College Football
Week 0 – ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 Alliance?
NIL, Transfer portal,
A lot went down during the summer. It all came crashing down around the same time. I’m still scratching my head trying to figure it all out. What does it all mean? What is the impact going to be – good or bad?
After years in discussion, years on the NCAA’s agenda, years in the United State Congress (still delayed), years in state legislatures and time in the U.S. Supreme Court, college athletes were given the right this summer to capitalize on their publicity and be financially, or otherwise, compensated through third-party endorsements.
The law, or in some cases the approval, though it may vary some from state to state, provides for the student-athlete to earn fair market value compensation for the use of their name, image or likeness (NIL). The law also provides that the student-athlete may not be prevented from using professional representation related to name, image or likeness opportunities. In other words, the athlete can get an agent. Or sign with an agency.
After ignoring the matter and being silent on the subject for so long, the NCAA Board of Directors voted on June 30, 2021to approve NIL. The approval is for all student-athletes of all sports in all three divisions – D1, D2 and D3.
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and New Mexico enacted NIL laws that went into effect on July 1, 2021. Although no specific law was passed, Texas voted in favor of letting student-athletes in the state enter into NIL agreements. Since then, other states have passed NIL legislation, while others have it on their agenda.
For student-athletes in those states that haven’t passed laws, the NCAA approval gives them the right to enter NIL agreements.
Right now, there is no uniform law, covering NIL. Everyone seems to be waiting on federal legislation to come along. No telling when that may or may not happen. Until then, the various state laws apply in their respective states, while the loosely-defined and interim NCAA policy applies in the states where no law has been passed. Crazy.
With NIL, student-athletes may endorse businesses or products on their social media pages and be paid for the endorsements. They can endorse businesses or products on radio and/or television and be compensated for the endorsements. Additionally, if jerseys or paraphernalia containing the student-athlete’s name are sold, the student-athlete will get a percentage of the sales.
Obviously, the quarterback, a wide receiver, a running back, maybe some defensive players are going to benefit from NIL more so than a center, an offensive guard or a punter. Basketball players will benefit from NIL – the star basketball players. An occasional baseball player, soccer player or volleyball player will have some financial reward. Players are not only going to have to work hard at their sport, but also, they are going to have to work hard at selling themselves. Ah! That’s where the agents or agencies come in. They can get deals for the student-athletes.
In Miami, Dan Lambert, the owner of American Top Team, a Florida-based chain of mixed martial arts gyms, is going to give every Miami football player on scholarship $500 a month to endorse and promote his gyms on their social media pages. Lambert is working to get other local Miami businesses on board to start paying the players to be spokesmen for and endorsers of their products.
A Utah nutrition company is going to pay the tuition of every walk-on player on BYU’s football team.
How do you determine the difference between endorsements and recruiting inducements?
Then there’s the transfer portal and the problems it has caused.
The transfer portal is not new to 2021. It went into effect in 2019. But 2021 is the first year the transfer portal has really taken off. And man, did it ever – in a big way. The transfer portal not only exploded in 2021, it also got crazy in 2021. Since January 1, 1,600 players have entered the transfer portal. Some teams have had as many as 25% of their players enter the transfer portal.
The transfer portal allows players to transfer to another school without having to sit out a season. All they have to do is enter their name in the portal. The portal is available for all coaches to view and see the names of the players in the portal.
Just as NIL can be a recruiting inducement, so can the transfer portal. Let’s say School A, a higher profile school, is in dire need of an experienced cornerback. The coach at School A, using a network of contacts, gets word to a cornerback at School B, a lower profile school, to enter the transfer portal. The cornerback at School B is told if he enters the transfer portal, School A will pick him up. He’s told he can play at the higher profile school, improve his NIL package and improve his chances of being drafted by the NFL.
That’s called “tampering.”
Tampering means: Interfering with something in order to cause damage or making unauthorized alterations.
When School A was luring the cornerback away from School B by use of the transfer portal, School A was tampering. School A was interfering with School B and causing damage to School B. A lot of tampering took place during the offseason.
Perhaps, even worse, is when a player enters the transfer portal on his own volition, without the encouragement from another school, and nobody picks him up. He’s left on the transfer portal like being left on a dying vine. This is what happened to most players who entered the transfer portal this year.
At the SEC Media Days in July, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said that 1,600 players had entered the transfer portal since January 1. And as of July 19, 1,000 of those players were still on the transfer portal.
Also at the SEC Media Days, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said, “Once you go on the transfer portal at the University of Arkansas, you sure aren’t transferring back in. It’s a shame how many kids have entered the portal and haven’t found a new school and no longer have a scholarship.”
A kid should think twice about entering the transfer portal, unless, that is, he is the target of a tampering deal.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit recently said, “I hope players consider talking through things before immediately jumping to transfer. This transfer portal, it bothers me.”
Out of the blue in late April, the College Football Playoff Committee revealed they had been discussing and examining the possibility of expanding the playoff to six, eight or 12 teams. It was a thought. It was an idea. But not much more was said.
That is until about seven weeks later in June when we learned that a College Football Playoff working committee formally recommended a 12-team playoff. No mention on why not a six-team or eight-team playoff. The working committee said they would pass their recommendation on to the CFP Management Committee.
Well, sure enough, a week later the CFP Management Committee approved the working committee’s recommendation and said they would pass it on to the CFP Board of Managers. Talk about bureaucracy.
Now, I have to tell you that this 12-team expansion plan is moving fast. Faster than a speeding bullet. Somebody big must be on board.
Just four days later, the CFP Board of Managers voted to move ahead with a feasibility study on a 12-team playoff. The details of the 12-team playoff would be put together by the working committee and presented to the Board of Managers in September. Stay tuned!
Not long after the Board of Managers voted to move ahead, Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon were debating and discussing the 12-team playoff on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” one evening.
Kornheiser, not one to mince words or shy to speak his mind, said, “Let me tell you who won’t stop them. This network (ESPN). College football is a goldmine. And ESPN will line up to hand people money. This (12-team expansion) is a goldmine and they’re going to do it.”
Mike Wilbon appeared to agree with Kornheiser, but he didn’t say anything. Some said that’s because Wilbon knows how hard it is to get a pay raise at ESPN. Meanwhile, others were taking bets on how soon ESPN would fire Kornheiser.
So it sure sounds to me like we are going to a 12-team playoff expansion. Just a matter of time – one to five years before it actually happens. That is unless the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 put the brakes on it.
If NIL, transfer portal, tampering and a 12-team expansion wasn’t enough to digest for one summer, along comes Oklahoma and Texas to add more fuel to the fire. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Sooners and the Longhorns were going to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC.
“Over my dead body,” said Texas A&M.
But when the SEC showed A&M the amount of money that Oklahoma and Texas would add to the SEC coffers, the Aggies had a quick change of heart. Reveille saw a goldmine.
“Come on in Bevo. Come on in, buddy.”
In just a matter of days, all in July, the two schools formally informed the Big 12 of their intended departure; requested membership in the SEC; had their request approved – 14-0 – by the presidents of the SEC schools, received their invitations to join the SEC, and lastly, had their board of regents unanimously vote to accept their invitations to join the SEC.
If the 12-team playoff plans moved faster than a speeding bullet, the approval of Oklahoma and Texas to become members of the SEC moved faster than the speed of light. Now, it’s just a matter of time – one to four years – before it actually happens.
With Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC, that expands the conference to 16 teams. Some are already calling it the super conference. There’s not much, if anything, the ACC, Big Ten or Pac-12 can do to match the significance, grandeur and money of the expanded SEC. And what will become of the Big 12? Or should I say, the remnants of the Big 12?
And will, as some say, the super conference morph into a super league? Some say the SEC will add more “brand name” teams from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12, ultimately creating a super league in college football. Or college football’s version of the NFL – a 32 team league with two conferences, four divisions in each conference and a 12-team playoff. Did I say 12-team playoff? Where did I hear that before?
But Vanderbilt in a super league? Or for that matter Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina or Kentucky? Maybe the SEC will shed some teams along the way.
Recently on TV, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, Laura Rutledge and Joe Tessitore were discussing the 32-team super league in college football. They were so excited about the idea they were foaming at the mouth. They were like three little kids at Christmas. They said this would be the best thing that could happen to college football. They said the fans would love it.
Really?
I think it would become boring. I think the fans would lose interest.
And I think the summer of 2021 – the summer of NIL, transfer portal, tampering, 12-team playoff, talk of a super conference and talk of a super league – could be the start of the demise of college football.
I just may become a fan of the Ivy League – go Dartmouth, go Princeton – or a fan of the Patriot League – go Bucknell, go Colgate or go Lafayette – real fast.
Pardon me while I learn the words to Columbia’s fight song:
“Roar, Lion, Roar
The Ivy League might not be so bad, after all.
For years, this week was always Preseason 2, as the first games of the season didn’t begin until Labor Day weekend. However, a few years ago, a handful of teams – different ones each year – started jumping the gun and opening their seasons the weekend before Labor Day weekend.
This year is no exception. There are five games scheduled for this Saturday. Perhaps the biggest of the five is Nebraska at Illinois. (See my prediction below in “Ye Olde Stomping Grounds.”) The other four games are Hawaii at UCLA (3:30 pm ET, ESPN), Connecticut at Fresno State (2 pm ET, CBSSN), Southern Utah at San Jose State (10 pm ET, CBSSN) and UTEP at New Mexico State in the Woeful Bowl. Not really a bowl, but UTEP and New Mexico State just happen to be two of the most woeful teams in college football. Combined they are 25-82 over the past five seasons. UTEP has won nine games, while New Mexico State has won 16.
Speaking of Nebraska, word broke last week that the NCAA is investigating the Huskers for violations committed by analysts and consultants and for off-campus workouts and practices. Head coach Scott Frost is at the center of the investigation since the violations supposedly were conducted and took place with his knowledge and presence. These aren’t necessarily the most serious of violations, but Frost is already on the hot seat based on his 12-20 record. So this doesn’t bode well for the fourth-year coach.
Last week, reports said the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences were looking into forming an alliance. Most took this as a reaction to the SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas to become a 16-team conference. But no one seems to know for sure what this so-called alliance is about. Or what it will provide or accomplish.
When you think about it, other than acquiring Notre Dame, there is nothing the ACC, Big Ten or Pac-12 can independently do to keep up with the Joneses – the SEC. Other than the Irish, there are no more schools out there with the band names of Oklahoma and Texas. Other than Notre Dame, there are no more schools out there who can add to the financial coffers of the ACC, Big Ten or Pac-12. And let’s face it, Notre Dame is not going to be making any moves anytime soon – maybe later, much later, but not anytime soon. So it only makes sense for the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 to form some kind of alliance to give them strength against the SEC.
Reports now say the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 will formally announce the alliance sometime later this week. Not only announce the alliance, but also, state its mission, its raison d’etre. It’s known that the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences are against the 12-team playoff, whereas the SEC is a proponent of the 12-team playoff. So the three conferences could, among other things, use the alliance to band together and prevent the 12-team playoff from happening. Supposedly, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 prefer a six or eight-team playoff. Stay tuned!
I was sure hoping we would be over most of this COVID mess for the 2021 football season. But it keeps hanging on. All Power Five conference commissioners have announced if a team is unable to play this season because it does not have enough players due to COVID, the team will be charged with a forfeit and the game will not be rescheduled. Oregon and Oregon State became the first Power Five schools to announce they will require proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test to attend football games this fall in Eugene and Corvallis. Children under 13 are exempt.
Western Carolina offensive line coach John Peacock died last week from COVID. He was 32.
Hawaii announced
that no fans will be allowed to attend its first home game on September 4. And finally, Auburn coach Bryan Harsin
tested positive for COVID on August 20 and will quarantine at home for 10 days.
He will participate remotely in team meetings.
Swamp Mama and I had dinner with Bootsie and Rockledge Gator Thursday night. It was a good time to talk about the upcoming football season, among other things. We hope Gus Malzahn does well at UCF, and we hope Gators quarterback Emory Jones has a successful season. The four of us will be at the Vanderbilt-Florida game in Gainesville on October 9. After dinner, as is custom when we go out to eat, we went to Starbucks for our post-dinner coffee. It’s a good spot for Swamp Mama and Bootsie to do a “show and tell” with their latest quilting projects.
“Bye, bye love, bye, bye happiness….I think I’m gonna cry.” The surviving member of the Everly Brothers – Don Everly – died Saturday. He was 84. Younger brother Phil died in 2014.
And while we’re on the subject, country singer and songwriter Tom T. Hall died on Friday. Known as “Mr. Storyteller,” Hall wrote the song “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” among others. He was 85. “I love little baby ducks, old pick-up trucks, slow movin’ trains and rain. I love little country streams, sleep without dreams, Sunday school in May and hay. And I love you too.”
Touchdown Tom
Touchdown Tom’s Prediction for
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Nebraska at Illinois (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – The game matches the return of first-year Illinois coach Bret Bielema to college football and to the Big Ten Conference against Scott Frost who may be coaching his last year at Nebraska. Bielema, the former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach, last coached college football at Arkansas in 2017. He last coached Wisconsin in 2012. Meanwhile, Frost simply has not set the Corn on fire in Lincoln. The fire was out before Frost arrived and Frost has not found the spark to get it going again. Neither team is supposed to amount to much this season, but Nebraska’s stock price is higher than Illinois’. The difference in the game may be Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez. Originally, the game was scheduled to be played in Dublin, Ireland. The Banned Indians can’t pop the Corn – Nebraska 31, Illinois 15.
Quotes of the Week
“Maybe I can get Will Muschamp to be my financial advisor. He ripped off Florida for $15 million. He ripped off South Carolina for $20 million. Will Muschamp made $35 million as a failure. I wish I could have grown up like Will Muschamp and made $35 million as a failure,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.
“Everything in college has always been the same. That’s not going to be the case anymore. Some positions and some players are going to have more opportunities than others. I told our players when you play in the NFL everybody doesn’t make the same,” Alabama coach Nick Saban on the disparities of NIL.
“It kind of looks like it,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, when asked if college football is headed to the NFL model.
“You just absolutely cannot be under investigation by the NCAA for breaking rules and also hold a 12-20 record. That’s like getting caught cheating on a test you failed,” Jeff Shower, on Nebraska coach Scott Frost.
“Oh no, this is terrible, Nebraska might have to vacate both wins of the Scott Frost era,” Matt Brown, on Nebraska coach Scott Frost.
“Frost’s program continues to demonstrate an uncanny ability to self-destruct,” Omaha World Herald writer Dick Chatelain, on Nebraska coach Scott Frost.
“I don’t think the Alabama-Tennessee game is important anymore. It’s no longer a rivalry,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.
“He could be the face of the sport this year. He is everything that is right about the game,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, on Miami (Florida) quarterback D’Eriq King.
The Teams – 2021
(Touchdown Tom’s Consensus Top 40)
So every year during preseason, I get my hands on every legitimate preseason poll I can find. I take the information from each of the preseason polls and type it into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Some of the polls rank all 130 of the FBS teams. Some just rank the Top 25. Others rank the Top 40 and so on. Once the information from all the polls is entered, I run a “Sort” on the data. The result is Touchdown Tom’s Consensus Top 40.
This year, I found 16 polls – AP, Coaches, CBS, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Lindy’s, Athlon, etc. After running a “Sort” on the data from these 16 polls, I had the results for my Consensus Top 40 for 2021.
Drum roll, please.
It should be no surprise that (1) Alabama is the No. 1 team in the consensus poll. After all, 14 of the 16 polls had Alabama ranked first. The other two polls had the Crimson Tide 2nd. Oklahoma was first in one and Ohio State was first in the other. Following Alabama in the Top Five are (2) Oklahoma, (3) Clemson, (4) Ohio State and (5) Georgia. Oklahoma beat out Clemson by one point.
The remainder of the Top 10 are (6) Texas A&M, (7) Iowa State, (8) Notre Dame, (9) Cincinnati and (10) North Carolina. That’s three SEC teams, two Big 12, two ACC and one Big Ten team in the Top 10. No Pac-12 teams. Cincinnati beat out North Carolina by one point.
The second 10 begins with (11) Oregon, (12) Florida, (13) Wisconsin, (14) LSU and (15) USC. Oregon was just one point behind North Carolina.
Completing the Top 20 are (16) Miami (Florida), (17) Penn State, (18) Texas, (19) Washington and (20) Iowa. That’s five SEC teams, four Big Ten, three Big 12, three Pac-12 and three ACC teams in the Top 20.
The next 10 has (21) Indiana, (22) Utah, (23) Arizona State, (24) Oklahoma State and (25) Auburn. Arizona State finished one point ahead of Oklahoma State.
Rounding out the Top 30 are (26) Ole Miss, (27) TCU, (28) UCF, (29) Coastal Carolina and (30) Louisiana. Ole Miss was just one point behind Auburn. Louisiana was just one point behind Coastal Carolina. That’s seven SEC teams, five Big 12, five Big Ten, five Pac-12 and three ACC teams in the Top 30.
Starting off the final 10 of the Top 40 are (31) NC State, (32) Northwestern, (33) Michigan, (34) Boise State and (35) Liberty. Only one point separated NC State from Northwestern, and Northwestern from Michigan.
The Top 40 closes out with (36) Pitt, (37) UCLA, (38) West Virginia, (39) Kentucky and (40) Virginia Tech. Pitt was just two points ahead of UCLA. That’s eight SEC teams, seven Big Ten, six ACC, six Big 12 and six Pac-12 teams in the Top 40.
From a percentage perspective, the Big 12 placed 60% of its teams in the Top 40. The SEC placed 57.1%, the Big Ten 50%, the Pac-12 50% and the ACC 42.9%.
Just missing the Top 40 were (41) Nevada, (42) Stanford, (43) Mississippi State and (44) Minnesota.
Among the Group of Five conferences in the Top 40, the AAC had Cincinnati at 9 and UCF at 28. The Sun Belt placed Coastal Carolina at 29 and Louisiana at 30. The next highest Sun Belt team was Appalachian State at 45. The MWC had Boise State at 34. The next highest MWC team was Nevada at 41.
C-USA and the MAC were the only two conferences who did not have a team in the Top 40. The highest-ranked C-USA team is UAB at 66. The highest-ranked MAC t is Ball State at 67.
The Independents placed two teams in the Top 40 – Notre Dame at 8 and Liberty at 35.
Last season, my Consensus Top 40 had (1) Clemson, (2) Ohio State, (3) Alabama and (4) Georgia. Notre Dame was 10 and Texas A&M was 13.
At the end of the season last year, the Top Four teams in the Playoff were (1) Alabama, (2) Clemson, (3) Ohio State and (4) Notre Dame. Alabama beat Notre Dame and Ohio State beat Clemson in the semifinals. Alabama beat Ohio State for the championship.
The final AP and Coaches Polls last season, after the playoff, had (1) Alabama, (2) Ohio State, (3) Clemson and (4) Teas A&M. Notre Dame finished at 5 and Georgia finished at 7.
The Running Backs
– 2021
Entering the 2021 college football season, four running backs outdistance the rest of the field. And of those four running backs, one outdistances the other three. He is none other than Iowa State junior Breece Hall (6-1, 215). In 2020, Hall rushed for 1,572 yards, averaging 131 yards a game. He scored 21 touchdowns and averaged 5.6 yards every time he carried the ball. In short, Hall rushed for more yards than any other running back in the country last year. Together, Hall and Cyclones’ quarterback Brock Purdy led Iowa State to a 9-3 season, including a 34-17 Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon.
The three running backs behind Hall make up an impressive trio. They are Texas sophomore Bijan Robinson (6-0, 215), Minnesota senior Mohamed Ibrahim (5-10, 210) and UTSA junior Sincere McCormick (5-9, 200). The Longhorns’ Robinson averaged a scary 8.2 yards a carry in 2020.
The Gophers’ Ibrahim rushed for 1,076 yards last year, averaging 5.4 yards a carry. He averaged 153.7 yards per game. Ibrahim was the Big Ten’s Running Back of the Year in 2020. UTSA’s McCormick rushed for 1,467 yards, averaging 133.4 yards a game. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry. McCormick was also a dangerous receiver for the Roadrunners.
The ACC has six running backs to keep an eye on in 2021. Duke senior Mataeo Durant (6-1, 195) rushed for 817 yards last season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Miami junior Cam’Ron Harris (5-10, 210) scored 10 touchdowns last year. Georgia Tech sophomore Jahmyr Gibbs (5-11, 200) averaged 5.2 yards a carry and 138.3 all-purpose yards per game.
Wake Forest junior Christian Beal-Smith also averaged 5.2 yards per carry. North Carolina is counting on a big season from senior Ty Chandler (6-0, 210), a transfer from Tennessee. And Virginia Tech has high hopes for junior Raheem Blackshear (5-9, 194).
Aside from Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson, the Big 12 has three other outstanding running backs. The three include Oklahoma junior Kennedy Brooks (5-11, 220), West Virginia senior Leddie Brown (6-0, 212) and Kansas State sophomore Deuce Vaughn (5-5, 171). In 2020, WVU’s Brown rushed for 1,010 yards, averaging 101 yards a game. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry. K-State’s Vaughn averaged 5.2 yards a carry.
Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim is clearly the best running back in the Big Ten, but there are five others who could make some noise in 2021. The best of the other five is Iowa junior Tyler Goodson (5-10, 200). Last year, Goodson averaged 95.3 yards per game and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.
The remaining four are Ohio State junior Master Teague (5-11, 225), Purdue senior Zander Horvath (6-3, 230), Michigan senior Hassan Haskins (6-1, 220) and Penn State sophomore Noah Cain (5-10, 226).
Clearly, the two best running backs in the Pac-12 are Colorado sophomore Jarek Broussard (5-9, 185) and Arizona State junior Rachaad White (6-2, 195). Last year, Broussard averaged an amazing 149.2 yards a game. He rushed for 895 yards and averaged 5.7 yards a carry. White averaged 105 yards a game and an amazing 10 yards per carry.
Led by Stanford junior Austin Jones (5-10, 201), four more running backs in the Pac-12 will compete for honors in 2021. Last season, Jones averaged 91.7 yards a game. Following Jones are Oregon junior C.J. Verdell (5-10, 210), California junior Christopher Brown (6-1, 235) and USC senior Vavae Malepeal (6-0, 220).
As the new season begins, Texas A&M junior Isaiah Spiller (6-1, 225) is the best of the running backs in the SEC. Last year, Spiller rushed for 1,036 yards, averaging 5.5 yards a carry. He averaged 103.6 yards a game.
Spiller is followed by Auburn sophomore Tank Bigsby (6-0, 208). Bigsby rushed for 834 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry. Close behind Bigsby is South Carolina junior Kevin Harris (5-10, 225). In 2020, Harris rushed for 1,138 yards, averaging 113.8 yards a game. He scored 15 touchdowns and averaged 6.2 yards a carry.
Three other strong running backs in the SEC are Kentucky junior Chris Rodriguez (5-11, 224). Rodriguez averaged 6.5 yards a carry in 2020. Also, Georgia junior Zamir White (6-0, 225) and Arkansas junior Trelon Smith (5-9, 190). Last year, White averaged 5.4 yards per carry, while Smith averaged 5.3 yards a carry.
In the AAC, SMU freshman Ulysses Bentley (5-10, 184) is the star running back entering the 2021 season. Last year, Bentley rushed for 913 yards, averaging 5.4 yards a carry. He scored 11 touchdowns and averaged 91.3 yards a game.
Three other solid running backs in the AAC are Cincinnati sophomore Jerome Ford (5-11, 215), East Carolina freshman Rahjai Harris (5-10, 228) and Tulsa senior Shamari Brooks (5-9, 195). The Bearcats’ Ford averaged 6.5 yards a carry in 2020.
The best running back in the MWC just may be Wyoming junior Xazavian Valladay (6-0, 198). Last season, Valladay averaged 137.5 yards a game and 5.6 yards per run. San Diego State has a good back in senior Greg Bell (6-0, 200). Bell averaged 91 yards a game and 5.5 yards per carry.
Three more good running backs in the MWC are San Jose State senior Tyler Nevens (6-0, 228), Nevada senior Toa Taua (5-9, 210) and Fresno State senior Ronnie Rivers (5-9, 195). Last year Nevens averaged a respectable 7.8 yards per carry and Taua averaged 5.9 yards a carry.
The best running back in the Sun Belt as the 2021 season begins is Appalachian State junior Camerun Peoples (6-2, 210). Last season, Peoples rushed for 1,124 yards, averaging 102.2 yards a game. He averaged a good 6.7 yards a run.
Otherwise, in the Sun Belt, keep your eye on Coastal Carolina junior Reese White (5-10, 185), Troy freshman Kimani Vidal (5-8, 212) and Georgia State senior Destin Coates (5-11, 198).
C-USA has four notable running backs and the two best of the four look like FIU senior D’Vonte Price (6-2, 215) and UAB sophomore DeWayne McBride (5-11, 220). In 2020, Price averaged 116.2 yards a game, with an average 5.8 yards per carry. McBride averaged a whopping 9.3 yards per run.
The other two top backs in C-USA are Southern Miss freshman Frank Gore (5-8, 185) and UTEP sophomore Deion Hankins (6-0, 215).
The MAC has six backs who should create some excitement on the field in 2021. Four of the six are really top notch. They are Ohio senior De’Montre Tuggle (5-10, 198) and Buffalo senior Kevin Marks (6-0, 205). Last year, Tuggle averaged 134,3 yards per game and a solid 7.6 yards per carry. Marks averaged 105.9 yards a game and 6.5 yards a carry.
