The Freaks list was the biggest topic in the latest run through the mailbag:
From Ray in NYC: I love the Freaks list and appreciate that it's not just a list of skill guys. It got me to thinking, if you had to make a top-10 list of the guys who would be the best two-way players, how would it look?
Feldman: A few guys I know who have already proven themselves on both sides of the ball would have to be on it: Boston College's Brian Toal (FB-LB) and Ole Miss' Greg Hardy (WR-DE). As for the rest, I'd love to see what kind of middle linebackers Jake Locker and Tim Tebow would be; let's see Taylor Mays play wideout; Percy Harvin at cornerback; Derek Pegues at tailback; Joe McKnight at cornerback; Alex Mack at DT and Vontae Davis at WR.
From Gina in Santa Barbara, Calif.: Thanks for giving some love to Alex Mack. Do you think he gets overlooked sometimes because he plays center?
Feldman: I think that is a big part of it. It is really hard to find a good center and very few can do some of the things that Mack can, especially pulling to lead the ground game. What also has hurt him is Cal flopped last year and when your team doesn't do well, it obviously holds back some of the publicity. Plus, O-line play is the toughest thing of all for people to hype up. Unless you are a coach and observe the guy every day or coach against him, you just don't really know a lot. It's also not like you're going to hear a lot from NFL scouts because the reality is they don't analyze a prospect really until their senior season. Those scouts who come on campus to watch film are really there just to see the seniors.
From Clay in Oakland, Calif.: It looks like Mizzou starting WR Denario Alexander, rehabbing a torn ACL from the Big 12 title game, has experienced a major setback in his recovery, essentially reinjuring the knee. How big of a blow is this setback for the Mizzou offense if Alexander indeed will be out until Big 12 play starts?
Feldman: Losing Alexander hurts a lot. The guy has great size at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and tremendous athleticism, but Chase Daniel has plenty of other weapons outside with Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman and Tommy Saunders. That said, Mizzou's early schedule isn't brutal. They do open with a very good Illinois team, but if they can get by the Illini, they won't play one of the top 75 teams in the country until Oct. 4, when they head to Nebraska.
I'm sure Gary Pinkel is hoping some of his younger skill guys emerge by then.
From Adam in N.J.: Rutgers got another ESPN 150 watch list player in Desmond Scott from N.C. Honestly now, did you EVER think Rutgers would be good enough to recruit well beyond the N.J. borders? I mean, Delaware and Pennsylvania are one thing, but N.C.?
Feldman: Rutgers had gotten some good players from Florida and obviously from the surrounding local states (New York and Pennsylvania), but it is a testament to Greg Schiano and the way he has elevated the program's profile that the Scarlet Knights can get players from places you wouldn't expect them to be recruiting. In Scott's case, I think he saw the impact a similarly-sized back in Ray Rice had at Rutgers and that was appealing.
From Courtney in Chicago: I realize this isn't strictly a football question, but who do you see getting the Notre Dame AD job?
Feldman: I'm not sure. The name I've heard the most from people who seem to be pretty plugged into ND is Tulsa AD Bubba Cunningham. He is an ND grad and was an associate AD at Notre Dame before taking over Ball State's athletic department in 2002.
From Matt in Chicago: Did Trindon Holliday and Xavier Carter overlap at all? If so, it's pretty amazing to think that two of the fastest players in college football history played on the same team. Imagine the trick-play potential!
Feldman: Technically, yes, but not really. Carter played for LSU football in 2005 and Holliday did sign with the Tigers in February 2005, but he was delayed until the 2006 recruiting class while he worked on improving his test scores.
There have been some cases of teams having multiple track sprinters on their teams. I believe Tennessee had that when Willie Gault was there in the 80s. Carter had incredible track speed, although it didn't seem to translate so much to football. Besides, LSU still has more than its share of speedsters to team with Holliday.
From Calvin in Fort Worth, Texas: Have you still been watching "The Ultimate Fighter"? I have been really impressed with the intensity of Matt Brown, and became even more of a fan when I saw that he was chosen to help coach in Jesse Taylor's corner. My one concern is that he doesn't look like a middleweight. He looks like 185 might be his normal weight and my thought -- assuming someone picks him up based on what he's done on the show -- is he should try to fight at 170. I think he could be a dominant fighter in that class once he gets more polished up. Thoughts?
Feldman: I missed the last two episodes and I'll try and catch them in one of those TUF marathons. I suspect a few of those guys will shrink down to 170. Look at the success Michael Bisping seems to be having since he dropped down a class. As for Brown, I like him. His stand-up game is very entertaining and he certainly appeared to be a very solid guy from the way he carried himself on the show.
From Ryan in Atlanta: Where are youuuuuuu? You seem to have vanished.
Feldman: I got married and was on a honeymoon in Hawaii. I think if I had filed any blog entries I would already be divorced. I didn't use my phone and checked the blackberry twice a day. I probably should've posted something about it before taking off but I was scrambled a few days before the wedding and didn't get to it.
And with that said, there is much I feel like I probably need to get caught up on, so forgive me if some of the Random Stuff is a bit dated.
Random Stuff
• Stephen Garcia is on the right track, according to Joseph Person. A University of South Carolina source said the former standout QB prospect has passed the first eight of 10 scheduled drug and alcohol checks, completed his counseling program and is working near his family's home in Lutz, a suburb of Tampa.
Garcia is suspended from football-related activities until Aug. 15, two weeks after the Gamecocks report for preseason drills and 13 days before their season opener against N.C. State. There has been speculation Garcia could be allowed to rejoin the team earlier if he completes the requirements. But USC AD Eric Hyman has given no indication he would lift Garcia's suspension before Aug. 15.
"You know what the plan is," Hyman told reporters this week. "You'll have to go back to the university and the guidelines that he's been asked to follow."
• New Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman wants the J-Train, Jorvorskie Lane, to weigh 265 pounds this coming season, writes Randy Riggs. Rumors had Lane nearing three bills last season.
• Tony Franklin's spread attack might not have been enticing for Enrique Davis, but it sure seems to be playing well for a lot of other recruits.
Billy Tucker reports that Franklin has been green-lighting a bunch of skill talent that caught his eye at Auburn camps.
• Randy Edsall would like to see the NCAA pass legislation prohibiting scholarship offers to high school players until July of the student's junior year, writes Desmond Conner. Right now some kids are being offered scholarships orally and some are committing orally much earlier than that, though an official, written scholarship offer can't be made until Sept. 1 of the junior year:
"If I see things I feel can make our game better, to make the recruiting process better, whatever, I think we should do something about it,"
Edsall said. "Right now, recruiting is out of hand and it's escalating at a high rate.
"We shouldn't be putting pressure on kids [who] are sophomores or younger. What we need to do is to slow the process down and take more time to evaluate these kids before extending scholarships. It'll lessen mistakes and force kids to bust their humps in the classroom and on the field."
Nice thought, but I can't see the idea getting passed.
• Who will be the top impact JC transfers in the Big 12 this fall? Eric Sorrentino gives his top five with Kansas RB Jocques Crawford topping the list.
Aside from the No. 4 guy, K-State DT Daniel Calvin, who had been committed to the old Ole Miss staff, I can't say I know a lot about the list aside from hearing about Texas Tech DE Brandon Sesay.
• The Heisman Pundit is back with a new look. The guy knows more about the Heisman than anyone I know, although I do disagree with him saying that Tim Tebow can't win the Heisman again:
"There are many reasons why a Heisman winner can't repeat. For starters, imagine how hard it is for a player to have ONE Heisman-worthy season.
But to have back-to-back Heisman-worthy seasons? Forget about it!
Furthermore, once such a season is accomplished, it must also be perceived as more worthy than all the other candidates in the running.
In essence, everything has to fall perfectly into place for a player to win the Heisman … once. For things to fall perfectly into place twice is highly unlikely."
• Speaking of Heisman, can there be some Heisman buzz building for Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour? Drew Ellis ponders the star's impact.
Bruce Feldman
