King Pedro has signalled his intentions for the spring staying races with a commanding performance to clinch the Listed Grafton Cup, despite a lacklustre pace.

Trainer Tom Charlton, observing from his Sydney office, admitted to pre-race concerns about the track favouring those in front. These worries escalated when Tahlia Fenlon, on leader Kaluakoi, dramatically slowed the tempo during the race.

“I’ve been watching the races all day and I was a bit concerned because nothing was making ground. The track is a good three, they missed all the rain, and it looked a tricky set-up for him,” Charlton stated. “Early on in the race, I was very concerned. They didn’t have the splits up, but it looked like they were going thirteen-and-a-half (seconds to the furlong). It wasn’t pretty and it probably didn’t test the horse’s best assets, but credit to the horse, he picked himself up and overcame it.”

Charlton lauded jockey Kerrin McEvoy’s calm approach, noting the rider’s steadfastness despite the race not unfolding as planned.

McEvoy retained faith in the recent Stayers Cup winner, guiding King Pedro ($2.30 fav) with a powerful surge down the centre of the track to overcome Etna Rosso ($18) and Kaluakoi ($11). King Pedro returned $2.30 as the favourite with betting sites.

This victory marked the jockey’s first in the Grafton Cup (2350m), a race he has contested multiple times, and he was thrilled to achieve the result for the connections.

“When I got him into the clear, he had a lot of ground to make up, but full credit to the horse. He powered and he was really hitting the line hard,” McEvoy told Sky Racing. “It’s nice to pull it off. He’s a horse that is hopefully going to go to nicer staying races in the spring.”

Charlton echoed this sentiment, confirming King Pedro would have a brief spell before commencing preparations for a carnival campaign.

The Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in October is a key target, and following Thursday’s classy performance, Charlton expressed confidence in their spring aspirations.

“For sure. He’ll have a little freshen up on the way home and we’ll have a think about what races we aim for, but a race like the Metropolitan wouldn’t be a silly idea,” he concluded. Bet on the next big race with sports betting options.

Argentina’s players held up a banner saying “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” after their 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semi-final, and FIFA have now issued a statement on the matter

FIFA have confirmed they are “assessing” and “considering the relevant circumstances” after the Argentina squad – including Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez – held up a Falkland Islands banner following Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final win against England.

Lionel Scaloni’s men overturned a 1-0 deficit to secure their place in Sunday’s final against Spain, with Enzo Fernandez’s leveller and Lautaro Martinez’s stoppage-time strike sealing a dramatic 2-1 triumph in Atlanta.

However, the post-match celebrations were overshadowed when some Argentina players, including Martinez, caused outrage by brandishing a crude sign reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falklands are Argentinian”.

The Falkland Islands condemned Argentina’s banner in a statement released on Thursday, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called upon FIFA to open a formal investigation into the incident.

Now, FIFA have issued a response of their own regarding the banner, which was held by Martinez and former Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso among others.

“As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps,” FIFA’s statement read.

FIFA’s statement followed swiftly after Jack Ford, Chair of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, penned a letter addressing the political banner displayed by Argentina, in which he described the Assembly as ‘disappointed but not surprised’ by the incident.

“I am writing on behalf of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, the democratically elected body representing the people of the Falkland Islands, regarding a matter following the England v Argentina game on the 15th of July 2026,” Ford said.

“Following Argentina’s victory, members of the Argentina squad displayed a sign reading ‘Las Malvinas Son Argentinas’ in what was a clear political statement relating to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Various Prices

Kitbag

Buy Now on Kitbag

England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.

Advertisement

Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!

“Videos were also leaked following their Argentina v Egypt fixture in which the Argentinian squad sang chants about the Falkland Islands in their locker rooms. We are disappointed, though regrettably not surprised, by this manner of action, as this is not the first such incident: the Argentine Football Association was sanctioned for £20,000 by FIFA in 2014 for comparable conduct.

