Football

The prospects for the Oregon Ducks' 2025 season became much more interesting in July 2024, when 5-star prospect Dakorien Moore officially committed to playing for the team.

The thing is, the wide receiver's plans to attend the storied institution almost didn't come to fruition, as he committed to another college before making a hard left turn and pledging to head to the West Coast.

We're going to check out how the athlete committed to -- then decommitted from -- one school before finding his ideal football program.

Moore attended Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, and he debuted on its varsity football squad as a freshman, according to 247Sports.

He remained with the institution for the length of his high school career, and he helped lead Duncanville to a 14-1 record at the end of his senior year.

Moore finished out his final high school season, during which Duncanville made it to the Texas 6A D-I state semifinals with 204 catches and 4,113 yards.

Oh, and the athlete was also involved with his high school's track and field program, and he competed in several events, including the 100-meter dash and the long jump.

Moore's athletic accomplishments garnered him plenty of attention from various schools and universities, and he received his first offer from the University of Kansas in 2020.

Several other institutions -- including the University of Southern California, Michigan State and Purdue University -- extended offers to the athlete while he was still in high school.

Moore appeared to have his path set in August 2023, when he committed to play for Louisiana State University, according to ESPN.

The athlete explained, as he was "real big on communication and building relationships," he felt LSU had done the best job of establishing a connection with him ... which led to his decision to commit to the institution.

The thing is, Moore changed his mind in May 2024, when he decided to decommit to LSU in a shocking career move.

The athlete issued a statement on his X account at the time to let his fans know about the decision, and he expressed he would "always hold love for the entire LSU family" in his message.

Moore waited for two months before announcing he'd decided to commit to the University of Oregon in July 2024, according to ESPN.

The sports world's seen plenty of great athletes come out of the University of Texas over the years, but the institution's only had a select few dual threats throughout its history. Dual threats can refer to an athlete who excels at two aspects of the game, like running and passing -- or in Jonah Williams' case, a player who dominates in two separate sports.

The Longhorns just debuted the team's newest dual-threat athlete, who's garnered much attention for his work on the diamond and gridiron.

We're going to take a look at the college athlete's background and see how he's already become notable within the University of Texas fanbase.

Williams -- who graduated early from Ball High School in his hometown of Galveston, Texas -- committed to play football for the University of Texas in August 2024, according to ESPN.

The athlete had been courted by institutions like USC, the University of Oregon, and LSU before deciding to remain in his home state.

It was reported Williams was planning on splitting his time between the school's baseball and football programs ... in addition to pursuing a degree in sports management.

The dual-threat told ESPN he'd settled on the University of Texas because of the opportunities "with life after football" he'd be able to achieve through his affiliation with the school.

Upon enrolling at the University of Texas, Williams was faced with balancing his interests in both football and baseball, as well as managing the expectations of both of his coaches, football coach Steve Sarkisian and baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle.

As baseball season came first for Williams, Sarkisian encouraged the athlete to head to the diamond first ... and Schlossnagle, who heads the squad, told Longhorns Wire the football coach was "super supportive" of the athlete's participation on the team.

Sarkisian apparently told the dual-threat to spend time with the football squad when he was able, while focusing on building a profile for himself on the baseball team.

Jonah's already made an impression with the institution's football personnel as well, and the school's defensive coordinator, Pete Kwiatkowski -- who Williams will play under as a defensive back -- declared he "couldn't be happier" to work with the athlete.

Although Williams has earned himself a fair amount of press for his two-sport ambitions, he garnered criticism for his on-field actions during a baseball game against the University of Florida in May 2025, according to Longhorns Wire.

The Longhorns were down 8-1 at the bottom of the 7th inning when the athlete stepped up to bat, and his animated reactions to every pitch were widely criticized across social media.

Williams was eventually walked, although he chose to toss his bat to the side and nodded his head as he made his way toward first base -- where he exchanged words with the first baseman, and the two players had to be separated.

There's plenty of freshmen out there getting fans excited for the coming college football season, and Jahkeem Stewart's way up there on that list.

The defensive lineman landed his fair share of achievements over the course of his high school career -- which ended up being much shorter than anyone expected!

We're going to take a look into the college athlete's background and see what he's got planned for his future in football.

Stewart was born and raised in Reserve, Louisiana, located roughly 30 miles north of New Orleans, and began playing football early on in his life.

The athlete grew to 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 340 pounds when he was in 6th grade, according to ESPN ... that's also when he began working with trainer Clyde Alexander.

Stewart's trainer stepped in when the football player's family home was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in 2021, and he allowed the student athlete to move in with him. He dropped 60 pounds right away, ESPN reports. He now stands 6-foot-6 and weighs around 270 pounds.

The athlete enrolled at St. Augustine High School in 2022 ... although the institution's transfer rules kept him from playing varsity-level football as a freshman.

Stewart was ruled eligible to play for St. Augustine his sophomore year, and he racked up 85 tackles and 20 sacks.

He ended up transferring out of St. Augustine to Edna Karr High School in an effort to make him eligible to play at the collegiate level at a faster rate, after St. Augustine denied his request to reclassify him to the 2025 class. After he was reclassifed he became eligible for the early college-football signing period.

Stewart didn't appear too beat up by the switch, and told ESPN the skills he learned at his first high school "helped me become a way better man than I was going in there."

He later spoke about the success of his high school football career, stating "every time I stepped on the field -- it was havoc."

Stewart, a top recruit during his time in high school, received numerous offers to play at various institutions, including LSU, Ohio State, and the University of Oregon.

The defensive lineman eventually accepted an offer from the University of Southern California, where he's set to join their defensive line.

Stewart's not the only 5-star recruit who pledged to the institution, as he'll be joined by quarterback Husan Longstreet.

10:52 AM PT -- Good news from New England -- the Patriots just revealed Terrell Williams experienced dehydration during Monday's workouts and is now doing fine.

A scary moment unfolded at New England Patriots practice on Monday ... when defensive coordinator Terrell Williams -- who recently returned from health issues -- suffered an apparent medical scare on the sidelines.

The incident went down on the training fields behind Gillette Stadium, where Williams -- who was hired in January -- suddenly went to the ground, according to reporters on the scene.

Several spectators shared photos on social media showing Coach Williams on the grass as medical personnel provided aid and rolled out a stretcher.

Sorry, A.J. Green ... Chad Johnson tells TMZ Sports Ja'Marr Chase is the best wide receiver to ever put on a Bengals uniform.

The Cincinnati legend made no bones about it during a quick convo with our photog out in New York City this week ... saying Chase is "absolutely" the No. 1 "in the history of the Bengals."

"The franchise in general," he added. "Yes."

Everything's bigger in Texas ... including Dak Prescott's new mansion!!!

Take a look at pictures TMZ Sports has obtained of the ongoing construction on the Dallas Cowboys superstar's property in Prosper ... the pad he's gearing up to move into is already massive.

It features two stories so far ... and there appears to be framing up for more than a few bedrooms and bathrooms as well.

Johnny Manziel is joining the drama between fellow former quarterback Cam Newton and rapper and podcast host, Gillie Da Kid ... even taking a swipe at Gillie with a threat of physical violence!

This is the sitch -- Gillie and the former Panthers star have been trading barbs over Cam omitting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts from his lineup of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. Gillie is a major Birds fan ... so he was not happy.

You'll see in the social media clip the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcaster held up a Super Bowl trophy and rubbed it in Cam's face that he never earned one -- and the jab didn't sit well with Johnny.

We all know celebs love to party -- and this former NFL tight end showed a crowd of onlookers he was in a different class of debauchery on a wild night out in Hollywood!

The night started out innocently enough, with this pro athlete posing for photos with a few of his fans, although when someone handed him a bouquet of roses ... they went rocketing to the pavement!

11:05 AM PT -- Denzel Perryman's tells TMZ his team is "still gathering facts and will fully cooperate with the process" following his arrest on Friday.

