Seems like I never learn from some of my previous mistakes. Every year I make the same mistake around NFL Combine time. I watch hours and hours of coverage on NFLN and take notes while I watch. Then I decide to wait until I see a bit more the next day before writing anything for the website. Before… Read More »
Now it’s time to finish up my group rankings as we prepare for the NFL COMBINE this coming week. ILB Group There is always a bit of disagreement within the scouting community on ILB vs OLB, but not too many would dispute that the best pure LB prospect may be REUBEN FOSTER?alabama. FOSTER reminds me a lot of… Read More »
Our defensive discussion will start with the big guys up front. For this year’s projection I am going to work with the time honored position groups of DE, DT, ILB, OLB, CB & S. But bear in mind this kind of breakdown is starting to feel more and more outdated with the absolute lust for edge-rushers about to… Read More »
Let’s take a look at the remainder of the offensive position groups.. RB GROUP As often happens in the NFL, it appears to me that the importance of the running back positions is back on the uptick. The passing game can be more exciting to fans than a good run game, but depending upon the opponent’s defensive scheme,… Read More »
The COMBINE plays a larger role for me with every year that passes, it seems. I want to see more of those underclassmen in action, as well as small school guys. I also like having an idea how fast players are in comparison to their peers, even if it is only in their underwear. But while we wait… Read More »
Players will begin showing up for the Shrine Week activities this weekend, with the game scheduled for the 21st. Sunday will be the day that players find out what this game is really all about with visits to the Shriners’ Children’s Hospital in Tampa. ‘Strong legs run, so weak legs may walk’. This year’s event will mark the… Read More »
Just when you thought we might be through with prospect thumbnails I have dusted off my notes from the second half of the Bowl season. By this time next week I’ll be deeply immersed in prep work for Shrine Week. But I did find some impressive work from prospects during the past couple of weeks, and wanted to… Read More »
The regular season is all but over and it’s time, IMO, to take a look back at the Rookies who stood out in 2016 around the NFL.Not just a starting lineup, but an actual roster of top first year men. I fact, I’d go so far as to say I’d like to see this roster face off in… Read More »
Rolling along toward the big time games we come across out first real match up in the Orange Bowl, but first let’s check everything on the 30th. GEORGIA (7-5) Vs. Texas Christian (6-6); LIBERTY BOWL; NOON PM ET; ESPN … Somewhat down years for both programs in 2016. But both teams have solid talent and look to be… Read More »
PITTSBURGH (8-4) Vs. NORTHWESTERN (6-6); PINSTRIPE Bowl; 2 PM ET; ESPN … The Wildcats are a feisty bunch under HC PAT FITZGERALD. They started the season slowly, but played some really solid ball to end the year at .500. The play a bit of Offense and a bunch of Defense. But they are likely to be outclassed in… Read More »
It’s our last chance to see prospects in live game action as the Bowl season trudges on. In some cases the games are bereft of serious prospects to thumbnail because almost 150 were done during the regular season play. But in some cases there are also previously injured players who are returning to action. On the downside the… Read More »
Time to give this a whirl, pre-Bowl season. Luckily we now have a Final Four to look forward to in January. But until that process rolls around, here is how I rank teams heading into the Bowl Season. 1) ALABAMA 13-0 Really! Any questions here? 2) CLEMSON 12-1 May not have rolled over many opponents, but had enough… Read More »
This pretty much wraps up our weekly prospect thumbnails of the week since the 2016 College football season is now over. But wait, in a couple of weeks the Bowl season gets underway and will provide us with more prospect play to review. TARELL BASHAM/DE/OHIO 6’4/265 OHIO #93 There may be almost as many questions about BASHAM’s pro… Read More »
