TheDailyBlitz.com

Sammy Watkins arrested on marijuana possession charge

Fri, 04 May 2012 22:21:42 -0400

Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins was arrested early Friday morning on two misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and possession of a controlled substance.

Watkins issued the following the statement: "I made a mistake last night and I am truly sorry for my actions. I let the team down, the coaches down and this university down. I will learn from this. I will accept any discipline coach [Dabo] Swinney and the university issues."

Meanwhile Swinney issued the following statement: "I am aware of the arrest last night. I am mad and hurt by the poor decision that Sammy Watkins made. He is a good young man who has been a model student, citizen, player and teammate. This is a reminder that good people make poor decisions. But, there are consequences for your actions ... and there will be in this case ..."

It is likely that Watkins will be suspended for at least one game, maybe more.

As a true freshman last season, Watkins, who was the ACC Rookie of the Year, finished with 82 receptions for 1,219 yards, which ranked him 17th in the country, and 12 touchdowns. Only six players had more receiving touchdowns than Watkins last year.

In addition, he averaged more than 25 yards per kickoff return with one touchdown and had 32 carries for 231 yards.

Assuming Watkins leaves Clemson after his junior season, he will be one of the top players selected in the 2014 NFL draft and possibly the top receiver off the board.

Poll of the Day: How high will Michael Floyd be drafted?

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:21:28 -0400

In almost every mock draft (our mock draft database), Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd is the No. 2 receiver off the board after Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon.

Most have Blackmon, the two-time Biletnikoff winner, going in the top six picks to either Cleveland at No. 4 or, more likely, St. Louis at No. 6.

In my opinion, the gap between the two receivers is relatively small, but one of the things working against both receivers going high is the depth of the position. Teams that pick high in the first round will have plenty of talented options on the board in the second round, third round, etc.

In his latest mock draft (to be updated within an hour), Brendan Donahue has Blackmon "slipping" to No. 7 to Jacksonville and Floyd going to Miami at No. 8.

While Floyd has good size (6-2 5/8, 220 pounds) and speed (4.47 forty at the combine), he has also had some off-field issues (some previous drunk-driving arrests).

Over his four-year career, Floyd finished with a total of 271 receptions for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns. Last year, Floyd had 100 receptions for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns.

How high do you think Floyd will be drafted?

LSU CB Morris Claiborne scores a FOUR on the Wonderlic

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:45:32 -0400

Based on Wonderlic scores, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne makes ex-Texas quarterback Vince Young look like a rocket scientist.

According to Pat Dooley, Claiborne got a four (out of 50 possible points) on the Wonderlic at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Four!

As Dooley tweets, a "tree stump could score a five."

Mo Claiborne of LSU scored a four on the Wunderlic test. A tree stump could score a five. That's embarrassing.
— Pat Dooley (@pat_dooley) April 3, 2012

For the non-IQ portion of the combine, you can see Claiborne's results (and those of all DBs) here.

In most mock drafts (including mine), Claiborne is a top-five pick projected to go to Cleveland at No. 4 or Tampa Bay at No. 5.

Related: Take our poll on who the Browns should select at No. 4.

Poll of the Day: Which team will draft Robert Griffin III?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:33:33 -0400

Within the past 7-10 days, we have released two 2012 NFL mock drafts: one by Brendan Donahue and one by Kevin Hanson.

In both of those mocks, we have the Browns, who own the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, taking Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, who was this year's Heisman Trophy recipient.

That said, we both point out the very real possibility of another team trading up with the Rams so that they can draft RG3.

In fact, the Browns, who have another first-round pick (22nd overall from Atlanta), may trade up themselves to draft Griffin.

If they don't, the team most likely to trade up to No. 2 is Washington, who desperately need to upgrade over Rex Grossman, John Beck, etc.

Will another quarterback-needy team like Seattle or Miami trade up to take Griffin? Who will draft RG3?

'Bama CB Dre Kirkpatrick arrested on marijuana charges

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:14:53 -0400

Alabama junior cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick declared himself eligible for April's NFL Draft and is projected by many to be a top-10 pick.

Most draft analysts project Kirkpatrick to be the second cornerback selected in the draft after LSU's Morris Claiborne, the Jim Thorpe award recipient this year.

Kirkpatrick didn't help his draft stock any today, however, as he was arrested early Tuesday morning on a marijuana possession charge. He was released this morning on $120 bond and his court date is set for February 21st.

With the NFL Scouting Combine next month (Feb. 22-28), it makes no sense why Kirkpatrick would allow himself to end up in this situation.

Our initial mock drafts will be posted within the next week, but you can view our 2012 NFL Mock Draft Database here.

Poll of the Day: Who will win the BCS Championship Game?

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:21:27 -0400

Going into Monday's night BCS Championship Game, there was no controversy around the unbeaten and top-ranked LSU Tigers playing for the national title.

With no playoff system in place to determine who should meet in the championship game, however, there was plenty of debate about whether it should be Alabama or Oklahoma State that faces LSU. Since Alabama finished second in the BCS standings ahead of Oklahoma State, who beat Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl, it will be the second time that LSU and 'Bama face each other this season.

The fact that these two teams faced each other already has no bearing on whether or not I think they should meet in the championship game although I would much rather have the matchups determined by a playoff (ideally eight teams).

In their first matchup, LSU beat Alabama by a field goal in overtime in Tuscaloosa, but the Crimson Tide were only two-of-six on field goal attempts in that game.

Alabama and LSU rank first and second, respectively, in scoring defense (8.8 and 10.5 points allowed per game) and total defense (191.3 and 252.1 yards allowed per game). Will it be another defensive battle between college football's top two defensive teams?

Alabama, who hasn't played since November 26th, are two-point favorites over LSU, who last played on December 3rd in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia.

Who will win the BCS Championship Game?

Wisconsin RB Montee Ball to return for senior season

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:38:56 -0400

Wisconsin running back Montee Ball has decided to return to school for his senior season.

One of the main factors influencing Ball's decision to stay in school was the draft grade he received from NFL evaluators.

"I got it back two or three weeks ago, and obviously it weighed a lot on my decision. They came back, they said third round, and obviously I was a little disappointed. I felt like I was better than third round. Me coming back now, I'll be able to focus on my strength, my speed and all that stuff, and I believe I can better my stock," Ball said.

An area of focus for the 205-pound back will be to add about 10 pounds to his frame, however, he dropped 25-30 pounds going into last season. "I'm sure my body is a little confused with that, going from 230 to 205 and now I have to get back up to 215," Ball said.

Ball tied the NCAA record for touchdowns (39) set by Hall-of-Fame running back Barry Sanders and he finished with 1,923 rushing yards last year. In other words, he is unlikely to improve upon his on-field performance.

I understand why Ball would be disappointed by the draft grade he received. Considering how short-lived the career of an NFL running back is, however, I don't understand why he wouldn't cash in on his opportunity to move on to the next level.

Justin Blackmon to enter 2012 NFL Draft

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:30:22 -0400

Last night, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon announced that he will enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

Named the MVP of the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl, Blackmon finished the game with eight receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

On the season, he finished with 121 receptions for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns. In the past two seasons combined, Blackmon has totaled 232 receptions for 3,304 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Blackmon, two-time recipient of the Biletnikoff award, will likely be the first receiver taken in this year's draft and a top 5-10 pick.

Poll of the Day: Who will win the Heisman Trophy tonight?

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:04:11 -0400

Four and a half months from now, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will (almost) certainly be this year's top overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

That said, Luck, who is one of the five finalists, seems less likely to be this year's Heisman Trophy winner than he does the top pick in the draft.

The other four finalists are Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu a.k.a. the Honey Badger.

Griffin leads the country in quarterback rating (192.3) and has more yards (3,998), touchdowns (36) and fewer interceptions (5) than Luck (167.5-3,170-35-9).

Meanwhile, Ball leads the country in rushing (1,759) and rushing touchdowns (32). Richardson, who ranks sixth in rushing, has 1,583 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.

The last defensive player to win the award was Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. In the 13 years since Woodson won the award, the Heisman Trophy has gone to nine quarterbacks and four running backs.

Who will be this year's Heisman Trophy winner?

Terrelle Pryor leaving Ohio State, supplemental draft next?

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:59:16 -0400

Not only will Terrelle Pryor miss the first five games of the season as Ohio State's quarterback, he'll miss them all.

"In the best interest of my teammates, I have decided to forego my senior year of football at the Ohio State University," Pryor said in a statement released by his lawyer, Larry James, on Tuesday evening, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

But, wait, there's more.

In addition to the news that Pryor will skip his senior season, there is an ESPN Outside the Lines report with allegations from a "former friend" that Pryor was paid up to a total of $40,000 to sign memorabilia in 2009-10.

That's just what the Ohio State football program needs: more alleged violations.

Pryor, who compiled a 31-4 record over three seasons, threw for 2,772 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in addition to rushing for 754 yards and four touchdowns last year.

The likely next step for Pryor will be the NFL supplemental draft, provided there is one. If he declares himself eligible for the supplemental draft, however, it's likely he'll only be a mid-round pick.

Per Rob Rang of CBS Sports, a scout told him Pryor "is a nice college player playing in a system that caters to his strengths. He’s a basketball player playing football, though, when it comes to the NFL. He’s not a quarterback. He doesn’t have the makeup, the release or the accuracy for it. And he isn’t one of those guys that you can make into another position. He’s going to run well and people are going to get excited about him, but he isn’t a football player. What you’ve seen at Ohio State – on the field and off – is what you get with him.”

And ESPN's Todd McShay tweeted a question that has an answer that probably won't make Pryor too happy, "Has anyone explained to T Pryor how much mid-round supplemental draft picks make?"

Jim Tressel resigns, Luke Fickell will be interim coach for all of 2011

Mon, 30 May 2011 16:29:46 -0400

Heading into the 2011 college football season, Ohio State was already expected to be without coach Jim Tressel -- in addition to five players including quarterback Terrelle Pryor -- for the first five games of the season.

Not only will Tressel miss those five games, but he will miss all of the team's subsequent games as well. This morning, Tressel submitted his letter of resignation to Ohio State AD Gene Smith.

Therefore, Luke Fickell, who was a former Ohio State defensive lineman, will remain the team's interim head coach throughout the entire 2011 season.

"... Recruitment for a new head coach - which is expected to include external and internal candidates - will not commence until the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season," OSU President E. Gordon Gee wrote to the school's trustees, per the Columbus Dispatch.

ESPN's Bruce Feldman identifies seven possible replacements for Tressel (and Fickell) in 2012: ESPN analyst Urban Meyer, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, TCU coach Gary Patterson, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.

In his ten seasons at Ohio State, Tressel compiled a 106-22 record, won a national championship (2002) and seven Big Ten titles while beating archrival Michigan nine of ten times. Tressel has led the Buckeyes to a BCS Bowl game for six consecutive seasons, which is three times the next longest active streak of two by Oregon and TCU.

While Tressel ranks third all-time in wins at Ohio State behind Woody Hayes (205) and John Cooper (111), he won a larger percentage of his games (.828) than Hayes (.761).

SI's George Dohrmann has a story coming out soon and he tweets, "... Timing of Tress [decision] will make sense after you read it" so stay tuned ...

Notre Dame's Michael Floyd busted for DUI

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:30:11 -0400

Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd was arrested on the school's campus for drunk driving early Sunday morning, per WNDU-TV in South Bend (via College Football Talk).

Per WNDU-TV, Floyd is scheduled to appear in court on April 2nd.

This is not the first time that Floyd has had legal troubles involving alcohol.

In January 2010, Floyd was cited for underage drinking in his hometown of Minneapolis. With blood on his shirt and hands, Floyd told police then that he was involved in a fight at a party when he and Minnesota running back Shady Salamon, who was driving and charged with DUI, were pulled over.

Floyd, who decided to return for his senior season at Notre Dame, finished with 79 receptions for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2010. For his career, he ranks second in receptions (171), third in receiving yards (2,539) and first in receiving touchdowns (28).

ESPN's Mel Kiper has Floyd ranked as the third-best wide receiver prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft behind a pair of Big 12 receivers: Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon and Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles.

Georgia QB Aaron Murray sprains (not breaks) ankle

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:34:05 -0400

The bad news?

An initial report indicated Georgia starting quarterback Aaron Murray broke his ankle in two places playing a pick-up soccer game.

The good (or less bad) news?

The updated report is that Murray has a sprained -- not broken -- ankle and is expected to be ready to return for spring practice.

Per Seth Emerson of Ledger-Enquirer, the Bulldogs have their first spring practice on March 10th, which is the day before spring break, and Georgia doesn't practice again until March 22nd. So, in other words, it's possible they sit Murray on the March 10th practice to allow him extra time to heal.

As a freshman, Murray threw for 3,049 yards, 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2010.

Utah LB Timote Nai Fotu busted for DUI

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:26:40 -0400

Utah linebacker Timote Nai Fotu was busted for driving under the influence Sunday morning, per the Deseret News (via Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports).

As Fornelli writes about Fotu being arrested at 10 a.m., he "either drank his way through the entire night without sleep, or passed out and was still intoxicated when he woke up."

Fotu, who has two years of eligibility remaining, started nine games in 2009 but missed the 2010 season due to a torn ACL.

WVU safety Robert Sands to enter NFL Draft

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:13:26 -0400

West Virginia junior safety Robert Sands will forgo his senior season and enter the 2011 NFL Draft, per ESPN's Joe Schad.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Sands said. "I can cover receivers or tight ends. I consider myself a ballhawk."

Before the Champs Bowl, Sands said he'd go pro if he were projected to go in the first two rounds of the draft and return if he were projected to go in the third round or later.

"Third round and beyond, I'll stay," Sands said, per Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail. "Second round, I've got to weigh my options on that. There's a lot of stuff to consider."

Sands, who was named first-team All-American by the Sporting News, has six interceptions, three sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in his collegiate career.