Bound for a rebound

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March 13th, 2006

Bound for a rebound

20 players looking to come back strong

There will be plenty of rebounds in college athletics these next few weeks, but they won’t all be taking place in a gym or on the hardwood.  College football is poised to begin delivering a fair amount of its’ own rebounds outdoors and on grass.  From coast to coast, there are dozens of all-conference caliber players that are eagerly awaiting a chance for redemption after failing to reach their individual targets in 2005.  The root of their plight is as diverse as their backgrounds, but the objective for each of these 20 players is the sameâ€â€to bounce back in a big way from a season they’d like to forget.       

1. RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – It’s a testament to Peterson’s stature as a premier back that his 1,100-yard sophomore season can be dubbed an off year.  By his standards, it was a letdown.  He struggled early on with injuries and zero support from the O-line and passing game before willing himself to a finish that resembled his freshman year.  Peterson busted loose for 626 yards and eight scores in the Sooners’ final four regular season games, a likely preview of the upcoming season if the game continues to slow down for quarterback Rhett Bomar and the retooled line can create even slivers of daylight for their franchise player.      

2. RB Mike Hart, Michigan – Hart’s value to the Wolverines was never more evident than last fall, when he suffered a high ankle sprain that lingered throughout the season.  Kevin Grady, Max Martin and Jerome Jackson tried unsuccessfully to fill the void, and a deep Michigan offense slipped to ninth in the Big Ten in scoring, rushing offense and total offense.  Hart could manage just 150 carries and 662 yards rushing, one-third of which came against Michigan State in an effort that was reminiscent of his monster freshman season.  With an off-season to heal, he’ll be moving again this September like he’s trying to break the high score on Frogger.

3. QB Sam Keller, Arizona State – For a time last fall, Keller was positioning himself for the first round of the NFL Draft and a darkhorse run at the Heisman.  And then halftime of the Oct. 1 game with USC ended, and his season went south in a hurry.  He threw five picks in that loss to the Trojans, and a week later suffered a thumb injury that’d prematurely end his junior year.  Adding insult to that injury was the play of backup Rudy Carpenter, who went on to smoke all comers, and lead the nation in passing efficiency.  No doubt Keller has to earn his job back, but he’s one of the top 5 pocket passers in the country, and will be returning to an offense that’s once again loaded at the skill positions.    

4. RB Lorenzo Booker, Florida State – The time has arrived for Booker to produce like the superstar back that sent Notre Dame fans to the ledge when he chose the ‘Noles over the Irish four years ago.  The nation’s top recruit of 2002 has had occasional moments in Tallahassee, but just four career 100-yard games and 552 yards on the ground in 2005 is a far cry from his potential.  Booker put off possible first-day money to return to Florida State, and with Leon Washington graduated and Drew Weatherford more comfortable in year two, he’s poised for at least 15-20 touches a game and easily the best season of his college career.

5. RB Jamario Thomas, North Texas – Anyone who watched Thomas carve up Sun Belt defenses en route to the 2004 NCAA rushing crown knows that last year’s production was an aberration.  An injured hamstring limited him to just 89 carries, 361 yards and no scores a year after exploding on to the scene with 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns.  Thomas’ struggles with his hammy the last two seasons is a concern, but he feels great this spring, and assuming that doesn’t change, he’s more than capable of making a push for 2,000 yards in 2006.

6. WR Ted Ginn, Jr., Ohio State – Alright, so the mercurial Ginn didn’t turn 2005 into his own personal Heisman showcase, as many had predicted.  He did close strong, capped by a blowout performance in the Fiesta Bowl, but was a non-entity for large chunks of the season.  That’ll change in 2006, particularly with Santonio Holmes playing in the NFL and no longer the main target in the passing game.  The Buckeyes will get back to concocting ways to get the ball in the hands of Ginn, who’ll reciprocate with a Heisman-type junior year, albeit one year later than anticipated.    

7. WR Courtney Taylor, Auburn – Now that didn’t go as planned, did it? Taylor was on the brink of becoming an All-American type receiver for Auburn before landing awkwardly in a Week 3 blowout of Ball State.  The resulting injury to his ankle lingered most of the year, and he never was able to generate much momentum in 2005.  Taylor caught just 22 balls, but the season wasn’t a complete loss.  While he was healing, battery mate Brandon Cox was gradually maturing into a dependable SEC quarterback.  Both will enter this season feeling good and with something to prove, making for a very dangerous pitch-and-catch combination on the Plains.

8. OT Jake Long, Michigan – Long’s journey to becoming one of the premier tackles in the nation took a detour in 2005 when he injured his right foot in summer practice, went under the knife and didn’t return to the lineup until October.  He played well before injuring the other hoof, and was forced to gut out the Ohio State game in considerable pain.  Even after rejoining the team, the behemoth lineman wasn’t the same, nor was a Michigan offense, which sorely missed its best blocker.  Barring another setback, Long will be back to 100% again this fall, meaning there will be a little more daylight in the running game and a little more time for Chad Henne when he drops back to pass.     

9. QB Jared Zabransky, Boise State – When the locals booed Zabransky in December, it wasn’t just the by-product of his performance in the MPC Computers Bowl.  For Bronco fans, it was an expression of frustration after watching a season’s worth of gaffes from their all-league quarterback.  Zabransky continued making plays on the ground, but struggled mightily through the air, tossing 16 picks, which was seventh highest nationally, and generally regressing as a junior.  He did catch a break, however, when former offensive coordinator Chris Petersen was retained to succeed Dan Hawkins, and is committed to having his best off-season since arriving from Oregon in 2001.    

10. QB Erik Ainge, Tennessee – The $64,000 question around Knoxville is whether Ainge can recapture the form that made him an instant star as a true freshman in 2004.  He should be able to.  The presence of David Cutcliffe, a noted developer of quarterback, will help tremendously, as will the four-month break from football to clear his head after last season’s nightmare.  Ainge did enough as a wide-eyed teen two years ago to prove he has talent, but now he has to show his teammates and coaches he’s got the moxie to bounce back and lead a Vol offense that’s searching for an identity.   ..............

11. DE Kyle Caldwell, Arizona State – One of these years, Caldwell is going to be completely healthy for an entire season.  Maybe it’ll be 2006, but it sure wasn’t last year.  He was hobbled for months by nagging inflammation after last May’s knee surgery and slowed by a strained rotator cuff in October, limiting his production to just 17 tackles and no sacks.  If health isn’t an issue, Caldwell is so much better than those numbers.  When he’s on, he’s a devastating blend of speed and strength, and with good buddy Loren Howard arriving from Northwestern, could help form a disruptive pass-rushing bookend.

12. RB Stevie Hicks, Iowa State – Hicks is a bona fide 1,000-yard back coming off a frustrating 500-yard season.  Over the last two years, when he got 20 or more carries in a game, the Cyclones were 10-3, including a spotless 4-0 a year ago.  The problem in 2005 was that Hicks was saddled with painful ankle and groin injuries most of the season, which prevented him from having the big breakthrough year he’s quite capable of delivering.  He’s a bruiser with good feet, and with quarterback Bret Meyer to keep defenses honest, an early favorite to join Adrian Peterson on the 2006 All-Big 12 first team.   

 

13. DE Anthony Spencer, Purdue – Purdue’s disastrous 2005 season claimed plenty of victims, including Spencer, who appeared ready for lift-off after notching 7½ sacks his sophomore year.  Like most of his teammates, however, expectations were not fulfilled, and all he was able to manage was a paltry three sacks, good for fourth best on the Boilermakers.  On a defense that’s losing many key contributors, expect Spencer to return to the edge-rushing form that had him looking like a future first-day selection in the NFL Draft.

14. QB Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh – Palko’s 2005 outputâ€â€17 touchdowns and 2,392 yardsâ€â€wasn’t all that bad, but, in this instance, numbers were very deceptive.  Palko was a weak facsimile of the kid that carried the Panthers to the 2004 Big East title, but he can only shoulder part of the blame.  His running game was AWOL and his protection was even worse.  He spent most of the year either on his back or ducking for cover, impossible conditions for any quarterback.  They’re big ifs, but if Pitt can keep him upright and find a successor to wide receiver Greg Lee, Palko will get back to the kind of numbers, namely more touchdowns and fewer turnovers, that are more consistent with his ability.    

15. QB Kevin Kolb, Houston – Buried beneath Kolb’s 3,258 yards and 19 touchdown passes last fall was a spate of turnovers and the sense that he’d regressed a bit in his third year in the Cougar system.  He threw an uncharacteristic 15 interceptions in 2005, which were three more than he’d tossed in the previous two seasons combined.  Kolb was not helped by his receivers, who dropped too many passes, but he didn’t help matters with his own inconsistent play.  With one year remaining to impress NFL scouts and no running threats in sight, he figures to bounce back with a monster exclamation point to an underrated college career.   

16. WR Lance Leggett, Miami – Leggett followed up a promising freshman campaign with a maddeningly inconsistent sophomore season, which was marked by just 15 receptions and a steady decline in playing time.  He was exposed in 2005 as a soft receiver with questionable hands, however, Leggett still has the lights out natural tools that will afford him second and third chances as long as he’s playing football.  He’s a 6-3 sprinter on the ‘Cane track team, and it’ll be up to new Miami coaches, such as Rich Olson, to harness all that raw ability and parlay it into more consistent play.      

17. WR Robert Meachem, Tennessee – See the explanation of Leggett above because the two are basically carbon copies of each other.  Meachem is a homerun hitter with enormous upside and natural gifts that can’t be taught, but he was woefully inconsistent in 2005, catching just 29 passes and a pair of touchdowns.  The Tennessee offense, in general, stunk, which didn’t help his development, but Meachem, too, needs to polish up his act this fall.  David Cutcliffe was brought back to fix the offense, and second to finding a quarterback, getting Meachem right will be a top priority beginning this spring.  ..........They should just have the entire Tennessee Team on here 

18. DE Wallace Gilberry, Alabama – After chalking up 13 tackles for loss and 6½ sacks as a freshman reserve, Gilberry was supposed to emerge into an SEC force last season.  It never happened.  Despite adding some much-needed muscle and moving into the starting lineup, his numbers drifted considerably to just eight stops behind the line and a single sack.  No longer a well-kept secret, he attracted a steady diet of double teams, which helped his linemates, but also cut into his production.  The emergence of sophomore Bobby Greenwood on the other side should free things up a bit for Gilberry in 2006.     

19. QB Lester Ricard, Tulane – It’d be hard to imagine a more trying season for Ricard, who lost his grip on the starting job in November, and like the rest of the Gulf Coast, lived through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  In a year that was supposed to launch him as the next big thing under center at Tulane, he never found a groove, and as his turnovers rose, his touchdowns and completion percentage dropped like a hammer.  Ricard’s stock is way down, but he still has an NFL rifle, and if he can hold off the challenge from Scott Elliott, can still turn 2006 into a lucrative salary drive. 

20. P Brandon Fields, Michigan State – Fields was a head-scratcher for the Spartans in 2005, averaging just 41.6 yards a punt, a far cry from the 46.4 and 47.9 per kick he boomed in his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively.  Worse yet, his hang time didn’t improve, allowing opponents to average more than 11 yards a return and Michigan State to have a second-rate net punting average.  In order to control field position this fall and give the feeble Spartan D a much-needed boost, Michigan State desperately needs Fields to return to his All-American form. 

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CFN

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Courtney doesn't really have too much of a choice, He will be the star reciever and the balls will be coming his way.