Also, Akron junior Teon Dollard (5-11, 205) and Western Michigan junior La’Darius Jefferson (6-1, 223). Dollard averaged 111 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry. He also averaged 111 yards per game. Meanwhile, Jefferson averaged 104 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry.
The remaining two top backs in the MAC are Toledo junior Bryant Koback (6-0, 205) and Miami (Ohio) senior Jaylon Bester (5-8, 184).
Among the Independents, there are two exciting running backs. The two are BYU sophomore Tyler Algeier (5-11, 220) and Notre Dame sophomore Kyren Williams (5-9, 195). In 2020, Algeier rushed for 1,130 yards with an average of 102.7 yards a game. He also had 7.5 yards per carry. ND’s Williams rushed for 1,125 yards, knocking off 5.3 yards a carry. He averaged 93.8 yards a game.
TT’s Top 10 Favorite Running Backs at Preseason
- Breece Hall – Iowa State
- Mohamed
Ibrahim
– Minnesota
- Sincere
McCormick
– UTSA
- Isaiah
Spiller
– Texas A&M
- Bijan
Robinson
– Texas
- Leddie Brown – West
Virginia
- Kyren
Williams
– Notre Dame
- Tyler Goodson – Iowa
- Tyler Algeier – BYU
- Jarek Broussard – Colorado
Kennedy Brooks – Oklahoma; C.J.
Verdell – Oregon; Cam’Ron Harris – Miami (Florida); Master Teague
– Ohio State; Austin Jones – Stanford; Ronnie Rivers – Fresno
State; Chris Rodriguez – Kentucky; Toa Taua – Nevada; Rachaad
White – Arizona State; Camerun Peoples – Appalachian State; Xazavian
Valladay – Wyoming; Reese White – Coastal Carolina; Kevin Harris
– South Carolina; Christian Beal-Smith – Wake Forest; Tank Bigsby
– Auburn, and Zamir White – Georgia.
The Other Positions – 2021
Wide Receivers
Of the 11 best wide receivers in college football, four are out of the Big Ten and three are from the SEC. The Big Ten players are Ohio State senior Chris Olave (6-1, 189), Ohio State junior Garrett Wilson (6-0, 188) Indiana senior Ty Fryfogle (6-2, 210) Purdue junior David Bell (6-2, 205).
The SEC players are LSU sophomore Kayshon Boutte (6-0, 185), Alabama junior John Metchie (6-0, 195) and Arkansas junior Trelon Burks (6-3, 225).
The three remaining top receivers are Clemson junior Justyn Ross (6-4, 205), Oklahoma sophomore Marvin Mims (5-11, 174) and USC junior Drake London (6-5, 210).
Tight Ends
The four best tight ends at preseason are Iowa State senior Charlie Kolar (6-6, 257), Texas A&M junior Jalen Wydermeyer (6-5, 255), Notre Dame senior Michael Mayer (6-5, 249) and Wisconsin senior Jake Ferguson (6-5, 242).
Centers
A trio of players are rated the best centers in the country at preseason. They are Iowa junior Tyler Linderbaum (6-3, 289), Iowa State senior Colin Newell (6-4, 304) and Boston College senior Alec Lindstrom (6-3, 295).
Offensive Linemen
(Guards and Tackles)
The SEC leads the country with the best offensive lineman (guards and tackles) – eight in all. They are Kentucky senior Darian Kinnard (6-5, 338), Texas A&M junior Kenyon Green (6-4, 325), Georgia senior Jordan Davis (6-6, 340) and Alabama junior Evan Neal (6-7, 260). Also Georgia senior Jamaree Salyer (6-4, 325), Ole Miss junior Nick Broeker (6-4, 305), Mississippi State sophomore Charles Cross (6-5, 305) and LSU senior Ed Ingram (6-3, 315).
The ACC counters with three top offensive lineman – NC State sophomore Ikem Ekwonu (6-4, 320), Clemson junior Jordan McFadden (6-2, 300) and Boston College senior Zion Johnson (6-3, 310) senior.
The Big Ten and the Pac-12 check in with four of the best offensive lineman – two from each conference. From the Big Ten are Ohio State senior Thayer Munford (6-6, 321) and Penn State sophomore Rasheed Walker (6-6, 312). From the Pac-12 are Washington senior Jaxson Kirkland (6-7, 310) and Washington State senior Abraham Lucas (6-7, 319).
Closing out the list of the top offensive lineman are Marshall senior Cain Madden (6-3, 313) and Notre Dame junior Jarrett Patterson (6-5, 305).
Defensive Linemen
(Ends and Tackles)
Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma each have a pair of players who make up the best defensive lineman (ends and tackles) in the country. The Clemson duo are sophomore Bryan Bresee (6-5, 300) and sophomore Myles Murphy (6-5, 275). The Ohio State pair are senior Haskell Garrett (6-2, 300) and junior Zach Harrison (6-6, 268). Oklahoma steps up with senior Isaiah Thomas (6-5, 267) and junior Perrion Winfrey (6-3, 283).
Other top defensive lineman are Purdue sophomore George Karlaftis (6-4, 267), Michigan senior Aidan Hutchinson (6-6, 269) and Iowa State junior Will McDonald (6-4, 230).
Three west coast players make up the best of the defensive lineman. They are Oregon sophomore Kayvon Thibodeaux (6-5, 250), USC junior Drake Jackson (6-4, 255) and San Jose State senior Cade Hall (6-2, 260).
Completing the group of top DLs are Texas A&M junior DeMarvin Leal (6-4, 290), Georgia senior Jordan Davis (6-6, 340) and Cincinnati senior Myjai Sanders (6-5, 258).
Linebackers
(Inside and Outside)
Six of the best linebackers (inside and outside) play in the SEC. The six are led by two from Alabama – sophomore Will Anderson (6-4, 235) and junior Christian Harris (6-2, 232). The other four SEC players are Auburn senior Jacoby McClain (6-0, 219), Arkansas senior Grant Morgan (5-11, 230), Florida senior Vintrell Miller (6-1, 225) and Georgia junior Nakobe Dean (6-0, 225).
The Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 each have a pair of the nation’s best linebackers. From the Big 12 are Oklahoma junior Nik Bonitto (6-3, 238) and Iowa State senior Mike Rose (6-4, 245). The Big Ten provides Indiana junior Micah McFadden (6-2, 227) and Wisconsin senior Jack Sanborn (6-2, 235). The Pac-12 reps are Utah junior Devin Lloyd (6-3, 232) and Colorado senior Nate Landman (6-3, 235).
And last but not least among the best linebackers is Clemson senior James Skalski (6-0, 240).
Defensive Backs
(Cornerbacks and Safeties)
Among the best defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) in the country, two play for the Crimson Tide and two play for LSU. They are Alabama junior Jordan Battle (6-1, 210) and senior Josh Jobe (6-1, 192). The LSU players are junior Derek Stingley (6-1, 195) and sophomore Eli Ricks (6-2, 196).
Three more SEC players are among the best defensive backs. They are Florida junior Kaiir Elam (6-2, 195), Arkansas sophomore Jalen Catalon (5-10, 198) and Auburn senior Smoke Monday (6-3, 199).
The Big Ten has three of the top defensive backs. They ate Northwestern sophomore Brandon Joseph (6-1, 192), Indiana sophomore Tiawan Mullen (5-10, 175) and Ohio State senior Sevyn Banks (6-4, 225).
The Big 12 is represented by TCU junior Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (5-9, 177) and Iowa State senior Greg Eisworth (6-0, 198). Likewise, the ACC has a pair of the best DBs with Clemson senior Nolan Turner (6-1, 205) and Miami (Florida) junior Bubba Bolden (6-3, 204).
The final group of the top DBs are Cincinnati junior Ahmad Gardner (6-2, 188), Notre Dame junior Kyle Hamilton (6-4, 219) and Washington junior Trent McDuffie (5-11, 195).
Kickers
There are four elite kickers at preseason – three juniors and one senior. They are LSU junior Cade York (6-1, 198), Auburn senior Anders Carlson (6-5, 220), Oklahoma junior Gabe Brkic (6-2, 198) and Alabama junior Will Reichard (6-1, 190).
Punters
Likewise, there are four top punters at preseason and, like the kickers, three of the four are juniors. They are Georgia senior Jake Camarda (6-2, 180), Miami (Florida) junior Lou Hedley (6-4, 220), Arizona State junior Michael Turk (6-1, 220) and Texas Tech junior Austin McNamara (6-4, 185).
Touchdown Tom
No comments:
Post a Comment