Which G5 Underclassmen Are Headed To The NFL: Offense Edition

Add caption

Every year, college players ready to no longer "play school" declare their intentions to join the revolving cast of the NFL. Some are guarantees like Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, while others decide to make the jump without knowing what their futures bring.

With that said, let's take a look at the offensive players of the G5 that have declared for the upcoming draft.

Quarterbacks: (1)

• Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo: 6,999 yards passing with 55.8% completion percentage and 49 touchdowns. 201 rushes for 757 yarrds and 16 touchdowns in 32 games played. 2018 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. #7 best QB according to USA Today. 

Jackson is an interesting case for the new NFL. Among the quarterbacks eligible for the draft, Jackson is one of the best dual threat players on the board. His size, 6-7 and 245 pounds, is intriguing and he has an impressive arm, but a completion rate below 60% is worrisome and may scare off some teams. He will get drafted, but do not expect Jackson to go in the first three rounds.

Running Backs: (7)

• Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis: 431 rushes for 3,545 yards and 36 touchdowns. 63 catches for 758 yards and 8 touchdowns in 38 games played. Finished 10th in 2018 Heisman voting. 2018 Consensus All-American. #1 in NCAA in rushing ypa., #2 in rushing touchdowns, #2 in rushing yards. #8 best running back according to USA Today.
• Joshuwa Holloman, RB, Eastern Michigan: Track athlete. 
• Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State: 581 carries for 2,829 yards nad 33 touchdowns. 60 cathces for 511 yards nad 1 touchdown in 38 games played. #2 nationally with 302 rush attempts in 2018, #7 nationally in rushing touchdowns (17), #8 nationally with 1,415 yards rushing. 
• Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic: 714 carries for 4,287 yards nad 66 touchdowns. 51 catches for 397 yards and  touchown in 38 games played. 2017 CUSA MVP. Most rushing attempts in NCAA, #4 in rushing yards, #1 in rushing touchdowns in 2017. #8 in career rushing touchdowns (66). 
• Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State: Only played one season at Utah State. 153 carries for 1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns. 23 cathes for 351 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games played. 
• Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic: 232 carries for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns. 22 catches for 227 yards and  touchdowns in 37 games played. Career 26.1 yards per kickoff return. 
• Tony Pollard, RB/KR/WR, Memphis: 139 carries for 941 yards and 9 touchdowns. 104 catches for 1,292 yards and 9 touchdowns in 40 games played. 30.1 yards per kickoff return for his career, including 7 touchdowns. Career leader in kickoff return touchdowns and led the nation with a 40.0 kickoff return average in 2017. 

Let's start with the best of the group. Memphis running back Darrell Henderson was the most explosive running back in the nation last season. He is a bit undervalued due to his time at Memphis, but the Tigers have produced quality NFL players in the past. He is easily a 2-3 round pick in my opinion and has more explosion than any other back in the draft.

Mattison and Singletary are both impressive players that carried the ball quite a bit in their college careers. There are worries that Singletary is more of the player he was as a senior rather than the dominant back he was as a junior. Mattison was a workhorse in 2018, giving scouts the thought that a bit of tread is gone from the tire. Both should hear their names called in the 5-6 rounds of the draft, if not earlier.

Thompson has the chance at being a late round pick, but would have benefited from spending one more season with the Aggies. Same with Kerrith Whyte Jr. He would have been the feature back in the Owls offense with the opportunity to shine in Kiffin's offense.

Tony Pollard is an interesting prospect. He set the kickoff return touchdown record in three seasons and has a full season averaging 40 yards per return in 2017. Whether he is drafted or not, Pollard should be on a roster with a chance to earn a KR/PR job and has the ability to produce in the running and passing game as needed.

Tight End: (3)

• Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State: 51 catches for 637 yards and 8 touchdowns in 19 games played. 
• Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State: 72 catches for 873 yards and 3 touchdowns in 27 games played. 
• Keenen Brown, TE, Texas State: One year at Texas State. 51 catches for 577 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games played. Top 10 in Sun Belt in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2018. 

Of the three, Brown is the most intriguing. Brown was a no factor with the Cowboys, but turned into a receiving option of choice at Texas State. He has the size and ability to block, but has to prove he is willing to do so at the NFL level.

