Why the defensive line will be a ‘strong suit’ for Michigan Football …

The Michigan Wolverines lost a lot of talent on the defensive line from last season, but head coach Kyle Whittingham believes the new-look unit will continue to be a legitimate strength of the defense in his first year with the program. betsport24.es

“We have felt really good about the depth up front on defense,” Whittingham told the media last week. “I feel like those guys have all really stepped up during spring football so the defensive line should be a real strong suit for us.”

Michigan experienced a massive overhaul on the defensive front, as edge rushers Derrick Moore, Jaishawn Barham and T.J. Guy, as well as defensive tackles Rayshaun Benny, Damon Payne Jr. and Tre Williams are all off to the NFL. However, the Wolverines have no shortage of top-end talent with defensive ends Cameron Brandt, Dominic Nichols and Nate Marshall, along with defensive tackles Enow Etta and Trey Pierce returning to a revamped defensive line room.

“Right now, I feel like we have five defensive tackles and five defensive ends that are going to be guys that we can win with, and that’s all you can really hope for,” Whittingham said. “If you have two-and-a-half guys, you have a good rotation.”

Not only does Michigan have a slew of returners on the defensive line, but also some skilled transfers that followed Whittingham from Utah to Ann Arbor in edge rusher John Henry Daley and defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea. The Wolverines also have some under-the-radar players that have stood out in spring practice and could carve out key roles this year, including defensive tackle Deyvid Palepale, and defensive ends Lugard Edokpayi and Benny Patterson III.

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“Jonah Lea’ea is a dog and Deyvid Palepale is just a beast. We’ve been seeing it in practice and everybody else is going to notice this year,” Pierce said. “Palepale is a freak athlete who puts his head down and just works at defensive tackle.”

The defensive line has been a strength of the defense in recent years, and it appears it will be once again in 2026. Led by a combination of explosiveness, experience and versatility, the defensive front should have a chance to be elite. The Wolverines also brought in one of the nation’s premier defensive assistant coaches in Lewis Powell. He has made an impression on his position group early on.

“He’s such a lovable guy and coach,” Brandt said. “He’s been getting after us on and off the field, making sure we’re doing the right things and attacking, and being competitive each day in practice. He’s been a great person to learn from.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m a bit older and see things differently now, but I made a big jump with the help of his coaching,” Nichols said. “He will always have your back, so it just makes you want to play harder for him. I’m a fan of coach Powell.”

Despite having a new cast of characters, the defensive line appears to be in good hands and could be even better than last season, where the Wolverines were among the nation’s best run defenses but struggled to create pressure at times. Michigan allowed 112.2 rushing yards per game (fifth in the Big Ten, 17th in the country), but the defense failed to pressure the quarterback consistently with a 6.17 percent sack rate, which was 12th in the Big Ten.

In order to continue to be a strength of the defense, but also improve on the weaknesses from last year, the Wolverines must generate more pressure, dominate opposing offensive lines and keep up the legacy of having elite defensive lines.

“Coach Powell says it every day that there’s just a standard when you come here to Michigan,” Brandt said. “For all of the guys that came here before us, it’s our chance to continue to step into that legacy and just carry that on.”

Bologna hope Santiago Castro, Jonathan Rowe and Federico Bernardeschi can mount a Europa League quarter-final comeback against Aston Villa.

It kicks off at Villa Park in Birmingham at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Fiorentina vs. Crystal Palace on the Liveblog.

The Rossoblu have a real mountain to climb after losing the first leg 3-1 at home, although as is often the case, the performance was far better than the result would suggest.

That was also the situation when losing here 2-0 in the Champions League last season and 1-0 earlier this term during the league phase.

Injuries continue to pile up, as Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga and Benjamin Dominguez are still out of action, with Jhon Lucumi suspended.

At least Martin Vitik returns from his ban, with Charalampos Lykogiannis back in the squad too.

Castro remains the only centre-forward available and is being run into the ground lately, flanked this time by Rowe and Bernardeschi, leaving Riccardo Orsolini on the bench.

Vincenzo Italiano’s men have lost only two Europa League games this season, and both were against Aston Villa, as they won their next five away fixtures in a row after that September 25 defeat in Birmingham.

ITALY – APRIL 12: Eusebio Di Francesco, Head Coach of US Lecce, gestures to his players during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and US Lecce at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on April 12, 2026 in Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Aston Villa won every single Europa League fixture except for a 2-1 away to Go Ahead Eagles on October 23, making them the hot favourites to lift the trophy, especially with Unai Emery as their coach.

Emiliano Martinez has shaken off a calf injury and returns to take the gloves.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, gestures from the sidelines during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Aston Villa FC and Bologna FC 1909 at Villa Park on September 25, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Jadon Sancho and Tyrone Mings are also carrying knocks, with Boubacar Kamara a long-term absentee, plus Ross Barkley and Alysson left off the Europa League list.

Juventus-owned Douglas Luiz is once again dropped in favour of Emiliano Buendia.

Ollie Watkins continues to lead the attack after his brace in the first leg.

ITALY – APRIL 09: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa scores his team’s third goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Leg One match between Bologna FC 1909 and Aston Villa FC at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on April 09, 2026 in Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Aston Villa vs. Bologna line-ups

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne; Tielemans, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

Bologna: Ravaglia; Joao Mario, Vitik, Casale, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Moro; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe

Ref: Sanchez (ESP)

Italian teams have shone in European competition in recent years. Current Serie A league leaders Inter have reached two Champions League finals in three seasons, while Fiorentina have two Conference League finals under their belt, and Roma have reached two European finals as well. However, it looks as though no Italian outfit will be reaching a final this term.

All four of the country’s Champions League participants were dumped out by the Round of 16, with reigning champions Napoli eliminated after the initial league phase and last season’s beaten finalists Inter shockingly beaten by Norwegian minnows Bodø/Glimt in the knockout phase playoffs.

It’s a similar story in both the Europa League and the Conference League, with just Bologna remaining in the former and Fiorentina in the latter. And both of them have mountains to climb if they are to reach the semifinals of their respective competitions.

Bologna and Fiorentina Have Mountains to Climb

Bologna were given a tough task when they were drawn to play tournament favourites Aston Villa, and the English outfit duly swept them aside by three goals to one in the first leg in Emilia-Romagna. Two-time finalists Fiorentina find themselves in an even worse position in the Conference League after also losing to a Premier League side, slumping to a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Online betting sites now make both English teams the clear favourites not just to progress, but also to end the season with continental silverware.

Popular betting outlet Ozoon sportsbook makes Aston Villa a 5/4 favourite to win the Europa League, while Crystal Palace find themselves in the same position in the Conference League. For Bologna and Fiorentina, a quarterfinal exit appears likely, and should that ultimately come to fruition, it would mark the first time in seven years that Italy hasn’t had a semifinalist in any European competition. So, what happened the last time around? Let’s take a look.

2018/19: Cristiano Ronaldo Unable to Bring Glory to Turin

The biggest news in the summer of 2018 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbuster arrival in Turin, with Juventus forking out €112m to sign the Portuguese legend from Real Madrid. CR7 was supposed to finally deliver the Champions League to the Bianconeri at long last, and because he had won the tournament in each of the last three seasons with Los Blancos, the possibility seemed very real. Shockingly, however, Juve wouldn’t even reach the semifinals.

Max Allegri’s men pulled off a stunning comeback against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16, overturning a two-goal first-leg deficit after Ronaldo’s stunning second-leg hat trick. However, in the quarterfinals, an upstart Ajax would continue their surprising march. The Amsterdam outfit had just knocked off reigning champions Real Madrid in their second round clash, eliminating Los Blancos from the tournament for the first time since 2015. And in the quarters, they would send Juve packing as well, winning 2-1 in the Allianz Stadium despite Ronaldo’s early opener.

But Juventus weren’t the only team to endure misery that term. Both Inter and Napoli would drop into the Europa League after finishing third in their UCL groups, then went on to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal, respectively. Roma did make the Champions League knockout round but were immediately eliminated in the Round of 16 by FC Porto. Milan would exit Europe’s secondary competition at the group stage, while Lazio were handily beaten by Sevilla in the Round of 32.

2015/16: Juventus Can’t Replicate Previous Season’s Heroics

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 01: Zinedine Zidane places the Champions League Trophy onto the plinth after the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Final match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid CF at Wembley Stadium on June 01, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

In 2015, three years before Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, Juventus reached the Champions League final, becoming the first Italian club to do so in five years. While they were ultimately beaten in the Berlin showpiece by a Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar-powered Barcelona, hopes were still high that the Bianconeri could build upon their shock run to the final. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case.

Juve would exit the 2015/16 Champions League at the Round of 16 after losing a thrilling two-legged tie to Bayern Munich. After a 2-2 draw in Turin, it looked as though the Italian giants would get the job done in the second leg in Bavaria, leading by two goals to nil with less than 20 minutes remaining. Then, goals from Robert Lewandowski and a last-gasp Thomas Müller header forced extra time, where the Germans would complete the comeback, winning 4-2.

Roma were also eliminated at the same stage, having been beaten 2-0 home and away by eventual champions Real Madrid. The Giallorossi’s eternal rival, Lazio, meanwhile, didn’t even reach the group stage after losing to Bayer Leverkusen in the playoffs.

That saw the Eagles drop into the Europa League. They would fare somewhat better in the continent’s secondary tournament, but ultimately fell to Slavia Prague in the Round of 16 after a shocking 3-0 home defeat in the Stadio Olimpico. Fiorentina also progressed to the knockout round of that season’s UEL, but their journey was also short-lived, losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 32.

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During a three-year stretch from 2010-13, starting at UFC 83 when he took back the welterweight title from Matt Hughes, Canada’s great champion Georges St-Pierre fought four consecutive fights in his home country. GSP effectively turned Canada into the hottest market in MMA during that time. At UFC 129, over 55,000 people filled the Rogers Centre to see St-Pierre defend his title against Jake Shields, which smashed the attendance record.

The love Canada showed to GSP was so dedicated, so utterly rabid that Dana White famously quipped that he’d take the UFC to the “Great North” every weekend if he could.

Yet since GSP retired in 2017 there’s been an organic, if un-Rushed search for the one to carry Canada’s hearts into the cage. Rory MacDonald, GSP’s young apprentice at Tri-Star in Montreal, had a good career, but he never snapped up the mantle. T.J. Grant disappeared from fighting at the moment he arrived to a title shot, and was last known to be working the potash mines in Saskatchewan. Jasmine Jasudavicius has done a fine job representing the Maple Leaf, but she falls more into the Patrick Cote “friend zone” with her country.

Then there’s Mike Malott, who will fight for the sixth consecutive time in Canada on Saturday when he faces veteran Gilbert Burns in Winnipeg. The 34-year-old Malott is not a champion, and in fact he’s not even currently ranked, yet he’s 6-1 since coming off Contender Series in 2021, and the love he receives in Canada is warm enough for the UFC to keep booking him there. In fact, when he walked out for his fight with Kevin Holland in Vancouver in October, the reception he received was for that of a star.

On this occasion, for the first time ever, he will be in the main event. That means a light drop.

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“Yeah, this is something I've been dreaming of since as a little kid,” he says. “I mean, even just getting to the UFC in general it feels big, right? Of course, my own goals and stuff, but I just can’t let it slip by without recognizing fighting in the UFC is something special, and to be the main event in the UFC is something even more special.”

