NCAA Scouting
Senior Prospect Tracker - Bowl Games Part Two
by Paul Emery
January 10th 2012
 
The Bowl game schedule starts to pick up and with the games coming thick and fast – let's dive straight in starting with another look at preseason number one ranked player Quinton Coples.
 
Missouri vs North Carolina (Independence Bowl)
 
Missouri
 
Michael Egnew – TE – Egnew is an interesting prospect. He had 90 catches as a Junior – but even with his QB (Blaine Gabbert) heading to the NFL he decided to return for his senior year. That senior year has seen a dramatic drop in production – he finished with 50 catches this year but 20 of them were in two games (Kansas State and Baylor). In this one he had another quiet game with just 3 catches for 39 yards. His best catch was an out and up for 25 yards. He caught all three catches in soft hands and that's a big positive. However, some teams will have him lower on their boards than others as he's not used as an inline TE and therefore has limited experience as a blocker. He is used in front of screens and the like (he did turn Coples up nicely on a draw play) but doesn't have experience in pass protection. He doesn't look to be super fast – so I don't know if he's quite a Jimmy Graham athlete for example. It would be good for him to get a Senior Bowl invite so that scouts for power teams can see him as an old fashioned two way TE – but for now he's a spread TE who will suit wide open offenses only.
 
Jacquies Smith – DE – Smith had a slow start to the year due to injury. He had 5 sacks coming into the game, but didn't look like adding to the total. At 6'4” 250 lbs one would hope for a little quickness off the edge, but it's just not there. He had two pressures on the day – swimming over a TE, a matchup I would expect him to win – more impressively he put a nice shake move on the tackle to beat back inside for his second. He did feel a screen nicely and show good backside contain – but there's not enough there for me to think he's anything more than a third day prospect I'm afraid.
 
Dominique Hamilton – DT – it wouldn't be a major surprise to see Hamilton taken in the later rounds. He will appeal to 3-4 teams at 6'5” 305 lbs and indeed I would project him best as a two gap DE, although not many teams ask their lineman to do this – so he won't be in super high demand. He's not super explosive, but he kept working and certainly those few two gap teams will probably have want to have a close look at him.
 
North Carolina
 
Dwight Jones – WR – Jones is rated as a second round level pick by some, but he's still quite raw and in this one after a big start, he had a key drop and then just drifted out of the game. He finished with 6 catches for 77 yards and an early score and while he looked impressive on his highlights, my 3rd/4th round ranking of him didn't change. One thing I did notice is that he went for the one handed catch twice and both times I think he could have got two hands to the ball – not good. He also had three drops – after his third drop he just disappeared. There's a school of thought that North Carolina players in general might be downgraded with all the problems that last two years and certainly he's be high on my list of players I'd want to really grill in interviews at the Combine.
 
Quinton Coples – DE – a couple of days before this game I was looking at Miami Guard/Tackle Brandon Washington who has declared for the Draft. Coples just destroyed him and most Draft sites are saying Washington is a second round level prospect. So the talent is clearly there. In this one at times he looked great – at times he looked like he wasn't really trying. He didn't manage a sack in this one – but he was able to beat the left tackle outside quite a few times – including a QB pressure that caused an interception. He had a couple of nice plays in the run game – including a tackle for loss – but on one run play right at him, he was turned upfield way too easily and failed to set the edge. His sack total was down this year, mainly because he just wasn't playing as consistently as last year. At times I wondered if he was playing to avoid injury, but his play this year has raised questions and he might be someone who you let someone else take that first round gamble on.
 
Zach Brown – OLB – NFL Draft Scout rate Brown as one of their top players (he's number 4 overall on their board). If a first round pick is the price for Brown, then I want no part of him. Yes, he's fast and when chasing plays down from the backside – or on the odd occasion he reads a play quickly – he looks fantastic. However, more often than not he doesn't play to his speed. He's very hesitant much of the time and also takes too many false steps. For example in this one a swing pass to his side of the field, he took a step back inside on the play – for no reason. Now he does have the speed to make up for this – but at the next level his speed won't get him out of trouble as much. He's only 225 lbs and when comparing him to Nebraska's Lavonte David who is so instinctive there is no real comparision – I would take David every day of the week ahead of Brown and indeed I don't think I would be interested in Brown before the third or fourth round. Of course with his speed he's going to go long before then, but he could be a costly mistake.
 
Purdue vs Western Michigan (Little Ceasars Bowl)
 
Purdue
 
Albert Evans – FS – Evans had two big plays – one positive, one negative – before leaving the game injured. He let White get behind him on the TD off the flea flicker. However, he did respond with a nice interception over the top later in the game. I thought he took a poor angle on White's one handed catch – the FS always has to make that split second decision – man or ball – and he went for the ball, but was a split second late and allowed to make the spectacular catch. Had he taken the man I don't think White would have caught the pass. Hopefully the injury wasn't serious – but after three watches, I think he's a later round guy at best.
 
Carson Wiggs – PK – Wiggs had a busy day and it's not every kicker that has two onside kicks attempted – let alone recovered as with Wiggs. He was 3 from 4 with his field goals, missing his first from 45 yards – but making from 19, 26 and 49 yards. I thought he needed to get more height on his kicks in general (including a couple of his PAT's) and think he'll need to work on this between now and April. His deep kickoffs were OK – but a couple were a little short. There aren't a great many kickers around this year, so he might get a late round call – but certainly should get himself a Camp shot.
 
Western Michigan
 
Jordan White – WR – I've seen quite a few Western Michigan games over the past two years basically because of White. He has some Greg Salas about him and as regular readers will know, I was very high on the Hawaii man last year who was leading the Rams in receptions before going down with a broken leg. White has been super productive this year, breaking many records on his way to a 140 catch season! He put together another big game with 13 catches for 265 yards and a TD.
 
White is not the fastest kid in the world, but he's quick to get going off the line and can change directly without losing much speed. He has a knack of finding the soft spot in zone coverage and consistently did this in this one. He has good hands – catching most of his passes with hands away from his body. The reason I love hands catchers is that when the ball is not perfectly thrown they can still make the catch – and White showed that with a one handed circus catch on a pass thrown behind him. He also had a nice high catch later in the game. He showed he can make the over the shoulder catch as he did on his touchdown pass (off a flea flicker) and a 20 yard corner route. The Combine will be huge for him. If he can run a 4.4 40, his stock could shoot up – but with his estimated speed in the high 4.5's it's likely he'll be a third round pick. However, he's likely to be productive from the slot and in today's wide open offenses, then he could prove to be one of the better value third day picks.
 
