Tag Archives: Randy Edsall

NFL Draft 2013 Preview: Maryland Prospects

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Can Former Terp Tight End Matt Furstenburg Find a Landing Spot in the NFL?

Can Former Terp Tight End Matt Furstenburg Find a Landing Spot in the NFL?

Leading up to this month’s NFL Draft, we’ll be taking a look at each ACC‘s school’s prospects and where they’re slated to be chosen. While 50 ACC players were invited to the NFL Draft Combine, those not in attendance also have ample opportunity to hear their name called between April 25 through 27.

Maryland‘s fortunes have been a bit down through the first two years of the Randy Edsall era, but the Terps are still able to churn out some NFL-caliber talent acquired by former head coach Ralph Friedgen. Unfortunately for them, these were some of the team’s biggest contributors and they’ll certainly leave some gaping holes on both sides of the ball. Recruiting is improving for the Terrapins with Mike Locksley back in the fold, but it’s still a gradual process to rebuild the necessary pipelines.

Matt Furstenburg, TE, Senior (Projected: Fifth Round)

Furstenburg comes into this draft as a bit of a wildcard, leaving scouts around the league a bit confused. His productivity as a receiver wasn’t overwhelmingly impressive during his four years (60 catches, six scores on his career), but I’d chalk a good deal of that up to the terrible quarterback situation at Maryland these past two seasons. While he has some of the physical tools to succeed (6’4″ and 242 pounds), there’s also concern he’s a bit undersized for the position and that it removes the effectiveness of his best skillset (run-blocking). But with some great receiving skills and a more-than-respectable 40-yard dash time (4.6), it’s doubtful teams will allow him to drop much further than the fifth round.

Joe Vellano, DT, Senior (Projected: Undrafted)

If Vellano fails to be drafted, he won’t be searching long for an employer, that’s for sure. I’d even add that the only reason he’s not higher up on draft boards is his history of various injuries during his collegiate career. Beyond that, it’s tough to just look past a defensive lineman with a quick first step and tireless work ethic who flirted with 100 tackles his junior season (unheard of). Vellano’s played various positions along the line (end, tackle, nose tackle), which certainly gives him a bit of a boost, but his size isn’t necessarily ideal for any of those positions, save maybe the nose tackle spot — and an undersized one at that. At 6’2″ and 306 pounds, he’ll need the right environment in order to thrive, and teams will need to be willing to make a several-year investment.

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Rushel Shell Transfer: Where to, and What’s Next for Pitt’s Backfield?

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Rushel Shell's Leaving Pittsburgh, But Where Could He End Up Next?

We Know Rushel Shell’s Leaving Pittsburgh, But Where Could He End Up Next?

As has been the news for nearly a week now, presumed starting running back Rushel Shell has elected to transfer out of Pittsburgh’s football program. SB Nation’s Cardiac Hill has a detailed breakdown of the various puzzling aspects of this move, so for discussion around that front, feel free to wander in that general direction.

What we’re interested in here is where he could potentially end up (touched upon over at CH as well), and then what’s next for the Panthers’ backfield as they continue with spring practice. With little information available right now, please keep in mind this is almost entirely speculation at the moment.

Where could Rushel Shell transfer to?

Just one year ago, Shell was in high demand as one of the top-rated running back prospects in the nation, and he was expected to deliver on those lofty goals as Pitt’s featured back in 2013. Now, he’s an impressive sophomore runner with 641 rushing yards and four scores under his belt, looking for a new home where he’ll sit out a year before regaining eligibility in 2014.

The top transfer choices are the ones in closest proximity: West Virginia and Penn State, but there’s chatter that Pitt would not allow him to head to either long-time rival program. Same goes for Arizona State, where former Panthers coach Todd Graham currently resides as head coach. The Cardiac Hill guys believe Pitt would block any move to those three schools, but is that the right move? Not siding with Shell here, but based on a recent tweet from the mother of Shell’s children, it would almost seem like he’s trying to run from some issues (purely speculation). However, rewind the clock a year, and let’s remember what happened when former Terps QB Danny O’Brien was trying to leave Maryland and head coach Randy Edsall was adamant about limiting his possibilities. The backlash was pretty far-reaching and ultimately, amounted to nothing since O’Brien failed to go to a future scheduled opponent or another ACC team (he went to Wisconsin).

So with that said, where could he potentially land? The top two choices are obvious:

Arizona State: Graham and his staff initially recruited Shell, and perhaps that was part of the initial appeal to the Panthers program (beyond just local tie-ins). The Sun Devils currently have a veteran backfield set for fall, giving Shell ample opportunity to contribute come fall 2014.

West Virginia: Still local, and like many Pitt players, Shell certainly knows plenty of Mountaineers players. With the Big 12 sort of lacking for an elite back, Shell could get an opportunity to really shine in that conference, though who knows how much opportunity he’d get in Dana Holgorsen’s air-raid offense.

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Very Early 2013 ACC Football Season W-L Predictions

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Can Tajh Boyd and Clemson Live Up to Early Predictions and Win the ACC Championship?

Can Tajh Boyd and Clemson Live Up to Early Predictions and Win the ACC Championship?

With a nod to SB Nation’s Barking Carnival for the basis of this idea, we wanted to take a very early, top-line view of each ACC team’s prospects for 2013 with regard to schedule. What we’ve done to avoid diving into each and every game, however, is limit this look to just in-conference matchups (eight per team), and provide you with the basic info you’ll need on each squad. In particular, how much experience they have at the quarterback position, how long their respective coach has been there, and how many returning starters they have. Obviously, it takes more than just that information to surmise how a team will fare in a given year, but since it’s so early, this should be plenty to get a conversation going. All figures on returning starters are from Phil Steele.

Boston College Eagles: Coach: Steve Addazio (first year); Quarterback: Chase Rettig (fourth year); Returning starters: 14 (seven offense, seven defense); Projected conference W-L: 1-7

Clemson Tigers: Coach: Dabo Swinney (sixth year); Quarterback: Tajh Boyd (third year); Returning starters: 13 (seven offense, six defense); Projected conference W-L: 8-0

Duke Blue Devils: Coach: David Cutcliffe (sixth year); Quarterback: Anthony Boone (first year); Returning starters: 14 (seven offense, seven defense); Projected conference W-L: 2-6

Florida State Seminoles: Coach: Jimbo Fisher (fourth year); Quarterback: TBD; Returning starters: 10 (six offense, four defense); Projected conference W-L: 6-2

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Coach: Paul Johnson (sixth year); Quarterback: Vad Lee (probable; first year); Returning starters: 16 (eight offense, eight defense); Projected conference W-L: 5-3

Maryland Terrapins: Coach: Randy Edsall (third year); Quarterback: C.J. Brown (probable; second year); Returning starters: 12 (seven offense, five defense); Projected conference W-L: 2-6

Miami Hurricanes: Coach: Al Golden (third year); Quarterback: Stephen Morris (second year); Returning starters: 19 (10 offense, nine defense); Projected conference W-L: 7-1

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ACC Football Head Coaching Hot Seats 2013

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Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson is One of Several ACC Coaches on Tentative Ground Right Now

Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson is One of Several ACC Coaches on Tentative Ground Right Now

We’re just jumping into spring practice (you can look at every ACC team’s previews here), but for all 14 (15) squads, this is the start of the 2013 season. And for head coaches, this is where the year’s evaluations start; from their players, the school administrations, the fans and the boosters that can easily pull the plug on their position. While some of the ACC‘s head coaches are firmly entrenched where they’re at, there are also plenty that find themselves in precarious situations. Regarding both, we provide a quick evaluation of where all of them stand, new coaches and all.

Completely Safe (5)

Dabo Swinney, Clemson (sixth year): Swinney has brought the Tigers to an extended period of success they haven’t seen in decades, winning the ACC, becoming a perennial top-20 program and taking home a huge victory in the 2012 Chick-fil-a Bowl. The only things left? Consistently beating South Carolina and winning a national championship.

David Cutcliffe, Duke (sixth year): After getting Duke to their first bowl game since 1994, it appears that Cutcliffe can do no wrong in Durham. Of course, now the question begs whether he can keep it up. So long as he can consistently win between five and seven games, Cutcliffe will be just fine at Duke.

Charlie Strong, Louisville (fourth year): Strong had a real opportunity to leave this past offseason, yet chose to stick around at Louisville to finish what he started. While there’s always the threat he could head to the SEC, Strong’s ability to rebuild this program and contend on a national stage (see: Sugar Bowl) have him here long-term if he wants to be.

Larry Fedora, North Carolina (second year): Just a small sample size for Fedora thus far, but in his one season, he’s already brought UNC to a place of far more prominence than they’ve been in a decade. He’ll get several seasons to continue implementing his system, but if trends continue, he’ll be fine in Chapel Hill.

Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh (second year): Another second-year coach, Chryst has seen some results after a season at the helm, but it appears he’s set to grow the program further after (especially after a nice recruiting haul this spring). If they take a step back, questions may start, but he’s got plenty of runway to work with.

Fine for Now (4)

Jimbo Fisher, Florida State (fourth year): Expectations are always high at FSU, so it’s no surprise Fisher sits here, despite winning 12 games and an ACC title last year. Now, of course, it’ll be interesting to see if he can live up year-to-year. If Fisher can’t contend more than every few seasons, patience will grow short very quickly around Florida State.

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ACC Football 2012 Power Rankings: Week 10

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Florida State Ran Away From Duke Early on Saturday, and Now Control the Atlantic Division Race

Does anyone want to win the ACC‘s Coastal division? From the looks of it, no, though the only team that’s even looks remotely ready to do so is unfortunately ineligible for the postseason. In the meantime, the conference’s top two get further from the rest, while everyone else just continues to crash into each other. But let’s get more specific. What have we truly learned over this past weekend, and how do the ACC’s teams currently shake out?

1. Florida State Seminoles (8-1) (5-1) (LW: 1): Some felt that the 27-point spread between Duke and FSU was a bit of an exaggeration. Yet, it appeared as if the ‘Noles took it as a challenge in their 48-7 victory. Though it wasn’t all hearts and rainbows — Florida State committed four turnovers — the team still ran rings around the Blue Devils, locking up the contest by halftime. Beyond the lingering issues with fumbles, this Seminoles team appears to be clicking once again as it heads for the stretch run.

2. Clemson Tigers (7-1) (4-1) (LW: 2): Prior to kickoff last Thursday, there was concern with regards to the Clemson secondary, along with Sammy Watkins, who was slated not to start the game against Wake Forest. What happened instead was a clinic on everything fantastic about the Tigers offense. From the first snap, Clemson was a flurry of pure speed, connecting on long passes at will, and simply over-matching the Deacons’ secondary. The Clemson defense, too, looked like it had stepped up its game, sacking QB Tanner Price five times, while getting consistent pressure on him all night.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-3) (3-2) (LW: 5): After a hot start gave the Heels a 25-7 lead early, the team suddenly found itself down 35-25 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. And that’s when Giovani Bernard came alive. In the final 15 minutes, the Carolina back amassed 182 all-purpose yards and the game-winning score to give his team an eight-point victory. Obviously, the trouble with UNC’s recent gameplan is that it relies far too much on Bernard. But as long as it works — as it did here — you’ll see no complaints from this end.

4. NC State Wolfpack (5-3) (2-2) (LW: 3): What’s more crushing? Losing to your rival for the first time since 2006, or giving up your inside track at the Atlantic division title? Though those burns will likely sting with equal intensity for the Wolfpack, they must rebound quickly if they hope to stick around the divisional race. Should they win out, while FSU loses again, they’ll still find themselves in Charlotte for the title game. But they have to cut down on the dropped passes and fix mental errors in order to pull it off.

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ACC Football Recruiting Class of 2013 Rankings Update (September 26)

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Five-Star Running Back Taquan Mizzell Highlights a Huge Class for Virginia and Head Coach Mike London

September’s slowed down on the recruiting front (but not completely), so there aren’t too many changes to detail here. Still, coaching staffs continue to span the country in order to lock down the best high school players, based solely on arbitrary star-based ratings and a “gut feeling” that one may turn into a blue-chipper. While it’s fun to see where teams stand at this point in the game, it’s also important to keep in mind that the process is largely a crapshoot.

Included below are the Rivals.com rankings for all 14 ACC schools. The number to the left is each program’s national rank. Obviously, these figures can and will change over time, since these commitments are still tentative. Additional thoughts are also below.

ACC Football 2013 Recruiting Rankings (September 26)

11. Florida State (18 commits; 3.44 average) (August Rank: 10)

13. Clemson (17 commits; 3.47 average) (August Rank: 14)

16. North Carolina (19 commits; 3.21 average) (August Rank: 18)

18. Virginia Tech (17 commits; 3.35 average) (August Rank: 19)

19. Virginia (18 commits; 3.32 average) (August Rank: 24)

35. NC State (18 commits; 2.89 average) (August Rank: 49)

36. Maryland (17 commits; 2.76 average) (August Rank: 22)

39. Miami (FL) (11 commits; 3.55 average) (August Rank: 34)

40. Pittsburgh (17 commits; 2.65 average) (August Rank: 35)

47. Boston College (18 commits; 2.71 average) (August Rank: 57)

48. Georgia Tech (13 commits; 3.08 average) (August Rank: 41)

55. Duke (15 commits; 2.53 average) (August Rank: 60)

67. Wake Forest (12 commits; 2.58 average) (August Rank: 59)

76. Syracuse (8 commits; 2.75 average) (August Rank: 77)

Some additional thoughts after the jump:

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ACC vs. The World (Week 3)

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Randy Edsall and the Terps Had a Rough Saturday

Week 3: 8 games (5-3)

It was another week with a winning record against non conference foes for the ACC, but the numbers do not tell the whole story. All-in-all it was a rough week for the ACC out of conference, but teams also lost all of their non-conference games against other major conferences. And although Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh is an ACC matchup in the eyes of this blog, the Hokies loosing to a woeful Pitt team certainly did not make the ACC look al that well.

vs. Big East (0-2): North Carolina played well, but took a tough loss against a good Louisville team

vs. Big Ten (0-1): Like UNC, Boston College did not look bad, though still lost to a quality Northwestern team.

Highlight: Clemson took care of business with Furman without allowing for any unwanted drama.

Lowlight: Maryland lost to UConn, and things continue to get worse for Randy Edsall.

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