College football players to watch: Part 2 of 5

 | Part one if you missed it |

Labor Day Weekend is approaching much more quickly than you think, which is a horrible thought for some but an absolute delight for someone like myself. As I've done in the past few seasons, I'll be previewing some players to watch in this upcoming college football season. There is no particular order to these previews, just a bunch of dudes that you should keep an eye on from your couch this fall if you're lookin' to optimize your good time. Part two of five:

Tua Tagovailoa | Junior QB | Alabama

| Highlights |

Tua is a prime example of one of those guys whose presence on a "players to watch" list seems kind of pointless, since he's so obviously one of the most talented QBs in college football that we've seen in awhile. But he's one of those guys whose talent is so worthy of making sure the masses are truly appreciating it. Tua had an absolutely marvelous season, piling up numbers while rarely playing in the fourth quarter of games. The Hawaiian native led the nation last year in passing efficiency rating with a 199.4. No quarterback in the country aside from Dwayne Haskins threw more TD passes than Tua's 43. Tua was barely edged out by Kyler Murray in Heisman voting, but Tua still took home the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award. His 3,966 total passing yards were the 5th most in the country, and he only threw six interceptions on 355 passing attempts. In six different games last year (A&M, Arkansas, Tennessee, Citadel, Auburn, Oklahoma), he was able to tally at least 300 yards AND three touchdowns. It's being reported that Tua is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, but we can all just hope that he'll have enough time to rehab it before the season, because he is truly so much fun to watch.

Lavisk Shenault | Junior WR | Colorado

| Highlights |

The rhythm and stat lines of Lavisk Shenault's sophomore season were stunted a bit by injury, as the Colorado Buffs wide receiver only played in nine games last year. But that didn't stop him from making a name for himself, recording 86 receptions (tied for 13th most in the country), 1,011 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns. The Buffs also used him in the ground game a bit, where he got into the end zone five times and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. When this kid has the ball in his hands he could easily be mistaken for a highly talented running back; the Buffs like dishing him short dump and shovel passes, allowing him to just take over and gain yardage. He passed the 100-yard mark in receptions on five separate occasions last year: 211 vs Colorado State, 177 at Nebraska, 126 vs UCLA, 127 vs Arizona State, and 102 vs Washington State. I know Colorado games probably aren't at the top of most people's weekend to-do lists, but Lavisk Shenault is one of the more intriguing athlete's in college football this year. 

Travis Etienne | Junior RB | Clemson

| Highlights |

It is not hyperbole in the slightest to say that Travis Etienne singlehandedly saved Clemson's 15-0, National Championship season. Of course Etienne put up monster numbers all season, and is inarguably one of the nation's top running backs, but without his dominant performance against Syracuse, the Tigers would not have been undefeated. Remember, that was Clemson's first game without Kelly Bryant. Trevor Lawrence left the game with an injury, and Syracuse is one of the few competitive teams in the ACC. It was a perfect storm for the alleged shoo-in to be unexpectedly toppled. But Etienne totaled 203 yards on 27 rushes (7.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. He stepped up when they needed him that game, and he stepped up...well, every other game actually. Etienne won the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year; his 24 rushing touchdowns were the most in the nation, he had the fifth highest average yards per carry with 8.1, and totaled the fourth most rushing yards with 1,658. There were only two games in Clemson's 15 that didn't include a Travis Etienne touchdown. He ran for triple digits eight times last season. With the amount of talent that is returning, the Clemson offense should be a well-oiled machine from the start.

Chase Young | Sophomore DE | Ohio State

| Highlights |

Now that there aren't any more Bosa brothers coming off the edge in Columbus, are BIG 10 offenses able to exhale in relief? Not quite, because it seems as if Chase Young is just another NFL-caliber defensive end coming out of the Ohio State University. The 6'5" 265 pound beast has plenty of speed and strength to go along with the size. He's even athletic enough to drop into pass coverage if necessary; he notched five passes defended in 2018. He had the second most sacks in the BIG 10 last season with 9.5, forced a fumble, and had 14.5 tackles for loss. Young totaled 33 tackles last year (24 solo, 9 assisted). He is projected by the majority to be an early pick in next year's NFL Draft.

