Draft Bulletin

Mike Hicks, T, Connecticut

The gutsiest performance turned in this past week was by C.J. Spiller with 233 yards rushing and 4 TDs despite not being 100% but Spiller has already been a Player of the Week so we will go with the next best performance which was Mike Hicks. Hicks had a dominant game against South Florida. He held Jason Pierre Paul to nothing, the only contributions he made in the game were when he was lined up on the other side of the line. Hicks was their go to guy. Whenever Connecticut needed a play they ran over Hicks' side. Critical situations like the fourth down in the first half and the TD run in the fourth quarter they were successful because they ran over his side. Hicks is a mountain of a man at 6-6 and 323 lbs. He is strong and does a good job getting his hands on defenders. He also has good athleticism and is pretty good pulling for a large man because he has good feet. Against South Florida he was solid in pass protection although he is sometimes a waist bender which might cause him problems with double moves on the next level.

Week 13: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati

After only a couple of relief appearances last week, Tony Pike started the Illinois game and he didn't look rusty at all. Pike had a monster day completing 32 of 46 passes for 399 yards with 6 TDs and 0 INTS. He showed why he is such a good NFL prospect with his great size and strong arm. Being 6-6 allows him to see the field over the linemen and tremendous arm strength allows him to make a pass to anywhere on the field. The previous week and this past week against Illinois he has been extremely accurate, not only completing passes but putting passes in perfect spots. Despite being tall he has decent athletic ability and can buy some time with his feet. In some ways he kind of reminds me of a little less athletic Ryan Leaf without all the baggage.

Week 12: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

There were limited great offensive performances by seniors in this shortened week but one performance that stood out was Colt McCoy. On senior day he lit up the Kansas Jayhawks for 396 yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs. He completed 32 of 41 passes. Over the past 4 games we have started to see the Colt of old as he has thrown 9 TDs to 1 INT. In the game against Kansas he was really accurate and did a good job of hitting the open receiver. He made things happen with his feet and did a good job keeping the chains moving. He had a tremendous third quarter, basically crushing any momentum Kansas tried to get. He had complete control of the offense and made a number of NFL type throws, my favorite being the throw to Jordan Shipley in between two defenders while getting hit. Sure Shipley dropped the ball but it was on a line and perfectly thrown. Arist Wright was right in his face so he knew he was going to get hit but stood tall and took the hit while quickly releasing the ball. McCoy has all the tools to make it on the next level and these past few weeks have shown this.

Week 11: Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Mississippi

This past week Houston Nutt put Dexter McCluster back to RB to help get him some more touches and he was greatly rewarded. McCluster came away with 324 total all-purpose yards and scored 4 TDs against one of the hottest teams in college football. All season McCluster has tried to throw the team on his shoulders but he was able to have more of an impact getting handoffs and taking snaps out of the wild rebel. He is lightning quick and has good speed. He also has some wiggle and can really stick his foot in the ground and go, making him really difficult to catch and bring down in open space. He is a great competitor and is really tough. Even though he is undersized, he is not afraid to lower his shoulder to get extra yards and he is also good at taking on defenders in pass protection. He is often falling forward and getting extra yards due to his toughness and his great balance which helps him keep his feet after taking a hit. While he is undersized he should be able to make an impact on the next level if an offensive coordinator is creative in how to get him the ball. For comparison sake he is a more polished Devin Hester.

Week 10: Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

Dominated one of the hottest teams in college football. Gerhart ran the ball an amazing 38 times for 223 yards and 3 TDs. He got some help from his offensive line but early in the game when he hit the hole he would get hit and carry defenders a couple yards to get about 5 yards. With a steady dose of Gerhart all game the Oregon defense eventually wore down because late in the game he would get hit and carry defenders for gains of about 9 yards. Gerhart is extremely durable and in great condition. He only missed time in three drives and was still fresh after 38 physical carries. He runs with great power and has good speed for his size. He has a little shiftiness to make a defender miss from time to time and has great vision and balance. Although he didn't show it in this game, he has good hands out of the backfield and does a good job in pass protection, making him the most complete back in the draft

Week 9: Chris Scott, T, Tennessee

Helped pave the way for Montario Hardesty and company to upset the South Carolina Gamecocks. Chris Scott's performance was dominant. It brought back memories of Orlando Pace when he was in college. Scott absolutely buried defenders in the run game. Tennessee was able to rush for 210 yards. Despite being a large man, he was able to seal the corner. He was also dominant in pass protection. He is a decent knee bender and has good feet for his size. He helped shut down Eric Norwood and company. He continues to climb the draft boards.

Week 8: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

This past week C.J. Spiller turned in a performance that has thrown himself into the Heisman conversation. In a big game against Miami, Spiller went off for 310 all purpose yards and 2 TDs. The first TD occurred right before the half. Miami had just started to gain momentum, scoring a TD. Spiller returned the kickoff 90 yards for a TD. He would score on a 56 yard catch later in the third quarter. Spiller is a weapon that can score from anywhere on the field. He has amazing speed and good shiftiness and vision. He is solid as a RB, receiver and return man. He is a little on the small side and at times will struggle with blocking and running between the tackles. However he has more success than you would think running inside because he is so quick to and through the hole.

Week 7: Anthony McCoy, TE, USC

Anthony McCoy had a huge day helping the Trojans defeat Notre Dame with 5 catches for 153 yards. McCoy is a big time weapon because he is really athletic for a big man. He has good speed and is really agile despite being 6-5 and weighing 255 lbs. This makes him a tough match up for Safeties because he is just as fast but is bigger and is really hard to bring down in the open field. He also has good size for blocking but he is also very agile so he can block in open space like he did on the screen pass for a td to Damian Williams. He has all the talent to be a top pick, he just needs to continue to work on his blocking and being more careful with the ball.

Week 6: Reggie Stephens, C/G, Iowa St

This past week Iowa St went up against Kansas which entered the game ranked third in run defense in the country. Iowa St gauged the Kansas defense for 219 yards giving them all they could handle. Leading the way in the rushing attack was Reggie Stephens. Previously a guard, Stephens has shown versatility by playing center this year. He was dominant in the middle of the line, opening huge holes using his power to bury defenders. He has good size and decent mobility. Stephens anchors well in pass protection and is a solid prospect as both a guard or center.

Week 5: Chris McGaha, WR, Arizona St

Chris McGaha burst onto the scene two years ago catching 61 passes but really struggled last year only catching 35. The reason for the down numbers last year was that McGaha suffered with a turf toe injury all year that sapped his quickness. This year he is healthy again and his quickness was back and on display against Oregon State this past week. McGaha was unstoppable with 15 catches for 165 yards. He runs good routes and is very quick in and out of his breaks which creates separation. Once he has the ball in his hands he is good at using his quickness to make defenders whiff. He has really good hands and does a good job of coming back to the ball. For those of you wondering he did catch the ball in the picture above.

Week 4: Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

Idaho surprised Northern Illinois this past week and the main reason was because of Idaho's large, physical offensive line. The offensive line is led by guard Mike Iupati. Iupati is a big and powerful guy who at times completely buries the defender. He plays with a little bit of a mean streak and can use his strength to toss defenders aside. He also has strong hands. Iupati is not just a big mauler though, he possesses really good athletic ability for his size. He can really run and Idaho pulls him a lot. He does a good job of turning the corner and finding someone to block. The area that will need some improvement is his technique, especially in pass protection. He is not much of a knee bender and sometimes he will overextend and struggle in pass protection. On this level he often gets away with his lack of technique because he is so strong and athletic but on the next level he won't get away with it as much.

Montario Hardesty has started to live up to expectations. He has started the year off strong. This past week he ran for 96 yards and a score against Florida. Pretty good numbers against a good defense that knew he was going to run the ball. Hardesty ran with good determination and forward lean. He has good speed and this year has shown good patience and vision. He really has the ability to stick his foot in the ground and cut upfield. He has a good feel for cut back lanes and catches the ball well.

Danario Alexander is a big WR who reportedly has a 47 inch vertical. He is a long strider who has battled injuries throughout his career. Two years ago he won the starting WR job in front of Jeremy Maclin only to suffer a season ending knee injury. This year he looks to become the go to guy for he Tigers. Against Illinois he caught 10 passes for 132 yards. He catches the ball well and is hard to bring down in the open field due to his size.