With All-Star Tuesday in the books, several performances stood out to many in that game last night. Some guys will have to answer questions regarding their play during the regular season, but for some stand out players, we got immediate answers and we’ll really highlight those stand out performances.
NAVY QB Scott Fountain – nEBRASKA
Let me make one thing clear, Scott Fountain dominated. He went 20 of 33 for 233 yards with a passing touchdown, and then added 22 carries for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Fountain’s dual threat ability shouldn’t go understated and as he focuses in on being a Cornhusker, the pairing of Fountain and Dowdy Dowell in a backfield is going to wreak havoc on the CFSL and could very much be reminiscent of the damage done via Texas’ Walker Mills and Tarraj Walker from a rushing standpoint. The Huskers just need to get some aerial weapons for Fountain.
ARMY HB MARCUS DUNCAN – MIAMI
The Hurricane at halfback played like one on Tuesday night. Marcus Duncan entered the game in relief of the concussed Colt Youngblood, who played well himself with eight carries for 57 yards. It was Duncan, though, who really stood out. He amassed 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and showed a unique combination of speed, agility, and power. He muscled through defenders, but in the open field he was able to out run a great deal of the defense, and then spun through a couple times to advance the ball position. He also had a couple catches for 13 yards and that’s an added ability for the Miami Hurricanes as well which will be interesting to see how they exploit that in the upcoming season.
ARMY WR Brayden Ennis – Ohio State
On the Army side, Ennis looked great. He showed his ability to stretch the field vertically and his ability to high point the ball up the seam, which is what generated a spark off the throw from Gage Youngblood. While Ennis may not have looked exceptionally swift, he played well and was able to get open on several occasions, but was overthrown a time or two or Gage had moved on to his next progression. Ennis also dropped a pair of passes, but overall, he’ll be a fine wideout for the Buckeyes.
NAVY WR BUGSY BATES – OREGON
Much like Army, Navy saw a receiver play exceptionally well. Bugsy Bates may have only had five catches, but he churned out 91 yards on them, including a long touchdown from Fountain. Like Ennis, Bates can stretch the field, but his speed to get away from the defense really showed on his long 30+ yard touchdown catch where he got behind the defense and stayed there. In Oregon, the system will be important, as they’ll need to get Bates to put up similar numbers to that of their former receiver, Dijon Swann.
NAVY LB JEREMY MOSLEY – ALABAMA
The next wave of the dominant linebackers have arrived it would seem, something the CFSL is adept at churning out. Enter Jeremy Mosley, the newest addition to the Crimson Tide of Alabama. Mosley racked up 10 tackles with two for a loss on Tuesday night, and was instrumental in frustrating Army halfback Colt Youngblood early on. Eventually, the offense adapted away from Mosley, but he looked impressive and could potentially be groomed into an All-American, assuming his partner, middle linebacker Tyson Cane Blade who had seven tackles himself, doesn’t steal the spotlight.
ARMY LB IKKUMA TULOK – FLORIDA STATE
Part of this new wave was Ikkuma Tulok, who was one of the more hyped up middle linebackers in this recruiting class, recorded 10 tackles himself. He didn’t do anything behind the line of scrimmage, but he met Navy tailback Dior Chapman at the point of attack frequently and was a large reason as to Chapman’s slow start. While Chapman did manage to rack up 38 yards, it took him 11 carries to do it, and that’s because of Tulok’s ability to drag him down at the line of scrimmage frequently. Tulok is going to be a force in the SEC, and likely with the hopes of taking the torch from Auburn’s Mark Calloway.
NAVY FS ULRIC ODINHEIM – LSU
To round out our stand out performers, we turn our attention to the safety that is moving from Norway to the Bayou of Louisiana. Odinheim snagged an interception which he returned to the endzone for a touchdown on the second overall drive of the night for the Army offense. The story here, obviously, is that Gage Youngblood is the new quarterback of the LSU Tigers, making him teammates with Odinheim. Whether or not there will be any friction in practice remains to be seen, but Odinheim demands attention and to be respected. In addition to the pick-six, Odinheim had eight tackles and a tackle for a loss and looks to be the best safety in this recruiting class.
There are several other players we could have discussed, such as the vision of halfback Kaiden Saint III as well as the capabilities of corners Wayne Finnegan, TJ Keene, and Joose Staley. Several players that could have been mentioned, but in the aftermath of All-Star Tuesday, these are the new faces of the CFSL that stood out the most. To see when they’ll take the field and matchups to watch, tune in tonight to the CFSL Season Seven Schedule Reveal at 7:00 P.M. CST.
