If I were Ridley, I’d probably feel disrespected. If I were you, I’d be feeling a little richer very soon.
The oddsmakers in Vegas always try to extract as much cash as possible from a low-information or too-clever-by-half public. One of the ways they do so is by exploiting trending topics and conventional wisdom.
This year, the prevailing wisdom is that Alabama has not named a starting quarterback, and this will lead to hiccups in the passing game. The casinos have taken this ESPN talking point and sandbagging to ridiculous lengths when the player props were released today.
Calvin Ridley, the only Alabama player listed on the board, featured an eye-opening prop bet; eye-opening in that Vegas must either foresee a terrible year through the air for ‘Bama or they are trying their damnedest to bait the Cowherd listeners out there.
From Bovada:
2016 Regular Season – Total Receiving Yards – Calvin Ridley (Alabama)
Over/Under 900.5
2016 Regular Season – Total Receiving TD’s – Calvin Ridley (Alabama)
Over/Under 8.5
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This is practically free money should you be so inclined. Only twice in a decade under Nick Saban has the Tide not had a wide receiver exceed 900 yards (2009, when McElroy struggled half the season; and 2013, when Amari Cooper was injured for nine games.) Last season, for instance, Ridley didn’t get substantive playing time until Ole Miss, did not emerge until the UGA game, and did not really turn it on until midseason. He still rang up 1045 yards.
This is about as safe a bet as you’ll find: Take the over for yardage
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The TD prop is a bit thornier. Despite the string of phenomenal receivers over the past decade, Alabama has also spread the ball around in its pass production. Further, we know the Tide is an old school program by and large — Alabama is rarely passing the ball inside the ten-yard line. This results in some touchdown vulturing by the running backs.
Despite having had Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Kevin Norwood, Marquise Maze and their like (and now Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart, Gehrig Dieter, Robert Foster and on and on) only two players in Alabama history have had a double-digit TD season: Amari Cooper in 2012 and 2014 (11, 16) and Al Lary in 1950 (10.)
For most of Alabama’s history, a wideout with 6-7 touchdowns has had a great year. In fact, aside from the outlying seasons Amari Cooper tallied, the next highest touchdown total for a wide receiver under Nick Saban is seven (7): Amari Cooper (2013,) Kevin Norwood (2011,) and Julio Jones (2010) when all three led their team with those seven touchdown grabs.
It is safe to say that 2016 year is probably not going to be any different, either.
The wide receiving corps is simply too deep (and, as Brent makes the case in today’s preview, it is the best in the nation.) Also, Alabama has simply too many weapons to make one man the focus. The Tide have one of the nation’s most dangerous pass-catching tight ends in O.J Howard, and the backfield is an equal embarrassment of riches, with the Tide rotating B.J. Emmons, Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris.
There will not be a one-man offense emerging.
I think you know where this is going: Take the under on touchdowns, but, given Ridley’s elusiveness, you can see him getting 10-11 scores out of the slot. This is absolutely not as safe a bet as yardage, but you’d be happy to lose it, I suspect.
The play of Wisconsin’s defensive line will be a major factor for the outlook of the entire unit under Justin Wilcox.
As the Wisconsin Badgers enter Year 4 of their 3-4 base alignment on defense, most would say it’s been a success from a pure numbers perspective, and also from an overall wins perspective. However, the defensive scheme will be cut loose this season from the one who birthed it, nurtured it and gave it its wings – former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who made the high-profile and high-paying move to LSU this offseason.
Justin Wilcox, the new, well-traveled and well-respected coordinator, has given no indication that he will change the base formations and bedrock principles (aggression against ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage, disguised and otherwise), but he does not bring Aranda’s “mad professor” vibe with him to the Badgers.
The defensive line, as in most odd-man fronts (to the extent Wisconsin has used such alignments on a down-in, down-out basis during Aranda’s tenure), has as its primary role the occupation of blockers at the point of attack, which has the intended effect of freeing tacklers — linebackers, defensive backs — to angle in on ball carriers and snuff out plays before they can get started or before they can do much damage. Helping the 2015 defense to top 10 national ranks in rushing yards/game (95.5; fifth), yards/play (4.41; fourth), total defense (268.5; second) and, maybe most notably, points/game (13.7; first), last season’s line was rightly praised in doing whatever was asked of it.
If the Badgers’ defensive line lacked in anything statistically, it’d be sacks, but again, rushing the passer is almost a fortunate happenstance from 3-4 defensive linemen. Never mind, however, because the strength of last year’s line was its depth. Although Aranda’s subpackages also kept linemen fresh, there was rarely a significant a drop-off when a starter stepped off for a breather. For 2016, the main questions will be whether the depth will be as solid as last year’s, what this year’s subpackages will look like and just what can be expected of Wilcox’s leadership of this defense. The latter is even more critical considering head coach Paul Chryst’s career-long offensive bent and relative lack of success on defense in his previous job.
Leaders at the position (2015 stats)
Chikwe Obasih: 41 tackles, 4 tackles for loss
Connor Sheehy: 31 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Alec James: 17 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
Arthur Goldberg: 17 tackles, 0 tackles for loss (played just 8 games)
Departures
Arthur Goldberg (graduation)
Jake Keefer (graduation)
Returning players
Nose tackle:
Olive Sagapolu (So.)
Jeremy Patterson (RS So.)
Gunnar Roberge (RS Fr.)
End:
Connor Sheehy (Jr.)
Chikwe Obasih (Jr.)
Alec James (Jr.)
Billy Hirschfeld (RS So.)
Zander Neuville (RS So.)
Kraig Howe (RS Fr.)
David Pfaff (RS Fr.)
Kelly Thomas (RS Fr.)
Newcomers
Garrett Rand (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Isiahh Loudermilk (Kansas City, Kan.)
Keldric Preston (Tampa, Fla. — may play outside linebacker as well)
Tyler Biadasz (Amherst, Wis. — listed variously as offensive lineman)
X-Factors: Jeremy Patterson at nose, Garrett Rand at end or nose
Patterson, who suited up in Houston his freshman year to remain on the sideline — even after Warren Herring and Konrad Zagzebski were lost to injuries — against LSU in 2014’s opener, has yet to log significant time on the field after three years in the program. Seemingly a prototypical major conference nose, Patterson has battled weight problems and has never lived up to what once appeared to vast potential. Looking to spell rising sophomore Sagapolu, will this be the year for 2014’s Defensive Scout Team player of the year?
On other hand, Rand enters the UW program with even higher prospects than Patterson in 2013. The erstwhile crown jewel of this Badgers’ recruiting class, he turned down offers from nearly every Pac 12 power and a few other blueblood programs to come to Wisconsin (where he did have some family ties). It may be tough for him to log significant minutes, especially along this line, but given the wont of this system for rotational depth, he could be a prime candidate for stripped redshirt — especially if injuries strike at either nose or end.
Obasih has all-league skills and the physique to match. Although he never takes over games like the best 3-4 ends can, he rarely disappoints and beats his blocks more often than not. Sheehy has the flexibility and size to work at end or provide bulk up the middle; his up-field skills have improved every year he’s been in the program. Sagapolu was something of a revelation in 2015, proving himself in an early surprise and firmly ensconcing himself as the Badgers’ top nose man by the season’s midpoint.
Rotationally, however, Patterson or Rand — or Sheehy — could spell Sagapolu, and in the best-case scenario, the drop-off wouldn’t be too precipitous. At end, Alec James, almost as highly touted as Obasih when they came into the program together, flashes on a somewhat regular basis; if the flash becomes the norm, James will be an even more valuable piece.
Hirschfeld, who is connected in the minds of many with Sheehy as, by analogy, James is to Obasih (both in-state, same class, similar expectations out of high school), could well come into his own this year with more snaps. Meanwhile, former walk-on Neuville earned a scholarship prior to the 2015 season by continuous improvement and consistently adding bulk without compromising his speed and athleticism. A multi-sport star from Waupaca, Wis., he’s pitched in on the end rotation but has done his most stand-out work in Aranda’s “peso” package (two down linemen, four linebackers, five d-backs).
In short, the top five d-linemen are solid, if not spectacular (in maybe Obasih’s or Sagapolu’s case) — pretty much what d-linemen in this style of defense should be. Injuries, as always, will test the depth but with Howe, Pfaff — and Rand and Loudermilk — beginning what could be great careers in this defense, the cupboard won’t be too bare, even if the youngsters are quite unproven. As with most of this Badgers squad, we’ll know a lot more after this group has taken on the quality lines (some extremely high quality) featured by nearly every Wisconsin opponent until after Halloween.
Take a look at a freshman linebacker from Detroit.
Name: Tim Walton
Position: Linebacker
Year: Freshman
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 224 lbs.
