01/09/06

Texas junior quarterback VINCE YOUNG, who potentially put himself in position to be the top overall pick in this year's draft thanks to his Rose Bowl performance against USC, has decided to enter the NFL Draft rather than return for a shot at another National Championship… Young returned home after the Rose Bowl and discussed his future with his mother and a handful of close family members/advisors… deciding to declare did not come easy for Young, but he received the blessing of both his mother and coach Mack Brown… UT officials admitted that he had come to a resolution and would be jumping to the NFL with a press conference expected for today…

Michigan quarterback MATT GUTIERREZ, who was one of the most highly-recruited signal callers coming out of high school (DeLa Salle, CA)… has decided to transfer to Idaho State, a Division I-AA program in the Big Sky Conference, where he will be the team's starting quarterback heading into spring drills… Gutierrez has been sidelined with a shoulder injury during his time with the Wolverines, while also serving as the backup to Chad Henne, who took over the starting job when he injured his shoulder in 2004... With one year of eligibility remaining it was really the only course of action for him to take in order to receive the necessary playing time to impress pro scouts… "(I) have probably been asked this question (about transferring) 100 times in the past year or so, but it was something that I never really felt in my heart would be best for me, (I) finally had to see that it (transferring) was going to be something I had no choice but to do"… the transfer also brings Gutierrez back closer to his home on the West Coast…

Ohio State junior cornerback ASHTON YOUBOTY says he will make the announcement that he is skipping his final year of eligibility and declare for this year's draft a press conference within the next 24 hours… the Houston, Texas native has reportedly received back second-to-third round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee…

Kansas junior cornerback/wide receiver/return man CHARLES GORDON is expected to announce his intentions to enter this year's draft from a press conference, as early as Monday, so that he can begin preparation for the Combine in February… the All-Big 12 performer has reportedly received back a third round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee…

Wisconsin junior running back BRIAN CALHOUN will speak to new head coach Bret Bielema on Monday, and should make his final decision known sometime in the next 24-to-48 hours, according to his father… most people around the program expect him to leave for the NFL... meanwhile, All-Big Ten junior offensive tackle JOE THOMAS will remain in school, as he must undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered in their bowl game… sources close to the Badgers say that he received a first round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee before getting injured against Auburn…

USC junior running back CHAUNCEY WASHINGTON has decided to return to the Trojans for his senior year, where he has been ineligible the past two seasons due to problems with his academics… it is not clear whether his fall semester grades would position to possibly replace Reggie Bush or LenDale White if either or both were to declare, but one source close to the team said if Washington were to not earn the grade to start spring ball at USC that he would likely transfer down to a Division I-AA or Division II program…


01/08/06

Ohio State junior defensive back DONTE WHITNER will forego his senior year, deciding to enter the draft after receiving back a second round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee… he has played both strong safety and cornerback during his college career… which has led to several teams eyeing the possibility of using him as a versatile weapon in the secondary, as well as special teams… according to several former teammates, Whitner is capable of running in the 4.4 range at the Combine…

Georgia junior defensive end QUENTIN MOSES has decided to return for his senior campaign, figuring that he can guarantee himself a position in the first two rounds if he can get bigger/stronger in the off-season and post another All-SEC caliber campaign… some people close to his situation believe that he was told that he could be around a 3rd or 4th round choice, although that cannot be substantiated to date…

USC junior running back CHAUNCEY WASHINGTON was informed that he once again did not make the grade, academically, to qualify for spring practice… he has stated before that if he were not to regain his eligibility that he would likely opt to declare for the NFL Draft… one note worth mentioning on him is that several former/current USC players and coaches have stated in conversation that Washington once caught Reggie Bush from behind on a play when Bush was a true freshman… for the record… Bush was timed as fast as 4.25 in the 40 this past spring…

Former Mississippi State defensive back DARREN WILLIAMS, who played his senior season at Jacksonville State, has been added to the EAST roster of the LVAAC… he will wear jersey #22... roughly 20 of the nearly 100 senior prospects headed into town arrived on Saturday night with the remaining players schedule to check-in throughout Sunday, as approximately 150 pro evaluators also make their way to the game's hotel to begin the scouting process… USC senior cornerback JOHN WALKER is questionable for the game as he was nicked up in the team's Rose Bowl loss to Texas…

LSU senior defensive tackle CLAUDE WROTEN, who was arrested earlier this week on felony drug possession with the intent to sell, may have found a few silver-linings in his case… first, he was found to be truthful about where he had obtained the $4,000 dollars that was in his position, as it indeed came from his financial advisor… why is that so important… court officials may now decide to drop the charges down to a misdemeanor drug possession charge, as well as the speeding offense that initially caused him to be pulled over… secondly, it is expected that he will test clear if/when administered a drug test in the coming weeks or months… this is key news to most NFL teams in need of an attacking-style one-gap interior lineman, as Wroten had positioned himself to come off the board between the mid-to-late portion of the first round thanks to his terrific on-field production, as a senior…

