
Will Sheppard makes highlight grab in Shrine Bowl
Will Sheppard makes highlight grab in Shrine Bowl
Colorado football wide receiver Will Sheppard has the size and talent that NFL scouts crave at his position, and during the first quarter of Thursday's East-West Shrine Bowl, he showed he can make next-level catches.
The back-shoulder fade has become one of the most popular routes in the NFL due to how difficult it is for the average cornerback to defend. If the quarterback can put it in the right spot when the corner has their back turned to the ball, receivers have a chance at catching a mostly uncontested ball. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams ran the route to perfection during their time with the Green Bay Packers, and now Sheppard is showing the ability to catch that same type of ball.
Within the first two minutes of the first quarter, Sheppard lined up across UTSA's Zah Frazier, a big corner listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook looked Sheppard's way and threw a strike to the outside, with the Colorado receiver twisting his body to haul in a 20-yard completion.
Buffs fans have seen Sheppard use his big frame to make incredible plays in the red zone, but seeing him make these types of catches will only improve his draft stock.
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USA Today
34 minutes ago
- USA Today
Oklahoma attempting to get Bowe Bentley on campus for ChampU BBQ per report
Oklahoma attempting to get Bowe Bentley on campus for ChampU BBQ per report The Oklahoma Sooners' 2026 quarterback recruiting took a turn late Thursday night when Jaden O'Neal decommitted from the Sooners. That leaves the Sooners to focus entirely on four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley. In the wake of O'Neal's decommitment, the Sooners are looking to get Bentley back on campus this weekend, according to ESPN's Eli Lederman (formerly of Tulsa World). Bently just completed a strong showing in the Elite 11 finals in California this week. Bentley was the top performer on night two of the Elite 11 finals after completing 18 of 20 passes and looking good in the Pro Day element of the drills. Analysts marveled at his accuracy and ability to throw on the move. It's that athleticism that's made him one of the more highly sought after quarterbacks over the last six months. The four-star quarterback out of Celina, Texas has seen a meteoric rise in the rankings this offseason. In 247Sports rankings back in November, he was considered the No. 296 player in the class. In March, he shot up to No. 75 overall in the class. Now Bentley is down to two schools, the Sooners and the LSU Tigers. According to Lederman, a decision could be coming sooner rather than later. If Oklahoma is able to get Bentley back on campus this weekend for the ChampU BBQ, just two weeks after his official visit at the beginning of June, it would be a significant development in his recruitment. Bowe Bentley Recruiting Profile Vitals Projected Position Quarterback Height 6-foot-1 Weight 200 pounds Hometown Celina, Texas Ratings Site Stars Overall Position State Rivals 4 102 10 15 ESPN 4 261 6 32 247Sports 4 78 7 12 247Sports Composite 4 94 10 14 On3 4 41 5 4 On3 Industry 4 76 7 11 Offers Per 247Sports Oklahoma LSU Arizona Boston College Cal Cincinnati Colorado Duke East Carolina Florida State Georgia Georgia Tech Indiana Kansas State Missouri Ohio State Oklahoma State Texas Tech Tulane UCF USF UTEP UTSA Virginia Tech Wisconsin Appalachian State Arkansas State Colorado State North Texas Sam Houston Social Media Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.


New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
The most important developmental tasks for Lions' offensive coaching staff
Earlier this week, we examined the most important developmental tasks for each defensive position coach heading into 2025. We'll do the same today on the offensive side. Development isn't exclusive to draft slot or contract status. It can be a clear project reaching his potential or a good player leaping to Pro Bowl or All-Pro status. The Lions have done well to field a competitive roster with players who, more often than not, develop as expected. That's no accident. That's very much intentional. Advertisement Here's where the focus lies on offense. An obvious one here, but Hooker is the most important developmental task for Brunell — a former NFL QB himself. The Lions spent an early third-round pick on Hooker in 2023, prior to the team extending Jared Goff's contract. The thought was that Hooker would be able to provide the team with a strong backup option as they entered a window of contention, or perhaps a trade chip down the road if another team liked what they saw and made the Lions a quality offer. But where do things stand now? Hooker's rookie year was essentially a redshirt season, recovering from a torn ACL. He flashed at times in training camp and the preseason, particularly his underrated mobility. But in practices, Hooker would often hold onto the ball too long in team periods. It felt like he was overthinking and waiting for the receiver to come open instead of throwing him open. It's a mental adjustment a lot of young quarterbacks have to make. The talent is there, though. Hooker can rip it. He can run. He's mature and has all the intangibles, and you have to think the Lions will give him every chance to win the No. 2 job again in 2025, hoping he emerges better from some competition courtesy of Kyle Allen. Goff said he sees the game slowing down for Hooker. Brunell is eager to work with him this summer. Here's what he'd like to see entering Year 3: 'It's, obviously, having a grasp of our offense,' Brunell said. 'Being able to manage that, getting in and out of the huddle. We do have some new concepts in the passing game, some things we're doing a little different. Understanding the intent of every passing play and understanding our protections really well. And then when we get to the OTAs (and) we're on the field competing against our defense, just being able to execute, making good decisions with the ball, taking care of the ball, no turnovers. But also, specifically, and really what I look for, is just being really good with your fundamentals. And then in preseason, obviously, once we get out in the games and then maybe we have an opportunity to compete against other teams in practice: Moving the ball, moving your team, executing, playing at a high level.' Advertisement Big year for Hooker. Honorable mention: N/A Holmes said he woke up on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft and would've felt a 'gut-punch' if he didn't walk away with Vaki (and another player on this list). If a two-time executive of the year felt this strongly about Vaki, you can't help but keep an eye on him. Vaki, a college safety and part-time running back, impressed in small stints filling in offensively so much, he caught Holmes' attention. He said Vaki didn't even major at running back, but he looked like he could develop into one. Factor in his defensive skills and special teams contributions across the board and it's easy to see why Holmes liked him. He's a football player. The Lions are focused on turning Vaki into a quality NFL running back. He's viewed as a quick study and a mature player, entering the league at 24. He's already a good receiver out of the backfield. He's got some wiggle and short-area quickness in his game, but his physicality also shows. After spending a year with Scottie Montgomery, Vaki will now be coached by new RBs coach Tashard Choice. He likes what he sees so far. 'You know what, I am very impressed by him right now,' Choice said. 'Having a chance to have him in OTAs — his quickness, his suddenness. He works extremely hard. I know how well he's done this last year on teams, talking to Fipp a lot. And I'm back having a chance to be with the returns and seeing him move and his movement and watching tape. But this son of a gun can play. And to me, I think he's still putty where you can form him to be the player you want. But the fact that he has D-Mo, he has Jah, guys that do things the right way, he's in a position to really succeed. 'It's going to be interesting to see how well he does, because he has it in him. He has the speed, he has the quickness, and he has to tune some stuff in on his game. But the fact that he's coachable and he listens and he works at it. And so for me, it's my job to get him better.' Honorable mention: Jahmyr Gibbs. Holmes said TeSlaa was his favorite wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft. Not necessarily the best, but his favorite. The more you learn about him, the more you understand why. A lightly recruited wing-T quarterback in high school who had to go the Division-II route to learn how to play wide receiver, TeSlaa picked it up fast enough to play SEC football by the time it was all said and done. The fact that he was able to advance that quickly speaks to his intelligence and work ethic, and when you watch the tape, you see his natural athleticism and speed paired with elite size. Don't be fooled by the lack of production at Arkansas. TeSlaa's got the goods, and the Lions are confident they can get him where he needs to go. Advertisement Montgomery has already seen it. 'Number one thing was poise. We threw a lot at him mentally. I challenged him, put him at multiple positions to see if he could handle that. Brought him along as fast as we could. He didn't blink an eye,' Montgomery said of TeSlaa. '…He has to prove it, continue to make those jumps as the competition level rises. …But what you saw is a guy that definitely belonged, and his physical talent and ability showed that not only did he belong, but he's exactly what we thought he was at this point in time. 'Just gotta grow and develop as a player and unlock the smaller details of what we do, but a great example, though, if you will, of a guy working his way into what he is, not just one of those guys that hits a height, weight and speed. …This is a guy that has worked to get to where he is. Really happy to have him where he is right now.' The draft capital the Lions spent to acquire TeSlaa — a late third-round pick and two 2026 thirds for No. 70 overall — was steep. But they're betting on his work ethic, intangibles, athleticism and their staff here. TeSlaa developing into a quality receiver on his hometown team would be a hell of a story. We'll see if he gives us something to write about. Honorable mention: Jameson Williams. The tight end room consists of a Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent in LaPorta, a steady No. 2 in Brock Wright, then the likes of Shane Zylstra, Kenny Yeboah and UDFAs Zach Horton and Luke Deal. Given the direction the Lions went when Steve Heiden left to become Aaron Glenn's offensive line coach in New York, I'll go with LaPorta. And not just because he's one of the most important players on the roster. LaPorta set records as a rookie and was an instant impact as a receiver. His ability to contort his body, make contested/full-extension catches and generate yards after the catch made him a player defenses needed to focus on as a rookie. As a sophomore, though, as teams paid more attention to him and weapons like Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs stepped up in the passing game, LaPorta's production dipped. It coincided with some nagging injuries LaPorta was playing through, too. And yet, he finished sixth among tight ends in receiving yards as a No. 3 option, while most of the players ahead of him were No. 1 or 2 options. Advertisement All that to say, LaPorta has this receiving thing down. His new position coach, Tyler Roehl, wants to see where he can take his game as a blocker. 'With Sam, natural. Just real natural feel in the pass game. Where can I continue to add value for him in the run game? He's got the right mindset and intent. You can tell that he has a really good foundation to build upon. There are small things in the run game that I can help out with, but talking about no ego, about the team, high capacity to learn, and an unbelievable work ethic. He's–just our communication and the way he goes about his work, excited to continue to help add value to his game.' It starts with mindset and intent, as Roehl stated. Not all tight ends want to block and it shows. LaPorta does. And while it doesn't always look pretty, it can be effective. Roehl is a former running back/fullback who coached tight ends and running backs at the collegiate level before making the jump to the NFL. This seems to be his area of expertise. If LaPorta, already a willing blocker, can become a true asset in that department, he'll truly have zero holes in his game. Honorable mention: Horton, Deal. You could make an argument for a few different players. Christian Mahogany needs continued development after flashing as a rookie in 2024. Current rookies Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier could be key pieces for the future — and Ratledge specifically should be a Day 1 starter. Even Kingsley Eguakun could develop into an intriguing piece. However, in my opinion, it's easier to find quality guards than a quality tackle. And Manu has the tools to be just that. Remember that tidbit about Holmes waking up knowing he needed to walk away with two players on Day 3 of the 2024 draft? Vaki was one, Manu was the other. A bit of a hidden gem, the Lions felt the need to trade a 2025 third-rounder for Manu, with the notion that other teams were lurking behind them. What they saw was a player born in Tonga, tucked away in Canada. He was raw, but my goodness, the tools. A 6-foot-7 frame, great explosion, a player who moves well in space and a no-nonsense mentality are all great foundational characteristics of a potential starting tackle. Add in Hank Fraley and veterans who want to help, and the Lions have one of the better situations for a young lineman to be dropped into. And while his footwork and fundamentals needed an overhaul, that's what the 2024 season was for. Advertisement 'I liked where he ended last year, where he was with his play, where his demeanor was, where he really was, assignment-wise. He really did a good job, and he grew every day,' Fraley said of Manu. '…He does have a physical presence about him and he can exert his physicality on the field. That's what I think you got to see later in the year. Now it's — can he take that next step? It's a huge step. It's no longer, hey, we're trying to get all your base and balance right. There was a lot we changed with him. 'I told him when we drafted him there was going to be a lot that I was going to change how he did things. …Tweak that foot there, turn your toe out, place your hands here, all that. All these little things, he's heard me a whole year saying it and it's — can I take this, and now, without thinking of all these little things that come into play, can I keep playing fast? I think that's what we're going to see.' The blueprint for a player like Manu is Philadelphia's Jordan Mailata. That's a lofty goal, of course, but even if he can develop into a quality tackle — like Taylor Decker — it would give the Lions a young offensive line to build around when others leave or retire. Penei Sewell will be the face of the next wave, but guys like Mahogany Ratledge, Manu and Frazier could join him. Honorable mention(s): Ratledge, Frazier, Eguakun. We'll end with special teams, and even though he's a coordinator and not a position coach, this is an important pairing. Last training, when the Lions signed UFL phenom Jake Bates, it was met with excitement. He made crucial, booming kicks at Ford Field months before he would do so for the Lions, playing for the Michigan Panthers. His leg strength was a sight to behold and gave him NFL upside. The Lions beat out the Packers, among others, for his services. But Bates had rough patches. In training camp, he'd miss badly from short and connect with ease from a distance. Fipp attributes some of that to not having a full offseason to rest, going from the UFL straight to the NFL. But there is a mental element involved in playing that position. It's just you and your thoughts, and Bates is one to isolate. If he was in his head at one point, you wouldn't know it when the season started. He connected on 26 of his 29 attempts, including 6-of-8 from 50-plus yards, with some clutch kicks along the way. Advertisement While Fipp cautions that kicking is fluid year-to-year based on what's asked of the player and the conditions around him, he believes there's more in Bates. The Lions will play more outdoor games than they did a year ago, which Bates will need to be ready for. They'll continue to tinker with kickoff strategies. But Bates proved he belonged last year. 'I think the biggest thing with him is just continuing to progress,' Fipp said. 'Keep his confidence up. I said a year ago at the very beginning of the year, he's gonna have some ups and downs, and we're gonna stick with him. And I'll say the same thing this year: he's going to have some ups and downs and we're going to stick with him. …I feel great about him. Just watching him, I can tell and you can see that he's a lot more confident, he's a lot more sure of what's going on around him. …I'm excited for him. He looks great. And I think the guy's gonna be a great player in this league.' Honorable mention(s): LS Hogan Hatten, P Jack Fox, Vaki, Dan Jackson. (Top photo of Sione Vaki: Daniel Bartel / Imagn Images)


New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
Raiders 53-man roster projection: What did we learn in OTAs and minicamp?
No final roster decisions are made during OTAs, but there was valuable insight about the pecking order throughout the Las Vegas Raiders' roster. While several starters on both sides of the ball appear locked in, a few key jobs remain in the air. As always, there will be strong competition to carve out depth roles once training camp begins in July. Advertisement General manager John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll are early in the process of formulating what the roster will look like, and there's still potential for them to make outside additions before the start of the season. For the most part, OTAs were about laying a foundation. 'We learned a lot,' Carroll said last week. 'The whole purpose here is to figure them out. … We've gone to great depths trying to get to understand our guys, what's important to them, what are their goals and their principles, and how they approach stuff so that we can better teach them and reach them.' Here's a post-OTAs 53-man roster projection for the Raiders. Starter: Geno Smith Depth: Aidan O'Connell, Cam Smith Analysis: Cam Smith's reps in OTAs were extremely limited as the coaching staff focused on getting Geno Smith and O'Connell acclimated to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's system. That'll probably remain the case in training camp, but the rookie will get some burn in preseason games. He's the most mobile quarterback on the roster, has a solid arm and is worth keeping around as a developmental backup. Starter: Ashton Jeanty Depth: Raheem Mostert, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White Analysis: Jeanty is the clear-cut lead back, but the Raiders want to avoid running him into the ground. Mostert will be the primary third-down back and will help spare Jeanty on early downs alongside McCormick. White will compete with Dylan Laube, a skilled returner, to make the roster. Starter: Brock Bowers Depth: Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas Analysis: Mayer missed six games due to personal reasons last season and never looked like himself. As good as Bowers is, the Raiders are hopeful Mayer has a bounce-back year to round out the tight end room and allow Kelly to justify using 12 personnel more often. Advertisement Starters: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton Depth: Jack Bech, Tommy Mellott Analysis: Meyers was mostly used as a slot receiver during OTAs, while Tucker and Thornton handled the majority of the reps on the outside with the first-team offense. Bech, drafted in the second round, will make his case for a starting role in training camp. Mellott should be the backup slot receiver and could potentially carve out a role as a returner. Starters: LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG Alex Cappa, RT DJ Glaze Depth: OL Thayer Munford, G Jordan Meredith, OT Charles Grant, G Caleb Rogers Analysis: There's an ongoing position battle at left guard between Parham, Munford and Meredith that's worth keeping an eye on. Munford played offensive tackle his first three years with the Raiders but has experience at guard in college. Rookies Grant and Rogers have a long way to go to get into the rotation. Starters: DT Christian Wilkins, NT Leki Fotu, DT Adam Butler Depth: Zach Carter, Tonka Hemingway, JJ Pegues, Jonah Laulu Analysis: The Raiders flipped between four- and five-man fronts throughout OTAs, but we'll go with a five-man front as their base given the precarious state of their nickelback position. Wilkins missed all of OTAs as he continues to recover from the Jones fracture he suffered last October, and his health will be a major storyline going into training camp. Carter has replaced Wilkins during his absence. If Wilkins misses time in training camp, it'll be interesting to see if rookies Hemingway and Pegues can create some competition. Starters: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce Depth: Tyree Wilson, Charles Snowden, Jah Joyner Analysis: Wilson and Snowden are jockeying to be the first defensive end off the bench. It's a pivotal year for Wilson as the Raiders decide on his fifth-year option after this season. Barring a major breakout, they'll almost certainly decline it. Joyner is a bendy, explosive pass rusher who could make some noise once the pads come on in training camp. Advertisement Starters: Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts Depth: Devin White, Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Gainer Analysis: Pratt signed right before the end of OTAs, so he hasn't practiced with the team yet. But it'll be a major surprise if he doesn't quickly become the starting Will linebacker in training camp. White performed well in that role in OTAs, but he's best coming off the bench at this stage of his career. Eichenberg and Gainer need to show significant special-teams value and progress on defense to make the team. Starters: Eric Stokes, Darien Porter Depth: Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson, Darnay Holmes Analysis: Stokes and Porter were the starting cornerbacks throughout OTAs. Bennett is still recovering from his surgery to repair a torn labrum in November, however, and could push for one of those spots once he's at full strength. Richardson looks like more of a depth option on the outside, while Holmes is currently the only viable slot corner on the roster. Starters: Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao Depth: Lonnie Johnson Jr., Thomas Harper Analysis: Chinn will spend a lot of time lined up at nickelback and working in the box. When he lined up in those areas in OTAs, the Raiders often brought Johnson onto the field as a third safety. Unless the Raiders sign an upgrade at nickelback, expect that to continue into training camp. Harper was solid last season and may push Johnson for his role. K Daniel Carlson P AJ Cole LS Jacob Bobenmoyer Analysis: The Raiders have had an All-Pro-caliber kicking battery for years, and there's no reason to expect that to change. Carlson is going into the final year of his contract and could be in line for an extension soon.