Sports Info Solutions

Log In

Category: College Football

  • 2023 Big Ten SIS All-Conference Teams

    2023 Big Ten SIS All-Conference Teams

    Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

    It’s finally time to release our SIS All-Conference teams. 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 2023, plus some honorable mentions.

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

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

    Offense

    Position Name School
    QB J.J. McCarthy Michigan
    RB Kyle Monangai Rutgers
    WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State
    WR Isaiah Williams Illinois
    TE Cade Stover Ohio State
    FLEX Darius Taylor Minnesota
    OT Delmar Glaze Maryland
    OT Riley Mahlman Wisconsin
    OG Trevor Keegan Michigan
    OG Donovan Jackson Ohio State
    OC Drake Nugent Michigan

    Michigan leads the way with 3 selections off its national championship season. QB JJ McCarthy led the conference in Total Points with 143, ranked 8th nationally. OG Trevor Keegan and OC Drake Nugent highlight another mauling Michigan offensive line, leading the conference with 26 and 25 Total Points in the run game, respectively.

    Bruising Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai comfortably tops a strong RB group with 55 Total Points, ranked 2nd nationally. Breakout true freshman, Minnesota RB Darius Taylor, earns a flex spot after producing 36 Total Points and leading the conference in Points Earned per Play. Both running backs will be back to terrorize the new look Big Ten.

    Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr was easily the best WR in the Big 10, leading the conference in Total Points (44), receiving yards (1,211), and touchdowns (14).

    Defense

    Position Name School
    DT Kris Jenkins Michigan
    DT Nash Hutmacher Nebraska
    EDGE Adisa Isaac Penn State
    EDGE Kydran Jenkins Purdue
    LB Abdul Carter Penn State
    LB Jay Higgins Iowa
    CB Ricardo Hallman Wisconsin
    CB Mike Sainristil Michigan
    S Dillon Thieneman Purdue
    S Hunter Wohler Wisconsin
    FLEX Sebastian Castro Iowa

    Ballhawking CBs Ricardo Hallman and Mike Sanristil head up our secondary after leading the nation with 7 and 6 interceptions, respectively. Hallman had a monster year, leading the nation in Coverage Total Points with 75. Following the trend of ballhawking DBs, Purdue S Dillon Thieneman also makes the team after grabbing 6 interceptions.

    Iowa LB Jay Higgins leads our LB corps after leading all Big Ten LBs in Total Points in coverage (14) and against the run (27).

    Penn State EDGE Adisa Isaac gets a nod after leading the conference in Pass Rush Total Points with 25, tallying 7.5 sacks, tied for 2nd in the Big 10. Purdue EDGE Kydran Jenkins takes the second spot after posting 7.5 sacks and 24 Total Points against the run, ranked 2nd in the Big Ten among edge rushers.

    Specialists

    Position Name School
    K Dragan Kesich Minnesota
    P Tory Taylor Iowa
    Returner Daequan Hardy Penn State

    Minnesota kicker Dragan Kesich earned the kicker spot after an impressive season making 23-of-27 field goals, 8-of-10 on kicks of 40+ yards, and 3-of-4 on 50+ yard kicks.

    Fan favorite Iowa punter Tory Taylor easily gets the nod after leading the conference in Net Average Punt Yards (45.3) and Punts Inside the 20 (32). He also finished 2nd in Punts inside the 10 with 11.

    Penn State’s Daequan Hardy earned the returner job after leading the conference in average punt return yards (19.9), punt return yards (338) and punt return touchdowns (3).

    Honorable Mentions

    Name School
    RB Blake Corum Michigan
    TE Colston Loveland Michigan
    OL Josh Simmons Ohio State
    OL Zak Zinter Michigan
    OL Zach Carpenter Indiana
    DT Tyleik Williams Ohio State
    DT Jer’Zhan Newton Illinois
    ED Nic Scourton Purdue
    ED Derrick Moore Michigan
    CB Cooper DeJean Iowa
    S Tyler Nubin Minnesota
    RET Jaylin Lucas Indiana

    Michigan RB Blake Corum makes the list on the back of his 27 rushing touchdowns, breaking the season and career rushing touchdown records at Michigan. Paving the way for Corum all year was OL Zak Zinter. He made the list after producing 18 Total Points in the run game, 2nd among all Big Ten guards.

    Playmaking CB Cooper DeJean earns Honorable Mention with 37 Total Points in coverage along with a punt return touchdown. Disruptive Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton cracks the list after leading all Big 10 defensive tackles in sacks with 7.5.

    Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

    Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/11/2023

  • 2023 SIS SEC All-Conference Team

    2023 SIS SEC All-Conference Team

    It’s finally time to release our SIS All-Conference teams. 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 2023, plus some honorable mentions.

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

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

    Offense

    Position Name School
    QB Jayden Daniels LSU
    RB Cody Schrader Missouri
    WR Malik Nabers LSU
    WR Luther Burden III Missouri
    TE Brock Bowers Georgia
    FLEX Quinshon Judkins Ole Miss
    OT Javon Foster Missouri
    OT JC Latham Alabama
    OG Garrett Dellinger LSU
    OG Tate Ratledge Georgia
    OC Charles Turner III LSU

    It’s no surprise that this past season’s Heisman Trophy Award winner, Jayden Daniels, leads our All-SEC team at Quarterback. He was 2nd in Total Points among QBs. However, he posted a staggering 0.52 Points Earned Per Play, which was a whole .12 points higher than the next QB. 

    Not only did Daniels have a tremendous season throwing the ball, he led the country at the QB position with 64 Total Points rushing, 24 points higher than 2nd place. Daniels’ teammate, Malik Nabers, headlines the pass catching group where he led all WRs in Points Earned with 48.

    While LSU leads the SEC with 4 selections on the offensive side, the Missouri Tigers have good representation as well. Tackle Javon Foster led the conference in Total Points among all positions on the offensive line with 41.

    Defense

    Position Name School
    DT Marcus Harris Auburn
    DT Nathan Pickering Mississippi State
    EDGE James Pearce Jr. Tennessee
    EDGE Dallas Turner Alabama
    LB Edgerrin Cooper Texas A&M
    LB Jett Johnson Mississippi State
    CB Terrion Arnold Alabama
    CB Tykee Smith Georgia
    S Shawn Preston Jr. Mississippi State
    S Malaki Starks Georgia
    FLEX Maxwell Hairston Kentucky

    On the defensive side, edge rushers James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee and Dallas Turner from Alabama lead the way. Pearce led the conference in Total Points Per Pass Rush attempt, and was tied for 1st in total hurries while starting in only three games. Turner flourished in his first season as a full-time starter, placing 3rd among pass rushers in both Total Points and Total Points Per Rush. 

    Mississippi State’s Jett Johnson displayed his versatility against both the pass and run, placing 2nd in Total Points against the run and 1st in Total Points against the pass among all LBs in the conference. Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston headline the defensive backs, as they were tied leading the SEC with 5 interceptions and ranked 1st and 2nd in Total Points in the conference, respectively. 

    Specialists

    Position Name School
    K Will Reichard Alabama
    P Matthew Hayball Vanderbilt
    Returner Barion Brown Kentucky

    Alabama’s Will Reichard was one of the most reliable kickers in not just the SEC but all of college football, converting on 88% of his field goal attempts, with 12 of his 22 makes coming from 40+ yards.

    Vanderbilt’s sole selection on the All-SEC team is punter Matthew Hayball. In the SEC, he ranked 2nd in punt average with 47.6, and total number of punts that landed inside both the 20 and 10-yard line.

    Rounding out the special teams selections is Kentucky’s Barion Brown, who led the entire country with 3 kickoff returns for touchdowns this past season, while also ranking 3rd in punt return average among all players in the SEC with 17.6 yards per attempt.

    Honorable Mentions

    Name School
    WR Brian Thomas Jr. LSU
    WR Xavier Legette South Carolina
    OL Will Campbell LSU
    OL Miles Frazier LSU
    OL Sedrick Van Pran Georgia
    DT Deone Walker Kentucky
    ED Chris Braswell Alabama
    LB Nathaniel Watson Mississippi State
    CB Kool-Aid McKinstry Alabama
    CB Kamari Lassiter Georgia
    CB Kris Abrams-Draine Missouri
    S Javon Bullard Georgia

    The SEC was loaded with players who are worthy of 1st-Team selections, so here are some players with accolades worth noting. While his teammate got the 1st Team selection, LSU’s Brian Thomas led the entire country with 17 touchdowns. Kentucky’s Deone Walker led all defenders in the SEC with 36 hurries. Alabama’s Chris Braswell led the SEC in Total Points among all pass rushers. Almost all of Georgia’s secondary is represented when accounting for 1st Team and Honorable Mention selections with Tykee Smith, Malaki Starks, Kamari Lassiter and Javon Bullard. 

    Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

    Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/5/2024

  • 2023 SIS ACC All-Conference Team

    2023 SIS ACC All-Conference Team

    Photo: Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire

    It’s finally time to release our SIS All-Conference teams. 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 2023, plus some honorable mentions.

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

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

    Offense

    Position Name School
    QB Drake Maye North Carolina
    RB Omarion Hampton North Carolina
    WR Malik Washington Virginia
    WR Xavier Restrepo Miami FL
    TE Jake Briningstool Clemson
    FLEX Kevin Concepcion NC State
    OT Anthony Belton NC State
    OT Jalen Rivers Miami FL
    OG Kyle Hergel Boston College
    OG Christian Mahogany Boston College
    OC Drew Kendall Boston College

    North Carolina leads off our offense with QB Drake Maye and RB Omarion Hampton. Maye finished 2023 with 154 Total Points, ranking 1st in the conference among all players and 6th nationally. Hampton was 1 of only 5 rushers to break 1,500 rushing yards.

    Boston College’s interior offensive line was dominant in 2023, producing 3 players on our team with OG Kyle Hergel, OG Christian Mahogany, OC Drew Kendall. All 3 finished in the top 20 nationally in Total Points for all OL. Hergel tied for first among all linemen with 45 Total Points and Kendall tied for first among OC with 41 Total Points. 

    Virginia WR Malik Washington was a standout performer in 2023, where he finished 6th nationally in Total Points for WR (45 Total Points), 4th in receiving yards (1,426 receiving yards), and 2nd in yards per game (119 Y/G minimum 50 targets).

    Defense

    Position Name School
    DT Braden Fiske Florida State
    DT Aeneas Peebles Duke
    EDGE Ashton Gillotte Louisville
    EDGE Jared Verse Florida State
    LB Payton Wilson NC State
    LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Clemson
    CB Quincy Riley Louisville
    CB Nate Wiggins Clemson
    S Jonas Sanker Virginia
    S Devan Boykin NC State
    FLEX Elijah Jones Boston College

    NC State LB Payton Wilson was the top Total Point earner defensively in the conference with 73 Total Points, which ranks first nationally among LBs. He also ended the year T-3rd nationally in tackles for loss with 18.

    Louisville EDGE Ashton Gillotte led the way in the conferences’ DL with 41 Total Points (also ranked T-9th nationally). Florida State put forth 2 defensive linemen in DT Braden Fiske and EDGE Jared Verse who accumulated 33 and 38 Total Points respectively. 

    In the secondary, Louisville CB Quincy Riley led the conference with 66 Total Points, and finished 3rd in the conference in Yards per Coverage Snap with 0.5 yards and QB Rating Against with 15.5 (minimum 30 targets and 300 coverage snaps).

    Specialists

    Position Name School
    K Andres Borregales Miami FL
    P Alex Mastromanno Florida State
    Returner Bhayshul Tuten Virginia Tech

    Florida State punter Alex Mastromano finished the year T-1st in the conference in Total Points with 18 among specialists. He also finished T-11th in net punting average in the nation with 44.1 yards (min 20 punts) and 6th nationally with punts inside 20 with 26 (minimum 20 punts)

    Miami kicker Andres Borregales also finished T-1st in the conference with 18 Total Points. He also finished T-11th in field goals nationally with 22, T-5th nationally in field goals over 50 yards with 6.

    Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten earns the spot as a returner. He returned 2 kickoffs this year for TDs which is T-2nd nationally. He also finished 2nd in the conference in kick return average (10th nationally) in return average nationally at 29 yards per kick. 

    Honorable Mentions

    Name School
    QB Jordan Travis Florida State
    RB Isaac Guerendo Louisville
    TE Dan Villari Syracuse
    OL Ozzy Trapilo Boston College
    OL Willie Tyler III Louisville
    ED Kaimon Rucker North Carolina
    ED Antwuan Powell-Ryland Jr. Virginia Tech
    LB Cedric Gray North Carolina
    LB Francisco Mauigoa Miami FL
    CB Dorian Strong Virginia Tech
    CB Renardo Green Florida State
    K Ryan Fitzgerald Florida State

    Florida State QB Jordan Travis finished 2nd in the conference in Total Points with 97, and 1st in the conference in QBR with 108.6. Virginia Tech EDGE Antwuan Powell-Ryland Jr. had a knack for forcing turnovers in 2023 He finished T-2nd among DL (T-3rd nationally) with 3 fumbles forced, also recovering 2.

    Virginia Tech CB Dorian Strong had a strong year in coverage where he led all DBs nationally in yards per coverage snap (0.3 yards), yards per game (7.7 yards), and QB Rating against (14.1 rating) (minimum 30 targets and 300 coverage snaps).

    Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

    Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/4/2023

  • 2023 SIS Pac-12 All-Conference Team

    2023 SIS Pac-12 All-Conference Team

    It’s finally time to release our SIS All-Conference teams. 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 2023, plus some honorable mentions.

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

    These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the Pac-12.

    Offense

    Position Name School
    QB Michael Penix Jr. Washington
    RB Bucky Irving Oregon
    WR Rome Odunze Washington
    WR Tetairoa McMillan Arizona
    TE Tanner McLachlan Arizona
    FLEX Damien Martinez Oregon State
    OT Roger Rosengarten Washington
    OT Jordan Morgan Arizona
    OG Marcus Harper II Oregon
    OG Steven Jones Oregon
    OC Jackson Powers-Johnson Oregon

    Michael Penix Jr. may have played his way into this spot with a great CFP, but it was a great overall season when you see he threw for the most yards, air yards, and intended air yards in all of college football, all while being pressured the 10th-most in FBS. Odunze and McMillan’s 48 Total Points put them just behind Malik Nabers for most among wide receivers in the country. 

    The three-headed monster of Oregon interior linemen ranked 1st (Harper II), 4th (Jones), and 1st (Powers-Johnson) in the conference in Total Points at their respective positions, and Powers-Johnson’s Total Points Rank per Snap ranked 4th among centers in the country.

    Defense

    Position Name School
    DT Bear Alexander USC
    DT Jay Toia UCLA
    EDGE Laiatu Latu UCLA
    EDGE Brennan Jackson Washington State
    LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold Oregon State
    LB Karene Reid Utah
    CB Jabbar Muhammad Washington
    CB Travis Hunter Colorado
    S Kitan Oladapo Oregon State
    S Akili Arnold Oregon State
    FLEX Nohl Williams California

    Latu and Jackson not only led the conference in Total Points among edge rushers, they led the entire country as well. Latu tied for 6th-most sacks in the country with 12 and was 2nd with 65 pressures. Travis Hunter amassed 32 Total Points on the defensive side of the ball, and while that’s not substantial compared to some of his fellow corners in the conference (given his injury cost him some time), it’s incredibly impressive since he played consistent snaps on both sides of the ball. Lastly, the Oregon State safety duo compiled 116 Total Points between them, with Oladapo accounting for 64 of them.

    Specialists

    Position Name School
    K Joshua Karty Stanford
    P Ross James Oregon
    Returner Zachariah Branch USC

    Joshua Karty’s 22 made field goals were most in the conference and his 4 makes beyond 50 yards tied him for 3rd-best in the country. What’s more impressive is he made more field goals than he did extra points, going 21-of-21 on PATs, which unfortunately tells you a lot about Stanford’s offense this year. Ross James punted only 27 times, but his punt average ranked 4th in FBS (48.4) and net average ranked 8th (45.0), and he pinned the opposition inside the 20 on 41% of them. Branch was the only player in FBS to return at least one kick and punt for a touchdown in 2023. He averaged 22.6 yards per punt return which ranked 3rd in FBS among returners with at least 10 punt returns.

    Honorable Mentions

    Name School
    QB Caleb Williams USC
    QB Bo Nix Oregon
    RB Jonah Coleman Arizona
    WR Troy Franklin Oregon
    TE Jack Velling Oregon State
    OL Ajani Cornelius Oregon
    OL Josh Connerly Jr. Oregon
    ED Grayson Murphy UCLA
    ED Jonah Elliss Utah
    LB Jacob Manu Arizona
    LB Darius Muasau UCLA
    S Sione Vaki Utah

    Two quarterbacks claim an Honorable Mention as Penix, Nix, and Williams ranked Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in Total Points among FBS quarterbacks. Troy Franklin ranked Top 8 in FBS in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, Yards per Route Run, Yards per Target, and Receiver Rating. Cornelius and Connerly round out the Oregon offense line, Elliss’s 12 sacks tied for 6th-most in the country, and Vaki was a two-way player seeing action at both safety and running back.

    Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

    Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 2/27/2023

  • Senior Bowl Day 3 Recap

    Senior Bowl Day 3 Recap

    Photo by Zebadayah Ataelseed

    Day 3 featured some unexpected call-ups and some heavy sleepers. Whose stock rose and whose dropped? Here’s our list. 

    National Team

    RB – Dylan Laube – New Hampshire – Buy

    Dylan Laube has been the biggest sleeper coming into the Senior Bowl, but his performance this week has certainly put him on the radar of scouts and coaches. His route running is good and polished, he stacks his defenders quickly and does a nice job of attacking the defender’s outside foot. He will provide a nice jolt of speed for any offense he plays in on the next level.  

    CB – Khyree Jackson – Oregon – Buy

    Khyree Jackson’s 6’3” frame and elite speed caused some issues for wide receivers. He has the size to stay physical against aggressive route runners and has the speed to stay stride for stride against speed receivers. His hips are fluid and his recovery speed shined. 

    RB – MarShawn Lloyd – USC – Buy

    MarShawn Lloyd showcased a handful of good traits. He flourished in the passing game, consistently making catches in traffic and showed solid route running and being able to dig his feet into the ground to quickly change direction. He also showed good vision in the run game with nice cutbacks and elusiveness to win extra yards before contact.  

    Honorable Mentions

    IOL – Dominick Puni – Kansas – Buy

    Dominick Puni had a solid outing taking reps at both guard and center showing out his good strength and solid anchor ability. 

    CB – Kalen King – Penn State – Sell

    I haven’t been sold on Kalen King after this week’s set of practices. His reaction speed and fluidity weren’t consistent enough, getting easily beaten by some of the underperformers this week. 

    American Team

    TE – Ben Sinnot – Kansas State – Buy

    Ben Sinnot was one of the more highly touted tight ends coming into the Senior Bowl. However, he didn’t live up to the hype until now. We saw his good route-running ability show up multiple times in different periods of practice. He does a nice job of getting in and out of his cuts to quickly beat the receiver while also showing some good hands and body control.

    DL – Justin Eboigbe – Alabama – Buy

    Eboigbe had a nice day at the office, winning most of his 1-on-1 reps. He showed a nice combination of power and finesse in the pass rush. He got stifled a bit by outside tackle Texas product Christian Jones when using straight power. However, aside from that he had an encouraging day for scouts and coaches. 

    OT – Travis Glover – Georgia State – Buy

    Travis Glover was a late call-up and arrived in Mobile Wednesday morning. He made the most out of his call up impressing coaches during 1-on-1 and team sessions. He showed good anchor and solid feet being able to stay in front of the defender. He got a little fiery towards the end of the 1-on-1 sections going up against Texas Tech defensive lineman Myles Cole where he won the rep nicely but could’ve caused an in-game penalty for some extracurriculars. 

    Honorable Mentions

    LB – Jackson Sirmon – Cal – Buy

    Jackson Sirmon had himself a solid day, showing out his athleticism, ball-hawking, and hustle gave him the play of the day picking off Joe Milton (almost twice).

    S – Tykee Smith – Georgia – Hold

    Tykee Smith can start to rise if he builds off of this practice into the game on Saturday, it took a couple of days for him to shine but  he did just that coming off with a pick off a deflection, and nice sticky coverages for multiple pass break-ups on the day. 

  • Senior Bowl Day 2 Recap

    Senior Bowl Day 2 Recap

    By Zebadayah Ataelseed & Ryan Rubinstein

    Day 2 was a better day for defense than offense. Whose stock rose and whose dropped? Here’s our list. 

    National Team

    WR – Roman Wilson – Michigan – Buy

    Roman Wilson stood tall as one of the only receivers to show consistency from Day 1. He showed out his solid line of scrimmage release and very good body control and hands. During the post-practice competitive period, Roman Wilson called out Senior Bowl standout Quinyon Mitchell. The Michigan product answered the bell by quickly stacking Mitchell and making a very good acrobatic catch on the sideline. 

    LB – Payton Wilson – North Carolina State – Buy

    Payton Wilson was one of the more notable players having high expectations coming into the Senior Bowl and Wednesday he arrived to the scene with a bang. His one-on-one coverage skills have been solid and very sticky against running backs. His agility and break to the ball showed out in a big way. Aside from some of his coverage skills, he showed great communication and command of the defensive huddle. Wilson should continue to impress throughout the week. 

    EDGE – Austin Booker – Kansas – Buy

    Austin Booker turned some heads with a great display of pass-rush ability. He easily had two of the best rushes of the week, each within a few plays of each other. Booker was able to win with speed, finesse, and strength, drawing a handful of reactions from coaches and scouts alike.  

    Honorable Mentions

    WR – Devontez Walker – University of North Carolina – Sell

    Devontez Walker had a rough outing today during the second day of practice. He was consistently able to generate space and separation but had wasted steps and significant drops. 

    CB – Quinyon Mitchell – Toledo – Buy

    Although Mitchell’s Day 2 wasn’t as perfect as his Day 1, he still had a very good showing leveraging a lot of agility, tracking, and ballhawking. 

    American Team

    DL – Darius Robinson – Missouri – Buy

    Darius Robinson put on a clinic today on Day 2. His tall wiry frame coupled with his good speed caused issues for tackles and guards all day today. He notably won a lot using his ‘Swipe and Swim’ moves, beating out Senior Bowl standout Tyler Guyton. His inside/ outside versatility caused issues in both the run and pass game. 

    CB – DJ James – Auburn – Hold

    James’s stock can slowly start to rise after today. He showed solid route recognition, consistently jumping routes and making plays on the ball. There were times he got a little too excited and drew a couple of flags because of it but his knack for being aggressive might very well pay off for him if he can capitalize on interceptions and not drop them. 

    WR – Jha’Quan Jackson – Tulane – Buy

    Jha’Quan Jackson had himself a day, similar to Roman Wilson, Jackson showed up when it seemed like a lot of other receivers didn’t. His combination of quickness, speed, and separation has been fun to watch all week. He certainly is increasing his stock if he keeps playing at this level for the rest of the week. 

    Honorable Mentions

    OG – Christian Haynes – UCONN – Buy

    Haynes, who previously faced scrutiny for needing to improve his toughness, showcased significant growth. Taking snaps at both right guard and center, his resilience shined bright, surpassing many others on the field.

    OT – Christian Jones – Texas – Hold

    Christian Jones was labeled a potential riser for some, overall we’d have to hold some of his stocks. He had some notable wins against Day 2 standout Darius Robinson but when he lost, he lost badly.

  • Senior Bowl Day 1 Recap

    Senior Bowl Day 1 Recap

    By Zebadayah Ataelseed & Ryan Rubinstein

    As the curtain opened on Day 1 of Senior Bowl practices, the football field transformed into a testing ground for emerging talent. Players displayed their skills, making a notable impression on scouts and coaches alike. From precision passes to great defensive plays, the opening day of Senior Bowl practices spotlighted individuals whose practice performances left an immediate impact.

    In this analysis, we focus on the players whose stocks we should buy, sell, or hold, offering insights into their skills and early potential. As the scouting season progresses, these athletes have already positioned themselves as noteworthy prospects, with their Day 1 displays signaling readiness for the challenges of the professional level.

    National Team Team

    CB – Quinyon Mitchell – Toledo – Buy

    In a standout performance,  Mitchell showcased an extraordinary blend of sticky coverage, ball awareness, and physicality. He spent most of his day jumping routes and breaking up passes. He easily won the day for the National Team practice and it’ll be hard to see him drop outside of the 1st round if he keeps up this level of play this week.

    OL – Jackson Powers-Johnson – Oregon – Buy

    Powers-Johnson, “the Oregon product,” took snaps both at center and right guard, and he impressed in both positions. He had some rough reps against the straight power rush but also won easily against speed, swim, and other finesse moves. Powers-Johnson’s anchor, strength, and punch power give him all the tools to finish defenders into the ground. Overall, he’s a great product coming out of Oregon. 

    WR – Roman Wilson – Michigan – Buy

    Roman Wilson had a solid day both during the one-on-one session and the 7v7 session. His release off the line of scrimmage and separation quickness helped him win a lot of reps today. He has a knack for stacking defenders and keeping them on their heels while also possessing some good straight-line speed to torch defenders down the seam. 

    Honorable Mentions

    RB – Dylan Laube – New Hampshire – Buy

    Laube’s stock is increasing, fueled by his impressive 20.44 MPH speed. A potential small-school sleeper, he showcases a rare blend of speed and explosiveness that sets him apart as a surprise standout prospect. 

    WR – Brendan Rice – USC – Neutral

    Rice did well fighting through contact, and his catch-in-traffic ability is easily among the best of the day. 

    American Team

    WR – Ladd McConkey – University of Georgia – Buy

    McConkey’s stand-out performance was by far the best for the American team practice and arguably the best out of the two practices. McConkey’s route running, agility, and route separation have caused issues for every DB across from him. There’s an argument to be made that he was genuinely open on every route he ran on the day. 

    OT – Patrick Paul – Houston – Buy

    Paul had a solid day overall. His length is outstanding and his feet are quick enough to be a factor on the next level. Paul won a lot of his reps but didn’t dominate. He needs to finish some of his blocks a little more, but otherwise, it was a good outing for the Houston product. 

    WR – Xavier Legette – South Carolina – Sell

    I am not buying the Legette stock based on today. While he has an impressive frame, his woes stem from his lack of route separation, speed, and foot quickness. His feet were very choppy during the drill session. His size provides some promise on the next level, but he needs to perform a lot better going forward. 

    Honorable Mentions

    DT – Braden Fiske – Florida State – Buy

    Fiske won a lot of his reps today by using some of his great flexibility, quickness off the ball, and sheer power to plow through the line and consistently disrupt plays.

    OT – Tyler Guyton – Oklahoma – Buy

    On every rep Guyton took today he showed power and nastiness. This Oklahoma product will look to propel himself up draft boards in the next couple of days. 

  • 2023 SIS NCAA All-America Teams

    2023 SIS NCAA All-America Teams

    By Nathan Cooper and Jeff Dean

    With the end of the College Football regular season, we’re proud to release our SIS All-America teams.

    In addition to voting done by our Operations staff, we used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together two teams of All-SIS selections for 2023, plus a few honorable mentions.

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

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

    First Team Offense

    Position Name School
    QB Jayden Daniels LSU
    RB Omarion Hampton North Carolina
    RB Audric Estime Notre Dame
    WR Malik Nabers LSU
    WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State
    TE Ben Sinnott Kansas State
    OT Josh Simmons Ohio State
    OT Delmar Glaze Maryland
    OG Cooper Beebe Kansas State
    OG Kyle Hergel Boston College
    OC Jackson Powers-Johnson Oregon

    QB – Jayden Daniels, LSU

    This year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Daniels was a force through the air and on the ground. His 40 passing touchdowns tied for the FBS lead and his overall IQR of 148.2 is 10 points higher than Bo Nix, who was second. 

    Of his 211 Total Points, 67 of them have come on the ground. That number would rank 2nd among all RBs. Not only did he blow all other QBs out of the water with his rushing, his 1,134 rushing yards ranked 22nd among RBs and his 28 missed tackles forced tie for 4th-most among QBs and RBs.

    RB – Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

    Hampton leads all RBs in Total Points with 68, 13 better than second place. Of his 1,439 rushing yards, 1,020 came after contact, best in the FBS. Among RBs with at least 150 carries, his yards per attempt (6.1), 1st down rate (32.5%), and Stuff rate (11.1%) all rank Top 15.

    RB – Audric Estime, Notre Dame

    Estime was 2nd among RBs in Rushing Total Points with 51, and T-3rd in Total Points overall. The 41 EPA gained on his runs led the FBS, and his 6.4 Yards per Carry was the best of any player with over 200 attempts. 

    WR – Malik Nabers, LSU

    Nabers was a force all season on his way to leading the FBS with over 1,500 receiving yards. He led all FBS WRs with 52 Total Points and 69 first downs gained while finishing Top-10 in Yards After the Catch and Yards After Contact. 

    WR – Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

    Harrison nearly repeated his incredible 2022 campaign in 2023 and topped it off with a Biletnikoff Award. Harrison’s 14 receiving touchdowns ranked tied for 2nd. His 48 Total Points rank 2nd among FBS receivers. 

    Among WRs with at least 75 targets, Harrison ranked 7th in 1st Down rate (76.1%) and tied-4th in yards per route run (3.6), as well. He figures to be a Top 5 selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.

    TE – Ben Sinnott, Kansas State

    Sinnott led all FBS Tight Ends with 40 Total Points in 2023. His 673 receiving yards ranked 3rd and his 6 touchdowns tied for 5th among all TEs. Sinnott’s 26.2 Receiving Points Earned and 19.9 Points Above Average both far-and-away led the position.

    OT – Josh Simmons, Ohio State

    Simmons had a Blown Block Rate of just 1.1% on the year. He was 2nd among FBS tackles in Total Points Earned per Snap and Points Above Average per Snap. His balance was impressive as he was able to earn at least 18 Total Points as both a pass blocker and as a run blocker.

    OT – Delmar Glaze, Maryland

    Glaze’s 0.9% Blown Block rate on 767 snaps was tied for 5th-best among all FBS OTs with at least 500 snaps played. His 7 Blown Blocks were tied for 7th-fewest, with only two coming as a run blocker. However, his 22.6 Points Earned as a pass blocker was the best in the country.

    OG – Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

    Beebe has been regarded as one of the best guards in all of college football the past few seasons. Among his 37 Total Points, 23 came as a run blocker, which was 7th-best among FBS guards with at least 500 snaps. His 0.5% Blown Block rate as a pass blocker was Top 15.

    OG – Kyle Hergel, Boston College

    Hergel was an ironman, playing over 800 snaps on the season. His 0.9% Blown Block Rate was noteworthy, but he also led FBS guards in Points Above Average. Scroll down and you’ll see that Boston College had a guard make 2nd team as well.

    OC – Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

    Powers-Johnson won a spot on the 1st Team with his very low 0.6% Blown Block Rate and ranked 2nd among FBS centers in Points Above Average. He was the only center to earn at least 17 Total Points as both a pass blocker and a run blocker..

    First Team Defense

    Position Name School
    DT T’Vondre Sweat Texas
    DT Jamree Kromah James Madison
    EDGE Laiatu Latu UCLA
    EDGE Adisa Isaac Penn State
    LB Payton Wilson NC State
    LB Danny Stutsman Oklahoma
    CB Terrion Arnold Alabama
    CB Tykee Smith Georgia
    S Dillon Thieneman Purdue
    S Beau Freyler Iowa State
    FLEX Xavier Watts Notre Dame

    DT – T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

    While not known as a pass rusher, Sweat did rank Top-25 among DTs in pressures with 22. His run defense was the main selling point as he led DTs in Total Points per Snap, Run Defense Total Points, and Run Defense Total Points per Snap to boot. A well-deserved place after a monster season.

    DT – Jamree Kromah, James Madison

    James Madison proved to be one of the best stories in college football this season, and Kromah’s play on defense was a big reason why. Among DTs, his 10 sacks tops the list and his 41 pressures ranked 2nd. Additionally, his Pass Rush Points Saved (21.1) rank 2nd and Points Above Average (4.6) rank 10th.

    EDGE – Laiatu Latu, UCLA

    Latu, a first round lock in the upcoming NFL Draft, was absolutely dominant as a pass rusher in 2023. His 35 pass rush Points Saved tops all FBS DE/LBs, his 21% Pressure rate ranked 2nd among all with at least 200 pass rushes, his 59 pressures ranked 2nd, and his 12 sacks ranked tied for 5th.

    EDGE – Adisa Isaac, Penn State

    Isaac led FBS DEs in Total Points per Snap, was 1st in Pass Defense per Snap, 10th in Run Defense per Snap. While he may not be as heralded as his teammate, he was 3rd in Total Points per Pass Rush among FBS players with at least 25 pressures.

    LB – Payton Wilson, NC State

    Wilson is an athletic linebacker who makes plays all over the field, which is evidenced by his Total Points numbers. His 71 Total Points were tied for 7th-best among all FBS defenders in 2023. Among LBs, his 41 Total Points as a pass rusher/defender ranked 1st and his 29 Total Points ranked 2nd,  his 0.12 Total Points per Snap in run defense was best. He ranked Top 25 in sacks (6) and pressures (24) as well.

    LB – Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma

    Another player who can do it all. Stutsman was 4th among FBS LBs in Run Defense Total Points, 3rd in Pass Defense Total Points, and 2nd in overall Total Points. Stutsman was all over the field, earning at least 10 Total Points in coverage, against the run, and rushing the passer.

    CB – Terrion Arnold, Alabama

    Arnold sort of came out of nowhere for Alabama’s defense this season. Playing opposite of Kool-Aid McKinstry, Arnold allowed the 5th-lowest completion percentage among players with at least 50 targets defensed. Additionally, his 5 interceptions tied for 2nd, 12 passes defended tied for 12th, 54.7 Points Saved in coverage ranked 3rd, and his 37.7 Points Above Average ranked 5th.

    CB – Tykee Smith, Georgia

    Another in a line of productive Georgia defenders, Smith was 2nd among FBS CBs in Total Points per Snap. He gave up a lowly 0.2 Yards per Coverage Snap and just a 29.6 QB Rating when targeted. He allowed only 11 receptions on the year and snagged 4 interceptions for himself as well.

    SAF – Dillon Thieneman, Purdue

    An unbelievably impressive true freshman season for the Boilermaker that saw him lead FBS safeties in Total Points. His 45 Pass Defense Total Points are good for 4th and his 27 Run Defense Total Points are good for 6th, showing the ability to affect both aspects of the game. His 6 INTs were good for 2nd in the FBS and a clear warning to not throw his way.

    SAF – Beau Freyler, Iowa State

    For an Iowa State defense that lost some big-time playmakers after the 2022 season, Freyler stepped up in a big way in 2023. His 72 Total Points ranked 2nd among FBS safeties, as does his 50 Total Points against the pass. Among safeties who saw at least 25 targets, his 7.7% Boom rate ranked 2nd and 38.5% Bust rate ranked 4th. Additionally, his 21.9 Passer Rating Against is 3rd-best.

    FLEX – Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

    Watts was a major impact player for the Notre Dame defense all season. He led FBS safeties in Pass Defense Total Points with 55, and he led the FBS with 7 INTs. He had a QB Rating Against of 42.9 when targeted, and his game against USC was one of the most impressive player performances of the year.

    First Team Specialists

    Position Name School
    K Graham Nicholson Miami (OH)
    P Tory Taylor Iowa
    Returner Jayden Harrison Marshall

    K – Graham Nicholson, Miami (OH)

    Nicholson was nearly automatic in 2023. He was 26-of-27 on field goals, with his only miss coming in the MAC Championship. Those 26 makes were tied for 2nd-most in the FBS. He also went 36-of-37 on extra points.

    P – Tory Taylor, Iowa

    Absolutely phenomenal all season, Taylor led all FBS punters with 29 Total Points. He led the FBS with 87 punts and had just 6 touchbacks (a few should’ve been prevented) with 30 landing inside the 20 and 11 inside the 10. If a punter gets a unanimous selection, as Taylor did, it was a dominant season.

    Returner – Jayden Harrison, Marshall

    Harrison was one of only five returners in 2023 to return two kicks for touchdowns. His total kick return yards were Top 5 in the FBS and his 30.9 average was 6th-best among returners with at least 10 kick returns.

    Eleven players on our First Team list were unanimous selections among all 14 of our voters. 

    They are: Jayden Daniels, Omarion Hampton, Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison Jr., Cooper Beebe, T’Vondre Sweat, Laiatu Latu, Payton Wilson, Terrion Arnold, Xavier Watts, and Tory Taylor.

    Second Team

     

    Position Name School
    QB Caleb Williams USC
    RB Ashton Jeanty Boise State
    RB Ollie Gordon II Oklahoma State
    WR Rome Odunze Washington
    WR Malik Washington Virginia
    TE Cade Stover Ohio State
    OT Kelvin Banks Jr. Texas
    OT Adam Karas Air Force
    OG Christian Mahogany Boston College
    OG X’Zauvea Gadlin Liberty
    OC Jordan White Liberty

     

    Position Name School
    DT Braden Fiske Florida State
    DT James Carpenter James Madison
    EDGE Brennan Jackson Washington State
    EDGE Jalen Green James Madison
    LB Edgerrin Cooper Texas A&M
    LB Jaylan Ford Texas
    CB Ricardo Hallman Wisconsin
    CB Jarius Monroe Tulane
    S Tyler Nubin Minnesota
    S Trey Taylor Air Force
    FLEX Jared Verse Florida State

     

    Position Name School
    K Jose Pizano UNLV
    P Ryan Eckley Michigan State
    Returner Zachariah Branch USC

    Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, gets the nod for Second Team. Additionally, the offense features the leading rusher (Ollie Gordon II), the second and third-leading receivers (Rome Odunze and Malik Washington), and our three highest Total Points getters along the offensive line (Adam Karas, X’Zauvea Gadlin, and Jordan White).

    On defense, the players with the second-most sacks (Jalen Green) and second-most interceptions (Ricard Hallman) are featured.

    Honorable Mentions

    Position Name School
    QB Michael Penix Jr. Washington
    QB Bo Nix Oregon
    QB Jordan Travis Florida State
    RB Jonah Coleman Arizona
    RB Damien Martinez Oregon State
    WR Luther Burden III Missouri
    TE Mason Fairchild Kansas
    TE Brock Bowers Georgia
    OT Will Campbell LSU
    OT Riley Mahlman Wisconsin
    OT Josh Connerly Oregon
    OT Jordan Morgan Arizona
    OT Joe Alt Notre Dame
    OG Trevor Keegan Michigan
    OG Hayden Conner Texas
    OC Drake Nugent Michigan
    DT Howard Cross III Notre Dame
    DT Jer’Zhan Newton Illinois
    CB Nate Wiggins Clemson
    CB Cooper DeJean Iowa
    S Hunter Wohler Wisconsin
    K Will Reichard Alabama
    K Joshua Karty Stanford
    P James Ferguson-Reynolds Boise State
    P Ryan Rehkow BYU
    Returner Jacob De Jesus UNLV

    Jordan Travis, Brock Bowers, and Cooper DeJean make the Honorable Mention team due to their injuries. Without them sustaining injuries, we feel like there’s a significant chance they could’ve made it onto the First or Second Team lists. The rest of the players on the Honorable Mention list all received high marks from the full-time Ops staff, but just missed the cut on the first two teams.

    All 11 conferences, which includes the Independents, are represented by our teams. Our scouts put in a lot of hard work and dedication this season charting games and scouting players for every FBS team. After a successful reveal of our second annual All-America teams last year, we feel this was another great season of college football as shown by these selections.

    Total Points, stats, and ranks as of December 12, 2023

  • A Mathematical Realignment of FBS College Football Conferences

    A Mathematical Realignment of FBS College Football Conferences

    We are now over halfway through the 2023 College Football season and coming closer to a 2024 that will look nothing like its predecessor. A new playoff format and new conference alignment will take center stage and drive the new era of college football forward.

    We decided to take a stab at realigning FBS college conferences based on a multitude of features that can be grouped by academics, location, on-field football performance, and finances. If we blew up the whole existing scheme and went for schools that were most aligned on these key factors, how would that shake out? 

    For the mathy people out there, these factors were weighted using Multiple Factor Analysis and then used to create new conferences utilizing K-Means Clustering. Some additional details about the methodology are included below.

    Without further ado, let’s jump right into the fun!

    Features

    As stated previously, the features can fall into 4 categories: academics, location, on-field football performance, and finances. 

    Academics

    • R1 University Status – A university that has high research activity with the required benchmarks outlined here. As it stands, only 3 schools in the current Power 5 do not have R1 status.

    Location

    • The latitude and longitude of each college football stadium for the respective school.

    On-Field Performance

    • Winning Percentage – The winning percentage of each team from 2018-2022.
    • Average Recruiting Ranking – The average 247 star-ranking for each player on the team from 2018-2022.

    Finances

    • Total Athletic Department Revenue – All sources of operating revenue for the schools’ athletics departments for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
    • Total Athletic Department Expenses – All operating expenses for the schools’ athletic departments for the  2022-2023 fiscal year.
    • College Football Head Coach Salaries – The total pay by the school and athletically related compensation from non-university sources in 2023.

    *The data collected comes from USA Today. Private schools are exempt from reporting revenue, expenses, and coaches’ pay as well as some that are under state exemption. To fill in the missing data, the average dollar amount from the respective school’s current conference was used. The proxy values for Army and Navy come from the AAC, and Notre Dame’s are averages of the top 20 schools in each category.

    Methodology – Tailored Version

    Here’s the skinny on what we did.

    We started by structuring the various inputs into groups and then trying to identify where those inputs could be consolidated, so our model becomes as streamlined as possible. 

    From there, we took those component measures for each school and grouped them by similarity. We can use statistical methods to identify how many groups (“clusters”) there should be, which said that about 6 conferences makes the most sense. 

    Yes, that means we’re coming out with a lot fewer conferences than currently exist in FBS. But we’re having fun here (and boy are those new conferences going to have some fun).

    Methodology – Detailed Version

    Multiple Factor Analysis

    Multiple factor analysis is used to structure the provided data into groups and then reduce dimensionality using a combination of principal component analysis and multiple correspondence analysis. More on the specifics of multiple factor analysis can be found here.

    In regards to this analysis, each of the quantitative variables are scaled to a z-score and then weighted properly in each component. In this case, 5 components (dimensions) were selected to be used for clustering with 97.48% of variance explained. The following is a table of the contributions of each group of variables to each dimension:

     

    Dimension 1 Dimension 2 Dimension 3 Dimension 4 Dimension 5
    Academic 25% 3% <1% 46% 25%
    Performance 33% 1% 2% 47% 53%
    Financial 42% <1% <1% 1% 21%
    Location <1% 95% 97% 5% 1%

     K-Means Clustering

    K-Means clustering is an unsupervised machine learning technique used to create clusters of data with similar traits. Basically, the optimal number of clusters is selected by the analyst with help from some optimization techniques, and then the model optimizes how to assign each data point to its ideal cluster center. Once the clusters have been made and each data point has been assigned to a cluster, it is up to us on how to interpret those clusters distinctly. Read here for more on K-means clustering.

    In this case, each cluster includes the teams that will be in each new proposed conference. Based on the results, the optimal number of conferences will be 6. Additionally, the worst option other than 1 is 10, which will be the number of conferences after the PAC-12 disbands next season. This number was determined using the best silhouette distance (see here) for the given number of clusters. The plot visualizing this can be seen below.

    Results

    Step aside Power 5, I present to you the Sweet 6 FBS Football Conferences!

    Southern USA

    Baylor FIU Florida Atlantic Georgia State Georgia Tech
    Houston Louisiana Memphis Mississippi State New Mexico
    North Texas Rice South Florida Southern Mississippi Texas Tech
    Tulane UAB UCF UTEP UTSA

    In the newly formed Southern USA conference (named in part because we see a lot of current C-USA schools), we see a mix of teams that come from both the original power and non-power 5 conferences. All of these schools are R1 universities. The range of recruiting rankings goes from 2.4 to 3.23 and only 4 schools have athletic revenue and expenses over $100 million (Baylor, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, and Mississippi State). 

    PAC-17 (RIP 2-Pac)

    Arizona Arizona State California Colorado Colorado State Hawaii
    Nevada Oregon Oregon State Stanford UCLA UNLV
    USC Utah Utah State Washington Washington State

    The new look PAC-12 adds Colorado State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada, and Utah State in this scenario. The geographical impact of this conference is prevalent with all of these schools located in Colorado or west. USC, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA are still in this conference based on the factors considered and were unable to make the jump to the elite conference that we will discuss later. However, the first 3 lead the new conference in recruiting rankings with an average of 3.51, with UCLA in 7th at 3.10. 

    The American 30

    Air Force Akron App. State Arkansas State Army Ball State Boise State Bowling Green
    BYU Central Michigan Charlotte Coastal Carolina East Carolina Eastern Michigan Fresno State Georgia Southern
    Jacksonville State James Madison Liberty Louisiana Tech Louisiana-Monroe Marshall Miami OH Middle Tennessee State
    New Mexico State Northern Illinois Sam Houston State San Diego State San Jose State SMU South Alabama TCU
    Texas State Toledo Troy Tulsa Wake Forest Western Kentucky Western Michigan Wyoming

     This conference is really the best of the rest across the country. This is the only conference that includes teams that are not R1, as all of these institutions do not have that distinction. Wake Forest, BYU, and TCU are the current Power 5 schools that find themselves in this conference. This conference spans the entire United States, highlighted by a would-be conference game between Army and San Diego State, schools that are 2,796 miles apart. Hopefully the MAC teams in this conference wouldn’t push for the Wednesday night games or these two schools would be doomed!

    The Northleast

    Buffalo Kent State Navy Ohio
    Old Dominion Temple UCONN UMASS

    These 8 teams are the bottom-tier when it comes to winning percentage and recruiting rankings. 7 out of 10 fall in the bottom 30 in recruiting and 5 out of 8 fall in the bottom 30 in winning percentage. One of the main reasons why they are separated from The American 30 is that they are all R1 institutions. It is a shame that basketball performance is not taken into account for the Huskies, as the reigning national champion and perennial powerhouse basketball program would certainly lift this team to a better conference.

    TCGP (The Champion Gets Promoted)

    Kansas Rutgers Vanderbilt Nebraska
    Arkansas Northwestern Illinois Indiana
    Duke Louisville Maryland Virginia Tech
    Syracuse South Carolina Boston College Purdue
    North Carolina Missouri West Virginia Virginia
    Ole Miss Michigan State Iowa State Kansas State
    NC State Pittsburgh Wisconsin Kentucky
    Oklahoma State Minnesota Iowa Cincinnati

     The best of the rest in the Power 5 find themselves here one step below the elites. The current Big 10, Big 12, ACC, and SEC are all represented here as the mid-tier teams of their respective conferences. They are all R1 universities and have revenues over $100 million except for Cincinnati, who was just in the College Football Playoff 2 years ago and has the highest winning percentage of these teams. Kansas and Syracuse are the only two teams that don’t reach the 3-star recruiting ranking threshold in this conference. If relegation was alive in college football, this would be the conference where teams can make the jump to elite status or fall back down to.

    The Premier 16 

    Alabama Auburn Clemson Florida
    Florida State Georgia LSU Miami FL
    Michigan Notre Dame Ohio State Oklahoma
    Penn State Tennessee Texas Texas A&M

    We have finally reached the elite tier conference. This conference boasts the best of the best including all of the national champions of this millennium. These teams recruit the best players, generate the most revenue, win the most, and are all R1 institutions. The SEC, Big 10, ACC, and Big 12 are all represented here as well as independent Notre Dame. All 16 of these teams reside in the top 18 when it comes to recruiting as well, meaning it might be difficult to keep any of these teams out of the Premier competition for long.

    At the end of the day, this was a thought-exercise used to create new conferences based on a multitude of factors rather than location. At the end of the day, the west coast is still really far away, but dropping the FBS to 6 conferences really made similarities amongst teams that we wouldn’t usually compare stand out. Now let your minds wander on what relegation can look like year to year…

  • When A Sack Isn’t A Sack (Revisited)

    When A Sack Isn’t A Sack (Revisited)

    A quarterback drops back to pass, gets tackled, and fumbles the ball. The average football fan calls this a sack, but depending on what happens to the ball after the fumble, it may not be.

    Jalen Carter experienced this firsthand last year.

    The official NCAA rulebook has two scenarios where this is not a sack, and in one case, not even a tackle for loss. From Section 16, Articles 8-9, including Clarification:


    “A.R. 8. Adams is back to pass, but has the ball stripped from his grasp before his arm starts going forward by Benson, causing a fumble. The ball is then recovered behind the line of scrimmage by Allen, who attempts to gain positive yardage before being tackled by Baker, still behind the line of scrimmage. Credit Benson with a forced fumble only. Credit Baker with a solo tackle and a solo tackle for loss for the yards lost to the final spot. Charge Adams with a rush attempt and minus yards rushing to the final spot. Charge Team A with a fumble not lost. Allen is not credited with any statistics on this play. 

    A.R. 9. Adams is back to pass, but has the ball stripped from his grasp before his arm starts going forward by Benson, causing a fumble. The ball is then recovered behind the line of scrimmage by Allen, who gains positive yardage before being tackled by Baker beyond the line of scrimmage. Credit Benson with a forced fumble only. Credit Baker with a solo tackle. Charge Adams with a rush attempt for zero yards. Credit Allen with no rush but with the yards gained from the line of scrimmage under “Rushing.” Credit Team A with a fumble not lost.”

    Clarification: For plays that end either on the line of scrimmage or beyond, there is no pass sack credited, but rather it is considered a rushing play. There can be no pass sack (or tackle for loss) without loss of yardage. 

    In Article 8, the QB drops back to pass, a defender forces a fumble, and an offensive player picks it up and tries to advance the ball. The offensive player tackled behind the line of scrimmage (LOS), and the defender doesn’t get credit for a sack. In Article 9, same scenario, but the fumbled ball is advanced past the LOS, and no sack is credited to the defender. The Clarification expands in a concise way by stating that a play that ends with a 0 or positive yard gain can’t be credited as a sack. The NFL would credit the defender with a sack in both of these scenarios, but not the NCAA.

    The NCAA tries to assign every single yard in a game to a specific player, while the NFL allows for “phantom” yards to exist when a player shouldn’t be given credit. Example: Derrick Henry rushes for 5 yards, fumbles the ball 3 yards forward before a defender recovers it. Derrick Henry of Alabama would get 8 rushing yards because the ball is picked up 8 yards downfield, while Derrick Henry of the Titans would get 5 yards with the 3 yards the ball bounced assigned to nobody.

    The fumble yardage rules come into play in almost every single game in college football (often multiple times), but how often do Articles 8 and 9 come into play? During the 2022 FBS season, 25 times. Below are a handful of examples of plays that are not officially sacks.

    Clarification – The Colorado State QB fumbles the ball, and it goes 3 yards past the LOS. The QB actually gets +3 rushing yards on this play.

    Clarification – The Utah State QB fumbles the ball, and it goes 1 yard past the LOS. The QB actually gets +1 rushing yard on this play.

    Article 9 – The Tennessee QB fumbles the ball, and it is picked up by an offensive player who tries (and does) to advance it. The defender still gets a TFL, but not a sack.

    Article 8 – The Tennessee QB fumbles the ball, and it is picked up by an offensive player who tries to advance it. The improper spotting of the ball (should’ve been a safety) means the player actually did advance the ball. The defender gets a TFL, but not a sack.

    First off, I am in favor of every one of those plays being credited as sacks, but by the official NCAA rules, they are not. Secondly, the NCAA doesn’t count team-tracked statistics as official statistics so a play by play (PBP) on a team’s website crediting it as a sack, doesn’t mean it is a sack. College PBPs have errors in them (a truly painstaking process on our end to try to get things right) as they are done live, sometimes by inexperienced people, where mistakes are made. To make it even worse, college refs aren’t perfect and make mistakes as well (see the ball spotting error on the Jalen Carter non-sack), and once the refs place the ball, it is an official placement.

    While this happened only 25 times last season, it is still noteworthy as sacks are such a crucial, and often-referenced stat to make a case for a player’s ability or, further down the road, a case for their team’s Ring of Honor or the Hall of Fame. It really comes down to common sense. When you watch those plays, they look like a sack and act like a sack, and they should be tracked as a sack.

    There are other differences on sacks between the NCAA and NFL that are noteworthy. If the QB drops back to pass, scrambles, and is tackled for a 0-yard gain, the NCAA doesn’t credit that as a sack, since there isn’t a loss of yardage, while the NFL does credit a sack.

    How many 0-yard scrambles could there be in college? During the 2022 FBS season, there were 328. If the ball is spotted behind the LOS in college, but not enough for a full-yard, it is credited as a 0-yard scramble, meaning a defender loses a sack by a matter of inches.

    I am of the opinion that the NCAA should adapt those two rules and track those plays like the NFL, but there is one scenario that the NCAA tracks sacks better than the NFL, intentional grounding calls.

    When a QB is called for intentional grounding, the ball is usually placed at the spot of the foul (minor exceptions occur), but in the NCAA, the defender who forces the QB to get rid of the ball (or closest defender to him) gets credit for a sack with a loss of yards to the spot of the foul coupled with a 0-yard penalty that results in a loss of down. The NFL doesn’t credit a defender with a sack, but instead assigns the yards as penalty yards.

    This means that NFL QBs can short sack totals by simply getting rid of the ball at the last moment and taking the credit away from the defender. In the eyes of nearly every defensive coach, getting an intentional grounding call is essentially a sack as it moves the offense back the same yards and results in a loss of down. Defenders don’t receive the statistical credit in the NFL on these plays however and as stated early, stats such as sacks are often used to determine a player’s value down the line.

    At the end of the day, neither league has a perfect stat-tracking system, and maybe to the average fan, they don’t care, but to the people who track these stats and to the players who obtain them, it matters. A few simple rule changes could greatly improve the way sacks are tracked and how a better description of what actually happened on a play. So for those of you that are wondering why we have Jalen Carter with one sack less than the “general consensus,” now you know why.