Former NFL scout, Arkansas State DB Blaise Taylor found guilty of murder on Wednesday
Teddy RicketsonContributing writerWed, July 1, 2026 at 10:52 PM UTC·1 min readFormer Arkansas State defensive back and Tennessee Titans scout Blaise Taylor was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend and her unborn child on Wednesday, per ESPN.
The ruling follows a 2023 incident that led to Taylor's arrest in 2024. He was accused of poisoning his then-pregnant girlfriend, Jade Benning, in 2023. Taylor was suspected of having slipped cocaine into Benning's pink lemonade.
AdvertisementAdvertisementBenning was rushed to the hospital on Feb. 25, 2023, after Taylor called 911 claiming she was having an allergic reaction. She died on March 6, 2023, from the incident, and the fetus passed away on Feb. 27, 2023.
Taylor, 30, was found guilty on four counts. "One count of second-degree murder of Benning, one count of first-degree murder of an unborn child, one count of first-degree felony murder of Benning and one count of first-degree felony murder of the unborn child."
The jury is still deliberating what the sentence will be, with the possibility of Taylor spending life in prison without the possibility of parole.
When he was arrested in 2024, Taylor was working as a defensive analyst for the University of Utah. He had previously worked for the Titans as a scout for four years. Taylor spent his collegiate career playing defensive back for Arkansas State.
Cameras catches fan wildly celebrates his country scoring a goal
Now in the second year of their three-year Sacramento sabbatical, Athletics owners have stumbled upon an entirely new source of embarrassment in the crowd.
Whereas fans back in Oakland often held signs demanding the unpopular John Fisher sell the franchise, spectators at their temporary home in California's capital city are now cheering on another team in an entirely different sport.
As seen during the Athletics' 9-3 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, one Team Mexico soccer fan seated behind home plate began jumping for joy after 'El Tri' scored in their 2-0 World Cup win over Ecuador.
'Goal!' the man could be heard yelling, easily drowning out the other 12,386 fans in attendance at Sutter Health Park.
Dressed in a classic green Mexican soccer jersey, the individual repeatedly yelled 'goal' until his fellow spectators began cheering on his enthusiasm.
Throughout it all, the NBC Sports California broadcast remained in the moment, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the man's antics in any way.
Fan behind home plate goes crazy after Mexico scored a goal 😂 pic.twitter.com/AG1JmbCaxe
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) July 1, 2026
As seen during the Athletics' 9-3 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, one Team Mexico soccer fan behind home plate began jumping for joy after 'El Tri' scored
Mexico's forward #09 Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring his team's second goal with forward #16 Julian Quinones on Tuesday night at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
Although the A's have played six games in Las Vegas this year at a minor-league ballpark, the team won't open its new home in Sin City until 2028.
The team, which previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City, made enemies on its way out of Oakland, where fans became furious with Fisher's refusal to spend on free agents.
After several lean years, he was able to convince MLB as well as voters and officials in Las Vegas to approve the team's move to Nevada.
'What John Fisher did to baseball in Oakland is unfathomable,' baseball writer Sam Fosberg wrote on X last year. 'Cut off spending to move out.'
John Fisher, owner of the Athletics, announced in 2024 that his team would leave Oakland
Oakland Athletics fans hang signs at RingCentral Coliseum to protest the team's potential move to Las Vegas and to call for team owner John Fisher to sell the team in 2024
Fisher became a regular target for fans in Oakland, who were furious to lose the Athletics
For now, the A's are stuck in Sacramento, where they've gone a respectable 40-46 on the season despite a payroll that ranks just 25th out of 30 MLB teams. Second-year slugger Nick Kurtz has been particularly good, hitting 19 home runs, while leading the American League with 64 RBIs and 75 walks.
Meanwhile, rookie pitcher Gage Jump has made a strong impression, posting a 2.93 ERA over his first seven big-league starts. He was pitching for the A's Triple-A team in Las Vegas earlier this month and was at Louisiana State as recently as 2024.
As for Team Mexico, Tuesday's win over Ecuador in Mexico City sets up another knockout matchup at Estadio Azteca, this one against Team England on Sunday.
Four-Star Recruit Hayden Stepp Pulls Back the Curtain of Oregon Commitment
Four-Star Recruit Hayden Stepp Pulls Back the Curtain of Oregon Commitment
During his commitment to the Oregon Ducks, four-star cornerback recruit Hayden Stepp caught Oregon coach Dan Lanning by surprise. Caden Handwork|
In this story:
Oregon DucksThe Oregon Ducks have been on a hot streak on the recruiting trail this offseason. On Wednesday, the Ducks added two commits to their 2027 recruiting class, which provided a massive boost to the future of coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon football program.
One of those recruits was top-100 prospect and four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp, who committed to the Ducks over the California Golden Bears and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Stepp is rated as a four-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He is rated as the No. 61 player nationally and the No. 1 overall recruit in Nevada, per 247Sports, making him one of the best additions to the Ducks' 2027 recruiting class and Oregon’s future cornerback room.
Stepp made his commitment announcement on the Rivals YouTube Channel as part of the Summer Signing Day Special, and revealed that he played a prank on Oregon coach Dan Lanning when revealing his decision. Here's everything that Stepp said following his commitment to the Ducks' 2027 recruiting class.
What Hayden Stepp Said After Committing to Oregon
On Dan Lanning’s Reaction to His Commitment:
“I definitely had a chance to talk to him. I decided to play a little prank on him a little bit to make it seem like I wasn’t going there, but it was a cool reaction to see his he was turning red a little bit. The smile, it was great," Stepp told Rivals.
On If He Knew Tae Walden Was Committing to Oregon:
“I had a little bit of an idea at The Opening; he kind of talked to me a little bit. He was talking about how I had to slide to Oregon, so I had a little bit of an idea.”
What Type Of Player Oregon Is Getting:
"Just somebody who’s ready to work. I’m always going to compete; I’m just excited to be there, just put my best foot forward, and just be excited to work and just get the opportunity to play and just make plays for the Oregon family," said Stepp.
Oregon 2027 Recruiting Class Ranking
With the commitment of Stepp and four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr., the Ducks have made a massive jump in the recruiting rankings up to No. 4, per 247Sports. The Ducks have 23 total commits in their 2027 recruiting class, and three schools rank ahead of them: the Texas A&M Aggies (No. 1), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 2), and Miami Hurricanes.
Looking to put together their second straight top-five recruiting class, the Ducks are in great shape to accomplish that goal with Stepp’s commitment. With Stepp, the Ducks now have 17 blue-chip recruits, which include 15 four-star commits and two five-stars, per 247Sports.
The Ducks' 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 3 overall with 24 commits, per 247Sports. The teams ranked ahead of the Ducks included coach Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans (No. 1) and Kalen DeBoer Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 2).
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Published 1 minute ago
CADEN HANDWORKCaden Handwork is a beat reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. Caden graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism. He has previous experience writing NBA, NFL, MLB, and College Football content for FanSided as a Contributor. He is also written as a contributor for the Detroit Lions FanSided site, the SideLion Report. At Michigan State, Caden covered several MSU athletic events for Impact 89 FM, Spartan Sports Report, and Spartans Illustrated. He has covered Michigan State Basketball in the Champions Classic in Chicago and has covered Spartan Hockey in the last two NCAA Tournaments.
Home/Football
‘Jalen Hurts Is on Notice’
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Craig EllenportWed, July 1, 2026 at 6:53 PM UTC·3 min readPhiladelphia Eagles rookies and veterans formally open training camp on July 28. While it’s an opportunity to work on all three phases of the game ahead of the 2026 NFL season, fans and media alike will be hyper-focused on the offense — and quarterback Jalen Hurts in particular.
There’s a real glass half-full/half-empty feel to this team. On the plus side, the Eagles are the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles in two decades. On the minus side, after going 11-6 and losing in the first round of the playoffs, this team looked nothing like the 2024 version that went 14-3 before destroying the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter lingering speculation about a toxic on-field relationship between Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, the Eagles finally pulled the trigger last month and traded Brown to the New England Patriots.
Now that Hurts won’t be feeling the pressure to keep Brown happy with targets, will that outweigh the loss of having such a productive player in the lineup?
Time will tell. In five seasons as Philly’s starting quarterback, Hurts has consistently played well, yet his penchant to go off-script has occasionally frustrated head coach Nick Sirianni, and there remains a good-sized contingent of NFL analysts who are not ready to call Hurts an elite QB.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHe’ll be closely watched in 2026.
“Jalen Hurts is on notice: Do it their way,” said one rival scout. “The Eagles have sent several unsubtle messages to Hurts through the media. They want him to play within their system and not freelance. He has taken the high road so far.”
Those comments appear in the Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview magazine, which is available online and at newsstands nationwide.
Hurts completed 64.8% of his passes last season for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a passer rating of 98.5, adding 421 yards and eight more touchdowns on the ground.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHurts already has 63 career rushing touchdowns, third on the all-time list behind Josh Allen (79) and Cam Newton (75). Hurts has 10 career rushing touchdowns in the postseason, most among all active players.
Despite the success, it will be fascinating to see how he does this season without Brown. With DeVonta Smith still in the picture, he’s got a reliable No. 1 target. The receiving room was bolstered this offseason with additions of first-round draft pick Makai Lemon and veteran acquisitions Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown.
AdvertisementAdvertisementPerhaps the most important addition is the hiring of new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will be the team’s sixth offensive coordinator in Hurts’ now seven seasons as an Eagle (including 2020, when head coach Doug Pederson was the de facto OC).
Mannion has worked under three of the most respected offensive head coaches in the NFL for the last nine years; he was the quarterbacks coach the last two years for Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers. Over the previous seven seasons, Mannion was a backup quarterback playing for Kevin O’Connell’s Minnesota Vikings and Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams.
Even with all the attention on Mannion and Hurts, true success for the Eagles might come down to the performance of running back Saquon Barkley. After rushing for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, those numbers were nearly cut in half last season — 1,140 yards and seven rushing TDs.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“Saquon Barkley is a true impact runner,” the rival scout said. “They need a huge year from him.”
Related: Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview Magazine Now Available
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
