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Fox Sports
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 San Jose State Football Predictions: Spartans Ranked 80th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136
College Football 2025 San Jose State Football Predictions: Spartans Ranked 80th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136 Published Aug. 10, 2025 9:18 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link This isn't your average college football ranking. My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list: Who do I think is good? Why do I think they're good? What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations? Here is a look at where San Jose State lands in my Ultimate 136. San Jose State ranking: 80 Last year's ranking: 110 Top player: LB Jordan Pollard: Second-team All-CUSA selection, led Liberty with 88 tackles last season. [San Jose State's 2025 schedule] RJ's take: The Spartans managed to finish 7-6 in large part due to an air raid philosophy of feeding your best playmaker the ball as often as possible. That led to wide receiver Nick Nash catching 104 passes for 1,382 yards with an FBS-leading 16 touchdowns in 2024. Now, head coach Ken Niumatalolo has to try to replace that production with returning receiver Matthew Coleman, former Washington wideout Caleb Presley and USC cornerback Malik Crawford. But returning quarterback Walker Eget is going to have to do better than 2,504 passing yards with a 57.3 completion percentage and a 13-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio if San Jose State is to contend in the Mountain West. ADVERTISEMENT [ Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here ] San Jose State Win Total Odds: Over 7.5 (+114) Under 7.5 (-140) Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young , and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article. RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Football San Jose State Spartans share
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raiders rookie WR Dont'e Thornton knows he must improve as a route runner
The Las Vegas Raiders entered training camp searching for playmakers at wide receiver. Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker are the two veterans in the room. New general manager John Spytek selected multiple wide receivers during the 2025 NFL draft, landing Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton. Thornton is especially intriguing. The former Tennessee Volunteers standout is an athletic specimen who's still developing the technical aspects of playing the position. The 6-foot-5, 205 pound Thornton ran a blazing-fast 4.30 at the NFL combine. Despite having that size and athleticism, he only produced 661 receiving yards last season. The biggest knock analysts had on Thornton throughout the pre-draft process was his raw route-running ability. He averaged an explosive, FBS-leading 25.4 yards per catch last campaign, but ran a limited route tree, lowering his ceiling. Thornton is aware he must improve as a route runner. "The biggest knock on me was I wasn't a true route runner," Thornton said after a recent practice. "It's more motivation to get even better." New Raiders starting quarterback Geno Smith is a gunslinger. Under Raiders head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle, he loved targeting big-bodied receivers like DK Metcalf down the field. Tucker, Meyers, or Bech can't provide that explosive ability in the way Thornton can if he reaches his performance ceiling. Thornton is taking the correct approach at training camp to develop into a useful target for Smith this season. This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders rookie WR Dont'e Thornton: "Must improve as a route runner"
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Raiders rookie WR Dont'e Thornton knows he must improve as a route runner
The Las Vegas Raiders entered training camp searching for playmakers at wide receiver. Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker are the two veterans in the room. New general manager John Spytek selected multiple wide receivers during the 2025 NFL draft, landing Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton. Thornton is especially intriguing. The former Tennessee Volunteers standout is an athletic specimen who's still developing the technical aspects of playing the position. The 6-foot-5, 205 pound Thornton ran a blazing-fast 4.30 at the NFL combine. Despite having that size and athleticism, he only produced 661 receiving yards last season. The biggest knock analysts had on Thornton throughout the pre-draft process was his raw route-running ability. He averaged an explosive, FBS-leading 25.4 yards per catch last campaign, but ran a limited route tree, lowering his ceiling. Thornton is aware he must improve as a route runner. "The biggest knock on me was I wasn't a true route runner," Thornton said after a recent practice. "It's more motivation to get even better." New Raiders starting quarterback Geno Smith is a gunslinger. Under Raiders head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle, he loved targeting big-bodied receivers like DK Metcalf down the field. Tucker, Meyers, or Bech can't provide that explosive ability in the way Thornton can if he reaches his performance ceiling. Thornton is taking the correct approach at training camp to develop into a useful target for Smith this season.
USA Today
25-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers announce CB change in roster move on Friday
The Carolina Panthers made a swap in their secondary on Friday. As announced this afternoon, the team has signed cornerback Mello Dotson. Fellow corner MJ Devonshire, who sustained a hamstring injury during the first week of training camp, has been waived-injured to make room on the roster. Dotson, a Daytona Beach, Fla. native, spent his five-year collegiate career at the University of Kansas. He was named a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2024, where he tallied a conference-leading five interceptions and an FBS-leading two interception returns for a touchdown. After going undrafted this past spring, Dotson signed on as a free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 6-foot-1, 192-pounder would then be waived on July 22. Like Dotson, Devonshire got his NFL start in Las Vegas. The two-time second-team All-ACC member was selected by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 2024 draft. Devonshire found his way to Carolina on April 28, when the Panthers claimed him off waivers from the Raiders. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams training camp preview: Who steps up at inside linebacker?
Omar Speights, Nate Landman and Chris Paul Jr. are the top guys at ILB entering training camp No position group on the Los Angeles Rams' depth chart is more fluid than inside linebacker. There are four players vying for two starting spots, ranging from a veteran such as Troy Reeder to a rookie in Chris Paul Jr. There's a lot to be sorted out at this spot, and while it may not be a highly prioritized position for Sean McVay and Les Snead, it is a critical role on defense. So who will emerge as the two starters? And who will remain on the field as a three-down linebacker once the season begins? Training camp will help the Rams figure things out at a wide-open position. Roster locks Speights took over as a starter next to Christian Rozeboom after Troy Reeder got hurt, maintaining his grip on that role through the end of the season. Landman was a free-agent addition following his stint with the Falcons, while Paul was a fifth-round pick out of Ole Miss. All three should be locks to make the team despite none of them being certain to be starters on defense. Likely to make it Reeder was close to making this tier, especially with his special teams value, but there's no guaranteed the Rams will even keep four inside linebackers. They could go with just three to start the year in hopes of stashing Reeder on the practice squad if he clears waivers (which he should). On the bubble Reeder probably has the edge over the other three linebackers in this group, simply because he's a former starter on defense. But he regressed last year and fell out of favor, with the Rams opting not to activate him off IR despite having the opportunity to in the postseason. Dolac is the only undrafted rookie at inside linebacker but he's certainly not someone to overlook after the career he had at Buffalo. Position battle to watch It's possible this will be a four-for-two deal: four players competing for two starting spots. The pecking order could be just as it's listed above, with Speights having the first crack at a starting job and Landman close behind him. Paul will need to earn his stripes as a fifth-round rookie but the promise is certainly there; he's the most athletic linebacker on the team. Potential sleeper Dolac had an FBS-leading 168 tackles at Buffalo last season, along with five interceptions, 6.5 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss. He was all over the field and he'll try to keep up that reputation as a member of the Rams in training camp. In such a wide-open position group, Dolac has a chance to make some noise this summer. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