Malott grew up in Ontario playing hockey alongside his brother, Jeff, who is currently a pro player with the Los Angeles Kings. Mike has joked that he ended up fighting because he “sucked at hockey,” yet it’s been a rewarding fall back. He began his journey all the way back in 2011 with his first pro fight in Halifax, and — after a hiatus in which he competed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments and coached at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California — broke into the UFC with a submission over Shimon Smotritsky on the Contender Series.

He's enjoyed every stop in between. He ran one-way traffic with Trevin Giles in Edmonton in late-2024. And when he knocked out “Chuck Buffalo” Charles Radtke at UFC 315 in Montreal last May, he couldn’t stop beaming.

It wasn’t only that all those months of training led to that result, it was that the Québécois got behind him with such passion.

“Man, I just love fighting in Canada,” he says. “My first two fights in the UFC were awesome. Getting a fight in Jacksonville was sweet. I loved that. And then fighting at the Apex was cool too, man. That was an awesome opportunity and great to get in there and get a win and cool to have had a UFC fight in the Apex, but nothing beats fighting in Canada for me. I love it.”

Now he draws a fight against the 39-year-old Burns, a one-time welterweight contender who has his back against the wall, looking to snap a four-fight skid. The old saying is that there’s nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose, and that’s where Burns is at in his career.

“To be honest, I don't have really any expectations for him,” Malott says of his counterpart. “You could make a case for, ‘Well, he might do this because he's in this spot, so he might fight more chaotic and desperate, might run at you. " Or maybe he might try to be more reserved? I don't know, man, only he knows that.

“But I know what I plan on doing. I know what I bring to the table, and I'm a lot more focused on that than I am on him. Just having my coaches and my training partners prepare me as best we possibly can. And I feel like we've prepared super well for this one. So I’ll just go in there and be free and be myself. And when I do that, like you said, I'm almost undefeated in the UFC.”

Almost. Malott’s lone loss in the UFC came against Neil Magny at UFC 297 in Toronto, a fight he was winning until he got caught with 15 seconds left in the fight. Had Malott survived the last few ticks of the clock, perhaps he’d have expedited into the kind of big spot he finds himself in come Saturday.

That is, headlining a Fight Night tailor-made for him.

“It kind of always feels that way, honestly, just because this is my journey, man,” he says. “I feel selfishly about fighting. Even when I was fighting in Jacksonville [at UFC 273], I’m like, yeah, sure, there's a main event for the fans [Alexander Volkanovski versus Chan Sung Jung], but for me, my fight's the main event. I'm focused on myself, so it's always felt like things are tailored for me because this is my journey.”

Maybe he’s not the next GSP, but as for headlining an arena show in Canada? In keeping the flames stoked up north? If any of the past five shows he’s been on in Canada have told us anything, it’s that Mike Malott will get a proper reception when the lights go down in Manitoba.

“What better time than now, being the main event and having an opportunity like this than to seize it?” he says. “That's what I’m here to do. I'm here to seize this opportunity.”

Lakers superstar Luka Doncic will be eligible for awards like MVP and All-NBA despite not meeting the minimum games played threshold.

Doncic and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons were both granted their extraordinary circumstances challenges, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Doncic’s exemption was related to the birth of his daughter in Slovenia in December, which caused him to miss two games and therefore fall a game short of the 65 needed.

Doncic ‘grateful’ for exemption

In a statement posted to social media, Doncic thanked the “the NBPA for advocating on my behalf,” “the NBA for their fair decision” and Lakers leadership for their assistance.

“It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there,” Doncic wrote.

“This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards.”

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What awards could Luka Doncic win?

Doncic, who remains sidelined with an injury, was rising in the MVP conversation before his injury, and he’s unlikely to unseat favorites like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić.

He will, however, make a solid run at being named to the All-NBA team.

He’s averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game this season.

The post Lakers’ Luka Doncic Will be Eligible for Awards After All appeared first on LA Sports Report.