England get off to the perfect start in their T20 international against New Zealand as Lauren Bell removes Georgia Plimmer with the first ball of the match, after England won the toss and chose to bowl in Derby.

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Summer is here, sort of, and it is everyone’s favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Vikings fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Minnesota.

Are we going to write about quarterbacks? Offensive tackles? Edge rushers? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Vikings, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Vikings fans can be the most informed fans.

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So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall.

Film

Background Info

• 3-Star recruit according to 247 Sports

• Played linebacker and running back in high school

• Was an All-State selection in high school

• Played baseball and track and field in high school

• Father played linebacker at Southern Utah

• Cousin of former Cal offensive lineman Semisi Uluave

• Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023

• First-Team All-ACC in 2025

• Transferred from California to BYU

Notable career stats heading into 2026

• 27.5 combined tackles for a loss and sacks

Notable numbers from PFF heading into 2026

• 50.1 Career PFF Run Defense Grade

• 54.5 Career PFF Coverage Grade

• Missed tackle rate of 19.4%

Strengths

• Fluid hips and footwork to showcase his movement skills

• Decent pass coverage ability

• Good instincts for the position

Player Summary

Cade Uluave is a fun linebacker prospect because he plays the position with a chip on his shoulder. He is a physical player who is a tad undersized but plays with that edge to let the offense realize that, despite his size, he can patrol the middle of the field. I was impressed by his closing speed on ball carriers, as well as his movement ability in general. His instincts carry him to being in positions to make plays on the ball, and he is a very fun linebacker prospect to watch in 2026.

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This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2027 NFL Draft Summer Scouting on BYU LB Cade Uluave

The Pac-12 and the Mountain West have reportedly reached a settlement regarding the poaching of five schools from the MW to the Pac-12.

What does this mean for the league’s future?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I am joined by ‘Locked On Seminoles’ host Brian Smith to discuss Mike Norvell’s hot seat in 2026.

The financial situation spells a dire reality for Noles fans.

Spencer and ‘Locked On Hoosiers’ host Jacob Goins discuss Indiana QB Josh Hoover in 2026.

Where does he rank on paper amongst the B1G quarterbacks?

00:00 Discussing Pac 12 and Mountain West merger
06:28 Discussing the Mountain West settlement
13:46 Financial struggles at Florida State
19:09 Considering Sean Lewis for Pack 12
22:44 Josh Hoover’s impact on Indiana
23:28 Discussing top transfer portal picks
29:37 Discussing Indiana’s quarterback expectations
31:16 Discussing Indiana’s offensive strategy

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

The Cleveland Cavaliers have James Harden to blame for their fourth quarter collapse against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

With less than eight minutes remaining in regulation, the Cavaliers were up 22 points.

But then, Knicks head coach Mike Brown remembered his time as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. After the game, Brown admitted that he targeted Harden intentionally.

“When I was in Golden State and we played Houston, we counted James Harden’s dribbles. We told our guys he’s dribbling close to 1000 times a game,” Brown explained. “Keep picking him up full court and making him dribble. At the end of the game, it would wear him down.”

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters postgame that Harden has been one of the team’s best defenders this postseason and that the team intends on sticking with him.

Gulp.

It’s hard to blame a traffic cone for being a traffic cone. Instead, blame the guy that put the traffic cone in the middle of the road and expected it to be anything other than a traffic cone.

At 36, Harden simply couldn’t keep up with Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson. New York consistently forced Harden into uncomfortable switches during the final seven minutes of regulation and overtime, where the Cavaliers only scored three points.

Game 1 was also the sixth game of this postseason where Harden finished with more turnovers (six) than field goals made (five). He only had three assists, was 5-of-18 from the field and made just one of his eight three-point attempts.

Once again, Cleveland’s decision to acquire Harden at the deadline has come into view. At some point, when somebody spends 17 years telling you who they are, you should probably listen to them. Harden has never been the type of player to rise to the occasion in the playoffs.

When officiating tightens their whistle, Harden has a more difficult time foulbaiting, which is the main element of his game at this stage. When he’s passing the ball and unlocking Cleveland’s bigs, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, he’s most effective. However, Harden’s turnover problem and affinity for isolation basketball was on full display down the stretch, as Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell shot the basketball just once during the team’s entire collapse.

Atkinson has to approach this series differently. He can’t blindly trust Harden, or the Knicks will easily handle business against the Cavaliers. This is a much different series than the Detroit Pistons or Toronto Raptors. 

Harden was a complete liability on both sides of the court and mysteriously remained in the game as Atkinson refused to call a timeout during New York’s 18-1 run.

It was a disservice to the entire team to keep him in the game.

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Fabio Wardley suffering a defeat to former foe Daniel Dubois in their WBO heavyweight title clash.

Dubois overcame Wardley in an epic heavyweight battle at the Co-Op Live in Manchester earlier this month, recovering from two early knockdowns to claim an 11th round stoppage and become a two-time world heavyweight champion.

Wardley was making the first defence of the belt that he had secured after Usyk himself had vacated the title, with the Ipswich man elevated to full champion after successful wins over Justis Huni and Joseph Parker in 2025.

He came unstuck against Dubois though, and Usyk has told DAZN Boxing that Wardley’s big mistake was not using his jab more, whilst also sharing concerns about the wellbeing of both men after their bout.

“It’s a street fight. Congratulations Dubois, good job, new world champion, but Fabio, where is jab? Fabio, where?

“[He] never jabbed. Maybe once. Only right hand, only right hand. It’s not working. Very strong chin but I think this is a street fight, it’s a problem for both guys for [the] brain and health.”

Usyk had stated previously that he was interested in facing the winner of the fight in order to attempt to become undisputed again, but it seems that will now have to wait after Wardley activated his rematch clause for an immediate second meeting with Dubois.

Boxing fans may be reluctant to see a third fight between Usyk and Dubois anyway after the Ukrainian won their two previous fights, with the likes of Agit Kabayel and Moses Itauma more in-demand options once Usyk has fought Rico Verhoeven this weekend.

Hearts have hit out at “highly irresponsible” comments with “dangerous implications” about the Celtic Park pitch invasion, after Celtic boss Martin O’Neill dismissed claims the incident embarrassed Scottish football as “nonsense”.

Police Scotland are investigating after fans spilled on to the pitch to celebrate Callum Osmand’s 98th-minute goal, as Celtic beat Hearts 3-1 to win the Scottish Premiership.

Hearts players were confronted by some fans, and Celtic apologised to their opponents earlier this week after they were forced to make a quick exit from the stadium.

Celtic manager O’Neill said on Monday he disagreed that the events marred his side’s dramatic victory.

“We are aware of highly irresponsible comments made publicly this week, which appear to seek to defend those who entered the pitch on Saturday and undermine the gravity of the situation,” Hearts said in a statement. , external

“Those remarks carry dangerous implications, and we call upon the football authorities to ensure that this matter is addressed with the seriousness it demands, and with the full cooperation of all involved.”

Right after the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings signed about 20 undrafted free agents, a standard process for most NFL teams. But three weeks later, Minnesota is already saying goodbye to one rookie: Maryland wide receiver Shaleak Knotts.

Minnesota is shuffling the bottom of its wide receiver depth chart.

Knotts may be an option for a roster spot down the road, yet with organized team activities a week away, he’s not in the purple plans for 2026.

Terrill Davis Gets the Summer Audition, Not Knotts

Davis seems to have taken Knotts’s spot.

Knotts Out in MIN

It was a short stay for Knotts in the Twin Cities. NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper wrote Tuesday, “The Vikings opened up a spot on their 90-man roster on Tuesday. The team announced that they have waived wide receiver Shaleak Knotts and they did not make a corresponding addition to fill out their active roster.”

“Knotts signed with the Vikings after going undrafted last month. He appeared in 43 games for Maryland over the last four seasons and caught 67 passes for 963 yards and seven touchdowns while playing for the Terrapins.”

Had the rookie remained on the Vikings’ roster, he likely would’ve battled for a practice squad spot this summer.

The Revised WR Unit

Have no fear: the Vikings do not have a shortage of summer wide receivers after the Knotts subtraction. They’ll be just fine.

Sans Knotts, here’s the updated WR corps for Kevin O’Connell’s team:

By late August, that group will shrink to five or six men, and Knotts faced an uphill battle to make a dent in the first place.

The Biography on Knotts

Knotts projects as a classic undrafted prospect with one clear strength: vertical production. The Maryland wide receiver waited his turn in college, then busted out in 2025 with 44 catches for 717 yards and 6 touchdowns, leading the Terrapins in both receiving yards and touchdown receptions. His 16.3 yards per reception underscored his ability to stretch the field, win downfield, and create big plays.

At 6’3″ and 194 pounds, Knotts possesses ideal outside-receiver size. His background as a former four-star recruit, coupled with his multi-sport high school career (basketball and track), highlights his impressive body control and ball-tracking skills.

The primary concern lies in his lack of polish. Knotts didn’t fully emerge until his final college season, suggesting the Vikings were banking on his raw talent, late development, and potential in a specific role, rather than a lengthy track record of dominance. He profiled as a practice squad candidate who could make an impact by excelling on deep routes, contested catches, and special teams.

Now, of course, Knotts will hope another team gives him a summer audition.

Davis in His Spot

Most believe that because Minnesota signed Davis a few days ago, he swiped Knotts’s spot. Davis embodies the classic developmental wide receiver prospect for the Vikings: productive, athletic enough, but likely a project requiring more time than fans might prefer.

He began his collegiate career by dominating Division II defenses at Central Oklahoma, where he amassed 109 catches, 1,609 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Upon moving to the Big 12 with Oklahoma State, he continued to contribute, catching 29 passes for 373 yards and demonstrating his ability to adapt to a higher level of competition.

Davis’s appeal is clear: he possesses sufficient speed to threaten defenses vertically, strong hands for difficult downfield throws, and the leaping ability to win contested catches. While these traits are often praised in film reviews, a recurring concern is occasional drops on easier targets.

Standing 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds with a reported 4.65 forty-yard dash, Davis definitely isn’t a burner, but he clearly has enough functional speed and juice to be a factor.

Davis, like Knotts, projects more as a practice squad candidate with legitimate upside than someone slated for immediate offensive snaps.

It’s also worth noting that Minnesota’s roster could be ripe for an upstart UDFA to emerge at wide receiver. The current WR5, Myles Price, is a kick and punt returner and was hardly used on offense as a rookie last year. That could bode well for Davis or one of his undrafted peers.

The next step in the Vikings’ offseason is organized team activities (OTAs), which kick off in six days.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker