Welcome to “I Got 5 On It”, each week I’ll be picking five news-worthy subjects based around college football to cover. Ranging from views on Devy prospects, general college football talk, interesting stats, and a little bit of hip-hop music mixed in now and then.
1. Who’s Next? Clemson
The Tigers are losing nearly 25% of their total offensive yards from Travis Etienne’s departure. Etienne tallied nearly 50% of the team’s rushing yards and TDs in 2020. No running back on the 2020 team had over 200 yards on the season. Quarterback, Trevor Lawrence finished second on the team with 203 yards. So who’s next up to take over Etienne’s massive role? I believe Clemson is going to be forced to use more than one back to make up for the loss of ACC’s All-Time Leading Rusher.
Lyn-J Dixon: Dixon is the veteran of the bunch. As Etienne’s primary backup, Dixon has tallied nearly 1,400 yards over three years. Dixon even managed 14 receptions in 2019 as a reserve back. Dixon is listed at 195lbs on Clemson’s 2021 Spring Roster. Dixon is a fine player but I don’t see a feature back in college. Not rosterable in Devy but he’s worth a shot in a C2C league. I’m just not sure how consistent he’ll be production-wise.
Chez Mellusi: Mellusi enters his junior year with two years of backup experience under his belt. Mellusi has yet to rush for over 300 yards in a single season. He’ll look to compete for carries with Dixon and Shipley.
Kobe Pace: Pace was overlooked in 2020 due to the signing of now Florida Gator Demarkcus Bowman. But made a very early impression on the Clemson Coaches. “At 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds, Pace generally fits the mold of the bigger, power backs. However, looks can be deceiving and Elliott says to not be fooled by his appearance.
“When you guys get a chance to see Kobe you’ll see that for a big guy, he’s not a typical big guy,” Elliott said. “He’s very light on his feet, has the ability to make all the cuts.”
“Really been impressed with just his demeanor. It’s very quiet, but he gets on the practice field man, and kid loves to play, loves to practice and loves to prepare. He’s got a very very focused demeanor so really, really pleased so far with what I’ve seen of Kobe.”
Pace is the underrated option in this backfield. With his price tag being much lower than the other backs in this committee, Pace is the back that I’ll most likely be targeting.
Will Shipley: Shipley is the highly-touted incoming freshman in this situation. In the current Devy ADP, Shipley is a top 50 asset, while the other three backs haven’t been drafted once. Shipley is a dynamic speed back with elite pass-catching skills. I expect Shipley to carve out a nice role in 2021 and most likely be the man in 2022. With his pass-catching abilities, Shipley is a top C2C option for incoming freshmen. His pass-catching skills teamed with the potential of being a two or three-year starter is very intriguing for C2C.
Phil Mafah: Mafah might be the most under-talked-about running back that’s a top 10 recruit in the 2021 class. Mafah finished as 247s 9th best back in this class, but highly overshadowed by Shipley. Mafah is a big bruising back, listed at 215lbs. I really like what I’ve seen from Mafah on film. He’s a big power back, but he’s limited athletically and with his top-end speed. I’m intrigued to see what a college training program is able to do for his athletic ability. He’s more than likely the odd man out for 2021.
My best guess for the Tigers backfield is Dixon leading the way, but with the carries being much more evenly distributed than prior years. Will Shipley will find a role due to his speed and catching abilities. Pace can find a role as the short-yardage/power back for the Tigers in 2021.
2. Most Overrated Incoming Freshman
Camar Wheaton, RB, Alabama: I really don’t see the hype with Wheaton. He’s highly ranked by 247 and many in the Devy community. First, Wheaton is supposed to be a speed-demon. But he struggled to average over 6 yards per carry in 2019 and gets caught on a lot of angles by defenders that he should beat. He’s absent in the pass-catching game and I’ve not seen him break a tackle that was more than a glancing blow. Wheaton won’t be close to any of my rosters due to these concerns plus no clear path to playing time until his junior year.
