NFL Scout Puts Wells at the Front of the Herd

AN NFL SCOUT BREAKS DOWN 2009 DRAFT CLASS

Tom Dienhart
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

Rivals.com talked to a director of college scouting for an NFL team. Here are his early position breakdowns on the NFL draft heading into the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins in earnest today in Indianapolis.

Ohio State’s Chris Wells is part of a big group of quality running backs.

INTRO: I try to put most of my weight on what guys do in the fall. The tape doesn’t lie. You have the Mike Mamulas and Vernon Gholstons, guys with big biceps who run great, then can’t play. The one thing workouts like the combine are good for is you get a view of how athletic they are and how fast they are on a clock. And, hopefully, it matches what you see on tape. If it doesn’t, then it causes you to go back and look at tape again.

RUNNING BACKS: I think the juniors really boosted the running backs class. Teams should be able to get a good back through the first three rounds. … Look at the underclassmen: [Ohio State's] Beanie Wells, [Pittsburgh's] LeSean McCoy, [Connecticut's] Donald Brown, [Georgia's] Knowshon Moreno, [Wisconsin's] P.J. Hill, [Iowa's] Shonn Greene. That’s a pretty strong group. I think there is real value there, and I think you’ll be able to get them a little later with a chance to hit on one. … I think Wells is the guy who has pushed out in front of everybody. He is the bell cow right now of this group.

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Jumping Ship: Who’s leaving early for the NFL?

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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Missed chances in first half doom Spartans

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Michigan State had the lead at halftime, but the Spartans didn’t have the momentum they needed in the Capital One Bowl against No. 15 Georgia.

	Matthew Emmons/US Presswire
	The Georgia defense never allowed Javon Ringer to get on track.

A more talented but seemingly disinterested Georgia team gave No. 18 Michigan State numerous opportunities to take control of the game. The Spartans ran 26 plays in Bulldogs territory in the opening half but produced only six points. That’s nowhere near good enough. Michigan State easily could have been ahead by double digits.

The missed opportunities wound up costing the Spartans in a 24-12 loss.

Credit Georgia’s much-maligned defense for shutting down Spartans star Javon Ringer (47 yards) and putting quarterback Brian Hoyer under constant duress. The game was won at the line of scrimmage, and Georgia’s speed in the defensive front proved to be the difference. Michigan State (9-4) needed a strong performance from its offensive line to spring Ringer, and it didn’t get one.

In many ways, the Capital One Bowl mirrored another near miss by a Big Ten team. Like Michigan State, Northwestern dominated the first half against Missouri in the Alamo Bowl but found itself tied at the break because of a few miscues. The Wildcats went on to lose.

Put bluntly, this year’s bowl matchups were terrible for the Big Ten, but both Michigan State and Northwestern had opportunities for upsets and neither team could convert.

Credit Michigan State coordinator Pat Narduzzi and a defense that came to play today. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford looked bewildered during the first half, and the Spartans frustrated Bulldogs star Knowshon Moreno.

With a bigger lead entering the third quarter, Michigan State’s defense might have continued to surge. But Stafford got things together and made several brilliant throws to rally his team. By the time Michigan State got in the end zone, Georgia’s talent-stocked offense was rolling along.

Despite the loss, Michigan State made major strides this season and head coach Mark Dantonio got everything out of his players. The program is on the upswing.

The Spartans must make upgrades throughout their offense — quarterback, wide receiver, line — and find a way to replace Ringer’s production. They really could have used a game-changer like Devin Thomas today. The defense loses only three starters and should be much stronger in 2009 behind Greg Jones and Trevor Anderson.

The Big Ten falls to 1-4 in bowl games and remains on pace for the worst postseason in its history. Iowa looked dominant and both Michigan State and Northwestern had bright spots in defeat, but the Big Ten desperately needs a BCS win from Penn State or Ohio State.

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Iowa’s Greene to turn pro

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

What was obvious midway through the season became official today, as Iowa running back Shonn Greene told ESPN’s Joe Schad he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

The Doak Walker Award winner eclipsed 100 rushing yards in all 13 games this season and set a single-season Iowa rushing record with 1,850 yards. Greene is projected to be the third or fourth running back selected in April’s draft, provided two other junior stars, Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno, also come out early.

At 23 years old, Greene clearly made the right decision here. Though Iowa will be strong next season, he doesn’t have much left to prove and needs to start making money while he’s still relatively young (in athlete years).

Freshman Jewel Hampton, who had 55 rushing yards in the Outback Bowl, will enter next season as the front-runner for the starting running back spot.

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Capital One Bowl preview

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Lost amid the Big Ten bowl bashing is the league’s four-game win streak against the SEC in the Capital One Bowl, considered by many to be the most prestigious non-BCS postseason contest. It’s up to No. 18 Michigan State to continue the trend today against No. 15 Georgia (ABC, 1 p.m. ET).

Here’s a look at the matchup.

WHO TO WATCH: Arguably no player in the country meant more to his team this season than Michigan State senior running back Javon Ringer, the nation’s third-leading rusher. Without Ringer’s steady production, particularly in the first half of the season, Michigan State wouldn’t be playing on New Year’s Day. Georgia has struggled to stop the run all season but will load up against Ringer, daring Spartans quarterback Brian Hoyer to win the game.

WHAT TO WATCH: Michigan State’s defense has contained comparable opponents but collapsed against elite offenses this season. It’s time for the Spartans to step up. Georgia boasts future NFL players at all the skill positions and could overwhelm Michigan State. But Pat Narduzzi’s unit is as healthy as it has been all season, and if the front four put pressure on Matthew Stafford, an upset is possible.

WHY TO WATCH: No bowl game features a better matchup of running backs, as Ringer squares off against Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno. The Doak Walker Award finalists have combined for 2,928 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns this season. Ringer’s strength and incredible durability (nation-high 370 carries) has sparked Michigan State, while Moreno is the most exciting back in the country.

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Spartans brace for Georgia’s cast of stars

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi didn’t help his conference in the never-ending Big Ten-SEC debate when he provided his scouting report of Georgia’s offense to head coach Mark Dantonio. 

“Their skill guys, their receivers, their running back, their quarterback, it’s like the Big Ten All-Star team that we get to play against,” Narduzzi told Dantonio.

Georgia wide receivers A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi matched or surpassed any pass-catching combo Narduzzi saw in Big Ten play this year. Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford trumped first-team All-Big Ten quarterback Daryll Clark of Penn State. 

And while Narduzzi, like everyone associated with the Spartans football program, thinks the world of Javon Ringer, Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno isn’t too shabby. If Georgia has a weakness on offense, it’s the offensive line, and that’s largely because of youth. 

“It’s obviously going to be a challenge for our defense,” Narduzzi said. “Everybody’s got to step up. Certainly, if you’re looking at something that might be their weakness, you look at their O-line. I don’t know what they see as our weakness, but obviously pressure on the quarterback and pressure at the line of scrimmage by our linebackers and defensive line is going to be a key in the game.”

Narduzzi’s unit lacks the headliners of Georgia, but it has helped Michigan State to nine wins and a Capital One Bowl appearance Thursday against the preseason No. 1 team (ABC, 1 p.m. ET).

This fall, the Spartans held eight teams to 24 points or fewer, including two bowl champions (Notre Dame and Florida Atlantic).  What happened in the other four games, though is a cause for concern.

Michigan State struggled against elite offensive competition, allowing a combined 94 points in losses to Ohio State and Penn State. 

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Four Big Ten players named FWAA All-Americans

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The Football Writers Association of America released its 2008 All-America team over the weekend, and the selections included four Big Ten players.

Iowa running back Shonn Greene, Penn State center A.Q. Shipley, Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin and Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins all made the list of honorees. The Big 12 led all conferences with seven All-Americans, followed by the SEC (6) and the Big Ten (4).

None of the Big Ten’s selections came as a surprise. Greene (Doak Walker), Shipley (Rimington) and Jenkins (Thorpe) all won national awards as the top players at their respective positions, and Maybin was nominated for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s top defender. Penn State joined Alabama, Florida, Texas and USC as the only teams with multiple FWAA All-Americans.

I’m sure Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis earned serious consideration for the FWAA squad, and it was somewhat surprising to see Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter get the nod over Michigan State’s Javon Ringer and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno, both of whom were Doak Walker Award finalists.

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The Big Ten and the national awards

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

For a league with a sagging national reputation, the Big Ten continued to hold its own in the national awards.

Three Big Ten players took home national honors Thursday night at the Home Depot/ESPNU College Football Awards Show. It wasn’t quite the haul that the Big 12 had (seven awards), but the Big Ten had to be pleased.

Here were the winners:

• Iowa running back Shonn Greene, Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back)
• Penn State center A.Q. Shipley, Rimington Trophy (nation’s top center)
• Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back)

Greene was the clear choice for the Doak Walker, beating out fellow Big Ten player Javon Ringer from Michigan State and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno. The Iowa junior rushed for a single-season school record 1,729 yards and eclipsed 100 rushing yards in all 12 games.

“I’m not biased, but it’s a no-brainer,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “All you have to do is look at the production game-in and game-out. There are a lot of great backs out there, but if you look at game-to-game and if you look at the bottom line, it’s probably pretty academic. With Shonn, you don’t have to watch film, just look at the numbers. But if you watch film, then it’s a no-brainer.”

Agreed 100 percent.

Shipley also was a likely choice for the Rimington even though Cal center Alex Mack entered the season with more hype. The Penn State senior co-captain was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Lineman of the Year by the league’s coaches. Shipley is the first Penn State player to win the Rimington Trophy.

Jenkins was a bit of a surprise, only because Tennessee safety Eric Berry had received so much hype after a stellar season. But being on a bad team might be taken into account. Having covered the Big Ten closer than most, Jenkins was the best all-around player I saw, so he’s deserving of any honor.

“When they announced the award winner, first I was surprised and then a sigh of relief,” Jenkins said. “It’s really nerve-wracking to sit there through the whole show because our award was one of the last ones announced. And those were not just two fantastic players who were the other finalists, but really nice guys as well.

“It’s just an incredible honor, because of guys like Antoine Winfield who have won this award in the past, and also because of Jim Thorpe, who was one of a kind and a pioneer in history. I work every day to improve as a player and when I came back for my senior season, the chance to be a part of an award like this was one of the dreams I had.”

Jenkins’ teammate James Laurinaitis and Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin both were up for the Bednarik Award, which went to USC linebacker Rey Maualuga. I thought Maybin had a shot here, but his age (only a sophomore) could have hurt his chances.

The Big Ten also placed six players on the Walter Camp All America team: Greene, Ringer, Shipley, Maybin, Laurinaitis and Jenkins. Only the Big 12 had more All-Americans (8).

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Jenkins wins Thorpe Award

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins was named college football’s best defensive back Thursday when he won the Jim Thorpe Award.

Jenkins finished ahead of Eric Berry (Tennessee) and Taylor Mays (USC).

 

“This is something I’ve had my eye on for some time,” Jenkins said. “And it’s not just about stats. If it was, I wouldn’t be here. It’s about leadership, and setting an example, too. You can’t imagine what this means to me. I was a semifinalist last year, and I’ve wanted to win it ever since.”

 

In other awards Thursday:

 

• Tim Tebow won the Maxwell Award for the second year, edging Texas’ Colt McCoy and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell for the honor given to college football’s best all-round player.

 

• Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford beat out Harrell and McCoy for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given to the top quarterback.

 

• McCoy was the Walter Camp Player of the Year, leading the All-America team.

 

• Michael Crabtree, a Texas Tech sophomore, won his second straight Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver.

 

• Running back Shonn Greene of Iowa won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back, finishing ahead of Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Javon Ringer of Michigan State, who will meet in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day in Orlando.

 

• The Outland Trophy (best interior lineman) was won by Andre Smith of Alabama.

 

• Rey Maualuga of USC won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player over James Laurinaitis of Ohio State and Aaron Maybin of Penn State.

 

• Matt Fodge of Oklahoma State won the Ray Guy Award (best punter) and Graham Gano of Florida State the Lou Groza Award (best kicker).

 

• Nick Saban was selected the Coach of the Year after leading Alabama to the SEC championship game and a 12-1 record.

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Iowa’s Greene wins Doak Walker Award

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

In the end, there was really only one choice for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back.

Iowa junior running back Shonn Greene took home the hardware tonight after turning in a dominant season this fall. After a year away from the program to clean up some academic issues, Greene eclipsed 100 rushing yards in all 12 games and broke Tavian Banks’ single-season team record with 1,729 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Greene beat out Michigan State’s Javon Ringer and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno.

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