Oklahoma State has three potential first round prospects in the 2010 NFL Draft. But you won’t see two of them at Oklahoma State’s Pro Day. Dez Bryant and Perrish Cox won’t participate in the workout tomorrow.
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Jimmy Clausen AKA the LeBron James of college football (according to his personal quarterback coach Steve Clarkson) will not impress scouts with his football skills at the combine. Clausen will attend the event but won’t perform any physical drills due to turf toe. The former Notre Dame quarterback still thinks he will impress scouts though.
Coming into the season, Clausen was one of the best NFL prospects in the country. His 2009 campaign solidified that status as he posted an insane 28:4 TD to INT ratio. On paper, they don’t really come more refined than Clausen. He’s trained with the country’s most renowned position coach in Steve Clarkson since middle school. His two older brothers both played D1 football in the SEC. And he was even one of the top-ranked recruits coming out of high school.
That being said, there’s a wide range of opinions about his value as a draft pick. Initially, most observers figured he was in the mix for the first overall pick but would probably be gone by the time Buffalo picked. But now, analysts like Todd McShay are finding more flaws with Clausen. McShay now rates him as a second round prospect and says that he may be the biggest risk in the draft (and compares him to J.P. Losman). At the same time, Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked sixth overall on his big board and going fourth to the Skins in his latest mock draft.
Clausen may still get a chance to prove his physical skills in person at a pro day after the combined. After watching Clausen a lot this year, I do believe that he can “make it” in the NFL. I actually thought he was horrible before this season and he proved me wrong. However, his insane TD:INT ratio is deceptive and is probably due to luck as much as skill. Even with his polish, I don’t see Clausen coming in and being a “Matt Ryan” from the start. But I can see him sticking around the NFL for the next 10 years as a Jon Kitna type. And don’t blast me for saying that. At least he’s still in the NFL… J.P. Losman is not.
Tags: 2010 nfl draft, college football, fighting irish, football, injuries, jimmy clausen, NFL, nfl combine, notre dame, quarterbacks, turf toe
Lane Kiffin must love being in the headlines. The USC head coach made waves on the day after National Signing Day when he garnered the commitment of a 13-year-old. David Sills has verbally committed to attend USC and he’s not even in high school.
There’s been buzz about Sills for at least a year now. Back in February of 2009, CBS Sports reported that Sills, then a sixth grader, was being monitored by various colleges. He had even received a questionnaire from UCLA all the way back in 2008. He was 11 at the time.
Sills has been mentored by quarterback coach Steve Clarkson since he “discovered” the kid when Sills was about 10. You may have heard Clarkson’s name before because he has also tutored Jimmy Clausen, Terrelle Pryor, and Matt Barkley along with Ben Roethlisberger Matt Leinart, and Matt Cassel. It’s probably not a coincidence that three of his clients attended USC, the school that Sills says he will attend, while Clausen chose Notre Dame over the Trojans. Clarkson’s other incredibly young clients include M.C. Poe (Nashville), Nick Heras (Boston), and Kelly Hilinski (Claremont, CA).
When the CBS article was published, Sills was only described as being 5′8″. Clarkson now says that he comes in around six feet tall. Apparently Clarkson met with Lane Kiffin to review the recruits from this year. That’s when Clarkson started pimping out one of his youngest ho’s. Once Kiffin saw the tape, he called Sills’ family to pitch them.
Now, Sills is verbally committed to attend USC. His father said that it’s always been his dream school. Sills is expected to be on campus starting in 2015 after he graduates from high school. There’s about a 10% chance that Lane Kiffin will be his coach at that point.
Tags: college football, commit, commitments, david sills, delaware, lane kiffin, middle school, ncaa football, recruiting, steve clarkson, usc trojans, verbal commitment
Yesterday was a big day in the college football world. The dust has settled and programs across the country have reloaded with new prospects. From Kiffin versus Tennessee to Meyer versus himself, there were a ton of shorelines that impacted the recruiting game. But as usual, the rich got richer.
Both Florida and Texas brought in classes that were considered among the best of the decade. Florida’s class is headlined by freakish athlete Ronald Powell. The 6′4″ 224 pounder plays defensive end but could also play outside linebacker. Florida’s 2010 class is the best group of recruits that Scouts Inc. has ranked since they started in 2006. Amazingly, Texas’ 2010 class ranks #2 overall in that period. Both the Gators and Longhorns loaded up on defense and Texas’ commitments are headlined by DE Jackson Jeffcoat, DE Reggie Wilson, and LB Jordan Hicks.
While many of the players were locked up before signing day, there were a handful of interesting stories. USC landed coveted OT Seantrel Henderson — except he hasn’t signed yet. Henderson is waiting to see what happens with USC’s hearing with the NCAA infractions committee on February 19th. UCLA locked up a big time prospect in defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa who many thought would head to Nebraska. The biggest steal of the day may have been Michigan’s signing of safety Demar Dorsey. He had previously committed to Florida and he was rumored to be deciding between USC and Florida State.
Below is a round up of links to more info on 2010 Signing Day:
The Longhorns didn’t win the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl this year. But they may have won something even more rewarding: a chance to help others. That sarcasm probably doesn’t translate very well, does it?
Even though Texas lost, at least 14,000 shirts and hats were printed proclaiming them as the winning team. So instead of trash these badboys, the University of Texas Co-op will ship them to Haiti. The University is working with Kids in Distressed Situations to distribute the clothing.
Nothing like outfitting third world countries with incorrectly printed merchandise. Something tells me the people of Haiti are about get a big shipment of Saints gear soon.
Tags: charity, college football, football, haiti, kids in distressed situations, relief effort, texas longhorns
Two high profile recruits will announce where the plan on attending school tomorrow. Jordan Hicks, a linebacker from Ohio, will make his announcement during the day while Jackson Jeffcoat, a defensive end from Texas, will commit at some point before next Wednesday.
Jeffcoat and Hicks are the last two uncommitted recruits in the top five of the ESPNU 150 list. Jackson Jeffcoat is currently ranked #2 while Jordan Hicks ranks #4. Both are the top-rated players at their position.
Hicks is said to be considering Ohio State, Florida, and Texas. At one point, it was rumored that he had eliminated Florida but that doesn’t seem to be the case. With three schools still in it, Hicks will make his announcement Friday at 1 PM.
Jeffcoat’s list of schools are all close to home. The Plano West DE has eliminated Arizona State, Florida, and USC. Currently, he is considering Houston, Oklahoma, and Texas. Jeffcoat’s father is a coach at Houston while his sister will play basketball at Oklahoma. He was rumored to be announcing his decision on Friday night but it might not happen before next Wednesday.
Tags: announcement, college football, commitments, florida gators, houston cougars, jackson jeffcoat, jordan hicks, ohio state buckeyes, oklahoma sooners, recruiting, texas longhorns
Lane Kiffin left a shitstorm behind him in Knoxville and it may be catching up to him in Los Angeles. The new USC coach is once again dealing with an accident that happened while he was at Tennessee.
Kiffin got into a car accident last September and the story as that he had fallen asleep. Recently, pictures have begun to circulate that show Kiffin at a bar with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to show Kiffin had a penchant for night life. Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said that the university looked into the incident but couldn’t substantiate any of the internet rumors. Hamilton said that he “had staff members verify that he was at the office until a certain time.” Kiffin’s car was provided by the university.
However, the website SEC Junky has a different take on the events. The site claims that Kiffin was “partying with some co-eds” and driving under the influence. The post also says that Kiffin walked to his house from the location of the accident. Now, I don’t necessarily believe this account. But I just can’t wait until Lane Kiffin goes down. Work your magic, TMZ.
Tags: accident, car, college football, crash, football, lexus, tennessee volunteers, university of tennessee, usc, usc trojans
Recent reports had linked Mike Riley, Jeff Fisher, Jack Del Rio and Steve Mariucci to the open USC head coaching job. Turns out that neither of those guys will take the helm for the Trojans. Tennessee coach and former USC coordinator Lane Kiffin has been tapped as the new coach at Southern California.
Unsurprisingly, Kiffin’s move was met with anger in Knoxville. Students created signs to bash the one-and-done coach and even some disparaging graffiti. Even ESPN got in on the action. Pat Forde said that “Paris Hilton has paid more dues than Lane Kiffin.” Kiffin is 12-21 in his head coaching career so it’s understandable that people are questioning all aspects of the move. That being said, Kiffin brings another “name brand” to SC and also some familiarity. Many recent recruits, including Matt Barkley and Marc Tyler, already have connections to Kiffin as he aided in their recruitment.
While USC’s coaching vacancy is filled, the ripple continues to affect the rest of the college football world. First reports out of Knoxville indicate that the Vols have their sights set on Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Muschamp is currently one of the highest-paid coordinators in college football and is the coach-in-waiting behind head man Mack Brown.
Kiffin to USC also may affect the commitments of some top recruits. USC commit and highly-rated QB Jesse Scroggins said he’d wait to finalize his commitment to the school. Additionally, Kyle Prater and Dillon Baxter were expected to join the Trojans but that’s up in the air. A move by Muschamp could affect Texas’ pursuit of top defensive prospects Jackson Jeffcoat (DE) and Jordan Hicks (LB). Hicks is currently trying to decide between Ohio State, Florida, and Florida.
Tags: college football, dillon baxter, jesse scroggins, kyle prater, lane kiffin, tennessee volunteers, university of southern california, university of tennessee, usc trojans
Colt McCoy may have lost a big football game but he continues to win at life. The former Longhorns signal caller is about to embark on the next stage of his professional career. But before that, he also took the next step in his personal life.
Word out of Austin is that Colt McCoy proposed to his long-time girlfriend Rachel Glandorf (see more of her here). Glandorf rose to prominence after cameramen included her in shots of McCoy’s family. After that, she became an internet sensation and had to request that Deadspin take down pictures of her. She got so much buzz in that period that even Rick Reilly threw his creepy two cents in to the mix — calling her “hotter than shrimp vindaloo.”
Earlier in the week, Colt took Glandorf to dinner at a restaurant called Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina and proposed to his long-time girlfriend. Colt’s father Brad called Glandorf a “wonderful young lady” and said that the pair had a great relationship. In other news, their unborn child has already verbally committed to play football at Texas.
While you may not have a chance with Rachel anymore (not that you ever did), at least you can see her in the stands in future NFL games. With Kurt Warner retiring, we’re going to need a new hottie other than Brenda Warner. That was a joke. And hey, maybe Tim Tebow can find a girlfriend now that he’s going to the NFL. Or maybe not…
UPDATE: Apparently Colt actually proposed to Glandorf on the University of Texas football field…
MORE ON RACHEL GLANDORF
Colt McCoy Scores Nicest POA in NCAA [BigLeagueScrew]
Colt McCoy’s Girlfriend Rachel Glandorf Now On-Court VIP, Posing With UT Cheerleaders [BustedCoverage]
Colt McCoy’s Girlfriend, Rachel Glandorf, is Having a Much Better Evening [TheBigLead]
The Alabama Crimson Tide won the BCS National Championship and the ugly ass trophy that goes along with it. Another ugly aspect of winning the trophy was that the team had to display the prize at Wal-Mart as part of a sponsorship deal. The crystal ball appeared in Tuscaloosa on Saturday and Gardendale on Sunday.
As expected, thousands of rednecks fans lined up for a chance to see the trophy and perhaps even take a picture with it. The Birmingham News estimated that 6000-9000 fans lined up to see the trophy and the presenting sponsor, Dr. Pepper, took picture of about 4500 of them with the crystal ball. Sure, Bama probably got some extra cash out of the sponsorship deal. But you have to think that pictures of a few thousand hillbillies posing in front of a wall of Dr. Pepper are less appealing than say… a super-hot pom squad.
No, I was not shocked to see that rednecks showed up… but it was slightly surprisingly how well they fit the stereotype. Here are some photos via Friends of the Program:
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With the BCS National Championship coming up tomorrow, the Longhorns made their second trip to Los Angeles in the past few years. The last time they were in the Rose Bowl, actors including Will Ferrell and Matthew McConaughey attended the event. You might think that McConaughey, a Texas alumnus, would be the team’s favorite actor. But McConaughey didn’t even tally a single vote when the team was polled.
The University of Texas sports information department runs the incredibly informative TexasSports.com site. The site includes player profiles, highlights, and a number of other great features. For the football team, they even list facts about themselves and some of their favorite things. Most of the football team was asked who their favorite actor is. While Will Ferrell managed to secure the runner up spot, he was still absolutely crushed by Denzel Washington. Denzel racked up an impressive 20 out of 71 total votes. Will Ferrell was also appealing with 9 votes followed by Will Smith and Jamie Foxx at 7 votes each. The only other actors that tallied multiple votes were Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Mel Gibson, and Katt Williams. Only 14 players voted for an actor other than the ones previously listed. The same groupthink was evident in the female part of the poll as well. Halle Berry amassed 9 out of the 35 total votes with Jessica Alba (7), Meagan Good (4), and Angelina Jolie (3) receiving votes. If you were curious, the Longhorns’ star quarterback Colt McCoy did pick Denzel Washington but listed his favorite movie as Gladiator. Coincidentally, Denzel has attended the Rose Bowl before — but only when USC was playing.
They also asked some of the players about their favorite movies. Bad Boys II cleaned up while Gladiator, Will Ferrell movies, and football movies got a lot of votes as well. You might think that the players would pick Denzel Washington movies as their favorites — but nobody did. It’s not so surprising to me that so many players picked Denzel Washington. However, it’s almost shocking that he didn’t have a role in Bad Boys II.
Tags: 2010, bad boys ii, bcs, Chris Tucker, college football, denzel washington, Eddie Murphy, football, halle berry, jessica alba, Katt Williams, Mel Gibson, national championship, rose bowl, texas longhorns, university of texas, will ferrell
Boise State came out on top last night in the most boring bowl game so far. Frankly, their punter should have been MVP of the game. He had a TD-saving tackle, pinned TCU at the one yard line in the 4th quarter, and converted a 4th down fake punt pass. In any case, Boise State proved they’re the best team that will always get snubbed for real teams.
But they didn’t get much of a boost from their band. The snooze-fest was punctuated with an amazingly boring halftime performance from each marching band. If you thought you were bored, you were beaten in bored-ness by the girl working the cowbell in the Boise State band. I’m not sure if she was for real or not… but you just have to see for yourself.
