SB Nation - Morgan Burnett

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes: Clemson/Georgia Tech

Mocking Dan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:45:09 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson: Spiller might not have optimal size, but he's a top player in every other regard. He's incredibly fast and runs away from just about everyone. His agility is world class and he showcases it in the running game and on special teams.

DeAndre McDaniel, SS, Clemson: Few safeties this season have played as well as McDaniels, a junior. He has eight interceptions, 78 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and two sacks. His size and athleticism is also impressive. He carries a second-round grade and should only get better.

Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson: Sapp's production has been hot and cold his entire career. He was stellar in the middle part of the season, but struggled in the second half. He's a good 3-4 outside linebacker candidate because of his athleticism and projectable frame.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson: In the right situation, Ford could be a dangerous player in the NFL. He's undersized, but would immediately be one of the fastest players in the league. He's an asset returning kicks and has good enough hands.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech: At times this season Dwyer has struggled, leading some to question his conditioning. Dwyer has still looked quick and agile through the hole, but is clearly at his best on the outside. He's hard to take down once he gets up to speed.

Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech: Morgan has shown all season that he's ready for the NFL. He enters today's game with 13 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. But he's much more than just a pass rusher. He's very good against the run and should be able to contribute as a rookie. He needs to improve his conditioning, but is a top 20 talent.

Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech: Burnett has played closer to the line of scrimmage this season, but still has four interceptions. He's a good all-around safety prospect and has good speed. For teams needing a free safety, Burnett could be a second-round steal, if he comes out.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech: The definition of an all-around wide receiver, Thomas can do it all. He's a big target at 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds and has good hands. But his blocking is what has gotten the attention of talent evaluators. He's a powerful player who maintains his assignment impressively.

Revised Top 10 Prospects to Watch

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:31 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

The only reason I tune in to FSU games anymore.

Browse more photos »

The college football season is beginning to make it's home stretch run and it's time to once again look at players who may find themselves in Black and Teal this upcoming season. In an attempt to keep this is true to form as possible, main stays Ndumakong Suh and Eric Berry sadly make their departure as the Jaguars are not nearly bad enough to even sniff them in next April's draft.

The more I've been thinking about it, the more I think a quarterback make's sense in the first round of the draft. To that end, the current Top 10 to watch is as follows

1. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State, Jr

Anyone who can stomach to watch a full game of FSU football this season will come away utterly impressed with Ponder. The Junior QB has made a light year's worth of advances since his troubled sophomore campaign. Behind a now solid offensive line, Ponder has light up the NCAA, ranking in the Top 5 of virtually every relevant stat against BCS competition. If Ponder declares, expect him to have a Mark Sanchez like rise.

2. Jake Locker, QB, Washington, Jr

I went back and forth between putting either Locker or Tony Pike of Cincinnati at the #2 spot. In the end, Pike is injured and Locker has more upside, so I went with Locker. Locker may be something of a project for a first round pick, but I like the grit I see from him. Also, the last time the Jaguars had a scrambling QB from Washington, it worked out well.

3. Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech, Jr

Burnett may be the 2nd best safety in the draft with Taylor Mays' inconsistency. A big, strong, hard hitting SS, Burnett would be the 2nd coming of Donovan Darius for the Jaguars. If a QB isn't available, he may be the BAP in the 15-20 range.

4. Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama, Jr

If the Jags are going to keep running the 3-4, they'll need to upgrade their personnel this offseason. McClain is a beast of a linebacker and may be the best natural 3-4 linebacker in the draft. Another tough decision here between McClain and Brandon Spikes, but I felt McClain works better in a 3-4.

5. George Selvie, DE, South Florida, Sr

Was it really just two years ago Selvie was the most feared pass rusher in college football? Injuries and lack of production have forced him off the map and out of the first round. Selvie projects as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL and unless he has an excellent offseason, may slide into the third round.

6.Matt Tennant, C, Boston College, Sr

A quality guy with a high motor, Tennant would fit the Gene Smith profile. Brad Meester isn't getting any younger, and some fresh blood in the interior is needed. Tennant is a 4th or 5th round prospect.

7.Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke, Sr

Oghobasse is one of the best DT in the country not named Suh or McCoy. He projects as either a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 defensive tackle. Henderson was linked to several trade rumors in the last offseason and his stock has risen since with his terrific play this season.Ogho would be an excellent replacement paired with Terrance Knighton.

8. Josh Pinkard, SS, Southern Cal,Sr

Pinkard can play both corner and safety, making him a versatile player for the Jaguars secondary. He has some medicial and injury issues that may cause him to drop and make him a value pick.

9. Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas, Sr

Petrus is a solid guard who plays with a mean streak against the run. However, he is somewhat undersized and that could cause him to drop.

10. Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU, Sr

Pitta served on his two year mission, making him older and more mature than most rookies. He's one of the best receiving tight ends in college and would add another weapon on the team.

-Jonathan Loesche

2010 NFL mock draft

Mocking Dan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:15:55 -0000

Here is the first half of my mock draft. The other half will go up tonight after I get home from work.

Quick note: I swapped Sam Bradford in the draft for Washington quarterback Jake Locker. The reason was mainly following an email exchange with 3k from Turf Show Times. And listening to Bradford's recent press conference, it sounds like he's ready to go pro.

For the draft order, I used the one put together by ejrulz in his mock draft.

1. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Rams have no direction on offense. Taking a quarterback first overall would provide as much. Bradford has only played a half this season, but listening to a recent press conference, he sounds like a man ready to go pro.

2. Cleveland Browns - Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee
The Browns might have Abram Elam currently at strong safety, but Berry looks like a player who comes along once a decade. The Browns need help on the right side of their line, but Berry is hard to pass up.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Whether it's Suh or Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneers need help along the defensive line. Suh has been arguably the best player in college football this season and will be a difference maker immediately.

4. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Branden Albert has been only average, and that's not good enough for a left tackle. Bulaga has the ability to be an elite player. If his health checks out fine, there's no reason to think he won't be a top five selection.

5. Tennessee Titans - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Clearly the Tennessee has skipped a beat this season without Albert Haynesworth. Many considered McCoy an early first rounder had he come out following his redshirt sophomore season. He's a quick, penetrating defensive end with great character.

6. San Francisco 49ers (via Carolina) - Taylor Mays, FS, USC
This is just a great fit for San Francisco. He's the physical presence the team doesn't have in its secondary. Mays might conjure thoughts of Ronnie Lott for Niners fans.

7. Detroit Lions - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
This would be a tough spot for Detroit with the top two defensive tackles off the board. If that's the case, the team could reach a little bit to take the left tackle many expected them to this season.

8. Oakland Raiders - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Lame Al Davis jokes aside, Dunlap is a great fit for the Raiders. Richard Seymour's contract is up at the end of the year and he's not expected to re-sign. Even with Seymour, a better pass rush is needed.

9. Buffalo Bills - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Really, is Trent Edwards the future of quarterbacking for Buffalo? The team seems to have settled on Demetrius Bell at left tackle and no outside linebackers are really worth a top 10 pick.

10. Seattle Seahawks - Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
It can be hard to justify taking a running back this early in the draft, but Dwyer has immense talent. Julius Jones is better as a second option and Edgerrin James has shown it's time for him to retire.

11. Miami Dolphins - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
While Miami could use a nose tackle or future pass rushing linebacker, Bryant could be the best receiver in the draft since Calvin Johnson. Being ruled ineligible shouldn't affect Bryant's draft stock.

12. Arizona Cardinals - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Williams is still a project at left tackle, but Mike Gandy has struggled for the Cardinals. At the least, Williams is an NFL-ready run blocker.

13. Washington Redskins - Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Clearly Redskins owner Dan Snyder is done with current starter Jason Campbell. The team tried to get Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez. McCoy is a dependable passer who has better arm strength than people think.

14. San Diego Chargers - Damian Williams, WR, Southern California
The Chargers could be forced to replace receivers Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers after this season. Williams has emerged as a legit No. 1 receiver for the Trojans.

15. Houston Texans - Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Everyone expected the Texans to take a difference maker in the secondary this year, and they didn't. Haden can get out position in pass coverage, but he's a great all-around corner.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers - Brandon Spikes, MLB, Florida
Steelers fans might be convinced Lawrence Timmons is the future inside, but I am not. Good middle linebackers average more than three tackles a game. Spikes would be a steal here. And even if Timmons sticks at middle linebacker, James Farrior is 34.

17. Green Bay Packers - Ciron Black, OT, LSU
Black might not be the best left tackle, but he's the best one available in this scenario. The Packers clearly need help along the offensive line.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars - Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech
Everyone seems to think Tim Tebow should be the choice here, but the team has a better chance of winning immediately by filling other holes. Wide receiver is a possibility as well, but Mike Sims-Walker is having a breakout season.

19. Dallas Cowboys - Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU
Since getting rid of Terrell Owens, justifiably, the Cowboys have lacked a dependable wide receiver. That's what LaFell would provide. He's not the fastest or the flashiest, but he gets the job done.

20. Atlanta Falcons - Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi
Thirty-four games into his career, it's official: Jamaal Anderson is a bust. He has two sacks, which won't cut it for a 4-3 end. Hardy, when motivated, is as good of a pass rusher as there is in the nation.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas
Philadelphia's current group of outside linebackers feature a bunch of players who are only average. Kindle could be a sensation in the team's blitz-heavy scheme.

22. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Gresham's season-ending knee injury shouldn't stop a team from taking him in the first round. That's especially true if you consider that the Bengals' starting tight end is Daniel Coats.

23. New England Patriots - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
Whether they used him inside or outside, McClain could make a big impact for the Patriots. Other than Jerod Mayo and an aging Adalius Thomas, New England is somewhat light on linebacker talent.

24. Denver Broncos (via Chicago) - Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Cody would be the last piece the Broncos need to finish off the conversion to a 3-4. While I'm not the biggest fan of Cody's, the Broncos need someone in the middle to regularly take up multiple blockers.

25. New York Jets - Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
In the Jets' 3-4, Jones would get moved over to end, a position the team needs to address. Jones has the quickness and size to play end and would give coach Rex Ryan another good pressure guy.

26. San Francisco 49ers - Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina
Many expect San Francisco to take a quarterback, but Shaun Hill might be the kind of game manager coach Mike Singletary wants. Norwood would help a pass rush that's below-average from the linebacker spot.

27. Baltimore Ravens - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Tate is the kind of playmaking wide receiver the Ravens have never had. He can make big plays out of short passes and will be able to help on special teams.

28. Minnesota Vikings - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Ray Edwards is a free agent after the season and is average at best. Morgan has shown flashes of dominance this season. He can get after the passer or stay at home and handle the run.

29. New York Giants - Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins are facing free agency following this season and if both don't come back, tackle could be a big need. Austin has been inconsistent thus far, but has great talent. A coach like Tom Coughlin could harness it nicely.

30. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver) - Charles Brown, OT, Southern California
The career of left tackle Walter Jones is winding down. Brown is a similar kind of offensive lineman who has good athleticism and drive. While safety and quarterback can be considered needs, no players seem worth this slot.

31. Indianapolis Colts - Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
Some project Capers to play left tackle, but he's been on the right side for the Mountaineers this season. Either spot he plays, the Colts could use him. Middle linebacker could be a need, but that is a position that traditionally be addressed later in the draft.

32. New Orleans Saints - Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
Outside linebacker and defensive tackle are the top needs for an overachieving Saints defense. Weatherspoon would be a perfect fit outside. He's a good tackler and can make up for the mistakes of teammates.

Know Your Opponent: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Q & A

jeremyflint — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:45:21 -0000

I sent some questions over to fellow SBNation blog From The Rumble Seat to get their take on the game this weekend. You can check out my answers to their questions as well.

1) The only thing worse than your line play is your passing game. Given that State's defense has essentially shut down the run against every opponent this year (except for that one time, on the plains, against auburn), how do you think your triple-spread-option-with-nuts-and-a-cherry-on-top offense will do against a Mississippi State D that is playing very well right now.

We don't wanna crap too hard on your Bulldogs but last year we put up 438 rushing yards on Croom's vaunted D. Your defense in the other 11 games gave up an average of only 124 yards rushing. This year, leading up to our game, your defense is giving up a comparable 128 rushing yards per game. Your defense shouldn't pose an issue. CPJ's offense disposed of the #1 rush defense in the nation (UNC) this past weekend and everyone else we've played thus far. Miami contained us through our own poor execution. When the blocking lands home we run successfully, but you already knew that.

2) Obviously the Ramblin' Reck couldn't cut it in the SEC. How does it feel to play in a cut-rate conference that garners little-to-no national respect?

First, GT won 5 SEC titles from 1933-1963. MSU has won only one conference title since 1933. We spotted you 46 years and you're still light years behind us. At MSU's current rate of capturing SEC titles, you'll catch Tech in 2313! Good luck.

Second, GT didn't leave the SEC because we couldn't handle it. Tech had a respectable conference record of 97-67-9 during Tech's SEC run. Tech left because of SEC members' poor player treatment and issues between Bobby Dodd and the Bear.

Finally, seeing as we won as many SEC games last year as MSU despite playing only 3 SEC games, I think we'd be alright if our programs switched places (just for a season to teach the SEC a thing or two about running the football). Need we remind you the ACC won 6 out of 10 regular season games last year against the SEC? The ACC should be favored in 4 out of the next 5 ACC-SEC match-ups thanks largely in part to the coaching prowess of CPJ, as well. We're not going to sit here and defend the bottom of the ACC. Every team in the conference needs to man up, start winning big in their OOC games and during bowl season. That is the bottom line.

3. Seriously, is this what too many hours staring at a calculator does to Georgia Tech fans?

This is when we would post a funny picture of a Mississippi State fan as a retort, but apparently photography has yet to reach the state of Mississippi, along with condoms, dentists, and the fact that the Civil War has been over for at least a century.

4. Give us a run-down of the strong points of your team (aside from the running game).

The return of Jerrard Tarrant has finally given us a weapon for punt returns. Jerrard is fast and has the vision needed to be an all-ACC caliber punt returner. Our secondary, while still somewhat shaky, is led by Morgan Burnett who is currently 3 interceptions short of the Georgia Tech career record. Throw against #1 if you dare.

5. Georgia Tech is sitting at 3-1 right now with games against Florida State, Virginia Tech, and the season closer against Georgia. What were the expectations of the team coming in to this season and does it look like the team will meet or exceed them?

Expectations were all across the board leading up to the season. Winfield in preseason said he expected an 8 win season but even he got caught up with the GT Kool-Aid and predicted closer to 10 wins before our Miami debacle (Dane predicted a respectable 9 or 10 win season in a podcast with Team Speed Kills). The biggest problem with Tech fans is that we let our hopes dry up way too easily. Realistic expectations should be set at somewhere between 7 and 8 games simply because the personnel isn't quite there yet and the schedule is relatively tough with three top 25 worthy teams and eight 2008 bowl teams on the schedule.

6. Tell me how many points you are going to lose by this weekend.

Negative 17. To those who didn't attend Tech or have taken advanced engineering coursework at Mississippi State, that means we predict a GT win.

FTRS Roundtable: September's Schedule

Winfield Featherston — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:52:35 -0000

Holy Crap! The prodigal son of From The Rumble Seat has returned! If you though Dane died, no don't worry, he only came very near death. But he is back so look for him to carry his weight around here a little more.

With the season quickly approaching, Dane, Bird and I will be looking at the football schedule month-by-month and giving our quick initial thoughts on each game.

SEPTEMBER

September 5^th: vs. Jacksonville State

Highlights: Cupcake game

Winfield: What scares me most about Jax. State is me messing up my first ride out with the Ramblin’ Reck. Nah, just kidding. It’s actually someone getting hurt and throwing our tempo off the railroad tracks. I expect this game to be quick, easy and dirty so I can (hopefully) find a ticket to the Dome for VPI vs. Alabama, and a weekend of complete football and blogging debauchery thanks to the guys who write for Gobbler Country, College Game Balls, and Beer Control Offense.

Dane: TRAP GAME!!! Not really. This game is going to remind us why we like watching the spread option offense (who doesn't love watching Dwyer bust through the line and take it to the house?), and will also remind us why Morgan Burnett is amazing after he gets two picks. I'm calling it.

Bird: You can't really mention Jax State without mentioning Ryan Perrilloux. And of course the guy managed to get suspended for the GT and FSU games... Way to be a team leader, Ryan. My worries are similar to Winfield's in that I don't want any key players injured in a jobber game but you don't play football for fear of possibly getting injured. You play to injure other people...

September 10^th: vs. Clemson

Highlights: CJ Spiller vs. Jonathan Dwyer. National TV coverage on ESPN, ERIN ANDREWS!

Winfield: Dabo is back in the spotlight as it becomes his first main game of the season. Will the Atlanta crowd and atmosphere bring him down? I say no, but the Jackets are gonna be too powerful for the Tigers. Thanks to Orson on EDSBS Live for mentioning the possibility of the "Whitest QB name matchup" with Jaybo Shaw vs. Willy Korn. Plus, we are badass on Thursday nights at home.

Dane: I'm not expecting a replay of last year's Miami game here, but I am not expecting too much difficulty. The guys at Block C seem pretty sure that this is Clemson's yearly embarrassment waiting to happen. The most fun part of this game? Laughing at Clemson fans after the game as they realize who the best running back in the league is.
Bird: Trap game? I don't think so. I think Clemson's loss of Cullen Harper is going to kill them in Dabo's first full season. Willie Korn/freshman QB are not gonna do much at Tech on a loud Thursday night. This game shouldn't be close even though history tells us otherwise.

September 17: @ Miami

Highlights: Back-to-Back Thursday night games on ESPN, ERIN ANDREWS, Roadtrip Glory

Winfield: The Yellow Jackets have beaten Miami four years in a row. Who would have thought that any team would be able to say that about the Hurricanes? Miami has athletes and with the combination of back-to-back Thursday night games, things seem to point to the likely possibility that it’s Miami’s turn to take this game.

Dane: Ugh, nervous. I don't like this game at all. In the greatest addition by subtraction in football since Vick left the Falcons, Pat Nix will no longer be handing our defense the game. Yes, everything about this Miami team is inexperienced, but Harris and the rest are going to step up sometime, and I'm worried this will be it.

Bird: I think Miami is our first possible loss but honestly their defensive coordinator was not prepared for us last year and I don't think they'll be prepared this year either. They're focused so much on the FSU opener that GT's triple option is probably getting very little PT in summer practices. Chalk up another W for the Yellow Jackets.

September 26: vs. UNC

Highlights: The Jackets seek revenge against the Tarheels from one of the more sloppy games of 2008.

Winfield: Last year, this game was one of our sloppiest. And since his arrival in Chapel Hill in 2007, Butch Davis has been a prickly thorn in our side. This game makes me nervous because the Tarheels are a team that I just straight up have no idea what to expect from them. However, I think the Jackets take this one partially due to our home field and CPJ won't let us lose to them again.

Dane: CPJ is going to snap Davis's proverbial wiener off like a panda breaking bamboo. When it comes down to it, most of the Tarheel's opponents outplayed them last year, but managed to blow it by playing like a bunch of dumbasses. The Heels stop getting away with football robbery and we don't hand them the game. This match is going to be the most obvious domination of all of our ACC games... well, except for Duke.

Bird: This is our toughest game in September by far. Best QB in the first four games. Best defense. Best opposing coaching staff. We know because we saw it last year. If this is a noon game and the Dodd is not rockin', then I think we lose.

September Thoughts:

Winfield: A great possibility for the Jackets to sweep through September but we will probably end up 3-1. For some reason, Miami makes me nervous. Am I scared of simply the name "Miami"?4-0 is a possibility but 3-1 looks looming. Hurry up CFB! Get here!

Dane: I'm scared to lose to Miami, but that's probably because I want to win that game more than any other one on our schedule (except, of course, for uga). We have beaten Miami every year I've been a Jackets fan, so I want want want it. I don't buy into the UNC business - while I know stats aren't everything, they got away with some very fortunate wins last year (without the stats to back it up). I'll be upset at 3-1 but furious at 2-2. 4-0 is to be expected.

Bird: I see Tech being 4-0 and I see Tech being 2-2. The key will be motivating our players in front of complacent crowds. We got up for big games in rowdy stadiums but we came out flat against teams when there wasn't a real external motivator. We'll see. I think a lot of my doubts will be answered when I see GT line up against Clemson on September 10th - the real home opener.

Think we're crazy? Post it in the comments!

10 ACC Players I'm Looking Forward to Watching in 2009

furrer4heisman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:00:11 -0000

I gave you the 10 ACC games I was looking forward to this season earlier this week. Here's the 10 players I want to watch in 2009. I limited it to one player per team with two teams (BC and Maryland) getting snubbed.

10. Boo Robinson, Sr. DT - Wake Forest
Along with Vince Oghobaase of Duke, Robinson is one of the top two defensive tackles in the ACC. If the Wake defense wants to be nearly as good as it was last year, Robinson has to be amazing jaming up the middle.

9. Kendric Burney, Jr. CB - North Carolina
Burney had three interceptions last year and could develop into a true shut-down corner this season. He will also be in the mix to return punts for the Tar Heels.

8. Thaddeus Lewis, Sr. QB - Duke
It's Lewis' last chance to get Duke to a bowl. Just about everyone in the ACC knows how good Lewis is. But in order for the Blue Devils to make a bowl, he's going to have to become known nationally.

7. Aldarius Johnson, So. WR - Miami
Johnson is the first of three sophomores on this list. He's tall, athletic and next to impossible to cover. But can he avoid the cliche sophomore jinx in 2009?

6. Morgan Burnett, Jr. FS - Georgia Tech
Burnett reminds me of Kam Chancellor his sophomore year when he was a one-man wrecking crew crushing opponents and creating turnovers. Hopefully both Kam and Burnett can have years like that again in 2009.

5. Russell Wilson, So. QB - NC State
Last year he was the first-team All-ACC QB as a freshman. He also had an insane touchdown-to-turnover ratio. If he can keep from fumbling (which he was prone to do without them being recovered by opponents) his sophomore year could be even better.

4. Vic Hall, Sr. CB/QB - Virginia
The Hokie players and staff were apparently the only people in the Commonwealth who didn't know the Hoos were going to run the Wildcat formation with Hall in last year's game. He might get the chance to do it full time this year, which would be scary.

3. Jermaine Thomas, So. RB - Florida State
Thomas averaged a shade under 7.0 ypc last season. He'll probably be the 'Noles primary back in 2009 and could be a very special player.

2. C.J. Spiller, Sr. RB - Clemson
He'll get the bulk of the carries. He'll probably also return kicks this year. Spiller has been very average since his freshman season in 2006. It's time for him to return to being Lightning now that Thunder is gone.

1. Ryan Williams, Fr. RB - Virginia Tech
Yup, it's a homer pick. Hokie fans have seen what Williams can do in practice and in the spring game. His debut is the most anticipated of any Hokie since Kevin Jones. And fans are hoping he can put up Jones-like numbers with Darren Evans playing the part of Lee Suggs.

Pre-season All-Conference and Link Blitz!

Winfield Featherston — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:30:09 -0000

While writing this (approximately 11:20AM), I just got notified that Jonathan Dwyer, Morgan Burnett, and Demaryious Thomas have all been named to the pre-season All-ACC teams. Now we know where the expectations sit.

We haven't had a good 'ole link blitz in quite a while. So here's what I'm reading and I think is interesting.

ACC Football

Spencer Hall (Orson from EDSBS) talks about how the ACC should grow and cultivate and work its way towards what the SEC currently has in a TV deal.
On The B.Rink gives his opinion on the ACC TV Deal. FitTV? Really?
F4H over @ Gobbler Country wonders who is going to be the ACC's flagship blogger?
Brendan @ From Old Virginia doesn't like neutral site football games.
Willy Mac can't stand John Swofford. I mean, who DOES like the guy?
Block-C gives us more randomness for the DEAD PERIOD! How awkward do you feel now?
Yahoo! Flash video interview with Jon Dwyer about this coming season.

College Football

Dr. Saturday goes back to Colorado's infamous "5th Down".
How the ACC and the SEC can miss out on the Rose Bowl and the "mid-majors" can sneak into Pasadena
Illinois Blogger reminds us why Joe Paterno is SO AWESOME!
Double Extra Point brings back their Smokeshow of the Week.
Here's a little CFB history for ya: Fieldgoals used to be worth more than touchdowns way back in the day. Read more here.

So it's not a lot to read, but it should hold you over for a little bit. Back to the books!

2010 NFL Draft rankings: Strong safeties

Mocking Dan — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:18:02 -0000

Today starts the unveiling of the 2010 NFL Draft rankings. Here's how it's going to work. Because juniors won't declare for quite some time, the junior and senior rankings will be separated.

And because most of 2008 was spent watching players who would be in the draft, some of these won't be huge lists. For instance, the strong safety rankings feature six seniors and four juniors. Conversely, the defensive end senior rankings will have 20 seniors listed. After all the positional rankings are revealed, a top 200 will be put out.

Find the strong safety rankings here and feel free to talk about them and add suggestions in this thread.

Short of Redemption: LSU's Lost Season Comes to an End

cocknfire — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:38:28 -0000

There is good news for LSU fans about the Peach Bowl -- and, no, it's not the Chick-fil-A Bowl -- QB Jarrett Lee won't be starting. So there's probably not that much "news" there after Jordan Jefferson started the Arkansas game and played better than Lee. But there's some hope when your teams decides not to start the singal-caller who made an art form of the pick six against a defensive backfield that includes Morgan Burnett, the nation's interceptions leader.

The good news, though, ends there for the besieged Bayou Bengals.

Saying LSU had a disappointing season is an understatement. After losing former starting QB Ryan "Riverboat Gambler" Perrilloux, the Tigers were never able to live up to the hype of being a contender in the SEC West. Their most impressive win was likely the seven-point victory against South Carolina. And the season-ending skid almost looked worse than it already does; LSU very nearly lost to Troy, trailing until a late-game comeback.

Georgia Tech, meanwhile, began their season by defeating a team quarterbacked by -- coincidence here -- Ryan Perrilloux, who found refuge in FCS school Jacksonville State. Most of their early victories, including the three-point win over Gardner-Webb, gave few people any reason to back off predictions that Georgia Tech was in the first stages of building Paul Johnson's triple-option and would be doing good to get to Chan Gailey equilibrium. Then came the final two games of the year, nationally televised demolitions of Miami's and Georgia's defenses and a team that seemed to be "good enough to win the ACC" suddenly seemed to be good -- period.

LSU's rushing defense will be doing all it can to keep up with Jonathan Dwyer and Co. The Bengals' numbers look okay -- until you consider that Florida rushed for 265 yards, Georgia ground out 194 and even run-impaired South Carolina gained 164 on the ground.

Meanwhile, it's hard to see Georgia Tech allowing RB Charles Scott to get much running room. Knowshon Moreno picked up 94 yards in his game against the Jackets, but Scott is no Moreno. And Jefferson might be no Lee -- but that's probably not enough for LSU to win. Georgia Tech 34, LSU 20

Inside the Seminole Film Room: Florida State 28, Georgia Tech 31

FSUncensored — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:11:26 -0000

I won't have a play-by-play review this week, as I've had a lot of stuff come up.

As always, we use these terms to denote formations:

"Chollie" is shotgun, 3 wide, 2 backs, like Charlie Ward ran.
"KGun" is what the Jim Kelly bills teams ran, with 3 WR, a TE, and back.
"BAMA" is Singleback, Twins WR, Twins TE (we sometimes line up in this with the FB acting as an HBack or second TE)
Hawaii is a 4WR GUN Trips Overload look out of Hawaii's playbook. It's Shotgun, with 3 WR and a rb all on the same side. This is great for forcing defenses to show their hand early.
Wendy's is 4 WR, or 4 Standing players, stacked behind each other in groups of 2, on each side of the offensive line. This is usually run with a tight alignment. I named it Wendy's because it's effectively a "DoubleStack"

Let's look directly at the video:

Florida State vs Georgia Tech Highlights (via FSUTalent)

I wanted to focus mostly on the strides the offense made in lieu of looking at our defense get gashed by a modern day gimmick offense.

