In the final game of the 4 game December 29th part of Bowl Week, we'll see two of the more under rated college head coaches utilize teams with up and down quarterback play but talented offensive and defensive playmakers. While Michigan State likely dominates the running game and defensive line, TCU has talent at receiver and in the defensive backfield.
Both coaches will have their team's prepared for a battling end to their season. But it's the early round talent that will have fans and NFL Draft evaluators alike curious.
Notes by Eric Galko, Alex Brown, and Alex Farnworth of Optimum Scouting
William Gholston DE, Michigan State-#2, 6’6, 278 (JR)
William Gholston has been a very intriguing but inconsistent prospect. William Gholston (cousin of notable draft bust Vernon Gholston) is a physical freak at his size and flashes at times with his ability to beat you both with speed and power. The tall DE likes to line up out wide and makes a habit of going from a power-push to spin move combo. One noticeable flaw to his game is that his pad level is too high and he is quick to stand up which allows the opposing tackles to get good leverage on him, making the blocks easier. The junior utilizes his physical features very well, for example, he extends his arms against the opposition in order to create space between him and the OL, which gives him more room to run. Although he’s had his share of disciplinary issues (threw a punch against Mich. In ’11), he still has an enormous amount of potential and could jump into the later part of the second round should he declare for the draft.
Le’Veon Bell RB, Michigan State-#24, 6’2, 244 (JR)
Le’Veon Bell is quite the running back at his size, but he is not all power like you would have thought. The behemoth of a back has a beautiful stutter-step juke move that freezes safeties and he has the ability to finish off big runs through contact. Bell has been a workhorse for the Spartans (350 carries this season) and he rarely puts the ball on the ground. Le’Veon Bell walks the fine line between being a patient runner and being ineffective by dancing in the backfield. This thick back does a good job of changing speeds and has the ability to cap of long runs despite not having top-end speed.
Anthony Rashad White DT, Michigan State-#98, 6’2, 330
At 330 lbs., Anthony Rashad White was plugged into the Spartan defense at the nose tackle position. Rashad White isn’t capable of covering a lot of ground but he’s very good at clogging the running lanes and disrupting the play on short-yardage situations. He has quick explosive hands at the snap of the ball and continues to fight through the blocks until the whistle blows, he may not be the most productive on the stat sheet, but he helps out his ends by attracting double teams on a regular basis.
Chris McDonald OG, Michigan State-#62, 6’5, 298
McDonald has been one of the most consistent players on the offensive side of the ball for Michigan State. The trench-fighter has played in 42 games and has started the last 29 at right guard consecutively. McDonald is powerful in the run-blocking aspect of the offense; he does a good job of getting outside and logging the DE’s and he can also drive ends back right off of the snap on inside runs. The sub-300 pounder needs to add muscle and it shows on film; he has a wide base in pass protection but there are some instances where the defensive linemen overpower him.
Josh Boyce, WR, TCU – #82 6’0, 203 (JR)
Running routes from the X, Z and slot receiver positions for TCU’s passing attack, Josh Boyce impresses off the cuff with a bigger-than-listed frame, sharp change of direction skills and smooth athleticism. Able to gather and adjust to off-target throws with fluidity, Boyce flashes the hands and reactions to be a dominant possession receiver at the next level. With all that in mind, Boyce isn’t considered among the top junior-eligible receiver prospects due to focus drops and lack of elite top end speed. He’ll need to cut down on drops and time well in workouts in order to be selected in the 3rd round (should he even declare).
Skye Dawson, WR, TCU – #,
A former two-sport athlete that gave up track prior to his junior 2011 season, Skye Dawson is an undersized, speedy slot receiver and return specialist that is still developing as a route runner and very dangerous with the ball in his hands. Despite not having the best open field vision as a returner, Dawson is able to place doubt and hesitation into closing kick or punt coverage defenders with his outstanding start and stop ability in space; accelerating to full speed in a flash and decelerating just as quickly, Dawson can be difficult to bring down in one-on-one tackling situations. In a similar fashion, Dawson releases out of the slot with a stutter-go technique that is meant to, again, create hesitation on the part of the defender; in slow playing the release before quickly accelerating to full speed, Dawson is able to win with short area burst and attempt to create further separation downfield with his top end speed. Where he struggles, however, involves downfield contact and hand checking throughout the route. Furthermore as a route runner, Dawson could dramatically improve his separation at the top of his route by setting up his cuts with either a shoulder dip or nod; rounding off his breaks and not changing speeds at the route break, Dawson telegraphs his intended pattern to covering defenders. Being a smaller, undersized receiver, Dawson really can get beat up at times when working down the seams, and will need to use his hands more frequently to fight for positioning. Having next level speed, body control and competes, Dawson will likely stick on an NFL roster next year as a priority free agent.
Kenny Cain, ILB, TCU – #,
Quick at diagnosing and filling his assigned gap in the run game, Kenny Cain displays very strong instincts in the read/react phase of the linebacker position. Keeping his shoulders squared to the line and not popping up out of his stance, he’s able to work laterally while fighting with his hands to stay disengaged from blockers, flow to the football and remain in an ideal tackling position. Can be exposed in the passing game when unable to get his hands on crossing patterns; lacking the straight-line speed to stay stride for stride with those crossers on mesh concepts, Cain relies heavily upon legal contact (5-yards from the line of scrimmage) to re-route wide receivers and disrupt the timing of the play. Kenny Cain plays to his undersized weight of 6’1, 225 lbs. at times, but appears much thicker than his listing would suggest; with that in mind, Cain may struggle to bulk up even further at the next level and would ideally be situated in a defense that features a 4-man front. I like how he takes on blockers by bringing his hands and hips to the point of attack, as he flashes the ability to work himself free of blockers en route to the ball carrier. In order to be considered more than a priority free agent, he’ll have to improve his straight-line speed and overall fluidity in space.
Jason Verrett, CB, TCU – #2, 5’10, 180 (JR)
Holding Oklahoma’s leading wide receiver Kenny Stills to just two receptions in the season finale, TCU cornerback Jason Verrett closed out an excellent season on a high note by taking ideal driving angles to the throw and limiting separation in the intermediate game. Most impressive about Verrett’s game are his location skills and ball skills to finish with either a pass breakup or interception. Deep speed still remains a concern with Verrett in my eyes, but that isn’t what teams will be drafting him to do; a physical, aggressive and ball hawking short-to-intermediate cover guy capable of roughing up receivers with hand use downfield, Verrett has developed into one of the top corner prospects in the Big 12. Verrett could be a day two draft selection if he declared this season as a junior but is more likely to return for his senior season.
Others to Watch:
Jeff Bobek FB, Michigan State-#45, 6’1, 240
Mitchell White CB, Michigan State-#32, 5’11, 185
Dan Conroy K, Michigan State-#4, 5’10, 186
Dion Sims, TE, Michigan State – #, 6’6, 250
Chris Norman OLB, Michigan State-#10, 6’1, 233
Matthew Tucker, RB, TCU – #29, 6’1, 227
Blaize Foltz, OG, TCU – #66, 6’4, 310
Corey Fuller, TE, TCU – #86, 6’5, 255
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