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Notes from the Margins, last preseason version
By Jason Roberts | August 29, 2008
ACC
Boston College Eagles
Boston.com presents an article on August 24, 2008 from The Boston Globe that highlights Boston College tailback Jeff Smith and his attempt to return this season to a position of prominence with the Eagles, this after missing much of last season with back-to-back concussions. Since fall camp, Smith presents himself with speed as a tangible contribution, with head coach Jeff Jagodzinski saying, "Everything. Running, receiving, returns. You name it." The junior will likely split carries with freshman recruit Josh Haden , but still should provide plenty of incentive for fantasy owners to acquire Smith as a potential sleeper all-purpose back out in the ACC.
Clemson Tigers
Fantasy owners looking at the Clemson Tigers for a wide receiver will undoubtedly favor a draft pick on senior Aaron Kelly , but according to The Birmingham News of August, 24, 2008, the player to watch at wideout in 2008 for Tommy Bowden’s squad may very well be the 5′11", 180 pound Tyler Grisham . A lightning-fast slot receiver, Grisham, who carries the nicknames "Little Welker" and "Little Stokely", enters 2008 after a junior year last season in which he grabbed 60 of his career 95 catches for 653 yards and four touchdown. He’s considered a big play maker on offense, and had outstanding days in 2007 against highly ranked opponents, #15 Virginia Tech (11 catches for 100 yards and a score) and Wake Forest (nine receptions for 100 yard and a touchown).
Notes on Terrell Pryor and many other QB news, read more…
Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles’ freshman tailback Jermaine Thomas has, according to the website Jacksonville.com , been cleared to return to the team by the university, this after what is described as a transcript "glitch" threatened his ability to play with the team in 2008. The former First Coast High School star, who missed a week of practice last week due to the academic record snafu, was expected back in practice at the start of this week, but may have lost ground to JUCO transfer Tavares Pressley , recently admitted to the program and who took snaps in place of Thomas while the freshman awaited word from the college as to whether or not he would be allowed to return to the practice field.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
An interesting piece on freshman quarterback Jaybo Shaw of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets graces the pages of Georgia’s Gainsville Times for August 26, 2008. Recently named the backup quarterback to sophomore starter Josh Nesbitt , Shaw appears to be a near-perfect fit for new head coach Paul Johnson’s option-based offense; in fact, Johnson recruited the Flowery Branch High graduate while the coach was still with the Naval Academy, but lost Shaw’s commitment to Middle Tennessee State after the youngster declared he "didn’t want to do the military thing." Upon learning that Johnson was headed to Georgia Tech, however, Shaw immediately changed his mind on the Blue Raiders and headed to Atlanta. Fantasy owners will get the opportunity to check out Shaw on Thursday, as Johnson told reporters that he expects Shaw to play one or two series in the season opener against Jacksonville State on Thursday evening.
Update - Shaw did indeed participate on Thursday evening, as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets soundly defeated Ryan Perriloux and Jacksonville State 41-14. Shaw was solid as a passer, completing all three of his passing attempts for 48 total yards, but also got involved on the ground, where he average 5.7 yards a carry for 51 total yards and a touchdown on the evening.
Maryland Terrapins
The Baltimore Sun of August 25, 2008 contains word that though the vast majority of the Terps coaching staff seems "optimistic" about the potential of junior running backs Morgan Green and Da’Rel Scott , head coach Ralph Friedgen tells reporters that "the running game needs work" and that the team seems to be "still struggling with it," while being "much further along in the passing game." Part of Friedgen’s skepticism seems to stem from the troubling fact that between the two of them, Green and Scott have a combined 17 carries between them.
Miami Hurricanes
Scout.com for August 25, 2008 reports that as quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes, Robert Marve , struggles to come to terms with an one-game suspension issued by head coach Randy Shannon earlier this week, freshman Cannon Smith has been assigned back up duties to starting quarterback Jacoby Harris in Miami’s season opener against Charleston Southern. Smith, the son of Fed-Ex chairmen Fred Smith, will likely see action at some point on Thursday evening.
Update - Smith did in fact play in the season opener against Charles Southern, but only attempted one pass, a completion, for two yards; he also had one rushing attempt on the evening, will yielded a similar two yard gain.
North Carolina State Wolfpack
The Winston-Salem Journal of August 28, 2008 expresses to readers that the best player on the North Carolina State Wolfpack football team heading into the 2008 very well could be fifth-year senior at tight end, Anthony Hill . A critical component of the NC State offense through 2006, Hill tore an ACL during the summer of 2007 and sat out all of last year as he worked to heal and rehab his left knee. It has been 21 months since the last time Hill was seen on the football field out in Raleigh, but the 6′6", 265 pound second-team All-ACC selection from two years ago has established himself as starting quarterback Russell Wilson’s favorite target in the intermediate pass game and will see time both at tight end and split out on the edge at the wide receiver position.
