The new “5 in 5” eligibility rule is a welcome change that adds stability to the landscape of college athletics.

What will this mean for roster construction at the G6 level?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, recruiting analyst Brian Smith joins Spencer McLaughlin to discuss the fallout.

Will there be an impact in recruiting strategy from the high school ranks?

Cal enters its first year under head coach Tosh Lupoi, who will get a real test in his first game as a head coach against UCLA and Bob Chesney.

Are they a true dark-horse with some odd scheduling quirks? 

00:00 Discussing new 5 and 5 rule impacts
06:03 Choosing the right college for athletes
09:33 Transfer portal opportunities in college football
11:51 New college eligibility rules
16:30 Discussion on sports player development
19:19 Analyzing Cal’s coaching challenges
21:04 Predicting Cal’s Football Season
26:49 Predicting Cal’s end-of-season success
27:22 Coaching changes and team records

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Serena Williams of the United States sits during a changeover in her first round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia, at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

LONDON–Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback is over after the American legend pulled out of the doubles due to a knee injury on Saturday.

Williams and her sister Venus were due to play in the first round on Saturday, but Serena announced just hours before the match that her knee had not healed enough to play.

“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” the 44-year-old said on Instagram.

READ: Venus Williams relishes Wimbledon reunion with sister Serena

Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, suffered the injury during her defeat against Australia’s Maya Joint in the first round of the Wimbledon singles on Tuesday.

That was her first singles match since the 2022 US Open after four years in retirement.

The sisters, who won the Wimbledon doubles six times, were scheduled to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio after being given a wild card entry into the event.

But no court was specified by tournament organisers in the order of play, raising the possibility that seven-time Wimbledon singles winner Serena could withdraw.

To the disappointment of her legion of fans, Serena did just that, revealing the fluid on her injured knee made it impossible to continue her sensational return to Wimbledon.

“Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me,” she said.

“I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete. The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match…yikes!”

Serena made an astonishing return to tennis at Queen’s Club last month, where she played in the doubles with Canadian Victoria Mboko.

But an injury to Mboko curtailed Williams’ run in the Wimbledon warm-up event after the pair won their first match.

 ‘Stay tuned’

Serena Williams of the United States, left, and Maya Joint of Australia shake hands at the end of their first round women’s singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

Serena then crashed out in the first round of the Berlin doubles with Karolina Muchova before accepting Wimbledon’s offer of a wild card into the singles last week.

Serena had been motivated by a desire to play in front of her two young daughters Olympia and Adira, but they saw their mother feature in just one match at Wimbledon.

Serena competed gamely in her three-set defeat against Joint — a player 24 years younger than the American — on a packed Centre Court.

She did not fulfil her scheduled post-match press conference and her agent later said that was due to the knee injury, setting off speculation she would have to quit the doubles.

Williams posted footage of her limping in a heavy bandage, as well as some syringes full of fluid, as she confirmed her withdrawal.

“The good news is my knee shouldn’t swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn’t able to get it ready for doubles,” she said.

“I’m especially grateful to tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here.”

Now questions will be asked about her ability to recover in time for the US Open later this year, while it is far from certain how much longer Serena’s comeback tour will last.

Hinting she is not finished yet, Williams said: “Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful. All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you…”

The Cup Series makes its first visit to Chicagoland Speedway since 2019 as the eero 400 2026 takes place on Sunday. It’s the second race of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, and the green flag for 2026 NASCAR at Chicago drops at 6 p.m. ET. Just three active drivers have prevailed at this track in two-time winner Brad Keselowski, plus Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman, who have one win apiece. Others like Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe and Shane van Gisbergen, who won last week, will make their track debuts at the 2026 eero 400.

Despite that, Reddick is the second-favorite at +430, trailing only Hamlin (+380), per the latest NASCAR Chicago 2026 odds. Kyle Larson is priced at +600 as he searches for his first checkered flag of the season. As the last winner at Chicagoland, Bowman carries interest within eero 400 DFS picks but is a +4000 NASCAR longshot. Before locking in any NASCAR Chicago predictions or NASCAR DFS lineups, you need to see the projected leaderboard from Mike McClure’s proven model.

Visit our DraftKings promo code review to see their latest offers and get started.

McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action 10,000 times. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 30 winners since 2021 and nailed Denny Hamlin’s back-to-back wins at Michigan and Pocono last month. Anyone following his NASCAR betting picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to the NASCAR eero 400. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine.

2026 NASCAR at Chicago predictions

For NASCAR at Chicago 2026, McClure is fading Denny Hamlin (+380), saying despite him being the favorite, simulations have Hamlin barely even cracking the top 5. After three straight victories, Hamlin has regressed in his last two starts, placing 14th in San Diego and then 26th last week at Sonoma. While he did win at Chicagoland in 2015, even with that victory, Hamlin has twice as many finishes 15th or worse (six) at this track than top 5s (three). While he’s a contender this week, he’s being overvalued at sportsbooks, making him one to avoid with NASCAR Chicago bets.

Another surprise: The model is high on Ty Gibbs (+1500), who is projected to make a strong run towards the title. Gibbs is coming off a successful race at Sonoma, notching a pair of stage wins and finishing third in the main race. That was his seventh top 5 of the year, which ranks fourth in NASCAR, while his 11 top 10s are topped by just two other drivers. Gibbs is finally realizing his full potential in his fourth year as a full-timer on the Cup Series as he sits fourth in the standings after never placing better than 15th previously. See which other drivers the model is backing at SportsLine.

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How to make 2026 eero 400 picks

McClure is also high on two other longshots of at least +1800 who make runs for the top of the leaderboard, including an enormous longshot of around +4000, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who they are here.

So who wins the 2026 eero 400, and which massive longshots could stun NASCAR at Chicago? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 eero 400 picks and best bets from a NASCAR model that nailed back-to-back Denny Hamlin wins last month, and find out.

2026 NASCAR at Chicago odds, lineup

See full NASCAR eero 400 picks at SportsLine

(Odds from FanDuel, subject to change)

Denny Hamlin +380
Tyler Reddick +430
Kyle Larson +600
Christopher Bell +900
Chase Elliott +1000
Ryan Blaney +1200
Chase Briscoe +1400
Ty Gibbs +1500
William Byron +1800
Chris Buescher +1800
Bubba Wallace +2000
Carson Hocevar +2000
Daniel Suarez +3000
Brad Keselowski +3000
Alex Bowman +4000
Joey Logano +4000
Austin Cindric +5000
Corey Heim +6000
Erik Jones +6000
Ryan Preece +8000
Ross Chastain +10000
Shane Van Gisbergen +10000
Zane Smith +10000
Riley Herbst +17500
Michael McDowell +25000
Connor Zilisch +25000
Austin Dillon +25000
John Hunter Nemechek +30000
Austin Hill +40000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +40000
Cole Custer +50000
JJ Yeley +50000
Todd Gilliland +50000
AJ Allmendinger +50000
Cody Ware +50000
Ty Dillon +50000
Josh Berry +50000
Josh Bilicki +50000
Noah Gragson +50000

Moses Itauma was selected as the most desirable opponent for a world champion but, instead, he will now be facing Filip Hrgovic on August 29.

The pair have agreed to collide at London’s O2 Arena, with Itauma coming off a fifth-round finish over the typically durable Jermaine Franklin in March.

Against Hrgovic, though, the heavyweight prodigy is set to encounter his sternest assignment thus far, testing whether he is capable of competing at world level.

Up to this point, the 21-year-old has shown signs of genuine world-class potential, albeit against opponents he was largely expected to dispatch within a few rounds.

Hrgovic, meanwhile, has only suffered the one defeat against Daniel Dubois, in June 2024, when he remained fiercely competitive before getting stopped on cuts in round eight.

But while the Croatian is seen as a credible opponent, Itauma could have ended up with a world title opportunity if only his team had entertained a showdown with Murat Gassiev.

The Russian was elevated from ‘regular’ to full WBA champion after Oleksandr Usyk, his former cruiserweight foe, decided to vacate his three belts.

Before that, promoter Al Siesta told Seconds Out that Gassiev was particularly keen on defending his title against Itauma.

“[Gassiev] watched that fight against Jermaine Franklin and the trainer called me instantly and said, ‘I will have him – please, please’.

