Top 10 Favorite 2009 NFL Draft Prospects
This is the fourth year I have done this list and for those first time readers this is not a list of the top 10 NFL Draft prospects, but rather a list of MY top 10 favorite players. Players I would want on my team, not necessarily just for their skills, but also for their passion, brains, and heart. This list will include likely first rounders, but also players that will likely get drafted in the later rounds. I am a big proponent of college athletics being used as an academic tool to succeed in life, and when a player earns a college degree, it speaks high of his character so every prospect on my list is a senior except for one, and that prospect has a reason. Devin Hester was my only underclassman on my previous 3 lists because his athleticism and wow factor was too much for me not to be on the list. Another reminder, this is NOT my top 10 prospects, but rather my favorite prospects. A Michigan newspaper a few years back thought Dan Bazuin was one of my top 10 prospects so I wanted to clarify that. Before I go any further, MY top ten players:
1. Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss.
To many of you, this pick comes as no surprise. Yes, I am fascinated by the dominance that Michael Oher has displayed at the college level, but after reading The Blind Side two years ago, I became fascinated with Michael Oher the person and I believe many other fans have as well. His story is truly written out of a Disney film. He has gone from basically homeless to an adopted son into an affluent familty to an All-American football player. To add to the storybook ending, he chose to stay in school for his senior year instead of going early to the NFL despite being a sure handed first round pick last year. This past season was special for Oher as he led his Rebels to a victory over the national champs and a victory in the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech. And what makes this story so great is it is just the beginning. I can't wait to follow his career, and of course buy a ticket to the Michael Oher movie.
2. James Casey, TE/ATH, Rice
Casey is the only underclassmen on this list, but he very well could be the smartest of the bunch. He is an Academic All-American with a 3.84 GPA and is a triple major. At 24, Casey is actually a true sophomore. He spent four years playing professional baseball before enrolling into Rice. Casey's main reason for declaring for the draft was because of his age, but he still expects to graduate. Oh, for your information, Casey is one impressive athlete on the football field. I say athlete because he really doesn't have a position. At Rice, he was usually referred to as an "utilityback." In one game, he even played seven positions. In the NFL, expect him to be primary a tight end, who could be utilized in many other positions, including short yardage quarterback. He seems to be a hybrid of Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. This past season, Casey's stats were off the charts: 111 receptions, 1,349 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. He also ran for 241 yards, with 6 touchdowns. At 6-4, 245 lbs, and 4.6 speed, NFL offensive coordinators should be already planning ways to utilize him.
3. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
Another thing many readers know about me is my love for tight ends. I love the position and think so many NFL teams underutilize them. What better target for a quarterback than a 6-6, 245 catching machine because that is just what Chase Coffman is. In his Missouri career, Coffman posted 247 receptions, 2,659 receiving yards, and 30 touchdowns. He also had 0 fumbles in his four year career. Coffman creates mismatches on the field, and was a major reason for Chase Daniel's success. He could have been a 2nd round pick last year if he had declared. This past season, he was awarded the John Mackey Awarded, given to the top tight end. Coffman has a great pedigree, as his father, Paul Coffman, was a tight end for the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
4. Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati
Barwin not only was a former tight end, but he was a former basketball player on Cincinnati's basketball player. Barwin was off the NFL radar prior to this season, but a switch from tight end to defensive end has been a gold mine for him. After posting 10 sacks and leading the Bearcats to their first BCS game, he is not only expected to get drafted, but should be drafted in the top 2 rounds. Barwin brought his speed and hands to the defensive side, which has made him a havoc to mess with for offensive tackles. At the Combine, Barwin very well could run the fastest 40 for a DE. Could he do 4.5? After his past season, nothing would surprise me.
5. Pat White, ATH, West Virginia
103! The number of touchdowns Pat White accounted for in his career at West Virginia. In his 4 years at WVU, White set some amazing records and was probably one of the most entertaining college players to ever watch. White is expected to play another position in the NFL, probably wide receiver and return specialist, but he did pass for 6,051 yards with 56 touchdowns in his career, not too bad for a "run first" quarterback. I see a lot of Antwan Randle-El, but unlike Randle El, White is 6 feet tall. Whatever position he plays in the NFL, White is a winner, and the only NCAA QB to say he won all 4 of the bowl games he started. With a sub 4.40, he could be drafted in the 2nd round. I am looking forward to how he is utilized.
6. Alex Mack, C, California
Every year, there is one prospect we analysts like to deem, "the safest pick." Well this year, my safest pick is Alex Mack. The center is the least sexiest position, but when you have a good one, you have your guy for the next 10 years. Nick Mangold was the last first round center, and he has been indeed a good one, but Mack looks to be better. Mack also is the 2008 winner of the Draddy Award, given to the top football scholar-athlete. Take that Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford. Will be an instant starter wherever he is drafted.
7. Louie Sakoda, K/P, Utah
A kicker? What am I thinking? Sakoda is the first kicker/punter to ever make this list which speaks volume about him. I don't know what I like about him. Maybe it is that he went 22-24 this past year or that he has never missed a field goal less than 40 yards. It could be that he also happens to be a gifted punter. It also could be that I am enamored with student-athletes and Sakoda happens to be another 1st team Academic All-American. It must be one of those things for me to put a 5'9 kicker on this list. I was tempted to also add K/P Graham Gano to this list too,
8. Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
Robiskie, coincidentally, happens to be another 1st team Academic All-American. Besides being a very smart guy, he also has great hands to go with that great frame of his. At 6'3, 200 lbs, Robiskie has the protypical size quarterbacks want for their wide receivers. Scouts may say he is too slow, but he just happened to be part of Ohio State’s Big Ten runner-up and NCAA qualifying 4x100 relay in outdoor track, so he must have some speed. Robiskie's stats took a drop this past season because of the more run oriented Terrelle Pryor at quarterback, but he still was able to have 42 receptions, for 8 catches. Instead of complaining about the lack of balls thrown his way, he took it and stride and help lead OSU to another BCS game. His father is the Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver coach, which explains his solid fundamentals and football intelligence. Robiskie will probably never be a number 1 receiver in the NFL, but he will be an asset to any team on and off the field.
9. Scott McKillop, ILB, Pittsburgh
The most important thing any defender needs to know is how to tackle and Scott McKillop may know that better than anybody. After posting 137 tackles this past season and 151 tackles the year before, McKillop is truly a tackling machine. Every time I watched Pitt on defense, one player always seemed to be in the play, and that was McKillop. McKillop is probably my J Leman prospect of this year. The guy who always seems to make plays, but plays much faster than he really is. At the Combine, McKillop may only have a 4.8 40, but as I have stated before, I think that is meaningless. Lofa Tatupu ran a 4.82 and he turned out pretty well. Interesting fact about McKillop: Already graduated in marketing and interned with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the special events department. Unlike Leman, look for McKillop to get drafted and put his marketing career on the backburner.
10. Sammie Stroughter, WR, Oregon St.
I may be familiar with Stroughter more than any of these prospects because I was already doing analysis for him for the 2008 NFL Draft. But Stroughter was granted a medical hardship and granted eligibility to play in 2008. Stroughter's story is different, he suffered from something more than just a torn ACL, depression. Last year, his career looked to be in question, with loved ones more worried about his health than Stroughter ever playing football again. A great article on his comeback is here. Stroughter ended up battling back and did indeed play this past season and what a great season it was. He finished with 70 receptions, for 1,040 yards, and 7 touchdowns. He was also 1st team Pac-10 Conference and 1st team Pac-10 Conference All-Academic. Stroughter is expected to get drafted in the later rounds of the NFL, but a strong 40 could push him up the draft boards. I think Stroughter is just happy though to be in the position that he is in.
Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock Draft
2008 Favorite NFL Draft Prospects
Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky
Mark Bradford, WR, Stanford
Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville
Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Josh Barrett, S, Arizona St.
J Leman, ILB, Illinois
Kory Lichtensteiger, C, Bowling Green
thefootballexpert.com
Bowl games that only the NFL can love
From the Motor City Bowl to the Chick-fil-A, they popped into televised view, first one hollow college bowl game, then another. And when strung together, they suggested a conspiracy: Someone must stand to benefit from such seamless nonsense.
Must be the NFL.
What better way - really - would there be to draw viewers into the professional football playoffs than to leave them begging for games that matter? What better way is there to herald the spectacle that is the NFL postseason than by staging it against the backdrop of that college football trip to nowhere?
This is not about the need for a college football playoff; Barack Obama has made that his job. But it is about the NFL playoffs and how perfect they can be - and how that perfection glows brighter with every meaningless college postseason matchup.
Among popular American sports, only the NFL and college basketball do it right. Here's how their playoffs work: Win and move on. Got it? Grab a pencil and write it down. There are no best-of series. There are no Poinsettia Bowl quote-unquote champions. There are no alternate sanctioning bodies. There are no losers' brackets, bronze medals, double-elimination requirements or qualifying heats.
So bring them on, and bring them on now - bring on the wild-card round, even. Bring on the pro football playoffs before one more college kid is photographed running off the field making the "We're No. 1" sign after winning the Papajohns.com Bowl.
In College Football Rant, Act II: The second worst problem with the college football postseason, other than that it does not yield a champion, is that there are no dramatic underdogs.
Rather, there are 34 bowls, each theoretically matching teams equally deserving of the invitation. That can - and does - provide competitive events. But "competitive" only carries a sport so far. Every sport needs its Buster Douglas, its 1985 Villanova, its 1969 Mets, its 1-2-3 September inning from Billy Wagner - the possibility of something unexpected, in other words.
The best college basketball tournament games are the 12-5, 13-4, 11-6 matchups, where there might be a captivating upset. By contrast, the college football system essentially provides an endless loop of 8-9 games.
By the time the current system is over, the only upset is that an announcer might spend three hours saying "Konica Minolta Gator" without starting to sound like Dr. Seuss.
(c)Copyright 2009 The Delaware County Daily Times
Owls, Schnellenberger stay perfect in bowls by beating CMU
DETROIT -- It's time for Central Michigan to leave the nest. It's time to explore new bowl horizons.
The progression of the Central Michigan football team is similar to students who roam the campus in Mount Pleasant. They've left their homes, after spending their formative years in the familiarity of a comfortable neighborhood and family.
College is a time to do new things, push your boundaries and see the world.
Central's football program has more than been there, done that with the Motor City Bowl.
Friday marked its third consecutive appearance in the bowl and their second straight loss, a 24-21 setback to Florida Atlantic.
The game didn't materialize as a blockbuster offensive show, rather a test of wills and nerves.
Central made things exciting, closing to three with a touchdown and two-point conversation with 3:09 left in the game.
Central players and coaches walked off the field disappointed, to the applause of the 40,000 Chippewas fans. There were officially 41,399 at the game.
Hopefully, Central left Ford Field with more than just bitter disappointment.
It should hunger for bigger and better things, a feeling that should spur them during spring football.
Ball State was the class of the Mid American Conference this season, with Central just a step behind.
Time to move on
Central coach Butch Jones has helped maintain momentum started by former coach Brian Kelly. The Chippewas are an upward arc, erasing the losing and overall dismalness of the Mike DeBord era from 2000-2003.
Kelly set the tone that Central was committed to of having a competitive team.
Jones has kept the pace and, hopefully, will aim Central into a higher stratosphere.
Jones has said all the right things this week, effusively praising the Motor City Bowl for offering an invitation for a third straight year.
"There is no other bowl we'd rather be at, this is it," Jones said.
Jones is a smart and classy guy, so I'll say what he can't:
The Motor City Bowl has been nice and Central has made the most of things.
But there's no reason to tie Marshall's record of four appearances in the Motor City Bowl.
Being back in Ford Field for yet another day-after-Christmas bowl would be a step backwards.
Central is primed to have another strong season. Jones is a hot commodity after interviewing at West Virginia last season and having another school woo him this season.
He's strongly maintained he's committed to Central, which is good if he stays true to his word. But as fans at Michigan State, West Virginia and other schools can attest, having a coach promise he will stay doesn't mean much until it actually comes true.
High expectations
Jones has a lot of good reasons to stay in Mt. Pleasant.
Star quarterback Dan LeFevour will be a senior year next season and, hopefully, will be able to escape the ankle injuries that limited him this season.
Linebacker Nick Ballore will be a junior, while defensive end Frank Zombo will be a senior. Promising fullback Bryan Schroeder will be a sophomore.
LeFevour can continue to throw to Antonio Brown and Kito Poblah.
There's no reason to think Central can't have another 9-4 season, if not better.
Next year, the winner of the MAC goes to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Central should certainly contend, along with Ball State, for that spot.
The change of scenery would benefit Central.
There's nothing more to be accomplished by being in the Motor City Bowl.
Central has built its fan base in Metro Detroit, which is good considering the large number of Chippewas alums and students in the area. They already recruit the Metro Detroit well.
It's time to take this show on the road, and see how well Central travels.
It's time to leave Michigan and take this show on the road next December.
Or if Central is really dreaming big, shoot for a bowl date in January 2010.
Copyright 2008 The Detroit News
Being picky best when betting bowl games
The list of college football bowl games, which contains a record 34 of them this season, could appear daunting to a traditional sports fan.
To a gambler, however, too often it appears tempting, conjuring images of endless parlays and action on every game.
Bettors should resist the lure to fire away at the windows on every bowl game, Las Vegas sports handicapper Joe D'Amico advises. This crazy game, betting sports, is tough enough to beat without plunging headlong into it.
Instead, pick and choose your spots. Do your homework. If you don't bet today's bowl game, there's probably one (or five) tomorrow.
"Don't feel compelled to bet every bowl game," D'Amico said. "On the surface, when you're looking at these games, something might jump out at you. But when you look a little deeper into the matchup, the picture isn't so pretty. Don't fall into that trap."
Among the factors D'Amico considers in handicapping the college bowl matchups:
-The relative strength of schedules of the competing teams, as well as the strength of their conferences.
-The health of the starting lineups of both teams, focusing on any players expected to miss the game entirely and any others who might be playing hurt.
-The geographical distance the teams have to travel to reach the site of the bowl game.
-The projected amount of fan support in the stadium, either because a team is playing at or near home or because its fan base travels well.
-Intangibles that go beyond players' statistics, such as leadership or an ability to come through under pressure.
In D'Amico's analysis, three selections stand out as strong bets from the remaining December bowl games, up to and including the New Year's Eve bowls. Later, we'll revisit D'Amico for some picks in the January bowls, including the Jan. 8 BCS championship game between Florida and Oklahoma.
Emerald Bowl, Saturday: California minus 8 points vs. Miami
The Golden Bears are D'Amico's most attractive wager of the early bowls and not only because the game takes place at San Francisco's AT&T Park, essentially Cal's back yard - although that certainly doesn't hurt.
"They're going to look up into the stands and see nothing but blue and gold," said D'Amico (online at Vegasinsider.com). "It might not technically be a home game, but it's a home crowd for them."
Cal went 7-0 straight-up and against the point spread in its home games this season and performed well against the number as a favorite, showing on several occasions they don't mind piling on a bit when they grab a lead.
In the Bears' most recent, for instance, they covered a 35-point spread by beating Washington 48-7.
"I see this team as a great heavyweight champion," D'Amico said. "When they get you on the ropes, they finish you."
Not only is Miami forced to travel from coast to coast, but the Hurricanes could be missing a couple of key defensive players in the game, D'Amico said.
From a betting perspective, Miami in a sense is still living off its stellar but outdated reputation as "Quarterback U." The team has compiled a record of just 12-25-1 against the point spread in its past 38 games with widely available betting lines, according to D'Amico.
Holiday Bowl, Dec. 30: Oregon plus 3 vs. Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has the edge at quarterback, thanks to highly regarded Zac Robinson, but D'Amico advises a play on the underdog in a game that pits two teams with offenses that have otherwise posted similar results.
Oregon enters the game on a roll, having scored 120 points in consecutive straight-up and against-the-spread victories against Arizona and Oregon State.
Oklahoma State allowed 61 points to Oklahoma, failing to cover in its most recent game. D'Amico suspects that breakdown could affect the team mentally.
"Oklahoma is a great team, but I don't care who you are," he said. "It's going to weigh on your heart, weigh on your mind, and you're going to have doubts going into the next game."
Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31: Georgia Tech minus 4 points vs. LSU
The Yellow Jackets - and their hometown crowd - will be revved up New Year's Eve at the Georgia Dome against the defending national champions.
LSU has not been the powerhouse team of recent seasons, though, going 2-9 against the point spread this season and faltering recently against the number when playing teams with winning records and as an underdog.
"This is not a team you want to rely on to cover the spread," D'Amico said.
(c)Las Vegas Sun, 2008
Maclin says jump to NFL isn't a done deal yet
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- While it's become something of a foregone conclusion that Missouri sophomore receiver Jeremy Maclin will leave for the NFL after this season, Maclin told the Post-Dispatch on Saturday that wasn't necessarily so and that his decision will be predicated on more than just whether he would be a first-round pick - which previously has been reported as being his criteria.
Asked if the Dec. 29 meeting with Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl would be his last game as a Tiger, the Kirkwood High product said, "I don't know" and added that he wanted to "chill a little bit" before determining his future.
As for the premise that he would leave if projected as a first-round pick, Maclin said, "There's a lot more you've got to factor into it."
Maclin said part of the process would entail speaking at length with coach Gary Pinkel, receivers coach Andy Hill and new offensive coordinator David Yost.
According to Scouts Inc. rankings, Maclin is listed as the No. 7 overall draft prospect among seniors and underclassmen. Deadline for draft decisions by underclassmen normally is mid-January.
Maclin leads major-college football in all-purpose yards with 203.54 a game - just over 20 yards more than second-place Jahvid Best of California. Maclin has 95 catches for 1,221 yards and has scored 15 touchdowns.
RISING YOST
In a 48-hour period ending Friday, Yost's wife, Carrie, gave birth to their second child and Yost was named offensive coordinator to replace the departing Dave Christensen.
"Excellent week," said Yost, formerly the quarterbacks coach.
Adding a second child in some ways will be a more radical change than the job. Although the title brings with it much more visibility and pressure, Pinkel and quarterback Chase Daniel said Yost already has had great responsibility, including plenty of play-calling.
"I'd be surprised if he changes anything (in his routine)," said Daniel, who had endorsed Yost as "one of the best quarterback coaches in the nation the last eight years," tutoring MU record-setter Brad Smith before Daniel.
With Christensen's departure for Wyoming creating Pinkel's first staff change in eight seasons at MU, Pinkel said it is his preference to promote from within.
"But you also do what's right," he said, adding that no one simply "deserves" a chance just for being there. "They deserve the chance if they're good enough."
The personable Yost, 38, has worked with Pinkel since 1996, when Pinkel hired him from Tiffin College - just part of Yost's unusual pedigree.
As Daniel put it, Yost has risen in the profession despite not being much of a player himself.
"I was not skilled as an athlete in any way," Yost said, smiling, "and I don't pretend to be at all. But I always enjoyed the game."
Pinkel said he didn't expect to hire another assistant until mid-January and left open what position it would be for.
TIGER TALES
Winning the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end was a thrill for Chase Coffman, but it didn't have any magic healing powers: More than a month since suffering a turf toe injury that kept him out of two games and hobbled in two more, he said it still is restricting him and that he doubts he'll be 100 percent for the Alamo Bowl ... Among those getting more and more practice time as MU begins to look to 2009 is freshman Blaine Gabbert of Parkway West. His redshirt was lifted this season, and though he played sparingly Pinkel said, "I think he's a lot different player" now than at season's start. ... MU will leave for San Antonio on Dec. 23.
stltoday.com
The 2009 BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Mess
If the road to hell is truly paved with good intentions, then college football's Bowl Championship Series is certainly proof of that. Its intentions are good: to place the two best college football teams in a one-game battle for the championship. So far so good, but what two teams? Just as comparing apples to oranges is silly, the comparison of college football teams is an uneven process involving human pollsters, computer formulations and plain 'ol, wacky logic.
College football's top division, formerly known as Division 1, has long been plagued with what Wikipedia calls MNCs (mythical national champions). In other words, the champion was crowned without ever playing in a playoff or a tournament. Instead, the process of deciding a college football champ was left to the sports writers of America, the men and women who saw the games every weekend, their logic taken as truth.
But, there were seasons when the writers wouldn't always agree, as in 1966, 1974, 1991 and 1997, when we had the anomaly of two national champions in one season. Then, there were other seasons where a good case could be made that another team should, at the very least, have a share of the prize (Notre Dame in 1993 is a perfect example).
For a game decided on hits and tackles, where yards and inches decide certainty, the process of choosing a champion was (and remains) weak and weird.
Now, enter one Roy Kramer, the former commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, and his efforts to create a system where the two best teams would in fact play each other to decide the championship. A great idea - if everyone agrees on the teams. Here's where the problems start for Kramer's BCS system.
In all its forms, the BCS has used a multi-variable formula to rank college football teams. The formula takes the following into account:
- Poll average - the team's average ranking amongst the sports writers.
- Computer average - the team's average computer ranking - formulated by nerds with nothing else to do.
- Strength of schedule - the relative, perceived strength of the team's opponents
- Margin of victory - how well one team beat up another.
(c) 2008 Associated Content, Inc
Flags hindering Cajuns' effort
In the first six seasons under coach Rickey Bustle from 2002-07, UL's football team committed the fewest penalties in the Sun Belt. The Cajuns had 440 penalties in that span, an average of 6.29 per game.
The unforced mistakes have been on the rise this season.
Going into the weekend, UL had the fifth-most penalties in the league with 80 and was tied for third-worst in the conference in penalty yards per game (59.8).
In last week's 48-3 loss to Troy, the Cajuns were called for a season-high 15 penalties covering 104 yards. That's the most penalties against a Sun Belt team this season.
"I know one of them was intentional grounding, but I thought I had a receiver in the area," said UL quarterback Mike Desormeaux. "The big thing is we've been having some false starts. That's a focus thing. I don't think it's that we have undisciplined guys. It's just that we've got to focus a little more.
"It's something we can fix and have to fix if we want to win. Fifteen penalties are totally unacceptable."
Desormeaux has been surprised by the increased number of penalties because of the emphasis to minimize such mistakes every week.
"Penalties are something we really work on, and our coaches really harp on that," Desormeaux said. "We look at penalty tape every week."
Odds and Ends
UL (5-6 overall, 4-2 Sun Belt) plays host to Middle Tennessee (5-6, 3-3) at 6:08 Wednesday night at Cajun Field. The winner becomes bowl eligible, while the loser will finish the season with a losing record. With a win, the Cajuns would gain bowl eligibility for the third time in four years. The Blue Raiders would become bowl eligible for the second time in three years with a win ... UL's most recent bowl appearance came in a 26-25 loss to Tennessee State in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl. MTSU's most recent bowl berth came in a 31-14 loss to Central Michigan in the 2006 Motor City Bowl ... Bustle was a wide receiver at Clemson from 1973-76. MTSU coach Rick Stockstill, a quarterback at Florida State from 1977-82, was an assistant at Clemson from 1989-2002.
Copyright (c)2008 The Daily Advertiser
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