The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the middle of several trade rumors as the deadline approaches.

Any trades involving players on the 40-man roster must be completed by 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31. MLB teams can still place or claim players off waivers, but trades will no longer be allowed.

The Dodgers always have high expectations and this year have a championship to defend, adding to the likelihood the team makes a move before the deadline.

The bullpen should be addressed. It’s one of the team’s biggest needs at the moment, considering the number of pitchers on the injury report.

Who could the Dodgers bring in at the trade deadline?

With a glaring need to add depth in the bullpen again, the Dodgers will likely be buyers.

USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale provided some options to consider. Among them: Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins and Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians.

Duran has been a solid reliever this season with a 1.62 ERA. Clase has once again been one of the better relief pitchers this season and if the right offer comes along, Cleveland might be willing to part ways with him.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan believes Cade Smith of the Guardians could be a good fit for the Dodgers’ needs.

Passan writes: “The 26-year-old right-hander’s 3.21 ERA is misleading; he has struck out 63 in 42 innings and given up only two home runs. He is a throwback, hurling almost 70% fastballs and not just getting away with it but thriving because of it. And with the L.A. bullpen full of unknowns, he is the (type of player) manager Dave Roberts can deploy at any point in the game with great efficacy. Bonus: He comes with an additional four years of club control.”

Who could the Dodgers move at the trade deadline?

The Dodgers could move on from pitcher Dustin May, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

May could be moved in an attempt to address other areas of need, but he is expected to become an unrestricted free agent, which could impact how he is viewed on the market. He allowed seven runs in 4⅔ innings pitched during his last start on July 11, an 8-7 loss to the San Francisco Giants. He’s started 17 of the 18 games he’s played in and has a 6-6 record this season. He’s allowed 56 runs and 92 hits while striking out 92 in 99 innings pitched.

If he isn’t moved, May could be used as a reliever to finish out the season. His last outing came in relief of Shohei Ohtani, pitching 4⅔ scoreless innings. It was his first relief appearance since 2020.

The Boston Red Sox could have interest in catcher Dalton Rushing, according to Sean McAdam of MassLive.

Boston could include shortstop Franklin Arias and left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke in a potential deal. Arias, a 19-year-old Venezuelan, is currently listed as the Red Sox’s top prospect. Clarke is ranked as the fourth-best prospect in Boston’s system.

 Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton’s renaissance season has been cut short.

The Valkyries announced that Thornton successfully underwent surgery on Friday, July 25 after suffering a right knee injury in practice, effectively ending Thornton’s career-best campaign and dealing a devastating blow to the Valkyries’ hopes of becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season in nearly three decades.

The news comes nearly a week after Thornton participated in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, where she recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one steal off the bench for Team Caitlin Clark. It marked the 10-year veteran’s first All-Star nod of her career, and she’s the first player to be named an All-Star as a member of a first-year team since Candice Dupree for the Chicago Sky in 2006.

The UTEP alumna played for the Washington Mystics (2015) and Dallas Wings (2017-22) before winning a Commissioner’s Cup and WNBA championship with the New York Liberty in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Thornton was a role player on the Liberty in 2024, averaging 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes of play per game on the championship roster. But that all changed when Thornton was drafted in the expansion draft by Golden State in December.

Thornton quickly became the No. 1 option on the Valkyries, playing a team-high 30.1 minutes per game. Although expectations are typically low for expansion teams early on — the Atlanta Dream went 4-30 in their inaugural season in 2008, while the Chicago Sky went 5-29 in 2006 — the Valkyries jumped to an unprecedented 10-9 start and are the third expansion team in WNBA history to pick up its 10th victory in 20 games or less.

Thornton led the Valkyries in scoring through 22 games (all starts) and averaged a career-high 14 points per game, besting her previous high of 10.4 points per game in 2019 by nearly four points. She also set career-highs in rebounds (7) and steals (1.3), leading the team in both categories.

‘It goes beyond basketball. She’s a tremendous person. She’s someone that you wanna be around all the time,’ teammate Kate Martin said after Thornton dropped a career-high 29 points in a win over the Chicago Sky on June 27. ‘She’s a great leader in the locker room and a great friend, so it’s really fun whenever she’s all of that, but also a phenomenal basketball player.

‘You can learn a lot from KT And how she plays and I’m just really glad she’s getting all the success she’s getting. She deserves it and I’m thankful that I’m her teammate.’

How Thornton’s injury affects Valkyries playoff chances

The Valkyries have fallen on hard times and dropped five of their last six games heading into the All-Star weekend. Thornton’s season-ending injury marks a significant loss, and it’s only going to get tougher.

Golden State opens the second half of the season with a matchup against the Dallas Wings at home on Friday, July 25, before going on a five-game road trip to face Connecticut (July 27), Atlanta (July 29), Washington (July 31), Chicago (Aug. 1) and Las Vegas (Aug. 3).

The Valkyries (10-12) are currently ninth in the standings and would miss the playoffs if the postseason started today. Golden State is looking to become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season since the Detroit Shock in 1998.

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SmackDown will be a night of remembrance in WWE.

The July 25 edition of WWE’s weekly show will be the first one to take place since the death of Hulk Hogan, arguably the biggest star in company history. WWE typically holds tributes during shows after former stars have died, but given Hogan’s status and impact on the industry, it’s likely to be a big night of remembrance for the creator of ‘Hulkamania’ with plenty of emotional moments.

What will also be something to watch is the reactions to the Hogan tributes, given his polarizing status and the controversy that followed him. USA TODAY Sports will provide the highlights and more from SmackDown:

Watch: Hulk Hogan tribute video

A tribute video narrated by Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque encapsulates Hogan’s career, from the beginning to his top moments in the ring — from WrestleMania main event matches to the New World Order to ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan. It also touches on his career outside of the ring, from movies to becoming a worldwide celebrity.

Ten-bell salute for Hulk Hogan

WWE does an honorary ten-bell salute as people in the crowd hold up signs for Hogan. Jimmy Hart was seen wiping tears away.

WWE roster pays tribute to Hulk Hogan

The SmackDown roster joins WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque on stage for a tribute. Other WWE icons like Jimmy Hart and Sgt. Slaughter are in the crowd. Levesque also speaks.

‘He captivated millions of people and inspired them around the globe,’ Levesque said. ‘We would not be standing here right now − all of us together − if it was not for him.’

Randy Orton and Jelly Roll face off with Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre

Cleveland-native Paul entices the crowd to make fun of Jelly Roll, who then emerges and trades words with Paul. McIntyre comes out for backup and Orton appears before a fight breaks out.

After taking some shots, Jelly Roll impresses with some jabs and a slam to Paul.

Alexa Bliss vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez def. Bliss.

Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green

Cargill def. Green.

The Secret Hervice attacks Cargill after the match but Tiffany Stratton comes to Cargill’s aid.

When is WWE Friday Night SmackDown?

WWE SmackDown takes place on Friday, July 25 at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch WWE Friday Night SmackDown

SmackDown airs on USA Network. It can be streamed via Fubo.

How long is WWE SmackDown?

SmackDown is a two-hour event.

WWE to pay tribute to Hulk Hogan

WWE said it will remember the legacy of Hogan on SmackDown. It has not been announced what tributes will be made.

When did Hulk Hogan die?

Hogan died on July 24 at the age of 71.

Hulk Hogan cause of death

Hogan died after suffering cardiac arrest. The Clearwater (Florida) Police Department said fire and police personnel responded to a medical call on July 24 at 9:51 a.m. ET in Clearwater Beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida, near Tampa.

Authorities said ‘the nature of the call was for a cardiac arrest’ and Hogan was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m. ET.

WWE SmackDown match card, schedule

WWE pays tribute to Hulk Hogan
Cody Rhodes addresses street fight against John Cena at SummerSlam
Randy Orton and Jelly Roll face off with Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre
WWE Tag Team Championship match: The Wyatt Sicks (c) vs. Andrade and Rey Fenix
Alexa Bliss vs. Roxanne Perez

WWE stars, icons remember Hulk Hogan

Several major WWE stars past and present have given tributes to Hogan since his death, including company founder Vince McMahon, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Ric Flair.

Jimmy Hart, Jerry Lawler react to Hulk Hogan death

Two people who were close to Hogan — Jimmy Hart and Jerry Lawler — spoke to USA TODAY Sports after Hogan’s death, and were emotional trying to process the news.

‘It’s just a sad situation,’ Lawler said.

– Read more here.

It’s been quite the offseason and introduction to the NFL for the rookie quarterback. He experienced one of the more shocking draft falls in recent memory, dropping all the way to the fifth round after being considered a first-round prospect by analysts.

Since being picked by the Cleveland Browns, Sanders has done just about everything right – until he picked up a pair of speeding tickets in June.

The rookie addressed those incidents at training camp on Friday, saying he learned his lesson.

‘Yeah, I definitely learned not to drive fast at all,’ Sanders said, via the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. ‘So I really don’t even drive that much anymore. But I really don’t drive fast at all. So I definitely follow the rules and I hope everybody learned from my situation, you know that not drive fast at all.’

The first citation came on June 5 in Brunswick, Ohio, when Sanders was ticketed for driving 91 mph in a 65 mph speed limit zone. The second was for driving 101 mph in a 60 mph speed limit zone on June 17 in Strongsville, Ohio.

He later paid both tickets, settling the cases.

It’s not the first time Sanders discussed the speeding tickets, but it may have been the more stern of his admission. In June, at David Njoku’s celebrity softball game, Sanders gave a brief assessment of the tickets.

“I’ve made some wrong choices,” Sanders said with a laugh. “I gotta own up to them. … I learn from them.”

Fair or not, the tickets may have highlighted issues that some team executives had with selecting the quarterback. A league decision-maker told USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell in May that Sanders’ flashy persona and leadership style were a concern.

That takes the attention off things like his decision to work out with high school students during his early days in Cleveland after the draft.

Sanders is no stranger to the spotlight, however. The son of NFL Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders, the quarterback has been living life under a microscope for years. Playing the most important position in sports and doing so in college for his father’s teams at Jackson State and Colorado only magnified everything.

The 23-year-old will look to put the situation behind him now and return everyone’s attention to what he can do on the field.

It might’ve been a costly lesson for Sanders, but it could’ve been much worse.

The sequel features many celebrity cameos, including golfers Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris, John Daly, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka, as well as rapper Bad Bunny and athlete Travis Kelce.
Several scenes pay homage to the original movie, including a batting cage sequence and Will Zalatoris playing Happy’s former caddie who now resents him.
Running gags include John Daly squirting alcohol from a hand sanitizer bottle and Scottie Scheffler getting arrested again.

Spoiler alert! We’re discussing important plot points during ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (streaming now). If you haven’t seen the movie yet and don’t want to know anything about the plot, stop reading now!

The future of ‘regular golf’ is on the line and Happy Gilmore is a down-on-his-luck drunk and father of five who gave up the game years ago after he accidentally killed his wife, Virginia Venit, with a wayward drive off the tee. Shooter McGavin is in an insane asylum and Gilmore is working at a grocery store.

This is the foundation behind the beginning premise of ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ the highly-anticipated made-for-Netflix sequel of Adam Sandler’s classic 1996 golf film that was released by the streaming service on Friday, July 25. Sandler and much of the original cast returned to reprise their roles for a story set almost 30 years later, with plenty of nostalgic moments, people and scenes that call back to the first movie.

But the plot also plays off modern golf themes with a new renegade league promising more fun threatening the existence of ‘The Tour.’ Gilmore ends up having to save the sport, save himself, find enough money to send his daughter to ballet school in Paris and get grandma’s house back (after he lost it again following Virginia’s death). It’s a fun trip down memory lane fueled by sports, with much of the film taking place on golf courses, golf simulators, driving ranges and batting cages, as a bevy of celebrities and athletes appear on screen in various roles or as themselves.

Here’s a look at some of the best sports moments and cameos from ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ (and we’ll try not to spoil too much of the movie if you haven’t seen it yet, but beware):

Scottie Scheffler gets arrested … again

There were loads of recognizable golfers from the past and present in the film (although Tiger Woods is notably not one of them, despite being mentioned). But current world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler provided the most timely comic relief as the script called for a couple references to Scheffler’s infamous arrest at the 2024 PGA Championship.

Happy Gilmore shows Scheffler how to win a hockey fight at one point. Scheffler uses the skills late in the film when he punches an opponent when The Tour is in a showdown with evil, ‘Maxi Golf.’ Scheffler is disqualified and put in handcuffs, at which point he says, ‘Oh, no. Not again.’ Scheffler is later shown in prison, including a hidden scene after the credits. He also blows off an interview featuring goofy questions by Gary Potter, played again by actor and comedian Kevin Nealon.

Jack Nicklaus is a close second in the golf humor department when he orders a ‘half-lemonade, half-iced tea, refusing to call it an ‘Arnold Palmer.’

Will Zalatoris is Happy Gilmore’s former caddie

There are several modern-day twists on what happened in the first ‘Happy Gilmore,’ but the best might be the way the script capitalizes on PGA Tour golfer Will Zalatoris and his striking resemblance to the actor who played Gilmore’s caddie in the original film. For ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ Zalatoris plays himself but he’s also Gilmore’s former caddie and, unbeknownst to Gilmore, he’s now on Tour.

The two end up in the same group at The Tour Championship, with the grudge Zalatoris holds about the way Gilmore used to treat him serving as a catalyst for a fun montage showcasing Gilmore’s return to tournament golf. Gilmore ends up accidentally hitting Zalatoris with a snake, covering him in sand from the bunker and eventually tackles him into a pond just like the old days thinking Zalatoris likes it. Zalatoris, for good measure, is shown choking his own caddie like Gilmore once did to him, with Gilmore offering his approval.

Bad Bunny is Happy Gilmore’s new caddie thanks to evil Travis Kelce

Happy Gilmore’s new caddie winds up being Oscar, a waiter played by Puerto Rican actor and rapper Bad Bunny. Oscar gets unfairly fired by his boss, played by Travis Kelce, during the Tour Champions dinner attended by Gilmore. After Gilmore can’t persuade Kelce’s character he’s being too harsh, Oscar shows up at the first tee as Gilmore’s caddie still dressed in his waiter’s outfit and no clue what to do with Gilmore’s clubs.

Gilmore asks Oscar to go to his ‘happy place’ on the green for him at one point and it leads to a dream sequence in which Bad Bunny’s character lathers honey on Kelce’s character tied to a tree. A bear then approaches to eat Kelce before the camera cuts back to the golf course.

‘Uncle John Daly,’ Happy Gilmore’s drunk neighbor

Happy Gilmore’s daughter Vienna, played by Sunny Sandler, one of Sandler’s real-life children, initially calls John Daly, ‘Uncle John Daly.’ He lives next to Gilmore in the rougher neighborhood he has to move to when he loses all his money. Daly is treated as a quasi-family member in the film. As part of a running gag in the film in which Sandler’s character hides booze in an assortment of props and household items, Daly is frequently seen squirting booze into his mouth from a bottle of hand sanitizer.

But Daly, a recovering alcoholic in real life, also serves as a sounding board and confidant for Gilmore as he contemplates returning to golf, reminding him to, ‘Grip it and rip it.’

Boban goes streaking

Remember Mr. Larson, the large construction foreman who had a nail in his head courtesy of Happy Gilmore, only to become his biggest fan in the gallery? Well, he’s not in the sequel after chasing Shooter McGavin for Gilmore’s gold jacket. But his son, played by 7-foot-4 former NBA center Boban Marjanovic, appears in the film.

Like his father, Drago Larson comes to Gilmore’s aid from the gallery on the golf course when Gilmore falls off the wagon on Mother’s Day. Gilmore avoids arrest because the police have to chase after Boban’s character, who takes off his clothes and goes streaking down the fairway.

Happy Gilmore takes golf’s best to batting cage

The lead up to the film’s final competition (trying not to spoil too much) includes a scene in which Happy Gilmore takes Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Scheffler to the batting cages. This, he tells them, is how he used to get ready for big tournaments and there’s even a flashback to the memorable scene of Gilmore taking baseballs into the chest from the first movie. But DeChambeau proceeds to get hit below the waist and the rest of the world’s best golfers get taken out, too.

The Minnesota Vikings find themselves in somewhat of a transition season and it’s already off to rough start.

On Friday, head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed the star receiver Justin Jefferson suffered a mild hamstring strain that is set to keep him out of practice. The team will reevaluate Jefferson next week, but it’s unclear how long he will be sidelined as a result.

Veterans just reported to Vikings training camp on July 22.

Jefferson has been around the NFL block a few times, so his absence isn’t particularly concerning other than the nature of hamstring injuries – which have a tendency to be pesky.

The real concern, however, is for the chemistry that the team is looking to develop on offense.

J.J. McCarthy, the team’s first-round pick in 2024, missed his entire rookie season thanks to a torn meniscus in his right knee. While Sam Darnold filled in admirably for the 14-3 Vikings, Minnesota made the quarterback switch over the offseason to the former Michigan man.

It will be difficult for McCarthy to get on the same page with Jefferson without those valuable practice reps, but the star receiver is seemingly quarterback-proof.

That will be put to the test if Jefferson is sidelined for a significant length of time.

How long is Justin Jefferson out?

Jefferson will be out for at least a week.

The Vikings will reevaluate him after that and determine if he can be cleared for a return to practice at that time. Given the nature of the injury, the receiver will likely be eased back into action once he is ale to return.

Vikings WR depth chart

Here’s a look at the Vikings’ depth chart at receiver without Jefferson:

Jordan Addison
Jalen Nailor
Rondale Moore
Tai Felton
Tim Jones

Sometimes going to your happy place makes all the difference.

Kelce made an appearance in Adam Sandler-led golf comedy flick ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ as a restaurant manager who is something of a bully to his subordinate Oscar, played by singer and entertainer Bad Bunny.

Kelce is in a pair of scenes in the movie, but the more notable one features Bad Bunny’s character ‘Oscar’ going to his happy place, in which he slathers honey over a half-naked Kelce, who is tied to a post. Kelce is then left to be devoured by a bear in the fantasy sequence.

Earlier, Kelce chest-bumps Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa through a restaurant table.

‘I thought he was tremendous, and could totally be a superstar in acting,’ star Sandler said about Kelce in a recent interview.

The movie also features cameos by some of golf’s biggest stars, past and present, including Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.

As far as Netflix producing another comedy hit? Well, Happy Gilmore accomplished that feat no more than an hour ago.

I kept waiting for a besotted, hoodwinked boyfriend to show up at ACC media days.

All I saw was a football coach.

If you’re like me, you followed the breathless offseason coverage of NFL legend turned North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, his relationship with 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson, and her apparent sway over the veteran coach.

Some even suggested Belichick’s self-described “muse” put him under her spell, like she’s some sort of Svengali who bamboozles her 73-year-old boyfriend.

If you’re like me, you see this situation as a molehill, built into a mountain during the slow news portion of the college football calendar.

When Belichick spoke Thursday at his conference’s media days, he looked and sounded like a college football coach. He spoke to how he spent the offseason “reinforcing the roster.’ North Carolina’s transfer haul that 247Sports ranks as the third-best in the ACC supports this. He explained his excitement for coaching college players, because they’re more receptive to coaching and have formed fewer bad habits than their older NFL counterparts.

Belichick is longer in the tooth than most coaches, but he’s a shade younger than Nick Saban, and, as he spoke to the evolution of the fullback position, he sounded like a man in possession of his wits. Belichick navigated this presser more coherently than a couple of U.S. presidents I’ve observed, anyway.

As for Hudson’s apparent influence over Belichick, I wouldn’t call that a nothing burger. It was strange to see the clout she wielded and roadblocks she erected during that now-infamous interview Belichick gave to CBS, while he attempted to promote his book.

This, though, seems more of a single-patty burger than a gut-busting triple patty, so long as Hudson doesn’t start calling plays or dictating recruiting strategies.

Jordon Hudson influences Bill Belichick’s brand. So what?

Belichick has said Hudson’s place in his life is personal and “doesn’t have anything to do with football.” She’s not employed by the university. She manages activities related to Belichick’s personal brand, and she clearly flexes muscle on his public appearances and messaging.

Belichick is hardly the first coach to acquire an affection for a younger woman, and Hudson, a former cheerleader, is hardly the first WAG to massage her man’s media messaging.

The Athletic obtained and reported on emails Hudson sent to North Carolina’s communications and marketing staff in which she suggested messaging strategies. In those emails, she came off as overbearing, but strategically sound.

I’ve been in plenty of postgame news conferences where a spouse listens intently from the back of the room. I’ve covered a program where the coach’s wife sometimes attended practice.

At North Carolina, wide receiver Jordan Shipp told an ESPN Radio affiliate that Sally Brown, wife of former coach Mack Brown, had an active and visible presence around the program.

Saban occasionally credited his wife, Terry, for her suggestions on his messaging and how he comported himself, and he said she influenced his retirement decision. Terry Saban also helps steer her husband’s kids foundation.

I’m not saying Belichick’s new-to-the-block “muse” will be the next Terry Saban, the ultimate stateswoman of coaches’ spouses.

But, how can we be sure Hudson won’t help Belichick’s public persona?

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin used to date a 20-something former cheerleader. He still raves about how she positively influenced his worldview.

Belichick, with Hudson’s help, botched the CBS appearance, but it’s not as if the man was loquacious while coaching the New England Patriots. At Thursday’s ACC event, Belichick came off calculated and confident and even mildly humorous.

Belichick survived and thrived operating within the unrelenting spotlight of an east-coast NFL media market. Compared to that, navigating college football media should be a cakewalk. Not a single reporter asked Belichick about Hudson or her involvement with how he operates the Tar Heels during his media days news conference. He fielded nothing but softball questions from the gathered press.

Will Bill Belichick succeed at North Carolina? Talent is the key

Here are the brass tacks. Belichick will succeed at North Carolina if he maintains booster buy-in (meaning NIL dollars) and uses that to assemble and develop a roster capable of contending in the ACC.

I don’t care who you’re dating or how often she interrupts your book-tour interview with CBS, college football is a profession of talent assembly. If Belichick attracts more talent than his peers and develops it well, the Tar Heels should fare OK, as long as he’s checked-in mentally. If he fails to do that, he won’t succeed.

Veteran defensive back Will Hardy described sensing a “new spark” and a “new energy” injected into the program upon Belichick’s hire.

That extends to the fan base. UNC announced that all of its home games are sold out.

Belichick and his staff flipped the roster after inheriting a squad that finished 6-7. UNC’s haul of more than 40 transfers includes capable players from schools like Penn State, Florida, Nebraska and Washington. The Tar Heels also acquired Gio Lopez, a top quarterback from the Group of Five ranks. High school recruiting seems to be going well enough.

Many players transferred out, too. That happens whenever a coaching change occurs.

Those who stayed, and the newcomers who arrived, feel like they have “something to prove,” transfer defensive back Thaddeus Dixon said.

I’d imagine that feeling also applies to a coach who won six Super Bowls guiding the Patriots, before his NFL career fizzled after Tom Brady left his side. He returned to coaching with a muse at his side. So what?

SMU showed it’s possible to quickly climb the ACC’s ladder. The Mustangs made the College Football Playoff in their first season as an ACC member.

With the right coach, UNC could become a playoff contender, too.

Is Belichick the right coach? It’s too soon to wager more than a guess, but I wouldn’t bet against it just because his girlfriend inspires him. I didn’t see a hypnotized codger at media days, only a veteran coach who sounded intent on building a winning program.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.