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Morning Glory: Trump’s approval ratings have never been higher

‘President-elect Donald Trump’s popularity has reached a seven-year high and the majority of Americans approve of his handling of the transition process,’ Forbes recently reported. ‘A majority of respondents to a CNN/SSRS poll released Wednesday said they believe Trump will do a good job when he returns to the White House next month (54%),’ the story continued, ‘and approve of how he’s handling the transition so far (55%).’

These numbers are in sharp contrast to eight years ago when Donald Trump was ‘President-elect’ the first time. Pew Research Center conducted a national survey from Nov. 30-Dec. 5, 2016 and found that, among the 1,502 adults surveyed then, only ‘40% approved of Trump’s cabinet choices and high-level appointments, while 41% approve of the job he has done so far in explaining his policies and plans for the future.’

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the level of approval today is sharply higher than eight years ago. The big—and significant—question is: Why?

The easy and perhaps too obvious answer is that President-elect Trump 2.0 is not President Joe Biden, whereas President-elect Trump 1.0 was not President Barack Obama.

Obama left the White House—using Pew numbers again—with a job approval rating just below that of Presidents Reagan’s and Clinton’s when they exited. ‘58% approve of [Obama’s] job performance, while 37% disapprove,’ Pew told us eight years ago.

 

Biden’s approval number in late November this year—turning to Gallup this time—is at 37%, and some of that sampling came before the widespread criticism of the pardon by Joe Biden of Hunter Biden. Could Biden drop further? Absolutely.

So ‘not being Biden’ (or Vice President Kamala Harris for that matter) is helping the numbers of the once and future President Trump.

But that is not the explanation in my view. 55% may represent a new ‘ceiling’ for the approval of all new presidents going forward in our deeply divided nation these day, but why has Trump’s numbers soared from the 40% eight years ago to today’s approval rating?

Two additional possible explanations beyond ‘He’s not Joe or Kamala.’

First, the Trump upset in 2016 was shocking and even painful to Manhattan-Beltway media and political elites. I know this first-hand from having been on the set of ‘NBC Election Night Coverage’ from 30 Rock eight years ago. As events unfolded on that memorable night in 2016, it was far more than a surprise that swept the NBC studios. It was a thunderclap of a reality of which a legacy news organization was wholly unaware might be coming, and it left a stunned, disbelieving newsroom in its wake. (Two floors of newsrooms, in fact, as MSNBC was one floor lower than the NBC News Election Night set). A lot of the shock and pain among legacy media elites became a sort of ‘referred pain’ among the population at large. The country was shocked because Big Media was shocked in 2016, and as legacy media’s anger and disbelief spread out, much of the country reeled along with those elites.

How bad was this Trump presidency going to be? Media elites had not really considered the possibility that Trump might win, and so what they said or implied that night out loud, or via appearance or body language was absorbed. The folks with platforms —at least the vast majority of them within legacy outlets—instantly concluded that a Trump presidency would be terrible for the country, and their collective gasp sent stock futures plunging. The markets recovered their balance quickly, but not the psyches of Manhattan-Beltway media elites. The onset of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ was instantaneous. And until this November’s blowout win for Trump, ‘TDS’ only worsened.

Trump had never spent one night in D.C. this time eight years ago, and the shock of his 2016 win was followed by prophecies of doom from the usual suspects that never stopped, and the ‘Resistance’ was already taking up their stations in the media. The ‘pink hats’ were booking their flights to Trump’s Inauguration day-after counter-demonstration. ‘Hillary was supposed to have won, damn it,’ and when she didn’t, the media elites and the political left went into overdrive to persuade America that Trump was, at best, completely corrupt and possibly an authoritarian.  Eight years later, after endless investigations and years of lawfare, it turns out the majority of Americans aren’t buying what legacy media is selling anymore.

But that’s not it either. Trump’s previous highest approval rating until this new ‘honeymoon season’ of 2024 was 49% —and that number was reached only at the start of 2020, as three years of low taxes and deregulation combined with surging energy production had America cooking with gas…until COVID hit.

That Trump is now at 55% is nothing short of astonishing, as the past five years since that 49% have been, well, event-filled.

The events themselves, neither January 6 nor especially the catastrophic failures of the Biden presidency, explain the ‘Trump jump.’  The comparison of 45-47 with an infirm and failed president does certainly help Trump, as does the cratering of trust in legacy media and perhaps a reversion to the norm of good wishes for an incoming president. Media isn’t as hysterical as it was eight years ago.

Rather, Trump’s new approval rating is because of, wait for it, Trump.

The fact is people now have a side-by-side comparison of government under the direction of a brash real estate developer and television star who is fueled by superlatives and big goals versus the prospect of more of the left’s managed decline along with a mandatory switch to EVs and boys playing in girls sports. America got a big dose of the ‘United States of Europe’ vs the United States of America, and it turns out we prefer the latter. We like our presidents to be unapologetically patriotic, optimistic and full of bonhomie.

Don’t mistake my meaning. Manhattan-Beltway legacy media elites are shocked at Trump’s triumph, and very angry again —enraged even— but the public’s willingness to share the referred pain of those elites has fallen, precipitously. Having lost the trust of the public in an almost incomprehensible but very comprehensive fashion, the mutterings of journalists not only don’t matter much, they actually are helping Trump get off to a good start on his second presidency.

Most of America has simply dismissed the legacy media from the conversation it is having about Trump. Legacy media are no longer trusted, period. It hates Trump? So what? The collective influence of legacy media is now below that of ‘public health authorities,’ and that’s at rock bottom.

My proposition: Trump is more popular today than ever before because Americans like optimism and Trump’s not only selling hope, he believes in it. Combine that affection for an elected leader who believes in the country and it’s essential goodness with the crumbling into dust of the credibility of Trump’s critics and the disasters of the Biden years, and you get 55% instead of 40%.

The only question left to answer is how high can that number go when Trump delivers on the border, the defense rebuild, the return of deregulation and the extension of Trump’s tax cuts? If you are wishing the country well, you should be hoping that Trump’s numbers, like those in the markets, continue to rise. 

Hugh Hewitt is host of ‘The Hugh Hewitt Show,’ heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990.  Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcast, and this column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

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Top Republican touts ‘real motivation’ behind House DOGE Caucus’ mission before first meeting

A co-chair of the House of Representatives’ Congressional DOGE Caucus said there is ‘real motivation’ behind accomplishing its mission of cutting the federal deficit.

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, is House GOP Conference vice chair and the No. 6 House Republican, and recently joined Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in leading the caucus.

The group’s name is an acronym for Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency, coinciding with the Department of Government Efficiency – also DOGE for short – a new advisory panel commissioned by President-elect Trump and led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

The caucus’ first meeting is slated for Tuesday. Moore said he hopes they can ‘create some structure on what we want to accomplish and set some initial first easy wins.’

He did not elaborate on what those wins would be, but suggested one of the caucus’ main goals would be delivering recommendations to Musk and Ramaswamy on how to make the federal government more efficient.

‘We’ve got people that have great ideas from their various committees on things, areas that we can find efficiencies, and just get that all on paper and eventually, you know, provide some recommendations,’ Moore said.

The Utah Republican is hopeful that his unique position as a member of House leadership will allow him to be a conduit between the caucus and fellow congressional leaders.

‘I was looking for another opportunity to help serve the conference,’ Moore said of his decision to become a co-chair. ‘There is a ton of bipartisan work that’s already been done on this type of stuff for years leading up to it. We needed this moment as a catalyst to do it. So I am just thrilled to be a part of the leadership team.’

He also suggested that the enthusiasm for DOGE was unlike anything he’d seen for prior government initiatives.

‘There’s real motivation behind this, and the American people are galvanized by this. For example, I’m the chair, co-chair of the Ski and Snowboard caucus. Utah has… got the best ski – greatest snow on earth and all that. That doesn’t draw the attention,’ Moore said.

‘But I became a co-chair also of the DOGE Caucus, and you could tell a widespread interest in this from both media back home [and] constituents. We have to honor that.’

Moore also dismissed concerns that DOGE’s internet meme-inspired branding might make people take it less seriously, arguing instead that it will help make Americans enthusiastic about the mission.

‘Doge’ is also the name of an internet meme popular in the 2010s, depicting a Shiba Inu and frequently accompanied by phrases in broken English representing the dog’s supposed internal monologue.

Musk has made no secret of his affinity for the meme, and even coined the name ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ while posting references to it on X, formerly Twitter, before Trump made it a reality. He’s also promoted a cryptocurrency of the same name.

‘I’ve never seen so much excitement and engagement from my constituents,’ Moore said. ‘The fact that it’s the Doge, I think this is how people connect now. Like, you know, that’s a good thing because it makes it relatable. And so I think it’s definitely something that kind of makes people laugh a little bit and just find the irony in it.’

‘Whatever can get people’s attention, you have to use that for good. Then you’ve got potential for impact.’

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Vance will likely be 2028 front-runner, but RNC chair ‘excited about the bench that we have’

With former president and now President-elect Donald Trump unable to run again for the White House in 2028, Vice President-elect JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the America First movement and the Republican Party’s powerful MAGA base.

But even though the 40-year-old Vance will be considered the front-runner in the next GOP presidential nomination race, the chair of the Republican National Committee says the party will hold to its traditional role of staying neutral in an open and contested presidential primary.

‘We will,’ RNC chair Michael Whatley said in a Fox News Digital interview.

Vance, with Trump’s support in a party firmly in the president-elect’s grip, will be very hard to knock off in the 2028 Republican presidential primaries.

‘We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance,’ Donald Trump Jr. said in October on the campaign trail. 

The younger Trump, who’s a powerful ally of the vice president-elect, is extremely popular with the MAGA base.

‘The vice president will be in the catbird seat. No question about it,’ longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney recently told Fox News Digital. 

Carney, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the past four decades, said that Vance ‘is the guy to beat.’

David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, said that Vance is the front-runner due to ‘the size and the scope’ of Trump’s Electoral College and popular vote victories last month, ‘and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump.’

‘There will be no shortage of people looking at it. But most people looking at it are seeing the relative strength of the Trump victory and the movement,’ Kochel said.

However, Kochel noted that ‘nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is.’

Whatley, who was interviewed a week after Trump asked him to continue as RNC chair moving forward, said he’s ‘very excited about the bench that we have in the Republican Party right now.’

‘You think about all the Republican governors, you think about all the Republican senators, the members of the House that we have, the leaders across the country that have been engaged in this campaign are going to be part of the president’s cabinet,’ he added.

Whatley argued that the president-elect’s ‘America First movement is bigger than Donald Trump. He is the tip of the spear. He is the vanguard of this movement. But. It is a very big movement right now.’

The chairman on Thursday also emphasized that ‘Donald Trump has completely remade the Republican Party. We’re now the working-class party. We’re now a party that is communicating and working with every single voter, speaking to every single voter about the issues that they care about. So, as we go into 2028, we are in a great position to be able to continue the momentum of this agenda and this movement.’

Unlike the rival Democratic National Committee, which in the 2024 cycle upended the traditional presidential nominating calendar, the RNC made no major changes to their primary lineup, and kept the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary as their first two contests.

Asked about the 2028 calendar, Whatley said ‘I’ve not had any conversations with anybody who wants to change the calendar on our side. I know the Democrats did during the course of this election cycle, not sure that it really helped them all that much.’

‘We’re very comfortable with the calendar as it is. But as we move towards 2028, we’ll have those conversations,’ he added.

