Is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill the true fastest man in the world? We may never know the answer.

Noah Lyles, who won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics to take the ‘world’s fastest man’ title, announced Monday that his race with Hill had been canceled.

Lyles was speaking on a panel at a Sport Beach event in Cannes, France when someone asked him about the race against the speedy NFL wideout.

‘We were very deep into creating the event. In fact, it was supposed to happen this weekend,’ Lyles said. ‘Unfortunately there were some things, complications, personal reasons that it just didn’t come to pass.’

The speedsters originally announced plans for a summer race in a joint interview with People magazine in February after months of back-and-forth trash-talking on social media. In the interview, Hill and Lyles insinuated the race would be somewhere between 40 yards (36.6 meters) and 100 meters, a compromise that accommodated the different sports backgrounds of the two athletes.

Hill has not let the cancellation stop him from running in other organized events. On Friday, the Dolphins wideout won the 100-meter dash event at a track meet in California with an official time of 10.15 seconds, which set a new personal best for the 31-year-old.

After the race, he held up a sign that said, ‘Noah could never.’

It was a nod to a similar sign that Lyles had written – ‘Tyreek could never’ – on the inside of his sprint bib and showed to the camera after winning a 60-meter sprint at a race in Boston in early February.

Lyles won the gold medal at the Olympics with a personal-best time of 9.78 seconds, which suggests he still could have beaten Hill handily if the two had raced their 100-meter dash.

FIFA says it has sold close to 1.5 million tickets for Club World Cup matches as of Tuesday, as images of empty stadium seats during weekday games have become a prevalent storyline during the tournament’s first week in the United States.

The Club World Cup opener featuring Lionel Messi and Inter Miami playing to an entertaining, but scoreless draw against Egyptian side Al Ahly on Saturday drew 60,927 fans at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

One day later, 80,619 fans attended a match to see Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain beat Spanish club Atlético de Madrid 4-0 at the Rose Bowl near Los Angeles. It was the largest crowd either club played in front of during their respective 2024-25 seasons.

However, Tuesday’s noon ET match at MetLife Stadium between German standouts Borussia Dortmund and Brazilian club Fluminense was played in front of 34,736 fans in the 82,500-seat venue that will host the Club World Cup final on July 13. The start time was 6 p.m. in Dortmund, Germany. MetLife is also set to host next year’s World Cup final.

Monday’s 3 p.m. ET match between Chelsea FC (England) and Los Angeles FC (MLS) also saw more empty seats than seats filled at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. There was an announced crowd of 22,137 in the 71,000-seat venue, home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. The match began at 8 p.m. local time in the United Kingdom.

“I think the environment was a bit strange. You know, the stadium was almost empty – not full,” Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said after the 2-0 win.

FIFA says more than 340,000 fans attended the first eight matches of the tournament (Saturday-Monday), and expects more than 50,000 fans to show up to the top-selling group-stage matches in the next week.

Among those matches are Real Madrid’s Club World Cup opener with Saudi club Al Hilal at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday, their tilt against Mexican standouts CF Pachuca on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and a match against Austrian side FC Salzburg on June 26 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The others are Friday: England’s Chelsea FC will meet Brazilian side CR Flamengo in Philadelphia, and Germany’s FC Bayern München will face Argentina’s CA Boca Juniors in Miami.

Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up now.

FIFA says fans from more than 130 countries have purchased Club World Cup tickets, with the United States leading the way, followed by buyers from Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

The organization will also contribute $1 for every tournament ticket sold to the FIFA Global Education Fund, which launched in April 2025 and is designed to improve access to quality education and football for children around the world.

“FIFA is proud of the unique and multicultural atmosphere and support this new competition has already generated — and thanks every fan who has brought their voice, passion, and presence as the FIFA Club World Cup continues to grow into the undisputed pinnacle of global club football,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

Harrison Mevis was one of the best kickers in the UFL during its 2025 season. He parlayed his strong performance into a second NFL opportunity.

Mevis is set to sign with the New York Jets, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports. It will mark the Missouri product’s second chance to make it in the NFL; his first came after he signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2024.

Mevis was a star kicker at Missouri, where he earned the nicknamed the ‘Thiccer Kicker’ because of his burly 6-0, 242-pound frame. He made 89 of 106 field goals during his time with the Tigers, including a 61-yard game-winner against Kansas State in 2023 that remains the longest field goal made by an SEC kicker.

Mevis was unable to beat Eddy Pineiro for the top kicker job in Carolina and ultimately turned his attention to the UFL. The Birmingham Stallions scooped up the 23-year-old in December 2024 and eventually made him the top option at the position. Mevis responded by putting together a great season, making 20 of 21 field goals with a long of 54 yards.

Now, Mevis will rejoin the NFL hoping to enjoy the same level of success as two other recent UFL kicker graduates: Brandon Aubrey, who was a 2023 All-Pro first teamer as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys, and Jake Bates, who made 26 of 29 field goals during his rookie season with the Detroit Lions.

The Jets will hope Mevis can provide stability at kicker after the team used five different players at the position in 2024. They combined to make just 20 of 28 field goals (71.4%), with primary starter Greg Zuerlein’s woes being a big part of the problem (he went 9 of 15 on his attempts in eight games).

Mevis will be one of three kickers on New York’s roster. Anders Carlson – who went 8 of 10 on field goals last season – is the lone holdover while Caden Davis signed with the team as a free agent after going undrafted out of Ole Miss.

The 2025 WNBA season may have started only one month ago, but the games are more meaningful than ever as the league’s annual in-season Commissioner’s Cup final matchup will be set on Tuesday.

The Indiana Fever are in prime position to advance to the Commissioner’s Cup final for the first time in franchise history following the return of superstar Caitlin Clark, who missed five consecutive games with a quad injury. Clark recorded 32 points and nine assists in the Fever’s 102-88 win over the New York Liberty on Saturday, a victory that could play a pivotal role in determining who plays for the Commissioner’s Cup championship.

The team atop the Commissioner’s Cup standings from each conference will advance to play in the title game on Tuesday, July 1. The standings for the Commissioner’s Cup will be locked in after Tuesday’s slate of games.

The Minnesota Lynx are the reigning champions after defeating the Liberty 94–89 in New York in the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup title game. The Lynx are one win away from returning to the championship game, but the road to the final isn’t as straight forward for every other team, including the Liberty.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup, including the current standings, clinching scenarios and past champions:

How does Commissioner’s Cup work?

The WNBA’s annual in-season tournament, known as the Commissioner’s Cup, is a competition that features 36-games from June 1-17 with a $500,000 prize pool up for grabs. The rules are simple: Each team goes head-to-head against each team in their conference over the course of a two-week span. The team from each conference with the best record will advance to the Commissioner’s Cup final on July 1, which will be hosted by the team with the overall best winning percentage among all Cup games. Coinbase, the official sponsor of the Commissioner’s Cup, chipped in an extra $120,000 in cryptocurrency to the prize pool to sweeten the pot.

Commissioner’s Cup clinching scenarios

Let’s take a look at the different clinching scenarios, starting with the Eastern Conference:

If the Atlanta Dream defeats the New York Liberty on the road, the Dream will represent the Eastern Conference in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
If the Dream losses to the Liberty and the Indiana Fever defeat the Connecticut Sun, the Fever and Liberty would be tied 4-1 in the Commissioner’s Cup standings. The Fever, however, have the tiebreaker following Indiana’s June 14 win over New York in Caitlin Clark’s return from injury, meaning the Fever would advance to the final.
If the Liberty defeat the Dream AND the Sun beat the Fever, the Liberty will advance to the Commissioner’s Cup final for the second consecutive year.

Here’s the clinching scenarios in the Western Conference:

If the Minnesota Lynx defeat the Las Vegas Aces, then Minnesota will represent the Western Conference in the Commissioner’s Cup final for the second consecutive year.
If the Lynx lose, but the Seattle Storm also lose to the Los Angeles Sparks, the Lynx will advance to the Commissioner’s Cup final.
If the Storm defeats the Sparks AND the Lynx lose to the Aces, then Seattle will move on to the Commissioner’s Cup final.

