PFF grades for Belk Bowl

[bennyl08]

PFF if you aren't familiar with them is one of the leading and in depth stats groups out there. While they focus on the NFL, NFL players come from college, so they also grade college players. Most of their stuff you have to pay for though.

However, they have some reports from bowl games with some cool results.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/about/how-we-grade/

Quick primer, 70-80 is average (by NFL standards), 80-85 is above avg, 85-90 is above avg and 90+ is elite. 0-60 is poor and 60-70 is below average. Again, by NFL standards. Meaning, if you are grading in the 70's, you are on par with most NFL players. Obviously, you'd need to do that week in and week out which isn't always the case.

On offense, it isn't a pretty picture. Hatcher graded out at a very good 83.9. Best offensive grade in the whole game for either team. However, after him, the grades start to really drop. Ragnow earned a 71.6, and the rest were below 70.

On defense, our players graded higher. Collins and Pulley graded in at 83.9 and 81.7 respectively. For comparison, Collin's would have been the Tide's 2nd best CB (and thus a starter) compared to how they played vs Washington ranking as one of the Tide's top 5 defenders. Pulley would have come in just outside their top 5. After that, and not surprisingly, the DL paved the way for our other top graded players with Johnson at 79.6, Ledbetter at 78.3, and Agim at 76.4.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-belk-bowl-grades/
https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-peach-bowl-grades/

[bennyl08]

Went scanning through their site and found 3 other games of ours they graded this year.

Bama game: Top offensive grades:

C Frank Ragnow, 82.1
WR Jared Cornelius, 78.6
OT Dan Skipper, 69.3
WR Dominique Reed, 68.1
WR Keon Hatcher, 67.6

Top defensive grades:

LB Dwayne Eugene, 78.6
CB DJ Dean, 76.2
LB Dre Greenlaw, 75.1
DT Taiwan Johnson, 73.5
LB De'Jon Harris, 71.5

Not bad for a true freshmen with Harris getting a top 5 grade and in the 70's. Ragnow played much better this game while Hatcher graded much worse.

LSU:
C Frank Ragnow, 83.0
T Brian Wallace, 78.4
G Hjalte Froholdt, 69.3
WR Jared Cornelius, 67.6
HB Rawleigh Williams III, 64.5

LB De'Jon Harris, 81.1
DI Bijhon Jackson, 79.3
CB Jared Collins, 77.5
DI Taiwan Johnson, 76.4
LB Dwayne Eugene, 73.5

Harris with a very good grade. Ragnow also consistently in the 80's these games.

Finally, Florida
C Frank Ragnow 89.8
WR Drew Morgan 79.4
RB Rawleigh Williams III 79.1
RB Devway Whaley 71.1
TE Jack Kraus 66.6

Ragnow with a nearly elite grade. Also, first time Morgan pops up as a top 5 graded player on offense that they looked at. From the article "If there's been a more impressive single game from a center all season, I certainly haven't seen it."

DT Jeremiah Ledbetter 83.4
S Josh Liddell 83.3
DE Randy Ramsey 78.0
DT Bijhon Jackson 77.4
DT McTelvin Agim 77.3

I was expecting to see Taiwan on here again as he's scored mid 70's in each other grading. It is possible he scores that again here, but 74/75 wouldn't have made the top 5. Of note here is that there were only 4 missed tackles all game by our defense.

In none of these 4 games did Austin score in the 70's. My guess is that he scored higher on some games like TCU. However, these were probably 4 of the most NFL talented teams we played. Even in the Florida game, they dinged him for throwing mostly short passes with most of his yards coming by way of YAC from the receiver.

[bennyl08]

This offers some encouragement for our defense moving forward. High grades from young players like Harris, Agim, Ramsey, and Pulley gives our team some high talent players at all 3 levels of the defense.

[hogginbama]

This is why I have said many times throughout the season that progress is being made. While we have some decent upper class-men, our younger players coming in are better suited to what CBB is trying to do.  This shows the impact that recruiting suffered after the CBP fiasco and the JLS experiment. Recruiting suffered far worse than many want to admit those 1st 2 yrs.

[Dr. Starcs]

Very cool stuff Benny. Thanks.

[Arthur pigby sellers.]

Surprised to see Eugene on there multiple times. It shows why everyone speaks so highly of Ragnow.     

[a0ashle]

Belk wasn't our defense, Missouri was, but belk wasn't.

[HiggiePiggy]

Belk wasn't our defense, Missouri was, but belk wasn't.

Still gave up 35 points in the second half. 

[rljjr]

Still gave up 35 points in the second half. 

And how many drives started in the Red Zone? Belk wasn't on the D.

[Andrew Hogfan]

That was encouraging,  thanks.  I'm excited about the young linebackers.  I don't remember which one ran down the bama receiver after everyone else seemed to give up on the play,  and caused a fumble I believe.

[Beaverfever]

I found this quote interesting.  "While this was a tale of two halves for Arkansas, Allen wasn't playing particularly great in the first half, either.". I thought Allen played the best half of any Razorback qb in years in the first half.  He was flawless in the first half IMO.

[Beaverfever]

Belk wasn't our defense, Missouri was, but belk wasn't.

I agree completely.

[tophawg19]

this is the same site that name Frank Ragnow as CFB's highest rated o-linemen

[bennyl08]

this is the same site that name Frank Ragnow as CFB's highest rated o-linemen

And Cornelius as one of the top graded WR's in the SEC.

[DeltaBoy]

We have some solid talent but we need improved focus on both sided of the ball.