Best all around right now: Josh Pate (well sourced and well respected)
Most Underrated: Connor O'Gara and Brandon Marcello
That's the reason I started this thread. When it comes to judging these guys, who are their sources?
Yesterday, I fell into a rabbit hole watching people criticize Pate with accusations of, well, "he didn't know what he was talking about." I threw me a bit thinking about his relationship with 247Sports and the number of people that are at his fingertips.
I can't remember what program Pate follows. I easily remember where Marcello came from (and it still influences my opinion.) However, he's on the national beat with how many sources at his disposal?
O'Gara? I don't know a lot about him. I see he's linked to SDS. I immediately go back to sources where SDS is a sporting news aggregator.
Chris Low. I realize his relationships with head coaches. Am I the only one who remembers how he treated Freeze when everyone knew what he was up to at Ole Miss? Low as still treating him like a reverend, a deacon, a leader of men.
Dellenger is a lot like Marcello. I remember who he was when he was on the beat. What's neat about him is now that he's off the daily beat, and can concentrate on a story for a week, or more, he's putting out quality.
If I remember this correctly, Feldman made his way on the map via ESPN AND his coverage/book on Mike Leach.