Monday, December 29
TEXAS A&M (7-5) Vs WEST VIRGINIA (7-5): Liberty Bowl; 2 PM ET; ESPN … This could actually be a pretty good game to start one’s bowl week as both teams can move the ball and put points on the board, although West Virginia will have to do it without starting QB Clint Trickett who announced last week that he is retiring from the game because of concussion issues. Both teams also have a legitimate first round prospect in OT Cedric Ogbuehi (#70, 6-5, 300) of Texas A&M and West Virginia WR Kevin White (#11, 6-2, 215). Ogbuehi, for example, continues the line of opening round Aggie OT prospects, although it does not appear that he will go quite as high as predecessors Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews who were the 2nd and 6th picks respectively at the past two drafts. In fact, Ogbuehi‘s status has been in something of a free fall over the past couple of months as he appears to have dropped from a possible top 5 pick to a mid-first rounder. No question that Ogbuehi is athletic for a 300-pounder, but he just doesn’t seem to be as physical or instinctive as originally thought. Meanwhile, White came from literally nowhere this year to finish 5th in the country in receptions with 102 and also looks like a likely mid-first rounder, although his grade could still go either up or own depending on how he runs at pre-draft testing.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M has a couple of other third-day candidates in OG Jarvis Harrison (#51, 6-3, 325) and CB DeShazor Everett (#29, 5-11, 190), while other later round or free agent types to watch for West Virginia include WR Mario Alford (#5, 5-8, 175), OGs Quinton Spain (#67, 6-4, 345) and Mark Glowinski (#64, 6-4, 305), and CBs Ishmael Banks (#34, 5-11, 185) and Travis Bell (#29, 6-0, 190).
OKLAHOMA (8-4) vs. CLEMSON (9-3); Russell Athletic Bowl; 5:30 PM ET; ESPN … You know one is getting closer to the start of the ‘real’ postseason when teams like OU and Clemson begin showing up on the schedule, although both were probably expecting better than a bid to this game entering the season; indeed, both had visions of getting into the playoff back in August so figure that both may have something to prove in this game. This game will also feature a chance to check out star Clemson DE/OLB Vic Beasley (#3, 6-3, 225), who leads all active college players with 32 career sacks, when he goes up against Oklahoma OTs Daryl Williams (#79, 6-5, 335) and Tyrus Thompson (#71, 6-5, 320). In fact, that match-up be a better test for the OU tackles as they appear to be all over boards around the league at this time. Oklahoma also has an interesting OLB prospect of its own in junior Eric Striker (#19, 6-0, 220), a late second/early third-round candidate who isn’t very big but can really run. Meanwhile, other later round OU prospects in tweener DE Geneo Grissom (#85, 6-3, 260), OG Adam Shead (#74, 6-3, 320) and QB-turned-TE Blake Bell (#10, 6-5, 265), the former ‘Belldozer’ as a wildcat QB who has the size and physical skills to rate as something of a sleeper at TE. At the same time, joining Beasley on what is a very talented Clemson defense is DT Grady Jarrett (#50, 6-1, 290), who has the quickness to sneak into the latter part of the third-round, along with underrated MLB Stephone Anthony (#42, 6-2, 235), DE Corey Crawford (#93, 6-5, 270) and CB Garry Peters (#26, 5-11, 195).
ARKANSAS (6-6) vs. TEXAS (6-6); Texas Bowl; 9 PM ET; ESPN … The Hogs and Longhorns will renew what was once one of the better conference rivalries in college football prior to Arkansas moving over the SEC. Unfortunately, neither team is coming off much of a season as both were 6-6; however, there are a number of prospects worth watching, especially emerging Texas junior DT Malcolm Brown (90, 6-3, 320), a massive interior defender who is reportedly starting to generate significant first-round buzz for the 2015 draft. The Longhorns also have a passel of third-day candidates including a second Malcolm Brown (#28, 5-11, 230) who has been a productive back in Austin. Meanwhile, other second-tier prospects on the Texas roster include LB Jordan Hicks (#3, 6-2, 245), DE Cedric Reed (#88, 6-5, 275), CB Quandre Diggs (#6, 5-10, 205),WR Jaxon Shipley (#8, 6-0, 195), MLB Steve Edmond (#33, 6-2, 255), and C Dominic Espinosa (#55, 6-3, 300). Meanwhile, Arkansas finished 2-6 and in 7th place in the tough SEC West for a reason; the Razorbacks just aren’t that talented. DE Trey Flowers (#86, 6-4, 270) is the only player in the program who is a lock to be selected this coming. Flowers, though, is a good one who had 5 sacks and 13.5 total tackles for loss this fall and figures to be a third round pick year. Meanwhile, OLB Martell Speight (#47, 5-11, 230), an active, albeit somewhat undersized WLB led the team with 123 tackles and should get some late-round consideration; same for full-sized RT Brey Cook (#74, 6-6, 335). The most intriguing Razorback prospects, though, are the RB duo of junior Jonathan Williams (#32, 5-11, 225) and super sophomore Alex Collins (#3, 5-10, 220) both of whom ran for over 1,000 yards this fall, but won’t be available to NFL teams until 2016 at the earliest.
