NCAA Scouting
SEC West Pre-Season Top Senior Prospects
by Paul Emery
August 27th 2010
 
With the college football season almost upon us, the Diner takes a detailed look at senior prospects in the SEC West. These players will be scouted very closely over the next few months as we begin our focus on a new set of prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft.
 
Alabama
 
Greg McElroy – QB – McElroy is a fine college QB who falls into the “game manager” category as a pro prospect – as his predecessor John-Parker Wilson did. McElroy doesn’t have a top arm, but he understands this and doesn’t put a ton of arc on his deeper passes so they don’t hang. Throws a nice ball and manages the game well – ball placement is generally good, but lacking a little at times. Late round/free agent type.
 
James Carpenter – OT – Plays left tackle, but is not a pro LT prospect. Looks very heavy footed at times and struggles with edge speed. Not a natural knee bender – looks rather stiff in his movements. Leaves his feet too much. Looks better when he’s able to lock up his man – but is by no means a top prospect.
 
Arkansas
 
D.J. Williams – TE – If it weren’t for the fact he’s shorter than ideal (listed at 6’2”), I’d have him as my number one TE without hesitation. However, it looks to be a weak TE class – so he is even with this negative. He has the speed to get deep – has nice, soft hands and is dangerous after the catch. He gives good effort as a blocker – he’s also used in pass protection, where he looks solid. His lack of height could see him used as more of a HB/FB type – but he has talent.
 
DeMarcus Love – OT/G – The way Arkansas work offensively, Love right away has an advantage as he sees time in each game on the left and right sides. However, Love lacks the length to be a pro LT, so is a RT or guard prospect. Love is better in the run game right now – he has good hand placement and is a good drive blocker. In pass protection, he needs to work on bending at the knees consistently – he tends to lose technique when up against quicker opponents. One thing I have noticed is that he leaves the inside open too much in pass protection – he must distribute his weight evenly to avoid this.
 
Ray Dominguez – OT/G – Dominguez is a later round prospect for me. He plays tackle, but projects to guard as he is a mauler only and lacks any kind of quickness. He really struggled against the superb Von Miller in the Texas A&M game. Dominguez does look better if he can get his hands on his man and that does bode well for a move inside to guard. He needs to make sure he doesn’t over extend as he’s trying to make his initial punch – but I think this is because he knows he’s going to struggle against edge speed if he doesn’t get his hands on his man quickly – so this may go away if he’s inside at guard.
 
Rudell Crim – CB – Crim is a late round/free agent prospect who was a Junior College transfer. He has decent size at 6’0”, 190 lbs and has some ball skills. More of a zone prospect than a shut down man type.
 
Anthony Leon – FS – Another Junior College transfer who has great size at 6’3”, 227 lbs. He only started two games in 2009, but is the projected starter this season. He flashed into plays when he was on the field last season and looks to be a secure tackler. Will be interesting to see him as a starter.
 
Alex Tejada – PK – Tejada looks to be a free agent type. He has a decent leg on field goals, but needs to iron out a technique flaw as he seems to push too many kicks (noticeable even on his PATs). He has problems with kicking off - two going out of bounds vs. Missouri State – as well as distance and wasn’t in this role later in the season.
 
Auburn
 
Mario Fannin – RB – Fannin is very much a riser to look out for in 2010. He backed up Ben Tate last year and thus didn’t see a huge amount of time in the backfield, although he was used as a slot receiver a fair bit. He’s a bigger back at 227 lbs – but he has good speed and isn’t someone who defenders will like to tackle. He has good hands and is able to cut quickly and go. He also has kick return experience. His season could be a carbon copy of Tate’s and see him move up boards as the Auburn offense needs this type of back and he should be very productive.
 
Terrell Zachery – WR – Zachery flashed ability last year but wasn’t consistent. He’s a big play threat with good speed (18.3 per reception average) – but only had 26 receptions. Has ability and could move up with a better season.
 
Lee Ziemba – OT – Ziemba has some tools, but despite having 38 career starts under his belt, isn’t the finished article. He moves very well in the open field – able to get to the second level – but he’s too inconsistent once he gets there. He seems to look lost at times – perhaps he needs more aggression to really lock onto someone and go hit them. He also leaves his feet far too much and indeed missed some cut blocks when I watched him. In pass protection he needs to work on bending consistently at the knees – he lets his man get under him too much and that sees him jacked back into the QB – it could be at 6’8” he’s a little too tall. Has some tools, but frustrates and as such comes into the season as a borderline Day Two/Day Three pick for me.
 
Ryan Pugh – OC – Pugh is a scrappy player who understands leverage and gets very low (indeed, it wouldn’t surprise me if he came from a wrestling background as he gets low and uses opponents’ momentum against them). He needs to get stronger as straight up as a drive blocker he doesn’t get that much movement – he’s best when his man comes upfield quickly and he can just guide them away from the play.
 
Mike Blanc – DT – Blanc comes into the season as a late round type – but with more consistency he could move up. He flashes top ability with the odd super play – but he’s controlled too easily far too much. I’d also like to see more awareness from him against screens and the like as he doesn’t feel them.
 
Craig Stevens – OLB – Stevens moves well enough that Auburn line him up against the slot WR at times. He takes advantage of being in space away from blockers and as such makes quite a few tackles in the run game. He’s listed at 225 lbs – so right now is a nickel LB type and maybe a 4-3 WLB. Reads the game nicely – but is limited because of his size.
 
Josh Bynes – MLB – I can only imagine Josh Bynes ran a slow 40 time at Auburn’s pre 2010 Draft pro day (juniors also do the drills – but the results don’t tend to be made available) as National Scouting have him as a late round prospect at this stage. He’s clearly the leader of the Auburn defense – you can see he’s vocal and he gets everyone lined up correctly. He’s very active and plays the game at full speed – which at times means he can over pursue. He flashes ability to get off blocks – although this is an area he could work on as in some games he struggled more. I would have him as a mid rounder right now – the position isn’t one that sees a great number drafted high, so that doesn’t help his grade either.
 
Wes Byrum – PK – Byrum doesn’t kick off, which is a negative. He’s generally accurate – but I question his leg strength. I saw him make a 46 yard field goal in the West Virginia game and it didn’t look like it had much more on it and that might be about his range. Free agent type for me.
 
LSU
 
Terrence Toliver – WR – Toliver has good size at 6’4”, 206 lbs – but as with Brandon LaFell last year, Toliver lets too many balls into his body and has too many drops. The WR coach at LSU needs to start teaching fundamentals that carry over to the pro game and get these athletic kids to start catching with their hands away from their body (as you may sense body catchers drive me nuts!). Would like to see him really dominate physically – I saw him beaten to a jump ball by a shorter safety – he should be boxing out and making that his. Another year, another frustrating LSU WR I guess.
 
Joseph Barksdale – OT – Talking of clones from 2009, Barksdale has a lot of Ciron Black about him. Like Black, Barksdale is a heavy footed tackle who will need to project inside as a pro as he is unable to handle edge speed. He’s a big man and once he gets his weight going in one direction, he really struggles to re-direct – so struggles against double moves. He is also too much of a waist bender (which doesn’t help his ability to re-direct as he’s off balance). He flashes some drive blocking ability and will get a shot at guard as a late round/free agent type (that’s if he wants to accept a FA look – Ciron Black apparently was upset he wasn’t drafted and declined to sign for the Steelers as an undrafted free agent!).
 
Lazarius Livingston – DT – Will see more time in the DT rotation this year as Al Woods and Charles Alexander have graduated. He played some NT in three man fronts on pass rushing downs in 2009 – but didn’t really show up. He needs to get stronger, but we’ll see what he does with more playing time.
 
Kelvin Sheppard – LB – has seen time inside or at WLB – has good size at 245 lbs to project anywhere in a 4-3 or as a 3-4 ILB. He comes into the season rated as a Day Two prospect, but I like him a little more than that and would say high round two at the moment. Sheppard moves very well and also reads the game well – he makes a number of highlight plays – where he reads the play and gets there before he can be blocked. He’s also a very physical tackler. Has experience in coverage also. Needs to protect himself better against cut blocks – but I really like this kid.
 
Josh Jasper – PK – Jasper has a good leg on his field goals (comfortably made a 52 yarder last year) but his kick offs tend to average out at around the five yard line. If he can improve that I would be prepared to spend a late round pick on him.
 
Mississippi
 
Kentrell Lockett – DE – Lockett lacks Greg Hardy type ability – but flashes some ability to get under his man and get off blocks. He’ll need to get stronger and at 258 lbs he’ll need to add bulk – but he could warrant a late round pick.
 
Ted Laurent – DT – Laurent flashes some quickness off the ball and disrupts some – but tends to be ineffective if his initial quickness doesn’t work. He needs to work out how to use his hands as he does have some ability – but he’s not the finished product by any means.
 
Jerrell Powe – DT – Powe is one of my rated players coming into the 2010 season. I am very excited about him and I think he can be everything Terrance Cody wasn’t last year as a NT prospect. Unlike Cody, Powe plays the game very low – but the exciting thing is he can get off the ball quickly as well, able to split a double team and get into the backfield consistently. Indeed, at times he shoots the gap and is untouched – but as he’s so low, he loses balance – but he picks himself up quickly and makes a real nuisance of himself. As a pass rusher – he relies on his bull rush – but he wins the leverage battle more often than not and jacks his man back into the QB. Top 10 prospect.
 
Lawon Scott – DT – Georgia had three DTs drafted in 2009 and it could be Mississippi do the same in 2010 with Scott a later round prospect. He’s very much like Laurent in that he has some quickness off the ball, but struggles more when it comes to getting off blocks.
 
Jonathan Cornell – MLB – shared time with freshman DT Shackelford in 2009 and is a late round type who must win a pro roster spot based on special teams coverage. He moves fairly well, but struggles to get off blocks. As someone who shared time with a freshman he clearly isn’t a top prospect and it could be Shackelford keeps him off the field even more in 2010 and he drops off the Pro radar.
 
Johnny Brown – SS – Brown is very active – he’s often in the box and he reads plays nicely and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in where it hurts. When he plays out of the box, he sometimes gets his angles wrong – which is a concern – but he does play on special teams coverage teams and as a secure tackler he should be able to help here quickly.
 
Mississippi State
 
Derek Sherrod – OT – Sherrod has started for the last two years at LT for the Bulldogs and is a fine run blocker, as you would expect in MSU’s run heavy offense. The best thing he does is get to the second level – he moves very well and is able to dominate when he gets there. In close quarters – he squares up nicely and does a good job of sealing the edge. In the passing game there are a couple of worries – mainly being his feet when setting up – despite looking very good moving in the open in the run game, in pass protection set-up he looks a little heavy footed (or perhaps the right word here would be deliberate) in setting up. He has a good pass protection base and good arm extension – but I would like to see him lock up his man as he does in the run game – he tends to shove his man back – leaving himself more vulnerable than if he locked up. I think he can be a pro LT – but he will need work in pass protection. He has a year to work on this – right now he’s a second tier OT prospect – but he could rise if he irons out the pass protection problems.
 
J.C. Brignone – C – Brignone is someone who will need to get stronger – he struggles far more against bulkier DTs. He plays the game with good leverage – he has excellent knee bend and does a good job of getting under his man. He can get to the second level well also. He might be someone who is a practice squad type and certainly someone who I could see having a shot after a year in a pro conditioning programme.
 
Pernell McPhee – DE – Highly touted Junior College transfer who had five sacks in 2009 and didn’t quite live up to expectations. McPhee can dip his inside shoulder – but he lacks that elite burst off the edge. He does have a nice inside move, but in the run game he struggles to get off blocks. I think he’s overrated – but we’ll see if he shows more now he’s used to the speed of the SEC.
 
K.J. Wright – OLB – Wright runs a reported 4.6 40 and as he moves well, he’s often used to cover the slot WR – which he does well. He certainly has the frame to add more weight – right now he’s rather wiry. Despite often playing in space – he doesn’t show up as much as a Craig Stephens at Auburn – he might be someone who is over drafted due to his measurables.
 
Chris White – OLB – White doesn’t have the frame Wright does, but at 6’3”, 245 lbs – he still has pro size. He’s very active when he’s kept clean but really struggles getting off blocks. He’s the type who needs to play in the right system. Late rounder unless he develop his ability to shed blocks.
 
Top SEC West Prospect: Jerrell Powe – DT – Mississippi
 
Riser to Watch: Mario Fannin – RB – Auburn