ESPN Top 50 CFB Players
ESPN unveiled the first half of their top 50 players for the upcoming season. Nothing groundbreaking, but it means football is getting close! Mo Hurst checks in at #48, and Rashan Gary at #38. Other B1G representatives:
#46 OSU RB Mike Weber
#36 OSU DL Tyquan Lewis
#31 OSU DE Sam Hubbard
#44 NW Justin Jackson
#40 WIS LB Jack Cichy
Surprisingly, no Spartans made the list.
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20146915/college-football-top-50-players-2017-season
By the end of the year, Mo Hurst will be in the top half of this list.
Also, I remember seeing Buckeyes complaining about his fumbling issues, which is obviously the worst thing you can do as a RB.
I can't seem to find his fumbling stats, but he apparently had two fumbles in five carries in the Fiesta Bowl.
Evans and/or Higdon will replace Weber on that list......
That's pretty high for a guy I wasn't very sorry we missed on.
Derrick Green redux. Forget B Cook's favorable comp to Higdon - I don't think Weber would crack our current Evans/Higdon/Isaac/Walker[?] committee.
I'd say it's hard to judge Weber because the OSU line was not great last year. With all the athletes on their team, the only one who was successful behind that line was Samuel. Based on last year, he shouldn't be top 50, but he may be this season with a more veteran line.
Um, excuse me? Perhaps you've never heard of a little player named Juwan Bushell-Beatty, who is a shoe-in for #1 through #5???
Maybe Chris Evans. Remember this is a hype list as much as anything. Evans logged some highlight runs - inluding what could have been the game winner in the bowl against Free Shoes U.
They're not putting Evans above Mike Weber, Tyquan Lewis or Rashan Gary. Outside of UM faithful, no one knows who Evans is. He didn't even start last year over an undraftable Smith (I know, I know: he was a true freshman).
I feel bad for suggesting Evans.
Don't feel too bad. I agree with you that Evans is better than Weber.
You're right re Evans. That's what I get from watching hype videos all weekend.
I see two first round draft picks on that list and that's it. Guess which team they play for.
Justin Jackson ahead of Mo Hurst? That's not how I'd build my football team.
Meh not really in my opinion. I love Mo like the rest but this will be his first year starting fulltime. In addition, Justin Jackson is a pretty fucking good running back. I'd say people overlook him because he plays for Northwestern but I would of put him in the Category of Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley, and others last year in regard to elite running backs
Justin Jackson is just a meh RB. Nothing special about him. He is very overated.
I would of taken Justin Jackson over Deveon Smith last year in my opinion.
I would not, but that would be a fair argument to make. You just compared him to elite level backs.
YPC against teams with a pulse:
Western - 4.5
Nebraska - 4.0
Iowa - 6.6
Indiana - 3.4
OSU - 4.5
Wisconsin - 3.2
Minnesota - 4.1
That's fine, and the Iowa number is good, but it's not exactly elite.
no way! So are you telling me that he does better against teams that are bad than teams that are good?
they have only revealed 50-26 so far.
Mike Weber on any "top list" makes me stop reading immediately.
Seeing his name so "low" just might make him go all Charles Jefferson on the competition. Gonna be a fun year!!
GO BLUE!!
Never understood the Weber hype. He's not fast, not particularly shifty, not overly powerful. Not a big RB. What does he do well?
Only reason he's on the list is because he gets a decent amount of run at OSU where I believe you could put a lot of avg guys and they would produce.
EDIT: Just saw Barkley is not on the list. This is absurd.
This list is 26-50 I believe.
Barkley will get the supreme preseason ball-washing (top 10 on this list, imho).
What's the deal with Barkley. Is this only the bottom half of the list?
Weber has good vision and feet. Like you mentioned he doesn't have elite speed or power and he's had a fumbling problem. His claim to fame is that he starts for OSU.
that if Weber had come to UM he'd be, at best, the #3 RB.
You're right. But if Damien Harris came here he'd be the clear cut #1
When Najee Harris commits he'll be the clear cut #1
# 3 at absolute best IMHO. If he truly has a fumbling problem he's probably # 5 behind Evans, Higdon, Isaac, & Walker as he isn't as talented as any of those guys from what I can tell.
Am I missing something here? Isn't this just 50-26? So there are another 25 players who will be ranked. And guys like Barkley will probably end up top 25.
How you could list Weber over Barkley? Some of those cut backs against USC.....
I am not sure who is more overrated. The case has been made for Weber, but I don't get all the Jalen Hurts love. Sure his team wins, but he is surrounded by 5-star talent. For fun, compare Jalen Hurts stats to Nick Fitzgerald and Mississippi State. Both were Redshirt Sophomores. Fitzgerald played behind a subpar offensive line and had better stats that Hurts.
I believe he needs to show more on the field before being included on this list.
Agreed completely. Hurts is a pretty good (although not great) runner, but at this point in his career, he's a pretty bad passer. When faced with competent defenses in the playoffs, Hurts completed only 20 of 45 passes for 188 yards and one TD. The lack of a remotely competent passing game is the main reason why Alabama couldn't get past Clemson.
He seemed to do a good job of creating/scrambling, but was neither a great passer nor exceptional on designed runs. Alabama did not have much confidence in his passing ability during the playoff games. Fitzgerald ran for nearly 400 more yards on about the same number of carries behind a much worse offensive line.
For fun, compare Jalen Hurts stats to Nick Fitzgerald and Mississippi State.
Completion %:
Hurts: 62.8%
Fitzgerald: 54.3%
Passing Yards:
Hurts: 2780
Fitzgerald: 2423
Yards per Attempt:
Hurts: 7.3
Fitzgerald: 6.6
TD:
Hurts: 23
Fitzgerald: 21
Int:
Hurts: 9
Fitzgerald: 10
Rushing Yards:
Hurts: 954
Fitzgerald: 1375
Fitzgerald is a redshirt sophomore who only looks better running the ball than true freshman Hurts.