Despite having two seasons of full-time starting quarterback play and a national championship appearance on his resume, the now former quarterback prospect Nick Marshall has officially made the switch to cornerback for the 2015 Senior Bowl. As as Alex Brown of Optimum Scouting alluded to in his quotes to SportingNews.com, he’s likely better off for it.
His replacement on the South roster will be Southeastern Louisiana’s Bryan Bennett.
A former Oregon transfer, Bennett was productive at the FCS level the past two season, threatening with both his arm talent and foot speed as a runner. After not earning a Shrine Game invite and opting not to play in any other all-star game, this will be Bennett’s first chance since his college career ended to throw in front of scouts.
With the Senior Bowl set to determine if scouts will revisit his college film to see if he merits draft consideration in this week quarterback crop, I decided to go back and revisit my scouting notes on Bennett, to preview his potential performance, and what scouts will be looking for during practices.
As the team’s leading rusher, Bennett was highly utilized in the read-option game, and showcased very quick feet as a runner, eluding big hits and navigating through traffic and second-level blocks at a high level in the option game. Playing in a simplified, one-read based offense, Bennett is a thrower at quarterback, and not a refined passer yet. His release is quick enough, despite his elbow dropping too low and not finishing over the top.
With ample arm strength to throw vertically as well as drive the ball in the mid-field, Bennett thrived on option stick throws in the mid-field, as well as utilizing his arm strength when adjusting the pocket, despite his lower half not in position. He flashes plus-mid-field placement, but his anticipation and timing on the perimeter was an issue.
His offensive scheme adjustment as well as his need to refine his mechanics will likely cause him to struggle a bit during the week of practice, but his arm talent will likely be shown off in team drills if he can connect on his first read, and his foot speed and elusiveness as a runner likely won’t be utilized until the game.
As of now, Bennett is in the late-round range as a developmental quarterback with the upside to be an ideal back-up for a team looking to prepare against a similar athlete at quarterback in-division (Saints, Rams, Seahawks).
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