Video Time0:00	1/10	at Fs32	3WRSB	Ponder, C pass complete to Parker, P for 9 yards to the FS41 (Jackson, K.).
Double slants as Ponder hits the trail guy. This is an obvious zone buster play. Throw to back shoulder might not have been intentional, but was effective. Throw good.
0:10	2/1	at Fs41	Pistol Chollie	Smith, A rush for 12 yards to the GT47, 1ST DOWN FS, out-of-bounds (Butler, M.).
Triple option, but we actually pitch it. My guess is this is double option with a dummy fake.
0:20	1/10	at Gt47	Twin I	Ponder, C pass complete to Carr, G for 14 yards to the GT33, 1ST DOWN FS (Butler, M.).
No PA. 3 step drop, excellent throw. Good job to attempt to cut the Dlinemen.
0:30	2/8	at Gt31	5WR Gun	Ponder, C pass complete to Carr, G for 20 yards to the GT11, 1ST DOWN FS (Jackson, K.).
########
1:07	2/7	at Fs13		Nesbitt, J. rush for loss of 1 yard to the FS14 (Nicholson, D).
The rare example of the double A-Gap submarine formation working.
1:17	3/7	at Gt30	4WR GUN	Ponder, C pass complete to Carr, G for 12 yards to the GT18, 1ST DOWN FS (Taylor, C.).
Again, double slants against zone. Inside guy draws the LB in, Ponder throws a strike to the outside man. 8 men in coverage.
1:30	1/10	at Fs32	Pistol Trips	Thomas, J. rush for 62 yards to the GT6, 1ST DOWN FS (Peterson, M.).
Zone blocking in all its glory. Watch the double-team from Zebrie and Spurlock. Beautiful. Note also that Gtech looked to be worried about the bubble here, and they don't think we can run to the right.
2:17	2-G	at Gt04	Twin I	Ponder, C pass complete to Holloway, S for 4 yards to the GT0, TOUCHDOWN, clock 08:05.
Notice how Ponder waits with patience and poise, clears the rusher, finds his throwing lane and throws the ball the only place he could put it, and Holloway made the nice catch.
2:47	2/8	at Gt34		Jones, R. rush for no gain to the GT34 (Verdell, T;Rolle, M).
2:57	1/10	at Fs17	Pistol Trips.	Thomas, J. rush for 13 yards to the FS30, 1ST DOWN FS (Morgan, D.).
Same exact play we ran on the 62 yard run. Same play. Now, while the 62 yard run was all blocking, this run was all Thomas. I'm more impressed with Thomas on this run than the 62 yarder. Spurlock needed to hold his double longer here.
3:08	2/15	at Fs25	Hawaii	Richardson, D rush for 39 yards to the GT36, 1ST DOWN FS, out-of-bounds (Taylor, C.).
10 blockers is better than 9 and I like this play. Good job by D'Vo to hurdle towards the end. Great zone principles, and great individual efforts by the skill guys including Caz.
3:43	2/15	at Gt41	4WR GUN	Ponder, C pass complete to Carr, G for 14 yards to the GT27 (Peterson, M.).
Very good throw on the slant, but we need to get that DE cut better so that he can't get his hands up. Nitpicking? I hope not.
3:53	2/10	at Fs33	Chollie w/ a TE?	Smith, A rush for 10 yards to the FS43, 1ST DOWN FS (Burnett, M.).
Datko and Caz make this play. Great first steps.
4:06	2/17	at Fs36	Chollie	Ponder, C pass complete to Parker, P for 13 yards to the FS49 (Griffin, S.).
Hey! The middle screen! I love our linemen. Look @ Datko down field.
4:18	3/3	at Fs36		Shaw, J. rush for loss of 7 yards to the FS43, fumble forced by Brown, E, fumble by Shaw, J. recovered by FS Stewart, K at FS43.
Well, one way to stop GT is to have them lose their QB to a fluke injury.
4:48	2/12	at Fs41	Chollie w/ a TE?	Thomas, J. rush for 11 yards to the GT48 (Taylor, C.).
Spurlock! Hell yes! Pancaking a DT! I think this guy might be my favorite player. Also w/ great blocks: Zebrie, Caz, and believe it or not, Marcus Sims. Make no mistake though, this play is made because Spurlock is quick off the ball and dominates his guy. Now... the pass pro... um... next year?
5:05	3/8	at Fs03	4WR GUN	Ponder, C pass complete to Owens, R for 10 yards to the FS13, 1ST DOWN FS, out-of-bounds (Butler, M.).
Not going to sugarcoat this… we held here. Now, besides the holding, Ponder made a play that we haven't seen made here in a long time. Really nice.
5:22	2/10	at Fs30	KGUN	Ponder, C pass complete to Easterling, T for 9 yards to the FS39 (Reid, R.).
Why do we pay Jimbo so much? Passing concepts. This is a curl and an out. It's a zone buster; here being a orizontal stretch, with a vertical element (10 yard curl). The outside defended MUST commit to the out route, while the inside defended must make sure the slot guy doesn't get inside. Ponder throws a strike here, stepping up in the pocket. This is an easy read for a young QB, but not always an easy throw. Jimbo gave confidence with the easy read, and Ponder used his ability to put the ball on the money.
5:31	3/1	at Fs39	I	Thomas, J. rush for 9 yards to the FS48, 1ST DOWN FS (Reid, R.;Burnett, M.), PENALTY GT offside declined.
Keep in mind that Gtech was consistently playing us to run left, but even so, Spurlock and Sanders run blocked out of their minds! Look at this blocking. Good scheme too, as the WR blocks the DE, but isn't required to hold the block long at all.
5:50	4/3	at Gt45	5WR Gun	Ponder, C pass complete to Reed, B for 6 yards to the GT39, 1ST DOWN FS (Taylor, C.).
Gong for this is the right call and we are very lucky to have a guy who will fist it to the media if they don't understand the principles of expected point value relative to field position. Anyways, the play… Reed shows good maturity running this route to the perfect spot, the line doesn't fall down, and Ponder makes the right choice, throwing a strike. Memo to ACC: we will average 31 points in ACC play next year, book it.
5:59	1/10	at Gt39	KGUN Trips Weak	Richardson, D pass complete to Parker, P for 39 yards to the GT0, 1ST DOWN FS, TOUCHDOWN, clock 06:04.
Great play by Parker, and not a horrible throw by Mr. Richardson either. Line needs to sell run action better here.
6:55	1-G	at Gt03	KGUN	Ponder, C pass attempt to Carr, G good, PENALTY GT pass interference declined.
Weird coverage from Gtech. Nice by them to peel the LB to the corner. Carr's arms are just too long. PI could have been called on either player here.
7:35	1/10	at Gt25		Shaw, J. pass intercepted by Robinson, P. at the FS41, Robinson, P. return 0 yards to the FS41.
We really, really need Patrick Robinson to stay next year. Badly. By any mean$ possible. Please. Someone help us out here, haha.
8:29	4/6	at Fs45	SB TRIP WR	Ponder, C pass complete to Reed, B for 9 yards to the GT46, 1ST DOWN FS (Taylor, C.).
Playcalling. Motioning Parker here lets Christian get a pre-snap read. Notice how we use the entire clock (scary, huh? Good teams use the whole thing, analyzing every second). Ponder can see that with the middle vacated by the defender following Parker, it will be up to this corner to beat lightning quick Bert Reed, since the CB is playing with outside leverage. That was fine before, but with no inside help, or the illusion of inside help, GT was screwed pre-snap. College corners are not beating Bert Reed to the spot; he's too damn quick. Great route by Bert. The line understands it's q quick 3 step drop and they block it well. Huge play. This IS Jimbo putting these young players in positions of confidence and leverage.
8:56	1/10	at Gt46	I	Ponder, C pass complete to Parker, P for 11 yards to the GT35, 1ST DOWN FS.
First, GT is holding Caz badly. 2nd, this is a really, really tough throw. My guess is that Ponder wanted to go to Caz, saw the route not developing because of the holding, and his 2nd progression was Parker. This isn’t a great throw, but it's very difficult to make. We couldn't throw this with Drew. Great catch by Preston and great job to get it to him.
9:09	2/3	at Gt28	I	Thomas, J. rush for 10 yards to the GT18, 1ST DOWN FS (Jackson, K.).
What do you think? Designed cutback? I doubt it. The 62 yard jaunt will get the accolades, but his 2nd scamper of the day and this run to daylight were much better from a running perspective. Some backs just see the lane. Some never do. Clinton Portis did this really well for Denver several years ago.
9:26	1/10	at Gt18	Chollie w/ a TE?	Thomas, J. rush for 12 yards to the GT6, 1ST DOWN FS, out-of-bounds (Burnett, M.).
Zone blocking! Effort! Conditioning! Coaching! Commitment to the run game! This play works because we're in better shape than the other teams (thanks coach Stroud), we play harder (not sure how), we're very well coached with an emphasis on footwork, and because we have a true commitment to run blocking within our zone scheme. Thomas appears to understand these principles. Holloway's block is great, no doubt, but watch how Caz, Datko, & Hudson block 2, then slide to seal while Caz climbs to the 2nd level. That is all about footwork and the commit step at the snap and nobody teaches that zone principle like Coach Rick Trickett. I'd post his e-mail and ask that we all give him thanks, but I doubt he wants to read through all that. THANK YOU COACH TRICKETT!! Beautiful. This team displays a ton of patience and confidence; a marked difference from the Wake game.

For the play at 0:30, this is the note: This was a check. Zone. Strike to carr. Immediate and throw. Nice running. Jimbo did a good job exploiting the hard corner and deep safety. If this was supposed to be a slant, however, it wasn't a very good route, and this would hurt us later...(Carr should have been flatter on the interception).
The offensive line got away with a lot of holding during pass protection and still gave up 5 sacks. It's not a criticism, but a reality. We need to hold more and more, even to the point of absurdity, because the referees will not call this.
I was very impressed with the run blocking of this offensive line, particularly the right side, which Tech essentially dared Jimbo to run on.
Tech was smart to play off and outside leverage in the first half; we hadn't shown that we could consistently throw the slant and the sit down. I didn't understand going back to this later in the game though.
Ponder made 2 or 3 highly questionable throws. I'm okay with it for now, because they were DOWN THE FIELD. If he was making them short and wide, I'd be very worried.
Ponder did a great job staying in the Pocket, sliding, and moving WITHIN the pocket in an effort to find receivers. The TD throw to Holloway is a great example.
Passing concepts that were heavily featured: Modified Smash (Curl and Out, instead of Curl and Corner). We also ran all curls several times out of 5-wide.
Rick Trickett said that only 3 of the 5 sacks were on his line. Be aware in calling for Jermaine Thomas that he doesn't yet do a good job in blitz pickup. I don't expect him to as a freshman.
I am going to save most of my defensive comments. We've already talked about this a lot throughout the week. Instead, I've included 9 big plays that hurt FSU in video... After the jump...

GT vs Florida State Cox 1 yard TD Run (via fireballflig)

GT vs Florida State Roddy Jones to the 1 (via fireballflig)

GT vs. Florida State Greg Smith TD run (via fireballflig)

Georgia Tech Football - The Florida State Game (via RamblinWreckTube)

GEORGIA TECH vs fLORIDA sTATE UNIVERSITY (via BerriePhoto)