Day: June 9, 2026

Losing a monumental coaching position is brutal, but former USA head coach Gregg Berhalter has a way to keep supporting the team: his son. Berhalter’s son, Sebastian Berhalter, is a midfielder for Team USA in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the former USA coach penned a heartfelt letter to his son, which was released Tuesday. Berhalter wrote in his note to Sebastian: “The World Cup is one of the rare moments when the entire world stops and watches. It’s a beautiful stage, but it’s also a privilege, one that most people will never know. Enjoy every second of it. Take in the anthem. Take in the pressure. Take in the joy of competing alongside your teammates and representing something bigger than yourself. “Moments like this change your life forever. “But no matter what happens on the field, I hope you will always remember this: I am proud of you because of who you are, not because of what you accomplish. You’ve stayed humble through all of it. You’ve stayed grounded. You’ve stayed kind. And you’ve become an incredible young man. “You earned this. I love you.” Berhalter also said that he admires how his son has “never taken anything for granted” and expressed how the two of them “get to share an experience that very few fathers and sons ever will.” Regarding the former USA coach, Berhalter, who played for Team USA, had two stints as the club’s head coach: 2018-22 and 2023-24. His contract expired following the 2022 World Cup, which saw Team USA be eliminated in the Round of 16, with the federation opting to have interim head coaches before bringing back Berhalter in June 2023. With that said, Berhalter was let go after Team USA failed to advance past pool play in 2024 Copa América; former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino was hired as Team USA’s new head coach in Sept. 2024. Berhalter has been the head coach of the Chicago Fire (MLS) since 2024. As for the younger Berhalter, the 25-year-old is in his fifth season with the Vancouver Whitecaps (2022-26) and his seventh season in MLS altogether; he spent his 2020 rookie campaign with the Columbus Crew, who won the MLS Cup Championship in said year, and his second season with Austin FC (2021). This season, Berhalter has registered six goals, four assists and knocked through one penalty kick. The Whitecaps sit atop the Western Conference at 10-2-2; the 2026 MLS season is currently paused due to the World Cup, with the season resuming on July 16. The World Cup march commences for Berhalter and Team USA on Friday night, as it faces Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, which can be viewed at 9 p.m. ET on FOX and streamed on the FOX One app.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

NFL evaluators have never been perfect, especially when it comes to the most important, most over-scouted position in sports. That’s how a quarterback such as Brock Purdy was once the “Mr. Irrelevant” of the 2022 draft, only to earn a $265 million contract just three years later with the San Francisco 49ers. And it’s how Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, was only the 199th pick of the 2000 draft. Still, there’s usually a reason why quarterbacks slip into Day 3 of the draft. And it takes a special combination of overlooked skill and unexpected opportunity for them to rise from that obscurity. So, who among the six quarterbacks selected on Day 3 this year have a chance to do that? Which, if any, can be the next Purdy and turn into a franchise-changing star? We posed that question to several NFL scouts and evaluators. Here’s how they ranked the candidates. Draft slot: Seventh round, 223rd overall Résumé: The Rutgers quarterback (and Minnesota transfer) was a bit of a surprise pick, even as a seventh-rounder. He did start 42 games over his four years at two schools, but his passing numbers were middling (8,604 yards, 55 TDs, 27 interceptions and just a 56.3% completion rate). He also offered little as a runner. The 6-2, 216-pounder did steadily improve and had a solid senior year (62.2%, 3,124 yards, 20 TDs, seven interceptions). He became a better downfield passer too. That was enough to get the “Greek Rifle” on the NFL’s radar. Scouts’ takes: “The improvement was there, but you have to squint to see it. … I think this was the case of an offensive coordinator (David Blough) just falling in love and seeing something he could work with. He just doesn’t do anything good enough to be a starter in this league. At best, he’s a backup. … If you go only by his senior year, I get it. He’s smart and makes a lot of good decisions. I could see him as a game-manager who eventually you can trust for a few games if your starter goes down. Eventually. … He’s definitely a developmental prospect. But his tools are good. Nothing about him is great.” Opportunity: It’s hard to see where he’d fit in Washington, where Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota are the established top two and the scheme is built for a more mobile and athletic quarterback. Kaliakmanis certainly could push Sam Hartman for the No. 3 job, but might need a strong summer to earn a roster spot. Purdy potential: He’s