“When I went back to Frank [Warren, Itauma’s promoter], I comfortably said, ‘Frank, we’re happy with Itauma. Bring him on’.

“They were like … ‘Right, okay. Let’s see. Let’s revisit that later’.”

Gassiev was set to lock horns with Tony Yoka on July 11 but, with the Olympic gold medallist sustaining a back injury, the WBA champion is now searching for a new opponent to face at Moscow’s VTB Arena.

Anthony Joshua has named the two standout wins of his career, remembering the immense pressure attached to both contests.

In terms of magnitude, it must be said that his showdown with Wladimir Klitschko was the most significant, given the manner in which it unfolded at Wembley Stadium.

At the time, in April 2017, Joshua was the unbeaten IBF champion and had won every fight by stoppage, swiftly becoming the biggest star in British boxing.

Klitschko, meanwhile, had not fought since getting dethroned by Tyson Fury, who upset the odds by scoring a unanimous decision victory when they collided in November 2015.

Yet the Ukrainian was still a serviceable operator at world level and, after getting dropped in round five, he stunned the Wembley crowd by flooring Joshua in the following frame.

‘AJ’ then ultimately scored an 11th-round stoppage and, given the manner in which he did so, was able to reach a new level of stardom.

During a conversation with Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith on DAZN, though, the 36-year-old named wins over Dillian Whyte and Andy Ruiz Jr as his absolute best.

“Klitschko – a lot of pressure. Ruiz 2 – immense pressure. But what was the best win? Can I pick two?

“I would probably pick Dillian Whyte – maddest fight. Good, good scrap. And then [I would pick] Ruiz 2, because people were saying I should retire and that, if I didn’t win, I’d have no chance of getting back in the heavyweight rankings.”

Joshua stopped Whyte in round seven of their all-British grudge match in 2015, before exacting his revenge over Ruiz just under four years later.

After losing their first encounter via a major upset, which resulted in a sixth-round stoppage, ‘AJ’ kept to a strict gameplan and unanimously outpointed his Mexican-American rival.

Miami Heat 2026 NBA free agency tracker: Live signings, updates, trades, and more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Miami Heat have already made their big offseason splash by trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but all eyes will still be on the team entering NBA free agency.

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Miami won’t have much money to spend, but the franchise does have a plethora of exceptions to use, including the nontaxpayer mid-level exception for around $12 million. Miami also has $20.5 million in first apron space.

As NBA free agency kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, follow along with our tracker below to stay up to date on the latest signings, updates, and trades for Miami.

Heat free agency moves

UPDATE: There hasn’t been a reported signing for the Heat since Tuesday, when they agreed to terms with Tim Hardaway Jr. The team continues to show interest in guards, including Bradley Beal, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

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Lebron James is also still a possibility. It’s unclear when the 41-year-old will make his decision.

UPDATE: Like Day 2, Day 3 of free agency has been quiet for the Heat. The team passed on signingAnfernee Simons, who landed with the Philadelphia 76erson a two-year deal. Hardaway remains the lone signing so far for Miami.

UPDATE: It’s been a quiet Day 2 for the Heat, but there are still plenty of options left on the market. According to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, the Heat have recently had discussions with Bradley Beal. Khris Middleton and Anfernee Simons are also still options.

UPDATE: Miami has yet to sign any other free agent other than Hardaway. The team had interest in veteran point guard Mike Conley, but the Heat ended up passing (Barry Jackson). Conley signed with the Celtics on Wednesday.

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UPDATE: Miami has officially lost Norman Powell. The All-Star guard is signing a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls worth $45 million (Shams Charania).

UPDATE: The Heat are signing Tim Hardaway Jr., who spent last season with the Denver Nuggets(Chris Haynes). The contract is for one-year at $6.5 million, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Hardaway will provide some much-needed perimeter shooting to Miami.

Miami extended forward Andrew Wiggins on a three-year deal worth $64 million. The deal includes a player option in the third year (Shams Charania).

The Heat have also retained forward Simone Fontecchio on a one-year deal (Charania).

Heat free agents

According to Spotrac, the Heat have five free agents, with Norman Powell headlining the list. All signs point to Miami losing the All-Star guard.