Commissioner’s Cup standings

Here’s the Commissioner’s Cup standings heading into Tuesday’s matchups, including each team’s record point differential in Commissioner’s Cup games, which could serve as a tiebreaker if needed:

Eastern Conference

1. Atlanta Dream (3-1)
2. Indiana Fever (3-1)
3. New York Liberty (3-1)
4. Washington Mystics (1-3)
5. Chicago Sky (1-3)
6. Connecticut Sun (1-3)

Western Conference

1. Minnesota Lynx (4-1)
2. Phoenix Mercury (4-2)
3. Golden State Valkyries (3-2)
4. Seattle Storm (3-2)
5. Los Angeles Sparks (2-3)
6. Las Vegas Aces (2-3)
7. Dallas Wings (0-5)

WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions, by year

Here’s every team that has won the WNBA’s in-season tournament since it began in 2021:

2024: Minnesota Lynx def. New York Liberty
2023: New York Liberty def. Las Vegas Acers
2022: Las Vegas Aces def. Chicago Sky
2021: Seattle Storm def. Connecticut Sun

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On the opening night of the 2025 College World Series on June 13, Oregon State squandered a multi-run lead in the top of the ninth inning against Louisville only to immediately turn around and get a walk-off win.

Four days later, the Cardinals returned the favor.

After giving up a three-run advantage in the top of the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, Louisville showed it had one final punch left it in, loading the bases and getting an RBI sacrifice fly to deep center field from Eddie King Jr. to earn a 7-6 victory against No. 8 Oregon State in an elimination game on June 17.

With the win, the Cardinals will advance to the semifinals of the CWS, where they’ll need to beat Coastal Carolina twice in order to advance to the championship series. With its second loss in the past three days, the Beavers were bounced from the double-elimination tournament, ending any hopes of picking up the program’s fourth national title.

King’s sac fly was his third RBI of the day. The teams combined for four home runs, with Zion Rose and Jake Munroe clearing the fence for Louisville, while Aiva Arquette and Jacob Krieg did the same for Oregon State. Arquette’s homer, a solo shot in the ninth inning, was his 19th of the season and traveled 418 feet, making it the longest home run at the CWS this year.

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores and highlights from the Louisville-Oregon State CWS elimination game. Scroll below for the full recap:

Louisville vs Oregon State baseball live score

Louisville vs Oregon State highlights

Final: Louisville 7, Oregon State 6

Eddie King Jr. sac fly gives Louisville walk-off win

After giving up a 3-run lead in the ninth inning, Louisville rebounds quickly, getting the bases loaded and Eddie King Jr. hitting a deep drive to center field, bringing in Alex Alicea from third base for the winning run.

The season’s over for No. 8 Oregon State, which drops its second game of the double-elimination tournament. Louisville will move on to face off against Coastal Carolina on June 18. The Cardinals will need to beat the Chanticleers twice to make it to the College World Series championship series.

Oregon State makes pitching change

Oregon State now finds itself up against a wall, with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Given the circumstances, Beavers coach Mitch Canham isn’t taking any chances, pulling reliever Kellan Oakes and replacing him with Zach Edwards.

Louisville gets out of jam

A nightmarish ninth inning very nearly got worse for Louisville, which had surrendered a 6-3 lead and had runners on second and third with no outs and the game tied. Pitcher Tucker Biven is able to get things under control, though, striking out back-to-back Oregon State batters and forcing a pop-out to first to end the threat.

The Cardinals will have a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth with the game tied 6-6.

Oregon State ties it up off Louisville error

With the bases loaded and no outs, Louisville appeared to be in position to get a double play on a soft grounder, but shortstop Alex Alicea isn’t able to corral the ball in a tough spot, with an Oregon State runner crossing paths with the ball. The ball slips past Alicea and into the outfield, bringing two runners home to tie the game.

The Beavers have runners on second and third with no outs.

Louisville makes pitching change

With their lead down to two, the Cardinals aren’t taking any chances in trying to ice the win, bringing in reliever Tucker Biven to replace Wyatt Danilowicz with no outs in the top of the ninth inning.

Aiva Arquette bomb cuts into Louisville lead

Oregon State’s last chance at avoiding elimination is off to a good start. Leading off the ninth inning, Beavers star Aiva Arquette rips a shot to left center field that travels 418 feet, making it the longest homer of the 2025 College World Series.

Oregon State is now within two runs, trailing 6-4.

End of eighth inning: Louisville 6, Oregon State 3

Oregon State makes pitching change

After a four-pitch walk, Eric Segura is pulled from the game for Oregon State and will be replaced by Kellan Oakes. Louisville has men on first and second with one out.

End of seventh inning: Louisville 6, Oregon State 3

Oregon State ends inning with double play

Kellan Oakes quickly gets out of what could have become a jam for his team, getting Kamau Neighbors to ground into a double play to end the inning.

The Beavers are down to their final three outs to keep their season alive.

Eddie King Jr. drives in run on sacrifice fly

Eddie King Jr. drives in a run with sac fly to center field to extend the Louisville lead to 6-3 entering the eighth inning. The inning ends after Jake Munroe is caught in a rundown between first and second.

Eric Segura takes over for AJ Hutcheson for Beavers in seventh inning

AJ Hutcheson is done for day, Eric Segura is coming on to replace him in the seventh inning with a runner on and one out.

Jack Brown on mound for Louisville

Righty freshman Jack Brown has taken the mound for Louisville in the top of the seventh inning. Brown has a 6.64 ERA in 40 2/3 innings this season.

End of sixth inning: Louisville 5, Oregon State 3

Kamau Neighbors drives in another Louisville run

Kamau Neighbors drives in Garret Pike on an RBI single to push the Louisville lead back to two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pike had a two-out double to set up the scoring opportunity.

Oregon State adds run on fielder’s choice

Oregon State loads the bases with zero outs, but Justin West works out of the jam, giving up only one run. The run scores on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Canon Reeder. West strikes pinch hitter Carson McEntire struck out swinging on a high fastball and then gets Trent Caraway to fly out to right field for the third out.

Oregon State loads bases with zero outs

Oregon State has the bases loaded with zero outs in the top of the sixth inning. Carson McEntire is pinch-hitting for the Beavers.

End of fourth inning: Louisville 4, Oregon State 2

Zion Rose hits solo home run to extend Louisville lead

That’s three straight half innings with a home run. Zion Rose greets AJ Hutchenson with a solo home run to left field to make it a 4-2 Louisville lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. That’s Rose’s 13th home run of the season.

AJ Hutcheson on mound in relief of Nelson Keljo

Righty reliever AJ Hutchenson is now on the mound in relief of Nelson Keljo. Keljo allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Justin West takes over for Brennyn Cutts on mound

Following Jacob Krieg’s two-run home run, Louisville coach Dan McDonnell will turn to his bullpen. Lefty Justin West will take over on the mound for Brennyn Cutts.

Cutts struck out seven in three innings of work, but allowed four walks and the home run.

Jacob Krieg hits no-doubt two-run home run for Oregon State

Jacob Krieg gets two back for Oregon State with a two-run home run to left field. Krieg took a 2-1 fastball and turned on it for the home run.

End of third inning: Louisville 3, Oregon State 0

Jake Munroe hits two-run home run to add to Louisville lead

Jake Munroe takes a first-pitch fastball from Nelson Keljo and hits it out over the left field wall for a two-run home run. It’s 3-0 Louisville.

Eddie King Jr. takes the next pitch and lines it for a ground-rule double.

End of second inning: Louisville 1, Oregon State 0

Aiva Arquette makes web gem play

Nelson Keljo bounces back from a long first inning with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second. He is aided by a web gem of a play by shortstop Aiva Arquette and a diving catch by centerfielder Lucas Moore.

Brennyn Cutts works out of jam to keep Oregon State scoreless

Brennyn Cutts walks the first two hitters of the inning, but then picks up a pair of strikeouts and a groundball out to work out of the jam. Cutt has already struck out five through two innings.

End of first inning: Louisville 1, Oregon State 0

Eddie King Jr. gives Louisville 1-0 lead

Eddie King Jr. lines a shot over Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette to score Alex Alicea from third base to give Louisville a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The ball was 111 mph off the bat.

Brennyn Cutts strikes out three in a row after leadoff single

Trent Caraway got a leadoff single off Brennyn Cutts, but he bounced back by striking out Aiva Arquette, Gavin Turley and Wilson Weber back-to-back-to-back to get out of the inning unschated.

Caraway did steal second base in the inning.

Trent Caraway leads off game with single for Oregon State

Trent Caraway gets the CWS elimination game between Oregon State and Louisville going with a leadoff single.

Pregame

Nelson Keljo on mound for Oregon State vs. Louisville

Nelson Keljo is Oregon State’s starter for today’s elimination game against Louisville. Keljo has a 3-2 record with a 3.74 ERA this season. He has struck out 60 hitters and walked 32 in 55 1/3 innings this season.

Brennyn Cutts starting for Louisville vs Oregon State

Brennyn Cutts will earn the start for Louisville for today’s elimination game against Oregon State. Cutts has a 3-1 record with a 4.89 ERA this season. He has 39 strikeouts and 15 walks in 35 innings pitched.

Louisville baseball lineup vs Oregon State

Here’s a look at the Louisville starting lineup vs. Oregon in today’s CWS elimination game:

Oregon State baseball lineup vs Louisville

Here’s a look at the OSU starting lineup vs. Louisville in today’s CWS elimination game:

What time does Louisville vs Oregon State baseball start?

Date: Tuesday, June 17
Time: 2:43 p.m. ET
Where: Charles Schwab Field Omaha (Omaha, Neb.)

Louisville and Oregon State are scheduled for a 2:43 p.m. ET first pitch at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, in a CWS elimination game. First pitch was delayed nearly 45 minutes due to the conclusion of LSU vs UCLA after a postponement from June 16.

What TV channel is Louisville vs Oregon State baseball on today?

TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

The CWS elimination game between Louisville and Oregon State will air on ESPN. Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Ben McDonald (analyst) and Chris Burke (analyst) and Dani Wexelman (sideline reporter) will be on the call.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a TV login), ESPN+ – ESPN’s subscription streaming service – and Fubo, the last of which carries ESPN and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Louisville vs Oregon State baseball predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Monday, June 16

Spread: 
Over/under: 
Moneyline: Oregon State (-210) | Murray State (+160)

College World Series schedule

The College World Series began on June 13 and will run through June 22 or 23, depending on whether the championship series requires two or three games. Here is a more detailed look at the latest college baseball schedule and NCAA Tournament bracket update.

College World Series: June 13-22/23
CWS finals: June 21-22/23

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL — There’s a possibility Real Madrid will begin the FIFA Club World Cup without its biggest star.

French World Cup champion Kylian Mbappé — undoubtedly the biggest name in the Club World Cup field outside of Lionel Messi — did not practice with his teammates Tuesday because of a fever.

The club will decide Wednesday morning whether he will play against Saudi Arabian standouts Al Hilal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.

“We’ll see how he evolves. We’re going to be waiting for him until the last minute. We’ll make a decision to him [Wednesday] morning,” new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said.

It might not be the ideal start to Alonso’s tenure, but the former Real Madrid standout hopes his players can find the desire to play and fight for their jersey just like he did.

Real Madrid begins the Club World Cup in transition. The club saw rival Barcelona win the Spanish treble — La Liga, the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey — last season. Real Madrid was also ousted by English side Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, failing to defend their title won last year.

The Club World Cup offers Real Madrid — the most popular soccer team in the world and favorites to win the new FIFA tournament — a chance to secure some hardware amid a trying year.

But the incorporation of Alonso, his new assistant coaches and several new players before the departure of others will be a challenge.

“We have to prove it. We’re here with that intention. We’re not stuck on July 13,” Alonso said when asked about Real Madrid’s being the favorites to win the Club World Cup final. “We know we have to take the necessary steps. We know this is a great starting point, and things will evolve.”

If Mbappe is unable to play against Al Hilal, Real Madrid will rely on a slew of other stars such as Brazilian standouts Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, English star Jude Bellingham, and Croatian 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modrić. But even they have new roles to play in the next phase of the club.

Vini Jr. told Real Madrid’s team website: “We’re eager to win this first World Cup because people never forget the first one, and it’s the only title Madrid doesn’t have. We’re going for it.”

Vini Jr. has scored 21 goals in 52 matches for Real Madrid in the last year, but has been criticized for subpar performances.

“I didn’t know Vincius. I saw a lot of him. And everything I saw and heard — within 10 seconds, I recognized it all,” Alonso said of the Brazilian star. “His personality, the way he communicates with people. He’s a very passionate, and very emotional player. And we need to support him. I love these type of players.”

Bellingham went from scoring 23 goals in 2023-24 to just 14 goals in the last year, as his positioning in Real Madrid’s midfield has been under question.

“He’s a very dynamic player … He needs to be in the right positions because that will help him, and it will help us, because his skills are unbelievable,” Alonso said of Bellingham.

Rodrygo, 23, is a talented winger but prefers to play on the left side occupied by Vini Jr. He also fell out of favor last season under previous coach Carlo Ancelotti despite personal issues.

“I know that the last few matches were not easy for him,” Alonso said of Rodygo. “He’s very eager to play, to contribute on the pitch, and mainly, to enjoy with his talent everything he can give. We spoke about this and now we need to put it into practice.”

Modric — the only player not named Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win Ballon d’Or from 2008-21 — will be depart Real Madrid after a 13-year stint following the Club World Cup.

“We really want to enjoy the next 3-4 weeks we’re going to be here,” Alonso said of his former teammate Modric. “He’s a long-standing legend, and his legacy will remain in the history of Real Madrid. And we want to just make the most of it.”

Real Madrid newcomers center back Dean Huijsen (Spain) and right back Trent Alexander-Arnold (England) practiced Tuesday, and expected to make their club debuts Wednesday.

“They are top, top players, and they have an instant impact,” the new coach said.

Alonso is striving to renew Real Madrid’s commitment with hopes to find the ideal balance between defense and attacking so the club can raise trophies again.

Their first test is also against a club in transition: Al Hilal hired Simone Inzaghi after he led Inter Milan to the Champions League final where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain.

Al Hilal has won the most Saudi Pro League titles with 19, but finished second last season.

Brazilian standout Malcom and longtime captain Salem Al-Dawsari are their best players, while Serbian Aleksandar Mitrović is also well-known. Neymar left the club earlier this year after injuries limited him to seven matches in 17 months.

Real Madrid will also face CF Pachuca (Mexico) on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and FC Salzburg (Austria) on June 26 in Philadelphia in Group H of the Club World Cup.

They’ll be a work in progress during this tournament. But the expectation is always clear.

“Real Madrid wants to win everything – so we want to win this, too,” Huijsen said.

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But there are still some talented players left on the open market, including two-time second-team All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Alexander and the Green Bay Packers parted ways this offseason after failing to find a suitable trade partner or contract restructuring for the 28-year-old cornerback.

One of his former college teammates is already pushing for their team to bring him in.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback and fellow Louisville Cardinals alum Lamar Jackson made his pitch before accepting the Pro Football Writers of America MVP award at minicamp on June 17.

‘Go get him, Eric,’ Jackson said, referring to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. ‘I love all of our corners, don’t get me wrong. But go get him Eric.’

The two played together for three years at Louisville. Alexander was a second-team all-conference cornerback in 2016 when Jackson won the Heisman Trophy.

They both declared early to enter for the 2018 NFL Draft. Alexander went 18th overall to the Packers before Jackson went 32nd to the Ravens.

In one of the best moments from Round 1 of the draft that year, Alexander stopped mid-interview to celebrate the Ravens drafting Jackson.

As one of the top contenders in the AFC, Baltimore could always use depth in the secondary. They’ve built a reputation for signing veteran cornerbacks in recent seasons, too, with Tre’Davious White in 2024 and Ronald Darby in 2023.

Alexander would be a younger player than either White or Darby were at their time of signing. Availability is a concern, though, as he played just 14 of 34 possible games over the last two seasons following his most recent Pro Bowl season in 2022.

Can the Ravens sign Jaire Alexander?

Baltimore is entering its second season under defensive coordinator Zach Orr and the team invested in cornerback in both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Chidobe Awuzie signed a one-year deal, and Baltimore drafted Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam in the sixth round.

Awuzie is slated to start outside opposite 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins with Marlon Humphrey in the slot.

Baltimore currently has $18.94 million in cap space in 2025, per OverTheCap, which is more than enough to sign Alexander to a short-term veteran contract.

Ravens CB depth chart

Alexander would be joining a crowded cornerback room in Baltimore. Here’s all of the players the Ravens have signed at the position on their active roster:

Nate Wiggins
Chidobe Awuzie
Marlon Humphrey
T.J. Tampa
Bilhal Kone
Robert Longerbeam
Jalyn Armour-Davis
Marquise Robinson
Reuben Lowery
Keyon Martin

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LOS ANGELES — One of the biggest knocks Los Angeles Dodgers fans get is how relatively empty Dodger Stadium looks at first pitch. It makes sense, as dealing with rush hour traffic in L.A. just to get up Chavez Ravine is not for the faint of heart. 

But on the evening of Monday, June 16, not even bumper-to-bumper traffic was going to stop the majority of the crowd from being in their seats at 7:10 p.m. local time. It was an occasion they’d been waiting on for more than 18 months:

Before the national anthem was played, the stadium was filled and the crowd was roaring as Ohtani emerged from the dugout and walked to the bullpen to warm-up for his first start of the season. As he got loose, crowds flooded the left field area just to get a peak of what they’d been eagerly anticipating. From the section that shares a wall with the pen to the top of the reserve level, fans hugged the railing like they’re trying to get a high five from a WWE star.

All the focus was on how Ohtani would do on the mound. By the end of night, it was the bat that reminded everyone what makes him a unicorn of a baseball player, and the possibilities in 2025.

After one inning of work on the mound, Ohtani had two hits and two RBIs as the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres, 6-3, in what was a major step in the three-time MVP’s full-time return to being a two-way star.

‘Not quite happy with the results overall,’ Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton. ‘But I think the biggest takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to make the next outing.’

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In a span of less than 24 hours, the matchup went from the series opener between division rivals and World Series contenders to all attention on Ohtani as a major league pitcher. It was his first time pitching since August 2023 – when he wore a Los Angeles Angels uniform – and first time since his second Tommy John surgery.

It was a soft introduction back to the mound for the right-hander. But it was a bumpy road.

Ohtani’s first pitch was a 97 mph sinker Fernando Tatis Jr. fouled off. But he gave up a bloop single to the leadoff hitter and Luis Arraez hit a rocket in the gap to put runners on the corners with no outs, with the chance to massively spoil Ohtani’s night.

On the following at-bat, Manny Machado swung out of the zone on a sweeper, resulting in a sacrifice fly to score a run for San Diego. Then two consecutive groundouts got Ohtani out of the inning and limited the damage.

He threw 28 pitches – 16 for strikes – and despite a 9.00 ERA, it was a positive outing for the team.

‘I thought it was great,’ said manager Dave Roberts. ‘Obviously gave up a run, but I thought the stuff was really good.’

It’s now the norm for it to be a playoff atmosphere when the Padres and Dodgers meet, but you’d think a trip to the World Series was on the line with the intensity and electricity in the air in the first inning. And Ohtani certainly felt it.

In his rehab work, Ohtani was throwing around the 95-96 mph range. In his first game, his fastball averaged 99.1 mph, and he reached 100 mph. The sinker hovered around 97 mph with 18 of his pitches at least 95 mph, and 14 above 98 mph.

‘I was aiming to sit 95-96 (mph), but the game intensity really allowed me to throw a little harder,’ Ohtani said.

Roberts didn’t expect to see triple digits on the radar gun, but he understood the adrenaline allowed Ohtani to turn it up a notch. Still, Roberts hopes he can turn it down a bit so he doesn’t overexert himself and undo all the progress.

Everyone in the dugout marveled at Ohtani coming off from throwing 28 pitches and going straight to putting on his batting gear, not even stopping for a drink of water. Third baseman Max Muncy admitted it hit differently to see it happen because ‘that’s really hard to do.’

Ohtani struck out in his first at-bat, but he delivered in the batter’s box not long after. He hit an RBI double in the bottom of the third through the left-center field gap to get back the run he gave up, and one inning later, his RBI single extended the lead for Los Angeles.

He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a walk and two strikeouts, and Roberts felt good about it, indicating he could still produce at the plate on start days. Granted it was after he pitched one inning and hyped on adrenaline, but it ‘didn’t certainly affect the offensive performance,’ Roberts said. 

Shohei Ohtani’s pitching plan

Now with his first outing complete, Ohtani and Roberts both said the current plan is for him to pitch once a week. It’s expected he will continue to start games every six to eight days, Roberts added, and the workload could go up. The Dodgers skipper wasn’t going to let him throw more than 30 pitches in his debut, but he could go two innings his next time out, likely against the Washington Nationals on June 22. 

Still, no plan is set in stone. General manager Brandon Gomes said prior the contest that conversations are happening every day to feel out what is the next step. Ohtani noted since his velocity was higher than normal, he’ll have to see how he feels when he wakes up before nailing down his next start.

‘I want to see first where my body feels and how it reacts,’ he said. ‘But the expectation is for me to go once a week, hopefully to be able to go a little longer every time I’m out there.’

It was only a glimpse, but it was enough for the Dodgers to feel good about where Ohtani is progressing, considering how his debut came together so quickly. Roberts admitted he was ‘fanboying’ seeing it finally happen. 

With more encouraging nights like this, Ohtani could be headed back to being dominant at the plate and on the mound, a recipe the organization anticipates can lead to another title.

‘Overall, just a really positive day for us,’ Roberts said. ‘We’re just kind of excited that we finally got that first one under our belt.’

(This story was updated to change a video.)