Tampa: USF Walk-On Had A Record-Breaking Season
The University of South Florida will wrap up their season this week when they take on Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. For one Bulls player in particular, it will be another chance to continue to continue to shine. That is because walk-on junior receiver Sean Atkins has been having a record-breaking season with USF this year.
By The Numbers
Atkins wears number 38, which is an uncommon number for his position. Perhaps that is because Atkins plays the position unlike many of the rest. He’s an underdog who thrives under that label. At five-foot nine, 172 pounds, Atkins is considered to be on the smaller size for any college football player. However, in heart, #38 is leading the league.
This season, Atkins had 86 catches for 961 yards and 5 touchdowns. For those keeping score at home, this was enough to put Atkins in the USF record books. Both his receptions and yards gained statistics were single season highs for any Bulls player in history. In addition, he averaged over 11 yards per catch, which resulted in an incredible number of first downs. However, this was an accomplishment that Atkins had experience in.
“He broke every conceivable receiving record at Viera High School on Florida’s Space Coast and was twice named second-team all-state,” a recent Go Bulls profile states.
Walking On From The East Coast Of Florida To USF
Despite his stellar high school football career, Atkins did not receive any Division 1 scholarship offers. Although many players in the Melbourne area were getting looked at to play at top-level programs, not many of them had the high school success that Atkins had. However, they had a size advantage.
Ultimately, Atkins stayed true to himself and was confident in his abilities that he chose to walk-on at USF. Now in his fourth full season for the Bulls, Atkins worked his way to being named second team All-AAC, and one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy (given to the best walk-on player of the season).
“After my first day at USF, I said to myself, ‘I’m here to stay. I can do this,'” Atkins told Go Bulls last month. With a record-breaking 2023 season at USF, he certain did just that.
3 Potential NFL Draft Destinations For UNC's Drake Maye
On Wednesday, December 27, North Carolina will play their last game of the season in Charlotte (Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. West Virginia). With Drake Maye being one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, it’s time to take a look at three potential landing destinations for the star quarterback.
UNC is coming off a 8-4 record this season. Although his statistics were not as high as last year, Maye still had an incredible year, throwing for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns. At just 21 years old, Maye is the ideal size for a NFL quarterback, standing 6 foot 4.
2024 Draft Class
Many of the top players have still to officially declare for the draft. Yet, the expectation is that all the names we are seeing atop the mock draft boards will be moving up to the next level. There have been eyes on this year’s class for a few years now. That’s largely due to the generational quarterback pool.
USC’s Caleb Williams is a safe assumption to be the first overall pick. That’s where things can get tricky. The Carolina Panthers currently have the worst record at 1-11. However, due to last year’s trade, the Chicago Bears own their pick. Do the Bears need or want a QB? They just drafted Justin Fields. Of course, we still have the NFL combine, player pro days, and team meetings ahead of us. Much can change in that time. Still, I believe Maye will be the next quarterback taken after Williams.
To further emphasize how deep (and potentially special) this class is, three of the four Heisman Trophy finalists this season are quarterbacks. None of them are named Caleb Williams or Drake Maye (Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr.)
Come April, we can see as many as 10 NFL teams in need of a new quarterback. Here are three NFL teams that have a good probability of selecting in the top five picks of the NFL draft, where Drake Maye will likely be taken.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.