Sports
March Madness 2026: What Jon Scheyer, Dan Hurley can learn from Tom Izzo, Rick Pitino
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jordan Scott had no shortage of options regarding where he’d play college basketball. A consensus top-100 recruit with offers from across the country, he was looking for a differentiating factor. He found them during his visit to East Lansing for Michigan State Madness in October 2024.
Other programs have preseason fan events and hallowed student sections like the “Izzone.” But Scott found something more.
“[Tom Izzo] being a huge part of the community here, for lack of better words, you don’t see that everywhere — you don’t see that anywhere besides here,” Scott said. “He trusts his community, and his community trusts him. … Just comparing this place to other places, it was like night and day, just how they do things here. It’s a special culture.”
It’s a trust Izzo built over 43 years — 31 as the head coach — and a trust that is becoming increasingly rare. Izzo is the second-longest tenured active head coach at one school, behind only close friend Greg Kampe’s 42 years at Oakland University.
“I’m not sure anybody will stay in one place 31 years,” Izzo said, mentioning Purdue’s Matt Painter as one he hopes proves him wrong. “I’m fortunate to have the job I have. I am fortunate for the 31 years of success. I do not think people are going to stay in the same place like Jim Boeheim did. Mike Krzyzewski had a long run there.”
In an era when players and coaches change colors more often than not, the on-court bona fides of the four coaches in the nation’s capital for Friday’s Sweet 16 are unimpeachable. Izzo, Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley and Jon Scheyer have combined for 2,026 Division-I wins, five national championships and, including this year, 37 Sweet 16s. For as good as the players are — and in Cameron Boozer, Zuby Ejiofor, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr. and others, they are very good — the coaches are driving the star power for this 2026 NCAA Tournament East Regional site.
Each is a pillar of the sport, each in his own way. And the careers of Izzo and Pitino show the fork in the road that Scheyer and Hurley face as they build their own Hall of Fame résumés.
“I think that’s what makes it exciting, right?” said Scheyer, who is 38 and in his fourth year at the helm of his alma mater. “It’s going to be an exciting atmosphere, high-level basketball, high-level coaching for sure. … I just keep going back [to] having great respect and admiration, at the same time having great confidence when you step on the floor. That’s what I want our players to have, too.”
The winding backroads to the HOF
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Scheyer’s sideline opponent, Pitino, was a forebearer of this era of movement. He got his head coaching start at Boston University, left for an assistant role with the Knicks, returned to the college ranks as Providence’s coach, left for the Knicks’ head role and then resigned to take the top job at Kentucky — all within a seven-year stretch.
He’d leave for the NBA one more time, taking the Celtics job, but not after lifting a Kentucky program mired in scandal to a 1996 NCAA title and a 1997 runner-up finish. But after four unsuccessful years in Bean Town, he returned to coach Louisville from 2001-2017, when he was fired amid multiple scandals (it was later re-worded to a resignation after a lengthy legal battle). After a brief stint in Greece, he returned to coach Iona and, in 2023, got hired by St. John’s.
“I’ve loved every place I’ve lived,” Pitino said. “I’m a different guy. I’m not a nester. Everybody is different. I don’t want to live in the same place my whole life. I enjoyed Greece probably more than any place I’ve ever lived for those two years, not knowing one person, just exploring all the islands. For me it was great. For Tom, it’s great being in East Lansing. He loves it there. Everybody is different.”
East coaches’ head coaching résumés
| Jon Scheyer | Rick Pitino | Tom Izzo | Dan Hurley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke (2022–present) | Boston University (1978–83) | Ishpeming (MI) High School (1977–79) | St. Benedict’s (N.J.) Prep (2001–10) |
| Providence (1985–87) | Michigan State (1995–present) | Wagner (2010–12) | |
| New York Knicks (1987–89) | Rhode Island (2012–18) | ||
| Kentucky (1989–97) | UConn (2018–present) | ||
| Boston Celtics (1997–2001) | |||
| Louisville (2001–17) | |||
| Panathinaikos (2018–20) | |||
| Iona (2020–23) | |||
| St. John’s (2023–present) |
St. John’s is the fourth different program Pitino has led to the Sweet 16. He has mastered the ability to fit into new surroundings while still standing out. After all, beyond the coaching ingenuity, what 73-year-old — let alone a 73-year-old Hall-of-Fame coach — dons an all-white suit for big games, invites Bad Bunny to sit courtside and says his point guard, Dylan Darling, has “balls as big as church bells?”
“Since he’s 73, you would think that he’s slowing down, but I think he’s only getting better,” Bryce Hopkins said.
“I think that coach still coaching at his age helps keep him young, honestly,” Oziyah Sellers said. “I remember he told me earlier in the year that he wouldn’t know what he would do with his life if he wasn’t coaching.”
Pitino has certainly taken the road less traveled, but perhaps that has given him the edge in identifying and courting players whose careers have taken several turns, too. The Red Storm’s top seven scorers are all former transfers.
“His resume, it speaks for itself,” said Sellers, who started his career at USC and transferred to Stanford before landing with the Johnnies. “He’s succeeded at every school he’s been at, and he’s ‘The Godfather’ in this college basketball world.”
The open road ahead in youth
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Pitino’s junior by 35 years, Scheyer is his third Sweet 16 in four years as Duke’s head coach. The two are, in some ways, polar opposites. If Pitino is “The Godfather,” Scheyer is the prodigy. They will form the eighth-largest age gap between opposing coaches in any NCAA Tournament game. All Scheyer has known is Duke. He won a national championship as a senior in 2010 and, after a brief pro playing career, returned to Durham to be part of Krzyzewski’s staff before taking over the program in 2022.
Since then? The trajectory has him with the most wins of any head coach in his first four years on the job — and approaching that same record just in March Madness:
| Coach | School (first four years) | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Fisher | Michigan (1989–93) | 12 |
| Brad Stevens | Butler (2007–11) | 11 |
| Ed Jucker | Cincinnati (1960–64) | 11 |
| Jon Scheyer | Duke (2022–present) | 10 |
| Fred Taylor | Ohio State (1959–63) | 10 |
Krzyzewski fielded several NBA offers over his 42 seasons leading Duke and declined each. In 2023, Coach K said, “I love Duke, and I love college, especially how it was then. I’m not sure that if it was today, and I was that age, I wouldn’t have gone.”
The “then” Krzyzewski refers to is when top players often spent their entire careers at one program. Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, JJ Redick and Shane Battier stayed for all four years. Jay Williams stayed for three. It’s a long-gone era, and Scheyer knows it. And the transaction-driven nature makes even the offseason more of a grind.
When asked if he believes coaches will continue into their 70s, as Pitino and Izzo are and Krzyzewski did, Scheyer smiled and shook his head.
“I know from Coach K, initially when you start coaching, you have months, you finish the season, your players aren’t going anywhere, you go to the beach, you go wherever you want for a few months, you come back in the fall, and you’re ready to roll,” Scheyer said. “That’s just not the world we’re in. As you all know, it’s right to recruiting mode the next day, as soon as the season ends.
“But I think it’s incredible what [Izzo and Pitino] have done. … You look at the reflection of both of their teams. They still have the identity of how they’ve always coached: the toughness, the defense, all those things, but they’ve done it a different way.”
After all, the 2020s have been marked by high-profile departures, not just from septuagenarians such as Krzyzewski, Boeheim, Roy Williams and Jim Larrañaga, but from Jay Wright and Tony Bennett, too.
The exit ramps and left turns not taken
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Hurley could be the best example of the thin line between staying and going — and, as of now, choosing the former. He turned down Kentucky in early 2024 and the Lakers a few months later, though he admits that turning down the Lakers was a difficult decision, one that Izzo, now his Sweet 16 opponent, helped with.
His players were briefly in a lurch. Reed, who had transferred from Michigan just months before the Lakers’ courtship of Hurley, remembers the immense relief of finding out Hurley was staying in Storrs.
“I came to UConn to play for a coach like Coach Hurley,” Reed said. “When Coach said he returned, I remember that first practice when he leaked out to the media, posted it on Twitter, he was ready to go from there.”
Returnees such as Alex Karaban and Solo Ball remember the uncertain few days of that July — long after rosters and coaching searches had formed, leaving them with fewer options if they needed to pack up.
“Whatever he wanted to do, whatever would make him happy, his family happy, that’s ultimately what we all wanted,” Karaban said. “For him to come back and want to stay at UConn was a blessing for us. We greatly appreciated that. We just want to repay with him with how we play on the basketball court.”
“I thought he was going to be gone, to be honest, when it first came out,” Ball said. “Over time, when you get to know Coach, how he is as a person, all he wants to pour into is college athletes. It’s been great.”
