SnS MAG

By Laila Bassam and Enas Alashray

Aftermath of an Israeli strike in Lebanon's Bekaa valley

BEIRUT, Feb 21 (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed and 50 wounded in Israeli strikes in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, two security sources ‌told Reuters, after the Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah sites in the ‌Baalbek area.

The strikes on Friday were among the deadliest reported in eastern Lebanon in recent weeks and risk testing a ​fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah, which has been strained by recurring accusations of violations.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it struck Hezbollah command centres in the Baalbek area, part of eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

In a separate statement on Saturday, it said it had "eliminated several ‌terrorists of Hezbollah's missile array ⁠in three different command centres ... recently identified as operating to accelerate the organization's readiness and force build-up processes, while planning fire attacks towards Israel."

Hezbollah said on ⁠Saturday that eight of its fighters, including a commander, Hussein Mohammad Yaghi, were killed in Friday's strikes in the Bekaa area.

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CEASEFIRE BROKERED IN 2024

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024 intended to ​end ​more than a year of cross-border exchanges of fire ​that culminated in Israeli strikes that weakened ‌the Iran-aligned group. Since then, the sides have traded accusations of ceasefire violations.

U.S. and Israeli officials have pressed Lebanese authorities to curb Hezbollah's arsenal, while Lebanese leaders have warned that broader Israeli strikes could further destabilize the country already battered by political and economic crises.

Separately, the Israeli military said it also struck what it described as a Hamas command centre from which militants operated in ‌the Ain al-Hilweh area in southern Lebanon. Ain al-Hilweh ​is a crowded Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon.

Lebanese President Joseph ​Aoun condemned the overnight Israeli strikes on ​the Sidon area and towns in Bekaa as a "new violation" of Lebanon's ‌sovereignty and a breach of U.N. obligations, urging ​countries backing regional stability, ​including the United States, to press for an immediate halt to avert further escalation, the presidency said.

Hamas condemned in a statement the Israeli strike on Ain al-Hilweh and rejected Israeli ​assertions about the target, saying ‌the site belonged to the camp's Joint Security Force tasked with maintaining security.

(Addditional Reporting ​by Ahmed Tolba and Muhammad Al Gebaly in Cairo; Writing by Enas Alashray; Editing ​by Rod Nickel, Rosalba O'Brien and Alex Richardson)

ASSISI, Italy (AP) — The bones ofSt. Francis of Assisi, the medieval friar who inspiredPope Francisand generations of Christians before him, are going on public display for the first time, giving his hilltop Umbrian hometown yet another reason to welcome pilgrims.

Italy St. Francis

That's a mixed blessing for Assisi Mayor Valter Stoppini, residents and the Franciscan friars who are organizing the monthlong display of relics to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint's death this year.

Already, nearly 400,000 people have registered to pray before the relics and Stoppini estimates the number could well reach a half-million before the bones go back into their tomb March 22.

A small army of 400 volunteers have been recruited to herd them through the medieval city's cobblestone streets and into the lower Basilica of St. Francis to view the bones, which are held in a bulletproof glass box.

That will put enormous strain on the city's center, with its narrow souvenir-lined streets and limited services. But it will also test the patience of Assisi's residents, who are no stranger to mass influxes of pilgrims, but usually just for limited celebrations.

"We're used to this kind of event, but that lasts for one, two or three days," Stoppini said. "This is something prolonged, for a month, so I'm a bit worried, but calm."

A saint who inspired a pope and many more

As it is, Assisi is one of the world's most popular Christian pilgrimage destinations, located on a hill in the Umbrian countryside and built with a pink-tinged limestone that gives it its unique glow, especially at sunset.

Millions of pilgrims flock here each year thanks to the presence of St. Francis' tomb and the spectacular basilica, decorated with Giotto's frescoes illustrating the saint's life, that rises over it.

St. Francis was born into a wealthy family in 1182, but renounced his wealth to live as a mendicant friar after receiving what he said was a vocation to rebuild and reform the church.

He is best known for his message of peace, his love of creation and attention to the poor -- teachings that strongly inspired Pope Francis, the first pope to name himself after the saint.

While St. Francis' remains have been periodically inspected over the years by the Franciscan friars to ensure their conservation, this is the first time they are going on display publicly.

The decision to remove them from the crypt and welcome pilgrims for a month is a means to keep his message alive and give Christians a chance to pray before them, officials said.

Stoppini said a monthlong exhibition was the maximum he could ask of Assisi's residents given the strain on the city that already saw a massive influx of pilgrims in 2025.

