NCAA Football News

Every year college football teams carry a lot of pressure into the season. With that comes high expectations and, as always, some teams are going to crumble under the weight of those expectations.

Whether it's a game at the end of the year that will end in disappointment or an early-season mishap, the 10 teams on this list are going to lose a game they should not, or one with a lot on the line.

They either overachieved last year and will be over-rated at the beginning of the season, or they just do not have what it takes to live up to their lofty expectations.

Even though the official preseason polls have not come out yet, there are plenty of early predictions giving good indications of just how talented teams are going to be.

With that being said, here are 10 teams that will crumble under pressure this college football season.

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The competition to become the best running back in the Big Ten will soon be underway. The conference is loaded with able bodies, but only one player will be considered the top back in 2013.

Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska has his argument, as does Venric Mark at Northwestern, but Carlos Hyde will be the best the Big Ten has to offer in 2013.

Mark is the hot name for Northwestern after a big 2012 and Abdullah took over for an injured Rex Burkhead last season and gained a bit of the national spotlight. Still, the best back in the Big Ten plays for Ohio State and his knack for finding the end zone is one of the key reasons why.

Hyde began the 2012 season as the Buckeyes' starter but fell to an injury early in the year. He sat out the Cal and UAB games, returning at the end of September against Michigan State.

He still managed 970 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He averaged 5.2 yards a carry. Hyde was able to rush for at least one score in each of the last seven games of 2012.

In just the final seven games, he accumulated 14 of his 16 scores.

When the Buckeyes get to the red zone, it is game over with Hyde in the backfield. At 240 pounds, he is a bruiser that plows through defenses. The Buckeyes will often use Hyde close to the goal line, increasing his numbers heading into his senior year.

One of the factors that will help Hyde push for extra yards will be the talented Buckeyes offensive line.

Having a veteran offensive line is often overlooked, but it is one of the most important factors for a team’s success.

This fall, the Buckeyes return four of five starters along the line, giving Hyde a strong and experienced group to lead block for him this fall. It will consistently produce huge holes for him to push through.

As talented a back as Hyde is, without a solid group producing blocks, he would be rendered useless.

The final piece that will help Hyde take the Big Ten over will be the balance in the offense. There are a number of playmakers that will share the load this fall, helping take the focus off the talented back.

With the spotlight shining elsewhere, Hyde will be able to push for a lot of tough yards. Managing 18-20 carries a game is very achievable and historically, when Hyde gets his carries, the Buckeyes win big.

The Ohio State offense will be one of the premier attacks in the Big Ten this fall and it will rely heavily on the balanced approach that made Urban Meyer a legend at Florida.

Braxton Miller will join Hyde in creating an elite backfield heading into 2013.

With Hyde carrying the load, the Buckeyes will march into the BCS.

 

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Since Alabama has few weaknesses and is the favorite to win a third straight national title, much of the focus is on quarterback A.J. McCarron. Is he really as good as his numbers indicate, or is he just another game-manager who is benefiting from the system?

Yeah, when your team wins back-to-back national championships, you can waste time debating whether or not a quarterback that threw 30 touchdowns last year is as good as the numbers indicate.

There's plenty of time to argue whether or not McCarron has the goods to be a productive NFL player. As of right now, that remains a mystery.

A more logical question at this point is where McCarron ranks among other Alabama BCS quarterbacks. Once you break things down, you'll soon notice that the Crimson Tide have not had a quarterback this effective in a long time, possibly ever.

Alabama actually hasn't had that much quarterback success during the BCS era. Besides John Parker Wilson and Greg McElroy, all of the other 'Bama quarterbacks were mainly forgettable.

Spencer Pennington split time with Brodie Croyle in 2004. The coaching staff had little trust in Tyler Watts who, while leading the Tide to a 7-5 record in 2001, also split time with Croyle the following season. There was also a four-year starter in Andrew Zow, who was an interception machine and didn't amount to much.

Croyle had a couple of seasons where he was reliable, but he wasn't much of a difference maker the way the other guys were.

So there's McCarron, Wilson and McElroy.

Wilson once held the school record for career touchdowns passes at 47, a mark that McCarron (currently at 49 touchdowns) will have shattered as long as he remains healthy. 

 

But the interesting part is that Wilson needed 1,176 pass attempts to set that record (one TD pass for every 25 passes attempted), while McCarron has thrown the ball only 690 times, which comes to one TD for every 14 passes.

This screams of McCarron's efficiency—as does his interception total: While Wilson finished his career with 30, McCarron has thrown only nine picks. Wilson had more interceptions in two of his three years as a starter than McCarron has had in his whole career to this point.

Parker does hold the Alabama career passing yards record at 7,924, but that is another record that a healthy McCarron will soon call his own. McCarron already has 5,956 passing yards. Even counting the 2010 season in which he didn't play much, McCarron has averaged 1,985 yards per season in his time with Alabama. He should pass the career yardage record with his eyes closed.

McElroy was known for his completion percentage, as he threw high percentage passes and always put the ball where it needed to be placed. He is the Alabama career leader for completion percentage, connecting on 66.3 percent of his passes.

But not so fast. If McCarron was to walk away right now, he would hold this record as well with a completion percentage of 66.6 percent.

Hopefully he remains healthy because those numbers are kind of scary. With McCarron completing 66.8 and 67.2 percent his throws the last two seasons, it would take an unusual season for that record not to fall.

McCarron will soon hold every Alabama passing record that matters. He also has two national championship rings. If he's lucky, there is a third one waiting for him this season. McElroy is the only other Alabama quarterback to win one during the BCS era.

Expect much of the talk this upcoming season to dwell on McCarron's future as a pro. Whether or not he excels at the NFL level, he is easily the best Alabama quarterback of the BCS era and possibly of all time.

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Junior College transfers are becoming the most wanted men in college football.

The reason why is simple—they are playing at a higher level. 

Quarterback Cam Newton transferred from Blinn College to Auburn and won the 2010 Heisman Trophy the same year. Diablo Valley Junior College defensive end Morgan Breslin transferred to USC in 2012 and was a Hendricks Award finalist and named to the All-Pac-12 team.

Coaches are fighting over JUCOs because they're a proven commodity. No one really knows how a teenager will adjust to college life. The JUCO transfer already has two years of college academics under his belt. He's a man, not an 18-year-old freshman.  

