Colorado-UCLA

November 3, 2016

Bonus coverage … Hands up everyone who had Colorado leading the Pac-12’s southern division heading into November. No one! Didn’t think so, but in fact the long downtrodden Buffaloes are 6-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play with a chance to improve on that record later this evening when they host struggling UCLA (3-5) on Fox Sports 1 at 9 PM ET. And while Colorado still isn’t to be confused with a national power draft factory, they do have some potentially interesting second-tier prospects for 2017. Heading the Buffs’ prospect list is veteran CB Chidobe Awuzie (#4, 5-11, 205), who should be a mid-round candidate this spring, along with later-round prospects in emerging edge rushing OLB Jimmy Gilbert (#98, 6-4, 225), DT Josh Tupou (#55, 6-1, 325), C Alex Kelley (#74, 6-2, 315) and rangy CB Ahkello Witherspoon (#23, 6-2, 190). Meanwhile, its been a bitter year for UCLA which entered the campaign with national playoff aspirations, but has had more downs than ups. And it is likely to get a whole lot better in the short run for the Bruins with star QB Josh Rosen, the consensus favorite to the #1 pick overall in 2018, likely out for the rest of the year with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. Still, the Bruins are worth a look as they actually have some better prospects for the upcoming draft that the Buffs. OLB Takkarist McKinley (#98, 6-2, 260), for example, is a rising second-day edge rusher, while RT Conor McDermott (#68, 6-7, 310) also has top 100 potential. Junior DT Eddie Vanderdoes (#47, 6-2, 305) also likely would have been in the second-day conversation had he not torn up a knee last fall, while CB Fabian Moreau (#10, 6-0, 200) is also trying to work his way back up pro draft boards after he missed almost all of the 2015 campaign with a foot injury.