Before we jump into the Colorado Buffaloes, how about a shout out for football?

Yeeee-hawwwww.

The arrival of the annual Gekko Files series carries with it a big burden … a string of articles all ranging from 1500 to 2000 words covering the prospects of every single UW foe in the PAC 12 is a whopper of an obligation.  But it also marks the turning of the proverbial leaf.  It is a early warning system:

WARNING: FOOTBALL IS NEAR.  PREPARE TO PREVIEW THE PAC

The Buffaloes usually kickoff my annual series not because they hold a special place in my heart but, frankly, because they are the hardest to do.  The fact of the matter is that we know very little about the once-proud Colorado Buffalo program because, well, they just haven’t been a very good football team since their arrival in the PAC 12 and for many years before that.

Their impotence belies the fact the Colorado was once a high-flying NCAA football program.  They are the owners of a national championship having taken the title that UW was so close to procuring in the 1990 season.  They have won four Big Eight and one Big 12 conference championships.  They’ve won 12 of 27 bowl appearances.  Their program has played over 1200 football games and won 58.3% of them – that’s a respectable 30th on the all time win percentage list.  Heck, they even have a Heisman Trophy winner in RB Rashaan Salaam.

They also happen to be a party to the most (in)famous “fifth down” play in the history of the college football.

But, like all programs experience, Colorado has seen their fortunes nosedive for the better part of the last decade. A decline in facilities, budget problems, drama in the Big 12, personnel problems and a carousel for a coaching staff has led to a complete meltdown of football in Boulder.  Since joining the PAC in 2011, Colorado has won just 14 games.  That’s 10 worse than the next worst team – Cal at 24.

Despite the poor results in the record book, it is hard to say that Colorado has not improved each year in the PAC.  It is also hard to ignore the fact that the competition seems to be improving by at least the same rate as the Buffaloes.  As such, the prospects for improvement are hard to project.  Is 2016 the year that Colorado and Head Coach Mike MacIntyre finally break through?

Gekko Time.

Colorado’s Offense:

Offensive Coordinator	Strengths	Weaknesses	Key Players	Newcomers to Watch
Darrin Chiaverini/ Brian Lindgren	Rushing Attack Playmaking WRs	QB Situation Pass Blocking	QB Sefo Liufau WR Shay Fields	RB Beau Bisharat (TFr) QB Steven Montez (RFr)

 

Can QB Sefo Liufau make a triumphant return in his senior season?

The Buffs offense is a mess as it heads into summer workouts.  Almost all of this relates to the status of the quarterback situation where incumbent star and OWW favorite Sefo Liufau is still recovering from the dreaded lisfranc injury.  With his status unknown, the Buffs are looking closely at the potential of “QB-of-the-future” Steven Montez and wondering if the time is now (and, yes, I know about Jordan Gehrke, but I can’t see how last year’s third stringer is going to fit into this mix).

I like Montez and I think that he will be a good QB in the PAC 12 someday.  Its hard to project a QB that I’ve never seen, but it is easy to look at the history of young QBs on teams with fairly ordinary to below average offenses and realize that the odds are stacked.

The offensive line is a particular work in progress.  There may not have been a worse one in the PAC last year.  Always a patchwork affair that featured nine different starting combinations, Colorado gave up 40 sacks and 423 yards lost on TFLs – both worst in the conference.  The good news is that a couple of really pedestrian performers have moved on.  The bad news is that the replacements are complete unknowns which, when breaking in a new QB, can be an uneasy situation.

As for playmakers, the Buffs do have a few names to lean on.  WR Shay Fields is a different kind of receiver than the now-graduated Nelson Spruce, but every bit the kind of #1 that every team needs.  At the RB level, Colorado has several contributors they can rotate in including their dynamic Junior duo of Chrisitan Powell (thunder) and Donovan Lee (lightning).  Beyond these guys, I can’t tell you where the breakouts might occur.  TE Sean Irwin is a big, reliable target.  Both WR Bryce Bobo and WR Devin Ross can burn.  Maybe a guy like JC transfer Kabion Ento can have an impact.

It’s all hard to tell and, truthfully, it all probably hinges on the health of Liufau.  Despite having a pair of decent RBs, the Buffs are an air-it-out football team and will only be at their best when the OL can protect and the passer-receiver connections are thriving.  There are just too many questions in all of that for me to gain any confidence right now.

Colorado’s Defense:

Defensive Coordinator	Strengths	Weaknesses	Key Players	Newcomers to Watch
Jim Leavitt	Secondary Experience Rush Defense	DL Play Overall Depth	LB Kenneth Olugbode CB Chidobe Awuzie	CB Kyle Trego (JC) LB Drew Lewis (JC)

 

CB Chidobe Awuzie likes to hug people. He’s a nice guy.

If there is going to be any hope for Colorado this year, it is going to begin with a maturation of the defense.  Depending on what analysis you look at, the Buffs are returning around seven starters to a defense that was consistently just below average in every aspect of the playing defense.

That may not sound like a glowing endorsement, but consider some context here:  the Buffs were young AND they definitely had a few games where the potential popped and a glimpse of the future could be seen.  In fact, in their last three conference games of the season, none of their opponents scored more than 27 points.  The Buffs have never had a three game stretch of such defensive stoutness since joining the PAC.  Add to that the 13 point game that they held OSU to and the gutsy, physical throwdown that they had against UCLA and it isn’t hard to see some why there might be some optimism.

My favorite player on the D is Sr LB Kenneth Ougbode.  He will anchor a unit that I think could be the best part of Jim Leavitt’s defense in 2016.  A hard-nosed and gritty player, Olugbode is an effective tackler against the run.  He’ll be joined by the seasoned Addison Gillam who, at one point, was seen as a defensive star in the making.  The pair will form a strong, experienced unit.  If they can get contributions from Junior UW transfer Drew Lewis and another year of growth from sophomore Ricky Gamboa, this unit could really shine for Colorado.

The defensive line, however, will be a challenge.  Pass rush specialist Jimmie Gilbert is back.  The senior led the team in sacks a year ago with six but has shown a propensity to fade in games.  If he is going to be effective as a pass rusher, he’ll need some help from his three defensive linemen.  If 325 pound Josh Tupou returns from his season-long suspension in 2015, he might provide just such a kind of presence.  If not, Colorado will have to lean on the experience if not the accomplishment of guys like Senior Jordan Carrell (43 tackles) and Junior Leo Jackson (24 tackles).  There is enough girth there if not a steady pass rush.

The secondary will be a source of optimism for every Buff fan given the presence of two players that many believe are NFL prospects.  Senior CB Chidobe Awuzie might be the best player on the Buffs roster.  He’s a bit of a hybrid CB who, I think, is better in run support than he is as a cover guy.  He isn’t a shut-down guy as much as he is an efficient zone player.  Senior S Tedric Thompson is a 200+ pound thumper who, like Awuzie, is more built for run support than pass coverage.  Beyond those guys, there is experience to draw upon as well as some young talent.  This unit could surprise.

One Breakout Star

The obvious breakout candidate is Montez at QB.  However, one guy that I’ll be keeping my eye on is Sophomore CB Isaiah Oliver.  At 6-1, 195 lbs, he has the stature to step into the role of “cover guy” in a defense that doesn’t have many of them.  He appears to be threatening incumbent starter Ahkello Witherspoon for a starting role.  Given the experience around him and all of the help that he’ll get, I could easily see Oliver putting some stats on the board as PAC 12 DCs try to test him out in the early going of the season.  It sounds like a good recipe for a breakout.

Predicting 2016:

The Buffaloes need something big to happen, and they need it to happen in 2016.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to see how the stars might align for them.

The defense could very well take a huge step forward this season.  It would not shock me in the least to see them emerge as a top-half-of-the-conference type of unit whose physicality makes up for the lack of overall team speed.  There are potential stars in two of the three levels of that unit.

