npklemm

Coached by: @Garappogoat Pre-Season Projection: 4-8 Final Record: 5-7 (4-4), 3rd in MAC East The Zips came into the season with lots of questions. With graduations at QB and at ILB (All-American Devin Frazier), we weren't sure where the offensive and defensive production would come from. And, that fear proved to be well founded. The Zips were forced to start a true Freshman at Quarterback, with poor results. The defense took a noticeable step backwards as well. Schedule The Zips went 1-3 in their OOC, with their lone win being against FCS James Madison in a close game. They then went 4-4 in Conference, with a chance to win the Division in Week 15. But Ohio was far too talented for Akron, and they fell to 5-7 on the season. They won a surprise game in Week 8 over the Toledo Rockets, and then again in Week 13 against Bowling Green. They lost tough ones close against Kent State, Wisconsin, and Ball State. Anyone of those goes the other way, and Akron potentially goes to a Bowl Game. Key Players QB Cole Richter FR - 123/226 1,416 Yards 54.42% 7 TD 9 Pick 109.31 QB Rating 34 Rush Yards 4 Rush Touchdowns RB Shontrell Driver JR - 221 Carry 1,102 Yards 11 TD 4.99 YPC WR Julian Kimball (JR) - 36 Rec 459 Yards 1 TD 2 Drop WR Damani Harris FR - 35 Rec 413 Yards 2 TD 4 Drop DE Damione Ridley SO - 20 Tackle 3 TFL 6 Sack DT Jeremiah Clarke (SR) - 22 Tackle 6 TFL 2 Sack ILB Elliot Arnold JR - 41 Tackle 1 TFL CB Christian Washington FR - 17 Tackle 6 Pick 2 PD Richter really struggled this year, and the offense was limited as a result. Shontrell Driver was mostly solid, but did have a couple games were he fell flat. The offense could not afford a down game from Driver. Kimball and Harris could only do so much with the QB play they had. But, 3 TD to 6 Drop does not bode well for the Zips Offense in 2024. Ridley and Clarke were a solid tandem on the DL. A combined 9 TFL and 8 Sacks isn't elite, but it was the best on the team. Elliot Arnold was forced to fill in for Devin Frazier and did all he could. But, it just wasn't enough. Christian Washington was fantastic however. He was 2nd in the conference with 6 Picks, and added 2 PD. He clearly was the best player in the secondary, and the Zips will luckily have him for 3 more seasons. Impact Recruits DT Kwanzaa Frazier JR (3.5/4.0) DT Nathan Lombardo FR (1.5/4.0) FB Ivan Hayden FR (1.5/4.0) OLB Shaun Tate FR (1.5/4.0) DT Messiah Brooks FR (1.0/4.0) With both Jeremiah Clarke and Olivier Ponder graduating, the Zips needed to load up there. Kwanzaa is a 2-Year JUCO Starter who'll step right in. Nathan Lombardo and Messiah Brooks will be the duo long-term, Lombardo may get the start year one. I expect Brooks to RS. Hayden and Tate should RS, I don't think the Zips need to rush these guys out on the field. Season Awards CB Christian Washington - All-MAC 1st Team

Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan all missing theirs. I've contacted every coach to update it.

Dune is awesome. One of those I come back to every year or so. It was difficult my first read through, but it honestly gets better with each reading.

Player Profile: Name: Curtis Jones Position: Defensive End Style: Contain DE Ranking (Based on Rating): 16 Contain DE Ranking: 10 Height: 6-5 Weight: 275 College: Texas Tech High School: Anson High School Hometown: Anson, TX Player Line: DE/OLB Curtis Jones 6-5 275 R Texas Tech [Contain] [+1] 76 Curtis Jones had dreams of Big Time Football. Texas or TCU would pick him surely. But, as his Football Career in the tiny Anson (Pop: ~2,300), the offers just didn't come in. One in state school did pay attention though, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. They didn't have the prestige of Texas or TCU, but they would offer Curtis Jones the opportunity to beat Texas and TCU for ignoring him. He wasn't an instant starter, he took a Red-Shirt season and then one year as a back-up before getting the chance to start. But, once that opportunity came, he didn't disappoint. Finishing his career with 124 Tackles, 35.5 Sacks (most in Big XII History), 5 FF, and 25 TFL. In three years, he beat the record for most sacks in a Career for the Big XII. That is the kind of player Curtis Jones is. 2023 Stats: Statsheets: 11 Tackles: 34 Sacks: 13.5 FF: 3 TFL: 13 As a Contain guy, he gets after the QB with abandon. Most Contain Ends are used to set the edge and open up opportunities for the quicker LBs to get in the backfield. But Curtis Jones does both, he defends the run very well and gets after the QB. He's a guy you have to gameplan around. He's not without faults (he has no speed moves), but his talent is hard to defend against. He recorded either a Sack or a TFL (if not both) in every Statsheet he made this year. Game Tape Analysis: Week 1, Nebraska: In the team's first game of the year, Curtis Jones made quick work of the Cornhuskers. He finished with 2 Sacks and 2 TFL. He was too much for the Husker's OL, and was key in the dismantling of the reigning B1G Champs. He showed all of his tools in this one, looking almost perfect. Week 8, Kansas: A few weeks later, he went up against CG3 and the Jayhawks. He proved his worth yet again, with another 2 Sack performance. There were periods of the game where CG3 couldn't drop back without being harassed by Jones. Week 13, Oklahoma State: Not a great game for the Red Raiders. Ian Baldwin went 20/27 and Amral had a cool 5 YPC. The Cowboys Offense didn't explode, but the Red Raiders didn't force them into any mistakes. Jones managed to sack Baldwin once and bring down Amral behind the line once. But, he was quiet for large periods of the game. Week 16, TCU: The only game this regular season in which Jones didn't record a stat. Texas Tech came away with the win, but Jones didn't contribute much to the effort. He was double teamed effectively and couldn't break free to make a play. A rare poor game out of him. Strengths: Size. Jones is 6-5, 275. He's big and tall. You don't push him around. He uses his size and strength to bully Offensive Linemen and any poor TE who might get tasked with blocking him. Versatility. His 35.5 Sacks and 25 TFL show he can do it all from the End position. He's not a guy who can only play in certain situations. You can rotate him in during any part of the game and be satisfied that he'll show up. Weaknesses: Speed. Jones isn't quick off the ball, he relies more on his size to win battles than speed. He's not going to chase many RBs down from behind. Lack of Experience. Two years as a starter (and one with Top 10 Pick Samir Sample across from him) may worry some Front Offices. Given his relatively short on field career combined with having Pro Caliber Blitz DE's on the other side, some may feel his production is due less to his own talent, and more to his ability to feast off the work of others. Draft Outlook: I love Jones. I think he can contribute Day 1 and be Rotated in a 3-4 Defense from the jump. Some Scouts think he can play OLB, but I just don't see it. I would for sure take him over the 5 Contain DE's rated ahead of him right now. In my mind, he's a Round 2 Talent with the Rating of a Round 3 Player. I would not be surprised to see him supplant a starter before his rookie contract is over. Early 3rd. If he lasts to Mid 3rd, some teams need to fire their GMs. *initially left 2021 Stats out of his Career Stats by mistake. Has been Corrected.

Made a goal to read 20 books this year. I've read: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn To Kill A Nation: The Attack on Yugoslavia by Michael Parenti I'm currently reading (just started yesterday): The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Add me on Goodreads

Beat NIU by 20. Seems to work just fine. Also, ST being at 13 really helped my Kicker out I believe. 3/3.5 True Freshman hit 22/26 of his Kicks to win 1st Team All MAC and KOTY in the Conference.

Player Profile: Name: Xavien Lockhart Position: Wide Receiver Style: Target WR Ranking (Based on Rating): 25 Target WR Ranking: 14 Height: 6-1 Weight: 209 College: Memphis JUCO: Seminole State College Hometown: Seminole, OK Player Line: WR Xavien Lockhart 6-1 209 R Memphis [Target] [1] 71 Xavien grew up in the tiny town of Seminole, OK. He dreamed of playing for the Sooners. But, his grades just weren't there. He graduated High School with a 1.8 GPA. Far too low to quality for any FBS or FCS Schools. He did garner Interest, from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Kansas State, and North Texas. But he was ineligible to enroll in any of those schools. Instead, he went to his hometown JUCO Seminole State College. It offered him the ability to play football while working on his eligibility. He struggled his first two years, both on the field and in the classroom, almost being put on academic probation. But, in his Spring Semester Sophomore Year, it all clicked for him and he finally started to put in the work needed to move up. His Junior Year was outstanding, catching 93 passes for 1,345 Yards and 16 Touchdowns. Even better, he got his Collegiate GPA up to a 2.5, making him eligible for FBS Competition. There wasn't much interest in him, unfortunately. But, Memphis finally made an offer. He was finally going to get his opportunity to play at the top level and give NFLHC scouts a real look at him. 2023 Stats: Receptions: 60 Yards: 756 Touchdowns: 8 Drops: 4 Drop %: 6.25% Note: Drop % is calculated by Taking Drops divided by Sum of Drops + Catches. He spend the year as the #1 WR on the Depth Chart and was often times QB Cooper Spillman's top target. he had 2 100-Yard Games, and 5 80+ Yard Games. He didn't always have a big impact, sometimes essentially being held to virtually nothing. He had a stretch were he went for 81 Yards and a TD, to 30 Yards, to 106 Yards and a TD. He just couldn't maintain high level output. Though, the offense as a whole for the Tigers had this issue. Game Tape Analysis: Week 3: Mississippi State In his match-up against the Bulldogs out of the SEC, he had his way. He caught 6 Passes for 102 Yards and 1 TD. He was a constant threat to the Bulldog Secondary, and used his strength to his advantage on many plays. Even when he wasn't catching the ball, he was setting hard blocks on the edge or drawing the attention of 2 defenders, opening up the passing game for everyone else. He put his best performance on. Week 7: Tulane Woof, what a bad game. The offense took a giant dump on the field, but Lockhart especially let his team down. He had 3 receptions for 28 Yards and 2 Drops. He was completely shut down, and that really hurt the offense. The receiving Corps for Memphis isn't insanely deep, so if Lockhart struggled, the passing game struggled. Later in the game, his frustration started to show. QB Cooper Spillman missed him on a couple plays where Lockhart had finally gotten open. After the drive, the two got into it on the sideline, initiated by Lockhart. This was his worst game of the year. Week 12: Houston Against the Cougars, Lockhart was on fired. He caught 8 passes for 106 Yards and a Touchdown. He bullied the Corner opposite him and helped the team convert several 3rd Downs. Houston just didn't have an answer to him other than to double him, which gave everyone else 1-on-1 battles. When he was at his best, the Memphis offense could really do damage. Week 15: Navy Another game in which Lockhart just couldn't get going. He had 3 receptions for 22 Yards. And again, when he didn't play well, the offense struggled. Navy pressed him at the line and he wasn't able to fight through it. He was in constant hand fights with Corner Bryan Cunningham (Lockhart had 30 Pounds on him). He on many occasions yelled at the Refs after a play looking for a flag, nearly drawing a couple unsportsmanlike penalties. He was taken out of the game mentally. Strengths: Strength. He's a strong guy, and he's got more weight on him than most Corners. That's where he excels, boxing out Corners. Route Running. One area he excels is in his routes. He hits the right marks at the right time. This makes him a great target on 3rd and Long. Weaknesses: Speed. He doesn't have the ability to pull away from anyone. He's not going to run a Go Route and beat the Corner. He has to rely on his size and route running to be a threat. Tempermant. He can be taken out of a game mentally. If he struggles early or doesn't get the ball, he gets grouchy. Press Coverage on him frustrates him and angers him. Drops. 4 Drops on 60 Passes gives him a 6.25 Drop %. Most of the Top WRs in this Draft are under 4%. Teams have to be concerned with his reliability if the ball does go his way. Draft Outlook: I don't see a long NFLHC Career ahead of him. He's definitely not ready to play Day 1, and will have to spend at least 2-3 years on the Practice Squad. He lacks the versatility to be an every down player. So, if he does make an Active Roster, he'll see the field on 10-15 Plays a game. He maxes out as a #4 or #5 Receiver in the League. I've got him Late 6th. I don't envision a scenario in which he has a lengthy or successful career in the Pros.

Well, I'm back on my bullshit. I did a few of these a couple seasons ago and enjoyed doing them. I picked a random player (I'm only using guys rated 71-76, so mid to late round guys, we hear enough about the higher rated guys) and am going to provide a Draft Preview on them. Player Profile: Name: Jack Ramsey Position: Outside Linebacker Style: Blitz OLB Ranking (Based on Rating): 18 Blitz OLB Ranking: 9 Height: 6-4 Weight: 221 College: Florida State High School: Northview Hometown: Bratt, FL Player Line: OLB Jack Ramsey 6-4 221 R Florida State [Blitz] [+2] 71 Ramsey grew up in Bratt, FL dreaming of being a Seminole one day. When that offer came in, he was ecstatic "This has been my dream all my life, I am going to do everything in my power to make the Noles Defense feared". And he did, racking up 144 Tackles with 24 TFL and 16.5 Sacks over his 4-Year Career. He's been a constant force in every opponent's backfield, and that's where he really shines. He comes into the Draft with a ton of experience, but with a lot of knocks on his game. 2023 Stats: We listed his Career stats above, but his senior year was far and away his best statistically. Statsheets: 11 Tackles: 57 TFL: 17 Sacks: 7.5 FF: 2 FR: 1 He loves to bring the pressure. He had 5 multi-TFL games this year, showing how good he was at getting into the backfield. His supporting cast on the DL certainly helped him, but he was able to overwhelm the end of the Line and get free shots at whoever had the ball. He uses Speed as his only tool of getting back there, if his speed rush is beat or slowed down, he's ineffective. Game Tape Analysis: Week 4: Boise State In their Week 4 Game against the eventual MWC Champs, Boise State, Ramsey racked up 6 Tackles and 3 TFL. He found the ball carrier with ease and limited the running game all game long. He got a few pressures on QB Ian Hansen, who was harassed to a 50% Completion %, but was unable to bring him down for a Sack. This was one of his better games on the season. Week 10: Wake Forest In Week 10, the Noles hosted the Demon Deacons. Ramsey posted 3 Tackles, 1 TFL, and 2 Sacks. This was his only multi-sack game on the year. He lived in the backfield. QB James Betts was running for his life. Ramsey could have had 1 or 2 more Sacks, but Betts escaped him and threw the ball away. His speed rush was on full display, but so was his lack of strength. Week 11: Clemson This was by far his worst game on the year. Clemson had the best or 2nd best OL that FSU played all season long. And that OL kept him in check. He was unable to make any real impact, and he recorded no stats (his only game of the season to do that). Clemson ran the ball very well (about 5.5 YPC) on the Noles, and Ramsey was completely shut down and unable to do anything about it. Strengths: Speed. Ramsey is super quick off the edge. He's not an easy guy to get a hand on when he times the snap count just right. Experience. As a 4-Year Starter, Ramsey has seen it all. He's been in every situation, and has an idea of where he needs to be and what he needs to do. Instincts. He just finds the ball, he doesn't always make the play, but he gets there. Weaknesses: Strength. At 6-4 and 221, he's on the slender side for a LB. He's a tad too tall and too slow to play Safety. I don't know how he slots into an NFLHC Defense. He has no Power Moves, relying solely on his speed. Pass Coverage. He's comfortable in the backfield, but is still out of his element in Pass Defense. He can't play Zone or Man, and that limits his opportunities to make impacts to one or two types of plays. His lack of versatility is a huge Red Flag. Lack of Development. He's started for 4 Years, and still has issues in Pass Defense? That will be a huge cause of concern for whoever scouts him. Is he just unable to learn? He's been doing the same thing for 4 years, and hasn't really added many tools to his game. Draft Outlook: Ramsey needs a lot of work before he's able to contribute to a NFLHC Team. He's a 2-3 Year Practice Squad Guy before it's even plausible he gets called up to the Active Roster. Teams aren't going to use a lot of Draft Capital on him, knowing that they have to sit him for so long before he's a potential Roster Filler. Long term, he's maybe a Rotational Player in Pass Rush situations. That lack of versatility is going to tank his Draft Stock. I think he goes Mid to Late 6th. He's got talent, but it's very limited.

With the 2023 Season over, the Cardinals had one of their most successful seasons in school history. 8-5 with a win over South Alabama in the Camellia Bowl. Several school records were broken, and the coaches have lots a thoughts on the years. From Head Coach npklemm: "Well, 8-5 with a Bowl Win is fantastic. Our guys fought hard all off-season to get to this point, and we really came together as a team after a bad 2022. Coming into the year, we had a ton of hope and optimism. I'm very proud of this team and what we were able to accomplish. First, we beat Eastern Michigan for the first time ever. I'm so glad to have that monkey off of our back. In terms of Team Performance, we've never had a 7-Win Regular Season or 8-Win Season in school history. 5-3 in Conference is our best record since 2016. We also had 5 Home Wins, the most in a single season. And, we scored more TDs and more Points Overall than in any other season. The offense took a major step forward this year. We also tied our 2020 Season with 18 Sacks, the most in school history. Looking at Individual Performances, DeAndre Simms broke the record for most tackles in game. He was all over the field against Central Michigan and racked up 12 of them by himself. Pay attention Pro Scouts. Erik Parker is now the single season passing yards record holder. No one has thrown for as many yards in a season as him. He also tied Elias Carter for most Passing TDs in a Season. Damani Laws broke the single season rushing Yards record by over 230 Yards. Very proud of that young man. Steven Moya broke his own records on Receptions and Receiving Yards in a Season. He's been phenomenal for us. He also owns the Career Receptions and Receiving Yards Records, while Sebastian Amato is tied for most Receiving TDs with the Great Chan Pease. It was a huge rebounding year for us, and one we can build on for years to come" The Cards will enter the 2024 Season with most of their Starters Returning.

Washington is just so good. Offensively they can hurt you in many different ways. Defensively they're aggressive, get pressure on the QB and creating Turnovers all season long. They're going to be a fun team to watch in the NFCCG

Donated $25. Thanks Daddy Soluna

Winner: 49ers Final Score: 21-14 Total Points Scored: 35 MVP: Raheem Mostert Who Scores First: Kansas City

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MAC Players of the Year: QB Byron Suggs, Offensive Player of the Year: QB Byron Suggs, Defensive Player of the Year: DE Kayden Soriano, Offensive Lineman of the Year: OG Kualii Umaga, Defensive Lineman of the Year: DE Kayden Soriano, Freshman of the Year: TE Miles Hooker, Coach of the Year: @robcarlson77 Quarterback of the Year: QB Byron Suggs, Runningback of the Year: RB Tyler Pearson, Defensive Back of the Year: CB DeSean Mathis, Linebacker of the Year: OLB Blake Gauthier, Receiver of the Year: WR Joseph Aikman, Tight End of the Year: TE Miles Hooker, Kicker of the Year: K Mitchell Randall, Punter of the Year: P Eric Caudill, Return Specialist of the Year: WR William Coates Media of the Year: Weekly Previews/Reviews Media Writer of the Year: npklemm,  

All were voted upon by the Coaches Players of the Year: QB Byron Suggs, Offensive Player of the Year: QB Byron Suggs, Defensive Player of the Year: DE Kayden Soriano, Offensive Lineman of the Year: OG Kualii Umaga, Defensive Lineman of the Year: DE Kayden Soriano, Freshman of the Year: TE Miles Hooker, Coach of the Year: @robcarlson77 Quarterback of the Year: QB Byron Suggs, Runningback of the Year: RB Tyler Pearson, Defensive Back of the Year: CB DeSean Mathis, Linebacker of the Year: OLB Blake Gauthier, Receiver of the Year: WR Joseph Aikman, Tight End of the Year: TE Miles Hooker, Kicker of the Year: K Mitchell Randall, Punter of the Year: P Eric Caudill, Return Specialist of the Year: WR William Coates Media of the Year: Weekly Previews/Reviews Media Writer of the Year: npklemm, Offensive Freshman of the Year: TE Miles Hooker, Defensive Freshman of the Year: CB Keandre Williams, All-MAC First Team QB: QB Byron Suggs, RB: Tyler Pearson, RB: DeSean Madison, WR: Joseph Aikman, WR: Dontae Peppers, TE: Miles Hooker, OL: Western Michigan DL: Kayden Soriano, DL: Kareem Lindsey, DL: Nicholas Blackwell, DL: Quincy Williams, LB: Blake Gauthier, LB: Cooper Merritt, LB: Oliver McNeal, LB: Micah Bean, DB: Keandre Williams, DB: Laquon Boston, DB: DeSean Mathis, DB: Christian Washington, K: Mitchell Randall, P: Eric Caudill, All-MAC 2nd Team QB: Keith Jackson, RB: Damani Laws, RB: Alec Self, WR: Brandon Lockhart, WR: Jordan Barnes, TE: William Griggs, OL: Toledo DL: Kevin Pope, DL: Erik Stoner, DL: Thomas Randle-Douglas, DL: Josiah Ornelas, LB: Leo Forrest, LB: Christian Reese, LB: Kayden Shaw, LB: Ivan Rosenberg, DB: Geno Atkins, DB: Antonio Weeks, DB: Ousmane King, DB: Miles Bradford, K: Harry DeMarco, P: Ivan Gonzales, Count by Team - 1 - 3 - 4 - 2 - 5 - 4 - 1 - 3 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 9