As a true freshman, James Bailey just stood out. It was the skill set, mostly.
Playing as the nickel back and a Sam outside linebacker in Fresno State’s 3-4, he could take on and defeat a lead blocker against the run, or use his speed off the edge to pressure quarterbacks. He could drop into coverage but also could match up man-to-man on a slot receiver and win, which is not an easy task.
Coach Tim DeRuyter has had productive players at the position at Fresno State and before that at Texas A&M, but there really is no comparison.