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Author: Kyle Shatto

  • 2025 SIS American All-Conference Team

    2025 SIS American All-Conference Team

    We’ve wrapped up the regular season, which means it’s time to release our American All-Conference team. We used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together our team of selections for 2025, plus some honorable mentions.

    You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced within this article here.

    These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the American Conference.

    Offense

    Position Name School
    QB Byrum Brown South Florida
    RB Caleb Hawkins North Texas
    WR Cortez Braham Jr. Memphis
    WR Wyatt Young North Texas
    TE Peter Clarke Temple
    FLEX Eli Heidenreich Navy
    OT Connor McLaughlin South Florida
    OT Henry Appleton Army
    OG Emmanuel Poku East Carolina
    OG Ben Purvis Navy
    OC Brady Small Army

    It was an incredible season for Byrum Brown and the Bulls, as he led them to their highest ranking in the AP polls since 2017 (#18). He did it both in the air and on the ground, throwing for over 3,000 passing yards and rushing for over 1,000 yards. He accumulated an impressive 42 total touchdowns and threw only 7 interceptions. He led the conference in Total Points by a decent margin with 126 points, which was 2nd best in the nation.

    Caleb Hawkins had a similarly impressive season with the Mean Green as their top running back, amassing 200 carries for over 1200 yards and 23 touchdowns. The true freshman was a force between the tackles, as he used his brute force running style to break 50 tackles this season, which was tied for best in FBS. He finished 2nd best among all FBS running backs in the regular season with 69 Total Points. 

    There’s rarely anybody as consistent as Brady Small out of Army, who makes his an appearance on our American All-Conference team for the second straight season. He was on our 2024 First Team All-American team, and he had another great year, leading the conference with 29 Total Points at center. He also ranked 2nd in the nation among all centers in run blocking.

    Defense

    Position Name School
    DT Landon Robinson Navy
    DT Zion Wilson East Carolina
    EDGE Tony Anyanwu Rice
    EDGE Cam’Ron Stewart Temple
    LB Mac Harris South Florida
    LB Shad Banks Jr. UTSA
    CB Elijah Green Tulsa
    CB Damarius McGhee Florida Atlantic
    S Zach Williams Tulsa
    S Fred Gaskin South Florida
    FLEX Jhalyn Shuler South Florida

    On defense, linebackers Mac Harris from South Florida and Shad Banks Jr. from UTSA were both outstanding at their position. Harris led the nation in Total Points at linebacker with 64 points. He was highly productive with 100 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions including a 93 yard pick-six against South Carolina State. 

    Banks was spectacular as well, as he finished the regular season with a 4th-best 54 Total Points among all linebackers. He was especially good in coverage, ranking 1st among all FBS linebackers in Pass Coverage Points.

    Tulsa’s Elijah Green was far-and-away our highest scoring cornerback in the conference with 45 Total Points. His 5 interceptions sit at the top of the conference, along with his 2nd-best 8 pass breakups. His fellow teammate Zach Williams also had a fantastic season, sharing the lead for Total Points among safeties in the conference with South Florida’s Fred Gaskin with 37 points. 

    Specialists

    Position Name School
    K Patrick Durkin Tulane
    P Angus Davies Tulsa
    Returner Derrick Eley Charlotte

    Tulane’s Patrick Duncan was very consistent this season for the Green Wave, converting on 89% of his field goal attempts while going 7-of-9 from 40+ yards and 40-of-41 in extra points. His longest on the year was 52 yards. He led the conference with 18 Total Points. 

    Australian punter Angus Davies was an avid “footy” player growing up before giving American football a shot at Tulsa, and his leg talent clearly translated well. His longest on the year was a staggering 80 yards, which was best among all FBS punters. He was also accurate, landing 21 of his 47 punts inside the 20, with 7 going inside the 10. His 14 Total Points is tied for first in the conference. 

