Spring
Preview
2008
The 20 Big Questions - No. 6
By
Pete Fiutak
-
The 2008 Big Spring Questions
No. 20 - Top 40
Non-Conference Games
No. 16-19 - BCS Busters,
Rule Changes & More
No. 15 -
Ranking the
Conferences
No. 14 -
Who Could Be This
Year's Kansas?
(breaking through big after a bad year)
No. 13 - 5 Teams That Could
Tumble
No. 12 -
Who Could Be This Year's
Missouri?
(going from good to special)
No. 11 - Ten Coaches Who
Need Big Seasons
No. 10 - The New Superstar
Coaches
No. 9 -
Everyone Will Be
Complaining About ...
No. 8 -
Everyone Will Be
Buzzing About ...
No. 7 -
The Pressure Is On ...
6. The relatively unknown
players you'll care about by the end of 2008 are ...
10. Chase Clement, QB Rice
While not all that big and with a decent, but not superior arm,
Clement has grown into a statistical monster over the last two
seasons. He emerged as an all-around playmaker under Todd Graham in
2006 throwing for 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, and running
for 481 yards and four scores, despite only playing in eight games
and missing time with injuries. It took a while to get going under
David Bailiff throwing four interceptions and no touchdown passes in
the first two games, losses to Nicholls State and Baylor, but he
blew up over the second half of the year highlighted by the final
four games of the year when he threw for 1,645 yards (411 per game)
along with two 100-yard games. Now that he has a coaching staff in
place, and with WR Jarett Dillard back, the numbers should be even
more impressive after finishing sixth in the nation in total
offense.
9. Justin Willis, QB SMU ...
... or Zach Rhodes or Logan Turner or freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell or
Braden Smith. Willis would grow into a superstar if he could just
stop being a mellonhead and could figure out where the classroom is
(at least that's the rumor). Suspended from the team, the junior,
who threw for 51 touchdowns and 4,991 yards in two years, might have
blown his chance to run the June Jones system, so spring ball will
be about finding a consistent passer to rely on. Jones will throw
just like he did at Hawaii, and now it'll likely be up to Rhodes, an
inexperienced quarterback, but a terrific overall athlete, to get
the first shot at driving the Ferrari.
8. Emmanuel Moody, RB Florida
Moody might have been an also-ran in the USC rotation, even after a
solid freshman season running for 459 yards, but he's expected to be
a savior of sorts for the Florida running game. Tim Tebow will be
protected more this season so he doesn't wear down late in the year
again, and that'll only happen if there's a consistent ground
attack. Whether it's Moody, or sophomore Mon Williams, who sat out
last year with a torn ACL, or Kestahn Moore, or Brandon James, or
Chris Rainey, who got knocked out last year with a shoulder injury,
or true freshman Jeffrey Demps, someone other than No. 15 is going
to do the lion's share of the running.
7. Maurice Evans, DE Penn State
The big buzz coming out of 2007 Penn State spring ball
surrounded a true sophomore who bulked up to 270 pounds but didn't
lose and quickness and was unblockable on the outside. Maurice Evans
got his feet wet with a nice freshman year as a backup, and then he
blew up last season making 54 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and
12.5 sacks. While he struggled to get to the quarterback over the
second half of the season, going sackless in four of the final five
games, he was still effective against the run. If he can be
consistent for a full season, talk of being a top 15-caliber draft
pick is going to start.
6. Eugene Jarvis, RB Kent State
Jarvis might be the best running back you've never seen,
literally and figuratively. Only 5-5, he disappears behind linemen
only to use his tremendous quickness to dart from out of nowhere to
crank out big runs. He started out the year as one of the nation's
leading rushers, tearing off four straight 100-yard games followed
up by a 230-yard, two touchdown performance against Ohio, and even
though QB Julian Edelman was lost for the year, Jarvis still
produced finishing up with 1,669 yards and ten scores. Edelman's
back, the offensive line should be decent, and Jarvis should be what
former Northern Illinois star Garrett Wolfe was a few years ago
making a big splash on a national scale.
5. Albert McClellan, DE Marshall
Those Lombardi Watch List types might want to make a little room
for the man from Marshall. The best Conference USA defensive player
in 2006 was on this list last year before he tore up his knee in the
preseason and was out for the year. On the plus side, it happened
early enough to get a full season to heal, and now McClellan appears
to be as good as new. A breakout star who
made 77 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four forced
fumbles, he should be an instant game-changer for a defense in
desperate need of one.
4. Javon Ringer, RB Michigan State
The thunder and lightning tandem was working. Javon Ringer set
them up with 1,447 yards, and Jehuu Caulcrick knocked them down with
21 rushing scores. Caulcrick is gone meaning the workload now falls
all to Ringer, at least early on, and it also means more
opportunities around the goal line. A tremendous home-run hitter who
tore off six 100-yard games and averaged 5.9 yards per carry, Ringer
just needs a little room and he's off. After scoring just six times
last year, and failing to get into the end zone in the final six
games, he'll get more of the glory.
3. Greg Middleton, DE Indiana
Who was going to take over for Kenny Kendal? That was the big question on the Indiana
defense that needed to find pass rushing help early last year. Enter
Middleton, a then-sophomore who had a ton of potential, but no
proven production. All the 6-3, 265-pounder did was lead the nation
with 16 sacks while making 50 tackles as the Big Ten's newest
defensive star. While he was neutralized in the bowl game blowout
against Oklahoma State, he was a consistent force throughout the
season with six, two-sack games and a sack in every game but four.
Now he's the centerpiece of the Hoosier defense and will command
double and triple teams on every play.
2. Greg Hardy, DE
Ole Miss
Kentrell Lockett, a basketball player, was supposed to be
the new Ole Miss pass rushing star. The lanky, athletic 6-5, 225-pound
redshirt freshman came up with seven tackles and a sack. Meanwhile,
fellow hoopster, sophomore Greg Hardy, was coming off a nice year with
49 tackles and three sacks.
And then everything changed, as it was Hardy who grew
into the unstoppable pass rushing force with eight in the first seven
games, highlighted by a three sack, 11-tackle performance against
Alabama. Suspended for a few games for violating team rules, he game
back to make two sacks against LSU. Now, after finishing with ten sacks,
18.5 tackles for loss, and 64 stops, Hardy will be the main man for the
Houston Nutt defense.
1. Scott McKillop, LB Pitt
16 tackles against Rutgers. 18 against South Florida. 17 against
Michigan State. Then-junior Scott McKillop emerged from out of H.B.
Blades' shadow to become the backbone of a Pitt defense that didn't get
nearly enough credit. It was the offense that stunk it up in the
disappointing 5-7 season, not the defense. While not a dangerous threat
to get into the backfield, the nation's leading tackler in 2007 is a
premier run-stopper who gummed up the works time and again, and was the
main reason West Virginia's offense didn't get off the ground in the
now-classic 13-9 national-title-dream killing upset. With Pitt on the
verge of becoming one of the new hot teams, McKillop's profile will only
grow bigger.
|