Fresno State Football: Could 2010 Be the Year of the 'Dogs?

You can call me a homer if you want. You can call me an eternal optimist or you could simply say that I make sense.

Any of the three, or some combination, would be just fine with me.

Last season didn’t finish the way Fresno State fans wanted it to finish. It wasn’t supposed to end with an embarrassing loss to Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl. A game where the Bulldogs wanted to show up and be handed the trophy so they could go home.

When the dust settled, it was Wyoming that was on the field celebrating. But amidst that celebration, something stood out that made me open my eyes and think, “Maybe this team is finally figuring it out. Maybe there’s leaders on this team that will make sure they never feel this way again.”

Standing in the corner of the stadium was freshman quarterback Derek Carr and freshman running back Robbie Rouse, watching Wyoming celebrate.

"We wanted to watch it all, take it all in," they told Matt James of the Fresno Bee . Why you ask?

“Because we don’t this to happen ever again.”

If you’re a Bulldog fan, those words should excite you. Those words should have you fired up for 2010 and those words should make you believe that this team is about to become something we haven’t seen in several years.

Pat Hill and his coaching staff have turned their attention to recruiting and, so far, it looks as if they could have more depth at three different positions than they have had since David Carr was under center.

Quarterback:

Starter - RS Senior Ryan Colburn 6’3” 220 lbs

Colburn finished the 2009 season fourth in the WAC in total passing yards (2,459), sixth in passing yards per game (189.2), fourth in touchdown passes (19) but had the second highest number of interceptions (11) behind Jeff Fleming of New Mexico State.

Backups:

RS Soph. Ebahn Feathers - 6’1” 210 lbs
Soph. Derek Carr - 6’3” 195 lbs

Feathers and Carr didn’t get much time on the playing field in 2009, but prior to the season most thought that Carr could actually beat out Colburn for the starting job.

Going into the 2010 season, I’m almost ready to guarantee that will happen. Though Carr doesn’t have the experience in big games, or games in general,  I believe he could establish himself as a leader during fall camp leading up to the start of the season.

As for Feathers, it doesn‘t look like he‘s going to see much time at all at quarterback, especially with Colburn and Carr possibly holding the starting job for the next three to four years.

Incoming recruits:

Lester Fontenette 6’2” 210 lbs (Madison Senior HS - San Diego, CA)
Marcus McDade   6’3” 195 lbs (St. Marys HS - Stockton, CA)

Though Fontenette is listed as the three-star recruit, it’s McDade that has the better arm. He has the arm strength to throw the long ball as well as zip in a short pass.

McDade didn’t get a lot of attention especially sitting behind Oregon State recruit Cody Vaz in 2008. But in 2009, McDade was able to show his true potential and committed to Fresno State in mid-December, not long after the Bulldogs decided to send him an offer.

Running back:

Starter - unknown

The Bulldogs will have a lot to look at when fall camp begins. After All-American Ryan Mathews decided to forego his senior season at Fresno State and head to the National Football League, the Bulldogs will have to make a decision as to who will be the heir and fill the big shoes left by Mathews.

Candidates:

RS Soph. A.J. Ellis 5’11” 175 lbs
RS Soph. Michael Harris 5’11” 195 lbs
RS Soph. Justin Webber 5’9” 190 lbs
Soph. Robbie Rouse 5’7” 185 lbs

In 2009 it was Robbie Rouse, or known to his teammates as “Mighty Mouse,” was the backup to Mathews and should be the odds-on favorite to be the starter when fall camp opens.

As a backup, Rouse finished the 2009 season with 479 yards on 82 carries, 194 carries fewer than Mathews’ 276, averaging 39.9 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry.

If Rouse were to continue that 5.8 yards per carry average, he would have finished the year with over 1,100 yards rushing (1125.2).

Though Rouse could be named the starter, don’t think for a second that he doesn’t have guys behind him that are equally as dangerous.

Incoming recruits:

Leslee Rogers 6’1” 180 lbs (Point Loma Senior HS - San Diego, CA)
Emery “E.J” Schexnayder 5’11” 210 lbs (North HS - Riverside, CA)

These two incoming freshman could very well make an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. They won’t be factoring in every down situations, but they provide another aspect that makes Fresno State’s running game even better than the last few seasons.

Wide Receiver:

Starters: Unknown

After losing four wide receivers to graduation (Ajirotutu , Moore , Newborne , and West ), the Bulldogs have little to worry about as they have Devon Wylie , Rashad Evans , and Jamel Hamler returning to the team next season.

Joining them are redshirt senior Jevon Stallworth , junior Matt Lindsey , and freshmen Anthony Johnson and Taylor Stewart .

Along with those four is arguably the deepest list of recruits that Pat Hill has brought in for quite some time.

Incoming recruits:

Sean Alston 5’9” 172 lbs (Los Osos HS - Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
Victor Dean 6’6” 198 lbs (Lincoln Senior HS - San Diego, CA)
Davon Dunn 6’0” 185 lbs (Lincoln Senior HS - San Diego, CA)
Jalen Saunders 5’10” 157 lbs (Pleasant Grove HS - Pleasant Grove, CA)

When you look at this list of recruits, one name stands out that could make an immediate impact as a freshman.

Victor Dean, a 6-foot-6-inch, 195-pound wide receiver from Lincoln Senior High School, and a teammate of Davon Dunn, is the tallest wide receiver on the Bulldog roster and that will work to his advantage coming into his first season with Fresno State.

Not only is he a high school teammate of incoming recruit Dunn, but he was also a Pop Warner teammate of current Bulldog Robbie Rouse and another incoming recruit Lester Fontenette.

Though Dean did give his verbal commitment to Fresno State, he still plans on taking official visits to Arizona, Colorado State, and Washington to gauge them against Fresno State to make sure the Bulldogs are the right choice for him and his college football career.

Dean not only wants to play football, but Bulldog basketball head coach Steve Cleveland has already been notified that Dean was interested in walking on to the basketball team.

Alston, Dunn and Saunders can play both ways. Not only being able to line up at wide receiver but all three could be worked out at corner or safety to see if they’re needed more at those positions.

The 2010 Fresno State Bulldogs are in good hands and with the depth of recruits they’ve received verbal commits from, Pat Hill will have a lot to work with.

The recruiting period isn’t quite over just yet so there could be more players added to their list of players already committed to being Bulldogs next season. What Fresno State has to hope for at this point is none of their recruits changing their minds and de-committing.

Letter of intent day is right around the corner, and the excitement is still at it’s peak.