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Assisi has a new saint, too

While Assisi is famous for St. Francis, a new saint is drawing a new generation of pilgrims:Carlo Acutis, who was canonized last year by Pope Leo XIV as the Catholic Church'sfirst millennial saint.

Acutis, who died at age 15 of leukemia, is buried in a different Assisi basilica, but his wild popularity especially among young Latin Americans has turned Assisi into a new religious destination for Catholic youth groups visiting Italy.

"When we go out onto the piazza, we find many people who ask us 'Where's Carlo? Where's Carlo?'" said Brother Marco Moroni, the custodian of the convent of St. Francis.

Last year alone saw a 30% increase in the number of pilgrims, though that was likely due to both Acutis' canonization and the Holy Year, which brought some 33 million pilgrims to Rome, many of whom also traveled on to Assisi.

"The beautiful thing is that saints don't go to war against one another, thanks be to God," he added.

"Many who come to the basilica go to see Carlo, and many who go to Carlo Acutis come to the basilica, creating an osmosis and a growing movement that does though create some problems for the city."

For the locals, religious tourism is necessary

For the souvenir merchants of Assisi, who make their living off religious tourists and pilgrims who flock to the picturesque town, a monthlong event is welcome.

"Other people will see what we see every day," with Francis' spirit imbuing the town, said shopkeeper Arianna Catarinelli, who works in a souvenir shop in the main drag of town leading to the basilica.

The shop features Assisi-emblazoned sweatshirts, pens featuring Acutis' photo, St. Francis-themed coffee mugs and neon rosaries.

"For residents, finding parking isn't easy. But for businesses, I think it's positive that there are so many people," she said.

To cope with the influx, city hall has created new parking lots outside the city center and runs a shuttle service to bring people into town.

Assisi resident Riccardo Bacconi, who works in a local bank branch, said he hoped the extra parking lots will be the legacy of the exposition that will continue to make life easier for locals.

Speaking after he went for a morning run Saturday, Bacconi acknowledged the town lives from tourism and anyone who chooses to live here has to put up with it.

"I don't judge it negatively, economically it's important," he said. "There are more advantages than disadvantages."

The eight friends found joy in the mountains, skiing together across the untracked powder of the hushed, pristine wilderness of California's Sierra Nevada – their close friendship standing out against a rugged, unforgiving terrain.

The trip had been planned well in advance: A three-day expedition that began at Frog Lake Backcountry Huts – a hard-to-reach but cozy oasis 7,600 feet high in the Tahoe National Forest area, accessible only by ski, snowboard or snowshoe.

The group – mothers, wives and passionate, skilled skiers – came from different parts of the country for a professionally guided backcountry tour over President's Day weekend. With four guides and three other people accompanying them, they glided on skis near the frozen lake and snow-capped cliffs, under the shadow of a ridge dotted with red firs and Jeffrey pines.

The biggest winter storm of the new year loomed over the picturesque mountains, meanwhile, as dire warnings from forecasters echoed on social media.

It was the last day of a perilous backcountry odyssey. And, as predicted, the blizzard arrived, delivering blankets of unstable powder. They were headed home when the fresh snow, light and soft, suddenly descended from the slopes as one of the most ferocious forces of nature.

"Avalanche!" one of them yelled.

Within seconds, a tsunami of ice, snow and debris the size of a football field careened downhill around them, thick enough to nearly bury a house, authorities said, citing the accounts of survivors.

"It overtook them rather quickly," Nevada County Sheriff's Capt. Rusty Greene later told reporters.

The first call for help was a silent text message from an emergency beacon, mobilizing a small army of rescuers dispatched from different directions.

"Medical for avalanche in the area of Castle Peak," a voice on a fire department dispatch channel said at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday.

"Nine to ten people buried, three others attempting to dig them out," someone said in the audio as emergency responders were heard coordinating search and rescue efforts, noting no air support was available because of the storm.

An hours-long fight for survival was beginning. Some members of the group dug desperately into the snow for friends and partners as the powder began to turn into a freezing, concrete-like crust.

Six of the close friends and three guides are among the nine people killed or presumed dead in theavalanche near California's Lake Tahoe- the nation's deadliest in 45 years. Six skiers survived and were rescued.

A grueling trek to reach survivors

Sisters Liz Clabaugh and Caroline Sekar were among the dead. The others were identified by their families as Carrie Atkin, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse and Kate Vitt. A spouse of a Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team member – who responded to the disaster – was also among those killed.

The families of the six women who perished said in a statement that they still have "many unanswered questions." The sheriff's office said it is investigating whether criminal negligence contributed to the incident.