The long road home
Perhaps the difference between staying and going can come down to personalities. Pitino has always wanted to move around. Izzo values the ability to “pump your own gas, wave to a neighbor, be around.” He had the same NBA rumor mill, the same opportunities to jump to marginally bigger college programs.
Or perhaps there’s more. The pressure of one spot can be downright grating. The nationwide monetary arms race gives more programs more opportunities to offer big paydays, better NIL, upgraded facilities and impressive support.
“It’s nice to be in the same place,” Izzo said. “There’s pressure being in the same place, too. I don’t think most people are going to want to do that. I hope they do. I think it’s good for the university. I think it’s good for the players.”
Future offers will come for Hurley, one of the premier basketball minds at any level, and for Scheyer, who ticks the boxes of youth, smarts and experience coaching NBA players in-waiting. Both acknowledged the immense challenges they face.
“We talked about his opportunity with the Lakers and other places,” Scheyer said of Krzyzewski. “Down the road, that’s something you cross that bridge when you get there. For me, it’s 100% being at Duke, the place I want to be. We have unfinished business. That’s what this is all about for me.”
Hurley admitted it’s been a challenge, that turning down the Lakers two summers ago wasn’t easy and that coaching, period, even as a two-time reigning national champion, wasn’t easy.
“Listen, I wanted a gap year last year,” Hurley said with a laugh that belied his serious answer. “I don’t know how Coach Izzo has done it. I don’t.
“I hope I’m looked upon when my career’s over, I don’t know that I’ll have his longevity, I can just only hope that people look at me as a coach the way they look at him and the way I look at him.”
Four disparate but remarkably successful coaching paths converge at Capital One Arena on Friday night. By Sunday night, one will continue to the Final Four, and three will return home. Where any of those four paths go — in the short and long terms — could be anyone’s guess.
Sports
England vs New Zealand: Tilly Corteen-Coleman and Charlie Dean give reasons for optimism despite familiar failings
Those words showed maturity but also the teenager’s high standards.
Corteen-Coleman perched herself next to England’s coaches on the balcony for much of her side’s chase. She believed her work for the day was done, but her most consequential moment was still to come.
Ten runs were still needed when she emerged as the last batter to join Dean.
Crucially, she helped Dean run twos and, with solid defence, bettered her previous high score of one not out in The Hundred to finish unbeaten on three and sealed the win.
“I am glad I looked calm because I definitely wasn’t,” she said.
“The main point for me was to keep it really simple.”
Corteen-Coleman did not, of course, complete the win alone.
Central was the role of Dean, who admitted to exposing her team-mate more than she intended by taking singles early in the over, but otherwise played the situation well.
Much has been made of Dean’s ability to hold her mettle in chases. There has been some success but failure too – notably in the Mankad ODI at Lord’s in 2022 and the second ODI of the Women’s Ashes last year.
This time, standing in as England captain for the first time, Dean dragged her side over the line.
If England’s training camp with the army last week was supposed to develop leaders, this was Dean’s Passing-Out Parade.
“I have worked on having that calmness and being ready in any situation but that mainly came from Deano,” added Corteen-Coleman.
“If I came out and she was panicking I would have been under the pump.”
Corteen-Coleman emerged with the words of coach Charlotte Edwards in her ears. She told her to back her strengths and keep a clear mind.
That was backed up by Dean in the middle.
“She came out with good clarity,” said Dean.
“I said, ‘Yorkers have been successful for them so they will probably look to get under your bat’.
“We decided getting forward was the best option.
“Tilly is really proactive with her thinking. She has a good cricket brain.”
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) pitches against the New York Mets during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins recalled Kendry Rojas from Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday and optioned fellow left-hander Kody Funderburk to the affiliate.
Rojas will be making his second stint with the Twins this season. He made his major league debut on April 22 and allowed two hits and three walks over two scoreless innings in a no-decision against the New York Mets.
Rojas, 23, is 1-1 with a 2.20 ERA in six appearances (two starts) with St. Paul.
Funderburk, 29, is 1-1 with one save and a 2.81 ERA in 19 relief appearances this season with Minnesota. He has pitched in 96 games for the Twins since 2023 and owns three saves and 20 holds. –Field Level Media
The Minnesota Vikings are less than 12 weeks from training camp, when roster battles will take center stage. In the meantime, the rumor mill remains ablaze, and we chronicle the most important ones each weekend.
Minnesota’s latest rumor batch centers on quarterback depth, rookie patience, and a wide receiver idea that faded fast.
