Last week, the National Football League sent out their invites to the nation's top college prospects to join them in Indianapolis, Ind. for the 2016 NFL Combine. For those who do not know what the combine is, I will give you a quick run down.
The Combine is a chance for college prospects to showcase their physical abilities to every NFL team over the course of a week. Different tests will be held for different positions, but there are a few that every prospect must participate in (ie. 40-yard dash, vertical jump, shuttle run). This gives the teams, and analyst, a better idea of who are the top overall prospects.
This is a time for players to cement themselves as top prospects. It can also be a time for people to catapult themselves into the conversation for draftability in earlier rounds. For instance, prior to the combine last year, Florida State Running Back Karlos Williams was not seen as a draft-worthy player. At the combine, he ran the second fast 40-yard dash behind Michigan State's Jeremy Langford. Williams was then selected in the fifth round by Buffalo and has since split carries with LeSean McCoy.
Below, I will be looking at some of names at quarterback that do not exactly grab people's attention when considering rounds 2-3:
Cardale Jones - Ohio State
6-5 250 lbs
Senior
High: National Champion 2015
Cardale Jones got many looks at the beginning of the College Football season. His last three wins were for the BIG 10 title, Sugar Bowl title, and National title. Since then, Jones was shifting back and forth with True Sophomore J.T. Barrett for playing time at OSU. Jones is an excellent passer and a decent runner.
Why is he not higher? Jones never set himself apart from Barrett on the field. Urban Meyer constantly switching up who was starting was a killer for Jones' draft stock. On the bright side for Jones, he is the only quarterback at the combine to win a National Championship and have an undefeated record.
Jones has a shot to climb the draft boards and show that he is worth of a second round pick. He just has to prove his worth in the drills.
Jeff Driskel - Louisiana Tech
6-4 231 lbs
Senior (Transfer)
High: Sugar Bowl Appearance (2013)
Driskel used to be the Gator's quarterback. He did not post amazing stats his first season, but still won due to a killer running game lead by Mike Gillislee. Driskel got hurt during the 2013 season and had to sit out the final nine games of the season. The Gators went 4-8 that year. In the next year, Driskel battled with Treon Harris for starting power. Driskel started nine games. He finally transferred last summer to Louisiana Tech to finish his college career.
At LTU, Driskel threw for over 4,000 yards and led the Bulldogs to a 9-4 record and a win at the New Orleans bowl. Driskel may have the arm talent, but he lacks the mobility that other quarterbacks have in this class. He was sacked 19 times last season.
If Driskel wants to move up the draft board, he needs to do well on his 40-yard dash and excel in the passing drills.
Kevin Hogan - Stanford
6-4 218 lbs
Senior
High: Rose Bowl Champion (2014,2016)
Hogan made a great case this past season to be drafted in the earlier rounds. Capping off a 11-2 season with a win over #5 Iowa could help him greatly. But we do know that a lot of that was from RB Christian McCaffery. Over his career at Stanford, Hogan has been very consistent. He had an average completion rate of 66% over the past three season and boasted 66 touchdowns.
His fault come at his release of the ball. It is very long. Top quarterbacks need to be able to get a pass off in under .6 seconds. It can make the different between a first down and a fumble. His mental game needs no work whatsoever. Student athletes from Stanford have shown amazing intellect in the game of football. Just go watch Andrew Luck and Richard Sherman. They both are also incredible speakers during interviews (just not the 2013 NFC Championship game).
Hogan has the smarts, but can he get the form to throw accurately and quickly?
Monday, February 15, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016
Top Moments of Football #20-16
Holy Cow, the season is over. Football is over until April when we get Spring games for college. But honestly, how fun are those unless it is your team? Since this year is over, I thought it would be a good time to look back and see the top moments in football from this past year. This is for both college and professional.
Note: These may not be the absolute best, but they definitely set the tone for either the team's season, great triumphs, or were just plain amazing.
Here are my top moments 20-16:
20. Kony Ealy's interception and return against the Broncos in Super Bowl 50
Let's start out with something that was super recent. Believe it or not, I was talking to my friend before the game started about how underutilized Ealy was in the Panther's defense. A second round pick in the 2014 draft, many thought this former Mizzou Tiger was a steal. The Panthers failed to every use him to his full ability since they had Kwon Short, Jared Allen, and Greg Hardy.
During the second quarter, Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning dropped back for a pass on 3rd & 8. The pass was tipped and caught by Ealy at the Carolina 20 and he began his return. I don't know if you've even seen a 290 lbs man juke out people before, but it is impressive. Ealy dodged three tacklers, including wide out Emmanuel Sanders. It was quite a sight. Even though this play only resulted in a 19 yard gain at the point of the catch, it was easily one of the more exciting moments from the Super Bowl.
19. Dalvin Cook breaks FSU single-season rushing record in eight games in Week 11
There is no hiding the fact that I love Dalvin Cook and hope to see him wearing the Dallas Star on his helmet one day. He will be one of the best backs in the league soon enough. This past year, Cook set out for records. The original record for most rushing yards in a single season at Florida State was held by Warwick Dunn. Dunn ran for 1,242 yards in the 1995 season for the Seminoles. This looked like nothing when one looks at Cook's stats.
Cook entered Week 11 of the season against NC State just 12 yards shy of the record. Here is the big thing about this: This was Cook's eighth full game. FSU had their bye week in week 4. Cook only played two snaps of their game against Wake Forest (76 yards on one carry) before pulling his hamstring and sitting out the rest of the game. Cook also sat out all of the Syracuse game to nurse his hamstring again. It took one carry for Cook to reach the record going for 22 yards. Cook's final rushing yards rest at 1,691 on the season.
18. Todd Gurley rushes for 144 yards in the second half of his first game against Arizona in Week 3
Todd Gurley was arguably the riskiest pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. Coming off of an ACL surgery, rarely does a running back reach 100% again. This was not the case for the new AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Gurley was held to only two yards in the first half of the game on three carries. Against the Cardinals' stellar defense, this would surprise no one. Once the second half got underway, so did Gurley. The former Bulldog would rush for an additional 144 yards and two scores on his final 16 carries. In a rookie's first game, this is definitely one of the top performances. He also won Pepsi Rookie of the Week for this game.
17. Colt's fake punt against New England in Week 6
This might be the Worst of the Worst and #1 on Com'on Man for the next year. Is it worse than the Butt Fumble? No, but it is a close second.
Towards the end of the third quarter in Indianapolis, the Colts are facing 4th & 3 on their own 37 yard line. Suddenly, every Colt except for the long snapper and punter move to the far, right side of the field. It gets worse. Anderson (the punter) is taking the snap from under center with four Patriots on the other side. Anderson takes the snap and is almost immediately tackled for a loss by Brandon Boldin. This is probably the worst play of the year, but one of the most memorable.
16. Miami beats Duke off of 8-lateral kick return as time expires in Week 9
This was one of the most talked about plays of the year. Why is it not higher? Just wait. Duke scores what looks like the go-ahead touchdown with only six seconds left in the game. The score was 27-24. Duke only kicks the ball 39 yards to prevent the Hurricanes from having a big return. This clearly did not work.
It took 5 players, 8-laterals, and 91 yard return, but the Canes somehow pulled off a 30-27 victory. And by somehow, I mean four missed penalties and a downed player. On this play, there were 2 missed holding calls and two blocks in the back. Also, before the 5th lateral, the player's knee was clearly down before the ball came out. The ACC Officials were all suspended for the events of this play. It was a great play though.
#15-11 will come on either Tuesday or Wednesday!
Note: These may not be the absolute best, but they definitely set the tone for either the team's season, great triumphs, or were just plain amazing.
Here are my top moments 20-16:
20. Kony Ealy's interception and return against the Broncos in Super Bowl 50
Let's start out with something that was super recent. Believe it or not, I was talking to my friend before the game started about how underutilized Ealy was in the Panther's defense. A second round pick in the 2014 draft, many thought this former Mizzou Tiger was a steal. The Panthers failed to every use him to his full ability since they had Kwon Short, Jared Allen, and Greg Hardy.
During the second quarter, Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning dropped back for a pass on 3rd & 8. The pass was tipped and caught by Ealy at the Carolina 20 and he began his return. I don't know if you've even seen a 290 lbs man juke out people before, but it is impressive. Ealy dodged three tacklers, including wide out Emmanuel Sanders. It was quite a sight. Even though this play only resulted in a 19 yard gain at the point of the catch, it was easily one of the more exciting moments from the Super Bowl.
19. Dalvin Cook breaks FSU single-season rushing record in eight games in Week 11
There is no hiding the fact that I love Dalvin Cook and hope to see him wearing the Dallas Star on his helmet one day. He will be one of the best backs in the league soon enough. This past year, Cook set out for records. The original record for most rushing yards in a single season at Florida State was held by Warwick Dunn. Dunn ran for 1,242 yards in the 1995 season for the Seminoles. This looked like nothing when one looks at Cook's stats.
Cook entered Week 11 of the season against NC State just 12 yards shy of the record. Here is the big thing about this: This was Cook's eighth full game. FSU had their bye week in week 4. Cook only played two snaps of their game against Wake Forest (76 yards on one carry) before pulling his hamstring and sitting out the rest of the game. Cook also sat out all of the Syracuse game to nurse his hamstring again. It took one carry for Cook to reach the record going for 22 yards. Cook's final rushing yards rest at 1,691 on the season.
18. Todd Gurley rushes for 144 yards in the second half of his first game against Arizona in Week 3
Todd Gurley was arguably the riskiest pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. Coming off of an ACL surgery, rarely does a running back reach 100% again. This was not the case for the new AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Gurley was held to only two yards in the first half of the game on three carries. Against the Cardinals' stellar defense, this would surprise no one. Once the second half got underway, so did Gurley. The former Bulldog would rush for an additional 144 yards and two scores on his final 16 carries. In a rookie's first game, this is definitely one of the top performances. He also won Pepsi Rookie of the Week for this game.
17. Colt's fake punt against New England in Week 6
This might be the Worst of the Worst and #1 on Com'on Man for the next year. Is it worse than the Butt Fumble? No, but it is a close second.
Towards the end of the third quarter in Indianapolis, the Colts are facing 4th & 3 on their own 37 yard line. Suddenly, every Colt except for the long snapper and punter move to the far, right side of the field. It gets worse. Anderson (the punter) is taking the snap from under center with four Patriots on the other side. Anderson takes the snap and is almost immediately tackled for a loss by Brandon Boldin. This is probably the worst play of the year, but one of the most memorable.
16. Miami beats Duke off of 8-lateral kick return as time expires in Week 9
This was one of the most talked about plays of the year. Why is it not higher? Just wait. Duke scores what looks like the go-ahead touchdown with only six seconds left in the game. The score was 27-24. Duke only kicks the ball 39 yards to prevent the Hurricanes from having a big return. This clearly did not work.
It took 5 players, 8-laterals, and 91 yard return, but the Canes somehow pulled off a 30-27 victory. And by somehow, I mean four missed penalties and a downed player. On this play, there were 2 missed holding calls and two blocks in the back. Also, before the 5th lateral, the player's knee was clearly down before the ball came out. The ACC Officials were all suspended for the events of this play. It was a great play though.
#15-11 will come on either Tuesday or Wednesday!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
FSU National Signing Day Roller Coaster
Holy Cow! FSU did an amazing job finishing this year in recruiting! As of right now, 25 high school players will officially be Seminoles come kickoff next fall. I just want to take some time here to look at some of the important parts of this new team that has been constructed by Coach Fisher and his staff.
Offensive Line Power:
As most people who watched the Seminoles this year know, the offensive line play was very inconsistent. While this could be due to the lack of experience, considering that we replaced 4/5 of the line from the previous year, Seminole fans were still mad. It greatly showed during the game against the Houston when Dalvin Cook could not run for more than 3 yards at a time, at best.
In this recruiting class, FSU has managed to snag six new offensive lineman. This class is lead by ESPN's #1 OC Baveon Johnson. Johnson (Lakeland, Fla.) is a 6-3, 340 pounder who is not going to be pushed around easily. ESPN's Scouting Report raves about his hip play. While it may sound silly out loud. It is very important when you are the first person touching the ball and making sure no one gets past you.
Adding to the powerful line is OT Jauan Williams. Williams (Washington D.C.) was on the bubble for Texas and Georgia as well before signing earlier today. Ranked as the 11th best Offensive Tackle, and being 6-7, 304 lbs, Williams could be a cornerstone player after next season.
Do not expect these linemen to see much playing time this year. It is hard for linemen to become plug-and-play players at such a highly competitive level. On the bright side, this class looks as though it can be just as strong as our line during the 2013 National Championship Season.
Cornerback Duo:
We had known for awhile that Levonta Taylor, the #5 recruit in the country, was coming to FSU. Standing at just under six feet, Taylor will likely bare a resemblance to Lemarcus Joyner: small but powerful. He is likely to also be our kick returner for the upcoming season. While he will probably see time on the defensive side of the ball, he will not begin there.
