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NCAA Scouting
NFL Draft Prospect Tracker – Week 11
by Paul Emery
November 15th 2012
 
   
 
The last time I watched Florida State, I made the bold statement that Cornellius Carradine was above Bjoern Werner on my board. After another quiet day from the German and fine performance from Carradine, the gap is only going to get wider…
 
Florida State at Virginia Tech
 
Florida State
 
EJ Manuel QB a slightly misleading stat line of 25/42, 326 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. From my off season tape study and the previous three games this year my problem with Manuel is that he just doesn’t read or feel pressure. Against a defense that did a nice job of blitzing and showing different things pre-snap to what was given post-snap, this was a good test. Generally I didn’t feel Manuel passed it. He was sacked five times, including two bad ones one deep in his own end and the other making a field goal more difficult. At times this game was played at quite a slow pace and it was only then that Manuel looked really effective just after the half and then again late in the game coming back to win it (his TD was more run after the catch than throw).
 
From time he wows you with a really nice throw, but at others his ball placement is off. He was high a few times and on crossing routes and the like, he made his receiver slow or stop to make the catch. He needs to continue to work on his touch passes, although he showed he can make these a couple were a bit heavy. Looks best when he can attack defenses, rather than sitting back and reading which all takes a little too much time. A similar talent in many regards to Brock Osweiler last year who was a late second round pick.
 
Rodney Smith WR 5 catches but for only 23 yards. Would have had two deep catches, but he was held on one play and as he came back for an underthrown ball was interfered with. Did have a 15 yard slant in his hands, but he was a little slow to put the ball away and the CB pulled it out. Looks to have a decent size/speed combination, but flatters to deceive.
 
Bjoern Werner* – DE sometimes stat lines are misleading, but in Werner’s case only two tackles and a pass batted down at the line tells a very accurate story. He has 8 sacks on the year, but 4 came against Murray State, 1 against Savannah State and 1.5 against Wake Forest. The rest of the ACC schedule (7 games) he has only managed 1.5 sacks. Perhaps he’s one of those prospects who has too much of a reputation and detailed study really shows him for what he is. He lacks an elite burst to turn the corner, but in this one was too often eaten up by a senior right tackle who will be lucky to be drafted. His motor is high, but he was dominated throughout and the more I watch the more I think he might be better served to return for his senior year. Certainly one major website who has him in their top 10 is way off base.
 
Cornellius Carradine DE 6 tackles, 5 assists and a sack for Carradine reflects how involved in the game he was. Lining up at times a yard back from the other defensive lineman shows that he’s being asked to two gap. With his length, ability to get under people and get off blocks this makes a lot of sense. At times he’s the last defensive lineman to move, but I think he’s reading things for the two gap role rather than flying up the field as a one gap guy. His ability to set an edge is superb and it’s refreshing to see with so many light weight DE’s getting washed up the field too easily. Showed his ability as a pass rusher with his sack, got into his man and then just swam over him for the play. Beat him a few more times and had pressure. Up against Nick Becton, rated higher than Painter (but still a probable undrafted free agent admittedly). Every time I see him I’m mightily impressed and I was again in this one.
 
Everett Dawkins DT generally quiet and looks to be a day three space eater type. Did show a nice spin move to get off blocks and make a couple of tackles, but a non-factor rushing the passer and I’m not as high on him as others.
 
Xavier Rhodes* – CB quite difficult to judge him as he was only thrown at twice. He did look good on a pass breakup of a 10 yard out. He was in off man coverage and looked very smooth breaking up on the ball. Earlier in the game he was in good position against a TE, but got a bit grabby with his hands and was called for interference. Had a highlight reel hit on a FB after a short catch. Might get some looks at safety as he’s so physical. Not sure about his ability to flip his hips/turn and run down the field when he’s up in press man coverage though.
 
Dustin Hopkins PK made 45 and 52 yard field goals look easy. Has a really nice leg and gets good height on his kicks. Gets good depth on most of his kick-offs, but did have two shorter ones not sure if that was on purpose or not (more chance of pinning them deeper than a touchback on a high/short kick-off and letting the coverage team make a play). Should push to be the first kicker taken.
 
Virginia Tech Logan Thomas* – QB while Thomas still has the same intriguing raw skills he’s always had, he hasn’t come on quite as much as hoped. Given a mill stone around his neck in pre-season by many thinking he was going to be the number one pick in this Draft, with heavy Cam Newton comparisons. Perhaps Newton’s sophomore struggles have also led to his grade going down. He’s playing better than he was earlier in the year, but the learning curve has been gradual. I’m not going to slate the kid, but do think he needs to return next year to get even better. He still has unlimited potential and perhaps it will be 2013 when he will take that big step and dominate.
 
Marcus Davis WR rated as a mid rounder coming into the year, had another quiet game and seems to be slipping down boards. Just two catches but for 68 yards, which is probably the reason for being highly rated he does have a nice size/speed combination. Just ran right by a CB on his way to a 54 yard catch caught it falling back, bobbled but grabbed at the second attempt. Dropped a low slant, gave a cursory effort to make the catch. Dropped another deep ball, again falling away but if he wants to be a top 100 prospect he’s got to hang onto those. Fumbled after catching his other pass, a shallow cross was holding the ball very loosely and was asking to get his pocket picked. Day three on his play, but he’s the type someone might overdraft based on size/speed, but ultimately I think if a team drafts him that high they’ll be disappointed.
 
Corey Fuller WR an interesting late riser. Ran track at Kansas State before transferring to be with his brother (junior CB Kyle). Had 2 catches all of last year, but has 36 so far this year and a season high 7 catches in this one for 124 yards and a TD. Showed nice technique on his TD reception, a 4 yard fade route, used his hands to keep the CB off him and then at the last minute put his hands up and made the catch. Looked very good on crossing routes, could be a little similar to Chris Givens at the next level in his ability to get deep. Should run very fast at the Combine and he’s one to keep an eye on as he still has a lot of upside.
 
James Gayle* – DE had a sack and a TFL, but was unblocked on both plays. Really struggled to get off blocks in both phases of the game, was eaten up way too much. Reputation looks to be greater than his pro stock like Thomas I think he will be best served by another year, should his financial situation allow.
 
Pittsburgh at Connecticut
 
Pittsburgh
 
Ray Graham RB after two straight 100 yard games and 172 yards in the almost upset of Notre Dame last week, it was back down to earth for Graham as he was held to 41 yards on 15 carries. He made one ankle breaking move against a LB after a catch, but otherwise didn’t show much wiggle. Perhaps he was a little beaten up after last week and at 195 lbs that’s going to be the concern moving forward. Does offer ability as a receiver out of the backfield though, with 93 career catches but his size does limit him in pass protection.
 
Devin Street* – WR 6 catches for 76 yards. Has decent size, but not a burner. On his long catch of the day, a 24 yarder, he did a nice job of breaking a tackle on a swing pass to get the yardage after the catch. On a 20 yard post from the slot he didn’t appear to be covered so I might have been able to come up with that one (and then swiftly go done to a knee before getting hit!!). His QB is a senior, so not sure if he plans to come out early seems to be more of a mid rounder though, so he’ll have a decision to make.
 
Hubie Graham TE injured his ankle on the first Pitt offensive play and didn’t return.
 
Connecticut
 
Ryan Griffin TE a steady type who has consistent but not outstanding production throughout his career. Had 6 catches for 84 yards and a TD. Caught two balls early, just faking his block and sneaking out into the flat. Caught a nice out route and showed good body control getting both feet down in bounds. Not overpowering as a blocker, but can seal and was often asked to get to a defensive back, which he did effectively. Not a top athlete, but he still had a highlight hurdle of a tackler after one catch. The type who will make a roster and contribute at the next level, but isn’t a Jimmy Graham level talent.
 
Trevardo Williams DE has 8.5 sacks on the season, but was controlled in this one. At 6’1″ 231 lbs he might even be too small for some 3-4 teams. Certainly he’s not a Patriots/Chandler Jones type. Had a couple of pressures, generally from an inside move. Struggled to turn the corner. Was man handled in the run game and wasn’t much a part of the Huskies shutting Ray Graham down. Carries a high rating from many because of the sacks, but looks to be a better college player than pro prospect and likely day three type.
 
Sio Moore OLB was very active and had an excellent game. Rushed the passer from defensive end as well as stood up. Also played as a regular linebacker and on occasion lined up over the slot receiver. Versatility is clearly a major plus. Perhaps should have had an interception, got a good jam on the TE at the line and then came under the route to break up the pass. Read a swing pass to Graham and came over to make a secure tackle for no gain. Lacks a classic pass rusher frame at 6’1″232 lbs, but showed he has speed to turn the corner helps himself by dipping his inside shoulder, making it tough for the OT to get into him. Had two sacks and a pressure. Did get called for roughing the passer, but appeared to be blocked into the QB. Ideal for a multiple defense as he offers ability in coverage as well as rushing the passer.
 
Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB was only thrown at once, but looks very confident and aggressive. Gets a good jam in at the line, was in man coverage for the early part of the game and showed he can turn and run down the field after getting his jam in. Later in the game, protecting a lead he was still jamming but then dropping into a Cover-2 zone. Early on was tested, was all over his man on a 5 yard curl and broke up the pass. When matched up against Street he looked in complete control. Under rated prospect who looks to have top 100 talent.
 
Small School Watch – Southeastern Oklahoma State at East Central
 
East Central
 
Armonty Bryant DE it could well be that a recent arrest for possession of marijuana drops him to the ranks of the undrafted, but I had planned to watch the game for weeks, so elected to keep it on the schedule. On the field, there’s no question Bryant has the frame and quickness to get drafted. At 6’4″ 260 lbs he really stood out at this level of play. He was lined up at times in a 3 technique in a 3-3-5 hybrid, but generally as a conventional DE in a 4-3.
 
He lacks an elite burst to turn the corner, but he does have a decent first step. It’s his ability to change direction quickly that stood out though. He showed a nice swim move on a sack, the QB tried to step up away from him, but he closed very nicely for the play. He had 3 TFL’s against the run, which is slightly misleading as at times he was too easily controlled. His quickness again was the main reason for these plays. To cap his day he picked up a fumble and returned it 50 yards for a TD as East Central overcame a 17-0 halftime deficit to win comfortable in the end 31-17.
 
Texas A&M; at Alabama
 
Texas A&M;
 

Christine Michael RB had two short TD’s, but was held to 27 yards on 12 carries. He is seeing more of the ball than early in the year, when he was in the dog house, but I’ve not seen enough from him to suggest he’s anything more than a day three pick.
 
Ryan Swope WR Swope’s play has really picked up in the last 4 weeks, with 36 of his season 56 catches coming in that time. He made two crucial catches in this one and finished with all the 1’s – 11 catches for 111 yards and 1 TD. His best catch was when he split the two Cover-2 safeties and held on despite being hit in the helmet. He then caught a nice out and up where he ran by Robert Lester to catch an over the shoulder pass. With a very mobile QB who was able to keep plays alive superbly, Swope did a nice job of coming back to him when he saw him extending a play, so was a nice target. Some of his early catches were just easy sit downs in zone, but he showed up big time down the stretch and this performance will push him up boards.
 
Luke Joeckel* – OT this Draft class is not as strong as the 2012 Draft class and one of the reasons is that there isn’t an elite tackle prospect. Some didn’t think Matt Kalil was last year and certainly as a run blocker he had much to learn, but in pass protection he showed elite feet and technique. Joeckel quite simply does not. At times he even looks a bit heavy footed setting up in pass protection he was beaten outside by Adrian Hubbard and only an athletic QB saved him from giving up a sack. Hubbard also got into him and jacked him back into his QB’s lap on one play, I thought he was better in terms of keeping his hands up, but at times still gave up his chest too easily. On the almost safety by C.J. Mosley, you’ll see Joeckel on the play losing the leverage battle against Ed Stinson and he actually ended the play on his backside. He might be the best tackle in this class, but it’s only due it being relatively weak as is the overall Draft class so despite some glaring weaknesses he might be a top 5 pick. The pressure that comes with that could lead to him being under pressure early in his career as I think he’ll struggle against the top power and speed rushers in the NFL.
 
Jake Matthews* – OT Matthews was up against Xzavier Dickson for much of the night and like Joeckel, he had his struggles. He doesn’t seem to have corrected his hands when setting up in pass protection, and Dickson had a bit more about than LSU’s Mingo earlier in the year. Matthews was stood up straight a number of times, getting pushed back into his QB. He does make effort to re-anchor and recovered a couple of times, but he must stop giving up his chest so easily. He flashes a nice first step and when he sits in his stance, he can make mirroring look effortless. If he can clean up his technique, I think he’ll be a solid starter, but first he has to decide whether to come out early or not.
 
Patrick Lewis C at times Lewis struggled with Jesse Williams’ power. However, he kept battling away and did have some nice moments against the big Alabama NT, including one play driving him back 5 yards not something that is easy to do. His technique is solid, I’m not sure if he’s an elite athlete but overall I like him and think he could certainly make a roster as a rookie and potentially more moving forward.
 
Damontre Moore* – DE Moore was quieter in this game than the other A&M; games I’ve seen this year. But he still managed a sack and a TFL. When matched up against D.J. Fluker he struggled, he beat the big man inside for quickness but then missed the sack. He also slid off him as the QB rolled at him for a pressure. Otherwise he tended to lose the battles against a powerful man. I did notice him leading the huddle at the start of the fourth quarter and really firing everyone up, one reason I don’t like to watch cut up tape when evaluating players, you miss little bits like seeing he’s a vocal leader. I think his body of work and the overall class still means he’s a first rounder though.
 
Sean Porter OLB often lined up over the slot WR and therefore easily able to get off blocks, Porter was able to make a number of plays and so he should. When up against TE Michael Williams he did well on the first Alabama play from scrimmage, beating him for quickness but after that was controlled. Porter does look more comfortable in the 4-3 than he was earlier in the year and he still has the pass rush ability that got him 9.5 sacks last year in the bank. He should look good in the pass rushing drills at the Senior Bowl and hopefully he will continue to improve in his new position.
 
Dustin Harris CB 3 punt returns for 30 yards and looked dangerous in this role. It might even see him get drafted as it will give him the edge on other late round prospects. He had a couple of passes caught on him, one he got ran off on a comeback route and the other he dived to try and break up an out route, but missed.
 
Alabama
 
Eddie Lacy* – RB with freshman T.J. Yeldon fumbling twice in two games, Lacy might well get the bulk of the carries moving forward. He ran powerfully in this one and finished with 92 yards on 16 carries, which is a fair reflection of how well he ran. He also had 4 catches for 35 yards. He’s not going to run a 4.4 40 time in the post season, but has quick feet to make people miss in short areas and does a nice job of getting yardage after contact. This kind of back might not want to subject himself to another college season of hits, so even though he might not be a first rounder, he still may decide to come out early.
 
Michael Williams TE Williams speed limitations were on show on a seam route where he got absolutely no separation. After catching a short out he rumbled for 20 yards, but certainly isn’t going to be one of the fastest TE’s at the Combine. He missed a block on Sean Porter on the first play from scrimmage, but recovered to block in his customary good style. Not flashy, but does a job and I’d be looking to add someone like this fairly early on day three knowing exactly what he’s going to give me.
 
D.J. Fluker* – OT after seeing him earlier in the year I didn’t think Fluker would be that high on my board, but after doing well against LSU’s Mingo this week he did a nice job of keeping Demontre Moore relatively quiet. He was beaten twice with Moore’s quickness causing him a problem, but he displayed a nice first step for a big man and was able to get his hands on Moore and shut him down for much of the night. Two good games against first round talent, he has to be rising.
 
Chance Warmack OG I usually like power lineman, so I’m not entirely sure why Warmack doesn’t float my boat as much as he does for others. I think it’s his lack of flexibility which gives me an issue. I guess it’s all too easy for him and perhaps he’s just lazy with not getting low in pass protection. He showed he can mirror and when he gets his hands on a defender it’s all over, but projecting him forward against a Haloti Ngata, I can see him getting out leveraged. He’s not as quick footed as North Carolina’s Jon Cooper either and it’s why the Tar Heel is my top rated guard to date.
 
Barrett Jones C the weakest game I’ve seen from him this year. Gary Danielson mentioned in commentary that the A&M; coaching staff felt Spencer Nealy could give him problems and that proved to be the case. He really struggled to get square against his man, as A&M; did a nice job of flowing to the ball as a defense. That made Jones task of getting square difficult and he was often reaching, leaving himself off balance. He was so stressed by Nealy late in the game he was called for holding on a takedown, perhaps some frustration in there. Better in pass protection, sitting nicely in his stance but this one showed up some limitations.
 
Jesse Williams DT I didn’t keep a count, but Williams was maybe in for 50% of snaps. Against a spread team and not being a good pass rusher, Williams did not show up as much as he did against an old school two back LSU team. He did have a sack, but it was most definitely a coverage one, but to be fair he was rewarded for his hustle. Had a nice tackle for loss, overpowering Lewis, but not his type of game and I think it will limit his stock, particularly in some divisions.
 
C.J. Mosley* – OLB Nico Johnson saw most of the time last week, but a spread team was Mosley’s day as he was on the field much of the day. He had a number of tackles, plus a sack where he overpowered RB Ben Malena. He showed his speed on a 4th down Manziel scramble, just shoving the freshman sensation out of bounds short of the first down. His skill set seems to be more suited to the modern game than Johnson, but I still do wonder if he might want to come back next year and get better against the run.
 
Nico Johnson ILB saw very little time, so tough to really comment other than not being able to get on the field against a passing attack means he loses value in the eyes of the pass happy NFL.
 
Dee Milliner* – CB went back to the locker room early in the game, but returned. Had tape on his lower leg, so assume that was the issue. Might have wished he stayed on the sideline as he was beaten for a TD by Malcolm Kennedy. On the double move, he took a false step on the slant and couldn’t recover as Kennedy headed for the corner for a top prospect you’d like to see that recovery burst, but fortunately for Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame fans it wasn’t there and the TD was caught. Clearly unhappy after the play, he batted a pass down on the next drive and really rejected it like a basketball player blocking a shot! Otherwise not tested, as is the case with many of the top CB’s you have to piece the puzzle together from little bits of their tests throughout the year.
 
Robert Lester FS generally Lester isn’t asked to cover man to man generally playing center field, so it was great to see him actually in the TV picture for one and two tested. Unfortunately for him he was lit up like a Christmas tree put up too early. The day didn’t start that well as Kenric McNeal beat him for a 32 yarder Lester stopped his feet as McNeal gave him a double move and couldn’t recover. His next man effort was better, breaking up on a short curl in front of him to make a solid tackle. He couldn’t repeat the trick on a swing pass though, missing a tackle. On a third down, again in man, he made a poor effort he dived at the WR but missed and was nowhere near to doing anything positive on the play. The big Ryan Swope catch down the middle, he was a little late over that is the weakness of the Cover-2 coverage, so perhaps I’ll cut him some slack on the play. On Swope’s other catch, an out and up he came over the top, but took a poor angle and was then trailing late in the route, allowing the A&M; man to make an uncontested catch. Now I know why Alabama generally play him at deep center field…
 
Notre Dame at Boston College
 
Notre Dame
 
Tyler Eifert* – TE had a very good game, both as a receiver and as a blocker. Lined up as a halfback or in the slot he did a really nice job getting to the second level as a blocker and sticking to his blocks. He also showed he can set an edge with ease. He even showed he can make a combo block that is chipping a defensive lineman, than getting out to a LB and engaging. He had 6 catches for 67 yards, running nice routes and going up and plucking a couple of high passes. He also showed a nice spin move after one catch to break a tackle and get 10 extra yards. His production is modest (34 catches) but he has 12 catches in the last 2 games, showing what he can do.
 
Braxston Cave C generally solid, but did struggle some against quickness. He tended to lunge for his reach blocks and was off balance too much, spending too much time with a face full of dirt. In shorter areas he was very solid. He did get a little high in pass protection at times, but can sit in his stance and look in complete control. Don’t think he has that wow factor of a top 100 pick, but like Patrick Lewis he should make a roster and push for a starting role at some point in his career the solid guy rather than an all-pro.
 
Kapron Lewis-Moore DE lined up much of the night at DT in a 4 man front, plays DE in the base 3 man front. Had a nice sack on a stunt using a good rip move against Emmett Cleary. Has a nice frame, is listed at 300 lbs but looks like he can add weight. Not a top athlete, but certainly could fill this kind of role in a rotation at the next level but likely a day three pick.
 
Manti Te’o ILB a fairly quiet night with BC throwing twice as much as they ran. Is a long shot for the Heisman, but even with his late interception didn’t make enough flash plays on the big Saturday night game to think he’ll win it. Was in zone coverage for much of the night, on occasion had man responsibility against the RB and was in good position each time. Young readers won’t remember former 49ers coach Mike Singletary as a dominant linebacker, he always said that the position has to be played on your toes and Te’o certainly does that. It actually worked against him on play fakes, as he bit up on several. But when it was run he got up quickly and got involved, for example making a tackle for a short gain on a draw. Did get caught up in traffic on one wide run and also popped to the ground on another. Looks comfortable in coverage, which was the question coming so retains a solid first round rating with his body of work.
 
Zeke Motta FS seems to be a rising prospect. Quite tough to judge him as he’s often in deep Cover-2 zone coverage. Certainly looks to be a very good tackler, breaks down nicely and really snaps his hips. Looked in good position over the top in coverage, but wasn’t really tested. Needs a Robert Lester like test to really rate him, perhaps the USC game might be the one.
 
Boston College
 
John Wetzel OT in the absence of Ramsey, Wetzel is BC’s top rated prospect. Unfortunately summing up the state of the Eagles at the moment, he really struggled. He was beaten for speed and power throughout and unfortunately I think he’ll be a long shot to make it.
 
Kaleb Ramsey DT out with a leg injury, after missing most of the last year with injury durability is going to be a major concern.
 
West Virginia at Oklahoma State
 
West Virginia
 
Geno Smith QB 36/54, 364 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT. When the team started 5-0, Smith was quickly put to the top of many boards on the back of his positive play. Now with 4 straight losses, I think he could well be losing ground. Oklahoma State tended to sit back with 7 or 8 in coverage and faced with the task of sitting in the pocket, going through progressions and trying to pick the defense apart he struggled. He looked extremely hesitant and was late on several throws. His accuracy was also off for much of the night, with his deep ball accuracy being awful (1 out of 10 on passes that travelled over 20 yards in the air). He missed two wide open deep post routes, which would have been TD’s no need for the perfect pass, but he overthrew both when it would have been better to underthrow. When the Cowboys blitzed he struggled to pick it and his last throw of the day was a perfect example, a blitz from his right which he didn’t see and the hit he took affected the throw adversely and it fell incomplete. Unfortunately I didn’t see him during the 5-0 start, but will watch some cut up tape between now and the Draft, but after two watches I’d have a tough time thinking he’s much different from EJ Manuel.
 
Tavon Austin WR 11 catches for 79 yards, 5 rushes for 14 yards, 2 kick returns for 20 yards and 2 punt returns for 12 yards. He really struggled to get going after the catch, he made a couple of people miss but there was no trademark big play. He had the chance for a big play on an out and up, but got turned around by the pass and couldn’t track it down. Had some problems with bouncing balls in the return game. Struggled on two squib kick offs and also had a punt bounce into him which was then recovered by Oklahoma State it was like the 1981 49ers Super Bowl in the old Pontiac Silverdome!
 
Stedman Bailey* – WR Bailey hasn’t been at 100%, but he appeared to be in this one as he had 14 catches for 225 yards and a TD. He also got behind the defense on a deep post but Smith missed him, so the numbers could have been higher. Did a nice job with his comeback routes, gave Smith a nice target and didn’t just turn and stop his feet it was thus hard for the CB’s to drive on the ball. His TD was actually from the backup QB as Smith lost his helmet on the play before and was on the sideline. He beat the CB, but had to wait for an underthrown pass, very skilfully he was able to box out the defender to make the catch. He beat Justin Gilbert on a 50 yard pass, then broke a tackle to get 25 more yards. Not the biggest at 5’10” 195 lbs, but a crafty route runner with good speed. With his QB a senior, he’ll have a decision to make as to whether to come out or return for his senior year.
 
Tyler Bitancurt PK/P hasn’t had the best year on field goals, but was 2 for 2 comfortably making 37 and 41 yard field goals. Also punts, had 5 at a 48 yard average did have one touchback, but it really should have been downed at the 1, so he was very unfortunate.
 
Oklahoma State
 
Joseph Randle* – RB for the second week in a row, struggled to get on track. 21 carries for 74 yards and 1 catch for 9 yards. Also dropped an easy swing pass (and he bobbled the screen he caught). Not a power runner, one three straight carries from his own 2 yards managed -1 and only just avoided a safety. Made one run where he burst through the line, but otherwise seemed a little indecisive and slow to get going. Had another run where he cut nicely to make a LB miss, but on wider plays didn’t look that fast and struggled to turn the corner. Gave good effort in pass protection, stayed on his feet one time and cut blocks on other occasions, but got the job done. Against a very average defense I was a bit surprised by the non performance.
 
Justin Gilbert* – CB had a mixed day. Did make some plays in coverage, but did give up a 50 yard pass, which after his missed tackle turned into a 75 yarder. Did show he can deal with the deep ball later in the game, coming under a post and breaking it up nicely. Played mainly off man with some occasional zone. Looks a bit high in his backpedal, would like to see him get lower so his break is more explosive. Broke up two passes, both in the end zone. The first he got his hand in between the receivers and knocked the ball out the second he came under the receiver and spiked the ball to the turf. Had a kick return for a TD and is a genuine threat in this area, which adds to his value. Set up his blocks extremely well on the play then just exploded through the hole and the kicker had no chance. Almost took another one the distance, did the same in terms of setting up his blocks well 2 returns for 127 yards and a TD. A little rough around the edges in coverage, missed two tackles, but clearly athletic and can help in the return game right away.
 
Quinn Sharp PK/P Sharp does everything in the kicking game. He unleashed several touchbacks kicking one way and went with squib kicks the other, something West Virginia had trouble dealing with. 2 for 2 on field goals short 26 and 32 yard efforts. 5 punts at a 43 yard average but did have one partially blocked (right after he had uncorked a 58 yarder only for it to be called back for an illegal formation), so needs to get the ball off quicker he takes a bit too long so he can really get into the ball. Might therefore be better as a kicker as I doubt he’ll do both at the next level.