Draft Bulletin

Fri April 16, 2010 Comments
Underrated: Montario Hardesty, Tennessee

    Hardesty finished 2008 strong and had an outstanding year this past year but it still seems like people haven't completely bought in yet. Maybe everyone is skeptical because he had been injury prone throughout much of his career but this past year he was healthy. He is a complete back with decent size, great speed and runs with good forward lean and patience.

Overrated: Chris Brown, Oklahoma

    Unlike Hardesty, Chris Brown has enjoyed notoriety throughout his college career. He has put up good numbers but a lot of that had to do with the great offensive line he got to run behind. In reality Brown is only an average RB who lacks size, speed and shiftiness.

Boom or Bust: LeGarrette Blount, Oregon

    At times Blount can be a really athletic big man. He can have good speed and is hard to tackle because of his size and strength. When he is in shape he can look similar to Eddie George, the problem is that he seems to constantly struggle with condition. Add into all this his off the field issues, like anger management and he becomes one of the biggest risks in the draft.

Sleeper: Shawnbrey McNeal, SMU

    SMU doesn't get a lot of national exposure so McNeal went a little under the radar but he was the first RB to run over 1,000 yards for June Jones. He is undersized but has the ability to make defenders miss. He will also allow his offensive coordinator to be creative because he catches the ball so well he could play WR.

Undrafted Sleeper: LaMarcus Coker, Hampton

    Coker began his career at Tennessee but after multiple suspensions he was dismissed from the team. These character flags will keep him from being drafted but there is a chance that someone will give him a shot as a free agent. On the field, he is a talented player with good size and big time speed. He is also a very good KR.

Positional Overview: TEs

Fri April 16, 2010 Comments
Underrated: Mickey Shuler, Penn St

    Most of the attention and glory went to his teammate Andrew Quarless while Shuler took care of all the dirty work. Due to the fact that he is dependable and a good blocker, he has kind of gone under the radar but make no mistake Shuler is a good athlete and has good bloodlines.

Overrated: Nobody

    This is an extremely solid group this year. I honestly can't find anyone who is projected to get drafted higher than they should, so I guess we will just have to wait until the draft to find someone who is picked too early.

Boom or Bust: Andrew Quarless, Penn St

    Seemed like he spent his college career moving in and out of coach Paterno's doghouse. Has a lot of athletic ability and can be a real weapon in the pass game. His effort and focus throughout his career has not been consistent, so the concern is whether he will ever reach his full potential in the unstructured life of the NFL.

Sleeper: Scott Sicko, New Hampshire

    Could get lost in all the talent of the position which might make him available late in the draft which would make him a steal. Has really good size and tremendous athletic ability. He was their go to guy in the pass game and he has a good frame and gives good effort in run blocking, giving him the chance to develop into a complete TE.

Undrafted Sleeper: Jake Ballard, Ohio St

    With all the problems Ohio St had on the OL, Ballard spent much of the past couple years blocking. He is a solid blocker but he is also good target in the pass game. With his height and leaping ability he could develop into a really good redzone weapon.

Positional Overview: WRs

Wed April 14, 2010 Comments
Underrated: Blair White, Michigan St

    This former walk-on doesn't look like much but man can he play. He has good quickness and surprising speed that helps him get open, and he gets open a lot. His numbers would have been even better if the QB play was more consistent. He is solid in all areas- getting open, catching the ball, getting yards after the catch, blocking. He will help a team in any way whether it is as a receiver or on special teams.

Overrated: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

    I constantly watched Gilyard all year to see if I was missing something. All this talk of being a first round pick, and it is still out there, kind of has me baffled. He is a good return guy but doesn't show me a lot in the pass game. He is undersized and doesn't run NFL routes. Most of his catches are on swing throws or screens. He doesn't have real good hands so most of his contribution will be in the return game.

Boom or Bust: Mike Williams, Syracuse

    He is a first round talent that many teams won't even have on their draft board. He has good size and is really athletic. He physically looks like the ideal WR and on the field he produces. The problem comes with off the field. There were constantly issues and then it gets topped off with him quitting the team. A quitting attitude and the NFL don't go hand in hand. It will be interesting to see which team, if any, are willing to overlook this.

Sleeper: Taylor Price, Ohio

    Price is a sleeper in the sense that maybe the casual fan is not real familiar with him and the fact that he could end up a mid round pick, which would be a steal. He has good size and really good speed that translates onto the field. He runs good routes and has good, big hands. He has the potential to develop into a really good pro.

Undrafted Sleeper: A.J. Jackson, California (PA)

    Jackson is a really tall receiver who can be a threat in the redzone. He is competitive and really goes up and gets the ball. He will make the tough catches and is physical as a blocker and receiver. He will need work on his route running but he could develop into a decent player.

Positional Overview: QBs

Wed April 14, 2010 Comments
Underrated: Mike Kafta, Northwestern

    Didn't have much of a supporting cast but consistently threw his team on his shoulders and led them to victory. Has good size and decent arm strength. He is a smart kid and can make things happen with his feet. Can be a solid backup who could develop into a quality starter.

Overrated: Tim Tebow, Florida

    Tebow is overrated as a QB. All this talk of him improving his release has increased the hype to the point where he will be drafted too early. Improving the release is good but I think that it will just expose other issues. In my book, Tebow is not a QB but he will be drafted as one which is why he lands in the overrated category.

Boom or Bust: Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville St

    There is no doubt that he can play. He has good size and a good arm. He played well against top competition when he was at LSU, the question is the off the field stuff that got him kicked out of LSU. He has reportedly been a good citizen while at Jacksonville St but you never know for sure which is a big concern when dealing with a leadership position.

Sleeper: Joey Elliott, Purdue

    Last year was his only year as the full-time starter so he went a little under the radar. Over the course of the season he really got better and was playing at a high level at the end of the season. Has a good arm and makes good decisions.

Undrafted Sleeper: Andy Schmitt, Eastern Michigan

    Suffered a knee injury early in the season against Michigan. Up to that point he was one of the more impressive QBs in college football. He had no talent to work with but kept his team competitive. He has good size and is athletic. This season was the first year he took snaps from under center which can be a big transition and he looked natural doing it and made good decisions with the ball. He also makes good throws with people in his face.

Northern Illinois Pro Day

Fri March 26, 2010 Comments
Scouts were there from the Bears, Cardinals, Colts and Saints. The main attractions were Eddie Adamski and Western Illinois CB Patrick Stoudamire. Adamski put up 29 reps in the bench press and looked good in drills. Stoudamire was the best athlete on the field and looked great in drills, the only concern is that he isn't natural catching the ball and tends to fight it some.

S David Bryant and G Jason Onyebuagu had solid performances. Bryant had solid numbers across the board and did well in drills. Onyebuagu doesn't totally look the part but has surprising athleticism which he showed in the broad jump and in the on field drills.

The under the radar performance was turned in by John Tranchitella who was a starting LB a couple of years ago and this past year returned a couple kickoffs. Tranchitella worked out at both LB and RB. He looks the part and put on a solid workout. He put up solid numbers across the board especially in the 3-cone drill while posting a 4.57 forty. He was solid in both the RB and LB drills showing good feet and natural hands. He is also well respected by his teammates who were really pulling for him. Without solicitation a number of teammates told me to keep an eye on him and talked highly of him. For the record he was the only player mentioned without solicitation.

The most successful individual working out was Jamie Moriarty who put up a respectable workout despite the fact that he hadn't had a lot of time to train because he was in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics as a bobsledder. He decided to spend his 29th birthday working out for NFL scouts. Due to the fact that he is 29, he probably won't get a chance but his workout was decent.

The biggest celebrity on the sidelines was probably former Northern Illinois and current Chicago Bear RB Garrett Wolfe.

Good Decision/Bad Decision- Looking at the OL, TEs and DL

Fri Feb 12, 2010 Comments
Bruce Campbell, T, Maryland- Poor Decision. Campbell has plenty of athletic ability but his play has been inconsistent. He will likely be a first round pick based on his potential but he could have come back to school and solidified himself as a top 15 pick.

Anthony Davis, T, Rutgers- Poor Decision. Much like Campbell, Davis possesses a lot of physical ability but his play has been inconsistent. Davis has good size and is a strong run blocker as well as a pass protector. If he would have went back to school and been more consistent he could have solidified himself as a top 10 pick. There is a possibility that he may still end up in that area but that is not a sure thing.

Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa- Good Decision. He didn't have the dominant year expected but he still had a really good year. With the lack of a dominant senior T he still has a good shot at being the first T taken. He began the year slowly due to injury but had his share of dominant performances. He has good size and strength. He is a good run blocker in addition to being a solid pass protector.

Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida- Decent Decision. This year's class of centers lacks a dominant prospect so he jumps to the top of this class on reputation alone. He is an aggressive player with good strength but sometimes plays a little high. Despite that, he will still be the first center off the board.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona- Poor Decision. Was one of the top TEs in college football but missed the past season due to a back injury. He is easily a mid-first round talent but with the fact that nobody knows how he will respond from the injury combined with the fact that back injuries are big concerns for tall players, he will be lucky if he gets drafted in the first round at all. He would have been better served going back to school and showing everyone that he is healthy and back to normal.

Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida- Decent Decision. He definitely ended on a high note with an outstanding bowl game against Cincinnati. Hernandez is what he is. He is a great receiving TE that can make things happen with the ball in his hands. He is undersized and isn't much of a blocker because of it but he is the type of receiving weapon that coaches will like to play with. Going back to school probably wouldn't have changed his stock much at all.

Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech- No Brainer. Good combination of speed and size. He is a dominant performer who is versatile enough to play in various schemes. He is a top 10 type player.

Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida- Poor Decision. Phenomenal athlete whose ability doesn't match his performance. He tends to play soft and with poor technique. At times he will flash dominating ability that will get you excited but overall he isn't the difference maker he should be. Combine that with the fact that he got DUI right before the most important game of the season and you have a prospect that is a risky proposition in the first round. He still might get drafted in round one due to potential but if he would have come back to school and played at a higher level he could have been a top pick.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida- Poor Decision. It is a poor decision based on my analysis but this might end up working out for Pierre-Paul. He is similar to Aaron Maybin last year in that he is an outstanding athlete but is still pretty raw. Unlike Maybin however, he has the body and long arms to play DE and grow into the position. At this point he lacks strength and is a liability in the run game. As a pass rusher he is quick around the corner but isn't real developed in other pass rush moves. At this point he needs a lot of development but has unlimited potential. If he would have gone back to school and gotten stronger and continued to develop he could have been a top pick. I view him more as a mid to late first round pick due to the considerable risk but it is very likely that teams might be willing to take on that risk because he plays hard and has rare physical skills, so he very well might end up in the top half of the first round.

Everson Griffen, DE, USC- Poor Decision. Physically gifted player with some bulk who hasn't always produced to expectations. He didn't have the year expected either personally or team wise. He spent a lot of the year fighting through nagging injuries and didn't always show elite quickness off the corner. To be fair USC didn't always turn him lose, often keeping him in a contain position or sometimes dropping him back into coverage. He is a solid all around DE who probably still figures in the late first area but he was never that dominant performer that was expected.

Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech- Poor Decision. He is a tweener that lacks the height and arm length you would like for a DE and lacks some of the long speed you would like for LB. He does have some quickness and really good closing speed in the mold of Dwight Freeney but really struggles to disengage blockers with his short arms. He might project to LB in some 3-4 schemes. While he has some special skills it usually isn't a good thing when coming out early and teams have to try to figure out how you fit in their scheme.

Clifton Geathers, DE, South Carolina- Terrible Decision. Not the South Carolina DE I thought that would come out early. Geathers has good size and decent quickness. He can probably play end in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. He has some potential but isn't likely a high draft pick. He would have been better served going back to school and improving his stock.

Kevin Basped, DE, Nevada- Terrible Decision. Not the Nevada DE I thought that might come out early. Has some potential as a pass rusher but is not a top prospect. He has long arms and some speed off the corner but is stiff and a liability against the run. Figures to be a late round draft pick but he would have been better off returning to school and getting stronger and better.

Thaddeus Gibson, OLB, Ohio St- Decent Decision. I have completely changed my initial reaction as I have watched Gibson more closely. I initially had him at DE but now believe that he projects there better than on the line which also makes his decision to declare better. Gibson at times struggles at the point of attack which is why getting him out in space will be better. He runs well, has quick feet and good hips. In Ohio St's scheme he often plays like a LB and looks very natural there. I believe that the transition will be pretty smooth and seeing as this year's group of OLBs is not real strong, Gibson will have a good shot at going fairly high in the draft. The OLB class next year will be much better and Gibson would still be a projection.

Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma- No Brainer. He is the third best prospect in the draft. He has good strength and speed and I don't see how he could possibly fall out of the top 10 or really even the top 5.

Brian Price, DT, UCLA- Poor Decision. Price doesn't get the national publicity but he is a dominant player. My issue with him coming out early has to do with the fact that UCLA has a chance to be pretty good next year and could really get some national attention and possibly make a run at the PAC 10 title. An even bigger issue is that everyone could guess that Gerald McCoy would come out early so now he will have to fight it out with Jared Odrick for the third DT taken in the draft where if he came back for his senior year he would possibly enjoy a successful and enjoyable season and likely be the first DT taken in the draft.

Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina- Poor Decision. Joseph is a massive man with longs arms and more quickness than you would expect. While he has really good potential his play has been inconsistent. Some of this is due to poor technique and some of it has to do because his effort is sometimes inconsistent. With a more consistent year next year he had the potential to develop into a first round pick but will probably end up being a mid-round pick this year, especially with plenty of potential at the position.

Good Decision/Bad Decision- Looking at the RBs and LBs

Wed Feb 3, 2010 Comments
Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno St- Good Decision. Matthews had a really good year. He is also more of a between the tackles type runner and RBs have a limited shelf life. The advantage he would get from proving that this past year was not a fluke would not outweigh all the hits he will take due to the number of carries he gets.

Jahvid Best, RB, California- Good Decision. When healthy, Best is one of the top RBs in the country. The problem is that he is a little undersized and a little injury-prone. With the success of Shane Vereen it would have been very likely that Best would have to split carries about 50-50 versus 75-25. With that work load there would still be questions about his durability. It is a shame that he didn't get a chance to play after the concussion to prove that he is mentally over that. There will be some question about that but his stock shouldn't slide that much. Today RBs that have little question marks don't get drafted earlier than late in the first round. With his talent I don't see him sliding past late round 2, so his stock today is about what it would be next year.

Joe McKnight, RB, USC- Decent Decision. With all the controversy and attention from the investigation and all the high expectations, this might be one of those situations where it is best if everyone just moved on. McKnight struggled to live up to the Reggie Bush expectations but he still has talent and will get a fresh start in the NFL.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech- Good Decision. Dwyer is much like Matthews in the fact that he is more of a power runner who has some wear on his tires. He is firmly in that late first to second round area where going back to school for another year isn't really going to change his stock drastically.

Darius Marshall, RB, Marshall- Bad Decision. I was really surprised to hear that Marshall had declared for the draft. He has had a good career but not an elite career. He has limited potential as a pro because of his size and because he doesn't do a good job making defenders miss. Even with the coaching changes he would have benefited from going back to school and trying to increase his stock.

Shawnbrey McNeal, RB, SMU- Poor Decision. I know that his mother has had health problems but this analysis is based strictly on his ability on the field. On the field, McNeal turned in an outstanding season becoming the first RB in a June Jones offense to run over 1,000 yards. He enters the process a little under rated and it will be interesting to see where he ends up in the draft because there are things to like and there are some significant concerns in his game. First, what to like- he has good speed and lateral quickness which helps him make defenders miss and he has outstanding hands which are good enough to possibly play WR. As for the concerns- he is undersized, has only had one year of success and has little experience in pass protection. He would have benefited from working on those areas and proving that he wasn't a one year wonder.

Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama- No Brainer. There isn't much for him to accomplish unless he wanted to try to win the Heisman but if Ndamukong Suh couldn't win it, then it would be hard for McClain to win it. McClain is a sure-fire first round pick. He is big, has good speed, outstanding instincts, is productive and loves to study the game. Despite being an underclassmen he enters the draft as a very safe pick.

Navorro Bowman, OLB, Penn St- Decent Decision. Bowman has been highly productive for a long time in Happy Valley. There isn't much more for him to accomplish in college and coming back would not likely increase his stock that much. He figures in that late first, early second area and if he came back to school he would probably stay in that area. In addition to that, next year's group of LBs seem much stronger than this year's.

Rennie Curran, OLB, Georgia- Good Decision. Curran has accomplished a lot in his college career and has little to prove. The biggest negative in his game is his size and that isn't going to change over the next year. Add to that the fact that there are coaching changes for the defense and that they also lose their top 3 DTs and one of their top DEs, now might be a good time to move on to the next phase of his career.

Good Decision/Bad Decision- Looking at the WRs and CBs

Fri Jan 29, 2010 Comments
Today we will look at the WRs and the CBs that will try to cover them. First the WRs

Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St- No Brainer. Bryant didn't have much of a choice after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Despite that, it would have still been a good decision to enter the draft early. He is easily a first round pick and likely will be a top half of the first round type of guy as long as he shows up to the combine and workouts in shape.

Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse- Doesn't Matter. Williams's decision to enter the draft is kind of irrelevant. He already made the terrible decision to quit on his team during the middle of the season. He entered the season with significant character concerns, made a bad decision and then followed it up with a bad decision. Character is a big concern to NFL teams and we have seen recently where some players with character concerns don't get drafted or at least fall to the end of the draft. Some players don't even get an opportunity as a free agent- Adarius Bowman and Dorian Bryant come to mind. There is no doubt that physically Mike Williams has the ability to be a first round talent but it will be interesting to see if any team is willing to take on the risk.

Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame- Good Decision. Tate had arguably the best season by a WR in all of college football. He was fantastic even when Michael Floyd went down with injury. There is a lot of turmoil in South Bend with the coaching change, he QB Jimmy Clausen declared for the draft and the reality is that it will be hard to top this past season.

Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas- Decent Decision. When you look at Briscoe there is a lot to get excited about and as scouts take a closer look at him his stock will probably rise. He has good size and decent speed. He is hard to tackle in the open field and he is a willing blocker. He isn't a finished product but he has all the tools to work with. There will be a lot of new changes in Lawrence with a new coaching staff, a new QB and Briscoe also lost his security blanket on the other side Kerry Meier. Briscoe had a very good season, so it makes sense for him to enter the draft.

Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois- Bad Decision. Benn has a ton of talent but he just came off an injury plagued season. This past year was a tough one for the Illini offense. Even when Benn was healthy they had a tough time getting him the ball. There will be changes with Juice Williams graduating and a new offensive coordinator but honestly; after a good first three years, Juice Williams was not very good at all last year. Benn could have benefited from coming back and proving his health and really, changes or not, next year couldn't have been any worse than this past year. He could have easily re-established himself in the first round. Right now he is most likely a second round pick.

Antonio Brown, WR, Central Michigan- Good Decision. Central Michigan had a special group, but with Dan LeFevour, Bryan Anderson and Butch Jones moving on things were going to be a lot different. Brown had a really good year and has accomplished just about everything he can accomplish on this level. His biggest negative is his size but the reality is that staying in school another year isn't going to help him grow a couple of inches. Going back to school probably wouldn't increase his draft status at all.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech- Bad Decision. Thomas looks the part with good size and speed but he is pretty raw. You also like to see players go out on a high note but Thomas finished his college career at the Orange Bowl where he caught zero passes. There is a lot of inconsistency in his play- he disappears for stretches, his hands are only average and his route running needs work. He really would have benefited from coming back to school and working on these things.

Damian Williams, WR, USC- Decent Decision. Williams has been a solid performer in the PAC 10 for the past couple of years. He is what he is- a good route runner who is quick in and out of his breaks, with good hands and the ability to make things happen. He figures to be a late first round pick and if he went back to school he would probably be a late first round pick. Going back to school would not likely help improve his stock and unlike Thomas he went out with a bang with 189 yards receiving in the Emerald Bowl.

Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida- Bad Decision. Mitchell is very much like Thomas, he has good size and decent athletic ability but has been very inconsistent. At times Mitchell disappears, especially in big games. One example was the big game against Pittsburgh where he came away with one catch. Mitchell could have really benefited from coming back to school to continue to develop and to become more consistent especially since B.J. Daniels will probably get better.

Joe Haden, CB, Florida- Good Decision. Haden was easily the best CB in college football this past year and is a sure-fire first round pick. He should be a top-15 pick so his decision to enter the draft was pretty easy.

Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan- Bad Decision. Warren has good size and athletic ability but his production doesn't match his talent. At times he plays soft, like he trusts his ability too much. Despite his size, he is terrible against the run and really struggles to get off of blocks. He has first round ability but really could have benefited from going back to school to tighten up his game.

Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma- Poor Decision. Similar to Warren in the fact that he possesses a lot of athletic ability but his production doesn't quite match his ability. He flashes athletic ability like good hips and the ability to run but could have improved his stock if he went back to school and tightened up his game.

Amari Spievey, CB, Iowa- Undecided. I thought that Spievey quietly had one of the best seasons turned in by a CB. He was a big contributor to that dominating Iowa defense. He has good size, is physical and is solid in coverage. I will have to go back and look more closely but as the season ended I felt that he could solidly fit in that second round area. Not many scouts have shared my enthusiasm for Spievey so maybe going back to school would have helped create more national attention and therefore helped his stock.

Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama- Good Decision. Kind of similar to Spievey in that I seem to be more excited about him than other scouts out there but Jackson has good size and has been solid in a defensive system that translates well into the NFL. Jackson went out on top, winning a National Championship and having an outstanding game where he did a really good job shutting down Jordan Shipley (most of Shipley's plays were made on Javier Arenas or Marquis Johnson).

Joshua Moore, CB, Kansas St- Poor Decision. Moore has decent ability and looks solid in most areas but not elite in any. He could eventually develop into a starter but looks more like a nickel back at this point which isn't exactly what you want to look like if you are declaring for the draft early. He would have benefited from returning to school to continue to develop.

Jerell Norton, CB, Arkansas- Terrible Decision. Don't know much about his background but Norton was not even a starter in a secondary that at times struggled against the pass. Some games he was the fourth or fifth corner. He was the punt returner but was only average in that capacity.

Dennis Rogan, CB, Tennessee- Bad Decision. Rogan was a versatile player in the Tennessee secondary. He played S as well as CB. Unfortunately he has the size of a CB and tends to play like a S. At CB he tends to play soft and keep everything in front of him. He needs a lot of development to develop into a tight cover corner. He has athletic ability but it is typically easier to learn and develop on the college level versus the pro level.

Time to Play Good Decision/Bad Decision

Fri Jan 22, 2010 Comments
First off I apologize for the hiatus. With being out of town for all the holidays, buying a house, working on the new house and moving; it has been a challenge to update the website. So Happy belated New Year.

The official list of underclassmen who have declared for the draft has come out so it is time to play Good Decision/Bad Decision. One disclaimer is that this analysis is based solely on performance on the field. It is impossible to know everything about what is happening off the field for all these individuals (nor do I feel that it is our business). I totally understand and respect someone who is taking care of family first, especially if that family is in a dire situation that can't wait for another year or two. So this analysis is based solely on football and not extenuating circumstances. Today we will look at the QBs and the Safeties that will try to stop them.

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame- Good Decision. Clausen comes off a very good year where he was highly productive and showed good toughness. Add in the fact that there is a coaching change and that he will have to learn a new system, turning pro was a good decision. The only big question going forward is that I feel that he is overly cocky and lacks leadership skills. I don't necessarily believe that another year in school would really change that.

Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma- Bad Decision. I was very interested to see how Bradford would perform this year and unfortunately he got injured. Obviously there is now question about how he will rebound from the injury, which shouldn't be too big of a deal but it will be a concern for teams at the top of the draft that will be investing a lot of money and hoping for immediate returns. The bigger question I have is that most college QBs look good in 7 on 7 drills and that is basically what Bradford got to do last year sitting behind one of best offensive lines college football has seen. Very rarely did he have to make throws with defenders in his face or on the run or have to quickly unload the ball because a defender come through unblocked. He has all the skills but he has yet to show he can do that. Going back to school for another year he could have answered those questions but it might still work out for him due to the fact that QBs get overdrafted and there aren't many marquee guys out there.

Jevan Snead, QB, Mississippi- Terrible Decision. He came into the season as one of the top prospects and he endured a terrible year. This was not a case of not having support around him either, fact is he just had a bad year. He made bad decisions and poor throws all year. He started to play better towards the end of the year but not good enough to justify coming out early. Maybe he was concerned about losing his security blankets of Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge but he really should have come back and showed that this year was a fluke. Based on his production this past season I don't see how he could be anything better than a mid-round prospect which is a far cry from the top first round prospect he was entering the season.

Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee- No Brainer. He has nothing left to prove on the college level. He is the number 2 prospect in this draft behind only Ndamukong Suh. He is a superstar in the making.

Chad Jones, FS, LSU- Poor Decision. I am a fan of Chad Jones and I think that he is ready for the NFL but this is a strong year for safeties. Currently I have Jones as the fourth best safety in the draft which probably means he will be a second round pick. If he went back to school he would challenge Deunta Williams and DeAndre McDaniel for the top safety spot and I would currently have him ahead of both of them.

Reshad Jones, SS, Georgia- Bad Decision. Much like I have already mentioned, this is a deep group of safeties. Reshad Jones is a good safety but not an elite safety. I know they will have defensive changes at Georgia with them letting go most of their coaches on defense but he would have been better served going back to school to solidify his draft stock.

Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech- Poor Decision. He falls in the category with Chad Jones. I currently have Burnett as the fifth best safety. If he went back to school he would have been battling to be a first round pick, as it stands now he is likely as second round pick. He also had a good year this past season but wasn't as dominant as he was in the previous season.

Earl Thomas, FS, Texas- Decent Decision. Like Berry, Thomas doesn't have much left to prove in college. The biggest concern with Thomas is his size and I don't think another year is going to change that, he is strong but naturally struggles to put on bulk. The only thing that keeps this from being a good decision is how he went out. The title game against Alabama was one of the worst games I have seen Thomas play and it also exposed some liabilities in his game. He really struggled to tackle big players like Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Julio Jones. It wasn't due to hesitancy or lack of effort, it was due to his lack of bulk. Now I realize that a lot of players this year have had a hard time tackling those guys but it is a concern if you are going to invest a first round pick on someone. Thomas could get a look at CB as well but that is a projection which is also a concern when spending first round money.

Major Wright, FS, Florida- Bad Decision. He falls into the group with Reshad Jones. Wright is a good player but not an elite player. There might have been some concern with Charlie Strong leaving but that would have been an opportunity to strengthen his stock since Charlie Strong often makes calls that puts Wright in position to make good plays.

Previewing the Champs Sports Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Tues 12/29 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Miami (Fla):

MLB Darryl Sharpton- undersized MLB with good speed

TE Dedrick Epps- HB type who is really athletic and can catch the ball

TE Jimmy Graham- former basketball player who is still learning the game but is tall and really athletic

RB Javarris James- has a good combination of power and speed, runs hard and has decent vision

DT Joe Joseph- powerful guy who can get some penetration

CB Sam Shields- former WR who is learning position but has tremendous speed and athletic ability

DE Eric Moncur- really talented player who can't seem to stay healthy

SS Randy Phillips- injury-prone veteran who is tough and a solid player

TE Tervaris Johnson- has some ability but might be better FB down the road

C A.J. Trump- veteran pivot man

RT Matt Pipho- has some size

Wisconsin:

TE Garrett Graham- at times a dominant receiving threat who also does a decent job blocking

DE O'Brien Schofield- underrated big time player with good quickness, speed and motor

FS Chris Maragos- undersized player who will make some plays at times but is fairly inconsistent

WLB Jaevery McFadden- has some athletic ability

DT Jeff Stehle- tall, run stopper

DT Dan Moore- average college lineman

Game Prediction: Wisconsin

This will be a game of wills. Wisconsin hasn't faced a team like Miami all year and will likely struggle to cover their fast receivers. Miami hasn't faced a lot of power running attacks. The most similar team was Virginia Tech and Ryan Williams ran for 150 yards. Miami's three losses were against good running teams. Miami will try to come out hot like they did against Georgia Tech, scoring in their first three possessions, to take Wisconsin out of their running game like they did to Georgia Tech. Wisconsin will try to control the clock and not let Jacory Harris get into rhythm. Jason Fox being out doesn't help Miami either.

Previewing the EagleBank Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Tues 12/29 at 4:30 PM ET on ESPN.

UCLA:

MLB Reggie Carter- has been slowed this year with injuries but is a solid player with good speed

CB Alterraun Verner- just has a nose for the ball and big plays

TE Logan Paulson- tall, physical TE who has good hands

FB Chane Moline- blocking back who can also run it with power

DE Korey Bosworth- plays hard and has some quickness off the edge

TE Ryan Moya- HB type who catches the ball well

WR Terrence Austin- undersized receiver who has some speed

WLB Kyle Bosworth- has some speed but sometimes struggles to make plays

DT Jerry Siewierski- average college lineman

Underclassman Watch: DT Brian Price: underrated, dominant interior lineman

Temple:

SS Dominique Harris- underrated S who has good size and is solid against the run and pass

DT Andre Neblett- really good athletic ability but has struggled some against top competition

TE Steve Maneri- lacks speed but has really good size, catches the ball well and is a good blocker

LT Devin Tyler- looks like a power forward, has some ability but needs to get stronger

MLB Alex Joseph- defensive leader who is a solid college LB

Game Prediction: UCLA

Temple getting to a bowl game is a nice story but the fact of the matter is that they only played 4 teams this year with a winning record, one of which was Villanova, and they only won one of those games- Navy by a field goal.

Previewing the Independence Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Mon 12/28 at 5:00 PM ET on ESPN2.

Georgia:

DT Jeff Owens- has good size and quickness

DT Kade Weston- has a good motor for a big guy and makes a lot of plays

CB Prince Miller- small but solid corner who is also a decent return guy

DT Geno Atkins- inconsistent player who will flash good athletic ability from time to time

FS Bryan Evans- physical player

WR Michael Moore- possession type receiver who has fallen out of favor

QB Joe Cox- a little small for the position and has been very inconsistent but at times will make some plays

SLB Darius Dewberry- has been in and out of lineup but has decent size and good speed

LT Vincent Vance- has been in and out of lineup but is not a bad athlete for such a large man

Underclassman Watch: WLB Rennie Curran- undersized but tough and extremely smart

Underclassman Watch: SS Reshad Jones- real good combination of size and athletic ability

Texas A&M:

C Kevin Matthews- good size and good athleticism, and bloodlines don't hurt

TE Jamie McCoy- a little on the skinny side but can really run and catch the ball, might move to FB on next level

LG Michael Shumard- strong player that is a little limited athletically

FS Jordan Pugh- veteran player with some versatility

WR Howard Morrow- possession type receiver that lacks some size

RT Lee Grimes- has really good size

DE Matt Moss- plays with a good motor but is a little undersized

Underclassman Watch: DE Von Miller- tremendously fast passrusher who will project to LB on next level

Game Prediction: Georgia

This should be a shootout because both defenses have been struggling. Joe Cox is a liability but the young A&M secondary will be overwhelmed by A.J. Green and company, meaning Cox won't have to be pinpoint perfect.

Previewing the Music City Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Sun 12/27 at 8:30 PM ET on ESPN.

Clemson:

RB C.J. Spiller- super talented, super fast RB

DE Ricky Sapp- long armed pass rusher who has good quickness off the corner

WR Jacoby Ford- even faster than Spiller

LG Thomas Austin- solid all-around blocker with some quickness

WLB Kavell Conner- playmaker who plays with good balance and quickness

CB Chris Chancellor- little on the small side but plays with tight coverage

CB Crezdon Butler- good athletic ability but coverage isn't as tight as Chancellor

TE Michael Palmer- good size and fluid, catches the ball well and is physical

FB Rendrick Taylor- doesn't see field a lot but is a good blocker

SLB Kevin Alexander- has some size and might be better at different position

FS Sadat Chambers- experienced player in a good secondary

Underclassman Watch: SS DeAndre McDaniel- big time playmaker that has a magnet for the ball

Kentucky:

MLB Micah Johnson- somewhat inconsistent performer who has good size and speed

CB Trevard Lindley- good athlete with quick feet that shies away from contact

DT Corey Peters- powerful and explosive man who can dominate at times

FB John Conner- powerful guy with some wiggle

LT Zipp Duncan- looks the part and is decent athlete just needs consistency in his technique

LG Christian Johnson- in the box type with good size

RB Alfonso Smith- versatile backup

SS Calvin Harrison- good size and has some ability

K Lones Seiber- has some leg strength

Game Prediction: Clemson

Watch for C.J. Spiller to have a huge day- he will be healthier, Kentucky has struggled against the run all year and Sam Maxwell will not play for Kentucky and Spiller will want to end his college career with at least one bowl victory.

Previewing the Emerald Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Sat 12/26 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Boston College:

MLB Mike McLaughlin- smart player with good instincts

C Matt Tennant- zone blocking type with decent athletic ability and good motor

WR Rich Gunnell- lacks size and speed but catches everything and has good quickness

DE Jim Ramella- high motor player that makes a bunch of plays due to effort

CB Roderick Rollins- decent player with some length

WR Justin Jarvis- has good size

DT Austin Giles- high motor type that lacks some size

SS Marcellus Bowman- inconsistent performer who has good size

K Steve Aponavicius- accurate kicker

USC:

FS Taylor Mays- freakishly athletic player who likes to hit

LT Charles Brown- tall, long armed player who is a solid pass protector and better run blocker than you would think

TE Anthony McCoy- super athletic player who needs to do a better job paying attention to detail

CB Josh Pinkard- savvy veteran player who will probably move to S on next level

CB Kevin Thomas- underrated performer who flashes good closing speed

SS Will Harris- up and down player with good athletic ability

LG Jeff Byers- veteran player who showed some versatility this year

DT Averell Spicer- backup who is a decent run stopper

K Jordan Congdon- lacks leg strength but has had a pretty good year

Underclassman Watch: WR Damian Williams- solid all-around receiver who does a good job getting open

Game Prediction: USC

Pete Carroll will have them ready and USC veterans will want to go out with a bang after a disappointing season. BC will struggle to match up with a healthier Anthony McCoy and Damian Williams.

Previewing the Meineke Car Care Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Sat 12/26 at 4:30 PM ET on ESPN.

Pittsburgh:

TE Nate Byham- underused TE who is a really good blocker

DT Mick Williams- has really good quickness and plays with good pad level

LG Joe Thomas- solid all-around G who plays with good technique

TE Dorin Dickerson- jack of all trades who catches the ball really well and can run

CB Aaron Berry- has quick feet and has really come on as season has progressed

QB Bill Stull- good size and ability and has improved his accuracy

MLB Adam Gunn- speedy LB who has overcome a broken neck

DT Gus Mustakas- not overly athletic but a battler inside

CB Jovani Chappel- undersized corner who will battle and compete

RG John Malecki- brawler type who is limited athletically

WR Oderick Turner- has good size and catches ball ok

C Robb Houser- undersized but experienced

WR Cedric McGee- tends to hurt his team as much as he helps it

Underclassman Watch: DE Greg Romeus- solid all-around defender with good size

North Carolina:

C Lowell Dyer- has gone under the radar due to injury but has been physical and solid as of late

LT Kyle Jolly- big, powerful man who will move over to the right side on the next level

DT Cam Thomas- huge man who plugs up the middle

DE E.J. Wilson- veteran player who might be better inside

Underclassman Watch: SLB Bruce Carter- tremendous speed and production

Underclassman Watch: DT Marvin Austin- tremendous athlete for such a big guy

Underclassman Watch: WR Greg Little- former RB who is developing into a dominant receiver

Game Prediction: Pittsburgh

This should be a fun game to watch. Both teams have really good defenses but I think that Pittsburgh has more firepower on offense than North Carolina does.

Previewing the Little Caesars Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Sat 12/26 at 1:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Marshall:

TE Cody Slate- HB type who runs and catches the ball really well

DE Albert McClellan- more of a LB type that they move around to take advantage of his good speed

SS Ashton Hall- underrated player who is a tremendous athlete

K Craig Ratanamorn- accurate kicker

RG Jimmy Rogers- big blocker who has been inconsistent

SLB Brandon Burns- undersized LB with decent speed

LS Sean McClellan- pretty decent long snapper

DT James Burks- makes some plays

RT Daniel Baldridge- big guy

Ohio:

WR Taylor Price- good size/speed prospect who is their go to guy

WLB Lee Renfro- undersized LB who makes a ton of plays due to his intelligence

CB Idris Lawrence- short, spunky CB who often has tight coverage

QB Theo Scott- good athlete who is more of an athlete than a QB at this point

RB Chris Garrett- undersized RB who has speed and some value as a return man

CB Thad Turner- veteran corner who has been inconsistent

LT Chris Rodgers- athletic guy who needs technique work and to put on some more muscle

C David White- aggressive center who lacks height

SS Patrick Tafua- big hitter who has limited athletic ability

Game Prediction: Ohio

Marshall has too much turmoil to overcome- losing three of the last four games, losing their head coach and their star RB trying to come back after missing the past couple of games due to injury.

Previewing the Hawaii Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Thurs 12/24 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.

SMU:

WR Emmanuel Sanders- quick, go-to receiver who is also a decent return guy

CB Bryan McCann- solid cover corner

SS Rock Dennis- undersized player with a nose for the ball

LB Chase Kennemer- undersized LB who makes a ton of plays

C Mitch Enright- lacks some size

Nevada:

T Alonzo Durham- strong run blocker who looks more like a G prospect

FS Jonathon Amaya- has good speed and has experience in all secondary positions

SS Mo Harvey- has good speed and will hit, just struggles in coverage from time to time

C Kenneth Ackerman- good positional blocker who lacks some size

RB- Luke Lippincott- not overly athletic but runs hard and has been productive throughout career

DT Nate Agaiava- athletic player who doesn't make a lot of plays

CB Antoine Thompson- looks the part and has some speed but struggles in coverage

MLB- Mike Bethea- decent college LB who is limited athletically

Game Prediction: Nevada

June Jones will know how to keep his team away from distractions in Hawaii but SMU hasn't faced a rushing attack like Nevada all year and haven't fared well against the good rushing teams they have faced

Previewing the Poinsettia Bowl

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Wed 12/23 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.

California:

CB Syd'Quan Thompson- short corner who is physical and always has tight coverage

DT Tyson Alualu- powerful player who plays on the opponents side of the line of scrimmage

LT Mike Tepper- tall, physical tackle with good ability

WR Verran Tucker- skinny receiver with good speed

OLB Eddie Young- athletic player who just needs to improve his tackling

ILB Devin Bishop- on again off again starter with good athletic ability

WR Nyan Boateng- decent receiver with some size

FB Brian Holley- solid blocking back

SS Marcus Ezeff- has some size and isn't afraid to hit

FS Brett Johnson- has some athletic ability but needs to be more productive

Utah:

LT Zane Beadles- good pass protector who plays with good knee bend

FS Robert Johnson- big time leaper who has a nose for the ball

DE Koa Misi- has good quickness off the corner and makes plays all over the field

WR David Reed- average looking guy who makes plays all over the field

WLB Stevenson Sylvester- big play guy who lacks discipline

MLB Mike Wright- undersized guy who makes a lot of plays

CB R.J. Stanford- corner with good speed

TE Chris Joppru- good size and decent athlete

SS Joe Dale- inconsistent performer who likes to hit

SLB Kepa Gaison- extremely undersized LB who makes plays

WR Aiona Key- has some size

Game Prediction: California

This will be a really good game. Both teams were hoping for better seasons and will play tough but California gets the edge with a good defense that might confuse the young Utah QB.

Previewing the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas

Tues Dec 22, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch. Game is Tues 12/22 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Oregon St:

QB Sean Canfield- has had a great year, showing good accuracy while never getting rattled

SLB Keaton Kristick- playmaker who has really good instincts

WR Damola Adeniji- possession type receiver with good size

RG Gregg Peat- battler that is limited athletically but gives good effort

DE Ben Terry- tweener that has decent speed

BYU:

TE Dennis Pitta- really good receiving TE who gives good effort in blocking

QB Max Hall- undersized signal caller who has good accuracy and a handle on the system

DE Jan Jorgenson- has some quickness off the corner and has a high motor

TE Andrew George- not real fast but a solid receiver

WLB Coleby Clawson- good athletic ability and makes a lot of plays

RB Manase Tonga- good sized back with decent speed

MLB Matt Bauman- veteran inside guy who is a little undersized

C R.J. Willing- solid college lineman with good size

FS Scott Johnson- athletic and versatile DB

DE Brett Denney- decent college end

ILB Scott Doman- often around the ball

ILB Terrance Hooks- injury plagued LB that has some athleticism

Game Prediction: Oregon St

Oregon St is a little thin in the secondary with Tim Clark out but overall they have way too much speed and quickness for BYU.

