University of Essexville Carpathian Egrets (Locke)

Season Reset: In three years, O’Neill has proven to be a formidable college fantasy owner, going 16-12 and winning the Bill Martin Division in 2008 with a 6-4 record. Of course, for anybody who saw Coach Kyle run the 2003 Michigan Daily football team’s practices, this should come as no surprise. Last year’s team benefited from Kyle’s penchant for drafting youth (A.J. Green) and Michigan State/Big Ten players (Javon Ringer). O’Neill guessed right with Kendall Hunter, and when you throw in Colt McCoy finally coming of age (he looks 16 instead of 12 now), Coach Kyle had the parts to make a run. He was the clear frontrunner to represent the division in the championship game but ran into a hot Chelsea College team in the semis.

Draft Recap: It’s hard to figure out what O’Neill was trying to accomplish in this draft. With returning star players McCoy and Hunter, he had an opportunity to compete for a title this year. With his first pick, Charles Scott of LSU, it appeared Kyle was going for it. But for the rest of the draft, with the exception of OU’s Ryan Broyles, O’Neill went back to his old tricks and filled his roster with unproven freshmen like Jarvis Giles, Edwin Baker, Vincent Smith and Patrick Patterson. O’Neill plucked a senior with potential in Slick Shelley, which may gave him a shot at having depth at receiver. Quarterback choices Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck were underwhelming choices and make it imperative McCoy doesn’t go down.

Season Outlook: Entering the draft, I would have called O’Neill a shoe-in for the playoffs. Now, I think he’s in a battle for the third slot. His starting lineup – McCoy, Hunter, Scott, Green and Broyles – is playoff caliber, but his lack of depth could be his undoing. O’Neill is also hurt by having to play West Virginia or Michigan each week on defense. He’ll need one of his freshmen running backs to emerge and for Tulsa’s Shelley to be a dependable starter to make the playoffs.

Draft Steal: Charles Scott, LSU (No. 9 overall). Scott had 18 touchdowns last season and could have gone earlier.

Draft Bust: Jarvis Giles, South Carolina (second round). Giles is a South Carolina running back. Enough said.

2009 MVP: McCoy

 

Chelsea College Crack Slangers (Weber)

Season Reset: Weber rode the coattails of a gunslinger C-USA quarterback, Rice’s Chase Clement, to the 2008 FCFL championship despite a 4-6 record in the regular season. So it was clear that when Houston’s Case Keenum was put on the market by Heartland, Weber wouldn’t be able to resist. It was especially clear for anyone who spent a weekend in Las Vegas with Weber during the summer of 2008, when Keenum was an undrafted sophomore. Weber agonized over whether or not to pick Keenum, who was in a position battle with Blake Joseph, and passed. McCollough grabbed him, and it had been eating at Weber ever since. Weber went with his heart and traded Zac Robinson, Damion Fletcher and his first and fourth round picks for Keenum and a fifth-rounder. All of a sudden, he put himself in position to repeat with some smart drafting.

Draft Recap: Weber didn’t pick in the first round and traded his second round pick and his fifth-round pick to gain picks in the third and fourth round. He clearly trusted his ability, given the FCFL’s bias against proven seniors, to fill his roster with capable players to surround a solid nucleus. Weber plucked TE Dennis Pitta, hoping that Austin Collie’s touchdowns would head his way and not to a receiver. He then took Brandon Minor (a gift from Brett Reynolds, who dropped him) and UNLV WR Ryan Wolfe, who would be much more valuable in a league that counted receptions. Weber took a proven 1,000-yard rusher in Darius Marshall in the late fifth round. Weber showed his shrewd drafting skills by taking advantage of the 2009 roster drama to take an extra position player in Baron Batch.

Season Outlook: Once again, Weber has placed himself in the upper echelon of the FCFL. With Keenum starting every week, he’s guaranteed 25-30 points, and all of Weber’s running backs are good plays each week. His receivers are the closest thing to a weakness, but he should be able to piece together two good starts most weeks. Weber is clearly one of the top two teams in this division. The only thing that will keep him out of the playoffs is an injury to Keenum. He can’t be too comfortable with backups from UAB and Iowa State.

