The conclusion to our countdown doesn’t feature a stunner like Georgia Southern over Georgia or Northern Iowa over BYU, but you can take my word that when Cal Poly travels to San Diego State in week one the Mustangs will be in perfect position to upset the Aztecs. Check the links below to recap the last three parts of our countdown.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

#1: Cal Poly at San Diego State (August 28^th)

Chuck Long has had a tough time getting San Diego State going in his two years here and despite having a fairly veteran offense in 2007 the Aztecs still stumbled their way to a 4-8 record. The Aztecs finished 115^th out of 119 FBS teams in total defense last season, allowing a staggering 498 yards per contest, including a “just shoot us now” 241 yards per game on the ground. Offensively San Diego State has quite a bit of retooling to do as they lose eight players off of last year’s offense including NFL bound quarterback Kevin O’Connell and wide receivers Brett Swain and Chaz Schilens. Even more pressing however may be the questions at offensive line, as the Aztecs return zero experience at the tackle position and only two starters on the offensive line. This is not a good storyboard for a team which averaged “only” 25 points per game on offense last year while benefiting from a +6 turnover margin. I use the word “only” because San Diego State will need to score points in order to even be competitive in the MWC. Considering how many teams need 2-3 games to establish an identity on offense it certainly seems more than conceivable that San Diego State would come sluggish in their opener with Cal Poly.

Cal Poly on the other hand is coming off of a successful 7-4 campaign which saw the Mustangs finish 24^th in the final Sports Network FCS media poll. Coach Rich Ellerson’s bunch led the nation in total offense during the regular season last year, falling just short of the 500 yard per game mark. They posted impressive wins over UC Davis (63-28), Idaho State (48-28) and Weber State (47-19) in 2007, while losing close matchups to WAC member Idaho (20-13) and North Dakota State (31-28.) The Mustangs return ten starters from their record setting offense in 2008, with the lone graduation loss being offensive lineman Daniel Bradley. Defensively they return seven starters, and while they weren’t lights out last year Cal Poly did have a dominating defense in 2006.

I like Cal Poly in this matchup for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their recent success against FBS programs as well as their established offensive dominance. Cal Poly actually beat San Diego State 16-14 in 2006 and would have beaten Idaho last year had it not been for seven fumbles which gave the Vandals a decided edge in the turnover department. While San Diego State does bring back eight starters on the defensive side of the ball I really question whether or not they’ll be improved enough in the first week of 2008 to stop Jonathan Dally and the Mustang offense. Keep in mind Cal Poly runs a triple option offense not totally dissimilar to what Air Force runs, and that the Falcons totaled more than 650 offensive yards (!!!) against San Diego State last season. Even with a comparatively average defense by FCS standards Cal Poly remains much more experienced than San Diego State’s offense, which will likely struggle controlling the ball as they break in a new quarterback, two new starting receivers, and an overhauled offensive line. It’s a good thing they don’t put lines out on inter-subdivision games because if they did I’d put money down on Cal Poly, which is exactly why this is my most likely FCS over FBS upset in 2008.

In a move that will likely keep the Notre Dame Fighting Irish an Independent football program for at least the next decade, the school extended their current deal with NBC Sports to broadcast Irish home games through the 2015 season. The AP also reports that the new deal, which takes effect for the 2011 season, will give the Peacock Network seven home games and neutral site game with Notre Dame being the home team.

With a new round of television negations due, specifically the current Bowl Championship Series deal with Fox that expires after the 2010 title game, any chance to pull the storied Irish program into another conference, such as the Big Ten or Big East, becomes much more difficult as any conference looking to make that deal would have to deal with NBC as well. Chances are if the Big Ten expands to twelve, it would not be the Irish as the conference has a large deal in place with ABC/ESPN. Conferences with twelve teams are allowed to host conference title games, bringing in millions of dollars to the SEC, Big 12, and the ACC.

NBC and Notre Dame have been partners for all Irish home games since 1991, currently paying the school $9 million a year for the seven game package.

I hope everyone enjoyed the first few picks of my most likely FCS over FBS upsets for 2008. In an effort to prolong the suspense and incur more complaints from ACC fans I’ve decided to get to games seven through five tomorrow morning. Today however we are taking a look at a hodgepodge of FCS (I-AA for you purists) related links to include blogs, websites, and You Tube videos.

If you’re not familiar with FCS football I’d suggest checking some of these out, as by now you’ve probably had just about as much USC, Florida, and Texas news and notes as a sane person could possibly stand. Not so much? Well, at least I have.

First things first, let’s get to the blogs. While there isn’t as big of a market for FCS coverage from the college football blogosphere as there is for FBS teams, there are still several great places to read up on some of the best teams and leagues from around the country. One of my favorites is Frank Smith’s UMass Football Blog. Frank is about as immersed in the football program at the University of Massachusetts as a fan can get, and provides daily updates on the happenings of FCS teams from around the country. He’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to teams from the Colonial Athletic Conference, and has keen eye for what it takes for FCS teams to upset FBS teams.

Another solid option for FCS reading is Chuck Burton’s Lehigh Football Nation, which contrary to its title is not exclusively about Lehigh or football. Consider it a one stop shop for commentary and analysis from around the Patriot league, and a very good one at that.

Moving right along, the New Hampshire Football Report does a great job on keeping tabs on not only University of New Hampshire football program, but all levels of football throughout the state to include high school. If you’re looking for Big Sky conference coverage you’re in luck, as no FCS conference is more represented than the one many people believe is among the best in the country.

The place to check out all the happenings in Big Sky football is BigSkyFans.com, which recently did an expert analysis on the OOC schedule for Big Sky conference teams.

Another great place to read up on Big Sky Football is Steve Bergum’s Eastern Washington Sports Blog. Also notable is Kellis Robinett’s Idaho State sports Blog, which tells you everything you ever wanted to know and more about Pocatello’s Bengals.

And don’t forget The Grizzoulian, which is the place to catch up on University of Montana athletics and football. Colin O’Keefe does an awesome job covering the Griz, while at the same time providing meaningful commentary and analysis from across the Big Sky conference.

Outside of blogs, there are also a number of traditional websites and web forums that provide great coverage and updated news on all the FCS teams from around the country. Perhaps the best place to start out is CollegeSportingNews.com, which could rightly be called the foremost authority on small school football on the web.

Another favorite of mine is the massive FCS message forum AnyGivenSaturday.com. AGS is full of knowledgably, dedicated fans from every FCS school in the country, and if you’re looking for the latest scoop this is the place to check out.

If you’re in to weekly previews I definitely suggest checking out the FCS Weekly Preview, where Eric Gemunder does a fantastic job breaking down all the week’s FCS games each week during the season. And don’t forget the FCS Launchpad, where you can find even more links to polls, rankings, and commentary from around the Championship Subdivision.

Now, on to the really fun stuff. You Tube has become an essential tool for today’s college football fan, and not just for the fans of top FBS teams for that matter. Many FCS teams have highlights posted on You Tube, while many more have features and interviews with players and coaches. For starters, you can actually watch entire football games from! one of the universities to later be featured on our upset countdown. McNeese State went undefeated in the regular season last year, and if you’ve got two and a half hours to kill you can see them upset the likes of Louisiana Lafayette or obliterate Southern Utah.

But wait; let’s say you’re the kind of person who needs your Sportscenter highlights. Not to worry, as you can watch, rewatch, and watch Tyler Roehl run all over Minnesota again and again. If Montana football is your thing, or you just like watching high quality abridged versions of Big Sky football domination, you can also check out all of Montana’s regular season wins in 2007. And of course, no discussion about FCS teams on You Tube could be complete without the many versions and highlights of Appalachian State’s victory over Michigan last season. You can relive highlights here, over here, and my personal favorite here.

Click away my friends, a whole new college football experience awaits!

Note: This is part of our ongoing “FCS Week” feature here at ITB. Continue to check back this week for more news and analysis from around the Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA.)

For fans of college football’s top teams, this is usually the time of year when we obsess about preseason rankings, compulsively assess the situation of our teams’ conference rivals, and often completely forget to worry about that small state or private school down the road that was given a half million dollar check to essentially be blown out in a warm-up performance. Yet for the fans of those schools, and for the fans of Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) schools everywhere across the country, the prospect of such a game presents the challenge of the lifetime, and a chance to rise from relative obscurity to national prominence for at least one Saturday afternoon. Last year we were given a crash course in just what an inter-subdivision upset could mean, with Corey Lynch’s blocked field goal against Michigan serving as the iconic image of the season. While this year’s matchups may not present the kind of earth-shattering implications as Appalachian State’s upset of Michigan did, beginning on August 28th dozens of these FCS teams will be chasing that same dream, and trying to play the role of David against their respective Goliath’s. Over the next week we’ll be counting down the Top 10 most likely FCS over FBS upsets of 2008, as well as discussing the trends of these upsets and just what it takes for these smaller programs to take down even proven FBS winners. Keep in mind this list is just an assessment of the FCS teams with the best chances to take down certain FBS teams; meaning, among other things, that there could be more or less upsets than the ten I have listed here. Today we’re looking at my tenth through eighth most likely upsets for 2008, and starting at a very familiar place…

#10: Appalachian State at LSU (August 30^th)

Louisiana State University is fresh off of a National Championship in which the Tigers won the SEC and pounded Ohio State 38-24 to take the title of the number one team in America. Surely such a team would be unstoppable against a lowly FCS team, wouldn’t it? The answer is probably a very solid “of course,” but when discussing Appalachian State one almost needs to throw all of last season’s accolades out the window. So let’s start with what we know. LSU has a quarterback “situation” after Les Miles finally booted oft-troubled quarterback Ryan Perrilloux from the team this spring, with redshirt freshmen Jarrett Lee and former Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch in the mix for the starting job come August 30^th. The Tigers return thirteen starters overall but do lose some key players to the NFL, most notably Outland trophy winner Glenn Dorsey at DT, leading rusher Jacob Hester at RB, and top tacklers Craig Steltz and Ali Highsmith on the defense. Starting quarterback Matt Flynn also departs, as does wide receiver Early Doucet and both starting cornerbacks. While LSU certainly has the talent to eventually replace these players (with the possible exception of Dorsey) it won’t be easy, and despite a fairly light slate in September it’s not unreasonable to expect the Tigers to go through some growing pains, especially on defense.  It’ll be interesting to see if this lack of championship experience at critical positions like quarterback and safety effects the way Les Miles runs his team. We all know he’s a gambler in every sense of the word, but without his most trusted offensive and defensive tools the Tigers may not find the kind of returns they expected on their early season gambles.

By now every college football fan in America is acquainted with the Appalachian State Mountaineers, and thankfully no longer on account of the Boone, North Carolina school’s reputation for being “hot, hot, hot.” I could go on documenting the 2007 Mountaineer season in detail but frankly it boils down to this; upset Michigan, make it to the playoffs, win a third straight FCS National Championship game. The fact that ASU lost conference games to Wofford and Georgia Southern almost seems irrelevant, but it does prove one thing, and that is that the Mountaineers are by no means invincible. While the offense was the top ranked in the country last season (averaging 488 yards per game) the Mountaineers only return five starters for ‘08 and must find a way to replace a 1000-yard rusher in Kevin Richardson, their three top reeivers (including second round draft choice Dextor Jackson), as well as three All-American offensive lineman. This is an extremely tall order and although Appalachian State remains one of the most talented teams in the FCS it is unlikely that they’ll be able to come out with the same explosiveness that they did against Michigan last season. Things look a little clearer on the defensive side of the ball as Appalachian State returns seven starters including all three linebackers in Jacque Roman, DJ Smith, and Pierre Banks. Nevertheless, there are still questions surrounding the defense, which finished the year a ho-hum 70^th in the country while allowing 380 yards per game. ASU loses all four starting members of the secondary including All-American and NFL-bound safety Corey Lynch, who was the cornerstone upon which ASU’s championship defenses had been built. The fact that three of those starters were three-year starters cannot be overlooked, and despite an infusion of young talent this group looks impossible to replace and likely will struggle against a very good LSU receiving corps. Even with the secondary concerns this is still a talented team led by what some are calling a legitimate Heisman trophy contender in QB Armanti Edwards, and as always they are very well coached and well schemed in the spread offense which gave Michigan’s supposedly more talented defense fits last year. With the entire front seven back on the defensive side of the football they should improve against the run, which will be critical if they’re to stifle an LSU running game which could lean heavily on Keiland Williams and Trindon Holliday. Jerry Moore refuses to let this team get complacent and while they’re not going to sneak up on LSU like they did Michigan, they certainly have no shortage of self-confidence.

I know what you’re thinking; lightning couldn’t possibly strike twice, could it? In all honesty it likely won’t, as even a quarterback depleted LSU presents considerable problems for an Appalachian State team which figures to compete for a fourth consecutive National Championship. Nevermind this SEC speed fallacy everyone keeps talking about, the real difference between LSU and Michigan will be attitude and outlook. Simply put nobody is going to underestimate the Mountaineers after last year, and playing under the lights in a nationally televised contest like this could be a much bigger issue for a more inexperienced ASU team. Despite the fact that LSU’s quarterback position remains uncertain, the Tiger’s have talent and depth at all the skill positions and matchup considerably well against the Mountaineer secondary. Armanti Edwards is going to look good against virtually anyone, but it will be interesting to see how he does without the majority of his supporting cast from last year’s upset, particularly his top-three pass catchers. By the same token it will be interesting to see how the LSU quarterback, whether it be Lee or Hatch, comes out against ASU’s defense, and whether or not LSU plays a more conservative brand of offense. This should be a competitive game and although this LSU team is not nearly as vulnerable as Michigan was last year the Mountaineers have proven they don’t back down to anyone and that’s why I give Coach Moore and his squad at least a fighting chance against the defending FBS National Champions.

#9: Wofford at South Carolina (September 6^th)

Is this the year Steve Spurrier finally gets the Gamecocks to the top of the SEC East standings? Upon first inspection it very may well be, as South Carolina returns seventeen total starters including ten on the defensive side of the ball from a team that went 6-6. But it seems like you never can tell with Spurrier and SC and despite an infusion of talent in the program they’ve still had their ups and downs during his tenure. Case in point the offense, which has failed to eclipse 24 points per game during Spurrier’s three years here, largely due to inconsistent quarterback play. While the good news for 2008 is that presumed starter Chris Smelley has experience (six starts in two years) the bad news is that he’s been inconsistent and doesn’t have the mobility Spurrier would prefer. SC’s other options may be limited however, as highly touted redshirt freshmen Stephen Garcia’s legal troubles have continued and he was suspended for the spring, while last year’s third string QB Tommy Beecher has struggled with accuracy and interceptions in limited duty. The fact that Smelley and Beecher combined for a mind-boggling eight picks in the spring game is cause for concern, especially considering the team lost its top offensive playmaker (RB Corey Boyd) to the NFL. Fortunately the defense returns virtually intact, but questionable performances against Louisiana-Lafayette (252 rush yards), LSU (290 rush yards), and Arkansas (541 rush yards) last year underscore potential matchup difficulties against run-based offenses. South Carolina has been a streaky team over the past few seasons and while they haven’t lost to an FCS school under Spurrier they did barely survive a 27-20 scare against Wofford in a 2006 season which was Spurrier’s best here.

Wofford is actually the fourth smallest school in Division I but you wouldn’t have known it by the way their football team played last year. The Terriers, who won the Southern Conference championship in 2007, have been something of a minor power in the FCS under head coach Mike Ayers, who has been named conference coach of the year four times since 2000.  Wofford runs an old-school meets new-school wingbone offense along the lines of what Paul Johnson ran at Navy, with the South Carolina school typically among the FCS leader’s in rushing yard per game (second in the country at 309 ypg in 2007.) Last season was a landmark year for the Terriers, who went 9-4 with wins over FCS heavyweights Appalachian State and Montana before losing in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to Richmond. While they don’t return a majority of starters from offense or defense from last year’s team (10 full time returning starters) they do get back 43 letterwinners and six “nonstaters” who started at least two games. While Wofford loses its top rusher from last year there is a precedence of plugging in pieces to the offense as the team has had to replace its top rusher four of the last five seasons. Likewise, even though Wofford will have to break in a new quarterback in 2008 they won’t exactly be going with a bright-eyed freshmen, as senior Ben Widmyer, who actually started against NC State last season, will have the inside track to win the job in the fall. He’ll be pushed by a talented group of young players, including Navy transfer and option protégée Robby Davis. Even with the losses to graduation this remains a potent and well coached offense, and because of the uniqueness of its scheme and ability to “plug and chug” it has the potential to give South Carolina problems.

I admit this pick may be going out on a limb (especially when you consider Wofford’s last win against the Gamecocks came in 1917) but I swear that until South Carolina and Spurrier can establish some constancy at the quarterback position this team is going to be schizophrenic. Yes South Carolina is an SEC program which returns 17 starters and yes they managed wins against Kentucky and Georgia last season, but the reality of the situation is that they’ve been slow starters under Spurrier and their run defense has been mediocre. Spurrier and his team barely survived a Wofford upset bid in 2006 where Wofford came within a 4^th and five conversion of tying the game at 27. Instead the Terriers fell 27-20 but they proved they could compete with South Carolina. This year Wofford gets two weeks to prepare for this game and because of their unique offense and the fact that South Carolina will be coming off a tough home game against Georgia I give the Terriers and their 1,350 student enrollment a fighting chance against Spurrier’s Gamecocks, making this my ninth most likely upset of 2008.

#8 Delaware at Maryland (August 30^th)

Maryland is one of those teams that is tough to get a read on. Ralph Friedgen did an absolutely amazing job here between 2001-2003 as he lead the Terps to three consecutive 10-win seasons including an ACC championship in 2001 and two impressive bowl wins in 2002 and 2003. Yet they’ve been streaky the past four seasons, finishing 5-6 in 2004 and 2005, 9-4 in 2006, and 6-7 last season. Much of this has been due to offensive inconsistency and mediocre quarterback play, which seems ironic considering both the legacy of Maryland quarterbacks of the past and the offensive background of Friedgen (hmm, remind you of another Maryland football team?) The starter on opening day is anyone’s guess, as three quarterbacks once again will take the battle into camp to see who will lead the Terps for at least the start of 2008. Remember that this was a team which was up and down in 2007, finishing the regular season off 6-6 before losing a tight game in the Emerald Bowl to Oregon State. They had their moments of dominance in wins over then 8^th ranked Boston College and 10^th ranked Rutgers, but they also lost to a mediocre North Carolina team and looked just o.k. against Villanova and Florida International. This year the Terps return eight starters on offense including four on the line, which to be fair dealt with a number of injuries last season. In addition to this they get five starters back on defense including middle linebacker Dave Philistin, an absolute beast who should be on track for all-conference honors. Nevertheless, the Terps have questions in the secondary with the loss of three starters, and will have to answer them in a hurry against what is traditionally one of the best passing attacks in the FCS. Talent wise the Terps are better than people give them credit for, but just like South Carolina their offense will only go so far as their up-to-now inconsistent quarterback play will take them, especially with the loss of their top two running backs from last season.

Delaware is coming off yet another successful season under head coach KC Keeler in which the Blue Hens went 11-4 and made it all the way to the National Title game before falling to Appalachian State. Offensively UD was among the Nation’s very best in 2007, finishing sixth in the country at 460 yards per contest. They do lose an outstanding quarterback in Joe Flacco to the NFL but they get another potential NFL prospect via transfer Rob Schoenhoft, who spent last year as the backup for Ohio State. Schoenhoft is a former four-star quarterback out of high school who happens to be a perfect fit for Coach Keeler’s offense with his 6’6 frame and strong arm, and should adapt well with a veteran cast of pass catchers around him (including former Pitt transfer and NFL prospect Robbie Agnone at TE.) While UD does have to replace three offensive lineman there is a tradition of developing solid O-lines here and I don’t see any reason for that not to continue in 2008. A talented group of running backs waits in the wings; including Wisconsin transfer Jerry Butler, who sat out 2007 with a leg injury. Defensively Delaware should be much improved, as nine starters return to a defense which ranked 50^th in the nation last year, including former Notre Dame DE Ronald Talley. In case you haven’t gotten the picture by now, this is a team and a program which thrives off of getting FBS transfers.  

I think the perception out there right now is that Delaware will be in a rebuilding year with the loss of a quarterback like Flacco and a runner like Omar Cuff. I don’t totally disagree with that notion but you have to remember that KC Keeler is very good at getting his teams fired up to play FBS opponents and that the Blue Hens remain one of the most talented squads in the FCS. Delaware put up 581 yards of total offense in a win at bowl-bound Navy last year and typically bring a large number of fans to mid-Atlantic contests (Maryland, in contrast, does not usually draw well for OOC games.) While Maryland does return eight starters on offense they have been a traditional slow-starter under Friedgen and haven’t shown great offensive production early in the year. I’m not sold on any of the quarterbacks here and even though they do get Josh Portis back he hasn’t taken a “live-fire” snap since 2005 and he’ll have to do against a Delaware defense which returns nine starters. Maryland’s heavy losses in the secondary are the most concerning aspects of this game as the Blue Hens return three starting wide receivers and a legitimate NFL prospect in the tight end Robbie Agnone. If the Blue Hens can protect Shoenhoft up front then he may very well be the next Flacco as he has the size, arm strength, and accuracy to play on the next level. Because of Keeler’s track record and the overall talent on Delaware’s roster I give them a good chance against the Terrapins, who will likely struggle out of the blocks offensively with continued questions at the quarterback and running back positions.

Check back tomorrow for my seventh through fifth most likely upsets!

It’s Football Championship Subdivision Week here at ITB (at least from my end, not sure what Brian has cooking for you this week) and to start us out I thought we could take a quick look at the official AnyGivenSaturday.com Fan Poll. The fan poll, which is determined by voters on the popular FCS themed web community of AnyGivenSaturday.com, has been in operation since 2004 and is considered the first “officially” released preseason poll for FCS teams each year. This isn’t just a bunch of homer fans voting for their favorite teams though, as the website has established strict guidelines for voter fairness and accuracy.

The top teams on this year’s preseason poll should come as no surprise to those who have followed the FCS in recent years, as three-time defending National Champion Appalachian State comes in at the top with 76 first-place votes. Colonial Athletic Conference heavyweights James Madison and Richmond come in second and third, respectively, with the Dukes receiving two first place votes and the Spiders receiving one. North Dakota State and Northern Iowa round out the top five, with the Bison, who defeated two FBS programs last season, receiving two first place vote.

Other notable features to the poll see Montana at #7, Delaware at #11, and Cal Poly at #13. The Cal Poly Mustangs were also named the Poll’s “Team on the Rise” while the Delaware Blue Hens were named the “Team Falling the Most” after losing star quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Omar Cuff to the NFL. The full Top 25, including a section on “Others Receiving Votes” can be viewed below:

1. Appalachian St. (76)
2. James Madison (2)
3. Richmond (1)
4. North Dakota St. (2)
5. Northern Iowa
6. Massachusetts
7. Montana
8. McNeese St.
9. Eastern Washington
10. Wofford
11. Delaware
12. Southern Illinois
13. Cal Poly (1)
14. Youngstown St.
15. Elon
16. Georgia Southern
17. Villanova
18. South Dakota St.
19. Eastern Illinois
20. New Hampshire
21. The Citadel
22. Eastern Kentucky
23. Fordham
24. Yale
25. Furman

Others receiving votes: Harvard (33), Sam Houston St. (31), Delaware St. (29), Northern Arizona (27), Central Arkansas (24), Montana St. (24), Jackson St. (23), South Carolina St. (22), Jacksonville St. (18), Grambling St. (16), Liberty (16), Holy Cross (14), Western Illinois (13), Albany (12), Hofstra (12), Dayton (10), Hampton (10), Nicholls St. (7), Coastal Carolina (5), Colgate (5), Norfolk St. (5)

Poll courtesy of AnyGivenSaturday.com.

Stay tuned to Inthebleachers.net this week as we continue our FCS coverage, including a week long special devoted to breaking down my Top 10 most likely FCS over FBS upsets for the upcoming 2008 season.

Last week Bill Conley of ESPN.com/Scouts Inc. wrote an interesting article on the importance of team sponsored summer camps in identifying under-the-radar talent at the high school level. Conley, as I’m sure some of you know, spent nearly two decades as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Ohio State, finally retiring in 2004 to work as a media analyst. Needless to say, this guy has been around the scouting block a time or two (as opposed, to you know, some washed up backup from a I-AA team.) Conley uses the example of former Ohio State safety and current Tennessee Titan Donnie Nickey as a player who came out of virtual obscurity to impress coaches at a summer Ohio State camp, earning his way to a scholarship and eventually stardom. Nickey’s story, while one of the more prolific examples in recent memory, is not the only illustration of an unheralded recruit who gets a big boost in his recruitment thanks to a strong camp showing, and this summer dozens of rising high school seniors will go through similar situations.

