Mock Draft Monday 12/23 '24
Silent Night
Silent Night
- NFL Building a Board
- College Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Sinéad O'Connor’s version of Silent Night.
Silent Night was written as a poem in 1816 by a young Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr. 2 years later in 1818, Franz Xaver Gruber put together a choir to make it one of the oldest Christmas carols sung to this day.
(Source: WRTI)
There are over 300 language versions of the song as it is universally known. On Christmas Eve of 1914, a temporary truce was placed as soldiers on both sides of the trenches held up signs stating “You no shoot, we no shoot.” While it isn’t confirmed they sang Silent Night, there are accounts of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” being sung and it was a silent night during World War I. A football soccer match also is said to take place in No Man’s Land.
(Source: Time)
We’re down to 1 tomorrow and then I promise to leave you alone with the Christmas music until next year…
23. Carol of the Bells by John Williams
22. Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley
21. Just Like Christmas by Low
20. Last Christmas by Wham!
19. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
18. Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Dean Martin & Marilyn Maxwell
17. Frosty the Snowman by Jimmy Durante
16. Silent Night by Sinéad O'Connor
15. Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano
14. Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys
13. Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney
12. Little Drummer Boy by Harry Simeone Chorale
11. Let It Snow by Bing Crosby
10. Happy Xmas by John Lennon
9. Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives
8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry
7. Christmas in New York by Shilelagh Law
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
5. Do They Know It’s Christmas? by Band Aid (Original)
4. Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry
3. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
2. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
1. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
(To be continued tomorrow.)
On to the sports…
After the College Football Playoff, I’ll update the board order…
Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Jahdae Barron is from Austin, Texas. As a senior at Connally High School, Barron starred as the team’s wide receiver, defensive back, and punt returner. He caught 41 passes for 673 yards, came down with 3 interceptions, and returned one punt for a score. Barron decided to play for his hometown at Texas University, however, his freshman season was spent mostly in a reserve role. As a sophomore in ‘21, Barron played in 9 games and got his first 2 starts as he broke up 3 passes. As a junior in ‘22, Jahdae Barron became a regular in the starting lineup as he played primarily in the slot. As a slot corner, Barron came up with 2 sacks, 63 tackles, 36 stops, and 2 interceptions as he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. In ‘23 as a senior, Barron continued to play primarily inside the slot as he All-Big 12 2nd Team and a Jim Thorpe semifinalist. In 12 starts last season, Barron had 61 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 6 pass breakups, and an interception. This year has been Jahdae Barron’s best yet. He moved to primarily the outside corner and has excelled in the role. In ‘24, Barron had made 8 pass breakups, 5 interceptions, and has been graded by PFF College a 91.5 in Coverage. Earlier in December, Barron was named the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award and 1st Team All-American by the AP. Whether he plays on the outside or inside, Jahdae Barron will have a shot at a starting role on an NFL team come next fall.
Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland
Jordan Phillips is from Ocoee, Florida. As a senior at Ocoee High School, Phillips had 29 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He also competed in powerlifting and wrestling. After appearing in 3 games for the Tennessee Volunteers in ‘22, Jordan Phillips transferred to Maryland. Making 11 starts for the Terps in ‘23, the 6’3” & 320 lbs. nose tackle totaled 28 tackles and 1.5 TFLs. He returned this past season to make 29 tackles, 6 QB Hits, and 7 QB Hurries in 12 starts. While his production stats may not pop out from the nose tackle position, Phillips’ size and strength in the middle of Maryland’s defensive front do. Phillips has decided to enter the NFL Draft as a redshirt sophomore.
Seth McLaughlin, C, Ohio State
Seth McLaughlin is from Buford, Georgia. A 4-star recruit out of high school, McLaughlin had offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, and Florida State, but ultimately ended up at Alabama. After only playing limited snaps as a true freshman, McLaughlin earned the starting center spot for the Crimson Tide’s final 3 games in ‘21. He returned an important returning piece in ‘22, allowing no sacks in 913 snaps for the season. During his last season at ‘Bama, McLaughlin made 13 more starts for Nick Saban as he completed his master’s in hospitality management. After Saban’s tenure in Alabama, Seth McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State where he made 10 more starts at center. 10 games into his career as a Buckeye, McLaughlin tore his Achilles at a midseason practice and was out for the year. McLaughlin was considered one of the most improved linemen of this year’s class, grading out as an above-average blocker on PFF College while again allowing no sacks. This past weekend, McLaughlin was seen on the sideline smoking a cigar in the Buckeyes’ win over Tennessee a long-standing tradition from the Third Saturday in October rivalry.
Elijhah Badger, WR, Florida
Elijhah Badger is from South Sacramento, California. In high school at Folsom Prep, Badger was a 4-star recruit who recorded 3,398 receiving yards and 52 TDs for 3 varsity seasons. His first stop in college was at Arizona State. As a true freshman, Elijhah Badger was a standout scout team WR but ultimately redshirted after not recording a catch. In ‘21, Bader made his 1st career start as he finished the year with 7 catches for 61 yards and 3 rushes for 37 yards, plus 2 scores. He returned in ‘22 as a full-time starting WR, making 70 catches for 866 receiving yards and 7 TDs. During his final season at ASU, Badger had 63 catches for 713 yards and 3 scores while also leading the PAC-12 in return yardage (578 yards, 28.9 yards per return). This past season Elijhah Badger transferred to Florida. While he only had 37 catches do the Gators, his 21.3 yards per catch as a deep threat was 4th best in all of the land. Badger is an explosive playmaker who can win over the top or in space.
Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
Carson Schwesinger is from Moorpark, California. He attended Oaks Christian School where he was a 4-year starter on the varsity team racking up 268 tackles as a safety with 10 TD receptions as a WR. After walking on and redshirting in ‘21, Schwesinger received a scholarship the following season. From ‘22 to ‘23, Schwesinger was a backup linebacker and special teamer. He compiled 27 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 1 sack in those 2 seasons. This past year, the redshirt junior finally earned a starting role for the Bruins. The wait was well worth it as he led the Big Ten in tackles with 136 and the nation in solo tackles with 90. Schwesinger also had 4.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 8.5 TFLs, 1 blocked punt, and 1 forced fumble. His exceptional season earned him a Butkus Award Finalist and an AP 1st Team All-American. While he may only have 1 year of starting experience, Schwesinger is a bioengineering major who crushes film and can translate it onto the gridiron as evidenced by his exceptional presnap reads. Carson Schwesinger has innate instincts as a defensive signal caller and his years of experience contributing to special teams will only make him more versatile in the NFL.
Here are this week’s 5 College Basketball player profiles around the country…
Trent McLaughlin, G, Northern Arizona
Trent McLaughlin is from Chandler, Arizona. At Basha High School, his basketball team took home the state championship as he averaged 19.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game as a senior. His first stop in college was at Central Connecticut State. As a true freshman, McLaughlin played in 31 games while averaging 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds. He was mostly used as a catch-and-shoot threat off the bench, hitting 40% from 3. He decided to transfer closer to home in Northern Arizona for the ‘22-’23 season and again came off the bench to average 4.9 points per game. Last season as a junior, Trent McLaughlin was inserted into the Lumberjacks starting lineup and they couldn’t keep him off the floor. He took more 3-pointers and his points jumped up 16.6 per game as he led the team in scoring. This season has been McLaughlin’s best yet as he’s averaging a career-high 23.2 points per game as the Lumberjacks are off to an 8-4 start. The 6’6” guard has great range beyond the arc and can create his own shot off the dribble, as evidenced by his game-winner to beat Houston Christian in November. McLaughlin is currently 3rd in the nation in points per game and hasn’t scored less than 23 in the month of December.
Kino Lilly Jr., G, Brown University
Kino Lilly Jr. is from Glenn Dale, Maryland. He attended high school at Landon School where he was an Honor Roll student every semester while competing in football and basketball. As a freshman at Brown University, Kino Lilly Jr. was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year for the ‘21-’22 season. He shot 40% from 3 and averaged 13.3 points per game. During the past 2 seasons, Lilly Jr. has continued to develop as a scorer, averaging 17.9 points per game on 37% shooting in his sophomore and junior years. He was named First Team All-Ivy in back-to-back seasons. This season, Lilly Jr. has taken yet another step forward as he’s averaging career-highs with 20.2 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting a career-best 44% from deep. The 6’ sharpshooting guard is climbing up Brown University’s historic lists as well as he now claims the most 3-point makes and his 1,626 career points have him 3rd in program history. Next on the list of scoring leaders is Arnie Berman’s 1,668 career points, which Lilly Jr. could have a shot at passing at some point in January ‘25.
Jamichael Stillwell, F, Milwaukee University
Jamichael Stillwell is from Atlanta, Georgia. He played high school hoops at Elevation Prep in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a senior at Elevation Prep, he was nicknamed “Mr. Stand On Business” because he averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds a game. Before joining Milwaukee University, Jamichael Stillwell spent seasons at Miami-Dade Community College and Butler County Community College. In both JUCO situations, Stillwell was a standout, averaging nearly a double-double with points and rebounds. Stillwell made the jump into D1 Basketball and has been a monster on the boards this season. His 12.1 rebounds per game rank 2nd best in the nation as the 6’8” forward has especially been a menace in his last 4 games collecting 62 rebounds. Aside from rebounding, Stillwell is averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 39% from deep. An undersized forward with great energy and a knack for coming down with the ball off the glass, Stillwell has proven he can be a double-double machine on the Division 1 level.
Bruce Thorton, G, Ohio State
Bruce Thorton is from Alpharetta, Georgia. A 4-star recruit in high school, Thorton was awarded Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year averaging 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.5 assists during his senior season. He immediately entered the Ohio State starting lineup as a freshman in ‘22-’23 and was the only Buckeye to start all 35 games. That season he averaged 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 38% from 3. He returned as a sophomore last season improving to 15.7 points and 4.8 assists per game. His 4.0 assist-to-turnover rate was the 2nd best in all of the land. Through 12 games in ‘24, Thorton again owns an excellent assist-to-turnover rate and is shooting a career-best 47.6% from beyond the arc. His 16.1 points per game are the most among the Buckeyes and in their upset win over Kentucky last weekend he scored a career-high 30 points. The junior guard will play a massive factor in whether Ohio State can return to the March Madness Tournament.
Caden Pierce, F, Princeton