Update: In the season opener for the Wolfpack on Thursday evening against the South Carolina Gamecocks, Hill struggled to have an impact on the NC State offense as quarterbacks Russell Williams and Daniel Evans combined for only five pass completions on 17 attempts for the night. Subsequently, Hill finished the night with just one catch for 12 yards.
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Daily Press of August 28, 2008 acknowledges the fact the Sean Glennon has been named starting quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies by head coach Frank Beamer, but forwards the opinion that the expected redshirting of quarterback Tyrod Taylor won’t happen; according to Norm Wood of the Press , Taylor "will have to play somewhere along the line either because of an injury or ineffectiveness by senior Sean Glennon."
Big XII
Baylor Bears
Wacotrib.com for August 26, 2008 informs readers that freshman Ben Parks was named the starting placekicker job over sophomore Shea Brewster for Thursday night’s season opener against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons; noted head coach of the Baylor Bears, Art Briles.
Colorado Buffaloes
The Rocky Mountain News of August 26, 2008 covers the story of Patrick Devenny , former quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes who in the upcoming season opener with in-state rivals Colorado State will start as a permanent fixture of the team’s offensive unit, but instead of under center, will play at tight end. Devenny comments that he is "definitely excited" to be making his first college start on Saturday, this as the junior will be playing for the Buffaloes in place of Riar Greer , who was this past spring suspended from the team for an off-field incident and during fall camp sustained an injury to his knee that will require arthroscopic surgery.
Iowa State Cyclones
Fantasy owners will want to temper any enthusiasm over the news that Iowa State Cyclones’ head coach Gene Chizik had decided to have quarterback Austen Arnaud start the first game of the season against South Dakota State on Thursday evening. The reason - reports The Gazette of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City on August 25, 2008, the Cyclones offensive staff still continues to plan to have both Arnaud and backup thrower Phillip Bates see time under center in order to further develop what Arnaud refers to as "a bit of a two-headed monster" at the quarterback position. Fantasy owners will want to take note that according to the Iowa State coaching staff, that could mean that each week, a different starter takes the field, limiting the value that either Arnaud or Bates might have brought to a team roster at the beginning of the 2008 season.
Kansas State Wildcats
Outstanding news for fantasy owners participating in keeper leagues that include the Kansas State Wildcats in 2008; according to The Capital-Journal of August 26, 2008, the NCAA has revealed that in reevaluation the records of Wildcats star-to-be wide receiver Deon Murphy , the supervising body for collegiate athletics had made an error in calculating the amount of time the former Coffeyville Community College wideout had remaining to participate in sports at the college level. Originally deemed a senior, Murphy was awarded an additional year of eligibility and will start the 2008 season as a junior, news which head coach Ron Prince was understandably ecstatic about.
Oklahoma Sooners
Reading The Norman Transcript of August 27, 2008, it becomes apparent that in a backfield which features a deep string of talent in running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown , the unusual suspect for the 2008 could very well be sophomore Madu Mossis . Playing sparingly last season, Mossis still managed to average nearly six yards-per-carry, and, according to running backs coach Cale Gundy could be a "1,500-yard rusher" if he "carried the ball 20 times a game." Faced with the constructive problem of getting a stable of three backs the ball in the upcoming fall, Gundy states that Mossis "is going to get his chance" to show what he can do, but in a controlled environment in which Oklahoma is "going to play a number of running backs this year . . . "
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Mike Gundy, told reporters for the television station KFOR in Oklahoma City on Tuesday that expected starter at wide receiver Damiam Davis has been suspended for the season opener against Washington State this coming Saturday.
Texas Longhorns
The Dallas Morning News for August 27, 2008 highlights the belief of offensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns, Greg Davis, that redshirt freshman Malcolm Williams , who is battling Brandon Collins to see time at the third wide receiver position this season, may have become "overloaded" due to the pressure the UT coaching staff has put on him to perform during fall camp.
Texas A&M Aggies
With Javorskie Lane likely to miss the first game of the season this Saturday due to a lingering neck injury, The Monitor of August 25, 2008 reports that Nick LaMantia of the Texas A&M Aggies is preparing to take the field in Lane’s place, this though LaMantia, a senior out of Edinburg, Texas, has been hobbled himself throughout fall camp with a sprained ankle.
Meanwhile, The Dallas Morning News of the same day notes that Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman has yet to name a starting kicker for Saturday’s game against Arkansas State, and will likely wait until just before came time to make a decision between senior Richie Beanb and freshman Randy Bullock .
