If you are a hardcore College Football fan, you will have your eyes, ears, nose, heart, and soul peeled to the ticker anticipating the All-American dial of National Letter of Intent signing day. Every College Football geek will be at their wits end looking for their prospective studs to sign the bottom line, and at the least, offer their services for the next 3 years.
Recruting battles for the services of 'supreme' athletes have long been told, and have long been rumored. In the new age of the internet and free information, these stories have lost a bit of luster, but nontheless are very real, and very important.
So a little more than a week from now, the latest rage of College recruits will give their pledge to their school of choice. Are you excited?
You should be. If you follow College Footbal in any form or fashion. Why would you ask?
Great coaches such as Jimmy Johnson, Bobby Bowden, and Barry Switzer have long admitted that "great players make great teams". Even my alma mater's greatest coach of all-time, Tom Osborne, has admitted that "you cannot win without great athletes". With great players comes great success. We only have to look at the teams who have 'dominated' the recruiting ranks over the past 8 years to get a grasp on this very important day.
USC, LSU, Florida, Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami, Texas, and Ohio State (sorry if I missed your beloved University) have very much ruled the roost in recruiting in the 2000's. A simple look at the great teams in the 2000's also has a strong correlation on how these teams have fared on the field as well. Argue against this fact all you want, but you will be very long-winded in your approach.
The National Championship teams in the 2000's you ask?
2000: Oklahoma
2001: Miami
2002: Ohio State
2003: LSU, USC
2004: USC
2005: Texas
2006: Florida
2007: LSU
It isn't a coincidence that the best recruiting classes have had a nature of finishing on top. EVERY coach in the nation will tell you that recruiting is the "lifeblood" of ANY program. Good or bad.
Post 2002, Miami and Florida State have been the ODD exception. They have continued to recruit extremely well, but have yet to put that 'said' talent into motion. A likely disturbing fact for any Seminole or Cane fan to take a bitter pill that is likely tough to ####. Especially when you consider the amount of talent that they have put into the NFL over the past 5 years. (Ouch!)
So without any further introduction, who are the main players in this years National Lottery for the best talent to move their teams to the forefront? Not many names have changed, but some new additions shouldn't surprise anyone either. The best ranked classes are as such:
Rivals is the more respected recruiting service. There are others but Rivals and Scout have put forth the best services, and best recruiting information over the past 7or 8 years.
If you are not a fan of the teams above, shoud you be dismayed? NO! SImply look at the success of such teams as West Virginia, Rutgers, Kansas, and Missouri in the past couple of years. Recruiting isn't the end all, but looking at the numbers above it is pretty much an absolute if you want to compete for the ultimate prize. Success is always the 'beauty' in the eye of the beholder.
So........ you ask, who are the studs this year that a guy should look out for in the future? I'm glad you asked. I'll give you a breakdown of this year's CAN"T MISS guys, along with where they are going as well.
Terrelle Pryor - QB - Jeannette, PA - #1 Ranked QB - #1 Ranked prospect:- UNDECIDED: Terrelle is by far the most touted player in the class of 2008. Bar none. His performance in the Army All-American game left little doubt that this is a man amongst boys. The Vince Young comparisons are undeniable. He is 6' 6" and 235 lbs. AS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL mind you. Rocket arm, and 4.4 speed only keep the comparison to Vince alive as well. Without a doubt, THE BEST player in the College Football Lottery this year. Schools of interest?: Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State. WORD is it is down to Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio State. NOS says: Michigan wins this years lottery as Pryor heads to the U with the 'inventor' of the spread.
DeQuan Bowers - DE - Bamberg, SC - Best DE prospect in the country. College of Choice: Clemson. AT 6' 4" and 267 lbs already, this is a kid who will play immediately at the next level. Nickname: The Beast. What else needs to be said?
Julio Jones - WR - Foley, AL - WR - Supposedly the best WR in the country. This is my BIGGEST doubt of the entire class. On film this kid doesn't look all that amazingly fast. However, he does have a knack for making the big catch, and usually amongst a lot of traffic. I can't doubt the interest, but I am skeptical on the next level ability. Schools of Choice: UNDECIDED. Schools in the running: Alabama, Florda, Florida State, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. Where he will end up? Undoubtedly Alabama when all is said and done. Florida will make a hard push, but I see him wearing the Crimson and White for his home state and Nick Saban. Don't expect much Tide fans. I believe you'll be unimpressed. My vote for biggest bust.
Patrick Johnson - DB - Pompano Beach, FL - BIggest, most athletic, hardest hitting DB in the country this year. Kid has it all when it comes down to physical secondary talent. School of choice: LSU. Les Miles likely gets what I consider the 2nd best player in the country. HIs upside is unbelievable, and may end up being a #1 overall pick in the NFL draft . SERIOUSLY watch for this kid in the future.
Darrell Scott - RB - Ventura, CA - Immediately, you think this kid is going to USC right? NOPE. The best RB in the country is down to Colorado, Florida, LSU, and Texas. I say he will end up with Urban Meyer in Florida. Other rumors are, unbelievably, that he would end up in Colorado. Obviously the kid wants to play early. Thus the selection of colleges left. With the early NFL entry of Jamaal Charles at Texas, they have entered the game late. Whoever gets this kid, expect immediate results. At 6'0" and 204 lbs he may seem a bit undersized, but so was Knowshon Moreno. And this kid has a TON more talent.
Baker Steinkuhler - OL/DT - Lincoln, NE - My hometown. Great kid, and obviously stepping into his daddies shoes in heading to the University of Nebraska. The 1st 5 star talent in the history of Nebraska football. The kid dominated in the Army All-American game camps, on both Offense and Defense. Before the season started in the fall of 2007, this kid was barely on the top 200 radar. After the Army All-American game, he has leaped into the top 10. Nebraskans are simply hoping he can be half the player his 2 time All-American father was at Nebraska. If you dont' know who Dean Steinkuhler is, he was the guy who ran in the infamous 'fumblerooskie' against Miami in the 1984 Orange Bowl.
AJ Green - WR - Summerville, SC - NOT SOLD. I've heard of too much talent coming out of SC lately since Spurrier has been around. Haven't seen much production. This kid has an incredible upside, but I'm not a big fan of his film. Looks to be very overrated to me. School of choice: Georgia. Not too mention, Georgia has a solid history of overrated WR talent. My vote for 2nd biggest bust. Practically I can feel comfortable in gving the top 2 ranked WR a bust mode. Over the years, they have been the most fallable.
Will Hill - ATH - Jersey City, NJ - Welcome to the Tim Tebow of this year's class. This kid screams winner. Through and through. Lacks a ton of flash, lacks a ton of speed, but when plays need to be done, this guy gets it done. Possibly my favorite player of the 2008 class. Undoubtedly, he will be Will "The Thrill" Hill when he dons a Gator jersey, and this kid has all the makings of another Percy Harvin, and maybe even better. Urban found a gem. At 6' 3" and 203 coming in, the kid has potential for a number of positions. Likely a WR as a Frosh, but the ceiling is unlimited for this kid. Maybe even a future spread QB, after Tebow leaves. The other side says, overrated. Maybe. But he will be a star on the Collegiate level. Maybe not the NFL.
Other Notables to look for:
Blaine Gabbert: QB - MISSOURI - # 3 ranked QB. Had to put him here, former Nebraska pledge switched to instate Missouri Tigers. Best arm in 2008, and at 6'5" and 225 already with 4.7 speed the kid has a ton of upside as well.
Nigel Bradham: LB - Florida State - Regardless of rankings, this MIGHT be the best player of anybody in the country. IF you remember Mike Singletary, this is the next best thing. Plus he has speed. When he comes to hit, he has some seriously BAD intentions. Scariest player of the group. If FSU can make him better, he may be the best of the best.
Jermie Calhoun: RB - Oklahoma - Forget Darrell Scott, and you have Jermie. Comparisons to Adrian Peterson are inevitible in Texas, but this kid is supposedly the 2nd coming. And yet again, he heads north to OU. Keep an eye on this talent in the years to come.
Michael Floyd: WR - Notre Dame - Best hands and best route running skills in the entire class. At 6' 4" he will fill an immediate impact role at WR for the Irish. A big reason to believe the Irish step up to 7 or more wins next year.
Boubacar Cissoko: DB - Michigan - Likely DB starter for Michigan when he steps on campus. He has decent speed, but his best credientials are his abilty to read WR's and react. Along with his unbelievable open field tackling ability. Immediate producer for RR at Michigan.
Tyron Smith: OL - USC - At 6' 5" and 260 pounds, it might not sound like he is ready. Neither was Kristofer O'Dowd last year at about the same measurements. Might need a year, but this will likely be the next dominant OL in USC lore.
Andrew Luck: QB - Stanford - Why does Stanford get so many good QB's? The Elway legend continues, as well as the ultimatum of a quality education. This IS the most accurate passer of the entire bunch. Stanford got the steal of all steals. If I were to honestly rate them, Andrew would be the #1 NFL QB, and Terrrelle would be the best. You can take your opinion from there.
Brice Butler: WR - USC - Kid out of Georgia looks to be the real deal. Not the biggest WR at 6' 2" but this kid seems like a steal. If you can call him that, for USC. Incrdible pickup for Pete and company from Georgia.
JB Shugarts: OL 0 Ohio State - This kid will be an animal. Already is. Undervalued at 6' 7" and 299 pounds. He will be a stalwart in the legendary history of Ohio State lineman. Will be a great one, I have no doubts.
The next best star? He is actually named Star. Star Jackson from Lake Worth, FL. He is going to........ yes Nick Saban and Alabama. He impressed big time in the Army All-American game, and will LIKELY start next year for the Tide. WOW, can Nick recruit. My biggest sleeper to watch for in 2008 is Star Jackson. He will get every chance to play at Alabama next year.
That is the recruting breakdown, from your friendly College Football geek. Good, bad, or indifferent.
Only 1 week left on your shopping calendar. I'll take a Hummer. And no, not the one I got in Vegas last year. I prefer one without the gold grill and racing stripes, please.
