Fantasy Bowl League

Recruiting has taken over right now so I felt compelled to switch to some NCAA Fantasy football.

ProFantasySports.com has joined with CollegeFantasyFootballInsider.com and my very own AthlonSports.com to put together the 2007 Bowl Fantasy Challenge. Good friends Alex Esselink represents CFFI.com and Steve Lassen represent PFS.com and I am holding down the Athlon fort.

Here is what my team ended up looking like (11 teams, no bench players):

RD1 (5th pick): Kevin Smith, RB UCF
RD2: James Hardy, WR Indiana
RD3: Rodney Ferguson, RB New Mexico (Joseph Turner, RB TCU)
RD4: Colin Kapernick, QB Nevada
RD5: Jeremy Childs, WR Boise (Bryan Anderson, WR CMU)
RD6: Fred Davis, TE USC
RD7: Steve Slaton, RB WVU
RD8: South Florida DEF
RD9: John David Booty, QB USC
R10: Keenan Burton, WR KY (where I picked my subs)
R11: Taylor Melhalf, K Wisc

Since Childs and Ferguson decided not to go to class at all and were deemed ineligible for the bowl game I was allowed to pick replacements. The news broke after my selections.

Here is how the first round looked. There are a lot of names that will be top picks in next year's draft...

1-1: Tim Tebow
1-2: Graham Harrell
1-3: Paul Smith (Senior)
1-4: Darren McFadden (NFL Draft)
1-5: Kevin Smith (will return for SR year)
1-6: Mike Crabtree
1-7: Colt Brennan (Senior)
1-8: Ray Rice (could be back)
1-9: Chase Daniel
1-10: Dan LeFevour
1-11: Kellen Lewis

8 of those top 11 picked could be back next year. I cannot resist..here is a look at the top-5 at some positions for next season fantasy drafts:

QB
1. Graham Harrell, TTU
2. Tim Tebow, FLA
3. Chase Daniel, Mizz
4. Dan LeFevour, CMU
5. Pat White, WVU

RB
1. Kevin Smith, UCF
2. Chris Wells, OSU
3. Ian Johnson, Boise
4. Jamaal Charles, Texas
5. PJ Hill, Wisc
Assuming that Run-DMC, Rice, JStewart, Reshard Mendenhall, Slaton and Marlon Lucky all go pro.

WR
1. Mike Crabtree, TTU
2. Davone Bess, Haw
3. Jeremy Maclin, Mizz
4. Jarrett Dillard, Rice
5. Percy Harvin, FLA
Assuming that James Hardy and Mario Manningham bolt for the league.

Special thanks go out to PreProSports.com for hosting our league.

This Week's Podcast

Each week The Visitor, yours truly, does four podcasts for his current employer Athlon Sports. The National Recruiting Blitz will be posted permanently on this here front page. I am joined by old friends from throughout the Rivals.com network to bring you the latest and hottest news in the world of recruiting.

This week I am joined by Tim O'Halloran of EdgyTim.com to break down the hot streak the Illinois Fighting Illini are on. Alabama, Georgia and Virginia are also discussed.

The other three can be found in the Audio Catalog on AthlonSports.com

The College Fantasy Red Zone is a weekly trip through the NCAA Fantasy landscape. We give you sleeper picks, updates on every BCS game, injury reports and start-or-sit discussions.

The NFL Fantasy Scouting Report is look around the world of NFL fantasy football. Athlon Sports' own Kelly and Dan Grogan join me every week to give you free agent pick-ups, the "Can't Miss-High Risk" segment and always injury reports and start/sit discussions.

Inside The Paint is Athlon Sports brief trip around the nation within the world of College Hoops. Senior editor Mitch Light joins me each week to talk NCAA hoops.

Jameel Owens to Oklahoma?

At least to the state of Oklahoma. The Muskogee High School (Muskogee, OK) wide receiver is just one of many in the fabulous 2008 WR class. Jameel Owens is listed at roughly 6-3, 215 lbs.

A '08 WR class that has names like DJ Shoemate, AJ Green and Julio Jones it is easy to see how the 6-3, 215 pounder gets lost even at his size. A sidenote: this WR class may be the best crop of pass catchers EVER.

Owens is a big powerful target. He rarely goes down at first hit and is very allusive in the open field using not only his quick feet but also his raw power to shake tacklers. His speed is legit. He has the ability to run away from corners on a regular basis. Owens also plays safety. Now, the Muskogee product will be playing offense but he is a technically sound tackler in the open field. He is fundamentally sound which illustrates coach-ability. It means that if there is something wrong with his game, it can be fixed easily.

Jameel Owens has narrowed his list to LSU, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Owens as well as his head coach are saying that they would both be "shocked" if he went far from home.

So that narrows it down to Boomer Sooner and Okie State. The young wideout will announce his school of choice at the 8th Annual Army All-American game on January 5th. Owens has stated openly that he would like to be involved in the offense early.

Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have interesting situations. Six players caught touchdown passes in 2007 at the WR position for Oklahoma. All six have the option to return. Most likely Juaquin Iglesias returns but Malcolm Kelly could see the dollar signs and bolt for the League. Either way he will not see a lot of balls thrown his way as a true freshman. Adron Tennell will step in and fill Kelly's shoes very nicely. This does not include young TE Jermaine Gresham and RB DeMarco Murray, who both will be major parts of the offense for at least the next two seasons.

Oklahoma State loses its best WR in Adarius Bowman. The depth is much more appealing at OSU as only three WR caught more than 9 passes. The major issue here is that true frosh Dez Bryant had a nice first season and will likely be the number one target at least for one season if not two.

So if it really is about playing time then Oklahoma St has more to offer.

The only other issue to consider is how long does the staff stay in place in Stillwater? Gundy's priceless temper tantrum does not bode well for a coach losing five games a season at best.

Just a hunch here (that and I have friends *cough* at SoonerScoop.com *cough*) but I say Oklahoma is the team to beat.

Just in case,

College Fantasy Redzone

For you college fantasy football fans out there, I would like to shamelessly promote the "College Fantasy Redzone." Each and every week, myself, Steve Lassan of ProFantasySports.com and Alex Esselink of CollegeFantasyFootballInsider.com sit down and give you latest injury reports, wavier wire pick-ups and Super-Sleepers. Check it out every week at AthlonSports.com.