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:

ALABAMA AT MISSISSIPPI, 2:30 P.M. CDT ON CBS

ALABAMA

Here’s the list of prospects we covered earlier in the season.

MISSISSIPPI

DE Greg Hardy (#86) – 6-4, 265 pounds, SR: If Hardy’s resume was clean of injury, there’s no question he would be the No. 1 choice in the 2010 NFL Draft. When he’s been healthy for Ole Miss, he’s been a dominant player with all the skills a team is looking for from a pass rusher. Hardy also had good speed, clocking in at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He’s very athletic, and started his career with the Rebels as a wide receiver. In fact, he has three TD catches. But an injury has slowed him for several years. He’s had two separate surgeries on his left foot for stress fractures, including a screw that was placed in the foot last year. It’s kept him from being a full-time player. He missed the ‘09 season opener with an ankle injury. Because of his athletic ability, he could be an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense. Over his career, Hardy has played in 34 games, with 136 career tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and an interception. If he checks out medically, Hardy will be a top 10 pick, maybe even higher based on the rest of this season.

QB Jevan Snead (#4) – 6-3, 215 pounds, JR-Redshirt: Snead started his college career at Texas, but transferred after the ‘06 season because he was not going to jump ahead of Colt McCoy. He sat out the ‘07 season as a transfer and then started 13 games for the Rebels last season, throwing 26 TD passes and 13 INTs. Already in four games this season he’s thrown nine scoring passes and five interceptions, including three against Vanderbilt last week. Based on Snead’s season so far, he would help his draft stock considerably if he stayed in college for his final season of eligibility. Physically, he has all the tools teams are looking for, but his maturity as a game manager is in some doubt. At the start of the season he was considered a borderline first-round choice, but he’s now slipped to a second-third round project.

WR Dexter McCluster (#22) – 5-7, 168 pounds, SR: Under Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, McCluster has been a very busy guy, lining up at wide receiver, running back, quarterback and returner. Overall in 31 games, he has 934 rushing yards with eight TDs and 97 catches for 1,338 yards and five TDs. McCluster is smallish, but fast, quick and a playmaker. He’s also a willing blocker and will run inside, despite his size. He’s missed time in two seasons with the same shoulder injury, one that needed surgery and caused some nerve damage. Some teams won’t consider McCluster because of his size and some because of his shoulder, but there’s a place for him in the league. He’s viewed as a fourth-round player right now.

BAYLOR AT OKLAHOMA, 2:30 P.M. CDT ON ABC

BAYLOR

DT Phil Taylor (#11) – 6-3, 355 pounds, JR-Redshirt: Taylor transferred to Waco from Penn State, sitting out the ‘08 season. He also ran into some trouble once he got to Texas, as he was suspended during spring practice because of bad grades and an on-campus fight. Taylor was dismissed from the team, but ultimately reinstated. He played in the ‘06 season with the Nittany Lions as a true freshman. Taylor is a huge presence inside on the 4-3 defense for the Bears, but he’s surprisingly nimble a foot. Not necessarily fast, but he has explosion and he can hold his own against two blockers. If he comes out in the ‘10 NFL Draft, he’s seen as a third-round pick.

C J.D. Walton (#55) – 6-2, 305 pounds, SR-Redshirt: Walton transferred from Arizona State where he took a redshirt season in ‘05, and then transferred to Baylor. He sat out the ‘06 season under transfer rules, but has now played the last three seasons, starting every game at center for the Bears. Scouts see Walton as a mauler, a guy who played hard on every play and is intelligent and also durable. He’s not especially athletic and that may hurt his transition to the NFL. Right now he’s viewed as a late third-round choice.

ILB Joe Pawelek (#41) – 6-2, 240 pounds, SR-Redshirt: Considered a border line pro prospect, Pawelek is as good as it gets when it comes to playing linebacker in college football. Earlier this season, he had 21 total tackles in a game against UConn, along with a sack. In 40 games for the Bears, he had 352 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and nine interceptions. Not fleet of foot, Pawelek shows up at the point of attack with grit, determination and tape study. He’s also smart, having earned Big 12 Conference academic honors all the way back to his redshirt season. He is considered a sixth to seventh-round pick.

OKLAHOMA

We looked at the Sooners pro prospects last week before their game with Miami.