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.

Other to watch – #68 OL Zane Beadles, 6-4, 303 pounds – He played right guard and left tackle, where he won first-team All-Mountain West Conference and second-team All-America. Tough, nasty, strong, mauler, Beadles is a good pass blocker. He had a 3.5 GPA in mechanical engineering. Beadles is probably better suited to play guard in the NFL.

CALIFORNIA

#4 RB Jahvid Best, 5-9, 190 pounds – An underclassmen who has indicated he’s coming out for this spring’s draft. His season ended on November 7, when Best (left) suffered a severe concussion and back injuries after scoring a touchdown and getting flipped upside down by a late tackler. That cost him the last three games and he won’t play in the Poinsettia Bowl, although if the game was scheduled for next week, he could probably take part. Over his college career he played in 31 games, running 364 times for 2,668 yards and 29 touchdowns. Best also caught 62 passes for 533 yards and six scores and returned 32 kickoffs for 844 yards.

Evaluation: Best should bounce back from his head and back injuries without problems, but NFL scouts will be concerned. He had foot and elbow surgeries back in the early summer before the start of pre-season camp. There are questions about him surviving the pounding as a featured back. He’s an explosive runner, who can handle the passing game as well. Considered a mid to late-first round prospect, Best can assure that with a strong Combine and personal workouts.

#5 CB Syd’Quan Thompson, 5-9, 186 pounds – A second-time All-Pac 10 first-team defender, Thompson played and started 51 games for the Bears and he finished with 254 total tackles and seven interceptions. He also returned punts, averaging 12.3 yards with one touchdown on 28 punt returns this year. Although he’s on the small size, there’s plenty that Thompson can offer an NF team on defense and special teams.

Evaluation: In the Cal defense he played mostly off the ball, so the league has questions about how he’ll handle press coverages. He’s a good athlete, he reads quarterbacks well and while his run support is average, he’s willing to deliver a hit. His slight frame has some scouts concerned about durability. He’s a very good open field tackler.

Others to watch: #44 DT Tyson Alualu, 6-2, 291 pounds – Alualu can play DE or DT, playing in 50 of the last 51 games with Cal, racking up 190 total tackles, 16 sacks and four forced fumbles. Good speed at 4.9 in the 40-yard dash for a man his size. Alualu plays with good leverage, sheds blocks, but is not very advanced as a pass rusher. He was All-Pac-10 Conference first team. A strong evaluation season with the Combine and workouts could lift him to the fourth or fifth round. #79 OT Michael Tepper, 6-5, 317 pounds – He has spent six years at Cal, getting an extra year on a medical redshirt because of a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him for the 2008 season. He also missed the 2005 season with he was h it by a car and suffered a broken right fibula. Tepper started 12 games at left tackle and won All-Pac-10 Conference first team honors. Quickness is so-so and doesn’t play well in space. He would probably be better as an NFL guard than tackle. He’s seen as late-round prospect.