Welcome To The U, Bradley Jennings Jr.

After multiple visits to Coral Gables, and decommitting from Florida State, 3-star LB Bradley Jennings Jr. has committed to the Miami Hurricanes. – 247Sports

Miami added a talented player to the 2017 recruiting class when Jacksonville (FL) Sandalwood LB Bradley Jennings Jr. committed to the Canes.

Less than a week after decommitting from Florida State, 3-star Linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr. committed to the Canes just minutes ago.

A Jacksonville (FL) native, Jennings is a Florida State Legacy, with his father having played for the Noles from 1997-2001. While his father, a Miami native who starred at Carol City, decided to go away from South Florida for college, the younger Jennings is reversing that path, and will be taking his talents South to Coral Gables to play for the Hurricanes.

Jennings Jr. is a very good player. He has good size for a linebacker at 6’2” 218lbs. He is very athletic, and can frequently be seen chasing runners and receivers all over the field. While I tend to lean toward trusting the staff and their evaluations absent of others, the fact that Jennings was an FSU commit, and showed an official written FSU offer further support the fact that this is a talented player who can compete at a high level.

Jennings has been trending towards Miami for quite some time. Even while he was committed to FSU, the connection to the Canes grew. Jennings attended the Canes’ Spring Game in April, and the inaugural Paradise Camp in July. With hindsight as a backdrop, it’s clear that those trips were experiences Jennings obviously enjoyed. Prior to the camp, Jennings waxed poetic about the meaning of being coached by Canes legend Ray Lewis, and followed that up with a strong on-field performance.

Jennings joins Miami Central LB Waynmon Steed as the LB commits in the 2017 class. Jennings is the 18th commitment in the Canes’ 2017 recruiting class. To get a better feel for the kind of player Miami just got, you can see Jennings’ highlights by clicking this link.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 8:54 pm


Reggie Ragland’s MRI Shows ACL Tear

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Terrible news for a fan favorite.

Bad news out of Bills camp:

We first heard on Friday that Ragland had suffered a knee injury, but at the time Coach Rex Ryan sounded optimistic. Reggie is going to get a second opinion on Monday. Hope for the best.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 8:50 pm


Michigan cornerback Channing Stribling says he’d play offense if called upon

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The senior defensive back speaks on his willingness to play two-ways and the position group’s experience.

Players that come to mind when thinking of guys that could see time on both offense and defense for Michigan football this season start with Jabrill Peppers and Jourdan Lewis, but Jim Harbaugh said he has his eyes on a few others.

He would not elaborate during his media day press conference, but one of the players that would be interested in playing both ways if called upon is senior cornerback Channing Stribling.

Maize n Brew caught up with the defensive back during media day.

“My first love was wide receiver,” he said. “I never wanted to play defense in high school. They always wanted me to play defense and I said ‘I can’t do it.’ But once I got to this side of the ball I saw the competitiveness a defensive back has to have and the confidence. I like that. That’s what drives me every day. I like for the game to be on me.

“On offense, you drop a ball and the quarterback could have made a better pass or whatever. Defense is like…no, you’ve got to play good defense or it’s on you. I like that. That’s what helped me be a better football player. Everyone loves to play offense. They get all the love. If they ask me to play, of course I will.”

Stribling is part of a defensive back corps that features Lewis, Peppers (at times), Jeremy Clark, Delano Hill, Dymonte Thomas and others and he says they are ready to leave it all on the field in 2016.

“All of us have been here for awhile,” he said. “We’ve been here for so long and we hang out with each other a lot, so it’s a really close tight-knit group. We know what we need to do. So we’re just making sure we bring it all to the table.”

With all the hype surrounding the program with Harbaugh as the head coach, the recent switch to Nike and the expectations heading into the season, Stribling says the team is not feeling the pressure, but the seniors definitely want to go out with a bang.

“It’s not a really a pressure,” he said. “I know Harbaugh said we’ve got to strike while the iron is hot and I believe that too. We have a lot of guys who have been here a long time and a lot of guys who are experienced so, you know…this is the last go-round, so that would be the greatest going-out party. A national championship. At least a Big Ten championship.”

Stribling played in nine games last season starting opposite Lewis and had two interceptions on the year.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 8:21 pm


Arizona football: Shawn Poindexter turning heads early in Wildcats camp

Shawn Poindexter – Jason Bartel

It’s not hard to spot Shawn Poindexter.

The newest Arizona Wildcats receiver is listed at 6-foot-5, but is really closer to 6-foot-7. He comes to Tucson in 2016 by way of Glendale Community College, where he caught 47 balls for 727 yards and seven touchdowns last year.

Now at the NCAA level, he’s already garnering a ton of praise from his teammates and coaches, and it’s not just because he’s taller than everyone.

“He’s gonna definitely give some corners some problems,” Trey Griffey said. “Definitely was overlooked by a lot of teams. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have been the number one receiver coming out. He’s amazing as far as his work ethic, the way he catches, the way he tucks the ball, gets upfield, his footwork. Just everything about him he’s definitely going to be a problem for some teams.”

“He definitely gives us a tall wideout on the outside,” added Nate Phillips. “Him and Zach (Benjamin) both have made plays during one-on-one, seven-on-seven, things like that. Having those guys that are 6’4”-plus helps me and Samajie (Grant), Shun (Brown), TJ (Tyrell Johnson) in the slot. I think him and Zach will contribute early.”

“He’s athletic too,” Rich Rodriguez said about what caught his eye about Poindexter other than the height. “He’s a volleyball player. Kind of a late bloomer maybe so to speak. But he’s a sharp guy, and we didn’t sign him to redshirt. He’s got the physical ability right now.”

“He’s still learning a little bit but he’s coming out here and he’s doing really well settling in and starting to get everything down,” Brandon Dawkins said about Poindexter’s progress. “He’s just getting here so as he starts putting everything together he’s going to be a strong receiver. I saw him come in here today and make a couple big plays with strong hands and things like that. He catches and moves really well so I definitely hope to see him a lot on the field.”

“I haven’t really went up against him yet, but I’m sure guys feel like he’s somewhat of a problem,” Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles added. “You can’t take a play off when he’s at the receiver spot so I’m sure they think he’s a problem. In my personal opinion, I think (he’ll make an impact right away).”

“I haven’t been able to go against him yet, but 6’9″, that’s difficult in itself,” Tellas Jones tacked on. “He’s got long-range wingspan, so just throw it in his area and he can catch the ball. I think if I could be a little physical with him I think I could win some.”

Having spent a fair amount of time watching him at the team’s first open practice, Poindexter seems like he could be a guy that comes in and contributes right away. He’s more than just a tall body out there. He has the hands and ball skills to play receiver at this level, and succeed at doing so.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 8:05 pm


Purdue Football: Hey, is that Danny Anthrop?

The summer of our discontent is finally over; football is back tonight. Granted, it’s the Hall of Fame game, which is essentially a televised scrimmage, but it is football none-the-less. Purdue fans might have a little extra interest in this game as two Boilermakers are trying to make the Indianapolis roster, turn into Pro-Bowl performers and donate enough to put up lights in Ross Ade (ok, I made that part up). Let’s take a quick look at what Danny Anthrop is up against in his quest to make an NFL roster. I’ll have more on Frankie at a later date (read, when I have more time).

Danny Anthrop: 6’0-195-Rookie-Purdue

The Danny Anthrop we saw last year was probably at 70%. In true Anthrop fashion, Danny didn’t make excuses and grinded out the season on 1 1/2 legs. He is now almost 2 years out from his gruesome knee injury, and probably as close to 100% as he is ever going to get. He will be fighting it out with a gaggle of other receivers for a coveted roster spot, or at least, a spot on the practice squad. Anthrop was a great special teams player for Purdue his Freshman and Sophomore year, and will have to channel that iteration of his playing career if he is going to make the roster. If Anthrop can return to his kick covering demon ways, he’s got a real shot to make the roster.

Here is the competition:

Josh Boyce: 5’11 – 205 – 2nd Year – TCU

Boyce set the all-time record for career receiving touchdowns at TCU and was a 4th round pick by the Patriots in 2013. The speedy Boyce (4.38 combine 40) recorded 9 receptions for New England in 2013 before finding a spot on injured reserved list for the rest of the season. He was either on the New England practice squad or inactive in 2014, and was waived in August of 2015 by the Patriots. Boyce is a player Anthrop will be going head to head with for a roster spot, as they both project to be slot receivers. Boyce obviously has talent, but hasn’t been able to put it together in the NFL.

Quan Bray: 5’10 – 185 – 2nd Year – Auburn

Bray was mostly a punt return specialist at Auburn, and is the only player in Auburn history to score a rushing, return, and receiving touchdown in the same season. Bray went undrafted, but was picked up by the Colts and managed to find his way onto the practice squad after an impressive camp. Bray spent some time on the active roster last year, but didn’t record a catch. Bray is another guy Anthrop will be competing against, because he is also a slot receiver. The Colts have invested some time in Bray, and his ability to return kicks will be hard to beat out, but certainly not impossible.

Andre Debose: 6’0 – 190 – 2nd Year – Florida

Debose has the all-time University of Florida record for kick returns, and is tied for the all-time S.E.C. record. He was drafted by the Raiders in the 7th round of the 2015 draft and was cut in 2016. Debose is another guy Anthrop will need to beat out for a roster spot. Debose has the advantage of being a great kick returner, but Anthrop should be a better overall receiver. The Colts are kicking the tires on Debose to see if he can help in the return game, but he’s a guy Anthrop might be able to beat out.

Marcus Leak: 6’0-210-Rookie-Maryland

Leak is another guy coming from a downtrodden Big10 program (it still feels weird that Maryland is in the Big10) looking to make an NFL roster as an undrafted free-agent. Leak’s best season at Maryland was in 2013, when he put up 393 yards and 3 touchdowns, and is far behind Anthrop’s best Purdue season. Leak did suffer from playing on a bad team, with a bad coach, and bad quarterbacks, but so did Anthrop, and he put up significantly better numbers. Anthrop should be better than Leak.

Chester Rogers: 6’1-180-Rookie-Grambling State

Rogers is a tough player from a small school looking to make the Colts as an undrafted free agent. He runs somewhere between a 4.4-4.5, so that’s a plus, but he didn’t put up big numbers at Grambling against lesser competition, catching 30 passes for 465 yards and 4 touchdowns last year. I don’t know about the quarterback situation at Grambling, but I’m fairly certain Danny Anthrop would have put up better numbers if you dropped him onto the Grambling State roster. Rogers is another guy Anthrop is going to have to beat out, but he should be able to do so.

Josh Stangby: 5’11-185-1 Year-Ottawa College

The fact that Josh Stangby is on any roster is a miracle, after playing for tiny faith based Ottawa College in Kansas. I couldn’t find much on Stangby because Ottawa isn’t much known for their football. He was signed and then quickly waved by the Falcons in 2015 and played for the Portland Steel of the Arena Football League last season. I have no idea about Stangby’s ability, but he plays the same slot position as Anthrop, and subsequently, Anthrop is going to have to beat him out and send him back to the Arena League.

Others Of Note:

The following players are WR’s but don’t really play the same WR as Danny.

MeKale McKay – 6’5-210-Rookie-Cincinnati

TeVaughn Smith-6’2-205-Rookie-Iowa

Bottom Line:

The Colts have a wide open depth chart after Phillip Dorsett, T.Y. Hilton, and Donte Moncrief. Danny has about as good of a shot to make the squad as any undrafted rookie. If he makes the squad, it’s going to be because he plays well on special teams and shows of the athleticism that made him a legit threat for the Boilermakers as a Junior.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 7:28 pm


Auburn Football 2016: Practice #5 Updates and Post-Practice Press Conference

The Tigers were once again on the field this Sunday afternoon, the first day in pads. See what the beat writers noted during the media viewing window and check out the tweets from Gus Malzahn’s press conference!

I’ve tried splitting these into two to get more info out as quickly as possible the last few days, but I just was’t able to do it, today. So, you’re getting the practice updates and the press conference stuff in one. Also of note is the fact that this is the last practice with a media viewing window. So, all we’ll really have from here until the season starts are press conference updates.

Of note, Stephen Davis Jr was just late the other day, appears to have been late today, and may be working with the injured players. They do also say that Mike Horton was getting a lot of work at Right Guard. That could be for a number of reasons, but I’m sure they’d like to have some experienced depth there in case of either injury or just prepping for the fact that Smith will be gone to the NFL after this season.

AL.com has the interesting tidbit in their recap of JF3 working as the holder. Potential for a lot of fakes or Gus wanting to keep teams on their toes? Maybe we’ll see the return of the swinging gate and 2-point tries?

247Sports noted the starting lineups on offense, again. That’s where they noted Horton working with the first team. Kam Martin working with the first team should also be of note, since we’ll probably see him early and often as the speed back.

Also on the running backs, going down to the bottom video of Kerryon Johnson fielding kicks… he has visibly bulked up. I hadn’t really taken note in the other pictures/video, but you can tell he’s bigger this year. That is good news for how much more he’s going to have to tote the rock.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Not many tweets, but a fair bit of information! So, to run it down, Stephen Davis Jr is out for the year (rehabbing an injury from high school), Marshall Taylor is expected back with the team next week (though he’ll have to go through the NCAA mandated warm-up before he can put on pads), and Tre Williams tweaked an ankle but is expected back out there, soon.

Out of all of that, the Tre Williams bit is the only really important thing, to me, right now. Davis Jr wasn’t someone I expected to contribute much this season, even if he did play running back. Marshall Taylor is just added depth and experience. Williams, though… Williams is the returning linebacker from last season’s team who has the most time and experience in an actual game. Sure, T.J. Neal is the most experienced overall, but Williams was the other presumed starter. We really need him healthy.

The scrimmage information should be nice. Unfortunately, I don’t know how much information we’re going to get out of it other than what we can glean from players in their press conferences and from “insider” reports on various websites. Any insiders who manage to be there, feel free to send any scoops my way!

As for the quarterbacks, I’m still leaning towards Sean White getting the nod as the starter. That could always change without a doubt, but right now that’s my thought.

And now to the Tweets!

Written on August 7, 2016 at 7:16 pm


Iowa State Lands JUCO Defensive Tackle Kamilo Tongamoa

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

3-star DT, Kamilo Tongamoa, becomes the 18th commit for ISU in the class of 2017.

You win in the trenches. The commitment that Matt Campbell and staff secured today will help ISU do just that.

Alex Halsted first broke the news that Kamilo Tongamoa, rated a 3-star prospect by 247Sports, chose the Cyclones over Arizona State, Colorado and Purdue. He is out of Merced College in California and is 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds.

Tongamoa will help fortify a defensive line graduating six seniors after this upcoming season. He becomes the 18th commit of the class of 2017 for ISU and the 3rd JUCO overall. Tongamoa is the second-highest ranked prospect in the 2017 class for the Cyclones.

Expect the staff to continue to recruit the defensive line going forward. You can check out highlights of Tongamoa below.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 7:10 pm


Treveon Johnson commits to Texas Tech

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech snags a 2018 WR.

Texas Tech can never have enough wide receivers. In a pretty predictable commitment, WR Treveon Johnson has committed to Texas Tech.

He’s a class of 2018 WR/DB that projects to WR at the next level. He’s only a junior, but already has some solid highlight tape out there.

He’s an incredibly physical outside threat at WR. He’s only a sophomore in his highlight tape, but he’s still outmuscling defensive backs for deep balls and running over people in the short game. He has the physicality that he’ll need to survive in the Big 12 as an outside WR, he just needs to prove consistency after he sat out his entire freshman year with an injury.

In 2015 Johnson caught 28 passes for 610 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed 19 times for 155 yards and four touchdowns. He’s a force all over the field. If I had to pick a playstyle comparison, I’d say he plays similar to Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals.

He’s our first commitment in 2018, and it looks like he’ll be a good one.

Written on August 7, 2016 at 7:05 pm


Anthony Walker to wear No. 1 jersey this year, as voted upon by teammates

Northwestern star linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. has been chosen by his teammates to wear the coveted No. 1 jersey this year.

Walker Jr. had sported the No. 18 uniform in his previous years in Evanston.

“The No. 1 jersey, in our program, is used to recognize the young man who truly embodies the values and character of the Northwestern football family,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s description reads. “It is worn by someone who consistently dedicates himself as a great teammate, an excellent student and an influential member of our community. It is more than a flashy number. Here it represents a way of life.”

Last year, defensive tackle Max Chapman had the honor of sporting the No. 1. Walker is the first non-senior player to earn the honor since Tim Hanrahan also wore it as a junior in 2013.

It’s yet another honor for Walker Jr., who has been recognized by ESPN as one of the nation’s top players, named to the Sports Illustrated All-American second team and various preseason watch lists (Bednarik and Butkus) and been dubbed “The Franchise” by his teammates, leading to an impressive line of marketing (including his own superhero identity). He was named the top linebacker in college football by Sports on Earth this offseason as well.

Walker Jr. was a third-team All-American last year, leading a defensive renaissance of epic proportions for a team that had struggled in that area over the previous few seasons

Written on August 7, 2016 at 6:54 pm


Wisconsin football: T.J. Edwards discusses foot injury, “hopeful” for return vs. LSU

Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The redshirt sophomore talks about the injury and who could step up in his absence.

Heading into the season, the Wisconsin Badgers’ linebackers were rated among the best in the nation. ESPN rated them the top group in the Big Ten conference. Bruce Feldman from Fox Sports named them No. 4 in the country.

The deep and talented group took a hit when redshirt sophomore inside linebacker T.J. Edwards injured his foot during summer workouts.

“It was (during) a general workout. It was just a run, kind of one of those freak things that happen,” Edwards toward B5Q on Sunday during Wisconsin’s local media day.

“It’s a broken foot. It is what it is, but I’m hopeful for the first game. I’m not going to rush it — I want to be a 100 percent when I come back. I think I owe it to my teammates to come back at 100 percent.”

Linebacker T.J. Edwards discusses his injury and expectations for the Wisconsin Badgers linebackers.

Publicado por Bucky’s 5th Quarter em Domingo, 7 de agosto de 2016

Head coach Paul Chryst acknowledged during his press conference earlier on Sunday afternoon that he doesn’t know when or if Edwards will be able to do anything in camp.

“He’s progressing but don’t quite know when he’ll be ready, but he’d be the only guy who might not do much in camp,” Chryst said.

As a redshirt freshman Edwards started all 13 games last season and led Wisconsin in tackles with 84 in his first year at inside linebacker. Luckily, the Badgers have two dependable, proven starters with redshirt junior Jack Cichy and sophomore Chris Orr. The two were fifth and sixth on the team in tackles with 60 and 46, respectively, and the all three were interchangeable at the two inside linebacker spots during the spring.

To spell both Cichy and Orr in Edwards’ absence, Ryan Connelly and Nick Thomas’s workloads may adjust during fall camp. Both players saw substantial time with the first-team defenses during practice last summer, when both Leon Jacobs and Edwards suffered injuries that held them out for periods of time.

“Those two are very eager to play, and I think they’re very capable of playing. They’re just waiting for their shot,” Edwards said of Connelly, a former walk-on, and Thomas.

“I think them being in the two-deep, and making sure Jack and Chris are fresh, I think Nick and Ryan are going to get a lot of time in camp. They’re going to show people what they can do. It’s going to be really fun to see.”

Connelly played in 12 of the 13 games last season, recording 15 tackles while working primarily on special teams. Thomas redshirted after suffering a sports hernia injury similar in fashion to running back Corey Clement last season.

Both worked with the second-team defense primarily during the spring, and Edwards believes they will take advantage of increased practice time in key situations during fall camp.

“They’re building off of each year,” Edwards continued. “We’re all kind of the same in the mental part of the game, and now they’ll be getting those on-the-field reps. It’s going to be really good for them.”

Written on August 7, 2016 at 6:53 pm


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