National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance ranking the top tier Group of 5 quarterbacks, under the radar 2023 recruits to watch for in the Big ACC, and another hiring debate — Brohm vs. Satterfield.
Top Group of 5 Quarterbacks
— I round out the QB rankings with a look at some sneaky great signal callers from the Group of 5.
1. Michael Pratt, Tulane
— He’s so smart when it comes to when to run and when to go through progressions, and he takes care of the football. 27 touchdowns and only 5 picks last season is epic.
2. Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
— Reed flirted with transferring again but why leave WKU where he threw 40 touchdowns and led the nation in passing yards.
3. Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
— He flirted with Auburn and some others, but he’ll be back coming off a rough end of last season, where he showed great toughness and leadership.
4. Frank Harris, UTSA
— Harris is back for what seems like his 10th season but not many players are more dangerous.
5. Kurtis Rourke, Ohio
— Haven’t heard of him? He only completed 70% of his passes last season with 25 touchdowns.
Underrated ACC Recruits
— We continue our look at underrated 2023 recruits who could surprise with the ACC.
1. OT Obi Obasuyi, NC State
A long, nimble tackle, Obasuyi has the frame that OL and strength coaches love. At 6'7" and 290 lbs., he's got a huge wingspan and a ton of room to fill out while keeping his above-average foot speed. He'll need to get stronger for sure, but he's a future LT1.
2. DB Shadarian Harrison, Pitt
Pat Narduzzi went down to Lakeland and poached one of the most underrated DBs in the entire class. The 6'1" Harrison is a versatile piece in the defensive backfield, and despite not getting nearly as much hype as his teammate Cormani McClain, he's a potential stud in his own right.
3. DL Semaj Turner, Duke
Mike Elko beat out UNC for the in-state defensive lineman, and it's easy to see why he was a high-priority prospect for the Blue Devils. A twitchy defensive lineman, Turner is an early enrollee who will get a chance to contribute early.
4. WR Shawn Battle, Boston College
A Philadelphia native, Battle could battle for reps at slot corner as a true freshman and add value in the return game as well. He's a little undersized but has great short-space acceleration and plays a very physical game for his size.
5. DE Kerrington Lee, Wake Forest
Dave Clawson continues to find diamonds in the rough and polish them into all-conference players, and Lee has all of the traits that you could want in an edge rusher. At 6'4" and 235, with a quick first step, he's already got the size and speed combination to be a contributor as a pass rush specialist early in his career.
Jeff Brohm vs. Scott Satterfield
— Another coaching hire debate as we look at how Louisville lost a coach to a Power Five program and replaced him.
Scott Satterfield got out the door before he could get fired from Louisville, taking the vacant Cincinnati job left by Luke Fickell. In slides Jeff Brohm to his alma mater.
The case for Brohm:
While Satterfield's offenses had some ups and downs during his tenure in Louisville, you won't be able to say the same thing about the former Purdue coach. He's one of the best offensive minds in college football, and especially against some porous ACC defenses, they'll put up huge numbers. Additionally, he's got juice as a beloved alum and should be able to gin up more booster and NIL money.
The case against Brohm:
I'm still stupefied as to why he brought Ron English with him. His Purdue teams never could defend consistently, and he had an opportunity to get someone who is more innovative and could push their defense to a new level. English has a lot of value as a recruiter but has not put together even an above-average defense in quite some time.
The case for Satterfield:
While some people thought that it was a curious move to Cincinnati for Satterfield, in a lot of ways, it's a very strategic play. Cincinnati moves into the Big 12 this season, a conference that, especially with Oklahoma and Texas leaving for the SEC in the near future, will become wide open. Secondly, Cincinnati has been a great launching point for huge jobs. In the recent past, that job got Mark D'Antonio to Michigan State, Brian Kelly to Notre Dame, Butch Jones to Tennessee, and Luke Fickell to Wisconsin after being the hottest coaching commodity for two seasons. It's one of the best "stepping stone" jobs in the country, if not the best.
The case against Satterfield:
There were very few programs that have been less consistent on a week-to-week basis over the past few years than Satterfield's Cardinals squads. One week, Malik Cunningham looks like a first-team All-ACC player, and the next, he's turning the ball over five times.
The Verdict:
The move of Brohm back to his alma mater makes all the sense in the world on paper, and he is the better hire, despite some of the limitations. And we haven't seen all of the 'homecoming' coaches fare well in recent years (paging Scott Frost). But at the end of the day, Brohm is simply a better overall coach than Satterfield and will have a better infrastructure to work with.
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