Tomahawk Nation

Michael Johnson Commits To Florida State

2012-02-13T17:21:40Z

Michael Johnson, a defensive back recruit from Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington High school, has committed to Florida State, sources confirmed today. Johnson is unrated as of yet by any of the major services, which is unsurprising given that it is 11 months until next signing day.

Johnson stands 5'10" and weighs 170 pounds. He'll need to keep growing to play safety at the next level, but Johnson definitely has room to do so. Johnson's best attribute is probably his instincts. His highlight film is one clip after another of him making plays (see inside). Johnson doesn't appear to be an elite, but he certainly isn't a scrub, either. There's definitely space on the roster for a defensive back with excellent instincts and good tackling ability. He'll likely be rated as a high three-star recruit. It's also worth noting that if Johnson doesn't win a starting job, he could fill the role of a fifth defensive back.

Tomahawk Nation currently projects that Florida State will take at least five defensive backs in this class. The 'Noles currently have two in Johnson and cornerback Sojourn Shelton.

Johnson is also a teammate of stud linebacker recruit Matthew Thomas and offensive line recruit Denver Kirkland, both of whom are considering the 'Noles.

Here is a recap of Florida State's class:

OFFENSIVE LINE Austin Golson (Tackle)
DEFENSIVE LINE Maquedius Bain (Tackle)
DEFENSIVE LINE Deadrin Senat (Tackle)
DEFENSIVE BACK Sojourn Shelton (Cornerback)
DEFENSIVE BACK Michael Johnson (Corner/Safety)

(h/t: Noles 247)

'Noles News 02.13.12

2012-02-13T15:50:36Z

I think Florida State is playing the scheduling situation well. They got out of the WVU game without having to cancel it. They're going to get paid. They get to claim they went after top teams to replace WVU, thus getting to keep the "anyone, anywhere" image that worked pre-BCS, and they get to schedule a much more winnable game.

There is heavy smoke that Cameron Erving has asked to move to offensive line. Erving is already a good defensive tackle, and for FSU's coaches to allow this would show just how ridiculously deep the 'Noles are at defensive tackle. Erving does have more of an offensive lineman's build (6'5" and lanky at 300+). I am very interested to see how this turns out. Is the potential benefit to offense much bigger than the potential loss on defense? Absolutely. And remember, Erving is very young. He doesn't even turn 20 until late August! Let's see if the move happens and if it sticks. I'd say the important part to this smoke is that Erving asked to be moved, as opposed to the coaches telling him he would be moved.

FSU commit Menelik Watson trades in the hardwood for the gridiron - Luke Winn - SI.com
Awesome article

Boston College Football To Host Miami In 2012 Opener - BC Interruption
Acoording to a report in the Boston Globe: Boston College football will open the 2012 season at home against the Miami Hurricanes on Labor Day weekend. This is good for BC because Miami is breaking in a ton of new starters. It's bad because Miami doesn't have to play in the cold and the Hurricanes' depth won't be tested.

Vanderbilt coach elaborates on controversial comments on "de-commitments" … and the UGA recruit that flipped | AJC College Sports Recruiting
We asked some other coaches about Franklin’s initial comments about de-commitments being "not men of honor" and "not men of integrity." Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher: "No, I don’t buy that. They’re all young kids. They’ve all got to make tough decisions in a crucial time of their life. They may not have committed [initially] for the right reasons. [As a coach] you don’t say something like that. They are 18-year-old kids. They learn lessons as they go through the recruiting process. Recruiting can be tough and I think it’s different than it was years ago. The pressure, for instance, from social media, recruiting services, coaches … I think there’s a ton of more pressure on these kids now than there ever was before. They are 18-year olds. That’s the thing you have to remember. I would love to not have any kids de-commit. For the most part, we did this year except for one [DE Dante Fowler switched to Florida on signing day]. He’s an outstanding young man and will be a great player. That’s a choice he made, and he had to make it for his own reasons."

NCAA investigation update: Nevin Shapiro rants from prison; UM optimistic | Sports Buzz

### One UM official said he expects “one more bowl ban, maybe two at most” plus undetermined scholarship losses. But that’s speculative, because UM hasn’t been told anything on either issue. Some are hopeful of escaping further bowl bans after last year’s self-imposed one.

Miami is going to play with 80 scholarship players. They are at 90 or 91 now. That means they'll be cutting 10 guys between now and opening day. Expect them to tell the NCAA they're taking a penalty of five scholarships (85-80=5). Don't be surprised if they pass on a bowl game as well (not that they are likely to make one with the roster coming back and a daunting schedule). The playing at 80 will likely continue in 2013 and 14. The bowl ban/declining a bowl could also.

Uh Oh: Danny O'Brien, Max Garcia Transferring? - Testudo Times
Maryland's presumed starting quarterback and left tackle are both reported to be transferring. This is a fluid situation.

Pre-Snap Read: 24 transfers since Edsall took over at Maryland. And counting.
Maryland has a ton of work to do.

Big Ten pulls about-face, pushes for +1

Pre-Snap Read: Wake Offseason Review

Stock watch Losing Given is a tough blow to an offense that had its best season in years last fall, but perhaps Campanaro can step in and help Price continue his development into one of the A.C.C.’s best. Of bigger concern is the offensive line, which must replace four starters. The biggest concern, however, remains the defense. Here’s guessing that this group, which struggled so much over the second half of last fall, has turned a corner come September. There’s a tremendous amount of returning experience; only two starters must be replaced, led by strong safety Cyhl Quarles. An improved effort defensively won’t just offset Givens’ early departure — it would make the Deacons a fairly scary team in the Atlantic division, and would easily find the program back in bowl play for a second straight season.

BCF Toys - Home - Punting and Field Position
Cool stuff.

Friday Mailbag: The state of Penn St recruiting - CBSSports.com

From @cbhenn What's your pre-spring SEC East 1-7 predictions for 2012?

I have Georgia winning the East. The Dawgs have a very good, experienced D returning and a savvy QB in Aaron Murray. After that, I have South Carolina. I could see Tennessee coming in third as my surprise team. The Vols will no longer be a young team. They'll have a lot of three-year starters on what figures to be a potent offense. They will be counting on a lot of unproven guys on the D-line but my hunch is they have a shot to win nine this year. I slotted UF fourth ahead of Mizzou because they have a much deeper group of athletes on defense. After that, I have Vandy and UK rounding out the division.

If Muschamp has only ~14 or 15 wins after his first two years, 2013 will be quite interesting in Gainesville. And how lucky is Mark Richt to get that gift schedule two years in a row?

Mark Richt, UGA Closing In On Contract Extension - SB Nation Atlanta
As we said, Richt would lose the tough games, win the division because of an easy schedule, and get an extension.

With Stefon Diggs To Maryland, Ohio State And Florida Target 2013 Receiver Recruits - SBNation.com
Ohio State and Florida failed to sign a top receiver recruit in the 2012 class. Now they turn their sights to 2013 and have targeted some elite wideouts. That won't help on the field in 2012, however.

Pre-Snap Read: A College Football Blog

Only 17 staffs in college football have not had a coaching change this off-season including only 5 non-BCS programs. One was FSU.

Looking on to 2012, Defense Set to Dominate | The Key Play
Virginia Tech's defense has a shot to be great in 2012, just like FSU's. The battle in Blacksburg will be loved by defensive coordinators everywhere.

Tuesday Top 10: Best assistant moves - CBSSports.com

9. Florida goes to Boise for its new OC: Charlie Weis had a very shaky season in Gainesville as the Gators stumbled in their transition season out of the Urban Meyer offense, finishing 105th in the country in total offense. Pease moves south after working with one of the most productive QBs in college history (Kellen Moore). The 47-year-old Pease also had a lot of success in his days at Montana in the 90s and had some good moments leading an undermanned Kentucky offense in the SEC before moving to Boise.
10. Mike Locksley is back at Maryland: No doubt Locksley had a disastrous run as New Mexico's head coach, going 2-26 and being at the center of a few off-field scandals. He signs on with second-year coach Randy Edsall, who had a disastrous beginning with the Terps going 2-10 with only one win over an FBS opponent. But never underestimate the recruiting juice Locksley has, especially in that part of the country. He will get kids who would never get within sniffing distance of Edsall's program to give the Terps a long, hard look now. And the school made sure to sweeter Locksley's deal on that front. According to the Washington Post, if Maryland is ranked in the top 40 by either Rivals.com or Scout.com's recruiting rankings on National Signing Day, Locksley will earn $25,000. He'll also get an additional $20,000 if the Terrapins place in the top four of ACC teams in the Rivals.com or Scout.com's rankings on National Signing Day.

ACC pre-spring Power Rankings - ACC Blog - ESPN

1. Florida State:The Noles brought in the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, including the No. 1 defensive end, the No. 1 defensive tackle and the No. 1 quarterback. Not to mention the abundance of talent they return from last season’s nine-win team. Not only will FSU be better in 2012, but it will also be deeper and more talented.

Predicting the Oklahoma Sooners' spring depth chart | February
Oh, wait, we don't have to pay attention to OU anymore!

Larry Fedora, North Carolina working smart, hard to meet goals - Andy Staples - SI.com
It will be interesting to see how UNC does after the sanctions come down. FSU won't play UNC until 2015, at the earliest.

Returning Starters And Momentum: Offense Versus Defense - Football Study Hall
A look at how experience affects college football offenses and defenses as the season progresses.

THE CURIOUS INDEX, 2/13/2012 - Every Day Should Be Saturday
News, analysis and opinion from the fan perspective.

Inside the boxscore: FSU 64, Miami 59

2012-02-12T17:23:17Z

Inside the boxscore: FSU 64, Miami 59

4. Luke Loucks played another solid all-around game, finishing with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 0 turnovers. In the past two games he has 10 assists, 3 steals, and no turnovers. He also moved past Al Thornton into 6th place all time in games played. If he stays healthy he'll become FSU's all time leader in games played in FSU's first ACC Tournament game. He's never missed a game in his FSU career.

Still on top: Noles end Cane's winning streak 64-59

2012-02-11T20:30:44Z

With UNC beating Virginia, the Seminoles needed to knock off the hottest team in the ACC in order to remain tied atop the conference standings. And they did just that, using suffocating defense to defeat the Hurricanes 64-59 in a 65 possession game. FSU (17-7, 8-2) held Miami (15-8, 6-4) to 5-23 (22%) shooting from deep, and forced turnovers on 23% of their possessions. The 0.91 points they scored per possession is the 2nd fewest since the return of center Reggie Johnson 14 games ago. FSU fronted Johnson all game, even out beyond 15', and did a great job preventing him from ever touching the ball. He scored a season low 4 points. Point guard Shane Larkin had arguably the worst game of his career, scoring 5 points on 1-9 shooting. He had one assist and two turnovers.

The game was close in the final minutes because of missed FTs. FSU made 5-9 down the stretch, and missed the front end of a 1-and-1. But the defense was elite, forcing Miami to burn clock and put up contested shots.

FSU's offense was plagued by careless turnovers (24.6%, right about their season average) including 7 from Bernard James. Still, the Noles were able to take advantage of Reggie Johnson's immobility by pounding the ball in to James, as Johnson doesn't have the quickness to play in front of James. Bernard scored 18 points and added six boards and four blocks. Michael Snaer (12) and Ian Miller (11) were also in double figures, and Luke Loucks played an exceptional game on both ends of the floor. He finished with 7 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 0 turnovers.

FSU gets to stay home, where they're 5-0 in the ACC, to take on Virginia Tech on Thursday.

FSU vs Miami preview and game thread

2012-02-11T15:52:39Z

A hot shooting Boston College combined with a poorly focused Florida State ended FSU's longest ever ACC win streak at 7 games. Though FSU (16-7, 7-2) is still tied atop the conference standings. But now the competition gets stiffer. In come the Miami Hurricanes (15-7, 6-3) who are on a winning streak of their own. They've won 5-straight ACC games, a first, and appear on their way to their first ever winning ACC season.

The Canes are led by first year head coach Jim Larranaga. In my evaluation of his hiring, I finished with this statement:

Should Larranaga improve Miami to a top-50 defense they’ll be playing in the NCAA Tournament 11 months from now.

Miami didn't play defense under Frank Haith. Last season they were 99th. This year they're 65th. Which means, according to my prediction, they should be a bubble team. The reality? They're a bubble team.

The important thing to note is that Reggie Johnson - who rivals Tyler Zeller as the best center in the ACC - missed the first nine games due to offseason knee surgery. And DeQuan Jones missed the first ten due to an investigation into whether or not his family got paid during his recruitment. Both of those players are back, and both are key to Miami's continuing improvement on the defensive end. They have a decent chance to finish the season among the nation's top-50 defenses. If you limit their season to just conference games (after the players returned) then Miami is 4th, behind Virginia, Florida State and North Carolina. During Miami's 5-game winning streak the only team to score more than a point per possession against them is Duke (1.01), and the Blue Devils have the best offense in the conference.

In short, this defense presents a big challenge for Florida State.

Offensively, Miami probably presents a bigger challenge, as I covered in yesterday's film review. Since Reggie Johnson's return, fellow big man Kenny Kadji is suddenly playing like the consensus #35 recruit that Billy Donovan envisioned. Of course, all Donovan can do is watch like the rest of us, as Kadji left Gainesville and committed to play for Frank Haith at Miami (you're welcome, Larranaga). Kadji is a matchup problem for any defense. He's 6'11 and is shooting over 47% on his 3s. He's mobile and he has a nice mid-range game. Since Reggie Johnson came back and allowed him to move to the 4, Kadji is averaging over 16 points a game.

The reason Reggie Johnson makes everyone better is that he has to be double-teamed and he's an elite passer for a big man. Johnson is able to catch the ball in the high post (where the defense can't front him) and then back the defense down due to his strength. The only option is to double, which creates rotation problems for the defense, and as FSU fans saw during the Boston College game, rotation problems aren't a lot of fun to watch. At least when it's happening to your team. FSU's defense will key on not allowing Johnson to get the ball in the first place. This will mean sagging guards which will lead to a few open threes. Deal with it.

The last problems are guards Shane Larkin and Durand Scott. Larkin, son of Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, is a 5'11 jet who's nearly impossible to keep from penetrating the defense. In FSU's last four losses each of those teams featured a sub 6' point guard whose mission is to drive and dish. Scott, at 6'4, gets inside the defense as well, but he's usually looking to score. He leads Miami at 12.6 ppg.

The game tips at 1pm from the Donald L Tucker center. It is broadcast on Raycom and ESPN3. Vegas and Ken Pomeroy both have FSU -7.

The Conversation: Q&A with Category 6

2012-02-10T21:08:38Z

In preparation for tomorrow's huge game with Miami, we spoke with the guys over at Category 6, an excellent blog covering the Hurricanes. Check the links below this story to find more coverage of the game, including a film breakdown of Miami's offense, and of course our answers to their questions. As always, the preview and game thread will come two hours before tip.

TN: Give me a fan's perspective on new head coach Jim Larranaga. What are the expectations for what he can do with the program?

Coach Larranaga has done an excellent job this season. Miami has been shorthanded for a good part of the year due to injuries/suspensions, etc. Other then the NC State game, the 'Canes has played with great effort in every contest. Coach L often says something to the bench that draws big laughs, but also appears to know when to be firm. Turnovers are down this year, execution on both ends is improved (impressive considering a new system) and the team seems to come out of timeouts more focused. With Coach L extended now through 2019 we expect him to continue to bring energy to the program, and hopefully take the 'Canes to the next level. We hope winning at Duke is a sign of things to come.

TN: Miami has never had a winning conference record in the ACC. Is this the year? What are your expectations for the rest of the season? What does Miami have to do to make the NCAA Tournament?

This is the year!!! If UM just wins the games it should (BC, Wake Forest, Va Tech, ) they'd go 8-8. We definately feel like they can win at Maryland or at NC State as well. We hope they can split with FSU, and we're ambitious they may even beat UNC at home. I am sticking with my preseason prediction, 10-6. 10-6 with a win at Duke, no bad losses, and hopefully one more quality win before the season's end should get them in the tourney. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a run in the ACC Tournament as well, as less successful teams have done well there in recent years.

TN: Miami struggled (understandably) without Reggie Johnson. What has his return meant, and what other players have most benefited from his presence in the middle?

Reggie's return meant everything to this team. Until perhaps the Duke game, he hadn't even playing up to expectations, but his presence clearly makes the offense run smoother. He's also the team's best rebounder and an underrated defender. While you would expect the guards to benefit the most, 6'11 Kenny Kadji has really thrived since Big Reg's return. Kadji can score in a number of ways and has looked like an all-conference player since the ACC slate began. Most of all with Reggie Johnson on the floor, the team as a whole seems more confident.

TN: What's happened to Malcolm Grant? Is he the most disappointing player this season? Which players have been pleasant surprises?

Grant's 35 year old brother died unexpectedly of a heart attack back in December and it definitely affected him. We choose not to call his season a disappointment because anyone given the circumstances would struggle. The most pleasant surprises have been the newcomers, Kenny Kadji, Trey McKinney-Jones, and Shane Larkin. Kadji can face up and score, knock down threes, post up, rebound, and block shots, and as mentioned earlier has been playing at an all-conference level. McKinney-Jones is a 6'5 swingman who shoots, passes, defends, and handles well above average. We love his game. Of the three Larkin may have the highest upside of them all. The son of hall-of-famer Barry Larkin, Shane has had some freshman moments. But he shoots with confidence, is a potential all conference defender as a freshman, and has run the point efficiently during Miami's recent strong run.

TN: Finally, a prediction. What's the final score and how does this game play out?

Coming off the loss at BC, we expect to see FSU play angry. Miami will have to withstand the Seminoles typical hard-nosed defense and make some contested shots. Reggie Johnson and Bernard James will bang under the basket and both will put points on the board. The 'Cane that the Seminoles will have the most trouble with will be Kenny Kadji. Miami will build a second half lead behind K2's strong play, but Deividas Dulkys will shoot FSU back into it with a bucket or two. A late stand and some Durand Scott free throws seal it. Miami wins 62-58.

Hurricane Surge: breaking down Miami's offense

2012-02-10T16:36:06Z

Hurricane Surge: breaking down Miami's offense

In preparation for tomorrow's huge game with the Hurricanes, I broke down some video to explain why the Hurricane offense has suddenly become very potent.

Q&A With Category 6: Miami at FSU

2012-02-10T14:50:28Z

Q&A With Category 6: Miami at FSU

Here is our full Q&A with Michael Rogner of Tomahawk Nation

C6: Miami’s most successful run (3 straight NCAA Tournament appearances 1998-2000) as a program occurred with current FSU Coach Leonard Hamilton at the helm. Clearly he is having success with FSU. What do you feel makes him such a great coach? Is he doing his best job ever this year? How was he able to turn it around after the Seminoles early season out of conference losses and the blow out at Clemson?