Latest news with #Neuheisel
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sizing them up: NFL rookie quarterback evaluations
Quarterback Cam Ward went from a lightly recruited college prospect to the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft after stops at three colleges. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press) Although it felt at times there was only one quarterback in last weekend's NFL draft — the slip-sliding Shedeur Sanders who tumbled to the fifth round — there were actually 14 selected over the three days. That's tied for the most taken in a draft since 2016. Considering the impact of last year's class, which included Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix and Bo Nix, each of those quarterbacks drafted this year has to be encouraged that the window of opportunity is more than cracked open. Advertisement To get a better understanding about some of these players, the Los Angeles Times spoke to quarterback analysts Rick Neuheisel and Greg Cosell, who spend countless hours studying the position and prospects. Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback, went on to become an offensive coordinator in the NFL and head coach at Colorado, Washington and his alma mater. Cosell, a senior producer for NFL Films and analyst for ESPN's "NFL Matchup," spends much of his time breaking down game footage and evaluating college football players. The nephew of legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell, he's widely respected in NFL circles for his knowledge of the game. As he does every year, Cosell shared with The Times his highly detailed breakdowns of the top quarterback prospects, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses as did Neuheisel. Advertisement Read more: Why the Super Bowl-ready Rams may have won the 2025 NFL draft A look at the five quarterbacks selected before Cleveland drafted Sanders in the fifth round: Cam Ward (Miami): No. 1 overall in Round 1 to Tennessee Titans Ward played at three schools in his college football odyssey, beginning as a zero-star prospect at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, before moving on to Washington State and Miami. Neuheisel believes Ward has some of the cool-under-pressure qualities of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That's about as lofty as praise can get. 'There's no panic reflex,' Neuheisel said of Ward. 'Which is exactly what plagued Will Levis [last season's starter for the Titans] and why Levis can't be the guy. Makes rushed decisions when things are falling apart, and Ward is the antithesis of that. He's unusually calm, sometimes to a fault, but ends up making Mahomesian plays.' Advertisement That's not to say he's a carbon copy of the Chiefs star. 'He doesn't have the arm talent that Patrick does,' Neuheisel said. 'But he has the same Houdini qualities of getting out of trouble.' A sampling of Cosell observations: Strengths: Could deliver with pace and touch when needed. Could take something off throws with precise ball placement. … Showed a poised feel to work through progressions. Drop-backs he read front side then calmly came back side. Weaknesses: Strong tendency to drift on drop-backs without setting his feet and planting with a firm base. … Too many drop-backs he was too loose in the pocket, bouncing and drifting without planting and ready to throw. Advertisement Jaxson Dart (Mississippi): No. 25 in Round 1 to New York Giants Former Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart will be the next hope for the New York Giants. (Gary McCullough / Associated Press) The Giants, who had the third overall pick, traded back into the first round to select Dart. Early indications are they plan to bring him along slowly, as Buffalo did with Josh Allen. Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen were with the Bills for that rookie season with Allen. Neuheisel drew a comparison between Dart and outstanding Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. "There's lots to like about Jaxson Dart,' he said. 'If you look at his yards per attempt, they're Burrow-esque. So that you've got to like.' Advertisement Eight Ole Miss players were drafted this year, a school record, and Neuheisel likes that Dart recruited most of them to transfer there. 'He's got that kind of personality as a consensus builder,' he said. 'That's a trait that you like in a quarterback.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Showed a feel for avoiding and escaping pressure in the pocket. … Efficient versus blitz. Knew where his quick answers were and got the ball out of his hands to the right receiver. Weaknesses: No experience calling plays in a huddle [a big deal] and almost no experience taking snaps under center. … Arm strength above average. He does not possess a power arm that can drive the ball with higher-level velocity. Advertisement Tyler Shough (Louisville): No. 40 in Round 2 to New Orleans Saints Tyler Shough, who finished his college career at Louisville afer stops at Oregon and Texas Tech, will be a 26-year-old rookie in the NFL. (Benjamin Fanjoy / Associated Press) Shough enters the NFL with extensive mileage on his odometer. He will be 26 at the start of the season and played for three schools — Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville — across seven years of college eligibility. 'You don't often talk about seven-year careers,' Neuheisel said. 'We had him on the radio and said, `When you left [high school in] Arizona for Oregon, did you foresee trips to Lubbock and Louisville and all the different things that happened along the way?' And he says, 'No, this was not part of the plan.'' 'But all that stuff helps build, you know, some resilience. And in terms of — 10 years ago — this was the prototype quarterback. The 6-foot-5 guy that can stand in there and is athletic.' Advertisement Neuheisel said pairing Shough and first-year Saints coach Kellen Moore 'makes all the sense in the world.