Robert Griffin III will enter 2012 NFL Draft
by Gil Alcaraz
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
After much deliberation, one of college football’s most intriguing prospects has decided to go pro.
According to multiple reports, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III has opted to forgo his senior season with the Bears and will petition to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.
The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, Griffin is considered a top-10 pick who could potential go within the first two or three picks.
Now that the dual-threat quarterback has declared himself eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft, the No. 2 pick (currently held by the St. Louis Rams) becomes much more valuable as teams will seek to land the play-making gunslinger. With a number of quarterback-needy teams near the top of the draft, the Rams will be expecting a king’s ransom in return for their spot in line.
Although Griffin’s draft stock will certainly fluctuate as predraft workouts begin, it’s unlikely that he’ll fall out of the Top 10 unless a serious injury arises or a major flaw is discovered in his ability to play quarterback.
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2012 NFL Draft Underclassmen Declarations
by Gil Alcaraz
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
With the end of the college football season comes the anticipation of finding out which underclassmen declare for the draft and which ones decide to return to school for another year.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft is Jan. 15. So until then, check back here for continuous updates on who has declared.
Quarterbacks
Robert Griffin III, Baylor (1st)
Andrew Luck, Stanford (1st)
Brock Osweiler, Arizona State (2nd-3rd)
Darron Thomas, Oregon (5th-6th)
Barrett Trotter, Auburn (6th-UDFA)
Running Backs
Alvester Alexander, Wyoming (6th-UDFA)
Edwin Baker, Michigan State (6th-7th)
Mike Ball, Nevada (7th-UDFA)
Jamison Berryhill (6th-UDFA)
Bryce Brown (5th-7th)
Jewel Hampton, Southern Illinois (6th-UDFA)
Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State (3rd-5th)
LaMichael James, Oregon (2nd-3rd)
Lamar Miller, Miami (1st-2nd)
Bernard Pierce, Temple (3rd-4th)
Trent Richardson, Alabama (1st)
Darrell Scott, USF (4th-6th)
Robert Turbin, Utah State (4th-6th)
David Wilson, Virginia Tech (2nd)
Wide Receivers
Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State (1st)
Chris Givens, Wake Forest (3rd-4th)
Dorian Graham, Syracuse (4th-6th)
Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech (3rd-4th)
Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina (1st-2nd)
Aldarius Johnson, Miami (5th-7th)
Damaris Johnson, Tulsa (6th-UDFA)
Eric Page, Toledo (3rd-5th)
Rueben Randle, LSU (2nd)
Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers (1st-2nd)
Tommy Streeter, Miami (2nd-3rd)
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Picks 1-20 set for first round of 2012 NFL Draft
by Gil Alcaraz
Sunday, January 1st, 2012
The 2011 NFL regular season has come to an end and the 2012 NFL Draft first-round order is beginning to take shape.
As of right now, the first 20 selections have already been matched with their corresponding team based on final regular season records.
Let the early-to-mid-round mocking begin!
1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14)
2. St. Louis Rams (2-14)
3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13)
4. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
6. Washington Redskins (5-11)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
8. Carolina Panthers (6-10)*
9. Miami Dolphins (6-10)*
10. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
11. Seattle Seahawks (7-9)*
12. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9)*
13. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
14. New York Jets (8-8)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. San Diego Chargers (8-8)
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders, 8-8)
18. Chicago Bears (8-8)
19. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
20. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
21. Denver Broncos (8-8)**
22. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)**
23. New York Giants (9-7)**
24. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons, 10-6)**
25. Detroit Lions (10-6)**
26. Houston Texans (10-6)**
27. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)**
28. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)**
29. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints, 13-3)**
30. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)**
31. New England Patriots (13-3)**
32. Green Bay Packers (15-1)**
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Barkley announces plan to return to USC in 2012
by Gil Alcaraz
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
The USC Trojans football program received an early, extra-special Christmas present this year when their offensive leader, junior quarterback Matt Barkley, announced that he was returning to school in 2012.
During an on-campus press conference, Barkley made his decision to forego the 2012 NFL Draft and return for his senior season clear to a crowd of raucous Trojan faithful.
“I have firmly decided to forego the NFL Draft in 2012 and finish the exceptional and unique journey that I’ve had here at USC,” Barkley announced.
For the past two seasons, the USC football program has been at the mercy of a BCS Bowl ban as part of the sanctions stemming from the “Reggie Bush/illegal gifts” fiasco. Now that the ban has been lifted, the Trojans will be in prime position to push for a PAC-12 crown as well as a berth in one of the coveted BCS Bowls that the program became so accustomed to prior to the dropping of the banhammer.
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Getting To Know Bobby Wagner
by Aaron Aloysius
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Most folks expected the opening weekend Auburn-Utah State game to be a blowout: the spread favored Auburn by more than three TDs. However, instead of the Tigers crushing their supposedly cupcake competition, their win wasn’t secured until late in the 4th quarter.
Auburn’s close call partly was due to the inspired play of Bobby Wagner. The instinctive Utah State linebacker made plays all over the field, including behind the line of scrimmage. He finished the game with 10 tackles, along with a sack and an additional tackle-for-loss.
And that was only the start of a great season for Wagner. The now three-time All-WAC ‘backer reached an entirely new level of production, notching 140 tackles, 4 sacks, and 10.5 tackles for loss. More importantly, he exhibited skills that will make him a quality starter at the next level.
Rather than a prospect who thrives by beating down lesser teams, Wagner has done some of his best work against high quality competition. Though only listed at 6’1″, 232 lbs., Wagner possesses very long arms, which allow him to keep blockers at bay. As a result, BYU’s big offensive linemen failed to faze him.
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Oregon’s James reportedly NFL-bound
by Gil Alcaraz
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
After deciding to return to school despite leading the nation in rushing yards per game last season, Oregon running back LaMichael James is reportedly calling it quits on college.
According to The Oregonian, James has decided to forgo his senior season and will declare for the 2012 NFL Draft. Considering the lack of longevity of NFL careers for running backs, another year in college without much else to prove would be a poor decision for one of the nation’s most talented runners.
In 2011, James has helped lead the Ducks to another tremendous season that will end with an appearance in the 2012 Rose Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers. Like in 2010, James led the nation in rushing yards per game this season with 149. With only one game to go, James currently has 1,646 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season.
Despite the report, nothing has been officially confirmed by the team or James himself.
If James was to declare himself eligible for the draft, he’d likely be a second-round draft pick. Despite being one of the top running back prospects, the lack of draft value at the position makes it unlikely that he’d go in the first round unless a particular team felt his talents fit them well enough to take him that high.
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Alabama OT DJ Fluker Staying in School
by Mike Daneshgar
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Though many believed it was a long-shot that a redshirt sophomore offensive tackle would declare for the 2012 NFL Draft, others held out hope that Alabama right Tackle D.J. Fluker would be the exception. After all, not many redshirt sophomore offensive tackles have started for two full years on championship-worthy offensive lines in a conference like the SEC. That was the sliver of hope for NFL fans hoping that their team could attain a 6-6 335 pound manchild to anchor the right side of their offensive line.
On Monday, Fluker put to bed any rumors of taking his talents to the next level:
“I know there have been a few stories and different things out on the message boards lately about me possibly leaving school early. I want to go ahead and put all of that to rest and make it clear that my intentions are to stay in school. At my position, I still have a lot to learn in order to mold myself into the best offensive tackle I can be. I’ve learned a lot from my coaches in my three years here and I feel like I can only get better with more experience. The most important reason is to finish my degree. Right now, I am on track to graduate next December and that’s one of the things I promised my mother that I would do when I decided to come to the University of Alabama. This is a special place and I’m looking forward to spending another year with my friends and teammates, graduating, and playing in front of the best fans in the country.”
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Luck confirms intent to enter 2012 NFL Draft
by Gil Alcaraz
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts!
Unless they go on a four-game winning streak, which is rather unlikely, the Colts have won the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
According to a report from USA Today, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has confirmed his plans to forgo his senior year and enter the 2012 NFL Draft. In an interview with ESPN, Luck made his plans for next year rather clear.
“I think I’m going to hopefully play professional football if a team will have me,” Luck said.
Well unless he undergoes some catastrophic injury during the Fiesta Bowl or any pre-draft games/workouts (knock on wood), I’m sure just about every NFL team would love to have Luck on their roster. Don’t worry, Andrew; you’re safe.
It’s expected that Luck will be taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, which appears to be the possession of the Colts. He is considered one of the best and safest quarterback prospects in recent draft history.
“I thought it was pretty formal or understood when I came back last year, so I have no clue if I’ll make a formal announcement or not,” Luck said.
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Luck leads list of five Heisman finalists
by Gil Alcaraz
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
It’s that time of year folks. The Heisman Trophy race is almost over as the five finalists come barreling down the home stretch. In the 77th installment of college football’s top award, the list has been whittled down from the thousands of FBS players to five.
The list consists of two quarterbacks, two running backs and a cornerback. Four candidates are juniors and one is a sophomore. All but one player will be participating in a BCS Bowl Game.
The first, and most obvious, candidate is Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck.
The only returning finalist, Luck has led his Cardinal to an impressive 11-1 record this season, with their only loss coming against the Oregon Ducks. Coming into the season, Luck was considered the top candidate to win the award and has done a terrific job of keeping himself in the hunt. With 3,170 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and a passer rating of 167.5, Luck continues to prove that he’s one of the premier football talents to come out of college in the last decade. Considered by many to be the future No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft if he declares, this gunslinger has made a name for himself that will surely ring through the halls of Stanford University whether or not he wins a Heisman.
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An Everyone’s Eligible Mock Draft
by Mike Daneshgar
Saturday, December 3rd, 2011
Looking around at mock scenarios for the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, I began to wonder what the draft would look like if there were no eligibility restriction on who could enter. Would the top overall prospect in 2012 still be the top pick? Where would that freshman phenom fit into the mix of things when you consider upside and limited early production? Simply put, it is an all out free-for-all with the best college football players at each team’s disposal.
Let’s dig in.
* denotes 2nd year players, eligible for the 2013 draft
** denotes true freshmen, eligible for the 2014 draft
1. Indianapolis Colts
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