Previewing the New Orleans Bowl

Sun Dec 20, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch.

Southern Mississippi:

FS Eddie Hicks- solid all around player who makes plays against the run and pass

RB Damion Fletcher- undersized and sometimes troubled but has really good quickness and athletic ability

RB Tory Harrison- backup RB who actually has more yards per carry

CB Andre Watson- solid corner than typically has tight coverage and will show some closing speed

WR Freddie Parham- has some quickness and speed and is a decent return guy

LT Kyle Burkhart- marginal prospect who has average feet and long arms

WR Gerald Baptiste- average receiver who is a decent blocker

LG Micah Brown- undersized guy who has some movement skills and gives good effort

Middle Tennessee St:

DE Chris McCoy- Underrated DE who who has good quickness and speed off the corner but is also solid against the run

C Mark Thompson- solid college player who is a decent athlete

MLB Danny Carmichael- good tackler but lacks athleticism

CB Alex Suber- undersized corner with some speed

CB Marcus Udell- backup corner who is a ball magnet

WR/RB Desmond Gee- has some quickness and versatility

WR Patrick Honeycutt- has good hands but is small and limited athletically

Game Prediction: Middle Tennesse St

Southern Miss has struggled this year with mobile QBs and I am not sure that they will have an answer for Chris McCoy.

Previewing the St. Petersburg Bowl

Sat Dec 19, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch.

Rutgers:

CB Devin McCourty- solid corner with good speed

RT Kevin Haslam- good RT with long arms and good strength

MLB Ryan D'Imperio- veteran player who is a solid tackler and loves the game

WR Tim Brown- undersized guy with good speed

FB Jack Corcoran- underused since they don't use many FB sets but good blocker and can catch the ball

DE George Johnson- has decent quickness off the edge

C Ryan Blaszczyk- athletic pivot man

FS Zaire Kitchen- decent size/speed prospect

Underclassman Watch: LT Anthony Davis- good athlete with lots of potential

Central Florida:

DT Torrell Troup- big, dominant man in the middle

DT Travis Timmons- athletic DT who has a good motor

DE Jarvis Geathers- passrush specialist with some quickness off the snap

MLB Cory Hogue- decent tackler who benefits from Troup and Timmons in front of him

WR Rocky Ross- possession type receiver that struggles to get separation at times

Game Prediction: Rutgers

Rutgers will struggle to run ball and with Tim Brown injured this will be low scoring game but Rutgers has more firepower to come away with the victory.

Previewing the New Mexico Bowl

Sat Dec 19, 2009 Comments
Here are the top prospects to watch.

Fresno St:

CB A.J. Jefferson- really good athlete that can help a team in many ways

WR Seyi Ajirotutu- really athletic but sometimes does more talking than producing

RB Lonyae Miller- he is the backup but has good size and speed

WR Chastin West- decent prospect

P Robert Malone- has a strong leg but is inconsistent

SS Moses Harris- has some ability

Underclassman Watch: RB Ryan Matthews- dominant running with good vision and ability

Wyoming:

DT/DE John Fletcher- has good athletic ability and size

DE Mitch Unrein- limited athletic with a good motor

LT Ryan Otterson- undersized lineman with some athletic ability

TE Orlando Arnold- decent receiving type TE

WLB Weston Johnson- limited athlete who is a good college player

Game Prediction: Fresno St

It is really nice to see Wyoming have success and the program is going in the right direction but Fresno St has too many weapons.

Ranking the Heisman Contenders One Week Later

Fri Dec 11, 2009 Comments
Last week was one of the greatest weeks of college football starting on Thursday with the Civil War for the Rose Bowl to the last second of the Texas-Nebraska game to determine the championship game. Even games with little national significance like Fresno St-Illinois were fun to watch and came down to the wire. Tomorrow they will announce the Heisman winner, so here is my final ranking.

1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

    He is still the most dominant player in college football. He dominated Texas and had a statement championship game in front of a national audience. He has been dominating like that all year. It is funny that during the broadcast they talked about how he is the best player in college football and during the awards last night they talk about how he is the most dominating player but few talk about him when talking about the Heisman, which is for the best player in college football. If he doesn't win the award, which he probably won't, they should rename the award.

2. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

    He has been the best offensive player this year. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get to play this past week. Combine that with the fact that he played on the west coast for a team that lost 4 games, it might be a longshot for him to win. Fact of the matter is that he was the most consistent and dominant offensive player throughout the entire year. The carries, the yards and the TDs were something special to watch completely deserving of the Heisman.

3. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

    He had a gutsy performance this past week with 233 rushing yards and 4 TDs. He has been less than 100% physically all season but he has still led and willed this team to a very good season. He has been the most dangerous player in college football this year, coming through in the clutch from anywhere on the field.

4. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

    He had been losing steam but finished out the season on a high note rushing for 113 yards and 3 TDs in addition to 76 yards receiving against Florida to put them into the National Championship game. He looked good doing it with power, vision and speed. He is a special player but unlike Gerhart and Spiller he didn't dominate every week.

5. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

    With the media pumping McCoy and Tebow as the only choices for Heisman, he is probably the favorite going into tomorrow. Ironically Tebow probably had his best game of the season but his team was no match for Alabama. McCoy didn't have that great of a game and barely got the victory to remain undefeated. Statistically he was horrible with only 184 yards passing with 0 TDs and 3 INTs while rushing for -20 yards. He played better than those stats lead you to believe but just like the early part of the season it was hardly worthy of the Heisman. I love McCoy but he should have won it last year and there is no way he is deserving of it this year.

To conclude, I know that my ranking didn't change any. It is not laziness, it is just that nothing really changed my mind over the past week.

Ranking the Heisman Contenders

Fri Dec 4, 2009 Comments
1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

    He is still the most dominant player in college football. He will get to showcase his ability against Colt McCoy this weekend and watch out Chris Hall and company have struggled at times this year

2. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

    He has been very consistent and has put up huge numbers against some really good defenses. He isn't sexy so that hurts his cause but he has been the most dominant offensive player all year. He has been durable and always gets positive yards.

3. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

    Has been the most dangerous player in college football this year. He can score from anywhere whether it is a run, catch or return. He has also been very clutch when his team has needed it.

4. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

    He has been losing steam lately but still has a huge opportunity against Florida although he is a little dinged up. At times he has carried this team on his shoulders but not as much lately.

5. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

    Has been one of the hottest players in college football the past four or five weeks. During this time he has been an elite player but his lackluster beginning of the season keeps him from winning the trophy.

Others deserving of consideration include: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati; Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno St and Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama

Risers this past week

Thurs Dec 3, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Colt McCoy, QB, Texas: I know that he was offensive player of the week the past week but he is playing really good football the last month. McCoy completed 24 of 40 passes for 304 yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs. In addition to that he was the teams leading rusher with 175 yards and 1 TD. He has been playing like the Colt McCoy of last year that should have won the Heisman. He has been very accurate and has been making plays with his feet.
        Kevin Matthews, C, Texas A&M: A&M gave Texas a run for their money and the main reason was because they were able to run the ball so effectively. The main reason for that was Kevin Matthews who did an outstanding job blocking and opening holes in the middle of the line. He has good size and mobility. He does a good job sealing off the defender and is solid in pass protection.
        Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford: Another player who has been mentioned before by us but he had a dominant performance this past week, throwing his team on his shoulders and making sure they weren't upset by Notre Dame. Gerhart ended with 205 yards rushing with 3 TDs while also passing for an 18 yard TD. Three of his four TDs were in the second half.
        Nate Collins, DE, Virginia: An active player that makes plays all over the field. He had a very good game against Virginia Tech this past week. He was hard to contain and was consistently affecting the play. He is pretty good with his hands and is solid against both the run and pass. He might have some versatility because he might be able to play inside in a 4-3 scheme while also being able to play DE in a 3-4 scheme.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Nov 20, 2009 Comments
Oregon-Arizona: To control destiny for the Rose Bowl. Arizona is happy that this game is at home but they will still have their hands full. There aren't a lot of senior matchups but this game could be an offensive showcase. Top senior matchup will be Oregon TE Ed Dickson against Arizona SLB Sterling Lewis. Other top seniors are Arizona DT Earl Mitchell, LB Xavier Kelley, CB Devin Ross, S Cam Nelson and T Mike Diaz and Oregon DE Will Tukuafu and S T.J. Ward. Also don't forget this could be the return of Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount.
Mississippi-LSU: Coming off their big win against Tennessee, Mississippi will now take on LSU. When Mississippi has the ball it will be interesting to see if they continue to have John Jerry inside at G. That will match up Jerry, C Daverin Geralds and G Reid Neely against LSU DTs Al Woods and Charles Alexander. Coming off his big day RB Dexter McCluster will then challenge the LSU LB corp of Perry Riley, Harry Coleman and Jacob Cutrera. Outside WR Shay Hodge might match up against CB Chris Hawkins. When LSU has the ball WR Brandon LaFell will probably matchup against CB Marshay Green.
Ohio St-Michigan: Always a fun rivalry this game has some stories, none bigger than Ohio St G Justin Boren going against his former teammates for the first time since he transferred from Michigan. Looking at senior matchups, when Ohio St has the ball look at the battle between TE Jake Ballard and SLB Stevie Brown. When Michigan is on offense RBs Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown will try to penetrate the solid Ohio St run defense led by DT Doug Worthington, LB Austin Spitler and Ss Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell.
California-Stanford: It seems like forever since this traditional rivalry has paired two really good teams. There aren't a lot of senior matchups when California has the ball but when Stanford has the ball this game will feature the power running game of RB Toby Gerhart, T Chris Marinelli and TE Jim Dray versus the stout California defense led by DE/DT Tyson Alualu, OLB Eddie Young and ILB Devin Bishop.

Risers and Sliders this past week

Thurs Nov 19, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri: We have talked about Danario Alexander already this season but his performance against Kansas St couldn't be ignored. Against the conference leaders he had 10 catches for 200 yards and 3 TDs. He dominated all the K-State defensive backs. He has great size and really showed that he could go up and get the ball. He also showed great speed when he was able to run away from the defensive backs for a long score.
        Matt Mayberry, MLB, Indiana: Matt Mayberry has quietly had a great year. While he has always made a lot of plays, this year he has improved his speed and is able to make more plays sideline to sideline. Against Penn St he came away with 15 tackles and also had an INT. In the box, he does a good job taking on and beating blocks. He is a good tackler and plays at a high level week after week.
        Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan: Dan LeFevour's tremendous week can not be ignored. He was 29 for 36 passing for 341 yards with 2 TDs and no INTs. He also ran for 19 yards and 4 TDs. LeFevour is a dual threat much like Tim Tebow, actually LeFevour has better career numbers than Tebow. He is a great athlete who makes things happen with his legs. He is still learning the position but has good size and demeanor. He doesn't have the strongest arm in the world but it is good enough especially since he can stretch zones with his feet.
        Danny Batten, DE/OLB, South Dakota St: Danny Batten has been dominating his level of competition all year long. This past week he got the chance to show what he can do against the big schools like Minnesota. Against Minnesota he was a disruptive force and ended the game with 12 tackles, 1.5 TFL and 1 sack. Despite being undersized he was tough to block, doing a good job keeping blockers off his body and disengaging to make the tackle. At South Dakota St he plays DE but will most likely move to OLB in the NFL. He projects favorably to OLB in a 3-4 scheme. He has a high motor and has good speed which allows him to make plays all over the field. He doesn't shy away from contact and is constantly pressuring the QB. He reminds me some of Dan Skuta in last year's draft. Like Dan Skuta he will be making a transition and might need some time to develop.
Sliders:
        Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi: Hardy is having surgery and is out for the year. Entering the season Hardy was viewed as a great pass rushing specialist but teams were interested in seeing how he could handle being a starter and playing both the run and pass. This season started out and remained injury plagued. He was rarely healthy and scouts are still unsure as to whether he can handle being an every down player, which is not a good thing when teams are trying to decide how to spend their first round money.
        Taylor Mays, S, USC: Make no mistake, Taylor Mays will go down as one of the greatest athletes to ever play college football. I can't think of anyone that combines his speed, size and physical nature. These abilities make him very attractive but he is not the dominant player you would expect. I am not totally convinced that he will make a great S. Mays is often late in coverage and when he is on time he would rather deliver a big blow than make a play on the ball. Sometimes those hits cause incompletions but sometimes receivers hold onto the ball for first downs and touchdowns. He also doesn't always take good angles to the ball. His play at S is not at the level you would expect from someone who is bound to go at the top of the draft. I would consider moving him to LB where he doesn't have to deal with these angles. He has enough size and is physical enough to play there and could be a difference maker with his speed.
        Tim Tebow, QB, Florida: Since we are looking at high profile players we might as well look at Tebow. He didn't play poorly last weekend but some of his short comings as a QB were evident. I had never felt that Tebow would make a good NFL QB until the game against Alabama last year where he really threw the ball well and made some NFL type throws. I was looking forward to Tebow building on that performance this year but I haven't seen it. I like Tebow's leadership, athleticism and toughness and think there is a place for him in the NFL. I am not sold on that place being at QB. He really lacks true arm strength. Once or twice a game he will really step into a throw and zip it downfield. In order for that to happen his mechanics must be perfect, there can't be any pass rush, and he has room to really step in and transfer his weight to get his weight behind his throw. For these throws to be successful he needs his WRs to be wide open because his release is a little long on these throws. These situations don't occur a lot on the next level, QBs are constantly moving around in the pocket and receivers are not often wide open. The trouble for Tebow is that when he doesn't have time to wind up and step into the throw, his lack of arm strength shows up. In the South Carolina game this pattern happened time and again. When he was on the run his throws had very little on them. To complicate this he is not overly accurate. I know he has a high completion percentage but most of these are non-NFL throws and even though they are caught, they are not where they are supposed to be. Further complicating his situation is that the Urban Meyer offense does not prepare him for the NFL. There are people that argue that this is not a concern because Tebow is smart and has great leadership skills. They also said the same thing about Alex Smith who had a lot more natural passing ability. Many millions of dollars and years later, Alex Smith is still trying to make himself a viable player. Tebow would make sense as a developmental QB late in the draft; however, we all know that he will not last that long in the draft. I believe that Tebow would make a good TE, FB or maybe even S prospect and I think that he would provide a lot to an organization. I don't have a problem with a team spending a second round pick or maybe even a late first round pick if they are going to use him in that fashion, but if they spend a high pick to make him a QB they will end up investing a lot of money into a position that will remain in flux.
        Trey Stross, WR, Iowa: Granted Trey Stross was a marginal prospect to begin with, but with this past week's performance his stock is down even further. Stross has been a decent possession type receiver throughout the year. This past week with everything on the line and Iowa starting a freshman QB Stross had his worst game of the season. He ended the game with 2 catches for 11 yards but he dropped more than that including an easy TD early in the game that ended up resulting in a FG and later he dropped a more difficult one that might have resulted in a TD but ended up with a missed FG. If these plays were made maybe Iowa wins the game. In between these two crucial plays were more drops. Not exactly what you are looking for in a possession type receiver.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Nov 13, 2009 Comments
Notre Dame-Pittsburgh: There is a lot of pressure on Notre Dame after laying an egg against Navy last week. They are bound to come out fired up to play a very good Pittsburgh team. There are a ton of matchups when Notre Dame has the ball- C Eric Olsen will battle with DT's Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas, T Sam Young will be challenged by Pittsburgh's young DEs, Notre Dames young WR's will challenge Pittsburgh's CBs Aaron Berry and Jovani Chappel. When Pittsburgh has the ball Notre Dame S Kyle McCarthy will battle the passing attack of QB Bill Stull, TE Nate Byham and WRs Cedric McGee and Oderick Turner.
Mississippi St-Alabama: This could be a trap game for Alabama coming off an emotional game against LSU. There are a couple specific matchups worth tuning in to. Mississippi St RB Anthony Dixon is a little underrated and will get to go against a physical defense. On the other side of the ball Alabama's physical running game with challenge MLB Jamar Chaney.
Ohio St-Iowa: Not the big time matchup that was anticipated with Stanzi being out but this will still be a good matchup to watch. This will be power football versus power football. When Ohio St has the ball one matchup to watch will be TE Jake Ballard versus OLB A.J. Edds. It will also be fun to watch MLB Pat Angerer mirror Terrelle Pryor. When Iowa has the ball it will be fun to watch the physical Iowa OL versus the dominant Ohio St DL. I will also be watching TE Tony Moeaki going against SS Kurt Coleman.
USC-Stanford: This is a big game. Stanford tries to show the world they are for real and USC tries to show they are still a national power. This game doesn't feature a lot of senior against senior matchups except one really big one- Power RB Toby Gerhart versus ultra-physical FS Taylor Mays. This matchup is enough to watch this game all on its own. You can just call it collision Saturday at the Coliseum.