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Don’t blame the NCAA for Beau Pribula leaving Penn State during playoff

Before we all hop on the latest bandwagon to the end of college football as we know it, let’s collectively get smart and embrace the single basic concept we learned as children.

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. 

Or in this case of ever-widening player empowerment in college athletics, you can’t have everything — and still want more.

Beau Pribula is a backup quarterback at Penn State, and took to social media Sunday to proclaim that the NCAA’s postseason transfer model has forced him to choose between participating in the College Football Playoff with Penn State, or entering the transfer portal. 

He then wrote it was “with a heavy heart” that he was entering the transfer portal.

You’ve got to be kidding me. 

It is here where I have the gross task of defending the NCAA, a dysfunctional, do-nothing collection of presidential blowhards who proclaim that, at heart, they have the best interest of all involved.

I don’t know what makes me want to puke more: speaking truth to this transfer portal nonsense, or defending the muckety-mucks at the NCAA. 

First and foundational: any player who enters the transfer portal doesn’t have to leave his school until he signs with another. So Pribula, a changeup quarterback who typically plays a handful of snaps a game, doesn’t have to leave the team. 

He can enter the portal, stay on the Penn State team through its College Football Playoff run and then negotiate with other schools. This has nothing to do with a finite number of scholarships available, and the horror stories (most of them true) of players entering the portal and eventually not finding a home.

Pribula is in the portal, and every school knows he’s transferring. If there’s a market for him in the portal, schools will wait to make a decision on a quarterback – the most important position on the field – until after Penn State’s CFP run. 

Not that this has to be said, but what the heck: there’s another portal opening in the spring, and the NCAA – foreseeing this potential CFP/portal problem – gave players participating in the new 12-team CFP an extension to the winter transfer portal beyond the Dec. 28 closing date.

In other words, there’s zero reason for Pribula (or any other college football player) to be staring at “an impossible decision,” as Pribula wrote on social media. 

Pribula is a communications major and graduated in three years from one of the top public universities in the country. This is not the “system” taking advantage of the player. 

This is the player working the system to his benefit.

It should come as no surprise that less than 24 hours after Pribula’s announcement, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar announced he was returning to State College in 2025.

It’s not that difficult to connect Pribula’s timeline from a lifelong Penn State fan, a boy who dreamed of playing for the Nittany Lions, to a player who has done everything asked of him but can’t win the starting job, to the disappointment of sitting another year behind Allar. 

Pribula doesn’t have significant game tape, and any school investing in him (scholarship, revenue deal, NIL deal) would do so based on potential. Not many Power Four conference schools are spending top dollar for portal potential.

In other words, the longer Pribula waits to leave Penn State, the less chance he has of connecting with a major conference school. 

This Penn State graduate, who has family that graduated from Penn State, who starred at Central York High School – about two hours southeast of State College – can’t be part of such a selfish move of leaving your team before the end of the season. 

So he makes it about the NCAA, the easy villain. 

Players already can earn off their name, image and likeness, and have free movement without the previous restraint of sitting out a season of eligibility. 

Beginning next season, players in all sports at universities will be paid from a media rights revenue sharing salary pool of at least $20.5 million. If the House vs. NCAA settlement case isn’t approved in July, it could be much more.

Everything players have asked for – including $2.8 billion in back pay to former players from 2017 forward – has essentially been handed over by the NCAA, hat in hand.

Now Pribula wants the NCAA to absolve him of guilt. Because a player who has done everything right at Penn State, who by all accounts has been the perfect teammate, can’t just walk away in the middle of a championship run. Somebody has to take the blame. 

Why not the NCAA?

Why not hop on social media and gin up support from the vocal pitchfork, and decry how the mean men and women at the NCAA are forcing the poor, misunderstood player to make a difficult life decision.

Sort of like the difficult life decision to go to Penn State in the first place. 

Look, players have been on the short end of this deal for three forevers, and only since 2021 have they rightfully begun to get their monetary footing. But you can’t play both sides of the story. 

You can’t be the one taken advantage of when you’re getting everything you want. 

You can’t complain about the NCAA keeping you down when you control movement and employment. Because that’s what this is now — no matter how university presidents and conference commissioners try to convince everyone it’s not with a variety of mental gymnastics.

You have a job. You have responsibilities. 

If you walk away and look for another job, it’s on you. Not anyone else. 

Nearly three years ago, Jayden Daniels left Arizona State and entered the transfer portal. He spent three uneven seasons with the Sun Devils, and decided it was time to leave. 

Five weeks later, in late March of 2022 and during the spring portal – after his Arizona State teammates used social media to share their thoughts on his departure – Daniels signed with LSU and had two years of eligibility remaining. He then led the Tigers to back-to-back 10-win seasons, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2023.

Maybe you can have your cake and eat it, too. 

Just don’t blame the NCAA when it doesn’t taste like it should.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

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2025 NFL draft order after Week 15

While the NFL’s playoff picture is becoming clearer as the season progresses, the picture atop the 2025 NFL draft remains muddled.

Only two teams entered Week 15 of the 2024 season with just two wins – the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants. However, there were six three-win teams behind them waiting to pounce into the race for the No. 1 pick should either team have earned an unexpected victory against a couple of playoff-hopeful opponents.

The Giants were unable to do that in their Sunday afternoon matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson threw five touchdowns while Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle struggled to spark New York’s offense in the 35-14 defeat.

With the Raiders not playing until Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons, the Giants were temporarily in control of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft with their earlier loss. Ultimately, Las Vegas could not upset Kirk Cousins and Co., so Brian Daboll’s squad fell back to the No. 2 pick.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

2025 NFL draft order

Here’s how the 2025 NFL draft order shakes out after Week 15, according to Tankathon.com:

Las Vegas Raiders: 2-12 record; .538 strength of schedule
New York Giants: 2-12; .550 SOS
New England Patriots: 3-11; .462 SOS
Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-11; .483 SOS
Carolina Panthers: 3-11; .496 SOS
Tennessee Titans: 3-11; .508 SOS
Cleveland Browns: 3-11; .525 SOS
New York Jets: 4-10; .508 SOS
Chicago Bears: 4-10; .559 SOS
New Orleans Saints: 5-9; .496 SOS
Miami Dolphins: 6-8; .424 SOS
Indianapolis Colts: 6-8; .475 SOS
Cincinnati Bengals: 6-8; .479 SOS
Dallas Cowboys: 6-8; .521 SOS
San Francisco 49ers: 6-8; .567 SOS
Atlanta Falcons: 7-7; .517 SOS
Arizona Cardinals: 7-7; .529 SOS
Seattle Seahawks: 8-6; .513 SOS
Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6; .471 SOS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-6; .496 SOS
Los Angeles Rams: 8-6; .517 SOS
Washington Commanders: 9-5; .441 SOS
Denver Broncos: 9-5; .483 SOS
Baltimore Ravens: 9-5; .534 SOS
Houston Texans: 9-5; .479 SOS
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-4; .479 SOS
Green Bay Packers: 10-4; .542 SOS
Minnesota Vikings: 12-2; .483 SOS
Buffalo Bills: 11-3; .462 SOS
Philadelphia Eagles: 12-2; .445 SOS
Detroit Lions: 12-2; .534 SOS
Kansas City Chiefs: 13-1; .483 SOS

2025 NFL draft: No. 1 overall pick odds

According to BetMGM, the following college football players entered Week 15 expected to be among the top potential picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: -145
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: +240
Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL): +600
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: +2500
Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia: +3000

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Fantasy football rankings for Week 16: PPR and non-PPR

The first round of the 2024 fantasy football playoffs was complete pandemonium.

With MNF pending in Week 15, Aaron Rodgers, Mac Jones, and Cooper Rush all rank inside the top-10 at quarterback, while Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Tua Tagovailoa, and Brock Purdy all failed to finish inside the top-20. At running back, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Chuba Hubbard, and David Montgomery all ranked outside the top-25. However, if you somehow started Tyjae Spears, you’re looking really good in your consolation bracket. Plenty of stud wideouts pooped the bed as well. Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf, and Marvin Harrison Jr. each failed to crack five half-PPR points, while I caught the same number of passes as Cooper Kupp. Finally, tight end did its usual thing — Brenton Strange, Forster Moreau, Chig Okonkwo, and Adam Trautman all ranked as TE1s. Fun.

Here’s a look at my Week 16 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception), and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format.

Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your Week 11 lineup and roster decisions. Wondering who the best waiver-wire claims are? We have that as well.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.

Week 16 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Baker Mayfield – The overall QB5 on the season, Baker has finished as the QB9 or higher in 11 of his 15 games. For reference, that’s as many top-10 finishes as Josh Allen and more than Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow. He’ll face a Cowboys defense that’s allowed seven quarterbacks to eclipse 20 fantasy points against them.
UP: Caleb Williams – The rookie is fantasy’s QB8 since the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. That includes a QB5 finish against the Lions in Week 12. He’s an excellent streaming option against a Detroit defense that’s been decimated by injuries in 2024.
UP: Anthony Richardson – While his passing numbers are still abysmal, Richardson has shown an improved floor since retaking the starting job in Week 11. In Week 16, he should be a QB1 against a Titans defense that’s allowed at least 17.7 points to seven of the last nine quarterbacks they’ve faced.
DOWN: Jared Goff – This is about the time of year when Goff’s home/road splits come into focus. In three starts at Soldier Field since 2021, Goff has finished as the QB23, QB22, and QB25.
DOWN: Justin Herbert – After finishing as a QB1 for five consecutive weeks, Herbert has come crashing down to earth. Over his last three games, the veteran has posted ranks of QB30, QB19, and QB17. A tough matchup with the Broncos awaits in Week 16.
DOWN: C.J. Stroud – The second-year quarterback has now finished as the QB14 or lower in nine of his last 10 games. Only two quarterbacks have reached 20 fantasy points versus the Chiefs since Week 1, making Stroud an unappealing streaming option.

Week 16 fantasy football running back rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Bucky Irving – If you exclude the Week 14 outing where Irving was clearly banged up, the rookie has been one of the top backs in fantasy. He should feast on a Cowboys defense that’s allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs.
UP: Jerome Ford – With the news that Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot, Ford is firmly back in the RB2 conversation this week. The 25-year-old became just the second running back all season to surpass 13 half-PPR points against Kansas City, and now he gets a mouthwatering matchup with the Bengals. Cincinnati has ceded the second-most fantasy points to opposing backfields over their last four games.
UP: Kendre Miller – Alvin Kamara left Sunday’s game with a groin injury, which put Kendre Miller in a workhorse role for the remainder of the game. Miller would be on the RB2 radar if Kamara can’t go against the Packers. What could complicate things is that the game is on Monday Night Football, and we might not know Kamara’s status until game time.
DOWN: Jonathan Taylor – For those who expected RB1 numbers, Taylor’s season has been quite the disappointment. The Wisconsin product has ranked higher than RB4 once all season, and he’s finished as the RB22 or lower in four of his last six games.
DOWN: Isiah Pacheco – Pacheco hasn’t looked as explosive since returning, and that’s resulted in fantasy finishes of RB47, RB31, and RB34. It’ll be tough for him to get going against a Texans front that’s surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position this season.

Week 16 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Courtland Sutton – While he’s coming off back-to-back mediocre performances (by his recent standards), Sutton could explode in Week 16. Since Week 9, only the Falcons have been more generous to wideouts than the Chargers.
UP: Brian Thomas Jr. – The rookie bump is very real with Thomas. In the three games since Jacksonville’s bye, Thomas has racked up 10, 12, and 14 targets, finished as a WR2 or better in all three contests. He should stay hot against a plummeting Raiders defense.
UP: Romeo Doubs – After grabbing two touchdowns against the Seahawks, Doubs has now finished as a top-15 wideout in half-PPR formats in three of his last six fully healthy games. With the Saints having allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to receivers this season, Doubs is firmly on the streaming radar.
UP: Jalen McMillan – The rookie has garnered 13 targets in his last two games, which he’s turned into nine receptions for 134 and 3 touchdowns. He’s a solid streaming option against the Swiss cheese defense of the Cowboys.
DOWN: DK Metcalf – Since Week 4, Metcalf has ranked as the WR28 or worse in eight of his nine outings. With Geno Smith a question mark for Week 16, Metcalf could struggle once again, even in an enticing matchup.
DOWN: Zay Flowers – Flowers has had some explosive performances this season, but it’s been a struggle of late. He has ranked as the WR31 or lower in five consecutive games, and matchup with the Steelers doesn’t help matters.

Week 16 fantasy football tight end rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Brenton Strange – Injuries have driven Strange near the top of the pecking order for Jacksonville’s passing game, and that resulted in a whopping 12 targets against the Jets. Since Week 8, Las Vegas has ceded a whopping 20.1 fantasy points per game to tight ends, 4.4 more than the next-closest team.
UP: Noah Gray – Since Week 11, Gray is the TE4 in fantasy while teammate Travis Kelce is all the way down at TE14. The 25-year-old’s four red zone touchdowns during that stretch are tied for first among all pass-catchers. The Texans have allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends since Week 10, which puts Gray in play for those streaming at the position.
DOWN: Cade Otton – Otton hasn’t finished inside in the top-10 at the tight end position in any game that Mike Evans has played this season. In fact, since Tampa’s Week 11 bye, Otton ranks as the TE21 in half-PPR formats.

Week 16 fantasy football rankings

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Tennessee leads men’s basketball poll as top 10 gets shuffled

There is no change at the top of the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll, though the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 closed a bit.

Tennessee holds the throne for another week after a last-second win at Illinois over the weekend. The Volunteers received 22 of 31 first-place votes. Second-ranked Auburn was No. 1 on the nine other ballots, up from five a week ago, to edge a little closer after a dominant win against Ohio State over the weekend.

The SEC continues to dominate the upper echelons of the poll, as No. 4 Kentucky, No. 6 Florida and No. 7 Alabama give the league five of the top seven teams.

Iowa State holds steady at No. 3, and Duke moves up a notch to No. 5. No. 8 Kansas, No. 9 Marquette and No. 10 Oregon round out the top 10 with yet another SEC squad, Texas A&M, lurking at No. 11.

No. 22 Memphis rejoins the rankings. No. 24 Dayton and No. 25 Mississippi State also move in. Clemson, Wisconsin and Baylor fall out.

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Spurs’ Popovich thanks supporters while recovering from mild stroke

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2, released a statement Monday afternoon thanking his well-wishers.

Popovich, who has missed 21 games while recovering, is in his 29th year coaching the Spurs. The Hall of Famer, 75, is the winningest coach in the NBA.

“This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me. As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We’re thankful for our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends,” Popovich said in the statement. “No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process. They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”

The statement marks the first public remarks from Popovich since he suffered the stroke.

Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been filling in and the Spurs are 11-10 during that span.

All things Spurs: Latest San Antonio Spurs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Two days after the Spurs made the initial announcement about Popovich’s health status, the organization said he already had begun rehabilitation and was expected to make a full recovery.

His career record before his health issue is 1,393-827. According to the NBA, all wins and losses while Popovich is on leave will still be counted toward his official record.

Popovich has led the Spurs to five NBA championships, and he also coached the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

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Ex-West Virginia linebacker, son of former NFL star, signs with Missouri

On Monday, the former West Virginia linebacker and son of former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr. announced he’s transfering to Missouri and coach Eliah Drinkwitz. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported Trotter’s decision to join the Tigers.

‘I’m home Mizzou,’ Josiah Trotter wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after posting a photo of him in a Missouri jersey.

Thamel reported that Drinkwitz and Missouri beat out Washington in the sweepstakes for Josiah Trotter. He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 4, three days after the Mountaineers fired Neil Brown and eight days before hiring his successor in former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.

247Sports listed Trotter as the No. 5 linebacker in the transfer portal.

After redshirting his true freshman year rehabbing from a lower-leg injury that he sustained in spring practice, the 6-foot-2 linebacker had a breakout season for the Mountaineers this year. In 12 games this season, Josiah Trotter finished with 93 total tackles (four for a loss), two broken-up passes, an interception and half a sack en route to winning the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year — which marked a first in program history.

He finished with 10 or more tackles in four games this season for the Mountaineers against Penn State, Kansas, Iowa State and Cincinnati.

Josiah Trotter is the younger brother of former Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who was selected in the third round of the NFL draft in April by the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the fourth player in the transfer portal to commit to Missouri this offseason, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Calum McAndrew.

Josiah Trotter 247Sports ranking

As prospect: Three-star recruit | No. 44 ranked linebacker | No. 9 prospect in Pennsylvania
As transfer: Three-star recruit | No. 5 ranked linebacker

Josiah Trotter was ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 5 linebacker in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports. He received similar rankings out of high school at St. Joe’s Prep by 247Sports’ Composite rankings, which had him as a three-star recruit and the No. 44 linebacker in the 2023 recruiting class.

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Lions starting RB to have knee surgery, miss remainder of the season

The Detroit Lions lost several defensive players for the season in their 48-42 Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Now, one of their top offensive contributors is also dealing with a significant injury.

However, Montgomery’s status for the remainder of the season is now in doubt. He is expected to be out indefinitely, and the Lions will be without him for their potential playoff run.

Here’s the latest on Montgomery’s injury.

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David Montgomery injury update

Dan Campbell announced Monday that Montgomery suffered an injury during Sunday’s game that would require season-ending knee surgery.

‘David’s so tough,’ Campbell told reporters. ‘He continued to play through and then got it checked out today, and we realized that’s what that was. He’s just the ultimate teammate. The ultimate competitor. We’re gonna miss him.’

Montgomery was ‘undergoing additional testing’ Monday and planned to get a second opinion on his injured knee, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, Schefter reports that Montgomery would likely be out long-term if the expected MCL sprain was diagnosed.

‘There are people in the Lions’ organization who believe that David Montgomery will be lost for the season with his sprained MCL, but there are additional tests to go through,’ Schefter wrote on X (formerly Twitter). ‘Either way he’s out indefinitely, if not for the season.’

Campbell confirmed the team’s suspicions by announcing the season-ending surgery.

Montgomery managed just 4 yards on 5 carries against the Bills because of his injury. He added 31 yards on 4 catches.

Montgomery will finish the 2024 season with 775 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 185 carries. He also has 341 receiving yards and has logged his sixth consecutive season with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards to start his NFL career.

Lions RB depth chart: Who is David Montgomery’s backup?

Gibbs, a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has racked up 1,047 yards and 11 touchdowns on 186 carries while adding 395 yards and 3 touchdowns on 39 catches this season. He has played 54.3% of the team’s offensive snaps, but even with a larger share, he will need to be spelled on occasion by the team’s running back depth.

Below is a look at who else the team has in its organization behind Gibbs:

Jahmyr Gibbs
Craig Reynolds
Sione Vaki
Jermar Jefferson (practice squad)

Reynolds has averaged 4.3 yards per carry during his four seasons with the Lions, so the 5-11, 216-pound back would likely replace Montgomery as the more physical counterpart to Gibbs (5-9, 200 pounds).

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