Crick is #3 next great star in CFB by Sporting News

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There is a point where Blaine Gabbert hesitates, where weeks of excruciating pain from last season simply have no place in the conversation. Why would it?
"It's my responsibility to get this team to score points and win games," said Missouri's junior quarterback. "We didn't do enough of either."

Fortunately, we have this side of the story from Tigers coach Gary Pinkel, further explaining how Gabbert's ankle injury affected the last nine games of the season: "I'm not sure many people understand what he went through last season."

Or how much of a change you'll see this season.

Looking for college football's next great star? Here he is, everyone: 6-5, 240-pound Blaine Gabbert. He doesn't play at Florida or Texas or Oklahoma. Or even Alabama. But he's about as close to can't-miss as it gets.

And he's not alone. While draftniks are busy breaking down 40 times and cone drills and broad jumps, we'll stick with what's next this fall and look at five of college football's next great stars.

1. QB Blaine Gabbert, Jr., Missouri

There's this misconception that Gabbert tailed off last season once Missouri hit the Big 12 portion of the schedule — and moved away from creampuff nonconference games.

Gabbert had 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in four nonconference games. Then came the Big 12 opener — and an awful game (and home loss) against Nebraska. Here's what most don't know: Gabbert suffered a high ankle sprain early in that game, an injury many trainers feel is second only to an ACL tear in the non-break category.

Instead of sitting out a month — the typical protocol — Gabbert kept playing. He finished his first season as a starter with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and showed unreal arm strength and toughness. A few days after the Nebraska game, Huskers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh told me, "That kid is the real deal."

And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers.

2. LB Vontaze Burfict, Soph., Arizona State

One Pac-10 coach called Burfict the closest thing to Lawrence Taylor at the college level in two decades. Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson compares Burfict to Ray Lewis.

Burfict is big (6-3, 245) and fast—he has run sub-4.5 40s—and is the game's best blitzing linebacker. There have been discussions about lining him up on the edge as a pass rusher, but the classic run stuffer is more valuable in the middle of the Sun Devils' defense.

He was ASU's first top 10 recruit, a player Erickson pulled from USC late in the recruiting process. Former USC coach Pete Carroll was so upset about losing Burfict he did something few coaches do during national signing day news conferences: He spoke about the big recruit who got away and how disappointing it was.

3. DT Jared Crick, Jr., Nebraska

Suh was the game's dominant defensive player last season, but it was Crick's emergence that made the Huskers so difficult to scheme.

An indicator of Crick's ability: Big 12 coaches made him a first-team all-conference selection, even though he wasn't among most other media all-conference teams. Suh had 12 sacks; Crick had 9.5. Suh led the team in tackles with 85 (24 for loss); Crick was fourth with 73 (15 for loss).

Suh dominated the Big 12 championship game and eventually earned a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist. Crick had five sacks against Baylor (seven total tackles for loss) and could be the second Nebraska interior lineman in two years to finish the season in New York City.

4. TB Allen Bradford, Sr., USC

Think Montario Hardesty. When Lane Kiffin arrived at Tennessee, he wanted to build the offense around Hardesty, a bruising tailback who could wear down defenses. Under Carroll, USC rarely used a feature back, preferring to split time by committee.

Watch how Bradford—bigger and faster than Hardesty and averaged 5.8 yards per carry on just 115 carries last year—develops this fall behind an athletic offensive line and with Kiffin's one-back-carries-the-load philosophy. Hardesty had 282 carries last year; if Bradford reaches that number and has the same average per carry, he'll rush for 1,600 yards.

5. WR Michael Floyd, Jr., Notre Dame

Floyd—not eventual All-American Golden Tate—was Notre Dame's go-to receiver last fall before breaking his collarbone in Week 3. He's a matchup nightmare, a physically gifted wideout with terrific balance when the ball is in the air.

Floyd has the size to shield defenders and force double-teams, and the speed to run past coverage. He will flourish in coach Brian Kelly's offense, which specializes in using multiple formations and motion to gain matchup advantages.

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Then came the Big 12 opener — and an awful game (and home loss) against Nebraska. Here's what most don't know: Gabbert suffered a high ankle sprain early in that game, an injury many trainers feel is second only to an ACL tear in the non-break category.
Are you kidding me? I want to know what game this dude was watching.

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.
Absolutely.

1 TD.

11 Interceptions.

For 5 games . . . against experienced and very skilled quarterbacks? Are you kidding me?!

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.
I was going to mention this but you beat me to it.

:bonez :bonez :bonez

 
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"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.

I think Gabbert is alittle overrated. He is not even gonna be as good as Chase Daniels was. All these other QB's are average at best with McCoy being the exception. We should have had 11 picks against these guys and only allowed 1 pass TD.

 
Crick's on the front page of The Sporting News CFB section.

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"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.

I think Gabbert is alittle overrated. He is not even gonna be as good as Chase Daniels was. All these other QB's are average at best with McCoy being the exception. We should have had 11 picks against these guys and only allowed 1 pass TD.
Really? Wow. Those are all above average quarterbacks . . . and significantly better than any QB on Nebraska's roster last year.

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.
And everyone scoffed at me when I said it was a legitimate goal to keep every opposing QB next year under 50%!

:bonez

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.

I think Gabbert is alittle overrated. He is not even gonna be as good as Chase Daniels was. All these other QB's are average at best with McCoy being the exception. We should have had 11 picks against these guys and only allowed 1 pass TD.
Really? Wow. Those are all above average quarterbacks . . . and significantly better than any QB on Nebraska's roster last year.
Your right those QB's are better than Nebraska had last year. Mizzou won 9 games with their QB, KU won 5, OU won 8, AZ won 9 in a down and defenseless Pac-10. So yeah they really tore it up. Todd Reesing even got benched in a game. If landry doesnt throw 5 picks against us, they prob win. You cant say Landry is an above average QB right now, samething with Gabbert. Granted Landry and Gabbert were first year starters(as was Lee), But calling Gabbert the NEXT GREAT STAR is absolutely stupid. If he is calling Gabbert the next great thing, then he might as well say Zac Lee is gonna win heisman.

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.

I think Gabbert is alittle overrated. He is not even gonna be as good as Chase Daniels was. All these other QB's are average at best with McCoy being the exception. We should have had 11 picks against these guys and only allowed 1 pass TD.
Really? Wow. Those are all above average quarterbacks . . . and significantly better than any QB on Nebraska's roster last year.
Your right those QB's are better than Nebraska had last year. Mizzou won 9 games with their QB, KU won 5, OU won 8, AZ won 9 in a down and defenseless Pac-10. So yeah they really tore it up. Todd Reesing even got benched in a game. If landry doesnt throw 5 picks against us, they prob win. You cant say Landry is an above average QB right now, samething with Gabbert. Granted Landry and Gabbert were first year starters(as was Lee), But calling Gabbert the NEXT GREAT STAR is absolutely stupid. If he is calling Gabbert the next great thing, then he might as well say Zac Lee is gonna win heisman.
Um.. they won their respective games and lost their respective games because of many factors, QB one of them. We won 10, more than Mizzou or OU or KU or AZ, but I would love to hear you argue that our QB did better than any of theirs did. If we had had any of those offenses, or even just the QB, that could have been a different season for us. If you're just comparing their QB play to ours, all of them win no contest. We won more games because of our defense, not because our QBs were better.

 
"And remember this: Gabbert wasn't the only quarterback who struggled against Nebraska. Gabbert, Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Kansas' Todd Reesing, Texas' Colt McCoy and Arizona's Nick Foles combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes and throw one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions against the Cornhuskers."

That right there is amazing.

I think Gabbert is alittle overrated. He is not even gonna be as good as Chase Daniels was. All these other QB's are average at best with McCoy being the exception. We should have had 11 picks against these guys and only allowed 1 pass TD.
Don't forget the recievers these QB's had as well. Those were quality QB's with above average recievers for the most part on the one way train to nowheresville...

 
I think that Burfict will be awesome this year but i don't know if he deserves a higher ranking than Crick or even Floyd.

 
I won't say Gabbert is the next superstar or not, but I remember before his ankle sprain against us he was completing pretty much what he wanted, in torrential downpours.

 
I remember him being average, about as well as someone could do in the rain. I don't remember them moving the ball effectively, but they were doing better than Nebraska's offense (though that's not saying much). While the ankle did effect Gabbert, the way the defense played that night I don't think it would've mattered. Remember Mizzou's only points came off of a bad snap, and a drive that started inside Nebraska's fifty that still needed some home cooking to get the touchdown (and a Nebraska DB falling down to even get them down to the goal line).

 
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