Tag: sports

College Football Coaching Carousel

The college football coaching carousel is already insane and it’s only going to get worse. There are more firings to come and there will be big time coaches moving around opening more jobs as one goes from one job to another.  I’m going to take a shot at predicting who ends up at each spot, I’m aware it’s a fool’s errand but here I am.  A few notes to keep in mind, Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule have signed extensions with Indiana and Nebraska so they are not leaving their current roles.  I’m not including Joe Brady, the Bills offensive coordinator because I don’t think the top jobs would wait until after Buffalo’s season and he’s going to be an NFL coaching candidate. 

I’m going to start at the bigger jobs to look at how the dominos fall as one coach moving opens other jobs.  There are eight jobs in the Power 4 conferences (Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC) currently open; LSU, Florida, Penn St., Arkansas, Oklahoma St., Virginia Tech, UCLA, and Stanford.  I think Auburn, Kentucky, and Florida St. are all going to also be open eventually.  In this exercise I don’t think Wisconsin or Michigan St. will fire their coaches and I’ll get to them later.  The one other Big Ten job that could come open is Maryland depending on how their season ends, and it could realistically go either way.  The breakdown for me is LSU, Florida, Penn St., Auburn, and Florida St. would be the top five. Kentucky, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma St., UCLA, and Stanford would be the next six. Then I’ll get to the positions that come open from coaching taking some of those jobs.  Hope you like dominos.  There’s a solid group of head coaches from the Group of 6 teams (G6) and there are a few top level coordinators in the Power 4 who will get jobs this cycle.  Let’s get started.

LSU

The is the top job on the market, sorry to Penn St. and Florida but LSU has the advantage.  Three of the last four coaches at LSU; Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron, all won National Championships.  Obviously, Brian Kelly is the one who didn’t but the fact that Orgeron and Miles did should be proof that LSU has advantages.  Saban is a legend, it’s not strange he won a title there, Miles and Orgeron are not great coaches, I’m not even sure they were good coaches, but they managed to win National Championships at LSU.  Florida has won National Championships but it took legendary coaches like Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer to win there, mere mortals have watched their careers wither in Gainesville.   

LSU has unbelievable instate talent with minimal instate competition for that talent.  At Florida you’re competing with Florida St. and Miami, plus other schools like UCF, USF, FAU, and others are poaching the depth in the state from you.  Penn St. does have some instate competition from Pitt but they also have Ohio St., Michigan, and others trying to pick off talent from Pennsylvania which is not as talent rich as Louisiana.  

Financially, LSU, Penn St., and Florida are not going to be that much different so it comes down to the situation.  The one issue that could hold back LSU is the governor of Louisiana getting involved.  I don’t think he was wrong to want to limit AD Scott Woodward after he’s given out two of the biggest buyout contracts in college football history (Kelly at LSU, and Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M).  However, Woodward does have a solid track record overall hiring coaches. He poached Kim Mulkey for LSU’s women’s basketball program and hired Jay Johnson as the baseball coach.  They just announced Woodward is out as AD and that’s not going to be helpful.  Firing him was unnecessary, I think I would have just kept him out of the contract negotiations. By the way, he wasn’t the only person who would have had to sign off on the contract for Brian Kelly. 

The Pick: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)

I’m going with them winning the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes over Florida.  They will outbid Florida but also offer the highest upside for Kiffin.  There’s a feeling Kiffin wants to get back to Florida after his stint as FAU’s head coach and he does have a certain Florida vibe, maybe it’s the visor.  However, Kiffin has always looked for the next step and I think he will see the path to a National Championship is easier at LSU than Florida and that’s his choice.  This would lead to an opening at Ole Miss; I’ll address that later. 

Runner up: Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri).  If Kiffin takes Florida, LSU pivots quickly. 

Disaster candidate: Jimbo Fisher (currently collecting buyout money from Texas A&M).  If they strike out on Kiffin, Drinkwitz, and a couple of other names, would Woodward have called up his old buddy from Texas A&M?  Fisher was the offensive coordinator at LSU in 2003 when Saban led them to a National Championship.  Somehow, I don’t think the LSU fanbase would be happy with him being the pick.  With Woodward out this is much less likely but he does still have old ties to LSU.

Sneaky Good Idea: Will Stein (Oregon offensive coordinator). Something tells me he’s going to be a good head coach.

Florida

Penn St. and Florida are the next best jobs and I’m addressing the Florida job next because it’s linked to LSU and I don’t think there’s ton of overlap with Penn St.  Florida’s number one choice is Kiffin, if they lose him to LSU, it’s a more wide-open field.  Drinkwitz is a possibility but he’s not a slam dunk and I think they could lose Drinkwitz to another team while they pursue Kiffin.  Drinkwitz might prefer being a different SEC school’s number one choice instead of feeling like he’s taking Kiffin’s leftovers.  I’ll get to Drinkwitz below.  USF Alex Golesh is a name to watch here but I’m not sure he’s a big enough name for the Gators.  They just did the “hire the hot group of five” (or six now) coach with Billy Napier and it didn’t work.  They will aim higher and if they miss on Kiffin and Drinkwitz, there is one major conference coach who will crawl over broken glass for the Florida job and not care if he’s the third choice or the 15th choice. 

The Pick: Jedd Fisch (Washington)

Fisch bounced around in his coaching career as an assistant for many years before finally landing the Arizona job, then he quickly jumped to Washington two years ago.  He rebuilt Arizona quickly; he then took over a decimated roster after Kalen DeBoer left Washington for Alabama and he has them looking pretty good in year two.  He went to school at Florida and started his career as a GA there and he would be ecstatic to make Florida his destination job.  I’m not sure Fisch has ever stayed anywhere more than three years but he would certainly hope to change that with a move to Gainesville.  He’s not the sexiest hire but he might be the right one for Florida.  This would open the Washington job and there’s an excellent candidate out there for that one. 

Runner up: Well, Fisch is really third on my list for them but is it’s not him they could go with Golesh or maybe they make a run at Rhett Lashlee at SMU.  I do think the Florida fans may want to temper their expectations.

Disaster Candidate: James Franklin.  Sorry but Franklin is a great recruiter who isn’t a great coach. There is too much pressure at Florida and Franklin would crumble under it. 

Sneaky Good Idea: Clark Lea (Vanderbilt). He should be high on everyone’s list but I’m not sure Florida would hire Vanderbilt’s coach.   

Penn St.

Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule already used this job to get extensions and raises at their current schools and other coaches may do the same.  The pressure to win at Penn St. is enormous and the fact they fired James Franklin after he basically won ten games every year is crazy.  However, they weren’t wrong to fire Franklin if they want to truly compete for National Championships, he had taken them as far as he could.  What Penn St. needs is a real coach, not just a guy who can recruit and then tries to hire coaches to coach.  They need the guy who can raise the level of play of the great players they can get.  Great players have gone to Penn St. and played well but they are usually guys who were 4- or 5-star recruits and they don’t actually get better they’re just good players to start with.  Even if you are a top recruit, it doesn’t mean coaching can’t make you better.  Guys like Nick Saban and Kirby Smart routinely get 5-star guys but they also develop them into the best player they can be, that was not Franklin. The guy they need isn’t the flashy name but he’s the right coach. 

The Pick: Matt Campbell (Iowa State)

I hate giving Iowa St. credit in any way but Matt Campbell is an excellent football coach.  He routinely takes two-star and three-star recruits and makes them way better players.  What he could do with the upper-level recruits Penn St. can get would be scary.  He’s always had good coordinators but Campbell is a legitimately good football coach himself.  He’s rebuffed many opportunities in the past but Penn St. is one of the premiere coaching jobs in the country, it’s in an elite conference, and there is no chance Iowa St. can compete financially with the Nittany Lions.  It’s time for Campbell to make the move and competing in the Big Ten is where he belongs.  It would be ripping out the hearts of Iowa St. fans again if Penn St. takes a great coach from them.  To all those Penn St. fans thinking he’s not a big enough name, just look at your wrestling program and remember where Cael Sanderson came from, you’re in good hands. 

Runner up: Jon Sumrall (Tulane) Sumrall is arguably the best G6 coach on the carousel this season, he’s been excellent at both Troy and Tulane.  He’s headed to the SEC in my opinion but Penn St. would be lucky to have him.  I would be more than happy to see him stick around Tulane until Kirk Ferentz retires, he would be at the top of my board. 

Disaster candidate: Brian Kelly (former LSU). There’s a thought that Kelly’s “failure” at LSU (he did win a lot just not enough for them) was because he wasn’t a culture fit.  His terrible Louisiana accent notwithstanding, Kelly’s personality was his downfall. Some would call him gruff, that’s the polite way to put it, he’s a jerk, always has been.  I don’t think his personality would endear him to the Penn St. faithful.  He needs a lower profile place where they can hide his personality.

Sneaky Good Idea: Bob Chesney (James Madison).  He’s a great coach from the region who took over James Madison after Curt Cignetti and has kept them winning.  He won at Holy Cross before that.  He’s not a big enough name but he might just be a really good coach and someone is going to hire him.  They may be missing out.

Auburn

Auburn has high hopes for their football program and they keep grasping at straws trying to find the solution at head coach, it has not gone well.  Hugh Freeze is in over his head and they need another new coach.  They went way outside the box when they hired Bryan Harsin from Boise St. a few years ago, that was a disaster. Then they overcorrected with thinking Freeze was the right fit.  They should try to hit one straight down the fairway, a good coach who can fit anywhere. 

The Pick: Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri)

Remember I said Drinkwitz might prefer to go somewhere that’s he’s the first choice and not the consolation prize.  I think Auburn should put on the full-court press and get him before Florida takes their eye off Kiffin and before Penn St. gets any farther down their list.  Drinkwitz won at Appalachian St and he’s winning at Missouri.  He’s been a great evaluator of talent both with players and coaches and Auburn needs someone to get everything there aligned.  Auburn has a strange history with coaches and I might actually tell Drinkwitz to look elsewhere but Auburn can be a giant and they are going to make it worth his while.  Missouri can compete with the salary but they don’t have the same advantages Auburn has in the SEC since Missouri is an SEC school that’s not actually in SEC country. 

Runner Up: Jon Sumrall (Tulane).  I’m not sure this is really a runner up because I think Sumrall would prefer a different SEC destination, but Auburn can think he would choose them. 

Disaster candidate: Ed Orgeron (unemployed interim coach specialist).  If Drinkwitz goes to Florida, and Sumrall goes to (SPOILER ALERT) Kentucky, maybe baggage at Auburn hurts them with some of the up-and-comers and they end up with Orgeron (this is never happening, Auburn donors are far too involved to let this occur).

Sneaky Good Idea: Glenn Schumann (Georgia defensive coordinator).  Not sure how sneaky it is, his name has come up for openings but he’s a coordinator so I’m not sure they would even consider it.  The last Georgia defensive coordinator to take a head job was Dan Lanning so there’s that.  Auburn could do worse, actually, they usually do.    

Florida St.

The Seminoles are basically letting Mike Norvell finish out the season but he’s a dead man walking right now and it’s understandable.  The last two seasons have been a disaster.  They are going to have to pay a major buyout for Norvell so they won’t likely be shopping for a coach in the same tax bracket as these other schools.  Florida St. doesn’t have the deep pockets of a Big Ten or SEC school but they are a major brand and they hope to be in one of those conferences one day.  They need a good coach that isn’t extra expensive and can turn this program back around. 

The Pick: Clark Lea (Vanderbilt)

This is a tough one because Lea has built Vanderbilt into a real football program and he’s an alumnus.  It’s going to take a special job to get him to move but Florida St. is a very prominent program.  Vanderbilt is in the SEC and Florida St. is not but Vanderbilt isn’t in the business of investing in football the way Florida St. is long-term.  It would suck for him to leave but this is the time to go.  Lea wasn’t exactly lighting it up at Vanderbilt until Diego Pavia transferred in and now Pavia will be done.  It’s the right time to go and he can say he’s leaving Vanderbilt in a better place than where he found it. 

Runner up: Alex Golesh (South Florida).  A very good alternative if they can’t get Lea.

Disaster candidate: Ryan Silverfield (Memphis).  This is not a slight on Silverfield, he’s proven to be a good head coach.  He’s a disaster as a Florida St. candidate only because Mike Norvell was hired from Memphis and Silverfield replaced him there.  No way Florida St. can sell the idea of hiring the next guy from Memphis.  It’s a dumb reason but it does matter to them.  

Sneaky Good Idea: Jeff Brohm (Louisville).  I’ve heard Brohm’s name come up and getting him to leave his alma mater Louisville will be even harder than getting Lea to do so.  However, Brohm is an excellent coach and if Florida St. pulled this off, hats off, that would be incredible. 

Virginia Tech

Virgina Tech needs a reset after striking out with Brent Pry.  They may make a play for Shane Beamer at South Carolina but following in the legendary footsteps of his father seems like a bad idea.  Beamer may want to find a soft-landing spot after his tough year at South Carolina but he would be better off not going back to Va Tech. 

The Pick: James Franklin (former Penn St.)

This one feels like it has been in motion since the minute he was fired.  Franklin is still a young coach and has the energy it will take to fix Virginia Tech and he’s got something to prove.  It would be a solid hire for the school, don’t overthink it. 

Runner up: Billy Napier (former Florida).  I haven’t heard his name for any openings but he’s a good coach and they could do worse. 

Disaster candidate: Brian Kelly (former LSU). He qualifies as a disaster at anywhere that has actual expectations and where he has to talk to people.

Sneaky Good Idea: Bob Chesney (James Madison). Again, a job in this region would be a good fit and he’s a good coach.

Kentucky

This job isn’t open yet but it looks like Mark Stoops could be gone any day now.  It’s a massive buyout but this program is slipping and they can’t afford to let it slip any farther.  Also, they have the opportunity to bring home a homegrown future coaching star and if they don’t act now, he’s getting a different job. 

The Pick: Jon Sumrall (Tulane). 

Sumrall is at the top of any list of coaches coming from the G6 teams.  He was a LB at Kentucky and was an assistant there before he became the head coach at Troy.  He parlayed Troy into Tulane and he’s been excellent there.  If the Wildcats don’t hire him now, someone else in the SEC or Big Ten will and then it will be very hard to get him.  He might be Auburn’s top choice, if Kiffin leaves Ole Miss, Sumrall’s on that list too.

Runner up: Ryan Silverfield (Memphis) or Alex Golesh (South Florida).  I’m not sure Kentucky will be able to spend on a sitting head coach from a Power 4 school so if Sumrall turns them down, they look to the other top G6 guys. 

Disaster candidate: Anyone not name Jon Sumrall.  If they pay Mark Stoops’ ridiculous buyout, they better be sure Sumrall is taking the job.  The owe Stoops something like $38 million and it’s all due within 30 days of his firing, that’s insane.  Kudos to Stoops’ agent.  Sumrall would be a homerun hire for them, anyone else is a disappointment. 

Sneaky Good Idea: Don’t put a one lump sum payment buyout on a coach’s contract like this ever again. Especially for a guy who showed you his ceiling was winning nine games every few years.  Stoops deserves credit for rebuilding Kentucky football but he was well compensated the entire time and now his reward for tanking the program is winning the lottery.  That’s bad business.

Arkansas

It was time to move on from Sam Pittman and Bobby Petrino is not the answer.  Don’t be stupid and go looking for someone outside your comfort zone like you did when you hired Bret Bielema.  Stick to someone you know. 

The Pick: Rhett Lashlee (SMU)

Lashlee is an Arkansas native who built a good SMU team and took them to the college football playoff last year.  He’s an excellent coach and there’s no better fit.  I say it all the time, don’t over think it.  SMU has deep pockets to compete with any offer but let’s not pretend Arkansas can’t beat it. 

Runner up: Eric Morris (North Texas). He’s a Texas guy who could recruit to Arkansas pretty well and he’s a QB savant. 

Disaster hire: Billy Napier (former Florida).  I don’t think Arkansas fans would take too well to Florida’s reject. 

Sneaky Good Idea: Collin Klein (Texas A&M offensive coordinator).  Klein is a young coach who has been an offensive coordinator at Kansas St. and Texas A&M and they would be getting a guy on his way up.  It might be a big jump but he might be worth the risk. 

Oklahoma St.

Mike Gundy was there for a very long time as both a coach and a player.  He defined Oklahoma St. football for a generation, now they need to move on.  A new, young offensive minded coach would look good in Stillwater. 

The Pick: Eric Morris (North Texas)

Morris is only 40 and he hasn’t been coaching that long in college but he’s been a head coach at Incarnate Word and at North Texas, he was also an offensive coordinator at Washington St. when they were still in a major conference.  Oklahoma St. isn’t the most attractive job out there but it has its advantages.  If you get a guy like Morris who can recruit in Texas and find you a QB, that’s a great place to start.

Runner up: Collin Klein (Texas A&M OC).  Same reasons as the Arkansas job although it’s not as big of a leap. 

Disaster candidate: Ben Arbuckle (Oklahoma OC). Arbuckle is 29 and not ready.  He’s had success with John Mateer at Washington St. and some at Oklahoma but he shouldn’t be getting this big of a job. 

Sneaky Good Idea: Just hire Morris, this isn’t hard.   

UCLA

The Bruins are flailing along and trying to find a direction.  Tim Skipper is the interim after they fired Deshuan Foster but they need to look for someone with some real head coaching experience to lead the program.  That’s not going to be easy with an athletic department that isn’t likely to commit a ton of resources.  They could go with a current coordinator but I think they should look for the guy looking for a soft landing somewhere new. 

The Pick: Dave Aranda (Baylor)

Aranda has had Baylor up and down over the years and generally just as soon as it looks like they may fire him, he has a solid year.  Maybe it’s time to get off that particular rollercoaster.  Aranda was born and raised in California and UCLA may just be desperate enough to want a guy needing a lifeline.  Aranda cut his teeth as a defensive coordinator so there’s even the possibility he might be willing to keep Jerry Neuheisel as his offensive coordinator.  Aranda is a good coach needing a reset and UCLA needs a coach who’s willing to accept a job that may not be perfect. 

Runner up: D’Anton Lynn (USC defensive coordinator).  Lynn was formerly the defensive coordinator at UCLA and may have been the guy who replaced Chip Kelly if he hadn’t just left for the USC DC job.  He would also potentially keep Neuheisel so he’s not the worst choice. 

Disaster hire: PJ Fleck (Minnesota).  His name routinely gets floated for this job but I don’t think the UCLA administration would find it fun to have Fleck around complaining about not getting enough support from the school.  He’s not exactly the type of guy to suffer in silence. 

Sneaky Good Idea: Tosh Lupoi (Oregon defensive coordinator).  Great recruiter and a guy looking for a chance to be a head coach.  He too could keep Neuheisel.  It’s not a dealbreaker that a new coach has to keep him but Neuheisel seems to be beloved in that locker room and loves UCLA.  He’s done a good job taking over and making the offense fun again since the purge of Deshaun Foster and other coaches.  Don’t kill the vibe. 

Stanford

Frank Reich is the interim coach that Andrew Luck hired to hold down the fort after they let Troy Taylor go over the summer for non-football related reasons.  I don’t have a good feel for this job because the only name mentioned I’ve seen is Tavita Pritchard who is the Ravens QB coach.  He’s a former Stanford QB and coached there too.  He’s really young and doesn’t have a ton of experience.  Luck is in charge of hiring the next coach and he would be wise to look at UCLA’s hiring of Deshaun Foster and steer clear of hiring a guy just because of his ties to the school.  There are a couple of good coaches not linked to Stanford that Luck should look into. 

The Pick: Sean Lewis (San Diego St.)

Lewis is an offensive mastermind and was an excellent coach at Kent St. and if you know anything about Kent St. football you know how impressive that was.  He made the mistake of leaving there to be Deion Sanders’ OC at Colorado.  That didn’t go well but he was smart enough to get out before it hurt his stock.  He got the San Diego St. job and has done well.  He runs a unique offense and Stanford probably needs to do something a little different to compete.  It a tough situation with their academic standards and the weird placement in the ACC but Stanford can be a good team. 

Runner up: Ken Niumatalolo (San Jose St.). Niumatalolo was once the head coach at Navy and ran the triple option there but now at San Jose St. he runs a wide-open spread offense.  Talk about a guy who could give Stanford something unique.  He’s an excellent coach but he is 60 years old and may not want the headache of a rebuild at a tough place like Stanford.

Disaster hire: Tavita Pritchard (Baltimore Ravens QB coach).  I’m not knocking Pritchard as a coach, by all accounts he’s doing a good job.  However, he’s 36, never been a head coach, and this is a heavy lift.  The Deshaun Foster/UCLA thing would scare me away from this.  Maybe if you hire Lewis, he succeeds and moves on in a few years and then Pritchard comes back after being at least a coordinator in the NFL or college.  Give it a little time.

Sneaky Good Idea: Jonathan Smith (Michigan St.) Smith was a rising star at Oregon St. and now in his second year at Michigan St. he might get fired.  He’s a west coast guy and maybe getting back that way would be good for him.  I don’t think it’s a good idea for Michigan St. to give up on him this early but he may be like Dave Aranda and looking for a soft-landing spot. 

Maryland

This is another job that isn’t open and depending on how they finish, it may not.  Mike Locksley has been a big-time recruiter in his career as an assistant but as a head coach, he’s been hit and miss.  His coaching hasn’t been great at Maryland.  There are a lot of great players in the area and he hasn’t taken advantage.  He has a very good freshman QB this year but they may only go 5-7, 6-6, or 7-5 at best.  He’s had plenty of time and Maryland has a chance to get a good up-and-coming coach. 

The pick: Charles Huff (Southern Miss)

Huff is a Maryland native and he’s coached at places like Alabama, Penn St. and even the NFL.  He was the head coach at Marshall and took over at Southern Miss this season.  He’s won at both places and he would be a great get for Maryland.

Runner up: I don’t think there’s a great second choice.  Huff should be the guy if they move on.

Disaster hire: Brian Kelly (former LSU).  I’m just taking another shot at Kelly. 

Sneaky Good Idea: Bob Chesney (James Madison). Seriously, do I have to say it again? He’s a good coach.

The Domino Jobs (their coach left for a better opportunity)

Ole Miss

Lost: Lane Kiffin

Hire: Pete Golding (Ole Miss defensive coordinator). 

Golding has been a good coach at Ole Miss and was a good DC at Alabama before that.  He would likely have to wrestle with Kiffin to keep some of the staff but he’s their best shot at keeping the Kiffin thing going. 

Other options: Alex Golesh (South Florida), Jon Sumrall (Tulane)

Missouri

Lost: Eli Drinkwitz

Hire: Ryan Silverfield (Memphis).

Silverfield might be the runner up for a number of jobs because he’s good but maybe not ready for the upper level of the Big Ten or SEC.  Missouri is a good next step for him.  Better program, better conference, and working towards the bigger jobs.

Other options: Alex Golesh (South Florida), Colin Klein (Texas A&M OC)

Iowa St.

Lost: Matt Campbell

Hire: Jason Eck (New Mexico).

He has done a great job everywhere he’s been and he does have ties to AD Jamie Pollard.  Eck was an offensive lineman and started his coaching career at Wisconsin when Pollard was there.

Other options: Nathan Scheelhaase (LA Rams Assistant Coach), Tim Polasek (North Dakota St.)

SMU

Lost: Rhett Lashlee

Hire: Will Stein (Oregon offensive coordinator). 

Stein spent a lot of time coaching in the state of Texas and he would be a great candidate to step in and keep the offense humming at SMU.  He’s a future coaching star. 

Other options: Collin Klein (Texas A&M OC), Jason Eck (New Mexico)

Washington

Lost: Jedd Fisch

Hire: Ryan Grubb (Alabama OC). 

Grubb was Kalen DeBoer’s right hand man during Washington’s run to the National Championship Game a couple of years ago.  He’s a great offensive mind for college (his year with the Seahawks went poorly, not all his fault).  And he clearly liked the area so maybe he will stay longer than DeBoer or Fisch did.

Other options: Will Stein (Oregon OC), Tosh Lupoi (Oregon DC)

Tulane

Lost: Jon Sumrall

Hire: Collin Klein (Texas A&M OC)

Klein is a young coach at 36 and while there’s a very good chance, he may end up the head coach at Kansas St. someday, Chris Klieman is only 58 and Klein should get some experience as a head coach.  If Sumrall moves up to a bigger job, that’s the last two Tulane head coaches who moved up (Willie Fritz became the Houston head coach).  This is a good job to have.

Other options: Charles Huff (Southern Miss), Billy Napier (former Florida)

Memphis

Lost: Ryan Silverfield

Hire: Tim Cramsey (Memphis OC)

The last time Memphis lost their head coach they replaced Mike Norvell with Silverfield.  Here they do it again by promoting Cramsey who is their offensive coordinator.  It’s not the sexiest hire but he’s a solid coach. 

Other options: Brian Brohm (Memphis OC), Andy Kotelnicki (Penn St. OC), Brian Hartline (Ohio St. OC) 

Vanderbilt

Lost: Clark Lea

Hire: Bob Chesney (James Madison)

I mentioned Chesney for a couple of jobs but I haven’t given him one yet.  He would be an excellent choice for Vanderbilt.  He isn’t working with the biggest budget at JMU and Vanderbilt would be similar.  Chesney can do less with more.  He should be getting one of these jobs.

Other options: Andy Kotelnicki (Penn St. OC), Mike Denbrock (Notre Dame OC)

Baylor

Lost: Dave Aranda

Hire: Alex Golesh (South Florida)

Golesh should also be getting a promotion and heading to Baylor and bringing his offensive acumen to a place like Baylor seems fitting. 

Other options: Eric Morris (North Texas), Will Stein (Oregon OC)

The 3 Other Jobs (Someone will take them)

Oregon St

They fired Trent Bray after less than a season and a half after promoting him when Jonathan Smith left for Michigan St.  He was a young defensive coordinator and they didn’t give him much time.  Oregon St. is still in the PAC-2 until they get the PAC-whatever back up and running.  It’s not a great job but someone will take it. 

The Pick: Paul Chryst

Chryst wasn’t lighting up the world at Wisconsin but he didn’t deserve to get fired either and they are paying for that mistake now.  He wants to get back into coaching but he isn’t going to be a hot commodity.  He would be an excellent pick to resurrect Oregon St. and get them on track as the new conference gets going. 

UAB

They fired Trent Dilfer and for good reason.  He was a disaster and anyone is an upgrade.  This program deserves a good coach.

The Pick: Billy Napier (former Florida). 

Napier is a good coach.  He was in over his head at Florida but he was an excellent coach at Louisiana.  UAB would be a good landing spot for him. 

Colorado St.

Jay Norvell did okay at CSU but never quite as well as he did at Nevada.  CSU is at best a stepping stone for a good young coach and at worst it’s a last stop for a guy on his way out.  Maybe this is the Brian Kelly stop.  I highly doubt he would swallow his pride enough to take this job but it would be a good place for him, no one is paying attention to Colorado St. 

The Pick: I don’t have a good choice for this one.  I say go for the up-and-coming coach like a Brian Brohm (Louisville OC), Andy Kotelnicki (Penn St. OC), or Tim Polasek (North Dakota St) but I’m not sure they would take it.  It’s possible this is a Mike Gundy spot.   

The two Big Ten jobs that could open but won’t.

Wisconsin

Luke Fickell needs a miracle because even if he survives this year, Wisconsin’s outlook next year can’t be great.  He’s a dead man walking but Wisconsin’s AD doesn’t want to admit his mistake and they really don’t want to pay his buyout.  They are talking about investing more money in the roster and while that would help, Fickell’s inability to keep a QB healthy has killed his team every year.  Wisconsin hasn’t had the offensive line they are used to or the defense they used to have so it’s an uphill climb.  It is possible things change and the Wisconsin AD gets the boot too and both are gone.  If they need a coach, Jason Eck (New Mexico) is a former Badger and if the AD is gone, they could try to mend fences with Jim Leonhard (Denver Broncos assistant).  Neither would necessarily break the bank so they could get it done. 

Michigan St. 

I thought the Jonathan Smith hire was a good one at the time and I would give him more time to right the ship.  With the portal, it’s possible to turn a roster around quickly if you make the right moves.  Maybe Smith is a bad fit but I think Michigan St. should sit out this coaching cycle, give Smith the resources to figure it out, and if he fails next season, maybe the coaching carousel isn’t so tough. They have turned that job into a revolving door since Mark Dantonio retired and it’s not a good idea to continually turn over the job.  They didn’t have a choice with Mel Tucker; he had to go. They have a choice with Smith and they should hold on to him. 

Well, if you made it this far, kudos to you and thanks for sticking around.  I probably got it all wrong and if Lane Kiffin picks Florida or stays at Ole Miss, the dominos may fall in a completely different way.  That’s the fun of dominos.      

2025 NFC North Preview

Detroit Lions

The Lions went 15-2 last season but came up short in the playoffs and now they have to replace both their offensive and defensive coordinators along with a number of coaches on the staff.  Dan Campbell hired John Morton to replace Ben Johnson at OC and promoted LB coach Kelvin Sheppard to replace Aaron Glenn as DC.  The roster returns almost every key piece and that will help the transition. 

QB Jared Goff comes back as the steady piece of the offense but he will have John Morton calling plays and a new guy, David Shaw (passing game coordinator), in his ear.  Losing Johnson and coaches like Tanner Engstrand, Antwaan Randle-El, and JT Barrett will put more on Goff to keep the offense on track.  Mark Brunell returns as QB coach and Hank Fraley is the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, that’s good news. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown returns as the alpha dog of this pass game, he’s incredibly productive.  Last season, they finally got Jameson Williams to be the type of playmaker they hoped he would be.  It’s up to Morton, Shaw, and the others to keep him progressing.  They have TE Sam LaPorta as arguably their second-best pass catcher although he had a bit of a down year last season.  With St. Brown, Williams, and LaPorta, they don’t have a huge need for more production from the pass catching group but they hope either Tim Patrick can stay healthy this season or rookie Isaac TeSlaa steps up for the third WR spot. TeSlaa has had an excellent preseason and it’s just a matter of time before he passes Patrick. 

Fraley is one of the better offensive line coaches in the league and some teams looked at him pretty hard for their OC job.  He returns to Detroit with the run game coordinator title and they will need some help from him keeping the offense running.  Jamyr Gibbs broke out last season and showed he can be a top-level RB and David Montgomery can still be productive. 

The offensive line has been top-notch for years but that will be put to the test this season.  LT Taylor Decker is still as solid as they come and RT Penei Sewell is arguably the best RT in the league who isn’t Lane Johnson.  The interior of the line is the question.  C Frank Ragnow retired this summer and Kevin Zeitler left in free agency.  The team drafted Tate Ratledge knowing they would need him with Zeitler leaving.  That also means they are counting heavily on Christian Mahogany’s development as a second-year guy.  Graham Glasgow was the LG last year and struggled, they are moving him to center to step in for Ragnow.  Glasgow isn’t great at center but for now he’s a better option than trying to teach the rookie Ratledge a new position before he’s even played a snap in the NFL.  They are dangerously thin on the line and the interior of the line is compromised and could be their Achilles heel. 

The defense is also changing the coordinator as Kelvin Sheppard was promoted to DC when Aaron Glenn took the Jet’s job.  Sheppard knows this defense well and these players so it should be a simpler transition.  The defense will be built around the talent of Aidan Hutchinson as he returns at DE from his season ending injury.  He should be 100% for the season but he needs some help off the edge.  The team has been trying to find a suitable complement at DE and they are running it back with Marcus Davenport, who missed almost all last season after signing with them.  They may need to look to re-sign Za’Darius Smith if Davenport doesn’t hold up again.  AT DT they still have DJ Reader and Alim McNeill is returning from injury too.  They drafted Tyliek Williams so he steps in as a starter until McNeil is ready.    

The LB corps feature Alez Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and Derrick Barnes, assuming they are all healthy.  That’s an assumption that could prove untrue but they are solid if those guys are playing.  The secondary just re-signed S Kerby Joseph to a massive contract and he and Brian Branch are an excellent duo at safety.  CB DJ Reed was signed to replace Carlton Davis.  Reed is more of a CB2 so they are clearly hoping Terrion Arnold ascends to the CB1 spot in year two.  Amik Robertson is the nickel with Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox as depth pieces. 

The Lions will be good once again but the coaching staff changes, the interior offensive line issues and the health on defense are all reasons to question where this team ends up.  The NFC North is not for the faint of heart and if this team’s performance slips even a little bit, all three teams in the division could give them trouble. 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers were 11-6 last year and they return everyone of consequence and have added a few key players.  Matt LeFleur is one of the better coaches in the NFL and his staff is intact for the most part so they are counting largely on the development of their younger players to help get them over the hump in the playoffs.  It all starts with QB Jordan Love.  He’s a truly talented player who they need to stay healthy and he should be entering his prime.  He’s already dealing with a thumb issue and they hope it doesn’t hamper him all season.    

The Packers have a bevy of young WRs to like but they don’t have that one ace they can count on when the chips are down.  For the first time in about a quarter century they invested a first-round pick in a WR, Matthew Golden.  He wasn’t my favorite prospect but it’s easy to see how he fits their needs. Christian Watson has been their only real deep threat for the past few years and he’s been inconsistent and is coming off an injury.  Golden can be that guy instead and really complement Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.  It also means counting less on Dontayvion Wicks, he’s a guy with suspect hands.  The TE position is in good hands with Tucker Kraft really breaking out last season and Luke Musgrave is good when he’s healthy. 

RB Josh Jacobs pretty much carries the running game on his back at this point until they can get something out of MarShawn Lloyd, he’s already banged up.  Jacobs fits the scheme quite well and while he’s only 27, he’s got a lot of carries on his legs.  It would be helpful if Lloyd could take some of the load.  The running game should be aided by the addition of LG Aaron Banks.  The team spent big to bring him in as a free agent and he allows them to move Elgton Jenkins to center.  Jenkins is an upgrade at center over Josh Myers assuming he agrees to move to center.  Jenkins didn’t seem thrilled about the possibility after Banks was signed.  LT Rasheed Wallace is a decent starter and RT Zach Tom is a good starter on the opposite side.  The team should be hoping Jordan Morgan wins the RG job after they drafted him in round one last year but they are also getting him time at LT.  Wallace is in a contract year and they just gave RT Zach Tom a contract extension so Wallace is probably a free agent next off season.    

Jeff Hafley took over the defense last year and transitioned them to more of a 4-3 base defense and while they weren’t elite, the defense was pretty good.  DEs Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness are penciled in to start.  Gary is an accomplished player who had 7.5 sacks last year. They would like a little more out of him but it’s Van Ness who really has to step up.  As a former first-round pick, he needs to give them more than three sacks.  They aren’t that deep on the edge so fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell has a chance to play.  The DT rotation has Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and Karl Brooks after TJ Slaton left in free agency. Those guys are solid on the inside, it’s the edge that needs better production.   

The LB corps still has Quay Walker but they are going to be playing Edgerrin Cooper more.  Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper will fill roles too.  Walker is coming off an injury and needs to steady his play if he wants to continue to play.  The secondary has Xavier McKinney at SS and then there are questions all around.  Evan Williams stepped in at safety as a rookie and played well and they hope their other rookie from last year, Javon Bullard, becomes their full-time nickel.  The team finally cut Jaire Alexander at CB but that leaves them with an unproven group at CB.  Keisean Nixon played well last year on the outside but he came up as a nickel corner and doesn’t have a long track record on the outside.  They signed Nate Hobbs to be the other CB; he’s also mostly been a nickel.  Nixon and Hobbs on the outside is tenuous at best.  Carrington Valentine is the other option. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are coming off an incredible 14-3 season where they finished one game behind the Lions in the division.  Head coach Kevin O’Connell is known as a QB savant and that reputation was only enhanced by the season Sam Darnold had under O’Connell.  Darnold was great until the last couple of games of the year and that’s why they didn’t re-sign him.  O’Connell will look to work his magic with JJ McCarthy this season.

After sitting out his rookie year with a knee injury, it’s McCarthy’s job now and he steps into an even better situation than Darnold had.  Justin Jefferson is arguably the best WR in the game, it’s either him or Ja’Marr Chase.  Jordan Addison is a great second WR and the team has TE TJ Hockenson, who should only be better another year removed from his ACL injury.  That’s three top receiving options for McCarthy.  The problem is that Addison is suspended for the first three games of the season, Jefferson is dealing with a hamstring injury, and even Jalen Nailor is banged up. Nailor isn’t the best option at WR3 even when healthy which is why the Vikings pulled off the much talked about trade for Adam Thielen. Thielen is a Vikings legend and now he returns to the team. He’s still a productive player even at 35 and he’ll be a reliable target for McCarthy.

The team also went into the off season intent on fixing their interior offensive line issues and they certainly succeeded.The offensive line was abysmal last year on the interior so we have wholesale changes this season. C Ryan Kelly and RG Will Fries were signed as free agents from Indianapolis and the team drafted LG Donovan Jackson in the first round of the draft.  Adding those three to LT Christian Darrisaw, one of the best LTs in football, and RT Brian O’Neill, a very good player himself, and you have an excellent offensive line.  Aaron Jones returns as the main RB but Jones is 30 and he gets banged up.  They didn’t have a great option behind Jones so this off season they traded for Jordan Mason from San Francisco.  He was a very effective back when he played in place of Christian McCaffrey last year, he’s an upgrade to the unit. 

Brian Flores is a defensive mastermind and O’Connell lets him do his thing on defense.  Last year it took some Flores magic to cover some of the holes in the defense so this year they got him a little more help.  The DT position was rough last year so they signed veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.  Those two are probably upgrades but there are some questions given they are aging players coming off injuries.  Allen probably still has something left in the tank but Hargrave is 32 and it’s not clear he’s going to be the guy he once was.  These two are a big bet that this team needs to pay off.  Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel proved to be excellent additions last year as both guys had double digit sacks.  If they can get last year’s other first-round pick, Dallas Turner (the non-McCarthy pick), to give them anything as a third pass rusher, it takes the defense to a different level.  Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman are good ILBs who have the skills Flores likes from his LBs.  Pace Jr. was especially affective for Flores. 

The secondary is where things could go wrong for this group.  They re-signed CB Byron Murphy, he’s become a Flores favorite but they are still a bit thin at CB.  Isaiah Rodgers was signed as a free agent to replace Stephon Gilmore.  Rodgers is a lot younger but way less accomplished.  He takes one outside CB spot.  Murphy does some of his best work in the slot so they are hoping either Mekhi Blackmon returns from injury or Jeff Okudah emerges for the other outside CB spot. Harrison Smith is 36 but still getting it done at FS while they hope Josh Mettelus can step in as a full-time player for Cam Bynum and Theo Jackson becomes the third safety. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears could be one of the most improved teams this season over last year and could still finish last in this division, it’s that tough.  They were six games worse than the third place Packers in the division last season.  Ben Johnson and his new coaching staff are probably worth three or four more wins alone after the debacle the end of the Matt Eberflus era was last year.  Johnson is one of the smartest offensive minds in football and he was smart enough to hire Dennis Allen to run his defense.  Allen has proven he’s not a great head coach but he’s also proven he’s a master defensive coordinator. 

Ben Johnson’s most important job is getting QB Caleb Williams to live up to his incredible talent.  Williams has skills that could make him one of the better QBs in the league, but he has to harness those skills in an effective manner.  Johnson can design an offense to highlight Williams and find the best way to use the talent around him, and there’s plenty of it.  WR DJ Moore is a legitimate WR1 in the NFL.  His usage last year was confusing but Johnson will fix that.  WR Rome Odunze is one of the most physically gifted WRs you’ll see, Johnson won’t squander that skill.  They signed Olamide Zaccheaus to be the slot guy and then stumbled into Luther Burden III in round two of the draft, Burden is a playmaker.  TE Cole Kmet is a weapon but rookie TE Colston Loveland might be an upgrade in the passing game. 

The offensive line was the biggest personnel issue last season and it was the interior that was the issue.  The team traded for LG Joe Thuney and RG Jonah Jackson and then signed C Drew Dalman in free agency.  If those three guys are all healthy and playing, that’s a significant upgrade inside.  LT Braxton Jones needs to be healthy and needs to improve. They have spent most of training camp trying to find a different LT but it looks like Jones is still the best bet.  RT Darnell Wright is solid and should benefit from Ben Johnson’s offense.  At RB, D’Andre Swift is the most likely starter and Rochon Johnson shouldn’t be forgotten.  However, rookie seventh rounder Kyle Monangai has really stood out in camp and the coaches love him.  I think he’s going to be the guy by the end of the year. 

Dennis Allen will run the defense and this group should work well for him. DE Montez Sweat isn’t the speed rusher off the edge you typically think of for the top edge guy but Allen prefers big, power DEs.  The team signed Deyo Odeyingbo because he’s also a big power end like Sweat.  This team’s pass rush will come from pushing the pocket more than beating teams off the edge.  At DT they are hoping for development from Gervon Dexter, a talented young player.  They also inexplicably signed Grady Jarrett to a fairly expensive contract.  It’s the one major move that I questioned from the off season but Jarrett is a pro’s pro and the team needs that for sure.  Andrew Billings is still around and they drafted Shemar Turner so hopefully for the Bears, if Jarrett doesn’t pan out on the field, they can cover. 

At LB, MLB Tremaine Edmunds is an expensive player but he’s been solid for them since they signed him as a free agent.  TJ Edwards was brought in at the same time and he’s a good LB too.  They mainly used two LBs last year and if Allen wants to use three, he may have to look to rookie Ruben Hyppolite II because there’s not a lot of depth. 

Mostly they used nickel so they use five defensive backs because they have a strong secondary. CB Jaylon Johnson may not be in the top, elite tier of CBs but he’s the next level down from them.  Tyrique Stevenson has had some ups and downs in his short career but he’s got talent.  If Allen can get him straight, they should be fine.  Nickel back Kyler Gordon is one of the best at that position in the league.  Safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard are a solid duo.  Brisker is a guy who could still get a little better and be one of the better safeties in the game.  Byard is an older veteran who just knows what to do.     

Final Preseason Thoughts on Iowa Football 2025

My Iowa Hawkeye Preview was written before fall camp started and as with any preseason preview, it deserves a little update now that fall camp is in the books and the Hawkeyes kick off the season on Saturday.  So here are a few updates, some thoughts, and a look at the season ahead.

The QB position worked out how I saw it coming together, Mark Gronowski is the starter, Hank Brown is the backup and Jeremy Hecklinski is the third stringer.  After watching them at the open practice I’m not surprised.  It wasn’t the most impressive day for Gronowski but you could see the skills he brings to the position.  It’s a huge upgrade at QB, not just the starter, the whole roster at QB.    

At RB, Kamari Moulton and Terrell Washington both missed a chunk of fall camp but they are still listed as the top two RBs on the two-deeps.  That’s who I had and it proved to be true.  One thing to keep in mind is that on the two-deeps Moulton and Washington were listed as co-starters with Jaziun Patterson and Xavier Williams listed as co-backups.  The Hawkeyes have depth at RB and it shows.  I think we will see them use six RBs this year after true freshman Nathan McNeil had a great camp and redshirt freshman Brevin Doll is a talented player too.

At WR, I said Sam Phillips was a wild card and he moved his way all the way to he starting lineup.  Jacob Gill, Seth Anderson, and Phillips were the three listed starters.  Anderson looked great at the open practice and if he can stay healthy, he’s going to have a good year.  Gill is just the reliable target every QB loves.  Phillips is the speed demon this offense needs to give it the big play capability it needs. Last year, almost all the big plays came in the running game from Kaleb Johnson, with Anderson and Phillips, there’s potential for big plays in the passing game.  Kaden Wetjen, Reece Vander Zee, and KJ Parker are listed as the backups so there’s some real depth with Jarriet Buie and Dayton Howard not even on the depth chart. 

The starting offensive line has LG Beau Stephens, C Logan Jones, RG Kade Pieper, and RT Gennings Dunker which we all knew was how it would be for those spots.  LT is listed as Trevor Lauck and Jack Dotzler which means it’s still not decided.  Lauck seems to be trending towards being the starter but I’m sure they will rotate, especially in the first game, to get a better idea. This could be a competition for weeks before they decide on one guy, or they could rotate them all season.  Bryce George is listed as the backup LT but Lauck and Dotzler are both listed as the backups at RT so basically Dunker, Lauck, and Dotzler are the top three tackles.  That doesn’t bode well for Cannon Leonard since he’s not listed on the two-deeps at all.  One other thing to note is true freshman Lucas Allgeyer is listed as the backup RG, that does bode well for his future. 

On the defensive line the one change of note is that Bryce Hawthorne is listed as the starting DT next to Aaron Graves.  Jeremiah Pittman is still working his way back from surgery and while Jonah Pace looked like a potential starter inside, Hawthorne has really impressed the coaches. Also, Brian Allen is recovered from his off season surgeries and is listed as a backup DE while Will Hubert, a walk-on, takes the fourth DT spot.  There will be a heavy rotation in the first game against Albany so we will see plenty of the young guys. 

There were no surprises at the LB spots except that none of the redshirt freshman (Cam Buffington, Preston Ries, Derek Weisskopf) were listed at all. Jayden Montgomery and Landyn Van Kekerix were the only guys listed behind the starters. Jaxon Rexroth is listed as the starting LEO and the backup to Karson Sharar on the weakside. 

In the secondary we got some clarity on some things and a little confusion on others.  Zach Lutmer was listed as the starter at Cash with Koen Entringer set to be the strong safety.  That’s good to know, however, Entringer is listed as the backup at Cash and like a co-starter with Xavier Nwankpa at FS, that’s confusing.  Clearly, Entringer is going to be on the field at all times but it’s going to be interesting to see how Phil Parker uses his safeties this season. 

At CB, TJ Hall and Deshaun Lee are the starters, that’s not surprising.  Jaylen Watson is listed as the co-backup at both spots so that tells me he’s the third CB. Shahid Barros and Rashad Godfrey are the other listed backups so the Hawkeyes have some depth.

That is all the notes I have about the two-deeps but just a few thoughts on the season.  I think Iowa’s passing game is going to be much improved.  It’s not just the upgrade at QB and WR.  It’s the installation of the passing scheme that Lester wasn’t really able to implement last year at all.  McNamara was never healthy enough to really get it going and Sullivan wasn’t the passer you need to run it.  Gronowski has the skills to actually run the offense the way Lester wants to run it. 

The biggest obstacle to the Hawkeyes having great season might be the schedule.  There is some good news, the three toughest conference games are Indiana, Penn St. and Oregon and all come to Kinnick.  The bad news is the road schedule has some hazards in it.  First of all, three of Iowa’s biggest rivalry games are on the road; Iowa St, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.  The Hawkeyes have had good luck lately in Ames and Lincoln and Wisconsin doesn’t look all that good but playing all three of those games on the road, sucks.  It’s losing one of those games that could derail a really good year for the Hawkeyes.  Also, Iowa has to travel to the west coast to take on USC.  I’m not sure if USC will be good or not but going west hasn’t been kind to the Hawkeyes.

The Big Ten slate doesn’t have any gimmes because at Rutgers, Minnesota, and Michigan St. won’t be pushovers.  Not sure why Iowa doesn’t get to play Purdue this season, we could really use a Purdue game this year.  This is the reality of the new Big Ten, there are no easy weeks.  I think this team is going to be pretty good and I’m thinking 9-3 or even 10-2 is possible but if the defense faulters like it did last year against Michigan St. and UCLA, 7-5 might be the reality.  I don’t make predictions on final records because I like to be optimistic this time of year.  Iowa could be fighting for a bowl berth the last few weeks of the season or looking for a potential spot in the College Football Playoff, neither one would surprise me all that much.      

2026 NFL Draft QB Prospects

In the 2024 NFL draft there were six QBs taken in the top 12 picks, in 2025, Shadeur Sanders was the sixth QB off the board and he was taken in round five with pick #144.  In 2026 there probably won’t be six QBs that go in the top 12 (it’s not completely out of the question but it’s unlikely), but we won’t be waiting until pick 144 for the sixth one either.  When I made my preliminary list of QBs to look at just to get a sense of draft eligible guys who could reasonably get drafted, I had 25 to start.  That doesn’t include guys like Diego Pavia or Noah Fifita who just don’t physically profile like NFL prospects.  They could change my mind with incredible seasons but I’m not going there at this point.  I’m going to do my Top 10 QB prospects for now and then throw in some others to watch out for.  All these players are draft eligible meaning they have been out of high school for at least three years.  The heights and weights are generally from there school’s listing so take those with a grain of salt, and I’ll note any that seem really out of whack.  Also, their listed class, take that with a grain of salt too, with all the NCAA rule changes, transfers, redshirts, JUCO things, and other issues, some of these guys may have more eligibility than it seems.  While we should essentially be at the end of the Covid extra eligibility guys there was a TE at Miami last year who was in his 9th year of college eligibility so I’ll believe anything at this point.  Let’s take a look.

1. Arch Manning     Redshirt Soph    Texas

I’m going to start with this; Manning is the #1 QB prospect in this draft until we reach the deadline to enter the draft in January.  I don’t think Manning will be in this class, I think he goes back to Texas unless three things occur.  1. Texas wins the national championship, 2. He wins the Heisman Trophy, 3. A team he wants to play for has the #1 overall pick.  If he pulls off the first two things in his first year as a starter for the Longhorns, he’s a legend and has nothing left to prove, if he fails to achieve either one, he can say he’s got something to come back to accomplish and just cash some more checks; NIL and otherwise.  The third one is going to be the huge piece here. Do you remember his grandfather Archie Manning making the Chargers trade his uncle Eli to the Giants because he didn’t want to go to that organization. Well, if the Cleveland Browns have the first pick it’s not hard to see Arch saying, thanks but no thanks, I’ll stay in Austin.  If it’s the New Orleans Saints, a team where his grandfather was a legend, he might be more tempted to come out.  Now, as for Manning the prospect.

He’s a legit 6’4 225 lbs. QB with a rifle for an arm like his uncles (Peyton and Eli) but he is more athletic than they ever were (his dad Cooper played WR before an injury ended his career).  Arch has some serious wheels when he leaves the pocket and he can still throw on the run too.  He’s everything you want from a physical standpoint, plus he has Manning DNA.  The one thing lacking is playing time in college.  He stepped in for Quinn Ewers when he was banged up but he only has a few starts so his sample size is limited.  If he balls out at Texas this year, there will be no stopping the hype train and we will just be living in the Arch Manning world until he decides when he wants to go pro.  If he has just a good year and enters the draft, he’s going first overall because there isn’t a GM on the planet who will pass on drafting the next great Manning.  Like I said though, I think he has to be great and have a hugely successful year to come out and if he does that, he’s a no-brainer at #1 overall. 

2. Drew Allar     Senior     Penn St.

If I were a betting man and I had to bet who I think will actually be the first pick of the 2026 draft, I’m taking Allar.  He’s 6’5 235 lbs. and this is going to be his third year as the starting QB at Penn St.  He’s had his issues against the best competition the Nittany Lions have faced over the last several years but he was pretty good last year against some good teams, his team let him down.  He’s straight out of central casting with his size and build for an NFL franchise QB.  While he’s a big, strong-armed pocket passer, he’s not a statue, he can move out of the pocket and throw too.  They aren’t designing runs for him like the Longhorns do for Arch Manning but he’s not going to just stand in the pocket and get killed either. 

He has a howitzer for an arm and can make any throw necessary but his ball placement needs some work.  He doesn’t always give his WRs the most catchable pass and Tyler Warren bailed him out of some bad throws last year.  Allar doesn’t play with the greatest group of WRs so some of it is him and some of it could be them not being exactly where they should be.  The good news is that over the last several years you can watch Allar get better as he plays.  He’s making the progress you want to see and after another full year as the starter, he could easily be the best QB in the draft…if there’s no Arch Manning. 

3. Garrett Nussmeier     Senior     LSU

Nussmeier is the son of longtime NFL and college coach and former NFL QB Doug Nussmeier.  His father is the new OC for Kellen Moore with the New Orleans Saints.  Doug was a journeyman QB and Garrett has a higher ceiling than that.  Garrett took over as the starter for LSU last year after Jayden Daniels graduated and he didn’t miss a beat.  He didn’t have Malik Nabers or Brian Thomas Jr. to throw too but that didn’t slow him down. He did play behind a brick wall last year but OT Will Campbell, OT Emory Jones, OG Miles Frazier and G/C Garrett Dellinger all got drafted.  That’s a major revamp happening in front of him. 

Nussmeier is accurate and smart, two things you would expect from a coach’s kid.  He’s also fearless with where he will throw it.  He will chuck it all over the yard if you let him.  He has a good arm for sure, he thinks he has an elite arm, which can get him in trouble. One other knock on his is he’s not very big.  He’s listed at 6’2 200 lbs. and the height might be true but he looks really slight compared to other players.  I will be interested to see how he performs this season after losing most of his o-line to the NFL draft.  He’s not built to take a beating if the o-line struggles.

4. Sam Leavitt     Redshirt Soph     Arizona St.

I’m probably higher on Leavitt than many people but after watching him at the end of last season and in the college football playoff, I’m a believer.  He got overshadowed by all the Cam Skattebo hype but Arizona St. doesn’t sniff the Big 12 title game or the college football playoff without Leavitt.  He brings an attitude and a swagger you want in a QB.  He will throw the ball anywhere, anytime, and it does get him in trouble a little, but it really energizes his team.  He does have the same flaw as Nussmeier in the fact that he’s a bit undersized, listed at 6’2 200 lbs.  I actually think it maybe his height is a little exaggerated but he’s probably 200 lbs. at least.  I think he has a little bit more of a frame that could grow and he’s almost three full years younger than Nussmeier so he has some time to fill out his frame.  Leavitt does have a good arm with strength and touch and he plays in a more pro-style offense, they use some play action like pros.  His head coach is Kenny Dillingham who is an excellent QB coach too.  I’m a fan of Leavitt and there’s a good chance he could pass up Nussmeier if has a big year.  There’s also a chance he doesn’t enter the 2026 draft if he’s making good money at Arizona St. or someone else wants to pay him a big number in college he could return.  He doesn’t turn 21 until December so he’s got time. 

5. Cade Klubnik     Senior     Clemson

Klubnik was a highly rated recruit out of Texas who has been a multi-year starter at Clemson.  It wasn’t until last year, and mostly later in the year, that he truly started to put it all together.  He’s 6’2 210 lbs. so he’s not the biggest guy, and that 6’2 may be a bit generous.  The one big difference between him and guys like Leavitt and Nussmeier is he doesn’t show the same arm strength they do.  He has great mechanics and keeps them consistent but he just doesn’t have the same level of arm strength to make all the throws.  That means he has to have great anticipation because if he’s not ahead of the defense, he doesn’t have the arm to make up the difference.  His level of experience and accuracy make him a good prospect and guy someone is going to take a shot on early in the draft next year. 

6. LaNorris Sellers    Redshirt Soph     South Carolina

Sellers is a 6’3 240 lbs. athletic specimen who is everything you want physically in a modern QB.  He’s big, he’s fast, he’s physical, and he has a very strong arm.  He’s underdeveloped as a passer, which is understandable given his physical profile. In the college game, when your QB is a physical mismatch, coaches tend to lean towards a one-read and go offense.  That means teaching the QB to look for his one read and if that guy isn’t open, just get going.  That tends to lead to good offensive plays and winning for the team and coach but doesn’t develop great QB traits for the player.  If Sellers shows advancement in his ability to read defenses and make plays with his arm, it will really help him as a prospect.  He also isn’t a guy who’s great in the short game which is also a product of being a superior athlete.  You don’t teach great athletes to dump off short passes to guys who aren’t as athletic when Sellers can just take the ball and get yards.  He probably has the highest potential of anyone not named Manning in this class but it’s all going to depend on where his QB development goes this season.  His ceiling is being the #1 overall pick in the draft; his floor is being Jalen Milroe and dropping to the third round.  He is only a redshirt sophomore so he can always go back to school if the season doesn’t go great for him. 

7. John Mateer     Redshirt Junior     Oklahoma

This one is a bit of a projection because Mateer is transferring from Washington St. to Oklahoma and it’s a big step up from Washington St. to the SEC.  Mateer will be running the same offense he excelled in at WSU and I mean the exact same because his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, is now Oklahoma’s OC.  However, he’ll be getting used to a whole new team around him and way better competition.  Mateer is 6’1 219 lbs. and he’s got a pretty stout build to him.  He has great arm strength and he’s a great runner.  He picks up a lot of yardage on the ground and it’s a big part of his game and the offensive game plan.  While he has great arm strength, what he doesn’t have is great consistency with his mechanics.  He can get himself in trouble trying to make off balance and off platform throws and while his arm made up the difference against last year’s competition, the SEC is a different level.  He needs to make sure he’s in good position to throw and needs to throw with better anticipation or he could turn the ball over more.  If he’s awesome against the SEC, his prospect profile is going to skyrocket.    

8. Fernando Mendoza     Redshirt Junior     Indiana

There’s a trend here at the end of my top 10 which is the same trend that’s happening in college football, the last four guys are transfers for this season.  Mendoza was awesome last year at Cal and he’s got the prototypical size for an NFL QB.  He’s 6’5 225 lbs. and he’s an excellent athlete.  He’s very accurate with his ball placement and he understands coverages but he has a little of the same thing as Sellers, he takes off quickly and uses his athleticism instead of letting the play develop.  He does have a little bit of a strange follow through with his delivery and I wonder if they will change that at Indiana.  It will be interesting to see him in a new offense at Indiana.  Curt Cignetti, his new head coach, designed a great offense last year for his one-year transfer QB Kurtis Rourke and Mendoza is a better talent at QB than Rourke was.  The move from Cal to the Big Ten will also be a challenge and he doesn’t have the luxury of already knowing the offense the way Mateer does at Oklahoma. 

9. Nico Iamaleava     Redshirt Soph     UCLA

The saga of Iamaleava transferring from Tennessee to UCLA has been well chronicled and you can google it if you want to read about everything that is wrong with college sports, NIL, and the transfer portal.  The way he has handled that situation and himself could bother teams, we just watched Shadeur Sanders fall in the draft because of the way he handled himself.  Iamaleava is a far superior talent to Sanders but he could get dinged for the whole fiasco at Tennessee.  Dealing with the player as a prospect is another story.  Iamaleava is 6’6 215 lbs. and he’s a supreme athlete with a rocket arm.  He’s completely undisciplined and needs plenty of development as a QB but his physical gifts are incredible.  He’s transferring from Tennessee’s weird college spread offense that doesn’t translate to the NFL to a more pro-style system at UCLA.  They also don’t have the same supporting cast at UCLA that he had a Tennessee so it’s going to be an interesting transition.  I would say there’s a very good chance he declares for the NFL draft regardless of the season he has at UCLA.  How he plays and progresses will determine if he’s a top 15 pick in the draft or a mid-round developmental prospect for someone. Iamaleava could turn out to be Vince Young, and I mean that in both the best ways and the worst ways. 

10. Carson Beck     Senior     Miami

Beck was arguably the top QB prospect going into last season and oh how the mighty have fallen.  Beck’s season was a disaster and then he got hurt.  His draft stock was in shambles to end the season and instead of declaring for the draft, he took a huge NIL deal to transfer to Miami and replace Cam Ward.  It’s not a great sign that Georgia didn’t seem to want him back.  He needs a massive bounce back season and this is going to be a tough QB class to compete with.  He should be recovered from his elbow injury and ready to start for the Hurricanes but if he stumbles, they could turn to Emory Williams and that could be the end of things for Beck.  Beck has the physical profile of an NFL starter with his 6’5 225 lbs. frame.  He had the arm strength to go with is size but it will be interesting to see if his elbow injury affects that.  He struggled last year after losing his top targets from 2023 (Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers were awesome for him in 2023).  Beck doesn’t seem to be the guy who raises the play of the guys around him so I think he’s a mid-round pick at best. 

Out of my top 10 QBs only four are seniors.  Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, and Carson Beck are certain to be in the 2026 NFL Draft.  The rest of these guys could return to school and my best guess is Arch Manning, Sam Leavitt, and John Mateer feel like the best bets to return to college for the 2026 season.  That would leave LaNorris Sellers, Nico Iamaleava, and Fernando Mendoza as the wildcards for this draft.  I think Sellers has a great year and comes out, Iamaleava has a decent year and declares, and Mendoza has a very good year but goes back to Indiana to improve his overall position for the 2027 draft.  So, that would give us a top of the QB class of Allar, Nussmeier, Klubnik, Sellers, Iamaleava, and Beck. That would be a huge upgrade over 2025 but doesn’t rival 2024.  Unless…

What this class could really have is depth we haven’t seen in a long time.  While the 2024 class had six guys in the top twelve the seventh guy was Spencer Rattler who was a fifth-round pick.  This class has guys who can rise up or at least give great depth in the middle rounds.

Seniors to know

Mark Gronowski (Iowa) – The transfer from South Dakota St. had a chance to be in the 2025 class but is taking one last shot to show off at the Big Ten level.  If he can make Iowa’s new passing offense start humming, he’ll move up the boards.  He’s got the size of an NFL QB at 6’3 230 lbs. and he’s a good athlete.

Miller Moss (Louisville) – The transfer from USC should have a good year at Louisville under the tutelage of Jeff Brohm.  He’s undersized and doesn’t have a great arm but he’s smart and he should be able to run the offense effectively.  He doesn’t have Tyler Shough’s physical gifts but he’s a healthier guy than Shough. 

Young guys who could breakout

Aidan Chiles (Michigan St.) – A 6’3 217 lbs. athlete that would have NFL teams falling all over themselves if he puts together a good season.  He’s really raw as a QB and makes some really dumb decisions with the ball at times but he’s still young and has only started one year at Michigan St.  He needs time to play and learn from his mistakes. It would likely take a huge year from him to get him into this draft.

Eli Holstein (Pitt) – He started at Pitt last year after transferring from Alabama and had a solid year.  He doesn’t turn 21 until October so he’s still a very young prospect.  He’s 6’4 225 lbs. with a howitzer for an arm but you can see him thinking on the field.  He could be a beast if he figures it out and puts all his talent together. 

Darian Mensah (Duke) – Started last year as a redshirt freshman at Tulane and was really good and now he’s moved on to Duke.  He’s 6’3 200 lbs. so he needs to fill out his frame but he’s a good athlete who would be the type of modern QB NFL teams are looking for.

Dante Moore (Oregon) – Moore is stepping into the Oregon offense that has produced Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel the last two draft cycles.  Moore has a higher ceiling than either of those guys due to his frame and athletic traits.  At 6’3 210 lbs. as a redshirt sophomore NFL teams will have him all over their radar. 

There are other names who could have big seasons and move up in this QB class.  Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Rocco Becht (Iowa St.), Taylen Green (Arkansas), Jackson Arnold (Auburn), Connor Weigman (Houston), and Avery Johnson (Kansas St.) 

This class has massive potential and it will be better than the 2025.  The questions are how good, how deep, and who’s in the class.  The Steelers, Browns, and probably the Saints are all going to be looking to start over at QB next year.  There are also a couple of other teams that may need new plans.  Matthew Stafford isn’t getting any younger for the Rams, Tua could be out the door if the Dolphins’ season tanks and Mike McDaniel gets fired, and if Kyler Murray regresses is Arizona, they may need a contingency plan.  The Jets have Justin Fields for two years but that’s not a big commitment, Geno Smith is 36 in Las Vegas, and if Sam Darnold flames out in Seattle would they really just go to Jalen Milroe?  Quarterback is the most important position in all of sports and more teams could need one than you think.               

2025 NFC South Draft Review

Atlanta Falcons

(15) Jalon Walker LB Georgia
(26) James Pearce Jr. Edge Tennessee
(96) Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
(118) Billy Bowman Jr. S Oklahoma
(218) Jack Nelson OT Wisconsin

Immediate Impact: LB Jalon Walker, Edge James Pearce Jr., S Xavier Watts

The Falcons’ defense was not very good last year and they haven’t had a pass rusher in years. They got three starters with their first three picks. Walker is a hybrid LB/Edge player who can step right in as a playmaker they have desperately needed for years. The traded up for James Pearce Jr. because they really liked him and they needed more pass rush, he’s going to start. Xavier Watts was a very good pickup in round three and he will start next to Jessie Bates and form a nice safety duo.

Best Value: S Xavier Watts

Watts isn’t the most physically gifted player you’ll find at safety but he’s intelligent and instinctive. He helps the back end of the defense as much as anyone reasonably could and will hopefully allow Bates to be even better.

Sleeper: OT Jack Nelson

There’s not a lot to choose from given this was a five-player draft. LT Jake Matthews is 33 and RT Kaleb McGary hasn’t always been the picture of health so Nelson could come in handy. He’s an athletic guy who’s 6’7 314 lbs. coming out of Wisconsin where they know how to make offensive lineman. Nelson isn’t going to be some superstar but if he ends up playing for his team at some point, he can hold his own.

Overall Analysis

This draft class will be judged by the impact of James Pearce Jr. The team traded their second-round pick plus a first rounder next year to move back into the first round to take Pearce after already drafting Jalon Walker. It was a bold move and if Walker and Pearce don’t transform the defense this could really backfire. If they end up with a bad record and give up a high pick next year to the Rams, it’s going to cost GM Terry Fontenot his job.

Watts was a great pickup and they must have liked Billy Bowman Jr. enough to think he could help the defense. The safety position isn’t stacked and Bowman can also help at nickel.

Nitpick or Concern: Trading up for Pearce is a big risk. He’s not a perfect prospect and he has had some maturity issues and coachability issues. If he flames out and they gave up future first for a guy who doesn’t work out, it’s going to cost the front office. I don’t think I would have made that big of a bet on a player as suspect as Pearce. Especially when you got good value on a pass rusher in round one to begin with.

Carolina Panthers

(8) Tetairoa McMillan WR Arizona
(51) Nic Scourton Edge Texas A&M
(77) Princely Umanmielen Edge Ole Miss
(114) Trevor Etienne RB Georgia
(122) Lathan Ransom S Ohio St.
(140) Cam Jackson DT Florida
(163) Mitchell Evans TE Notre Dame
(208) Jimmy Horn Jr. WR Colorado

Immediate Impact: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Edge Nic Scourton, Edge Princely Umanmielen

Xavier Legette was a solid rookie WR last year and they like Jalen Coker but they needed a true WR1 and McMillan can be that. Bryce Young needed a real weapon and McMillan is going to be the true downfield asset that could unlock the offense. The Panthers also needed to get better on defense and they chose to pick a couple of pass rushers who will really help that. Scourton and Umanmielen are two different types of edge players but they should complement each other well. They probably won’t start right away but they will both play a ton.

Best Value: S Lathan Ransom

The Panthers signed Tre’von Moehrig to be one safety but they don’t have a lot of great options at the other safety spot. Ransom has a chance to take that other safety spot. He was a very good player at Ohio St. and he can be even better if he works on tackling guys instead of trying to get the big hit. As a fourth-round pick who could take a starting job at a position of need, that’s good value.

Sleeper: TE Mitchell Evans

The Panthers have Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders at TE, not exactly murder’s row. Evans isn’t a surefire player but he is a steady player who offers a little bit of everything. He’s not the most dynamic playmaker but he’s got good hands, runs solid routes, and can block when needed. He could eventually develop into a solid contributor.

Overall Analysis

The Panthers understood the assignment here. They got a real WR1 for Bryce Young and then they started to address the defense. They hit offense here and there throughout the draft and got some solid prospects there too. McMillan was the right choice at #8 overall. Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen are going to help the defense and they should be building blocks moving forward. The choice of Trevor Etienne seems a little strange considering they have Chuba Hubbard, signed Rico Dowdle, and should be hoping Jonathan Brooks returns at some point. I didn’t think Etienne was the type of RB you should feel compelled to draft.

Lathan Ransom has starter potential and then they drafted DT Cam Jackson. They have enough depth at DT to not need Jackson anytime soon but he’s a good investment for the future. He’s big, and he can be physical when he keeps his pad level down. He needs to work on that and he has some good veterans around him t learn from. TE Mitchell Evans has potential down the road too. WR Jimmy Horn Jr. is a pretty skinny player but he may have a future as a slot receiver. For now, they have Adam Thielen but he’s an older player and Horn could stick around if he beats out Hunter Renfrow.

Nitpick or Concern: The Panthers hit almost every spot they need to with WR and edge rusher being the primary objective, but also getting a TE, S, and a DT. The one thing they didn’t address was CB. They are paying Jaycee Horn a ton of money but Mike Jackson is a replacement level player at the other outside CB spot. They better hope their pass rush is considerably improved because the secondary is still a little concerning.

New Orleans Saints

(9) Kelvin Banks Jr. OT Texas
(40) Tyler Shough QB Louisville
(71) Vernon Broughton DL Texas
(93) Jonas Sanker S Virginia
(112) Danny Stutsman LB Oklahoma
(131) Quincy Riley CB Louisville
(184) Devin Neal RB Kansas
(248) Moliki Matavao TE UCLA
(254) Fadil Diggs Edge Syracuse

Immediate Impact: OL Kelvin Banks Jr, QB Tyler Shough

Banks could end up the LT, the RT, or the LG depending on how they want to deploy Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning. Fuaga is naturally a RT but he played LT last year and Penning played RT. If they want to use Banks at LT, Fuaga goes to the right side, and Penning goes to the bench but then they have to find a LG. Or Fuaga and Penning stay where they are and they plug in Banks at LG. No matter what, Banks gives them the opportunity to play their best five. Tyler Shough might get baptism by fire if Derek Carr’s shoulder injury keeps him sidelined. Shough will be a 26-year-old rookie so he shouldn’t be overwhelmed. The good news is he’s basically the same player as Carr from a skill perspective so the offense doesn’t have to change.

Best Value: CB Quincy Riley

I had Riley as a boarder line second round pick and the Saints got him in round four. They have Kool-Aid McKinstry as their top CB and Alontae Taylor at nickel but Riley could beat out Isaac Yiadom for the other outside CB spot. He doesn’t have elite size but Riley is a tough player who can hold up.

Sleeper: RB Devin Neal

Obviously, the Saints have Alvin Kamara at RB and he’s an excellent player. However, it might help Kamara be even more effective if the Saints had a RB to take some of the early down work and save Kamara from some of that workload. Neal is that type of RB and could be a guy to help save Kamara’s legs for later in the season. He has starter potential from a talent standpoint.

Overall Analysis

Banks and Shough are likely to either start or get a lot of playing time this season no matter how things pan out. Shough might not be the highest ceiling QB prospect at this point but he’s ready to step in an play. DT Vernon Broughton is an underrated pickup. He was overshadowed at Texas by Alfred Collins but he’s a very effective DT too. The Saints have several veterans at that spot but not a lot of high-end players.

Broughton started a run of four defensive players who might not be starters immediately, but could certainly end up as starters. S Jonas Sanker will back up Tyrann Mathieu who is 33 and not getting any younger. Then LB Danny Stutsman who could eventually make the lineup with Demario Davis being even older the Mathieu. Finally, it’s CB Quincy Riley who will certainly play a lot for this defense even if he isn’t a starter right away. Love the Neal pick up after that too.

TE Moliki Matavao was an interesting selection. They have Foster Moreau and just re-signed Juwan Johnson plus they signed free agent Jack Stoll and still have Taysom Hill. Hill is coming off an injury and is 34 so he’s coming to the end of the line. Matavao may be stashed on the practice squad until the depth chart clears up a bit. DE Fadil Diggs may be in a similar situation given they have bodies at DE but could use some youth.

Nitpick or Concern: It’s the same concern every year with the Saints, this roster is expensive, aging, and they don’t seem to have a plan to pivot from it. It all feels like half measures. Taking Tyler Shough, an older prospect who is a more athletic, maybe slight upgrade from Derek Carr isn’t exactly a great plan at QB. Are they moving off aging guys like Tyrann Mathieu, Demario Davis, and Cameron Jordan with Jonas Sanker, Danny Stutsman, and Fadil Diggs? All half measures with no real plan to get difference makers because they have put themselves in a no-win situation with their salary cap.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(19) Emeka Egbuka WR Ohio St.
(53) Benjamin Morrison CB Notre Dame
(84) Jacob Parrish CB Kansas St.
(121) David Walker Edge Central Arkansas
(157) Elijah Roberts DE SMU
(235) Tez Johnson WR Oregon

Immediate Impact: CB Benjamin Morrison

I’m struggling with the Egbuka pick because I love the player but him having an immediate impact with this WR corps seems unlikely. Morrison, on the other hand, can absolutely take a major role if not a starting one as long as his hip is healthy. He worked out late in the draft process to show teams he was recovering but still fell to round two. If he’s 100% by training camp, he’s going to give Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum everything they can handle and challenge for a starting job.

Best Value: CB Benjamin Morrison

Again, if he’s healthy, he’s got starting CB ability. Also, if he lives up to his talent level, he has legitimate CB1 ability. They stole him in round two and there are going to be teams that passed on him who are going to regret it.

Sleeper: DE Elijah Roberts

He’s not the flashy edge rusher they probably needed but he’s excellent depth at DE on their three-man line. They have Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey as starters but they have no depth. Also, they are going to have to make a call on paying Logan Hall as his rookie contract comes to an end. Roberts is the type of big, powerful edge setting DE they need and if they prefer to spend money on Kancey, they may let Hall walk in free agency. Roberts gives them that option if he plays well.

Overall Analysis

Emeka Egbuka is an excellent player and a great person to bring onto the team but his path to playing time right away is cloudy. Mike Evans is aging but hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Chris Godwin is coming off another injury but the team just re-signed him in free agency. And Jalen McMillan looked good filling in for Godwin after he went out last season. Egbuka can fill in any of the three WR spots but I’m not sure he gets enough time this year to be an impact player. The Morrison pick is boom or bust depending on his hip and I would bet on him being awesome.

The team did a smart thing and doubled up at CB taking Jacob Parrish after taking Morrison. One caveat is that Parrish feels like a nickel more than anything and the team already has Tykee Smith at nickel and he was very good last season as a rookie there. Parrish may have to find his way to play on the outside. Edge rusher David Walker was a menace at the FBS level and has elite pass rushing instincts. The one problem is he is seriously undersized for the NFL and is going to have to find a way to make it work. Elijah Roberts was well worth the fifth-round pick they paid for him and gives them immediate depth at the DE position.

I love WR Tez Johnson and it would be an awesome story if he makes the NFL at his size but he’s fighting a tough battle on this roster. Most teams only keep five or six WRs and they have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Emeka Egbuka who are locked in meaning there’s only one or two spots left. They have Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer as veterans they have had for a few years and that puts Johnson behind the eight ball.

Nitpick or Concern: They probably could have done more at LB and I mean both inside and outside on the edge (David Walker isn’t enough). They certainly needed the CB help but Jacob Parrish’s pick could have been used on LB with Lavonte David aging and them having no depth. Walker is a fun prospect to watch but there were players on the board there who may have been better at helping this team right away.