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Lee Smith, TE, Marshall 2011 DS #11 TE, Projected Round(s): 6-7 News/Story Tagged As:Draft, General player information/news
09/2/2010 - Smith leads by example on and off the field - Lee Smith enters his final season at Marshall University with several accolades for his success with the Thundering Herd — team captain, preseason All-Conference USA selection and one of 32 tight ends on the 2010 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. Despite the recognition for his athletic accomplishments, the senior tight end has higher regard for his roles off the field. The 6-foot-6 native of Powell, Tenn., who finished the 2009-10 academic year with a 3.2 GPA to receive the 2010 Cam Henderson Scholarship is also a husband and father. While he is a passionate football player, the inspiration his wife Alisha and children Brody and Amanda give him to work hard in all aspects compare to nothing else in his life. “They’re No. 1,” Smith said. “It’s not even close. To come home and see them at night, to know that the more successful I am, the more I’ll be able to take care of them. My wife’s awesome. I just get to come home and be Dad. She makes it easy on me.” Smith also provides inspiration to others. His teammates voted him captain for the second consecutive year, an honor he calls “very humbling.” Although he is in a leadership position…READ MORE SOURCE: Marlowe Hereford, MU The Parthenon
09/2/2010 - Terrelle Pryor handles hype and haters - Few folks outside the Marshall locker room actually think Ohio State is in danger of losing tonight's season opener. The Buckeyes are one of the nation's most complete teams, and their debut at The Shoe is viewed as the first step toward a potential national championship push. So why should you pay attention to the game? Terrelle Pryor, of course. Regardless of the final score, Pryor's performance against the Thundering Herd will be heavily scrutinized. Can he build off of his masterful performance in Pasadena against Oregon? How are his decision-making skills? Has he fully earned coach Jim Tressel's trust to operate in an expanded offensive system? Is he a legit Heisman Trophy candidate or just a byproduct of the college football hype machine? Pryor is always the story at Ohio State, good or bad. He doesn't particularly like it, but he accepts it. He's used to being the center of attention. "Everyone just praises you and holds you on a pedestal all the time," Pryor recently…READ MORE SOURCE: Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Jake Locker, QB, Washington 2011 DS #1 QB, Projected Round(s): 1 News/Story Tagged As:Draft, General player information/news
09/2/2010 - As kickoff approaches, time for Locker to live up to the hype - Jake Locker has been called a potential first-round NFL pick for so long that you might think he attends the University of NFL Combine. If, like much of America, you believe the two most important sports in America are the NFL and the NFL Draft, you have heard of Locker. Locker actually plays for the University of Washington, which is relevant if you care how good he is, not just how good he is supposed to be someday. And this weekend, in one of the more interesting storylines of this college football season, Locker can start to show he deserves the hype. Frankly, he has not shown it yet. Ask yourself: What are the qualities that usually make NFL teams reach into their pockets and pull out $50 million in small, unmarked bills to give to a quarterback? Accuracy? Locker completed 58 percent of his passes last year -- pretty good, but not special. Yardage? He threw for 2,800 last year, 33rd in the FBS. Leadership? Locker has yet to post…READ MORE SOURCE: Michael Rosenberg, SI.com
Pat Devlin, QB, Delaware 2011 DS #3 QB, Projected Round(s): 2 News/Story Tagged As:Draft, General player information/news
09/2/2010 - Delaware's Devlin looks to wow NFL scouts in his final season - On a humid August morning, two Cleveland Browns scouts made the trek to Delaware Stadium. Like the countless other NFL personnel who have come before, they followed Pat Devlin's every move during Delaware's intrasquad scrimmage. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback didn't disappoint, firing crisp and precise passes in the Blue Hens' spread offense. Perhaps seeing enough, the scouts quietly exited the stadium after one of Devlin's on-the-money throws midway through the scrimmage. As he has been since transferring to Delaware from Penn State in 2009, the fifth-year senior was oblivious to the attention. "I'm just focused on taking the team as far as I can," he said, shrugging off the NFL attention. "We want to win a national championship. That's our ultimate goal. . . . I want to do whatever I can to help this team achieve that." Perhaps. But scouting Devlin appeared to be a top priority for NFL teams this summer. "We have been averaging three or four [NFL teams] every day," Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said. "And a lot of them are sending two per team.READ MORE SOURCE: Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer
09/2/2010 - Full speed ahead for Matthews, Gamecocks - If these next three months are as lively on the field as this past month has been off the field, then maybe this is the year they’ve all been waiting on at South Carolina. They’re accustomed to waiting in these parts, though. As in waiting for a championship season. Waiting for one of those truly special seasons, and waiting for the Gamecocks to make a move in the SEC’s Eastern Division. “That’s the problem. Every year around here, it’s the same thing,” South Carolina senior defensive end Cliff Matthews said. “Everybody talks about it. We don’t need to talk about what we’re going to do. We just need to go do it.” There are more than a few reasons to believe that this is indeed Steve Spurrier’s best chance of contending for an SEC Eastern Division crown since he returned to college football in 2005 and chose South Carolina as the place where he would hopefully be able to re-write history. It hasn’t been easy. In fact, it’s been harder than Spurrier thought. He’s lost five or…READ MORE SOURCE: Chris Low, ESPN
09/2/2010 - Miami Hurricanes' Brandon Harris a defensive cornerstone - ``Making that key pass breakup to help us beat Florida State was probably my best moment as a Hurricane,'' Harris said recently. ``That's when I realized, `OK, I can play with these guys. I'm a corner at the college level. I can play now -- let's go.' '' Thrown into the fire as a freshman, Harris was beaten numerous times in the 13 games -- six of them starts -- he played his first year. He dropped four potential interceptions and got beat twice on FSU touchdowns. But he also had highlights. Harris wasn't just any kid, he was Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year his senior season at Miami Booker T. Washington High and The Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Male Athlete of the Year his junior and senior years. ESPN ranked him the third-best cornerback in the nation as a recruit. He also won the 800-meter state title (1:53) as a junior at Booker T. UM coach Randy Shannon patiently stuck with him, and Harris blossomed into one of the most dangerous defensive backs in the nation as a sophomore -- a third-team Associated Press All-American. He finished second…READ MORE SOURCE: Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald
UM cornerback Brandon Harris finished his sophomore season last year as a Thorpe Award semifinalist. He enters this season as a strong candidate to win it.
09/2/2010 - Miami Hurricanes QB Jacory Harris ready to throw his weight around - By the third week of September, Jacory Harris likely had visions of the pink suit he pledged to wear to the Heisman Trophy ceremony during a 2009 preseason radio interview. In the season opener, in Tallahassee of all places, the University of Miami sophomore quarterback threw for 386 yards and two touchdowns in another stress-inducing installment of the Miami-Florida State rivalry -- the Hurricanes winning 38-34. Whispers of the Heisman Trophy for the hometown kid. In the second game of 2009, at home against No. 14 Georgia Tech, Harris completed 20 of 25 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns to crush the Yellow Jackets 33-17. Whispers become shouts. Game 3, at Virginia Tech, ruined everything. According to Harris, the Hurricanes milked their early success the week leading up to that crucial Atlantic Coast Conference matchup just a tad too much, doing some unCaneslike prancing and dancing at practice…READ MORE SOURCE: Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald
Quarterback Jacory Harris emerged last season, and the bulked-up junior now has a more talented cast around him, raising expectations inside and outside UM.
Evan Royster, RB, Penn State 2011 DS #2 RB, Projected Round(s): 2 News/Story Tagged As:Draft, General player information/news
09/2/2010 - Bigger workload OK with Royster - It was Evan Royster himself who brought up the names of a pair of other famous No. 22s. “I grew up for four or five years watching the Dallas Cowboys – I lived right outside of Dallas – and it was when Emmitt Smith was in his prime and they were winning Super Bowls,” the Penn State tailback said when asked if there were any players he wanted to emulate. “So it’s gotta be him.” Another name came up when Royster was discussing a bigger workload for his final season with the Nittany Lions. “There have been games where I’ve played well, but there’s never been a game where I kind of took over as a back. That’s really what I’m looking to do this year. … You’re always looking for a back like the guys who are out there now – the Mark Ingrams and the guys like that. They’re taking over games. And that’s what I want to do.” But that’s where the talk stopped. While Royster is poised to make…READ MORE SOURCE: Derek Levarse, Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
Running back needs just 481 yards to become PSU’s No. 1 career rusher
09/2/2010 - Pelini expects another big year from Crick - Nebraska's Jared Crick put up big numbers last season because opposing offenses were so preoccupied with trying to contain Ndamukong Suh. The popular argument is that Crick can validate his 9 1/2-sack season only by doing it again this year without Suh at his side. Coach Bo Pelini disagrees, saying game films show that opponents schemed against Crick as much as they did against Suh. "I don't think he has anything to prove," Pelini said. "The only thing he has to prove is that he can get better. You can also say the argument that Suh benefited from having Crick next to him. It's a two-way street." Suh, a high-profile rookie with the Detroit Lions, and Crick teamed up to make the Huskers hard to handle in the middle last season. With Crick as the anchor and more seasoned players available, Pelini predicts the defense can be even better than the 2009 group that allowed a nation-best 10.4 points a game and ranked among the top 10 in stopping the run…READ MORE SOURCE: AP Sports, CBS Sports
09/1/2010 - Little big man: Pittsburgh RB Lewis relies on speed, strength - As Dion Lewis takes a break from enjoying a cheese, egg, sausage and bacon sandwich at a crowded diner in the heart of the University of Pittsburgh's campus, he rests his forearms on the table. The running back's arms are thick and his muscles defined, symbols of his strength. He turns sheepish when someone mentions it. When it comes to football, Lewis often has heard less about his strength and more about his size — that he's just 5-8. "Too small," he says he has heard repeatedly. "I never really let it get to me." After a school record-setting season last year as a true freshman, Lewis enters 15th-ranked Pitt's game Thursday night against No. 24 Utah in Salt Lake City on the Heisman watch list. Incidentally, the last three Heisman winners —Alabama running back Mark Ingram last year, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford in 2008 and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in 2007 — were sophomores. Last season…READ MORE SOURCE: Marlen Garcia, USA TODAY
09/1/2010 - Quest to be best - "He's a guy who really stands out because of his athleticism at that position and how physically dominant he can be at times. I was watching a replay of the Ohio State-Penn State game the other day on the Big Ten Network, and he just completely overmatched some of the players." Homan expects to see such play from Heyward often this year. "He loves the game so much, he is very competitive, very intense on the field," Homan said. "You'll have to kill that dude to get him off the field. And when you look at that dude on the field, it makes everyone else better." In the quest to improve, Heyward watched video of Suh and the Nebraska defensive line's stunning performance against Texas in the Big 12 championship game last year, and also zeroed in on the play of Gerald McCoy at Oklahoma. McCoy was taken third in the NFL draft, right behind Suh. "And I've tried to watch NFL tapes when…READ MORE SOURCE: Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch
09/1/2010 - Purdue QB Marve embraces 2nd chance - Curiosity got the best of Robert Marve. He Googled his name. "It got ugly quickly," Marve said. "I stopped reading things." His four-year path from prep Parade All-American to Miami (Fla.) to Purdue's starting quarterback was a rocky journey that included two suspensions, a car accident and a strained relationship with Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon. Last May, shortly after announcing he would attend Purdue, he had anterior cruciate ligament surgery. All this and yet the former Florida Mr. Football winner has played just one season of college football. As Marve embraces his second -- and final -- opportunity, his attitude and maturity level are different than when he began his college career three years ago. "Right now to say I'm the happiest I've ever been, the most focused I've been and the closest I've been with my teammates makes me feel good about the season coming up," Marve said. "I don't know if I could've told you that a year ago…READ MORE SOURCE: Mike Carmin, Lafayette Journal & Courier
09/1/2010 - Bears' legacy gives Vereen motivation - Call it the Stout Blue Line, although it's getting longer by the year. Are you good enough to stand with the others? Shane Vereen is eager to try, and there's every indication he belongs. For the better part of the past decade, running backs at Cal under coach Jeff Tedford have prospered, sometimes prodigiously. Starting with his first year at Berkeley in 2002, Tedford has had an individual 1,000-yard rusher every season but one, and 2009 certainly deserves an asterisk. Jahvid Best was headed for his second straight 1,000-yard season when a scary and spectacular injury and concussion ended his season at 867 yards. Vereen responded and gained most of his 952 yards in four starts, including career highs for yards (193) and carries (42) against Stanford. It's Vereen's turn as the featured tailback for the Bears, starting Saturday at Memorial Stadium against UC Davis. He will try to…READ MORE SOURCE: John Crumpacker, The San Francisco Chronicle
Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford 2011 DS #3 FB, Projected Round(s): 5 News/Story Tagged As:Draft, General player information/news
09/1/2010 - Stanford workhorse Owen Marecic digs in for double duty - As a senior majoring in human biology at Stanford, Owen Marecic knows better than the average college athlete the toll playing football takes on the body.
So, naturally, he's immersing himself in as much football as anybody could take. Marecic (MARIE-sick) will start at fullback and inside linebacker Saturday when the Cardinal open against Sacramento State, and this doesn't figure to be a one-game deal. Stanford, coming off an 8-5 season and expected to contend for a top spot in the Pacific-10, plans to have Marecic play most downs at both positions. Two-way players have been rare in major-college football the last few decades, and they're usually wide receivers moonlighting as defensive backs, as Chris Gamble did in Ohio State's national title season of 2002, or the other way around. Charles Woodson, a cornerback who won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan in 1997, and Champ Bailey, an All-America cornerback at Georgia in the late 1990s, are among the most noteworthy of the latter group. As opposed to…READ MORE SOURCE: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
09/1/2010 - LSU CB Peterson relishing role as returner - Now that Patrick Peterson is getting his shot to return kicks and punts for LSU, he's scoring touchdowns in his sleep. Recently, Peterson said, he woke from a dream in which he'd brought back "two kick returns and a punt return against North Carolina in the Georgia Dome - all the way." That would have been an impossible dream last year, when Peterson focused primarily on his role as the top cornerback on the team, covering opponents' best receivers one-on-one. This year, coach Les Miles figured Peterson needed the ball more, so he'll debut in his newly added role when the Tigers and North Carolina open their seasons against one other in Atlanta on Saturday night. "I can't wait," Peterson said. "I just told my guys, as long as they (block) their man, do their responsibility, we'll have fun out there. I promised them that. I'm not going to break my promises. I just can't wait…READ MORE SOURCE: AP Sports, CBS Sports
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