Notes From the Margin v3
July 21st, 2008 by Jason Roberts
Note: As we grow ever closer to the start of the 2008 football season, this column has been revised slightly in order to make identifying news regarding fantasy owners’ favorite players and schools a less-daunting task. Each week, this piece will be broken down into two component parts, each organized alphabetically by conference and team; the first section will provide more in-depth coverage of pertinent stories relating to the state of college football around the nation, while the second offers interesting, but perhaps less consequential, information which fantasy owners may find useful in preparing for the start of 2008 season.
ACC
A new era at "Quarterback U" . . .
The Associated Press and ESPN.com released the news on July 17, 2008 that for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team, there will be not one, but two quarterbacks rotating under center in 2008.
Citing that the Hurricanes don’t have a single quarterback on the roster that has any kind of experience playing at the collegiate-level, head coach Randy Shannon announced toward the end of this week that he has made the decision to use multiple quarterbacks come fall. He did not, however, provide any information as to who may have an advantage at playing within the intended rotation heading into the start of preseason camp come August.
Fortunately, for those involved in the race, Shannon has noted he doesn’t foresee a situation in which a "platoon situation" becomes the preferred modus operandi for the 2008 Miami offensive squad. Instead, the coach believes that someone will eventually emerge as a clear starter and the other will get some time to get a feel for real game speed.
As it stands now, the Hurricanes have four potential options to play at the quarterback position, with three of the four comparable enough to make it a close race with a mere two weeks remaining before the start of fall practice.
Robert Marve is a redshirt freshman, while Jacory Harris and Cannon Smith are both true freshmen.
To hear fans and some close to the program tell it, Marve appears to be the favorite to land the job as starter. Not only has he been with the Hurricanes for a full year more than either Harris or Smith, but he also has been complimented by coaches for being a "competitor" and a "warrior" out on the field. Still, Harris is a focused athlete, even going so far as graduating early from high school in order to enroll at UM ahead of other freshmen and join the Hurricanes’ program in spring to show coaches and future teammates exactly what he brings to the table. Smith also has plenty of potential, enrolling at Milford Prep to gain additional experience before committing to a Division I school, but is still considered less ideal of a candidate due to his overall size (5’11").
Fantasy owners will want to keep an eye on this particular quarterback situation just in case history at "Quarterback U" decides to repeat itself once more with the arrival of the 2008 football season.
Big-12
The Kansas City-Star for July 13, 2008 discusses the state of the Missouri Tigers’ backfield now that Tony Temple has graduated and provides hints as to who might be his predecessor come the start of the 2008 football season.
Though acknowledging as many as three different tailbacks could see carries for MIzzou this year, the article focuses primarily on sophomore Derrick Washington and the impressive camp he had this spring. Throughout the team’s various practices and drills, Washington continued to establish himself as a solid and reliable powerback, as well as a particularly dangerous rusher when around the goalline.
Washington it should be pointed out is no stranger to the Tigers’ huddle. He played sparingly in 2007 as a backup to Temple, but still managed to accumulate 185 yards on 36 carries, while adding to those numbers 10 pass receptions for 85 yards.
Thus far, Washington has been able to hold off senior Jimmy Johnson and redshirt freshman De’Vion Moore in their respective attempts to grab the starting tailback role come fall. Some expect that Johnson will be able to reclaim the spot of front-runner with a strong performance in camp this August, especially as he is the team’s most physical runner. In the meantime, one cannot count out Moore, who more than likely will make some noise in the backfield as one of the team’s fastest players. Reports on Moore are that he’s a flashy rusher who brings a confident sense of finesse in avoiding defenders out it open space.
Still, assessments of all three tailbacks lead to one clear conclusion: say what you will, Washington is Missouri’s best all-around back, particularly since he provides such a strong option out in the flat as a receiver and is a player who can be used effectively in the short-range passing game as a slot receiver.
If he can continue to establish himself in fall camp as he did in the spring, fantasy owners should have Washington’s name penciled in as sleeper at tailback out in the Big 12. 1,000 yards rushing may be a bit of a stretch for the second-year running back, particularly as all three backs are likely to see their fair share of time out on the field. Yet, if he can establish himself as the type of runner that can contribute in both the running and passing areas of the game, as well as handle the grind of the collegiate game with little trouble, then Missouri may very well have a solid feature back in the making. Washington then could easily mature in a manner that makes him a solid presence in its rushing attack as Chase Daniels is with the passing attack.
