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*DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - Printable Version

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*DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - GrimmCrackers - 08-18-2023

Now four weeks into the season, the DSFL is now just a little over a quarter of the way through their 14 week regular season. With that in mind, now is the perfect opportunity to stop and take a review of the new class of rookies who have had some opportunity to showcase their talents and potential to become superstars. Going position by position, let’s see which rookies on the offensive side of the ball have become the biggest new standouts in just four weeks.

QB

Season 43 is showcasing a lot of new faces at the quarterback position, with Minnesota, Bondi Beach, and Kansas City all having starting rookie QBs and even the Dallas Birddogs letting their backup rookie QB Christopher Wilson get some real playing time in games.

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Stand Out: Tua TurnDaBallOva MIN

Tua is a unique stand out, as this position doesn’t necessarily have any players having a great start to their career. This should be expected, as the speed of DSFL defenses along with the complexity of the schematics they’re facing is simply on another level from any level of football these quarterbacks have been exposed to up until this point. The growing pains these players are going through right now are a part of the process of becoming “that guy” for their teams like the other DSFL teams have with their more experienced QBs. Tua still deserves the standout recognition however, as he is the only rookie who has truly been given full reigns to run the offense. Tua leads the entire league in pass attempts, and comparing his stats amongst the five QBs in the league to already hit the over 1000 passing yards mark on the season, it’s clear Minnesota his giving him his best shot to run with the big dogs but is simply a step behind at this point in his football career.

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With about ~50 more attempts than Jay Cue III, Tua has only 6 more completions and actually has fewer yards. The two passing leaders in Breezy Jr. and Boudreaux have also both managed more yards and about the same number of completions in 35 and 19 fewer attempts respectively. The 51.4% completion percentage definitely stands out. It's not enough to kill Minnesota, but it’s enough to notice the rookie still has a lot of room for improvement.

What is enough to kill Minnesota, however, is his last name - TurnDaBallOva. While Tua TurnDaBallOva must have the utmost confidence in himself to try and fight destiny by becoming a quarterback despite his name, destiny seems to have another thing coming for him to start his career. With 8 interceptions in 4 games, Tua has double the interceptions of any other QB in the league.

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In addition to having double the interceptions of the next highest QB, and not listed amongst their passing stats, Tua also has double the number of fumbles of the next highest QB with 4 fumbles in 4 games. Now that’s a lot of turnovers! He still has a ways to go if he wants to make history, but he is currently on pace to set the season record for both fumbles and for passing interceptions. Smokin Jay put up a remarkable 27 interceptions 5 seasons ago, but if Tua maintains his pace of 2 interceptions per game then he will manage 28 interceptions in 14 games and beat Smokin Jay’s record by one! As for fumbles, running back Lalu Muhammad Zohri fumbled the ball 12 times some 12 seasons ago - and Tua can beat that by two if he continues his pace of fumbling the ball once a game. Also notable is that Lalu set the record for most fumbles lost in a season in that same season, with his team losing the ball 9 of the 12 times he put it on the ground. All four of the fumbles Tua has lost have been recovered by the opponent, so he is nearly halfway to the season record for fumbles lost. These might seem like difficult numbers to maintain, but if anyone can do it, it’s certainly a guy with the last name TurnDaBallOva.

Honorable Mention: Bondi Beach's Rookie Duo - Austin Gausman/Thor Bǫllrsveifla BBB

While their attempts are low, the rookie duo representing the Buccaneers have put up decent numbers to start their career and are clearly make the most of their limited attempts. The two have better completion percentages compared to their rookie counterparts, and have combined for 6 TDs in their 120 attempts - much better than McRobinson's one touchdown in 100+ attempts or Tua's 5 TDs despite having 65 more attempts than Austin and Thor combined. Austin also reps the best quarterback rating of any of the rookies, with an 89.4 due to his decent completion percentage and decent TD/INT ration of 3-1.

Shaky Start: Lenard McRobinson KCC

Lenard is the only other rookie QB besides Tua to eclipse 100+ passing attempts in the first four weeks of the season, but has only put up about half the yards as Tua, and has a completion percentage below 50%. Other than having fewer interceptions than Tua, Lenard has been performing worse in about every category - including their dismal one passing touchdown in 104 attempts (even backup Christopher Wilson has managed 2 touchdowns in his limited 36 passing attempts across three games he has played).

RB

Surprisingly there are only as many rookie running backs this season as there are QBs. Ivan Ivanov and Joe Bazooka have both stepped into the fire quickly, serving as their team’s go-to workhorses. Meanwhile Maple Dogwood and Marty Crane share the backfield in Dallas as both players are looking to prove themselves worthy of being the first team back. Finally, Dan Sevin is in a clear backup role in Tijuana behind established starter Kyle Bessey.

