The Minnesota Vikings probably “won too many games” to be in play for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love during April’s draft, but the man would love to land in Minneapolis nevertheless.
The comment doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s the kind of signal that keeps Minnesota’s draft radar humming.
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Love wasn’t shy last week about his zeal for the Vikings, and if he slid on draft night, well, the purple team might just pounce.
Best RB Prospect in 2026 Draft … Likes the Vikings
Remember Love’s name because there’s a slight chance he ends up in Minnesota.
This one is pretty damn straightforward — Love loves the Vikings.
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He said on The Paul Harrington Show last week when asked about the idea of the Vikings drafting him in Round 1, “I would be blessed to go there. Lot of great guys.”
Love, along with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, was heavily in the mock-draft mix for Minnesota two months ago when the team had a 4-8 record. The Vikings, at least for a couple of weeks, held the 10th overall pick in the draft, prime territory for Love and Downs.
Then, Kevin O’Connell and friends won five straight games to close out 2025, nudging the draft pick from 10 to 18 and pricing themselves out of the Love and Downs sweepstakes.
Still, if there’s a way, Love wouldn’t mind turning purple.
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The Scouting Report
Love is 6’0″ and 214 pounds with 4.4 speed. In the last two seasons at Notre Dame, he’s banked 2,497 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, chipping in 5 receiving scores for good measure.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein named a comp for Love — Jahmyr Gibbs — and outlined his scouting report: “Three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value. Love shared carries but was the heartbeat of Notre Dame’s offense over the last two years.
“He runs with a fierce tempo and processes the front with adequate eyes to find entry points and burst through them. Urgency works in his favor, but he’ll occasionally miss open lanes when he gets too deep too quickly. Outstanding speed erases pursuit angles to the corner and helps him pull away from tacklers once he opens his gait.”
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The Vikings haven’t employed a game-changing running back arguably in five years; the last guy was the 2021 version of Dalvin Cook.
Zierlein added, “He’s live-legged with violent cuts in segmented bursts that can elude tacklers but slow his momentum. He’s not a pile-mover but he runs through contact and squeezes out extra yards as a committed finisher.”
“He’s a talented route runner and pass catcher who can work from the slot and mismatch linebackers. Love is a three-down, scheme-independent player who would benefit from a complementary back to preserve his big-play ability.”
A Game-Changer of Offense
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While Love probably isn’t gettable for the Vikings after their five-game win spurt to close out 2025, he will change some team’s offense next autumn. He has the production, speed, size, and versatility to step in as an RB1 immediately.
Not for nothing, that’s what’s missing from the Vikings’ offense. O’Connell got the memo down the stretch of the 2025 campaign that he needed to run the ball more frequently, especially with poor quarterback play from J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. When the shift occurred — not passing the ball more than 60% of the time with struggling quarterbacks — Minnesota ripped off the five-game win streak.
While Love likely isn’t available to Minnesota, aside from a trade, the Vikings will still need a young, dynamic running back, whether that’s Breece Hall from free agency or one of Love’s draft mates, like Jonah Coleman (Washington), Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), or Nick Singleton (Penn State)
Realistic Draft Destinations
Approximately six teams will prevent Love from sliding to the Vikings and fulfilling his de facto request to join the team. The list of teams on the board before Minnesota that could draft Love looks like this:
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Baltimore Ravens
Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Washington Commanders
SI.com‘s Sam Dehring mock-drafted Love to the Chiefs on Saturday and explained, “Some of my picks might be repeats from last week, and this is one of them. It seems likely that the Chiefs could lose Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in free agency. Jeremiyah Love would be a match made in heaven selection for the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stands alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium, with the scene unfolding on Feb. 11, 2024, as Kansas City faced San Francisco while Reid and Mahomes communicated amid sideline adjustments during the championship clash in Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
Kansas City finished 6-11 in 2025 after a down season and ACL tear for Patrick Mahomes. Lucking into Love for their troubles would feel downright nasty for the NFL and might indefinitely prolong the now-paused dynasty.
Otherwise, if Love tumbles to Minnesota at No. 18, he won’t be upset about it.
Adrian Lee won’t settle for a basic victory when he returns to the Circle for his fifth promotional appearance. Instead, the young Singaporean-American dynamo promises total domination.
The 19-year-old martial artist faces Japanese star Shozo Isojima in a lightweight MMA clash on February 13 inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. Their three-round battle will be part of ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video.
‘The Phenom’ and Isojima enter this battle after falling to ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo in their respective lightweight MMA battles last year.
Ahead of fight night, the Hawaii-based fighter made bold predictions about how their matchup would unfold.
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Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
“He has some accolades in his judo and his wrestling, but I believe that I’ll beat him everywhere in this game,” Adrian Lee confidently told ONE Championship.
