Recruiting Analysis: Defensive Line

We'll be doing these by position over the next few days. Let me just say that we're absolutely thrilled with the signing class. It has exceeded all of our expectations. This staff really put together an incredible class. So now for the analysis.

Defensive Ends:
Craig Drummond - With offers from everywhere imaginable, Drummond is the best defensive player that we signed. His video is just incredible.

Drummond will probably be in the rotation a little bit this season (since the coaches promised him they wouldn't redshirt him), but his real impact can be expected when the three senior DEs (Hardy, Tillman, Stephens) graduate. Drummond was a five-star before spending his senior year in street clothes due to injury. An uncanny pass-rusher and run-stuffer, he is a complete defensive end and is a huge recruit. My favorite thing about Drummond is that he appears to be unrefined and is still dominating. You can teach swim moves and spins, but you can't teach 260 pounds. Oh, did I mention that Drummond also ran track in high school, competing in hurdles?

Alex Williams - Williams is probably our second most heralded defensive end signee. With offers from Michigan, Tennessee, South Florida, Arkansas, and Iowa, Williams could develop into an elite pass rusher. He's only listed at 210 lbs., so he'll have to gain some weight, but he shows a knack for getting to the quarterback.

I expect Williams to redshirt based on the amount of depth we have returning at defensive end. He will be expected to contribute a good bit as a redshirt freshman though, since he'll probably be the 4th best DE on the team at the time. Williams' speed is incredible from the defensive end position, and he does a good job finsihing plays in his video. I hope he can get two hands on the ball carrier in college, but I'm sure that our coaches will work on that with him.

Cameron Whigham -
I'm not big on Whigham. I think he's overrated, and his video certainly doesn't look like a 6'3" 240 lb prospect. Certainly, he could be good, but I don't expect it. Maybe a greyshirt.

Defensive Tackle:
Corey Gaines -
Gaines is an Army All-American, and the coaches are really high on him. I can't give you an evaluation of him since I haven't seen any video of him playing defensive tackle. I can tell you two things about him:
1. He's big, and the coaches really like him a lot.
2. He was unimpressive at Center at Army All-American practices and didn't play in the game.
Gaines had offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, Rutgers and South Florida. As long as we're getting players that many other legitimate schools are going after, we're doing well.

Eric Smiley -
I'm going to talk about Eric Smiley even though he's probably a sign and place. Smiley is perplexing. He garnered early offers from USC among many other excellent schools and then fell off the map. Our friendly neighborhood Arkansas fan, GonzoHog, assures me that the only reason Eric Smiley was not recruited harder after his senior year was grades. Apparently, Smiley is a physical freak who is a great combination of size and speed. Unfortunately, his grades are, from all accounts, not good enough to get into college right now. I hope we can hold onto him after he finishes Butler CC.

Bo Tillman -
Again, probably not reasonable to talk about since he has already enrolled at a junior college and isn't even on our commitment lists, but it's worth noting that Tillman will only be there for three semesters. That means he'll be at Ole Miss in the fall of 2010 with four years to play three. That coincides well with the projected loss of Jerrell Powe (who will probably go pro after next season). Tillman was a great player in high school, and he will probably inject a lot of strength and size into the interior of our defensive line when he gets to Ole Miss. Tillman uses his sheer size to overpower offensive linemen. I hope we can teach him to really move when he gets here.

I do wish that we had gotten another immediate qualifier at defensive tackle, but it's not immediately necessary to have more than one. Returning Powe, Laurent, Scott, Smith and Sanders (yeah... I think he's still on the team) makes any recruits third teamers. That should give Gaines a while to learn, but we need to sign two qualifiers next year (one would be Tillman).

That's it for me. GOJC should have an offensive line analysis up later tonight. I'm sure it will be funnier but less analytical.

Some Morning YouTube, Perhaps?

First off, we've got some videos of Oher and P. Jerry put together by DraftParty, a YouTube highlights reel of sorts for potential early-round draftees.




Next we have Craig Drummond's 2007 highlights. Why 2007? Well, I'm pretty sure he sat out most of 2008 with an injury. When you consider the fact that he was an Army All-American this past year, you've got to assume he earned that distinction based mostly on his impressive Junior campaign.

Damn. We've got ourselves a good one. In the video, you'll see what looks like a highschool senior who snuck onto the field for a few JV games. That's Drummond.



His talent is raw, but he's got an excellent frame and incredible potential. The first few minutes of highlights all seem to come from the exact same game which, if that indeed be the case, truly demonstrates how dominant Drummond is on the highschool level.

My biggest issue with that video was the actual video itself. Who in the hell put that together? Flying cassette tapes? Wacky, 3D popcorn graphics? C'mon, highschool highlight tapes can do without all of that frilly nonsense.

Unless, of course, Craig Drummond himself put it together.. If that's the case then Bravo, good sir! Well done!

Potential defensive line class...

I'm busy roughly all day now, but I do have time to share something. I know it has probably been brought up on some message board, but look at the potential defensive line class we have.

DE Craig Drummond - 6'5" 260 - Offers from USC, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, etc. - Army All-American - Film looks incredible
DT Bo Tillman - 6'7" 295 - #3 player in the state last year - Film is good. Disrupts tons of plays.
DT Eric Smiley - 6'5" 280 - early offers from the likes of USC before backing off due to grade problems - Haven't seen any film
DT Corey Gaines - 6'0" 275 - Army All-American - Film is of offensive line, shows good feet and speed
DE Cameron Whigham - 6'3" 230 - Auburn offer - Film shows lots of speed, not enough power

Look, there's still work to be done with Eric Smiley (grades) and Corey Gaines (choosing us), but I like what I see. Before the season started, I pinpointed the d-line as a position of necessity in recruiting. We have filled that necessity. I am still hoping for one more DE to help replace Hardy, Tillman and Stephens. I think Alex Williams would be perfect. If we can sign him, we've gone a long way in maintaining our dominance on the defensive line.

Rebel Roundup: Case of the Mondays

Monday sucks. It's science. Here are some links to keep you busy this horrible, horrible morning. Perhaps posts of substance are to come this afternoon.


Mock Drafts - There are lots of them. I guess I'll go with the most reputable mock draft I've stumbled upon this morning and that would be the mock first round put together by Don Banks of Sports Illustrated. In his draft, Mike Oher is picked up by the Raiders (bye bye, career) and Peria Jerry is picked up by the Falcons.


Andy Staples is a Professional Dumbass - In attempting to predict where the few remaining uncommitted blue-chippers will sign, Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples had this to say about Patrick Patterson:

Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora pulled a shocker last year when he convinced receiver DeAndre Brown to come to Hattiesburg despite offers from some of the SEC's top teams. Could Fedora do it again? He'll have to beat out Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee.

Andy, if by some bizarre, off chance you stumble upon this blog and read this, let it be known that Larry Fedora didn't do shit to land DeAndre Brown. DeAndre Brown ended up in Hattiesburg because LSU and Ole Miss dropped him like a hot potato after seeing the difficulties it would require to get him qualified to attend an SEC school. Yes, the SEC has higher academic standards than the CUSA. They're not much higher, but high enough to keep him away. Patrick Patterson will not enroll in the University of Southern Mississippi. Hell, he may never set foot in the city of Hattiesburg ever again and no, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.


Alright, so Maybe He's not THAT Stupid - Perhaps I was a bit harsh on Andy. Andy, redeem yourself... Ah, nice work! I'm certain he did not do all of the number crunching himself but his piece on the state of recruiting is intriguing for any stats nerd. There is even a piece which breaks down the number of BCS recruits by state during the 2004-2008 time span. Florida leads the pack in both total number of recruits and recruits per capita. Mississippi is 3rd in recruits per capita. In fact, the states in which the SEC schools are located have 9 of the top 22 spots. The breakdown goes something like this:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Mississippi
4. Georgia
6. Louisiana
9. South Carolina
12. Arkansas
19. Tennessee
22. Kentucky

Scattered among the SEC schools are the usual suspects (Ohio, Texas, Hawai'i, DC, California, et al). On the very bottom of the list lies Vermont who apparently has only contributed one BCS football player over the last four years. Alaska has produced double that over the same time period.


Craig Drummond, Jr. Commits... Maybe - Scout and Rivals both report that Craig Drummond, Jr., the Army All-American defensive end, has committed to the Rebels. Inside the Grove, however, has a completely different story. Both camps can't be lying. Either he's committed or he isn't. Perhaps Yancy and Neal's sources are not as reliable as they would like to believe. Perhaps Ty is being toyed with by the recruits for sending them text messages late at night on a Sunday (Ty, they're expecting booty calls, not overbearing ESPN reporters). If I were a bettin' man, I'd say that the young man is Oxford bound, but this is definitely not a chicken that should be counted before it's hatched.


Jaylon Snead: the most Badass SEC Dad - Inside the Grove has a Q&A with Jaylon Snead, the father of Jevan Snead. It really doesn't matter what it says, or really whether or not you read it because Jaylon Snead is a real American hero. Look at that mustache. And that hat, damn; how many people can actually convincingly wear a big-ass black cowboy hat. Good Lord in Heaven, sir. You are the envy of many, many men.

Jaylon Snead - proud father, badass

Rebels at the Senior Bowl

Peria Jerry, Mike Oher, Ashlee Palmer and Mike Wallace all represented the Rebs in last night's Senior Bowl. The South handily defeated the North (TSWRA whooooooo!) to the tune of 35-18. Mike Wallace pulled in a 39 yard touchdown pass from West Virginia's Pat White and Peria Jerry recovered a Rhett Bomar fumble in the North endzone for 6. According to our Senior Bowl correspondents, Oher was good for the most part except for a holding call and Palmer had very few if any opportunities to make a play on defense. They also told us that Mobile is scary with all of the drunks, hurricanes, and Leprechauns hiding in strategic-ass trees.

The game's stats can be found here and the highlights here.

Also, did everybody else know before last night that Mike Wallace was going to be in this game, or am I just out of the loop? He definitely improved whatever draft stock he had.

Hi. My name is Peria... We've met before.

"Now, please, get the fuck out of my way."

Click here to see Peria Jerry ruin Herman "The House" Johnson of LSU at the NFL Senior Bowl practice. While the NFL Network commentators verbally fellate the LSU guard and really only mention Jerry in passing, it's still a pretty fun video. If you look through the other videos you'll be able to catch glimpses of Mike Oher and Ashlee Palmer along with Jerry. If you've got time to kill, go for it.


HT: VanillaFace

Game Day

I'm a lot of things right now.

I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm focused. And I'm pissed.

I'm sick of a vast majority of the mainstream media downplaying our Rebels. I'm sick of fairweather Rebel fans who aren't at all ready to cheer for our Rebels against an excellent team for fear that they'll be cheering on a losing effort. I'm sick of Texas Tech fans acting like their Red Raiders don't deserve to play our "lowly" Rebels in the cotton bowl and I'm sick of them acting like we're just going to roll over and die out there.

Above all of this, though, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. This four losing seasons in a row bullshit has finally ended and I don't anticipate it coming back for quite a while.

I know that this game has been placed on the back burner in favor of the BCS title game and the ESPN-boner (Rose) Bowl but when all things are considered, this is a pretty impressive bowl game. The Cotton Bowl has an incredibly storied history. National championships have been won and lost in Dallas on New Year's Day and to earn the opportunity to be one of the final teams to play in the actual Cotton Bowl stadium itself is pretty impressive. This game will also actually allow us to play out the heated debate of SEC defense vs. BigXII offense in real, on the field play. Perhaps, though, the greatest aspect of this game is the fact that we've a slew of All-Americans headlining both of these teams, all of which have something to prove.

All-Americans, all of 'em

Here's to a damn good Cotton bowl, Rebels and Raiders. Hotty Toddy and go Rebels.


Post Scriptum - Just an FYI, Leach: Peria Jerry isn't afraid to hurt a motherfucker. You can't say I didn't warn you.

Post Post Scriptum - Cotton Bowl open thread is below. If you're not in Dallas or at your favorite local sports bar and have elected to watch the game at home with a laptop nearby, leave your very own running commentary. Anything and everything goes.

A moody, introspective letter to Graham Harrell

Graham:

You don’t know me… No one really does, I suppose, but you, Graham: you will soon be privy to the smitten rage of my most blighted of hearts. You see, Graham, you are everything that my soul loathes. Heisman candidate, Texas All-American boy, the popular kid with the golden arm at quarterback… You were on my mind just the other day, while I was listening to the new Juliana Theory album that just leaked while taking pictures of myself from skewed upward angles. And it made me hurt inside, Graham. It just isn’t fair. I crouch in a tiny desk in graphic design class, as big as any three of the other kids stapled together, and none of them invite me to the Airships shows on the weekends. None of the guys on the team let me go to the Library with them after practice. Coach makes me go to class, or else play behind Chris fucking Bowers. I just don’t fit in, you see. I’m a freak. I spend all my time chasing you. You and your superficial pretty boy counterparts, with your clean jerseys, your waving locks of auburn hair. All I want is to catch you. Drag you down into the ground, make you taste the dirt that is my filthy, reprehensible existence. And I WILL catch you, Graham. That left tackle there? The crew-cut heifer who’s sworn away twenty years off of his strangled life, busting buffets, pushing sleds, lifting weights and pounding back protein to protect his precious Golden Boy? He’s a fucking suit. He’s corporate. He lines up inches from my wretched face, but he can’t know me. What was that move, he’ll ask? The one where I double-fake with my head, start to swim inside, then spin outside, leaving him standing there, a depleted mess of a man-mountain? Oh… don’t worry. It’s some move you’ve probably never heard of. You wouldn’t appreciate it the way I do. I am a fallen soul, Graham, but I can drag you down with me. Your victorious ride into the sunset is about to get wrecked. No bowl victory for you, Graham, no Texas gunslinger’s grand finale, no vapid blonde bimbo on your arm. I’m here to take all that away, Graham. I’m six foot five, 265 pounds, faster than some of your receivers, my dad hates me, and I haven’t taken my pills IN A FUCKING WEEK AND A HALF!!!!!!!! Your happiness ends here, Graham. I haven’t been this upset since The Dismemberment Plan sold out and signed a big record deal.

It reminds me of this poem:

two shots of hate from a mouth as loud as a gun,
like an assasin ... who does it for fun.

two deafening blows in a war that has just begun,
life gone away...i'm done.

two red roses sitting on my coffin, the wind blows, leaving only one
the world i know disappears...like the setting sun.

God, it makes my soul bleed. My heart is a blackness, LoveIsToTheDeath,

emo Greg Hardy

f0t0$h0ppe courtesy of the Ghost of Jay Cutler

New Years Resolutions

Here are a few resolution ideas I came up with which will hopefully lead to a happier, healthier 2009. If any of these apply to you, I suggest you heavily consider them because I put at least 2 or 3 minutes of thought into this.

Oh, and for the inquiring mind: no, I'm not doing anything at work. Apparently I didn't get the memo about not showing up on the 31st.


Denizens of Lubbock - Start driving hybrids, lest you want global warming to increase the severity of your weekly dust storms. Also, do it because Al Gore said so; he invented the damned Internet, lawya.

SEC Referees - Just forget that the replay even exists in college football.

Jerrell Powe - Lose 30 pounds and finally surmount the great literary challenge of completing your first Nancy Drew novel.

Our Rebel frontcourt - Learn to box out and stop being sissies.

Our Rebel backcourt - Grow some ACL's that aren't made of crepe paper or porcelain.

Greg Hardy - Finally get over the "hump" and take the stationery industry by storm.

Mike Oher and Peria Jerry - Buy a lot of cars 'n' shit.

Kent Austin - First, stop sounding like a Canuck. Second, show the SEC West's new diciples of the spread (Petrino, Mullen, and Malzhan) how real quarterbacks play football.

Tracy Rocker - Finally defeat Ted Laurent in an Abner's eating contest. Going 0-11 on the year is pathetic, Trace.

Andy Kennedy - Sign on with the US Department of Homeland Security.

The entire football team - Just freakin' beat Bama for once, alright?

Dexter McCluster - Evolve suction-cupped fingertips (EVILoution works that way, right?).

Womens Rifle Team - Just continue to keep us compliant with Title IX and we won't ask any questions.

Bobby Petrino - Update your resume on Monster.com.

Rascal Flatts - Find some other shitty midday regional football broadcast through which to peddle your "music." Bob that HeAaAaAaAaAaD the fuck on out of here. If Johnny Cash were still alive and if Haggard weren't confined to his drug-ravaged 71-year-old body they'd make a grease stain out of all of you faster than you can put that there gel in your hair.

Arkansas Fans - Get hobbies; lots of 'em. This, of course, does not apply to you, Gonzohog. You just keep on keepin' on.

ESPN - Stop being biased against the SEC! You arrogant New England/West Coast types make me sick! You obviously hate everything about us! Oh, and thanks for the $2+ billion, 15-year
TV deal... you YUPPIE ASSHOLES!



Have you got any others? Feel free to submit them via comment.
Have a save and happy new year, everybody. Don't drink and drive, have fun, get laid, et cetera.

This "Landshark" Gimmick isn't at all Overdone

Guest contributor: really anybody from the Spirit or Rivals free boards


ARE?! YOU!? READDYYYY!?!!

I know I am. I'm headed to DALLAS soon to watch Jevan Sneed, Gerald Poe, and the rest of our REBS beat the tar outta those Texas Tech DEAD Raiders! Teh Big 12 sucks and cant play DEFENSE like the SEC! I konw we're going to beat Texas Tech because we've got something which they have never seen... THE LANDSHARKS!



LMAO @ TYSON LEE!!! YEAH!!! HOTTY TODDY GO REBELS GO!!!

I don't give a hoot whether or not they've got some OVERRATED quarterback and wide reciever because they're probably going to have to change their pants (after they doodoo in them) after seeing this video!!


If they don't know anything about the landsharks, perhaps they should ask those LEGHUMPIN' BULLFRAUDS!!! And those bayou kitties! WATCH THE VIDEO AGAIN!

I've been watching Jaws while drinking LANDSHARK beer to get pumped up for this one. WHOO! I love Jimmy BUffett!

You've got LANDSHARKS to your Left! LANDSHARKS to your right! And you're the only Dead GAYder in town!!!1

Catchy, huh? I only wish the Techies were the Blue Raiders so I could wear my RED sharkfin hat! Guns up, whatever more like FINS UP!!

LANDSHARK!

We're Back and the final part of the SEC Power Poll All-SEC DLine

Alright, alright, you can all quit your bellyaching.

Between Christmas and one of us getting hitched two days thereafter we've been doing the whole "friends and family" thing. No, we're not going to apologize.

Get over it.

Now, to pick up where we left off.

I'm surprised Jefferson still has a head attached to his neck.

Peria Jerry is a bad, bad dude. He will ruin you. I mean absolutely, positively, motherfucking ruin you. This season has seen what may be the single greatest Ole Miss defensive line ever. There is star power at every starting position and potential star power a few spots deep on the depth chart. The typical adjectives used to positively describe linemen--big, strong, quick, athletic--certainly apply here. However, Peria Jerry, while all of the above, can best be described as "determined."

I'm not the biggest guy, and I'm definitely not the strongest guy. But I'm going to be there all day.

Peria Jerry was featured recently in a piece by Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal and that quote, attributed to Jerry, really stood out to me. When compared to Ted Laurent or Jerrel Powe, Jerry certainly isn't the biggest or strongest guy out there. But, whatever he "lacks" in size and strength is made up for by his incredibly competitive drive and "never-give-up" attitude.

Towards the end of the LSU game, it became apparent that Jerry had simply worn his blockers down. They were all likely bigger, stronger, and more highly rated recruits but, literally, none of that mattered; Jerry was beating their asses off of the line and creating chaos in the trenches and backfield.

He brings 100% on every single down which is exactly how he beats you. By the end of the game, he's unblockable.

I know they're confident, and rightfully so, but I can't imagine Graham Harrell and the Red Raider OLine not at all worried about lining up against Peria Jerry and his legion of despair. They're going to bring it and, if Harrell and co. aren't careful, the Cotton Bowl could end very, very poorly for the Red Raiders.

Congratulations on everything, Peria. You're a team captain, an All American, and, most importantly, one of the greatest defensive tackles in the SEC according to a legion of bloggeurs.

To come: our piece in the most recent edition of The Local Voice, the most badass Christmas gift EVAR, and the beginning of Texas Tech hate week.

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Terrence Cody, presented by Sir Issac Newton

If ye ever discover thyself so braeve as to delve into mine Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, ye will not conclude my fascination with one Lord Terrence of Cody to be unusual. For, as a scholar of the most basic physical characteristics of all worldly mass, Terrence of Cody affords me both incredible excitement and luxurie.

Please, allow me, if you could, to explain. In the physical scientificum, "masse" refers to the degree of acceleration a body could acquire when subject to a force. Within this realme, acceleration is the term which describes the changes in velocity over time. In the purest words, we compute this value by calculating the derived form of velocity with respect to time, or equivalently as the second derivative of position. This is, quite natureally, a vectored quantitie.

Ah but, prithee do observe my faire student, I have yet to divulge into the mystical combination thereof: FORCE! Of upmost importance, force is that which can cause an object with masse to accelerate. Of course, the sciences surrounding this "force" are still so premature that a measurable unit thereof has yet to be assigned a proper, noble nomenclature!

Lord Terrence of Cody exploites his victimes through the unmerciful use of one of the most fear-inducing levels of force on the fields of battle. He possesses in a set the powerful combination of masse and acceleration which, as even the most plebian of plebians could observe, would naturally lead to Earth shattering force. Here, read my formulations:


Lord Terrence of Cody therefore becomes, as you vilest of men from the newest of worldes would have him referred in your most peculiare vernacular, "one scary motherfucker." If the words surrounding his desires to remain on the noble fields of Tuscaloosa are indeed of integrous fiber then his myraid of foes ought greatly to fear their darkened fates.

Lord Terrance of Cody, inspiration of the unwashed, huzzah to thee, sire!
(ed: Cody was a unanimous selection to this poll)

RSCumor, and it's a BIG one

According to a source of ours who is very well connected to the football program, Greg Hardy is going to stay in Oxford for his senior season. Please, please, please let this be true, sports Gods. You absolutely owe us.

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Rahim Alem

This is the best photo I could find of the guy.

Rahim Alem, the second defensive end on the inaugural SEC Power Poll All-SEC team, has been a phenomenal defensive force for the Bayou Bengals this season. The Junior out of New Orleans tallied eight sacks, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, a pair of pass deflections, and a blocked kick.

However, despite these successes, I will most vividly remember Rahim Alem for a very brief and inconsequential moment of moronic douchedom. Do you remember how, just before Snead took the final knee in Death Valley, he thought it cute to jump offsides and rough-up Mike Oher a little bit? Yeah, that was lame.

And stupid; who in the hell lines up against Michael Oher and thinks, "you know, I'd like to do my best to anger this hairless Yeti standing accross from me" and then actually follows through with it? It's a good thing for Mr. Alem that the game was winding down because that could have ended very, very poorly.

Watch it, Rahim.

Alright, so I'm biased. What else do you expect from an Ole Miss blog?

In all seriousness though, congratulations are in order for LSU and Rahim Alem for his selection to the SEC Power Poll All-SEC team. We're bloggers, dammit. We know what we're doing here and this should be taken as an honor of the highest caliber.


Up next: the SEC blogosphere's selection as our conferences best defensive tackles.

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Robert Ayers

For your insomniac/early bird special, we help will roll out the inaugural SEC Power Poll All-SEC team by covering the defensive line.

First, we'll introduce Robert Ayers, one-half of the defensive ends on this team.


Ayers, a senior Volunteer from Cilo, South Carolina, was initially recruited to Knoxville to play linebacker. After putting on 40 pounds, however, Ayers possessed ideal size and athleticism to become one of the SEC's premier defenders. Statistically, Ayers racked up 49 total tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-a-loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, 6 quarterback hurries, and 1 forced fumble. Ayers is projected to a be a later-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft and has the potential for a promising NFL career. Obviously, Ayers was a bright spot on this season's uncharacteristically struggling Tennessee team.

Stay tuned on Friday for the second all-SEC defensive end per the ever wise SEC blogosphere.

For the rest of the SEC Power Poll All-SEC coverage, visit Team Speed Kills.

Add a Different Two More

Michael Oher and Peria Jerry were named AP All Americans today.

First team, lawya!

No word yet on whether Millsaps quarterback Juan Joseph was honored as an All American.

Snubs are in the past, though, and Oher and Jerry are phenomenal football players. Oher, a likely first-round draft pick last year, showed his true Rebel spirit by returning for his senior season. And Peria? Just look at that beautiful man.

Both of these guys are going to play for a long time and make a great deal of money in the National Football League. Also, Graham Harrell, who clearly is reading the Cup in preparation for the Cotton Bowl, I am legally obligated to warn you that Mr. Jerry may appear differently than the afore-linked photograph in real life.

Congratulations to the pair of Rebels who are the first duo from fair Oxford to make the AP First Team in the same year. Teams with multiple first-team selections were Alabama (with three - Antoine Caldwell, Andre Smith, and Terrence Cody), USC, Missouri, and Ole Miss (all with two selections).

Landsharks!

No, no, no... Try again.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve surely noticed a recent development in Ole Miss football: our D is playing lights out. Our defensive line has become one of the nation’s best, our linebackers are all very solid tacklers, and our secondary is able to capitalize on mistakes made by opposing quarterbacks. While credit is certainly due to Tyrone Nix, Tracy Rocker, Chris Vaughn, Kim Dameron, , and (of course) Houston Nutt for coaching a former band of seeming misfits up to their true, badass potential, these players and their newly discovered swagger deserve most of the accolades.

Peria Jerry is impossible to block. Seriously. Just try blocking that guy. Next time he’s loading up on Moo Goo Gai pan at the New Hunan, stand between him and the steam trays and see what happens. In about a half of a second you’ll be rolling on the floor suffering through violent, spasmodic fits of bloody vomiting while he’s casually searching for the duck sauce.

Jerrell Powe has shown a lot of promise over the last couple of weeks. His performance in the Egg Bowl was certainly impressive, despite the fact that his two sacks and absolutely hilarious (I had tears in my eyes) interception against State came against a group of matadors wearing football pads.

Greg Hardy found his magic shoes and he, along with Kentrell Lockett and Emmanuel Stephens, has been able to establish a pretty terrifying pass rush.

Tony Fein causes opponents to wither on the spot. His tattooed bazookas which he’s been able to convincingly pass off as “arms” most likely play a pretty solid role in the intimidation factor. I still have a pretty kickass mental image of him ruining Charles Scott for a 5 or 6 yard loss a few weeks ago.

Ashlee Palmer and Allen Walker are prototypical outside backers. They’ve both got size and are fundamental tacklers, but they’ve also got incredible speed and agility. Palmer’s graceful interception against State is evidence enough of this.

While many are quick to criticize our corners (and appropriately so), you’ve got to appreciate the unselfish moves a few of them have made with regards to position changes. For Marshay Green to make the switch from wideout to corner and not fuck it up too horribly says a lot for his competitive drive and athletic abilities.

Jamarca Sanford is, well, Jamarca Sanford and Kendrick Lewis has improved more than any defensive player thus far this season, in my opinion.

Toss in guys like Marcus Tillman, Lawon Scott (a big surprise to many this year), Ted Laurent, John Cornell, and Marcus Temple and we’ve got some quality depth at several defensive positions.

Perhaps the most important factor in this defense’s success though is the high level of confidence and teamwork with which they play. This defense does not look like a group of individuals but rather operates with incredible cohesion. Perhaps the strongest piece of evidence for this claim is the defense’s self-applied moniker of “Landsharks.”

I’m certain you’ve seen this before. What you may not know are the origins of the hand signal and the unusual nature by which it was embraced by the defense.

While this is only a story based on second-hand information, both of my sources are pretty good in that they’re very much in touch with the goings on of the Rebel football program. Basically I wasn’t told this by any particular player(s) first-hand so take it for what it’s worth.

Apparently, Tony Fein started using the term “Landshark” in practice a few months ago. During one of his better days on the practice field, he told the defense that he was a playing like a “Landshark” and threw the hand-fin up on his helmet. At first, his fellow defenders thought this to be, well, ‘tarded. Tony, however, did not cease being a self-proclaimed. As practices wore on, Tony got better and better and with his growing confidence, kept flinging up his fin. Eventually, this grew on a few of his fellow defenders.

The first time that I can recall seeing it was during the Florida game. Powe rocked a shark’s fin during the victory celebration if my memory serves me well enough.

As the season progressed, and as the wins continued to pile up, the Landsharks moniker evolved from something Tony Fein did while being goofy (please don’t hurt me Tony, I’m only a bloggeur) to a symbol of pride and unity among our defenders.

Now, I don't see how any Ole Miss fan couldn't love it. Our defense does it to remind the fans, the opponents, and eachother that they're badder than Hell and they're not afraid to ruin somebody. Ask Tim Tebow's Heisman hopes. Ask Jarrett Lee's ankle. Ask the entire offensive depth chart of Mississippi State. These sons-of-bitches are a group of Landsharks. No, we don't know exactly what that means, but if you don't acknowledge their collective fantasy terrestrial-fish alter ego they'll drop your ass like a bad habit.

Great work, zcriz

The Conerly Trophy is a bit of a joke, but who cares?

Last night Juan Joseph, quarterback at Division III Millsaps was awarded the Cellular South Conerly Trophy. Joseph beat out Michael Oher, a four-year starter at left tackle, and Peria Jerry, the leader in the Southeastern Conference in tackles for loss. The Conerly Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player in Mississippi, and previous recipients of the award include Patrick Willis, Eli Manning, and Deuce McAllister. There's no homerism in that list. Of the other previous winners Jerious Norwood is the most notable.

Which supports my contention that the Conerly Trophy does not, in fact, even regularly go to the most outstanding collegiate football player in Mississippi. Take 1998, when Adalius Thomas was a first-team All American at defensive end with 71 tackles and 12.5 sacks. James Johnson, running back from Mississippi State, won that Conerly Trophy with a respectable, but not All-American 1383 yards. Or Titus Brown, who led the SEC in sacks last season, but lost the Conerly to Damion Fletcher.

While it's certainly not the most accurate of awards, it's not the most prestigious either. Are Mike Oher and Peria Jerry, all-American level talents at their respective positions, better football players than Joseph? Of course they are. Are they all boo-hooin' over it because they didn't win? Doubt it. They've got a bowl game to look forward to and would easily take their first round draft pick 10 times out of 10 over some trophy given out by a somewhat-reliable cell phone company out of Ridgeland. Juan Joseph put up some gaudy numbers (67.6 completion percentage, 3,462 yards, 32 touchdowns, 6 interceptions) and won 11 straight games. Millsaps was ranked as the 3rd best team in their division before heading into the playoffs.

"But c'mon. It's Millsaps."

So? Just let the young man have his fun. He's earned the praise he's getting and I'm sure Jerry and Oher don't mind letting him have the spotlight for, hell, a week at the most. They're going to be soaking that shit up for a decade or so in the NFL.

So maybe they gave it to one of the "little guys" to be PC. So maybe they gave it to someone more interested in the first half of the term "student/athlete." So maybe the selection committee secretly hates Ole Miss (doubt it). Oher and Jerry own him. We know it; they know it; Joseph knows it.

Mike: Ey dawg, have fun in grad school. *snicker*
Juan: Oh, I plan to! Paul Krugman is the shizznit!
Peria: CASH MONEY MAWFUKKAS!

Rebel Roundup: stuff of which you are likely already well aware

• Houston Nutt’s daughters dress up for Halloween – A new member of the Ole Miss blogosphere, Forward Rebels, has the photographs you’ve all been waiting for already seen by now. Yeah, we’re lame for not “breaking” this one earlier. I will say though, that one on the right has Schwarzenegger quality abdominals and enough fake tanner to give you fake melanoma.


• Ole Miss vs. LSU (Magnolia Bowl?) picked up by CBS – Check it here. This is pretty fantastic because now all of America will get to see Count Giggity snatch a November game away from the Bayou Bengals in Baton Rouge... again. Go ahead and fire up the suicide hotline switchboard Plaquemines Parish, because Saturday night could get real ugly for you.


• Rebels nominated for postseason conference honors – SECSports.com has the list of postseason honors candidates up as nominated by each school on Friday of last week. Of note are Jevan Snead, Jason Cook (the only FB on the runningbacks list), Shay Hodge, 3/5 of our starting OL, Peria Jerry, Joshua Shene, and several others. Some that surprised me (kinda-sorta not-really) are Justin Smith receiving accolades as a freshman "all-star candidate" and Greg Hardy not being mentioned once among the 13 DE's listed.

Peria Jerry's Legion of Despair

In this morning's Rebel Roundup, I referred to our Defensive Line as "Peria Jerry's Legion of Despair." To see what how I envision these kinds of things while I sit in my cubicle, click the below picture for biggification.... if you dare.

Yes, Marcus Tillman's horse is half Robocop.

TREMBLE AT MY MICROSOFT PAINT SKILLS! MORTAL!