Having attended the Naval Academy’s summer camp as a high school underclassman in 2003 I have some familiarity with the subject, although I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I was ever in a position to be recruited, much less even compete in touch seven-on-seven’s (note to aspiring youngsters; 5’4, 130-lb cornerbacks do not match up well against even legitimate Division III level talent.) Still, despite all too frequent burnadge and an inability to understand even a simple two deep zone coverage, I left with a better understanding of the process and what the older kids (that is those with actual ability) went through in their quest to pick up a Division I-A football scholarship offer.

High school camps are still tremendously important in today’s recruiting landscape, but over the last few years we’ve seen a real growth in the prominence of independent Scouting combines. There’s the NIKE/SPARQ combines, the National Underclassman Combine, and the new look Scout.com/Under Armor combine. Over the course of May, Under Armor and Scout.com sponsored four of these combines, held in the cities of Charlotte, Cincinnati, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Today another combine will take place in my home town of Baltimore, while combines in Kansas City, Oakland, and Atlanta will take place later in the month. While there had certainly been a good deal of hoopla surrounding the top prospects entering the Under Armor sponsored combines, there have also been some ‘sleeper’ prospects who have really improved their stock in recent showings, just like Nickey did years ago at the Ohio State camp. These players, many of whom came into the month with only a few Division I offers (if any at all) proved their abilities in a series of standardized physical tests as well as one-on-one competition. Here are seven under-the-radar players (all currently 1-star rated prospects by Scout.com) from recent combines who posted strong enough performances to make their case as the next Donnie Nickey.

RB Shane McCullen, Apache Junction (AZ) - This may very well be your first time hearing about the rising senior from Arizona, but I can guarantee you it won’t be your last. Coming into last week’s Phoenix combine McCullen had already established himself as one of the best mutli-purpose backs in the state, but even his already impressive on-field performance in 2007 couldn’t have prepared scouts for what they were about to see. The 6’2, 191-lb McCullen ran an amazing 4.35 40 yard dash (highest at the combine) to go along with a 4.10 shuttle (second highest) and 35.4-inch vertical leap. Already a state track standout in the 100 meter, McCullen had curiously garnered only four offers before the combine, with only one coming from a BCS conference program. With amazing athleticism and plenty of room to fill out his 6’2 frame, expect McCullen’s scholarship offers to double or even triple over the course of the summer.

EDIT: Since writing this, McCullen has picked up offers from Utah and California. See, I told you.

WR/S Steve Hull, Sycamore (OH) - A relative unknown coming into the Cincinnati combine, Hull’s performance and attitude earned him both an on-the-spot offer from the University of Cincinnati and numerous double-takes from the so-called recruiting experts who overlooked him. Already an impressive performer at both safety and wide receiver on tape, Hull posted solid measurables with a 4.44/40 (second amongst wide receivers), 4.16 20-yard shuttle, 7.00 Three-Cone Drill (an agility and quickness test; highest at the combine) and a 9-10’ standing broad jump (second amongst receivers.) More telling perhaps was his performance in the one-on-one drills, where Hull out-muscled and out worked some of the best defensive backs in the area. Illustrating the importance of a good combine, Scout.com analyst Bob Lichtenfels went so far as to say that the single day performance by Hull probably helped him move from being a “MAC type player” to an “upper level Big Ten” prospect at the wide receiver position.

DT Jordan Stepp, Ben Davis (IN) - Is this the next Trevor Laws? Consider for a moment that of the thirteen safeties who ran the 40 yard dash at the Cincinnati combine, only two ran times faster than a 4.62. Now consider Jordan Stepp, who as a 280-lb interior lineman ran faster than those eleven players. Stepp, while undersized at just a hair over 6’0, showed elite level quickness with a 4.41 short shuttle, while posting one of the highest vertical jumps for a defensive tackle at all the Scout.com combines with a 33’ effort. Already being recruited by several MAC schools, Stepp’s strong showing in Cincinnati should garner him increased attention from some of the big boys.

WR Jeremy Dang, Peoria (AZ) - Before his MVP performance at the Phoenix combine, Dang was getting the usual interest-but-no-offer looks from schools throughout the west. At 6’2, 209 there were never any questions about his size, but a self-reported 4.67/40 yard dash (really though, it’s not that bad) likely kept some schools from offering despite solid junior year production. While he ran an average 4.80/40 at the combine, he posted a ridiculous 4.03 20-yard shuttle, which some scouts consider to be the most indicative physical test of a player’s quickness and explosion. His 37.0-inch vertical jump and a 10.5 standing broad jump were the highest at the combine regardless of position. Since his performance in Pheonix, Dang has picked up offers from Big Sky conference contenders Northern Arizona and Montana State, as well as Colorado State.

OT Taylor Lewan, Chaparrel (AZ) - Thanks to the evolution of passing offenses and the speed many top defenses have, offensive tackle has really become the new “it” position in the game over the past fifteen years. While scouts are certainly looking for players upwards of 6’5 to watch their quarterback’s blind side, they’re also looking for dynamic type athletes with the quickness to deal with the game’s best rush ends and outside linebackers. You’d think anyone with those qualities would garner tons of interest from big-time schools, but Chaparrel’s Taylor Lewan has been a relative unknown throughout the recruiting process and isn’t even ranked at his position by Scout.com. Amazingly, Lewan straight up dominated the Pheonix combine, impressing in one-on-one’s and in the physical tests. A 4.72/40, 7.60 three-cone drill, and 8-11’ broad jump were all tops for offensive lineman at the combine, a feat made all the more impressive considered his 6’6 frame. Weighing in at 252 he’s fairly light, but scouts are likely already drooling over getting this kid in a college weight room. He went into the combine with a single offer from lowly Utah State, but I’m predicting he goes into his senior year of high school with maybe a dozen offers from some of the interior west’s best.

RB Brent Michaels, Lake Havesu (AZ) - Statistically speaking Michaels has been one of the best running backs in the state of Arizona over the past two seasons. A standout with a great highlight reel, concerns over his competition level have kept many teams from offering. While McCullen rightly stole the show in Phoenix, Michaels quietly compiled a very strong resume to include a 4.41/40, 4.29 short shuttle, and a combine position leading 7.32 second three-cone drill. I honestly don’t know how many more FBS offers Michaels will receive, but he certainly showed he has the meaurables to play on the BCS conference level even if he does not attend a BCS conference school. Expect some more teams to offer over the summer and for Michaels to continue to dominate in the fall.

CB Byron Best, Greenwood (SC) - Best came into the Charlotte, North Carolina combine with no FBS offers but sure turned heads when he ran a combine leading 4.37 40-yard dash. At only 5’9, 180 size concerns may have hurt his early recruitment, but aided by his 40 time at the combine and a position leading 38.0-inch vertical leap he has since earned a scholarship offer from North Carolina. Greenwood is a highly respected South Carolina program that turns out FBS prospects with the best of them, so don’t be surprised to see more ACC programs jump into Best’s recruitment over the summer.

Other Sleeper Prospects from the May Scout.com/Under Armor Combines to Watch: RB Shad Bride, St. Johns (AZ), WR Kyle Larimer, Green Valley (NV), Joumeel McLaurine, CB Columbus East (OH), S Winston Hines, Pulaski County (KY), WR Luke Swift, Center Grove (IN), RB Ali Alaboody, Dearborn Fordon (MI).

Full List of Combine Results:
[Charlotte]
[Phoenix]
[Cincinnati]

Last week I talked about some quarterbacks that can use the 2008 college football season to take the next step from good to great. In this segment I am going to look at six quarterbacks that are going to be under the spotlight this year. Whether it be because their team has high expectations, or that they slid a little under the radar last year and won’t take anyone by surprise this season.

Stafford plays with a chip on his shoulder

With the preseason magazines set to come out this month and next, you will be hard pressed to find a top 5 without the Georgia Bulldogs in it. Their junior quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is one of the main reasons why the Bulldogs are ranked so high. If he progresses this year like he did between his freshman and sophomore year, Stafford has a chance to get some Heisman consideration. In his freshman year, Stafford threw for over 1700 yards with 7 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, then improved last year throwing for 2500 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In all the important categories his stats improved; interceptions went down, touchdowns went up, and completion percentage went up (52% to 55%). Now he has the weight of the world on his shoulders with the Bulldogs being National Title favorites. He will be under the microscope each week, and the Bulldogs have one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Since Pete Carrol has come to USC, they have been national title contenders pretty much every season. This year is no different, even with the Trojans losing their starting quarterback from last year. Some thought that the 2008 season would be the start of the Mustain train in Southern California, but the experience of Mark Sanchez was too much for Mitch Mustain and Sanchez will be the starting quarterback this fall. Sanchez did well filling in when Booty was hurt last season, throwing for almost 700 yards with 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. It is a good thing he got his feet wet because the Trojans don’t start out the year with any warm up games. Game one has them traveling to play at Virginia, and game two is when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to Southern California. Luckily for Sanchez, he has a 5-star studded backfield and wide receiver core to support him, but that might put a little more pressure on him because if USC struggles, all fingers are going to be pointed squarely at him.

Last season in the Big 12 North, Kansas and Missouri took the division by storm. They even set up an end of the year match up between the two teams for the Big 12 North title. Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing were main reasons why their teams faired so well during the season. Both quarterbacks are undersized as far as the protypical quarterback is concerned, but their heart and determination make up for it. Reesing’s stats last year had him throwing for 3400 yards with 33 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. One big knock against Reesing and the Jayhawks was that they did not play either Texas or Oklahoma in 2007. Kansas’ only loss was against Missouri and in the Orange Bowl, Reesing played superb against a tough Virginia Tech defense. With Oklahoma and Texas on the schedule this year, as well as a trip to South Florida, teams will be well prepared for Reesing this year, so it will be interesting to see if his play will continue to soar.

Harper hopes to take pressure off the running game

Daniel’s stats in 2007 are almost mind boggling. He threw for 4300 yards, 33 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a whopping 68% completion percentage. Chase is on a lot of short lists for the Heisman Trophy award this year, which he finished in the top 3 in 2007. There is no Oklahoma on the schedule for the Tigers this year, but a game at Texas and starting the season against Illinois should be tough tasks for the Tigers. The Tigers lost Tony Temple to graduation as well as their talented TE Rucker. Stopping Daniel will be task #1 for all defensive coordinators, but the question is, can it be done?

Not a household name, but Rutgers’ senior quarterback Mike Teel will be entering his third year as starting quarterback of the Scarlet Knights. In those few seasons, Rutgers went from the laughing stock of college football, to a top team in the Big East Conference. So I am sure you are asking, why the heck is Mike Teel on this list? Plain and simple, the Scarlet Knights no longer have Ray Rice to carry the load for them. Mike Teel will be asked to do a lot more with the football than in years past. He has to make the difficult throws and protect the football if Rutgers want to challenge for the Big East title. In his two years as starter, his touchdown, passing yards, and completion percentage has grown, but his interceptions has stayed the same (13 each year). He has to get that number under 10 and get that completion percentage over 60%. Their first game should be a fun test for Teel, with the Fresno State Bulldogs coming to New Jersey. All eyes will be on Teel and the Knights to see if they can derail this year’s version of the Hawaii Warriors.

Quick, can you name me the quarterback who played the best in the ACC in 2007? I bet many of you think it is Matt Ryan, but you are wrong. CJ Spiller and James Davis get all of the press clippings, but it is Cullen Harper who should be getting some attention. Last season Harper threw for almost 3000 yards with 27 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a completion percentage at 65%. Harper has the luxury of having two great backs behind him to take some of the pressure off of the passing game, but at the same time it is up to him, to keep up the good play so that the running game works so effectively. Clemson is a favorite to win the ACC and opens up at home against Alabama. Teams might load up in the box and force Harper to air it out, which leaves the team’s hopes of a BCS bowl bid, square in his hands. I think this is a guy you could possibly see at the Heisman Ceremony come December.

A special thanks to Adam Nettina for keeping this blog afloat for the past few weeks. Even though he has a strange infatuation with Phil Steele, he does great work and is a big asset to In The Bleachers. You will see Adam hopefully throughout the offseason and into next season. I apologize for my lack of writing, the NHL Playoffs have been keeping my mind off of college football, but I am re-energized and ready to start talking more about the 2008 season.

My favorite position to analyze is the quarterback, they are the ones that are either the heroes or the goats of the game. If a quarterback is lucky enough to start as a sophomore or freshman, they are given a little more leeway since they are younger and are more prone to mistakes. But what makes them an elite quarterback is their ability to take the “next step” to that higher level. I have identified 7 quarterbacks that have the talent, started early, and now it is time for them to take the next step.

Deacon Fans have high hopes for Skinner

In 2006, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were the feel good cinderella story of the year and one of the big reasons why was the play of their freshman quarterback Riley Skinner. Skinner had a good year as freshman quarterback throwing for over 2000 yards with 9 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. In his second year his passing yards went up a little, as did his completion percentage, but his interceptions went up to 13, and he missed two games in the 2007 season. He did have 12 touchdown passes, but you always want your QB to have more passing touchdowns than interceptions. For Skinner to make that next step, he has to improve on those interception numbers and not turn the ball over as much.

The next person on my list, might be a bit of a surprise, but if you look at his play from one season to the next you will understand why he is on it. Colt McCoy had a stellar freshman season with the Longhorns, which landed him on many lists for Heisman hopefuls in early 2007. But McCoy’s play early on in 2007 was very much less than stellar. In his first 5 games against less than average opponents, McCoy threw 8 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions. He ended the season with 22 and 18, and with a lower completion percentage than the year before. With the losses in the skill positions on offense, the pressure is going to be even greater on McCoy to protect the ball and produce points. So we should find out early if Texas will get back the McCoy of his freshman year or not.

Matt Grothe has been a big pain in the neck to Big East coaches his first two years at South Florida. Each of his first two seasons he has hovered around the 1 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio, which as I stated earlier must improve for him to become elite, but also Grothe disappeared down the stretch for the Bulls in the later half of 2007. Teams have focused on him and now it is up to the Bulls coaching staff to become creative and find ways for Grothe to exploit opposing defenses. USF has the chance to vault to the top of the Big East, but the Bulls will only go as far as the arm, and legs of Matt Grothe take them.

Ty’s job is riding on Locker’s shoulders

Some call him the savior, some call him the second coming of Ron Paulus, but any way you put it Notre Dame is excited to have Jimmy Clausen under center. I will be honest here, I was not a big Clausen fan, but he did well in his first season under center considering the fact that Notre Dame had no rushing game and their offensive line had more holes in it than a cheese grater. But as we all know, Domer fans are not patient, they want results now. Hopes are high for Clausen after his lack luster performance (10-of-27 passing for 183 yards) in the Irish’s spring game. Clausen has a strong arm and the toughness to be a good quarterback, but whether he takes that step up this year or next is another question. If the Irish are going to go bowling this year, it will be because of this man.

At 6 foot 3 inches and 225 lbs, Jake Locker has a big frame which he needs to play quarterback the way he does. In his first season as Huskies quarterback, Locker threw for over 2000 yards and ran for over 900 more. The two glaring bad points with him are that his completion percentage was below 50% and he threw one more interception than touchdown. Not bad at all for a freshman, so why is he on this list? Well his coach Tyrone Willingham, the guy who recruited Locker, is running on borrowed time. He needs to win now to keep his job for another season, and for that to happen Locker has to improve his offensive output, and decrease his turnovers. That is not going to be an easy task playing in the Pac 10 where the Huskies won 2 games last year, and 4 overall.

I save the best for last, well the quarterback with the best name. John Parker Wilson will be a three year starter when the 2008 season begins for the Crimson Tide. It will be his second year under Nick Saban. Unfortunately for him, he will no longer have his favorite target DJ Hall to throw to, but with the way the Tide have been recruiting, there will be some young freshman ready to step in. The main problem with Parker Wilson is his consistency. He will go stretches of games where he is just plain lack luster, even against team where he should be padding his stats. The past two years Alabama snuck into bowl games with a 6-6 record, and I don’t think Tide fans would be happy if they had anything less than 9 wins this year. Parker Wilson is a senior now, the leader of the team. He needs to completed over 60% of his passes and keep his interceptions below the double digit mark. If he does that, you will see the Tide challenging for the top of the SEC West, if not, no New Years Day bowl for Alabama.

Former LSU and oft-troubled quarterback Ryan “Hunk Fiji” Perrilloux has officially transferred to FCS middleweight Jacksonville State.

What This Means: While I can’t say I’ve had much sympathy for Perrilloux, I think this is a mutually beneficial situation that he’s stepping into. Considering Jacksonville State didn’t have any scholarship quarterbacks on the roster he’s clearly doing them a favor by stepping into a tough situation, while Head Coach Jack Crowe is doing him a favor by virtually guaranteeing him a starting spot. But don’t just assume Perrilloux will dominate at a lower level and play his way back into NFL prospectdom. He’s bound to be on a short leash considering he’s taking over for a quarterback who was kicked off the team, and has shown a propensity for finding trouble in the past even when he knows he’s run out of fifth chances. If nothing else, this gives us another reason to tune into the Jacksonville State-Georgia Tech matchup on August 28. Something tells me Bristol is scrambling to get involved in this one.

BYU running back Manase Tonga was ruled academically ineligible for the 2008 season, and will have to take a redshirt before reapplying to the University if he wants to play in 2009.

What This Means: Not a whole lot. Don’t get me wrong, in an offense based on role players Tonga was one of BYU’s best last year. A solid blocker and receiver out of the backfield, he ran for 305 yards and eight touchdowns for the Cougars in limited duty. But BYU is stacked in the backfield, returning both MWC Freshmen of the Year Harvey Unga (1227 yards, 13 TD) and a finally healthy Taufui Vakapuna (252 yards in ’07, 445 yards in ’06.) Unga is truly as talented as they come, while Vakapuna, when healthy, is an absolute load to bring down. When you throw in highly touted redshirt freshmen J.J. DiLuigi to the mix, BYU has one of the best backfields in the entire country even without Tonga.

The Big East reportedly was in negotiations to bring Memphis into the conference as a possible expansion team, then reportedly was not.

What It Means: It seems like just yesterday we were still writing Big (L)east and never missing an opportunity to make the constant aside about how much the new Big East sucks. That being said dumping Temple and moving to an eight team football conference hasn’t been bad at all for the Big East, and despite basically perpetual calls for adding a ninth team by fans and media members I don’t know if this is something that needs to be rushed along. I do know one thing, and that’s that Army, Navy, and Notre Dame aren’t going anywhere, so when the Big East does decide to expand, it will either have to come internally (like ‘Nova moving up from the FCS) or will have to come from Memphis or East Carolina.

ACC Athletic Directors decided to scrap possible plans for adding a ninth conference game.

What This Means: Boo-hoo. I know the folks in SEC and Pac-10 country are whining over this as usual, but being from ACC country I applaud this move. Why? Because we have great regional games here on the east coast, games that often feature matchups between the ACC and Conference-USA or the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Conference. People love to knock these “lower” matchups because of how easily they perceive the ACC slate to be, but God forbid the sport of college football be extended out of hallowed SEC conference. Personally, I’d much rather see a highly motivated CAA team try to knock off a mid-level ACC team than be subjected to seeing Clemson put up 70 on Duke.

League Commissioner John Swofford has announced that the ACC will no longer participate in the Humanitarian Bowl after 2008, a move which will terminate one reluctant ACC team’s annual pilgrimage to the Smurf Turf.

What It Means: With the approval of the Congressional Bowl this was bound to happen, as the ACC is now affiliated with nine (count them: NINE) bowl tie-ins for 2008. Considering the ACC probably won’t have nine bowl eligible teams, it makes sense to cut ties with Humanitarian Bowl, which has always been looked on as something of a punishment by fans and media members. For the record, I hate it when people knock Boise, which really is a pretty awesome city in one of the coolest regions of our country. Maybe not a cup of tea for some Miami fan in December, but hopefully my Midshipmen can jump on this in 2009 and give me a decent excuse to get out to Sun Valley for some skiing.

Mailbag, did you say Mailbag?

I like to think myself a fairly astute observer of the college football game, especially the non-BCS conferences. So, in an effort to make our slow crawl into the college football preview season a little more interesting, I’ve decided to set up a “Non-BCS Conference Mailbag” over here at ITB. Basically we can do this one of two ways. One, you send your questions, comments, concerns, or queries to guyontheright-at-gmail.com and I answer them here on the blog, OR I make up questions by people named A. Howard Rogers and post the answers on the blog. Frankly I’d rather try the first option, so let’s have at it.

DB Andrew Sendejo, Rice- A rock at 6’1, 213, Sendajo is also one of Conference USA’s best kept secrets. Incredibly active, he’s one of the most versatile defensive backs in the entire country, intercepting five passes (one returned for a touchdown) and notching up 107 tackles in 2007 as a true sophomore. Sendejo is one of the rare combinations of a guy with great range who also happens to be a ferocious hitter, and looks primed to lead what figures to be a much improved Rice Owl defense is 2008.

DE Larry English, Northern Illinois- NIU may have struggled through an injury plagued 2007 campaign, but for the second consecutive year defensive end Larry English was all but unstoppable for opposing offensive lines. The rising senior recorded 10.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and recovered a fumble for a touchdown in 2007. At 6’3, 254 he figures to be a classic tweener at the next level, but for now he remains one of the most relentless defensive ends in the game. With NIU rebuilding under new head coach Jerry Kill, I look for English to lead a refocused defense in 2008.

OLB Clayton Mullins, Miami (Oh)- The reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Mullins played like a man possessed in 2007 for the Red Hawks, totaling 143 tackles (69 solo, 16 tfl), four sacks, and six passes defended. At 6’2, 235 he has next level size for his position at outside linebacker, and more than enough speed and recognition ability to make plays both between the lines and on the perimeter. The leader of the MAC’s best defense, Mullins and Miami should contend for the MAC title yet again in 2008.

LB Frantz Joseph, Florida Atlantic- A big part of FAU’s unlikely turnaround in 2007, Joseph finished 28th in the country in tackles per game last year with just over 10 per contest. He also led the Sun Belt conference in tackles for loss (17) while recording two interceptions and two and a half sacks. Originally a transfer from Boston College, Joseph is a tremendous competitor with great range and instincts who should have FAU back in contention for the Sun Belt crown in 2008.

LB Adam Leonard, Hawaii- A first team all WAC selection in 2007, Leonard is not only one of the WAC’s hardest hitters, but one of its biggest defensive playmakers. Second on the team with 105 tackles last season (53 solo, 11.5 tfl) Leonard also took two interceptions back for touchdowns and broke up four passes. Not the tallest player, he nevertheless has a great feel for the game and the always underrated ability to shed blocks with ease. He’s a versatile player can play either the “mac” or “buck” linebacker positions as they’re known in Honolulu, and should be a major asset in new head coach Greg McMackin’s efforts to keep the program competitive.

DT John Fletcher, Wyoming- One of the major factors in Wyoming’s defensive dominance over the past two years, Fletcher is the 6’6, 275-lb stonewall that anchors the Cowboy defensive line. A dominating force inside with long arms and a powerful upper body, Fletcher registered an unusually high 10.5 sacks from the defensive tackle position last year, in addition to 14 tackles for a loss. His size and athleticism makes him a potential NFL sleeper down the road, but for now he remains the anchor on one of the country’s best and most underrated defensive lines.

FS Ryan Downard, Eastern Michigan- When commentators use the term “playing center field” to describe the actions of a free safety, their explaining the way rising sophomore Ryan Downard played in 2007 to a tee. Downard is one of those guys who has the uncanny ability to just make plays on the football, picking off six passes as a redshirt freshmen last year. I love his feel for the game at free safety, and he shows maturity beyond his years in reading quarterbacks. His continued progression gives perennial MAC bottom feeder Eastern Michigan a chance to be competitive in the MAC next season.

CB Joe Burnett, Central Florida- A rising senior who originally declared for the 2008 NFL draft, Burnett instead chose to return to Central Florida for his senior season after a monster junior campaign in 2007. An aggressive corner who excels against both the pass (12 career interceptions) and the run (148 career solo stops), Burnett also doubles as one of the nation’s most explosive punt returners with three career touchdown returns. His versatility and nose for the football make him not only one of the best defenders in the conference, but also a potential Day 1 draft pick in next year’s draft.

DB Wyatt Middleton, Navy- While I’m willing to admit that this is a blatently homeristic call on my part, I truly believe Middleton is the second coming of former Navy great Josh Smith, who recorded about a bazillion tackles for the Mids between 2002-2004 and was basically a one-man wrecking crew who I swear could have made it in the NFL had he wanted to. Middleton isn’t overly flashy (at least not yet) but he does do what 95% of college defenders can’t- he tackles with proper form. In a day and age where defenders almost always leave their feet, forget to bring their arms, and most of the time get truly and disgustingly high pad level, Middleton displays proper form and good courage against much bigger players. While my esteemed colleague has often noticed his habit of being out of position in the passing game, a solid spring should pay dividends on the field in 2008.

Note: UCF cornerback Johnell Neal was to be included in this list until a recent shooting on May 10th left him injured and put his status in jeopardy for the 2008 season. Neal, who recently graduated early from UCF, picked off six passes in 2007 and broke up another ten. We wish him a speedy recovery and return to the field, whether it be on the college level or the next.