Jackson Holliday, the No. 2 prospect in baseball, is on his way to Baltimore to potentially rejoin the Orioles, two sources with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.

The team has yet to announce a roster move, and it’s unclear when he could rejoin the club. The Orioles play Wednesday afternoon at Camden Yards before heading to Cleveland to face the Guardians for a four-game series beginning Thursday. Holliday was not in the lineup for Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday night.

Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, is hitting .271 with a .908 OPS in Triple-A this season. If he’s recalled, it will be his second stint in the major leagues after the 20-year-old struggled in his first MLB action, going just 2 for 34 with 18 strikeouts before being demoted.

The Baltimore Banner was first to report Holliday was on his way to Baltimore.

This story will be updated.

Old Dominion linebacker Jason Henderson was among 75 players named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list on Tuesday.

The award is presented to the top defensive player in the country chosen by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Henderson, a two-time All-American, led the country in tackles per game the past two seasons. He finished with 14.2 stops per game last season and 170 total tackles.

Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peeples, Virginia safety Jonas Sanker, Liberty linebacker CJ Bazile and safety Brylan Green and East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel also made the list.

Two W&M stars on Payton list

William & Mary left tackle Charles Grant, a former Churchland High star, and running back Bronson Yoder are among 35 players who have been named to the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list.

The award is presented to the FCS national offensive player of the year. Known as the Heisman of the FCS, it is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career.

Richmond wide receiver Nick DeGennaro also made the list.

Grant, who enters his fourth season as a starter, was one of only three offensive linemen to make the list. He ranked as the CAA’s top tackle in pass blocking efficiency last season and allowed just one sack on 334 pass-blocking snaps.

Yoder enters his final season ranked among the Tribe’s career top-10 lists in rushing yards (2,660, eighth), rushing touchdowns (25, eighth) and all-purpose yards (4,322, fifth).

DeGennaro led the Spiders with 71 receptions for 904 yards and tied a program record with 11 touchdown catches last season.

Liberty center makes Outland list

Liberty center Jordan White has been named to the Outland Trophy preseason watch list.

The award is presented to the top interior linemen in college football.

White, a native of Largo, Maryland, and a transfer from West Virginia, was an All-Conference USA first-team selection last season and helped the Flames finish No. 1 in the country in rushing offense (293.3 yards per game).

• Cardinal Gibbons High (North Carolina) offensive tackle Jack Sheehan (6-6, 310) announced Tuesday on social media that he has committed to Old Dominion.

Highlights include the swimming finals in the women’s 1500 free where Katie Ledecky is a favorite after winning gold in the event in Tokyo (2:15 p.m., NBC) and the U.S. men’s basketball team faces South Sudan (2:45 p.m., USA).

Wednesday, July 31

ARCHERY

8:05 a.m. EST

• USA — Individual: Round of 64, 32

8:45 a.m. EST

• E! — Individual: Round of 32

9:50 a.m. EST

• USA — Fencing, Archery

10 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Boxeo y Atletismo

BADMINTON

4:15 a.m. EST

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

BASKETBALL

11:15 a.m. EST

• E! — Basketball, Basketball 3×3

2:45 p.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Group C: USA vs. South Sudan

BASKETBALL 3X3

3:05 a.m. EST

• NBC — NBC Late Night (July 30)

6:30 a.m. EST

• USA — Pool Play

11:15 a.m. EST

• E! — Basketball, Basketball 3×3

3 p.m. EST

• E! — Pool Play

4:30 p.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s Pool Play

7 p.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

4 a.m. EST

• E! — Pool Play

6 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Voleibol de Playa y Clavados

9 a.m. EST

• NBC — Pool Play

4:45 p.m. EST

• USA — Pool Play

9 p.m. EST

• USA — Beach Volleyball, Shooting

BOXING

10 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Boxeo y Atletismo

CANOEING

1:45 p.m. EST

• USA — Slalom: Women’s Canoe Final

8 p.m. EST

• USA — Slalom: Women’s Canoe Final

CYCLING

7:10 a.m. EST

• USA — Final: BMX Freestyle

8:45 a.m. EST

• USA — Final: BMX Freestyle

DIVING

5 a.m. EST

• E! — Women’s Synchro 10m Platform Final

6 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Voleibol de Playa y Clavados