a long shot to even get on the field this season. He might need a few years of development before he’s ready to play at all. Draft slot: Seventh round, 234th overall Résumé: The starter for the past three-plus years at Texas Tech, he put up some good numbers in the Red Raiders’ spread offense. He completed 62.8% of his passes overall and 66% as a senior. He also threw only 28 interceptions to go with his 8,989 yards and 71 touchdown passes. The 6-2, 221-pounder showed his toughness, too, playing through knee, shoulder and leg injuries over the years. Scouts’ takes: “He’s smart and he processes everything really quickly. Maybe too quickly. He’s not as accurate as his numbers suggest, and he may not have a strong enough arm to get it there against NFL defenses. … He’s not athletic. He can’t run at all. He’s a pocket statue. … He’s tough as anybody, but the kid can’t stay healthy. I bet a few teams crossed him off with all the medical issues he’s had. … He (almost) never played under center in college. I need to see him do that before I can tell what he’ll be. … He’s a really good kid and was a great leader in college. He knows how to get the most out of his teammates. They’re going to love having him in the (QB) room. … I could see him work as a backup. If he ever gets in, he can probably game-manage for you. It won’t be spectacular, but he won’t (mess) things up. Guys who don’t (mess) up can play a long time in the league.” Opportunity: Since the Patriots are the defending AFC champs and have Super Bowl aspirations again, it would take a lot for them to put any part of their season in the hands of a seventh-round rookie. Even if Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito got hurt, they’d sign a veteran. So there’s just no clear path to the field for Morton. Purdy potential: He is probably more of a solid backup than a future starter. He’s even a few years away from that, though. Draft slot: Fifth round, 178th overall Résumé: He was a one-year starter at North Dakota State, where he was one of the best and most efficient quarterbacks in the FCS. He completed 71.9% of his passes for 2,719 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. And he ran for 923 yards and 13 touchdowns, too. At 6-2, 232 pounds, his 4.56 speed made him an intriguing prospect, especially because of all that untapped potential. He played running back at times during his career with the Bison, too, adding to his value for NFL teams. Scouts’ takes: “I was looking at him as maybe a tight end before last year. I was surprised by how good he was at quarterback. But I don’t know how much of that was about the (low level of) competition. … That’s the key, right? Can he do it above (the FCS)? His size and arm strength are good. He was pretty accurate on that level. But his mechanics are off and he can be a mess under pressure. He waits too long on his receivers, and his first instinct is to always run. It’ll take time to coach that out of him. … He’s a gimmick guy for now. The Eagles are pretty smart. They’ll find surprising ways to use him. But he’s got a long ways to go to be a quarterback in this league. … I just don’t know what’s there. He didn’t play enough (at QB). The (competition) level was too low. His skills are worth a flier, but it’s a flier.” Opportunity: He’s not beating out Jalen Hurts or backup Tanner McKee any time soon. Veteran Andy Dalton is there, too, and the Eagles wouldn’t dream of handing important reps to a project QB on a team with Super Bowl aspirations. He could have a chance to play in some short-yardage or goal-line situations where he could use his running ability. But his days as a pure QB might be on hold for a bit. Purdy potential: Maybe a few years down the road. But the real issue for him now might be getting enough practice time. His reps as a QB will be limited. And if he’s given a gimmick role, most of his reps might go toward that. His development as a passer might have to wait. Draft slot: Sixth round, 182nd overall Résumé: A four-year starter, first at Boise State, then at Arkansas, the 6-6, 227-pounder was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football. The two-way threat ran for 1,379 yards and 16 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Razorbacks. He also dazzled with his speed, running a 4.36 40 at the Scouting Combine. His passing numbers were less electric, but still strong. He completed more than 60% of his passes, averaging 2,934 yards, 17 TDs and 10 interceptions over those two years. Scouts’ takes: “His size and ability to move is jaw-dropping, and so are some of the plays he made in college. But he’s almost too big for his body when he throws. His mechanics can be awkward at times. … I could see why (Browns coach Todd Monken) would want to work with him. If you can fix his mechanics and turn him into even an average passer, you’ve got something there. But that’s a pretty big ‘if.’ … He got into trouble a lot as a passer. He probably should’ve had a lot more interceptions than he had. And he had a lot. … They need to start from scratch with him as a passer. He takes too long to get the ball out. He’s not accurate. His velocity is really inconsistent. But man, can he move. They’ll keep him on the roster just for that. … He defines the word ‘freak,’ especially at quarterback. If anybody can turn him into a better passer, he’d be scary.” Opportunity: Who knows what the Browns have planned for one of the weirdest QB rooms in the league. Sheduer Sanders returns as the incumbent starter. Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted higher Sanders and started six games last year, is still there, too. And now they’re dusting off Deshaun Watson and giving him a shot to win the job. So Green has at least three hurdles to clear. But given his running ability, multiple scouts suggested he could make the roster and have a role in short-yardage and goal-line situations, at least. Purdy potential: You never know with the Browns, but Green seems to fit more as a situational weapon than anything else. Presumably the Browns will exhaust Watson, Sanders, Gabriel and maybe even another quarterback from the 2027 draft before giving Green a real shot at the job. Draft slot: Seventh round, 249th overall Résumé: As a junior at LSU, he was one of the nation’s best QBs, throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns (albeit with 12 interceptions). But there was a major drop-off during his senior season thanks to a preseason abdominal injury and the struggles of his Tigers team. The 6-2, 203-pounder played just nine games and threw for 1,927 yards with only 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He did complete 67.4% of his passes, though, which was the best percentage of his career. At the NFL Scouting Combine, doctors reportedly found that a cyst on his spine was the cause of his abdominal injury. Scouts’ takes: “I’m still shocked he went so late, even with the (cyst). It was pretty obvious he was hurt last season. But he showed so much the year before. … What scares teams is he’s a ‘gunslinger.’ That can work, but it’s high-risk. He’s also not the most mobile guy, which makes his style even riskier. You’ll get a lot of big plays, but a lot of big mistakes. … He’s got such a good arm. He knows it, too. He thinks he can make every throw. Most of the time he’s right. … He’s worth a shot, but you’re going to need a strong stomach. He’ll reward you, but it’s going to hurt first.” Opportunity: He certainly seems to have landed in the right place. He’ll get plenty of reps this summer while Patrick Mahomes rehabs a torn ACL, especially since Justin Fields is now the Chiefs’ backup. Nussmeier will be taught by Andy Reid, one of the NFL’s best offensive coaches. It’s not crazy to think he can emerge as Mahomes’ primary backup once he’s fully healthy. The Chiefs don’t think their dynasty is over, though, so they won’t let Nussmeier step in as a starter anytime soon. Purdy potential: He’s in the perfect place to develop and iron out his flaws. He also has a chance to get a ton of valuable practice time and preseason action as a rookie. If he can stay healthy and Reid can unlock what he showed two seasons ago, his NFL future could still be bright. It’ll just be brightest someplace else. Draft slot: Fourth round, 110th overall Résumé: A three-year starter at Clemson, who started 40 games overall. The 6-2, 207-pounder had a big junior season (3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions, plus 463 yards and 7 rushing TDs) capped by a big game against Texas in the College Football Playoff (336 yards, three TDs, one interception). That led some to project he’d be one of the top QBs in the 2026 class. But it all fell apart during his senior year, as the Tigers struggled and his production dropped (2,943 yards, 16 TDs, 6 interceptions). Klubnik played through a severe high ankle sprain he suffered in October, and a right wrist injury later in the season. Scouts’ takes: “The tools are all there: the arm, the athletic ability, and he’s really smart. His big flaw is that he can be pressured into bad decisions. That’s a worry for someone with as much experience as he had. … He was just starting to look like himself again when he got hurt last year. He started a little slow, but it was coming along. The injury changed everything. … I never thought he was a can’t-miss prospect. He’s not as cool under pressure as (Fernando) Mendoza. But had he stayed healthy he probably could’ve been a second-rounder. Maybe late first. … On the right team he could be good. Just keep the pressure off him and he’s got the skills to make things happen. But he has to be in a better situation than he’s in right now.” Opportunity: Of all the Day 3 picks, the 22-year-old Klubnik has the clearest path to actual playing time. The Jets signed a stop-gap starter in Geno Smith, a 35-year-old journeyman who has thrown 32 interceptions over the past two seasons. With a good summer, Klubnik could beat out Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook for the No. 2 job. And it’s not inconceivable the Jets could turn to Klubnik late in the season. It would be worth it to see what they have before diving headfirst into the QB-rich 2027 draft. Purdy potential: It’s not crazy to think he’ll play at some point this season, but the overall situation with the Jets isn’t great. They do have a decent offensive line, though, and at least a few weapons. If injuries really were the issue last season, Klubnik could even play well. He’d have to show a lot, though, to convince the Jets to not draft another quarterback in the first round next year.