Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers conform to extension; prime picks for a loaded Week 1 of faculty soccer

That is an article model of the CBS Sports activities HQ AM Publication, the last word information to each day in sports activities. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🏈 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

BRANDON AIYUK AND THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

It needed to occur, and it lastly has: Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension after a drawn-out and sometimes-testy offseason stalemate.

• At $30 million per 12 months, Aiyuk ties Tyreek Hill for the fifth-highest paid extensive receiver on common. He had been due simply north of $14 million underneath the fifth-year choice of his rookie deal. The deal consists of $76 million assured.
• All six extensive receivers at the moment making $30 million or extra yearly signed their contracts this offseason.
• Aiyuk, 26, is coming off a 75-reception, 1,342-yard season that earned him second-team All-Professional honors.

Given Aiyuk’s ability and the truth that the 49ers are bonafide Tremendous Bowl contenders, it made all of the sense on the planet for each side to get issues accomplished. Nonetheless, there have been many occasions when it appeared he’d be traded, and simply Wednesday, GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan had pointed words for Aiyuk, who would go on to sit out practice. Making issues worse, Trent Williams was (and nonetheless is) holding out, placing the standing of two top-tier gamers in query.

However now all is nicely, no less than relating to Aiyuk. Yesterday morning, earlier than the Aiyuk contract, I wrote about why getting this done was vital for San Francisco.

• Pereles: “His vertical skills added a component that made an already-outstanding offense traditionally good. Then add within the blocking, no small facet on this offense. Aiyuk earned Professional Soccer Focus’ fifth-highest run-blocking grade amongst extensive receivers. It is already exhausting to discover a extensive receiver pretty much as good within the passing sport as Aiyuk who can also be keen to dam. However Aiyuk is greater than keen. He’s wonderful.”

Here is extra:

• Here’s how the Broncos could have prevented the Steelers from buying Aiyuk.
• However there is a silver lining for Pittsburgh, Bryan DeArdo writes.
• Is Deebo Samuel‘s time with the 49ers nearing an end?

😁 Honorable mentions

😔 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Colorado rallies, holds on vs. North Dakota State

Simply while you thought you’d seen Travis Hunter do all of it, he does much more. The 2-way Colorado celebrity caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns because the Buffaloes opened their second season underneath Deion Sanders with a 31-26 win over North Dakota State.

Lots went unsuitable for Colorado — blown assignments, penalties, struggles working the ball and unusual teaching selections — however with Hunter and Shedeur Sanders (445 yards passing, 4 touchdowns) main the way in which, it was simply sufficient. It will need to be the Hunter and Sanders show all season long, Shehan Jeyarajah writes.

• Jeyarajah: “After virtually some other sport, Sanders would have been the most important story of the day. Sadly for him, Hunter was on the identical subject. Hunter rose to stardom one 12 months in the past after torching reigning nationwide runner-up TCU on each side of the ball in a 45-42 upset victory. In opposition to the Bison, he was even higher.”

Brandon Marcello talked with Hunter postgame as nicely.

Here is more from Thursday’s action, together with one other gruesome injury for Max Johnson and Bowling Inexperienced‘s home name on its very first play of the season.

🏈 Faculty soccer Week 1 picks, previews, greatest bets and extra

I couldn’t be extra excited. If I have been, I feel I might explode. The primary full weekend of the brand-new, conference-realigned, playoff-expanded faculty soccer season has arrived.

The schedule is absolutely loaded from the midday kickoffs Saturday till the tip of Labor Day, however we have now to begin at the beginning. The Atlantic Coast Convention could span all the way in which to the Pacific, and the Southeastern Convention could now have a Texas and Oklahoma twang, however long-time members will do battle to open the Saturday slate. No. 14 Clemson visits No. 1 Georgia on the Bulldogs’ dwelling away from dwelling, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Tom Fornelli’s Six Pack of best bets could not begin anyplace else.

• Fornelli: “The issue for Clemson is that whereas I’ve excessive hopes for it this season — I picked the Tigers to win the ACC — it is a troublesome matchup at a foul time. I’ve by no means been a fan of QB Cade Klubnik, and it is exhausting for me to belief him towards this Georgia protection. On the opposite facet, there’s QB Carson Beck and probably the greatest offensive traces within the nation. One of many few offensive traces on the market I imagine can mitigate the harm accomplished by the Clemson defensive position. … Decide: Georgia -13.5 (-105)“

Here is our full preview for that one.

That is removed from the one ACC-SEC matchup. We even have No. 19 Miami at Florida (preview) and Virginia Tech at Vanderbilt. The new era for both conferences begins with a bang, Dennis Dodd writes. Additionally on Dennis’ radar? A tough-to-gauge matchup between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M.

• Dodd: “First 12 months Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, a former Notre Dame defensive coordinator, is aware of lots about Irish quarterback Riley Leonard. They have been collectively final season at Duke. That is the second time since 2000 a head coach/QB who’ve performed collectively the earlier season confronted one another on totally different groups the subsequent season. Nonetheless ready for the best recruiting class of all time to kick in at A&M.”

Here is our full preview for that one.

OK, now let’s make you some cash … or no less than make you a wiser fan.

⚾ MLB playoff predictions, plus what number of dwelling runs will Aaron Choose hit?

I am declaring the canine days over. With the tip of the MLB common season only a month away, it is now a dash to the end. The standings are a jumble, with 4 of the six division races inside a handful of video games, and there is wild card madness lurking, too.

However no division has gotten as wild because the AL Central. For a very long time, the Guardians have been among the many greatest groups within the sport. However since late June, they’re underneath .500, and the Royals and Twins have made it fascinating. Matt Snyder breaks down the MLB’s best division race in his full playoff field prediction, and bear in mind, help could be on the way for contenders.

Talking of predictions, our MLB experts projected how many home runs Aaron Choose will end with. Mike Axisa says …

• Axisa: “There’s not a doubt in my thoughts Choose will hit 63 dwelling runs if teams pitch to him, which is not a given. … Choose is not getting a lot to hit as of late and he nonetheless has seven homers in these final eight video games, and 16 in these final 31 video games. He makes essentially the most of it each time he does get the chance to swing the bat. … I feel Choose breaks his personal AL single-season file. I will say he finishes with 64 dwelling runs.”

⚽ UEFA Champions League draw winners and losers, greatest video games

The new-look UEFA Champions League draw has arrived, and there are some scintillating matches across the league phase (now not group stage) to get us began.

James Benge has winners and losers from the proceedings, and on the suitable facet of issues is a squad that is been on the unsuitable facet of heartbreak many occasions on this competitors.

• Benge: “Winner: Manchester Metropolis — In journeys to Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Sporting there may be the odd fixture that can afford Pep Guardiola the possibility to bafflingly overhype his opponents. Twenty minutes in Phil Foden and Erling Haaland may have walloped in three or 4, Metropolis waving down imperiously from the highest of the league.”

Additionally among the many Cityzens’ fixtures are Inter Milan, Membership Brugge, Feyenoord, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava. (Sure, eight matches! It’s new and fun!)

Here is extra:

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

🎾 We’re watching the US Open. Here’s how.
⛳ We’re additionally watching the Tour Championship. Here’s how.

Friday

🏈 Lehigh at Military, 6 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community
🏈 Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 TCU at Stanford, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

🏈 No. 14 Clemson at No. 1 Georgia, midday on ABC
🏈 No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia, midday on Fox
🏈 Akron at No. 2 Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Colorado State at No. 4 Texas, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 No. 19 Miami at Florida, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Western Kentucky at No. 5 Alabama, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Braves at Phillies or Brewers at Reds, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Idaho at No. 3 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. on BTN
🏈 No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan, 7:30 p.m. on NBC

Sunday

🏀 Storm at Solar, 1 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Fever at Wings, 4 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Braves at Phillies, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 No. 23 USC at No. 13 LSU, 7:30 p.m. on ABC