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When we think about the American West, the ideas of new frontiers, exploration and manifest destiny come to mind. Naturally, then, we should look to the West for the future of college football uniforms.

One feature of the new uniforms I have noticed (and frankly dislike) is that many of these designs include colors that are not the official colors of their respective schools. Another huge influence on these uniforms is Nike. In either case, it appears the uniforms, including those in the Pac-12, are meeting the needs of the 21st century and never turning back.

The connection between the Pac-12 and the new uniforms is perhaps more unique than any other across the country. Phil Knight, a co-founder of Nike, has helped make Oregon the poster program for new-age uniform designs. Knight attended Oregon and Stanford, both of which call the Pac-12 home. Nike, of course, is the global sportswear giant that has turned Knight into the 23rd wealthiest individual in the USA.

It’s worth noting that No. 23 was worn by the biggest Nike endorser ever: Michael Jordan (sorry, Tiger Woods). But back to college football.

With member institution Oregon leading the way, we cannot forget that the rest of the Pac-12 has also made design changes to its own uniforms. I have power ranked the uniform designs of the conference in this slideshow.

Today, many programs have multiple uniform designs that they wear—not just Oregon—but I have tried to focus on the standard designs and discount the “alternates.” This ranking is purely subjective, so I wouldn’t expect the lot of you to agree with me, but at least we get to look at the updated designs of Pac-12 football uniforms that will hit the field in 2013.

With that, let’s start the list.

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When we think about the American West, the ideas of new frontiers, exploration and manifest destiny come to mind. Naturally, then, we should look to the West for the future of college football uniforms...

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Hugh Freeze's Ole Miss Rebels are capable of achieving a 10-win season in 2013. In fact, I'm actually predicting 10 wins for QB Bo Wallace and the boys this fall.

That's right, 10 wins (9-3 regular season and a bowl win).

Over the next 10 weeks, leading up to the Ole Miss opener at Vanderbilt (August 29), I'm going to break down the "10 Keys to 10 Wins" for the Johnny Rebs. 

As the 10-part series debuts, it's important to first provide some frame of reference before delving into specific keys to notching double-digit wins in Year 2 of the Freeze regime.

 

Setting the Picture

Wins and Near Wins

Having posted seven wins under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze in 2012, Ole Miss eclipsed its win total from the previous two seasons combined (6-18). Largely under the national radar, Freeze pulled off one of the greatest turnarounds in the country.

Capturing six regular-season wins and a win over Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl was phenomenal.

That being said, the Rebels would have won even more ballgames if not for blowing second-half leads against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and LSU. These weren't just blown leads to average teams. The final combined records of the Aggies, Commodores and Tigers was 30-9 (.769 winning percentage).

Had Ole Miss come out on top in just two of those contests, it would've finished with eight regular-season victories (9-3 with a bowl win). Remember, these same Rebels went 2-10 in 2011.

 

Starters, Reserves and Rookies

In terms of actual players, Freeze will see the return of nearly every significant starter from last season's squad minus RB/WR Randall Mackey, OG A.J. Hawkins, and a pair of tight ends that split time in 2012 (Ferbia Allen and Jamal Mosley).

It's on the defensive side of the ball that Rebel reserves will have to step up and replace the likes of DEs Jason Jones and E.J. Epperson, DT Gilbert Pena, LB Joel Kight and CB Wesley Pendleton.

Having that many returning starters is absolutely invaluable for a young team looking to turn the corner. And coaches were largely pleased with the quality of reserve work over spring camp. Between returning reserves looking to earn their stripes and highly talented, yet inexperienced true freshmen capable of contributing early on, it shouldn't take too long for the voids to be filled behind starters.

 

Scheduling Situation

While Ole Miss opens the year on the road in four of its first five outings, after an October 5 trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) the Rebels won't play a road game again until Thanksgiving (Egg Bowl). Specifically, Ole Miss will play three consecutive home games on both sides of an open week.

Traveling to Texas and Alabama is a tough start to the season, but hosting Texas A&M and LSU later back-to-back in Oxford isn't a bad trade. It's safe to assume "revenge" will be on the minds of Rebels.

If Freeze finds his club no worse than 3-2 to start (hopefully better), then anything is possible at home.

 

"10 Keys to 10 Wins," No. 10: Survive the First 5

Moving into the "10 to 10" series, coming in as the 10th-most important factor in the quest for 10 Rebel wins this season is "Surviving the First Five."

In 2013, the Ole Miss Rebels play on the road in four of their first five games.

Festivities begin when the Rebels invade Vanderbilt on August 29. Not only will the Rebels open the season on ESPN's Thursday Night Football in front of a national audience, but they'll also take on a Commodore club that went 9-4 last season. These aren't your father's Commodores, kids.

It'll be a tough test for both clubs, as each tries to start the season out on a winning note.

A week later, the Grove will be hopping for the home opener with Southeast Missouri State (SEMO). The SEMO game should serve as a nice tune-up before the Rebels travel to Austin for a showdown with the Texas Longhorns.

Beginning with Texas on September 14, the Rebels will play three straight road games (Texas, Alabama and Auburn). The only breather they'll receive is an open week before traveling to Tuscaloosa.

Texas and Alabama, on the road, back-to-back?

That's a tough task for any team in the country, not to mention one that only plays a single home game until the middle of October (Texas A&M on October 12).

However, playing two traditional powerhouses like the Tide and Horns so early in the season will give the Rebels a chance to show the college football universe that they're for real. Imagine what an upset win would do for an already impressive 2014 recruiting class.

The Auburn trip to wrap up the first five sets up as a perfect trap game in between contests with Alabama and Texas A&M. Rebel coaches will put in extra work to make sure their kids aren't caught looking ahead to the home rematch with Johnny Football.

In the end, it's crucial that Ole Miss goes at least 3-2 in their first five, while 4-1 would be even better.

Why?

Not only would it keep the program's momentum rolling, but it would also allow the team to return home for back-to-back tilts with Texas A&M (October 12)  and LSU (October 19) without feeling like they're must-win games.

As the first of a six-game homestand, the A&M game will set the tone for the second half of 2013. Believe it or not, a win over the Aggies would set the Rebels up with a chance to run the table during the second half of the season.

After an all-important battle with rival LSU, Ole Miss will play Idaho, Arkansas, Troy, Missouri and Mississippi State to conclude the year. Combined, these five teams went 23-38 in 2012 for only a .377 winning percentage.

If Freeze can lead his Rebels to a 4-1 record to begin 2013, including an upset win over Texas or Alabama, then the Rebels would literally control their own destiny for the rest of the season.

While a 3-2 start would make 10 wins a little tougher, the Rebels could still drop a game during their six-game homestand and finish the regular season 9-3.

The bottom line is Ole Miss won't play outside of Mississippi after taking on Auburn October 5 and will only leave Vaught-Hemingway Stadium once for a trip to Starkville.

Surviving the first five is key No. 10 to winning 10 games in 2013.

Next week, I'll unveil the next-most important factor. Stay tuned, Rebel Nation.

Follow @SephAnderson

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

We can rest easy, because it seems that pesky school business will not get in the way of one student athletes' ability to play football. 

Big Lead spotted an interesting quote from 2015 Alabama commit Arden Key in a report over at GoUpState.com. 

Key visited USC Friday and learned a lot about the university and the football program. "The academic part, it's like you have to try to fail," Key said. "I love the coaches. They are always ready for something. And it isn't far from home. It gives you a different environment. It's in the city, but it's also in the country."

Kids say the darndest things. 

I am going to assume the junior from Lithonia, Georgia, will want that one back, because head coach Steve Spurrier is no doubt shaking his head at the unfortunate comment. 

While we don't know a great deal about the young man outside the brief report, the defensive end had a ton to weigh when selecting his future program. 

The report states he had to choose among, "Clemson, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Stanford, North Carolina, Tennessee, Southern Cal and UCLA."

From what it sounds like, Key really wanted a school that was a little bit country without losing that cosmopolitan feel and also featured well-prepared coaches. Oh, and he wanted school to be a breeze. 

Well, South Carolina was that rare mix of collegiate perfection. 

I will agree with Larry Brown Sports' Steve DelVecchio that Key's heart may be in the right place if his choice of words weren't. Perhaps he is talking about assumed study halls, tutors and the wealth of help that follow student athletes into the program. 

If that's the case, we certainly applaud Key and his confidence that he will dominate the classroom with an arsenal of scholastic weapons at hand. You go on with your studious self. 

I think we can all be adults and proclaim that isn't the first thing we thought of when we saw the quote.

No, the first image to hit me was the sight of football players killing themselves during practice only to catch a nap during class. 

Key now waits his turn at South Carolina, where the academics are hardly worth worrying about. I will leave it up to you decide what the reason for that might be. 

 

Hit me up on Twitter: Follow @gabezal

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Tennessee Volunteers scored a major coup on Monday afternoon, landing 4-star linebacker Gavin Bryant from Jackson, Alabama.