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Highschool: Cass Technical
2015 Stats: As a senior, he led the team in tackles with 121 and also grabbed two interceptions.
2016 Projections: As an incoming freshman, he’s not listed on the Syracuse Orange’s post spring depth chart. He played inside linebacker in high school, so assuming he’s at the same position, he’ll be behind junior Zaire Franklin, redshirt freshman Troy Henderson, and sophomore Kyle Kleinberg.
How’d He Get Here?: Walton originally committed to Illinois but flipped to Syracuse about a week before signing day. D-line Coach Vinson Reynolds and Walton have a strong relationship that played a big part in bringing him to Syracuse.
What’d Recruiting Sites Say?: 3 stars across the board (Scout, Rivals, 247, and ESPN).
What Does Babers Think Of Him?: Babers tweeted: “Great player, great program, great pedigree!” when Walton signed.
Interesting Nugget O’Interest: Tim’s father, Tim Walton Sr., played college football at Ball State and went on to play for the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.
Justin Fuente was in Bristol, CT. today visiting the campus of ESPN. Fuente made the rounds on several of the ESPN platforms, including the flagship program, SportsCenter.
The interview started off with Fuente giving the backstory of the infamous “Lunch Pail”. When asked about the biggest change, Fuente talked about the way the Hokies train and prep. When asked about Frank Beamer, Fuente offered, “Coach has been great to me.” The conversation then transitioned to the Battle at Bristol, and what that means to the program. “Obviously we have a tremendous challenge ahead of us to get prepared to play what’s probably going to be a highly ranked football team.”
Fuente will be spending the rest of the day visiting with other ESPN personalities including Paul Finebaum, and Brett McMurphy. Finebaum should be particularly interesting, and Coach is slated to appear at 2:20 PM ET.
Wiley, a four-star prospect out of Stockbridge, Ga., is an exceptional athlete whose 4.62 40-yard dash speed figures to make him a dangerous weak-side edge rusher — perhaps as an eventual replacement for Marquis Haynes, who could be a high draft pick in 2017. Wiley’s immediate role on a currently-stacked D-line is less prominent — we project him as a third-stringer and a possible redshirt candidate.
But with starting strong-side end Fadol Brown still wearing a boot as he struggles to heal up from a stress fracture, the Rebel defense does have a potential depth shortage in the early going. Any discipline for Wiley that includes missed game time — be it a suspension or kicked off the team entirely — would mean one less body to rotate in.
I’ll avoid speculating on any potential punishment until the facts come out, but given recent events concerning SEC athletes involved with domestic violence — most notably Mississippi State’s baffling decision to suspend five-star freshman Jeffrey Simmons for just one game despite video of him pummeling a prone woman — investigating this incident will undoubtedly be taken very seriously by the Ole Miss athletic department.
Surprisingly, Wisconsin did not rush for 350 yards against Purdue last season.
A funny thing happened in 2015. As Purdue fans, we’re used to getting thumped by Wisconsin whenever football is involved. Last year was different, however. Purdue went to Madison and lost 24-7 in a game that was much closer than expected. The Boilers only trailed 10-7 at halftime and the defense played well until giving up two late scores.
Unfortunately, the game played out like many others dur9ing the Hazell era. Purdue had an excellent game plan defensively and played well enough to win, but the offensive playcalling left a ton to be desired. Purdue’s lone scoring drive was a mere 29 yards, set up by a long interception return from Leroy Clark. Trailing just 10-7 at halftime the genius of John Shoop gained 12 yards in 11 plays over the next three possessions, all with a chance to take the lead. Purdue gained 191 yards total on the day, but in a first they held Wisconsin’s legendary ground game to less than 100 yards.
It was a frustrating game because it wasn’t so much that Wisconsin was a brick wall defensively. Overall the offensive playcalling was quite callow, never taking even the most remote of chances. Purdue completed one pass to a receiver longer than 10 yards, and the two longest pass plays were running backs breaking dump offs for 20 and 21 yards. It was almost like Hazell, Shoop, and company didn’t even try to test Wisconsin’s defense when the Purdue defense was doing a very good job for three quarters. It was a rare chance to end the streak of dominance Wisconsin has over Purdue, which is now at 10 straight, the longest active streak of any opponent over the Boilers:
2004: Wisconsin 20, Purdue 17 (a.k.a., the Fumble)
2005: Wisconsin 31, Purdue 20
2006: Wisconsin 24, Purdue 3
2009: Wisconsin 37, Purdue 0
2010: Wisconsin 34, Purdue 13
2011: Wisconsin 62, Purdue 17
2012: Wisconsin 38, Purdue 14
2013: Wisconsin 41, Purdue 10
2014: Wisconsin 34, Purdue 16
2015: Wisconsin 24, Purdue 7
So what is in store for when the Badgers come to Ross-Ade? Is it finally the year when Purdue turns the tables on their nemesis from Madison? Wisconsin is not as strong as in the past, and if this Purdue gets some confidence from the early season schedule maybe, just maybe, the long streak of Badger dominance will end.
