We’re halfway through July, which means we are that much closer to football season.
Now I’m more of an NFL man myself, but I still love to turn on the high stakes college football matchups, because they “play with so much more passion than the professionals.” It definitely has nothing to do with the fact that I might have money on a late Friday night game between Tulane and East Carolina.
With the college season quickly approaching (and acting as an appetizer for the NFL), I’m going to have to make sure I keep an eye on the NC State Wolfpack. Why is that you ask?
Well, in an era of the transfer portal and college football teams seemingly playing an NIL-money-influenced game of hot potato with players, the Wolfpack just landed one of the most sought after footballers in the game.
At 6 foot 5 inches tall, Bradley Rozner is one of the best deep threats at the college level. Last year, he averaged over 20 yards per reception, and his game changing abilities and speed should help NC State improve on their offense.
When you watch him play, it’s almost like he’s years ahead of everyone else on the field, and turns out that’s because he is.
Rozner is actually 26 years old, which is around the age NFL GM’s start giving up on starting running backs nowadays. His journey through college has been pretty chaotic to say the least, and it kind of has to be if it’s your 8th year in higher education and college athletics. Surely he’ll come out of his university experience with a PhD?
According to the “Backing the Pack,” an NC State sports news website:
“This will be Rozner’s eighth college football season. How’d he get to year eight, you ask? Well, he began his career in junior college. Then after moving to Rice, he was granted an extra year prior to the 2020 season, giving him two years at that point.
Of course, 2020 didn’t count against anyone’s eligibility. (He sat the year out anyway.) He then missed nearly all of 2021 with injury, and so only got around to using one of those final two years of eligibility in 2022.”
The man has just been stuck in college like it’s the sequel to Bill Murray’s classic film Groundhog Day. If you don’t understand how crazy it is for a 26-year-old to still be lacing them up in college, let me provide you a list of some of the NFL’s greatest active players right now, along with their ages:
-Patrick Mahomes: 27 (2x Super Bowl winner)
-Joe Burrow: 26
-Jalen Hurts: 24
-Justin Jefferson: 24
-Lamar Jackson: 26
-Justin Herbert: 25
Imagine any one of those players still in college, lighting people up like they are a high school starter playing against a little league team. I hope to all things that are good and holy that Bradley Rozner will “help transform NC State’s offense.”
And on the other hand, if he’s been dealt a tough hand at the college level and is just now getting healthy enough to play, good for him. He looks great too based on the highlight video below, but I’m a little worried that his “prime” will start and finish before he even thinks about playing for an NFL team.
Take a look:
