ScoutsNotebook Thread - 2010 Draft

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

9-24-09

* I watched some tape on Georgia QB Joe Cox. He had to sit and wait behind Matthew Stafford for 3 years, but Joe is certainly making the most of his Senior season. He has led the Dawgs to more than 90 points in the last 2 weeks, both against SEC teams. That is pretty amazing stuff.

Joe doesn't jump out at you as a big time prospect. He's got okay size (6'1, 198), an okay arm, and some athletic ability. Looks more like a good college QB than a pro player. He does know how to get the team into the endzone. You have to value that. He will put the ball up in a place where he receivers can go get it. Cox hit TE Aron White on a couple of seam routes like that. Neither pass was right on target, but both were thrown where White could go up and get them (one catch was negated by penalty). His accuracy does need work. He needs to consistently hit players on target more often. Cox doesn't put as much zip on his throws as you'd like. He hit AJ Green on a crossing route and Green had to slow down just a bit and wait on the ball. A better throw would have made RAC yards easier.

Cox is doing well for a guy with only a few starts under his belt. He will get invited to a training camp even if he's not drafted. He does show potential. If he gets better as the year goes along he will only improve his chances at getting picked.


* Arkansas DT Malcolm Sheppard impressed me a lot in the ARK/UGA game. He had a sack and 1/2 a TFL in the game. Sheppard has gotten heavier each year. The Razorbacks now list him at 6'2, 291. I'm not sure if he really is that big, but Sheppard is a good player. He is very quick off the ball. Excellent burst. He also moves well laterally. Good motor. Disruptive even when he doesn't make the play. Will push the O-lineman on those plays when he is blocked. His sack came on a play where Malcolm was lined up over the RG. At the snap he moved to his right and looped around the C. He just engulfed the QB. Very quick, fluid move to get by the blockers. Teams running a 1-gap defense will love his potential.


* I didn't take a long look at Georgia DT Jeff Owens, but he did look like he was moving around pretty well. He tore his ACL in the summer of '08. You always hope guys come back from their injuries and can still play at a high level. Owens chased the QB on one play and showed pretty good wheels.


* Virginia Tech is 107th in the nation in run defense. Why? They faced 'Bama RB Mark Ingram in Week 1 and then had to deal with Nebraska RB Roy Helu last week. Helu ran for 169 yards on 28 carries. Rarely do visiting RBs have that kind of a day in Blacksburg. I had never paid a whole lot of attention to Helu prior to that game. He's only a Junior. Helu ran for 510 yards and 5 TDs last November. That should have gotten my attention.

Helu (6'0, 215) reminds me a bit of Donald Brown. He has good speed. He can break tackles. He likes to run N-S, but has enough wiggle to make defenders miss. He has good vision. Helu caught 4 passes in the game and has 9 grabs so far this year. I'll be paying a lot more attention to Roy Helu the rest of the year. Good player.

DT Ndamukong Suh had an interesting game at Va Tech. He had 1 solo tackle and half a sack. That doesn't sound impressive, but there's a lot more to what he did. Suh had 7 assisted tackles. He batted down 4 passes. Suh continually ate up blockers and still kept pressure on Tyrod Taylor. Suh uses his hands/arms very well. He's able to extend his arms and keep blockers off his body. He can then shed blocks and go after the QB or try to play the ball when the QB goes to throw. Suh has a good motor and will chase the ball on runs and short passes. He is an elite prospect that all 32 teams should have interest in. He can play DE in the 3-4 or DT in the 4-3.


* Minnesota WR Eric Decker had a big game in the Gophers loss to Cal. He caught 8 passes for 119 yards and 2 TDs. He also threw a TD pass in the game. Decker might be good enough to start in the NFL, but he should at least be a terrific slot receiver. Decker has good size at 6'3, 220. He's big and strong and plays that way. He will go up for the ball. Some guys are passive, but Decker is aggressive when the ball is in the air. He doesn't care about getting hit. He goes for the ball and is tough enough to take a big shot and hold on. Decker has great hands. He can really pluck the ball. He has excellent body control. He looks more quick than fast. He runs good routes, but also is smart and understands how to improvise. He knows how to get open. Good player. A lot of fun to watch.


* Marshall DE Albert McClellan had a great game on Saturday. Check out his numbers: 3 solo tackles, 12 assists, 3 TFLs (including 2 sacks), a FF, and a blocked kick. Wow. That is a way to get your Senior season headed in the right direction. The only bad news it that the game wasn't on TV.


* Middle Tennessee DE Chris McCoy also had a great game. He racked up 6 solo tackles, 4 TFLs (1 sack), a PBU, and a blocked kick. McCoy (6'4, 245) has already bettered last season's total of 5 TFLs with 6.5 so far. Way to come alive as a Senior. Gotta make that final season count.

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

9-28-09

* The Indiana/Michigan game was a lot of fun to watch. The Hoosiers have a pair of good DEs. Jamie Kirlew played well. He had 7 tackles and 2 TFLs. He's agile and played well in space against some of the tricky runs. Greg Middleton on the other side had a pair of sacks for IU.

One Michigan player who has really caught my eye this year is RB Carlos Brown. He had 11 carries for 83 yards. One of those was a 61-yard run. He also caught one pass. It went 41 yards and for a TD. Brown has excellent speed. He is very good at running to the outside. Very good burst. He's really benefited from Rich-Rod's offensive scheme. He projects as a role player in the NFL, but teams love speedy backs.


* TE Ed Dickson had a monster game on Saturday. He caught 11 passes for 148 yards and 3 scores. Dickson is a natural pass catcher. He has good body control, hands, and very good RAC ability. He's not a big guy (6'5, 240). Heck, he looks like a big WR. That's a good frame though and there are plenty of pro teams that covet TEs that can catch the football and really work the middle of the field.


* Alabama CB Javier Arenas had 3 TFLs in the win over Arkansas. 2 of them were sacks of Ryan Mallet when Arenas blitzed off the edge. He also averaged 15 yards per PR. Arenas is a good RS. He has good vision. Like all good returners he can make at least one defender miss. He's not only elusive, though. Arenas is deceptively strong and doesn't go down easily.


* Arizona State Safety Jarrell Holman is a JC transfer that spent last year as a backup. He got extensive playing time Saturday vs UGA and had a pretty good game. Holman recovered a fumble that led to a TD and picked off 2 passes. He returned one for a TD. Holman (6'0, 180) missed a tackle on AJ Green on a long TD and also had a costly penalty. More good than bad, but he's got to cut out the mistakes. He also had 3 solo tackles in the game.

Sun Devil LB Mike Nixon continued his good season. He had 7 tackles and a FF.


* TCU went to Clemson and won on Saturday. Huge win for them. ILB Darryl Washington had a good game. He was in on 13 tackles (8 solo) and played good pass defense late in the game when the Tigers were desperate to get into the endzone.


* CJ Spiller played his best game of the year in that meeting. He ran 26 times for 112 yards. That is a good workhorse performance against a tough defense. He also caught 3 passes, one of them going for 60 yards.


* East Carolina FS Van Eskridge is playing about as well as any Safety in the nation. On Saturday he had 8 tackles, 1/2 a TFL, and picked off a pass. Eskridge can make plays in the passing game, but is also a force against the run. And he is a big hitter over the middle of the field.


BY THE NUMBERS


* Arizona CB Devin Ross had an active game in the Wildcats win. He had 12 tackles, a PBU, and picked off a pass.

DT Earl Mitchell had 5 tackles and a couple of sacks. He's been active at making plays in the backfield this year.

* Temple Safety Dominique Harris had a good game. He had 4 solo tackles, a TFL, broke up a couple of passes, and picked off a pass in the Owls win.

* Cal CB Syd'Quan Thompson had 7 tackles and a PBU. He's arguably the best Senior cover corner in the nation.

* Cincinnati WR Mardy Gilyard had a big game for the Bearcats. He caught 7 balls for 177 yards and 2 TDs.

* Houston CB Brandon Brinkley had an active game. He broke up 3 passes, had a FF, and also was in on 6 tackles.

* Miss State MLB Jamar Chaney had 8 tackles, a sack, 1/2 a TFL, and broke up a couple of passes as the Bulldogs almost upset LSU. Chaney and MSU played good run defense, holding LSU to 91 yards on 31 carries.

* Va Tech Safety Kam Chancellor played well vs Miami. He was in on 10 tackles. He also broke up a pass and had 1/2 a TFL.

* Wisconsin TE Garrett Graham caught 5 passes for 58 yards. 3 of the catches were TDs. Good prospect.

* Minnesota LB Simoni Lawrence had 10 tackles, 1/2 a TFL, and broke up a pass in the Gophers win over NW.

* Iowa LB Pat Angerer came up big in the Hawkeyes win over Penn State. Angerer was in on 14 tackles, picked off a pass, and forced a fumble.

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

9-30-09

REMINDER...We're almost in October. This is the time of year when ESPN starts showing games throughout the week. The first Wednesday night game is here as Hawaii faces Louisiana Tech. Hawaii has one of the nation's best Center prospects, John Estes. La Tech has some mid-level guys to watch. Safety Antonio Baker and DL D'Anthony Smith are probably the best Senior players.

News and Notes

* USC RB Stafon Johnson was seriously injured on Monday in a weightlifting accident. The bar slipped from his hand and landed on his throat. Johnson sustained serious injuries to his throat and neck. He needed emergency surgery and will be getting medical treatment for quite a while. His USC career is over. No word yet on whether he'll be cleared by doctors to pursue an NFL career. Johnson was projected as more of a role player than a starting caliber RB.

* Oregon CB Walter Thurmond suffered a knee injury and is out for the year. He got hurt on the opening KO of the Ducks whipping of Cal. Thurmond was having a solid year. He had an INT return for TD against Purdue. He returned a punt for a TD against Utah. He also averaged 28 yards per KOR.

* South Florida QB Matt Grothe is done for the year. He tore his ACL in the team's win over Charleston Southern about 10 days ago. Grothe has pro potential, but he really could have used some time at an all star game and the Combine to sell himself to NFL teams. Grothe is tough and athletic, but he's not the most polished or consistent QB you'll see. You might compare him to a guy like Mike McMahon.

* Eastern Michigan QB Andy Schmitt hurt his knee vs Michigan and his EMU career is over. He threw for 5,867 yards and 33 TDs in his career. Schmitt benefited from playing in the spread offense, but was a solid QB.

* Iowa got some good news. Junior LT Bryan Bulaga has been cleared to play, after missing the last 3 games with a thyroid condition. Bulaga is a quality prospect.

* Ohio State Safety Kurt Coleman got suspended by the Big 10 (+1) for a questionable hit on Illinois QB Eddie McGee. Coleman knows what he did was dumb, but neither he nor OSU is happy about him being forced to sit a week.

* Toney Baker has struggled with injuries throughout his time at NC State. The Senior RB is staying on the field this year and putting up solid numbers. Baker has only run for 250 yards, but NCSU spreads the ball around. He is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and has 5 TDs. He has also caught 9 passes, including 2 for TDs. Toney is averaging over 17 yards per reception. Let's hope he stays healthy this year.

* Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham confirmed that he will be entering the draft this year. He could have tried for another season at OU after suffering a knee injury this summer, but decided to go play for money.

* Penn State LB Navorro Bowman played against Iowa and had a big game. He was in on 13 tackles and had 3 TFLs. Bowman has been slowed by a groin injury this year. The Junior LB didn't look slow on Saturday. He was quick to the ball and was the only sure tackler in the middle of the defense.

Senior LB Sean Lee missed the Iowa game with a bad knee. He might play this week against Illinois. The defense could really use him back.

* Utah RB Matt Asiata tore his knee up on a 24-yd TD run against Louisville. He is done for the season. The Utes are planning to petition the NCAA for a 6th year for Matt. He's 5'11, 230 and had a solid year in '08, running for 707 yards and 12 TDs.

* Tulane WR Jeremy Williams (6'1, 205) had a huge game vs McNeese State. He caught 10 passes for 222 yards and a pair of TDs. McNeese State is a I-AA school, but that is still an impressive game. Williams now has 20 catches on the year and is averaging 20 yards per reception.

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-2-09

* West Virginia beat Colorado last night 35-24. RB Noel Devine, only a Junior, had a huge game. He ran 22 times for 220 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown. Chris Fowler asked Craig James about Devine's pro potential. James responded with some bizarre answer about Devine needing to play in the slot or maybe getting some carries. Craig isn't a great college analyst and he certainly isn't a gifted draft analyst.

Devine will be more than an afterthought for the NFL. He has the speed and skill set to be a good NFL player. I don't think anyone will project him as a starting RB, but he'll be more than just any old role player. You look at what Darren Sproles and Maurice Jones-Drew have become in the league. He could find a niche like that to be a key component to an offense. Devine has great speed. He is small, but he's not a finesse runner.

There were several plays where Devine used a good stiff arm to avoid being tackled. There are plenty of speedy backs in college. I think Devine helps himself by running hard and using that arm. Defenders can't come in casually. Several Buffs defenders found that out last night.

Devine has good vision. He's elusive and moves well laterally. He has tremendous burst that allows him to hit a hole quickly or pull away from defenders in a hurry. Devine could really boost his pro stock if he were a better receiver and returner. He has 50 career catches, but only averages 6.6 yards per reception. He averages 22.3 yards per KO return. Those numbers are pedestrian for a guy with his speed and physical ability. Devine won't make it in the NFL as a pure runner. He's got to be part of the passing game and the return game.


* I watched a bit of tape on Indiana LT Roger Saffold. There are times when he looks pretty good. He's athletic. He's quick into his blocks. He can pull and block in space. The problem is that he needs to get stronger. He will get pushed around by DL at times. NFL teams will definitely be interested in him. Saffold has a good frame and athletic ability.


* LeRoy Vann is a dynamic RS on the I-AA level. He plays for Florida A&M and is having a great year. Vann is averaging 25 yards per KOR. That's solid, but nothing special. Punt returns are the area where he's special. Vann is averaging 25 yards per PR and has 4 TDs in only 4 games. That is crazy. Last year he ran back 3 punts and 3 kickoffs for TDs. That gives him 10 return TDs in a year and a half. Wow.

Vann lists at 5'9, 185, but might be a bit shorter. He has good vision and he's elusive. Good returners can always make the first guy miss. The great ones can make additional tackler miss and then they instinctively know where to run. Dominating I-AA competition does not always carry over to the next level. I've mainly watched highlights of Vann. He has good RS skills, but I do wonder about his speed. He doesn't look like a 4.4 guy. Those long returns at FAMU may be 15 to 20 yard plays against better competition.

Positionally Vann is a DB. I have yet to study him on defense. Based on his size and speed though I doubt he has much shot at CB in the NFL. He does have the RS potential to play at the next level.


* Mississippi State RB Antony Dixon is a big, powerful runner. He's been hampered in his career by the failure of MSU to develop good skill players to go with him. New coach Dan Mullen has really helped the Bulldog offense. Dixon is benefiting from the offensive success. He was suspended for the opener due to a DUI arrest, but has run for 321 yards in the next 3 games. You might warn to be cautious, that Dixon is doing that against weak teams. Wrong. MSU has a weird schedule. They've already played 3 conference games (Auburn, Vandy, LSU). Dixon is putting up good numbers against SEC defenses.

Coming into this year Dixon had 6 100-yard games against SEC teams. He's done that twice so far and had 92 yards in the other contest. I like what I'm seeing from MSU and Dixon.