At best, however, they could only hold serve for an offense that simply has no real answers to the challenges that other PAC 12 teams will throw their way.  A return from Liufau would certainly help, but without Nelson Spruce to eat up short passes and without a steady OL to help compensate for Liufau’s compromised wheels, I don’t see too many good days for the Buffalo offense.

The schedule is not helpful.  The Buffs open up against their heated rival in Colorado State, get an easy W against Idaho State and then travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.  If that isn’t enough, they follow that road trip with a road trip to Eugene.  After a bit of break hosting Oregon State, they then get to travel to LA to take on USC.  Sheesh.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see Colorado already saddled with a 1-5 record before their young offense is even broken in.  Even if Liufau is in there, 2-4 would be a major accomplishment halfway in.  Unfortunately, that just isn’t going to cut it if Colorado’s goal is bowl eligibility.  I’m predicting another long and painful campaign for the Buffs in 2016.

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

OL recruiting will be huge for the Red Raiders over this summer, as most of our big boys up front are nearing their graduation dates. Yesterday, Texas Tech snagged two more linemen, swelling the number of OL taken in this class to 6.

Guns Up! ⚫️ ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/Dqr4y7L1GQ

— Will Farrar (@farrar3790) June 10, 2016

Staying Home #GunsUp ☝ ️ pic.twitter.com/WNBnn9zfq7

— Jared Hocker (@Jared_Hocker) June 10, 2016

The two commits make this 4 OL commits in 3 days for Texas Tech. These two were a bit different, as they were both heavily considering other schools. Hocker was committed to David Beaty at Kansas, and according to Burnt Orange Nation, Farrar was long considered a Longhorn lean.

According to 24/7’s recruiting rankings, Hocker is a 3-star prospect, the 120th OT in the Nation, and 179th recruit in Texas. Farrar is the 22nd OG in the nation, and 65th recruit in Texas.

This brings Texas Tech to 6 OL in this recruiting class. We don’t know whether this will make someone decommit for sure or not, but at this point it would be likely.

adam mclean – Alexander Jonesi

Maryland’s football season starts in 85 days. Until then, we’re previewing the entire roster. Up next:

Adam McLean, defensive tackle

Height: 6’2

Weight: 313 pounds

Year: Freshman

High school: Quince Orchard (Md.)

How McLean got to College Park

Adam McLean was a two-time consensus all-state performer and Under Armour All-American; he was named first-team All-Met by The Washington Post in 2013, after finishing his junior season at Quince Orchard with 47 tackles and seven sacks. In the state of Maryland, McLean was rated the best defensive tackle and number two overall player by Rivals. In his class, he was also ranked the 12th best defensive tackle and 83rd overall in the nation by ESPN.

McLean was recruited early and given offers by some big names including Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan State, and Florida State, among others. Although Penn State failed to crack his top five list in January of 2014, McLean announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions via Twitter in April. However, in a surprising twist, McLean decommitted the following November and by next February, he was a Terp.

Additionally, McLean helped to spark the #DMVtoUMD movement, encouraging local recruits to come to Maryland and make it a football powerhouse in the Big Ten. In the past, Maryland has consistently lost out on blue-chip talent to other programs, notably Penn State, Ohio State, and West Virginia. The Capital News Service analyzed that over the last five years, Maryland only retained on average 20 percent of its four- and five-star prospects. McLean recognized his potential and jumped at the opportunity:

“I knew that I had the power to get other guys interested, even though I committed a little bit later in the recruiting process,” McLean said. “…Everyone wants to be a part now, everyone wants to help re-establish the program.”

McLean’s Maryland career hit a snag back in September when he had to un-enroll from the university due to an “eligibility issue” – the initial announcement from the University had worried fans but McLean quickly put them at ease with a couple tweets.

He was indeed on the line come springtime.

Some video:

A career highlight:

He has yet to play a single down for the Terps (besides the spring game), but McLean made waves last year by flipping his commitment from Penn State to Maryland. He has been very active on social media since and continues to play a role in helping Maryland seal local recruits for the future.

