A pair of young Pittsburgh Steelers are getting interesting recognition. Mitch Keller’s mound opponent in Kansas City has something in common with him.

An ex-Duquesne Duke is receiving a look from an NBA club, and the Doak Walker Award odds feature some local running backs.

All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.”

Notable nods

NFL.com went through the exercise of putting together “the best NFL team money can buy under the 2025 salary cap.” One Steeler made the cut on offense.

It was second-year center Zach Frazier.

Tom Blair, who put the team together, obviously saw value in Frazer and fellow second-year right guard Dominick Puni. He started all 17 games at the position for the San Francisco 49ers.

Both men cost less than $2 million under the cap. Landon Dickerson, Penei Sewell and Jordan Mailata were the other starting linemen. They all make between $6.5 million and $15.2 million.

At $1.1 million, Nick Herbig also made the team as a backup edge defender because he provides “silly value” as a third-year pass rusher.

So does Chris Boswell at $4.7 million per season (1.7% of the cap). But Blair went with Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey at that same number as the kicker.

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Starters subplot

If the pitching matchup holds, the Pirates’ Mitch Keller will face Kansas City’s Seth Lugo on Tuesday. That’s a matchup of two of the most attractive pitching targets at the trade deadline.

Keller has posted a 2.40 ERA in his past five starts, including seven scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals last time out. Lugo, meanwhile, hasn’t lost a decision since May 30. He has a 2.65 ERA and has given up just five earned runs since the start of June.

On Monday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale mentioned both men as potential trade pieces before the deadline at the end of this month.

“Teams are starting to closely scout Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo (6-5), believing that if the Royals are out of the race, he’ll definitely be placed on the trade block,” Nightengale wrote. “Lugo, in the middle of a three-year, $45 million contract, has an opt-out after this season that he’d likely exercise instead of returning for $15 million in 2026.”

Of Keller, Nightengale said his price tag “is soaring” and that “executives wonder if the Pirates will be reluctant to trade some of their most valuable chips now that the team is performing well under interim manager Don Kelly (26-25), which would further alienate their fanbase.”

Yeah, but now the Pirates have lost four in a row, and a lot of that goodwill from the six-game win streak has already eroded.

A specific team that Nightengale brought up as a potential landing spot for Keller is Chicago. The Cubs just lost former Pirate Jameson Taillon from their rotation for a month with a calf injury.

Dae Dae’s day

Former Duquesne guard Dae Dae Grant (2022-24) is going to play with the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Summer League. The Dukes posted that news on their website Monday.

Grant will be one of 17 players in uniform for New York playing in Las Vegas from Thursday through July 20.

Grant played his first professional season in 2024-25 in the Basketball League of Serbia (KK Feniks 2010 Skopje) as well as in the Spanish League (Río Breogán of Liga ACB). In Spain, Grant averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Knicks announce Dae Dae Grant will join its Summer League team

Combo guard who led Atlantic 10 champ Duquesne in scoring in 2024 and played in Europe last season pic.twitter.com/OuYy0Uvrhh

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 7, 2025

Grant was a two-year member of the Dukes, scoring 1,070 points. He was the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in helping lead the Dukes to winning the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship.

That helped Duquesne secure the program’s first automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1977.

Local flair

Odds are out as to who might win the Doak Walker award as college football’s best running back in 2025. Pitt and Penn State backs are both on the list.

According to Sportsbetting.ag, PSU has two ball carriers within the top-5 on the odds board. Nicholas Singleton is second at 6/1, and Kaytron Allen is fifth at 14/1.

PENN STATE BREAKS THE GAME OPEN ????

Nicholas Singleton takes it 58 yards to the house ???? pic.twitter.com/bE4KuTM77T

— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2025

A DIRECT SNAP to Kaytron Allen extends the Nittany Lion lead.@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/jfFrUwAPnu

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 27, 2024

Both of those backs topped 1,000 yards last year and combined for 20 touchdowns on the ground. Singleton was the more dynamic pass catcher with 375 yards receiving on 41 catches for five scores.

Pitt’s Desmond Reid is in between the two Nittany Lions at third on the board with 9/1 odds to win the award. His 966 rushing yards were ninth in the ACC a year ago. The 5-foot-8 Panther also accounted for 579 receiving yards and a total of 10 touchdowns, including one as a punt returner.

PUNT RETURN TUDDY!!

Desmond Reid takes it 78 yards for the @Pitt_FB touchdown!

???? @ESPNU pic.twitter.com/1MKOhYH58j

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) August 31, 2024

Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is the favorite at 3/1.

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