The NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up. The event sparked a lot of conversation relating to speed, arm length and more. How much of those conversations are grounded in reality? How many are simple overreactions?

A year ago, there was a discussion about whether or not three quarterbacks would be picked in the first round; Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders were regarded as the likely top two. As it played out, Sanders lasted until the fifth round, but there were two quarterbacks taken in the first round as the Giants traded up to No. 25 overall for Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. 

CBS Sports’ explores this year’s hot topics and picks a side to each debate:

Alabama QB Ty Simpson will be a first-round pick: Reality

Simpson is not going to have a first-round grade from me, personally, because the body of work is too limited and too inconsistent to feel confident in the projection. However, there were flashes of quality quarterback play from the first-year starter. 

The shortcomings in Simpson’s film can be blamed away as injury related. It only takes one team to believe in his potential. Brian Daboll and the Giants were big fans of Jaxson Dart last year and traded back into the first-round to select him. Head coaches are the eternal optimists believing they can bring out the best version of any player. After sitting in a room with Simpson, whose father is the head coach of Tennessee-Martin, it is easy to envision the player endearing himself to at least one team and that team doing what is necessary to pick him; likely in the last 10 picks of the round. 

Carnell Tate will fall outside the top 10 as a result of 40-yard dash time: Overreaction

Tate ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds and many questioned if that was too slow. There is a requisite speed threshold that wide receivers need to meet, but the list of pass catchers who have ran sub-4.3 seconds is also depressing. Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown each clocked in the 4.5’s at their pro days. Drake London did not run a 40-yard dash, but he was not running away from allegations that, if he had, it would have been slow. Tetairoa McMillan clocked at 4.48 seconds. Is Tate really going to be dinged for running 0.05 seconds slower? 

Tate is positioned to be the first wide receiver off the board in April. With the exception of the 2023 NFL Draft when Jaxon Smith-Njigba was taken No. 20 overall, at least two wide receivers have been taken in the top 10 overall each of the past five years. Tate is not the same caliber of prospect as a Ja’Marr Chase or Malik Nabers, but teams are always chasing skill players that can create explosives.

Viral interview will lead to USC WR Makai Lemon dropping: Overreaction

There was a clip of Lemon’s media interview going around social media. Some speculation suggests his draft stock could take a hit and other reckless reports spawned from that clip. Lemon is not going to drop because of his interviews, but there is a reality where he is taken later than anticipated because of his place in the wide receiver pecking order. 

The USC product is not head-and-shoulders above some of his peers, including Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Washington’s Denzel Boston, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion. It is not unrealistic to imagine a team may favor one of those players over Lemon, which would result in a perceived slide. 

Georgia OT Monroe Freeling will be a top-10 overall pick: Reality

Freeling measured 6-feet-7 3/8, 315 pounds, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.93 seconds, in addition to a 33.5-inch vertical jump and a 115-inch broad jump. It was a freaky workout for a player of his size. There are some really high level moments from his film, particularly in the second half of the season, but he is still relatively young and developing. The worrisome part is that, of 15 offensive tackles named All-Pro dating back to 2019, only one, Jordan Mailata, is 6-6 or taller. 

Freeling would not project as highly if there were more accomplished left tackle prospects in this class. Right tackles dominate the conversation and a few of those may be offensive guard converts. So why would a team potentially reach for Freeling? From that same sample size of All-Pro offensive tackles, only three were drafted beyond the first round. 

Miami EDGE Rueben Bain’s draft stock is dropping because of arm length: Overreaction

Draft media anticipated Bain’s arm length being on the shorter side, but it was also shocking to see 30 7/8-inch arm written next to his name. There is no need to relitigate what had been evident on tape. It does lead to a bigger conversation about the reliability of measurements conducted by humans and it is hard to believe, given all the technology possessed, that no one has found a better way to measure those attributes. 

It may be controversial, but this could be a reality. Some teams put guard rails in place so that they do not have a team filled with outliers, but it will not be a problem for every team if they determine he is able to mitigate some of the issues stemming from a lack of ideal length. In this particular draft class, odds are good that someone takes Bain in the top 10 overall because he has been too impactful for the Hurricanes. 

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder battle the New York Knicks in a key NBA matchup on Wednesday night. OKC is coming off an NBA championship last season. New York, meanwhile, is looking to make the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. The Thunder, who are the top seed in the Western Conference, have a plus-11.3 points differential this season. The Knicks, who are third in the East, are 23-8 on their home floor in 2025-26. Both teams played Tuesday, and thus neither side has released its injury report.

Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Thunder lead the all-time series 75-68, including wins in each of the last four meetings OKC is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Thunder vs. Knicks odds from. DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 222.5. Before making any Knicks vs. Thunder picks, check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your first $5+ bet wins:

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 20 on a sizzling 41-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.    

Now, the model has simulated Thunder vs. Knicks 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Knicks vs. Thunder:

New users can also target the latest Underdog promo code CBSSPORTS2, good for $75 in fantasy bonus entries when you play $5 in select states.

Top Thunder vs. Knicks predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Thunder vs. Knicks, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (222.5). The Over has hit in six of the past seven head-to-head matchups between the teams. The Over has hit in four of their last five OKC games, and in four of the last eight New York games. The Thunder are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games. The Knicks, meanwhile, are 4-6 ATS in their last 10.

The SportsLine model is projecting the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score 29.1 points on average and be one of five Oklahoma City players to score 9.1 or more points. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, meanwhile, is projected to score 24.8 points as five New York players score 10.7 points or more. The teams are projected to combine for 228 points.

How to make Knicks vs. Thunder picks

The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Thunder vs. Knicks, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Thunder vs. Knicks spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —  As college athletics scrambles to fund the exploding cost of paying athletes, Arkansas may have landed on one of the sport’s most aggressive new models: a corporate sponsorship designed primarily to pay players.

The Razorbacks and Tyson Foods have entered into a sweeping five-year partnership that will place the company’s logo on the jerseys of all 19 Arkansas teams beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. But the branding is only part of the story — roughly 90% of the money generated by the deal is expected to flow directly to Arkansas athletes through name, image and likeness opportunities with the company.

Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek calls the agreement announced Wednesday “the largest true sponsorship agreement in college athletics right now.”

“The intention is that every student-athlete will be positively impacted by this partnership,” Yurachek said. “That was really important to Mr. Tyson and Donnie King, their president and CEO, and Kristina Lambert, their chief growth officer. And it’s really important to us as well.”

Specific financial details of the Razorbacks’ mega deal with Tyson Foods — headquartered just a few miles away in nearby Springdale — were not disclosed. Tyson Foods chairman John Tyson told CBS Sports, however, that speculation about a nine-figure agreement is misplaced.

“It’s not $100 million, let’s put it that way,” Tyson said.

Still, the structure of the deal is what could make it notable nationally. 

“The game’s changing so quickly,” Tyson said. “NIL sponsorships, funding for universities — the model is moving really, really quickly.”

The agreement also reflects the rapidly emerging market for jersey patch sponsorships in college athletics, which is in its infancy following the NCAA’s approval in January. 

Learfield CEO Cole Gahagan told CBS Sports earlier this year that early valuations for the new asset could range from roughly $500,000 to more than $12 million annually, depending on the program and market size. He also noted that most jersey patch partnerships in professional sports come from companies located within about 250 miles of the team, a trend expected to translate to college athletics — a dynamic that makes Tyson Foods, headquartered just miles from Arkansas’ campus in Springdale, a natural fit.

Tyson Foods’ partnership extends beyond jerseys. The company will also receive branding across Arkansas courts and fields and become the “Official Protein of the Razorbacks,” aligning its products with athletic performance and campus life through brand ambassador programs with athletes — the mechanism through which NIL compensation will be distributed. 

Arkansas and Tyson began discussing the concept roughly three to four months ago when it became clear the NCAA would soon approve jersey patches.

Arkansas is the second major school to announce an all-sport corporate jersey sponsorship, joining LSU, which struck a seven-year agreement with Woodside Energy in February. LSU has not disclosed financial details. UNLV signed a five-year deal worth $11 million with Accesso Biologics in December, one month before the NCAA formally approved the asset.

More schools are expected to land jersey patch sponsorships before the upcoming football season. In a CBS Sports survey conducted this week, 15 of 17 major athletic departments said they are actively pursuing deals.  

Tyson has long been one of Arkansas athletics’ most visible supporters, particularly in basketball, track and golf. He attends Razorbacks home basketball games from a courtside seat across from coach John Calipari, whom he helped recruit to Arkansas from Kentucky two years ago.

But Tyson said his interest in the sponsorship extends beyond Arkansas’ highest-profile programs.

For him, the university serves as what he called the region’s “economic sports engine,” particularly for Olympic sports that rely on college athletics as their primary development pipeline.

