ESPN Sun Belt Preseason Analysis

These are from ESPN articles posted today here and here. It’s good to see Brown getting some recognition, first with the Manning nomination and now a mention here. Leonard has often been overlooked as well with a very overrated Rusty Smith often snagging the Sun Belt spotlight. It’s also great when you’ve got guys like Cameron Sheffield, Boris Lee, Bear Woods and Jorrick Calvin and they still aren’t viewed as the best defensive player on your squad.

Brown, Blakeney on Manning List

Players Troy can’t afford to lose, Pt 2

About a week and a half ago, we took a look at the guys on the offensive side of the ball that as far as I’m concerned, Troy can’t afford to lose and still expect to see the end result of this season as a success. This time we’ll pull a Zacchaeus and gander on over at the defense to see what we can see.

It’s completely debatable who the anchor is for Troy on defense as we have a lot of talent between our defensive line and linebackers. For this reason I’ll just list the most significant guys out there and you can rank them as you please, if you please. Let me know what you think in the comments.

First up is the man himself, Boris Lee, a Lombardi Award watch list nominee headed into his second year and two time first team All Sun-Belt selection. Lee is an all around stud, solid against the run and consistent finishing tackles, as well as adequate in coverage with 7 INTs to his name as well as a handful of PBUs. Lee is up to a solid 230 by his own account and is quick to get to the ball with 40 speed clocked as low as 4.63. All of this is excellent on its own, but when you pair Lee with buddy and fellow senior LB Bear Woods, the duo provides leadership and identity to the defensive side of the ball. Woods is also an extremely talented back and second team All Sun-Belt performer who is only absent from this list because of the fact that Troy will simply have to get along without him for 2 games to start the season off.

Next up are senior defensive ends Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield, both Lombardi Award watch list candidates along with Lee who inherit a position at DE that has an outstanding pedigree at Troy with NFL superstars Osi Umenyiora and Demarcus Ware having played there in the past. These experienced linemen will be pivotal in containment and forcing the direction of the game in to Troy’s defensive strengths. The pair was able to combine for 14.5 sacks last season, and will aim to improve on that in their senior campaign. Stopping the run and containing the QB will recieve added importance against mobile quarterbacks like Tim Tebow or even Tyler Sheehan, among others.

Finally is senior DB Jorrick Calvin, a two time Sun Belt defensive player of the week and four time special team player of the week. The transfer from Decatur’s East Central Community College recorded 62 tackles, a forced fumble and 2 interceptions last year playing aside Carolina Panther Sherrod Martin. Calvin is another player who seems to have an ability to simply make things happen, with perhaps the most memorable moment being in the opening moments of the 2009 New Orleans Bowl, snatching a lateral and taking it for a TD. Also in the defensive backfield is freshman Bryan Willis, who has been very impressive in practice thus far, could prove to be an integral part of the Trojan defense lining up in the CB spot opposite Calvin.

Levi Brown named to Manning Watchlist

Brown, a senior, is one of 38 quarterbacks nationwide to have been named to the watchlist for the Manning Award, which is sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl and presented annually to the top QB in the nation. For the complete list, click here.

LSU Transfer DE Sidell Corley Troy-bound

According to Drew Champlin of the Dothan Eagle:

Sidell Corley, a sophomore defensive lineman who recently left LSU, is transferring to Troy, his father Sidell Corley Sr. said.

“They’re trying to get him enrolled in classes, get a physical and get him on the practice field today,“ Corley Sr. said. “He had offers from some Big 12 schools, a Big 10 school and they had the same offer as Troy—a full ride—but he wanted to come back in the state. That’s the reason he left.“

Corley signed with LSU in 2007 out of McGill-Toolen in Mobile and redshirted that year. He played in just two games last year. He dealt with tragedy in May when his mother, Janet Penn, was shot and killed in her home and a week later, when his uncle drowned.

The article says that the onus is now on Troy to file the waivers necessary with the NCAA as to allow Corley to play as early as this season. Corley, a 4-star recruit, would be a huge addition to an already talented and deep Troy defensive line.

Jernigan named to Biletnikoff

Somehow this got by me for a day, but WR Jerrel Jernigan has joined a growing list of Trojans named to national positional watchlists. Per the excellent Graham Watson of ESPN.

Schlabach: Troy is a Cupcake

While its nice to think about all the recognition Troy is getting heading in to the season as a legitimately tough football squad, its easy to forget that there are still blasphemous nonbelievers among us, including but not limited to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. In his “Hot or Not” piece he lists this little bit in the “not” column, referring to Troy as a “cupcake.” No problem.

Urban Meyer on Troy

Theres two ways to look at this: Troy is finally getting the recognition it deserves as a football program and that is a good thing; or that Troy is finally starting to scare people and instead of being a trap game, teams like Florida may want to make us a statement game. Of course thats not to say I dont think that Troy will still beat Florida in a game where 70+ points will be scored, but I have to say I’d prefer to walk in to Gainesville with little attention. Either way, go T-Roy and props to Urban Meyer. I have to say I’m a fan of his old school approach, and that he’s essentially everything Pete Carroll isn’t.

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/gatorbytes/2009/08/07/gators-ranked-no-1-in-first-coaches-poll-plus-other-news-and-notes-from-practice/

“That Troy team is something,” Meyer said. “I’m telling you, that team has more prospects than some of the other teams we’ll play. As a matter of fact, a lot more of the teams we play.”

…

“We’re not dumb. If we had a dumb team we’d have to do these special cheers or burn their jersey or some crazy thing like that. But we’re not dumb. Flip on the tape, they’re beating LSU 31-10 in the second half. It won’t be a song or dance, because they’re real.”

Either way, I think its important to realize the context of the situation we were going in to last time we stepped into the Swamp. We weren’t getting as much hyper for us as a team, but Appalachian St had just beaten Michigan and as this article states, all the big name teams like Florida were on high alert. It can be argued that even though that game resulted in a loss, the score didn’t indicate the quality of the contest and that this year’s Troy team is superior to the 07 squad, while the opposite could be said of UF.

CBS article recognizes Killer Bs

From the article at CBSsports.com:

The two buddies — as shown by the YouTube video, which pokes fun at their relationship — have built their friendship since Lee got to school in 2006.

“When I first walked on campus here, he showed me how to do things and how things are supposed to be done,” Lee added. “We’ve built that relationship both on and off the field. We eat, play video games, he’s just like the brother I’ve never had and he’s a great friend.” 

Their relationship off the field has helped them be better teammates on it. Woods’ aggressive style works well with Lee’s laid-back ways, allowing the two to have each other’s back and pick up the slack when needed.

The article is well written and for the most part, it seems as if the author did his homework before writing this piece, which is more than can be said about the two gentlemen hosting the online SBC Preview show clip on the same page.

CBS says Blakeney 6th among non-BCS coaches

The article doesn’t really expand upon why each coach is ranked or why they are ranked the way they are in relation to one another, but it is still good to see LB getting the recognition he deserves, even if he is ridiculously ranked behind Schnellenberger. To see our HC ranked among names like Paul Johnson, June Jones and Jeff Bower is, at least for me, pretty exciting.

 http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/12031579

1. Gary Patterson, TCU
2. June Jones, Hawaii
3. Chris Petersen, Boise State
4. Paul Johnson, Ga. Southern-Navy
5. Brian Kelly, Grand Valley State-Central Michigan
6. Howard Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic
7. Larry Blakeney, Troy
8. Todd Graham, Rice-Tulsa
9. Jeff Bower, Southern Miss
10. Pat Hill, Fresno State