Cast of Characters

QB – G.J. Kinne (junior-2010)
QB - Shavodrick Beaver (sophomore)

HB – Charles Clay (senior)
RB - Alex Singleton (sophomore)
RB - Jamad Williams (senior)

WR – Damaris Johnson (junior)
WR – Trae Johnson (senior)
WR – A.J. Whitmore (senior)
WR - Jameel Owens (sophomore)
WR – Ricky Johnson (sophomore)
WR – Justin Skillens (sophomore)


What’s the Scoop?

The Tulsa offense ranked at or near the top of all the national stats in 2007 and 2008, but fell off the map (for them) last fall, ranking 35th in total offense.  This dip in production raised a red flag with head coach Todd Graham, so he went out and hired Lake Travis High coach Chad Morris to help Herb Hand as a co-offensive coordinator. Morris also will coach quarterbacks, which is good news for G.J. Kinne.

The problems last fall started with a young offensive line that gave up a whopping 3.83 sacks per game (118th in the nation).  Four of the five o-line starters were freshman or sophomores.  The Golden Hurricane are going to have to shore up the line if G.J. Kinne is going to bring this offense back to the glory days of ‘07 and ‘08.  With a year of experience under their belt (64 career starts among them which ranks 68th in the country), and with coach Herb Hand being able to focus more of his time with this unit, they should improve this season.


Who’s Gone?

WR Slick Shelley (29 catches, 511 yards, four touchdowns) graduates. 
Backup QB Jacob Bower has transferred out of the program.


Who’s Back?

This is the first time in several years we don’t head into August camp with a quarterback controversy at Tulsa. G.J. Kinne is the clear cut starter.  In addition to throwing for 2,700 yards and 22 TDs in 2009, he led the team in rushing with 399 yards and 5 scores.  The rushing stats are remarkable when you consider he was running for his life most of the time (sack yardage is subtracted from rushing yardage in college ball).  With a better o-line, nearly all of his skill position players returning, and no QB controversy to deal with, Kinne could be in for a big season.

If Kinne were to go down to injury, Shavodrick Beaver would become a red hot waiver wire pick up.  This uber-recruit is more of a dual threat than Kinne and could really do some damage if given the chance.

RB Charles Clay was one of the more disappointing fantasy performers last fall.  After being dubbed Tulsa’s workhorse RB in 2009 spring ball, he only wound up carrying the ball 63 times on the season (63-236-7).  He also came up short (by his standards) in the receiving game, catching 39 balls for 530 yards and 5 TDs.  If you add it all up, he accumulated 766 total yards and 12 TDs on the year, falling short of expectations.

RB’s Alex Singleton and Jamad Williams figure to play a major role in the rushing game.  Williams led all RBs in attempts last fall (101).  Singleton was a prized recruit from 2009 who has waited him turn and could make a splash this fall.  The presence of this duo likely means Charles Clay will (once again) stick more to receiving the ball than toting it.

If you're looking for a wildcard in the backfield, Derrick Hall fits the bill.  He is a JUCO transfer (originally signed with Texas A&M) who Phil Steele tabs as TU's starting tailback this fall.

WR Damaris Johnson was the team’s biggest offensive threat last season, touching the ball 104 times for 1,306 yards and 3 TDs.  He’s also an excellent kick returner.  If DJ can get into the endzone more often in 2010, he could become a Top 10 fantasy WR.

WR Trae Johnson is a bit of an enigma.  After an outstanding freshman year (70 catches, 1,088 yards, 13 TDs), Johnson has been a missing man in this offense.  In the last two years, he totaled only 42 catches.  Can he get back into the fold this year?  The potential is certainly there.

There are high hopes for wide receiver Jameel Owens, a transfer from Oklahoma who is eligible to play this fall.  He will push for immediate playing time.

A.J. Whitmore, Ricky Johnson and Justin Skillens all have the ability to step up and make a contribution this fall.  And don’t be surprised if one significantly outperforms expectations.


If Your Fantasy Draft was Today...

G.J. Kinne and Darius Johnson will both enter the 2010 season as highly regarded fantasy options, but due to failed expectations a year ago, might be slightly undervalued this year.  Kinne is likely to be taken as the 10th-15th quarterback off the board on draft day (in All-120 formats).  But his value is Top 6-10 in our opinion.

Darius Johnson will be considered a WR2 by most this fall, and deservedly so.  He holds more value in leagues that reward special team return TDs. 

Expect owners to be extremely leery of Charles Clay this fall after he burned drafters last year.  He will likely go in the back half of most All-120 league drafts, maybe a tad higher in PPR formats.  He is worth stashing away in the late rounds and hoping he has a big rebound year.  It's certainly possible.

Kevin Fitzpatrick is a decent kicking option.  He'll worth consideration as a backup kicker in most league formats.

We would advise steering clear of all the other Golden Hurricanes on draft day, unless you’re in a mega-deep league or just enjoy taking wild stabs in the dark. But if you want to roll the dice, put your money on Jameel Owens.