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Significant experience with the play-action passing game and working under center with his back to the defense. … Natural sense of timing and rhythm to his pocket play that got better as the season progressed. Weaknesses: Ball placement at times not as precise as it must be on a consistent basis. He's not a scattershot but he's not exact. … At times he could be hesitant to turn it loose when the windows got a little tighter. Left some throws on the field. Advertisement Jalen Milroe (Alabama): No. 92 in Round 3 to Seattle Seahawks Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe will be vying for a starting spot in Seattle with veteran Sam Darnold. (Vasha Hunt / Associated Press) Milroe heads to a franchise that just signed Sam Darnold to a big deal. But that doesn't mean the door is closed for the rookie. In 2012, the Seahawks saw third-rounder Russell Wilson ascend to the starting role despite the club signing veteran Matt Flynn to a lucrative contract. At Alabama, Milroe was a threat with his arm and legs, and Neuheisel believes that Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald can use him the way Baltimore uses quarterback Lamar Jackson. Macdonald came from the Ravens. 'He had a front-row seat watching what Lamar did to teams,' Neuheisel said. 'He saw what Lamar did to defenses and how he forced them into single-high coverages and had his way with them. Advertisement 'Now, Milroe might not be Lamar, but he's not far off in terms of his ability to run. And you would say that he's actually been in more big games than Lamar was in college.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Willing to stand and deliver in the face of pressure, especially down the field. Mental and physical pocket toughness. … Compact delivery but the natural arm strength to generate power and velocity on intermediate drive throws. Weaknesses: Too often too much head and eye movement on drop and set in the pocket. Result of not getting a clear picture. … Ball placement at times remained erratic and inconsistent. Still missed few too many throws in clean pockets. Advertisement Dillon Gabriel (Oregon): No. 94 in Round 3 to Cleveland Browns Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for an FBS record 155 touchdowns during a college career that began at Central Florida. (Lydia Ely / Associated Press) Gabriel spent his first three seasons at Central Florida, then transferred to Oklahoma before spending his final college season at Oregon. He finished with 155 career touchdowns, an FBS record. He was drafted 50 picks before the Browns took Sanders. 'He had some 100-yard rushing games as well as some big throwing games,' Neuheisel said. '"I think the guy's really good. Now, obviously, he's small — a 5-10 guy. [Gabriel is listed at 5-11.] But so was Russell Wilson. So we'll see. He's efficient.' Cosell's observations: Advertisement Strengths: Showed comfortable feel for working the pocket both sliding and climbing to find space, step up and deliver. … Great feel for both manipulating defenders with his eyes and/or quickly detecting coverage indicators. Weaknesses: Arm strength falls in average category. Does not possess the arm that can drive the ball with higher velocity. … Deep balls had tendency to lose energy on the back end. That's where arm-strength limitations showed up. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Sizing them up: NFL rookie quarterback evaluations
Although it felt at times there was only one quarterback in last weekend's NFL draft — the slip-sliding Shedeur Sanders who tumbled to the fifth round — there were actually 14 selected over the three days. That's tied for the most taken in a draft since 2016. Considering the impact of last year's class, which included Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix and Bo Nix, each of those quarterbacks drafted this year has to be encouraged that the window of opportunity is more than cracked open. To get a better understanding about some of these players, the Los Angeles Times spoke to quarterback analysts Rick Neuheisel and Greg Cosell, who spend countless hours studying the position and prospects. Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback, went on to become an offensive coordinator in the NFL and head coach at Colorado, Washington and his alma mater. Cosell, a senior producer for NFL Films and analyst for ESPN's 'NFL Matchup,' spends much of his time breaking down game footage and evaluating college football players. The nephew of legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell, he's widely respected in NFL circles for his knowledge of the game. As he does every year, Cosell shared with The Times his highly detailed breakdowns of the top quarterback prospects, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses as did Neuheisel. A look at the five quarterbacks selected before Cleveland drafted Sanders in the fifth round: Cam Ward (Miami): No. 1 overall in Round 1 to Tennessee Titans Ward played at three schools in his college football odyssey, beginning as a zero-star prospect at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, before moving on to Washington State and Miami. Neuheisel believes Ward has some of the cool-under-pressure qualities of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That's about as lofty as praise can get. 'There's no panic reflex,' Neuheisel said of Ward. 'Which is exactly what plagued Will Levis [last season's starter for the Titans] and why Levis can't be the guy. Makes rushed decisions when things are falling apart, and Ward is the antithesis of that. He's unusually calm, sometimes to a fault, but ends up making Mahomesian plays.' That's not to say he's a carbon copy of the Chiefs star. 'He doesn't have the arm talent that Patrick does,' Neuheisel said. 'But he has the same Houdini qualities of getting out of trouble.' A sampling of Cosell observations: Strengths: Could deliver with pace and touch when needed. Could take something off throws with precise ball placement. … Showed a poised feel to work through progressions. Drop-backs he read front side then calmly came back side. Weaknesses: Strong tendency to drift on drop-backs without setting his feet and planting with a firm base. … Too many drop-backs he was too loose in the pocket, bouncing and drifting without planting and ready to throw. Jaxson Dart (Mississippi): No. 25 in Round 1 to New York Giants The Giants, who had the third overall pick, traded back into the first round to select Dart. Early indications are they plan to bring him along slowly, as Buffalo did with Josh Allen. Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen were with the Bills for that rookie season with Allen. Neuheisel drew a comparison between Dart and outstanding Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. 'There's lots to like about Jaxson Dart,' he said. 'If you look at his yards per attempt, they're Burrow-esque. So that you've got to like.' Eight Ole Miss players were drafted this year, a school record, and Neuheisel likes that Dart recruited most of them to transfer there. 'He's got that kind of personality as a consensus builder,' he said. 'That's a trait that you like in a quarterback.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Showed a feel for avoiding and escaping pressure in the pocket. … Efficient versus blitz. Knew where his quick answers were and got the ball out of his hands to the right receiver. Weaknesses: No experience calling plays in a huddle [a big deal] and almost no experience taking snaps under center. … Arm strength above average. He does not possess a power arm that can drive the ball with higher-level velocity. Tyler Shough (Louisville): No. 40 in Round 2 to New Orleans Saints Shough enters the NFL with extensive mileage on his odometer. He will be 26 at the start of the season and played for three schools — Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville — across seven years of college eligibility. 'You don't often talk about seven-year careers,' Neuheisel said. 'We had him on the radio and said, `When you left [high school in] Arizona for Oregon, did you foresee trips to Lubbock and Louisville and all the different things that happened along the way?' And he says, 'No, this was not part of the plan.'' 'But all that stuff helps build, you know, some resilience. And in terms of — 10 years ago — this was the prototype quarterback. The 6-foot-5 guy that can stand in there and is athletic.' Neuheisel said pairing Shough and first-year Saints coach Kellen Moore 'makes all the sense in the world.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Significant experience with the play-action passing game and working under center with his back to the defense. … Natural sense of timing and rhythm to his pocket play that got better as the season progressed. Weaknesses: Ball placement at times not as precise as it must be on a consistent basis. He's not a scattershot but he's not exact. … At times he could be hesitant to turn it loose when the windows got a little tighter. Left some throws on the field. Jalen Milroe (Alabama): No. 92 in Round 3 to Seattle Seahawks Milroe heads to a franchise that just signed Sam Darnold to a big deal. But that doesn't mean the door is closed for the rookie. In 2012, the Seahawks saw third-rounder Russell Wilson ascend to the starting role despite the club signing veteran Matt Flynn to a lucrative contract. At Alabama, Milroe was a threat with his arm and legs, and Neuheisel believes that Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald can use him the way Baltimore uses quarterback Lamar Jackson. Macdonald came from the Ravens. 'He had a front-row seat watching what Lamar did to teams,' Neuheisel said. 'He saw what Lamar did to defenses and how he forced them into single-high coverages and had his way with them. 'Now, Milroe might not be Lamar, but he's not far off in terms of his ability to run. And you would say that he's actually been in more big games than Lamar was in college.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Willing to stand and deliver in the face of pressure, especially down the field. Mental and physical pocket toughness. … Compact delivery but the natural arm strength to generate power and velocity on intermediate drive throws. Weaknesses: Too often too much head and eye movement on drop and set in the pocket. Result of not getting a clear picture. … Ball placement at times remained erratic and inconsistent. Still missed few too many throws in clean pockets. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon): No. 94 in Round 3 to Cleveland Browns Gabriel spent his first three seasons at Central Florida, then transferred to Oklahoma before spending his final college season at Oregon. He finished with 155 career touchdowns, an FBS record. He was drafted 50 picks before the Browns took Sanders. 'He had some 100-yard rushing games as well as some big throwing games,' Neuheisel said. ''I think the guy's really good. Now, obviously, he's small — a 5-10 guy. [Gabriel is listed at 5-11.] But so was Russell Wilson. So we'll see. He's efficient.' Cosell's observations: Strengths: Showed comfortable feel for working the pocket both sliding and climbing to find space, step up and deliver. … Great feel for both manipulating defenders with his eyes and/or quickly detecting coverage indicators. Weaknesses: Arm strength falls in average category. Does not possess the arm that can drive the ball with higher velocity. … Deep balls had tendency to lose energy on the back end. That's where arm-strength limitations showed up.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe go in the first round of the NFL draft?
Could there be a stunner brewing at the NFL draft? It's widely expected that University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward will be the first overall selection Thursday night by the Tennessee Titans. But the real mystery lies in what happens next, and whether Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders doesn't have to wait too long to hear his name called or if he'll be waiting around for a team to pick him. Either way, he won't in the green room. The son of Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders declined an invitation to attend the draft, as did Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose name has been floating around lately as a potential first-round pick. Advertisement Here's the potential stunner: Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe could blow up mock drafts everywhere and go in the opening round. Read more: Sam Farmer's final 2025 NFL mock draft Analyst Rick Neuheisel, a former head coach in college and NFL offensive coordinator, believes the ultra-mobile Milroe will be drafted by someone in the first round, potentially the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 or maybe even the Rams at 26 as an eventual replacement for 37-year-old Matthew Stafford. 'There is going to be an intrigue factor with Jalen Milroe,' Neuheisel said. 'He ran 4.4, ran for a bunch of yards and had an unbelievable game against LSU. Single-handedly put Alabama on his shoulders.' Advertisement In a 2023 game, Milroe rushed for 155 yards and threw for 219 in a 42-28 victory over Louisiana State. Meanwhile, Neuheisel thinks there's a possibility the polarizing Sanders, who skipped throwing drills at the scouting combine, could tumble down the board a bit. 'I think the league thinks he needs to be humbled,' Neuheisel said. 'I think they're sitting there going, 'I can't coach him. And if he goes in the second round, maybe he'll get it.' ' As for Dart, who began his college career at USC, Neuheisel wonders about his consistency in pressure situations. 'I really liked him when he was at USC,' he said. 'It bothers me that [Ole Miss] lost to Kentucky [last season] having a chance to go down and win the game — they didn't get it done.' Advertisement Neuheisel also pointed to Mississippi's 24-17 loss to Florida last season when Dart had a pair of interceptions down the stretch. Milroe, who is attending the draft, is the latest in a string of recent Alabama quarterbacks highly coveted by NFL teams. Jalen Hurts, coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance for Philadelphia, was drafted by the Eagles in the second round in 2020. That same year, Tua Tagovailoa was picked fifth overall by Miami. In 2021, Mac Jones went 15th to New England. 'I played at Alabama,' said Milroe, who will be attending the draft. 'There's something special about leading that script and understanding the history behind it.' He does not appear in many mock drafts as a first-round pick. Advertisement 'All I want to do is show what right looks like,' he said, 'as a player and as a person.' Neuheisel said Milroe's ability to make plays with his feet, while remaining a threat to throw, is reminiscent of what Hurts did for the Eagles last season during Philadelphia's championship run. That quarterback, along with superb running back Saquon Barkley, forced opponents to commit an extra defender to stop the run, therefore making themselves more vulnerable to the pass. 'It doesn't make total sense for the Steelers given the fact that they let [quarterback] Justin Fields go, and he did that a little bit,' Neuheisel said of the Steelers, who have quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on their roster. 'But maybe Milroe has a better personality for it.' He can envision either Cleveland, which has the No. 2 pick, or the New York Giants, who pick third, taking other players with those first selections then trading back into the end of the first round to draft a quarterback. Advertisement Milroe believes one of his strengths is he spent his entire college career at Alabama, whereas many top-notch quarterbacks bounce from school to school these days. Ward, for instance, played for three different programs, and Sanders and Dart are at two each. But there are two ways of looking at that. Loyalty and continuity are important, yes, but so is the ability to adjust to different offenses, programs and locker rooms. Joel Klatt, a draft analyst for NFL Network, said it's important that Milroe showed he could be successful under two different Alabama coaches, Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer. 'To me, I think that the NFL always looks at that in a positive light,' said Klatt, also lead college football analyst for Fox. 'Can you master two different systems? Learn two different systems? Advertisement "Because if you're just in one and you're really good at it, people can look at that and say, `Well, can he do something different?' Some of these offenses in college can be really quarterback-friendly, and they can build in wins for a quarterback that don't need to be read post-snap." 'The NFL likes it when players play in multiple offenses in college.' Fellow NFL Network draft analyst Charles Davis said pro teams aren't worried about a player's history of transferring as long as that player has 'shown an ability to adapt and grow.' 'Cam Ward went three places, thrived at every place he went,' Davis said. 