I'm particularly excited about this installment of Bulls in the Draft because it showcases two of my favorite players of my time watching USF football: Mistral Raymond and Dontavia Bogan. Raymond has endured quite the dramatic life, from personal tragedy to football star, and showing excellence in every aspect. Bogan's career has been defined by highlight reel catches and great leadership on the field. Once again, similar to last night's post, these two players play similar positions, on opposite sides of the ball.
At Central County High School in Thomasville, Georgia, Dontavia Bogan was a star Safety, being named his region's Defensive Player of the Year. He also received accolades for his work at receiver. As a freshman, Bogan immediately saw playing time, taking the field in 11 games, racking up 190 yards and a touchdown and leading all receivers i yards per catch (15.8). The next year, Bogan became a bit more of a regular on the field, seeing game time at receiver as well as on special teams. His breakout game was against Connecticut, where he averaged 67.5 yards per kickoff return, adding to his outstanding special teams season where he finished 17th nationally in yards per kick return (26.6). 2008 was also the year of his real transition to receiver, hauling in 26 passes for 354 yards, but only one touchdown. His numbers remained consistent throughout the 2009 season, when he had 22 catches for 205 yards. His return yards matched the previous year's total at 770, but with more attempts. At the time, those two seasons held the top two return averages in USF history before one of them was overtaken by Lindsey Lamar last season. In his senior year, Bogan spent more time perfecting his job on offense than in special teams, only returning four kicks, enough to push him to the top of the all-time list for career returns (69). He brought down 47 catches for 685 yards, and six for touchdowns, including a career day at West Virginia where he had 11 catches for 98 yards.
Bogan may see a transition back into his old role as a kick returner with an NFL team, as his 6' 192 pound frame is likely more built for agility than to be a target for quarterbacks, at least not with the frame he's got now. I compare his size to Santonio Holmes out of college, but the big difference is in their 40 times. Bogan recorded a 4.55 run in the 40, while Holmes had a significantly better 4.38. If Bogan expects to see early playing time, I expect that he'll need to either shave some time off his 40 or bulk up a bit. If he adds about 15-20 pounds, his combine stats would match Roddy White's almost perfectly. Bogan has the skill and the ability, so if he works on his tangibles he'll be a great pick for an NFL team.
Now it's my pleasure to write about my favorite player in my years of watching USF football: Mistral Raymond. Initially a free safety, Raymond hails from Palmetto High School. He went to play football in Iowa for Ellsworth Community College, before a close tragedy struck his family. Back at home in Palmetto, Raymond's childhood home was sprayed with gunshots and set on fire with Molotov cocktails. One of his sisters was hit, but the rest of his family escaped relatively unharmed. His mother passed away a few months later of lung-related illness, but it is unclear whether it was caused by the house fire. Raymond was on the first flight home to be with his family during this time, but he couldn't get away from his main passion: Playing football. Raymond found his way to the University of South Florida, where he got an opportunity to try out for a walk-on position for the team. At 6'2", 192 lbs, Raymond's lanky frame earned him the nickname "Skinny", courtesy of the USF coaching staff. He spent his first year on campus rotating in on special teams in nine games. "Skinny" started being more than just a name in the 2009 season, as he tallied 40 tackles and an interception in his 13 games on the season. In 2010, Raymond earned the honor of being voted by his teammates as a captain for the team on his way to having a career season, recording 56 total tackles, one interception, and seven passes defended.
Mistral Raymond ran the 40 at Pro Day in 4.56 seconds, not a bad time for someone looking to play Safety. His 32.5 inch vertical jump and 10'2" broad jumps are relatively comparable to safeties around the league. Former Miami FS Antrel Rolle is of similar size and his measurables are also comparable. The biggest setback for Raymond is his hands, which is obviously why he played defense instead of receiver. Raymond had two picks in his career at USF, but there were many more opportunities to ass to those stats. At Pro Day, the same was true, as a couple drill passes were dropped as well. The strongest part of Raymond's game is his character. Without a doubt, someone who has endured as much as this guy must have a heart of steel. No matter where Raymond winds up, I'll be rooting for him the whole way, and I know the USF community will be too.
Each of these players has been shown on a couple draft boards here and there, but it is ultimately going to be up to the scouts' notes to determine their futures. They each have qualities on the field that could use some work, but it's nothing that can't be improved with perseverance. Obviously, Raymond's story is enough to win the hearts of anyone in the real world, but NFL executives are going to be a bit tougher to win over. I do think that they each have great potential to succeed at the next level, and we in the USF family wishes them the best.
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