Liam Blutman's Group of 5 College Football Notes

Louis Grasse. Getty Images.

Bonjour. A lot of you wanted my Power 4 notes, I gave them to you. Then a lot of you asked for my Group of 5 notes, I made them for you. Hope you enjoy…

AAC

Army

• Jordyn Law is a solid LT with decent size

• Of course there’s a lot of talent in the backfield highlighted by Tyrell Robinson, I’m keeping a close look at Kanye Udoh the sophomore. Performed well last year, 6”0”, 215 lb with quick and decisive footwork

Charlotte

• Demon Clowney is the cousin of Jadeveon

• 6’2” CB Dontae Balfour is very good. Best player on the team imo. 11 PBU’s in 2023 which tied a school record. Massive wingspan. NFL sleeper. Played a little WR in HS as well. Averaged 20.0 PPG in HS as a senior on the basketball team, also did track and field.

East Carolina

• I know Rahjai Harris is the main guy but I have taken a liking to two RB’s Javious Bond and Marlon Gunn Jr. a lot. Bond is dynamic and super shifty, love his game. Gunn excites me with his power and contact balance

FAU

• Would like to see Xavier Terrell get touches at RB. Solid RB room but I really like Terrell’s build and a running style that feels all too like someone is controlling him with a joystick

Memphis

• Very strong football team with a ton of talent everywhere. WR corps has Roc Taylor, Demeer Blankumsee, Jyaire Shorter, Ja’Koby Banks, and Koby Drake among other guys who might play and break out like freshman Keonde Henry

• Seth Henigan gets to work with those weapons and constantly balls out. Stellar pocket presence and poise. Very good deep ball thrown with excellent touch.

• Deep at RB with Brandon Thomas, Mario Anderson Jr., and Sutton Smith

• Davion Ross is a big return at CB after missing most of 2023 with injury

• Kobee Minor could be in store for a big year and a lot of new fans. 5’11”, 182 lb aggressive pest that desperately wants to make a play on the ball and embarrass his matchup

Navy

• Alex Tecza and Daba Fofana make for a terrific 1-2 punch at fullback

North Texas

• WR DT Sheffield can be a real weapon in this offense. Blazing speed and crafty route-runner.

• Intrigued by Ikaika Ragsdale and Zach Evans at RB

• Playmaking CB Ridge Texada is being joined by talented members of the secondary in Isheem Young, BJ Allen Jr., X’Avion Brice, and Jayden Hill. Defense is an X-Factor but the pass defense being an improved unit helps make this team a wild card

Rice

• Be prepared to hear that EJ Warner’s dad is Kurt Warner. You will be reminded of this every other drive.

• RB Dean Connors has good speed and vision. Cutting is a bit too slow for my liking as it feels too much like a stutter step at all times.

• 6’5” WR Rawson MacNeill is a major breakout candidate. Good speed and size, nice concentration skills. Desires the ball in a crowd and wins 50/50 balls all the time. Elite athlete who hit 20.5 MPH as a sophomore in HS.

• S Gabe Taylor is Sean Taylor’s brother. Decent NFL prospect, tries to be around the ball at all times and wreak havoc. Instinctual and tough.

South Florida

• Byrum Brown will set the CFB world on fire. 6’3”, 227 lb QB with a lethal arm with a wicked quick release and dangerous legs complimented by terrific strides that help him glide across the field. Put on a lot of muscle this off-season. Understands the system he plays in so well and operates it like a conductor. He and Jayden Daniels were the only players to throw for 3k and run for 800+ in 2023. Already owns 12 USF records which is mad impressive if you witnessed the Quinton Flowers era.

• Alex Golesh rocks and has been one of my favorite coaches in the country since 2020 where he and Josh Huepel’s offense was cooking with Dillon Gabriel, Otis Anderson, Greg McCrae, Marlon Williams, Ryan O’Keefe, Tre Nixon, Jacob Harris, and Flash Robinson. The system is elite and it’s been proven to be just that at UCF, Tennessee, and now USF. Golesh will scheme the next cast of characters open and this offense will be extremely fun to watch… must watch.

• The reliable Sean Atkins is a favorite of Byrum’s. Speed is prevalent here as evidenced by Naiem Simmons, Tyree Kelly, Michael Brown-Stephens, Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, and JeyQuan Smith just to name a few.

• I think Nay’Quan Wright if fairly underrated. Strong in pass pro and a reliable catching threat. Brings a lot of juice.

Temple

• Safety Ihsim Smith-Marsette plays the OWL position. Brother of Ihmir Smith-Marsette who was an exciting watch at Iowa. Got a chuckle when I saw his favorite book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Tulane

• Jon Sumrall did an excellent job at piecing this roster together after taking over for Willie Fritz. Love Sumrall.

• So many good playmakers: Makhi Hughes and Shaadie Clayton-Johnson at RB, Yulkeith Brown at WR joined by Alabama transfer Shazz Preston and USC transfer Mario Williams. I’m foaming at the mouth just excited to watch these guys play ball.

• Preston is someone I’ll be monitoring heavily. I liked him when I learned about him as a recruit, very good athlete with basketball + track and field background. Versatile receiver who can win all over the field.

• Fascinating freshman is a 4-star that Sumrall reeled in, Jayden Lewis at CB. Should play a decent bit and I’m very excited to see how he plays. Won the Alabama 4A 100 and 200-meter championships as a junior.

Tulsa

• QB Cardell Williams has a chance to take a massive step forward in his development and become a very respected name on the Go5 scene

UAB

• If you’re watching this team pay close attention to 6’0”, 205 lb WR Amare Thomas. Looking to build off of a promising true freshman season. Get him the ball and let him make a play on it. Extreme confidence, stellar concentration, big hops, aggressive and will rip the ball right from a DB.

• Phenomenal, young safeties in Chris Bracy and Ricky Lee III

UTSA

• De’Corian Clark’s in line for a big bounceback season after suffering an ACL tear. Big body WR that is very difficult to cover, large catch radius.

• T Makai Hart should get NFL looks, he dealt with injury last fall.

• Brevin Randle will need to step up and be a legit leader of the defense and a highly impactful player after starting MLB Martavius French was suspended

C-USA

FIU

• Big fan of RB Shomari Lawrence. Had high hopes for the South Dakota transfer in 2023 and was pleased with his play. Expecting a big year from him. Remarkable athlete with tremendous long speed.

Jacksonville State

• Most important thing to monitor here is the defense and how it fares with Luke Olson as DC after Zac Alley made his way to Oklahoma. They played a smart, tactical, aggressive style where all players were bought in on the scheme. Alley’s a big loss and Olson will need to prove to be a great replacement.

• J-rock Swain at EDGE is a force despite being just 5’10”, 255 lb. Has to be crafty to win, also brings a ton of effort to the field and his teammates adore and respect him.

• TE Sean Brown is worthy of NFL looks. Stretches the field, has high quality hands. A knack for finding the soft spots in a defense and being open at all times.

Kennesaw State

• New team, new players. Not going to act like I’m very informed here but the turnover plank is wicked.

• One player I am familiar with and stoked about is CB JeRico Washington Jr. who starred in his freshman season and proved to be lockdown. Only played 4 games in order to secure his redshirt. 4 INTs, 5 pass deflections, QBs had a 26.9 passer rating when targeting him. Going to be a coveted portal target following a full season of prolific play.

Liberty

• Replacing a future NFL WR in CJ Daniels won’t be easy… Julian Gray and Elijah Canion are the two I’m expecting a lot from. Transfers from NC State and Purdue. Liberty DB’s are high on Gray and compliment his game breaking speed as a main reason why he’s been the toughest WR to cover in camp.

• Jamey Chadwell gets the most out of his favorite RB’s and plays ‘em plenty. I love Quinton Cooley and Vaughn Blue so much. Cooley is thick, quick, and possesses dangerously good contact balance. Blue had just 19 carries and 3 catches in 2023 but I saw promise from the freshman who would have played plenty more if not for injury. Explosive, twitchy, fast.

• Obviously Kaidon Salter is a star and Chadwell makes things so much easier in his system but man this kid is legit and one of the best watches in the country for good reason. First of all his feet are so fancy, dude will just dance around a defense like it’s nothing. His legs are elite and help him evade defenders in the pocket, giving him more time to make a play and make a throw. Fearless, throws cannons on the run. Frozen rope thrower who can fit a ball in there through the tightest of windows. A-grade deep ball. Led FBS with 28.5% of his throws being thrown 20+ yards in 2023. Threw just 2 INT’s on throws over 20+ yards whilst tossing 18 TDs on those attempts. Not a star, he’s a superstar.

Louisiana Tech

• Marquis Crosby is VERY GOOD… he just missed 99.9% of 2023 with injury. Had one carry and it went for 20, I was deeply disappointed that I didn’t get to watch him play last fall and I’ll make up for that but watching a ton of La Tech this season just to see Crosby tote the rock. Immense burst, just explodes out of the gates. Dang good vision, does a tremendous job of bracing for contact and fighting off incoming tacklers.

Middle Tennessee State

• WR Omari Kelly didn’t see much PT at Auburn but he did catch 5 balls for 101 yards in his two years there. And he’s been feasting in MTSU camp. The gifted athlete has plus body control and a massive catch radius. 

• CB Tyrell Raby allowed a 56.7 QB rating when targeted. 5’11”, 183 lb with a WR background. Collected 2 INT’s and 6 PBU’s in 2023. Physical and very aggressive, sometimes a bit too much which results in unnecessary penalties. Clean that up and he’ll have a big time 2024.

New Mexico State

• Going to be a sad, sad, sad day when we all watch NMSU and don’t see Diego Pavia taking snaps… ugh

• Tony Sanchez loves what he has in the backfield with Seth McGowan, Monte Watkins, and Mike Washington

Sam Houston

• Ife Adeyi moves the needle but has hardly played the last two seasons. In 2022 he played just 4 to ensure he got a redshirt as SHSU transitioned to the FBS in 2023, he suffered a season ending injury last fall and played just 3 games. When on the field, Adeyi is a menace. Elite tracking skills, savvy release package and route-running skills. Moves really well with the ball in his hands, can carve a defense up after the catch.

• Wonder if Jevyon “Jay” Ducker has a career resurgence as the RB1 here. Was pretty good in 2021 at Northern Illinois and 2022 at Memphis then just didn’t do anything in 2023.

UTEP

• Hope you watched Austin Peay last year cause new HC Scotty Walden brought 11 Govs to UTEP with him 

• Maurice Westmoreland isn’t one of those Austin Peay transfers, the JuCo product is the star of this defense and a rising NFL Draft prospect. 6’2”, 235 lb and racked up 7.5 sacks last year. Frighteningly quick and powerful edge rusher with innate athleticism and bend who bullies the inferior talent of the C-USA. Co-DC JJ Clark calls Westmoreland a transcendent talent and plans on being creative with him in order to maximize just how much he can haunt the quarterback.

Western Kentucky

• Dalvin Smith is the star of the offense and an intimidating presence that CB’s want no part of. Felt like he made a one handed catch every game last year. With Malachi Corley departing, Smith will see a major uptick in targets and production.

• Expecting KD Hutchinson to have a breakout season and see a lot of targets. 5’8” WR is electric with the ball in his hands.

• DB Upton Stout and EDGE Deante McCray are future NFL players. Stout has insane range and can make a play on any ball. McCray has a good frame, long arms, and all the tools to help him transcend into a marvelous player. High motor as well.

MAC

Akron

• Antavious Fish is a solid MLB but the coolest part about him is that his name shows up as “A. Fish” Pretty neat imo

• Adrian Norton is a breakout candidate here. 6’0”, 190 WR who was a 3-star recruit and turned 6 catches into 56 yards as a true freshman. Think he can be a reliable target on a very bad team

Ball State

• Star of the show is Tanner Koziol at TE. Massive fan of this guy and the NFL prospect that he is. 6’7”, 232 with a superb athletic background that includes playing baseball and basketball in HS in addition to playing wide receiver back then. Tremendous ball skills and tracking ability. Tough tackle after the catch. Will be talked about heavily soon enough.

Bowling Green

• Big 6’4”, 230 lb TE Harold Fannin Jr. is a big time player who has re-written the Bowling Green record books and will depart as one of the program’s all-time greats. Fluid and brutal to bring down after the catch. Stretches the field, high points well. Top notch blocker who puts in the extra effort. Will be a fun NFL prospect to monitor. Played safety, wide receiver, and baseball in high school.

• RB Terion Stewart is a beast and an absolute terror to tackle. Aiming to become the first Bowling Green player to ever run for over 6 yards per carry in a career. Elite contact balance, good burst. Very elusive and an imaginative runner. 62.9% tackle avoidance rate cleared every other RB by about 20%.

Buffalo

• Marcus Fuqua rocks. His 7 interceptions in 2022 were tied for the most in the nation. The ballhawk then failed to intercept a pass in 2023 and was only credited with 1 PBU after having 12 the season prior. Looking forward to see if he can get back on track in 2024.

Central Michigan

• Whether or not he wins the QB1 job, Bert Emanuel Jr. will play and he’ll be the most exciting player on the field at all times. Insane speed, explosiveness, patience, vision, and long speed. Human highlight reel.

• Donte Kent at CB is someone I’ve been on for a few years now. NFL guy with remarkable physicality and very well timed swipes to breakup passes. Has a great frame at 5’11”, 195 lb. Savvy technique, phenomenal footwork, so fluid. He’s a dog, especially in man coverage.

Eastern Michigan

• CB Daiquan White had an excellent freshman season and will look to build off that. Had 12 PBU’s. Really good in man coverage. Intelligent and doesn’t take penalties.

Kent State

• Chrishon McCray is the clear best player on the team. Lethal speed, hit 21.2 MPH in 2023’s season opener. Does a good job of fighting through contact and still making plays. Deep threat.

Miami (OH)

• Loaded MAC roster and the favorite to win the conference which doesn’t guarantee any success in this conference

• Good OL unit, good run game

• Dudes on defense include Corey Suttle, Brian Ugwu, Matt Salopek, Mychal Yharbrough, and Raion Strader just to name a few

Northern Illinois

• Wanting to see Trayvon Rudolph fully recover from injury and return to himself which is an explosive deep threat who can eat a defense alive

• Antario Brown is so dope. One of my favorite watches in the country. Nasty agility. So fast in his cuts, fluid. High make you miss ability, home-run threat. Great contact balance. Hit 21 MPH on a TD run vs Akron.

• Justin Lynch doesn’t start but NIU looks to get him touches. He’s the younger brother of the legendary QB Jordan Lynch. Jordan was actually the Head Coach of Justin in High School at Mt. Carmel.

Ohio

• Parker Titsworth is still on the team. Goat.

• Rickey Hunt Jr. is the star of the show and in for a massive season. I was calling for him to see more touches as a true freshman but Ohio opted to limit things and make sure his development wasn’t messed with in addition to wanting to keep him off opponent’s radars going forward… that plan had worked until he was forced into action for the Myrtle Beach Bowl and turned 17 carries into 115 yards and 4 touchdowns. Even added a one handed 18-yard receiving touchdown. Terrific blend of size, speed, and burst. Good vision, moves super well and isn’t afraid of contact. Won’t fumble much at all. Will be a major breakout star in 2024 and has a future in the NFL.

Toledo

• Another great Toledo team on paper even with the departures of Dequan Finn and Quinyon Mitchell.

• Such a good RB conference, Jacquez Stuart is a baller and will get even more shine with Peny Boone out of the picture.

• Jer’Zhan Newton’s brother, Jerjuan Newton is a dangerous wideout that defenses have to worry about at all times. Tactical route-runner who often finds the soft spots in a defense. Flashes great hands and can catch seemingly any ball.

Western Michigan

• Jalen Buckley adds to a prolific RB conference. Buckley has plus vision and burst, he’ll explode out of a hole the OL created and zoom by the first and second level. Outstanding power in his legs. Good luck tackling him on first contact.

• Zahir Abdus-Salaam has a ton of speed as RB2

• Hayden Wolff has a live arm. Excited to see him sling it this fall, makes some really tough throws.

• I also like what they have in true freshman JD Davis II, he’ll be a great QB for the future.

MWC

Air Force

• New QB1 is John Busha who has big shoes to fill with the electric Zac Larrier departing. In addition to his rushing abilities, the Air Force staff is very complimentary of his throwing and in awe of the constant dimes he’s been throwing in camp.

• Replacing Top 3 rushers from 2023. Look out for Dylan Carson to excite with his bruiser mentality.

Boise State

• The two best practice players of all-time might be Joe Milton and Maddux Madsen. Maddux has now stolen QB1 jobs from Taylen Green who is the QB1 at Arkansas and Malachi Nelson who was a No. 1 overall recruit. Madsen plays a simplistic style of wanting to throw to his first read and crumbling if he’s not open. Nelson might stink at football but hey man… I’d at least like to see if that’s truly the case. Nelson needs to play in a game early on and show everyone if he’s got the goods or he’s just not built for it.

• Ashton Jeanty is a top tier RB in our sport and it’s nice to see him get much deserved love from everyone as we head into the 2024 season. Jeanty became an OG Liam Guy since he stepped on campus at Boise State in 2022 and it was for good reason. Future NFL RB1 has everything in his bag. He’s blessed with incredible leg drive, smooth lateral mobility, wicked footwork, superb vision, and relentless toughness. He’s dangerous in the receiving game, the guy can turn nothing into a whole lot of something. Has a spin move that you’ll drool over and fends off hits like a mascot in a game against 11 year olds. He’s true to this program and turned down gargantuan offers from some of the best programs in the country: Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and plenty more were all gunning for him in the portal.

• Jambres Dubar is also a future NFL back, the true sophomore is just an unknown amongst the scene right now. The 6’0”, 205 lb back looks the part and has nasty cutting abilities, stupendous vision, and a high level of explosive burst that leaves defenders in the dust. He’s patient, smooth, and has a breathtaking juke move.

• And then you’ve got true freshman Sire Gaines who also has NFL talent. He’s a punisher and intends to ruin every defender's day. Dubar complimented Gaines by saying he runs like Marshawn Lynch. Gaines is on record for saying, “If you run through somebody’s face over and over and over again, they ain’t going to be able to take it.” Safe to say I can’t wait to watch him tote the rock. Boise State has an embarrassment of riches at the RB position.

• Prince Strachan and Chris Marshall are a terrific WR pairing and could do plenty of damage to secondaries… as long as the QB can get them the rock.

• Markel Reed, Seyi Oladipo, Alexander Teubner, and Davon Banks are all ballers in the secondary

Colorado State

• CSU fans should be very thankful that Tory Horton returned to the program as opposed to leaving for the NFL or a P5 school. I thought Horton was NFL ready… fantastic movement that is so smooth and clever. All-around game with an emphasis on pinpoint precision for some of his skills like footwork, hands, concentration. He looks like and operates like a pro playing on Saturday’s.

Fresno State

• Fresno State has sneaky been home to some very good RB’s in years past and that continues with Malik Sherrod entering his final season. Sherrod is a 5’8”, 177 lb back that runs with steam coming out of his ears. A very entertaining watch and a very good player.

• CB Al’Zillion Hamilton has one of the coolest names in the sport and plays a pretty good game as well. Picked off two passes and was credited with 8 pass breakups in 2023. Has WR like ball skills.

Hawaii

• I have a smile on my face typing this out and thinking about watching an absolute gunslinger Brayden Schager deliver darts to Pofele Ashlock, Jonah Panoke, and co. in 2024.

• Pofele Ashlock is a menace and a transfer up candidate after this season… in 2023 he led all freshmen in receptions and receiving yards with 83 and 832 respectively. He added 9 TD’s. He was a literal unknown entering 2023 and erupted, now there’s serious hype surrounding him and it’s time to back that up with more brilliant play. I love how he absorbs contact whilst trying to make a catch. Runs very clean routes. Can catch just about any ball thrown his way. He's already winning fans over by repping the famous hair style that Colt Brennan made famous… fan favorite.

Nevada

• LT Isaiah World is my favorite player on the team. 6’8”, 309 lb beast who didn’t go all in on football until he got to Nevada, he’s been learning and picking up the nuances of football whilst getting major game reps by starting 22 consecutive games going into 2024. Former basketball player who takes the big man athleticism from the court to the trenches and uses it very well. Overwhelming wing span gives edge rushers a difficult time. Lowkey NFL Draft prospect that I’m sure will have a few front offices buzzing with excitement.

New Mexico

• Bleak team with a little bit of a light, QB Devon Dampier provides a lot of excitement and was really dang good in 2023. Completed 62.5% of his throws for 525 yards and 6 TD’s, added 328 rushing yards and 4 TD’s on 59 carries. Listed at 5’10”, 198 lb but looks a lot bigger on the field. Dual threat with a quick fiery release. You’ll love watching this kid playmake with an imaginative style. Throws on the run very well. Transfer up candidate following this season.

San Diego State

• Really looking forward to seeing what Sean Lewis can do as a HC, been waiting for this for years and the day has finally come.

• Will be a sick backfield with Kenan Christon and Marquez Cooper teaming up.

• QB Danny O’Neil is the first true freshman starting QB for SDSU since 1969. O’Neil is Lewis’ guy and Lewis has always preferred to maximize potential at his starting offensive spots instead of prioritizing seniority. O’Neil had committed to play for Lewis at Colorado. His on-field leadership has had people around him gushing over him for years. His passing accuracy is dubbed as his second best trait just behind the leadership skills. O’Neil had a plan in place since 8th grade to graduate HS early and get into the college football world as soon as possible. He became the first student at Cathedral HS to ever graduate early and go to college; the school was established in 1918. Looking forward to seeing if he can create more history.

San Jose State

• Kind of crazy that WR’s Justin Lockhart and Nick Nash are still playing college football. Both are superb watches thanks to remarkable athleticism and body control.

• CB Michael Dansby will be a breakout player after a promising 2023 season that included a 98-yard pick six and four pass breakups. I think he’s going to put it all together in 2024, instinctive and combative.

UNLV

• Brennan Marion is a rising name in the industry for good reason as the Go-Go Offense is innovative and effective. Will have a HC job next year after barely missing out on a few this off-season.

• 3-Man QB competition and I have immense confidence in Matthew Sluka, Hajj-Malik Williams, and Cameron Friel. I think all three of them can impact games this year even after losing the starting job. Sluka and Williams have very dangerous legs and are prime fits for the Go-Go. Friel has come a long way in his development and has sharpened his arm.

• Ricky White is a superstar and one of the premier wideouts in the country. 6’1”, 190 lb twitchy three-level threat with a lot of flash. Great acceleration + long speed and runs the whole route tree. Natural separator. Tracks at a high level, plus body control, he can do it all. Think he’ll be an impactful rookie in the NFL next fall.

• A ton of talent on this roster, WR Jacob De Jesus is a blur, Casey Cain, Corey Thompson Jr. and Damien McDaniel look to make big impacts in the WR room. Jai’Den Thomas is a wicked RB who has elite speed, burst, and shiftiness.

• S Jalen Catalon and CB Tony Grimes joining the secondary is amazing.

• I love Cameron Oliver and see a future NFL player here. 6’1”, 175 lb CB who has improved drastically over the course of his UNLV career and turned into a star. He’s got good size, length, and smarts. Very quick, instinctive, and technical. Love his physical tools as well.

Utah State

• A very funny QB room to look at as it features CFB legends: Spencer Petras, Bryson Barnes, CJ Tiller, and Jacob Conover

• S Ike Larsen is a pest in the secondary and on special teams, the guy is always there to make a play as evidenced by 8 INT’s, 8 PBU’s, 4 blocked punts, and 1 blocked extra point in his Utah State career. A highly intelligent freak with superb athleticism.

• WR Jalen Royals went off last fall with 1,080 rec yards and 15 TD’s on 71 catches. Kills you in the vertical game with good strides and a high caliber tracking ability.

Wyoming

• Another year of being blessed by watching RB Harrison Waylee roll through defenses thanks to extreme burst that helped him reach 21.8 MPH on a TD run against App State. With his incredible combination of speed, burst, thickness, and contact balance he had 25 runs over 10+ yards last season. Big time threat who is coming off knee surgery so this is a crucial year for the senior to prove he’s worthy of a NFL roster spot.

• S Wyett Ekeler, the brother of Austin, is STILL in college. Feel like he’s been there FOREVER.

• Will be monitoring CB Ian Bell to see if he takes a big leap in his true sophomore campaign.

Sun Belt

Appalachian State

• RB Kanye Roberts will be taking over as the lead back in 2024, still important to note that App State does like rotating backs and keeping legs fresh. He had 123 carries in 2023 for 696 yards and 7 tuddies. 6’0”, 205 lb with solid speed but very good navigation skills thanks to excellent wiggle and vision. Powerful and a prime fit in this zone running scheme that heavily features running wide.

• Love Jordan Favors at safety. 5’11”, 195 lb high motor, highly intellectual and instinctual. Playmaker.

Arkansas State

• An offense worth watching every week. Former QB Malik Hornsby will be playing WR here and looks to turn his A+ track speed into production. Courtney Jackson is nice with it. Corey Rucker is a beast who starred here in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to South Carolina for 2022 then returning here for 2023 and 2024. Contested catch threat with YAC skills. Is also an aspiring photographer and takes pictures of other A-State athletic programs.

• Jaylen Raynor was a breakout true freshman QB that exploded onto the scene thanks to being a highly entertaining dual threat with a promising passing game. Stoked to see more of him in 2024, he’s genuinely must see TV and worthy of your eyes. Video game numbers will be posted.

• Sturdy O-Line with NFL eyes tracking a few guys as the following are on the Senior Bowl watch list: C Jacob Bayer, LG Mehki Butler, RT Makilan Thomas.

Coastal Carolina

• Tim Beck sucked the fun out of Coastal Football…

• All eyes on the dynamic backfield of Braydon Bennett and Ja’Vin Simpkins. Also hope New Mexico transfer Christian Washington gets a good dose of touches. Bennett is my favorite player to watch on this team, he glides, has really long strides. Just hope he’s healthy and that Beck doesn’t ruin him too.

Georgia Southern

• Sweet backfield featuring Jalen White, OJ Arnold, and Terrance Gibbs. White has terrific potential and is an athletic freak who Bruce Feldman featured on his Freaks List ahead of the 2023 season. White can squat 620, bench 360, and power-clean 350. A 10-4 broad jump and a 40 inch vert. Gibbs was on his way to being a star before a terrible knee injury in high school, hoping he can showcase his true game in 2024 and beyond.

• Keeping a close eye on CB Tracy Hill Jr. who checks in at 6’3”, 190 and is entering his RS sophomore season. A lot of length to go with that big size, intrigued to see how physical he is and if he can give WR’s fits with that overwhelming frame.

Georgia State

• LT Ben Chukwuma started playing football in high school and joined Georgia State as a walk-on in 2020. At 6’6”, 310 lb he has turned into a solid player.

• S D-Icey Hopkins looks to breakout and become more than just a great name.

• Monitoring 6’2”, 200 lb CB Izaiah Guy who put together a solid 2023 season in limited reps.

James Madison

• JMU should still be pretty dang good and brought in a lot of talent even after losing a bunch.

• I’m a Bob Chesney believer and loved this hire. Unfortunately for JMU they’ll be looking for his replacement in the near future.

• I see a big breakout season on the horizon for WR Taji Hudson who has immaculate hands and checks in at 6’4”, 199 lb. Vertical threat with quality long speed, extreme catch radius. Moves well. Chesney has raved about him this summer, love that.

• Chesney brought MLB Jacob Dobbs over from Holy Cross. He has been featured twice on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, once going into 2023 and now 2024. He attempted to return from a dislocated elbow which resulted in a torn foreman, UCL, and triceps tendon. He recovered in incredible fashion, just 3 months despite being told it’d be over half a year. At 6’0”, 233 lb he clocked a 1.53 10-yard split which would have been the best at the 2024 NFL Combine. Highly thought of by his peers, an outstanding young man and leader on and off the field.

Louisiana

• RB Dre’lyn Washington is a force at 5’9”, 225 lb. Thick, bowling ball frame with dangerous speed and feet. Lethal cutting moves. Track background shows up big time.

• 6’2”, 205 lb S Jalen Clark just has a knack for making plays. Sound player who was superb in coverage and run support last fall. Imposing force, will have fans in the NFL for sure.

Marshall

• Ongoing QB competition between Cole Pennington, Braylon Braxton, and Stone Earle. Cole is the son of Chad who was once my favorite player. Braxton’s a cool dual threat but was forced out of Tulsa. Earle just got here the other week.

• Fan of both CB Jacobie Henderson. He has the tools to become great and got to learn from some really good DB’s in years past like Steven Gilmore and Micah Abraham. If he can improve on his closing speed that will do wonders for him, he’ll pick up a good chunk of INT’s and embarrass QB’s.

• Hoping S Daytione Smith puts it all together and becomes a very impactful piece.

Old Dominion

• QB Grant Wilson has a live arm and looks to thread tight windows. Confident.

South Alabama

• QB Gio Lopez can flat out spin out. So poised and swaggy. Moves well in the pocket and has a smooth lefty throwing motion. Completed 41 of his 61 throws in 2023, 475 pass yards and 4 TD’s. 6’0”, 220 lb and just looks the part. Will be a major breakout player in college football.

• Lopez has been praising true freshman RB Fluff Bothwell and says there is no way he should be redshirted, “Four games isn’t enough for him. He’s gonna be a great player. He’s a dog.” That’s all I needed to hear, I’m all in on the Fluff Bothwell train now and can’t wait to see what his game is all about. 5’10”, 219 lb athletic specimen who can win in the receiving game in addition to terrorizing defense through the ground.

• Studs on defense include: DT Wy’Kevious Thomas, S Jaden Voisin, CB Ricky Fletcher who has NFL written all over him at 6’3”, 197, transfers Aakil Washington (LB) and Lardarius Webb Jr. (S) are nice too. 

Southern Miss

• Starting QB is Tate Rodemaker, make of this what you will

• WR Tiaquelin “Ti” Mims possesses game breaking speed and will get NFL looks because of it. Creates so much separation. Get him the ball and let him cook. Nasty punt returner.

Texas State

• HC G.J. Kinne will have a much bigger job this time next year

• WR Joey Hobert is a must watch talent, jaw-dropping catches when you least expect it

• WR Beau Sparks can be a dangerous weapon out wide as well. Like Hobert, he transfers in from Utah Tech with tons of expectations and looks to follow in Hobert’s footsteps as a successful piece to the puzzle

• QB Jordan McCloud is a plus athlete who is equipped with a lethal deep ball. Works off play-action very well. Excited to see how his work with Kinne pays off.

Troy

• WR Chris Lewis will miss the season due to treatment for osteosarcoma, cancer. He’ll be spending 2024 as a student assistant and aims to be back in 2025. One of my very favorite watches last year and truly a good human being, here’s to hoping he has a quick and healthy recovery.

UL-Monroe

• Your favorite player General Booty is here and was just named QB1

• G Elijah Fisher committed just 3 penalties in 2023. Solid in pass pro, will throw you out the club.

Thank you for reading and/or listening to the podcast. Appreciate you all and thank you for caring about my CFB takes, Go5 knowledge, and stuff.