Rohan Raja was a major player on the tag team scene for WWE NXT UK before the brand shut down and folded into the current state of NXT programming. He came a long way from his roots in the United Kingdom and Australia to being a challenger for the tag team titles.
Raja was born in the United Kingdom and was thrust into pro wrestling fandom thanks to his grandfather, father and brother, who were all massive fans. He got his first glimpse at the sport when he was just four years old and knew right away it was a career he wanted to pursue.
“It just became something me and my brother would do all the time and we’d just watch it all the time and when I was a little kid I had that crazy dream that I wanted to be a professional wrestler,” he told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “A lot of people have these crazy dreams when they are younger except a lot of people don’t follow it and it just never stopped and I just dedicated my whole upbringing, like I dedicated my whole life just to be able to do this. That’s pretty much how I got into it.”
Rohan Raja performs at Maple Leaf Pro Resurrection.(Provided to Fox News Digital)
Raja shared that he was a bit nervous when he first revealed he wanted to become a pro wrestler.
He explained that, as being a person of Indian descent, he was likely going to be steered away from doing something “extraordinary.” However, he was stunned to learn how supportive his family was – there was no lecture, no argument. From there, it was about going to the right school to get properly trained and get set up for success.
“I was scared for the longest time,” he told Fox News Digital. “I remember I was saving a lot of money because I wanted to move to Calgary (Canada) to get trained by Lance Storm. I was like, man, how am I gonna do this? I remember talking to my brother and my sister and they were like if you have a full plan and you present it to dad and mom, they should be good with it.
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“My background is of Indian descent. So, even though, I was born in the UK and I grew up in Australia, we still have those core values, you don’t go for that particular extraordinary career path. You usually go for the safe bet. It was very surprising because when I sat my dad down, I told him, and he was just like, ‘So, what’s next? What school do you want to go to?’ I was just thinking, ‘What? He’s not giving me a lecture?’ From the get go, him and my brother have been like my biggest fans and so has my mom and my sister. It was very relieving to see how they took it.”
Rohan Raja formerly competed at WWE NXT UK.(Provided to Fox News Digital)
WWE NXT UK was hardly the first stop for Raja. He went to wrestling school and worked some of the independents in Western Canada. He performed for the Prairie Wrestling Alliance (PWA) in Canada, Real Canadian Wrestling (RCW) and even made his way to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) before he got the chance at possibly trying out for a WWE contract.
He detailed to Fox News Digital how he was able to get the tryout despite not being a Canadian citizen.
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“When I was based in Calgary, I worked the western independents in Canada for almost two years and then I moved to Toronto. I was training with Yuki Ishikawa down there and then I had a TNA run briefly. I had a tryout in 2017 and then from 2018-2019 I had a TV run with a group called the Desi Hit Squad back then,” he explained. “I ended up asking for my release I think it was around April 2019. Then, I contacted the WWE because they were doing a Canadian tryout in August of that year. I didn’t have any communication with them prior because I was contracted. I was banking on that and I remember I got feedback, like, ‘We know who you are. We’ve been keeping track of you but this tryout is only for Canadians.’ I’m not a Canadian citizen or anything. So I was like, damn man, this is my perfect chance to do it. And I was kinda preparing to move to the UK. I had that in my mind for that next goal.
“Anyway, when I got that, I think it was only a week later or something, I got a contact again saying, ‘No, no, no, you’re on the tryout.’ I had to stay prepared for that. It was a tryout consisting of 50 people across Canada and at the time, I was the only one who got picked. They came to me with a proposal if I wanted to go to the U.S. or the UK but I really wanted to learn British style of wrestling. So, I kinda pushed for the UK since I was going to move there anyway. Fast forward, I ended up moving to the UK, I signed with NXT UK, and had a great time there.”
Raja said working at WWE NXT UK helped him learn from some of the best in the industry, like William Regal, and it helped him amplify his TV work.
He said the only disappointment he could think of was awaiting for the debut of NXT Europe, which never came.
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“I think the pros are you’re just learning so much, which is great,” he said. “The European workers are really good. There’s so many different coaches so you would just learning something every day. I would learn a lot from William Regal. We were in a group and his son was a part of that faction at the time, so I was learning a lot from him. I think if you go into it with a positive mindset, you can retain so much knowledge, you can learn so much. And being at TNA prior, I learned how the TV product works – TV angles and everything. I feel like with NXT, it gave me more of that and I really got this groove going.
Rohan Raja in the ring during a Maple Leaf Pro event.(Provided to Fox News Digital)
“I think the only con I would say was, primarily because the NXT UK shut down at the time, and we thought it was coming back in Europe and they had that in their plans but I think the transition of the whole sale when they ended up selling the company, it kinda got put on hold. So, I think that was the biggest con. But besides that, the whole time I was there, I had a great time.”
Raja is now working with Maple Leaf Pro – the Canadian promotion revived by Scott D’Amore. The company recently inked a TV deal with TSN. MLP’s “Mayhem” is set to debut on June 12 and 13.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
Jul 6, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals designated hitter James Wood (29) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a grand slam during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
The Washington Nationals hope their pitching can provide help for the offense as they play the middle contest of a three-game series against the visiting Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Washington has given up 11 runs in two consecutive games. After losing 11-5 on Sunday to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, the Nationals outslugged the Astros 12-11 on Monday. In winning four of their past six games, the Nationals have scored 45 runs (7.5 per game).
Washington leads the major leagues with 497 runs scored, but its 4.79 team ERA is the fourth worst in the majors. Miles Mikolas allowed the Astros to jump out to a 6-1 lead on Monday, but the Nationals scored 11 consecutive runs and held off a late Houston rally.
“Guys battle every at-bat, it doesn’t really matter what the score is,” Nationals All-Star James Wood said. “We just put together a bunch of good at-bats and we were able to put a bunch of runs up.”
Wood smacked his second grand slam of the season on Monday, this one over the fence after his first was an inside-the-park effort against the New York Mets on May 19.
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Houston, which appeared en route to its third straight win, will send out right-hander Tatsuya Imai (5-4, 6.14 ERA) to face left-hander Andrew Alvarez (2-1, 3.05) on Tuesday.
Imai, a 28-year-old Japan native, has struggled during his first season in the United States. In his past four starts, he twice departed before completing two innings. Last time out, he gave up five runs on four hits (two of them home runs) in 1 1/3 innings during an 8-3 loss against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
“It was just the command of his pitches,” manager Joe Espada said after that contest. “Stuff was coming in pretty good, just struggled throwing strikes. That was just what I saw today. Came in, warmed up pretty good, good game plan. Just couldn’t execute those pitches.”
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After a one-game stint with Washington in April, Alvarez has been a consistent presence for the team since returning in mid-May. Whether working as a four-plus-inning starter or bulk reliever, Alvarez has given up two runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 appearances.
Against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, he picked up a 10-2 win, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief on two hits. Alvarez fanned six and walked one.
In addition to Wood, CJ Abrams and Curtis Mead also homered Monday for the Nationals. Mead went 3-for-5, scored twice and drove in three runs. He has notched multiple hits in three of his past four games. Abrams also finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Wood drew three walks and scored three runs. He leads the majors in runs (81) and is fourth in OPS (.939). His homer traveled 446 feet to center.
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“I’ve been using the word impressive too many times already, but I have no other way to describe it,” manager Blake Butera said. “What (Wood) does, it’s fun to be in the dugout watching him do his thing.”
Houston’s Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer. In his career against the Nationals, he is batting .280 (35-for-125) with six doubles, two triples, four home runs, 19 runs scored and 15 RBIs.
Yainer Diaz and Brice Matthews also went deep for the Astros, with Matthews finishing 2-for-4 to snap a nine-game hitless streak. Cam Smith reached base in three of his four plate appearances, and he has hit safely in six of his past seven games.
Lionel Messi will look to continue his scoring dominance when he leads defending champion Argentina against Egypt in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday. Messi already has seven goals in four World Cup matches, and he’s the second favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook at +165 to win the Golden Boot. The Argentinians are looking to win their fourth-ever World Cup and reached the quarterfinals for the 11th time. Egypt, meanwhile, have reached the Round of 16 for the first time since 1934 and are playing in just their fourth World Cup competition.
Kickoff for Argentina vs. Egypt is at noon ET in Atlanta. The latest Argentina vs. Egypt odds from FanDuel list Argentina at -310 (bet $310 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line, with Egypt at +1000 and a draw at +380. The over/under for total goals is 2.5. Argentina are -800 to advance, with Egypt at +520. Before locking in any Argentina vs. Egypt picks or World Cup 2026 predictions, check out the Argentina vs. Egypt predictions from SportsLine’s Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including the Champions League (+211.25) and Bundesliga (+100). He’s also been red-hot in 2026, posting an 18-8 record over his last 26 UCL picks, returning nearly $1,000 in profit. He’s also on a an 18-7 roll (+908) on his World Cup picks. Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.
