#31: RB Eugene Jarvis, Kent State

The Verdict:It’s often tempting for analysts to overlook the production of a back like Jarvis, who at 5-foot-5 enters his senior season as one of the smallest feature backs in major college football.  While he certainly benefits from his small size in Kent State’s zone-read offensive scheme (making it difficult for linebackers to pick him up coming out of the mesh), Jarvis is still a tremendously gifted back who brings unquestionable versatility to the Golden Flashes offense. Not only has Jarvis accounted for over 4000 total yards during his three-year career for the Flashes, but the diminutive back brings cat like quickness and game changing ability to a program which is otherwise known only as being the Alma mater of a one Lou Holtz. He has tremendouse field vision, and his quickness and ability to hit the cutback lanes is unmatched within the MAC. Injured during part of 2008, Kent State took a major step back without Jarvis in the lineup last year, but could be a player in the MAC this year if the former first team All-Conference back can get back to his 2007 form, in which he rushed for 1669 yards and snagged 23 passes.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk] [#35: ULM LB Cardia Jackson] [#34: CMU WR Bryan Anderson] [#33: SJSU DE Carl Ihenacho] [#32: ASU DE Alex Carrington]

# 32:DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State

The Verdict:At 6-foot-5, 285-pounds, Arkansas State’s Alex Carrington is the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most under-the-radar defenders in the entire country. An ideal NFL prospect with a quick first step and the ability to overpower offensive linemen at the point of attack, Carrington dominated opposing tackles a season ago, picking up a conference leading 19 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks. What I like about Carrington is that he’s not just a pass rusher, and shows outstanding gap presence and containment discipline against the run. He seldom gets caught out of position on plays, and doesn’t get fooled on inside zone fakes like a lot of physically gifted defensive ends do. His 53 tackles a season ago were the most for a defensive lineman on his team (an impressive fact considering the types of offenses Arkansas State played against), and he has already been named to the Lott and Lombardi Award watch lists for 2009. Likely a mid-round draft pick for 2010, Carrington could become on the hottest defensive names coming out of the college ranks if he has another great season for the Red Wolves.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk] [#35: ULM LB Cardia Jackson] [#34: CMU WR Bryan Anderson] [#33: SJSU DE Carl Ihenacho]

#33: DE Carl Ihenacho, San Jose State

The Verdict:While much of the nation’s attention gravitated towards Spartan defensive tackle and YouTube phenom Jarron Gilbert during the 2008 season, one could make the case that the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Ihenacho began the season with just as good of a start. A fast-twitch defender who comes off the ball with elite quickness, the Nigerian native actually led the WAC in both sacks and tackles for a loss through seven weeks of the season last year, until a thumb injury against Boise State crippled his production through the final five games. Despite missing all of one game and being less than 100% in the final four, Ihenacho (whose brother, Duke, plays linebacker for SJSU) still earned second team All-WAC honors and recorded an impressive 47 solo tackles on the season. While he projects as an outside linebacker on the next level, his outstanding speed (4.7/40) and ability to use his hands make him an intriguing player who could excel as both a pass rusher and a run stuffer.

For the incoming class of freshman, if they have not already reported to school for summer sessions, they will be there within a week or two. In that time they will get acclimated with the rigors of being a student and being to work out with their new teammates. So if you’ve been busy getting your freshman ready for school…here is what you missed in the past week.

What we’ve been working on:

We once again went out and got you another quality guest for the podcast. ESPN’s Bruce Feldman joined us last week to talk SEC and Pac 10 football. The podcast is pretty USC heavy, but when you are annually one of the best teams in the country, who has won 7 straight Pac Ten titles, and have one of the hottest starting quarterback battles going on…well you are going to hear about it. For you SEC fans, Bruce has some interesting thoughts on the SEC West, which should be a fun race to watch this year.

Just so you don’t think we are going to rest on our past accomplishments, Adam and I have another great guest lined up for a podcast which will be ready for your listening pleasure tomorrow morning. We feel bad that we have neglected the Big XII, so tomorrow you will hear Adam and I, along with The Wiz from The Wiz of Odds, discuss the Big XII. On paper it looks as if both the North and South could go down to the wire again when deciding who will play in the Big XII Championship game. Also, we’ll pick his brain about some National News.

Adam has continued to countdown his list of Top 50 Best Non-BCS Players. In his latest installment, Bryan Anderson, a wide receiver from Central Michigan is his choice at #34. Something tells me that Anderson will have a pretty big effect on another player that has yet to be named on this list.

Navy only returns 23% of last year’s offensive yards with potentially NFL bound players Shun White and Eric Kettani gone. Adam sits down and talks with Bobby Doyle about the endless barrage of questions he and the other Navy slotbacks are getting on how they are going to replace 77% of last year’s offense which has now graduated.

For the second year in a row the Big East Conference looks to be wide open. A lot of experts think it is going to come down between Pittsburgh and Rutgers, but neither are very solid under center. Brian talks about which players have the leg up to win the quarterback battles at both schools.

What we’ve been reading:

On a sad note, yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of Randy Walkers passing. Over at Lake The Post they are asking for a moment of silence to remember his passing.

He will go down in history for the murder that he did did not commit, and will be forever known as Nordberg in the Naked Gun movies; but before all of that he was a Heisman Trophy winner. Prolate Spheroid rehashes OJ’s career at USC.

Bruce Feldman picks the top 10 toughest non-conference schedule. A few teams that I mentioned made the list. But one team you won’t find on that list, who is Phil Steele’s #1 surprise team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Adam has talked about reviving a countdown he started last year where he picked the Top 10 potential upsets of a FCS team over a FBS team. Double T Nation has an early preview of the Red Raiders game against the North Dakota State Fighting Sioux. I am fairly certain this game will not make Adam’s list.

The Georgia Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking and somewhat surprising upset loss to their rival Georgia Tech last year. Paul Westerdawg of the Georgia Sports Blog gives his thoughts on how to defend Tech’s option.

The Quad continues their countdown from 120 to 1. Yesterday they previewed the Navy Midshipmen at number 64.

Annually one of the best offensive line units in the country resides in the state of Oklahoma. The Crimson and Cream Machine previews this year’s crop of linemen for the Sooners.

NCAA Football 2010 comes out for video game consoles on July 14th. Over the Pylon has a sneak peak of Ball State’s Scheumann Stadium and Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium.

When Coach Wannstedt first arrived at Pitt, he was pulling in one good recruiting class after another, but after only going to one bowl game in his tenure, he finds himself still chasing a 82 year old man who is stealing recruits out of his own back yard. Recently, Wannstedt and the Panthers got a commitment from TJ Clemmings, a defensive tackle from New Jersey. But according to Zags Blog and Clemmings he did not commit.

Finally, I leave you with a sign of the Apocalypse. Evan Berry the younger brother of Tennessee safety Eric Berry has verbally committed to the Vols. Did I mention that Evan was 13 years old?

# 34: WR Bryan Anderson, Central Michigan

The Verdict: At 6-foot-5, 213-pounds, Anderson represents one of the most consistent receivers in the entire country, with the senior having already compiled a resume that includes  226 career receptions and 21 career receiving touchdowns (both school records.) A two-time First Team All-MAC selection and a Freshman All American in 2006, Anderson is one of the most multi-faceted receivers in the college game today, with the uncanny ability to transition his game to fit the the needs of any situation on the field. He’s an obvious red zone threat who can be physical against defensive backs when called upon, but he’s also remarkably fluid for his size and shows tremendous precision in his routes despite being such a long strider. Anderson is a player who can both stretch the field and work the interior of zone coverages, making him an almost certain mismatch against whichever defensive personnel are assigned to cover him. A two-time academic All-Conference selection with a 3.31 GPA in biomedical sciences, Anderson’s high football IQ and obvious physical talents make him one of the sleeper non-BCS prospects to watch going into next year’s NFL draft.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk] [#35: ULM LB Cardia Jackson]

#35: LB Cardia Jackson, Louisiana-Monroe

The Verdict:A two-time All-Conference slection at linebacker, Jackson remains one of the most overlooked defensive players in the entire country despite the fact that he has been of one of the most productive. Jackson was the nation’s eighth leading tackler a season ago, averaging an insane 10.6 stops per contest including eight tackles for a loss. A versatile and athletic playmaker, Jackson also has exceptional ball skills and instinctsin pass coverage, as shown by his 13 career interceptions (the highest career total among active FBS players.) A physically imposing player who has already been named to the Lombardi Award Watch List, Cardia gives the Warhawks a chance to compete for the Sun Belt crown going into 2009.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan] [#36: Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk]

# 36: DE Ryan Winterswyk, Boise State

The Verdict: Boise State and their “gimmicky” offense have gotten a lot of attention over the past few years, but college football fans have a tendency to forget that the Bronco defense remains one of the top units in the entire country, regardless of conference. It all starts up front for the Broncos, who are led by the 6-foot-4, 258-pound junior from La Habra, California. A first team All-WAC selection last year and an honorable menton freshmen All-American during 2007, Wintersyk was a terror for offensive linemen around the WAC last season, recording 11.5 tackles for a loss and 40 total tackles (most for a Boise State defensive lineman.) While he isn’t known for a high sack total or his pass rush ability, Wintersyk plays with tremendous leverage and disruptive force on the line, making him an ideal run stuffer for teams trying to go off-tackle. Not just a ‘high-motor’ player, he’s a fantastic athlete for his size who also shows a real penchant for batting balls down at the line. A possible hybrid player at the next level, Wintersyk gives Boise’s 2009 defense an excellent chance to propel the Broncos to their second BCS bowl game in four years.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau] [#37: Marshall DE Albert McClellan]

#37: DE Albert McClellan, Marshall

The Verdict: At 6-foot-2, 252-pounds, Marshall defensive end Albert McClellan may just be one of the best defenders in Conference-USA. Named to the All-Conference freshmen team during his rookie season in 2005, McClellan was a one man-wrecking crew for the Thundering Herd in 2006 en route to earning Conference-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors. His 19 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks led the conference that year, and coming into the 2007 season it looked as though the athletic junior might become one of the hottest prospects to ever come out of Huntington. A pre-season knee injury derailed those prospects, although McClellan returned last season to record 58 stops and 2.5 sacks despite not being fully recovered. A ‘tweener prospect with elite initial quickness off the line, McClellan commands the respect of offensive linemen whenever he steps out on the field, making him one of the best defenders in any non-BCS conference.

Tomorrow’s Player:We’re taking the day off tomorrow so you can listen to our totally awesome podcast.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo] [#38: Nevada RB Vai Tuau]

Not one negative email? I guess I really am an ‘expert!’

#38: RB Vai Taua, Nevada

The Verdict:While it’s tough to justify putting a running back who “only” ran for a conference high 117.0 yards per game in 2008 so low on the countdown, the proverbial “system” label can’t be thrown completely out the window when discussing running backs in Chris Ault’s Pistol offense. While we’re not taking anything away from Taua or his predecessor (2007 First Team All-WAC runner Luke Lippincott) the fact of the matter remains that Nevada backs are going to put up some big numbers regardless of their God-given talent (which both Taua and Lippincott have a good deal of may I add.) That all being said, Taua’s 6.4 yard average last year topped Lippincott’s 2007 average by over a full yard, as the previously unknown Taua also finished with 30 catches for three touchdowns to go along with his 15 scores on the ground. We love his cutback ability and field vision, and despite his 5-foot-10 stature we find him to be one of the more powerful backs in the conference. While we defer any next-level projection to the real experts out there (our friends at DraftDaddy.com) there is no disputing Taua’s importance to the Wolf Pack, as the junior running back gives Chris Ault’s team an excellent shot at bowl eligibility for a fifth straight season.

Tomorrow’s Player…Had an absolutely huge 2006 season before having to take a medical redshirt in 2007. However, he came back in 2008 to earn First-Team All-Conference honors. Who is he?

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas] [#43: CSU Gaurd Shelly Smith] [#42: Wyoming FS Chris Prosinski] [#41: SMU receiver Emmanual Sanders] [#40: UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe] [#39: CMU DE/DT Frank Zombo]

Need your college football fix after a week off at the beach? No problem, we’ve got you covered - just as long as you promise to lend us you’re beach house for next weekend.

What we’ve been working on:

Matt Bracken of the Baltimore Sun joined us on the podcast on Thursday, filling us in on the state of recruiting in the Mid-Atlantic region. He let us know the teams and players to look out for as we head into the heart of camp and combine season, and even took some time to give us his outlook on the Maryland Terps heading into 2009. Brian and I also give him a rough time about Michigan at the end of the show, although Matt remains hopeful for a turnaround this year.

We continue our countdown of the Top 50 Best Non-BCS Players, taking a look at CMU defensive end Frank Zombo in our latest entry.

Army head coach Rich Ellerson told Adam that young people in this country are looking for a challenge, and that need to be tested will lead them to the banks of the Hudson and to Army. Adam would never question a coach like Ellerson, but openly wonders whether or not that need for a challange hasn’t led the vast majority of recruits to Annapolis, not West Point.

BRUCE FELDMAN joins the podcast this week to talk SEC and Pac-10 football, so do try to tune in if, you know, you’re into that sort of thing.

What we’ve been reading:

Phil Steele says Duke will be this year’s Vanderbilt.

Paul Myerberg of The Quad continues his season previews, reminding us why we tune into The Cosby Showon Nick at Nite by taking a solid and objective look at Temple.

Corn Nation looks at the strengths of the teams in the Big 12 North, making the case for why each member of the Division could win the title in 2009. Frankly, we’re in awe that writer Corn Blight could even come up with something for Iowa State.

Our good friend The Heisman Pundit is up to his yearly rankings, and he’s got the running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends covered in his most recent postings. Check the comment section for each of his rankings for our (and by ‘our’, we really mean Adam’s) thoughts.

T. Kyle King of Dawg Sports was seriously on ESPN radio. Like you know, as a guest. He rocks out in an interview right hyah. Careful though - once you actually listen to him speak you’ll find yourself trying to read his always insightful posts in a Georgia accent. Not recommended for Yankees like Brian and I.

Our friends at DraftDaddy.com sound off on their top senior tailbacks heading into 2009, with Kansas’ Jake Sharp making an appearance on the list. We like the inclusion of Sharp, who (as DD notes) is actually one of the fastest players in college football.

Our favorite misguided Notre Dame blogger (The Subway Domer) continues his crash course in introducing the college football world to the 36 Notre Dame players who he says will make an impact in 2009. His latest post spotlights RB/FB Robert Hughes and S Harrison Smith, although I could do without the photo of my good friend Ross Pospisil laying helplessly on the ground.

Jeremy from The Mountain West Conference Connection chimes in with a great post on what some are calling the “Riley Nelson Rule”, which could end up becoming an issue with the increasing number of LDS and Polynesian recruits we are seeing at the upper levels of the game.

And finally, the Wizard of Odds takes some time to “philosophize” on BCS conference teams and their hunger for cupcakes.

That’s all for now. Check back later today at ITB for the continuation of our Best of the Non-BCS Countdown!