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Rivals.com and Sportsrant writer Wade Peery was a guest on Great Americans for the college football preview. This is the start of a regular feature for the college football season, "Five Wade", a Q and A with Wade. If you have any questions, email us at greatamericans@sportsrant.com or wadepeery@yahoo.com
Wade, USC plays a ton of freshmen, will we see more impact frosh out there this year? We will undoubtedly see more talented freshman out there making an impact on the football field. Every year the list of talented freshman seems to get bigger and this year is no different. The first name that comes to mind is Derrick Williams, a wide receiver for Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Williams was ranked as the number one player in the nation by rivals.com coming out of high school last year. He was also a quarterback for Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., but he’ll play as a wide receiver on the next level. Williams stands at 6-0, 189 pounds and has the 4.31 speed to be a gamebreaker that the Nittany Lions have desperately needed over the years. I would say that Williams will likely be used in the Penn State offense very much like Tedd Ginn, Jr. was for the Buckeyes last season. Paterno has made sure to pattern the offense around his blue-chip receiver, so look for more four-receiver sets from the Nittany Lions this season. Williams certainly isn’t going to turn around Joe Pa’s sinking ship all by himself, he’ll have some help on the other side of the ball in Justin King. King was ranked as the nation’s number one cornerback and will definitely see the field early and often for the Nittany Lions. Coaches have said that they plan to use King on both defense and offense, so he could play a Chris Gamble-type of role for the Blue and White. Look for both of those players to make a splash in the Big Ten, but don’t look for Joe Pa’s team to shock the world this season. They may surprise one or two teams, but Joe Pa still has serious work to do in State College.
Any other frosh around the country who could make an
impact?There are probably too many to list, but one youngster that you will see a lot of this season is redshirt freshman Drew Weatherford from Land O’Lakes, Florida. He will be the man under center this season for the Florida State Seminoles because he recently beat out Xavier Lee for the starting nod in fall practice. We all know that quarterback is probably the most scrutinized position in sports and Weatherford will certainly have the spotlight on him when he starts hurling passes downfield for the Garnet and Gold. Look for Weatherford to struggle at times, because it’s hard for any youngster to absorb Bobby Bowden’s offensive schemes. With a year of experience under his belt, Weatherford will be the next great quarterback for FSU and will make Seminole fans forget all about Mr. Inconsistent, Chris Rix. If Weatherford happens to slip up at all during the season, look for Bowden to insert the highly touted Xavier Lee in his spot. Lee was one of the most decorated high school football players in Florida’s history. He is currently the owner of Florida’s all-time record in passing yards (9,082), completions (549), and touchdowns (98). That’s not even mentioning that he was named Florida’s Mr. Football for 2003, the award given to the best player in the state. He was also ranked as the top dual threat quarterback in the country by rivals.com. Needless to say, he’s got some hype to live up to, but Lee won’t get a chance to do that unless he can unseat Drew Weatherford for the starting job.
There are plenty of other impact freshmen out there and one receiver who I think could make the biggest impact of any freshman in the country is Desean Jackson. Last year in the U.S. Army High School All-American Game, Jackson took the nation by storm when he blew everybody away with his seven catch, 141 yard performance. Did I mention that he even tossed in a 45-yard touchdown pass in the game? Jackson was named the game’s MVP and everybody has kept a watchful eye on the talented wideout since. He’ll be suiting up for Jeff Tedford and the Cal Golden Bears this fall and he’s going to be a devastating weapon in Cal’s pass-friendly offense. He has the ability to turn on the jets with his 4.4 speed and has superb hands. Look for him to replace former Cal standout Geoff McArthur this fall and make big things happen for Jeff Tedford and company. If there is anybody who’s going to be this year’s top freshman, I’d say this kid has every chance to make the biggest splash. If Cal can find an effective signal-caller to feed him the ball, Jackson will take the Pac-10 by storm.
Other freshmen to watch: Virginia LG Brandon Albert, Virginia RG Eugene Monroe, Nebraska RB Marlon Lucky, Nebraska QB Harrison Beck, Louisville DE Earl Heyman, West Virginia RB Jason Gwaltney, Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart, N.C. State RB Toney Baker, Tennessee S Demetrice Morley, Cal QB Nate Longshore, Florida State WR Fred Rouse, Tennessee DE Demonte Bolden, Pittsburgh RB Rashad Jennings, USC WR Patrick Turner, USC LB Brian Cushing, Miami LB Willie Williams
Matt Leinart came back for his senior year, is it possible for him to have a better season this year? Sure it may be possible for Leinart to have a better season this year, but it’s not very likely. Leinart has a wealth of expectations to meet, the biggest of which are claiming the national title and becoming only the 2nd player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice. If Leinart has a rough game and USC gets upset, then this team will go down as one of the biggest chokes in sports history. USC is simply loaded with weapons all over the football field. Leinart is a sure bet to be a top-5 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft as long as he stays healthy. Reggie Bush is a player that is the most versatile and most dangerous weapon in all of college football. The guy can do pretty much everything. He can run, catch, return punts, kicks, and he even tossed in a 52-yard touchdown pass last season for good measure. Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith will be two dangerous receiving targets for him all season long. Oh yeah and there’s that LenDale White fella that ran for over 1,000 yards last season. He’s definitely one of the most overlooked players in college football. This year’s USC team could go down as one of the most talented in college football history and they have nowhere to go but down. If they dismantle their competition all season long and end up hoisting that coveted crystal ball at the end of the season, they were supposed to. If they don’t, it’s one of the biggest chokes in all of sports, because you’re kidding yourself if you say the national title isn’t USC’s to lose.
LenDale White gets overlooked a lot in that offense, how good is he and how crucial is he to that offense? LenDale White was all-everything coming out of high school, so it shouldn’t surprise people that he rushed for over 1,100 yards last year as a sophomore. He’s got tremendous speed and has the potential to be a game breaker for the Trojans, the only problem is, is that he’s overshadowed by the game’s biggest game breaker in Reggie Bush. I’m a college football junkie and even I forgot that LenDale White rushed for over 1,100 yards last season. He’s really one of the most underrated players in the country and if he was on any other team he would be the star.
Reggie Bush wants more carries; can they coexist sharing the duties?Reggie Bush is a type of player that has certain type of bravado about him. He’s extremely confident in his abilities and why shouldn’t he be. He only piled up over 2,000 all-purpose yards last season and in my opinion, should’ve won the Heisman trophy. He’s the most complete player in college football and there really isn’t anything he can’t do.
I think responsibility will prevail in this situation and Bush will do what is best for the team. He’s not exactly an every-down type of back because he I don’t think his body could take that type of punishment. Sharing the carries with White not only helps the team because it keeps Bush fresh, but it also allows them to use Bush as a wide receiver more often, which I think is one of his most dangerous positions. When Bush lines up at wide receiver, he creates so many mismatches with corners and linebackers with his blazing speed. He does like to call himself, “The President”, so hopefully the President will make a smart decision and common sense will prevail.
How do you see the Heisman race unfolding?I believe the Heisman Trophy is Matt Leinart’s to lose. Do I think Leinart should win it if he has the same type of numbers that he did last season? Not if Reggie Bush piles up the ridiculous amount of real-estate that he did last year. My front-runner would be Reggie Bush for the award, but that is my opinion and I know that many others are ready to give it to Matt Leinart, simply because he’s the quarterback and the quarterback has the greatest chance to garner the most attention. The quarterback always has the greatest chance to impact the outcome of a game, and people really don’t look at that when they are choosing who to vote for. Bush doesn’t play quarterback and he still threw a touchdown pass last year. You don’t see Leinart lining up in the backfield or burning cornerbacks for scores like Bush did last season. My definition of the Heisman Trophy is the best all-around player in college football. In terms of versatility, there is none better than Reggie Bush. Unfortunately, if USC wins the national title and both players put up big numbers, then you might as well hand the hardware to Leinart. It’s unfair, but I guess that’s life.
Other players that are definitely on the Heisman radar are Tedd Ginn, Jr. and Vince Young. If either of those two want to keep their heisman dreams alive, they must come out on top in their national showcase when the Horns lock up with the Buckeyes in Columbus. Chris Leak throws the prettiest spiral in all of college football and he’s certainly going to be a Heisman contender, especially since he’ll be playing in Urban Meyer’s new spread offense. I think it will be tough for him though, because it’s just his first year in the new offensive scheme, and I also don’t see the Gators getting past a very talented Tennessee team that I think will win the SEC crown.
You have been covering the Ohio Bobcats this summer, what has the acquisition of Frank Solich done for that town?You’re right, I’ve been to several practices and although they have been closed to the media, I’ve still been able watch a little bit of the scrimmages. I would say that it’s done a tremendous amount for this town. Ticket sales have gone up since last season and the excitement in Athens is downright infectious. It’s great to see the town excited about the football team once again. “Frank Mania” has descended upon Athens, with posters that say “Got Frank” plastered all over the place. You really can’t escape Frank Solich’s face if you’re anywhere in Athens. He certainly deserves the attention. He’s a tremendous football coach and I couldn’t be happier to have him in Athens.
Solich is trying to get across a "we can win now" mentality, can they win now? Coach Solich won’t openly admit it, but I’d say that a “win now” mentality is just downright unrealistic with the talent on the Ohio roster. Rome wasn’t built in a day and Solich is going to need a good two to three years to build this thing back up. Certainly, there are some talented players on the Ohio roster and I’ve heard of some talented freshman that have surprised people, but Ohio needs a greater infusion of athleticism and talent into its roster. The biggest question mark this season for the Bobcats is their offensive line, which allowed a MAC-high 52 sacks last season. Michael Vick wouldn’t be able to survive behind that line, so it goes without saying that the offensive line must show a tremendous amount of improvement if the Bobcats want to pull of any upsets. The success of their season weighs very heavily on the buffet busters up front.
How many wins constitutes a successful season for Solich? I would say that five wins is an excellent, excellent season for Coach Solich and company. It’s realistic with the personnel they have on the roster and they’re building up from last year’s four win season. It’s going to take some time here in Athens and people really can’t expect a MAC-title right out of the gates, because simply put, that’s not going to happen. Don’t look for the Bobcats to pull off any major upsets against Pittsburgh or Virginia Tech either, because the talent level on both rosters simply dwarfs Ohio’s.
Who is the team to beat in the MAC? The team to beat in the MAC is without a doubt the Bowling Green Falcons. They return one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in Omar Jacobs. Jacobs passed for over 4,000 yards last season and posted a gaudy 41 touchdown, 4 interception stat line. He also managed to rush for 300 yards and four touchdowns during his sophomore campaign last year. That’s not even mentioning that the Falcons also return 1,000 yard rusher P.J. Pope and a 1,000 yard receiver in Charles Sharon. The Bowling Green offensive attack will definitely be one of the most dangerous in college football this season and these three players are three very big reasons why. There is one team that will be able to contend with the Falcons for the title and that is the Toledo Rockets and their surgically accurate signal-caller, Bruce Gradkowski. Last season Gradkowski became the first player in Division 1 history to have back-to-back seasons where he completed over 70 percent of his passes. He won’t have his favorite target in Lance Moore to throw to this season, as he graduated, so it will be interesting to see who steps up in his place. Mark it down because you heard it here first, Bowling Green and Omar Jacobs will get their revenge over the Rockets and claim the MAC title this season.
Who is your sleeper team for the national championship? One team I think people should pay a little bit more attention to is the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa returns one of the nation’s top linebacking corps on defense. Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway both racked up over 100 tackles last season and are one of the most talented set of linebackers in the nation. Jovon Johnson and Antawn Allen also come together to form one of the best corner tandems in the Big Ten. On offense, the Hawkeyes return the heady Drew Tate under center and an extremely reliable receiver in Ed Hinkel, who made several acrobatic grabs last season. Tate passed for over 2,700 yards last season and Hinkel hauled in 63 balls for nearly 750 yards and 7 TDs. There are two roadblocks between the Hawkeyes and that coveted crystal ball, Purdue and Ohio State. If they can clear those two major hurdles, then Drew Tate and company will no doubt be smelling roses in 2006.
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