HYFR | ‘24 NFL Draft | College Hoops Top 25 | Jets-Raiders | YouTube Rabbithole
*Jets-Raiders was written last. Everything prior was before Sunday Night Football.*
Alright @YouTheReader,
HYFR is an acronym for Hell Yeah Feckin’ Right. It’s also the 17th track off of Drake’s Take Care album. This song features Drake’s mentor, Lil Wayne.
This is a Texan rapper E.S.G's lyric from the song "Swanging and Banging", which HYFR samples.
George Strait is an American country singer with his #1 hit being All My Exes Live in Texas. Strong open.
One of Drake’s few funny awkward text exchanges. The idea behind this may have come from one of Lil Wayne’s song verses on “Crying Out For Me.” (Source: RapGenius)
Working with the negatives could make for better pictures has multiple meanings. I believe when developing photos they start off as negative. Could also have to do with using filters on a phone. Working on his own negatives or faults could also lead to better finishes. Or having negative interactions during interviews could lead to more publicity. Take Care came out in the fall, OVO stands for October’s Very Own, and Drake has released the majority of his albums around the autumn time.
Drinking Guinness instead of liquor will turn enemies into friends, I saw it in one of their advertisements.
I’m still waiting for a bartender to tell me to get TF out of their bar for asking them questions like where they’re from and do they like New York City. There’s been a few close ones but it’s bound to happen eventually.
Yes. No. Uhh…yeah a little bit for every one of these Notes.
Lil Wayne out here playing hard to get. We see you Weezy F. Baby.
Jonah Elliss is from Moscow, Idaho. A 3-star recruit out of high school, Elliss saw limited action on defense and special team work as a freshman. In ‘22 as a start, he became a starter and would go on to become a Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention as he had 6.5 tackles for loss to go with 3 sacks. So far this year, Elliss has blown up in the sack column as he already has 12 sacks this season in 10 games. The main reason for the uptick is that Ellis switched positions from linebacker to defensive end and now rushes the passer on the vast majority of snaps. Jonah’s father, Luther, was a 1st team all-conference and All-American for Utah from 1991-94 and would go on to play in the NFL for 10 years. Luther Elliss currently Utah’s defensive tackles coach. Jonah Elliss credits his father coaching him with the inside spin move as one of his most effective counter moves when rushing the passer.
Kris Abrams-Draine is from Mobile, Alabama, and according to ESPN was at one point a 4-star recruit as a WR. During his senior year of high school, he went from catching passes to throwing as a QB and also playing a bit of defensive back. When he first joined Missouri KAD went back to being a WR in ‘20. In ‘21, Abrams-Draine moved over to CB full-time. In 10 starts at the new position, Kris Abrams-Draine had 3 INTs and a team-leading 7 pass-breakups while also returning kicks (he returned 1 for a TD). Last year as a junior, the 5’11” CB made 12 more starts where he had 14 pass breakups, 2nd most in the SEC. This season KAD already 4 INTs as the WR skills at CB clearly transitioned over with the position change.
Tory Horton is from Fresno, California, and was a three-sport standout in football, basketball, and baseball while in high school. Out of high school, he initially attended Nevada where in 2 seasons he played 21 games and caught 72 passes for 995 yards with 10 TDs. Horton then transferred to Colorado State for the ‘22 season and he broke out with 71 catches for 1,131 yards & 8 TDs. This earned him All-Mountain West, First Team. This season, Horton made national publicity Week 2 when he had the best game of his career against Coach Prime and Colorado. Horton had 16 catches for 133 yards and a score. With a few games still yet to play, Horton already has caught a career-high 81 passes in 10 games. The 6’2” senior is a good route-runner with great hands and has improved every year in college.
Rod Moore is from Clayton, Ohio, and was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school. In ‘21 as a freshman, Rod Moore earned 4 starts while also contributing as a special teamer. He was co-Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as Special Teams Rookie of the Year for the Wolverines. Last year as a sophomore, Moore got more playing time with 14 starts and he led the team’s DBs in tackles with 71. Not only was he all over the ball as a tackler but he led Michigan in INTs with 4 and pass breakups with 7. He earned All-Big Ten selection honorable mention for his effort. The versatile safety has the ability to play deep CF but is also a very sound tackler. Moore & Michigan have done a great job developing him into the star he has become.
Payton Wilson is from Hillsborough, North Carolina. His older brother Bryse Wilson pitches for the Brewers in Milwaukee. In high school Payton not only played football but was a lacrosse player and state champion wrestler. Wilson was named the NC Athlete of the Year his senior year of high school and he decided to stay in-state as a member of the Wolfpack. After suffering a knee injury the summer before his collegiate debut, Wilson’s college career started a year late in ‘19. Despite coming off the bench in all but one game played, the athletic linebacker led the team in tackles as a freshman. In ‘20, Wilson was named All-ACC as he led the conference in tackles per game with 10.8, becoming the first player of the Wolfpack to do so since ‘00. Unfortunately in ‘21, Wilson suffered another injury, this time with his shoulder. In ‘22, the North Carolina kid once again returned back from injury as he had career highs in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (4.5). This season has arguably been Wilson’s best year yet as in 10 games he has 112 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, and 8 pass deflections. Age and his injury durability will be the only thing that may hold Payton Wilson back from being at least a Day 2 pick in the NFL, that said, the star linebacker has already proven he can come back from injury to play at a high level at NC State.
So after doing a bit of research, I found out that the Associated Press doesn’t release updated College Basketball Top 25 until Monday. This scheduling conflict will sometimes make this section obsolete because the Rankings will change the day Mock Draft Monday is sent out at Midnight. Do not worry, I’ve reached out to the Associated Press to see if we
Hello,
I am inquiring about the chances of the AP changing their weekly Top 25 College Basketball Rankings to be released on Sunday afternoons instead of Monday afternoons. This current schedule that has been around for decades conflicts with my Mock Draft Mondays on Week to Week Notes for @You_The_Reader on Instagram. Please consider such an inquiry, as an up-and-coming American sports media publication, it would be greatly appreciated!
Hunter Dickinson is from Alexandria, Virginia, and attended DeMatha Catholic in Maryland where he became the high school’s winningest player with a 119-22 record. He was named the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year in ‘20. After high school, Dickinson chose to play in Ann Arbor for Michigan. As a freshman, Dickinson was excellent as he earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year by averaging 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and nearly 2 blocks per game. He would play 2 more seasons for the Wolverines and all in all, averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The 7’2” center was a 1st Team All-Big Ten selection the past two seasons. Last season, the lefty fully incorporated his 3-point shooting into his game and shot 42% from beyond the arc. Dickinson can play both inside-n-out and was one of the top players to enter the transfer portal this past offseason, choosing to play for the Jayhawks. Kansas head coach Bill Self called Hunter Dickinson, “the 'best offensive Big Man' I've ever coached.”
Dalton Knecht, pronounced “connect” was born in Fargo, North Dakota, but he grew up in Colorado. At the start of high school, he was 5’8” until a growth spur in his junior year shot him up to 6’1”. As a senior in high school, he averaged 21 points but ultimately didn’t receive much attention from D1 schools. Out of high school, he first attended Northeastern Junior College in Colorado where after 2 years with the program he finished his 2nd season averaging 23.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. This drew the attention of one of Knecht’s home-state college programs at the University of Northern Colorado. After a year of getting used to D1 hoops, Dalton Knecht became a star last season leading the Big Sky in points per game with 20.2 with 7.2 rebounds. Knecht was another transfer portal stud who made his debut with Tennessee and did so with a loud thunderous tomahawk jam.
Nisine Hamir Poplar goes by Wooga (WUH-gah) Poplar and is from Philadelphia, PA. He only started playing basketball as a sophomore in high school and yet still somehow scored over 1,000 points before the end of his junior year. Poplar led his high school team to their first state title in 8 years and averaged 22 points per game but was only rated a 3-star recruit. As a freshman at Miami, Wooga made appearances in 34 of the team’s 37 games but was a bench player who averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game. Last year as a sophomore, Wooga Poplar made 36 starts for the Hurricane and improved all facets of his game by averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 38% from 3 after only shooting 21% as a freshman. After taking a hop from his freshman to sophomore year, it looks like this year he is set to make a much bigger leap as so far this season he is averaging 22 points per game. A breakout star season for Wooga Poplar would be a fun thing to monitor. The 6’5” guard plays lockdown defense and his offensive game has evidently grown.
Armando Bacot is from Richmond, Virginia. In high school, he won a gold medal as a member of the Under 18 USA Basketball national team. From the moment he stepped foot on campus at UNC, Bacot was a starter for the Tar Heels. In ‘19-’20 as a freshman, he nearly averaged a double-double with 9.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, his encore performance was 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, which earned him the recipient of the Dean Smith MVP and Danny Green Most Improved Player team awards as well as 3rd Team All-ACC. During his junior campaign, Bacot had one of the most prolific rebounding seasons in college basketball history. He averaged his 1st double-double for a season with 16.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game on the Tar Heel team that fell just short of winning the dance. Last year as a senior, Bacot once again was dominant as he put up another double-double season with 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. At 6’11” and not overly athletic, Bacot has gotten used to playing power forward instead of center, but he can play both due to his excellent rebounding positioning. As a grad student, Armando Bacot has returned this season and has gotten off to a hot start in the scoring column, thus far averaging 23.5 points and 16.5 rebounds per game in 2 games. His high energy and ability to box out give him a shot at playing in the NBA after this season.
Isaiah Collier is a freshman from Atlanta, Georgia. Collier was the #1 overall prospect recruit to enter College Basketball this season. In high school, he won the Georgia state title 3 years in a row while averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. In ‘23 he was named the Georgia Mr. Basketball and he was a co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game. Thus far in 2 games at USC, the newest Trojan star is averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 40% from 3. Collier at 6’5” plays point guard and will be an elite playmaker this season.
Notes Nobody Asked For
Jets | Raiders (Week 10, ‘23)
- The pregame for Sunday Night Football is the Giants get blown out by Dallas. TD Bank is about to lose in fantasy football. Rough one for the Tommy D’s.
- NBC showing the Heidi Game introduction with the actress Jennifer Edwards who starred as the actual Heidi was cool. Here is a quick summation if you’re interested. (Saturday Sports 8/19 '23)
Quarter 1
- AOC (Aidan O’Connell) targets Davante Adams on 3 straight throws to start the game. Sauce with a nice 3rd down tackle just short of the sticks to force a Raiders 3-N-Out.
- It’s 3-0 Jets because Garrett Wilson is awesome. He makes a guy miss and goes nearly 40 yards but the drive stalls because without him or Breece Hall doing something crazy they don’t score TDs.
- AOC on the following drive hits Davante Adams a few times and they get a FG. We got a tie at 3-3.
- Xavier Gipson adjusts to a ball 20 yards down for a 1st Down. Then the Jets commit a holding penalty and Garrett Wilson drops a pass over the middle. 6-3 NYJ.
- AOC throws an interception to S Jordan Whitehead. He got a nice read on the pass attempt to Davante Adams. Nice play.
- A good 1st Quarter for the Jets. 6 points and a turnover, can’t complain.
Quarter 2
- Zach Wilson nearly scored a 23-yard rushing TD on a scramble. Oh, wait, he just stepped out of bounds at the 3-yard line. On the very next play, Breece Hall scores a 3-yard rushing TD. Oh, wait, it gets called back for a holding on TE CJ Uzuma. Of course, the Jets don’t score a TD on 1st and Goal from the 13-yard line. 9-3 NYJ.
- The Jets defense forces a quick 3-N-Out. So far containing RB Josh Jacobs pretty well. When the Jets get the ball RB Dalvin Cook rushes for 10 and then 9 yards. Wow, 2 carries for 19 yards, are we in the midst of Cook’s legacy game with the Jets? (That answer was no, he finished with 26 yards total.) The drive ends up stalling and the Jets punt.
- Solomon Thomas and JFM each get themselves some sacks which forces Las Vegas out of field goal range.
- Zach Wilson has been able to use his legs in the running game. Good, we need more of that.
- Fast forward to the end of the 1st half. Las Vegas with 52 seconds left is led by AOC right down the field into FG range thanks to a roughing the passer call on Bryce Huff. 9-6 NYJ
Quarter 3
- The Jets get the ball at the half and of course, come right out with a chop block penalty on RB Michael Carter. An iffy call but not surprised. What do you know, the very next play New York is flagged again, this time a holding on Xavier Gipson.
- Raiders get the ball and don’t do anything with it. NY’s defense forces a punt. This game is too close and the offense needs to do something. Instead, we go 3-N-Out and give up a long punt return to put LV in Jets territory. Great.
- Momentum is going Las Vegas’ way but the Jets defense steps up with a Jermaine Johnson sack with Q-Ball being so close to getting one of his own. Sauce guards Adams on 3rd down and is on him like a blanket. Raiders kick FG. 9-9 tie game.
- If you’re not a fan of the Jets and Raiders, I’d go to bed. This game has been AWFUL to watch.
- Jets get the ball at the 15-yard line because Xavier Gipson takes the kick return out of the endzone and goes nowhere. The next play is a G. Wilson 5-yard screen. Then Zach Wilson gets sacked and fumbles luckily the Jets fall on. On 3rd down, Zach Wilson just heaves the ball as far as he can without a prayer in the world that it gets caught. Punt.
Quarter 4
- Raiders drive the ball downfield and score a TD on a TE Michael Mayer fade. A rookie QB just hit a rookie TE and now the score is 16-9 LVR. The Jets trail for the first time tonight.
- Zach Wilson throws a screen pass to Breece Hall who has a ton of space for a long gain. Where is the flag? Surprised they didn’t throw one for something. On the next play, the Jets try some trickery as Garrett Wilson catches a ball in the backfield for a WR toss to Allen Lazard. The pass falls way out of bounds when it should have been a TD. They settle for 3 and the score is 16-12 LVR.
- Raiders Josh Jacobs fumbles the ball and it is recovered by Ashtyn Davis, there is no relation if you’re wondering.
- The Jets are driving down the field. Garrett Wilson makes one helluva a tough catch as he gets hit. Then Zach Wilson throws an interception.
- Once again the Jets defense gives the offense another chance. Zach Wilson hits Tyler Conklin down the seem with about 25 seconds left to go. The Jets have a timeout but apparently don’t use it until 13 seconds left. Coach Saleh is yelling at the ref that there should at least be 20 seconds left but why give him the benefit of the doubt? Saleh has been terrible with clock management in the past and I could see him freezing in this situation thinking they could spike it when they just wasted 3 possible at the end zone.
- Zach Wilson scrambles and throws up a prayer into and out of the arms of Garrett Wilson & Tyler Conklin. Raiders win 16-12.
- The Jets season is over. Get them off National TV.