Published Oct 7, 2021
Three-Point Stance: Coaches, Group of Five stars, O-linemen
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Mike Farrell  •  Rivals.com
Rivals National Columnist

Rivals National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with some coaches ready for the next big job, some Group of Five standouts the NFL is taking notice of and five unheralded offensive linemen who deserve some love.

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1. COACHES THAT COULD BE READY FOR THE NEXT BIG JOB

Everyone talks about Iowa State’s Matt Campbell being one of those coaches ready for the next big job opening and rightly so after the job he’s done with the Cyclones. But there are others out there and the names aren’t limited to Campbell and Luke Fickell at Cincinnati.

Kelani Sitaki, BYU — He’s 43-26 at BYU and showing that last year wasn’t a fluke with Zach Wilson at quarterback. He has experience in the Pac-12 and even though he’s not a huge name he’d be a great hire for USC or some other major program out west.

Mel Tucker, Michigan State — Spartans fans are going to be very upset with this but they can join the Colorado fans who were upset when Tucker upgraded to Michigan State. Tucker has been amazing so far in East Lansing but his stomping ground is in the Southeast so a big opening down there will have his name attached.

Jonathan Smith, Oregon State — The hardest place to win in college football is Oregon State for many reasons and Smith has the Beavers 4-1 this year and he has wins over Oregon, Washington and USC to his credit. His win-loss record of 13-23 isn’t great and doesn’t jump out but this guy is doing an amazing job.

Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina — Do we believe he’s for real now? Coastal Carolina is once again in the Top 25 and he’s clearly ready for a Power Five job and will get one very soon.

Dave Clawson, Wake Forest — I’m a huge fan of Clawson and what he’s done at Wake Forest, which is up there with Oregon State as a tough place to win. He’s 45-45 overall at Wake and, trust me, that’s very good.

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2. GROUP OF FIVE STANDOUTS THAT HAVE NFL SCOUTS INTRIGUED

As we can see in the NFL it’s not only Power Five players that make an impact with NFL stars like Khalil Mack, Davante Adams, Josh Allen and others all coming from smaller programs. Here are some Group of Five players that may not end up being first-rounders, but have NFL scouts intrigued.

RB Sincere McCormick, UTSA — McCormick has 541 yards and six scores and is used to leading his team with his 2,991 career rushing yards. He has that size and natural leverage at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds that seems to lead to success in the NFL.

CB Ja’Quan McMillan, East Carolina — He's not the tallest cornerback or the biggest but he has 12 pass breakups and four picks this season in five games. Oh, and he loves to tackle.

DE Arron Mosby, Fresno State — A tremendous athlete who can play stand up or with his hand down, Mosby is a tackle for a loss waiting to happen and has a motor that many love.

WR Calvin Austin, Memphis — He’s a small slot receiver but beyond productive with more than 600 yards receiving this season and seven scores.

OT Max Mitchell, Louisiana-Lafayette — Mitchell plays right tackle and doesn’t let anyone get near the quarterback. His run blocking is outstanding as well and he’s moving up the charts to round two territory.

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3. FIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN THAT DESERVE RECOGNITION

Finally, players like Max Mitchell don’t get enough attention and love nationally and we all know I love the fat guys in the trenches in football. Here are five outstanding offensive linemen that you may not have heard of.

OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State — The highest graded offensive tackle in the country and a guy who has scouts drooling as a mid first-rounder.

OT/OG Cooper Beebe, Kansas State — Beebe has a guard build at the next level but is one of the best pass protectors in all of college football.

OT Kellen Diesch, Arizona State — The Aggies transfer has been impressive in pass protection and has improved every season he’s played.

OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State — The former five-star is likely more famous for that ranking than his excellent play on the field as a fringe first-rounder.

OT Ben Petrula, Boston College — A nasty right tackle on one of the best offensive lines in college football, he has improved so much this season and is a dominant run blocker.