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Here is the full list of the Heat’s free agents:

• C Vladislav Goldi (Restricted Free Agency)

Heat trades

The lone Heat trade so far this offseason is the blockbuster Giannis trade, which can’t be finalized until July 6. Let’s take a look at the details of the franchise-altering deal.

MIAMI received: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis

MILUWAKEE received: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Nate Ament (No. 13 overall pick), two first-round picks, one pick swap, and a 2033 second-round pick.

Nigel Benn believes there is one British boxing legend who would have been able to overcome the iconic quartet known as the ‘Four Kings.’

The famous group consists of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran, and saw the fighters each involved in epic battles against one another throughout the 1980s.

Fans often debate how the ‘Four Kings’ may have fared against fighters from different eras, and two-weight world champion Benn has weighed in with a view of his own.

Benn competed in a similar timespan as Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran, and so was confident with his view when telling The Sun that Joe Calzaghe would have beaten them all.

“Old timers will tell you [Calzaghe] would never have lived with Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler or Tommy ‘Hitman’ Hearns.

“I disagree – Joe would have beaten them all. How many fighters would love to finish with a record like Joe’s?

“Outside of Wales, I don’t think he got the recognition he deserved. Forty six fights unbeaten is a heck of an achievement. I don’t think we will ever see his like again.”

Calzaghe is one of a few world champions to have retired unbeaten, after becoming unified super middleweight world champion before moving up to light heavyweight and ending his career with wins over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

It is perhaps his size that may have given Calzaghe an edge over the other ‘Four Kings’, with Hearns the only one of group that ever held gold at 175lbs.

Jonas Vingegaard took the first leader’s yellow jersey of the 113th edition of the Tour de France as his Visma-Lease a Bike outfit won Saturday’s opening team time-trial in Barcelona.

Vingegaard will wear the yellow jersey on Sunday for the first time since he last won the Grand Boucle in 2023.

He finished the 19.6km course eight seconds quicker than Filippo Ganna for Netcompany Ineos, with reigning champion Tadej Pogacar earning third place for UAE Team Emirates at 12sec.

The first of 21 stages took riders along the Mediterranean coast, past the city’s famous Sagrada Familia basilica and finished with a short climb up a hill overlooking the popular tourist destination.

Read moreFive 2026 Tour de France key stages to watch out for

Throughout the stage, Visma had been almost neck-and-neck with Netcompany and the Lidl-Trek team of Spaniard Juan Ayuso.

But Visma went quicker over the second half and Vingegaard made the difference on the final 800-metre uphill drag to the finish.

Pogacar remains the overall favourite thanks to his Tour victories in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025, as well as his strong form this year. 

The Slovenian sensation is aiming to join the select crowd of Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to have won cycling‘s most prestigious race on five occasions.

Vingegaard is once again his biggest challenger. The Dane took home the yellow jersey in 2022 and 2023 and is aiming to complete the men’s Giro-Tour double. 

The three-week race will cross into the French Pyrenees on Stage 3. Stages 19 and 20 culminate at the famed Alpe d’Huez climb in the Alps, which comes just 24 hours before the 21st and final stage ending on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — South Africa tore apart England 45-21 after a stunning three-try blastoff in Nations Championship rugby at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The shock and awe start by the Springboks for a 17-0 lead inside the first 12 minutes gave the double world champions a cushion they rode to their biggest win over England in 18 years.

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The English impressively fought back to trail by only three by halftime but they succumbed to South Africa’s heavy carries and clinical finishing, and were down to 13 players at fulltime.

England was barely sweating when Boks fullback Damian Willemse charged the tryline and prop Thomas du Toit burrowed over. A Willemse chip and catch was followed by prop Ox Nche shrugging off England’s Ollie Chessum and Jamie George and shooting away for Cheslin Kolbe to cross in the right corner. Kolbe converted his try.

Nche left injured and moments later Kurt-Lee Arendse swept past Marcus Smith and went over in the left corner. Three entries into the England 22 and three tries.

The explosive start made light of the late forced changes by the Springboks. Captain Siya Kolisi was ruled out by an ankle strain and Eben Etzebeth reportedly by concussion. England also had to reshuffle when fullback George Furbank was sidelined by appendicitis after working for two years for his test recall.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby