#CFBRank Devin Funchess T-72

Submitted by MGoManBall on

EDIT:  LINK

You're kidding right?  Mr. Funchess doesn't break top 50 in this Top 100 list?

"Wide receiver or tight end? Funchess' position might be forever debated, but his talent is not. The 6-foot-5 junior is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, averaging more than 15 yards per catch in his first two seasons."

Okay ESPN. Whatever..

BlueKoj

July 29th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^

His potential is undeniable, but I still find it hard to put him ahead of JMFR. Both should be higher, but Funch is more hype and highlight at this point than JMFR.

Yeezus

July 29th, 2014 at 1:25 PM ^

He's getting first round love from the 'experts' and now this?  Err... OK.  I could see somewhere in the 40-50 range, at worst.  

Yeezus

July 29th, 2014 at 6:00 PM ^

You're not getting it.

How did we rank the players?

We asked 32 of ESPN's college football writers and editors to rate players on a scale of 0-10 based on their expected contributions for this upcoming season.

They must have asked all 14 of the SEC writers and the remaining 18 came from the other conferences.

To think that Funchess can leave a year early for the NFL draft, and be a first round talent (to Kiper, McShay, whoever) WITHOUT having a huge Junior year is totally asinine.

 

Space Coyote

July 29th, 2014 at 1:30 PM ^

Certainly he has the potential to be higher, but he hasn't necessarily shown himself to be a All-American type yet. He could be great, he could be good. ESPN is predicting him to essentially be HM-AA and All-B1G. That sounds about right to me. He's one of the top ~14 players in the B1G. Not bad. Not really a lack of respect either, if we're being honest with ourselves, IMO.

I Like Burgers

July 29th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^

There's quite a few good receivers out there I'd put ahead of Funchess.  You've got guys like Coates, Treadwell, and Agholor out there, plus a handful of other ones I'm forgetting to deserve to be ahead of him.  And 85/1200/11 was good enough for 15-20th nationally last year.  Deontay Greenbury from Houston finished with 82/1202/11 and that 17th in the country.  Not 1st or 2nd team AA material.

I mean, he was great for us last year, but he didn't even crack the top 100 in yards receiving nationally.  Plus there's only four 1st/2nd team WR slots, and Funchess would have to have a hell of a year to crack the top four.  It would take something more along the lines of 105/1500/15 to be an All-American.

So with all that said, #72 is probably like the #10 WR which I think is fair.

FreddieMercuryHayes

July 29th, 2014 at 2:38 PM ^

I agree that Funchess probably is where he should be on this list, but what has a guy like Treadwell done to be higher?  I mean, he caught a bunch of balls, but Ole Miss threw like 500 times last year, even more than Indiana.  He never even had a 100 yard receiving game.  He's another 'high potential' type guy like Funchess, and if he's ahead of Funchess, that's kind of weird.

I Like Burgers

July 29th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^

Treadwell was pretty impressive for a true freshman playing in the SEC.  Yes, he never had a 100yd game, but he finished with 72 catches which was good enough for 41st nationally.  Its a pretty reasonable assumption to expect that he's going to have a much better year.

Funchess on the other hand only had 49 catches, good for 140th nationally.  And he's already had two years to adapt to college football.  So if you're expecting both guys to blow up this season, it makes sense for Treadwell to be higher ranked since he'll likely wind up with the gaudier stat line at the end of the year.

FreddieMercuryHayes

July 29th, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^

Eh, Treadwell played the slot for Ole Miss last year.  He caught a lot of bubbles.  A lot of bubbles he didn't turn into big plays.  Which is why he averaged only 8.4 yards per catch, which is crazy low for a big time receiver.  It was barely in the top 50 in the SEC.   Sammy Watkins' freshman year he was not.  This year he's moving to the outside receiver as well.  So basically, I expect is number of catches to go down, while his ave yardage to increase.  I mean he certainly has the build of a big time outside receiver.  However, when comparing him to Funchess, I think Funchess has a better body of work, and I really don't think it's a given that he has a gaudier stat line in the end.  But that's just, like, my opinion man.

wayneandgarth

July 29th, 2014 at 6:45 PM ^

I understand what you are saying if you say Funchess is strictly a wide-out.  But, if you say he is 2/3 wideout and 1/3 TE, then I wouldn't expect the same numbers.  That is why I'm saying he could not get some year end honors due to position confusion.

ChiBlueBoy

July 29th, 2014 at 1:51 PM ^

I'm slightly higher on him than you, but generally agree. I think the biggest issue last year, as a WR, was too many dropped balls. If he fixes that this coming season, he's easily All-B1G. If he also learns to block and some of the subtleties of the position (route-running, etc.), I think he's All American and a 1st round lock.

991GT3

July 29th, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^

but keep in mind he has limited blocking skills and a penchant for dropping passes. To be rank 72 speaks to his natural talent and potential.

FreddieMercuryHayes

July 29th, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^

To be honest, it's a fair rating at this point.  We look at Funchess and see the potential because we've watched him closely through his career so far.  But he suffered from drops last season and he couldn't even pretend to be a credible tight end when it came to blocking which limited his effectiveness in part of the season under Borges.  Now that he's a full time WR, and hopefully he worked on the drops, he is primed to explode this season.  But it hasn't happened yet.

Tyrone Biggums

July 29th, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^

I fully expect to see Gardner make an appearance on this list. In my opinion he's the most underrated player amongst the Michigan faithful. He definitely had his growing pains last year BUT, it was his first as a full time starter and he's shown that he's willing to give everything for the team including switching positions. I think he'll be the one if not multiple All-Americans this season (Funchess, JMFR, possibly Peppers).

Clark Griswold

July 29th, 2014 at 3:07 PM ^

The fact that Fournette, who hasn't even played a down yet , is on the list makes it a joke. ESPN lost all it's credibility years ago with their contract with the $EC. I haven't watched ESPN in months.

I Like Burgers

July 29th, 2014 at 8:15 PM ^

I'll make a note of this so I can remind you when Fournette is one of the top rushers in the SEC a few months from now.  I'd argue that #93 is too low for him.  LSU only has Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard coming back this year.  Fournette will at least be the #2 back at LSU, and by the end of the season I'd bet he's at least splitting carries with Magee if not starting.

allintime23

July 30th, 2014 at 5:47 AM ^

For whatever reason when you play in the fourth best conference in NCAA football sometimes it's hard to find respect. ESPN is all about the glitz and glamor of the SEC and BIG12.