Tag: analyst

ESPN analyst calls Bryce Young the clear No. 1 QB in 2023 NFL draft

ESPN NFL analyst, Marcus Spears, shares high praise for Alabama QB Bryce Young

Earlier this month the Carolina Panthers traded with the Chicago Bears to acquire the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft, but nobody really knows who they prefer.

Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud has been heavily linked recently and Anthony Richardson of Florida has recently flown up the mock drafts, but many would consider Alabama Crimson Tide’s [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] as the best QB in the draft.

Young’s height has been a concern for a handful of executives in the league, but ESPN analyst, Marcus Spears, believes teams should see past that. Spears said on NFL Live today,

“What I’ve watched from Bryce Young tells me he’s the best quarterback coming out in this draft. I get the concerns about the size and the stature but watching him at Alabama and doing what he’s been doing for two years and remember he didn’t have the luxuries of having the type of receivers that we’ve grown accustomed to Alabama having.”

Of all the quarterbacks in contention to be selected in the first round, Bryce is the only Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion and people need to remember just how dang good he is on the field.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Alabama Analyst Todd Grantham to return to NFL

Todd Grantham will not be the next DC of the Alabama Crimson Tide as he returns to the NFL

After a one-year stint with the Alabama Crimson Tide as a defensive analyst, Todd Grantham will return to the NFL. Grantham will join the New Orleans Saints staff as their defensive line coach.

Grantham had been rumored to be an option for the Crimson Tide defensive coordinator position, but ultimately decided on an NFL return. The Crimson Tide faithful didn’t seem to respond too well to the idea of Grantham as the defensive coordinator, so both sides probably win here.

As for Alabama, the defensive coordinator position remains available and your guess is as good as mine for who will fill this role.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama Football as the program searches for a new defensive coordinator.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Report: Sean Payton to join FOX Sports as a studio panelist for 2022

In his first post-New Orleans Saints job, Sean Payton joins FOX Sports’ NFL Sunday broadcast studio panel, via @DillySanders:

In his first post-football move, former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton will be joining FOX Sports as a studio panelist for 2022 per NBC Sports’ Mike Florio. He’ll step in for NFL Sunday broadcasts during off-weeks for Jimmy Johnson, who has been working remotely throughout the  COVID-19 pandemic. Payton will be joining the crew of Terry Bradshaw. Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, and Jay Glazer.

Payton dropped some hints of the move last night, updating his Twitter banner to the FOX Sports logo. This does not clear up very much in terms of Payton’s future, as a rumors of a return to football will always be looming, but at least for this season he will not be joining any NFL team.

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Former Cowboys HC Jason Garrett gets booth job for USFL games

Garrett will join NBC’s crew as an analyst for the first season of the newly-relaunched USFL; the regular season starts Saturday. | From @ToddBrock24f7

To use a phrase from his own parlance, Jason Garrett loves ball. The former Cowboys backup quarterback, offensive coordinator, and head coach enjoys nothing more than to talk Xs and Os, drawing from a lifetime of learning about the game at every level to dissect what’s happening- and what should happen- on the field.

And now he’ll be paid to do it in the broadcast booth.

Garrett will serve as an analyst for NBC’s coverage of the USFL season, it was announced Tuesday. Jac Collinsworth and Paul Burmeister will lead the crew, with Garrett joined by Michael Robinson and Cameron Jordan in analyst roles. Zora Stephenson and Corey Robinson will act as sideline reporters, while Sara Perlman will host halftime and postgame coverage.

Fox will simulcast the league’s games and have its own crew: Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt as the voices of the game with Kevin Kugler handling play-by-play calls, and Brock Huard and onetime Cowboys quarterback Mark Sanchez doing analysis.

Garrett spent two decades in the Cowboys organization, the first seven as player. He earned two Super Bowl rings with the dynasty teams of the 1990s behind Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. As a third-string option, Garrett memorably got the start for 1994’s Thanksgiving Day game, leading Dallas to a dramatic comeback win over the Packers.

He returned to Dallas in 2007 as the team’s new offensive coordinator after having spent two seasons as quarterbacks coach in Miami. On the Cowboys sidelines, he moved up the ranks to gain an assistant head coach title in 2008. In 2011, he took over when head coach Wade Phillips was fired after eight games and guided the Cowboys to a 5-3 record to close out the season.

The Princeton grad was named the eighth head coach in Cowboys history for the team’s 2021 season. His contract was not renewed following the 2019 season; Garrett had compiled an 85-67 record as Cowboys head coach, 2-3 in the playoffs.

Garrett was then hired as offensive coordinator for the Giants, but was dismissed before the 2021 season was over. He was rumored to be the front-runner for the head job at Duke University; the school ultimately went a different direction.

The newly-relaunched USFL will kick off its season on Saturday. All eight teams will play their entire schedule of regular-season games in one of two stadiums in Birmingham, Alabama. Postseason contests will be played in Canton, Ohio, with the championship game slated for July 3.

The Cowboys have several former players on USFL rosters. Former Dallas assistant Todd Haley will coach the Tampa Bay Bandits. Longtime Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston is the league’s executive vice president of football operations.

And Garrett, Johnston’s former Cowboys teammate, will be giving his thoughts on all of it with a bird’s-eye view, a headset, and a live television audience.

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College basketball: Dick Vitale shares great news

Great news to start March, @dickieV!

If you’re a fan in the slightest of college basketball you’re familiar with commentator Dick Vitale.  The man has an energy for life that is matched by very few and a love for college basketball that is second to none.

Vitale, 82, has been battling cancer and had to miss the majority of the 2021-22 college basketball season as a result.  He’s been very open on social media about the entire battle and provided inspiration and the sense of community for those facing similar situations.

On Tuesday, Dickie-V shared the best possible news any of us could have hoped for during March Madness:

Now that’s “AWESOME WITH A CAPITAL A!”

Vitale has helped raise over $44 million dollars to fight pediatric cancer over the years.  Vitale’s annual gala event occurs this coming May as that incredible number will continue to climb.

You can find ways to donate to Vitale’s fundraising efforts by visiting his webpage.

Related:

ACC men’s basketball tournament championships by program

Report: Former Auburn WR coach Cornelius Williams set to join rival staff

It appears that the former Auburn WR coach isn’t going too far.

It appears that former Auburn Tigers wide receiver coach Cornelius Williams is set for a new gig and he isn’t going very far.

According to a report from Football Scoop, Williams is set to join the Alabama Crimson Tide’s staff under Nick Saban.

Former Auburn wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams is expected to join Nick Saban’s staff as an analyst, sources told FootballScoop on Tuesday.

Williams joined Bryan Harsin’s new staff last year after six seasons at Troy, but was let go before the new regime’s first SEC game. The move came after Auburn had to piece together a second half rally to defeat Georgia State.

Following the comeback victory over Georgia State, Harsin relieved Williams of his duties as the wide receivers coach. Harsin then promoted Eric Kiesau to the role of receivers coach. Kiesau has since been named the offensive coordinator for the Tigers. His promotion moved him to quarterbacks coach creating an opening at wide receivers once again.

Auburn recently hired former Florida WR Ike Hilliard to become the new assistant on the staff. Hilliard spent more than a decade coaching at the NFL level. His new challenge will come with determining which wide receivers will take the field in the 2022 season.

Contact/Follow us @AuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PatrickConnCFB

Report: Texas to hire former FAU WR coach Joey Thomas to an analyst role

Steve Sarkisian is taking a Nick Saban approach in bringing analysts to Texas’ staff.

Adding more experience and bright coaching minds to the staff has been a point of emphasis for Steve Sarkisian and Texas this offseason.

Sark hired former TCU headman Gary Patterson as the special assistant to the head coach. It appears Patterson was just the tip of the iceberg.

Texas is reportedly in talks to bring on former Duke head coach and quarterback guru David Cutcliffe to the staff in an off-field analyst role.

Brandon Huffman of 247Sports reported on Monday that Texas has hired former FAU wide receivers coach Joey Thomas to an analyst role. Thomas will flip to the defensive side of the ball where he will work with Texas’ defensive backs.

Thomas played cornerback at Montana State in his collegiate career under Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwaitkowisk. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and went on to play seven years of professional ball.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

WATCH: PFF said last year former Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor will be ‘overdrafted’

WATCH: PFF said former Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor will be ‘overdrafted’ last year

Wisconsin fans everywhere get the treat of watching former Badger running back Jonathan Taylor tear it up in the NFL every weekend, the latest a 172-yard, 2-touchdown performance against the Jets last night.

With Derrick Henry out indefinitely, Taylor has entered the driver’s seat to lead the NFL in rushing this season. That all in only his second season as a pro, and during a year where he technically could still be playing at Wisconsin.

One of the best parts of the Taylor story is seeing what NFL draft analysts were saying about him during the 2020 NFL Draft process. Many said he would find success, though there were a few that questioned his speed, ball security and durability entering the next level.

None was better than this anonymous scout who said Taylor “doesn’t play big and he fumbles.”

Well, circling the rounds on Twitter now is a video from ProFootballFocus discussing Taylor’s draft profile. Included is the main thought that Taylor and Wisconsin’s game ‘looks kind of looks slow,’ something which the analysts believed would mean Taylor’s combine numbers would lead to him being overdrafted.

Enjoy:

I think it’s clear in hindsight, as Badger fans thought all along, that Taylor was far and away the best running back in that class. He ended up being the third running back selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, a move that even that NFL executive thought was ‘shocking,’

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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Herbstreit on “must win” nature of Notre Dame vs. Clemson

Kirk Herbstreit shared his thoughts Tuesday about if Saturday’s showdown with Clemson is an absolute “must win” for Notre Dame’s CFP chances

It pretty much goes without saying but if Notre Dame is to win on Saturday then their path to the College Football Playoff for the second time in program history becomes much more manageable.

A loss however and there will be a lot of work to be done.

Is it a “must win” in terms of their College Football Playoff chances?

Kirk Herbstreit wasn’t ready to use those exact words on Tuesday night, but was clear in stating what Notre Dame must do in order to keep their playoff chances alive, even if they don’t win.

“I don’t want to say it doesn’t matter to Clemson, but I think all eyes are on Notre Dame.  When’s the last time Notre Dame won a game of this magnitude? I mean, think about it. I think that perception is real. Right now, they’re on this big of a stage, and they’ve got to take advantage of this opportunity.”

“It’s not an elimination game if Notre Dame competes and wins, or if Notre Dame plays like it did in Athens last year. If they lose, and they get blown out, it’s an elimination game for me. They’re gone. That’s my opinion, and I guess I’m assuming if they get blown out that they won’t go to Charlotte beat Clemson there.

“How Notre Dame looks on this big of a stage is a big deal to their perception because if they get blown out, they’re going to get behind a lot of teams. They’re going to be fighting to get into that No. 4 spot.”

-Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN’s College Football Preview Show this past Tuesday.

The logic makes plenty of sense as it’s hard to imagine Notre Dame coming back and beating Clemson with Trevor Lawrence in the ACC Championship Game if they can’t get by the Tigers sans Lawrence in South Bend this Saturday.

That said, if Notre Dame were to win out and shock the world by knocking off Lawrence in Charlotte, I have real trouble believing the Irish wouldn’t be one of the last four standing, regardless of what happens elsewhere and that’s partly because of the limited games for both the Big Ten and Pac-12 who will have to do some convincing to some in order to earn a playoff spot.

Report: Fox Sports signs Seahawks TE Greg Olsen to be future NFL analyst

Fox Sports has signed current Seattle Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen to be a future NFL analyst with the network when he retires from the NFL.

Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen hasn’t even stepped on the field in a Seattle uniform and he’s already looking ahead to the next step in his career. Olsen has inked a deal with Fox Sports to become their future No. 2 NFL game analyst, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Olsen signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Seahawks this spring to add a valuable veteran presence to the tight end corps. All indications are that he is still set to play, yet preparing for his next move when his football days are over.

Per Marchand, Olsen will eventually partner with Kevin Burkhardt on game days.

Olsen’s agreement for future employment is similar to the arrangement current Saints quarterback Drew Brees has with NBC. Broadcast partners around the NFL have been eyeing potential soon-to-be-former players to add to their lineup.

For now, Olsen with partner with Russell Wilson and Co. on Sundays, hoping to lead the Seahawks to another world championship.

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