Troy Trojans Football

HEIGHT: 5'8"

WEIGHT: 213

HAND: 9⅜"

ARM: 30⅜"

WINGSPAN: 73¼"

---

40-YARD DASH: 4.46

3-CONE: 7.01

SHUTTLE: 4.15

VERTICAL: 37.5"

BROAD: 10'0"

---

POSITIVES

— Stout frame. Well-built to handle contact and a heavy workload despite being short.

— Plays with good balance and leg drive. Consistently maintains forward movement through contact and squeezes out extra yards.

— Good north-south burst, especially to and through the line of scrimmage.

— Has the speed and burst to effectively bounce broken plays to the perimeter.

---

NEGATIVES

— Missing lateral agility. Does not have the explosion for huge jump cuts.

— Change of direction and flexibility is average at best. Looks stiff in the hips at times.

— Could stand to be a more commanding runner. Has the physical traits, but needs to run with more steam and confidence between the tackles.

---

2023 STATISTICS

— 14 G, 297 ATT, 1,661 YDS (5.6 AVG), 14 TD; 18 REC, 201 YDS (11.2 AVG), 1 TD

---

NOTES

— Born Aug. 28, 2001

— 3-star recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Two-year starter

— 2022 second-team All-Sun Belt; 2023 first-team All-Sun Belt; 2023 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year

— Attended 2024 Senior Bowl

---

OVERALL

Kimani Vidal is a short, stout running back with enough juice to be a productive runner in the NFL.

Vidal is built like a bowling ball at 5'8" and 213 pounds. He plays with the kind of strength and balance you would expect of that build.

Vidal does well to keep his legs moving through contact. At worst, it earns him a few extra yards as he falls forward. At best, Vidal breaks through one tackle before needing to be brought down by a slew of defenders at once.

Vidal also brings speed and north-south burst. That shows up best when he bounces plays to the perimeter. The instant Vidal goes wide and needs to accelerate to the sideline, he kicks into a different gear and reliably outruns tackling angles. Vidal shows that same burst when it comes time to turn the corner and head upfield.

Of the two traits, Vidal leans more into his burst, for better or worse. He is not a commanding or consistent runner between the tackles yet. Vidal too often shows slow feet and a bit of hesitation to hit the hole. He is more comfortable when he can break the play and get loose.

Vidal also lacks lateral agility and fluidity of movement. He is a relatively stiff, upright runner. Vidal struggles to make explosive cuts both at the line of scrimmage and in space. He can also struggle to weave through tight spaces where sharp change of direction is necessary.

Vidal will need to find more consistency between the tackles in the NFL, but there's a role for him in the pros. Vidal's explosive profile combined with his thick frame and balance makes him a good ball of clay for an NFL running backs coach.

---

GRADE: 5.9 (Backup/Draftable - 6th/7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 175

POSITION RANK: RB11

PRO COMPARISON: Jaylen Warren

---

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'0¾"

WEIGHT: 247

HAND: 10⅝"

ARM: 33¾"

WINGSPAN: 80"

---

40-YARD DASH: 4.85

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 31.5"

BROAD: 9'1"

---

POSITIVES

— Accelerates off the line of scrimmage well out of a two-point stance.

— Sets up his pass-rush moves well by getting to square and/or using a Eurostep.

— Impressive use of hands as a pass-rusher, showing the ability to win with a cross chop and hand swipe while also playing the offensive tackle's hands well after contact.

— Has good bend and angles as a pass-rusher to take advantage of a short corner.

— Physical and not afraid to throw his body around as a run defender.

---

NEGATIVES

— Short for an NFL edge.

— Stands up when working out of a three-point stance.

— Often gets caught with his hands down at the point of attack against the run.

— Gets collapsed inside by down blocks from tight ends.

---

2023 STATISTICS

— 14 G, 56 TOT, 16.0 SK, 18.0 TFL, 3 FF, 2 FR

---

NOTES

— Born Jan. 17, 2001

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— Injuries: 2022 (Undisclosed, missed spring and summer practices), 2023, (Undisclosed, missed spring practices)

---

OVERALL

Javon Solomon is an intriguing pass-rusher who was highly productive in college with 33 sacks over the last four years. Thanks to his good use of hands and solid athleticism, he's shown a handful of moves that he can win with and impressive bend to turn a tight corner.

However, Solomon will likely struggle as a run defender in the NFL. He had a hard time holding his ground in the Sun Belt conference, and he's already fairly full-framed. The latter is part of where his lack of height comes into play, meaning he doesn't have much room for growth and already weighs close to 250 pounds.

With that being said, the former Trojan does have long arms, especially at his height. Overall, he'd be a good fit as a standup outside linebacker who can contribute on passing downs.

---

GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 149

POSITION RANK: EDGE16

PRO COMPARISON: Dennis Gardeck

---

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Former Troy Trojans defensive back Nathan Harris may be gone, but he's not forgotten.

In April 2016, Harris was killed in a motorcycle crash. Troy coach Neal Brown issued a heartfelt statement at the time of the player's death:

"Nate was a tremendous person and a very caring young man. While his time here at Troy University was brief, his impact was felt by many. He was loved by his teammates and had a positive effect on our team's culture in a short time."

In the 2017 season, the Trojans were Sun Belt Conference co-champs with an 11-2 (7-1) record. Not only that, but they capped off a strong season with a victory over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl, and Brown decided Harris deserved a championship ring:

Troy HC Neal Brown sends championship ring to parents of player who was killed two years ago in a motorcycle accident (via @coachblackmon): https://t.co/AuD881jg68 pic.twitter.com/dALjEQYxu0

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) July 14, 2018

What a classy gesture.

Nathan Harris, a freshman safety for the Troy Trojans, died Saturday at the age of 19 following a motorcycle accident in Gulf Shores, Alabama, according to NBC Sports' John Taylor.

"This is an unthinkable tragedy, and the thoughts and prayers of the Troy Athletics Department and the Troy University community are with Nathan’s family and friends," Troy athletic director Jeremy McClain said in a statement. "It is devastating to see a young life end in such a heartbreaking way, and we will provide support and comfort for his teammates, friends and coaches as they go through the grieving process."

According to WALA-TV's Mike Brantley, Harris starred at Gulf Shores High School before he walked on to the team at Troy.

"He has gone to live with God," Harris' high school coach, Ben Blackmon, said, per Brantley. "We are struggling here."

Blackmon told AL.com's Erin Edgemon that Harris was twice voted "man of character" by his teammates at Gulf Shores High School.

"Nate was a tremendous person and a very caring young man," Troy football head coach Neal Brown said, per the team's release. "While his time here at Troy University was brief, his impact was felt by many. He was loved by his teammates and had a positive effect on our team's culture in a short time."

College football is here again—believe it or not—and with it brings back my weekly edition of picking a wild, off-the-radar upset within the college football universe.

If you’re unfamiliar with how I do this, I try to avoid trendy picks while also making sure I pick a legitimate upset. Last year, I managed to get two right (Texas A&M over Oklahoma and Kentucky over South Carolina) and missed several picks rather badly. That’s okay, though. I’m not expecting to get every single pick right. I will, however, shoot for four correctly picked upsets this season.

After a rather tumultuous offseason, it’s nice to finally get back to the field. College football’s image continues to take a beating with all the scandals, cheating, violations, etc., so hopefully 2011 will bring some life to the game.

Who will it be in week one?

Troy Trojans over the Clemson Tigers.
The Line: Clemson -16
Time: 2:30, CST

There’s a chance Dabo Swinney won’t be resting easier come Saturday night.

Clemson is coming off a disappointing 6-7 season under Swinney, who is entering his fourth season as head coach for the Tigers. Swinney is certainly on the hot seat and the pressure is at its peak to do well this year. The expectations are always high in Clemson, and his squad is expected to compete with Florida State for the ACC Atlantic Division. While a loss to Troy wouldn’t hinder those hopes, it would be a huge blow to Swinney’s job security.

Troy has proven that they can hang with the bigger programs under coach Larry Blakeney, who has been with the program since 1991. Last season, they lost by three at Oklahoma State. In 2008, they led LSU 28-3 at the half only to have a meltdown in the 4th quarter and eventually lose the game. They have come close on several occasions, but have failed to get the big win.

The Trojans have a few things working in their favor against Clemson:

• Solid offense
• Experience at quarterback
• Day Game

Sophomore quarterback, Corey Robinson, returns to head a passing attack that saw him throw for 3,700 yards as a freshman. Troy wasn’t just a one-dimensional offense, though. Not only did they have an effective passing game, but they were productive on the ground as well—ranking 56th in the NCAA with an average of 156.6 yards per game. The Trojans had no problem scoring last season, averaging 34.1 points per game. Troy only failed to post 28 points in a game two times last season, though I’ll admit that the level of competition is not as steep in the Sun Belt Conference.