That confidence shows zero concern about Isojima’s credentials.
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The Japanese fighter brings a legitimate grappling pedigree into this high-stakes matchup, but the Prodigy Training Center athlete is dismissing any talk about his foe having an advantage there ahead of Friday’s clash.
Lee’s all-around arsenal could help him dominate Isojima, but if the latter can pounce on any opportunity throughout this fight, he could well leave the Lumpinee Stadium with one of the biggest upsets of the night.
Adrian Lee ‘itching’ to return to action in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium
Adrian Lee revealed his excitement for his ONE Championship return in a post on his official Instagram account last month.
Lee, who goes by the username @adrianleemma on the social media application, wrote:
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“About that time again, itching to get into that cage.”
The 19-year-old is currently 3-1 in his professional MMA journey. All three of his victories, against Antonio Mammarella, Nico Cornejo, and Takeharu Ogawa, were achieved via submission.
ONE Fight Night 40 will be available to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada, live in U.S. primetime, for free, this Friday.
Fight fans around the globe, meanwhile, can tune in to the card via ONE’s official YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com. Geo-restrictions may apply.
One of the best rivalries in sports resumes on Day 4 of the Winter Olympics.
Here are athletes and teams to watch, along with the full schedule for Tuesday (all times Eastern):
Canadian women’s hockey team
Canada faces the U.S. in a much-anticipated showdown. No other country has won gold at a world championship or Olympics. It would be a shock if these teams aren’t battling again for gold on Feb. 19.
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Canadian short-track speedskating team
This could be Canada’s best sport at Milano Cortina 2026. The mixed team relay on Tuesday is the first medal event for short-track.
The Canadian figure skater delivered a clutch performance in his Olympic debut on Saturday, propelling the country into the team final. He opens the men’s event on Tuesday with the short program.
Alpine skiing Women’s team combined downhill, 4:30 a.m. * Women’s team combined slalom, 8 a.m.
Ski jumping Mixed team trial round, 11:30 a.m. Mixed team first round, 12:45 p.m. * Mixed team final, 2 p.m.
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Women’s hockey (standings, scores) Japan vs. Sweden, 6:10 a.m. Germany vs. Italy, 10:40 a.m. Canada vs. U.S., 2:10 p.m. Finland vs. Switzerland, 3:10 p.m.
Marcus Rashford is on loan with Barcelona with the Spanish side having an option to make the Manchester United forward’s move permanent in the summer
Manchester United are still planning for Marcus Rashford leaving the club this summer, amid continued talk over his future.
The United academy graduate is currently on loan with Barcelona after being left out of the squad by former manager Ruben Amorim. His move to Spain came six months after he completed a temporary deal with Aston Villa.
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As part of the agreement, Barca have an option to make the move permanent this summer for a £26million fee. It had been previously claimed that the Catalan giants were unwilling to pay the agreed fee and were instead looking to reach an agreement on a slightly lower fee.
However, the latest reports suggest that United were unwilling to lower the price, and Barcelona are not willing to pay the clause to make the move permanent.
The Sun now say that United are planning for life without Rashford, despite claims that Michael Carrick wants him back. The club had no intention of recalling the player in January, with interim manager Carrick not thinking as far ahead as the summer, when his deal expires.
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It’s understood that Rashford himself prefers a move away from United in the summer transfer window, even if a permanent transfer to Barcelona falls through. He is said to want his long-term future resolved before joining up with England for the summer’s World Cup in North America.
If that is the case, it will give United a financial boost in the early part of the transfer window, as they look to make additions to the squad. Any fee received for Rashford will go down as pure profit in terms of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSR).
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The 28-year-old has already made his stance clear with comments back in October. “I’m really enjoying my time in Spain; the weather is the best,” he said.
“A very big change. I’m learning every day, I’m enjoying it a lot. I hope to be here for a long time. I get along very well with Roony [Bardghji], also Jules [Kounde] or Frenkie [de Jong]. It’s a team in which we all mix.
“We are united. The team is fantastic. I just have to be in the right position.
“I’ll keep trying to do this. We have to keep it up to be our best version. We have a lot more to do this season.”
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So far this campaign Rashford has scored 10 goals and provided a further 13 assists in 34 appearances in all competitions. He will be back in action on Thursday as Barca travel to take on Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey.
Chisora has been made a handy favourite, perhaps because of his last three performances, while many believe his American opponent to be over the hill.
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Wilder has, after all, claimed only two victories in his last six fights. The 40-year-old most recently scored a seventh-round finish over Tyrrell Herndon in June, but prior to that he was forced to suffer two punishing defeats against Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.
Even before those fights, a first-round demolition job of Robert Helenius in 2022 failed to convince many fans that, following back-to-back stoppage losses to Tyson Fury, the former world champion had recovered his destructive form.
Chisora, meanwhile, has secured three points victories over Otto Wallin, Joe Joyce and Gerald Washington since his torrid 10th-round stoppage defeat to Fury in 2022.
Though some big names in the sport believe the 42-year-old Brit should have already hung up his gloves, there is a sense that he has just enough left in the tank to defeat Wilder.
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One man who shares that opinion is Hall of Famer Froch, who, while speaking directly with Chisora on Froch On Fighting, went on to predict a favourable outcome for the British veteran.
“I feel that you’re getting him at the right time. Not that that’s a problem, but he’s also getting you at the right time, because you’re at the end of your career.
“I make you a slight favourite because you’ve always got the work rate; you’ve always got that drive and that refusal to quit.
“When you get on his chest and start pushing him back after round four, five and six, he’s going to be looking at the exit door, thinking, ‘I want to go home.’”
Chisora will look to set a fast pace and smother Wilder, who must prove wrong those who brand him ‘gun-shy.’ Retirement seems to be the only option for the loser, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has indicated he will fight on regardless of the outcome. Chisora, meanwhile, says he will hang up the gloves, win, lose or draw.
Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) hugs Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self after defeating Arizona Wildcats in the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 9, 2026.
Flory Bidunga scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 9 Kansas handed top-ranked Arizona its first loss of the season, 82-78 on Monday at Lawrence, Kan.
The Wildcats (23-1, 10-1 Big 12) achieved the best start in Big 12 history at 23-0 overall before the defeat. Kansas (19-5, 9-2) beat the No. 1 team at Allen Fieldhouse for the first time ever after losing five such games, including to Arizona the last time in 2003.
The Jayhawks won their eighth straight game overall despite playing without freshman star Darryn Peterson, who had flu-like symptoms. It was the 11th game Kansas played without Peterson, who has dealt with an ankle sprain, hamstring strain and chronic cramping.
Arizona led by 11 with 17:02 to go before Kansas rallied, scoring seven straight points in little more than a minute, then keeping the score within six until a Bidunga field goal gave the Jayhawks the lead with 9:32 to go. Kansas never trailed again. Miami (Ohio) is the nation’s lone remaining unbeaten at 24-0.
No. 17 St. John’s 87, Xavier 82 (OT)
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Zuby Ejiofor scored six points in overtime for the Red Storm, who fended off an upset bid by the Musketeers to win in New York, giving coach Rick Pitino another milestone win against his son Richard.
The win was the 904th on-court victory for the elder Pitino, who snapped a tie with Roy Williams for third-place all-time. On Jan. 24, the Red Storm beat the Musketeers for Rick Pitino’s 900th win. The NCAA recognizes Rick Pitino with 781 wins after he was stripped of 123 victories due to violations at Louisville.
Ejiofor finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists for St. John’s (19-5, 12-1 Big East), which has won 10 straight — the third 10-game winning streak in the last two seasons under Rick Pitino. Tre Carroll had 21 points and eight rebounds but missed a potential game-winning shot at the regulation buzzer for Xavier (12-12, 4-9).
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No. 24 Louisville 118, North Carolina State 77
Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. tied the Louisville single-game scoring mark with 45 points and matched another single-game record with 10 3-pointers to lead the Cardinals past the visiting Wolfpack.
Brown matched Wes Unseld’s single-game school record set against Georgetown (Ky.) College on Dec. 1, 1967. Brown’s point total set the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record, and his 10 3-pointers tied the school record established by Reyne Smith last season against SMU.
Ryan Conwell added 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Cardinals (18-6, 8-4 ACC), who have won four in a row. North Carolina State (18-7, 9-3) got 20 points from Ven-Allen Lubin but had a six-game winning streak end.
US figure skater Ilia Malinin’s gold-medal-clinching backflip at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina has prompted a flurry of tributes to France’s Surya Bonaly, who became the first skater to land the daring flip on one skate at the Nagano Games almost three decades ago – when the move was still forbidden.
Bas de Leede starred with both bat and ball as the Netherlands opened their account in the T20 World Cup with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Namibia.
The Netherlands suffered a narrow defeat by Pakistan after giving their opponents a major score in the opening game of the tournament in Colombo on Saturday but bounced back impressively in Delhi.
Chasing a target of 157, all-rounder De Leede, who had already picked up two key Namibia wickets, crafted an unbeaten 72 from 48 balls to guide them home with authority.
It is their biggest win in the tournament’s history while De Leede became the first Netherlands cricketer to score a half-century and take two wickets in the same match of a T20 World Cup.
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Sent to bat in their first game of the tournament, Namibia made a decent start reaching 60-1 in nine overs before Logan van Beek dismissed Jan Frylinck, who scored 30 off 26 balls.
Namibia’s momentum was further halted by De Leede, who sent back their captain Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit for 18 and 22 respectively, while Nicol Loftie-Eaton fell to Van Beek after a 38-ball 42 as they posted 156-8.
The Netherlands lost opener Max O’Dowd early in the chase, but a 70-run third-wicket partnership between De Leede and Colin Ackerman steadied their innings before the latter departed for 32.
However, there was no stopping De Leede as he hit five fours and four sixes to seal the Netherlands win.
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The Netherlands play the United States in their next match on Friday while Namibia will take on defending champions India on Thursday.
Oleksandr Usyk had been in talks to face a former world heavyweight champion, only for a prolonged spell of negotiations to ultimately scupper their showdown.
The three-time, two-division undisputed king has not fought since his fifth-round finish of Daniel Dubois last July, which followed his two points victories over Tyson Fury in 2024.
Having claimed those two scalps, as well as beating Anthony Joshua on two occasions, Usyk has firmly cemented himself as the greatest heavyweight and cruiserweight of his generation.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ comes off a stoppage victory over little-known heavyweight Tyrrell Herndon in June, which followed his defeats against Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.
This came about after the American’s talks with Usyk, who he was expected to face later this year, had collapsed at the negotiating table.
Speaking with Fight Hub TV, Wilder explained why, instead of challenging for the WBC, IBF and WBA belts, he is now facing Chisora in a non-title fight.
“Me and Derek had been working on a fight for a very long time. Actually, this fight was supposed to have happened back in December.
With the Usyk situation, it was like, ‘I’m 40 years old; I’m ready to go. I can’t sit back; I can’t sit around.’
I don’t think they [team Usyk] had a set date, a place where they wanted to go – that was still lingering around.
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The clock goes like this – it’s tick-tocking.”
Perhaps a clash between Usyk and Wilder could soon be revisited, but only if the 40-year-old successfully takes care of Chisora in April.
Moses Itauma, guided by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, is widely considered to be the heir to the heavyweight throne. Eddie Hearn is looking ahead to make sure he has a stake in the division in years to come.
Itauma has done everything right as a professional, moving to 13-0 with 11 stoppages. Last time out, he beat former world challenger Dillian Whyte in all of two minutes.
Though Itauma is leading the charge for the new generation of big men, there are other exciting names on the rise. Top Rank’s Richard Torrez is impressing across the pond, and Matchroom — having had arguably the biggest star in the sport in Anthony Joshua since debut — won’t go down without a fight.
In his stable, Hearn pinpointed to IFL TV two heavyweights to ‘rock with’ Itauma in future: Teremoana Teremoana and Leo Atang.
“[Itauma] is an exceptional talent. He’s a one-off talent; that’s the best word. A one-off.
“I’ve got to find some heavyweights that can rock with him over the next three or four years, and I’ve got two that I think will really rock with him. One will rock with him in 6 to 12 months, and that’s Teremoana, and the other one is Leo Atang.”
Perhaps more intriguing for fans years down the line will be Atang, the 4-0 Yorkshireman who has been likened to ‘AJ.’ Coming off a third round win over Amine Boucetta last month, he will be back out on February 21 on the undercard of Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington. Atang, 19, is significantly behind Itauma in his development, but welcomes the idea of a British rivalry brewing. Hearn knows that this one in particular will take time, and Itauma will likely be champion when it happens.
“We need more time, he’s [Atang] 18 and 10 fights behind (Itauma). If Leo is going to go and fight for the world heavyweight championship, he’s gonna be against Moses.
“I can give you the hype but the reality is, anything can happen. You really need a lot of luck along the way.”
All three talents indicate that the heavyweight division can thrive when the likes of Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury and Joshua draw the curtain on their campaigns.
Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and current NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic both sat out due to injuries, leaving their supporting casts to play a Thunder-style physical game featuring 52 combined free throws.
LeBron James scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half for the Lakers, whose three-game winning streak ended with another ineffective defensive performance.
Jalen Williams, who had been out with a hamstring strain, and Jaylin Williams both hit big jumpers while the Thunder broke open a close game down the stretch. Chet Holmgren added a key put-back dunk with 1:17 to play for the NBA-leading Thunder, who had lost three of five.
Isaiah Joe scored 19 points and Alex Caruso added 17 from Oklahoma City’s bench. Holmgren had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
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Marcus Smart scored 19 points and Austin Reaves had 16 on a minutes restriction for Los Angeles, which dropped to a pedestrian 14-9 at home.
Jared McCain scored on his first two possessions and finished with seven points in his second game for the Thunder, who acquired the guard from Philadelphia by trade last week.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s abdominal injury will keep him out through the All-Star Game this weekend in Inglewood, California. The Lakers haven’t determined how long they’ll be without Doncic, who missed his second straight game with a mild hamstring strain.
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