• Bryce Lance, brother of NFL quarterback Trey Lance, is a wide receiver prospect from North Dakota State University.
• He became a constant touchdown threat for the Bison, leading the FCS with 17 receiving scores in 2024.
• Draft analysts believe his explosive traits could make him a Day 2 pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

INDIANAPOLIS − Bryce Lance has been a wide receiver from the start. That’s because he always had a talented quarterback throwing to him – his older brother, Trey.

“Caught from my brother growing up all the time, so that’s kinda how that happened,” Bryce Lance told USA TODAY Sports on Feb. 27 at the NFL’s annual scouting combine.

“I was tagging along with him and would end up catching from him in the backyard any chance we got.”

The tagalong often followed the paths taken by Trey, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Bryce Lance, a North Dakota State University product like his older sibling, won’t get selected nearly that early this April. Yet he also seems well positioned to blaze a professional trail distinctly different than big bro’s – or even dad’s. (Carlton Lance played in the Canadian Football League and World League of American Football in the 1990s.)

“He was kind of living under Trey’s shadow. And having an older brother that is in the league is pretty cool, and I’m sure he’s learned so much from Trey,” says Cole Payton, Bryce Lance’s Bison quarterback in 2025.

“But the thing about Bryce is he made a name for himself – not because of Trey but because of Bryce. He’s an amazing talent, but it’s because he works his (butt) off. He’s a baller, great teammate.”

Bryce Lance carved out role as TD threat at SDSU

Bryce Lance, who arrived in Fargo in 2021 on the heels of Trey’s departure, wasn’t an immediate college football star. But having been around the North Dakota State program while Trey was there, Bryce never doubted he was in the right place.

“I had so many connections up there already and had obviously been to so many games and made connections with coaches and teammates and the community behind the whole program,” said Lance, who was offered a scholarship during his junior year of high school in Marshall, Minnesota.

“The thing about North Dakota is there’s no professional team. So really all they’ve got is NDSU football, which is really cool for us,” added Lance, who received compelling opportunities to transfer elsewhere but declined.

“The fans are second to none. … It’s a really cool spot.”

And a spot where his presence was unmistakable once he became a starter in 2024, when he led the FCS with a school-record 17 receiving touchdowns. That success continued into 2025, after which Lance was honored as an FCS All-American. Over the last two years, he racked up 126 receptions for 2,150 yards and 25 TD grabs. A consistent deep threat, he averaged 17 yards per catch.

“Bryce’s speed – it’s unmatched, the way he can move his body and get around defenders is so special,” said Payton.

“Really, I’m just throwing it up to Bryce, and I know he’ll be there because of how fast and athletic he is.”

Explosive traits could make Lance a Day 2 NFL draft pick

While agreeing with Payton’s assessment, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller noted other traits that will help Lance in the NFL − and might just get him chosen on Day 2 of the draft.

“He has the ability to carry defenses down the field. He high points well, he tracks the ball so well over either shoulder,” said Miller. “And then he uses that speed to pull away from the defenders.”

Said Lance: “When the ball’s in the air, the only mentality you have is, ‘it’s mine or no one’s.’ That’s kinda the mindset I’ve had these past two seasons.”

Roughly 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Lance was ranked 34th on The Athletic’s “Freaks List” last year. He looks forward to showcasing his speed, vertical leap and broad jump – all indicators of high-end explosiveness – during the combine’s wide receiver testing on Feb. 28. He also hopes to surprise scouts with improved route running.

“If I’m known as the deep threat guy, that’s great. Obviously, I want to keep expanding my game into mid-level, short-level routes as well,” said Lance, who believes his ball skills are also a major strength.

“Deep routes are fun to run, not gonna lie. Catching a deep ball and going to score is fun for sure, but I want to be an all-around wide receiver at the end of the day.”

Still, Lance, whom Miller compares to Indianapolis Colts deep striker Alec Pierce, thinks his ability to stretch defenses could quickly earn him significant playing time in the NFL – something his brother has struggled to find during his five pro seasons. (Trey Lance spent the 2025 season as a backup with the Los Angeles Chargers, his third NFL team, and is scheduled to become a free agent in a few weeks.)

But, naturally, Bryce is leaning on Trey as he navigates the pre-draft process. The brothers talk daily and plan to get together following the combine. Bryce will also begin doing on-field work with Trey in preparation for North Dakota State’s March 19 pro day.

“The main thing my brother told me was to be myself, honestly,” said Bryce Lance. “He knows I’m a hard worker. He knows I do the right things, be at the right spot where I’m supposed to be. Really just this whole process is about being yourself, working hard and doing everything you can to make it.”

And Lance just might make it further, from a pro football perspective, than anyone else in his family.

“Tough man, playing to win. He’s fiery. He’s a competitor. He’s built for those moments, man,’ Miami (Ohio) coach Travis Steele said of Perry in a postgame interview. ‘So we put the ball in his hands there at the end. I told him to try and get to the rim, not settle. Which he did. He got right to that left hand. He’s really good, he can finish with either hand equally as well.”

The RedHawks trailed by as many as nine points with 6:38 left in the game. They only led the contest for 4:43 of gametime, but were able to steal a victory at the end. Peter Suder led Miami with 18 points, while Almar Atlason added 16 points and Perry finished with 14, including the game-winner.

The Broncos tied the game at 67-67 with 12 seconds on a second-chance jumper from Justice Williams. However, Perry’s layup kept the RedHawks quest for a perfect season alive. According to USA TODAY Sports’ latest bracket projections, they are slated to be an 11-seed in the East Region as an automatic qualifier out of the Mid-American Conference.

“If you look at our numbers since Jan. 1, we’re a top 60 team in defense in the country, analytically,’ Steele said. ‘We’re really trending in the right direction, when we get a little healthier, we’ll regain that offensive magic we had. But our guys figure it out. That’s what good teams do. They win when they didn’t play their best.”

The English Premier League title race is heating up with Arsenal clinging to a five-point lead over Manchester City, which has a game in hand.

Arsenal host London rival Chelsea on Sunday in a showdown that also has implications for the Blues’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Manchester City visits Leeds on Saturday with the ability to apply some major pressure on the Gunners with a win.

Elsewhere in London, Tottenham is just four points off the relegation zone faces a tough test at Craven Cottage against Fulham.

The weekend’s action begins on Friday with last-place Wolves hosting Aston Villa, entering the match week in third on 51 points, five behind second-place Manchester City.

Watch Premier League live on Peacock

Premier League schedule this weekend

Friday, Feb. 27

• Wolves vs. Aston Villa – 3 p.m. ET

Saturday, Feb. 28

• Bournemouth vs. Sunderland – 7:30 a.m. ET
• Liverpool vs. West Ham – 10 a.m. ET
• Newcastle vs. Everton – 10 a.m. ET
• Burnley vs. Brentford – 10 a.m. ET
• Leeds United vs. Manchester City – 12:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, March 1

• Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace – 9 a.m. ET
• Brighton vs. Nottingham Forest – 9 a.m. ET
• Fulham vs. Tottenham – 9 a.m. ET
• Arsenal vs. Chelsea – 11:30 a.m. ET

Premier League standings, full table

Entering matches on Friday, Feb. 27

1. Arsenal – 61 pts (28 games played)
2. Manchester City – 56 pts (27 games)
3. Aston Villa – 51 pts
4. Manchester United – 48 pts
5. Chelsea – 45 pts (GD: +17)
6. Liverpool – 45 pts (GD: +7)
7. Brentford – 40 pts
8. Bournemouth – 38 pts
9. Everton – 37 pts (GD: -2)
10. Fulham – 37 pts (GD: -3)
11. Newcastle United – 36 pts (GD: -1)
12. Sunderland – 36 pts (GD: -5)
13. Crystal Palace – 35 pts
14. Brighton & Hove Albion – 34 pts
15. Leeds United – 31 pts
16. Tottenham Hotspur – 29 pts
17. Nottingham Forest – 27 pts
18. West Ham United – 25 pts
19. Burnley – 19 pts
20. Wolverhampton Wanderers – 10 pts

• Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is working to prove his value to NFL teams despite being projected as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent.
• Pavia’s height of 5 feet, 9 ⅞ inches would make him one of the shortest quarterbacks in the modern NFL, leading to doubts about his pro potential.
• Known for his confidence and improvisational style, Pavia led Vanderbilt to a 10-win season and was a Heisman Trophy runner-up.

INDIANAPOLIS – Diego Pavia is accustomed to improvising.

In his ascension to Heisman Trophy runner-up and one of college football’s biggest stars, the Vanderbilt quarterback made a habit of breaking structure. Embracing a frenetic energy became part of his signature style as he pushed a long listless Commodores program to its first 10-win season and new levels of visibility.

To reach the NFL, however, Pavia is taking a more concerted approach.

‘I’m a man on a mission,’ Pavia said Feb. 27 at the NFL scouting combine.

And it’s a sizable one.

In Indianapolis, Pavia is making a final push to teams that he’s a worthwhile investment at quarterback. In addition to meeting with coaches and evaluators, he’ll go through a full on-field workout Feb. 28. His testing, however, will wait for Vanderbilt’s pro day in March.

Showing himself off yet again might seem like a superfluous step for a sixth-year senior who is less than a month removed from the Senior Bowl. For Pavia, however, it’s a necessary one. The dynamic signal-caller stands in sharp contrast to his similarly accomplished passing peers in his expected draft stock, with many analysts projecting him to be an undrafted free agent clinging to a faint hope of being picked in the later rounds.

At the Senior Bowl, he measured in at 5 feet, 9 ⅞ inches and 198 pounds. Unofficially, that measurement would make him the shortest quarterback to reach the NFL since the 1970 merger. With draft analysts also having persistent concerns about his arm strength and ability to attack defenses while remaining in the pocket, Pavia is facing levels of doubt even he’s not accustomed to.

Yet Pavia has a simple answer for anyone who doubts his ability to acclimate to the next level.

‘Turn on the tape. It’s not like we’re not playing these guys who are going in the first round, second round, on Saturdays in the SEC.’

And as Pavia puts the final touches on his preparation, he remains unswayed by any scrutiny.

‘If you saw how much I put into this, you would see where I get my confidence from,’ Pavia said.

‘Special’ confidence puts Pavia in spotlight

Few people understand Pavia’s conviction better than Eli Stowers.

That side of the quarterback was part of what spurred the tight end, who only became Pavia’s primary target after losing out to him in the starting quarterback competition at New Mexico State, to follow the passer in transferring to Vanderbilt in 2024. They became roommates for those two years, during which they developed a close bond despite their polar-opposite personalities.

‘You see confidence in him that’s special,’ said Stowers, who in 2025 won the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end. ‘You see confidence in him that you don’t see in a lot of players. His confidence spread out throughout the whole team. We went into the season believing that we could win every game. I think that’s what made us be successful.’

Yet Stowers has also seen where that confidence can be interpreted differently by others, including the public at large.

‘He’s very blunt in a way that he approaches his public persona. He just kind of says whatever he wants sometimes. A lot of us have thoughts that we shouldn’t be saying in the media, and sometimes he just says those things. But as a person and who he really is, he’s an amazing guy, and I love him to death.’

Pavia put it more succinctly.

‘One thing about me is I don’t care what people think about me,’ he said.

Yet he might need to care about the impression NFL coaches and general managers have of him.

While football-centric matters have remained the focus of team meetings, Pavia acknowledged that he had been asked about his distinct personality. Still, he saw his rise from junior college quarterback to Southeastern Conference phenom as a selling point.

‘I feel like a lot of teams love the tenacity, the fight – the life of an underdog,’ Pavia said. ‘Yeah, they ask questions. But if you look back on my record, there ain’t nothing on my record.’

Pavia’s bold demeanor took a new tenor, however, after he finished second to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza – the expected No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft – for the Heisman Trophy. He wrote ‘F-All THE VOTERS’ on his Instagram story with a thumbs down emoji and ‘BUT … FAMILY FOR LIFE.’ A video later emerged of Pavia at a club giving the middle finger to a sign that read ‘(expletive) INDIANA.’ He later apologized, saying it was ‘painful’ to come up short while adding he ‘did not represent myself the way I wanted to.’

Thus far, no teams have asked him about the incident, Pavia said.

‘Not that they don’t care, but they know the situation already,’ Pavia said.

Pushing to the pros

Any criticisms of Pavia shouldn’t touch on the quarterback’s work ethic, Stowers said.

‘I don’t think people understand how hard of a worker he is and how good a leader he is. That’s what you want in a quarterback,’ Stowers said. ‘He will not let anybody outwork him. He’s gonna hold the standard and hold people up to the standard as well.’

As a roommate, Pavia ended up being plenty compatible with the more soft-spoken Stowers. Whether it was on the field or at home, the tight end knew he could always count on his quarterback.

‘He’s a reliable dude,’ Stowers said. ‘You ask him to do anything for you and he’ll do it. If you need him to do anything for you, he’ll do it.’

Might that mentality extend to a potential position switch in the pros?

Some might see a player with more than 3,000 career rushing yards and 31 touchdowns as a potential gadget weapon and all-purpose threat. When asked how he would respond to a request to shift his role, Pavia neither embraced the idea nor ruled it out.

‘We’ll cross that bridge when it gets there,’ Pavia said. ‘Right now, I’m just focused on this process and tomorrow and getting ready for pro day.’

No matter how far-fetched it might seem or the self-belief it might require, the mission remains the same.

Said Pavia: ‘I’m hoping to show (teams) that when you get me, you get an NFL quarterback.’

The game between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers experienced technical difficulties during the second half at the Little Caesars Arena on Friday, Feb. 27.

The Pistons held a 65-64 lead against the Cavaliers with 7:24 in the third quarter when the horn at the scorers’ table had a malfunction.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was interviewed by ESPN during the third period when the horn started and would not stop.

The interview continued for several moments before Mitchell asked, “Do you guys hear the horn?”

The delay went on for at least 12 minutes before the arena staff managed to restart the scoreboard to stop the ongoing sound.

The staff then had to get the scoreboard back up and running before the game could continue. The area used a physical air horn to finish out the game.

Pistons defeat Cavaliers

The game went into overtime, where Detroit outscored Cleveland 8-5 to secure the 122-119 victory. Center Jalen Duren produced a double-double with 33 points and 16 rebounds against the Cavs.

‘All the things are coming together for him,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Duren. “The game’s slowed down for him. His understanding of spacing and when to attack, all of those things have slowed down and are giving him opportunities.’

Pistons vs. Cavaliers highlights

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INDIANAPOLIS – By definition, the NFL draft is inherently a young man’s game.

But while there are no literal graybeards among this year’s class of prospects, a number of players are set to become rookies despite resembling veterans in age. And they’re doing so at a moment when personnel decision-makers have reconsidered a longstanding aversion to older prospects.

‘If it’s close between players and you have a 20-year-old and a 25-year-old, obviously you’re going to take the 20-year-old,’ NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said this week at the scouting combine. ‘But teams are not as concerned with the age going through this process.’

With the NCAA in 2020 granting an extra year of eligibility to all players, the NFL saw a three-year spike in draftees who were 24 years or older, peaking in 2024 with 56 selected. This year’s total won’t approach that high-water mark, with a smaller group constituting the last wave of sixth-year seniors.

But with the NIL boom driving a substantial reduction in underclassmen declarations – 63 this year, less than half the number (128) from five years ago – it’s readily apparent that the latest class is continuing to skew older and more experienced. And NFL front offices, having already rethought their previous norms around age, are prepared.

‘I don’t believe a 25-year-old is old,’ Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. ‘I think a 25-year-old is young, still has a lot of football left in his body. It’s a data point. It’s something we’re aware of. It might affect the longevity down the road. But sometimes it can also be a benefit in a guy being more mature in his body or a little more stable in how he conducts himself in his personal life.

‘Age is a number. Guys are playing longer these days. It’s a factor, but it’s not a big factor for us.’

‘A seasoned rookie’

There’s a clear choice for the flagbearer of this year’s 24-and-up movement.

Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor, who will turn 25 in April prior to the draft, wears his age proudly. The Ottawa native blossomed in his final season with the Hurricanes, recording 12 ½ sacks and helping lead the charge for the Hurricanes’ run to the national championship game. Now, he could join Rueben Bain Jr., his more highly hyped pass-rushing partner, in the first round.

For Mesidor, his atypical timeline for arriving in the pros is a source of strength.

‘You can call me a seasoned rookie – whatever you want to call it,’ Mesidor said with a smile at the combine. ‘I’m coming in more mature, with a different approach and a different mentality than a lot of younger guys.’

There are a handful of other 24-year-old offensive and defensive linemen joining Mesidor in this class. In recent years, the fronts have often featured the heaviest volume of similarly aged players, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said.

An age outlier, however, can be found at almost any position.

The phenomenon was thrust into the spotlight in 2024 when quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix were each selected in the top 12 picks despite being sixth-year seniors who were already 24 on draft day. Tyler Shough represented an even more extreme test case for teams, as the seventh-year senior and eventual second-round pick of the New Orleans Saints turned 26 before making his first start last fall.

This year, UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano – a former Maine transfer and possible late-round pick – also was invited to the combine after staying in the collegiate ranks for eight years.

At running back, South Carolina’s Rahsul Faison turned 26 last week. He’s multiple months older than both the Dallas Cowboys’ Javonte Williams and the Los Angeles Rams’ Kyren Williams – each of whom has logged more than 800 carries in the NFL and already signed a second contract.

When it comes to positions that allow for shorter career windows, the notion of using a pick on a player who has a limited time left to remain at or near his athletic peak can be daunting. Miami cornerback Keionte Scott, who played a has a counterargument.

‘I’ve heard that going around, but I feel like this game that we play is a win-now game,’ said Scott, 24. ‘That takes a lot of the age things away.

‘These teams, some of these coaches don’t have time to waste. … When you play this game, it doesn’t matter how old you are.’

First-year Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan agrees, but with a caveat.

‘I think if you can help it, you don’t want a player close to going into a second contract around 30 years old,’ Sullivan said. ‘Having said that, with the climate of college football, there are situations where you’re going to have to consider that to get good football players.’

But Jeremiah cited a running joke in football circles: Amid all the focus on second contracts for older draft prospects, general managers are also seeking additional contracts of their own – and therefore pursue immediate assistance in whatever form it might come.

‘Let’s try to get 4-5 good years out of this player, and if he gives us that and we move on, it’s a good pick,’ Jeremiah said.

Back to the board

The reality of the current draft dynamic hit Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach in January. That’s when the league holds its annual underclassmen declaration deadline.

With so many players opting to go back to school, the Chiefs removed approximately 25 prospects from the team’s board of the overall top 75-100.

‘It really impacts the draft, and there are some older prospects as you go on,’ Veach said. ‘I don’t think that’s gonna change anytime soon, and that’s something that we have to adapt to until there are some wholesale changes on the college side. I think this is just the way things are gonna work now.’

Gutekunst, however, isn’t so sure that the draft landscape will remain this way for the foreseeable future.

‘I think for the next year or so that we’ll be in that window, and then we’ll gradually graduate out of it,’ Gutekunst said.

The biggest fallout for the league can be in its developmental pipeline. This is often reflected on Day 2, Veach said, which is frequently the landing spot for some players who have a wide gulf between their promise and their pro readiness.

‘Typically in the second or third round would be those guys who didn’t play a lot, but they’re young,’ Veach said. ‘Well, now they’re just bouncing to another school and getting paid while playing. So with these younger developmental guys, you’re getting a bit more of a finished product.’

Regardless of whether the pool of prospects changes, NFL decision-makers have already made up their minds on the issue.

In his first draft as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, John Spytek selected two players who had already turned 24: third-round cornerback Darien Porter and sixth-round wide receiver Tommy Mellott. With a robust roster reset at hand, Spytek didn’t want age to be a disqualifying factor.

‘Our analytics department gets mad at me anytime we put a guy up there who’s a little bit older,’ Spytek said. ‘But we’re just looking for good football players.’