Anthony (6'1, 240) is at his best as a downhill runner. The coaching staff is using him accordingly and Dixon is running hard. He will break arm tackles and even run over some defenders. I would like to see Dixon be more a part of the passing game. He's only got 1 catch so far. Still, NFL teams looking for a power runner have to like what they're seeing from Dixon right now.


* Louisiana Tech DB Deon Young played Safety for most of his career. He got moved to CB this year and has responded pretty well. He came up big in the win over Hawaii on Wednesday night. Young picked off a pass and broke up another one in the end zone. He looked very natural in coverage and playing the ball. He's got more of a Safety build at 5'11, 200. I'm not sure if he has the speed for CB in the NFL. He did show pro teams that he's got potential as a Nickelback as well as a Safety. That kind of versatility always helps. Young is a 3-year starter and has 9 career picks.
___________________________________

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-5-09

* There was an interesting discussion on ESPN's College Gameday. Todd McShay said that Jake Locker could very well be the #1 overall pick. That shocked Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit. College football analysts have a hard time understanding what to look for in an NFL prospect.

McShay is right about Locker being a very good prospect. I don't agree that he could go #1 overall this year. I don't think you spend the top pick on a prospect unless you feel that guy is somewhat polished. Locker is only a Junior. He will have about 30 starts under his belt at the end of the year. Unfortunately he missed most of last year and is in his 2nd offensive system. Those two facts have slowed his development as a polished QB.

Locker has excellent physical gifts. He is 6'3 and almost 230 pounds. He is an excellent athlete. He ran for 986 yards back in his Redshirt Freshman season of 2007. You don't have that kind of success on the ground without excellent running skills and athleticism. Locker has a very good arm. He's okay mechanically. He does need work, but he's more fundamentally sound than a prospect like Tim Tebow.

The areas where Locker needs work are pocket presence, accuracy, and decision making. One play he looks very good in any of these. The very next play he'll struggle with one of them. Consistency is the hallmark of a good QB. Locker has yet to take his overall talent and convert that ability into consistently good QB play. He is on the right path, though.

Locker has made great strides this year in going from an athletic QB to more of a pocket passer. He's running less. He's become a more efficient passer. I think he's shown enough that he definitely could be a 1st round pick. He doesn't have the size or arm of Joe Flacco, but Jake is similar to him. Clearly Joe has been well coached at the pro level and has developed into a solid NFL QB. I'm sure plenty of teams could see Jake as being worth investing in with a pretty high pick.

I do think that he could be #1 overall in the 2011 draft if he were to return to Washington for his Senior year. Will he do that? Jake is a tough guy to get a read on. He's a winner and a leader. He seems to love playing for UW. He has good potential as a major league baseball player. Jake has told them that his focus is on football for now. Is that for Washington or will it be at the NFL level?


* Let's talk about another athletic QB. Juice Williams is pretty much having a nightmare of a Senior season. Illinois is 1-3, with the victory being against a I-AA team. Their closest loss was Saturday's 35-17 defeat to Penn State. Juice had not run or thrown for a TD until that game. He missed virtually the entire ISU game due to an injury, but the Illini offense has been awful this year. They are 76th in yards and 110th in scoring. And this is a team with some NFL talent.

Juice is not playing with confidence. He is dealing with a new offensive coordinator this year, but the basic system remains the same. The whole offense seems completely out of sync. Illinois has run the ball well for the last few years, but the ground game is only ranked 103rd in the country. Coaching, playcalling, timing, blocking, execution ... they all have a part in the struggles. The offense had 3 drives of 70+ yards in the PSU game, so maybe we can take those as signs of life.

As for Juice the pro prospect, he has killed his NFL value this year. I thought a strong season would make him a mid-round pick. He is now a late round project, at best. Juice can't be completely dismissed. He has some great moments. He threw a couple of passes in the PSU game that were NFL quality. The passes had excellent velocity. They were downfield passes. And they were very accurate. Mix those kind of throws with his athletic ability and you have a player that teams have to take a look at. He does need coaching and will need to go somewhere that is willing to develop him.


* Taylor Mays had a very good game for USC in their demolition of Cal. His best game last year was also against Cal. I'm not sure what it is, but that team brings out the best in him. Mays had 10 tackles (6 solo) and an INT in the end zone. His speed was a big help in keeping Jahvid Best somewhat under control (14-47). Mays was able to play in the box, but had enough speed to chase down plays to the edge and limit Best's gains. Not many DBs have that kind of ability. I want to see more of these kinds of games from Taylor, where he looks like a Top 20 player. Too often I'm frustrated by the lack of big games.


BY THE NUMBERS

* Auburn RB Ben Tate had another good game. He had 25 carries for 125 yards and a TD. He is a tough, physical runner. I was impressed with him.

* A couple of Tennessee defenders had very productive nights. LB Rico McCoy had 10 solo tackles, a PBU, and a FF. Safety Eric Berry had 11 tackles, a TFL, and a PBU.

* Arizona State CB Jarrell Holman continued his good year. He had 7 tackles and picked off a pass. He's played well the last 2 weeks.

* Georgia DT Kade Weston had 5 tackles and a sack. He played well in the middle all game long.

* BYU Tight End Dennis Pitta had a big game. He caught 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 TDs.

* Vandy CB Myron Lewis had 2 picks last week and 1 this week. He's especially interesting because he's 6'2, 205. Big CBs who can cover and make plays are hard to find.

* Oklahoma DE Jeremy Beal has really come alive the last 2 weeks. The Junior has had 3 sacks in each game. He had a FF vs Tulsa and batted down a couple of passes vs Miami.

* CJ Spiller continued his odd season. He had a pedestrian showing at RB (18 carries, 72 yards). His big impact on the game came when he ran a KO back 92 yards for a TD. Spiller has 2 KOR TDs. He's averaging 38 yards per KOR. He leads the nation in punt returns, averaging 30 yards per return. He has 1 TD. 3 return TDs is pretty darn impressive for less than half a season.

* Houston's great season hit a major road bump. They lost to UTEP Saturday, 58-41. The Cougars piled up 664 yards of offense. UTEP "only" had 581. Sadly, the game wasn't on national TV so I didn't get to see it.

* Pitt DE Greg Romeus had 3.5 sacks vs Louisville on Friday. Romeus isn't explosive off the ball, but he's athletic for such a big guy. He will also bull rush when needed. He plays hard for such a talented guy.

* Oregon's Ed Dickson is the hottest TE in the country. He had 7 catches for 103 yards and a TD Saturday. In the last two games he has 18-251-4.

* Minnesota WR Eric Decker continued his great Senior season. He caught 8 balls for 140 yards and a TD. He's already got 43 catches and 5 TDs. He's averaging 15 yards per reception so this isn't just dink 'n dunk stuff.

LB Simoni Lawrence had 9 tackles, a PBU, and a TFL.

* Wisconsin DE O'Brien Schofield had 3.5 TFLs (2 of them were sacks) and a FF. He's 4th in the country in TFLs. I've mentioned him before. He's got a LB build. I don't see him playing DE in the NFL.

* Ole Miss WR Shay Hodge had his best game of the year. He caught 8 passes for 122 yards and a pair of TDs.

* NC State DT Alan-Michael Cash had 9 tackles and 2 sacks in the Wolfpack's loss to Wake Forest. He's more of an effort guy than a special talent. Excellent motor.

* NW Safety Brad Phillips had 6 tackles and a pair of FFs.
_

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor , http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-7-09

Let's talk about some prospects of note and who is moving up vs who is moving down.


