Favorite non-Longhorns

by jc25 on Aug 4, 2010 4:17 PM CDT

Bumped. --PB-- Inspired by PB starting his football season lists and and TT7 stealing ideas from baseball blogs, I thought I'd jump into the fray.

Without further ado, some of my favorite non-Longhorns for the upcoming 2010 football season.

Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State - Dude is a waterbug of the highest order. Did you know he scored 21 (!) touchdowns last year? I'll give you a second to look up how many touchdowns non-Cody Johnson Texas running backs scored last season. The answer? 12. I guess to be fair, big ol' Cody scored 12 by himself. Tre Newton is nice, but Jeremy Hills over Rodgers (a Lamar Consolidated alum)? Ouch.

Tyron Carrier, James Cleveland, Patrick Edwards, Houston - Case Keenum gets all the pub, but he's got a pretty healthy stable receiving corps to throw to. They're not kidding with the PlayStation offense--each one of these guys had over 1,000 yards receiving. Combined numbers: 280 receptions, 3264 yards, 27 TDs. Sick. Plus, any dude that can survive this and still play football is a-ok in my book.

Randall Cobb, Kentucky - If UH is PlayStation, then Cobb is NFL Street. He does it all for a team that lacks offensive punch. If John Chiles were anything like Randall Cobb, the WildHorn would still be in existence. He can play Chiles at QB, Monroe on the jet sweep, Shipley in the slot, and Goodwin on the punt return. That's multi-talented. Cobb for Heisman? Not likely. But if you're throwing in a team MVP, Cobb's your guy.

Adrian Clayborn, Iowa - My dad is an Iowa alum, so whenever Drew Tate isn't throwing the Horns down, I tend to root for them. If there's one position we're stocked at, it's defensive end. But c'mon, Clayborn eats up OTs for breakfast. Plus, if you're giving kudos to VY for showing OU asswipe who's boss, you'll appreciate Clayborn's offense on racial intolerance.

Mark Herzlich, Boston College - The one guy every college football fan is rooting for.

Patrick Peterson, LSU - His game against Alabama was a revelation to me. Just like his name twin (one of my all-time favorite college basketball players), dude is selfless, relentless, and is a team leader. The Browns are nice players, but other than A-Will, this is the cornerback I'd want in battle.

To top things off, two more from our hated rivals:

Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M - As much as we like to cry fluke, Johnson's got talent, and he's got weapons. He's got one more shot at big brother, and I expect Muschamp adjustments, but JJ will be hard to contain. No, he's not the next VY (who is?), but if I'm picking sides for the 2010 season, Johnson's my first choice at QB. Plus, he seems like a genuinely good guy.

Travis Lewis, Oklahoma - When I saw this blur of a freshman on the field at the RRS, we were probably thinking the same thing: who the hell is this kid? Dude is from San Antonio, and let's just say when he was in high school, it was recruiting pre-Muschamp. He's fundamental and not flashy, and is simply a tackling machine. And he's entertaining to boot! Man, I wish he was leaving after this year.

There's my list. Yours in the comments.

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Comments

Great post!

Didn’t know about Herzlich.

And I’m glad to see Horns fans showing their expansive knowledge of the CFB world at large.

by TXinDC on Aug 4, 2010 4:56 PM CDT reply actions

Good Taste

I see that you have good taste in football for a Long Horn. Jerrod Johnson should have been at the top of that list. I would however suggest some changes:

The Houston players do not deserve to be on that list. I would instead put the Missouri QB Gabbert in there, he is a real deal.

by YUMC on Aug 4, 2010 5:31 PM CDT reply actions

Thanks?

I thought about putting Johnson at the top, just since I was doing O, then D. But I really was saving the ~~best~~ worst for last.

The last thing is a non-sequitur; how does it make sense to replace a trio of receivers with a QB? I do like Gabbert, but let’s see him actually produce stats instead of hype.

by jc25 on Aug 4, 2010 6:34 PM CDT up reply actions

hahahahah YUMC just said the most ridiculous thing ive ever read on this site

obviously u havent watched a u of h game lately

lets see, u of h has a better QB, RB and WR corps than we do

Keenum is humble, deadly and will be one of the top QBs in the NFL of the next decade

James Cleveland alone is better than anyone we have, and yet people discount him cause he transferred from Iowa

Finally, Tyron Carrier is the most dangerous return man in the country.. yes in the country.

The reason I like U of H’s players so much is that people like u give em no credit and they constantly go out and prove yall wrong. Sure they have no d and lose to people like UTEP, but their offense is the best ive seen since 2005 Horns

"We'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"

by greenspointexas on Aug 4, 2010 9:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Keenum should be humble

after Air Force destroyed him, to the tune of six interceptions, in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

"I always thought Superman was white and wore an S, but now I know he's black and wears number 20."-opposing coach applauds the Tyler Rose.

by MOHornFan on Aug 4, 2010 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

Regarding Jerrod Johnson's game against us last year

Have any of the contributors around here, who are both knowledgable about football and obsessive/complusive about reviewing game tape, ever gone back to look at that game to see what happened on defense?

When I was watching the game live, it seemed as if we weren’t in our base defense that had been so solid all year, and I remember wondering aloud if we were trying things out in preparation for the possibility of facing Tebow in the MNC. I’m not making excuses for the defense that day, just wondering if anyone else noticed that, or if I’m completely off base (which is entirely possible).

by UTLawGrad on Aug 4, 2010 5:44 PM CDT reply actions

He was just shooting fire.

My general impression was that he was just hitting every receiver in stride, and when he took it down himself he was running on adrenaline.

I think it was a combination of being at Kyle field and playing the big rival. I didn’t notice very many major modifications to our defense, but you know that the cameras don’t always pan out to let us see everything.

by tblog123 on Aug 4, 2010 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions

He was completing nearly 90% at one point in the first half

and when an offense is executing like that, no defense looks good. He wound up 26 of 33, 78.8%.

The Horns just outscored them.

by whills on Aug 5, 2010 1:52 AM CDT up reply actions

Defense was in disarray?

You have observed correctly. That’s not your defense’s fault, that’s just how good JJ is. That’s what he can do when he is in his element.

by YUMC on Aug 4, 2010 6:52 PM CDT up reply actions

that type of reading comprehension is going to kill your LSAT score…

by UTLawGrad on Aug 4, 2010 8:46 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Jerrod Johnson was on fire but...

I do recall some errant throws that should not have been caught, but somehow the recievers grew extra long spidey hands. The Aggs were just clicking. JJ did have one awesome game. tho.

You Ese! You Ese! You Ese!

by Ese-De-SA on Aug 4, 2010 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions

If I remember correctly

We played a lot more zone than we usually do, hoping to get to JJ quickly with the front four. We didn’t, and he was firing lasers to receivers running routes in the soft spots of the zone.

Other Receiving Votes: Oklahoma

by pleaseplaykindle on Aug 5, 2010 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Jake Locker

This is a kid so dedicated that he changed positions for the duration of the injury that kept him from playing QB. He always wants to be on the field, and he proved it by choosing to return for football instead of going full-time for baseball. He’s really turning into the rough, tough, productive guy he was supposed to be when he surprised everyone with his commitment to the flailing program.

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.

by burntorangehorn on Aug 4, 2010 5:57 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed.

Jake Locker probably my fave non-longhorn right now.

by Infield Elephant on Aug 5, 2010 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions

A few more

Andrew Luck, QB Stanford – He’s a top draft prospect for those who care, but the kid seems to have an awareness of the game that is simply rare and absolutely exceptional.

Dion Lewis, RB Pittsburgh – Arguably the best freshman in the country last season, and the only reason I made it a point to watch Team Wannestache.

Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame – Maybe the best wide receiver in the country. Watching him in Kelly’s offense could be special.

Ricky F’ing Stanzi, QB Iowa – Let’s make one thing clear, Stanzi is not a good quarterback in Big 12 terms. But, he usually wins football games after trying to give them away for three quarters. In the heart of big 10 country, I’ll take the drama, even if it’s manufactured.

Seconding BOH on Locker, definitely.

From the rivals:

Von Miller, DE/LB A&M – Sure, he’s a one dimensional defender, but that one dimension is getting to the quarterback very, very quickly (even better than our own Sergio Kindle, not in the same class against the run though). If the rest of the A&M defense approached passable, he would on magazine covers. As it is, he can be taken out of games because his teammates aren’t a threat.

Jared Crick, DT Nebraska – Yes, Suh is some kind of human-liger-god of thunder hybrid, but the middle of Nebraska’s line will lose a lot less than people think with Crick as the new leader. He’s a little smaller, but gets up-field quickly, and is tall enough to eliminate passing lanes even for a QB with Gilbert’s height.

proud to swim home

by learned hand on Aug 4, 2010 6:14 PM CDT reply actions

Good stuff

I tried to limit to one QB (JJ), but Luck probably would have been my 2nd choice. Stratford kid, too.

Floyd is awesome, although I liked Golden Tate better. I’m still not sure how ND was able to be that bad.

If I had to pick one from Nebraska, it would be Prince Amukamara, if only for the name.

by jc25 on Aug 4, 2010 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions

I’m still not sure how ND was able to be that bad.

With the exception of Clausen’s true freshman year, ND actually was pretty decent on offense; Clausen and Tate put up some stellar numbers, IIRC. Their major problem has been on defense, and it was an issue Weiss was never able to fix. I think their biggest issue is a lack of team speed on defense (shades of Big Ten teams), but that could simply be issues with their scheme, too.

I Am The 12th Man.com

by Beergut on Aug 5, 2010 5:17 PM CDT up reply actions

I think their biggest issue is a lack of team speed on defense (shades of Big Ten teams), but that could simply be issues with their scheme, too.

Sounds a lot like another team I know.

Sports is man's joke on God, You see, God says to man, 'I've created a universe where it seems like everything matters, where you'll have to grapple with life and death and in the end you'll die anyway, and it won't really matter.' So man says to God, 'Oh, yeah? Within your universe we're going to create a sub-universe called sports, one that absolutely doesn't matter, and we'll follow everything that happens in it as if it were life and death.'" - Sam Kellerman

by 2Cor12:9 on Aug 5, 2010 6:52 PM CDT up reply actions

That was a great list...

Really, really solid group there…

by txtwstr7 on Aug 4, 2010 10:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I'll take the PB man-crush route

and go with Robert Griffin III.

Also…

Kellen Moore, BSU
Jake Locker, UW
Colin Kapernick , NEV (Isn’t he a 7th year senior by now)
James Rogers, Ore St

Rivals:
Jerrod Johnson, TAMU
Jeremy Beal, OU (kid is a stud, no matter how you look at it)
Baron Batch, TTU

Stumpy: It's called the '80s. Ford was president, Nixon was in the White House, and FDR was running this country into the ground. I was bummin' in a hole-in-the-wall town in what is now called "Utah".

by kriess on Aug 4, 2010 8:11 PM CDT reply actions

Brilliant post JC

I do love me some Quizz Rodgers. Speed, agility, balance and surprising strength.

Rivals: Wha…?
no Christine Michael? I’m sure Aggs are real excited after a pretty decent year for the freshman.

You Ese! You Ese! You Ese!

by Ese-De-SA on Aug 4, 2010 8:44 PM CDT reply actions

My list...

Tate Forcier, Mich. I like skinny, white kids with speed. Actually he might be the only skinny, white kid with speed.

Noel Devine, WVU. This kid can fly and I just love seeing the ball in his hands. East coast version of Jacquizz Rodgers.

Russell Shepard, LSU. I really hope he does well at LSU. The kid wanted badly to come to Texas, but Mack told him no go at qb. I also feel bad for him that Coach Lies Miles led him to believe he could be a qb.

Jeff Fuller, A&M. Kid came back from a broken leg and lit us up last Thanksgiving. He will be a stud in the NFL.

by 2Cor12:9 on Aug 4, 2010 11:55 PM CDT reply actions