Last year the Badgers were good, but not quite good enough. Any chance to make an early name for themselves in the eyes of the Playoff Committee ended in week 1 with a 35-17 loss to Alabama. A 10-6 loss to Iowa and 13-7 loss to Northwestern cost them a chance at returning to the Big Ten title game. The rest of the time, they were all business. Against Miami (Oh), Troy, Hawaii, and Purdue they gave up a total of 10 points. They mostly beat exactly who they were supposed to beat and struggled against the good teams on their schedule. Their best victory came over USC.
This year’s schedule is, in a word, brutal, and that could benefit Purdue. This is going to be a beaten and bruised team by the time it gets to West Lafayette. They open the season in a neutral site game at Lambeau field against LSU. I am not sure which deity they angered, but the opening Big Ten slate is as tough as is humanly possible with road trips to Michigan State and Michigan followed by a home game against Ohio State. They then go to Iowa, who was only undefeated in the regular season last year.
There is real potential for a 2-5 start in the first 7 games, which is unheard of for the Badger program. Something tells me they will be ready though. This is Wisconsin. They are always pretty damn good.
Wisconsin Offense
Perhaps the strangest thing about last year’s win over Purdue in Madison is that it did not come primarily on the ground. Impressively, Purdue held them under 100 yards rushing as a team, which is almost unheard of. Usually Purdue struggles to keep them under 300 yards on the ground. All three touchdowns were scored on the ground, but Joel Stave was 30 for 39 for 322 yards and was intercepted once.
Stave, who started his career under Barry Alvarez in 1991, is gone, and Wisconsin is going to need someone to step in and do more than hand the ball off to the latest hot running back behind a massive offensive line. There is no definite starter, either. Bart Houston had 281 yards and three touchdowns in mop up duty last year, but the senior has not played a lot in his career. He still has more experience than Alex Hornibrook or Kare Lyles. I do not envy Wisconsin having to play that early schedule with their inexperience at quarterback.
Things look better at running back, but most years it seems like Wisconsin could put an amputee at running back and they would rush for 1,000 yards and 15 TDs. Corey Clement was banged up for most of last season and should return as the primary back. If he stays healthy he could be the best in the Big Ten. Dare Ogunbowale (819 yards, 7 TDs) and Taiwan deal (503 yards, 6 TDs) provide plenty of depth, while Alec Ingold is the bruising goal line fullback that can get 2-3 yards every carry. He only had 131 yards last season, but he added 6 touchdowns, including two against Purdue.
There is some promise at receiver for when Wisconsin has to throw the ball. Robert Wheelright brings good experience and size to the position. Tony Fumagalli is the latest huge Wisconsin tight end that is tough to cover. Jazz Peavy should contribute quite a bit too.
Then there is that famous offensive line. I am always impressed that Wisconsin seems to have a simply massive offensive line across all five spots. In some years it feel like they have Wun-Wun the Giant at left tackle and four of his brothers at the other spots. Ryan Ramczyk should move in to the left tackle spot left open by Tyler Marz. Dan Voltz is one of the better guards in the conference with 27 career starts too. Michael Deiter and Micah Kapoi also have double-digit starts in their careers, so the line will be fine. Jacob Maxwell at 6’6″ 319 will likely anchor the right tackle spot.
Wisconsin Defense
Last season the Wisconsin defense was pretty strong overall. Even in the losses to Iowa and Northwestern it only gave up 23 total points. The 35 points to Alabama can be forgiven because, well, it is Alabama. Alabama’s scout team is made up of players that would start immediately at Purdue.
There is a lot of returning experience to count on all over the defense. Chikwe Obasih and Conor Sheehy both played extensively on the ends last year. Olice Sagapolu will likely get the start at nose tackle too. There were not a lot of sacks from the line because Wisconsin runs the 3-4 where its linebackers are the ones getting into the backfield.