Speaking of names, how about a potential "household" one for 2008?
Fantasy owners looking for a breakout player at wide receiver from the Big 12 conference in 2008 need to look no further than the Kansas State Wildcats.
Or so a recent article in the Topeka Capital-Journal (July 10, 2008) would have one believe . . .
According to the author of the article, the former head coach for Aubrey Quarles at Santa Rosa Community College, Keith Simons, believes K-State will find that the former JUCO All-American wideout should be the Wildcats’ "top guy" come the start of the new season.
That kind of prediction may seem extravagant, perhaps even arrogant. However, look at the type of numbers Quarles put up for Santa Rosa in 2007 and one begins to realize just how frighteningly accurate the comments of Simons just might prove to be in the upcoming fall.
Consider this: Last year, Quarles missed a significant amount of the season due to a shoulder injury he sustained after the third game of the season.
In the three games he did start, however, Quarles managed to catch 27 receptions for 355 yards and scored a mind-boggling eight times. And that doesn’t count the five returns on special teams, in which he gained 194 yards and took the ball back twice for a score.
That being the case, fantasy owners may very well want to forego Wildcats’ lead returning receiver from 2007, Deon Murphy (57 receptions, 605 yards and five touchdowns). Instead, keep an eye on Quarles to be the potential homerun-hitting receiver Kansas State desires to be the go-to target for junior quarterback Josh Freeman in 2008.
Big Ten
A triple threat at Indiana?
The West Indianapolis Star provides readers of its July 18, 2008 edition an introduction to what may become one of the most talented overall athletes to play for the University of Indiana football team that recent memory will allow to serve.
Star correspondent Paul Sheppard notes that the incoming freshman Tandon Doss ( registered in high school as a running back) averaged seven yards-per-carry on the ground as a senior and finished his final season with over 1,000 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns, Still, Doss did more than just provide an outstanding presence out of the Ben Davis backfield; he also caught 34 passes for 508 yards and three touchdowns, while adding to those numbers an average of nearly 36 yards-per-return handled on the school’s special teams unit.
The 6’3", 190 pounder has already moved in on campus and has been living with future teammates Will Patterson and Ray Fisher. Sheppard writes in his article that the Indiana coaching staff envisions Doss lining up at the wide receiver position, where his height, speed, and athleticism should give him an advantage against opposing defensive backs. And given the level of talent he has shown on the practice field this fall, it appears that the young wideout has the potential to be a contributing factor on offense as early as this year.
Fantasy owners looking for a replacement for now-departed star receiver for the Hoosiers, James Hardy , are very much going to want to watch Doss’ progression throughout fall camp, as he could just in fact be the next in line to breakout as an elite pass-catcher at the University of Indiana.
Conference USA
Replacing Evans and Marshall down in H-town isn’t going to be easy, but . . .
In video interviews conducted recently by Michael Murphy of the Houston Chronicle , fans of the Houston Cougars and fantasy owners alike were provided a chance to come into contact with two members of the school’s football program that appear slated to reveal what the next generation of tailback and wideout at the University of Houston will look like.
Speaking with sophomore tailback Andre Kohn , Murphy reveals that the youngster out of Jacksonville, Florida is in fact the favorite to start at the running back position heading into fall camp. Kohn had plenty of opportunity to establish himself in 2007. As a freshman and playing back up to phenom Anthony Evans , Kohn rushed for 146 yards on 29 carries and reached the endzone twice on the ground. He also made a significant impact in the Cougars’ passing game last season, where he revealed himself as the ideal type of all-purpose back which the new Houston coaching staff is hoping to utilize with the revamped offensive gameplan for the 2008 season.
The fact that Evans has already described Kohn as a potential all-conference tailback goes a long way in saying what kinds of things the Houston faithful expect out of the sophomore starting this fall.
At the wide receiver position, Murphy highlights sophomore Tyron Carrier , a 5’11", 150 pound athlete that some close to the Cougars’ program are already comparing to now-departed standout, Vincent Marshall . Limited in his first two years with the program due to a severely broken ankle, Carrier has yet to develop the level of confidence that coaches for Houston would like to see out of the budding talent. Still, recognizing that Carrier heads into the fall the healthiest he’s been since arriving on campus, coaches expect that the speedster will be a major factor on the football field this year. Especially considering the lack of depth the Cougars face at the receiver position in 2008.
