Owner: Small School Prospects for the NFL Draft URL:http://nfl-prospects.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:59:09 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: This Blog will focus entirely on Small School NFL Prospects available for the NFL Draft and as free agents. I will focus on Division 1AA, Division II and III, with a sprinkling of NAIA, junior college and smaller Division I schools. Site statistics:Click here
Spotlight on Offensive Tackle Jermon Bushrod 2007-01-29 00:19:00 One of the best players in Division 1-AA is offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod from Towson University. The 6-5, 325-pound lineman was a four-year starter at left tackle, and was named to the All-Atlantic 10 team for three years in a row. NFL Scouts will be taking a long look at him for the 2007 NFL Draft."It was quite a luxury to have a player of Jermon's caliber starting at left tackle for the last four years," said Towson Coach Gordy Combs, who finished his 15th season as the Tigers' coach. "He was a major part of our offensive success and he will be missed. Jermon is one of the best linemen we've had here at Towson and we are hoping that he gets an opportunity to play professionally"Bushrod played very well in the inaugural Insta-Juice North-South All Star Football Classic on January 13, 2007 in Houston, Texas. The offensive tackle from King George, Va., helped the Tigers to a 7-4 record this past fall and a third place finish in the Atlantic 10 Football Conference's So Read more:Spotlight
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Hampton: The Small School Football Factory 2007-01-20 19:54:00 Picture: WR Marquay McDanielWell no wonder Hampton
finished the 2006 season 7-1 and won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. What a football powerhouse, they have a whopping five players selected to participate in the 2007 NFL Combine and all five will probably hear their names called in the 2007 NFL Draft. 1. Safety Travarous Bain, 6-0 175 A former Miami Hurricane, Bain joined the Pirates for the 2005 season and established himself as one of the top ranked cornerbacks in the country. He was a two-time selection to the All-MEAC First Team, picking off a team-high five passes and breaking up six others this past season. Bain is widely regarded as the top small school prospect in the nation and will be a hot commodity in this 2007 NFL Draft because of his blazing recovery speed.2. LB Justin Durant, 6-2 230Durant led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with 98 total tackles, including 65 solo stops. The senior linebacker from Florence, S.C., also had 13 tackles for loss, a sack, fi Read more:Small
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The Next Jerry Rice 2007-01-18 05:25:00 The comparisons to Jerry
Rice are coming in left and right. They both played in Division 1AA; Wide Reciever David Ball from New Hampshire and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice
from Mississippi Valley State. This past season (2006), Ball broke Rice's collegiate touchdown record of 50 touchdowns, Ball shattered that with 58 TDs in his career. Reportedly Ball's lack of speed (his 40-yard time as a sophomore was 4.6 seconds, the same time Rice put up his senior year) and his lack of size (at 6'2", 200 pounds, he's the same height and weight as Rice) are all further reasons that people are calling Ball the next Jerry Rice. Heck, Ball even has the same agent; he hired Ralph Cindrich of Debartolo Sports and Entertainment in Pittsburgh, the same man who represented Jerry Rice.Ok, let's stop the madness here, we need to quit comparing every small school star receiver with average speed to Jerry Rice, just the same as we need to stop comparing every short stocky, talented running back to
Heath Benedict to Return for Senior Season 2007-01-15 04:37:00 Good news for Newberry College fans. Josh Buchanan at D2football.com is reporting that Small School Star offensive lineman HeathBenedict
will return to Newberry for his senior year. So the NFL Draft will have to wait another year.
Read more:Return
, Season
The Value of the Small School NFL Draft Prospect 2007-01-15 03:20:00 That's the great thing about Blogs, you can write about anything you want, but I won't stray too far from my SmallSchoolProspect
theme, I promise. If you're reading this article you probably already know about the importance of the Small School player to the NFL Draft
process, about how you can get a great player later in the draft just because he is not from a Division I school.Yes I could remind you of the Jerry Rices (Mississippi Valley State) and Terrell Owens (Chattanooga) of the world, or maybe a 7th round draft pick like New Orlean's rookir star WR Marques Colston from tiny Hofstra, but those guys are too obvious.Instead I want to focus, in my opinion, on the best rookie offensive guard in the NFL this year, Jahri Evans from the New Orleans Saints. Last season he was playing offensive tackle for Division II Bloomsburg.I went back and watched about 5 games of Evans playing right guard for the Saints this year. He is just a great player; he displays excellent technique, Read more:Value
Small School Tight Ends for the 2007 NFL Draft 2007-01-12 18:46:00 Three SmallSchool
Tight Ends have been chosen to attend the prestigious 2007 NFL Combine:Michael Allen, Whitworth CollegeDivision III superstar Allen will participate in the 2007 NFL Combine and will play in the 2007 Dell East-West Shrine Game. The Shrine Game will be played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on January 20th and will be carried live in prime time by ESPN2.Allan will play on the West squad in the Shrine Bowl. The head coach of the West this season will be Dan Reeves, who coached both the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl. Allan is the only NCAA Division III player currently invited to participate in the Shrine Game. Allan is also the only NCAA Division III player invited to the NFL Combine, scheduled for February 21-27 in Indianapolis, Indiana. According to the official combine website, Top Executives, Coaching Staffs, Player Personnel Departments and Medical Personnel from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand to evaluate 300 of the nation's top c Read more:Draft
, NFL Draft
Three More to Attend 2007 NFL Combine 2007-01-12 02:55:00 The names are slowly trickling in and three more Small School Prospects for the 2007 NFL Draft have been identified. Approximately only twenty or so Small School Prospects are invited annually to attend the 2007 NFL Combine
. Only the best of the best from the Small School world are fortunate enough to attend the combine, and I have three more names for you:1. RB Eldra Buckley from 1-AA Tennessee-ChatanoogaBuckley was the leading rusher in the SoCon this season and an All-Conference selection the last two years. This stud running back from Charleston, Miss. led the league with 109.5 rushing yards per game. His yardage for the last two years combined looks pretty impressive. He played in 23 games, rushed 432 times for 2,430 yards and 18 TDs. He set the school's single-season record in 2005 with 1,233 rushing yards and is the only UTC player to run for over 1,000 yards in a season twice. He could have even amassed more yards, but in the final game of the year at Wofford he only rushed t Read more:Three
Allen Barbre Invited to the 2007 NFL Combine 2007-01-11 02:19:00 Another Small School Prospect will be scrutinzed by NFL Scouts. Missouri Southern's Allen
Barbre will be given an opportunity to "play with the big boys" at the 2007 Hula Bowl and the 2007 NFL Combine
. The Hula Bowl is an all-star game held in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 14 and the NFL Combine will be on February 22 in Indianapolis.Barbre was named to the first team of the D2football.com All-American Team, the Associated Press and Coaches All-American teams, was a Daktronics All-Southwest Region first team member and was the lone offensive player this year to be a unanimous All-MIAA selection. He was a preseason D2football.com and Don Hansen's Football Gazette first team All-American selection.The athletic 6 foot 4, 295-pound offensive lineman should fare quite well, and with a strong performance could here his name heard sometime on the second day of the 2007 NFL Draft.See article here
Heath Benedict May Enter the 2007 NFL Draft 2007-01-09 01:48:00 Massive Division II offensive lineman HeathBenedict
, from Newberry College (Redshirst Junior), may make his self eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft
. Benedict was named to the AP's Little All-America first team after helping the Indians (11-2) to their first Division II South Atlantic Conference title and NCAA playoff berth.Benedict, a 6-foot-6, 320 pound lineman who originally signed with Tennessee, is considering giving up his final season for the NFL. "My family and I are discussing my plans for next year," Benedict said by phone. The NFL "is definitely something to think about"He is currently waiting on the NFL's College Advisory Committee to evaluate his draft status, and has until January 15th to declare. Newberry coach Zak Willis has told him that if he was projected as a third round pick or higher, Benedict should enter the draft. The Little All-America team honors players not part of college football's largest divisions, I-A and I-AA.
Read more:NFL Draft
Small School Sleeper 2007-01-03 17:07:00 RB Alvin Banks, James MadisonI want to take a minute to highlight a small school sleeper running back named Alvin Banks from Division 1-AA James Madison. Banks came into 2006 as possibly a day one draft pick for the 2007 NFL Draft, but saw limited time this year due to nagging injuries and only played in eight games. His draft stock has definitely slipped to the late round/free agent status, but when healthy he is a heck of a talent. Last year, (2005), he played in 11 games, carrying the ball 169 times for 940 yards and nine touchdowns. He is also an excellent receiver, catching 25 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns.Unfortunately, due to injuries his production really tailed off his senior year (2006). He played sparingly in only eight games and rushed 62 times for only 311 yards, but he has a nose for the goal line, he scored 7 touchdowns and continued to show his skill as a receiver catching 13 passes for 161 yards and another score.At 5 foot 11 inches and 224 pounds, he has the Read more:Small
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Small School NFL Draft Prospect QB Josh Brehm 2007-01-03 03:49:00 From Division III to the NFL? OK I might be getting ahead of myself here, that's quite a leap, but this kid is very talented. At 6-2 220 pounds he has the size, arm strength and accuracy to have a shot at the next level. Will Josh Brehm be the next Tony Romo? Well he probably won't get drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft
, but might be given a chance to "walk on" an NFL club as a free agent.Senior quarterback Josh Brehm, from Alma College won the 2006 Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the top player in Division III football each season. The award honors excellence in football, academics and community service. Brehm, a Michigan Tech transfer, has drawn the attention of NFL Draft
scouts. He has an incredible 30-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio while passing for 3,448 yards and adding an additional 636 yards and nine scores on the ground. Brehm is very smart, mobile and has a powerful arm. He has passed for over 6,000 yards and rushed for over 1,0 Read more:Small
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Louisiana-Monroe sends two to the NFL Combine 2007-01-01 01:52:00 It must have been quite a defensive backfield for the Warhawks this year. A cornerback (Chaz Williams) and a safety (Kevin Payne) recently received invites to the 2007 NFL Combine. That's quite an accomplishment for two players from the same small school. Chaz Williams is currently my top rated small school cornerback.Read the full press release here:http://ulmathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/122806aaa.html
Read more:Louisiana
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Spotlight on Jason Trusnik 2006-12-30 02:36:00 Division III small school wonder DE/OLB from Ohio Northern, Jason
Trusnik made an excellent comeback this season after missing last year with a broken right foot. As a junior he led the nation with 18½ sacks and 31 tackles for loss and as a senior he recorded 60 tackles, 19.5 sacks and 11 Tackles for a loss.Trusnik has good size (6-4, 248) and is fairly strong, but in my opinion he will need a couple years of strength and technique development in order to make it in the NFL. He looks fast against Division III opponent's, but will need to have a blazing fast 40 time in order to get drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft.Trusnik was named to the 2006 AFCA Division III Coaches All-American Team. The team was selected exclusively by Division III coaches. He also earned AFCA All-American honors in 2004 when he was named Defensive Player of the Year by Football Gazette.He is one of 24 Polar Bears to garner All-American honors and just the seventh to earn the honor twice. Trusnik also won the Paul H Read more:Spotlight
A blast from the past: 2006 NFL Draft 2006-12-28 03:58:00 Here was my final small school prospect rankings before the 2006 NFL Draft
:1. S Danieal Manning, 6-0 205, Abilene Christian (JR) (D2)2. QB Ingle Martin, 6-2 226, Furman (1AA)3. CB David Pittman, 5-11 175, Northwestern St. (La) (1AA)4. CB Antonie Bethea, 5-10 178, Howard (1AA) 5. OT Kevin Boothe, 6-4 318, Cornell (1AA)6. WR Marques Colston, 6-4 216, Hofstra (1AA) 7. OT Paul McQuistan, 6-5 308, Weber State (1AA)8. DE/OLB Chris Gocong, 6-3 257, Cal Poly-SLO (D2)9. WR Miles Austin, 6-3 225, Monmouth, NJ (D2) 10. OLB Brent Hawkins, 6-3 245, Illinois State (1AA)11. DE Jason Hatcher, 6-6 280, Grambling (1AA)12. DE/OLB Jason Hunter, 6-4 235, Appalachian State (1AA)13. OT Jahri Evans, 6-4 330, Bloomsburg State (D2)14. WR Delanie Walker, 6-2 228, Central Missouri State (D2) 15. CB Jay McCareins, 6-0 190, Princeton (1AA)16. WR Richie Ross, 6-4 209, Kearney State (D2)17. S Reed Doughty, 6-1 209, Northern Colorado (1AA)18. CB Cletis Gordon, 6-1 200, Jackson State (1AA)19. DE Dave Tollefson, 6-4 26 Read more:NFL Draft
DL Mike McFadden wins Gene Upshaw Award 2006-12-28 01:40:00 Grand Valley State nose tackle Mike McFadden
was recently honored as the repeat recipient of the Gene Upshaw Award
as Division II's Offensive/Defensive Lineman of the Year. McFadden won the award for the second season in a row after changing positions from defensive end to nose tackle. One of the better NFL Draft prospects in Division II football, he also just won back-to-back NCAA Division II football championships.McFadden missed two games with an injured right ankle and knee, but still managed to record 37 tackles, including 6 1/2 quarterback sacks and 13 1/2 tackles for a loss this year.At about 6-0 and 260 pounds he doesn't have the size to play tackle in the NFL, and might be thought of as too short to play defensive end. I don't see him getting drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, but with his impressive college resume he should get a tryout at an NFL camp next year.
Defensive NFL Football Prospects 2006-12-27 20:25:00 Small School Defense Prospects for the 2007 NFL Draft:Defensive
Ends:Jason Trusnik, 6-4 240, Ohio NorthernMarques Murrell, 6-2 235, Appalachian StateDanny Muir, 6-1 282, Kent StateKevin Winston, 6-2 237, James MadisonOdell Willis, 6-2 245, West GeorgiaMicah Littlejohn, 6-2 247, HamptonAndre Coleman, 6-3 288, Albany State (NY)Martin Jackson, 6-3 252, Alcorn StateKeith Heimerl, 6-3 250, RowanEric Power, 6-4 271, Concordia (MN)Tony Hills, 6-3 241, Louisiana-LafayetteJeremy Pittman, 6-3 242, Central ArkansasClive Lowe, 6-2 245, Montana StateMichael McFadden 6-0 256, Grand Valley StateJohnny Campbell, 6-4 271, RichmondJermaine Reid, 6-3 277, AkronSir Keevin Hardiman, 6-1 238, Nebraska-KearneyAlex Hall, 6-5 250, St. AugustineDefensive Tackles:Tory Collins, 6-1 294, Northwestern State (LA)Keith grennan, 6-4 302, Eastern WashingtonKiki Gonzalez, 6-1 300, AkronMarcus Huntley, 6-1 312, CatawabaHarrison Nikolao, 6-2 312, Eastern WashingtonElbert Shumate, 6-2, 312, PikevilleAndy Matakis, 6-2 285, Read more:Football
Top Small school NFL Prospects (offense) 2006-12-27 17:25:00 This is my first small school installment with more to follow. Here is a list of some of the top senior offensive players that will be available for the 2007 NFL Draft.Quarterback:Jeff Smith, 6-5 240, Georgetown (KY)Jerry Babb, 6-2 219, Louisiana-LafayetteJosh Brehm, 6-2 220, Alma CollegeToby Korrodi, Central Missouri State (Mules)Kevin Huff, 6-1 219, TuskegeeJon Grant, 6-2 208, Cal-DavisRyan Cubit, 6-1 222, Western-MichiganAndy Collins, 6-1 215, OccidentalRichard Bartell, 6-4 230, Tarleton StateJosh Padrick, 6-2 208, Florida InternationalJimmy Terwilliger, East StrousburgRunning Backs:Alvin banks, 5-10 225, James MadisonAlonzo Coleman, 5-10 205, HamptonGermaine Race, 5-10, 230, Pittsburg St. (KS)Eugene Gross, 5-8 210, M. Tennessee StateJamal Pittman, 6-1 238, Jackson StateMaurice Fenner, 6-0 211, James MadisonAnthony Watson, 5-9 216, South Dakota StateAntonio Atkins, 5-9 188, Albany State (GA)Eldra Buckley, 5-9 200, UT-ChattanoogaKyle Steffes, 5-11 207, North Dakota StateOsagie Osunde Read more:Small
Interview with Josh Buchanan 2007-08-14 17:39:00 Josh Buchanan
covers pro prospects for D2Football.com and is regarded as one of the leading authorities on small school football talent. He has many contacts within the NFL and all levels of college football. Buchanan has been employed or written for NFLDraftScout.com, I.AA.org (now collegesportingnews.com), southernpigskin.com, and many others.At the age of 17 he started contributing to the College Scouting Bureau and to various I-AA media. The last two years he has written for Phil Steele's Preseason Magazine, supplying information on the FCS (formerly I-AA).He was an Assistant Sports Information Director for the Las Vegas All-American Classic for a year where he aided in player selection and served in the press box on game day. He was the game columnist for the Magnolia Gridiron Classic in 2006. In 2007 he wrote the bios for the Texas vs. Nation Game as well and the East-Coast Bowl uses his services as a contact for player information.His information is used by personnel with the E
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