Greg Ostendorf of ESPN Recruiting Nation broke the news:

A violent inside linebacker with size, strength and instincts, Bryant is an impressive prospect for the Vols going forward. He has tremendous potential as a run-stopper in the middle, which is patently important in a conference with Alabama, LSU, Georgia and other SEC powerhouses.

According to 247 Sports, he also runs a 4.6 forty, so he should be able to keep up with—if not outrun altogether—some of the conference's best inside receiving threats.

Per ESPN's Derek Tyson, Tennessee getting a commitment from Bryant came as a minor shock, since he had recently named Florida and Alabama his two leaders:

However, Bryant didn't have committable offers on the table from either school, which likely had a part to play in his defection:

It's important to note that Bryant to Tennessee is not a done deal. He still has a long way to go before signing. If Florida or Alabama ever make a better offer, there's a chance he could be snatched away. But there's no use in getting hung up on hypothetical scenarios.

As of this moment, Bryant is a Vol.

Getting a player like Bryant to commit in such unlikely fashion—especially convincing him to leave the state of Alabama and go to Tennessee—is an impressive first-year move from Butch Jones. The former Cincinnati boss has no southeastern roots to speak of, having lived and coached in the midwest for most of his life. To some, this made him a skeptical hire this offseason.

But Jones has proven, time and time again, that he is able of recruiting in the SEC. This is just his latest feat. He already has verbal commitments from 16 recruits, including highly-touted in-state guys like RB Jalen Hurd and S Todd Kelly Jr.

Ten of Tennessee's projected defensive starters are upperclassmen, so Bryant's services might be needed sooner than later. If his skills translate to the SEC as quickly as his new head coach has, that shouldn't be a problem at all.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

It's been a long, hard day in the hardscrabble town of Old Tuscon and the only thing Rich Rodriguez wants—besides an opportunity to brood in solitude over the sun-drenched desert—is a shot at the elusive Rose.

So goes the story in "Hard Edge," an Old West movie spoof that Rodriguez and his staff at the University of Arizona put out on Monday.

Rodriguez & Co. play dress-up in a two-and-a-half-minute trailer, complete with ashy cigars, questionable acting and poker at a saloon. Tight ends coach Charlie Ragle even managed to get himself bounced, tumbling into the sand as the rest of the staff tossed him out of the establishment.

It's plenty cute and the production value is better than we're used to in videos like this, but if Arizona really wants to claim their much-desired Rose, they should take a long, hard look at the quarterback position. Running back Ka'Deem Carey can't carry this offense by himself. With All-American candidate Austin Hill—the team's top receiver in 2012—out with a torn ACL, the Wildcats need at least a facsimile of Matt Scott's production under center.

Senior B.J. Denker has the best grasp of the offense, junior college transfer Jesse Scroggins has the most impressive physical tools and touted incoming freshman Anu Solomon has the highest ceiling.

All three come with their own set of strengths, but the longer Rich-Rod and company spend playing dress-up instead of declaring a starter, the less coherent the offense will look in non-conference play.

If worst comes to worst, though, I guess they could always settle things with a duel.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

It's been a long, hard day in the hardscrabble town of Old Tuscon and the only thing Rich Rodriguez wants—besides an opportunity to brood in solitude over the sun-drenched desert—is a shot at the elusive Rose...

Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

You could make an argument that Alabama's Amari Cooper is the best receiver in the SEC. Last season he led the Tide with 59 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman. Only Chad Bumphis of Mississippi State had more receiving touchdowns (12) in the SEC.

That type of production could convince you that he doesn't have anything to work on. He knows it all. Of course, that is the furthest thing from the truth. He was a first-year player who finished five games with fewer than three receptions. There is plenty of room for him to grow and become, arguably, the top receiver in the country.

Literally growing would help Cooper take his game to the next level. ESPN lists him at 6'1", 198 pounds. He is tall, but also lengthy and very lean. He doesn't have elite size and that prevented his production at times last season.

You can see in the video that a lot of Cooper's production came from running go routes. He would use his speed to his advantage by giving the defender a double move and blowing by him. Cornerbacks had to respect his speed and bite on the fake, but that won't be the case after they see this film. The route running became predictable, and the deep balls can be limited by shifting the coverage and leaving a safety up high.

Although Cooper has proven he can catch the ball in double coverage and win jump balls, he will have to add on weight to become more versatile. Cooper didn't catch many passes running across the middle of the field, and he struggled to break tackles. Much of this has to do with his lack of size. You can't get physical with defenders and take a pounding when you are under 200 pounds.

According to Andrew Gribble of AL.com, this is why Cooper put on a solid seven pounds. He looks bigger and is a lot faster, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds, per the report. He also mentioned that he knows more of the playbook. A combination of knowledge, strength and speed will allow Cooper to run different routes. He will no longer be a one-trick pony.

At more than 200 pounds, Cooper would have been able to break this tackle and walk in for a score. That's Missouri's Randy Ponder, who is listed at 5'10", 190 pounds. He was able to stop Cooper dead in his tracks with practically one arm. This is a matchup he will win with his new frame.

Cooper is the playmaker for this Alabama offense. He will continue to be asked to spread the field and beat single coverage deep by simply outrunning slower defenders. However, more versatility will now be added to his game. This includes more slants, flats, posts and comeback routes.

He will be able to hit defenses with different plays and become a threat all over the field. That double move will no longer be a ploy to get open deep. Instead, defenses will have to respect the possibility of him going over the middle and being a threat after the catch.

Then, Cooper will have taken his game to new heights.

 

Note: All screenshots were pulled from YouTube video uploaded by user Money282.

Follow @Randy_Chambers

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The college football landscape has several true superstars each season. These special players do not magically appear or just show up on campus, rather they're brought to a program via recruiting. Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel were all once recruits.

The 2014 class will certainly see some its members become superstars. However, exactly who that will be remains to be seen. The following 10 committed recruits appear to have the best chance at becoming national college football superstars.

A talented safety should quickly make his presence felt and become a known commodity. Georgia will have another stud running back to cause problems in the SEC, and Brady Hoke has a commitment from a player who could become a superstar at several positions.

Player evaluations are based on review of tape at Scout.com, Rivals, 247Sports and ESPNU.

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Johnny Manziel made headlines again on Sunday by tweeting and everyone from the Dallas Morning News to ESPN reported on the happening. The tweet was deleted, people screen captured the tweet and, as with most things on the internet, it will live on forever.

And, as we have seen happen to the quarterback before, Manziel becomes an easy target for something that really should not be that big of a deal.

Manziel's been a lightning rod for debate and the news that he "can't wait to leave College Station" became the latest topic for those willing to discuss. The ominous tweet left enough wiggle room for folks to speculate in nearly every direction. It also left the door open to critics who, as tends to be the case, happily walked through it.

There is, of course, the "he should not be tweeting" crowd, who sometimes overlap with the "he needs to focus on football" gang. Of course there's also the "he needs to be a role model" group who are an offshoot of the "he is not representing the university well" tribe.

The problem here is, being fed up with college or your college town is not a foreign concept. There are kids in school everyday who have said the exact same thing. There are athletes at your favorite schools who cannot wait to get out of there. There are players you think have it all that are looking at the calendar counting down the days until they can do something else.

Odds are most people have reached the point where high school, college, graduate school or a job left them fed up to the point where getting out and on to the next thing was a big motivation.

Manziel's outburst was likely not the same issue that led the average person to that same point, but the point remains the same: we've all been there. Hey, and who is to say that Johnny Football's issue was not something that would lead the common folk to the same conclusion?

The issue here is not what he "said," rather, it is what "he" said. "He" of course being Johnny Football, a guy folks have elevated to hero status and are pushing to live in an image crafted from the outside. For some people that means pushing him to fit what they want their hero to be and for others, it's pushing him to be what they expect a Heisman winner to be.

Johnny Manziel is just a dude. A dude who happens to be good at football.

Sometimes a dude will get frustrated, whether he can score touchdowns at an astonishing clip or not. Sometimes a dude's life isn't going perfect for him, despite the outside crowd wishing they were in his position.

If people just realized that people like Manziel are still people, perhaps something that should blow over would not ignite a firestorm.

Although, for the critics' sake, if you don't build stars up into some sort of deities, how can you tear them down?

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Big Ten is, and always has been, known as a smashmouth football conference. The former greatness of Michigan and Ohio State, not to mention more recent success from Wisconsin and Iowa, has usually been predicated on defense and physicality up front.

But that doesn't mean the passing games have gone for naught. In fact, in pouring through the annals of football history, you'll find that some of the greatest wide receivers who ever played came up through this very conference.

That's especially true in the NFL, where Big Ten products have managed to find plenty of success. The physical nature of the conference, it seems, duly prepares them for the rigors of professional football.

Here are the 10 greatest NFL wide receivers that the Big Ten produced.

Note: All stats via Pro Football Reference.

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The Florida Gators had one of the worst passing attacks in the entire country last season.

In fact, they would be pretty low on any list that ranks aerial effectiveness.

Luckily for them, we are going to take a look at each of their opponents for this list. With non-conference games against two college heavyweights and yet another rough SEC lineup, the Gators will have an up-close look at some of the best aerial units in college football.

At the same time, their secondary will have an easy day at the office against other teams that aren't as effective through the air.

As the season approaches, here is a look at which teams will be able to throw on the Gators and which will not.

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Wes Lunt will take his quarterback journey to Illinois. According to Zach Kerker of Channel1450.com, Lunt will leave the Cowboys for the Fighting Illini.

Lunt was the starting quarterback for Oklahoma State last season, but he decided to transfer due to poor communication regarding the quarterback situation, according to Joe Schad of ESPN.

He was in a quarterback battle with Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh before he decided to explore other options. He completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,108 yards and six touchdowns. He also threw seven interceptions.

Lunt's transfer options were extremely limited. According to Kerker, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy wasn't going to allow him to play for a Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC school. He was also banned from playing for Southern Miss, which is now coached by Todd Monken, who was the former offensive coordinator for Oklahoma State.

With not many places to turn, Schad reported on May 28 that Lunt was torn between Louisville and Illinois:

Illinois is the big winner in this latest transfer.

The Fighting Illini need all the help they can get. They ranked 122nd last season in offensive production, averaging under 17 points per game. The passing yards per game was good for 111th in college football at 168 yards. The team will enter this season with an experienced option in Nathan Scheelhaase, but Lunt will likely be the favorite for the starting job beginning in 2014.

Lunt was a highly recruited player coming out of high school. According to 247Sports, he was a 4-star recruit and the 12th best pro-style quarterback of the 2012 recruiting class.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Raekwon McMillan has appeared to be quite the Ohio State lean heading into the summer of the 2014 recruiting cycle, but one major SEC program could give the Buckeyes some issues moving forward.

McMillan, a 5-star linebacker, has visited Ohio State multiple times, and the Buckeyes are the top team on his 247Sports interest list. A recent visit to Florida seems to have really caught his attention though, according to Jeff Barlis of ESPN.com:

"It was a great visit," the ESPN 150 prospect said. "Haven't been here in a while, so came back down here to talk to coach [Will] Muschamp and coach [D.J.] Durkin again. We just talked about coming to play here, filling Jon Bostic's role, stepping in as the next middle linebacker to play under him, playing under a defensive coach, stuff like that." 

Barlis reports that McMillan plans to return to Florida next week. The 5-star linebacker also had this to say about Gators' starting linebacker Antonio Morrison, per Barlis:

Hoping to carry on the tradition more immediately is Florida sophomore Antonio Morrison, the team's starting middle linebacker who spent time with McMillan on campus on Saturday. 

"That's my guy, man," McMillan said of Morrison. "Last time I visited I chilled with him and Mike [Taylor]. They're real cool guys and I could see myself playing here because those are the type of guys I like playing beside." 

At one time, McMillan to Ohio State appeared to be only a matter of time.

Florida, at least according to this report, appears to be well on the way to becoming a major player for McMillan's commitment though. In fact, the Gators are already there.

What does this mean for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes?

Nothing is a given in recruiting, and it's hard to imagine that Meyer is surprised by this recent push by Will Muschamp and his staff. 

Muschamp has done a phenomenal job recruiting elite defenders, so to consider Florida a non-factor in this race would be naive. The Gators' defense of the future should be borderline elite, and that has to be an attractive thought for a recruit like McMillan.

Ohio State has just as bright of a future though, and many would argue that a national championship is right around the corner.

For Meyer, that's his biggest selling point, plus the two he already has under his belt, so there shouldn't be much panic in regard to the continued recruitment of McMillan.

All Ohio State has to do is stay on that leaderboard and eventually land an official visit from the linebacker. Combine that plus what could be a championship-level season, and the Buckeyes' draw with elite recruits, including McMillan, should be undeniable.

From there, Meyer is known as an excellent finisher on the recruiting trail, and even a great recruiter like Muschamp would have a hard time going one-on-one with him for McMillan.

This is definitely a development, but Ohio State is still looking good.

McMillan is the No. 1 inside linebacker in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Twenty-two of 27 experts in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predict that he'll commit to Ohio State. Four predict Alabama, while one, Ace Anbender of MGoBlog, predicts Clemson.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

We all know about the so-called "Heisman Moment." It's that one enduring image or signature play that launches a player's bid for, and eventually secures him, the most prestigious trophy in college sports.