“We raise this matter for FIFA’s attention on the following grounds:

1. Consistency with FIFA’s own rules. FIFA’s Statutes and Disciplinary Code prohibit the use of football matches and facilities for political, religious, or personal messaging [FIFA Stadium Code of Conduct, section 2.14 and FIFA Disciplinary Code articles 15.1 and 17.2.e].
2. The people affected by this act have a settled, democratic position. The Falkland Islands are a diverse, self-governing, self-funding British Overseas Territory; and engage internationally in sport, science, and humanitarian work as such. In the 2013 referendum on our political status, 99.8% of Falkland Islanders voted to remain a British Overseas Territory, on a turnout of approximately 92%, in a vote independently monitored by international observers. The Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentina in 1982, resulting in a 74-day hostile occupation. The events of this war left Falkland Islanders traumatised, causing such political acts as those after the game to be particularly insensitive to the people of the Falklands. FIFA should bear this context in mind as they make their decision.

“Football is, first and foremost, a sport, and it is the policy of the Falkland Islands Government to wish to not see politics brought into sport, and we support the statement by UK Minister Peter Kyle to this effect.”

Martinez’s Argentina face Spain in the New York showpiece final on Sunday. The United defender will be hoping to win the World Cup for the second time after his success in Qatar four years ago.

Some combination of Blake Brandel and/or Michael Jurgens will be good enough at center. If it isn’t, then sprinkling in some Gavin Gerhardt will do the trick.

Do the Vikings actually believe that?

Talk is pretty cheap in the NFL. What’s of far more consequence is actions, especially when meaty money gets attached to those actions. Seeing Minnesota opt for free agent center Ethan Pocic would reveal that Minnesota hasn’t been as confident as previously proclaimed.

The Vikings Forced to Take Litmus Test at Center

Adam Schefter offered an update that may have caused some within the Vikings’ orbit to take notice. Check out what the ESPN insider had to say: “Browns starting center Ethan Pocic, who tore his Achilles last December, recently was cleared by Dr. Norman Waldrop to participate in training camp. Pocic is a free agent, and is said by a source to be ‘full go.’”

Good timing.

Had there been no injury, Mr. Pocic would already have a home. He has been a good starter for a long time and the NFL is always hungry for solid blocking. As a result, Pocic stands out as unique since he would have almost certainly been signed had there not been injury concerns to overcome. Maybe Minnesota will be able to get unusual value unusually late in the NFL offseason.

VT’s Dustin Baker discussed the issue yesterday, exploring the possibility of signing the large lad with experience at both center and guard.

“Pocic has built a solid nine-year NFL career,” Baker writes, “starting 97 of 114 regular-season games. Drafted by the Seahawks in 2017, Pocic initially played guard before settling in at center. Once he became a full-time starter, his snap count increased immensely, reaching 993 snaps in 2020.”

More from Baker: “His most successful period began after joining Cleveland. From 2022 to 2025, Pocic started all 57 games he played for the Browns. His standout season was 2022, when he earned an impressive 78.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, with a run-blocking score to match. His pass protection, too, remained reliable.”

“Though Pocic may no longer be at his 2022 peak, he remains an experienced starting center capable of immediately stabilizing an offensive line. That could be just what the doctor ordered for the 2026 Vikings,” Baker concluded.

Now, here’s what adds a bit of extra seasoning: Vikings OL coach Keith Carter just sang the praises of Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens. In fact, he seemed to insist that the race was down to those two.

“Again, we’re fortunate,” Carter explained about the center position, “we have Blake [Brandel] who has played and started I think now every position up front, which in this league is unheard of.” More from Carter: “and then you’ve got Jurgens who is getting better and better.”

Carter then said the competition between these two is making the Vikings better: “To have those two guys competing, I think we’re lucky.”

Based simply off what Carter was saying, the Vikings are going to continue marching forward with Brandel v. Jurgens. May the best man win. And, to be sure, there’s still a decent chance that the Vikings follow through on that plan. Brandel, in particular, appears to be a reasonably solid option insofar as he’s a veteran who has seen and done it all along the offensive line.

