Arch Manning will play for the Texas Longhorns next season, the team have confirmed.
The teenage quarterback, a third-generation of the Manning dynasty, had committed to the Longhorns in June to end speculation over his college future.
Now, however, he has officially signed his letter of intent to join the University of Texas' intercollegiate team, where he will hope to emulate several members of his family.
Though his father, entrepreneur Cooper Manning, curtailed a possible career during his college years, the 17-year-old could follow grandfather Archie, and uncles Peyton and Eli in making it in the NFL.
Both the latter pair won Super Bowls, with Peyton considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time
Manning is the first member of his family to play for Texas, with Archie and Eli having attended the University of Mississippi, while Peyton played at Tennesse.
As in the NFL, not every team maintains an active interest in fantasy football at this stage in the year.
But for those who still have title hopes, there is no room for error.
Finding an edge can be tricky as franchises outside the playoff picture wind down for the year and the league's leading lights think about resting up for the postseason.
But Stats Perform has picked out four players and a defense that could make the difference in Week 16.
Quarterback: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Commanders
Nobody – at least nobody still in contention now – had any real interest in Purdy at the start of the year as he was the 49ers' third-choice QB, but that means he remains available in a number of leagues. It may well be time to fix that, with Purdy one of the outstanding performers across Weeks 14 and 15.
Josh Allen alone threw more touchdown passes (five to Purdy's four) without throwing an interception, while the rookie's 8.55 yards per pass attempt ranked third. Purdy was the sole QB in the NFL with a passer rating of at least 115.0 in two starts over this period. In fact, Aaron Rodgers is the only other player in league history to have had such a passer rating in his first two career starts.
Purdy is an obvious option for any fantasy player suffering QB woe, with the 49ers having clinched the NFC West but unlikely to slow too much as they hunt down the Minnesota Vikings and the second seed in the NFC.
Running Back: Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Gardner Minshew would be another popular pick at QB, with Jalen Hurts injured, but the Philadelphia Eagles still have not ruled out their MVP candidate. On the other hand, the Colts have shut down Jonathan Taylor for the year.
However, Indy would be wise to press on with the run game against the Chargers; only the Packers (42.9 per cent) have allowed opponents greater success on run plays this year than the Chargers (42.5 per cent).
That should mean plenty of touches again for Moss, who had 24 carries last week – as many as he had across the rest of the year combined.
Wide Receiver: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers @ Miami Dolphins
The Packers' season never really got going, with Aaron Rodgers unable to make his receiving corps work without the departed Davante Adams.
But Watson, who had just 14 targets through nine weeks, has really come to the fore of late. Since Week 10, Watson has seven receiving TDs – leading the league ahead of Adams (five) – and has converted 17 of his 19 receptions into first downs.
Over the past two weeks, only two defenses have given up more receiving yards (671) and more receiving TDs (five) than Miami. They have also tied the Detroit Lions in allowing a league-worst 32 receiving first downs in this time.
Tight End: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets
Engram has been a steady performer in his first year with the Jaguars, but there is reason to believe he may be able to move to another level now as Trevor Lawrence ignites this Jacksonville offense.
Over the past two weeks, the Jags rank second in net passing yards (679) and lead the way for TD passes (seven) and points (76).
Engram caught two of those TDs and has led the team in targets (25), catches (19) and receiving yards (224) over this period. He and those who can call on him for fantasy purposes are among the chief beneficiaries of Lawrence's late surge.
Defense/Special Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Arizona Cardinals
Opposition teams have been successful on only 36.5 per cent of plays against the Buccaneers this year, making this the league's sixth-best defense.
And now they will be faced with a Cardinals offense manned by third-string QB Trace McSorley, who is in line for his first career start despite struggling badly from his limited snaps so far this year.
McSorley has not thrown a single TD pass in 2022 but has tossed three picks, completing only 15 of his 29 pass attempts for an atrocious passer rating of 29.5.
Christophe Galtier believes Kylian Mbappe's return to Paris Saint-Germain training just three days after a World Cup final defeat is a "strong signal."
Mbappe scored a hat-trick in Sunday's final at Lusail Stadium, twice converting from the spot while also firing home a superb volley as the game ended 3-3 after extra time.
It was Mbappe's team-mate Lionel Messi who ultimately lifted the trophy, though, after Argentina won the penalty shoot-out 4-2.
While Messi returned to Argentina to celebrate, Mbappe was back in PSG training on Wednesday as he attempts to overcome his Qatar heartbreak.
The forward will turn his attention back to the remainder of the season, with PSG holding a five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 and facing a huge Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
Galtier feels Mbappe's decision to get stuck back in with PSG instead of taking extra days off shows what he is made of.
"I'm very happy to see him," Galtier told PSG TV. "Kylian had a great World Cup. This return is also a strong signal to everyone.
"A player who may have been disappointed not to lift the most beautiful of trophies, even if he was top scorer at this World Cup [with eight goals].
"He wanted to get back in contact with the group very quickly and prepare for the deadlines which are coming up very quickly.
"We are very, very happy to see him."
Achraf Hakimi, who enjoyed an excellent World Cup as Morocco got further than any African nation in history, also returned to training with the Ligue 1 champions on Wednesday.
PSG return to competitive action against Strasbourg on December 28.
Aaron Judge has been named as the 16th captain in New York Yankees franchise history after signing a blockbuster contract.
The 31-year-old put pen to paper on a record-breaking nine-year, $360million deal on Tuesday to extend his stay with the Yankees and has now become the first franchise captain since Derek Jeter retired in 2014.
Crowned AL MVP last month, Judge broke the single-season Yankees and AL home-run record, reaching 62 to surpass Roger Maris Sr's 61 – set in 1961. He became the fourth Major League player to hit 62 or more homers in a single season.
Judge has set his sights high in his new position, plotting a course for multiple championships.
"It's a blessing and an honour. Getting a chance to continue something the Yankees are so big on, which is legacy, getting a chance to continue my legacy here in pinstripes in the best city in the world, the best baseball city in front of the best fans, this is an incredible honour," he said during a press conference.
"It goes without saying what an honour that is. I look back at the list of Thurman Munson, Lou Gehrig, Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, that's a pretty good list right there.
"Not only great baseball players, but great ambassadors of the game and great ambassadors of the New York Yankees, how they pride themselves on the field day in and day out, how they take pride in what they do off the field to represent this organisation and represent these pinstripes.
"This is an incredible honour that I don't take lightly and I'm going to continue to try to be the same leader that I've been the last six years, continue to lead by example.
"I know there's probably going to be a couple more responsibilities with this, but I'm here to embrace every single obstacle and continue to lead this team and this city to not one but multiple championships down the road."
The Yankees finished last season as AL East champions for the first time since 2019 but have not competed in the World Series since 2009, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has accused his successor Gianni Infantino of disrespect, while lambasting plans to expand the World Cup.
The Qatar 2022 edition of football's flagship tournament is the last to feature its current 32-team format, with 48 nations set to take part at the 2026 event.
Infantino has pushed for expansion since he replaced Blatter as the head of FIFA and has explored moving the World Cup to either a biennial or triennial cycle.
But his predecessor suggests he is not acting in the best interests of the sport.
"What is happening at the moment is an over-commercialisation of the game," he told German newspaper Die Ziet. "[It is] trying to squeeze more and more out of the lemon.
"[Look at] the World Cup with 48 teams, or a Club World Cup that must be viewed as competition to the UEFA Champions League. FIFA is meddling in something that doesn't really concern them.
"I have no relationship with Infantino. He behaved disrespectfully because he has refused any contact with me since his election. He only communicates with me through lawyers."
Infantino revealed plans for a 32-team Club World Cup earlier this month, returning to a planned expansion originally waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal is still subject to confederation approval, and is expected to generate pushback from several leading clubs, particularly in the wake of the failed European Super League breakaway.
Mick Schumacher's move to Mercedes in a third-driver role is a "win-win situation", former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher believes.
The younger Schumacher, son of racing great Michael Schumacher and nephew of Ralf, was left without a seat on the Formula One grid for 2023 following Haas' decision not to hand him a fresh deal – instead opting to bring in Nico Hulkenberg.
Schumacher then brought an end to his four-year allegiance with Ferrari, where he was a member of the young driver academy, which freed him up to join Mercedes for the 2023 campaign.
He will serve as an understudy to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell next year, stepping up into a racing role should either of the pair be unable to feature, and Ralf feels it is the perfect fit.
"I think it's a win-win situation for both sides," he told Sky Sports in Germany.
"One, for the team they have a great driver, if they need a replacement short term, if one of the drivers for some reason cannot drive. And the next is of course that he is now in the team where he can learn a lot, first of all through a new structure, a big structure.
"For me, I think it's a great opportunity. Because he now has an experienced team, with two experienced team-mates, and above all, for a change, a team that is happy that he is there."
A return to the grid in a full racing capacity is still the aim for Mick Schumacher and, with Audi competing as a works team from 2025, Ralf expects the German manufacturer to be interested in his nephew's services.
"He has the opportunity to develop further. He deserves and belongs a chance - actually of driving a car - but at least as a replacement for test drivers and as a third drive," he added.
"I think that's a great thing, but I could also imagine that Audi [could be interested] since there aren't really any German drivers on the market.
"But that's still a long way off from that point of view. I think where it is now it's in perfect hands and the rest will tell. The nice thing is that from the age of 24 I think he will have a great chance again, no matter where."
Winning LaLiga this season would show Barcelona's "recovery process is on the right track", according to president Joan Laporta.
Barca have suffered from poor finances and disappointing performances on the pitch in recent years.
They last won the league title in the 2018-19 campaign, while a group-stage exit in this season's Champions League means their seven-year wait to claim Europe's top club prize for a sixth time goes on.
Barca are, however, enjoying a domestic resurgence under Xavi, who returned as coach after a legendary playing career with the club.
Xavi is Barca's eighth head coach since Pep Guardiola left in 2012 and his team led LaLiga heading into the World Cup break.
"The priority objective is LaLiga," Laporta told reporters. "Clear and low.
"The dressing room, with Xavi at the helm, is clear about it.
"We want to win LaLiga to show that the club's recovery process is on the right track."
It appears it will be a two-horse race for the title with Real Madrid, who are two points behind Barca but came out victorious when the sides met at the Santiago Bernabeu in October.
Barca will get their league campaign back underway against city rivals Espanyol on December 31.
Player of the Match Andre Russell’s six-laden half century and an MVP-like performance from Akeal Hosein helped steer Melbourne Renegades to a four-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat with four balls to spare in their Big Bash clash at Geelong on Wednesday.
Hosein took three wickets and scored a quick-fire 30 for Melbourne after Russell had bludgeoned them back into contention after a Michael Neser’s hat-trick had threatened to deny them victory.
Brisbane won the toss and chose to bat first but were two wickets down for 14 in the third over thanks to Mujeeb ur Rahman and Hosein who claimed the wickets of Max Bryant for five and Colin Munro for eight, respectively.
However, knocks of 25 from Sam Billings, 29 from Matt Renshaw and an unbeaten Jimmy Peirson helped stage a recovery. However, after a partnership of 61 between Billings and Renshaw both were dismissed by Tom Rogers in the 11th over as Brisbane slipped to 78-4.
It was soon 96-5 as Rogers dismissed Ross Whitely for 8 in the 15 over.
Hosein took the wickets of Neser (3) and James Bazley (0) in three balls in the 15th over. Peirson smashed 45 from 30 balls with six fours to get Brisbane to a competitive 138-7.
Rogers ended with 4-23 while Hosein took 3-26 in another solid performance with the ball.
Melbourne’s relatively simple chase of just under seven runs an over, became extremely difficult when Neser ripped through the top order with just nine runs on the board.
He dismissed Sam Harper first ball and then Jake Fraser-McGurk from the final ball of the first over and then in his second dismissed Nic Maddinson for two and Johnathan Wells for a duck in consecutive balls of his second over to leave Melbourne facing defeat.
However, Russell and Aaron Finch staged a recovery would set the team firmly on the path to victory.
Russell hit two fours and six sixes and he and Finch put on 81 for the fifth wicket before he got out caught behind off Mark Steketee for 57 from 42 balls.
Hosein picked up from where Russell left off hitting two fours and two sixes in a 39-run partnership with Finch. He eventually holed out to deep midwicket for 30 from 19 balls off the fifth ball of Steketee’s final over with Melbourne needing just nine from seven balls.
Will Sutherland smashed Steketee’s last ball for a massive six over the midwicket boundary leaving Finch to hit the winning runs, a four over extra cover to seal with victory from Bazley’s second ball of the final over.
Melbourne’s third straight win means they have six points and only trail leaders Adelaide Strikers on net run rate.
Liverpool are ready for a "new start" ahead of their return to action in the EFL Cup against Manchester City, assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said.
Jurgen Klopp's side endured a poor showing in the early months of the season, heading into the World Cup break sixth in the Premier League standings – seven points behind fourth place and 15 adrift of leaders Arsenal.
That left Liverpool among those needing a significant improvement heading into the remainder of the season, though Lijnders believes positive signs were shown ahead of the tournament in Qatar, with results including back-to-back wins against Tottenham and Southampton.
"We see it as a new start. The boys are hungry, they are passionate, they want to show this on the pitch," Lijnders said.
"We know we have to be committed. Against City there will be moments where it will not be easy, but all our boys have this experience. It will be a top show for sure.
"I think we were on our way back, to be honest, I felt that we got momentum, and then it was the World Cup. You have to take life as it is, a lot of things you cannot change, you have to make the best out of it.
"That's what we always tried to do, we used this time to not only train the lungs, the legs, the heart, but to train the eyes and the mind with video meetings.
"We know we can be successful, there are many things left to play for."
Liverpool and other sides competing in Europe have previously shuffled their deck for EFL Cup encounters, using them as an opportunity to hand experience to younger players within the squad, and Lijnders says the World Cup showed why rotation is key.
"If there's one thing this World Cup proves, it is that you need your whole squad. The teams that became successful needed their whole squad," he said.
"When we play League Cup it's always in a busy schedule, and we know we have to be top to win these games. We cannot rest players. The boys have to be on top in games, and it's a perfect time to use the squad.
"Age is just a number, we still believe we need to give our talents chances, not just younger players against lower-league oppositions but against Premier League sides too.
"We want them to have challenges and make them struggle because that's how they improve. It's my job and Klopp's job to improve our players and to improve the team, and that's what we try to do."
Gareth Southgate's decision to remain as England manager has left his players "absolutely delighted", according to Kieran Trippier.
The former Middlesbrough boss considered walking away from the post he has held since 2016 after his side were edged out in the World Cup quarter-finals by France.
With a semi-final appearance at Russia 2018, and a runner-up finish at Euro 2020, there had been questions over whether Southgate could depart before the end of his contract, which runs through to Euro 2024.
The subsequent confirmation he is staying has been positively received by his players, with right-back Trippier indicating the 52-year-old has the full backing of the squad he took to Qatar 2022.
"We are all absolutely delighted about it," Trippier told the i newspaper. "From the moment he first took charge until now, we've taken great huge steps.
"Players want to play for England, they know what it means to put the shirt on. He's a great man manager, and I think all the lads would say that.
"Speaking for myself, I'm delighted that he's staying on, and I know that all the rest of the players are too."
After a difficult time that saw England relegated in the Nations League prior to the World Cup, Southgate initially said he required time to think over his future before recommitting.
Trippier believes England are continuing to progress, pointing to the spirited performance against France as a sign of growth.
"I think we have moved forward, for sure," the Newcastle United full-back added. "You see the freedom the players had to attack, and you just have to look at the France game. I thought we were brilliant.
"We have taken huge steps. It was another learning curve for us, but we move on now."
England will begin a possibly thorny Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with games against reigning European champions Italy and Ukraine in March.
Pep Guardiola insisted a desire to win the Champions League was not his only motivation for signing a new Manchester City contract, but he accepts the job would feel incomplete without a European triumph.
Guardiola secured an extension at City last month, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season.
City have enjoyed vast domestic success under the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach, winning the Premier League four times out of the past five seasons.
However, a Champions League win has eluded them. They lost to Chelsea in the 2021 final and succumbed to Real Madrid in last season's semi-finals.
Guardiola knows it will be a blemish on his record if City cannot end their bad luck in the competition before he leaves.
"I admit it's the trophy that we want and of course it would not be complete – my period here – if we don't win it," Guardiola told reporters ahead of City's EFL Cup clash with Liverpool.
"But it's not the only reason I extended the contract, absolutely not. What does it mean if for the last 11 months we didn't play in the Champions League?
"Of course, I will do everything in this time we are together, we are going to try, as we tried before. Of course it's the trophy we don't have and we will try to do it."
City's trophy count under Guardiola stands at 11, but the 51-year-old is immensely grateful for the faith shown in him by the club's leadership.
"I said many times what I had here. Thank you so much for the confidence they have in me," he said. "It would be difficult to repay what in these many years, the board, all the people have shown me.
"It's difficult for me to reject them because of how they still want me and my staff, to try and do our best.
"I don't have enough words to express the incredible gratitude for this club."
After taking on Liverpool on Thursday, City restart their Premier League campaign against Leeds United on December 28.
Pep Guardiola believes Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the greatest player of all time, describing arguments in favour of Pele or Diego Maradona as "sentimental".
Messi has long been considered among the best ever, but both he and Cristiano Ronaldo trailed Pele and Maradona in the eyes of some while neither had won the World Cup.
That changed on Sunday, when Messi led Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, matching Maradona's achievement from 1986.
However, in the eyes of Manchester City manager Guardiola, who coached Messi at Barcelona, there was never any doubt.
"Everyone has their opinion, but nobody can doubt he's there with the greatest of all time," Guardiola said. "For me, I've said many times: he's the best.
"It's difficult to understand how a player can complete what he's done in the past 50 or 70 years.
"The people who saw Pele or [Alfredo] Di Stefano or Maradona, the people can say 'my favourite', but these opinions are sentimental.
"On the other side, if he wouldn't have won the World Cup, the opinion about what he has done for the whole of football and my opinion of how he is as a player wouldn't change absolutely anything.
"But it's normal that it depends if you win [how] you are evaluated. Of course, for him, it's the final cherries on his incredible career."
Messi was joined in the Argentina side by City striker Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi, who spent five years at the Etihad Stadium between 2015 and 2020.
"We are incredibly happy for him [Alvarez] – congratulations," Guardiola added. "For him, for Nico Otamendi, personally for Messi, for Argentina the country, for a well-deserved champion.
"For Julian, he is with us, and we are delighted. He played a lot, and his contribution was amazing to the team for the way we played. We have a world champion in our team."
Guardiola confirmed Alvarez would now enjoy "a break", but City's other World Cup stars have started to return ahead of Thursday's EFL Cup fourth-round tie against holders Liverpool.
"The players that were at the World Cup are in a better condition than the players who were here, that's for sure," Guardiola explained.
"Sergio [Gomez], Erling [Haaland], Riyad [Mahrez], Cole [Palmer]... the rhythm they miss a little bit compared, for example, to Manu Akanji and Rodri and Aymeric [Laporte] and Nathan [Ake].
"They came back and we saw them so good, perfectly. That's normal. They compete, they train every day, while we had holidays."
Franco Harris, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and four-time Super Bowl champion, has died aged 72.
News of his death came three days before his number 32 shirt number was to be retired.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, a nine-time Pro Bowl honouree, was the 13th overall pick in the 1972 NFL draft for the Pennsylvania outfit.
Over the following decade, he helped the Steelers to the game's biggest prize on four separate occasions, while he was named the MVP of Super Bowl IX.
Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said: "The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today.
"We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways.
"The Hall of Fame and historians everywhere will tell Franco's football story forever. His life story can never be told fully, however, without including his greatness off the field.
"My heart and prayers go out to his wife, Dana, an equally incredible person, a special friend to the Hall and someone who cares so deeply for Franco's Hall of Fame teammates."
Having rushed for over 11,000 yards, Harris was the Steelers' leader in franchise history, and he was due to become just the third player to have their shirt number retired this weekend.
The Steelers had intended for the honour to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the match-winning play Harris was involved in for their first ever playoff win.
The running back famously was the apparently unintended receiver of Terry Bradshaw's last-gasp throw in the 1972 AFC divisional match with the Oakland Raiders, and ran for the clinching touchdown in the final minute.
Though the team subsequently lost their next match to the Miami Dolphins, the victory is widely regarded as an instrumental turning point that helped the club become the NFL's dominant force over the following decade.
Pittsburgh are due to face the now Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, 50 years and a day since Harris had his magical moment.
Mike Tomlin's side are bottom of AFC North with a 6-8 record this season, and are looking to string back-to-back wins together for only the second time in 2022.
Nick Kyrgios is gunning for Tom Brady and LeBron James after he and fellow tennis star Naomi Osaka were unveiled as co-owners of a pickleball team.
Kyrgios has partnered with four-time grand slam champion Osaka in investing behind Miami PC, who will compete in next year's Major Pickleball League.
Pickleball, a growing sport that combines tennis, badminton and ping pong, has attracted a fleet of major admirers and investors from other professional sports, including NFL great Brady and NBA superstar James.
In an Instagram post, Kyrgios confirmed he would be partnering Osaka in Miami and vowed to defeat Brady and James, who have made investments of their own into franchises within the league.
Kevin Durant is another investor, signing up a new team, the Brooklyn Aces, while Kyrgios and Osaka have also been joined by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Florida.
"Introducing the @miamipc," Kyrgios wrote. "Big welcome to our draft picks... We are coming for you @kingjames [LeBron] @easymoneysniper [Durant] @tombrady."
Former Germany international footballer Mesut Ozil is another name involved, with the ex-Arsenal man backing the D.C. Pickleball team.
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