# 32:DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State
The Verdict:At 6-foot-5, 285-pounds, Arkansas State’s Alex Carrington is the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most under-the-radar defenders in the entire country. An ideal NFL prospect with a quick first step and the ability to [...]
#33: DE Carl Ihenacho, San Jose State
The Verdict:While much of the nation’s attention gravitated towards Spartan defensive tackle and YouTube phenom Jarron Gilbert during the 2008 season, one could make the case that the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Ihenacho began the season with just as good of a start. [...]
For the incoming class of freshman, if they have not already reported to school for summer sessions, they will be there within a week or two. In that time they will get acclimated with the rigors of being a student and being to work out with their new teammates. So [...]
# 34: WR Bryan Anderson, Central Michigan
The Verdict: At 6-foot-5, 213-pounds, Anderson represents one of the most consistent receivers in the entire country, with the senior having already compiled a resume that includes 226 career receptions and 21 career receiving touchdowns (both school records.) A two-time First Team All-MAC [...]
#35: LB Cardia Jackson, Louisiana-Monroe
The Verdict:A two-time All-Conference slection at linebacker, Jackson remains one of the most overlooked defensive players in the entire country despite the fact that he has been of one of the most productive. Jackson was the nation’s eighth leading tackler a season ago, averaging an [...]
# 36: DE Ryan Winterswyk, Boise State
The Verdict: Boise State and their “gimmicky” offense have gotten a lot of attention over the past few years, but college football fans have a tendency to forget that the Bronco defense remains one of the top units in the entire [...]
He is the author of the book Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting, a Senior Writer for ESPN The Magazine, and has his own Blog on ESPN.com. The man is Bruce Feldman and he joins us in this week’s In The Bleachers [...]
#37: DE Albert McClellan, Marshall
The Verdict: At 6-foot-2, 252-pounds, Marshall defensive end Albert McClellan may just be one of the best defenders in Conference-USA. Named to the All-Conference freshmen team during his rookie season in 2005, McClellan was a one man-wrecking crew for the Thundering Herd [...]
The Big East is one of two BCS conferences, where in my opinion, the race is so wide open that up to 4 teams could win the conference and find themselves playing in a BCS Bowl. However, two of those teams, Rutgers and Pittsburgh, have a little uncertainty as to [...]
Not one negative email? I guess I really am an ‘expert!’
#38: RB Vai Taua, Nevada
The Verdict:While it’s tough to justify putting a running back who “only” ran for a conference high 117.0 yards per game in 2008 so low on the countdown, the proverbial “system” label [...]
Need your college football fix after a week off at the beach? No problem, we’ve got you covered - just as long as you promise to lend us you’re beach house for next weekend.
What we’ve been working on:
Matt Bracken of the Baltimore Sun joined us on [...]
In the immortal words of Lost creator J.J. Abrams: “Yes, I have a plan.”
Of course we have no way of proving that we have a plan for how the next 38 players will be ranked, but nevertheless our countdown rolls on, as we dip into the 30’s with a stellar talent who just [...]
#40: QB Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP
The Verdict: Put Vittatoe in any other conference in the country and he would have been a first or second team All-Conference selection at some point over the past two seasons. Unfortunately for Vittatoe, he plays a conference in which the race to [...]
When talking about recruiting hotbeds, states such as Florida, Texas, California, and Ohio come to mind. However, the state of Maryland has been an area where an increasing number of Division 1 recruits have been popping up as of late. Joining us this week on the podcast [...]
When talking about recruiting hotbeds, states such as Florida, Texas, California, and Ohio come to mind. However, lately Maryland has been an area where an increasing number of Division 1 recruits have been popping up. Joining us this week on the podcast is Matt Bracken of the [...]
#41: WR Emmanuel Sanders, SMU
The Verdict: It can be tough to gauge the physical talent of a C-USA receiver as the offenses in the conference thrive off of spreading teams out and throwing the ball to what amounts to being a ridiculous amount [...]
Anyone else remember last summer’s countdown of my Ten Most Likely FCS over FBS upsets? I sure do after a little reminder from our good friend Phil Steele today.
[...]
#42: FS Chris Prosinski, Wyoming
The Verdict: Prosinski joins teammate John Fletcher as the second Cowboy player to be named to our countdown. A backup heading into last season, the 6-foot-1 Prosinski played well enough to surpass incumbent Quincy Rogers early in the year, and finished 2009 [...]
June schmune. We’ve got plenty of college football action to catch up on. Here are some of the highlights from the past week.
What we have been working on:
The Top 50 Best Non-BCS Player Countdown rolls on. Be sure to check out the latest player to be named to our [...]
Before you read this, make sure you check out the big announcement about future ITB podcasts. That’s right kids…ESPN’s Bruce Feldman is coming back for more!
#43: LG Shelly Smith, Colorado State
The Verdict: Colorado State is one of those teams which had an aggressive inside running [...]
Don’t think that since Adam and I got Phil Steele to come on the show that we are going to stop getting good guests. This week we will be talking with Matt Bracken, a writer from the Baltimore Sun. We will be talking with Matt about the recruiting scene [...]
#44: WR/KR/PR Philip Livas, LA Tech
The Verdict: Unless you’re a quarterback it is awfully hard to get noticed down in Ruston, Louisiana, but fans across the country would be right to keep their eyes out this year for junior Bulldog wide receiver Philip Livas. While a lesser [...]
There are a lot of dumb bloggers out there. Granted, many of them are exceptional writers - and many of them produce outstanding work - but when you get around to the nuts and bolts of the game, they are still dumb. Few have any idea what is actually happening [...]
The countdown rolls on with our first tight end sighting, and first player to be featured from C-USA.
#45: TE Cody Slate, Marshall
The Verdict: With four straight losing seasons, Marshall University hasn’t exactly been drawing national media attention as of late (well, that is unless you [...]
There has been a lot of talk lately about how with the BCS, college programs are looking to go the easier route with their out of conference scheduling. Some teams claim that their conference schedule is hard enough and they just want to have a few cupcakes on their [...]
You know the drill by now. If you don’t…well shame on you. Today we have our first ”directional” player. I know right? Pretty sweet.
#46: QB Andy Schmitt, Eastern Michigan
The Verdict: Has there been a more physically gifted athlete playing on a worse football team in the MAC [...]
Yes, technically we’ve already broken our promise and skipped a weekday, but c’mon, you didn’t think we were going to relegate Phil Steele to playing second fiddle on a Monday morning in favor of the 47th best Non-BCS conference player in the country? That being said, we continue [...]
It is the podcast you and I have been waiting for since May. Adam and I interview Phil Steele - the one and the only Phil Steele who puts out the encyclopedia to end all encyclopedias of college football magazines - which you can buy at newsstands accross [...]
Brian and I need to recharge this weekend before the big show with Phil Steele on Monday, but before we leave you with sweet dreams of PS numbers and Plus/Minus ratings we submit to you the latest installment of our countdown of the 50 best non-BCS conference players in the [...]
What, another player countdown list?
That’s right. Check yesterday’s introduction for details.
Number 49: RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State
The Verdict: Fresno State was quietly one of the bigger disappointments in all of college football last season, thanks (or is that no thanks?) in large part to a knee injury [...]
Everyone seems to be ranking something this preseason. Not only have ESPN’s dream team of bloggers been counting down the top players by conference all spring, but now Rivals.com is naming their Top 100 players in college football. To top it all off, The Sporting News‘ Matt [...]
In case you did not think Mr. Steele was watching and waiting for those questions, think again…
Remember, you can still get your questions in for PHIL STEELE and have the oppertunity to win a free Phil Steele magazine. Send all questions to Inthebleachers[at]gmail.com, and remember to tune [...]
Ok, so it may be shameless self promotion on my part, but the early consensus is that it does. Some interesting thoughts in my latest at GoMids.com.
With the United States finding itself in arguably the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression, the value of a football scholarship has [...]
Somewhere between taking shots at Lane Kiffin and babbling excessively about Rich Ellerson during last week’s podcast, Brian and I forgot to mention the absurd amount of coaching changes that took place this offseason in the Mid American Conference. Never one to shy away from giving my opinion on [...]
It’s a bright and sunny Saturday here in central Maryland. By all accounts I should be outside cutting the grass or grilling up some thick cut of red meat while blaring a Kenny Chesney song in the background. But I’m not doing any of those things.
In fact, I’m currently in [...]
As most of you already know, I’m a fan of the BCS, but do have one issue with the way the standings are calculated. I am not a fan of having the coaches, who have jobs directly relying on their performance and schools who profit heavily on making BCS Bowls, [...]
If you listened to the podcast already, you know what I am about to tell you; the In The Bleachers Podcast on June 8th will be featuring the one, the only, Phil Steele. Adam and I already have some questions in the works to [...]
There are 22 programs that will enter this season with a someone new at the head coaching position. In this week’s edition of the In The Bleachers podcast, Brian and Adam take a look at these coaching changes and how they will have an impact on the [...]
For some of you who were wondering, and also for those of you who weren’t, yes I am still alive. Thanks to Adam for dropping in his 2 cents here and there along the way while I recover from real life duties and real life injuries that included a separated [...]
Phil Steele magazine will be out in stores on June 9th. Let the awesomeness which is 328 pages of college football facts begin.
[...]Simple, according to Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green. Get your fastest eleven guys on the field, make sure that they can tackle, and don’t make scheme too complicated. Have a gander from a recent interview I conducted with coach Green for GoMids.com…
AN: Everyone seems to be talking about ‘the [...]
The dust has settled and finally the 2009 NFL Draft is complete. Brian and Adam are joined once again by Frank from DraftDaddy.com who has a wealth of knowledge and contacts to give everyone the most up to date coverage on the NFL Draft on the [...]
If you are a fan of the NFL Draft, you do not want to miss this episode of the In The Bleachers Podcast. Joining us this week is Draft Daddy from DraftDaddy.com who runs one of the best and most popular sites on the NFL Draft. [...]
Sports Illustrated’s Cory McCartney recently revealed his list of “players poised to become college football’s next household names.” Nice list Cory, but you weren’t exactly going out on a limb in selecting guys like Baylor’s Robert Griffin or Michigan’s Brandon Minor now, were you? Here’s a few more under-the-radar [...]
The 2008 season was one that many Wolverine fans want to forget. The start of the year was very promising, when Michigan defeated Florida in the Capital One Bowl, sending their head coach Lloyd Carr out as a winner. But after that moment, everything snowballed downhill.
Rich Rodriquez came into Ann [...]
Need I say more? Head over to PhilSteele.com to check out his continually updated “Spring Guide.” We know his website might look like it’s from 1999, but what would you expect from a guy who produces 328-pages of 10-point font college football goodness every year? Fact of [...]
Even with the impending cold front which could bring snow threatens the northeast, it isn’t enough to damper my excitement of the spring games that happened this weekend. For the most part the the majority of the teams have their games in the latter part of the month, but we [...]
…Those Irish fans sure know how to write. Even if you’re not a fan of the Golden Domers, a trip to The Blue-Gray Sky should be in order for anyone looking beyond the usual “yea, duh” analysis that seems to dominate the calender during this time of year. Not only do [...]
Do Armanti Edwards and Appalachian State have another title run in them?
No Football Championship Subdivision team has been more dominant over the last five years than Jerry Moore’s Appalachian State Mountaineers, who ran off a string of three consecutive national titles from 2005-2007. And while much of the college football [...]
What does Ron Zook do with Juice Williams?
Juice Williams is a great talent at quarterback for the Illini, but he just can’t seem to take that step to elite status. In his sophomore year he was so inconsistent that Ron Zook actually pulled him in some games in favor of [...]
Who, if anyone, can stop Southern Cal from their 8th straight Pac-10 title?
The Trojans will be replacing Mark Sanchez at quarterback, and a slue of linebackers, but looking at the Pac-10 as a whole; there is still really no team out there that looks to be able to dethrone them.
The [...]
With the NFL draft fast approaching we turn our attention away from the combine and squarely to the series of team sponsored “Pro Days” held around the country. While not holding the same weight or even objectivity as a that of the combine, a successful pro day can factor in [...]
With Matt Cavanaugh gone and Frank Cignetti in as the new offensive coordinator, will the Panthers be even more offensively challenged?
Even with the loss of LeSean McCoy to the NFL and rather inconsistent play from their quarterbacks, the Panthers have a solid offensive line to build around. Four of five [...]
What will Miami’s offense look like?
With the transfer of Robert Marve the Hurricanes believe they’ve finally found their man at quarterback in Jacory Harris, who has already gone on record of saying the team’s production should be profoundly improved with new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple at the helm. Still, Miami [...]
This weekend we take a look at our most intriguing offseason questions from the Big XII conference. You can view Part I of our offseason preview (focusing in on the Southeastern Conference) here. And no, we did not steal this whole “offseason questions” idea from SI.com’s Andy Staples, [...]
Just as I was pleasantly greeted by a warm 65 degree Maryland day after returning from Utah this past Sunday, so has the thawing of the ice begun around the college football landscape as another spring asserts itself between the conclusion of the 2008 season and the [...]
The NFL Combine is clearly in the rear view mirror, and the NFL Draft is quickly approaching; in this episode of the In The Bleachers Podcast, Adam and Brian talk about the winners and losers of the combine. They are names that are not exactly household, but [...]
It has been rumored to be coming for a few days now, but finally the NCAA has released its punishment on Florida State for academic fraud. Football was included with 10 other sports at Florida State where student-athletes received improper benefits from tutors and supports staff. Those other sports [...]
A few days ago we took a look at the real offensive winners from the NFL combine, keeping in mind that sometimes the players who do the most for their draft stocks aren’t always the ones who flash the fastest 40 times or put up the [...]
Depending on your level of interest in the NFL combine and the upcoming NFL Draft, you’re probably either sick to death of hearing about this past week’s events in Indianapolis or in a state of depressing withdrawal which now leaves you scouring the Internet in hopes of uncovering every last [...]
Unfortunately I do not share the same love for the combine as my friend Adam does, so you will not get any big insights from me. But as was mentioned on the podcast and many times already on this site, the blog Draft Daddy is the place to go [...]
We’ll have MUCH more on the NFL combine in the coming days (hopefully including some actual and well organized thoughts) but I wanted to chime in with a few of my observations this morning before the always ubiquitous “expert” commentary overtakes the interwebs. With absolutely no rhyme or reason, they [...]
If you are a fan of the NFL Draft and the upcoming combine, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss. Joining Brian and Adam is a our special guest Chris from DraftDaddy.com. Draft Daddy is one of the best blogs on the internet for [...]
I’ve been talking a good deal about 40-yard dash times as of late. Heck I’ve been talking a good deal about 40-yard dash times for my entire blogging existence. Call it a “pet-project,” but I tend to find the subject fascinating, and not from the usual perspective. Unlike casual [...]
It’s that time of the year again. With the NFL combine just a week away, the buzz over who will run the fastest 40-yard dash or have the most bench press reps will likely pick up over the next few days. Yet even as fans and media members debate the relevancy [...]
With nothing of substance going on between LOI Day and the start of Spring Practice; it’s the time of the year where the potential rule changes come into light. As you remember, the past few years the NCAA has been tinkering with the clock rules.
The NCAA made the mistake [...]
…From the vaults of the “stuff you saw online that was too good not to share with the rest of the world” department, I submit to you the following, courtesy of Matt Hayes from The Sporting News.
If you knew nothing about Leach and his boss, Texas Tech AD [...]
The NFL recently released its annual list of those players invited to the Scouting Combine, which will be held in Indianapolis, IN from February 18th-24. To view which players have been invited, click here.
A special congratulations to ITB friend and recent on-air guest Eric Kettani, who [...]
We here at ITB promise that we’ll wrap up recruiting and National Signing Day within the next week, but before we do I’d be remiss not to bring to your attention an often overlooked if not altogether alien facet of our obsession with all things recruiting. Believe it or not, [...]
…Hello, my name is Adam, and I have been free of the college football recruiting hype machine for oh about 37 minutes now.
I won’t lie. It has not been easy getting off the bandwagon of the ceaseless array of YouTube highlight films, early morning google news searches, and wall-to-wall coverage of the [...]
Throughout the day I will be posting my comments and some news that happens during the first day that the 2009 High School class can sign their letters of intent. Usually we have a few shockers and a few switches, so we could be in for a long ride. All [...]
As if the prospect of grown men sitting around on a “sick day” to watch the college football declarations of 18 year-old young men high school seniors wasn’t potentially pathetic enough (and trust me, I include myself in the aforementioned category), I submit to you this final thought before [...]
As mentioned before, tomorrow is National Letter of Intent Day, and here on the In The Bleachers Blog we will be following it the entire day with a Live blog. If you would like to get a little more familar with the happens of LOI Day and who has [...]
For recruiting fans, Wednesday is like the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl all rolled up into one day of fun. Wednesday is the first day that the 2009 High School Senior class can sign away the next four years of their life to play college. Today’s [...]
He’s 6′1, 240-lbs and runs a 40-yard dash in the mid 4.5s. He ran for nearly 1000 yards for the nation’s best rushing offense a year ago, averaging over 5 yards per carry. He can bench press close to 400 pounds and power clean an equally impressive [...]
Last year the Detroit Lions selected Army linebacker Caleb Campbell late in the 2008 NFL Draft, and there was a lot of debate when the United States Government decided to add a new rule that allowed military-academy grads to go straight to the NFL and delay their service.
In exactly one week, recruiting fanatics all over the country will be hitting their refresh buttons, hundreds…maybe thousands of times on sites such as Rivals.com and Scout.com to see if the 5 or 4 star recruit actually did fax in his LOI to their school. Or did he [...]
A few weeks ago I briefly touched on the effects of Jim Harbaugh’s recruiting efforts at Stanford, and how the program was defying conventional wisdom when it comes to getting both quality football players and top-notch student athletes. Since then Harbaugh has reeled in another top [...]
Brian and I will have more thoughts on the Senior Bowl during this week’s show, but for the time being we thought we’d let you survey the litany of opinions (and let’s be honest, these are opinions) from around the web on how your favorite soon-to-be draft choices did over [...]
Renard Robinson is a 5′11, 175-pound athlete from Baltimore, Maryland and spoke with the In The Bleachers podcast after verbally committing to the James Madison Dukes last week. Renard takes us through his recruitment, starting at the beginning with the camps he attended, the schools he [...]
During the latest In The Bleachers podcast I made a point about wanting to see declared juniors suit up for postseason all star games in preparation for the draft. While I know that kind of a situation is all but impossible given the time frame of an already early [...]
Just when you think the college football season is over, you are reminded that there are two teams of seniors taking the field this Saturday at 6pm EST to showcase their talents to NFL Scouts. In this episode of the In The Bleachers Podcast, Brian and Adam [...]
If you’ve been following this week’s Senior Bowl practice reports at all you know there are plenty of lists and rankings out there already. From Risers and Sliders to “Notable Prospects” it seems like most media members, bloggers, and even casual observers have something to say about anyone and everyone [...]
If you are looking to see if your favorite Senior is playing in this weekend’s Under Armor Senior Bowl, you can click here for the North Rosters, and here for the South Rosters. Adam and I are going to do a podcast tonight, which you will be able [...]
We’ll have more coverage of the annual Senior Bowl here at ITB in the coming days (including players to watch and a special guest interview on next week’s show), but here are some useful links to tide you over during another potentially painful week without college football:
…Stanford has the 15th ranked recruiting class in the country, according to Scout.com.
Now, whether or not you believe in recruiting rankings - and frankly, I don’t put a whole helluva lot of stock into them- is not the question here. The question here is how [...]
Call my college football obsession unhealthy, but I really do enjoy watching postseason All-Star games. I know, I know; Me and the other 14 or so people who even bother to tune in, right? Maybe, but there’s just something about seeing perennially underrated college stars go out [...]
Today is the last day where underclassmen can declare for the draft. With special thanks to Midwest Sports Fans, here is the list of underclassmen leaving so far:
Early Draft Entrants
Position Name School Year CB Asher Allen Georgia Jr. WR Kenny Britt Rutgers Jr. OT Eben Britton Arizona Jr. RB Donald Brown Connecticut Jr. DE Everette Brown Florida State Jr. TE James Casey Rice So. WR Jeremy Childs Boise St. Jr. RB Glen Coffee Alabama Jr. WR Austin Collie BYU Jr. S Emanuel Cook South Carolina Jr. TE Jared Cook South Carolina Jr. WR Michael Crabtree Texas Tech So. TE Andrew Davie Arkansas Jr. CB Vontae Davis Illinois Jr. QB Josh [...]I hate doing this. I really do. But considering giving ridiculously early preseason “lookaheads” is all the rage these days, I thought I might as well share my Top 10 coming out of 2008 and going into 2009. Keep in mind we still have eight months to go before [...]
The harsh reality has set in, we now have a little over eight months before the 2009 college football season starts. There is still some football to watch with the Senior Bowl fast approaching and the NFL entering its Conference Championship week. But unless you are lucky enough to have [...]
Even with the 2008 college football season concluded and the National Title game in the rear-view mirror the headlines continue to roll in from across the national landscape, with the most notable stories dealing with player transfers, coaching moves, and NFL draft declarations. Here are some of the more under-the-radar moves [...]
Two congratulations to hand out, first to the Florida Gators for winning the BCS National Championship. My second congrats go out to my friend John Radcliff of the Mountainlair, he won his second In The Bleachers Bowl Bonanza title in three years edging out Tell Burke by one point. [...]
To steal a quote from Colonel Sink right before the invasion of Europe; “Tonight is the night of nights”. The waiting is over as the BCS National Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma will kick off from Miami, a little after 8pm EST on Fox.
Although some [...]
FedEx BCS National Championship Game (8 ET, FOX)
After 33 bowl games, several major holidays, and the saturated fat content of more double chocolate cookies than you’d probably care to remember, the biggest day of the college football year is almost upon us. Seems kinda anticlimactic, don’t it? I don’t know about [...]
The last game of the 2008-09 college football season is Thursday night between Oklahoma and Florida, and to get the scoop on the big championship game, download this week’s In The Bleachers Podcast. Brian and Adam go through the key injuries for each team, and also look [...]
With another Bowl Season in the books and a 1-6 record this season in those games, the Big Ten did not help silence its critics that said they are a conference on the way down. I am not here to add another 200 words on how terrible the Big Ten [...]
There has been a good deal of talk in the media about Colt McCoy’s motivation after losing the Heisman, the Big 10’s need to get back on track, and even the possibility of a split national title. But for me, the most important question when it comes to [...]
While it’s still yet to hit me that we’re only a few days away from having no more college football until the brief respite of spring camp, one point I will submit to you before this week’s National Championship game is the question of number two. That’s right, number [...]
As if you didn’t already get enough of President Palmer reminding you at every other commercial break that our economy absolutely sucks right now…
Allstate Sugar Bowl (8 PM ET, FOX)
What Effect, if any, will the suspension of Andre Smith have on Alabama’s Offense?
In all honestly I did not think the [...]
More ITB Spring Question Previews:
