College Football is back today. On my schedule tonight is Southern Miss at South Carolina and USC’s visit to Hawaii. I’ve listed below some of the names I’ll be keeping an eye on, feel free to make recommendations or requests in the comments section. There’s a lot of good games over the weekend but perhaps none more interesting than LSU vs North Carolina. Chris Steuber is reporting that Seattle will have scouts at the game. No surprises really considering the talent on offer, which includes potential top-1o picks like Robert Quinn (DE, UNC) and Patrick Peterson (CB, LSU). More on that game tomorrow.

Southern Miss @ South Carolina

Cliff Matthews (DE, South Carolina)
6’4″, 260lbs defensive end who looks set to become the teams defensive leader after influential Eric Norwood departed for the NFL. May struggle against double teams on a Gamecocks team that lacks much other quality on the defensive line. Matthews considered declaring for the 2010 draft after allegedly receiving a 1st-3rd grade from the NFL draft committee. Instead he returns for his senior year off the back of shoulder surgery. Registered seven sacks last season and 47 total tackles (including ten for a loss). Reports suggest he may have added weight and moved up to 275lbs, but in terms of the Seahawks scheme and the use of the slighter LEO pass rusher, I’d rather see him play in the 265lbs range.

Chris Culliver (CB, South Carolina)
A useful return man who earned Second team SEC honours as a free safety last year, Culliver will switch to cornerback for his senior year. He had seven pass breakups at safety, two sacks and a forced fumble/recovery. Culliver has registered 2215 kick return yards with a long of 67 yards. Athletic and good enough in the tackle to be worthy of keeping an eye on. Following Josh Wilson’s trade to Baltimore, there’s no point scouting cornerbacks in that 5’8″ or 5’9″ range. Culliver is a healthy 6’0″, 200lbs prospect who might be worthy of mid-late round grades next April.

Weslye Saunders (TE, South Carolina)
He’s suspended and won’t play against Southern Miss (agents, again). However, Saunders is a talented prospect and worth keeping an eye on if you have the chance to watch the Gamecocks later in the year. Enjoyed a bigger role with the team last year, particularly impressed in blocking situations whilst scoring three touchdowns. Hopefully the 6’6″, 273lbs prospect gets on the field in game two.

Anthony Gray (DT, Southern Miss)
Interior defensive lineman listed at 6’0″ and 304lbs. Listed in the Conference USA pre-season first team. Recorded 40 tackles last year including 1.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss. Has the opportunity to put himself into late round discussions with a solid 2010 season. Southern Miss earned a reputation as a team who create turnovers last year and Gray’s presence as a three-technique who needs to be blocked played a large role in that.

USC @ Hawaii

Jurrell Casey (DT, USC)
6’1″, 305lbs Interior lineman who like Brian Price (DT, UCLA) last year, just finds a way to consistently get into the backfield. As a sophomore he recorded four sacks in USC’s rotation including two forced fumbles. Due to SoCal’s two-year Bowl ban, it would be a surprise if the team’s most talented juniors don’t declare for 2011 should they perform to expectations this year. Casey has the potential to be a top 20 pick if he can increase the stat line and unlike Price, prove he’s capable of staying on the field.

Kristofer O’Dowd (C, USC)
6’5″, 300lbs center who could warrant mid-round consideration in 2011. Injuries have been an issue for O’Dowd but he does have some mobility given his size and wouldn’t be completely ruled out of working in Seattle’s zone blocking scheme. Was benched by Pete Carroll at one stage in order to establish full health and O’Dowd has missed a lot of game-time. Still, he’s one of the big name interior lineman who often get over rated into first round talk because of reputation. That won’t happen, but O’Dowd can be a solid mid-round choice next April health permitting.

Nick Perry (DE, USC)
Nine sacks in his first season starting has drawn a lot of attention Perry’s way. The junior fits the bill as a potential LEO pass rusher (6’3″, 250lbs). Does a lot of his damage by exploding off the snap with good initial quicks. Struggles sometimes to disengage but should becomes less of an issue with greater experience and strengthening. Playing with an interior presence like Jurrell Casey, Perry has the potential to cause some damage this year. If he can record 12 sacks and continue to impress, there’s no reason why he won’t be someone we talk a lot about over the next few weeks.

Stanley Havili (FB, USC)
Just a fun player to watch in that he’s a full back who just makes plays. Have you ever known a full back register 894 receiving yards and 10 TD’s in their career? He also averages over 6-yards per carry rushing. It looked like Havili might be in trouble after a fight with teammate T.J. Bryant led to a suspension, but he was allowed to return to camp after several pleas from his teammates. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he scored a touchdown or two against Hawaii.

Could Notre Dame's Michael Floyd land in Seattle?

I’ve updated the mock draft section of the blog (which can be found in the title bar at the top of the page or by clicking here). It’s only a top-15 projection at this early stage. I’ve made a few changes after watching some game tape over the last week. Continue reading

Is Pittsburgh's Greg Romeus worthy of a first round projection?

If you ask Seahawks fans or pundits, ‘which area of the team shows the greatest weakness?’ a lot of people will say the defensive line. More specifically, it’s the pass rush that is of most concern. Only four teams registered less sacks than Seattle in 2009, with the Seahawks gently reaching a tepid 28 for the year. With Patrick Kerney retiring and others moving on, the team are trying out a number of different bodies this pre-season hoping one rises to the surface.

Unsurprisingly some are already looking ahead to the 2011 draft and forcasting the not-unlikely scenario that Seattle will select a defensive end in round one.

My message to those people? Beware. Continue reading

Christian Ponder could earn a first round grade this year

It’s safe to say the new regime in Seattle want their quarterbacks to move. That doesn’t mean they’re looking for the next Michael Vick, rather they want someone that can shift in the pocket. It’s not necessarily about first downs, rather avoiding pressure and being able to execute a solid bootleg or play action. When the Seahawks traded for Charlie Whitehurst earlier this year, this was Pete Carroll’s review of his new quarterback:

“The fact that he is such a good athlete, that he does run so well, that he’s got very good feet and just generally good speed for the quarterback position that we think enhances the style of play that we intend to put out there. We felt good enough about that evaluation.” – Pete Carroll

Seattle’s Head Coach has a vision for this team. Alongside offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, Carroll clearly sees mobility at the quarterback position as something to value. We’re learning quite quickly what kind of scheme fits to look at – whether it’s zone blocking specialists on the offensive line or guys who can fit at the LEO rushing position on defense. As we look ahead to the return of college football next month, it might be worth keeping an eye on quarterbacks who can move.

It may be necessary to qualify first of all the likelihood that the Seahawks would draft a quarterback next year. You have to assume Whitehurst will get his chance during the lifespan of his initial two-year contract. It’s impossible to predict at this stage how the current quarterback conundrum will play out. However – the Seahawks will know they have to find a long term solution at quarterback sooner rather than later. That could be Whitehurst, but whilst the question mark remains the team cannot leave any stone unturned. I certainly don’t think the bold move to bring him to Seattle will restrict the team from drafting a quarterback early next year, even if he starts (and wins) in 2010.

If we’re looking at mobile quarterbacks in the 2011 draft class, people will immediately think of Jake Locker. That much is obvious. However, there is an alternative option in Christian Ponder. At 6’2″ and 220lbs, the Seminoles signal caller doesn’t have the pure size that Locker owns. He’s not the same kind of athlete and he won’t break off the kind of run Locker managed against Arizona last season. Part of the appeal with Jake Locker is that he is capable of the impossible. He can beat you in so many ways and teams will love that he’s a play maker. We’ve all seen the comparisons to John Elway. That’s not what you’re getting with Ponder. He might be a more accurate and accomplished passer though.

I first saw Ponder last year in FSU’s opening game against Miami last year. He looked polished and ended with a decent stat line of 294 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added another rushing score and a further 28 yards. I made a point of watching Florida State on two further occasions, mainly so I could keep an eye on the country’s best guard prospect (and ideal ZBS fit) Rodney Hudson. Ponder continued to stand out behind that offensive line.

If the Seahawks want a quarterback who can maintain his poise under pressure, move away from trouble and still get the pass off, then Ponder can do those things. His footwork is very good and he’s nimble on his feet. This is best emphasised on the quarterback draws Ponder occasionally runs, which obviously he won’t be doing at the next level. However, it flashes how well he moves around and whilst he might not be an explosive athlete, he’s above average for his position.

A lot of mobile quarterbacks suffer when it comes to accuracy. Ponder is maybe the exception here because for the most part in 2009 he was deadly accurate. Against Georgia Tech’s solid defense, he completed 72% of his passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns. The following week on the road against UNC’s much vaunted defense, Ponder managed 395 yards for three scores and completed 83% of his passes. For the year in general he was throwing a solid 69% completion average and threw only one interception in his first seven games. The numbers matched the viewing – Ponder is an accurate passer.

Technique wise there’s lots to like. The 22-year-old has a nice high release point and gets the ball out quickly to his receiver. He can thread passes into tight windows and perhaps most importantly, throws a catch-able ball. You’re not looking at a huge arm, but at the same time it isn’t going to hold him back. He won’t lay it out like Ryan Mallett, but neither will Jake Locker. Ponder appears to throw equally well off his front and back foot and generates a similar amount of velocity with each. If you want intangibles, Ponder has a master’s degree in just his junior year and boasts a level of intelligence and work rate others will struggle to match.

Of course, we’ll learn more about Ponder’s credentials when the new season starts. The Seminoles travel to Oklahoma in week two which will be a good test, as will the trip to Miami on the 9th October. If Ponder can lead his team to a strong year and continue his improved statistics, he has a great opportunity to earn a first round grade in 2011. In Rodney Hudson (OG) and Christian Ponder (QB), there are two prospects who just ‘fit’ with what the Seahawks are trying to build. Keep an eye on Florida State next year.

Ray Rice is a solid first round option

By Rob Staton
Last week I conducted a mock fantasy draft and had a look at why it could be important to draft receivers early this year. However, I wanted to do a mock that goes the other way and concentrated on every other position first. It’s basically a test to see what options might be available if you can’t get hold of the top wide outs early. If you’re picking in the top four or five, you’re likely to take one of the top running back’s early anyway and that’ll limit the chances of getting an Andre Johnson or Randy Moss. Continue reading