This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2015 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2015 NFL Draft Stock page (link coming soon).
By Charlie Campbell.
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Ohio State 42, Oregon 20
Mariota moved the ball well on the first drive with his legs before scrambling and finding a wide open receiver for a short touchdown pass. After that, the Oregon offense had a few series that got away from them, including being stopped on a fourth down at the goal line. Late in the first half, Mariota threw a nice pass to convert a clutch third down as his receiver got open running down the middle seam. Unfortunately for Mariota, he missed an open receiver in the flat for what could have been a potential short touchdown on a third-and-goal, and the Ducks settled for a field goal.
Early in the third quarter, Mariota threw a perfect strike to a wide-open Byron Marshall running down the middle of the field for a 70-yard touchdown. Mariota was then planted into the turf on his throwing shoulder by Joey Bosa, and that caused him to leave the game momentarily.
Mariota showed his toughness by coming back into the game. However, he was harassed by the rush and it impacted his accuracy, as he couldn’t move the ball to mount a comeback. Mariota missed some throws into tight windows and that could be seen on the Ducks drive that ended in a turnover on downs inside their own 20-yard line when Mariota overthrew a receiver who was slightly open. A good throw could have beaten the coverage. On the final play of the game, Mariota had a desperation toss up for grabs that was intercepted.
Mariota completed 24-of-37 passes for 333 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He ran for 39 yards on 10 carries. The National Championship illustrated that Mariota is a great athlete with a strong arm, but he needs development as a pocket passer. The Oregon scheme creates some wide-open receivers, and Mariota needs to improve on throwing into tight windows with well-placed passes. This game won’t prevent Mariota from being an early first-rounder, but it won’t help his cause to be the first-overall pick.
After a fast start, Armstead fell quiet until the third quarter. He worked free when Jones scrambled outside of the pocket his direction, and Armstead was Johnny on the spot for a huge fumble recovery as Jones dropped the football. That was the final play that Armstead made an impact, as the Buckeyes’ ground game gashed Oregon in the remaining time. This tape illustrates that Armstead is packed full of potential, but he doesn’t always produce or play up to it.
Florida 28, East Carolina 20
Carden led a nice drive early in the first quarter. Hardy had a good reception to move the chains as he pushed off of Hargreaves and worked his way back toward the line of scrimmage to get open for the catch. A few plays later, Hardy came out of the slot, pushed off a cornerback and caught a well-placed ball from Carden. It was an impressive drive for both Carden and Hardy.
Carden made a terrible throw on the next possession when he forced a pass into Hardy while he was double covered. Brian Poole picked it off and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. It looked like Carden was forcing the ball to Hardy and didn’t see the field well.
Just after halftime, Hardy raced for 67 yards on a wide receiver screen. He followed his blockers and bolted downfield before Poole caught him from behind to prevent a touchdown.
Late in the fourth quarter with the Pirates at the Gators five-yard line and trying to tie the game, Carden forced a pass to Hardy, but it didn’t get there. Hargreaves made a leaping interception to clinch the game for Florida.
Hardy definitely helped himself against Florida as he showed the skills to compete with an elite corner like Hargreaves. With size not being an issue, it was good to see that Hardy has the quickness to get separation. He caught 11 passes for 160 yards and the score. This will help him to grade out on the second day.
Carden was 34-of-66 for 427 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. It was a mixed outing for him. He made some good throws with accuracy and ball placement, but also had a number of ugly plays with unnecessary sacks and interceptions. Carden also missed some receivers in windows that an NFL quarterback needs to connect on. He came close to other interceptions as well. Carden’s clock seemed to be off as he held onto the ball too long on a number of plays. Being a third-day developmental quarterback looks like his future.
Fowler dropped into coverage in the fourth quarter, but after seeing Carden scramble, he fired into the backfield and ripped him down with authority for another sack. Shortly later, Fowler rocked the left tackle back and cut to the inside to sack Carden again.
All of Fowler’s tackles verus the Pirates were those three sacks. He had a number of other pressures on the quarterback and showed the athleticism to drop in pass coverage. Fowler could stand to improve his run defense for the NFL. This tape will help him to be a top-25 pick.
UCLA 40, Kansas State 35
Early in the first quarter Hundley had a 10-yard touchdown as he dropped back to pass and saw his first read was covered, so he took off and ran for the score himself. It was a nice run, but NFL evaluators would have liked to see Hundley work through his progressions rather than taking off when his first read was covered.
Later in the first quarter Hundley ran for another touchdown on a zone read. Just before halftime Hundley found a wide open receiver for a seven-yard touchdown, but he really didn’t throw the ball in the first two quarters. At the half Hundley was 11-of-20 for 129.
In the third quarter Hundley used his legs on a quarterback draw to convert a third-and-11 with a run of 40 yards. Hundley totaled 96 yards on 11 carries with two scores on the ground. He completed 12-of-24 passes for 136 yards with a touchdown.
Aside from making some plays with his legs, Hundley was not impressive as a passer against Kansas State. He didn’t see the field well and his accuracy left a lot to be desired. Hundley is a developmental quarterback and he would be fortunate to go in the second round of the draft.
On the first play from scrimmage for the UCLA defense, Kendricks was spying quarterback Jake Waters and he fired into the backfield to sack Waters when he saw that Waters was closed in the pocket.
Kendricks made a number of excellent plays against the run. He filled the hole and took down a back for no gain, Kendricks planted Waters a few plays later on a scramble, and in the third quarter he lined up over the center before bolting into the backfield to make a tackle for a loss. To start the fourth quarter Kendricks beat the right guard for a sack. This tape will help Kendricks draft grade.
In the third quarter Lockett caught a short touchdown pass and a two-point conversion. Late in the fourth quarter Lockett got open on a double move for a 29-yard touchdown catch. He totaled 164 yards on 13 receptions for two touchdowns. This performance will help the undersized Lockett to be drafted in the mid-rounds.
Tennessee 45, Iowa 28
In the first half there were some good battles between Scherff and Barnett. On the first drive Scherff had some good blocks in the ground game, but on a third down he was beat by a speed rush to the inside by Barnett and the ball just got out before Barnett could get a sack. Scherff was lucky he didn’t allow a sack on that play.
Scherff had some good blocks on Barnett, and also was getting away with some holds. Midway through the second quarter Barnett walked into the locker room with an injury. That didn’t stop Scherff from getting tested as he was beat by a speed rush to the inside for a hit on his quarterback. A few plays later Scherff was driven back into the pocket and the pressure he allowed led to the quarterback throwing an interception. Fortunately for Iowa, a Volunteers penalty negated the pick.
After halftime, Scherff had a great block getting downfield and rocking a defensive back. Iowa had success running behind Scherff as he consistently gets movement at the point of attack. There were a few plays were Scherff had his pass rushers get by him, but he didn’t allow a sack.
Scherff is extremely strong, and from day one in the NFL he should be a difference maker as a run blocker. In pass protection it could be a different story. Scherff isn’t overly quick or athletic in his pass drops. He’s quicker and more agile running straight ahead than he is backpedaling or tap dancing on the edge. Scherff also doesn’t have great length.
In the NFL, I think Scherff would be better served moving inside to guard where he could be a pro bowler. At left tackle I think he could have some ugly games with speed rushers and allow his quarterback to get hit regularly. Perhaps the best plan for Scherff would be to start him out at guard or right tackle and see if he can develop into a starting left tackle. Scherff is worthy of a first-round pick.
Missouri 33, Minnesota 17
Ray is a potential top 10 pick while Golden could be a late first-round or second-round pick. The run defense of Ray and Golden would also be tested by Minnesota running back David Cobb, a power runner that could go on day three in April.
On the first third down the dangerous duo made their presence felt. Golden burned the right tackle with a speed rush and started to rip the Gophers quarterback down for a sack. Ray came in with a hit, and the ball was stripped out. Officially, Golden got credit for the fumble although it looked like Ray was the one who knocked it out. They split credit for the sack. Later before the half Golden chased down a runner from behind to get a tackle for a loss. Midway through the fourth quarter Golden shed the tight end and running back to get another sack of the Gophers quarterback. Throughout the game, Golden did a good job of making pursuit tackles in the ground game. He chased down some backs behind the line of scrimmage and out of his gap. This was a strong performance by Golden where he showed his strength to shed blocks and the speed to beat blockers off the snap. Golden totaled 10 tackles with four tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. This performance will help his draft grade.
Early in the third quarter Williams had a highlight reel touchdown reception. He caught a pass downfield on a deep cross and turned vertical along the sideline. He hurdled two defenders inside the 15-yard line before diving into the end zone with a 54-yard touchdown reception. Williams finished with 98 yards on seven receptions. This performance will help his chances of being a first-round pick.
Ohio State 42, Alabama 35
Grant got away with a hold and push on Cooper early in the game to cause a third-down incompletion. At the end of the first quarter though, Cooper beat Grant with a slant that he cut back to the corner to get open for a 15-yard touchdown. While Cooper produced points, Ohio State did a good job of limiting him as he had six receptions for 39 yards by the half.
The trend continued in the final two quarters as Cooper had a hard time getting going with Alabama quarterback Blake Sims struggling. In the fourth quarter, Grant was burned by DeAndrew White for a 51-yard reception on a go route down the middle of the field. Cooper got open on a slant for a six-yard touchdown a few plays later.
Cooper caught nine passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns in this outing – likely his last in college. This performance shouldn’t impact his draft grade. For the NFL, Grant looks like he might be a better fit as a free safety. If he stays at cornerback, he should play in defense based out of zone coverage like a Tampa 2.
Collins was shaken up again later after a hard hit on Jones in the hole. For the NFL, Collins is a strong safety type and isn’t one who can isolate in man coverage or be a rangy free safety in the deep part of the field. This game was further proof of that.
In the first quarter, Kouandjio showed his quickness and athleticism to hit a block on a linebacker to spring Derrick Henry for a 25-yard touchdown run. Kouandjio was getting movement at the point of attack, and Alabama was having success running behind him. The Buckeyes were putting pressure on Sims, but Kouandjio wasn’t one of the linemen who was struggling.
Bennett was pretty active for Ohio State. He had some good pass rushes and used his speed to get upfield. Bennett used a spin move to beat right guard Leon Brown to get a sack in the third quarter. For the NFL, Bennett would be a good fit as a gap-shooting three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. He’s at his best when he’s firing into the backfield. Bennett could use more strength in run defense. He looks like a potential second-day selection.
Oregon 59, Florida State 20
Mariota led a touchdown drive on the next possession as he hit a few good throws, including a nice pass to his tight end in the middle of the field. He missed another tall receiver for what could have been a touchdown with an accurate pass, but overthrew him.
In the second quarter, Mariota got lucky as he rolled out and threw across his body to the middle of the field. Seminoles safety Jalen Ramsey had a floater fall right to him, but dropped the ball. It was a terrible throw and decision by Mariota. He came back and made a great play to shake off a sack before scrambling and throwing a nice pass on the run to a wide-open receiver. That helped lead to a rushing touchdown for Oregon.
Mariota had an overthrow in the middle of the field late in first half that let Seminoles safety Nate Andrews make a diving interception. Mariota had made a good read on the play and had worked through his progressions, but the pass was inaccurate as it sailed over an open receiver because Mariota failed to fit into his window.
Mariota caught fire in the third quarter to lead five touchdown drives. He threw a 56-yard touchdown to Darren Carrington as he was wide open when the Seminoles had busted coverage. Mariota threw a bullet to the sideline and hit his open receiver in stride. That happened again on the next possession as Carrington got open on a fake wide receiver screen with receivers streaking downfield. Mariota lofted in a 30-yard pass for a touchdown.
Early in the fourth quarter, Mariota took a read-option run 23 yards into the end zone. It was an exclamation point on Oregon’s annihilation of the Florida State’s defense. Mariota completed 26-of-36 for 338 yards for two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 62 yards and a touchdown. This performance should generally help Mariota’s draft grade, but it did illustrate that he needs development in his pocket passing as he missed some throws into windows that NFL quarterbacks need to hit.
Winston took an option run on a fourth-and-1 to make a reaching touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, but the play was reviewed and ruled that he was stopped short. On the next few drives, Winston made some nice passes into some tight windows for completions, including one throw on the run to his fourth option that turned into good gain.
Winston led a nice third-quarter drive with some precision passes and had a clutch throw to convert a third down. That led to Winston leading Travis Rudolph for an 18-yard touchdown.
Late in the third quarter, Winston committed a backbreaking mistake for the Seminoles when they were in Oregon territory. He scrambled on fourth down and lost control of the ball as he slipped. Tony Washington picked it up and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown for Oregon. That play basically was the dagger to the heart that ended any hope of a Florida State comeback. It was actually Winston’s second fumble of the game as he was strip-sacked earlier, but the ball was recovered by a teammate. Winston’s next possession saw a pass get tipped at the line of scrimmage, go through the hands of Rudolph and into the hands of a defensive back for an interception.
Winston finished 29-of-45 for 348 yards with one touchdown and one interception. It wasn’t as bad of a performance as the final score illustrates. Winston operated well out of the pocket and made a lot of NFL throws. This game shouldn’t change his status as a high first-round pick.
Michigan State 42, Baylor 41
Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman also has announced he would go back to Baylor. Oakman was a possible second-day pick if he had entered the 2015 NFL Draft. Still, there was a lot of good draft talent on display for the 2015 class.
This game would suggest that Conklin would be better off returning to school and getting better before going pro. Especially when you consider that 2015 looks deep at the tackle position.
Throughout the second half, Calhoun was superb. He was constantly firing by his blockers to get pressure or disruption in the backfield. This tape will definitely help him to grade out as a first-rounder.
Petty picked a great time to have one of the best games in his collegiate career. He started the game by burning Drummond for a 49-yard score. Petty had another receiver open for a long touchdown, but he overthrew the open receiver running down the sideline. That was one of the few missed opportunities that Petty had.
Petty came back to make a beautiful throw to Goodley for a 37-yard gain as Goodley (9-93) went over the defensive back. In the opening seconds of the third quarter, Petty hit another deep ball for a touchdown. It was a pretty pass to hit his receiver in stride for a 74-yard touchdown.
Petty showed much better accuracy on deep passes throughout this outing than he had for most of the season. He finished completing 36-of-51 passes for 550 yards with three touchdowns, plus an interception on a desperation throw at the end of the fourth quarter. This tape will help Petty, who needed a game like this to close out his collegiate career.
Later in the first quarter, Baylor threw a lateral to a receiver and Drummond took some false steps toward the receiver, anticipating a screen. However, another receiver streaked down the sideline and the false steps led Drummond to giving up another long touchdown pass. He needs to improve his eye discipline. Drummond was beatrn again by the slot receiver in the fourth quarter for a long gain of about 40 yards.
Drummond didn’t have a good game, and this performance illustrates that he isn’t a safety who is capable of lining up in man coverage on slot receivers. The NFL wants that kind of safety, but Drummond isn’t showing the signs of being able to handle it. This tape will hurt Drummond and points to him being a mid-rounder rather than a prospect worth second-round consideration.
After halftime, Waynes allowed a reception of about 50 yards after Cannon got a step on him running deep along the sideline. In the fourth quarter, Waynes had an easy interception go right through his hands. If he had held on, there was nobody in front of him and it would have been a pick-six. This game won’t help Waynes’ draft grade as he allowed some receptions and let an easy interception go through his hands.
Wisconsin 34, Auburn 31
At the end of the first quarter, Gordon took a sweep for a gain of 29 yards after bursting to the second level in a heartbeat. Gordon got the third quarter off to a strong start with a run of about 20 yards and a 25-yard touchdown. He showed his patience to pause and his acceleration to hit the second level. Gordon also demonstrated his strength by running through an arm tackle around the 10-yard line and spring into the end zone.
Gordon followed it up with a great 53-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 at the end of the third quarter. He scored again with a 6-yard touchdown as he ran through four tacklers to finish the run by falling into the end zone.
Aside from his big runs, Gordon charged hard all game and left it all on the field. He didn’t play trying to protect himself or attempting to avoid injury. Gordon totaled 251 yards on 34 carries with three touchdowns. He also had two catches for two yards; one was an impressive reception with nice hands and body control.
This performance will help Gordon to be a top-20 pick and the potentially the first running back selected.
Coming out of Auburn, Coates is a raw receiver and has to improve his route-running. He has the skill-set of a first-round pick and should be a star at the Combine. However, Coates could slip in the 2015 NFL Draft because he needs development.
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