SB Nation - Kestahn Moore

San Diego Chargers Training Camp Pictures

John (obviousman) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:00:27 -0000

Day one and we're already packed with Training Camp photos from Chargers Park. After the jump, a collection of your favorite stars and a couple of rookies as they get into their football groove.

Buster Davis, WR

Philip Rivers, QB

Shawne Merriman, OLB

Rodgeriqus Smith, WR

Andre Coleman, DE

Gartrell Johnson, RB

Kestahn Moore, RB

What I See: First off, in that Kestahn Moore picture....that's holding. But it's training camp so it doesn't matter. Secondly, I love Merriman's blue mohawk. I hope he keeps it all year. He looks like he's really testing that knee too, which is a great sign for the first day of camp.

There's one thing I wanted to point out to go along with the Tyronne Green discussion that's been going on. If you look at the second Rivers picture, you'll see both Green and Vasquez. However, Green was definitely not the one snapping the ball to Phillip. Right now, when it would make the most sense to give him some reps at Center, it appears the team is running with Green at LG. It was probably just temporary, the team trying to keep Green a versatile linemen, but it struck me as odd.

Also, look closely at Gartrell Johnson's legs. I think if I swung an aluminum bat at his thigh or calf he wouldn't even feel it.

All Photos are courtesy of the Associated Press and Lenny Ignelzi.

Do you have any thoughts about Bolts From The Blue? Any tips you want to send our way? Whenever you have something to say, don't hesitate to e-mail me directly.

San Diego Chargers place Curtis Brinkley on non-football injury list

John (obviousman) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:07:40 -0000

Kestahn Moore via www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

View full size photo »

via ProFootballTalk:

Rookie running back Curtis Brinkley, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Chargers earlier this year, was shot multiple times in Philadelphia earlier this month.

Though his injuries were not life-threatening, he won't be playing football this year.

The Chargers have placed him on the non-football injury/illness list, ending his 2009 season before it could begin.

Under league rules, the Chargers are not required to pay Brinkley's salary of $310,000. That's precisely what happened in 2006, when linebacker Steve Foley was shot by an off-duty police officer.

To replace Brinkley on the roster, the Chargers signed running back Kestahn Moore, another undrafted rookie. He spent some time with the Broncos in the offseason, before being released.

Don't underestimate Moore. He was a team captain at Florida and was known to be a very good blocker on special teams and out of the backfield. I think he's got a real chance to make the practice squad. The scouting report on him is after the jump.

Height: 5-10 Weight: 207 40 Time: 4.51

A rookie running back from the University of Florida who joined the Broncos as a college free agent on April 27, 2009... Played 53 career games (21 starts) at Florida, totaling 235 carries for 1,281 yards (5.5 avg.) with 13 touchdowns along with 38 receptions for 231 yards (6.1 avg.) with three scores... Helped the Gators to BCS National Championship wins during the 2006 and '08 seasons... Had four games will multiple rushing scores for his career... Named a team captain and saw time in all 14 games (5 starts) for Florida during its national championship season as a senior in 2008, rushing 29 times for 142 yards (4.9 avg.) with four touchdowns... Also was the Gators' lead blocker on punt and kickoff returns as a senior... Registered a career-high 578 yards on 104 carries (5.6 avg.) with six scores in 13 games (8 starts) during the 2007 season, a year in which he received Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll accolades... Attended Mansfield Summit High School in Arlington, Texas, where he averaged 9.5 yards per carry (132-1,256) and had 12 rushing scores as a senior... Majored in sport management at Florida... Kestahn Moore was born on April 13, 1987.

Report from High School

In 11 games as a senior Moore rushed the ball 132 times for 1,256 yards (9.46 yards per attempt) and 12 touchdowns. He carries a 3.4 GPA and 830 SAT. Moore bench presses 265, squats 430 and has a 33-inch vertical jump.

Scouting Report: Moore is a very impressive tailback. Has great size/speed and can flat out run the ball, catch passes out of the backfield as well as block. He's a top-20 player in the state of Texas and will challenge for top tailback honors -- he's that good.

Moore: "I can see the field good. I've got good vision and I can catch and run. I've got good speed and I can break tackles. I want to improve my strength and be more of a power runner. I also want to be more explosive."

A Look Back at Florida's 2005 Recruiting Class

Year2 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:17:17 -0000

National signing day is today, and the recruitniks are restless with excitement. I've already gone over why I don't follow recruiting closely, but the main reason why I don't go nuts over it is the same as why it's not worth going nuts over any professional drafts.

With a few exceptions, you generally don't know who will pan out and who won't for years. I would much rather look at past classes to see how they turned out years later, because you've seen how they've done and can revisit (hopefully) fond memories of seeing them play.

The members of everyone's recruiting class of 2005 at this point has all either graduated or are now becoming fifth year seniors. It was a transitional year for Florida, going from the Zook era to Meyer era. One would think that with both of them being known as great recruiters that it would turn out all right for a transition year, but as you'll see, it was very much a star-crossed bunch.

Here they are in alphabetical order:

Avery Atkins - DB (4* Rivals / 5* Scout)

Atkins' career looked promising initially, but he quickly got into trouble off of the field. After essentially being kicked off the team, he transferred to Bethune Cookman where his legal problems continued. After multiple arrests for domestic battery, he would be found dead in his car in an apparent suicide.

His is a sad story all around, one of a bright future wasted and unnecessary grief for those he mistreated.

Kalvin Baker - LB (3* / 4*)

Never played at linebacker and transferred to Tennessee State.

Nyan Boateng - WR (4*/ 3*)

He never found a way to get playing time behind guys like Dallas Baker, Andre Caldwell, and Percy Harvin. He transferred to Cal after the 2006 season to get more playing time, got arrested before leaving town, and had a decent year for the Bears last year.

Simon Codrington - OL (3* / 3*)

He played some as backup in 2006, but missed all of 2007 with a fractured wrist. His career ended due to injury.

Jon Demps - LB (4* / 4*)

He played in a couple of games in 2005, but missed 2006 and 2007 with injury issues. He also had some off-field problems. The last time his name surfaced was in December of '07 when he was arrested for throwing a sandwich at a Jimmy John's employee who simply wanted him to pay for a bag of chips.

No, he is not related to current running back Jeff Demps.

Brian Ellis - TE (3* / 3*)

He couldn't get an SAT or ACT score high enough to get into school, and went to a junior college in California. He switched to linebacker, signed with Purdue, but couldn't get into school there either.

Darryl Gresham, Jr. - LB (3* / 3*)

Was on the 2005 scout team, and only saw action in 2006 against Western Carolina. He left the team after the 2007 spring game.

Eddie Haupt - OL (3* / 4*)

He played sparingly from 2005-07, and his career ended due to injury.

Kestahn Moore - RB (3* / 4*)

He is part of an interesting bit of trivia in that he's the only running back to start a season-opening game under Urban Meyer. He had an up and down time in Gainesville. Just as he was hitting his stride in 2007, fumble problems (especially against LSU) derailed his career.

Moore was good but not great, and he got passed up by others on the team largely thanks to not having an explosive speed burst. He played some in all four seasons, and he was the best pass blocking running back Urban Meyer has had at UF.

Dorian Munroe - S (4* / 4*)

He played some key minutes in relief of starting S Tony Joiner late in 2006, and he played often on defense and special teams in 2007. He was in line to get a starting role in 2008 before an ACL tear ended his season in August. He'll be back in 2009.

Louis Murphy - WR (3* / 3*)

He spent a couple years on campus before things finally began to click with him. He got himself on track in 2007, and he was a key target and deep threat for Tim Tebow in 2008.

He's one of the two or three best players of the class.