Last season, against Alabama, Johnny Manziel had the fumble that wasn't. The year before that, Robert Griffin helped Baylor beat Oklahoma for the first time ever, throwing a broken-play touchdown to Terrence Williams with eight seconds left on the clock. The list goes on and on.

But what of the anti-Heisman Moment? What of the players who could have won the trophy, but didn't because of one bad game or one fatal slip-up or one missed opportunity?

In college football, it's not uncommon for one game to cost a team its chance at a national title. Just ask the Oregon Ducks. But can't the same be said for individual accolades?

Here are the top 10 contenders to win this year's Heisman, listed in reverse order, along with a highlight of which opponent stands most poised to derail their candidacy.

A look at which game could provide their anti-Heisman Moment.

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Johnny Manziel’s perk-filled life comes at a price. He bears a burden that few veteran celebs could gracefully handle, let alone a 20-year-old unaccustomed to the circus. It’s a burden that comes with incredible opportunities and eventual fortune, but also a spotlight so engulfing that it might be—and understandably so—beginning to take its toll.

And because of it, despite the glaring differences, Manziel and the average college football fan share a distinct sentiment as the offseason marches on.

August 29 can’t get here soon enough.

On Saturday night, Manziel’s often-discussed Twitter feed—the same feed he took a hiatus from earlier—had its most noteworthy moment yet. 

He deleted a tweet shortly after hitting send late on Saturday night, according to the Dallas Morning News, but nothing is ever truly off the Internet no matter how prompt the delete. It’s a lesson he knows well by now—one learned through this same 140-character outlet that can viciously turn in an instant.

Begin rapidly speculating what a college student really means when frustrated, posting late on a Saturday night...now.

After deleting the tweet, Manziel added a followup. Although it didn’t quite outline what specially triggered the frustration, it paints a picture. If you believe this picture looks anything like your college experience, rip it up and start over.

Don't ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) June 16, 2013

With more than 360 thousand followers and a sporting world fascinated by his every move, this series of tweets (and deletes) has legs. The offseason silence certainly doesn’t help his cause, but the dissection of these comments is underway.

What does it mean? Why does he hate Texas A&M? How can someone with a charmed life be so unhappy? He’s a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

It’s easy to draw conclusions from a moment, especially through only a handful of characters on Twitter with little substance to draw from. The Internet will establish conclusions on its own, because, well, that’s what the Internet does.

That’s not to say that Johnny Manziel isn’t struggling to grab hold of the last little bit of normalcy that he still has. Clearly he is, and it’s easy to see why. After all, he’s still just a kid.

Think about how you dealt with adversity as a 20-year-old. Now put a crowd of millions in front of you, studying your every response and mannerism.

The moment Manziel conquered Alabama in its own building—and some can argue normalcy was long gone well before this victory—his life drastically changed. Given the aggressive nature of his timeline to fame, perhaps it’s surprising this public frustration didn't boil over sooner.

On June 29 of last year, the college football world learned of Manziel. Not the video game cheat code, Heisman winner or Alabama antidote, but rather an unknown redshirt freshman who was in trouble with the law. Before being named starter for Texas A&M in its first SEC voyage, Manziel was charged with disorderly conduct for fighting with a fake ID on hand.

Less than a year later, Johnny Manziel is still generating headlines even in the deepest depths of the offseason silence. Not for an arrest or off-the-field trouble, but for living his life and allowing the public a small sliver inside of what it's like.

You don’t have to feel bad for him as he embarks on his second season as A&M starting quarterback, Heisman Trophy in hand, but rather understand that there’s more to him than touchdowns, Twitpics, handshakes and smiles.

It’s easy to criticize from a distance—assuming somehow these comments mean chaos is brewing—but it’s also unfair to Manziel. Some of this he’s brought upon himself with his willingness and openness to live his life through his Twitter account, some of it is a product of the environment he’s thriving in.

It’s this environment that will bring some normalcy, and going toe-to-toe with Alabama in less than three months will be welcomed chaos compared to the frenzy of simply trying to leave his apartment. Bring on football.

Fame comes at a price, one that is clearly hampering the college experience of a young man struggling to manage stardom and life of a 20-year-old student athlete. He's trying to hang on to what's left of his former self, and at this point, it’s not much.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The success rate isn't high for receivers coming out of the SEC, but there are a few exceptions. This includes Pro Bowl selections, franchise record-setters and several NFL champions. There is even a receiver among those on this list who some consider to be the greatest ever.

