Apart from the player himself, the next best source of knowing whether a player is expected to return to school or head for the NFL is their head coach. For Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, that man is Mike Gundy, who believes that his star receiver won’t be back in 2012.

“If he wants to come back, he’s certainly welcome,” Gundy said. “We will have a party. But I can’t imagine that he would be back again.”

Many considered Blackmon to be a top-five pick prior to the 2011 NFL Draft, but he opted to return for his junior season.

Although the amount of competition that he’ll have for that top WR spot in the draft is rather high, a top-five pick is in no way out of the question. So far this season, Blackmon has hauled in 74 passes for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns. Keep Reading…

The Stanford defense took a big shot today when a school spokesman announced that starting strong safety Delano Howell would not be playing during the Cardinal’s Saturday game against the Washington Huskies.

Through the first six games of the 2011 season, Howell has been a big playmaker in the defensive backfield for Stanford. Arguably the strongest link in the Cardinal secondary, the senior safety has racked up 25 tackles and four defended passes this season.

Howell, who’s dealing with a hand injury, will be replaced by sophomore Devon Carrington. So far this season, Carrington has tallied 19 total tackles and one defended pass while seeing action in a backup role. He has played in all six games this season and will get his first start against Washington.

As of right now, Howell is week-to-week and could miss more than just the Washington game if he can’t Keep Reading…

All seemed well while the Oregon Ducks were pummeling the Cal Golden Bears on Thursday night. The Ducks were dominating on the scoreboard and Heisman hopeful LaMichael James was having a game that would surely grab the attention of voters everywhere. Unfortunately, his night would not end as well as it began.

After rushing for 239 yards and a touchdown on the night, James fell awkwardly on his right arm after a run in the fourth quarter. During the fall, his face was immediately etched with pain as he dislocated his elbow. He was tended to by the team’s medical staff and was carted off the field after the arm was put into a temporary cast. The game resumed and the Ducks came away with a dominant 43-15 victory.

Despite how nauseating the injury looked, it appears as though the Ducks most valuable offensive weapon won’t be on Keep Reading…

On this beautiful Saturday afternoon, the USC Trojans overcame a second-half surge by the Arizona Wildcats to come away with a 48-41 victory. The highlight of the win for the Trojans was the record-breaking passing performance of quarterback Matt Barkley.

A junior who’s doing everything he can to prove he’s ready for the NFL, Barkley has had an up-and-down season so far in 2011. After starting off the Trojans at 3-0, Barkley struggled last week against the Arizona State Sun Devils. He looked flustered out on the field and failed to make big plays when they were needed most. The Trojans lost their first game of the season, falling to 3-1.

That, however, wasn’t going to deter him from hitting the field against the Wildcats and performing surgery on the Arizona secondary.

When the clock finally struck zero today, Barkley had an impressive 468 passing yards under Keep Reading…

With Stanford scratched off of the to-do list, I’ll turn my attention to the Oregon Ducks.

The 2010 PAC-10 Championships and National Championship runner-ups will have their sights set on another regular undefeated season. Unfortunately, a depleted defense and an offensive line that lacks experience could keep them from running away with a PAC-12 title in 2011. If anything, Stanford will have something to say about their candidacy as shoe-ins to win the conference.

Despite their deficiencies, they still have running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas in their arsenal and should be able to utilize both to their full potential.

Overall, there’s still plenty of electricity left in this team’s roster. Their quack might not have the same luster that it did in 2010, but it will still be hard for any PAC-12 foe to ruffle their feathers if they stay healthy and play with Keep Reading…