sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,351
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- 109,652
I am temporarily filling in for OE as he recovers from surgery. Get well soon Dan.
SU News
Memorial Day at Scott Shafer's House
Recruiting
Franklin Regional LB Brett Zanotto Offered by Syracuse (triblive.com; Harlan)
(Sean Hickey is a Franklin Regional Alum)
When Franklin Regional's Brett Zanotto was a sophomore, his football coach recommended he try a different sport.
But that's not as bad as it sounds.
If Zanotto wanted to become a better football player, he also should join the wrestling team, football coach Greg Botta told him.
Zanotto took that advice, won a state team title in wrestling this past winter and now holds scholarship offers from FBS coaches who want the 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker.
In hindsight, Zanotto considers it sound advice.
“I was hesitant about it,” said Zanotto, who soon will finish his junior year, “but I'm grateful now that I decided to do it. College coaches like a wrestler, I believe.”
Syracuse was the latest to offer, joining Maryland, Toledo, UMass and Eastern Michigan.
All five offers came in the past two months. Syracuse assistant Clark Lea visited Murrysville on Thursday and offered Zanotto a scholarship by phone Friday.
“I told Brett that wrestling would help him not only on the football field but also his recruiting,” Botta said. “When I say he's a 220-pound wrestler, these coaches' eyes light up.”
...
Looks Like the University of Illinois? SU Target Lake Forest Academy DL Wesley Annan Gets Offer From Illini (southtownstar.suntimes.com; SU Alum Beth Long)
...
Illinois offers two linemen
Illinois was out in full force during the recruiting evaluation period, and two junior linemen were the beneficiaries. Lake Forest Academy defensive lineman Wesley Annan and Oak Park-River Forest offensive lineman Adam Lemke-Bell are the latest to add offers from the Illini.
Annan, a 6-5, 275-pound tackle, is excited about the prospect of playing football in Champaign.
“I’m glad to have the in-state offer from Illinois,” said Annan, who has additional offers from Rutgers, Maryland, Duke and Syracuse. “I’ve had good feedback from the coaches and the program is building. I’ll probably go down to visit with some family and friends.”
...
Elite CB Has Clemson in Top Group (tigernet.com; Crumpton)
Tarvarus McFaddenPos: CB Height: 6-3 Weight: 195 Hometown: Plantation, FL (American Heritage HS) Class: 2015
Elite cornerback Tarvarus McFaddenfrom Fort Lauderdale, FL has Clemson in his top group according to his twitter acount.
He has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Syracuse, Tennessee, USC and many others. Clemson offered on 4/5/13.
McFadden is a tall and rangy press corner with track speed. He would fit well in a man coverage scheme and is a possible multi-year starter for just about any school that he chooses.
He is also a great kick returner that has elusive moves in the open field. One of his high school teammates is 5-star quarterback Torrance Gibson.
...
Former Players
Top 5 Position Battles for NY Giants (BR; Griffin)
Main Battle: Josh Freeman vs. Ryan Nassib
With Eli Manning coming off ankle surgery, the competition to be his backup has more importance than ever. Last year was the first time since 2007 that the Giants kept three quarterbacks, something they may not want to do again.
Josh Freeman has had an up-and-down career, to put it mildly. He was a first-round selection for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was expected to be their franchise QB. He had mixed results in Tampa, with his finest season coming in 2010 when he threw for 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions and posted a career-best quarterback rating of 95.9.
Freeman's time in Tampa came to a bitter end, resulting from a controversial leak about his enrollment in the league's substance abuse program. After they failed to trade him, Tampa released Freeman, who subsequently signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The only action he saw was against the Giants, a game in which he completed fewer than 40 percent of his passes and gave New York its first win of the season.
The other quarterback vying to be Manning's backup is last year's fourth-round pick Ryan Nassib. Nassib had a successful senior seasonin 2012 at Syracuse, passing for over 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns, yet he slipped down draft boards until the Giants traded up for him in the fourth round. He was viewed as a developmental project, someone to be groomed to take over for Manning when the veteran signal-caller decided to call it quits.
Unfortunately, Nassib didn't impress enough to win the backup role last year. Instead he was relegated to third string behind Curtis Painter. He was the subject of some trade rumors leading up to the draft, including a comment about how New York general manager Jerry Reese was open to hearing trade offers. Nassib needs to show some significant growth in order to again win over the organization.
Both quarterbacks bring something different to this battle. Freeman has the most NFL experience among the two. He showed flashes as a starter in Tampa, and he might just need the right coaching to rediscover his abilities. Nassib, on the other hand, is still a young player brimming with potential but needs to prove himself.
Prediction
The outcome of this battle really hinges on Nassib in my opinion. If Freeman wins the backup position, the Giants will go with three quarterbacks again and keep Nassib as the third QB. If Nassib is able to beat out Freeman, then I think they will just go with Manning and Nassib.
The former scenario seems most likely to me.
...
Giant's Pick Bromley Found Success, Hope After Dark Past (nypost.com; Schwartz)
He acknowledges it is probably a defense mechanism, but that’s OK because, “It helps me cope with what I need to do.”
What Jay Bromley needs to do, more often than anyone can possibly know, is come to grips with his life knowing he was abandoned when he was 3 months old by his biological parents, with whom, to this day, he offers a “Not really” when asked if there’s any relationship there.
Bromley just completed his second week as a member of the Giants, their third-round draft pick, a defensive tackle from Syracuse. On Wednesday he turns 22 and can envision big things ahead after overcoming so much, so young.
“Probably one of my negative character traits, me as a person is I don’t have a lot of — I care who I care about, but it doesn’t bother me if you’re not in my life. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Bromley told The Post.
...
National
College Football Ranking by State: New York (#31), But Not as Bad as Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey (BR; Pedersen)
Someone should buy Pedersen a book. Army was a major football power from 1900 to 1950, one of the greatest programs ever. And Syracuse has been almost always been good for over 100 years.
Despite having three FBS programs—more than 30 other states—New York has never really been considered a college football hotbed. It doesn't help that all three teams are in upstate New York, with only one (Army) considered in the vicinity of the population center and media mecca of New York City.
But New York had two bowl teams last year for the fifth time ever and the first that involved Buffalo instead of Army as the partner to Syracuse. Buffalo was blown out in its game, while Syracuse edged Minnesota to win the Texas Bowl, and Army was left home after a third straight season of three or fewer wins.
Oklahoma Escaping Big 12 Dustbowl? No Offers But It is Nice to Dream (stormininnorman.com; Buettner)
...
But for arguments sake, let’s look at the other conferences. Where would OU fit in? Where would they succeed? What would be good for the program?
I NEVER do this, but I am going to put on the crimson glasses for a second as I look at potential new homes for Oklahoma.
...
OOC News
ND Lead Writer Looks at ND 2014 Schedule Game-by-Game (BR; Arnold)
...
The Irish leave the state of Indiana for the first time in late September, traveling to MetLife stadium at the Meadowlands to take on Syracuse. They'll find Scott Shafer's team ready to take a step forward after winning four of their last six games, including an important bowl victory over Minnesota.
The Orange look like they've found a quarterback in Terrel Hunt. He's a dual-threat player who will add some weaponry to an offense that was 99th in scoring in 2013. The Orange return four starting lineman and most of their skill players, so things should improve as Syracuse tries to run a variety of the up-tempo spread attack.
Defensively, Syracuse will be challenged in the front seven. Marquis Spruill has moved on to the NFL. So has defensive tackle Jay Bromley. An offense that struggles to score points and a defense with question marks isn't a promising proposition against the Irish.
In a neutral-site game that'll likely feature just as many Notre Dame fans as Syracuse, this is a football game that the Irish need to win if they're hoping to make it to 10 regular season victories.
...
Central Michigan Ranked #91 (Rantsports; Briggs)
A three game push at the end of last season got the Central Michigan Chippewas to a 6-6 record, but after locking down head coach Dan Enos to a contract extension through 2016, fans are hoping the ex-Michigan State Spartans assistant can fire up the Chips to a MAC championship in 2014.
With some key players returning and the conference seemingly more up-for-grabs than in previous seasons, there are rumblings of a waking contender in Mount Pleasant.
