Published July 2, 2012 - 4:18am
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Is AJ McCarron Alabama’s best QB prospect in 40-some years? He has been labeled a game manager by most, but is he really ready to take that next step to really be a breakout player ready for the NFL? This is a great article over at AL.com by Andrew Gribble, and it outlines the major headlines for McCarron entering his senior season, specifically looking at whether this could be a breakout year for the national championship QB, and looks into the future of his NFL career. Former Alabama QB Jay Barker weighed in on McCarron and his football career in the future: “Whether it be the championship game or any of their big games, it didn’t look like it was too big,” he said. “As you begin to point ahead to the National Football League, those things suggest to me that maybe he could develop into a franchise-caliber quarterback.” [AL]
Auburn picked up a commitment from one of the nation’s top kickers. Daniel Carlson becomes the Tigers’ 14 overall commitment for the 2013 class. Carlson, who is 6-5 from Colorado, had offers from LSU, California and Air Force. However, he has strong family ties to Auburn, thus ultimately helping give the Tigers the edge. Carlson is combo kicker, and he’s listed as a top five kicker by several recruiting services. [AL]
Three of Florida’s top defensive line prospects all have yet to hit campus because of academic issues. DE Jonathan Bullard, BUCK Dante Fowler Jr and DT Dante Phillips did not report with the rest of the incoming freshmen for summer school. Fowler and Bullard are said to be cleared but not on campus yet. All three have to be in school and ready to play for Florida, as the Gators can’t afford to lose any one of the three for depth purposes. [Gator Sports]
Upon the dismissal of Georgia RB Isaiah Crowell, they now have to find a replacment for Crowell’s production in the running game. Five players will be tasked with replacing Crowell’s production: Ken Malcome (sophomore), Keith Marshall (freshman), Todd Gurley (freshman), Brandon Harton and Richard Samuel (senior). I think Malcome will pitch in majorly, as this is the chance he’s been waiting for. Marshall and Gurley will both help, but it’s tough for true freshmen to be complete game changers at RB. However, that has certainly happened in the past, and Marshall and Gurley will try and do just that. Samuel is a big presence on offense and in the huddle, and his leadership is irreplaceable. Keep an eye on Marshall, though. [AJC]
Kentucky’s No. 1 ranked game of importance this season is week one when they face off against in-state rival Louisville. Kentucky can’t afford to get off on the wrong foot from game one. A loss in opening week could give a pessimistic fan base a reason to throw in the towel already. Meanwhile, the Tennessee game is ranked No. 6. I think this is a much more important game because they have last year’s win under their belt, and the Cats will be trying for two in a row…that’s a streak, people! [Kentucky]
Former Tennessee RB is now the RB coach at Tennessee. Jay Graham is tasked with making an irrelevant RB corps in the SEC relevant again. While Graham is not labeled as a intimidating coach, he is very demanding. Marlin Lane, Rajion Neal and Devrin Young all had difficult seasons for different reasons. But Graham is determined to make this group relevant and more productive than last year. “I think they understand that I want them to be successful, and that’s important to me,” Graham said. “They know that I care about them, and I think that’s a part of it. I’m doing this for them and for all of us. We do it for each other, and I think they understand that.” [Times Free Press]