UP

* WR Golden Tate - Notre Dame --- He's only a Junior, but Tate is really helping his cause. Teammate Michael Floyd is done for the year and that put a ton of pressure on Tate. He responded with a monster game vs Washington. Tate caught 9 passes for 244 yards and a TD. For the year he's 33-602-4, very impressive numbers. Tate isn't an elite player, but he's showing big time ability. He has a thick build and runs almost like a RB at times. He has good speed and great RAC skills. A lot of the yards vs UW came after the catch. NFL teams love that. Tate doesn't have great hands. He can make tough catches, but will also drop some that he should catch. I think his physical style of play will be something that teams like. He also has RS ability. My biggest issue with Tate is celebrations and attitude. I'm not a fan of that stuff and he does it to the nth degree. Drives me nuts. Looks like a Top 45 type player or better.

* OT Mike Tepper - Cal --- Go read a story about this kid to fully appreciate how tough he is. Missed the 2005 season due to a broken leg from getting hit by a car. Missed the 2008 season with a pectoral injury. Has had other smaller issues as well. Still, has ideal size at 6'7, 320. Starting LT for Cal. Adequate pass blocker and a good run blocker. Projects to the right side in the NFL. I was curious to see how he'd look after the time off, but I've been very impressed. Teams that like to run the ball will really like this guy. I'm not sure how highly Mike will be picked because of his medical background, but I wanted to mention him here because he's overcome so much to get out on the field and is playing well.

* WR Eric Decker - Minnesota --- I knew he was a good college player from watching him casually in the past. I knew he was productive. I did have concerns about the way his numbers would drop vs some teams. I've paid much more attention to Decker this year and I've got a whole new level of appreciation for him. He is a good WR and prospect. He's got good numbers 43-639-5. The most impressive thing is how clutch he is. Eric comes up big when the team needs him to. My only question is whether Eric is the Jason Avant type who's lack of top speed will force him to the slot or if he's an Amani Toomer type who can be a good possession receiver even though he's not a regular vertical threat.

* RB Joe McKnight - USC --- Great talent, but always an enigma. Had trouble staying healthy and playing up to his ability on a regular basis. Joe had 3 100-yard games in his first two years at USC. He's got 3 this year in only 4 games. Staying on the field and staying focused was all McKnight needed to do. His talent was never in question. Joe came up big in the win over Ohio State, especially on the game winning drive. You like guys who deliver in key situations. He's also getting into the end zone this year. Joe had 7 TDs in 2 years. He's got 6 in 2009. McKnight is intriguing as a player because of his ceiling. He has some size at 6'0, 90. He's not afraid to lower his shoulder and run with power. He can also be very elusive when needed. He has good vision and excellent cutting ability. Joe is a gifted receiver and has experience as a RS. If he posts good numbers all year, Joe could be a Top 20 pick. Durability is the big issue. He's got to stay on the field.

* LB/DE O'Brien Schofield - Wisconsin --- This guy flashed a little last year, but never stood out. He is playing great football as a Senior. Schofield already has 11 TFLs and 2 FFs this year. Watch tape of UW and you'll see he's disruptive even when he doesn't make the play. Blockers have to locate him and make sure they watch where he goes. That leads to chances for the rest of the Badgers front seven. Schofield is 6'3, 242. He's gone from off the radar to a Top 100 guy (or better). I love his motor, quickness, and instincts. Schofield plays DE for the Badgers, but will need to shift to LB or play in some hybrid position.


DOWN

* QB Jevan Snead - Ole Miss --- What the heck happened? We all thought Snead might actually push Bradford and McCoy for the top QB spot. Doesn't look likely at this point. Snead started slow last year, but he was new to starting at the college level. That made sense. Now he's returning and has a lot of talent around him. Snead was awful vs SoCar, only going 7 of 21. He's got 5 INTs in 4 games. The offense isn't scoring well the last 2 weeks. Snead hasn't looked like a franchise QB so far this year. He had best pick up the pace. Or come back for his Senior year.

* DE Corey Wootton - Northwestern --- This is purely an injury situation. Corey had a major knee injury in the Alamo Bowl. He worked very hard in rehab to get ready for his Senior year. I give the young man a lot of credit for busting his butt to get on the field, but the results haven't been very good. He's played in all 5 games, but only has 6 solo tackles, 3 hurries, and a blocked kick to show for it. No sacks, no TFLs. NFL teams still have a lot of interest in Wootton, but his draft value has diminished because of the injury. Doesn't mean that he can't have a great NFL career. Just means that he won't be picked highly. Wootton still has more than half the year to get better. He also will have the all star games and Combine. A good showing anywhere will really help him.

* CB Patrick Robinson - Florida State --- He was my top Senior CB coming into the year. I've been disappointed by him in a couple of games. Robinson got hit butt chewed out by Mickey Andrews on Saturday for being sloppy in coverage. Robinson is too talented to give up plays vs Boston College. And FSU's pass defense has struggled all year (112th in the country). Robinson isn' the sole cause, but he's part of the problem. He'll still be a high pick, but he needs to play better.

* OT Ciron Black - LSU --- I thought he played pretty well last year, but I never focused on him too much. Now that he's a Senior and I'm watching him more closely I don't like what I see. I hoped he would look like a 1st round type of prospect. No way. The more I watch him, the less I like him. He's still probably a Top 100 player, but I don't feel real strongly about him playing LT in the NFL. Black's pass blocking is adequate at the college level, but doesn't look good enough for the NFL. He's 6'5, 322 and has some talent. I'm not writing him off completely. I think a switch to G or RT would make a lot more sense. Playing Florida's athletic defense will be a good test for him.

QUICK HITS

* Nevada beat UNLV this week, 63-28. Nice score, but so what? Nevada had 773 yards of offense in the game. They threw for 214 and ran for 559. They never punted.

* I watched the Troy/MTSU game hoping to see some good football and enjoy some mid-major prospects. Troy won going away and it was a sloppy game. Troy DE Brandon Lang disappointed. He bull rushed effectively, but didn't get consistent pressure like I hoped. He was limited to 1 tackle assist. Bear Woods led the team with 9 tackles, but he's a limited prospect.

MTSU DE Chris McCoy is having a good year, but was held under control last night. They ran at him quite a bit. He had 3 stops (1/2 a TFL). CB Alex Suber attacked from the slot quite a bit. He had 3 tackles and a sack. LB Danny Carmichael had some good moments, but you can't get too excited about a LB when the other team ran for 264 yards.
___________________________________

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-12-09

WEEK 6

* Buckeyes Safety Kurt Coleman had a huge showing in the win over Wisconsin. He was in on 14 tackles and also picked off a pass. He ran that back 89 yards for a TD. Coleman is having a good year. He leads the team in tackles and has 2 INTs and 3 FFs.


* WR Jordan Shipley had a big game for the Longhorns on Saturday. He caught 11 passes for 147 yards and a TD. Shipley ran a great route on the TD play. He completely sold the DB on an inside move and was wide open. Jordan may lack elite speed, but the NFL likes receivers who know how to run great routes and get open.

Texas had a couple of defenders play well. LB Rod Muckelroy had 11 tackles and a pair of TFLs. He also broke up a couple of passes. DE Sergio Kindle had 6 tackles and a pair of TFLs. That was the best game of the year for each guy. I'm looking forward to checking out the tape.


* Jake Locker update. He led the Huskies to another win this weekend. I turned on the game late, just in time to see UW pull off a wild finish. Jake led the offense to a late score and then the defense had a miraculous pick-six. The ball bounced off a receiver's foot and went to a defender, who then raced in for the score. Locker didn't have a good night throwing the ball, but he did show his incredible raw ability on one play. He dropped back and had to duck to avoid a blitzer. Jake then took off running. He ran through an arm tackle and then cut back to the middle of the field. Locker then turned on the jets and raced 56 yards for a TD.

He did throw 3 TDs in the game. One was a short, play-action pass where he showed good touch. He also sold the fake well. Another TD came on a deep post. Locker made an accurate throw. The final TD was a clutch play late in the game when UW was down 12 points.