Offense:
Last season, the Chippewas experienced key losses in-season that left the offense scrambling, including QB Cody Kater and running back Zurlon Tipton. With big production sitting on the bench, Saylor Savelli stepped up for the Chips, starting eight games and rushing for 807 yards and five touchdowns before Tipton returned to start the final three games. This season, Savelli returns to pound into opposing defenses, with help coming from Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore and Anthony Garland, who combined for over 400 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2013.
...
Other
Batavia Knows It's a Long Shot for Stadium (D&C; Maiorana)
Imagine if you will, the Dallas Cowboys' team plane landing at Genesee County Airport in Batavia. And then charter buses coming out to the tarmac to transport America's Team to some Batavia hotel, and eventually, to a billion-dollar palace of a stadium located just off exit 48 of the New York State Thruway.
What would Cowboys owner Jerry Jones think about that?
Well, as long as this far-fetched future scenario regarding the Buffalo Bills playing their home games in Batavia put sufficient money in Jones' and the other NFL owners' ample pockets, he'd probably be fine with it.
Of course, this isn't likely to happen, and Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell realizes this. But hey, you never know.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Gsell said the other day. "But we know it's an extremely long shot."
...
Chris Hipps More Proof Texas Becoming a Hotbed of Talent for NCAA Lacrosse (dallasnews.com; Gosselin)
...
Now flash forward to 2011. Brandon Mullins faced the same choice as Hipps. He was the Texas 5A Defensive Player of the Year in football with 131 tackles and 11 sacks at Coppell.
Like Hipps, Mullins started playing lacrosse in grade school because all of his friends were playing. Like Hipps, Mullins became a prep All-American in lacrosse.
But Mullins had played multiple tournaments out east by then against the best that coast had to offer. So without hesitation he chose lacrosse, accepting a scholarship from national power Syracuse.
“When the letters and emails first started coming [from lacrosse schools], it was exciting to realize that this kind of thing was actually in reach,” Mullins said.
“But in the back of my mind, I always knew I could play with the high caliber guys. I had been on travel teams and played with the best of them. I knew I could compete with them. But it was still satisfying when the recruiting looks finally came.”
By his second season in 2014, Mullins was an All-ACC defenseman.
...
SU News
Memorial Day at Scott Shafer's House
Recruiting
Franklin Regional LB Brett Zanotto Offered by Syracuse (triblive.com; Harlan)
(Sean Hickey is a Franklin Regional Alum)
When Franklin Regional's Brett Zanotto was a sophomore, his football coach recommended he try a different sport.
But that's not as bad as it sounds.
If Zanotto wanted to become a better football player, he also should join the wrestling team, football coach Greg Botta told him.
Zanotto took that advice, won a state team title in wrestling this past winter and now holds scholarship offers from FBS coaches who want the 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker.
In hindsight, Zanotto considers it sound advice.
“I was hesitant about it,” said Zanotto, who soon will finish his junior year, “but I'm grateful now that I decided to do it. College coaches like a wrestler, I believe.”
Syracuse was the latest to offer, joining Maryland, Toledo, UMass and Eastern Michigan.
All five offers came in the past two months. Syracuse assistant Clark Lea visited Murrysville on Thursday and offered Zanotto a scholarship by phone Friday.
“I told Brett that wrestling would help him not only on the football field but also his recruiting,” Botta said. “When I say he's a 220-pound wrestler, these coaches' eyes light up.”
...
Looks Like the University of Illinois? SU Target Lake Forest Academy DL Wesley Annan Gets Offer From Illini (southtownstar.suntimes.com; SU Alum Beth Long)
...
Illinois offers two linemen
Illinois was out in full force during the recruiting evaluation period, and two junior linemen were the beneficiaries. Lake Forest Academy defensive lineman Wesley Annan and Oak Park-River Forest offensive lineman Adam Lemke-Bell are the latest to add offers from the Illini.
Annan, a 6-5, 275-pound tackle, is excited about the prospect of playing football in Champaign.
“I’m glad to have the in-state offer from Illinois,” said Annan, who has additional offers from Rutgers, Maryland, Duke and Syracuse. “I’ve had good feedback from the coaches and the program is building. I’ll probably go down to visit with some family and friends.”
...
Elite CB Has Clemson in Top Group (tigernet.com; Crumpton)
Tarvarus McFaddenPos: CB Height: 6-3 Weight: 195 Hometown: Plantation, FL (American Heritage HS) Class: 2015
Elite cornerback Tarvarus McFaddenfrom Fort Lauderdale, FL has Clemson in his top group according to his twitter acount.
He has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Syracuse, Tennessee, USC and many others. Clemson offered on 4/5/13.
McFadden is a tall and rangy press corner with track speed. He would fit well in a man coverage scheme and is a possible multi-year starter for just about any school that he chooses.
He is also a great kick returner that has elusive moves in the open field. One of his high school teammates is 5-star quarterback Torrance Gibson.
...
Former Players
Top 5 Position Battles for NY Giants (BR; Griffin)
Main Battle: Josh Freeman vs. Ryan Nassib
With Eli Manning coming off ankle surgery, the competition to be his backup has more importance than ever. Last year was the first time since 2007 that the Giants kept three quarterbacks, something they may not want to do again.
Josh Freeman has had an up-and-down career, to put it mildly. He was a first-round selection for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was expected to be their franchise QB. He had mixed results in Tampa, with his finest season coming in 2010 when he threw for 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions and posted a career-best quarterback rating of 95.9.
Freeman's time in Tampa came to a bitter end, resulting from a controversial leak about his enrollment in the league's substance abuse program. After they failed to trade him, Tampa released Freeman, who subsequently signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The only action he saw was against the Giants, a game in which he completed fewer than 40 percent of his passes and gave New York its first win of the season.
The other quarterback vying to be Manning's backup is last year's fourth-round pick Ryan Nassib. Nassib had a successful senior seasonin 2012 at Syracuse, passing for over 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns, yet he slipped down draft boards until the Giants traded up for him in the fourth round. He was viewed as a developmental project, someone to be groomed to take over for Manning when the veteran signal-caller decided to call it quits.
Unfortunately, Nassib didn't impress enough to win the backup role last year. Instead he was relegated to third string behind Curtis Painter. He was the subject of some trade rumors leading up to the draft, including a comment about how New York general manager Jerry Reese was open to hearing trade offers. Nassib needs to show some significant growth in order to again win over the organization.
Both quarterbacks bring something different to this battle. Freeman has the most NFL experience among the two. He showed flashes as a starter in Tampa, and he might just need the right coaching to rediscover his abilities. Nassib, on the other hand, is still a young player brimming with potential but needs to prove himself.
Prediction
The outcome of this battle really hinges on Nassib in my opinion. If Freeman wins the backup position, the Giants will go with three quarterbacks again and keep Nassib as the third QB. If Nassib is able to beat out Freeman, then I think they will just go with Manning and Nassib.
The former scenario seems most likely to me.
...
Giant's Pick Bromley Found Success, Hope After Dark Past (nypost.com; Schwartz)
He acknowledges it is probably a defense mechanism, but that’s OK because, “It helps me cope with what I need to do.”
What Jay Bromley needs to do, more often than anyone can possibly know, is come to grips with his life knowing he was abandoned when he was 3 months old by his biological parents, with whom, to this day, he offers a “Not really” when asked if there’s any relationship there.
Bromley just completed his second week as a member of the Giants, their third-round draft pick, a defensive tackle from Syracuse. On Wednesday he turns 22 and can envision big things ahead after overcoming so much, so young.
“Probably one of my negative character traits, me as a person is I don’t have a lot of — I care who I care about, but it doesn’t bother me if you’re not in my life. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Bromley told The Post.
...
National
College Football Ranking by State: New York (#31), But Not as Bad as Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey (BR; Pedersen)
Someone should buy Pedersen a book. Army was a major football power from 1900 to 1950, one of the greatest programs ever. And Syracuse has been almost always been good for over 100 years.
Despite having three FBS programs—more than 30 other states—New York has never really been considered a college football hotbed. It doesn't help that all three teams are in upstate New York, with only one (Army) considered in the vicinity of the population center and media mecca of New York City.
But New York had two bowl teams last year for the fifth time ever and the first that involved Buffalo instead of Army as the partner to Syracuse. Buffalo was blown out in its game, while Syracuse edged Minnesota to win the Texas Bowl, and Army was left home after a third straight season of three or fewer wins.
Oklahoma Escaping Big 12 Dustbowl? No Offers But It is Nice to Dream (stormininnorman.com; Buettner)
...
But for arguments sake, let’s look at the other conferences. Where would OU fit in? Where would they succeed? What would be good for the program?
I NEVER do this, but I am going to put on the crimson glasses for a second as I look at potential new homes for Oklahoma.
...
OOC News
ND Lead Writer Looks at ND 2014 Schedule Game-by-Game (BR; Arnold)
...
The Irish leave the state of Indiana for the first time in late September, traveling to MetLife stadium at the Meadowlands to take on Syracuse. They'll find Scott Shafer's team ready to take a step forward after winning four of their last six games, including an important bowl victory over Minnesota.
The Orange look like they've found a quarterback in Terrel Hunt. He's a dual-threat player who will add some weaponry to an offense that was 99th in scoring in 2013. The Orange return four starting lineman and most of their skill players, so things should improve as Syracuse tries to run a variety of the up-tempo spread attack.
Defensively, Syracuse will be challenged in the front seven. Marquis Spruill has moved on to the NFL. So has defensive tackle Jay Bromley. An offense that struggles to score points and a defense with question marks isn't a promising proposition against the Irish.
In a neutral-site game that'll likely feature just as many Notre Dame fans as Syracuse, this is a football game that the Irish need to win if they're hoping to make it to 10 regular season victories.
...
Central Michigan Ranked #91 (Rantsports; Briggs)
A three game push at the end of last season got the Central Michigan Chippewas to a 6-6 record, but after locking down head coach Dan Enos to a contract extension through 2016, fans are hoping the ex-Michigan State Spartans assistant can fire up the Chips to a MAC championship in 2014.
With some key players returning and the conference seemingly more up-for-grabs than in previous seasons, there are rumblings of a waking contender in Mount Pleasant.
Offense:
Last season, the Chippewas experienced key losses in-season that left the offense scrambling, including QB Cody Kater and running back Zurlon Tipton. With big production sitting on the bench, Saylor Savelli stepped up for the Chips, starting eight games and rushing for 807 yards and five touchdowns before Tipton returned to start the final three games. This season, Savelli returns to pound into opposing defenses, with help coming from Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore and Anthony Garland, who combined for over 400 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2013.
...
Other
Batavia Knows It's a Long Shot for Stadium (D&C; Maiorana)
Imagine if you will, the Dallas Cowboys' team plane landing at Genesee County Airport in Batavia. And then charter buses coming out to the tarmac to transport America's Team to some Batavia hotel, and eventually, to a billion-dollar palace of a stadium located just off exit 48 of the New York State Thruway.
What would Cowboys owner Jerry Jones think about that?
Well, as long as this far-fetched future scenario regarding the Buffalo Bills playing their home games in Batavia put sufficient money in Jones' and the other NFL owners' ample pockets, he'd probably be fine with it.
Of course, this isn't likely to happen, and Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell realizes this. But hey, you never know.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Gsell said the other day. "But we know it's an extremely long shot."
...
Chris Hipps More Proof Texas Becoming a Hotbed of Talent for NCAA Lacrosse (dallasnews.com; Gosselin)
...
Now flash forward to 2011. Brandon Mullins faced the same choice as Hipps. He was the Texas 5A Defensive Player of the Year in football with 131 tackles and 11 sacks at Coppell.
Like Hipps, Mullins started playing lacrosse in grade school because all of his friends were playing. Like Hipps, Mullins became a prep All-American in lacrosse.
But Mullins had played multiple tournaments out east by then against the best that coast had to offer. So without hesitation he chose lacrosse, accepting a scholarship from national power Syracuse.
“When the letters and emails first started coming [from lacrosse schools], it was exciting to realize that this kind of thing was actually in reach,” Mullins said.
“But in the back of my mind, I always knew I could play with the high caliber guys. I had been on travel teams and played with the best of them. I knew I could compete with them. But it was still satisfying when the recruiting looks finally came.”
By his second season in 2014, Mullins was an All-ACC defenseman.
...
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