Jeezla Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 I haven't watched Charles Cross yet, but give me a pro comp for him? He sounds great on paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 15 hours ago, Jeezla said: I haven't watched Charles Cross yet, but give me a pro comp for him? He sounds great on paper. Cross is good but it also helps he is in that Leach system, they have wide splits and they get the ball out fast. Also they have a ton of "pass blocking" snaps as if that is an accomplishment, they get a lot of action though sure. Andre Dillard on Washington State under Leach was a similar pass protecting OT, if anything he was a little stronger at the point of attack and did get in the workouts, but he has been hurt a lot in the NFL and went out there has not been all that great for a 1st round pick. Cross could be a 1st rounder if he declares but I do not have him in there just yet. Honestly he is not better than Jedrick Wills, Becton, Tristan Wirfs, Andrew Thomas, Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater. Promising sure but yeah I need to watch more of him as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is not a great bowl game but it is not an awful one either, it is a matchup between two top 15 teams, Pitt is 11-2 and to just sit it out for draft prep? What because Mark Whipple is gone and Pickett is afraid he will look back without his OC at his side? Players obviously feel once the regular season is over the season itself is over and any bowl game in any regard that is not the Playoff is meaningless and is only meant for the players that will be back on the 2022 college football team. Sure coaches come and go which does not help the situation but Nick Saban was dead right, the Playoff has hurt the regular season and more importantly made the bowl season worthless because the Playoff is all anyone talks about or cares about. Too bad really, great for draft prep time and everything but just hard to grasp sitting out a game when technically the season is not complete till after the bowl game. Walker on the Michigan State side is sitting out as well but that has been a given any RB rated some what high will sit the bowl season more often then not. Just seems like an odd choice, I recall Daniel Jones in a so so bowl game "Walk On's Independence Bowl", he played great after some what disappointing regular season and he ended up being selected a lot higher than most thought. So not sure draft prep would honestly help Pickett that much honestly but again maybe he is scared what he could look like without Whipple and if that is the case that is not exactly good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoundrel Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 55 minutes ago, Ozzy said: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is not a great bowl game but it is not an awful one either, it is a matchup between two top 15 teams, Pitt is 11-2 and to just sit it out for draft prep? What because Mark Whipple is gone and Pickett is afraid he will look back without his OC at his side? Players obviously feel once the regular season is over the season itself is over and any bowl game in any regard that is not the Playoff is meaningless and is only meant for the players that will be back on the 2022 college football team. Sure coaches come and go which does not help the situation but Nick Saban was dead right, the Playoff has hurt the regular season and more importantly made the bowl season worthless because the Playoff is all anyone talks about or cares about. Too bad really, great for draft prep time and everything but just hard to grasp sitting out a game when technically the season is not complete till after the bowl game. Walker on the Michigan State side is sitting out as well but that has been a given any RB rated some what high will sit the bowl season more often then not. Just seems like an odd choice, I recall Daniel Jones in a so so bowl game "Walk On's Independence Bowl", he played great after some what disappointing regular season and he ended up being selected a lot higher than most thought. So not sure draft prep would honestly help Pickett that much honestly but again maybe he is scared what he could look like without Whipple and if that is the case that is not exactly good. Corral is playing in his bowl game. True team guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 7 hours ago, Scoundrel said: Corral is playing in his bowl game. True team guy Yeah, Ole Miss vs Baylor in the Sugar bowl New Years Day, pretty big game as well and great to hear that, Sam Williams is playing in the game as well. Good to see players finish out a historic season and do so. Corral has show some impressive leadership this year that has greatly helped his draft stock. Sure one can maybe improve a bit on specific tests if you sit out the bowl game, but if you need that much time to prep for those tests, then maybe you are not quite as athletically gifted or talented as you thought. Honestly all of this means if they create a larger playoff bracket then the bowl games will mean even less to players than they already do. They wish they could be "March Madness" but fact is that is not possible and never really will be. Look at the FCS playoffs, how many times does a lower ranked school win the title? Almost never. Yet it is hard for players to be motivated for games when the coaches change before the season is finished as well, so that really has to change also which would mean the recruiting timeline would have to change as well which honestly would not be that hard to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRaider Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 9 hours ago, Ozzy said: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is not a great bowl game but it is not an awful one either, it is a matchup between two top 15 teams, Pitt is 11-2 and to just sit it out for draft prep? What because Mark Whipple is gone and Pickett is afraid he will look back without his OC at his side? Players obviously feel once the regular season is over the season itself is over and any bowl game in any regard that is not the Playoff is meaningless and is only meant for the players that will be back on the 2022 college football team. Sure coaches come and go which does not help the situation but Nick Saban was dead right, the Playoff has hurt the regular season and more importantly made the bowl season worthless because the Playoff is all anyone talks about or cares about. Too bad really, great for draft prep time and everything but just hard to grasp sitting out a game when technically the season is not complete till after the bowl game. Walker on the Michigan State side is sitting out as well but that has been a given any RB rated some what high will sit the bowl season more often then not. Just seems like an odd choice, I recall Daniel Jones in a so so bowl game "Walk On's Independence Bowl", he played great after some what disappointing regular season and he ended up being selected a lot higher than most thought. So not sure draft prep would honestly help Pickett that much honestly but again maybe he is scared what he could look like without Whipple and if that is the case that is not exactly good. Since Pitt won the ACC it's technically considered a NY Day bowl, no? I'd assume that he's sitting out more so to avoid getting hurt rather than being afraid of being exposed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 23 minutes ago, NYRaider said: Since Pitt won the ACC it's technically considered a NY Day bowl, no? I'd assume that he's sitting out more so to avoid getting hurt rather than being afraid of being exposed. The game is Thursday December 30th. I feel since Whipple is out he is like no way I am playing because those two had such a great connection. So could be another issue of hey coaches leave so why can't I? Odd Whipple left before the bowl but if he would have stayed I feel Pickett would have played in the game. Carson Strong is sitting which I find odd also, it is not like either one are lock top 5 picks or something, or at least should not be at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jebrick Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 10 hours ago, Ozzy said: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is not a great bowl game but it is not an awful one either, it is a matchup between two top 15 teams, Pitt is 11-2 and to just sit it out for draft prep? What because Mark Whipple is gone and Pickett is afraid he will look back without his OC at his side? Players obviously feel once the regular season is over the season itself is over and any bowl game in any regard that is not the Playoff is meaningless and is only meant for the players that will be back on the 2022 college football team. Sure coaches come and go which does not help the situation but Nick Saban was dead right, the Playoff has hurt the regular season and more importantly made the bowl season worthless because the Playoff is all anyone talks about or cares about. Too bad really, great for draft prep time and everything but just hard to grasp sitting out a game when technically the season is not complete till after the bowl game. Walker on the Michigan State side is sitting out as well but that has been a given any RB rated some what high will sit the bowl season more often then not. Just seems like an odd choice, I recall Daniel Jones in a so so bowl game "Walk On's Independence Bowl", he played great after some what disappointing regular season and he ended up being selected a lot higher than most thought. So not sure draft prep would honestly help Pickett that much honestly but again maybe he is scared what he could look like without Whipple and if that is the case that is not exactly good. Pickett is showing signs that he knows he is at his high point( draft wise) and any shows would only pull him down. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sllim Pickens Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 5 hours ago, jebrick said: Pickett is showing signs that he knows he is at his high point( draft wise) and any shows would only pull him down. If I am him, I want to play against MSU and their last ranked pass D. This should have been a great game for him to show out on a big stage but since K9 is not playing, I am glad Pickett isn't either so we have a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRaider Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 6 hours ago, Ozzy said: The game is Thursday December 30th. I feel since Whipple is out he is like no way I am playing because those two had such a great connection. So could be another issue of hey coaches leave so why can't I? Odd Whipple left before the bowl but if he would have stayed I feel Pickett would have played in the game. Carson Strong is sitting which I find odd also, it is not like either one are lock top 5 picks or something, or at least should not be at this point. They're still going to be two of the first quarterbacks off of the board and Strong is playing in the Senior Bowl, IIRC. Are Kenny Pickett or Carson Strong going to do something in their bowl games that elevates their draft status signficantly? Probably not but a serious injury could cost them millions of dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 18 minutes ago, NYRaider said: They're still going to be two of the first quarterbacks off of the board and Strong is playing in the Senior Bowl, IIRC. Are Kenny Pickett or Carson Strong going to do something in their bowl games that elevates their draft status signficantly? Probably not but a serious injury could cost them millions of dollars. The dude used most of his NIL money for charity apparently and also fed his OL before every game with a fancy meal with that money. So if he was so worried about losing money he would have never spent that NIL money which apparently he did. The guy clearly cares about his teammates and the program, odd to jump ship right before the end of his college career. And yes he could improve his draft stock with a good bowl game performance. Sure he could have hurt it a bit but seriously doubt he would have thrown like 4 INTs for touchdowns or something. And like @Sllim Pickens they have a pretty suspect pass defense anyway on Michigan State. He did not seem the type to sit out a bowl game after accomplishing so much at Pitt this year with a bunch of seniors especially on that offensive line. And it is not like he was some 1st round projected pick before the season anyway. Many like myself kind of forgot about the dude because sure he did ok but was coming off an injury and two seasons where he almost threw as many TDs and INTs both years. He threw more TDs in this one year than he did the previous four season at Pitt combined, what the hell is one more game for a guy that played 52 college football games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 (edited) Keeanu Benton Wisconsin NT is coming back to school, slight surprise but would not be shocked if Leo goes back as well. And with all the seniors returning even if they are RS guys, bet most of that secondary returns as well who are all RS Seniors, will be curious if they all will get a sixth year similar to other players. Cam Jurgens of Nebraska declared for the draft, seems odd because he is a RS SOPH and could have easily been a higher pick next year than this year. This years class of centers is pretty deep and I am sure I am missing a few as well. No way Jurgens gets picked over these top four of five guys but who knows maybe I underrate him a bit. Could even make the case of Schmitz or Owens or Shanahan being better than Jurgens right now who at times did struggle a bit early this year and last. Tyler Linderbaum Iowa JR Jarrett Patterson Notre Dame Nick Brahms Auburn RS Doug Kramer Illinois RS Andrew Vastardis Michigan RS Conner Olson Minnesota RS Brock Hoffman Virginia Tech RS JR Cam Jurgens Nebraska RS SOPH John Michael Schmitz Minnesota RS Chris Owens Alabama RS Also looked at the accepted senior bowl invites and these guys are all coming out based on accepted these invites. https://www.seniorbowl.com/the-game/accepted-invites/ Marcus Jones Houston RS JR CB: I believe he was a RS JR so could of had one more year but just as a return man alone he has a big chance to get drafted, could be one of the best all around return men in the draft. Is not a bad CB either based on his stats but I have to watch him some more. Logan Hall Houston RS JR DT: Big time prospect, wish he would have came back to school but is a dude who can hold his own on the inside and would not surprise me if he is a 2nd round pick at worst 3rd rounder. Lecitus Smith Virginia Tech RS JR OG: Impressive guard, could have been elite if he return to school but still is one of the best in the draft and could easily be a 3rd or 4th round pick. Payton Wilson NC State RS JR OLB: He is apparently coming back to school based on a report but is not official just yet. Edited December 17, 2021 by Ozzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 18, 2021 Author Share Posted December 18, 2021 (edited) Jackson State SR LB James Houston #41 "He has recorded 21.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks, with seven forced fumbles, in 12 games." No clue why ESPN does not even have accurate stats for Jackson State much less James Houston, guess it is a FCS thing, but yeah that stat line is big time and will have to watch him close today at 11 Central time in the game. Impressive production that is for sure, 7 forced fumbles and 14.5 sacks in 12 games! That is big time. Looks like he is a transfer for Florida and made the most of that switch. Also curious though since Jackson State is in the FCS, they only play other "Black Colleges" and do not play the other big FCS schools for the national title in the "Playoff bracket"? That kind of sucks. Edited December 18, 2021 by Ozzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted December 18, 2021 Author Share Posted December 18, 2021 Charles Cross has declared and will not play the bowl game. Going to have to include him in my next ranking that goes up. This is a good clip up of his play against a top flight DL this year at A&M. He does give up a sack to Leal and honestly Leal has a pretty decent game against him, but sure has good feet and moves well, walls off defenders nicely and is athletic and seems promising in pass pro. Still feel he is a bit overrated but honestly no one else has taken that #2 OT spot really this year so lucky for him, and Cross will be viewed as young and talented which he is as a RS SOPH. Still I doubt he is 6-5 is probably like 6-4 but sure has decent arm length. Also again I feel it is deceptive him playing at Miss State because they do not ask any OL to protect for that long and have a lot of short passes and dump offs to the backs to get the ball out quickly. And again no way I take him over other top OTs in the draft recently but sure he will benefit from lack of elite competition at the OT spot. Petit-Frere, Kinnard, Faalele and Tucker none of them have out played Cross this year or are better in pass pro which is what everyone seems to want so lucky for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jebrick Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Cross will be a top 20 pick at a minimum. Still a little raw and has room to grow but he has a high ceiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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