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, 26. January 2010
2010 Heisman Candidates
Jacquizz Rodgers
Rodgers has to be considered a Heisman candidate. He ran for 1440 yards and 21 td’s on 273 attempts. He also chipped in with 522 yards and another td on 78 receptions. Rodgers and his brother are pretty much the entire offense at Oregon State. If it happens, it is usually one of them doing it. Jacquizz is extremely durable for his size. He can take a large dose of carries and not be slowed down. He will get a ton of them this year, and even though the Beavers may be an average team, he will roll up a ton of stats.
Christian Ponder
Christian Ponder is a Heisman contender. He was on his way to an All-American type season this past year until an injury derailed him for the last three games of the season. Ponder still ended up with 2717 yards and 14 td’s with only 7 int’s. Florida State has some receivers in which to throw the ball. Ponder will be hungry after ending his season on such a disappointing note. He was only improving as the weeks went by last year. I feel like Ponder is poised for a monster season this year.
Jeremiah Masoli
Masoli will again lead the Ducks attack this year. He does it through the air and on the ground. Masoli had over 2100 yards in the air and another 600 yards on the ground. He accounted for 23 td’s, all while missing one game. The Oregon offense will be potent again this year, and Masoli will pile up the stats, but the main reason he may not win will be the next guy in this list.
LaMichael James
How did the state of Texas ever let this guy get away? You would think someone would have been able to reel him in. James had a dynamic first season in Oregon. The state of Oregon has two of the leading candidates for the Heisman trophy at running back, both from Texas high schools. James ended up with over 1500 yards on the ground on only 230 carries. He only carried the ball eleven times total in the first two games, so just imagine what his stats could have looked like had he been playing the whole wasy. He will be playing the whole way this year, and he will get his yards, but Masoli and James may split some votes if they both have the season expected of them.
Dion Lewis
Lewis grew on me towards the end of the year last year. The more you watched him, the more you noticed it was not the system, but it was him being able to make tacklers miss and get all of those yards. He was another one that got away from some of the bigger schools. He will be back wreaking havoc in the Big East again this year after a freshman campaign a year ago that saw him get nearly 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. Keep an eye on this year as teams try to key on him a little bit more to see how he handles it.
Kellen Moore
Moore is probably not the most talented guy in the world. True, if he were playing in a BCS Conference, we wouldn’t even have him here. Heck, he may not even be starting for a lot of BCS teams, but the kid did put up the state last year. You have to figure with the schedule that Bloise State has that Moore is going to throw up monster stats again and the Broncos are going to win nearly all of their games. This should be reason enough for any intelligent observer to put him here knowing how voters vote.
Andrew Luck
Luck is a guy I watched multiple times at Houston Stratford High School. He willed his so-so team to near state championship runs two years in a row. He is a competitor. He is extremely intelligent. He is a winner. All of the components you look for in a quarterback. Luck will not put up the great numbers probably, but he will overwhelm you with his innate ability to quarterback a football team. He threw for 2500 yards and 13 td’s last year, but his stats do not begin to tell his worth to the Stanford Cardinal football team.
Terrelle Pryor
Yeah, I know…everyone is tired of waiting for Pryor to get past mediocre and become even a good quarterback before we put him in this conversation. That’s not always waht the Heisman is about though. Look at this year as prime example number one. Ingram was not a special back, nor did he have sparkling numbers, but that is not what the Hesiman is about any more. Pryor is on Ohio State, one of the big time schools in college football. He plays the most important position. He can make breath-taking plays occasionally. Those are the things that will get him some Heisman consideration, especially is the Buckeyes do well as a team. He did end up passing for over 2,000 yards and running for over 600 yards, which is nothing to sneeze at. Where he needs to work is on limiting his turnovers and improving his decision making skills in the clutch. If he can do that, you can mark him down for a spot in New York.
AJ Green
Green followed up an amazing freshman year with a decent sophomore year. His numbers fell a bit from 950 yards receiver to 800 and 8 td’s to 6. That had a lot to do with the offense as a whole. They did not have much going on that side of the ball last year. Losing Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford were obviously big blows for the Bulldogs. Hopefully with another year under his belt Green will do a better job of harnessing his immense talent and Georgia will find a way to get him the ball. He likely will not be around for senior campaign, so this is his year to shine. However, how many receivers have won this award without some major special teams contributions? Green is fighting an uphill battle.
Ryan Mallett
Talk about a strong armed Texas kid. It’s amazing how many of the quarterbacks around the country are from Texas these days. Ponder, Luck and Mallett all grew up in the Lone Star state. Mallett has the biggest cannon that I have probably ever seen as a college qb. He effortlessly flicks it 45 yards down the field on a line. He does not have any mobility at all which will not help if he is to get into the thick of the Heisman race. He will have to do all his damage through the air. He ended up throwing for over 3600 yards and 30 td’s. IF he can duplicate that, then he should be in the race.
Ryan Williams
Williams is a darkhorse candidate. He really came on at the end of the year last year finishing up with 180 yards and four td’s against Virginia, then following that up with another hundred yard game against a tough Tennessee defense in the bowl game. Williams has legitimate NFL skill at the running back position. Virginia Tech loves to run the ball. The Hokies are always in the top 15-20. If they can put it together and make a run for a top 5 slot this year, with Williams leading the way, I expect he will get his name in the race.
Jacory Harris
Harris looked like he was ready to get in the Heisman hunt last year, but he faltered a little towards the middle of the season. After throwing for over 650 yards against Florida State and Georgia Tech to open the season with two big wins, Harris came crashing back down to earth in a loss to Virginia Tech. Harris threw four interceptions in a late season loss to North Carolina. If he can stay away from throwing so many interceptions and Miami can become a national contender again…those are some huge if’s…then he will have a shot. He went for 3300 yards and 24 td’s last year. I exect much the same, if not more, with better decision making this year.
Best of the rest
Case Keenum, QB, Houston – He will have the stats, but he really needs to win nearly every game to have a shot.
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama – No way will he win it back to back, especially with Richardson getting more and more carries.
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU – Dalton could slide into the hopefuls category if he has an abdolutely monster year.
Garrett Gilbert, QB, Texas – too soon for Gilbert, though he will put up good stats and win a lot.
Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada – Nevada is not going to have a Heisman winner, but he will put up some stats though.
Jake Locker, QB, Washington – Not going to have the stats, though he is a nice NFL prospect.
Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia – Late entry to the list. Devine will need a top 10 Mountaineers team to get in the mix.
Posted in College Sports by houstonlibrarian -