The Long Snapper (1/25/10)
Back and ready to propel you through the offseason with the force of a thousand perfectly executed long snaps.
Tim Tebow has vowed to be himself during Senior Bowl week. A guy who hopes to play NFL quarterback one day. Everything about Tebow will be under the microscope this week. From his mechanics to his upcoming Super Bowl commercial. Many think this week could make or break Tebow’s draft prospects, but that probably only has an ounce of truth to it. In reality, someone will take him higher than most think due to his raw talent and leadership abilities. If he can refine some of his mechanics to turn himself into the type of QB the NFL wants, then even better. Just don’t expect a freefall even if this week doesn’t go ideally for Tebow.
Florida commit Michael McFarland had agreed to grayshirt for the upcoming season. Basically that means McFarland won’t arrive in Gainesville until January 2011 and won’t count until next year’s recruiting class. Although a tough pill to swallow for most prospects, this is a good move for McFarland. The tight end position in wide open in 2010, but McFarland may have been the odd man out. By spending another year working out and getting in the exact shape Gator coaches want, he’ll be in a much better position to compete in 2011. McFarland will stay in Tampa and most likely take a class or two at Hillsborough Community College during the fall.
Expect James Wilder Jr. to be one of the top ranked players in the nation once Rivals.com releases its first Rivals100 for the 2011 recruiting class. Wilder is listed as an athlete and has already picked up 40 some offers. He is being recruited as both a running back and linebacker and Florida is definitely near the top of schools he’s considering. Wilder seems confident he can play RB at the next level although he is growing into a nearly perfect LB prospect. He will visit the Gators at some point and will likely make the trek to USC as well. That much we know. As for who else is near the top of his list, it’s anyone’s guess. It’ll be a nationwide battle to sign the Plant (Tampa, FL) star.
After going 7-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten in 2008, Bret Bielema was the talk of many a firing discussion. His 12-1 (7-1) season in 2006 was thought of as a fluke because he was playing with a stacked deck of players brought to Wisconsin by Barry Alvarez. But Bielema turned things around in 2009 and got the Badgers to finish at 10-3 (5-3) with a win over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl (a game no one thought Wisconsin would come out on top of). With two of those three losses coming to teams that ended up winning BCS bowl games – Iowa and Ohio State – it turned out to be a fairly successful season for the Badgers. And Bielema has been rewarded. The head coach has had his contract extended to 2015, meaning he’ll get to lead the Badgers to the occasional sniff of a Big Ten title for the foreseeable future.
And for your feel good story, Boston College welcomed Mark Herzlich back to practice on Thursday. After being declared cancer-free in October, the defensive star was determined to make a comeback and this is just the first step. Herzlich admits he’s a little out of sorts being away from the game for a full season, but also will do everything he can to get back on the field by the 2010 season opener.