2016 prospectus

Even if McLean had remained at Maryland last September, he was highly expected to redshirt his freshman season due to an ACL injury from his senior year at Quince Orchard. In fact, his goal last summer was to be healthy by spring.

This year, he’ll team up with redshirt sophomore David Shaw and look to build a partnership before incoming five-star defensive end Joshua Kaindoh gets in the mix, along with tackle Cam Spence. McLean is already one of Mike London’s most talented players, and in the right defensive scheme, he could hit the ground running.

What a dream season might look like

Fans of Maryland football have been waiting for a long time to watch McLean play seeing as he was Edsall’s top recruit in the class of 2015. We got a glimpse when the defensive tackle saw some springtime action and recorded a few tackles, including one for a loss. Hopefully, London figures out a way to take advantage McLean’s abilities and he makes an instant impact on the field.

If Mclean and Shaw complement each other well, they can lay the foundation for the next couple years – and Kaindoh will slot right in next year. Look for McLean to lock up his starting spot as early as this year.

Next in the series…

Our next player caught Maryland’s attention during his senior season after leading his school to an upset win over local rivals Gilman in the state title game back in 2013.

Standings

PMatt is on the board.

Testudbro- 3

PeachesTerp- 2

amaymon27- 1

apgibson- 1

ezra2141- 1

Murderlandboy- 1

Mr. Papageorgeo- 1

RedTurtle- 1

Carolina- 1

reborn579- 1

PMatt- 1

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Position: WR
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 210
Year: Senior
Hometown: Kannapolis, NC
Twitter: @KJohnsonHTx3

Virginia’s wide receivers last season can be summed up in two words: Canaan Severin. In 2015 Severin had more catches (54 to 41) and yards (759 to 632) than all of UVa’s other wideouts combined, but he now plays on Sundays and someone else will have to step up. Enter Keeon Johnson, a rising senior and Virginia’s top returning receiver.

Last season Johnson appeared in all 12 games, starting five and amassing 13 catches for 173 yards and one touchdown. While he failed to have a true breakout game Johnson was steady, recording at least one catch in eight of UVa’s 12 contests. The highlight of Johnson’s season came early when he caught a 42 yard touchdown pass off of a reverse against Notre Dame (this also may have been the only highlight of Steve Fairchild’s playcalling career in Charlottesville).

While UVa fans will welcome more big plays, what the Cavaliers really need from Johnson is consistent production. As a true freshman in 2013 Johnson had back to back five catch performances against Clemson and North Carolina for a total of 136 yards, so it’s not a matter of ability as much as it is one of opportunity. Ultimately Johnson’s ability to rekindle his freshman magic and become a reliable top target will go a long way towards determining UVa’s offensive success this season.

One end of the recruiting spectrum lifting up another – Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s start this article with the pretty founded premise that the Virginia Tech Hokies haven’t had a good couple of years. Since the 2011 season, the Hokies have gone 7-6, 8-5, 7-6, 7-6. That’s not AWFUL, but it’s at the very best stagnantly mediocre. In contrast to the previous years, in which there were only 4 seasons out of 17 wherein the Hokies didn’t post double-digit win rates. We’ve all argued back and forth about the efficacy of our coaching, strategy, program, exposure in the media, and so forth and so on. But what really stung me when I read an article on 247 is not that we didn’t have some good players in that run. It was that so often the players perceived to have the most talent weren’t successful. There’s a myriad of reasons for that, but the simple line is that when Virginia Tech has received highly ranked players, they haven’t played or been coached to expectations.

Now, don’t take me wrong. Sometimes the recruiting rankings are completely incorrect. History is littered with four- and five-stars that didn’t make it- Virginia, the state, in particular has actually had a surprising run of them, but that’s an article for another day. When your baseline for winning a national championship is 50% four and five star talent, you can’t afford to miss on those guys when you don’t get many in the first place.

Part of the reason why kids are ranked highly in particular, is, yes, that they’re being recruited or are committed to high end programs. However, part of the reason why these high end programs win championships is because they find and capitalize on talent. Generally, it’s known talent. It’s a mutually affirming cycle in that way. Anecdotally are you more proud of snatching away a three star that Alabama’s interested in or a three star that Marshall is their only other offer? Obviously there are success stories- walk-ons or lowly-rated players that excel. But due to simple volume- most recruiting services limit their number of four or five star players to some degree if not very tightly- you’re not going to be able to find ALL the diamonds in the rough. It’s simply too much data to actually sift through to reliably gain a talent advantage. Take a look at an NFL offense like the Steelers. Le’Veon Bell was a 2-star running back. Antonio Brown was unranked. Ben Roethlisberger was a one year starter in high school. Markus Wheaton was a three star that played in Arizona, which is not a huge recruiting hotspot. That’s a lot of professional talent that WAS lowly ranked. But you cannot reliably get those guys together on one team when you’re competing in a free market with many advantages and disadvantages, as compared to a sphere where you have only 31 competitors, and on top of that, if you draft someone, you have their rights for x number of years (barring certain circumstances).

So in the past 4 years, Tech’s capitalization rate on its high-end talent has been…mediocre at best. The top 15 players by 247’s composite rankings are:

1. Kendall Fuller (5 star composite, Class of 2013): Two quality, productive years, then one year where he was only semi-productive and mostly just injured. Drafted in the third round due to injury concerns. I’d say that his Virginia Tech career was a success, but it left me wondering ‘what if’ in terms of his health and him staying a longer period of time. His significant other offer list was impressive: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and others. I’d say that there we’ve got consensus success.
2. Tim Settle (4 star composite, Class of 2015): Incomplete. He was redshirted this past year to lose weight and get into playing shape. That’s fine. Redshirting I get. I hope he sees the field this year with great frequency. He had academic concerns coming out of high school, but qualified without having to prep, thankfully. Other significant offers included Alabama, Louisville, Clemson, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Nebraska, Mizzou, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, TAMU, UCLA, Tennessee, etc. I hope that he lives up to the promise that everyone thought he could.
3. Joel Caleb (4 star composite, Class of 2012): Caleb has bounced back and forth throughout his career as the coaches couldn’t find whether to put him at wide receiver or tailback, which probably hurt his development as well. He’s only had 30 rushing attempts, 8 receptions, 1 TD, and 199 yards of offense in his career. He’s been skipped over no matter what position he’s been at, too, which means that not only is he not fitting, he’s being outperformed by ‘lesser talent’. His offer list included West Virginia, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, North Carolina, Penn State, and Clemson. It’s not like he wasn’t wanted. But he was a big safety in high school, and wouldn’t put in the time on defense where he was wanted.
4. Holland Fisher (4 star composite, Class of 2014): Fisher was another case of a player that got rotated back and forth because his frame and his talents didn’t exactly fit any position. Between Whip and Rover he went, but he was only on the team for a redshirt year before leaving. That was after a year of prep school, following grade trouble in high school and transferring high schools. He’s now out at San Jose City College. His other offers included Alabama, Tennessee, Penn State, Ohio State, and others. Either way, it was a wasted recruitment.
5. Wyatt Teller (4 star composite, Class of 2013): Teller’s been a pretty good guard. He was recruited as a defensive lineman but was switched to the offensive line to make up for the fact that our OL recruiting had been less than stellar. Success there is only marred by the occasional boneheaded penalty and the fact that taking a 4 star defensive end from the DL has left it young and thin. His other offers included Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, West Virginia, and others. Didn’t think that we’d get an all-ACC caliber (potential NFL caliber) guard out of him, but he’s a success.
6. Kris Harley (4 star composite, Class of 2011): Harley was released after the 2013 season, and is now playing at Western Illinois, which is closer to his Indianapolis home. He finished his career with eight tackles and one interception. Other offers included Oklahoma, Michigan, USC, North Carolina, Iowa, and Stanford among others. Complete miss.
7. Ken Ekanem (4 star composite, Class of 2012): Ekanem is another fair success, despite the somewhat disappointing last season where he posted very low sack numbers- though that was a problem along the entire defense, not just him. Either way he’s played plenty and is one of the defensive leaders on the team, and the old head in the defensive line locker room. I wouldn’t say he’s been stellar, but at the very least he’s been solid, and we hope he can return to his 2014 sack numbers. Other offers included Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Notre Dame, Pitt, and others.
8. Zack McCray (4 star composite, Class of 2010): McCray was another ‘can’t find him a consistent position’ guy. Recruited as a defensive end he went back and forth between it and tight end later in his career. Other offers included Alabama, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, and others. He totaled 18 tackles in his career. Not capitalized upon after he didn’t get much playing time at tight end, and that just ended his career.
9. Kyshoen Jarrett (4 star composite, Class of 2011): Jarrett wasn’t flashy or extraordinary, but no one should view his career as any sort of disappointment. He had heavy playing time for three years, didn’t ever redshirt, had five interceptions and plenty of tackles. He looked like he was going to have a good NFL career as a nickel/general defensive back, but an injury has put that in jeopardy. Even if he wasn’t a superstar, I’m counting him as a solid contributor. His other offers included Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, and Wisconsin.
10. Nick Dew (4 star composite, Class of 2010): Left the program after being buried on the depth chart for two years. He went between whip and safety. Other offers included Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and others. This is one four star that the big boys avoided and were apparently right to do so.
11. Jerod Evans (4 star composite, Class of 2016): Incomplete grade due to being just introduced to the program this spring. Other offers included Mizzou, Cal, UCF, and I have heard that there were others that would’ve offered if not for him accepting and signing with us. The latter part being mostly hearsay, though, we’ll see how he does with Coach Fuente.
12. JC Coleman (4 star composite, Class of 2012): There WAS a point in time where JC Coleman was thought to be the answer. The tail end of 2014? Coleman put the team on his back. Military Bowl MVP, he came into the season looking like he’d be the number one running back, but he ended up being washed in the rotation, until Travon McMillian took over. His performance probably wasn’t up to his rating, but he was still a loyal Hokie the whole time. He got a bit victimized by the poor offensive playcalling and the lack of thought put into the rotation and the playcalling selection put together. His other offers included Duke, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and others.
13. Bucky Hodges (4 star composite, Class of 2013): Didn’t end up at QB, but I’m not complaining at all about that position change. Has a chance to be one of the best tight ends in the country. Other offers included Maryland, Ohio State, Virginia, and ECU. Wonder why he didn’t end up getting more looks? Either he didn’t publicize them or people missed out. NEXT!
14. Shai McKenzie (4 star composite, Class of 2014): Injuries and legal trouble have marred McKenzie’s career. Although his freshman year showed promise in limited time, we still don’t know what we have with him. Two torn ACLs can really, really screw with a guy’s effectiveness. Other offers included Pitt, Florida State, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and others.
15. Raymon Minor (4 star composite, Class of 2014): Minor is a redshirt sophomore linebacker now, having only logged one solitary tackle in his career. He could theoretically be one of the linebackers on the field this year after fall, but right now that’s still an uphill battle for him. Other offers included Clemson, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Iowa, Miami, Ohio State, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and others. Incomplete grade, but not trending well so far.

In total, that’s 5 hits, 3-4 incompletes, and 7-6 busts. When you don’t get as many highly rated guys, you’ve got to make what you do get count, and that hasn’t exactly been working. In that same time, we’ve had 2 other four stars show promise (Travon McMillian and Yosuah Nijman), but outside that, it’s been a lot of three stars and below. And yes, they are valuable if not amazing contributors. Sam Rogers was a walk-on. Isaiah Ford was one of the most ‘over-recruited’ 3-stars I’ve ever seen (by that, I mean that his offer sheet was HUGE for only being three stars and he proved that sheet right). Cam Philips has been more than successful. Chuck Clark and Brandon Facyson have plenty of talent and anchor the secondary when healthy. Augie Conte is a solid guard. But you’ve got to have more than that to succeed in major college football, and we’ve still got a good bit to go.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

I mean, did you really expect anything different? Year in and year out, Alabama has the highest expectations not only in the SEC but across the country, and rightfully so. This year, the program is right back toward the top of the Vegas season win totals in 2016.

Alabama’s win total is equal to LSU’s this fall (10), and their annual game – in Baton Rouge this year – could possibly determine which team tops it, pushes or goes under.

But the LSU game is just one of four really tough dates on the Crimson Tide’s schedule. Oh, by the way, both teams will be coming off a bye the week prior, so we’re going to hopefully see the two at their best following time off. More on that later.

So let’s go about Alabama’s over/under like we did last week with the Razorbacks. Looking at the Tide’s schedule, I find it safe to consider these games wins: Western Kentucky, Kent State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Chattanooga and Auburn.

That leaves these four games – Southern Cal, at Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at LSU. All Alabama needs is a split to push and three of four for the over. Here’s some info on the four to hopefully make your decision easier:

• Southern Cal: Cody Kessler is gone, and in steps junior Max Browne, who’ll in all likelihood be making his first start against Alabama on a neutral field. But the Trojan’s strengths will be along the offensive line, where they return all starters from last season, and at running back.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is back at receiver for USC as a big-time playmaker as well. But an inexperienced defensive line could be the downfall in this game. The Tide held Wisconsin’s ground game to just 41 yards on 20 carries a year ago in the same building. Good chance at a win.

• Ole Miss: They’ve beaten the Tide each of the last two seasons, and this fall the game returns to Oxford, home of one of college’s football top games in 2014. Alabama and LSU, as I mentioned earlier, are the favorites in the West, but the Black Rebel Bears are another viable choice if they can knock off one of these teams (both in Oxford). Going with a loss, again, here.
• Tennessee: Since the Vols’ 45-10 loss to Alabama in 2013, they’ve gotten closer and closer to pulling off an upset each season. Last year, Alabama needed a pair of spectacular catches in the final five minutes to win, 19-14, at home. Now, Tennessee returns 18 starters and aerospace engineering student Josh Dobbs, who also plays a solid quarterback on Saturdays. Butch Jones’ club is the clear favorite, as of now, to win the SEC East, and I think this is the year it breaks through. I see the Vols entering at least 6-1, which means the atmosphere in Knoxville is sure to be wild. Loss.
• LSU: The Tigers haven’t scored more than 17 points on Alabama since 2010, and haven’t had a 300-yard passer since 2013 against Furman. LSU’s lack of a passing game really benefits Alabama here, obviously. All focus then turns to Leonard Fournette, and it rarely works out in your favor when an Alabama defense can do that. Win.

So after breaking these games down, I’m standing at a push and a 10-2 regular season. I’m staying away from putting anything down on this over/under.

As for the future scheduling practices for Rutgers, there has been a lot of discussion about who they should pursue. Our own Griffin Whitmer pondered if Rutgers should add a rivalry game to the non-conference schedule moving forward. Temple actually garnered 36% of the votes and as we know now, playing them will become a reality starting in 2020. In terms of the future, it will be interesting to see if Rutgers considers playing old conference foes Syracuse, Boston College and UConn.  Those matchups would add some allure to the schedule for obvious reasons.

Maryland football starts its season in 87 days. Until then, we are profiling every player on the roster.

After redshirting during the 2014 season, Brett Kulka made his Maryland debut against Richmond in 2015. He appeared in 11 games and finished the season with four tackles. This year he will look to take another step forward.

Brett Kulka, defensive lineman

Height: 6’4

Weight: 254 pounds

Year: Redshirt sophomore

High School: General McLane High School

How Kulka got to College Park

Kulka was just a two-star recruit and the no. 63 player in Pennsylvania, according to the 247 Sports Composite. Maryland was the only Power 5 school he received an offer from, and he committed on Jun. 24, 2013. At General McLane High School, Kulka was an all-region player as an offensive and defensive lineman and was named all-state by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers and the PA Football News.

One career highlight so far

Kulka played in eleven games last season, and his best outing was against West Virginia, when he recorded two tackles and broke up a pass.