Time to really break it down. The best of the best, the mano y mano. The King of Kings. Heck lets get on with it. Who will win?
Outback Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee (- 3): You can't spell shut out without UT. Much less the Outback Bowl. Wisconsin is spectacular in bowl games. UT isn't. Sorry Vol fans, I have to side with the much maligned Badgers. Take Wiscy in the upset.
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. Missouri (-3): Most people will be lead to believe that this will be a shoot-out. I very much beg to differ. The Cotton Bowl has traditionally, for some reason, been a tight, low-scoring affair. If that is the case, I'll side with the team that doesn't belong here. Arkansas. Another dog, and another Nos upset special.
Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida (-10): Michigan can't cover the spread, let alone a spread offense, right? Looks WAY TOO easy to take Florida, right? Exactly. Take the team with something to prove. That team is Michigan. They are not as slow as everybody even comes close to imagining. Michigan WILL cover, and might even pull off the shocker as well. Of course I may be drunker than Paris Hilton right now as well.
Gator Bowl: Virgina vs. Texas Tech (-5 1/2): A team that was a half away from the ACC Championship takes on a 7th or 8th best team in the Big 12? The Big 12 team is favored? Why? This will be a pretty good game actually. Good defense against good offense. Me? I'll take great Defense everytime. Look for Howie Long's son to create some serious havoc for the Red Raiders. Not a big fan of it, but I'll side with the dog again in the Hoos.
Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. USC (- 13 1/2): Big number. Especially when considering two teams who really like to grind it out on the offensive side of the ball. On the other hand, I just don't see Mendenhall and Juice getting much running room. Which means Juice has to make this close with his arm. I don't like his chances of doing that. USC is the most versatile team in the country. And when push comes to shove, they would rather you line it up right at them. And that is exactly what Illinois will give them. The Illini are getting better, but this is a monumental task for them to overcome. Especially in USC's backyard. Lay the 13 1/2, and take the Trojans in a 35 - 13 final.
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma (- 7): It was - 7 before Rodriguez quit. Likely to move to 10 or more very soon. Vegas already told you the outcome on this one. The Sooner offense looks to be too dynamic for the new and improved Mountaineer defense. The big question is, whether WVU can score with OU. A question they have not been often asked. With the departure of Rodriguez, I don't know if this team rallies, or quits. I'll side with quits. I believe that RR was the heart and soul of this team, and will be a great addition at Michigan. Without a doubt, the best hire in the 'off-season' was made by Michigan. Thus I'll side with OU to cover comfortably in a romp. Not too mention, if you want to stop the spread you need solid DE's and LB's. Oklahoma has that. And then some.
Sugar Bowl: Hawaii vs. Georgia: (- 9): Isn't this the same number OU was favored by? Oh, that' s right it was 11. Colt is pretty good. Not great. Georgia's defense will be the most physical Hawaii has seen all year. Especially when they start subbing on the offensive and defensive lines. Plus Georgia will have the most speed AND size Hawaii has EVER seen. June Jones said he was scared in warm-ups against Washington? A team that is DEAD LAST in the Pac 10? Sorry Hawaii, Boise State's Fiesta miracle ends here. After Boise State last year, you will NOT be taken lightly. What WILL happen is you will be EXPOSED. This is the NOS guaranteed laugher of the bowl season. Knowhshon Moreno and Thomas Brown will combine for OVER 400 yards rushing, and the final score will be somewhere around 52 - 13. In the wake will be Colt's NFL chances as well. Nope. He doesn't play in a system offense........................................... ................ok.
Orange Bowl: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech (-4): Interesting. I'm banking on the ENTIRE world taking Va Tech in this one. Seems too logical. ON second hand the OVER/UNDER should be about 8. My play on this one is definitely the under. For the game? I'm not sold on either team. Which means it will likely be a classic. Remember the field goal battle with Penn State and Florida State a few years ago, when Posluszny went down with a knee injury? Likely, this one will mess up my winning bowl pool entry. Then again I won't be in it anyway. When in doubt take the dog. RIght? Then again take the proven commodity in a bowl game. I'll go wth Va Tech. Actually I will. IN THE NOS #1 BOWL GAME LAUGHER. THE NOS PLAY OF THE BOWL SEASON.
BCS CHAMPIOSHIP: Ohio State vs. LSU ( - 5): Speed, speed, speed. Right? As long as you hear it from the media and SEC fans. The Buckeyes are NOT slow. And the Sweatervest will have some things up his sleeve to stop a supremely inefficient Tiger offense. I FULLY expect Ohio State to come out and PUNCH LSU in the mouth from the get go. IT will be game on from the beginning. LSU will be VERY much surprised in the athleticism and SPEED of the Buckeyes. In particular a man called Vernon Gholston. A MAN-CHILD. He will be in the LSU backfield all night. They will also be overwhelmed by the physicality of the OSU line, and Beanie Wells WILL run for over 130 yards. Ohio State Will be the best offensive line that LSU has faced all year. BAR NONE. Question is, how will Glenn Dorsey respond? I'm VERY sure the public will be surprised on that one as well. No, it is not 2002, but I look for Ohio State to pull the outright upset.
