The offensive rookie of the year is already proving to be a hard fought competition, but there is starting to be a few players who are pulling ahead of the pack with exceptional first year performances in the first five weeks of competition. Today we're going to be looking over a couple of these players and explaining the argument they have for offensive rookie of the year. Enjoy.
Antonio Summer - Running Back
Yards: 252 Rushing, 345 Receiving
Touchdowns: 1 Rushing, 1 Receiving
YPC: 4.7 Rushing, 18.2 Receiving
So far this year Summer is running away as the front man in the race OROTY. His duel threat performance is something we didn't get to see from him during his time with the Portland Pythons where he focused a lot more on his hard rushing and was an absolute workhorse for his team. Summer ahs posted just 600 net yards this season 2 touchdowns, with only one offensive player (apart from quarterbacks) currently posting a net yard total. He's leading the NSFL's receiving back corps in yards, eclipsing the number already set by legendary duel threat Owen Taylor and solid fullback Ricky Adams and thus far is leading his team in receiving yards, barely passing by veteran tight end Glen McPoyal who is currently 36 yards back. Summer is mostly in the running due the fact that his numbers are not only good, but they are game changing for his team and are tipping the balance to keep Yellowknife in the green, and in the running for a playoff spot this season.
John Canton - Running Back
Yards: 574 Rushing, 37 Receiving
Touchdowns: 5 Rushing, 0 Receiving
YPC: 4.1 Rushing, 4.6 Recieving
Canton is in a similar situation to Summer this season, but his on field contributions will be more the likes of last season's top rookie, Marquise Brown. Canton is a hugely talented running back who is running the field in San Jose so far this year, and while his team is sitting at an unfortunate record of 0-5 currently, much of the onus for that can be placed on the team being forced to rely so heavily on a young quarterback who hasn't quite had the time he needs to develop in the minors. Because of this Canton will be getting a lot of balls this season as he currently sits in second league wide for rushing yard, and over two hundred yards ahead of the next best rookie (Thomas Carrasco). One major part of Canton's game is his ability to punch in the touchdown which we have seen again and again as San Jose strives to keep themselves in the game with point scoring. His five touchdowns so far will be essential towards his continued development with the Sabercats.
Josh Parker - Wide Receiver
Yards: 254 Receiving
Touchdowns: 4 Receiving
YPC: 12.7 Receiving
While Josh Parker might look like an outlier to a lot of people for this conversation right now, he's definitely someone you can't overlook. Yellowknife is currently very reliant on their unit of a run team to be strong on offense, but with an underdeveloped Brad Pennington at quarterback they aren't looking strong enough in their receiving game to be competitive. To combat that, the Wraiths called up rookie receiver Josh Parker who will play a massive part of reviving their air game alongside fellow rookie Antonio Summer in what the Wraiths hope to turn into one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Parker has been a monster for the Wraiths so far, posting very commendable statistics for a rookie including over 250 yards and a huge 4 touchdowns, both of which will only continue to grow through the season as he heads towards a predicted final stat line of 750 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Thomas Carrasco - Running Back
Yards: 345 Rushing, 40 Receiving
Touchdowns: 2 Rushing, 0 Receiving
YPC: 4.0 Rushing, 5.0 Receiving
Carrasco is an exceptional running back talent and is one of the pieces that the Yellowknife Wraiths are hoping to develop into a star offense in a few seasons. He's been the main plug back for the Wraiths early on this year, playing a massive role in their continued ability to be strong on both the ground and air game. He currently sits at the second highest of all rookies in rushing yards and is a hundred yards ahead of his nearest competition at number three (team mate Antonio Summer). While he is mostly focused on the run game for now, there is a good chance that we see Carrasco pick up his hands later in his career and play a similar role to Summer as a duel threat but with Carrasco being more valuable to the team inside the red zone. Obviously where it stands right now that receiving game isn't quite there, but with a much smaller volume of balls that can come to be expected.
Adriana Falconi - Quarterback
Yards: 991 Passing, 7 Rushing
Touchdowns: 7 Passing, 1 Rushing
YPC: 10.1 Passing, 1.8 Rushing
Interceptions: 8 Passing
Percentage: 57.6%
Rating: 68.5
Adriana Falconi is a name that we have been preparing to hear on the field on the field for the Philadelphia Liberty for a few season now, and she is one of the premier passing quarterbacks in the league on the come up. With a similar pocket passing skill set to great player of the past like Mike Boss and Avon Blocksdale she is well on her way to becoming one of the top players in league history, but so far this rookie campaign has not been a good one. The Liberty are very reliant on their rushing game still, with Marquise Brown being hugely valuable and Achilles Hondo playing a role as both a blocker and a rusher himself, but they possess some key receiving talent that will continue to develop such as Carter Bush, Felix Hasslehof, and Jordon von Matt. As these players continue to grow, Falconi will find her numbers jump dramatically and the Liberty will start to be a team that is in the running for the playoffs soon enough.
So as you can see, this rookie class is loaded with offensive talent that has a ton of potential to be great players, and will really change the game as we see it. With some great dynamic pieces in Yellowknife, a plug back in San Jose, and a solid generational quarterback in Philadelphia, the future is bright for the offensive up and coming stars of the National Simulation Football League.
Antonio Summer - Running Back
Yards: 252 Rushing, 345 Receiving
Touchdowns: 1 Rushing, 1 Receiving
YPC: 4.7 Rushing, 18.2 Receiving
So far this year Summer is running away as the front man in the race OROTY. His duel threat performance is something we didn't get to see from him during his time with the Portland Pythons where he focused a lot more on his hard rushing and was an absolute workhorse for his team. Summer ahs posted just 600 net yards this season 2 touchdowns, with only one offensive player (apart from quarterbacks) currently posting a net yard total. He's leading the NSFL's receiving back corps in yards, eclipsing the number already set by legendary duel threat Owen Taylor and solid fullback Ricky Adams and thus far is leading his team in receiving yards, barely passing by veteran tight end Glen McPoyal who is currently 36 yards back. Summer is mostly in the running due the fact that his numbers are not only good, but they are game changing for his team and are tipping the balance to keep Yellowknife in the green, and in the running for a playoff spot this season.
John Canton - Running Back
Yards: 574 Rushing, 37 Receiving
Touchdowns: 5 Rushing, 0 Receiving
YPC: 4.1 Rushing, 4.6 Recieving
Canton is in a similar situation to Summer this season, but his on field contributions will be more the likes of last season's top rookie, Marquise Brown. Canton is a hugely talented running back who is running the field in San Jose so far this year, and while his team is sitting at an unfortunate record of 0-5 currently, much of the onus for that can be placed on the team being forced to rely so heavily on a young quarterback who hasn't quite had the time he needs to develop in the minors. Because of this Canton will be getting a lot of balls this season as he currently sits in second league wide for rushing yard, and over two hundred yards ahead of the next best rookie (Thomas Carrasco). One major part of Canton's game is his ability to punch in the touchdown which we have seen again and again as San Jose strives to keep themselves in the game with point scoring. His five touchdowns so far will be essential towards his continued development with the Sabercats.
Josh Parker - Wide Receiver
Yards: 254 Receiving
Touchdowns: 4 Receiving
YPC: 12.7 Receiving
While Josh Parker might look like an outlier to a lot of people for this conversation right now, he's definitely someone you can't overlook. Yellowknife is currently very reliant on their unit of a run team to be strong on offense, but with an underdeveloped Brad Pennington at quarterback they aren't looking strong enough in their receiving game to be competitive. To combat that, the Wraiths called up rookie receiver Josh Parker who will play a massive part of reviving their air game alongside fellow rookie Antonio Summer in what the Wraiths hope to turn into one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Parker has been a monster for the Wraiths so far, posting very commendable statistics for a rookie including over 250 yards and a huge 4 touchdowns, both of which will only continue to grow through the season as he heads towards a predicted final stat line of 750 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Thomas Carrasco - Running Back
Yards: 345 Rushing, 40 Receiving
Touchdowns: 2 Rushing, 0 Receiving
YPC: 4.0 Rushing, 5.0 Receiving
Carrasco is an exceptional running back talent and is one of the pieces that the Yellowknife Wraiths are hoping to develop into a star offense in a few seasons. He's been the main plug back for the Wraiths early on this year, playing a massive role in their continued ability to be strong on both the ground and air game. He currently sits at the second highest of all rookies in rushing yards and is a hundred yards ahead of his nearest competition at number three (team mate Antonio Summer). While he is mostly focused on the run game for now, there is a good chance that we see Carrasco pick up his hands later in his career and play a similar role to Summer as a duel threat but with Carrasco being more valuable to the team inside the red zone. Obviously where it stands right now that receiving game isn't quite there, but with a much smaller volume of balls that can come to be expected.
Adriana Falconi - Quarterback
Yards: 991 Passing, 7 Rushing
Touchdowns: 7 Passing, 1 Rushing
YPC: 10.1 Passing, 1.8 Rushing
Interceptions: 8 Passing
Percentage: 57.6%
Rating: 68.5
Adriana Falconi is a name that we have been preparing to hear on the field on the field for the Philadelphia Liberty for a few season now, and she is one of the premier passing quarterbacks in the league on the come up. With a similar pocket passing skill set to great player of the past like Mike Boss and Avon Blocksdale she is well on her way to becoming one of the top players in league history, but so far this rookie campaign has not been a good one. The Liberty are very reliant on their rushing game still, with Marquise Brown being hugely valuable and Achilles Hondo playing a role as both a blocker and a rusher himself, but they possess some key receiving talent that will continue to develop such as Carter Bush, Felix Hasslehof, and Jordon von Matt. As these players continue to grow, Falconi will find her numbers jump dramatically and the Liberty will start to be a team that is in the running for the playoffs soon enough.
So as you can see, this rookie class is loaded with offensive talent that has a ton of potential to be great players, and will really change the game as we see it. With some great dynamic pieces in Yellowknife, a plug back in San Jose, and a solid generational quarterback in Philadelphia, the future is bright for the offensive up and coming stars of the National Simulation Football League.