Name: George Morris

Position: Running Back

Year: Redshirt Senior

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 182

Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA

High School: Central Gwinnett

2015 Stats: Morris played in all 12 games during his junior season for the Syracuse Orange, finishing third on the team in rushing with 326 yards on 66 carries. He started the season behind the now-departed Devante McFarlane on the depth chart, but they both got eclipsed by then-freshman Jordan Fredericks for carries as the season progressed.

2016 Projections: Continuing to be surpassed by younger talent, Morris was listed fourth on the post-spring depth chart at running back behind sophomore Dontae Strickland, sophomore Jordan Fredericks and freshman Moe Neal. Morris is facing the prospect of decreased playing time in his final season in Orange.

How’d He Get Here: Morris chose SU over offers from a trio of Big 10 schools (Illinois, Indiana, Purdue), Utah, Vanderbilt, Memphis and a few others.

What’d Recruiting Sites Say?: He was rated three stars across the board coming out of high school.

Money Quote: Here’s what Morris had to say after the Clemson game last year when asked if it is difficult or frustrating to have to sit behind younger players and wait to make an impact:

“It was kind of difficult, but, at the same time, you’ve got to think of the bigger picture. And that’s the team, and you gotta make sacrifices. I had to make a sacrifice, and I was willing to do it.”

Links of Wonder: By all accounts, George Morris is a team-first player who takes his opportunities when they present themselves, as highlighted by this Daily Orange article on him from last year after the Clemson game.  Morris seems to have the right attitude to help lead a young group of running backs during his senior season, even if it’s in a backup role.

Twitterfeed: @GMII27

Tweets of Wonder: George likes to get philosophical on his Twitter feed.

At some point you have to let go of what you thought would happen and live in what is happening.

— George Ⓜ️orris II (@GMII27) June 10, 2016

What Does the Coaching Staff Think of Him?: Being listed fourth on the depth chart, including behind an incoming freshman, certainly speaks volumes. Morris has played a significant role on special teams in the past as a kickoff returner, but Brisly Estime was the only player listed as a kick returner/punt returner on the post-spring depth chart. It will be interesting to see what kind of on-field role he plays this year.

Interesting Nugget O’Interest: Morris pulled the switcheroo on Syracuse fans a few years ago when his name seemingly changed from ‘George Morris III’ to ‘George Morris II’.

Let’s Get a Good Look Atcha:

For most college football teams the quarterback is the leader, both on and off the field. They get the most attention and the most scrutiny, deserved or undeserved. Their success usually translates into team success.

For the 2016 season, I think we can all agree that this is Patrick Mahomes’ team. He is the leader, both in the huddle and on the sideline, for these Red Raiders. With the experience he has, his teammates listen to him and follow him wherever he takes us. He has two years left (assuming he comes back for his senior year). That’s when our future leader will step right in, making sure we don’t miss a beat.

I love the Elite 11. With the 2016 series recently being released (and binge-watching the this weekend), it reminded me of last year’s episodes. In the first episode, the first invitee profiled was Jett Duffey.

If you didn’t see it, check it out here. Watch the whole thing because it is amazing, or start at 3:50 to skip to Jett’s piece.

I would go to war with that guy. He’s obviously an incredibly talented quarterback, but the competitive nature and work ethic he has is going transform him into the future leader of Texas Tech football. Add those characteristics with the weight he has already put on with Coach Whitt and the skills he’s learning with Coach Kingsbury and we have a quarterback that is going to follow Mahomes nicely.

Jett is a baller. And the fact that Kliff loves him only instills more confidence. I am 100 percent certain there isn’t a better evaluator of QB talent than Kliff Kingsbury.

Patrick Mahomes had one power five offer. Jett Duffey had one power five offer. Good with me.

If you want an idea of what kind of offense Derek Mason and Andy Ludwig are going to run, here are some key numbers as Mason enters his third season as head coach.

Vanderbilt has eight scholarship wide receivers on the roster.  The Commodores also have six tight ends, and seven running backs (including fullbacks.)  And one of those “receivers” is Darrius Sims, who frequently lines up in the backfield.

In other words: Mason and company aren’t planning to run a lot of three- and four-receiver sets.  Two-receiver sets with a tight end or two and/or a fullback are going to be the norm from here on out.

The Commodores ranked 108th in Passing S&P+ in 2015 and while much of that had to do with inconsistency at the quarterback position, the receivers weren’t helping a lot, either.  C.J. Duncan missed the season after catching 28 balls for 441 yards as a sophomore.  Latevius Rayford began the season as a starter after being Vanderbilt’s most-targeted receiver in 2014 with 61 targets; in 2015, he was only targeted 38 times and his catch rate dropped from 59.0% to 50.0%.  (Again, some of this might have to do with quarterback play — but then it’s not as though Vanderbilt’s quarterback play in 2015 was worse than it was in 2014.)  Departed senior Kris Kentera began the year as essentially a co-starter, but dropped down the depth chart while posting a catch rate of 38.9%.

In short — the receiving corps had issues in 2015.  But the Commodores did have a couple of guys emerge from the pack.

The Presumptive Starters

Trent Sherfield: Look, I don’t like pulling the Austin Peay card again, either.  But Sherfield’s numbers if you take out the AP game look pretty pedestrian: 35 catches for 419 yards.  Sherfield showed some promise as the number one wide receiver as a sophomore, but disappeared at times; in a four-game stretch starting with the Houston game, Sherfield caught just four passes.  (Yes, I’ll grant the point that Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks only completed 26 passes in that stretch.  The point is a #1 WR should never be that quiet.)  Sherfield did start every game, however, and he’s the best hope Vanderbilt has for having a threat in the passing game in 2016.

Caleb Scott: While Sherfield was the guy from day one in 2015, Scott didn’t work his way into the starting lineup until the Week 5 game at Middle Tennessee — but from there, he started all of the remaining games.  While Sherfield led the team in raw receiving yards, Scott led the way both in catch rate and yards per catch — indicating that he was making the most of fewer targets.

The Jack of All Trades

Darrius Sims: He’s listed on the roster as a WR, but perhaps that’s a misnomer; in fact, Sims didn’t catch a single pass in the last five games of the season.  But he did get 21 carries as a runner.  Sims will return kicks and also line up as a running back or a wildcat QB.  Still, he hasn’t “permanently” moved to RB and may still line up as a receiver from time to time, but using him as a full-time receiver isn’t the best use of his talents.

Where Do These Guys Fit In?

Latevius Rayford: To say Rayford’s junior season was a disappointment is the understatement of the year.  As mentioned above, Rayford was Vanderbilt’s second-leading pass catcher in 2014, and he caught 7 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 against Georgia.  And then he caught 11 passes for 92 yards… for the rest of the season.  What happened?  Well, for one thing, Rayford got overtaken by Caleb Scott, but Rayford’s 50 percent catch rate was also a problem.  He’ll get some snaps on the rare occasions when Vanderbilt goes 3- or 4-wide, but he’s probably not getting his starting job back.

C.J. Duncan: Duncan had the second-most receiving yards on the team in 2014, albeit with a 50.9% catch rate, before missing all of 2015 due to injury.  On paper, his return should help the receiving corps, but it’s not clear where he fits in.  Both Trent Sherfield and Caleb Scott showed enough as starters in 2015 that you can’t just pencil Duncan in as a starter at WR.  To be sure, he’ll be a factor in the passing game, it’s just not clear what his role will be.

He’s Still Here?

Chandler Dorrell: After catching 10 passes for 118 yards as a redshirt freshman, Dorrell was targeted three times in 2015 when his father was not the team’s offensive coordinator.

The New Guys

Donaven Tennyson: Of the three freshman wide receivers, Tennyson probably has the best chance of making an immediate impact.  He’s a burner, albeit a bit undersized at 5’10″/164.  Tennyson could ultimately move into the Darrius Sims role down the road; for now, his speed gives him a chance at seeing the field in 3- and 4-receiver sets.

Jackson Winrow: Winrow was an underrecruited guy (Tulsa was his only other offer, if recruiting services are to be believed), which might be a function of playing high school ball in an underscouted area.  He’s not a burner and only has decent size at 6’1″/182, but he has good hands on tape and could function well as a possession guy down the road.  But he’ll probably redshirt in 2016.

Kalija Lipscomb: See what I just wrote about Winrow?  I could write a lot of the same things about Lipscomb.  On the other hand, Lipscomb does have a good ability to catch balls in traffic, which could make him useful down the road.  But he enters his true freshman season pretty far down the depth chart, and like Winrow, he’s a redshirt candidate.

I am proud to announce that I have committed to the University of Pittsburgh!! #H2P pic.twitter.com/FxnFZ1Imr6

— Gabe Houy (@GabeHouy) August 1, 2016

Pitt picked up a three-star offensive linemen earlier this evening. Gabe Houy of Upper St. Clair High School committed to play for his hometown school. Houy is a 6’6″ 270 pound offensive linemen. He chose Pitt over other power five offers from Louisville, Maryland, Illinois and Wake Forest. He is graded as a three star by both Rivals and 24/7.

Gabe Houy is now the 11th commitment for the 2017 recruiting class. He is now the second offensive line recruit, joining Owen Drexel of New Jersey. Houy is just the second recruit from the WPIAL, and only the third recruit from the state of Pennsylvania overall.  Pitt has typically leaned heavy on their home state for talent in the past, but this staff has been able to find recruiting success out-of-state.

Gabe Houy will be reunited with his former high school teammate, Brandon Ford next season. Ford was also a three-star offensive linemen from Upper St. Clair. Houy will likely come into the program as a tackle given his 6’6″ 270 pound frame.  He displays pretty good athleticism in his hudl video.  He is only 270, but has the frame to add weight to play at this level.

I would expect recruiting to slow down a bit with the season rapidly approaching. Most kids will be focusing on their upcoming senior seasons, and will start using their official visits.  Pitt had 8 commitments at this point last season, so with 11 they are slightly ahead of the game.

Euless Trinity cornerback John Davis announced via Twitter tonight that he is committing to Texas Tech as part of their 2017 recruiting class.

With Deeply Thinking This Through I Am Blessed To Say That I Have Committed to Texas Tech University! #GunsUp17 ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/whRnmXwlbM

— John Davis (@jdwavy) August 2, 2016

Davis is listed at 6’1″, which surely excites David Gibbs who will welcome more height in the defensive backfield to compete with taller receivers in the Big 12. As a three star recruit, Davis also held offers from Minnesota, Utah, and Kansas State among others.

Of the 13 recruits committed to Texas Tech for 2017, Davis is the fourth defensive back, highlighting an emphasis from the coaching staff to improve the defensive backfield. From his highlight tape on Hudl, it appears one of his strengths is being able to tackle in the open field, which could be an asset in helping Texas Tech improve their run defense beyond just bolstering the defensive line.

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers is, apparently, the winning contestant on ABC’s The Bachelorette, which I can’t confirm for sure because I don’t watch that crap but you just know fans of other SEC schools are about to start telling you that this is Vanderbilt’s biggest win ever.

Except for the 2012 Music City Bowl win over NC State, and the 2012 win over Tennessee that mercifully euthanized Derek Dooley, I guess.  Both of which also involved Jordan Rodgers.

I’m also being told Jordan proposed to “JoJo” on national television, which, sure, why not, that’s better than proposing on the jumbotron at Dudley Field I guess.

I can’t do this.  No, I don’t care about The Bachelorette and neither should you.  Here, just watch a damn highlight tape of him being Vanderbilt’s quarterback so we can all remind ourselves why I am writing a post about the damn Bachelorette.

Yeah, that’s it. All right, teenage girls who actually watched this, have at it in the comments.

Defensive line coach Jackie Shipp scores another recruit along the defensive line.

Blessed to say that Im 100% committed to the University of Missouri #GoTigers @DemetricDWarren @samspiegs pic.twitter.com/qBim1t7DZa

— J.➰ (@lajoshhh) August 2, 2016

Recruiting Bio

Missouri’s Recruiting Hot Board

We didn’t really have Smith on our radar and this commitment feels pretty out of the blue. Smith joins 2018 DL Daniel Parker who committed last Sunday.

You can check out the rest of our recruiting hot board below. Obviously we don’t have a very clear picture of the 2018 class but we do know some of the bigger names and attempted to slot them in.

Missouri’s 2017 Recruiting class

Congrats and welcome to the Zou Josh!

Follow @RockMRecruiting for more updates