Which G5 Underclassmen Are Headed To The NFL: Offense Edition

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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.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (11/13/17): Army Joins The Party

Due to some technical difficulties, the weekly G5 Top 10 is out a little later tonight than usual. We experienced a bit of upheaval throughout the top 10 with Army and Houston taking advantage in earning a spot. Overall, this was a closer than usual vote (other than the top four) with NIU and Houston only two votes ahead of Troy and North Texas.

Others Receiving Votes: North Texas 11, Troy 11, Fresno State 8, Wyoming 5, Florida International 4, Navy 1. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @TheTowelRackWKU.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (11/6/17): The MAC Represents

One thing I never saw coming this week was a takeover from the MAC with three teams earning spots in the top 10. Ohio joins Toledo and NIU in the rankings, making the MAC tied for the most most represented with the AAC.

Others Receiving Votes: Houston 14, Fresno State 14, Troy 11, Army 8, Florida International 3, North Texas 3, SMU 2. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @TheTowelRackWKU, @BenMoore247, @The_DailyDragon.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (10/16/17): South Florida Leads The Way

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After one of the wildest weekends of college football that we have seen in a very long time, we have a new #1 along with two new entries to the top 10. In total, 19 different teams received votes among the 11 members that took part in the weekly poll. That is a jump from 17 teams receiving votes last week.

Let's take a look at the Post Week Seven Top 10.

Others Receiving Votes: Appalachian State 12, Houston 8, Fresno State 5, Army 4, Troy 3, Ohio 3, North Texas 1, Arkansas State 1, SMU 1. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @BenMoore247, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @HerdNation.  

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (10/9/17): The Aztecs Hold Firm

By Sean Hobson - http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanhobson/4247269000/in/photostream/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12530200

This week, we have three tiers forming in the top ten poll. First, SDSU, USF, and UCF have pulled away as the big three of the poll. UCF, in third, leads fourth-place Navy by 27 points which is a higher total than teams eight, nine, and ten.

Tier two includes teams four through seven with Navy, Troy, Houston, and Memphis all within 18 points of one another and 20+ points ahead of the next tier of the poll.

Finally, the bottom three teams of the top ten are a long way from moving up the poll. It is nice to see NIU actually get into the top ten, albeit only two voters chose the Huskies on the ballot. We are still looking for more voters, specifically from the north and west to get the MAC and MW represented more in the future. Contact me (@cfoutpost) on Twitter if you are interested. 

Let's get to this week's poll.

Others Receiving Votes: Marshall 10, Western Michigan 10, Boise State 6, Appalachian State 5, UTSA 3, SMU 1, Fresno State 1. 

Voters: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @BenMoore247, @cfoutpost, @TheTowelRackWKU, @warriorboutit, @HerdNation. 

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (9/25/17): UCF From The Top Rope

Welcome back to the top ten list Northern Illinois and Central Florida. For NIU, it was a long and difficult visit to the abyss last season and this year's team is better off for experiencing failure before success. For UCF, I still cannot believe that Frost and company have turned that pathetic excuse for a team from 2015 into a dark horse choice for the NY6. Just amazing. 

1. South Florida (4-0): We have long imagined what the Bulls would look like with a top-notch defense to complement a powerful offense. USF showed up big on a national stage and raced past Temple to go to 4-0. There is no reason to doubt that an October 28 versus Houston is the only major roadblock to a perfect regular season. Up Next: At East Carolina.
2. San Diego State (4-0): Give credit to the Aztecs for handling quite a bit of adversity in downing a tough Air Force squad in the rain. We are going to learn a lot about this program on Saturday as a very good Northern Illinois squad comes to town with upset on their minds. Up Next: #10 Northern Illinois.
3. Memphis (3-0): In similar fashion to a week one win over ULM, the Tigers may have gotten caught looking ahead to a huge trip to Orlando to face UCF. They did just enough to win and we have arguably the biggest G5/G5 games of the season, sorry Boise State/Troy. Up Next: At #5 UCF.
4. Toledo (3-1): The Rockets let the game versus Miami get out of hand in the end, but they are still a quality football team. This is a pivotal point in the season with EMU and CMU up next before Ball State, NIU, and Ohio. If they can make it through that stretch undefeated, they could sneak into an NY6 with a little help. Up Next: EMU.
5. Central Florida (2-0): The nation found out something we all knew, the Knights are for real. They systematically destroyed Maryland and have the national media already choosing Scott Frost’s next job. Up next is a visit from a very talented Memphis squad that will decide which team is second best in a stacked AAC. Up Next: #3 Memphis.  
6. UTSA (3-0): The Roadrunners win again and benefit from losses to earn the #6 spot in the rankings. They will run into the issue all season long of schedule difficulty, but getting by Southern Miss and North Texas will quiet a few of the haters. I am having a hard time defending the rest of their CUSA schedule, but that is not their fault. Up Next: Southern Miss.
7. Houston (2-1): I feel like the Cougars are a team that will strike hard in 2018. They look to have that one or two pieces missing to make a run this year. That being said, they are incredibly talented and can still make a run and end up in the top three in the AAC or even play (probably) USF for the title. Up Next: At Temple.
8. Louisiana Tech (2-2): The Bulldogs learned a lesson that every G5 team tends to learn at some point… put away the P5 team when you have the chance. Field goals leave teams like South Carolina in the game and then they score 17 points in the fourth quarter and win. That last drive though— come on defense. You are better than that. Up Next: South Alabama.
9. Northern Illinois (2-1): Say hi to the new guy. The Huskies are back in the poll after a 2016 season that is better off forgotten. They went to Lincoln and took out the Cornhuskers and had every chance in the world to beat Boston College in week one. Now that they made the list, all they have to do is play #2 San Diego State. Up Next: At #2 San Diego State.
10. Appalachian State (2-2): Hey Mountaineers, read what I told Louisiana Tech. Score touchdown when you get the chance and Wake Forest does not get the chance to win in the end. They must quickly forget this bitter loss with a much improved NMSU team coming to town. This game will tell us a lot about the Sun Belt. Up Next: New Mexico State.

Others considered: Navy, WKU, MTSU, Boise State, CMU, EMU, Ohio, Troy, Air Force, Colorado State. 

I tried something new and got polls via Twitter from the general public. The plan is to have a (mediaish?) poll starting next Monday. 

NorthCoastBias @NorthCoastBias

1. San Diego State
2. South Florida
3. Memphis
4. Central Florida
5. NIU
6. Houston
7. Toledo
8. Navy
9. UTSA
10. Ohio 

Brent Newton @greatnewtini

1. San Diego State
2. USF
3. Memphis
4. LA Tech
5. UTSA
6. NIU
7. Houston
8. Central Florida
9. Colorado State
10. SMU

Mike Vettoretti @mike_vettoretti

1. South Florida
2. Memphis
3. San Diego State
4. UTSA
5. Toledo
6. Navy
7. Troy
8. SMU
9. NIU
10. Ohio

Rich Ross @RichRoss411

1. San Diego State
2. South Florida
3. Memphis
4. Central Florida
5. Houston
6. UTSA
7. Navy
8. SMU
9. Boise State

College Football Outpost's 2017 Preseason G5 Top 10 Rankings

By Damon J. Moritz - http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=28030, Public Domain.

Since I have done the preseason All-G5 team today, let’s get another list out of the way and rank the top ten G5 programs heading into the 2017 season. Remember, this is a group of the AAC, CUSA, MAC, MWC, Sun Belt, and Independents. I do not include BYU at this point due to the program having resources that are not available.

Without further ado, let’s look at the top ten programs from the G5 ranks preseason edition.

1. South Florida: The Bulls are the only G5 program in the top 25 preseason poll. They are ranked #19 in the AP poll and have one of the most dynamic players in the nation in quarterback Quinton Flowers. Despite a less than scary non-conference schedule, this is a team that can use the clout of the AAC to earn respect for the G5. Anything less than an AAC title and a NY6 bowl appearance would be a disappointment for this team.
2. Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers lost an incredible running back, two stud wide receivers, and a head coach among other casualties. Despite the losses, the cupboard is anything but bare as Mike Sanford takes over one of the best offenses in the nation. Getting by MTSU is always a challenge, but getting by Illinois and Vanderbilt on the road could gain them some traction nationally.
3. Toledo: How long have the Rockets waited their turn to rule the MAC? They finally got the NIU monkey off their back last season but ran into a buzzsaw that was Western Michigan. This year is the year that the Rockets make a run at a perfect season. Getting by Tulsa and Miami (FL) in back to back weeks will be tough.  
4. Memphis: Year one under Mike Norvell was a bit up and down as the Tigers finished the season 8-5. Once you take a good look at the five losses, you start to praise the first year head coach. With no Temple or South Florida on the schedule and a home visit from UCLA, this is a great chance for the Tigers to get 10+ wins and even give USF a battle for the AAC crown.
5. Boise State: I honestly have no idea what happened to the Broncos last season. Of course they won 10 games, but they lost two MWC games that seemed to be ripe for the taking and didn’t even make the conference title game. This season Boise State is facing a front loaded schedule that includes Troy, Washington State, Virginia, BYU, San Diego State, and Wyoming before Halloween. If they make it to November undefeated, they will have a top 15 national ranking.
6. Appalachian State: Setting aside a couple blown chances, the 2016 season was a dream one for the Mountaineers. Having to settle for a shared Sun Belt crown was disappointing, but this year could be much different. Several important contributors are back and there is no reason to think this isn’t the year Appalachian State takes the Sun Belt crown (alone). Don’t sleep on Troy or Arkansas State as either program could end up in the G5 top 10 this season.
7. Houston: The team that looked closest to breaking the wheel and opening a spot for the G5 in the college football playoff struggled last season. Only a loss to SMU was ugly, but 9-4 is unacceptable for a team that was ranked as high as #6 in the nation last season. Consider this… despite finishing 9-4, they beat two teams ranked #3 in the nation at the time by a combined 69-33. The talent is there.
8. Louisiana Tech: So close to something special last season, the Bulldogs were again one play, one drive, one series from catching the national attention. The talent is there for Louisiana Tech and Skip Holtz must find a way to win the close games. 22 days will determine whether the Bulldogs are contenders or pretenders with Mississippi State, WKU, South Carolina, and South Alabama all face off versus the preseason CUSA West champs.
9. San Diego State: Rejoice Aztec fans, South Alabama is no longer on the schedule. It made no sense for the Jaguars to beat SDSU in back to back years and completely derail an otherwise special season. After losing on October 1, it took until November 19 for the Aztecs to rejoin the top 25. Still, 11-3 is a hell of a season. This year includes back to back games versus the PAC-12 with a tough Stanford team coming to town. Just get through September.
10. Western Michigan: One cannot blame the Broncos fanbase for taking their celebration of the 2016 season well into the offseason. WMU went undefeated in the regular season with two wins over the Big 10, won all but one MAC game by double digits, and nearly won the Cotton Bowl. Reality hit in the offseason with PJ Fleck taking the Minnesota!?!? job and Corey Davis getting picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. No longer are they the MAC favorites, but they still have one of the best run games in the nation with two star backs and two offensive linemen that could be first team All-MAC performers this fall.

Outside looking in: Troy, Arkansas State, Wyoming, Colorado State, MTSU, Ohio, Miami OH, Tulsa. 

13 G5 over P5 Upset Opportunities

I have 13 games this week in which a G5 and P5 team square off with the legitimate shot of an upset. Do you agree or do you think I am way off base in seeing these games as upset opportunities? **Note: I am not picking all of the games as upsets, I only see them as distinct possibilities.**

Group of Five players on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list

Jim Thorpe Award watch list:

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.