'Maturity. Change of location. Get along with new people. Adapt to new situations.' Advertisement Read more: NFL mock draft live: 32 team reporters make their first-round picks Davis, who had covered the NFL for CBS but now is shifting to college football, said the value or detriment of switching schools is in the eye of the evaluator. 'I think the older the person evaluating, the more they like a guy who stays in one place,' he said. 'That's how we were raised — the loyalty aspect. Stay at one company, get a gold watch, you know, all those sorts of, 'Oh, it showed loyalty to the school, the state. I like that.' ' College football and the perceptions surrounding it, he said, are in a state of flux. Advertisement 'It's like how long ago people were freaking out about guys opting out of bowl games? Yeah. No one's worried about it anymore,' Davis said. 'It's just what we have now.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Could Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe go in the first round of the NFL draft?
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Could there be a stunner brewing at the NFL draft? It's widely expected that University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward will be the first overall selection Thursday night by the Tennessee Titans. But the real mystery lies in what happens next, and whether Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders doesn't have to wait too long to hear his name called or if he'll be waiting around for a team to pick him. Either way, he won't in the green room. The son of Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders declined an invitation to attend the draft, as did Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose name has been floating around lately as a potential first-round pick. Here's the potential stunner: Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe could blow up mock drafts everywhere and go in the opening round. Analyst Rick Neuheisel, a former head coach in college and NFL offensive coordinator, believes the ultra-mobile Milroe will be drafted by someone in the first round, potentially the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 or maybe even the Rams at 26 as an eventual replacement for 37-year-old Matthew Stafford. 'There is going to be an intrigue factor with Jalen Milroe,' Neuheisel said. 'He ran 4.4, ran for a bunch of yards and had an unbelievable game against LSU. Single-handedly put Alabama on his shoulders.' In a 2023 game, Milroe rushed for 155 yards and threw for 219 in a 42-28 victory over Louisiana State. Meanwhile, Neuheisel thinks there's a possibility the polarizing Sanders, who skipped throwing drills at the scouting combine, could tumble down the board a bit. 'I think the league thinks he needs to be humbled,' Neuheisel said. 'I think they're sitting there going, `I can't coach him. And if he goes in the second round, maybe he'll get it.'' As for Dart, who began his college career at USC, Neuheisel wonders about his consistency in pressure situations. 'I really liked him when he was at USC,' he said. 'It bothers me that [Ole Miss] lost to Kentucky [last season] having a chance to go down and win the game — they didn't get it done.' Neuheisel also pointed to Mississippi's 24-17 loss to Florida last season when Dart had a pair of interceptions down the stretch. Milroe, who is attending the draft, is the latest in a string of recent Alabama quarterbacks highly coveted by NFL teams. Jalen Hurts, coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance for Philadelphia, was drafted by the Eagles in the second round in 2020. That same year, Tua Tagovailoa was picked fifth overall by Miami. In 2021, Mac Jones went 15th to New England. 'I played at Alabama,' said Milroe, who will be attending the draft. 'There's something special about leading that script and understanding the history behind it.' He does not appear in many mock drafts as a first-round pick. 'All I want to do is show what right looks like,' he said, 'as a player and as a person.' Neuheisel said Milroe's ability to make plays with his feet, while remaining a threat to throw, is reminiscent of what Hurts did for the Eagles last season during Philadelphia's championship run. That quarterback, along with superb running back Saquon Barkley, forced opponents to commit an extra defender to stop the run, therefore making themselves more vulnerable to the pass. 'It doesn't make total sense for the Steelers given the fact that they let [quarterback] Justin Fields go, and he did that a little bit,' Neuheisel said of the Steelers, who have quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on their roster. 'But maybe Milroe has a better personality for it.' He can envision either Cleveland, which has the No. 2 pick, or the New York Giants, who pick third, taking other players with those first selections then trading back into the end of the first round to draft a quarterback. Milroe believes one of his strengths is he spent his entire college career at Alabama, whereas many top-notch quarterbacks bounce from school to school these days. Ward, for instance, played for three different programs, at Sanders and Dart at two each. But there are two ways of looking at that. Loyalty and continuity are important, yes, but so is the ability to adjust to different offenses, programs and locker rooms. Joel Klatt, a draft analyst for NFL Network, said it's important that Milroe showed he could be successful under two different Alabama coaches, Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer. 'To me, I think that the NFL always looks at that in a positive light,' said Klatt, also lead college football analyst for Fox. 'Can you master two different systems? Learn two different systems? 'Because if you're just in one and you're really good at it, people can look at that and say, `Well, can he do something different?' Some of these offenses in college can be really quarterback-friendly, and they can build in wins for a quarterback that don't need to be read post-snap.' 'The NFL likes it when players play in multiple offenses in college.' Fellow NFL Network draft analyst Charles Davis said pro teams aren't worried about a player's history of transferring as long as that player has 'shown an ability to adapt and grow.' 'Cam Ward went three places, thrived at every place he went,' Davis said. 'Maturity. Change of location. Get along with new people. Adapt to new situations.' Davis, who had covered the NFL for CBS but now is shifting to college football, said the value or detriment of switching schools is in the eye of the evaluator. 'I think the older the person evaluating, the more they like a guy who stays in one place,' he said. 'That's how we were raised—the loyalty aspect. Stay at one company, get a gold watch, you know, all those sorts of, `Oh, it showed loyalty to the school, the state. I like that.'' College football and the perceptions surrounding it, he said, are in a state of flux. 'It's like how long ago people were freaking out about guys opting out of bowl games? Yeah. No one's worried about it anymore,' Davis said. 'It's just what we have now.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
One year after torn ACL, UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl fights his way back
UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl smiles after scoring a touchdown against Boise State during the 2023 L.A. Bowl at SoFi Stadium. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press) Just over a year ago, UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl endured the toughest moment of his Bruins career — a spring injury that abruptly cut short his push to become a go-to starter. '1 year ago, today. 2 surgeries later,' Habermehl wrote on his X account, marking the anniversary of his torn ACL with a video and photo from the day of the injury. Advertisement Last spring, Habermehl suffered a noncontact injury minutes before practice ended — a moment those in attendance described as filled with screams of anguish. It left new head coach DeShaun Foster visibly distraught. The past 365 days have been an uphill battle for the redshirt senior, who has spent the past year working his way back from injury — a journey tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel described as especially difficult to overcome. UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl scores a touchdown against rival USC at the Coliseum on Nov. 18, 2023. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 'He'll be honest with you — I think it's been hard,' Neuheisel said. 'When you've been out that long and you want it so bad, it's hard to feel like you're away from the team.' Advertisement The plan isn't to rush Habermehl back onto the field, according to Neuheisel. Habermehl has spent much of his time by Neuheisel's side, watching film and standing on the sideline with the practice script in hand, stepping in as 'Coach Habermehl.' Habermehl has embraced a leadership role, coaching up the younger tight ends on the roster. While not ideal, his absence has allowed the group to earn valuable reps. The tight end group features a mix of talent and experience, with freshmen Noah Flores and Dylan Sim developing more quickly than expected for incoming players. Then there's Peter Bario, the former defensive end turned end-zone target, and Jack Pederson, the redshirt sophomore coming into his own as a leader and the presumed starter until Habermehl returns to contend for the job. Although Pederson is fighting for a starting role, he has been supportive of Habermehl, driving him to the physical therapist during the early stages of his recovery. Advertisement Read more: UCLA opens spring football workouts with all 19 transfers in place 'I remember numerous times we picked him up or took him,' Pederson said. 'It's tough to move around, and he was trying to do whatever he could to get back as fast as possible. So any way we could help — taking him to physical therapy, taking him wherever he needed. And he was never afraid to give a shout to any of us, because we'd be the first ones there to help him out.' 'He's a great teammate, but an even better friend,' Pederson added. For now, Habermehl's recovery has been gradual. He has spent most of UCLA's spring practice on the sideline, mixing in resistance band work and box jumps. Advertisement During the past few weeks, however, Neuheisel says the veteran tight end has started participating in team walk-throughs and teaching periods, showing noticeable improvement in his speed and taking meaningful strides in his recovery. 'He's feeling great,' Neuheisel said. 'He's running faster — he hit like 18 miles an hour. He'll be ready to go for fall camp, and I know he's fired up for it.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