With more and more underclassmen declaring early for the NFL draft, teams are facing an unexpected shortage of experienced players.

LSU had 11 underclassmen declare early for the 2013 NFL draft. Head coach Les Miles was probably not expecting such a high number of defections—his depth chart was decimated. Four turnkey JUCOs in his class of 2013 will certainly alleviate the mini-crisis.

The Big 12 has taken its love affair with the JUCO to a new level. 

Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops signed four JUCO linemen in the class of 2013, including the late addition of 3-star guard Andrew Tony Feo (Fullerton College). Texas Tech signed five, Baylor four, Oklahoma State and Iowa State three, TCU and Texas two.

So far, nothing to get excited about, right?

Kansas State lost just about everyone on its defense—linebacker Tre Walker is the front seven's returning starter. Head coach Bill Snyder signed five JUCOs in 2013's class. That's a low number for a school that signed 39 between 2007 and 2010, according to an AL.com report.  

Perhaps it is because so many other coaches are going after the same prospects as Kansas State. The word is out.

Quarterback Jake Waters (Iowa Western Community College) caused a tug-o-war between Penn State and Kansas State. Waters set a new single-season completion percentage record (73.3) that was previously held by Blinn College's Newton. He also led his team to its first 2012 NJCAA national championship. 

Two schools fighting over Waters is pretty impressive, but we're just getting warmed up.  

West Virginia returns 10 starters this fall—on the offense, only three. Head coach Dana Holgorsen had a major problem on his hands: too many inexperienced players. So he signed nine JUCOs to the class of 2013. 

That still cannot hold a candle to what the Jayhawks did to their class of 2013. 

Kansas head coach Charlie Weis signed 17.  When cornerback Brandon Holloman signs his paperwork, Weis will have 18 JUCOs on his team. 

A high school football player that went the junior college route ten years ago was generally considered not ready for FBS football. Maybe he was not mature enough or did not have the GPA to get in to his college of choice. Maybe he just wasn't good enough. 

That was then. 

Now he is being wooed by Nick Saban, Les Miles, Bob Stoops and Bill Snyder. Legendary coaches, all of them.

The year of the JUCO in the Big 12 is here. His time has come. 

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As the Stanford Cardinal prepare for the 2013 season this summer, focus will invariably deviate to the team's Pac-12 Conference schedule during the meat of the regular season. 

The reigning Rose Bowl champions have lost some of their talent on offense, including standout running back Stepfan Taylor and tight end Zach Ertz, but will return undefeated quarterback Kevin Hogan and a number of contributors on the defensive side of the ball. 

Early word around college football circles also place the offense more in Hogan's hands than the coaching staff did at the end of the 2012 season, largely because they now feel he can handle the mental and physical load of the job, per Dave Miller of the National Football Post. 

Expectations are high for the Cardinal to repeat as Pac-12 North champions, and maybe even represent the conference in a BCS bowl again at the conclusion of the 2013 season. Better yet, the Cardinal are an early dark-horse candidate to make the BCS title game for the last time before the system changes to a playoff. 

As usual, Stanford will have its work cut out for it to accomplish those goals. 

For starters, the non-conference schedule is no joke. The team will take on an upstart San Jose State team with nothing to lose to open up the season, and then travel to Army for a day game before Pac-12 play begins. Stanford will close the season with Notre Dame, which will likely be a Top 10 team to open up the season if you listen to college football analyst Phil Steele. 

As Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com puts it, if Stanford escapes from this 12-game slate unscathed heading into bowl season, it will have truly earned it. 

Since Stanford will ride or die on its Pac-12 conference record this year, and college football fans everywhere are champing at the bit for the season to begin, here's a look at three can't-miss games both Stanford and college football fans in general should circle on their calendars to have something to look forward to in the coming months. 

 

2013 Stanford Cardinal Football Schedule

Date Game Time TV Sept. 7 vs. San Jose State TBD TBD Sept. 14 at Army Noon ET CBS Sports Network Sept. 21 vs. Arizona State* TBD TBD Sept. 28 at Washington State* TBD TBD Oct. 5 vs. Washington* TBD TBD Oct. 12 at Utah* TBD TBD Oct. 19 vs. UCLA* TBD TBD Oct. 26 at Oregon State* TBD TBD Nov. 7 vs. Oregon* TBD TBD Nov. 16 at USC* TBD TBD Nov. 23 vs. California* TBD TBD Nov. 30 vs. Notre Dame TBD Fox Sports 1

*Denotes Pac-12 Conference game. Schedule via ESPN.com. 

 

Stanford's Can't-Miss Pac-12 Games

Oct. 19 vs. UCLA

Stanford has won five straight games against the UCLA Bruins, making this game somewhat of a farce if you buy into the notion that dominance doesn't make for an exciting matchup of teams in conference play. 

However, Jim Mora Jr. has UCLA headed in the right direction. The Bruins lost two straight games to close the regular season that would have otherwise led to a Rose Bowl bid for the team, and UCLA will feature a young QB of its own with Heisman hopes at heart. 

Brett Hundley will be back under center for UCLA next season, and by Oct. 19 we'll know whether or not his freshman success will be curbed by the infamous sophomore slump. Either way, Hundley will be eager to atone for his zero-touchdown, one-interception performance in the air during UCLA's three-point loss in the Pac-12 title game. 

For Stanford, UCLA will provide the Cardinal with one of their first true tests of the conference slate. 

Returning home after facing Utah, Stanford will need to find a way to deal with UCLA's dual-option attack and find a way to slow down Hundley in the running game, too—he ran for over 80 yards and a touchdown the last time these two teams met. 

UCLA isn't expected to be a national championship contender after losing running back Johnathan Franklin and other supporting pieces on offense, but it is a capable young squad who took Stanford to the brink last season and is a program on the rise in the conference. If UCLA can equal its success on the ground from 2012, this could be Stanford's first close game and first true test of defensive fortitude. 

 

Nov. 7 vs. Oregon

Oregon and Stanford are turning into one of college football's premier rivalries. 

Chip Kelly will be gone from the Oregon sidelines, but the offensive minds for the Ducks will not, and Stanford didn't lose any muster after David Shaw took over for Jim Harbaugh once his move to the NFL became official. 

The clash of high-flying offense against stingy defense makes for must-see TV each time these two teams take the field in a battle of Pac-12 North rivals. 