Risers and Sliders this past week

Thurs Nov 12, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas: If Toby Gerhart didn't have such a dominating game then Jordan Shipley would have been player of the week easily. Shipley had a dominating performance in his own right. He was just too quick and fast for the Central Florida secondary coming away with 11 catches for 273 yards and a TD. Shipley has really good hands and is really quick in and out of his breaks. His quickness and speed make him really difficult to cover man on man.
        Mike Johnson, G, Alabama: In a big game against LSU, Alabama threw the game on the shoulders of Mark Ingram and the left side of the offensive line and Mike Johnson had a huge day. Ingram had 144 yards rushing, most of which can right behind Johnson. He did a great job sealing the inside to create big holes. He used his athleticism to get to the second level. He was outstanding getting out and leading screen passes and blocking people in the open field. Whenever Alabama needed something, they went his way.
        Brandon Minor, RB, Michigan: Minor entered the game as healthy as he had been all year so scouts got to catch a glimpse of what he can do when completely healthy. Minor didn't disappoint showing a great combination of speed and power. He runs downhill and gets positive yards. This past week he had 12 carries for 154 yards and 3 TDs. That is a 8.1 yard per carry average. He is hard to bring down and has some cut and go ability. This might be the only healthy showing of Minor however because he did re-aggravate an injury during the game.
        T.J. Ward, S, Oregon: In a disappointing loss to Stanford, Ward had a tremendous game. Ward seemed like the only Duck that could tackle Toby Gerhart, despite the fact that he is a little undersized. He didn't just tackle him once or twice but all game long, showing good toughness. He came away with 12 tackles in the game as well as one forced fumble when he laid a big hit Gerhart, who doesn't fumble often. Ward was physical with his tackles but was also a sure tackler, being a good last line of defense. Most of Stanford's long plays came when Oregon blitzed Ward off the corner and Stanford ran away from him. Ward has good speed and makes plays all over the field.
Sliders:
        Rahim Alem, DE, LSU: Trying to secure a spot as an elite DE, Alem has had a decent year. He has been pretty good at rushing the passer. This past week, Alabama attacked him and exposed weaknesses. Alabama ran right at Alem and had a big game doing it. Alem was unable to stop the run all day. They made him look very average.
        Justin Cole, OLB, San Jose St: Cole is an elite athlete. He has tremendous speed and quickness. He has good size and long arms. At times he looks like Lawrence Timmons running around the field. Despite his athleticism he has been really unproductive on the playing field. He doesn't make many plays at all. He really struggles to get off of blocks and doesn't seem to have good instincts at all. There are plays were he is really slow to react. San Jose St has moved him around, presumably to find a place where he can make an impact. This past week he saw some time at DE but struggled there because he couldn't get off of blocks.
        Todd Reesing, QB, Kansas: Todd Reesing has been dealing with a nagging groin injury but his play has really slipped the last couple of weeks. Over the last four weeks he has completed 59% of his passes, has 4 TDs, 5 INTs, 8 fumbles and 16 sacks. Due to his size he has always been a marginal prospect but has always been extremely accurate and has been a playmaker in the Doug Flutie mold. Lately he hasn't been accurate and hasn't taken care of the ball. His injury has really magnified some of his limitations like his lack of arm strength.
        Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse: This has nothing to do with the play of Arthur Jones. He appears on this list because he suffered a season ending injury and will not get the opportunity to continue to show scouts what he can bring to the table. There are a lot of really good DTs in this draft and Jones was in the grouping that was battling for position in the late first-early second round area. Not being able to play and coming off an injury might put him at the bottom of this group and push him into the mid second round versus battling for mid first round. It will be hard to maintain his position because there are other talented DTs that might push him down the board like Jared Odrick, D'Anthony Smith, Vince Oghobaase, Terrence Cody, Tyson Alualu and Dan Williams not to mention any possible juniors.

The Case For and Against Tebow and McCoy for Heisman

Wed Nov 11, 2009 Comments
While both have had very good careers and they will both go down as some of the greatest college football players in history, they have not had great individual senior seasons. Both teams are undefeated so I doubt either really cares too much about the Heisman but here is the argument for and against their consideration. I felt that I should mention this since it is probably a surprise to many that they did not make my Top 10 candidates list.

Colt McCoy

Argument For: I am a big fan of Colt McCoy and thought that he should have won the Heisman last year. His team is undefeated and he leads the nation with a 72.9% completion percentage. He has had an inconsistent running game and was playing with a relatively inexperienced receiver group outside of Jordan Shipley. Lately he has started to play better.

Argument Against: While he has completed a lot of passes he has also thrown 9 INTs. He has hurt his team with turnovers and hasn't used his feet to help his team. He has had a good year but hasn't been the best player this season, and this award is not a career achievement award but for the best player of that particular year. I would argue that Texas is undefeated this year because of the defense and timely big plays by Jordan Shipley in the return game and running with the ball after the catch.

Tim Tebow

Argument For: He will go down as one of the greatest college football players ever. His team is undefeated and he just broke Hershell Walker's rushing TD record. He has 9 rushing TDs this year. His offensive line hasn't helped him a lot, nor have his receivers. He is a leader who brings a lot of intangibles and has played through a nasty concussion. I do not support the decision to play so soon after the concussion but it could be used as a reason for down numbers, although that is not a strong argument. He has started to play better lately.

Argument Against: This year Florida has won in spite of Tebow not because of him. He has had costly turnovers and bad decisions. His team is undefeated but that is because of the defense and because of favorable officiating. I argue that if it wasn't for bad officiating this team would not be undefeated. These games that were decided or slanted in Florida's favor were close because Tebow had a turnover or mistake to put his team in danger. As with McCoy, Tebow has had a good year but hasn't been the best player this season, and this isn't a lifetime achievement award.

Top 10 Heisman Candidates

Wed Nov 11, 2009 Comments
The Heisman Award is for the top player in college football, so that is my approach. I do not follow the trend of the Heisman only being for the top QB or RB. So with that disclaimer here is my current list:

1. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

    Spiller is a threat to score from anywhere on the field and he has with 5 rushing TDs, 3 receiving TDs, 3 kick return TDs and one punt return TD. He is #5 in all purpose yards but is number one amongst contending teams. He has come up with big plays at important times to lead this team. Don't look now but Clemson might end up winning the ACC and it is largely due to Spiller throwing this team on his back despite playing all year with a nagging injury.

2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

    Nebraska has had a somewhat disappointing season but that is mostly due to the inconsistent play and QB and RB. The defense has been very good and it all starts with Suh who could be the most dominant player in football. Stats don't tell the tale because he is mostly double teamed and sometimes triple teamed. Despite that he still makes big plays all over the field.

3. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

    Has been an outstanding runner for the undefeated Crimson Tide. He is #5 in rushing yards despite not playing much in two early season blowout games. He averages 6.6 yards per carry and has been dominant in SEC play.

4. Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas

    Shipley has been the big play man who has constantly sparked Texas to remain undefeated. His stats are modest- #4 in receiving yards and #16 in all purpose yards but he always comes up with the big play when they need it whether it is catching a pass or returning a punt.

5. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

    Gerhart is #2 in rushing yards and has scored 16 TDs. All this despite the fact that there is no mystery as to what you are going to get when you play Stanford- a heavy dose of Gerhart. You know he is coming but he is still unstoppable, and he has done that against very good defenses lately.

6. Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama

    Leader of the defense for an undefeated team. Alabama isn't flashy, they play good defense and they control the clock. McClain is the quarterback of the defense and is one of the smartest defensive players we have seen in some time.

7. Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno St

    Matthews leads the country in rushing with 1,459 yards. He is also averaging 7.1 yards per carry and has 14 TDs. While I understand that he doesn't play in an elite conference known for defense, he has put up some impressive numbers against good competition. He has run for over 100 yards in every game this year which includes games against Wisconsin, Boise St and Cincinnati. While posting impressive numbers against good competition, like 234 yards and 3 TDs against Boise St, he has also dominated weaker competition.

8. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St

    He isn't real flashy but Boise St is undefeated and he is the main reason why. Moore has the #1 QB rating in the country. He takes care of the ball, throwing only 3 INTs versus 27 TDs. For those keeping score that is 18 more TDs than Tim Tebow and a third of the INTs of Colt McCoy.

9. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

    There is lots of unhappiness in South Bend but Clausen has really turned in a great season. He is #3 in QB rating and has 20 TDs versus 3 INTs. He has led his team and consistently given them a chance to win. He has done all this while being dinged up much of the season.

10. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

    Iowa is no longer undefeated but that doesn't diminish the impact Clayborn has had. He is a dominant player on a great defense that has a knack for coming up with a big play when his team needs it the most. Whether it is a sack, a batted down pass or a blocked kick he seems to be the one making it happen.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Nov 6, 2009 Comments
Central Florida-Texas: This game might not be that close but I am curious to see how the Central Florida DL does against the Texas OL. Central Florida DTs Torrell Troup and Travis Timmons are both a little under the radar and will get some national attention as they take on one of the better offensive lines they will face.
LSU-Alabama: This game will be a good battle. Both teams are senior laden and have a lot to gain and lose. When LSU has the ball it will be fun to see WR Brandon LaFell against CB Javier Arenas; T Ciron Black against DEs Brandon Deaderick and Lorenzo Washington; and to see how in the world G Lyle Hitt can contain NT Terrence Cody. When Alabama has the ball good matchups include TE Colin Peek against SLB Harry Coleman and DTs Al Woods and Charles Alexander against G Mike Johnson.
Ohio St-Penn St: If you love defense this will be the game for you this week. The Ohio St defense led by DT Doug Worthington and S Kurt Coleman will try to match the Penn St defense led by DT Jared Odrick and OLB Sean Lee.
Oregon-Stanford: This could be a trap game for Oregon coming off the high of a USC victory. Stanford is a tough team and will not be a cake walk. There are not a lot of big matchups in this game pertaining the draft. The biggest matchups area probably when Stanford has the ball. Worth watching will be T Chris Marinelli against DE Will Takuafu and big, powerful running back Toby Gerhart against the undersized but talented S T.J. Ward. When Oregon has the ball it will be interesting to see how Stanford's defense handles Oregon's speed.

