ckparrothead
Premium Member
http://www.bradenton.com/2011/02/05/2932792/raymond-gets-another-chance-to.html#
He's playing in the Dixie Grid-Iron Classic today at 5pm. You probably won't have heard of the prospects in that game, and I'm sure it doesn't draw a lot of scouts. Kodi Burns is getting a chance to play QB in the game.
But I can't for the life of me think why Mistral Raymond has not gotten more play as a safety prospect in the NFL Draft. I watched this guy dominate and lead the South Florida defense all year long. He's battled a hard road. The infamous story that is out there is how one of his coaches early in his career used to call him "Sweetbay" because if Raymond was playing in the game, he might as well stop at Sweetbay and get some snacks and go watch another game.
Not even a very good joke, but the sentiment behind it was clear.
That drove Raymond to become a better player, and boy did he ever become a better player. This kid is 6'2" and 195 lbs, kind of a skinny build but you don't see any skinny in his game. He will come up and shiv you like a prison rival. He hits, he's very physical, and he excelled at both Corner and Safety for South Florida. He was always the smartest player on the field, and as the article says, he recently proved it by scoring the highest of all USF players that took the Wonderlic (I honestly don't want to know the average score, USF has always been a horribly dumb team).
I've been to every home game of USF's for the last 5 years or so, maybe a little longer. I was there when Stephen Nicholas first got on the field, and I sat there and told people after only 5 snaps, THAT guy is going to the NFL. He did, and he's started games. I hardly ever follow the intrigues of USF's recruiting and whatnot, so I almost never know the backgrounds of players on the field, which is why one day when Mike Ford hit the field, the guy took three carries and my reaction was to ask everyone around me who the hell that beautiful, dumb, beast of a man playing among these children?
Anyway how people can still not be talking about a guy that is fast enough to move to cornerback (due to team need) and erase the likes of Jon Baldwin from a game this year (Baldwin had 3 catches for 36 yards against USF with Raymond playing CB against him), and smart enough and physical enough to move to safety and always be around the ball, very rarely getting beat...I just don't know how the guy gets overlooked. He doesn't have bad speed, it's in the 4.5's.
I think there are several USF players that should get a LOOK at the NFL level. I don't know if there are any that should make it. Terrell McClain will get more than a look, but honestly? Mistral Raymond to my eyes is a better secondary player than Terrell McClain is a defensive line player.
DT Terrell McClain has an exceptional blend of size and athletic ability. He's often referred to as the 'dancing bear' because of it. He played in both the Shrine game and Senior Bowl. I really didn't think he stood out in the Shrine practices but obviously others felt different and dragged he and Demarcus Van Dyke (who also didn't show well) up to the Senior Bowl. DVD it's clear why, he has such ridiculous athleticism. But T-Mac actually played a lot better as far as I can tell in the Senior Bowl game itself. He's got the potential to be a gap shooter, make some plays that way.
WR Dontavia Bogan should get a look. He's inconsistent, which is the norm for USF players, but he's got the build and the speed of a flanker at the next level and I think he could get a look in camp.
LB Jacquain Williams has what it takes to try and make a team as a cover LB, as he's a natural in that capacity. Whether he actually makes it or not depends on his showing on Special Teams, and I'm not holding my breath.
DE Craig Marshall has great measurables but a sloppy body and needs more work ethic in the weight room. He has talent though and is worth a look, see if you can get him on the practice squad for a year and working with your training program to try and re-define his body.
Finally, Center Sampson Genus is everything you could ask for from a physicality and hand usage standpoint, but the complete opposite of what you'd ask for from an athleticism standpoint. He just doesn't move fast enough to be a Center at the next level. He's an extremely wide, extremely square body that originally started on the defensive side of the ball and whom I would put on my practice squad back on the defensive line at Nose Tackle, and see if I can make him the next Ogemdi Nwagbuo.
He's playing in the Dixie Grid-Iron Classic today at 5pm. You probably won't have heard of the prospects in that game, and I'm sure it doesn't draw a lot of scouts. Kodi Burns is getting a chance to play QB in the game.
But I can't for the life of me think why Mistral Raymond has not gotten more play as a safety prospect in the NFL Draft. I watched this guy dominate and lead the South Florida defense all year long. He's battled a hard road. The infamous story that is out there is how one of his coaches early in his career used to call him "Sweetbay" because if Raymond was playing in the game, he might as well stop at Sweetbay and get some snacks and go watch another game.
Not even a very good joke, but the sentiment behind it was clear.
That drove Raymond to become a better player, and boy did he ever become a better player. This kid is 6'2" and 195 lbs, kind of a skinny build but you don't see any skinny in his game. He will come up and shiv you like a prison rival. He hits, he's very physical, and he excelled at both Corner and Safety for South Florida. He was always the smartest player on the field, and as the article says, he recently proved it by scoring the highest of all USF players that took the Wonderlic (I honestly don't want to know the average score, USF has always been a horribly dumb team).
I've been to every home game of USF's for the last 5 years or so, maybe a little longer. I was there when Stephen Nicholas first got on the field, and I sat there and told people after only 5 snaps, THAT guy is going to the NFL. He did, and he's started games. I hardly ever follow the intrigues of USF's recruiting and whatnot, so I almost never know the backgrounds of players on the field, which is why one day when Mike Ford hit the field, the guy took three carries and my reaction was to ask everyone around me who the hell that beautiful, dumb, beast of a man playing among these children?
Anyway how people can still not be talking about a guy that is fast enough to move to cornerback (due to team need) and erase the likes of Jon Baldwin from a game this year (Baldwin had 3 catches for 36 yards against USF with Raymond playing CB against him), and smart enough and physical enough to move to safety and always be around the ball, very rarely getting beat...I just don't know how the guy gets overlooked. He doesn't have bad speed, it's in the 4.5's.
I think there are several USF players that should get a LOOK at the NFL level. I don't know if there are any that should make it. Terrell McClain will get more than a look, but honestly? Mistral Raymond to my eyes is a better secondary player than Terrell McClain is a defensive line player.
DT Terrell McClain has an exceptional blend of size and athletic ability. He's often referred to as the 'dancing bear' because of it. He played in both the Shrine game and Senior Bowl. I really didn't think he stood out in the Shrine practices but obviously others felt different and dragged he and Demarcus Van Dyke (who also didn't show well) up to the Senior Bowl. DVD it's clear why, he has such ridiculous athleticism. But T-Mac actually played a lot better as far as I can tell in the Senior Bowl game itself. He's got the potential to be a gap shooter, make some plays that way.
WR Dontavia Bogan should get a look. He's inconsistent, which is the norm for USF players, but he's got the build and the speed of a flanker at the next level and I think he could get a look in camp.
LB Jacquain Williams has what it takes to try and make a team as a cover LB, as he's a natural in that capacity. Whether he actually makes it or not depends on his showing on Special Teams, and I'm not holding my breath.
DE Craig Marshall has great measurables but a sloppy body and needs more work ethic in the weight room. He has talent though and is worth a look, see if you can get him on the practice squad for a year and working with your training program to try and re-define his body.
Finally, Center Sampson Genus is everything you could ask for from a physicality and hand usage standpoint, but the complete opposite of what you'd ask for from an athleticism standpoint. He just doesn't move fast enough to be a Center at the next level. He's an extremely wide, extremely square body that originally started on the defensive side of the ball and whom I would put on my practice squad back on the defensive line at Nose Tackle, and see if I can make him the next Ogemdi Nwagbuo.
