The award is given to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic, as well as academic achievement.
Forristall is one of 114 players who were named to the watch list.
Alabama has had one player in Crimson Tide history to win the award: Barrett Jones in 2011.
Alabama had this to say about Forristall’s community service:
“Contributed over 200 hours of community service during his time at the Capstone … attended two separate mission trips with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) … spent a week in Costa Rica coaching football camps while also helping to educate the community on healthy habitats and community conditions … also traveled to a Nicaraguan Refugee Camp with fellow FCA student-athletes … participated in hospital visits and community service events on the Crimson Tide’s bowl trips.”
In his career at Alabama, Forristall has recorded 18 receptions for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Last season, he had 15 receptions for 167 yards, and 4 touchdowns.
The winner of the award will be announced on Dec. 8 at a National Football Foundation press conference in New York City.
According to an NYDN report, EDGE Bryce Huff and DB Shyeim Carter received the most guaranteed money out of the Jets’ undrafted free agents.
After adding nine players in his first draft class as Jets general manager, Joe Douglas added another nine undrafted free agents.
Based on the guaranteed money that Gang Green handed out, Memphis edge rusher Bryce Huff and Alabama defensive back Shyheim Carter are its two most coveted undrafted free agents. The Jets gave the most guaranteed money to Huff, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Huff received $90,000 in guaranteed money, which includes a $15,000 signing bonus and $75,000 guaranteed base salary, per Mehta.
New York drafted Jabari Zuniga in the third-round out of the University of Florida but wanted to add more depth at a rather thin position. In 2019, Huff ranked fourth in the nation among pass-rushers with 64 total pressures. Over the past two seasons, Huff compiled 16 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. During his senior campaign, he added 16 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. He has a chance at making an immediate impact as an edge rusher.
As a versatile defender, who can either play safety or nickel, Carter received the second-most in guaranteed money with $72,000. Carter has the football acumen to serve as a depth or rotational player but lacks the athleticism to play cornerback at the next level. Still, Gregg Williams should find a place to play for a prospect that Nick Saban has spoken very highly of.
The Jets’ larget guaranteed sum on offense went to University of Washington OT Jared Hilbers. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini originally reported, the Jets guaranteed $62,000 to Hilbers.
Hilbers has the athleticism to play either tackle position and is a sound run-blocker. He fits the mold of the swing tackles that Douglas has been putting an emphasis on between Mekhi Becton and George Fant.
Each undrafted free agent receives a three-year, $2.285 million contract, but the guaranteed money demonstrates how much a team thinks of a player. Obviously, the Jets guaranteeing a player more money means the organization believes that the player has a better chance of making the team.
Here is what the guaranteed money looks like for the remaining six players in the Jets undrafted free agent class, per Mehta.
Sterling Johnson | DT | Coastal Carolina:Â $60,000
Here are four things to know about Jets undrafted free agent DB Shyheim Carter, who played his college football at Alabama.
Shyheim Carter has always been versatile. Between playing on both sides of the football in high school and playing every position in the secondary for Alabama, Carter has excelled thanks to his football I.Q. and his all-around play.
And yet, he wasn’t viewed as a surefire NFL prospect. Not having a pro day certainly hurt Carter, but he signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent. The hope now is that Gregg Williams can make something out of the adaptable Carter.
Let’s get to know Carter a bit better with some things to know about the undrafted free agent out of Alabama.
Spurning LSU for Alabama
(Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports)
Shyheim Carter became an Alabama fan-favorite before ever stepping on the field for the Crimson Tide.
Adding fuel to an already intense college football rivalry, Carter made headlines during the recruiting process, saying that he did not like his home state team, LSU. He never gave the school any thought and they weren’t even in his final three.
âI just donât like âem,â Carter told SEC Countryâs Alex Martin Smith when asked about LSU. âThereâs something about âem I just donât like. I mean, LSUâs a great school, phenomenal school, but itâs just something personal I donât like about âem.â
After being projected to be a Day 3 pick, the former Alabama defensive back ended up going undrafted before ultimately deciding to join the Jets.
He will be joining fellow Alabama alum C.J. Mosley, as well as former Tide teammate Quinnen Williams in New York.
Carter manned the STAR position for the Crimson Tide’s defense over the last two seasons, and head coach Nick Saban has been quoted saying that Carter was one of the most intelligent players he’s ever coached.
Over the course of the last two seasons, Carter has recorded 86 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions (two of which he returned for touchdowns) and 18 pass deflections.
At 5-foot-10, 194 pounds, Carter is slightly undersized, but he possesses a good, solid build that should fit in nicely as a potential depth option on New York’s defense.
Stay tuned for more NFL draft coverage from Roll Tide Wire, part of USA TODAY Sports!
Buffalo Bills land RB Zack Moss, DE Curtis Weaver in Draft Wire’s latest four round 2020 NFL Draft mock.
Despite not having a first-round pick, in Draft Wire‘s latest four-round mock ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft still sees the Bills land a solid 1-2 punch with their first two selections.
At pick No. 54, the Bills start things off with Boise State edge defender Curtis Weaver.
Curtis Weaver #99 of the Boise State Broncos. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
Weaver is a bit of a hybrid player like Lorenzo Alexander was for the Bills. His scouting reports say the defender can lineup as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt or as a standup linebacker, but he’d likely be an end with the Bills. Overall, he had a knack for getting into the backfield in college. Weaver recorded 34.5 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss in his career at Boise State.
The Senior Bowl and recent scouting combine proved him well too, where he posted a 7.0-second time in the 3-cone drill and a 4.27-second short shuttle time. Weaver was also the 2019 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Some have Weaver pegged as a first-round edge defending talent, but with the Mountain West in mind, that’s not high-profile SEC play in college. He’ll have to proven himself as a formidable defender in the NFL with a high jump in competition en route.
Boise State's Curtis Weaver has an impressive first step/get-off for his size. He also brings heavy hands and wins with his hands constantly.
In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, the Ravens fill their biggest needs and get solid value in the middle rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft
We’re past the first big wave of NFL free agency for 2020. Big trades have been pulled off, signings have been made and the league has announced the compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL Draft. All that’s left now is what will happen on draft day.
Here’s who he has the Ravens taking with those seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
1st round (No. 28): RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
While I still don’t buy that the Ravens will grab a running back this early, Easterling’s reasoning is pretty sound for grabbing Taylor here. For one, Taylor is a much better player than his late first-round draft status would indicate, making him a solid value. Secondly, it does fill one of Baltimore’s eventual needs with Mark Ingram now over 30 years old and Edwards on a one-year ERFA deal.
With bigger needs for the Ravens at wide receiver, linebacker and pass rusher still remaining, Baltimore might be better going after guys like Yetur Gross-Matos, Justin Jefferson or Patrick Queen, who were all still on the board at No. 28.
Here is a Philadelphia Eagles Post-Combine 7-round mock draft with the compensatory picks added as well as some trades.
Fresh off of the 2020 NFL Combine, the Philadelphia Eagles got a better look at almost all of the prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. The NFL Combine isn’t the determining factor on a player, but more of a resource to help determine if what you see on film is true or if you may have missed something and should dig a little deeper.
For the Eagles, a lot of the big-name receivers showed they were as advertised. It will be interesting to see how aggressive General Manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles are on draft night, mainly because if they want one of the top 3 receivers, they will likely need to trade up.
Free agency will also help paint a better picture of what a team needs to do for the draft, but here is a post-combine 7-round mock draft for the Eagles that has the compensatory picks added (via OverTheCap.com) and features some trades using the DraftTek.com trade value chart that uses OTC’s comp picks as well.
Round 1, Pick 21: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
I do not see any of the top 3 receivers making it to Pick 21. CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs will likely be long gone well before the Eagles pick at 21. Some feel they should trade up for one of those receivers, but I think they should sit back and pick up a great consultation prize at Pick 21. Former LSU receiver Justin Jefferson would be the perfect fit in the Eaglesâ offense.
Just like Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz, Jefferson is a red zone stud. 12 of his 18 touchdowns this season were in the red zone, which is an impressive stat. In my scouting report, I mentioned that Jefferson is like 7-Eleven, heâs always open. He understands the game and it shows while he is running his routes. He would thrive in the Eaglesâ offense playing in the slot. The big question of Jefferson was his speed, but his official 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine silenced that doubt.
Eagles fans should get familiar with Jefferson, as he has a very good chance to be the pick at 21 on draft day.
For Alabama defensive backs Xavier McKinney and Shyheim Carter, playing against Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III made them infinitely better.
INDIANAPOLIS — One of the reasons Alabama has had so many outstanding defensive backs during Nick Saban’s tenure is the simple fact that Alabama has also had a ton of great receivers during Nick Saban’s tenure. For multi-position DBs such as Shyheim Carter and Xavier McKinney, their times with the Crimson Tide was defined in part by the requirements to cover Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. Not an easy thing, which is why Carter said flat-out during his Friday media session that no other receivers gave him more headaches than his own.
“The receivers at our school,” he said. “Man, itâs hard. Itâs definitely hard. But they bring out the best in you every day. You really have to be on your Ps and Qs. You can never take a play off, or youâll get beaten for a touchdown. Then, itâs the band playing in the background. Itâs great going against those guys every day. You get a chance to showcase your talent in practice, and then you do it in a game, and for me, the practices were harder than the games. Then, there are 100,000 people in the stadium, and youâre just out there playing. Practice is like, thatâs where you really play the game.”
Nov 23, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Shyheim Carter (5) smiles for a photo during Senior day before the start of their game against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
And then, if you do get beaten on a play, there’s the inevitable jawing. Followed by the inevitable Nick Saban yelling. Not a pleasant experience.
“Oh, yeah. Itâs a great competition. When the receivers beat us, or we shut the receivers down, they talk a little bit. Coach Saban, he really doesnât like that. Heâll get on everyone about that.”
Getting beaten, or hearing the talk? Which doesn’t Saban like?
“He doesnât like either, actually. He coaches hard. If you get beat on a technique, youâd better do it the right way next time. But if weâre like, jawing at each other? He definitely gets on us.”
With that in mind, I asked both Carter and McKinney for scouting reports on Jeudy, the premier route-runner in this draft class, and Ruggs, who is clearly the No. 1 speed-burner.
Carter on Jeudy: “Oh, man⌠quick-twitch guy, heâll get in and out of his breaks, and you can never really tell when heâs getting in and out of his breaks. It all looks the same. Heâs just a really hard guy to cover. Youâve definitely got to be on your Ps and Qs on every play. Even when itâs a run, heâll do a great job of selling the double-move, selling the play-action. Yeah, heâs just fast.”
So with him, I asked, the hardest thing is that you donât really know what youâre getting off the line based off what he does. What his release is.
“Yeah, itâs definitely hard.”
What about Ruggs,” I asked Carter. We know heâs fast.
“Obviously, yeah,” Carter said with a laugh. “But heâll go up and make the contested catches; heâll definitely come down with it. Heâll get in and out of his breaks really well, too. Heâs so fast â with guys like that, you try to deny them the ball as much as you can, because if he gets the ball in his hands, he can go.
Heâll take a screen and just house it whenever he wants, I said.
“Right, exactly.”
INDIANAPOLIS — Alabama defensive back Xavier McKinney speaks during his media session at the 2020 scouting combine. (Doug Farrar/USA Today Sports Media Group)
“That was a great group of receivers,” McKinney said when asked about that particular challenge. “Going into the NFL, that will really help me improve, knowing that I played against a lot of good receivers during my time at ‘Bama.”
McKinney on Jeudy: “Fast. Quick. Runs good routes. Can catch the ball. A good all-around receiver. That’s somebody that… I faced him every day in practice, and he’s a nightmare. I’ll tell you that. Being able to practice against him has made me better in so many ways. It’s sharpened me and helped me improve my game. I’ve also helped him improve his game, so being able to face a guy like Jerry, it’s been nothing but a blessing.
What about Ruggs? “Man, all of those guys. I’d face them every day in practice. We’d go two-on-two slot coverage, and those are the guys I want to go against, continuously. Those guys, and then [receiver Jaylen] Waddle… just knowing that those guys would make me better is something that I like. I like competing, and you want to go against those guys as much as you can.”
Both Jeudy and Ruggs project to be high first-round talents in the NFL. McKinney does as well, and while Carter might be more of a third-day guy, there’s no question that these turf wars every day in practice made everyone involved better players.
Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, âThe Genius of Desperation,â a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Associationâs Nelson Ross Award for âOutstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.â
The Draft Wire released their latest four-round mock ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft this week and the Bills have an even split in it.
Right at the top, Buffalo addresses their top-two needs with a receiver and pass rusher. Then their next two picks are also split between offense and defense as well.
Starting at the top with their first pick at No. 22 overall, the Bills select wideout Laviska Shenault from Colorado:
22. Buffalo Bills
Laviska Shenault, Jr. | WR | Colorado
The Eagles passing on a Shenault here is a big win for the Bills, who are also in desperate need of a true No. 1 target for Josh Allen. Shenault is a physical player with a well-built frame who puts it to good use, both at the catch point and after the catch. Heâs the complete player this offense needs to take their game to the next level in 2020 and beyond.
In this mock draft scenario, Shenault is the fifth first-round receiver selected. In total, six go in the opening round of the draft. The 2020 wideout group has long been touted as one of the best in recent memory, so that comes as no surprise.
While the Eagles do allow Shenault to get to the Bills, some might still be a little bummed out with their pick. Clemson’s big-bodied target Tee Higgins comes off the board one pick before the Bills. He’s another popular mocked player to the Bills because of Buffalo’s need for size at the position.
Shenault is slightly shorter than Higgins, but at 6-foot-2, still does have size and plays big, too. He’s a physical target with some quickness in his game. According to Pro Football Focus, Shenault led college receivers with 46 missed tackle over the past two seasons. In a draft class that’s not as a deep at the position, Shenault could easily be one of the top wideouts selected in another year. Shenault did recently have a small injury scare as he’s dealing with an inflammation of the pubic bone, however, it was also announced he won’t need surgery to repair the issue.
A potential trade back option for the #Raiders is Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
Gruden loves guys who can lineup all over the field, and Shenault is the ultimate Swiss Army knife.
â Combination of speed & power â YAC machine â Change of direction â Thick build â Versatility pic.twitter.com/f5chdrwDxN
Everything from quarterback to tight end to defensive back to offensive line was addressed, as the Bears need some fixes if they’re to have any hope at playoff contention in 2020.
Let’s break down Miller’s first seven-round mock draft featuring eight Bears selections:
2nd Round, No. 43: TE Brycen Hopkins, Purdue
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears are certainly in need of a tight end that can bring production to the passing game. There are no shortage of tight end prospects that have been linked to the Bears, including Vandy’s Jared Pinkney and Dayton’s Adam Trautman. But another top tight end prospect that the Bears have already met with is Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins, who some argue is the best tight end in the NFL Draft.
Hopkins had 830 yards and six touchdowns with Purdue this season, which is the kind of production the Bears are seeking from the position. He would be the perfect fit for Matt Nagyâs âUâ tight end. Heâs a strong route runner and also brings explosiveness to the position.
