Click here for a full explanation of methodology and categories used in the chart above. About the class: Marshon Lattimore: #2 In the context of rankings, “#2” is usually associated with being the runner-up, the second best, or the first loser. For Marshon Lattimore, #2 means his overall ranking in this class from me. In…
Click here for a full explanation of methodology and categories used in the chart above. Mask On, Mask Off: Malik Hooker and Jamal Adams Ohio State’s Malik Hooker has the chance to eventually be the best free safety in the NFL. A bold statement, I know, but when you see Hooker on tape, you know…
Series Introduction: A scheme fit is when a player’s traits and abilities line up with a certain coach’s style and scheme. Imagine if every NFL team could draft a player that fit perfectly into their scheme. That would benefit both the teams and the players simultaneously, as general managers and coaches wouldn’t be putting a…
Click here for a full explanation of methodology and categories used in the chart above. Head of the Class Western Kentucky left tackle (and friend of the #PylonU podcast) Forrest Lamp highlights the interior offensive line class. Lamp, a left tackle for the Hilltoppers, could play the position at the next level, but he best translates…
(Click to enlarge table) Click here for a full explanation of the methodology and categories used in the chart above. “The Big 4” My top rated quarterback, and the only one to receive a 1st round grade from me this year is Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes II. Mahomes is more than just an ultra gunslinger.…
Some of the best running backs in the NFL had underwhelming Combine performances. For running backs, it seems, the Combine is not the best predictor of how college running talent will project into the professional game. This is particularly true of zone runners, where vision and the ability to laterally change direction is more important…
If you’ve listened to the Pylon U podcast this season, you’ve probably heard me reference pythagorean expectation, or pythagorean win percentage, many times. Originally designed by Bill James as a way to calculate a baseball team’s projected winning percentage based on runs scored and runs allowed, the formula has been adapted for use in other…
Over the next several weeks, I’ll be producing five articles highlighting around 45 draft-eligible edge defenders for the 2017 NFL Draft. They’ll be divided up by class. I began with redshirt seniors and true seniors and now will look at redshirt juniors before following up with true juniors and a few redshirt sophomores that could potentially…
With the NFL Draft always approaching, Mark Schofield begins his look at QB prospects for 2017. With so much scouting to be done, Mark begins by continuing our series: On Two, in which Inside The Pylon examines two plays from a quarterback that address traits that scouts are talking about. I’ve written before about the relationship a quarterback has with the air above him: The clouds, the sun and the beautiful…
One way Justin Fuente has kept Virginia Tech in the race for the ACC Coastal division title is to rely on one of his staples: Utilizing motion in his offenses to disguise concepts. Sean Cottrell shows how that was no different in a crucial game against Miami by breaking down the Virginia Tech orbit motion…
The Big Ten is shaping up be a highly competitive conference this year. Although much of the conference’s top talent left for the NFL Draft last season, new faces enter will soon be household names. Jeff Feyerer‘s 2016 Big Ten Preview (Read Part 1 here) focuses on those players and teams, and the schemes and…
Coaches have tricks to win, using formations and wrinkles to try to deceive opponents. Sean Cottrell looks at what’s in the bag Dino Babers brings to the Syracuse Orange. Ask any coach in the country to describe what differentiates the great offenses from merely good ones and many will mention red zone efficiency. This is especially true in…
The Georgia Bulldogs enter 2016 with a veteran offense and the return of star running back Nick Chubb to go along with a new coaching staff. Mark Schofield looks at how new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will utilize Chubb on the power toss. There is new blood at the helm of the Georgia Bulldogs for the…
With the 2016 NFL Draft in the rear view mirror, evaluators are already working through the next crop of players hoping to realize their NFL dreams. Joseph Ferraiola has started his process of wide receiver evaluation for next year, and after some preliminary film work has identified ten prospects that form his 2017 NFL Draft wide receiver watch list. While…
With the 2016 NFL Draft in the rear view mirror, evaluators are already working through the next crop of players hoping to realize their NFL dreams. Mark Schofield has started his process of quarterback evaluation for the 2017 draft, and after some preliminary film work has identified 30 prospects he will be keeping an eye…
