LEAD STORY: Alabama's AK Dear Expected to Miss Six Weeks
Alabama's backfield took a hit Friday, as running back AK Dear is expected to miss approximately six weeks with an ankle injury suffered in a preseason scrimmage, according to multiple reports cited by ESPN.
The timing stings for the Crimson Tide. A six-week absence from mid-August pushes Dear's potential return into late September, meaning Alabama will open the 2026 season — and navigate the first month of its schedule — without him in the rotation. Preseason scrimmages are where depth charts crystallize, and Dear's injury instead forces Alabama to redistribute those carries among the rest of the running back room just as game-planning for the opener begins.
For now, the reports frame the injury as a matter of weeks rather than months, which leaves the door open for Dear to factor into the heart of SEC play. But August injuries have a way of reshaping September, and Alabama's ground game will have to answer questions without him.
QUICK HITS
- Texas DB Jelani McDonald named to Jim Thorpe Award watch list. Coming off an outstanding 2025 season, the Longhorns defensive back landed on the watch list for the award given annually to college football's top defensive back, per the award committee's announcement this week.
- Texas freshmen defenders turning heads in camp. Sophomore defensive end Lance Jackson singled out three first-year defenders as early camp standouts: five-star edge Richard Wesley — the No. 32 overall player in the 2026 cycle, projected to back up star edge Colin Simmons — plus linebackers Kosi Okpala and Rocky Cummings. "Richard Wesley in our room, gonna be a dog for us in the future," Jackson said, adding that Okpala "is going to be really good — he's not really talked about enough."
- Auburn's Logan Reilly reaches U.S. Amateur semifinals. Reilly won his quarterfinal match Friday afternoon at the 126th U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, advancing to the match play semifinals.
- Joe Burrow weighs in on LSU jersey-number question. Asked about how the Tigers handle numbers worn by program greats, the former LSU quarterback said, "They told me they wouldn't use it again, but you never know what happens." The topic surfaced after fellow LSU Heisman winner Jayden Daniels' No. 5 was issued to Tigers cornerback DJ Pickett this offseason.
- Missouri's Annor Boateng remains a wait-and-see. Rock M Nation's player review of the former top-100 guard — the crown jewel of Mizzou's top-ranked 2024 recruiting class — notes his sophomore season ended with an undisclosed left leg injury and no public timeline for return. Boateng shot just 37.5% inside the arc last season, but his 15-point exhibition outing against Kansas State showed the flashes Missouri fans are still waiting on.
PORTAL WATCH
A quiet 12 hours on the portal front — no new entries or commitments to report. One item worth tracking: per A Sea of Blue, a judge has delayed a ruling on Mark Mitchell's transfer eligibility case until next week, a decision with roster implications worth monitoring.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments overnight, but the trail stays warm. Per Inside Texas, the Longhorns are hosting four-star targets Isaiah Taylor and Ridge James, with the nation's No. 1 edge, Asher Ghioto, setting up an Austin trip. Meanwhile, Red Cup Rebellion reports a top-100 defensive lineman in the 2028 class chose Ole Miss over LSU, Texas and Alabama — an early statement win for the Rebels in a cycle that is just taking shape.
GAMES TO WATCH
No games on today's slate, but the weekend delivers soon enough. No. 24 Tennessee soccer hosts South Alabama on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET at Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville, the Lady Vols' second match of the 2026 campaign. On the football side, Texas holds a scrimmage Saturday that the Austin American-Statesman reports could settle three position battles — the kind of August afternoon that quietly shapes a September depth chart.
