Every year, we present our Fantasy College Blitz coaching changes for the upcoming season…and their potential impact on the fantasy world.
Although the 2009 class of new coaches does not have one real “standout” that can change the fantasy fortunes of a program overnight, it does have a few that should offer some positive impact for 2009.
Curious to know where new Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin (photo,thanks IconSMI) lands on this list? Are you wondering which non-BCS program made the best (fantasy) hire? Still scratching your head over “why did they hire that loser”?
Then, sit back and take a look at where we rate the new coach hires…from the fantasy persepective. (NOTE: Our rankings are based solely on the fantasy impact of the new hires, not on their win-loss potential. We look at how a program’s production can/will be improved, or, a good offense that will remain good under a new coach.)
In order to prepare you for the 2009 fantasy college football season properly we have invested more time than usual following the recruiting scene, and no one has stepped up more than Jason Roberts. Jason continues his survey of the top five freshman expected at QB, RB and WR – and that equals the dreaded “Freshman 15″.
Andre Debose, WR, University of Florida
If you want to see an exhibition of what pure speed and athleticism looks like embodied in the form of a high school football recruit, then look no further than Andre Dubose of Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida. A 6’0″, 180 pound do-it-all-type athlete that played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and kick returner as a prep football star, Debose is without a doubt one of the most explosive all-around players available in the Class of 2009. As such, expect him to be an ideal replacement for departed all-purpose yardage generator for the University of Florida, Percy Harvin. Lighting quick both off the line and downfield when separating from opposing defenders after the catch, Debose remains at his best when making plays happen with the type of ankle-breaking moves characteristic of only the most elite athletes.
He is, say scouts, much better in the short-passing game, where his speed and agility can do the greatest amount of damage; deep, vertical routes are an area in which Debose’s coaches are going to need work with him, particularly when it comes to teaching the young receiver how to compensate for the more physical play of SEC corners and safetys when stretching the field. Still, given his an outstanding sense of athleticism, there is no doubt that Debose will quickly draw comparisons to the flash and flair that Harvin brought to the Gators’ offensive playbook whenever he was on the field. This youngster, by all assessments, is the real deal and could be biggest draw at wideout for the 2009 recruiting class.
In order to prepare you for the 2009 fantasy college football season properly we have invested more time than usual following the recruiting scene, and no one has stepped up more than Jason Roberts. Jason begins his survey of the top five freshman expected at QB, RB and WR – and that equals the dreaded “Freshman 15″.
Bryce Brown, courtesy of VarsityKansas.com
Bryce Brown, RB, Uncommitted [Miami (FL) or Oregon or Tennessee]
Brown still hasn’t made a final decision as to whether he’ll remain at the University of Miami or, instead, reverse commitments and head out to Eugene, Oregon to play for Mike Bellotti. Reports heading into January (as reported by ESPN) suggest, as Brown himself told reporters, “It is safe to say that Oregon has got the edge by a little bit.” Still, at the one week anniversary of National Signing Day, no announcement had been made out of the youngster’s camp, and his personal website says to expect an announcement on March 12 (yes, subscription required)
The University of Miami (Florida) initially picked up a somewhat surprising commitment from one of the best running back recruits available in the Class of 2009 in Wichita, Kansas’ East High School’s Brown. A stunning combination of power and speed, Brown, who rushed for 6809 yards in his high school career, has the physical build to be a workhorse out of the Hurricanes’ backfield – and this regardless of whether running on the inside or bouncing outside to the corner. Scouts love his low center of gravity, a characteristic which should make it nearly impossible for opposing defenders to bring Brown down with any degree of easy; so too have evaluators had favorable things to say about his ability to catch the ball off a screen pass or as an intermediary target downfield.
He’s a sound student of the game and can pick up a blitz in pass protection with a level of comfort equal to his ability to run with the ball. Some concerns exist with his ability to dodge defenders out in open space, as well as the caliber of competition he faced in Wichita, Kansas, but there are enough tangibles embodied by Brown to make him a highly-sought after prize.
Read about the rest of Jason’s Freshmen 15 Rb like Trent Richardson and Jamaal Berry.
In order to prepare you for the 2009 fantasy college football season properly we have invested more time than usual following the recruiting scene, and no one has stepped up more than Jason Roberts. Jason begins his survey of the top five freshman expected at QB, RB and WR – and that equals the dreaded “Freshman 15″.
Matt Barkley, QB, University of Southern California
Believed to be the undisputed #1 recruit for the class of 2009 , Barkley committed to the University of Southern California while still a junior at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. The first freshman to start at quarterback for Mater Dei since Todd Marinovich walked its storied halls (Matt Leinart and Colt Brennan are also Mater Dei QB alumni), Barkley impressed by throwing for 1685 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first year as a starter. By the end of his junior season, Barkley had thrown for 6594 yards and 57 touchdowns, with a majority coming off an outstanding 2007 performance in which he passed for 3576 yards and 35 touchdowns, all the while completing 63% of his passes. As a senior, Barkley struggled passing for nearly as many interceptions as he had touchdowns, and barely kept his Monarchs above the .500 mark. Mater Dei rallied, however, in no small part to Barkley’s leadership, and made it as far as the quarterfinals in the 2008 high school playoffs. In doing so, Barkley ended his high school career as the all-time passing leader in Orange County and accumulated a number of prestigious awards and recognitions for his abilities, including the 2007 Gatorade National Player of the Year, 2007 Glenn Davis Award, and 2007 Joe Montana Award. He also participated in the 2009 Under Armour All-American High School Football Game in Orlando, Florida, where he produced a game-high 237 yards passing and two touchdowns as the contest’s co-MVP. Read the rest of this entry →
With Super Bowl XLIII in the books, fans of all teams including the Super Bowl champs Pittsburgh Steelers are eagerly anticipating the draft in April. The great thing, among many, about the most exciting drafting process in all of sports is that it becomes a competition in it of itself. It’s a contest that, yes, even the Detroit Lions can emerge victorious. While it won’t give a team like the Lions their first notch in the win column in over sixteen months, it is capable of spurring unbridled optimism amongst sports’ most passionate fans for the upcoming season.
For the casual fan, the draft is simply a matter of, “Who did we take with our first pick?” For the die hard it’s, “Who was Mr. Irrelevant?” or “Who did we nab with that 6th round compensatory pick?” For many rabid fans it’s who is drafted in the late rounds and who their favorite teams bring in as undrafted free agents that make the process exciting.
Every year, we present our Fantasy College Blitz coaching changes for the upcoming season…and their potential impact on the fantasy world.
