Quoting From Super Bowl Post-Game

From Arlington, Texas

It was an exciting night and that always provides plenty to speak about, especially when the excitement comes within the confines of a Super Bowl.

Such is the case coming out of Cowboys Stadium Sunday night after the Green Bay Packers victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45. Here are some of the best comments that we’ve been able to kull from millions of words.

PACKERS QB AARON RODGERS (left) on being named MVP: “It’s a special honor to be one of the leaders of this football team. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: no one person has ever won a game by themselves. This is a team effort and a great group of men and I’m just blessed to be one of the leaders on this team. Individually, it’s the top of the mountain in my sport my profession. It’s what you dream about as a kid and think about in high school, junior college, D-I: getting this opportunity and what would you do? I’m fortunate and blessed to play for a team that believes in us.”

STEELERS S RYAN CLARK on Pittsburgh defense: “We didn’t make many mental errors defensively. They just made some plays. You think about the third and 10 in the fourth quarter, another pass to Jennings down the middle. I think he did a good job of reading us and just going out and doing what he had to do. It wasn’t about mistakes, it wasn’t about rust. They played better than we did. I think both offenses moved the ball very effectively, especially Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers threw some passes tonight that I think other quarterbacks don’t make.”   …Read More!

Notes From East-West Shrine Game

From Mobile, Alabama

Our boots are on the ground here in Mobile for the start of Senior Bowl week and that gave us a chance to touch base with a few of our sources who migrated over from the East-West Shrine Game in Orlando.

For those who cared, and we are still trying to find that person, the East beat the West on Saturday afternoon 25-8.

Here are 10 players who grabbed the scouts attention during the week of practice leading up to Saturday’s game:

Offense

• Idaho QB Nathan Enderle (right) – he’s got prototypical size at 6-4, 232 pounds, with a gun on his right shoulder. Plus, he was team captain in 2010, so there are intangibles there as well. Scouts say he’s a good athlete, but his technique in throwing the ball needs adjustment, not only with his delivery, but his footwork.
• Syracuse RB Delone Carter – most of the scouts considered Carter along with North Carolina DT Marvin Austin the two best players attending the Shrine Game week. Carter showed great explosion and shifty moves. Tries to play bigger than he is and that sometimes got him in trouble. Scouts want to see more north and south running from Carter – he likes to dance around a bit when he has the ball.
• SMU WR Aldrick Robinson – he did the two things that scouts always notice from WRs: he caught the ball and he found a way to get open. Robinson showed excellent running after the catch ability with some explosion.
• Delaware QB Pat Devlin – among the quarterbacks in Orlando, he was the most advanced both fundamentally and mentally. Showed during the week the ability to roll quickly through his progressions and then made good decisions. Devlin’s not very mobile; he’ll have to stay in the pocket.
• Southern Cal TE Jordan Cameron – began as a college basketball player at BYU in 2006. Moved to Snow Junior College in ’07, then to USC in ’08 where he played basketball and football. In ’09 he was a wide receiver, in ’10 a tight end. Scout say he shows the body control and skills of being a WR, with his size at TE. Considered a developmental type with a big upside. …Read More!

Senior Bowl Players – Offense

BLUE – North team                   RED – South team

Quarterbacks (6)

• Andy Dalton                 6-3    220    TCU
• Colin Kaepernick        6-6    225    Nevada
• Jake Locker                  6-3    230    Washington
• Greg McElory              6-3    225    Alabama
• Christian Ponder        6-3    227    Florida State
• Ricky Stanzi                  6-4    230    Iowa

Running backs (8)

• Anthony Allen         6-0    229    Georgia Tech
• Noel Devine               5-8    180    West Virginia
• Roy Helu                     6-0    220    Nebraska
• Kendall Hunter         5-8    200    Oklahoma State
• Derrick Locke            5-9    190    Kentucky
• DeMarco Murray     6-1    207    Oklahoma
• Bilal Powell                 6-1    215    Louisville
• Da’Rel Scott                5-11   200    Maryland 

Fullbacks (2)

• Owen Marecic                     6-1    244    Stanford
• Charles Clay                        6-3    235     Tulsa

Wide receivers (11)

• Vincent Brown                  6-0     195       San Diego State
• Edmond Gates                   6-1      200      Abilene Christian
• Leonard Hankerson        6-3     205       Miami
• Dwayne Harris                  6-0     205       East Carolina
• Ronald Johnson               6-0     185       Southern Cal
• Jeremy Kerley                  5-10   192       TCU
• Niles Paul                            6-1      220      Nebraska
• Austin Pettis                      6-3      203       Boise State
• Greg Salas                           6-2      210       Hawaii
• Courtney Smith                6-5      230       South Alabama
• Titus Young                       5-11     175       Boise State

Tight end (6)

• Preston Dial                 6-3    237    Alabama
• Lance Kendricks        6-4    241    Wisconsin
• Mike McNeill               6-4    235    Nebraska
• Lee Smith                      6-6    267    Marshall
• Luke Stocker                6-6    253    Tennessee
• D.J. Williams                6-2    251    Arkansas

Tackle (11)

• James Brewer              6-8    331    Indiana
• Gabe Carimi                 6-7    327    Wisconsin
• James Carpenter        6-5    300    Alabama
• Anthony Castonzo    6-7    308    Boston College
• Brandon Fusco           6-5    305    Slippery Rock (Pa) 
• Marcus Gilbert           6-5    322     Florida
• DeMarcus Love          6-5     315     Arkansas
• Jason Pinkston           6-4     305    Pitt
• Derrick Sherrod         6-6    305    Mississippi State
• Nate Solder                  6-9    315    Colorado
• Danny Watkins           6-4    310    Baylor

Guard (6)

• Clint Boling                  6-5    315    Georgia
• Rodney Hudson        6-2    282    Florida State
• Kevin Kowalski          6-4     299    Toledo
• John Moffitt                6-5    323    Wisconsin
• Stephen Schilling      6-5    308    Michigan
• Lee Ziemba                  6-8    319    Auburn

Center (1)

• Kristofer O’Dowd       6-5    300    Southern Cal

Kicker (2)

• Kai Forbath                  6-0    191    UCLA
• Josh Jasper                 5-11   160    LSU

Senior Bowl Players – Defense

BLUE – North team                   RED – South team

Defensive end (8)

• Sam Acho                         6-3    260    Texas
• Pierre Allen                     6-5    265    Nebraska
• Allen Bailey                     6-4    285    Miami
• Christian Ballard            6-5    297    Iowa
• Jeremy Beal                     6-3    267    Oklahoma 
• Cameron Jordan            6-4    283    California
• Ryan Kerrigan                 6-4    263    Purdue
• Pernell McPhee              6-4    285    Mississippi State

Defensive tackle (7)

• Sione Fua                     6-2    306    Stanford
• Jarvis Jenkins            6-4    315    Clemson
• Chris Neild                  6-2    301    West Virginia
• Stephen Paea              6-1    311    Oregon State
• Phil Taylor                  6-4    340    Baylor
• Cedric Thornton       6-4    295    South Arkansas
• Ian Williams               6-2    305    Notre Dame

Outside linebacker (7)

• Mason Foster          6-2    242    Washington
• Mark Herzlich         6-4    244    Boston College
• Ross Homan            6-0    227    Ohio State
• Von Miller                6-3    243    Texas A&M
• Brooks Reed            6-3    260    Arizona
• Lawrence Wilson   6-1    226    Connecticut
• K.J. Wright               6-4    250    Mississippi State

Inside linebacker (7)

• Josh Bynes                6-2    235    Auburn
• Nate Irving               6-1    231    North Carolina State
• Greg Jones                6-1    240    Michigan State
• Casey Matthews      6-2    235    Oregon
• Colin McCarthy       6-2    240    Miami
• Kelvin Sheppard     6-3    240    LSU  
• Chris White                6-4    245    Mississippi State

Cornerback (10)

• Curtis Brown               6-0    184    Texas
• Jalil Brown                   6-1    205    Colorado
• Kendric Burney          5-9    190    North Carolina
• Rashad Carmichael   5-11   186    Virginia Tech  
• Jaiquawn Jarrett        6-2    202    Temple
• Joe Lefeged                   6-0    205    Rutgers
• Curtis Marsh                 6-1    193    Utah State
• Johnny Patrick            6-0   190    Louisville
• DeMarcus Van Dyke  6-1    185    Miami
• Shareece Wright          5-11  185    Southern Cal

Free safety (3)

• Quinton Carter                6-1    200    Oklahoma
• Marcus Gilchrist            5-11   190    Clemson
• Eric Hagg                           6-2    210     Nebraska

Strong safety (4)

• Ahmad Black                   5-9    189    Florida
• Zac Etheridge                 6-0    213    Auburn
• DeAndre McDaniel       6-1    215    Clemson
• Da’Norris Searcy           6-0    215    North Carolina

Punter (2)

• Alex Henery                    6-2    175    Nebraska
• Chas Henry                      6-3    222    Florida

Long snapper (2)

• Danny Aiken                   6-4    255    Virginia
• Christian Yount             6-1    243    UCLA

NFL Announces 2011 Draft Underclassmen

The deadline was last Saturday and Wednesday morning the NFL released the names of the 56 college players who have declared for the 2011 Draft.

All the big names are there, including QB Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley from the national championship Auburn Tigers. Three players are coming out early from the Big 12 Conference with Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert topping the list. Joining him is Mizzou DE Aldon Smith and Texas DB Aaron Williams.

That total of 56 underclassmen is the highest in NFL Draft history. Last year and in 2008 there were 53 players.

There are three names that have previously announced that they were turning pro that do not show up on the league’s list: Eastern Washington RB Taiwan Jones, Cincinnati WR Vidal Hazelton and Mississippi DL Jerrell Powe. All three may have qualified for the draft pool without having to file as underclassmen.

Here are the names provided by the NFL: …Read More!

West Team for 2011 Shrine Game

WEST

Quarterback – Nathan Enderle, Idaho; Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M; Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin. Enderle is viewed as a prospect in Round 7 or as a free agent. He’s got the size (6-4, 234) and was a 4-year starter for the Vandals, appearing in 46 games, throwing for 74 TDs, 60 INTs and 10,084 yards. He’s out of North Platte, Nebraska. Johnson is also viewed as a late-round prospect and will carry a medical grade from NFL teams after he was removed as the A&M starter because of concerns about his throwing shoulder; he had surgery in the off-season. He finished with 8,888 yards in total offense. Tolzien was 2010 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner. He led national with a 74.3 completion percentage in ’10. The Badgers were 21-5 in his starts over two seasons.

Running back – (FB) Patrick DiMarco, South Carolina; Alex Green, Hawaii; Da’rel Scott, Maryland; Vai Taua, Nevada. DiMarco was a co-captain for the Gamecocks, where he played both FB and TE. He’s viewed as a free agent. Green is rated as a free agent prospect, possibly fullback at 235 pounds. He ran for 1,000 yards in ’10, tough to do in the run-and-shoot offense at Hawaii. Scott is a prospect for Rounds 5-7 who was MVP of the Military Bowl with TD runs of 61 and 91 yards. Taua found the end zone with 22 TDs in the ’10 season and earned third-team AP All-America status. He’s viewed as a free agent prospect.

Wide receiver – Armon Binns, Cincinnati; Jeffrey Maehl, Oregon; O.J. Murdock, Ft. Hays State; Anthony Parker, Calgary; Aldrick Robinson, SMU; Ryan Whalen, Stanford. Binns is a Round 6-7 prospect caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs in the ’10 season. He’s a big target at 6-3, 205 pounds. Maehl began as a safety for the Ducks, but has been catching passes for three seasons with 169 for 2,178 yards and 24 TDs. He’s a Round 7 prospect. Murdock (see above). Parker has been rated as the best prospect in Canadian college football by the CFL. He’s 6-2, 215 pounds and was all-conference two years in a row. He had 376 receiving yards and six touchdowns in the Canadian college playoffs where his University of Calgary Dinos reached the title game. Robinson is viewed as a Round 5-7 prospect. He’s got speed but is small at 5-9½, 178 pounds, with 176 catches for the Mustangs for 3,238 yards and 29 TDs. Whalen is a Round 6-7 prospect finishing with 138 career receptions at Stanford. His ’10 season was hurt by a dislocated elbow that cost him three games. He was also named a co-captain.

Tight end – Jordan Cameron, Southern Cal; Virgil Green, Nevada; Julius Thomas, Portland State. Cameron is seen as a Round 6-7 prospect that transferred to USC from Brigham Young. He caught 16 passes in ’10 for 126 yards and 1 TD. Green was selected first-team All-WAC for the ’10 season, catching 31 passes for 453 yards and five TDs. He’s another Round 6-7 prospect. Thomas is 6-5, 228 pounds prospect who played basketball for four years and turned to football in ’10. He caught 29 passes for 453 yards and two TDs.

Center – Alex Linnenkohl, Oregon State; William Rackley, Lehigh. Linnenkohl is considered a prospect for Rounds 6-7 after spending three seasons as the starting center for the Beavers. Rackley was a four-year starter at Lehigh, but did so at tackle. He’ll move inside in the NFL, either to guard or center, so this game is a big one for him to show what he can do.

Guard – Andrew Jackson, Fresno State; Caleb Schlauderaff, Utah; Zachary Williams, Washington State. Jackson is a big man at 6-5, 295 pounds, who missed most of the ’10 season because of a high ankle sprain. He’s a Round 7 prospect. Schlauderaff started games over four seasons at left guard, where he earned several All-Mountain West Conference honors and is considered a Round 7 or free agent prospect. Williams spent the ’10 season starting at center, after working the two previous seasons at left guard.

Tackle – Joseph Barksdale, LSU; Adam Grant, Arizona; Laupepa Letuli, Hawaii; Matthew O’Donnell, Queens Ontario. Barksdale is 6-5, 338 pounds and considered a Round 6-7 prospect. He started two years at RT, but moved to LT for the ’10 season. He lost some time due to ankle injuries. Grant has missed a lot of playing time because of multiple injuries to his knees, hands. The last two years he received All-Pac 10 honors playing both right and left tackle. He’s seen as a Round 7 pick, if healthy. Letuli missed two games during the ’10 season because of a knee injury, but he was able to earn second-team All-WAC honors. A native of Samoa, he’ll be a 24-year old rookie if he makes the NFL; he’s considered a possible free agent. O’Donnell is listed at Queen’s College in Canada at 6-10, 340 pounds. He was a dominating player on that level and was part of his team’s national championship victory in the ’09 season.

Defensive end – Ricky Elmore, Arizona; Karl Klug, Iowa; Cheta Ozougwu, Rice; Ryan Winterswke, Boise State. Elmore is projected as a Round 5 choice after putting up 21.5 sacks over the last two seasons, including leading the PAC-10 in the ’10 season with 11 sacks. Klug played DT for the Hawkeyes in their base defense, missing just one game in the last three years. He’s a Round 7 prospect with 135 total tackles, 10.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Ozougwu is a Round 7 or free agent prospect, due to his size (6-1¾, 255 pounds). But he was productive at Rice, with 54 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles in the ’10 season. Winterswke earned first-team All-WAC honors for three straight years, playing in 52 games for BSU with 20.5 sacks, 166 total tackles and 44.5 tackles for loss. He’s projected as a Round 6-7 pick.

Defensive tackle – Brandon Bair, Oregon; David Carter, UCLA; Ted Laurent, Mississippi; Ian Williams, Notre Dame. For the Ducks, Bair was a defensive tackle, but his body type will move him to end in the NFL. He’s a Round 7 prospect, but will enter the NFL at the age of 26. In 51 games he had 104 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. Carter has the physical tools at 6-4, 300 pounds to play inside in the 4-3, or at defensive end in the 3-4. In 40 games, he had 66 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and 5 passes defended. He’s considered a free agent signee. Laurent is small but agile and viewed as a Round 7-free agent prospect. In 45 games for the Rebels, he had 57 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Williams suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee and missed the last month of the season for the Irish. He played in 45 games, with 160 total tackles and two interceptions. If healthy, he’s considered a Round 4-5 prospect.

Inside linebacker – Nicholas Bellore, Central Michigan; Ben Jacobs, Fresno State; Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State; Michael Mohamed, California. Bellore is considered a Round 7 prospect after a strong college career where he was a co-captain for three consecutive seasons at Central Michigan. He missed only one game in his college career and in 52 games had 472 total tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 5 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles. Jacobs is big for an inside backer at 6-4 and was twice All-Big West first-team defense. In 52 games, he had 387 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 1 INT, 2 fumbles recovers both returned for TDs. He’s a free agent type. Lemon is seen as a Round 7 prospect after missing the entire ’09 season due to a knee injury. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in ’10. Mohamed is viewed as a Round 6 pick, coming off a good ’10 season with 95 total tackles, 5 sacks, 2 fumbles recovered and 1 INT.

Outside linebacker – Chris Carter, Fresno State; Dontay Moch, Nevada; Winston Venable, Boise State. Carter was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in ’10 for his 55 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. He’s seen as a Round 3-4 prospect by the NFL. Moch is 6-1, 242 and has been timed at 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. That speed makes him a Round 2-3 prospect. A productive player over 53 games, he had 186 total tackles 63 tackles for loss, 30 sacks and 9 forced fumbles. Venable is a free agent prospect, who might be a better safety in the NFL since he’s 5-10¾. Over the last two seasons, he had 114 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 INTs including one returned for a TD.

