Latest news with #All-Big12
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
49ers had under-the-radar reason for making one of their draft picks
The San Francisco 49ers saw some turnover in their linebacker room this offseason with Dre Greenlaw signing with the Denver Broncos, former Tennessee Titan Luke Gifford joining Robert Saleh's defense and De'Vondre Campbell being left unsigned on the market. With all of that change, San Francisco didn't exactly feel comfortable with their depth at the position behind four-time All-Pro Fred Warner entering the 2025 NFL draft, so they used one of their third-round picks (No. 75 overall) on Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin. Advertisement Martin, 22, was a three-star recruit at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas before committing to Oklahoma State in his senior year. He went on to spend four seasons with the Cowboys, recording 203 tackles (24 for a loss), seven sacks, two passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered in 35 games. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023. While his play on the field was impressive at times, it wasn't just his athletic ability that led the 49ers to take a chance on Martin. According to The Athletic's Matt Barrows, who recently spoke with 49ers director of player personnel Tariq Ahmed, Martin's mental game played just as big of a factor. "Ahmad said the 49ers wanted someone with the communication skills to call defensive plays should Fred Warner ever have to come out of a game. Martin did that at Oklahoma State," Barrows wrote. "And they were looking for a defender who could lead a group of rookie defenders the team might have to lean on heavily this season. Martin was a two-time team captain in college." Warner has been incredibly durable throughout his career, playing in all but one of the 115 possible games over his seven seasons in the league. However, the NFL's a tough business, and staying on the field only gets more difficult the longer you play. Advertisement With Greenlaw out, Ahmad and the rest of the 49ers front office and coaching staff are hoping that Martin is able to take on that hole left by his absence. 'Body structure-wise, they're a little different,' Ahmad said. 'But the aggressiveness, physicality, play speed, the passion? There's a lot of ways to compare those two guys. Everyone's different, but we're hoping.' San Francisco bringing back Saleh and using their first five picks on the defensive side of the ball is a great sign for a unit that allowed the fourth-most points in the game last season (25.6 per contest). These changes should help improve that side of the ball and should help the 49ers back into contention for a postseason spot in 2025. More 49ers: Why an ESPN analyst believes 49ers QB Brock Purdy is a top-five NFL signal caller This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers drafted LB Nick Martin for more than just his athletic ability
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
49ers rookie LB has already impressed Fred Warner in limited time together at OTAs
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner is one of the best in the league at what he does, and that's earned him All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors four times in his seven years since the team took him in the third round (No. 70 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft out of BYU. His performance earned him a three-year, $63 million extension with San Francisco this offseason, making him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history. Advertisement With that, it's not easy to impress Warner, but rookie linebacker Nick Martin has done just that in the early parts of the 49ers' offseason program. "I've loved everything that Nick's been about since he's arrived," Warner said during a recent media availability. "I heard the whole story about how he said he had my jersey before coming on the team... He's come in and he's asked me every single question known to man, like 'Fred, how are you doing this? What are you doing after practice? What are you doing after lift?' [He] wants to be a part of those things, and [he's not] afraid to ask those questions. "I've seen the athletic ability flash already on the field in the way that he closes space really quickly. He already has the great mindset of wanting to learn, so I'm really happy with where he's at." Martin, 22, was a three-star recruit out of Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas, before committing to Oklahoma State for the 2021 season. With the Cowboys, he appeared in 35 games over four years, recording 203 tackles (24 for a loss), seven sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. He also earned All-Big 12 honors in 2023. Advertisement San Francisco selected him in the third round (no. 75 overall) of this year's draft to not only help make up for Dre Greenlaw's departure, but also to fill in for Warner as the team's defensive signal caller, if necessary. Martin is projected to start his rookie year as a starter alongside Warner, and he's already started to prove himself to a player that he clearly grew up admiring on his journey to the pros. He'll have a chance to do that even more as the offseason program continues. More 49ers: Bryce Huff's teammate explains why it 'wasn't a great marriage' with Huff and Eagles This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers' Fred Warner likes what he's seen from Nick Martin already
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers rookie LB has already impressed Fred Warner in limited time together at OTAs
