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April 27, 2006
Rivals.com Spring Game Grades
Rivals.com College Football
As part of our extensive coverage of Spring Practice '06, Rivals.com criss-crossed the country, attended nine spring games and handed out grades
to each team by position. Keep in mind, these grades are based largely (although not entirely) on what we saw in the spring games, not
necessarily on what the teams may look like come September.
Auburn | Clemson | Georgia | LSU | Miami | Michigan | Penn State | Southern Cal | Tennessee
Clemson Spring Grades
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Quarterback: 5.5
The Tigers will spend the summer trying to remember Will Proctor's performances against Texas A&M
and Duke last year while attempting
to forget his three consecutive interceptions in the Orange-White Game.
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Running back: 9.0
James Davis, Reggie Merriweather and
href=viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=35771>C.J. Spiller should create nightmares for the rest of the Atlantic Coast
Conference as long as Clemson's coaches can keep all three players happy.
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Wide receiver: 7.5
Chansi Stuckey and Aaron Kelly combined to catch
111 passes for 1,325 yards last season. If the Orange-White Game offers any
indication, sophomore Rendrick Taylor also should emerge as a top pass-catching threat this
fall.
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Tight end: 5.5
Former walk-on Thomas Hunter caught 13 passes for 120 yards last year, but the Tigers will miss
the departed tandem of Bobby
Williamson and Cole Downer.
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Offensive line: 7.5
Clemson returns all five of last year's starting linemen. Disregard the 13 sacks the Tigers allowed in the Orange-White Game. The format of
the game split the first-team line apart and issued sacks every time a pass rusher put a hand on the quarterback.
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Defensive line: 8.0
Senior defensive end Gaines Adams is a legitimate All-America candidate, and the Tigers have a
bevy of young talent to go with him.
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Linebacker: 8.0
Anthony Waters - the ACC's top returning tackler - leads a linebacking corps that also returns Nick
Watkins and Tramaine
Billie from last year's starting lineup.
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Defensive back: 6.0
Clemson won't challenge for a conference title unless it adequately replaces probable first-round draft pick Tye Hill at cornerback
and Jamaal Fudge at safety. Although the Tigers picked off seven passes Saturday, they were torched throughout a scrimmage a week
earlier.
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Special teams: 7.5
The Tigers feel better about their field-goal kicking than their punting. Jad Dean ranked third in
the nation in field goals per game
last year and has gone 27-of-29 from inside 40 yards away. Punter Cole Chason has started three
years, but he ranked 12th in the ACC
and had five punts blocked last season.
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Georgia Spring Grades
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Quarterback: 6.0
Stafford's first-play touchdown was a gem, but he played like a freshman, albeit a gifted one, the rest of the way. And six interceptions
cannot be ignored.
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Running back: 7.5
Thomas Brown had a 24-yard run. Jason Johnson had a 46-yarder, and Lumpkin was slippery as a
trout and consistent. He had 44 yards on
eight carries, but no run longer than 10 yards. "Jason is a talented kid and a tough son of a gun," Richt said of Johnson. "He's going to
play. We've always been pleased with him and he's stepped it up."
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Wide receiver: 7.0
Mikey Henderson recently converted from safety and showed it was a good move with five catches
for 87 yards. Aside from his touchdown
grab when Allen fell, no receiver appeared to get much separation. Maybe that's a credit to the defensive backs covering them.
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Tight end: 7.0
Although Milner and Chandler both dropped two passes early, Chandler came back to grab four passes for a game-best 98 yards. They both also
look the part of the usual big Georgia tight ends. Are they cloning those guys?
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Offensive line: 6.0
There were some nice runs, but the defense was credited with six sacks and that's never good. Tackle
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=8181>Daniel Inman (6-7, 319) and
center Nick Jones (6-3, 295) are the only returning starters from last season, but Richt said
the Bulldogs will have to run
effectively next season. "They're better run blockers," he said. "If we can run the ball we'll become better pass protectors."
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Defensive line: 8.0
The tackles aren't as dominant as Georgia has grown accustomed to, but the ends are nasty. Finding a better pair than
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=8202>Quentin Moses
and Charles Johnson won't be easy. Moses had two tackles and a sack. Johnson had five tackles
and two sacks.
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Linebacker: 6.0
No real speed there. Tony Taylor and Jarvis
Jackson had interceptions (who didn't?), but other than that there were no
significant plays.
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Defensive back: 8.5
That might be a tad high, but how else do you grade a position that produced four interceptions and two touchdowns? Safety
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=23166>Tra Battle
is the only returning starter, but Paul Oliver, Ramarcus
Brown and Asher Allen showed they're ready for the
spotlight.