Warring and Raymond have a chance to make a roster, but their chances of getting drafted depend on how multiple their skill sets can be at the next level.

Wide Receiver: (9)

• Jalen Guyton, WR, North Texas: Transfer from Notre Dame. 103 catches for 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns in 25 games played. 
• Diontae Johnson, WR, Toledo: 135 catches for 2,235 yards and 23 touchdowns in 999 career games played. 
• Dredrick Snelson, WR, Central Florida: 106 catches for 1,519 yards and 15 touchdowns in 32 games played. 
• John Ursua, WR, Hawaii: 189 catches for 2,662 yards and 24 touchdowns in 33 games played. #9 in receptions (89), #5 in receiving yards (1,343), and #1 in receiving touchdonws (16) in 2018. 
• Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State: Transfer from Tennessee. 16 catches for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns in 7 games played at Tennessee. 96 catches for 1,345 yards and 14 touchdowns for Colorado State in 2018. #1 nationally with 96 receptions, #4 with 1,345 receiving yards, and #3 in receiving touchdowns (14) in 2018.
• Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State: 203 catches for 2,960 yards nad 19 touchdowns in 29 games played. Top 10 in Sun Belt in receptions in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Led Sun Belt in receiving yards in 2015 and 2017. 
• Cortrelle Simpson, WR, Richmond: Transfer from Temple. 96 catches for 1,670 yards and 11 touchdowns in 20 games played at Richmond. 
• Jovon Durante, WR, Florida Atlantic: Transfer from West Virginia. 60 catches for 726 yards and 7 touchdowns at WVU. 65 catches for 873 yards and 5 touchdowns at FAU in 36 total games played.
• Jazz Ferguson, WR, Northwestern State: Transfer from LSU. 2 catches for 17 yards at LSU in one game played. 66 catches for 1,117 yards and 13 TD at Northwestern State in 11 games played.

One thing the NFL has realized in the last several years is that talent at wide receiver can be found at all levels. This group has multiple transfers from P5 programs in addition to very effective players that battled injuries.

The most exciting of the transfers is Colorado State's Preston Williams. The former Vol looked like a bust in Knoxville, but made the trip to the MWC and led the nation in catches. More impressive is the fact that he did so on a down Rams team that struggled with consistent quarterback play.

Ursua, Hart, and Johnson are pass catching machines, but past injuries will be scrutinized by the medical crews of NFL teams. Hart in particular is small but explosive and could be a steal for the right team in the right offense.

The FCS is sending two players from the wide receiver group and I feel like both are in need of another year at the college level. Ferguson was especially explosive in 2018, but he only had two college catches before last season.

Offensive Line: (2)

• Chidi Okeke, OT, Tennessee State: Transfer from LSU. Two-year starter at TSU. First-team OVC in 2018. 
• Tyler Roemer, OT, San Diego State: Started 23 straight games for SDSU. Former USA Today Freshman All-American. Kicked off SDSU team in 2018. 

Finally, the offensive line comes to the party. Okeke seemed like a player ready to declare for the NFL as soon as he set foot on the Nashville campus of TSU. He seems a year away, but it remains to be seen if he will hear his name called this spring (not incredibly likely).

Roemer is very interesting because he will fall into the character issues category. He is a former Freshman All-American and started 23 games in a row before being suspended and then removed from the Aztec roster.

Group Of Five Coaches On The Hot Seat

Every year, we see multiple programs make changes at the head coaching position. Whether it is due to losing that coach to another program, the coach resigning, or a firing, it happens. 

Most of the time, warning signs are there and coaches are put on the proverbial hot seat. There, they stew as an administration takes a look at accomplishments, failures, and the in between. It is a rough time for any coach and something that I wouldn't wish upon my enemies.

With that said, let's take a look at some coaches that are on the hot seat in 2017. 

David Bailiff, Rice:

The question has been asked on multiple occasions by many different people. What does David Bailiff have on Rice in order to keep his job? I honestly have no idea at this point.

Well, it is put up or shut up time for Bailiff and company this fall as they attempt to recover from an 8-16 swoon over the last two years. The Owls didn’t quite fall off in 2015 and 2016 as they began to freefall with no end in sight. Consider some of these losses from 2016: 46-14, 38-10, 44-28, 61-16, 42-25, 41-17.

The only wins for Bailiff last season came over Charlotte, UTEP, and Prairie View. That does not get many on the Rice bandwagon.

The saving grace for Bailiff that may get him another year is all the good will be bought from a magical season in 2008 and a three-year stretch of bowls from 2012-2014. Outside of those four seasons, he is 21-51 at Rice.

Sean Kugler, UTEP:

By UTEPAthletics - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.

No offense to Kugler, but maybe he is one of those coaches that excel at assistant duties while struggling to run the entire operation. Think Wade Phillips on the NFL side. Kugler was an impressive assistant coach that came running when the Miners needed someone to replace Mike Price. Heading into his fifth season as head coach, maybe it is time to think about another direction.

Again, I really like Kugler as a vital assistant and he will likely get multiple NFL job offers to coach an offensive line if UTEP goes in a different direction. While the respect is there, college football is a result driven enterprise and winning 18 games in four seasons is hard to justify to an administration looking for a winning program.

If Kugler is unable to reverse a trend that has seen the Miners fall further and further away from bowl contention, he could be forced to resign at the end of the year.

Paul Haynes, Kent State:

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Kent State does not really care if the football team goes 10-3 or 3-9. Sure, a boost in the profile of the program is nice, but it does not matter in the long run. That much is clear by the fact that Haynes is still leading the program heading into a fifth season. He is 12-35 in four seasons and has finished no better than fifth in the weaker of the MAC divisions in the last four seasons.

Since Haynes has been head coach, the Golden Flashes have won a total of eight MAC games while losing to FBS program North Carolina A&T last season. There is no reason to expect Kent State to be any better this season, but there is little to no buzz about the possibility of a new head coach in 2018.

The only thing keeping Haynes with a job at this point is apathy. Another 3-9 season may force the administration to make a chance.

Lance Leipold, Buffalo:

For a coach that lost all over 6 games in eight seasons at Wisconsin-Whitewater, coaching at the FBS level was a rude wakeup call. Leipold lost more games in 2015 (seven) than in his entire college head coaching career combined.

Hindsight 20/20, Leipold may have waited a season or two longer for a more sustained program to come calling. Buffalo is a tough place to win with a fan base that desperately wants a winner. The athletic department is trying to show some initiative and get at least in the same ballpark as other programs, but Buffalo is a place where football dreams come to die.

I wouldn’t quite call Leipold’s seat all that hot at the moment, but he has to prove that he and his coaching staff are not overwhelmed by “big time” college football. Patience from the AD could see Buffalo turn into a situation like Wyoming where Craig Bohl finally flourished in his third season.

Doug Martin, New Mexico State:

Another coach that I have the utmost respect for, Martin may be about to ride off into the sunset with the Aggies. He has in his fifth season and has a total of ten wins in the previous four seasons. His best record has been 3-9 and the team has been unable to stop air from scoring in the last few seasons.

So much uncertainty surrounds this program, from the surprisingly high expectations to the unknown wilderness that is college football independence; it would make sense for the Aggies to stick with Martin after this season. That includes another 3-9 season.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Aggies take a bold approach and go with a young FBS coach full of energy and fire to take the reins. Overall, put it this way. If NMSU were staying in the Sun Belt beyond the 2017 season and went 3-9 this fall, I would pretty much expect Martin to get the ax. Since they are completely independent in 2018, who really knows what will happen?

Tyson Summers, Georgia Southern:

By Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work, CC BY 3.0.

Summers is in a precarious situation at Georgia Southern. The Eagles were one of the most storied teams in FCS history with six national titles. They made the move to the FBS and never seemed to break stride under Willie Fritz. The program went 18-7 in two years, including a win over Florida and the program’s first bowl appearance (and win).

Summers, a member of the 2006 coaching staff, took over to the surprise of some but had a group of loyal fans expecting the best. Then, 2016 happened. The Eagles fell to 5-7 and looked like a completely different (in a bad way) team under Summers.

There were fan’s calling for Summers to be fired after last season, but there was no chance of that happening. Instead, he must prove that he can turn this team into a winner once again. I am not saying that he would be fired after a poor 2017…. Well, it really depends on how poor that season ends up.

Put simply, a poor 2017 season would turn his seat into one of the hottest in the nation.

Matt Wells, Utah State:

By Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work, CC BY 3.0.

Remember not all that long ago when Matt Wells was a coach on the rise, earning a 19-9 record and two straight bowl berths? He was mentioned as a coach that would someday lead a P5 program. That seems so long ago as Wells is coming off of back to back losing seasons and a 3-9 year that no one expected. 

The Aggies just have not looked like a top tier MWC team in the last two seasons and much of the blame has to fall on the man at the top. Unimpressive recruiting and being outcoached on the field have turned 2017 into a make or break year for Wells. 

Bonus Pick: Rod Carey, Northern Illinois:

While this would be a complete out of nowhere firing and a crazy decision, there is a significant portion of the Huskies fan base that would be thrilled to see Carey get the ax. Despite winning 23 of his first 28 games as head coach, it could be argued that the Huskies have been on a downward slide since he took over for Dave Doeren.

A 5-7 season that was only that good due to a very poor MAC last season got a very intense group of fans very riled up and could be the undoing of Carey. How well NIU is able to bounce back this fall after missing the postseason for the first time since the 2007 season will determine how much leash is given moving forward.

MAC Week Four Review

Another week is in the books for the 2015 college football season with the Mid-American Conference going 3-10 with no conference games taking place. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of week four MAC football action.

MAC Week Three Review

Another week is in the books for the 2015 college football season with MAC going 6-7 with only one  conference game (Ball State-EMU) taking place. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of week three MAC football action.

MAC Week One Preview

The MAC is getting started with 12 games during Week One of the college football season with two G5 teams coming to town? I see the MAC going 5-7 in those 12 games.

2015 MAC Predictions

Here are my Mid-American Conference Predictions.

MAC Players to Watch in 2015

Not sure who to look out for in the MAC this fall? Here is a handy guide of approximately 5-10 players to watch for on every MAC team:

Top 15 G5 Running Backs

15 best G5 running backs:

11 Group of Five Players Named To The Ray Guy Award Watch List

Ray Guy Award watch list:

Buffalo football: A brief history

Buffalo:

Top 10 returning rushers

With 10 of the top 28 rushers in 2014 returning to programs in the MWC, MAC, Sun Belt and Conference USA, this fall should be a special season in the running game. Expect these running backs to make names for themselves in the 2015 season.

Buffalo 2015 roster (with 2014 stats)

Buffalo:

NFL Draftees

With the 2015 NFL draft in the books, the MWC, MAC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, and Independent programs saw 24 players drafted by NFL teams with many more signing UDFA contracted with teams.

What UAB players ended up with what schools?

In total, 26 players from UAB ended up on rosters from teams in the non-big five conferences. The Sun Belt made a killing with 18 players join the conference, led by South Alabama with 9 and Georgia State with 6. Conference USA added four players to their ranks with Western Kentucky adding two projected starters in linebacker TJ McCollum and defensive lineman Jontavious Morris. The MAC added three players with Buffalo, UMass and Toledo all adding a former Blazer to their ranks. Even the MWC got in the action with San Diego State adding offensive lineman Ryan Krum to the roster.

MAC players in the NFL

In honor of the combine and the upcoming NFL draft, here is a list of the MAC players in the NFL. Every MAC program has at least one player in the NFL with Toledo leading the way with 9 NFL players. In total, 64 players from the MAC are in the NFL.

Head coaching changes for four programs

Four new head coaching hires have been made for the upcoming 2015 season with all four having an interesting impact on the program, the conferences and possibly the future of head coaching hires in the future.

Of the four, the most interesting are the hires of Lance Leipold at Buffalo and Tony Sanchez at UNLV. Leipold is leaving a great situation at Wisconsin-Whitewater for one of the less exciting jobs in the MAC. Sanchez is leaving the high school ranks where he was widely respected to take over a UNLV team that has won two or fewer games in four of the last five years.

Non-AQ Top Ten: 11/25/13

Non-AQ Top Ten 11/11/13

Non-AQ Top Ten 11/4/13

2013 Bowl Prognosis (Teams currently bowl eligible)