Another talented player is leaving a name-brand school, and has Miami on his short list of transfer options. Former LSU OT George Brown Jr. (6’7” 290lbs) recently made known his desire to transfer away from the Tigers’ program. And, in short order, Brown has put Miami on his list of potential destinations.

A 3-star recruit in the 2015 class, Brown Jr. signed with LSU over 38 claimed offers. After redshirting at LSU in 2015, Brown was looking to break into the lineup in 2016. He will instead transfer, and Miami could be his landing spot.

Miami has interest in Brown Jr., and a connection to the Cincinnati, OH native as well. Brown Jr. was recruited by Mark Richt at Georgia, and also OL coach Stacy Searels at Virginia Tech back in his prep days. The connection to those gentlemen, especially Searels, with whom Brown Jr. would work closely should he transfer to Miami, could be a positive for the Canes in the chase to add this talented player to the OL group.

Brown Jr. told InsideTheU.com that he had received his release and had communicated with Miami, and he also told CaneSport.com that his finalists for his transfer location are Miami, Michigan State, and Penn State.

Obviously, adding a player of Brown Jr.’s caliber would be great for Miami. The Canes need Offensive Tackle types, and Brown Jr. fits that bill to a T. With classes starting soon across the country, Brown Jr. will probably look to make a decision for his next collegiate destination soon. So, like other transfer prospects that we’ve spoken about in recent days, this situation could reach a resolution very swiftly.

Brown Jr. will be a redshirt freshman this season. Unless he transfers to an FCS or Division 2 school, Brown Jr. will have to sit out the 2016 season per NCAA transfer rules, and have 3 years to play 3, starting in 2017.

More on this as its available.

Wake Forest kicks off its 2016 season in just 9 days when they host the Tulane Green Wave at BB&T Field. Though Tulane should be a run-heavy team, Wake Forest will still need quality play from its defensive backs in this game and every game for the remainder of the season. The defensive backs struggled at times last season. What can we expect out of the unit in 2016? I previewed the DB’s with Mark Rogers of Mark Rogers TV.

Wake Forest’s defense intercepted just 6(6!) passes in 2015, which was 111th nationally. Forcing turnovers can be a bit fluky, but some of the fundamentals in forcing turnovers (a strong pass rush, decent coverage skills) were lacking. Graduate transfers Devin Gaulden and Zach Dancel were brought in from Wisconsin and Maryland, respectively, but both left a lot to be desired in terms of coverage skills and pursuit angles.

Clawson has addressed these issues, however, mostly in the 2015 recruiting class. Dionte Austin, a true freshman in 2015, ended up replacing Gaulden midway through last season and got better as the year progressed. Though he lacked ideal body weight, he competed very hard and is set to take a step forward in 2016. At safety, Wake Forest will insert Jessie Bates, who redshirted last year and is a member of the 2015 recruiting class. He intercepted 9 balls as a high school senior, and has performed very well in spring practice and in fall camp.

What else can we expect from the unit? Check out my appearance on Mark Rogers TV.

Many thanks as always to Mark for having me on his show. He does an excellent job covering all things college football. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @MarkRogersTV and check out his YouTube channel.

How do you all think that the DB’s will perform in 2016? Let us know in the comments section below!

Since John Hubert graduated following the 2013 season, the K-State running back field has been a revolving mess. Basically, Charles Jones has been the primary back each of the last two seasons, but he’s never been able to make a name for himself or really take a firm hold on the job. In 2014, Jones split time with DeMarcus Robinson and both had fewer carries than Jake Waters, and he was injured for half the season. In 2015 Jones split time with Justin Silmon, who actually looked better than Jones before getting pulled for lacking knowledge of the playbook and blocking schemes, and Dalvin Warmack, who came to K-State with lots of praise, but hasn’t been able to push to the head of the pack. And in 2016, the field gets no less murky.

The Mess

Charles Jones returns for his senior season as the leader of the very tight pack at running back. He will start the season on the Doak Walker award watch list, but Jones has barely broken 1,000 yards in his career, when the best K-State backs have gotten close or passed that mark at least once in a season. He finally notched one, the only in his career, 100 yard game in 2015, and main claim to fame is running the Wildcat package. His chief rivals are, just as in 2015, Justin Silmon and Dalvin Warmack. Silmon, a junior, broke on to the scene with a 119 yard game against Louisiana Tech, and then subsequently faded right back into the shadows behind Jones, but did manage at least one carry in every game. Warmack, a sophomore, saw some action in reserve early, but then got lost as the Wildcat season did. Warmack did see action in each of the Wildcats final three games, including notching two carries for eight yards and two receptions for 27 yards in a promise-showing performance in the Liberty Bowl.

Added to the mess, according to K-State Co-OC Dana Dimel, is RS freshman Alex Barnes. Barnes came in to K-State highly regarded in the Kansas prep ranks, and red-shirt his first season at K-State. But Barnes is big, and apparently has really been pushing ahead in the summer and early fall camp.

Also in the mix, fullback Winston Dimel. Dimel was the third-leading non-QB runner for K-State in 2015, and the leading TD runner (non-QB). Dimel will likely pick up a few more carries in 2016 as the sole option at fullback, and as an obvious threat in both the run and pass game.

Others

Well, the only other options we haven’t already mentioned are true freshmen Tyler Burns and Mike McCoy. Burns is coming off a greyshirt season, and played well in the Spring Game back in April. McCoy was a late addition to the 2015 K-State recruiting class, and will very likely take a redshirt season to get college academics under his belt. RS freshman Terrance Richards is the final RB listed on the K-State roster. Richards is a legacy, and his father played his senior season for Bill Snyder in 1989.

Outlook

While the o-line might have more questions based on replacing personnel, the running back corps will continue to be the biggest unit of flux, and likely the biggest source of frustration for Wildcat fans, in 2016. Expect, again, to see Jones come out as the starter for game one, but also expect to see the carries get shuffled around if one guy gets hot for a game. The K-State offense will have a hard time again if one or more of these guys can’t step up and be a consistent threat to run the ball, and if this unit has as much trouble getting past 1,000 yards as it did last year, behind a more experienced o-line, it will be a long and tough season.

Ex-KU Jayhawk Ben Heeney is entering his second season and per the Raiders recent depth chart is already is a starter in the NFL.

The 23-year-old Ben Heeney hails from glorious Kansas University where he played football for his full four-year college career. Heeney came to Lawrence as a star at running back from Hutchinson High School, where he tallied a school-record 2,083 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns.  He also played safety, recording 143 tackles and four interceptions while doing so.

Heeney was an instant difference-maker at Kansas and quickly became a fan favorite. He may never be considered the most athletic guy on the field but his heart and motor gives him an advantage. His freshman year, he played in every game as a reserve LB. By his sophomore season he became the starter and started in all 12 games. The next year he would start in only 10 games (due to injuries) but still performed well enough to be named second team All-Big 12. Finally in his senior season he broke out in a big way, leading the team in tackles and being named to the first team All-Big 12.

The Jayhawks have had several recent successes from alumni-turned-pro bowlers Chris Harris Jr, Aqib Talib, and Darrell Stuckey. In 2015 Heeney was drafted in the fifth round by the Oakland Raiders, which could be the beginning of something big. Heeney played in 12 games during his rookie season and impressed with 21 combined tackles, two and a half sacks, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

We are now entering the 2016 season and Heeney has turned his 5th-round label into a starting gig with one of the most talented up-and-coming teams in the NFL. Heeney is not just lucky either – you can tell he earned it when listening to the coaches. There is no doubt Heeney’s motor is part of what endears him to the coaching staff. He may not have wowed scouts on paper but it appears none of that matters now as he has clearly fallen into the best situation possible.

Now that Heeney has the coaches believing in him, a starting job, and that high motor, it’s safe to say the sky is the limit for the former Jayhawk and he could end up joning Harris, Talib, and Stuckey in the Pro Bowl sooner rather than later.

Boston College football received some bad news today, as 2017 football commit Austin Burton reportedly has flipped from the Eagles to UCLA

Burton, a 2* QB, originally from Newton, MA, moved to Florida this summer to enroll in West Orange High School in Florida. He is the son of local television sports reporter Steve Burton. Burton was one of two local QB’s that Boston College had landed for the class of 2017, the other being E.J Perry IV of Andover MA. Burton committed to BC at the beginning of the summer, and was quickly offered by UCLA.

This move by Burton puts Boston College in an interesting predicament. Do they try and grab another QB for this class, maybe getting someone to flip. It’s getting later in the process, and sometimes it’s harder for a school like Boston College to get commits if they haven’t been in contact with them. Or will the Eagles just take Perry and take their chances in 2017. They have been targeting some high caliber kids (Artur Sitkowski), and taking fewer QBs the class before may put BC in better shape with the 2018 kids.

Decommitments are part of the recruiting process, and this one will sting, especially if Burton comes on strong in Florida. But BC will move on, hopefully they find a solid replacement for this class.

Good luck in the future Austin.

ESPN.com released its college football preseason All-American team and a current Pitt offensive lineman made his way onto the list – guard Dorian Johnson.

Big things are expected of Johnson and the selection is just another preseason honor for the former five-star recruit.

Last month, he was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team along with defensive lineman Ejuan Price. Before that, he was named to the preseason watchlist for the Outland Trophy along with senior Adam Bisnowaty. And this spring, NFL.com touted him as one of the top 100 players in college football.

