College Football 2010: Five Incoming Freshman Who Face Heavy Expectations

There is both good and bad to being a highly-touted recruit for a major Division I school.

The good is easy, you essentially arrive at the big boy table with VIP status, everyone absolutely loves you, and you are expected to be a star. The bad is...well...it's the same thing.

As SEC teams around the South start practicing in the blaring 90+ degree heat, the reality of the choices these premiere talents have made is probably starting to set in—with force. They are no longer the prospect with massive potential but, rather, the true frosh who is going to be the difference between a conference champion and a middling bowl team.

That said, there are at least five SEC freshmen who are about to see the heat on the back of their necks get a whole lot hotter—so hot, in fact, that 90-degree read-out they see on their respective practice fields is going to look relatively cool in comparison.

1. Marcus Lattimore, RB—South Carolina

He's going to play in 2010—there's little doubt. Will he make the keen impact that the Gamecock faithful hope he can?  Well...only time and a few games will tell the story.

South Carolina has not had a dominant force at tailback during the Spurrier era. Cory Boyd and Kenny Miles have been nice talents but, Miles is prone to injury due to his diminutive size and Boyd never had enough consistency at quarterback to make his stellar running worthwhile.

With Stephen Garcia coming into camp both confident and ready to play, Lattimore is expected to bolster the already rising profile of the Gamecocks this season.

2. Da' Rick Rogers, WR—Tennessee

The top rated athlete from the state of Georgia in 2010, Rogers heads to a Tennessee team that is not only in a transitional state, but one in need of a boost this season.

So far, the talented freshman has seen himself landing in the news for all the wrong reasons but as Derek Dooley goes about the business of making Tennessee football the focus in Knoxville again, Rogers will be a key factor in turning what many expect to be a lackluster passing game into one worthy of a highlight reel.

All eyes will be on him this season as he tries to shake the negative stink off his shoulder pads in favor of a little more production on the field.

3. Seantrel Henderson, OT—Miami

After all the waiting and build-up that surrounded his arrival on the college football scene, Seantrel had better be bringing the goods to Miami. His size, potential, and overall talent level has been force-fed to the college-hungry football fan for more than two years and now that he's at The "U" and likely to be placed at the all-important left tackle position, he is expected to dominate from the first snap of the ball.

If he doesn't, his legacy would crumble as quick as you could say the name, Willie Williams.

4. LaMarcus Joyner, DB—Florida State

The 'Noles signed quite a few head-turners in 2010—Jeff Luc was another big name who landed in Tallahassee. However, the achilles heel at FSU last season was the secondary. Despite the presence of a lot of speed and a ton of talent, the unit was plagued with inconsistency and poor play on the field.

Joyner is not only expected to play immediately but there are quite a few out there who are looking for him to have the type of impact that Greg Reid (true sophomore) had as a true frosh last season. Standing at a mere 5'8", that's quite a tall order for the young man from Miami.

5. Jake Heaps, QB—BYU

I don't know that Heaps will outright win the job for the Cougars in 2010, but many expect him to do so. If he does, he will also be counted on to keep the team in contention and, sooner rather than later, lead them to the BCS promised land.

The coaches have raved about him from the time he took his first spring snap and if he does anything short of blow his fellow Mountain West opponents out of the water with his All-American arm, there would be massive disappointment in Provo.

Lane Kiffin Is Still Trying To Prove He's Got The Bigger...Uh..Boat

Lane Kiffin has seen his USC Trojans in the news a lot. That would be fine if the news were not always so darn negative lately.

First there was the transfer of linebacker Jordan Campbell—a talented but, likely, dispensable player on USC's defense. Then came the news that Seantrel Henderson wished to try his wares elsewhere—specifically at a school without sanctions.

Next came the karma police who seemed to have no problems transporting defensive end Malik Jackson from the sunny skies of California to the Rocky Tops of Tennessee—the location of Kiffin's former employer.

That last point gave me such a laugh that I found it hard not to give a point to both Derek Dooley and the Vols for being able to exact a little revenge on ol' Kiffy—that was a good one.

Well, not to be outdone, Kiffin decided to let it leak that the Vols were offered the opportunity to play the Trojans in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff game—they declined the challenge. The hidden message: Tennessee is afraid of USC—end of story—Lane Kiffin wins again, right? Well...not exactly.

Tennessee's 2011 schedule is already top-heavy with quality opponents and if they replaced their current opening opponent, North Texas, with USC they could stand to have one of the toughest out of conference schedules in the nation.

Here is how 2011 would looks with USC added:

vs USC
vs Cincinnati
at Florida
at North Carolina,
vs Georgia
vs LSU

That would be brutal. There would be zero need for the Vols to play the Trojans and I think that Derek Dooley would agree. It's a lose-lose for the Vols.

Sure, it would prove to some that AD Mike Hamilton has faith in the Tennessee football program and, if the Vols won, it would do wonders for the tradition that Kiffin stepped on when he slithered away late last winter. However, other than proving whose band is bigger, the game has absolutely no purpose for Tennessee.

The Vols aren't looking to establish a strong west coast presence in recruiting nor do they have to buoy the strength of the SEC by playing a Pac-10 power. The game would be nice from an ESPN hype standpoint but, in every other facet, it has zero meaning.

Honestly, it wouldn't even be that great a deal if USC's head coach wasn't named Lane Kiffin.

By contrast, Kiffin always feels a need to be in the spotlight and he knows that giving his old team a royal beating, on southern soil, would go a long way towards establishing good public relations for not only his conference but his team.

He could become the new ambassador of the Pac-10—a la Pete Carroll—and could, potentially, set his team up for a slew of big name prospects in 2012.

Even more, it might make the way easier for him when recruiting against the true big boys of the SEC, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.

Meyer, in particular, gets under Kiffin's skin and he would love nothing better than to keep the Gators from stealing away any more of California's best talent (i.e. Ronald Powell in 2010).  Playing, and beating, Tennessee could open doors on the southern recruiting trail—particularly in Georgia and Florida—where the talent is plentiful.

There's always a motive with Kiffin—always.

In the end, it's just a good story about two programs that suddenly have a very ugly cross-country rivalry. One that, at some point, could find it's end on the football field. For now, the score stands tied—we'll see who casts the next stone.

Seantrel Henderson Isn't Doing Himself Any Favors With His Latest Dramatics

I hate to say it, but, Seantrel Henderson is trouble—with a capital, italicized, and bolded 'T'.

The highly-touted, highly-sought after, five-star recruit from Minnesota has again decided to hold the college football world hostage while he decides where he wants to start his college career. 

The 6'8", 300+ pound, offensive tackle prospect out of St. Paul did not report to USC for a scheduled orientation last week—prompting Lane Kiffin and his band of merry men to hop on a private plane to go talk to the phenom.

The supposed reason for Henderson's decision to skip the university function were his second thoughts about signing with the Trojans.

Reports are stating that Henderson may have been misled by coach Kiffin (wow, that's new) when he was told that USC's sanctions wouldn't be nearly as harsh as implied. Taking Kiffin at his word (mistake), Henderson decided to give his commitment to the Trojans. However he put off signing a letter of intent with the school until the results of the NCAA investigation were released.

Well, obviously USC was given a tad more than just a slap on the wrist and now Henderson is thinking of bolting the program.

While I have no problem with seeing Lane Kiffin squirm like the weasel I think he is, I'm a little sick of Seantrel Henderson and his prima donna ways. After all, if he was smart enough to hold off on signing his letter of intent, then why isn't he man enough to just say the following, "I'm not coming to USC...next school please"?

Honestly, the attention-seeking behavior leaves a bad taste in my mouth and if the college football world were smart, it would let Seantrel go to an FCS school and languish in obscurity for the next 3-4 years of his care.


Some might say that his father is every bit the blame for this madness as Seantrel. Especially given the rumor that he's looking to use his son as his ticket to rap stardom. However, at some point, a program has to cut their losses with a guy and say they aren't going to deal with all the drama just to get his ink.

Seriously, Henderson was great in high school and the scouts think he could be a once-in-a-lifetime prospect at left tackle but there are no guarantees. He could become the biggest bust since Willie Williams—another spotlight hog who prompted some serious changes to the recruiting landscape.

Henderson isn't worth this madness, that much is truth, because who's to say that his behavior ends with this most recent madness. This blatant need to be coddled and looked upon as important could manifest itself in his approach to playing the game, his ability to lead on the field, and his day-to-day dealings with his coaches?

College football can cut a nice size slice of humble pie for a prospect who thinks he's got big-time talent. That slice can be a bitter bite if you aren't prepared for the taste. That said, Henderson could be in for a rude awakening in his first season—no matter where he plays—and I now have some serious doubts as to how he will handle the realization that there are some guys who will be better than he.

No matter what happens, the magnifying glass on Henderson just got bigger and, whether he realizes it or not, that's not necessarily a good thing.