Those linebackers are good at it, too. Vince Biegel had 8 sacks and 48.5 tackles last season. T.J. Edwards and Jack Cichy should also serve the badgers well on the inside. Coming off of the other end T.J. Watt (Yes, J.J.’s brother) could have an impressive season.
The secondary is somewhat depleted with the top three performers all gone from last season. That leaves cornerback Derrick Tindal as the most experienced player. He only had 25 tackles and five pass breakups, however. D’Cote Dixon and Leo Musso should get the first looks at the safety spots, while there is plenty of experienced depth to start at corner.
Wisconsin Special Teams
Rafael Gaglianone was decent as a placekicker last season. He was a perfect 40 for 40 on PATS and hit on 18 of 27 field goals. The Badgers will need to find a new punter after the departure of Drew Meyer.
In the return game Natrell Jamerson is dangerous on kickoffs. He returned one for a touchdown last season and averaged 22.4 yards per return. Sojourn Shelton should handle punt return duties.
Game Outlook
If Purdue is going to break the hex against Wisconsin anytime soon, this is the year. They are deeply inexperienced at quarterback and the brutal schedule could take its toll on them long before they get to West Lafayette. Purdue somehow contained the ground game last season and if the defense can do it a second year in a row it will help. Purdue’s weak earlier schedule can help it too. I think a big reason for Purdue’s struggles last season was that the losses to Marshall and Bowling Green pretty much broke the team’s confidence. A couple of early season wins could do the opposite this year.
This is the Wisconsin game though. I know the Badgers are more than capable of coming into Ross-Ade and steamrolling Purdue for three hours as Corey Clement goes for 350 yards and 4 TDs. Even after last season’s unexpected competitiveness I am conditioned to think Wisconsin will run at will on Purdue. It what seems to happen every time these two play.
There is a positive, however: This game will most likely be Morgan Burke’s final home football game at Purdue!
Way Too Early Prediction
It is Wisconsin. Someday, maybe, Purdue is going to beat them again, but I just don’t trust Hazell. Not after they essentially punted away a winnable game last year. Wisconsin 27, Purdue 10
Miami football coach Mark Richt, during a full day scheduled in Bristol, Connecticut, for ESPN’s Car Wash, spoke with Mike & Mike (photo above tweeted by UM) in the morning. Here are most of the highlights:
You were there when all the legendary quarterbacks were there, who was best one of those?
When Jim [Kelly] and I were seniors you’ll have that first scrimmage of year. You get your ones and twos to scrimmage and then you get your three unit in there. You let your freshman quarterbacks take a drive, right? Vinny [Testaverde] might have been first and he was like bang-bang-bang – like 6 for 6, touchdown. Then Bernie [Kosar] goes in there. Bang-bang-bang-bang, 6 for 6 touchdown. Jim and I looked at each other, like, ‘It’s a good thing we’re getting out of here because those guys are going to take over.’
“Jim Kelly was one of the most fierce competitors and I hate it because he’s the guy who beat me out and lived my life so to speak when I had my dreams of playing at Miami. But he was phenomenal.”
How much of it was that you got to go to your alma mater?
“It was big, but when you coach, coaching is tough enough. If you don’t have a chance to win then it’s just not very much fun at all. I wanted to go a place where you can win… Miami can win for sure… To add to it, it was my alma mater and the timing of it was perfect…”
You look back on your experiences. What will you do differently if anything. What will you have learned from Georgia that you will do different here?
“Not a lot different. I think I was the fourth winningest coach in America when I left there. We did some good things. But I truly cherish every moment I was at Georgia. Fifteen years at a place like that – it was a wonderful experience.”
A lot of it is what have you done for me lately…To you, what’s the expectation of getting your team up where everybody talks about them like they’re talking about.. like it used to be in the day?
” …The big thing is recruiting. We’ve got very fertile recruiting ground in the Miami area, the tri-county area of Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. Miami also traditionally has gotten great players from all over the nation and we’ll continue to do that. Do that, just put in a good, solid fundamental scheme and get after people, just don’t self destruct. Let’s see how great Miami can be if we just take care of business.’’
On the current discussion about the possibility of the elimination of the kickoff in college football, because there is a disproportionate amount of injury on that play vs. others:
” I’ll be honest with you. I’m OK without a kickoff… I’ll say this: For the first 15 years or so of my career, I’m an offensive coordinator. I’m up in the box. I see the game from the box. I’m getting ready to call plays, things of that nature. I go down the next 15 years on the sideline and you sit there and you witness what happens on a kickoff. It’s a violent play and guys are running full speed and you’ve got a bunch of guys that are young and strong and brave and no one is backing down. So, yeah, I think that’s a play I could live without. A lot of people probably are going crazy right now about it, but when you see it up close it makes sense to me.”
