Pokerdawg44
08-07-2014, 03:59 PM
http://m.espn.go.com/ncf/story?storyId=11313134&src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.secran t.com%2Frant%2Fp%2F51438758%2FESPN-top-50-college-breakout-players-for-2014-Coker-listed-1-a.aspx%22%7D&ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_HaneyBreakouts
You can't see it unless you're an ESPN insider so listed the players just from the SEC. I have no idea how Dak isn't on this list. Same with Chris Jones. I honestly think if u make this list up at the end of the season, alot more MSU players would be on it.
Msu players due to break out this year are Dak, JRob, Bear Wilson, CJ, B Brown, Redmond, and Cox. Then I could see one of our younger Olineman breaking out too. Clayborn, C Carter, Senior, or flowers. Clayborn and Senior probably more likely candidates.
Chad Voytik, former 4 star qb out of Cleveland, TN we almost signed was on the list, which is interesting bc if he had chosen us over Pitt then hed probably be transferring out with Dak.
1.*Jake Coker, QB,*Alabama Crimson Tide
Like Fisher did last summer with Winston, Alabama coach Nick Saban has made a point to publicly downplay Coker's arrival -- or even his chances of starting the opener against West Virginia. This will be the attention-deflecting refrain throughout some, if not all, of preseason camp. I'm not falling for it this time.
Saban has been telling people privately that he thinks Coker, who attempted just 36 passes last year at Florida State, has the physical and mental makeup to be the best quarterback he's had at Alabama. Fisher, Saban's former offensive coordinator at LSU, is evidently one of those confidants.
"He can be the best," Fisher said last week when he visited ESPN. "He's talented. He's driven. He has all the tools. ... I don't say all that to put pressure on him. That's how much I think of him."
Coker is leaving one stunningly talented offense for another, but while FSU has a clear edge at offensive line, no team in the country is deeper than the Tide at running back and*Amari Cooper*is better than any of Winston's targets.
Greg McElroy, an SEC Network analyst and former Bama QB under Saban, said he expects Coker to fit in well because the coaching staff will ease him into the playbook, understanding that there is plenty of experience and talent at the other positions.
"I say no problem," McElroy told me this week. "You might see more conservative game plans early on, but it isn't like it used to be, maybe, when the quarterback was expected to do more. I think he'll be fine."
At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and with what's around him, it would be surprising if Coker were to stay longer than a year with the Tide. The NFL will become interested in him quickly, especially if he leads Bama to the first-ever playoff.
2.*Leonard Fournette, RB,*LSU Tigers
There's a certain risk with assigning a true freshman this high of a spot, but spend a few minutes with LSU's players and coaches and you get the sense that Fournette isn't your average 19-year-old.
Then again, with the program's high volume of early departures for the NFL, coach Les Miles expects that of every first-year player who walks in the door at Baton Rouge. He actually encourages early participation.
"We don't say, 'You're just a freshman,'" Miles told me a couple of weeks ago. "Our culture is that you should start. We don't care what class you are. Then we say just starting isn't good enough. We want growth through teaching."
Miles has said Fournette, RecruitingNation's No. 1 overall prospect in 2014, has a Michael Jordan-like desire to be special. Teammates compare his frame -- 6-1, 230 pounds -- to what Adrian Peterson must have looked like as a freshman at Oklahoma.
Miller Safrit/ESPNFournette, a true freshman, is drawing athletic comparisons to Adrian Peterson.
That is an insane name to link to a kid who doesn't yet have a college carry. So what's a reasonable reality?*Kenny Hilliard*and*Terrence Magee*are seniors who combined for 154 carries a year ago. It's safe to assume that, to start the season, second-year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will lean on experience while working in Fournette. But with*Jeremy Hill*(203 carries) gone, the chance for Fournette to be a regular option -- and maybe even the No. 1 back -- certainly exists.
Miles isn't tamping down expectations for LSU, or Fournette.
"We recruit really good players," he said. "If we can get them on the same page and operating well, I don't ever see why we can't play well in a season that leads to a championship."
8.*Speedy Noil, WR,*Texas A&M Aggies
The slot guys in coach Kevin Sumlin's system, Travis Labhart (2013) and Ryan Swope (2012), combined the past two seasons for 123 catches, 1,539 yards and 16 TDs.
