Tagged: Arkansas State

Arkansas Football: Former Razorbacks Prepare for Grueling NFL Combine


Every year around this time 300 plus former college football players eligible for the NFL Draft close in on a six to eight week workout process in preparation for the combine in Indianapolis.

During the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine held from Feb. 22-28, former Arkansas Razorback players Jake Bequette, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, and Jarius Wright will participate before the league’s 32 teams, their coaches, and key personnel in hopes of improving their draft status and in some cases getting drafted period.

An invite to the combine does not assure a player the opportunity of being drafted but the opportunity certainly enhances their chances.

At the 2011 NFL combine, four Razorbacks showcased their talents. Quarterback Ryan Mallett, tight end D.J. Williams, and offensive lineman DeMarcus Love were drafted in the third, fifth, and sixth round respectively.

Offensive lineman Ray Dominguez went undrafted after attending the combine but signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers after the draft.

Each combine invitee can choose to participate in the series of mental and physical tests, physical drills, and in some cases interview with perspective teams.

The interview process allows each team to meet with up to 60 different players for a maximum of 15 minutes. Topics of conversation during the interviews range from football knowledge to character concerns centered on the individual player.

Made even more popular by the Madden NFL video game is the Wonderlic Test. The assessment shines the spotlight on those players that perform well and those that test poorly.

The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a 12 minute timed aptitude test with 50 questions. The word test is designed to gain a better idea of an individual’s ability to problem solve and their overall intelligence level.

The common score of most football players is 20 denoting average intelligence. A testing performance of 10 means the person is considered literate.

A score of 24 is the median national average. A high test score of 31 corresponds with chemist and related fields.

According to Paul Zimmerman’s The New Man’s Thinking Guide to Pro Football the average Wonderlic test scores are broken down per positions:

 

  • Offensive tackle- 26
  • Center- 25
  • Quarterback- 24
  • Offensive guard- 23
  • Tight end- 22
  • Safety- 19
  • Linebacker- 19
  • Cornerback- 18
  • Wide receiver- 17
  • Fullback- 17
  • Running back- 16

 

Over the last 10-15 years the medical tests players endure have been a subject of controversy.

Most NFL teams throw up a red flag on players with an injury history. Even if a player has been productive at the collegiate level and scored well on the physical performance tests during the combine, said players tend to slide down team’s draft boards once their doctors are able to perform orthopedic and MRI exams.

In the past medical information was traded freely between college team doctors and NFL teams. Now, due to medical privacy laws college teams can no longer hand over personal medical information on any given person.

What happens on the field during a game can be observed and documented most of the time. What happens on the practice field cannot. For this reason over 600 MRI are performed yearly at the combine. That is an average of two MRI per player each year.

The physical and speed drills tend to grab the headline attention at the combine. Fans drool over 40-yard dash times and player bench press reps while teams focus on 10-yard and 20-yard split times, vertical jumps, and three cone drills.

Heading into this week’s combine Joe Adams is listed as the seventh best wide receiver on Draftcountdown.com. Adams stock has risen over the past two months from a thought fifth round draft pick to a possible second rounder.

Adamsis listed at 5’11”, 190 pounds with 4.39 40-yard dash speed.

The second fastest wide receiver among the 66 compiled in the 40-yard dash is Jarius Wright. Wright is listed at 5’10”, 180 pounds with a 40-yard dash time of 4.33 just two one hundredths off Connecticut’s Kashif Moore’s 4.31.

Wright is ranked No. 25 out of the 66 receivers attending the combine.

Greg Childs is the bigger receiver of the Razorback bunch and the bigger prospect of the group until he hurt his knee during the 2010 season. After a slow start Childs picked up his pace in the LSU and Kansas State games at the end of Arkansas’ 2011 season.

Childs has a great opportunity to improve his draft stock at the combine. He is ranked No. 35 on the board. His 6’3”, 217 pound frame along with his production early in his Razorback career will attract attention.

