Article by: Harrison Weaver Here we go college football fans; the wait is over. College football is officially back as of tomorrow night! #8 Florida faces off against the U at 7PM on ESPN in what could possibly be our first upset alert of the season. The official NCAA Football preseason rankings were released earlier this week and so we get our final look at where the voters are placing each team heading into the season. I will drop those rankings below so you can all look, find where your team is. I know this is exciting, I feel the same way. We’ve been waiting months for some college football action and it’s finally back. So I want you to read these rankings over, take a minute to digest and compose yourselves, and then we’re going to get into my reaction towards them.
1. Clemson 2. Alabama 3. Georgia 4. Oklahoma 5. Ohio State 6. LSU 7. Michigan 8. Florida 9. Notre Dame 10. Texas 11. Oregon 12. Texas A&M 13. Washington 14. Utah 15. Penn State 16. Auburn 17. UCF 18. Michigan State 19. Wisconsin 20. Iowa 21. Iowa State 22. Syracuse 23. Washington State 24. Nebraska 25. Stanford Alright so now that you’ve had a moment to look, we can react. Let’s glance at some cool statistics that lie within the rankings.
As I wrote in my college football preview, there are a couple of outsider teams in this year’s rankings that I really like. First off, Nebraska. After one of the most impressive 4-8 seasons ever seen (they lost 5 games by 5 points or less last season, meaning they were very close to be a bowl team), Nebraska is poised for a turn-around. After another season to mold the program the way he wants, Scott Frost will have a better developed squad and a leader in QB Adrian Martinez who can turn some heads this season. Syracuse is another team that I really believe will have a strong season. With a well-balanced roster, weapons at the skill positions, and a strong season to build off, Syracuse could be the perfect team to challenge and maybe, just maybe, dethrone Clemson in the ACC Atlantic Division. To avoid redundancy, you can read about the rest of my dark horse picks in my Ultimate College Football Preview article by simply clicking the hyperlink. All in all, the rankings seem very appropriate to me in terms of how each team performed last season and their expectations for this coming season. I do have a couple of bold predictions, though:
So there you have it folks, some of my insight and bold predictions for this college football season. The long wait for college football is over, it’s time for big matchups, College Gameday, tailgating, upsets, beautiful fall football days, and everything else we love about the football season.
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D.K. Metcalf's Impressive Combine is Over, but How High Will the Receiver Actually be Drafted?3/6/2019 Article by: Kevin Eagleson The NFL scouting combine is a great opportunity for prospects to show off their skills, raise their draft stock, and attract more potential teams. Now that the combine has concluded and over 300 players have completed their audition, teams may have a better idea about who they want to draft and where. Besides medical checks and team interviews, the prospects have done about everything they can to display their talent. Every year, there are a few players that put on such an impressive performance that they stand out amongst the hundreds of other players. Last year, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, was arguably the standout player of the combine (4.4 sec 40, 29 bench reps, 41” vert). His combine boosted his draft stock and locked him in as a top 3 selection, which is relatively rare for a running back. This year, the world witnessed a performance just as impressive as Barkley’s last year. Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf put together one of the more impressive combines in recent memory. The hype around Metcalf initiated when the 21-year-old revealed he has just 1.6% body fat. This fat content seems almost impossible for a human, but photographs of the receiver prove his insane build. At the combine, Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, put up 27 bench press reps, and added a 40.5” vertical leap, all while measuring in at 6-3, 228 pounds. The future first-rounder had less success with the agility tests with a 7.38 three-cone drill, and a 4.50 short shuttle time. Despite those two less impressive times, D.K. Metcalf has certainly solidified himself as the top receiver in the draft class with his straight-line athleticism and raw talent. Now the final question is: how high will the Ole Miss receiver be drafted? Last year, D.J. Moore was the first receiver taken off the board at round 1, pick 24, by the Carolina Panthers. The last time a receiver was selected top-10 overall was during the 2017 NFL draft, where three receivers were selected. First, the Titans selected Corey Davis at 5th, Mike Williams went 7th to the Chargers, and finally John Ross went 9th to the Bengals. Ross is probably the most interesting selection, as his draft stock was significantly raised by his record 40-yard dash time at the combine. Ross was not being talked about as a top receiver prospect until after the combine, which proves how influential the combine can be. However, Metcalf and Ross could not be more different receivers, and Metcalf is probably most similar in body and play type to Mike Williams. D.K. Metcalf has proved himself worthy of a top-10 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, and it is more than likely that is where he will be selected. Although there is ample talent in this year’s draft, a receiver-needy team will more than likely take the Ole Miss prospect in top 10. It is even possible Metcalf goes top-5 to the Buccaneers, who have the 5th overall, pick. However, it looks like Tampa Bay will most likely look to add to their defense instead. More than likely, he will be taken somewhere between 7th and 10th overall. The teams selecting 7-10, in order, are the Jaguars, Lions, Bills, and Broncos, who could all benefit from a talented, big-bodied wide out. The best fit is seemingly the Bills at 9, who need another receiver, and Metcalf’s talents would pair perfectly with Josh Allen’s big arm. Of course, it is extremely difficult to predict the NFL draft, as picks will undoubtedly be traded, and teams will reposition. It is not out of the range of possibility to imagine a team attempting to trade up for Metcalf’s talents. What is almost certain is that D.K. Metcalf will go top 10. The Bills look like the best fit now, but until draft day, anything is possible. Metcalf is another example of how a player can take advantage of the NFL combine, and add value to their draft stock. in just a few short days. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions down below! To get news and updates on all things sports, be sure to keep it here, with Heated Sports! |
AuthorJustin Imler Archives
October 2019
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