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- January 27
- (9:00 AM): Senior Bowl stock updates … With an off-day of sorts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile prior to tomorrow’s actual game, here and here and here and here are several overview reports on the winners and losers from this week’s North and South practice sessions.
- (12:01 AM): That's a wrap ... The weather played a nasty trick at the final day of practice of this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile as a rain storm forced both teams inside for today's light practices. And that gave us a change to review our notes and review the week's workouts including our choices for the guys that had the best weeks in Mobile.
- Roster changes in Mobile … Coastal Carolina CB Josh Norman, Illinois WR A.J. Jenkins and Florida Atlantic RB Alfred Morris have been to the roster at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. Norman replaces Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard on the North side, while Jenkins replaces Houston WR Patrick Edwards and Morris is filling in for Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray on the South roster.
- Bucs hit up Big East for new coach … Tampa Bay, which has the 5th pick overall at the 2012 draft, has signed Greg Schiano as its new head coach. Schiano, who spent the past 11 years at Rutgers, replaces Raheem Morris who was released after the Buccaneers lost their final 10 games of the season to finish at 4-12.
- Things get testy in Indy … Its another and there is another sign that veteran QB Peyton Manning is likely on the way out in Indianapolis. The Colts are expected to take Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the first pick overall at the upcoming draft and have to decide whether to keep or trade Manning or simply allow to walk away. That decision is complicated by the fact that the Colts owe Manning a huge roster bonus on March 8th that in turn kicks in a big contract extension if they want to keep the perennial Pro Bowler around. In recent weeks, though, the Colts have cleaned house of just about everyone else who played a major part in the Manning era including the Polians who ran the football side of things, head coach Jim Caldwell and most of the coaching staff. Ad today, team owner Jim Irsay called Manning ‘a politician’ and for all intents and purposes told him to ‘zip it’ in public comments regarding his future with the team after Manning stated earlier in the week that with so many getting fired the Colts complex wasn’t a healthy environment for his rehab from neck surgery. Irsay did go on to add that no decision has been made regarding Manning’s future, but there is growing speculation around the league that the Colts may simply allow him to become a free agent when the new football year begins in March.
.
- Top ACC safety to miss spring … Clemson FS Rashard Hall, one of several good safeties likely to be available at the 2013 draft, will miss spring practice after having surgery on a knee that bothered him most of this past season.
- January 26
- (10:00 PM): More Memos from Mobile ... The
two days of full-pad practices at this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile are
in the books, but our ’Pigskin’ Paul Guillamette, editor of Pigskin Paul’s Place, as
well as a Special Scout for the GBN, is still on the case as he files
his latest Memo from Mobile
with
some observations from Wednesday afternoon's South practice.
- Vikings put top pick on market … Minnesota G.M.
Rick Spielman indicated during an interview on the NFL Network coverage
of the Senior Bowl that the Vikings would be willing to move the #3
pick at this year’s draft if the price were right. According to
Spielman “if someone wants to come up and get that pick we’ll be
listening.” The Vikings, of course, selected QB Christian Ponder at the
2011 draft as their QB of the future, at least for now, so are not
likely to be in the market for a passer with the third pick.
- Colts get new head coach … Indianapolis, which has
the #1 pick at the 2012 draft, has signed Baltimore defensive
co-ordinator Chuck Pagano as its new head coach. The Colts are expected
to select Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the first pick this coming
April. And the hiring of Pagano, a defensive specialist, has further
fueled rumors that the Colts will try and move veteran QB Peyton
Manning.
- January 25
- (10:00 AM): More comments from Mobile … As
we wait for Wednesday’s practice sessions to get underway,
here and
here and
here and
here are several observations from yesterday’s Senior Bowl
practices.
- (12:01 AM): GBN radio show to air ... The
GBN Draft radio show will air tonight at 8 PM ET. Join Colin Lindsay
and John McDevitt, as well as special guest Paul Guillamette reporting
from Mobile at NSN Radio for the
latest from the Senior Bowl as well a review oflast weekend's NFL
conference finals.
- January
24
- (Noon PM): Updates from Mobile … With NFL
draft analysts, both pro and amateur, heading to the tapes to mull over
this morning’s North practice at the Senior Bowl in Mobile,
here, here
and
here are some further observations from around the country on
Monday’s activities. Meanwhile, updating several personnel moves, both
of Baylor WR Kendall Wright nor Penn State DT Devon Still, who would
have been two of the top-rated players in Mobile this week, withdraw
because of injuries. Meanwhile, Arizona State C/G Garth Gerhart had to
withdraw after he ruptured a tendon on a finger and has been replaced
by OG Joe Looney of Wake Forest. At the same time, Tennessee DT Malik
Jackson, Louisiana Tech RB Lennon Creer and Arkansas State OLB Demario
Davis has been added to the South squad, while Clemson DE Andre
Branch has been deleted from the South roster.
- (12:01 AM): More Memos from Mobile ... The
first
day of this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile is in the books and our
’Pigskin’ Paul Guillamette, editor of Pigskin Paul’s Place, as
well as a Special Scout for the GBN was on top of things. Here is his
latest Memo from Mobile with
some observations from this afternoon's South practice. And for those
that
haven't seen them yet, here are the
height and weight numbers from Monday's player weigh-in by
position.
- January 23
- (12:01 AM): Senior Bowl gets underway … One
of the big events on the draft calendar kicks off later this morning
when the Senior Bowl gets underway in Mobile. Players will be measured
and weighed later this morning, while both teams will have light
practices in the afternoon. Full practices sessions get underway on
Tuesday morning with the NFL Network providing extensive coverage. And
while many of the top prospects for the 2012 draft are juniors who are
not eligible for the Senior Bowl, there will be as many at least 8
legitimate first-round prospects in Mobile this week including DEs
Quinton Coples of North Carolina and South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram,
LBs Courtney Upshaw of Alabama and Zach Brown of North Carolina, CBs
Alfonzo Dennard of Nebraska and North Alabama‘s Janoris Jenkins, and
OGs Cordy Glenn of Georgia and Iowa State’s Kelechi Osemele. Here is
the current roster of players
expected to be in Mobile this week.
- Canes LB gets extra year … Miami OLB Ramon
Buchanan has been granted a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA and
will be back at school in 2012. Buchanan suffered a torn ACL during the
fourth game of 2011 and missed the remainder of the season
- Heels OG has surgery; will miss spring … North
Carolina junior OG Jonathan Cooper, a 6-3, 310-pound mid-round prospect
for the 2012 draft, had surgery
to alleviate chronic inflammation in his shoulder and
likely will miss spring practice this this year.
- January
21
- (11:00 PM): Two more picks decided; final two to
go ... Two more spots in the opening round of the 2012 draft were
decided as a result of today's conference championship games. Baltimore
will have the 29th pick this coming April, while San Francisco will
have the 30th selection. The final two picks will be decided after the
Super Bowl with the champion getting the 32nd pick, while the loser
will have the 31st pick. Here is the current selection order for this year's
first round with those two final picks still to be determined.
- (9:00 AM): All-star tripleheader on sked ...
Fans can warm up for tomorrow's NFL conference finals with three more
all-star games on the schedule for today including the East-West Shrine
game at 4 PM ET in St. Petersburg, the Battle of Florida in Boca Raton
at 8 PM ET, and the Astroturf NFLA game in Los Angeles at 6 PM ET. The
Shrine game, which is the #2 all-star game behind next week’s Senior
Bowl in Mobile will be telecast on the NFL Network, while the Battle of
Florida is being carried by Fox College Sports. This year’s Shrine roster
includes QBs John Brantley of Florida, Chandler Harnish of Northern
Illinois, Northwestern’s Dan Persa and Austin Davis of Southern Miss.
The strength of the Shrine game, though, may be the offensive linemen
which include G/T Ryan Miller of Colorado, BYU OT Matt Reynolds,
Nebraska OT Marcel Jones and Iowa OT Markus Zusevics, while LBs include
Tank Carder of TCU, Brandon Lindsey of Pitt and Arkansas’ Jerry
Franklin. The other Florida game is a new venture featuring players
with ties to the state coached by legendary former college coaches
Bobby Bowden and Howard Schellenberger. The Florida rosters include
QBs Dominique Davis of East Carolina and South Carolina’s Stephen
Garcia, while other players to watch include North Carolina State DE
J.R. Sweezy, DE Adewale Ojome of Miami, Florida State WR Bert Reid and
Oklahoma OG Stephen Good. The third game on Saturday is the Players
Association game in Los Angeles which is scheduled for 6 PM ET. The
announced roster to date includes QBs Jacory Harris of Miami and Bo
Levi Mitchell of Eastern Washington, along with UCLA FS Tony Dye and
Fresno State DT Logan Harrell. The PA game is also the first all-star
game to include underclassmen, although as a result, the NFL has banned
scouts from attending practice sessions. The one prominent junior who
will reportedly participate in the PA game is Miami junior OG Brandon
Washington, while Boston College junior DE Max Holloway will also be in
the line-up.
- January 20
- (2:00 PM): Shrine top 10 listed ... They
are taking a day off down at the East-West Shrine site in St.
Petersburg prior to tomorrow's actual game, but there's no rest for our
’Pigskin’ Paul Guillamette, editor of Pigskin Paul’s Place, as
well as a Special Scout for the GBN was on top of things. Here's his list of the top dozen prospects at
this year's Shrine practices as well as a few other random thoughts
from St. Pete's.
- (12:01 AM): Projection updated … With the
2012 draft field now pretty much set, the GBN first-round projection has been
updated.
- More star game updates … Practice sessions for
this weekend’s three all-star games are in the books. And as usual,
’Pigskin’ Paul Guillamette, editor of Pigskin Paul’s Place, as
well as a Special Scout for the GBN was on top of things. Here is his report from today's practice sessions.
In addition,
here and
here are a couple of other wrap-ups from the East-West Shrine game
and
another from the Battle of Florida game.
- Tide NT has ACL surgery ….
Alabama NT Josh Chapman, a potential second-day pick at the
2012 draft, will not participate in next week’s Senior Bowl after
undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL and a torn meniscus in his left
knee. In fact, its unlikely that Chapman will be able to workout at all
prior to the draft, although he actually played through the injury the
past couple of months including the Tides win in the BCS championship
game earlier this month. Meanwhile, Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd
reportedly has chosen not to participate in the Senior Bowl next week.
- January
19
- (5:00 PM): Junior RBs look to be still in draft
... We are still waiting for a final confirmation, but it appears
that RBs Chris Polk of Washington and Utah State's Robert Turbin did
not appear on the NFL's official list of underclassmen eligible for the
2012 draft because, while both had a year of eligibilty remaining,
neither was required to formally apply for entry to this year's draft.
Polk was listed as a junior by Washington because he played in only two
games as a freshman in 2008 before being injured, but never formally
applied for a redshirt year so is considered to be a senior by the NFL;
in fact, he is scheduled to be in Mobile for next week's Senior Bowl.
For his part, Turbin has been out of high school for five years and
therefore is not required to apply for early admission to the draft.
Meanwhile, according to sources at Troy, DE Jonathan Massaquoi is still
entered in the draft, although as noted below his name also did not
appear on the NFL list; at age 24 already, Massaquoi is an older
player, but has only been out of high school for four years.