We are seeing so many changes in the game in the interest of player safety. Where would you put a line between how much you’re willing to change the game of football in the interest of safety and where you get to the point where you say, ‘Look, at the end of the day, this is the game and we’re going to either play it or not?’ How much has the game changed in the interest of keeping players safer?
“I think it has changed a good bit. …We’re teaching the rugby tackling they do at the Seattle Seahawks. We’ve bought into taking the helmet out of the tackle.. Manny Diaz, our defensive coordinator, is a believer of it. He’s been doing it for a few years now as a coach. And we think that’s a smart way to play football and we think it’s an effective way to play football.”
Regarding communication, in the NFL they use the headsets until 15 seconds in the play clock. In the CFL, they changed to it until now they can talk all the way to the snap and past the snap:
Richt on headsets: “As a QB I would hate that.”
And as a coordinator? “I would love it for the first 15 seconds or whatever it is — call the play and shut it off. But if you’re a quarterback and if you have a coach that’s in your head the whole time trying to tell you what to do as the play is being run you would be crazy. But the ability to get the play in quickly and for that matter a defensive coach could get his play in quickly, I’d be all for that.”
Looking ahead, what will you say will constitute a successful first year for you? What do you want to be able to say at the end of this season looking back and say, ‘This was a successful first year for me at the U?’
“I’m not going to put any limits on what we can do. I believe we can win the Coastal and play for the championship and get to that game and anything can happen. Obviously if you win that one, hopefully we’re in the four-team playoff. I’m not going to put a lid on what can happen this year.’’
Numerous departures have left the conference bereft of experienced coverage tandems.
A year ago, Texas Longhorns cornerbacks Davante Davis and Holton Hill were unproven recruits yet to participate in a practice in Austin. Now, Davis is a preseason All-Big 12 pick and the two could become the conference’s premier duo at the position.
Perhaps that isn’t saying much, as the Big 12 lost all five defensive backs from the 2015 All-Big 12 first team, including cornerbacks Xavien Howard (Baylor), Zach Sanchez (Oklahoma), Kevin Peterson (Oklahoma State), and Daryl Worley (West Virginia).
As a result, young players or older players with limited playing time will have to emerge around the league to step up for the departed stars, three of whom were underclassmen.
For instance, Oklahoma will likely start senior Dakota Austin (two starts in 2015) alongside sophomore Jordan Thomas, who had a huge freshman season in tying for third in the Big 12 with five interceptions — even the second-most talented team in the conference is still starting a relatively unproven player at one spot.
The preseason perception of Davis is strong and Hill could jump into the All-Conference mix if he builds on an impressive freshman season. And count Texas head coach Charlie Strong as one who believes that both will improve in their second season on the Forty Acres.
“They’re going to get better,” Strong said in June. “The thing they have is height. They have height and a good size on them and they can run. The only thing they’re going to do is get better and improve. Now they’re going into year two and they’ve gotten stronger in winter conditioning and summer conditioning, so those two are just going to improve and get better and better.”
A rangy 6’2, 197-pounder, Davis is the final remaining member of the so-called Florida Five, but came to Texas as a prospect who was considered relatively raw because strength and conditioning programs in the Sunshine State tend to lag well behind those in Texas.
However, Davis improved more quickly than anticipated, starting the final five games of the season and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors after leading the team with seven passes broken up and adding 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception.
Unsurprisingly for a freshman, Davis got better as the season went on, recording six tackles along with three passes broken up against Iowa State, six tackles and his first career interception against West Virginia, and six more tackles against Baylor in the season finale.
A physical defender with solid speed and excellent anticipation, the size and length of Davis make him difficult to deal with for opposing receivers — most of them lack his height and wingspan.
During the spring, defensive coordinator Vance Bedford called him one of the standout defenders on the team.
The expectations for higher for Hill than Davis when the Houston Lamar product arrived in Austin as the No. 7 cornerback and the No. 80 player overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The 6’2, 195-pounder didn’t disappoint, either, starting the final eight games and also earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
Against Oklahoma State, he made his first big play at Texas, giving the ‘Horns a lead in the third quarter when he used his length to make a difficult interception and return it for a touchdown.
