Football Talent Advisors

Posted by Mark Branstad – Football Talent Advisors

Here’s the final edition of this year’s Freshman of Influence.  Over the course of the season we compiled 62 true and redshirt freshman.  Our criteria was pretty simple…find freshman players making an impact on a weekly basis that had multi-sport athletic backgrounds in high school.  Our criteria did sort of limit the number of quarterbacks and offensive linemen we could choose because there are not a lot of freshman that receive playing time at those positions.        

Regardless I was impressed by the number freshman with multi-sport backgrounds.  It indicates to me that most high school players SHOULD be participating in other sports.  Coaches and parents that preach sports specialization and believe in the ‘focus on football only mentality’ might want to take a look at this list and rethink this one.  

Freshman of Influence blogs include detailed breakdowns on 62 players:  20 running backs, 10 wide receivers, 10 defensive backs, 9 linebackers, 8 defensive linemen, 4 quarterbacks, 1 offensive lineman.   

(Click on icon to link to each week of Freshman of Influence blog and complete player data)

WEEK 1:  

Featured Pittsburgh’s star running back Dion Lewis and Florida State’s exciting cornerback / return man Greg Reid. 

WEEK 2:

This week highlighted Virginia Tech’s great back, Ryan Williams and Georgia’s all-purpose threat Branden Smith. 

WEEK 3:

This week included two linebackers, Virginia’s Steve Greer and Walter Stewart of Cincinnati. 

WEEK 4:

Highlights perhaps the most exciting freshman quarterback in USF’s B.J. Daniels. 

WEEK 5: 

Two wide receivers are mentioned which will be heard from a ton in future seasons…Rutger’s Mohamed Sanu (he’s also part quarterback and running back too) and Chad Bumphis of Mississippi State. 

WEEK 6: 

Temple’s dominant running back, Bernard Pierce, and Michigan State D-Tackle, Jerel Worthy are detailed. 

WEEK 7:

 Three D-Tackles this week and TCU’s running back, Ed Wesley. 

WEEK 8:

This week the only freshman to intercept Tim Tebow not once but twice!  That would be Mississippi State’s Johnthan Banks.  Also this year’s only freshman O-Lineman…Texas Tech’s LaAdrian Waddle. 

WEEK 9:

Wisconsin’s tackling-machine, Chris Borland and Tennessee’s surprise starter in the secondary Janzen Jackson…this week. 

WEEK 10:

Warren Norman, Vanderbilt back and SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year, tops this week’s review. 

WEEKS 11 & 12:   

Combine weekly review includes two kick returners Jesse Grandy (Mississippi) and Al-terek McBurse (Purdue) and intriguing Troy linebacker, Kanorris Davis.

Posted by Mark Branstad – Football Talent Advisors

Here we are almost a quarter of the way through the college football season and some big surprises!  USC gets beat by Washington and Florida State goes to BYU (ranked #7 before the game) and wins by almost four touchdowns.  Michigan is back…Notre Dame is well…Notre Dame and…let’s get down to business.

One last outburst.  Is freshman cornerback / kick returner Greg Reid of Florida State a stud or what?  I’m seeing the second coming of Terrell Buckley / Corey Sawyer in him.  This article asks ”Why we should know about Greg Reid?”  Well I think most people do after the BYU game and if not they will soon.   

Freshman of Influence Week 3:

Christine Michael, RB – Texas A&M

Powerfully built true freshman back that’s rushed for 187 yards in only two games.  He also ran track through his senior year at Beaumont Westbrook HS in Texas…running 11.02 / 100 (at over 200lbs) at District 21-5A Meet in 2009.  He also ran a leg on the 4×100 relay team seeded as fast as (42.00) his junior year at the District 21 Meet.  Qualified for Region 3-5A Meet as a sophomore on the 4×200 relay running (1:28.45). 

Steve Greer, LB – Virginia

Here’s a redshirt freshman, not real highly regarded out of high school (only 2-star by Scout), playing for a down UVA team but credited with 23 tackles through three games.  Not bad for a freshman backer.  Reminds me a little of former TCU tackling machine Jason Phillips, without some of the speed.  Anyway Greer threw the shot put (50’06) at Solon HS in Ohio qualifying for the regionals in 2008.  Wonder how he slipped out of Ohio?

 Walter Stewart, LB – Cincinnati

Another Ohio high school player but this time for the Bearcats.  Stewart is near the nation in sacks for a freshman with three through the first three games.  He also participated a bit on the track at Teays Valley HS high jumping (6’01), running the 400 meter dash ( best 53.44), 4×200 and 4×400.  He listed at 6’04…

Quincy McDuffie, WR / KR – Central Florida

I had heard of him before but more for his 400 meter performance in high school, but he’s making an impact at UCF.  So far this season the true freshman has returned seven kickoffs for 200 yards and a touchdown.  McDuffie was a state champion 400 meter dash sprinter at Edgewater HS in Florida.  He ran as fast as (46.02) in the 400 and (20.98) at the Metro Conference Championships in 2009.  Wind-aided or not those times are smokin’ for a high school athlete and obviously his transfers well to the field. 

University of South Florida recruited several very fast players too this past year.  2009 Recruits: Lindsey Lamar, Kayvon Webster and Sterling Griffin all have top notch track speed.  Even their linebacker recruit, Sam Barrington, ran hurdles and threw some discus in high school.  Lamar is already producing some numbers for USF after three games.