After examining Argentina vs. Egypt from every angle, Green is leaning Over 2.5 total goals (-106). Argentina have been explosive so far in the competition, outscoring their opponents 11-3. They are also on an 11-match winning streak, scoring no fewer than two goals in 10 of those matches during that stretch.
Egypt have allowed one goal in each of their four World Cup matches, but face a different challenge this time around. “Captain Lionel Messi has scored seven goals in four games at this tournament, and it will be difficult for the Egyptian defense to contain him,” Green said. See Green’s best bets for Argentina vs. Egypt at SportsLine, and you can bet the Over in Argentina vs. Egypt at FanDuel here:
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How to make Argentina vs. Egypt picks
After studying Argentina vs. Egypt from every angle, Green has found a critical x-factor and locked in a pair of best bets, including one plus-money play. You can head to SportsLine to see what they are.
Leao is expected to leave AC Milan this summer, with Unitedamong a long list of clubs linked with his signature. The Portuguese winger revealed in May that he wishes to depart Milan after seven years at the San Siro, having notched 80 goals and 65 assists in 291 matches.
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The Italian side have since appointed ex-United head coach Ruben Amorim, whose famous reliance on wing-backs means Leao doesn’t fit into his plans. As such, the 27-year-old is likely to find a new club, with his lowered price tag of £51million attracting suitors.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport claim Barcelona are a potential destination for the Reds target. The Catalans have reportedly enquired about his situation, following club president Joan Laporta’s long-running interest in the player in recent years.
Leao has also been offered to Barca by his agent several times in the past. But while he would undoubtedly bolster Hansi Flick’s attacking options, the left wing position is not a priority for the La Liga champions.
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That is due to Barca being well covered, already having Raphinha and recently signing Anthony Gordon for a whopping £70m. The Gordon deal was struck after the Blaugranadecided not to exercise Rashford’s option-to-buy clause to sign the United forward for a mere £26m, following his successful season-long loan.
They are similarly unlikely to want to sign Leao permanently, given his fee and striker Julian Alvarez being their top priority. However, they could be open to market opportunities that present themselves, like Rashford’s initial loan move.
Leao, whose contract expires in two years’ time, might be available on a loan deal if no one else is willing to meet Milan’s valuation. As such, a potential move to the Camp Nou may not be off the table.
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The only sticking point if Barca opt to utilise the same method they used to bring in Rashford is that Milan may prefer to only accept a loan as a stepping stone, preferring an obligation to buy clause in order to avoid the situation United faced this summer with Rashford.
Leao’s future is expected to be resolved in the coming weeks, with the winger set to shift his focus back to club football after Portugal were knocked out of the World Cup by Spain.
Several other Premier League clubs and Saudi Pro League sides are also reportedly interested in the winger.
Thousands of Man United fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.
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SEATTLE — United States forward Christian Pulisic could only watch from the bench as Belgium extinguished his team’s World Cup bid, ending a tournament in which the American star was hobbled by injuries and largely ineffective.
The most accomplished U.S. striker, Pulisic was held scoreless in his second World Cup. He has 33 goals in 90 international appearances but has scored just once in eight World Cup games — against Iran in the group stage in 2022.
For the second time in this World Cup, Pulisic left a match in the second half with an injury, leaving Monday’s 4-1 loss to Belgium after twisting his right ankle when he extended for a shot attempt and hit the boot of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans in the 52nd minute.
After spending a few moments lying on the pitch, Pulisic began favouring the foot and was replaced in the 59th by Sebastian Berhalter with the U.S. trailing 3-1.
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Having to come out of the game was “difficult for me to deal with,” he said.
“I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high,” Pulisic said. “It’s disappointing I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to get over this next step of beating a really good team.”
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the game he hoped Pulisic’s injury was nothing serious and that Pulisic would be able to reintegrate with his club, AC Milan. Players typically get 21 days off after the end of the World Cup before having to report to their clubs.
Pulisic was slowed by a calf injury during the group stage. After a sparkling first half in the first U.S. game, a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, he sat for the rest of the match due to stiffness from a calf injury incurred in training.
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He sat out the Americans’ win over Australia before entering as a substitute in the group-stage loss to Turkey. Pulisic returned to the starting lineup for the Americans’ 2-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32.
He said Monday he will “try and stay positive,” adding: “I did a lot of good things and the team did as well.”
“He’s going to bounce back,” American defender Alex Freeman said. “He’s a great player and a person that’s always going to fight.”
“I’m the one that got them to do it,” said Donald Trump on Monday, referring to FIFA’s hugely controversial decision to suspend the red card ban of USA striker Folarin Balogun ahead of their loss to Belgium in the last 16 of the World Cup.
The US president then claimed he had just called for a review of the incident, which FIFA and their president, Gianni Infantino, insisted was then ruled upon by their disciplinary committee. The committee has not ruled on any other decision in a World Cup. Both the reviewing of red cards at the World Cup and political interference of any kind is banned by FIFA’s own statutes.
Sky-high ticket prices, the refusals of visas to fans, officials, player’s families and even a referee have all contributed to a tournament in which FIFA, and Trump, have been ever-present. These issues have all contributed to a spike in unpopularity for an organization that was already disliked by fans, if not necessarily by federations.
Infantino, Trump relationship has eroded FIFA trust
Several factors have contributed to growing frustration with FIFA.
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The decision to award US President Trump FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize last December, shortly before Trump started a war with tournament participant Iran, was reportedly a unilateral move by FIFA President Infantino and has further eroded trust both within and outside the organization.
FIFA under fire for World Cup red card retraction
FIFA employ a rotation policy for World Cup hosting — that means each confederation should host a tournament in turn, with the exception of Oceania, which lacks the facilities since Australia began playing in Asian competition. But with matches in the 2030 World Cup scheduled in Europe, Africa and South America, that cleared the way for Saudi Arabia to be awarded the 2034 tournament unchallenged and much earlier than Asia would otherwise have been due, in 2042.
US President Donald Trump was front and center when Chelsea lifted last year’s Club World Cup trophyImage: Seth Wenig/AP/picture alliance
Structurally, each of the 211 member nations (which sit in six continental federations), gets a single vote for the president every four years. These member associations are then financially rewarded, to a greater or lesser degree, through various schemes and programs.
“The commercial dimension is the bedrock of FIFA’s system of power. The money is used by the presidents to accumulate and consolidate their power,” Miguel Maduro, a former chairman of FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, told DW. He was dismissed from the post in 2017 after attempting to enforce political neutrality rules regarding Russia.
“It’s what supports the system of patronage through which presidents reward those loyal to them and punish anyone that dares criticize anything. It explains why incumbent presidents are never challenged and stay in power indefinitely.”
Can politics and the EU force FIFA to change?
Like Maduro, Nick McGeehan, of human rights NGO FairSquare, agrees that any reform would have to be imposed upon FIFA. And with individual member nations not incentivized or able to drive change, he is calling on the European Union to take up the fight.
“It requires political intervention. There is no other way to fix FIFA,” he told DW.
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“I think the most obvious example would be the European Union, who could regulate and govern sport the way they regulate other things like Big Tech.”
A Commission spokesperson would not be drawn on whether the EU might take on FIFA, telling DW only that the FSE and Euroconsumers complaint was being dealt with “in line with our standard procedures.”
Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time top scorer during the 2026 group stageImage: Maria Lysaker/IMAGN Images/REUTERS
Asked whether they might intervene in the various questionable World Cup ticket practices, the spokesperson went on to confirm that EU laws “do not regulate the price levels for goods and services, such as event tickets.” But added that: “Traders must adequately inform consumers about the total price of their offers and avoid misleading commercial practices, such as making attractive starting price claims for tickets that are not available or pressure-selling techniques while consumers wait in the virtual queue.”
Though definitive political action is so far thin on the ground, McGeehan retains hope.
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“There is going to be a politician somewhere who recognizes the political value of taking people on and actually trying to hold them accountable. And I find that quite an exciting prospect, because I think it’s inevitable right now.”
Might UEFA and FIFA tensions force a breakaway?
While it operates under FIFA’s umbrella, there are simmering tensions between FIFA and the powerful European federation, UEFA. These came to a head in the Balogun incident, with UEFA releasing a statement that said FIFA had “crossed a red line” and expressed “disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”
Earlier in the tournament, they became apparent in UEFA’s hiring of Somalian referee Omar Artan for the Super Cup final, days after he’d been refused entry to the US to officiate at the World Cup.
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“Football is made to connect people,” said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
Somali referee denied US entry before World Cup debut
Last year, UEFA delegates walked out of the FIFA Congress, accusing Infantino of prioritizing “private political interests” after turning up late from a diplomatic tour of the Middle East alongside Trump.
“There are tensions between UEFA and FIFA, and UEFA are a huge confederation and have the ear of some of the biggest and the most historic footballing nations. So if there was any form of breakaway within football it would have to come from UEFA or a number of UEFA nations getting together,” Geoff Walters, a professor in sports business at the University of Liverpool in the UK, told DW.
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“But it’s hard in the context of football-politics to put your head above that parapet because you get shot down. If you do say something, then what does it mean? Is it going to harm your chances of hosting competitions, which can be beneficial? Does it mean that you are ostracized from the international community?”
However, in line with other federation heads, German FA (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf did speak out on the Balogun incident.
“The impression that there has been active political interference in sports must be dispelled swiftly and conclusively. The integrity of the competition and the credibility of FIFA are at stake,” he said.
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UEFA themselves had to deal with the threat of an elite-club-driven breakaway Super League in 2021 and the legal issues that followed. Maduro said the organization “suffers from that same governance flaws as FIFA, albeit in a less obvious and radical manner.”
What’s in a FIFA breakaway for the rest of the world?
UEFA’s standing with the rest of the world’s federations may also have been weakened by Ceferin’s reported recent comments that the expanded World Cup makes a lot of matches “completely uninteresting.” A coalition of 13 football associations from Africa and Asia said they “firmly reject” the comments reported by Zurnal24, an online newspaperin Ceferin’s native Slovenia.
The prestige and power of Europe and South America, particularly Brazil and Argentina, are also not as strong as they may seem compared to Infantino’s power base in Asia and Africa. Walters said this is another reason why a breakaway appears a distant possibility.
Cape Verde earned draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi ArabiaImage: Marco Bello/REUTERS
“If it was spearheaded by leading nations, what would happen to the smaller nations across the world? What would happen to their ability to develop football in their countries?
“That’s part of the challenge with global sport that we’re seeing, not just in the context of the World Cup, but in the context of a lot of sporting leagues, where you are seeing the bigger teams starting to look to push and break away. They want to maintain the largest slice of the pie, of the commercial income and revenues that are coming into that sport,” he said.
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Is FIFA reaching areas others can’t?
While many others have questioned those commercial motivations, Infantino has insisted they are for the greater good.
“Every dollar we generate goes back into football,” he told reporters on the eve of the tournament on June 10.
“If we were selling our TV rights to pay-TV, like everyone else, we would generate four times as much revenue. And we could give all the tickets away, but they would still end up on the black market.
“As FIFA president we have to strike a balance. We invest in countries where no one else does — South Sudan, Bhutan. No one else is doing this.”
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For now, that much is true. In football terms, no one else has the remit or the money. And, given how deeply FIFA is entrenched within the sport, the chances of a breakaway seem remote.
Although discontent has rarely been higher, unless a federation, alliance of countries or prominent individual grasps the nettle, the chances of reform seem only marginally less slim than before.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
This article was first published on July 2 and updated on July 7 to reflect developments at the World Cup.
The Big Ten and SEC appear to want the pooling of media rights to be optional in the ‘Protect College Sports Act’ in Congress.
Are they genuine in their efforts or is it all for show?
On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I am joined by ‘Locked On Sooners’ host John Williams.
Will Oklahoma’s 2026 schedule let them return to the Playoff? S
San Diego State hopes to be a Pac-12 contender this Fall in their third season under Sean Lewis.
What’s a reasonable expectation for their 2026 record in the new-look league?
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03:38 Debating conference expansion options 09:30 Discussing Oklahoma’s 2026 football schedule 10:46 Discussing the team’s offensive struggles 15:18 Potential upset games discussion 18:32 Discussing Oklahoma’s early season challenges 23:27 Discussing San Diego State schedule 28:50 San Diego State vs Washington State 30:42 Predicting game outcome
LOS ANGELES — Dalton Rushing singled in the winning run against a drawn-in infield in the 11th inning, rallying the Dodgers to an 8-7 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night in Los Angeles’ first extra-innings game of the season.