Louisville vs North Carolina State (Belk Bowl)
 
Louisville
 
Victor Anderson – RB – at 5'9” 185 lbs Anderson is not going to be an every down back at the next level. He's been a complimentary back the past couple of years, but down the stretch in this one Louisville called his number a few times and he finished with 61 yards on 15 carries, plus 3 catches for 48 yards. He can cut sharply, although he did tend to look to bounce out runs a little too much. He gave good effort in pass protection but was overmatched particularly against 6'5” 240 lb Audie Cole. Anderson will need to run a good 40 time to hope for a call on the third day, but his size does limit him.
 
Josh Chichester – TE – Chichester is a little like David Ausberry who the Raiders drafted in the 7th round in April. A former WR, Chichester was moved inside to TE this year, but hasn't looked good as a blocker. He only had one catch in this one and in his final three games he had only two catches, so at a key time of year he has been largely invisible. He's a big target at 6'8” 240 lbs – but doesn't move that well. His one catch was a nice hands catch 20 yard down the field, but he's not done enough for me to get drafted before the 6th or 7th at best.
 
North Carolina State
 
T.J. Graham – WR – Graham might get a late round call because of his speed and return ability (although he was held in check in this area by Louisville). He had one of his best days this year in the big game with 7 catches for 116 yards and 2 scores. His first TD was a crossing route, of which he ran quite a few, a catch at the 2 yard line and into the end zone for six. His second was far more impressive – he caught a 30 yard seam pass, but still had a lot of work to do. He managed to break three tackles on his way to a 68 yard TD. That game breaking ability should see him drafted even in a deep WR field.
 
George Bryan – TE – Bryan's stock has descended from his pre-season 3rd/4th round rating. I think it's probably a case that he was just pushed too far up boards in a thin senior TE class. The reason why he should be rated lower is that like Chichester he's not real fast in a straight line. However, he is a reliable short range target as he showed on a 5 yard out route for a first down – reading a blitz, knowing he was the hot receiver and getting his head back to the QB quickly and making a nice hands catch. As a blocker he's mixed – which is a shame for a 6'5” 265 lb prospect. He can turn defenders up the field and seal the edge – but he's a little inconsistent in his efforts. He tends to be off balance some and thus releases some of his blocks a little early. If he were better as a blocker, it would be conceivable he could be moved to tackle, but I think he stays at TE as a backup who can help as a receiver at the goal line.
 
J.R. Sweezy – DT – Sweezy showed up early with a hit on the QB which caused an interception. Outside of this he made one other nice play in the run game, slanting in to make a tackle for no gain – but otherwise was controlled. He did keep his motor set to high and keep hustling through, but he looks like a late round size guy (will interest 3-4 teams at 6'5” 293 lbs) who someone will hope to develop.
 
Audie Cole – LB – Cole played outside last year, but moved inside this year. He does often line up back outside in passing situations. Cole's tape this year has been mixed – I've found he has struggled against bigger offensive lines and in this one he again had his problems getting off blocks. On one stretch play he was at OLB – but was easily turned up the Tackle – failing to set the edge and leaving a huge hole. He let the Tackle into his body on the play and he needs to get his arms extended to keep people off him. He also had his problems in terms of angles – he was beaten to the edge three times. Range from the middle is also a concern as he didn't seem super fast like some of the other top LB prospects. Also on the negative side he didn't feel a screen, running straight past it – while his fellow LB hung back and made the play.
 
On the positive side, when he sees a play he can flash up and make the highlight play. He got off a block by Chichester to make a good tackle for no gain on a 4th and 1 for example. His coverage looked good – he was physical with Chichester and was part of the reason he had only the one catch. It was as a pass rusher where he showed up though – he was a spy on Bridgewater and flashed up to put pressure on him several times as he rolled right. From OLB he showed the ability to extend his arms, shed and get pressure. He wasn't super explosive on delayed blitzes, but did get pressure one time. Overall, I'm thinking 3rd/4th round for him at the moment – but I do want to see how fast he runs at the Combine. I think he's going to be best suited outside as a pro and ideally for a team that can keep him clean. He does have talent – but I don't feel he's the top prospect some people believe him to be.
 
California vs Texas (Holiday Bowl)
 
California
 
Marvin Jones – WR – Jones is part of a very crowded WR field this year and that's even before the Juniors declare. He had 8 catches for 88 yards in this one, but did have a drop and a late fumble. He didn't look particularly fast but was able to separate against press coverage with some sharp routes. He also was able to bring in a couple of tough passes with defenders flashing in front. He let some passes get into his body and indeed on his drop the CB was all over him and if he had got his hands out in front, he would have stood a better chance of catching it. His Draft stock will come down to his 40 time, he may go a little later than his talent may dictate, just because there are so many very good talents in this class.
 
Mitchell Schwartz – OT – Schwartz is a heavy footed college left tackle who projects to right tackle or even guard at the next level. He had some problems with the Texas blitzes in this one – a couple of times he ended up blocking no one and free defenders were in the backfield. Just how much was his fault I don't know, but it looked like he messed up his assignments. He struggled against top edge speed, one time being beaten outside after taking a false step inside and not being able to recover. However, he is able to move defenders up the field – he has his hands up ready to strike when setting up and gets his arms extended nicely. In the run game he showed some power, one time pushing his man back 8 yards on the play. I don't think he'll be a top pick, but he has enough about to think he could perhaps sneak into the back end of the third round (depending how the board stacks up with juniors) but certainly fairly early on day three.
 
Trevor Guyton – DE – Guyton is a high motor guy and even after leaving the field injured before the half, was able to return for another bustling performance. He had a sack in this one – not something he's done a great deal of (4.5 both last season and this). Interestingly though when used in a 4 or even 5 man front against Stanford he looked good from DE. He's not super athletic, but does have enough quickness to penetrate at times and made a tackle for loss early in this one. He lacks the ideal frame for DE, but at 285 lbs lacks enough bulk for DT – so he will need a position. It could be he's a one gap 3-4 DE – being lined up a yard off the line and often being asked to two gap may take away some of that ability to penetrate. He's an interesting prospect who's just a football player and I think someone will find a spot for him.
 
Mychal Kendricks – ILB – Kendricks lined up mostly at ILB in this one, although he does have experience outside. Kendricks is a little shorter than ideal (listed at 6'0” – but likely an inch or two shorter) but like Guyton he's a player and I think he'll go higher than his measurable might dictate. Although he took some false steps early in the contest, he came alive on a reverse – which he read and flashed up for a tackle for loss. He had another TFL later in the game – spinning off the Center to make a nice play. He looked comfortable in coverage. A couple of times he was on skates – pushed back by offensive lineman – both which were big gains. But I like the way he reads the game – he has his eyes in the backfield and just seems to be able to be able to work out what's going on and I'm all for that above someone who has better measurable but can't read the game.
 
Texas
 
Kheeston Randall – DT – Randall hasn't had a great senior year, statistically he's about the same – but I had a higher rating on him coming into the year than where I have him now. It could be it's just his highlight plays were exciting and when you get down to detail there's not enough there. Having said that, this was one of his better games. He had a couple of quarterback pressures, got off blocks to make two details for short gains and flashed that ability to penetrate that I liked last year. He looks like a rotation guy for a 4-3 team – if he can put up a good 10 yard split time at the Combine he could still get a slot on day two – but his play has him as a day three prospect.
 
Keenan Robinson – OLB – Robinson is one of my favourite players this year and watching him two days after Zach Brown was interesting, with my impressions of Brown very fresh in my mind. Quite simply I would take Robinson over Brown every single time and indeed I'd be happy to spend a first round pick on Robinson. The knock on Robinson is that he's not always quick to read and react – but in this one he made several quick reads and highlight plays. Early on he beat the Center and got in on a tackle for loss. He then read a reverse and flashed up to make the play. At 240 lbs he's bigger than all these 220-230 lb weakside LB prospects – but yet he offers the same explosion (indeed he caught RG3 from behind in the Baylor game – if NFL Network get a hold of that play we'll see it a few times on Path to the Draft). He showed he's comfortable sitting in zone coverage and reading the QB's eyes – breaking up a pass nicely. He made several other plays, including another tackle for loss where he extended his arms to keep the right tackle off him and then made the tackle. He was called for pass interference (hit the WR on a crossing route – not sure he knew the ball had been thrown) and did make a couple of wrong reads on misdirection plays. But in all I thought he was very good and I continue to rate him in the late first round area, which could rise if he runs well at the Combine.
 
Emmanuel Acho – ILB – Acho doesn't look as big as Robinson and also isn't quite as explosive once he sees a play. However, he has very quick feet and he can use that to beat blockers. He's not as good at shedding blocks – he tends to have go around or peel back off, rather than keeping his man off and sliding off. He does a nice job picking through traffic though and has a nose for the ball. Like Robinson he also looked solid in coverage, with a nice pass breakup. I don't think his frame will see him taken as early as Robinson – he's listed at 240 lbs, but stood next to Robinson he looks 10-20 lbs lighter – smaller in the legs as well as the upper body. If he is 230 lbs and thus a pro weakside LB he enters a very crowded class, so if he can bulk up and stay inside or at strongside he'll have a better chance to go a little earlier.
 
Florida State vs Notre Dame (Champs Sports Bowl)
 
Florida State
 
Andrew Datko – OT – Datko's stock still seems to be fairly high (NFL Draft Scout have him rated in the 3rd round at the moment) – but his shoulder problems should see him sink to day three.
 
Zebrie Sanders – OT – Sanders moved over to left tackle to replace the injured Datko earlier in the year. He's a pro right tackle type as he's not really fleet of foot. When setting up in pass protection he looks very heavy footed. In the early season game against Oklahoma, he struggled in pass pro because his hands were down by his side and he was letting defenders into his body. He has tried to correct this – but if you watch him setting up in pass protection, with every step his arms are out and his hands drop down with each step. It's known as chicken wings and really he did look like one flapping around! He was jarred upright a couple of times, but to give him credit considering he was up against a 3-4 defense and thus quicker OLB pass rushers, he held his own. When matched up against a DE he looked very comfortable and indeed controlled Ethan Johnson easily – Johnson is a man who gave Pitt's Lucas Nix some problems earlier in the year. His stock will never be super high because he's a right tackle (or even guard – let's see his arm length at the Combine), but for a power team he will be interesting. He does need some technique work, but he is better than earlier in the year and that's a positive sign.
 
Nigel Bradham – OLB – Bradham is well put together – he should look good at the Combine weigh in. However, he's not a particularly instinctive LB and really struggles to get off blocks. He made two nice plays in coverage – a tip which became an interception in his own end zone and a pick of his own. His interception was just thrown right to him. The tip was very good – he read the QB's eyes and did a nice job of sliding under the route. In the run game he really struggled to make an impact – he seemed to have major problems locating the ball carrier – he just blindly went to a blocker and was then held up. He flashed up once and made a tackle for loss, but just doesn't seem to make any pre-snap reads and go make a play. I think he's a third day talent – but perhaps someone will like his frame and take him earlier, but I think that would be a mistake.
 
Shawn Powell – P – Powell showed he has a nice leg, but too much so as he put two punts in the end zone for touchbacks. He finally went to a rugby style kick and this one was downed at the 4 yard line. I always like to judge punters in terms of dropping inside the 10 (the 20 is too easy) and also from their own end zones. Powell had one such punt, which only went 40 yards and then took a friendly roll to do so. Has the leg, but needs some refinement.
 
Notre Dame
 
Michael Floyd – WR – this was a down game for Floyd and it's about right for this senior class who haven't produced a top 10 type pick who has played at a high level throughout the year. He had a chance for a big play, getting behind the defense on a deep post, but the ball went right through his hands... He was able to get off press coverage well, looking quick for a big receiver. On a 2 yard crossing route he caught the ball and with no wasted motion was off to his after the catch run, which went for 15 yards. He had a TD catch – a ball that bouncing around and he hung on eventually when hit hard by Bradham. He had a go at returning punts, I've seen him return a couple of others – but he was able to break one for 45 yards – he then fair caught one and regretted it as he had some green in front of him. Unfortunately he wasn't in the game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury – hopefully it's not too series and he'll be able to run at the Combine.
 
Robert Blanton – CB – I wonder if zone CB's might be valued slightly more with QB's like Cam Newton and perhaps RG3 in the NFL. Against mobile QB's you can't really play man as they can gouge you for huge gains – so eyes in the backfield zone is the way to defend them. When the Irish play man Blanton struggles – he was beaten for a TD by Reed on a corner route. Blanton was OK after 10 yards – getting nice and physical – but then Reed accelerated away from him on his cut to the corner and has separation. Blanton should have turned earlier than he did and played the ball – but he was too busy struggling to catch up and the score was made. He has good size and showed he can press – so he looks like a Tampa-2 type. I wouldn't consider him before the third day, but admittedly I am a press CB man.
 
Harrison Smith – FS – Smith is one of two deep Safeties for the Irish and his first move on the snap is to bail out and sit in deep centre field. It's very tough to rate him as most of the time he's off the TV screen, so I will have to trust Ourlad's and Wes Bunting in their evaluations partly (although hopefully Smith will be at the Senior Bowl). He was in the box a couple of times and on one play he was able to get off the block of Sanders to make a tackle, which was impressive. His range is my question mark – he was late over to the sideline a couple of times and on a TD pass, he had a choice of two receivers and went to the corner – the TD went to the post, so he was a step late. This is a thin Safety class (for the second year in a row), so unlike some of the WR's this year he might be overdrafted.
 
Baylor vs Washington (Alamo/Chris Spielman Bad Defense Bowl)
 
Baylor
 
Terrance Ganaway – RB – Ganaway is a great story and shows what sport can do for these young men. He was with Houston, but his Mother died of cancer in his freshman year and understandably he struggled with things. He left Houston and didn't play football while attending Junior College. Art Briles now at Baylor didn't forget him though and so Ganaway returned to football following Briles to Baylor. Ganaway finished a fine year with a 21 carry, 200 yards and 5 (five) TD. As the game went on he got more and more confident – he looked like he was being shot out of cannon. His downhill running style was perfect as the Washington defense parted like the Red Sea in biblical times. Down near the goal line his power was very effective as he just kept his legs churning. I'll be interested in his 40 time at the Combine – he seemed to be moving pretty well. He's somewhat of a one season wonder (215 yards in 2009, 295 in 2010) – but Hawaii's Alex Green was as well and the Packers took him in the third round...
 
Kendall Wright – WR – Wright was a little quieter than usual, if 7 catches for 91 yards and a score is quiet. As ever he looked dangerous after the catch, he has some super moves and doesn't have to slow down to make them. He ran a couple of deep routes and with double moves got behind the defense – one was overthrown, the other underthrown, but he caught falling backwards. He also showed a willingness to block – at 5'10” 190 he's no Michael Floyd but I noted the effort. Wright finished the year with 108 catches and looks like a fine prospect – in a deep class it will be interesting where he finishes up, but if he's still around in the early second round, then I think he becomes too good to pass up.
 
Philip Blake – C – I've been high on Blake all year and so I was very interested to see how he would deal with Washington's Alameda Ta'amu, rated as a first round prospect by some. The answer was that Blake dominated the matchup throughout and should see his stock sky rocket. As noted in previous weeks, Blake does a nice job of transitioning from snap to pass protection stance. He sits in his stance and gets his non snap hand out quickly. The most impressive thing is that initial punch – multiple times it stopped a 330 lb beast from doing anything. Ta'amu got some push on a couple of occasions, but in such a battle that was to be expected. Blake did still show up his one weakness – he lunges at people a bit too much in the run game and he released a couple of blocks early as a result. However, in all I think it's time to think about Blake as a day two prospect even though he's over aged (26). Trust me to pick out a Center in a 67-56 game!
 
Washington
 
Jermaine Kearse – WR – Kearse was operating from the slot despite the fact he's 6'2” 205 lbs. He had only five catches – but made some big plays – he had 198 yards and a TD. His big play of the day was an 80 yard TD – he ran an out route from the slot, saw his QB rolling left and turned the route up, getting behind the defense for the score. He also got behind the defense on a 60 yard catch. The good thing from his performance is that there were none of the drops that had me concerned early in the year - hopefully he'll continue that in the post season.
 
Senio Kelemete – OT – at 6'4” Kelemete is a likely move inside to guard as a pro. Playing left tackle, he really struggled in one game earlier in the year. In this one he was generally comfortable, although this wasn't a tough matchup for him. In pass protection at times his arms were flapping around like chicken wings (see Zebrie Sanders above). Most concerning though was the fact that he lost the leverage battle quite a few times and was stood straight up. Playing too high inside against the top DT's in the NFL will see him struggle big time. He did get his arms extended nicely, have good hand placement and generally lock up his man. He also struggled getting to the second level – he went for cut blocks against Elliot Coffey twice and failed to bring the Baylor man down – allowing a rarity in this game, a tackle. Overall, an OK performance – but past games have me thinking day three. He's someone who I'd really like to see in the Senior Bowl pit.
 
Alameda Ta'amu – DT – as mentioned above with Blake, Ta'amu lost the battle with Philip Blake. He got some push a couple of times, but generally was completely ineffective rushing the passer. Now, to his great credit he wasn't over on the sideline catching his breath every other series – he didn't leave the field unlike some other top prospects. But he really struggled all day and for a prospect who hasn't had a great senior year, this was a major downslide to cap a disappointing personal year. He will need to get a Senior Bowl invite, accept it and then dominate to stand any chance of being a first round pick – something that looked likely in the pre-season.
 
BYU vs Tulsa (Armed Forces Bowl)
 
BYU
 
Matt Reynolds – OT – this was my sixth BYU game this year and I thought Reynolds had the worst game of the six. He was upright all day in pass protection and struggled a little against edge speed. When setting up in pass protection his hands were low, although he was able to get them up in time to strike. He was better in the run game – mainly asked to square up and seal, or just move the DE up the field. In previous games I've been struck by his power, but that wasn't really on show in this one. He hasn't received a Senior Bowl invite, but will be at the Shrine Game – so this suggests he's a mid round type guy. He was being talked about as a first rounder at this time last year, but due to his struggles against edge speed he's slipped a bit. He is durable and tough (made one nice peel back block after he lost his helmet making a cut block at the start of the play) and I think you know exactly what you are getting with him. Will suit a power team, but must play better in the post season otherwise his stock will plummet.
 
Hebron Fangupo – DT – Fangupo is a USC transfer who has played better as the season has moved forward. At 6'1” 331 lbs he will be someone who can eat up some blockers at the next level. He plays DE in BYU's base 3-4 defense and showed some power in this one, getting into the backfield a few times. He tends to rely on a bull rush when rushing the passer and got some push. He's not super athletic, so not like Dontari Poe of Memphis (who is coming out early – more on the juniors after Bowl season) – he's a day three guy – but could stick on a roster.
 
Tulsa
 
G.J. Kinne – QB – Kinne is an interesting one. On quite a few shorter routes he threw the fastball too often and actually had a couple of passes dropped as he threw the pass too hard. But on deeper passes he puts too much air on the ball and although it does give his receiver a chance, the DB's are also in play. He runs a spread offense and his passing chart is typical of that system – most things under 10 yards, although they threw in the middle of the field a little more than Oklahoma State for example. He finished 17-31-211 and 3 TD's – looking a bit streaky. He looks ideally suited to a shorter passing offense – but will need to learn to take something off his shorter routes. His footwork looked solid but like every spread QB he will need to learn how to read defenses. A good example was a CB blitz – it wasn't seen by the coaches when he looked over to his sideline and he just didn't have a clue it was coming – he must see that at the next level. A day three developmental type with some raw tools.
 
Curnelius Arnick – ILB – Arnick is 230 lbs – playing the middle, but projects to weakside LB at the next level. Having to defend so many spread offenses, college teams have undersized LB's and thus there are many weakside LB's in this class and this trend should continue moving forward. Arnick has been very productive and it was easy to see why – he made several nice reads and flashed up to make several tackles. His speed is a question mark. On one stretch play he came under the TE's block and just didn't have the speed to get to the back, who turned the corner for a 10 yard gain – if you gamble under a block you have to make sure you get there otherwise the edge is lost. With so many other LB's of this size he'll be lucky to be drafted – but could stick on special teams to start with.
 
Iowa State vs Rutgers (Pinstripe Bowl)
 
Iowa State
 
Kelechi Osemele – OT – the more I see of Osemele, the more I think he can stay outside at tackle at the next level. Against a smaller/quicker Rutgers defensive line, he looked comfortable in pass protection. His technique needs a little work – at times he had chicken wings on his first couple of steps in pass protection – but then got his hands up ready to strike. But he showed the ability to mirror in pass protection and worked hard to sit in his stance to win the leverage battle. He has some power in the run game and got some movement, although much of the time was just asked to stick on stretch plays or square up and seal – both of which he did nicely. I'll have another comparison with Georgia's Cordy Glenn in the Outback Bowl in a couple of days – but Osemele remains above Glenn on my board.
 
Leonard Johnson – CB – Iowa State played quite a lot of zone coverage, although he also played some off man and press man. He's doesn't project well as a press man CB at 5'10” 195 lbs, but he's not afraid of the physical side of the game. He wasn't match up against Rutgers Mohamed Sanu as much as he was against Justin Blackmon in the Oklahoma State game. Sanu caught a comeback route on him – getting two yards of separation. The Rutgers man also caught a short pass in front of him, but Johnson missed the tackle. He looked comfortable in zone coverage – his hips looked loose and he seemed at home with his eyes in the backfield and able to read nicely. He didn't play as well as when up against Blackmon, but still a steady performance and should be a top 100 pick.
 
Rutgers
 
Desmond Wynn – OT – Wynn was moved outside to left tackle for this one (his usual spot has been left guard) and he struggled. At 6'6” he might be a bit too tall for guard at the next level, but he didn't look able to stay even at right tackle from this performance. He was off balance consistently in pass protection, bending at the waist heavily. On this evidence I think he's probably going to go undrafted.
 
Justin Francis – DT/DE – Francis is an undersized (262 lbs) college DT who projects outside in a four man front as a pro. I've watched a couple of Rutgers games in the two weeks between end of season and Bowl season, but this was his weakest performance of the three. He was controlled for most of the game – getting penetration now and again. He'll need to put up decent Combine/Pro Day numbers to project to DE as a pro to get drafted on day three.
 
Mississippi State vs Wake Forest (Music City Bowl)
 
Mississippi State
 
Vick Ballard – RB – Ballard had a career high 180 yards to cap off his two year career at Mississippi State. The Junior College transfer finished the season with 1189 yards. He had two long TD runs (60 and 72 yards) but outside of those two plays he gained 48 yards on his 12 carries, right on 4 yards a clip. He does a nice job of finishing his runs – getting low and is not afraid to take on tacklers. He's also a reliable short range receiver (he had 2 catches in this one, taking his total to 20 this year). His long TD runs showed he has some speed. It looked like the Safety had the angle on his second one, but he was able to out run it and find the end zone. His cut back on the play showed good vision. It's a little tough to scout Ballard as he's not in the game all the time and only 3 times this year has he had 20 or more carries. I do hear what Ed Cunningham was saying in commentary, that he could be taken earlier than Scout Inc's current fourth round projection – but it's tough to make a case for the guy when he rotates. I know this is trendy, but if he so good that he's a day two pick – then I wouldn't take him off the field, like Cincinnati with Isaiah Pead for example. So, I think fourth round is the earliest I would consider him – I wasn't impressed with him against LSU and that is tough to forget.
 
James Carmon – OT – Carmon is a huge former defensive lineman in his first year on the offensive side of the ball. He was flying under the radar coming into the year, but has started to move his way up boards. Against Alabama earlier in the year he struggled to the point where he was benched – but in this one he looked pretty good. I'm very much a fan of a power running game and thus love big, powerful tackles and a couple of times Carmon just buried his man. His technique in pass protection was OK – he doesn't have super foot quickness, but at 345 lbs that's not to be expected (I think losing 20/25 lbs would really help him there). He had a good battle with Wake's Kyle Wilber – he was beaten for speed outside one time, but equally won some battles. His hand placement was a little too far outside at times, but he got his arms extended and made every effort to lock his man up. Surprisingly he didn't resort to waist bending that much – there are Tackle prospects this year who have been playing the position a lot longer and they are big time waist benders. He's an interesting prospect – if he can show up at the Combine minus a few pounds I think it will help his stock, but certainly for a power team he's someone you can develop. That defensive mentality is always good for offensive lineman, back a couple of years ago I really liked NC State's Ted Larsen and he's starting at guard for the Bucs.
 
Quinton Saulsberry – OG – Saulsberry lineman who has experience at center, right tackle and both guard spots. After starting the year at center he moved over the right guard due to a reshuffle after injuries hit. I thought he really struggled in this one and after he impressed me last year, I think he's struggled some this year. He was off balance much of the time in both phases of the game and spent far too much time on the ground. Last year he was doing a nice job of sitting in pass protection, but he seems to have lost this. Perhaps he is best suited to center, but he's certainly falling down my board.
 
Wake Forest
 
Chris Givens – WR – Givens announced after the game that he's entering the Draft as a Junior. This was on the back of a somewhat disappointing game as he struggled against Mississippi State's speed on defense. He did have 9 catches but only for 54 yards. He also dropped a 20 yard corner route, which he had a shot at – but just couldn't accelerate through the ball. With so few senior prospects this was only my second Wake game (the first was Duke where he made some big plays) – I'll go back and have a look at him a couple more times to get a better picture, but this wasn't a great launching point for him, particularly in a very deep WR class.
 
Joe Looney – OG – in between the end of the regular season and start of Bowl season, I was catching up on some later round prospects of which Wake have two. Looney hasn't impressed me at all. Like Saulsberry he had problems with balance and released a few blocks too early in the run game. In pass protection he was forced upright a fair amount and was pushed back into his QB too much. At other times he bent at the waist heavily. I'm afraid I'm not a fan and I have him as a UDFA on my board.
 
Kyle Wilber – OLB/DE – on the other hand I really like Wilber. He plays DE some (at 6'4” 235 lbs), but in this one spent most of the night at OLB. He has a nice frame, needs to fill out a little – but has long arms and projects to 3-4 OLB at the next level. He flashed ability as a pass rusher – beating Carmon outside one time and also beat the left guard to get a pressure. The play I liked the most was a play fake – he didn't bite on it at all and had nice coverage on the HB in the flat. He made a nice play on a stretch play – moving laterally under control and made a nice tackle for no gain. He also lit up Chris Relf twice on the option – just a shame no one took the back. He might need a year to get bigger and stronger, but I think he has upside and I'd be more than willing to spend a day three pick on him.
 
Iowa vs Oklahoma (Insight Bowl)
 
Iowa
 
Marvin McNutt – WR – McNutt had a tough day with only 4 catches for 46 yards, but the day could have been much worse for him as he wasn't far away from the sky camera which fell to the turf late in the game. It does seem when he's up against better players he struggles – he was controlled by Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard and in this one Jamell Fleming generally controlled him. At other times this year he's looked like a solid 2nd or 3rd rounder – but it could well be that he's not fast enough to get separation against better CB's. He will need to have a good post season (All-Star game and Combine) to repair his stock a bit, which took a hit with his last two games.
 
Markus Zusevics – OT – Zusevics was suffering with 'flu, but gave it a go. He left the game in the second quarter after he was sick and didn't return. Prior to that I wouldn't have noticed he was ill. He looked very comfortable – with his usual excellent technique in pass protection. In some ways taking him in the 3rd/4th round could be better value than spending a first round pick on Reiff if he comes out.
 
Mike Daniels – DT – Daniels has been bothered by injuries this year and has had a poor year. Towards the end of the season he looked better and he made some plays in this one with his quickness off the ball. He did a nice job on a few plays, getting under his man and getting off blocks. However at 275 lbs he's undersized for the position at the next level and was overmatched at times in this one. He lacks the length to be a 4-3 DE (6'1”), so I think he'll need to bulk up a bit while keeping his quickness and then hope a team like the Colts has a need at the position.
 
Tyler Nielsen – OLB – the commentators mentioned Nielsen feels he's more comfortable outside and that really show up on film. When up against spread systems early in the year he played over a lot WR and it allowed him to contribute against the run. As one of two inside linebackers in this one he struggled at times to get off blocks, something that has been a problem. The problem when projecting him to the next level is that he doesn't look like a top athlete – so I don't see him being able to play a nickel LB type role. Projecting him in the box at the next level his value drops due to his problems getting off blocks. So I think he'll probably be a 5th/6th round type pick who will need to show up on special teams to get a roster spot.
 
Shaun Prater – CB – Iowa use a lot of two deep Safety coverage, so you have to pick out the odd play when he's in man coverage to get a real feel for him. On one play in man he had over the top coverage on Stills, but really needed to be inside/under the route (a skinny post) – fortunately for him the pass was poor (stay in school Landry Jones). He also got lucky on an 18 yard out route – he was slow to break on the play and the receiver had separation, but the throw again was poor. It would have been interesting on a crossing route in the back of the end zone – he was trailing in coverage, but looked to be closing under the route – but we'll never know the result as the pass was batted down at the line. According to Pro Football Weekly he ran in the low 4.5's at the junior timing day – which is good enough to see him drafted a little earlier than his play would dictate. He is one of the best special teams coverage prospects in this class and that shouldn't be forgotten.
 
Oklahoma
 
Frank Alexander – DE – Alexander started off the season very well, but did fade a little down the stretch. In this one he made a few plays, but they were when he was matched up against a TE. When up against Riley Reiff he got very little change from Iowa left tackle. He did beat Reiff outside on one pass rush, but the guard peeled back to help. If he had been able to keep the level of play up from early in the year then I would be saying third round, but with the drop off he'll need to do something special to get there now. I'm thinking 4th/5th depending on his athletic numbers.
 
Travis Lewis – OLB – Lewis strikes me as more instinctive than Zach Brown. He is not afraid of contact, but doesn't do a great job getting off blocks which limits his value. He was able to get off blocks three times to make tackles, but that's not enough. He'll need a little technique work as he just flies up into his blocker, but doesn't use his hands to shed – just relying on the big impact to get off the block. He was called for holding in coverage, but looked OK on the play, just panicking a little on the out cut. I liked the fact he was physical in coverage, but of course he'll need to adjust to the 5 yard contact rule. Overall his season has been down on last year due to his broken toe – I'm not sure how close to 100% he is now, but hopefully he can get there for the post season process.
 
Jamell Fleming – CB – I'm not as high on Fleming as others, the reason being he gives up too much in front of him. That was on show a couple of times and his break on routes is the thing he really needs to improve. One thing he does in make big plays and he had an interception in this one, surprisingly he only has two on the season (he's forced and recovered fumbles in other games I've seen). Against a bigger receiver in McNutt I thought he did a nice job being very physical with the Iowa man. He did get turned around a couple of times, mainly when he was getting side on in bail technique (up faking press and then into zone). I'm not a fan of the bail technique – if just leaves the out route wide open. Anyway – Fleming does have some talent – he's listed by PFW as an estimated 4.55 40 guy, which might not be enough to crack the first three rounds, but we'll see if he can do better than this at the Combine.
 
Northwestern vs Texas A&M (Car Care Bowl)
 
Northwestern
 
Northwestern don't have any top prospects. TE/HB Drake Dunsmore in the 'Super Back' he lined up mainly as a slot receiver and had two short catches. OT Al Netter has good size (6'6” 310 lbs) but is heavy footed and is a late round/free agent type who gave up two sacks (one to a CB). DE Vince Browne was playing with a brace on his left arm. He struggled to make an impact – he's only managed 3 sacks this year (down from 7 last year).
 
Texas A&M
 
Ryan Tannehill – QB – this was a strange game for Tannehill. In the first half he looked very good – but really struggled with A&M in hold the lead mode once again. He did recover on the last drive to make some key throws, but his inconsistency is frustrating. The concerning thing about his performance was that he made two shocking decisions in the second half, one which results in an interception – the other which deserved to be picked. Interestingly he made both decisions rolling to his right, so it might be he needs to get his feet set or just take off. He finished with stats of 27-40-329-1 TD-1 INT. Tannehill's passing chart looked very much like a spread QB with 32 passes thrown under 10 yards. He did throw the ball 20+ yards 6 times, a little higher than some spread systems. The key difference is that Tannehill has experience calling audibles at the line and anticipating his receivers routes – throwing the out route before they break, he has a nice understanding with Fuller. I think he's going to need a little time at the next level – you can't get away from all the bad decisions this year and his struggles against better opposition (Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas) – but he does have some tools to work with.
 
Cyrus Gray – RB – missed the game with a shoulder injury – was close to being able to play, so hopefully will be OK to go in an All-Star game.
 
Jeff Fuller – WR – Fuller's stock seems to have been falling with most and although he's dropped a little on my board, I still like him. He's been playing with a hamstring injury and also turf toe – but looked healthier in this one as he stretched the field as he did last year. He finished the year with 70 catches (down from 72 last year) – but his big play ability hasn't been there this year (average per catch 11.8 yards this year, 14.8 last). He managed 7 catches for 119 yards to finish his A&M career – an average of 17 yards a catch. He was able to get deep – showing nice explosion and indeed he had to wait for a couple of deeper throws. He looks to have big hands – he's a hands catcher who isn't afraid to lower his head and attack after the catch. Now looking healthier it wouldn't surprise me if he lit up the post season process and got himself back into late first/early second territory – but certainly anything later than the second round someone will get great value.
 
Coryell Judie – CB – Judie has had a season much like Ras-I Dowling did last year – injuries. He pulled his hamstring early in the year, tried to come back – re-injured it and has been a part-time player since. In this one he returned the opening kick-off – but did not start the game at CB. He did see some time – but then the injury curse struck again as he fractured his wrist and did not return. Like Dowling, when healthy he's a top talent – but the injuries will lower his stock.
 
Georgia Tech vs Utah (Sun Bowl)
 
Georgia Tech
 
Tech don't have any senior prospects rated as draftable. As they recruit for Al Groh's system defensively, I would expect that to change.
 
Utah
 
Tony Bergstrom – OT - Bergstrom plays right tackle, but carries a higher grade than the left tackle Cullen. He's fairly sound technically in pass protection, although he's not a natural bender and did struggle a couple of times leverage wise. He has a decent first step, but as he's a bit too upright he then goes for smaller/quicker steps – so I think he would struggle against pure edge speed. In the run game he lunged off the ball too much and released some blocks too early, but did do a nice job of sealing the edge. At 6'6” he's probably too tall to move inside to guard and thus carries limited value as a right tackle only. I would expect him to be a day three pick, although the 4th/5th round region isn't bad.
 
John Cullen plays left tackle and carries some developmental value. He's listed at 285 lbs, so will need to bulk up. As expected for a lighter tackle, he has a decent first step – although he did give up a sack when he missed his initial punch. He released a couple of blocks early and does look like a later round type, but the quick first step might see him drafted. A practice squad type while he bulks up. Conroy Black is a tall thin CB (6'0” 186 lbs) who wasn't afraid to get involved against Tech's option offense. He was beaten for a TD though – he was up at the line and then bailed, but just seemed to lose track of his man and let him get behind for the score. He had a couple of swing passes thrown in front of him when he was in off coverage, but was up quickly to make tackles. Not the best game to show his talents, but he'll get a camp shot and with a good 40 time could be drafted on day three.
 
Illinois vs UCLA (Emerald Bowl)
 
Illinois
 
Jason Ford – RB – academically ineligible.
 
A.J. Jenkins – WR – Jenkins struggled to get separation some in this one and was kept quiet for much of the game. However he did make some plays as the game moved on and finished with 6 catches for 80 yards and a big TD. He finished the year with 90 catches, so he more than doubled his production combined from his first three years. He was going through a period in the game where he was struggling – covered tightly on a deep post and a crossing route – but he caught an 8 yard slant and was gone with no deep safety on the play. He coasted into the end zone and was a step away from getting stripped at the one yard line – hopefully we'll see no more of that from him. Jenkins stock is certainly on the up and I like him because he's a hands catcher. He's a little light at 185 lbs, but has pushed himself into contention for a day two spot.
 
Jeff Allen – OT – in commentary it was mentioned that Scouts Inc. have Allen rated in the fourth round. This is higher than I've seen anywhere else and it's more in line with my rating of him. He's not got the best feet in the world, but he doesn't bend at the waist and does a nice job locking up his man in pass protection. He did a nice job getting to the second level in this one and was balanced, so he's not someone who releases blocks and ends up on the ground. He needs to work on keeping his hands up in pass protection, but overall I like him and think he'll be solid value on day three.
 
UCLA
 
Derrick Coleman – FB – a later round/free agent prospect who has had three 100+ yard days this year. Able to get downhill in a bowling ball kind of way. Might be worth a look for a team that wants to go one back at times.
 
Tony Dye – SS – suffered a serious neck injury early in the year and originally it seemed he was going to redshirt. However, he returned – but then injured his leg to miss the tail end of the year. To top off a down year, he was ruled academically ineligible for this one. So he burned that possible medical redshirt only to play in a couple of games and then rule himself out of the Bowl game...
 
Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt (Liberty Bowl)
 
Cincinnati
 
Isaiah Pead – RB – this was my fifth Pead game this season and by far the most impressive. I had him as a day three pick, but this performance caught my attention in a big way. He had 149 yards on 29 carries and caught 3 passes. Pead looked a lot more explosive that when I've seen him this year, including against Miami (Ohio) where he only had 49 yards on 18 carries. Perhaps he was a bit nicked up down the stretch and being refreshed looked better. He was very dangerous all day on the cut back run, but also showed good patience and then explosion on stretch plays. As a one cut and go runner he lacks some of the creative ability that others do and that does downgrade him. He had a couple of drops, muffed a punt and was beaten in pass protection by Chris Marve, so not everything was good. I'm pretty sure I can find you a one cut and go guy in the later rounds (maybe I'll try for fun!), so I don't know there's great value in him as a day two pick. However, if he played like this all year then I would say yes. He does move up my board a bit – but there were four games I wasn't impressed with him, and that still carries weight.
 
Derek Wolfe – DT – Wolfe really came on this year and at times in this one he was simply unblockable. He did a great job getting off blocks and had 5 solo tackles, 2 of which were tackles for loss. He was able to get up the field quickly and was a real problem for Vandy. As the game moves forward the Commodores countered by double teaming him and he was a little quieter in the second half, although his motor was still running. At 6'5” 295 lbs he projects nicely to a 3-4 team at DE – I think he can step in and help quickly – his stock is certainly rising and if his combine workout is good it could go through the roof.
 
Vanderbilt
 
Chris Marve – ILB – Marve is a super productive guy, but has a major problem in that he can't get off blocks. He will go around blockers – thus makes his tackles after solid gains. He did have a sack beating Pead, but he's not the pro prospect his production would suggest.
 
Casey Hayward – CB – I talked earlier about Oklahoma's Jamell Fleming and his bail technique. Vanderbilt are a zone heavy team, but Hayward doesn't use the bail technique that much. Even when up faking press coverage he uses his backpedal – or will just turn and run down the field. Hayward is far quicker out of his breaks that Fleming and indeed his feet are really good. On route he turned to run with his man – the route was a curl in after 5 yards – so although Hayward had turned to run at full speed, he still was able to stop quickly and have tight coverage on the play. He showed his play making abilities with two interceptions, which gives him seven on the year. The first was the best – he read the square in cut by the WR – then got his eyes on the QB as he was breaking up and just took the ball away from the receiver. The second was a deeper route – Hayward had inside position and really the ball should never have been thrown in that area – it was an easy pick. The big question for him at the Combine will be his 40 time. Pro Football Weekly estimate him as a 4.55 guy, which may see him go a little later than he deserves. For a zone heavy team though I would put him very high on my board – he'll be solid value in the 3rd/4th round area.
 
Auburn vs Virginia (Peach Bowl)
 
Auburn
 
Brandon Mosley – OT – Mosley started the year at left tackle, but was moved over the right side where he's more comfortable. Due to an injury to A.J. Green he had to take a couple of snaps over on the left side and he was beaten outside for speed both times, once by Cam Johnson and the other by freshman LB Daquan Romero on a blitz. Over at right tackle he was up against big Matt Conrath and this was an interesting matchup, with Mosley winning the later battles after struggling with such a tall opponent early on. The best thing Mosley does is to turn his man up the field on running plays, he gets under his man nicely and has enough power to move people. A couple of times he got pancake blocks and it was good to see some nasty. When getting to the second level he was mixed – he over ran one play and a couple of times lunged at his man and ended up releasing the block and falling flat on his face. He's in the mix of the right tackle group, I don't like him as much as Matt Reynolds of BYU, although he's a slightly different player. I'm thinking the fourth round area for him at best – but if a bunch of juniors come out at the position he could slide further. The one thing in his favour is that he's only been playing the position for two years (he was a TE at junior college), so there is still some upside – but I don't if he's athletic enough to get really excited about that.
 
Neiko Thorpe – FS – Thorpe is one of two deep safeties in Auburn's zone defense. He has responsibility over the top, although he does sneak up in the box against certain teams and did so against run heavy Virginia. He was a fraction late a couple of times over the top and it could well be he's not a super athlete. He's listed at 186 lbs, so could well be a tweener – too small for an in the box guy and not fast enough for FS. Let's see how fast he times, but for now I'm thinking the later rounds.
 
Virginia
 
Cam Johnson – DE – this is my eighth Virginia game this season, so I have a pretty good feel for Johnson. On occasion he flashes the ability to turn the corner when rushing the passer as he did early in the game and again later against Mosley. However, for the most part he relies on getting under his man and trying to out leverage them. The best thing about him is his awareness and a simple play was a good example. He up against Philip Lutzenkirchen on a passing play – but the Auburn man peeled away as a receiver – but Johnson felt it and just stayed with him blowing up that play. He does things like this a lot – they don't show up on the stat sheet, but they show he's a football player. I've seen him rated anywhere from 1st to 4th round and I'm in that 2nd/3rd round region with him – but I will need to see his combine numbers and work out where he fits best at the next level.
 
Matt Conrath – DT – Conrath moved outside to DE in this game after playing inside all year. Early on he gave Mosley some problems as the Auburn man didn't quite know what to do with a 6'7” 270 lb man. However, after that he was kept quiet – although he was still working hard. I think his best pro shot is at 3-4 DE – but he will need to get up to 285-290 lbs for that – so he might be a practice squad guy for a year.
 
Chase Minnifield – CB – did not play due to a knee injury.