49ers rookie LB has already impressed Fred Warner in limited time together at OTAs San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner is one of the best in the league at what he does, and that's earned him All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors four times in his seven years since the team took him in the third round (No. 70 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft out of BYU. His performance earned him a three-year, $63 million extension with San Francisco this offseason, making him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history. With that, it's not easy to impress Warner, but rookie linebacker Nick Martin has done just that in the early parts of the 49ers' offseason program. "I've loved everything that Nick's been about since he's arrived," Warner said during a recent media availability. "I heard the whole story about how he said he had my jersey before coming on the team... He's come in and he's asked me every single question known to man, like 'Fred, how are you doing this? What are you doing after practice? What are you doing after lift?' [He] wants to be a part of those things, and [he's not] afraid to ask those questions. "I've seen the athletic ability flash already on the field in the way that he closes space really quickly. He already has the great mindset of wanting to learn, so I'm really happy with where he's at." Martin, 22, was a three-star recruit out of Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas, before committing to Oklahoma State for the 2021 season. With the Cowboys, he appeared in 35 games over four years, recording 203 tackles (24 for a loss), seven sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. He also earned All-Big 12 honors in 2023. San Francisco selected him in the third round (no. 75 overall) of this year's draft to not only help make up for Dre Greenlaw's departure, but also to fill in for Warner as the team's defensive signal caller, if necessary. Martin is projected to start his rookie year as a starter alongside Warner, and he's already started to prove himself to a player that he clearly grew up admiring on his journey to the pros. He'll have a chance to do that even more as the offseason program continues. More 49ers: Bryce Huff's teammate explains why it 'wasn't a great marriage' with Huff and Eagles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NC State men's basketball grabs top 10 transfer, Wolfpack roster nearly complete
The final pieces of N.C. State's 2025-26 men's basketball roster are falling into place. Darrion Williams, the No. 6 player in the transfer portal per 247Sports and On3, committed to the Wolfpack on Thursday night. Advertisement Williams joins the N.C. State program after spending one season at Nevada and two at Texas Tech, primarily playing at power forward. 'Thank you Tech for everything!' Williams wrote in a tweet. 'I wouldn't trade these last two years for anything. Lubbock is a second home to me and will always have a special place in my heart.' During his junior season with the Red Raiders, Williams averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He recorded a 23% assist rate. Williams shot 34% from 3-point range last season, taking a step back from his 46% 3-point rate as a sophomore. Williams made roughly 44% of his shots from the field. Though his averages dipped this past season, Williams has made clutch shots in big moments. Arguably his most important shot was a go-ahead layup in Texas Tech's overtime win over Arkansas to advance to the Elite Eight. N.C. State's Casey Morsell drives to the basket past Texas Tech's Darrion Williams during the first half of the Wolfpack's first round NCAA Tournament game on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Sacramento native — he attended high school in Las Vegaas — earned First Team All-Big 12 honors this past season and Third Team honors a year prior. Advertisement Williams was on the Red Raiders team that fell to N.C. State in 2024 during the Wolfpack's miracle run to the Final Four. He recorded 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the loss. Photos: NC State defeats Texas Tech in first round NCAA Tournament action Williams went through the NBA Draft evaluation process, but opted to return to school after struggling in the combine. He withdrew earlier this week. Williams tied for first place in the 3-point contest, but had little impact in the two scrimmages. He previously told CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter that he was focused on the combine and didn't take calls from coaches. However, Williams also said he was open to returning to school if that was the best decision for himself. Advertisement 'I'm open to it, but I wanted to be full in on the draft,' Williams said. 'I didn't want to be one foot in one foot out. If I have to go back, I'll go back, [but] I want to go through the draft [process]. It's my first time doing this.' First-year head coach Will Wade told the News & Observer last week he hoped to complete the roster by the beginning of June. With Williams' commitment, the Pack has 11 scholarship players. It currently can offer 13 full scholarships. If the House vs. NCAA settlement is approved, however, Division I teams can award a combination of full or partial scholarships to up to 15 players. The Wolfpack ranks No. 12 in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings, adding one five-star and five four-star recruits. N.C. State lands at No. 15 in the nation for overall recruiting rankings, picking up two five-star players and six four-stars.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Chase Edmonds gushes with praise for Broncos rookie RB RJ Harvey
Chase Edmonds gushes with praise for Broncos rookie RB RJ Harvey The Denver Broncos drafted RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft earlier this offseason. In a quest to continue to build around sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, the drafting of Harvey is an attempt to further stabilize the running game as a component of head coach Sean Payton's precision pass attack. Chase Edmonds, via NFL Network's 'Good Morning Football,' recently gushed how excited he is for Harvey to join the Broncos. He even warned Broncos Country to get their 'Kool-Aid' ready because Harvey is bringing the 'juice.' "I absolutely love this guy," Edmonds said. "You talk about juice, you talk about the ability to get skinny, get back out to the outside. Broncos Country, let me tell you something right now: Get your Kool-Aid ready, because this brother is bringing the juice." With UCF, Harvey rushed for 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. Hopefully, Harvey can replicate this production in 2025 with Denver. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
