Welcome to the USA TODAY Network’s recruiting ladder, a statewide feature from reporter Joe Hughes highlighting prospects on the rise each week of the 2024 high school football season. Anyone is eligible for consideration, whether it be an unranked player who had a career game, a recruit with mid-level offers, or four- and five-star standouts adding to their personal highlight …

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland would be game-time decisions for Sunday Night Football. Neither player practiced Wednesday as they worked with the rehab group. Parsons (ankle) has missed the past two games and could miss three, he acknowledged earlier this week. He had never missed a game for injury before the …

PISCATAWAY – This hasn’t been a typical week for Rutgers football. The Scarlet Knights already had a short week, but they also altered their travel schedule to head to Los Angeles on Wednesday to adjust to pacific time ahead of their game against the USC Trojans Friday night at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Needing a victory to snap a three-game …

Patrick Mahomes is far from his vintage self but the Chiefs are still 6-0.Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Seven weeks into their bid for immortality, the Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated. They’ve ripped off wins against the likes of the Ravens, 49ers and Bengals on their way to a 6-0 start. On defense they’ve been elite, putting a succession of the game’s …

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue wide receiver Leland Smith was living with six people inside of a crowded two-bedroom apartment in Fullerton, California, a 23-mile drive from the busy freeways of Orange County to Los Angeles. Smith gambled on himself when he left his home state of Texas in 2023 after he’d been a walk-on at TCU to join Fullerton College. …

Bill Belichick, who got one interview and no offers with seven jobs open in January, has crafted the ultimate media bully pulpit. And he’s possibly using it to maximize his options for 2025 — and to settle scores in 2024. He has taken shots at his old nemesis in New York, Jets owner Woody Johnson. On Monday, Belichick stirred things …

A week and a half have passed, and Ohio State’s pain from its loss to Oregon lingers. The Buckeyes have had time to process it by now. They know that when the 2024 season is over, that game in Eugene will be viewed as a turning point. But which will it be: a wake-up call on the way to a …

Running back Kareem Hunt has jumped back into a big role in the Chiefs offense since returning to the team last month, but he wasn’t moving at full speed at practice on Wednesday. Hunt was listed as a limited participant on Kansas City’s first injury report of the week. Hunt, who ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday, …

Adrian wilson There has been no shortage of twists and turns in Adrian Wilson’s recruitment. Wilson, the No. 27-ranked WR in the Rivals250 out of Pflugerville (Texas) Weiss High School just outside of Austin, is incredibly talented and has been in high demand by programs across the country. Over the past two years, that’s resulted in commitments and ultimately decommitments …

As expected, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey won’t return to practice this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that during his Wednesday news conference after noting on Monday that McCaffrey’s more likely to start playing after the Week 9 bye. That was still the case on Wednesday. “It’s not this week, so hopefully, it will be next week,” Shanahan said, …

Much like it was in their last meeting in Boulder in 1972, the Cincinnati Bearcats have a tall order on the football field Saturday night. The Buffaloes were ranked second in the country 52 years ago and proved it by thumping the Bearcats 56-14. UC head coach Scott Satterfield was months away from being born the last time around, but …

The Browns have announced Jameis Winston will start at quarterback this weekend and brought in Bailey Zappe as a third quarterback on the 53-man roster. But even as Dorian Thompson-Robinson is dealing with a finger injury, he was apparently able to go through his usual workload on Wednesday. Thompson-Robinson (right finger) was listed as full on Cleveland’s Wednesday injury report. …

Oct. 23—PULLMAN — Washington State has landed its first commitment in about a month. It comes from three-star class of 2025 linebacker Jovan Clark, who announced his pledge to WSU on Wednesday, about four months after he committed to Wyoming. It’s the Cougars’ first linebacker commit in their class of 2025, which includes 17 prospects. Clark, who comes from Morgan …

Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Wednesday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers tweaked his hamstring during last Sunday’s loss to the Steelers and that he expects him to play against the Patriots this week, but the injury was enough to keep Rodgers from a full workload in the team’s first practice of the week. Rodgers was listed as a …

(Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports) College football rivalries do not get much better than this weekend’s matchup between when the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans meet up in the Big House for a Big Ten battle. Tickets are still available for one of the most anticipated matchups of the fall, so if you are looking to get in on the …