For the season, Hill ranked second on the team behind Davis with four passes broken up and made 49 tackles, including one for a loss. He also recovered a fumble to go along with his interception return for a touchdown.
Hill had some rough moments, though, including a bad penalty and two missed tackles against Baylor, giving up a too-easy touchdown against Iowa State, and getting victimized against Texas Tech when he nearly had another interception before Red Raiders wide receiver Devin Lauderdale hit him high, knocking the ball loose and into the hands of speedy Jakeem Grant for an improbable touchdown.
Still, the first mistake against the Cyclones was of the freshman variety and the play on Thanksgiving nothing more than a fluke.
And Hill still had good overall statistics against the Red Raiders and the Bears — eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery against Texas Tech and four solo tackles and two passes broken up against Baylor.
In the Orange and White game, he turned in a good performance, breaking up a pass intended for freshman wide receiver Collin Johson that sophomore safety John Bonney intercepted. On the negative side, Bedford mentioned that he had been waiting for a while to see Hill make a play.
Both players also have to tackle 250-pound running backs in junior D’Onta Foreman and sophomore Chris Warren in practice in addition to dealing with talented wide receivers like sophomore John Burt, junior Armanti Foreman, and Johnson — by the time that season arrives, fall camp should have them ready to deal with any skill position players that opponents can throw at them.
As Strong alluded to, Davis and Hill merely have to continue working hard and maintain the same trajectories that they have been on for the last year to become the best pair of cornerbacks in the pass-happy Big 12 Conference.
If you are looking for an incredible amount of Notre Dame football information for the upcoming 2016 season, you should flip your fingers through the best Notre Dame football preview magazine available.
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This years preview not only has incredible position by position breakdowns, but features on the two most pressing issues for the 2016 season such as the quarterback battle and the turnover at linebacker. It also takes another look at the incoming freshmen with some fun ancedotes such as their favorite emoji to use. Eric Hansen, Mike Vorel, Tyler James, and Al Lesar provide 96 pages of great coverage that you just don’t get with any of the big national magazines.
Do yourself a favor and grab a magazine now, or if you don’t have that mobile policy handed down by the spouse, you can get a digital version as well. Go HERE TO PURCHASE. Have fun, and as always… GO IRISH!
Kickoff 2016 is closing in, and we continue our Alabama football coverage with the receivers
For what might be the first time since Nick Saban has been here, the entire starting cast of wide receivers is a strength for this Alabama team, and they just might even be the best unit in 2016.
Ridley made waves over the internet through high school with his jaw-dropping talent and ridiculously viral catches. He was the unanimous top receiver in the nation and widely regarded as one of the top five to ten players overall. It didn’t take long in college, and he even surpassed those lofty expectations. Ridley quickly established himself as the Tide’s top target and an electric playmaker.
With 4.35 forty speed and powerful hands, Ridley is an elite player at almost any facet of the passing game. He’s a phenomenal deep threat, similarly dangerous after the catch, runs precise route across the middle, and can go up and over multiple defenders to win jump balls he should not be able to. Calvin Ridley has it all.
After Ridley spent most of his time as the Z-receiver as a freshman, Lane Kiffin seems to be quite keen on seeing what kind of havoc Ridley can wreak on defenses from the slot this upcoming season.
A quarterback and defensive back in high school, Stewart only began learning to play receiver once arriving at Alabama. Though already an elite athlete (sub 4.40 forty) with a powerful, muscular frame and tremendous balance, he lacked much of the knowledge of feel of the intricacies of the position over the last few years as a backup. In his first year as a starter, Stewart continued to grow throughout the season, becoming a very reliable option by the end of the season.
He showed a penchant for leaping seemingly inhuman heights to catch overthrown balls, and came away with some of the most impressive and acrobatic catches you’ll see from a college football player. He was also used extensively on screens and jet sweeps, as his solid build, speed, and balance made him almost a de facto running back along the perimeter.
With his size and pure athleticism, Stewart has the potential to become an even more dangerous receiver than Calvin Ridley, but he still has work to do on his route running and consistency with his hands.
Stewart was the starter as the X-receiver for most of 2015, and will look to hold onto that spot again this year.
A five star receiver from Pennsylvania, Robert Foster actually started ahead of Calvin Ridley last season. Foster was easily and obviously the top receiving target for QB Jake Coker to start the season, but a nasty broken collarbone against Ole Miss in game 3 ended his 2015 campaign before it really began.
Though Ridley and Stewart are both blazingly fast, word around the team is that Robert Foster is the fastest… not just of the receivers, but on the entire team. At 6’2″ he’s also a little taller than the other two. Though supremely talented and athletic, Alabama fans have seen very little of Foster so far in his career. All signs indicate that he should be ready to go again by the start of the season, and will be aiming to make the field at the same time as Ridley and Stewart.
Check out this article from DoctorWhosonFirst for a film breakdown of Foster’s limited action last season.
A towering 6’5″ monster, Cam Sims has been on the verge of starting the last two years, but has been derailed by severe knee injuries and other breakout starts like Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley.
Despite his size, Sims has always had tremendous speed and surprising ability to change directions. He excels around the sideline and endzone, using his height to pluck balls out of the air from over shorter corners and keeping his feet in bounds. Sims will look to get time as one of the first subs as an X receiver for the Tide.
Any of you that have spent much time around RBR for the last year know that Charlot was my favorite player in Alabama’s 2015 class. A lightning-fast speedster with cat-like grace and fluidity, I thought that Charlot was one of the most well-versed route runners I’ve seen in high school in a long time.
Though a supremely talented receiver, his skill-set mirrors that of Calvin Ridley, minus the wow factor and spectacular catches. Because of this, it will be tough for him to carve out a role for himself other than to just be depth.
Part of the “Twin Towers” duo with Cam Sims, Kief was best known for being tall and having his own website as a high schooler. Like Sims, he has done little more over the last few years than just run dummy routes while back-up running backs do the dirty work to close out a blowout game. However, Kief did get some meaningful snaps in relief of Richard Mullaney last year, even if he was never really targeted.
Though mostly unknown, Kief is a bit of a unique player, a trait that could benefit him if Kiffin finds a role for him. Despite being a towering 6’4″ receiver, Kief excels as a slot player. Some Alabama defensive backs have stated to the media that Kief is a sneaky route-runner, and is one of the hardest receivers on the team to cover.
Though he’ll likely continue to do little more than sub in during blowout duty, Kief will be one of the top options if someone goes down with injury.
One of the longest tenured players on the roster, Alabama fans have been wanting to see a role for the 6’4″ Falkins for the last four years. After showing potential early on, it seems as though he disappears further and further down the depth chart every year. With yet another leg injury this offseason, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever see Raheem Falkins on the field again, unless near the end of a game against an FCS cupcake.
Though Ridley, Stewart, and Foster are expected to be the top three in the rotation, graduate transfer Gehrig Dieter from Bowling Green is the wild card to that. After a season to get him on the Biletnikoff Award list, Dieter is transferring to Alabama to win a starting job, a championship, and a higher draft status.
Let’s get this out of the way now. Yes, he is a white receiver. No, he’s not a scrappy, slot player that’s quicker-than-fast. So get that stereotype out of your head right now. In fact, watch this video first, then read on.
Amazing, huh? He’s Odell Beckham in the redzone and Anquan Boldin near the sidelines. I mean, two one-handed touchdown catches in one season? Crazy.
Dieter excels and using his size to break a defensive back’s press coverage and then getting down the sideline for a big play. He again is adept at using his size and length to ward off defenders with the ball in the air and extend to make tough catches near the sidelines and over defenders. Not only is he big, but fast too… and also surprisingly good at making would-be tacklers miss with the ball in his hands.
He is a prototypical X-receiver that can shed a press without a moment’s delay and easily punish defenses for playing too aggressive. Dieter has a very good shot to not only pass Foster and Stewart in the pecking order, but possibly even be good enough to take a significant share of targets from Calvin Ridley. What a good time to be an Alabama fan.
At 6’2″, Simmons is a solid receiver with good size, dependable hands, and impressive wingspan. Though a true freshman and unlikely to garner any playing time this year, he was an early enrollee this spring, and was in the mix to be a kick returner during spring practices. With his body build, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nick Saban is looking to try him out as a gunner for the kick and punt teams as early as this year. If not, he’ll redshirt.
My thoughts are that Foster, Dieter, and Stewart will all three evenly split the reps for two spots. Stewart can easily play both X and Z roles, and will sub in enough that he will only not be a starter in name. It is a true embarrassment of riches that any QB in college football would give his left pinky toe and his grandma to get to throw to. Whichever new QB takes over for the Crimson Tide in 2016 will have the luxury of having possibly the best receiving corps in the nation to help him out.