If he can improve upon his 4.55 40-yard dash and show explosiveness in his breaks while running routes he could see his name called during the NFL Draft.

Childs will get to answer his fair share of questions about his knee during the scouting combine. Perspective teams will poke, prod, and examine his knee before the week is through to make sure he has fully healed from his injury before risking a draft pick on him.

After Jake Bequette’s first team All-SEC performance in 2011 it is hard to understand why he is not listed higher than the 14th best defensive end in the draft.

Bequette’s hamstring injury aside, he posted 10 sacks during the season tying him for the SEC lead withSouth Carolina’s defensive end Marvin Ingram. Both players were tied for the ninth best sack total during the 2011 season.

Ingram is ranked as the second best defensive end.

Bequette enters the combine as the fastest defensive end among the 42 invitees having run a reported 4.59 40-yard dash. His 6’5”, 271 pound frame makes him an ideal 4-3 defensive end in the NFL.

When the combine announced their list of invitees for 2012, a couple of Razorbacks were surprisingly missing- linebacker Jerry Franklin and safety Tramain Thomas.

Franklinled the Hogs in tackles in each of the past four seasons compiling 100 or more tackles during his senior and junior years.

Thomas was tied for 13th in Division I with five interceptions during his senior campaign. He also was second on the team and tied for 10th in the SEC with 91 tackles while playing through a shoulder injury much of the season.

Razorback players attending the combine and those that were not invited will have one last opportunity to showcase their abilities before the NFL Draft at Arkansas’ pro day on March 6.

Last year 18 former Razorbacks performed at Arkansas’ pro day including quarterback Ryan Mallett. This year senior offensive linemen Grant Cook and Grant Freeman, linebacker Jerrico Nelson, cornerback Isaac Madison, safety Elton Ford, running back Broderick Green, and defensive lineman Zach Stadther along with others will get their chance to perform combine drills for the NFL scouts on hand.

If the combine tells fans and future NFL hopefuls anything, it’s no matter where you attend college that if one works hard enough and plays well enough the scouts will find you.

One of the more shocking 2012 combine players scheduled to attend is Shawn Loiseau, a former linebacker at Merrimack. Loiseau’s invite is not shocking because of his ability to play but due to the size of Merrimack’s college.

Better known for their hockey teams, Merrimack is a small school inNorth Andover, MA with an undergraduate enrollment of 2,064 students. The Warriors compete in the Northeast 10 Conference, a Football Championship Subdivision conference formerly called Division II.

In-state Arkansas football fans will be happy to know that safety Kelcie McCray and linebacker DeMario Davis of Arkansas State are scheduled to attend the combine as well.

McCray is listed as the 14th best safety at the combine whileDavisis ranked as the 16th best linebacker.

Arkansas State will hold their pro day on March 27.

The 2012 NFL Draft is April 26-28.

Arkansas Razorback Recruiting: Hogs Set to Win In-State Recruiting Battles


The majority of the top players in the state of Arkansas have made their verbal commitments in preparation for National Signing Day on Feb. 1. Without any major changes come Wednesday, the Razorbacks will be the college of choice for four of the top eight in-state recruits that have made their verbal announcements.

 

Three-star safety Defonta Lowe from Bearden, Ark. tops the list of in-state players committed to the Razorbacks. Lowe committed to the Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino in September becoming the 14th recruit in Arkansas’ class.

 

Lowe was a quarterback for Bearden High Schoolbut will move to safety in college. Rivals.com ranked Lowe the third best prospect in the state of Arkansas.

 

Jeremy Ward, a 3-star offensive lineman from Pottsville, Ark., was the second player to commit to the Hogs in February of 2011. Before the 2011 recruiting class had a chance to fax in their letters of intent 4-star wide receiver Jalen Cobb from Warren, Ark. choose to be a Razorback.

 

By mid-April 3-star East Poinsett County linebacker A.J. Turner added his name to the Razorbacks list with 3-star defensive end Jeremy Sprinkle from White Hall following suit in June of 2011.

