NJ WR/DB: J.T. Tartacoff

[jared]

So here we have recent Rutgers commit J.T. Tartacoff who is one of the fastest prospects in the state, running a 4.34 at a Scout.com combine last year. Check out this little blurb from a Rivals.com scout and tell me something isn't amiss:

"He's rated as a three-star athlete by Rivals.com, but Mike Farrell, national recruiting analysis for the site, considers his upside off-the-charts.

"'Everybody says they're looking for a Wes Welker-type now, because he's had so much success with the Patriots, but that's kind of who he is,"Â￾ Farrell said earlier this summer. '(At Rutgers) he's going to work from the slot. Worst-case scenario with Tartacoff, if he can't work in the offense, is he'll end up being a safety because he can really run and he has good range.'

'But seeing him in person, how fast he is, how good he runs routes and how good his hands are, I think he's going to be a reliable, move-the-chains type of guy and a Tom Savage-best-friend, where if the first-read is covered and the second read isn't there, he'll be sitting there in the seam and boom.'"Â￾

http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/rutgers/2009/09/14/tartacoff-has-business-to-tend-to-before-heading-to-rutgers/

So there you have it. One of the fastest prospects in the state. Clearly this blazing speedster is best suited for short, underneath routes through heavy traffic in the middle of the field where his sprinter speed will be of minimal use...

You know, because he looks a lot like Wes Welker, am I right? Notice also that this 170-180 lb. DB who runs a 4.3 40 is never mentioned as a possibility to play cornerback, just safety. Call me crazy, but 4.3 DBs who weigh less than 180 lbs. and apparently have the quickness and agility for the slot seem like they would be ideally suited to play CB...if they were black of course. Sigh.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Nice find. I am surprised I never heard of him.

 

[StarWars]

So there you have it. One of the fastest prospects in the state. Clearly this blazing speedster is best suited for short, underneath routes through heavy traffic in the middle of the field where his sprinter speed will be of minimal use...

You know, because he looks a lot like Wes Welker, am I right? Notice also that this 170-180 lb. DB who runs a 4.3 40 is never mentioned as a possibility to play cornerback, just safety. Call me crazy, but 4.3 DBs who weigh less than 180 lbs. and apparently have the quickness and agility for the slot seem like they would be ideally suited to play CB...if they were black of course. Sigh.

Too funny. Almost as laughable as Jacob Hester being converted to fullback. Although I am sure Hester can block well and tgis kid can be a good slot receiver, I think it is really obvious what they should be playing.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

This guy is totally different than Welker. Welker is all short bursts of speed- and jukes guys out of their pants making yards after the catch on underneith routes. This guy is a whole 3 tenths of a second faster than Wes in the 40 and could really stretch the field. If you're white you're always a Welker type. I'm glad he's going to Rutgers, but I doubt he'll get to play CB which appears to be his best position from his H.S career.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

excellent job, jared! the caste speak is so obvious it should be laughable ... but people swallow it like it's gospel truth. *puke*

 

[jared]

Athletes who can run a verified 4.3 40 are incredibly rare. Rutgers should be thinking about this kid the way they would for a Desean Jackson or a Percy Harvin, "what are the different ways we can utilize this kid's speed?", "where can we put him on the field to create mismatches?", etc. Instead, we get the typical pigeon-holing of a talented athlete as a possession receiver because his skin tone (and little else) matches with Wes Welker's.

We can only hope Rutgers doesn't stick to the caste script like the unimaginative hacks that pass as "analysts" over at Rivals.com.