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Special teams: 4.0
Andy Bailey missed an extra point and Allen fumbled two punts, one of which rolled forward about
10 yards. On the positive side,
Bailey did convert a 25-yard field goal, and the long snaps looked OK.
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LSU Spring Grades
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Quarterback: 8.5
JaMarcus Russell, Matt Flynn and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=52360>Ryan Perrilloux give LSU arguably more depth at this position than any other
school in the nation. The only concerns involve Russell's health and the possibility of a quarterback controversy.
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Running back: 8.0
A more suitable grade would be "I" for "Incomplete." If Alley Broussard and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=8754>Justin Vincent are healthy, the Tigers have one
of the top offensive backfields in the land. If not, then LSU must rely heavily on the versatile Jacob
Hester.
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Wide receiver: 8.0
Dwayne Bowe, Craig Davis and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=37963>Early Doucet combined for 102 catches and 16 touchdowns last year. Bowe's
three-touchdown performance Saturday certainly offers reason for optimism.
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Tight end: 6.0
Returning starter Keith Zinger caught just seven passes all last season, but he had two
receptions Saturday. Is it an indication the
Tigers may throw to their tight ends more often?
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Offensive line: 6.5
This is probably the Tigers' greatest area of concern. How do they replace All-SEC tackle Andrew Whitworth and Academic All-America center
Rudy Niswanger?
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Defensive line: 8.0
LSU also suffered major losses on this side of the line, but the Tigers are confident the return of
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=37990>Chase Pittman and the emergence
of Glenn Dorsey can help compensate for the departures of All-SEC selections Kyle Williams and
Claude Wroten.
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Linebacker: 7.0
The good news: Ali Highsmith is back after finishing second on the team with 75 tackles last
year. The bad news: Highsmith is the
only returning starter on the linebacking corps.
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Defensive back: 8.5
Assuming they're healthy, All-America candidate LaRon Landry and returning starter
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=8670>Jessie Daniels should give LSU one of the
SEC's top safety duos. Chevis Jackson also returns after starting every game at cornerback last
season.
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Special teams: 8.0
Chris Jackson, who handled both the kicking and punting duties last year, should return after
recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Jackson fared much better as a punter than as a kicker last year. If Jackson isn't healthy, the Tigers have plenty of insurance plans.
Brady Dalfrey looked particularly impressive Saturday, averaging 56.7 yards on three punts
including a 70-yarder.
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Miami Spring Grades
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Quarterback: 7.0
Miami's coaches believe Kyle Wright could continue the tradition of great Hurricanes
quarterbacks, but the lack of depth behind him is
a concern. If backup quarterback Kirby Freeman transfers, drop at least one point from this
score.
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Running back: 7.5
This score would be a lot higher if we knew Tyrone Moss would regain his 2005 form as he recovers
from a torn anterior cruciate
ligament in his left knee. Moss and Charlie Jones combined to rush for more than 1,200 yards
last year.
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Wide receiver: 6.0
Ryan Moore and Lance Leggett give the Hurricanes
two former five-star prospects who haven't lived up to expectations. Moore,
Leggett and Darnell Jenkins at least give the Hurricanes plenty of experience, but one of these
guys has to step in as a deep threat
now that Sinorice Moss has departed.
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Tight end: 9.0
Greg Olsen has All-America potential if the Hurricanes can just get him the ball.
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=36726>DajLeon Farr and Richard Gordon
give Miami loads of depth and athleticism at this position.
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Offensive line: 5.5
Poor pass protection cost the Hurricanes in each of their three losses last year. Now the Hurricanes must break in four new starters while
adapting to a new offensive line coach.
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Defensive line: 9.0
The Hurricanes are absolutely loaded with talented players they can rotate in and out of the game. Baraka
Atkins, Kareem Brown, Teraz McCray,
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=1178>Bryan Pata, Eric Moncur and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=36731>Calais Campbell all return after combining for 29
tackles for loss and 13½ sacks last year.
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Linebacker: 8.5
Miami boasts plenty of depth here. Tavares Gooden, Jon
Beason and Romeo Davis all have started at least 10 games.
Willie Williams has enormous potential. The Hurricanes are hoping
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=1141>Darryl Sharpton can provide the star power they lacked at
middle linebacker last season.
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Defensive back: 8.0
Consider this an average score, with the safeties earning a perfect 10.0 and the cornerbacks stuck at 6.0. No team in the country has a trio of
safeties as talented as All-America candidate Brandon Meriweather,
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=36732>Kenny Phillips and Anthony Reddick. The
Hurricanes' only major question on defense revolves around the untested cornerback duo of Glenn
Sharpe and Randy Phillips.
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Special teams: 7.0
Jon Peattie will try to bounce back after missing five extra-point attempts last year.
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=1169>Brian Monroe averaged only 39.8 yards
per punt last season, but 41 percent of his attempts were downed inside the 20-yard line. The Hurricanes must find a kick returner to continue
the standard set by Roscoe Parrish and Devin Hester the last two seasons.
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Michigan Spring Grades
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Quarterback: 8.0
Henne's previous seasons merit a high rating. Put a better offensive line in front of him and give him a healthy
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=36002>Michael Hart and
Steve Breaston and his rating could climb higher.
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Running back: 8.0
Hart showed what he could do when healthy by rushing for 1,455 yards as a freshman, and Kevin
Grady rushed for 483 yards last season.
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Wide receiver: 8.0
Injuries limited Steve Breaston to 26 catches last season, but he's now recovered.
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=59769>Mario Manningham had 27 catches as a
freshman, so they should form one of the best duos in the Big Ten. A knee injury suffered by Antonio
Bass last week is a major setback.
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Tight end: 7.0
A fifth-year senior, Tyler Ecker is coming off a 21-catch season as a backup and figures to be at
least that productive as a starter.
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Offensive line: 6.0
Spring practices were closed and no starters played in Saturday's scrimmage, so we'll have to take their word for any progress they've made.
We'll have to wait and see.
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Defensive line: 8.5
The strength of the team with Woodley and Branch anchoring the line. Sophomore Terrance Taylor
and junior Tim Jamison have
been especially impressive this spring. The Wolverines don't hope to pressure the passer, they expect to.
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Linebacker: 7.0
Carr has lauded 6-foot-5, 245-pound senior Shawn Crable for his play this spring, but didn't cite
anyone else. Prescott Burgess had a couple of strong plays in the scrimmage, but that was against
the second-team offense. Carr said some incoming freshmen would
have a chance to play next fall.
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Defensive back: 8.0
Leon Hall is one of the best cornerbacks in the country, and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=3360>Willis Barringer started nine games at free safety last season.
Jamar Adams has impressed coaches with his play this spring, and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=3423>Ryan Mundy is back from a nerve injury that forced him out of
almost all of last season.
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Special teams: 8.5
Garrett Rivas kicked 19 field goals last season, and Ross
Ryan averaged 38.3 yards per punt. But the big key to the special
teams is Steve Breaston's health, which makes their return units especially dangerous.
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Penn State Spring Grades
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Quarterback: 6.5
The wait is over for Anthony Morelli, who showed his enormous potential by going 13-of-16 for
191 yards against the second-team defense in the Blue-White Game. Penn State may have to alter its offense because Morelli isn't as mobile as
Michael Robinson, who quarterbacked the Lions last year.
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Running back: 7.5
Tony Hunt and Austin Scott give Penn State a
pair of talented seniors. Hunt rushed for 1,047 yards last season and could emerge as the top runner in the Big Ten this year.
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Wide receiver: 8.0
Penn State's wideouts may not have much experience, but they certainly don't lack talent. Sophomores
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=37226>Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=51300>Derrick Williams combined for 89 catches last year, even though Williams missed half of the season
with a broken left arm.
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Tight end: 5.5
Patrick Hall, who had two receptions for 6 yards, is the only returning Penn State tight end who
caught a pass last year. The good news: Both of Hall's catches went for touchdowns.
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Offensive line: 6.5
Levi Brown, an Associated Press second-team All-American last year, is the only returning starter
on the line. The first-team offense's inability to score on four plays from the 1-yard line in the Blue-White Game doesn't bode well.
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Defensive line: 7.5
Penn State must find a way to replace potential first-round draft pick Tamba Hali and Matthew Rice, who combined for 16 sacks last year. The
lone returning starter on the line is defensive tackle Jay Alford, who had 11½ tackles for loss
and 8½ sacks a year ago.
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Linebacker: 9.5
Paul Posluszny returns after winning the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker and the
Bednarik Award as the country's best defensive player last year. Dan Connor and
href=cviewplayer.asp?Player=3931>Tim Shaw also are returning starters. The only thing keeping Penn State from a perfect 10 is the
relative uncertainty surrounding Posluszny, who says he has recovered after suffering a frightening knee injury in the Orange Bowl.
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Defensive bac
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