 

In all, the Razorbacks collected verbal pledges from five of the top seven players in the state. Unfortunately for the Hogs, Cobb’s scholarship offer was reportedly withdrawn because of possible academic issues. Cobb has not committed to another team to date.

 

The Hogs will lose out on the top rated player in the state for the third year in a row as 4-star running back Zac Brooks from Jonesboro will sign with Clemson. He received clearance to enroll in classes on Jan. 13.

 

In all fairness to the Razorback coaching staff, Brooks transferred from the east coast finishing out his college prep career in Arkansas. He has family in Georgia and let it be known early that he wanted to attend school closer to his family.

 

The last top ranked player from in-state to sign with the Hogs was 5-star cornerback Darius Winston fromWest Helenain 2009.

 

The exodus of 5-star quarterback Kiehl Frazier in 2011 and 5-star running back Michael Dyer in 2010 to Auburn can be directly linked to current Arkansas State Red Wolves head coach Gus Malzahn.

 

Malzahn, a former high school head coach inSpringdale, was the offensive coordinator for the Tigers from 2009-2011. His influence weighed heavily on both prospects to join him at Auburn. So much so that Michael Dyer, a sophomore with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in the SEC, transferred from Auburn after the fall semester to follow Malzahn to Arkansas State.

 

Malzahn, a first year head coach on the collegiate level, has ASU in line to reap the benefit of the rest of the in-state talent not offered by the Razorbacks. Of the 22 Arkansas players set to sign with Division 1-A schools, the Red Wolves have verbal pledges from 10.

 

Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Purdue, and SMU have all grabbed Arkansas recruits.

 

Brad Culp, a 3-star wide receiver prospect from Fayetteville and the states No. 10 ranked player, has not made a verbal commitment to date. He visitedNorth Carolinaon Jan 25. and Arkansas State on Jan. 27. ASU, Memphis and Ole Miss have reportedly offered Culp a scholarship.

 

Here’s a list Arkansas recruits that have a verbal commitment to Division 1-A schools:

Recruit/Rating/Location/School

 

RB Zac Brooks, 4-star, Jonesboro, Clemson

FS Defonte Lowe, 3-star, Bearden, Arkansas

LB A.J. Turner, 3-star, Lepanto,  Arkansas

OL Jeremy Ward, 3-star, Pottsville, Arkansas

OL Jemar Clark, 3-star, McCrory, Arkansas State

DE Jeremy Sprinkle, 3-star, White Hall, Arkansas

RB Kenneth Dixon, 3-star, Louisiana Tech

QB Neal Burcham, 3-star, Greenbrier, SMU

CB Marquis Walker, 3-star, Rison, Arkansas State

 

OG Jason King, 2-star,Pulaski Academy (Little Rock), Purdue

LB Quanterio Heath, 2-star, Rison, Arkansas State

DE Jeff Savage, 2-star, Smackover, ULM

SS Quincy Hardwell, 2-star, El Dorado, ULM

QB Fredi Knighten, 2-star, Pulaski Academy(Little Rock), Arkansas State

CB Derek Keaton, 2-star, Camden, Arkansas State

WR Warren Leapheart, 2-star, Morrilton, Arkansas State

QB Dezmond Stegall, 2-star, Searcy, Louisiana Tech

OG Colton Jackson, 2-star, Ozark, Arkansas State

WR Ajalen Holley, 2-star, Lakeside (Hot Springs), ULM

 

RB DeKeathan Williams, not rated, Central (Little Rock), Arkansas State

OG Austin Moreton, not rated, Southside (Fort Smith), Arkansas State

DE Darrius Rosser, not rated, Marion, Arkansas State

 

National Signing Day is Feb 1. All verbal commitments are non-binding.

Arkansas State Recruiting: Gus Malzahn’s First Class Taking Great Form


As the offensive coordinator forAuburnless than a year ago Gus Malzahn was helping build a highly ranked recruiting class for the BCS defending national champion Tigers.

 

Now the first year head coach at Arkansas State is trying to build a highly ranked recruiting class for the defending Sun Belt Champion Red Wolves.

 

Oh, how times have changed.

 

Malzahn’s 2011 recruiting class with SEC West power Auburnwas ranked No. 7 by Rivals.com and No. 2 by Scout.com. Of the 12 high school players designated for offense, two were considered 5-star prospects- offensive guard Christian Westerman and quarterback Kiehl Frazier. Seven 4-star players were signed along with three 3-star recruits.

 

With one week left in before National Signing Day, Malzahn has 23 verbal commitments and has the Red Wolves ranked No. 78 in recruiting.

 

Without a closer look into the ASU recruiting situation, one may feel bad for the new head coach. The rankings do not tell the entire story. Malzahn appears to be building a winner inJonesboro.

 

In 2011 Arkansas State finished the recruiting season tied for the 101st best or worst class, depending on one’s outlook, out of 120 Division 1-A college football teams. The Red Wolves signed 24 players in total. 10 of those signees were out of the junior college ranks. None scouted higher than a 3-star.

 

Arkansas State finished recruiting ranked No. 106 with the third best talent haul in the Sun Belt Conference in 2010.

 

Do not pity Gus Malzahn. If you are an opposing coach you should fear him.

 

ASU currently leads the Sun Belt in recruiting per Scout.com, highlighted by six 3-star players who have verbally pledged their college careers to Malzahn. Still a far cry from his time at Auburn but with two scholarship spots left ASU is within current striking distance of named schools like Wake Forest, Iowa State, and Connecticut.

 

Not impressed yet? ASU is ranked ahead of teams likeKansas State,Kansas, andMemphis; teams with much greater tradition and name power than the defending Sun Belt champs.

 

Breaking Down the Class

Two junior college transfers should help the Red Wolves defense next season. 3-star defensive tackle Dexter Blackmon, 6’2”, 285 pounds, from Coffeyville, Kansas and middle linebacker Eddie Porter, 6’3”, 235 pounds, from Blinn College.

 

BlinnCollegedefensive ends John Gandy, 6’0”, 245, pounds and Ishmael Hayes 6’6”, 245 pounds will via for playing time next season. Lawrence Cayou, 6’5”, 265 pounds, fromHighland,Kansasis another junior college transfer looking for playing time at defensive end.

 

ASU took a couple of in-state 3-star players to help out, offensive tackle Jemar Clark, 6’6”, 280 pounds, from McCrory and cornerback Marquis Walker, 6’0”, 170 pounds, from Rison.

 

What good is a potent offense without a quarterback to run it? Malzahn has two quarterbacks on his list to help build his program around with Jalen Whitlow, 3-star from Prattville, Alabama and Fredi Knighten, 2-star from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas.

 

The following is a complete list of the 14 remaining verbal commitments:

RB Kendrick Daniels, 3-star, 5’7”, 150 pounds, Sulphur Springs, Texas

RB Quintavius Burdette, 2-star, 5’10”, 179 pounds, Senatobia, Miss

RB DeKeathan Williams, 2-star, 6’2”, 205 pounds,West Helena, Ark

RB Todd Mays, 2-star, 5’11”, 205 pounds, Olive Branch, Miss

RB Michael Gordon, 2-star, 5’11”, 180 pounds, Camden, Miss

 

WR Warren Leapheart, Not Ranked, 6’5”, 205 pounds, Morrilton, Ark

WR Bralon Roberts, 2-star, 6’5”, 185 pounds, Dallas, Texas

 

C Bryce Giddens, 2-star, 6’0”, 265 pounds, Moultrie, Georgia

OG Colton Jackson, 2-star, 6’4”, 250 pounds, Ozark, Ark

OG Michael Flint, 2-star, 6’4”, 303 pounds, Oxford, Alabama

OT Devin Mondie, 2-star, 6’6”, 300 pounds, Olive Branch, Miss

 

LB Quanterio Heath, 2-star, 6’2”, 200 pounds, Rison, Ark

CB Derek Keaton, 2-star, 5’11”, 165 pounds, Camden, Ark

DT Tevin Bryson, 2-star, 6’4”, 285 pounds, Humboldt, Tenn

 

National Signing Day is Feb. 1. All commitments are verbal and non-binding.

Ranking the 10 Best Quarterbacks in College Football


How do you like your college football quarterback? Do you like a QB that is rough and rugged, one with a quick release, or a guy with a gun for an arm? Does your leader need to be able to scramble out of the pocket to buy time for his wide receivers to keep the play alive?

How about a player that lines up under center with gaudy offensive numbers or a dual threat speed demon that can eat up chunks of yards with his feet as well as his arm?

Whatever your preference is in a quarterback, this year’s college football class has the talent to make any fan happy.

The following article breaks down each individual quarterback giving the highlights and lowlights of the 10 best college football quarterbacks in the nation with the reasons why they are better than all the rest.

10) Tajh Boyd, Clemson University, Sophomore, 6’1”, 230 lbs

Clemson was slated to be a .500 team by most college football pundits entering 2011 play. Once the season began college football took notice of the upstart Tigers behind the heady play of Tajh Boyd… and he’s only a sophomore.

Boyd led Clemson to eight straight wins to start the season on the way to a 9-3 regular season record. The Tigers play Virginia Tech in the ACC Conference Championship Game for the right to represent the ACC in a BCS Bowl game on Saturday.

The Highlights:

11 straight games with 200 yards or more passing, 28 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with a QB Rating of 143.1 for the season. 17th in the nation in passing yards per game with 278. Boyd leads the ACC in total passing yards with 3,338.

Clemson had quality wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

The Lowlights:

Boyd had a horrible game against South Carolina, 11-29, 83 yards passing, 5 sacks, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception. The Gamecocks rolled over the Tigers 34-13 to end the regular season for both teams.

Boyd was sacked 27 times during the season.

9) Russell Wilson, University of Wisconsin, Senior, 5’11”, 201 lbs

Wilson, a senior transfer fromNorth CarolinaState, has made an immediate impact for the Badgers. His noticeably seamless ease into the role of the new starting quarterback for Wisconsin has paid dividends as Wisconsin is two Hail Mary plays away from being undefeated and playing for a BCS National Championship.

Wilson’s numbers may not overwhelm but his results do. Sporting a 10-2 record entering the inaugural Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the Badgers have an opportunity to defend a last second loss toMichiganState, this time the game is on a neutral field. Can Wilson lead Wisconsin back to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row?

The Highlights:

Wilsonhas two 300-yard passing games on the year, has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season with five rushing touchdowns. His passing yards per game ranks him 46th in the nation with 224 per game.

Other thanWilson’s ridiculous 192.9 quarterback rating, his most impressive stat may be the three interceptions he’s thrown in 260 pass attempts against a defense first conference.

The Lowlights:

Wilsonput up more passing yards at North Carolina State during his junior and sophomore campaigns, 3,563 in 2010 and 3,027 in 2009. The trade off for passing yards has been fewer interceptions thrown, a better team record, and the ability to rely on running back Montee Ball.

Ball is second total rushing yards in college football with 1,622 yards and two games left to play.

Wilson’s statistics will not get him an invite toNew York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony but his leadership and play for Wisconsin has been tremendous. He leads FBS in quarterback rating, is fifth in completion percentage, and is second in yards per completions with an average of 10.4 yards per.

If more was asked of Wilson one can only imagine how gaudy his numbers would be.

8) Nick Foles, University o fArizona, Senior, 6’5”, 240 lbs

Foles has NFL ability and gaudy passing statistics to prove it despite having very little overall talent around him. The Wildcats are 4-8 on the season with tough losses at USC and at Oregon State. Without him Arizona might be winless.

Foles is second in the nation in total passing yards with 4,334. Because the Wildcats have played their last game of the season, Foles may drop to fifth or sixth by the end of the postseason.

The Highlights:

2-1 touchdown to interception ratio (28-14), 10 games with over 300-yards passing (two of those games he went over 400-yards), and averaged 32.25 completions per game.

Foles has a completion percentage of 69.1. He is second in college football in total passing attempts and completions with 560 and 387 respectively.

He can play against the “big boys”: In 2011 Foles threw for 398 yards against Oklahoma State, 398 against Oregon, 425 against USC, and 388 against Washington.

The last three years Foles has progressively gotten better. His numbers are amazing especially considering all opposing defensive coordinators know they have to try and stop Foles somehow but never do.

The Lowlights:

Foles takes a lot of sacks – 23 in 2011 and 23 in 2010. How much of this is his fault and how much is the play of the offensive line can be debated. Considering the entire offense rests on his ability to throw the ball, all in all he has played really well.

7) Matt Barkley,UniversityofSouthern California, Junior, 6’2”, 220 lbs

Matt Barkley is a college quarterback candidate who may leave college early for NFL riches. The shame for USC fans is if Barkley returns for the 2012 season the Trojans will more than likely be a Top 10 preseason team.

The Trojans will also have something to play for in 2012 as 2011 is their last season under NCAA post season sanctions stemming from Reggie Bush’s NCAA violations.

Even without much motivation or overall team goals to shoot for, Barkley has led the Trojans to a 10-2 season and what would have been a PAC-12 South Division Title.

The Highlights:

Barkley has a 39-7 TD-INT ratio, six games of 300-yards or more passing, and has only been sacked 8 times. He has a passing touchdown in every game this season with two games of six passing touchdowns against Colorado and UCLA.

The Lowlights:

Barkley puts up great numbers but has games when he underachieves against better competition. Against Arizona State he finished 21-33 for 227 yards passing, againstCaliforniahe went 19-35 for 195 yards, and 24-35 against Notre Dame for 224 yards.

Truth be told, Barkley could use one more year of seasoning in college football.

6) Case Keenum, University of Houston, Senior, 6’2”, 210 lbs

Keenum may be a product of the offensive system he is in, regardless, he delivers.

The Cougars are 12-0 entering Conference USA’s Conference Title Game against No. 24 Southern Mississippi. IfHoustonbeats Southern Mississippi on Saturday, Houston will play in their first BCS Bowl.

The Highlights:

Keenum leads college football in just about every major passing category including total passing yards (4,726), passing touchdowns (43), completion percentage with a minimum of 300 attempts (73.2), and has only thrown 3 picks this season (14-1 TD-INT ratio).

His 393.83 passing yards per game leads FBS despite having fewer total passing attempts than 6 of the Top 10 quarterbacks in college football. Put in other terms, he’s more efficient than his counterparts.

Every Houston game during the 2011 season has finished with Keenum throwing for more than 300 yards; six of those games Keenum threw for more than 400 yards with one of those games going for 534.

If he throws one touchdown pass against Southern Miss he will tie his previous single season highs of 44 set in 2009 and 2008.

The Lowlights:

Keenum threw for more yards in 2009 (5,671) and 2008 (5,020).

Conference USA does not get the respect of the other power conferences; one could debate the level of play between the Big East and Conference USA. College football fans will always wonder how well Keenum would have performed playing against power conference teams every week.

UCLA was the lone BCS program Keenum faced in 2011; his first game back from a season ending knee injury in 2010 that occurred against UCLA. He finished the game 30-40 for 310 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

If Keenum puts up video game passing numbers inHouston’s bowl game his spot on the Top Quarterback list would jump dramatically. He will finally have an opportunity to prove himself against top tier competition.

5) Landry Jones,UniversityofOklahoma, Junior, 6’4”, 229 lbs

Will he stay or will he go? Entering the 2011 season Jones and company were preseason No. 1. The Sooners 9-2 team record may not have turned out the way he wanted but few could argue the success that Jones has had under center. The big question for Jones is will he stay on campus for one more year or pass up his senior year for NFL riches?

The Highlights:

Jones has eight games with 300 or more yards passing, ranks third in FBS in passing yards per game with 368, and averages 28 completions per game.

The Lowlights:

One can question the toughness of Big 12 defenses and the offensive numbers put up within conference play. Five of the top 20 passing quarterbacks in college football sling it around the Big 12; Seth Doege (Texas Tech), Brandon Weeden (OSU), Jones, Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M), and Robert Griffin III (Baylor).

Are Big 12 quarterbacks that good or is pass defense an afterthought in that conference?

Texas is the only Big 12 team ranked in the Top 25 in total team defense.

In OU’s biggest non-conference game against Florida State, Jones finished 18-27 passing for 199 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

4) Tyler Wilson, University of Arkansas, Junior, 6’3”, 220 lbs

Tyler Wilson is a first year starter playing behind an average offensive line. All stats can be skewed but college football fans have to wonder how much betterWilson’s numbers could be if his offensive line gave him time to throw. He has been sacked 23 times in 2011. Who knows how many times he’s been knocked to the turf?

The Highlights:

Wilsonleads the SEC in total passing yards, completion percentage among QBs with 300 or more attempts (63.1), and yards per game (285.17). His overall numbers place him among college football’s elite especially considering he has faced three of the four top total defenses in the nation (Alabama, LSU, and South Carolina) and six of the top 25 pass defense teams in the nation (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 6 LSU, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 23 Ole Miss, and No. 25 Mississippi State).

Wilsonis 11th in FBS in total passing yards with 3,422 with an opportunity to move back in the top 10 during post season play.

InArkansas’ biggest non-conference game of the year,Wilsonthrew for a school record 510 yards against Texas A&M. Against South Carolina Wilson threw for 299 yards with two passing touchdowns.

The Lowlights:

Wilson’s two worst games came againstAlabamaand LSU when he finished with 185 and 207 yards passing respectively. He threw two touchdowns against Bama and one against LSU. He also threw one pick in both games as well.

3) Geno Smith, West Virginia University, Junior, 6’3”, 214 lbs

The 8-3 Mountaineers have been riding the electric arm of Smith’s all season long. Even in WVU’s three losses to LSU, Syracuse, and Louisville Smith has played well. He finished the game against LSU with 463 yards passing, 338 against Syracuse, and 410 against Louisville.

Smith has one more regular season game againstSouth Floridaremaining to add to his passing totals before their bowl game. Because the Big East only has eight conference members and not the twelve mandated for a conference title game, Smith will not get that extra game to pad his 2011 stats.

The Highlights:

Smith’s 5-1 touchdown to interception ratio (25-5) has been tremendous. He’s ninth in FBS in total offense per game with 332.91 yards per game, has seven games of 300 or more passing yards, and is fifth in the nation with 340 passing yards per game.

3,741 total passing yards has Smith ranked sixth in the nation.

The Lowlights:

Smith takes too many sacks (25) and his 65 percent completion rate ranks him 28th best in the nation.

Smith already puts up great numbers. One could argue that he should put up even better numbers in a weak Big East conference, but that is splitting hairs.

2) Robert Griffin III, Baylor University

An advertisement for Baylor football should read, “Baylor football is… Robert Griffin.” RG3 is the ultimate all around college football quarterback and arguably one of the best players in college football.

In Baylor’s three losses to Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State RG3 put up 346 passing yards against KSU, 430 against A&M, and 425 on OSU. The big statistic against those three teams is each team held Griffin to his three lowest rushing totals of the season, 6, 15, and 27 rushing yards respectively.

The Highlights:

Griffinhas thrown for 300 or more yards in eight games this season, over 400 yards in four of those games. His 34-5 TD-INT ratio, 72.6 completion percentage, 334.46 passing yards per game proves he is a complete quarterback.

College football passer rankings: 6th in passing yards per game (334), 2nd in total offense per game (390), and 2nd in quarterback rating (191.1).

The Lowlights:

It’s hard to poke too many holes inGriffin’s game but his 22 sacks on the season is a start.

He had season low totals last weekend against Texas Tech after being knocked out of the game with a concussion. He still finished the game with a passing touchdown, as he has every game this year.

1)Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State University, Senior, 6’4”, 218 lbs

The only knock on Weeden as a college football quarterback is his age; he’s 28. No wait, that will be the knock on him going into the NFL. As college quarterbacks go, Weeden is great.

Weeden has led the Cowboys to a 10-1 record with a chance for a BCS Bowl berth. Even in Oklahoma State’s lone loss to Iowa State Weeden was great when he threw for 476 yards. His three interceptions against the Cyclones… were not so great.

The Highlights:

Eight games of 300 or more yards passing, three of those games he was over 400, one of those was over 500.

College football passer rankings: 2nd in passing yards per game (374), third in total passing yards (4,111) but should move into second barring injury after this weekend’s game against Oklahoma, fifth in touchdown passes thrown with 34, and eighth in quarterback rating (162.2).

The Lowlights:

Not too many holes to poke here. His 12 interceptions and 11 sacks could be improved upon. He has improved on his completion percentage from 2010, 67 to 73 percent.

Weeden was held to 218 passing yards against the Longhorns in Austin, the only defensive minded team he has faced all season.

Weeden may not be the best all around quarterback in the Big 12 with Robert Griffin lurking behind him. But should he have a great game against OU will Heisman voters realize how much better Weeden is than Andrew Luck?

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Alpine, Arkansas State

11th in total offense in FBS, averages 262 passing yards per game

 

Dan Persa, Northwestern

After returning from an injury, he leads FBS in completion percentage

 

Andrew Luck, Stanford

Luck is a media darling but statistically the fifth best QB in the PAC-12

 

Kellen Moore, Boise State

Average numbers in a non-BCS power conference, 290 passing yards per game

 

Zac Dysert, Miami of Ohio

Averages a FBS 11th best 293 passing yards per game

 

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Averages 303 passing yards per game, TD-INT ratio is poor (2-1)

HogManInLA’s College Football Top 25: Week 14


 

  1. LSU 12-0
  2. Alabama 11-1
  3. Oklahoma State 10-1
  4. Arkansas 10-2
  5. Wisconsin 10-2
  6. Michigan State 10-2
  7. Georgia 10-2
  8. Virginia Tech 11-1
  9. South Carolina 10-2
  10. Houston 12-0
  11. Stanford 11-1
  12. USC 10-2
  13. Oklahoma 9-2
  14. Boise State 10-1
  15. Oregon 10-2
  16. Kansas State 9-2
  17. Michigan10-2
  18. Baylor 8-3
  19. TCU 9-2
  20. Arkansas State 9-2
  21. Nebraska 9-3
  22. Penn State 9-3
  23. West Virginia 8-3
  24. Clemson 9-3
  25. Southern Mississippi 10-2

 

HogManInLA’s College Football Top 25: Week 12


  1. LSU 10-0
  2. Oklahoma State 10-0
  3. Arkansas 9-1
  4. Alabama 9-1
  5. Oregon 9-1
  6. Oklahoma 8-1
  7. Georgia 8-2
  8. Houston 10-0
  9. Virginia Tech 9-1
  10. Clemson 9-1
  11. Michigan State 8-2
  12. Wisconsin 8-2
  13. South Carolina 8-2
  14. Stanford 9-1
  15. Nebraska 8-2
  16. Kansas State 8-2
  17. TCU 8-2
  18. Boise State 8-1
  19. USC 8-2
  20. Michigan 8-2
  21. Southern Mississippi 9-1
  22. Penn State 8-2
  23. Florida State 7-3
  24. Arkansas State 8-2
  25. Tulsa 7-3