Earlier this week, Jon Kirby over at JayhawkSlant picked up on a line put out by sportbet.com installing Kansas as a 29-point favorite over Rhode Island in their season-opener on September 3.
Maybe you think four touchdowns is too high. Maybe you’ll think differently by the time you’ve read this. We’ll get into Rhode Island more next week, but here are a few things to consider.
CBSSports.com recently ranked Bryant College as the best college football team in the state of Rhode Island. For your consideration, Bryant went 5-6 in 2011 in FCS’s Northeast Conference. Also consider that Bryant is 18-15 over the past 3 seasons.
Per the Providence Journal, the University of Rhode Island was picked to finish last in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) by the preseason media poll. The Rams did put two players on the preseason All-Conference team, RB/KR Harold Cooper and LB Adam Parker – the first time since 2011 that URI has had more than one preseason All-Conference selection. In addition, the Rams are only 14-60 all-time in CAA play, with four seasons of zero or one win. (Rhode Island joined the CAA as a football-only member in 2007.)
URI has had three winning seasons since 1985.
Last year against Syracuse, a team that would finish 4-8 in the ACC, Rhode Island came up with 64 yards of total offense, two first downs, and four turnovers in a 47-0 loss. They averaged seven inches per carry on 20 rushes. The defense allowed 312 rushing yards and 114 passing yards.
The Rams went 1-10 in 2015, their lone victory a 20-0 defeat of Delaware, who would finish 2015 at 4-7. That followed a 1-11 campaign in 2014 and a 3-9 season in 2013, making the Rams 5-30 over the past three seasons.
Rhode Island is the Kansas of FCS.
Shoot, they may even be worse than the Kansas of FCS. After all, the Jayhawks fell by only three points to South Dakota State last fall, who finished 2015 ranked #14 in FCS. Meanwhile, Rhode Island fell by a 35-7 count to Albany, who finished exactly one game ahead of the Rams in the final CAA standings.
So I’ll ask again: Do you think four touchdowns is too high?
The redshirt sophomore will make his first collegiate start against Kent State on September 3.
After three full seasons of Christian Hackenberg at the helm, Penn State fans knew they would have a new starting quarterback to scrutinize heading into the 2016 season. They just didn’t know exactly who that guy would be… until today. Following Wednesday’s practice, Penn State head coach James Franklin named Trace McSorley as his new first-string signal caller.
“It was a combination of factors. It was spring practice. It was the bowl game,” Franklin said. But “it was a difficult decision.”
If we’re just looking at what McSorley did in last January’s TaxSlayer Bowl and the Blue-White scrimmage in April, the decision seems easy. While substituting for Hackenberg as a redshirt freshman in the game formerly known as the Gator Bowl, McSorley went 14-for-27 for 142 yards and two touchdowns against a Georgia defense that was one of the best in the SEC.
Nittany Lion fans did not see the Ashburn, Virginia native in action again until the spring game, when he impressed with 281 passing yards and four touchdowns, albeit against Penn State’s backup defenders.
Ultimately, the decision came down to McSorley or Tommy Stevens, the redshirt freshman out of Indianapolis. Franklin went with the more experienced player. We’ll see how that works out when McSorley makes his first ever start as a Nittany Lion on September 3 against Kent State.
Mississippi State’s defensive back depth took a hit as two senior corners are injured.
With rumors flying around about the possibility of a couple of key defensive backs in Tolando Cleveland and Cedric Jiles being injured, there was a growing amount of concern and interest in the defensive backs and whether or not the rumors were true. Well, as it turns out, Tolando Cleveland is going to be done for the year and Cedric Jiles will miss what could be the entire first half of the season.
Senior cornerback Tolando Cleveland is out for the season, Dan Mullen announces. Torn ACL. Cleveland started several games last year.
This is the last thing that Mississippi State needed, but the Bulldogs might be able to turn to the deep pool of young safety talent to overcome the depth issues at corner this season. The Bulldogs have a few options in Jamal Peters, Lashard Durr, Maurice Smitherman, among a couple of other guys but losing Cleveland and Jiles certainly hurts.
It is possible that Cleveland can redshirt this season to extend his college career if he so chooses, but nothing has been set in stone so far. Hopefully Cleveland and Jiles are both able to heal up and stay healthy going forward.
A group of four 2016 recruits could find themselves impacting Wisconsin this season.
Banking on contributions from true freshmen can be a gamble. The level of competition from high school football to college is an extreme jump that takes most players at least a year to acclimate to.
Especially within the Wisconsin Badgers, whose history has dictated a mostly developmental approach to players, this holds true. But that doesn’t mean UW hasn’t utilized first-year players effectively.
In 2015, the first year of the Paul Chryst era, two stepped up into prominent roles. Now a fullback, Alec Ingold evolved into Wisconsin’s short-yardage back with running back Corey Clement injured for most of the season. The 2014 Associated Press state player of the year accumulated six touchdowns in 10 games played.
Ingold transitioned to inside linebacker after Chris Orr worked his way into the two-deep of Wisconsin’s defense during an impressive fall camp. Orr then stepped up to play in 10 games (six starts) with Leon Jacobs out due to injury. Despite suffering a leg infection that cost him three games, he solidified the position group with then-redshirt freshman T.J. Edwards, registering 46 tackles, good for sixth on the team.
In 2014, wide receivers George Rushing and Natrell Jamerson, defensive backs Derrick Tindal and Lubern Figaro, and kicker Rafael Gaglianone were utilized by Gary Andersen and his staff. Gaglianone was a revelation, converting 19 of 22 field goal attempts and 59 of 61 extra points as a true freshman. Rushing, Tindal and Jamerson—the latter converted to cornerback last season—are looking to solidify major roles in their junior campaigns.
Since 2008, Clement, Robert Wheelwright, Chris Borland and Bradie Ewing remain in Badgers fans’ minds as freshmen who saw significant game action.
At least four true freshmen could be legitimate contributors for Wisconsin during the 2016 season. Nose guard Garrett Rand, punter Anthony Lotti and wide receivers A.J. Taylor and Quintez Cephus have worked themselves into positions to see the field and play a role on this year’s team.
Brandon Harrison/Wisconsin Athletics
Garrett Rand
Rand, a former four-star and U.S. Army All-American recruit, worked his way in with the second-team defense at nose guard. He came to UW physically ready for the college game (currently boasting a bench press of 505 pounds) but he admitted to facing an adjustment period. Now, he feels like the game is starting to slow down and click with Wisconsin’s season-opener against LSU less than two weeks away.
“It comes down to the littlest things,” Rand said on Monday. “Even looking at the offensive linemen’s fingers that go in the ground, their stances, how many wide receivers are out, how many backs are in the backfield—everything’s so complicated. Probably the second week [of fall camp], I started to go with coach Nokes [defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield], [nose guard] Olive [Sagapolu] and everyone in film.
“We really broke down film. Literally step by step, every step we took he coached us. That second week, it started to slow down because of the great coaching.”
Taylor and Cephus have been pleasant surprises at wide receiver. The latter originally committed to Furman on a basketball scholarship, but has shown the ability to make solid receptions and could be in position to contribute in a receiving group that current holds Wheelwright, Rushing, Jazz Peavy and Reggie Love as its core.
Chryst mentioned in the first week of camp how both earned reps but still have a lot to learn, while wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore told reporters earlier in camp that the Badgers may have “hit the jackpot.”
Like Rand, Taylor came to Madison physically ready to play college football, but he noted the biggest transition has been the adjustment to the mental speed of the game.
“When it comes to knowing where you need to line up, knowing how many steps you need to take on a route, just the little things like that,” the 5’11, 194-pound Taylor said on Monday, “that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve needed to work on and I have to work on every day, especially with the plays and concepts.”
Taylor has flashed in fall camp, working in and making plays with the first- and second-team offenses. It’s not to say he, like any freshman, has had some teaching lessons after three weeks of practice.
The former prep running back transitioned to wide receiver, so there was going to be a learning curve associated with the position move heading into his collegiate career. Taylor credits Gilmore for focusing in on what he needs to improve on, especially learning the “stops” and “bursts” out of routes.
A few times in camp, Taylor has also dropped a couple of passes. That hasn’t squelched his confidence, however, and it’s shown in his seemingly consistent production.
“When I make a mistake, what I try to do is figure out why I made it and then try to channel it and try to work on it the next time,” Taylor said. “When it comes to dropping passes, I’ll just forget about that because passing is 100 percent mental. You just got to have a mindset that you can get go out there and get any ball.”
Brandon Harrison/Wisconsin AthleticsAnthony Lotti
Like Gaglianone two years ago, punter Anthony Lotti has an excellent chance to face an SEC opponent in his first collegiate game. The Georgia native is currently battling redshirt sophomore P.J. Rosowski for the starting job in replacing Drew Meyer.
A two-time, first-team all-state specialist by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Lotti averaged 45.4 yards per punt as a senior, including placing 19 of his 49 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
He admitted he’s settled in now and getting into a rhythm 10 days away from facing the No. 5 team in the nation.
The former three-star recruit believes he can be consistent with his punts and place the ball where it needs to be for the coverage unit. He’s also worked to improve on the directional style of punting. Those are welcomed, maturing signs for a highly-touted prospect that has a shown to elicit a distinct “boom” when his foot meets the ball.
That’s not saying Rosowski’s lying down. Both have worked for the title of starting punter throughout camp, and Chryst acknowledged on Tuesday that Lotti hasn’t officially won the job.
The competition has been friendly, however, as both want to help the team succeed.
“It’s been great,” Lotti said on Monday. “It’s been really back and forth—we’re feeding off of each other and trying to give each other great feedback because we both want to be the best we can be.”
It remains to be seen how much playing time those four will receive. Lotti may be the closest to contributing based on the position battles, but he hasn’t locked up the job just yet.
Outside of their control, injuries or personnel changes may throw them into the fire earlier than expected. How they continue to progress as the season wears on will dictate their roles and the reps they receive against what is widely considered Wisconsin’s most difficult schedule in memory.
“On the field, I’m going to do everything I can to actually play, get some reps and get the feel for it my first year,” Rand said. “I don’t want to go out there and play like two or three snaps. I want to get some snaps in, but it’s all up to me how I perform.”
The redshirt freshman stunned LSU fans and teammates last week after he left the program. Today he decided to start the next chapter of his football career in Coral Gables.
Scout.com has reported that redshirt freshman George Brown Jr. reached a final decision today in his transfer process. Brown is now enrolled at the University of Miami. Brown chose Miami over Michigan State, UCLA and Penn State.
The 6-foot-7, 290 pound tackle is a native of Cincinnati. On Monday, Brown’s father announced that his son would be leaving Les Mile’s team. His departure makes him the eleventh player to leave the Tigers this off-season.
Per 247sports.com, Brown was ranked a three-star prospect, but was a 4-star on the 247sports composite, which combines rankings from all major outlets. His size alone makes him valuable to any team.
Last season, Brown redshirted. This season he will need to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. Brown’s father said that his son worked with the second and third-string units during summer practices. Brown’s father spoke to The Advocate, and offered the following statement to the media:
“He felt better to go with another staff and go play somewhere else. He’s not mad at LSU. LSU is a great school, great place to be. We love LSU. I’m not the one playing. My son decided he wanted to be somewhere else. He didn’t feel that was the place for him.”
After watching his highlight tapes, it is safe to say that Brown plays with a chip on his shoulder. He is a mauler and knows he has the size to bully players. His speed is impressive for someone so large. He is a great at pulling and opening up lanes for rushers. He plays through the whistle and is also effective in pass protection.
As we have written here, the Hurricanes offensive line is a unit that needs improvement. Although he can’t contribute this year, Brown can learn from o-line coach Stacy Searels. Penalties were a big issue last year, but Brown seems to be very disciplined. Brown may not be able to play, but he can participate and practice with the team. He’ll have a whole year to develop his game.
So, cheers to George Brown Jr. and his new start at The U. Brown begins classes on Friday.
Head coach David Shaw announced on Periscope that Ryan Burns will be Stanford’s starting quarterback against Kansas State. He did mention that Keller Chryst will see some action as well.
Burns is a 6-foot-5, 218 pound redshirt junior from Leesburg, Virginia. He was a consensus 4-star recruit coming out of high school, and was considered to be the 8th-best pocket passer QB by 247 sports.