EQUESTRIAN

10 a.m. EST

• E! — Dressage: Grand Prix

FENCING

9:50 a.m. EST

• USA — Fencing, Archery

4:30 p.m. EST

• E! — Men’s Team Sabre Bronze/Gold Finals

FIELD HOCKEY

7:15 a.m. EST

• E! — Women’s Pool B: Australia vs. USA

GOLF

6 a.m. EST

• GOLF — Golf Central – Paris Preview

GYMNASTICS

11:30 a.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s All-Around Final

11 p.m. EST

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 31)

HANDBALL

6 p.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Group Play

ROWING

5:50 a.m. EST

• E! — Finals: Quadruple Sculls & more

SHOOTING

10 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Boxeo y Atletismo

9 p.m. EST

• USA — Beach Volleyball, Shooting

SOCCER

Midnight EST

• USA — Men’s Group A: USA vs. Guinea

11 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Fútbol PaBrasil vs. España
• UNIVERSO — Fútbol PaJapón vs. Nigeria

12:30 p.m. EST

• E! — Women’s Group B: Australia vs. USA

1 p.m. EST

• UNIVERSO — Fútbol PaAustralia vs. Estados Unidos

3 p.m. EST

• UNIVERSO — Fútbol PaColombia vs. Canadá

11 p.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Group B: Australia vs. USA

SURFING

3:05 a.m. EST

• NBC — NBC Late Night (July 30)

SWIMMING

5 a.m. EST

• USA — Heats: Women’s 200m Fly & more

10 a.m. EST

• NBC — Heats: Women’s 200m Fly & more

2:15 p.m. EST

• NBC — Finals: Men’s & Women’s 100m Free & more

11 p.m. EST

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 31)

TABLE TENNIS

6:45 a.m. EST

• E! — M&W Singles: Round of 32

TRIATHLON

2 a.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Final

10 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Boxeo y Atletismo

10:45 a.m. EST

• NBC — Women’s Final

VOLLEYBALL

8 a.m. EST

• UNIVERSO — Voleibol Masculino

11 a.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Pool Play

5 p.m. EST

• NBC — Women’s Pool Play

WATER POLO

1 p.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Group: Italy vs. USA

He is a six-time All-Pro selection, a Super Bowl champion and should be fitted for a gold Hall of Fame jacket when he retires. But because he is not ready for that step just yet, the veteran linebacker is embracing a very new challenge, leaving his comfort zone on the West Coast in Seattle to be a leader and mentor for the rebuilding Commanders.

“You just share your scars,” Wagner said. “A lot of things that you can’t learn from youth, you can learn from experience. So people that can give that knowledge and give that insight — things that I did my rookie year, my second year, third year — and try to have you avoid some of those mistakes. I think that’s probably the biggest thing.”

Even before playing a game in burgundy and gold, the coaching staff has noticed Wagner making an impact on teammates young and old alike. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the new face of the franchise after being taken with the second pick in the draft, is eager to pick Wagner’s brain, soak up some information and learn strong habits — and he is not alone in that desire.

“You just go to him to get some knowledge,” said defensive tackle Daron Payne, who’s going into his seventh NFL season. “Just a good vet guy that you can go to, talk to about anything.”

Coach Dan Quinn, whose first defensive coordinator job in the league came with the Seahawks in 2013, still remembers Wagner — then in just his second professional season — answering every question posed about what was being introduced.

Now, Quinn watches Wagner pull other players aside to point things out to discuss a type of coverage or concept and is proud of the 34-year-old’s evolution to this stage of his career.

“This is a rare competitor,” Quinn said. “When you look back on it, some of the people that mentored (him), now that’s a way to pay it forward. And so that’s one of the coolest parts of our game is when now you get to pass that along to the next one, and the very best players do that.”

Wagner learned from a young age from Seattle teammates Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman and took it a step further, talking to legendary linebackers such as Mike Singletary and Ray Lewis about how to command a unit. He believes he was blessed to have natural leaders around him and has tried to grow into that role.

“Those guys I had a chance to learn from, and when it was my opportunity, I try to take advantage of it,” Wagner said. “I think the middle linebacker position, always naturally you’re a leader because you call the plays, you have to relay the messages and you’re the one that tends to communicate the most in most cases.”

New general manager Adam Peters and Quinn did not sign Wagner to a contract worth up to $8.5 million to just be a teacher. He is expected to help transform Washington’s defense that ranked last among 32 teams last season as one of several new faces.

“It’s major, especially when you have a whole new defense,” defensive end Clelin Ferrell said. “It’s major having a leader like that, somebody who leads by example.”

That example is something fellow vets such as defensive tackle Jonathan Allen hopes is contagious, filtering down from Wagner to the rest of the roster.

“He just brings a winning presence, a winning culture the way he works every day,” Allen said. “And when you see a guy like that who I think is in year 13 — a first-ballot Hall of Famer — work as hard as he does, there’s really no excuse for anybody else.”

Here is a guide of what to look out for:

Ledecky looking to defend gold in the 1,500 freestyle

When the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle made its debut on the Olympic program in Tokyo three years ago, Ledecky won by more than a four-second margin.

This time it could be an even bigger margin.

Ledecky won her heat Tuesday by more than a half-lap ahead of Simona Quadarella of Italy.

The 1,500 final is scheduled for 9:13 p.m. CEST (3:13 p.m. EDT).

Ledecky’s only medal so far in Paris was a bronze in the 400 free.

The other swimming finals on Wednesday will be held between 8:30 p.m. CEST (2:30 p.m. EDT) and about 10:45 p.m. CEST (4:45 p.m. EDT). They include the women’s 100 free, the men’s 200 butterfly, the men’s 200 breaststroke and the men’s 100 free.

Triathlon questions

The men’s triathlon scheduled for Tuesday was postponed because of concerns about the water quality in the Seine River. It was rescheduled for Wednesday, when the women’s competition is also slated to be held.

But both will happen only if water tests show acceptable levels of E. coli and other bacteria. Friday is also planned as a backup date.

However, storms or rain are forecast Tuesday night through Thursday, which could complicate rescheduling because rain generally causes bacteria levels in the Seine to rise.

If Wednesday’s races do go ahead, the women will start at 8 a.m. CEST (2 a.m. EDT) and the men will start at 10:45 a.m. CEST (4:45 a.m. EDT).

Djokovic and Alcaraz back on the red clay

Still chasing the only big title he lacks after getting past longtime rival Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic faces Dominik Koepfer of Germany in the third round at Roland Garros.

Carlos Alcaraz, who won the French Open at the same venue last month, plays Roman Safiullin of Russia.

Gymnastics

The men’s all-around final in gymnastics is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CEST (11:30 EDT).

Football players Johnnie Barnes, Fred Freeman and Ed Tomlin and men’s tennis player Bruce Foxworth were the other inductees.

McCorory, a Bethel High product, won the gold medal in the 4×400-meter relay at both the 2016 and 2012 Summer Olympics and at two World Championships. She also won three NCAA titles while at HU.

Barnes was the most prolific receiver in Hampton history and went on to play four seasons in the NFL. He played for the Pirates from 1988-91 and finished as Hampton’s all-time leading receiver with 3,090 yards.

Freeman was one of HU’s most successful football coaches. He was head coach from 1984-91 and posted a 49-31-4 record.

The late Tomlin, whose son, Mike, is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach, played from 1965-67 and led the Pirates in scoring all three years. He died in 2012.

The late Foxworth teamed with Roger de Santis Guedes to win the 1976 NCAA Division II doubles championship. The Pirates also won the team national title that year. Foxworth finished with a 71-11 singles record and a 50-18 doubles record. He died in 2021.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 6. Tickets are available at www.hamptonpirates.com/hoftickets.

The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena on Tuesday night.

With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport, and among the best in the history of the Olympics.

The outcome — the Americans on top with the rest of the world looking up — was not in doubt from the moment Jordan Chiles began the night by drilling her double-twisting Yurchenko vault.

By the time Biles, the left calf that bothered her during qualifying heavily taped, stepped onto the floor for the final event — a floor exercise set to music by Taylor Swift and Beyonce — her fifth Olympic gold medal was well in hand.

The 27-year-old provided the exclamation point anyway, sealing the Americans’ third gold in its last four trips to the Games.

The Americans remain peerless (if not flawless, this is gymnastics after all) when at their best.

And over two hours in front of a crowd that included everyone from tennis great Serena Williams and actor Natalie Portman to Biles’ husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles left little doubt about anything.

Her status as the sport’s greatest of all time. Her ability to move past the “twisties” that derailed her in Tokyo. Her spot in the pantheon of the U.S. Olympic movement.

Three years after removing herself from the same competition to protect herself — a decision that changed the conversation around mental health in sports — Biles pushed her medal total in major competition to a staggering 38 and counting.

Yet her return to the Games wasn’t so much about winning. It was about a joy she had lost somewhere along the way.

It seems to have returned. She leaned into the crowd that roared at every flip, every leap and, yes, every twist. With her husband — on break from NFL training camp — waving an American flag while sitting next to her parents, Biles did what she has done so well for so long save for a couple of difficult days in Japan during a pandemic: she dominated.

Yet the 27-year-old hardly did it alone. Lee and Chiles were on the team that earned silver in Tokyo with Biles watching from the sideline. They navigated a series of setbacks both physical and personal to return to this moment and get the gold they so badly wanted.

And there they were on the biggest stage, Chiles doing all four rotations right next to her good friend Biles while doubling as the U.S.’s hype woman. Lee mixing her elegance with grit while dazzling on beam and uneven bars, her two best events.

Carey won the floor exercise in Tokyo, but did it with an asterisk of sorts. She’s earned her way in through a nominative process the sport’s governing body has since abandoned. She was with Team USA in Tokyo but not actually part of the official four-woman squad.

She vowed to write a different ending this time, and the Cheng vault she did on the first rotation scored a 14.800 — second only to Biles — to give the U.S. a commanding lead before Biles even saluted the judges.

The only real drama centered on who would finish next to the Americans on the medal stand.

About four hours before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, the Orioles acquired left-hander Trevor Rogers from the Miami Marlins for prospects Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers. Rogers will join a rotation that also added right-hander Zach Eflin, whom the Orioles acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Rogers, 26, had a 4.53 ERA and 1.528 WHIP with the National League-worst Marlins this season. In his first year of arbitration, Rogers is under control through the 2026 season — likely a significant reason the Orioles needed to give up both Norby and Stowers to acquire him.

Rogers, the 13th overall draft pick in 2017, broke out in 2021 with the Marlins to make his first and only All-Star team and finish second in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 2.64 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 133 innings. But he has yet to recapture that success since, recording a 4.92 ERA and 1.494 WHIP with fewer strikeouts than innings since 2022.

Rogers pitched only 18 innings last season because of a left biceps strain and a partial tear in his right lat. He struggled to begin this season but has been better recently with a 3.48 ERA over his past 10 starts. He owns a career 4.23 ERA across 80 starts.

“We think that he’s going to be a really good fit toward the middle, back part of this rotation,” general manager Mike Elias said on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network broadcast during the Orioles’ 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. “Fits in well with the group. He’s got a real live, sneaky arm, a lot of extension. He gets a lot of ground balls, and I think that from the left side is something we haven’t had in this rotation for a while.”

Rogers now gives the Orioles a rotation with five experienced arms, but he isn’t as flashy or dominant as other names on the market, including left-handers Blake Snell and Garrett Crochet. Ace Corbin Burnes will continue to headline the group, while Grayson Rodriguez, Eflin, Rogers and Dean Kremer round it out.

It remains to be seen whether Rogers or Kremer would slot in as the Orioles’ No. 4 starter in a playoff series, but this move appears to be more about getting to the playoffs in a healthy spot and looking to the future.

“We still have two months to play, too,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “So you’re hoping you stay healthy for the next two months, but we’ve had a few starters go down already this year. We’re always looking for depth and looking for guys that can help you. Hopefully, Trevor can.”

While Eflin and Rogers are not traditional top-of-the-rotation arms, they bolster a group that was in need of help. Burnes has been as advertised in his first year in Baltimore after Elias made the biggest trade of his tenure by acquiring the ace from the Milwaukee Brewers in February. And Rodriguez has been a solid No. 2 in his sophomore campaign.

But season-ending elbow injuries to starters Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells left holes in the Orioles’ rotation that Eflin and Rogers fill.

“I’m excited,” Hyde said. “Still have some time left, so it’s not the end. We’ll see what happens. To have [Eflin] the experience he brings, you saw what a pro he was [Monday]. With Rogers, incredible rookie year. And I know he’s had some injury stuff, but the last couple months have been really good. So hopefully those guys can both help us down the stretch.”

Orioles players barely knew the trade’s full details when they walked into Camden Yards’ clubhouse Tuesday afternoon. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who wasn’t traded at the deadline despite rumors he could be on the move, said he’s looking forward to watching Rogers pitch for the Orioles. His debut will likely come in Cleveland during the Orioles’ four-game series versus the American League-best Guardians.

“I think it’s a good addition to the team,” Mountcastle said. “You know, definitely gonna miss the guys we got rid of but, yeah, we’re excited.”

Cedric Mullins needed to ask lockermate Heston Kjerstad, whose locker is where Austin Hays’ was before the outfielder was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, to find out who the Orioles gave up for Rogers.

Mullins’ name was on the trade market, but the Orioles kept the center fielder who has hit better in recent weeks after he slumped in May.

“I’m just now finding out about the full details,” Mullins said. “All around solid. Stowers and Norby are going to get the opportunity that they’ve struggled to get here. … It’s always nice to see guys that you’ve been around get their shot.”

Norby, 24, and Stowers, 26, have both spent time in the major leagues with the Orioles and have proved they are too good for Triple-A. Norby, a second baseman who can play corner outfield, is a career .296 hitter with an .877 OPS in 227 Triple-A games. Stowers, an outfielder who can play all three spots, has hit .253 with an .870 OPS in 243 career Triple-A contests.

However, Baltimore’s position player depth made opportunities in the majors difficult to find for the pair. With Jackson Holliday likely the future at second base and Kjerstad and Colton Cowser already performing in the major leagues, Norby and Stowers found themselves on the outside looking in. Stowers debuted with the Orioles in 2022 and appeared briefly in each of the past three seasons. Norby made his MLB debut in June when Jorge Mateo was injured and rejoined the team last week when Mateo suffered another ailment.

“Part of the game, the unfortunate part of saying goodbye to people sometimes,” Hyde said. “I was just talking to Connor about being excited for him to get a really good opportunity. Hopefully have a great opportunity there to play and showcase himself as a major league player and Kyle in the same boat — guys that have really put really good numbers up and Triple-A and looking for an opportunity, and hopefully they get one in Miami.”

Stowers was once seen as part of the future in Baltimore after the Orioles selected him with their third pick in the 2019 draft — after Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. Norby, who Baseball America ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Orioles’ farm system, was drafted in 2021’s second round after Baltimore selected Cowser with its first pick.

“Many emotions right now but thank you to Baltimore for giving me a chance to grow and show what I can do,” Norby posted on social media. “I love this city, these fans, my teammates and coaches, and I loved every second of being an Oriole. My family and I are forever grateful Birdland.”

Cowser, along with many players in the Orioles’ clubhouse, came up through the minors with Norby and Stowers.

“Those are two of my better friends in this organization,” Cowser said. “On one hand I’m upset to see them go, but on the other hand, I’m really excited for them to get an opportunity. They’re gonna be great big leaguers, and they’re really good people and really good ballplayers.”

Kjerstad’s name was also in trade rumors. He’s had to grapple with the possibility that he’s traded to another team, and he’s come up with an interesting analogy to understand the deadline.

