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Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State DL Liam Andrews

· Yahoo Sports

Penn State football will have a completely overhauled roster to get to know in 2026 under new head coach Matt Campbell. Following one of the most active offseasons in recent memory for Penn State with a flurry of activity in the transfer portal, fans will have a lot of catching up to do in getting to know this year's Penn State roster. Fortunately, not every face will be brand new to fans. Regardless, we will be here to give you a fresh overview of every player on the roster for the 2026 season with a series of player profiles.

From all of the returning players, a long list of new faces from the transfer portal, and incoming recruits from the Class of 2026, we will have you covered with this year's player profiles for the Penn State roster. Here is a quick look at defensive tackle Liam Andrews for the 2026 season.

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Preseason Player Profile

  • Hometown: Brookline, Massachusetts
  • Height: 6-4
  • Weight: 290
  • Class in 2026: Redshirt Sophomore

Recruiting Rankings

Class of 2024: Composite 4-star recruit, No. 21 defensive lineman per 247Sports

Originally seen as the No. 1 interior O-lineman in his class, Andrews committed to the Nittany Lions as a defensive lineman.

Career Stats

Liam Andres has only played 20 competitive snaps across 4 appearances for the Nittany Lions. However, he has been one of the developmental squad's most important players, being named the Defensive Player of the Week by the coaching staff twice last season.

Depth Chart Overview

While Andrews could still provide help in the scouting report, he has a chance to be a breakout candidate for the Nittany Lions on the left hand side. While the starting role will be occupied by transfer Armstrong Nnodim, Andrews has worked hard to bulk up and be prepared for more important snaps this season. His versatility as well in certain alignments could be a massive help up front for the Nittany Lions as they try and decipher who the best fits are in their D-line.

Random Fact

Andrews actually played a bit of goalie in lacrosse in his high school career.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State DL Liam Andrews

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Cowboys admitted they undervalued nickel position only after losing their longtime starter in free agency

· Yahoo Sports

Cowboys admitted they undervalued nickel position only after losing their longtime starter in free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Dallas Cowboys let their best slot corner walk in free agency, and they paid for it all year. The front office let Jourdan Lewis leave in March instead of paying up to keep him, hoping an internal replacement would work.

The plan failed because moving DaRon Bland into the slot completely disrupted the secondary. Bland is an elite outside cornerback who uses the sideline to trap receivers, but moving inside forced him to defend quick, two-way routes in open space. 

Opposing offenses immediately took advantage of it. Teams used pre-snap motion to isolate Bland against faster slot receivers, creating massive throwing lanes over the middle of the field. 

Since Bland struggled to adjust to the nickel role, the safeties had to cheat downward to help him, which left the deep part of the field completely exposed and caused frequent miscommunications.

Owner Jerry Jones finally admitted the front office made a mistake after the season slipped away. He openly acknowledged that losing their primary nickel corner hurt the defense far more than they anticipated.

Lewis had spent eight years anchoring that spot in Dallas after the team drafted him in the third round in 2017. He played 115 games for the Cowboys, recording 10 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, and 9.5 sacks. He left for a three-year, $30 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which made him the league's highest-paid nickel corner. Dallas refused to match that price, and the gamble to replace his experience from within ruined their coverage schemes.

And that gamble did not pay off. After Lewis left, the Cowboys finished dead last in the NFL by allowing 251.5 passing yards per game. The structural collapse was reflected in the advanced metrics as well, with Dallas plummeting to 30th in league-wide Pass Defense DVOA.

Jones later owned the miscalculation, telling Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com, "We lost the nickel, and it hurt us more than we thought. The nickel was a serious loss for us. It made a big difference not having him out there."

Dallas spent the offseason completely reshaping the secondary to fix the problem. The front office traded up in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft to secure star defensive back Caleb Downs, who is expected to anchor the slot right away. 

They also brought in veteran free agents like Cobie Durant and Jalen Thompson to add much-needed versatility. Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, the Cowboys are betting that this overhauled, hybrid approach will finally solve the slot vulnerability that ruined their defense a year ago.

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Falling gas prices likely cut inflation last month but renewal of Iran war could undo progress

· The Independent

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