ESPN Top 10 sophomores

[CanesFan93]

1. Todd Gurley RB
2. Devonte Fields DE- How do they have Fowler with 2.5 sacks over Fields who had 10? SMH.
3. Amari Cooper WR
4. Duke Johnson RB
5. Stephon Diggs WR
6. Leonard Williams DE
7. Johnny Manziel QB
8. Shaq Thompson S/LB
9. Marcus Mariota QB
10.TY Yeldon RB (overrated imo. Don't see anything special about him)

 

[jerzeycane]

FWIW...Leonard Williams should be on that list too

Williams was on the others to keep an eye on list

Didn't that dude have like 9 sacks last year?

 

[LuCane]

Duke is gonna go down as the Ray Rice or MJD of his draft class. Some people believe height equals goodness.

He's a more natural runner than both. His HS junior season, he reminded me of Ladanian Tomlinson. Only reinforced it.

 

[passitback]

LT is an awesome comparison.

 

[jerzeycane]

Duke is gonna go down as the Ray Rice or MJD of his draft class. Some people believe height equals goodness.

He's a more natural runner than both. His HS junior season, he reminded me of Ladanian Tomlinson. Only reinforced it.

Incredible. OTHER WORLDLY vision. Tomlinson and Faulk are the guys that come to mind.

Immediately following the snap, these guys know where the cutback lane is and they have the freakish agility/lateral quickness to be able to get there.

The power and the willingness to run behind his pads with aggression is what makes Duke more like LT than Faulk, but I think those are two excellent comparisons for his running style and overall ability.

 

[DMoney]

Duke is gonna go down as the Ray Rice or MJD of his draft class. Some people believe height equals goodness.

He's a more natural runner than both. His HS junior season, he reminded me of Ladanian Tomlinson. Only reinforced it.

Incredible. OTHER WORLDLY vision. Tomlinson and Faulk are the guys that come to mind.

Immediately following the snap, these guys know where the cutback lane is and they have the freakish agility/lateral quickness to be able to get there.

The power and the willingness to run behind his pads with aggression is what makes Duke more like LT than Faulk, but I think those are two excellent comparisons for his running style and overall ability.

I thought Faulk when Duke played Belen as a junior. Similar pop in their cuts. But Lu's comparison made me think. Duke finishes his runs like LT.

One thing all three have in common is versatility. Duke has shown he can run, return and throw. He was just a step away from some huge plays as a receiver, and he will make those plays this year.

 

[bobbydigius]

Again, with the SEC insecurity. All those SEC dudes ahead of Duke on that list are certified freaks.

I don't know a thing about the dude from TCU aside from hearing towards the end of the year that he was tearing it up. The one I figured most would be ****ing about is the dude from FSU. A CB who didn't start or pick off a pass is better than Duke???


Dafukouttahere

Stop with the SEC blowjobs on every post. Cooper is the only one. Bama RB or U***s DE are only ahead of him cause they are in the sec. look at dukes runs against BC where he broke and stiff armed the **** out of people to take those runs to the house.

Do you actually watch football games, or just ****-talk based on envy and insecurity?

If you actually watch football, and don't think Fowler or Yeldon were two of the ten best freshmen last year, then your opinion can be disregarded pretty easily from here on out. What about Yeldon playing in the SEC allowed him to steamroll tacklers as a true frosh?

And in no way am I saying he's better than Duke. The -absurd- idea that Duke doesn't run with power has already been dismantled here. As far as I can tell, the only thing he's lacking as a runner is elite top-end speed. Everything else is flawless.

I don't think you can realisticly rank the best players in any given class 1-10. It is much easier to take the top ten, however. Duke most definitely is in that group. So are most of the others mentioned. Your butthurtedness over the SEC doesn't change the fact that it's easily the best conference. Or the fact that it has amassed a ton of talent over the past four crootin cycles.

I long for the days when we can ****talk Bammer, UF, and the rest of CFB from at atop a throne of titles and ***-beatings. But we're not back there yet. Pretending the SEC ain't the SEC won't get us back there any quicker. They're at the top. We want what they have. No sense acting like ****es or pretending it's all something it's not.

Spot on, the only SEC guy on that list that was a joke is Beckham, the rest are beasts.

 

[Bpayne32]

1. Todd Gurley RB
2. Devonte Fields DE- How do they have Fowler with 2.5 sacks over Fields who had 10? SMH.
3. Amari Cooper WR
4. Duke Johnson RB
5. Stephon Diggs WR
6. Leonard Williams DE
7. Johnny Manziel QB
8. Shaq Thompson S/LB
9. Marcus Mariota QB
10.TY Yeldon RB (overrated imo. Don't see anything special about him)

Lol Ty yeldon overrated? Take off the hurricane goggles Ty is better then duke

 

[5Ringz]

LOL at skinny *** Darby making a list like this after playing a total of 17 minutes last season

 

[moshated305]

Duke should be no lower than 3 and Deon should have made the second group.

 

[zone3cane]

Deon Bush shouldve definitely made the list over D. Beckham Green.

 

[killa1storm]

Again, with the SEC insecurity. All those SEC dudes ahead of Duke on that list are certified freaks.

I don't know a thing about the dude from TCU aside from hearing towards the end of the year that he was tearing it up. The one I figured most would be *****ing about is the dude from FSU. A CB who didn't start or pick off a pass is better than Duke???



Dafukouttahere

pretty much, did anybody watch the top 3 play last year? ain't got **** to do with sec bias, all 3 could have been 1st rounders this past year. i would have had diggs #4 and duke #5 though. either way all of them are studs and interchangeable depending on what you're looking for.

 

[Dghustla]

Again, with the SEC insecurity. All those SEC dudes ahead of Duke on that list are certified freaks.

I don't know a thing about the dude from TCU aside from hearing towards the end of the year that he was tearing it up. The one I figured most would be ****ing about is the dude from FSU. A CB who didn't start or pick off a pass is better than Duke???


Dafukouttahere

Stop with the SEC blowjobs on every post. Cooper is the only one. Bama RB or U***s DE are only ahead of him cause they are in the sec. look at dukes runs against BC where he broke and stiff armed the **** out of people to take those runs to the house.

Do you actually watch football games, or just ****-talk based on envy and insecurity?

If you actually watch football, and don't think Fowler or Yeldon were two of the ten best freshmen last year, then your opinion can be disregarded pretty easily from here on out. What about Yeldon playing in the SEC allowed him to steamroll tacklers as a true frosh?

And in no way am I saying he's better than Duke. The -absurd- idea that Duke doesn't run with power has already been dismantled here. As far as I can tell, the only thing he's lacking as a runner is elite top-end speed. Everything else is flawless.

I don't think you can realistically rank the best players in any given class 1-10. It is much easier to take the top ten, however. Duke most definitely is in that group. So are most of the others mentioned. Your butthurtedness over the SEC doesn't change the fact that it's easily the best conference. Or the fact that it has amassed a ton of talent over the past four crootin cycles.

I long for the days when we can ****talk Bammer, UF, and the rest of CFB from at atop a throne of titles and ***-beatings. But we're not back there yet. Pretending the SEC ain't the SEC won't get us back there any quicker. They're at the top. We want what they have. No sense acting like ****es or pretending it's all something it's not.

I watched the games. When I watch the SEC all I see are perpetuated myths and hype built up by years of ESPN slurping. These SEC teams don't play anyone worth a **** on the road but yet we should crown their players because they beat the players in their own conference? And every time the SEC loses a game like LSU and Florida did last year. they say "they weren't motivated, they didn't want to be there because it wasn't a championship". Cooper and Yeldon had amazing 1st round talent around them, that made things extremely easy for them to have success. I'm not saying DUKE is number #1 on that list, but he is 1 of the only players on that list who actually carried his team. And you look at the guys ahead of them. and you have a nole who didn't produce a single turnover but yet is #5 and a bunch of guys who were surrounded by talent. The list is a joke and so is your SEC slurping. Texas A&M is the prime example to dispel these SEC myths. 2 years ago they were bums who could barely beat Texas, now they are world beaters because they beat teams in the SEC. Its ironic how the 4th/5th best team in the Big12 comes in and runs shop in the "hardest division" in the college football...makes you wonder doesn't it.

 

[Dghustla]

Again, with the SEC insecurity. All those SEC dudes ahead of Duke on that list are certified freaks.

I don't know a thing about the dude from TCU aside from hearing towards the end of the year that he was tearing it up. The one I figured most would be ****ing about is the dude from FSU. A CB who didn't start or pick off a pass is better than Duke???



Dafukouttahere

pretty much, did anybody watch the top 3 play last year? ain't got **** to do with sec bias, all 3 could have been 1st rounders this past year. i would have had diggs #4 and duke #5 though. either way all of them are studs and interchangeable depending on what you're looking for.

Its hard to take you serious as a Gator as is. But to say those 3 freshmen would have been first round picks come on man. Diggs over DUKE...You would be the only one consider DUKE won Freshman of the Year in the ACC over Diggs.

 

[killa1storm]

Again, with the SEC insecurity. All those SEC dudes ahead of Duke on that list are certified freaks.

I don't know a thing about the dude from TCU aside from hearing towards the end of the year that he was tearing it up. The one I figured most would be ****ing about is the dude from FSU. A CB who didn't start or pick off a pass is better than Duke???



Dafukouttahere

pretty much, did anybody watch the top 3 play last year? ain't got **** to do with sec bias, all 3 could have been 1st rounders this past year. i would have had diggs #4 and duke #5 though. either way all of them are studs and interchangeable depending on what you're looking for.

Its hard to take you serious as a Gator as is. But to say those 3 freshmen would have been first round picks come on man.

they would have been, they have already been given tons oh high praise by nfl scouts.

gurley is 230+ and was one of the best hurdlers in the nation in high school, the dude is ridiculously strong with excellent speed. cooper was a top 5 receiver in the country last year. yeldon was the best back at bama last year, saban has said if he stays healthy he has a chance to be the best back he's ever coached. y'all can hate, just realize your opinion is in the minority. if anybody watched those top 3 play last year and come away thinking they received this ranking over bias doesn't know football.

 

[Dghustla]

It's not a knock on those players. I do believe they are good but to say they would be first round picks come on man that is some strong Kool-Aid. If not crowning these kids means I don't know football. Then I don't know football.

 

[killa1storm]

maybe so, some kids have it some don't. understand some of these kids did what they did fresh out of hs and have man bodies already. they have 1st round TALENT. maybe that is what i should have said instead. barring injury do you see any of them not being 1st rounders in another two years? i think every player in that top 10 has that type of talent.

 

[Dghustla]

The emphasis is on a 2015 when they are draft eligible. Yes they all could possibly be 1st picks. And Nick Saban says every back he coaches is the best he ever coached. Ingram was the best he ever coached, Then Trent was the best he ever coached now Yeldon is best he ever coached.

I agree with you about Gurley. To me he is #1 IMO. Cooper is a **** of a player but he is the benefit of a great offense around him. I just can't take ESPN serious because they have a vested interest in the success of the SEC.

If this article was posted through another publication I would take it a little more serious. It's obvious when the writer says that DUKE doesn't get yards after contact because of his size and then adds a player who wasn't even contention for freshman of the year in his respective conference to the list that he is window shopping. And also going off of recruiting rankings.

having dude from FSU and Green-Beckham on the list over Jonathan Gray (RB) @ Texas just seems like a lot of hype to me.

 

[dg151]

Curious where Yeldon would have ranked if he stayed with Auburn instead of Bama. Great talent, and a lot to like, but I'm running for a K behind that line. And I love watching Gurley play but the ceiling is a question there. Very much doubt either are first round picks this past year (and I'm not sure either end up there in 2 years). Cooper probably ends up as a first rounder, but wouldn't have been taken over Patterson/Hopkins this past year.

I'd probably have Cooper, Fields, Duke, Peat, Williams, Fowler, Diggs, Gurley, Yeldon, DGB, but it really depends on their criteria. If this is a list of projecting their performance next season, I'd probably have Yeldon/Duke top 2, but if it's overall talent, or draft projection, or overall college accomplishments, the ranking is probably different every time. The top 10 is likely all the same.

Darby on this least is fairly foolish in any which way though.

Edit: Completely forgot about Gray, he's probably a fringe top 10 guy based on college performance this season because UT has a stacked backfield, but he's just as talented as the other three backs on the list, Keith Marshall isn't far behind either.

 

[CanesAreAble]

LOL I'm sure they thoroughly analyzed Andrus Peat's film.