LSU football lands 5-star tight end Ahmad Hudson

LSU football fans waiting for Lane Kiffin to make some noise on the recruiting trail in the 2027 cycle haven't had to wait long.

At the beginning of the year, the Tigers landed a commitment from top 20 defensive lineman Jaiden Bryant out of Irmo (Columbia, S.C.). On Sunday, they landed an even bigger prize, keeping one of the state's top players in Louisiana's home.

Ruston (LA) five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson announced his commitment to the Tigers, choosing LSU over Nebraska. afrikasportnews.co.za

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-6.5, 239-pounder is ranked as the No. 11 overall player in the 2027 class. The site ranks him as the No. 1 tight end and the No. 2 player in the state, only behind Elijah Haven, who committed to Alabama.

Hudson is a multi-sport star at Ruston, excelling as one of the state's top basketball players. He's averaged a double-double in each of his three seasons on the courts.

On the gridiron, he's proven to be a matchup nightmare.

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This year, he participated in the Navy All-American Bowl, one of the few underclassmen to play in the game. He was named the MVP of the Louisiana Division 1 Non-Select championship despite the loss, after catching six passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Hudson could be kicking off point for LSU's 2027 class

Expectations were high for Tigers fans when it was announced that Lane Kiffin was taking over the program last November.

A prolific recruiter, it came as no surprise that many expected the Tigers to once again be among the top five teams in the country in acquiring high school talent.

So far, though, that hasn't exactly been the case.

According to 247Sports, LSU's 2027 class ranks as the No. 33 class in the cycle. The Tigers have only five commitments to date.

Of their five commitments, three are homegrown talents who rank as four or five-star talents. Kiffin was able to keep a commitment from four-star quarterback Peyton Houston, who committed to the Tigers last September.Four-star athlete Braylon Calais out of Cecilia (Carencro, LA) announced his commitment to LSU on April 20.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ahmad Hudson commits to LSU, what it means for the Tigers

Roma hope Donyell Malen and Matias Soulé can get them within a point of Juventus and fourth place, as Fiorentina rely on Manor Solomon.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

This could be a big crossroads in the campaign, because as Juventus and Como were both held to draws, it gives Roma the opportunity to close within a point of fourth place and Champions League qualification.

Neil El Aynaoui is suspended, with Lorenzo Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson injured, plus Manu Kone, Zeki Celik and Bryan Zaragoza not at 100 per cent.

ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 15: Matias Soule of AS Roma gestures during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Como 1907 at Stadio Olimpico on December 15, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Paulo Dybala had been tipped for a return to the starting XI for the first time since January 25, making his comeback as a substitute in the 2-0 win away to Bologna, but he is again on the bench.

It’s barely been possible to see the front three of Malen, Dybala and Soulé start together.

TURIN, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Paulo Dybala of AS Roma celebrates a goal during the Serie A match between Torino FC and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on January 18, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Fiorentina are practically safe, but want one more push to be absolutely sure of escaping the relegation zone after a seven-round unbeaten Serie A run.

Their last two were stalemates against Sassuolo and Lecce, but Moise Kean, Roberto Piccoli, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey are all still injured.

Robin Gosens and Fabiano Parisi are back in the squad, but Albert Gudmundsson has to be a False 9 with Jack Harrison and Manor Solomon in support.

Roma vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Koné, Wesley; Soulé, Pisilli; Malen

Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Ndour, Fagioli, Brescianini; Harrison, Gudmundsson, Solomon

NEED TO KNOW

• Fernando Mendoza may skip the Indiana Hoosiers' visit to the White House
• The Las Vegas Raiders rookie has training camp on the same day, he told reporters
• Mendoza led Indiana to a national championship over the Miami Hurricanes in January

Fernando Mendoza is being mindful of the optics.

The rookie Las Vegas Raiders quarterback told reporters over the weekend that he’ll likely turn down the invitation to the White House when his former team, the Indiana Hoosiers, visit next week.

“If it is on the first day of OTAs [organized team activities], like I said, I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I gotta prove myself,” Mendoza, 22, said on Saturday, May 2. “I can’t miss practice.”

He added, “As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates and I don't know if that'd be accomplishing that goal.”

The Hoosiers, who won the national championship against the Miami Hurricanes in January, are scheduled to visit the White House on Monday, May 11.

While his former teammates make the trip, Mendoza will be getting acclimated to the league as he prepares for his first NFL training camp later this summer.

“Out of all those great milestones, I’m really happy about these past two days because it’s back to football,” he said. “Really enjoyed college, the Hoosiers were able to end off on a high point, now it’s back to the bottom of the totem pole.”

Mendoza added, “Yesterday I was like, ‘Wow, I have a lot to work on.’ Everyone here in rookie camp, these are all really, really good players, so I need to elevate my level of play when we go to OTAs next week and training camp.”

Mendoza’s absence in D.C. comes after he recently chose to deviate from another tradition.

Last month, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft stayed home in South Florida with family instead of attending the draft festivities in Pittsburgh.

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“Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and it’s a great venue, and I’m really excited to see all the guys or most of the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night,” Mendoza told Rich Eisen on SportsCenter three days before the draft. “However, my mom really wanted to do it at home and so did my parents, it’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation.”

When he was selected by the Raiders with the first pick, the quarterback embraced family members — including mom Elsa, who has multiple sclerosis — who had gathered together to celebrate the big moment.

Read the original article on People

Florida baseball won its first series since mid-April by taking a three-game set against the Oklahoma Sooners last weekend in Norman, two games to one. The triumph kept the Gators' SEC record above the .500 mark heading into the final two weeks of regular-season play.

The USA TODAY Sports Baseball Coaches Poll rewarded the Orange and Blue for its success against the Sooners by lifting the team in its rankings from No. 25 to No. 20, wedging Florida between the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 21 Oklahoma, which fell seven spots after the weekend's series loss.

Next up for Kevin O'Sullivan's squad is the final midweek matchup of the regular season against the North Florida Ospreys at Condron Family Ballpark on Tuesday night. They follow that up with their penultimate series of the 2026 campaign — and final home series of the season — against the Kentucky Wildcats starting on Friday night.

SEC schools in Baseball Coaches Poll Week 12

The Texas Longhorns are still the top-ranked SEC school at No. 4 overall this week, followed by the Georgia Bulldogs (No. 5), Auburn Tigers (No. 6) and Texas A&M Aggies (No. 7), rounding out teams in the top 10. The Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 11) slipped outside of that group and joined the Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 18), Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 19), Florida (No. 20), Oklahoma (No. 21) and Ole Miss Rebels (No. 23) among the remaining top 25.

No other SEC teams earned votes in this week's Baseball Coaches Poll.

Others Receiving Votes

Jacksonville State 58; Cincinnati 19; Oklahoma State 14; Miami (FL) 12; UTSA 6; California Baptist 6; Wake Forest 3; UC Santa Barbara 3; Kent State 3; Michigan 2; Liberty 1

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball moves up Coaches Poll after series win over Oklahoma