.Biggest question for 2026What exactly will the tight end position look like in 2026, and what role will Andrew Rappleyea fill in it? Rappleyea was the second-leading tight end on the roster last season behind Luke Reynolds, who followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech by way of the transfer portal this offseason. But Penn State brought in former Iowa State tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle from the transfer portal to fill the roster. All three could see some action in the offense this season, but Rappleyea could be one of the leading options if he can prove worthy of being a primary target.2026 will be a success if...Penn State has developed a nice track record for tight end development and production, but this is a new coaching staff running the show. In order for Rappleyea's season to be considered a success, he does not have to be the leading receiver the way a guy like Tyler Warren was a few seasons ago, but picking up where his 2025 season left off would be good to see. Catching 30 passes for a few hundred receiving yards and a few touchdowns may be all that is needed to qualify as a success this fall.2026 will be a disappointment if...If Rappleyea does not end the season as Penn State's top tight end in terms of receiving production, that would be a bit of a disappointment. That may not mean the offense is hindered, as Benjamin Brahmer could be an option to be a leading contributor.Realistic outlook for 2026Do not expect to see Andrew Rappleya turn in a massive year in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns, but it will be fair to expect to see him be a consistent factor in the offensive game plan. At the end of the season, Rappleyea should be among the top-five receivers on the roster, and he may have a shot at being the team's leading tight end as the season goes on.Penn State Top 25 Players in 2026Previous: OL Anthony DonkohKevin McGuire is the lead writer for Nittany Lions Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him onBlueSky,Threadsorany of these other platforms.FollowNittany Lions Wire on XandFacebook.This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State Top 25 players for 2026: Andrew Rappleyea

A few untamed Broncos emerged during Denver's practice on Tuesday.Practice fights aren't out of the ordinary during NFL training camp, as emotions run high during sweltering weather. It is rare, though, to see a quarterback at the center of it all.Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was reportedly at the center of a training camp fight on Tuesday, after the passer pulled the leg of a teammate during a scuffle.Per reports, Nix was sacked and taken down to the ground earlier in practice, leading to the passer throwing the ball out of anger. A few plays later, several offensive and defensive linemen converged and began to brawl, when Nix would then pull pass rusher Nik Bonitto off the pile by his leg, according to reporters at the practice.Bonitto would have to be held back by teammates after he was pulled off. Offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton had to leave practice after he was bleeding from the head.After practice, the quarterback was pretty welcoming of the scrum."I love it, it's football," Nix told reporters. "It's getting me ready for the games coming up. It's a physical practice out there played by physical people. It got intense, and we were just really enjoying it. Sometimes during the dog days of summer, practice gets long and the intensity runs high."It's crucial for Nix to avoid hitting the turf at all during practice. While the passer has been cleared to play following an ankle surgery that derailed Denver's Super Bowl chances, they'll need him healthy to continue to work through the upcoming season to reach the AFC championship game again.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Broncos' Bo Nix at center of training camp fight: 'I love it'

Unlike players who are drafted in the first few rounds, a sixth-round draft pick like Houston Texans wide receiver Lewis Bond has to fight to stay on the roster.There's plenty of time left in the preseason, but Bond seems to have already secured his roster spot with how well he has done in training camp so far.Bond did not do much in Houston's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, he will have more opportunities in the teams games against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Carolina Panthers before the regular season starts.One factor that helps is having a veteran wide receiver mentor you, as Xavier Hutchinson has done.Xavier Hutchinson on Lewis Bond:Lewis is a great player. Far beyond anything that Ive seen as a rookie receiver coming in. He has a chip on his shoulder, hes hungry, but he also knows what the job at task is. For him having that understanding this early on its huge & it pic.twitter.com/1etr99Wp94 Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 18, 2026I love Lewis. We always joke around, Hutchinson said.When we were finishing up OTAs, he stayed at my house for like four days after everything. So really just getting that time with him and really just telling him where I fell short in my rookie year, or some of the things that I felt like I could have done better at. Just kind of sharing those vulnerable moments that I had my rookie year and trying to pass along to him to where my door's always open for him and I'll always be there for him. Lewis is a great player. Hes far beyond anything that I've seen as a rookie receiver coming in. He has a chip on his shoulder, he's hungry, but he also knows what the job at task is. I think for him, having that understanding this early on is huge and it'll play a factor for him this year and the following years, as long as he's playing football.Hutchinson can relate to Bond.As a fellow sixth-rounder back in 2023, the Iowa State standout had to fight to get on the roster. His best season statistically came last year with 428 receiving yards.He also had three touchdowns despite not having any touchdowns in his first two seasons.Bond and Hutchinson are part of Houstons deep receiver room that includes Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell, who is returning from his horrific injury back in 2024.While they both will make the roster, they will have to continue fighting to see significant playing time this season.This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson on Lewis Bond: 'He's far beyond a rookie receiver'

As we get ready for the 2026 fantasy football season, there's no better way to prepare than doing mock drafts. And while live mock drafts will give us a great idea of how things might shake out, sometimes they're hit or miss and can be time consuming. Fortunately, Yahoo is offering its Instant Mock Draft tool again this season, available with your Fantasy Plus subscription.If you're new to the instant mock tool, here are some of the benefits:Draft immediately: That means no lobbies and no dropouts.Drafts tailored to your league: No more guessing if a mock draft from a generic 12-team league with standard scoring matches your custom setup. Draft against our algorithm, which mimics your league opponents.Test strategy: Simulate and try out different draft strategies from your exact draft slot. Find out which approach builds the strongest roster, then nail your live draft with real-time, on-the-clock recommendations.Subscribe to Fantasy Ultra to unlock our Strategy Lab, 150+ page Draft Playbook and more!In this series, I'll be performing an instant mock draft out of each pick slot for 12-team leagues with default half-PPR scoring. We've already mocked from the No. 1 spot now, we move to the second overall pick. Below is the full roster, plus key takeaways.Full RosterQB: Caleb Williams, CHIRB: Bijan Robinson, ATLRB: Quinshon Judkins, CLEWR: Chris Olave, NOWR: Malik Nabers, NYGTE: Mark Andrews, BALFLEX: Rome Odunze, CHIKicker: Jason Myers, JAXDefense: ChargersBench: Parker Washington, JAXBench: Blake Corum, LARBench: Isaiah Likely, NYGBench: KC Concepcion, CLEBench: Zach Charbonnet, SEABench: MarShawn Lloyd, GBJoin or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL seasonStrategyI went over this a bit in the first instant mock, but I'm not straying from Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson at 1-2. Yahoo analyst Scott Pianowski has been preaching the same going into this season and has Robinson as one of his favorite targets for 2026. Justin Boone also prefers the No. 2 pick in the draft because you get your pick of Gibbs or Bijan in most cases. I agree with both those sentiments; drafting in the 1 or 2 slot at least makes your initial decision pretty easy, so you can focus more on what's to come in your draft. As for strategy, in the No. 1 mock we used more of a Hero RB approach and waited a bit at WR. This time around, we made a concerted effort to go WR in Rounds 2-3 (but also balanced things out a bit throughout). Running backs will likely fly off the board so I made it a priority to shore up my starters before the fifth/sixth round. You can check out some of our analysts favorite strategies for this season here. Rolling the Dice on Malik Nabers + More WR ThoughtsNabers has been the most talked about player in fantasy football this offseason. Right now, it's looking like he'll be OK for the start of the season. And even if Nabers were to miss the opener or a few games, I feel good enough about my WR room withstanding that early on. But with