This week’s edition is scattered across the board in terms of positional importance.
The Wentz Update Leads a Practical May Rumor Batch
The Purple Rumor Mill for May 10th, 2026.
Rumor: Carson Wentz’s shoulder is healed, and he’s 100% ready to go.
Talking to KFRY-TV’s Luke Gamble on Tuesday, Wentz said he was all set for 2026: “Physically, I feel great. Shoulder’s more or less behind me now. It wasn’t fun by any means, but surgery went well, and rehab’s gone really well too. So for me, it’s behind me. I’m healthy, and I’ll be ready to roll.”
Wentz’s October shoulder injury made a May return seem realistic, and he is now back.
Should the Vikings need Wentz in 2026 — ideally, they won’t — he is healthy enough to step in. It’s the primary purpose of his deal. Minnesota doesn’t require him to threaten anyone’s job or spark a quarterback controversy; they need him prepared in case unforeseen circumstances affect the depth chart.
Following Wentz’s re-signing, some fans speculated he could displace J.J. McCarthy or lead to a trade. Such notions never really made sense, as there is ample room for all three quarterbacks on the current depth chart: Kyler Murray as QB1, McCarthy as QB2, and Wentz as QB3. McCarthy has not been traded, and Wentz was never re-signed to create such drama.
Overall, Vikings fans praised Wentz for his toughness. When he returned this offseason, the reaction was largely positive because his role was clear: a proven veteran securing the QB3 spot, remaining ready, and providing the Vikings with an additional layer of protection at quarterback. Can’t go wrong.
Rumor: Caleb Banks could be a dark horse to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
ESPN’s Ben Solak sized up the Rookie of the Year stakes last week, and regarding Banks, he wrote: “No defensive tackle has won Rookie of the Year since Aaron Donald in 2014, and the only other tackle to do it this century was Ndamukong Suh. Banks is that sort of talent and an enticing bet accordingly. But he has a foot injury that’s impossible to overlook.”
“He also plays in a Brian Flores defense that doesn’t allow defensive tackles to play the sort of unhinged, penetration-oriented style that leads to sacks. Sure, the Vikings spent an early pick on Banks — but as head coach of the Dolphins in 2019, Flores used the No. 13 pick on Christian Wilkins, and he had two sacks as a rookie. It’s hard to see the path for Banks.”
Second-round linebacker Jake Golday also got some love: “Golday is an off-ball/on-ball tweener who will be stuck behind established starters at both positions: Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner at outside linebacker; Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman at inside linebacker.”
“He will undoubtedly have flashy plays in subpackages, but he simply will not see enough snaps — barring injury — to contend for this award.”
Rumor: Deebo Samuel might’ve made a lot of sense as the Vikings’ WR3.
Bleacher Report‘s Bradley Locker walked through the NFL’s top 1o free agents last week. On Samuel, he nominated the Vikings and wrote, “The Vikings put an emphasis on retooling their impressive defense in the draft, grabbing Caleb Banks, Jake Golday and Domonique Orange with their first three picks.”
“However, Minnesota could use more at receiver after losing Jalen Nailor to the Raiders. Samuel’s effectiveness has taken a step back over the last two campaigns, but he still finished 2025 with a 70.3 PFF receiving grade and 1.66 yards per route run.”
Minnesota later signed Samuel’s former teammate, Jauan Jennings.
Locker added, “Further, Samuel’s 6.5 yards after the catch per reception was fourth among wideouts with 95 or more targets. Next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Samuel could help fill Nailor’s void in the slot while infusing more juice after the catch and overall creativity for Kevin O’Connell.”
Samuel would be in play for Minnesota if the Jennings contract didn’t come together. But now, the Vikings don’t need another popular wideout and cannot afford one. If any free agents are signed in the next couple of months, Minnesota might want an extra outside linebacker after Jonathan Greenard left the team via trade. Players like Jadeveon Clowney. Joey Bosa, and Leonary Floyd might make sense.
The final round of the 2026 Truist Championship begins Sunday at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Sunday, including full Truist Championship TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 4 tee times.
How to watch Truist Championship on Sunday
Alex Fitzpatrick heads into the final round of the Truist Championship with a one-shot lead at 14-under.
His third-round 64 — a career low for him — was less a surge than a continuation of what’s been building since his breakthrough win at the Zurich Classic alongside his brother, Matt Fitzpatrick. That victory secured his PGA Tour status through 2028 and opened doors to the season’s biggest stages.
While he is still chasing his first individual PGA Tour victory, Fitzpatrick has already proven he can close — winning earlier this year on the DP World Tour at the Hero Indian Open. Now he stands on familiar ground heading into the final round.
You can watch the final round of the 2026 Truist Championship on TV via CBS and Golf Channel, with Golf Channel opening the coverage at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET, as well as featured group and featured hole coverage all day long. The GOLF App will carry a simulcast of Golf Channel’s Sunday TV coverage. You can stream CBS’s Sunday coverage on Paramount+.
Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the final round of the 2026 Truist Championship.
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.
Get ESPN+
How to watch on TV Sunday
CBS and Golf Channel will provide final-round TV coverage of the 2026 Truist Championship. Golf Channel’s Sunday telecast runs from 12-3 p.m. ET, followed by CBS from 3-6 p.m. ET.
How to stream online Sunday
You can stream the final round of the 2026 Truist Championship via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer streaming coverage beginning on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET, in addition to featured group and hole coverage. You can also stream a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s final-round TV coverage on the GOLF App and CBS’s Sunday coverage on Paramount+.
2026 Truist Championship Round 3 tee times (ET)
Tee No. 1
7:30 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Ryan Gerard
7:40 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Hideki Matsuayama
7:50 a.m. – Sam Burns, Sam Stevens
8:00 a.m. – Ben Griffin, Ryan Fox
8:10 a.m. – Denny McCarthy, Jason Day
8:20 a.m. – Sahith Theegala, Aldrich Potgieter
8:35 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Max Homa
8:45 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Brian Campbell
8:55 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Xander Schauffele
9:05 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Pierceson Coody
9:15 a.m. – Justin Rose, Michael Kim
9:25 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, Min Woo Lee
9:40 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Robert MacIntyre
Sports
Devyne Rensch speaks after Roma’s comeback win: “What a crazy game. Now we focus on the derby.”
Roma fullback Devyne Rensch was on the scoresheet tonight as he helped lead the comeback against Parma to secure three crucial points at the Tardini.
After the match, Rensch discussed the importance of this victory.
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“What a crazy match, Parma is a good team, the most important thing was to win, a goal and the penalty make me even happier but I’m happy for the team. Now we’re focused on the derby.”
“Top 4? We’ve fought all season, we’ve always believed in it all together, we put a lot of effort into training even if it doesn’t show. We deserve it.”
Two weeks ago, Jeeno Thitikul arrived at the Chevron Championship and admitted she hears all the noise about her inability to win a major championship. The then-No. 1-ranked player in the world called it the “challenge” of her career to finally get it over the line at the biggest events.
Two days later, Jeeno Thitikul missed the cut at Memorial Park as Nelly Korda went on to win her third major and reclaim the top spot in the Rolex Rankings. Thitikul took a week off after her early exit in Houston and returned to action this week to defend her title at the Mizuho Americas Open. Thitikul has always approached her career with great perspective, that of someone who learned the game at a driving range in Ratchaburi, Thailand, a small town not far from Bangkok that doesn’t have its own course. Someone who has already achieved more than she thought possible. Thitikul wants to win a major, but she is also content with everything she has already accomplished in the game. There’s pressure to win a major because that’s a dream of hers, but not because she needs validation from others.
“I don’t think I have to prove anything to like even other players or people or myself, because like what I have I already proved for a long, long time,” Thitikul said on Friday at Mountain Ridge Country Club. “
It’s just a certain time that golf seems easy for you. Then I have a certain time [where] golf is so hard for me, which is Chevron, it’s one of the weeks that I feel like, ‘What did I do wrong?’ … I’m like, ‘What did golf do to me right now?’ And then coming to this week, didn’t expect anything, to be honest. ”
Thitikul won earlier this season in Thailand but has been struggling with her game since the LPGA returned to America in March. After bowing out of the Chevron early, Thitikul spoke with her coach about the issues with her swing, primarily her iron play, and they decided to attack her title defense at Mizuho with a new mentality.
Try less.
“When you put the work [in] and don’t see the results, sometimes you are really disappointed,” Thitikul said earlier this week at Mizuho. “He said, ‘Maybe, don’t try.’ Then, if you don’t try, maybe you don’t expect anything.”
From ‘dark’ places to a touching gesture: Inside Michelle Wie West’s return
;)
That mindset shift freed up Thitikul this week in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The 23-year-old opened with rounds of 67 and 69 to take a three-shot lead into the weekend. Celine Boutier closed the gap to two after the third round, but Thitikul put the tournament away on Sunday. She birdied the second and third holes while Boutier bogeyed three straight to fall out of contention. While Boutier faded, Ruoning Yin made five birdies on the front nine to get within one of Thitikul, but bogeys at 11 and 16 stalled her championship run, and Thitikul punctuated her title defense by pouring in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 13 under and win by four.
The Minnesota Vikings have completed free agency and the draft this offseason, and regarding the roster right now, what you see is what you get. The club may make or move or two before it’s all said and done before Week 1, but the depth chart is full. Therefore, it’s time to peek at the most improved roster spots.
Minnesota’s offseason plan becomes clearer when ranking where the roster actually improved.
Truth be told, this exercise is pretty straightforward.
The Biggest Jump Starts at Quarterback and Defensive Tackle
Ranked from medium improvement to the most, here’s the list.
4. Wide Receiver
Notable Newcomer(s):
Jauan Jennings
Dillon Bell
Some might argue this should be higher, and the case for that contention would be sound.
On Thursday night, the Vikings signed Jennings, a transaction that gives Minnesota its best wide receiver trio since Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed. The purple team has employed other decent WR3s since — like Bernard Berrian, Jerome Simpson, K.J. Osborn, and Jalen Nailor — but none are quite like Jennings.
Jennings is a willing blocker and just what the doctor ordered for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Had the Vikings not lost Nailor to free agency, this spot might’ve ranked at No. 2 on the list.
Bleacher Report‘s Adam Wells on Jennings: “Jennings isn’t a burner who runs past cornerbacks, so he will need to maintain that aggressive style of play that has not always endeared him to other players around the NFL.”
“The Vikings will be more than happy to have Jennings’ aggression, attitude and swagger on their offense as they look to put together a roster capable of competing for a playoff spot in 2026.”
3. Offensive Tackle
Notable Newcomer(s):
Caleb Tiernan
Ryan Van Demark
Perhaps planning for the future or strictly picking “the best player available,” Minnesota added Northwestern’s Tiernan in Round 3 of last month’s draft. Of course, the club has Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill ready for LT and RT duty, but Tiernan inserts youth into the pipeline.
Van Demark has played 43 games in his career and can be considered this year’s Justin Skule or David Quessenberry.
Here’s the Pro Football Focus skinny on Van Demark:
- 2025: 74.4 (312 snaps)
- 2024: 53.3 (199 snaps)
- 2023: 60.2 (47 snaps)
The pass-blocking:
- 2025: 65.6
- 2024: 51.8
- 2023: 27.2
The run-blocking:
- 2025: 74.9
- 2024: 51.4
- 2023: 64.4
In the last few years, the Vikings lean on one veteran OT as a contingency plan. Now, they have two.
2. Defensive Tackle
Notable Newcomer(s):
Caleb Banks
Domonique Orange
Out with the elderly, in with the babies — was the Vikings’ mantra at defensive tackle this offseason.
The club released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who landed with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, respectively. In March, fans wondered if Minnesota would roll with Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The answer? An emphatic hell no.
Minnesota spent two of its first three picks on interior defensive linemen in the draft. Banks is the almighty gamble, coming off a foot injury, and most think big humans with bad feet isn’t a straightforward outcome. Still, if Banks’s foot heals and stays 100%, he has an All-Pro upside.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted this week on Banks’s foot injury: “Minnesota isn’t planning to rush Banks back from the most recent procedure on his fractured fourth metatarsal. The team also believes its top player health and performance staffers, Tyler Williams and Matt Duhamel, are at the forefront of recovery around the NFL.”
“Also important in the Banks discussion is the coaching component of his development when he does return from injury. All young players need different coaching personalities to maximize their skill set. Banks is different, according to Florida defensive-line coach Gerald Chatman, in that he responds to intense challenge and urgency.”
On Orange, he’s a nose tackle, and players from that position are just easier to scout for some reason or another. For the trajectory of the long-term roster, Banks and Orange instead of Allen and Hargrave is seismic.
1. Quarterback
Notable Newcomer(s):
Kyler Murray
You don’t have to be the almighty Murray stan to appreciate the Vikings’ value during his onboarding. Minnesota paid $1.3 million for Murray; the Arizona Cardinals are paying Murray to play for the Vikings. That is not spin. That is the truth.
Over the course of a 17-game season in his career, Murray averaged these numbers:
- 3,997 Passing Yards
- 30 Total Touchdowns
- 11 Interceptions
- 67.1% Completion Rate
- 623 Rushing Yards
Last year, J.J. McCarthy produced 11 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His team still finished 9-8.
Murray at $1.3 million might be the best value in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
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Multiple waves of free agency have come and gone, and in NFL speak, the wire is down to slim pickings, except for some aging, once noteworthy stars like Tyreek Hill. All the productive young players have found new employers. For the Minnesota Vikings’ sake, seven players from the 2025 roster remain unsigned.
The productive departures are gone. These names remain in limbo.
Here’s a peek at those men in alphabetical order.
Familiar Vikings Veterans Still Waiting for Their Next Shot
Who’s the most likely player to rejoin the Vikings, perhaps on the practice squad?
Zeke Correll | C
Merely mentioned for full disclosure, Correll was a Vikings practice squad candidate last summer. He then suffered an injury in August and spent the entire season on injured reserve.
Minnesota waived him on March 13th and now has Blake Brandel, Michael Jurgens, and rookie Gavin Gehardt lined up for the center spot in 2026.
Fabian Moreau | CB
As a CB3, Moreau quietly had a solid 2025 season. He allowed a 54.2 passer rating in 11 games, a performance that largely went unnoticed due to his lack of name recognition. Minnesota should consider bringing him back as a CB4-CB5, especially if he remains a cost-effective option.
Matt Nelson | OT
Nelson remains largely anonymous in the NFL, typically occupying a practice squad role, providing swing depth, or filling in during emergencies. Unsurprisingly, he remains unsigned after the initial wave of free agency. He will likely have to wait until a team requires additional personnel for training camp.
Jeff Okudah | CB
Okudah had a difficult stint as Minnesota’s CB3, hampered by concussions and poor play. When on the field, opposing quarterbacks frequently targeted him, exploiting his struggles. The former third overall pick appears to be in the later stages of his career, with the “2020 draft bust” label now firmly attached.
The Viking Age‘s Adam Patrick on Okudah last month: “Unfortunately, multiple concussions resulted in Okudah only appearing in six games with the Vikings last season, but even when he was able to get on the field, his performance wasn’t anything close to what Minnesota was hoping to see from him.”
“Now that concussions could potentially be a lingering issue, and the fact that he just hasn’t been good during his tenure in the league, his career in the NFL could already be nearing the end, despite it beginning just six years ago.”
Brett Rypien | QB
In May 2025 — so, a year ago at this time — Rypien was the Vikings’ QB2, believe it or not. The rapid change in circumstances now sees him seeking a QB3 role elsewhere, likely with a team looking for an inexpensive veteran for camp in the coming months.
Harrison Smith | S
The Vikings “released” Smith in March, but his tenure in Minnesota is not necessarily over. Smith performed well late in 2025, making a 2026 return seem plausible, even if only for situational play.
Can one truly imagine the Vikings winning a Super Bowl in 2026 with Kyler Murray under center, while Smith watches from home? The thought should be unsettling for both fans and Smith himself.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted on rookie safety Jakobe Thomas as a possible Smith replacement this week, “Can Jakobe Thomas be the new Harrison Smith? In 2025, Thomas entered the transfer portal. He had played safety at Tennessee, mostly in a role that asked him to focus on deep coverage. The University of Miami’s staff kicked the film over to defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.”
“He believed the Hurricanes could weaponize Thomas’ all-around abilities more powerfully. Thomas took to the idea. Part of the intrigue, for him, was the fact that one of his heroes, a fellow product of the state of Tennessee named Harrison Smith, was asked to play multiple roles in the Vikings’ defense.”
Thomas was direct fruit of the Jonathan Greenard trade.
Lewis added, “Thomas is now playing for Smith’s longtime NFL team. Smith’s status remains up in the air, but O’Connell said Friday that one of the elements of Thomas’ pre-draft visit was watching film of Smith.”
“The reps Thomas takes with the full roster will be telling. The Vikings selected him in the third round, but he was one of the team’s priorities when the draft began.”
John Wolford | QB
Wolford served as the Vikings’ emergency QB3 last season, when injuries and crappy play hit the quarterback room. He will not return in 2026. At best, Wolford might secure a practice squad position or serve as emergency quarterback insurance for a new team.
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