Little Bit | Quick Intermission Motorcycle Drive By | Method to the Madness | The Scout That Never Was
@YouTheReader with this song “Little Bit” I can’t help but think about how there was a time when every 5th sentence on Week to Week Notes I had to mention that what I was doing was a “bit.” Even back when I was just posting Week to Week Notes once a week, I was putting in a ton of effort and thought. It can be very difficult to stare at a white screen and not know how you want to start and finish. It’ll be a relief to at least be able to go back and check how I tried covering something last year, while of course trying to make improvements to it. Here is something I wrote this time last year before Week to Week Notes had even started…
If you were to tell me last March that a year from now I would have posted 117 Notes about Sports & Guinness, I would have said that’s not possible. I’m not trying to brag about all 117 Notes, what I mean is my goal is to make the next 117 Notes even better. @YouTheReader if you have anything that you consider a hobby or “a bit” that you’re passionate about, give it a shot. When I was considering this a “Little Bit”, I was always hoping for immediate results, but now I’ve fallen in love with consistency.
No more bits or bad attempts at funny business. Week to Week Notes is all serious now…
Quick Intermission 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2…
…It's a motorcycle drive by
Baby, dry your kind eyes…
…I think it's about time we headed home Walking on such tight rope, with my damn high hopes…
@YouTheReader alright finally here’s a bit of Method to the Madness and a Mock Draft for your Monday…
Method to the Madness
@YouTheReader if you flip a coin on every matchup, your odds are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. Even if you claim to know a little something about basketball, your odds of a perfect bracket are 1 in 120.2 billion, so don't bother listening to some "expert.” You also better not let Week to Week Notes influence your bracket. At all. Not one bit.
South Region
HEADLINER: Roll Tide? Nah, We’re Marching!
My Cinderella: Charleston Cougars (12 Seed)
@YouTheReader Charleston is tied for the nation’s best record at 31-3 this season and became the Colonial Atheltic Association’s highest-seeded team in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship since UNCW was a #12 seed in ‘17. They do not have a single player who averages over 12.4 Points per game, but they do have 5 guys who average over 10 points and you can make that 6 if you change the filter to 9 points per game. They have 3 senior guards who will push the pace of play.
@YouTheReader I’m really just hoping for a Duke vs Providence matchup in the Elite 8 because it would cause squabble amongst Nets fan insiders. The Friars are elite in second-chance points and getting to the free-throw line. They also have 5 guys who average at least 10 Points per game. The team has struggled to lose 5 of their last 6 games, but you could spin it that because they were knocked out of the Big East in the Quarterfinals and are lucky to be in the tournament that they are well-rested & have nothing to lose.
@YouTheReader has anyone ever heard of Kennesaw St? Are we really sure that the Owls exist? Located in the Atlanta metro area, it does in fact look to be a real school. Every March Madness has schools you’ve never heard make some noise. Why can’t that be the Kennesaw St Owls in ‘23? Their upperclassmen guards, Chris Youngblood & Terrell Burden, will have to be the catalysts for this run.
HEADLINER: Rick Pitino Gaeling For St. John’s Next?!?!?
My Cinderella: Iona Gaels (13 Seed)
@YouTheReader last year I completely dropped the ball on not picking the local school to go on a run. Unfortunately, the St. Peter’s Peacocks did not make the tournament this year. A Gael is anyone of Irish-Gaelic ancestry, consistent with the Irish tradition of Iona. The Gael, which is depicted as a spunky character, provides Iona with a nickname consistent with the school motto, certa bonum certamen, (“fight the good fight”), and personifies strength. (Source: Iona) They also have Rick Pitino coaching them so it could be a bit of a redemption story for the New Yorker.
@FanInsiders you can do a Mock Draft of your own on FanSpeak.com. I only picked the Jets players, a computer-simulated the rest of your football teams. Only featuring certain teams for now. Every player has a hyperlink to a YouTube highlight tape if you want to check out their good tape. I’m only doing the first 2 rounds for non-Jets fan insiders, I’ll try to start including all 7 rounds next week.
Devon Witherspoon became the first Illinois football player in school history to be named a Jim Thorpe finalist. He also became the first football player in school history to be named a consensus first-team All-American. Both of these accomplishments occurred during the ‘22 season when the Dick Butkus Defensive MVP had 17 pass breakups (good for top 6 in all of the NCAA) and 3 INTs. Witherspoon is a very physical and willing tackler who was more importantly graded the #1 in coverage in the nation (92.5), according to PFF.
**The San Diego LA Chargers trade their Round 1 Pick 21 and Round 2 Pick 23 for the Jets’ 13th Pick.**
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a ‘22 season where he only played 2 games due to injury. His ‘21 Rose Bowl MVP performance where he had 15 receptions, for 3 TDs and 347 receiving yards was the stuff of legends. Injuries and questions over if he is limited to being a slot WR, where he lined up over 80% of his snaps throughout his career, would be the reason he falls.
Bryan Bresee is a former #1 recruit in the country that lived up to the billing. He burst onto the college football scene in ‘20 as a Freshman All-American. Became the second ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in Clemson history, joining Dexter Lawrence (‘16). Credited with 64 career tackles (15.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a safety in 26 games (21 starts). He also contributed offensively to Clemson’s jumbo package. Bresee tore his ACL in ‘21 so this previous offseason he was spending most of it rehabbing the injury. This should not really weigh much into NFL GMs decisions as he appears to be fully recovered. His athleticism and versatility as a defensive lineman would make him an easy fit for any potential football team. (Source: Clemson)
**The Cincinnati Bengals trade their Round 2 Pick 29, Round 3 Pick 29, Round 4 Pick 29, Round 5 Pick 28, Round 6 Pick 29, and Round 7 Pick 29 for the Jets’ 21st Pick. @YouTheReader I’m only doing 2 rounds for the Non-Jet fan insiders but I’m still throwing darts for the Jets.**
Kelee Ringo in ‘22 was named 2nd Team All-SEC by Coaches and AP. He has been compared to the likes of a young Patrick Peterson. Ringo at 6’1” runs like the wind with a 4.36 40-time. He red-shirted his freshman season so only played 2 years at Georgia where he had 4 career INTs and 19 career pass deflections. (Source: Georgia)
Jalin Hyatt is all gas, no brakes. The ‘22 Biletnikoff Award Winner was the nation’s most explosive playmaker. Hyatt holds the Tennessee school records for single-game touchdown receptions (5 vs. Alabama on 10/15 ‘22) and single-season receiving touchdowns (15 in ‘22). Of his 108 career catches, 52 went for 10+ yards, 30 for 20+ yards, 21 for 30+ yards, and 12 for 40+ yards. (Source: Tennessee) In my opinion, he’ll be taken in the 1st round of the draft, but scouts may be skeptical that Hyatt really only has one year of elite college production. Tennessee WR Coach Kelsey Pope said this past Aug ‘22, “Jalin Hyatt is like a different person this year. Impressing early. Put on 8-10 pounds in weight and continue to improve.” The added muscle during the offseason from hard work certainly played a key factor in his breakout season. An easy player comparison as a floor for Hyatt would be Robbie Anderson. If Hyatt is able to add more than just the 4.2 40-time straight-line speed into his game, he may be Scary Terry McLaurin good or maybe even better - why place ceilings on a hard-working 21-year-old?
Bijan Robinson made 28 starts at Texas and was the winner of the 2022 Doak Walker Award (Nation’s Top RB). He ranks 4th all-time in Longhorn history with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns (33 rushing, 8 receiving). Robinson was a unanimous All-American in ‘22, the 4th UT RB to earn the honor, joining James Saxton (1961), Earl Campbell (1977), and Ricky Williams (1997, 1998). He finished 9th in Heisman Trophy voting in ‘22. At Texas, he had 18 career 100-yard rushing games, including a streak of 7-straight games that is the 3rd-longest in program history. His 33 career rushing touchdowns are the 3rd-most in Texas history. Robinson ranks 4th all-time in UT history in tandem yards (4,215), 8th in all-purpose yards (4,231), and 9th in points scored (246). He had 805 career receiving yards, the 3rd-most all-time for a Texas RB, and his 8 career receiving touchdowns are the most ever for a Texas RB. All of these accolades plus his relentlessness, size, power, and speed make him the consensus RB #1 in the ‘23 NFL Draft Class. (Source: Texas)
Lukas Van Ness was twice on the Academic All-Big Ten team. He received Iowa’s Coaches Appreciation Award for his special team’s play and the Team Hustle Award for defense. He was also selected to the All-Big Ten 2nd team in ‘22 by coaches and AP. He redshirted his freshman year at Iowa weighing only 240 lbs. Van Ness bulked up to around 275 lbs. and at 6’5” his teammates nicknamed him “Hercules.” During his career at Iowa, he ended up with 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in 27 games played. (Source: Iowa)
Recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. It is considered by many to be the "Academic Heisman.” Jack Campbell was also the winner of the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the nation.
Josh Downs finished his career with 2,483 yards receiving, the 4th-highest total in UNC history. He had 22 career touchdown receptions, 2nd most in school history. Downs is one of three players in UNC history with over 200 career receptions, finishing third on the school’s all-time list with 202. He is one of two players in Carolina history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Downs finished First-Team All-ACC in both ‘21 & ‘22. (Source: UNC)
Dalton Kincaid started his college career at San Diego State before transferring east to Utah. As an Aztec Warrior, Kincaid led the nation’s TEs in yards per catch in ‘19 (18.98), ranked 2nd in the nation among TEs in receiving yards (835) and receiving yards per game (69.6). With the Utes, Kincaid continued his impressive college career by becoming the active career leader among tight ends in the FBS with 2,484 receiving yards and 35 receiving touchdowns. (Source: Utah Utes) His ‘22 season gave him All-Pac-12 first-team honors. Kincaid grew up playing basketball before shifting his focus to playing TE, so like most of those types, he may not be much of a blocker but has the potential to be a very solid secondary option as a WR in a TE’s body.
Emmanuel Forbes ended his college career, “owning the FBS career record with 6 pick-6s. He is the FBS active career leader in overall defensive touchdowns. Broke the FBS record shared by three other players, most recently by Oklahoma State's Darrent Williams (‘01-04). He has six interceptions this year and 14 total picks in his career – a total that also makes him the active career interceptions leader in the FBS. He leads the nation since his career began in ‘20 and is now fourth in MSU history. Forbes is also fourth among active FBS players in career interception return yards (390).” (Source: Hail State)
Matthew Bergeron is a two-time All-ACC selection. Finished his career with 39 starts at offensive tackle. Emerged as Syracuse’s starting right tackle during the last half of ‘19, moved to left tackle for the last eight games of ‘20 and all of ‘21 and ‘22. (Source: Cuse)
Devon Achane in ‘22 was named All-SEC First-Team Running Back, All-SEC First-Team All-Purpose Player, and an Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist. He started his career with the Aggies at an 8.5-yards per carry clip in ‘20. His yards per carry took regressed a bit in ‘21 to a 7.5 yards per carry clip, before falling off a cliff to a 5.6 yards per carry last year. @YouTheReader any RB who runs above 4.5 yards per carry in a game likely had a great day on the ground, so anything above 5 yards per carry on a season is absurd. Achane also returned kicks at Texas A&M, averaging 30.6 yards per return (well above average) and scoring 2 TDs. Achane would be a very scary addition to an offense in Miami that already had so much speed at the playmaking position.
Led the College Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in receiving yards per game with 112.9. Rice’s 1,355 receiving yards (3rd) and 8.0 receptions per game (5th) ranked him at the top of all of College Football. At 6’2”, Rice’s physical play makes him look even bigger and his speed should translate in the NFL.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career tied for 6th in school history in career sacks (20.5), while he tied for fourth in career forced fumbles (8)... The second player in school history to tally three games with 3.0 or more sacks (Nyle Wiren)... Left college football ranked fourth nationally and tops in the Big 12 among active players in forced fumbles per game (0.25), while he was sixth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.64). (Source: Kansas State)
Daiyan Henley played one year at Washington State as a graduate transfer from Nevada. Henley was named to All-Pac-12 Conference First Team as a linebacker and All-Pac-12 Second Team as an all-purpose/special teams player. He was a Butkus Award Finalist (top college linebacker), the first Butkus finalist in Washington State’s program history. In ‘22 alone, Henley had 106 tackles, 12 of which were for a loss of yards, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. Henley has all the tools to be a stud LB in the NFL as he seems to be a natural in coverage on an island. (Source: Washington State)
Joe Tippmann in ‘22 played in 12 games, starting the entire regular season at center. He logged the offensive line’s best run-blocking grade, according to PFF (78.0), and allowed only one sack with five pressures over 338 pass-blocking snaps. (Source: UWBadgers.com) The Badgers always seem to have good O-Lines so maybe the Jets find their long-term answer at Center with a guy out of Wisconsin.
Tyjae Spears exploded as a senior in ‘22. He rushed for 1,528 yards and 19 rushing TDs. He is also an elite passing option out of the backfield, averaging 12.6 yards per catch in ‘22. He has great speed (4.4 40-time), vision, and wiggle. His stellar Senior Year was a huge reason why Tulane was ranked #9 in the country to close out the year, which is the highest in school history since 1998 when they were ranked #9 as well. (Source: Tulane)
Jake Haener finished ‘22 first-team All-Mountain West quarterback as he threw for 20 TDs to only 3 INTs. He completed his career with Fresno State as their leading Pass Completion % leader with 68.1%. He does lack the prototypical size and will be 24 years old as a rookie, but Haener has great accuracy and ball placement. (Source: Fresno State)
Brandon Joseph transferred to Notre Dame from Northwestern in ‘22. He finished his college career with 10 INTs and 17 Pass Deflections. He replaced Kyle Hamilton at safety for Notre Dame. The best way to describe Joseph is a very solid overall player in all aspects but he may lack the elite ability that could raise his game in the NFL. He likely can stick around and have a very solid pro career, but may never have All-Pro level upside which is okay for a 4th Rounder. (Source: Notre Dame)
Andrew Vorhees appeared in 44 games during his career for the Trojans. He made 25 starts at right guard, 8 starts at left guard, and 4 starts at left tackle. (Source: USC) At 6’6” and 325 lbs, Vorhees according to the USC strength coach, Bennie Wylie, can bench 225 40 times. That doesn’t sound too surprising based on the limited clips&film I’ve seen on him. His versatility and experience in different spots on the offensive line should make him a Day 2 pick. Vorhees appeared to have suffered a significant injury during the NFL Combine on-field drills. He was originally a Round 1-2 prospect who will likely fall because of the torn ACL suffered at the combine. (Source: @_MLFootball)
Aubrey Miller Jr. started his career off at Missouri before transferring to Jackson State in ‘21. Miller Jr. Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Defensive Player of the Year. Miller contributed 98 tackles (53 solo) with one sack, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four quarterback hits, five pass breakups, and one touchdown this past season. He recorded eight+ tackles in a game seven times this season, including four 10+ tackle games. He is a heavy hitter who could be an impactful special teamer to start his NFL career. (Source: Jackson State)
Jaquelin Roy’s first year as a full-time starter was in ‘22 and he posted a career-high 49 tackles from Defensive Tackle. 6’4”, 300 lbs, and athletic. A key figure among LSU’s deep and talented defensive front. Tremendous upper body strength. A run stuffer who can also get after the quarterback. Quick feet and difficult to block. Roy has had Top-30 visits with the Bills and Eagles, some of the NFL’s best scouting departments. (Source: LSU)
Tyson Bagent won the Harlon Hill Award presented to the MVP of the NCAA Division II in ‘21. Bagent holds every notable most in a game, most in a season, and most in a career school record book at Shepherd as a passer. Facing a massive jump in the competition so would clearly be a late-round project. His 159 career touchdown passes are an NCAA record regardless of division. (Source: Shepherd)
Noah Gindorff returned to school as a 5th year senior only to be injured in the 3rd game of ‘22. At 6’6” and 268 lbs, Gindorff scored 12 career touchdowns off 44 career catches. While he may not pad the stat sheet in NDSU’s run-heavy offense, Gindorff is a vicious blocker in the rushing attack at a massive 6-foot-6 and 266 pounds. He was teammates with the likes of Christian Watson and Trey Lance at NDSU. What he may lack in speed he can make up for with a proven ability to go up and make contested catches. (Source: NDSU)