Does Ethan Pocic nevertheless have appeal?

In some ways, Pocic feels like Dalton Risner, a veteran interior lineman who had long been connected to the Vikings. Pocic is a touch different insofar as he’s not holding out for a beefy contract. Or, at least, that doesn’t appear to be the main factor in him being unemployed for so long. The veteran has had to get healthy. Now healthy, Pocic should generate a fresh round of interest.

The most recent contract for Pocic was for three seasons and $18 million, per Over the Cap. Whichever team signs him is very unlikely to get to that $6 million per year range. Rather, a single-season deal somewhere around $2-$4 million looks like the sweet spot. If so, the Vikings could insert themselves into the mix.

The Vikings have north of $13 million in open cap space. Even better, the Vikings appear ready to welcome a fresh infusion of cap space if the expected extensions arrive. Add it all together and money won’t be the issue.

Recent word coming from the Twin Cities has involved publicly declaring confidence in the in-house options at center. The good news about Pocic being (at worst) close to full health will put these words to the test.

Pocic stands at 6’6″ and weighs 320 pounds. He’ll turn 31 in August.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

If Mike Boynton Jr. is going to get the full two-year, $7.6 million contract he agreed to as Michigan basketball’s head coach, he’s going to have to earn it.

That’s because only the first year of his deal is guaranteed and there are certain criteria he’ll need to meet to get a second year, according to contract details obtained by The Detroit News through an open-records request.

Advertisement

Boynton, 44, will receive $3.6 million in the first year of the deal, which runs through April 30, 2027. He’s set to make $4 million the following year, as long as he satisfies several academic, compliance and team performance marks.

According to the employment agreement, there are three academic and compliance criteria he must meet: No Level I or Level II NCAA violations, no material misconduct or violations of university policies or rules, and all the players on the basketball team must be academically eligible.

Then there are at least two benchmarks Boynton will need to hit relating to the team’s success: 24 regular-season wins, a top-four finish in the Big Ten standings, a conference tournament title and a Sweet 16 appearance. If Michigan reaches the Final Four, that alone suffices.

Structuring Boynton’s contract in such a way is something athletic director Warde Manuel has done before. When Manuel was UConn’s AD, he hired assistant Kevin Ollie on a one-year, prove-it deal after head coach Jim Calhoun stepped down before the start of the 2012-13 season.

Advertisement

“The contract is one that really gives (Boynton) an opportunity to showcase and show what he can do,” Manuel said on WTKA’s “The Michigan Insider” this week. “It gives the ability for him to earn that extra year and maybe another contract is what I told him. … I did a similar thing with Kevin Ollie by giving him a one-year contract. And then by December I gave him a full contract, and then another a year later when he wins the national title.

“I believe in Mike. The contract was written in a way to show that I believe in Mike, but to also showcase his ability to earn it long term and not just sort of step into the seat. And I believe he will, personally.”

Boynton, who was a former head coach at Oklahoma State, served as the top assistant on Dusty May’s staff the past two years. When May left for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks on June 22, Boynton was named interim head coach on June 23 and promoted to the full-time head coach last week.

Boynton signed the deal on July 8, a day before Manuel and president Domenico Grasso, and received a signing bonus of $250,000 “in recognition of his efforts while serving in an interim head coaching capacity,” per the contract. In the wake of May’s departure, Boynton retained most of the roster and lost only one player — junior guard L.J. Cason — to the transfer portal.

Advertisement

The buyout language is dense, but if Boynton is fired without cause before he finishes the first year of his contract, the university would pay him $3 million minus whatever he’s already been paid. If he’s fired without cause during the second year, he’d be paid the remainder of his salary. And if he’s fired without cause after meeting the criteria for a second season during or at the end of the first year, he’d be owed $4 million.

In addition to his base pay, Boynton has numerous bonus opportunities, including $50,000 for earning a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship, $100,000 for winning the league title outright and $100,000 for winning the Big Ten tournament.

