Odds and Ends
Recruiting Sidebar
Just an FYI, I did update the 2010 football recruiting sidebar, complete new profiles of DE's Jaqwaylin Arps and Kedrick Dial. Keep in mind that the reason that most players do not have any or only 1 star rating is that a majority of the potential recruits haven't been graded by either service and the default grade is 1-star or no stars. Those will change over the course of the year.
Red Defense
This should be posted at 10:00 a.m.
Texas Tech Football
Mike Leach Makes Friends, Part II
My wish has been granted, as TAMU Mike Sherman saying that he's said numerous times before that he thought QB Stephen McGee was a third or fourth round pick:
"There is nothing Mike Leach could ever say that would offend me," Sherman said in a statement. "I do find it unfortunate, however, that a college coach feels the need to question the handling of a player by a staff particularly without any knowledge of the facts or the extent of a player's injury. It is equally bothersome that a football coach would question the draft status of a player. This doesn't make any sense to me."I have stated numerous times before the draft I thought Stephen McGee was a late third or early fourth round pick. It is apparent the Dallas Cowboy's felt the same way. It was a great pick."
I did a quick Google search and turned up nothing before the draft about where he thought McGee would land, although I did find this article in USA Today, but Sherman doesn't let on where he thinks McGee is drafted and this article from the FWST regarding McGee's pro prospects. Someone help me out with this. And let me be clear, I have no ill will or animosity towards Sherman or McGee. Honestly, I always hope that anyone that has the opportunity to play football on the professional level is successful, despite where he went to college. I'm really just interested to see whether or not that's an accurate statement from Sherman.
Spread Quarterbacks and the NFL
I really wanted to write this up in a story format, but I didn't have enough time last night or this morning. The reason why Graham Harrell didn't get drafted is because, for whatever reason, the NFL scouts didn't like his measurables, whatever that is. If Matt Stafford had gone to Texas Tech rather than Georgia, there's no doubt in my mind that he still would have been picked #1 overall, despite the fact that he ran the spread offense. I have no idea if and when a Texas Tech quarterback gets drafted, possibly ever. If there was ever an instance where it might happen, it's going to be the next two year. The NFL is going to have a 6-4/220 quarterback with a strong arm in Taylor Potts. If there's ever a chance to get a guy in the NFL, it's Potts.
I would like to stress that just because Leach hasn't produced NFL success doesn't mean that he's not successful. Typically, Texas Tech doesn't get the guys with measurables, but that sure as hell doesn't mean that whoever he recruits can't play quarterback. I don't know that Seth Doege or Jacob Karam or Scotty Young will ever be drafted, hell I have no idea if they'll even been successful college quarterbacks. What I can say is that Leach has shown a propensity to make seemingly lowly rated quarterback prospects into collegiate winners. I have idea as to the star rating for guys like Kingsbury, Cumbie, Symons, or Hodges, but I don't think that it's so crazy to think that these guys weren't going to stick on an NFL roster.
Does it stink that Graham Harrell wasn't drafted? Absolutely, but all this tells us is that Leach is right about one thing, which is that the NFL values one thing, while Leach values another.
It seems as if the elite programs typically get quarterbacks with those measurables, but that doesn't mean that there aren't guys who are 6-0 or 6-2 that maybe weigh 190 with pretty good arms and an extreme ability to quckly read a defense can't or shouldn't play college football.
Ask any Missouri or Kansas fan if they would trade Chase Daniel or Todd Reesing for Kansas State's Josh Freeman (apologies to BOTC).
College coaches are paid to do two things, win games and graduate players. I'll let you decide the order, but right now, Leach does both. The fact that none of his quarterbacks have stuck on an NFL roster isn't indicative of his success at Texas Tech or his success at producing successful collegiate quarterbacks. Thus far, I think Leach has hit on almost all of his starting quarterbacks, and as of right now, he probably has a better track record than most NFL teams at developing quarterbacks.
Louis Vasquez to Block for L.T.
FWST's Dwain Price sits down with new San Diego Charger, Louis Vasquez, with an opportunity to block for one of the great running backs, LaDainian Tomlinson. A.J. Smith, Chargers GM, thinks that Vasquez will compete at right guard:
"Vasquez has a very similar temperament to Kris Dielman," Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said. "We had targeted him. We’ve got Kynan Forney at the right guard position, but Louis will compete."
And surprise, surprise, Leach thinks Vasquez is going to have a long, successful career:
"I’ve thought for some time that Louis is ahead of schedule as a lineman goes," Leach said. "He started real early in a position that’s very hard to start early, but I think he can get better and better."I think Louis is going to be really good. In fact I expect him to have a good career, and I think he’s a guy that can be even better than he thinks he can."