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Five-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown, ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class, announced his commitment to LSU on Thursday, securing a seismic local recruiting win for coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers.

Brown, the 6-foot-5, 285-pound defender from Erwinville, Louisiana, announced his decision on “SportsCenter” from a ceremony at University Laboratory School, located on the LSU campus just 1 mile east of Tiger Stadium.

Brown chose LSU over Texas A&M, Miami and Texas following official visits with each program this spring. If Brown hangs on at No. 1 in the ESPN 300 and signs later this year, he’ll mark the Tigers’ first overall top-ranked recruit since Leonard Fournette in 2014.

“It’s something not a lot of kids from Baton Rouge get to do, honestly,” Brown told ESPN of his pledge to LSU. “Everyone wants to play at Tiger Stadium. I’m blessed to be going to play there.”

Despite home ties and the school’s proximity to Brown, LSU faced a tight, down-to-the-wire recruiting battle with SEC rivals Texas A&M to keep ESPN’s top-ranked 2026 defender home.

According to ESPN sources, Brown remained undecided between the schools as late as Wednesday night. Sources within both the Tigers and Aggies football programs remained optimistic Thursday morning before Brown informed each coaching staff of his decision shortly before his ceremony.

The first major program involved in Brown’s process, Texas A&M, carried its confidence into the late stages Thursday on the power of the program’s all-out recruiting efforts with the versatile, two-way lineman over the past two years.

The Aggies hosted Brown at least eight times after June 1, 2024, and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and his staff made routine trips to visit Brown across his sophomore and junior years at University Lab. Brown told ESPN that he developed close relationships with Aggies defensive line coaches Sean Spencer and Tony Jerod-Eddie over the course of his recruitment.

“We did everything we could,” a source within the Texas A&M football program told ESPN.

Texas A&M even appeared to pull ahead in Brown’s process last month. After an official visit with the Aggies, Brown posted: “Think this one close the book…” on social media on June 14 and temporarily canceled a planned trip to LSU set for the following weekend.

Brown later rescheduled the official visit with the Tigers from June 20-22, a weekend that ultimately swayed his decision to stay close to home and to join as the second five-star pledge in LSU’s 2026 class.

“They didn’t take it lightly,” Brown said of his late-June visit with LSU. “They laid everything on the table for me about what it’s like to be a Tiger, being there as a player for three or four years, but also in life after football. Staying home, all the resources and branding I can build for myself here, that made a lot of sense for me.”

Initially recruited as both a defensive and offensive line prospect before shifting his focus to defense this spring, Brown plays two-ways at University Lab. He has recorded 91 tackles and eight sacks over his past three varsity seasons, and Brown projects as a skilled defender capable of playing across the defensive line at the next level.

Set to become the Tigers’ first top-five signee since Harold Perkins (No. 4 in the 2024 ESPN 300), Brown now joins five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys (No. 10 overall) atop the Tigers’ 2026 class, which will rise to the cusp of the top 10 in ESPN’s 2026 class rankings upon his pledge.

Brown stands among 10 ESPN 300 recruits committed to LSU in the cycle. He settles in alongside defensive end Trenton Henderson (No. 61 overall) and defensive tackle Richard Anderson (No. 93), leading a defensive class that also includes pledges from safety Aiden Hall (No. 126) and cornerbacks Havon Finney Jr. (No. 72) and Dylan Purter (No. 223).

The Tigers could continue adding on the defensive line next month with four-star prospect Deuce Geralds, ESPN’s No. 2 defensive tackle in 2026, set to announce his commitment on Aug. 2. Four-star offensive lineman Darius Gray (No. 73 overall) remains another priority target for LSU.

Brown’s pledge leaves only four uncommitted recruits among ESPN’s 23 five-star prospects in the 2026 class, a group led by No. 1 running back Derrek Cooper (No. 7 overall). Tight end Kaiden Prothro (No. 19) is expected to become the next five-star off the board with the pass catcher set to announce a decision between Florida, Georgia and Texas on Saturday afternoon.

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Chourio hits IL, unlikely to return ‘anytime soon’

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Chourio hits IL, unlikely to return 'anytime soon'

WASHINGTON — The Milwaukee Brewers placed outfielder Jackson Chourio on the 10-day injured list Friday after evaluations of his strained right hamstring revealed more significant issues than expected.

Chourio was injured Tuesday while running the bases on a triple in the fifth inning. The move to the IL was made retroactive to Wednesday.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said the 21-year-old Chourio likely will require more than a minimum stay on the injured list.

“It won’t be anytime soon,” Murphy said before the Brewers’ series opener against Washington. “He was diagnosed a little more severely than we initially thought. To what extent, I’m not exactly sure. Nor are they. We’re just going to have to rehab it.”

Murphy said Chourio will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection.

Chourio is hitting .276 with 17 homers, 67 RBI and 18 steals for Milwaukee, which entered Friday with the best record in the majors at 64-44. He was replaced on the active roster by outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who the Brewers acquired Thursday from San Diego for pitcher Nestor Cortes, infielder Jorge Quintana and cash.

Lockridge, who hit .216 with five RBI in 47 games with the Padres this season, was inserted into the leadoff slot Friday against the Nationals.

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Yanks release Stroman with Gil return imminent

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Yanks release Stroman with Gil return imminent

The New York Yankees released right-hander Marcus Stroman on Friday, abruptly terminating the veteran’s underwhelming tenure with the club.

The Yankees signed Stroman to a two-year contract worth $37 million guaranteed before the start of last season and will eat the remainder of his $18 million salary.

Stroman, 34, has an $18 million vesting option for 2026 that would have triggered if he pitched 140 innings pitched this season, but Stroman, with 39 innings under his belt on Aug. 1, won’t reach that goalpost and will become a free agent this winter.

“Obviously, that was tough today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The perception around Stro for us, if you got to be around him the last couple of years, he’s an awesome competitor.”

Boone said Stroman took the news of his release like “a pro.”

“Had a good interaction with him,” Boone said. “I feel he’ll be a guy I’ll stay in touch with for the rest of our lives. Appreciative of him.”

In the end, Stroman, who is 3-2 with a 6.23 ERA in nine starts this season, was the odd man out of the Yankees’ rotation with Luis Gil scheduled to come off the injured list to make his season debut Sunday against the Miami Marlins.

As it stands, New York’s starting rotation will consist of Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Gil, Will Warren and rookie Cam Schlittler, who impressed team decision-makers enough in three starts since making his major-league debut on July 9 to convince the Yankees to pay Stroman to not pitch for them.

Stroman’s release also relieves a roster crunch with the Yankees adding four more players acquired before Thursday’s trade deadline to the roster: relievers David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird and utilityman José Caballero. The Yankees traded Oswald Peraza to make room for Caballero while right-handers Ian Hamilton and Yerry de los Santos were optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. Cutting Stroman opened the final needed roster spot.

Stroman’s brief time in the Bronx was turbulent. An All-Star with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, Stroman recorded a 4.31 ERA in 30 appearances (29 starts) for the Yankees in 2024 and didn’t pitch in a postseason game as New York advanced to the World Series. The Yankees, anticipating a starting pitching surplus, then attempted to trade him over the offseason but couldn’t swing a deal.

As a result, Stroman reported to spring training not projected to make the Opening Day starting rotation. Unhappy with the possibility, he scoffed at the notion of being a reliever upon reporting to camp for workouts two days later than the team expected. Manager Aaron Boone called the situation “awkward.” Injuries to Gerrit Cole and Gil over the following month, however, opened the door for Stroman to begin the season in the rotation.

The 11-year veteran was placed on the injured list with a knee injury in April, missing more than two months before returning June 29 to make six starts. His final outing with the Yankees came Thursday when he surrendered four runs on six hits across five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Stroman finished his Yankees career with a 4.69 ERA — the 11th-highest mark in the majors among pitchers who have logged at least 190 innings over the last two seasons. He can now sign with another club on a prorated minimum — approximately $230,000 for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Yanks’ newcomers implode in 13-12 loss to Marlins

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Yanks' newcomers implode in 13-12 loss to Marlins

MIAMI — Xavier Edwards hit a tying two-run single in the ninth, then raced home with the winning run on Agustin Ramirez‘s chopper in front of the plate as the Marlins rallied to beat the New York Yankees 13-12 on Friday night.

Edwards’ hit came off new Yankees reliever Camilo Doval (4-3), and Edwards beat the attempted tag at home on Ramirez’s fielder’s choice grounder. After Edwards’ single off Doval, Jose Caballero, also a newcomer, committed an error in right field, allowing the Marlins to tie the score.

The Yankees had won 79 straight games when scoring 10-plus runs, which was the longest streak in major league baseball since 2019, according to ESPN Research.

Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham each hit three-run homers that helped the Yankees build a 9-4 lead before the Marlins stunned New York with a six-run seventh.

Kyle Stowers hit a grand slam off newly acquired Yankees reliever Jake Bird, and Javier Sanoja hit a solo shot off David Bednar, another new acquisition. Ramirez singled twice, including a leadoff base hit and a go-ahead single that put the Marlins up 10-9.

Anthony Volpe then tied it at 10 with a leadoff home run in the eighth, and Bednar pitched a scoreless inning before Ryan McMahon‘s RBI single against Anthony Bender (3-5) in the ninth. Volpe, who had four hits, gave the Yankees a two-run cushion with a run-scoring double.

Yankees starter Carlos Rodon was lifted in the fifth after issuing his fifth walk. The left-hander shook his head as he left the mound, with his outing ending after he struck out nine and allowed two walks and four runs.

Rodon held the Marlins without a hit before Eric Wagaman‘s leadoff single in the fifth. Sanoja launched an opposite-field two-run shot off Rodon, and pinch hitter Liam Hicks drove in two with a single off Jonathan Loaisiga that made it 6-4.

Jasson Dominguez also had three hits.

Marlins starter Janson Junk went five innings and allowed six runs and six hits while striking out four.

The announced crowd at loanDepot park was a season-high 32,299.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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