OT: Rivals Under Armor "Bear Market" (Player whose stock fell the most)

Submitted by Lakeyale13 on
https://n.rivals.com/news/ua-game-the-farrell-awards Mike Farrell, Rivals Recruiting Director, gives out awards of all sorts after his final evaluation of the UA practices and games. His "Bear Market Award", given to the player whose stock dropped the most over the weekend, was given to OT Willie Allen out of LA. Honorable mentions were given, and Jean Delance and Kareem Walker were the first two listed as "Honorable Mention" for the award. Farrell goes on to note that Walker will most likely not be the #1 RB and #41 player in the country after Rivals final evaluations. Hopefully this just lights a fire under Walker and looks to prove all the doubters wrong. In his defense, I would think RB would be one of the hardest positions to play with Lineman you haven't been in a game with before. Also noted was Walker's fumbling issues during practice and his fumble during the UA game in a seperate evaluation. Again, I would say this is more nerves than anything. Kid will be an upgrade over what we have currently. Excited to see him play.
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Lakeyale13

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:46 PM ^

Moe, I agree. Deveon looked like a completely different back. He actually looked kinda / somewhat explosive through the hole. He has always been a bowling ball and is gonna fall forward, but he showed something I hadn't seen agains FL. If Smith can keep that kind of explosiveness going into next year, I don't know if he can be beaten out by any player we have currently or coming in.

Joined: 11/16/2014

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Albatross

January 3rd, 2016 at 7:38 PM ^

As good as DeVeon looked, Drake looked even better. looked like he was going off for 10-15 yards everytime he touched the ball. Plus Drake has a nose for the endzone. When healthy he is far more dymanic than Smith, and would be the player whose hands i would want to get the ball into more.

Joined: 11/12/2013

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TrueBlue2003

January 3rd, 2016 at 8:26 PM ^

He's a nice change of pace guy, but I wouldn't say better.  He is (and was in this game) good mostly when given big holes to run through and his speed makes him very good when that happens but he's not been very good this year when the holes aren't so wide and obvious (although Smith had some similar vision issues).

He did show great patience on the TD run though.  It was remarkable how much better the entire running game - from linemen to backs - looked in the bowl.  Against a great defense no less.  If this is an indication of the development we're going to see under Harbaugh and Drevno, hoooooo boy.

Joined: 01/05/2010

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Albatross

January 3rd, 2016 at 9:04 PM ^

If you take Johnson's total body of work, going back to last year,  you get the picture of a pretty dynamic back that can do more with a play than Smith. He was banged up a good part of this season (as was Smith), and he only had a handful of carries, so we never saw what he looks like as a featured back. The closest we saw Johnson as a feature back was in last season's OSU game and that was the best running back performance we have seen around these parts  in three years.

The stats would seem to bear that out as well.

  • Smtih 4.2 yards a carry, 8.4 yards a catch and 7 total TDs.
  • Johson 5.0 yards a carry, 16.0 yards a catch and 6 total TDs (in 179 fewer touches)

Joined: 11/12/2013

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Roy G. Biv

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:57 PM ^

I agree Smith looked much better; he looked healthy and was making good reads/cuts.  To me, and if I'm wrong I apologize, but Johnson does not look like the same explosion/speed guy he was.  With respect to next year, I think the loss of Kerridge and Houma (insert burned redshirt lament here) is a hidden setback that won't be easy to overcome.

Joined: 09/03/2010

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nappa18

January 3rd, 2016 at 2:08 PM ^

Agree, my eye test unfortunately tells me he s lost a step ((or 2) after the 2 knee surgeries. The old cliche may apply, " he s got a hiccup in his giddyap". Still a gutty kid who can contribute in spots. If healthy, he ll see PT next year. Sent from my iPad

Joined: 07/08/2011

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DanDiego1999

January 3rd, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^

In 2010 during Fitz Touissant's redshirt freshmen year he had just come off a serious leg injury from the year prior, and during his play clearly showed he was at least a step slower than the speed his highschool film showed (an example of this was one play he broke free in the open field and was run down from behind before the endzone).

Fast forward to 2011, after another year of recovery, there was no question about his open field speed then...  He was clearly back to his former self and had really nice long runs where no one could catch him unless they already had a good angle on him (see Purdue and Nebraska games in particular).  He was really a force in 2011, where the defense couldn't just sell out on Denard without accounting for him (2012, *sigh*)

I'm hoping Drake Johnson is the same case, that he just needs another off-season to get back into previous form (speed).  If that's the case, what a combo he and Smith will be for defenses to account for!

Joined: 09/20/2013

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Albatross

January 3rd, 2016 at 9:06 PM ^

I saw the same thing with Drake. But that being said, he still looked like he could do enough with the ball to get him more carries, and his stats would seem to justify that as well.

Joined: 11/12/2013

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FGB

January 3rd, 2016 at 6:19 PM ^

Against Oregon St and BYU he had at elast 125 yards and 5.5 yards a carry. And three other games at at least 4.8 yards a carry.  And often during the "not good Rudock" games.

Those are solid feature back stats.  Yes he's up and down (especially when injured) but to suggest there is no other evidence beyond the Citrus Bowl that he can be very solid is willfully blind.

Joined: 09/24/2009

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Gentleman Squirrels

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^

Walker is definitely not the best back in this class, but he has a lot of potential. I'm sure with the monster OL we're bringing in and coaching through Drevno, Wheatley, and Harbaugh, Walker will end up as pretty productive back for us. 

Joined: 06/03/2014

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BornSinner

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:48 PM ^

I don't like these Derrick Green comparisons, but if Coach Wheatley can do what he did with Smith and Johnson when they're healthy this year with Walker then I'll be more than happy. 

Joined: 09/20/2014

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I Like Burgers

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:53 PM ^

Derrick Green's rating is why I'll always take Rivals and Scout's RB ratings with a giant grain of salt.  Watching him play in person and seeing his film, he never looked like an elite back, let alone the top back in the country.  He was always clearly just a giant high school RB that plowed over smaller defenders.

Joined: 10/06/2012

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I Like Burgers

January 3rd, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^

And those were two I remember watching in person and thinking that they were going to be really good -- especially Elliott.  Dude killed it at The Opening and made me check my roster a couple of times in a "who the hell is this guy" sort of way.  My only hesitation with Henry was that he was going to be too big to play RB (he legit looks like a good sized linebacker in person).  Certainly had the quickness and speed though.

Joined: 10/06/2012

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Blau

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^

More than anything, it seems he didn't shine where others might have taken the opportunity to get noticed more.

Overall, he's still a stud running back who played against the top HS talent in the country. It shouldn't surprise anyone he had tough sledding all day. It would've been nice to see him break one though.

Joined: 01/23/2014

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Bodogblog

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:52 PM ^

ain't scare't. He's one of the top 10 RB's in the country and that's good enough. I see the potential on film, really like his distinctive running style, but I also understand he doesn't make eyeballs pop out and induce drooling. Maybe not a first year dominant runner, but hopefully a contibuter. Funny how after that FLA game I'm less insistent on turning Smith into a FB. With Citrus Bowl-level blocking and Smith and Johnson, we should be fine if Walker can come in and add some spark.

Joined: 06/08/2010

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alum96

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^

I would think RB would be one of the hardest positions to play with Lineman you haven't been in a game with before.

Miles Sanders - behind the same OL and facing the same crazy defense line averaged a bit under 5 ypc in the game  Walker averaged 2 ypc. Small sample size but it fits with what the 3 days of practice talk was as well.

It's ok to say he underperformed both in the practices and game given similar conditions as PSU's RB. 

It is what is.  As Magnus pointed out he had 3 guys on the OL with FBS/FCS offers in HS his senior year, and he didnt improve his #s from JR year so yes his stock should fall.

Smith looked like a good enough back when healthy vs a great defense of UF so until pushed off his horse he is the guy IMO.  UM will be back in the market for a stud back in 2017 yet again - hopefully McFarland.  If Walker does nothing but secure Gary he is worth the slot and I am sure he will do more than that.  It would have been nice to walk into a Chubb type but early returns indicate that is not going to be him. 

As for Delance he was well known as an athletic beast who needs development so not surprised at all - he is a guy you redshirt, then sit another year, and then if you do your job he is competing for a starting spot as a RS SO maybe at RT and then move him over to LT as RS JR.  But is pretty raw right now.

Joined: 04/28/2012

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JT4104

January 3rd, 2016 at 2:01 PM ^

On that same note couldn't I argue that maybe Walker is a one cut inside runner while Sanders is more of a quick twitch outside guy.

I've always felt in the last 10 yrs or so inside guys in these all star games are useless cuz everything is run out of the spread with a lot of outside tackle runs compared to inside power and things of that nature. 

Watching that parts of that game Walker looked completely uncomfortable trying to run outside zone from the gun. He just isn't a horizontal runner like the PSU kid was who felt more comfortable in that situation.

Joined: 10/25/2008

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Magnus

January 3rd, 2016 at 3:03 PM ^

Truthfully, these games don't show you a whole lot besides who's fast, who's not, who's big, who's not, who can jump, who can't, etc. I don't put any stock in numbers, stats, etc. Quarterbacks are running for their lives even though the best offensive linemen in the country are blocking for them. Why? Because there's no time to gel as a unit. There are also virtually never any holes up the middle for the same reason.

What I learned about Kareem Walker from watching that game is that he's not as fast as Miles Sanders, and he's not as elusive as B.J. Emmons. Otherwise...meh. 

FWIW, Kareem Walker started the game over Sanders and others, so he must have done something throughout the week to earn the starting gig.

Joined: 07/17/2008

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jabberwock

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:55 PM ^

An upgrade over what we currently have?

I'm sure you said that about Kevin Grady, and Ty Issac and Derrick Green too.

I hope the kid sets the world on fire and wins the Heisman every year;
but until he can learn to pick up blitzes, hold onto the ball, and break tackles, he's not an upgrade over Smith or Johnson.

Harbaugh has made it very clear what he's looking for in a running back.  I hope Walker can live up to whatever potential Harbaugh sees in him.

Joined: 07/04/2008

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BlueWolverine02

January 3rd, 2016 at 1:57 PM ^

Delance is such an athlete, so much potential, dont really care how he looked. care how he looks in 3 years. Walker obviously isn't the #1 RB in the class, doesn't mean he isn't good. obviously you want the stud future Heisman winner but that doesn't mean he can't help our team.

Joined: 09/20/2014

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We are back

January 3rd, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^

Op you're making excuses for Kareem Walker. The kid didn't play well all week, that's not the end of the world he wasn't the number 1 back for no reason. He needs to get to Michigan and get to work, hoping his work ethic picks up once in college because the talent is there

Joined: 12/17/2015

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ThirdVanGundy

January 3rd, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^

Probably take the UA game far more seriously than the NFL guys do the Pro Bowl. They're trying to prove they are the very best. No one cares about the Pro Bowl because it's boring and the guys in it have nothing to prove.

Joined: 10/25/2014

MGoPoints: 3114

ghost

January 3rd, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^

There most pressing concerne should be not to get injured.  What is the reward for having a great game?  It will be 3 years before they even have a shot at the NFL and by that time everyone will have forgotten how they did in a meaningless all star game.

Joined: 09/02/2011

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