Pac-10
Four freshman to go wild over at the University of Arizona . . .
Ryan Finley, writing in The Arizona Daily-Star on July 11, 2008, highlights four freshmen joining the Arizona Wildcats this fall which could provide fantasy owners plenty of reason to remember their names heading into the 2008 season and beyond.
Keola Antolin – a 5’8", 180 pound tailback out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Antolin rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior last year. A deceiving athlete due to his size, this freshman could easily become a fan favorite if for some reason, sophomore sensation Nicolas Grigsby does not pan out early on in the upcoming season.
Solomon Koehler – a 6’3" and 305 pound defensive tackle from the state of Hawaii, Koehler brings plenty of dominating size. He will need to slim down and increase his endurance in order to be a major factor along a Wildcats’ defensive front that needs to replace four starters in 2008.
Robert Golden – given the departure of Antoine Cason , the Arizona Wildcats now look to solidify its defensive backfield with players like Golden, a 5’11", 190 pound athlete out of Fresno, California.
Matt Scott – Finley calls the 6’3", 205 pound quarterback from Corona, California "the most complete quarterback to ever set foot on campus." As a senior at Centennial High, Scott collected more than 35,00 total all-purpose yards under center, with nearly 1,100 of them coming on the ground. A speedster on the ground as well as a solid passer through the air, Finley states that fans should expect to see Scott in short-yardage situations and around the goal line in 2008.
Sun Belt
Kicking the Troy University rushing game into high Greer and finding a home for the passing game in Hampton
From LindySports.com , published on July 11, 2008, comes a story about the Troy University football program and its attempt to replace now-departed leading rusher Kenny Cattouse in the Trojans backfield.
Favored to take over the role of starting running back is JUCO transfer Maurice Greer , who playing tailback last season for Garden City Community College in Kansas, He averaged 4.6 yards-per-carry and finished the year off with 778 yards rushing and 14 total touchdowns.
Competition heading into the fall will come in the form of two freshmen recruits, T.J. Mitchell and Chris Anderson , both of whom have enough talent to give Greer a serious run for role of starter. Anderson comes to the university as one of the hottest recruits out of the state of Florida, while Mitchell, also from the Sunshine State, was highly-regarded as a feature back playing high school football in Hollywood, Florida.
Cattouse, fantasy owners may recall, was an all-purpose type of back for the Trojans, and as a senior, carried the ball 133 times for 791 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, while adding to those numbers 235 yards in receptions and an additional four scores for the year.
Whomever wins the starting tailback position in 2008 can easily expect to put up similar type numbers in an offense that relies heavily on the running back to serve as both a single-back rusher and pass blocker . He’ll also needs to be a short-range receiver on the outside that can quickly move the ball downfield.
Also provided in this story was information regarding the race to replace quarterback Omar Haugabook . While as many as three different candidates battled it out during spring practice for the honor of being named starter heading into the fall, it was sophomore Jamie Hampton which the Trojans’ coaching staff identified as the best possible option for the 2008 season. Considered the least talented of the passers Troy currently lists on its depth charts at quarterback, Hampton nevertheless offers great potential as a dual-threat quarterback and should thrive in a system which demands the man under center remain mobile and capable of throwing on the run.
WAC
An online blog posted by Dan Hinxman of the Reno Gazette-Journal on July 18, 2008 notes the fact that while most in the college football world believe that it will be sophomore Colin Kaepernick who takes the starting job at quarterback for the Nevada Wolfpack, one shouldn’t be too quick to count out junior Nick Graziano just yet. Having placed a call to the office of head coach Chris Ault, Hinxman comments that he was told that though the coach hadn’t seen Graziano but a few time in the last couple months, the junior still "looked great" and would be evaluated by the new team trainer (who replaces Marc Paul) once August rolled around.
A few quick notes of interest to keep in mind along the bottom line:
ACC
Maryland Terrapins
From the Baltimore Sun , dated July 15, 2008: The University of Maryland this week announced that former signee at quarterback, Tyler Bass , has left the team and enrolled at the University of Memphis. School officials at Memphis confirm that Bass is attending classes at the school and has been deemed eligible to play with the Tigers’ football program in 2008. A former standout at Stockbridge High School in Atlanta, Bass was a dual-threat at the quarterback position. As a senior, Bass threw for more than 2,400 yards, rushed for over 600 yards and had 39 combined touchdowns in 2007.
Big Ten
Penn State Nittany Lions
From the Hanover, Pennsylvania paper, The Evening Sun , July 15, 2008: It won’t have much influence on the final outcome of the race at Penn State University to replace former quarterback Anthony Morelli , but The Evening Sun reports that Daryll Clark recently won a charity strength and condition contest over his competition, Pat Devlin . Neither one has thus far been pegged by Joe Paterno and the rest of the Nittany Lions coaching staff as a clear cut candidate to take the quarterback position outright, but fantasy owners may want to watch this one closely. The article suggests that Penn State may be heading to a spread-option attack on offense in 2008, similar to the one run successfully by former PSU quarterback, Michael Robinson
Conference USA
Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
From The Dallas Morning News , July 17, 2008: The brother of Texas Tech Red Raiders’ quarterback Graham Harrell , Clark Harrell , has decided that he will transfer out of the Tulsa Hurricanes’ football program. In the meantime, Harrell will aim to join a FCS or Division II school before fall in order to avoid having to sit out the 2008 season. Ironically, the same day, Tulsa announced that former Texas QB G.J. Kinne will be joining the Hurricanes this fall, but will have to sit out the season according to the requirements of the NCAA.
Independents
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
From the Las Vegas Sun , July 18, 2008: Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have released their 2008 projections listing, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish predicted to be the most improved team in college football in terms of win-loss ratio for the upcoming season and how those numbers stack up against the record posted by team in 2007.
Pac-10
Washington Huskies
From the Yakima Herald , July 10, 2008: Good news for the Washington Huskies came earlier this month when it was announced that senior center, Juan Garcia , is recovering ahead of schedule from a Lisfranc injury (severe strain of the middle-part of the foot) sustained in April. Garcia refused to undergo surgery, which would have prevented him from playing in the 2008 season, a gamble which apparently has paid off. Garcia is instead scheduled to rejoin his teammates in mid-August, wearing a protective boot on his foot for additional protection. The Huskies will certainly gain from Garcia returning to the game, particularly as sophomore quarterback Jake Locker continues to mature as a budding star under the watchful eye of Ty WIllingham out in the Pac-10 conference.
SEC
Auburn Tigers
From the Alex City Outlook , July 16, 2008: There’s no doubt that with the hiring of Tony Franklin as offensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers, there will be a noticeable – and interesting — shift in the offensive focus of the team heading into 2008 and beyond. This is particularly the case as the majority of players on this year’s roster, writer Ross Johnson points out, are better suited for an I-formation approach to the game than the shotgun / spread system Franklin is currently implementing in preparation for the approaching fall. Perhaps the biggest question for the Tigers rests at the wide receiver position, where a talented trio of players in Rod Smith , Montez Billings , and Robert Dunn bring raw talent and experience to Franklin’s scheme. All have yet to prove in their time at Auburn that they can play at a consistent enough level to make the types of plays that Franklin is going to demand of them starting in 2008.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
From the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger for July 10, 2008: Incoming freshman wide receiver for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, O’Neal Wilder , finished third overall in the 400 meters at the IAAF World Junior Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland. His time of 45.76 seconds was a mere two-tenths of a second off the winning time of American runner, Marcus Boyd.
Sun Belt
North Texas Mean Green
From the Denton Record-Chronicle , July 7, 2008: A bit outdated, but still relevant, this article by Brett Vito confirms the story that one of the North Texas Mean Green football team’s top-rated defensive ends, Eddrick Gilmore , has been dismissed from the team due to issues stemming from academic ineligibility stretching as far back as 2006. Gilmore was expected to provide a solid source of experience along a defensive line that will host up to four JUCO transfers starting in the 2008 season.
WAC
Fresno State Bulldogs
From the Merced Sun-Star , dated July 19, 2008: Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater had to look twice to make sure he wasn’t seeing things in his local newspaper, but his being named to the 2008 Davey O’Brien Award preseason watch list is anything but a mirage. Having throw for over 2,600 yards and 15 touchdowns (five interceptions) in 2007 and after being named the MVP of the Humanitarian Bowl in last year’s victory over a favored Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Brandstater is quick establishing himself as one of the best returning quarterbacks in the WAC for 2008.
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