2016 prospectus

Kulka looks to be fighting for playing time again 2016. Maryland has holes in its defensive line after losing Yannick Ngakoue and Quinton Jefferson to the NFL Draft and will be looking for players to step up and fill the gaps. It’s tough to see Kulka earning a starting job, as he has to compete with Azubuike Ukandu and David Shaw, who both started last season, as well as Malik Jones and former blue-chip recruit Adam McLean. If he wants to earn more playing time this year, Kulka will have to separate himself from the herd.

What a dream season might look like

Kulka earns a starting job on the defensive line. He plays a big part in stopping the run and drawing double teams to allow Roman Braglio and Jesse Aniebonam to wreak havoc on the quarterback.

Up next in the series…

This Maryland native was the Terps highest rated recruit in the class of 2015.

Standings

Testudbro is back in the lead.

Testudbro- 3

PeachesTerp- 2

amaymon27- 1

apgibson- 1

ezra2141- 1

Murderlandboy- 1

Mr. Papageorgeo- 1

RedTurtle- 1

Carolina- 1

reborn579- 1

Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage! – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

For the recruitniks, this time of the year comes into a lull in terms of recruiting news. The football team is off until summer practices begin, which leaves the coaches more time for evaluations on their current team and hopeful future Tigers. The addition of upcoming satellite camps helps overcome the recruiting boredom that is here, except when it comes to weekends like this. So with the first major event since the Bayou Picnic in May, the list was filled with recognizable names.

The Commits

Fresh off a dominant performance at the Elite 11, Myles Brennan was told to not worry about coming in and take some time to rest. Brennan didn’t listen and was in Baton Rouge, doing his part in recruiting potential teammates before going out to the field to show those in attendance why he set the Elite 11 on fire. A slew of other commits, including most recent ones Ed Ingram and Stephen Guidry, who was one of a number of JUCO recruits in attendance, the first time LSU has allowed that at the June camp which is normally reserved for high school recruits.  Three 2018 commits have/will be making the trek to Baton Rouge in Devonta Jason, Kelvin Joseph, Corione Harris.

A Big Texas Name In Attendance

When it seems that you have a nice lead and said recruit visits your school instead of one of your main competitor’s major events (a BBQ picnic?  Seriously?  You’re not fooling anyone with this idea A&M), it speaks volume. Even before this article made it on the site, K’Lavon Chaisson, an almost-identical Arden Key clone, was already in Baton Rouge with his North Shore coaches. If the school sounds familiar, that is because 2016 signee Eric Monroe came from the same school, another good note factoring into LSU’s stance.

Plenty of Other Big Names Will Be There

Dameyune Craig was ecstatic to see Devonta Smith make it in for this weekend.  LSU has some work to do with him, so getting him on campus at any chance can only help. Chris Allen would be a huge addition at LB for Dave Aranda in his implementation of his defense in the near future. The athletic LB was there and will be one of Aranda’s biggest targets. Some recognizable names like Isaiah Buggs, Travez Moore and Joe Anderson are the other JUCO recruits that LSU was in on these past few seasons. Both Buggs and Anderson are 2017 guys, while Moore will have to wait until 2018, but those three will be getting a lot of attention.

One Offer Already Out

While the biggest attendance at the camp usually comes during the weekend, some start filling in on Thursday, and it really paid off for one recruit. Class of 2018 safety Nadab Joseph from Miami, Florida, showcased 4.5 speed and a huge vertical to go along with his 6-2 size, which quickly earned him an offer from Corey Raymond. Florida schools seriously have to hate Raymond at LSU by now, he just make their lives way more tougher than they could have imagined.

There’s plenty of other names that will file into Baton Rouge throughout the weekend, including one of my favorites Phidarian Mathis (that first name though), and while the July camp brings in a larger haul of top-tier recruits, the group making it in this weekend is impressive in terms of previous June camps. With one of, if not the best recruiting staff in college football, which was enhanced even more recently with the addition of Austin Thomas, this is one of the weekends where they make their presence felt.  It’s hard to tell if any commits will come out of this weekend, but this will help build towards the July camp with the season opener inching even closer.