Except for ARMY/NAVY this is the weekend for the final games of the 2016 season. We have a mix of Conference Championship games as well as the wrap up of the Big 12 regular schedule. LOUISIANA TECH (8-4) @ WESTERN KENTUCKY (9-3) by 8; C-USA Title Game NOON/ET ESPN … Two well known names in the world of… Read More »
DANIEL CARLSON/PK/AUBURN 6’4/215 #38 JR It is not very often that I look to Kicker underclassmen as prospects for declaring early for the NFL Draft, but after watching CARLSON again this season I think he is as close to being a dominant player at the position as we can get right now. And for way too many NFL… Read More »
Time to give you a preview of some of the game match-ups on what is often referred to as rivalry weekend in College Football. This is the last full schedule week in the 2016 season. Amazing how the past 3 months have flown by. Another amazing season, with perhaps a few surprises left for this weekend. TOLEDO (9-2)… Read More »
DANTE BARNETT/S/KANSAS STATE 6’1/195 #22 Team leader who lost his 2015 season to a shoulder injury in Sept. He was 2nd Team All Big-12 back in 2014. Is back looking as good as ever. He is a fine all-around player who is effective in coverage and is aggressive in run support. He’s always around or on his way… Read More »
Down to the nitty gritty folks with most top teams having 2 games left, which includes Conference Championships in the neXt few weeks. Hell, we’ll be watching Bowl Games in early December, but those games won’t include the teams below, or at least they shouldn’t. Here we go again… 1) ALABAMA 11-0 Is it just me, or is… Read More »
OKLAHOMA STATE (8-2) by 5 @ TCU (5-4); NOON ET; FS1 State should be 9-1, but for officiating blunders and TCU lost 2 of its games by 3 points. TCU can stay in this one thanks in great part to having home field, and the improved QB play of KENNY HILL. But the fighting GUNDY’s are well balanced,… Read More »
BAYLOR (6-2) @ OKLAHOMA (7-2) by 3; NOON/ET ABC Reality and distraction have hit the Baylor program, along with the tougher part of their schedule. OKLAHOMA has bounced back from a 1-2 start to seemingly right the ship. This is a critical game in the final month schedule gauntlet that the Big 12 puts it’s teams through. I… Read More »
Ouch, Week 10 already in the books for the 2016 college football season. That hurts. That being said, the only positive side is that we’re only a touch away from two months until SHRINE GAME & SENIOR BOWL weeks… also known as Pigskin Paul’s Festivus Celebrations. Now for some players that got my attention in last week’s action.… Read More »
1) ALABAMA 9-0 PPP#7 2) CLEMSON 9-0 PPP#5 3) MICHIGAN 9-0 PPP#4 4) WASHINGTON 9-0 PPP#4 5) LOUISVILLE 8-1 PPP#3 6) OHIO STATE 8-1 PPP#6 7) WEST VIRGINIA 7-1 PPP#3 8) AUBURN 7-2 PPP#3 9) OKLAHOMA STATE 7-2 PPP#4 10) WISCONSIN 7-2 PPP#4 11) WESTERN MICHIGAN 9-0 PPP#2 12) NORTH CAROLINA 7-2 PPP#4 13) OKLAHOMA 7-2 PPP#3 14)… Read More »
Always a melancholy feeling when I start typing in double digit numbers to identify the week in the college season. We are now down the home stretch to anther College Football season, that I just couldn’t wait to get started, seemingly not that long ago at all. The hilite of the week of course has #1 ranked Alabama… Read More »
RODNEY ADAMS/WR/SOUTH FLORIDA 6’1/190 #87 This guy doesn’t put up huge catch numbers because he plays in an Offense where the QB is their best run option. So passing plays quickly turn into running plays when QB/FLOWERS takes off. But when you watch him for a whole game, as I did against NAVY his size and smooth running… Read More »
RYAN ANDERSON/ER/LB/ALABAMA #22 6’2/253 Much of what I have to say about ANDERSON as a prospect is similar to what I have said previously about TIM WILLIAMS his Alabama teammate. His two biggest attributes are ball pursuit and pass-rush pressure both of which he does with extreme speed and energy for a guy his size. I’m still not… Read More »