this pick, I get a player with first-round upside at a third-round price, which feels like a risky (but potentially rewarding move). When Nabers is healthy and on the field, he's one of the best WRs in the world. The Giants also don't have a ton of target competition and I trust the new coaching staff to make sure Nabers gets his. Joel Smyth breaks down Nabers' potential to bounce back and what history tells us. I love Olave as my WR1, especially after it looks like Jordyn Tyson will miss the start of the season with a hamstring injury. Though, you could argue it'll hurt the Saints offense overall. But given the type of game scripts New Orleans should be in (and the offense's pace of play), Olave should be a target hound all season. He's also coming off his best NFL campaign and is entering his prime years at age 26. Kellen Moore is an exciting young head coach and Tyler Shough is an exciting young QB sign me up. Hayden Winks talks a bit about Olave's stock moving up after Week 1 of the preseason here. I decided to roll with another QB-WR stack in this draft with Williams and Odunze. I'm a big Rome believer, same as my colleague Matt Harmon, who has Odunze as one of his "My Guys" in his Draft Day Blueprint, which you can check out here. Odunze feels like the perfect Year 3 post-hype sleeper in a great offensive environment. Plus, his draft cost is great at an ADP of 68.4. I had to reach a bit for him given my draft position, but don't be afraid to do that every so often, as Pianowski writes in his draft mistakes to avoid. Late-Round Tight EndI'm a big believer in the strategy and am also fine streaming the position in most cases during the season. But if I'm going to grab a TE late in my draft, I usually want some type of Plan B. In this case, we went with a TE approach that had multiple angles. Likely left for the Giants, leaving Andrews as the clear TE option in Baltimore. I like both situations a lot and both players given their ADPs. Likely also gives me insurance on Nabers; in the event the WR isn't ready for Week 1 or gets hurt again, I can see Likely being a top target for Giants QB Jaxson Dart this season. Boone highlights Likely as one of his breakout TE candidates for this season. As for Andrews, there's virtually no competition behind him on the Ravens' TE depth chart. Rookie Matthew Hibner is getting some hype but he's the only threat to Andrews' snaps/targets it seems. Andrews feels like that boring, overlooked veteran who goes on to finish as a top-12 TE this season (sort of like Dallas Goedert in 2025). Quick RB OverviewI like Judkins as an RB2 given his upside. The Browns aren't the best environment but I think Judkins' talent can win out; he's an explosive play waiting to happen when healthy.I like the idea of taking Charbonnet and stashing him in an injured reserve spot until he's healthy. That allows me to pick someone up off waivers after my draft. Plus, if Bijan and Judkins are great, I'm not worried much about RB the rest of the season. If something happens, Charb could be a solid RB2/3 option by the middle of the season. Lloyd and Corum are high-value backups who should have some role behind their RB1s, but have an easy path to fantasy relevance through injury. Final ThoughtsThe bench and TE position are a bit weak but I really like this build. I have enough insurance if something happens to Nabers and there's tons of upside with guys like Odunze, Caleb Williams, Parker Washington and Judkins. Stay tuned for more instant mock analysis in our next installment. Level up with Yahoo Fantasy UltraYahoo Fantasy Ultra includes the Strategy Lab and Playbook.Beyond the Instant Mock Draft tool that's part of Yahoo Fantasy Plus, we also have a new subscription tier this season, Yahoo Fantasy Ultra, which offers an even deeper experience thanks to our Draft Playbook and Strategy Lab.Sign up for Fantasy Ultra and unlock over 150 pages of advice with our Draft Playbook, including ...Top targets and players to avoid from Justin Boone (the top in-season ranker of 2025), Matt Harmon, Josh Norris, Joel Smyth, Scott Pianowski and Hayden WinksIn-depth positional advice and strategies for every draft pick range32 sleeper and 32 breakout candidatesCheat sheetsHalf and PPR rankingsHalf and PPR positional tiersMore than 125 player profilesAn Ultra subscription also comes with access to several top-notch tools like Yahoo's Draft Strategy Lab to mock draft like a champ with tons of features, including filtering by each analyst's rankings or a draft strategy style (like late-round QB).If you're looking to up your game this season, consider Fantasy Ultra.

SportsLine simulated the NFL season 10,000 times and revealed its 2026 Fantasy football sleepers for Fantasy football 2026 draft prep