"We are devastated beyond words," the families said. "Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women."

The families asked for privacy as they grieve a "sudden and profound loss." The friends – from Idaho, the Bay Area and the nearby Truckee-Tahoe region – were "passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains." They had trained for the backcountry, trusted their guides and carried and were familiar with avalanche safety equipment, according to the statement.

The bodies of the eight dead skiers remain on the icy mountainside because of the treacherous conditions, the sheriff's department said. One other person is unaccounted for and presumed dead, according to Moon.

"We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted," the families said.

Only two members of the friends' group survived, as well as a guide and two other skiers on the tour.

In the end, one man and five women made it out, taking cover for hours under a tarp – "doing everything they can" until rescuers onsnowcatsand skies could reach them, according to Greene.

Rescuers trudged through the heavy snow, combatting gale force winds under white-out conditions and mindful that another avalanche could potentially barrel down from above, Sheriff Moon said.

Rescuers were 2 miles from the skiers when their machinery got stuck, forcing them to ski the rest of the way until they reached the avalanche site around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff said. The survivors used avalanche beacons and iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services.

An emergency official communicated with a guide for more than four hours, relaying critical information to sheriff's deputies, according to Don O'Keefe, chief of law enforcement at California's Office of Emergency Services.

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Buried in an avalanche, few people are able to dig themselves out, according to experts. Within minutes, breathing creates an ice mask around the face. The snow eventually hardens like a concrete entombment.

If pulled out within 15 minutes, theUtah Avalanche Centersays, 93% of avalanche victims live. After 45 minutes, only 20% to 30% survive. Few make it after two hours under the snow.

Survivors assemble tent-pole-like probes and stick them into the snow in hopes of striking buried skiers, according to experts.

That Tuesday morning, they frantically poked through the hardening snow for their ski partners and friends. Eventually they dug out three people who were no longer alive, the sheriff said.

"Uncovering people who are deceased, that they know and probably cared about, is just horrible," Nevada County Undersheriff Sam Browntold CBS News.

A 'magical place' beset by tragedy

Kurt Gensheimer was on a three-night trip at Frog Lake Backcountry Huts and left Sunday, just hours before the moms and the other skiers arrived. They never crossed paths.

He had been there four times in the last four years and understood the pull of the dangerous yet beautiful surroundings.

"It's a magical place," Gensheimer told CNN affiliate KCRA. "It's one of the best places to backcountry ski in the country and Frog Lake Huts are the nicest amenities, possibly in North America, for backcountry skiing."

He considered the huts a safe place to ride out a storm but his group decided to leave before the blizzard.

"The discussion in the huts was, this is a big storm coming… It's going to be falling blizzard conditions. You either should get out by Monday or plan to be there till Thursday, Friday," Gensheimer said.

The tour company that organized the ill-fated trip, Blackbird Mountain Guides, said the tour leaderswere highly trainedand certified in avalanche education.

It was also aware of the avalanche danger.

On Sunday morning, the same day the group embarked on their journey, the company warned on Facebook of a big snow storm approaching and urged skiers to monitor to the Sierra Avalanche Center and "use extra caution this week!"

That morning, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued anavalanche watchthat was elevated to awarning at 5 a.m. on Tuesday: "HIGH avalanche danger exists in the backcountry.

The most dangerous time for avalanches is after a rapid snowfall, according to experts. Tuesday's avalanche wasclassifiedas a D2.5 on a five-level scale that measures the destructive potential of moving debris, according to Moon.

The allure of backcountry skiing endures despite the risks.

Nate Greenberg, who lives in the Eastern Sierra Mountains and said he survived an avalanche in 2021, advised against rushing to judgment. Backcountry skiing, he said, involves multiple "micro decisions."

Ian McCammon, an engineer and avalanche researcher, also stressed the difficult decision making process on the slopes.

"There's usually a lot more than meets the eye to those accidents," McCammon told CNN. "Once you start getting into the specifics, you start understanding. It's easy to say that the people are foolish, or it's easy to say that people have taken a lot of risks, but sometimes they're in situations where it's not obvious to see how they came to the decision that they did."

Sara Boilen, a clinical psychologist and backcountry skier in Montana who specializes on human factors in avalanche terrain, said: "We're all desperate to understand what happened."

"As a researcher, I want to understand so that we can deepen our sense of what is hard about decision making in the backcountry," she told CNN. "As an educator, I want to understand so I can help others learn. As a backcountry user, I want to strengthen my own decision making by learning from others. And as a human I want answers - how could something like this happen? And we may never get all of the answers. That's the thing about a wicked learning environment."

