College Football
Richt V. Kirby
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With all the advances we’ve seen in technology over the past decade, it’s easy to see why people put so much stock in analytics and data; it’s another tool in the tool belt when it comes to winning.
When it comes to comparing players, and coaches even, it can be a little misleading.
How many polls have you seen online where someone posts the stats of two anonymous players, or teams, and asks you vote on which resumé is better? And how many times after finding out who the players or teams were, did you sit back and think “Yeah, but they’re not taking into account (insert your argument here)”?
When you compare the first four seasons of Kirby Smart’s tenure at Georgia to that of Mark Richt’s, they come close mirroring each other in a lot of ways.
Smart has an overall record of 44-12, three division titles, one SEC Championship, and an appearance in the national title game.
While not quite as impressive as Smart’s, Richt’s overall record was 42-10, two division titles, and an SEC Championship.
I remember the expectations being extremely high for Richt leading into his fifth season, but I also recall feeling, at least personally, there was more hype than substance; it wasn’t something he would be able to maintain.
I have a different feeling though when it comes to Smart, and it begins with recruiting.
I won’t pretend to know where most of Richt’s recruiting classes were, but I can’t imagine them being at the level Smart’s have been the last couple years.
Kirby has been bringing in elite talent, at almost all positions, setting up the future for his program quite nicely.
He’s also done an incredible job of bringing in the top tier quarterbacks, which is not something I was expecting when he was hired.
Another part of his recruiting success compared to Richt, is that he is focusing more on local talent, but not at while sacrificing it on a national level.
I know one of the frustrations from Georgia fans was that Richt would oftentimes only recruit the top-level talent, overlooking players from within the state.
I’ll never blame anyone for going after a more talented player, but there is something to say about a four-star athlete who decides to stay home and attend the program they grew up rooting for.
More times than not that four-star recruit will turn out to be a better player, and have a greater impact on your program. It’s a lesson Smart seems to have learned early.
Unfortunately, even after having said all these nice things about Kirby Smart, I don’t think his fifth year in Athens will turn out quite the same as Richt’s- a 10-3 record to go with his second SEC Championship.
However, when you look at the way Smart is bringing in recruiting classes, along with other factors in the SEC and on a national landscape, things are set up perfectly for him to separate himself from his predecessor.
So, if you happen to see a poll next year comparing the records between two coaches after their first five years, and it asks you which one you’d rather have, might I suggest going with the coach who has the worse record.
On paper it may not be as impressive, but you and I both know numbers can be misleading.
Let Me Go
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In America millions of workers change jobs on an annual basis. Many organizations train and develop workers in their field of expertise and lose them to other organizations for a variety of reasons.
This is the norm in a capitalist society and employers have adapted to this. If the NCAA has their way this could be the norm for college football if adopted this coming April.
The proposed rule is as follows:
First-time transfers starting in the 2020 academic year would no longer have to follow the long standing sit out a year rule in their first season at their new school.
The proposal is being fast-tracked. Because it is a “criteria change” to the NCAA waiver process and not a new “rule change,” it can avoid the regular legislative cycle and take effect well before the NCAA convention next January.
Doesn’t that sound just peachy? College football coaches seem to be totally against this idea, and with good reason.
Former UGA Head Coach Mark Richt tweeted the following on the proposed new transfer rule: “I know, I have an idea,” Richt wrote in a message that went viral, “You recruit and develop players and when I think they’re good enough I will poach them from your roster! Welcome to what the new normal will look like in college football!”
Currently for a transfer to play immediately you have to receive a special waiver from the NCAA. There lies the problem.
The NCAA has not been consistent with the existing rule and now it appears that they want to go the generic route and just allow each student athlete an automatic option to transfer penalty free if they so choose.
I use the University of Georgia as an example to show the hypocrisy of the NCAA recently:
Jacob Eason was the top-rated Pro Style QB in the country for the 2016 cycle. Eason started many games as a freshman at UGA. Eason got hurt in the season opener his sophomore season and never regains the starting job from Jake Fromm. Eason decided he wanted to transfer back to his home State of Washington but had to sit out a season per NCAA rule.
Justin Fields was the top-rated dual threat QB in the country for the 2018 recruiting cycle. Fields came in and played some and was Jake Fromm’s backup. Fields decided he wanted to transfer to Ohio State and the NCAA granted an immediate waiver for Fields to play right away.
Why was Fields given preferential treatment over Eason when they were in the same position on the depth chart when they left UGA?
Then you have Luke Ford, a five-star TE in the 2018 cycle from Illinois, that transferred from UGA to be closer to a sick family member and the NCAA denied the waiver to play immediately for Ford.
This is exactly what the special waiver was designed for, right? But the NCAA, in all of its infinite wisdom, in these three cases seemed to only care about Ohio State’s QB situation, rather than what’s best for the individual student athlete.
Fields did have a high-priced lawyer representing him in his endeavors.
Can you see SEC head football coaches poaching other SEC rosters waving their current depth charts?
If the NCAA wants chaos then you are about to have it. What if Tua was poached to Auburn by Gus Malzahn when he sat behind Jalen Hurts his freshman year at Alabama? You would have had a civil war in the State of Alabama most likely.
Will Kirby, Coach O, Nick, and Gus hire a new assistant coach with the sole responsibility of poaching other Power 5 rosters?
Chaos is on the horizon and it appears you can throw developing roster depth out with the bath water. What else would you expect from the NCAA?
College sports, along with society, appears to be caving in to the entitlement mentally. Get ready for the new normal College Football fans.
It’s Great To Be A Gator
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2020 recruiting classes are officially in the books. One team I want to examine is the Florida Gators. Their recruiting class is ranked eighth nationally, one spot behind Auburn. We can argue Florida’s class is better.
They have 1 five-star recruit, 17 four-star players and 6 three-star players. Auburn does not have a five-star player, 16 four-stars and 10 three-star players.
The highest rated player is five-star defensive tackle Gervon Dexter from Lake Wales, Florida. He’s 6’6 and 294 pounds so he has prototypical size for the position.
He was the top-rated player in the state of Florida and sixth nationally. Dexter runs a 4.88 forty so he also has great speed and athleticism.
He only started playing football two years ago for Lake Wales High but has made an elite impact ever since. In two seasons, Dexter recorded 27 sacks, 53 tackles for loss, 178 total tackles, 14 forced fumbles, and three batted passes – all in 23 games.
Several four-star D-linemen will join Dexter in the trenches. Weak side defensive end Antwaun Powell (Chesapeake, VA), d tackles Lamar Goods (Oakdale, CT), Johnnie Brown (Sebring, FL), Jalen Lee (Watson, LA) and strong side defensive end Princely Umanmielen.
Four-star cornerback Ethan Pouncey is ranked tenth best at the position in the 2020 recruiting class. The last name looks familiar because he’s the younger cousin of Maurkice and Mike.
Ethan is 6’1, 160 lbs. so he has to get to the training table and weight room. His older brother Jordan is a wide receiver, who was previously at Texas but he is transferring to UF.
There are three other four-star corners coming to Gainesville. Avery Helm (Missouri City, TX), Jahari Rogers (Arlington, TX) and Mordecai McDaniel (Washington, DC).
First, I want to point out it is impressive for the Gators to land top recruits from Texas.
All of these corners are at least 6’1 so they have great size to compete with tall receivers.
They have four-star safety Rashad Torrence II from Marietta, Ga. He was on the team that won the 7A GHSA state championship, so he knows what it takes to win.
As a senior, he had 111 tackles, 7 pass breakups and 1 interception. I think he might be one of the most underrated recruits and I expect him to be a star.
Four-star dual threat quarterback Anthony Richardson is from Gainesville. He attended Eastside High just a few miles from the campus. He is also on Season 4 of the Netflix documentary series “QB1: Beyond the Lights.”
Richardson is 6’4, 233 lbs. and the fifth ranked dual threat QB in the 2020 class. He only played in six games in 2019 before he suffered a season ending shoulder injury. In those games, he scored 15 total touchdowns and the team averaged 24.5 points per game.
There are also several talented playmakers joining the Gators. Wide receivers Xzavier Henderson (Miami, FL), Jaquavion Fraziars (Dunnellon, FL), Leonard Manuel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) and tight end Jonathan Odom (Tampa, FL).
Seminole Cry
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida State football’s recruiting class came into National Signing Day with a National ranking of 20th by 247sports.com composite rankings. At the end of the day, Florida State fell two spots to number 22.
As far as the ACC (ALL CLEMSON CONFERENCE) goes, the Seminole were 4th behind Clemson, Miami and North Carolina.
This is Florida State’s lowest ranking in the history of 247sports.com. Also, the first time Florida State did not sign a single five-star player.
Florida State suffered through two straight losing seasons and a coaching change did not help them on the recruiting trail.
The past few seasons have made it clear that Florida State needs to rebuild the program from the ground up. A big part of building that foundation is making sure needs are met and there is adequate depth at every position.
Florida State coach Mike Norvell and his staff salvaged the Seminole 2020 recruiting class. Norvell, who was hired on December 8, acknowledged the difficulties of getting a late start in recruiting.
Norvell stated, “This class is critical. This class is the foundation of where we’re going.”
The Seminole staff worked very hard over the past two months in a class that features 25 signees and three scholarship transfers.
Florida State finished with 8 four stars and 16 three stars.
Norvell was able to do something Willie Taggart wasn’t able to do in two recruiting cycles, and that’s sign a quarterback. Norvell signed two signal callers in Tate Rodemaker, the 25th ranked nationally and Chubba Purdy the 7th ranked nationally.
Unofficially, Florida State has 84 players on scholarship. Given that this is a new staff and spring practice has yet to begin, that number may drop after the Spring semester. There’s still a chance that the Seminoles may add one or more players via the transfer portal.
Florida State is one of the greatest brands and tradition-rich football programs in all of college football. Kids grow up wanting to play for the Seminoles.
Recruiting is the lifeblood for any college football program. Coach Norvell was able to salvage a top 25 class and address some critical needs at quarterback, running back, offensive line and linebacker. Not bad for a guy who was late to the party.
I won’t lie to you; I was severely underwhelmed with Florida State’s recruiting class. Yes, the class meets some needs with a number of players, but the quality is below Seminole standards.
Recruits know you can win big at Florida State, just look at its history and the fact they have won a national championship in the last decade.
The Seminoles had the opportunity to get over the hump with its 2020 recruiting class but failed.
Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher were great football coaches and also great recruiters.
To bring Florida State back to Elite status Mike Norvell must do a better job recruiting. Maybe next year.
Numbers Don’t Lie
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I was listening recently and don’t ask me why I was tuned in to a regional radio show that suggested that the ACC was the best football conference in the country due to Clemson’s recent success on the gridiron.
These types of things interest me because I know the SEC is the king in football, so I looked up the stats to confirm what I already know. Here goes:
P5 Conference Bowl Records (All-Time)
SEC: 261-195-9 (.571)
ACC: 132-140-2 (.485)
BIG 12: 84-88-0 (.488)
B1G: 143-163-1 (.467)
PAC 12: 149-136-5 (.522)
The PAC 12 is the only other “Power 5” conference with a winning bowl record.
SEC All-Time vs. Other Conferences (current conferences)
SEC vs:
ACC: 319-171-10 (.648)
AAC: 19-8-0 (.704)
B1G: 96-65-2 (.595)
BIG 12: 98-79-6 (.552)
CUSA: 158-28 (.849)
MAC: 98-14 (.875)
Mountain West: 25-11 (.694)
PAC 12: 74-43-5 (.627)
Sun Belt: 154-11 (.933) –
Random tidbits:
SEC TEAMS VS. ACC
W L T Win % PFPG PAPG
Alabama 26 5 0 83.9 28.3 13.3
Arkansas 0 2 0 0.0 17.0 27.5
Auburn 34 12 0 73.9 26.5 16.6
Florida 33 26 2 55.7 24.3 19.6
Georgia 77 27 5 72.9 25.4 17.1
Kentucky 15 15 1 50.0 19.5 18.5
LSU 24 2 0 92.3 28.5 10.8
Mississippi 1 4 0 20.0 18.0 31.4
Mississippi St 6 7 0 46.2 24.5 28.2
South Carolina 18 23 0 43.9 20.7 24.4
Tennessee 36 15 1 70.2 24.7 15.8
Texas A&M 2 4 0 33.3 35.5 32.5
Vanderbilt 31 25 0 55.4 21.4 21.3
Clemson is by far the best football program in the ACC currently, but their all-time record against the SEC is 56-99-5, and 6-9 in bowl games.
CLEMSON VS. SEC TEAMS
W L T Win % PFPG PAPG
Alabama 2 11 0 15.4 13.2 31.5
Auburn 9 17 1 35.2 16.3 22.6
Florida 2 2 1 50.0 14.8 22.2
Georgia 9 28 2 25.6 12.8 22.8
Kentucky 5 6 0 45.5 13.7 13.0
LSU 1 3 0 25.0 14.3 20.8
Mississippi 0 1 0 0.0 0.0 13.0
Mississippi St 1 1 1 50.0 11.7 10.3
South Carolina 18 10 0 64.3 28.0 21.2
Tennessee 1 4 0 20.0 17.6 22.0
Texas A&M 2 0 0 100.0 26.0 18.0
Vanderbilt 1 1 0 50.0 16.0 14.5
Note: Clemson is 18-42-4 all-time against Georgia but for this story only games against SEC are counted.
SEC was formed in 1933. Florida State is the only ACC team with a winning record against the SEC.
FSU has a losing all-time record against SEC teams, but a winning record against the SEC since they joined the ACC in the 1990’s.
SEC Bowl Records vs. P5 Opponents
The SEC is 47-29 (.618) against the ACC in bowl games.
The SEC is 57-32 (.640) against the B1G in bowl games.
The SEC is 46-36-1 (.560) against the BIG 12 in bowl games.
The SEC is 9-7-1 (.559) against the PAC 12 in bowl games.
Clemson does have a winning record against the SEC over the last decade thanks to their current ownership of South Carolina.
There you have it folks, proof in numbers that the SEC is the most dominant football conference in the country.
I respect the ACC as a football conference, but FSU, Miami and Virginia Tech need give the Tigers some help at the top.
LSU is the current king of College Football and flat out owns the ACC.
Clemson is probably the best overall program right now, but the SEC is the most powerful conference because the numbers don’t lie.
I Will Take My Talents To…
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the Early Signing Period in the rearview mirror and bowl season over, the last big day for college football before spring practice is National Signing Day.
With many of the top recruits from the 2020 class already signed, who is left for the top programs to pick up on Wednesday, February 5th?
Five Star Running Back Zack Evans is the number 1 running back in the class of 2020.
By far the wildest recruitment of the 2020 cycle. Evans signed a LOI (Letter of Intent) with the Georgia Bulldogs back in December, got cold feet, and asked to be released from his LOI.
Georgia obliged and now Evans is back on the market as an extremely talented athlete with some off the field issues.
This recruitment still seems very cloudy through, as Evans has left a lot of coaches guessing. This is shaping up to be a Tennessee, Ole Miss and Georgia battle. Alabama, Florida and LSU have rescinded their offers over the past few weeks. My Pick: Georgia
Four Star Safety Avantae Williams backed off his early commitment to the Oregon Ducks back in December.
Williams is the 9th ranked safety in the 2020 class.
He is a hard-hitting safety that can cover a lot of ground. Williams’ recruitment is a battle between Miami, Florida and Georgia. My Pick: Florida
Four Star Offensive Lineman Sedrick Van Pran has been committed to Georgia since August.
Van Pran has taken official visits to Alabama and is scheduled to be at Florida this weekend.
With the departure of former Offensive Line coach San Pittman, Van Pran seems to have opened up his recruitment. It would be shocking if Van Pran is not a Bulldog come National Signing Day. My Pick: Georgia
Four Star Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs has been committed to Georgia Tech since May.
After a very strong senior season, Gibbs has received offers from Ohio State, LSU, Georgia and Florida.
While Florida and Ohio State have put on the full court press, Gibbs will stay firm to his commitment. My Pick: Georgia Tech
Four Star Athlete Damarcus Beckwood has hopes of playing college football and basketball.
The 6-foot-4, 220 pounder is a versatile weapon on offense playing both wide receiver and tight end in high school. This is a battle between Tennessee and Florida. My Pick: Florida
February 5th marks the final day of the 2020 recruiting cycle. National Signing Day will still be important as there are a couple highly touted 2020 high school prospects that remain uncommitted.
And there will always be the few flipped prospects that make headlines on National Signing Day.
Since Dan Mullen’s time at Florida, the Gators have used the transfer portal to pluck talented players. The Gators have landed four star Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes in Mullen’s first year at Florida.
Last season, the Gators landed five-star defensive end, Brenton Cox.
This season is much different, the Gators signed a pair of five stars in running back Lorenzo Lingard and wide receiver Justin Shorter. Both players have applied for waivers with the NCAA.
Kirby Smart used the portal to add quarterback Jamie Newman. Newman has one season of eligibility and should be the front runner for QB1 for the Bulldogs.
Can Newman do what Joe Burrow did for LSU?
The Georgia QB Room
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve always viewed Georgia’s football program as one that recruits elite talent on both the defensive side of the ball and at running back, while intermittently signing those types of players at the quarterback position.
I’m not trying to debate whether my observation is accurate, as much as my opinion has changed since Kirby Smart arrived.
I certainly don’t claim to be a Georgia Bulldog historian, but I doubt the program has had a run on quarterbacks as impressive as Smart’s since he arrived in Athens- Eason, Fromm, Fields, Newman, and now Vandagriff.
It seems fairly obvious that he is bringing in the best possible players he can recruit, even if he’s “recruiting over” someone, and letting the best win out.
Personally, if I were a Bulldogs fan, I would love the approach he’s taking, but it doesn’t come without pitfalls; mainly, as in the case with Eason and Fields, transfers.
Transfers are something college coaches have always dealt with, especially in basketball, and those numbers have started to increase significantly every year in football.
Even with restrictions on when a football player can declare for the NFL, recruits still arrive on campus with the mindset of how they can best position themselves to take that next step. I don’t blame them at all, but waiting a year behind someone to get your chance just doesn’t happen anymore.
As frustrating as transfers can be, the issue down the road is at what point do the numbers of transfers your program has, particularly at a high-profile position like quarterback, start to prevent recruits from actually signing to begin with?
It’s not a problem that typically rears its head until a situation arises where there is a need to rely on depth. When you have a significant amount of high-level talent you were planning on using for that depth exit your program, it creates a larger gap between your first-string players and second string. This is typically where the trouble seeps in.
Take this past year for example, had Fromm went down with an injury was there really a viable backup, especially when you consider both Eason and Fields would’ve been on the roster, had they not transferred?
Georgia seems to have avoided an issue for this upcoming season, as long as Newman plays well. But, if he doesn’t and Carson Beck steps in and has the type of freshman season Fromm did, Georgia could be looking at a similar situation with Beck/Vandagriff that they had with Fromm/Fields.
I know a lot of this is hypothetical, but trust me, as a Duke basketball fan, who has seen a number of players transfer over the years, the lack of depth is where this way of recruiting catches up to you.
Again, I’m not saying I’d do anything different if I was Smart. In fact, I always find it funny that fanbases will bash other coaches for bringing in higher ranked recruits, as if they’re not supposed to sign the best talent they possibly can.
But, as Georgia continues to bring in not only 5-star recruits, but quarterbacks ranked number one in their class, fans will need to get used to seeing their quarterbacks in the transfer portal- they may not even get the recruits in the first place.
Of course, 99% of the other programs in college football would gladly switch places with you in an instant, so there are definitely bigger problems you could be having.
The Coaching Ranks
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Our greatest game is now in the off season.
You already see early 2020 predictions being made for the college football season.
The SEC has a few new head coaches who are ready to make their mark on the conference. Here are my head coach rankings heading into the 2020 season:
Nick Saban: The Alabama HC is the gold standard that all college football coaches are measured by.
The Tide just finished an 11-2 season with a win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl and you would think the Alabama football program is on life support if you listen to the experts around the country. Saban will be back in 2020 and the SEC West will feel the full wrath of Saban.
Ed Orgeron: Coach O can do just about anything he wants in the State of Louisiana right now after leading LSU to a Natty. It’s hard not to love the man and the kids really play hard for him. LSU is a blue blood again in college football because of Coach O. Go Tigahs!
Kirby Smart: Yeah Kirby seems to be the butt of jokes because UGA hasn’t won a national title since 1980, but the butt of those jokes should go towards Ray Goff, Jim Donnan, and Mark Richt correct?
Kirby is 44-12 at UGA in four years, and coming off three straight 11-1 regular seasons. Kirby retooled his offensive staff after the Sugar Bowl and Florida is already the trendy pick in the East, so Kirby can use that as a motivational tool this offseason.
Jimbo Fisher: The Aggie HC is starting to drop down this list after getting the big $75 million contract from A&M. It is time for Aggie fans to see a good ROI on their investment in 2020.
Dan Mullen: Back to Back top 10 finishes in Gainesville is what the Gator nation expects out of Big Game Dan. The Gators now are dealing with high expectations for the first time in a few years so let’s see how they respond to it. My guess is they will be just fine.
Gus Malzahn: Who does less with more than Gus? It is time for Auburn to get back in the playoff hunt in the SEC. Too much talent at Auburn to have another 9-4 type season.
Mark Stoops: While you have been napping Stoops has built Kentucky into a respectable football program. The Cats have as many as 19 starters coming back in 2020.
Sleep on Kentucky at your own risk.
Mike Leach: Joe Moorhead, we hardly knew you.
The Pirate has won at Texas Tech and Washington State. The Air Raid is coming to the SEC and Leach will have you busting a gut like you are at a Kevin Hart concert.
Leach will win SEC Media Days this summer and field a good football team to go along with it.
Jeremy Pruitt: Pruitt is hardcore and has Tennessee on the rebound.
Look out moving forward for the Vols. Those of you that have forgotten about Vol football don’t worry they will be back soon, and you will hear Rocky Top 736 times during a 60-minute football game.
Will Muschamp: Good coach coaching in a tough environment, while Dabo is rolling at Clemson.
Georgia found out the hard way in 2019 and missed the college football playoff because of the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Lane Kiffin: Great offensive mind, but last time he was in the SEC as a HC he left Tennessee in a total mess. I think he moves up this list but starts here in 2020.
Derek Mason: Vandy is a tough place to build a resume. Mason’s teams play really hard, but are out-talented most weeks in the SEC.
Eli Drinkwitz: Yes, he looks like a CPA and did great things in Boone, NC, but we will see if that can carry over to Columbia, Missouri.
Sam Pittman: Arkansas is a raging dumpster fire that has some good tradition. We shall see if the Pit Boss can turn things around in NW Arkansas.
Hurry up SEC Media Days so I can tune into Mike Leach.
College Football Free Agency
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA launched the transfer portal two years ago, and suddenly the transfer portal has made a major impact in the 2019 season. It’s paid off handsomely for three of the four teams in the College Football Playoffs.
Justin Fields (Ohio State), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Heisman Trophy winner and National Championship MVP Joe Burrow were all transfer quarterbacks. Many fans criticized these players decisions and made excuses for them leaving.
The most important offer a coach or program can make a player is an immediate chance to play.
Just look at Gardner Minshew after transferring from East Carolina, he was supposed to be a graduate assistant at Alabama before Coach Mike Leach offered him an opportunity to play at Washington State.
Not all transfers were as successful as Fields, Hurt or Burrow: just ask Tate Martell and Brandon Wimbush.
Has college football turned into a high stakes game of musical chairs?
So, who’s the next Joe Burrow or Garder Minshew?
Jamie Newman is a 6 foot 4, 230 pound quarterback who completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,869 yards and 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Newman made his decision to transfer to the University of Georgia. He provides the Bulldogs with a dual threat element after running for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns in 12 games in 2019.
Newman should have a chance to start next season. The Bulldogs currently have Stetson Bennett, D’Wan Mathis and 2020 signee Carson Beck to compete with Newman.
D’Eriq King is a 5 foot 11, 195 pound dual threat quarterback, who completed 52.7 percent of his passes for 663 yards and 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in four games with Houston in 2019.
King made his decision to transfer to the University of Miami as a graduate transfer, he is eligible to play in the 2020 season. King immediately becomes the favorite to start for the Hurricanes in new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s offense.
The Hurricanes have a very crowded quarterback room. Last season, starter Jarren Williams was a redshirt sophomore, N’Kosi Perry, a redshirt junior, Tate Martell, redshirt junior (transfer last season from Ohio State), Peyton Matocha is a redshirt freshman and Tyler Van Dyke is a true freshman in the 2020 class.
Feleipe Franks is a 6 foot 6 quarterback, who completed 76.1 percent of his passes for 698 yards and 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 2 and a half game in 2019.
Franks, who enrolled immediately and is going through spring drills with the Razorbacks.
Franks has had an inconsistent career at the University of Florida. I’m unsure if he will find stability in his new transfer.
Arkansas was one of the worst Power Five teams in all of football last season. Arkansas has a long way to go before they’ll be competitive, but adding Franks is certainly a step in the right direction.
Under new offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, Franks, KJ Jefferson, Jack Lindsey and John Stephen Jones will compete for the starting job.
Here is a list of other transfer quarterbacks to keep your eyes on: Jake Bentley (Utah), Phil Jurkovec (Boston College), Joey Gatewood (Kentucky), Chase Brice, KJ Costello and some others.
The exciting part of the college football offseason the past two seasons has been the movement among quarterbacks in the transfer portal: College Football’s new free agency.
The Best All-Time
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
LSU just finished one of the most dominant football seasons in recent memory with a 42-25 win over Clemson for the National Championship.
It was LSU’s third national championship this century to go along with titles in 2003, and 2007. I have been watching college football since the 1970’s and here are my top five college football teams in the window:
Honorable Mention: 1976 Pittsburgh 12-0: The Panthers with Heisman winner Tony Dorsett drilled SEC Champion and 4th ranked UGA in the Sugar Bowl 27-3 as Dorsett rushed for over 200 yards.
1999 Florida State 12-0: The Seminoles beat a Michael Vick led Virginia Tech team in the Sugar Bowl to win Bobby Bowden’s second National Title in Tallahassee. Where have those days gone FSU fans?
2005 USC: 12-1: The Trojans were a great team that lost to Texas for the National Title. Reggie Bush and company were defending champions but this team was better than their 2004 title team.
1979 Alabama 12-0: This was Bear Bryant’s last National Title team at Alabama.
They won seven games by 20 or more points. The Tide led the nation in scoring defense and beat a very good Arkansas team 24-9 in the Sugar Bowl.
2018 Clemson 15-0: This team beat Alabama 44-16 to capture the National Title, and blew out Notre Dame in the semifinals 30-3. Dominant defense with four NFL players on the defensive line.
My Top Five College Football Teams of All-Time:
- 1996 Florida 12-1: This was great football team and Steve Spurrier’s only National Champion that blew out unbeaten FSU 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl to avenge a 24-21 regular season loss to the Seminoles.
Bob Stoops was the defensive coordinator and the team was led by Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel at QB and All-American receivers Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony.
The Gators outscored their opponents 612-228 during the season. The Ole Ball Coach put Florida football on the map when he took the job in 1990 and won 127 games in 12 years in Gainesville.
- 2005 Texas 13-0: Vince Young led the Longhorns to a classic 41-38 win over USC in the Rose Bowl.
Texas scored 652 points during the 2005 season while giving up only 213. The Rose Bowl that year may be the greatest college football game I have ever watched on television.
- 2001 Miami 12-0: The 2001 Canes only allowed 117 points all season, and hammered Nebraska 37-14 in the Rose Bowl for the title.
Many say this was the most talented team in the history of college football with players like Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey, Clinton Portis, Andre Johnson, this roster was littered with future Pro-Bowlers.
- 2019 LSU 15-0: The first team in the history of the SEC to go 15-0. Led by Heisman winner Joe Burrow, who tossed for 60 TD’s to only 6 Int’s on the season.
This LSU team will go down as the best team in the history of the SEC. The Tigers beat Clemson for a National Title, while Clemson was riding a 29-game winning streak.
This team beat five teams ranked in the top 10 of the final rankings, and six of the top 15. This team will stand the test of time for greatness.
1.1995 Nebraska 13-0: The most dominant team in college football history. The 1995 Cornhuskers averaged 53 plus points a game and defeated four teams ranked in the Top 10.
No team all year came closer than 23 points to the Huskers, and this team beat a great undefeated Florida team 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl and it looked like men playing middle schoolers.
27 players from this team played in the NFL. QB Tommie Frazier is one of my favorite college football players of all-time. He Led the Huskers to back to back National Championships in 1994 and 1995.
There you have it folks. College Football is our greatest game. Nothing really comes close.
