[Hulk01]

Who are the best freshmen and sophomores in college football and, not at all incidentally, how predictitve are recruiting rankings?

ESPN just came out with its Top 25 Underclassmen list.  Of the 25 players:

12 were ranked by Scout among the top three recruits at their position;

16 were ranked in the top five;

and all 25 were ranked in the top 15.

Stanford’s only two underclassmen starters both were mentioned, by the way.  Andrus Peat listed as #13  and Alex Carter earned mention at safety. 

SEC players dominated the list.  Five Alabama layers cracked the top 15, two Florida Gators made the top ten, and three Ole Miss players listed in the top 25. 

Pac 12 Top 25ers: 
Leonard Williams, USC DL (3); Myles Jack, UCLA LB/RB (19), and Nelson Agholor, USC WR (24)

Pac 12 mentions:
WR Bralon Addison, DT DeForest Buckner, and RB Byron Marshall, Oregon
OL Max Tuerk and CB Su’a Carvens, USC
S Shaq Thompson, Washington
S Alex Carter, Stanford

[Hulk01]

Who are the best freshmen and sophomores in college football and, not at all incidentally, how predictitve are recruiting rankings?

ESPN just came out with its Top 25 Underclassmen list.  Of the 25 players:

12 were ranked by Scout among the top three recruits at their position;

16 were ranked in the top five;

and all 25 were ranked in the top 15.

Stanford’s only two underclassmen starters both were mentioned, by the way.  Andrus Peat listed as #13  and Alex Carter earned mention at safety. 

SEC players dominated the list.  Five Alabama layers cracked the top 15, two Florida Gators made the top ten, and three Ole Miss players listed in the top 25. 

Pac 12 Top 25ers: 
Leonard Williams, USC DL (3); Myles Jack, UCLA LB/RB (19), and Nelson Agholor, USC WR (24)

Pac 12 mentions:
WR Bralon Addison, DT DeForest Buckner, and RB Byron Marshall, Oregon
OL Max Tuerk and CB Su’a Carvens, USC
S Shaq Thompson, Washington
S Alex Carter, Stanford

[washingtonismoney]

What I found amusing about that list was the descriptions of each player in the top 25. It's clear Stanford has a reverse Midas touch in perception-land. Andrus Peat? Apparently an average athlete. Who knew?

[washingtonismoney]

What I found amusing about that list was the descriptions of each player in the top 25. It's clear Stanford has a reverse Midas touch in perception-land. Andrus Peat? Apparently an average athlete. Who knew?

[Hulk01]

I had the same reaction to the Peat comment.  Granted, he's not as agile as A.J. Tarpley, but. . .

I've no idea how DeForest Buckner gets listed unless the reporters assume that Oregon still is Oregon and must have three deserving underclassmen on the team.  It seems like Isaac Seumalo, Ellis McCarthy and Eddie Vanderdoes, to name three Pac-12 underclassmen, make more impact and project higher than Buckner, who didn't even earn mention for all pac-12. 

So it's a grain of salt list, to be sure.

[Hulk01]

I had the same reaction to the Peat comment.  Granted, he's not as agile as A.J. Tarpley, but. . .

I've no idea how DeForest Buckner gets listed unless the reporters assume that Oregon still is Oregon and must have three deserving underclassmen on the team.  It seems like Isaac Seumalo, Ellis McCarthy and Eddie Vanderdoes, to name three Pac-12 underclassmen, make more impact and project higher than Buckner, who didn't even earn mention for all pac-12. 

So it's a grain of salt list, to be sure.

[terry]

I am not an ESPN insider, so I couldn't read the article. But I don't understand why Alex Carter is listed as a safety. I don't think he has taken a single snap at safety.

[terry]

I am not an ESPN insider, so I couldn't read the article. But I don't understand why Alex Carter is listed as a safety. I don't think he has taken a single snap at safety.

[Hulk01]

My generous read was that the Insider is pegging Carter at his pro position, and saying he's among the best safety prospects among this year's freshmen and sophomores. 

The less generous read, of course, is that the Insider didn't do much homework, which is a conclusion consistent with his bizarre comment about Peat.

[Hulk01]

My generous read was that the Insider is pegging Carter at his pro position, and saying he's among the best safety prospects among this year's freshmen and sophomores. 

The less generous read, of course, is that the Insider didn't do much homework, which is a conclusion consistent with his bizarre comment about Peat.

[terry]

But the introduction to the article, which I was able to read, said that these evaluations are not based on pro potential. So it wouldn't make sense to list Carter at a projected NFL position.

[terry]

But the introduction to the article, which I was able to read, said that these evaluations are not based on pro potential. So it wouldn't make sense to list Carter at a projected NFL position.