Risers and Sliders
The college football regular season is quickly coming to a close. Prospects have just a few opportunities left to perform in front of NFL scouts. Here's the latest on draft-board movement.
Jack Ikegwuonu/CB/Wisconsin: Ikegwuonu had a slow start to the season but has significantly picked up his game in recent weeks. He leads the Badgers with 14 passes defended. Rumors persist that Ikegwuonu will enter the draft, where he would be one of the first six cornerbacks drafted.
Shawn Crable/OLB/Michigan: Crable leads the Wolverines this season with 74 tackles and 24 tackles for loss. He has also accumulated 7.5 sacks. The athletic linebacker forces the action all over the field and has secured a spot as a top-45 pick.
Jason Jones/DE/Eastern Michigan: Jones is a bit of an unknown outside the scouting community, but league insiders are excited about his NFL potential. He is considered the top prospect in the Mid American Conference after posting 66 tackles with 17 tackles for loss this season. He could go in the second round.
Lavelle Hawkins/WR/California: Hawkins has been Cal's most productive wideout this season, and has steadily climbed the charts in what is a weak group of senior receivers. The sure-handed pass catcher compares favorably to former USC receiver Steve Smith and presently grades as an early second-round pick.
Marcus Henry/WR/Kansas: Henry is in the midst of a career year in the Jayhawks' Cinderella season. He is averaging 19.2 yards on 46 receptions, seven resulting in touchdowns. Building a buzz amongst NFL scouts, the big receiver has first-day potential.
Nick Hayden/DT/Wisconsin: Hayden was impressive shutting down Michigan's powerful running game last week. He has rebounded well after a poor junior season.
Jamal Charles/RB/Texas: The Big 12 100-meter sprint champion has been running away from opponents the past three weeks. Totaling 654 rushing yards and three touchdowns since the Nebraska game on Oct. 27, Charles is slowly rounding into a complete running back. His blazing speed has scouts intrigued.
Chris Horton/S/UCLA: Horton was one of the few bright spots in the Bruins' loss to Arizona State. He has almost a dozen tackles with three sacks, and his instincts and tough play against the run has solidified his status as a top-100 player.
John Carlson/TE/Notre Dame: Graded by several scouting services as the top senior tight end coming into the season, Carlson has not met expectations. His meager production (34 receptions with two touchdowns) for an offense in dire need of weapons has been disappointing.
Colt Brennan/QB/Hawaii: Brennan, who tied the NCAA career mark for touchdown passes on Saturday, has been plagued with injuries and poor decision making. Benefiting from the wide open system at Hawaii, his touchdown-to-interception differential of 28-to-12 is the worst of his career and has scouts alarmed.
Nate Longshore/QB/California: Longshore started the season strong but has gone downhill of late. He's thrown almost as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (12) this season.
Bruce Davis/DE-OLB/UCLA: The pass-rushing specialist who projects to linebacker in the NFL has watched his productivity drop this season. Davis has been a liability in run defense and has not come up with the important sacks like he did in seasons past.
Two top-tier prospects from the Big 12 are likely to miss the rest of the season with leg injuries. Texas offensive tackle Tony Hills, who has played well all year, fractured his left fibula during the first quarter of Saturday's victory over Texas Tech. Adarius Bowman, the big receiver from Oklahoma State, hurt his knee during the second quarter of the Cowboys loss to Kansas. Bowman will undergo further evaluations in the coming days before a decision is rendered ...
Auburn pass rush specialist Quentin Groves has switched positions since returning from the foot injury that kept him on the sidelines for two games. Lining up at defensive end for most of his college career, Groves was moved to strong-side linebacker, his projected position in the NFL. Thus far, the results have been underwhelming as this potential first-round choice has looked out of place trying to make plays in reverse.