Boynton would get $50,000 if named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and $50,000 for national coach of the year. He’d also receive a non-cumulative NCAA Tournament-related bonus, ranging from $100,000 for a second-round appearance to $1.5 million for winning the national title.

Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, Boynton was head coach at Oklahoma State for seven seasons before he was fired in March 2024. During his tenure from 2017-24, the Cowboys went 119-109 and made one NCAA Tournament in 2021, when they were led by top recruit and current Pistons star Cade Cunningham.

Advertisement

However, Boynton had to deal with NCAA penalties stemming from a previous regime with the Cowboys, including reduced scholarships and other recruiting restrictions for three seasons as well as a postseason ban in 2022.

At Michigan, Boynton has been the defensive coordinator and a top recruiter who’s played an integral role in the program’s return to national prominence the last two years, including this past season’s historic campaign where the Wolverines set a program record with 37 wins, set a Big Ten record with 19 conference victories, won the Big Ten regular-season championship by four games and captured Michigan’s first national title in 37 years.

“I’m grateful to Warde for his confidence and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program,” Boynton said in a statement when he was officially named head coach. “We have built a championship culture and a standard that everyone associated with this program takes great pride in.

“We have an outstanding group of players, and I’m excited to get to work and continue the success we’ve established together.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Here are contract details for Michigan basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr.

Arsenal will assess William Saliba’s back injury when he reports back to the club after World Cup duty.

The France centre-back has been dogged by a back issue for several weeks and carried the problem into the World Cup.

The issue appeared to be exacerbated during France’s semi-final loss to Spain when She was forced off after just 30 minutes.

Surgery is among the options that will be considered by the Gunners when he returns to London, though an operation would probably require a long-term lay-off to recover.

The 25-year-old made 50 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal last season, as they ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League and reached the Champions League final.

Earlier in the World Cup, Saliba said: “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months.

“I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League.

“The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.”

He missed France’s final group game against Norway before returning to Didier Deschamps’ side for the knockout stage.

France play England in the third-place play-off on Saturday (22:00 BST).

Rohit Sharma walks back after getting out in the second ODI

TimesofIndia.com in Cardiff: Rohit Sharma has mustered just 37 runs from two ODIs against England in Birmingham and Cardiff. A 21-ball 11 at Edgbaston was followed by a 47-ball 26 at Sophia Gardens here on Thursday. For someone who once blitzed through attacks at the top of the order, he has become a walking wicket and a dream for bowlers because of his laboured approach. Across the two innings, he has managed just two boundaries and a six at a strike rate of 54.41. Where’s the ‘Hitman’?Of the 21 balls he faced at Edgbaston, 14 were dots, or 66.67 per cent. Move to the second ODI and the pattern remained the same. Of the 47 balls, 28 were dots, or nearly 60 per cent. Look closer and the scratchy nature of the innings becomes even clearer.Second ball at Edgbaston, the 39-year-old was slow to get his bat out of the way of a Jofra Archer delivery. It took the bat and flew towards slip. Two balls later, Archer left Rohit in two minds about whether to play or leave, and the indecision resulted in an inside edge that nearly toppled the stumps. In Archer’s next over, Rohit pushed forward but was beaten on the outside edge. The next ball beat him again, this time on the inside edge. One ball later, the right-hander was cut in half. Josh Tongue, too, put Rohit in disarray with his 140-plus kmph deliveries.

India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the pitch after being caught out by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)

Even though the Nataraj shot made an appearance in the form of a boundary, the fluency that was once expected from Rohit and defined “Mumbai cha Raja” remained missing.Move to Cardiff on Thursday.In Archer’s first over, Rohit was beaten on the inside edge after a front-foot prod. In the sixth over, Saqib Mahmood strayed onto Rohit’s pads, but his bread-and-butter flick shot failed to come through. In the 12th, Gus Atkinson banged in a short ball and Rohit, one of the better pull-shot players in this team, missed it completely. Two overs later, Rohit top-edged another short ball which, fortunately for him, landed safely between long leg and deep backward square leg.Finally, the dismissal summed up how scratchy Rohit has been lately. With Will Jacks into the attack, Rohit got down on one knee looking to sweep. Instead, he top-edged the ball, which lobbed up conveniently for wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the pitch after being caught out by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)