Justin Herbert | Senior QB | Oregon 

| Highlights |

There was a good chunk of speculation last year that Justin Herbert would enter the NFL Draft, but with his return to Eugene, Oregon the expectations are rightfully very high. Herbert currently holds the longest streak of active players for going 28 straight games with a touchdown pass. In 2018 Herbert threw for 3,151 yards and 29 touchdowns (tied for 13th most). The Ducks QB only threw eight picks on 404 passing attempts. I feel like Herbert staying for his senior season was the correct decision because I believe this is his best chance to reach his ceiling. This will be the first season in which Herbert is playing under the same head coach as the year prior; Herbert's freshman season in 2016 was Mark Helfrich's final one with Oregon, 2017 was Willie Taggart's sole season with the Ducks (Herbert got injured that year as well), and then last year was Mario Cristobal's first season as head coach. So it'll be nice to know that Herbert has now gotten the chance to settle in a bit with Cristobal's system. The Ducks open up the season against Auburn which should be a serious challenge. Last year Herbert opened the season up with a bang against Bowling Green by throwing for five touchdowns. 

College football players to watch: Part 1 of 5

Labor Day Weekend is approaching much more quickly than you think, which is a horrible thought for some but an absolute delight for someone like myself. As I've done in the past few seasons, I'll be previewing some players to watch in this upcoming college football season. There is no particular order to these previews, just a bunch of dudes that you should keep an eye on from your couch this fall if you're lookin' to optimize your good time. Part one of five:

Trevor Lawrence | Sophomore QB | Clemson

| Highlights |

Quarterback continuity is always a blessing, and the reigning national champs are blessed beyond belief to have Trevor Lawrence back. After the show this kid put on during his freshman season, he has been labeled as a generational talent. It's pretty much the consensus that he's NFL-ready at the age of 19. For the first three games of the 2018 season, Lawrence was part of an ongoing QB competition with Kelly Bryant, who has since transferred to Mizzou. Dabo Swinney deemed Lawrence as QB1 after he went 13/18 for 176 yards and four touchdowns at Georgia Tech. In total, he tallied up 30 touchdown passes (tied for 10th most with Jake Fromm and Brett Rypien) and 3,280 yards, completing 65.2% of his throws. He only threw four interceptions on 259 passing attempts (the last pick was Nov. 10 at BC). He's poised, smart, and surgical, which was largely put on display in the College Football Playoff: 27/39 for 327 yards and three touchdowns against Notre Dame; 20/32 for 347 yards and three touchdowns against Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. This kid is appointment television and will be one of the Heisman favorites throughout the season.

Jonathan Taylor | Junior RB | Wisconsin

| Highlights |

The Wisconsin Badgers certainly underachieved in 2018, but star running back Jonathan Taylor did not disappoint in the slightest. Taylor caught everyone's attention during his stellar freshman campaign, and last year he just continued to impress by leading the nation with 2,194 rushing yards, 168.8 rush yards per game, and 2,254 yards from scrimmage. The Doak Walker Award winner/unanimous first-team All-American recorded 16 rushing touchdowns, which was tied for ninth most in the nation. This absolute freak eclipsed the 200-yard rushing mark in five different games last season, and was only held under triple-digit rushing yards once (46 yards on 11 carries @ Northwestern). His most dominant performance came on the road against Purdue, where he ran for 321 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.7 yards per carry. Jonathan Taylor is clearly next in line for the Badger-turned-pro club. Taylor only needs 506 yards to become the university's fifth all-time leading rusher. While keeping an eye on this stud, take some time to appreciate the ridiculous consistency of beastly, cheese-fed Wisconsin offensive lines. 