David Nelson - WR (4* / 4*)

Urban Meyer proclaimed him a waste of a scholarship for most of his time in Gainesville, and Nelson actually agrees. He admitted he didn't take things fully seriously until about midway through the 2008 season, at which point he began playing a lot better. He had key catches late in the season and might actually fulfill his promise in 2009.

Reggie Nelson - S (4* / 5*)

After spending a year in junior college in 2004, this Nelson made it to campus in 2005. He is the unquestioned best player of the class, earning the nickname "The Eraser" for correcting any mistakes the guys around him made. His outstanding coverage and bone crushing hits will live on in Gator football lore forever.

Jonathan Phillips - K (2* / 4*)

He kicked a random extra point every now and then for four years, and he decided to go to Miami (FL) law school after the 2007 season. Meyer convinced him to stay, and he won the kicking job in 2008. He had an outstanding season, missing just two total kicks (one of which was blocked due to poor protection up front).

Josh Portis - QB (4* / 4*)

Originally a Meyer recruit to Utah, he followed the head coach to Florida. Everyone assumed that he would be the guy to run the Real Urban Meyer Offense once Chris Leak graduated (or maybe even sooner). Instead his crazy, meddling mother convinced him to transfer after the '05 season rather than lose another year of eligibility playing behind Leak.

He transferred to Maryland, where he never got higher than third on the depth chart. After sparse minutes in 2008, he once again transferred, this time to a small school called California (Pa.) for the spring semester. He has good athletic ability, but has never been able to translate it into being a polished quarterback.

Eric Sledge - ATH (3* / 3*)

He wanted to play receiver or safety, but the Florida coaches had him play linebacker. He transferred to Valdosta State in January 2007.

Ryan Stamper - LB (4* / 4*)

He spent a season on the scout team in 2005 and hardly played at all in 2006. In 2007 he was still just a top reserve, but in 2008 he emerged as one of the linebacking corps' most versatile and consistent performers. He started a few games and spent time at all three positions.

He figures to have a prominent role again in 2009.

Ronnie Wilson - OL (3* / 4*)

He redshirted in 2005, but thanks to some injuries to guys ahead of him he played often enough (and well enough) in 2006 to be named an honorable mention Freshman All-American and was put on the SEC All-Freshman team by The Sporting News. In the off season before the 2007 season, he discharged a semiautomatic weapon during an altercation, thereby getting himself thrown off the team.

He continued to pay his way to attend UF, and in 2008 Meyer allowed him to try to work his way back on the team. After spending some time on the defensive line and never playing a meaningful minute, he was once again kicked off the team after getting in a fight. He never got his scholarship back.

In Total

The class had only four players who became starters for a significant amount of time by now: Kestahn Moore, Louis Murphy, Reggie Nelson, and Jonathan Phillips. Ryan Stamper played significant minutes this year, even starting a few games, and along with Dorian Munroe will likely be a top contributor next season. David Nelson figures to be a key part of the receiver rotation if the second half of 2008 was not a mirage.

Two players had a single season of playing noticeable roles before getting kicked off the team: the late Avery Atkins and Ronnie Wilson. Josh Portis played spot duty for a season before transferring.

Of the 18 players of the class, six have been significant contributors now four years later. Three had single notable seasons before leaving, and one has one last year to impress after a half season of productivity. If you're counting at home, that leaves eight players who had no impact at all.

For a recruiting class that was ranked No. 15 by Rivals and No. 11 by Scout, the actual contributions are surprisingly low. Reggie Nelson (an All-American), Wilson, Munroe, and Moore (54 carries, 282 yards) were the only players to play a measurable role on the 2006 national title team. Only Murphy, Phillips, Stamper, and to a lesser extent Moore and David Nelson played measurable roles on the 2008 national title team.

Those are not good numbers. It speaks to the talent that Ron Zook left behind as well as the outstanding quality of Meyer's subsequent classes. When you consider that a team has 44 starters and backups on offense and defense, not to mention special teams players, four or five contributors is not a high number.

As everyone pores over this year's classes and predicts fortune or doom, just remember that they don't always turn out as advertised.

TARGET FILE: at Florida [11.15.08]

cocknfire — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:03:03 -0000

Well, given the way Florida is talked about this year, and the lack of time I have, I could do this to preview Florida.

Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Urban Meyer Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Percy Harvin Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow.

But, no, I refuse to take the easy way out. So here we go.

OFFENSE (TIM TEBOW)

Offensive line. Perhaps the one position Tim Tebow could not play. Three starters return to a unit that allowed just one sack a game in 2007 and, of course, made all those holes for Tim Tebow to run through. There might be weaknesses in this offense; this ain't one of them. ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA

Quarterback.

ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA

Running backs. This one is trickier. We haven't seen Emmanuel Moody since 2006, when he had 79 carries for 459 yards and two scores for the other USC. Kestahn Moore returns -- for whatever that's worth -- after rushing for 580 yards and 6 TDs. It's hard to tell how good either South Carolina or Florida is. Tim Tebow will also run a bit. ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Wide receivers. Percy Harvin. You could leave it at that; he's Reggie Bush Lite. Harvin had 83 rushes for 764 yards and 6 TDs and 59 receptions for 858 yards and four more scores last year. Assuming he's healthy for the South Carolina game -- and at this point you almost have to -- he does more than cancel out Kenny McKinley. McKinley doesn't bring that second dimension to the game. That said, not having tight end Cornelius Ingram will hurt. Oh, and the receivers will be catching passes thrown by Tim Tebow. ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA

DEFENSE

Defensive line. The most impressive player here is Jermaine Cunningham, who had 12 TFL, including 6.5 sacks. There are two returning starters and three sophomores here. Don't expect Florida to rank 10th in rush defense again, but don't expect the bottom to drop out, either. After all, they don't have to face Tim Tebow. ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Linebackers. Brandon Spikes was a monster, with 131 tackles, 16 for loss, and seven pass break-ups last year -- the Tim Tebow of the defense, if you will. He's got injury issues right now, too, but should be healed up for South Carolina. Dustin Doe is also pretty good. ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Secondary. Um, this unit wasn't very good. And Dennis Kucinich is sligthly left of center. Pass efficiency defense? 71st in the FBS, 128.72. Oh, and they're hurt. This is where you can hurt the Gators -- and the only chance most teams will have at keeping up with Tebow and Co. ADVANTAGE: SOUTH CAROLINA

SPECIAL TEAMS

Tim Tebow does not make or return kicks. So why do we care? But if you do, Joey Ijjas is gone after a year in which he was a solid, if not great, kicking option. Punter Chas Henry averaged 39.3 yards a kick. Brandon James was great on punt returns (18.1 per) and good on kickoff returns (28.0 per). ADVANTAGE: PUSH

COACHING

We have a small sample set to work with here, but we can guess that Urban Meyer is pretty good. Yes, undefeated season at Utah, national title at Florida, etc. But: What has he done with his recruits? Is the potential there to change that this year? Absolutely. But let's see it first. ADVANTAGE: PUSH

RESULT

Don't let those "pushes" on defense fool you: This is the superior team. The Gamecocks' offense won't be able to keep up, even though the defense should keep the game from getting too far out of hand. LIKELY LOSS

THE REST OF THEIR SEASON

I am not one of those who believes that Florida will win the national title. They cannot navigate a schedule that includes at Tennessee, vs. LSU, Georgia and South Carolina without one loss, and probably not without two. The defense will get scorched badly in a couple of games, and it will cost the Gators. But it should still be a great season. 10-2

Poll

South Carolina at Florida will be a ...

South Carolina blowout

1 votes

Narrow South Carolina win

2 votes

Push

2 votes

Narrow Florida win

9 votes

Florida blowout

8 votes

22 votes | Poll has closed