The conference is known for physical defensive play and hard-nosed runners, while receivers tend to take a back seat. Some receivers represented their conference well, though, bucking that trend. We are now seeing promising receivers such as Julio Jones and A.J. Green step up, but there are a few who came before them and have already made their mark.

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Nebraska football recruiting is starting to heat up, which is great news for Bo Pelini and his staff.

It's also great news for 'Huskers nation, because slow and steady doesn't always win the race in college football recruiting.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports that Nebraska has been on a roll, culminating at Big Red weekend:

The Huskers ended up adding four verbal commitments during Big Red weekend, to go along with two pledges -- offensive lineman Tanner Farmer and quarterback Zack Darlington -- in the days leading up to the event. Nebraska now has added seven recruits since June 7, bringing its 2014 total to a respectable nine. 

Darlington is the name that jumps out, not only because of the position he plays but the fact that he turned down Ohio State for the Huskers. RecruitingNation rates Darlington as a four-star prospect and the No. 11 quarterback in the 2014 class. Nebraska's post-Taylor Martinez quarterback situation looks solid now with Darlington, Tommy Armstrong and Johnny Stanton.  

According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Zach Darlington is a 3-star quarterback who's ranked as the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He's a good pickup for the 'Huskers, and he's now their marquee recruit. 

As Rittenberg mentioned, Nebraska has nine current commitments, but that's a number that's sure to grow.

With the commitments adding up, especially as of late, Nebraska will continue to gain momentum and hype, and that will play well with recruits still looking at the Cornhuskers as a serious option.

Nebraska is on the respective 247Sports interest lists of targets like 4-star athlete Kalen Ballage (top five), defensive tackle Peyton Newell (top two), offensive tackle Brian Wallace (top three) and wide receiver Monte Harrison (leader). Newell and Wallace are considered 4-star recruits, according to 247Sports.

Of course, Nebraska will also benefit from a good showing on the field in 2013, so when all is said and done, a top 25 class should be within reach for Pelini and his staff.

The Cornhuskers may have started off slow, but once the ball gets rolling in recruiting—it's hard to stop.

Momentum, more than just about anything else, is key on the recruiting trail. Outside of winning, hype is one of the biggest draws a program can have with elite recruits. Where one goes, others tend to follow.

Look at what a national championship or two has done for Alabama on the recruiting trail, and just as recently as last recruiting cycle, the hype surrounding Robert Nkemdiche's interest and eventual commitment to Ole Miss put the Rebels on the recruiting map in a huge way.

Alabama finished with the No. 1 class last cycle, according to the 247Sports team rankings. Ole Miss landed the No. 8 class.

Such is the power of hype.

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Les Miles, a coach who had an excessive obsession with Gunner Kiel during the 2012 offseason, has rebounded in a big way in 2013. The head coach of the LSU Tigers is back on the positive side of the "handling recruiting" news, as shown by the Tiger Bait look into his most recent moves. Miles, and his staff, are doing it big in recruiting by doing it small.

The recruiting headlines have been dominated by big production efforts. Kentucky's 115 handwritten letters to a recruit from May. Ole Miss and its 54 letters to a recruit. Joker Phillips' #comeplaywrforthejoker campaign of tweets. Larry Fedora and his Fedora's Freak Show.

As well as the other code words, hashtags and what not, as Andy Staples at Sports Illustrated is cataloging.

Miles and his staff are doing a little bit of the opposite. The staff spent some time reaching out to recruits at the Rivals100 5-Star Challenge by getting handwritten noted delivered to their hotel rooms. It was a personal touch and the kids like that, as evidenced by corner Adoree' Jackson, guard Demetrius Knox and linebacker Clifton Garrett.

"My first thought was that I had arrived, but it was time to do work," Jackson said. "I was appreciative because it was the only one just sitting and waiting. I liked that."

"It was great," Knox said. "It shows they really think a lot of me. It really meant a lot. You always want to go somewhere you're wanted."

"It was a pretty good feeling knowing that they were thinking about me enough to have a letter at my hotel waiting for me," said Garrett, a Rivals100 member and four-star recruit. "That really shows how much they really do want me."

Kids want to feel wanted, and more importantly, they want to know that schools really are doing more than canvassing the nation. Players want to feel like they have a special place on that school's board. When a school calls and sings "Happy Birthday" to your mother, odds are they are doing more than just throwing things out there and hoping it sticks.

Recruiting is about relationships and while the volume recruiting looks good in an effort to get in the game, it takes more to win the hearts of the players, and their decision makers. LSU is making a step a strong step in that direction with the more personalized approach to recruiting.

Props go to Les Miles for the recent moves, dialing it down can have just as big an impact as cranking the proverbial volume to 11, sometimes even more so.

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David Cornwell, 5-star quarterback and recent Alabama commitment (Greg Ostendorf/ESPN.com), has the potential to be the best quarterback so far during the prestigious Nick Saban era of Crimson Tide football.

Lofty expectations? Sure. Such are the expectations at Alabama though, where good is not good enough and championships are the gold standard.

Cornwell is 6'5'', 230 pounds as a rising senior, so he has elite size.

He's built like a linebacker, but he has the agility and skill of a big-time college football quarterback. Therein lies the key to his potential. With defenders getting bigger, faster and stronger by the year, quarterbacks will have to follow suit in order to keep up and remain competitive.

Not only is Cornwell big enough to stand strong in the pocket, step up and make a throw, but he'll be hard to tackle, even at the SEC level. He also has the agility and quickness to evade the rush, get out of the pocket and make a play with his feet.

At 230 pounds with above-average speed for a quarterback, he could be a force running the ball in short-yardage situations.

Need a point of reference? Think Tim Tebow at Florida, but even bigger. According to Rivals.com, Tebow was 6'3'', 217 pounds heading into college.

The kicker is, unlike Tebow, Cornwell is a natural passer.

He has a fluid throwing motion and a phenomenal arm. Footwork is key for quarterbacks, and Cornwell's is crisp. He doesn't bounce in the pocket, and he does a great job of pushing off his back foot, stepping up into the throw and transferring his weight forward.

Cornwell seemingly flicks his arm and the football flies down the field, reminiscent of Matthew Stafford at Georgia. As far as a pro comparison is concerned, B/R's Full+Ride compares Cornwell to Green Bay Packers' superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers:

The comparison is spot on, especially in regard to throwing on the run.

Speaking of accuracy, Cornwell has a pin-point arm. His arm strength allows him to throw the ball on a line and fit it into tight windows where only his receiver can catch it. His intermediate throws are thrown with tremendous velocity, but he can heave it deep with great distance, touch and arc.

Cornwell can drop the deep ball on a dime, and his touch passes are spot on. He'll set himself apart at the college level with his ability to escape the pocket and throw without his feet set, and defenses will also have to honor his ability to tuck it and run.

Simply put, he's not your typical Alabama "game manager" quarterback, and that's what could give him the eventual edge over Greg McElroy and A.J. McCarron—the two star quarterbacks of the Saban era.

This is not meant to be a slight against McElroy or McCarron, but more so a vote of confidence for Cornwell. 

McElroy was and now McCarron (Note: Albeit at a much higher level) is asked to manage the offense and make sure that everything stays on track. Hand off the ball to the running backs and complete the throws that you're asked to make. Rely on the talent around you and focus on protecting the ball and getting it into the hands of your playmakers.

Again, that's not a slight against either quarterback or the philosophy, because it obviously has been effective.

Cornwell has the talent to take over games and make big-time plays though, even if the running game or defense fail him.

Alabama's running game projects to be elite, so of course he'll be handing the ball off on many occasions, but if Saban and his staff wanted to, they could put the game in Cornwell's hands and ask him to make plays.

The Crimson Tide could open up the offense and add in a few wrinkles. Cornwell will be able to make any throw asked of him, and if Alabama was to spread the defense out with more receivers, that could really open the running game up. Quarterback option plays or even designed runs for Cornwell could also be effective, especially in short-yardage or goal-line situations.

Saban and his staff may never alter their game plan, but at least with Cornwell at quarterback, they'd have options.

He projects to be that good.

According to the 247Sports positional rankings, Cornwell is the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the 2014 class and a 5-star recruit. The 247Sports composite, which is an average of all the major recruiting service's rankings, ranks him as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback. 

No matter the ranking, it's rather evident that Cornwell has the raw intangibles and physical abilities to be a star—and he's yet to play his senior season in high school.

Does that mean he'll be a superstar? Frankly, no it doesn't.

Potential is a fickle thing, and high school talent does not always translate to the college level.

That said, Alabama has a track record of producing great recruits, and Cornwell will be in the very best position to succeed.

 

Note: All scouting and analysis of Cornwell done by writer, via tape study of film provided on his 247Sports profile page.

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