Risers

Nate Irving LB NC State On Saturday, Irving proved to any remaining doubters that he’s fully recovered from the car accident that took away his ‘09 season. The explosive linebacker delivered an epic performance, notching 16 tackles, 4.5 TFL, and two sacks. Irving made an impact even when he wasn’t polishing his stat line, quickly moving downhill to disrupt Georgia Tech’s option attack. On a few plays, Irving did overpursue and take poor angles, but those plays could soon disappear. At his point, Irving looks like a guy getting used to driving a faster car; once he gets used to going full speed, he should he able to play under control and be the consistent impact player he was back in ‘08. Cameron Jordan DE Cal Last year, Jordan had a very productive season (8 sacks, 9.5 TFL), but teammate Tyson Alualu received most of the glory, as Keep Reading…

Risers

Brooks Reed DE Arizona In a very good display of his pass rush ability, Reed had highly-touted sophomore tackle Riley Reiff back on his heels all night. The Arizona defensive end generated good push on contact while also showcasing his speed off the edge, beating Reiff around the corner for a very nice sack. A former fullback, Reed plays with a lot of ferocity and a tremendous motor, as was seen on Iowa’s final drive. When an Iowa back tried to meet him head-on in blitz pickup, Reed plowed his way through the poor RB and notched his second sack of the game. At a shade below 6’3” and 255 lbs., Reed doesn’t possess great size, nor is he a special athlete. However, his ever-churning motor and good speed off the edge should appeal to many teams, especially one that run a 3-4 defense. Because of his Keep Reading…

Not many college athletes can say that they’ve never missed a game due to injury. Even less can say they’ve been a starter since their very first college game. Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo fits into that small minority. Castonzo got his start playing right tackle for Boston College and worked his way to the left tackle spot, which is a more natural fit for him. As a true freshman, Castonzo started his career at only 260 pounds. Since then, he’s bulked up to 308 pounds (according to the Boston College team website) and honed his skills as a blind side protector. Castonzo has the perfect build for a finesse left tackle. Tall and lean, he has long arms and quick feet. Castonzo isn’t going to beat defensive lineman with overpowering strength or shear ferocity. Castonzo is a true technician, not a mauler. He’s at his best when Keep Reading…

Greg Romeus is one of the most intriguing prospects coming into the 2010 college football season. Possessing a great combination of power and speed, Romeus is set to have a dominate season for the Panthers. He only played one year of high school football, so he’s a little more raw than some other defensive end prospects. However, he’s going into his third year as a starter and he’s shown dramatic improvement every season. With the college football season about to kick off, let’s take a look at some 2009 tape of Romeus in action and break down his game.

Romeus vs. West Virginia

The game against West Virginia is a good example of exactly what Romeus can do. He shows up as a pass rusher and against the run. What I like the most about Romeus is how he uses his long arms, especially when setting the edge Keep Reading…

Coming into the 2010 college football season, all eyes will be on another dominate Nebraska defender. This year, the focus switches from the defensive line, to the secondary. Senior cornerback Prince Amukamara is set for a break out season and is looking to be the first defensive back taken in the 2011 NFL Draft. With a rare combination of size, speed, and tackling ability, Amukamara is the complete package. Before the season started, National Scouting evaluated Amukamara and assigned a grade of 7.3. That’s tied for the highest among all seniors evaluated with Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn. It’s interesting to note that before the 2009 football season, Ndamukong Suh’s preseason grade from National was a 7.0. So what is it about Amukamara that has NFL scouts drooling? First of all, he possesses ideal size. At 6’1″, 205 lbs, Amukamara has the size to play free safety in the NFL, but Keep Reading…