“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong” – David Simon
How much do we expect the Buckeyes to air it out regardless of score given how much ground Fields has to make up with Lawrence getting all the media coverage for the last month? @TheSFGiantsGuy
Well, I would say that I slightly disagree with the premise of your question. I think this is more of a fan sentiment than a legitimate narrative that the players and staff will feed into. At programs like Ohio State and Clemson, the collective goals supersede the individual accolades, so I don’t believe that Fields or the staff will be thinking too much about what Lawrence is doing until it’s time for them to square off again. However, sticking with Clemson as a barometer, the Ohio State staff tends to stay on the throttle longer than Dabo and the Tigers. There have been multiple games now for Clemson, where they have played every healthy body on their roster. Perhaps Ohio State does this more than I know, but I know for certain Alabama doesn’t, and I don’t think Ohio State does either. So, philosophically, Fields should probably be throwing the ball deeper into games than Lawrence, but I don’t think it will be in order to help him gain ground. I could see them really wanting to mudhole Nebraska this year just to get some good game reps in and get guys’ conditioning up to snuff.
Any under the radar big ten players you like for CFF purposes? @CavenderCorey
“Under the radar” is a tough umbrella to stay under, but I’ll do my best!
I think Penn State’s Jahan Dotson could lead the conference in receiving. He was grossly neglected this summer when I was drafting. Isaiah Bowser for Northwestern has the potential to be a real bellcow. The Wildcats hired former BC OC, and he loves both tempo and pounding the tater. Think AJ Dillon in terms of potential ceiling volume. FAU transfer TE John Raine could be incredibly productive in this scheme. I’ve maintained a strong belief that Indiana’s Michael Penix could be one of the top producing QBs this year as long as he can stay healthy. Speaking of players that need good health, I can find myself getting excited about Mike Epstein’s potential in Illinois’ scheme. Mel Tucker just had a quote where he pretty much said they are gonna run the football non-stop, even if it’s disadvantageous to do so. That makes Elijah Collins pretty valuable. I just took a shot on 5-star freshman Rakim Jarrett for Maryland in a recent B1G/P12 draft that I’m participating in. They’ve got several good pass catchers, but his ceiling is on a different level, and Locksley has helped to unlock some good receivers throughout his years. Lastly, Iowa’s Sam LaPorta should have a good season and may help us remember how valuable these Iowa TEs can be. It’s not a bad plan to pepper backup Minnesota and Penn State running backs, especially later on in best-ball drafts.
I apologize if I didn’t get deep enough into the weeds for what you were looking for.
Who are some players that have disappointed or underperformed but you still believe in the talent? Buying low even… also what do you make of Bowman transferring? Change his value? @AshLowe10
I’ll start with Bowman. I’m in the minority, but I was never impressed by his high school highlights. He looked like a fine back, but I never watched and saw a five-star player. He and Lorenzo Lingard both stick out to me because I felt that way about both guys, and now they’ve both transferred out of their original ACC programs. He never had much value in my eyes, so I’m at one end of the extreme while there are many folks, several of my colleagues included, that really liked him, so perhaps they can give a more optimistic take about him. I’ll say this, a running back going to play in Dan Mullen’s offense isn’t doing himself any favors.
Texas Tech RB SaRodorick Thompson is one guy that comes to mind. His stats haven’t been bad, by any means, but his offensive line sure has. He had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against Houston Baptist and Texas, but then he’s been held to sixty yards on 18 carries in his last two games. It doesn’t show up in the box score, but he was getting shut out against Texas well until he broke off a 75-yarder. Take away that run, and he had 15 carries for 29 yards. Most folks don’t know how to evaluate running backs, so I think he’s still a guy that continues to fly under the radar in a disappointing offense. Keaontay Ingram is another player that I still believe will get some interest from NFL clubs. FSU’s Jashaun Corbin’s season has been really disappointing. He was really impressive as a freshman in the SEC, so I’m not losing hope on him, but he’s had a rough 2020. I haven’t studied his issues in detail. Another guy that I can’t quite quit is Cincinnati’s Jerome Ford.
Which Wisconsin RB will be the most valuable for this year and 2021? @Wvschorn
I think it has to be Nakia Watson. He appears to be in line to get every opportunity to assert himself as their RB1, and if he does so, I don’t know how willing this staff will be to move him out of that role for the next few years. He’s a risky player, but I don’t believe his current dynasty price tag reflects how high his ceiling is. That being said, no matter who they trot out, it’s going to look quite a bit less impressive than what we’ve been spoiled with in Jonathan Taylor. Volume is king, though, and Watson could get all he can eat at this Madison buffet. Contrary to the doubt introduced by a recent depth chart, I don’t believe they are gonna feature the white third-down back, Groshek, but this staff isn’t exactly known for creativity and skill talent evaluation.
Where do you have Terrace Marshall in ’21 WR rankings and what type of draft capital do you think he gets? @coltonrobertss
Here is my write up on Marshall from last winter:
“Terrace Marshall was a 5-star, top 15 national prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. Marshall was vying for the top overall receiver spot in his class before suffering a season-ending injury during his senior year. The injury was a significant one and entailed a fractured fibula, as well as an outside ankle dislocation. Marshall’s game is predicated on his combination of size and speed. At 6’4,” he has a massive wingspan, which allows him to high-point and make grabs high above defenders with ease. Marshall has good speed to match, as he clocked a 4.53 40-yard dash at only 17 years old at the Nike combine before his injury. He is also a threat to do damage after the catch. He may not be the most elusive receiver, but he is smooth and eats up space in a hurry. Marshall’s health nagged him in spring camp as a freshman and likely slowed down his development. Unfortunately, poor health followed him in 2019. He finished with 43-625-12 receiving, despite missing all of three games and parts of others. His talent is undeniable. He’s a freak athlete that is a nightmare to cover. I don’t feel confident in his ability to stay healthy. It’s not just one area that is plaguing him either; it’s a little bit of everything. With some players, Laviska Shenault, for example, I can overlook injuries because I feel confident he will be drafted in the top 50. I can’t say the same for Marshall at this stage. He shares the field with several future pros, but he’s fallen behind two of them. If Marshall can stay healthy for all of 2020, then he could see his draft capital be high enough to overcome some of the potential injury issues. I consider him a risky prospect that carries both a high ceiling and a low floor.”
Since my writing this, Chase opted out, and Marshall became the focal point of an LSU offense that is finding itself after last year’s title. To this point, Marshall has been healthy. I stand by my assessment of him, but given the new information and macro-landscape, I feel confident that he will be taken on day two of the NFL Draft. Assuming continued good health, I would say he is more likely to be taken in round one than round four in this upcoming draft after a huge season and impressive NFL combine. He’s a top ten WR for me in this class. He’s gotta keep rooting for the continued success of a guy like DK Metcalf, which he could draw comparisons to from NFL evaluators. No ticky, no laundry!
What is a realistic expectation for Iowa football this season? @epslette
To call this off-season tumultuous would be a grand understatement. Using some recent examples of teams that had challenging off-season’s for a variety of reasons, Syracuse, LSU, and Mississippi State come to mind for me. The early returns on all three are underwhelming. Another grand understatement. It’s easy to throw in the towel this year when additional opposition rears its head. It’s been a year full of it so far, and many people are at a breaking point. I can make a case that the always reliable Iowa Hawkeyes are in a position where their reliability and steadfastness is in question. Less so from a personnel standpoint, though they do have plenty to prove with a new QB, losing and elite OL, and also replacing several playmakers throughout the defense. I evaluated Spencer Petras back in January of 2018, and he made my “Elite 11” in his class. Here is my brief writeup on him, “It’s easy to draw the comparisons to Los Angeles Rams’ QB, Jared Goff. Both players attended Marin Catholic High School and put up gaudy numbers. How’s this for a senior season? 4,157 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. The baby-faced Petras has a grown man’s arm as he is regularly seen throwing the ball 50+ yards downfield with accuracy. If you want to see an elite deep-ball-thrower, check out his highlights. While he lacks a ton of mobility, he does display nice pocket presence and intelligence as a passer. Petras will likely have to wait a season or two in Iowa City as Nate Stanley is the incumbent and a future NFL QB himself.”
I think he has the potential to be a good Big 10 QB. He’s also surrounded by some of the best skill talents that I can remember at Iowa in recent years. This looks like a 5-3 team to me. Average to slightly above average. The schedule is a cakewalk, so they could surpass those expectations, but 5-3 seems like the probable, measured take.
Who are your top 10 draft-eligible WRs for 2021? @vro325
Amon-Ra St. Brown
DeVonta Smith
Elijah Moore
Ja’Marr Chase
Jaylen Waddle
Rashod Bateman
Rondale Moore
Seth Williams
Terrace Marshall
Tylan Wallace
This is a great class. I was surprised how challenging this list was to make. I was forced to omit some excellent slot players like Amari Rodgers, Chris Olave, and Tutu Atwell. That cuts out prototypical boundary receivers like Tamorrion Terry, Justyn Ross, and Sage Surratt, whose stocks have taken dips for me this year for a variety of reasons. We want to target players that are going to be drafted in rounds 1, 2, and 3 every April. Here are the numbers of players taking on day one and two over the past five classes:
2020: 17
2019: 13
2018: 10
2017: 14
2016: 9
That’s a low of 9, a high of 17, an average of 13, and a median of 13. It’s possible that every player that I named gets the requisite draft capital for fantasy relevance.