Cody Brown, RB, Miami: Brown is what he is. He’s a great power back that has his niche in an offense but, man, he’s slow. I don’t recall ever seeing a slower 4-star rated back. I can’t get past this fact. He’s a 11.68 100-meter time, for reference Wheaton is a 10.62 100-meter guy. Brown may be a fine college back but his lack of dynamic ability dooms any NFL career. I think Brown struggles at the P5 level due to his lack of speed and athleticism. If we could rewind the clock back to 1995, Brown would be a perfect RB recruit for that style of play.
Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU: Very similar case to Wheaton, Thomas is highly ranked by 247 and most of the Devy community, but I really don’t see it. Thomas has a basketball background and shows some of that skill on the football field. When I watch Thomas, I’m not really blown away by any one thing that he does.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State: I like the talent, but the draft capital needed to attain Egbuka doesn’t align with his opportunity. Right now, Egbuka is the 2024 WR1 in 95% of Devy drafts. It’s guaranteed this time next year he will not be the WR1 in this class. Once he hauls in 8 balls due to Ohio State’s crowded receiver room, he’s going to drop down many rankings behind players that did produce as freshmen (just like what happened last year with Julian Fleming). Your high draft pick in 2021 is now already less valuable just one short year later. And it’s not even guaranteed that he has a big role in 2022. He still has Fleming, JSN, Scott Jr., and Jameson Williams to compete with.
3. ACC Deep Devy Dive
Going to run through each major conference over the next five weeks to find some deep devy gems.
Ajou Ajou, WR, Clemson: I’ve talked a lot about Ajou since he committed to Clemson in the summer of 2019. Ajou is raw, but his upside is pretty much unlimited. He has some of the longest arms that I’ve ever seen on a receiver prospect. Ajou played Canadian football until 2019 when he played in Florida for his senior year of high school. Clemson has done a great job of developing receivers, he’s a big lump of clay that the Tigers’ staff can form into a top-notch receiver. This summer would be the time to buy late in a draft before he blows up.
Kobe Pace, RB, Clemson: See above in section 1. Under-the-radar guy that it wouldn’t shock me if he ultimately saw a good chunk of playing time this fall.
Jaquarii Roberson, WR, Wake Forest: Roberson is old but was extremely efficient in 2020. He’s got the 6th best returning Yards Per Team Passing Attempt from 2020. His yards per route ran in 2020 was amongst the best in the nation as well. Finished last year as PFF’s second-best rated receiver in the country.
Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse: As a true freshman in 2020, Tucker tallied a 26% DR with a 31% market share of total team yards. Tucker finished with an above-average 3.5 Yards After Contact. Tucker has another two to three years of being the Orange’s top back, a great addition for any C2C team.
Lowkey incoming freshman…Phil Mafah, RB, Clemson…Leo Blackburn, TE, Georgia Tech…Trevion Cooley, RB, Louisville…Elijah Howard, RB, Virginia Tech…Kobe Paysour, WR, North Carolina…Josh Hough, RB, Syracuse…Bryson Nesbit, TE, North Carolina…Malik Newton, RB, Pittsburgh
4. Top Incoming G5 Freshman
I’ve started my dive into the top incoming G5 freshman. I’ll be taking a look at the top 20 recruits at the QB, RB, and WR positions this spring. I’ll have a full article dedicated to each position. But here’s a quick sample of the top guys that I’ve already viewed.
Taylen Green, QB, Boise State: Boise State went down to the Lone Star State to grab the signature of a 6’5” and 215lbs (looks closer to around 200lbs) QB. He completed just over 62% of his passes for 2,600 yards and 24 TDs. Green added nearly 700 yards and 8 TDs as a rusher. Green is tall with a lanky frame. He’s got a lot of room to bulk up during his time in college. Green has good arm strength and shows good touch on his deep passes. He’s got good mobility and can be an above-average runner. Green has a 4.64 40-yard dash on his resume.
Outlook: Green is a pretty intriguing prospect. He’s got the size and arm, Green has the potential to blossom once he gets into a college weight room. Green can develop into a top-level G5 QB with some NFL upside. He’s got a lot of tools that are coveted in a QB.
William Haskell, QB, San Diego State: Haskell signed with SDSU despite grabbing a handful of P5 offers. Haskell didn’t have lofty stats over his career as a junior; he only threw for 1,400 yards and jumped up to 1,800 yards in 8 games in 2020. He did add 965 yards and 14 TDs on the ground in 2019. Haskell is a crazy athlete, with a short running start he can leap onto the top of an SUV. Haskell is a top-notch QB rusher. Haskell brings a skillset to SDSU that I don’t really ever recall them having. Haskell has the potential to be a playmaker that the Aztecs aren’t used to having lined up underneath center. To go along with his rushing abilities, Haskell has a pretty good arm as well.
Outlook: Haskell has the ability to change up a pretty bland SDSU offense that we are used to seeing. Haskell’s ceiling is really high. He could develop into one of the premier G5 QBs in the nation. He has all the tools to work with. SDSU isn’t known for producing good QBs for CFF, but if they utilize Haskell’s legs enough that might change.
Willie Shaw, RB, Toledo: Shaw picked Toledo over offers from Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska. No senior year due to COVID but rushed for over 1,400 yards in 2019. Shaw has a personal best 11.55 100-meter time on his resume. He has solid size and still has some room to grow. He displays good speed and quickness. Good lateral fluidness and willingness to dip shoulder and take a defender head-on.
Outlook: Toledo has done a great job of recruiting backs (for a MAC school) over the last three to four years. Early playing time will be tough but Shaw is a potential All-MAC performer.
Bill Jackson, RB, Tulsa: The Saint Louis native found his way to the AAC over offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Nebraska, and Purdue. In 2019, Jackson rushed for just under 1,000 yards in 7 games. He added 9 TDs and was over 11 yards per rush. Jackson only played in five games in 2020 and stats aren’t to be found for it. Jackson has good speed and burst. He’s got really quick feet. Despite his smaller frame, he’s a willing runner between the tackles. Playing in just 12 games over the last two years is a bit alarming to his durability.
Outlook: Jackson looked really good when he was healthy and on the field. Tulsa may have gotten themselves a steal. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Jackson as a top back in the AAC in two to three years down the line. Worth a deep C2C stash.
5. Freshman Spotlight
Moving forward until next fall, when we have some game action again, I’ll be highlighting an incoming freshman each week in the 5 spot. We take a trip up North this week to talk about Michigan running back prospect Donovan Edwards.
Edwards signed with the Wolverines as the second-rated back in the class according to 247Sports. He capped his senior year off with over 1,000 yards in nine games with 17 TDs (Stats not complete for whole season). Edwards led the Lakers to their first State Championship on the back of his 257 yards and 3 TDs on just 14 carries. Due to the state playoffs being pushed back, Edwards was already on Michigan’s campus and had to get permission to play in the State Title Game. As a junior, Edwards hauled in 33 receptions for over 500 yards. Showing that he’s one of the best receiving backs in this class. If used correctly, he can become a major pass-catching threat for Michigan. Currently listed by Michigan at 5’11” and 190lbs, Edwards has a college-ready body. Edwards isn’t the most elusive back but he’s got enough elusiveness to succeed at a major P5 school. Edwards has good burst and acceleration.
Coach Harbaugh talks highly of Edwards – “Competitve, competitive, competitive,” Harbaugh said. “That’s who he is. Ron Bellamy, it’s a trademark. All guys he coaches. We talked about rushing yards, he’s over 1000 yards rushing. 17 touchdowns. I think he had a game where he scored like 6 touchdowns before the half at some point. Comes from a highly successful, winning, program. They were district champions before their season was suspended. That kind of real brick mentality about Donovan, he’s a worker. He just is. Wants to get into the weight room, wants to train, wants to run. Wants to practice. An example, a real example. I’ve been around guys that are like that. When there’s somebody sitting on the fence, all you gotta do is watch Donovan Edwards and look at how he’s attacking and approaching things.”
Edwards enters the season as the second-ranked back in the 2024 class. But there is quite the gap behind Edwards and TreVeyon Henderson in my ranks. Henderson is lightyears ahead of any other back in this class.
