Former Cal Poly receiver Ramses Barden was named to the Senior Bowl on Wednesday.
Barden, who graduated Dec. 13, will no longer play in Jan. 17’s East-West Shrine Game.
The Senior Bowl, which takes place at 4 p.m. Jan. 24 in Mobile, Ala. (and will be televised on the NFL Network), is perhaps the most important pre-NFL Draft event besides the scouting combine, especially for non-Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) products.
Barden is the first Senior Bowl invitee in Cal Poly history and likely one of just of a few Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) invitees this season.
Cal Poly’s Ramses Barden (left) beats Wisconsin cornerback Allen Langford for a 25-yard touchdown catch Nov. 22. — Mustang Daily file photo by Andrew Santos-Johnson
Last year, the game featured just four FCS prospects: Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco (chosen in the first round), Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (first round), Appalachian State receiver Dexter Jackson (second round) and Hampton defensive end Kendall Langford (third round).
Barden, a unanimous FCS All-American, was named by ESPN’s Todd McShay in Dec. 15’s ESPN Magazine as one of four FCS players whose draft stock could quickly improve.
He is currently ranked as the fourth-best senior receiver and 36th-best senior regardless of position by Pro Football Weekly.
Sideline Scouting tabs him as the fifth-best receiver prospect, regardless of year.
NFL fans who are clamoring for him of late include those of the Browns, Jaguars and Chiefs.
••• Coaching search continues •••
FootballScoop.com reports that San Jose State receivers coach Brent Brennan has interviewed for Cal Poly’s head coaching job, and that Cal Poly has shown interest in Arizona special teams coordinator Jeff Hammerschmidt. For more information on each of them, see the previous entry here by scrolling down.
FootballScoop.com previously reported that Boise State receivers coach Brent Pease and San Diego receivers coach Steve Mooshagian had expressed interest in the vacancy. Pease was an offensive coordinator at Northern Arizona from 1999-2000 and Montana (his alma mater) from 1996-98. Mooshagian was Sacramento State’s head coach from 2003-06.
Speaking of “Moosh,” how about “Mooch”? According to a Jan. 18, 2003 (San Luis Obispo County) Tribune article accessed through NewsBank InfoWeb, Rich Ellerson was a roommate of former San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci when the two coached together at Cal State Fullerton in 1980. Steve’s brother Robert is the athletic director at nearby Cuesta College, and lives in Templeton. His son Tyler played at Cal Poly from 2003-06. And amidst Army’s massive Ellerson press kit released Tuesday upon his introduction in New York, Mariucci was one of a handful of coaches who praised Ellerson.
••• Mustangs get new kicker •••
According to the Salinas Californian, Cal Poly has acquired Monterey Peninsula College kicker Chris Pinto.
Pinto, a 6-foot, 189-pounder, received a fairly positive evaluation from ESPN’s Scouts Inc., which ranked him the 28th-best kicking prospect in his high school class.
An All-California Community College Region II First Team selection as a place kicker and punter, Pinto was second in the state in punting, with a 40.6 average, and fourth in field-goal percentage, making 14 of 18 tries (77.8 percent). He made 28 of 29 extra-point attempts.
In other recruiting news, Cal Poly missed out on El Diamante running back Stefphon Jefferson, who verbally committed to Nevada, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. And the Mustangs lost the preferred walk-on invitation acceptance of Cabrillo College safety Taylor West, who got a better offer from Southeast Missouri State, the (Watsonville) Register-Pajaronian reported.
It begs the question: how much are the coaching question marks affecting recruiting?