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Stand Out: Ivan Ivanov MIN

While a lot of the rookie running backs are performing well to start their career, Ivan earns the nod as the only rookie RB with over 300 yards from scrimmage in his first four games. While he has had significantly more opportunity than the other backs, he’s taken decent advantage of that opportunity. In 75 rushing attempts, he has averaged 3.6 yards per carry, just enough to earn a first down in three plays and about the minimum of what you want to see from your workhorse back. Additionally, he is one of the few rookie RBs significantly assisting in the passing game. With no fumbles, two touchdowns, and almost 100 more yards rushing than the next highest rookie RB, Ivan Ivanov is clearly the standout rookie running back to start the year.

Honorable Mention: Dallas’ Rookie Duo - Maple Dogwood/Marty Crane DAL

While each of these players has been given a significantly smaller role than rookies Ivanov or Bazooka, they are making the most of their opportunity. With the highest averages per run, Crane and Dogwood are gashing defenses for significant yardage. Additionally, they are the only two rookie RBs to prove they’re capable of the homerun ball. None of the other rookie running backs have managed even a 20+ yard run, meanwhile both Crane and Dogwood have broken off a 50+ yard run. Marty Crane also has proven to be a threat in the passing game, breaking off a 50+ yard reception as well. Some people may credit their success to being on the Dallas Birddogs, a talented team and the only remaining undefeated team in the DSFL, you still have to tip your hat to what these young rookies have accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Shaky Start: Dan Sevin TIJ

While Dan Sevin isn’t doing especially poorly by any means, he is unfortunately the sole rookie running back to have a fumble on the season in their first four games- and in the fewest attempts of any of the rookies. While everyone will fumble at some point in their career, it’s hardest at this point when there hasn’t been any trust built up yet especially considering the context of this fumble. With only 10:30 left to go in the fourth quarter, Tijuana was up 31-16 against the (at the time) undefeated Portland Pythons. With a first and ten at midfield, Dan Sevin fumbled the ball giving Portland momentum and a short field to work with. Portland quickly cashed in, making the game a one score game, 31-23 with just under 9 minutes to go in the game. Tijuana did their best to hold on, but gave up another score with 48 seconds left to go. Luckily they stopped the two point conversion and won the game 31-29, but you can bet that the running backs’ coach is not going to let Dan forget about that fumble and the fact it could have helped contribute to an embarrassing comeback loss. While Dan will continue to get his chances here and there as Kyle Bessey needs to come out for rest, you have to imagine that mistake will make the team consider twice whether they should give the ball to him in key, high-pressure situation


WR

Finally a significant group of rookies and a lot of talent to consider. With 11 wide receivers, there are more rookie WRs than quarterbacks and running backs combined. As such, there were a lot of notable candidates for the named spots of Stand Out, Honorable Mention, and Shaky Start, and some significant players won’t be a part of this particular discussion despite being standouts in their own right. Without further ado, here are the receiving stats for all 11 rookie WRs.

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Stand Out: Orange Julius LON

It should come as no surprise that the first overall pick of the S43 Draft is also the stand out player for their position group. With 392 yards across 4 games, OJ is averaging 98 yards per game or almost the full century mark. That is extremely impressive, enough to be amongst the top five yard earning receivers in the league, and with only 20 catches to his name in those four games. It’s also a mark that helps him lead his team in receiving yards, the only other rookie besides Tiki Barber to currently lead his team in that category (which it should also be noted that Kansas City has by far the worst passing offense in the league by a significant margin, with OJ’s team in the Royals having nearly double the total yards passing despite being fifth overall in the league). While he does already have a few drops and a fumble, expect Orange Julius to continue to lead this impressive rookie class of WRs in terms of both receiving yards and overall team impact.

Honorable Mention: Mattrim Cauthon POR

Well deserving of the honorable mention is Mattrim Cauthon, who has managed a surprising 4 touchdowns in four games despite having only 8 catches. That’s double Orange Julius’ number of touchdowns, who is tied in second with multiple other rookie receivers having two touchdowns in their first four games. His only real difficulty right now is being in a deep receiver room, with two experienced receivers ahead of him on the roster, and second round pick Jordan Bamford also competing with him for targets. All the same, with only one drop, no fumbles, and the highest average yards per catch of any rookie receiver, it is clear that Mattrim makes the most out of every snap and opportunity on the field that they get.

Shaky Start: Jarad Marshall KCC

Playing for the team with the worst passing offense in the league by a significant margin is certainly not going to help any receiver’s stats. The shaky start from Lenard McRobinson stands on its own. With that said, it seems Jarad Marshall is still doing all he can to be a significant contributor to the continued team effort to keep their passing game so abysmal. With 16 catches and 5 drops, Jarad is dropping about one pass per three catches he’s making. Furthermore, he has only managed 131 yards receiving from those 16 catches, barely above 8 yards per catch and one of the lowest numbers of any WR in the league. With a fumble as the cherry on top, Jarad has a long ways to go to becoming the next star receiver.