01/07/06

Virginia Tech red-shirt sophomore quarterback MARCUS VICK has opted to enter the draft just days after being dismissed from the Hokies football program… his options were limited to either transferring down a level, Division I-AA, where he would have been eligible to play next season or jump into the NFL, which pay prove a much harder journey than expected, especially with the current cloud of behavior issues surrounding him… he was recently cited for speeding and driving with a suspended/revoked license, which seemingly gave the VT administration the opening they needed to rid themselves of the PR problem that Vick's off-field and on-field actions caused… area scouts, who were weary of commentating about a player with so little true game film, said that while his athleticism is obvious that he is still very raw as a pro-caliber signal caller and could slide as far as the fifth round of the draft…

Georiga junior tight end LEONARD POPE surprised very few when he officially announced that he had signed with an agent and would be entering this year's draft… he also stated that he had received back a second round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee… according to one area scout, "That sounds about right in terms of what I have seen so far on him (referring to the 2nd round grade)... but he could slip into the final 8-10 picks of the first round with a big effort at the Combine… coaches tend to fall in love guys with rare ability or potential at a position… he (Pope) has those"….

Nebraska junior defensive end ADAM CARRIKER stated late last week that he has not formally requested his current draft grade from the NFL Advisory Committee… one more item that points in the direction of him returning to school for his senior year…



01/06/06

Bowling Green junior quarterback OMAR JACOBS stated Friday that he will enter the NFL Draft after spending most of the past month, since the end of his junior campaign, speaking with his mother and a few close advisors about his short-term future… his current draft grade may surprise most, who tend to listen or buy into what is said on fan-oriented media sites, as the NFL Advisory Committee let him know that his grade falls between rounds fourth and five, as of today… Jacobs mechanics and delivery of the ball are the two most crucial areas for him to improve upon between now and the NFL Combine… should he be selected to attend the February event…

Oregon junior defensive tackle HALOTI NGATA made it known that he will enter the NFL Draft thus skipping his senior year… he recently suffered a slightly sprained knee after being cut blocked in the second half of their Emerald Bowl game loss to Oklahoma… if healthy, Ngata is expected to be chosen in the early-to-mid first round…

Fresno State junior cornerback RICHARD MARSHALL ended the long speculation that he would leave the Bulldogs' program by announcing he would enter the NFL Draft on Friday… it is expected that he had signed with an agent shortly after their bowl game, but waited to receive back his paperwork before finalizing the actual player representation agreement… the NFL Advisory Committee has currently given him a second-to-third round grade… although several area scouts have stated that he was the best pure cover cornerback on the West Coast this season…

N.C. State junior linebacker STEPHEN TULLOCH surprised several current teammates and coaches by announcing he will forego his senior year and enter this year's draft… it is not known whether or not he has received back a current draft grade from the NFL Advisory Committee… but a few sources around the program felt that he would likely be seen as more of a late-round prospect, as of today… he had shoulder surgery in the spring of 2004, but started the past two years at weak-side linebacker for the Wolfpack…
Washington State junior wide receiver JASON HILL opted to return to the Pac-10 for one final campaign, saying that it was not in his best interest to declare at this time… one of the primary reasons behind his decision might be the fact that several people close to his family stated that received a third-to-fourth round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee… which is well below the grade he expect to hear from league officials…


01/06/06

JANUARY 6th ALL-STAR GAME SHUFFLE:

The All-Star Game Circuit already started a few weeks back with the Magnolia Gridiron Classic, but will kickoff in a big way this weekend, as the Cactus Bowl game is played tonight (Friday), and the LAS VEGAS ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC gets started on Sunday with over 100 prospects and 150-plus pro evaluators headed out to the "City of Lights"… the LVAAC added Florida State wide receiver/return man WILLIE REID to the roster, as well as Carroll College quarterback TYLER EMMERT, who won four straight titles at the NAIA level…

The SENIOR BOWL announced that the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers will be the two coaching staffs for this year's contest... but they may be searching for a few new faces, since it is being widely speculated that some of the top-rated prospects may skip the late January contest in order to concentrate on their training for the Combine… Texas defensive back MICHAEL HUFF stated that, "(I) will take a few days to think it over and then make a decision sometime next week as I want to get started on training around the 8th or 9th"… USC quarterback MATT LEINHART, Virginia Tech defensive back JIMMY WILLIAMS, Miami offensive tackle ERIC WINSTON, Boston College defensive end MATHIAS KIWANUKA are just some of the names rumored to possibly be passing on the trip to Mobile…

Two others, Texas defensive tackle RODRIQUE WRIGHT and Miami defensive lineman ORIEN HARRIS, both have stated that they have not yet received an invite to the Senior Bowl…

The EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME also has some new alterations to their rosters, as Abilene Christian defensive back/return man DANIEAL MANNING and Arizona State linebacker JAMAR WILLIAMS have been added to the WEST roster… on the EAST side of things there was not a "Changing of the Guard" but rather the center, as Mike Degory (Florida) and Greg Eslinger (Minnesota), both relinquished their spots with Wisconsin center DONOVAN RAIOLA added to compete with Arkansas center Kyle Roper… Michigan offensive lineman Matt Lentz also opted to go in a different direction, so Louisville offensive guard JASON SPITZ will man one of the guard spots on the East roster… Indiana offensive lineman ISAAC SOWELLS will round out the offensive linemen for the East, which also evens out each of the positions with two centers, four guards and now four tackles… each roster will also add a second fullback, plus a handful of others, two wide receivers on the EAST and one running back on the WEST by the start of next week.

WROTEN FACES FELONY CHARGES:

LSU senior defensive tackle CLAUDE WROTEN was arrested on charges of felony possession of an illegal substance (marijuana) with the intent to distribute after he was pulled over for speeding late Wednesday night, January 4th, 2006 on US 165 in Louisiana... police have also stated that he had roughly $4,000.00 dollars in cash on his person, which Wroten said came from his financial advisor, Mike Rowen, and was to be used while training for the Senior Bowl and upcoming Combine… he was booked and later released on bond, but obviously these are very serious charges, which will need to be resolved before his draft status can be determined… it is also very possible that he would have to enter the NFL's first time offender program even if the charges were reduced or dropped… there was no word from Senior Bowl officials whether his spot in their game would be in danger of getting revoked.

BROOKS & PARHAM MAY NOT GO ON NFL TOUR:

Virginia junior linebacker AHMAD BROOKS, who many expected in the pre-season to leave after a possible All-American campaign, now seems to be discussing with family and advisors the idea of coming back to complete his career with the Cavaliers with the hope of staying healthy and re-gaining a high round grade… meanwhile, KAI PARHAM has indicated to several teammates that he is leaning towards entering the draft, although he currently carries between a late-third to fifth round grade, according to several area scouts… "He (Parham) does some good things, but he's not as fast on the field as his 40-times indicate and rather stiff in coverage… two-down guy with special teams ability, but not an instant starter… in my mind", said one NFC area scout… his primary reason for leaving early is the fact that he has already completed his degree and wants to get on with the rest of his life now, including football, rather than waiting another year.



01/05/06

SEC PROSPECTS ENTER THE DRAFT:

Florida junior cornerback DEE WEBB, Auburn junior defensive end STANLEY MCCLOVER, Tennessee junior offensive guard ROB SMITH have both officially joined the ranks of the underclassmen who have entered the 2006 NFL Draft… according to people close to the players they each have received positive feedback from the NFL Advisory Committee, as Webb expects to be taken within the first three rounds with McClover and Smith hearing they could go between rounds three and five, respectively, of next April's draft… Webb is a cover corner with 4.45 speed, which is coveted by all 32 teams… McClover rang up eight sacks, as a junior, flashing edge rusher potential while growing into a 250-pound frame… meanwhile, Smith, who would have been a sure-fire All-SEC and possibly All-American candidate had he returned to the Volunteers, was vocal about his displeasure over the firing of his position coach after the team's dismal 2005 campaign… one source stated that Smith, who can also play center, had received back a fourth round grade, but could that could not be confirmed by anyone else, as of late last night… the same contact that informed us on Webb's decision the Gators are also expected to lose the services of junior wide receiver CHAD JACKSON… although there has not been a formal announcement or press conference called by the team's leading receiver from this past season.

SIMS SET TO FOLLOW CROMARTIE TO NFL:

Florida State junior linebacker ERNIE SIMS is expected to announce his decision to skip his final year of eligibility and make himself eligible for the NFL Draft… often compared to former Seminoles' standout linebacker Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay)… Sims has received several indications that he could be taken as high as the second round… he was banged up earlier in the season, but rebounded to show the explosive sideline-to-sideline speed that would make him a valuable addition to any team in need of a play-making weak-side linebacker… one source close to the team stated that junior running back LORENZO BOOKER is still "50/50" about whether to stay-or-go, as he is torn between not wanting to be just a secondary option in next year's offense and fearing that he could slide into the mid-to-late rounds of a running back deep draft.

MYLES HOPING TO BE ON RECEIVING END OF HIGH GRADE:

West Virginia junior wide receiver BRANDON MYLES has requested his current draft grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, according to a person close to his situation… he led the team with 30 catches, averaging over 15 yards per catch, while scoring three touchdowns… it would likely take a third-or-fourth round grade to convince him to skip his senior season, but with the number of talented running backs on their roster and a highly-mobile quarterback he also fears not getting enough production as a senior to earn a spot among the nation's top receivers… he's roughly 6020, 190-192 pounds… but has been timed at-or-below the 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash with some saying he can come across as fast as 4.35.



01/04/06

INTERESTING PROSPECTS ON & OFF OFFICIAL JUNIOR LIST:

Although there are still nearly two weeks remaining on the clock for underclassmen to declare their intentions to join the 2006 NFL Draft, our staff has identified several players that will be included on the final list of players provided to the NFL teams on January 18th… some of the more interesting names, as of today, include Grossmont JC/Oregon defensive end RODERKUS WRIGHT, who will be playing in the upcoming LVAAC, Texas College defensive end/linebacker MIKE WILLIAMS, Abilene Christian cornerback/return man DANIEAL MANNING, Georgia (AFL) wide receiver/return man TROY BERGERON, Arizona State/Ex-Indiana linebacker PAUL SZCZESNY… meanwhile, NOTRE DAME quarterback BRADY QUINN, Florida running back DESHAWN WYNN, Rutgers fullback BRIAN LEONARD, Texas Tech wide receiver JARRETT HICKS, Wisconsin offensive tackle JOE THOMAS, Hawaii offensive guard SAMSON SATELE and Central Michigan defensive end DAN BAZUIN have all insisted that they will be returning to play out their final year of eligibility…

NFL COMBINE INVITES:

The initial list of NFL Combine Invites has been circulated to all 32 NFL teams within the past week or so, as a final and complete list will be made available later this month or in early February, which will likely feature a large number of the underclassmen who are expected to make themselves eligible over the next few weeks… here is a copy of the official list that was sent to each one of the 32 NFL franchises… www.nflcombine.net/nicplayers.aspx

CROMARTIE HEADS TO NFL:

Tallahassee, FL… Florida State junior cornerback/return man ANTONIO CROMARTIE has decided to forego his final two year's of eligibility and join the 2006 NFL Draft Class… he continues to rehab from a torn ACL he suffered over the summer, but has already started to run and even cut on occasion… most insiders believe that he will not be full-go for the Combine, although a possible late-March or early-April private workout, reminiscent of the one done by Willis McGahee (Buffalo) a few years ago is very possible… Cromartie pointed out a desire to help out his family, but he was also concerned with suffering a second major injury at the college level and his current academic standing with the team… he has yet to receive back his grade from the NFL Advisory Committee…



01/02/06

HESTER TO ANNOUNCE FUTURE PLANS:
Coral Gables, FL... Miami Hurricanes junior DEVIN HESTER, who has played a variety of positions, including defensive back, wide receiver, running back and return man, will hold a press conference on Monday afternoon at the Doral Ale House in Miami, starting at 4pm to announce his future intentions... Hester spent most of the weekend with his mom and family discussing the pros and cons of returning to school or entering the NFL Draft... "It was a tough loss for us against LSU, so I had to deal with that first, and then come home and settle down to make a good decision for myself using my head and not my heart", explained Hester, who was used on the offensive side of the ball during the Hurricanes' 40-3 loss in last Friday's Peach Bowl... so far in his three-year career he has led the team with four interceptions, as sophomore... has scored a total of seven special teams touchdowns, which includes 100-yard kickoff return and 92-yard punt return... widely regarded as the nation's top-rated player coming out of high school (2002) he has also been a standout member of the school's track & field team, capturing the Big East Indoor Long Jump title last year... he's been timed at-or-below 4.30 in the 40-yard dash and continues to receive expert advice/training from long-time mentor Deion Sanders... exclusive coverage, including quotes from Hester, as well as others in attendance will be made available tomorrow afternoon following the live press conference.

CROMARTIE HITTING THE BOOKS OR HEADING TO NFL:
Tallahassee, FL… Florida State junior cornerback/return man ANTONIO CROMARTIE, who has been sidelined for the entire 2005 college football campaign due to a knee injury he suffered over the summer, is currently investigating the potential of jumping to the NFL Draft after playing just two years with the Seminoles… according to several sources close to the team he has requested his current NFL draft grade, as he continues to complete his rehab from a torn ACL… the 6-foot-3, 210-pound defender has been a duel threat thus far in his career, recording several long kickoff and punt returns, while also being named the team's Most Improved Defensive Back in the spring… his unique combination of size, speed and play-making ability from the cornerback spot could vault him into the first round of either of the next two drafts, but it is his current academic standing at the school that remains in question… those same sources point out that while he completed the most recent semester with passing grades it was not without a few worrisome moments… he does not seem to be a huge fan of going to class, has some long-term academic questions in terms of his eligibility come the spring semester, and may also have some lingering thoughts about suffering a second major injury at the college level… Cromartie has displayed first-round ability, so if he were to prove healthy enough to workout for scouts he could re-capture that type grade should he opt into the draft.