Developing Assets: Week Five
I tried to warn you that last week would not be the ideal Saturday to spend on the couch. With a couple of exceptions, there were few games worth watching, as evidenced by some of the huge blowouts that took place. Miami pounding Savannah State 77-7, Louisville routing Florida International 72-0 and of course, Ohio State blanking Florida A&M 76-0. That’s in the past, and this week we have some great matchups and great individual performers coming our way.
A Look Back
Disappointment of the Week: Keith Marshall, RB UGA
Last season, running back Keith Marshall formed one-half of the freshmen dynamic duo for the Georgia Bulldogs, along with Todd Gurley. While Gurley proved to be the better option for Georgia and led the Southeastern Conference in rushing along the way, Marshall himself showed he had plenty to offer. Heading into this season, most expected Marshall to eat into Gurley’s carries a bit more as the Bulldogs competed for a title. Instead, the percentage of Marshall’s carries has actually dropped. He’s now handling only 33% of the carries that go to one of the two sophomore studs. Clearly, it’s tough to displace Gurley at all, but in their most recent game against middling North Texas, Marshall was only the team’s fourth leading rusher, behind freshman JJ Green, quarterback b and, of course, Gurley. Marshall needs to have a better showing for himself in order to demand a bigger piece of the pie, otherwise he will be left behind by the devy owners.
On the Rise: Jace Amaro, TE TTU
There were a pair of tight ends that received a lot of attention from devy owners this off-season, and while both Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Colt Lyerla are off to solid starts for their team, it is Texas Tech junior Jace Amaro who has shown himself to be the best tight end in college football at this early point in the season. Like Seferian-Jenkins, Amaro has had some off-field troubles, being arrested for improper use of a credit card and then being suspended for the first half of the season opener for punching an opposing player is last season’s bowl game.
Hopefully, these are issues of immaturity only, because what Amaro is doing on the field is spectacular. Consider that Amaro is the Red Raiders leading receiver this year and has had his name added to the Biletnikoff Award list, given to the best receiver in the country. Amaro has already raced up twenty-nine receptions for 367 yards in his first four games and he has at least eight receptions in three of those games. Amaro was not a player that was on anyone’s radar during devy draft season, but if he elects to enter the spring NFL draft, he will be a hot commodity.
Devy of the Week: Jeremy Hill, RB LSU
Early in the off-season, LSU Tiger running back Jeremy Hill was considered one of the top developmental players, routinely being drafted in the first round of early devy drafts. Then Hill ran into some off the field trouble. Hill had already been in trouble after pleading guilty to a sexual offense while still in high school. This summer, he again plead guilty, this time to a battery charge which resulted from Hill attacking another man outside a bar. Once this news came out, the hype on Hill cooled among devy owners very quickly. In fact, he seemingly fell off the map, likely due to the uncertainty that he would even return to the Tigers. Return he did, as he made his season debut when the team needed him most and rushed for career high numbers- 184 rushing yards and three scores. It seems that once again, the past will be forgotten.
If you are a devy owner, you may consider taking a chance on Hill. We have seen players with off the field risks succeed in the NFL, but Hill already has two strikes. Tread lightly with the talented running back.
A Look Ahead
Wake Up and Watch: LSU vs. Georgia (CBS, 3:30)
Okay, so maybe this is for you west coasters or east coasters who enjoyed a late Friday night and needed some extra sleep during the noon kickoff games. This SEC battle matches two top ranked teams, which also feature plenty of future NFL talent.
For those running back lovers out there, this is the game to watch. Not only do you have the pair of Georgia sophomores Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, but also newly reinstated Jeremy Hill of Louisiana State. It’s a safe bet that the team that can control the ground game will get the all-important victory. It will also be a good opportunity to see how these three backs look against some top-notch defenders who have an NFL future themselves.
It seems the stock of Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray is falling, due in large part to his size, which is not ideal for a quarterback. On the other hand, with the arrival of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Tigers quarterback Zach Mettenberger is taking off. There is a relatively deep class of quarterbacks available in the 2014 draft and Mettenberger is throwing his name in the ring with each performance. As I mentioned last week, LSU also features a pair of junior wide receivers to watch, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.
If You Can Only Watch One: Alabama vs. Ole Miss (ESPN, 6:30)
For the Crimson Tide, the nation’s top ranked team and first round NFL draft pick factory, you know the usual suspects…running back TJ Yeldon chief among them. There are a couple of players to really hone in on though. Watch for sophomore wide receiver Amari Cooper, whom many consider the most talented wide receiver in college football. He has been held in check for the most part this season and missed last week’s game due to a toe injury. He’s expected to return to face the Rebels of Ole Miss, but can he overtake DeAndrew White, who has been the favorite target of quarterback AJ McCarron?
Also, Alabama has a pair for talented backup running backs that are each around 6’0” and 200 pounds that could do some damage. Know the names Altee Tenpenny, a freshman, and Kenyan Drake, who has been the Tide’s second leading rusher through three games.
As you might have expected, the Rebels of Ole Miss don’t have nearly the number of prospects that the Tide feature, but they do have a dynamic pair of wide receivers that you will want to focus on. First, junior Donte Moncrief, who is the team’s second leading receiver based on both receptions and yardage. Moncrief was drafted in the majority of devy drafts I followed this off-season and is off to a solid start. A name you might not know, unless you follow college recruiting closely is freshman wideout Laquon Treadwell, who was considered the top senior wide receiver a year ago. He’s wasting no time, stepping on campus and instantly leading the veteran Rebels in receptions early this season. Treadwell is tall and physical and can turn a routine catch into a big play before you know it.
Stay Up Late For: Oregon vs. California (PAC12, 10:30)
There are some teams that I watch every time I get the chance, no matter how many times I’ve seen them play before. Oregon is obviously one of those teams as they feature multiple players that were recent high developmental picks and should be high rookie picks in the spring. Among these are quarterback Marcus Mariota, running back DeAnthony Thomas and tight end Colt Lyerla. All three have shined at times this year, but Mariota has been special, putting himself in the midst of a Heisman race with his amazing play.
California is off to a poor start at only 1-2, but they have a running back that was sought after by those in deep devy leagues, Brendan Bigelow. Bigelow leads the Bears in rushing, but has failed to find the end zone through the team’s first three games. If Cal falls behind early, which is very possible against the Ducks’ high-powered offense, we may not see as much of Bigelow as we’d like.
Devy Stock Watch
By popular demand, the Devy Stock Watch list has been expanded. Please let me know if I’ve missed anyone.
The first year each player is NFL draft eligible is noted in parentheses. I’ve also included how the player fared in last week’s action.
1.) Todd Gurley, RB UGA (2015) 91 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
2.) Sammy Watkins, WR CLEM (2014) 96 receiving yards
3.) TJ Yeldon, RB ALA (2015) 49 rushing yards
4.) Amari Cooper, WR ALA (2015) Missed game due to injury
5.) Marqise Lee, WR USC (2014) 72 receiving yards
6.) Teddy Bridgewater, QB UL (2014) 212 pass yards, 4 touchdowns
7.) Melvin Gordon, RB WISC (2014) 147 rush yards, 3 touchdowns
8.) Lache Seastrunk, RB BAY (2014) 156 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
9.) Duke Johnson, RB MIA (2015) 59 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
10.) Stefon Diggs, WR MARY (2015) 13 receiving yards
11.) Brandon Coleman, WR RUT (2014) 25 yards receiving
12.) Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE WASH (2014) 62 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
13.) Marcus Mariota, QB OREG (2014) Bye
14.) Keith Marshall, RB UGA (2015) 16 rushing yards
15.) Michael Dyer, RB UL (2014) 33 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
16.) Johnathan Gray, RB TEX (2015) 141 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns
17.) Mike Evans, WR TXAM (2014) 57 receiving yards
18.) Devante Adams, WR FRES (2014) 110 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
19.) Donte Moncrief, WR MISS (2014) Bye
20.) Ka’Deem Carey, RB ARZ (2014) Bye
21.) Laquon Treadwell, WR MISS (2016) Bye
22.) Dorial Green-Beckham, WR MIZZ (2015) 105 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
23.) Jordan Matthews, WR VAN (2014) 76 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
24.) Jeremy Hill, RB LSU (2014) 184 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns
25.) Thomas Tyner, RB OREG (2016) Bye
26.) Jameis Winston, QB FSU (2015) 148 passing yards, 2 touchdowns
27.) Jace Amaro, TE TTU (2014) 86 receiving yards
28.) Brett Hundley, QB UCLA (2014) 280 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
29.) Colt Lyerla, TE OREG (2014) Bye
30.) Tahj Boyd, QB CLEM (2014) 244 passing yards, 38 rushing yards, three touchdowns
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