2011 Weekly Prospect Standouts: FR-SR

Ozzy · 09-02-2011, 07:35 AM

Well it is that time of year again, it is always so much fun to see how each roster and each prospect has developed over the summer. So here we go...

Week 1:
*Marcus Rucker JR WR Memphis: Saw little bits of him last year, really impressed with his overall growth, now he is a big physical kid. Has awful quarterback play but as a receiver he looks very good, has nice hands, gives good effort and is becoming a man on the field.

*Winston Guy SR SS Kentucky: His teammate gets more hype, but this kid can play. Big time hitter, was moved up to a linebacker role this year, but he could be a fine safety in the NFL. Good tackler, plays aggressive and is a fine athlete, one to watch out for at safety in a weak safety class.

*Andrew Jackson SR ILB Western Kentucky: A little stocky at linebacker, but he is quick and very aggressive tackling. Really plays the run well and hits very hard. Gives max effort all of the time, if he shows a little more range on the field and ability to cover he has a chance in the NFL I think.

*Chris Relf SR RB/WR Miss State: Too early to make the Brad Smith reference, this kid is a beast, huge man, could possibly play receiver or running back in the NFL. Very impressive looking athlete, possibly a team will take him under their wing like Joe Webb and try to make him a quarterback. All I know he is a fine athlete and will probably be playing on Sundays.

*Kadeem Jones SOPH FB Western Kentucky: Fine your fullback, blocks aggressive, is a thumper that knocks people back. Still has youth so in a few years he could be a very interesting run blocking full back/H-back.

*Russell Wilson SR QB Wisconsin: As much as I hate to say it, but Wisconsin is going to be very hard to beat this year in the Big Ten. Wilson is easily the best quarterback they have had there, possibly in the past decade or more. He is going to kill this year, and hopefully will stick with football and try the NFL, his bootleg ability and tough he gets on his passes is elite, hope he sticks with football.

*Travis Frederick SOPH OG Wisconsin: I really like his size and athletic ability, turns out they will not miss a beat at guard without Moffitt, this guy can really play and will be in line with all the rest of them.

*Jameon Lewis FR WR Miss State: Made a lot of mistakes but the kid has star potential, is athletic, confidence, can break tackles and will be a stud return man. Should become a Percy Harvin big play type of player for that Miss State offense.

*Rob Havenstein RS FR OT Wisconsin: Another star in the waiting potentially, huge kid, 6-8, plays aggressively and knows how to block, should be absolutely elite in a few years.

*Danny Trevathan SR OLB Kentucky: Gets a lot of hype, tackling machine, impressive in the conference he is in. I want to see a little more impact play making out of him, not just tackling a ball carrier but making impact plays. If he does he could increase his stock greatly.

*Nick Toon SR WR Wisconsin: Has always been around, now with Wilson as a quarterback, if he stays healthy he could have a massive year catching the football. Solid receiver prospect that could increase his stock a lot this year.

*James Carmon SR OT Miss State: Solid lineman, very good athlete, big man, should be one of the leaders for that fine Miss State running game and should get a shot at the league next year.

*Randall Burden SR CB Kentucky: I like his coverage ability and will have to watch more of him. Seems very comfortable and smooth in coverage, will see if that keeps up with improved competition.

*Ryan Groy SOPH OG Wisconsin: Will have to watch him more next time, was absolutely flying down the field blocking on a run play, will watch out for that kid that is for sure.

*Josh Oglesby SR OT Wisconsin: Good to see he is actually getting playing time. He is nothing great, but is a decent athlete and has a shot to develop over time.

*Deontae Skinner SOPH OLB Miss State: Not a great linebacker but has some ability to play, has good speed, gets after it and makes plays around the line of scrimmage and in the open field, decent prospect.

Here are the Weekly prospect threads from the past three years. Enjoy look back, I always do...
2010

2009

2008

TACKLE · 09-02-2011, 04:17 PM

Vontaze Burfict - 3 sacks last night vs. UC Davis

gator3guy · 09-02-2011, 07:04 PM

TY Hilton = Dynamite

Looked extremely quick. Almost took the opening kick to the house. Got tripped up at the one on a reverse. This kid is going to help someone out at the next level if nothing more than as a return man/gadget guy.

tjsunstein · 09-02-2011, 11:16 PM

You missed Wisconsin C Peter Konz.
Otherwise, definitely informative stuff.

San Diego Chicken · 09-03-2011, 06:10 AM

I look forward to these every year Ozzy. Good to have football back!

TheFinisher · 09-03-2011, 06:39 AM

Kwame Geathers has supposedly turned the corner this off-season, which is great because he's an absolute mammoth of a man. Should be fun to see how he plays against Boise today.

gpngc · 09-03-2011, 09:20 AM

Kenny Wright's #s say it all. 12 catches, 186 yards, 2 TDs. 2 completed passes and a passing TD. He looks like a thicker Mike Wallace with less speed.