Evan Weaver | Senior LB | Cal

| Highlights |

There seems to be a lot of uncertainty throughout the Pac 12 at the moment; it's somewhat of a mystery as to which team should be considered the favorite to win the conference, they're questioning why they decided to locate their headquarters in pricy San Francisco, and they're wondering when their next chance will be to play in the College Football Playoff. But if there's one thing that is for certain, it's that the conference boasts one of the best linebackers in the entire country, Evan Weaver of the Cal Golden Bears. Weaver was the center piece of a very impressive defensive unit in 2018, which only allowed 317.2 total yards per game (15th best in the country) and 20.4 points per game. Weaver was tied for second-most total tackles in the country, racking up 155 over the course of the season (88 solo, 67 assisted). The senior is listed at 6 foot 3, weighing in at 245 pounds, and he's an absolute magnet to the ball. 8.5 of his tackles last season were for loss, with 4.5 being sacks. His most impressive showing in 2018 came against Colorado where he recorded 18 tackles. That's just absurd. And I can't fail to mention his two interceptions last year, with one being a 37 yard pick-six in a 12-10 upset win over Washington (the other came against Washington State). Weaver is a second-team preseason All-American, and needs just 29 tackles to crack the top ten of Cal's all time tackle leaders.

Jerry Jeudy | Junior WR | Alabama

| Highlights |

The "best wide receiver in the nation" throne is Jerry Jeudy's to lose this season. There are a few other guys that are kind of close, but as far as I'm concerned nobody is as talented as Jerry Jeudy until proven otherwise. The 2018 Biletnikof Award winner and first team All-American reached the end zone 14 times (third most in the country) and totaled 1,135 receiving yards (10th most in the country). On four separate occasions last year, he reeled in multiple touchdowns in one contest. The South Florida native broke the triple digit threshold in receiving yards five times in 2018, including the National Championship where he had five catches for 139 yards and a touchdown. When Jerry Jeudy has the ball in space, it's over for the defense. He's so incredibly talented at making guys miss. Whether it's a juke, a euro step, or just pure breakaway speed, he's a delight to watch after he makes the catch. I can't imagine his numbers looking any lower this season with Tua still tossing dimes to him.

Jalen Reagor | Junior WR | TCU

| Highlights |

You're always bound to come across a few ridiculously athletic wide receivers in the Big 12, and that's undoubtedly the case for Jalen Reagor of the TCU Horned Frogs. His versatility is certainly utilized properly; he caught the ball 72 times for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns, while he ran the ball 13 times for 170 yards (13.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Reagor's extraordinary speed is very effective on jet sweeps. His sophomore campaign was highlighted by TCU's regular season finale against Oklahoma State, where Reagor rushed for 121 yards on five carries and made eight catches for 91 yards. He notched a touchdown both through the air and on the ground. Two other noteworthy performances from last year came at Kansas where he had 177 reception yards, and a 150 reception yard clinic at West Virginia. Reagor was also used for some special teams, as he averaged 12.1 yards on eight punt returns and 30.3 yards on four kick returns. TCU is certainly looking for a bounce back season in 2019, and Jalen Reagor is expected to be their biggest playmaker. 

Ten Things I Need to Happen in Sports: An Update

Nearly two years to the date (July 12, 2017, to be exact), one of the 10 things I declared I needed to have happen in sports finally came true: UConn joined a real conference.

And not just any real conference. The Huskies are going home, to the Big East, where they never should have been left out of in the first place.

A pretty significant event happened between today and the original post when it came to my vigilantism for UConn: the men’s basketball team hired Dan Hurley away from the University of Rhode Island. Obviously, my passion for the Rams comes first and foremost, but I can say today that at the very least, Hurley’s move makes sense. The American Athletic Conference never made sense for UConn and it never made sense as a stepping stone for a coach on his way out of the Atlantic-10.

Hurley is now a coach in the Big East (or at least will be come 2020), which is where the Huskies belonged all along. Now I need to figure out if I should be actively rooting for UConn against Providence College, or just sort of keep that kind of thing on the DL.

Most importantly, it’s time to check in on the other nine things I said I needed to have happen in sports. Is anything else close to coming to fruition?

1. I need baseball to MATTER again
Hard to say where this is trending, but it’s probably not great. The Red Sox-Dodgers World Series last fall featured two of the most storied franchises in the two of the biggest media markets and the average rating for each game was quite pedestrian; ratings for the series were lower than when the Mets and Royals played in 2015, for example.

It didn’t help that the series only went five games but what really doesn’t help is the amount of times I’ll get home from work -- generally covering a high school lacrosse game, which has outstanding pace of play -- around 8:30 to find the Red Sox are only in the third inning of a game that started at 7.