Draft Steal: Baron Batch (Round 10). This was a major oversight by everybody else in the league.

Draft Bust: Dennis Pitta (Round 3). Some other top WR talent was still on the board, and it probably wasn’t necessary to go tight end that early.

2009 MVP: Keenum

 

Gulf State Thunder Gattis (Reynolds)

Season Reset: The franchise Reynolds took over from the disgraced Chris Burke has played for two championships and won one. Tim Tebow was the key to that 2007 championship, and Tebow remains for Reynolds to enjoy for one season. Through it all, Reynolds has been sufficiently annoying in trying to find his way into the league. His persistence paid off when Burke lost his mind. Of course, you had to assume that Burke’s instability would rub off on his players, and that’s what the nation saw on Thursday night when LeGarrette Blount cold-cocked a Boise State player. Blount is out for the year, which makes Reynolds’ draft even more crucial.

Draft Recap: If Reynolds had known that Blount was going to go straight up thug, he likely wouldn’t have drafted Golden Tate at No. 2 overall. Tate should be productive, but there were wide receivers on the board at the time that have produced more in their careers. Reynolds’ pick of Austin Davis shows that he wasn’t totally devoted to trying to ride Tim Tebow to a title. Big 12 South picks Jeff Fuller and Jay Finley were right where they should have been. Reynolds picked three freshmen including a Georgia RB Carlton Thomas who will have to break through Mark Richt’s tendency for a running back by committee for the next four years. Russell Shepard could be a huge pick down the road for Reynolds, the LSU diehard. Reynolds made his best pick by taking Ronald Johnson in the final round, but Johnson is now out for the year.

Season Outlook: Reynolds’ hopes for a successful first season took a huge hit with Blount’s suspension. Reynolds will have to start Jake Sharp and Finley most weeks, and that doesn’t come with a very high ceiling. Reynolds could easily build for the future with some smart trades, including one involving Tebow. If Reynolds tries to ride it out with his current guys, it could be a long year for the Thunder Gattis.

Draft Steal: Shepard (10th round). In this freshman-crazed league, you would have thought someone would have tabbed the No. 1 overall QB prospect earlier.

Draft Bust: Thomas (Round 6)

2009 MVP: Tebow

 

Survivor University (Sikora)

Season Reset: Sikora made his first playoff appearance last year and could have done some damage if not for a late-season injury to Andre Anderson. Survivor U has always had to battle bad luck for some reason. Sikora had Darren McFadden and Kevin Smith for two straight years and somehow didn’t make the playoffs. Ridiculous. I have always liked the makeup of his teams, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump. Last year was a step in the right direction.

Draft Recap: Survivor University entered the draft with some obvious holes to fill but also with some talent to build around. The Matt Asiata pick was brilliant and looked even more so after Asiata’s game one performance against Utah State on Thursday night. Sikora went for Iowa RB Jewel Hampton in Round 2, and Hampton is now out for the season. (Did we mention bad luck?) Sikora grabbed Bo Levi Mitchell in Round 3, a great pick considering the potential in the SMU offense and the fact that Sikora didn’t want to be totally dependent on Vittatoe. Sikora, feeling comfortable with Anderson, Asiata and Hampton, went young with his fourth RB pick in Dion Lewis. Luckily, Lewis appears to have won the job and could at least emerge as a spot starter. With the McKay Jacobson pick, Sikora gambled that Max Hall will look to a new receiver and not Pitta to take over for Collie. Sikora gets even stronger at QB with Tony Pike as a solid No. 3. Survivor U will likely benefit from the decision to add Mikell Simpson and drop Josh Adams.

Season Outlook: This is Sikora’s best team yet and clearly one of the top two teams in the Bill Martin Division. It should come down to Survivor U and Chelsea. Sikora is loaded at quarterback and wide receiver and has two great starters at running back. The key to his season will be staying healthy at running back. Sikora may have to use one of his wide receivers to add another dependable option at running back.

Draft Steal: Mitchell (Round 3)

Draft Bust: Hampton (Round 2). Still could pay off down the road.

2009 MVP: Asiata

 

Animal Institute (Hunt)

Season Reset: Hunt’s program has never really gotten off the ground, which makes sense considering Pat White was his quarterback for the past three years. West Virginia tried to turn White into a passer, which pretty much killed Hunt’s 2008 season.

Draft Recap: Hunt entered the 2009 draft with three unspectacular quarterbacks who played behind White last season and probably should have dropped at least one of them to restock. With the unreliable Derrick Locke and Mike Ford at running back, there was work to be done at that position and Hunt attacked that weakness immediately with Stanford’s Toby Gerhart at No. 4 overall. Gerhart, a senior, may have been a risk given that more productive seniors Charles Scott and Chris Brown were available, but clearly Bob saw something in Michigan Man Jim Harbaugh. Hunt went for Mark Ingram but should probably be worried about Trent Richardson stealing some carries. Hunt picked two solid receivers in Patrick Edwards and Brandon Banks, both of whom should be 10 touchdown guys. Hunt used his LA connections to monitor the USC quarterback situation and took what looks like the Trojan starter for at least the next three years in Matt Barkley. Unfortunately, Barkley might already be a better play than the other three quarterbacks who are occupying roster spots.

Season Outlook: Hunt’s team just looks very average top to bottom. I wouldn’t feel comfortable starting Weber, Gabbert or Taylor early in the season, so Barkley needs to be the second coming early on. Hunt has some options at running back but I don’t see a very high ceiling. The strength of Hunt’s team could be his Sunflower State wide receivers, Dezmon Briscoe and Brandon Banks.

Draft Steal: Duane Bennett (Round 5). Bennett was literally a steal, considering Hunt took advantage of a loophole in the FCFL rulebook to draft more position players than is allotted on the final roster.

Draft Bust: Gerhart. Only because he’s a Stanford RB and I just can’t see him scoring 15 touchdowns again.

2009 MVP: Dezmon Briscoe

 

Twin Cities Metro College Fighting Mondales (Holman)

Season Reset: The Fighting Mondales have made one playoff appearance, and that came with a 4-5 record in 2007. They have routinely held themselves back in the present by thinking too much about the future (see pick of Darrell Scott at No. 8 overall last year) and picks of Noel Devine (third round) and Arrelious Benn (second round) when they were freshmen. It’s not that those players aren’t talented, but they haven’t followed through on their promise just yet. All three are on the roster this year, and Holman will need them to produce in 2009.

Draft Recap: Holman entered the draft with a solid nucleus of returning players and two top-five picks. He made a compromise of sorts by drafting proven producers Jacquizz Rodgers and Damaris Johnson who are also just sophomores. His next pick, late in the third round, was an odd one in Kendall Wright of Baylor. I just don’t have a lot of faith in Robert Griffin’s passing ability, but maybe I should. Holman takes pride in his homer Michigan picks, and he was extra proud of his Tate Forcier pick. Not so sure Forcier was about to go anytime soon, and with other talented freshman QBs like Russell Shepard and some other sophomores in better situations still available, it was probably not his finest drafting moment. Holman made a nice pick with Jimmy Young, a proven guy who could increase his production in his junior season. Freshman Eric Ward still might redshirt for Texas Tech, which would be a major disappointment for Holman.

Season Outlook: Holman has good options at every position on the field. Reesing and Pryor should make for a good 1-2 punch depending on matchups. Rodgers should combine with one of Devine, Smith and Scott each week. Holman can count on an explosion from Johnson at least a few times this season, and Benn could take that next step as well. I see Holman battling with O’Neill for third place.

Draft Steal: Don’t see one.

Draft Bust: Wright

2009 MVP: Damaris Johnson