Oregon, like UCLA, will feature a dark-horse Heisman candidate in sophomore signal-caller Marcus Mariota, who accounted for over 3,400 yards of total offense and 38 touchdowns (including a two-yard touchdown catch) during his freshman season. 

Stanford also holds the last victory over the Ducks, a 17-14 overtime thriller that ended Oregon's national championship hopes toward the end of last season. With those kind of stakes hanging over this game and Stanford given an extra few days to prepare for this Thursday night battle, it will be interesting to see how the offense-defense clash continues as the Ducks travel south to Palo Alto. 

 

Nov. 16 at USC

Stanford has also quietly won four straight games over the Trojans, including a 21-14 upset when Matt Barkley and company were the No. 2 team in the nation. 

Stanford can't afford to let consecutive win No. 5 slip away, especially if they hold an undefeated mark at this point in the season. 

It might be too early to start labeling games on Stanford's schedule of the "trap" nature, but traveling to USC late in the season after facing several other teams who will be nationally ranked at the time of the meetings (wishful thinking perhaps, but the Pac-12 has several who should be) makes this year's USC game just as interesting as last year's upset victory. 

With the Trojans reloading, there's little doubt the talent will be flocking to the program. It does each year, and USC finished in the top 20 in recruiting again, according to 247Sports' rankings. 

Like UCLA, USC will have revenge on the mind and maybe even a chance to upset Stanford's perfect season in this mid-November matchup. With Stanford bordering on being a national powerhouse for the next few years and USC always in games just on sheer talent, this is another can't-miss game on the current slate. 

All 12 of Stanford's games should be fun to watch, even if you're just a casual college football fan. With the team expected to contend this year instead of being an upset candidate on everyone's schedule, how Shaw's team responds will define where Stanford is playing in bowl season. 

 

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Steven Bench has decided he will leave Happy Valley for the palm trees and bright sun of South Florida.

Joe Schad of ESPN reported the news:

Bench informed head coach Bill O'Brien that he no longer wanted to play for Penn State, which is in the middle of a quarterback controversy. O'Brien granted those wishes and allowed the young man to visit schools such as North Carolina State and Mississippi State before Bench decided that South Florida was the place for him. 

The new Bulls quarterback grew up in Georgia, about a half-hour away from Tallahassee. Both of his parents went to Florida State, which helps give him some familiarity with the Florida area.

According to the Schad report, Bench is ready to go and feels confident he can win the starting job.

"I want to get my face in the playbook and get ready to go," Bench said. "Coach [Willie] Taggart is a real confident guy. He will play anybody anywhere anytime."

Much like the school he just left, South Florida is searching for answers at quarterback as well, with veteran B.J. Daniels graduating. Bench will certainly provide some competition to the rest of the guys.

The former Penn State quarterback was considered a 2-star recruit by Scout.com. He didn't have many intriguing offers on the table, which played a role in how he ended up at Penn State. Bench didn't see much playing time last season, throwing the ball only seven times for 12 yards while running three times for 18 yards.

He is capable of making plays with his legs and has above-average arm strength. He should have no problem fitting into the system and becoming a reliable quarterback for a program that was searching for an answer at the position.

 

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Every season, players leave college for the NFL ranks, and every season another crop of young players rises up to take their place.

The Notre Dame Football program, led by head coach Brian Kelly, features some up-and-coming stars that have yet to hit their stride on the field. It won't take long once the games begin this fall, however, for these young men to become household names across the nation. 

These players will emerge as the next batch of Golden Domers who will excel at the college level and eventually take their talents to the next level.

 

Jarrett Grace, Inside Linebacker

Grace has the unenviable task of following in Manti Te'o's legendary footsteps as the team's inside linebacker in 2013. Fans of the Fighting Irish should prepare themselves to start falling in love with this young man, however, because he has what it takes to become a star. 

Studying behind Te'o for the past couple of years, Grace has learned much.

ESPN's Joe Schad recently talked to the young man, who learned how to "attack the field with a purpose" from Te'o. He has also been studying Luke Kuechly and intends on becoming a "tackling machine":

According to Sean Stires of IrishSportsDaily.com, Grace has impressed defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, who said of his new linebacker:

He's got good speed and good change of direction. Intangibly he's got a great sense for where the ball's gonna end up. He's got a good feel in coverage. He's got a good feel for fitting the runs, so we're excited about what we have there.

Undoubtably, Grace will benefit from having Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt clogging up the lanes in front of him. He's as ready as he'll ever be to take over the role Te'o owned the past couple of years, and by all accounts he's ready to have a monster season in 2013.

 

James Onwualu, Wide Receiver

Incoming freshman Onwualu has a chance this year to make an incredible impact on this team's offense. A first-team All-State running back in high school, Onwualu is the most explosive playmaker on the roster right now. 

Keith Arnold of NBCSports.com profiled Onwualu earlier this year and praised the young man's natural talent, intangibles and big-play abilities:

With natural size and speed (Onwualu trained daily, but never lifted weights), he was a powerful player that’ll only get bigger, stronger and faster now that he’s in a collegiate training program...Dangerous with the ball in his hands, even if he doesn’t have elite top-end speed.

 With strong intangibles off the field, Onwualu was an early offer by the Irish coaching staff...With depth at running back and wide receiver not overflowing, finding a place for Onwualu should be easy enough. 

An early enrollee, he's had a chance to get acclimated to the demands of Kelly's offensive scheme.

At this time, according to Rivals.com, Onwualu is behind starter T.J. Jones on the depth chart. Jones, while effective as a pass-catcher, isn't an explosive receiver. He caught 50 passes for 649 yards (13.0 yards per reception) last year and hauled in four touchdowns.

If given the chance to play, Onwualu would become a favorite big-play target for quarterback Everett Golson.

 

Ishaq Williams, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End

Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com recently mocked Williams to the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft. In response, SI.com's George Dohrmann suggested on Twitter that McIntyre hadn't watched much Notre Dame football in 2012:

Perhaps McIntyre has simply been paying attention to what's being said about Williams heading into the 2013, rather than looking to the past. 

Nix and Tuitt are the top defensive players for Notre Dame in 2013, to be sure. That said, don't be surprised if Williams ends up joining these two behemoths as a potential first-round pick for the 2014 NFL draft.

The former 5-star recruit out of Brooklyn hasn't been a factor for the Irish the past couple of years. He lacked the strength and technique to make his presence felt on to the field, and in two years he has only logged 28 total tackles.

