The NFL is filled with gridiron legends who sacrifice their bodies every Sunday in pursuit of a Super Bowl championship. But even the game’s greatest stars aren’t invincible. On Monday, former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson revealed that he is battling ALS.

In an interview on Good Morning America, Johnson shared that he has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a progressive neurological disorder that destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, gradually affecting muscle control.

Johnson said there is no history of ALS in his family. Instead, doctors believe he has sporadic ALS, the most common form of the disease.

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“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” Johnson said. “My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.”

The diagnosis came as a shock to Johnson and his family. He first noticed symptoms last year when weakness developed in his right hand. Initially, his wife believed it was a pinched nerve stemming from his playing career.

“I first noticed weakness in my right hand,” he said. “At first, it was little things like my grip didn’t feel right and I wasn’t as strong as I’ve always been.”

Mighty Titan ‘CJ2K’ Johnson will battle

Those symptoms prompted Johnson to undergo medical evaluations, which ultimately led to his diagnosis. Despite the devastating news, he said he is determined to keep fighting.

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“Honestly, I don’t know if you ever fully process it,” he told Good Morning America. “At first, you’re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight.”

Johnson, once known throughout the NFL as “CJ2K,” remained in excellent physical condition after retiring from football. He told Good Morning America that he was still working out regularly and enjoying time with his family before his diagnosis. While ALS will undoubtedly change the course of his life, fans will always remember him as one of the most electrifying players to wear a Titans uniform.

The legend of CJ2K

Selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Johnson quickly became one of the league’s most exciting players. His blazing speed was highlighted by an official 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, a record that stood for years and helped launch an outstanding career.

After an impressive rookie campaign, Johnson delivered one of the greatest seasons by a running back in NFL history in 2009. He rushed for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns on 358 carries, earning the nickname “CJ2K.” His historic season also earned him NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and First-Team All-Pro recognition.

As Johnson begins his fight against ALS, he has the support of the NFL community, Titans fans, and football fans across the country.

Texas A&M landed a commitment from IMG Academy (Fla.) High’s prized receiver prospect Eric McFarland III on Sunday.

The blue-chipper chose to play for head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies over his other finalists in Georgia and Florida. Other programs McFarland strongly considered during his process included Ohio State and USC.

Ranked as the Rivals Industry’s No. 6 receiver and No. 37 prospect overall, McFarland adds to a Texas A&M class that was already ranked No. 1 nationally.

The 5-foot-8, 176-pound McFarland visited Texas A&M several times including the win over South Carolina last fall, twice in the spring and his official visit during the summer.

“What stands out about A&M is just the plan they have for me,” McFarland has said in the past. “How they treat me and how hard they recruit me.”

From offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins to DJ Marquardt, McFarland has great relationships with the staff and no program recruited him harder. He loves the trajetory of the program and the style of play on offense.

“I feel good about the whole staff,” McFarland told Rivals Adam Gorney. “We all connect well. You want to go to a winning program, you want to be a part of that and help the program. I feel like I’m a game-changer so I can be a big part of that.”

Rivals Director of Scouting Charles Power loves this pickup for Texas A&M.

“Diminutive playmaker who is electric with the ball in his hands,” Rivals Director of Scouting Charles Power said. “Measured at around 5-foot-8, 175 pounds prior to his senior season. Has outstanding speed in the combine setting, running in the 4.4 to 4.3 range. Primarily used as a slot wide receiver who is an extension of the running game. A threat to score every time he touches the ball. Has elite quickness and gets to his top gear in a flash. Uses his compact frame and contact balance to pinball off of tacklers. Dangerous in the quick game and on screens and end arounds. Not targeted downfield often, but shows solid tracking ability and reliable hands. Should project as a return man at the next level, as well.

“The focal point of IMG Academy’s passing game as a junior and looks like the best wide receiver in the program’s history after Carnell Tate. Competitive player who finds a way to make an impact in every setting. Finished his junior season with 29 catches for 595 yards and 11 touchdowns. Reclassified into the 2027 cycle prior to his junior season. Has a naturally limited catch radius given his size and has a much shorter average depth of target than most of his highly-rated peers. Will likely need to show he can win at multiple levels of the field to end up as one of the top wide receivers to come from the cycle, but has undeniable playmaking juice with the ball in his hands.”

Detroit Country Day tight end Anthony Cartwright announced his commitment to Oregon on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound four-star chose the Ducks over Michigan State, LSU, Stanford, Miami, and Michigan primarily although he had other offers to choose from.

Head coach Dan Lanning, offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, and tight ends coach Jack Smith all had a major part in recruiting Cartwright.

“The relationship that I have been able to build with the entire coaching staff, especially coach Lanning, coach Merhringer, and coach Smith has allowed Oregon to feel more and more like home every time I go out there,” Cartwright told Rivals. “From the moment they started recruiting me, it felt like nothing but family. The first conversation me and coach Drew had was probably close to two hours which still probably is the longest conversation I’ve had with a coach on their first time coming to see me.”

When Mehringer began that recruitment, he was the tight ends coach. His promotion to offensive coordinator was an important development in Cartwright’s recruitment.

“The fact that Coach Drew is the offensive coordinator now also played a huge role in my decision because the person who is now calling plays is the person that began recruiting me to be a part of the program,” Cartwright said. “And that is important to me because I am very familiar with the play caller, and I know that he’s going to set plays up so that everybody on the offense eats because he is one of the smartest coaches in college football right now, and it shows.”

Cartwright also plays baseball and basketball at Country Day. He is an excellent student who carries a 3.8 GPA in the classroom. He also played defense last season and played well on that side of the ball.

Oregon now has 21 commitments in the 2027 class.

Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.) four-star wide receiver Armani Strong has committed to Florida. He becomes the Gators’ first pledge in the 2028 recruiting cycle.

He chose head coach Jon Sumrall and UF over Miami and Florida State, among others.

Strong is the No. 210 overall prospect and No. 31 WR in the 2028 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 29 junior in the Sunshine State.

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The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder made his way to Gainesville for a camp and Florida’s “Grill in the Ville” recruiting cookout earlier this month. After spending some time around the new-look SEC program, Strong is making an early commitment.

Playing for one of the top high school football programs in Florida and the nation, Strong is gearing up for a huge junior campaign this fall. Rivals’ high school analyst Andy Villamarzo has more on Chaminade-Madonna Prep here.

This story will be updated.

The last time Nebraska signed a top-15 recruiting class was the 2005 cycle. There’s still over five months to go until the next National Signing Day, but it’s pushing to reach that height once again in the 2027 cycle.

The Huskers signed just 11 prospects last cycle, forming a class that ranked No. 93 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. There’s now 21 commits in their 2027 class, and as of June 27, that haul ranks 21st nationally.

Nebraska didn’t recruit its home state very well last cycle, but that could change in 2027. Omaha Central four-star safety Tory Pittman, the No. 50 overall recruit in the nation, opted not to waste time in his recruitment and locked in with the Huskers last summer.

“It means a lot to stay home and play for Nebraska,” Pittman told Rivals’ Greg Smith about his decision. “It gives me the opportunity to put Nebraska on the map. Get Nebraska more out there and get back to what Nebraska used to be.”

Joining Pittman at the top of the class is four-star quarterback Trae Taylor. Now the No. 2 QB in the Rivals Industry Ranking, Taylor has been committed for over a year and is one of the most vocal recruiters in the nation. He’s also set to transfer to Millard South in Omaha for his senior season.

“What also makes Nebraska special is their coaching staff is the most genuine, straight-up real coaching staff that I feel I’ve been around from the head coach to the recruiting analysts to the guy that shows me around on down to the professors I got to meet with and the kids on campus,” Taylor told Steve Wiltfong. “I feel like that’s the type of people I want to put myself around.”

The Peach State has also treated Nebraska well this cycle. There’s six prospects from Georgia in the class to date and three of them — four-star IOL Jordan Agbanoma, four-star safety Corey Hadley and four-star offensive tackle Timi Aliu — are top-25 players in the state.

The full pledge list for head coach Matt Rhule and Co. can be seen below:

Nebraska Commitments by Position

Quarterback
Four-star Trae Taylor, No. 38 NATL. (No. 2 QB)

Running Back
Three-star Amir Brown, No. 421 NATL. (No. 31 RB)

Wide Receiver
Three-star Tay Ellis, No. 677 NATL. (No. 83 WR)
Three-star Justyn Lindsay, No. 1,312 NATL. (No. 169 WR)

Tight End
Three-star Joey Hunter, No. 1,075 NATL. (No. 53 TE)

Interior Offensive Lineman
Four-star Jordan Agbanoma, No. 89 NATL. (No. 7 IOL)
Three-star KD Jones, No. 528 NATL. (No. 38 IOL)
Three-star Barrett Kitrell, No. 693 NATL. (No. 51 IOL)

Offensive Tackle
Four-star Timi Aliu, No. 268 NATL. (No. 22 OT)
Three-star Matt Erickson, No. 745 NATL. (No. 59 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Three-star Nehemiah Ombati, No. 430 NATL. (No. 46 DL)
Three-star Errol Demontagnac, No. 756 NATL. (No. 76 DL)
Three-star Jayden Travers, No. 772 NATL. (No. 78 DL)

EDGE
Three-star Ma’atoe Moe, No. 1,006 NATL. (No. 92 EDGE)

Linebacker
Three-star Caleb Green, No. 749 NATL. (No. 64 LB)
Three-star Eli Harris, No. 1,022 NATL. (No. 91 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star Bryce Williams, No. 331 NATL. (No. 38 CB)
Four-star Jailen Hill, No. 373 NATL. (No. 39 CB)

Safety
Four-star Tory Pittman, No. 50 NATL. (No. 3 S)
Four-star Corey Hadley, No. 159 NATL. (No. 11 S)
Three-star Brennan Drummond, No. 1,031 NATL. (No. 111 S)

June has brought hundreds of commitments. Texas has landed some of the biggest.

Another blue-chip pledge in favor of the Longhorns went public on Saturday as Garland (Texas) Lakeview Centennial four-star cornerback Montre Jackson chose the in-state SEC program over Ole Miss and SMU live on the Rivals YouTube channel.

“Texas separated itself by just being really consistent, just maintaining that relationship with me the entire time,” Jackson told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman about his decision.

Jackson, the No. 210 recruit and No. 25 corner in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, becomes the eighth blue-chip prospect to commit to head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff this month.

The Texas class now ranks 5th nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The addition of Jackson vaulted it ahead of Texas Tech and Florida.

Texas has elite defensive haul

When looking at the up-to-date Texas class, the slew of elite recruits on the defensive side of the ball stands out. A majority jumped in the boat this month.

On June 19, the Longhorns finally closed the deal and beat out Texas A&M for Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley Five-Star Plus+ cornerback John Meredith. He is the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect.

“They were keeping it real with me,” Meredith told Spiegelman about his decision. “I want to be the best DB in the world, and Texas will help me through it. I believe that Texas can do it.”

Eight days before, Texas went back out to the Golden State to land a pledge from Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon four-star defensive lineman Kasi Currie. The No. 5 DL in the nation, Currie chose Texas over Ohio State.

Mobile (Ala.) Vigor four-star EDGE JaBarrius Garror is a former Alabama commit who eventually locked in with the Longhorns one day after Currie. This week has now brought commits from Jackson, Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central four-star DL Tyler Alexander and Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson four-star safety Junior Tu’upo.

They join other blue-chippers like Arlington (Texas) Mansfield Summit four-star EDGE Cameron Hall, Brookhaven (Miss.) four-star EDGE Derwin Fields and Manvel (Texas) four-star safety Greedy James, who have been in the class for months.

Longhorns fighting to keep 5-star WR Easton Royal

Despite Texas’ hot streak, one of the biggest storylines in the recruiting world surrounds Texas Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver commit Easton Royal. The nation’s No. 6 prospect and No. 1 WR, Royal has been committed since Nov. 29, but he’s now taken official visits to LSU and Florida.

“It’s super tight,” Royal said of his ongoing decision when speaking with Spiegelman earlier this week. “But the dust is starting to settle.”

Royal is weighing his options, but as of June 27, he remains in the boat for Sarkisian and Co. He’s one of five blue-chip Texas commits on the offensive side of the ball, alongside Libertyville (Ill.) four-star tight end Brock Williams, Dallas South Oak Cliff four-star offensive tackle Brian Swanson, Chandler (Ariz.) Basha four-star running back Noah Roberts and North Forney (Texas) four-star WR Briceson Thrower.

The Longhorns are one of the hottest teams on the recruiting trail this summer.

Texas bolstered its top-10 recruiting class with another key piece on Saturday, as four-star cornerback Montre Jackson declared for the Longhorns on the Rivals YouTube Channel.

Texas has been leading the way with the in-state target from Garland (Texas) Lakeview standout since diving into his recruitment headfirst this spring.

The Longhorns check all of the boxes for Jackson.

“Texas just feels like a home away from home,” Jackson told Rivals of his decision. “I just love the city … it reminds me of Dallas.”

Jackson was one of the first offers extended after defensive coordinator Will Muschamp returned to Austin.

Position coach Mark Orphey has also been superb recruiting the Rivals Industry Ranking No. 25 CB in the 2027 class.

“What’s exciting me about being a Longhorn is being coached by one of the best defensive coordinators and a rising cornerback coach,” Jackson said of Muschamp and Orphey.

“Texas separated itself by just being really consistent, just maintaining that relationship with me the entire time,” he continued.

One of WWE’s biggest Premium Live Events of the year takes place today as Night of Champions heads to Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With multiple championships on the line, the King and Queen of the Ring Finals, and a blockbuster Undisputed WWE Championship Triple Threat Match, Night of Champions is expected to play a major role in shaping the road to SummerSlam. The event streams exclusively in the United States on ESPN Unlimited through the ESPN App, while international viewers can watch on Netflix.

How to Watch WWE Night of Champions 2026

• When: Saturday, June 27, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET
• TV Channel: ESPN Unlimited
• Live Stream: ESPN Unlimited (watch now)

The event marks the first WWE Premium Live Event to stream exclusively on ESPN Unlimited in the United States following WWE’s new media partnership with ESPN. Fans can also watch the free Countdown Show beginning two hours before the opening bell.

WWE Night of Champions 2026 Match Card

• Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn
• King of the Ring Final: Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso
• Queen of the Ring Final: Liv Morgan vs. IYO SKY
• Steel Cage Match: Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
• WWE United States Championship: Trick Williams (c) vs. Ricky Saints
• WWE Women’s United States Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill

The main event features Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat Match. The winners of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will earn championship opportunities at SummerSlam, making today’s finals among the most important matches on the card. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker settle their heated rivalry inside a steel cage.

– Live Stream WWE Night of Champions with ESPN –

Night of Champions has become one of WWE’s premier international events, and this year’s show carries significant championship implications heading into one of the company’s biggest events of the summer.

Fans in the United States can stream WWE Night of Champions live today with an ESPN Unlimitedsubscription through the ESPN App beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Live stream WWE Night of Champions on ESPN:Start your subscription now!

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Arkansas has been on a tear throughout the summer.

After hosting Lone Star State linebacker Bryce Breeden last weekend, his commitment is in.

Breeden committed to the Razorbacks on Friday, choosing Arkansas over Arizona, Purdue, TCU, and others.

“All the schools were pretty neck and neck from a football standpoint. When I took football out of it and looked at the whole picture, Arkansas is where I feel at home and will perform my best every day,” Breeden told Rivals of his commitment.

“When I got on campus, I felt like I was home,” he continued. “It’s a big town with a small-town feel. I fit right into the scheme and culture at Arkansas.”

Ryan Silvefield and the entire defensive staff made the Bridge City (Texas) defender a top priority.

“It’s a new staff that has only been there for a couple of months; they have a history of putting guys in the right spot and longevity,” Breeden detailed. “I’m trusting my plan they have for me for the next couple of years.”