privatepacker
01-31-2007, 02:21 PM
Not sure how many have seen this. It's from Draft Daddy site and discusses some of the players potential. The web site footballguys.com has a complete info on the players. They are really talking up this Walter Thomas from NW Miss. CC
TEXAS VS THE NATION BOWL COVERAGE
DT Walter Thomas, Northwest Mississippi C.C.
REPORTS & PHOTOS FROM TEXAS VERSUS THE NATION
last updated: 01/30/07
*****
DD.com Comment: This content comes to us courtesy of Mr. Bloom and footballguys.com, the Daddy's favorite fantasy football website. Thanks!
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Day One Texas Practice Report By Sigmund Bloom
While the Nation was finishing up their practice, the Texas squad was warming up in the south end zone. A practice more intense than just about any I saw in the last three weeks of college all-star games was brewing. The Texas boys have come to play and the coaches are just as fired up as the players. The enthusiasm is contagious and the hitting is hard. The volume was turned up to 11 as the Sun Bowl lived up to its name - The left side of my face is sunburned to prove it. Here are my observations from the practice:
Josh Swogger, QB, Montana - Nice consistent zip on short/intermediate passes, pretty trajectory on deep ball, doesn't force the ball when nothing is there, nice play and pump fakes
Dalton Bell, QB, West Texas A&M - Visibly throws hard, like a baseball closer. Throws a big lollipop of a deep ball that had little to no accuracy
Andy Collins, QB, Occidental - Smooth motion, little accuracy on deep ball, lowest performing of the three QBs, so-so arm strength
Quentin Smith, RB, Rice - Naturally gets low when running
Paul Mosley, RB, Baylor - Runs with forward lean, miscast as outside runner
D.D. Terry, RB, Sam Houston State - Outstanding vision and burst through traffic on two runs that would have been long TDs
Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas College - Burst, quickness, moves, vision, home run ability still apparent
Marcus Mason, RB, Youngstown St - Made the sickest cut of the whole practice leaving a defender grasping at air, very compactly built, allows him to easily get lower than defender
Chad Schroeder, WR, Texas A&M - Natural hands catcher
Robert Johnson, WR, Texas Tech - Very natural receiver at full extension, natural hands - surprising for a QB convert
Vincent Marshall, WR, Houston - Changes direction with ease, soft hands, but sometimes uses them to stop the ball in the air and then grabs it, instead of just catching naturally
Mike Jefferson, WR, Montana St - Surprising burst on deep route to separate, gathered to change direction
James Finley, WR, Oregon - Decent ball tracking over the shoulder, gathers to change direction, doesn't burst off the line, unnecessarily jumped when catching once, terrific hands and instincts to pluck ball out of the air, especially on a bullet from Swogger
Kendrick Dozier, WR, Langston - Struggled with hands at first, but came on as practice went on, athletic potential is there
Daniel Robinson, WR, UTEP - One great catch when he was about to get creamed
Justin Carter, TE, Texas College - Fights the ball, didn't look natural receiving
Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern - Played LT, redirects defender well,
Renardo Foster, OT, Louisville - Good footwork, worthy of LT
Kurt Quarterman, OL, Louisville - Good killer instinct as blocker
Nick Smith, C, San Diego State - Generally neutralized his guy, even handled Walter Thomas
Stephen McDonald, FB, Syracuse - Sealed corner well as a lead blocker
Darius Sanders, DE, Oregon - Rushed with great determination, good first step, defeated double team with motor
Travis Leitko, DE, Notre Dame - Good push for a lanky DE, but displays few pass rush moves
Justin Rogers, DE, SMU - Seemed out of his league against Barbre
Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi CC - Unstoppable when he got a good push, showed a good spin move (!) and was astoundingly nimble for a guy his size (think Gabe Watson at his best during Senior Bowl practices last year - dancing bear). Seemed to tire, and then get second wind. Didn't excel on every play but was dominant when he did. Got lots of individual coaching and encouragement. Talk of the scouts in the stands. Jags practically drooling on him
Brent Curvey, DT, Iowa State - Great push, played with 100% effort throughout
Marcus Bacon, LB, Missouri - Stuck with RB in coverage
Courtney Bryan, CB, New Mexico State - Struggled at first, but came on
Bryant Tisdale, CB, UTEP - didn't bite on the fake, made a terrific INT by wrestling 50/50 ball away from WR
Stephen McCoy, CB, Texas A&M-Kingsville - Had scintillating pass breakup that got coaches fired up, good coverage but didn't react to "BALL" call by teammates
Dathon Brown, CB, Texas College - Had scintillating pass breakup that got coaches fired up
T.J. Wright, CB, Ohio - Didn't plant and burst well on ball, committed two blatant penalties
Joe Sturdivant, S, SMU - Quality, smart work in coverage
Top 5 Players
1) Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi JC
2) Josh Swogger, QB, Montana
3) Nick Smith, C, San Diego State
4) Brent Curvey, DT, Iowa State
5) Stephen McCoy, CB, Texas A&M-Kingsville
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ . The game will be telecast Friday February 2 on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
Sigmund Bloom is a freelance football writer and guest analyst/scout from www.footballguys.com and co-host of "The Audible", a Top 100 pro sports podcast on iTunes. He can be reached at bloom@footballguys.com .
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Day One Nation Practice Report By Sigmund Bloom
It was a gorgeous day for football in El Paso. We trekked up from the Texas weigh-in at the Hilton Garden Inn to the Sun Bowl, one of the most striking stadiums anywhere in the world - basically carved into a hillside overlooking the city, like a cross between a Greek amphitheatre and an Anasazi cliff dwelling. The Nation players had already warmed up and were ready to go by the time we arrived. They were in shoulder pads and shorts, but there was no lack of intensity. Unlike the Shrine Game or Senior Bowl, there is little media on location and the scouts wait until they get back to the hotel to go after the kids, so there's little to report in the way of team interest (although the Browns did make a beeline for Scott Stephenson and Maurice Price) Here are my observations:
Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison - Raspy, forceful cadence. Great zip and excellent accuracy on short and intermediate throws. Big windup on deep ball, which is more of touch throw than a rope
Jeff Smith, QB, Georgetown (KY) - Failed to stand out. Greatly overthrew a deep ball
Sam Hollenbach, QB, Maryland - Most forceful snap count of the six QBs, but otherwise failed to stand out. Deep ball over the middle floated
Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota - Looked smooth as a receiver out of the backfield. Like the rest of the RBs, he did not get much in the way of room to run from the offensive line
Justin Vincent, RB, LSU - Showed good vision, but was stifled by a lack of holes to run through
Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard - Great punch when picking up blitz
Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State - Showed good vision
Gijon Robinson, FB, Missouri Western - Very athletic and good receiver
Tyrone Timmons, WR, Mississippi Valley State - Presents a good big target to the QB, but doesn't seem like a natural WR
Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern - Very quick in his breaks, often leaving DBs far in his wake. Natural hands catcher. Seemed a little tentative when a safety had a bead on him while the ball was in the air. Good YAC instincts
Jesse Wendt, WR, Wisconsin-Stout - Got behind the defense but looked unnatural catching the ball. One scout called him "timid". Stiff for such an athletic player
Ryan Moore, WR, Miami - Got pushed around a bit, sometimes seemed lethargic. Good burst for a long legged guy and a fluid athlete. Sometimes body caught the ball instead of using his hands. Flinched but caught a Rascati fireball
Junior Taylor, WR, UCLA - Made some breathtaking adjustments on deep catches, consistently got behind his man. Quick burst of the line. Crisp breaks in routes. Good adjustment to ball in air and YAC instincts
Chandler Williams, WR, Florida International - Clearly athletic enough to get open with ease (validating his combine invite), but seemed to lack the skills to close the deal by catching the ball. Can hang in the air to make a catch
Marcus Freeman, TE, Notre Dame - Showed good hands when given the chance
Desmond Allison, TE, South Dakota - Dropped an easy pass
Tyler Ecker, TE, Michigan - Very soft natural hands, moves well in routes, walls off defender when ball is in the air.
Scott Stephenson, C, Iowa State - One of the two most impressive OL in the practice (with Jonathan Palmer being the other). Sprung out of his stance into good blocking position. Got under Keenan Carter, who came with a reputation as a run stuffer. Stays with play even when he is initially beat and often recovers to stop defender.
Elliot Seifert, OT, Temple - Used Xsavie Jackson's speed and momentum against him by redirecting him past QB. Played LT.
Erik Robertson, OL, California - Had footwork to sustain block once he got his hands on the defender.
Jonathan Palmer, OL, Auburn - Almost always neutralized his guy and handled Marcus Thomas very well. Absorbed strong punch and stayed with defender. Handled a very nice spin move from Louis Leonard. Gets out of his stance quickly and into pass blocking position. Got to the 2nd level and connected with a defender on running play.
Thed Watson, OT, South Florida - Generally played LT well.
Nation D-Line - Generally dominated the OLine, giving the Nation RBs little chance to show their skills.
Keenan Carter, DT, Virginia - Played too high at times, but bowled over Eric Graham on one particularly impressive rush
Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida - Excellent quickness and power coming out of the three point stance. Made some of the lesser OL look like they were playing with their feet in wet cement. Changed direction and reacted to a play while being blocked. Looked swift for a DT in backside pursuit, keeping up with Justin Vincent as he stretched a run play wide
Louis Leonard, DT, Fresno St - Consistently got a good push. Showed a good swim move. Threw Derrick Markray down like a rag doll. Uses handfighting well to get free of OL
Joe Cohen, DT, Florida - Plagued by offsides (at least 3 or 4 of them - heard him muttering about a "silent count" on the sidelines), but got a great jump and penetration when he wasn't committing penalties.
Xsavie Jackson, DE, Missouri - Hurtles himself at QB - made a spin move at full speed while still pushing forward. Very fast rushing off of edge
LeMarcus Rowell, LB, Jacksonville State - Closed with the speed of a safety
Antwan Barnes, LB, Florida International - Great speed on blitz
Cameron Siskowic, LB, Illinois St - Didn't bite on fake reverse and ate up the ball-carrier.
Jay Staggs, LB/S, UNLV - Flew into play but bounced off of Justise Hairston
Brendan Hill, S/LB, Virginia Tech -Jumped a route on a Justin Rascati pass and intercepted it, getting the D fired up
Marcus Paschal, S, Iowa - Closed well while the ball was in the air
Calvin Bannister, DB, Hampton - Closed extremely fast once he broke on the ball
Marcus Hamilton, CB, Virginia - Made good reads and reactions, trusting what he saw
John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati - Physical for a track guy, made great breaks on the ball while it was in the air. Generally provided great coverage and got coaches fired up.