There are a lot of question marks surrounding Clemson’s offense coming into the 2011 season. The Tigers’ offense struggled last season and it doesn’t seem to be trending in the right direction. They lost their seasoned quarterback, Kyle Parker, to baseball, and their leading rusher, Jamie Harper, to the NFL.

First-year starting quarterback, Tajh Boyd, will guide the Tigers’ offense in 2011 and he’s expected to lead them to an ACC title. No biggie, right? Boyd is no slouch; he’s athletic and has a strong arm, but he lacks experience, which is especially important at his position. Troy’s strong defensive line will put Boyd’s decision-making to the test and force a turnover or two.

Troy has produced some NFL-caliber trench warriors (Osi Umenyiora, Demarcus Ware) in the past and last year was no different for them. Defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi, anchored a line that ranked 5th in the NCAA with an average of 3.08 sacks per game. Massaquoi was 3rd on the team in tackles (76), 9th in the country in tackles for loss (1.58 per game), and tied for 3rd in the NCAA with 13.5 sacks last season. I expect Massaquoi to have a strong game, as well as the rest of Troy’s defensive line.

Teams usually have a lot of kinks to work out in the first week, and neither of these teams will be immune to that. The Trojans aren’t necessarily athletically superior to the Clemson Tigers, but they are likely to be a handful since they are returning most of their starters from last season.

Troy gets the added benefit of not playing under the lights in Death Valley and stuns Clemson—winning 38-35.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box below. You can e-mail me suggestions or questions at jtmcadams@aol.com. Follow me on Twitter @JoeSportswriter and vist my blog on WordPress.

The Sun Belt conference is made up of two parts, football members and non-football members.  Unlike the Big East, which could really be two separate conferences due to that split, the Sun Belt could not. 

In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if the conference were made up of football-playing institutions only in the very near future. 

Of the non-football members, South Alabama, who has been a member since 1976, will be upgrading to be a full member including football. 

The University of Denver is leaving the conference to join the WAC.  Arkansas-Little Rock is the only school that does not have a football team. 

The Sun Belt is greatly regarded as the weakest FBS conference but with the recent raid of the WAC by the Mountain West, I think the Sun Belt may have moved up a notch in the pecking order. 

The conference has actually had quite a bit of in and out from various institutions.  Schools like Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Utah State, and New Mexico State were all recent members.  They left for what was at the time an upgrade to the WAC. 

Recently, the Sun Belt has made it known that they are entertaining the idea of adding another member. 

They have stated that they would only add a school with an established FBS-level program.  The other part of the criteria is that any new member must be within the geographic footprint of the conference. 

I honestly can’t see a Conference USA school wanting to leave that conference for the Sun Belt.  There is a small chance that a school that is constantly at the bottom of that Conference might entertain an invite if they feel they could be more competitive. 

A team such as Rice or Tulane could possibly do better in the Sun Belt than they do in Conference USA, but are wins worth what might be viewed as a step down?

The Mountain West has really only one candidate in New Mexico but I think that they, too, would view this as a step down. 

The MAC isn’t really a candidate due to their location. Western Kentucky puts them somewhat close but even the southern-most MAC schools are a bit far. 

The WAC has been raided and has always had an outlier in Louisiana Tech, who, as I mentioned before, is a former member of the Sun Belt. 

Louisiana Tech fits all criteria for what the Sun Belt is looking for.  New Mexico State is another former member that at least has the FBS status but is a bit outside the area. 

There are a few other things to consider. 

Mainly, what will the other conferences do? Many think the Big East is going to look to expand in the near future and the success of their last raid on Conference USA in 2005 may have them eyeballing them again.

If Conference USA loses any teams, they may go after Louisiana Tech themselves.  On the other hand, they may try to fill any holes they have by making a play at some Sun Belt schools. 

Troy has established themselves at the top of the conference.  They have not had fewer than eight wins and have won or shared the conference title for the last five seasons. 

Florida International is coming off their best season which includes a conference title and bowl win.  While this is a new position for them, they could be an attractive target for Conference USA if they lose UCF to the Big East, as the popular fan choice would have it. 

If the conference can both expand and hold on to their current members I think the future could be bright. 

If they lose one of their top teams, any ground they have gained in the conference strength standings may drop them back down.