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Layne Riggs hasn’t been shy talking about his hopes for an eventual NASCAR Cup Series ride. It likely won’t happen full-time in 2027, but he hopes that, if he keeps winning truck races, a team will look at him and say he’s ready for Cup. That could very well be his current team, Front Row Motorsports. But like most young drivers, time is of the essence. And that’s because a young driver must strike when they’re hot but also make sure they remain positioned for success no matter the level. “All I can do is impress the right people and from everybody I talk to, all I can do is just keep doing what I’m doing — getting poles and winning races and trying to impress everybody,” Riggs said after winning the pole at North Wilkesboro last month. “That’s all I’ve got to worry about, in a nutshell. If I just keep doing what I’m doing right here, hopefully the right opportunity will come to me.” So which drivers will be the ones who have the best chance to make it in Cup and be a regular Chase contender at NASCAR’s top level? Here is my mid-season prospect list. It is based on performance and it also factors in drivers’ ability to obtain and keep funding. Some parameters: no driver who has had a season in Cup — or is about to have a full season in Cup — is on this list. For example, Corey Heim, who earned two Cup victories this season, dropped off of eligibility on my list with his two Cup victories. Also, all drivers must be younger than 28 to be included. Meza has six TransAm TA2 victories this year and sits second in the point standings. He was the top rookie in the Mazda MX-5 Cup last year. Retzlaff sits ninth in the O’Reilly Series standings as he has shown to be consistently top 10 in driving for Viking Motorsports. He is expected to be back there next year and if he continues to run well, it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to get a look from one of the top teams in that series or a Cup team. Caruth is 14th in the O’Reilly Series points as a rookie, where he has run the majority of races at JR Motorsports. Having online racing as his roots, Caruth looks like he needs a little more time to get comfortable as he moves from series to series. Assuming he gets another season at JRM next year, that is one where he will need to start challenging for wins. Eckes is fourth in the truck standings and has had the best results from the Chevrolet truck stable. For the most part, he’s doing the most with what he has, but he really could use some wins. Mayer has had a disappointing season when it comes to results, as he sits 10th in the O’Reilly Series standings. Where he races next year is yet to be announced, although he will most likely remain in the O’Reilly Series. He needs more consistency to get a good look from a Cup team. Lewis has shown promise in his six truck starts and if he runs the full season next year as expected, that will be pivotal in his quest for a Cup seat in the upcoming years. Lewis also has a CARS Tour late model stock win this year. Avedisian has three top 10s in her four ARCA starts this year as she continues the transition from sprint cars. One of the Toyota Racing Development drivers, she will continue to get opportunities as she is showing a lot of promise. Buice has finished in the top five (including one second-place finish) in all four of her ARCA Series starts this year. She is part of the Chevrolet program and is proving she’s deserving of more opportunities. Brown has finished in the top three — including one win — in all six of his ARCA starts this year. A Richard Childress Racing development driver, he very well could end up in an O’Reilly Series car for RCR next year. He makes his series debut with Jordan Anderson Racing this weekend at Iowa. Ruggiero has shown steady progression this year, as he sits fifth in the truck standings while also having won four ARCA wins this season. McKee has an ARCA win and a runner-up among his five starts in the series, as well as three ARCA East triumphs this season. He sits second in the standings. A Spire Motorsports driver, he will make select truck starts later this year. Harvick has two top fives in three CARS Tour pro late model starts and sits second in the CARS Tour West standings. He won two CARS Tour West pro late model races this year. For such a young driver, his race craft is impressive, which shouldn’t shock anyone considering he has his father (former Cup champion Kevin Harvick) to guide him. Gray has one victory in the O’Reilly Series but is battling to make the Chase field. He’s already signed to race for JGR in the series again next year, and as long as he shows improvement, he will likely have a ride and an eventual move to Cup is quite possible. Smith is third in the truck standings with two victories this year. He is expected to make his return to the O’Reilly Series next year at Richard Childress Racing. If he can perform well there, he could have a Cup ride in a few years. Kvapil, who earned his first O’Reilly win at Indianapolis, sits second in the series standings. His path forward to Cup still seems a little unclear, as JR Motorsports has had to piece together sponsorship for him (and even have him run a handful of races for another team) just to get him a full season. Honeycutt sits a spot behind Riggs in the truck standings, where he earned his first career victory earlier this year. He will likely get another year of trucks at Tricon. Here’s a question: As long as