She added, "Imagine losing somebody you love and simultaneously losing the relationship you have to the place you go to feel better. So, when you lose somebody in an avalanche and the mountains are the place that you feel most whole, most alive, it's where you go for healing, what do you do?"

CNN's Nouran Salahieh, Elizabeth Wolfe, Chris Boyette, Cindy Von Quednow, Alisha Ebrahimji, Chris Dolce, Mary Gilbert, Martin Goillandeau, Chimaine Pouteau, Stephanie Elam, Diego Mendoza, Karina Tsui, Danya Gainor, Briana Waxman, Andi Babineau and Brad Parks contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Maybe it's the quarterback chaos or thelandslide of head coaching changes. Or because it's late February and many of the NFL's personnel departments already seem satisfied that the No. 1 overall pick in the draft is in the barn. Or maybe it's because the 2025 season produced a wildly unexpected Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, and an even moreunexpected Super Bowl quarterback winner in Sam Darnold.

Whatever the driving force, it's thrusting the usual sideshow of the NFL scouting combine — trade rumors,free-agencybuzz and clandestine general manager meetings — into the middle of the main stage. And with that, the college players who are taking their next big step toward draft positioning have become a subplot.

"It's going to be a wild offseason and it's going to start next week [at the combine]," one prominent NFL agent said this week. "There's so much more than usual with different veteran stuff compared to how guys are going to work out — and we have a good class of guys [in the draft]. All the quarterback things to figure out, some of the [veteran] defensive players — some of the young players that could be traded with the staff changes — there's going to be a lot going on. …

"I see you guys talking about storylines — when was the last time anyone checked in on what's going on with Lamar Jackson [and the Baltimore Ravens]? It's like that situation has gotten lost in all this noise. That's how crazy next week is going to be, though."

In fairness, Jackson's potential extension deadline — spoken into existence by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti in January — has been a prominent story over the past month. Indeed, it will crank up next week, with the quarterback and franchise having been in a contract talks window for several weeks by the time Ravens new head coach Jesse Minter and general manager Eric DeCosta meet with the media in Indianapolis. It's expected there will be some kind of temperature gauge coming out of the combine, with the front office and ownership wanting to sign an extension with Jackson and lower his $74.5 million salary cap hit in 2026.

Of course, Jackson is only one of multiple pressing maneuvers — or non-maneuvers — heading into the combine that will certainly drain some of the daily news thunder from draft prospects' workouts. Among the prominent:

• Who will be getting the franchise tag applied to them before free agency, with the biggest potential name being Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. As it stands, Dallas is expected to tag Pickens prior to the March 3 deadline and then either attempt to retain him or try to engage in a sign-and-trade scenario. With Pickens wanting to get to free agency and a likely $35 million average salary per season, there will likely be sparks in a tag scenario.
  

• Potential veteran trades, including Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and others. Throw in some young players who might get a call or two just to see if they are available on the trade market, including Buffalo Bills wideout Keon Coleman, Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Brian Thomas Jr., Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
  

• The future of Aaron Rodgers will be a pressing question for the Pittsburgh Steelers — at least as it pertains to the organization's other options and what kind of timeline there would be for a Rodgers decision. It's possible we exit the combine under the presumption that the Steelers are going to move forward and try to find their future QB, which would shift the Rodgers conversation back to the Vikings, whom he was interested in before landing in Pittsburgh last offseason.
  

• And finally, one very big nugget that has yet to be developed: How much interest there will be in Malik Willis in free agency and what the money could ultimately look like. The ballpark speculation in the agent community is some kind of two-year deal averaging $30 to $35 million a season with $40 to $45 million guaranteed. That would put Willis in position to go back to the table next offseason and negotiate a longer term deal that tacks on to the end of 2027 and extends his guaranteed money out into a three-year window through the 2028 season. There are varying opinions on the numbers and structure, not to mention the potential interest. Willis feels like the first big quarterback domino that has to fall in March to trigger a larger migration. If he were to land in Pittsburgh, that then puts Rodgers — if he still wants to play — onto the market for the Vikings or any other suitors. And once Willis is off the board, the teams that ultimately don't have him as an option will then have to reassess.

There's a sliding scale of a trade likelihood for all these players. Crosby's situation with the Raiders, from what Yahoo Sports has been told by league sources familiar with their talks, is still at a standstill — but also not unrepairable. Part of the Raiders' motivation is to see what Crosby's trade market looks like and also where he is at with the franchise in a new phase of a rebuild. The market will likely be the driving force here. If there is a solid offer of draft picks on the table, a trade seems more likely than not.