Burns beat out fellow top recruit Keller Chryst to win the starting job in a close competition, with Shaw and the rest of the coaching staff saying for weeks that both QBs have been playing well.
Chryst, a redshirt sophomore, was probably tabbed by the media as the favorite to win the job after Kevin Hogan graduated, but both QBs flashed some impressive plays during the spring game and open practices.
Justin Blackmon was found guilty today for his December 2015 DUI.
It feels like it’s been a long time since Justin Blackmon threw on the #81 and shredded up Big 12 defenses on his way to back-to-back Biletnikoff awards. Instead of receptions and touchdowns, his stat sheet these days includes marijuana charges and a DUI.
Blackmon had the sentencing today in Ardmore, OK for his most recent run-in with the law, a DUI charge from December 2015. The Tulsa World’s Mark Cooper reported that the Judge accepted Blackmon’s guilty plea. The judge then handed Blackmon a one-year suspended sentence and probation with no jail time.
BREAKING: Judge accepts former #okstate WR Justin Blackmon’s guilty plea. Blackmon given one-year suspended sentence and probation.
If Blackmon is charged with another DUI anytime over the next 11 years, under Oklahoma law, he will receive a felony charge.
Fredrickson also reported that the County District Judge was very complementary of Blackmon during the sentencing, saying to Blackmon “You’ve been real straight forward with me”. Blackmon also told the court that he is currently living (and “training”) in Dallas, is still employed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and he drives back to Ardmore for church on Sundays.
On the football side of things, there is no news to report. According to Mark Cooper, Blackmon declined to comment and his attorney gave no indication of his football future.
Hopefully Blackmon is on the way to getting his life back together. He had so much talent, and it would be a shame to completely throw it away. Also, as a side note, he really needs to get that Madden rating up from a 68.
ESPN’s Todd McShay lists the Cowboy CB as one of the top draft prospects at his position.
Ashton Lampkin has battled through injuries throughout his career at Oklahoma State, missing most of the 2014 season with an ankle injury, and missing time last season as well. Now, Lampkin is back for his senior campaign and is the leader of a young and hungry group of corners. Despite the difficulties he’s faced, Lampkin has proven to be a standout defensive back and OSU fans have reason to be excited for his upcoming season.
People outside the program are taking notice of Lampkin as well, as he was recently included in College Football’s Top 50 Underrated Players by Athlon Sports and now, according to ESPN guru Todd McShay, considered one of the top defensive back prospects for next year’s NFL draft.
Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele met with the media tonight following practice. See what he had to say! All credit to the beat writers who were there.
Tonight was Kevin Steele’s turn to face the media following Auburn’s return to the practice fields. So, right off the bat, we shouldn’t even have to say that there’s no update on the QB situation. That will come from Gus Malzahn himself. He’s supposed to meet with the media later this week, but he could name the starter at any time.*
Did anything special come out of Steele’s time with the media? They’re not focusing on Clemson, yet. That’s understandable, since Clemson does run a similar offense to Auburn’s. That works both ways, too, if you want to be a bit depressed. Marshall Taylor’s contributions Week 1 will depend on Marshall Taylor. He singled out Dontavius Russell (who was pretty good as a redshirt freshman last season) and Josh Holsey (pronounced HOLE-zee; I’ve been saying HOLE-see for years!) as big parts of the defense so far. Paul James III, too.
I’m trying not to be too optimistic about this defense. Kevin Steele’s history hasn’t been the best as a DC, so maybe that should help. There’s just so much talent and potential on it, though. I’m even starting to get excited about the linebackers and I have nothing to justify that other than blind confidence in Travis Williams (and Kevin Steele himself).
To the Tweets (and stick around for bonus commentary below)!
“Not a lot has changed.” Those are Kevin Steele’s opening words at his press conference today.
I’m impressed by Holland, here. He admits his head wasn’t in the game as much early on at Auburn. He was starting to be exciting by the end of the season, though, so if he’s really turned it on, then he could be a great one. One of the offensive linemen (Golson, maybe?) did say a few weeks ago that Holland was the second best pass rusher behind Lawson (hence his comment on ranking, I bet).
Both Holland and Paul James III spoke highly of Carl Lawson. We’ve heard repeatedly over the last few years about how Carl Lawson studies every aspect of the game. He should go on to a great NFL career, but I’m thrilled at the prospect of what he’ll be able to bring to the game as a coach one day, too, should he go that route.
Auburn DE Jeff Holland: Bowl practice very important, took them very seriously
The Yellow Jackets’ recent roll in recruiting continues, with lucky #13.
Just a few days after his brother, 4-star CB Tre’ Swilling, committed to Georgia Tech on Monday, 4-star RB/LB Bruce Jordan-Swilling joined him. Together, the brothers will continue the family legacy at Georgia Tech, where their father Pat is in the Hall of Fame.
Jordan-Swilling becomes the highest-rated player in the class, rated as a 4-star by both Rivals (5.8) and the 247Sports Composite (0.9396). When he signs, he’ll also becomes the highest-rated player signed by Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech, narrowly edging Justin Thomas (0.9372) and coming in right behind 2007 recruit Derrick Morgan (0.9411). He is rated as the #10 OLB in the 2017 class and the #6 player in Louisiana. Bruce stands at 6’0” and weighs about 215 pounds. Coming out of Brother martin High School in New Orleans, Jordan-Swilling had offers from more than 25 schools, most notably Alabama, Florida State, USC and LSU.
My first thought when I watched that highlight was, “That’s a football player.” I don’t know how to better embody Bruce Jordan-Swilling than that. He figures to play more on the defensive side of the ball in college, but appears more than capable of being a ballcarrier in Paul Johnson’s offense if necessary. He possesses a rare combination of size and speed, with a respectable 4.57 40 time, according to ESPN. Jordan-Swilling is a fantastic addition to this class, regardless of which side of the ball he ends up on.
Jordan-Swilling’s commitment is just the latest in an incredible run of recruiting for Georgia Tech in the month of August. He becomes the fourth commitment in the month, and the third to be rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals. With his commitment, the 2017 recruiting class for Georgia Tech looks like this:
POSITION
NAME
HT
WT
HOMETOWN
RIVALS
247SPORTS
COMMIT DATE
P
Pressley Harvin III
6-0
230
Sumter, SC
3-star (5.5)
2-star (0.7965)
3/7/2016
OL
Connor Hansen
6-2
320
Tallahassee, FL
3-star (5.5)
3-star (0.8154)
6/5/2016
LB
TD Roof
5-11
202
Buford, GA
3-star (5.5)
3-star (0.8104)
6/6/2016
K
Joseph Bulovas
6-0
205
Mandeville, LA
2-star (5.4)
3-star (0.8054)
6/10/2016
DB
Dameon Williams
5-10
170
Norcross, GA
3-star (5.5)
3-star (0.8422)
6/11/2016
DB
Jaytlin Askew
5-9
170
Powder Springs, GA
3-star (5.7)
3-star (0.8646)
6/16/2016
OL
Zach Quinney
6-6
260
Savannah, GA
3-star (5.6)
3-star (0.8362)
7/19/2016
OL
Demetris Harris
6-3
280
Jacksonville, FL
3-star (5.6)
3-star (0.8207)
7/24/2016
OL
Michael Minihan
6-3
285
Honolulu, HI
3-star (5.5)
3-star (0.8265)
7/26/2016
DB
OJ Tucker
6-0
190
Ocala, FL
3-star (5.5)
3-star (0.8455)
8/5/2016
DB
Gentry Bonds
6-1
190
Murfreesboro, TN
4-star (5.8)
3-star (0.8545)
8/18/2016
DB
Tre’ Swilling
6-0
180
New Orleans, LA
4-star (5.8)
3-star (0.8752)
8/22/2016
RB/LB
Bruce Jordan-Swilling
6-0
215
New Orleans, LA
4-star (5.8)
4-star (0.9396)
8/23/2016
Needless to say, things are shaping up extremely nicely for Georgia Tech’s recruiting class right now.
Congratulations to Bruce and his family, and to the Georgia Tech coaching staff!
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Harrison/Wisconsin Athletics
Brandon Harrison/Wisconsin Athletics
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images
Bruce Jordan-Swilling – Student Sports/Flickr