By Tom Hatfield, Razor Sharp Sports
Every year when I go to write this article, the first thing that I do is come up with a list of potential players that could emerge to be the top college player in the country. Most years there are a couple of players that jump out at you from what they have done in the past, but I always have to go digging to find those young players that will step up their game. This year, coming up with a list was the easy part. Narrowing down the list to come up with a Top-5 was the hard part. Of course, when you have a returning winner, you have to put him on top or near the top of the list. When Tim Tebow won the award last year, the first sophomore to ever win it, it opened the door to many other underclassmen to go after the award. Lets take a look at who may take home the hardware this season.
1. Tim Tebow – QB (Florida) – How can you not put last year’s winner on the top of the list. Last year Tebow set record after record, and with his Gators teammates starting to gain experience, look for Tebow and Florida to be even better this year. Look for WR Percy Harvin to be one of the reasons that Tebow’s numbers are even better.
2. Michael Crabtree – WR (Texas Tech) – Last season, Crabtree was the Freshman of the Year and, I believe only because he was a freshman, he didn’t receive an invite to the Heisman Ceremony. Crabtree set countless receiving records for Texas Tech, the Big-12 and the NCAAs. The return of his QB Graham Harrell should also keep Crabtree’s numbers increasing.
3. Chase Daniel – QB (Missouri) – Last season, the Missouri Tigers emerged as one of the bigger surprises in College Football. One of the main reasons was the arm of QB Chase Daniel. Daniel’s strong arm put the Tigers offense on the map, and his return for his senior year gives Tiger fans plenty to smile about. What gives Daniel something to smile about? Seeing Mr. Versitile Jeremy Maklin in the backfield and split wide gives Daniel that big weapon.
4. Pat White – QB (West Virginia) – If it wasn’t for an injury late in the year that slowed White down a step, he may have won the Heisman, and for that matter, his Mountaineer team may have been playing for the National Championship. White will be without backfield mate Steve Slaton, but he, like the others I have mentioned before, will have some help. Sophomore RB Noel Devine will be a solid compliment to White on offense.
5. Knowshon Moreno – RB (Georgia) – Of the top five players that I have mentioned here, Moreno is the least known. By the end of the year, things will change. Whether he wins the Heisman or not, college football fans will know the name Knowshon Moreno. Last year as a freshman he became only the second RB in bulldog history to rush for 100 yards in five straight games. The other was Hershel Walker.
Other Players to Watch – P.J. Hill – RB (Wisconsin), Sam Bradford – QB (Oklahoma), Chris “Beanie” Wells – RB (Ohio St), Ian Johnson – RB (Boise St), Todd Reesing – QB (Kansas), Juice Williams – QB (Illinois), Graham Harrell – QB (Texas Tech) and James Laurinaitis – LB (Ohio St)
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By Totals 4 U
Welcome to the second edition of our 8-week series taking an off-season look at each of the National Football League’s conferences. This week we have selected the home of your 2007 AFC Champions with a look at what these franchises have been up to and the direction they are heading this upcoming season. Be sure to check in for a new article each Thursday the next couple months and away we go…
New England Patriots (16-0 regular season, 2-1 playoffs) Bill Belichick’s crew came within 35 seconds of running the 2007 table into the history books and returns both lines plus the bulk of offensive firepower that piled up 38.8 points per regular season game - 8.4 points per game more than the next-best Cowboys. WR Dante Stallworth left for Cleveland and Seattle’s TE Marcus Pollard was added while receivers Moss, Washington, and Gaffney resigned with the Pats but the real off-season action took place among the New England linebacker and defensive backfield ranks. Aging backers Rosevelt Colvin and Chad Brown are gone while Pierre Woods, Tedy Bruschi, and Larry Izzo have been resigned to battle Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas for playing time in the 3-4 but they will have plenty of incoming competition with the signing of LB Victor Hobson away from the Jets plus 1st and 3rd round draft picks OLB Jerod Mayo (Tennessee) and OLB Shawn Crable (Michigan). Throw in the possible additions of Junior Seau (may retire) plus Eric Alexander (team’s exclusive rights free agent) and New England is positively stacked at the position and likely deadly on special teams. In the defensive backfield the competition for jobs will be just as fierce with the return games again also getting a boost. Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, and Eugene Wilson rode the free agent train out of town while corners Fernando Bryant (Detroit), Lewis Sanders (Atlanta), Jason Webster (Buffalo), and S Tank Johnson (Minnesota) rode it in plus 2nd and 4th round draft picks scooped up Colorado’s CB/KR Terrence Wheatley and Auburn’s CB Jonathon White. The 3rd round selection of Kevin O’Connell likely sends backup QB Matt Cassell packing. A returning #1 offense, a younger and faster #4 defense, and beefed up special teams. Meet the new boss; same as the old boss!
Buffalo Bills (7-9 regular season, 0-0 playoffs) A squad that finishes the season with the 31st ranked offense and 31st ranked defense to miss the playoffs for the 8th consecutive year has plenty of needs and GM Russ Brandon has cut dead weight like CB Jeremetrius Butler (15 T), WR Peerless Price (7 catches), and RB Anthony Thomas (2.5 yards per carry) while filling pressing holes and banking $78 million to play 8 games over 5 years in Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Backup QB JP Losman was rumored draft day trade bait but the Bills sat pat and have 2 solid arms with QB Trent Edwards (1630 yards, 7 TD, 8 INT) and Losman while resigning C Matt Whittle and T Matt Murphy keeps depth intact for a line that helped rookie RB Marshawn Lynch rush for 1115 yard and 7 TD in just 13 games and backup Fred Jackson pile up 300 yards in just 58 carries. Buffalo’s key need was at defensive back where the Bills allowed 247.4 yards per game. Eagles free agent CB Will James was added and college football’s top cover corner Leodis McKelvin was snatched with the 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft in addition to 4th round pick CB Reggie Corner (Akron) and 7th round pick Kennard Cox (Pittsburgh). Just 26 team sacks in 2007 were answered with the acquisitions of DT Spencer Johnson (FA-ATL), DT Marcus Stroud (Jacksonville trade), LB Kawika Mitchell (FA-NYG) and 3rd round pick Virginia Tech DE Chris Ellis (8 ½ sacks in 2007). Coach Dick Jauron wanted to add a big receiver to his smallish corps (top four wire receivers 5’10” or less) and he got three with a steal of a 2nd round selection 6’6” 221 Indiana WR James Hardy, 7th round pick 6’2” 210 WR Steve Johnson (led SEC in yards and touchdowns), plus 6’6” 270 Atlanta free agent TE Courtney Anderson to compete at a position that will be back under new O-Coordinator Turk Schonert. Call us crazy, but we see a playoff team in the making.
New York Jets (4-12 regular season, 0-0 playoffs) A quarterback controversy is certain this season between QB Chad Pennington (68.8% completions, 1765 yards, 10 TD, 9 INT) who started the first 8 games of 2007 and QB Kellen Clemens (52.0% completions, 1529 yards, 5 TD, 10 INT) who took over at mid-season but at least it will happen behind a premier offensive line. As part of a house cleaning that included letting go starters FS Eric Coleman, NT Dewayne Robertson, and LB Victor Hobson plus key players CB Andre Dyson, WR Justin McCareins, and C Wade Smith to free agency and outright release, GM Mike Tannenbaum cut starting LG Adrien Clark and starting RT Anthony Clement. Big free agent bucks brings in LG Alan Faneca and RT Damien Woody to join LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson, C Nick Mangold, and RG Brandon Moore to punch holes for RB Thomas Jones (310 for 1119 yards and 1 TD) while the passing game takes a back seat. New York’s defense was pushed around last year for 134.8 rushing yards per game so the Jets traded for Carolina DT Kris Jenkins and picked up free agent ROLB Calvin Pace from Arizona - each will take starting roles. As far as the NFL draft was concerned, Coach Eric Mangini didn’t get much immediate help, despite 2 first round selections. We disagree with the pundits who say that Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston (14 sacks in 2007 against Big 10 linemen) is overrated and a mistake at the 6th overall pick but he projects to ROLB in the J-Men’s 3-4 defense where they dropped coin to pick up Pace while using the 30th overall selection on Purdue TE Dustin Keller conjures up images of drunken, foul mouthed Jets fans screaming like stuck pigs for the ESPN cameras. Starting TE Chris Baker (41 for 409 and 3 TD) is decent plus free agency yielded TE Bubba Franks from Green Bay. Pour me whatever the guy in the Blair Thomas jersey is having.
Miami Dolphins (1-15 regular season, 0-0 playoffs) Losing 6 games by a field goal may tempt some to build on existing personnel, but GM Jeff Ireland and VP/Football Ops Bill Parcells are not those guys. Parcells is famous for cleaning house and bringing in big, tough guys which has sent packing starting QB’s Trent Green (cut) and Cleo Lemon (FA-Jacksonville), top receiver Marty Booker (cut), plus the squad’s second and third leading rushers Lorenzo Booker (trade to Philadelphia) and Jesse Chatman (free agent Jets) as well as offensive linemen L.J. Shelton, Rex Hadnot, Anthony Alibi, Marvin Dukes, and Joe Toledo with Chris Liwienski and Cory Lekkerkerker soon to follow. Oakland free agent QB Josh McCown takes over at the trigger while 2nd-year John Beck (60 of 107 for 559 yards, TD, 3 INT) and 2nd round selection Chad Henne battle for the future. LT Vernon Carey moves next to 4th round pick RG Shawn Murphy (son of baseball’s Dale Murphy) while the NFL Draft’s overall #1 LT Jake Long will start next to 49ers free agent LG Justin Smiley. RB Ronnie Brown (119 for 602 and 4 TD) and Ricky Williams return from season-ending injuries, while TE Anthony Fasano (trade Dallas) and WR Ernest Wilford (free agent Jacksonville) join WR Ted Ginn Jr. (34 for 420 and 2 TD. Defensively, DE Jason Taylor (11 of teams 30 sacks) doesn’t fit Parcells’s mold and may join DT Keith Traylor and DT Anthony Bryant who have been sent packing with LB Zach Thomas and LB Derrick Pope. Miami grabbed 3 defensive ends in the draft including 2nd rounder Phillip Merling from Clemson while free agency/trades bring LB’s Reggie Torbor, Charlie Anderson, and Akin Ayodele, DB’s Chris Crocker, Keith Davis, and Nate Jones, plus DL’s Jason Ferguson and Randy Starks. A new roster, a new Head Coach in Tony Sparano, and new results? The Dolphins couldn’t help but improve.
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***NOTE: Weekly college and pro football articles will be posted every Wednesday throughout the season for a major weekend match up so we hope to see you here every week and best of luck this year!*** - The Champs at #1 SPORTS