Feb. 20, 2008

By Trev Alberts

Special to CSTV.com

TREV ALBERTS
Trev Alberts is a football analyst for CBS College Sports and CSTV.com.
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        ---   Column Archive   --- TREV's MAILBAG 6/4: In Principle, Early Signing Period Makes Sense 5/29: Well-Timed Change 5/14: The Key Is Manipulation 5/7: No Doubt Tigers Not As Good 4/30: Let's Talk This Over 4/23: Take The Pass Rusher 4/9: Not The 'Same Old Kansas' 4/2: Johnson Can Win At Georgia Tech 3/26: Big East Should Add Somebody 3/20: More To Rodriguez Than His Offense 3/12: Getting Paid Not All It's Cracked Up To Be 3/5: Look Out For The Gators 2/27: Combine Important, But Not Make Or Break 2/20: Show Some Patience 2/13: Good Call By Weis 2/6: Still Comes Down To Coaching 1/30: Changes Spell Bright Future For Bruins 1/23: Cutcliffe Can Be Successful At Duke 1/16: To Each His Own 1/10: Watching Different Games 1/2: Brennan's Sugar Performance Won't Hurt Him 12/26: LSU Hater I Am Not 12/19: Rodriguez Licking His Chops 12/12: Buckeyes Have A Chip 12/05: Missouri Got Hosed 11/28: Some Coaching Changes Ludicrous 11/21: Love Woodson's Poise 11/14: Dixon Can Be Contained, But Not Stopped 11/7: Pac-10 Far From Overrated 10/31: Appalachian State Loss An Afterthought 10/24: No Halves Off In College Football 10/17: Nebraska In Good Hands With The Doctor 10/10: Trojans Still A Player 10/03: Don't Hate On South Florida 09/26: Hangovers Part of The Game 09/19: Nebraska's Performance Disappointing 09/12: DeSean As Explosive As It Gets 09/05: Tebow Impressive In First Start 08/29: ACC QBs Better Than Advertised 08/24: McFadden Not Quite In Bush's Class 08/17: From Overrated To Underrated 08/10: Florida's Overrated 08/03: Spurrier's Got That Twinkle 07/27: Big East Deserves More Credit 07/20: Badgers Playing For Second, At Best 07/13: Gators Repeat? Not So Fast 07/06: Pac-10 Still Owned By USC 06/29: One Big's Better Than The Other 06/22: WAC Ain't All That 06/15: Text Messaging Ban Excessive 06/08: Fifth Year of Eligibility A Good Idea 05/25: Hot Seat Warming Up For Some Coaches 05/18: Big Ten Falling Behind SEC 05/11: 'Canes, Seminoles Have Ways To Go 05/07: Sleeping Dawgs 04/20: Look Out For South Florida 04/13: Boise's Johnson Has No Shot At '07 Heisman 03/30: The Best Atmosphere In College Football Belongs To... 03/23: Tough To Compare QBs With Different Styles 03/16: Top Coaches Need To Be Appreciated 03/9: Woodson Nation's Most Indispensable QB 03/2: Things Just Not The Same At Nebraska 02/23: Rodriguez Does Well With His Chips 02/16: Believe It Or Not, I Don't Have An FSU Agenda 02/09: Yes, I Do Know College Football 02/02: Of Course Huskers Make Adjustments 01/26: Coach Alberts In Lincoln? No Chance 01/19: Can't Begrudge Kids For Leaving Early 01/03: Saban Heads to Alabama 12/29: Some Coaching Changes Come As Surprise 12/22: Too Many Bowl Games Way of Life 12/15: Who Has The Best Talent In The Nation? 12/7: Who's The More Deserving National Title Participant? 12/1: Irish Don't Deserve BCS Bid 11/16: Ohio State the Better Team 11/9: Give the Big East Its Due 11/2: What's Wrong With D at USC? 10/26: Where Will Bowden Be in '07? 10/20: Who Belongs in the Top 20? FOOTBALL 1/8: In Surprise, Ohio State Beats Itself 1/6: Good Start Vital For Buckeyes 12/26: LSU Hater I Am Not 11/23: LSU Loss A Microcosm Of The Season 11/19: Give It Some Time 10/13: Give Kentucky All The Credit 10/7: USC Loss Sends Shockwaves 9/1: Michigan's Loss Nothing Short of Stunning 6/19: Hoeppner Did Things His Way 4/27: Unexpected Reigned In 1994 02/22: Combine Experience Can Be Eye Opening 02/08: Signing Day Observations 02/07: Walk Down Recruiting Memory Lane 11/17: Remebering Schembechler 9/5: One Week Is Just One Week 8/25: The Return Of Trev

You've got college football questions and CSTV football analyst Trev Alberts has answers and opinions. Each week Alberts will be answering questions and queries on the world of college football. So if you've got a question for Trev? Just ask him.

Rank these attributes in order of importance for a wide receiver: 1. size 2. speed 3. route running 4. hands. Which do you think is most important? - Jonathan, California

For me, I would start with hands and say that if you don't have hands you really eliminate yourself from being in contention to play the position.

You could find a spot for someone who is maybe a step slow, but he has great hands. You can find a spot for someone who is a little shorter than usual, but has great hands. You can be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesn't mean you can stick them on the outside and immediately have a vertical threat.

If you can't catch the ball then you're playing defensive back. In a perfect world you'd be Calvin Johnson - you'd be tall, strong, fast with great hands. That's why he was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft last year. It's about hands. Some guys just have the natural ability to go up and get it so I would start with a guy who had good hands. I think you can improve someone's route running - you can even improve their hands - but you have to start with a great set of hands and then you can work on the rest of their game. You can always a find a spot for those receivers. Think of Wes Welker and Steve Smith.

What is your opinion about drafting running backs? I know teams feel like they can get a good back later in the draft (Amahd Bradshaw), but Adrian Peterson showed how valuable a superstar RB can be. Where would you draft a RB and specifically Darren McFadden. - Mike B., Massachusetts

That's a great question. Here's the thing I've noticed since I started paying attention: the Adrian Peterson types come around rarely so I would be of the opinion that, as a general rule, you can find capable running backs throughout the draft.

I see teams reaching a lot, trying to justify in their minds that some guy is one of these premier, all-world running backs. But those guys are so few and far between. It's a position that takes so many hits that one knee injury, one bad hit can end it all. You just don't see guys like Marshall Faulk every year. So unless you're absolutely sure that he's that once in a lifetime running back, then I think you can wait and find guys.

I don't know anyone who has done a better job managing the running back position than the Indianapolis Colts. They had Faulk, then Edgerrin James and then Joseph Addai. And I think Addai is a perfect example of a very good running back. I don't know if he goes down as one of the best in NFL history, but the Colts didn't use a top 5 selection on him, either.

Unless you're absolutely sure about someone, I would not take a running back very high. But I would say Darren McFadden is a pretty sure bet.

How many years should a new head coach have to rebuild a program? As a Gamecocks fan, how much longer do you think Steve Spurrier is going to be around? - J.T., S.C.

Wow! Unbelievable. College football fans are the best. What other sport can you follow where literally in the shortest amount of time a guy like Charlie Weis can go from "genius" to "how much longer are we going to put up with this guy?"

I would certainly like to think that Gamecocks fans understand what has been accomplished under Spurrier. Sure there have been temporary lapses, but they've also won games they shouldn't have. And the thought of how much longer Spurrier will be allowed to coach there doesn't even enter my mind. I have to tell you that I don't get it. I do think he probably needs a big time quarterback. If he gets that...

I'm almost flabbergasted at the question to be quite honest with you. They're playing in the best division of the best conference in college football. And last time I checked they had to deal with Florida, Georgia and Tennessee on a yearly basis.

I think we get so shortsighted as fans sometimes. I remember when South Carolina was awful, but they're great fans. The go no matter what, always sell-out the place. They are not fair weather fans. I have more respect for Gamecocks fans than almost any other, but that being said, folks? Come on. How are the Gamecocks going to upgrade from Spurrier? They're still scratching the surface and building talent, but I'd be pretty pleased if I was a Gamecocks fan and Spurrier was my head coach.