Noil already appears to have more physical gifts than either of them. As is the case with most freshmen, it's a matter of how quickly he can learn. Arriving in January should help RecruitingNation's No. 7 overall prospect.
I asked offensive coordinator Jake Spavital about Noil in the spring, and he was hesitant to compare him to another receiver he worked with at West Virginia, Tavon Austin. But he said the link was inevitable. Remember that Austin had just 200 total yards as a freshman. Noil's impact should be felt much sooner, especially with a need at the position.
Keep an eye on the QB battle between young prospects*Kenny Hill*and*Kyle Allen. That position's growth could determine Noil's early ceiling. Noil, who played QB in high school, could also sneak into the Aggies' backfield on occasion.
10.*Robert Nkemdiche, DT,*Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss coaches were wrestling this time a year ago with what Nkemdiche would be: an end or a tackle. Now there's no debate.
"Oh, he's an inside guy all the way," coach Hugh Freeze told me recently. "He has the ability to be dominant."
Nkemdiche (10 starts as a true freshman, 34 tackles and eight for a loss) showed that dominance at times, but the permanent home at tackle and experience at the college level should open the door for a jump in Year 2.
Freeze said his expectation is that Nkemdiche wins 70 percent of his one-on-one matchups. Closer to 50-50 is the norm, Freeze said.
"He's not average," Freeze said of RecruitingNation's No. 1 prospect in 2013. "We hope we get him in those one-on-ones."
13.*Leonard Floyd, LB,*Georgia Bulldogs
I pegged*Jordan Jenkins*as the Bulldogs' breakout linebacker a year ago, and while he did finish with a team-leading 12 tackles for a loss, Floyd (55 tackles, 6.5 sacks) managed to pass Jenkins along the way in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's system.
The secondary figures to be a patchwork effort after some dismissals, but Jenkins and Floyd will make quite a pass-rushing tandem in first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's scheme. As solid as FSU's linebackers were, I'm not sure Pruitt had upfield rushers like he has inherited.
Speaking of the secondary, I asked coach Mark Richt for a breakout candidate and he mentioned freshman safetyDominick Sanders.
"For us to be good on that side, he's going to have to help us," Richt said, adding that Sanders has shown the ability to be a ball-hawk playmaker in practice.
AP Photo/Butch DillHenry displays outstanding speed in the backfield, particularly given his 6-3, 241-pound frame.
14.*Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
Even in a crowded backfield with*T.J. Yeldon*and*Kenyan Drake, if you watched the Sugar Bowl you understand why Henry is listed in the top 15.
Despite great size (6-3, 241) for a back, Henry somehow still has sprinter speed. It was on display in an eight-carry, 100-yard performance in the bowl against Oklahoma.
Henry also had a 61-yard TD catch in which he caught a short screen, cut to the middle of the field and then dusted would-be Sooners tacklers. That isn't normal for a guy that big. So much for wondering if he lit up high school opponents because he played in a smaller Florida classification.
I recall the first time I saw Henry in person, in College Station before the big game against Texas A&M. I couldn't believe that Henry was a freshman, let alone a running back -- and I had never even seen him carry the ball at that point.
There aren't many first-round running backs out there, as we have come to understand. I'm a firm believer that Georgia's Todd Gurley is one, and when the time comes, I believe Henry will also go earlier than the new norm.
15.*Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
Part of the surprise that Alabama would start a true freshman at left tackle is offset by Robinson's prodigious potential. A January enrollee, he was RecruitingNation's No. 3 overall prospect in 2014.
"Don't take anything away from Cam on that, now," Saban said during his ESPN visit. "He can become a very good player for us."
For the first time in a long time, it feels as if we doubt Alabama's offensive line. Barrett Jones and the group that led the 2011 and 2012 national title runs set the bar incredibly high. Perhaps it will take the emergence of young talent such as Robinson to continue the streak of three straight seasons ranked in the top 10 for yards per rush.
But Saban is talking about redemption in a much larger sense.
"The time is now to resurrect the identity of the Alabama football program," he said Sunday at the team's media day.
Resurrect? Didn't the Tide just win it all two seasons ago? Wasn't Bama within an awry field goal of an undefeated regular season in 2013? Such is the standard, I suppose. And Bama does have just 37 starts back along the O-line, second fewest in the SEC. But who is Saban really kidding?
16.*Trey DePriest, LB, Alabama
Let's complete this mini run of Bama players with DePriest, who is expected to step in for C.J. Mosley as the leader of the team's linebackers (and therefore the defense).
It will be on DePriest (65 tackles, 7.5 for loss) more than any other player to get everyone properly aligned. That's a task that becomes increasingly important when Bama, to Saban's chagrin, will see more and more up-tempo offenses that limit substitution.
"It takes defensive coaches out of the game," Saban told a room of ESPN reporters during his visit to campus. "Oklahoma [in the Sugar Bowl] didn't substitute one time so we could get our dime package in, so we're out there trying to figure it all out in whatever group we have on the field. It simplifies what we do."
That statement made me wonder why everyone didn't try to do that to Bama to some extent. It also makes on-field leadership and experience more vital. More than ever, someone like DePriest becomes a QB on the other side of the ball.
*Auburn Tigers
His identical size (6-2, 220 pounds) and juco background might lead to*Cordarrelle Pattersoncomparisons, but there are worse things.
"He really attacks the ball," second-year coach Gus Malzahn told me during his ESPN visit. "There's very good competition at receiver."
Williams, who enrolled in January, had five catches for 88 yards and a TD in the team's spring game. With*Nick Marshall*and*Jeremy Johnson*evolving as passers, Williams and*Sammie Coates, the far-and-away top Tigers WR in 2013, could make Auburn as close to an unstoppable offense as there is in the country.
Heck, I'd argue that the Tigers would have been that without Williams, so imagine the possibilities with him. Safe to say the one thing separating him and Patterson is a legit shot at an SEC title.
19.*Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU
The lasting image I'll have of eventual first-round WR*Mike Evans*from Texas A&M's loss at LSU is of Evans (who had just four catches for 51 yards) meekly warming his hands on the sideline next to a space heater.
Temps in the 40s and a little drizzle weren't the only things irritating him that night. Robinson's length (6-1) and subtle physicality was frustrating the bejeezus out of Evans.
Tre'Davious White*had the bigger season in 2013, but the sophomore and White could team up to be college football's most transcendent cornerback duo in 2014. If Robinson's raw skills and rangy size could do that to Evans, he will be capable of much, much more as a polished CB this fall.
20.*Malachi Dupre
Fournette, Dupre and QB*Brandon Harris*comprise a trio that could lead LSU to big things in 2015 -- if not sooner. Given Miles' earlier comments on freshmen, I think this could be a team that has an Auburn-like season in 2014.
Dupre, RecruitingNation's No. 17 overall prospect, has drawn rave reviews for maturity and physical preparedness from those close to the program.
"He's ready," one source told me just last week. "Don't worry about that one."
How can you not be confident in offensive coordinator Cam Cameron after seeing what he did with QB*Zach Mettenberger*and previously underachieving WRs*Odell Beckham Jr.*and*Jarvis Landry?
"I think Cam is a really good teacher," Miles told me. "Really good teachers make exceptional things look easy. It's a difficult challenge, but there are no limitations."
21.*Marquez North, WR,*Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee fans are so starved for anything good that they're lapping up every bit of Butch Jones' positivity and success on the recruiting trail (top-five class this past February). North, however, is on-field evidence of progress -- something Volunteers can only pray is contagious.
"He looks great," Jones said of the 6-4 sophomore, who has added about 12 to 15 pounds since last season. "We can't keep him away from the weight room."
North's acrobatic catch against South Carolina in UT's only big win in 2013 is the current highlight symbolic of hope. Will there be more from last year's leading receiver (496 yards), or anyone else, in 2014?
North might have been higher on the list if not for a great deal of uncertainty at QB and along the offensive line. Even as the young, heralded recruits get settled -- freshman RB*Jalen Hurd*is another to watch -- the time is not yet here for the Vols.
27.*Shane Ray*and*Markus Golden, DEs,*Missouri Tigers
I know, I know. This should now be Nos. 28 and 29, but I also consider this duo an A-B type of situation. You just don't know which one might come up big this season.
Michael Sam*and Kony Ealy were ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively in the SEC in tackles for loss (33 combined), and replacing that kind of production certainly isn't a guarantee. But Ray, a 6-3, 245-pound junior, and Golden, a 6-3, 260-pound senior also combined for 28 tackles for loss (11 sacks) and 19 QB hurries in reserve roles. So between them it's not as if the Tigers will suffer a dramatic drop off at defensive end.
32.*Kelvin Taylor, RB,*Florida Gators
I debated whether to include beleaguered QB*Jeff Driskel*on this list. But coach Will Muschamp's desire to remain true to a physical, line-of-scrimmage game plan makes me believe that a strong running game will prove more important. Taylor, a sophomore and the son of Fred Taylor, showed flashes of being a feature back, with 5.2 yards per carry at LSU and 6.2 yards per carry at Missouri. He nearly reached the century mark at South Carolina. We'll have to see how much the Gators offensive line improves under new position coach Mike Summers (from USC) and first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper.
Roper's penchant to use tight ends means that Virginia transfer*Jake McGee*could also be a player to watch in the revamped system. I remember Muschamp grousing a year ago that UF had no replacement for*Jordan Reed. McGee could be it.
33.*Shon Coleman, OT, Auburn*
Coleman, the favorite to take over for top-five pick Greg Robinson at left tackle, is the*best story*in college football. It isn't close. Forget cancer survivor; the 6-6, 310-pound sophomore could go from announcing a first-round pick to being one very soon.
"You really can't imagine what he's been through," Malzahn said. "You'd have no idea. He looks great. He's an unbelievable talent."
35.*Skai Moore, LB,*South Carolina Gamecocks
Linebacker has gone from a question mark to a strength for South Carolina, so much so that the Gamecocks will break from their 4-2-5 base to run more 3-4 looks. Moore, who had a team-leading 56 tackles and four INTs as a freshman, is settling in.
"The game has completely slowed down now," Moore told The Post and Courier on Sunday, at the team's media day. "It's kind of like high school again."
43.*Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn*
In the absence of*Carl Lawson*-- who would have been on this list if not for a spring ACL tear -- it's imperative for the Tigers that Adams (6-4, 306) come alive. I found it interesting that Malzahn said Adams, RecruitingNation's No. 13 overall prospect in 2013, could play inside and out.
You can't see it unless you're an ESPN insider so listed the players just from the SEC. I have no idea how Dak isn't on this list. Same with Chris Jones. I honestly think if u make this list up at the end of the season, alot more MSU players would be on it.
Msu players due to break out this year are Dak, JRob, Bear Wilson, CJ, B Brown, Redmond, and Cox. Then I could see one of our younger Olineman breaking out too. Clayborn, C Carter, Senior, or flowers. Clayborn and Senior probably more likely candidates.
Chad Voytik, former 4 star qb out of Cleveland, TN we almost signed was on the list, which is interesting bc if he had chosen us over Pitt then hed probably be transferring out with Dak.
1.*Jake Coker, QB,*Alabama Crimson Tide
Like Fisher did last summer with Winston, Alabama coach Nick Saban has made a point to publicly downplay Coker's arrival -- or even his chances of starting the opener against West Virginia. This will be the attention-deflecting refrain throughout some, if not all, of preseason camp. I'm not falling for it this time.
Saban has been telling people privately that he thinks Coker, who attempted just 36 passes last year at Florida State, has the physical and mental makeup to be the best quarterback he's had at Alabama. Fisher, Saban's former offensive coordinator at LSU, is evidently one of those confidants.
"He can be the best," Fisher said last week when he visited ESPN. "He's talented. He's driven. He has all the tools. ... I don't say all that to put pressure on him. That's how much I think of him."
Coker is leaving one stunningly talented offense for another, but while FSU has a clear edge at offensive line, no team in the country is deeper than the Tide at running back and*Amari Cooper*is better than any of Winston's targets.
Greg McElroy, an SEC Network analyst and former Bama QB under Saban, said he expects Coker to fit in well because the coaching staff will ease him into the playbook, understanding that there is plenty of experience and talent at the other positions.
"I say no problem," McElroy told me this week. "You might see more conservative game plans early on, but it isn't like it used to be, maybe, when the quarterback was expected to do more. I think he'll be fine."
At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and with what's around him, it would be surprising if Coker were to stay longer than a year with the Tide. The NFL will become interested in him quickly, especially if he leads Bama to the first-ever playoff.
2.*Leonard Fournette, RB,*LSU Tigers
There's a certain risk with assigning a true freshman this high of a spot, but spend a few minutes with LSU's players and coaches and you get the sense that Fournette isn't your average 19-year-old.
Then again, with the program's high volume of early departures for the NFL, coach Les Miles expects that of every first-year player who walks in the door at Baton Rouge. He actually encourages early participation.
"We don't say, 'You're just a freshman,'" Miles told me a couple of weeks ago. "Our culture is that you should start. We don't care what class you are. Then we say just starting isn't good enough. We want growth through teaching."
Miles has said Fournette, RecruitingNation's No. 1 overall prospect in 2014, has a Michael Jordan-like desire to be special. Teammates compare his frame -- 6-1, 230 pounds -- to what Adrian Peterson must have looked like as a freshman at Oklahoma.
Miller Safrit/ESPNFournette, a true freshman, is drawing athletic comparisons to Adrian Peterson.
That is an insane name to link to a kid who doesn't yet have a college carry. So what's a reasonable reality?*Kenny Hilliard*and*Terrence Magee*are seniors who combined for 154 carries a year ago. It's safe to assume that, to start the season, second-year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will lean on experience while working in Fournette. But with*Jeremy Hill*(203 carries) gone, the chance for Fournette to be a regular option -- and maybe even the No. 1 back -- certainly exists.
Miles isn't tamping down expectations for LSU, or Fournette.
"We recruit really good players," he said. "If we can get them on the same page and operating well, I don't ever see why we can't play well in a season that leads to a championship."
8.*Speedy Noil, WR,*Texas A&M Aggies
The slot guys in coach Kevin Sumlin's system, Travis Labhart (2013) and Ryan Swope (2012), combined the past two seasons for 123 catches, 1,539 yards and 16 TDs.
Noil already appears to have more physical gifts than either of them. As is the case with most freshmen, it's a matter of how quickly he can learn. Arriving in January should help RecruitingNation's No. 7 overall prospect.
I asked offensive coordinator Jake Spavital about Noil in the spring, and he was hesitant to compare him to another receiver he worked with at West Virginia, Tavon Austin. But he said the link was inevitable. Remember that Austin had just 200 total yards as a freshman. Noil's impact should be felt much sooner, especially with a need at the position.
Keep an eye on the QB battle between young prospects*Kenny Hill*and*Kyle Allen. That position's growth could determine Noil's early ceiling. Noil, who played QB in high school, could also sneak into the Aggies' backfield on occasion.
10.*Robert Nkemdiche, DT,*Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss coaches were wrestling this time a year ago with what Nkemdiche would be: an end or a tackle. Now there's no debate.
"Oh, he's an inside guy all the way," coach Hugh Freeze told me recently. "He has the ability to be dominant."
Nkemdiche (10 starts as a true freshman, 34 tackles and eight for a loss) showed that dominance at times, but the permanent home at tackle and experience at the college level should open the door for a jump in Year 2.
Freeze said his expectation is that Nkemdiche wins 70 percent of his one-on-one matchups. Closer to 50-50 is the norm, Freeze said.
"He's not average," Freeze said of RecruitingNation's No. 1 prospect in 2013. "We hope we get him in those one-on-ones."
13.*Leonard Floyd, LB,*Georgia Bulldogs
I pegged*Jordan Jenkins*as the Bulldogs' breakout linebacker a year ago, and while he did finish with a team-leading 12 tackles for a loss, Floyd (55 tackles, 6.5 sacks) managed to pass Jenkins along the way in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's system.
The secondary figures to be a patchwork effort after some dismissals, but Jenkins and Floyd will make quite a pass-rushing tandem in first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's scheme. As solid as FSU's linebackers were, I'm not sure Pruitt had upfield rushers like he has inherited.
Speaking of the secondary, I asked coach Mark Richt for a breakout candidate and he mentioned freshman safetyDominick Sanders.
"For us to be good on that side, he's going to have to help us," Richt said, adding that Sanders has shown the ability to be a ball-hawk playmaker in practice.
AP Photo/Butch DillHenry displays outstanding speed in the backfield, particularly given his 6-3, 241-pound frame.
14.*Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
Even in a crowded backfield with*T.J. Yeldon*and*Kenyan Drake, if you watched the Sugar Bowl you understand why Henry is listed in the top 15.
Despite great size (6-3, 241) for a back, Henry somehow still has sprinter speed. It was on display in an eight-carry, 100-yard performance in the bowl against Oklahoma.
Henry also had a 61-yard TD catch in which he caught a short screen, cut to the middle of the field and then dusted would-be Sooners tacklers. That isn't normal for a guy that big. So much for wondering if he lit up high school opponents because he played in a smaller Florida classification.
I recall the first time I saw Henry in person, in College Station before the big game against Texas A&M. I couldn't believe that Henry was a freshman, let alone a running back -- and I had never even seen him carry the ball at that point.
There aren't many first-round running backs out there, as we have come to understand. I'm a firm believer that Georgia's Todd Gurley is one, and when the time comes, I believe Henry will also go earlier than the new norm.
15.*Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
Part of the surprise that Alabama would start a true freshman at left tackle is offset by Robinson's prodigious potential. A January enrollee, he was RecruitingNation's No. 3 overall prospect in 2014.
"Don't take anything away from Cam on that, now," Saban said during his ESPN visit. "He can become a very good player for us."
For the first time in a long time, it feels as if we doubt Alabama's offensive line. Barrett Jones and the group that led the 2011 and 2012 national title runs set the bar incredibly high. Perhaps it will take the emergence of young talent such as Robinson to continue the streak of three straight seasons ranked in the top 10 for yards per rush.
But Saban is talking about redemption in a much larger sense.
"The time is now to resurrect the identity of the Alabama football program," he said Sunday at the team's media day.
Resurrect? Didn't the Tide just win it all two seasons ago? Wasn't Bama within an awry field goal of an undefeated regular season in 2013? Such is the standard, I suppose. And Bama does have just 37 starts back along the O-line, second fewest in the SEC. But who is Saban really kidding?
16.*Trey DePriest, LB, Alabama
Let's complete this mini run of Bama players with DePriest, who is expected to step in for C.J. Mosley as the leader of the team's linebackers (and therefore the defense).
It will be on DePriest (65 tackles, 7.5 for loss) more than any other player to get everyone properly aligned. That's a task that becomes increasingly important when Bama, to Saban's chagrin, will see more and more up-tempo offenses that limit substitution.
"It takes defensive coaches out of the game," Saban told a room of ESPN reporters during his visit to campus. "Oklahoma [in the Sugar Bowl] didn't substitute one time so we could get our dime package in, so we're out there trying to figure it all out in whatever group we have on the field. It simplifies what we do."
That statement made me wonder why everyone didn't try to do that to Bama to some extent. It also makes on-field leadership and experience more vital. More than ever, someone like DePriest becomes a QB on the other side of the ball.
*Auburn Tigers
His identical size (6-2, 220 pounds) and juco background might lead to*Cordarrelle Pattersoncomparisons, but there are worse things.
"He really attacks the ball," second-year coach Gus Malzahn told me during his ESPN visit. "There's very good competition at receiver."
Williams, who enrolled in January, had five catches for 88 yards and a TD in the team's spring game. With*Nick Marshall*and*Jeremy Johnson*evolving as passers, Williams and*Sammie Coates, the far-and-away top Tigers WR in 2013, could make Auburn as close to an unstoppable offense as there is in the country.
Heck, I'd argue that the Tigers would have been that without Williams, so imagine the possibilities with him. Safe to say the one thing separating him and Patterson is a legit shot at an SEC title.
19.*Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU
The lasting image I'll have of eventual first-round WR*Mike Evans*from Texas A&M's loss at LSU is of Evans (who had just four catches for 51 yards) meekly warming his hands on the sideline next to a space heater.
Temps in the 40s and a little drizzle weren't the only things irritating him that night. Robinson's length (6-1) and subtle physicality was frustrating the bejeezus out of Evans.
Tre'Davious White*had the bigger season in 2013, but the sophomore and White could team up to be college football's most transcendent cornerback duo in 2014. If Robinson's raw skills and rangy size could do that to Evans, he will be capable of much, much more as a polished CB this fall.
20.*Malachi Dupre
Fournette, Dupre and QB*Brandon Harris*comprise a trio that could lead LSU to big things in 2015 -- if not sooner. Given Miles' earlier comments on freshmen, I think this could be a team that has an Auburn-like season in 2014.
Dupre, RecruitingNation's No. 17 overall prospect, has drawn rave reviews for maturity and physical preparedness from those close to the program.
"He's ready," one source told me just last week. "Don't worry about that one."
How can you not be confident in offensive coordinator Cam Cameron after seeing what he did with QB*Zach Mettenberger*and previously underachieving WRs*Odell Beckham Jr.*and*Jarvis Landry?
"I think Cam is a really good teacher," Miles told me. "Really good teachers make exceptional things look easy. It's a difficult challenge, but there are no limitations."
21.*Marquez North, WR,*Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee fans are so starved for anything good that they're lapping up every bit of Butch Jones' positivity and success on the recruiting trail (top-five class this past February). North, however, is on-field evidence of progress -- something Volunteers can only pray is contagious.
"He looks great," Jones said of the 6-4 sophomore, who has added about 12 to 15 pounds since last season. "We can't keep him away from the weight room."
North's acrobatic catch against South Carolina in UT's only big win in 2013 is the current highlight symbolic of hope. Will there be more from last year's leading receiver (496 yards), or anyone else, in 2014?
North might have been higher on the list if not for a great deal of uncertainty at QB and along the offensive line. Even as the young, heralded recruits get settled -- freshman RB*Jalen Hurd*is another to watch -- the time is not yet here for the Vols.
27.*Shane Ray*and*Markus Golden, DEs,*Missouri Tigers
I know, I know. This should now be Nos. 28 and 29, but I also consider this duo an A-B type of situation. You just don't know which one might come up big this season.
Michael Sam*and Kony Ealy were ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively in the SEC in tackles for loss (33 combined), and replacing that kind of production certainly isn't a guarantee. But Ray, a 6-3, 245-pound junior, and Golden, a 6-3, 260-pound senior also combined for 28 tackles for loss (11 sacks) and 19 QB hurries in reserve roles. So between them it's not as if the Tigers will suffer a dramatic drop off at defensive end.
32.*Kelvin Taylor, RB,*Florida Gators
I debated whether to include beleaguered QB*Jeff Driskel*on this list. But coach Will Muschamp's desire to remain true to a physical, line-of-scrimmage game plan makes me believe that a strong running game will prove more important. Taylor, a sophomore and the son of Fred Taylor, showed flashes of being a feature back, with 5.2 yards per carry at LSU and 6.2 yards per carry at Missouri. He nearly reached the century mark at South Carolina. We'll have to see how much the Gators offensive line improves under new position coach Mike Summers (from USC) and first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper.
Roper's penchant to use tight ends means that Virginia transfer*Jake McGee*could also be a player to watch in the revamped system. I remember Muschamp grousing a year ago that UF had no replacement for*Jordan Reed. McGee could be it.
33.*Shon Coleman, OT, Auburn*
Coleman, the favorite to take over for top-five pick Greg Robinson at left tackle, is the*best story*in college football. It isn't close. Forget cancer survivor; the 6-6, 310-pound sophomore could go from announcing a first-round pick to being one very soon.
"You really can't imagine what he's been through," Malzahn said. "You'd have no idea. He looks great. He's an unbelievable talent."
35.*Skai Moore, LB,*South Carolina Gamecocks
Linebacker has gone from a question mark to a strength for South Carolina, so much so that the Gamecocks will break from their 4-2-5 base to run more 3-4 looks. Moore, who had a team-leading 56 tackles and four INTs as a freshman, is settling in.
"The game has completely slowed down now," Moore told The Post and Courier on Sunday, at the team's media day. "It's kind of like high school again."
43.*Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn*
In the absence of*Carl Lawson*-- who would have been on this list if not for a spring ACL tear -- it's imperative for the Tigers that Adams (6-4, 306) come alive. I found it interesting that Malzahn said Adams, RecruitingNation's No. 13 overall prospect in 2013, could play inside and out.