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New on Sports Illustrated: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Receiving Yards Player Prop Betting Projections

<a href="https://www.si.com/gambling/2021/09/01/wide-receiver-rankings-receiving-yards-player-prop-betting-projections">
A sports betting outlook using odds for the NFL receiving yards leader can help you formulate fantasy football wide receiver rankings
With the kickoff to the 2021 NFL season only a few weeks away, sportsbooks around the country are beginning to open up their extensive betting markets. One of the most popular markets involves predicting who will lead the league in rushing yards - a position that dominates the first round of fantasy football drafts.
 After bettors cashed on Stefon Diggs as a +4000 longshot in 2020, the question now becomes can he repeat the feat at considerable lower odds? Who is the favorite in the eyes of the oddsmakers in 2021?
Positional Rankings From Yardage Leaders Prop Bets 
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/gambling/2021/08/18/passing-yard-projections-successful-fantasy-quarterbacks">Quarterbacks</a> | <a href="https://tempest.saymedia.com/#/content-items/cs024f19a9100026ae/ContentArticle/view/ci028c1ba0e00025a2">Running Backs</a> | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
As one of the top-ranked season-long fantasy football players in the world, I will admit that I incorporate sportsbook betting projections into my successful fantasy rankings. It has become a vital and integral strategy to building my successful investments year-in and year-out.
<h3>RECENT NFL RECEIVING YARD LEADERS</h3>
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Over the past three seasons, a new leader has emerged with the NFL receiving yardage crown. In 2018, Julio Jones led the NFL with 1,677 receiving yards followed by Michael Thomas in 2019 with 1,725 yards. Last season, Stefon Diggs (1,535) edged out Travis Kelce (1,416), DeAndre Hopkins (1,407) and Justin Jefferson (1,400).
Diggs cashed for bettors at healthy odds of +4000, while all of the top-four overall betting choices: Michael Thomas (+500), Julio Jones (+900), Davante Adams (+1400) and Tyreek Hill (+1400) burned their backers at short odds. Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, who was listed last summer at +2200, nearly pulled off the big upset finishing second overall - only 119 yards behind Diggs.
<h3>FANTASY WR RANKINGS/TIERS</h3>
TOP WR TIER
<ul>
<li>Davante Adams (+900)</li>
<li>Stefon Diggs (+800)</li>
<li>Calvin Ridley (+750)</li>
<li>DeAndre Hopkins (+1000)</li>
<li>Tyreek Hill (+900)</li>
</ul>
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Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK
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Green Bay Packers Davante Adams lands as my top-ranked wide receiver in Fantasy Football in 2021. The star wideout is coming off a prolific 2020 season where he caught 115 receptions for 1,374 and a league-high 18 touchdowns. The volume of 125-plus target expectation easily makes the favorite target of Aaron Rodgers a pure value play to lead the league in receiving yards at +900. Adams, who missed last season's tilt with New Orleans due to an early-season hamstring injury, should feast in Week 1 when <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/24/green-bay-packers-team-outlook-aaron-rodgers">Green Bay</a> (-3) travels to <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/07/07/los-angeles-rams-team-outlook-matthew-stafford">New Orleans</a> with one of the highest totals (50.5) currently on <a href="https://www.sisportsbook.com/football/united-states-of-america/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs-v-cleveland-browns-e-76/">SI Sportsbook</a>.
As we previously alluded to, <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/05/06/buffalo-bills-team-outlook-josh-allen">Buffalo's</a> Stefon Diggs took a major step forward in 2020, and the oddsmakers have made quite an adjustment in 2021. Last season, bettors found Diggs in the range of +4000 to lead the league in receiving yards, but after earning the crown, Diggs has been slashed down to odds of +800 in this year's betting market. In 2020, the rising star improved his receiving production by 405 yards over his previous career-best. Thanks to his strong rapport with Josh Allen, Diggs is easily one of the most coveted wideouts in fantasy drafts this season. My projections are again calling for high target volume in 2021 after a league-high 166 last season.
Last season, my top breakout was <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/28/atlanta-falcons-team-outlook-kyle-pitts-calvin-ridley">Atlanta Falcons</a> Calvin Ridley to emerge as the WR1 over Julio Jones and one of the top wide receivers in fantasy football. Statistically, Ridley (1,374) fell just below the top receiving mark by 161 yards. Oddsmakers, who last season were listing his potential of leading the league in receiving yards with massive +2800 odds, now have Ridley listed as the betting favorite to wrestle the crown away from Diggs in 2021. My No.3 overall ranked fantasy wide receiver, Ridley, who has amassed 26 touchdowns in just three seasons, is a player with a tremendous ceiling with Julio Jones now in Tennessee. Ridley is in line to get off to a solid statistical start as Atlanta is projected to be involved in a high-scoring affair with Philadelphia in a Week 1 home battle set with a total of 48.5 on <a href="https://www.sisportsbook.com/football/united-states-of-america/nfl/tennessee-titans-v-arizona-cardinals-e-72/">SI Sportsbook</a>.
DeAndre Hopkins, who can be found as high as +1000, finds himself outside the top-five in the most receiving yards betting market. <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/07/06/arizona-cardinals-team-outlook-kyler-murray">Arizona</a>, which has a season win total set at 8.5, hopes young signal-caller Kyler Murray is ready to take the next step in his third season. Hopkins, who has posted three consecutive seasons of 104-plus receptions, is perhaps the biggest model of consistency. After finishing third overall last season, Hopkins offers immense double-digit betting value (+1000), only 128 yards shy of Diggs.
<a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/04/kansas-city-chiefs-team-outlook-patrick-mahomes">Kansas City's</a> speedy Tyreek Hill rounds out the top-five of elite fantasy options at the wideout position in 2021. Playing in arguably the best offense in the NFL, Hill is one of the favorite targets of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Hill is the fourth overall betting choice at +900, but with Travis Kelce earning plenty of targets, I would shy away from investing in the sixth-year veteran in this betting market. Hill and the Chiefs should get off to a flying start to the season as <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/04/kansas-city-chiefs-team-outlook-patrick-mahomes">Kansas City</a> (-6) takes on Cleveland at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 1 with the highest total (53) of any game posted currently on <a href="https://www.sisportsbook.com/football/united-states-of-america/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs-v-cleveland-browns-e-76/">SI Sportsbook</a>.
<h3>WR TIER 2</h3>
<ul>
<li>DK Metcalf (+1200)</li>
<li>Justin Jefferson (+850)</li>
<li>AJ Brown (+1500)</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/07/08/seattle-seahawks-team-outlook-russell-wilson">Seattle Seahawks'</a> DK Metcalf (+1200) emerged as an elite fantasy football option last season after leading the club with 1,303 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Russell Wilson has thrown 31-plus touchdowns in four straight seasons, and Metcalf projects to be on the receiving end for 36.4 % of his production in 2021. Perhaps the biggest physical mismatch in the NFL since Calvin Johnson, the former Ole' Miss standout, is in line for a second consecutive top-10 finish in PPR formats and a sleeper at +1200 to cash for bettors in the most receiving yards wagering market.
<a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/25/minnesota-vikings-team-outlook-dalvin-cook-justin-jefferson">Minnesota's</a> Justin Jefferson was easily the best rookie wide receiver in 2020. The former LSU star averaged 15.9 yards per reception after hauling in 88 balls for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns playing in the Vikings offense. Jefferson will be hard-pressed to match or exceed last year's production. However, fantasy managers should not shy away from the elite talent who nearly pulled off the monumental upset - finishing fourth in overall receiving yardage at odds of +9500. The oddsmakers have made a huge adjustment in 2021, listing Jefferson as the third overall betting choice at +850.
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Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
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<a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/02/tennessee-titans-team-outlook-aj-brown-derrick-henry">Tennessee's</a> AJ Brown (+1500), who is coming off a 2020 sophomore campaign that produced 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns, is considered a moderate longshot in overall passing yardage betting boards around the country. Brown is being drafted in the top ten of fantasy drafts at the wideout position thanks to the arrival of veteran Julio Jones lining up on the other side of the Titans' offensive sets. Expecting Brown to match or eclipse his receiving output from last season is well within the realm of expectations, and fantasy owners are expecting another leap forward in his third season as defenses will find it difficult to roll coverage to his side with Jones on the opposite end of the formation.
<h3>ROUNDING OUT THE FIELD</h3>
<ul>
<li>CeeDee Lamb (+2500)</li>
<li>Terry McLaurin (+1900)</li>
<li>Tee Higgins (+3500)</li>
</ul>
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Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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CeeDee Lamb (+2500) is a very attractive betting and fantasy option in 2021 after posting solid production in his rookie season in <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/11/dallas-cowboys-team-outlook-dak-prescott">Dallas</a>. Lamb is a player my projections are indicating will outproduce veteran Amari Cooper. Lamb is being targeted by fantasy owners at the back-end of the second round of drafts to fill the WR1/WR2 position. In a pass-heavy offense, expect Lamb to double his rookie season touchdown total (5) and approach double-digits running routes with a full season of Dak Prescott at the helm.
Terry McLaurin was reliable in his second season for the <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/06/18/washington-football-team-outlook-ryan-fitzpatrick-terry-mclaurin">Washington Football Team</a>, hauling in 87 catches for 1,118 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Despite playing in a Washington offense that lacked consistent quarterback play, the former Ohio State Buckeye is poised to have a career year with gunslinger Ryan Fitzpatrick now under center. McLaurin should battle Lamb for top NFC wideout honors - but a player bettors should avoid backing in this betting market despite his juicy +1900 odds.
<a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/05/18/cincinnati-bengals-team-outlook-jamarr-chase">Cincinnati Bengals</a> wide receiver Tee Higgins is simply an afterthought in the overall receiving leader betting market (+3500) since the club added another elite talent in Ja’Marr Chase in this past April’s NFL Draft. Higgins, who posted a 67/908/6 stat line in his 2020 rookie season, is a player my projections are extremely bullish on in 2021. The former Clemson Tiger is a wideout projected to easily surpassing 1,100 receiving yards running routes for Joe Burrow and finishing as a potential elite wideout in PPR formats.
<hr />
 
<a href="https://www.twitter.com/Frankie_Fantasy">Frankie Taddeo</a> is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter <a href="https://www.twitter.com/Frankie_Fantasy">@Frankie_Fantasy</a> for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.

New on Sports Illustrated: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Receiving Yards Player Prop Betting Projections

A sports betting outlook using odds for the NFL receiving yards leader can help you formulate fantasy football wide receiver rankings With...

New on Sports Illustrated: 2021 College Football Crystal Ball: Playoff Picks, Dark-Horse Predictions and More

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/09/01/ncaa-football-predictions-2021-champion-heisman">
SI's writers go on record with how they think this season will go, from contenders to pretenders to the Heisman winner.
After a small slate of Week 0 games, the 2021 FBS college football season kicks off in full this week, more than seven months after Nick Saban claimed his seventh national title
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/01/12/alabama-championship-nick-saban-devonta-smith-daily-cover">by leading a juggernaut Alabama team back to glory</a>. While the Crimson Tide check in at No. 1 in <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/08/13/ncaa-football-top-25-rankings-preseason-2021">Sports Illustrated’s preseason top 25</a>, several key departures leave open the door for someone else to unseat Saban’s team this fall and winter. Will the usual suspects make the College Football Playoff, or can another program crack <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/08/31/ncaa-football-parity-alabama-clemson-daily-cover">what’s largely been an exclusive club?</a>
The SI college football staff’s predictions are in for the playoff, national champion, Heisman winner, biggest disappointment and more.
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Robert Goddin/USA TODAY Sports
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<h2>Playoff and national title predictions</h2>
<h3>Pat Forde:</h3>
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Clemson 
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Oklahoma 
Title game: Alabama vs. Ohio State 
National champ: Alabama
<h3>Ross Dellenger:</h3>
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State 
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Oklahoma 
Title game: Alabama vs. Oklahoma 
National champ: Alabama
<h3>Richard Johnson:</h3>
No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Georgia 
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Oregon 
Title game: Oklahoma vs. Georgia 
National champ: Georgia
<h3>John Garcia:</h3>
No. 1 Alabama vs No. 4 Oregon 
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Oklahoma 
Title game: Alabama vs. Oklahoma 
National champ: Alabama
<h2>Roundtable questions</h2>
<h3>Who will win the national championship, and why?</h3>
Forde: It seems absurd to pick a team to win the natty that lost three Heisman Trophy finalists and six NFL first-round draft picks—not to mention several key coaching staff members. But you know what’s crazier? Picking against Alabama. The five-star recruits are still rolling in and rising up the depth chart to replace the old five-star guys, and Nick Saban is still the head coach. Trust the process, redundant though it may be.
Dellenger: Roll Tide once again. From an odds standpoint, it’s hard to not pick Alabama each and every single season. Nick Saban has led the Tide to six titles in 12 seasons, including two losses in the championship game. You’ve got a better shot at hitting on them than any other team. The Tide might have a new OC, new QB and three new starting offensive linemen, but Saban might have his best defense in years.
Johnson: There are times when I wonder whether Georgia is really cursed. If it isn’t in the playoff at the very least, I may finally fully buy into that narrative. Considering its quarterback, JT Daniels, is semi-proven, this is the best roster in the sport—the 247Sports team talent composite agrees with me. The offensive metamorphosis under Kirby Smart has been completed thanks to offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and it was well on its way last season despite the poor QB play that preceded Daniels’s November return from a knee injury. They have everything, but of course with the Dawgs there is always a catch. Injuries are the only thing that can hold this team back both in the opener against Clemson and beyond, and they have it in spades with their pass-catchers in addition to hybrid tight end Arik Gilbert’s absence from the team for personal reasons.
Other than that, this is Georgia’s year. Where have I heard that before?
Garcia: Alabama. A program hasn't repeated since, wait for it, Bama a decade ago. Conventional reasons to pick against Alabama are alive and well given the loss of talent, assistant coaches and a tough SEC schedule. Nick Saban remains and the quarterback reins now roll to No. 9, Bryce Young, who may have the most unique skillset of the Crimson Tide quarterbacks of late (in addition to <a href="https://www.si.com/college/alabama/bamacentral/bama-central-nick-saban-bryce-young-seven-figures-nil-deal-july-20-2021">some dollars in his pocket</a>). The arm is big, athleticism is easy and he sports an even-keel California cool. With a year to learn the system, one that remains largely unchanged despite Steve Sarkisian's departure, Young will work behind a strong offensive line and feature new skill position names, including Ohio State transfer wide receiver Jameson Williams. Defensively, Bama will look like a classic Saban unit with arguably America's top front-seven along with an experienced—and big—secondary.
<h3>Who will win the Heisman Trophy?</h3>
Forde: Spencer Rattler still has some proving to do after an uneven first season as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, but I’ll wager that he makes the necessary improvements and becomes the latest statistical monster in Lincoln Riley’s offense. The Sooners have a schedule built for success, and if Rattler stars in a potential showdown game against Iowa State in November in Norman, that and a playoff berth will give him what he needs to take home the little stiff-armer.
Dellenger: Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler tops my list here. I’m not really going out on a limb, right? Rattler is the prohibitive favorite at many sports books. But it’s tough to bet against the Sooners star. OU seems to be poised to have its best season under Lincoln Riley. The Sooners return more players than any of the CFP’s usuals. There are plenty of Heisman dark horses, though. How about D’Eriq King at Miami or Desmond Ridder with Cincinnati? Sam Howell at North Carolina is an intriguing name as well.
Johnson: Spencer Rattler. Don’t overthink it; he’s the best quarterback in the country, and he will be the first signal-caller to walk across the stage in April and shake Roger Goodell’s hand. But beyond his talent, it’s the way he goes about playing the position that will catch the attention of the nation and the broad Heisman voting base. His live-wire arm and freelancing outside the pocket will remind you of [insert favorite gunslinger here]. He’s got swag that pops whether the helmet is on or off, including arguably the best head of hair in college football. Oh, and his Oklahoma team isn’t half bad either. All are musts for a future Heisman winner.
Garcia: Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud. Believe it or not, a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback has previously won the award without having thrown a pass the year prior (Jameis Winston, 2013), so why not again? Like Winston back then, Stroud was able to sit behind a first-round NFL draft pick and veteran in Justin Fields, to provide the blueprint on how to navigate the pressure and plan under Ryan Day. The Buckeyes have been at their best under a true dual-threat quarterback and Stroud fits that bill behind a veteran offensive line and the best one-two punch at the wide receiver position, nationally, with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Stroud will also benefit from big games early in the season, from the opener at Minnesota to hosting playoff contender Oregon the following week. Penn State also comes to Columbus, so the transition year lines up well for Stroud.
<h3>Which Power 5 team will be the biggest disappointment?</h3>
Forde: Notre Dame <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/08/17/ncaa-football-schedule-2021-observations">has a deceptively difficult schedule</a>, playing five games against teams that have an open-date advantage on the Fighting Irish. Brian Kelly is counting on Wisconsin transfer quarterback Jack Coan, who was pretty good but not spectacular with the Badgers. There are holes to fill at receiver, offensive line and a few spots on defense. A four-year streak of double-digit victories could be in jeopardy.
Dellenger: Iowa State has found its way into most preseason top 10s. And while the Cyclones seem experienced and talented enough to pose a serious threat to OU’s six straight Big 12 titles, will they really contend? Preseason expectations for such programs often end in disappointments. The Clones get Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma State at home, but they’ve got the Sooners on the road in November.
Johnson: North Carolina. Big things are expected of the Tar Heels this season, but I’m not sure they have what it takes in the trenches to get where they want to go. Sam Howell has one of the best deep balls in college football, but if he’s not upright long enough to throw it, it might not matter. UNC’s offensive line was one of the worst in the ACC at season’s end, according to Pro Football Focus, and just because a team returns starters doesn’t mean those starters are good. Speaking of returners, this is where I should note what the Tarheels don't return: its top two running backs and top two wide receivers from last season. Howell alone can only take this team so far, and they might not yet be ready for prime time as Mack Brown & Co. continue to make waves on the recruiting trail. Good? Yes. Playoff dark horse? Chill out.
Garcia: Iowa State. There is more hype for the Cyclones at this moment than I could remember heading into a college football season, and for good reason. All-America running back Breece Hall is back and so is his backfield mate in quarterback Brock Purdy, so expect points when Matt Campbell's squad takes the field. However, the hype may be a tad too strong on ISU given CFP contender expectations. The schedule is back-loaded, as the program faces a hellacious final month of the season including a trip to Norman, but it's the second game that could send Iowa State into the "darling" arc. Rival Iowa, who ISU has not defeated since Campbell was hired, returns plenty of talent on its own end. Over the last three meetings, the combined margin of victory for Iowa has been just 11 points, so another close call could make or break the Cyclones’ perception.
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Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
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<h3>Which under-the-radar team will emerge as a surprise playoff contender?</h3>
Forde: Cincinnati shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after making a New Year’s Six bowl last year and starting this season in the top 10. But the Bearcats are from outside the Power 5 establishment, so they’re still swimming upstream in terms of full acceptance as a legitimate contender. Cincy has the talent, the experience, the coaching and—most importantly for a Group of 5 team—the schedule to make it happen. If the Bearcats can go undefeated while beating Indiana, Notre Dame and UCF, they’ll have the résumé.
Dellenger: USC. I know I know, you’ve heard this before. The Trojans haven’t felt relevant in years, though they squeaked into the Pac-12 title game last year. They return 16 starters, and QB Kedon Slovis is an under-the-radar Heisman contender. Clay Helton’s team also avoids Oregon and Washington during the regular season. It sets up perfectly for a second straight appearance in the championship game and, who knows, maybe a playoff spot on the line.
Johnson: The path (on paper) is simple for a Big Ten West team. Win that side of the league, then hope you can beat Ohio State in Indianapolis and go to the playoff. Wisconsin knows this plight all too well, given it’s exactly what happened in 2017. While the Badgers will need to prove that they can rebound from losing key secondary pieces heading into the season, there are reasons for optimism with quarterback Graham Mertz in his third season in Paul Chryst’s complex offense. If he can live up to the hype that comes with being the No. 3-ranked pocket passer as a recruit, then the Badgers could surprise people.
Garcia: USC. Finding a sneaky playoff contender begins with conference title aspirations, and USC was on the doorstep of the Pac-12 title in 2020 before falling to Oregon in the championship game. A rematch there would make a lot of sense, and if it happens, it would mean the Trojans' passing attack behind Kedon Slovis is as good as most anticipate it to be. The problem for USC on offense was balance, which Texas transfer running back Keontay Ingram looks to correct with his career 5.3 yards per carry to his name. A second avenue for sneaking up the polls is scheduling, and USC has the gift of no gauntlet this year. There is no marquee crossover game with the Pac-12 North and most bigger games are in Los Angeles. The only daunting road opponent, Notre Dame, comes as late in October (the 23rd) as any matchup since 1993, however.
<h3>Which coach will be on the hottest seat by midseason?</h3>
Forde: No need to even wait until midseason to put Nebraska’s Scott Frost there. He did that in Week 0 with <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/08/29/scott-frost-nebraska-running-out-of-time-turnaround-loss-illinois">the Cornhuskers’ error-ridden upset loss to Illinois</a>. With a nonconference game at Oklahoma and a closing stretch of Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa, he could easily be looking at a fourth (and final) losing season at his alma mater.
Dellenger: Let’s go with Nebraska coach Scott Frost, since the Huskers opened the season by dropping a smelly egg in Illinois. The school’s former quarterbacking hero can’t seem to show the necessary progress in Lincoln. He’s 12–21, has never advanced the team to a bowl and has lost twice as many conference games (18) as he’s won (nine). He’s got a new AD, too. And is <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/08/18/scott-frost-nebraska-ncaa-investigation-analysts-consultants">under investigation for possible NCAA violations</a>. It’s a recipe for a firing.
Johnson: Randy Edsall, UConn. The Huskies haven’t won more than three games in his three years at the helm during this second go-around as head coach (they opted out of 2020). If Saturday’s loss against Fresno State is any indication, UConn might be hard-pressed to beat any FBS opponent on its schedule—even UMass. Heading into that game, its seventh of the season, we should have a pretty good idea of which way the wind is blowing in Storrs.
Garcia: Scott Frost. Even before he dropped the season opener to Illinois, this seemed like the year Frost would have to prove it to Nebraska faithful. The roster is composed mostly of players he recruited through one of the worst runs the storied program had ever seen. Of course there's an eerily timed NCAA investigation linked back to Frost ongoing at the same time, ahead of midseason matchups against Oklahoma, Michigan State, Northwestern and Michigan in succession. The lack of winning (12–21 to date), offensive prowess and stability at the quarterback position—elements some expected to be a relatively quick fix after Frost's hiring in 2017—do not seem reversible any time soon.
<h3>Who will be the fall's biggest breakout player?</h3>
Forde: Texas running back Bijan Robinson will benefit from Steve Sarkisian’s arrival and will be plugged into a Najee Harris–like role for the Longhorns. With 20-plus touches per game running and receiving, looking for the sophomore to position himself for 2022 Heisman contention and high NFL draft consideration thereafter.
Dellenger: Penn State RB Noah Cain. A highly ranked member of the Nittany Lions’ 2019 signing class, Cain burst out as a true freshman, scoring eight touchdowns and averaging 5.3 yards a carry. Poised for a big sophomore season, he suffered a season-ending injury in the opener. Ahead of 2021, he’s healthy and ready to run again.
Johnson: Malik Willis, Liberty. At the controls of Hugh Freeze’s offense with a Charmin-soft schedule to run the score up before late season tilts against Ole Miss and Louisiana, Willis should dazzle. There isn’t a better runner at the QB position this season, although his passing consistency does leave a bit to be desired. If he makes strides through the air this offense could take an exciting next step. NFL draftniks have already started sniffing around Lynchburg.
Garcia: Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec. Every year there is a quarterback who lingers around and then takes his game to another level before the NFL falls in love with his skillset and it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see it coming for Jurkovec in 2021. The fourth-year passer has experience, classic quarterback size and a big enough arm to challenge a defense to all three levels, and he will be a part of one of the surprise teams in the country this fall. BC returns its entire offensive line, top passing threat in Zay Flowers and has a marquee replacement for departed tight end Hunter Long in FCS All-American Trae Barry. The Eagles matchup against Clemson on Oct. 2 in Death Valley will likely be a nationally televised chance for Jurkovec to showcase his next-level ability, and I see Boston College entering the game 4–0.

New on Sports Illustrated: 2021 College Football Crystal Ball: Playoff Picks, Dark-Horse Predictions and More

SI's writers go on record with how they think this season will go, from contenders to pretenders to the Heisman winner. After a small ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Colin Kaepernick, Garfield High and a ‘Bunch of Other Poo-Poo’

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/09/01/kaepernick-and-garfield-high-five-years-later-daily-cover">
How a high school football team felt the first forceful ripple effects of a knee taken five years ago today.
From 
</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kaepernick-Effect-Taking-Changing-World/dp/1620976757">The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World</a>, by Dave Zirin. Copyright © 2021 by Dave Zirin. Reprinted by permission of The New Press. All rights reserved.
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Illustration by Mateusz Kolek
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It’s been five years since that fateful moment, before a little-seen preseason game between the 49ers and the Chargers on Sept. 1, 2016, when Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem,srp in protest of police violence. The ensuing controversy, and the ways in which it provoked both national outrage and global solidarity, have been much discussed. But little has been said about the true “Kaepernick Effect”: the various ways that young athletes took the quarterback’s method of protest—kneeling during the anthem—and brought it to their own communities in order to spark discussions about racial inequities. Their efforts did not always go smoothly, and they often produced more heat than light. Here is one of those stories:
James A. Garfield High in Seattle is a place where you can feel the history thrum through the hallways. Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix were students here. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on the grounds. It’s always been a fulcrum of debate, culture and big-time high school sports. It makes sense that it was the first place in the country where an entire team took a knee. But it wasn’t all garlands and glory.
Garfield’s football coach at the time, Joey Thomas, was at the heart of what went down. He’s now coaching in Florida, and the first thing he said when we spoke recently was, “I saw in your email that you wanted to talk about Garfield High School and the process by which the team took a knee. What part of the process do you want to talk about? Do you want to talk about the part where they tried to fire me? The part where they tried to take my job away? The part where I finally resigned? We were the only school that unanimously did this. This came with a bunch of death threats and a whole bunch of other poo-poo.”
I did in fact want to hear about all the other poo-poo.
To understand what happened, you need to start by understanding that Garfield is a school deeply tied to coach Thomas’s life. He grew up in Seattle, in the Central District, the same neighborhood where Garfield resides. “For me, that is home,” he says. “I played at the University of Washington, later transferred to Montana State, where I was an All-America, and I went on to play five years in the NFL. I came home after I retired due to injury, and I went straight into teaching and learning. Yes, we won games, and yes, that’s phenomenal, but it’s about empowering the lives of the youths. Our greatest message to them is, ‘You are the future, but we have to grow you, nurture you and develop you mentally, so when you leave this program you can have a good foundation.’ School’s put in place not to educate. It’s to make you comply. So our job was to push back against that—educate kids and also listen to them. Kids are so much smarter than what we give them credit for.”
Coach Thomas’s thoughts about policing were formed by his own life in the Central District. “When you grow up and you’re 5 or 6 [years old], hey, the police are going to give you candy,” he remembers thinking. “You run to the police when things are bad. Hey, officer, I need some help. I think that wore off around fifth grade. There’s not one particular incident, but at that point you’re no longer naive that everything’s O.K. The sky is blue, the grass is green, the police are the police. This is how life is.”
The process that brought the Garfield football team to taking a knee and making national headlines began, Thomas says, with one player who approached him the day before a game and said, “Coach, this Kaepernick thing is crazy. Man, let’s take a knee.”
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Thomas nixed that; the team, he said, needed to have a conversation before they took such a step. Then the next week another player asked about Kaepernick, and that led to the squad having a dialogue. Says Thomas: “We talked it out. What was [Kaepernick] doing? Why was he doing it? What does that mean to them? A lot of the kids said, ‘I don’t quite understand it.’ So we talked about the national anthem’s third verse and what that third verse really means. I had them read it out loud and told them: ‘You tell me what it means.’ Young men always ask, ‘What do you think?’ but my job is to help them become critical thinkers, not think for them. I said, ‘What do you think? Let’s read it out loud until you have a greater understanding.’ Each individual came to the belief that, hey, when they’re talking about these liberties and justices, they’re not speaking about me.”
The third verse, never sung before sporting events, reads in part:
No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave
This was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/10/18/star-spangled-banner-racist-national-anthem/">in reference to the enslaved Black Americans</a> who, promised freedom by the British, escaped bondage and joined the British army in the War of 1812. The anthem’s writer, Francis Scott Key, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/10/18/star-spangled-banner-racist-national-anthem/">by many interpretations</a>, was taking triumphant joy in the deaths of the enslaved. (This “joy” may have been influenced by the fact that Key was himself a slave owner.) In the last two lines, Key takes a wrecking ball to irony by declaring that the escaped enslaved people killed on the battlefield while fighting for their liberation is further proof of the glory of the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” As journalist Jon Schwarz wrote: <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/08/28/colin-kaepernick-is-righter-than-you-know-the-national-anthem-is-a-celebration-of-slavery/">“Maybe it’s all ancient, meaningless history. Or maybe it’s not, and Kaepernick is right, and we really need a new national anthem.”</a>
The Garfield players, armed with this history, were ready to take that knee. Was Thomas nervous before they did it? He says, “No, I wasn’t—because, to be honest, I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. I don’t think anyone understood what lay ahead or what would come from this. I saw it as an educational opportunity, to stand by and support these young men as they grow and find themselves. I didn’t think it was a big deal. The kids felt like doing something righteous, and what type of educator would I be if I didn’t support that? They weren’t hurting anyone. It wasn’t damaging anything. It wasn’t disrespectful. It wasn’t harmful. I just saw that these kids strongly believe this. This is what it is. If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong, but I’m supporting my kids.”
The backlash against Garfield came from all corners. “We had death threats,” Thomas says. “The kids were told that they were never going to get into college. People said they would do everything they could to make sure they wouldn’t get in through admissions. I was called every name in the book. And my tires were slashed at my house. This is my home. My wife and kids are there. My residence! I had to move because people knew where I lived.”
The way Thomas describes it, the district, Seattle Public Schools, felt the backlash and wanted Garfield’s football team to stop kneeling. They blamed Thomas, he says, and he paid for it with his job. <a href="https://southseattleemerald.com/2017/06/14/cleared-of-recruiting-violations-garfield-coach-calls-investigation-into-question/">First they charged him with a bogus recruiting violation, of which he was quickly cleared</a>, and then the school tried to change his job title. Eventually, the harassment became too much and <a href="https://seattlemedium.com/coach-joey-thomas-leaves-garfields-football-program/">Thomas left the school to which he had dedicated so much of his life</a>. “They were definitely trying to force me out, one way or the other,” he says. (Representatives for Seattle Public Schools and Garfield High declined to comment.)
<figure><img height="413" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTgzNTQyNjgwNzYzMTE0NTM0/gettyimages-599673748-2.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>The knee that started it: Sept. 1, 2016, before a preseason game against Chargers in San Diego.
Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
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Now Joey Thomas is far from the place he called home, working at Florida Atlantic University, where he’s the receivers coach. “Obviously, the stance we took was unpopular,” he says. “Do I think it’s hurt me professionally? Without question. Was I hesitant to [talk about it]? Without question. But right is right and wrong is wrong. Am I still concerned about backlash at this point? Yeah, of course I am, because I already experienced it. It’s been shown to me what can happen.”
Thomas says of his players, “Everybody’s proud they did it, because we understand in hindsight that we were part of history. But it’s very important for people to understand: We didn’t know it was going to be like this. We didn’t plan on it being like this. We were just Garfield. We were just a high school in Seattle, standing for what we believed in. Before we knew it, we were in USA Today, the L.A. Times, Time magazine. ... Who saw that coming? The misconception was that we wanted the attention. Man, we didn’t ask for any of that. I sure didn’t ask to be catapulted to the front seat. But I think it was a comfortable narrative for people to push.
“Here’s the key: [Kneeling] was a student-led thing. But it was convenient for the powers that be to say it was coach-led, because then they’re able to give it a face. When it’s student-led, you can’t do that. And as a coach, you can’t do anything but support your kids. So, I think there was a conscious effort to deface what was going on and put a spin on it. In the end, that’s what cost me. But, hey, I would do it again. I’m always going to fight for what I believe in, but pushing what I believe was never the goal. The intention was to show these young men that they have a voice, that they are important, that they matter.”
Being attacked from all corners also brought the team and the school together. “Even though we did get support from everybody in our community, there was a long period of time when we were lonely and we were by ourselves,” says Thomas. “I think it’s always easier when people see other people supporting—they jump on the bandwagon. But there were some lonely days, some lonely weeks. Before it was popular to kneel with Kap, we were there. And, believe me, it was quite unpopular.”
Jelani Howard was part of that team. Seeing the gentrification taking place throughout Seattle—the creation of wealthy neighborhoods where he was clearly not wanted—was something that changed him when he was growing up. Like so many young people in what we could call “Generation Trayvon,” he hurtled toward becoming a changemaker when Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman. “That’s when I started realizing, Oh, this is actually real,” Howard says. “Before that, I never thought of police brutality or anything like that. That’s when I really opened my eyes.”
Howard has his own story about how Garfield made its small piece of history. “It all started,” he says, “because coach Thomas used to have these talks with us in the summer about what’s going on in the world, before we’d even go to practice or watch film. [Donald] Trump was running for office and we were talking about what was going on. Then, during preseason, Kaepernick took a knee, and after that game we talked about why he did it. That led us on to other conversations. We started talking about how other verses of the national anthem talked about killing slaves. It all started with conversations ... connecting it to what’s going on in the world.”
<figure><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kaepernick-Effect-Taking-Changing-World/dp/1620976757/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kaepernick+zirin&qid=1629754083&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow"><img height="902" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTgzNTQyNjgwNzYzMjQ1NjA2/pdf-of-the-kaepernick-effect-1.jpg" width="620" /></a></figure>
<h3><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kaepernick-Effect-Taking-Changing-World/dp/1620976757/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kaepernick+zirin&qid=1629754083&sr=8-1">Buy The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World</a></h3>
After the high schoolers took a knee, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/colin-kaepernick-on-the-national-anthem-protests-that-he-started-we-need-people-that-are-willing-to-take-a-stand/">Kaepernick spoke about it to The Seattle Times</a>, saying: “We have a younger generation that sees these issues and want to be able to correct them. I think that’s amazing. I think it shows the strength, the character and the courage of our youth. Ultimately, they’re going to be needed to help make this change.”
What made Garfield exceptional—and what caught Kaepernick’s attention—was that, as Howard remembers, “It was the whole team—even the managers and cheerleaders started taking a knee.” It all made national news, but that meant a national backlash. “At first we had a Facebook picture of our entire team. People would comment on it, saying nasty or disrespectful things. Then there was the one morning where [coach Thomas] didn’t show up and everybody was just confused. He finally got there like an hour late, and he told us that somebody had slashed his tires. That’s when everybody knew: Wow, this is real. People are really mad about us doing this.”
As for regrets, Howard says, “I have none. It’s something that I’ll always be able to tell my kids about. I did something I will always remember. ... Nobody thought that 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kids would be able to help lead a movement. I have no regrets because we had a motivation: We wanted to see social equality for everybody because we live in a society where, if you’re a person of color, you’re already on the back burner. If there’s a Black person and a white person who have the same college degree, same everything, that white person will make more than that Black person, just based on race. That just doesn’t sit right with me. I want to be able to change that for the next generation.”
Howard has advice for others thinking about stepping forward and speaking out: “You have a voice and you should use it and you shouldn’t be scared of what people will say or what will happen. There are people who went before us, who went through way worse things than we’re going through now.”
Once the football team took a knee, it spread to other sports at Garfield High. Janelle Gary was on the softball team that joined in. She had played on a select team growing up, and she remembers how an umpire once made a snide remark about her being one of the few Black girls on the field. She was only 10 at the time. “That is something I’ll never forget,” she says.
Police violence, too, was something Gary was made aware of at a young age. But it wasn’t until social media highlighted the killing of Martin—and highlighted other Black people who’ve been affected by racial violence and police brutality—that it hit home. “Actually watching the videos myself,” she says, “brought it into reality for me.”
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<figcaption>Five years later, Kaepernick's stamp can be found all across sports. Megan Rapinoe (far left) was one of the first adopters.
Ira L. Black/Corbis/Getty Images
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Gary and her team at Garfield decided to protest during the anthem in part because of the backlash the football team had taken—especially Thomas. “People were threatening him and his children,” she remembers. “We wanted to stand up by taking a knee. ... We wanted to show solidarity, not only with Colin Kaepernick, but also to support our football team—to show that Garfield believes in this together.”
She describes a team that “was the most diverse that made it to state; an inner-city school [that] had the most people of color,” and whose students and faculty are often on the front lines of social justice movements in Seattle. The softball team was united in its decision to take a knee.
“During [that first] game,” Gary says, “one parent was antagonizing us and making comments every time we went up to bat. That was a lot for us to take in, having parents from the stands yell at you. [Afterward, on] our lunch break, a bunch of parents from other schools found us and went out of their way to keep on yelling: ‘Shame on you, Garfield! Shame on you!’ No one asked why we were doing it. They just attacked us. It was really hard, at that age. We were very emotional. We didn’t think people would attack kids like that.”
If Gary could do it all over again, she says she would. “People say negative things to try to scare you, but if you’re able to persevere through that, like in the days of the civil rights movement, you’re going to see more change. They are trying to stop a movement, because they know how big it can become.”
Two years after kneeling during the national anthem, Gary and the Garfield softball team won the state championship. “I think that was our sweet revenge,” she says. “I did appreciate being the first inner-city school to win state.”
Gary also helped start an organization, New Generation, after the death of Charleena Lyles, a Seattle Public Schools mother who was shot and killed by the police. New Generation organized demonstrations and raised money for Lyles’s family, and the group worked closely with former NFL player Michael Bennett to make sure Lyles’s name wouldn’t be forgotten—“that people in our community know what’s going on,” Gary says.
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<figcaption>Among the bold first followers: the entire Indiana Fever, in the WNBA.
Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images
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Bigger picture, Gary ponders the political impact of Kaepernick and his protest, and she says: “Many people don’t like him, but you have to think that people didn’t like Dr. Martin Luther King or Malcolm X in their time, either, because they knew [these men] were starting a revolution. [Kaepernick] is getting people to talk, so you’re going to have people who love him and people who hate him. But I believe in 20 years he’ll be seen as one of the greatest. He’s given people hope. If it wasn’t for him, I really don’t think there’d be a conversation.
“Sometimes when you stick up for what you believe in, it upsets people. When they crack down on you taking a knee, or raising a fist, it shows they don’t want you to have hope. Especially being young, you need that hope to keep on going. ... I’m glad I experienced this all at a young age, so now I have a better understanding of what people are like. I’m glad we [knelt], and I’m glad we had someone like Colin Kaepernick to give us the courage to do that.”
<a href="https://www.si.com/tag/daily-cover">More SI Daily Covers</a>:
• <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/30/tales-of-tom-brady-forgotten-rookie-year-2000-season-daily-cover">Tom Brady's Forgotten Rookie Year</a> • <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/19/dak-prescott-cover-story-brothers-suicide-broken-ankle-mental-health-recovery">Dak Prescott's Heal Turn</a> • <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/18/the-falcons-depression-and-me-daily-cover">The Falcons, Depression and Me</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Colin Kaepernick, Garfield High and a ‘Bunch of Other Poo-Poo’

How a high school football team felt the first forceful ripple effects of a knee taken five years ago today. From The Kaepernick Effect:...

New on Sports Illustrated: Mets' Javier Báez Scores Game-Winning Run After Thumbs Down Controversy

<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/31/mets-fans-boo-javier-baez-first-at-bat-thumbs-down">
Báez scored the Mets final run to secure the victory two days after the thumb down controversy.
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Mets fans had no trouble voicing their displeasure with Javier Báez on Tuesday as the crowd at Citi Field rained boos toward New York’s infielder before his first at-bat of the afternoon.
Tuesday’s rude reception comes in the wake of a new scandal in Flushing. Báez was <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/29/javier-baez-gives-mets-fans-thumbs-down-to-boo-them">one of multiple Mets to flash a thumbs down</a> during Sunday's win over the Nationals, a gesture he explained later was directed at the fans for their booing.
Watch MLB games online all season long with fuboTV: <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/mlb/?irad=377812&irmp=2936331&sharedID=Newsletter/GuideUSA-SI-">Start with a 7-day free trial!</a>
"We're not machines," Báez said postgame on Sunday night. "We're going to struggle seven times out of 10. It just feels bad when I strike out and get booed, you know, it doesn't really get to me but I want to let them [fans] know that when we're successful, we're going to do the same thing to let them know how it feels."
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Báez and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/31/francisco-lindor-javier-baez-apologize-for-thumbs-down">issued an apology to the fans</a> on Monday following strong criticism from team owner Steve Cohen. But the apology didn't spare Báez from a hefty set of boos when play began.
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Báez did earn some cheers in the eighth inning as he trotted to first base after a hit-by-pitch. Surprisingly, he scored <a href="https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ/status/1432813666391502851">the game-winning run</a> to cap off a Mets five-run ninth inning to earn a victory against the Marlins.
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And while he could continue to receive boos for the rest of the 2021, he may end up in friendlier confines than Citi Field next season. Perhaps a warm reception in Chicago awaits him on Opening Day in 2022.
More MLB Coverage: 
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New on Sports Illustrated: Mets' Javier Báez Scores Game-Winning Run After Thumbs Down Controversy

Báez scored the Mets final run to secure the victory two days after the thumb down controversy. View the original article to see embedde...

New on Sports Illustrated: Young U.S. Players Find Transfer Deadline Day Relief

<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/31/usmnt-transfer-deadline-day-hoppe-richards-palmer-brown">
A number of players vying for time with the U.S. men's national team got their club situations clarified before the window shut for the summer.
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The vast majority of the U.S. men's national team's core players have their club situations settled, by and large. Save for Weston McKennie, whose future at Juventus was made clear by manager Max Allegri over the weekend despite a late round of reports that he could be headed to the Premier League after one season in Serie A, there's not much uncertainty surrounding the squad's nucleus as it preps for World Cup qualifying.
But qualifying is going to take perhaps a deeper pool of players than ever before due to its compressed nature and the unpredictability brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the virus's spread and its impact on travel restrictions, managers can only plan as best as they can while anticipating some personnel curveballs along the way. U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter took that into account when using two squads with little overlap for the Concacaf Nations League final four and Gold Cup this summer. But the needs could go even beyond the players who suited up for the U.S. over the last couple of months, which made tying up any loose club ends before the transfer window shut imperative for a number of players. 
It wound up being a relatively busy day, then, for U.S. international players abroad. Here's who secured moves that altered their club outlooks for the season, and perhaps beyond (with another move or two reportedly in the works prior to the deadline hitting, which will be reflected here if either or both come to fruition):
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTgzNTQyMjg4NTc4NzgyMjQ2/palmer-brown-richards-hoppe-usmnt.jpg" width="620" />
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Getty Images (1)/Sipa USA (2)
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Matthew Hoppe to Mallorca (transfer)
Hoppe, 20, secures a permanent move from Schalke, joining Sergiño Dest and Matt Miazga (<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/20/americans-abroad-usmnt-transfer-loan-richards-cannon-miazga-hoppe">a recent loanee to Alavés</a>) in La Liga. It's a unique move from a U.S. perspective for the forward, given the club's ownership. It's spearheaded by Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, and his group also includes former U.S. international Stu Holden and current Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash. For Hoppe, it gets him into a top-flight league following Schalke's relegation, which should allow him to build on the positive personal momentum he generated at the Gold Cup. Mallorca was promoted back to La Liga after last season, so there's always the danger of Hoppe, <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/02/16/matthew-hoppe-schalke-usmnt-daily-cover">who scored six goals for Schalke last season</a>, finding himself in a relegation scrap yet again, but the club is off to a 2-0-1 start to the season.
Chris Richards to Hoffenheim (loan)
Richards goes back to Hoffenheim, where he played regularly while on loan last season, after extending his contract with Bayern through the 2024-2025 season. It's encouraging for him on a couple of fronts, given the pathway to regular Bundesliga minutes he'll receive now and the vote of confidence Bayern has made in him for the future. The 21-year-old Alabama native and former FC Dallas academy product should have every opportunity to play his way back into the U.S. national team picture over the next six months and beyond, which is a valuable commodity for manager Gregg Berhalter considering the rotating depth chart beyond John Brooks at center back.
“We’re very pleased with how Chris Richards has developed with us, which is why we've extended his contract. Chris is a young player who will now gain further Bundesliga experience at Hoffenheim, which is exactly what he needs,” Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić said in a statement.
Erik Palmer-Brown to Troyes (loan)
Another center back a bit lower down on that depth chart is the 24-year-old Palmer-Brown, who was sent on loan from Manchester City (where he has never played) to another City Football Group club, in Troyes. There had been reports that Palmer-Brown, who has two senior USMNT caps but has been a staple at the youth level, was going to be joining the American crew being assembled at Venezia (which is under American ownership), but that never materialized. Instead, after two seasons on loan in Austria's top flight at Austria Vienna, he's off to Ligue 1, which now comes with the opportunity to face Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar a couple of times a season (Troyes, however, hosted PSG in its season opener, so only a trip to Parc des Princes remains later for Palmer-Brown in the 2021-22 campaign).
Jack de Vries to Venezia (loan)
This one is on the periphery of the radar given that de Vries, a 19-year-old Philadelphia Union homegrown midfielder who has sat out much of the MLS season after suffering a preseason concussion, will play for Venezia's Primavera (U-19) side and not the senior side that features <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/05/gianluca-busio-transfer-venezia-sporting-kansas-city-usmnt-tessmann">U.S. midfielders Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann</a>. 
More Soccer Coverage:
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<li><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/30/usmnt-world-cup-qualifying-weah-out-pulisic-training">Pulisic in Training After Contracting COVID-19, Weah Out Injured for USMNT</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/20/americans-abroad-usmnt-transfer-loan-richards-cannon-miazga-hoppe">USMNT's Miazga, Otasowie Secure Summer Transfers</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/08/30/us-soccer-president-cindy-parlow-cone-re-election">U.S. Soccer President Parlow Cone to Run for Re-Election</a></li>
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