* Duke QB Thad Lewis got off to a slow start this year. He dealt with an injury through the spring and summer and it limited his practice time. How bad were things early on? Lewis was only 5 of 16 against Army. That is a distant memory. Lewis played well vs Va Tech, but then had a phenomenal game vs NC State. Thad was 40 of 50 for 459 yards and 5 TDs. Those are video game numbers. Those are Texas Tech numbers. I watched most of the game and was shocked at how well he played. Heck, Thad even ran for a TD in the game. Duke won 49-28.

Lewis has been productive throughout his time at Duke. He holds the school record for TD passes. That may not sound like a big deal, but consider that Steve Spurrier spent several years there as the OC and then later as the HC. Duke has been a good passing team in the past. I never really thought of Lewis as a strong NFL prospect. The guy that I watched on Saturday was different. He made good reads. He was accurate. He looked like a big time QB and was money on 3rd downs. Was this an aberration or is Lewis a late emerging prospect?


* Sam Bradford was only 27 of 49 for OU. I expected him to be somewhat rusty. Sam missed several weeks with a shoulder injury and had to adjust to some new receivers. Baylor was just a warm-up. The real test comes this week when the Sooners play Texas. It will be very interesting to see how Sam plays. He was like a machine last year. This season has been anything but automatic.


BY THE NUMBERS

* Arizona State beat Washington State on Saturday, 27-14. The Sun Devils had 23 TFLs in the game. WSU finished with -54 yards in rushing. Sack yardage counts against runs in college, but that is still astounding.

* Auburn RB Ben Tate had the best game of his career, 22-186-2. He had a 60-yard TD run that went down the right sideline. Ben caught 3 passes and had a 28-yard KOR.

CB Walter McFadden had an INT. Arkansas threw the ball a lot in the game, but didn't go at McFadden very much. He's having a good Senior season.

* Va Tech CB Stephan Virgil had a pick and a couple of tackles. He had a very good season in 2008, but hasn't been as much of a playmaker this year. He switched to boundary corner. The Hokies have a history of guys thriving in that spot. Brandon Flowers and Macho Harris were the most recent stars. Virgil needs to pick up the pace.

* Tennessee WR Gerald Jones had the best game of his career. He caught 5 balls for 105 yards and 2 TDs. I've always been impressed with his talent, but poor QB play has limited his production. Jones is only a Junior and should definitely stay in school unless he gets red hot the 2nd half of the season.

* Connecticut Safety Robert Vaughn had a monster game vs Pitt. He had 10 tackles, a TFL, and 2 INTs. He ran one pick back for a TD.

* Iowa TE Tony Moeaki missed the last 3 games with an injury, but returned in a big way against Michigan. He caught 6 passes for 105 yards and 2 TDs. Tony has all the talent in the world, but he has trouble staying healthy.

* Michigan DE Brandon Graham had 9 tackles and 2 sacks vs Iowa. The sacks have been slow to come this year, but he now has 3 in the last two games.

* Kentucky DT Corey Peters racked up 6 solo tackles and 2.5 sacks vs South Carolina.

* Utah WR David Reed had a big game, 9-140-1. He's having a breakout year. He was a role player last year and caught only 25 passes. He's already got 35 this season.

Utes Safety Robert Johnson did okay as well. He had 5 tackles and broke up a pass. He also had 3 INTs. Not too bad.

* Indiana DE Jammie Kirlew is having a terrific year. He put up good numbers last season (19.5 TFLs, 53 solo tackles, 2 FFs). It's good to see him coming up big as a Senior. He's already got 21 solo stops, 11.5 TFLs, and 3 FFs. 2 of the TFLs came on Saturday vs UVA.

* Kansas Safety Darrell Stuckey had 14 tackles and a TFL in the Jayhawks win on Saturday.

* BYU TE Dennis Pitta only had 2 catches vs UNLV. One went for 35 yards and the other for 25.

* Wake Forest CB Brandon Ghee had 1 tackle and 4 pass break-ups in the Demon Deacons win over Maryland. He's a good CB prospect.

* Arkansas RB Michael Smith had a big game. He ran 18 times for 145 yards and a TD. Long run went for 33 yards. Also caught one pass. Smith hasn't put up big numbers this year. The offense could use his running to balance things out.

* Wisconsin DE O'Brien Schofield continued his torrid pace. He had 3.5 TFLs vs Ohio State and leads the nation with 14.5 TFLs on the year.

* Penn State DT Jared Odrick had his best game of the year. It was only against I-AA Eastern Illinois, but he had 3.5 TFLs (2 of them were sacks). Odrick spent much of the game in the backfield.

___________________________________

[daninoz]

Originally Posted by goeagles99

* Arizona State beat Washington State on Saturday, 27-14. The Sun Devils had 23 TFLs in the game. WSU finished with -54 yards in rushing. Sack yardage counts against runs in college, but that is still astounding.

Bill Doba didn't know how to recruit, and was basically allowed to annihilate the program that Mike Price had built up. When Paul Wulff got there there were three players on the roster who had offers from D1 teams other than Washington State. The team is a mess, and I don't know when it's going to get better, or if Wulff is the guy to make it better.

[goeagles99]

I miss WASU being a good team. They were always interesting in sort of a fun way. Wulff is an alum so he genuinely cares about the program. Some coaches just see a job as a stepping stone. That won't be the case for him. I sure hope he's able to rebuild.

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-15-09

UP

* DT Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska --- No one ever questioned Suh's ability. He was simply inconsistent prior to 2008. You saw flashes of greatness. Then in '08 you saw a great player. Suh was arguably the most dominant DT in the nation. The question heading into '09 was whether he could maintain that level of play. Yes, he can. Suh is once again a force in the middle. He has 3 sacks, so you know he can get to the QB. He also has 7 pass deflections. On those plays when he's double-teamed, Suh will simply watch the QB and go for the ball when he tries to throw. He managed to pick off a pass vs Mizzou that was crucial to Nebraska's win. He is cut like a LB and has a very good motor. Suh actually leads Nebraska in tackles. He's strong enough to play in a 2-gap system. He's athletic enough to play the 3-technique. He can also play DE in the 3-4. All 32 teams should have interest in this young man. Could be #1 overall.

* WR Mike Williams - Syracuse --- Mike missed the 2008 season due to an academic situation. Everything was cleared up and he's back on the field in a big way. Back in 2007 he caught 60 passes and 10 TDs. The '09 season is only half over and he's got 45 catches and 6 TDs. And those numbers aren't coming against cupcakes. People think of Syracuse as the cupcake. Mike has done that against Minnesota, Penn State, WVa, USF, etc. He's also got a unique QB. Former Duke basketball star Greg Paulus is the man feeding Williams the ball. Paulus is very up and down. Williams is able to go get the ball if Paulus just gets it close. He's had to slow down for underthrown balls. He will go up and make catches above the DB. Good player. While he is a Senior, Mike could come back in 2010 because he missed last season. In a recent interview he said he would return, but we'll see if that is true in a couple of months. Players have been known to change their mind.

* OT Chris Scott - Tennessee --- Big guy at 6'4, 345. Plays LT, but doesn't project there in the NFL. Can be a very good run blocker. Works hard as a pass blocker, but lacks the footwork and quickness to handle speed rushers. Too quick to open his hips. Does try to engage the defender so that he can take advantage of his size and strength. Able to pull on run plays. Could project at G or RT. I had mixed feelings while checking out his tape this summer. The UT offense is better this year and Scott is playing at a higher level. Reminds me of a poor man's Jeff Otah.

* ILB Rolando McClain - Alabama --- I'm a big fan of Brandon Spikes (UF's MLB), but McClain may have passed him as the top inside linebacker in the SEC. McClain is huge at 6'4, 258. Watch a game and he shows up all over the place. He's a real force in the middle of the field. He is stout vs inside run plays. McClain is a very effective blitzer. He's so big and physical that it throws blockers off. They're used to 235 pound LBs. McClain is also a solid cover guy. He shows a good feel for the passing game. He knows how to cover and also closes to the ball quickly. Check out the stat sheet. McClain leads the team in tackles. He has 5.5 TFLs and a couple of INTs. He broke up a pass vs UK and the ball was picked off by another LB. McClain just makes things happen. The only thing I'm curious about is his top end speed. Patrick Willis ran great at the Combine and we see that on Sundays. I know McClain is quick, but is he fast? A solid time could make him a Top 15 pick. He's only a Junior, but if he plays at this level all year I could easily see him leaving early.


DOWN

* DE George Selvie - USF --- What happened? In the first 6 games of his Sophomore year George had 11 sacks. He was a major force. Since then he has 10.5 in 25 games. That isn't slowing down, it's mashing the brakes with both feet as hard as possible. George isn't a bad player, but he's not the elite prospect that some think. He's less than 250 pounds. He doesn't get off blocks as much as he should. Sure, he gets a lot of attention, but special players still make plays. Go back and watch Dwight Freeney in college. He had all kinds of blockers working on him, but still managed to make play after play. I don't see George as a Top 50 prospect at this point. He's a pure RDE due to his size. Guys like that must get to the QB.

* TE Rob Gronkowski - Arizona --- The 6'6, 258 Junior hasn't played a down of football this year. He was considered a 1st round caliber prospect heading into the season. Rob has battled a bad back and recently had surgery on a herniated disc. He'll be healed and good to go in January. Rob said that he hasn't ruled out the NFL in 2010. He will get an evaluation from the NFL and if he is given a 1st round grade will enter the draft. I doubt he will get that grade since he missed the whole year and has a known back issue. Rob, assuming he stays in college, should be the top TE prospect in 2011. Still, you don't like to hear about a big guy having a bad back. That is the kind of issue that can stick with a player throughout his career.

* DT Geno Atkins - Georgia --- Back in 2007 Geno made a ton of plays and looked like a really good 1-gap DT. His numbers went down last year, but part of that was due to Jeff Owens getting hurt and teams doubling Atkins a fair amount. This year Owens is back and Kade Weston is part of the mix as well. Atkins is no longer getting the same kind of penetration on a regular basis. He's on pace to finish with 14 solo tackles and 5 TFLs, hardly the kind of numbers a guy with his ability should be posting. Solid prospect, but not the stud DT he should be.

* CB Stephan Virgil - Virginia Tech --- Stephan had a terrific showing in 2008. He picked off 6 passes and played well as the field corner. Macho Harris graduated and VT moved Virgil over to the boundary corner. That spot is a big position in the Hokies defense. Guys like Deangleo Hall, Jimmy Williams, Brandon Flowers, and Harris all played at an All-American level as the boundary corner in recent years. Virgil hurt his knee early in the season and hasn't been the same player. He missed 2 games. He's played in the last few, but isn't 100 percent. He did have his first INT of the season against Boston College on Saturday. Virgil isn't a great athlete. He needs to shine on gamedays to impress scouts. The injury really hurts his draft value. He's just not the type of guy who will run a great 40 or post a great 3-cone time and still get taken pretty high.


MISC

* WR Arrelious Benn - Illinois --- I get asked quite a bit about his lack of big numbers and how that will affect his draft value. I think very highly of Arrelious. I see him as a Top 20 pick at worst. I'd strongly consider him in the Top 10. He is big and physical. They list him at 6'2, 220, but that is meaningless. You might as well say Bill Gates is rich. Benn plays like he's 250. He is very hard to tackle. He's got tremendous power and strength. Most WRs struggle with physical play at the NFL level. I think Benn is made for that. Remember Mike Williams from USC? He was big, but didn't play up to his size. He out-muscled guys sometimes, but was more of a bully than a physical player. Like all bullies, Mike freaked out in the NFL when players either had his size or didn't care how big he was. I just don't see that happening to Benn. Not at all. He reminds me a great deal of Anquan Boldin.

As for the stats...you can't help QB play. Benn has 134 career catches, but only 5 TDs. The hardest place to throw the ball is in the Red Zone. Juice Williams doesn't feed the ball to Benn. He spreads it around. No receiver has had more than 4 TD catches in a season during Juice's career. That tells you the issue is sytematic and not based on a lack of talent. And Juice isn't a guy who throws many TDs. He has 46 TD passes in 1015 career pass attempts. To put that in perspective, Greg Paulus has a better ratio of TDs per attempt.

___________________________________

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-21-09

WEEK 7 NOTES

* I guess we have to start with Sam Bradford. He went down on the 8th play of the game. We don't yet know his status for the remainder of the season. I really hated to see him go down. Didn't matter to me who won the game. I just wanted the best players on the field. I also hoped Bradford would finish strong to cement his status as an elite prospect.

Sam has some tough choices to make. Does he try to come back and play this year? Does he focus on getting healthy and come out for this draft? Does he return for his Senior year and focus on the 2011 draft? Teams know he can play based on 2008. They understand his limited production this year is based on new teammates and playing hurt. He shouldn't get downgraded much. That said, is he a guy that you take in the Top 5 and hand $40M to? His shoulder will be checked out with great scrutiny. Teams are scared of buying damaged goods that early in the draft. Plus, if the kid gets hurt vs BYU how is he going to handle a hit from Ray Lewis or DeMarcus Ware?


* Colt McCoy had a golden opportunity because of the injury. He could have possibly jumped to the head of the QB class with a great game. Didn't happen. OU's defense played really well and McCoy put up pedestrian numbers, 21-39-127, INT, TD. You still have to give him credit for leading his team to victory. Colt is now 3-1 vs OU. He's 3-0 in bowl games. He plays on a talented team, but Texas doesn't have a bunch of elite offensive prospects. Colt would love to have a healthy TE or big time RB on his side.

I think NFL opinions are going to be pretty mixed about Colt. ESPN had a 5-part competiton between him and Bradford. The events were golf, basketball (horse), wiffle ball home run derby, ping pong, and throwing a football through a tire. Bradford was easily the better athlete and won 4 of the 5 events. Colt only beat him at the football event. The point to take from this is that Colt is a football player, not an athlete.

Sam may look more smooth and polished, but Colt has the "it" factor. His teams win. He knows what it is like to have to make plays on his own. He's clutch. I'm sure plenty of teams will love him for these traits. Others will see a good college player, but limited pro prospect. Compare Colt to recent guys who panned out well like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. Colt isn't big like like them. He isn't as athletic as Flacco. Hard to say about him and Matt. He doesn't have as good an arm as those guys.

I like Colt quite a bit, but he's not a slam dunk high pick for everyone. He isn't having a great Senior year. He isn't as efficient or productive as last season. Part of that is him setting the bar really high last year, but 11 TDs and 7 INTs aren't great numbers no matter how you spin them. Let's hope Colt picks up the pace.

* I watched part of the ARK/UF game. Razorback QB Ryan Mallett struggled. He missed at least 2 TD passes with flat out bad throws. Easy TDs. Ryan has a huge arm and good frame. He needs at least one more year in school to develop into a better passer. The talent is there, but he needs experience.

* Southern Cal TE Anthony McCoy had a monster day in the win over Notre Dame. He caught 5 passes for 153 yards. McCoy has good size at 6'5, 250. He has good hands and looks like a pretty natural receiver. He has excellent RAC ability. He had a long play of 60 yards in the game. McCoy caught made an over-the-shoulder catch against a blitz and was able to outrun the defender down the field. He broke a tackle and dragged a defender inside the 10. McCoy isn't a workhorse receiver. He's only got 38 career catches. I think he has the ability to be more productive. He's had to sit behind good players and split time with other TEs. McCoy is also an underrated blocker. He's no Mark Bruener, but McCoy has the size and strength to be effective as an in-line blocker. He gives good effort. I see him as guy who can start on the next level.

* If I had a Heisman vote right now I would give it to Alabama RB Mark Ingram. That kid impresses the heck out of me. He ran for 246 yards and a TD in the win over South Carolina. Ingram is physical. He wears down a defense. I don't know his splits from the 1st half of games to the 2nd half, but I bet his numbers are definitely better after halftime. He has great feet and balance. That makes him more than just a power runner. I love watching him punish defenses.

* Cincinnati S Aaron Webster had a terrific pick in the win over USF last week. Webster dropped into deep coverage and read the QB's eyes. He then broke to the ball, made the pick, and ran it back 83 yards. Webster has good size at 6'2, 211. He can really hit. He's a solid run defender. The fact he can cover the deep middle as well makes him a good S prospect. Webster now has 3 INTs on the year.

* Junior LB Navorro Bowman is playing well for PSU now that he's healthy. Bowman has come up big in the last two weeks. He has 13 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 PBU, and returned a fumble 91 yards for a TD. Bowman is an outstanding tackler with a real nose for the ball. He has good closing speed and hits with power. He knocked a Minnesota RB out of the game with one hit.

* Purdue WR Aaron Valentin is really emerging this year. He transferred from a JC to Purdue last year, but only had 11 catches. He had 10 grabs on Saturday in the upset of Ohio State. Valentin has good size at 6'1, 205. He is athletic and has good RAC ability. Valentin caught a short pass vs OSU and took it 23 yards for a TD. You can see that athleticism when he returns kicks. He ran a punt back for a TD this year and averages 22 yards per KOR for his career. Valentin looks like a late round pick right now, but he looks better each week.

CB David Pender broke up 3 passes in the game, including the final play of the game. He has good size at 6'1, 175. He's got 9 PBUs this year and 1 INT. Pender won't appeal to all teams, but those that like big CBs will be intrigued.

Brandon King is the other CB. He picked off 2 passes.

* A quick note about Terrelle Pryor. He has elite physical skills, but must work on technique. Too many of his throws have very poor form. He throws downfield balls with his wrists. It might be fun to watch a guy flick the ball 40 yards, but the pass won't be on time or on target. He needs a lot of work on his mechanics. His short passes are also a problem. He needs to make quicker decisions, better reads, and put the ball on target. He's got 8 picks in only 159 attempts. Freshmen QBs Matt Barkley and Tate Forcier have combined for 7 INTs this year. Pryor chose OSU over Michigan because he wanted to be more of a conventional QB to prepare for the NFL. He's got a long way to go and better start working on his fundamentals.

BY THE NUMBERS

* TCU pass rusher Jerry Hughes had 15 sacks last year. He's 4th in the nation this year with 8. He got to Colorado State QBs a couple of times on Saturday.

* Auburn runner Ben Tate continues his great Senior year. He's already up to 856 yards and 5 TDs. His career high is 903 yards and 8 TDs. Ben still has 5 games to play, plus a bowl.

* Washington DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim is a high motor guy. He had a couple of sacks against Arizona State and now has 3 in the last 2 weeks.

* Not much has gone right for Buffalo this year, but WR Naaman Roosevelt is having a good season. He caught 12 passes for 100 yards and 2 TDs vs Akron. For the year he is 52-705-6.

* Florida DE Jermaine Cunningham had a big game in the win over Arkansas. He had 4 TFLs (2 of them were sacks). The Razorbacks did a terrific job vs Tim Tebow, but it was underclassmen who made most of the plays.

* Baylor MLB Joe Pawelek had another big game. Against Iowa State he was in on 10 tackles and also had a TFL and pass break-up.

* CJ Spiller's odd year continued on Saturday. He ran for 106 yards, but only had 9 carries. One of the plays was a 66-yard run. He scored a couple of TDs.

* Kansas Safety Darrell Stuckey is one of the most productive DBs in the country. He had 10 solo tackles, an INT, and a PBU vs Colorado. In the last 4 games he has 32 solo tackles, an INT, 2.5 TFLs, a PD, and a FF. He's also a real high character prospect.

* Indiana DE Jammie Kirlew came up big in the win over Illinois. He had 9 solo tackles, a sack, and 2 FFs.

* Brandon Banks of Kansas State doesn't have much of a future at WR because of his size (only 5'7, 160), but he could be a RS. Banks ran back a KO for a TD in the win over Texas A&M. He ran back a couple earlier in the year against Tennessee Tech. He's averaging 30 yards per KOR for his career and has 4 TDs. He also has PR ability.

* Michigan State WR Blair White had a huge game against NW. He caught 12 passes for 186 yards and 2 TDs. White projects to slot receiver in the NFL.

* Check out the game that Virginia NT Nate Collins had vs Maryland. Nate had 9 tackles, a TFL, a sack, and an INT. He ran the INT back 32 yards for a TD.

[mouse]

Originally Posted by goeagles99

* WR Golden Tate - Notre Dame --- He's only a Junior, but Tate is really helping his cause. Teammate Michael Floyd is done for the year and that put a ton of pressure on Tate. He responded with a monster game vs Washington. Tate caught 9 passes for 244 yards and a TD. For the year he's 33-602-4, very impressive numbers. Tate isn't an elite player, but he's showing big time ability. He has a thick build and runs almost like a RB at times. He has good speed and great RAC skills. A lot of the yards vs UW came after the catch. NFL teams love that. Tate doesn't have great hands. He can make tough catches, but will also drop some that he should catch. I think his physical style of play will be something that teams like. He also has RS ability. My biggest issue with Tate is celebrations and attitude. I'm not a fan of that stuff and he does it to the nth degree. Drives me nuts. Looks like a Top 45 type player or better.

You have got to be kidding on Tate's hands. He has some of the strongest hands you would see from a college WR.

[goeagles99]

As I said in the note, Tate can make some tough catches. You will see him haul in some really tough passes. We saw a great example of that on the Hail Mary prior to halftime of the WASU game.

That said, Tate also will drop some catchable balls. I've seen him have a couple of bad drops. You love the fact he can make the tough catches, but seeing him drop normal passes is all the more frustrating because of that. Is it his hands? Is it a concentration issue? Hard to say.

[goeagles99]

by Tommy Lawlor, http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/

10-27-09

Week 9 Notes

* We have to start with the Sam Bradford news. He opted to have surgery that will end his season. Sam then plans to enter the upcoming draft. The big question will obviously be what kind of damage has been done to his shoulder. Any serious structural damage will greatly hurt his value. For now let's assume Sam will check out okay medically. Where does he rate?

Sam did start for 2 full seasons. He put up tremendous numbers (8403 yards, 68% completions, 88 TDs). He led one of the most explosive offenses in NCAA history last season. Sam is an accurate passer. He makes good reads and gets the ball out quickly. He has better athletic ability than you might think. He didn't run much, but he didn't have to. Sam had elite playmakers to work with, prior to this year. And that's why his injury is such a shame. I'd love to see how Sam would have played this year without guys like Malcolm Kelly, Jermaine Gresham, Juaquin Iglesias, and Manuel Johnson.

Sam will probably still be a 1st round pick, but teams may be reluctant to take him in the Top 10 because of the injury. The guys taken real early get huge deals. You'd be nervous about investing big time money in a guy with any medical concerns. Sam took some hits at OU, but nothing like what he'll get in the NFL.

