Hardik Pandya (L) and MS Dhoni© AFP

Minnesota Vikings training camp is two months away, and the club will host about seven notable roster battles, which is the case every summer. From a pre-June perspective, we’re here to predict the winners.

Minnesota’s summer depth chart already has a few competitions with clear early favorites.

The Vikings are forecasted to win eight or nine games in 2026, according to oddsmakers. Let’s examine these preliminary battles.

Seven Battles Will Highlight the Vikings’ Summer

It’s Year No. 5 for head coach Kevin O’Connell.

1. QB1

The Contenders: Kyler Murray | J.J. McCarthy

The Vikings’ messaging over the last few weeks has been oddly insistent that Murray and McCarthy will have a genuine competition at training camp. That’s fine — but Murray is clearly the better quarterback, possessing more arm strength, speed, and passing accuracy. He also averages 30 passing and rushing touchdowns per 17 starts.

It would be sweet if McCarthy had the juice to dethrone Murray, but we’re not really buying it.

Prediction: Kyler Murray

2. OLB3

The Contenders: Bo Richter | Tyler Batty | Jake Golday | a Free Agent

Without Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota’s EDGE depth quickly became skimpy, at least compared to the last couple of years.

Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner lead the group. Beyond them, the Vikings are relying on Richter or Batty to step into a significant OLB3 role by September — a considerable leap for both. Richter has only played 81 defensive snaps in two seasons, while Batty logged just 42 as a rookie.

While there is potential, especially under Brian Flores, neither player has demonstrated enough in live games to fully solidify the Vikings’ depth behind Van Ginkel and Turner.

That highlights why adding a veteran EDGE remains a sensible move. The team doesn’t require another superstar, but rather one more reliable pass rusher. This would stabilize the unit should injuries mount or if Turner’s development takes more time than anticipated.

We pick Leonard Floyd because of his link to O’Connell from the LAR days.

Prediction: Vikings sign Leonard Floyd

3. Center

The Contenders: Blake Brandel | Michael Jurgens | Gavin Gerhardt

Brandel is the favorite at center heading into camp. He’s is the most realistic outlook, especially after Minnesota waited until Round 7 to draft Gerhardt from Cincinnati — a late-round rookie who projects more as a developmental prospect than an immediate starter.

Many fans likely anticipated a more direct draft investment at the position. Players like Connor Lew, Logan Jones, Jake Slaughter, and Sam Hecht all seemed like solid Day 2 options. Instead, O’Connell’s staff opted to wait, drafting Gerhardt and giving Brandel the inside track.

The only significant wildcard remains a potential trade. Should Minnesota make a bold move and inquire with Miami about Aaron Brewer, the landscape would shift dramatically. For now, however, Brandel is the safe bet, while Gerhardt remains a long-term lottery ticket.

Prediction: Blake Brandel

4. Free Safety

The Contenders: Jay Ward | Theo Jackson | Jakobe Thomas

Ward quietly surpassed Jackson on the depth chart late in 2025, a development that received surprisingly little attention.

Jackson began last season in a more favorable position. He had more experience, a familiar role, and seemed like the next man up if Harrison Smith slowed down or retired. But then Ward began to usurp his role.

The shift is significant now. Ward is faster, more aggressive, and still has a year left on his rookie deal. Should Smith retire, Minnesota should give Ward the first opportunity at an expanded role. Jackson can still contribute, but Ward has greater upside and stronger late-season momentum.

Prediction: Jay Ward

5. Nose Tackle

The Contenders: Domonique Orange | Levi Drake Rodriguez

The nose tackle position presents a Week 1 question mark. Long-term, Orange is expected to be the Vikings’ future nose tackle, a role for which he was drafted. However, Week 1 could tell a different story.

Rodriguez has seen action for Minnesota over the past two seasons, and Flores might decide there’s no need to thrust Orange into the heart of the defense immediately. The Vikings have also been notably cautious with rookies recently, partly because Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s draft classes haven’t forced their way into starting roles. Put plainly, most of Adofo-Mensah’s draft picks weren’t very good.

While Orange represents the future, Rodriguez could still be the early-season answer.

Prediction: Domonique Orange

6. Punter

The Contenders: Johnny Hekker | Brett Thorson

Minnesota faces a clear old-versus-new battle at punter.

Hekker, once considered the best punter in football — in 2015 —may no longer be at his peak, but he can still get the job done. The Vikings then signed Thorson after the draft, setting up a genuine competition.

Thorson was one of college football’s top punters in 2025. Despite some draft whispers projecting him as a middle-round pick, he went undrafted. Minnesota now has that upside without spending a draft pick.

Hekker represents the safer, more established option, while Thorson is the livelier, high-upside bet.

Prediction: Brett Thorson

7. RB3

The Contenders: Zavier Scott | Demond Claiborne

Claiborne presents the stronger case for the RB3 spot, especially if pre-draft assessments hold true.

He offers 4.37 speed, a build reminiscent of De’Von Achane, and a compelling connection to the coaching staff, as Minnesota now employs Frank Smith, Achane’s offensive coordinator in Miami for the past three seasons. While that doesn’t guarantee that Claiborne will replicate Achane’s success, the alignment of skill sets and size is undeniable.

Scott has earned respect by diligently working his way up the depth chart. However, his most realistic role might be limited to practice squad depth. Claiborne possesses more explosive potential, higher draft capital, and a clearer path to making a dent in the offense.

Prediction: Demond Claiborne

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Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi during the J300 Beaulieu-sur-Mer tournament in France. (Instagram)

New Delhi: India has two teenagers honing their skills in Europe at two prestigious tennis academies. There is 18-year-old Manas Dhamne at the Piatti Tennis Academy, which built, among others, Jannik Sinner. At the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, 16-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi is hoping to pave her path to future success.Once someone who enjoyed playing on slow hard courts, Revathi has started to embrace clay as well. She’s already played seven tournaments on the red dirt this season with two semi-final finishes and a J300 title in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France.She would continue to put those learnings to test at the Junior French Open in Paris from May 31.“I think when the physical part develops, I think you will like to play on clay a lot. Generally. Because the fact that I am based in Europe, I have been training on clay a bit more than I did back earlier in my career. I think the more that I train on a certain surface, I feel more belonged to that surface,” said the ITF 27th ranked Maaya in a virtual interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).“To be honest, I don’t mind playing on any surface. Because as long as I step on court and I am ready to compete and I am there to fight it out, I think I am happy to play on any surface. And the fact that the experience that I have gained in the last year playing multiple tournaments in multiple places, so many surfaces, I think it’s just that it’s a matter of how you want to get on court and play more than the surface,” she continued.When she steps up to the court in the French capital, it will be her fifth appearance in a junior major. Her best performance came last year at the US Open, where she reached the second round.These are small steps before the 16-year-old from Coimbatore takes the giant leap towards the senior circuit. It, however, remains a delicate balance between exposure and growth. The signs of potential were visible earlier in the year when she reached the semifinals of the Mumbai Open WTA 125.

Maaya Rajeshwaran at the junior event in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. (Instagram)

“Our idea at the beginning of the year was that Maaya plays as many matches as possible, competes a lot and gets comfortable with her game. She has a very big game. So, we want her to develop that even more and to have that confidence in matches,” explained coach Polina Radeva, who travels with the Indian youngster for tournaments.“We started with the junior events in Australia, then she played a couple of ITF events in India. And our idea was to stick with the junior tour and see how that goes. Because if you finish with a good ranking in juniors, the following year, you get a head start. You get some direct entrances into professional events. That’s our goal. That is one of the reasons why we’re doing so many junior events.”“The ultimate objective is to transition to the pro tour. The life of a tennis player is unpredictable. Sometimes we cancel events and go back to training,” continued the player-turned-coach Radeva.‘Focus on what I have to do’

File photo of Indian tennis player Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi. (Instagram)

Much like Dhamne, Revathi, too, has a clarity of thought well beyond her years. She’s got the likes of fellow teenagers Iva Jovic, Lilli Tagger, Alina Korneeva, and Emerson Jones to look up to in the top-150 WTA rankings. Instead, the focus remains firmly on herself.“I think we’re moving in a very fast competing environment that at the moment I’m just focused on what I have to do and what will make me feel best on court when I’m competing and whatever works for me. I think it’s solely based on me and to figure out how I want to be on court more than replicating someone else,” she stated.

It’s over between Antonio Conte and Napoli as the Italian coach will step down at the end of the current season for personal reasons. The 56-year-old will not be on the bench of the Italian club next season despite a contract running until the summer 2027, the club have confirmed on Monday, after winning one Serie A title with Napoli during the 2024-25 season and one Supercoppa Italian during the current campaign. Conte will now be available to clubs across Europe, but he remains the leading candidate for the Italy job ahead of the Italian FA presidential election on June 22. Conte spoke with the owner of the Italian club Aurelio De Laurentiis during a joint press conference on Sunday after the last match of the season and the duo announced the decision. 

Conte had a strong impact at Napoli, after taking the job in the summer of 2024, following a disappointing season for the club. In one year, Conte was able to bring the club back to success and won the 2024-25 Scudetto, also thanks to some financial investments that made it possible, most notably the addition of Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku. At the same time, Napoli were able to focus exclusively on domestic competition in his first season, having failed to qualify for any European tournament the previous campaign, one year after winning the title under Luciano Spalletti. 

The second season proved more challenging, as injuries and the demands of the Champions League took their toll on Napoli’s Serie A campaign, preventing them from keeping pace with Inter. Conte decided to step back from his duties more than a month ago. As he said before the last Serie A game to DAZN, “The President knows what I will do, he knows that since at least one month.”

Conte is now considered one of the leading candidates for the Italian national team job, after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the third time in a row for the World Cup, marking the lowest point in the history of the national team. Conte will have to wait at least until June 22, when the Italian FA elects its new president. The two candidates are former FIGC president Gianluca Abete and former Italian National Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malagò. 

Conte was already the Italy manager from 2014 to 2016, leading the Azzurri at the 2016 UEFA Euro, only losing to Germany on penalties in the quarterfinals. Whoever wins the election will have the opportunity to reappoint Conte as Italy’s next head coach, an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. 

Eddie Hearn has revealed his assessment of the rounds that preceded Oleksandr Usyk’s controversial stoppage of Rico Verhoeven last Saturday.

The two heavyweights squared off for Usyk’s WBC world title, with many expecting the defending champion to march through his crossover assignment with relative ease.

Given the Ukrainian’s status as a three-time, two-division undisputed king, it is hardly surprising that his opponent was written off to such a great extent.

When considering, too, that this was Verhoeven’s second-ever professional boxing match, many felt that he would swiftly crumble under the suffocating pressure of Usyk.

As it happened, though, the Dutch kickboxer managed to find considerable success in the early rounds, making his opponent seem more beatable than ever before.

Then, by round 11, Verhoeven was boasting a 96-94 lead on one of the judges’ cards, while the other two scoring officials had reached a 95-95 verdict.

At this point, Usyk perhaps sensed that he needed a moment of magic, and so the 39-year-old dramatically floored his man with an expertly-timed uppercut.

Despite Verhoeven regaining his footing, referee Mark Lyson had committed to waving him off at the sound of the bell, with many suggesting that the 11th-round finish came too early.

Subscribing to this view, Matchroom promoter Hearn told IFL TV that he, like judge Pasquale Procopio, had Verhoeven ahead at the time of the stoppage.

“I had Rico up in the fight, going into that 11th round. I thought it was a poor stoppage.

“I know you can never think about how long [is] left in the round but, what was there, a couple seconds left in the round?

“I think when you’re up in the fight, or you’re that competitive, [the referee] can’t stop a fight when he’s not taking any serious punishment, even though the knockdown was heavy.”

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Regardless of whether the stoppage was premature, Usyk’s performance has led many to suspect that Father Time may finally have caught up with him.

Former captain Gary Mabbutt hopes Ben Davies will have a future at Tottenham Hotspur after the club avoided relegation to the Championship.

Wales skipper Davies, who turned 33 last month, sees his Tottenham contract expire next month.

The defender has not played since suffering a serious ankle injury in January, but Mabbutt believes he should be offered the chance to stay at a club he has represented for 12 years.

“Ben’s a great lad,” said Spurs great Mabbutt.

“What he has given to the club so far… it was just so unfortunate the injury he received. It was devastating for him and or us because Ben’s a player you can always rely on.

“Certainly I hope something will be done with his contract, whether it be still on the playing side or maybe looking a bit more to the future, but hopefully still with Tottenham Hotspur.”

At the end of a long night there was relief for Oleksandr Usyk in the shadow of the Pyramids in the great Giza Plateau.

It finished with Rico Verhoeven in the arms of referee, Mark Lyson, with just one second left on the clock in round eleven; there should be no debate about Lyson’s stoppage. A fight is finished by the referee with no consideration for the clock, just a desire to make sure that a boxer is healthy.

There is talk of an official appeal, talk that the bell to end the round sounded before Lyson had stopped the fight, but there is no technology that can register the exact end, no clock that stops, just a man jumping between two battered and bruised boxers. It is an inexact science, but it works.

The controversy surrounding the ending has helped shield Usyk from examination; the world heavyweight champion, unbeaten, untouchable in so many fights, and regal on both sides of the ropes looked troubled throughout the fight. One judge correctly had Verhoeven in front going into the round 11; two had it a kind draw. Usyk was close to defeat, closer than he had been for a very long time.

It is too easy to just say that Verhoeven offered a style that Usyk could not solve, too simple to insist that Verhoeven’s size was the factor. The truth is that Usyk, who looked fleshy and heavy and lacked a sharp edge from the opener, was just off all night. Verhoeven was expected to start fast, fade and get stopped on his feet in about six or so rounds – perhaps Usyk believed the hype. It is more likely that he simply took his eyes off the prize and that can happen. He is just human and at 39, after nearly thirty years in the boxing trade, he can be excused for having a night off.

It is, perhaps, revealing that the first thing Usyk said when he was interviewed in the ring was not about the fight, but about a conversation he had with his daughter that very day. “She is in a bomb shelter,” he said. Have we become so immune to human disaster that we hear that and still question why a man did not look and fight like he normally does? The line was lost in all the screaming and shouting in the ring at the end.

Usyk has now won 14 world title fights across two weights in seven countries, he is a national idol in Ukraine, and he has beaten in style bigger and more dangerous men than Verhoeven. However, it looked like it was far more than just a bad night, a night when he had other things on his mind. It looked like the start of the end and that can often be revealed in far more than just a decline in speed or reactions; Usyk looked like he was not enjoying the fight, and Verhoeven was heroic on the night. Usyk looked uncomfortable and that is a problem going forward. A sharper, younger and lighter Usyk would have solved Verhoeven and won in style.

Verhoeven will be an even bigger threat in the rematch, but Usyk walking away must surely be one of the options going forward. Usyk is smart enough and rich enough to not become a victim of pride and hubris in a business he dominated for so long.