The Dodgers improved to 60-32, the first team in the majors this season with 60 wins. They were the only team in the majors not to have played extras. It was also their first extra-inning game since Game 7 of last year’s World Series, when they beat Toronto for their second straight championship.
Teoscar Hernández started the bottom of the 11th at second base. Max Muncy was intentionally walked by Jimmy Herget (0-3). Pinch-hitter Tommy Edman’s sacrifice bunt moved Hernández to third and he scored on Rushing’s third hit of the game.
The Dodgers tied the game 7-7 in the 10th. Andy Pages started the inning at second and took third on Freeman’s groundout to first off Brennan Bernardino. Pages scored on second baseman Edouard Julien’s fielding error of Mookie Betts. Betts took second on Tucker’s single before Hernández lined into an inning-ending double play, with Tucker doubled off first.
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Jake McCarthy’s groundout to first base gave the Rockies a 7-6 lead in the 10th.
Cole Carrigg began the inning at second base and took third on Tyler Freeman’s sacrifice bunt off Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez (3-0). McCarthy grounded to first and Freddie Freeman stepped on the bag and fired to the plate, where Carrigg scored under the tag of Rushing.
There appeared to be heated words exchanged. Both dugouts emptied and both bullpens came part of the way onto the field. Muncy ran in to move Rushing away from the mound before calm was restored.
The Rockies tied the game 6-all in the ninth. Kyle Karros had an RBI double off Dodgers closer Tanner Scott. Carrigg’s two-run double to deep center with the bases loaded scored the tying runs. Brett Sullivan, who pinch ran for Karros, also was called safe at the plate, which would have been the go-ahead run, but the Dodgers challenged the call.
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They got the call overturned and then Rockies challenged a different aspect of the play, claiming Rushing had violated the blocking the plate rule. But Colorado lost the challenge, forcing extra innings tied 6-6.
Shohei Ohtani drove in four runs, highlighted by his 299th career homer.
Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.91 ERA) starts Tuesday against Dodgers RHP Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.80).
The 2026 NFL Draft is long over. Free agency is in the rearview mirror, and so is the NFL offseason. Now, we await training camp, with every NFL team scheduled to report in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, there isn’t much going on around the NFL. Well, unless you’re following the Brandon Aiyuk drama, which seems to have new material every other day.
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While we are in the calm before the storm, Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports recently looked back at the 2024 NFL Draft. Specifically, Pereles performed a “2024 redraft.” That is the draft where six quarterbacks were selected among the first 12 picks.
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It’s still early, but it looks like four of those quarterback picks were home runs: No. 1 Caleb Williams (Bears), No. 2 Jayden Daniels (Commanders), No. 3 Drake Maye (Patriots) and No. 12 Bo Nix (Broncos). Daniels and Nix were the top rookies, with Daniels having arguably the greatest rookie season in NFL history, leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.
Daniels battled injuries last season, missing 10 games. However, Maye and Williams took a big leap, with both leading their respective teams to the playoffs. Maye even led New England to the Super Bowl. Nix led the Broncos to the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but was injured in the AFC Divisional Round.
So, where would these players land in this CBS redraft?
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Here’s Pereles’ top-three picks:
3. New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels
Pereles offered the following on Washington selecting Williams:
The Commanders would gladly “settle” for Williams here. He took his game to another level last year by cutting way down on negative plays — especially sacks — and improving massively as a pocket navigator and scrambler. This is his biggest advantage over Maye, who still must improve his pressure mitigation. Williams has always taken excellent care of the ball as a passer, even during his difficult rookie year, and his out-of-structure creation is jaw-dropping.
Here’s his assessment of Daniels going No. 3:
If this article had come at this time out last year, Daniels would likely be No. 1. Instead, he falls all the way to No. 3! (Please note extreme sarcasm here; all three of these guys are great.) Daniels’ electrifying rookie season can’t be forgotten, but his second-year struggles — with injuries, a fall off in accuracy and less-than-ideal surroundings — can’t be completely overlooked, either.
If Washington had the chance to do this over, it would take Daniels again. I’m pretty confident the Bears would also stick with Williams. This redraft is proof of how our world is full of “what have you done for me lately?” Daniels is somehow viewed as No. 3 in this class because last season has him on a mission in 2026. He’s already said he’s done talking about 2025.
