49ers OTA observations: Purdy, Pearsall developing chemistry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Wide receiver Jauan Jennings, new contract freshly signed, worked on a side field during 49ers organized team activities on Wednesday. On the main practice field, quarterback Brock Purdy drilled a 20-yard pass down the middle of the field to rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall …

Headed into the 2024 college football season many experts and analysts around the college football landscape have high expectations for Ohio State to be among the best teams in the country. Most preseason college football rankings currently feature Georgia and Ohio State at the top in some order. This includes Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt who currently ranks the Buckeyes at …

Drew Bledsoe does not have any lingering animosity towards Bill Belichick or Tom Brady, even though Belichick demoted him from starting quarterback in 2001 in favor of Brady — the move that spurred a run to that year’s Super Bowl title (and five more after that) for the New England Patriots. But Bledsoe did tell his former Dallas Cowboys teammate …

Curran: How Maye ‘took a step forward’ in Wednesday’s OTA practice originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Drake Maye is starting to find his footing with the New England Patriots one month after being drafted third overall. Our Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry were in attendance for Wednesday’s OTA session in Foxboro, where Maye practiced running the offense alongside …

Before being a Heisman Trophy winner, first round NFL draft pick, or putting together a Hall of Fame career with the Raiders, tim Brown was a little-known Notre Dame recruit from Dallas. Brown’s first two seasons in South Bend saw him compile 53 total receptions for 737 yards and four touchdowns while he ran for another. Lou Holtz was hired …

The playbook is how the teams get on the same page of what to run next and is a useful tool when it comes to situational football. Right now, rookies and players joining new teams are busy studying their squad’s plays, but one former Super Bowl champion says the playbook is not all it’s cracked up to be. Former Philadelphia Eagles …

USATSI Auburn running back Brian Battie could face “permanent paralysis” after a fatal shooting in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida, according to court documents obtained by the Tampa Bay Times.  Battie was shot during an incident on May 18 that left his 24-year-old brother, Tommie Battie, dead at the scene. Brian was transported to the hospital in critical condition, where …

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In an offseason filled with change for the New England Patriots, there’s still a Belichick lurking around the practice field. Brian Belichick, the youngest son of Bill Belichick, remains on the coaching staff as the team’s safeties coach under Jerod Mayo.  Of course, the last few months at 1 Patriot Place have been headlined by the parting …

Patriots OTA observations: Drake Maye starts slow, finishes strong originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston “We’re kind of getting into real football now.” That’s one of the first comments head coach Jerod Mayo made to reporters Wednesday at the New England Patriots’ organized team activity session outside Gillette Stadium. While the Patriots have had three official OTAs already, they’ll have …

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Outside of the Hilton Sandestin, a beachside resort where the Southeastern Conference historically holds its annual conference meetings, the league’s logo illuminates the hotel’s exterior in the dark of night. This week, it is the SEC Hilton Sandestin. Or the Hilton Sandestin presented by the SEC. It is fitting. Soon, perhaps in this very conference, sponsorships …

Chargers sign former Bears offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago The Chargers announced they signed former Bears offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood on Wednesday. The Bears claimed Leatherwood, 25, off waivers during the 2022 season as part of their league-leading number of waiver claims. They hoped to rejuvenate the 2021 first-round draft pick, who the Raiders placed …

The Texas Longhorns added Louisiana four-star James Simon to the fold on Wednesday. It’s a big addition for the Longhorns’ 2025 recruiting class. Simon continues an increasing trend of Louisiana players choosing to play for the Longhorns in recent seasons. Among the most famous players from the state, five-star quarterback Arch Manning and elite safety Derek Williams Jr. are already …

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ highly-anticipated quest to find a proven, veteran wideout may end with a familiar face. While currently employed by the New England Patriots, JuJu Smith-Schuster could end up back in Pittsburgh, where he blossomed into a star during his initial years in the NFL.  Late in the 2023 season, Pittsburgh got an up-close look at what Smith-Schuster is still …

A general view of a college football game between Ohio State and Oregon State at Ohio Stadium in 2018. College athletics directors are still absorbing the impacts and implications of the proposed settlement of three athlete-compensation antitrust lawsuits that the NCAA and the Power Five conferences approved last week. But one industry leader already has a prediction about a couple …

David Helman Dallas Cowboys Insider There is plenty of talent still available on the NFL free-agent market, and the Dallas Cowboys will likely look to bolster their roster in the weeks ahead.  Just last week, we looked at five free agents who the Cowboys can still add, but let’s stop with the speculation. What we know now, without any guessing, …