Players We're Watching-Part 2

Landry Jones (Oklahoma)-A big surprise, especially for Bob Stoops and his staff. After Bradford got injured for the rest of the season in the first game against BYU, Jones became the starter and had a good year. He passed for 3,198 yards with 26 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Now the fun begins for Jones who will have to face teams that have tape on him, so this season will be a big test for the sophomore. However, don’t be surprised if he pulls out a big win against Texas in the Red River Rivalry game to turn the tide in Oklahoma’s favor for the next couple of years. Kellen Moore (Boise State)- Coming into his junior year, there is only good things to say about this kid. In his 2008 freshman campaign, he threw for 3,486 yards with a 25-10 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. Last season, he continued with another 3,000 plus-yard season (3,536 yards, 39-3 ratio). Now this season he hopes to improve his numbers and get his team in the national title game. The first big game will be September 6th against Virginia Tech at a neutral site, and the second big test will be September 25th at home against Oregon State. If Boise State wins those games and goes undefeated they will have a good case for playing in the national title game. But I have a problem with that because I cannot put them in the title game over a one-loss Big 12, SEC, or Big Ten team. But that discussion is for another article. Trent Richardson (Alabama)-He is dynamite; I swear he has a faster first step than his Heisman-winning comrade Mark Ingram. Look for Richardson to catch some passes out of the backfield; we saw some of this in the spring game. With Ingram churning out yards and Nick Saban and staff finding ways to get Richardson out in space, this will be a potent offense. Greg McElroy can’t help but get better with such a good running game behind him. Christian Ponder (Florida State)- He just might be the best quarterback that will enter the 2011 NFL Draft, not Jake Locker. It seems after his injury last season, people forgot about him. Now, he has a new head coach in Jimbo Fisher, and he has tons of experience being the starter. With only nine games, last season, under his belt before he got injured, he threw for 2,717 yards with a 14-7 ratio. The Florida State Seminoles get a real test when they face the Sooners in Norman,OK. on September 11th, expect both secondaries to be tested as Landry Jones and Ponder will chuck the ball all day long. AJ Green (Georgia)-I like his humbleness and I cannot say enough how we need more players like him in college football. With a new quarterback, Aaron Murray, coming in, you would expect it to be a down year for the offense. However, Green and Murray have been working together in their spare time, fine tuning their chemistry. Look for Green to rebound from last year’s production (808 receiving yards with 8 touchdowns after amassing 963 yards and 8 touchdowns in his freshman year) after missing three games due to injury. However, he still put up good individual-game numbers: 137 yards-Arkansas, 153 yards-Arizona State, 99 yards-LSU, 95 yards-Vanderbilt, and 86 yards-South Carolina. John Brantley (Florida)- Brantley is no Tebow, let’s make that clear from the start; he will not plow through defenders, throw jump-passes, give season-defining speeches. Brantley is a pure pocket-passer with a very strong arm but don’t be fooled, he does have mobility. The reports coming out of Florida is very positive for Brantley; the only concern is his receiving corps, will they be consistent enough to help him? Ryan Mallet (Arkansas)- This will be a big year for him under the tutelage of Bobby Petrino, but can that defense stop anyone?? The defense gave up an average of 401.15 yards per game and they were ranked 89th out of 120 teams; if this problem is not solved, Mallet will have to rely on his arm to win a lot of their games and this is too risky. Last season, Mallet threw for 3,624 yards with a 30-7 ratio. He faces some big tests in a four-game stretch: @ Georgia on September 18th, home against Alabama and Texas A&M, and @Auburn. Expect shootouts, which will be exciting for the fans but frustrating for Petrino. Russell Shepard (LSU)-He will be the reason LSU has at least one big win this season (Week 10, playing host to Alabama). Coming in as a quarterback, Sheppard was then switched to wide receiver. But don’t be surprised, if the staff feels confident in him and Jordan Jefferson continues his inconsistency, that he plays some quarterback or becomes the starter. He has speed and good wiggle, not as fast as Pat White but very athletic. Look for him to line up at running back and in the wildcat formation; Les Miles will look for any opportunity to get him in space and rightfully so. Jake Locker (Washington Huskies)- Enough is enough: I’m tired of all the praise that the media-types are heaping on him. I personally don’t see it. Well, if he is going to be the top NFL prospect for the 2011 draft, he will have to prove it against BYU, Nebraska, USC, Oregon State and Oregon. Let the fun begin! Dion Lewis (Pitt)-He is special and last season he was the cream of the crop of Big East running backs and ranked third nationally with 1,799 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns; he averaged an insane 5.54 yards per carry. Lewis has speed, power, good lateral movement and uncanny vision for a second-year player. Let’s just hope they do not run him into the ground because they are going to need him down the stretch; they have four important conference games at the end of the season: @Connecticut and South Florida, @home against West Virginia, and away @Cincinnati. There is no question Lewis will be the focal point of this offense. Honorable Mention: Matt Barkley-USC, Jonathan Baldwin-Pitt, Dillon Baxter-USC, Case Keenum-Houston, Jon Bostic-Florida, Andrew Luck-Stanford, Matt Elam-Florida, Noel Divine-West Virginia, Marcus Lattimore-South Carolina.