    Rounding out the special teams selections is Charlotte returner Derrick Eley, whose burst and speed allowed him to average nearly 28 yards per kick return for 494 return yards in just six games. He earns the top spot for returners in the American Conference. 

    Honorable Mentions

    Name School
    QB Drew Mestemaker North Texas
    LB Ray Coney Tulsa
    P Dante Atton Temple
    C Adam Lepkowski UAB

    There were a few difficult selections this year on our American All-Conference team, and we thought it would be appropriate to choose some honorable mentions. 

    North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker emerged as an impressive talent this season for the Mean Green, totaling 36 touchdowns on the year with just 7 interceptions. The redshirt freshman led the nation with over 4,000 passing yards and completed over 70% of his passes, which will surely catch the eyes of many programs in the country as a blue-chip transfer target. He finished second in the conference with 119 Total Points.

    Tulsa’s Ray Coney deserves recognition as he finished the regular season tied for 5th in the nation with 128 tackles and had a solid 37 Total Points.

    Temple’s Dane Atton was surgical this season for the Owls. He landed 27 of his 62 punts inside the 20, with 14 of those landing inside the 10. Both numbers are top 3 in the nation.

    Last but not least, we have UAB’s Adam Lepkowski, who was a difficult snub from this year’s all-conference team. He finished the season tied for first place in Total Points among centers with Army’s Brady Small, and he was especially effective in pass protection in which he ranked 9th in FBS. 

    Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 12/8/2025

  • How Does Donovan Jackson Fit With the Minnesota Vikings?

    How Does Donovan Jackson Fit With the Minnesota Vikings?

    Photo: Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire

    The Minnesota Vikings came into the 2025 NFL Draft with major needs at defensive back and offensive line. Many mock drafters, including ourselves, had Minnesota taking a safety to provide a spark for their secondary. However, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had other ideas.

    The Vikings selected left guard Donovan Jackson with their first pick to reinforce their offensive line for years to come. Jackson had a 6.7 grade on our draft site, which ranks at the top of our positional ranking next to Alabama guard Tyler Booker. He was number one in FBS for Total Points among ALL offensive linemen last season, regardless of position. The Vikings hope he can come in and start straight away, continuing his reign of terror against his opponents.

    Here is a look at Jackson and how he can contribute in Minnesota immediately:

    Jackson’s Strengths And Weaknesses

     Donovan Jackson measures out at 6’4’’ 315 pounds, which is sufficient for the left guard position. He started 40 games at Ohio State, with 9 of those starts coming at left tackle. He has some flexibility to play both sides and positions, but will do his best work from the interior.

    Jackson possesses good play strength and drive ability that allows him to move defenders on the run. He isn’t a dominant finisher, but he can certainly create run lanes. He uses his lower half well to stay balanced through contact and can recover quickly by using his fluid hips to stay upright in uncomfortable positions. He also has the mobility to combo-block up to the second level.

    In pass protection, he can anchor well against bigger defenders to give the quarterback enough space to do his work. However, he will occasionally lose leverage by keeping his hands too wide on the shoulder pads, which leaves him vulnerable to blown blocks and holding penalties in the NFL. He will need to clean that up before his rookie season or else teams will quickly learn to exploit it.

    With good coaching, Jackson has all of the tools necessary to succeed at the left guard position. There are no physical limitations for him. He will be tested early, but he should adapt to NFL competition relatively quickly.

    Minnesota Team Needs

     Last year, Minnesota’s offensive line went through a lot over the course of the season. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw went down with a torn ACL and MCL in Week 8, knocking him out for the remainder of the year. The interior offensive linemen, while mostly healthy, performed poorly

    Center Garrett Bradbury, who has since been released, led ALL interior linemen in blown blocks.

    Player Team Position Blown Blocks
    Garrett Bradbury Vikings C 43
    Alex Cappa Bengals RG 40
    Dominick Puni 49ers RG 33
    Liam Eichenberg Dolphins RG 32
    Cordell Volson Bengals LG 32

    Left guard Blake Brandel was not far behind, ranking 9th among interior offensive linemen in blown blocks with 30. If you combine Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner, who started 9 and 8 games at RG, respectively, they had a total of 33 blown blocks.

    Minnesota desperately needed some new blood in its offensive line room. This offseason, the Vikings have replaced their entire interior. Former Colts center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries will come in and immediately inject some stability. They both missed substantial time due to injury last year, however they were much more effective (only 12 blown blocks between them) with just under a full season of snaps.

    Jackson is coming in at the perfect time. The Vikings are competitive. The offensive line room is fresh and ready to turn the page after an ugly year. JJ McCarthy is healthy. Minnesota’s 2025 season outlook looks very promising entering training camp.

    How Jackson fits in Minnesota

     Minnesota primarily used a zone rushing scheme last season (72% zone, 8th highest clip in the NFL). They operated mainly out of 11 or 12 personnel formations and were the 2nd-most effective team in 12 personnel last year. Kevin O’Connell likes to mix things up pre-snap as well, using a motion on nearly 60% of plays last year (59% to be exact).

    Jackson has experience working in a zone-heavy scheme at Ohio State, which they ran at a 69% rate. He can pull when asked, however his strength is in his ability to move defenders and create running lanes. Last season, ball carriers averaged 3.7 yards before contact when running to his gap.

    At Ohio State, Jackson led ALL FBS offensive linemen in Total Points in 2024.

    Rank Player Team Position Total Points
    1 Donovan Jackson Ohio State G 49
    2 Josh Conerly Jr. Oregon T 44
    3 Brady Small Army C 42
    4 Aamil Wagner Notre Dame T 42
    5 Isaiah World Nevada T 41

    30 of those 49 Total Points came from his run blocking, which ranked 2nd among all FBS offensive linemen last year. His 19 pass blocking Total Points ranked 13th. His effectiveness is evident in both areas.

    Overall, Jackson is a well-rounded blocker who can be very effective in zone but still possesses the mobility to pull through to the 2nd level. He should plug right into the left guard spot next to new additions Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. If Darrisaw goes down again, the Vikings will have the option to use Jackson at left tackle as well.

    How Good a Fit Is He?

    The Vikings will get someone who has been a part of a winning culture before and knows what it takes to win at a high level. His solid base and mobility will make him effective in Minnesota’s zone-heavy run scheme. In pass protection, he can anchor well against bigger defenders to give JJ McCarthy time in the pocket.

    Since he played at Ohio State, Jackson is no stranger to cold weather and should be able to adapt to the frigid NFC North games at Soldier Field and Lambeau Field toward the end of the season.

    Final Word: Jackson is an excellent fit and should contribute immediately in Minnesota’s revamped offensive line room.

  • How Does Carson Schwesinger Fit With The Cleveland Browns?

    How Does Carson Schwesinger Fit With The Cleveland Browns?

    Photo: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire

    The Cleveland Browns were our top graded draft class this year, so it wouldn’t have felt right to not highlight one of their selections. After taking our top-graded DT in Mason Graham, the Browns continued to reinforce their defense by selecting linebacker Carson Schwesinger with the first pick of the second round.

    Schwesinger graded out as a 6.6 on our draft site, ranking second among WLBs behind Jihaad Campbell (click the link to read the full scouting report). The Browns had no shortage of other needs, but taking a linebacker with this selection proved that they were not shying away from what they do best: winning against the run.

    Here is a look at Schwesinger and how he fits this Browns defense.

    Schwesinger’s Strengths

     Despite only one full season as a starter at UCLA, Schwesinger has the instincts of a veteran with excellent awareness for where the receivers are around him. He is able to drop back into coverage and make life difficult for the quarterback, while also having the athleticism to move sideline-to-sideline and chase down runners from behind. He has an explosive first step and can pivot downhill quickly, allowing him to make a difference in almost all facets of the game.

    He is not going to blow anyone away with his power or pass rush ability. His game is predicated on his motor and competitiveness off the ball. His effort level is unwavering and he will consistently play until the final whistle.

    Schwesinger is more of a lanky-sized linebacker, but his fluid athleticism and high football intelligence should allow him to contribute immediately on defense and also be a core special teams player.

    How Schwesinger Fits With Cleveland

    Cleveland looked directionless following an abysmal season in 2024. The team sustained numerous injuries and there were a lot of questions heading into the offseason. However, when they made Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a contract extension worth $160 million, it was clear that they weren’t going to be throwing in the towel for 2025.

    There was one thing that Cleveland did exceptionally well during its disastrous season: defend the run. The Browns led the entire NFL in Total Points against the run by a relatively wide margin.*

    * Total Points is our all-encompassing player value stat that attempts to capture everything that happens on a football field. You can learn more about it here.

    Team Points Saved
    Browns 189
    Colts 180
    Giants 180
    Bills 175
    Jets 173

    While this was to some extent the result of playing behind often while the other team ran the clock out, it still displayed an area of strength in an otherwise unremarkable season. With too many holes on both sides of the ball, the Browns were likely thinking of taking the best player overall with their early picks.

    After swapping first round picks with the Jaguars and moving back three spots, the Browns elected to take Graham out of Michigan. Coincidentally, Graham led all NCAA defensive tackles in Total Points against the run, giving Cleveland more strength along the interior defensive line. The rich get richer, so they say.

    PLAYER SCHOOL POINTS SAVED
    Mason Graham Michigan 26
    Ty Hamilton Ohio State 23
    Alfred Collins Texas 23
    Walter Nolen Ole Miss 23
    Blake Boenisch Rice 22

    Which brings us back to the topic of this article, Cleveland’s second round selection, Schwesinger. It was somewhat of a surprise selection, with many expecting them to take a player on the offensive side of the ball. However, here is one reason why this pick made sense: he can defend the run. Schwesinger was second among all NCAA linebackers in Total Points against the run, giving Cleveland even more firepower against run-heavy offenses.

    Player School Points Saved
    Shaun Dolac Buffalo 43
    Carson Schwesinger UCLA 41
    Jackson Woodard UNLV 37
    Jack Kiser Notre Dame 37
    Jaylen Smith North Texas 35

    This gives Cleveland two bona fide studs on the defensive side of the ball who can play tough and dominate in the trenches. Schwesinger will be able to use his elite instincts and hot motor to snuff out runs from inside the box, while also possessing the ability to move sideline to sideline when the situation calls for it.

    How can Cleveland use Schwesinger?

    With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah set to miss the 2025 season, Schwesinger will have the opportunity to contribute immediately in Week 1. He will step right into that WLB role where he’ll be asked to cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage. His fluidness and overall athleticism will come in handy for him, and he should be able to compete against the best early and often.

    He will likely be an every-down player, but they may use him on a rotational basis to start the season. He will be effective on third downs and can be used as a blitzer off of the weak side. Since Cleveland operates out of a base 4-2 S/W, Schwesinger will spend most of his time playing off the line of scrimmage in coverage or being used in various blitz packages.

    Cleveland also utilized a stacked box (8 or more players) at a 32% clip last season, which led all NFL teams in 2024. Schwesinger will need to be comfortable with congestion while still keeping his eyes open through contact and traffic, as he operated out of a stacked box only 13% of the time at UCLA.

    Schwesinger is a well-rounded player overall, so Cleveland has a lot of options on how to use him. For the most part, he should be a plug-and-play LB with few limitations early on. He also projects to be a core special teams player for the whole season.

    How Good A Fit is Schwesinger?

     Ultimately, Schwesinger is an ideal fit for Cleveland’s defense as they both play to each other’s strengths. Cleveland was great against the run in 2024, and they drafted a LB who was one of the best against the run in college. It’s a perfect match for both the player and team, and Schwesinger will have an opportunity to prove himself early in his career.