Fives Are Wild 8/31/07
by Luke Paul Chandler
In anticipation of this weekend’s college football kickoff, Clark Rucker presents you with his now-weekly feature, “Fives are Wild,” in which he’ll recap, discuss and ponder five individuals, teams or stories on significant interest in the college football world. Remember to check back here the beginning of each week for this feature.
By Clark Rucker (originally posted on 8/31/07)
5 NFL Draft Stock Risers:
1. Pat White, QB, West Virginia: The big story out of Morgantown this offseason has been the significant improvement White has made as a passer. His accuracy has increased and his arm strength, which has always been an overlooked facet to his repertoire, has also improved. Couple that with White’s ever-developing body, as well as his leadership skills, and you get a classic ?riser.?
2. Matt Flynn, QB, LSU: Flynn will never be the imposing physical specimen like JaMarcus Russell, but Flynn is not your run of the mill game manager. Flynn was highly recruited out of high school and he possesses NFL size, arm strength, leadership skills and mobility. The only area in which he is lacking is experience and after a 2007 season where the Tiger-faithful hopes to make a run for a national championship, Flynn might well establish himself as one of the top-five quarterback prospects for the 2008 draft.
3. Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas: Since his career at Texas began, Charles’ physical skills have never been in question. However, his ability to stay on the field has been, as he has suffered numerous injuries as a part-time back. Realizing that he isn’t a primary ball carrier for the Longhorns, Charles has dedicated himself to improving his strength in an effort to be the main man in the UT backfield. After gaining 15-20 pounds of muscle in the offseason without losing any of his sprinter’s speed, Charles is definitely rising in scouts’ eyes across the country.
4. Andre Fluellen, DT, Florida State: Fluellen has not yet received the publicity that many of the defensive tackles from FSU have received before him, but he is poised to have a season that will make him a household name across the country. Blessed with incredible quickness and strength, Fluellen is a constant presence in opposing backfields. Combine that with excellent coaching and the track records of the defensive tackles before him, and you can see why scouts are high on him. The one concern is his size, as at 280 pounds, he is small for defensive tackle. He might be better positioned as a 3-4 defensive end, similar to Richard Seymour of the Patriots.
5. Justin King, CB, Penn State: King was another highly regarded recruit when he arrived in Happy Valley. Although he started his collegiate career mostly on the offensive side of the ball, it was only a matter of time before he became an impact defensive player. After a solid 2006 season and a stellar offseason, big things are expected from King, who may be one of the fastest players in America.
5 NFL Draft Stock Fallers:
1. Limas Sweed, WR, Texas: Normally, Sweed would not appear on this list. However, a recent serious wrist injury has put his availability over the first part of the 2007 season in doubt in what was supposed to be a money-run season for him. Sweed showed signs of dominance in 2006, yet NFL scouts are looking for consistency from the Roy Williams clone. This injury will likely affect him in some fashion, especially if it is something that will not heal with rest. As a result, the consistency questions will remain.
2. Sammie Stroughter, Oregon State: Stroughter’s season is in doubt, as off-the-field issues have caused him to miss most of training camp. Coach Mike Riley has expressed doubts about Stroughter’s ability to see the field in 2007. For a guy that was a burgeoning playmaker, this is not a good situation, and as a result, his draft stock is tumbling. Stroughter did not play in Oregon State’s game Thursday.
3. Kregg Lumpkin, RB, Georgia: Lumpkin has all of the ability and promise in the world, yet he continues to be an enigma for the Bulldogs. After a decent 2006 season that many hoped would catapult him to bigger things in 2007, Lumpkin now faces the challenges of being the second man on the depth chart. With the recent declaration of Thomas Brown as the starting running back, Lumpkin must now overcome Brown, as well as opposing defenses, to establish himself as a premier running back.
4. Tommy Blake, DE, TCU: Blake passed up the opportunity to be a first day pick in the 2007 draft to establish himself as a lottery pick in 2008. However, Blake has missed most of the Horned Frogs’ training camp due to injuries, sickness and mental issues. Blake missed a week in early August due to mounting pressure from friends, teammates, and prospective agents who were incredibly excited about Blake’s upcoming season. As a result, he went home to Aransas Pass, TX. to have some down time with his grandmother. Blake has also missed much of the last week of practice due to undisclosed illness/injury, and his availability against Baylor is in question. Blake’s inability to handle the pressure of being an elite prospect has to be alarming to NFL teams, so keep an eye out for this developing situation.
5. Simeon Castille, CB, Alabama: Castille has been a rock for the Crimson Tide over the last three seasons, but his recent arrest for disorderly conduct has raised red flags concerning his character. The NFL has taken a hard stance against troublemakers, so pending the outcome of the legal process, Castille could very well slide in the draft due to character issues. With a trial date set for Sept. 26, Castille will have to deal with his legal issues during the heart of the football season.
