Tag: CBS Sports

CBS Sports ranks Mel Tucker as a top 25 power five head coach

See where Mel Tucker ranks compared to the rest of the power five head coaches in CBS Sports’ rankings

A year ago, many would have considered Michigan State’s Mel Tucker a lower-tier coach in the Big Ten and certainly on the national level. But a lot has changed since this time last year.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports is ranking all 65 of the power five head coaches in college football, and with that he has Tucker in the top 25. Tucker jumped 33 spots from last year and came in at No. 24 in Fornelli’s rankings.

Here’s a little of what Fornelli had to say about Tucker:

“Tucker was at 57 last season following a 2-5 debut at Michigan State, but an 11-2 record and Peach Bowl victory catapult him into the top 25. The trick will be to see if he can keep it up because expectations have been raised.”

Tucker ranked No. 8 among Big Ten coaches, falling behind  Ryan Day (No. 6), Jim Harbaugh (No. 9), Kirk Ferentz (No. 13), Paul Chryst (No. 14), James Franklin (No. 15), Pat Fitzgerald (No. 21) and P.J. Fleck (No. 24).

Tucker will be entering his third year as the Spartans’ head coach this fall with an overall record of 13-7. That record alone isn’t anything to sneeze at, but the type of transformation he has already done with Michigan State’s roster and taking a team many picked to finish last in the Big Ten East Division entering last year to 11-2 with a Peach Bowl victory is why he’s so high in these rankings.

Click on the tweet below to see the complete write-up on Tucker from Fornelli and the rest of his power five coaches rankings:

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National writer disagrees with Swinney dropping in this Power 5 coaches ranking

On Wednesday, CBS Sports released its ranking of the top 25 Power Five college football coaches entering the 2022 season. After a panel of CBS Sports’ college football experts cast their ballots, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney came out ranked as the No. 3 …

On Wednesday, CBS Sports released its ranking of the top 25 Power Five college football coaches entering the 2022 season.

After a panel of CBS Sports’ college football experts cast their ballots, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney came out ranked as the No. 3 coach on the list, behind Alabama’s Nick Saban at No. 1 and Georgia’s Kirby Smart at No. 2.

Swinney fell one spot from his ranking of No. 2 on CBS Sports’ coaches ranking in 2021, and CBS Sports Writer Tom Fornelli does not agree with Swinney dropping in the rankings behind Smart — who was ranked No. 7 last year before taking Swinney’s previous spot at No. 2 after leading Georgia to the national title last season.

“This is the worst ranking of the year, and it’s nothing but recency bias,” Fornelli wrote regarding Swinney’s ranking. “There are two coaches in the sport today who have won multiple national titles, and Swinney is one of them. He’s won two at Clemson, but last season, in what’s considered a “down year” by the standards Swinney himself set, the Tigers “only” won 10 games and failed to win the ACC. Nevermind that it was the 11th straight season Swinney’s Clemson team won 10+ games or the first time they’d failed to reach the College Football Playoff since 2014. I don’t mean this as disrespect to Smart, who took Swinney’s spot at No. 2, but this is a failure by my fellow panelists.”

Under Swinney, Clemson has appeared in the College Football Playoff six times, made it to the national championship game four times and won two national titles. In the CFP era, only Saban and Alabama have more CFP appearances (seven), national title game apperances (six) and national titles (three).

Last season, Swinney guided Clemson to its 11th consecutive season of at least 10 wins. Florida State (14 from 1987-2000) and Alabama (14 from 2008-21) are the only other programs ever to post 11 consecutive 10-win seasons.

With Clemson’s victory over Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl to conclude last season, Swinney earned his 150th career win in his 14th season (including an interim stint in 2008) to move past Barry Switzer (149) for sole possession of the third-most wins through the first 15 seasons of a coaching career in FBS history. He also joined Urban Meyer (165) and Bob Stoops (160) as the only coaches in FBS history to win 150 games in the first 15 seasons of a head coaching career.

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

Seahawks 2022 NFL draft class ranked third-most impactful

The Seattle Seahawks 2022 NFL draft class has been ranked the third-most impactful overall by CBS Sports heading into the 2022 season.

Well, surprise, SURPRISE! The Seattle Seahawks 2022 NFL draft class has been ranked the third-most impactful overall by CBS Sports heading into the 2022 season.

Chris Trapasso took a close look at all 32 teams and put together his list of rookie classes he believes will have the most impact this year. As far as Seattle’s class, he had the following to say . . .

“(Charles) Cross is the instant starter at left tackle, and he’s a smooth-operating pass protector. (Ken) Walker was tied with Isaiah Spiller as my RB1 in this class, and (Coby) Bryant was one of the longest, most experienced outside corners in the class.”

“Then there’s the two edge rushers — I’m glad they addressed that spot, a blatant weak-link on defense,” Trapasso continues. “(Boye) Mafe is older but got better each season as a pass rusher and has serious juice bending the edge. (Tyreke) Smith was one of the most productive, refined edges in the entire class — yes, you read that right — over the past two seasons at Ohio State. He had no business being available in Round 5.”

Only the Chiefs’ and Giants’ draft classed ranked higher than the Seahawks’.

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CBS Sports thinks Billy Napier is better poised for Year 1 success than Brian Kelly

Which SEC coach is in a better position starting at their new job?

Whether fair or not, there will be an inherent inclination to compare the tenures of [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] at LSU and Billy Napier at Florida.

The only two SEC jobs that opened up during this past coaching carousel cycle just happened to be among the league’s preeminent programs, and with the two teams facing annually — at least for the time being — and the fact that Napier’s name was thrown around as a possibility for the opening in Baton Rouge, the comparison invites itself.

That’s really the only thing the two coaches have in common though. Napier is a young and largely unproven coach despite a very impressive effort at the Group of Five level with Louisiana, and Kelly arrives as the winningest coach in Notre Dame history looking to win his first title. The pair hail from vastly different geographic regions and have unique personalities and strengths.

But like I said, the comparison invites itself, and CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee was the latest to weigh in. He compared the two coaches to see which is better poised for immediate success in their new job. Here’s what he said about Kelly.

The good news for Kelly is that he has a very healthy quarterback battle going on in Baton Rouge. Three-year Arizona State starter Jayden Daniels moved to the bayou this offseason, former starter Myles Brennan reemerged from the transfer portal to compete for his former job and Garrett Nussmeier might have the most upside of the trio.

The running game is solid with John Emery Jr. back after a year off and Noah Cain coming in from Penn State. But the offensive line is replacing four starters and finished next-to-last in the SEC in sacks allowed per game last year with 2.92. Bottom line: it’s going to be difficult to put together sustained drives unless the new faces up front come together in a hurry.

The defensive front should be the strength of the 2022 Tigers, but the secondary has gone through a massive overhaul since the end of last season. That’s not a great sign in an SEC West that has become pass-happy at the top.

Kelly mentioned on the Texas Bowl broadcast that LSU’s roster needs to be beefed up from a quantity perspective. Graduation and attrition have taken a toll on the roster, and even though the transfer portal has made it easier to re-stock, it’s almost impossible to expect the massive influx of fresh faces to suddenly complete in the West.

Sallee’s point is understandable, given the roster turnover the Tigers saw this offseason, especially in the trenches on both sides of the football. There are intriguing transfer prospects that should play a major role, but those are far from guarantees.

That’s why he ultimately gives the edge to Napier and the Gators, though he makes it clear that he thinks both coaches will succeed in the long term — even giving Kelly the advantage in that regard.

While Kelly is more likely to have long-term success, Napier is better-positioned to see immediate success this season. He has a more stable foundation and an easier path to at least get the Gators back to relevance in the SEC.

If Richardson does emerge as a bonafide superstar as the offseason momentum indicates, he should be the catalyst for Florida to dictate the style and tempo of most games. Napier was ultra-successful with mobile quarterbacks at Louisiana, including last season with Johnson and dual-threat weapon Levi Lewis. Plus, the schedule sets up relatively well. Kentucky, South Carolina and Missouri — which constitute the beefy middle of the East — will all travel to The Swamp. LSU, on the other hand, has to go to Arkansas, Auburn and Texas A&M.

Luckily, there will be a head-to-head contest and some transitive property opportunities to compare the two. Kelly will square off with Napier in The Swamp, and both the Tigers and the Gators will battle with Florida State and Tennessee in 2022. Both also travel to Texas A&M. But the SEC West is stacked, which will make it challenging for the Tigers to make a decent bowl game this year.

Simply by virtue of having a player like Anthony Richardson, it makes sense why UF may have a higher ceiling in 2022. But with that being said, the Gators have their own roster deficiencies to deal with that rival (and in some cases, exceed) LSU’s.

We’ll have to wait until September to see what happens, but which new SEC coach has the more impressive Year 1 will be something worth watching this fall.

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Jim Nantz on Phil Mickelson: ‘He’ll be back’ but mum on whether it will be at PGA Championship

On the verge of the 104th PGA Championship, it’s still unclear whether Phil Mickelson will play.

During the Masters in April, the CBS broadcast crew rarely, if ever, mentioned the absence of three-time champion Phil Mickelson.

Out of sight, out of mind? Mickelson’s personal leave of absence didn’t go unnoticed. He’s a larger-than-life figure in the game and the support of his adoring fans was never more evident than when a scene out of a Lollapalooza concert practically lifted him to victory at the ripe age of 50 at the 2021 PGA Championship in Kiawah.

On the verge of the 104th PGA Championship, a mere seven days until Mickelson’s title defense begins at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it’s still unclear whether he will play, and, if he will address the media. Mickelson has ghosted the world since February 22 when he issued a statement that he was in desperate need of some time away to “prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”

In addition to the obvious of his title defense and that Mickelson hasn’t teed it up since January or been heard from since losing almost all of his sponsors, Alan Shipnuck’s unauthorized biography of Mickelson, which contains the excerpted quotes that have significantly altered his public image, will be released next Tuesday. The Mickelson storyline can no longer be ignored by CBS. Or can it?

On Wednesday during a media conference call, CBS’s Jim Nantz was asked (by me) an open-ended question: What advice would he give to Phil?

2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Phil Mickelson holds up a silver dollar that belonged to his grandfather during an awards ceremony after winning the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, California. At left is broadcaster Jim Nantz. (Photo: Eric Risberg/Associated Press)

Nantz did something I’d never seen him do before. The voice of CBS Sports, a man capable of waxing rhapsodic on most any subject related to the game and who has shared an intimate relationship with Mickelson for three decades, gave the question the old Heisman stiff arm. He acknowledged that he had spoken to Mickelson and said he was going to keep their conversation private.

But us media types are persistent and later on, Nantz was again asked about Mickelson and this time he offered a bit more, calling it “a totally personal decision” and concluding Mickelson will return at some point, though he didn’t offer when that might be. “Sometimes we get caught up in the cyclone of the story and we think it’s forever. It won’t be forever. He’ll be back, he’ll play, he’s got a ton of fans out there,” Nantz said. “This is a forgiving nation and there’s a million examples of people finding their way back to being on top again, and I fully expect he will one day.”

Nantz’s partner in the booth, Nick Faldo, was more willing to share his opinion, while still dancing around answering the actual question put forth of whether Mickelson should play at the PGA. His mere presence would make him the biggest storyline and Faldo expressed concern that Mickelson may struggle to find the proper mindset to put up much of a fight in his title defense.

“I think he would love to play,” Faldo said. “I personally think it’s an unbelievable mental challenge to come play after what he’s put himself through, simple as that. I don’t think it’s as easy as just getting back on the bike and arriving at a golf tournament and going and playing. The attention is going to be monumental. I don’t know whether he will be mentally ready for that.”

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Looking back and regrading Florida’s Dan Mullen hire

This is pretty much the grade you’d expect Mullen to get. Or is it?

Florida football experienced both highs and lows under former head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag], who was chosen to replace [autotag]Jim McElwain[/autotag] after putting up a 22-12 record in two-plus seasons before giving way to interim head coach [autotag]Randy Shannon[/autotag], who stumbled across the finish line in 2017 with a 1-3 record. Having served under [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag] on the two national championship teams, hopes were high in the Swamp that the former assistant and ex-head of the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ program would restore glory to the Orange and Blue.

Things went pretty well for Mullen over his first three years, earning a bid in a New Year’s Six bowl game in each of those seasons. However, the tide began to turn on him in 2020 beginning with the embarrassing loss to LSU at home — the infamous shoe-toss game — and his team’s multiple failures during the 2021 campaign led to his early dismissal and the worst finish in SEC play since 1986.

CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli recently published an article looking back at all of the hires from the 2017-18 span, comparing the initial grade received with his updated assessment. The list included the Mullen hire and here is what Fornelli had to offer.

Record: 34-15 | Accomplishments: SEC East titles (1), New Year’s Six bowl games (3), bowl games (4)

How’s it going? It depends on who you ask. The Mullen hire made plenty of sense. He was the school’s offensive coordinator when it won national titles under Urban Meyer. He was ultra-successful at Mississippi State, a program that’s proven to be one of the toughest places to win in the SEC. The problem is that what Mullen was able to do at Mississippi State to win games wasn’t enough to win as many games as Florida desired. After going 21-5 in his first two seasons, the Gators slipped to 13-10 the next two, and Mullen didn’t show much desire to recruit at the level of rival Georgia. That was the final straw, and he was fired before the end of the 2021 season. While it’s seen as a disappointing tenure, Mullen’s winning percentage of .694 at Florida is still the fifth-highest in program history and was a significant improvement over Jim McElwain and [autotag]Will Muschamp[/autotag]. Grade: B- | Original grade: A

All in all, Fornelli’s assessment is extremely fair. Mullen never really seemed to maximize the talent on his team on the field, and off the field, there were constant rumblings from the players ranging from the head coach’s distant attitude to the food that they were served. Additionally, the importance of recruiting at a high level cannot be understated in the SEC, which became the bane of the Mullen regime.

Nonetheless, the former coach does deserve some credit for getting the Gators back into the game there for a few years — and make no mistake, they were pretty fun years. But overall, ol’ Dan does not deserve much more than a passing grade.

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Tari Eason goes top-10 in this recent NBA mock draft

Eason’s stock seems to be rising as we’re just over a month out from the draft.

The 2022 NBA draft is just over a month away, and one player who could continue to see his stock rise in that span is [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag].

The former LSU forward has an interesting profile as far as a potential lottery pick is concerned. He came off the bench for the Tigers during his lone season in Baton Rouge after transferring in from Cincinnati, but that didn’t stop him from having a dominant campaign.

He led the Tigers in scoring with 16.9 points per game, which also ranked sixth in the SEC. He was named the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year and was one of the nation’s top defensive players in addition to his scoring prowess.

His well-rounded skill set makes him an intriguing prospect in this year’s draft, and in the latest mock from CBS Sports’ David Cobb, he’s projected as the ninth pick to the San Antonio Spurs.

Eason enjoyed a breakout sophomore season after transferring to LSU from Cincinnati. He can score at all three levels and is a high-upside, versatile defender. His college coaches employed him as a sixth man, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Eason cast in the same role at the next level. At 6-8, he’s like a perimeter-oriented Montrezl Harrell in terms of motor, grit and the type of role he may play.

While some may use the “sixth man” stigma against him, there’s nothing wrong with drafting a guy with a clearly defined role in mind, and it’s certainly a role that allowed Eason to flourish during his second college season.

He was one of 76 players invited to the combine next weekend, which will give him the chance to boost his stock even further. But for a player who was originally seen as a mid-late pick in the first round, Eason’s profile is beginning to rise, and we may see more high projections like this one in the coming weeks.

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Arkansas Football is this year’s “team to watch” says CBS Sports

Arkansas has the ability to “ruin some Saturday’s in the fall” says Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports.

The Southeastern Conference is home to many tough football programs.

In 2021, 13 teams were invited to bowl games. Out of those 13, two squads competed in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, while one more played in a New Year’s Six bowl.

So when it comes to finding a true “sleeper” the task seems daunting because of the sheer talent that each program brings to the table. However, if there were to be a sleeper for the 2022 season, CBS Sports would have to choose the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports has chosen his dark horses from each Power Five conference for the 2022 season, with Arkansas being his choice from the SEC, saying that the Razorbacks are capable of “ruining some Saturdays in the fall.”

The Razorbacks built on a strong debut with a 9-4 campaign and victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Arkansas won five of its last six games down the stretch, and only lost to then-No. 2 Alabama by seven points. A few key parts are off to the NFL, but quarterback KJ Jefferson should only keep growing behind an offensive line that should always be excellent. The Razorbacks get Cincinnati, South Carolina and Texas A&M in the first four weeks of the season leading into Alabama. We’ll know what to expect quickly. 

Despite not playing a team from a Power Five conference this fall, the Razorbacks will still play a solid non-conference slate. The Razorbacks open the 2022 season at home against College Football Playoff participant Cincinnati on September 3. Arkansas will also travel to BYU on October 15, and will host Liberty on November 5. Both of those teams won 8+ games and competed in bowl games in 2021.

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NFL Draft analyst high on Simpson, compares him to NFL star

This NFL Draft analyst is high on one of Clemson’s defensive standouts who could hear his name called early in next year’s draft. CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso named Tigers’ rising junior linebacker Trenton Simpson as one of his favorite defensive …

This NFL Draft analyst is high on one of Clemson’s defensive standouts who could hear his name called early in next year’s draft.

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso named Tigers’ rising junior linebacker Trenton Simpson as one of his favorite defensive prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft and compared Simpson to a first-round pick in the 2021 draft — former Penn State and current Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Micah Parsons, who was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season to go with his first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

“Trenton Simpson, who’s an off-ball linebacker but was like the No. 1 off-ball linebacker recruit a couple years ago… from the little film that I’ve watched of him of that Clemson defense, kind of has some Micah Parsons-esque ability,” Trapasso said on the Pick Six Podcast 2023 preview show.

“They use him as a blitzer and edge rusher a lot. He’s long but very chiseled already early in his college career. Trenton Simpson is a name to keep an eye on.”

A former five-star prospect ranked as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country for the 2020 recruiting class per multiple services, Simpson enters his junior season at Clemson credited with 110 tackles (18.5 for loss), 10.0 sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over 25 games (15 starts).

The Charlotte, N.C., native and Mallard Creek High School product ranked third on the Tigers’ defense with 78 tackles last season and finished second in both tackles for loss (12.0) and sacks (6.0) while also adding three pass breakups in 13 games (12 starts). He earned all-conference selections from PFF (second team) and Phil Steele (third team).

The Sporting News ranks Simpson as the top linebacker prospect for next year, while ESPN Senior NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay recently projected Simpson as the No. 22 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in his way-too-early 2023 Mock Draft (subscription required).

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Does Billy Napier have the edge on LSU’s Brian Kelly in his debut season?

Will Florida be better than LSU in 2022? Barrett Sallee seems to think so.

Florida football hit the reset button last fall when it fired former head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] and his staff, replacing them with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] along with a cadre of coaches and other personnel. The regime change signaled not just a new skipper at the helm but also a complete change in how the program goes about its business — a culture change that has already rippled across campus to other sports.

Napier is not the only nascent coach in the nation next season as several big-name schools have had their own changing of the guard. Included on that list is Southeastern Conference rival LSU, which plucked away Notre Dame‘s head coach Brian Kelly after giving ol’ Ed Orgeron the boot following yet another lackluster performance in 2021. Many in the media have hailed the move for the bayou boys but maybe they have their focus on the wrong swamp.

CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee recently published his opinion on the differences between Napier and Kelly, coming to the conclusion that the Gator will be mightier than the Tiger this coming fall in their debut campaigns — but perhaps not in the long term. Here is why Sallee thinks Napier has the edge.

While Kelly is more likely to have long-term success, Napier is better-positioned to see immediate success this season. He has a more stable foundation and an easier path to at least get the Gators back to relevance in the SEC.

Luckily, there will be a head-to-head contest and some transitive property opportunities to compare the two. Kelly will square off with Napier in The Swamp, and both the Tigers and the Gators will battle with Florida State and Tennessee in 2022. Both also travel to Texas A&M. But the SEC West is stacked, which will make it challenging for the Tigers to make a decent bowl game this year.

While Sallee makes a good point about the talent that the Gators currently have at their disposal — especially in the potential that Richardson possesses — neither school really has an easy path to success and one could argue that Florida’s schedule is harder despite the home/away splits. UF opens up against a top-five team in Utah with just USF and East Washington as their “soft” opponents while LSU has Southern, New Mexico and UAB to kick around.

Either way, a strong start would be a huge boon to the program, giving Napier the credibility he will need to bring in a top-level recruiting class in 2023. The entire Gator Nation is counting on him.

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