San Jose State’s quarterback David Fales gained momentum in the offseason when analysts, draftniks and others in the football industry finally took a look at his tape. Though he’s not a fit for every NFL offense due to arm strength limitations, Fales is as mechanically sound and accurate a passer you’ll find in college football. Fales does an excellent job of reading the leverage of man or zone defenders and throwing to a spot where only his receiver can come down with the reception.
His top receiving target is senior Nic Grigsby, who has an NFL future of his own. More quick than fast with a solid frame to develop, Grigsby’s sound route running and balance out of cuts enable him to play faster than he’ll likely time in a 40 yard dash. His experience in running a near complete route tree from both the outside and slot receiver positions should allow for a fluid transition to the NFL game, but concerns about long speed and lack of bulk will push him down some boards. Still, look for Grigsby to be a major factor in this one.
Working against this Fales-led Spartan offense is one of the most formidable front seven groups in all of college football. Senior hybrid defensive end/linebacker Trent Murphy will make life tough on San Jose State’s rushing attack, thanks to his combination of size, strength and sound point of attack technique. Very physical, well built and possessing long arms, Murphy wins at the point of attack on a consistent basis and uses his powerful arms to work off of blocks. Murphy’s pass rush skills are still developing, as he most often relies on a bull rush while sprinkling in a spin move every so often. Opposite Trent Murphy is another disruptive power player in defensive end Ben Gardner.
A bit more refined as a player and faster mentally than teammate Murphy, Ben Gardner showcases outstanding instincts and read/react skills against the run. Gardner uses his explosiveness and strength to dominate blockers on contact and maintain gap control, but he is a limited athlete laterally and has his own struggles to disengage versus longer-armed blockers. This will be a player coaches gravitate towards during the NFL Draft process and scouts label as a “high floor-low ceiling” prospect. Lastly, senior linebacker Shayne Skov was considered a premier inside linebacker prospect by scouts prior to a knee injury suffered in the 3rd game of his 2011 campaign. Playing last year at less than 100%, Skov struggled at times in the open field and when locked in solo coverage with running backs. Skov is at his best against the run thanks to his physically powerful body type, plus instincts at the snap of the football and minimal false steps.
Immediately diagnosing and working downhill, Skov is your prototypical Mike linebacker, though he may be targeted quite a bit in the underneath pass game and screen game –an area where he’s struggled in recent years. Still, those are just the senior presences in the box –unmentioned to this point are arguably the top two defenders on this defense in DE Henry Anderson and FS Ed Reynolds. Henry Anderson in particular strikes evaluators as one of those rare, playmaking 5-techniques that can load up stat sheets with tackles in the backfield, sacks and batted passes. Likely to have the most important role in this game versus David Fales will be Ed Reynolds, whose field vision, playing instincts and plus ball skills jump off the tape. Reynolds holds an impressive frame for an athletic, single high safety, and has ideal bloodlines to make a smooth transition to the pro game, as his father played linebacker for the Patriots and Giants in the early 90’s.
Spinning back to the offensive side of the ball for the Stanford Cardinal, redshirt sophomore Kevin Hogan doesn’t get near the pub he deserves. Redshirted in his first season on campus and beginning last season as a backup, Hogan emerged as Stanford’s starter in the second half of last year. Leading Stanford to four straight victories over ranked teams to end the year with a Rose Bowl victory, Hogan was incredibly efficient (71.7% completion percentage) and careful with the football (3:1 TD:INT ratio). His delivery mechanics leave something to be desired, but Hogan understands how to operate within the pocket with proper eye discipline, access secondary reads in his progression and flashes the ability to make plays with his feet as a bigger, athletic quarterback at 6’4, 230 lbs. Protecting Hogan and also making a his third position change in as many seasons is offensive guard David Yankey. Kicking inside after starting every game in 2012 at left tackle, Yankey mans the left guard position with ideal size, girth and movement skills. Thanks to his disiciplined, refined skill set, Yankey should be viewed as a plug and play starting guard prospect that also brings offensive tackle versatility.
A few names that you should get to know are San Jose State cornerback Bené Beniwikere and defensive lineman Travis Raciti. Corner Beniwikere has experience at both safety and cornerback and brings desirable size-speed measurables to the table. Additionally, he presents excellent ball skills thanks to his length and corresponding length, as well as willingness to attack downhill and support the run. For defensive lineman Raciti, his NFL position likely resides along a three-man front at the 5-technique position. Underrated athletically and gifted with ideal size, look for Raciti to ratchet up the pressure against Kevin Hogan and the Stanford Cardinal offense. And to close, keep an eye on defensive line convert Charlie Hopkins and 6’7 Luke Kaumatule at the tight end position. Both should play a pivotal role in David Shaw’s pro styled pass attack that has consistently featured two tight ends in past seasons.
Others to Watch:
Tyler Gaffney, RB, Stanford – #25, 6’1, 221
Ryan Hewitt, FB, Stanford – #85, 6’4, 245
(JR) Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford – #7, 6’2, 215
Kevin Danser, OG, Stanford – #76, 6’6, 301
Khalil Wilkes, OC, Stanford – #65, 6’3, 290
Josh Mauro, DE, Stanford – #90, 6’6, 281
(JR) AJ Tarpley, ILB, Stanford – #17, 6’2, 238
Anthony Wilkerson, RB, Stanford – #32, 6’1, 214
Kyle Nunn, WR, San Jose State – #19, 6’2, 209
Chandler Jones, WR, San Jose State – #89, 5’11, 174
Nicholas Kaspar, OG, San Jose State – #75, 6’4, 284
Jon Meyer, OT, San Jose State – #79, 6’5, 284
Vince Buhagiar, OLB, San Jose State – #36, 6’4, 237
Keith Smith, ILB, San Jose State – #31, 6’1, 229
Anthony Larceval, DT, San Jose State – #97, 6’2, 284
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