* CJ Spiller had a monster game in Clemson's OT win over Miami. Anyone watching that performance will think CJ is a lock for the 1st round. He ran 14 times for 81 yards. He caught 6 passes for 104 yards and a TD. His long run was 48 yards. His long catch was 56 yards. Oh yeah...he also ran a KO back for a TD. This was the Spiller that absolutely makes you think of Chris Johnson and Felix Jones. He has that kind of speed and playmaking ability. I do have concerns with him, though. Johnson and Jones put up huge numbers. Johnson was more of the workhorse, but Jones was special in his own way, averaging almost 9 yards per carry. Spiller has great talent, but he's scored only 9 TDs in 7 games. And almost half (4) have come as a RS. Is the OL holding him back? Is it the offense in general? I'm not sure.

I also have concern with him being from Clemson. Recent players from that school have not worked out all that great. Clemson has had a lot of talented players in the last decade. The best NFL player from that group is probably LB LeRoy Hill of Seattle. Plenty of guys have had more talent...Gaines Adams, Rod Gardner, Tye Hill, Justin Miller, CJ Gaddis, Nick Eason, and Donnell Washington. Adams still has a chance to be solid, but he doesn't look like someone who should have been taken 4th overall. The jury is still out on Phillip Merling, Charlie Whitehurst, James Davis, and Michael Hamlin. I don't know why so many gifted players from one school would be underachievers. Clemson back in the 90s put out some really good players (Brian Dawkins, Trevor Pryce, Dexter McCleon, etc.).

Spiller is supposed to be a pretty high character person, but I'd really do my homework on him to make sure he wasn't going to be like the majority of his fellow Tigers. I do think his versatility and athletic ability will put him into the back end of the 1st round. Spiller is a gifted receiver. He has very good hands. He can catch the ball short or downfield. He has pretty good vision as a runner. He has excellent speed and burst. He's strong enough to break some arm tackles. He is very good as a RS. Spiller can make the first defender miss. He then uses his burst to get some initial separation. Once he's in the clear there are very few players who will chase him down from behind.

* Penn State QB Darryl Clark had one of the best games of his college career in Saturday's win over Michigan. Clark was 16-27-230. He threw 4 TDs, 3 of them coming on good throws in the Red Zone. The overall numbers don't sound all that great, but it was a cold, drizzly day. It wasn't exactly prime passing weather. Clark has had a few really good games in his career, but rarely does he throw well against a team with a solid DL. He hasn't handled pressure well in the past. Also, Darryl normally puts up big numbers when he completes a downfield pass or two. He was more workmanlike vs Michigan. He made two good throws to TE Andrew Quarless. One was a medium throw down the middle that Quarless turned into a 60-yard TD late in the 1st half. The other came moved PSU into scoring position in the 2nd half. Both plays were intermediate throws that were on time and on target.

Clark is a good leader. He's tough. He has the physical ability to play QB in the NFL, but he lacks the positional skills. Some team could put Clark on the Practice Squad to try and develop him. He does have some upside. More games like Saturday will certainly help his cause.

* Alabama NT Terrence Cody blocked a pair of FGs against Tennessee. The second block came at the end of the game and preserved a 12-10 victory. Cody is in better shape than last year and he's more of a playmaker this season. He'll never put up huge numbers, but I am impressed with his increased productivity. Cody will likely go in the 20-40 range because 3-4 teams are always looking for massive NTs who can control the middle of the line. Bama shut down Tennessee RB Montario Hardesty. His season low was 89 rushing yards prior to Saturday. The Crimson Tide held him to 48 yards. Cody is key to that kind of run defense.

* Harry Coleman of LSU was a guy that I liked this summer when going over 2008 tape. He was the SS last season. They moved him to WLB this year. He remains a very productive player. Coleman had a great game against Auburn. He was in on 9 tackles. He had 2 sacks and 1/2 a TFL. He broke up a pass and forced 2 fumbles. I think Coleman is more of a SS type in the NFL, but he does look pretty good playing in the box. You have to wonder if teams that like small LBs will consider him at that spot.

* Florida DE Carlos Dunlap had a big game in the win over Mississippi State. He had 5 solo tackles and 3 sacks. That is the kind of production I expected all year. Dunlap was great down the stretch last year. He's faced a lot of double teams this year, but he's been far too quiet. Let's hope the MSU performance was a sign of things to come. Dunlap has the size and talent to be a Top 5 pick.


BY THE NUMBERS

* Alabama CB Javier Arenas was very active vs Tennessee. He totaled 13 tackles, 3.5 TFLs (1 sack).

* Arizona State LB Mike Nixon continues to be productive. He had 8 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a FF.

* Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson had a slow start to the year. He played well vs Missouri last week and then had his best game of the year on Saturday. He was 23-27-250 with 3 TDs. And Dez Bryant wasn't on the field. Robinson is a talented player with NFL ability. The QB class is wide open right now and a good stretch of games from him could help his value to rise.

* Miami DL Allen Bailey had 2 sacks, a TFL, and a FF in the OT loss to Clemson. He is a very gifted athlete and very intriguing prospect.

* Arkansas RB/WR Devin McCluster had a huge game. He ran 22 times for 123 yards. He caught 7 passes for 137 yards and a TD. I love his athleticism and versatility. He will need to show RS ability in the postseason to help his draft value. Small guys must be able to help in the return game.

* TCU's defensive stars came up big in the win over BYU. DE Jerry Hughes had 4 tackles, a sack and a FF. LB Darryl Washington was in on 9 tackles and picked off a pass. The Cougars were held to 298 yards and only 7 points.

* Cal star Cameron Jordan is starting to heat up. He's got 5.5 sacks in the last 4 games. He had 2.5 against Washington State on Saturday. The Junior could play DE for some teams or DT for others if he decides to come out.

* Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith had his best game of the year. He was 18-28-359 and 4 scores.

* Kansas State DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald has gotten hot as well. He now has 4 sacks in the last couple of weeks. Fitzgerald is a transfer from UVa and has some serious character concerns. He can rush the passer and make plays in the backfield. He has 6 sacks and a FF so far this year.

* RB Noel Devine scored the winning TD for West Va in their game with UConn. He took a run to the right side, got into the open and then flew down the sideline for a 62-yard TD. One DB came over to knock him out of bounds, but Devine ran through the contact. Devine isn't big, but he runs hard and has excellent balance. You won't knock him down with casual contact. On the day he ran for 178 yards.

* I wrote about Virginia NT Nate Collins last week because he put up such good numbers. He had another terrific showing. He had 16 tackles (10 solo) and 2 TFLs. That is one active NT.

* Mizzou LB Sean Weatherspoon had a monster game. He had 8 solo tackles, 2 TFLs, a sack, an INT, and a pass break-up in the loss to Texas. Heckuva game.

* Troy QB Levi Brown has been red hot recently. That continued on Saturday. He was 27-44-469. He only threw for 1 TD, but his team scored 50 points.

* UNLV LB Jason Beauchamp played well this week. He had 9 tackles, 2 sacks, and a TFL. He also forced a fumble.

* Pitt TE Dorin Dickerson caught 5 passes for 58 yards. One of the catches was a TD. That gives him 9 TDs on the season. I'm not sure about his NFL future, but Dickerson is a good weapon for the Panther offense. He's too small for TE in the pros, but I'm not sure he is athletic enough to be a hybrid player.

[mouse]

Originally Posted by goeagles99

As I said in the note, Tate can make some tough catches. You will see him haul in some really tough passes. We saw a great example of that on the Hail Mary prior to halftime of the WASU game.

That said, Tate also will drop some catchable balls. I've seen him have a couple of bad drops. You love the fact he can make the tough catches, but seeing him drop normal passes is all the more frustrating because of that. Is it his hands? Is it a concentration issue? Hard to say.

I have got to disagree. Unless you just seen the Michigan game where he had 2 which was very uncommon, Tate will hardly drop any pass that comes his way. He has amazing hands which is pretty scary considering h hasn't played WR all that long.