Tag: college

Trask ranked among the top quarterbacks for the 2021 NFL Draft

Here’s what CBS’ Ryan Wilson had to say about putting Kyle Trask in the No. 4 spot behind Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance.

Many media figures around the country may not have known his name heading into the 2019 season, but UF quarterback Kyle Trask’s performance filling in for Feleipe Franks, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the third game, has attracted some attention.

With the 2020 season (hopefully) on the horizon, the Gators’ signal-caller is ranked among the top passers in college football, listed at No. 4 on a watchlist for the 2021 NFL Draft from CBS Sports.

Trask is behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields, both incredibly talented quarterbacks who led their respective schools to playoff appearances in 2019. Fields was also a Heisman finalist along with his teammate Chase Young and LSU’s Joe Burrow, who won the award.

He’s also behind North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, who has gotten some attention this offseason after scoring 42 total touchdowns last season (28 passing and 14 rushing). Lance, who plays in the FCS, may not be a household name, but playing for the powerhouse Bison should allow him ample opportunity to show off his skills, albeit at a lower level than the other passers on this list.

Here’s what CBS’ Ryan Wilson had to say about putting Trask in the No. 4 spot behind Lawrence, Fields and Lance.

“Steady as she goes” might be the best way to describe Trask’s game. He’s not flashy but he’s efficient, and in the NFL the ability to do the right thing from one play to the next is more important than flashing once a series while drives stall out. Before taking over for Feleipe Franks last season, Trask had played in just three games. He played in 12 games in 2019 and completed 66.9 percent of his throws with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Trask’s nickname should be ‘Textbook’ because his footwork in the pocket is consistently on point, and more importantly, he gets the ball out on time, accurately, and he rarely looks confused by what he sees pre-snap. While we’re not expecting him to make a Burrow-like leap in ’20 we wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to improve and Trask finds his way into Round 1 conversations in the spring.

Trask is listed ahead of the No. 5 quarterback, Georgia’s Jamie Newman, who is a graduate transfer from Wake Forest that joined the Bulldogs this spring. He’s also ranked above several notable quarterbacks in the “Other Names to Watch” list, including conference foes in Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond and Mississippi State’s grad transfer K.J. Costello, as well as rival Miami’s D’Eriq King.

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The Athletic lists Florida’s Kyle Trask among best 2021 draft-eligible quarterbacks

The highest-ranked senior to appear on the list, Florida’s Kyle Trask slotted in at No. 4 noting his mental approach as his strongest asset.

Headlined by LSU Tiger Joe Burrow, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, and followed closely by Alabama standout Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon Duck Justin Herbert, three quarterbacks were selected in the first six picks of the 2020 National Football League Draft.

The Athletic’s Dave Brugler peeked ahead at the likely chart-topping names in the 2021 class, releasing his rankings of the five best draft-eligible signal-callers on July 9 (subscription required).

For each prospect, Brugler identified their best trait, as well as an area they must improve.

Not surprisingly, Clemson Tigers junior Trevor Lawrence occupied the No. 1 spot on his list. Viewed as a future top pick since he claimed the starting job from Kelly Bryant in 2018, Lawrence’s athletic arm talent was noted as his best trait, while Brugler said he would like to see the Cartersville (Georgia) product improve his placement consistency.

Underclassmen made up the No. 2 & 3 spots, as well, in the form of North Dakota State Bison redshirt sophomore Trey Lance and Ohio State Buckeyes junior Justin Fields, respectively.

The highest-ranked senior to appear on the list, Florida’s Kyle Trask slotted in at No. 4. Noting his mental approach as his strongest asset, here is what Brugler had to say about the positives in Trask’s game.

“The first takeaway from Trask’s tape is his mental grasp of the position. He understands timing, trajectory and touch while reading the entire field and working his progressions. Trask’s ability to win with his mind is impressive, but it is even more encouraging when considering his relative inexperience (last season was his first as a full-time starter since his freshman year of high school).”

As for the area the Manvel, Texas export needs to improve, Brugler pointed to his tendency to attempt low-percentage passes.

“Trask has impressive tape considering his inexperience, but his lack of on-field reps also shows at times, especially when it comes to low-percentage throws.

“While he isn’t careless with the football, he can be overconfident at times, forcing throws into heavy coverage. Trask has good-but-not-great velocity on his throws, which also lowers his margin for error. Entering his final college season, scouts want to see Trask eliminate those low-percentage throws.”

Rounding out the top-five was Texas Longhorns senior Sam Ehlinger, a player who has served as a starter since his freshman year in Austin.

Throwing for 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while guiding the Gators to an 8-2 record in his starts a year ago, Trask is aiming to become the program’s first quarterback to be selected in the NFL Draft since Tim Tebow was chosen by the Denver Broncos at No. 25 in 2010.

Tentatively, Trask and Florida are slated to begin their 2020 campaign at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 5 against the Eastern Washington Eagles. As we have seen with the Big Ten (B1G) announcing a conference-only schedule on July 9, there is a possibility — perhaps a strong possibility — this will change.

Southeastern Conference (SEC) athletic directors are scheduled to meet with the league’s commissioner, Greg Sankey, in Birmingham, Alabama on July 13 to discuss their options for the upcoming season, with a decision and a formal announcement expected later in the month.

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Gators News: July 10, 2020

Another week is almost in the books on this Friday and what a week it was for North American sports — particularly in the collegiate realm.

Another week is almost in the books on this Friday and what a week it was for North American sports — particularly in the collegiate realm.

Here is a quick breakdown of the latest voices from USA TODAY Sports on what has transpired over the past 48 hours.

Here is the rest of the news from the Gator Nation.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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Revisiting Florida football’s top recruiting class of the decade in 2010

UF had the nation’s top recruiting class in 2010 but a series of factors including bad injury luck kept it from manifesting on the field.

Nothing is ever certain in college football. Five-star quarterbacks can disappoint and loaded recruiting classes can be blown up by academic disqualification or disciplinary issues. Even the best recruiting cycles on paper can be a letdown.

This was the case for UF’s 2010 recruiting class.

The 2010 class was disappointing across the board. ESPN ranked its group of five stars as the weakest over the last ten years. Of its 12 five stars, eight were drafted, but many of them had disappointing college careers due to off the field issues or injuries.

UF recruited four five-star recruits in that class, including the No. 1 prospect in Ronald Powell. They also landed Dominique Easley, Matt Elam and Jonathan Dowling. All four were drafted, though perhaps only Elam, who was selected in the first round after his UF career, lived up to expectations. Easley and Powell both showed moments of greatness, but injuries limited them significantly. Dowling spent one season at UF before transferring to Western Kentucky, eventually getting drafted in the seventh round.

The Gators had the nation’s top recruiting class in 2010, but a series of factors such as coaching changes and bad injury luck kept it from manifesting on the field, and the class preceded one of the most frustrating periods in modern program history.

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Florida Gators football schedules home-and-home with North Carolina State

The Florida Gators and North Carolina State Wolfpack announced via Twitter a future home-and-home series on Thursday between the two schools

The Florida Gators and North Carolina State Wolfpack announced a future home-and-home series on Thursday.

Both schools shared the news on their official Twitter accounts.

The series will begin in 2026 with the Gators making the trip to Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, and the Wolfpack traveling to Gainesville in 2032 to complete the two-game set.

These two programs have met 14 times before, with the last meeting coming in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Eve in 1992. Florida won that contest, 27-10, and holds a 9-4-1 all-time advantage.

A member of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) Atlantic Division, North Carolina State is coached by Dave Doeren, who is entering his eighth season at the helm.

After leading the Wolfpack to five-straight bowl appearances from 2014-18, the program limped to a 4-8 record a year ago. Doeren’s squad is scheduled to begin the 2020 campaign on September 2 with a road divisional clash against the Louisville Cardinals, followed by hosting a Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, in their home-opener on September 12.

Set to begin the third year of his tenure, Dan Mullen’s Gators are slated to host the Eastern Washington Eagles in their season-opener on September 5.

In addition to their annual rivalry with the Florida State Seminoles, Florida has one other ACC foe on their upcoming non-conference schedule, a home-and-home with the Miami Hurricanes in 2024-25.

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Florida Gators fall two spots in ESPN 2021 football recruiting rankings

ESPN released their updated 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 6 with the Florida Gators dropping two spots to No. 7 in the nation.

ESPN released their updated 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 6 (subscription required), with the Florida Gators dropping two spots to No. 7 in the nation.

“Dan Mullen’s third consecutive top-10 class in Gainesville is a near lock coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and top-10 Associated Press Poll finishes, as well as the hiring of ace recruiter Tim Brewster,” the network began of their breakdown.

“Brewster immediately addressed the need at tight end with ESPN 300s Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis. There are two quarterbacks in the class in ESPN 300 Carlos Del Rio and four-star Texan Jalen Kitna.

“A pair of ESPN 300 wide receivers are in the fold in Trevonte Rucker from an hour’s drive away and Georgia playmaker Daejon Reynolds. ESPN 300 in-state athlete Charles Montgomery could play on either side of the football.

“ESPN 300 Chief Borders is a versatile jumbo athlete, who projects as an outside linebacker. ESPN 300 (cornerback) Clinton Burton, Jr. starred at the Under Armour Future 50. Joining Burton in a talented secondary group is ESPN 300 and Tennessee flip Kamar Wilcoxson and LSU flip Dakota Mitchell. ESPN 300 defensive end Tyreak Sapp will likely move to defensive tackle long-term.”

Last month was a busy one on the recruiting trail for Mullen’s staff, as the program added Mitchell, Wilcoxson, and Tampa cornerback Jordan Young in a four-day span from June 18-21.

Despite this run on talented players in the defensive backfield, the Gators were jumped by the Oregon Ducks, who moved up two spots in ESPN’s rankings to No. 5, and LSU, who saw a whopping five-spot increase to No. 6.

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Holding steady, the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to occupy the No. 1 spot, with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Tennessee, and Clemson Tigers completing the top-four.

Led by Del Rio, who will play his senior season at Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia, Florida has 10 commits ranked in the ESPN 300, the second-most in the Southeastern Conference, trailing only LSU’s 11.

Other SEC schools to make ESPN’s top-25 were the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 13, Georgia Bulldogs at No. 14, Auburn Tigers at No. 21, and Texas A&M Aggies at No. 23.

While the two-spot drop is not what Gator fans would like to see, this No. 7 ranking is still two places higher than the program’s rating on 247Sports, which grades Mullen’s group as the ninth-best in America.

Florida is still chasing several players in the upcoming cycle who could vault the program back into the top-five, including Miami five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, a player whom the school possesses all four of his Crystal Ball predictions, and IMG Academy four-star linebacker Xavian Sorey, considered by many industry experts to be an Alabama lean but one position coach Christian Robinson has been prioritizing.

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Champ Bailey among 4 ex-Broncos nominated for College Football Hall of Fame

Champ Bailey is among four ex-Broncos players who were nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced 177 players and 40 coaches nominated for the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame class on Tuesday.

Former Georgia cornerback Champ Bailey headlines the list of ex-Broncos players who are on this year’s ballot. Bailey is joined by Hawaii kicker Jason Elam, Stanford wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and Tennessee linebacker Al Wilson.

Denver’s defensive line coach, Bill Kollar (Montana State defensive end), was also nominated for college football’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.

Bailey spent time at cornerback, wide receiver and returner while with the Bulldogs, helping Georgia win the Peach Bowl in 1998. After earning consensus first-team All-American honors, Bailey was selected by the Redskins with the seventh overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft.

Five years later, Washington traded Bailey to the Broncos and he went on to become one of the greatest players in franchise history. During his 15-year career, Bailey earned 12 Pro Bowl nods and seven All-Pro selections.

A member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team and the Broncos’ 50th Anniversary Team, Bailey was added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. He totaled 908 tackles, three sacks and 52 interceptions in the NFL.

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Pair of Notre Dame Greats Among College Football HOF Finalists

Notre Dame has the most players enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and may be getting a pair more this year. Find out more here!

No school has more College Football Hall of Famers than Notre Dame with 44.

USC checks in second with 30, Michigan third with 25 and Ohio State has seen 23 enshrined.

Now Notre Dame has a chance to add a couple more names to that list as two former Irish greats are among the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame finalists that were announced on Tuesday.

Bob Golic starred at linebacker for the Irish from 1975-78 and to this day has the second most tackles in Notre Dame football history with 479.  His 26 tackles against Michigan in 1978 remain the most ever by an Irish player in a single game.  Golic helped Notre Dame to a national championship in 1977 and returned to become a unanimous First-Team All-American and Lombardi Award finalist in 1978.  Golic played for the Patriots, Browns and Oilers during his NFL career that spanned from 1979-1992, earning three Pro Bowl appearances along the way.

Legendary Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor is the other finalist.  Taylor was the best member of a road-grading offensive line on the ’92 and ’93 teams, earning All-American honors both seasons and winning the Lombardi Award in ’93.  He helped guide Notre Dame to four straight bowl games and nearly capped his college career with a 1993 national championship before being selected in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.

Raghib “Rocket” Ismail is the most recent Notre Dame player to earn selection into the College Football Hall of Fame, doing so in the 2019 class.

For the criteria for Hall of Fame consideration, click ahead…

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Notre Dame cancels study abroad program for fall

Notre Dame’s football team won’t be the only Notre Dame students not traveling abroad this fall. Find out the latest here.

Notre Dame football was supposed to start their season in Dublin, Ireland, taking on Navy to begin the 2020 college football season.  Instead that game will be played a week later and in the United States.

The football team won’t be the only students not traveling abroad this fall however as the University has announced the cancellation of the 2020 study abroad program for this fall.

From Notre Dame’s student newspaper, “The Observer”:

“We understand how disheartening and disappointing this is to you, but please know that we are committed to your international education,” Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization and Hong Zhu, senior director of global education, said in an email.

It’s another story that isn’t at all a surprise to read but is news nonetheless.  As expected as it may have been it still does stink for college students to not be able to study abroad after likely planning on dreaming of doing such a thing for so long.

 

Clemson’s Jacob Bridgeman has ‘solid’ year; poised for bigger things

Bridgeman led Clemson and was seventh in the ACC with a 70.14 scoring average and finished worse than 18th just twice in seven starts.

The premature ending to spring athletics due to the coronavirus was a shocking sudden conclusion for all involved, but it especially came at the most inopportune time for Jacob Bridgeman.

The current Clemson standout was heading into the final stretch of his sophomore year with abundant momentum. He not only won the final event of the abbreviated season posting 12 under (67-66-65) at the Palmetto Intercollegiate in Aiken, but equaled the second-lowest 54-hole score in Clemson history.

His four-shot win over teammate Turk Pettit tied the fourth-largest margin of victory at the program. The Tigers also won the event with a second-consecutive top-five finish in team play.

And then just like that, the season was over.

“Pretty much everyone on our team was playing well, all shot a low round, and that was probably one of the best weeks I’ve ever played,” said Bridgeman, who regularly plays out of Inman’s Woodfin Ridge. “So we were looking to make a charge in the spring and were hosting the (NCAA) regional. Playing a regional at your home course when you’re a really good team is almost like an automatic bid (into the national championship event). So that was real disappointing because we had such a big advantage I thought playing at our home course. But what can you do.”

As for his individual win, Bridgeman said, “I was hitting it awesome, putting great and coach (Larry) Penley felt I had total control of my golf ball and I agreed. I never really felt like that before, maybe a few years ago, but a couple days after that tournament is when we found out everything was shutting down. We took it pretty bad. We were all out playing one day and were told everything was canceled and it was really depressing.”

Bridgeman added, “We went to dinner and sat there not saying a word because we really didn’t know what to do. At the time my roommate Will (Nottingham) was a senior and we felt he was done, so it was really hard for us. Thank goodness he gets another year and is coming back.”

The NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to student-athletes competing in spring sports.

Bridgeman led Clemson and was seventh in the ACC with a 70.14 scoring average and finished worse than 18th just twice in seven starts. He only posted two tournaments that were over par and his other five starts he was no worse than 4 under in each. He earned honorable mention All-American honors from the Golf Collegiate Golf Coaches Association.

“Most every tournament I had one or two good rounds and then kind of a mediocre one that kind of kept me from winning,” Bridgeman said. “It was a really solid year. Wish I could’ve played and finished better at certain places but finishing with a win was pretty exciting.”

Bridgman has been living in Clemson off-campus and trying to get practice in as much as possible during the pandemic closures to many practice facilities including the school’s Walker Course range. His summer tournament schedule has so far been uninterrupted as he’d planned on playing only four tournaments, none of which have been canceled.

He wasn’t going to play until the July 15 Southern Amateur outside Dallas, Texas. He then planned on playing two other July events before the U.S. Amateur in August at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind.

Currently Clemson’s active leader in career stroke average at 71.21, Bridgeman enters the summer at No. 33 in the Golfweek/Sagarin college rankings and No. 141 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. While he’s been a regular in Clemson’s starting lineup each of his two seasons, Bridgeman was a different player this year.

“I got a lot smarter with how to play,” he said. “I think that was the biggest thing for me, getting a lot stronger mentally. And I got stronger physically, too, started working out a lot. I made my body to where I could trust it over and over to do what I wanted to do and then my mind was strong enough if I got into a bad spot I knew what my strengths and weaknesses were and how to approach different situations.”