USA TODAY Sports Super 25 boys basketball rankings as of Feb. 27, 2025
The Eagles, a perennial mainstay in all national rankings, suffered their sixth loss of the season. With a 19-6 record, they fell out of the Super 25. DeMatha, which also suffered its sixth loss, departed the national rankings as well, opening the door for Christ School to re-enter as champions and 36-win Highland to debut.
More: The return of Air Bud? Dog takes the court at a Missouri girls high school basketball game
The other major shakeup this week was Paul VI winning the WCAC Championship with a victory over Gonzaga, a team ranked in the top 10 all year. This title pushed Paul VI up several spots, and Gonzaga, with five losses, moved into the lower half of the rankings.
(Records as of Wednesday, Feb. 26)
Record: 25-3
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 30-1
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 32-2
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 33-1
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 33-0
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 31-2
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 24-2
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 20-1
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 27-2
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 26-3
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 30-1
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 26-3
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 24-0
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 27-4
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 32-2
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 28-2
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 26-5
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 25-3
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 24-4
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 18-5
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 20-2
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 26-2
Previous Rank: NR
Record: 26-1
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 36-5
Previous Rank: NR
Record: 30-4
Previous Rank: 25
Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)
Kenwood (Chicago)
St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.)
Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)
Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
More: 2025 college basketball recruiting rankings
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Montverde falls out of latest Super 25 boys basketball rankings
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Winners, losers from Eagles preseason game: Drew Mukuba's secret mentality to win safety job
PHILADELPHIA − Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is steadfast in not revealing anything about who's winning any of the competitions for starting jobs. Sirianni did it again after the Eagles' 22-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 16, when he was asked specifically about the competition at safety between Sydney Brown and rookie Drew Mukuba. But it's hard to deny Mukuba's strong push for the starting job. Mukuba not only returned an interception for a 75-yard touchdown, but he also recovered a fumble that ultimately led to another Eagles touchdown. Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets That, sadly, accounted for all of the Eagles' scoring after a desultory offensive performance where both quarterbacks vying for the No. 3 job in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord struggled, to put it mildly (more on that later). "I know you guys are waiting for us to be like, 'Here's the guy who's starting,'" Sirianni said. "I think it's also a good thing that we have a bunch of guys that we feel good about that are still battling all the way until the end. That's what we're excited about." Great. But there was something else Sirianni said about Mukuba that perhaps gave away what the Eagles are really thinking as to who the starter will be next to Reed Blankenship. "I always thought that he has a knack for the football," Sirianni said about Mukuba. "Any time you go out there and make a play, that's big. That was exciting, the interception. And even the one when he was there for the fumble recovery after they had a missed exchange. "Guys that have a knack for the football just find ways to be around the football." They also find ways to win starting jobs. It's not that Brown played poorly. He just didn't do anything to stand out, and he hasn't stood out even while Mukuba was injured early in training camp. Here, then, are our winners and losers from the Eagles' loss to the Browns: WINNER: Eagles safety Drew Mukuba Mukuba revealed after the game that it was his first-ever pick-6, going back to high school and college at both Clemson and Texas. Mukuba stepped in front of a Dillon Gabriel pass intended for Diontae Johnson along the sideline on the first play of the second quarter. He returned it 75 yards for the touchdown. "The quarterback was looking (at Johnson), and I was surprised he was throwing it because I was literally right there," Mukuba said. "As soon as I caught it, I already had in my mind that I gotta get in the end zone. I was able to do that. It felt good." But Mukuba also showed the mentality that the Eagles are looking for in a starting safety. That's because for the second time, Mukuba had an interception after giving up a reception. It happened in the joint practice session with the Browns on Aug. 14. And it happened again in the game, when Mukuba gave up an 18-yard pass play from Gabriel to Cedric Tillman two plays earlier. "You have to be able to ... have a short memory and move on so you can have your full focus," Sirianni said. "That's part of the mental toughness of being able to be in the moment and fix the mistakes later." As for those mistakes, Mukuba said this: "Looking deep down and looking in the mirror at myself, I know for a fact there are things out there I need to go out and clean up for sure." Mukuba has the mentality to fix that. Does Brown? QB QUESTIONS: Analysis: Why Eagles' No. 3 QB problem matters after Kyle McCord, DTR's debacle vs Browns LOSERS: Eagles QBs in competition for No. 3 spot With Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee sitting out, the Eagles provided a golden opportunity for either Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Kyle McCord to take the lead in the battle for the No. 3 spot. McCord might have done that, by default. He completed 8 of 16 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. He rotated in and out with Thompson-Robinson, who was 5 of 8 for 17 yards and an interception. But McCord had an interception negated by a Browns penalty, and a potential pick-6 was dropped on another ill-advised pass. DTR didn't get help from his teammates as AJ Dillon caught a pass off a deflection that went for a 14-yard loss when he should have knocked the ball down for an incomplete pass. But DTR also threw a dreadful interception by throwing as he was getting hit. He should have taken the sack. McCord, however, had a solid play on his 3rd-and-goal TD pass to Ainias Smith from the Browns' 9. McCord didn't see the completion because he got walloped as he threw. "As a quarterback, that's your way to show toughness," McCord said. "There aren't too many times where you're physically showing your toughness. So when the opportunity presents itself and it's a 0-blitz and you can stand in there and throw a touchdown, that's your way to exemplify that." WINNER: Eagles WR Ainias Smith Smith's 19 yards led the Eagles, which isn't great. But Smith did get into the end zone for the second time in two games. And after an injury-filled and dreadful rookie season in 2024, that's something for Smith to build on. LOSER: Eagles running backs Granted, Saquon Barkley sat out the preseason game as did Will Shipley. But veteran A.J. Dillon played. In addition to his bad decision by catching DTR's minus-14 yard pass, Dillon also had just 7 yards on 3 carries. He wasn't alone. Dillon, Montrell Johnson, Kellan Robinson and ShunDerrick Powell combined for 18 carries for 31 yards. WINNER: Azeez Ojulari and Jihaad Campbell Ojulari, after a slow start to training camp, turned it on during the practices against the Browns and continued that in the game, with an early sack of Dillon Gabriel. Campbell, the Eagles' first-round pick, had a sack on the second play of the game. Campbell keeps showing that he's going to be a force, sooner rather than later. Celebrate the Eagles Super Bowl win with our new book LOSER: Eagles offensive line As bad as Thompson-Robinson and McCord were was an indication of how poorly the backups on the offensive line blocked for him. While the QBs were only sacked once, the Browns had 6 tackles for losses and 6 QB hits. LOSER: Nick Sirianni, Kevin Stefanski sideline antics It's preseason Week 2, yet there was Sirianni calling a timeout with 2 seconds left in the first half, just as Andre Szmyt was about to try a 49-yard field goal. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski didn't appear happy that Sirianni would ice his kicker on a steaming hot day. The two coaches were caught on camera pointing at each other and chirping back and forth. It's great that Sirianni wants to be prepared for every situation that might come up in a game. But come on, he knows how to call a timeout to ice a kicker without having to do it in a preseason game. Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles preseason Week 2 vs Browns: Biggest winners and losers
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A.J. Brown injury update, what it means for opener as Eagles trade for Texans John Metchie.
PHILADELPHIA − The Eagles made an interesting trade for a wide receiver considering they already have two of the best in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, with Jahan Dotson as the third receiver. Yet the Eagles added to that depth, acquiring John Metchie from the Houston Texans on Aug. 17 along with a sixth-round pick. In return, the Eagles are sending the Texans tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick. Don't miss a play: Sign up for Martin Frank's Eye on the Eagles newsletter for all the action The draft picks were originally swapped in March when the Eagles traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston in return for guard Kenyon Green. ESPN was first to report the news. Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets UPDATE: It's becoming clear that Brown's status for the opener could be in question. Brown hasn't gone through a full practice, and he did not practice on Aug. 18 (see below). In Metchie, the Eagles are getting the Texans' second-round pick in 2022 out of Alabama. Metchie shared the wide receiver room there with DeVonta Smith, who left a year earlier to become the Eagles' first-round pick. Metchie, who's 6-feet, 195 pounds, didn't play as a rookie after he was diagnosed with leukemia. But he returned in 2023 and had 16 catches for 158 yards. Last season, Metchie had 24 catches for 254 yards and his only NFL touchdown. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Winners, losers from Eagles preseason game: Drew Mukuba's secret mentality to win safety job A THIRD QB PROBLEM? Analysis: Why Eagles' No. 3 QB problem matters after Kyle McCord, DTR's debacle vs Browns Bryant signed with the Eagles as a free agent in March. The Eagles also signed veteran Kylen Granson, and had Grant Calcaterra returning for the final season of his rookie contract. At the time of those signings, the Eagles didn't know if Dallas Goedert was returning. But Goedert agreed to return at a lower salary in May, giving the Eagles four veteran tight ends. That made Bryant expendable, and the Texans were looking for one after Brevin Jordan tore his ACL last week. Here are 3 things to know about the newest Eagles WR. Is A.J. Brown's hamstring injury a factor? The initial reaction would be why would the Eagles need another wide receiver if Brown, Smith and to a lesser extent Dotson are already here? Brown first suffered the hamstring injury on Aug. 1. He returned on a limited basis on Aug. 10 and 12th, but then sat out the two practice sessions with the Browns over the next two days. The Eagles open the season Sept. 4. The Eagles will begin ramping up for the opener on Aug. 27, the day after rosters have to be cut to 53. That would leave 8 days for Brown to get ready. It might be enough time for him. When asked on Aug. 14 if Brown suffered a setback, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni replied: "Our goal is to get all these guys ready and be firing all cylinders when the season hits. I'm not going to get into too much of that stuff. He's working through some things, and he'll be back out there when he can." How does John Metchie fit in Eagles WR room? Metchie would seemingly slot in behind Brown, Smith and Dotson. The Eagles also have 2024 draft pick Johnny Wilson, who's 6-foot-6, and has drawn Sirianni's praise not just for his improvement in catching 50-50 balls, but also his blocking ability. So he would appear to have a spot on the 53-man roster. That would leave Ainias Smith, who has scored two touchdowns in two preseason games, battling it out with undrafted free agent Darius Cooper, along with Terrace Marshall and Elijah Cooks for the final WR spot. That's if the Eagles decide to keep 6 wide receivers. Celebrate the Eagles Super Bowl win with our new book John Metchie is a cancer survivor Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, in July of 2022. At the time, Metchie was also recovering from a torn ACL suffered at Alabama, when he had his best collegiate season, with 96 catches for 1,142 yards. Metchie went in remission in December of 2022, a key indicator of recovery from a blood cancer. He has been cancer free ever since. Still, the ACL tear and leukemia diagnosis cost Metchie his rookie season. He was cleared to return to football the following summer for training camp. "This entire year has been eventful for sure," Metchie told reporters in the summer of 2023. "It has had its ups and downs. But being back on the field feels great. It's been a long way coming, but it definitely feels like a blessing, and it's something you're grateful for every day." Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: John Metchie: Eagles trade for Texans wide receiver. 3 things to know
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Eagles 53-man roster projection: After trade, these WRs should worry. Is 3rd QB on roster?
PHILADELPHIA − There are two ways to look at the Eagles trade for wide receiver John Metchie on Aug. 17. The first is that A.J. Brown's hamstring injury could linger into the start of the regular season, an ominous sign since the opener is 2½ weeks away and Brown hasn't gone through a full practice since Aug. 1. Eye on the Eagles: Sign up for Martin Frank's weekly newsletter and stay on top of the action The second is that the Eagles aren't convinced that the receivers fighting for the final WR spot on the 53-man roster are ready to step in if either Brown or DeVonta Smith were to miss time with injuries. Both Brown and Smith missed three games last season due to injury. Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets This is the second straight August that the Eagles swung a trade for a wide receiver. In 2024, the Eagles acquired Jahan Dotson to serve as the third wide receiver. They didn't give up nearly as much to get Metchie, sending tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick for Metchie and a sixth-round pick. It's clear that the Eagles wouldn't have made the trade if they were satisfied with the position. The same could apply at quarterback behind Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee. As the Eagles showed in their 22-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 16, the third quarterback battle between Dorian Thompson-Robinson and rookie Kyle McCord is not going very well. EAGLES GET A WR: Eagles trade for Texans WR John Metchie. 3 things to know, including A.J. Brown injury BROWNS TAKEAWAYS: Winners, losers from Eagles preseason game: Drew Mukuba's secret mentality to win safety job Sure, the Eagles could take their chances and hope that they won't need a third quarterback this season. But that wasn't the case last year as both Hurts (concussion) and Kenny Pickett (ribs) were injured late in the season. McKee played the final six quarters of the regular season and played so well that the Eagles traded Pickett to Cleveland and anointed McKee the backup. The Eagles do not have a third QB who is anywhere near McKee's level last season. Here, then, is a projection of the Eagles' 53-man roster and depth chart with cuts looming Aug. 26: Quarterback (3) Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Kyle McCord Comment: McCord edges out Thompson-Robinson for the third QB job − by default. But McCord shouldn't get too comfortable because the Eagles could easily pick up a veteran waived by another team on cut-down day, or even trade for a third QB. That would knock McCord to the practice squad if he isn't claimed by another team. Running back (3) Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley, A.J. Dillon Comment: It was telling in the preseason game against the Browns that Shipley sat out while Dillon did not. Does that mean that Shipley is considered RB2 behind Barkley, while Dillon is No. 3? It probably doesn't matter much since Barkley will get the vast majority of the carries. Montrell Johnson might have an outside chance as a fourth RB now that he's back from injury. Tight end (3) Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Kylen Granson Comment: Trading Bryant to Houston in the Metchie deal pretty much solidifies the pecking order, and eliminates the need for a fourth tight end. E.J. Jenkins and Nick Muse have shown flashes, but not enough. Wide receiver (5) A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, John Metchie, Johnny Wilson Comment: Ainias Smith, the Eagles' fifth-round pick in 2024, has clearly improved from his rookie year, both as a receiver − two touchdowns in two games − and as a punt returner. But the Eagles would not have made the trade for Metchie if they were comfortable with Smith in either role (see special teams section). The same goes for Darius Cooper, the undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State, Elijah Cooks and Terrace Marshall. Offensive line (11) Starters (from left): Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson Backups: Kendall Lamm, Matt Pryor, Drew Kendall, Brett Toth, Darian Kinnard, Myles Hinton Comment: The Eagles will go heavy just in case Dickerson, who had knee surgery on Aug. 13, isn't ready for the opener. Toth appears to be Dickerson's backup, but keep an eye on Kinnard if Dickerson isn't ready. Kenyon Green, acquired in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, is week to week with a shoulder injury. He's either headed to IR or waived with an injury settlement. Edge rusher (5) Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche, Ogbo Okoronkwo Comment: I originally had Antwaun Powell-Ryland as the fifth edge rusher because he's a sixth-round pick. But Powell-Ryland hasn't shown much, whereas Okoronkwo has. Okoronkwo has 12½ sacks in his last three seasons and can be a serviceable edge rusher. Defensive tackle (5) Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Ty Robinson, Gabe Hall Comment: Robinson has had an impressive camp, and the Eagles traded Thomas Booker for CB Jakorian Bennett in part to make room for Gabe Hall, who spent last season on the practice squad. Carter, Davis and Ojomo are primed for big seasons. Linebacker (4) Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter, Smael Mondon Comment: This again is assuming that Nakobe Dean stays on the PUP list, and thus has to miss at least the first four games. Campbell might have beaten Dean out even if Dean was healthy. He and Baun together will be fun to watch. Trotter and Mondon would be capable starters on many teams. Cornerback (6) Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Jakorian Bennett, Kelee Ringo, Mac McWilliams, Eli Ricks Comment: Adoree Jackson is the odd man out here, mainly because of his age. For Jackson to make the team, he would have to show that he can start opposite Quinyon Mitchell without a significant dropoff from Mitchell. He hasn't shown that. Neither has Ringo, but he's 23 years old. Bennett is still learning the system. McWilliams has played well, and Ricks might find a role. Safety (4) Reed Blankenship, Drew Mukuba, Sydney Brown, Tristin McCollum Comment: DeJean is listed as a cornerback, but he'll most likely be playing safety in base. So there isn't a need for an extra safety, although Andre Sam or Lewis Cine could end up warranting a spot. Look for Mukuba to win the starting job over Brown, but it'll go down to the wire. Celebrate the Eagles Super Bowl win with our new book Specialists (4) Jake Elliott-kicker, Braden Mann-punter, Charley Hughlett-long snapper, Avery Williams-returner Comment: The intrigue here is whether the Eagles either keep Williams to serve as both the kick and punt returner, or Ainias Smith to handle punt return duties and someone else to return kicks. Williams hasn't had a great camp, but he's proven, and the Eagles will go with proven. Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles 53-man roster projection 3.0: Complete depth chart predictions