“My bigger worry in this NIL college sports day is where we develop athletes beyond the big three (sports),” Tyson said. “That still needs to be funded somehow.”

Arkansas and Tyson developed a formula to spread NIL opportunities to players across all 19 sports.

Arkansas athletics currently operates with roughly a $200 million annual budget, Yurachek said, while major SEC competitors like Texas operate with roughly double that.

“We’re trying to find every avenue we can to monetize our athletic program,” Yurachek said.

To remain competitive, Arkansas has aggressively pursued new revenue streams, including stadium and arena concerts, stadium naming rights and jersey patch sponsorships. The Tyson partnership represents one of the largest steps in that strategy.

Learfield Sports, which represents Arkansas, is also nearing an agreement on a naming-rights deal for Razorback Stadium.

“We’re really, really close to being to the finish line on that,” Yurachek said. “We’ll have some things that people will see in the very near future about that.”

The Manchester United midfielder Jack Fletcher has been given a six-match suspension after being sent off for calling an opponent a “gay boy”.

The 18-year-old, who is the son of United’s former caretaker manager Darren Fletcher, was shown a red card in an EFL Trophy match against Barnsley in October.

He was dismissed when referee Will Davis overheard him insulting the Barnsley player, whose identity has been redacted, and pleaded guilty at an FA hearing to an aggravated breach of Rule E.2, which involves a reference to “ethnic origin, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or disability”.

Fletcher, who was also fined £1,500, has been ordered to attend a mandatory face-to-face education programme, though both the FA and the Barnsley player accepted he had no intention to be homophobic.

The England under-19 international had been abused during the Barnsley game by a player who directed personal insults at his father and twin brother, Tyler, as well as being on the receiving end of two off-the-ball fouls.

And, when taunted after Barnsley scored their third goal, he admitted that he replied: “You seem to know a lot about me, are you a gay boy?”

An FA panel determined that his words were intended to be derogatory rather than homophobic and United are working with the teenager to educate him about discriminatory language.

Fletcher, who has already served two matches of his suspension, said: “I am truly sorry for the offensive word that I used in the heat of the moment. Despite the fact that I had no intention to use the term as a homophobic insult, I completely understand that such language is unacceptable and immediately apologised after the game. I want to be clear that this momentary lapse of character absolutely does not reflect my beliefs or values.”

The FA determined that, as the incident occurred in a non-first-team match, his ban should be served in them as well.

Fletcher could have been suspended for up to 12 matches but was given credit for admitting his guilt at the first possible opportunity, while his age and inexperience were mitigating factors.

Jack Fletcher has made three appearances for United this season and was given his debut by former manager Ruben Amorim in December, while Tyler, also a midfielder, made his first-team start in February.

Darren Fletcher, the current manager of United’s under-18s, has been technical director, first-team coach and caretaker manager after a career in which he made 342 appearances for the club.

San Antonio Spurs veteran forward Harrison Barnes played all 82 games in the NBA for the last three seasons and was on an impressive ironman streak until Tuesday.

Barnes missed the Spurs’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers after he woke up from a pregame nap with a sore left ankle. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson made the decision to keep him out of the game. Barnes’ streak came to an end at 364 straight games.

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San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz at Frost Bank Center on Jan. 19, 2026. (Daniel Dunn/Imagn Images)

Johnson said the one-time NBA champion was added to the injury report when Barnes reported soreness when he woke up from the nap. Barnes received pregame treatment from the medical staff.

Barnes’ streak wasn’t the highest active streak in the league. New York Knicks’ Mikal Bridges holds the mark with 616 straight games. Barnes also trailed Bridges for the most total games played since 2021 with 382.

San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives to the basket against Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Austin, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Barnes has played in 60 games this season. He’s averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Luckily, for the Spurs, San Antonio was able to pick up a victory without Barnes.

Dylan Harper scored 22 points and Victor Wembanyama had 10 points in the 131-91 win over the 76ers.

New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby, right, drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs’ Harrison Barnes during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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San Antonio has the second-best record in the Western Conference at 44-17. The team is only three games behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder for the top spot in the conference.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Miami (Ohio) RedHawks’ men’s basketball team continued their perfect start to the season on Tuesday night.

The No. 19 RedHawks defeated the Toledo Rockets, 74-72, improving to 30-0 and clinching at least a share of the Mid-American Conference regular-season title. Miami is the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball and has the best start and longest win streak in conference history.

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Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder, center, and the team celebrate the regular-season trophy at the conclusion of an NCAA college basketball game against Toledo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Oxford, Ohio. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

The team celebrated with the regular-season trophy as confetti fell onto the court in the arena.

“That’s the beauty of basketball: When you’re having fun with the right group of guys, you can become unbeatable,” Miami star Peter Suder told reporters, via the school’s website.

“It’s a surreal moment, obviously,” he added as he reflected on his family and the support he’s received through his collegiate career. “They’ve been with me through it all, and I’m just super-happy they were there tonight and soaked in the moment as well.”

Miami (OH) guard Luke Skaljac reacts after a made 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Toledo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Oxford, Ohio.  (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

Suder had 19 points in the win and is averaging 14.8 points per game this season.

The RedHawks needed to dig deep to hang on against Toledo.

The Rockets cut the deficit to one on four different occasions. Toledo’s Austin Parks had a good opportunity to put the team ahead, but Miami’s Eian Elmer blocked him at the rim. Toledo trailed by two points and had the ball with 13 seconds left but a costly turnover sealed the win for Miami.

Miami completed its first season sweep of Toledo since the 1996-97 season and are now on a three-game winning streak against the Rockets after losing 22 straight from 2012-24.

Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder, center, raises the regular-season trophy with teammates at the conclusion of an NCAA college basketball game against Toledo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Oxford, Ohio.  (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

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The RedHawks will finish the regular season on the road against the Ohio Bobcats on Friday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oregon is reportedly in a good position for 5-star 2027 QB Will Mencl.

How have the Ducks kept recruiting quality HS quarterbacks after leaning on the portal?

On today’s episode of Locked On Ducks, Spencer McLaughlin breaks down 2026 defensive back Xavier Lehrisse.

He garnered a lot of praise late in the recruiting cycle and could sneak his way into the rotation this Fall.

Akili Smith Jr. heads into year 2 without having been seen much by Duck fans.

What role, if any, could he carve out for himself this Fall in the Oregon offense?

00:00 Oregon’s QB Recruiting Challenge
06:07 Oregon’s Quarterback Depth Strategy
07:49 Recruiting Targets and Transfer Options
11:45 Carl Williams IV Leads Race
15:32 Oregon DB Comparison and Versatility
17:45 Nickel Cornerback Competition Overview
24:02 Oregon QB Debate 2026
28:39 Brock Thomas’ Edge Explained

Man Utd youngster Jack Fletcher has been handed a six-game ban by the FA after he admitted using a homophobic insult during an EFL Trophy game.

Jack Fletcher has apologised for using a homophobic insult during an EFL Trophy fixture against Barnsley earlier this season after being handed a six-game suspension by the Football Association.

The son of former Manchester United midfielder and current Under-18s head coach Darren was sent off during the game against the League One outfit’s first team in October. He used the offensive term after becoming embroiled in a running battle with an older opponent, who made comments to him about his father and twin brother, Tyler.

During the game, Fletcher snapped and asked why his opponent was so aware of his background, using a homophobic insult as part of the question.

After being charged by the FA, Fletcher explained he did not intend for the insult to be homophobic, something the governing body and the opponent involved accepted to be the case.

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Referee Will Davis was one yard away from Fletcher when he heard the player use the offensive term. While he did not dispute it, Fletcher feels he was provoked during the game, including two off-the-ball incidents and having his Achilles stamped on.

Fletcher regrets the lapse in character and insists it doesn’t represent his character or beliefs, and said it was uttered in an unguarded moment of anger. He said he understood his choice of words was unacceptable and apologised, accepting the FA charge at the earliest opportunity.

The youngster, who has made three appearances for the first team this season and is the son of Under-18s boss Darren, was banned for two games for the red card and has been handed a four-game ban after accepting an aggravated breach of FA rule E3.1. He has served three of those four games, with only non-first-team competitive fixtures counting.

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Fletcher’s ban means he has missed the last three Premier League 2 games, and his suspension is due to finish with the Friday night fixture against Birmingham City in that competition.

Fletcher, who was also fined £1,500 and ordered to attend FA education, said: “I am truly sorry for the offensive word that I used in the heat of the moment.

“Despite the fact that I had no intention to use the term as a homophobic insult, I completely understand that such language is unacceptable and immediately apologised after the game. I want to be clear that this momentary lapse of character absolutely does not reflect my beliefs or values.”

United have taken steps to enhance players’ understanding of discriminatory language and its harmful effects.