Cornerback – Cortez Allen, Citadel; Korey Lindsey, Southern Illinois; Brandyn Thompson, Boise State; Darrin Walls, Notre Dame. Allen is 6-1½, 197 pounds and turns the 40 in less than 4.5 seconds. He was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, playing in 41 games, with 5 INTs including 2 for TDs, with 121 total tackles and 15 passes defended. He’s a Round 6-7 prospect. Lindsey earned All-America honors in three straight seasons, while starting 36 straight games for the Salukis. He played in 50 games and finished with 14 interceptions, 162 total tackles, plus he returned 42 punts. He’s seen as a Round 4-5 prospect. Thompson is a free-agent prospect after a 47-game career with the Broncos. He had 13 INTs, including one he returned for a TD. He also had 145 total tackles. Walls is a prospect in Round 7 after playing and starting on both corners for the Irish. In 44 games, he had 5 INTs, with 2 returned for scores, plus 102 total tackles, 20 passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

Safety – (SS) Jeron Johnson, Boise State; (SS) Shiloh Keo, Idaho; (FS) Andrew Rich, BYU; (FS) Justin Taplin-Ross, Utah; (SS) Nate Williams, Washington. Johnson is seen as a Round 3-4 prospect after a strong career at Boise where he was the leading tackler for three straight seasons. In 48 games, Johnson had 318 total tackles along with 8 INTs. Keo is a prospect for Round 4-5 after winning all sorts of honors during his time with the Vandals. He played in 53 total games, with 358 total tackles, 11 INTs, an 11-yard average on 53 punt returns. Rich was a junior college player who walked on at BYU. He finished his career strong with two INTs in the New Mexico Bowl and five in his last four games. In 39 games for the Cougars he had 10 INTs and 222 total tackles and 6 forced fumbles. Taplin-Ross carries a free-agent grade going into the evaluation process. In 47 games with the Utes, he had two interceptions and 92 total tackles. Williams is a Round 6 prospect coming off a ’10 season when he had 62 tackles for the Huskies.

Kicker – Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State. Bailey had a big senior season for the Cowboys, hitting 24 of 28 FGs and leading the Big 12 in scoring with 137 points. That was good enough to earn him second-team AP All-America.

Punter – Trevor Hankins, Arizona State. Hankins will get a chance to punt in some teams training camp this summer. He missed a game this fall because of a suspension related to a DUI charge, but averaged 44.6 yards a punt. Over his career, he kicked 130 times for a 43.9-yard average.

East Team For 2011 Shrine Game

EAST

Quarterback – Patrick Devlin, Delaware; Ricky Dobbs, Navy; Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech. Devlin is viewed as a Round 3-5 prospect. Led Blue Hens to FCS title game loss, threw for 2,812 yards, 22 TDs and 2 INTs in the ’10 season. Taylor is pegged as a Round 5-6 prospect that may see time at another position because of his running ability. He was 23-5 as the starting quarterback for Tech. Dobbs

Running back – Delone Carter, Syracuse; Graig Cooper, Miami; Evan Royster, Penn State; (FB) Anthony Sherman, Connecticut. Carter is 5-9, 215 pounds, but ran as a power back. He ran for 198 yards and two TDs against Kansas State in the Pinstripe Bowl and is considered a prospect for Rounds 3-4. Cooper is viewed as a free agent-type, as his senior season was limited by knee and ankle injuries. Royster finished his career as Penn State’s all-time rusher and the first back to have three straight 1,000-yard seasons. He’s seen as a prospect in Rounds 5-7. Sherman was a three-year starter at FB, and he was also a special teams standout. Rated a prospect for Round 7 or a free agent.

Wide receiver – Perry Baker, Fairmont State; Lester Jean, Florida Atlantic; Cecil Shorts, Mt. Union; Terrence Toliver, LSU; Terrence Turner, Indiana. Baker has sub-4.4 speed in the 40 and finished his college career with 90 catches for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s seen as a free agent signee. Jean is a tall target at 6-3, 195 pounds with sub-4.5 speed. He caught 64 passes for 988 yards for the Owls in the ’10 season. He’s viewed as a prospect for Rounds 6-7. Shorts comes out of Division III powerhouse Mt. Union and has turned in 40 times sub-4.4 seconds. He’s viewed as a prospect for rounds 4-6. In ’10, he missed three games with an injury, but he caught 63 passes for 1,106 yards and 17 TDs. He also had punt and kickoff return TDs. Toliver is a Round 4-5 prospect and a big target at 6-4, 205 pounds. He caught 3 TD passes against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Turner is a free agent prospect with 143 catches for 1,436 yards and 4 TDs for the Hoosiers.

Tight end – Kyle Adams, Purdue; Charles Gantt, Michigan State; Greg Smith, Texas. Adams appeared in 46 games for the Boilermakers, catching 79 passes for 660 yards and three TDs. He’s seen as a prospect for Rounds 4-5. Gantt has a big body at 6-4, 260 pounds. Gantt is a big target who caught 22 passes for 261 yards and three TDs. His physical skills make him an interesting prospect with a grade for Rounds 4-5. Smith is a free agent prospect who played some center as well as TE.

Center – Ryan Bartholomew, Syracuse; J.C. Brignone, Mississippi State; Beau Warren, Virginia Tech. Bartholomew was a co-captain on the ’10 Orange squad, after starting games over the last three seasons at center and guard. He’s a prospect for Round 6-7. Brignone started for three years at MSU and also played some guard along the way. He was considered one of the team leaders and is viewed as a free agent signee.

Guard – David Arkin, Missouri State; Bryant Browning, Ohio State; Randall Hunt, Illinois; Zachary Hurd, Connecticut. Arkin (see above). Browning spent time starting at right guard and right tackle for the Buckeyes over the last three seasons. He’s viewed as a prospect for Round 6-7. Hunt is a free agent prospect who started two seasons for the Illini. Hurd is viewed as a Round 4-5 choice after he started all 39 games over the last three years for UConn, where he started at both left and right guard.

Tackle – Christian Hairston, Clemson; Jah Reid, Central Florida; Mike Smith, Nebraska. Hairston is a big man at 6-6½, 325 pounds, but still can run the 40 in 5.1 seconds. He’s seen as a Round 4-5 prospect that only missed time because of a few little injuries along the way. Reid started three seasons at right tackle for UCF and is considered a free agent prospect. Smith missed the entire ’10 season because of a broken leg suffered in pre-season practices. In the ’09 season, Smith started 14 games at left tackle and has also played at center and guard.

Defense end – Pierre Allen, Nebraska; Bruce Miller, Central Florida; Justin Trattou, Florida. Allen is considered a prospect for Round 3-4, after a strong senior season with 57 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. He’s been a starter for three years with the Cornhuskers. Miller twice won the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors. He finished his career with 34 sacks, plus three interceptions, two that he returned for TDs. The pros consider him a Round 7 prospect. Trattou is considered a free agent signee. In four seasons with the Gators, he missed only two games, playing in 51 contests, racking up 121 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and three interceptions.

Defensive tackle – Marvin Austin, North Carolina; Terrell McClain, South Florida; Olong Ogbu, Penn State; Martin Parker, Richmond. Austin was considered a potential first-round choice a year ago, but he was suspended for the ’10 season because of his dealings with an agent. Now, he’ll need a strong January-February to get back to Round 2 or 3. McClain was first-team All-Big East in ’10 as he claimed 23 tackles, 3 sacks and 6 QB pressures. He’s seen as a Round 6-7 prospect. Ogbu comes out of PSU as a Round 5-6 candidate and may be best as a DE in the 3-4. He plays hard, with a great motor like Tamba Hali. In 51 games, he had 111 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Parker got things done on the FCS level and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as defensive player of the year. In the last two seasons, Parker had 162 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 12 sacks and is considered a Round 7 prospect.

Inside linebacker – Akem Dent, Georgia; Scott Lutrus, Connecticut; Gregory Lloyd II, Connecticut. Dent was one of the most active defensive players in the SEC in ’10, finishing the season with 122 total tackles. In 46 games for the Bulldogs, Dent had 236 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. He’s a free agent prospect. Lutrus has been a team co-captain for the last two years, seasons that were hindered by several injuries, including a neck problem. For the Huskies he played outside LB for the most part. Lloyd struggled through the ’10 season, losing his starting job because he had not fully recovered from an ACL tear in his knee at the end of the ’09 season. Lloyd is the son of former NFL LB Greg Lloyd, but although he wears his father’s No. 95, they do not have a relationship. Both UConn LBs are considered free agent signees.

Outside linebacker – Douglas Hogue, Syracuse; Josh McNary, Army; Brian Rolle, Ohio State. Hogue is seen as a Round 5-6 prospect by NFL scouts. He began his career with the Orangemen as a running back. He was first-team All-Big East Conference in ’10, with 89 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and 2 INTs.McNary is 5-11½, 235 pounds and could be a safety if and when he gets a chance to continue his career after his Army commitment. Began his career as a walk-on, but finished with 177 total tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss, 26.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 6 quarterback hurries. Rolle is a Round 6 prospect and may best be suited for strong safety because he’s just 5-9¾, 218 pounds. But he’s a hitter and he was productive as a middle linebacker for the Buckeyes. In 50 career games, he had 196 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 4 INTs.

Cornerback – Mario Butler, Georgia Tech; Justin Rogers, Richmond; Josh Thomas, Buffalo; Demarcus Van Dyke, Miami. Butler’s a Round 5 prospect after being a three starter for Tech. The Flordia native played in 51 games, with four interceptions, including one he returned this year for 85 yards and a TD. He also had 136 total tackles. Rogers has a grade for Rounds 5-6 and he was an all-conference selection for the Spiders in each of the last four years. In ’10 he was first-team corner and punt returner. He had 48 tackles, 2 INTS and 2 forced fumbles. He also led the conference in punt average at 12.4 yards. Thomas carries a Round 7-grade after his 47 games. He had two INTS and 205 total tackles, with 27 passes defended and 5 forced fumbles. Van Dyke is a Round 7 prospect who was in and out of the starting lineup in the ’10 season. Overall 49 games at Miami, he had three interceptions and 78 total tackles.

Safety – (SS) Eric Gordon, Michigan State; (FS) Jermale Hines, Ohio State; (FS) Brian Lainhart, Kent State; (FS) Jonathan Nelson, Oklahoma; (SS) David Sims, Iowa State. Gordon played OLB for the Spartans, who will move to strong safety if he can make it in the pros; he’s considered a free-agent prospect. He started 49 consecutive games, a school record. Hines is a Round 5 prospect from the Buckeyes and out of Cleveland. He played in 43 games, with 1 INT, 152 total tackles, plus 1.5 sacks. Hines did not miss a game over his last two seasons. Lainhart finished a strong career at Kent with 88 tackles and 2 INTs in the ’10 season. He finished his career with 17 INTs. Lainhart is considered a free-agent prospect. So is Nelson, who played in 32 games for the Sooners and finished with 5 INTs and 151 total tackles. He’s a talented athlete with 40-inch vertical jump. Sims is a free agent prospect, who was the 2009 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. In the ’10 season, he had 96 total tackles and forced three fumbles. Against Oklahoma, he finished with 17 tackles.

Kicker – Wes Byrum, Auburn. Over his career at Auburn, Byrum was a 75 percent kicker on FGs and he hit some pressure shots especially over the ’10 season. He finished up as the school’s all-time leading scorer as well.

Punter – Ryan Donahue, Iowa. Donahue is one of two punters who enter the pre-draft period considered a potential draft choice. In the ’10 season, he averaged 44.6 yards per punts, and was able to put 21 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

Underclassmen For NFL Draft-Final … 1/16

There’s a good chance that a handful of college players sailed under the media radar and applied for inclusion in the 2011 NFL Draft without any notice.

So the total class of underclassmen could increase. As of the deadline on Saturday evening, there were 54 known players who walked away from eligibility to put their names in to the draft pool. Any college player is eligible for the NFL Draft three years after his high school graduation. Thus, any player who graduated in 2008 can apply for the draft.

Right now, it appears that the top 10 players on most teams’ draft boards right now are underclassmen, topped in most cases by Auburn DT Nick Fairley who declared for the draft last week, along with teammate and Heisman Trophy winner QB Cam Newton.

Draft season in the NFL never really ends, but it picks up speed this week with the first of several all-star games. The East-West Shrine Game will go down this coming weekend, but practices start on Monday in Orlando. After that comes the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and then the Texas vs. USA game in San Antonio.

Here are the underclassmen petitioning for the draft. Those players in bold are the most recent players to join the group since the last time we covered this group. …Read More!

NFL Draft/Juniors Update 1/12

It’s a  busy time in the world of college football these days, even with the games over. Decisions are being made by players on whether they are going to go pro, or stay in the college ranks. They have until Saturday to file with the NFL.

In the last few days, Missouri’s DE/OLB Aldon Smith (right) made the jump as well. But a bunch of top shelf talents in the Big 12 Conference decided to stay in school, including WR Justin Blackmon and Nebraska DL Jared Crick.

Here are the players that have decided to return to school for the 2011 season in the last few days:

QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State; WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame; DL Jared Crick, Nebraska; RB Chris Polk, Washington; CB Shaun Prater, Iowa; WR Marvin McNutt Jr., Iowa.

Here are the players who have elected to head to the NFL rather than stay in school, and they are lined up by position. This week’s additions are in bold: …Read More!

BCS Title Game – Auburn vs. Oregon

• Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game
• University of Phoenix Stadium/Glendale, Arizona
• Monday/ 7:30 p.m. CST, on ESPN

 Auburn

Best prospect: #90 DT Nick Fairley, 6-4, 298 pounds, 4.92 pounds, Junior – The 2010 Lombardi Award winner and first-team AP All-America for a junior season where he had 55 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 21 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He also knocked three QBs out of the game after hits. Began his college career at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi where he had 63 tackles and seven sacks in the 2008 season. Over his 26 games played at Auburn, Fairley totaled 83 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. …Read More!

Compass Bowl – Pitt vs. Kentucky

• BBVA Compass Bowl
• Legion Field/Birmingham, Alabama
• Saturday/11 a.m. on ESPN

Pittsburgh

Best prospect: #97 DE/OLB Jabaal Sheard, 6-2¾, 260 pounds, 4.76 seconds, Senior – Named the 2010 Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Sheard was a three-year starter in the Pitt defense. In the ’10 season, the Florida native had 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four forced fumbles and a recovered fumble. In 45 games, Sheard had 142 total tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and 38 QB hurries. …Read More!

Cotton Bowl – LSU vs. Texas A&M

• AT&T Cotton Bowl
• Cowboys Stadium/Arlington, Texas
• Friday/7 p.m. on Fox

Louisiana State

Best prospect: #7 CB Patrick Peterson, 6-1, 222 pounds, 4.42 seconds, Junior – Considered one of the top 10 prospects that will be in the 2011 NFL Draft. There’s no question that he’ll be coming out and leaving the Bayou Bengals with a year of eligibility left. This year alone, he was the Jim Thorpe Award winner, the Chuck Bednarik Award winner, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and first-team AP All-America. In 38 games, he had seven INTs, one returned for TD, two punt return TDs and 99 total tackles. Peterson averaged 15.7 yards on punt returns and 29.4 yards on kickoff returns. He’s got speed, size and strength. …Read More!

College/NFL Draft Update – 1/7

Andrew Luck (left) broke a lot of hearts in the Carolinas on Thursday.

The Stanford quarterback has decided to return to school for the 2011 season and will not declare for the NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers have the first selection of the ’11 NFL Draft and Luck figured to be the automatic selection.

But Luck made a decision to stay in Palo Alto. He said in a statement that he wants to earn his architectural degree from Stanford and he’s on track to do that by the spring of 2012.

It now leaves the No. 1 slot in the NFL Draft wide open for a number of different possibilities. Underclassmen have until January 15 to declare for the draft. They have to be three years out of high school, so anyone who is a senior, junior or redshirt sophomore can apply to join the draft.

Announcing this past week that they are staying in school rather than join the draft were Brigham Young OT Matt Reynolds and Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles.

Here are the players who have elected to head to the NFL rather than stay in school, and they are lined up by position: …Read More!

Sugar Bowl – Ohio State vs. Arkansas

• Allstate Sugar Bowl
• Louisiana Superdome/New Orleans
• Tuesday/7:30 p.m. on ESPN

Ohio State

Best prospect: #97 DE Cameron Heyward, 6-5, 288 pounds, 4.92 pounds, Senior – Statistically, the ’10 season has not been Heyward’s best, but that doesn’t seem to have hurt his evaluations by NFL scouts or among the teams that play him, as he was voted first-team All-Big 10 defense. Heyward had 42 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. In his junior season of ’09, he had 46 tackles, 10 for loss and 6.5 sacks. Over his 51 games in the crimson and cream, Heyward has 157 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles. …Read More!

Orange Bowl – Stanford vs. Virginia Tech

• Discover Orange Bowl
• Sun Life Stadium/Miami
• Monday/7:30 p.m. on ESPN

Stanford

Best prospect: #12 QB Andrew Luck, 6-3¾, 235 pounds, 4.73 seconds, Redshirt-Sophomore – There’s no question that Luck is ready to move into the NFL after two years of starting at Stanford. He was named the Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year for his ’10 season and earned second-team AP All-America honors. Luck has the entire package – physical, mental and emotional. That started at home a long time ago thanks to his father, former NFL QB Oliver Luck. This year, he threw for 3,045 yards in 12 games with 28 TDs and seven interceptions. He completed 70 percent of his passes. Over his 24 games he’s thrown for 5,620 yards, with 41 TDs, 11 INTs, a 63.9 completion percentage and an average gain per attempt of 8.8 yards. Luck is also a threat to run the ball, going for 792 yards on 113 carries with five touchdown runs. …Read More!

Fiesta Bowl – Connecticut vs. Oklahoma

• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• University of Phoenix Stadium/Glendale, Arizona
• Saturday/7:30 p.m. on ESPN

 Connecticut

Best prospect: #8 OLB Lawrence Wilson, 6-0¾, 226 pounds, 4.63 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – A first-team All-Big East defensive selection for the second consecutive season, Wilson led the Huskies in the ’10 season with 115 tackles. He the BCS clinching victory over South Florida, he returned an interception 55 yards for his team’s only touchdown in a 19-16 victory. Over his 51-game career, he had 441 total tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, five interceptions, including two that he ran back for touchdowns and nine passes broken up. …Read More!

Rose Bowl – Wisconsin vs. TCU

• Rose Bowl by Vizio/Rose Bowl/Pasadena, CA
• Saturday/4 p.m. on ESPN

Wisconsin

Best prospect: #68 OT Gabe Carimi, 6-6 ½, 327 pounds, 5.12 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – The most honored offensive linemen in the 2010 season, as he was named the Outland Trophy winner and the Big-Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Carimi replaced Joe Thomas at left tackle and has now started 48 games for the Badgers, including 32 in a row. This year, Wisconsin is 12th in the country in rushing and have given up just 12 sacks. He missed three games in ’08 with an MCL sprain, but otherwise has been on the field. Carimi is considered one of the best pass blocking tackles to come out of college football in some time. …Read More!

Early New Year’s Day Bowl Prospects-Part 2

In the four early New Year’s Day bowl games there are a lot of NFL prospects that should be of interest to the Chiefs come April’s 2011 NFL Draft.

We covered the best seniors in the draft class, and those underclassmen who appear to be headed to the pros.

Here are a few other players that are not first-second round picks, but are players that on paper appear to fill potential holes in the Chiefs roster.

OUTBACK BOWL/Noon on ABC

Florida – #76 OT Marcus Gilbert, 6-5, 320 pounds, 5.23 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – Gilbert has played at both left and right tackle during his time with the Gators, but most of that time has been on the right side. On either side, this is a talented young man, who could also move inside to play guard. He has quick feet and uses them both in pass protection and in the running game. He can pull and trap and he’s got the quickness to get to the second level. Versatile, durable and Gilbert has all the other intangibles. He is the son of a retired Secret Service agent. …Read More!

Early New Year’s Day Bowl Prospects- Part 1

There’s plenty of action on New Year’s Day with six bowl games around the country, from Dallas, to Florida, to Arizona and California. That’s four early games and two in the evening.

That’s how we are going to break up these games to cover the best prospects coming into the 2011 NFL Draft. First we’ll bring you the best prospects among the seniors and then the underclassmen that are expected to join the ’11 draft class. Finally, we’ll throw in a few players that look like they might generate some interest from the Chiefs.  Later we’ll break down the two evening games.

Enjoy the day of football, and do some scouting as well.

BEST PROSPECTS

GATOR BOWL/12:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Mississippi State – #79 OT Derek Sherrod, 6-5, 305 pounds, 5.22 seconds, Senior – A second-team AP All-America in ’10 and a first-team All-SEC selection in ’09-’10, Sherrod has started 34 consecutive games at left tackle. A team captain in ’10 for the Bulldogs, he played in 46 games over his career. Scouts rave about his quick feet, balance and upper body strength. He’s an outstanding blocker for the pass, very good run blocker. Barring injury, Sherrod is one of those LTs that starts as a rookie and plays for 10 to 12 years. …Read More!

Liberty Bowl – Georgia vs. Central Florida

• Autozone Liberty Bowl
• Liberty Bowl/Memphis, Tennessee
• Friday/2:30 p.m. on ESPN

Georgia

Best prospect: #8 WR A.J. Green, 6-3½, 212 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Junior – If he leaves school after the Liberty Bowl, he will be among the first five players selected in the 2011 NFL Draft and could even be the first man taken. Green started the season on a three-game suspension for selling his jersey. This season, he played in eight games and had 49 catches for 771 yards and nine TDs. Over three seasons and 31 games, he has 158 catches for 2,542 yards and 23 TDs. At this point, there’s no reason for Green to stay at Georiga. …Read More!

Sun Bowl – Notre Dame vs. Miami

• Hyundai Sun Bowl
• Sun Bowl/El Paso, Texas
• Friday/1 p.m. on CBS

Notre Dame

Best prospect: #9 TE Kyle Rudolph, 6-5 ¾, 265 pounds, 4.64 seconds, Junior – Rudolph’s season ended back in the middle of October when he underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring. It’s one of the few things that has slowed this guy down since he came in as a freshman and became an immediate starter for the Irish in ’08 with head coach Charlie Weis. He played just six games this season, catching 28 passes for 328 yards and three TDs. Over his 29-game career, he’s caught 90 passes for 1,032 yards and eight touchdowns. …Read More!

Car Care Bowl – South Florida vs. Clemson

• Meineke Car Care Bowl
• Bank of America Stadium/Charlotte, N.C.
• Friday/11 a.m. on ESPN

South Florida

Best prospect: #62 C Sampson Genus, 6-0¼, 316 pounds, 5.24 seconds, Senior – Co-captain of this year’s Bulls, Genus was named to the first-team All-Big East offense, after being named to the second team in the ’09 season. In his first two seasons, the Florida native was moved back and forth at least twice between defensive and offensive lines.

Best underclassmen prospect: #8 SS John Lejiste, 5-11, 202 pounds, 4.47 seconds, Redshirt-Sophomore – Active defender who has in 25 games already gotten the attention of scouts because of his speed and willingness to hit. Lejiste has 67 career tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He also has an interception and two forced fumbles. …Read More!

Holiday Bowl – Washington vs. Nebraska

• Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
• Qualcomm Stadium/San Diego
• Thursday/9 p.m. on ESPN

Washington

Best prospect: #10 QB Jake Locker, 6-2½, 230 pounds, 4.53 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – For the last two years, Locker was considered not only a first-round talent, but a top of the first round, even a top 10 prospect. But his senior season was not up to the level of his junior season and his stock has dropped. One game that hurt him was his performance against Nebraska the first time these teams played in the ’10 season. In that game, Locker was four of 20 for just 71 yards and two interceptions. This season, Locker has thrown for 2,209 yards 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Over his time with the Huskies, his career numbers in 39 games had 7,583 passing yards, 53 TDs and 35 INTs. He also ran for 1,856 yards and 28 touchdowns. Locker is a very good athlete and may also have a future in baseball. …Read More!

Music City Bowl – Tennessee vs. North Carolina

• Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
• LP Field/Nashville, Tennessee
• Thursday/5:30 p.m. on ESPN

Tennessee

Best prospect: #88 TE Luke Stocker, 6-5, 253 pounds, 4.78 seconds, Redshirt-Senior - Over the last two years, Stocker has been the No. 1 tight end in Knoxville, a position that traditionally is a log jam of prospects in that program. This season in 12 games, he caught 34 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown, following his 29-catch, 389-yard season in ’09 when he had five touchdown catches. He has good hands and good feet, and that makes him a prospect as far as the NFL is concerned. …Read More!

Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs. Syracuse

• New Era Pinstripe Bowl/Yankee Stadium/New York, N.Y.
• Thursday/2:20 p.m. on ESPN.
  Kansas State

Best prospect: #8 RB Daniel Thomas, 6-1 ½,228 pounds, 4.63 seconds, Senior – Thomas ran for 1,495 yards in ’10, including 269 yards on 36 carries against North Texas near the end of the season. He also caught 26 passes for 163 yards. This combined with his 1,275 rushing yards and 257 receiving yards from the ’09 season gives him 3,190 yards in offense for his two-year career at Bill Snyder U. Thomas joined the folks in Manhattan after playing JUCO ball in Mississippi. …Read More!

Armed Forces Bowl – Army vs. SMU

• Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
• Gerald J. Ford Stadium/Dallas
• Thursday/ 11 a.m. on ESPN

Army

Best prospect: #44 OLB Josh McNary, 5-11 ½, 235 pounds, 4.75 seconds, Senior – Playing rush end in Army’s double-eagle flex defense, McNary had 9.5 sacks during the ’10 season along with 12 tackles for loss. Against Rutgers in the ’10 season he had 2.5 sacks. Over his career, he’s Army’s leader in sacks with 27.5 and tackles for loss with 48.5. …Read More!

Alamo Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Arizona

• Valero Alamo Bowl/Alamodome/San Antonio, Texas
• Wednesday/8:15 p.m. on ESPN

Oklahoma State

Best prospect: #24 RB Kendall Hunter, 5-8¼, 200 pounds, 4.48 seconds, Senior – When scouts see a healthy Hunter running the ball, they think of Baltimore Ravens’ RB Ray Rice. Short but powerful, Hunter had a big ’10 season and earned first-team AP All-America honors. He ran for 1,516 yards and led the conference with 126.3 yards per game. Hunter is fourth in rushing all-time for the Cowboys in a group that includes some rather stellar NFL backs like Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders. Over 44 games, he ran for 4,067 yards on 688 carries with 37 TD runs. He also caught 62 passes for 524 yards. …Read More!

Texas Bowl – Illinois vs. Baylor

• Texas Bowl/Reliant Stadium/Houston
• Wednesday/5 p.m. on ESPN

Illinois

• Best prospect: #2 ILB Martez Wilson, 6-4, 250 pounds, 4.59 seconds, Redshirt-Junior – Wilson is the man in the middle of the Illini’s much improved defense. He’s made a strong comeback after missing all but the season opener of the ’09 season due to a herniated disc in his neck. He suffered the injury against Missouri in the first game of the year. That earned him another year of eligibility, but he’s petitioned the NFL for a draft recommendation if he came out this season. So far this year, he’s had 105 total tackles, four sacks, one interception, four forced fumbles and four passes broken up. Wilson missed time in his sophomore season as he recovered from being stabbed. He has the size and speed to move outside if needed. …Read More!

Military Bowl – East Carolina vs. Maryland

• Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
• RFK Stadium/Washington, D.C.
• Wednesday/1:30 p.m. on ESPN

 East Carolina

Best prospect: #38 CB Emanuel Davis, 5-10¾, 190 pounds, 4.46 seconds, Redshirt-Junior – The underclassmen has dealt with some shoulder problems, but when he’s been healthy Davis has been a big playmaker for the Pirates defense. His ’10 season did not quite match his ’09 season, when he had a career high 69 tackles, with two interceptions and 12 passes broken up. One of those INTs he returned for a TD, the second of his career. Overall in 38 games, he’s contributed 162 total tackles with seven interceptions and 29 passes broken up. …Read More!

Insight Bowl – Missouri vs. Iowa

• Insight Bowl/Sun Devil Stadium/Tempe, Arizona
• Tuesday/9 p.m. on ESPN

 Missouri

Best prospect: #85 DE Aldon Smith, 6-4¼, 258 pounds, 4.69 seconds, Redshirt-Sophomore – Yes, he’s got just two years of college football under his belt, but Smith has displayed some traits that make him the type of player the NFL would like to get their hands on now. He’s relentless as a pass rusher and has quickness, speed and long arms that can help him overcome a blocker’s leverage. Smith missed three games this year with a broken fibula, but has come back strong. Over 22 games with Mizzou, the Raytown High product has 108 total tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, seven passes broken up, one interception and a forced fumble. He’s filed with the NFL for a projection on where he would be drafted. …Read More!

Champs Sports Bowl – West Virginia vs. N.C. State

• Champs Sports Bowl/Florida Citrus Bowl/Orlando
• Tuesday/5:30 p.m. on ESPN

 West Virginia

Best prospect: #7 RB Noel Devine, 5-7¾, 180 pounds, 4.34 seconds, Senior – A foot injury slowed Devine down during the ’10 season but he remained one of the most productive backs in college football over the last four seasons. The diminutive Devine in 50 games ran for 4,267 yards on 721 carries with 29 TD runs. He also caught 94 passes for 689 yards and two scores. The Florida native had a troubled childhood as both of his parents died from complications related to AIDs and he ended up living with the family of a Pop Warner teammate. At one point, Deion Sanders tried to adopt him, but Devine eventually left Sanders home in Texas and returned to Florida. His body and skills make him a Darren Sproles clone. …Read More!

Independence Bowl: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech

• ADVOCARE V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL/INDEPENDENCE STADIUM/SHREVEPORT
• MONDAY/4 P.M. CDT on ESPN
  

Air Force

Best prospect: #8 CB Reggie Rembert, 5-7 ½, 185 pounds, 4.46 seconds, Senior – In the last two seasons, Rembert has earned a first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors, on top of honorable mention designation as a sophomore. He’s been one of the better defensive players in the conference over his four seasons, with nine interceptions, 153 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 16 passes broken up and five fumble recoveries. At various times he also handled punt and kickoff returns. …Read More!

Little Caesar’s Bowl: Florida Int. vs. Toledo

• LITTLE CAESARS BOWL/FORD FIELD/DETROIT
• SUNDAY/7:30 P.M. CDT on ESPN
  

Florida International

Best prospect: #7 CB Anthony Gaitor, 5-9¾, 178 pounds, 4.53 seconds, Senior – For three years, Gaitor has been named to the All-Sun Belt Conference first-team defense. Over four seasons, he’s won many defensive player of the week honors. Gaitor has played all 48 games over the last four seasons, not missing any game because of injury. He has 11 career interceptions, 195 total tackles, 4 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 24 passes broken up. Gaitor is out of Miami’s Northwestern High school and was part of a Florida 6-A state championship team in 2006. …Read More!

Hawai’i’ Bowl: Hawai’i’ vs. Tulsa

• SHERATON HAWAI’I’ BOWL/ALOHA STADIUM/HONOLULU
• FRIDAY/7 P.M. CDT on ESPN

  Hawai’i’
Best prospect: #1 WR Greg Salas, 6-1½, 210 pounds, 4.57 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – A two-time member of the All-Western Athletic Conference first-team offense, Salas is the career leading receiver at Hawaii. He was among the leading receivers in the nation during the ’10 season, catching 106 passes for 1,675 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 48 games at Hawaii, Salas has caught 272 passes for 4,131 yards and 24 touchdown catches. He’s been invited to attend the Senior Bowl in January. …Read More!

Poinsettia Bowl: Navy vs. San Diego State

As the college bowl season starts, we will check up on the participants and NFL prospects that will be part of the game.

• S.D. COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL/QUALCOMM STADIUM/SAN DIEGO
• THURSDAY/7 P.M. CDT on ESPN

San Diego State

Best prospect: #80 WR Vincent Brown, 5-11 ¾, 195 pounds, 4.52 seconds, Senior – He considered coming out of school last year, but got a fourth-round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee so he decided to stay in school. Brown had a big season in ’09 until he suffered a torn ligament in a thumb, costing him the last five games of the season. He came back this season and Brown has 61 catches for 1,187 yards and nine TD catches, one of those going for 90 yards against Utah. He was a first-team selection to the All-Mountain West Conference offense. Right now he’s third in school history with 201 receptions, 2,945 yards and 22 touchdowns over his career. …Read More!

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Utah

As the college bowl season starts, we will check up on the participants and NFL prospects that will be part of the game.

• MAACO LAS VEGAS BOWL/SAM BOYD STADIUM/LAS VEGAS
• WEDNESDAY/7 P.M. on ESPN

 Boise State (11-1)

Best prospect: #1 WR Titus Young, 5-11, 170 pounds, 4.48 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – He’s a two-time honoree on the first-team of the All-Western Athletic Conference offense. Young has been the team’s leading receiver this year, with 1,151 yards on 65 catches. That follows up his junior season when he had 1,041 yards and 79 catches, along with two kickoff returns for touchdowns. His sophomore season was reduced to three games after he was suspended by head coach Chris Peterson for the last eight games of the season. No reason was given at the time, but it appears to have been a maturity issue. Right now in 42 games with the Broncos, Young has caught 198 passes for 2,999 yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s returned 55 kickoffs for an average of 26.1 yards and two TDs. He’s also scored eight rushing TDs, to a total of 35 scores. …Read More!

New Orleans Bowl: Ohio vs. Troy

As the college bowl season starts, we will check up on the participants and NFL prospects that will be part of the game.

• R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL/SUPERDOME
• SATURDAY/8 P.M., ESPN

  Ohio (8-4)

Best prospect: #11 WR Terrence McCrae, 6-2 ¾, 198 pounds, 4.45 seconds, Redshirt-Senior – He led the Bobcats in receiving during. the ’10 season with 32 catches for 481 yards and nine TD catches. He’s now the school’s career leader in scoring catches with 19. McCrae dealt with an ankle injury early in the season. A very good athlete who was named his high school’s offensive and defensive MVP in his senior year. His career numbers are 82 catches for 1,173 yards and 19 touchdowns. …Read More!

Humanitarian Bowl: No. Illinois vs. Fresno St.

As the college bowl season starts, we will check up on the participants and NFL prospects that will be part of the games.

• uDROVE HUMANITARIAN BOWL/BRONCO STADIUM/BOISE, IDAHO
• SATURDAY/4:30 P.M. on ESPN

Northern Illinois (10-3)

Best prospect: #28 RB Chad Spann, 5-7½, 198 pounds, 4.58 seconds, Senior – Spann was named the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. He’s had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and so far in his career over 49 games, he’s produced 2,958 yards in offense (2,760 rushing/198 receiving) and scored 28 total TDs. This season he has run for 1,239 yards on 226 carries, an average of 103.2 yards per game. Spann is not much of a receiver out of the backfield; he caught just nine passes this year for 45 yards.

…Read More!

A Taste Of The Border War

The Border War is alive and well in the Missouri-Kansas rivalry to be played in Arrowhead on Saturday. The following is former Kansas QB Todd Reesing’s recollection of his first KU-MU game in 2007.

It is an excerpt from Rising to New Heights: Inside the Jayhawks Huddle written by Reesing with Kent Pulliam. The book can be found at most local bookstores or at
www.ascendbooks.com.

The Border Wars

People always ask me: “Do you think the game should stay at Arrowhead?”

If the environment was like that first one then yeah.

Sure, you always like the home field advantage and such. But to be able to play in an environment like that, with the split stadium at Arrowhead – which is a really cool place to play, is pretty neat. And you couldn’t have picked a better way to start the series if it is going to remain in Kansas City.

The Missouri game is everything a rivalry game should be. It’s way different than the Kansas State game. The Missouri game is the pinnacle because of how the rivalry started, because of how close the series is, because it leads back to the Civil War.

Coming from Austin, I knew the UT-OU rivalry that they play in the Cotton Bowl every year. In having gone to the games at the Cotton Bowl between OU and UT and having grown up going to UT games, I can say the hatred and intensity of the KU-Missouri game is way higher than the UT-OU game.

That Border War mentality is alive. …Read More!

Draft Prospects – Southeastern Conference

ALABAMA

(1st-Round) #57 DE-DT Marcell Dareus, 6-2¾, 309 pounds, 4.95 seconds, Junior.

Multi-talented performer on the line of scrimmage, Dareus can move inside or outside, and has shown the ability to rush the passer from both spots. He began the 2010 season on the suspended list for his involvement with an agent party in Miami. Dareus also missed a game with an ankle injury. But he’s played the last six games and has 19 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Over his 28-game career, he has 56 total tackles, 9 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 13 QB hurries and one INT.

Other Tide prospects: (1st-Round) #4 SS Mark Barron, 6-1½, 210 pounds, 4.56 seconds, Junior. (1st-Round) #30 ILB Don’ta Hightower, 6-3¼, 258 pounds, 4.74 seconds, Junior. (1st-Round) #22 RB Mark Ingram, 5-9½, 215 pounds, 4.48 seconds, Junior. (1st-Round) #8 WR Julio Jones, 6-4, 220 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Junior. (4th-Round) #77 OT James Carpenter, 6-4½, 300 pounds, 5.36 seconds, Senior. (5th-Round) #12 QB Greg McElroy, 6-2, 225 pounds, 4.96 seconds, Redshirt-Senior. …Read More!

College Prospects: Big 10 Conference

ILLINOIS

(1st-Round) #5 RB Mikel LeShoure (right), 5-11¾, 230 pounds, 4.53 seconds, Junior.

Tough runner who can pound it in there Big 10-style, LeShoure’s production has been enough to get coach Ron Zook to change his philosophy of going with running back committee. He’s had some good games this season, including 119 yards on 27 carries against Penn State in an Illini victory. Against the tough Michigan State defense, he had 83 yards on 23 carries. LeShoure is sitting just outside the list of top 10 runners in the country with his total of 766 rushing yards on 144 carries over seven games. He’s also caught nine passes for 56 yards. Over 27 games with the Illini, he’s run for 1,626 yards on 287 carries and 10 touchdowns.

INDIANA

(3rd-Round) #73 OT James Brewer, 6-6¼, 334 pounds, 5.38 seconds, Redshirt-Senior.

Prior to suffering a high ankle sprain and missing the past three games, folks at Indiana thought Brewer had made so much improvement in this last season that he had surpassed the play of Roger Saffold, who was a second-round draft choice and now starts for the Rams. His problem has been durability. First, he only played one-year of high school football as a senior. Then in the early part of his career with the Hoosiers was limited because of injuries, as he missed the ’07 season with a foot injury and then lost the last four games of the ’08 season to an ankle injury. Brewer played 12 games as the starting RT in ’09 and was still there when he was injured. …Read More!

Pro Prospects: Oklahoma @ Mizzou

OKLAHOMA @ MISSOURI, FAUROT FIELD, COLUMBIA, 7 P.M., ABC

OKLAHOMA

(1st-Round) #28 OLB Travis Lewis (right), 6-2, 232 pounds, 4.53 seconds, Redshirt-Junior.

In two seasons on the field for the Sooners, Lewis has earned All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors both years. He was the conference defensive newcomer of the year and freshman of the year in ’08 when he started 14 games and finished with 144 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions. His numbers were down in ’09 with 109 tackles, one sack and one INT. He’s started all 27 games that he’s played and was the Sooners leading tackler in both seasons. So far this year in six games he has 59 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, .5 sacks and 1 interception. …Read More!

Becoming A Team … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

From the Truman Sports Complex

During his team’s practice on Thursday, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley walked toward the west end of field No. 1 to observe the offensive and defensive lines working against each other.

Haley wanted to see specifically how the newest member of the team DL Atiyyah Ellison was handling things and he also wanted to see DE Tyson Jackson, who is still trying to get back on the field from that sprained left MCL he suffered in the season opener.

What he noticed more than anything else was a moment when the dynamics of team building were outwardly visible.

“I could hear Mike Vrabel over there passionately talking to Tyson,” Haley said. “You learn the difference between somebody who is talking so they can be heard helping somebody, trying to get noticed for doing something good. You learn the sound when it’s solely to help somebody. I could hear it off my left side and it was Mike helping Tyson with a little technique thing.

“Then I walked 20 yards and Thomas (Jones) is talking to Jamaal. He’s (Jones) like a Mom duck in a lake, no matter which way he turns those little ducks are going to turn that way. The other backs were all standing there and listening to him talk to Jamaal.”

There were other moments like those during Thursday’s practice, which is what had Haley thinking about the mix of veteran and youngsters on their roster and how they are blending together to form the type of team he wants to put on the field. …Read More!

Best Pro Prospects: ACC

BOSTON COLLEGE

(1st-Round) #74 OT Anthony Castonzo (right), 6-7, 308 pounds, 5.06 seconds, Senior.

Castonzo spent his first year out of high school at Fork Union Military Academy, the training ground for many NFL players over the years. Since arriving on the B.C. campus, he’s gone from 246 pounds to 308 and there’s room for a few more. He wears size 18 shoes. The Illinois native has started 45 games in his first three seasons. Considered a better pass protector than run blocker, he has long arms and big hands that give him the edge against most defensive ends. He’s shown good foot quickness, but he can get caught off-balance by defensive players, especially those on a bull rush. Castonzo has a 3.5 GPA in biochemistry and has been nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship. He wants to be a doctor doing cancer research when his football career is over.

Other BC prospects: (2nd-Round) #94 OLB Mark Herzlich, 6-4, 245 pounds, 4.75 seconds, Redshirt-Senior; (3rd-Round) #4 CB Donnie Fletcher, 6-0¼, 200 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Junior. …Read More!

College Prospects: Big East Conference

CINCINNATI

(5th-Round) #80 WR Armon Binns, 6-2¾, 205 pounds, 4.56 seconds, Senior.

On Friday night against Louisville, Binns caught three touchdown passes in the Bearcats conference opening victory. On the season, he has 32 catches for 525 yards and seven TDs. Over his 35-game career, he’s caught 95 passes for 1,432 yards and 18 scores. Last year, Binns was the second receiver to Mardy Gilyard in the Cincy offense with 56 catches for 859 yards and 10 TDs. He’s big, athletic and plays faster than his listed time; one of those TD catches against Louisville was a 62-yard play.

  …Read More!

Big 12 Prospects: 10/14

We’ve already covered five teams in the Big 12 Conference and their top pro prospects, including Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. Here’s a look at the best prospects on the other seven teams, led by a couple of running backs that could be early round choices in the 2011 NFL Draft.

KANSAS STATE

(2nd-Round) #8 RB Daniel Thomas (right), 6-1 ½, 228 pounds, 4.63 seconds, Senior.

Thomas became one of the most dynamic offensive forces in the Big 12 Conference last year. His road to Manhattan had plenty of twists and turns, as he began his college career at Northwest Mississippi Junior College where he was supposed to play safety. Instead, he stayed at his high school position as an option quarterback. Within two years, he was a JUCO All-America and he landed with K-State where Bill Snyder moved him to running back. Although it’s been tough running the last few weeks against Central Florida and Nebraska, Thomas has in 17 games run for over 1,900 yards and 17 TDs. …Read More!

College Previews: 10/9 Night Games

OREGON STATE @ ARIZONA, ARIZONA STADIUM, TUCSON, 6 P.M., VERSUS

OREGON STATE

(1st/2nd-Round) #54 DT Stephen Paea, 6-1, 310 pounds, 4.95 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Redshirt-Senior.So far this year in four games, he has 16 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble.He was All-Pac 10 Conference first team in ’09, Paea is a disruptive forced on the interior of the Beavers defense with 84 tackles, 19.5 TFL and eight sacks in two seasons. He’s twice been selected as a co-captain of his team, after arriving in Corvalis following a pair of JUCO seasons. He’s a very talented athlete with a 500-pound bench press and a vertical jump of 30 inches. A native of Tonga, he was born in New Zealand and his dream was to play professional rugby. Paea is considered the No. 2 NFL prospect in the Pac-10 behind Washington QB Jake Locker. His last name is pronounced pie-uh.

(2nd-Round) #1 RB Jacquizz Rodgers, 5-6, 188 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Junior.

This year in four games, Rodgers has run for 398 yards and six TDs, and caught eight passes for 38 yards and a TD. In ’08 he was the Pac-10 Offensive MVP, the first freshman to win that honor in conference history. Younger brother of OSU WR James Rodgers, he ran for 1,440 yards last year with 21 rushing TDs. Last year he was one of the few players in the country that scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and passing. His first name is pronounced juh-quizz. …Read More!

College Preview – 10/9 Early Games

Indiana at Ohio State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, 11 a.m., ESPN

INDIANA

(3rd-Round) #73 OT James Brewer, 6-6¼, 334 pounds, 5.36 seconds, Redshirt-Senior.

Injuries were a problem early in Brewer’s career, as he missed the ’07 season because of a foot problem and then finished the ’08 season on the sidelines after an ankle injury. He’s been a starter at right tackle for the last two seasons. He played just one year of high school football, but that was enough to earn a scholarship to Bloomington.

(3rd-Round) #2 WR Tandon Doss, 6-2¼, 198 pounds, 4.56 seconds, Junior.

Coming off a huge game against Michigan last Saturday, when he caught 15 passes for 221 yards and finished with 363 all-purpose yards. So far this season, he’s averaging 107.7 receiving yards and 211 all-purpose yards each game. He has 23 catches for 323 yards and a TD. Doss has run the ball nine times for 38 yards and a TD. He has returned eight kickoffs for a 31.2-yard average and two punts for a 22-yard average. Doss started the season with a groin injury that forced him to watch the opener. In 23 games, he’s caught 114 passes for 1,471 yards and seven TDs. Doss has also run for a pair of TDs and averaged 23.7 yards on 33 kickoff returns.

(6th-Round) #4 QB Ben Chappell (right), 6-1¾, 242 pounds, 4.97 seconds, Redshirt-Senior.

Last Saturday he set single-game school records with his 45 of 64 for 480 yards performance against Michigan. Right now, he’s third in the country averaging 342.5 yards per game, completing 116 of 162 passes with just one interception and a dozen TD passes for 1,370 yards. That’s a completion percentage of 71.6 percent and an 8.5-yard average per attempt. Overall, he’s made 19 starts and has spent two seasons as captain of the Hoosiers. In 30 games, he’s thrown for 5,326 yards with 33 TDs and 20 INTs. He’s also scored seven touchdowns. A real NFL prospect because of his ability to throw all the pass routes and he runs the offense from the field. …Read More!

College Preview: 10/2 Night Games

#9 Stanford at #4 Oregon, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon, 7 p.m. ABC/ESPN

STANFORD

(1st-Round) #12 QB Andrew Luck (right), 6-3¾, 235 pounds, 4.85 seconds, Redshirt-Sophomore.

A youngster with just 16 career starts at Stanford. But Luck comes from a football family – his father is Oliver Luck, former pro QB – and he’s football mature beyond his years. He has prototypical size for an NFL passer. He’s much more mobile than his size would indicate, and often takes off in critical situations; he scored on a 52-yard run against Wake Forest earlier this season. Overall in his career he’s a 57.9 percent passer, with 24 TDs and six INTs. He’s also averaged 6.6 yards per run. At the start of this season, Luck said he would probably stay in school for at least the 2011 season.

…Read More!

College Preview: September 18 Night

CLEMSON AT #16 AUBURN, JORDAN-HARE STADIUM, OPELIKA, AL, 6 P.M., ESPN

CLEMSON

(1st-Round) #93 DE Da’Quan Bowers (right), 6-4, 278 pounds, 4.64 seconds, Junior.

Coming into this season Bowers had played started 17 of the last 25 games he played in, with 105 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss and four sacks. He missed two games in ’09 to a knee injury. Some scouts view him as very versatile, and could play DE in both the 4-3 and 3-4. If he decided to leave after this season, there’s little doubt he’ll go in the top half of the first round.

(1st/2nd-Round) #2 SS DeAndre McDaniel, 6-0, 212 pounds, 4.54 seconds, Senior

He played in 40 games coming into this season, with 22 starts and productive numbers: 212 total tackles, two sacks and nine interceptions. McDaniel has good size and speed for the safety position. He also loves the contact and will come up in run support or come flying on the blitz. McDaniel’s has had off-field issues – he was arrested in 2008 for assault and battery involving a campus altercation with a 19-year old woman. …Read More!

College Preview: September 18 Early

Nebraska at Washington, Husky Stadium, Seattle, Wa. 2:30 p.m. ABC

NEBRASKA
 

(1st-round) #21 CB Prince Amukamara (left), 6-0, 200 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Senior.

Enrolled in Lincoln as a running back, but was switched to the secondary. He struggled early with the change, but eventually became a solid cornerback, and then a top of the line coverage guy. He’s considered the number one CB in the 2011 Draft class. In his junior season in ’09, he had five interceptions and broke up 11 passes. He also produced 64 total tackles and 2 sacks. He had an interception and seven tackles in the Big 12 Championship Game against Texas and that earned him a lot of attention. Career numbers are 112 total tackles, five interceptions, three forced fumbles in 37 games. He has learned to work hard in the weight room and looking at tape, showing a growing maturity level. Last name pronounced ah-MOO-kuh-MAR-ah.

(1st-round) #94 DT Jared Crick, 6-5 ¾, 285 pounds, 4.94 seconds, Redshirt-Junior.

Big 12 Conference coaches honored Crick with a spot on the ’09 all-conference first team. Playing next to Ndamukong Suh, he racked up 73 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Last season at Baylor, he had five sacks and was named conference and national player of the week honors. In ’08 he did a lot of backup work on the defensive line playing in nine games. So far this year, he has 12 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries. On his career in 23 games he has 87 total tackles and 12 sacks. …Read More!

College Preview: September 11 evening

#18 Penn State at #1 Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 6 P.M., ESPN

PENN STATE

(1st-Round) #61 C/G Stefen Wisniewski (right), 6-3, 298 pounds, 5.16 seconds, Senior

He’s made the transition from guard to center before the ’09 season and seemed to have no problems with the move. This year, he’s getting the chance to move back to guard, a spot he likes more. Wisniewski has the athletic ability to play any of the offensive line positions. He’s a team leader and good in the classroom as well. There are not many negatives with this young man. The Wisniewski name is almost legendary in the Happy Valley. His father Leo played at Penn State in the early ’80s and went on to the NFL and his uncle Steve was a two-time All-America for the Nittany Lions and then had a long NFL career with the Raiders.

(2nd-Round) #22 RB Evan Royster, 6-0, 212 pounds, 4.53 seconds, Redshirt-Senior

Things did not start well for Royster last week against Youngstown State, when he ran 11 times for 40 yards and caught three passes for 58 yards. But history shows he should be able to turn that around fairly quickly, based on his status now as the seventh leading rusher in Penn State history with 2,958 yards. (He just passed Larry Johnson at 2,953 yards). He needs just 441 yards to become the school’s career rushing leader. Last year, he was second in the Big 10 Conference with 1,169 rushing yards on 205 carries with six TD runs. …Read More!

College Preview: September 11

#17 Florida State at #10 Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m., ABC

FLORIDA STATE

(1st-Round) #7 QB Christian Ponder (right), 6-2, 220 pounds, 4.68 seconds, Redshirt-Senior.

Along with Jake Locker of Washington, Ponder is considered one of the elite senior QBs for this spring’s draft. Although he could be taller, he’s got everything else teams are looking for in a QB coming out of college, including experience with a pro-style offense. This is third year as FSU’s starting quarterback and other than missing three games at the end of last season with a separated shoulder, he’s been durable. Smart took he’s already earned a Master’s degree in finance and is working on a doctorate.

(1st-Round) #62 G Rodney Hudson, 6-3, 284 pounds, 5.26 seconds, Senior.

Hudson is considered one of the best guard prospects coming out of college football this season. He earned second-team All-America honors last season and has now started 34 games for the Noles. In that time he’s allowed 1.5 sacks and been flagged for one penalty. He has also played center and left tackle, while spending most of his time at left guard. Not big and stout, but he’s mobile and can trap and pull.

…Read More!

College Preview: September 6

Boise State vs. Virginia Tech, Fed Ex Field, Landover, Maryland, 7 P.M., ESPN

BOISE STATE
(2nd/3rd-round) #73 OL Nate Potter, 6-6, 300 pounds, 5.07 seconds, Redshirt-Junior

First team All-Western Athletic Conference selection as a sophomore at left tackle, where he started the last eight games of the ’09 season. Coaches have moved him to left guard for the ’10 season. If he can show ability there, it will only enhance his NFL prospects.

(3rd-round) #2 WR Austin Pettis (right), 6-2 ½, 201 pounds, 4.61 seconds, Redshirt-Senior.

With his 63 catches and 14 touchdowns last year, Pettis earned first-team All-WAC honors in ’09. While not especially fast, the California product has very good hands and the ability to separate from coverage. He suffered a left ankle fracture near the end of the ’09 season, that cost him playing time, but he’s fully recovered. In 38 games he’s caught 158 passes for 1,887 yards and 29 TDs.

…Read More!

College Preview: September 4 Plus

LSU VS. NORTH CAROLINA AT THE GEORGIA DOME, 7 P.M. ABC

One of the top early season matchups in college football has been tarnished by North Carolina leaving 13 players back in Chapel Hill because of various investigations and punishments. That group includes seven of the Tar Heels defensive starters, almost all of whom are top-ranked NFL prospects. If you don’t see them on the field, now you know why.

LSU

(2nd/3rd-Round) #80 WR Terrance Toliver (left), 6-4, 206 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Senior
Toliver was the Tigers second leading receiver in ’09, catching 53 passes for 735 yards and 3 TDs, while starting 11 of the 12 games he played. In 40 games he has 85 catches for 1,241 yards and 7 TDs. LSU has had six WRs taken in the top 100 picks of the NFL Draft since 2004. Tolliver needs a big senior season to join that group. Good physical skills and strong after the catch. He’s considered a bit immature; he was arrested in March and charged with disturbing the peach, public intoxication and resisting arrest.

(2nd/3rd-Round) #11 ILB Kelvin Sheppard, 6-2, 245 pounds 4.64 seconds. Redshirt-Senior.

Led the team in tackles in the ’09 season with 103 total stops and is considered the emotional leader of the Tigers. He’s has 188 total tackles in three years, playing inside and also at OLB on the weakside. He began this year’s pre-season as the MLB, but injuries on the outside have moved him back there.

…Read More!

College Roundup: September 4

OREGON STATE VS. TCU AT COWBOYS STADIUM, ARLINGTON, TX, 6:45 P.M. ESPN

OREGON STATE

(1st/2nd-Round) #54 DT Stephen Paea, 6-1, 310 pounds, 4.95 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Redshirt-Season.

He was All-Pac 10 Conference first team in ’09, Paea is a disruptive forced on the interior of the Beavers defense with 84 tackles, 19.5 TFL and eight sacks in two seasons. He’s twice been selected as a co-captain of his team, after arriving in Corvalis following a pair of JUCO seasons. He’s a very talented athlete with a 500-pound bench press and a vertical jump of 30 inches. A native of Tonga, he was born in New Zealand and his dream was to play professional rugby. Paea is considered the No. 2 NFL prospect in the Pac-10 behind Washington QB Jake Locker. His last name is pronounced pie-uh.

(2nd-Round) #1 RB Jacquizz Rodgers (above), 5-6, 188 pounds, 4.49 seconds, Junior.

In ’08 he was the Pac-10 Offensive MVP, the first freshman to win that honor in conference history. Younger brother of OSU WR James Rodgers, he ran for 1,440 yards last year with 21 rushing TDs. Last year he was one of the few players in the country that scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and passing. His first name is pronounced juh-quizz.   …Read More!

College Roundup: Pitt @ Utah

Here are the top prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft that will be on the field Thursday night when the Panthers face the Utes in Salt Lake City.

University of Pittsburgh at University of Utah, 7:30 p.m. on Versus

PITTSBURGH

(1st-Round) #91 DE Greg Romeus (right), 6-5, 268 pounds, 4.79 seconds in 40-yard dash, Redshirt-Senior.

The ’09 Big East Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year with 43 tackles 11.5 TFL and eight sacks. Romeus clinched victory over Notre Dame by forcing a fumble by QB Jimmy Clausen with 2:10 left to play that was recovered by Pitt. He has 19.5 career sacks. Romeus played just one year of high school football and was known more as a basketball player at Coral Glades HS in Florida. He petitioned NFL Adivsory Committee last year and was told he was not a first-round pick, so he returned for his final season of eligiblity. Romeus suffered from back spasms during Pitt’s camp, missing a week of practice.

(1st-Round)#82 WR Jon Baldwin, 6-5, 225 pounds, 4.48 seconds, Junior

A Larry Fitzgerald-like product out of the Pitt offense, Baldwin was a first team All-Big East receiver in ’09 as a sophomore, catching 57 passes for 1,111 yards and eight TD catches. Among those scoring catches were touchdwons of 71 and 79 yards. Coming out of Aliquippa H.S., he was a football-basketball-track standout. He’s big, strong and fast — a prototypical package for today’s NFL receiver.

(2nd-Round) #77 OT Jason Pinkston, 6-4, 308, 5.12 seconds, Redshirt-Senior.First-team All-Big East Conference left tackle in ’09, Pinkston has battled shoulder problems in his career. He missed most of ’07 season with a left shoulder injury that required surgery. He missed the Sun Bowl in ’08 with a right shoulder problem. He has 28 career starts the last 25 at left tackle. Pinkston began his Pitt career as a defensive tackle after graduating from Baldwin H.S. in suburban Pittsburgh.

…Read More!

Top 2011 Draft Prospects-Offense

The personnel calendar turns very quickly in pro football. Just last weekend, the NFL was selecting players from the class of 2010.

Already, the league is preparing for the class of 2011. Here’s a preliminary look at the top offensive players at each position as of now. On Saturday we’ll provide the top defensive players. This list of players includes several who will be juniors this fall.

QUARTERBACK

Jake Locker (right)/Washington, 6-3, 226 pounds. One unknown NFL GM called Locker a bigger version of Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. He’s got the numbers to show that might not be far off.

During his time with the Huskies he’s thrown for 5,374 yards and run for 1,554 yards in 28 games. Last year, he threw for 2,800 yards with 21 TDs and 11 INTs, while running for 388 yards and seven TDs.

He was starter in ’08 opening the first four games, but his season ended when he broke his thumb. One extra item in the Locker dossier: he’s been drafted twice by major league baseball teams and last year, he signed a six-year rights agreement with the Los Angeles Angels. In fact, Locker is technically a walk-on at Washington since the Angels are paying his tuition.

Here’s another example of what kind of athlete Locker is: in high school he returned three kickoffs, all for touchdowns, with an average return of 88.3 yards. …Read More!

Senior Bowl Players Set

The Senior Bowl week begins Monday with the first practices of the week. Almost all of the NFL will be there by Tuesday, from GMs, to head coaches and all the personnel folks.

The quality of the people watching practice will exceed those that they watch. While there may be several last minute additions and/or deletions, the players in Mobile, Alabama this week does not include the names that will be taken early in the first round. The top quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight end, offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs. It’s doubtful the Chiefs choice at the No. 5 pick will be playing in this game.

There are only two of the top 20 or 25 players taking part: OT Trent Williams from Oklahoma and CB Patrick Robinson of Florida State. Most of the players on both rosters are considered good enough to be selected in April’s NFL Draft.

In the last five drafts, the Chiefs selected 43 players. A dozen of those players participated in the Senior Bowl: 2009-Alex Magee, 2008-Brad Cottam and Barry Richardson, 2007-Dwayne Bowe, Tank Tyler and Kolby Smith, 2006-Tamba Hali and Brodie Croyle, 2005-Dustin Colquitt, Craphonso Thorpe, Alphonso Hodge and Jeremy Parquet.

Here is the list of invitees by position that will work with the coaching staffs of the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins: …Read More!

Rosters For East-West Shrine Game

New Chiefs defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is in Orlando for the next week, as he’ll handle the East Squad in the annual East-West Shrine Game.

He can learn a great deal about his new home if he talks with the coach of the West Squad, former Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer. The game will go off next Saturday at 2 p.m. CST from the Citrus Bowl. Practices start on Monday in Florida.

They’ve been playing the Shrine Game for a long time, but it has fallen behind the Senior Bowl in importance for NFL evaluators. That makes the two rosters not nearly as strong as what will be seen in the week after in Mobile.

Right now, there are no players in this game that grade out to first-round status. The closest are Nebraska SS Larry Asante and Mississippi DE Greg Hardy, who are both considered second round talents. There are three players considered third round prospects in the game: TE Dennis Pitta of BYU, FS Kam Chancellor of Virginia Tech and OT Kyle Calloway of Iowa.

There are three KU players in this game: QB Todd Reesing, WR Kerry Meier and SS Darrell Stuckey.

Here are the rosters for the two teams as of Friday: …Read More!

Underclassmen In 2010 Draft

The deadline for college players with eligibility remaining to declare for the NFL Draft has now passed.

While there are certainly going to be names that come in the next few days, we have the list of players who have made themselves available.

And, right now it looks like at least half of the first round will be underclassmen. The total may go as high as 20 once the draft rolls around in April. There’s a lot of defensive talent in the first round thanks to the underclassmen, including Florida CB Joe Haden (left).

NFL teams have plenty of information on most of the top-ranked players, but there are some players leaving early that have very slim files in the personnel departments. But from what we can tell by talking with scouts and personnel types, here’s where these underclassmen rank right now before finally evaluations. These names are in alphabetical order:

1st Round/Top 10 picks

…Read More!

BCS Championship Preview: Alabama vs. Texas

If an NFL general manager could take his first 22 players off the rosters of the University of Alabama and the University of Texas, he’d have a competitive team very quickly.

As the Crimson Tide and Longhorns play Thursday night in the BCS championship game at the Rose Bowl they will field a remarkable collection of football talent. Many of the names you will see in this game will be names you’ll notice in the NFL in coming seasons. Here are the players at the top of the list of prospects.

ALABAMA

#25 ILB Rolando McClain, 6-4, 250 pounds – a consensus first-team All-America selection the 2009 Butkus Award winner as college football’s best linebacker and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year winner, McClain is a junior and has not affirmed publicly that he’s entering the 2010 NFL Draft. Expect that to happen within days of the championship game. McClain has been bothered with a case of the flu this week and missed some practice time. But he should play against Texas. Nick Saban calls McClain the smartest player he’s ever coached and he spends hours each week watching game tape. He led the Crimson Tide defense with 101 tackles, including 12.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and he forced a fumble. Over his 40-game career with the Tide, he has 270 total tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, one fumble return for a touchdown and eight sacks. He did not miss a game because of injury. EVALUATION – top half of the first round. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Fiesta Bowl

Fiesta Bowl

January 4, Glendale, Arizona

Boise State (13-0) vs. TCU (12-0)

FOX-TV, 7 p.m. CST

BOISE STATE

#1 CB Kyle Wilson, 5-9, 184 pounds – He became a starter in his freshman season and was not out of the lineup the rest of his time with Boise State. Over his career, Wilson played in 49 games, with 156 total tackles and 11 interceptions. He returned two of those picks for touchdowns. He also had 59 punt returns, averaging 12.8 yards and three touchdowns. This season, he had three interceptions and 39 total tackles. Wilson received conference academic honors.

Evaluation – Very good and smooth athlete, strong and with good speed and quickness. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Liberty & Alamo

Liberty Bowl

January 2, Memphis

Arkansas (7-5) vs. East Carolina (9-4)

ESPN, 4:30 p.m. CST

ARKANSAS
#66 G Mitch Petrus, 6-3, 315 pounds – Petrus has had a roller coaster career with the Razorbacks. He began as a freshman fullback, was moved to left guard and started 12 games in 2007 and received second-team all-SEC honors. He did not play in ’08 because he was academically ineligible, but has comeback in 2009 with a strong season. Petrus played 30 games. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Papajohns & Cotton Bowls

Papajohns Bowl

January 2, Birmingham, Alabama

Connecticut (7-5) vs. South Carolina (7-5)

ESPN, 1 p.m. CST

CONNECTICUT

#9 DE Lindsey Witten, 6-5, 260 pounds – All Big-East first team, Witten started all 12 games during the season, with 41 total tackles and 11.5 sacks, which led the conference. He had seven sacks in the Huskies first two games. It was a breakthrough season for the Cleveland native who had been primarily a role player before the ’09 season. In 48 games at UCONN, Witten had 122 total tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 22 sacks. He also had an interception and two forced fumbles. His older brother is Buffalo safety Donte Whitner …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Texas Bowl

Texas Bowl

December 31, Houston

Missouri (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4)

ESPN, 2:30 p.m. CST

MISSOURI

#12 OLB Sean Weatherspoon, 6-1, 246 – He has been a tackling machine over the last three seasons with the Tigers, as he pulled down 130 in ’07, 155 tackles in ’08 and 104 tackles this season. In 51 games under Gary Pinkel, Weatherspoon had 399 tackles, 43.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. He also had four interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns. He’s a durable player who missed one game in his college career. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl

December 31, El Paso, Texas

Stanford (8-4) vs. Oklahoma (7-5)

CBS, 1 p.m. CST

STANFORD

#7 RB Toby Gerhart, 6-1, 235 pounds – A first-team All-America selection, Gerhart became a sensation in the ’09 season and has put himself into the first round of the NFL Draft. He has said he’ll make his decision after the bowl game, but there really isn’t much of a decision for him to make because his status in the draft will be high. He ran for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, with 10 games over 100 yards and three games over 200 yards. Over his 37-game career, he’s rushed 630 times for 3,387 yards and 42 rushing TDs. He’s caught 38 passes for 387 yards. Gerhart had 19 games where he rushed for 100 yards or more. He suffered a season ending knee injury in 2007. Gerhart is also a top notch baseball player, working the outfield for the Stanford squad. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: International Bowl

International Bowl

January 2, Toronto

South Florida (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5)

ESPN2, 11 a.m. CST

SOUTH FLORIDA

#90 DE Jason Pierre-Paul, 6-5, 263 pounds – A first-team all-Big East selection in his initial season in the conference in 2009. He played the ’07 season at College of the Canyons Juco where he racked up 14 sacks. Then in ’08 he transferred to Fort Scott C.C. in the Jayhawk Conference and had 10.5 sacks and was first-team All-JUCO. Landed at South Florida in ’09 and contributed 33 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and one interception in 10 games. He’s a junior and has applied to the NFL advisory board for an idea of where he might be selected. After the bowl game, he’ll make a decision on 2010. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl

January 1, New Orleans

Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0)

FOX, 7:30 p.m. CST

FLORIDA

#5 CB Joe Haden, 5-11, 191 pounds – Although he’s not officially announced he’s leaving the Gators, everyone associated with the program and Haden believe he’ll announce his intention to enter the draft early next week. Haden was first-team All-America and All-SEC in 39 games, Haden has eight interceptions, 212 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. He also forced three fumbles and has one blocked kick. This season h has four interceptions and three sacks with 62 total tackles. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

January 1, Jacksonville

West Virginia (9-3) vs. Florida State (6-6)

CBS, Noon CST

WEST VIRGINIA

#66 OT Selvish Capers – 6-5, 293 pounds – A second-team All-Big East selection at right tackle, Capers began his career with WVU as a tight end, but was moved to tackle in ’07 and has played there since. During the ’08 season, he was effectively a left tackle, since Mountaineers QB Pat White was a left –hander. He seemed to handle that situation without much of a problem. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Rose Bowl

Rose Bowl

January 1, Pasadena, California

Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2)

ABC, 3:30 p.m. CST

OHIO STATE

#4 S Kurt Coleman, 5-10, 189 pounds – An all-Big 10 Conference first-teamer in the ’09 season, Coleman is a team captain and the brains of the Ohio State defense. This season he had 64 total tackles, with a sack, three forced fumbles and five interceptions. He took one of those picks back 89 yards for a score against Wisconsin, and he added 14 tackles. Coleman also was suspended for one-game by the Big 10 for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Indiana. Over his career, he played in 43 games with 215 total tackles, nine interceptions, one returned for a TD. He also blocked two kicks. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 1/1 Early Games

Outback Bowl

January 1, Tampa

Auburn (7-5) vs. Northwestern (8-4)

ESPN, 10 a.m. CST

AUBURN
#52 OLB Antonio Coleman, 6-1, 252 pounds – The Mobile, Alabama native has been very productive over his three seasons of action. Coleman was twice named first-team All-SEC. Coleman pulled down 23.5 sacks over his career; that’s third on Auburn’s all-time list. This season, he played the early part of the schedule with a cast on his right hand to protect a partially torn tendon in his wrist. Still he started all 12 games and had 45 total tackles, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, a block kick, a forced fumble and he recovered a fumble. Over 49 games, he had 146 total tackles, 23.5 sacks, 45.5 tackles for loss, one interception that he returned 20 yards for a TD and one fumble return of 34 yards for a score. Coleman has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: Chick-fil-A Bowl

Chick-fil-A Bowl

December 31, Atlanta

Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. Tennessee (7-5)

ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

VIRGINIA TECH

#17 FS Kam Chancellor, 6-3, 230 pounds – With the Hokies, he played cornerback as a freshman, moved to strong safety in his sophomore season and then to free safety over the last two years of play. Tech coaches thought it would help their team and also help Chancellor in pro football to let him play at safety. He played in 53 games, with 40 starts, all of those at safety. Overall, he had 204 total tackles, with 4.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions. This season, he had 64 tackles with two interceptions. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/30

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

December 30, San Diego

Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

NEBRASKA

#93 DT Ndamukong Suh, 6-4, 300 pounds – We will be brief: considered the top player in the 2010 NFL Draft. Over his 53-game career with the Huskers, Suh had 212 total tackles, 48.5 tackles for loss, 24 sacks and four interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns. He forced three fumbles and blocked six kicks.

Evaluation – Suh will be the first, second or third player selected. Most scouts doubt he’ll get past No. 2, with only a quarterback possibly being selected ahead of him by a team like St. Louis. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/29

Champs Sports Bowl

December 29, Orlando

Miami, FL (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

WISCONSIN

#89 TE Garrett Graham, 6-3, 245 pounds – A member of the media’s all-Big 10 Conference first team, and he’ll take part in the East-West Shrine Game after participating in the bowl game. In 40 games with the Badgers, he has played 40 games, catching 115 passes for 1,415 yards and 16 touchdown catches. This season Graham caught 45 passes for 547 yards and seven scores.

Evaluation – Good athlete, fluid runner with soft hands. He catches the ball away from his body and runs good, precise routes. He’s a reliable blocker, although not especially strong at the point of attack. He is very good at shielding off defenders as a blocker. Graham is a top motor guy who brings good intangibles to the field. Possessing the skills of a classic tight end, Graham is a third-round prospect according to most scouts. If he can show them some speed and quickness getting down the field as a receiver, he has a chance to go even higher. He’ll have a career in the NFL. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/29

Eagle Bank Bowl

December 29, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)

ESPN, 3:30 p.m. CST

UCLA

#1 CB Alterraun Verner, 5-11, 180 pounds – Kansas State fans will remember Verner, as he grabbed two interceptions against the Wildcats early in the 2009 season. A three-year starter for the Bruins, he was one of the team’s captains this season and was selected to the first-team All-Pac 10 Conference squad. Verner played in 50 games, with 13 career interceptions and four TD returns, including a 68-yard TD this season against Arizona State. He has 272 total tackles and three forced fumbles. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/26

The day after Christmas is a busy day for bowl games, as with three games on the day, starting at noon. There’s a lot of potential NFL talent playing in these games, especially for Southern Cal and Pittsburgh. Here are the best of the bunch.

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

December 26, Detroit

Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)

ESPN, noon CST

MARSHALL

#85 TE Cody Slate, 6-3, 217 pounds – Very productive in the Thundering Herd offense, catching 199 passes for 2,619 yards and 23 TD catches. That’s a 13.2-yard average, not bad for a tight end. Slate’s best season was as a sophomore, when he caught 66 passes for 818 yards. He suffered a knee injury in the ’08 season opener that kept him off the field for several games. Slate also had a rushing touchdown.

Evaluation – Slate may be more suited as a wide receiver because of his lack of bulk. Scouts say he’s only a so-so blocker and he can be outmuscled. He runs hard, but has no second gear. Slate seems very adept at finding open spots in the coverage. He’s a late-round prospect.

OHIO

#23 WR Taylor Price, 6-1, 212 pounds – The all-time leading receiver in Bobcats football history, Price has played 51 games for head coach Frank Solich and has not missed one due to injury. He has 145 catches for 1,970 yards and 14 touchdowns catches. He also threw two TD passes and did some work on punt and kick returns. He’s been invited to the Senior Bowl.

Evaluation – What has caught scouts attention with Price is his speed. He’s consistently timed under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has been timed under 4.3 seconds. He plays the game fast and he catches the ball as well. His size is average and that will cost him some slots in the draft. Right now, he’s considered a fifth or sixth-round pick, but a strong performance during the Senior Bowl week and in team workouts could lift him to the fourth or fifth-round level. That speed is much sought after by all NFL teams. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/24

Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl

December 24, Honolulu

Southern Methodist (7-5) vs. Nevada (8-4)

ESPN 7 p.m. CST

NEVADA
#10 QB Colin Kaepernick, 6-6, 220 pounds – A junior with a decision to make Kaepernick is an interesting talent. This year, he has run for over 1,000 yards in the so-called pistol offense with the Wolf Pack. Over his 36 games he’s run for 100-plus yards 11 times. But he’s not just a runner; Kaepernick can throw the ball as well, with 60 TD passes and 15 interceptions. Over his career he’s thrown for 6,899 yards while completing 55.7 percent of his passes. He averaged 6.9 yards a run with 2,883 yards on 414 carries, and 39 TD runs. He’s also caught a six-yard touchdown pass. That’s 100 touchdowns rushing, passing and receiving in 100 games.

Evaluation: A very intriguing prospect at quarterback. Kaepernick was a highly sought after baseball prospect, who was selected in the most recent June baseball draft by the Cubs. Questions surround the quality of the defenses he’s played against and how he translates into the normal pro offense out of Nevada’s pistol. Physically and mentally he’s a second-third round prospect. He may be able to elevate his stock by returning to Nevada for another year. If not, he’ll need strong pre-draft performances at the Combine, workouts and the like. With the right team and right coach, this guy can be a home run with some patience. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/23

The college bowl season has begun and over three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

We will provide analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts that are considered draftable and could be part of the plan to turn the Chiefs around.

Poinsettia Bowl

December 23, San Diego

Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

UTAH
#41 DE Koa Misi, 6-2, 256 pounds – Named first-team All-Mountain West Conference and earned a ticket to the Senior Bowl. Played both tackle and end for the Utes over the last three years, after transferring from Santa Rosa Junior College in California. Misi (right) went from left to right end for the ’09 season. This year, he had 65 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. The only game he missed at Utah was this year’s season opener due to a back injury. Misi finished his 37-game career with 200 total tackles, 10 sacks and one fumble recovery for a TD.

Evaluation: He’ll be an outside LB in pro football with his size. That will be quite an adjustment for him in all areas. Misi scores well on the intangibles and was a team captain for Utah. He’s generally considered a second or third-round pick. His spot can be lifted with a strong Senior Bowl and Combine.

…Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/22

The college bowl season has begun and over three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

We will provide some analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts that are considered draftable and could be part of the plan to turn the Chiefs around.

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

December 22, Las Vegas

Brigham Young (10-2) vs. Oregon State (8-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

BRIGHAM YOUNG

#32 TE Dennis Pitta, 6-5, 248 pounds – A consensus All-America and the No. 1 receiving tight end in the country this season, although calling him a tight end may be a misnomer. He’s really a very big wide receiver and his ability to catch the ball and play in a passing offense is exceptional. This season he has 57 catches for 784 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s caught passes in 42 consecutive games and over his career has close to 3,000 receiving yards. He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award that goes to the top tight end in college football. He was also a captain for the Cougars and as a kid, he was an eagle scout. Pitta started at Brigham Young in 2003 as a 190-pound walk-on wide receiver and eventually earned scholarship status. As a member of LDS church he did a two-year mission, going to the Dominican Republic; that makes him older than the average senior coming out. He’s also married and his brother-in-law is BYU QB Max Hall. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/20

The college bowl season has begun and over the next three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

For each bowl game, we will provide some analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts that are considered draftable and could be part of the plan to turn the Chiefs around.

New Orleans Bowl

December 20, New Orleans

Middle Tennessee (9-3) vs. Southern Mississippi (7-5)

ESPN, 7:15 p.m. CST

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

#98 OLB Chris McCoy 6-4, 252 pounds – Named first-team All-Sun Belt Conference he was also the co-defensive player of the year in the league. McCoy had 59 total tackles and seven sacks, along with three blocked kicks this season. The Georgia native played in 45 games over the last four seasons, with 107 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, one fumble return for a TD, two forced fumbles and one blocked kick. …Read More!

College Bowl Preview: 12/19

The college bowl season is about to start and over the next three weeks some of the better players in the collegiate ranks will be performing everywhere from Honolulu to Toronto, Miami to San Francisco.

These games will feature a lot of players who could be playing on Sunday’s next year and could be wearing the red and gold of the Chiefs.

So for each bowl game, we will provide some analysis and information on the players that we’ve heard from the scouts are considered draftable.

The New Mexico Bowl

December 19, Albuquerque

Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)

ESPN, 3:30 CST

FRESNO STATE
#21 RB Ryan Mathews (JR) 5-11, 223 pounds: This young man must still decide if this bowl game is his last in college football. Fresno coach Pat Hill is taping his NFL sources on where the league views this young back. Generally, scouts see him as a second to third-round selection after a college career of 30 games, with 3,136 yards on 503 carries, 37 touchdown runs and 15 100-yard games. Mathews battled injury problems his freshman and sophomore seasons, but he missed just one game in the ’09 season after suffering a concussion. He’s always performed well against the best teams; this year h e ran for 234 yards and three TDs against Boise State, 145 yards and a score vs. Cincinnati and his last game was 173 yards and three TDs against a struggling Illinois defense. Mathews was a sensation at West High School in Bakersfield, California, running for 3,396 yards and 44 touchdowns in his senior season as a quarterback/running back; he took snaps out of the shotgun. Mathews definitely has some potential in the Wildcat type offenses. …Read More!

College Preview: Punt & Kick Returners

It has been 70 games since the Chiefs have had a kickoff return for a touchdown; October 2, 2005, Dante Hall vs. Philadelphia.

It has been 55 games since the Chiefs have had a punt return for a touchdown; October 1, 2006, Hall vs. San Francisco.

Right now, the Chiefs are 22nd in the league on punt return average and 24th in kick return average. They haven’t come close to a scoring return this season. Or last season and the season before that.

If Pioli/Haley hope to turn around the Chiefs on the field and put more victories in the record book, they need more weapons and the biggest addition would be a returner who can break the big one.

There are quite a few top returners who will be available in the 2010 NFL Draft. Some are big names, like Clemson RB C.J. Spiller (above). Others are highly rated players in the pre-draft rankings, like Alabama CB Javier Arenas and CB Perrish Cox of Oklahoma State.

Others are from smaller programs, like LeRoy Vann of Florida A&M, RB Terrence Holt of Austin Peay and CB Scotty McGee of James Madison.

Somewhere in the pool of talent, the Chiefs must find the next Percy Harvin, Lardarius Webb and Johnny Knox – all rookies who have returned kickoffs for touchdowns. …Read More!

College Preview: FCS/D-II Pro Prospects

They are now called the Football Championship Subdivision, otherwise known as Division 1-AA football. Those are the guys who get to have a full-scale post-season tournament to decide their champion. A step below them is Division II, and they too have playoffs.

Every year, the FCS schools produce a handful of pro prospects. Division II usually sends anywhere from two or three players to a half-dozen into the NFL through the draft each year. In the 2009 NFL Draft, the first FCS player taken was in the third round, when with pick No. 69 Dallas selected OLB Jason Williams of Western Illinois.

Later in the third round, William & Mary CB Derek Cox was taken by Jacksonville; he’ll start against the Chiefs on Sunday. Also third round picks last year were Cal Poly WR Ramses Barden by the New York Giants and CB Ladarius Webb out of Nicholls State; he returned a kickoff for a touchdown last Sunday against Denver.

We checked with our NFL personnel department sources and they were all in agreement that the No. 1 guy on the smaller school level is CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (right) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He’s 6-1, 195 pounds out of Columbus, Ohio. Owusu-Ansah is an explosive talent, who has scored touchdowns this season on punt and kick returns, along with two interceptions. He has five scores and 775 yards in returns of punts, kickoffs and interceptions. Plus, he’s had 21 tackles in the Crimson Hawks defense.

With his speed and athletic ability, Owusu-Ansah is right now pegged as a second-third round type talent. Where he ultimately lands will depend on what he does after the season. He should be invited to the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl. There will be some heads he’ll have to turn at those personnel-type conventions to keep him at the top half of the draft. His talents may be better suited for free safety. …Read More!

College Preview: Top 32 For ’10 Draft

We looked at the top 32 players among the seniors two weeks ago and last week we covered the top underclassmen in the country who could make themselves available for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Today, we bring the lists together, for what is a top 32 list here at the end of October. There’s plenty of possibility of changes, additions and deletions before the college season is over.

And certainly, before the Draft comes in April, there will be a lot of shuffling.

But after talking with a handful of scouts and personnel types around the country, here’s a list of 32 players who barring injury will be considered by some team in the first round. It’s dominated by defensive guys, including the top four positions and five of the first seven.

There seems little doubt right now among scouts that Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh (top right) is at the top of just about every team’s draft board, whether No. 1, 2 or 3. As one scout said, “He’s a physical freak.” To be that big at 6-4, 300 pounds, and to have the quickness and speed that Suh has displayed makes him a very desirable player for any defensive system.

Close behind Suh is Tennessee safety Eric Berry (top left), who is physically gifted and NFL scouts are excited about his exposure to Monte Kiffin, an NFL coaching legend who is handling the defense for his son with the Volunteers. …Read More!

College Preview: Underclassmen

     Tennesse S Eric Berry                                     Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy

Right now, the scouts and personnel people in the NFL say there is more talent available at the top of the list of junior players than can be found with the senior class.

There’s nothing unusual about that and like the seniors that will be available for the 2010 NFL Draft, most of the top talent is on the defensive side.

Tennessee safety Eric Berry and Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy top the list right now. Florida DE Carlos Dunlap and ILB Rolando McClain from Alabama are also among the top five or six picks.

Back in August, the number one underclassmen name was Heisman Trophy winner, QB Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. But his shoulder injury and then his re-aggravating of the injury dropped him down the list, if only a few places. The NFL has seen Bradford’s abilities; the question around the league now is about his durability.

Another potential top 10 pick, WR Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State found himself suspended by the NCAA for his contact with former NFL CB Deion Sanders. Whether that affects his standing in the ’10 Draft will depend on what he gets done for scouts starting in February.

Here’s the list of the 32 best underclassmen as compiled from a number of scouts and other sources: …Read More!

College Preview: Top 32 Prospects

It’s the midway point of the college season, so it seemed a good time to update the list of the top players – at least as of now – who may be available come April 2010.

The fact the Chiefs are 0-5 on the season is an indication they will again get one of those early draft picks at the annual selection meeting.

Picking the top 32 players in October is strictly a project for discussion and information. Once the NFL gets done scrutinizing some of these guys, by April they won’t be a first or second-round pick.

That won’t be the case with Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh (left). Just about everybody in the league believes this talented and athletic young man will be among the first three players selected in the ’10 draft.

Right now there are more top talents on the defensive side of the ball than offense. There are more cornerbacks and wide receivers than other positions. Quarterbacks are not plentiful but there are a handful considered top choices and there’s only one running back that any NFL teams are talking about among the senior prospects.

We talked with personnel types for several teams and then pooled their top 32 lists. Right now most scouts peg the number of sure-fire first-round players at 15 or so. With another 10 who are considered first/second round talents.

Again, a reminder here: these are just the players who have no eligibility left on the college level after the ’09 season. Juniors and sophomore redshirts are not factored in. We will update those players next week and then we’ll bring the two lists together before the end of the college season.

So here are the top 32 seniors: …Read More!

Evening College Preview 10/10

The weekend of good conference matchups continues Saturday evening with Big 12 and Big 10 Conference games that will get time on the television.

In the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns will host Colorado in a game they should have little trouble winning in Austin. Coach Mack Brown just has too much talent compared to the Buffs, who have only a handful of players considered NFL possible.

In the Big 10, it’s Michigan at Iowa, as the Wolverines will try to figure out a way to score some points against the Hawkeyes defense. UM coach Rich Rodriquez needs a big night from the best pro prospect that will be on the field, DE Brandon Graham (right).

Here are the players the pros are watching: …Read More!

Afternoon College Preview … 10/10

The action in college football is getting hot and heavy as teams begin shifting into their conference schedules.

There are a host of games this weekend worthy of attention, but we’ve zeroed in on the potential pro prospects in the nationally televised games that will be shown in the Kansas City area on Saturday.

One of the top players in the country will be on the field when Ole Miss hosts Alabama, and this time he doesn’t play for the Tide. It’s DE Greg Hardy (right) of the Rebels and if he can show he’s healthy next spring, this big pass rusher off the edge will be one of the first players selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.

There are also pro prospects in Norman on Saturday afternoon as the Sooners host Baylor in a Big 12 Conference contest.

Here are the prospects: …Read More!

Sooners vs. Hurricanes … College Preview 10/3

A decade ago, this would have been the premier game of the 2009 college football season.

It’s Oklahoma and Miami, the Sooners and the Hurricanes and athletes, athletes everywhere.

Even now, it’s going to get a lot of attention thanks to the comeback of the Hurricanes. After some down seasons, head coach Randy Shannon has the Canes again playing at a level that ranks them among the country’s top 25 teams.

Playing at home will be helpful for Miami because there’s no question if the level of talent is judged by potential pros, then Oklahoma has a big advantage. Even with QB Sam Bradford and TE Jermaine Gresham on the sidelines for this game because of injury. The Sooners still have talented players like DT Gerald McCoy (right) who is the leader of the defense.

The game begins at 7 p.m. CDT and can be seen on ABC-TV.

Here are the prospects: …Read More!

LSU vs. Georgia … College Preview 10/3

Every year, LSU seems to be loaded with potential NFL players. Certainly the Chiefs think so, no matter who is making the pick, as three of their most recent first round selections in the NFL Draft have been Bayou Bengals.

As usual, coach Les Miles has a roster bulging with potential pros, including WR Brandon LaFell (right) who was considered one of the top 10 players coming into the ’09 college season.

Over at Georgia, the Bulldogs are struggling this year and it’s visible in their list of NFL prospects which is considerably smaller than normal for this program. Last year, they had guys like QB Matt Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno who were first round picks. Right now, only LB Rennie Curran is considered a potential first-rounder and that would likely be late in the round.

These teams will face each other in Athens, Georgia with a 2:30 CDT kickoff. You can watch on CBS.

Here are the prospects: …Read More!

Iowa vs. Penn State … College Preview 9/26

One of the better matchups of this weekend in college football will go down at Beaver Stadium in the middle of Pennsylvania as Penn State hosts Iowa.

With Penn State LB Sean Lee (right) and Iowa OT Bryan Buluaga likely out of this game because of injury, two of the stars on these teams that could move on to the NFL will be missing. But both teams have a handful of players who will make a place for themselves at the next level.

Because of that, there will be a lot of attention on this game tape as NFL teams go through the evaluation process. On top of that, it figures to be a heck of a game. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is 6-2 all-time against Joe Paterno and last year the Hawkeyes knocked off a good Nittany Lions team.

The crowd will be loud and wild. It will be as good as college football gets.

Game time is 7 p.m. on ABC.  Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Cal vs. Oregon … College Preview 9/26

Keep your eye on the backfields in this game, offensively with California and defensively for both teams. That’s where the projected pro talented is playing when these two Pac-10 teams meet in Eugene, Oregon.

Cal RB Jahvid Best (left) is one of the most explosive offensive threats in the country. The junior has a string of seven straight 100-yard games, including all three this season.

In the secondary the Golden Bears have a talented athlete in Syd’Quan Thompson, while Oregon has a pair of defensive backs in T.J. Ward and Walter Thurmond who figure to be early draft choices next April

Game time is 2:30 p.m. and you can watch on ABC.

Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Hogs vs. Tide … College Preview 9/26

It’s an SEC battle in Tuscaloosa between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Alabama Crimson Tide.

When it comes to potential draft choices, there are not many teams in the country that can put more NFL-type talent on the field than Nick Saban with Alabama. At just about every position group there’s a player who is projected as a early-round draft choice when he becomes available for the NFL Draft.

Two defensive players for the Tide – DT Terrence Cody (right) and ILB Rolando McClain – are both projected as first round talents. Both would be perfect fits in a 3-4 defense, like the Chiefs. Cody is a big man, who has been compared to Ted Washington, who played for years at nose tackle for a number of teams and was impossible to block with one man.

Arkansas has an interesting young quarterback in Ryan Mallet, a transfer from Michigan, who will get his first real test with the Razorbacks in facing the Alabama defense.

The game is on CBS-TV with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. …Read More!

Mizzou vs. Nevada … College Preview 9/25

Last year the NFL picked clean the roster of the Missouri Tigers, grabbing six of Gary Pinkel’s players including first round choices Jeremy Maclin and Evander Hood.

Pinkel’s program has reached a point where the pipeline isn’t completely empty, but there are not a lot of potential early choices coming out of Columbia this season.

LB Sean Weatherspoon (right) is the cream of the crop and a likely first-round choice based on what he’s gotten done with Mizzou. He’ll lead the Tigers into their game Friday evening against a Nevada team that has a handful of projected draft choices.

Here are the prospects you can watch on ESPN. Kickoff is 8 p.m.: …Read More!

Texas Tech vs. Texas … College Preview 9/19

The first big game in the Big 12 Conference goes down Saturday night in Austin, as Texas hosts Texas Tech.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. CDT and will be televised by ABC.

Last year, the only reason the Longhorns did not get a chance to play for the national championship was a 39-33 loss they suffered in Lubbock, when WR Michael Crabtree grabbed that late TD toss to decide the game. It was the only blemish on the Texas scorecard last year.

This season, the Longhorns are loaded with talent, topped by four-year starter at quarterback Colt McCoy (left). In just the junior and senior classes, scouts say there are 13 draftable players coming into this season.

It’s not the same with the Red Raiders, who lack that upperclassmen superstar like Crabtree that they had last year. That difference in talent is why Texas is so heavily favored at home in this game.

Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Huskers vs. Hokies … College Preview 9/19

There are not many things that pro football scouts can agree on. But to a man, they have nothing but praise for Ndamukong Suh (right).

The cornerstone of the Nebraska defense is viewed as can’t miss prospect in pro football. Suh’s size, speed and strength make him a natural pass rusher, plus he’s smart and appears to have no skeletons in his closet. Scouts say the folks in Lincoln have nary a negative word about the young man whose mother is Jamaican and father is from Cameroon.

Suh will lead the Huskers into Blacksburg to face the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg in one of Saturday’s big national games. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CDT on it will be on ABC.

Both of these teams have a handful of potential draft picks, but only a few that are considered sure-fire projections for the pro game.

Here are the top prospects: …Read More!

Vols vs. Gators … College Preview 9/19

When Tennessee and Florida face-off Saturday afternoon, there will be 13 to 15 players on the field that are possible first or second-round choices next spring in the NFL Draft.

The problem for Tennessee, is only one of those players wears the orange of Rocky Top. The rest are part of the defending national champion Gators who are just loaded with talent. Offense and defense, Florida coach Urban Myer has potential pros at every position. There are close to 20 draftable seniors, junior-redshirts and juniors on the roster.

Of course the name everybody knows is QB Tim Tebow (right), winner of the 2007 Heisman Trophy and the leader of the Gators who has been aboard for a pair of national championships. But he is protected by twin brothers who have early-round potential and a very athletic defense.

Here are the top prospects for both schools: …Read More!

Boise vs. Fresno … College Preview 9/18

Friday night college football lights will be on with Boise State visiting Fresno State in a big game for the the guys from Idaho.

It’s on EPSN starting at 8 p.m. CDT.

For Boise State, this is another step in trying to get into a BCS bowl. The Broncos are 2-0 and with a schedule that doesn’t have many toughies after Friday night. Last year, Boise beat Fresno 61-10 last year and the Bulldogs have not beaten a ranked team since 2004.

There will not be a lot of NFL draftable players on the field in this game, but one guy that will be selected is Boise State CB Kyle Wilson (left). He’s got the tools to be a cover-2 corner.

Here’s a look at the prospects: …Read More!

USC-Ohio State … College Preview 9/12

Going down at the horseshoe in Columbus on Saturday is the top college game of the early 2009 season, as Pete Carroll takes his Southern Cal Trojans to play The Ohio State (7 p.m. CDT on ESPN.)

When two programs face off there are pro prospects at almost every position group. USC lost quite a few starters from last year to the NFL, but Carroll’s cupboard is not bare in any manner. With the Buckeyes, head coach Jim Tressel continues to be able to recruit and develop quality talent that pro teams seek.

Here’s a look at the top senior prospects in this game, based on conversations with NFL scouts.

SOUTHERN CAL

FS Taylor Mays (#2) – 63, 230 pounds, SR: He’s considered one of the top talents available in the 2010 NFL Draft, as he has the complete package of size, speed and explosion. Mays is following in the Trojans tradition of big time safeties like Ronnie Lott, Mark Carrier, Dennis Smith and Troy Polamalu. One spot where Mays must improve is catching the ball; in 40 career games he has intercepted just four passes. He reportedly has been clocked under 4.3 seconds over 40 yards; that’s impressive at 230 pounds. Mays moved into the starting lineup as a true freshman because of injury and he’s been there since, with 180 tackles. If he had come out last season, Mays would have been a first-round selection. This year, he should go in the top five.  …Read More!

College Quarterback Update

There will be just three finalists in New York this Saturday when the Heisman Trophy is awarded for 2008.

And, they are all quarterbacks: Colt McCoy (left) of Texas, Sam Bradford (middle) of Oklahoma and the reigning Heisman holder Tim Tebow (right) of Florida.

All are college juniors, which makes them eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft.

McCoy said this week he will return to Texas for his senior season. That’s what he says now. Tebow has not said publicly what his plans are.

This week, Bradford said he would weigh his options about going pro after obtaining information from the NFL. His father Kent Bradford and OU’s quarterback coach Josh Heupel will gather the information.

Underclassmen must declare by January 15.

“It’s going to be a process,” Bradford told the Oklahoman newspaper. “Even if I think I know what I want to do right now, there’s kind of a need to get as much information as possible so that looking back on this decision years down the road you don’t regret anything because you didn’t go after the information needed to make the right decision.”

Bradford had surgery on his injured left thumb on Sunday, repairing torn ligaments. He’s now wearing a crimson color cast that extends to his elbow. He’s expected to wear the cast for 10 days and it will be replaced by a smaller hand cast.

Back in October, we highlighted the top 25 college quarterbacks who might be available for the NFL Draft. Here are the season statistics for those quarterbacks. Eight of the 25 are done for the year. The other 17 have bowl games to play, beginning Dec. 20 and running through the BCS Championship Game on January 8.

Here are the numbers: …Read More!

Chuck Cook’s Top Five Seniors

Last week we brought you the top five senior prospects that Chiefs VP of Player Personnel Bill Kuharich had seen in his travels through college football this fall.

Now, here’s the top five of Chuck Cook, the Chiefs director of college scouting. Kuharich and Cook split up the top programs in the country and if one didn’t see a prospect, the other did. That’s along with the area scouts and the tape evaluations the Chiefs build in the file for each prospect.

The only school where both Kuharich and Cook both spent time at was Southern Cal, and that shows up in Chuck’s top five picks.

Now remember, this is all just one part of the scouting puzzle. Underclassmen are not included at this time because they have not yet had the opportunity to declare for the NFL Draft. Last year, 17 underclassmen were taken in the first round, so this is by no means is the top of the Chiefs draft board.

At this time, this is for entertainment purposes only, so please, no wagering.

Here’s the top five from the travels of Chuck Cook:

T Michael Oher/Mississippi 6-5, 320 pounds.

At Ole Miss, Oher has been a starter since his freshman season. That first year he worked at right guard, but they moved him to left tackle his sophomore year and he’s started 36 consecutive games there. He will wind up his career in the Cotton Bowl when Mississippi plays Texas Tech. “He’s got the best feet I’ve seen in years for an offensive lineman,” Cook said of Oher. “He’s very physically gifted and there really isn’t anything he can’t do at left tackle. I can’t imagine anything other than major injury that would keep him from coming into the league and playing well at left tackle for the next 10 or 12 years.” …Read More!

On The Scouting Trail

In the next week or so, the Chiefs crew of college scouts will all come into headquarters and spend time as a group going over the vast amount of information they they’ve collected during the season.

This is a very “hands on” personnel department, led by Vice President of Player Personnel Bill Kuharich. Along with Chuck Cook, the team’s director of college scouting Kuharich has crisscrossed the country to look at some of the top ranked players that were initially scouted by area scouts: Bruce Lemmerman, Willie Davis, Terry Delp, Cornell Gowdy, Mike Hagen, Matt Littlefield and Greg Olejack.

Kuharich’s travels started back in September and ended only last week with a trip to see the Western Michigan-Ball State game. Overall, he saw 30 different teams all over the country. The most talented team he saw was Southern California, and by talented we mean with the most pro prospects. Oklahoma was second. He did not see Texas, Texas Tech or Florida; Cook handled those assignments.

But after watching hours and hours of tape from those Division 1 programs, here are the top five senior players that Kuharich scouted in person.

Now remember, this is all just one part of the scouting puzzle. He did not include underclassmen because at this time, they have not yet had the opportunity to declare for the NFL Draft. Last year, 17 underclassmen were taken in the first round, so this is by no means is the top of the Chiefs draft board.

At this time, this is for entertainment purposes only, so please, no wagering.

These players are ranked only in the order that Kuharich recalled them when asked the question: name the top five players you saw?

T Eugene Monroe/Virginia 6-5, 315 pounds.

Last year, he played next to Branden Albert on the left side of the Cavaliers offensive line. This year, he’s had to hold down the left tackle spot without much veteran help next to him. “I think he’s a lot like Branden,” Kuharich said. “He’s very athletic. He’s probably better than Branden at the same stage because he’s played the position (Albert played guard at Virginia). He’s got good feet and he can pass protect.” …Read More!

College Pass Rushers Part 2: Pro Potential

Whether they select a quarterback, pass rusher, middle linebacker or offensive lineman, the Chiefs will get the opportunity to draft one of the best players in the 2009 NFL Draft. They figure to again have a selection among the top five picks, maybe even as high as the No. 2 spot.

We checked out the top quarterbacks in early October. Now, with the Chiefs pass rush floundering and headed for the worst sacking season in club history, it’s time to look at the pass rushers. Yesterday, we hit on the top active sackers, both this season and over a career. If you missed that, you can read it right here.

Today, we look at a top 10 list of pass rushers rated on potential by scouts around the NFL.

Here’s our list:

1. Michael Johnson     DE    Georgia Tech    SR    6-7    258

Understand right off the bat that when it comes to Johnson, the Chiefs have a lot of inside information, since he was recruited to Georgia Tech by offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and there are two other former Tech assistant coaches on the Chiefs staff. As a physical specimen, Johnson is off the charts. He has size, speed, quickness and athletic ability. His body fat is that of somebody 100 pounds lighter and a long-distance runner. That’s caused him problems in the past with dehydration and cramping. Scouts think he relies too much on his speed to rush the passer. He sometimes has problems standing up to the run, which is why he was used only in pass rush situations until this season. Over his career he’s played in 46 games with 96 tackles and 16 sacks. …Read More!

Best College Pass Rushers-Part 1

This is the first of two parts on the best pass rushers coming out of college football next spring. It’s obviously going to be an important part of the off-season discussion around the Chiefs after this season. There are two angles of evaluation: production on the college level and potential on the pro level. Today, Part 1 is about production. Part 2 comes on Thursday and it’s about potential.

His name is Greg Peach.

In college football, he’s the leading sacker in 2008 and the leading career sacker of quarterbacks, with 18 this year and 35.5 sacks over 46 games at Eastern Washington University.

Could he help the Chiefs anemic pass rush?

Pro football scouts aren’t so sure that Peach (left) the 6-2, 252-pounder out of Vancouver, Washington has the size and quickness to play defensive end in the NFL.

But right now with one game to go in his college career, Peach is the favorite to win this year’s Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best defensive player in Division I-AA football. Jared Allen won the same award five years ago in his last season at Idaho State. Allen played 41 games with 38.5 sacks. He was also 6-6 and 250 pounds.

The 11 pass rushers that rank at the top of the college career sacks list are all eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft. They all play either defensive end or outside linebacker. Among the top sackers in this current college season, only one can’t enter the draft: Butler DE Grant Hunter, who is a red-shirt freshman.

But most of the top career sackers do not have the physical numbers that pro football teams look for when it comes to outside pass rushers. Of the 11, only three are taller than 6-3 and only two are listed as bigger than 260 pounds. The best physical numbers in the group belong to Marcus Benard out of Jackson State. A junior college transfer out of Michigan, Benard is 6-4, 270 pounds. He had 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks last Saturday against Alabama A&M. At Grand Rapids Community College, he had 19 sacks over his first two seasons of college football. That gives him 42 in the last four years.

Among this year’s sack leaders are three players with prototype physical numbers to rush the passer off the edge in the pro game: Alex Carrington (6-5, 280) out of Arkansas State, Texas Tech’s Brandon Williams (6-5, 252) and Austen Lane (6-5, 258) out of Murray State.

Before this season, Carrington had just one career sack. But he’s leading the Sun Belt Conference this season with his 10.5 sacks in nine games. He’s a red-shirt Junior.

Williams (right) leads the Big 12 Conference this year with 10 sacks, including two of Texas QB Colt McCoy in the Red Raiders upset of the Longhorns. A true junior, Williams has 19.5 career sacks.

Lane leads the Ohio Valley Conference in sacks with 10, including 3.5 sacks in a game 10 days ago against Southeast Missouri State. He’s also a true junior. …Read More!

Best College Quarterbacks: Part 3

Some Chiefs fans have already decided the team needs to grab a quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft.

If you are one of those fans, then you should know something about the potential selections. Over three days, we have looked at the top 25 quarterbacks that could be available in April ’09.

That’s could be available because this list includes not only the top senior quarterbacks, but junior quarterbacks who would all be eligible for selection. The juniors would have to declare for the draft. Plus, there are three sophomore quarterbacks thrown in as well.

The NFL draft rules say a player must be three years removed from high school graduation to be eligible to apply for early entrance into the annual selection meeting. Thus, any sophomore who took a redshirt season would be three years removed and thus eligible. It’s very rare for any sophomores to leave early, especially quarterbacks. But just to cover all the bases, we’ve added three of them to the mix.

We had our group of the first eight on Wednesday, our second group of eight on Thursday and today the final nine quarterbacks. They are listed in alphabetical order. …Read More!

Best College Quarterbacks: Part 2

Some Chiefs fans have already decided the team needs to grab a quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft.

If you are one of those fans, then you should know something about the potential selections. Over three days, we’ll provide you with a look at the top 25 quarterbacks that could be available in April ’09.

That’s could be available because this list includes not only the top senior quarterbacks, but junior quarterbacks who would all be eligible for selection. The juniors would have to declare for the draft. Plus, there are three sophomore quarterbacks thrown in as well.

The NFL draft rules say a player must be three years removed from high school graduation to be eligible to apply for early entrance into the annual selection meeting. Thus, any sophomore who took a redshirt season would be three years removed and thus eligible. It’s very rare for any sophomores to leave early, especially quarterbacks. But just to cover all the bases, we’ve added three of them to the mix.

We had our group of the first eight on Wednesday. Here’s the second eight and on Friday we will finish up with the final nine. They are listed in alphabetical order.

JOSH FREEMAN/Kansas State        JR    6-6, 248                                   1/13/1988

Freeman’s story is well known around Kansas City, where he was one of the best schoolboy football prospects of the last decade. At Grandview High School he threw for 7,175 yards and 78 TD passes. Freeman narrowed his college choices to K-State, Kansas, Nebraska and Oregon, choosing the Wildcats. He became a starter as a freshman in ’06, opening the final eight games of K-State’s season. He’s got the size that NFL teams like and the arm strength. While he’s not a dual threat quarterback on the run, he has shown the ability to get himself out of trouble with his feet. Coming into this season, most scouts pegged him as a first-round talent for the 2010 Draft with continued improvement. …Read More!

College Preview 10/4

There’s lots of action this weekend and the big TV games have match ups where we’ve covered one of the teams in just the last two weeks.

So we’ll provide updates on their opponents this week.

STANFORD @ NOTRE DAME, NBC, 1:30 P.M.

Stanford

#91 DE Pannel Egboh – 6-6, 272 pounds, SR-Redshirt. Has started the last 24 games for Stanford and contributed 94 total tackles in that time. He has 8.5 career sacks. He played just one year of high school football. In five games this year, he has 16 total tackles and one sack. …Read More!

College Preview 10/2

ESPN’s Thursday night football features two Big East teams as Pitt travels to Tampa to take on South Florida at Raymond James Stadium.

The best player in this game isn’t draftable right now; that would be Pitt sophomore running back LeSean McCoy. He’s 5-11, 210 pounds out of Harrisburg, PA. If he stays injury free and decides to leave school a year early, he’ll be one of the first players taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. Last year, he ran for nearly 1,400 as a true freshman.

Otherwise, most of the players the pros are keeping an eye on in this game are on the defensive side of the ball.

Kickoff is 6:30 P.M.

Pitt

#40 MLB Scott McKillop – 6-1, 240 pounds, SR-Redshirt. McKilllop came into the season having played 35 games for the Panthers. He became a starter last season at middle linebacker and finished with 151 total tackles, three sacks, one INT, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. His tackle total led the nation last year. So far this season, he had 40 tackles and one sack. He picked up 10 tackles and one sack against Iowa in a Pitt victory. McKillop has all the intangibles to play in the NFL, but lacks top-end speed for a linebacker, so he’s considered anywhere from a fourth to sixth-round projection. …Read More!

College Preview 10/1

More weeknight college action this coming out of the Western Athletic Conference Wednesday evening with Louisiana Tech at Boise State.

Not many prospects in this game, and those that are wear the uniform of Boise State.

Kickoff is 7 P.M. on ESPN2.

Boise State

#41 RB Ian Johnson – 5-11, 198 pounds, SR-Redshirt. Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Johnson has been one of college football’s most productive runners. Last year, he had 1,041 rushing yards and scored 16 rushing TD. In the ’06 season, he ran for 1,713 yards and 25 TD runs. Fans will remember him as the guy who proposed to his cheerleader girl friend after the 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma. Coming into this season he had 640 career touches and some NFL types are concerned that because of his lack of bulk and upright running style he will not be durable at the pro level. No especially fast or big, Johnson is a slasher with great vision and anticipation. So far this season, he’s gotten off to a slow start with 224 yards on 46 carries and four touchdowns in three games. He’s also returned one punt for 19 yards and three kickoff returns for a 24.7-yard average. Johnson is considered a third/fourth round prospect.

College Preview 9/30

There’s a lot of college football on the ESPN family of networks this week, including a Tuesday night game from the Sun Belt Conference between Florida Atlanta and Middle Tennessee State. Kickoff is 7 o’clock on ESPN2.

There are some NFL draft prospects, but only at Florida Atlanta this year. Here they are.

Florida Atlantic

#46 FB William Rose – 6-1, 228 pounds, JR-Redshirt. Rose played every game in ’07 for the Owls and showed versatility as a blocker, runner and pass catcher. He had 333 yards rushing and 264 yards receiving on a combined 101 touches. So far in the’08 season, Rose has run 13 times for 54 yards and caught seven passes for 50 yards.. He’s considered a fourth/fifth-round talent. …Read More!

College Preview 9/27

There’s a lot of good action on this weekend of college play, including the Arkansas-Texas game that was postponed by Hurricane Ike and moved to this Saturday.

Here are the top prospects involved in some of the major TV games this weekend.

ARKANSAS AT TEXAS, ABC, 2:30 PM

Arkansas

#63 C Jonathan Luigs – 6-4, 314 pounds, SR-Redshirt. Luigs is considered by some NFL teams the top interior offensive lineman in the Class of ’09. He won the Rimington Trophy last year as a junior and was nominated for the award as a sophomore. He’s got the size and speed the NFL is looking for at center these days, but isn’t naturally strong and may need work in the weight room to be able to battle bigger, stronger defensive tackles. He should be a bottom half of the 1^st-round selection. …Read More!

College Preview 9/25

ESPN’s Thursday night college game comes out of the Pac-10 Conference as No. 1 ranked Southern Cal travels north to Corvalis to take on Oregon State.

Kickoff is 8 p.m. Here are the top talents as viewed by NFL scouts. …Read More!

College Preview 9/20

A lot of action involving teams out of the SEC this week. We’ll update some of the teams we’ve already covered and add a few more that are getting their first exposure on this site.

Again, we are looking specifically at the players that the pros think will be potential draft choices in April 2009.

FLORIDA AT TENNESSEE, 2:30 P.M. on CBS

Florida

#15 QB Tim Tebow – 6-3, 238 pounds, JR. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow remains a mystery to many in the NFL. Where does he fit? His ability to run as well as pass and his background in Urban Meyer’s offense are considered positives for some teams, negatives for others. There’s no questioning his athletic ability or his intelligence which both test through the roof. Last year he had 32 TD passes to six INTs. He’ll need significantly work in NFL offenses, right down to taking a snap from center, rather than in the shotgun. In two games, he’s run for 92 net yards on 22 carries, while throwing for 393 yards with three TDs and no INTs. …Read More!

College Preview 9/18

The West Virginia Mountaineers need to go on the road and pick up a big victory Thursday night. They’ve got a tough assignment, heading into Boulder to face Colorado.

WVU is 1-1 and Colorado is 2-0. Game time is 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

West Virginia

G Greg Isdaner – 6-4, 322 pounds, JR-Redshirt. Isdaner is a two-year starter at left guard for the Mountaineers and is big and physical. He’s a very strong man who plays aggressively. West Virginia offense in ’07 had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers and allowed just 13 sacks. He’s pegged right now as a second or third round selection, but can improve that with another strong season in ’08. …Read More!

College Preview 9/19

The Big 12 heads east Friday night as Baylor (2-1) visit Connecticut (3-0). The Bears have victories over Northwestern State (LA) and Washington State, and a loss to Wake Forest. The Huskies have beaten Hofstra, Temple and last weekend they stopped Virginia 45-10.

Game time is 7 p.m. on ESPN2

Baylor

OT Jason Smith – 6-5, 300 pounds, SR-Redshirt. Despite a strained MCL in his right knee, Smith started seven games in ’07 for the Bears at left tackle. He’s a two-year starter at both left and right tackles, who began his football career as a tight end. The pros love his athletic ability, but he’ll need a lot of work on fundamentals and techniques. A strong season could push him into the late second round. …Read More!

College Preview 9/17

The Kansas State Wildcats are on the national telly tonight, visiting the University of Louisville at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Here are the guys the pros think are prospects for both teams

Kansas State

QB Josh Freeman – 6-6, 248 pounds, JR. Freeman has started strong in this his junior season, by completing 75.6 percent of his passes and throwing five for touchdowns in the Wildcats first two games. Over his time in Manhattan, Freeman has played in 25 games, starting 22 with 29 career TD passes and 26 INTs. He’s big, strong and intelligent and is considered coming into the ’08 season as a potential second or third-round selection. If he continues to throw TDs and eliminate his INTs, he could push himself even higher, whether he comes out for the ’09 or ’10 Draft.

…Read More!

College Preview 9/13

There are other games this weekend beyond the classic tilt between Ohio State and Southern Cal. Here are the prospects for three of those games that can be seen on network television.

CALIFORNIA AT MARYLAND, ESPN, NOON

California

C Alex Mack – 6-4, 315 pounds, SR-Redshirt. A two-year starter for the Golden Bears, Mack has won back-to-back All-Pac 10 Conference honors. In fact, last year the defensive linemen of the conference voted him the best blocker in the league. Athletic with great effort and intangibles, he sometimes has trouble with smaller, powerful defensive tackles. A strong ’08 season could push him into the later part of the first round. …Read More!

College Preview: Ohio State at Southern Cal

There’s no game in this 2008 college football season that will have more pro prospects on the field than what will be seen with Ohio State’s visit to Los Angeles to play Southern Cal on Saturday.

Both teams are so loaded we had to limit our little bios to players the pros consider first or second-round choices. We’ve tried to list all the players mentioned by NFL scouts.

Here they are: …Read More!

College Preview 9/12

One of the better college games of this weekend features the Kansas Jayhawks traveling to Tampa to face South Florida at Raymond James Stadium.  The Hawks are 2-0 and ranked 13th in the latest Associated Press college football poll.  The Bulls are 2-0 and ranked 19th in the same poll.

Kickoff is at 7 o’clock on ESPN2.

Kansas

NFL teams right now do not have any Jayhawks ranked high enough to be a selection in rounds one through five. A big senior season could elevate OLB James Holt into a late-round choice. He’s 6-3, 226 pounds. He played 33 games for the Jayhawks before this season. …Read More!

College Preview 9/11

Thursday night football on ESPN features North Carolina (1-0) at Rutgers (0-1).

The Tar Heels and Scarlet Knights will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.

 North Carolina

WR Hakeem Nicks – 6-1, 210 pounds, JR. In the ’07 season, Nicks set a school record with 74 catches for 958 yards and five touchdowns. This came after he led the team in receiving as a true freshman, catching 39 passes for 660 yards in the ’06 season. He had six catches for 110 yards in NC’sopener against McNeese State.

WR Brooks Foster – 6-3, 205, SR-Redshirt. Foster has played in 28 games over his previous three seasons and showed good athletic ability. He has 67 career catches for 903 yards and four touchdowns. He’s gifted enough athletically that he walked on and played for the ’05 Tar Heels basketball team, seeing action in five games in the second half of the season.

Rutgers

Here’s list of Rutgers players considered draftable from earlier in the season.

College Preview: 9/6

Week Two of the college football season has some interesting matchups and games that involve a lot of potential NFL prospects.  Oklahoma and Florida are  both on national TV and they have rosters filled with players who have attracted attention from the pros.

Here’s a look at the talent in the nationally television games coming up today

Cincinnati at Oklahoma, 2:30 on ABC

Cincinnati

CB Mike Mickens – 6-0, 190 pounds, SR. Mickens is considered one of the top 40 seniors in the country by the NFL this year. The worst thing the scouts say about him is that he may be too light and physically thin. He’s started all 36 games he’s played for the Bearcats and he’s got 10 interceptions with 163 career tackles. Other than size, he’s got the complete package to play the corner in the NFL. …Read More!

College Preview: 9/5

Tonight on ESPN with a 6 o’clock kickoff is Navy at Ball State.

The Midshipmen do not have any NFL potential players, but the Cardinals do, highlighted by a potent passing combination.

Ball State

QB Nate Davis – 6-2, 218 pounds, JR. Davis has started 20 games over the last two seasons and in ’07 he was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference. He set a school passing record last year with 3,667 yards, hitting 270 of 478 passes, with 30 TD passes and only six INTs. He threw for 422 yards last year against Nebraska. Davis hit 21 of 24 passes in Ball State’s opener against Northeastern, passing for 280 yards and three TDs. …Read More!

College Preview: 9/4

For the second week in a row, South Carolina is on national television. After the Gamecocks victory last week over North Carolina State, they are on the road Thursday night in Nashville against Vanderbilt.

Kickoff is 7 o’clock on ESPN.

We covered South Carolina’s prospects last week. Here are the players the pros are looking at with the Commodores.

Vanderbilt

CB D.J. Moore – 5-10, 184 pounds. JR. Moore is already being looked at as a potential first-round CB choice by the NFL when his class comes up in 2011. He could leave early with another big season in ’08. In two seasons, he has played in 24 games and started 20 games on the corner, with seven interceptions. Moore returned kickoffs in ’07, averaging 25.7 yards a return. In Vandy’s opener against Miami, in the first quarter he had an interception, two tackles, a forced fumble, a sack and a 91-yard punt return that set up a touchdown. He’s also going to get snaps on offense. …Read More!

College Preview 9/1

The Labor Day holiday brings us college football on Monday.

Fresno State visits New Jersey to play Rutgers with kickoff at 3 p.m. on ESPN and then Tennessee travels to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Fresno State

TE Bear Pascoe – 6-6, 258 pounds, SR-Redshirt. Brainy receiver who started his college career as a quarterback, Pascoe is an old-school tight end, able to block and catch. He started 12 games last year, catching 45 passes while missing some playing time because of an ankle injury. He’s good on special teams as well, with four blocked kicks over his career. Given name is McKenna Sean Pascoe. …Read More!

College Preview 8/31

It’s Sunday afternoon college football this week, with Kentucky visiting Louisville. Kickoff is 2:30p on ESPN. Here are some prospects.

Kentucky

CB Trevard Lindley – 6-0, 178 pounds. JR-Redshirt. Lindley has 24 starts in the last two seasons on the corner for the Wildcats. Last year he had 66 total tackles and three INTs to go with the two swipes he grabbed in his freshman season. …Read More!

Mizzou-Illini Preview 8/30

It’s been a long time since Mizzou fans have been as excited about a college football as they are for the 2008 season. After the Tigers performance last year, they are among the Big 12 Conference favorites this season. The key for head coach Gary Pinkel has been his ability to increase the talent level of his team. That’s where the improvement has come and that’s visible when you look at their pro prospects.

These two teams face off Saturday night from the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. Kickoff is just after 7:30 on ESPN.

Missouri

FS William Moore – 6-1, 226 pounds, SR-Redshirt. Moore is ranked among the 40 senior prospects for NFL teams to evaluate thanks largely to his physical gifts and his big play ability. He really jumped forward at the end of the ’07 season when Mizzou lost fellow safety Pig Brown and Moore became the playmaker. In the last six games, he had five interceptions and two forced fumbles. He led the team and Big 12 Conference with eight interceptions. He has 10 career picks, and he’s returned four for touchdowns. Could be a top 20 choice in April ’09 Draft. …Read More!

College Preview 8/30

Here’s a look at some of the top players the NFL is keeping an eye on who are involved in Saturday’s national-TV action in the world of college football. Each week we will highlight several of the games. We’ll have a separate Mizzou-Illinois posting later this afternoon. We won’t do every team every week, because there are some teams that will keep popping up on national games like Ohio State and Southern Cal.

Today we look at highly ranked players from three games:

• Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina in Charlotte, NC, 11a ESPN.
  
• Utah at Michigan, 2:30p on ABC.
  
• Clemson vs. Alabama in Atlanta, 7p on ABC. …Read More!

Top 40 College Seniors-NFL View

The college football season kicks off everywhere this weekend and that means that NFL scouts will begin their long trek towards the Draft next April. That starts with tracking the best college players through this senior season.

Now, the NFL says it does not prepare for juniors who will decide to come out early, but you can bet the scouts will be starting dossiers on guys who have the potential to make the jump. Based on the last couple years, that figures to be as many as three dozen underclassmen.

We’ve taped our NFL sources and they produced this list of the top 40 seniors coming out this year. We’ve broken them down by conference and team. Any listing of one through 40 at this point is really a waste of time without the senior season production. …Read More!

College Preview: 8/28

The college football season kicks off Thursday night with two big national games on ESPN: North Carolina State at South Carolina and then a Pac-10 matchup between Oregon State and Stanford.

During the college season, we’ll try to take the national games and point out some players to keep your eye on that the NFL is keeping their eye on. Here are a few for Thursday night.

South Carolina

LT Jamon Meredith – 6-5, 304 pounds, SR. Meredith has started the last 13 games at LT for the Gamecocks, but he won’t play against North Carolina State or William & Mary to open the season. This absence traces back to his freshman year when he played a few plays and then took a red-shirt season. The NCAA ruled he could have the extra year, but he had to give up two games. The ticket is due and he’ll be on the sidelines. When he comes back, Meredith may move inside to guard. He’s considered one of the top 40 prospects in the country by some NFL teams.

CB Captain Munnerlyn – 5-9, 185 pounds, JR. Don’t you just love that name! NFL teams don’t have juniors ranked yet, but by the end of the college season there’s a good chance the Captain will be on the radar screen. He’s played 23 games with 15 starts and last year the SEC coaches voted him all-conference. This guy is a hard-nosed player, despite not being very big and he’s got legit 4.3 to 4.4 speed. He also returns punts and has done kickoffs as well. He suffered a broken bone in his left foot at the end of last year and that kept him out of spring ball. …Read More!