And RG3 looked pretty good. I'm not sure if he'll be a QB at the next level but he's definitely worth a draft pick based on his athleticism and pure football-player feel.

Tank Carder SR LB TCU didn't stand out much. He failed to get off blocks consistently and made most of his tackles after decent gains.

M.O.T.H. · 09-04-2011, 02:00 AM

ECU's Lance Lewis ate Stephon Gilmore's lunch all game long. Lewis producing is nothing new, but he looked excellent out there yesterday. Beat Gilmore on jump balls twice. He also saw several screens and a lot of backed off coverage. But he played really well, and he was getting the best of our corners, regardless of coverage. He made Gilmore look silly.

Gilmore had and up and down game. As was said, he didnt look good when he had to cover Lewis. And he also fumbled a punt return, which resulted in another 7 points for ECU. As the game wore on, he started making some plays, luckily. His vertical is ridiculous, had a pair of pass breakups and some nicely timed hits that lead to incompletions. He had tight coverage pretty much all day, but Lewis bested him, nearly every time they were matched up together and he was targeted. It's nice that he was in position, most of the time, but we're going to need for him to play better.

TheFinisher · 09-04-2011, 08:33 AM

Impressive performances:

Even though Notre Dame lost, Michael Floyd is an animal. There was a point in the 2nd half where ND was trying to come back and Floyd was unstoppable, he's just too big and physical for most corners and he knows how to use it to his advantage. USF was sending out a LB just to try and jam him off the line before he got into his route.

Same goes for Manti Te'o. He's the prototypical 3-4 ILB, the way he stacks and sheds is fun to watch and he's as sure of a tackler as you're going to find in college football. Takes great inside-out angles on outside runs. I know Burfict gets a lot more hype, but Te'o isn't too far off from him.

LSU true SO Tyrann Mathieu is a gamer. He's only 5'9 which is on the shorter side for a CB, but he plays so much bigger. He was all over the field last night for LSU, the lined him up outside, in the slot, wherever. Some players just have a natural ability to read a QBs eyes, and Mathieu's one of them. He made some great breaks on the ball. But out of all that, the thing I liked most is how physical he is. He got to the QB a few times off the blitz and was a sure tackler in space. I'll definitely be watching LSU now whenever I can this year.

Ozzy · 09-04-2011, 11:45 AM

Quote:

TheFinisher Impressive performances:

Even though Notre Dame lost, Michael Floyd is an animal. There was a point in the 2nd half where ND was trying to come back and Floyd was unstoppable, he's just too big and physical for most corners and he knows how to use it to his advantage. USF was sending out a LB just to try and jam him off the line before he got into his route.

Same goes for Manti Te'o. He's the prototypical 3-4 ILB, the way he stacks and sheds is fun to watch and he's as sure of a tackler as you're going to find in college football. Takes great inside-out angles on outside runs. I know Burfict gets a lot more hype, but Te'o isn't too far off from him.

LSU true SO Tyrann Mathieu is a gamer. He's only 5'9 which is on the shorter side for a CB, but he plays so much bigger. He was all over the field last night for LSU, the lined him up outside, in the slot, wherever. Some players just have a natural ability to read a QBs eyes, and Mathieu's one of them. He made some great breaks on the ball. But out of all that, the thing I liked most is how physical he is. He got to the QB a few times off the blitz and was a sure tackler in space. I'll definitely be watching LSU now whenever I can this year.

I totally agree, Floyd is a stud and should be a lock to be a 1st round pick, and if he has a great year he could be the 1st receiver taken in the draft I feel.

I agree with Mathieu as well, that secondary was so so at the start of last year even with Peterson. But now all of those young guys and better, and Mathieu is a stud. That defense really impressed me and they are so much better than they were the season before, it is crazy.

Quote:

tjsunstein You missed Wisconsin C Peter Konz.
Otherwise, definitely informative stuff.

I try to stick to only players that have really improved over last year or new prospects that stood out, or players that last year I did not have listed as a prospect. Konz I had listed last year and think he could be a 1st round pick this year or next and is easily the best center I have seen so far in the country.

gpngc · 09-04-2011, 12:12 PM

Co-sign on Floyd. He looks quicker.

Babylon · 09-04-2011, 12:57 PM

I'm leaning towards Blackmon and Jeffery over Floyd but it's early.

What stood out to me was the combination of Matt Barkely throwing and Matt Kalil blocking. Barkely will no doubt end up in either Seattle or Washington after those two stink it up and Kalil looks like the best tackle i've seen since Joe Thomas.

M.O.T.H. · 09-04-2011, 01:17 PM

Speaking of Jeffery...I'm not worried or anything, but his overall conditioning seems bad right now. He was on the sideline a lot yesterday, huffing and puffing. He looks good, though. Looks real trim around the waist line, but he's def. not at his top "football shape".

ElectricEye · 09-04-2011, 01:55 PM

Floyd looked real sharp yesterday. He's just got a real good all around game. Not one of those guys you can shut down easily because of that. His athletic ability and character concerns might give teams some pause though, along with the injury history. Can't argue with the results when he's on the field though.

proshoota25 · 09-04-2011, 02:26 PM

will be a homer

John Brantley, QB, Senior--- Looked SOOO much better than any game last year, albeit against FAU. He had touch and accuracy, and even made a lot of good reads. He could be a fast riser with a very good year. Could be the next in line to get drafted relatively high under Charlie Weiss' guidance and tutelage

Chris Rainey, RB, Senior - Getting the first oppurtunity to run the ball in a pro style offense instead of the spread and he sure is impressing. He made FAU's defense look childish as he repeatedly made them look bad and broke their ankles. I could see him drafted in rounds 2-4 this year, as a 3rd down specialist and special teams ace.

Our young defensive line is insane. Ronald Powell, D. Easley (true sophomores), along with Jelani Jenkins (redshirt soph) could be potential first round picks next year.

ElectricEye · 09-04-2011, 02:35 PM

The guy who jumped off the page the most to me out of the Oregon/LSU game was Barkevious Mingo. Didn't show up on the stat sheer anywhere as much as I thought he would watching the game with a long tackle for a loss being his only contribution, but he consistently got into the backfield and chased down some of the fast Oregon players all game. Great frame and speed combo at 6'5 240 with a reported 4.5 40 yard dash. Could be a factor in the draft as early as this year, although he's far from a finished product.

rawdawg · 09-04-2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

ECU's Lance Lewis ate Stephon Gilmore's lunch all game long. Lewis producing is nothing new, but he looked excellent out there yesterday. Beat Gilmore on jump balls twice. He also saw several screens and a lot of backed off coverage. But he played really well, and he was getting the best of our corners, regardless of coverage. He made Gilmore look silly.

Gilmore had and up and down game. As was said, he didnt look good when he had to cover Lewis. And he also fumbled a punt return, which resulted in another 7 points for ECU. As the game wore on, he started making some plays, luckily. His vertical is ridiculous, had a pair of pass breakups and some nicely timed hits that lead to incompletions. He had tight coverage pretty much all day, but Lewis bested him, nearly every time they were matched up together and he was targeted. It's nice that he was in position, most of the time, but we're going to need for him to play better.

Gilmore looks like a Cover 2 CB to me. Prototypical size. Not great recovery speed, but a really good tackler. Excellent at high-pointing the ball. And I love any player that actually excels in the classroom as well. He's a smart kid. But he has all the makings of a guy that if you sit him back in a disciplined zone and let him come up and break on the ball, he'll shine.

Right now at USC, he's facing the #1 WR for every team. He's playing a lot of off-man coverage, and he's just not technically sound enough to dominate to the level of his physical abilities.

Big Bird · 09-04-2011, 06:24 PM

Lance Lewis is a Hakeem Nicks clone. I noticed him last year and he just had ridiculous tools. The guy is a complete animal.

SolidGold · 09-04-2011, 08:19 PM

Tannehill looks good so far...I'm hitching my wagon to him this season. Strong arm, mobile and accurate...I think he has Redskins written all over him (unless the Skins win the Luck sweepstakes)

tjsunstein · 09-04-2011, 08:22 PM

Stedman Bailey, WR WVU
Tyrann Mathieu, CB LSU
Jarius Wright, WR Arkansas
Orson Charles, TE Georgia
Marvin McNutt, WR Iowa

Pretty much on target with my breakout players.

dannyz · 09-04-2011, 09:51 PM

Jadeveon Clowney looked pretty good for his Fist Game.

herkyhawkeye · 09-04-2011, 10:40 PM

Marvin McNutt stat line in an absolute monsoon 6 catches 140 yards 2 TDS

An 88 yard score and a 19 yard jailbreak screen for score.

phlysac · 09-04-2011, 10:47 PM

Homer...

Ray Graham - 201 yards rushing, 3 Touchdowns.

tjsunstein · 09-04-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herkyhawkeye

Marvin McNutt stat line in an absolute monsoon 6 catches 140 yards 2 TDS

An 88 yard score and a 19 yard jailbreak screen for score.

It seems like WR gets deeper and deeper by the week.

M.O.T.H. · 09-05-2011, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyz

Jadeveon Clowney looked pretty good for his Fist Game.

He looked great. Hard to describe his technique...a bit on the wild side, he just brawls with dudes, it's awesome. He was all over Dom Davis. Davis actually did a fantastic job in the face of that pass rush all night long. But it wont take long for Clowney to get that first sack. Nearly had an INT in this one, too. Guy is just going to be one of those amazing play making DEs. Gonna fill up that stat sheet.