BFTB Scouting: College Football Week 11

Week 10 recap:

• Alabama WR Julio Jones' draft status took a big step forward last Saturday. The Crimson Tide didn't coming out on the winning end of their game with LSU, but Jones won big. His precise route running, quick feet, skilled hands and speed abused top CB prospect Patrick Peterson. Quick slants sold as deeper routes were his bread and butter and that will translate to a lot of offenses in the NFL. Down by 10, Jones beat Peterson and had a ball throw to him away from his body that he snagged with ease to scored a TD and keep the comeback alive. Its safe to say that now only Georgia's A.J. Green stands above Jones at the WR position.
• Texas A&M OLB Von Miller came up big in the Aggies upset victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. His stat line will say 8 total tackles, including 3 for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The highlights will show him busting up a 4th and goal running play late in the 4th quarter. The word following the game is that his emotional presence help lift the team into thinking that they could beat Oklahoma despite the speed bumps they've hit this season.
• Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers had another productive day with 2 more sacks. He leads the nation with 12 sacks. For me, one of the hardest things with looking a college DEs is trying to figure out if they can be 3-4 OLBs. Bowers is listed at 6'4 280 lbs. A little more weight and he'd be the size of a 3-4 DE. A little less and he could be Merriman-sized. Can he lose that weight? Can he adapt to the coverage responsibilities. With some players, like  Pittsburgh's Jabaal Sheard, Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan and Oklahoma's Jeremy Beal scouts spell in out for me, and I know they'll translate. Others like Miami's Allen Bailey, Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, Ohio State's Cameron Heyward and California's Cameron Jordan it is less clear. I made personal decisions to include Bailey and leave the others out (although I haven't featured a game with Jordan or Clayborn yet so I reserve the right to change my mind). It's a tough process and I don't like looking foolish one way or the other.
  

Every week I'll also ask all of you to please share what games you'll be watching and what players you'd think would look good in blue and gold or just generally impressed/disappointed you.

LaMichael James, Oregon, RB, Sophomore, 5'8, 185 lbs (1st-3rd round pick) - Explosive, highly productive back who if he wins a Heisman, a National Championship or both could turns his eyes to the NFL. Right now, depending on who declares, he'll be behind a couple of RBs in the draft pecking order. That could let him fall to the Chargers who could platoon his skills as a runner and a receiver. He's got the speed and hands you like in a RB, but he's very raw. He'll have to learn about pass blocking and a whole new offensive system. He's also an undersized back, which some teams shy away from.

Cameron Jordan, California, DE/DT/OLB, Senior, 6'4, 280 lbs (1st or 2nd round pick) - At his current size he's to big to be a rush LB and not big enough for the other 3-4 defensive line positions. He plays a similar role to what his former teammate (and current Jaguar) Tyson Alulu plays and Alualu is now a DT. I would think he could trim down and play OLB or as a fallback move him to DE. Scouts, Inc seems to think he'd be a good 5 technique (3-4 DE) that could use his power rush skills to get after the QB while also keeping the normal responsibilities of the position. I see a very agile player for his size who is quick and can speed rush, which seems to tell me OLB is a possibility. Either way he's a high draft pick that someone will find a use for.

Shane Vereen, California, RB, Junior, 5'9, 203 lbs (2nd-4th round pick) - Vereen played second fiddle to Jahvid Best for a while, but did it with style. When Best was hurt or simply needed a rest it wasn't uncommon for Vereen to outshine the future Detroit Lion. He's smallish, but has some good power and good speed. He can catch out of the backfield and can find holes to make big plays. There's probably only a small chance he comes out this year, but the senior RB class is not very strong so its a good possibility that a few non-senior declare. He could be one of those and, like LaMichael James, would have the potential to add depth and versatility to the Chargers' RB corps.

Mike Mohamed, California, ILB, Senior, 6'2, 236 lbs (mid to late round pick) - Disciplined, smart player who takes proper angles and gets in proper position to make plays. Not so much fast he is quick, he's not a sideline-to-sideline player. He's also a bit lean but has room to add bulk, although losing anymore speed would be a big loss. He has a great motor and he's a motivated individual. He'll never be a star, but with proper coaching and training can be a contributor in the NFL.

Brooks Reed, Arizona, DE/OLB. Senior, 6'2, 253 lbs (2nd or 3rd round pick) - He's a little undersized for a 4-3 DE prospect, which could help him slide in the draft and end up in a good spot for the Chargers to get some value. The questions that come up when asking a guy to switch from DE to OLB in the NFL have to do with quickness and hip flexibility. Reed has both of those things and looks good on tape when playing underneath zones. He's got a bunch of good pass rushing moves and has a good motor that keeps running all game long. He works hard and has no character issues. He's a strong wrap up tackler and very disciplined in assignments. If you were to pick on him for something it that he's not the fastest or most explosive player.

Tracking Prospects Mentioned In Previous Articles: