Bryan's 2008 Pre-Season College Football Top 25

It might only be July, but it’s not too early to predict which teams will be represented as the top teams in college football this season. The following is this writer’s prediction on which teams will be in the top 25 during the 2008 college football season.

1. USC- The Trojans manage to keep themselves high up in the rankings each and every year and in 2008, they should be able get to the top and stay there. They continue to boast some of the best talent in college football and with Pete Carroll at the helm, the Trojans should be able to dominate.

2. Ohio State- The Buckeyes will be returning most of the players they had last season and with changes taking place in the Big Ten they should be able to win the Big Ten title and contend for the National Championship. The do have some questions on defense but if they can overcome those they could be a solid number two in 2008.

3. Georgia- The Bulldogs have both the offense and the defense to go far this season and they have a chance to contend for the number one spot. They have a star in Knowshon Moreno at the running back position and a good quarterback so their offense is set. Watch out for these guys!

4. Missouri- The Tigers were very impressive last season and with little change this season they could be headed towards the top of rankings if they can keep up their solid play from 2008. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team and they should do very well in 2008.

5. LSU- The Tigers are bound to take a fall this season thanks to the departure of several key players from last season’s national championship anything is possible for a team that has played consistently well the past few seasons. Quarterback will be a position of serious concern as will the secondary but if head coach Les Miles can pull things together they could do well.

6. Florida- The Gators should still manage to stay somewhere in the top ten in 2008 thanks to some solid play by Heisman winner Tim Tebow and a defense that should still be good enough to help them win games. Head coach Urban Meyer can work miracles and he just might have to do that again in 2008.

7. Oklahoma Sooners- The Sooners are poised to be much better than they have been these past few seasons thanks to a solid defense and an up and coming offense. Sophomore Sam Bradford is back at QB, last season he led the nation in pass efficiency and set a freshman record by throwing 38 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions. If the cornerbacks and linebackers hold up they could be in for a great season.

8. Texas- Quarterback Colt McCoy has had got some more seasoning and he is ready to lead what could be a solid team in 2008. The defense is pretty much set and a new and exciting running back in Vondrell McGee is coming on board things are really looking up for the Longhorns.

9. West Virginia- The loss of Steve Slayton is going to matter little to the Mountaineers who will be returning a vast amount of their players from 2007. Watch sophomre RB Noel Devine, he might be the most explosive back in the nation. However, they will be coming into the season with a new head coach which could spell problems for the Mountaineers but still, they have enough talent to contend for a top ten spot.

10. Clemson- Clemson was relatively strong in 2007 and they could come back in 2008 and raise a lot of eyebrows and play pretty well. They have a strong quarterback in Cullen Harper and they are returning their star starting running back James Davis as well. They also have a big time receiver in Aaron Kelley and they aren’t too bad on defense either.

11. BYU- The Cougars will boast one of the hottest passing offenses in the NCAA in 2008 and this will gain them some wins and get them into the top 25 in 2008. They have some stars on defense as well so this should be a good season for BYU.

12. Wisconsin- The Badgers are bringing back a majority of the same players that they had in 2007 which means they will continue to play well in 2008. The only weaknesses on the team appear to be at the quarterback position where the Badgers are still trying to decide who the starter will be. At any rate, the Badgers do look to have a good season.

13. Auburn- The Tigers had a solid offense in 2007 and it will come back once again in 2008. However, like the Badgers, they are still trying to figure out who their quarterback so until that get decided they will still have some issues. However, they should be able to have a strong season and contend for a spot in the top 15 in 2008.

14. Kansas State- Kansas had a great run in 2007 and they are poised to have another good run in 2008 but they probably won’t do as well as they did last year. They will return a ton of starters on defense leaving that until almost virtually intact but they do have some issues on the offensive line that will need some attention if they wish to play as well as they did in 2008.

15. Arizona State- With a rock solid star quarterback, the Sun Devils are poised to have a good season on offense if they can plug some holes. Their defense is stout and with a head coach like Dennis Erickson at the helm, Arizona State could do anything and they could surprise a lot of people.

16. Wake Forest- The Demon Deacons will be bringing back several of the players that they have helped them make their way into bowl games during the past two seasons and they stand the chance of cracking the top 25 this season. Wake Forest does need some firepower on offense and hope to get someone to step up and become a big tie playmaker. Who will that be?

17. Texas Tech- The Red Raiders have one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA in Graham Harrell and after such a strong season in 2007 Harrell, along with the rest of the team, is poised to have a good year in 2008. The weaknesses on this team lies with the offensive line and if they can’t get it together then Harrell won ‘t have as good year as expected and Texas Tech may not have a great year as a result.

18. Illinois- The Illini had a great run last season and could have another one in 2008 but their running game will see a change thanks to the departure of Rashard Mendenhall. This team still has a strong offense but the running game is going to be a question. Can they crack the top 25 this season or was last year’s team just a fluke?

19. South Florida- The Bulls were hot to start last season but fell down a bit and stumbled through the rest of the season. In 2008 they will be returning ten starters from last season’s power offense which should help them get into top 25 in 2008. There is no telling what is possible for the Bulls.

20. Oregon- The Ducks played some good football in 2007 but some losses on offense will have them concerned. They do have a strong defense (returning many starters from last year’s squad) but their offense will remain a question mark with Jonathan Stewart gone. If they can put together a good offense and their defense remains solid they could crack the top 25 in 2008.

21. Tennessee- The Volunteers have to replace their star quarterback Erik Ainge this season and that will be difficult but they are certainly good enough to have a shot at cracking the top 25 in 2008. What they bring back this year is their starting running back Adrian Foster and he should be able to give the Volunteers enough offense to be somewhat successful in 2008.

22. Florida State- The Seminoles showed some promise last season and with a ton of talent on this team, and a year to mature so they should be able to crack the top 25 this season. Their defense looks to be pretty strong and with quarterback Drew Weatherford in the mix, there are a lot of possibilities for the Seminoles.

23. Pittsburgh- Yes, the Panthers are a team that has a ton of potential and have quietly been getting better. With LeSean McCoy at running back and a good defense, the Panthers could be going places next season. They need to get some stability at the quarterback position however and if they can’t, the might not be able to crack the top 25.

24. Alabama- The Crimson Tide have pieces in some of the right places, now all they need to do is put those pieces together. With strengths on offense for the most part, the need to shore things up a bit on defense to get to where they want to go. If that can do that they should be able to crack the top 25.

25. Fresno State- The Bulldogs are a team on the rise and they have a pretty good chance of cracking the top 25 this coming season. They will be bringing back all but one starter on offense and their defense isn’t bad but they face some tough teams in 2008 and with a few wins against these teams, they could get into the top 25.

By Bryan Deitzler

Centers for the 2009 NFL Draft

It’s not easy to get excited about centers, it’s definitely not a glamorous position, but if you want to win in football you have to run the ball and in order to run the ball you have to have good play at center. After all, the center touches the ball on every play, he must make the critical snap and in modern football he must also be able to hike the ball in a shotgun formation. On top of all that he will likely face either the biggest, baddest defensive tackle or a nimble, fast inside linebacker on every play, or even likely be double teamed. It’s rough and tough on the inside, a lot of stuff goes on in there that we will never see or hear about, a lot of biting, scratching, punching and kicking, just ask the Dallas Cowboys’ Andre Gurode, who received 30 stitches when his head (unhelmeted) was stomped on by Albert Haynesworth last season.

So I think I’ve made my point, centers have to be big, strong and tough, but you’re still not impressed are you? After all, if they are so important why aren’t they drafted higher? That is true, in the 2008 NFL Draft, the first center wasn’t drafted until the second round, Mike Pollack was drafted by the Colts (59th over-all), and most think he was a reach. Cody Wallace was drafted in the 4th round (107th over-all) by the 49ers and Kory Lichtensteiger was drafted right after Wallace at #108 by the Broncos. The 2007 NFL Draft was a little better, Ryan Kalil was drafted in the 2nd round (59th) by the Panthers and the Dolphins drafted a pair of centers Samson Satele in the 2nd round (60th) and Drew Mormino in the 6th round (199th). In that same draft (2007) the Rams drafted Dustin Fry in the 5th round (139th) and the Falcons drafted Doug Datish in the 6th round (198th over-all).

Why is that? Well most of your most talented offensive lineman swing out to play tackle and most guards have also played some center, so quite often, like my example above (Andre Gurode), guards are drafted and converted to centers in the NFL.

So what’s the point of this article? That trend might just end for the 2009 NFL Draft. This year we can finally get excited about the centers, heading into the 2008 college football season, there are three centers that carry a first round NFL Draft grade. All three won’t be drafted in the 1st round obviously, but all three of my highlighted players below are extremely talented and if they continue to improve on strength and technique, are all capable of becoming top flight, even pro bowl NFL centers very early in their NFL careers. All three are either 1st or 2nd team NFL Draft Dog All Americans.

1. Max Unger, Oregon, 6’ 4.5” 308 lbs:
I really like this prospect and out of all three he is the most likely to be a first rounder. His versatility will significantly raise his draft stock in the eyes of the NFL. As a prep Unger attended Hawaii Preparatory Academy, played right tackle and was one of the nation’s top 50 offensive guards by Rivals.com despite not playing organized football until the ninth grade. After receiving an initial red-shirt due to hamstring issues, Unger was a top left tackle for Oregon his first two seasons.

His red-shirt freshman year he protected the blind side of Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens for 12 consecutive starts. He was one of only two starters from his freshman class, along with right tackle Geoff Schwartz. Unger was a major reason why Oregon rose from last in the Pac-10 in QB sacks allowed in 2004 (41) to third in 2005 (20).

As a sophomore in 2006 he started 13 games at left tackle and earned second-team all conference accolades in addition to receiving Oregon’s Ed Moshofsky Award as its top offensive lineman. He played a major role in Oregon finishing second in the Pac-10 in fewest quarterback sacks allowed (16) as well as leading the league in rushing offense (14th nationally) for the first time since 1955.

Last season as a junior he moved inside to center and really shined, he blocked for RB Jonathan Stewart to a career season and school record 1,792 rushing yards and a first round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft where he (Stewart) was selected 13th over-all by the Carolina Panthers. Oregon finished 6th in the nation in rushing offense and Unger was either first or second team All American by most major media outlets.

Heading into the 2008 season, the coaching staff considered moving him back to tackle, but unless there is an emergency, he will remain at center. Unger is a 25-game starter and was named to the 2008 Rimington Trophy spring watch list and has been named to the All-Pac-10 team by several media outlets. Being able to play any position along the offensive line will make Unger hot property for the 2009 NFL Draft. "He's got an attitude I like about football on the offensive line," UO coach Mike Bellotti said of Unger. "He's going to hit somebody. He's going to be physical every play, and I like that."

2. Alex Mack, California, 6’ 4” 302 lbs:
Mack is another great Pac 10 center, about the same size as Unger but just a tad shorter. Mack didn’t start until his sophomore year (2006), but that year he really blossomed as a starter, he earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors after starting all 13 games at the center position and was a second team Pac-10 All-Academic selection and voted the team's Most Improved Offensive Lineman. He finished the regular season with team-highs of 25.5 pancakes and 57.5 knockdowns.

Last year (2007) as a junior Mack was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the top center in the nation and earned the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-10. The Morris Trophy is special because it is voted on by the league's defensive linemen. Mack was also one of just three players to be a unanimous first-team All-Pac-10 selection. He was a first-team All-American center by The Sporting News and an honorable mention All-American by SI.com. He was honored as a midseason first-team All-American center by Phil Steele's Magazine as well as a midseason first-team All-American by SI.com and Rivals.com.

Before Max Unger emerged, Mack was rated as the No. 1 junior center in the nation by Mel Kiper and he an Unger are neck and neck for that honor heading into the 2008 college football season. Mack was the most talented offensive lineman on an offensive line which allowed just 11 sacks (best in the Pac-10, third in the nation).

3. Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas, 6’ 4” 314 lbs:
Phil Steele actually has Luigs ranked ahead of Unger and Mack heading into the 2008 season. Steele might have a point, after all Luigs was the winner of the Rimington Award last year as the top center in the nation. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones didn’t both become first round draft picks and run for a combined 2,842 yards and 26 touchdowns by accident, and they surely didn’t do it alone. A lot of their success was due to Luigs blocking and many of their runs were right up the gut behind Luigs. Last season Arkansas averaged an amazing 296.8 rushing yards per game. Luigs led the Razorbacks with a 90.4 percent grade average last season (2007), and blocked his way for 36 100-yard rushing games in 35 career games, including a school-record 16 100-yard performances in 12 games last season.

Luigs is not only big and strong, but he plays with great leverage and has excellent feet, he is also experienced and durable, he started 10 games as a red shirt freshman and got 14 starts as a sophomore where he received 3rd team All-American honors. Last season, besides winning the Rimington Award, he was a unanimous first team All American and recorded another 13 starts.

So there you have it, three of the best center prospects for the NFL Draft in recent memory. Will the 2009 NFL Draft be remembered as the year of the center? Only time will tell, but if your NFL team needs a center next year you are in luck.

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2009 NFL Draft Value Board

NFL Draft Dog has completed our pre-season 2009 NFL Draft Value Board. There is no off-season at NFL Draft Dog, the draftniks have been hard at work studying game film from the 2007 season and checking reports of the spring games and practices. This value board, or better none as a "Big Board" will be fine tuned and improved upon right up until the 2009 NFL Draft. The value board is a reflection of where these prospects have value for the NFL Draft, not necessarily where they will be drafted. Any suggestions? Digg or Bark it up below:

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Defensive Ends for the 2009 NFL Draft

Just looking at the seniors there is not a lot to get excited about at the defensive end position this year, but throw in the top three or four juniors and this class of pass rushers could be special indeed. Here is a quick look at some of the top pass rushing talent this year in college football.

Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech:
Many thought Johnson would declare for the 2008 NFL Draft, where the NFL Advisory panel gave him a third round grade. Johnson (6’ 6” 255 lbs.) is a freak of nature, in the Jevon Kearse mold. He hasn’t been as productive as what you would like to see from a size and speed stand point, recording only 5 sacks as a sophomore and 4 as a junior, but he is poised for a breakout season in 2008. Potential can get you only so far, now it's time to produce.

Tyson Jackson, 6' 4" 290 lbs. LSU:
I am not as high on Jackson as most. I lower a player’s draft grade when their production goes down for no good reason. Jackson is a fantastic talent though, he will be drafted high because of his size and athletic ability and he will be able to play End in either a 34 or a 43 defense. But like I said, he was much better as a sophomore than he was last year as a junior. As a sophomore he played all 13 games at left end and led the team in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (10). His 8.5 sacks ranked as the fifth most in the SEC that year. Last season (2007) he recorded only 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He looked uninterested at times last year. Jackson needs to get in better shape and get motivated to have a bounce back senior season.

Now the real talent comes into play:

(JR) George Selvie, South Florida:
The 6’ 4” 250 pound Selvie was almost unblockable last year in 2007, especially early. By the time the season was complete Selvie had recorded 14.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss, which the latter was one shy of a division 1 record. Quick, strong and relentless, if he can duplicate his effort as a junior he is almost certain to enter the 2009 NFL Draft where he could easily be a top ten selection. Football Draft Dog currently has him being selected 13th overall in their 2009 NFL Mock Draft.

(JR) Greg Hardy, Mississippi
Hardy reminds me of Michael Johnson and at 6’ 5” 255 pounds he has a similar frame. Hardy however is built more like the Cowboys DeMarcus Ware. The other difference between the two is unlike Johnson, Hardy was extremely productive last season. Hardy finished his sophomore season ranked #6 in the NCAA in sacks with 10 and #4 in tackles for loss with 18.5. A basketball player and a budding football star, he should dominate this season.

(JR) Maurice Evans, 6’ 2” 269 lbs. Penn State
Evans is not quite as long and lean as the prospects mentioned above, but he is cat quick and strong enough to bull rush even the most powerful offensive linemen. Last season he finished ranked 8th in the NCAA with 12.5 sacks and 6th (average per game) in tackles for loss with an amazing 21.5.

(JR) Greg Middleton, 6’ 3” 275 lbs. Indiana
Middleton is not as well known as some of the above mentioned prospects being from Indiana, but did you know he led the nation in sacks last year with 16? Middleton has an explosive first step and if he does enter the draft early he will make an NFL team very happy with his character, work ethic and non stop motor. He will see a lot of double teams this year, so hopefully the Hoosiers will move him around to keep offenses honest or his production will likely go down.

(JR) Antonio Coleman, 6’ 2” 243 lbs. Auburn
Coleman will probably be converted to outside linebacker and drafted by an NFL team that plays in a 34 defense. He is the master at the "tackles for loss" recording 18.5 last season, with an additional 8.5 sacks. Coleman is all over the field, very active and an excellent tackler. He sees the plays develop and explodes into the hole. I like his chances, but since he ultimately will be an outside linebacker he will need to have a good workout at the NFL Scouting Combine.