Pitt has several open spots on its team on both sides of the ball and the offensive line has some question marks in terms of who won’t start. But the left side with Johnson and Bisnowaty is rock solid and it’s great to see Johnson pick up some more early recognition heading into the year.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and manager/editor of Cardiac Hill @AnsonWhaley

SB Nation released their massive 2016 college football preview on Monday morning, and it included a new set of national power rankings from Bill Connelly. The Illinois Fighting Illini were slotted at No. 80 overall, putting them in the ‘Tier 6’ category for “mid-major up-and-comers and power-conference dead weight.”

Before I touch on Illinois, here’s a look at where every Big Ten school is positioned. While Michigan was the lone school designated as a NCAA title contender, Michigan State and Ohio State followed closely behind in ‘Tier 2’.

Note: Projected S&P+ ranks have been denoted in parentheses because Connelly’s personal set of rankings differ from the statistics.

No. 5 Michigan (6)
No. 10 Michigan State (22)
No. 11 Ohio State (14)
No. 27 Penn State (28)
No. 30 Nebraska (26)
No. 31 Wisconsin (37)
No. 33 Minnesota (42)
No. 34 Iowa (38)
No. 41 Northwestern (46)
No. 53 Indiana (56)
No. 62 Maryland (62)
No. 72 Rutgers (87)
No. 80 Illinois (76)
No. 101 Purdue (88)

So, yeah, No. 80 does seem rather low for the Fighting Illini. However, as Connelly discussed in his previous look at the team, Illinois has a very wide range of potential win totals for the upcoming season, and it wouldn’t be completely farfetched to see them make a big run.

That said, the range of potential win totals is pretty broad. Illinois is given between a 34 and 66 percent chance of winning in six games; that means that if the Illini come in a little bit below their No. 76 S&P+ projection, they could end up in the 2-10 range. And if they rise into the 50s or so, an eight-win total isn’t that far away.

Do you agree with Illinois’ placement in the power rankings? Make sure to cast your vote in the poll question and let us know what you think in the comments!

Jerad Washington

Wide Receiver

Redshirt Freshman

5’8’, 175

Jacksonville, FL

Recruitment

A three-star recruit out of the Jacksonville area (Perry Orth’s neck of the woods), Washington entertained an offer from Kentucky, with Duke kicking the tires. It was South Carolina ultimately gaining his services as he made the call in July 2014 and enrolled in January 2015.

College Career

Washington was redshirted thanks to an unfortunate broken leg suffered in practice just days before the team took on North Carolina in Charlotte. Now, with preseason upon us, he has been a part of drills and has been spotted in the first team rotation from time to time.

2016 Outlook

With WR as thin as it is, don’t be surprised to see Washingtin get some time in on the field throughout the season. The Gamecocks hope that he is fully recovered from his leg injury and ready to hit the field.

In the smash mouth spread offense that Chad Morris brought to Clemson in 2011, it was noted how key the tight end was to the offense. The tight end is really asked to be quite versatile, and do so in a HUNH setting, which means that subbing out to get the correct personnel in typically isn’t an option. Our TE may be asked to flex out wide and run routes, block defensive backs in space, or even block a defensive end or linebacker on a run play. Finally, our tight ends can set up in the backfield and wham block on zone reads or slip out on a route during play action.

2015 saw a resurgence of the tight end position with the play of Jordan Leggett. While the man known as Whiffles sometimes struggled to be a physical blocker, he was effective in the passing game and had some good moments blocking in space against DBs. Garrett Williams also had some awesome moments as a blocker last year, but did not register a reception during the season. Other tight ends logged some snaps, but were not key contributors like the aforementioned Leggett and Williams.

Departures

Stanton Seckinger (6’4”, 240, Graduated): Stanton was always more of a receiving target than blocker during his time at Clemson. He came to Clemson as a low 3* WR prospect that we eventually molded into a receiving TE. Unfortunately for Stanton, 2 things happened which hindered his effectiveness in the offense.

1) He suffered a terrible knee injury that he never fully recovered from.

2) The coaches failed to realize he couldn’t block my grandmother on a bullet blitz but still used him in blocking schemes anyways.

Stanton leaves Clemson after completing his degree and leaving us still with some awesome memories such as his game clinching TD in the UGA game to start the 2013 season. Best wishes to him moving forward and congrats on joining the faithful of Clemson Alumni.

2016 Returnees

Jordan Leggett (6’5”, 255, Senior, 2015 Stats: 40 Catches, 525 Yards, 8 TD, 892 Snaps): Leggett will be heavily relied upon this season as a receiving target. Last year, he found a solid role in the red zone with the absence of Mike Williams by reeling in 8 TDs. While he can still improve as an in line blocker, his blocking in space improved drastically over his Freshman and Sophomore efforts. Leggett earned numerous accolades following the 2015 season and has also began to receive similar acclaim during this offseason. Leggett has all of the tools to be a complete TE, and now is his final opportunity to showcase them before heading pro.

2016 Season Expectations: Lead the ACC in receptions, yards, and TDs by a TE and earn all-conference honors. Be in the conversation for All American Honors and the Mackey Award. Potentially sack up and realize he’s big enough to actually hit someone who is not a DB.

Garrett Wiliams (6’2”, 235, Sophmore, 2015 Stats: 0 Receptions, 0 Yards, 0 TD, 92 Snaps): Williams is best remembered for his wolloping block on Reggie Ragland in the national championship game. (Insert GIF here).

Yeah, doing that as a true freshman will get you noticed, especially when the guy you’re blowing up is a first-round draft pick. Garrett undoubtedly proved himself as a willing in line blocker, but he lacks the versatility right now to line up in space and be a true receiving threat. Hopefully the coaches will groom him as the season progresses, as he will be locked in a battle with many others to replace Leggett as the man next year.

2016 Season Expectations; Continue to blow up linebackers and defensive ends in blocking assignments and hopefully get more involved in the passing game. Definitely will log 150+ snaps even in a sole blocking role.

Milan Richard (6’2”, 250, RS Sophomore, 2015 Stats: 0 Rec, 0 Yards, 0 TD): Admittedly, I was very high on Richard last season as I thought he could work his way into the #2 role behind Leggett due to rave reviews from the spring and the fact that he is made of granite. Sadly, Richard logged minimal snaps, mostly in mop up duty, and did not have a pass targeted his way. He offers greater versatility than any tight end on the roster not named Jordan Leggett, but still needs to put it all together. This year will be very telling for Richard; we’ll see if he can really become a big piece of the offense moving forward, or fall by the wayside and be passed by younger guys on the roster.

2016 Season Expectations; Finally start playing like Tarzan rather than Jane and begin to position himself as a replacement for when Leggett departs.

Cannon Smith (6’5”, 260, RS Sophomore, 2015 Stats: 0 Rec, 0 Yards, 0 TD, 29 Snaps): Smith came to Clemson as a somewhat under the radar, yet still coveted, jumbo TE prospect. Many thought early on that Smith’s intended position may actually be somewhere on the offensive line rather than TE, but he stuck it out at TE and has began to assert himself as a physical in line blocker. He was most used in the goalline jumbo package last season and, while he was not targeted for a pass, he did make a nice reception on a corner route in the spring game.

2016 Season Expectations: Continued role in the jumbo packages and begin to learn how to play in space.

D.J. Greenlee (6’2”, 245, RS Junior, 2015 Stats: Thud Guy): Ever hear the phrase, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing at all?”….well, I don’t really have much nice to say about Greenlee. I suppose he can offer some special teams help and be the occasional relief to Williams as a blocker, although not nearly on the same level as Williams or any other TE on the roster in any regard.

2016 Season Expectations: Well, 2 years down, 2 to go on this 5 heart engagement.

The Newcomers

Shadell Bell (6’2”, 215, RS Freshman): Although Bell is not a newcomer to Clemson, he is a newcomer to this position. Bell played WR all of high school and on scout team last year, but with all of the depth that is currently at WR, Bell must have had a nice conversation with the coaches and either made the jump to TE in a quest for playing time or was ushered there as a science project. Either way, Bell lacks significant weight to really be a factor this season in playing time, but will more than likely play some special teams.

2016 Season Expectations: The 2016 is bulking season for Bell, as well as taking time to learn the nuances of a brand new position.

J.C. Chalk (6’4”, 230, Freshman, Argyle, TX, 3*): Chalk comes to Clemson from Argyle, TX and is the grandson of former Alabama coach Gene Stallings. Any player from Texas is a rare get for Clemson and even though he does not carry the 5* weight as a major signing coup, he still offers some great upside as a good all around TE. Not exceptional at one thing but just does all of the various TE skills well.

2016 Season Expectations: Due to the log jam in front of him at TE, Chalk will use this season as a redshirt year to gain scout team experience and adjust to the speed and physicality of the game at this level.

Summary

As the TE goes, so does this offense. A good TE for our smashmouth spread is a Swiss Army Knife of sorts, being able to do many things well and doings them well and often on the fly. 2014 saw this group underperform to both their expectations and their talent level. 2015 was a stellar year but there is definitely room for improvement as our TE’s still have some clear strengths and weaknesses from player to player. But the arrow is pointing up and, with continued development, we can expect big things from this group.