- (1:00 PM): Record number of underclassmen enter
draft ... The NFL has released the final list of underclassmen
eligible for the 2012 draft with a record 65 juniors and redshirt
sophomores on the list. In fact, the previous high was last year when
56 underclassmen entered the draft. The final list of underclassmen in
this year's draft included a number of players who had not previously
indicated they were entering the draft including safeties Johnnie
Thomas of Oklahoma State and Janzen Jackson of McNeese State, a
one-time budding star at Tennessee who was dismissed from the field for
off-field issues, and 355-pound Purdue OG Ken Plue. Others who appear
to have been late additions include Texas RB Jamison Berryhill,
Minnesota TE Tiree Eure, McNeese State DB Janzen Jackson, Miami WR
Alarius Johnson, and Auburn QB Barrett Trotter. On the other hand, a
trio of juniors - Washington RB Chris Polk, Troy DE Jonathan Massaquoi
and Utah State RB Robert Turbin - each of whom had announced they were
entering the draft do not appear on the official list of underclassmen
eligible for the 2012 draft and presumably either never followed
through in actually submitting paperwork to the NFL to be included in
this year's draft or withdrew their names prior to yesterday's
deadline. Here is the full list of underclassmen
who will be available at the 2012 draft.
- (12:01 AM): Position rankings, Big Board updated
… With the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their
applications to the 2012 having passed yesterday without anyone having
pulled their name from the draft field, the full list of players
available for the upcoming draft is now pretty much set. As such, we
have updated our positional rankings
as well as the GBN Big Board ranking of the top
140 prospects for the 2012 draft.
- Titans, Broncos shuffle front-offices … Tennessee
has promoted G.M. Mike Reinfeldt to the role senior executive V.P. and
chief operating officer, while Ruston Webster, who joined the Titans in
2010 after previously serving in the personnel departments of the
Seahawks and the Buccaneers, becomes the team‘s new general manager. At
the same time, Lake Dawson has been promoted to V.P. of player
personnel, Webster's old spot. Meanwhile, Denver has named Matt
Russell, who had been the Broncos’ director of college scouting, as the
team’s new director of player personnel. The Broncos also hired Brian
Stark, a former assistant coach at Yale and San Diego State, to work as
a west coast scout.
- January 18
- January 17
- Tide CB cited for possession … Alabama junior CB
Dre Kirkpatrick, who announced he would be entering the 2012 draft
earlier this week, was arrested and cited for marijuana possession in
Bradenton, Florida. Kirkpatrick, a potential mid first round pick at
the 2012 draft, was charged with possessing less than 20 grams of
marijuana and was released on $120 bond. Not the kind of thing that is
going to help any prospect’s draft grade, however, as a general rule
NFL teams tend not to be too concerned about marijuana issues. Indeed,
what they may be more concerned about is what this says about
Kirkpatrick’s maturity.
- (11:00 AM): Prelim combine rosters released …
A preliminary list of players
invited to next month’s scouting combine in Indianapolis has been
circulating the past couple of days. We have been unable to confirm
whether in fact this is an official list. The Combine does normally publish a
list of invited players , but not usually until later in January once
the full list of underclassmen in the draft has been confirmed. Indeed,
the above list of combine players includes only seniors.
- Heels PK gets extra year; BC WR doesn’t … North
Carolina PK Casey Barth has been granted a medical hardship waiver by
the ACC and will get another year of eligibility next fall. Barth
played in just 3 games this past season because of a groin injury. On
the other hand, the NCAA has denied Boston College WR Ifeanyi Momah an
extra year. Momah, who played in only one game in 2011 and missed most
of the 2009 season because of injuries, had been granted a medical
hardship waiver from the ACC and appeared to fit the NCAA‘s criteria
for a sixth year of eligibility.
For whatever reason, that process didn’t go as expected. As a result,
Boston College reportedly will appeal the NCAA decision.
- More Shrine comments … In addition to our own
Shrine report below,
Wes Bunting of the National Football Post and
Dane Brugler of the Sports Xchange writing for CBSSports.com have
comments on the first day of practice at the East-West Shrine game in
St. Petersburg.
- (12:01 AM): Shrine practice underway … The
East-West Shrine game week got underway yesterday with the official
weigh-in ceremony as well as the first practice session for both teams.
Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports here are the results from today‘s
measurements. And ’Pigskin’ Paul Guillamette, editor of Pigskin Paul’s Place, as
well as a Special Scout for the GBN weighs in with some observations from the first day of
practice.
- January 15
- Duck QB surprises and enters draft … In something
of a surprising move, Oregon junior QB Darron Thomas has decided to
forego his final year of eligibility and enter the upcoming draft.
Thomas is a good athlete who has been very productive in the Ducks’
high-octane offense, but is not really considered to be a prime NFL
prospect at the position.
- Gopher gets 6th year … Minnesota CB Troy Stoudemire has
been awarded a 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA and will play for
the Gophers in 2012. Stoudermire suffered a fractured arm in September
and did not play the remainder of the season.
- January
14
- (2:00 PM): Sun Belt DE, others enter draft …
Troy junior DE Jonathan Massaquoi has announced he will be
entering the 2012 draft. The 6-2, 250-pound Massaquoi is an edge rush
specialist who had 19.5 sacks in his two years at the school, although
13.5 came last year. Massaquoi, though, decided to jump to the NFL, in
part, because he’s a little older than normal for a draft prospect and
will be 25 by the time he arrives at a pro camp next summer. Meanwhile,
Oregon junior CB/KR Cliff Harris does not appear to have ever formally
declared his draft intentions per se, but is reportedly working out at
one of the training sites preparing players for the combine. Harris was
an All-American punt returner as a sophomore two years ago, but was
booted from the team late this season because of a series of off-field
incidents. Southern Illinois junior RB Jewel Hampton, a one-time
Tennessee recruit who rushed for over 1,000 yards last fall, is also
headed to the draft. Same for Wyoming junior RB Alvester Alexander who
is more a free-agent prospect. There are also rumblings that Kansas
State sophomore RB Bryce Brown will be entering the upcoming draft.
Brown was once the top-rated recruit at the country at Tennessee, but
has played to date and has been known mostly for off-field issues.
Underclassmen have until tomorrow to apply to the NFL for early entry
to the 2012 draft. In fact, most of the top names have already declared
their intentions and many the latest announcements have been from
players such as QBs Tyler Wilson of Arkansas and Michigan’s Denard
Robinson and Oregon RB Kenjon Barner, who confirmed what just about
everyone expected all along that they would be returning to school.
- January
13
- (9:00 AM): BC DE to enter draft ...
Boston College junior DE Max Holloway has announced that he won’t be
returning to school for a fifth season, but instead will enter this
year’s draft. The 6-2, 250-pound Holloway, who had 6.5 sacks over the
past couple of seasons, is not considered to be a prime draft prospect,
but could get soem late-round or free-agent interest from 3-4 teams
looking for depth as a rush LB.
- (12:01 AM): 2011 draft revisited; grades
posted plus … Our crack scouting staff has spent the past week or
so squirreled away reviewing the 2011 draft and have posted grades for every team based on their
rookies productivity, although we caution that it still takes 2-3 years
for the true value of any draft to really become clear. That said,
based on what happened this year, Seattle, Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Houston, Arizona and Dallas leading the pack with straight As.
Meanwhile, Carolina QB Cam Newton and San Francisco OLB Aldon Smith led
the list of top 10 offensive and
defensive rookies respectively. And while do-overs are a no-no when
it comes to the draft, just for fun, we have projected what the 2011 draft might
look like if teams knew then what they know today.
- Third Tigers goes pro … LSU junior WR Rueben
Randle became the third Tiger to jump to the NFL today when he
announced that he will be entering the 2012 draft with one year of
eligibility left. Earlier in the day, former junior CB Morris Claiborne
and sophomore DT Michael Brockers also announced that they would be
entering this year’s draft. Randle is projected to be a second-day
pick.
- Gators RB to try out for Olympics … Florida RB
Jeff Demps has reportedly decided not attend the combine or any other
pre-draft workout. Instead, Demps plans to devote his full energies to
trying to make the U.S. 2012 Olympics sprint team. Demps, of course,
will still be available at this spring’s draft and there is a chance
that some team could take a flyer on him with a late round pick.
- January
12
- (4:00 PM): Bama LB joins mates in rush to
draft
... Alabama LB Donta Hightower did not join teammates Trent
Richardson and Dre Kirkpatrick in their press conference announcing
they would be entering this year's draft, however, Hightower has also
decided to leave school and enter the 2012 draft where he is projected
to be a second-day pick, although he still could slip into the latter
part of the opening round.
- (2:30 PM): Bama duo declares for draft …
Fresh off this week’s national championship, Alabama juniors Trent
Richardson and CB Dre’ Kirkpatrick have announced at a press conference
in Tuscaloosa they will be entering the 2012 draft where both are
expected to be top 10-15 prospects. So far, though, there is no word
from Alabama junior LB Donta Hightower who had also been expected to be
part of today’s press announcement. Meanwhile, LCU junior CB Morris
Claiborne, a top 5-10 prospect for this spring’s draft, will also
reportedly announce his intention to enter the draft at a 4 PM ET news
conference. Claiborne will be joined at the draft by LSU sophomore DT
Michael Brockers who has also reportedly decided to turn pro. Brockers
is a 6-5, 300-pound interior lineman who had 10 tackles for loss this
past season.
- Top QB confirms broken foot … Texas A&M QB
Ryan Tannehill, arguably the top senior prospect at the position for
the upcoming draft, has confirmed that he broke a foot in training and
will not participate in this month’s Senior Bowl in Mobile. The injur
in fact may require surgery which likely would also keep Tannehill from
particpating in next month's scouting combine in Indianapolis, although
his camp indicates there is a chance he could still be able to throw at
a private workout prior to the draft.
- (11:00 AM): Rocket WR rockets to pros ...
Toledo junior WR Eric Page will announce at a press conference later
this afternoon that he will be foregoing his final year of eligibility
and entering the 2012 draft. The 5-9, 180-pound Page was 6th in the
nation in all-purpose yardage this fall and is projected to be a
mid-round pick this coming April.
- (12:01 AM): Badgers’ QB to stick with football …
Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson has reportedly informed the Major League
Baseball’s Colorado Rockies that he ill not be reporting to spring
training this year, but rather will train for the upcoming NFL draft.
Wilson, who is a little undersized and lacks prototype arm strength,
threw for over 3,000 yards and 33 TDs this fall while throwing just 4
picks.
- Tide back to announce later today … Alabama
junior RB Trent Richardson has reportedly scheduled a news conference
at 2 PM ET Thursday afternoon to announce whether he will be entering
the 2012 draft. Richardson, who is considered to be a top 10-15
prospect for this year’s draft if h opts to turn pro, is one of three
Alabama underclassmen the NFL is still waiting to hear from regarding
their intention to enter the 2012 draft. What isn‘t clear is whether CB
Dre‘ Kirkpatrick or LB Donta Hightower will also make their
announcement at the same time.
- LSU WR on the move … LSU junior WR Russell
Shepard is reportedly leaving the team. What isn’t clear though is
whether he’s planning on entering the draft or transferring. Shepard,
who came to LSU as a highly-touted dual threat QB, but was soon
switched to receiver, may want a chance to play that position or is
simply going to give the pros a shot despite the fact he had just 14
receptions for 190 yards this fall and wasn’t thrown a pass in Monday’s
BCS Bowl loss to Alabama.
- January 11
- (4:00 PM): Tide DB to stay in school ...
Alabama junior FS Robert Lester has announced that he will be returning
to school for his senior season next fall. Lester is one of four
Alabama juniors the NFL is waiting to hear from whether they will be
applying for early entry to this year's draft. The emaining Tide
players thinking of entering the 2012 draft are RB Trent Richardson, CB
Dre' Kirkpatrick and LB Donta Hightower.
- (2:00 PM): UGA TE goes pro … Georgia junior TE Orson
Charles said this afternoon that he will forgo his senior season to
enter the NFL draft. Charles, a first-team All-SEC selection this past
season in which he caught 45 passes for 574 yards and 5 scores, is
projected to be one the first 2-3 players off the board at the position
this coming April.
- Colts get new GM … Indianapolis, which has the #1
pick overall at the 2012 draft, has hired Ryan Grigson as its new G.M.
Grigson gad been director of player personnel with Philadelphia.
Grigson also reportedly interviewed with St. Louis for the same
position earlier in the week.
- (12:01 AM): GBN Radio show on hold … At
least for this week, some of the technical difficulties that slowed the
GBN radio show last fall have resurfaced and the return of the program
has been delayed for a week. More details to follow.
- More players headed to Mobile … The Senior Bowl
continues to release the names of players who have accepted invitations
to this year’s game. Among the latest to confirm they will be in Mobile
are QB Russell Wilson, WR Nick Toon and OG Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin;
RB Dan Herron, WR DeVier Posey, OT Mike Adams and C Mike Brewster of
Ohio State; Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward; DE Melvin Ingram and Antonio
Allen of South Carolina; and RB Cyrus Gray and WR Jeff Fuller of Texas
A&M. Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill and CB Coryell Judie were also
both invited to Mobile but won‘t be available because of injuries.
Tannehill, who would have been the highest rated QB in Mobile,
reportedly had to withdraw because of a foot injury - and there are
unconfirmed reports he may have broken his foot - while Judie injured a
wrist injury in Aggies’ the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
.
- One RB in draft; two out … Nevada junior RB Mike
Ball has been added to the list of underclassmen who are entering the
2012 draft. The 5-10, 215-pound Ball ran for over 700 yards in just 5
games for the Wolfpack this fall, but was kicked off the team in
mid-season for what were reported as multiple violations of team rules.
Two other junior Rbs - Andre Ellington of Clemson and Auburn’s Onterio
McCalebb - have announced they will be returning to school for their
senior seasons.
- January 10
- (5:30 PM): Injured Hogs’ back to return …
Arkansas junior RB Knile Davis announced today that he will return to
school next season after thinking seriously about entering the draft
despite missing all of this past season because of a fractured ankle.
Davis led the SEC in rushing with 1,322 yards rushing as a sophomore in
2010, but was injured when a teammate fell on his ankle during a
pre-season scrimmage.
- (4:00 PM): Heisman winner headed to draft …
According to family sources, Baylor junior QB Robert Griffin, this
year’s Heisman Trophy winner, has told school officials that he will
forego his final year of eligibility and enter this year’s draft.
RGIII, as he is affectionately known, is projected to be the second QB
off the board this coming April after Andrew Luck of Stanford.
- Tulsa WR/KR to enter draft … Tulsa WR/KR Damaris
Johnson, thje NCAA’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, has
reportedly left school and will enter the upcoming draft, despite the
fact he has a year of eligibility remaining. Johnson, had been
considered to be an intriguing second-tier prospect for the 2012 draft,
but ended up being suspended for much of the past season after he was
charged with embezzlement. Johnson and his girlfriend both received
one-year deferred sentences for embezzling over $2,000 worth of
merchandise from the store where the girlfriend was a cashier.
- (12:01 AM): Tide cruises to BCS title …
Alabama rode a suffocating defense to a 21-0 shutout win over
top-ranked LSU to win its second national title in three years. And
suffocating probably understates what the Tide defense did last evening
as Alabama held LSU to just 5 first downs and less than 100 yards of
total offense. Meanwhile, with the BCS trophy headed back to
Tuscaloosa, the NFL is waiting to hear from several Alabama juniors
including RB Trent Richardson, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, LB Donta Hightower
and S Robert Lester as to whether they will be entering the 2012 draft.
Same for LSU junior CB Morris Claiborne who could actually be the
highest selected player from Monday’s game. Underclassmen have until
Sunday to file paperwork with the league to be eligible for this year’s
draft.
- SC DE; FSU CB staying in school … Both South
Carolina junior DE Devin Taylor and Florida State sophomore CB Xavier
Rhodes have announced that they are passing on the NFL draft for this
year and will be staying in school.
- Zips LB zips west … Akron junior MLB Brian
Wagner, who ranked third in the NCAA in tackles this past fall, is
transferring to Arizona. Because he has already earned his
undergraduate degree and will enroll in a graduate program at Arizona
not available at Akron, Wagner who had 147 tackles last season, and
will be eligible for the 2012 season.
- January 9
- Clock ticking on underclassmen … Underclassmen
thinking of entering the 2012 draft have until this coming Sunday to
file paper work with the NFL to be included in this year’s draft. So
far, by our unofficial count, 42 underclassmen
have already indicated in one way or another that they will be entering
this year’s draft. In fact, most of the big-name underclassmen expected
to be early selections this year have announced their intentions. The
one major exception, other than the underclassmen playing in Monday
night’s BCS championship game, is Baylor junior QB Robert Griffin who
has yet to formally announce his decision whether to enter this year’s
draft or return to school for another year in Waco. Meanwhile, other
players the NFL is still waiting to hear from include Arkansas RB Knile
Davis, Toledo WR Eric Page, Georgia TE Orson Charles, and DEs Devin
Taylor of South Carolina, Alex Okafor of Texas and Jonathan Massaquoi
of Troy.
- January 8
- UCF CB to enter draft … Central Florida junior CB
Josh Robinson has announced he will be leaving school and entering the
2012 draft. Robinson is considered to be a mid-round prospect.
- (12:01 AM): Vikes, Skins to coach in Mobile …
The Senior Bowl has announced that the coaching staffs from Minnesota
and Washington will be handling the teams in Mobile later this month.
The Senior Bowl will be played January 28th with practice sessions to
start on Monday the 23rd.
- Colts talking Luck … According to various media
reports, Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay has reiterated the fact that the
Colts intend to take Stanford junior QB Andrew Luck with the #1 pick in
the 2012 draft. There are also rumblings that veteran Colts’ QB Peyton
Manning may be willing to push the date for his roster bonus back from
its current date. As of now, the Colts are obligated to pay Manning a
$28M roster bonus on March 8th. Once the bonus is paid, though, the cap
hit the Colts would have to absorb if they tried to trade Manning would
make any such trade impossible. If, however, the bonus is deferred
until after something is worked out, then it is much more likely that
Manning could be moved as it just doesn‘t make any sense for the Colts
to draft Luck, but then have him sit for up to two years with Manning
still at the controls. Stay tuned.
- Underclassmen staying in school … Thanks to reader
Brett R for the tip as a trio of underclassmen have indicated they plan
to return to school for their senior seasons next fall including LSU
sophomore DE Sam Montgomery, Mississippi State CB Jonathan Banks, and
North Carolina MLB Kevin Reddick. Along with Reddick, it is also
believed that UNC junior DT Sylvester Williams will also be back at
school next fall.
- Heels FB gets extra year … North Carolina FB Devon
Ramsay has been granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA giving him an
extra year of eligibility in 2012. Ramsay tore knee ligaments in the
2011 season opener and missed the rest of the year after undergoing
surgery. Earlier, Ramsey had missed the 2007 season with a shoulder
injury and played in only four games in 2010 before being ruled
permanently ineligible for academic misconduct during the NCAA
investigation of the football program. However, Ramsey appealed and the
NCAA reversed its decision and restored his eligibility when it was
determined that Ramsay in fact had not committed any violations.
- January
7
- (10:00 PM): Three more enter draft … Three
more underclassmen including Clemson TE Dwayne Allen, Mississippi OT
Bobbie Massie and Michigan State RB Edwin Baker have announced they
will be entering the 2012 draft. Allen is considered to be the top
prospects at the TE position this year and could get some later first
round interest, while Massie and Baker are more mid-round prospects,
although Massie has intriguing size and athleticism and has the
potential to move up during pre-draft testing. Meanwhile, Florida State
junior CB/KR Greg Reid has reportedly decided to stay in school for his
senior season next fall. Underclassmen have until January 15th to file
paperwork with the NFL to be eligible for the upcoming draft.
- January
6
- (9:00 PM): BC LB; Duck RB declare for draft …
Boston College junior LB Luke Kuechly and Oregon junior RB LaMichael
James have announced they will be entering the 2012 draft. Kuechly, a
two-time All-America selection who led the nation with 191 tackles in
2011is considered to be a potential late first round selection this
year depending on how fast he runs at pre-draft testing. Meanwhile,
James ran for over 1,800 yards this fall despite missing a couple of
games with an elbow injury, but could last well into the second day of
the draft as he isn‘t all that big at just 5-8, 185.
- (4:00 PM): ASU QB confirms draft entry ...
Arizona State junior QB Brock Osweiler has formally announced that he
will be leaving school this winter and entering the 2012 draft. The 6-8
Osweiler threw for over 4,000 yards and 25 TDs this fall and projects
as a second-day pick this coming April.
- (3:30 PM): Irish TE to return to school ...
Notre Dame junior TE Tyler Eifert has announced he will be back in
South Bend next fall.
- (1:00 PM): Hokie HB headed to NFL ...
Virginia Tech junior RB David Wilson announced this morning that he
will forgo his senior season and enter the 2012 draft. Wilson is a
second-day prospect who is expected to be one of the first 4-5 RBs off
the board this coming April.
- (10:00 AM): Badger C to enter draft ...
Wisconsin junior C Peter Konz has reportedly decided to leave school
and enter the 2012 draft. The 6-5, 315-pound Konz is considered to be
the top C in college football and a possible late first round pick this
coming April.
- (9:00 AM): Owls RB enters draft ... Temple
junior RB Bernard Pierce has announced he will entering the 2012 draft
where he figures to be a mid-round pick. The 6-0, 220-pound Pierce ran
for almost 1,500 yards and 27 scores this fall despite missing one game
with a concussion and being slowed in a couple of others with a
hamstring problem.
- Star game rosters starting to take shape … With
the post-season all-star schedule close to kicking off, the various
games around the country are in the process of naming their rosters.
Players who have accepted invitations to play at the Senior Bowl, the
premier game on the schedule, for example, include Penn State DT Devon
Still, OG Cordy Glenn, C Ben Jones, CB Brandon Boykin and P Drew Butler
of Georgia, Florida DT Jaye Howard and RB Chris Rainey, Auburn OT
Brandon Mosley, Mississppi State RB Vick Ballard and Alabama-Birmingham
OT Matt McCants. The Senior Bowl will be played January 28th in Mobile
with practices set to start on the 23rd. And as usual, the GBN will be
well-represented at both the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine game the
week before. As we did last year, we’ll be teaming up with the guys at Paul’s Pigskin Place to
provide some of the most comprehensive analysis of the all-star games
around. Should be fun.
- Pats’ CB win final weekly award … Most weeks the
rookie of the week is a relatively early draft pick. Sometimes, though,
a less heralded player comes up with a big week to get the nod. Then
there’s New England CB Sterling Moore, who may just be the most obscure
rookie ever to win the award. Moore, an undrafted rookie free agent
from Southern Methodist who didn’t even start playing football until
his senior year in high school, was cut four times this fall by two
different teams before picking off two passes, one of which he returned
for a 21-yard TD, to help the Patriots clinch home-field advantage
through the playoffs with a 49-21 win over Buffalo. To the story even
unpredictable, Moore is a career corner who was actually forced to play
at safety for the Patriots this weekend.
- Report: ASU QB to enter draft; same for Tech WR ...
There are unconfirmed reports that Arizona State junior QB Brock
Osweiler has decided to pass on his senior year of eligibility and
enter the upcoming draft. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech junior WR Stephen
Hill has announced he is bypassing his senior season and will enter the
2012 draft. The 6-4, 210-pound Hill only caught 28 passes this past
season in the run-oriented Tech offense, but led the country with an
average of 29.3 yards per catch; still, he‘s not considered to be more
than a late-round or free agent prospect.
- January
5
- (5:30 PM): One in, one out for Sooners ...
Oklahoma got some great news when junior QB Landry Jones announced that
he will be returning to school for his senior season next fall. The
Sooners, though, did lose a player to the pros oday when junior DE
Ronnell Lewis announced that he would be entering the upcoming draft.
Meanwhile, Florida State junior DE Brandon Jenkins has announced he
will also be staying in school next year.
- (4:00 PM) Badger back confirms he's staying ...
Wisconsin junior RB Montee Ball has confirmed that he will be returning
to school or his senior season next fall. Ball ran for over 1,900 yards
this season and tied Barry Sanders all-time single season TD record
with 39, but was projected as only a potential 3rd round pick by the
NFL's special draft advisory committee, in part because Ball lacks
breakaway speed.
- (3:00 PM): Spartans' DT to enter draft ...
Michigan State junior DT Jerel Worthy is the latest underclassmen to
announce that he will be entering the 2012 NFL draft. Worthy is
projected to be selected in the mid-to-late part of this year's opening
round.
- (1:00 PM): Pair of Gamecocks go pro … South
Carolina junior WR Alshon Jeffrey and CB Stephon Gilmore have announced
they plan to enter this year’s draft. The 6-4, 230-pound Jeffrey is
considered to be a mid-first round prospect for the upcoming draft,
while Gilmore is a likely second-round candidate. Meanwhile, there are
reports out of Wisconsin that star junior RB Montee Ball is expected to
announce at later this afternoon that he will be returning to school
next fall.
- January 4
- (1:00 PM): Final rook stats posted ... Here
are
the final regular season statistical
leaders
for this year's rookie class.
- (10:00 AM): Top OL to enter draft … Both
Iowa junior OT Riley Reiff and Sanford junior OG David DeCastro have
confirmed that they are leaving school and entering the 2012 draft.
Both are projected to be top 10-15 picks. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech
junior CB Jayron Hosley told reporters after the Hokies OT loss to
Michigan in last night's Sugar Bowl that he will entering the draft.
Same for San Diego State sophomore RB Ronnie Hillman who has also said
he will be declaring for the draft. The 5-9, 185-pound Hillman isn’t
all that big but has been very productive rushing for over 1,500 yards
in each of his two seasons at SDSU. Hillman was reportedly old by the
NFL’s special draft advisory board that he could be selected round the
third round in April's draft if he left school early.
- January
3
- (7:00 PM): Saints IR top pick … New Orleans
RB Mark Ingram, the team’s first-round pick this year, will miss the
playoffs after being placed on injured reserve with a toe injury.
Ingram, the 28th player selected at the 2011 draft, rushed for 474
yards and 5 scores in his rookie season.
- USF back enters draft … South Florida junior RB
Darell Scott has announced he is leaving school and entering the 2012
draft. Scott, once the top recruit in the country at Colorado, rushed
for over 800 yards this past season, but is not considered to be more
than a marginal draft prospect.
- (4:00 PM): AC Pack LB to enter draft …
North Carolina State junior LB Terrell Manning has signed with an agent
and will be entering the 2012 draft. The 62, 235-pound Manning is
considered to be a mid-round prospect.
- (2:00 PM): Rush to draft contines … So far
today, Stanford OT Jonathan Martin, Arizona State MLB Vontaze Burfict,
Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox, Rutgers WR Mohamad Sanu and Illinois
DE Whitney Mercilus have all reportedly opted to pass on their senior
seasons and enter the 2012 draft. All are juniors with at least some
first-round potential. Underclassmen have until January 15th to apply
to the NFL for entry into the upcoming draft.
- Vikes get new G.M. … Minnesota, which has the
third pick at the 2012 draft, has promoted Rick Spielman from V. P. of
Player Personnel to General Manager. Spielman will oversee all the
Vikings’ football operations.
- (10:00 AM): Bears' GM out ... In a still
developing story, Jerry Angelo will reportedly not return as general
manager of the Chicago Bears for a 12th season after an 8-8 year for
the team.
- (9:00 AM): Latest projection posted ...
With the draft selection order for non-playoff teams now pretty much
set except for a couple of coin flips, the GBN first-round projection for the 2012 draft
has been updated.
- Okie State WR confirms raft entry ... Immediately
after last night's dramatic overtime win over Stanford in the Fiesta
Bowl, Oklahoma State junior WR Justin Blackmon confirmed that he will
indeed be entering the upcoming draft. Blackmon, a top 10 prospect for
this year's draft, put an exclamation point on his career, catching 8
passes for 186 yards and three TDs against the Cardinal. That gives the
6-1, 210-pound Blackmon 121 catches for over 1,500 yards and 18 scores
on the season.
- January 2
- (7:00 PM): UNC DE to enter draft … In
something of a surprising decision, North Carolina junior DE Donte
Paige-Moss has reportedly told team coaches that he intends to enter
the 2012 NFL draft. Its surprising because Paige-Moss tore an ACL in
the Tar Heels bowl loss to Missouri and will not be able to workout
prior to the draft; indeed, its unlikely he’ll be ready to play until
sometime next season. All this comes in the wake of a very
disappointing year for Paige-Moss who had just 2 sacks this past season
after posting 7 the previous year.
- (4:00 PM): Colts changing guard; Polians out ...
Indianapolis has fired both vice chairman Bill Polian and his son,
general manager Chris Polian. There's no word yet on the status of
Colts' head coach Jim Caldwell.
- Husky RB to enter draft … Washington junior RB
Chris Polk has reportedly decided to pass on his senior year of
eligibility and enter the 2012 draft. The 5-11, 222-pound Polk, who
rushed for almost 1,500 yards this fall, is considered to be a
second-day prospect for the upcoming draft.
- (11:30 AM): Bucs fire coach ... The axe
fell on a second coach this morning as Tampa Bay fired head coach
Raheem Morris after a 4-12 season in which the Buccaneers lost their
final ten games. As a result, Tampa Bay will have the 5th pick at the
2012 draft.
- (11:00 AM): Rams fire coach Spags, GM … St.
Louis, which will have the second pick overall at the 2012 draft, has
reportedly cleaned house by firing head Steve Spagnuolo and G.M. Billy
Devaney.
- Hogs RB considering draft … Arkansas junior RB
Knile Davis, who did not play in 2011 because of an ankle injury, is
reportedly considering entering the upcoming draft. Davis was concerned
to be one of the top 2-3 RB prospects in the country after he ran for
1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010, but suffered a broken ankle in
training camp and has not played since, although he started practicing
again in November. Underclassmen have until January 15th to apply for
entry to the upcoming draft.
- January 1
- (1:00 PM): Wake receiver heads to draft ...
Wake Forest junior WR Chris Givens has reportedly announced that he
will be entering the 2012 draft. The 6-0, 195-pound Givens, with a
reported 40 time in the low 4.5 range, had a break-out year this season
in which he caught 83 passes for over 1,300 yards and 9 scores. Givens
is considered to be a mid-round prospect, although he could move up if
he runs better at pre-draft testing.
- (11:00 AM): HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
- Report: RGIII to enter draft ... Several sources
including ESPN are reporting that Heisman Trophy winning Baylor junior
QB Robert Griffin will enter this year's draft. Griffin reportedly has
not yet formally committed, but the family is in the process of
deciding on representation.
- December 30
- (8:00 PM): Tide OL returning to school ...
Alabama junior LT Barrett Jones has announced he will be returning to
school in 2012. Jones had been considered to be a late first or early
secon dprospect for the upcoming draft.
- (7:00 PM): Orange DE to enter draft …
Syracuse junior DE Chandler Jones has announced that he will be
foregoing his final year of eligibility and entering the 2012 draft.
The 6-4, 265 pound Jones missed the first 5 games of the season with a
leg injury, but then had 38 tackles including 4.5 sacks and two forced
fumbles over the final half of the campaign. Jones is considered to be
a 3rd or 4th round prospect.
- December 29
- (12:01 AM): Pro Bowl by the numbers ...
Anyone wondering what all the fuss about the NFL draft is only has to
take a look at players named to this year's Pro Bowl teams. While its
hardly an exact science, the large majority of this year's Pro Bowlers
were drafted coming out of college and over half were first-round
picks. Here's a quick breakdown of the draft
status of the players named to this year's Pro Bowl. And for the
record, two rookies - Denver OLB Von Miller and Cincinnati WR A.J.
Green - were named to this year's Pro Bowl game, while several others
including Carolina QB Cam Newton and San Francisco Aldon Smith are
first alternates.
- December 28
- (10:00 AM): Record setting QB wins weekly rook
award ...
In the same week in which New Orleans QB Drew Brees broke Dan Marino’s
long-standing single-season passing yardage record, Carolina QB Cam
Newton, the #1 pick overall a the 2011 draft, established a new
single-season passing mark for first-year passers this past weekend in
the Panthers’ impressive 48-16 win over Tampa Bay. That was enough to
earn Newton this week‘s GBN ‘Rookie of the Week‘ award. Here are the
details from an
otherwise quiet week's for this year's rookie class in the latest
edition of the
Rookie Report .
- December 25
- Top pick goes down to wire ... Which team
ultimately gets the #1 pick at the 2012 draft won't be decided until
the final week of the NFL schedule, although the race is down to just
two team after Minnesota knocked off Washington on Sunday to raise its
record to 3-12. Bottom line is that Indianapolis will clinch the top
pick this year if either the Colts lose in Jacksonville next Sunday or
St. Louis upsets San Francisco at home. A Colts win and a Rams loss,
though, and St. Louis would have the top pick for the second time in
three years. For now, though, if the draft were held today,
Indianapolis would pick first, followed by St. Louis, Minnesota, and
Jacksonville with Cleveland rounding out the top 5. As usual the full,
updated selection order for the opening round of the 2012 draft will be
posted after Monday night's game.
- December 24
- Aggie back commits to NFL … Pretty much as
expected, Utah State junior RB Robert Turbin has decided to leave
school with a year of eligibility remaining and put his name in for the
2012 draft. The 5-9, 220-pound Turbin is expected to be a mid-round
selection after running for over 1,500 yards and 19 scores this fall.
- December
23
- (4:00 PM) Big DT enters draft ... Memphis
junior DT Dontari Poe has announced that he will be entering the 2012
draft where the 6-5, 350-pounder is projected to be a late first round
selection.
- Draft guide under tree ... It wouldn't be Xmas
without a present or two under the tree and we got ours when we
received a copy of Palmer Hughes' 'Draft Notebook'. Lots of great info
on the 2012 draft and we recommend folks check it out at Hughes Sports.
- December
22
- (4:00 PM): SC QB to stay in school ... In a
big surprise, Southern California junior QB Matt Barkley has just
announced that he will not be entering the 2012 draft. Barkley had been
expected to be a top 5 pick, but opted to return to school for a shot
at the national championship with the Trojans coming off probation.
- (3:00 PM): Irish QB moves to Big XII ..
Former Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist has announced he is transferring to
Kansas for his senior season. Crist, who will be eligible immediately
as he has graduated and will enrol in a graduate program not offered by
Notre Dame, will be reunited with new Jayhawks’ head coach Charlie Weis
who originally recruited him to the Irish.
- SC S to stay in school … Southern California FS
T.J. McDonald has announced that he will be returning to school for
2012 season. McDonald had been projected to be a second day pick at the
upcoming draft.
- Vets in; vets out of bowls … North Carolina WR
Dwight Jones has reportedly been cleared by the NCAA to play in the
Independence Bowl later this month. Jones had been suspended after his
picture appeared on a flier advertising his upcoming birthday party at
a local club. Meanwhile, UCLA S Tony Dye will not play in the Bruins’
bowl game after being ruled to be academically ineligible.
- Rams rook WR suspended … St. Louis WR Austin
Pettis will miss the rest of the season and the start of next season
after violating the league’s policy on performing enhancing substances.
Pettis, a 3rd round pick this year, has 27 receptions this fall, but
has averaged less than yards per catch.
- December 20
- Sooners’ DE to miss bowl; NFL may be on horizon …
Oklahoma junior DE Ronnell Lewis will miss the team’s bowl game after
been ruled academically ineligible for the Sooners’ game against Iowa.
Lewis also missed the past two games with a sprained MCL. And OU head
coach has politely suggested that it may be in Lewis’ “best interest to
go on to the NFL’ as he has also had academic problems in the past.
- Bears to IR #3 pick … Chicago safety Chris Conte
will reportedly miss the final two games of the season after suffering
a sprained foot. Conte, a 3rd round pick this fall from California, has
47 tackles and an interception.
- December 18
- (4:15 PM): Zeros no more … Indianapolis
finally won its first game of the year today with a 27-13 victory over
Tennessee. That combined with losses by both Minnesota and St. Louis
means that the Colts will have to wait another week to clinch the first
overall pick at the 2012 draft. At the same time, the gap between the
combined W-L records of Minnesota and St. Louis continues to edge a
little wider meaning that if the draft were held this week, the Vikings
would have the 2nd pick, while the Rams would pick third, followed by
Jacksonville at #4. As usual, the full, updated selection order for
this year’s opening round will be posted after the Monday night game
tomorrow. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s dreams of a perfect season were
shattered in Kansas City where the Packers lost 19-14 to the Chiefs.
- Duck RB denies draft decision … Oregon junior RB
LaMichael James is denying reports that he has committed to enter this
year’s draft. There were media reports earlier in the week that James,
who rushed for almost 1,700 yards this fall, had decided to enter the
2012 draft, however, James says no decision will be made until after
the Rose Bowl on January 2nd.
- December 17
- (5:00 PM): ACC stars get extra year …
Maryland S/LB Kenny Tate is among 4 Terps who have been granted an
extra year of eligibility for medical hardship. Tate, a 2010 first-team
all-conference pick at safety, started four games at OLB this fall, but
missed the final eight games of the season because of a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Boston College has learned that RB Montel Harris, DT Kaleb
Ramsey and WR Ifeanyi Momah have also been granted another year of
eligibility. Harris entered the season needing just over 1,000 yards to
become the ACC’s all-time leading rusher, but missed the first three
games of the season due to a knee injury and was ultimately shut down
after playing in a couple of games. Ramsey had been expected to anchor
the interior BC defense this fall, but suffered a foot injury in the
season opener, while the 6-6, 230-pound Momah suffered a knee injury in
the season opener after catching 8 passes for 171 yards.
- UGA LB staying in school … Georgia junior LB
Jarvis Jones, who is currently second in the country in sacks with
13.5, has reportedly opted to return to school for his senior season
next fall. Georgia still expects junior TE Orson Charles to enter the
draft, while junior FS Bacarri Rambo says it is still “50-50? whether
he will leave school early this winter. Meanwhile, red shirt sophomore
QB Aaron Murray reports he did submit paperwork to the NFL’s draft
advisory board, but said he nevr really had any intention of leaving
early, at least this year.
- Cardinal WR may not play again … Stanford WR Chris
Owusu won’t play again this fall and may be forced to give up football
because of a series of concussions. Owusu, who doubles as a very good
punt returner and was considered to be a potential mid-round prospect
at the 2012 draft, has had at least three concussions in the past year
and has not played any meaningful snaps since leaving the Oregon State
game in an ambulance in early November.
- December 16
- (4:00 PM): Second Trojan going pro ... ESPN
is reporting that Southern California junior DE/OLB Nick Perry has
signed with an agent and will be entering the 2012 draft. The 6-4,
250-pound Perry led the Pac-12 with 9.5 sacks this past season and is
considered to be a potential late-first or early second round pick this
coming April.
- (10:00 AM): Canes lose two more to draft ...
Miami has announced that both junior G/T Brandon Washington and DE
Olivier Vernon have decided to skip their final college seasons and
enter the 2012 draft. The 6-4, 315-pound Washington played LT for the
Hurricanes, but is projected to be one of the top OGs in the upcoming
draft class. Vernon, one of several Hurricanes suspended for the first
half of the season for accepting improper benefits, has decent size
(6-3, 265) and speed (4.75), but is considered to be only a marginal
prospect. Miami has now lost five underclassmen to the 2012 draft,
including RB Lamar Miller, WR Tommy Streeter and DT Marcus Forston.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Stanford junior OG David Decastro of
Stanford, a potential top 10-20 prospect this year, has also decided to
enter this year’s draft according to sources at the school.
- December
15
- (10:00 PM): USC OT to enter draft …
Southern California junior LT Matt Kalil has reportedly decided to
forego his final season of eligibility and enter the 2012 draft where
he is expected to be a top 5 pick.
- FCS star game updates … Wes Bunting of the National
Football Post is reporting some
interesting stuff from the HBCU All-Star game in Myrtle Beach.
- December
14
- (9:00 PM): Duck back going pro ... The
Oregonian is reporting that Oregon junior RB LaMichael James has
decided to enter the 2012 draft. James is somewhat undersized at just
5-9, 195, but is very quick and was very productive rushing for almost
5,000 yards in his career including almost 1,700 this year. James is
projected to be a second day pick this year.
- (12:01 AM): Updated positional rankings posted …
With the regular college football season now in the books, here are our
latest rankings by position
for the 2012 draft.
- Canes safety to stay in school … Miami Hurricanes
finally got some good news when junior FS Ray-Ray Armstrong announced
that he would be returning to school for his senior season next fall.
Armstrong was suspended for 5 games this fall for accepting improper
benefits from an agent and was not all that productive when he did
play. Armstrong’s decision to stay in school reverses a frustrating
trend for the Hurricanes after sophomore RB Lamar Miller and junior DT
Marcus Forston and WR Tommy Streeter announced earlier this month that
they would be entering the upcoming draft
- December
13
- FCS star game practices underway … Practice is
underway for Saturday’s FCS Senior Scout Bowl in Myrtle Beach, Florida.
The game, which features players from D1AA players not still involved
in the playoffs at that level, is scheduled for 2 PM ET. The game will
only be telecast locally, but will be available at on the internet. Unfortunately,
most of the top FCS prospects for the 2012 draft are either still
involved in the playoffs or are scheduled to play in later all-star
games, although there are still a number of players want to see in
Myrtle Beach including QBs Mike Brown of Liberty and Eastern
Washington’s QB Bo Levi Mitchell, Robert Morris TE Shadrae King, and
DEs Mario Kurn of San Diego and Ameet Pall of Wofford. Here are the
full rosters.
- December 12
- (4:00 PM): Canes RB going pro … Miami
sophomore RB Lamar Miller has reportedly decided to skip his final two
seasons of eligibility and enter the 2012 draft. The 5-9, 210-pound
Miller, who reportedly runs the 40 in the low 4.4 range, ran for almost
1,300 yards this past season and said he would enter the draft if he
was given a first-round grade by the NFL‘s special draft advisory
committee. Miller also becomes the third Miami underclassman to
announce he's leaving early as junior WR Tommy Streeter and DT Marcus
Forston had earlier announced they would be turning pro this year.
- (12:01 AM): Irish LB to stay in school …
Notre Dame junior Manti Te’o, projected to be one of the first 2-3
players off the board at the 2012 draft if he were to turn pro, says he
will return to school for his senior season next fall. Te’o leads the
team with 115 tackles, including 13 for loss and 4.5 sacks.
- Cowboys lose rook RB … Not only did Dallas lose a
heart-breaker to the Giants, the Cowboys also lost rookie RB DeMarco
Murray when he reportedly broke a foot. Murray, a 4th round pick from
Oklahoma has been one of the top first players in the entire league
with almost 900 rushing yards despite not playing much early in the
camapaign.
- December 11
- (4:00 PM): Colts inch closer to top pick …
After losing 24-10 to Baltimore this afternoon to drop to 0-13,
Indianapolis’ magic number to clinch the #1 pick at the 2012 draft is
down to one. The Colts actually could have wrapped up the top pick this
year if both Minnesota and St. Louis had won this weekend, but the
Vikings lost in Detroit to drop to 2-11, while St. Louis plays tomorrow
night in Seattle. Meanwhile, Jacksonville, which was sitting on the 4th
pick overall coming into the weekend, knocked off Tampa Bay. The Jags’
win combined with Washington’s loss to New England means that the
Redskins will move up to the 4th pick, while Jacksonville and Carolina
are in s statistical dead-heat for the 5th and 6th picks. As usual, the
full, updated 2012 draft first-round selection order will be posted
after the Monday night game tomorrow.
- (10:30 AM): Junior RB, CB thinking draft …
Alabama junior RB Trent Richardson reportedly sounded like a guy who is
turning pro in an interview after he finished third in voting for this
year’s Heisman Trophy. Richardson wouldn’t commit directly, but said
he’s close to graduating and wants to look after his family. Meanwhile,
Virginia Tech junior CB Jayron Hosley is saying that he is currently
leaning toward entering this year’s draft.
- Bears QB takes Heisman … For those that have not
heard, Baylor junior QB Robert Griffin III won this year’s Heisman
Trophy. Griffin edged out Stanford junior QB Andrew Luck, the
presumptive #1 pick at the upcoming NFL draft. It was the second year
in a row that Luck had finished second in the voting. And while Griffin
only emerged as a Heisman candidate in the latter part of the year, pro
scouts have noticed and he has been moving up draft boards around the
league all season. Indeed, it now appears that the athletic Griffin,
who completed 72% of his throws this fall for 3,998 yards and 36 scores
against just 6 picks while running for another 644 yards and 9 TDs in
leading Baylor, which for years couldn’t buy a win in the conference to
a 9-3 record, has emerged as a legitimate top 10 prospect for the 2012
draft.
- Tigers RB suspended for bowl … Auburn sophomore RB
Michael Dyer, the SEC’s second leading rusher this year and a top
prospect for the 2013 draft, has reportedly been suspended for the
Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Virginia for an undisclosed reason. The 5-9,
210-pound Dye ran for over 1,200 yards and 12 TDs this season.
- December
9
- NFL to hold second level combines … The NFL has
announced it will hold eight regional combines for players not invited
to the regular scouting combine in Indianapolis this year.
The regional combines will begin January 28 and run though March 17.
The initial regional event will be held in Los Angeles with combines
also scheduled for Houston, Baltimore, Tampa, New York, Chicago,
Atlanta and Cleveland. Some players may then be invited to a follow-up
combine in Detroit on March 30-31.The main combine in Indianapolis is
scheduled to run from February 22-28.
- December 8
- (9:00 PM): SC OT denies earlier report about
leaning toward staying in school ... Southern California junior
LT Matt Kalil has denied published reports earlier today that he is
leaning strongly toward returning for his senior season next fall.
Kalil, who is currently being projected as the top OT in the 2012 draft
and a possible top 5 pick were he to declare for this year’s draft,
says he is still gathering information and exploring his options.
- (10:30 AM): Badgers’ back thinking draft …
According to an interview in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Wisconsin
junior RB Montee Ball will most likely enter the upcoming draft if he
rated as a first or second round pick by the NFL’s draft advisory
committee. However, Ball expects to return to school if his grade comes
back any lower. And despite the fact that Ball is in the midst of a
record setting season in which he leads the nation with almost 1,800
rushing yards and is just one TD away from tying Barry Sanders all-time
single season TD record, Ball could in fact be on the second-third
round bubble as his projected 40 time is only in the 4.55-4.60 range.
- (12:01 AM): New Big Board posted … With the
college football regular season now in the books, here is the latest
version of the GBN ‘Big Board’ ranking of the
Top 100 or so prospects for the 2012 draft.
- Top WR indicates he’s going pro … Oklahoma State
junior WR Justin Blackmon, a potential top 5-10 pick at the 2012 draft,
indicated in an interview with ESPN that he has pretty much decided to
pass on his final year of eligibility and enter the upcoming draft. The
6-1, 215-pound Blackmon had 113 receptions for over 1,300 yards and 15
scores this past season.
- December 7
- (12:01 AM): Colts appear to be in Luck !!! …
Stanford junior QB Andrew Luck, the presumptive favorite to be the
first player chosen at the 2012 draft, has reportedly indicated that he
will in fact be passing on his final year of eligibility and turning
pro this winter. Luck told ESPN late yesterday that he's "absolutely"
prepared to go to the NFL after the Cardinal finish their season in the
Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State on January 2nd and that "I think I'm
going to hopefully play professional football if a team will have me."
- Panthers lose pair of rook Dts … Carolina has
placed rookie DTs Terrell McClain and Sione Fua on injured reserve.
Both were 3rd round picks at the 2011 draft. McClain reportedly
re-injured an MCL sprain he suffered last week against Indianapolis,
while Fua has a hamstring injury. In fact, it was a rough day
all-around for DTs taken in this year's 3rd round as Indinapolis placed
DT Drake Nevis on IR with a bad back.
- December 5
- (8:00 PM): Canes duo entering draft … Miami
junior WR Tommy Streeter and DT Marcus Forston will reportedly forgo
their final years of eligibility and will enter the 2012 draft
according to the school. Both have signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Streeter’s decision is a bit of a surprise as he had earlier indicated
that he would be returning to school. The 6-4, 215-pound Streeter
emerged as a big-play threat this year when he caught 46 passes for
over 800 yards and 8 scores. Forston, on the other hand, was considered
one of the best DTs in the country coming out of high school, but his
college career was marred by injuries including this season in which he
played in just three games before sustaining a season-ending knee
injury this season. The 6-2, 305-pound Forston also missed most of the
2009 season with a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Miami is still waiting
for word from star sophomore RB Lamar Miller as to whether he too
intends to enter the upcoming home game.
- Ducks’ CB gets boot … Oregon has dismissed star
junior CB/KR Cliff Harris from the team. Harris, a 2010 All-American,
was originally suspended for the Ducks’ season-opening loss to LSU for
an incident over the summer in which he was clocked doing 118 mph while
driving a car rented in the name of a university employee. Harris then
was suspended for the last 5 games of the season after being charged
with a series of violations in a second traffic incident.
- (12:01 AM): Colts inch closer to top pick ...
Indianapolis fell to 0-12 with a loss at New England on Sunday and
moved that much closer to locking up the #1 pick at the 2012 draft.
Meanwhile, both Minnesota and St. Louis, which entered the week in a
virtual statistical tie for the 2nd and 3rd picks, both lost; however,
the Rams' collective opponents have had a somewhat better week than
those of the Vikings so Minnesota would have the #2 pick were the raft
held today, while St. Louis would select 3rd. Who would have the 4th
pick this week, though, remains up for grabs. Jacksonville, the only
team with 3 wins, hosts San Diego in the Monday nighter later today. A
loss by the Jags and they would keep the 4th pick with Washington
moving up to #5. However, if the Jags knock off the struggling
Chargers, Washington would slide up to #4. As usual, the full, updated
selection order for the opening round of the 2012 draft will be posted
after tonight'sgame in Jacksonville.
- Who needs a playoff!!! ... Pretty much as
expected, top-ranked LSU will play Alabama in the BCS national
championship bowl on January 9th in New Orleans. The two team played
last month with LSU winning 9-6 in overtime. Oklahoma State made a late
bid a spot in the title game when the once-beaten Cowboys routed
Oklahoma 44-10 in the annual in-state Bedlam Game. In fact, it was the
closest margin between the 2nd and 3rd teams in the BCS rankings since
the system was introduced. At least, Oklahoma State still gets to play
in one of the BCS bowls. The Cowboys will play #4 Stanford in the
Fiesta. Meanwhile, Wisconsin will play Oregon in the Rose, Clemson will
face West Virginia in the Orange, while Virginia Tech faces Michigan in
the Sugar. Someone will have to explain how #11 Virginia Tech and #13
Michigan, neither of which won their conferences - heck Michigan didn't
even make their conference final, while the Hokies lost their's by 4
TDs - are among the ten teams in the major bowls, while #6 Arkansas, #7
Boise State, #8, Kansas State and #9 South Carolina aren't. Also not
hard to notice that all ten teams in the big bowls are from so-called
BCS conferences which should set off another round of discussions about
collusion and the like. So many inequities; so little time!
- Irish QB to transfer … Strong-armed Notre Dame
back-up QB Dayne Crist has reportedly has been granted a release from
his Notre Dame scholarship and will transfer to a new school for the
2012 season. Crist will graduate in December so he could transfer to
another D1A school and play next season provided the new school offers
a graduate program not available at Notre Dame. That was how Russell
Wilson ended up at Wisconsin this season after playing thee years at
North Carolina State. Ironically, one of the places being mentioned as
a possible landing spot for Crist is Wisconsin. No question Crist has
the arm strength to attract interest from the NFL, but suffered
season-ending injuries in both 2009 and 2010.
- December
3
- (12:01 AM): More Championship weekend in college
ball ... Championship weekend in college football continues later
today with 4 more conferences holding their formal league title
contests, while the Big XII has a de facto championship game with
Oklahoma State hosting Oklahoma with the winner to get the league's
automatic BCS bid. Here is a quick preview
who to watch in tonight's championship games with an eye toward
the 2012 draft.
- November 29
- Top WR breaks hand … South Carolina junior WR
Alshon Jeffery underwent surgery on Monday to repair a broken hand
injured in the team’s win over Clemson on the weekend. However, Jeffery
is not expected to be sidelined more than 23 weeks.
- November
28
- Will he or won’t he … With the exception of this
coming week’s conference championship games, most college teams have
completed their regular schedules and the thoughts of many
underclassmen start turning to the NFL and whether to leave school and
enter the upcoming draft. In fact, most won’t make formal announcement
until after their bowl game, expect at least some players on teams that
aren’t going bowling to make their decisions sooner rather than later.
Here is our Junior Scoreboard
which tracks the top underlassmen and where they are leaning.
Underclassmen have until January 15th to apply to the NFL for admission
to the 2012 draft, although they also get a 72-hout window of
opportunity until the 18th to withdraw their application if they have
not signed with an agent or accepted any benefits.
- Hometown Lions win Canuck Cup … British Columbia
Lions won the 99th playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup game with a 34-23 win
over Winnipeg in Vancouver. Former Montana State QB Travis Lulay was
named the games MVP after completing 21 of 37 passes for 320 yards.
Meanwhile, earlier this weekend, McMaster won the Canadian college
title with an overtime win over defending champion Laval to win their
first Vanier Cup since the mid-1960s.
- November 24
- Top WR leaning pro … Oklahoma State junior WR
Justin Blackmon has indicated that he is pretty sure that he will be
foregoing his final year of eligibility and entering the upcoming
draft. Blackmon, a Biletnikoff Award finalist, has 103 catches this
fall for over 1,200 yards and leads the nation with 15 TD receptions.
- November
23
- Canes’ back thinking pro … Thanks to reader Adam G
for the tip as Miami red shirt sophomore RB Lamar Miller indicated
earlier this week that he would consider leaving school early and
entering the 2012 draft if it appeared that he was going to be chose in
the opening round. And that could present 5-10, 212-pounder who has run
for almost 1,200 yards and 8 TDs this fall with an interesting dilemma.
Miller is probably considered to be one of the top 2-3 RB prospects in
the country after Alabama’s Trent Richardson, but is still no lock to
be a first-round draft selection this coming April. At the same time,
two other Miami juniors have indicated that they will be returning to
school next fall. OG Brandon Washington, who has actually played LT for
the Hurricanes this year, as well as emerging WR Tommy Streeter both
said this week that will be coming back for their senior seasons next
fall. Underclassmen have until January 15th to apply to the NFL for
admission to the 2012 draft.
- November 17
- (10:00 AM): Seahawks lose pair of rook OL ...
It appears that Seattle has lost both starting RT James Carpenter and
RG John Moffitt, the team's 1st and 3rd round picks at the 2011 draft,
for the season with knee injuries. Moffitt was placed on IR earlier in
the week, while Carpenter reportedly tore an ACL at practice yesterday.
- Scouts banned from junior star game … The NFL has
indicated that league personnel will not be allowed to attend the
inaugural NFLPA college all-star game in Los Angeles in January. The
Players’ Association game, scheduled for the 21st that month, is the
first all-star game to which underclassmen will be invited, but the NFL
has a long-standing policy of at least giving the appearance of being
hands-off when it comes to underclassmen, although this may be pushing
the envelope a tad as the players in question will have already
declared for the draft.
- Top back at work … Arkansas junior RB Knile Davis,
who had been projected to be one of the top 2-3 RBs eligible for the
2012 draft before breaking an ankle prior to the season, is reportedly
back at practice, although there are conflicting reports as to whether
he might actually see any game action over the Hogs remaining schedule.
For now, Davis has been ruled out of Arkansas’ game this weekend with
Mississippi State, but for the record the #6 Hogs’ do have a crucial
date with #1 LSU later this month. Davis had originally been declared
out for the season, but is clearly ahead of schedule, although it is
doubtful that Davis would consider entering the 2012 draft.
- November
16
- ‘Skins IR rook receiver … Washington has placed WR
Leonard Hankerson, a 3rd round pick at the 2011 draft, on injured
reserve after he tore the labrum in his right hip during Sunday's 20-9
loss to Miami. Ironically, Hankerson was hurt durig his first extended
playing time of the year in which he caught 8 passes for over 100.
Meanwhile, New England has activated OT Marcus Cannon, the team‘s 5th
round pick at this year‘s draft, who has not played to date this fall
after undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
- November
15
- Badgers C out with ankle … Wisconsin junior C
Peter Konz, a potential late first round pick if he were to enter the
2012 draft, dislocated an ankle during Saturday’s game against
Minnesota and will be out several weeks. Fortunately, for Konz and the
Badgers, he reportedly won’t require surgery after doctors were able to
slip it back into place. Konz is expected to be out for a couple
of weeks, but could be back for the Big Ten title game should the
Badgers get that far.
- Horns back done for year …Texas all-purpose RB Fozzy
Whittaker tore two ligaments in his right knee in Saturday's 17-5 loss
at Missouri and will undergo season-ending surgery. Whittaker was
nearing 1,000 all-purpose yards for the Longhorns as a back, KO
returner and sometime wildcat QB. Whittaker had been considered a
potential late round prospect for the 2012 draft, in large part because
of his versatility, but likely will not be selected this coming April,
as he likely won’t be able be fully healthy until well into next
season.
- November 14
- Vet college QBs out for year … A couple of
second-tier QB prospects for the 2012 draft will likely miss the
remainder of the season with leg injuries. Cincinnati QB Zach Collaros
was carted off the field with a broken ankle during Saturday‘s loss to
West Virginia and will miss the rest of the regular season after
undergoing surgery. The Bearcats, though, reportedly hope to have
Collaros back for their bowl. Meanwhile, Hawaii QB Bryant Moniz broke
his right tibia in Saturday’s loss to Nevada and will also miss the
rest of the season.
- Illini LB out for year after being shot in hand …
Illinois LB Trulon Henry was shot in the hand at a party over the
weekend and will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.
Henry was reportedly called to the party by a teammate to encourage
other teammates to leave. Henry, the half brother of Tampa Bay WR
Arrelious Benn, is not considered to be a prospect himself, but is an
interesting story; he’s already 27 after serving time in prison for his
part in an armed robbery, but appears to have turned his life around.
- November
11
- Star game sked kees growing … Not to be confused
with ‘THE’ Senior Bowl in Mobile, the FCS Senior Scout Bowl for D1A
players has been scheduled for 2 PM ET December 17th in Myrtle Beach.
Here is the full list of post-season
college all-star games as we have them.
- November
10
- (8:00 AM): More troubles for Canes safety …
Miami junior safety Ray-Ray Armstrong will not play Saturday against
Florida State as school officials check to see if he broke NCAA rules
by having dinner with someone who owns a public relations firm that
works with professional athletes. Armstrong has already served a 4-game
suspension to start the season for accepting improper gifts from a
former Miami booster. What isn’t clear is in the current case is
whether the individual in question - a 22-year old woman who had met
the player previously - was on a legitimate date with Armstrong or is
in fact is a ‘runner’. Armstrong had been considered a potential top 50
pick prior to the season were he to enter the 2012 draft, but has not
started since returning from the initial suspension.
- November
8
- NFLPA announces new star date, site … The NFL
Players Association, which had appeared to have gotten out of the
college all-star game business, will in fact host an all-star game in
Los Angeles this January. The game will be called the AstroTurf NFLPA
Collegiate Bowl and will be played on January 21st. The NFLPA game will
also be the first all-star game to be open to underclassmen who have
entered their name into the upcoming draft. And that should represent a
seismic shift in the all-star game landscape as many as half the
players likely to be taken in this year’s opening round are projected
to be underclassmen. To date, though, underclassmen have not been
eligible for all-star games, however, games like the Senior Bowl and
Shrine game may have to reconsider their options.
- Aggie RB lost for year with knee injury … Texas
A&M junior RB Christine Michael will miss the remainder of the
season after he tore an ACL in the Aggies’ loss to Oklahoma this past
weekend. Michael, who is averaging 6 yards per carry this fall as leads
A&M in rushing with 899 yards, had been considered to be one of the
top RB prospects for the 2012 draft, but almost certainly will be
forced to retrun to school as he likely won’t be ready to go until next
fall.
- November 5
- (9:00 PM): Sooners WR done for year …
Oklahoma All-America WR Ryan Broyles tore an ACL in this afternoon’s
41-17 victory over Texas A&M and will miss the rest of the year.
Broyles, who has 349 career receptions including 83 for almost 1,200
yards and 10 TDs had been considered to be a second round prospect for
the 2012 draft, but now may not be healthy in time for pre-draft
testing. In fact, it was a tough day all-around for senior receivers as
Stanford’s Chris Owusu Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu suffered a
concussion and was taken off the field in an ambulance during the
Cardinal’s win over Oregon State, although he later returned to the
locker room and flew home with his teammates. It was the second
concussion the speedy Owusu has suffered this season.
- (12:01 AM): Star Owl RB hospitalized after hit …
Emerging Temple junior RB Bernard Pierce was hospitalized after the
Owls’ loss to Ohio and his availability for the team’s key conference
with Miami of Ohio this coming Wednesday is up in the air. Pierce
suffered a concussion after taking a hit to the head and spent the
night in hospital, but has since been released and returned home. The
6-0, 220-pound Pierce, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards so far this
season and leads the nation with 19 rushing TDs, has been considered a
possible second day pick were he to enter the 2012 draft, although a
string of injury issues could drop his grade somewhat.
- Vegas date added to star game list … It has been
announced that the inaugural GIU All American college all-star game
will be played on January 7th at Noon ET in Las Vegas. Here is the
updated all-star game schedule.
- November
2
- (12:01 AM): Star game shuffle … If its
November then a young football player’s fancy often turns to
post-season all-star games. As per the norm in recent years, though,
you will probably need a program to keep the various star games
straight. The one constant on this year’s all-star game schedule is the
Senior Bowl which is scheduled for January 28th in Mobile. As usual,
the East-West Shrine game goes the week before, however, for the 3rd
time in 4 years, the Shriners are on the move with this year’s game
moving to St. Petersburg from Orlando. Last year’s Eastham Energy game
which was played in Tempe is also on the move. That game has been
renamed the Casino del Sol Classic and will be played in Tuscon on
January 16th. There will also be a two new games this winter. The
Battle of Florida is scheduled for January 21st in Boca Raton with
legendary former college coaches Bobby Bowden and Howard
Schnellenberger coaching teams with players from north and south
Florida. The new Florida game, though, will have to compete for players
with the Shrine game which goes the same week across the state.
Meanwhile, the new Players All-star Classic will be played February 4th
in Little Rock. The all-star game schedule actually kicks off with the
second annual HBCU Classic in Atlanta on December 18th. The HCBU
features graduating seniors from the historically black colleges. On
the other hand, the Cactus Bowl for Division II all-stars will be on a
year’s hiatus because of a lack of corporate sponsorship. Same story
for the former Texas versus the Nation game which will not be played
this year ostensibly because of stadium reparations. Here is the all-star game schedule as we have it now.
Obviously, if anyone is aware of other games or changes etc we’d
appreciate a heads up.
- November 1
- Hoosiers WR gets the boot … Indiana WR Damarlo
Belcher, who was on pace to become the school’s all-time leading
receiver, has been dismissed from the team for violating unspecified
team rules. Despite missing the past two games, Belcher, a second tier
prospect for the upcoming draft, still leads the Hoosiers in receptions
with 25 after posting a conference leading 78 last fall.
- October
31
style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">October 30 - Pats IR
early pick … New England has placed CB Ras-I
Dowling on season-ending injury reserve because of a lingering hip
problem. Dowling, the first player selected in this year‘s second
round, reportedly has a torn tendon in his leg that has been causing
the problem. Dowling started the first two games of the year, but has
not played much since being slowed by the injury.
- October
28
- October
27
- (3:00 PM): Pitt back out for year ...
Pittsburgh junior RB Ray Graham, the second leading rusher in the
country, will miss the rest of the year with what looks like a
relatively serious knee injury. The 5-9, 195-pound Graham, who had been
averaging almost 135 yards per game on the ground, will require surgery
and a rehab period that will carry him well beyond the 2012 draft.
- October
26
- (9:00 AM): Bruins safety done for year …
UCLA SS Tony Dye, who had been considered to be one of the top
prospects at the position for the upcoming draft, will miss the rest of
the year because of a lingering neck injury. Dye had already missed the
past month of the season. Because Dye has not red shirted he could
petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt and return to school next
fall.
- (12:01 AM): Updated Big Board posted … The
GBN scout staff has posted its mid-season ranking of the Top 100 or so prospects for the 2012 draft.
- Colts, Dolphins IR vet QBs … Both of winless
Indianapolis and Miami have placed veteran QBs on injured reserve.
Indianapolis, for example, has placed Kerry Collins on IR because of
consussion issues. Collins was signed as a replacement for Peyton
Manning and started the first three games of the season, but suffered a
concussion in the 4th week of the season and has not played since. With
both Manning and Collins signed the 0-7 Colts, who would have the first
pick at the 2012 draft were it held today, will be forced to go at
least most of the rest of the season with Curtis Painter at QB.
Meanwhile, Miami, which is currently sitting on the 3rd pick overall
were the draft held today, has put QB Sage Rosenfels on the
non-football injury list. Rosenfels, who started the year on the
Giants’ IR with a strep throat and back problems, was signed to replace
Chad Henne on the roster a couple of weeks ago, but obviously wasn’t
ready to play. The Dolphins have replaced Rosenfels on the roster with
former Bills’ QB J.P. Losman who will now back up Matt Moore.
- Irish lose DE for year … Notre Dame DE Kapron
Lewis-Moore will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury
suffered in last weekend’s loss to Southern California. The 6-3,
300-pound Lewis-Moore had been considered a later round prospect for
the upcoming draft as a 5-tech DE.
- October 25
- (9:00 AM): Ducks CB/KR in second legal stew …
Enigmatic Oregon junior CB Cliff Harris was suspended Monday after he
was pulled over for several driving infractions including driving on a
suspended license and driving without insurance. Earlier this summer
Harris was suspended after he was arrested for several similar driving
offenses including speeding. Harris is also being investigated for how
he came by the rental car he was driving in the initial offense in the
first place. Harris, who had been considered a potential top 50 pick if
he entered the 2012 draft, ended up missing the Ducks season opening
loss to LSU and has not been anywhere near as productive this fall as
he was last year during Oregon’s run to the BCS national championship
game.
- October 24
- (9:00 AM): OSU still waits final word on star WR
... Updating the status of Oklahoma State junior WR Justin
Blackmon, a potential top 5 pick at the 2012 draft who was held out of
the second half of last Saturday's win over Missouri. The issue was
originally reported as a shoulder problem, but it is now being reported
as a head injury. Blackmon did not practice yesterday because of
concerns over concussion-like symptoms and will undergo further testing
later today to determine the extent of the injury. Team officials,
though, are still saying they are confident Blackmon, who is 6th in the
nation in receiving yardage per game, will play when the 3rd ranked
Cowboys face Baylor this coming weekend.
- Injured Terps LB/S to miss rest of year; hopes to return
in ‘12 … Maryland LB Kenny Tate, who has not played since early
in October, will undergo surgery to repair an undisclosed knee injury
and will miss the rest of the year. Tate, who figured to be a potential
top 100 prospect at the 2012 draft, but now faces a reported 6-9 month
rehab process, will reportedly apply for a medical redshirt to return
in 2012. Tate played in the Terps’ first four games this fall during
which he had 35 tackles and a couple of picks, but has yet to use a
regular redshirt season.
- October 23
- Coug’s Keenum sets career passing record … Houston
QB Case Keenum set the all-time career passing yardage in Saturday’s
win over Marshall. Keenum, who has thrown for over 17,000 yards in his
career, broke former Hawaii QB Timmy Chang’s previous record.
Kenum likely would’ve set the record last season, but he tore an ACL in
the third game of the year and was ultimately granted another season of
eligibility by the NCAA. Entering this week’s game, Keenum was again
leading the country in passing with nearly 385 yards per game through
the Cougars’ first six contests.
- October 22
- (7:00 PM): OSU loses WR for year …
Fourth-ranked lost a senior WR for the year during today’s win at
Missouri, but fortunately for the Cowboys it wasn’t star junior Justin
Blackmon. OSU did sit Blackmon out of the second half of today’s game
after he banged up a shoulder early on, but the injury is reportedly
not serious and Blackmon, a potential top 5 pick at the 2012 draft, was
held out only for precautionary reasons. However, Oklahoma State will
be without veteran WR Hubert Anyiam the rest of the season because of a
broken bone in his foot. Anyiam is third on the team with 27 catches
for 370 and three touchdowns.
- October 21
- (12:01 AM): DB prospects dinged … Star
junior Virginia Tech CB Jayron Hosley will not play later today when
the Hokies host Boston College because of a hamstring issue. Hosley did
play last week after missing a couple of practice sessions last week,
but aggravated the injury. Meanwhile, Stanford safety Delano Howell, a
potential mid-to-late round prospect for the 2012 draft, will miss this
weekend’s game against Washington, and likely more, due to a hand
injury. The 6-0, 195-pound Howell is third on the team in tackles with
25; he’s also tied for second on the team in pass breakups with four.
Same story for Oklahoma CB Jamell Fleming who underwent arthroscopic
knee surgery this week and will at least this week‘s game against Texas
Tech and possibly more.
- October 19
- (8:00 PM): Injury nixes Lions-Eagles trade …
The trade between Detroit and Philadelphia that exchanged RBs Ronnie
Brown and Jerome Harrison has been voided because Harrison reportedly
failed the Eagles’ physical with a previously undisclosed health issue.
As a result, the Lions get back the 7th round pick in 2013 that had
been part of the deal.
- Star LSU CB suspended for week … Emerging LSU
sophomore CB Tyrann Mathieu, as well as RB Spencer Ware, another
sophomore, have been suspended for Saturday's game against Auburn after
both reportedly failed drug tests. Both will reportedly miss only one
game. Mathieu has the potential to have been the first CB off the board
at this year’s draft, however as a true soph won’t be draft eligible
until 2013 so the current suspension won’t impact the upcoming draft,
but will be a red flag whenever he ultimately does turn pro.
- (9:00 AM): Conditions for Palmer trade ...
Updating the trade in which Oakland acquired veteran QB Carson Palmer
from Cincinnati for a first-round pick in 2012 and a conditional 2013
second rounder. The latter pick will escalate to a first rounder if
Oakland reaches the AFC Championship game this season.
- (12:01 AM): GBN mock updated … Using the
current draft selection order here is the latest GBN 2012 first-round projection.
- Vikes name top pick starting QB … Struggling
Minnesota has named rookie Christian Ponder, the 12th player taken at
the 2011 draft, the team’s new starting QB. Ponder replaces veteran
Donovan McNabb who has been largely ineffective this season. Ponder
replaced McNabb in the Vikings’ loss to Chicago on Monday night and
completed 9 of 17 passes for 99 yards; he also rushed once for 8 yards
and did not turn the ball over. However, the Vikings may not have done
Ponder any favors as they host unbeaten defending Super Bowl champion
Green Bay Sunday.
- October 18
- (4:30 PM): Eagles get vet, late future pick for
back … The NFL trade deadline passed just over half an hour ago,
but other than the Raiders-Bengals deal for QB Cason Palmer, it has
been a very quiet day. Philadelphia, though, has reportedly acquired a
7th round pick in 2013, along with RB Jerome Harrison from Detroit in
exchange for RB Ronnie Brown. It is also possible that other deals have
been submitted to the league for approval, but have yet been announced.
- (11:00 AM): Raiders reportedly get Bengals'
Palmer for picks ... With this year's NFL trading deadline just
hours away, several sources are reporting that Oakland has acquired QB
Carson Palmer from Cincinnati in exchange for the Raiders' #1 pick in
2012 and a conditional second rounder in 2013 which could escalate to a
#1 pick depending on Palmer's productivity. Not a bad deal all-around.
Both teams are 4-2 and in contention, but the Raiders need a QB after
incumbent starter Jason Campbell was lost for the year over the
weekend. Meanwhile, oft-criticized Cincinnati owner Mike Brown held his
water after Palmer demanded a trade from the Bengals and appeared to be
prepared to retire if he wasn't dealt and ended up with good value in
exchange, especially given that rookie QB Andy Dalton has played well
for the Bengals.
- Update on Rams-Broncos trade for vet WR … The
conditional 6th round pick that Denver acquired from St. Louis for
veteran WR Brandon Lloyd will escalate to a fifth-rounder if Lloyd has
30 catches or more for the Rams over the remainder of the season.
- Buffs lose back for several weeks … Colorado RB
Rodney Stewart will be out for 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee. Stewart,
a second-tier prospect for the 2012 draft, had been on pace to become
Colorado’s all-time leading rusher.
- October 16
- (4:00 PM):Top back out for year … Updating
the story on South Carolina star sophomore RB Marcus Lattimore who
suffered a knee injury in the team's win over Mississppi State
yesterday. Lattimore, arguably the best back in the game today,
although he won’t actually be draft eligible until 2013, did in fact
suffer torn ligaments and will miss the rest of the season.
- Badger WR tweaks injury … Wisconsin WR Nick Toon
did not play in yesterday’s easy win over Indiana because of a foot
injury. Toon, a mid-round prospect for the 2012 draft, missed spring
practice and part of fall training camp after undergoing surgery on the
foot and reportedly re-aggravated the injury during the Badgers’ win
over over Nebraska a couple of weeks ago. The 6-2, 220-pound Toon still
leads the unbeaten 4th-ranked Badgers with 25 receptions for just under
450 yards and 6 TDs in 5 games.
- October 15
- (9:00 AM): USC back dinged in win over Cal … Southern
California RB Marc Tyler dislocated his shoulder in the Trojans' 30-9
win over California last night and could be out an extended period of
time.
- Seahawks claim rook RB … Speaking of USC RBs,
Seattle has claimed rookie RB Allen Bradford off waivers from Tampa
Bay. Bradford was a 6th-round pick at the 2012 in draft will be
reunited with his former USC head coach Pete Carroll. Bradford spent
the first five weeks of the season on Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster
- October
14
- Lions WR to miss games with broken foot … Penn
State WR Derek Moye, a mid-to-late round type prospect for the 2012
draft, will miss at least the next two games with a broken left foot.
The 6-5 Moye leads the Nittany Lions with 28 receptions for 485 yards
and three scores.
- October 13
- (11:30 AM): Trade updates ... There is a
little more information on the two trades in the NFL earlier this week.
The New York Jets received a conditional 7th round pick in 2012 from
Houston in exchange for veteran WR Derrick Mason. Meanwhile, Seattle
will get a 7th round pick this year and a conditional mid-rounder in
2013 from Oakland for OLB Aaron Curry once that deal is approved by the
league and Curry, the 4th pick overall in 2009, passes his physical.
The NFL trade deadline is 4 PM ET next Tuesday.
- (9:00 AM): Players to watch Thursday night …
With USC on probation for recruiting violations, the Trojans don’t show
up as much as usual on national television, but will get their chance
this evening when they play at California at 9 PM ET on ESPN. And while
USC has slipped a bit since Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL last year,
but could still be a force at the 2012 draft. Both Junior QB Matt
Barkley (#7, 6-2, 223)and junior OT LT Matt Kalil (#75, 6-6, 295), for
example, are expected to be top 10 prospects if the opt to enter the
upcoming draft. Barkley, who has completed over 70% of his pass
attempts this fall, in particular, is in a dual with Landry Jones of
Oklahoma to be the #2 rated QB this year behind Stanford’s Andrew Luck,
while Kalil is considered to be the top LT prospect in the country.
Meanwhile, junior FS T.J. McDonald (#7, 6-2, 205) could also figure in
the later first-round mix if they leave school this spring. At the same
time, seniors RB Marc Tyler (#26, 5-10, 230), TE/FB Rhett Ellison (#40,
6-5, 245), DTs DaJohn Harris (#98, 6-5, 305) and Christian Tupou (#44,
6-2, 290), and MLB Chris Galippo (#54, 6-2, 250) all have later round
potential, although with the exception of Ellison, each has some kind
of health red flag on his resume. And for future reference, pro scouts
will be keeping an eye on electric sophomore WR Robert Woods (#2, 6-0,
180) who is currently on pace to catch 132 passes for 1,800 yards this
fall. Woods, though, is s true soph who won’t be draft eligible until
2013. On the other hand, California likely won’t have anyone selected
in this year’s early rounds, but does have a number of solid mid-round
prospects including hard-hitting SS Seab Cattouse (#11, 6-1, 215), LBs
Mychal Kendricks (#30, 6-0, 245) and D.J. Holt (#3, 6-1, 255), and OT
Mitchell Schwartz (#72, 6-5, 325), while WR Marvin Jones (#1, 6-1,
200), TE Anthony Miller (#80, 6-2, 265), DE Trevor Guyton (#92, 6-3,
290) and P Bryan Anger (#19, 6-4, 205) are later round candidates.
- October
12
- (4:00 PM ET): Star Huskers DT done for year ...
Nebraska All-American DT Jared Crick will miss the rest of the season
because of a torn pectoral muscle. Crick, who had 9.5 sacks in both
2009 and 2010 as well as one in 5 games so far this season, is
considered to be a second-day prospect for the 2012 draft.
- 'Hawks get picks for former top pick LB ...
Seattle has shipped disappointing OLB Aaron Curry to Oakland for
undisclosed draft picks in both 2012 and 2013. Curry was the 4th player
chosen overall at the 2009 draft, but has never played up to the hype
and was recently benched in favor of rookie LB K.J. Wright.
- Jets get pick for vet WR … The Jets have traded
veteran WR Derrick Mason to Houston for what is being reported as a
conditional draft choice. Mason was benched for last weekend’s game
with New England reportedly for complaining about the team’s play
calling. With Houston, Mason will try and help pick up the slack
created when star WR Andre Johnson was lost for several weeks with a
hamstring injury.
- Gamecocks QB finally done at SC … South Carolina
QB Stephen Garcia, who leads the entire country in career suspensions,
has finally been kicked off the team for good. According to the school,
Garcia failed to meet agreed-upon guidelines put in place after his
fifth suspension this past spring. Garcia had started 34 games,
including four this season, before being benched a couple of weeks ago.
- Buck DE to miss rest of year … Ohio State DE Nathan
Williams, who had been considered a potential later round pick at the
2012 draft, will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury.
Williams sustained the injury in the Buckeyes’ season-opener and had it
scoped at that time, but will now reportedly require additional
surgery. Williams still has his red shirt year available and will
likely be back at school next fall.
- Colts bring up UDFE RB … Indianapolis has recalled
rookie RB Darren Evans from the practice squad to fill in for veteran
RB Joseph Addai who is sidelined indefinitely with a hamstring injury.
Evans was an undrafted rookie free agent this past spring from Virginia
Tech.
- October 11
- (12:01 AM): Colts could be in Luck at 2012 draft
… Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay has been quoted as saying the
Colts could be interested in Stanford junior QB Andrew Luck if the team
ultimately ends up with the #1 pick at the 2012 draft. The Colts are
0-5 and with veteran QB Peyton Manning expected to miss most, if not
all the rest of the season with a neck injury, there is a good chance
that Indianapolis could end up with the top pick this spring. And while
the 36-year-old Manning is expected to make a full recovery, Irsay said
in an interview wth Yahoo Sports with reference to Luck that “guys like
that come along so rarely. Even if that means that guy sits for three
or four years, you’d certainly think about taking him … you see what
Green Bay did with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers and you’d like to be
able to do the same thing.”
- Noles OT could be done for year … If things
weren’t bad enough already at Florida State which entered the season
with BCS visions, but is reeling after three straight losses, OT Andrew
Datko, a second-day prospect for the 2012 draft, won't play this
Saturday at Duke and there are fears that the LT could be lost for the
rest of the season. Datko has a shoulder injury which requires surgery
that could end his season.
- Raiders’ QB off suspension … Oakland QB Terrelle
Pryor will finally be able to play some football again. The Raiders
selected Pryor with a 3rd round pick at this year’s supplemental draft
after he left Ohio State in the wake of the improper benefits scandal
that also cost coach Jim Tressel his job with the Buckeyes. Pryor had
been suspended for the first 5 games of the season by the NCAA for
accepting tattoos and other benefits in exchange for football
memorabilia and, in a precedent setting move, the NFL forced him to
still sit the 5 games at the pro level. With Jason Campbell entrenched
as the Raiders’ starter, Pryor isn’t likely to play anytime soon, but
he will now be allowed to practice. In the meantime, the Raiders get a
one-game roster exemption for Pryor and will not have to release anyone
to make room for him until next week.
-
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