In the FCS Huddle: The curious case of App State
NCAA Football Betting Lines
02/07/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's not as if DeAndre Presley's college career was only seven games long. But that's the experience he must build off as he tries to build an NFL career.
There are 22 players from FCS programs who have been invited to the NFL Combine later this month in Indianapolis. The list of invites that came out Tuesday could not have had an odder background than Presley and Brian Quick at Appalachian State.
Quick seemingly is the cream of the FCS crop this year, perhaps a second- or third-round selection with his 6-foot-4, 220-pound size, speed and skill all ideal for an NFL wide receiver.
Presley's invite is indicative of his athleticism as well. It's just that he's now playing a position nobody at Appalachian State envisioned him at four months prior to the Combine - cornerback.
In 2010, Presley was the toast of Boone, N.C., when he stepped out of former quarterback Armanti Edwards' imposing shadow and led Appalachian State to a sixth straight Southern Conference title. He also finished third in the voting for the 2010 Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the outstanding player in the FCS by The Sportsbook Betting Lines and sponsored by Fathead.com.
He became just the fourth player in FCS history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
But Presley had a subpar start to the 2011 season and then injured his throwing shoulder in the fifth game on Oct. 1. Following a bye, he missed a game against The Citadel while his replacement, Jamal Jackson, started taking control of the offense.
Presley returned to action on Oct. 22 against Samford, but in the days leading up to the game, Mountaineers coach Jerry Moore asked the 5-11, 170-pound native of Tampa, Fla., if he would be willing to fill a need for the team in the secondary as a cornerback.
Presley obliged without question. He also soon found himself as a wide receiver and punt returner and went on to finish his senior season with 812 passing yards and four touchdown passes, 163 rushing yards and four scores, five receptions for 66 yards, 204 yards on nine kickoff returns, one punt return for three yards, 17 tackles (12 solo), one-and-a-half tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two pass break-ups.
In addition to playing cornerback in Appalachian State's final six games, Presley played the position in the Battle of Florida all-star game Jan. 21 in Boca Raton, Fla. He was in on three tackles and returned four punts for 75 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown.
His trip to the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium will come with the final group of participants from Feb. 25-28. No matter how much he impresses teams in interviews, testing and workouts, he most likely will have to go the unsigned free agent route to make it to an NFL training camp.
His body of work doesn't match up with the many cornerbacks in the draft class. All Presley wants at this point, however, is a chance to prove himself.
That, of course, is what Quick did so well over his four-year career. He finished it as the program's all-time leader in receptions (202), receiving yards (3,418) and touchdown catches (31). He saved his best for last as a senior, catching 71 passes for 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns, while the Mountaineers were making the Presley-to-Jackson change.
Quick will participate in the Combine from Feb. 23-26. Maybe he will put in a good word for DeAndre Presley.
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Teams that should be in: Stanford
Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.
Should be in:
Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.
| Southeastern Conference odds | |
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.
Work left to do: Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney. Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson. Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable. Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile. |
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