Cast of Characters

Robert Griffin (Junior 2010)
Nick Florence (Sophomore 2010)


What’s the Scoop?

Robert Griffin was a freshman phenom in 2008, rushing for 839 yards and 13 scores to go along with an efficient 15-3 pass TD-INT ratio.  He led his undermanned Baylor squad to a 4-8 record with near misses against the likes of UConn, Texas Tech and Missouri.  He was named the Big 12 Freshman of the year by the conference coaches.

Griffin is one of the fastest players in college football.  His freshman year, he ran track for Baylor and won the 400-meter hurdles at both the Big 12 Conference and NCAA meets.  The dude can flat-out fly.

Hopes were high for Griffin and the Bears in 2009.  Griffin was a preseason consensus Top 10 college fantasy football QB, and was drafted in the 2nd-3rd rounds in most fantasy drafts. Then RG3 tore the ACL in his right knee in the first half of a blowout win over Northwestern State, and was lost for the remaining nine games of the season.  Freshman Nick Florence filled in and was not a fantasy factor.

Griffin is a physical freak of nature who could dominate the Big 12 if healthy.


Robert Griffin’s Production

Knee Surgery Rehab

So, how is that knee coming along?  Griffin participated in non-contact drills this spring and all indications are that he looked pretty good.  He claims his knee was 70-80% in April, and he hopes to be close to 100% this fall.  He will not see real contact until the season begins in September, and he’s expected be wearing a protective knee brace all season.

In this video interview with FoxSports.com from back in April, you can judge for yourself how Griffin looks as they show him running through a variety of agility drills.


Returning O-line & Skill Positions

The Bears need to replace All-America center J.D. Walton, but their offensive tackles look strong with senior Danny Watkins returning along side Ivory Wade.  Philip Blake will switch from right tackle to center.  The guard positions are up for grabs and could be a weakness.  Add it up and the o-line unit has a total of 37 career starts returning, which ranks about 104th in the nation.

RB - Jay Finley is recovering from ankle surgery but is expected to remain the starter if his rehab goes well.  Keep your eye on JUCO transfer Isaac Williams who made a splash this spring and could steal time if Finley isn’t 100%.

WR - Baylor loses wideouts David Gettis and Ernest Smith to graduation, but junior Kendall Wright returns.  Wright has hauled in 112 catches and rushed the ball 57 times over the past 2 seasons and figures to be a key player in the Bears’ offense this year.


If your college fantasy football draft was today…

Robert Griffin is somewhat of a risky draft selection as we stand here in mid-July.  The injury occured only ten months ago, and you know the old saying "you aren't truly recovered from an ACL injury until Year Two".  Griffin is a hot fantasy commodity due to his crazy running ability and if one of his wheels isn't at full strength, it could have a big effect on his performance.

However, we do feel he is worth the roll of the dice.  His initial projection ranks him somewhere in that No. 12-15 range (All-120 leagues).  We'd feel more comfortable with him as a QB2 than relying on him as a QB1.  Early mock draft results seem to concur with that feeling, as Griffin is lasting all the way into the 3rd to 6th round range. 

If you plug in Griffin’s 2008 fantasy stats and compare them to the 2009 All-120 QB production, Griffin would’ve ranked as the #8 fantasy QB last fall.  Not bad.

We’ll be watching the August practice reports closely to see if Griffin has made any improvement with four more months of rehab under his belt.  For now, consider him a solid QB2 with upside.