an early look at 2005
http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/tripleoption.htm
Triple Option
http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/tripleoption.htm
Triple Option
By: Matt Brown
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(Conferences Ranked in order of strength)
1. Big Ten
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
1. Ohio State… LB’s A.J. Hawk and Anthony Schlegel lead a strong defense; WR/DB/KR Ted Ginn is an explosive playmaker
2. Iowa… QB Drew Tate was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2004; LB’s Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway are stars
3. Michigan… Young but explosive offense led by sophomores QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart and junior WR Steve Breaston
4. Minnesota… Laurence Maroney is one of the nation’s best runners; Greg Eslinger anchors a strong offensive line
5. Purdue… Defense is loaded with experience; sophomore Brandon Kirsch must step up to replace Kyle Orton at QB
6. Penn State… Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor, and Alan Zemaitis lead what will be one of the nation’s strongest defenses
7. Wisconsin… Several huge holes must be filled on defense and offensive line; QB John Stocco needs to give offense balance
8. Michigan State… When healthy, Drew Stanton is one of the best dual-threat QB’s in the nation
9. Northwestern… QB Brett Basanez gives offense experience; relentless pass-rusher Loren Howard returns after redshirting
10. Illinois… Ron Zook takes over for Ron Turner as head coach; Illini are strong at RB with Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey
11. Indiana… A lot of pressure will be placed on RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis to carry the offense without a proven QB
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota; 2) Mike Hart, RB, Michigan; 3) Drew Tate, QB, Iowa; 4) Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota; 5) Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) A.J. Hawk, OLB, Ohio State; 2) Abdul Hodge, MLB, Iowa; 3) Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State; 4) Chad Greenway, OLB, Iowa; 5) Alan Zemaitis, CB, Penn State
2. Southeastern
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
East
1. Tennessee… Sophomore QB’s Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer and senior RB Gerald Riggs lead a loaded offense
2. Florida… Urban Meyer takes over a team with a lot of potential, especially at QB with Chris Leak and RB with DeShawn Wynn
3. Georgia… QB D.J. Shockley must play up to his potential; RB Kregg Lumpkin returns from injury to team with Danny Ware
4. South Carolina… The fun-and-gun comes to Columbia as Steve Spurrier leads the Gamecocks in a loaded SEC East division
5. Vanderbilt… Dynamic QB Jay Cutler and OLB Moses Osemwegie are two unsung stars on a fairly experienced team
6. Kentucky… Wildcats will have trouble replacing Shane Boyd at QB; defense has experience led by FS Muhammad Abdullah
West
1. LSU… Tigers are loaded with young talent at the skill positions; DT’s Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten lead a strong defense
2. Auburn… A lot of talent must be replaced on both sides of the ball; junior OT Marcus McNeill may be the nation’s best tackle
3. Alabama… Tide will have one of the nation’s top defenses led by LB’s Freddie Roach and DeMeco Ryans
4. Arkansas… QB Matt Jones will be difficult to replace; a lot of experience returns, led by RB De’Arrius Howard
5. Mississippi… Should be improved from 2004, but Rebels need better quarterback play from Michael Spurlock and Ethan Flatt
6. Mississippi State… Sylvester Croom’s second season should be better; expect a lot of carries for RB Jerious Norwood
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn; 2) Chris Leak, QB, Florida; 3) Andrew Whitworth, OT, LSU; 4) Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee; 5) Max-Jean Giles, OL, Georgia
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee; 2) Kyle Williams, DT, LSU; 3) DeMeco Ryans, OLB, Alabama; 4) Travis Williams, OLB, Auburn; 5) Jesse Mahelona, DT, Tennessee
3. Atlantic Coast
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
Atlantic
1. Florida State… Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker are explosive RB’s; OLB Ernie Sims is due for a breakout season
2. Boston College… Return of DE Mathias Kiwanuka and CB Will Blackmon for senior seasons provides a major boost for defense
3. North Carolina State… Wolfpack must receive more consistent QB play; defensive line is loaded with talent
4. Clemson… QB Charlie Whitehurst has the talent, but he must recover from a disastrous 2004 campaign
5. Maryland… Offense needs a lot of improvement; Jordan Steffy, Joel Statham, or Sam Hollenbach must emerge at QB
6. Wake Forest… RB Chris Barclay is one of the league’s best players; Eric King and Caron Bracy are major defensive losses
Coastal
1. Miami… Despite loss of RB Frank Gore, Canes are loaded at skill positions; defensive front should be dominant
2. Virginia Tech… The Hokies are loaded on both sides of the ball, as long as Marcus Vick can adequately replace Bryan Randall
3. Georgia Tech… Offense will be exciting to watch with athletic QB Reggie Ball, RB P.J. Daniels, and WR Calvin Johnson
4. Virginia… Early losses of TE Heath Miller and OLB Darryl Blackstock are big; ILB Ahmad Brooks will be an All-American
5. North Carolina… Loss of QB Darian Durant is huge; defense should be fairly strong with most talent returning
6. Duke… Mike Schneider must improve his play at QB; defense has to replace most of its top talent
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia; 2) Leon Washington, RB, Florida State; 3) Chris Barclay, RB, Wake Forest; 4) Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech; 5) P.J. Daniels, RB, Georgia Tech
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Ahmad Brooks, ILB, Virginia; 2) Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College; 3) D’Qwell Jackson, OLB, Maryland; 4) Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech; 5) Darryl Tapp, DE, Virginia Tech
4. Big XII
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
North
1. Iowa State… Majority of team returns after surprising 2004 season; QB Bret Meyer could be a future star
2. Missouri… Tigers had a disappointing 2004 season, but most of the defense and star QB Brad Smith return
3. Nebraska… Huskers need better production from QB Joe Dailey and the receivers for West Coast attack to be successful
4. Colorado… Bobby Purify will be tough to replace at RB; pressure will be placed on senior QB Joel Klatt to carry offense
5. Kansas State… Poor 2004 showing may get worse with losses of RB Darren Sproles, TE Brian Casey, and DT Jermaine Berry
6. Kansas… Jayhawks continue to show improvement under Mark Mangino; Nick Reid leads a talented linebacking corps
South
1. Texas… Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson are gone, but the defense is still loaded and QB Vince Young will take over games
2. Oklahoma… Defense will be inexperienced and QB Jason White is gone; 2005 will be the Adrian Peterson show in Norman
3. Texas A&M… QB Reggie McNeal has developed into one of the nation’s best; majority of the Wrecking Crew defense returns
4. Texas Tech… DE Adell Duckett is a major loss; offense will score lots of points no matter how many players return
5. Oklahoma State… Loss of junior RB Vernand Morency is huge; pressure will be on QB Donovan Woods to lead offense
6. Baylor… The Bears should be better than usual with a solid defense led by senior FS Maurice Lane
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma; 2) Vince Young, QB, Texas; 3) Reggie McNeal, QB, Texas A&M; 4) Jonathan Scott, OT, Texas; 5) Davin Joseph, G, Oklahoma
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Rodrique Wright, DT, Texas; 2) Michael Huff, DB, Texas; 3) Dusty Dvoracek, DT, Oklahoma; 4) Larry Dibbles, DT, Texas; 5) Nick Reid, OLB, Kansas
5. Pacific-10
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
1. Southern California… Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, LenDale White, etc. lead a stacked offense again
2. UCLA… Strong linebacking corps is led by Justin London and Spencer Havner; RB Maurice Drew is a game-changing player
3. California… Losses of Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Arrington will be big; RB Marshawn Lynch should become an instant star
4. Arizona State… Several key defensive players are gone, as well as QB Andrew Walter; WR Derek Hagan is a star
5. Oregon… QB Kellen Clemens, RB Terrence Whitehead, and WR Demetrius Williams make up an experienced and talented trio
6. Oregon State… WR Mike Hass is a potential All-American; however, Beaver suffered major losses on both sides of the ball
7. Washington State… The return of MLB Will Derting from injury is big, but the offense must become more efficient and consistent
8. Arizona… The Wildcats should be much improved in Mike Stoops’ second season; RB Mike Bell should have a strong year
9. Washington… The Huskies have a new coach in Ty Willingham, but the level of talent remains lower than usual in Seattle
10. Stanford… Walt Harris takes over an improving Stanford team led by QB Trent Edwards and RB J.R. Lemon.
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Reggie Bush, RB/WR, USC; 2) Matt Leinart, QB, USC; 3) LenDale White, RB, USC; 4) Mike Hass, WR, Oregon State; 5) Winston Justice, OT, USC
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Spencer Havner, ILB, UCLA; 2) Will Derting, MLB, Washington State; 3) Darnell Bing, SS, USC; 4) Manuel Wright, DT, USC; 5) Harrison Smith, CB, California
Questions or Comments? E-mail me at [email protected]
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1/22/05
Early Look at 2005: The Major Conferences
(Conferences Ranked in order of strength)
1. Big Ten
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
1. Ohio State… LB’s A.J. Hawk and Anthony Schlegel lead a strong defense; WR/DB/KR Ted Ginn is an explosive playmaker
2. Iowa… QB Drew Tate was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2004; LB’s Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway are stars
3. Michigan… Young but explosive offense led by sophomores QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart and junior WR Steve Breaston
4. Minnesota… Laurence Maroney is one of the nation’s best runners; Greg Eslinger anchors a strong offensive line
5. Purdue… Defense is loaded with experience; sophomore Brandon Kirsch must step up to replace Kyle Orton at QB
6. Penn State… Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor, and Alan Zemaitis lead what will be one of the nation’s strongest defenses
7. Wisconsin… Several huge holes must be filled on defense and offensive line; QB John Stocco needs to give offense balance
8. Michigan State… When healthy, Drew Stanton is one of the best dual-threat QB’s in the nation
9. Northwestern… QB Brett Basanez gives offense experience; relentless pass-rusher Loren Howard returns after redshirting
10. Illinois… Ron Zook takes over for Ron Turner as head coach; Illini are strong at RB with Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey
11. Indiana… A lot of pressure will be placed on RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis to carry the offense without a proven QB
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota; 2) Mike Hart, RB, Michigan; 3) Drew Tate, QB, Iowa; 4) Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota; 5) Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) A.J. Hawk, OLB, Ohio State; 2) Abdul Hodge, MLB, Iowa; 3) Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State; 4) Chad Greenway, OLB, Iowa; 5) Alan Zemaitis, CB, Penn State
2. Southeastern
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
East
1. Tennessee… Sophomore QB’s Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer and senior RB Gerald Riggs lead a loaded offense
2. Florida… Urban Meyer takes over a team with a lot of potential, especially at QB with Chris Leak and RB with DeShawn Wynn
3. Georgia… QB D.J. Shockley must play up to his potential; RB Kregg Lumpkin returns from injury to team with Danny Ware
4. South Carolina… The fun-and-gun comes to Columbia as Steve Spurrier leads the Gamecocks in a loaded SEC East division
5. Vanderbilt… Dynamic QB Jay Cutler and OLB Moses Osemwegie are two unsung stars on a fairly experienced team
6. Kentucky… Wildcats will have trouble replacing Shane Boyd at QB; defense has experience led by FS Muhammad Abdullah
West
1. LSU… Tigers are loaded with young talent at the skill positions; DT’s Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten lead a strong defense
2. Auburn… A lot of talent must be replaced on both sides of the ball; junior OT Marcus McNeill may be the nation’s best tackle
3. Alabama… Tide will have one of the nation’s top defenses led by LB’s Freddie Roach and DeMeco Ryans
4. Arkansas… QB Matt Jones will be difficult to replace; a lot of experience returns, led by RB De’Arrius Howard
5. Mississippi… Should be improved from 2004, but Rebels need better quarterback play from Michael Spurlock and Ethan Flatt
6. Mississippi State… Sylvester Croom’s second season should be better; expect a lot of carries for RB Jerious Norwood
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn; 2) Chris Leak, QB, Florida; 3) Andrew Whitworth, OT, LSU; 4) Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee; 5) Max-Jean Giles, OL, Georgia
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee; 2) Kyle Williams, DT, LSU; 3) DeMeco Ryans, OLB, Alabama; 4) Travis Williams, OLB, Auburn; 5) Jesse Mahelona, DT, Tennessee
3. Atlantic Coast
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
Atlantic
1. Florida State… Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker are explosive RB’s; OLB Ernie Sims is due for a breakout season
2. Boston College… Return of DE Mathias Kiwanuka and CB Will Blackmon for senior seasons provides a major boost for defense
3. North Carolina State… Wolfpack must receive more consistent QB play; defensive line is loaded with talent
4. Clemson… QB Charlie Whitehurst has the talent, but he must recover from a disastrous 2004 campaign
5. Maryland… Offense needs a lot of improvement; Jordan Steffy, Joel Statham, or Sam Hollenbach must emerge at QB
6. Wake Forest… RB Chris Barclay is one of the league’s best players; Eric King and Caron Bracy are major defensive losses
Coastal
1. Miami… Despite loss of RB Frank Gore, Canes are loaded at skill positions; defensive front should be dominant
2. Virginia Tech… The Hokies are loaded on both sides of the ball, as long as Marcus Vick can adequately replace Bryan Randall
3. Georgia Tech… Offense will be exciting to watch with athletic QB Reggie Ball, RB P.J. Daniels, and WR Calvin Johnson
4. Virginia… Early losses of TE Heath Miller and OLB Darryl Blackstock are big; ILB Ahmad Brooks will be an All-American
5. North Carolina… Loss of QB Darian Durant is huge; defense should be fairly strong with most talent returning
6. Duke… Mike Schneider must improve his play at QB; defense has to replace most of its top talent
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia; 2) Leon Washington, RB, Florida State; 3) Chris Barclay, RB, Wake Forest; 4) Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech; 5) P.J. Daniels, RB, Georgia Tech
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Ahmad Brooks, ILB, Virginia; 2) Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College; 3) D’Qwell Jackson, OLB, Maryland; 4) Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech; 5) Darryl Tapp, DE, Virginia Tech
4. Big XII
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
North
1. Iowa State… Majority of team returns after surprising 2004 season; QB Bret Meyer could be a future star
2. Missouri… Tigers had a disappointing 2004 season, but most of the defense and star QB Brad Smith return
3. Nebraska… Huskers need better production from QB Joe Dailey and the receivers for West Coast attack to be successful
4. Colorado… Bobby Purify will be tough to replace at RB; pressure will be placed on senior QB Joel Klatt to carry offense
5. Kansas State… Poor 2004 showing may get worse with losses of RB Darren Sproles, TE Brian Casey, and DT Jermaine Berry
6. Kansas… Jayhawks continue to show improvement under Mark Mangino; Nick Reid leads a talented linebacking corps
South
1. Texas… Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson are gone, but the defense is still loaded and QB Vince Young will take over games
2. Oklahoma… Defense will be inexperienced and QB Jason White is gone; 2005 will be the Adrian Peterson show in Norman
3. Texas A&M… QB Reggie McNeal has developed into one of the nation’s best; majority of the Wrecking Crew defense returns
4. Texas Tech… DE Adell Duckett is a major loss; offense will score lots of points no matter how many players return
5. Oklahoma State… Loss of junior RB Vernand Morency is huge; pressure will be on QB Donovan Woods to lead offense
6. Baylor… The Bears should be better than usual with a solid defense led by senior FS Maurice Lane
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma; 2) Vince Young, QB, Texas; 3) Reggie McNeal, QB, Texas A&M; 4) Jonathan Scott, OT, Texas; 5) Davin Joseph, G, Oklahoma
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Rodrique Wright, DT, Texas; 2) Michael Huff, DB, Texas; 3) Dusty Dvoracek, DT, Oklahoma; 4) Larry Dibbles, DT, Texas; 5) Nick Reid, OLB, Kansas
5. Pacific-10
Extremely Early Predicted Finish:
1. Southern California… Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, LenDale White, etc. lead a stacked offense again
2. UCLA… Strong linebacking corps is led by Justin London and Spencer Havner; RB Maurice Drew is a game-changing player
3. California… Losses of Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Arrington will be big; RB Marshawn Lynch should become an instant star
4. Arizona State… Several key defensive players are gone, as well as QB Andrew Walter; WR Derek Hagan is a star
5. Oregon… QB Kellen Clemens, RB Terrence Whitehead, and WR Demetrius Williams make up an experienced and talented trio
6. Oregon State… WR Mike Hass is a potential All-American; however, Beaver suffered major losses on both sides of the ball
7. Washington State… The return of MLB Will Derting from injury is big, but the offense must become more efficient and consistent
8. Arizona… The Wildcats should be much improved in Mike Stoops’ second season; RB Mike Bell should have a strong year
9. Washington… The Huskies have a new coach in Ty Willingham, but the level of talent remains lower than usual in Seattle
10. Stanford… Walt Harris takes over an improving Stanford team led by QB Trent Edwards and RB J.R. Lemon.
Top 5 Offensive Players:
1) Reggie Bush, RB/WR, USC; 2) Matt Leinart, QB, USC; 3) LenDale White, RB, USC; 4) Mike Hass, WR, Oregon State; 5) Winston Justice, OT, USC
Top 5 Defensive Players:
1) Spencer Havner, ILB, UCLA; 2) Will Derting, MLB, Washington State; 3) Darnell Bing, SS, USC; 4) Manuel Wright, DT, USC; 5) Harrison Smith, CB, California
Questions or Comments? E-mail me at [email protected]
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