Risers and Sliders this past week

Thurs Nov 5, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Russell Okung, T, Oklahoma St: Okay, Okung doesn't have much room to rise but he did turn in an outstanding performance against Texas last week. He dominated Sergio Kindle and Sam Acho. He was solid in both pass protection and run blocking. Performances like this help solidify being the first player taken from your position.
        Chris DeGeare, T, Wake Forest: Was one of the reasons that Wake put a scare into Miami. DeGeare did a solid job blocking, giving Riley Skinner time to pass the ball. He is a large man but he has decent feet and is hard to get around. He did a solid job on Miami's athletic DEs. He is pretty athletic for a big man and is a pretty good run blocker as well. He is a little bit of a waist bender and probably doesn't stay on the left side in the NFL but he could be a good fit on the right side.
        Jeff Byers, G/C, USC: Hidden in the huge beat down of USC was the good performance by Byers who was filling in at center. Byers is a veteran G who is a limited athlete but savvy. This past week he showed some versatility and played really well at center. He showed some quickness and was solid anchoring in pass protection. He was his usual solid self in run blocking. Center might actually end up being his best position down the road.
        Brandon Banks, WR, Kansas St: In a big time game against Oklahoma, Banks showed up big. No pun intended. Banks was their go to guy able to beat the physical Oklahoma defenders with his speed and quickness. He had 9 catches for 156 yards. In addition to being a receiving threat he was a weapon in the return game returning a kickoff 98 yards for a TD. In total he had 195 return yards. For all those mathematicians that is 351 yards total offense. The kickoff return was his fourth kickoff return for a touchdown this season. His size is an issue but he has serious speed and quickness.
Sliders:
        Keenan Clayton, OLB, Oklahoma: Keenan Clayton is a fast, undersized OLB. He can play sideline to sideline and is pretty good in coverage. One area that he really struggles is tackling. Clayton likes to lunge at ball carriers and try to hit people without bringing his arms to wrap up. As a result he misses a lot of tackles. He also is not real good at beating blocks. Typically for an undersized LB to make it in the NFL he needs to do a good job taking on blocks or avoiding them and then being a sure tackler. Clayton struggles in these areas. He also has a tendency to try to hit people high and often hits them in the head, drawing penalties.
        Sergio Render, G, Virginia Tech: He started the North Carolina game and came out completely unmotivated. He looked lazy getting out of his stance, he was just going through the motions and at times was just standing around not doing anything. He got taken out of the game and returned more motivated but his play was still up and down. Render has all the physical abilities you could look for in an NFL G but he has stretches were he is unmotivated and lazy. His technique is not very good and seems to be the type of player that needs someone to light a fire under him.
        Aaron Pettrey, K, Ohio St: The most obvious issue of concern is the nasty and unfortunate knee injury he sustained on the horrible block during a kickoff. He had surgery and will be out at least for the regular season. Despite the injury he would have still landed on this list. Before he got hurt he had missed two field goals. Neither of them were close. He seemed to be going through a little bit of a funk.
        Brandon Spikes, MLB, Florida: Spikes makes this list due to couple of ugly incidents. The most famous being the eye gouging incident which is the most bizarre thing I have seen on the field since the Robert Reynolds-Jim Sorgi incident. This was after a terrible head butting incident that I thought should have gotten him ejected. If someone can get ejected for punching someone in the head after the play is over, then I believe that someone aggressively head butting someone in the head when the play is long over should be grounds for ejection as well. Maybe I was the only one that saw it because nobody commented on it. Obviously Spikes was pumped up since he has missed the past few games but you still need to be under control. Little things like this can be the difference between a low first round pick and a mid-second round pick.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Oct 30, 2009 Comments
Oklahoma St-Texas: This important Big 12 matchup will have a lot of NFL eyes on it. Texas QB Colt McCoy will go up against a solid Oklahoma St secondary. Inside that matchup will be Texas WR Jordan Shipley vs Oklahoma St CB Perrish Cox. They will also try to match each other in the return game. On the other side of the ball will be a battle between potential first round draft picks. Oklahoma St T Russell Okung vs Texas DE/OLB Sergio Kindle. Texas likes to move Kindle around so it will be interesting to see how much they are lined up over each other. C Andrew Lewis will get to slug it out with DT Lamarr Houston.
Tennessee-South Carolina: There is one main matchup to watch in this game- Tennessee mammoth T Chris Scott vs South Carolina pass rushing DE Eric Norwood. Norwood is an OLB but lines up at DE in passing situations. This will be a battle. Another matchup worth watching will be South Carolina SS Darian Stewart against Tennessee RB Montario Hardesty. Stewart loves to hit but doesn't always do a good job wrapping up. Hardesty has some shiftiness and power.
Kansas St-Oklahoma: Bill Snyder seems to find ways to win. This game will have a couple fun matchups. When Kansas St has the ball, the big matchup will be TE Jeron Mastrud vs OLB Keenan Clayton. Also watch small and quick WR Brandon Banks vs big and physical CB Brian Jackson. On the other side of the ball there is a potential matchup between two powerful players, Kansas St DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Oklahoma T Trent Williams. I am not sure how much they will line up over each other though.
USC-Oregon: Just because. This will be a drag out battle for the PAC 10 championship. Since most of Oregon's seniors are out with injury or suspended there aren't many matchups pertaining next year's draft but this will be a fun game.
Wake Forest-Miami (Fla): It will be interesting to see how Miami responds to last week's game. This game will have a number of matchups worth watching. When Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner is on he is hard to stop. If he comes out hitting his passes it will be fun to see how the Miami secondary plays against him. Big T Chris DeGeare will go against the smaller, quicker Miami DE's like Eric Moncur. Another fun matchup to watch will be huge FB Mike Rinfrette taking on undersized MLB Darryl Sharpton. The most intriguing matchup on the other side of the ball will be the athletic Miami WRs going against CB Brandon Ghee.

Risers and Sliders this past week

Thurs Oct 29, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee: Going up against a very good Alabama team, Williams was still a dominant force. He is having a very good senior year. This past weekend he ended up with 6 tackles and a sack but he was more disruptive than his numbers would indicate. He has good size and quickness which helps him pressure the QB. He has a variety of pass rush moves and uses his hands well. He is a complete DT, doing a good job against the run and the pass.
        Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford: This recognition goes to both Gerhart and the OL, in particular Chris Marinelli. Arizona State went into the game as one of the top defenses in the country and had not given up 100 yards rushing to any RB. Gerhart and his mates dominated the top ranked defense. He carried the load, taking a pounding in the process. He has a nice combination of power and quickness. He is a power back but has enough shiftiness to make defenders miss. Gerhart consistently gets positive yards. He is a complete RB, able to catch the ball out of the backfield and block in pass protection.
        Pat Angerer, MLB, Iowa: Big time players make big time plays. Angerer has had a monster year and while his numbers this past weekend weren't outstanding he was clutch in the clutch. He ended up with 9 tackles on the day but he really set the tone in the second half. With the game tied in the third quarter, Michigan St had 1st and goal at the 1 yard line. Angerer led the defense and kept them out of the endzone to force a FG, which ended up being the difference in the game. The next defensive series they forced a three and out and gave the offense a short field to work with. Iowa kicked a FG and gained some offensive confidence because they would score every possession after that. Angerer has great instincts, does a great job shedding blockers and making plays.
        Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama: Like I mentioned above, big time players make big time plays. Cody saved the game and maybe the season by blocking his second kick of the game as time expired. He got a little help from the kicker kicking the ball so low but Cody isn't making this list for just his blocked kicks. In addition to the blocked kicks Cody had a good game on defense. For most of the year he hasn't seemed to get quite the penetration that he did last year and at times he has almost seemed sluggish. That wasn't the case this past week. Cody only came away with two tackles but he got some penetration and showed some quickness down the line of scrimmage. This past week he started looking like a potential high draft pick.
Sliders:
        Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota: Eric Decker is a stud. He is not on this list for anything that happens on the field. The reason he is on this list is that he is on the field less and less due to an ankle injury. He had the same problem last year so the durability questions will really begin to affect his stock. Decker is a tough player and he is not afraid to take a hit but that opens himself up to potential injury. The players on the next level are only bigger and faster which doesn't help his cause. He also has some issue with his ankle that seems re-occurring. He is tough and will play hurt but he appears unable to make it through a full season.
        Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona St: He entered the year as one of the most feared defenders and sack masters in the PAC 10. He had 27.5 sacks for his career. This year he has been virtually invisible. He only has 1.5 sacks and they both came against Washington St. He only has 10 tackles on the year and for the second week in a row he was shut out in the tackle category. He seems to have lost some of his quickness which might be a result of possibly adding some weight.
        Matt Bauman, MLB, BYU: Congratulations go out to Bauman for being named an NFF National Scholar Athlete this week. That is a positive after a very difficult game this past week against TCU. Bauman has struggled on the field all year and those struggles continued in their big game. He has had trouble getting off blocks. He lacks size but has shown good instincts and some quickness in the past. This year he looks slow and hasn't been able to beat blocks to make plays. This year he has only 1 tackle for loss and that is it. No passes defended, no sacks, forced fumbles, fumbles recovered, quarterbacks hurried, etc. He has less tackles than his linebaker mates and hasn't made any big plays all year.
        Brandon Deaderick, DE, Alabama: He entered the year as one of the top DE prospects but has had a lackluster year thus far. He has only 14 tackles and most of those were not solo tackles. He has good size and some in the box quickness but he hasn't made a lot of plays. In fact he has been outplayed by his own teammates- Terrence Cody, Marcell Dareus and Lorenzo Washington. While he looks like a decent 3-4 end or 4-3 tackle prospect he hasn't looked like the elite prospect many thought.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Oct 23, 2009 Comments
Tennessee-Alabama: There are a number of good matchups in this game. Tennesse RB Montario Hardesty and his offensive line, led by T Chris Scott will take on the dominant Alabama defense led by MLB Rolando McClain. It should be a slugfest in the trenches. On the other side of the ball, Tennessee DT Dan Williams will go up against Alabama G Mike Johnson.
Iowa St-Nebraska: This game will see two former players of the week go against each other. Iowa St. C Reggie Stephens will battle with Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh.
Oklahoma St-Baylor: Both these teams are senior-laden. When Baylor has the ball WR David Gettis will likely face CB Perrish Cox and C J.D. Walton will face DT's Swanson Miller and Derek Burton and MLB Donald Booker. When Oklahoma St has the ball RB Keith Toston will match up against MLB Joe Pawelek while QB Zac Robinson will be challenged by FS Jordan Lake. These are just some of the matchups.
Clemson-Miami (Fla): This should be a fun game to watch if Clemson shows up to play. Speedy RB C.J. Spiller will face athletic Miami MLB Darryl Sharpton. When Clemson is on defense the big matchups will be DE Ricky Sapp against Miami T Jason Fox and the Clemson secondary versus the young and talented Miami receiving corp.

Risers and Sliders this past week

Thurs Oct 22, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Joey Elliott, QB, Purdue: In his first year as the starter, Joey Elliott has consistently gotten better every week. The past couple of weeks there is no doubt who the leader is on this team. Elliott has had great control of the offense and really makes things happen. He has good arm strength and has the ability to make things happen with his feet. He has the innate ability to rally his team. He is not a finished product and will still make mistakes due to inexperience but he is definitely improving as the season progresses.
        Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh: He has long been the whipping boy in Pittsburgh but he has turned in an impressive last two weeks. Last week he was having a good game and then hit a rough patch, making a few bad decisions and throwing a couple ints. Late in that game he turned it around and was lights out to lead his team to victory. This past week he just continued that momentum. He was accurate and made tough throws with people in his face. He made good decisions and led his team to a crucial Big East win.
        Blair White, WR, Michigan St: One of the more under rated performers in the Big Ten, Blair White had a tremendous game this past week, even for his standards. White ended up with 12 catches for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was open all day and he wasn't barely open. He runs good routes and gets good separation from the defender. He has good hands and has some quickness to get positive yards.
        Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech: He was rarely tested until late in the game when Nebraska was forced to throw the ball. When he was tested he had tight coverage every time. He didn't give up a catch all game and had what should have been considered an interception. He also did a solid job of coming up and making tackles against the run.
Sliders:
        Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina: It is very likely that Norwood will still be a high pick in the draft, the reason he made this list is that some limitations were exploited this past week. There is no doubt that teams that run 3-4 defenses will still love Norwood, especially those looking for some pass rush. However, as Norwood gets further from the line of scrimmage he becomes less effective because he doesn't do a great job taking on blocks and sometimes has slow recognition. Teams that run 4-3 defenses will not have Norwood real high on their list which means he will need a 3-4 team to call his number, thus limiting the number of opportunities to go high in the draft.
        Michael Moore, WR, Georgia: In the beginning of the year I thought that he might develop into a decent possession type receiver because he showed some toughness and seemed to do the little things but as the year has progressed we have seen less and less of him. The past couple weeks when he does show up he fails to take advantage of opportunities. This past week he dropped every pass that came his way.
        Kyle Calloway, T, Iowa: While his team is undefeated, he has had a rough past two weeks. Calloway has really struggled with good pass rushers. Two weeks ago he was consistently beaten by Michigan DE Brandon Graham. This week he really struggled with Wisconsin DE O'Brien Schofield. While both of these DEs are really good pass rushers, it shows that Calloway is not ready to be in the upper echelon of Ts.
        Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida: In a huge game for South Florida, Jerome Murphy struggled. He hurt his team with 3 bad penalties. Two of the three were dumb penalties but all three were costly to the team. His coverage was up and down as well. He got beat a couple of times for touchdowns. He did show really good physical tools and had two plays were he showed a really good burst to cut in front of the receiver only to drop the interception. He has really good skills but games like this will not help him get into the top grouping of CBs.