“It’s a transaction,” he said. “It’s like when you go to dinner and you buy a steak. You’re trading the steakhouse a $100 bill for the steak and you feel like you’re getting a good value, steakhouse says they’re getting a good value. So, that’s the way it is with teams.”

After the trade, the Orioles selected the contract of utility player Terrin Vavra, replacing Norby on the 40-man and active rosters. The 27-year-old Vavra, who made the Orioles’ opening day roster in 2023, is slashing .269/.377/.423 — good for an .800 OPS — in 31 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season.

“We’ve had some good days,” Odums said. “Guys are retaining information. This is the hardest week. That second week — pushing through, challenging themselves physically and mentally. But we’ve got a good spirit about ourselves. A lot of guys have been through this and have an understanding of how to prepare (and are) getting those younger guys up to speed with it. The tough camp is always your first camp. We’re here to schedule, we’re doing things the right way.”

After giving Norfolk State’s first practice a “B” grade last week, Odums said the Spartans are still hovering around that grade this week. He added the Spartans’ energy levels weren’t where they needed to be Tuesday, but execution-wise his team was trending in the right direction.

“There are some ebbs and flows to our energy levels,” Odums said. “That’s what we gotta get out of. We got to be excited. It’s tough during camp, but we got to be excited to be out here with a chance to get better.”

Slight position change for All-MEAC defender

Media members have been permitted to watch the last hour of two practices so far during fall camp. In both practices, redshirt junior linebacker Daylan Long could be seen working with the safeties.

Odums and defensive coordinator Steve Adams confirmed Tuesday that Long will be playing nickel for the Spartans this year.

“This is where he should have probably been at least last year,” Adams said. “But because of necessity, because when his brother (former NSU linebacker Tyler Long) transferred, we had to keep him there. We didn’t have any experienced linebackers because behind there were a bunch of freshmen.”

Long was named to the All-MEAC second team last year as a linebacker, starting 10 games and recording 41 tackles and three sacks. Of the 422 snaps he played on defense last year, 359 came playing in the box, while just 34 came in the slot corner position, according to Pro Football Focus. Long, who transferred to Norfolk State from Miami (Ohio) in 2022, has embraced the position change so far.

“My freshman year (at Miami), I was supposed to play that position anyway,” Long said. “But they needed me at the Will linebacker position. Then when I came here, they needed me at the Will linebacker position, too. So I just did what the team needed me to do. Now I’m doing what I wanted to do.”

Long said his skillset, specifically his speed, has made the transition to playing nickel natural thus far.

“He plays so aggressive,” Adams said. “When he sees that ball, his job is to trigger, and he’s going to trigger, and he’s going to fit fast. He’s just an instinctive player in that way. But then certainly, he can help us in space. … He just plays it at a different speed and he’s feeling really, really comfortable.”

Spartans sport deep linebacker room

Norfolk State’s linebacker room is one of the several position groups benefiting from increased experience in 2024.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Spartans had five linebackers log a total of 1,381 snaps in 2023. This year, Norfolk State returns all but one of those players and adds a few transfers, giving Adams plenty of cause for excitement about his defense.

“We didn’t lose one starter to the transfer portal,” Adams said. “We lost three seniors to graduation and then as a whole team, we lost five. … They’re buying into the process and we’re finally getting the roster and the locker room where it needs to be. In this game, it ain’t so much X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.”

Sophomore AJ Richardson played the most of any linebacker on the roster last year. As a true freshman, he led the team with 69 tackles and 11 tackles for loss, landing him in the top three of the MEAC in both categories. Richardson said he’s feeling confident about his development heading into year two as well as the depth the linebacker room will have this season.

“Experience is the best teacher,” Richardson said. “So with us being experienced, we’re gonna have a lot of guys that’s on the field that have played before and have been in those tough moments and know what to do.”

Richardson was an All-MEAC player last year and also earned FCS Freshman All-American honors. Long said Richardson “exceeded” his role last year and is so talented, he “has no ceiling.”

“He’s developed his body, he’s developed his mind and he’s developed his leadership,” Odums said. “So he’s gotten better in all areas. As long as he keeps doing that, we’re gonna be a good football team.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

PARIS (AP) — Sam Mikulak pulled Stephen Nedoroscik close and tasked the American pommel horse specialist with the impossible.

