logo
Purdue football adds Division II defensive lineman as grad transfer

Purdue football adds Division II defensive lineman as grad transfer

Josh Burney is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle who played four seasons at Fort Valley State, a Division II program in Georgia.
Purdue football dipped down to the Division II level in an attempt to further enhance its defensive front.
Former Fort Valley State defensive lineman Josh Burney committed to the Boilermakers on Tuesday. He became the 22nd transfer addition of the spring and the third on the defensive line.
Burney, who is 6 foot 4 and 300 pounds, collected 20 tackles, five sacks, one quarterback hurry and one blocked kick over nine games last season. He had recorded two sacks in 19 games over his first three seasons.
Purdue had already added former Arkansas defensive lineman Ian Jeffries and former North Texas edge rusher Braylon Charles since the end of spring practice.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
The Boilermakers needed additional depth on the defensive front after six tackles or rush ends entered the portal since the end of the spring.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lakers may have to overpay for players due to Luka Doncic trade
Lakers may have to overpay for players due to Luka Doncic trade

USA Today

time4 hours ago

  • USA Today

Lakers may have to overpay for players due to Luka Doncic trade

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic in that stunning trade four months ago, there was a huge backlash because of the relatively low price they paid to obtain him from the Dallas Mavericks. But that backlash wasn't limited to Mavericks fans who were livid at general manager Nico Harrison for letting the generational superstar leave so easily. There are likely many other people around the league, especially members of other teams' front offices, who were and still are irate over this trade. For whatever reason, there has always been some hatred for the Lakers across the NBA, and it seems like the Doncic deal reignited those bad feelings. According to Jake Weinbach, executives consider the Doncic trade a "gift" to the Lakers, and as a result, the franchise may have to overpay for players it wants to trade for moving forward. There has long been a theory that there is a "Lakers tax" in prospective trades because of the antipathy that other teams have toward the Purple and Gold. It looks like the Doncic trade could be just the thing that will increase that supposed tax. Los Angeles badly needs help at the center position and could also use better guard and wing depth. It has been linked to big men such as Nic Claxton, Brook Lopez and the Mavs' Daniel Gafford, and there will likely be others the team at least inquires about very soon. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle

Florida basketball's Olivier Rioux signs with NBA agent, eyes growth on and off the court
Florida basketball's Olivier Rioux signs with NBA agent, eyes growth on and off the court

USA Today

time5 hours ago

  • USA Today

Florida basketball's Olivier Rioux signs with NBA agent, eyes growth on and off the court

Florida basketball player Olivier Rioux, the Gators' 7-foot-9-inch center, has taken a key step in his basketball and branding journey, signing this week with Athletes in Power Sports Management, according to On3's Keith Niebuhr. Athletes in Power Sports Management is a global agency led by certified NBA agent and former UMass coach Peter Yannopoulos. Yannopoulos, a Montreal native with decades of experience in basketball, media and marketing, is the president and founding partner of the agency. He's known Rioux since he was just 12 years old. "I've been following Olivier since he was 12 years old here in Montreal," Yannopoulos said. "We're both from the same city and I've been involved with basketball for over 30 years. Ollie was 7-foot-3 when he was like 13 years old. Just followed his trajectory. Got to know his parents. And his brother. And just built a relationship that way and just supported him along his journey. He just kept getting better and better and we stayed close over the years." Yannopoulos continued, "We decided to collaborate together and Ollie said he wanted me to represent him. It's a great fit both ways." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Athletes in Power's mission is to "empower athletes globally by providing exceptional representation, career development, and personalized support that aligns athletic and financial potential." With Rioux, Yannopoulos sees an opportunity to do exactly that. Last year, Rioux took a developmental redshirt season, serving on the Gators' scout team. Though Florida returns a deep frontcourt from its 2025 national championship team–including Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten–those around Rioux believe more opportunities on the court are coming. Off the court, his agency is already working on brand partnerships. "We are currently working with a couple of brands, trying to identify some partnerships that really align with Ollie's values," Yannopoulos said. "He's somebody that's very proud of his hometown here in Montreal and in Canada. He wants to work with some companies there and also North America." Rioux became internationally known for his height, setting a Guinness World Record for being the world's tallest teenager. But Yannopoulos believes Rioux's value goes far beyond that. "Ollie is a unique talent," Yannopoulos said. "He's very tall but he's a very skilled and talented basketball player and athlete who just keeps getting better and better." Yannopoulos went on to say, "A lot of brands want to associate themselves with a rising talented player like Ollie. I can tell you Ollie's brand is growing every single day." With his combination of size, personality and potential, Rioux is positioned to become one of the most marketable young athletes in college basketball. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Texas lands first DT commitment from four-star Dylan Berymon
Texas lands first DT commitment from four-star Dylan Berymon

Yahoo

time15 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Texas lands first DT commitment from four-star Dylan Berymon

Texas Longhorns have landed their first defensive tackle commitment of the 2026 recruiting class. Four-star, 6-foot-2, 320 pound Dylan Berymon of Louisiana has picked Texas over LSU, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina. Defensive tackle is a position of need for UT. Berymon is great start to a solid defensive tackle class. With a strong base and upfield push, Berymon should be an anchor at nose tackle, clogging up the middle to stop the run. Advertisement Recruiting analysts had pegged Berymon as a future Boilermaker because of some pre-exhisting relationships. But in the end, Texas won out. He will join former Boilermaker and likely 2025 Texas starter Cole Brevard in the DT room. On3's Industry Rankings have Berymon ranked as the No. 172 overall prospect, the No. 19 defensive linema and the No. 8 player in Louisiana. Texas also has a pledge from Louisiana defensive back Hayward Howard. If both players end up signing, they would join Arch Manning, Derek Williams, Wardell Mack and Will Randle from The Boot. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: COMMITMENT ALERT: Four-star DT Dylan Berymon picks Texas

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store