The same goes for Brown and the Eagles, although it remains to be seen what general manager Howie Roseman could engineer to fill his No. 1 wide receiver spot if there is ultimately an attractive offer available for Brown. It's highly unlikely the Eagles would move Brown and not have another player in the mix, so the combine's wide receiver workouts and other available players at the position could factor.

The Murray and Tagovailoa process is going to depend on suitors and money. Right now there are zero indications of an appetite to take on either Tagovailoa or Murray's remaining contract in a trade, let alone surrender any meaningful draft assets to make him a starter. That could change if the QB shuffling doesn't break right for some teams and desperation enters the scenario. Lest anyone forget, there was a market (albeit diminishing) for Russell Wilson the past two offseasons. So there can certainly be a market for Tagovailoa or Murray if a situation gets bad enough.

As for the young players, Coleman seems likeliest to be traded, given the comments of Bills owner Terry Pegula that essentially branded him as not being the front office's draft choice. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Coleman's trade value will be nothing more than a late pick at this stage. Even with his youth.

Thomas, Richardson and McCarthy are not expected to be officially on the trade block, but all three could garner some interest and calls. Thomas seems less likely to be dealt with the Jaguars moving Travis Hunter primarily to cornerback. McCarthy won't be dealt unless the Vikings are presented with a quarterback option that effectively renders any chance of him having a future as moot. And Richardson doesn't have much of a market, and will have only one year left on his rookie deal once his fifth-year option is ultimately declined. That doesn't leave much room to develop him for any interested franchise. But again, we don't know how desperate the quarterback field gets.

That's a lot of veteran questions and potential developments that will hang over the primary reason teams are in Indianapolis next week: To begin laying down the foundations of their draft boards for April's selection process in Pittsburgh. While the veteran news and ramp up to free agency will cast a long shadow in Indianapolis, it won't eliminate a litany of prospect-related storylines that will get rolling once workouts begin.

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Here's a look at some of those that will be worthy of watching.

The top of the wide receiver group

While it's not expected to be as top-heavy as the 2024 wide receiver class — which saw seven first-round picks at the position — the wideouts are considered a spot that is going to have depth and offer needy teams quality options potentially into the third round. The general consensus at this point is that four to five receivers could go in the first round. Most of the intrigue will be how the top of the class sorts itself between the trio of Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson and USC's Makai Lemon.

"I think you could see some [changes in that trio] between interviews, measurements and whatever work gets done," one NFC talent evaluator said. "The medicals, too — definitely the medical for Tyson. … And it depends how you want to use them in your scheme. Lemon, some teams might not like the size but others might love the versatility and how he catches it. How fast will Tyson run and some of the speed and agility things with Tate will be important. They're all good players, but there's definitely some of the [Travis] Hunter, [Tetairoa] McMillan, [Emeka] Egbuka [conversations from 2025] because they're not all similar players."

As it stands, Tate appears to stand out among talent evaluators as the most "clean" player from the threesome, in terms of the total package of consistency, health, size and production. But there's definitely curiosity about what his pure speed and agility will look like, especially alongside Lemon and Tyson. Some of those questions will be answered — if all three actually do full workouts at the combine, which isn't guaranteed. Beyond that trio, there will definitely be some gravity toward the next tier of WRs in Washington's Denzel Boston, Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II and Notre Dame's Malachi Fields, who all bring prototypical "X" receiver size to the table. The Bills will be an interesting team to watch with that group.

Quarterbacks not named Fernando Mendoza

For only the second time in 13 years, we could end up seeing only one quarterback selected in the first round. With the Las Vegas Raiders expected to take Indiana's Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, it's also trending toward Mendoza passing on everything at the combine and opening the floor for the rest of the class. That will be a solid opportunity for multiple players, including Alabama's Ty Simpson, Penn State's Drew Allar, Miami's Carson Beck, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and others.

It's simply not a great class when it comes to star power (that will come in 2027), but there could be a bit of developmental depth with some strong showings.

Even with the thin class, there is still plenty of quarterback need across the league — and that will point plenty of eyes in the direction of Simpson. He was a prospect with some solid draft heat near the midpoint of the college season, but red flags began to get raised as he got knocked around and turned the ball over later in the schedule and then suffered a rib injury that knocked him out of the College Football Playoff. Right now he's likely to land in the late first to mid-second round range, somewhat similar to how teams were looking at Bo Nix in 2024, and Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough last year. If Simpson can wow teams in interviews and put up a good workout, he can build momentum to move up the board and get a QB-needy team to expend a first-round pick on him. Already, you hear his name connected a lot to the Los Angeles Rams, who have the 13th and 29th overall picks.

As for the rest of the pack, it's unclear what Allar will be able to do at the combine due to an ankle injury that ended his 2025 season. He's the player with the size and easy arm strength, so he'll draw in someone believing they can home his considerable talent into consistent results. Same goes for Beck, who also has size and arm, but also some leadership and love-for-the-game questions that teams want to pick at in interviews. Not to mention some bad turnovers in important spots, going all the way back to his time at Georgia. Then there's Nussmeier, who some evaluators once believed could develop into a first-round pick, maybe even a solidly high one, before injuries derailed much of his 2025 college season. He'll be another player who draws plenty of eyeballs.

Defensive picks almost everywhere

It's a loaded class with edge players, with an onslaught at that position expected to end up packing the first round. While there's still a lot of work ahead, it wouldn't be surprising to see as many as eight edge rushers come off the board in the first 32 picks. A lot of the attention will go to potential top-10 picks in Texas Tech's David Bailey, Ohio State's Arvell Reese and Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. But there will be a battle to figure out the stack after that trio, with players like Auburn's Keldric Faulk, Missouri's Zion Young and Miami's Akheem Mesidor battling it out. Young is a player to keep an eye on. He had a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl and ended up as the game's defensive MVP, giving him a lot of buzz coming into the combine. But top to bottom it's going to be great draft for teams that need edge players and defensive line talent in general.

"It might be one of the deepest [edge] classes ever, especially through the top 50, 60 guys [in the entire draft]," an AFC general manager concluded. "There's all types of skill sets and body types that fit different needs, but the talent in general just very, very good. There's really not a Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa, but there's a half dozen guys who could become just good, core second-contract players for teams."

Beyond the defensive line, there's strength in the class of safeties and cornerbacks as well, with as many as a half dozen or more picks in the secondary likely to land in Round 1. And while safety isn't traditionally a position that sees multiple first-round selections, this will almost certainly be one of those years, with Ohio State's Caleb Downs, Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Oregon's Dillon Thieneman all having the profile to possibly land in the first half of the first round. That just doesn't happen. Downs in particular will be very intriguing. His résumé is the kind that he'd be an easy top-five pick if he played at a more premium defensive position — and there were times that some evaluators believed he could even be worth that kind of juice in this draft. The overall strength of the defensive class at premium positions is likely to push him down the board, but it's certainly not lost on front offices that so many of the NFL's best defenses now feature a dynamic safety like Downs. That could cement Downs higher on teams boards by April.

Alvin Kamara comparison builds for Notre Dame's Jadarian Price

The next running back after Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is going to be an interesting development to watch. Overall, the class isn't amazing and it's going to be dinged a bit by the free-agent class being so strong. There's no doubt that some teams want to see what Love's backup for the Fighting Irish, Jadarian Price, does in the workouts. As much as game tape matters, Price could have transferred elsewhere for the 2025 college football season and doubled his touches while positioning himself to challenge Love as this year's top running back. Now he comes into the draft with less wear and tear but also some curiosity about whether he can be a centerpiece starter and also catch the ball consistently out of the backfield. His workouts will matter, especially as it pertains to his receiving ability. If he can showcase that and put up the type of athletic numbers that some think he can, there will likely be more Alvin Kamara comparisons to follow. As of now, I'm not sure how that framing works without the receiving end of his game being more proven.

TE Kenyon Sadiq a talent evaluating mystery

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is going to be interesting. Some evaluators like him as almost a hybrid running back/wide receiver if he fits into the right scheme. Others see him as a plus-level athlete whose "expected" 6-foot-2, 240-pound size is going to make him a bit of a tweener — and not in a good way — in the NFL. There's curiosity about Sadiq's true height and weight and what his workouts look like. There's little doubt he has mismatch potential and maybe some considerable ceiling with the right coach and scheme, but some evaluators don't see him as the kind of tight end who can fit in a lot of different places and be on the field at the rate of a multitude of TEs from last year's draft. He can't be compared realistically to the bigger bodied guys like Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. And his overall consistency of college production wasn't in the realm of Brock Bowers going into the 2024 draft. Who is the realistic comparable at the NFL level to Sadiq and what coach can draw that unique talent out of him?

No. 18 Saint Louis endedits 88-75 win over VCUon a power play Friday, thanks to a wild brawl shortly before time expired.

The fun began with Billikens guard Quentin Jones trying to dribble out the clock with his team up by 19 points. VCU's Nyk Lewis apparently wasn't happy about that, as he stole the ball, took a few steps and jacked up a half-court shot, which resulted in SLU star Robbie Avila —you might remember him from his time at Indiana State— bumping him out of bounds.