Texas Tech Red Raiders
According to the website LubbockOnline.com for August 25, 2008, while the Texas Tech Red Raiders have no shortage of excellent wide receivers heading into 2008, it is about to get an additional boost with the inclusion of 6′4" and 188 pound redshirt freshman Rashad Hawk . Notes the article by sportwriter Don Wililams, Hawk, who is "faster than just about anyone else on the Texas Tech football team," caught a break in the spring as Todd Walker missed the majority of preseason workouts; in Walker’s place, Hawk received the opportunity to play behind Edward Britton and will be available to start against Eastern Washington in Tech’s first game of the season.
Big East
Syracuse Orangemen
The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York reports on August 26, 2008 that freshman tailback Averin Collier is not listed on the depth chart for Syracuse University in its season opener against Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. The top-rated recruit at running back from the state of New York for the class of 2008, Collier missed five practices during fall camp due to the need for the youngster to recover from foot surgery and now sits behind Doug Hogue , Curtis Brinkley , and Delone Carter for playing time.
West Virginia Mountaineers
The Journal of Hagerston, West Virginia for August 28, 2008 highlights sophomore wide receiver and running back Jock Sanders , a 5′9", 170 pound speed rusher from St. Petersburg, Florida, and someone that fantasy owners may want to keep a close eye on come the start of the 2008 season Saturday. Notes the Mountaineers wideout, "I just want to get the ball in my hands any way I can and do something good with it." That he gets the opportunity to do so should be almost be guaranteed, especially with head coach of WVU Bill Stewart having previously identified Sanders in the process of fall camp as "one of three standouts on offense who must touch the ball as much as possible." Expect then that a freshman year in which Sanders put up 16 rushes for 105 yards and 12 catches for 102 yards gets improved upon dramatically this fall, and Sanders’ name becomes synonymous with other Mountaineers’ playmakers such as Patrick White and Noel Devine .
Big Ten
Michigan State Spartans
Now that former standout tight end Kellen Davis has departed the Michigan State Spartans, the website Green&White.com reports that Mark Dantonio will turn to sophomore Charlie Gantt to try and fill Davis’ shoes. Not an easy task, Gantt acknowledges, telling G&W , "I don’t have Kellen’s body, I’m not the physical freak like him, but I learned a lot from him." That who Gantt is now as a starter comes from "what I learned from [Davis] last year" will be critical for the Spartans offense in 2008, particularly, as the article points out, that quarterback Brian Hoyer learned last year to draw upon his tight ends as a safety valve in the short passing attack. That appears to have paid off major dividends, as in two recent scrimmages, Gantt finished with eight receptions for 125 yards and three touchdowns scored
Ohio State Buckeyes
As Tyrelle Pryor -watch ‘08 continues in Columbus, Ohio, The Ironton Tribune reports on August 25, 2008 two interesting pieces of information regarding Pryor and his perceived contribution to the team as a freshman in the upcoming football season. First, despite battling for time behind senior quarterback Todd Boeckman , Pryor appears to have a friendly, but competitive relationship with the OSU starter; notes Boeckman of the freshman, "Obviously, he wants to learn from a veteran player. I want to see what he can do with a ball in his hands." Second, head coach Jim Tressell continues to load accolade upon accolade on his prized quarterback recruit, telling the local media that Pryor is much more advanced in his understanding of the collegiate game because "he played 16 games two years in a row" at Jeannette (Pennsylvania) High School, and was exposed to "a lot of different things." "He did a lot of spread, Wing-T versions, a lot of different things," Tressel continues. Thus, in the eye of the Buckeyes’ head coach, Pryor "has a little bit of advantage" because "I don’t know if we do anything he hasn’t done" already. That leaves Pryor simply needing to "learn what do we call it" as opposed to encountering for the first time an unfamiliar offensive system.
SEC
Alabama Crimson Tide
The hype surrounding 6′4", 210 pound freshman wideout for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Julio Jones , has apparently grown to a fever pitch down in Tuscaloosa. According to The Herald of Rock Hill, South Carolina, regional radio host Paul Finebaum took to the air on Monday in order to "flippantly" plug Jones as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Jones, currently listed as a first-string receiver and kick returner, will become the first true freshman to start at wide receiver in the history of the Alabama football program, this when he take the field against the Clemson Tigers at the Georgia Dome on Saturday evening, yet is already drawing comparisons, says the Herald , to wide receivers ranging from Michael Irvin to Terrell Owens and former Georgia Tech wideout, Calvin Johnson.
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Traveler for August 29, 2008 contains the following assessment of senior quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Casey Dick , as he prepares to play in the first game of the 2008 season in an entirely new system that will rely heavily on the ability of Dick to move the ball through the air. Says head coach Bobby Petrino, "I’ve been impressed with Casey on how much his technique has improved and how coachable he is. I think that’s the greatest thing about him - he tries to listen to exactly what you say and then he tries to do it the next time."
Auburn Tigers
The Daily Herald reports on August 27, 2008 that as it stands now, head coach for the Auburn Tigers, Tommy Tuberville, does not plan to name a starter at quarterback for this season’s opening game against Louisiana-Monroe until just before game time. It is clear that Kodi Burns and Chris Todd will take the snaps in Saturday night’s contest, but Tuberville, who told members of the local press that the two quarterbacks have so closely competed against each other in the last week of fall camp, may very well script the first dozen or so plays for the offense, then decided which one - Burns or Todd - best fits the particular group selected.
Meanwhile, The Birmingham News for August 26, 2008 highlights the fact that Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin has spent a significant amount of time in practice and training camps emphasizing to Tigers’ tailbacks such as Ben Tate that though the team will move to a spread-type formation on most downs, those playing out of the backfield will still see plenty of action, albeit that yards may now be more often accumulated via the pass than the run. Using former tailback Kenny Cattouse of Troy, where Franklin ran the offense until hired at Auburn in the recent off-season, as a reference, Franklin points out that last season his team’s feature back averaged six yard a carry last season, but also finished second overall in receptions. In comparison, a more traditional back like Tate averaged on 4.5 yard a carry, while finishing fifth for the Tigers in receptions.
Florida Gators
The Albany Herald of August 20, 2008 suggests that all the talk surrounding Heisman Trophy winning quarterback for the Florida Gators, Tim Tebow , not running the ball as much in 2008 is inaccurate, with head coach Urban Meyer telling reporters recently, "People are saying it will be a different Tim and not running. I’m not sure where that is coming from." Meyer continues on, stating, "We have very functional running backs right now, however, we are still going to do what we are going to do and Tim Tebow is still Tim. The most important thing is finding a way to win that game. If that means Tim running that is what we are going to do."
Louisiana State Tigers
According to the website Nola.com , head coach Les Miles has made it clear that redshirt freshman quarterback for the LSU Tigers, Jarrett Lee , will play Saturday night against Appalachian State, this even though Lee missed the team’s final scrimmage last Tuesday due to back spasm and has also fought problems arising from a soft-tissue leg injury he suffered earlier in August. Offensive coordinator for the Tigers, Gary Crowton, gives some insight into why the coaching staff is as adamant as it is to see Lee play in a real-time game environment, noting, "Jarrett has a very quick release and throws above the rush and the pass. He’s work hard in his footwork, and he’s worked hard in recognizing things. He throws a soft ball, enabling the receivers to get yardage after the catch. And he doesn’t get rattled."
Mississippi Rebels
The Commercial Appeal of Memphis, Tennessee carries an interesting piece on Ole Miss senior wideout, Mike Wallace , who many, the article claims, have incorrectly come to characterize as "a selfish individual". One of the few highlight players on a team that last year saw struggles at the quarterback position, Wallace averaged nearly 19 yards-per-reception and led the team with 716 yards at the end of the season. An outstanding deep threat, Wallace had often kept quiet and to himself as the team grew increasingly more chaotic, particularly after the departure of former head coach Ed Orgeron and much of his staff. New head coach Houston Nutt assigned his own respective offensive coordinator, Ron Dickerson, Jr., to speak with Wallace upon his arrival, a request Dickerson more than happily obliged, wanting to ensure that seniors like Wallace knew that they would be called upon to lead the team in the transition to a new coaching regime. Wallace responded positively to the call to action, and as it stands now, Dickerson feels the outstanding receiver will be the key toward changing the perceptions of both the team as a whole and the corresponding belief that Mississippi can once again be a winning program if only it would believe in itself.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Sylvester Croom, tells the Clarion Ledger of August 24, 2008 that though junior quarterback Tyson Lee is listed as a backup to sophomore Wesley Carroll heading into the season opener with Louisiana Tech, fans and fantasy owners can expect to see Lee out on the field on a rotating basis, as Croom has mentioned that his goal is to have both of his young quarterbacks play during 2008.
Vanderbilt Commodores
A quarterback to watch out in the SEC this season is newly named starter for the Vanderbilt Commodores, Chris Nickson . Nickson, a senior, opened up the year Thursday evening, reports Nashville, Tennessee’s NewsChannel5.com , with a fantastic performance against the Miami (OH) Redhawks, throwing for 91 yards and a touchdown on nine-of-16 pass attempts for the night, while also rushing 20 times for 166 yards and two additional scores on the ground. Bothered by injuries for most of last season, Nickson started the final six games of last year, and carried that momentum into the competition for the starting job this past off-season against fellow two-year starter at quarterback, Mackenzi Adams .
Topics: College Football, Jason Roberts, Notes From the Margins |
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