The U.S. men’s gymnastics team’s first Olympic medal in 16 years a solitary routine away, Mikulak told the pommel horse specialist that he didn’t need to go all out. That 80% would be good enough, even though Mikulak knew full well that Nedoroscik never does anything — from his sport to solving a Rubik’s Cube — at 80%.

“You have to trick yourself,” said Mikulak, a three-time Olympian turned coach. “You’ve got to make sure you don’t let all the noise get into your head.”

That usually isn’t a problem for the 25-year-old from Worcester, Massachusetts. It takes a certain type of single-mindedness to make the choices Nedoroscik has made for the last decade, when he essentially decided to dedicate himself to a single pursuit, focusing on an event that has long been a weakness for the U.S. men’s national team program.

Yes, there is monotony involved. How could there not be?

“I don’t know how I don’t lose my mind,” Nedoroscik said before the Games. “But every day I go into the gym and there’s still something to do. There’s still something to improve.”

Not anymore.

Proving a point

He drilled his set during qualifying on Saturday to earn a spot on the event finals later in the Games. But Monday night, things were different. Teammates Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda and Asher Hong had put together 17 straight routines without a miss, putting the Americans in position to reach the medal stand for the first time since 2008 in Beijing.

While Nedoroscik had some wiggle room — the U.S. had a fairly healthy lead after Juda and Malone hit their sets before Nedoroscik saluted the judges — he also didn’t want to merely hold on. He wanted to prove a point.

Not just to himself, but to those who wondered if he deserved to be there in the first place.

What followed were 45 seconds of sublime brilliance, with Nedoroscik’s hands traveling from one end of the horse to the other, his legs swooping this way, then that.

A few feet away, his four teammates — and the sizable contingent of US fans inside Bercy Arena — roared as a medal that seemed distant for a program that had finished a distant fifth in each of its last three trips under the rings — drew closer.

By the time Nedoroscik neared his dismount, he knew his job was complete. The celebration began before his feet even hit the mat.

All those years, all those reps, both physical and mental, all the difficult times when he wondered whether to keep going, all the quirks he’s developed along the way — from the non-prescription goggles he sometimes rocks to the chef’s kiss to the camera he occasionally makes — led up to that moment.

And he did not miss, delivering “the exclamation point” with a 14.866 to finish off a performance the U.S. men’s program hopes provides serious momentum heading into the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

“I kind of in that moment was like, ‘All right, let’s run it back and let’s go out there and do our thing,’” Nedoroscik said.

Filling a critical gap

A “thing” that has long been a sore spot for the U.S. in major international competition. The 2012 Olympic team topped qualifying. Then they led off on pommel horse in the finals and saw their medal hopes vanish one mistake at a time.

Nedoroscik understood the history. It’s one of the reasons he gravitated toward pommels. Another is the fact that it requires many things — stamina, strength and creativity chief among them — that he has in spades, particularly that last one.

He describes himself as a “late bloomer” on the event. Those early struggles only helped him press forward.

“Running into trouble on the apparatus early on taught me how to fight, how to stay on, how to really go for that routine,” he said. “And I think that that has stuck with me throughout.”

Unlike other events, which are painstakingly laid out and practiced on end for months if not years, pommel horse allows gymnasts to color outside the lines and make things up as they go on. Miss an element here? Well, maybe you can make it up trying something else later in the routine.

He says the end result is the feeling of “flying through the air,” though it’s more akin to levitation.

More work to be done

Nedoroscik will soar into the event finals Saturday with a chance to put another medal in his carry-on before he heads home. His 15.200 qualifying score tied Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan for the tops among the eight finalists.

He is ready to ride the wave as far as it will take him. Yet whatever happens on Saturday or for the rest of his life for that matter, it will be difficult to top Monday night, when the guy with the curly hair and the glasses that made him the kind of social media sensation only the Olympics provides struck a blow for his sport, his teammates and himself.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” he said while sitting alongside the group that became U.S. men’s gymnastics royalty. “I love you boys.”