TE

Another significant group of rookies, there are a total of ten tight ends coming into the league in the first year. Tight end is an especially difficult position to evaluate early in a player’s career. They are expected to both understand blocking schemes and route trees, in addition to actually having the physical tangibles and technical skills to be able to both block and run and catch. With that said, certain tight ends specialize in side of their role more than the other and may have more success early on because of it.

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Stand Out: Kieran Kovalev DAL

Kieran Kovalev gets the nod as my rookie standout tight end due to his quick impact in both receiving and blocking. The only rookie TE to eclipse double digit pancakes so far, he has more than double the number of pancakes as the next highest TE. In addition to that impressive blocking, Kieran has pulled in 14 catches, two of which he took for a touchdown. That ties him with Thomas Passarelli for the most TDs by a TE this season (even including the non rookies).

Honorable Mention: Thomas Passarelli BBB

While Thomas Passarelli is not a blocking tight end by any means, he gets a pass(arelli) on that missing piece in his game due to his immediate impact as a receiver. As mentioned previously, he is one of only two TEs to already catch two touchdowns but he also has the longest reception of any TE and is the only TE to average over 10 yards per catch. Even without being much of a blocker, Passarelli is a great addition to his team due to the threat and mismatch he creates against whichever sorry safety or linebacker has to try and cover him.

Shaky Start: Jelani Avant LON

While a number of tight ends probably had equal claim to this title, I mainly gave it to Jelani Avant due to the fact he is one of the limited tight ends who is their team’s only TE. Other rookies Rip Torn and Kieran Kovalev also are stuck being the sole TE their team relies on, but both of them have stepped up to the plate for their team. Unfortunately Jelani has struggled to be the go-to guy, only managing 11 catches and no touchdowns despite being the only TE target in the passing game. He should have plenty of opportunity to prove this is just a shaky start, and that he really does have what it takes to be the starting TE, but time will tell.

Offensive Line

Amongst the eight rookie offensive lineman new to the league, there are six tackles and only one guard and one center. While it’s not necessarily fair to compare the play of a tackle directly to the play of a center, the offensive line doesn’t have much stats to go on as it is, and obviously there are no other centers or guards to compare the lone rookies to for those positions.

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Stand Out: Biggie Fast BBB

Fast earns the stand out spot for having the stand out number of pancakes, at 14. While this is a respectable number for a rookie, it should be noted that the current DSFL league leader has 28 pancakes. When it comes to the big boys up front, it takes time to grow into the role. You need to develop chemistry with your linemates, and there is only so much you can expect from a rookie. With that said, Biggie Fast is out to a fast start in his rookie season.

Honorable Mention: LeBlockus Brickwall LON

I flipped a coin between Moonwolff von Doomovic and LeBlockus Brickwall and unfortunately for Moonwolff, tails never fails and Brickwall gets the nod for honorable mention with his 12 pancakes and 0 sacks allowed. Brickwall also deserves this honorable mention for arguably the best name an offensive lineman could have. If he can manage to perform to the level of a legitimate brick wall on the field, then he might have a chance to be the best lineman this league has ever seen.

Shaky Start: Paul McLaughlin BBB

Last and potentially least, Paul McLaughlin. Playing besides two solid lineman in Biggie Fast and Perfect Buchype, you would expect Paul to be lifted by the exceptional play around him. Instead, he has struggled to keep up with the play of his linemates. Already having one sack allowed in his first four games, and still not at double digit pancakes yet, Paul will need to pick it up if he wants to stay on one of the better offensive lines in the DSFL.


All in all, there is clearly a big influx of new and young talent to watch out for on offense in the DSFL. Stay tuned for the next part of this series in which we take a closer look at the stand out defensive players!

RE: DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - wizard_literal - 08-18-2023

We can blame @zaynzk for TurnDaBallOva issues with turning the ball over.

RE: DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - Tmoney6996 - 08-18-2023

Incredible write-up. No notes

RE: DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - UberBJ - 08-18-2023

(08-18-2023, 11:40 AM)wizard_literal Wrote: We can blame @zaynzk for TurnDaBallOva issues with turning the ball over.
FTFY

RE: DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - wizard_literal - 08-18-2023

(08-18-2023, 12:57 PM)UberBJ Wrote:
(08-18-2023, 11:40 AM)wizard_literal Wrote: We can blame @zaynzk for TurnDaBallOva issues with turning the ball over.
FTFY

yes

RE: DSFL Early Season Offensive Rookie Standouts - OrangeJulius - 08-18-2023

Totally agree, excellent job. Unreal that Koralev has 16 pancakes so far