He adds ... "Denzel is a respected veteran in the NFL and a dedicated father, teammate, and professional. While we do not take this situation lightly, we remain confident that the matter will be resolved fairly and in accordance with the law."

Denzel Perryman, a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers, was arrested on Friday in Los Angeles, TMZ has learned.

According to law enforcement sources ... the NFL player was picked up by the South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station officers Friday evening and booked on a felony charge of possessing an assault weapon.

We're told he was en route to the gun range when cops searched his car and found he had 2 AR rifles and 3 handguns in his trunk -- with the rifles being non-compliant, which is illegal in California.

Micah Parsons' time with the Cowboys could be done ... the star NFL pass rusher announced he requested a trade out of Dallas, citing Jerry Jones and the organization's unwillingness to negotiate a new contract.

The four-time Pro Bowler dropped a three-page statement on social media, explaining that he initially wanted to remain in Big D, but changed his mind after his agent attempted to discuss a long-term deal with the team on multiple occasions.

Parsons said the team was "radio silent."

Roger Goodell provided a positive health update on the NFL employee who was shot in Monday's mass shooting in New York City, saying the young man is in stable condition and is showing signs of improvement.

The NFL Commissioner gave his first interview since the tragedy with NBC's Mike Tirico, days after Shane Tamura gunned down four people at 345 Park Avenue, where the NFL's headquarters are located.

NFL employee Craig Clementi was shot in the back during the attack ... and has been recovering at a local hospital. Goodell said he visited CC in the hospital on Wednesday.

Cordarrelle Patterson isn't moping about getting released from the Pittsburgh Steelers this week ... but he IS mopping.

The NFL vet took to his Instagram to post a late-night story Wednesday ... letting his followers know his life now consists of household chores instead of resting his body for training camp.

He also included a shameless tag of the cleaning company he was using ... perhaps a sponsorship will help him keep food on the table?? We kid, the guy has made nearly $43 million on the field in his career.

Ask and you shall receive -- Marlon Humphrey and the Baltimore Ravens' plea to get swimming tips from Michael Phelps paid off ... 'cause the Olympic legend just said he's down to give them some lessons!!

Humphrey -- who agreed to a five-year extension with Baltimore in 2020 -- posted the initial request to his Instagram ... showing him and several of his teammates in the new recovery pool at the Under Armour Performance Center.

It was pretty funny ... with Humphrey, Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Hamilton and Charlie Kolar all urging the Olympic swimmer to help show them the ropes.

Dr. Bennet Omalu, the physician credited with discovering CTE, is breaking down claims made by the mass shooter in NYC ... after the killer claimed he had the neurodegenerative disease after playing high school football.

"You can develop CTE from playing football at all levels. The greater the number of years you play, the greater the cumulative risk exposure. CTE has been diagnosed in people who played football at all levels. However, playing high-school football does not automatically equate to CTE," Dr. Omalu told TMZ Sports on Tuesday.

For those unfamiliar with the name, Omalu was at the forefront of bringing CTE to the public's awareness, a movement that even made its way to Hollywood. Will Smith played the forensic pathologist in the film "Concussion."

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife, Nicole, are making sure kids in the Carolinas are ready to get their education on ... by donating more than 38,000 backpacks stuffed with supplies for the upcoming school year.

Classroom Central -- the beneficiary of the donation -- made the announcement on Wednesday ... saying the move helps "strengthen a decade-long partnership to promote equity in education across the Carolinas."

Karen Calder -- executive director of Classroom Central -- said it is the largest backpack contribution in the org.'s history.

Shannon Sharpe's days at ESPN are over -- the network has cut ties with the Pro Football Hall of Famer less than two weeks after settling a rape lawsuit, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

News of the split just dropped minutes ago ... with the Athletic reporting ESPN sparked the split.

It's a massive decision -- 57-year-old Sharpe was a staple on "First Take" after leaving FS1 in 2023, but has not appeared on the airwaves after a woman made serious sexual assault allegations against him in April.