Top 10 Heisman Candidates

Wed Oct 21, 2009 Comments
The Heisman Award is for the top player in college football, so that is my approach. I do not follow the trend of the Heisman only being for the top QB or RB. So with that disclaimer here is my current list:

1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- simply stated, there is no more dominant player in college football.

2. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama- he is currently picking up steam with some huge games for an undefeated team.

3. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame- has been outstanding despite playing hurt and has consistently given team a chance to win.

4. Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama- quarterback of one of the top defenses who constantly audibles defense into right play.

5. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati- has had a monster of a year leading an undefeated team.

6. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa- standout on one of the top defenses who constantly ends up making the big play for unbeaten team.

7. Von Miller, DE, Texas A&M- nation's sack leader with 10.

8. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St- one of the most efficient QBs in country while leading undefeated team.

9. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas- emotional leader who hasn't been overly accurate but team is still undefeated.

10. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida- surprisingly the defense has led to an undefeated season so far but Tebow is the leader.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Oct 16, 2009 Comments
Oklahoma-Texas: The Red River Rivalry is always a good matchup and fun game to watch. Texas has not been real impressive yet this year and this will be their biggest challenge. The determining factor in this game will be how the Texas offensive line holds up against the Oklahoma defensive line. Oklahoma has a solid D-line and the Texas offensive line has struggled. If Colt McCoy doesn't have time to pass and Texas can't run the ball to keep Oklahoma honest, it could be a rough day for Longhorn fans. The individual matchup I look forward to watching will be Oklahoma T Trent Williams going up against Texas DE Sergio Kindle. Both are potential first round picks and are blessed with natural ability.
USC- Notre Dame: It has been a while since this has been viewed as a potentially competitive game. There is a lot riding on this game- Jimmy Clausen's Heisman hopes, USC's national title hopes. There are a number of matchups that have talented underclassmen head up on talented seniors. Key matchups are Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen vs. USC FS Taylor Mays, Notre Dame RT Ryan Young vs. USC DE Everson Griffin and all the young and talented Notre Dame WRs vs. the USC CBs Josh Pinkard and Kevin Thomas.
Colorado St-TCU: This is a huge conference game which will be one of the biggest challenges for the Horned Frogs this year. This should be a fun game and one matchup I will watch is TCU DE Jerry Hughes vs. Colorado St T Cole Pemberton. Pemberton has played well this year but we will get to see just how good he is when he goes against one of the top pass rushers in next year's draft.
Arizona State-Washington: Both teams need this victory to help them get in position to qualify for a bowl game. I am interested in Washington T Ben Ossai vs. Arizona St DE Dexter Davis. This is a classic power versus speed matchup.

Risers and Sliders this past week

Wed Oct 14, 2009 Comments
Here are some players that caught my eye this past week, outside the players of the week:
Risers:
        Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan: Big players have big games in important games and Brandon Graham showed up and dominated this past weekend. Iowa has a really good offensive line but Graham was unblockable. He plays with great pad level and has really good quickness. He is a force against the run and pass. This performance has to put him in the mix for potential first round draft picks. Other players in this game that came up big were Brandon Minor, RB, Michigan; Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan and Pat Angerer, MLB, Iowa.
        Kendrick Taylor, FS, Mississippi: Taylor has been playing at a high level all year and continued that high level of play against Alabama. He was physical with bigger players, was solid tackling and good in coverage. He had a really athletic play knocking the ball out of the receiver's hands in the endzone to prevent a touchdown. Taylor lacks size but his solid play against top competition has him moving up the draft board.
        Sherrick McManis, CB, Northwestern: Miami (OH) didn't challenge McManis very often but they did try to get him on a trick play late in the game. McManis however was not fooled and had tight coverage downfield. The throw was behind his but he made an amazing no look interception to secure the game. It is the second week in a row that he has made an amazing interception late in the game to secure the win.
        Riley Skinner, QB, Wake Forest: When Skinner is on, he is on; and he was on this past week against Maryland. Skinner was in complete control of the game and had pinpoint accuracy. He has some limitations and concerns but this was the type of performance that makes people take notice.
Sliders:
        Dennis Landolt, T, Penn St: There is a lot to like about Landolt's game but he has consistently struggled to anchor in pass protection. Even this past week against Eastern Illinois he had some trouble not getting pushed back into the QB.
        Chris Hall, C, Texas: The entire Texas OL has struggled this season. Hall really struggled this past week, looking unathletic. He struggled to pick up blitzes and struggled to re-adjust.
        Jake Sharp, RB, Kansas: Blessed with potential, scouts were hoping that it would all come together for his senior year but he hasn't been able to stay healthy and get on the field. The longer he stays off the field the more he will slide.
        Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern: Wootton is sliding not because of performance but because he has been battling an injury that has slowed him down. In addition to that there have been a number of DE's that have been having a good year. So with his injury and other players rising, he has seen his stock drop some.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Fri Oct 9, 2009 Comments
Minnesota-Purdue: Underrated CB David Pender will get his shot at Minnesota WR Eric Decker. The other corner, Brandon King is bound to get matched up with him as well.
Florida-LSU: LSU T Ciron Black gets to go head up with Florida's athletic DEs. A good performance here could help him get into round 1 of the draft. This should be a good game regardless of whether Tim Tebow plays or not.
Michigan-Iowa: This is a big game in the Big 10 and it has some good matchups. I will be watching Iowa MLB Pat Angerer matching up with Michigan's big RBs Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor. On the other side of the ball Iowa TE Tony Moeaki will match up with rising OLB/SS Stevie Brown.

Football Rumblings

Tues Oct 6, 2009 Comments
    All this talk of getting rid of Bobby Bowden is ridiculous. Florida State would not be on the map if it weren't for Bobby Bowden. Granted watching Florida St has to be frustrating right now. They have plenty of talent but do a good job of shooting themselves in the foot. At some point the players have to execute. It is not always the coach's fault. Bobby Bowden knows how to win and has proven it. I am not a fan or a hater of Bobby Bowden but he has forever changed Florida State University, not just the football program but the whole university. There is a plan in place. Let him finish out his last two years with dignity.
    It is a shame that Hawaii QB Greg Alexander got hurt this past week. It looked like he was starting to put it all together. He always had the physical ability he just needed to improve on all the intricacies of the position, which it looked like he was starting to make improvement on. Speaking of the play when Alexander got hurt, I think that Mark May's glasses don't work. He goes on and on about how it was a helmet to helmet hit and they keep showing the replay which shows that his shoulder hit first. The officials discuss and say there is no penalty and Mark May still goes on about how it was a helmet to helmet hit when the replay shows that it wasn't and the officials say that it wasn't. Sometimes I think he talks just to hear his voice because it is apparent that he isn't seeing what is happening on the field.
    Super diamond in the rough prospect: Brian Pate, K, William & Mary. He is raw but the ball jumps off his foot. He has a strong leg and gets good elevation. He also does a good job on kickoffs. He still needs work on accuracy but this former soccer player who had never lifted weights before getting to college reminds me of John Hall. He has some potential if he decides he wants to try to continue to play football after college.
    Over-rated players that have plenty of physical ability but continue to be less productive than they should be include Jon Asamoah, G, Illinois; Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida St and Brandon Lang, DE, Troy. All three players have the physical ability to be high draft picks but Asamoah struggles with technique, Robinson struggles with mental lapses and Lang struggles with technique and awareness.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Thurs Oct 3, 2009 Comments
LSU-Georgia: This will be a fun game. Both teams need to make a statement and both teams are loaded with seniors. There are plenty of pro prospects to watch. Some matchups that will be interesting is LSU LT Ciron Black vs. the Georgia DE's, LSU WR Brandon LaFell vs. Georgia CB Prince Miller, Georgia WR's vs. LSU CB Chris Hawkins. There are plenty of other people to watch as well.
Penn St-Illinois: Illinois has been terrible this year so it probably won't be a close game but it has some intriguing matchups. Illinois RG Jon Asamoah vs. Penn St DT Jared Odrick matches two powerful players head to head. Penn St LT Dennis Landolt vs. Illinois DE Doug Pilcher matches up two underrated prospects. It is also a good game to watch TE's with Penn St TE's Andrew Quarless and Mickey Shuler and Illinois TE Michael Hoomanawanui.
Arkansas St-Iowa: Arkansas St has a few intriguing prospects with the top prospect being DE Alex Carrington. Carrington will get to go against Iowa's great T's. This will probably be the best competition Carrington will get to go against. This game will help determine how high Carrington will go in the draft. Other than that, this game shouldn't be close.

Football Rumblings

Tues Sept 29, 2009 Comments
    So far this season the officiating has been below average. Almost downright bad. I think that Indiana got screwed by the officials in their game against Michigan. This made me think about the season and even though we are still early in the season there have been a number of big mistakes by officials. I even saw a situation where the officials determined after the play that they had the wrong down. The officials called it first and goal, the play ran and they decided that it should have been second and goal instead of first and goal. So now it is third and goal. I have watched a lot of football in my days but can't remember ever seeing that actually happen. Hopefully the officiating gets better as the season progresses.
    The Heisman race got turned on its head. Tebow was lackluster and then got hurt. He was really good running with the ball but continues to struggle with accuracy. He leaves a lot of throws short and doesn't put the receiver in position to make a play with it. Jahvid Best really struggled. Both Best and California did as much as possible to destroy their reputations. Colt McCoy had a really good game against a poor team. New player to inject into the discussion is Case Keenum the QB from Houston. They had a good win against Texas Tech while Keenum threw for over 400 yds and led his team to the win. Houston has a chance to run the table this season which will also help his cause. Other players to consider include Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St and Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama.

Madison is a Special Place

Mon Sept 28, 2009 Comments
    Anyone who has a chance to see a game in Madison should take advantage of it. Wisconsin has a very nice tailgating scene in addition to numerous bars nearby that grill brats and hamburgers. Wisconsin fans love their Badgers which makes that atmosphere electric. It is also refreshing that everyone is into the game. The cool thing is all the traditions and chants. Everyone except for myself and a few friends were on the same page. It is like everyone had been doing everything for a lifetime. One disclaimer is that some of the chants that the student section like to start are not family friendly but other than that it is a great experience. One of my favorite things is the slow motion wave, which is then followed by a super fast wave. It is really cool to see in person. Of course there is also jumping before the fourth quarter starts. The last tradition is after the game, more tailgating, especially after a good win.
    As for the game, Garrett Graham had a breakout game after being fairly quiet this year. Michigan St could not cover him man on man. O'Brien Schofield looks as athletic in person as I thought on tape. He looks like a potential 3-4 OLB. On the Michigan St side, Blair White has good quickness which gets him separation. He was open more than it looked on TV, Cousins just didn't see him a number of times. Jeremy Ware struggled and seemed a little stiff in coverage. One last note, Brett Swenson doesn't have much leg strength, even in warm ups.

Off to Jump Around

Fri Sept 25, 2009 Comments
    I am off to jump around this weekend in Madison. I will be at the Wisconsin/Michigan St game. I have never been to a game in     Madison, so I am pretty excited about it. I will give a report on the experience Monday.

Matchups to Watch this Weekend

Thurs Sept 24, 2009 Comments
Minnesota-Northwestern: This will be an interesting matchup. Sherrick McManis looks like he is ready to return for Northwestern. McManis vs. Eric Decker should be a good matchup. I am also interested in seeing Mike Kafka go against the rock solid Minnesota defense. Kafka has put up good numbers so far this year but he hasn't faced a defense this good yet.
Arkansas-Alabama: First off, this will be a fun game to watch. Arkansas can score and Alabama has a terrific defense. This game also has good individual matchups in the trenches. When Alabama has the ball, LG Mike Johnson vs. Malcolm Shepherd should be a good matchup. Both are athletic linemen and team leaders. When Arkansas has the ball, WG Mitch Petrus vs. Terrence Cody. Most likely Petrus will get help from the Center but at times he has struggled with bigger DL and they don't get much bigger than Cody. A good performance against Cody would help solidify him as a top 10 G prospect.

Onyebuagu is Underrated

Wed Sept 23, 2009 Comments
    Watching the Northern Illinois-Purdue game was fun. The best part was watching LG Jason Onyebuagu and DT Mike Neal go head to head. Both are very powerful and physical players. It was a fun battle in which Onyebuagu won more than Neal but both flashed good ability. Onyebuagu likes to hit people and is physical but is also a good athlete who plays with good knee bend and mobility. Neal is also very athletic and has good potential. He just needs to turn that ability into more production.
P.S.- Onyebuagu's linemate Eddie Adamski also is a very underrated player.
P.S.S.- Jerry Kill's decision to call a fake punt late in the fourth quarter inside their own 20 was one of the gutsiest calls I have seen in a long time.

The Real Heisman Race

Mon Sept 21, 2009 Comments
    There has been a lot of Heisman talk already. The season started with Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy as the front runners and now with Sam Bradford injured the Heisman race is down to Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy. That is what most of the national media claims. The reality is that Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy have not been that impressive. Don't get me wrong, they have both been good, but neither has been Heisman-worthy thus far. This weekend against Tennessee Tim Tebow didn't throw the ball all that well and wasn't his dominant self running it either. He also had what could have been a costly fumble late in the game. Colt McCoy had a decent game against Texas Tech but really struggled in the beginning with his accuracy. He had the same problem against Wyoming. Those who followed my blog last year know that I am a big Colt McCoy fan but the reality is that while he deserved the Heisman last year, this year he has not. The player that has stuck out to me and is my front runner for the Heisman is Jahvid Best. The RB from California has been dominant and explosive. California has a real good team and will be in the hunt for the National Championship as long as Best remains healthy.

Under the Radar: Andy Schmitt, QB, Eastern Michigan

Wed Sept 16, 2009 Comments
    I was impressed with Andy Schmitt last year and he has caught my attention already this year. Schmitt looks the part, with good size and good arm strength. He has good mobility and makes good decisions with the ball. He was very impressive against Northwestern this past weekend. For the first time in his college career he is taking snaps from under center which can be a huge transition. This weekend he looked like he has done that all his life. He is accurate despite his numbers. He really doesn't get a lot of help from his receivers. He is a solid prospect that is surrounded by a lack of talent. I am excited to see how he does against Michigan this upcoming week.

Top 25 SEC Prospects

Tues Sept 1, 2009 Comments
   1. Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama

   2. Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi

   3. Brandon Spikes, MLB, Florida

   4. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

   5. Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU

   6. Mike Johnson, G, Alabama

   7. Charles Scott, RB, LSU

   8. Ciron Black, T, LSU

   9. Richard Dickson, TE, LSU

10. Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky

11. Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia

12. Jermaine Cunningham, DE, Florida

13. Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama

14. Rahim Alem, DE, LSU

15. Dexter McCluster, WR, Mississippi

16. Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina

17. Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia

18. Chris Hawkins, CB, LSU

19. Jamar Chaney, MLB, Mississippi St

20. Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas

21. Myron Lewis, CB, Vanderbilt

22. Justin Woodall, SS, Alabama

23. John Jerry, G, Mississippi

24. Micah Johnson, OLB, Kentucky

25. Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee

2. Jevan Snead, QB, Mississippi

3. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida



Top 25 Big 12 Prospects

Mon Aug 31, 2009 Comments
   1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

   2. Russell Okung, T, Oklahoma St

   3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

   4. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

   5. Trent Williams, T, Oklahoma

   6. Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

   7. Darrell Stuckey, SS, Kansas

   8. Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma St

   9. Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas

10. Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas

11. Jeron Mastrud, TE, Kansas St

12. Jordan Lake, FS, Baylor

13. Chris Brown, RB, Oklahoma

14. David Gettis, WR, Baylor

15. Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas

16. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas

17. Adam Ulatoski, T, Texas

18. Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri

19. Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech

20. Reggie Stephens, G, Iowa St

21. DeMarcus Granger, DT, Oklahoma

22. Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma St

23. Jeffrey Fitzgerald, DE, Kansas St

24. Jaron Baston, DT, Missouri

25. Jake Sharp, RB, Kansas

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

2. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

3. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St



Top 25 ACC Prospects

Sat Aug 29, 2009 Comments
   1. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

   2. Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke

   3. Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida St

   4. Kam Chancellor, FS, Virginia Tech

   5. Crezdon Butler, CB, Clemson

   6. Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest

   7. Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson

   8. Dekoda Watson, OLB, Florida St

   9. Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson

10. Thomas Austin, G, Clemson

11. Mark Tennant, C, Boston College

12. Willie Young, DE, North Carolina St

13. Boo Robinson, DT, Wake Forest

14. Mike McLaughlin, MLB, Boston College

15. Stephen Virgil, CB, Virginia Tech

16. Myron Rolle, SS, Florida St

17. Eric Moncur, DE, Miami (Fla)

18. Ed Wang, T, Virginia Tech

19. Chris Chancellor, CB, Clemson

20. Ted Larson, C, North Carolina St

21. Sergio Render, G, Virginia Tech

22. Javarris James, RB, Miami (Fla)

23. Jason Fox, T, Miami (Fla)

24. Kavell Connor, OLB, Clemson

25. Greg Boone, TE, Virginia Tech

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech

2. Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina

3. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech



Top 25 Sun Belt Prospects

Fri Aug 28, 2009 Comments
   1. Brandon Lang, DE, Troy

   2. Cameron Sheffield, OLB, Troy

   3. Alex Carrington, DE, Arkansas St

   4. Rusty Smith, QB, Florida Atlantic

   5. Boris Lee, OLB, Troy

   6. Chris Fisher, C, Louisiana-Lafayette

   7. Jarrick Calvin, CB, Troy

   8. Levi Brown, QB, Troy

   9. Cortez Gent, WR, Florida Atlantic

10. Corey Leonard, QB, Arkansas St

11. Jamari Grant, TE, Florida Atlantic

12. Cardia Jackson, MLB, Louisiana-Monroe

13. William Rose, FB, Florida Atlantic

14. Reggie Arnold, RB, Arkansas St

15. Antwyne Sanders, MLB, Louisiana-Lafayette

16. Tobe Nwigwe, MLB, North Texas

17. Josh Arauco, K, Arkansas St

18. Chris Bonner, WR, Florida Atlantic

19. Bear Woods, MLB, Troy

20. Carl Spitale, T, Florida Atlantic

21. Danny Carmichael, MLB, Middle Tennessee St

22. Blake Boyd, OLB, Western Kentucky

23. Brad Bustle, G, Louisiana-Lafayette

24. Phillip Tanner, RB, Middle Tennessee St

25. Mark Thompson, C, Middle Tennessee St

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Anthony Gaitor, CB, Florida International

2. Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy

3. Tavious Palo, CB, Florida Atlantic



Top 25 Mid American Prospects

Thurs Aug 27, 2009 Comments
   1. Dan LeFavour, QB, Central Michigan

   2. Bryan Anderson, WR, Central Michigan

   3. James Starks, RB, Buffalo

   4. Barry Church, SS, Toledo

   5. Tim Hiller, QB, Western Michigan

   6. Naaman Roosevelt, WR, Buffalo

   7. Jason Onyebuagu, G, Northern Illinois

   8. Frank Zombo, DE, Central Michigan

   9. Stephen Williams, WR, Toledo

10. Mike Newton, FS, Buffalo

11. Mike Salerno, K, Northern Illinois

12. Andy Schmitt, QB, Eastern Michigan

13. Taylor Price, WR, Ohio

14. Andre Nesblett, DT, Temple

15. Steven Jackson, FS, Ohio

16. Eddie Adamski, C, Northern Illinois

17. Jameson Konz, FB, Kent St

18. Austin Pritchard, OLB, Western Michigan

19. Josh Gordy, CB, Central Michigan

20. Miquale Lewis, RB, Ball St

21. Brandon Bice, DE, Northern Illinois

22. P.J. Mahone, SS, Bowling Green

23. Tyler Sheehan, QB, Bowling Green

24. David Bryant, FS, Northern Illinois

25. Brandon West, RB, Western Michigan

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Antonio Brown, WR, Central Michigan

2. Nick Bellore, MLB, Central Michigan

3. Davonte Shannon, SS, Buffalo



Top 25 Big East Prospects

Wed Aug 26, 2009 Comments
   1. George Selvie, DE, South Florida

   2. Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse

   3. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati

   4. Selvish Capers, T, West Virginia

   5. Nate Allen, FS, South Florida

   6. Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida

   7. Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh

   8. Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

   9. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati

10. Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut

11. Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia

12. Kevin Haslam, T, Rutgers

13. Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse

14. Kion Wilson, MLB, South Florida

15. Aaron Berry, CB, Pittsburgh

16. Reed Williams, MLB, West Virginia

17. Jack Corcoran, FB, Rutgers

18. Alric Arnett, WR, West Virginia

19. Matt Grothe, QB, South Florida

20. Ryan D'Imperio, MLB, Rutgers

21. Jeff Linkenbach, T, Cincinnati

22. Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh

23. Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut

24. George Johnson, DE, Rutgers

25. Mike Hicks, T, Connecticut

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Anthony Davis, T, Rutgers

2. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia

3. Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh



Top 25 Conference USA Prospects

Tues Aug 25, 2009 Comments
   1. C.J. Wilson, DE, East Carolina

   2. Van Eskridge, FS, East Carolina

   3. Jeremy Williams, WR, Tulane

   4. Jay Ross, DT, East Carolina

   5. Cody Slate, TE, Marshall

   6. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, SMU

   7. Joe Webb, QB, UAB

   8. Andre Anderson, RB, Tulane

   9. Albert McClellan, DE, Marshall

10. Damion Fletcher, RB, Southern Miss

11. Ross Thevenot, P, Tulane

12. Matt Dodge, P, East Carolina

13. Doug Palmer, G, East Carolina

14. Carlos Singleton, WR, Memphis

15. Andrew Sendejo, FS, Rice

16. James Lockett, SS, Tulsa

17. Jeff Moturi, WR, UTEP

18. Slick Shelley, WR, Tulsa

19. Torrell Troup, DT, Central Florida

20. Brandon Brinkley, CB, Houston

21. Toren Dixon, WR, Rice

22. Braxton Amy, SS, UTEP

23. Eddie Hicks, FS, Southern Miss

24. Bryan McCann, CB, SMU

25. Mike Aguayo, T, UTEP

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Chase Keenum, QB, Houston

2. Charles Clay, FB, Tulsa

3. Trevor Vittatoe, QB, UTEP



Top 25 Mountain West Prospects

Mon Aug 24, 2009 Comments
   1. Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU

   2. Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU

   3. Daryl Washington, OLB, TCU

   4. Zane Beadles, T, Utah

   5. Stevenson Sylvester, OLB, Utah

   6. Shelley Smith, G, Colorado St

   7. Max Hall, QB, BYU

   8. Koa Misi, DE, Utah

   9. Erik Cook, C, New Mexico

10. Matt Bauman, MLB, BYU

11. Dion Morton, WR, Colorado St

12. Jan Jorgenson, DE, BYU

13. Rafael Priest, CB, TCU

14. Jason Beauchamp, OLB, UNLV

15. Ryan Wolfe, WR, UNLV

16. Cole Pemberton, T, Colorado St

17. Nick Sanders, CB, TCU

18. John Fletcher, DT, Wyoming

19. Robert Johnson, FS, Utah

20. Andrew George, TE, BYU

21. Mitch Unrein, DE, Wyoming

22. David Reed, WR, Utah

23. R.J. Willing, C, BYU

24. Luke Laulagi, MLB, San Diego St

25. Ben Vroman, K, Utah

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Marcus Cannon, T, TCU

2. Harvey Unga, RB, BYU

3. Omar Clayton, QB, UNLV



Top 25 WAC Prospects

Fri Aug 21, 2009 Comments
   1. Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise St

   2. Justin Cole, OLB, San Jose St

   3. D'Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech

   4. Antonio Baker, FS, Louisiana Tech

   5. John Fonoti, DE, Hawaii

   6. Lonyae Miller, RB, Fresno St

   7. A.J. Jefferson, CB, Fresno St

   8. John Estes, C, Hawaii

   9. Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

10. Carl Ihenacho, DE, San Jose St

11. Alonzo Durham, T, Nevada

12. Seyi Ajirotutu, WR, Fresno St

13. Jonathon Amaya, FS, Nevada

14. Marlon Moore, WR, Fresno St

15. Kyle Reed, QB, San Jose St

16. Daniel Porter, RB, Louisiana Tech

17. Antoine Thompson, CB, Nevada

18. Greg Alexander, QB, Hawaii

19. Mo Harvey, SS, Nevada

20. Dennis Morris, TE, Louisiana Tech

21. Kevin Jurovich, WR, San Jose St

22. Chastin West, WR, Fresno St

23. Anthony Harding, FB, Fresno St

24. Brennan McFadden, C, Utah St

25. Richie Brockel, FB, Boise St

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Duke Ihenacho, SS, San Jose St

2. Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

3. Phillip Livas, WR, Louisiana Tech



Top 25 PAC Ten Prospects

Wed Aug 19, 2009 Comments
   1. Taylor Mays, FS, USC

   2. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon

   3. Syd'Quan Thompson, CB, California

   4. Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon

   5. Stafon Johnson, RB, USC

   6. Charles Brown, T, USC

   7. Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA

   8. Anthony McCoy, TE, USC

   9. Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon

10. T.J. Ward, FS, Oregon

11. Chris McGaha, WR, ASU

12. Tyson Alualu, DE, California

13. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

14. Dexter Davis, DE, ASU

15. Devin Ross, CB, Arizona

16. Josh Pinkard, CB, USC

17. Bo McNally, SS, Stanford

18. Chris Marinelli, T, Stanford

19. Reggie Carter, MLB, UCLA

20. Clinton Snyder, OLB, Stanford

21. Kevin Thomas, CB, USC

22. Kenny Alfred, C, Washington St

23. Mike Tepper, T, California

24. Earl Mitchell, DT, Arizona

25. Ekom Udofia, DT, Stanford

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Jahvid Best, RB, California

2. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona

3. Damian Williams, WR, USC



Top 25 Big Ten Prospects

Mon Aug 17, 2009 Comments
   1. Corey Wooten, DE, Northwestern

   2. Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin

   3. Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan

   4. Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota

   5. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn St

   6. Greg Middleton, DE, Indiana

   7. Anderson Russell, FS, Ohio St

   8. Sean Lee, MLB, Penn St

   9. Kurt Coleman, SS, Ohio St

10. Michael Hoomanawanui, TE, Illinois

11. Jammie Kirlew, DE, Indiana

12. Trevor Anderson, DE, Michigan St

13. Daryl Clark, QB, Penn St

14. Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan

15. Mickey Shuler, TE, Penn St

16. Andrew Quarless, TE, Penn St

17. Brandon Minor, RB, Michigan

18. Greg Matthews, WR, Michigan

19. Pat Angerer, MLB, Iowa

20. Matt Mayberry, MLB, Indiana

21. Jim Cardle, G, Ohio St

22. Sherrick McManis, CB, Northwestern

23. Jake Ballard, TE, Ohio St

24. Dennis Landolt, T, Penn St

25. Torri Williams, FS, Purdue

    Top 3 Underclassmen

1. Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa

2. Evan Royster, RB, Penn St

3. Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois