Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Football: Calvin Johnson props on SI.com

....from Stewart Mandel, and his mailbag.....

Which lesser-known player will take the country by storm like Alex Smith did last year?
--Alexander, Virginia


It should be Bowling Green's Omar Jacobs. You would think he would have done so already, what with the whole 4,002 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions thing in 2004, but since these mid-major guys play on TV so infrequently it usually takes longer than a year to become a household name. Jacobs' team is already scheduled for three ESPN Games this year.


Other possibilities: Boise State QB Jared Zabransky, who, like Smith, will be leading his team on a quest for the BCS; Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams, who could have a LaDainian Tomlinson-like senior season; and Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, who, though he plays for a major-conference team, could be this year's version of Larry Fitzgerald when he was a sophomore.