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The spotlight has burned brightly on Bryce Rainer ever since he was a freshman. That year, he helped lead Harvard-Westlake High School to a CIF-Southern District Section Division I title, throwing a complete game in the semifinal of the tournament. The title was the second in school history, a history that includes future MLB stars Jack Flaherty, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito, among others.
Scouts have flocked to watch Rainer play for the past four years, but rather than wither under the scrutiny, he has thrived. He starred at the National High School Invitational earlier this spring and hit a career-best .505 during his senior season, while leading Harvard-Westlake to the CIF-SS final game. Though the stakes have continued to rise every year as he’s moved closer to being draft-eligible, Rainer has never let the pressure bother him.
“I really tried not to think about it too much,” he said last month at the MLB Draft Combine. “At the end of the day, it’s just a ranking. It doesn’t really mean much. You can rise and fall as easily as anyone else. I just think about it as playing the sport that I love, and if rankings come with that, with success, then that’s awesome.”
Rainer entered this season as one of the most highly regarded high school talents in the 2024 class, and he was the top high school player listed in Keith Law’s most recent top-100 prospects rating, coming in at No. 8. Law has Rainer going with the No. 7 pick to the St. Louis Cardinals in his latest mock draft.
His confidence in his abilities allowed Rainer to make a surprising decision after his freshman season. Rather than continue to play a two-way role for Harvard-Westlake, Rainer elected to focus on being a position player. He didn’t pitch at all his sophomore season and then threw only a handful of innings his junior and senior seasons. Though Rainer intrigued plenty of scouts with his 96 mph fastball, his prospect status only grew as he established himself as a smooth fielding shortstop with an above-average arm, a feel to hit and power potential from the left side.
But has he ruled out pitching altogether? Rainer has left that door open.
“It’s definitely something I would reconsider,” he says of the decision to stop pitching full-time. “I threw a little bit this year, but we just felt there wasn’t really a need to go out and throw a bunch of innings early on in high school.”
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MLB Draft Combine notes: Bryce Rainer not feeling the pressure, Jack Findlay returns
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The Las Vegas Raiders will be without their two best players in a game that will determine who gets the rights to the No. 1 overall pick next April.
The New York Giants will head west Sunday in a battle between two 2 and 13 teams — Big Blue currently owns the No. 1 pick but would forfeit it to the Raiders with a victory.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, ending his season. A few days later, defensive end Maxx Crosby was listed as out because of a nagging knee injury.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
Crosby, who said earlier this week he did not “give a s—” about the No. 1 pick, then left the team facility because he disagreed with his status for the remainder of the year, according to Fox Sports NFL reporter Jay Glazer.
Glazer said the Raiders wanted to shut the star defensive end down for the team’s final two games of the regular season, but Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the idea and left the facility. Crosby, a Pro Bowler in each of the past five seasons, has played in each of the Raiders’ 15 games this season and has recorded 10.0 sacks.
Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders sniffs smelling salts during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on Nov. 20, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. The Las Vegas Raiders won in overtime. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
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“I don’t play for that. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world,” Crosby told reporters Tuesday.
“That’s what I focus on every day, and being a great leader, and being an influence, and being that guy on a consistent basis for my team. The front office, the coaches, they do that. But that’s got nothing to do with me. I’ve learned that lesson in the past, you can’t control everything. That’s not my job description, my job is to be the best in the world at what I do.”
The No. 1 overall pick would give the Raiders a chance to select the top quarterback in the class, as Geno Smith doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer.
The Giants seem to have found their franchise quarterback in Jaxson Dart, which would likely prompt a trade back if they hold the pick.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/David Becker)
The Giants and Raiders play at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
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Bill Plaschke writes, “If the Trojans truly want to return to greatness, being selected for the CFP is the goal. Not beating Notre Dame. Not even beating UCLA.” That’s 100% wrong.
As a USC alum (1965) and longtime fan, those are the only things that do matter. I have often said that if USC beats UCLA or Notre Dame, the coach deserves another season. To give up this grand tradition in pursuit of the arguably artificial and profit-driven CFP would be an unforgivable sin.
Noel Park
Rancho Palos Verdes
A USC national football championship without playing Notre Dame rings hollow — an asterisked title, a meal that never satisfies, a taste you can’t quite wash away. It may shine in the record books, but it will always feel unfinished to those who know what real college football tradition demands. Earth to Lincoln Riley: an undefeated season is still a loss without playing the Fighting Irish. What’s next? If UCLA becomes competitive, then there will be no crosstown game?
Jeff Black
Los Angeles
So the Fighting Irish own a series edge of 53-37, have won 3 in a row, 7 of the last 8, and 11 of the last 15 games. Yet Bill Plaschke now claims that Notre Dame is running away from the series and is afraid of “Ole SC.” To paraphrase the late, great Jim Healy, Plaschke is on the Leonard Tose highway!
Jerome M. Jackson
El Segundo
Notre Dame is the Burger King of college football — always having it their way. From backdoor deals with the corrupt [CFP] guaranteeing a playoff spot if they finish ranked in the top 12 to refusing to join a conference so that they can pocket all bowl game money, the Irish are treated like college football royalty. Glad USC told the Irish toddlers they can’t have ice cream for breakfast!
Mark S. Roth
Playa Vista
“USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans …” A joint statement by the athletic directors of the two schools. Really? Fake news!
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
No USC-Notre Dame football game! Who’s next to be cut from the Notre Dame football schedule, Navy? Oh wait, the Irish can’t afford to drop Navy. That might hurt their chance$ at a playoff berth.
Ted Bartscherer
Pasadena
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Kyle Whittingham is the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football program with a reported deal coming weeks after the university fired Sherrone Moore for what officials described as an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer. Moore was later arrested.
Whittingham and Michigan agreed to a five-year contract, ESPN reported Friday.
He will take over for Biff Poggi, who was named the interim head coach after Moore was dismissed. Poggi made his case to take over the job in the last week.
Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watches the team warm up before a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Rice-Eccles Stadium Sept. 20, 2025. (Rob Gray/Imagn Images)
Whittingham will be the fifth head coach since Lloyd Carr retired after the 2007 season.
Whittingham announced earlier this year he would step down as the head coach of the Utah Utes after 20 seasons. He expressed interest in continuing his coaching career and quickly became one of the handful of coaches who were possible Moore successors.
Whittingham, 66, served under Ron McBride and Urban Meyer at Utah. He had been with the program since 1994, when he first started out as a defensive line coach. Michigan will be the second head coaching stop for him. He is 177-88 all time.
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Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium Nov. 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Michigan is considered one of the top football jobs in the country despite the scandals that have plagued the school in recent years. One of the biggest included a sign-stealing scandal that led to the suspension of Jim Harbaugh. Moore also served a suspension as part of an NCAA investigation.
Through it all, Michigan won the national championship behind J.J. McCarthy in 2023. The Wolverines were 15-0 that season, going undefeated for the first time since 1997 under Carr. The Wolverines won the national championship that year as well.
Whittingham will be called upon to right the ship that has been rocking for the last few weeks.
Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham, right, argues a call with field judge Matt Mills during the second half of a game at LaVell Edwards Stadium Oct. 18, 2025. (Rob Gray/Imagn Images)
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The Wolverines will play in the Citrus Bowl Dec. 31 against the Texas Longhorns.
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