Top 5 Nation Players
1) Junior Taylor, WR, UCLA
2) Jonathan Palmer, OL, Auburn
3) John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati
4) Scott Stephenson, C, Iowa State
5) Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ .
The game will be telecast Friday February 2 on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
Sigmund Bloom is a freelance football writer and guest analyst/scout from www.footballguys.com and co-host of "The Audible", a Top 100 pro sports podcast on iTunes. He can be reached at bloom@footballguys.com .
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Texas Vs. The Nation Weigh In Report
by Sigmund Bloom
Today, I had the rare opportunity to eavesdrop on and catch glimpses of players as they left the Texas Vs. The Nation weigh-in. It was standing room only at the Hilton Garden Inn Del Norte meeting room and the kids were on display like choice cuts in a butcher's store. Unfortunately, Willie Gaston, a DB from Houston, and Quintin Echols, a DT from Kansas State, were both no-shows. They were coming off great performances in the Hula Bowl and the Shrine Game, respectively, so maybe that had something to do with it. I've been taught that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Without naming names, I did see one scout shake his head and gesture like he was crossing a name off a sheet of paper when a player with an unimpressive physique took to the scales - this is important in the big scheme of things. Here are some of the players who instead raised eyebrows for good reasons:
Texas
· Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern - Barbre measured up at 6'3 7/8" and 302 with very little flab, increasing his chances of staying at OT in the pros.
· Dathon Brown, CB, Texas College - Brown is 6'0" 193 and in great shape. His 32" arms are also good for a CB.
· Kenyuta Dawson, LB, Texas Tech - Dawson had an imposing physique with 271 lbs on only a 6'1" 1/8 frame. One scout noted that "he just keeps getting bigger and bigger".
· James Finley, WR, Oregon - Here's another pass-catcher with the metrics to stick at the next level. He was a toned 6'2" 208, but with 34" arms and 10 ¼" hands.
· Vincent Marshall, WR/RT, Houston - The mighty mite award goes to Marshall, who packs 161 lbs of muscle on his 5'7 1/8" frame. His hands are 9 5/8", bigger than you would expect.
· Stephen McDonald, FB, Syracuse - McDonald's upper body was scary thick, packing 248 lbs on a 5'11 5/8" frame. He has the same body as Chong Li from the movie "Bloodsport"
· Alex Obemese, DE, UTEP - Obemese is so well-defined that he almost looks like a bodybuilder, but he's not overly bulky. He came in at 6'2 ½", 245.
· Josh Swogger, QB, Montana - The calling of Swogger's name inspired the biggest murmur of the morning until Walter Thomas walked in the room. Josh measured 6' 4 1/4" and tipped the scales at a toned 234 with room for more bulk.
· Ramonce Taylor, RB/RT, Texas College - Ramonce has not been lazy since he left UT. He measured 5' 10 1/8" and weighted in at a very defined 193 lbs. His 10" hands and 32 1/8 arms suggest that he could be a WR in the NFL.
· Walter Thomas, DT, North Mississippi CC - Your star of the weigh-in. He drew reactions ranging from gasps to smiles to a simple shake of the head in disbelief. Thomas is 6'4" 370. He's got some baby fat, but he's a legit 335 without it, and that's without the benefit of a formal weight training regimen - just natural size. His upper body weighs more than I do, and I love fried food. His body screamed NFL.
Nation
· Calvin Bannister, DB/Return Specialist, Hampton - Bad news: Calvin was only 5'7 1/4", Good News: He weighted in at 182 pounds of sculpted muscle.
· Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard - Dawson had a nice NFL RB profile - a compact 5'9 ¾" and well defined 209 lbs. with the thick thighs you want in a pro back.
· Jonathan Palmer, OL, Auburn - Palmer is 6' 4 3/8", tipping the scales at 335, and with about as little flab as any OL here. He's also got 34 ½ inch arms, always a plus on an offensive lineman.
· Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern - Price's reported workout numbers paint the picture of an elite athlete, and he did not disappoint in person. He's 6'1 1/8" and 194 lbs. with little signs of body fat. His 9 7/8" hands will also serve him well at the next level.
· Jay Staggs, OLB/S, UNLV - Staggs looks like a nice safety for the pros with his very toned 5'11 ¼" and 211 pound frame. He seemed to be in as good of shape as anyone we saw this morning.
· Junior Taylor, WR, UCLA - Junior is clearly in top notch shape, with a toned, balanced 208 lb. build spread out over 6' 1 3/8", but it was his 10 7/8" hands that clearly got the scouts' attention.
· Tyrone Timmons, WR, Mississippi Valley State - Timmons has an ideal NFL WR frame - 6'3" 219 (and in very good shape) with 10 1/2" hands and 33 3/8" arms.
· Jesse Wendt, WR, Wisconsin-Stout - Jesse is another WR built for the next level. He's a well-toned 6'2 3/8" and 228 pounds, which would make his reported 40 time in the 4.4s that much more impressive.
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ .
The game will be telecast Friday February 2 on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
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Texas Vs. The Nation Preview
Written by Sigmund Bloom, guest analyst/scout from www.footballguys.com and co-host of "The Audible", a top 100 pro sports podcast on iTunes.
As I was driving down I-10 today, I reflected on some of the second chances I have gotten over the course of my life. I also remembered the people along the way that gave me every chance to prove myself even though I did not have the pedigree of the type of person that normally gets that opportunity. I wouldn't be where I am today without those breaks. This is what the Texas vs. the Nation game is all about - giving players that are overlooked or shunned by the powers that be in the draft process a chance to prove themselves to NFL scouts.
Most of these guys will not get drafted and will have to fight their way onto a roster. Still, don't think there isn't talent here. More than twenty of the guys I will watch this week have combine invites. Many were highly recruited and transferred from larger programs because their path was blocked, or were dismissed from their team. Others dominated, just not at the 1-A level.
This game is also important because the 3rd tier of all star games is ever shrinking. Rumor has it that we witnessed the last Hula Bowl. The Intajuice North South All-Star Classic put few people in the stands. The Las Vegas All-American Classic was cancelled due to financial problems and will likely not be back. As the number of success stories about players coming out of obscurity grows, the number of opportunities they get is dwindling. These 3rd tier games pump lifeblood into the "Rocky" stories that remind us that will and determination can overcome long odds.
Here are just a few of the more interesting players on each squad that I will be highlighting in my practice coverage:
Texas
- Josh Swogger, QB, Montana - Swogger lost out to Alex Brink at Washington State and transferred to Montana for the 2006 season. Former Wazzu coach Mike Price used one of "exceptions" to put Swogger on the Texas team even though he's not from Texas. He's a big QB listed anywhere from 6'3" 225 to 6'5" 254. Swogger has been invited to the combine
- Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas College - Taylor was Texas's own version of Reggie Bush when they beat Bush's team for the national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl. His college career came to a screeching halt in a bizarre incident that saw Taylor call police to report a broken window in his truck, only for them to find five pounds of marijuana.
- Paul Mosley, RB, Baylor - Mosley is a 6'3" 236 lb. back with speed, but he was stuck in the spread offense this year at Baylor.
- Marcus Mason, RB, Youngstown St - Mason was a 1-AA All American this year. He transferred to the school Jim Tressel used to coach from Illinois after 2004.
- James Finley, WR, Oregon - Finley was a top recruit on the west coast coming out of prep school and one of Oregon's leading receivers in 2005 and 2006. He has an NFL WR frame and a combine invite.
- Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern - Barbre is a versatile, athletic OT who garnered d2football.com All American honors and a combine invite.
- Kurt Quarterman, OG, Louisville - Quarterman tips the scales in the mid 300's, but he can pass block with the best of them with surprising quickness and speed. Kurt was named to the All Big East First Team and All American 3rd team.
- Michael McFadden, DE/OLB, Grand Valley State - All time Division II sack leader, two time All American, and two time Gene Upshaw Award winner (given to best D2 lineman).
- Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi CC - This man mountain (6'5" 335) was heavily recruited but left Oklahoma State early in his college career. He can reportedly run in 4.8-4.9 range.
- Quintin Echols, DT, Kansas St - Echols put on a show at the Shrine Game and will be looking to continue to improve his draft stock.
Nation
- Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison - Rascati saw the writing the wall and transferred from Louisville in 2004. He has been a sensation at the 1-AA level and earned a reputation as an intense, accurate, mobile QB.
- Jeff Smith, QB, Georgetown (Ky.) - Smith has ideal NFL QB size at 6'6" 240 and looked like he had the potential to be an intriguing project in the NFL during the Intajuice North-South All Star Classic
- Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State - You can't blame Hairston for transferring from Rutgers if you've watched Ray Rice play. Hairston led Division 1-AA in rushing this year.
- Justin Vincent, RB, LSU - Turn back the clock to 2003 and you would have predicted that Vincent would be a surefire first day pick when he came out. Injuries and other quality RBs at LSU have sidetracked his career.
- Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota - Russell looked just as good, if not better, than Laurence Maroney at Minnesota. School is not his forte, but you can't say the same about his ability to tote the rock.
- Brian Stokes, FB, Appalachian State - Stokes served two tours of duty in Iraq and has been decorated with a purple heart.
- Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern - This junior led all of Division I-AA (and Division 1-A) with 103 receptions this year. He's extremely athletic, with a reported 40 time anywhere from 4.35 to 4.4, an 11 foot broad jump, and a 40 inch vertical.
- Ryan Moore, WR, Miami-Florida - Moore was an elite recruit out of high school, but his career has been stifled by off the field issues. He's a big (6'3" 225) WR who reportedly runs around 4.5. He will be at the NFL Combine.
- Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida - Widely considered an elite physical talent at defensive tackle, Thomas was kicked off the Gators this year due to a drug problem.
- Taurean Charles, LB, Bethune-Cookman - Once highly recruited by Florida, Charles was dismissed from the team after an incident at a party that resulted in him being charged with a felony, which was later reduced to culpable negligence, a misdemeanor. He was also the subject of a documentary "The Year of the Bull" while in high school in the poor Liberty City section of Miami.
This game is about rising and falling draft stocks, and sleepers to listen for on the second day of the draft, but it is also about longshots and kids looking for redemption, human stories that go beyond the football field.
Tomorrow: Weigh-in results and day one of practice
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com
The game will be telecast on CSTV on Friday, February 2 at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
Home
TEXAS VS THE NATION BOWL COVERAGE
DT Walter Thomas, Northwest Mississippi C.C.
REPORTS & PHOTOS FROM TEXAS VERSUS THE NATION
last updated: 01/30/07
*****
DD.com Comment: This content comes to us courtesy of Mr. Bloom and footballguys.com, the Daddy's favorite fantasy football website. Thanks!
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Day One Texas Practice Report By Sigmund Bloom
While the Nation was finishing up their practice, the Texas squad was warming up in the south end zone. A practice more intense than just about any I saw in the last three weeks of college all-star games was brewing. The Texas boys have come to play and the coaches are just as fired up as the players. The enthusiasm is contagious and the hitting is hard. The volume was turned up to 11 as the Sun Bowl lived up to its name - The left side of my face is sunburned to prove it. Here are my observations from the practice:
Josh Swogger, QB, Montana - Nice consistent zip on short/intermediate passes, pretty trajectory on deep ball, doesn't force the ball when nothing is there, nice play and pump fakes
Dalton Bell, QB, West Texas A&M - Visibly throws hard, like a baseball closer. Throws a big lollipop of a deep ball that had little to no accuracy
Andy Collins, QB, Occidental - Smooth motion, little accuracy on deep ball, lowest performing of the three QBs, so-so arm strength
Quentin Smith, RB, Rice - Naturally gets low when running
Paul Mosley, RB, Baylor - Runs with forward lean, miscast as outside runner
D.D. Terry, RB, Sam Houston State - Outstanding vision and burst through traffic on two runs that would have been long TDs
Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas College - Burst, quickness, moves, vision, home run ability still apparent
Marcus Mason, RB, Youngstown St - Made the sickest cut of the whole practice leaving a defender grasping at air, very compactly built, allows him to easily get lower than defender
Chad Schroeder, WR, Texas A&M - Natural hands catcher
Robert Johnson, WR, Texas Tech - Very natural receiver at full extension, natural hands - surprising for a QB convert
Vincent Marshall, WR, Houston - Changes direction with ease, soft hands, but sometimes uses them to stop the ball in the air and then grabs it, instead of just catching naturally
Mike Jefferson, WR, Montana St - Surprising burst on deep route to separate, gathered to change direction
James Finley, WR, Oregon - Decent ball tracking over the shoulder, gathers to change direction, doesn't burst off the line, unnecessarily jumped when catching once, terrific hands and instincts to pluck ball out of the air, especially on a bullet from Swogger
Kendrick Dozier, WR, Langston - Struggled with hands at first, but came on as practice went on, athletic potential is there
Daniel Robinson, WR, UTEP - One great catch when he was about to get creamed
Justin Carter, TE, Texas College - Fights the ball, didn't look natural receiving
Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern - Played LT, redirects defender well,
Renardo Foster, OT, Louisville - Good footwork, worthy of LT
Kurt Quarterman, OL, Louisville - Good killer instinct as blocker
Nick Smith, C, San Diego State - Generally neutralized his guy, even handled Walter Thomas
Stephen McDonald, FB, Syracuse - Sealed corner well as a lead blocker
Darius Sanders, DE, Oregon - Rushed with great determination, good first step, defeated double team with motor
Travis Leitko, DE, Notre Dame - Good push for a lanky DE, but displays few pass rush moves
Justin Rogers, DE, SMU - Seemed out of his league against Barbre
Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi CC - Unstoppable when he got a good push, showed a good spin move (!) and was astoundingly nimble for a guy his size (think Gabe Watson at his best during Senior Bowl practices last year - dancing bear). Seemed to tire, and then get second wind. Didn't excel on every play but was dominant when he did. Got lots of individual coaching and encouragement. Talk of the scouts in the stands. Jags practically drooling on him
Brent Curvey, DT, Iowa State - Great push, played with 100% effort throughout
Marcus Bacon, LB, Missouri - Stuck with RB in coverage
Courtney Bryan, CB, New Mexico State - Struggled at first, but came on
Bryant Tisdale, CB, UTEP - didn't bite on the fake, made a terrific INT by wrestling 50/50 ball away from WR
Stephen McCoy, CB, Texas A&M-Kingsville - Had scintillating pass breakup that got coaches fired up, good coverage but didn't react to "BALL" call by teammates
Dathon Brown, CB, Texas College - Had scintillating pass breakup that got coaches fired up
T.J. Wright, CB, Ohio - Didn't plant and burst well on ball, committed two blatant penalties
Joe Sturdivant, S, SMU - Quality, smart work in coverage
Top 5 Players
1) Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi JC
2) Josh Swogger, QB, Montana
3) Nick Smith, C, San Diego State
4) Brent Curvey, DT, Iowa State
5) Stephen McCoy, CB, Texas A&M-Kingsville
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ . The game will be telecast Friday February 2 on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
Sigmund Bloom is a freelance football writer and guest analyst/scout from www.footballguys.com and co-host of "The Audible", a Top 100 pro sports podcast on iTunes. He can be reached at bloom@footballguys.com .
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Day One Nation Practice Report By Sigmund Bloom
It was a gorgeous day for football in El Paso. We trekked up from the Texas weigh-in at the Hilton Garden Inn to the Sun Bowl, one of the most striking stadiums anywhere in the world - basically carved into a hillside overlooking the city, like a cross between a Greek amphitheatre and an Anasazi cliff dwelling. The Nation players had already warmed up and were ready to go by the time we arrived. They were in shoulder pads and shorts, but there was no lack of intensity. Unlike the Shrine Game or Senior Bowl, there is little media on location and the scouts wait until they get back to the hotel to go after the kids, so there's little to report in the way of team interest (although the Browns did make a beeline for Scott Stephenson and Maurice Price) Here are my observations:
Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison - Raspy, forceful cadence. Great zip and excellent accuracy on short and intermediate throws. Big windup on deep ball, which is more of touch throw than a rope
Jeff Smith, QB, Georgetown (KY) - Failed to stand out. Greatly overthrew a deep ball
Sam Hollenbach, QB, Maryland - Most forceful snap count of the six QBs, but otherwise failed to stand out. Deep ball over the middle floated
Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota - Looked smooth as a receiver out of the backfield. Like the rest of the RBs, he did not get much in the way of room to run from the offensive line
Justin Vincent, RB, LSU - Showed good vision, but was stifled by a lack of holes to run through
Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard - Great punch when picking up blitz
Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State - Showed good vision
Gijon Robinson, FB, Missouri Western - Very athletic and good receiver
Tyrone Timmons, WR, Mississippi Valley State - Presents a good big target to the QB, but doesn't seem like a natural WR
Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern - Very quick in his breaks, often leaving DBs far in his wake. Natural hands catcher. Seemed a little tentative when a safety had a bead on him while the ball was in the air. Good YAC instincts
Jesse Wendt, WR, Wisconsin-Stout - Got behind the defense but looked unnatural catching the ball. One scout called him "timid". Stiff for such an athletic player
Ryan Moore, WR, Miami - Got pushed around a bit, sometimes seemed lethargic. Good burst for a long legged guy and a fluid athlete. Sometimes body caught the ball instead of using his hands. Flinched but caught a Rascati fireball
Junior Taylor, WR, UCLA - Made some breathtaking adjustments on deep catches, consistently got behind his man. Quick burst of the line. Crisp breaks in routes. Good adjustment to ball in air and YAC instincts
Chandler Williams, WR, Florida International - Clearly athletic enough to get open with ease (validating his combine invite), but seemed to lack the skills to close the deal by catching the ball. Can hang in the air to make a catch
Marcus Freeman, TE, Notre Dame - Showed good hands when given the chance
Desmond Allison, TE, South Dakota - Dropped an easy pass
Tyler Ecker, TE, Michigan - Very soft natural hands, moves well in routes, walls off defender when ball is in the air.
Scott Stephenson, C, Iowa State - One of the two most impressive OL in the practice (with Jonathan Palmer being the other). Sprung out of his stance into good blocking position. Got under Keenan Carter, who came with a reputation as a run stuffer. Stays with play even when he is initially beat and often recovers to stop defender.
Elliot Seifert, OT, Temple - Used Xsavie Jackson's speed and momentum against him by redirecting him past QB. Played LT.
Erik Robertson, OL, California - Had footwork to sustain block once he got his hands on the defender.
Jonathan Palmer, OL, Auburn - Almost always neutralized his guy and handled Marcus Thomas very well. Absorbed strong punch and stayed with defender. Handled a very nice spin move from Louis Leonard. Gets out of his stance quickly and into pass blocking position. Got to the 2nd level and connected with a defender on running play.
Thed Watson, OT, South Florida - Generally played LT well.
Nation D-Line - Generally dominated the OLine, giving the Nation RBs little chance to show their skills.
Keenan Carter, DT, Virginia - Played too high at times, but bowled over Eric Graham on one particularly impressive rush
Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida - Excellent quickness and power coming out of the three point stance. Made some of the lesser OL look like they were playing with their feet in wet cement. Changed direction and reacted to a play while being blocked. Looked swift for a DT in backside pursuit, keeping up with Justin Vincent as he stretched a run play wide
Louis Leonard, DT, Fresno St - Consistently got a good push. Showed a good swim move. Threw Derrick Markray down like a rag doll. Uses handfighting well to get free of OL
Joe Cohen, DT, Florida - Plagued by offsides (at least 3 or 4 of them - heard him muttering about a "silent count" on the sidelines), but got a great jump and penetration when he wasn't committing penalties.
Xsavie Jackson, DE, Missouri - Hurtles himself at QB - made a spin move at full speed while still pushing forward. Very fast rushing off of edge
LeMarcus Rowell, LB, Jacksonville State - Closed with the speed of a safety
Antwan Barnes, LB, Florida International - Great speed on blitz
Cameron Siskowic, LB, Illinois St - Didn't bite on fake reverse and ate up the ball-carrier.
Jay Staggs, LB/S, UNLV - Flew into play but bounced off of Justise Hairston
Brendan Hill, S/LB, Virginia Tech -Jumped a route on a Justin Rascati pass and intercepted it, getting the D fired up
Marcus Paschal, S, Iowa - Closed well while the ball was in the air
Calvin Bannister, DB, Hampton - Closed extremely fast once he broke on the ball
Marcus Hamilton, CB, Virginia - Made good reads and reactions, trusting what he saw
John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati - Physical for a track guy, made great breaks on the ball while it was in the air. Generally provided great coverage and got coaches fired up.
Top 5 Nation Players
1) Junior Taylor, WR, UCLA
2) Jonathan Palmer, OL, Auburn
3) John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati
4) Scott Stephenson, C, Iowa State
5) Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ .
The game will be telecast Friday February 2 on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
Sigmund Bloom is a freelance football writer and guest analyst/scout from www.footballguys.com and co-host of "The Audible", a Top 100 pro sports podcast on iTunes. He can be reached at bloom@footballguys.com .
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Texas Vs. The Nation Weigh In Report
by Sigmund Bloom
Today, I had the rare opportunity to eavesdrop on and catch glimpses of players as they left the Texas Vs. The Nation weigh-in. It was standing room only at the Hilton Garden Inn Del Norte meeting room and the kids were on display like choice cuts in a butcher's store. Unfortunately, Willie Gaston, a DB from Houston, and Quintin Echols, a DT from Kansas State, were both no-shows. They were coming off great performances in the Hula Bowl and the Shrine Game, respectively, so maybe that had something to do with it. I've been taught that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Without naming names, I did see one scout shake his head and gesture like he was crossing a name off a sheet of paper when a player with an unimpressive physique took to the scales - this is important in the big scheme of things. Here are some of the players who instead raised eyebrows for good reasons:
Texas
· Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern - Barbre measured up at 6'3 7/8" and 302 with very little flab, increasing his chances of staying at OT in the pros.
· Dathon Brown, CB, Texas College - Brown is 6'0" 193 and in great shape. His 32" arms are also good for a CB.
· Kenyuta Dawson, LB, Texas Tech - Dawson had an imposing physique with 271 lbs on only a 6'1" 1/8 frame. One scout noted that "he just keeps getting bigger and bigger".
· James Finley, WR, Oregon - Here's another pass-catcher with the metrics to stick at the next level. He was a toned 6'2" 208, but with 34" arms and 10 ¼" hands.
· Vincent Marshall, WR/RT, Houston - The mighty mite award goes to Marshall, who packs 161 lbs of muscle on his 5'7 1/8" frame. His hands are 9 5/8", bigger than you would expect.
· Stephen McDonald, FB, Syracuse - McDonald's upper body was scary thick, packing 248 lbs on a 5'11 5/8" frame. He has the same body as Chong Li from the movie "Bloodsport"
· Alex Obemese, DE, UTEP - Obemese is so well-defined that he almost looks like a bodybuilder, but he's not overly bulky. He came in at 6'2 ½", 245.
· Josh Swogger, QB, Montana - The calling of Swogger's name inspired the biggest murmur of the morning until Walter Thomas walked in the room. Josh measured 6' 4 1/4" and tipped the scales at a toned 234 with room for more bulk.
· Ramonce Taylor, RB/RT, Texas College - Ramonce has not been lazy since he left UT. He measured 5' 10 1/8" and weighted in at a very defined 193 lbs. His 10" hands and 32 1/8 arms suggest that he could be a WR in the NFL.
· Walter Thomas, DT, North Mississippi CC - Your star of the weigh-in. He drew reactions ranging from gasps to smiles to a simple shake of the head in disbelief. Thomas is 6'4" 370. He's got some baby fat, but he's a legit 335 without it, and that's without the benefit of a formal weight training regimen - just natural size. His upper body weighs more than I do, and I love fried food. His body screamed NFL.
Nation
· Calvin Bannister, DB/Return Specialist, Hampton - Bad news: Calvin was only 5'7 1/4", Good News: He weighted in at 182 pounds of sculpted muscle.
· Clifton Dawson, RB, Harvard - Dawson had a nice NFL RB profile - a compact 5'9 ¾" and well defined 209 lbs. with the thick thighs you want in a pro back.
· Jonathan Palmer, OL, Auburn - Palmer is 6' 4 3/8", tipping the scales at 335, and with about as little flab as any OL here. He's also got 34 ½ inch arms, always a plus on an offensive lineman.
· Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern - Price's reported workout numbers paint the picture of an elite athlete, and he did not disappoint in person. He's 6'1 1/8" and 194 lbs. with little signs of body fat. His 9 7/8" hands will also serve him well at the next level.
· Jay Staggs, OLB/S, UNLV - Staggs looks like a nice safety for the pros with his very toned 5'11 ¼" and 211 pound frame. He seemed to be in as good of shape as anyone we saw this morning.
· Junior Taylor, WR, UCLA - Junior is clearly in top notch shape, with a toned, balanced 208 lb. build spread out over 6' 1 3/8", but it was his 10 7/8" hands that clearly got the scouts' attention.
· Tyrone Timmons, WR, Mississippi Valley State - Timmons has an ideal NFL WR frame - 6'3" 219 (and in very good shape) with 10 1/2" hands and 33 3/8" arms.
· Jesse Wendt, WR, Wisconsin-Stout - Jesse is another WR built for the next level. He's a well-toned 6'2 3/8" and 228 pounds, which would make his reported 40 time in the 4.4s that much more impressive.
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ .
The game will be telecast Friday February 2 on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
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Texas Vs. The Nation Preview
Written by Sigmund Bloom, guest analyst/scout from www.footballguys.com and co-host of "The Audible", a top 100 pro sports podcast on iTunes.
As I was driving down I-10 today, I reflected on some of the second chances I have gotten over the course of my life. I also remembered the people along the way that gave me every chance to prove myself even though I did not have the pedigree of the type of person that normally gets that opportunity. I wouldn't be where I am today without those breaks. This is what the Texas vs. the Nation game is all about - giving players that are overlooked or shunned by the powers that be in the draft process a chance to prove themselves to NFL scouts.
Most of these guys will not get drafted and will have to fight their way onto a roster. Still, don't think there isn't talent here. More than twenty of the guys I will watch this week have combine invites. Many were highly recruited and transferred from larger programs because their path was blocked, or were dismissed from their team. Others dominated, just not at the 1-A level.
This game is also important because the 3rd tier of all star games is ever shrinking. Rumor has it that we witnessed the last Hula Bowl. The Intajuice North South All-Star Classic put few people in the stands. The Las Vegas All-American Classic was cancelled due to financial problems and will likely not be back. As the number of success stories about players coming out of obscurity grows, the number of opportunities they get is dwindling. These 3rd tier games pump lifeblood into the "Rocky" stories that remind us that will and determination can overcome long odds.
Here are just a few of the more interesting players on each squad that I will be highlighting in my practice coverage:
Texas
- Josh Swogger, QB, Montana - Swogger lost out to Alex Brink at Washington State and transferred to Montana for the 2006 season. Former Wazzu coach Mike Price used one of "exceptions" to put Swogger on the Texas team even though he's not from Texas. He's a big QB listed anywhere from 6'3" 225 to 6'5" 254. Swogger has been invited to the combine
- Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas College - Taylor was Texas's own version of Reggie Bush when they beat Bush's team for the national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl. His college career came to a screeching halt in a bizarre incident that saw Taylor call police to report a broken window in his truck, only for them to find five pounds of marijuana.
- Paul Mosley, RB, Baylor - Mosley is a 6'3" 236 lb. back with speed, but he was stuck in the spread offense this year at Baylor.
- Marcus Mason, RB, Youngstown St - Mason was a 1-AA All American this year. He transferred to the school Jim Tressel used to coach from Illinois after 2004.
- James Finley, WR, Oregon - Finley was a top recruit on the west coast coming out of prep school and one of Oregon's leading receivers in 2005 and 2006. He has an NFL WR frame and a combine invite.
- Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern - Barbre is a versatile, athletic OT who garnered d2football.com All American honors and a combine invite.
- Kurt Quarterman, OG, Louisville - Quarterman tips the scales in the mid 300's, but he can pass block with the best of them with surprising quickness and speed. Kurt was named to the All Big East First Team and All American 3rd team.
- Michael McFadden, DE/OLB, Grand Valley State - All time Division II sack leader, two time All American, and two time Gene Upshaw Award winner (given to best D2 lineman).
- Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi CC - This man mountain (6'5" 335) was heavily recruited but left Oklahoma State early in his college career. He can reportedly run in 4.8-4.9 range.
- Quintin Echols, DT, Kansas St - Echols put on a show at the Shrine Game and will be looking to continue to improve his draft stock.
Nation
- Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison - Rascati saw the writing the wall and transferred from Louisville in 2004. He has been a sensation at the 1-AA level and earned a reputation as an intense, accurate, mobile QB.
- Jeff Smith, QB, Georgetown (Ky.) - Smith has ideal NFL QB size at 6'6" 240 and looked like he had the potential to be an intriguing project in the NFL during the Intajuice North-South All Star Classic
- Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State - You can't blame Hairston for transferring from Rutgers if you've watched Ray Rice play. Hairston led Division 1-AA in rushing this year.
- Justin Vincent, RB, LSU - Turn back the clock to 2003 and you would have predicted that Vincent would be a surefire first day pick when he came out. Injuries and other quality RBs at LSU have sidetracked his career.
- Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota - Russell looked just as good, if not better, than Laurence Maroney at Minnesota. School is not his forte, but you can't say the same about his ability to tote the rock.
- Brian Stokes, FB, Appalachian State - Stokes served two tours of duty in Iraq and has been decorated with a purple heart.
- Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern - This junior led all of Division I-AA (and Division 1-A) with 103 receptions this year. He's extremely athletic, with a reported 40 time anywhere from 4.35 to 4.4, an 11 foot broad jump, and a 40 inch vertical.
- Ryan Moore, WR, Miami-Florida - Moore was an elite recruit out of high school, but his career has been stifled by off the field issues. He's a big (6'3" 225) WR who reportedly runs around 4.5. He will be at the NFL Combine.
- Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida - Widely considered an elite physical talent at defensive tackle, Thomas was kicked off the Gators this year due to a drug problem.
- Taurean Charles, LB, Bethune-Cookman - Once highly recruited by Florida, Charles was dismissed from the team after an incident at a party that resulted in him being charged with a felony, which was later reduced to culpable negligence, a misdemeanor. He was also the subject of a documentary "The Year of the Bull" while in high school in the poor Liberty City section of Miami.
This game is about rising and falling draft stocks, and sleepers to listen for on the second day of the draft, but it is also about longshots and kids looking for redemption, human stories that go beyond the football field.
Tomorrow: Weigh-in results and day one of practice
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com
The game will be telecast on CSTV on Friday, February 2 at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST.
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