Featured Game | ||||||
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game | ||||||
Oregon | (12-0) | vs | Auburn | (13-0) | Monday 1/10 5:30 PM PT | (ESPN) |
This is the Championship game, if you want hype and analysis you can find it in plenty of places. People will be all over Oregon's Sophomore QB Darron Thomas and Sophomore RB LaMichael James and Auburn's Jr. QB and Controversial Heisman Trophy Winner Cam Newton and Jr. DT and Lombardi Award Winner Nick Fairley. At BFTB the focus is on the Chargers. Sure the Chargers could use a guy like James or convert Cam Newton to a WR or become a more physical defense with Nick Fairley at DE. However, James is likely staying in school, the Chargers are not going to draft Cam Newton and Nick Fairley will be long gone before the Chargers pick or the draft even gets to a pick the Chargers could trade up to. Instead the focus is on some of the supporting cast and the role players in this game that could find themselves with lightning bolts on their helmets next year.
BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
LaMichael James | Oregon | RB | So. | 5'8 | 185 lbs |
Explosive, highly productive back who could turn his eyes to the NFL, especially after a win in this game. 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. I don't think the Chargers would necessarily take him and I don't think he's going to declare, but he's worth checking out. 3rd round pick. Original Writeup | |||||
Casey Matthews | Oregon | ILB | Sr. | 6'1 | 241 lbs |
He's brother of Packers OLB Clay Matthews and, like his brother, could fit in a 3-4 linebacker. He plays with intensity and works hard to make plays all over the field. His run stopping skills are probably more valuable that his pass rushing ones and he's a bit too slow to be cover RBs in the flats so, unlike his brother, ILB might be his future position. There aren't many ILBs in this draft class, so while he grades as a late round pick it would be a surprise to see him go higher. Original Writeup | |||||
Lee Ziemba | Auburn | OT | Sr. | 6'5 | 320 lbs |
Not the prettiest blocker because of some of his false steps and technique lapses, but he's got the quickness to make up for it. He does have good recognition skills and has the speed to get out in front of a back if he's pulling. Not a mauler, more of a finesse blocker. 3rd round pick. | |||||
Mario Fannin | Auburn | RB | Sr. | 5'10 | 230 lbs |
He may look like a bigger back, but he's got the skills to be a 3rd down back. You can line him up in the slot and he'll make catches and run good routes. A very willing blocker that can keep the QBs jersey clean. He's quick for his size and it'll be interesting to see what his Speed Score is. He doesn't have breakaway speed and he doesn't finish his runs too well, but he has enough to contribute in the NFL. Might be a real nice steal for the Chargers a 3rd string back that contributes on special teams. 5th or 6th round pick. | |||||
Josh Bynes | Auburn | ILB | Sr. | 6'2 | 235 lbs |
Looking at him on the field, it would surprise some that he only weighs 235. He carries his weight high and he's not a very fast player. That strong upper body helps him as a solid tackler. He takes good angles and was highly productive on a championship level team. You shouldn't ask him to play man to man, but he's not going to embarrass you in zone coverage. Late round pick. | |||||
NFL Prospects: | |||||
Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
Nick Fairley | Auburt | DT | Jr. | 6'4 | 299 lbs |
Disruptive force on the interior defensive line. His focus is on shooting a gap and getting penetration. He's been mentioned in multiple mock drafts as being a target for the Broncos with the second overall pick. He grades out just a tick shy of last year's top 2 DTs Gerald McCoy and Ndamakong Suh. His stock skyrocketed after being mostly off the radar at the start of the season. Original Writeup | |||||
Cam Newton | Auburn | QB | Jr. | 6'5 | 248 lbs |
Out of all the underclassmen in this draft, Newton is the most likely one to declare. He's had a ton of controversy surrounding his eligibility after allegations regarding deals he and his father made with schools when he was deciding where to transfer after leaving Florida. On the field, he's a dominant collegiate player to the point where I've heard analysts say they weren't sold on Auburn even being a contender for the title until they saw Newton play, but once they did they thought the team could win it all. He's a superb athlete and that shows up in his running ability. Throwing-wise he has a strong arm, but shaky mechanics. His dropbacks aren't smooth and his throws on the run are less than ideal. Still, there's a world of potential there and somebody's going to want to use a 1st round pick to try to tap into that. | |||||
Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
Jordan Holmes | Oregon | C | Sr. | 6'4 | 294 lbs |
William Thran | Oregon | OT | Sr. | 6'6 | 288 lbs |
Brandon Bair | Oregon | DT | Sr. | 6'6 | 265 lbs |
Spencer Paysinger | Oregon | OLB | Sr. | 6'2 | 230 lbs |
C.E. Kaiser | Oregon | OT | Sr. | 6'3 | 298 lbs |
Jeffrey Maehl | Oregon | WR | Sr. | 6'0 | 173 lbs |
Talmadge Jackson | Oregon | CB | Sr. | 5'8 | 185 lbs |
Kenneth Rowe | Oregon | OLB | Sr. | 6'1 | 226 lbs |
Andrew Davis | Oregon | WR | Sr. | 6'1 | 213 lbs |
Terrell Zachery | Auburn | WR | Sr. | 5'11 | 208 lbs |
Michael Blanc | Auburn | DT | Sr. | 6'2 | 289 lbs |
Ryan Pugh | Auburn | C | Sr. | 6'1 | 293 lbs |
Wes Byrum | Auburn | K | Sr. | 6'1 | 210 lbs |
Zaccheus Etheridge | Auburn | S | Sr. | 5'11 | 211 lbs |
Craig Stevens | Auburn | OLB | Sr. | 6'1 | 222 lbs |
Antoine Carter | Auburn | DE | Sr. | 6'3 | 253 lbs |
Lee Isom | Auburn | G | Sr. | 6'1 | 305 lbs |
Mike Berry | Auburn | G | Sr. | 6'3 | 317 lbs |
Kodi Burns | Auburn | RB | Sr. | 5'11 | 207 lbs |
Aairon Savage | Auburn | CB | Sr. | 5'9 | 201 lbs |
Tracking Prospects Mentioned In Previous Articles:
Prospect Name | College | Position | Class | Proj. Draft Position |
Bowl Game Opponent (Date) |
Notes |
Graig Cooper | Miami | RB | Sr. | 6th rd | ||
Delone Carter | Syracuse | RB | Sr. | 5th rd | 28 car. 202 yds. 2 TDs. | |
Noel Devine | West Virginia | RB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 8 car. 50 yds. 4 rec. 21 yds. 1 fumble. | |
Kendall Hunter | Oklahoma St. | RB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 10 car. 32 yds. | |
LaMichael James | Oregon | RB | So. | 2nd rd | Auburn (1/10) | |
Dion Lewis | Pittsburgh | RB | So. | 4th rd | 22 car. 105 yds. 1 TD. Will Enter Draft | |
Derrick Locke | Kentucky | RB | Sr. | 6th rd | 12 car. 71 yds. 6 rec. 61 yds. | |
DeMarco Murray | Oklahoma | RB | Sr. | 2nd/3rd rd | 25 car. 93 yds. 1 TD. 2 rec. -1 yds. | |
Jacquizz Rodgers | Oregon St. | RB | Jr. | 3rd rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Evan Royster | Penn St. | WR | Sr. | 6th rd | 20 car. 98 yds. | |
Brandon Saine | Ohio State | RB | Sr. | Late rds | 4 car. 25 yds. 1 rec. 0 yds. | |
Shane Vereen | California | RB | Jr. | 3rd rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Jonathan Baldwin | Pittsburgh | WR | Jr. | 1st/2nd rd | 1 rec. 12 yds. | |
Armon Binns | Cincinnati | WR | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
Justin Blackmon | Oklahoma St. | WR | So. | 1st rd | 9 rec. 117 yds. 2 TDs. | |
Vincent Brown | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | 8 rec. 165 yds. 1 TD. 1 car. -13 yds. | |
|
Returning to school. | |||||
Randall Cobb | Kentucky | WR | Jr. | 2nd-4th rd | 3 car. 23 yds. 5 rec. 62 yds. | |
Michael Floyd | Notre Dame | WR | Jr. | 3rd rd. | 6 rec. 109 yds. 2 TDs. | |
Jeff Fuller | Texas A&M | WR | Jr. | 3rd rd | 7 rec. 83 yds. | |
A.J Green | Georgia | WR | Jr. | 1st rd. | 8 rec. 77 yds. Will enter the draft. |
|
Leonard Hankerson | Miami | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | 6 rec. 71 yds. 1 TD. | |
Dwayne Harris | East Carolina | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | 8 rec. 68 yds. 1 car. -7 yds. | |
Jerrel Jernigan | Troy | WR | Sr. | 2nd rd | 7 rec. 48 yds. 1 TD. 3 car. 16 yds. 1 TD. Returned kicks and punts. | |
Ron Johnson | USC | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | ||
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos | Iowa | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Dismissed from team after arrest on drug chargers | |
Julio Jones | Alabama | WR | Jr. | 1st rd | 3 rec. 49 yds. 2 car. 36 yds. 1 TD. Will enter the draft. |
|
Jeremy Kerley | TCU | WR | Sr. | 5th/6th rd | 6 rec. 58 yds. 1 car. 5 yds. | |
Greg Little | North Carolina | WR | Sr. | 2nd-4th rd | NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible. | |
Niles Paul | Nebraska | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd |
|
3 rec. 61 yds. |
Austin Pettis | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | Late rds | 12 rec. 147 yds. 1 TD. | |
DeVier Posey | Ohio State | WR | Jr. | 2nd/3rd rd |
|
3 rec. 70 yds. 1 TD. |
Greg Salas | Hawaii | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | 13 rec. 214 yds. 2 TDs. | |
DeMarco Sampson | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | Late rds | 2 rec. 45 yds. | |
Torrey Smith | Maryland | WR | Jr. | 2nd rd | 2 rec. 10 yds. 1 car. -3 yds. Will enter the draft. |
|
Terrance Toliver | LSU | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | 5 rec. 112 yds. 3 TDs. | |
Nick Toon | Wisconsin | WR | Jr. | 4th/5th rd | 3 rec. 46 yds. | |
Titus Young | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 6 rec. 64 yds. 3 car. 9 yds. | |
Mike McNeill | Nebraska | WR | Sr. | Late Rds | 3 rec. 33 yds. | |
Luke Stocker | Tennessee | TE | Sr. | 4th rd | 5 rec. 58 yds. 1 TD. | |
Gabe Carimi | Wisconsin | OT | Sr. |
1st/2nd rd |
||
Marcus Gilbert | Florida | OT | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
Chris Hairston | Clemson | OT | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Jarriel King | South Carolina | OT | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Demarcus Love | Arkansas | OT | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Jason Pinkston | Pittsburgh | OT | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Derek Sherrod | Mississippi St. | OT | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | ||
Clint Boling | Georgia | OT/G | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
James Carpenter | Alabama | OT/G | Jr. | 4th rd | ||
Orlando Franklin | Miami | OT/G | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Stephen Paea | Oregon St. | NT | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
Ian Williams | Notre Dame | NT | Sr. | Late rds | ||
Christian Ballard | Iowa | DE/DT | Sr. | 4th rd | 1 sack. | |
Jared Crick | Nebraska | DE/DT | Jr. | 3rd rd | ||
Nick Fairley | Auburn | DE/DT | Jr. | 1st rd | Oregon (1/10) | |
Jarvis Jenkins | Clemson | DE/DT | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Allen Bailey | Miami | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
Da'Quan Bowers | Clemson | DE | Jr. | 1st rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Adrian Clayborn | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
Cameron Heyward | Ohio St. | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | 0.5 sacks | |
Cameron Jordan | California | DE | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | ||
Karl Klug | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 5th rd | 1 sack. | |
J.J. Watt | Wisconsin | DE | Jr. | 2nd rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Pierre Allen | Nebraska | DE/OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Jeremy Beal | Oklahoma | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Justin Houston | Georgia | DE/OLB | Jr. | 1st/2nd rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Ryan Kerrigan | Purdue | DE/OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
Craig Marshall | South Florida | DE/OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Cliff Matthews | South Carolina | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 1 sack. | |
Dontay Moch | Nevada | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Pernell McPhee | Mississippi St. | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Brooks Reed | Arizona | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd/3rd rd | ||
Greg Romeus | Pittsburgh | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Torn ACL done for the year. | |
Jabaal Sheard | Pittsburgh | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Kelvin Sheppard | LSU | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Markus White | Florida St. | DE/OLB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
Akeem Ayers | UCLA | OLB | Jr. | 1st rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Bruce Carter | North Carolina | OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Torn ACL. Will miss bowl game and probably combine. | |
Mark Herzlich | Boston College | OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Brandon Hicks | Florida | OLB | So. | 5th rd | 1 Int. | |
Von Miller | Texas A&M | OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | 1 sack. | |
Dontay Moch | Nevada | OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Jonas Mouton | Michigan | OLB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
Kenneth Wright | Mississippi St. | OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Obi Ezeh | Michigan | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
|
Returning to school. | |||||
Ross Homan | Ohio State | ILB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Mike Mohamed | California | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
Nate Irving | North Carolina St. | ILB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Greg Jones | Michigan St. | ILB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Casey Matthews | Oregon | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
Quan Sturdivant | North Carolina | ILB | Sr. | 2nd rd | 1 sack and 1 Int. | |
Chris White | Mississippi St. | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
Alex Wujciak | Maryland | ILB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Mason Foster | Washington | LB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
|
Returning to school. |
|||||
Colin McCarthy | Miami | LB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Prince Amukamara | Nebraska | CB | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
Chykie Brown | Texas | CB | Sr. | 4th rd | Broken forearm. Done for season. | |
Curtis Brown | Texas | CB | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Rashad Carmichael | Virginia Tech | CB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Chimdi Chekwa | Ohio State | CB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | ||
Marcus Gilchrist | Clemson | CB | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Brandon Harris | Miami | CB | Jr. | 2nd rd | ||
Brandon Hogan | West Virginia | CB | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
|
Returning to school. |
|||||
Patrick Peterson | LSU | CB | Jr. | 1st rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Chris L. Rucker | Michigan St. | CB | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
Devon Torrence | Ohio State | CB | Sr. | 5th rd | 1 FF. | |
Aaron Williams | Texas | CB | Jr. | 2nd rd | Will enter the draft. | |
Shareece Wright | USC | CB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
Mark Barron | Alabama | S | Jr. | 2nd/3rd rd | Torn pectoral muscle. Will miss bowl game. | |
Ahmed Black | Florida | S | Sr. | 4th rd | 1 PBU, 2 Ints. and 1 Int. returned for 80 yd TD. | |
Quinton Carter | Oklahoma | S | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
Eric Hagg | Nebraska | S | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
Will Hill | Florida | S | Jr. | 5th rd | 1 PBU. Will enter the draft. |
|
Jermale Hines | Ohio St. | S | Sr. | Late rds | ||
DeAndre McDaniel | Clemson | S | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Rahim Moore | UCLA | S | Jr. | 2nd rd | Will enter the draft. Best cover safety prospect. Should be a bigtime target for Chargers. |
|
Robert Sands | West Virginia | S | Jr. | 2nd rd | 1 sack. Will enter the draft. | |
Deunta Williams | North Carolina | S | Sr. | 3rd rd | ||
Troy Woolfork | Michigan | S | Sr. | Late rds |