he wins races, is a year of O’Reilly in his future or will he jump straight to Cup? If he sticks with Toyota, Legacy Motor Club would be the most likely option in 2028. Day is fifth in the O’Reilly Series standings. He has two wins as he continues the transition from full-time sprint cars to stock cars. He is doing almost everything Hendrick Motorsports could ask of him. A little inconsistency should be expected considering his lack of stock-car experience. He should have eyes on a Cup ride in 2028, but whether that is at Hendrick or another Chevy team (Spire?) is still to be determined. Layne Riggs has five victories in the trucks this year and has all but clinched the regular-season title. His path to Cup is most likely through Front Row. But as mentioned earlier, it appears that 2028 will be the first full season and not 2027. Love, the defending O’Reilly Series champion, is third in the series standings. He’s still looking for his first win this year, but he already knows what he’s doing next year; he’ll replace Josh Berry in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Cup car. Crews is battling for a Chase spot in the O’Reilly Series, despite missing four races this year. He still seeks his first win in the series but has been impressive. He appears to be a candidate for the No. 11 Cup car in 2028, although that will likely be contingent on his performance over the final portion of this season and the start of 2027. Even if he isn’t in the JGR Cup car in 2028, as long as he does perform, there should be a path for him to Cup. 25 Others To Watch: Thomas Annunziata, Luke Baldwin, Austin Beers, Jake Bollman, Gavan Boschele, Cole Denton, Parker Eatmon, Luke Fenhaus, Jake Finch, Jake Garcia, Conner Jones, Isaac Kitzmiller, Caden Kvapil, Treyten Lapcevich,  Ben Maier, George Phillips, Max Reaves, Tyler Reif, Taylor Reimer, Isabella Robusto, Nick Sanchez, William Sawalich, Lavar Scott, Sammy Smith and Mason Walters.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SAN DIEGO — It’s nothing but good vibes for Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers in what has become their annual trek to his former stomping grounds at the University of San Diego. “Blessed is the word that I can come up with because there’s no word better than blessed,” Harbaugh said about the second year of his team’s return to San Diego. “That’s how I think of the days here when I was coaching at USD.” The team practiced in front of packed crowds for two days in their former city, which included a moment of silence for former Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith, who passed away last week at the age of 64 due to dementia caused by CTE, according to Smith’s family. Mike McDaniel got into the act. The blingy offensive coordinator said he was unprepared to take off his shades during an indoor press conference with reporters. “Ron Burgundy wasn’t lying,” McDaniel said about being in San Diego. “This place is sweet.” Even recently engaged franchise quarterback Justin Herbert joined the love fest, as fiancée Madison Beer stroked his brow like both were hanging out at the beach on the field after practice. But hey, this is football season. So, here are four takeaways from watching this team with Super Bowl expectations on the hoof for two days. 1. McDaniel-Herbert Duo Off To Good Start One of the biggest moves this offseason for Harbaugh was letting go of good friend Greg Roman in favor of an innovative offensive mind in McDaniel. So far, Herbert and McDaniel have meshed well, as the Oregon product is focused on getting the ball out more quickly and leaning on a diverse running game led by second-year pro Omarion Hampton and free-agent signee Keaton Mitchell. McDaniel talked about stressing Herbert in practice, citing an example of the talented quarterback forcing a ball into tight coverage to Tre Harris that was picked off by safety Kendall Williamson. “He hasn’t strayed,” McDaniel said about Herbert. “What you’re asking a quarterback to do is not succumb to the compass of results. It’s the process of how we’re doing things, and his investment has been a full immersion into that process.” For his part, Herbert said the detailed McDaniel is showing him a new way to look at generating efficient, effective offensive plays that lead to explosive plays and scores — by pushing the limits and learning from the mistakes made in practice. “The more reps, the better,” Herbert said when asked about his evolution in mastering the offense. “In OTAs we did everything we could to master the footwork, master the offense. Now, we’re just going out there and playing fast and letting the ball fly around. And I think that’s what is important in camp, is to just go out there and play football like you’re reacting and playing in a game. And treating those reps like real game reps.” 2. Tre Harris Taking Another Step In Development One player who has consistently flashed so far is second-year pro receiver Tre Harris. The Ole Miss product selected in the second round by the Bolts last year finished with 30 receptions for 324 yards and a score as a rookie. Harris bulked up this offseason and has looked more explosive during training camp as a frequent target for Herbert. McDaniel said Harris was a player he wanted to draft while serving as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. “He is a grown man,” McDaniel said. “He’s put on the appropriate mass through blood, sweat and tears, giving him the muscle and strength that will make him a matchup nightmare.” 3. Offensive Line Remains A Work In Progress The Chargers have both bookend tackles back healthy and participating in practice after season-ending leg injuries in left tackle Rashawn Slater and right tackle Joe Alt. Harbaugh said joining that duo as cemented starters up front are free agent pickups Cole Strange at right guard and center Tyler Biadasz at center. That said, there’s a five-man competition for the starting left guard position between Kayode Awosika, Trey Pipkins, Trever Penning, Jake Slaughter and Branson Taylor. Harbaugh said Awosika is leading the pack right now, and he’d like to decide on a starter in another 10 practice days. However, with the rash of injuries the Chargers experienced last season and Herbert finishing as the most-hit quarterback in the league in 2025, the important thing for the Chargers is creating positional flexibility through the offensive line room by generating experienced, functional depth along the offensive line. “There’s a high focus on it,” Harbaugh said. “It’s critical to us. And Butch (offensive line coach Butch Berry) is doing a great job. There’s numerous guys with guard-tackle flexibility. … We’ve got a good amount of flexibility there.” Harbaugh has mentioned working smarter, not harder in training camp. So, considering the bad injury luck this franchise experienced last season, it was good to see the Chargers have a light job through practice a day after the team’s first padded practice. Specifically, left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in a training camp practice, got a bit dinged up during the first padded practice, appearing to suffer a leg injury. Rather than limp through practice, the Chargers wisely had Slater watch from the sidelines to avoid further injury. Slater returned to practice the following day and appeared healthy. Harbaugh and the Chargers appear focused on putting their best foot forward when it comes to health, working to get their best players to the start of the regular season as healthy as possible. 4. Tuli Tuipulotu contract impasse still an issue The Chargers already have a tough task in replacing departed defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who left to take over the Baltimore Ravens head coaching job this offseason. Former Western Michigan defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, who served as the safeties coach for the Bolts two years ago, has been tasked with that job. Making matters worse for the Chargers is that one of the team’s best defensive players, linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, has been limited for much of camp as he’s seeking a contract extension while entering the final year of his rookie deal. The Bolts would like to have the team’s leading pass rusher (13 sacks in 2025) from last season back to full-go sooner rather than later.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love is an NFL quarterback with two impulses above all others. The first is the one I suspect coach Matt LaFleur is most proud of, in large part because it’s the one LaFleur and his staff have instilled in Love over the course of the 27-year-old QB’s five years with the Green Bay Packers. “I’m always trying to get to third-and-short,” Love told me Tuesday at Packers camp. But there’s another impulse. And perhaps this one is innate, in part because of Love’s rare height, weight, speed, agility and — most important — arm strength. That impulse? “I always want the big play,” the 6-foot-4, 220-pound QB told me. Of course, in football, as in life, you can’t “always” have two distinct things. Get into third-and-short. Or hunt the big play. “Definitely in constant conflict,” Love said with a laugh. The difficulty of quarterbacking in today’s NFL — with an uptick in conservative, shell defenses that force passers to be painstakingly patient — is managing that conflict. But when a QB gets it right, his coaches are happy and his receivers are happy and he — in turn — is happy. “Everybody’s happy,” Love agreed. “It all comes down to winning.” Nowadays, that’s all Love seems to care about. While his counting stats have progressively decreased, his advanced stats have never been better. His touchdown totals have declined, but his mastery of the game is luminescent on his game tape. Love has turned into The QB Nerd’s favorite quarterback, with film-watchers and data-crunchers touting him endlessly. But then the fantasy football owners and box-score warriors treat him as their scapegoat, pointing to disappointing game totals, flagrant errors and interceptions (of which there are not many). Love landed outside the top 10 among QBs in at least one executive poll this offseason. He wasn’t one of the top 10 rated QBs in “Madden 27.” And he’s never been a Pro Bowl selection — just a one-time alternate joining the likes of Mac Jones and Shedeur Sanders. Where is the love? The first thing you have to do with Love is throw the counting stats out the window. To some degree, that seems to be what he’s doing. “He’s very aggressive when it comes to looking for home runs,” Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich told me Tuesday. “But he’s learned to take what the defense gives him. … It’s what a mature person does, and a mature quarterback. He’s obviously developed into that.” Now, entering his sixth season under LaFleur, Love said that his job is about “finding those completions.” That expression gave me pause. You don’t typically think of completions as