Jumping Ship: Who’s leaving early for the NFL?
January 21, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
The good folks at ESPN’s data center have the updates on which college football underclassmen are leaving school in search of huge bags of money a career in the NFL. Here’s the updated list, with a few notable talents highlighted.
Asher Allen CB 5-1 198 Georgia
Chris Baker DT 6-2 298 Hampton
Kenny Britt WR 6-4 215 Rutgers
Eben Britton OT 6-5½ 310 Arizona
Donald Brown RB 5-10 210 Connecticut
Everette Brown DE 6-4 252 Florida State
James Casey TE 6-4 245 Rice
Jeremy Childs WR 6-0 196 Boise State
Glen Coffee RB 6-1 198 Alabama
Austin Collie WR 6-2 206 BYU
Emanuel Cook S 5-10 203 South Carolina
Jared Cook TE 6-5 243 South Carolina
Michael Crabtree WR 6-3 214 Texas Tech
Andrew Davie TE 6-5 266 Arkansas
Nate Davis QB 6-1¾ 217 Ball State
Vontae Davis CB 5-11⅞ 203 Illinois
Josh Freeman QB 6-5½ 238 Kansas State
Shonn Green RB 5-10¾ 233 Iowa
Percy Harvin WR 5-10¾ 187 Florida
Darrius Heyward-Bey WR 6-1⅞ 203 Maryland
P.J. Hill RB 5-11 236 Wisconsin
Greg Isdaner OG 6-4 322 West Virginia
Ricky Jean-Francois DL 6-3 289 LSU
Paul Kruger DE 6-5 265 Utah
Jeremy Maclin WR 6-0 198 Missouri
Sen’Derrick Marks DT 6-0⅞ 289 Auburn
Aaron Maybin DE 6-3½ 250 Penn State
LeSean McCoy RB 5-11 205 Pittsburgh
Gerald McRath LB 6-3 220 Southern Miss
D.J. Moore CB 5-10 184 Vanderbilt
Knowshon Moreno RB 5-10¾ 207 Georgia
Captain Munnerlyn CB 5-9 185 South Carolina
Hakeem Nicks WR 6-1 215 North Carolina
Kevin Ogletree WR 6-2 189 Virginia
Jerraud Powers CB 5-9 191 Auburn
Mark Sanchez QB 6-2½ 225 USC
Andre Smith DT 6-4⅞ 341 Alabama
Sean Smith CB 6-2½ 212 Utah
Matthew Stafford QB 6-2½ 235 Georgia
Brandon Williams DE 6-5 246 Texas Tech
Chris “Beanie” Wells RB 6-1 235 Ohio State
Of course, it’s worth mentioning a few standout players who are not going pro this year:
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi
Equally notable, FSU S Myron Rolle will leave the Noles, but isn’t going to the NFL… yet. Rolle accepted a Rhodes Scholarship and will study medical anthropology at Oxford. Rolle was expected to be a top 50 or better pick, but will instead look to enter the 2010 NFL draft.
The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 26th and 27th in New York City.
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Wells had to go pro despite unfinished business
January 8, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
As he said last week, Chris “Beanie” Wells has unfinished business at Ohio State.
He could have won the Heisman Trophy in 2009. He could have rushed for 1,800 yards. He could have helped Ohio State win a BCS bowl or maybe even reach the national title game. He could have torched Michigan again. And he could have joined Archie and Eddie as one of the greatest running backs ever to wear Scarlet and Gray.
But in the end, business trumped unfinished business for Wells. He made a business decision Thursday to enter the NFL draft, and a very good one at that.
When you’re a fail-safe first-round pick and widely projected to be one of the first two running backs selected, you turn pro and never look back. The lifespan of NFL running backs is simply too short, and Wells wouldn’t have improved his pro stock much more with another year in college.
Many will point to Wells’ injuries and wonder what might have been, and to a certain extent, they’re right. If healthy for an entire season, Wells could put up some insane numbers. NFL personnel evaluators surely will have concerns about Wells’ durability in the pros, which makes sense.
But when I watched Wells run this fall, I saw the most NFL-ready back in the country. His powerful, one-cut, downhill style will translate perfectly to the next level. Despite missing three games with a foot injury that never fully healed, Wells ranked sixth nationally in rushing average (119.7).
Ohio State will move ahead with Dan “Boom” Herron, who gained valuable experience behind Wells this fall and will enter the 2009 season as the team’s featured back. Though Herron is a different type of player than Wells, he’s deceptively strong and can get to the end zone, as he showed by scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter Monday night against Texas in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Brandon Saine also will compete for carries, and Ohio State will sign standout prep running backs Jaamal Berry and Carlos Hyde in February.