That doesn't mean he's a bust, however. 

Kelly likes to develop his players properly, and he doesn't play them until they're ready to shine. 

According to Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune, the time for Williams to shine could be now after speaking with Diaco:

"Ishaq is starting to come into his own," Diaco said of the 6-5, 255-pound junior from Brooklyn, N.Y. "I don't want to heap a bunch of pressure on him as it relates to the fall of 2013, but he's starting to learn how to prepare professionally in practice and in meetings."

"There's so much more effort involved in his play, so much more intensity," Diaco said. "He's playing lower. He got stronger. When he kind of unlocks now on a player in block destruction and tackling, and in his different jobs, even if it's just accelerating on push rush, it looks different. It's a more sudden, a more explosive moment, not only based on strength but also energy."

Should Williams come into his own as the player Notre Dame thought he'd become a few years ago, it's not inconceivable to think the team's defense could be even more dominant up front than it was in 2012.

 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 

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With three straight 247Sports.com composite recruiting titles under his belt, Alabama head coach Nick Saban has established himself as not only the best coach in the country, but also the nation's unquestioned king of recruiting.

Just how good is it these days for Saban?

According to Mike Herndon of AL.com, Saban told fans at a Crimson Caravan event in Orange Beach, Ala., that all of Alabama's offers to quarterbacks in the class of 2014 are non-committable until Saban sees them work out personally at Alabama's camp.

It is our philosophy at certain positions that we really like to learn a lot about players and one of the best ways to learn about a player is when they come and visit you, because you're limited in terms of the contact you can have with them off-campus. To get some of them to come here in the summer I think is a really big tool in evaluation as well as an opportunity to get to know guys, to see if they have the right character and attitude to fit in your program.

Sure, the words "non-committable" and "offer" contradict each other, but semantics aren't exactly important in the recruiting game. After all, a commitment isn't a commitment until national signing day.

As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out, non-committable offers aren't uncommon—especially at quarterback. In fact, it's good business.

In this case, it speaks to the power of the Alabama football program. 

Two players mentioned in the AJC that have non-committable offers from Alabama are 247Sports.com 4-star Clemson commit Deshaun Watson—the fourth-best pro-style quarterback in the composite index, and 4-star pro-style prospect Tyler Harris from Blackshear, Ga.

These aren't exactly no-name prospects who are destined to be buried on college depth charts. These are two studs who already have offers from several schools and will receive plenty more between now and signing day.

Former Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley said it best before his team hosted the Crimson Tide in 2012 (via: AL.com):

"They draft, we recruit," Dooley said. "And they get the first 25 picks of the draft."

In the case of Alabama's 2014 recruiting efforts, it's also a situation caused by numbers.

Starting quarterback AJ McCarron will exhaust his eligibility after the 2013 season, leaving Alec Morris, Blake Sims and Cooper Bateman as the primary competitors for the quarterback spot in 2014. That's a lot of competition for any incoming freshman, but McCarron's departure certainly makes Alabama a little more attractive to any quarterback in the upcoming recruiting class.

Since Saban insists on evaluating quarterbacks on campus prior to truly issuing a scholarship offer, it's as much a matter of selecting the quarterback as it is recruiting. 

In other words, the situation is a coach's dream.

Alabama's recruiting efforts, success on the field and ability to send players to the NFL through the draft—22 over the last three seasons—have created the perfect recruiting scenario. 

While non-committable offers are common, not every school can get away with them. Whether a prospect is interested in championships, draft status or playing time, Alabama can offer it up in 2014.

That's scary.

 

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The SEC is a factory for NFL talent that has produced some of the most talented quarterbacks to play in the pros.

Guys like Joe Namath and Peyton Manning will be remembered as some of the game’s best at the position. They won big in college and continued their success in the pros.

There are some players working on becoming future legends, but these names have solidified their legacies as the best quarterbacks in conference and NFL history. 

This is a look at the six best to depart the SEC and land in the NFL.

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Michigan will look to get back to a BCS bowl next season, but there are a bunch of tough opponents who stand in the team's way.

The Wolverines certainly have a lot of promise in 2013. A full year with Devin Gardner at quarterback should help create a more balanced offence, especially with Taylor Lewan blocking his blind side. Meanwhile, the defense should continue to improve under Brady Hoke.

However, there are difficult games on the schedule starting as early as August. While Michigan should be able to get a lot of wins this season, these are going to be the most daunting matchups of the year.

 

5. Michigan State (Road), Nov. 2

Going on the road against an in-state rival will always be a tough game. Michigan finally ended a four-game losing streak against the Spartans last season and is looking to build a new winning streak this year.

The problem is that Michigan State still has one of the top defenses in the country and will be tough to score against. This game could end up being similar to last year's 12-10 victory for the Wolverines.

Fortunately, the Spartans struggled on offense all year in 2012 and lost their best offensive weapon in Le'Veon Bell. It is unlikely the squad improves on that side of the ball this year, giving Michigan a good chance of earning a road victory.

 

4. Nebraska (Home), Nov. 9

Nebraska is very likely to be Michigan's biggest threat to come out of the Legends Division. Taylor Martinez is heading into his senior season as one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the country with an improved passing game.

Adding in some talented running backs like Ameer Abdullah will make this offense incredibly difficult to defend.

While the defense is still improving, it is clear that the Cornhuskers are one of the teams to beat in the Big Ten this year.

The good news, however, is that Michigan gets to play this game at home in the Big House, where the team won every game last season. All four of Nebraska's losses last season were away from home, so it gives Michigan a much better chance of winning.

 

3. Penn State (Road), Oct. 12

Few expected Penn State to be as good as it was last season. In Bill O'Brien's first year as head coach, the squad went 8-4 with the No. 16-ranked defense in the country.

While the Nittany Lions are still ineligible for the postseason, they should be even better this year with an improved young roster and an infusion of young talent in the most recent recruiting class.

This is one of Michigan's first Big Ten games and it could be a quick loss for the Wolverines if they are not prepared to go into Happy Valley. Penn State is clearly their toughest road game of the year, so they must be ready for a battle.

 

2. Notre Dame (Home), Sept. 7

Notre Dame lost a lot of talent from last year's team that went to the national championship game, but there are plenty of players ready to pick up the slack.

Most importantly, Everett Golson returns as the team's undisputed starting quarterback and should have more confidence heading into the year. The young player was relatively mistake-free down the stretch and will look to continue that this season.

This experience will play a big role in the second game of the season. He was certainly less than stellar last year when these teams played, which gave Michigan a chance of winning.

On the other hand, Gardner will still be coming into his own and could struggle against a strong defensive front for the Irish. If the young offensive line is not ready to compete, it will be destroyed by defensive tackle Louis Nix and the rest of the Notre Dame defense.

 

1. Ohio State (Home), Nov. 30

Every year, this is the game that is circled when the schedule comes out. This season, the game might be even more important, as Ohio State looks to challenge for a national championship.

Braxton Miller is clearly one of the top players in the country with his ability as a passer and runner. He finished last season with over 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards and is always a threat to make a big play.

Additionally, the Buckeyes defense will be just as strong with quick pass-rushers and playmakers in the secondary to force turnovers.

Either this game will be a final test for the Wolverines to clinch their division or it will be a chance for them to play spoiler against their biggest rivals. Either way, this will be a big one to watch. 

 

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For all intents and purposes—and to be as strikingly blunt as possible—the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes just don’t like each other.

That’s why they’ve been in the midst of one of the sporting world’s greatest rivalries since the late 1960s.

In 2012, Michigan-commit Logan Tuley-Tillman of Peoria Manual (Ill.) burned a recruiting letter from Ohio State; the 6’7”, 300-pound, 4-star lineman posted a photo on Twitter of the Buckeyes’ flame-engulfed offer wasting away in Maize-and-Blue glory.

Later that same year, Gareon Conley flipped from Michigan to Ohio State, prompting more Wolverines-Buckeyes banter on message boards and within corresponding media circles.

The 6’1”, 175-pound, 4-star cornerback anchored Massillon Washington’s secondary. In hindsight, his decommitment from Michigan isn’t a shocker. Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has the full attention of high-end Ohio-bred prospects.

There have been others—like the “family” searching Justin Boren and Ohioan Kyle Kalis—to switch from one school to the other, and there will be more in the future. The rivalry has deep-rooted recruiting battles that fan the fire of Michigan vs. Ohio State.

The 10-Year War and Bo vs. Woody are cherished cornerstones in the opposing programs’ histories. Bo Schembechler was Woody Hayes’ assistant before leaving the state of Ohio to join “That Team Up North.” Hayes would never say “University of Michigan” or “Michigan” if he could avoid it, thus coining the phrase.

Today, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke simply refers to Ohio State as “Ohio”—again, a subtle but oh-so-obvious verbal stab.

Shots are traded on the Internet more often these days. The Big Ten Network showcased the digital war by posting a photo (taken and posted on Twitter by Michigan’s Bo Dever) of Michigan’s new team ball.

The Wolverines apparently support American-made products and Dever was proud, we assume, of the craftsmanship that went into the Adidas Rifle pigskin, which wasn’t made in Ohio, an important selling point.

The ball is actually an import, not made here in the good-old U. S. of A., according to an update on the Big Ten Network’s post. But you get the hint. There is no love lost between Michigan and Ohio State.

With Jabrill Peppers almost certainly giving a verbal commitment Sunday to Hoke, Michigan can rack up another win over Ohio State. Peppers was thought to be a firm Buckeyes-lean just a couple of weeks ago, but 247Sports.com rates the 5-star athlete’s likelihood of choosing Michigan at 96 percent.

Ohio State went 12-0 last year while Michigan disappointed at 8-5. Meyer is landing recruiting classes that match or better what Hoke produces. The war is ever present in everything each program does.

Even the Bentley Library has gotten into the mix. The keeper of Michigan’s official athletic records makes note of Ohio State’s vacated 37-7 pounding of the Wolverines in 2010. However, instead of a standard asterisk or bullet, the library affixed a dollar sign ($) in the game’s column.

Why?

It wasn’t enough to simply show that the Buckeyes won when it didn’t really count. No, the library had to let you know that it was because of improper financial benefits given to (or supplied by outsiders) student-athletes. Maybe a book with a “no” symbol over it would have been appropriate, too. Some of the Buckeyes were academically ineligible during the year.

The hatred for one another will never subside, but with Michigan and Ohio State positioned—maybe something like what happened in 2006—to compete head-to-head on the national stage, one can only assume that the neighborly feud is due to erupt.

With the “Made in USA, not in Ohio” stamp on the Wolverines game ball, followers of each team have been given the green light to add their two cents to rivalry talk—and that’s great for Michigan versus Ohio State.

As a matter of fact, the burning offers, flips from one school to the other, and Hoke’s stubbornness not to say “State” after “Ohio” are all much-needed components to get the show back on the road. It’s once been called “The Game,” but it hasn’t been much of one since 2006 (No. 1 Ohio St. defeated No. 2 Michigan  in thrilling fashion, 42-39).

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

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Ohio State has landed the commitment of 4-star outside linebacker Dante Booker, who's the No. 6 outside linebacker in the 2014 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite.

That news alone would be great for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes, but Booker is also a talented state of Ohio recruit. In fact, the 247Sports composite ranks him as the No. 3 player from the state.

Anyone who knows anything about recruiting will tell you that in-state recruiting is key, even for a program as big as Ohio State.

Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports reports on the commitment:

Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary Top 100 linebacker Dante Booker announced his commitment to Ohio State on Thursday.

"Officially commited to THE Ohio State University," Booker announced.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Booker chose the in-state Buckeyes over offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State and Tennessee.

The Buckeyes' 2014 class now features nine commitments, and Booker is one of the marquee recruits so far.

Here's the tweet from Booker, announcing his decision:

He has good height at 6'4'' and decent size for an outside linebacker at 210 pounds. Even at 210, he has the physicality to plug the gap and take on a lead blocker or ball-carrier head on. He's a strong, fundamental hitter, and he'll make plays against the run.

That said, Booker appears to be most comfortable in space or on the edges. He has good quickness, agility and open-field awareness. He'll be able to drop back into coverage and bait quarterbacks into bad throws, and he should be able to turn and run with vertical routes up the seams.

He'll also be able to blitz from the edge and get after the quarterback, and his speed will come in play when he's pursuing from the weak side and running the alley.

With a physical inside linebacker next to him, Booker can be tremendously successful, and that's good news for Ohio State because it is the favorite on Raekwon McMillan's 247sports interest list. McMillan is the No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2014 class, according to the 247Sports composite. 

Booker has all the intangibles to be a successful outside linebacker at the college level, and he should only get better during his senior year. He'll also improve drastically under the tutelage of Ohio State's coaching staff.

This next era of Ohio State football should be extremely exciting. Expect Booker to be a big part of it.

 

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

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The Georgia football program turned a profit last year, which means renovations will be taking place. With the cash flow that just came in, Sanford Stadium will see an upgrade for the first time since 2004.

According to Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Georgia's athletic revenue increased a cool $3.6 million from last year. The majority of that comes from football tickets sold, as the $21.2 million made last year was much greater than the $19.5 million made in 2012. Contributions also increased from $22.5 million to $23.3 million.

See what happens when you put a quality product on the field?

Out of the money earned, $1.25 million will be used to improve Sanford Stadium. Some of these upgrades will include modernized premium seating areas, adding a closed caption display board for the hearing impaired and ticket-scanning capabilities.

It gets even better, as the $1.25 million is only part of the $2.18 million that has been approved to use for renovation projects.

According to the report, $330,000 will be used to expand the Stegeman Coliseum athletic training room. Another $300,000 will be used to study designs to upgrade turf fields and to replace the block wall between the Woodruff practice fields and Smith Street. There will also be $300,000 in improvements to the equestrian facility.

Of the rest, $80,000 will go to resurface the tennis courts and $90,000 to fix the electrical issues at the soccer and softball complex.

The Jason Aldean Concert at Sanford Stadium also brought in an $200,000 for the athletic department, which will now be used to install a new irrigation system for the field.

All Georgia sees are dollar signs.

With the help of $8 million in 2004, Sanford Stadium was able to add a second upper deck on the north side and 27 new north-side SkySuites, making the venue the fifth largest on-campus stadium in the country at a little more than 92,000 seats.

These improvements are a byproduct of the football team, which won 12 games last year for the first time since 2002.

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Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes are locking up some serious in-state talent with their 2014 recruiting class.

The Buckeyes had already secured commitments from five of Ohio's top prospects coming into Thursday. 

They'll end the day with six.

Dante Booker, a 4-star linebacker out of Akron, Ohio, announced his verbal commitment to Meyer and the Buckeyes via Twitter Thursday afternoon:

Officially commited to THE Ohio State University #BuckeyeNation

— Dante Booker Jr. (@D_Book47) May 23, 2013

Booker chose the Buckeyes over offers from Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State and Tennessee, among others.

Most recruiting gurus expected Booker to land at Ohio State (the Buckeyes earned a clean sweep in 247Sports.com's "Chrystal Ball Predictions"), but that doesn't take away from the importance of his commitment.

Booker joins fellow in-state 4-star prospect Kyle Berger as a true linebacker in Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class. The Buckeyes also have a commitment from 4-star "athlete" Sam Hubbard (another Ohio product), who some project to linebacker at the collegiate level. Depending on how he develops, Hubbard will likely develop into a front-seven player at some level.

Two prospects from Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class—Mike Mitchell and Trey Johnson (both 4-star prospects)—addressed a huge need for the Buckeyes at linebacker. Still, Meyer is looking to build depth at the position with the '14 class, and Booker's commitment was vital in doing so.

With Booker's pledge, the Buckeyes will likely take just one more linebacker in the 2014 recruiting cycle. Ohio State's top target at the position is Raekwon McMillan, a 5-star inside linebacker out of Hinesville, Ga.

McMillan isn't planning to announce his decision until the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game next winter, but the Buckeyes are the current leader for the 5-star linebacker.

Of course, the Buckeyes are still recruiting other linebackers, like 4-star Chase Winovich among others.

Regardless of which player Ohio State ends up with, Booker's commitment ensures that the Buckeyes will be getting an elite group next year.

Watch highlights from Booker's junior season here:

 

All recruit rankings per 247Sports.com.

 

David Regimbal is the lead Ohio State football writer for Bleacher Report.
Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412. 

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Dante Booker, the talented Akron, Ohio, native and 4-star linebacker recruit, kept his college football options close to home, settling on Ohio State to continue his playing career in 2014.

247Sports' Steve Wiltfong passes along this statement from Booker: "Officially committed to THE Ohio State University."

The St. Vincent-St. Mary standout received interest from several programs including Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Notre Dame. Oklahoma and Nebraska also made an offer to the linebacker, who ranks No. 6 in the nation at the outside linebacker position, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.   

At 6’4” and 210 pounds, Booker has the tall, slender frame to match his exceptional athleticism and play-making ability. He isn’t among the biggest or fastest linebackers in this recruiting class (4.72 40-yard dash), but he has the potential to be a tremendous football player at the next level.

Given his play-recognition skills and ability to fill downhill in defending the run, Booker will find a good fit at either inside or outside linebacker with the Buckeyes. He still needs to add some bulk and work on disengaging from blockers, but he has a very high ceiling at the college level.

The linebacker comes from a family of athletes. His father played both college (Auburn) and professional football (in the CFL and AFL) and his mother played college basketball at Ellet High School in Akron (per Michael Beaven of the Akron Beacon Journal).

Booker saw action on St. Vincent-St. Mary’s varsity squad as a freshman and shined as both a tight end and linebacker during his sophomore campaign. As St. Vincent-St. Mary head coach Dan Boarman explained to Beaven, Booker doesn’t look for extra attention or the fanfare typically afforded to elite high school prospects, even as one of the best players in Ohio:

It is hard getting a whole lot out of him because he is quiet. He is not a kid that is obnoxious. He is not one of those kids that will come up and say, ‘Make sure my picture is in the paper.’ He is just a humble and nice gentleman.

Talent and a good attitude are the makings of a tremendous football player, and that’s exactly what Ohio State is getting in Booker. He may need some time to develop at the next level, but there’s no question he’ll be a quality playmaker and key defensive component in his formative years with the Buckeyes.

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Cordell Broadus, 2015 4-star wide receiver, has picked up an offer from LSU, according to Lyons Yellin of NOLA.com. Outside of USC, this is easily Broadus' biggest offer to date.

Broadus is only a rising junior and he's already received an offer from one of the most dominant programs in college football. LSU is a powerhouse, both in the SEC and nationally.

He's 6'2'', 180 pounds and he runs a 4.50, according to 247Sports. The 247Sports composite ranks him as the No. 7 wideout in the 2015 class, so he has plenty of potential. 

Recruiting fans have all they need to know right there, but here's a fun fact for those of you that may not be as plugged in to the world of college football recruiting: Broadus is the son of legendary rapper Snoop Lion, formerly known as Snoop Dogg. 

The cool thing to recognize about this story is that Broadus is not receiving "celebrity offers" that would just serve as PR boosts or gimmicks. He's a legitimate talent and a intriguing college football recruit.

He wouldn't be such a highly ranked receiver if that weren't the case. 

He's a big receiver with good length and athleticism. He gets separation because of his quick footwork and route-running ability. Broadus has the speed to break a defenders cushion on vertical routes, but he'll also be a threat to pick up yards after the catch on shorter routes. He's shifty for a wide receiver and he displays good vision and strength as a runner.

He also has good hands and should be a major impact player in the red zone, whether it be because of his ability to run after the catch or go up and get the ball over smaller defenders.

Along with USC and now LSU, Broadus has offers (247Sports) from Arizona State, California, Duke, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA and Washington. 

 

Note: All scouting and analysis done via tape study of film provided on Broadus' 247Sports profile page.

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Every Thursday on The SEC Blog, we will feature questions from the Bleacher Report inbox, Twitter and email at bsallee@bleacherreport.com. 

You have SEC questions, and I have SEC answers. Thank you, everybody for your questions this week. If I didn't get to them, they will be saved and used in the future.

And we're off:

@barrettsallee is Texas A&M being over hyped because of Johnny Football?

— Ty Ross(@iamtyty23) May 23, 2013

The perception is out there that Texas A&M is all "sizzle" and no "steak," but I'm firmly in the A&M camp this season.

Do the Aggies deserve to be in the preseason national title discussion? Of course.

Take the Manziel hype out of the equation for a second. He's still an established returning starter at quarterback who will benefit from the return of his favorite receiver Mike Evans, an extremely deep running back corps led by Ben Malena and an All-American protecting his blind side in Jake Matthews.

Whether you think Manziel is "sizzle," "steak" or something in between, that's a recipe for success at virtually every level.

The fortunes of Texas A&M's season rest on the defensive side of the ball, particularly the ability of the front seven to generate pressure on the quarterback, stop the run and force mistakes. That question remains unanswered, and probably rests on the shoulders of defensive end Julien Obioha and linebacker Steven Jenkins—both of whom are returning from injuries.

If they succeed, that will help the already-talented Aggie secondary. That's all that Texas A&M needs to be successful. When you have potent offense, all you have to be on defense is opportunistic.

 

@barrettsallee which team in the East has the best chance (roster) of beating the West in the SECCG?

— Reggie George (@DizzyDEEzle) May 23, 2013

Georgia was within five yards of doing it last season, and I've been beating the drum for the Bulldogs all offseason.

The Bulldogs didn't play for the crystal football in Miami in January because Alabama's running game and offensive line had its way with the Bulldogs in the second half of the SEC Championship Game. Unfortunately for Georgia, that wasn't the exception to the rule. The Bulldog defense was awful against the run last season, giving up 182.14 yards per game.

While defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is plugging a ton of holes on defense, he's doing so with players who are probably better-suited to fix the problem. Jarvis Jones looked like he was on skates against Alabama, and 6'3", 246-pound rising sophomore Jordan Jenkins looked like a viable replacement in the spring game. He's bigger and plays more downhill, which will benefit the defense.

I like Ramik Wilson at the other outside linebacker spot and Amarlo Herrera evolved into a solid middle linebacker as the season went on last season. The secondary is going to be solid with Damian Swann, Josh Harvey-Clemons and Tray Matthews.

Even if the defense doesn't live up to my expectations, the offense is certainly capable of getting into and winning shootouts. The only hole to fill on the SEC's third-best offense is the one left by wide receiver Tavarres King. But head coach Mark Richt will get a full season from Malcolm Mitchell at wide receiver, Michael Bennett—who is quarterback Aaron Murray's favorite target—back from a torn ACL and junior college transfer Jonathon Rumph to pick up the slack.

 

@barrettsallee what record are you predicting fot Miss St & Ole Miss in 2013?

— Dawg Smack (@dawgsmack) May 23, 2013

Of course, these record predictions are always subject to change. But right now, I have Mississippi State at 5-7 and Ole Miss at 8-4.

Despite setting school records in passing yards (2,897) and touchdown passes (24) a year ago, I'm not sure what to make of Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell. He padded his stats against a weak schedule early on last season, and sputtered down the stretch tossing nine of his 10 interceptions in the Bulldogs' final six games of the season. 

Considering he lost his three favorite receivers, it's fair to be skeptical about which Russell we are going to get in 2013. 

With games against Oklahoma State and LSU before mid-October, the schedule isn't back-loaded like it was last season. I see Mississippi State beating Alcorn State, Auburn, Troy, Bowling Green and Kentucky, with that Arkansas game being the one that makes or breaks the Bulldogs' bowl hopes.

Ole Miss gets virtually its entire starting cast back and will benefit from the injection of talent coming this summer with Robert Nkemdiche, Tony Conner, Laremy Tunsil, Laquon Treadwell and the rest of that stellar class of 2013.

The Rebels aren't going to contend for the division title, but if quarterback Bo Wallace can cut down on his interceptions (17),  they will be even more competitive then they were last year. That may be asking a lot after the rising junior missed spring practice recovering from shoulder surgery, but that throwing shoulder bothered him at times last season too.

If the Rebels can get by Vanderbilt on the road on the first Thursday night of the season—and I think they will—it could be the kick start to an impressive season.

Right now, I have Ole Miss losing to Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU. But that Vandy game is critical and the one at the end of the season versus Arkansas could be tricky.

 

Do you have a question for next week's Q&A? Send it to SEC lead writer Barrett Sallee via the B/R inbox, on Twitter @BarrettSallee or at bsallee@bleacherreport.com.

 

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The Texas A&M Football team will have one of the top offenses in the nation in 2013. Whether or not the Aggies will compete for a Southeastern Conference or national championship will depend on the play of their defense. 

The Aggies lost six starters from the 2012 defense but should be a deeper unit overall in 2013. The Aggies will be solid on defense as long as a few of the incoming freshmen are ready to contribute from the opening game. 

The 2013 defense will be a younger unit overall but should be more flexible as a unit than the 2012 defense. Mark Snyder will have more pieces to plug into his multiple schemes than he did in 2012 when he basically went with the same 11 starters for the entire season. 

The Aggies return All-Conference caliber players at every level of the defense. This is a look at the top five players on the 2013 Aggie defense. 

Begin Slideshow

The Steven Bench era in Penn State's football history may have passed you by while you were not paying attention. Bench was a somewhat-late addition to Penn State's sanctioned recruiting class of 2013, and now a couple of weeks after news of a transfer was reported, Bench has confirmed he will transfer to South Florida.

Bench made his Penn State debut in the second week of the season, early in the second quarter of a road game at Virginia. With Penn State leading the Cavaliers 7-0, Matt McGloin was injured on a 3rd-and-4 play while throwing an incompletion.

Rather than send in the special teams unit, Bill O'Brien stayed true to his offensive approach and decided to gamble on fourth down in Virginia territory. But with McGloin needing quick medical attention, O'Brien was forced to send in a true freshman quarterback for a fourth-down play. Bench was taken down by Virgnia's Steve Greer for a loss of two yards, turning the football over to Virginia.

McGloin would return to the offense but he would once again need to be attended to on the sidelines late in the first half. It was once again up to Bench to keep the offense on course with a 7-3 lead and with Penn State taking over on offense from their 25-yard line. 

The drive had promise, although it came with mixed results from Bench. Penn State ran the football five straight plays, including a five-yard run by Bench followed by three straight short gains by Derek Day. Then, on 3rd-and-2, Bench completed his first career pass with a seven-yard completion to Allen Robinson to put Penn State at midfield.

Bench and Robinson would try to connect on the next two plays, but were unable to do so. On third down, Bench ripped off a 15-yard gain on the ground with time starting to run short. A five-yard pass to Robinson put Penn State at the Virginia 30-yard line but the clock expired before Penn State had a chance to do anything else with the football.

Virginia took a 10-7 lead on the first drive of the second half, and Bench started the half leading Penn State's offense on its first possession. It was short lived, with McGloin back on the field shortly after an incomplete pass to Alex Kenney.

That was the last time Bench took a snap during the 2012 season. McGloin returned for the second half and didn't skip another offensive snap for the remainder of the season. Bench's first season saw him play a little less than one full quarter of football, with the final stats reading 2-of-8 for 12 yards.

At South Florida, Bench will have a very good chance to start. It is an opportunity Bench was not likely to receive at Penn State, with junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson and incoming 5-star freshman Christian Hackenberg set to battle for the starting job for the Nittany Lions.

Despite limited playing time, Bench did make an impact at Penn State.

When O'Brien was named head coach of Penn State in January 2012, one of the first goals he set out to establish for the program when it came o recruiting was to move south.

O'Brien, having coached in the south, is well aware of the deep talent pools in the southern states, especially in the southeast. In addition to regaining a strong footing with top recruiting talent closer to home, O'Brien set out on a mission to open up new paths to southern states. Bench was the first true southern recruit targeted and signed by O'Brien.

The plan my not have developed the way Bench would have preferred at Penn State, but his recruitment, in some respects, did open doors for Penn State in the south. Penn State may not be battling for the cream of the crop in the south now, but Bench may have been a good way to begin establishing a presence in that area.

Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast and an analyst for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.

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Myles Garrett, 5-star defensive end from Arlington, Texas, projects to be a great defensive end at the college level.

He's the No. 2 weak-side defensive end in the 2014 class, and the No. 5 player from the talent-laden state of Texas, both according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

As it stands, Garrett seems to be a Texas A&M lean, but Oklahoma and TCU are also on his interest list (247Sports). Wherever he does end up though, Garrett has star potential.

• Name: Myles Garrett

• Hometown: Arlington, Texas

• School: James Martin High School

• Position: WDE

• Height: 6'4" (247Sports)
  

• Weight: 240 lbs (247Sports)

• 40 time: 4.70

• Rankings: 5-star (247Sports Composite), 4-star (Rivals), 4-star (Scout.com), 5-star (ESPN Recruiting Nation)

 

Video

Positives

Garrett is athletic and he possesses good quickness. He doesn't have game-changing speed, but his 4.70 40 combined with his natural athleticism make him very effective on the edges and in open space.

He's length will cause blockers and quarterbacks some issues, and he's agile enough to drop back into coverage and get in between throwing lanes. Garrett will be able to run into the flats and make a play in the open field, but he can also drop into the hook-curl zones and not be a liability.

As a pass-rusher, Garrett has quick feet, and he also has enough speed to be able to rush the outside, dip his shoulder and turn the corner. He separates himself with his inside move though. Most defensive ends at the college level struggle with getting B-gap leverage, but Garret has a good set of moves that help him get inside the tackle for a quicker shot to the quarterback or runner.

In the play below, Garrett starts off as a 5-technique at defensive end:

At the snap, he sets up his outside rush, but in the next frame you can see how he's actually planning to plant his outside foot and shoot the inside gap. In essence, he used the outside rush to set up his inside move:

He uses a swim move with his right arm to get over the blocker's shoulder and into the B-gap. The swim move is effective because it creates less surface space for the blocker to use and eventually exposes Garrett's back—which could set up a clipping call for the tackle if the blocker were to push Garrett:

Finally, Garrett accelerates and hits the quarterback, forcing a bad throw:

The small fundamental movements and intricacies of Garrett's game really set him apart. He should be a great pass-rusher at the college level.

 

 

Negatives

Garrett needs to work on using his hands more, especially out of his stance. Too often, even in his highlights, he would rush a blocker using the strength of his upper body, without punching into the blockers chest plate, extending, locking and driving. Essentially, he needs to work on his "bull rush."

His swim move is notable, but he'll need to work on causing more "explosion" with his punch at the line of scrimmage in order to be a complete player.

 

Projection/Prediction

Texas A&M appears to be the leader for Garrett's commitment right now, and all 11 experts in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predict that he will end up in College Station.

The Aggies are one of the hottest programs in the country and they've surpassed Texas as "the team" in the state. Garrett would fit right in as a weak-side defensive end.

For now, this appears to be an easy call.

Prediction: Texas A&M

 

Note: All scouting and analysis of Garrett done via tape study of film provided on his 247Sports profile page. Picture breakdown courtesy of his hudl film, also provided on his 247Sports profile.

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