a game of hide-and-seek. But with all the disguises that defenses show these days, it’s a quarterback’s job to play detective — both before the snap and after. To distinguish fact from fiction. To decipher coverages. That’s where Love told me he felt he’s improved most. As Love has matured, LaFleur, who calls Green Bay’s plays, has given the QB more authority over the offense. Just listen to Love’s routine after receiving the play call. “The more years I played, you hear a play and you already kind of know what he’s calling [before he’s finished],” Love told me of LaFleur. “You know why he’s calling the play. You know what the situation is, and so … you’re kind of visualizing the play as he’s calling it.” After relaying the play in the huddle, Love gets to the line to see what the defense has to offer in the way of information. “I’m thinking about where I’m going to be going with the ball pre-snap and making those notes pre-snap on what I’m going to be doing,” Love said. So practical. He’s falling in love with third-and-1 — or even third-and-3. “You get into that mindset where I’m always trying to get to third-and-short. If there’s a way I can take a checkdown, take the completion, things that are moving the sticks and staying out of these third-and-long situations are always going to help us at the end of the day,” Love told me. It’s not just about keeping the offense on schedule — which is one form of situational awareness that helps a QB take control of the game. It’s also about setting up his special teams and defense for success. Packers long snapper Matthew Orzech said there are times when he’s anticipating a long field goal attempt — or, perhaps worse, a punt scenario where the offense is backed up against the goal line. So he is mentally preparing for the opposing unit to bring something nasty in hopes of generating a blocked kick and a touchdown recovery. But just as things look grim for the special teams unit … “Somehow he’s able to just take that checkdown to the running back outside that gets us outside the five-yard line,” Orzech told me. “There’s been a few of those for sure where you’re standing there gearing up for an all-out rush, all-out holdup, knowing something crazy is about to happen, but then he just gets you just enough yards on a smart little checkdown that’s not flashy at all.” That’s how a quarterback adds points or takes them away from an opposing team. We always hear about players doing the little things right. This is one example of the little things that Love does right. One of many. The Packers QB focuses on finding the right completion — and then, finally, the big completion finds him. Which is why receiver Christian Watson — with his 4.36 speed — and tight end Tucker Kraft — with his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame – are always waiting. Always ready. “I’m always hunting [for a big play,]” Love told me. “I want to put pressure on the defense and take the top off. And you’ve got to know when to take those shots and how to weigh the risk of, ‘Alright, I want this shot, but you know it’s not a good opportunity right now.’ [When] we get the perfect coverage for something, [then it’s], ‘I got to be able to hit this down the field.’” Love’s efficiency isn’t just about an improved completion percentage or success rate. It’s about recognizing the rare opportunities to do what makes him special: unleash a deep ball. And it’s about capitalizing when a defense serves up the chance. Love’s big plays are so impressive that they almost look like … luck. Like they’re not the type of thing that he can reproduce. But they are. Whether it’s about ball placement or off-platform throwing (or his patented fadeaway jumper), Love has proven he can repeat the improbable. “It’s only luck when it’s once in a blue moon,” Watson said. “Those kinds of one-off-seeming plays, he makes them consistently, and obviously we make them often.” In 2025, Love’s EPA/dropback was on par with that of NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, tied for second in the NFL (.19), per Next Gen Stats. Love’s completion percentage over expected was fourth in the NFL. His success percentage was tied for eighth with Jared Goff. His big-time throw percentage was 5.8%, per PFF, fifth highest. He had 27 big-time throws, eighth most. That comfort comes from trust. That trust comes from communication. That communication often stems from failure. “Anytime anything goes negatively, honestly, we’ll always talk about it,” Watson told me. “I’ll come by after and tell him my thought process, and then he’ll tell me his thought process on the play, just to get a feel for where we’re at there. … What I should have done better? Or what he thinks he could have done better.” Perhaps it’s fair then to arrive at a logical question. Is Jordan Love underrated? “One hundred percent,” Watson said. “I think that when you bring up any of those meaningful quarterback stats, I feel like he’s up there in all of them.” “Absolutely, absolutely,” Packers receiver Skyy Moore told me. “Yeah,” Stenavich said. “He may not lead the league in passing yards or anything like that. But I think the biggest thing is, like you said, the EPA. When we are throwing the ball, what happens?” Good things. “And that’s a testament to him and what we do as an offense,” Stenavich said. That’s also a testament to Love’s progress as a passer. And that’s a sign of his ascendance into the realm of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports