Tag: The Athletic

Texas A&M graded as one of the best schools in developing five-star talent to the NFL, according to The Athletic

Is it time to call Texas A&M, ‘5-star U?’ In a deep-dive from The Athletic, the Aggies graded out as one of the top schools in developing NFL ready talent, in particular five-star recruits.

With the 2023 NFL Draft just around the corner, there will be just as much attention paid to the schools that send talent to the NFL as the prospects themselves. While not always a correlation, many of the top collegiate football programs boast the next generation of NFL stars.

To put that belief to the test, The Athletic compiled an in-depth look at 11 years’ worth of data, specifically focusing on which schools had the highest percentage of prospects drafted to the NFL. For their analysis, they solely looked at three-, four-, and five-star prospects.

By using the 247Sports Composite Rating, they tallied the total three-, four- and five-star prospects signed at each of the 65 Power 5 programs from 2009 through 2019, then cross-checked how many of each star rating were drafted from 2012 through 2022 in the seven-round NFL Draft, which features more than 250 picks each year.

After crunching the numbers, the writers tallied the percentages for each school and ranked the top and bottom 10 for each prospect category. Lo and behold, your Texas A&M Aggies made the list in two separate categories.

For the tier labeled, “From 5-star to NFL Draft – Top 10,” Texas A&M ranked No. 3 in the Top 10 by the following criteria: 5-stars signed (11), 5-stars drafted (8), and Percentage drafted (72.7%).

The Aggies also appeared in the tier labeled, “From 4-star to NFL Draft – Bottom 10,” after being assessed by the following criteria: 4-stars signed (100), 4-stars drafted (13), and percentage drafted (13.0%).

There’s plenty to unpack with A&M’s ranking, but the immediate takeaway is that after the analysis done by The Athletic, is time to nickname Texas A&M, “5-Star U?” The Aggies have particularly excelled in developing five-star players, even if they went on to find success elsewhere.

Kyler Murray was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2015, only to transfer from Texas A&M to Oklahoma after a tumultuous freshman season. He followed up his freshman campaign by winning the Heisman Trophy, and would subsequently go on to be drafted by the Arizona Cardinals first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher is one of only two coaches with two different programs in the top 10 “Five-Star U” rankings, but credit must also be handed to former coach Kevin Sumlin after bringing in some top-tier recruiting classes after the Aggies joined the SEC.

Myles Garrett, most notably, was the No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2014 and went on to hear his name called by the Cleveland Browns as the No. 1 overall pick in 2017.

Interestingly enough, the Aggies aren’t as potent in developing four-star talent to the NFL, as their percentage drops significantly to just 13.0% in this category. That puts them at 60th in these rankings in developing four-stars.

There are obviously multiple factors that determine whether a talented recruit can develop to make the leap to the NFL, but A&M’s track record of getting five stars drafted is noteworthy nonetheless. With three Aggies preparing to hear their names called in this year’s draft, it only furthers A&M’s track record as a development pipeline for professional talent.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

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Anthony Richardson earns Lamar Jackson comparison from The Athletic

The Athletic took a look at the top quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson might have the highest ceiling of them all.

With the NFL draft a week away, several outlets are providing scouting reports of the nation’s top players. Draft experts continue to analyze former Florida quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], and The Athletic Staff Writer Ted Nguyen has him ranked No. 3 in his latest positional breakdown.

However, when it comes to potential, Nguyen says the former Gator is at the top of the list.

“Richardson’s combination of elite athleticism, arm talent and pocket presence is rare and gives him the highest ceiling in this class,” Nguyen wrote. “In the right setting, he could have a similar trajectory to Lamar Jackson.”

That’s incredibly high praise, and the comparison doesn’t come without some support. Like Jackson, Richardson may very well be a run-first quarterback early on in his career. His biggest critics point to his completion percentage and tendency to overthrow. Nguyen admits that there are some accuracy issues with Richardson, but they aren’t as concerning as some might lead on.

“Richardson’s biggest issue is accuracy, and it’s overblown because of Florida’s lack of receiver talent. Richardson’s receivers struggled to get open and track the ball, and they dropped a lot of passes.”

It wasn’t long ago that Gators fans were thinking that Richardson could compete for Heisman. Remember the jumping pump-fake touchdown against Utah?

Florida’s poor season was hardly Richardson’s fault. He might be the most athletic player to ever play the position, and the plan of running first while he works on the passing isn’t a bad one. It worked for Lamar Jackson, so why not Richardson?

Of course, the flip side of the coin is the accuracy never really comes together. Nguyen’s caveat of “in the right setting,” is an important one. Richardson’s NFL career could go down the wrong path if he’s thrust into a starting role too early.

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Stewart Mandel: “Texas could contend for a Big 12 title”

The Athletics’s Stewart Mandel, who had Texas going 4-8 last year, says the Longhorns could contend for the Big 12.

Texas football really appears to have turned a corner. Even one of the program’s most vocal critics appears to be drinking the burnt orange kool aid after an impressive showing in Saturday’s Orange and White game.

Stewart Mandel, the college football editor-in-chief for The Athletic, has higher expectations for the team than he had last season. If you recall, Mandel had the Longhorns going 4-8 in 2022. Apparently he read his crystal ball backwards as Texas finished the regular season with a record of 8-4.

On Wednesday, Mandel responded to a comment posed by an Oklahoma fan who voiced concerns that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has the Longhorns heading in the right direction. The Athletic’s editor had the following to say about Texas.

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“Against my better instincts, I came away from Saturday’s spring game feeling more optimism for the Horns than I expected,” Mandel wrote. “(Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers), who was underwhelming for most of his debut season, looked noticeably more polished than at any time last fall. Texas already had a lot of weapons at receiver even before adding Georgia transfer AD Mitchell, but I was particularly impressed with the running backs post-Bijan/Roschon.”

Mandel went as far as saying Texas could compete for the Big 12 if players up front, like defensive tackles Alfred Collins and Byron Murphy II, live up to expectations. If one of the team’s most vocal doubters views the Longhorns as a contender, perhaps this is the year they break through into meaningful football into late November and beyond.

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Breaking down where the Gators rank at developing NFL draft talent

The Gators re among the most successful programs at getting its former players selected in the NFL draft, per The Athletic.

One of the most important benefits a school can offer its athletes is the ability to step to the next level after their collegiate career — especially among the big three sports of football, basketball and baseball. Programs that place their former players into the professional ranks have a leg up against their competitors on the recruiting front as the allure of future returns is hard to turn down.

Among the top schools in the nation at landing its alumni in the NFL draft is the University of Florida, which is the only institution to have a player taken in every NFL draft in the common era. The Orange and Blue have also had a player selected in the first round in the past three drafts and nine of the last 10 years.

Using the 247Sports composite rating, The Athletic’s college football staff tallied the total three-, four- and five-star prospects signed at each of the 65 Power 5 programs from 2009 through 2019 and how many of each star rating were drafted from 2012 through 2022 in the seven-round event that features more than 250 picks each year, tallying the percentages for each school with the resulting data.

According to The Athletic’s numbers, Florida has been the sixth-best at turning five-star recruits into NFL draft picks at a 66.7% clip (12 of 18). Interestingly, the Stanford Cardinals are at the top of the list with their 83.3% success rate, landing five of six five-stars in the annual selection process. Three other SEC schools were listed: No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies (8 of 11, 72.7%); No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide (30 of 44, 68.2%); No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs (22 of 34, 64.7%).

The Gators did not make the top 10 for four-star recruits but did come in at No. 4 when it comes to turning three-star recruits into NFL draft picks, successfully graduating 21 prospects out of 113 for an 18.6% clip. They trail only the Ohio State Buckeyes (14 of 68, 20.6%), LSU Tigers (21 of 103, 20.4%) and Alabama (13 of 65, 20.0%) in that department, respectively. The Arkansas Razorbacks (17 of 106, 16.0%) were also listed at No. 6 and represent the only other SEC team in that category.

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The Athletic’s NBA player poll: What was said about the OKC Thunder

Here’s what was said about the Thunder in @TheAthletic ‘s latest player poll results.

In a poll conducted by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, several questions were answered by players around the league under anonymity.

The 108 players were surveyed on several questions concerning their thoughts on fellow players in the final three weeks of the regular season.

Questions like who is MVP, the most overrated player and the best/worst fans were answered.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, several players were mentioned in answers. The Thunder (40-42) outperformed expectations; their season ended in a play-in tournament loss.

Let’s look at what roughly one-third of the league thought of the youngest roster in the league. The full results can be read here, which provided an ocean of useful data and a great barometer on how players feel about their colleagues and the league in general.

Vikings add top talent in Dane Brugler’s 7 round mock draft

In his seven-round mock draft, Dane Brugler continued to send the Minnesota Vikings a top cornerback along with a developmental quarterback.

The Minnesota Vikings need to bring in talent across the board and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler did just that in his seven-round mock draft.

Brugler is one of the best in the business when it comes to analyzing the draft and his seven-round mock draft is something to pay attention to.

In this draft, he has the Vikings taking:

  • Cornerback
  • Wide receiver
  • Linebacker
  • Quarterback
  • Defensive tackle

Check out his picks below.

Breaking down the Saints’ picks from Dane Brugler’s 7-round mock draft

Breaking down the Saints’ picks from Dane Brugler’s extensive seven-round mock draft: Saints add several Michigan defensive linemen, Tennessee receiver

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler is one of the most clued-in analysts covering the NFL draft, so it’s important to pay attention to the players he links to the New Orleans Saints. And Brugler recently published an extensive seven-round mock draft that put a couple of new names on our radar (while reinforcing the consensus that’s starting to build surrounding some early-round prospects).

Let’s quickly break down the picks and see how each prospect would fit in New Orleans:

The Athletic sees Bills as top-five team as draft approaches

Power rankings: The Athletic stills sees #Bills as top-five team after the outset of free agency:

The Buffalo Bills were not among the most active teams during the outset of free agency. Their biggest moves might’ve been adding to their offensive line, which was very much outweighed by their loss of Tremaine Edmunds to the Chicago Bears.

The Athletic didn’t mind that.

In the outlet’s latest power rankings, the Bills still managed to nab the No. 4 slot.

While that’s a strong position overall, there’s still a bit of a downer attached relating to the team ahead of the Bills. Of those three, only one is in the NFC: the Philadelphia Eagles.

The top two overall were the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in first and second, respectively. Fourth is great, but that’s still only the third-best team in the AFC. The Athletic does not appear to be convinced that Buffalo has bridged the gap in the conference and they’ll have to prove otherwise on the field in 2023.

Here’s what The Athletic said about the Bills in the power rankings:

It was a newsy Monday for the Bills at the league meetings, as head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that he’ll be calling defensive plays as the team moves on without Leslie Frazier. Then the team agreed to terms with former Rams safety Taylor Rapp to add to a secondary that already re-signed Jordan Poyer. If there’s one more big move to make, it would be shocking the league with a trade for Lamar Jackson, that way the Bills continue proving their dominance in employing the better player among guys in the league with the same name (Josh Allen and Connor McGovern already secured).

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Breaking down Chargers’ selections in The Athletic’s latest 3-round mock draft

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner released his latest three-round projections, which have the Chargers addressing their biggest needs.

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner released his latest three-round projections, which have the Chargers addressing their biggest needs.

In Round 1, Los Angeles selects Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Kincaid has been pegged as a top target for L.A. throughout the draft cycle, given their need to address the position as they search for a bonafide No. 1 TE since Hunter Henry.

Kincaid is a prolific receiver with great hands who can win all over the field with his athleticism and play speed and can create yards after the catch, projecting as a passing game playmaker for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore from Day 1.

Kincaid amassed 103 receptions for 1375 yards and 16 touchdowns in his four years as a starter for the Utes, with his best season coming in 2022. He racked up an impressive 890 yards on 70 catches. Additionally, Kincaid had the lowest drop rate percentage among TEs (2.8%).

In Round 2, the Bolts take Kansas State edge defender Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

The Chargers need more players capable of disrupting opposing quarterbacks behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, and Anudike-Uzomah has shown plenty to fit that billing.

At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Anudiki-Uzomah is a high-motored player with an excellent first step with the hips to bend the edge and flexibility to drop his shoulder to get under blockers, an array of pass rush moves and the functional strength to set the edge.

Arguably one of the most productive pass rushers in the nation, Adudike-Uzomah finished among Pro Football Focus’ top ten in overall grade, pass-rush grade, and defensive stops in 2022. He also had a 16.2% pressure rate (16th).

In Round 3, Los Angeles fulfills their need for speed at wide receiver by selecting Ole Miss’ Jonathan Mingo.

Mingo is a big-framed receiver at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds who possesses speed in catch-and-run situations and down the field, explosiveness, good hands, leaping ability on 50/50 balls and physicality as a blocker.

Mingo caught 51 passes for 861 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games last season, marking the most productive season of his college career.

Mingo had an impressive showing at the combine, where he ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and tested well in the vertical (39.5 inches) and broad jumps (10-foot-9).

Chantel Jennings: Notre Dame will be No. 1 ahead of ’24 NCAA tourney

Think the Irish can achieve this next season?

Naturally, it’s way too early to predict how the 2023-24 season will go, but that’s not stopping people from doing it anyway. The most recent episode of the podcast “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” wrapped up with predictions of which team will be the top ranked heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Deitsch is picking UConn, a popular answer for such a question in any year. But Chantel Jennings, the senior women’s basketball writer for The Athletic, went out on a different limb.

In her attempt to win a coffee bet, Jennings predicted that Notre Dame would be the country’s top-ranked team right before the next edition of March Madness. She cited her belief that [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] will acquire a lot of talent in the transfer portal. However, she also pointed out that it might not happen because of Notre Dame’s academic standards. Either way, it’s nice to know hopes for next season’s Irish are high for at least one prominent writer.

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