Sunday, 14. February 2010
Next in Line at the Big 12 Schools
It’s the way of college football. It’s why everyone follows college football recruiting as
if it is its own sport. The jerseys stay the same, but the players always change.
Who are going to be the new stars of the Big 12 Conference? Which players are going to
have the hometown fans lined up early at the ticket offices trying to catch a glimpse?
I have compiled all the data, and I have done all the leg work for you.
Keep reading to find out.
Click here to check out this year’s Big 12 Schedule
Baylor
Ivory Wade, Sophomore, Offensive Guard
Wade was a freshman last year out of Dickinson, TX. It took him a while to crack the
starting lineup, but once he did he was there to stay. For a true freshman to start
at a position along the offensive line, you know he must be etremely talented. Baylor
has had a good history recently of turning out pro caliber offensive linemen. Wade, standing
at 6′5″ 315 pounds, could be the next in line for the Bears. He made some all-freshman
teams last year, and I expect him to contend for an all Big 12 spot this year.
Colorado
Ryan Deehan, Junior, Tight End
Deehan was a solid contributor for the Buffs in his sophomore season. The three tight ends for
Colorado last year, Geer, Devenny and Deehan combined for 59 catches and over 600 yards.
Geer and Devenny were both seniors, so that opens things up for Deehan to fill the void.
He should be able to build upon a 10 catch 91 yard sophomore season this year. Tyler Hansen will
more than likely be running for his life a lot againt his year, meaning that his drop off to the
tight end could be a staple in the Colorado attack.
Iowa State
Darius Darks, Junior, Wide Receiver
Darks is a junior from out of Austin, TX. He has already been a nice part of the Cyclones offense, but
his production should really pick up this year with the departure of number one receiver Marquis Hamilton.
Darks caught 28 balls for 303 yards and 2 td’s a year ago. Darks had an even better freshman season with
49 catches for 477 yards receiving. An injury set him back a little last year, but this will be his year
really break out and show the rest of the Big 12 what he is about.
Kansas
Toben Opurum, Sophomore, Running Back
Opurum has already seen plenty of action for the Jayhawks. He was probably their more dangerous back last year
if you just look at the data with unbiased eyes. Jake Sharp was a warrior for Kansas, and Mangino stuck by
his guy, but Opurum was the back opposing defenses did not want to see. Opurum is a 6′2″ 235 pound bowling
ball. This past year as a true freshman, Opurum put up 554 yards and 9 td’s on the ground.
With Sharp graduating, I expect Opurum to put up first team All Big 12 type numbers this year barring
injury. Kansas may have a down year, but Jayhawk fans should get their tickets now if only to see this guy.
Kansas State
Brodrick Smith, Sophomore, Wide Receiver
Smith sat out last year after transferring from Minnesota following his true freshman season. For the gophers,
Smith logged time in 12 games as a true freshman. He only caught a couple of balls, but the athleticism and ability
are both there. Kansas State is losing a lot of firepower in the receiving crew with Brandon Banks and Snipes
having used up their eligibility. Smith should be an immediate difference maker for the Wildcats.
Missouri
Jerrel Jackson, Junior, Wide Receiver
Jackson caught 37 balls for 458 yards last year as a sophomore. Of that, 19 catches and 274 yards came in the
last three regular season games. This means to me that he was becoming more and more a part of the offense as the
season went forward. Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, the two leading receivers for the tigers a year ago
both graduated, so even more of the burden is going to fall on Jackson. I believe that he is ready to take the hits
and become to number one receiver for the Tigers every Saturday.
Nebraska
Cody Green, Sophomore, Quarterback
Green was probably better than Zac Lee towards the end of the season. Lee was the safer choice though, so he
remained the starter. Green is 6′4″ 220 pounds and can run like a deer. He has a stronger arm than Lee, he
is faster than Lee and will probably make more wise decisions than Lee by the midway point of this season.
Cornhusker fans have a lot to be excited about with three more years of watching Cody Green at the quarterback
position.
Oklahoma
Jaz Reynolds, Sophomore, Wide Receiver
Reynolds did not catch a ball in six of the first nine games for the Sooners. In the last four, including the bowl game,
8 balls for 180 yards. The even better part for the Sooners was that he was just a true freshman and looked good catching
those balls. He has size and speed and appears to be a natural receiver. The Sooners have a lot of talented receivers,
but I feel like the passing game as a whole will be better this year for Oklahoma and Reynolds showed enough to get more balls
thrown his way.
Oklahoma State
Brandon Weeden, Junior, Quarterback
Weeden joined the Cowboys after a few years of kicking around in minor league baseball. This means he was 26 years old last
year as a sophomore. He has the maturity to handle the quarterback position now that Zac Robinson has moved on after what seemed
like a 7 year career with Oklahoma State. Weeden is a big, strong armed guy, standing at 6′4″ 215 pounds. He performed well
in sot duty last year when Robinson was out. Weeden’s game against Colorado, replacing an ineffective Alex Cate, was very impressive.
He went 10-15 for 168 yards and 2 td’s with no interceptions. He will have a fight on his hands to win the starting job, but he
should win if his performance to date is any indication.
Texas
Christian Scott, Junior, Strong Safety
Scott played a bit in 2008 as a true freshman. He saw a lot of special teams action as well as some time at safety. He performed
particularly well against Kansas after Blake Gideon was injured, laying a couple of big licks and causing and recovering a fumble.
Scott was expected to compete for a starting position in 2009, however academic issues held him out throughout the entire regular season.
He played some special teams in the MNC game against Alabama. With Earl Thomas going pro, this opens the door for a guy like Christian
Scott to step in and take over. He has the experience and the ability to be an all-conference type defender for the Horns.
Texas A&M
Christine Michael, Sophomore, Running Back
It was hard to justify putting Michael here, not because he is does not deserve it, but because he is probably already pretty well known
throughout the Big 12. Michael was a true freshman out of Beaumont West Brook last year. He rushed for 844 yards and 10 td’s at a 5.1 ypc
clip. He split carries with Cyrus Gray a lot last year, but I think Michael will start to see more and more of the carries this year
as his talent allows him to distance himself from Gray. Michael is a future NFL running back, and he will begin to dominate this year.
Texas Tech
Pearlie Graves, Freshman, Defensive Line
It may be unclear where Graves will play along the line now that the Red Raiders are switching to a 3-4, but his talent is undeniable.
Originally committed to Michigan, he switched his commitment at the end of the process and decided to go to Lubbock. He redshirted
last year, but he would have been one of the first few defensive tackles off the bench had he played. The Red Raiders just need to hope
he stays put and does not contemplate moving on now that Leach is gone. Graves could be a monster.
Posted in College Sports by houstonlibrarian -
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
This is a question that people ask a lot. Which college football team has the most players in the NFL at this time. It seems like USC and Miami would be the first two that spring to mind. Miami’s run in the early part of the century put out a lot of high caliber NFL talent. USC has been a factory in Pete Carroll’s time there in turning out NFL draft picks.
So how did your favorite college rank?
Take a peek below.
Be sure and check out my 2010 Heisman Candidates list HERE
Texas – 42
LSU – 41
Miami – 40
Georgia – 39
USC – 39
Ohio State – 37
Tennessee – 36
Michigan – 34
Nebraska – 34
Florida – 32
Florida State – 32
California – 30
Notre Dame – 30
Auburn – 29
Oklahoma – 29
Iowa – 28
Penn State – 27
Purdue – 26
Louisville – 26
Maryland – 25
North Carolina – 25
Virginia – 25
Virginia Tech – 25
Alabama – 24
Boston College – 24
Michigan State – 24
Oregon – 24
Georgia Tech – 22
Oregon State – 22
Texas A&M – 22
Illinois – 21
Pittsburgh – 21
Wisconsin – 21
Mississippi State – 20
NC State – 20
Ole Miss – 20
Rutgers – 20
South Carolina – 20
Arizona – 18
Arizona State – 18
Colorado – 18
Kansas State – 18
UCLA – 18
Arkansas – 17
Fresno State – 17
San Diego State – 17
Clemson – 16
Utah – 16
Washington State – 16
BYU – 15
Central Florida – 15
Wake Forest – 15
Hawaii – 14
Syracuse – 14
TCU – 14
Cincinnati – 13
Oklahoma State – 13
Stanford – 13
Washington – 13
Minnesota – 12
Missouri – 12
Northwestern – 12
Texas Tech – 12
Vanderbilt – 12
Marshall – 11
West Virginia – 11
Boise State – 9
Colorado State – 9
Connecticut – 9
Indiana – 9
Kent State – 9
Southern Miss – 9
Northern Illinois – 8
Troy – 8
Ball State – 7
Baylor – 7
Houston – 7
Iowa State – 7
Kentucky – 7
Louisiana Tech – 7
Louisiana Lafayette – 7
Memphis – 7
New Mexico – 7
San Jose State – 7
Toledo – 7
Akron – 6
East Carolina – 6
Kansas – 6
South Florida – 6
Utah State – 6
UTEP – 6
Central Michigan – 5
Tulane – 5
Tulsa – 5
Western Michigan – 5
Arkansas State – 4
Bowling Green – 4
Eastern Michigan – 4
Idaho – 4
Miami(OH) – 4
Nevada – 4
Ohio U – 4
Rice – 4
Wyoming – 4
Duke – 3
Louisiana Monroe – 3
Middle Tennessee – 3
North Texas – 3
Temple – 3
UNLV – 3
Buffalo – 2
New Mexico St – 2
SMU – 2
UAB – 2
Western Kentucky – 2
Florida International – 1
Navy – 1
<
Now broken down by BCS conference affiliation.
ACC
Miami – 40
Florida State – 32
Maryland – 25
North Carolina – 25
Virginia – 25
Virginia Tech – 25
Boston College – 24
Georgia Tech – 22
NC State – 20
Clemson – 16
Wake Forest – 15
Duke – 3
Average – 22.66
Average of top 5 – 29.8
Big 12
Texas – 42
Nebraska – 34
Oklahoma – 29
Texas A&M – 22
Colorado – 18
Kansas State – 18
Oklahoma State – 13
Missouri – 12
Texas Tech – 12
Baylor – 7
Iowa State – 7
Kansas – 6
Average – 16.8
Average of top 5 – 29
Big East
Louisville – 26
Pittsburgh – 21
Rutgers – 20
Syracuse – 14
Cincinnati – 13
West Virginia – 11
Connecticut – 9
South Florida – 6
Average – 15
Average of top 5 – 18.8
Big 10
Ohio State – 37
Michigan – 34
Iowa – 28
Penn State – 27
Purdue – 26
Michigan State – 24
Illinois – 21
Wisconsin – 21
Minnesota – 12
Northwestern – 12
Indiana – 9
Average – 22.8
Average of top 5 – 30.4
Pac 10
USC – 39
California – 30
Oregon – 24
Oregon State – 22
Arizona – 18
Arizona State – 18
UCLA – 18
Washington State – 16
Stanford – 13
Washington – 13
Average – 21.3
Average of top 5 – 26.6
SEC
LSU – 41
Georgia – 39
Tennessee – 36
Florida – 32
Auburn – 29
Alabama – 24
Mississippi State – 20
Ole Miss – 20
South Carolina – 20
Arkansas – 17
Vanderbilt – 12
Kentucky – 7
Average – 24.75
Average of top 5 – 35.4
Posted in College Sports, NFL by houstonlibrarian -
Monday, 8. February 2010
The 2006 NFL Draft was one of the most talked about in years.
The Houston Texans, 2-14 in 2005, held the first pick of the draft.
The New Orleans Saints held the second pick and the Tennessee Titans the third.
Vince Young, off of a National Championship season at Texas, was expected to be a top three pick. Adding to the
drama, Vince went to high school at Houston Madison high school.
Reggie Bush, coming off of a Heisman trophy winning season with USC, was also expect to go within the top three
picks. Bush had been called the greatest college running back ever. He was compared to Gale Sayers.
Mario Williams, defensive end from North Carolina State, was the third choice of possibly top three picks.
Williams was not really as well known as Young or Bush. He was the darkhorse candidate.
The Houston Texans had David Carr at the time, but his time was running short as the franchise quarterback.
New Orleans had signed Drew Brees to a long-term contract just weeks before the draft.
Tennessee needed help in a few different spots at the time.
Let’s break down the players for you, four years into their careers, and see if the correct decision was made.
Pick #1 – Mario Williams, Houston Texans
Mario has been a two time Pro-Bowler(2008 & 2009). Mario also made first team All-NFL two seasons(2007 & 2008). Williams has averaged nearly twelve sacks per season over his last three seasons in the league. He just turned 25 at the end of January. 2010. The sky is the limit for Williams.
Pick #2 – Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
Reggie has not made any Pro Bowls up to this point in his career. He finished in the top ten in the league in his rookie season with 88 receptions. In 2008, Bush finished third in the league with 13.5 yards per return on punts. For his career, Reggie has averaged about 500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving per season.
Pick #3 – Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
Vince is a two time Pro Bowler. He sneaked in the back door in both of those Pro Bowls. Young is 24-13 as a starter in the NFL. He has led the Titans to one playoff game, losing in the wildcard round. For his career, Young has thrown for 6800 yards, 32 td’s and 39 int’s. He also has ran for 1255 yards and 12 td’s.
It appears that the Texans did in fact make the correct decision in drafting Mario Williams. Some could say that Vince Young would have really brought the fanbase together, and for that reason alone he will always be considered the correct choice. The Texans do have Matt Schaub now, who is a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback. The Texans offense is one of the best in the league, so the pick of Mario Williams is probably going to go down as the right choice. The pick of Reggie Bush at number two is probably the one that will go down as a bust. The Saints could have gotten out of that slot and gotten D’Brickashaw Ferguson from Virginia to set themselves up at left tackle for the next 12 years. They did not need another quarterback certainly, so Vince going there was no going to happen. Reggie Bush has turned into the type of layer that teams try to pick up late in the 2nd or 3rd round, not a number 2 overall pick.
Posted in College Sports, NFL by houstonlibrarian -
Saturday, 6. February 2010
2010 College Football Pre-Season All-American Team
Offense
Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Keenum is now on people’s radar. He will put up the numbers.
Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh
Lewis will have the numbers again this year.
Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
Williams is ready for a breakout year.
Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
He has more of the receptions to himself this year with Tate gone.
AJ Green, WR, Georgia
Too talented not to be here.
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
Rudolph can do it all.
Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State
Strong bloodlines. Wisniewski is an excellent center for the Nittany Lions.
Mike Pouncey, G, Florida
Pouncey is coming back for his senior year and will cement his status as a top guard.
Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
Hudson was All-American as a junior.
Anthony Castonzo, T, Boston College
All-ACC pick will move to the nationl stage.
Marcus Cannon, T, TCU
Cannon will anchor the Horned Frogs attack.
Defense
Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
Returning Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year
Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
All Big Ten performer.
Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
Big reason many expect the Tar Heels to have the #1 defense.
Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson
Jenkins will make a huge jump this year.
Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
Miller will pile up the sacks again this year.
Greg Jones, MLB, Michigan State
Jones is almost the perfect college middle linebacker.
Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina
Carter is reason two of why the Tar Heels will have a stifling defense.
Rashad Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech
Carmichael is a lockdown corner.
Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
Brown started to turner the corner late last year.
DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
McDaniel has the NFL scouts drooling, but he will be back for one more year at Clemson.
Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina
Reason number three for the Tar Heels.
Special Teams
Ryan Donahue, P, Iowa
Big part of Iowa’s gameplan.
Alex Henery, PK, Nebraska
Henery is money from 50 yards in.
DJ Monroe, KR, Texas
Monroe has the blazing speed to take them to the house.
Jeremy Kerley, PR, TCU
Kerley is quick and able to take punts a long way.
Posted in College Sports by houstonlibrarian -
Tuesday, 2. February 2010
Be sure to check out my 2010 Heisman Hopefuls
And my 2010 NFL Mock Draft
10. Philip Rivers, QB, North Carolina State
Rivers has had a stellar career in the NFL. He has an even better career at NC State. We’re talking about 13,000+ yards passing. This was not in a system that produces statistical wonder year in and year out either. Rivers threw for 4400 yards and 34 td’s in his senior season. Rivers had a much better season than Manning or White had in 2003, yet somehow he did not finish in the top 4 of the Heisman voting.
9. Ed Reed, S, Miami
Ed Reed was the leader of one of the best teams that we have seen in the past 25 years. Reed was a consensus All-American in 2000 and 2001. He led the nation with nine int’s in 2001, returning three of those for touchdowns. He is best remembered for his play against Boston College when he stripped the ball from his own teammate and took an interception back for a touchdown that sealed the win and ultimately gave them the opportunity to win a National Championship that year.
8. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Colt could have moved up this list if only he had not gotten injured against Alabama. Colt started off running on all cylinders as a freshman. He had troubles as a sophomore, being careless with the ball. His junior and senior seasons though were two to remember. Colt set the completion percentage record for a single season, completing over 77% of his passes in 2008. He also set the record for most wins by a qb with 45 career wins. He finished with nearly 10,000 yards passing and over 1,000 yards rushing.
7. Deangelo Williams, RB, Memphis
Why Deangelo Williams does not get more resect for his college career is beyond me. Anyone that was paying attention knew that Williams would be a better pro than Reggie Bush, who won the Heisman Deangelo’s senior season. Williams finished up his senior season with nearly 2,000 yards rushing, over 200 yards receiving. For his carrer, Williams had over 7,500 all purpose yards, which is the NCAA record. He also finished with 6,000 yards rushing, fourth on the all time list.
6. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh
Fitzgerald was the master of the acrobatic catch in college, still is in the NFL actually. He almost came out of nowhere to steal the Heisman away from Jason White of Oklahoma. In only 26 career games with Pitt, Fitzgerald caught 161 passes for 2677 yards and 34 td’s. He holds the NCAA record with at least one touchdown catch in 18 straight games.
5. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Tebow is the media darling of the last few years. Once we have time to get away from the 24/7 coverage of Tebow, I think we will find that this is a nice spot for him on this list. He was an exceptional player, but he did not have the ability to single-handedly take over a game that some of the others on this list showed throughout their careers. Tebow finished with nearly 10,000 yards passing and just shy of 3,000 yards rushing.
4. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
Calvin “Megatron” Johnson is number four on our list. This is out of pure unbridled ability. Johnson did not play on a top team in college. Georgia Tech was not in the BCS hunt. Johnson still managed to steal the highlights show every weekend. Johnson was All-ACC in 04, 05 and 06. He was All-American in 05 and 06. As a junior, his last season with Georgia Tech, Johnson tallied 76 grabs for 1202 yards and 15 td’s. He’s 6′5″ 235 and runs a 4.4. He has the total package.
3. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
McFadden was part of the revolutionary wildcat package at Arkansas with Felix Jones. McFadden was the better player in college, though Jones has had the better pro career thus far. For his three yar college career, McFadden had 4590 yards and 41 touchdowns. His junior season saw him go for 1800 yards and 16 td’s. Darren finished 2nd in the Heisman voting in 2006 and 2007.
2. Reggie Bush, RB, USC
You have to put Reggie Bush up this high. He was a great college running back/returner. He was not nearly as great as ESPN wanted us to believe, as we can now see in retrospect as his NFL career sputters, but he did have a great college career. Bush won the Heisman as a junior before entering the NFL Draft. He also finished in the top 5 of the Heisman voting in his sophomore year. Bush finished his career at USC with 6541 all purpose yards.
1. Vince Young, QB, Texas
Vince Young was the best player on the best team of the past ten years. Young finished up 30-2 as a college starting quarterback. If he was starting the game, you could almost mark it down as a win. Young was the first qb ever to pass for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards in the same season. He finished 2nd in the Heisman race in 2005. He won a National Championship. In the MNC game, he passed for 267 yards, ran for 200 more and led the Longhorns back from a seemingly insurmountable 4th quarter deficit. Vince Young was the best player that college football has seen this century.
Best of the Rest
Matt Leinart – Product of the system
Michael Crabtree – Left too soon
Adrian Peterson – Injured too often
Eric Crouch – Product of the system
Cedric Benson – Not quite enough juice
Pat White – Played in the Big East
Posted in College Sports by houstonlibrarian -