Wisconsin’s Hill to enter NFL draft
January 8, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft, ESPN’s Joe Schad is reporting.
A three-year starter for the Badgers, Hill racked up 3,396 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2006 and had three 1,000-yard rushing seasons despite battling injuries for much of his career.
Team spokesman Brian Lucas said head coach Bret Bielema is on the road recruiting and hopes to get in touch with Hill Thursday. Wisconsin students are currently on winter break.
Hill’s decision is somewhat surprising, but given the short life of running backs in the NFL, it makes some sense. Hill has taken a pounding during his career and dealt with several ailments, so a jump could be beneficial.
His departure clears the way for redshirt freshman John Clay to become Wisconsin’s featured back in 2009. Clay shared carries with Hill this fall and had 884 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Hill becomes the second Big Ten running back to enter the draft early, joining Iowa’s Shonn Greene. Ohio State junior Chris “Beanie” Wells has yet to decide whether he’ll turn pro.
QB play is first step toward Big Ten fix
January 7, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
The Big Ten took a beating this bowl season, but rather than gripe about unfavorable locations and matchups, it’s time to acknowledge a fact about the league.
The quarterback position stinks.
And in this age of college football, that equals competitive suicide.
All it took was a look across the field during bowl season to realize how far the Big Ten must progress at the quarterback spot.
The list of quarterbacks the Big Ten faced included:
- Texas junior Colt McCoy, a Heisman Trophy finalist who ranks fourth nationally in pass efficiency, fifth in total offense and ninth in passing yards.
- USC junior Mark Sanchez, who ranks sixth nationally in pass efficiency and 20th in pass yards.
- Georgia junior Matthew Stafford, who ranks 15th nationally in pass efficiency and 14th in pass yards.
- Missouri senior Chase Daniel, who ranks fourth nationally in pass yards and fifth in total offense.
- Kansas junior Todd Reesing, who ranks eighth nationally in both passing yards and total offense.
Of the Big Ten quarterbacks competing in bowl games, only one, Penn State’s Daryll Clark, ranks among the top 25 nationally in pass efficiency (Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor did not qualify). Minnesota’s Adam Weber had the most passing yards (2,761), which ranks 35th nationally.
Granted, the Big Ten’s best statistical passer, Illinois’ Juice Williams, didn’t reach the postseason, but this league is losing the arms race.
The Big Ten had by far the best stable of running backs in the country this season, boasting three of the nation’s top six ball carriers (Shonn Greene, Javon Ringer, Chris “Beanie” Wells).
Who cares?
College football has become a quarterback’s game, and the Big Ten has fallen way behind. For the Big Ten to restore its place among the nation’s top conferences, the fix must begin under center. It takes more than adopting the spread offense, which most Big Ten teams have done. Quarterbacks must be better developed in this conference.
And despite the league’s sagging national reputation, there is hope.
The quarterback spot figures to be stronger in 2009 than it was in 2008.
Wells fuzzy about future after Fiesta loss
January 6, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Chris “Beanie” Wells stood as his locker in a daze, still feeling the effects of a concussion that had forced him to leave the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in the fourth quarter.
Wells tried to convince the Ohio State staff he could re-enter the game after taking a blow to the head on a 2-yard run early in the fourth. Judging by the way Wells looked in the locker room, the Buckeyes’ trainers and coaches made the right decision.
“I don’t think I could have gone [back in],” Wells said. “I really couldn’t see straight.”
If Monday’s game marked the last in Wells’ career at Ohio State, it served as a suitable summary.
He was brilliant on the field, rushing for 106 yards on only 16 carries. But as has been the case throughout his term, Wells fell victim to an injury.
“I feel as if I was doing pretty good in the first half, would come out and have a great second half,” Wells said. “And then it happened. … I definitely wanted to be out there.”
Wells reiterated that he hasn’t decided whether he’ll forgo his senior season at Ohio State and enter the NFL draft. Last week he kept the door open for a return, saying he hadn’t accomplished everything he wanted to in Columbus.
But most signs point to Wells turning pro, and his performance Monday night against a tough Texas defense certainly helped his stock. He said the injury and the loss won’t be major factors in his decision.
Should he return, Wells will once again be a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and a favorite to win the Doak Walker Award. He’s widely projected to be one of the first two backs selected in the NFL draft if he turns pro.
“I’m going to sit down the next few days and talk about it with my family,” he said.
Texas makes case for title despite close win
January 6, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Roy Miller sounded like an Ohio State Infomercial.
Minutes after No. 3 Texas posted a dramatic Fiesta Bowl win, Miller began talking up the team his Longhorns had just beaten.
“Great team, great players, Terrelle Pryor, [Chris "Beanie" Wells] is healthy,” said Miller, the Longhorns senior nose tackle who was named Defensive Player of the Game. “You’ve got award winners on that side. You’ve got future Heisman candidates, you’ve got a running back that’ll probably be the top pick in the draft, an offensive line as big as any, a defense that’s played as well as any defense.
“When you look at those things and you look that this team had an opportunity to scout us for a month and a half, I really feel like we deserve that top spot.”
It will be a tough sell, but the Longhorns began campaigning for the No. 1 ranking immediately after their 24-21 win. Head coach Mack Brown said on the victory podium that he planned to vote Texas at No. 1 regardless of what happens in the BCS title game Thursday night.
But there’s a force working against Texas, the same force that worked in favor of Oklahoma and Florida.
The Longhorns won by only three points Monday. They showed tremendous fortitude, made key plays and rallied past an Ohio State team that finally began to play to its potential. Yet a 3-point win against the runner-up from the beleaguered Big Ten Conference won’t convince many that Texas should be at the top. Neither will an offense that produced well below its season averages.
“Style points, I don’t care about scoring 80 points and them scoring seven,” Longhorns defensive end Brian Orakpo said. “If it’s a battle between two great teams, it makes football even more fun to play. It’s very unfortunate because nowadays it’s all style points and who can keep their starters in the longest and keep running up the score.
“Style points shouldn’t matter.”
Orakpo makes an excellent point, but one that likely will fall on deaf ears when the final polls come out. Texas entered the game as a 9-point favorite, and after impressive BCS wins by both USC and Utah, the Longhorns likely needed to trounce Ohio State to open the door for a split national title.
Though Texas certainly has the best case of any team not spending the week in Miami, the Longhorns were seconds away from a loss. USC thumped a Penn State team that beat Ohio State on Oct. 25, and Utah also posted a two-touchdown victory.
“Things weren’t easy tonight,” Brown said.
“You can throw [margin of victory] out the window,” Orakpo said.
Unfortunately for Orakpo, the voters don’t.
Texas’ best argument for the No. 1 spot in the polls had nothing to do with what happened at University of Phoenix Stadium.
“It’s called the Red River Shootout, and 45-35 was that final score,” Miller said, referring to Texas’ win against Oklahoma on Oct. 11. “We have an opportunity to win the votes over, hopefully, and possibly get a national championship with the votes.”
Miller spoke last week about losing confidence in the voters toward the end of the regular season, as Oklahoma moved past Texas, thanks in large part to style points. History is not on the Longhorns’ side.
But after Monday’s win, Miller is beginning to feel more hopeful.
“I’m optimistic,” he said. “I’m hoping that since our team played so strong and showed so much heart, I’m hoping those things can come through transparent, everybody can see ‘em. Especially if Oklahoma wins [Thursday night]. We beat Oklahoma. We felt like we should have been in Florida. We felt like we should have had that opportunity.
“If they beat Florida, we feel we should be No. 1.”
Miller doesn’t plan to sit around and fret over the final polls. But he hopes the voters will do the right thing.
“Anything can happen,” he said. “We know it, and we just hope we can win a couple votes. I’m proud of my team. Being a part of this team and knowing the things that we’ve been through, the teams that we’ve beat and the situations we’ve been in, I personally feel this team can play with anybody in the country.”
Senior sendoff spoiled for Boeckman, Buckeyes
January 6, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Perhaps more than any other player, Todd Boeckman has served as a symbol for Ohio State’s senior class.
He celebrated Big Ten titles and struggled in big games. He earned local and national recognition and endured the pain of subpar performances. And he handled both the highs and the lows with total class.
Despite losing the starting quarterback job to a true freshman (Terrelle Pryor) in Week 4, Boeckman still joined fellow captains James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins and Brian Robiskie to meet the media after every game. He remained a leader in the locker room, on the practice field and on the sideline, even if he could no longer be one on Saturdays.
For those reasons, no player on the field at University of Phoenix Stadium had more support than Boeckman as he reclaimed a critical role in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Texas. The senior helped Ohio State rally in the fourth quarter and was seconds away from a perfect end to his career when Texas scored the game-winning touchdown to win 24-21.
“To see him go in there, it proves the old adage that good things happen to good people,” Ohio State tight end Rory Nicol said. “He stayed the course all year. Yeah, he was pissed off in his mind all year long. Who wouldn’t be? He did the right thing, he did what was best for the team.
“He forgot himself.”
But Ohio State didn’t forget about Boeckman, even though Pryor made strides as the starter. The Buckeyes shook things up in bowl practice, pairing Boeckman and Pryor on the field together.
The combination worked Monday as Boeckman completed five passes for 110 yards, including a 5-yard scoring fade to Pryor, who recorded his first touchdown grab. Boeckman helped set up Ohio State’s go-ahead score with 2:05 left with a 21-yard strike to tight end Jake Ballard on second-and-17.
“I had no idea how much I was going to play,” Boeckman said. “They just told me to be ready at all times. I’m always looking forward to getting out there and playing with these guys. I had some fun out there today, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get the job done.
“It felt pretty good to get out there and throw the ball around a little bit. I haven’t done that in quite a while.”
Ohio State’s coaches downplayed the two-quarterback scheme leading up to the game, suggesting it would only be used sparingly. But Boeckman took the game’s first snap and found Robiskie for a 14-yard gain.
He seemed to spark the offense in the first half, and after the unit went silent in the third quarter, his 48-yard completion to Robiskie on third-and-13 changed the game’s complexion.
“Todd is a special guy,” head coach Jim Tressel said. “Every one of us wanted to do all we could to make him a part of the plan. … He stepped in and did a good job.”
The game signaled the start of a major personnel transition for Ohio State, as the 28-member senior class departs following four Big Ten titles but a 1-3 record in bowl games. Running back Chris “Beanie” Wells and wideout Brian Hartline, both juniors, also could also be departing (both said they had not reached a decision about the NFL draft).
“The seniors have 43 wins throughout their career here,” Boeckman said. “That’s one of the best records in Ohio State’s history. The hard part about that is the last three bowl victories, we didn’t get a win. That’s probably what people are going to remember the most. That’s tough to take.”
The near miss resonated with Pryor, who performed admirably under pressure and will face an even greater burden in 2009.
“We made a statement, but losing to a team, it’s not good enough,” Pryor said. “You’ve got to win. We hung onto ‘em, but it doesn’t sound great. It’s not right.
“We had an OK season. We needed to finish that game off.”
3Q update: Texas 17, Ohio State 6
January 5, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Texas finally established the run, and the Longhorns have taken total control of this game.
After finishing the first half with minus-9 net rushing yards, Texas ignited its ground game on two touchdown drives. Fozzy Whittaker, who had no carries in the first half, had four touches in the quarter, and star quarterback Colt McCoy started using his legs to make plays. Chris Ogbonnaya also is finding some gaps in the Buckeyes’ defense.
Ohio State’s defense looks exhausted despite an admirable performance. Texas used a fast pace to march 85 yards to the end zone, as McCoy and his wideouts continue to build a nice rhythm. The Longhorns had 14 first downs in the quarter, while the Buckeyes couldn’t move the chains once.
The missed opportunities in the first half are coming back to haunt Ohio State, which can’t get anything going. Some odd play-calling and an inability to get Terrelle Pryor running room are dooming the Buckeyes, who ran only 10 plays in the quarter. Chris “Beanie” Wells has been silent since halftime.
After a sluggish first half, Texas opened the second half the way it needed to, with an 80-yard scoring drive. It took a fake punt, another fourth down conversion and two third-and-long conversions, but the Longhorns broke through.
Ohio State continued to help out with three more penalties. Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa was flagged for an obvious pass interference foul, and defensive end Thad Gibson got hit with his second personal foul for a blow to McCoy’s head.
Good news on Ohio State special teams stud Shaun Lane, who had to be carted off in the second quarter after sustaining an injury on kickoff coverage. Lane was taken to a local hospital but has movement in all of his limbs.
Halftime update: Ohio State 6, Texas 3
January 5, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State survived the dreaded second quarter without major damage, but the Buckeyes should be ahead by more than three points.
Jim Tressel’s team has executed its game plan against a favored Texas squad boasting the nation’s fourth-highest scoring offense (43.9 points per game). Ohio State has dominated possession time (17:19 vs. 12:14), established a run game with Chris “Beanie” Wells (96 rushing yards) and Terrelle Pryor (42 rushing yards) and put consistent pressure on Colt McCoy.
But will it be enough?
Despite a heroic performance by the defense, Ohio State managed only two field goals. Five penalties and lack of execution — dropped passes, Pryor running out of bounds too soon — have prevented the Buckeyes from reaching the end zone. An offense that at times relied solely on big plays can’t seem to hit the home run against Texas. Ohio State has run 22 plays in Longhorns territory and scored only six points. Not good enough.
But Pryor has been able to find room around the edges, and Ohio State should emphasize outside runs in the second half.
Texas simply needs to run the ball. The Longhorns finished the first half with minus-9 rushing yards and only 10 net yards by running backs Chris Ogbonnaya and Cody Johnson. McCoy has been efficient (20 of 27 passing) but threw an interception near the goal line with three seconds left, preventing a game-tying field-goal attempt.
Both defensive lines are getting pressure, but Ohio State’s front has been more impressive. Thad Gibson and Doug Worthington both have sacks, and McCoy is constantly under duress. But Quad Cosby and the Texas wideouts are making plays, and it’s only a matter of time before the Longhorns find the end zone.
On the health front, Ohio State lost special teams standout Shaun Lane to an apparent shoulder injury on kickoff coverage with 5:34 left. There’s no update on Lane yet, but it’s safe to say he won’t be back tonight after being carted off.
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It’s game day at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
January 5, 2009 by feed · Leave a Comment
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. — University of Phoenix Stadium is just as cavernous as it looks on TV, and it will serve as an appropriate setting as two college football giants clash tonight in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Fox, 8 p.m.).
Media members received a police escort from our resort to the stadium, which was pretty cool until we hit traffic in downtown Phoenix and the cops didn’t help much. It was pretty funny to see the reactions from fans, who thought the buses carried Ohio State and Texas players rather than out-of-shape reporters. Sorry to disappoint.
I didn’t get much of a chance to walk around, but the parking lots around the stadium are already buzzing with fans of both teams. The highlight was seeing a massive one-piece Jim Cordle jersey worn by four young women, presumably Cordle’s friends or family members. If Cordle and his fellow linemen look that big on the field tonight, Texas could be in trouble.
No. 3 Texas enters its first Fiesta Bowl at 11-1, looking to restate its case as a national title contender after getting snubbed from the championship game last month. The Longhorns were a play away from reaching Miami and should be keyed up for this one. No. 10 Ohio State also has plenty to prove after flopping in the last two BCS title games. The Buckeyes are no strangers to Arizona, having won the Fiesta Bowl in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Their last trip inside this stadium ended in defeat, however, as they fell to Florida in the 2007 championship game.
On the health front, Texas has no reported injuries. Ohio State likely will be without third-string running back Brandon Saine, and reserve offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts won’t play much if at all. Buckeyes starting wide receiver Brian Hartline might miss a series or two after reportedly committing a team rules violation last week.
Tonight’s officiating crew is from the Big East Conference.
Here are three keys for each team heading into tonight’s matchup.
TEXAS
- Get Colt McCoy on the move to establish an early offensive rhythm. Ohio State’s defensive line has improved in the second half of the season, but the Buckeyes haven’t seen a quarterback as dangerous as McCoy. If he performs anything like he did during the regular season, Texas shouldn’t have trouble putting up points.
- Clog the middle and force Terrelle Pryor to win the game. The pre-game talk has centered on Longhorns All-American defensive end Brian Orakpo, but defensive tackle Roy Miller could be a more important player tonight. Ohio State wants to establish the power run game with Chris “Beanie” Wells. It’s up to Miller and his linemates to slow him down.
- Guard against the big play. Ohio State has been too reliant on big plays this season, but Pryor and his receivers are capable of stretching the field at any time. Texas’ secondary is vulnerable, but if the Longhorns keep the wide receivers in front of them, they should be OK.
OHIO STATE
- Establish Wells and the run game right away. Wells needs to have a huge night for Ohio State to keep pace with Texas. Though the junior thrives in big games, Texas defends the run well and Ohio State’s offensive line has underperformed for most of the season. If Wells can wear down the Texas defensive front, Pryor will have opportunities to get creative.
- Don’t be afraid to test the Texas secondary. If there’s a weakness for the Longhorns, it’s the back four, and while the Buckeyes want to run the ball, they can’t shy away from passing on first down. There’s been some buzz about using Pryor and fellow quarterback Todd Boeckman on the field together. Sounds like a good idea for an offense that gets stale at times.
- Defensive stars have to make plays. Linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins will graduate as two of the most decorated Ohio State defenders in team history. As they take the field for their final collegiate game, both men must be major factors in trying to disrupt McCoy and the Longhorns offense.