Welcome to “I Got 5 On It.” Each week, I’ll pick five news-worthy subjects based around college football to cover. Topics will range from views on Devy prospects, general college football talk, interesting stats, and a little bit of hip-hop music (mostly 90s rap).
1. Taulia Tagovailoa granted immediate eligibility
Maryland has some amazing timing. Within hours of announcing that starting QB Josh Jackson is sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID reasons, the NCAA announced Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Tua, was eligible to compete in 2020 after his transfer from Alabama. Tagovailoa saw action in five games as a true freshman in 2019 and left this spring due to a lack of playing opportunity. Taulia completed 9 of 12 passes for 100 yards in his limited mop-up duty role in 2019. He signed with Alabama out of high school as the fourth-ranked Pro-Style QB in his recruiting class. As a senior, he threw for over 3,700 yards 35 TDs and added another 400 yards on the ground with 6 TDs. Interesting blurb from his Alabama bio as a true freshman “ [Taulia] rewrote the Alabama high school record books, becoming the only quarterback in state history to have at least four 400-yard passing performances in his career.”
Taulia still has some work to do in the weight room, with a very slender build right now. From his limited snaps in 2019, Taulia gets a bit antsy in the pocket when feeling pressure. While that’s to be expected for a freshman, he still needs to clean it up. Tagovailoa has good escapability in the pocket and can be an above-average asset in the QB run game. Taulia has above-average arm strength and shows good accuracy. I like Taulia’s game, but he’s a few levels below his brother. He’s getting more hype from his last name than from his game among the Devy community. Tagovailoa will battle with Lance LeGendre for Maryland’s QB1 in 2020 (if played in the spring).
2. Raheem Blackshear
Blackshear is another transfer who will have the chance to make a name for himself in 2020 if he’s granted eligibility. While neither a a QB nor a big name, the NCAA may be dragging their feet on his waiver. Blackshear left Rutgers after just four games last year to preserve a year of eligibility. He arrives in Blacksburg as a redshirt junior. Over his three years at Rutgers, Blackshear has rushed for 900 yards and 6 TDs, in addition to catching 80 passes for 800 yards and 6 TDs. Blackshear has seen plenty of time lining up out wide, he reminds me of a Theo Riddick with a bit more speed. In four games in 2019, he was targeted 37 times and caught 29 passes for 310 yards. Despite missing Rutgers’ last eight games, he finished second on the team in receptions and receiving yards. He also accounted for 13.8% of the team’s total season targets (he only played in 4 of 12 games). Listed at 5’9” and 192 lbs., he projects as a pass-catching back with the ability to play some slot, in addition to having potential to return kicks. If drafted by the right team and scheme, Blackshear can be a solid fantasy contributor with his pass-catching abilities.
3. Penn State incoming freshman RBs
The Nittany Lions dipped into the Sunshine State and signed two 4-star backs this past recruiting cycle. Both are intriguing prospects that sign just a year after the Nittany Lions brought in another two highly regarded 4-star backs. I like both Caziah Holmes and Keyvone Lee but they may get a year or two of riding the bench before they make an impact in Happy Valley.
Caziah Holmes:
Holmes was the higher-ranked of the two 4-star backs. He came in as the 5th All-Purpose Back and 187th overall prospect by 247Sports composite ranks. Holmes clocked a 4.49 forty yard dash back in February of 2019. While Penn State officially lists him at 5’11” and 215 lbs. for this fall, the weight seems much bigger than he looked on film. Holmes rushed for just under 1,500 yards (8.2 YPC) and 19 TDs as a senior. Adding another 203 yards on 21 receptions as well. Holmes displays good speed and is a very good cutter in the open field. The Cocoa, Florida native is a solid athlete, and the Penn State strength program takes good athletes and turns them into elite athletes. A few years in the Nittany Lion S&C Program, and look for Holmes to be a freaky type athlete.
Keyvone Lee:
Lee signed with the Nittany Lions as the 22nd overall back in his class and the 281st overall player. Highlights and stats from Lee’s senior year are hard to come by. Injury information is not available, either (shrugging emoji). However, I was able to find out that as a freshman in high school he rushed for over 1,200 yards and 22 TDs. Lee is listed at 220 lbs. by Penn State, and would appear to be the thunder to Holmes’ lightning. Lee is a North-South runner who excels running between the tackles. He runs with good power and can physically out muscle defenders as he runs through them. Lee also shows good lateral quickness for a downhill-runner.
The two backs complement each other. The Penn State backfield is loaded for the next 3-5 years at RB. They’ve signed four 4-star backs in the last two recruiting cycles. Odds are somebody will end up transferring out just like Ricky Slade did when it was clear that he was the odd man out.
4. Gary Bryant, Jr.
The Trojans found an ideal slot receiver for their Air Raid offense. Bryant Jr. signed with the Trojans as the 7th WR in his class and a top 50 overall prospect. As a senior at Centennial High School, he hauled in 58 balls for 1,134 yards (19.6 YPR) and 10 TDs, while adding a couple of rushing and punt return TDs as well. USC lists Bryant at 170 lbs, so he’s got some work to do before he can become a regular contributor. Bryant clocked a 4.46 40-yard dash back in February of 2019. He possesses elite speed and play-making ability. Working out of the slot, Bryant has the potential to be a monstrous producer for a Graham Harrell led offense. He’s clearly a deep passing threat. His speed teamed with good ball tracking skills makes Bryant a major threat. He could have been a much bigger producer in high school. On many of his deep routes when he had a lot of separation, he was forced to slow down for under-thrown balls. It allowed defenders to get right on him for the tackle. Bryant is a fun player that fits perfectly into today’s playing style. His ability to separate from defenders and to track the ball down gives him a very bright future.
5. Wu-Tang Forever
“After February 11, 1997, rap would never be the same. That is the day that “Triumph,” the lead-single from Wu-Tang Clan’s sophomore album was unleashed. The song forever changed the parameters of what a lead-single could be. Clocking in at nearly six minutes and devoid of a hook, “Triumph” was an ambitious effort if there ever was one, with RZA attempting to fit nine separate verses from nine different rappers on one song and present it to radio and the public at large. The most amazing part is that he actually pulled it off. Refusing to appease radio or TV outlets by editing the song or the memorable Brett Ratner-directed music video, compared t othe groundbreaking clips from fellow creative visionaries like Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, RZA went against the grain and placed his bet on “Triumph.” It was a gamble that contributed to the Wu-Tang Clan’s status as rap icons. Above all, it served as the cherry on the top of one of the greatest rap albums of its time.
In a year filled with blockbuster rap releases, Wu-Tang Forever was one of the most anticipated albums. Wu disciples anxiously awaited its arrival after enduring four calendars without a collective effort from the crew. Originally slated to be released in February 1997, the Wu-Tang Clan’s sophomore LP was pushed back on multiple occasions and increased fans’ fervor for what the lyrical monks from Shaolin had in store. After Wu-Tang Forever was finally liberated on June 3, 1997, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a feat only achieved by rap stars Scarface, The Notorious B.I.G., Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Puff Daddy, Master P, Ma$e, and The Firm during that year. It sold 612,000 units in its first week of release, despite lacking a traditional hit single. By mid-October 1997, Wu-Tang Forever certified 4x platinum, becoming one of the best-selling rap albums of the year, proving that the Wu was all about strength in numbers.” Vibe.com
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