2008 Sleepers

The term role player has long been regarded as one with negative connotations. On a basketball court, it’s a scrappy, less-talented ball player who can do a little bit of everything. On a baseball diamond, it’s the utility infielder who will play any position you ask him to.

In recruiting classes, the “role players” can end up being stars.

Yes, the top-notch, five-star type players are needed if one expects to win a national championship in college football these days. But staying competitive in today’s NCAA landscape means developing talent better than the next guy. That is where the two-and three-star players come in. They are the underlying foundation of depth on conference championship teams.

Just ask Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, West Virginia or Wisconsin.



The Buckeyes and Crimson Tide both had linebackers recently who were not only high draft picks but are now NFL stars: A.J. Hawk and DeMeco Ryans. Both were three-star prospects coming out of high school.

Oklahoma’s record-setting freshman quarterback, Sam Bradford, was not a big-time recruit.

Pat White and Steve Slaton were both asked to play other positions – by LSU and Maryland respectively –  coming out of high school until Rich Rodriguez and WVU gave them a shot in the backfield. Next season, White is likely to become the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher from the quarterback position.

Wisconsin’s bruising tailback P.J. Hill was a two-star fullback and nine defensive starters for the Badgers were ranked three-stars or lower coming out of the prep ranks.

So who are those sleepers this season? Here are some mid-level prospects who might have a chance at being stars for their school of choice:

Darius Ashley        Cincinnati, OH    RB    5’9” 190    Louisville

This kid also was the leader and main factor on a state championship football team. This was the highest division of play in Ohio, though, so no small feat. He is tough. He is fast and he wins. Steve Kragthorpe and company got a nice player in Ashley.

Willie Bohannon        Mobile, AL        DE    6’3” 240    Tennessee

Bohannon has the size/speed combination that is so valuable to defensive coordinators. He has great pass rush ability as well as lateral quickness in the run game. He played very physical football in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. Now all John Chavis has to figure out is where to play him.

Cody Bruns            Prosser, WA        WR    5’11” 185    Washington

This little over-achiever is going to be a great receiving option for Husky quarterback Jake Locker. He is just a bit too short and just a bit too slow, right? Well, Bruns simply gets the job done. He set national high school career receiving records with 304 career receptions for 5,080 yards and 72 touchdowns. He is too smart a player not to be successful.

Alfred Jenkins        Jacksonville, FL    WR    6’ 178        Illinois

There is no secret that freshmen will be given the shot to play at Illinois. Jenkins is no exception. He has great speed and will make things happen with the ball in his hands. Juice Williams will need another receiving option next season across from Arrelious Benn, and Jenkins could be the guy.

Wes Kemp            St. Louis, MO    WR    6’4” 226    Missouri

Originally headed to Wisconsin, Kemp recently switched to the Tigers. He might be moved to tight end, and in Gary Pinkel’s system, he is a perfect fit. His size and athleticism make him an ideal piece to the Pinkel offensive puzzle. He will be a faster, slightly smaller version of Martin Rucker.

D’anton Lynn        Celina, TX        S    6’1” 180    Penn State

Penn State dipped into Texas to pull an underrated defensive back prospect. Lynn will be very good against the run. His aggressive, attacking style of play allows him to play down in the box. His speed and athleticism give him the ability to play sideline-to-sideline.

Kyle Parker            Jacksonville, FL    QB    6’ 192”    Clemson

This Todd Reesing look-alike played very well at the Under Armour All-American Game. He has such a natural feel for the game, that it might be hard to keep him off the field. He goes through his progressions very quickly and accurately. Watch out Willy Korn!

Curt Phillips            Kingsport, TN    QB    6’3” 218    Wisconsin

This kid is the complete package of physical ability at the quarterback position. He has nice height and a well-built, muscular frame. His arm strength is more than adequate. It is his athleticism that makes him so intriguing. He has the ability to be a run option from out of the backfield. Phillips gained 9,206 total yards and was responsible for 115 touchdowns over three seasons.

James Vandenberg        Keokuk, IA        QB    6’2” 185    Iowa

Vandenberg leaves Keokuk High with almost sole possession of the Iowa state passing record book. He also led his team to the 3A state championship. On film, he shows nice footwork and nice fundamentals. He is productive, he is a winner and he has nice technique. That is all I need to know.

Rod Wilks            Smyrna, TN        WR    6’2” 205    Tennessee

Wilks has been compared to Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. He is not quite that physically gifted but he certainly plays a similar brand of football. In fact, Wilks might even be a touch faster than Mr. Fitzgerald. He likes the contact and will make the tough catch. Wilks will be a playmaker in Knoxville.

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Here are some guys who are not so much sleepers as they are underrated. These five names are all outside of the top-125 in the Athlon Consensus 100, but all should be in the top-100.

Nick Cody            Brush Prairie, WA    OL    6’5” 290    Oregon

This young offensive tackle may be the most underrated prospect in the nation. Cody has a great story and a great head on his shoulders. He is a well-grounded, hard-working mauler along the offensive line. He looks to bury defenders on every play and with his size could be an all-Pac-10 type player. I had a chance to interview him during his live commitment.

Listen Here

Jarmon Fortson        Columbus, GA    WR    6’3” 218    Florida State

Fortson put on a show in the Georgia Dome during the 3A state semi-finals. He led his team to 20 unanswered points in the final six minutes of play to pull off the miraculous comeback 26-24. He made spectacular catch after spectacular catch. The big, physical receiver will be a threat in all levels of the passing game.

Max Tuioti-Mariner        Corona, CA        OL    6’4” 300    Colorado

This kid is a beast. He, like Cody, looks to bury defenders on every play. It is this killer instinct that transforms physically limited solid players into all-conference type bruisers. Stick him next to true freshman starter Ryan Miller and the left side of the Colorado offensive line is set for years to come.

Darron Thomas        Aldine, TX        ATH    6’4” 205    Oregon

The Ducks are getting a dynamic playmaker in Mr. Thomas. He has lightning-quick footwork and his acceleration is second to none. I would like to see him get a shot at quarterback as the Chip Kelly system would fit his skills perfectly. He does lack the arm strength coaches like, but he has good touch and accuracy.

MarQueis Gray        Indianapolis, IN    QB    6’4” 220    Minnesota

Arguably the second-best dual-threat quarterback behind Terrelle Pryor, Gray is a dynamic playmaker. This kid has the speed to get downfield in a hurry. He will be a great fit in the spread offense that Tim Brewster is trying to install. He has great acceleration, size and arm strength. Gray is a much more polished passer than a guy like Darron Thomas.

Decommitment Party Coming to a Town Near You

Working for Rivals.com, one realizes that a 'verbal commitment' is just that. A spoken agreement between two parties. In the past a 'commitment' meant more. Realistically, roughly 90% of commitments stick and hold true.

Its seems recently that with all the major coaching moves, the word 'decommitted' has come up more and more often....

It all started with Nebraska and Bill Callahan getting axed...
Blaine Gabbert - QB (Ballwin, MO) Nebraska --> Missouri
Jonas Gray - RB (Detroit, MI) Nebraska --> Notre Dame
Trevor Robinson - OL (Elkhorn, NE) Nebraska --> ???
Sean Mohler - LB (Newport Beach, CA) Nebraska --> Colorado
D.J. Woods - WR (Strongville, OH) Nebraska --> West Virginia

This, on the same day that WVU lands another wide receiver named J.D. Woods from Naples, FL. So DJ Woods and JD Woods both wideouts, both commit to same school on the same day? Am I the only one who finds that weird?

Nebraska stopped the bleeding a bit when Bo Pelini hired Barney Cotton...
Ben Cotton - TE (Ames, IA) Louisville --> Nebraska

Then Dennis Franchione got lopped and Oklahoma got lucky...
Markelle Martin - S (Wichita Falls, TX) Texas A&M --> Oklahoma

But then Mike Sherman and the Aggies returned the favor...
Jeff Fuller - WR (McKinney, TX) Oklahoma --> Texas A&M

UCLA, Arkansas, and Georgia Tech have removed their HC's and it cost them...
Kemonte Bateman - WR (Los Angeles, CA) UCLA --> Arizona St
Sean Renfree - QB (Scottsdale, AZ) Georgia Tech --> ???
Jarius Wright - WR (Warren, AR) Arkansas --> ???

Keep an eye on E.J. Woods and Aundre Dean as well as their commitments to UCLA still hang in the balance.

Miami recently lost one of its fine linebacker commits...
Lerentee McCray - LB (Dunnellon, FL) Miami --> ???

This makes the tenuous commitment of Patrick Johnson even that more fragile.

Bret Bielema and Wisconsin have been poaching a bit...
Brandon Kelly - DE (Eden Prairie, MN) Minnesota --> Wisconsin
Anthony Mains - DE (Naples, FL) South Florida --> Wisconsin

A 6-6, 250 lb quarterback was not satisfied with one decommitment, he had to go for two...
D.C. Jefferson - QB (Winterhaven, FL) Rutgers --> LSU --> Rutgers

LSU has lost two QB commits in the last two weeks (Darron Thomas).

Now there is a rumor that Lynn Katoa is uneasy with his commitment to Colorado. Oklahoma looks to be a player.

Just a few more...
London Davis - TE (Cahokia, IL) Missouri --> Illinois
D.J. Marshall - DE (Mesquite, TX) Iowa State --> Kansas
Blair Irvin - DB (Patterson, LA) Auburn --> West Virginia

JUCO Report: Florida, FSU and Wisconsin

The Gators, Seminoles and Badgers all picked up JUCO commits this week.

The biggest of these names is a huge wide receiver (6-4, 220) from Sierra C.C. in Roseville, CA. Carl Moore, ranked the #2 JUCO prospect in the nation by JCGridiron.com, committed to the Florida Gators.

Arguably the most coveted offensive JUCO player in the nation, Moore has put up big numbers in two season at Sierra. 134 receptions, 2,028 yards and 23 touchdowns in two seasons. All that production while being double and triple teamed constantly.

This week's commitments from wide receivers Carl Moore, Omarius Hines and Frankie Hammond Jr. have really bumped Florida's class into the top-10.

Florida St. dipped into the JUCO cookie jar again this week. East Mississippi C.C. (Scooba, MS) running back LaGarrett Blount has committed to the Seminoles. Blount is listed at 6-2, 235 lbs. There is no way he is that big. 6-1, 225 maybe. But that size is still big for a running back Blount's speed and big play ability. Tennessee running back Arian Foster is a good comparison. Both have deceptive speed and big play potential.

Even though this is once again a nice pick-up for FSU, using a JUCO strategy too heavily can really create problems with depth down the road. Blount is the #12 by JCGridiron.com.

Wisconsin picked-up some o-line help with the commitment of Joliet College's (ILL.) Dan Moore. The All-Midwest Conference performer is listed at 6-2, 295 lbs.