Tag: Charlie Kolar

Cardinals land pass rusher, OL, TE in new 3-round mock draft

Check out the players the Cardinals get in the latest three-round mock draft from Luke Easterling.

It is the offseason for the Arizona Cardinals we look ahead to the NFL draft. Prospect evaluations have begun.

The Cardinals hold the 23rd overall pick in the draft and could go a number of ways with their first pick.

At this point in the predraft projections, it is more about matching potential talent with needs.

In the latest three-round mock draft from Draft Wire managing editor Luke Easterling, the Cardinals pick up a pass rusher, a lineman and a tight end with their first three selections in the draft.

Check out who they are.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Titans take EDGE, TE in Draft Wire’s latest 3-round mock

The Titans are unlikely to take an edge rusher this early in the draft, if at all.

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The Tennessee Titans still have the playoffs to embark on, but the 2022 NFL draft is also right around the corner, with the event set to begin on April 28 in Las Vegas.

In his latest three-round mock draft, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Titans taking edge rusher Myjai Sanders out of Cincinnati in the first round, and then Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar in the third.

Of course, Tennessee doesn’t own a second-round pick in the upcoming draft after it was traded to the Atlanta Falcons as part of the Julio Jones deal.

Before we analyze these picks, here’s what Easterling had to say about Sanders and why he’s a fit for Tennessee:

Harold Landry had a breakout season, but who knows what the future holds for Bud Dupree in Tennessee. The Titans would be wise to use this pick on a young, promising edge rusher, and Sanders has all the physical tools to quickly develop into a dynamic defender in the pros.

While we are a fan of Sanders as a player, chances are the Titans wouldn’t take an edge rusher this early unless Harold Landry flies the coop in free agency. We don’t expect that to happen.

The Titans also have Bud Dupree signed for the next four years, and fourth-round pick Rashad Weaver will be returning from injury in 2022. As long as Landry and those two return next season, the Titans will likely wait on selecting an edge rusher, if they take one at all.

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As far as the third-round pick is concerned, taking a tight end in that spot is much more likely.

Tennessee never really filled the hole at tight end after Jonnu Smith left, and while MyCole Pruitt, Geoff Swaim and Anthony Firkser have done a decent job as a whole in a three-man rotation, none of them appear to be long-term solutions as an every-down tight end.

Kolar (6-foot-6, 255 pounds) is coming off a senior season in which he posted his best numbers in college. He reeled in career-highs in receptions (62), yards (756), and added six touchdowns. Jordan Reid of The Draft Network says Kolar is an “average blocker.”

Sanders (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) saw his sack total go down from 10.5 in 2020 to just 2.5 in 2021 despite playing in four more games. He also added 7.5 tackles for loss, one pass defended and one fumble recovery.

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Reaction to Michael Mayer not being Mackey Award finalist

What are we even doing at this point?

Michael Mayer is as good of tight end as there is in college football.  Literally as good and you would have real trouble convincing anyone who has paid attention nationally that he’s not the very best.

However, the Notre Dame tight end was left off of the list of finalists for the Mackey Award that goes to the nation’s best tight end.

Here is who the three finalists are:

Charlie Kolar, Iowa State:  53 receptions, 653 yards, 5 TD
Trey McBride, Colorado State: 80 receptions, 927 yards, 1 TD
Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M: 36 receptions, 491 yards, 4 TD

For comparison, not that stats tell the entire story, here is what Mayer has done:

Michael Mayer, Notre Dame:  55 receptions, 663 yards, 5 TD

As many touchdowns as any, more receptions and receiving yards than three of the four, and and a very good blocker to boot.

For what it’s worth, the award should be a battle between Mayer and Brock Bowers of Georgia.  However, it’s just not going to go to the actual best tight end in the nation in 2021, it’s plain and simple.

Kolar is great and will probably be a mid-round draft pick but is he on there as a lifetime achievement award?

Wyderman on there because they need SEC representation?  Brock Bowers had a better year, for your information.

McBride stats are great, at least the receptions and yardage.  Red zone threat?  Not so much.  But I digress.

It was Kyren Williams getting the shaft last week and now Mayer this week.  Here are some of the reactions to the unfortunate news for Mayer and the award on Tuesday:

Defense leads the way as the Oklahoma Sooners defeat Iowa State 28-21

Game recap of Oklahoma’s win vs Iowa State at home on Senior Day.

While it wasn’t always the prettiest display of football, the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves back in the win column after beating the Iowa State Cyclones 28-21. Coming off a tough loss on the road against the Baylor Bears, the Sooners had one week to turn the page and figure out how to stop an underachieving but tough Iowa State team.

The defense led the way for the Sooners. A unit that is was finally healthy for the first time since September dominated large chunks of the game. The Oklahoma defense amassed seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, forced multiple fumbles (Key Lawrence had two), and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by Jalen Redmond. When the Sooners needed a play to seal the game, it was senior Pat Fields who came through with the timely interception.

The Iowa State Cyclones would start the scoring by driving down the field, aided by a few penalties, and a gratuitous review in the red zone that led to a Breece Hall touchdown run.

On the next drive, Caleb Williams would take a quarterback keeper 74 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at seven apiece. The defenses would settle in and the two teams would trade punts until the Sooners would muster up enough offense to get into field goal range. Kicker Gabe Brkic would miss his third consecutive kick, this time 25 yards out as it banged off the left upright.

The Cyclones would meticulously get downfield before Key Lawrence came in like a heat-seeking missile and blast Brock Purdy, forcing the fumble that Redmond would return for the Sooners’ second score of the game just before halftime.

The Sooners defense would come out of halftime still dominating defensively, while the offense continued to find itself. Oklahoma’s defensive line was relentless and on a 4th down got a stop that gave the Sooner prime field position. On Oklahoma’s ensuing drive, they’d march down the field, ultimately leading to Caleb Williams touchdown pass to Mario Williams. Williams, who played sparsely last week made an incredible catch and toe-touch on the sideline to make it a two-score game.

Brock Purdy was replaced by Hunter Dekkers due to injury on the next drive and came in and tossed an interception to Delarrin Turner-Yell. The Sooners’ offense wouldn’t take advantage of the interception as Caleb Williams tossed his third interception in two games on the following drive.

Dekkers led the Cyclones to the red zone where he’d find tight end Chase Allen for the touchdown to make it 21-14.

On Oklahoma’s next drive, the offensive line and the running game would take over. Kennedy Brooks led the way with 43 yards on three carries and the Sooners would be the beneficiaries of an Iowa State facemask penalty. Eric Gray would cap off the drive in the fourth quarter with a seven-yard touchdown run to make it 28-14.

Ultimately, “Speed D” would be the difference. Iowa State scored once more to close the gap to 28-21, but on the final drive with Brock Purdy back in the game, the Cyclones got to the Sooners 21-yard line, but faced a fourth and 10. Purdy dropped back to pass and looked to have plenty of time before he released the ball just out of the reach of tight end Chase Allen, who knocked the ball into the air before it was secured by senior Pat Fields for the interception. It was a fitting end to an emotional senior say for him and the rest of the Sooners senior class on Saturday.

Caleb Williams would take a knee and finish his day 8/18 for 87 yards with one touchdown pass, one interception, and one 74-yard rushing touchdown. Kennedy Brooks led the way with 17 carries and 115 yards.

The win was Oklahoma’s 10th on the season and guarantees that with one more Baylor loss or a win next week in Bedlam against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Sooners will make another trip to Arlington, Texas to play in the Big 12 Championship game.

For Iowa State, the loss drops them to 6-5 on the season. They’ll end their Big 12 campaign at home against TCU.

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

Final thoughts as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to face Iowa State

As we get ready for what looks like a fantastic day of college football, here are some final thoughts on the Sooners matchup with Iowa State

After a week focused on what went wrong in the Baylor game and the head coach answering questions about another job, the Oklahoma Sooners finally get to play football today. Back home in the comfy confines of Gaylor Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the Sooners get set to take on an Iowa State Cyclones team that has been a bit peskier in recent years than the one-sided historical results might indicate.

Oklahoma holds a 77-7-2 edge in the all-time series, however, Oklahoma is just 3-2 against Iowa State over the last five matchups, including last year’s Big 12 championship game.

Two wins in the last five games. According to Winsipedia, the Oklahoma Sooners lost just twice between 1961 and 2016. This Iowa State team has a chance to even up the series between the two schools since Lincoln Riley took over in 2017.

The Cyclones are certainly good enough when they’re playing their best football. However, they’ve suffered several letdowns in losses to Baylor, West Virginia, and Texas Tech. They’re still a good team with a good head coach.

For the Oklahoma Sooners to stay in the Big 12 title hunt, they need to win this game. As we get set for the 11 a.m. kickoff in Norman, here are this week’s final thoughts.

Five reasons the Oklahoma Sooners will beat the Iowa State Cyclones

In search of a bounce-back performance, here are 5 reasons why the Oklahoma Sooners will beat the Iowa State Cyclones.

Oklahoma and Iowa State has become much more of a competitive affair of late. In the last five games, the Sooners own the edge, 3-2, but the games have been competitive for the most part.

The margin between the two schools when they’ve played has been razor-thin., and the latest matchup will likely be no different. Despite the record, the Cyclones are a talented group led by quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Breece Hall, tight end Charlie Kolar, and linebacker Mike Rose.

Both teams come into the game on the heels of a loss. So, what will separate these two come Saturday afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma? What will be the difference and the reason Oklahoma gets the win?

3 Defensive Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win vs. the Iowa State Cyclones

What does the Oklahoma Sooners defense need to do to slow down the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday? Here are 3 keys to the game.

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It’s put up or shut up time for these Oklahoma Sooners. A win against Iowa State keeps a flicker of hope for the College Football Playoff alive while a loss in their final home game seals their CFP hopes and puts their Big 12 title defense in really choppy waters.

Baylor bludgeoned this Sooners defense into a corner like a boxer. Body shots rained down until the fourth quarter when the Bears would eventually land the major haymakers needed to knock down the Sooners. For Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears, the running game did the trick. As the Sooners are ready for the Iowa State Cyclones, the tune is eerily similar to last week, with an added focus on Iowa State’s tight ends.

The Cyclones feature Breece Hall, who some consider the second-best back in the conference. Hall will play on Sundays for sure. He’s a tough, hard-nosed back that can make one cut and get moving.

Brock Purdy mans the quarterback position. He’s a veteran in Matt Campbell’s offense and plays behind a veteran offensive line the Sooners defense is quite familiar with.

The Iowa State passing game will rally around wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and a pair of good tight ends in Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen.

With that said, how does the Sooner defense bottle up this Iowa State defense enough that it gives their offense a chance to succeed?

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Oklahoma Sooners prepare to see Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar once more

One of the keys to shutting down Iowa State will be how well Oklahoma handles the defensive assignment of the Cyclones’ Charlie Kolar.

Oklahoma head football coach Lincoln Riley had plenty of nice things to say about the challenge Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar presents.

“He’s tough, man. All of the tight ends they have are. They do a good job using those guys, moving them around. Creative with the route concepts that they run, whether they’re dropbacks or play-actions. Charlie’s especially tough because just his ability to run really crisp routes,” Riley said.

Obviously, the Sooners see Kolar’s talent on tape. Still, it’s a different challenge altogether once Oklahoma actually gets its chance to defend him on the field.

“You watch him run and you don’t appreciate how big he is. You get on the field with him and a big human that can in a lot of ways kind of runs and gets in and out of cuts like a wide out. You combine that with that big frame, the hands he has, the experience he has. He’s a tremendous player,” Riley said.

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch echoed those sentiments.

“It’s one thing to be big. It’s not as if Kolar is the only tall tight end in the country. His skillset and what they allow him to do and what he’s able to do is just a unique challenge. Whether it’s zone or man, it’s a challenge for defenses,” Grinch said.

The 6-foot-6 Kolar has given Oklahoma fits in the past. Last season, Kolar grabbed four receptions for 66 yards in the Cyclones’ 37-30 win in the regular season. Then, Kolar pulled down six grabs for 92 yards with a touchdown in the Sooners’ 27-21 Big 12 championship game win.

That also doesn’t account for the pass interference penalties Kolar has drawn in his meetings with Oklahoma.

It helps Kolar and Iowa State that they have an experienced quarterback in senior Brock Purdy and one of the best running backs both in the Big 12 and nationally in junior Breece Hall.

“I think what they’re able to do with their tight ends, you know, that coaching staff just does a tremendous job of finding ways to exploit you defensively. Obviously, you open a lot of things up with the run game. You’ve got an experienced quarterback that’s been doing it a long time at a high level,” Grinch said.

The Sooners are expecting more of what they’ve seen from Iowa State in the past. Lots of pre-snap motions.

“I think in a lot of ways when I watch them it’s kind of nothing’s out of the realm of possible in terms of flexing out tight ends and 13-personnel means nothing because you get every different formation. There’s a pretty good chance they’re going to motion on that particular down whether attached or not,” Grinch said.

Despite Iowa State’s 6-4 record, Oklahoma expects one of its stiffer challenges of the season. Kolar represents one of the many reasons why.

Riley’s only wish? That the redshirt senior from Norman wasn’t still on campus for the Cyclones.

“I would imagine with all that’s going on in the NFL right now in terms of how people are using those guys that he’s going to have a bright future. Always root for a guy from here. I just wish he would have went ahead and left already. He’s a good one,” Riley said.

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

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Lions 7-round mock draft for the bye week

It’s time for the first full Detroit Lions 2022 NFL mock draft!

The Lions are off on Sunday, giving us a little break from the excitement of the game and the unfortunate losing streak that dates back almost a full calendar year. That can only mean one thing…

It’s time for the first full Detroit Lions 2022 NFL mock draft!

Here’s the first projection for each Lions pick in the next draft. The draft order is the current order as of November 6th.

The first few picks are taken from the 2-round mock draft I composed for RealGM this week. Use that as a reference for what players were available for each of the Lions picks, too.

CBS Sports analyst deems Sooners foe overrated in AP Top 25

With the first release of the AP Top 25 poll for 2021, Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports named one of the Sooners greatest threats for the Big 12 title as overrated.

The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 2 in the first AP Top 25 poll of 2021. Garnering six first-place votes behind defending national champion Alabama, the expectations for the Sooners continue to rise as the 2021 season approaches.

As he did with the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches’ poll, Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports broke down the overrated and underrated teams in the AP Top 25. Iowa State, for as good as it should be in 2021, was deemed overrated at No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

There’s no doubt that the Cyclones are one of the chic picks to make a run at the College Football Playoff after returning a medium-sized village of starters, including star running back Breece Hall and quarterback Brock Purdy. Let’s tap the brakes on that just a bit, though. While the ‘Clones will be a tough out yet again this year thanks to experience and the coaching acumen of Matt Campbell, ranking them ahead of more talented teams like Notre Dame and Oregon is just a tad bit aggressive. I had Iowa State in my CBS Sports 130 ballot. Nothing against Iowa State as a program … I just don’t see it playing at the same level as the big boys in 2021. — Sallee

It’s an interesting stance considering the Cyclones have beaten Oklahoma twice in the last four years, including last year’s win in Ames, Iowa. They return Brock Purdy and his favorite target Charlie Kolar. They bring back Breece Hall to pound away at opposing defenses. On defense, they bring back Mike Rose to roam the middle.

The average margin of victory in the matchup between the two top programs in the Big 12 is 6.2 points. The largest margin of victory going to Oklahoma in 2018 when the Sooners won 37-27 in Ames.

They’re an experienced group. Under the leadership of Matt Campbell, they’ll be one of the best teams in the Big 12 in 2021. They may not win the Big 12 in 2021, but they’ve taken steps forward as a college football program and look ready to assert that they are one of the best teams in the country.