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Think back to this time a year ago. Penn State entered the 2025 season as a top-10 team and a trendy national title pick. By the second week of November, the Nittany Lions were 3-6, their head coach had been fired, and a season filled with promise had unraveled during a six-game losing streak. That’s a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in college football. The teams generating offseason buzz don’t always deliver. Which brings us to 2026, where Penn State now leads the list of teams whose stock is rising heading into the season. FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt revealed his latest “stock up” and “stock down” teams during a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show.” Klatt: Matt Cambell is now the new head coach at Penn State. This program was 7-6 last season, and I think this is clearly trending up. James Franklin had one very specific issue: losing big games. Once they lost that Oregon game, the season spiraled out of control.Campbell is a perfect fit at Penn State. His 10 seasons at Iowa State should tell us one thing: this team is going to be solid. In this era, you’re going to have years when you just hit the schedule lottery, and Penn State is set to face what I would say is a soft Big Ten schedule. They brought in a ton of guys from Iowa State, including QB Rocco Becht, whose 39 career starts are the most among returning quarterbacks in college football, and they have a schedule that really has a floor of nine wins.The toughest games on the schedule are USC at home, Michigan on the road, Washington on the road, and then Minnesota at home the following week. This is a schedule they can do some damage with.They’re certainly going to win more than seven games. There’s no doubt. I think they could be a 10-2 team fighting for a College Football Playoff spot. Klatt: Alabama is going to be a good football team, but I don’t know if that’s going to be enough. The Crimson Tide are losing their most important player in Ty Simpson, who carried them to some of those wins last year. Now you don’t have him. They won 11 games, reached the College Football Playoff and played in the Rose Bowl. They’re not doing that again.Alabama doesn’t have a terribly difficult schedule, at least by SEC standards, but this isn’t going to be as good a team as it was a year ago.I like Kalen DeBoer. I think he’s a wonderful football coach. The one thing he’s struggled with throughout his career is finding a reliable running game to complement what has consistently been an elite passing attack. Last year, Alabama couldn’t run the football. It’s actually shocking to watch Alabama line up and not be able to run the football. They’ve got to fix that, and I don’t know if that’s going to happen. They lost a first-round offensive tackle in Kadyn Proctor. They lost a first-round quarterback. They lost Germie Bernard. Are they going to be great on defense? I think that remains to be seen. This is going to be a young team. They’re going to be inexperienced, particularly at quarterback. In my estimation, experience at the quarterback position is the most important ingredient for any team in the country, and it’s very difficult to have top-end success with an inexperienced quarterback. Klatt: Lane Kiffin is a great coach. He’s done this before. He took Ole Miss, brought in a ton of transfers, rebuilt the culture and had a lot of success. It’s not like he has to reinvent the wheel. This is a program that has won national championships. The expectation at LSU is to compete at the top, and they haven’t been doing that. They went 7-6 and fired their head coach. Now you look at the talent they’ve brought in — including QB Sam Leavitt — and ask yourself: Is this really a seven-win team? The answer is no. Absolutely not. I think this team is going to compete for a College Football Playoff spot. LSU has zero top-10 finishes since winning the national championship in 2019. That’s wild. This is too good of a program to be stuck in that kind of stretch, and I think that’s going to change with Kiffin and all the talent that’s been infused into the roster. Klatt: I love Trinidad Chambliss. I love Kewan Lacy. But Ole Miss went 13-2 and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago. Pete Golding has said himself that he never wanted to be a head coach. Now he’s been thrust into that position because there really wasn’t another move for Ole Miss to make. He did a great job, but the bar is simply too high. The Rebels are going to take a step back. I hope I’m wrong, but remember this: Before Lane Kiffin arrived, Ole Miss had just two 10-win seasons dating back to 1975. Then Kiffin came in and completely changed the trajectory of the program. You can’t just expect that level of success to continue immediately. For decades, this was largely a .500 program. I think they take a step back from a 13-2 season and a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. Klatt: The Bruins were 3-9 a year ago. They fired DeShaun Foster right before that game against Penn State, but it’s the hire they made that has me excited about this program moving forward. Bob Chesney is a really good football coach. UCLA is set to bring back QB Nico Iamaleava, and they’ve added more than 40 incoming transfers. So they’ve got experience at quarterback and a significant infusion of talent across the roster. And Chesney is bringing seven coaches from James Madison with him, including his offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coach. That should sound familiar — it’s exactly what Curt Cignetti did when he left James Madison for Indiana. To me, this feels like Indiana-light. You could see a major jump for UCLA. It’s tough in the Big Ten, but they’ve got experience and talent at the quarterback position and a real coaching staff that can go out there and recruit talent. There’s a lot of energy in Westwood, and they’re recruiting at a high level. Klatt: I believe in the foundation of this program, but Illinois has won 19 games over the last two seasons. That’s real sustained success for a program that didn’t have much of it before Bret Bielema arrived. When you look at their offense, Luke Altmyer was a huge part of their success. Their offensive line was a huge part of it as well. Now they’re replacing four starters up front, they have to replace their top wide receiver in Hank Beatty, and they also lost their defensive coordinator to Notre Dame. Not every program can be great every single year. We see it with Georgia and Ohio State. Maybe we see it with programs like Miami or Oregon. Those teams have the resources to recruit and get talent out of the transfer portal, but at a program like Illinois, I don’t think they have the resources to do that. For Illinois, I think there’s going to be a dip. Then they’ll gain experience, get veterans, fill in the holes, and be very good in a couple of years. You’re going to have these dips before you can have the type of success that they had, especially after a two-year stretch with 19 wins. Klatt: It’s easy to go up from 4-8. Florida has had just one winning season in the last five years. The Gators should be better than that, but they haven’t been. Now Jon Sumrall comes in. He has a 43-12 record as a head coach and has consistently won wherever he’s been. This is a guy who knows how to coach. He’s brought in a lot of talent, and this is a program that should be able to recruit and sustain talent at a high enough level to compete as a strong SEC program. I’m buying Florida. It might not be a playoff push right away, but I’m definitely buying improvement from a 4-8 season a year ago after they fired Billy Napier as their head coach. Klatt: Last year, Vanderbilt set a program record with 10 wins. Now they have to replace the entire engine of that team in Heisman finalist Diego Pavia. I know they brought in some elite-level talent, particularly at quarterback, but it’s inexperienced talent. Pavia had a ton of starts under his belt and was a guy who knew how to play well in big moments. Do we really expect them to all of a sudden win 10 games again? That was a program record. I like Clark Lea, but very similar to Illinois, this is a program that is going to take a step back in order to move forward in the coming years. I’m selling Vanderbilt this year. Klatt: Say what you want about James Franklin and what he did in big games at Penn State, but the truth is, the guy can coach. He raised the level of Penn State, and I believe he’s going to raise the level of Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech had four straight seasons without being ranked at any point. That program should be better than that. Franklin retained Brent Pry, who is now the defensive coordinator. When Pry was the defensive coordinator at Penn State, that was a marriage that really worked. They had one of the better defenses in the conference — and really in the country. So he’s back in a role where I think he can excel. They have 27 incoming transfers, including 12 from Penn State. That’s going to raise the level of talent, and the ACC is not a very difficult conference. This is a team that I think, at some point this season, can be ranked and maybe even make a push toward the ACC championship game. Klatt: I like Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets are coming off a couple of really strong seasons. Haynes King was the engine of that success, similar to Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt. They won nine games last year — their most since 2016 — but now they have to replace King and both coordinators. Losing that kind of continuity and experience is usually the recipe for a step back. Georgia Tech also has 11 games against Power 4 opponents this year, including non-conference games against Tennessee and Georgia. That’s not an easy schedule. This is not a team that’s going to win nine games again. I think they will take a step back this season before building back up in the future.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports