Jungle
- NFL Building a Board
- College Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake’s Jungle. It’s the 2nd to last song off his album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.
After listening to this song for about a decade, I would’ve never guessed these were the opening lines. Anyway, this could be the right lyrics to mention my nephew still hasn’t asked me to have a catch. When do these things start talking? Pitchers and catchers report on February 12, so he’s up against the clock.
Kidding, please stay a baby for as long as possible.
On to the sports…
I gotta start updating the Draft Board after the National Championship tonight, here are the football profiles in chronological order….
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Matthew Golden is from Houston, Texas. A 4-star prospect out of Klein Cain HS, Golden scored 32 touchdowns in 3 seasons of Texas High School Football. He initially stayed close to home as he attended Houston University. As a freshman with the Cougars in ‘22, Matthew Golden caught 38 passes for 584 yards and 7 TDs. He also contributed as a situational kick returner as well. His 7 receiving TDs set a program record by a Cougar freshman. As a sophomore at Houston, Golden was named 2nd Team All-Big 12 for his returning duties. He returned 9 kicks for 321 yards and 2 TDs; however, offensively as a WR, Golden stayed stagnant with 38 catches for 404 yards and 6 TDs. He decided to upgrade at QB last spring when he transferred to Texas. As a Longhorn in ‘24, Matthew Golden made 58 catches for 987 yards (17 ypc) and 9 TDs. Golden can take the top off of defenses as a big play threat. This past season with Texas was crucial because he not only proved he was more than a kick returner, but he can make big plays against SEC competition.
Chris Paul Jr., LB, Ole Miss
Chris Paul Jr. is from Cordele, Georgia. While his father isn’t the long-time NBA legend, CP3, Chris Paul Sr. is a US Navy veteran. In high school, Chris Paul Jr. was an overlooked 3-star prospect. As a Crisp County High School senior, he recorded 91 tackles, 20 TFLs, and 2 sacks at linebacker while chipping in as a backup running back. Out of high school, Chris Paul Jr. attended Arkansas for 3 seasons. After redshirting in ‘21, Paul Jr. had a promising ‘22 season where he made 43 tackles, 8 TFLs, and 4 sacks as he earned ‘22 Freshman All-SEC honors. He returned on the Butkus Award Watch List in ‘23, totaling 54 tackles and 33 stops before deciding to transfer to Ole Miss. This past season for Ole Miss, the redshirt junior linebacker was named 2nd Team All-SEC as he helped anchor one of the best defenses in Ole Miss history. Paul Jr. made 73 tackles, 54 stops, 11 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks for the Rebels. Perhaps the most impressive part of his game is how much of a sure-tackler he is. Chris Paul Jr. missed on just 4.5% of tackles in ‘24. He was elite in coverage and on the blitz (8 QB hits & 10 QB Hurries). Paul Jr. is a Day 2 prospect who could start at inside linebacker by opening day next season.
Coleman Owen, WR, Ohio
Coleman Owen is from Gilbert, Arizona, where he attended Higley High School. Lightly recruited by colleges, Owen began his collegiate career 2.5 hours upstate at Northern Arizona University. As a freshman in ‘19, Coleman Owen didn’t receive much playing time at WR but returned 4 kicks for 98 yards. Northern Arizona didn’t have a fall ‘20 season, so instead, during the spring of ‘21, Owen made 5 starts for the Lumberjacks, where he caught 16 passes for 202 yards and 2 scores. The following fall, Owen retained his starting role, breaking out for 43 catches for 713 yards and 6 TDs. This earned him an All-Big Sky honorable mention. In ‘22, Owen proved his previous season was no fluke, hauling in 690 receiving yards on 62 catches with 4 scores. As a senior at NAU in ‘23, Coleman Owen not only caught 54 passes for 649 yards and 5 TDs but also returned 8 punts for 152 yards and 1 TD. After a nice 4-year career with Northern Arizona, Coleman Owen transferred to Ohio University as a super-senior. It paid off greatly as the star slot WR caught 78 passes for 1,245 receiving yards and 8 TDs. Not only that, but he also returned 17 punts for 132 yards and one score as well. At 5’11”, Owen has played exclusively in the slot in college, which won’t change in the NFL if he gets an opportunity. His role in the NFL could be of great value as a short to intermediate route-runner, who also contributes on special teams, returning punts especially. Given that he is a small school product, Coleman Owen must prove he can hang with the bigger school guys at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. That said, he is certainly an intriguing Day 3 prospect, as plenty of NFL teams could use a reliable slot WR.
Shemar James, LB, Florida
Shemar James is from Mobile, Alabama. A 5-star recruit out of Faith Academy High School, James was a three-sport athlete who also excelled in track and basketball. After choosing Florida over the likes of ‘Bama, Georgia, Florida State, and Auburn, James made 4 starts as a freshman in ‘22. He recorded 29 tackles with 2 sacks that season, earning him Freshman All-SEC honors. As a sophomore in ‘23, Shemar James became the starting middle linebacker for the Gators, racking up 35 tackles in 8 games before dislocating his kneecap to end his season. James returned better than ever as a junior in ‘24. During the Gators’ Week 1 opener against Miami, James picked off Cam Ward. James finished his season with 50 tackles, 2 sacks, and 12 QB Hurries. The Gator linebacker decided to enter the NFL Draft and has been invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Given that James is just 3 years removed from 5-star recruit status, NFL scouts will be very keen on his week at the senior bowl.
Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
Tyler Shough is from Chandler, Arizona. Both his parents were collegiate athletes; his father played football at Cal Lutheran, while his mother played softball at Oregon State. At Hamilton High School, Shough was selected for the Elite 11 QB Camp as he threw for 3,071 passing yards and 30 TDs as a senior in ‘17. The highly-touted QB recruit decided to commit to Oregon. After redshirting in ‘18, Tyler Shough played some mop-up duty in 5 games as Justin Herbert’s backup QB in ‘19. He became the Ducks’ starting QB during the Pac-12 shortened COVID season as he threw 13 TDs while leading the conference in yards per pass attempt (9.3). His next collegiate stop would be Texas Tech, where he won the opening day starting job only to break his collarbone by Week 4. He entered ‘22 again, having to compete for the starting role, which he again assumed only to injure his non-throwing shoulder. After two injury-riddled seasons, Shough once more became the Red Raiders Week 1 starting QB, but he could only last 4 games before severely rolling his left ankle to the point he needed an air cast and was diagnosed with a broken fibula. In his 3 seasons at Texas Tech, Shough made 15 starts throwing for 2,922 yards and 20 TDs. Due to redshirting, COVID, and his medical history, Shough was granted one more season of NCAA eligibility in ‘24. The Louisville Cardinals decided to take a chance on him, and it paid off big-time. Shough made 12 starts for the Cardinals as he threw for career-highs with 3,195 passing yards and 23 TDs to just 6 INTs. While the veteran collegiate QB enters on the older side of the NFL Draft at age 25, Shough still has a cannon for an arm and has endured quite the journey to earn a 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl invite. Tyler Shough will be a Day 3 QB prospect with a likely possible ceiling of solid backup. That said, crazier things have happened, so the potential may still be there.
Here are this week’s 5 College Basketball player profiles around the country…
Jamal Mashburn Jr., G, Temple
Jamal Mashburn Jr. is from Miami, Florida. The son of an NBA legend hailing from the Bronx, New York, Jamal Mashburn, Jr. helped Brewster Academy of New Hampshire win a pair of prep national championships while in high school. His first college spot was at Minnesota in ‘20-’21, where he averaged 8.2 points while primarily coming off the Gophers’ bench. Mashburn Jr. transferred to New Mexico State following his lone year at Minnesota. In his 3 seasons with the Lobos, Mashburn Jr. was named a team captain every year while being honored on the All-Mountain West Teams as well. Mashburn Jr., in 94 starts with the Lobos, averaged 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. The 6’2” graduate student decided to transfer to Temple this season and is now averaging a career-best 20.7 points per game. In his last 4 games, Mashburn Jr. has scored 20+ points in each of them, and in the Owls’ latest upset victory over Memphis, the slashing guard led the way with 21 points. After doing a profile on Peja’s son last week, it’s cool to see another 2000s NBA All-Star have a son excelling in College Hoops today.
Grant Nelson, F, Alabama
Grant Nelson is from Devils Lake, North Dakota. At Devils Lake High School, Nelson was named North Dakota's Mr. Basketball in ‘20, averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game. Nelson’s first college stop would be to play for his home state school at North Dakota State. As a freshman for the Bison, Grant Nelson was named Summit League 6th Man of the Year (6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, & 0.9 blocks off the bench). Nelson was inserted into the Bison’s starting lineup as a sophomore, averaging 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Grant Nelson’s breakout season with NDSU came his junior year as he led the Bison in every stat category with 19.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. ‘Bama then came calling as Nelson decided to head south joining the Roll Tide last season. Back in a reduced role, Nelson averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for ‘Bama last season. While those are some very solid stats, Nelson particularly stuck out in the NCAA March Madness Tournament during ‘Bama’s Final Four bid. Nelson scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and 5 blocks in Alabama’s Sweet 16 win over UNC. In their Final Four loss to UConn, the 6’11” big man put up 19 points and 15 rebounds. He nearly took the March Madness momentum to turn pro but decided to return to school for another year. Now a 5th-year senior, Grant Nelson averages 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Tide. This weekend, in ‘Bama’s road win over Kentucky, Nelson scored a season-high 25 points while collecting 11 rebounds. Grant Nelson seems to play at his best when the stage is biggest, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he becomes a major X-Factor in Alabama’s title chances this upcoming March.
Dawson Garcia, C, Minnesota
Dawson Garcia is from Savage, Minnesota. He played his high school hoops at Prior Lake, where he was a 2020 McDonald’s All-American, a Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball finalist, and a career 2,000-point scorer. Garcia also represented Team USA in the ‘19 Under-18 3x3 World Cup, winning MVP honors and the gold medal. His first college stop was at Marquette in ‘20-’21. As a freshman, he made all 27 starts for the Golden Eagles, averaging 13 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Garcia was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team before transferring to UNC. As a Tar Heel in ‘21-’22, Garcia made 12 starts while averaging 9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game; however, a concussion and a family illness held him out for the 2nd half of the season. After his lone year at North Carolina, Dawson Garcia decided to transfer back closer to home at Minnesota University. During his first season with the Gophers, he was named team captain while leading the team in scoring (15.3 points) and rebounds (6.7). He followed up his Big Ten Honorable Mention bid with All-Big Ten 2nd Team honors last season. Garcia improved to 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1 block per game. This season, in 18 starts for the Gophers, Dawson Garcia has once more taken on the leading role as he’s averaging a career-best 19.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. In Minnesota’s latest upset win over Michigan, Garcia drilled a near half-court shot to beat the buzzer and give the Gophers their first Big Ten Conference win of the season. The 6’11” left-handed big man has scored 20+ points in 4 of his last 5 games, recording 2 double-doubles in the process.
Keyshawn Hall, F, UCF
Keyshawn Hall is from Cleveland, Ohio; however, he played high school hoops at Denver Prep in Colorado, where he averaged 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. His first college stop was at UNLV. During his freshman year with the Rebels, Hall came off the bench for 5.4 points in 10.7 minutes per game. He decided to transfer to George Mason the following spring and immediately received a starting role. With George Mason in ‘23-’24, Hall averaged 16.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Hall earned All-Atlantic 10 2nd Team honors during his lone season with the Patriots but decided to transfer once more. Now with UCF, Keyshawn Hall is averaging a career-high 17.6 points to go with 6.6 rebounds per game. This past week, Hall scored a career-high 40 points in the Knights win over Arizona State. At 6’7” with guard skills and driving ability, Hall has the size to dominate the offensive lanes with excellent finishing ability around the rim. At the moment, UCF is 12-5 and considered a team on the bubble. Keyshawn Hall would be a fun player to watch during March Madness.
Tyeree Bryan, G, Santa Clara