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Let’s talk about last season’s playoffs. The Patriots made it to the Super Bowl despite Maye. He struggled in all four games, completing 58% of his passes with six touchdowns, four interceptions, and seven fumbles. He had an 82.2 QB rating and a 40 QBR.
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Meanwhile, Williams completed 52% of his passes, with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He had a 65.9 QB rating and a 53.4 QBR.
While Daniels didn’t make the playoffs last season, let’s revisit his 2024 playoff run. He completed 66% of his passes in three playoff games, with 822 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He led the game-winning drive on the road at Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild-Card Round, and led the Commanders to a blowout road win over No. 1 seed Detroit in the NFC Divisional Round. Daniels had a 97.9 QB rating and an 84.2 QBR. He also rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown.
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All QB-needy teams in the NFL would be happy with any of these three young franchise passers. But the Commanders still believe they’ve got the best of the bunch.
Will Cain enthusiastically discusses FIFA’s decision to overturn U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun’s red card, allowing him to play. This decision, upheld after rejecting Belgium’s appeal, sparks outrage from the Royal Belgian Football Association. Cain frames the match as the U.S. versus “the world,” highlighting the controversy.
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Cristiano Ronaldo’s time representing Portugal at the FIFA World Cup may have come to an end in Dallas on Monday afternoon, as Spain advanced to the quarterfinals, 1-0, at their expense.
Mikel Merino came off Spain’s bench and electrified the World Cup crowd in stoppage time during the second half when he finally broke the 0-0 tie for the decisive goal past Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Ronaldo, who never knocked on Spain’s doorstep in this match – no team has as they have yet to give up a goal in this tournament – stared into the crowd after a few desperation attempts weren’t good enough for Portugal as the final whistle rang out.
Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, United States.(Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi)
Ronaldo played in his fifth World Cup, and though there was some heated debate about whether he should be starting for this squad, he leaves perhaps his last tournament of his illustrious career with three more goals on this stage under his belt.
While Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates think about what could’ve been, Spain will await the winner of Team USA and Belgium, which will play their Round of 16 match in Seattle on Monday night.
The big story out of the Pacific Northwest is Folarin Balogun, the USMNT star striker who will be available to play after his red card was changed to a suspension – a similar FIFA disciplinary action given to Ronaldo so that he could participate in this World Cup.
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It’s been the talk of the tournament, as President Donald Trump said he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the controversial red card given in the Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ultimately, FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code, much to the dislike of multiple soccer federations, including the Belgian group they are facing off against tonight.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, United States.(Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi)
The U.S. still took care of Bosnia and Herzegovina despite Balogun’s red card during the match, which had them down one man on the pitch compared to their opponent. Malik Tillman’s free kick goal was the nail in the coffin in the second half, as the USMNT moved on with a 2-0 victory and looked ahead to their meeting with Belgium.
Belgium almost didn’t make it out of the Round of 32, but almost doesn’t count in the World Cup. Senegal had been up 2-0 in the 80th minute of the match when Belgium finally came to life thanks to goals by Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans in the 85th and 89th minutes, respectively.
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It forced extra time and Senegal ultimately conceded a penalty kick with just ticks left on the clock before a penalty shootout would’ve determined who advanced in the tournament. Tielemans didn’t waste the opportunity, slamming the door on Senegal’s hopes in crushing fashion.
Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates with teammates Pedro Porro and Fabian Ruiz after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas.(Hannah Peters – FIFA)
While Team USA and Belgium prepare for their matchup, Spain will kick its feet up, and perhaps pull out a notepad, as they watch who they will play in the quarterfinals later this week.
As we count down to the first college football game of the 2026 season, we continue our new series: The records of each top CFB program in the West against all the others in the region.
Some schools have met many times over the years, while others are beginning new rivalries in the wake of recent realignment.
For each opponent in the table below, we provide the total games played, wins, losses, ties, winning percentage, first year played, and most recent contest.
We continue with New Mexico State, which has played 454 games against regional foes, winning 107, losing 338, and recording 10 ties, for a winning percentage of .247.
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The Aggies have recorded the most wins (40) against UTEP, have played the most games (115) and lost the most games (75) against New Mexico.
Here is a breakdown of New Mexico State’s records vs. the region’s teams.
New Mexico State Football Wins vs. the Top Programs in the West
San Diego State hopes to be a Pac-12 contender this Fall in their third season under Sean Lewis. 
Some schools have met many times over the years, while others are beginning new rivalries in the wake of recent realignment.
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