The Fat Guy No One’s Talking About
by Aaron Aloysius
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
Recently, a lot of talk has centered around Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe. And rightfully so: the 6’5″, 350-pounder is a tremendous athlete for a man his size, and he plays with a great motor.
However, there’s another potential early round big man who should be getting a whole lot of attention, Utah DT Star Lotulelei.
While still a relative unknown to draftniks, scouts have been keeping a close eye on the underclassman. One regional scout told Bucky Brooks that the big man looks like “a rare find” with “all of the tools that scouts covet in a dominant interior defender”.
Those physical tools show up on tape. Lotulelei possesses impressive explosion off the ball and very good upper body strength. He could do a better job of keeping his pads low, but that will come with NFL coaching. And word is he’ll be getting some of that soon, as Tony Pauline has reported that the underclassman will take his talents to the NFL.
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2012 QB Rankings
by Ryan Lownes
Friday, November 18th, 2011
The college season is winding down and the 2012 quarterback class is starting to take shape behind Andrew Luck.
After countless hours of film study, I’ve concluded the passing-driven NFL can expect one of the strongest crops seen in years when April’s draft rolls around. It appears as if up to six QBs could potentially come off the board in the first 50 picks or so. The class is deep as well with some middle- to late-round gems that could outplay their draft position.
Here are my top 10 quarterbacks likely to be part of April’s draft:
1. Andrew Luck — Stanford
Andrew Luck is a remarkably cerebral player, a rare leader, competitor, and winner. He is an excellent decision-maker who shows a great understanding of anticipation, timing, and ball placement. Few college quarterbacks control their team’s offensive responsibilities and play-calling to the extent that he has. His experience in a pro-style offense has been extremely beneficial and he is able to read defenses at an advanced level. |
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Crystal Ball: Seeing into the Future of Andrew Luck
by Ryan Lownes
Friday, November 18th, 2011
“Suck for Luck.”
We have heard the phrase from the beginning of the NFL season. The widely accepted assumption is that no matter which team finishes with the league’s worst record, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will be the first player off the board in April’s draft.
The dust has officially settled and it is the Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis Colts with a firm hold over the top spot with a putrid 0-10 record. Losing by an average of seventeen points a game, the struggling Colts figure to be stuck at the bottom of the standings all season. Without Manning, the once proud franchise has lost their edge. They have struggled to move the football, both through the air and on the ground. The defense cannot seem to stop a nosebleed.
Right now, Andrew Luck figures to be Indianapolis’ savior. As an NFL prospect he possesses the remarkable cerebral ability and leadership qualities that scouts have not seen since Manning himself. Additionally, he is a tremendous athlete. He has the mobility and escapability of Aaron Rodgers. Through his three-year tenure as a college starter, he has shown both accuracy and the capability to make big-time throws. To many, Luck is the perfect quarterback prospect.
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Ok. State WR Blackmon not expected to return in 2012
by Gil Alcaraz
Monday, October 31st, 2011
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. He has made an impressive number of highlight catches while helping his Oklahoma State Cowboys on their way to a currently unblemished 8-0 mark.
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Pac-12 Mid-season Awards
by Chad Davis
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
This is as easy a choice as there is in the country. Through seven games, Luck has thrown for 1888 yards and 20 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions. His team is 7-0, and to top it all off, Luck may be the most hyped draft prospect in history, as displayed by the national “Suck 4 Luck” campaigning going on in NFL cities around the country. Rarely do I consider any prospect as a “sure-fire” star, but Luck is as close as anyone can come to earning that praise. A certain shoo-in to be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Luck will run away with this Pac-12 award, barring injury.
Honorable mentions: Matt Barkley, QB, USC; LaMichael James, RB, Oregon; Keith Price, QB, Washington; Robert Woods, WR, USC.
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Stanford loses SS Howell for at least one game
by Gil Alcaraz
Thursday, October 20th, 2011
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 bounce back in a timely manner.
Although this will be a big loss for the Cardinal when they take on the Huskies, the bigger concern is whether or not Howell will be healthy when Stanford goes up against the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 12. They’ll need all the talent they can get to take on their PAC-12 North Division foes as they continue to make their run at a conference championship.
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UDFA Jake Ballard Exceeding Expectations in NY
by JMPasq
Monday, October 17th, 2011
The New York Giants’ offseason was filled with negative headline after negative headline: from numerous injuries, to Osi Umenyorias contract, to key FA losses. None seemed to leave a bigger hole at a position than the departure of Kevin Boss to Oakland.
Most Giants fans, including myself, looked to free agency, then the waiver wire for Boss’s replacement to arrive, but no one ever came. Instead, the Giants front office and coaches kept their faith in 2010 undrafted free agent Jake Ballard. I myself had given Ballard a 7th round grade: I thought he could stick as a blocking third TE because of his 6’6″ 280-pound frame. While I had a higher grade than most, I never expected him to be starting in the NFL, let alone contributing in this manner.
Through six game games, Ballard has 15 catches for 273 yards and 2 Touchdowns. On the surface, those numbers may not seem overly impressive, but they certainly are when you factor in the efficiency at which they have been achieved.
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Oregon’s James suffers elbow injury against Cal
by Gil Alcaraz
Friday, October 7th, 2011
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 the sidelines for too long.
“It’s not a season-ending injury and I’ll be fine,” James said in a post-game press conference. “I’m tough. I’m a warrior and I’m never going to quit on my team.”
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Barkley breaks USC single-game passing yards record
by Gil Alcaraz
Saturday, October 1st, 2011
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 his belt and his name pinned to another USC record. He eclipsed former Trojans quarterback Carson Palmer’s record of 448 passing yards, which was set back in 2002.
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Trojan Draft Stock Watch
by Eric Stoner
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
Which USC Trojans have seen their stocks surge or precipitously slide during the last couple weeks? Eric Stoner takes a look in his Trojan Draft Stock Watch.
Have thoughts or questions about Eric’s breakdown? Make sure to share them in the comments section below or over at the Draft Breakdown message board.
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Matt Barkley
We’re now four games into the new college football season. Many expected Barkley to continue his development and stake his claim as both one of the top QBs in college football and as a top draft pick.
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| As of now, however, there are more questions than answers. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, his play really dipped in the 4th quarter of games and towards the end of the season – so USC had him focus on getting in better shape, getting stronger, etc. It’s been more of the same so far this season for Barkley, though, as his 4th quarter performance continues to be abysmal.
In terms of physical tools, he’s got light feet, can move around, and has an arm that’s good enough. He’s all screwed up |
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