It isn’t just these two games. The former India captain has looked uncomfortable even in the nets. Before the series got underway, he opted to face sidearm specialists during the second nets session and had to switch ends after a point as he struggled to find his timing. Later, he went one step further with an open-nets approach, with the field spread out as a form of match simulation.On the eve of the first ODI, he arrived later than the other top-order batters and once again worked with the sidearm bowlers to gear up for the series.During the three ODIs against Afghanistan, Rohit scored 16, 48 and 79, a total of 143 runs at an average of 47.66 and a strike rate of 115.32. In the injury-hit IPL 2026, the right-hander scored just 283 runs from nine matches at an average of 35.38 and a strike rate of 157.22.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings despite scoring runs, Rohit’s lack of form is a worrying sign for India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Granted, he is India’s highest run-scorer since the last ODI World Cup and since retiring from T20Is. But it is also true that, based on form, he trails skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in runs scored since the start of last year as well as this year.Going purely by body language, Rohit does not inspire much confidence at the moment. The right-hander looks slow against seamers, something that could be a major factor at the ODI World Cup in South Africa. He is prone to injuries and looks almost unsure of himself. Even in the field, he is no longer the quickest off the blocks.By the time the ODI World Cup comes around, Rohit will be 40 years old and hoping to join a list that includes Chris Gayle, Brad Hogg, Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Tahir as some of the oldest players to feature in the tournament. But if current form is any indication, he should not be on that flight to South Africa.

India captain Shubman Gill cut a disappointed figure after his side squandered a commanding position to suffer a four-wicket defeat against England in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on Thursday, July 16, 2026.After cruising to 180/3, India endured a dramatic middle-order collapse to be bowled out for just 233, a total England chased down comfortably thanks to an unbeaten 99 from Joe Root, who finished one run short of a century after Gus Atkinson struck the winning runs. The victory helped England level the three-match series 1-1.Reflecting on India’s batting collapse, Gill admitted his side fell well short of the total they had targeted.“Quite disappointing, to be honest with you. We thought 300-310 would be a good total after 25 overs. We were in a good position, but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs. Our tailenders are not the best batsmen, but we expected a bit more from our lower middle order. We weren’t able to capitalize on the start we got. Hopefully next time we’ll build small partnerships and take it on from there,” Shubman Gill said in post-match.

Gill point out Washington Sundar’s injury

Speaking about Washington Sundar’s injury, Gill admitted it disrupted India’s plans, although he stopped short of blaming it for the defeat.“He’s a key part of our team. I think he got injured while taking that run to mid-off. We had to bowl our main bowlers throughout the innings and change our strategies. It caused a bit of momentum loss, but I don’t think it made a huge difference because the ball was doing enough for the fast bowlers,” he added.

Root chased down the target with ease

India squandered a commanding position after being asked to bat first at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Despite a solid 114-run stand between Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) that took the visitors to 180/3, a dramatic middle-order collapse saw them lose their last seven wickets for 53 runs and get bowled out for 233. Jofra Archer (3/47) and Gus Atkinson (3/50) starred with the ball, while Jasprit Bumrah’s unbeaten 20 helped India cross the 230-run mark.England’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett with the first ball of the innings before Prasidh Krishna reduced the hosts to 8/2. However, Joe Root anchored the chase with a superb 99 off 133 balls*, receiving valuable support from Will Jacks (30), Sam Curran (26) and *Gus Atkinson (23)**. Atkinson struck the winning boundary to seal a four-wicket victory, leaving Root agonizingly stranded one run short of a century.The result leveled the three-match ODI series 1-1, with the decider set to be played at Lord’s on July 19.

What legacy for the biggest World Cup ever with its three countries, 64 teams, record ticket pricing? Will it be the on-field drama or the American-style packaging of the spectacle, what with commercial breaks disguised as water breaks, TV cutaways to celebrities during the action and red cards overturned to please the hosts? What optics for the final? Will Donald Trump be flanked by Argentinian far-right ally Javier Milei and Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of a left-led Spain he’s threatened to cut ties with?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Riham Mahir, Andrew Hilliar.

Ty Ingram Dawkins is being pulled between the life of a defensive lineman and that of an edge rusher. Where does the Vikings defensive end settle in?

Part of what’s working in Ingram-Dawkins’ favor is that he’s versatile. Part of what’s working against him is that he hasn’t totally nailed down a main spot. Obviously, the young lad still has plenty of runway, which is to say nothing of the overlap between being a 3-4 defensive end and a 3-4 edge rusher.

Nevertheless, there’s some danger in never fully nailing down a spot to fully shine. Think examples such as James Lynch, Jalyn Holmes, and Esezi Otomewo (among others) as players who offered some size, some explosiveness, some length, and other impressive attributes who never found a lasting home as Vikings defenders.

Maybe unsurprisingly, Ingram-Dawkins is still being listed as a defensive lineman on the team website even as he got work with the edge rushers at mandatory minicamp. He’ll be looking to solidify his role in the coming weeks with the 2026 regular season getting close.

Vikings Defensive End Still Among the D-Linemen

The summer months featured Ingram-Dawkins getting moved around.

The defender is built more like a 3T or a 5T but could get tasked with kicking outside further. Rather than shading on a guard or lining up across from an offensive tackle, Ingram-Dawkins may get pushed into green grass or across from a tight end. Getting slimmer — as he appears to be — better equips him to fulfill the demands of the job.

After showing promise at Georgia, the Vikings snagged him in the 5th Round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Doing so meant betting on upside rather than choosing somebody who was totally polished and ready.

Look at what Lance Zierlein had to say in his scouting report: “He’s ready to do it, with the tools to do it, but is still learning how to do it. Ingram-Dawkins’ relative lack of experience shows up with inconsistent instincts in the run game and a lack of development as a rusher.”

Further: “However, he possesses an impressive blend of size and suddenness that allows him to attack blocks or shoot gaps. He’s a bender with excellent range and change of direction. He offers more flash than finish as a pass rusher, but has all of the tools to get after pockets when his hands and approach get trained up. He’s also scheme- and position-versatile with loads of upside, but he’s still developing and has a wider gap between his ceiling and floor relative to his fellow D-line prospects.”

In short, Ingram-Dawkins has a ton of tools but needs time to get his game to a more refined level. Adding Ryan Nielsen to the coaching staff should help. The new coach will be tasked with getting young lads such as Ingram-Dawkins, Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, and others to a higher level.

Can Ty Ingram-Dawkins absorb the coaching in a way that allows him to assert himself as a sophomore? If he does, is he a 3-4 defensive end or somebody who looks more like an edge rusher? Think the difference between Andrew Van Ginkel and Elijah Williams.

In all likelihood, Ingram-Dawkins is going to dabble at different spots for the Vikings. Brian Flores likes working with players such as Van Ginkel, Josh Metellus, and the other smart and hard-working guys capable of doing multiple things well. Mirroring some of these older players would therefore be in his best interest.

Advertisement

Last year, the Vikings leaned on the rookie for 250 snaps. He added 12 tackles and had a sack. Ingram-Dawkins’ season was fine, but nobody thinks that the second coming of John Randle has arrived.

At 23, Mr. Ingram-Dawkins has a lot of time to continue improving. But while there’s time left in his career, the Vikings’ young defender can’t grow complacent. Turning some of his athletic abilities into some game-changing plays will be needed before too long, especially after so much young talent got added to the trenches.

Ty Ingram-Dawkins is listed at 6’5″ and 290 pounds. As a basic expectation, look for the Vikings to task him with moving up and down the line. He’ll need to overcome the demands of this shuffling by showing himself to be a difference maker regardless of where he lines up.

---

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Advertisement