TSN: Top 10 DBs

[smallcollegefbfan]

In the FCS Huddle: Top 10 FCS defensive backs

Sixth of an eight-part series featuring the best Football Championship Subdivision players at various positions.

By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The accolades and awards will be there for Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson this year. An NFL career awaits him next year.

But the success of the team matters most on the tradition-rich University of Montana football program. After the Grizzlies' FCS-record 17-year run of national playoff appearances ended last season, that has been even more of a rallying cry this offseason.

And "Tru," as Johnson often goes by, has his significant individual achievements on the backburner.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/news/news.aspx?id=4403808

[McNeese72]

Shut out again. Oh well, Malcolm Bronson is only a junior. Maybe next season. :)


Doc

[BEAR]

I guess we all have one on our team. Mine is:

#28 Jestin Love
Position: DB
Height: 6-0
Weight: 204
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: West Memphis, Ark.


Tied for third in UCA history with two interception return touchdowns...ninth in career interception return yards with 166

Honors: 2010 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year...2010 All-Southland Conference Second Team...SLC Defensive Player of the Week on 10/25/10

6 INTs last year. But he's only a sophomore this year. xsmileyclapx

[chattownmocs]

shout out to the SOCON freshman of the year CB Kadeem Wise.

[seantaylor]

Are safeties included? Derek Heyden needs to be on the list then.

[LegalGaSouthernEagle]

Are safeties included? Derek Heyden needs to be on the list then.He's going to decapitate somebody this year.

[bojeta]

At CB, Asa Jackson of Cal Poly. 4 year starter with great stats.

[achrist70]

I would put UNI's 4 D backs against any, well actually there is 8-10 but only 4 on the field.

[cmaxwellgsu]

Good to see Laron Scott on there.

[Poly's Brutality]

At CB, Asa Jackson of Cal Poly. 4 year starter with great stats.

Yah, can't wait to see him on punt returns again if they let him! (Another reason he made the list I bet.) This guy exciting player, fires up the crowd, will be great, great year for him. Star POWer baybee, gonna ROLL this year!

[PaladinFan]

Good to see Ryan Steed on there. In terms of pure coverage skills, there's no one better in the SoCon. He is, without question, the best defensive back I've seen play at Furman in many a year, including NFL draftee William Middleton.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Are safeties included? Derek Heyden needs to be on the list then.

I don't get the hype on Heyden. SouthernPigskin.com has been hyping him for the last two years and I just think he's an average player. He isn't as good as those safeties GSU had in the 90s and early 2000s who went to the NFL. He's solid, don't get me wrong, but he isn't near a top 10 DB in FCS. I wouldn't even rank him in the top 10 FSs, let alone top 10 DBs. I would probably put him in the 13-17 range at FS.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Good to see Ryan Steed on there. In terms of pure coverage skills, there's no one better in the SoCon. He is, without question, the best defensive back I've seen play at Furman in many a year, including NFL draftee William Middleton.

I'm with you. I would put Steed up there with John Keith and ahead of Middleton. Steed has a chance to be a 4th or 5th round pick. His only problem is that I don't think he is very fast. I would guess 4.55 and that likely puts him in the 6th or 7th round. If he runs 4.4s though I think he ends up in the in 4th or 5th for sure.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Cooper Taylor would be on this list if it came out after the season concluded. He's a transfer we got from Georgia Tech that has been here since Spring Semester started. The kid is going to be the leader of our defense this fall. He can really run and hit. And he's 6'6 220.

[blueballs]

I don't get the hype on Heyden. SouthernPigskin.com has been hyping him for the last two years and I just think he's an average player. He isn't as good as those safeties GSU had in the 90s and early 2000s who went to the NFL. He's solid, don't get me wrong, but he isn't near a top 10 DB in FCS. I wouldn't even rank him in the top 10 FSs, let alone top 10 DBs. I would probably put him in the 13-17 range at FS.

Yet all he does is make big plays and leads a pretty stout unit.

He's what I would call a program player. From a pure athletic standpoint he's not anywhere near these rankings but from a leadership and winning standpoint- and the fact that he makes big play after big play- he's as good as it gets.

[blueballs]

I'm with you. I would put Steed up there with John Keith and ahead of Middleton. Steed has a chance to be a 4th or 5th round pick. His only problem is that I don't think he is very fast. I would guess 4.55 and that likely puts him in the 6th or 7th round. If he runs 4.4s though I think he ends up in the in 4th or 5th for sure.

I think John keith might be the best DB I ever saw for one simple reason.

In the GSU/Furman game in 1999 GSU was lining up to kick a game winning FG on the last play of the game when Keith hurdled BOTH lines without touching anybody and found himself face to face with the GSU placekicker. The referee was so startled he blew the play dead but didn't call a penalty for offsides or encroachment, allowed Keith to walk back around to his side of the ball, then blew the whistle to restart the play clock allowing GSU to kick the game winner.

To pull off hurdling both lines without touching anybody, getting the ref to blow the play dead, and cooly walk back to your side of the ball, all without a penalty being called takes a special player. I don't think anybody else could have pulled that off- regardless of whether FU homer Gerald Trexler was officiating or not.

[PaladinFan]

I'm with you. I would put Steed up there with John Keith and ahead of Middleton. Steed has a chance to be a 4th or 5th round pick. His only problem is that I don't think he is very fast. I would guess 4.55 and that likely puts him in the 6th or 7th round. If he runs 4.4s though I think he ends up in the in 4th or 5th for sure.

I really can't opine on his straight line speed. I think that's obviously a factor in the hypertechnical world of the draft, but at the end of the day he blankets receivers and either picks or swats just about everything thrown at him.

[AppAlum2003]

These guys don't appear to be DoucheBags at all... not sure why you guys are judging them to be.

[StorminASU]

These guys don't appear to be DoucheBags at all... not sure why you guys are judging them to be.

HAHAHA, LOL

I seriously just almost died in my office. Very funny.

xoutofrepx

[bojeta]

Yah, can't wait to see him on punt returns again if they let him! (Another reason he made the list I bet.) This guy exciting player, fires up the crowd, will be great, great year for him. Star POWer baybee, gonna ROLL this year!

Any word on KJ Cusack? Has he beefed up enough to get in on returns? I wasn't able to make it to any Spring scrimmages so I'm not sure what his status is. At the HS level, he was an incredibly exciting kickoff and punt returner, but I felt he needed to add at least 20 lbs of muscle to have the same impact at Poly and he needs to maintain his quickness while gaining the weight.

[seantaylor]

I'm with you. I would put Steed up there with John Keith and ahead of Middleton. Steed has a chance to be a 4th or 5th round pick. His only problem is that I don't think he is very fast. I would guess 4.55 and that likely puts him in the 6th or 7th round. If he runs 4.4s though I think he ends up in the in 4th or 5th for sure.

Hardest hitter I've seen in GSU's secondary in a long time. Watch out this year. Under Monken's S&C program, and not Hatcher's, where all you had to do was swim laps in a kiddie pool, Heyden has put on 15-20 lbs this off season. Guy can bring it. Also, gets turnovers and is as sure as a tackler in the conference.

[LegalGaSouthernEagle]

Hardest hitter I've seen in GSU's secondary in a long time. Watch out this year. Under Monken's S&C program, and not Hatcher's, where all you had to do was swim laps in a kiddie pool, Heyden has put on 15-20 lbs this off season. Guy can bring it. Also, gets turnovers and is as sure as a tackler in the conference.The best part about him is that he's a little bit crazy. He completely sells out on those huge hits over the middle.

[GeauxLions94]

Shut out again. Oh well, Malcolm Bronson is only a junior. Maybe next season. :)


Doc


I guess we all have one on our team. Mine is:

#28 Jestin Love
Position: DB
Height: 6-0
Weight: 204
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: West Memphis, Ark.


Tied for third in UCA history with two interception return touchdowns...ninth in career interception return yards with 166

Honors: 2010 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year...2010 All-Southland Conference Second Team...SLC Defensive Player of the Week on 10/25/10

6 INTs last year. But he's only a sophomore this year. xsmileyclapx

Can definitely vouch for both Bronson and Love and you can throw in Bobby Felder of Nicholls State and Kenneth Jenkins of Sam Houston State as pretty good DBs in the Southland ... waiting to see what Robert Alford (Southeastern Louisiana) will be able to do after missing the entire 2010 season with an injury. Alford and Todd Washington (transfer from Memphis) has the ability to be one of the better CB tandems in the Southland in 2011.

[Poly's Brutality]

Any word on KJ Cusack? Has he beefed up enough to get in on returns? I wasn't able to make it to any Spring scrimmages so I'm not sure what his status is. At the HS level, he was an incredibly exciting kickoff and punt returner, but I felt he needed to add at least 20 lbs of muscle to have the same impact at Poly and he needs to maintain his quickness while gaining the weight.

It didn't seem KJ had much chance at that game, even though he was back on most punts. He ran out of the offense a few times, but we still did not get much chance yet to see him in my opinion. For a DB, Asa Jackson of course very agile, quick moves you have seen on punt returns, etc. I think as the #14 punt returner in the country last year (whatever that was), I think he'll be the number one choice back there again this year unless they don't want to risk injury to him AND KJ (or one of the other guys) can measure close (?).