Avila was called for a foul and also received a hard shove in the back from VCU forward Barry Evans, who then got shoved by Jones. Cue the benches the clearing, with 1.1 seconds left on the clock.

The courtside angle of the chaos:

After a lengthy delay, the officials ejected Evans and Jones with flagrant 2 fouls and also ejected all the players who left the bench once the dust-up started.

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That left VCU with only four players. Lewis hit his three free throws, and the game ended.

Curiously, it's the second straight year in whicha VCU-Saint Louis game saw a brawl break out.

Both sides downplayed the incident after the game, withAvila saying "That's not who we are," and "there's no ill intentions between anybody, just the emotions of the game."

VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr agreed:

"I think there's certainly a healthy intensity, as there should be at the top of the league, right? We've got a lot of respect for them. I think they have some respect for us, I assume," Martelli Jr. said. "It's two tough teams, two very competitive teams, two physical teams. Stuff like that, you wish it didn't happen but, yeah, it's an intense game. It's an emotional game."

Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz said the incident would "get blown out of proportion,"then provided his own recap of the incident:

"Guy stole the ball, Rob didn't take too kindly to it, fouled him, then that guy didn't take too kindly to Rob fouling him, two-hand shove in the back. And then our guy shoved that guy back and everybody just milled around and did what the general basketball fighting does, which is everybody's trying to get held back so they don't have to do anything."

The win keeps Saint Louis in the driver's seat in the Atlantic 10. Friday's game was between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the standings, and improved the Billikens' conference record to 13-1 while VCU sits at 12-3.

MILAN (AP) —Johnny Gaudreauwas working hard to make the U.S. team heading tothe 2026 Winter Olympics. He and brother Matthew watched the event growing up, always with eyes on playing in it.

Milan Cortina Olympics Ice Hockey US Gaudreau Tribute

"It was their dream," Jane Gaudreau said her sons.

Johnny and Matthewdied on Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles near their hometown in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie's wedding. Their deaths shocked the hockey community, and they have been honored since by retired numbers,a memorial 5Kand more.

An elite player a decade into his NHL career and the all-time U.S. leading scorer in international play, Johnny Gaudreau was on track to be in Milan for the tournament that wraps up Sunday when the Americans play rival Canada for the gold mdeal. Guy Gaudreau said USA Hockey was gracious enough to tell the family their oldest son was on the projected roster.

"He wanted to be on this team," Guy Gaudreau said during the third period of the U.S. semifinal win on Friday night. "And it would've been nice if he'd been here."

The U.S. is honoring the Gaudreau brothers with a tribute to them in their locker room at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. A blue No. 13 Gaudreau jersey hangs there as a reminder of the player known as "Johnny Hockey," who was beloved by so many on the national team and beyond.

"It means everything — we all know he should be here with us," said Dylan Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple world championships. "He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn't imagine it any other way."

Jane and Guy Gaudreau, along with Johnny's widow, Meredith, and their two oldest children arrived in Milan on Friday. The Gaudreau parents had been planning a trip to Las Vegas and initially hesitated after USA Hockey invited them to attend.

"Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: 'You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,'" Jane said. "It just means so much to our family, and we're so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey."

The Gaudreau family connections to players on the roster run deep, from Boston College to the NHL. In addition to the world championships, Johnny played with Noah Hanifin on the Calgary Flames and Zach Werenski on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"Johnny was close to a lot of guys in that room," Hanifin said. "We know he'd be here with us, so we've been thinking about him and carrying him with us."

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Werenski said after he and his teammatesadvanced to the finalthat Meredith reached out to his wife a few days earlier to let them know they were coming.

"It's great having them here, and it's super special," Werenski said. "We're happy that we made it to the gold-medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It's on us to make them proud."

Not that it would have been much of a debate, but coach Mike Sullivan confirmed what management told the Gaudreaus: Johnny would have been on the team if he were still alive, based on his body of work and how well he has played in a U.S. uniform.

"He was one of America's very best," Sullivan said. "He's just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he's an inspiration to our players to this very day."

Players still talk about Gaudreau, and "all the stories are funny," according to Charlie McAvoy, who played alongside him at worlds.

"Just an amazing person, just an infectious personality," McAvoy said. "The detail, really, with our staff and our equipment staff especially to make sure that he's always with us, little reminders of him in the room, and they just go a long way. You always see them. They're just gentle. They're right there. But we know that he's always with us."

Along with Johnny's No. 13 jersey is that number on the wall alongside Matthew's No. 21. It's similar to what USA Hockey did a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off, whenGuy Gaudreau took part in practiceas a guest coach.

This would have been Johnny Gaudreau's first chance to play at the Olympics after the NHL did not participate in 2018 and 2022. But it almost certainly won't be the last time his jersey hangs in the U.S. locker room at the game, a tradition that could continue for years to come.

"I hope so," Larkin said. "I sure hope so."

AP Winter Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Officials worked to lower the risks of more deadly slides Friday in the areawhere an avalanchestruck in California's Sierra Nevada so crews could safely recover the bodies of the people killed.

APTOPIX California Avalanche

Rescue crews loaded up a snow vehicle with skis and other supplies and headed toward the area near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe, while helicopters circled overhead. Avalanche mitigation work is designed to intentionally release unstable snowpack to reduce the risk when rescue crews go in.

The Nevada County Sheriff's office previously said the mitigation work would include controlled explosions, but later said Friday's efforts only involved using water to break up snow. The work was done in partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric.

Brutal weather and the threat of more avalanches have kept crews from safely recovering the bodies of the eight people killed and another still missing from Tuesday's avalanche, which was roughly the size of a football field.

Authorities are investigating the avalanche, including whether criminal negligence played a role in the tragedy, a sheriff's office leading one of several investigations said Friday.

Why the tour company that organized thebackcountry ski tripdidn't cancel in the face of a powerful storm and what their guides knew as the weather worsened are the questions being considered.

Both the Nevada County Sheriff's office and a state agency that regulates workplace safety have opened investigations. Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson with the sheriff's office, declined on Friday to share more information, saying it is an open investigation.

Six of the people who died were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the alpine wilderness, their families said. The three others who are dead or presumed dead were guides.

"We are devastated beyond words," the families said in a statement released Thursday through a spokesperson. The women were mothers, wives and friends who "connected through the love of the outdoors," they said, and were carrying avalanche safety equipment and prepared for backcountry travel.

Victims were loved by their neighbors

The six were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, and they lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Idaho and in the Lake Tahoe area. The families asked for privacy while they grieve.

Just north of San Francisco, where Keatley lived with her family in the city of Larkspur, resident Rob Bramble was shocked to learn that the friendly woman he would say hello to in passing was among the victims.

"She was just a great mom. I'd always see her with the kids, picking them up, just seemed like a great mom and a great family," said Bramble, whose daughter babysat for the family a few times.

Keatley and her husband owned a wine business and often shared their namesake wines at community events, Larkspur Mayor Stephanie Andre said.

"She was warm, kind and exuded a special quality that drew people to her," Andre said in a statement.

Morse also lived with her husband and three children north of San Francisco, and worked in the biotech industry, according to her LinkedIn profile. Vitt previously worked at SiriusXM and Pandora, according to her online profile, and lived north of the city with her two sons and husband.

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Atkin was a former corporate executive who lived in Lake Tahoe with her husband and two children, according to her leadership coaching website. She's a talented student who could "run like the wind" and made it to state finals for hurdling two years in a row, recalled Jerome Bearden, her high school hurdling coach. She later had a track and field scholarship to Harvard.

"Everybody liked Carrie," said Bearden, who heard about her death from a former student on Friday. "She was a good person."

Sekar and Clabaugh were sisters, their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told The New York Times. Sekar was a mother of two who lived in San Francisco.

Liz Clabaugh was a nurse who oversaw a new graduate nursing residency program at St. Luke's Health System in Boise, Idaho. She was also a mom and ran a Facebook page featuring encouragement and advice for new nurses. Photos showed that her family were frequent adventurers outdoors.

Clabaugh also had served as a health volunteer in Zambia with the Peace Corps, according to a Facebook page for Peace Corps alumni.

The names of the other victims have not been released.

The 15 skiers began their three-day trip Sunday, just aswarnings about the stormwere intensifying. By early Tuesday, officials cautioned that avalanches were expected.

Avalanche safety experts say it is not uncommon for backcountry skiers to go out when there is an avalanche watch or even a warning.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, which was leading the expedition, said the guides who were on the trek were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and were instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.

"We don't have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do," founder Zeb Blais said in a statement. "In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts."

The slide wasthe deadliest in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington state.

This story has been corrected to show that Friday's avalanche mitigation efforts used water, not controlled explosives as the Nevada County Sheriff's office had previously indicated.

Watson reported from San Diego and Har from Marin County, California. Associated Press writers Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Jessica Hill in Las Vegas; and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed.