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25 Players Worth the Price of a I-A Admission
The D-IAA players who'd star at the big level
By Richard Cirminiello
Despite popular opinion, there is an entire galaxy of stars shining brightly outside the SEC. And outside the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 10, too. In fact, on the outskirts of the familiar confines of Division I-A athletics, some really good football gets played every autumn in places like Itta Bena, West Long Branch and Thibodaux?towns that may be far from your consciousness, but not nearly as far from civilization as you might imagine. Most of this year?s best small school players from I-AA, Division II, Division III or NAIA are actually within driving distance of a metropolitan area. Keep that in mind if your spectating slate is open one Saturday and you?re jonesing for some quality play. Make that drive, and you might wind up being pleasantly surprised. There?s a good chance you?ll see a sensational individual effort and get an early peek at one of next year?s surprise NFL draft choices.
25. DT Justin Frick, North Dakota State ? No. 82 in green and gold is why the frick NFL scouts will be trekking up to Fargo later this year. He doesn?t possess lights out athletic ability, but he gives you exactly what you?d expect from a lineman that calls Yankton, S.D. home. He?s big, nasty to deal with in the trenches and never about to quit on a play. If he can build on last year?s breakout junior year, Frick will be the most heralded I-AA defensive tackle in 2006.
Location: Fargo, N.D. (225 miles northwest of Minneapolis)
24. DB Keldrick Holman, Stephen F. Austin ? A lot can change during the course of a season, but right now, Holman is the best defensive backs in I-AA. He returns for his senior year draped in 2005 All-American accolades and expectations for a repeat performance in 2006. Holman led the Lumberjacks with 40 unassisted tackles, proving he can support the run, yet also led the team with six picks. He has great instincts when the ball is in the air and is versatile enough to play any secondary position, but may be best suited for free safety on Sundays.
Location: Nacogdoches, TX (140 miles north of Houston)
23. RB Alonzo Coleman, Hampton ? The Pirates have won a I-AA best 21 games over the last two years, and Coleman is an integral reason for that success. He?s scooted for at least 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, and with Ardell Daniels out of eligibility, he?ll be even more of a workhorse in 2006. With some favorable individual workouts next year, Coleman has an opportunity to ensure that a Hampton player is drafted for the 11th time in the last 16 years.
Location: Hampton, VA (80 miles southeast of Richmond)
22. LB Zak DeOssie, Brown ? A one-time Patriots ball boy and the son of a popular former NFL player, DeOssie is carving out his niche in the New England sports landscape. Although his first love was playing quarterback, he?s got great natural instincts at linebacker and can really bring the payload. Put him in a Northwestern uniform, and you?d never know he was an Ivy League player. DeOssie had 80 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks before a knee injury curtailed his season in Game 7, but he expects to be contending for All-America honors again this fall.
Location: Providence, RI (minutes from downtown Providence)
21. LB Kyle Shotwell, Cal-Poly ? The Mustangs have had defensive players drafted by the NFL each of the last two years. Shotwell is talented enough to make it three years in-a-row. In 2005, with defensive end Chris Gocong commanding offense?s attention, Shotwell swooped in and bagged a school-record 158 tackles and a spot on the I-AA All-America second team. He?s 6-1, 235 with great lateral quickness, and has a chance to become the third straight Mustang to win the Buck Buchanan Award given to I-AA?s premier defensive player.
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA (200 miles north of Los Angeles)
20. LB Chad Nkang, Elon ? It hasn?t been easy, but Nkang has put Elon athletics on the map the last couple of years. Sort of. The Phoenix aren?t the most competitive bunch, but Nkang has overcome his surroundings, and blossomed into a I-AA All-American and Buck Buchanan Award finalist. He?s a safety-sized linebacker, who led the country with almost 14 tackles a game and added 18? tackles for loss just a couple of years after shifting from fullback. Nkang possesses exceptional quickness and a competitive fire that offsets his 6-0, 215-pound frame. Pencil him in for another 150 stops this fall and a shot as a strong safety in the NFL next spring.
Location: Elon, N.C. (40 miles west of Durham)
19. QB Jeff Smith, Georgetown College ? You may not know where Georgetown is located, but NFL scouts have already charted it out on Mapquest. That?s because Smith is about to enter his final year of as an amateur. Tucked away in the NAIA, the 6-6 senior-to-be has quietly made a name for himself by tearing up the Mid-South Conference to the tune of 58 touchdown passes over the last two years. NFL teams are intrigued by his size and arm strength, meaning Louisville?s Brian Brohm won?t be the only hurler they scout on the next trip to Northern Kentucky.
Location: Georgetown, KY (10 miles north of Lexington)
18. RB Jeremiah White, Missouri Western State ? If White played for, say, Missouri rather than Division II Missouri Western State, this probably wouldn?t be the first time you were reading his name. He?s big and quick, and after some seasoning at Mesa Community College, debuted with a school-record 1,801 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2005. After generating nominal interest after high school, White has the look of a late bloomer, and could be in store for even bigger things in his second year with the Griffons.
Location: St. Joseph, MO (55 miles north of Kansas City)
17. TE Ben Patrick, Delaware ? The former Blue Devil is now a Blue Hen. When Patrick decided earlier in the year he?d had enough with Duke football, the Devs lost their most consistent offensive weapon. Delaware, on the other hand, may have landed the most complete tight end in all of I-AA. Patrick has already proven himself against ACC competition, catching 79 balls over the last three years. He?s 6-4 and 270 pounds, can create daylight as a blocker and is squarely on the radar of those NFL scouts hunting for a small school sleeper.
Location: Newark, DE (40 miles southwest of Philadelphia)
16. RB Lex Hilliard, Montana ? Yeah, there?s no chance you?ll just happen to be in the neighborhood to catch a Grizzly game this year, but if they?re on the tube, invest the time. Led by the hard running of Hilliard, the offense is going to be fun to watch. The arrival of quarterback Josh Swogger and receiver Craig Chambers from Washington State and Washington, respectively, means defenses can no longer crowd the box to stop the run. And that means Hilliard, who ran for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2005 despite all the attention, could be in store for a monster final season in the Big Sky Conference.
Location: Missoula, MT (200 miles east of Spokane)
15. QB Josh Johnson, University of San Diego ? If Shamu no longer makes your heart race, you might want to spend an afternoon watching Johnson develop into one of I-AA?s most exciting young quarterbacks. As a sophomore, he accounted for 40 touchdowns and led the Toreros to a No. 1 Mid-Major ranking and a Pioneer Football League championship. Head coach Jim Harbaugh, who spent 15 years in the NFL, likens Johnson?s game to a younger, less polished Vince Young, and believes he?s mentoring a kid that?ll be join Young in the pros two years from now.
Location: San Diego, CA (A couple miles east of the Pacific Ocean)
14. LB Cameron Siskowic, Illinois State ? Three years ago, Siskowic left the West Coast, transferred from Washington State and, like so many others before him, sought greener pastures in I-AA. The move has been a smashing success for both he and Illinois State. Siskowic parlayed 132 tackles and 14 tackles for loss into All-American honors last fall, and after sharing the spotlight in 2005 and 2005, he enters 2006 as the Gateway Conference?s most feared defender and an early favorite for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Location: Normal, IL (130 miles south of Chicago)
13. WR Tyrone Timmons, Mississippi Valley State ? Timmons was debating his future last year, but wisely returned to Mississippi to further polish his game. He?ll begin the upcoming season as one of the highest graded small-school receiving prospects. Timmons is still an unfinished product, but he?s long and lean and possesses the kind of measurables that?ll sell well at next March?s Pro Day. In 2005, he pulled down 62 receptions for 1,059 yards and eight touchdowns in a prelude of what?s to come this fall.
Location: Itta Bena, MS (140 miles south of Memphis)
12. WR Henry Tolbert, Grambling ? Was Tolbert a product of a Tiger offense that aired it out for 58 touchdown passes in 2005 or is he ready to become a next level receiver? You?ll have to watch him this year as Grambling enters the post-Bruce Eugene era. Tolbert proved to be quite a home run hitter last year, averaging almost 19 yards on his 74 catches and scoring an eye-popping 20 times, four in the SWAC title game. Tolbert?s at his best when he can get into space and turn a short route into a long gainer.
Location: Grambling, LA (65 miles east of Shreveport)
Read more http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Columnists/RC/DIAA_Stars.htm
The D-IAA players who'd star at the big level
By Richard Cirminiello
Despite popular opinion, there is an entire galaxy of stars shining brightly outside the SEC. And outside the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 10, too. In fact, on the outskirts of the familiar confines of Division I-A athletics, some really good football gets played every autumn in places like Itta Bena, West Long Branch and Thibodaux?towns that may be far from your consciousness, but not nearly as far from civilization as you might imagine. Most of this year?s best small school players from I-AA, Division II, Division III or NAIA are actually within driving distance of a metropolitan area. Keep that in mind if your spectating slate is open one Saturday and you?re jonesing for some quality play. Make that drive, and you might wind up being pleasantly surprised. There?s a good chance you?ll see a sensational individual effort and get an early peek at one of next year?s surprise NFL draft choices.
25. DT Justin Frick, North Dakota State ? No. 82 in green and gold is why the frick NFL scouts will be trekking up to Fargo later this year. He doesn?t possess lights out athletic ability, but he gives you exactly what you?d expect from a lineman that calls Yankton, S.D. home. He?s big, nasty to deal with in the trenches and never about to quit on a play. If he can build on last year?s breakout junior year, Frick will be the most heralded I-AA defensive tackle in 2006.
Location: Fargo, N.D. (225 miles northwest of Minneapolis)
24. DB Keldrick Holman, Stephen F. Austin ? A lot can change during the course of a season, but right now, Holman is the best defensive backs in I-AA. He returns for his senior year draped in 2005 All-American accolades and expectations for a repeat performance in 2006. Holman led the Lumberjacks with 40 unassisted tackles, proving he can support the run, yet also led the team with six picks. He has great instincts when the ball is in the air and is versatile enough to play any secondary position, but may be best suited for free safety on Sundays.
Location: Nacogdoches, TX (140 miles north of Houston)
23. RB Alonzo Coleman, Hampton ? The Pirates have won a I-AA best 21 games over the last two years, and Coleman is an integral reason for that success. He?s scooted for at least 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, and with Ardell Daniels out of eligibility, he?ll be even more of a workhorse in 2006. With some favorable individual workouts next year, Coleman has an opportunity to ensure that a Hampton player is drafted for the 11th time in the last 16 years.
Location: Hampton, VA (80 miles southeast of Richmond)
22. LB Zak DeOssie, Brown ? A one-time Patriots ball boy and the son of a popular former NFL player, DeOssie is carving out his niche in the New England sports landscape. Although his first love was playing quarterback, he?s got great natural instincts at linebacker and can really bring the payload. Put him in a Northwestern uniform, and you?d never know he was an Ivy League player. DeOssie had 80 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks before a knee injury curtailed his season in Game 7, but he expects to be contending for All-America honors again this fall.
Location: Providence, RI (minutes from downtown Providence)
21. LB Kyle Shotwell, Cal-Poly ? The Mustangs have had defensive players drafted by the NFL each of the last two years. Shotwell is talented enough to make it three years in-a-row. In 2005, with defensive end Chris Gocong commanding offense?s attention, Shotwell swooped in and bagged a school-record 158 tackles and a spot on the I-AA All-America second team. He?s 6-1, 235 with great lateral quickness, and has a chance to become the third straight Mustang to win the Buck Buchanan Award given to I-AA?s premier defensive player.
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA (200 miles north of Los Angeles)
20. LB Chad Nkang, Elon ? It hasn?t been easy, but Nkang has put Elon athletics on the map the last couple of years. Sort of. The Phoenix aren?t the most competitive bunch, but Nkang has overcome his surroundings, and blossomed into a I-AA All-American and Buck Buchanan Award finalist. He?s a safety-sized linebacker, who led the country with almost 14 tackles a game and added 18? tackles for loss just a couple of years after shifting from fullback. Nkang possesses exceptional quickness and a competitive fire that offsets his 6-0, 215-pound frame. Pencil him in for another 150 stops this fall and a shot as a strong safety in the NFL next spring.
Location: Elon, N.C. (40 miles west of Durham)
19. QB Jeff Smith, Georgetown College ? You may not know where Georgetown is located, but NFL scouts have already charted it out on Mapquest. That?s because Smith is about to enter his final year of as an amateur. Tucked away in the NAIA, the 6-6 senior-to-be has quietly made a name for himself by tearing up the Mid-South Conference to the tune of 58 touchdown passes over the last two years. NFL teams are intrigued by his size and arm strength, meaning Louisville?s Brian Brohm won?t be the only hurler they scout on the next trip to Northern Kentucky.
Location: Georgetown, KY (10 miles north of Lexington)
18. RB Jeremiah White, Missouri Western State ? If White played for, say, Missouri rather than Division II Missouri Western State, this probably wouldn?t be the first time you were reading his name. He?s big and quick, and after some seasoning at Mesa Community College, debuted with a school-record 1,801 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2005. After generating nominal interest after high school, White has the look of a late bloomer, and could be in store for even bigger things in his second year with the Griffons.
Location: St. Joseph, MO (55 miles north of Kansas City)
17. TE Ben Patrick, Delaware ? The former Blue Devil is now a Blue Hen. When Patrick decided earlier in the year he?d had enough with Duke football, the Devs lost their most consistent offensive weapon. Delaware, on the other hand, may have landed the most complete tight end in all of I-AA. Patrick has already proven himself against ACC competition, catching 79 balls over the last three years. He?s 6-4 and 270 pounds, can create daylight as a blocker and is squarely on the radar of those NFL scouts hunting for a small school sleeper.
Location: Newark, DE (40 miles southwest of Philadelphia)
16. RB Lex Hilliard, Montana ? Yeah, there?s no chance you?ll just happen to be in the neighborhood to catch a Grizzly game this year, but if they?re on the tube, invest the time. Led by the hard running of Hilliard, the offense is going to be fun to watch. The arrival of quarterback Josh Swogger and receiver Craig Chambers from Washington State and Washington, respectively, means defenses can no longer crowd the box to stop the run. And that means Hilliard, who ran for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2005 despite all the attention, could be in store for a monster final season in the Big Sky Conference.
Location: Missoula, MT (200 miles east of Spokane)
15. QB Josh Johnson, University of San Diego ? If Shamu no longer makes your heart race, you might want to spend an afternoon watching Johnson develop into one of I-AA?s most exciting young quarterbacks. As a sophomore, he accounted for 40 touchdowns and led the Toreros to a No. 1 Mid-Major ranking and a Pioneer Football League championship. Head coach Jim Harbaugh, who spent 15 years in the NFL, likens Johnson?s game to a younger, less polished Vince Young, and believes he?s mentoring a kid that?ll be join Young in the pros two years from now.
Location: San Diego, CA (A couple miles east of the Pacific Ocean)
14. LB Cameron Siskowic, Illinois State ? Three years ago, Siskowic left the West Coast, transferred from Washington State and, like so many others before him, sought greener pastures in I-AA. The move has been a smashing success for both he and Illinois State. Siskowic parlayed 132 tackles and 14 tackles for loss into All-American honors last fall, and after sharing the spotlight in 2005 and 2005, he enters 2006 as the Gateway Conference?s most feared defender and an early favorite for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Location: Normal, IL (130 miles south of Chicago)
13. WR Tyrone Timmons, Mississippi Valley State ? Timmons was debating his future last year, but wisely returned to Mississippi to further polish his game. He?ll begin the upcoming season as one of the highest graded small-school receiving prospects. Timmons is still an unfinished product, but he?s long and lean and possesses the kind of measurables that?ll sell well at next March?s Pro Day. In 2005, he pulled down 62 receptions for 1,059 yards and eight touchdowns in a prelude of what?s to come this fall.
Location: Itta Bena, MS (140 miles south of Memphis)
12. WR Henry Tolbert, Grambling ? Was Tolbert a product of a Tiger offense that aired it out for 58 touchdown passes in 2005 or is he ready to become a next level receiver? You?ll have to watch him this year as Grambling enters the post-Bruce Eugene era. Tolbert proved to be quite a home run hitter last year, averaging almost 19 yards on his 74 catches and scoring an eye-popping 20 times, four in the SWAC title game. Tolbert?s at his best when he can get into space and turn a short route into a long gainer.
Location: Grambling, LA (65 miles east of Shreveport)
Read more http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Columnists/RC/DIAA_Stars.htm
