Two prolific offenses are set to square off in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma State comes into this matchup with a 10-2 record and the 9th best scoring offense in the country at 41.2 ppg. Ole Miss is no joke either. They come into the game with a 9-3 record and are 14th in the country at 40.3 ppg.
Both of these teams were college football playoff contenders during the season with Oklahoma State peaking at #6, while Ole Miss peaked early in the season at #3 after beating #1 Alabama. Here is a look at some of the top prospects from each team in the 2015 Sugar Bowl.
By: Austin Baumer
Oklahoma State
Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, #38
Ogbah is 4th in the nation in sacks with 13. All Ogbah has done in college is produce at a high level. Evaluators love his NFL-ready size at 6’4” and 275 lbs. The pros on his game are his exceptional quickness off of the line and his burst at the point-of-attack. He can wow you with speed moves or power moves and has been reported to run a 4.6 40-yard dash, which should intrigue the ability to play him as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme. While he is another polarizing prospect with some scouts high on him and some not so sure. It makes for a great opportunity to showcase his explosiveness against a top-caliber SEC team.
Kevin Peterson, CB, #1
Peterson is very physical, especially at the line of scrimmage. He isn’t afraid to play in press coverage or lay a hit in the running game. Disrupting receivers is his bread and butter. The knocks I see on film for Peterson are that he lacks top speed, lacks change of direction skills, which allow him to get beat over the top. Peterson fits very well in a cover 2 scheme where he would be allowed to play press coverage and get physical. A Senior Bowl commit, it will be interesting to see him match up versus Laquon Treadwell in the Sugar Bowl.
Jimmy Bean, DE, #92
Bean is a very athletic edge rusher that has enough speed for the next level and will show signs of his potential with quick a trigger. He fails to use strength to win one-on-ones and gets locked up by tackles with a good slide step. Bean will be taken out of the game if his first move doesn’t work as tackles will cause him to go into combat mode. Bean needs to improve on his overall game and strength as a developmental prospect on the outside looking in as a draftable grade.
Ole Miss
Laquon Treadwell, WR, #1 (Junior)
Treadwell is looked at by most evaluators as the top receiver available for the draft. He ended 2014 with a gruesome leg injury and popped back in 2015. All-around Treadwell is the best receiver in the draft. He has plus skills across the board including, but not limited to: jumping, awareness, size, hand dexterity, breaking tackles. The only knock on Treadwell is that he struggles to get separation off of quicker corners. A potential top-10 pick.
Laremy Tunsil, LT, #78 (Junior)
Tunsil missed the 1st half of the season due to an ongoing investigation into an alleged assault with his step-dad. He followed the missed 1st half with an impressive showing in the 2nd. Tunsil has quick feet, great bend, strong hands, and is an exceptional athlete. Tunsil has the potential to be the number one pick in the upcoming draft.
Robert Nkemdiche, DT, #5 (Junior)
Nkemdiche is suspended for the bowl game due to an arrest involving marijuana recently. As a prospect, Nkemdiche has superb strength and inside quickness to shoot gaps, take on double teams, and has impressive field awareness. Often times this year Nkemdiche’s strength forced teams to double team him. Nkemdiche can be moved along the line and is scheme versatile. Look for Nkemdiche to be a top 20 pick.
Evan Engram, TE, #17 (Junior)
Engram is one of the top tight ends in the upcoming draft. A matchup nightmare across the middle due to exceptional acceleration and speed, Engram is another reliable receiver who does a good job of making cuts on his route running. Engram is only 6’3” which isn’t huge for a TE by any means, but he possesses really special skills as a receiver. Look to see how he sets the edge in the running game on Friday as he has taken some heat for his blocking. He reminds me of Owen Daniels and could be drafted as high as the 2nd round should he declare for the draft.
Trae Elston, S, #7
Elston is undersized for a safety, but that doesn’t mean he is afraid to attack downhill. Elston has impressive closing speed despite not have a top speed that you would like to have out of an NFL safety. He flies around to the ball with natural instincts. Elston is a ball hawk with solid hands and playmaking ability. Elston should be a draft pick due to his versatility as a cover man along with being a compact tackler.
Others Players to Watch:
Jaylen Walton, RB, #6
Cody Core, WR, #88
Fahn Cooper, OT, #74
Aaron Morris, OG, #72
Justin Bell, OG, #68
Ben Still, C, #64
Woodrow Hamilton, DT, #56
Channing Ward, DE, #11
C.J. Johnson, ILB, #10
Mike Hilton, CB, #38
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