- A.J. Brown stole the show in joint practices, flashing big plays with new QB Drake Maye and even sharing moments with his former Eagles teammates.
- Saquon Barkley looked explosively fast — he could be Philly’s go‑to playmaker while their top receivers recover.
- The Patriots looked punchy overall (Maye progressing, Brown a major boost), though CB Christian Gonzalez’s absence — reportedly tied to contract talks — is a talking point.
The news, distilled into what matters.
- Notre Dame and Texas are the top early bets at Caesars — Notre Dame leads in tickets and money at +600, with Texas right behind at +700 (ND’s soft schedule and Arch Manning hype are big drivers).
- Ohio State is the favorite at +575 and drawing strong support; Caesars says Ohio State — along with Georgia and LSU — is unusually favorable this year, with QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith getting praise.
- Wild longshot alert: someone placed $3,000 on Rutgers at 500/1 — a $1.5 million payout if it hits.
- Sam LaPorta missed multiple practices with an aggravated hip and is uncertain for Week 1 vs. the Saints; coach Dan Campbell says they’ll rest him but are optimistic long-term.
- LaPorta had a strong showing before a 2025 season-ending herniated disc and is expected to be a focal point in Detroit’s offense under new OC Drew Petzing.
- The Lions have depth behind him — Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin and Jackson Meeks — so they have options if he’s held out.
- Messi could face an MLS fine after swiping at Quinn Sullivan’s head during a stoppage-time altercation in Inter Miami’s 2–2 draw.
- He scored twice — his first goals since his father’s death — moving to 922 career goals.
- Despite the brace, Miami are winless in four matches and sit second in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind Nashville.
- Odds say LeBron will average under 20 PPG for the first time in his 24-year career — DraftKings favors him landing in the 18–19 PPG range.
- Moving to Philly alongside Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown makes a reduced-scoring, more facilitative role plausible.
- He’s more than capable of shifting to playmaker — he led the league in assists in 2019–20 and has a long history of high assist totals — plus his scoring often tracks his shot attempts (just 15.3 last season).
- Virginia Tech — James Franklin’s first year with a top ACC transfer class and 14 returning starters makes the Hokies a real ACC dark‑horse; key tests @Clemson and @Miami.
- Penn State — Matt Campbell brought a top Big Ten portal haul (and RB Jayden Hansen) plus a very favorable schedule that could vault the Nittany Lions into the conference title hunt.
- North Dakota State — The dominant FCS program moves to the Mountain West as an FBS newcomer with eight returning starters, poised to shake up the conference.
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