Signing day for the athletes is fast approaching and with it the latest Athletics Updates. With the signing of players such trenches Greco, Kyle Cooper, Devon Cook and more the excitement is at an all-time high. The draft will be exciting and everybody should be watching carefully to see who gets taken and who doesn’t. So here are some of the top college football prospects for the upcoming draft.
USC Trojan defenders Trevard Lindley and Leonard Williams are thought to be the two favorites at the moment. Both are strong and athletic at the defensive tackle position. USC is loaded at the offensive line as well, so expect the Trojans to go in front very early in the draft and be extremely dominant at the point of attack on offense. The Trojans lost three starting offensive tackles last year from Clay Helton, Chrisbard and Ronald Blair and this is a huge loss on the recruiting scene. They also lose some key cogs on the defensive line after injuries in spring practice and depth could be an issue for them heading into the season.
Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Trevard Lindley is one of the best running backs in the country. He has good speed and is a great pass catcher out of the back. Oklahoma State has some major talent on offense and the recent departure of standout wide receiver Rashard Higgins and safety Kurt Mathews might have killed their chances at the national title. This is an underclassman year for OSU and I doubt they’ll make the bowl game. However, if they do make it then they’ll be in good shape to make another run at the national championship game in April.
Most of the Big Ten’s schools and several of the Power Five conferences have some big-time talent on the defensive line and in the trenches. Ohio State has senior Darell Scott, true freshman Braxton Kelley and some interesting young pass catchers in Chance Pollard and Dontae Roberts. They lost to LSU last weekend but still hold a huge advantage in this one. The first game play of the season for OSU will be against Wisconsin in early August and we’ll see how those players that lost to LSU perform against the Badgers.
The academic front of college athletics has some interesting things going on this year. Maryland is one of six teams with two athletes being rated in the top five for the class of 2021. Virginia Tech and Southern Miss are the other teams along with Cal Poly and California. This is a huge grad school field that will have a great influence on the player caliber of many of the athletes over the next decade. I believe the grad school recruiting rankings are too high given the low graduation rate and limited number of players who made the school’s roster. The fact that there are so many quality athletes in the pool for the next decade bodes very well for the quality of play on the field.
One more factor worth noting this season is the growth of Virginia Tech into a major power in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They are now a team to beat in any conference and as long as coach Frank Beyer’s troops can keep getting wins on the road they should continue to move up in the ranks of American Sports. Beyer knows his team and the strength of the nonconference schedule better than anyone, and he knows that adding a top 10 program in the Atlantic division is huge for the program and the fans. The Jackets may even wind up sneaking into the Bowl Championship Series and that could be huge for the ACC. Please make sure you take a look at our site at our home page for all the latest Virginia Tech athletics news and commentaries.