Top 5 Games of the Week
In this section, we will recap the top 5 games from the previous week’s action. Check back next week for more on this section.
5 Big Stories of the Week
1. Tommy Blake’s Availability in Doubt: As mentioned above, Blake his missed much practice time over the last month due to myriad issues. In what was supposed to be a season of greatness for Blake, the outside issues are starting to eliminate some of his luster. Big games against Baylor and Texas can eliminate these concerns quickly however.
2. Virginia Tech’s Season Opener: We are all aware of this game’s significance and reverence for the team as well as for the entire school and nation. This will be an opportunity for the Hokies to celebrate the lives of those lost during the spring shooting as well as show the nation their appreciation for the support. More than anything, however, the game will serve as an opportunity to end the grieving and show the world that Virginia Tech is strong, alive and ready to make some noise in 2007.
3. Sam Bradford named OU’s Starting Quarterback: The Sooners are hoping that Bradford can channel his inner Colt McCoy and lead this team to a national championship season in 2007. The Sooners are loaded at every other major position, so the play of Bradford is the most critical element to just such a season. Look for early struggles from Bradford and a heavy reliance on the ground game for Oklahoma.
4. Seth Adams named Ole Miss’ Starting Quarterback: So much for the ballyhooed recruitment of Brent Schaffer in 2006. After a season in which the Rebels rode the arm and legs of Schaffer into insignificance, head coach Ed Orgeron has decided to bench Schaffer and start Adams, a former walk-on. The significance of this cannot be understated, as Schaffer was touted as the savior of the program upon his arrival on campus, and his unexplainable decline from freshman starter at Tennessee to arguably the JUCO player of the year at the College of the Sequoias to his recent benching is quite a tragedy. Adams is just keeping the seat warm for likely 2008 starter, Jevan Sneed, a Texas transfer. However, if Adams struggles early on, look for Schaffer to reemerge as the starter.
5. Injuries Mounting for Texas: The Longhorns are poised for another run at a national championship in 2007, however the mounting injuries the team is suffering does not bode well for its impending match-ups against TCU and Kansas State. The Sweed injury has already been mentioned, but not to be overlooked are the return of Cedric Dockery from ACL reconstruction, Billy Pittman (2005 team leading receiver) and his injured shoulder, backup quarterback Sherrod Harris’ strained MCL and the injury to receiver Jordan Shipley’s hamstring. Add to that the two-game suspensions of linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive end Henry Melton, and the transfer of backup offensive tackles J’Marcus Webb and Roy Watts, it is easy to understand why many Orangebloods are concerned. The team will now rely on big-time performances from many of its true freshmen, including Brandon Collins, James Kirkendoll, Malcom Williams, Keenan Robinson, Tray Allen and John Chiles.
5 Players to Watch in Week 1:
1. Anthony Morelli, QB, Penn State: A lot has been expected of Morelli since his commitment to Penn State, so it is not a stretch to say that he is the key to a successful season for the Nittany Lions. If he can play like he did in Penn State’s bowl game, then look for big things from the offense in 2007. However, if he plays like he has in the past, expect another disappointing season. This week will be key for Morelli, as he needs to get off to a fast start and get the Penn State season started off with a bang.
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida: It is now Tebow’s show in Gainesville and with that responsibility comes criticism. It was easy for Tebow to be the hero in 2006, as most Gators fans viewed Chris Leak as the root of the team’s shortcomings. Now that Tebow is the undisputed starter, that pressure now resides solely on Tebow. The sophomore can truly make the offense ?his? with a big performance this week. With conference play and Florida State quickly approaching, Tebow needs to hit the field running and throwing.
3. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: With the Mountaineers playing West Michigan this week, Devine will likely have plenty of opportunities to make plays, as Steve Slaton will probably see limited action. Devine has the chance to establish himself as another legitimate threat for this team with some big early season performances, and his ability to step-up to the challenge will help in WVU’s national championship efforts. Expect some jaw-dropping plays from this Internet wonder.
4. DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma: with Allan Patrick likely sidelined with injuries, Murray is going to have the opportunity to blow past Patrick and Chris Brown and firmly entrench himself as the Sooners’ starting running back. Blessed with amazing speed and vision, Murray was a force in the spring and in training camp. With a fairly uncertain rotation at running back this fall, Murray can answer many fans’ questions with a big game this week versus North Texas.
5. DeSean Jackson, WR/KR/PR, California: Jackson is the key playmaker for the Golden Bears, and his abilities will be on full display against Tennessee this weekend. His performance this season is the key to the team’s season, as they can only go as far as Jackson and Nate Longshore can take them. With question marks across the board on the defensive side of the ball, Cal is going to need to score a lot of points fast this week. Sounds like a job for Jackson.