Latest news with #ChipKelly
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- 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.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon's hiring of Chip Kelly named one of most important moves in the last 25 years
Oregon's hiring of Chip Kelly named one of most important moves in the last 25 years When Mike Bellotti stepped down as Oregon football coach and promoted offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to the position, it didn't receive much fanfare nationally. Looking back, it was worthy of making waves. Kelly propelled the Ducks to new heights when he was the head football coach and made Oregon realize it could become a national power and play for Rose Bowls and national championships on a semi-regular basis. In a list compiled by CBS Sports and writer Shehan Jeyarajah, Oregon's hiring of Kelly wasn't quite a Top 10 move in the last 25 years of college football, but just about as it was ranked No. 11 in their Top 25. "Frankly, it's remarkable that Kelly was Oregon's head coach for only four years, even considering his success as a coordinator. But when it comes to transformative tenures, Kelly's run ranks among the best," he said. "The Ducks surged into national prominence with three straight top-four finishes, including a trip to the 2010 national championship game." Jeyariah also pointed out that even though Kelly wasn't on the sidelines when the Ducks made it to the 2015 national title game with Marcus Mariota at quarterback, his fingerprints were all over that team. After a few hiccups along the way, fortunately for Oregon, it has another coach who can achieve the heights once realized by Kelly, with its current coach, Dan Lanning. The Ducks are seemingly in a position to compete for titles on an even more regular basis now than when Kelly was in Eugene and that's saying something. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pete Carroll: Michael Mayer had a great offseason with us
A lot has changed for the Raiders since 2023, but that was the year the club selected a talented tight end out of Notre Dame in Michael Mayer. He caught 27 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns as a rookie, flashing his potential. Advertisement But then the Raiders brought in Brock Bowers at the same position in 2024, and he immediately became one of the league's top players, earning first-team All-Pro distinction after his record-setting rookie year. While Mayer was limited to 11 games in 2024, the new Raiders regime has seen a lot of good from the tight end during the spring. 'I thought Mike had a great offseason with us,' head coach Pete Carroll said in his press conference late last week. 'We started out going heart to heart and him [understanding] what we're all about, and he embraced it and took it as well as anybody could take the challenge of bringing it day in and day out. He had a great camp, and he was doing well before Brock got here, and the two of them just went head to head, just trying to make a play here and there and going back and forth. And they were just great contributors. 'It's a terrific position group for us. Ian Thomas coming in really, really livens it up as well. So, we have a very good position group right there and excited about what they're going to do, but I thought Michael had a great camp.' Advertisement Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly also noted earlier in the offseason program that Mayer had been 'outstanding,' adding, 'I checked — you can play with two tight ends in a game at the same time, and sometimes you can play with three tight ends they told me.' That could mean plenty more playing time for Mayer, who finished last season with 21 catches for 156 yards.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Recruiting surprises: Florida, UCLA and Pitt among schools off to a nice start
College football programs are halfway through the busiest month on the recruiting calendar. Schools are hosting camps, prospects are taking official visits and a flurry of commitments have landed over the past two-plus weeks. Now that we're more than halfway through June, let's examine the programs that have emerged as surprises in the 2026 recruiting cycle over the past two weeks. Note: Recruiting rankings are all from the 247Sports Composite. Advertisement A decade ago, the Bruins were a high-profile recruiting program under Jim Mora. But that outlook changed dramatically under Chip Kelly, who was neither energetic nor enthusiastic about high school recruiting. To make things more difficult, UCLA has never been an aggressive NIL spender. Deshaun Foster, an assistant coach during Kelly's tenure, took over the program early in 2024, and the Bruins became a lot more active on the recruiting trail. For all the effort, though, UCLA still finished without a top-25 class and suffered some high-profile flips during the early signing period, which hurt. There are still five and a half months until the early signing period, but the Bruins have shown some encouraging signs over the past two weeks. UCLA has received commitments from two four-star offensive linemen, Johnnie Jones (No. 140 overall) and Micah Smith (No. 165). That wouldn't be much to brag about for some of the nation's high-end recruiting programs, but it's notable for UCLA given what the Bruins have done on the trail over the past decade. For proper perspective, the Bruins have signed just three top-200 prospects this decade: linebacker Damian Sellers (2020), safety Kamari Ramsey (2022) and quarterback Dante Moore (2023). Sellers lasted two seasons with the Bruins before leaving the program. Ramsey will start for USC this fall, and Moore is projected to start for Oregon. So UCLA hasn't had the best recruiting track record lately, but it does hold commitments from five blue-chip prospects this cycle. The Bruins signed just two blue-chip prospects last cycle. If they actually sign Jones and Smith, it would be an especially encouraging development for a program that desperately needs to add more talent. Jones and Smith are from Florida, and the Bruins also picked up commitments from two three-star Florida receivers on Monday (Xavier Stinson and Santana Carlos). Advertisement Already, the Sunshine State has helped propel UCLA to 11th in the national recruiting rankings. In recent years, Cal has shifted its focus toward the transfer portal and away from high school recruiting, and the rankings have reflected that. The Golden Bears have finished 70th (2025), 55th (2024) and 80th (2023) in the team rankings during that time. But one of the bigger surprises on the trail this month came when Cal landed a pledge from four-star offensive lineman Tommy Tofi, a top-150 prospect. Tofi, who plays for Archbishop Riordan in San Francisco, chose to stay local over interest from Oregon, Tennessee and Utah, among others. It also benefited Cal that Tofi's brother, John Jr., is a three-star athlete who signed with Cal in the 2025 recruiting cycle. If Tofi signs with Cal, he'd be the first top-150 prospect to do so since wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant in the 2021 cycle. Sturdivant was the No. 145 overall player in that class. The 2021 class, which ranked 29th nationally, is Justin Wilcox's best at Cal by a considerable margin. The Golden Bears have received commitments from three blue-chip prospects this cycle. The last time they signed three or more was during that 2021 class. In addition to Tofi, Cal has received verbals from 10 other players this month, including four-star running back Victor Santino, who plays for Bishop Montgomery in Torrance, Calif. The Golden Bears' class currently ranks 16th nationally. Will it stay there? No, but it'll be important to hold off recruiting juggernauts for players like Tofi, who took an official visit to Oregon last weekend. With a couple of exceptions (both good and bad), the Panthers' recruiting classes have generally hovered somewhere between 40th and 55th in the national rankings. So, even though it's only June, it's a surprise to see Pitt's class ranked 22nd nationally. Advertisement Coach Pat Narduzzi's program has not signed more than one blue-chip prospect in a single cycle since 2021. The Panthers have landed commitments from three blue-chip prospects over the past two and a half weeks: four-star offensive lineman Day'jon Moore (from Texas), four-star running back Damon Ferguson (from Maryland) and four-star linebacker Reston Lehman (from Pennsylvania). Pitt has added 13 commitments to its class this month, including the six highest-rated members of the group. Like UCLA and Cal, Pitt isn't expected to finish as high as it's currently ranked, but it'll be interesting to see if it can improve its recent recruiting standard. The Cardinal have an interim head coach, Frank Reich, in place for the 2025 season. That sort of uncertainty is generally a killer on the recruiting trail. Even with NIL becoming such a driving factor in recruitments, Stanford will always have a strong pull for prospects who really value academics and the strength of its degree. That's been evident this month because even though these recruits don't know who their head coach will be in 2026, the Cardinal have received eight commitments since the beginning of June, headlined by four-star athlete Ryelan Morris from Texas. Stanford has also had some success finding talent in Arizona, landing commitments from three-star offensive lineman Jalayne Miller, who plays for Desert Edge in Goodyear, Ariz., and receiver Daylen Sharper, who plays for Brophy Prep in Phoenix. Right now, Stanford's class ranks 25th nationally, and while it'll be difficult to stay there, things could certainly be worse for a program that doesn't have a long-term head coach in place. It's not shocking to see the Gators make a jump this month. It's more so the speed at which they've made up ground. Florida was 74th in the team rankings headed into the month and had just two commits. Advertisement The Gators have picked up 10 commitments this month and now rank 23rd nationally. Over the weekend, four-star defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy, who is the No. 121 overall player in the cycle, committed to Florida. McCoy is one of four top-200 recruits who have pledged to the Gators and is one of 10 June commitments. Florida fans won't be happy with the No. 23 overall class, so Billy Napier has more moves to make. He's still made some good steps this month. • USC picked up a commitment from four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili, who played high school football in Southern California before moving to Hawaii recently. The Trojans beat out crosstown rival UCLA for Ili, who is the No. 79 overall prospect in the country. Ili is the eighth top-100 prospect in USC's class, which ranks No. 1 in the country. • Four-star running back DeZephen Walker committed to Oklahoma on Monday. Walker is the No. 370 overall player in the cycle. • Four-star corner Caden Harris, a Tennessee native, was a bit of a feel-good story when he committed to Vanderbilt in late April. Harris is the No. 85 player in the cycle and would've been the highest-rated signee for the Commodores in the modern recruiting era, which dates back to 2002. But Harris flipped to Georgia over the weekend. The Bulldogs rank fourth in the team rankings with an average player rating of 92.26. (Photo of Billy Napier: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles Biggest ‘Hidden' Schedule Matchup Driven by ‘Hate'
Eagles Biggest 'Hidden' Schedule Matchup Driven by 'Hate' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Eagles have marquee matchups throughout the 2025 season this year. Teams like the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills are in just some of the can't-miss games upcoming for fans. Advertisement To some … Those aren't the biggest matchup, though. Philadelphia's biggest 'hidden' game of the 2025 season isn't its Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs or any NFC East showdown. It's the Eagles' Week 15 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. While some analysts and fans may find this ludicrous, the interconference showdown between Vegas and Philadelphia will mean a ton for both teams, especially for Eagles fans around the globe. And why? Las Vegas hired former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly as its offensive coordinator. For Kelly, it's the first time back in the NFL since his dismal end with the Eagles and one-year disaster with the San Francisco 49ers. Advertisement It will be the first time Kelly will be coaching in Philadelphia since his disastrous 6-9 record in 2015 after the franchise traded away or released many of the team's star talent during that era. Kelly was fired before the final game of the 2015 campaign, and the Eagles won the finale without him to finish 7-9. DeSean Jackson, Nick Foles, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy were just some names Kelly let walk. He also burned many bridges in the city due to his uncompromising nature. When the wins didn't follow, Kelly's antics got old. Week 15 will be the first time in over a decade that Eagles fans will be able to shower Kelly with their negative feelings since then. It may have all worked out, but Eagles fans will never forget their hatred for Kelly. It's what makes the team's Week 15 game so important. Advertisement They cannot lose to the coach who ruined the team when he ran it, even if the organization was able to make up for his abysmal record. Related: Barkley's Rise Is Redefining Greatness Related: Eagles Analysis Wonders If Jalen Hurts Has Reached His Ceiling This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