Adding to Taylor's power is the #7 CB in the country, Carlos Becker. Becker (Kissimmee, Fla.) stated earlier this weekend that his decision was between FSU and Ohio State. He made this decision at his 9:30 call time on ESPN.
Good news: Becker is 6-3. Bad news: weighs 185 lbs. Becker will have to bulk up and could probably see a move to safety if he plays this season. FSU lost both of their safety commits earlier today to USC and Texas A&M. Becker is very fast in zone coverage, which is a very good quality to have at the safety position in man coverage. Becker and Taylor have a shot to be the one-two punch that Ronald Darby and Jalen Ramsey used to be.
Let's put it this way, our secondary next year would most likely look like this by the end of it all:
FS: Nate Andrews SS: Derwin James Jr.
CB1: Marquez White CB2: Trey Marshall CB Levonta Taylor CB4: Tarvarus McFadden
Flipping Florida:
For the second time in three years, FSU flipped a recruit that was originally committed to that horrible school in Gainesville. It may sound mean and unsportsmanlike to do, but the first time it happened, it was a two way street. We lost our quarterback, they lost their running back. Jokes on them though. They can have fun with Treon Harris and we'll keep Dalvin Cook.
The Noles were able to flip another guy: Shavar Manuel. He's a 6-4, 280 lbs defensive tackle and from IMG Academy in Tampa. ESPN is impressed with his speed for a DT, but he has problems when it comes to the usage of his hands. They say he is not exactly a sound tackler. I feel as though that is important when tackle is in the name of your position.
Either way, it's always fun to grab someone in-state, even better from your rival.
Linebacker Cavalry
One of the biggest problems from this class about a month ago was lack of linebackers, especially since the Noles are losing Terrence Smith and Reggie Northrup. The Linebackers will most likely consist of Jacob Pugh (Jr), Matthew Thomas (RS Jr), and Ro'Derrick Hoskins (RS Jr). They were decent when they played last year, but our Linebackers are known for getting hurt a little too easily. Outside Linebacker Chris Casher has barely seen the field due to injury.
Send in the newbies, headlined by Dontavious Jackson. He was down to Alabama, Texas, and FSU. Since he is from Houston, FSU got a steal here. At 6-2, 248 lbs, Jackson is still able to make a play when the ball is coming around the line instead of through it. This guy, along with Emmitt Rice, who TomahawkNation reporters have said shows flashes of Telvin Smith, could be a deadly combination.
Looking at all of these great additions to the team, I have put my starting lineup for the following year below:
Offense:
QB: DeAndre Francois (RS Fr)
RB1: Dalvin Cook (Jr)
RB2: Jarques Patrick (So)
FB: Freddie Stevenson (Sr)
WR1: Levonta Witfield (Sr)
WR2: Travis Rudolph (Jr)
WR3: Jesus Wilson (Sr)
TE: Ryan Izzo (RS So)
LT: Rodrick Johnson (Jr)
LG: Kareem Are (RS Sr)
C: Ryan Hoefield (RS So)
RG: Wilson Bell (RS Jr)
RT: Chad Mavety (RS Sr)
K: Ricky Aguayo (Fr)
Defense:
DE1: Demarcus Walker (RS Sr)
DT1: Derrick Nnadi (Jr)
DT2: Demarcus Christmas (RS So)
DE2: Josh Sweat (So)
Mike LB: Ro'Derrick Hoskins (RS Jr)
LB1: Jacob Pugh (Jr)
LB2: Matthew Thomas (RS Jr)
CB1: Marquez White (Sr)
CB2: Tarvarus McFadden (So)
Star CB: Trey Marshall (Jr)
FS: Nate Andrews (Sr)
SS: Derwin James Jr. (So)
P: Johnathan Hernandez (RS Jr)
Offensive Line Power:
As most people who watched the Seminoles this year know, the offensive line play was very inconsistent. While this could be due to the lack of experience, considering that we replaced 4/5 of the line from the previous year, Seminole fans were still mad. It greatly showed during the game against the Houston when Dalvin Cook could not run for more than 3 yards at a time, at best.
In this recruiting class, FSU has managed to snag six new offensive lineman. This class is lead by ESPN's #1 OC Baveon Johnson. Johnson (Lakeland, Fla.) is a 6-3, 340 pounder who is not going to be pushed around easily. ESPN's Scouting Report raves about his hip play. While it may sound silly out loud. It is very important when you are the first person touching the ball and making sure no one gets past you.
Adding to the powerful line is OT Jauan Williams. Williams (Washington D.C.) was on the bubble for Texas and Georgia as well before signing earlier today. Ranked as the 11th best Offensive Tackle, and being 6-7, 304 lbs, Williams could be a cornerstone player after next season.
Do not expect these linemen to see much playing time this year. It is hard for linemen to become plug-and-play players at such a highly competitive level. On the bright side, this class looks as though it can be just as strong as our line during the 2013 National Championship Season.
Cornerback Duo:
We had known for awhile that Levonta Taylor, the #5 recruit in the country, was coming to FSU. Standing at just under six feet, Taylor will likely bare a resemblance to Lemarcus Joyner: small but powerful. He is likely to also be our kick returner for the upcoming season. While he will probably see time on the defensive side of the ball, he will not begin there.
Adding to Taylor's power is the #7 CB in the country, Carlos Becker. Becker (Kissimmee, Fla.) stated earlier this weekend that his decision was between FSU and Ohio State. He made this decision at his 9:30 call time on ESPN.
Good news: Becker is 6-3. Bad news: weighs 185 lbs. Becker will have to bulk up and could probably see a move to safety if he plays this season. FSU lost both of their safety commits earlier today to USC and Texas A&M. Becker is very fast in zone coverage, which is a very good quality to have at the safety position in man coverage. Becker and Taylor have a shot to be the one-two punch that Ronald Darby and Jalen Ramsey used to be.
Let's put it this way, our secondary next year would most likely look like this by the end of it all:
FS: Nate Andrews SS: Derwin James Jr.
CB1: Marquez White CB2: Trey Marshall CB Levonta Taylor CB4: Tarvarus McFadden
Flipping Florida:
For the second time in three years, FSU flipped a recruit that was originally committed to that horrible school in Gainesville. It may sound mean and unsportsmanlike to do, but the first time it happened, it was a two way street. We lost our quarterback, they lost their running back. Jokes on them though. They can have fun with Treon Harris and we'll keep Dalvin Cook.
The Noles were able to flip another guy: Shavar Manuel. He's a 6-4, 280 lbs defensive tackle and from IMG Academy in Tampa. ESPN is impressed with his speed for a DT, but he has problems when it comes to the usage of his hands. They say he is not exactly a sound tackler. I feel as though that is important when tackle is in the name of your position.
Either way, it's always fun to grab someone in-state, even better from your rival.
Linebacker Cavalry
One of the biggest problems from this class about a month ago was lack of linebackers, especially since the Noles are losing Terrence Smith and Reggie Northrup. The Linebackers will most likely consist of Jacob Pugh (Jr), Matthew Thomas (RS Jr), and Ro'Derrick Hoskins (RS Jr). They were decent when they played last year, but our Linebackers are known for getting hurt a little too easily. Outside Linebacker Chris Casher has barely seen the field due to injury.
Send in the newbies, headlined by Dontavious Jackson. He was down to Alabama, Texas, and FSU. Since he is from Houston, FSU got a steal here. At 6-2, 248 lbs, Jackson is still able to make a play when the ball is coming around the line instead of through it. This guy, along with Emmitt Rice, who TomahawkNation reporters have said shows flashes of Telvin Smith, could be a deadly combination.
Looking at all of these great additions to the team, I have put my starting lineup for the following year below:
Offense:
QB: DeAndre Francois (RS Fr)
RB1: Dalvin Cook (Jr)
RB2: Jarques Patrick (So)
FB: Freddie Stevenson (Sr)
WR1: Levonta Witfield (Sr)
WR2: Travis Rudolph (Jr)
WR3: Jesus Wilson (Sr)
TE: Ryan Izzo (RS So)
LT: Rodrick Johnson (Jr)
LG: Kareem Are (RS Sr)
C: Ryan Hoefield (RS So)
RG: Wilson Bell (RS Jr)
RT: Chad Mavety (RS Sr)
K: Ricky Aguayo (Fr)
Defense:
DE1: Demarcus Walker (RS Sr)
DT1: Derrick Nnadi (Jr)
DT2: Demarcus Christmas (RS So)
DE2: Josh Sweat (So)
Mike LB: Ro'Derrick Hoskins (RS Jr)
LB1: Jacob Pugh (Jr)
LB2: Matthew Thomas (RS Jr)
CB1: Marquez White (Sr)
CB2: Tarvarus McFadden (So)
Star CB: Trey Marshall (Jr)
FS: Nate Andrews (Sr)
SS: Derwin James Jr. (So)
P: Johnathan Hernandez (RS Jr)
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