Not saying shorten the game to seven innings, none of that. But for real, the pace of play issue in baseball continues to be a major league problem. How about a 15-second pitch clock? How about shortening inning breaks to 1 minute, 30 seconds? Figure out another way to get the ads out there. Maybe keep a sidebar up during the game with logos. Just something, anything, to speed these games up.

I could keep going and going, about how sabermetrics have sucked the enjoyment out of the game, but really this is another story for another time.

2. I need Jaromir Jagr to win another Stanley Cup

Jagr, 45 at the time of the original post, signed on with the Calgary Flames for 22 games, registering a single goal and six assists before he was waived. Apparently he appeared in four games this past season for the Klando Knights in his native Czech Republic, which means he’s not totally done playing hockey, but it appears as though after winning back-to-back Cups in his first two seasons in the NHL, the Jagr won’t be adding a third to his collection.

You're telling me Jagr couldn't give the Bruins whatever David Backes gave them this season?

3. I need the Seattle SuperSonics to return to the NBA
There’s been a compromise of sorts here: the NHL is expanding to Seattle, which still leaves open the possibility that the NBA can join back in on the fun. Thing is, unlike in hockey, not many franchises are screaming to be relocated in the NBA at the moment. It feels like the manifest destiny of the big four leagues right now is 32 teams, which means expansion is still a very real possibility for Sonics 2.0, but who knows when.

Inject this jersey into my veins yesterday.

4. I need lacrosse to overtake soccer as the “fifth sport”
I think we’re making some progress. The US men’s soccer team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup thanks to a loss to Trinidad & Tobago -- which has the same population as the greater Memphis area. As an aside, the New England Revolution just hired the coach who lost that game.

NBC Sports Boston is televising Boston Cannons games from their new digs in Quincy, which doesn’t hurt. One thing I don’t understand, however, is why there are multiple professional leagues. Why not get all of the same players under the same umbrella? Also, might be a me problem, but the “PLL,” or the Premier Lacrosse League, triggers Pretty Little Liars.

5. I need Roger Goodell to resign/be fired/fall victim to a coup as NFL Commissioner
There hasn’t been a major scandal since the summer of 2017 in the NFL, per se, although the ongoing Tyreek Hill saga -- and general apathy -- will eventually prompt Goodell to bring down the hammer suspend him for a game or two.

The obsession with London hasn’t subsided, to the point that even the Red Sox and Yankees are about to play a two-game set there for crying out loud. Nor has the obsession with Thursday Night Football, nor the ongoing plot for an 18-game schedule (total side note but since this original post I took a step towards quasi-respectability and got a job covering the Patriots on the side and I can confirm the players hate both TNF and the idea of 18 games).

There’s the fact that the San Diego Chargers are failing to sell out a soccer stadium, and the crowd for the “Battle for LA” between the Rams and Chargers last fall wasn’t all that different from an Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday night home game in February.

In summation, it’s all the same nonsense on the periphery that still exists when it comes to Roger Goodell. He’s neither helped nor hurt his cause, but give it time.

6. I need the University of Rhode Island to drop its football program
Not a great two years for me here. While the Rams went 3-8 in 2017, they actually went 6-5 in 2018 -- their first winning season since 2001. On the plus side, they choked after a promising start to miss out on the FCS playoffs. On the down side, they are installing lights and turf at Meade Stadium, though no new stands, which if they haven't been condemned yet, should be.

Again, I’ll remind you of the sports URI does not sponsor in lieu of football:

• Men's ice hockey
• Women's ice hockey
• Men's lacrosse
• Women's lacrosse
• Field hockey
• Wrestling
• Men's swimming & diving
• Women's golf
• Men's tennis
• Men's volleyball

On the subject of UConn, the Huskies only beat the Rams by seven last fall, 56-49. That says way more about how pathetic that program is, however, and how good it is that basketball, not football, was the driving force in a conference realignment.

7. I need the NBA to re-do its age minimum rule and fix (save?) college basketball
Plans are indeed in the works to lower the age minimum to 18, it sounds like. Throw in the fact that California may be about to pants the NCAA and allow college athletes to profit off their ‘likeness,’ college hoop just might be saved after all.

8. I need the Red Sox to stop retiring numbers like they’re the Memphis Grizzlies
On the one hand, it’s been over two years since they last retired a jersey (David Ortiz’s No. 34). On the other, I can’t shake this feeling that the Roger Clemens retirement ceremony is coming. My original gripe wasn’t with Ortiz’s jersey going up on the right field facade, it was more about Wade Boggs’ No. 26 the year before. He’s a Yankee, not a Red Sock (or Devil Ray). Change my mind.

A much less crowded version of the facade at the Fens. If we're being honest, does Joe Cronin's No. 1 really need to be hanging up there?

9. I need the NHL to send its players to the Olympics in 2018 and beyond
Yeah, they didn’t go. Was nice not having to get up and drink at 7 in the morning I guess. We’ll see what happens in 2022.

Lightning round updates:
“I need the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to go back to the Anaheim Angels, or better yet, the California Angels. The name literally translates to "The Angels Angels of Anaheim." Dumbest name in sports, bar none.” Apparently, they’re just the Los Angeles Angels now. Who play in Anaheim.

“Speaking of Anaheim, I need the Mighty Ducks logo back. Could work well on the orange uniforms they've used for a decade.” No dice.

“I need Eli Manning to not get in the Hall of Fame some day. Save for those 2007 and 2011 runs to the Super Bowl, did you know Eli's never won a playoff game?” Eli Manning in 2017-18: 8-23 and got benched for Geno Smith at one point.

“I need UMass to not do anything stupid like join the American Athletic Conference and stay put in the Atlantic-10. Need that rivalry with Rhody in hoops.” Boy is this topical at the moment. With UConn in the AAC, I could almost see it for the Minutemen. Almost. Now? If they wanna join for football only, go crazy. For all other sports? As the Huskies can attest, good luck with Tulane and East Carolina on a snowy Wednesday night at the Mullins.

“I need the college football playoff to expand to eight teams. The fact that there's a playoff at all was a good first step, but it was a half measure like you read about.” Would be cool but it’ll still just be Alabama-Clemson ever year.

“I need Gary Bettman to resign as NHL commissioner.” He’s in the Hockey Hall of Fame now. No, seriously.

BONUS ROUND: Five more things I need to happen in sports

1. I need a new minor league team to take the place of the Pawtucket Red Sox for the 2021 season

Funny how life works. Once upon a time, 12-year-old Lev would've run through a brick wall for Larry Lucchino when he called the Yankees the "Evil Empire." Now, 28-year-old Lev just wants to push Larry Lucchino into a brick wall for stealing the PawSox from Rhode Island and moving them to the noted baseball hotbed of Worcester, where minor league baseball has already failed.

Would be ideal if the new team at McCoy Stadium was still a Red Sox minor league affiliate. Either way, something needs to fill its void. At least the only Hall of Fame Roger Clemens can get into will soon be defunct. 

2. I need the Celtics to stay the course with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

That includes signing Kemba Walker, I suppose. Big week for the Huskies, huh? Should Tatum and Brown play to their abilities, the Celtics have the kind of young core the Zombie Sonics had from 2007-2012 or so with Durant/Westbrook/Harden. Walker is older, of course, but that's the kind of Big 3 I can root for.

3. I need Kyrie Irving to sign with the Lakers

That's right, I want the band to get back together. I want the infighting between Kyrie and LeBron to put the Shaq-Kobe feuds in Lakerland to shame. I want it to demolish a dynasty before it even begins.

I also want Kyrie there so that the Knicks strike out yet again. And even though the Nets wouldn't be better than the Celtics with just Kyrie, I'll admit it would be poor optics for him to land in Brooklyn before the yield of the Pierce/Garnett/Jason Terry trade delivers a championship to Boston.

4. I need Space Jam II to be the worst sequel of all-time

It's a tall task, no doubt, when you consider how awful Caddyshack II and Anchorman II were in comparison with the originals. But I'll be rooting against it like the 2011-14 Miami Heat.

5. I need Zdeno Chara to be the last active athlete from the 1990s

This isn't as crazy as it seems. We're down to four in hockey right now, between Chara, Jumbo Joe, Patty Marleau and Matt Cullen. Adam Vinatieiri is the only one under contract in football right now, though I suppose Phil Dawson could latch on during training camp. Vince Carter is currently a free agent in the NBA, and barring a Bartolo Colon or Adrian Beltre comeback, we're done in baseball.