Beanie and Sergio are (no surprise) included on a list of 10 impact freshmen from SI.com.
edit - Jevan Snead is in that list, also.
si.com
Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
Ohio St. QB Troy Smith says that freshman Chris Wells (above) reminds him of a young Jerome Bettis.
High school: Akron (Ohio) Garfield
It didn't take long for Wells to make his presence felt at Ohio State. During the Buckeyes' Scarlet and Gray game, the freshman pounded his chest before taking a handoff, broke a tackle and barreled his way to a 11-yard gain.
"That was to let them know I was coming," Wells told the
Columbus Dispatch.
It was a notice that incumbent
Antonio Pittman may want to heed as well.
While Pittman, who ran for 1,331 yards last season, is the starter, he'll no doubt get a push from Wells (6-1, 220), who brings a mix of speed, size and balance that will add much-needed depth to the backfield.
"It's been a few years since we've had that depth and luxury at tailback," Ohio State recruiting coordinator
John Peterson said. "We're excited to have Wells and [Maurice] Wells right there in the thick of the tailback competition."
The third-ranked player in the Rivals100 and the recruiting service's top-ranked running back, Wells ran for 2,134 yards and 28 touchdowns last season and was named Ohio's Mr. Football. And if this bruiser's high-school exploits weren't enough, the comparisons to other players are sure to get Buckeyes fans salivating. Quarterback
Troy Smith has likened him to a young
Jerome Bettis, while running backs coach
Dick Tressel says Wells reminds him of a
Jim Brown.
"Chris is big I-back, [a] downhill runner," Peterson said. "He's the kind of player that has a relentless motor and likes to go north and south and get positive yards."
With Pittman nursing his injury, Wells was given the opportunity to take center stage in the spring game and didn't disappoint, running for 48 yards on 11 carries. He also caught a pass two yards behind the line and bowled over a pair of defenders en route to a 9-yard gain.
Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
High school: Dallas (Texas) Woodrow Wilson
As if the Longhorns defense isn't going to be nasty enough, how about adding the Big 12's preseason newcomer of the year to the mix?
Kindle, who did a little bit of everything at Woodrow Wilson, including running for 2,298 yards and 40 touchdowns and registering 157 tackles his senior year, will only add to an already frightening linebacking corps that Lindy's ranks as the ninth-best in the country.
Kindle (6-3, 225) can play both outside linebacker spots, but is expected to backup
Robert Kilgore at strongside.
"Sergio is a big, athletic and talented young linebacker who fits right into the mold of the guys we like to have at that position," Mack Brown said.
"He's fortunate in that he was able to watch, learn and work with some more experienced players in the spring and will not be forced into action right away this fall."
The Parade All-America and recipient of the AFL Ironman award, which is given to the nation's best two-way player, is fifth on the Rivals100 and its highest-rated linebacker. He was also the only player in Texas to earn all-state honors on both sides of the ball.
With his mix of height, weight and 4.56 40-yard dash speed, Kindle is already drawing comparisons to former Longhorn and current Kansas City Chief
Derrick Johnson.
"He's the best I've ever seen," Kindle's high school coach
Bobby Estes told the
San Antonio Express-News.
Kindle was held out of the spring game because a dropped class left him below athletic eligibility, but Brown says the situation has been remedied and it should have no further effect on his standing.
Jevan Snead, QB, Texas
High school: Stephenville (Texas)
How do you replace Vince Young? Well, you don't, but coach
Mack Brown will likely be using a rotation of Snead and redshirt freshman
Colt McCoy to lead the Longhorns offense in their bid for a repeat national title.
"Both of our young quarterbacks did a great job in the spring," Brown said. "I would say that Colt and Jevan exceeded our expectations in how they picked up everything, and they are guys that can make plays with their arm and with their feet. We're looking forward to see their continued progress this fall."
In Snead, the Longhorns got the fourth-rated dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com and the 78th-ranked prospect nationally. Snead is most often compared to former Utah and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Alex Smith, and has been known to dissect video of Smith. Snead threw for 3,546 yards and 38 touchdowns last season, while running for 766 yards and 23 scores. The 6-3, 205-pound Parade All-America finished his prep career with a 23-2 record as a starter.
Originally headed to Florida, Snead withdrew an oral commitment because he believed the Gators were only recruiting one quarterback this season.
McCoy may have the inside track on the starting job because he's been on campus longer, but Snead is already familiar with the spread offense, having run a version of it at Stephenville High.
"What we ran offensively and what Texas has run looks fairly similar," Snead's high school coach
Chad Morris said. "I think with our spread offense, and with us throwing the ball 28 to 30 times a game, he's been able to see different types of defensive coverages, different types of looks."
With just a few weeks to digest the Longhorns' playbook, Snead went 9-for-13 for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Orange and White game.
