NCAA Football

Blake McClain is a talented 2014 4-star defensive end recruit from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and he has put together an extremely impressive and competitive top five.

McClain is ranked as the No. 19 strong-side defensive end in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite.

And he's a big recruit from the state of Florida.

He checks in at a very impressive 6'4'', 257 pounds, and he has the ability to play either defensive end or defensive tackle at the college level—especially if he puts on a bit more mass.

According to a report by Hunter Paniagua of Scout.com, McClain just recently picked up a big offer from the LSU Tigers. Although Paniagua's report states that McClain doesn't know much about the Tigers' program in general, LSU's prestige alone put the Tigers in his top five right away:

The little that McClain does know has put LSU in a good position early for this big defensive end.

“They’re definitely in the top five out of Florida, Florida State, Alabama and Auburn," he said.

McClain also talked a bit about the schools that he's interested in (Paniagua):

Florida: “The atmosphere there. I went to one game and the atmosphere of their games, with all the fans, is incredible.”

Florida State: “The coaches, they accept me as part of their family, which is really good because when you go to college, you’re away from your family and you’ll start missing it. When you have people there that are treating you just like your family, it makes the transition process easier."

He went on to say that he doesn't know much about Alabama, but they are in his top five. He also just received an offer from Auburn and doesn't know much about that program either, per Paniagua's report.

It was also reported that he does want to try to visit LSU.

Of these five big-time schools, which program holds the early edge for the 4-star defensive end?

Frankly, it's probably too soon to tell for sure, but we can do a little deciphering to come up with an educated guess.

Alabama and Auburn appear to be big-name draws with McClain, and for now we can put LSU in that same category. All three schools will naturally attract big time SEC-level recruits, but until he actually takes a visit and gets an in-depth knowledge of each program, I can't assume much more than a basic interest a big program.

Looking at his quotes, they would lead one to believe that both Florida schools should be on top of the top five list, with Florida State taking that edge in the early going.

At the end of Paniagua's article, he quoted McClain as saying that the "family factor" will play a deciding role in his decision—meaning he wants to feel like a part of a family wherever he ends up.

In his quotes regarding Florida State, he very clearly stated that he felt that way with the Seminoles coaches. So, it seems like Florida State may very well have the early edge here.

There's still plenty of times for things to change, and no recruiting lead is safe with the likes of Florida, Alabama, Auburn and LSU also in the running.

However, when looking at the facts presented, it would seem as if Florida State has the early edge for McClain.

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Here's a scary thought: Braxton Miller has a lot of improvement to make as a quarterback. Mind you, this is the same Braxton Miller who came in fifth in 2012 Heisman voting as a sophomore and just landed a Sports Illustrated cover that depicts him going full Kool-Aid Man on a basketball montage. The same Braxton Miller who was the Big Ten's Quarterback of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. The same one who was fourth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game and second in passing efficiency by about one point, behind Taylor Martinez.

That Braxton Miller is just now scratching the surface of his potential. Look out.

As Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch noted on Tuesday, Miller spent time with George Whitfield Jr.—one of the top quarterback coaches in the nation—back in December, and Whitfield came away raving about Miller's arm. Here's more from the Dispatch:

“Braxton has one of the biggest arms in college football,” Whitfield said. “I know people see his speed and his playmaking ability. But I am talking about, he’s got rare, rare arm talent.”

Whitfield got the call from Miller in December. Despite coming off the most prolific season of total offense in OSU history, Miller urgently wanted to get started on 2013.

“He said he did not want to wait,” Whitfield said. “He was excited about how Ohio State had gone undefeated, but he said, ‘Coach, honestly, I could have done so much more. I left a lot of plays on the table.’ I was excited about that.”

Whitfield has no need to exaggerate, because as the Dispatch reports, he has worked with such quarterbacks as Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton...we could go on. You get the point.

Moreover, that arm strength has been on display since Miller's freshman year. Wisconsin fans should probably turn off their computers right now, but for the rest of you readers, surely you remember Miller sinking Wisconsin's battleship with a last-minute Hail Mary to secure a 33-29 win.

Watch the play again. Take special note of how insanely difficult that throw would be. Miller has to escape right, unable to even look downfield until he's past two pursuing tacklers who can only manage to put a hand on him. He's closing on the sideline quickly, to say nothing of the line of scrimmage. He's got a guy breaking open, but about 50 yards downfield—and with no time to set his feet.

No big deal, though. Miller uncorks a beautiful spiral on the run, which finds a waiting Devin Smith for the game-winning score. It'll go in the books as a 40-yard score. The ball actually traveled closer to 49 yards in the air, based on these dimensions and our old friend the Pythagorean Theorem. 49 yards, perfectly placed, on the run and with about a second to identify and aim. And, as Larry Munson would say, "My god, a freshman."

That? That is a rare arm.

Miller didn't have quite as many ridiculous throws in 2012, mainly because he was developing perhaps the most lethal scramble game in college football last year—and that ain't going anywhere—and he was never in the requisite desperation mode to heave-ho one of those passes instead of taking off for an easy first down (as he could have in the Wisconsin highlight above).

But one play in particular stood out as a further affirmation that Miller is the most talented passer in the Big Ten as well as the most talented scrambler. Michigan State fans, your turn to turn off the computer now. If you don't, you don't get to complain. We warned you.

That's Devin Smith once again, this time being guarded by one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten, Johnny Adams. Smith's running a straight fly route and Adams is providing excellent coverage.

Miller takes his drop back, sets his feet, throws an excellent spiral with excellent mechanics (funny how that works), and places the ball in pretty much the only place it can be for the play to succeed. And it does, for a touchdown that gives Ohio State a lead it would never relinquish in the 17-16 victory.

If Miller throws it a yard or two farther downfield, it's incomplete. Smith was in a dead sprint and never slowed for the ball. If it's a yard or two shorter, Adams is either breaking it up or picking it off with ease, and we're all questioning Miller's judgment as a passer ("couldn't he see Smith was covered?"). Any closer to the sidelines and Smith might catch it on his way out of bounds. Any closer to the middle of the field and the best-case scenario is Smith draws a pass interference call as he fights back toward the ball, since Adams has effectively bodied Smith off that line.

But no. The ball is placed perfectly. Smith catches it in full stride, shakes off an ineffectual tackle attempt from Adams and waltzes in. Ohio State takes the lead and keeps it. Undefeated season: intact.

Miller is not a perfect passer, of course, and he could stand to crank up that passing efficiency quite a bit if he wants to be a serious Heisman contender. But he knows that, and it was the very impetus toward working with Whitfield to begin with. And if he's looking at the season he had and concluding that it only merits harder work, look out.

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Georgia kicks off spring practice on Saturday without one of its key weapons on offense.

Sophomore running back Keith Marshall, Georgia's second-leading rusher from 2012, will miss most of spring practice recovering from a hamstring injury, according to offensive coordinator Mike Bobo (via ESPN.com's David Ching).

Bobo: Keith Marshall out until most likely the end of spring break with a hamstring injury suffered running track.

— David Ching (@ESPNChing) February 27, 2013

Certainly not the news that Bulldogs fans wanted to hear before the team hits the practice field, but also not something that should be overly concerning.

Hamstring injuries happen, and it's certainly a risk that the coaching staff considered when Marshall made the jump to the track team.

It's also an injury that shouldn't be rushed. Hamstring issues can linger, and the last thing that Georgia fans want is a second-string running back that isn't 100 percent.

Besides, Marshall is hardly your ordinary backup running back. 

He rushed for 759 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman a year ago, serving as the changeup back to fellow true freshman Todd Gurley.

While Gurley stole the headlines, Marshall was a higher-rated recruit coming out of high school by 247Sports.com. He proved to be just as much of a home-run threat as Gurley last season, having the same amount of rushing plays of 40 or more yards despite 105 fewer carries.

Georgia needs that kind of threat again in 2013, so keeping him fresh and making sure he's 100 percent when toe meets leather on Aug. 31 at Clemson should be head coach Mark Richt's top priority.

Besides, Marshall missed time last spring with a hamstring injury as well, and that didn't seem to be an issue last fall.

Georgia knows what it's getting with Marshall, and letting the backups get some reps is never a bad thing.

 

Follow @BarrettSallee 

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As one of the top players in the entire 2014 recruiting class, safety prospect Quin Blanding had a chance to go almost anywhere in the country. In the end, he decided he wanted to play for Virginia.

Mark Giannotto of CavsJournal first reported the news of the announcement:

Blanding is a 5-star safety according to virtually every recruiting publication. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he is the top safety and No. 5 overall prospect in the country.

These projections helped the Virginia Beach native accumulate dozens of college offers, including from most of the ACC, SEC and Big Ten.

Still, Blanding is more than just hype; he is the real deal. At 6'2" and 200 pounds, the safety has the size to match up with bigger receivers and tight ends. He also is big enough to provide plenty of help in the run game and should rack up close to triple-digit tackles each year.

In addition, the star of Bayside High School is excellent in pass coverage and has the speed to cover almost the entire field.

If that was not enough, Blanding has good enough hands to make him a legitimate receiving prospect if he wanted to play offense. Mike Farrell of Rivals.com tweeted this while watching him play last season:

He will almost definitely play exclusively on defense at the next level, but his overall skill and athleticism to dominate both sides of the ball is quite impressive.

Like all high school players, he could stand to improve his strength before competing in college. However, it would not be surprising at all to see him on the field early on for the Cavs.

This type of impact player does not come around often, which makes this a major pickup for Virginia.

 

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

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On Monday afternoon, Syracuse University released its 2013 football schedule marking its maiden voyage into a brave new pigskin world, Atlantic Coast Conference style.

Thus continues Syracuse’s interesting, if not exciting, offseason that began with the departure of head coach Doug Marrone (and a majority of the staff), the whirlwind promotion of defensive coordinator Scott Shafer to replace Marrone and Shafer’s mad scramble to not only fill out his staff but hang onto previously committed recruits while kicking the tires for new ones.

If that wasn’t enough to wet whistles across upstate New York, the university also announced plans to build a long-sought-for, much-anticipated football indoor practice facility. That’s right, ACC brethren, it’s on!

So now that who will be coaching the Orange, who will be playing for the Orange, and where they’ll be practicing in the future has been settled, let’s take a look at who the Orange will actually be playing against. Home games are in CAPS.

PENN STATE – Saturday, August 31 (at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)

Yeah, right, a “home” game (teeth grinding). It’s not as if fans want to see programs like Penn State (or USC last season) actually play in the Carrier Dome (waiting for sarcasm to drip dry). But that’s a topic for another day.

The Orange and Nittany Lions will renew their rivalry to open the season. These two teams last played in the 2009 season at Happy Valley. Penn State comes off an 8-4 season and will provide a stiff test for whoever replaces departing QB Ryan Nassib under center for Syracuse.

At Northwestern – Saturday, September 7

These two teams played last season in the Dome and provided the fans with a real barn burner.

After trailing by a score of 35-13 in the third quarter, Nassib rallied the Orange with four straight touchdowns to take a 41-35 lead with under three minutes to play.

The Wildcats scored the game-winning touchdown though with 0:44 left in regulation for an exciting 42-41 triumph.

If Syracuse can win its first two games of the year, it will have to be considered a real threat to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Wait, Big Ten???

WAGNER – Saturday, September 14

Syracuse welcomes an FCS squad to the Carrier Dome “home” opener. Yes, an FCS squad. Really brings out the “meh” in all of us. 

But, beware. SU struggled to put away Stony Brook, 28-17, last season in the Dome. And with the new SU QB playing his first home game and only his third game as a starter, stranger things have happened. Expect a healthy dose of Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley in this one.

TULANE – Saturday, September 21

The Green Wave last squared off with Syracuse in 2011 at the Superdome in New Orleans. Ross Krautman kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired to break a 34-34 tie and allow the Orange to escape with a win.

Tulane finished the season last year with a miserable 2-10 record, so this one should be a win. Again, expect a healthy dose of Mr. Smith and Mr. Gulley

 

CLEMSON – Saturday, October 5

And so it begins. 

Nothing like throwing down to start ACC play with one of the conference’s heavies.

The Tigers finished 11-2 on the year including a victory over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Starting QB and Heisman contender Tajh Boyd returns for his senior season. Boyd will provide the Syracuse
defense with its stiffest test to date.

An interesting side note to the game is will true-freshman and Brooklyn-native Ebenezer Ogundeko make Clemson’s travel squad and will he play in the game? Syracuse fans certainly remember how Ogundeko spurned the Orange for the Tigers in a fierce, recruiting battle between the two schools.

If Syracuse can prevail in this one, they’ll officially be cooking with gas.

At NC State – Saturday, October 12

First ACC road game finds the Wolfpack, much like Syracuse, breaking in a new coach.

Dave Doeren take over for the fired Tom O’Brien. And, like Syracuse, Doeren will have to break in a new QB as senior Mike Glennon is off to the NFL.

Coach Shafer will hope to have the same success against NC State’s football team as Syracuse’s basketball team has had against the Wolfpack hoopsters (2-0 in a home-and-home) over the past few seasons.

At Georgia Tech – Saturday, October 19

Back-to-back road games for the Orange finds them traveling to a state where they had decent recruiting success during Marrone’s tenure. Five Georgia players graced Syracuse’s roster last season. Shafer will be looking for big impacts from two of those recruits this upcoming year, redshirt freshmen George Morris III and Josh Parris.

WAKE FOREST – Saturday, November 2

These two teams played two out-of-conference games over the past seven seasons. The Demon Deacons emerged with a 20-10 home win in 2006, while the Orange returned the favor, 36-29 in overtime, to open their 2011 season.

Wake finished 5-7 last year (3-5, ACC) by dropping four of its last five. The average margin of defeat was 33 points. This game falls into the must-win category if SU wants to get back to a bowl game.

At Maryland – Saturday, November 9

The Terrapins struggled last year. Randy Edsall’s clubs closed the year on a 6-game losing streak after losing multiple quarterbacks to injury.

But Edsall has a stud WR in Stefon Diggs and a potential start in RB Wes Brown, who only played in seven games a year ago. Diggs averaged 15.7 YPC and scored six touchdowns with a long of 66 yards.

Both players will be true-sophomores next season and will be relied on to make plays for the Terps.

At Florida State – Saturday, November 16

The ACC has a two-headed monster in terms of college football’s elite. Clemson is the first. The Seminoles are the second.

FSU has the tall-task of replacing senior QB E.J. Manuel. But this is Florida State. They simply reload. 

Though they aren’t the powerhouse they used to be under former coach Bobby Bowden, they are not to be taken lightly. Jimbo Fisher’s team possesses an embarrassment of riches in the speed department. Even the popcorn vendors at Doak Campbell are some of the fastest in the nation.
Kidding. But seriously, would that shock you if it was true?

Syracuse will be a heavy underdog in this one but with 11 Florida natives on its roster last year, it will be important to make a good impression if Shafer hopes to continue to mine the talent-rich state for recruits.

PITTSBURGH – Saturday, November 23

Hey, don’t I know you?

Much like Syracuse, Pittsburgh will be making its ACC debut next season. This is a critical game for a couple of reasons.

Prior to its thrilling 14-13 win in the Dome this year, Syracuse had dropped seven-straight games against the Panthers. Shafer will look to re-establish Syracuse’s winning ways against this not-so-stranger in a strange land.

The other reason this grudge match should have an asterisk next to it on the calendar can be summed up in one word. Recruiting.

These two teams harvest a lot of the same areas for recruits, especially Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Both states have a plethora of talent. Winning games on the field will help win recruiting battles off the field.

BOSTON COLLEGE – Saturday, November 30

Hey, don’t I know you? – Part II

Former Big East foe BC is now current ACC foe BC. And the two schools will be ending their seasons against one another for the foreseeable future.

Like with Pitt, Syracuse and BC compete in a lot of the same recruiting grounds, so on-field results will matter.

The Eagles suffered through a dreadful season (2-10, 1-7 ACC), which resulted in Frank Spaziani’s dismissal. Former Syracuse assistant Steve Addazio was hired to right the ship and his son, Louie, promptly transferred from the Orange to play for his father.

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