Mossis Madu Takes the Blind Tape Test – Joe Mixon, Nathan Starks and Michael Warren
Posted on: December 6, 2013
Starks image from The Denver Post, Mixon image from Bay Area News Group (Photographer: Doug Duran), Waren image from MaxPreps
We want to start occasionally doing a feature called “The Blind Tape Test”. The Blind Tape Test (like the blind taste test that was popular in the 80s with Coke and Pepsi) is where we give a former player film to watch on certain high school recruits that Oklahoma may be interested in and we ask them to give us an evaluation of those players. We do not give the evaluator any information about the players in terms of their offers or recruiting background or anything of the sort. In fact we don’t even tell them what state they are from or what school they play for. They know little more than the size of the player. It’s all about the tape and what they see. We don’t offer our thoughts on the player prior to them viewing the tape. Our goal with these are to continue giving our readers the opinion of football guys on football players.
In our first edition of the Blind Tape Test we sent former OU and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back, Mossis Madu tape of hish school running backs: Joe Mixon, Michael Warren and Nathan Starks. All 3 of those backs are being recruited by Oklahoma. Again, Mossis was not given any information about these players.
These we’re his notes and the grades he gave each of the running backs:
Nathan Starks — Absolutely love this kids mentality! He has that DOG in him and I’d recruit him simply because of that. I really feel that’s what the younger generation is missing now a days. There is nothing wrong with being nice off the field but on the field you need to be mean and nasty. This kid reminds me of players from my time in high school and at OU…played with passion and went out there on a mission. If you told this kid to run thru a wall he would. He isn’t the fastest but speed is very over rated. Some of the best backs in NFL history weren’t speedsters. Starks second level moves weren’t as major as the other two guys but he got the job done. And he had a good feel between the tackles as well. I think he would be perfect in a two back system. GRADE: 3.7
Joe Mixon — LOVE how aggressive he runs. He has very natural hands and runs really smooth. And runs away from people with ease. I’m not sure if its the competition or if he really is that fast though. The competition he’s playing against doesn’t look the best but either way he’s fast enough (EDITORS NOTE: this was a very insightful point by Mossis because the league Joe plays in is not considered particularly competitive). He can either use his power or jukes. I like that diversity. He seems to always want to get to the sidelines and the only time I noticed he’d run up the middle is if there was a gaping hole. I’d like to see if he has a natural feel for inside zone plays but the way offenses are now a days everyone gets the ball out of shotgun which i dont like. I’ve got to add that he does have great balance! GRADE: 3.8
Michael Warren — REALLY like this kid! He has a great feel between the tackles. If i were a school like Alabama or LSU who runs the inside zone and stretch I’d definitely be recruiting this kid or a kid like this. He’s long and athletic but he also has some power to him. His second level moves are effortless. He made a lot of kids look pretty bad without breaking a sweat! He has plenty of speed. He seems to catch the ball well though I’d have to see him run more routes to get a better idea. Most of his catchs were wide open easy ones. A lot to like about him and not a lot I can pick on. GRADE 3.9
I graded these based on the scale The Football Brainiacs provided me. I think all these players have what it takes to be an All-Conference type player assuming they put in the work. I was asked to rank them and I’d rank them:
1st Michael Warren
2nd Joe Mixon
3rd Nathan Starks
The difference between them isn’t huge but the little differences between the scores I gave them were really based on my confidence in their game translating at the next level and my confidence that they can reach that All-Conference status. After watching them I felt they were all somewhere around 3.8 because there wasn’t a huge difference between them and I was comfortable with that general grade. Then I did some more detailed comparisons and came up with the final grades. I was a little on the fence with Warren and fluctuated between 3.9 and 4.0. But I stuck with 3.9 because I wasn’t ready to say he could compete for All-American status. I felt like he was the best of all of them but not by much and they were all really good and really close. And they’ve got the tools to be excellent.
68 Comments
Cool feature. What’s Madu up to nowadays?
Thanks!
Let me tell y’all this was actually cool for us to read. I honestly did not know what to expect from him but we wanted to get someone who knows ball that doesn’t follow all the recruiting hype. We read his post like any other reader on this site and thought it was cool. We’re going to try to do this more often with other guys because we enjoyed reading Mossis’ take so much.
Didn’t know much about Warren, but after seeing his yardage totals for year, how is he so far under radar? I looked at different corporate site profiles, and noticed Rivals has him at 4.34 40 & 33″ vertical. Not sure if accurate, but that’s a little freakish speed if true. Does he look that fast?
Here’s the original post we put up on Warren: https://thefootballbrainiacs.com/?p=1601
Yes, it is true Michael ran a 4.34 in the 40 at the Texas A&M camp; the fastest time there. I want you guys to know that Michael is a very quite and humble type of young man and plays for the absolute “LOVE” of the game. Really, if he realized all of the wonderful comments made here and on other sites he’d be embarrassed….LOL
Michael is really focused, dedicated, a hard worker and disciplined; he actually has no choice but to apply himself. I maybe his “BIGGEST FAN” but he also knows that I will not allow him not to give it 100% and that’s on or off the field. BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front; for you non-military guys) NO GRADES, NO PLAY!!!
Ok, Warren might just be my top RB based on mom alone 😉
He’s so lucky to have a mom like you, wish more parents these days were as dialed in & focussed. I know speed isn’t everything, but at 4.34 it sure goes a long ways once to second level, that’s crazy fast. I wish him the best & hopefully he’ll end up a Sooner. Stoops is one heck of a no games, honest coach that’s a great influence & role model. As a parent myself, I’d love his character.
Something underrated is the smoothness of a back. When a guy isn’t as jerky, and there’s not a lot of wasted motion in his running style, it really helps the longevity of the player, and aids in their ability to stay healthy. You don’t see the hamstring or groin issues, and you rarely see knee and ankle stuff either. Michael is that kind of back.
Again great job mom!
Absolutely has plenty of speed….
Nice eval…I’d be happy w all three but right now Warren seems like the best bet if he gets an offer…How’s that offer looking guys? Gundy stays in touch w him correct
Yeah he stays in touch for sure.
Have you guys heard any update per Warren’s grades/ACT? Seems like that’s the only barrier from him receiving an OU offer, correct?
Michaels mother commented on that very issue on our original post about Michael. Scroll down to the comments section bud: https://thefootballbrainiacs.com/michael-warren-note
So, assuming all is well on the grade front, is an offer going to be contingent on one of the other guys bowing out?
I’d really hate for OU to lose out on this guy if they’re treading water with Mixon and/or Starks, which it sure seems like they are.
My guess is if they feel confident that everything is A ok on the qualification from they’ll offer. He’s too good and too good of a kid to not.
He seems like it, and I think it was nice his mom took the time to clear some things up for us, too. Always love the local boys, even though he’s originally from Hawaii.
Like warren and mixon believe they can be difference makers Warren has a OU skillset but Mixon has off the charts athleticism and with Gundy as his RB coach he will be great
DeMarco and AD rave about what coach Gundy did for them in their development. I know if we’re fortunate to get any of these young men, he’ll coach em up! Gotta admit though man, I don’t think Michael Warren takes a back seat to ANYBODY.
You guys should do a D-lineman tape test with Orso as one of the three
We definitely want to do more of these. They’re just as fun for us to read as they are for y’all. I think getting older players who know literally nothing about the recruiting hype or the offers these kids have gives the most unvarnished take.
I have a friend who I’ll leave unnamed for the moment who could really lend some credence to this type of stuff. I’ve approached him about it and we’re really hopeful he’ll jump in on it with us. Guy absolutely knows his stuff and made a living at it for many years. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that he decides to do a few of these for us.
Love this feature!! When I first watched warren my mouth literally fell open , his upside is off the chart…. He is so natural…. I have a feeling that kid is a worker ….. Comes from a family that cares about his future .. ie. mama warren posting on this site…… I would like to have Starks in addition to Starks if the kid gets it …. Thanks again brainiacs !!
Good post Jesse. And thanks for the kind words!
Let me say this as carefully as I can. When K and I were talking about him after I first saw the tape, I immediately thought of Eric Dickerson. Before everyone jumps on me about this, I’m not saying the kid is the next Eric Dickerson. What I’m saying is that he’s very smooth like E.D. was. I’m a film rat and will watch anything, so I love the 30 for 30’s and sportscentury features etc. I remember watching one on Eric and one of his old coaches was talking about how Eric was so smooth. How you could sit a glass of water on the top of his helmet as he ran and you’d never spill a drop. Michael Warren is a lot like that, because as he runs, his head never moves. There’s not a lot of wasted motion in his game. I’m a huge fan of Warren, and I really hope we get him, Perine and Hayes, and call it a day!
Man, you guys should do commercials. You make me want every player you rave about! Cut it out! Not really, keep it coming!
We plan on it!
Love the comparison to ED , if we get all 3 , gundy deserves a raise …. A kid i also like is evitt out of Waggoner , he is just a playmaker… Little undersized but speed to burn and good instincts…. Just a touchdown making machine
We need to do an eval on that guy.
you wouldn’t happen to be related to any Wall’s up by Joplin would you?
No just a misfit from northwest oklahoma…. Played high school ball at Woodward … Am a football junkie , can’t get enough of it….
My cousin went to Enid back in the late 70’s, and we spent a lot of time out at little sahara in Waynoka. I remember taking a road trip out to alabaster caverns when I was young. Man I thought we were never gonna get there. Thanks for stopping by!
Can y’all elaborate a little bit on your 5.0 scale. Like does 3.0 mean BCS quality, 3.5 mean All Conference, 4.0 All American, 4.5 NFL prospect, 5.0 Heisman?
https://thefootballbrainiacs.com/about
Scroll down the link of the “about” page, and it goes into great detail regarding how they come up with their player ratings.
Thanks, they really have a great explanation! My Bad!
Well, you wouldn’t know unless you asked or were nosy, like me, and just had to click on everything. 🙂
I agree, it’s pretty cool how they explain their evaluating process.
Thanks for posting that Billy. Basically the way we explained it to Mossis and the way we do it is we use the decimal point to indicate our confidence in that particular talent grouping. So if we see two kids, for example, and feel like if both kids worked hard they would both have the tools the be an All-conference type kid…then we ask ourselves…based on what I see do I feel more or less confident in that position? In other words do I feel more less confident that this person has those certain tools/qualities that are needed.
Once again, I know of no other site that provides this type of professional analysis. Can’t stay away nor do I want to!
Wow, that’s why I love this place. Just wish you had sent tape on Hayes so he could also have been evaluated by Mossis. My Christmas wish list is Hayes and Warren and we call it a day at RB.
I agree totally. Do you think if Mixon decided to commit that could give us some good national attention, and would improve our standing with other targets? Especially since most of these recruits check the big corporate recruiting sites so much, I think that would elevate OU’s profile.
That’s not a cut down on OU’s evaluations of players at all, just good PR for the program on a national scale.
Seems like I remember Switzer had his coaches evaluate a RB and told them the kid was from Montana and wanted their opinion if they should offer a scholly. The RB was Billy Sims from Hooks, Tx.
We can definitely ask Mossis if he’d help us out and check out hayes for us!
The irony for me here is I was watching R.B.Jr. tape after hearing raves about this kid who could High Jump 7′ and had led the state in picks his Soph year when I saw Mossis carrying the rock. I couldn’t believe recruiting gurus had Mossis as a 3 star. Anyone with a lick of sense knew better. Thanks Brainiacts and Mossis for another solid job.
Still remember that toss he took against Mizzou in the Big XII title game a few years back. He hurdled the guy and took it down the left sideline to the house!
Yep, and helped put OU in the record books!
Touchdown….Recordbreaker!
Yep, was sitting in the highest part of Arrowhead freezing my uknowwhat’s off and was looking straight down at it. Great run by a great young man. Wasn’t near as cold after that run.
Between the X and O posts and this type of post, you guys are really hitting on the info I love to read. And for free to boot! Thanks again.
yes they are. Even better is the lack of negative posters. I got too where I couldn’t stand to read a certain other site because of all the negative being posted about the coaches and players.
This is such a unique recruiting addition. I love this site and what you guys do! Great stuff!
Thanks sir!
Man, what a great feature! This site keeps getting better and better with creative, insightful info like this! Like Sonny above, the negativity of the boards on some other sites is what wearied me on them. It’s why I’m glad the feedback here is based on the articles written and not just a fan-based message board. Keeps the discussion focused and informative. Good job again, fellas!
Didn’t even know about Warren before you guys and now I’d really like to see him at OU!
Thanks JSam! We really keep an open mind about guys and ignore what we know about how other places may rate them. We rate guys how we see them. We were really fed up with the negativity as well, so that was one of the motivating factors to start our own place.
It’s almost like you guys read all of the other blogs/sites and were like: “you know what? let’s do it better”. Kudos. You guys make this stuff interesting in a way I’ve never seen before.
The difference between us and a lot of sites is that they’re for the the most part journalists who are trying to learn about ball. Whereas with us, we’re former players, who aren’t claiming to be journalists, but happen to be able to write a little bit. Thanks for stopping by man!
Thanks for making it worth coming back again and again.
This is really cool, thanks. Someone else mentioned Hayes, that would be cool if you could get Mossis to evaluate him, as well. This site is very refreshing and I will be visiting it often!
Thanks Shelby!
JY, I remember you from another site. This is really good, I’m impressed.
Is the scale to 4? Thought I saw a 4.1 on the main page
-OU Alexander
Alexander, thanks a bunch man! Keep on coming back.
I’d like to take the time to thank Mossis Madu for providing his honest evaluation of all 3 young men who are very talented and well on their way to do big things where ever they decide to attend. Glad I’m not them….decisions, decisions!
Ms. Warren, thanks so much for taking the time out to comment. I’d also like to extend a gesture of gratitude for raising what appears to be a very good young man. I interview, hire and fire quite a few people in my professional life, and I must admit, that I find myself really searching for good young men and women to hire. I have quite a few knuckleheads walk through my door, but it’s quite refreshing to have a young man walk in, look the part and then be the person we need for our company. We need more parents like you ma’am. Above all else thank you for that. I wish Michael the best of luck and blessings, and while I must admit I truly hope that he ends up in Norman wearing the crimson and cream, I’ll be cheering for him wherever he choses to go.
Ms. Warren, its refreshing to hear the way you approach and handle things. You are are wonderful woman. Hope we have the honor of having your son play for OU, yet I’m confident both of you will have much success in the future.
Best Regards,
OU Alexander
Very interesting ranking order, I wonder what the star gazers think of it. You guys are becoming popular on the other sites, there is even a thread started “Who are the brainiacs”.
Very cool Idea, keep it coming. Ace where you at KU when Jake Sharp was there?
Thanks KS!
This I what I love about this site. You give the readers what they want by doing what you should actually do in football. EVALUATE! By doing what “real” football players and coaches you do your readers are getting exactly what they have been wanting.
Yet, again very awesome idea, fun read and thanks for the work. my snow days have been obsessed with checking your site!
Thanks Daryl! Talking to my aforementioned unnamed friend, he spoke to how when your job and family’s livelihood rests on whether or not a guy can play or not, you have to either:
a. Watch the tape yourself and really like what you see or…
b. Have someone who has watched the tape whom you really trust.
He said that ultimately there’s only so many hours in the day, and you can’t watch everybody. One of the flaws we’ve detected, is that a lot of these kids are being given two stars or no stars instead of saying “not yet evaluated”. What this does is cast these kids in a negative light, and makes coaches and fans alike believe that since xyz site has them at a two star, then they must not be any good. We are trying to change that. We want to shine a light on who we believe can play. We’re always going to be honest and say what we believe, even if it’s not what people want to hear. It’s who we are and what we do. Thanks for stopping by!
This is a great read, and this is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites. I can say that I had the privilege of seeing Warren play in person a few times, as I live in Lawton and he plays for my Wolverines. I’m glad OU is looking at him because as I watched him destroy 6A defenses, I was hoping Coach Stoops and Coach (Cale) Gundy were seeing what I was seeing.