Now that the season is fastly appraoching, we take a look at each conference for where the teams may stack up, who are the best at each positon, some of the storylines to watch, and some of the top talents for the 2010 NFL Draft.
Contributions by: Tyler Shannon
Projected Final Standings:
1. TCU 11-1
2. BYU 9-3
3. Utah 9-3
4. Air Force 7-5
5. San Diego St. 5-7
6. Colorado St. 5-7
7. UNLV 4-8
8. Wyoming 3-9
9. New Mexico 2-10
Pre-Season All-Conference:
QB- Max Hall, BYU, Sr.
RB- Matt Asiata, Utah, Sr.
RB- Harvey Unga, BYU, Jr.
WR- Jimmy Young, TCU, Jr.
WR- Vincent Brown, San Diego St., Jr.
TE- Dennis Pitta, BYU, Sr.
C- Erik Cook, New Mexico, Sr.
OL- Zane Beadles, Utah, Sr.
OL- Marshall Newhouse, TCU, Sr.
OL- Matt Reynolds, BYU, So.
OL- Shelly Smith, Colorado St., Sr.
DE- Jerry Hughes, TCU, Sr.
DE- Jan Jorgansen, BYU, Sr.
DT- John Fletcher, Wyoming, Sr.
DT- Koa Misi, Utah, Sr.
LB- Stevenson Sylvester, Utah, Sr.
LB- Darryl Washington, TCU, Sr.
LB- Jason Beauchamp, UNLV, Sr.
CB- Rafeal Priest, TCU, Sr.
CB- Nick Sanders, TCU, Sr.
S- Klint Kubiak, Colorado St. Sr.
S- Chris Thomas, Air Force, Sr.
Intriguing Storylines:
1. TCU Offensive Catching Up with the Defense
When most people think of TCU, they think of impact defense, one that usually ranks in the Top 5 in the country consistently and provides NFL talent. But, last year Andy Dalton, quarterback, lead the Horned Frogs to school records in points scored and touchdowns. Now, the offensive line returns three guys, including their left and right tackle, two athletic receivers, and their leading rusher along with Dalton. Dalton could give this TCU team something they have needed to be the next team to break the BCS (Bowl Championship Series or Big Conference Series?) barrier and have a complete team that is as good as most teams in the country.
2. Top 3 Teams Battle for Conference Championship, BCS?
While TCU is favorite to win the conferece because of an always steady defense and now great offense (see above), Utah did beat Alabama, who was ranked #1 in the country at one point, and BYU who has the best quarterback and running back in the league in Max Hall and Harvey Unga. It’s a most intriguing conference race because TCU has the best defense, BYU the best offense, and Utah the best coaching (in my opinion). In our first Top 25 rankings, TCU, BYU, and Utah are all in the 10-15 range, and at least two will probably end in the Top 20 by seasons end.
3. Three New Coaches in the Conference
While the conference did get three new head coaches, these teams have reason to be excited about the new hires. San Diego State landed Brady Hoke, former coach of Ball State, who was on the BCS fringe if not for a Nate Davis collapse in the MAC title game. He should give this team some solid offense, and could result in instant success with a solid quarterback and offense around him. Wyoming hired Dave Christiansen from Missouri, the mastermind behind the Chase Daniel Heisman-hype. And the New Mexico Lobos signed Mike Locksley, former assistant coach and recruiting guru from Illinois, is in a good situation that could result in success not in 2009, but most likely in 2010.
End of Season Awards:
MVP: Max Hall, QB, BYU
Offensive Player of the Year: Harvey Unga, RB, BYU
Defensive Player of the Year: Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU
Newcomer of the Year: Terrence Cain, QB, Utah
Surprise Player of the Year: Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego St.
Top 5 NFL Prospects for 2010:
1. Jerry Hughes DE TCU
Hughes was the NCAA sack leader last year with 15 solo sacks and is tops among what many expect to be an excellent group of DEs to come out of the MWC. To further demonstrate his dominance on the d-line, he put up 19.5 tackles for a loss and forced 6 fumbles. In 2008, he was a consensus All-American and helped lead the #2 defense in the NCAA and figures to continue those honors in 2009. At 6’3” 257lbs he has the frame to add enough bulk to hold up well in the 4-3, but also brings the athleticism and experience playing standing up to transition to the 3-4. He reminds me a lot of Terrell Suggs and with the intelligent decision to stay for his senior year, with some key refinement he could likely hear his name called early in the first round. He really needs to focus on adding some strength to his physic, refining a spin move in his pass rushing skills, and playing 100% to the ball on every play. His ability to play through double teams this season and build on his skills in 2008 will say a lot about whether Jerry Hughes is just a one year wonder or will transition in to a dominant every down player in the NFL.
2. Zane Beadles OT Utah
Beadles is another great Utah OT who is often compared to former Ute and current Carolina Panther Jordan Gross. He was 1st Team All-MWC last season and is an All-American candidate in 2009 as he is projected to be one of the best left tackles taken in the 2010 draft. His mauling style and powerful upper body allowed him to post 40 knockdowns and 42 pancake blocks in 2008 as he dominated opponents in the running game. Listed at 6’4 305lbs he tends to play as a man much larger. It is a long way around this big man and when he gets his hands on the defender, he owns them. He plays with that bit of nastiness which coaches love and is just another reason why he should expect to hear his name called early in the 2nd round. Additional work on his athleticism, some added lower body strength and refinement of his passing blocking technique will have NFL QBs crying to have Beadles drafted protect their blind side.
3. Jan Jorgensen DE BYU
Simply put, Jorgensen is one of those guys that you are glad is on your side of the football. He has been named to two consecutive All-MWC teams and currently holds the MWC record for career sacks with a season left to go. As the RDE he maintains a relentless motor always going 100% and has a plethora of pass rush moves to choose from. Don’t let the off year of lower sack, TFL, and tackle production fool you as his secret was out and he was often keyed on by opposing offensive lines. He has terrific strength at the point of attack for going just 6’3” 259lbs and plays bigger than his size. Jorgensen’s greatest asset might be his quick and decisive ability to read a play and react, an attribute defensive coordinators crave in their defensive ends. His restrictions may lie in whether or not he has already reached his potential or is there more room to continue to improve enough to dominate the NFL the way he does in college. Another step forward in his senior season could result in the difference between being a 4th round draft pick and a 2nd round draft pick, but no matter where he goes, he has the ability to at least make a valuable impact on some NFL d-line.
4. Stevenson Sylvester OLB Utah
As 2nd Team all-MWC in 2008 and an All-American candidate in 2009, Sylvester plans on building on a solid 73 tackle season in which he capped it off with a stellar Sugar Bowl in which he had 3 sacks and a fumble recovery. Sylvester has extensive playing experience with 24 starts and a linebacker resume that leads back to Valley High School. He expects to be a leader on a defense that will be relied upon to step up as a new QB is shuffled into the Utah lineup. Sylvester has terrific size at 6’2” and 230lbs, but should look to add some bulk so what looks to be a slender frame. However, don’t let this frame fool you as he can be a ferocious hitter and flies all over the field. For teams looking for an athletic OLB, Sylvester has all the tools and potential to be a star. Some refining in recognizing running plays, work on getting off blocks, and the addition of 10-15lbs should allow for a very promising NFL career. Should he continue to progress in 2009, expect Sylvester to hear his name called in round 4.
5. Max Hall QB BYU
Improving on an excellent sophomore season in 2007, Hall threw for a MWC single season record of 35 TDs, a completion percentage of 69.2%, and a passer efficiency of 157.21 in 2008. He also threw for almost 4000 yards and has led BYU to a 21-5 record in 2 seasons. Expectations are high for Hall in 2009 and his first test will come Week 1 when BYU faces Oklahoma, only to be followed by Tulane, Florida State, TCU, and an end of season rivalry game against 2008 Sugar Bowl Champion Utah. In order to warrant a high spot on the draft board, Hall will need to show improvement in his decision making from last year as he threw 7 of his 14 INTs last year against conference rivals TCU and Utah. At 6-1 201lbs, Hall lacks ideal size but has terrific athleticism and leadership qualities may have him compared to Drew Brees or Jeff Garcia on draft day. Hall will desperately need to work on his field vision, arm strength, tendency to have passes float, and his ability to win the big game. He should have plenty of weapons with a top flight TE in Dennis Pitta, a roster full of sophomore and junior wide-outs, and a defense full of play-makers to put the ball in his hands. The question is, can he rise to the occasion to challenge for a spot in the top few rounds in what is already expected to be a great 2010 QB class or will he continue his erratic play and end up as a 5th or 6th round draft choice.
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