Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Starks lost- What it means to Bulls
12:18 PM | 
Posted by
Nick Mendola
So James Starks' dream hometown college career is over thanks to a shoulder injury, and you have to feel for the senior out of Niagara Falls. The good news is the shoulder will heal, and while he likely won't remain a 2nd or 3rd round discussion item, the kid has the goods to play in the league. Heck, he's only been a feature back for three years -- granted the kid ran well as quarterback for NFHS.
But what's more interesting is how all of the sudden there's a question for Turner Gill, who has made find after find in upping the talent level and depth at UB during his tenure as head coach -- has he unearthed another gem to brighten the Starks-less backfield?
We'll find out once the season starts Sept. 5 at UTEP, but as to whether the Bulls will be still be able to effectively run the football with the Doak Walker Watch List member, all signs point to yes. Both senior Mario Henry and junior Brandon Thermilus have topped 100 yards in a game during their time in Amherst, and each player had games where their production gave Gill no choice but to keep Starks on the sideline more plays than he would've predicted.
The Bulls don't have a ton of experience beytond those two, and that's where Gill's recruiting touch will have to have been as deft as ever. Besides junior Ike Nduka, whose play has mostly been on special teams, the Bulls have Euclid big body Jeffvon Gill, who is close to six-foot and already over 220 pounds as a freshman, and 5'8" Miami speedster Branden Oliver, another freshman who happens to be a cousin of Roscoe Parrish.
Oliver was rated a three-star recruit (5.5) by Rivals.com, while Gill was two stars (4.9). UB also has Chatauqua native Josh Fuller, a freshman who played his high school ball at Mayville.
Luckily for the opener, the Bulls can look to the previous success of Thermilus, the bruising back who gained 102 yards last year against UTEP. Whether it'll be him, Henry or another will have to be discovered soon, or the legs of quarterback Zach Maynard may have to be a bigger factor than the fondest of fans had planned.
On a side note, this is obviously a crushing blow for Starks, a good kid who had it all lined up right for 2009. Here's to full healing and success at the next level, whether it's the NFL or the profession he trained for at UB.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
But what's more interesting is how all of the sudden there's a question for Turner Gill, who has made find after find in upping the talent level and depth at UB during his tenure as head coach -- has he unearthed another gem to brighten the Starks-less backfield?
We'll find out once the season starts Sept. 5 at UTEP, but as to whether the Bulls will be still be able to effectively run the football with the Doak Walker Watch List member, all signs point to yes. Both senior Mario Henry and junior Brandon Thermilus have topped 100 yards in a game during their time in Amherst, and each player had games where their production gave Gill no choice but to keep Starks on the sideline more plays than he would've predicted.
The Bulls don't have a ton of experience beytond those two, and that's where Gill's recruiting touch will have to have been as deft as ever. Besides junior Ike Nduka, whose play has mostly been on special teams, the Bulls have Euclid big body Jeffvon Gill, who is close to six-foot and already over 220 pounds as a freshman, and 5'8" Miami speedster Branden Oliver, another freshman who happens to be a cousin of Roscoe Parrish.
Oliver was rated a three-star recruit (5.5) by Rivals.com, while Gill was two stars (4.9). UB also has Chatauqua native Josh Fuller, a freshman who played his high school ball at Mayville.
Luckily for the opener, the Bulls can look to the previous success of Thermilus, the bruising back who gained 102 yards last year against UTEP. Whether it'll be him, Henry or another will have to be discovered soon, or the legs of quarterback Zach Maynard may have to be a bigger factor than the fondest of fans had planned.
On a side note, this is obviously a crushing blow for Starks, a good kid who had it all lined up right for 2009. Here's to full healing and success at the next level, whether it's the NFL or the profession he trained for at UB.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
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