Draft Watch: Florida vs. Georgia (Jack, FL)

10.31.09 @ 3:30 PM Eastern on CBS

1) Tim Tebow: Stock Up/Stock Down – There’s no question Tebow’s stock is down, although no one can question his talent—he is an amazing college football player who could break Herschel Walker’s all-time SEC rushing touchdown record this coming Saturday in Jacksonville, ironically against the Dawgs. Even though Walker did it in just three seasons, it’s impressive for a quarterback to surpass the legendary runner regardless of how many more games he’s played. But we’ve seen great college quarterbacks do little to nothing playing on Sundays, and Tebow could fall under that category. He is not a polished passer. Sure he completes some nice passes; he isn’t awful, but he simply doesn’t look like an NFL passer. This season his numbers have taken a major dip, and he is coming off a game where two of his passes were returned for touchdowns by the Mississippi St. Bulldogs’ defense.

2) First Gator defender off the board – Depending on who decides to leave early, senior MIKE Brandon Spikes could be the third Gator defender to hear his name called in April. The most talented Florida defenders are defensive end Carlos Dunlap and cornerback Joe Haden. At 6’ 6” and 290 pounds, Dunlap is an absolute beast coming off the edge. His combination of size and athleticism at the end position is unparalleled in college football, which is why many scouts will have Dunlap rated as the top defensive end if he declares. The same could be said of Haden should he decide he is ready for the NFL once his junior season is over—the 5’ 11” Maryland native is as talented as any cornerback in the nation. Haden took his lumps as a true freshman, but has developed into one of the game’s top cover corners. Spikes, who is listed as “probable” after leaving the Arkansas game with a groin injury and sitting out last week’s contest versus Mississippi State, still figures to go in the first round, but it will more than likely be in the bottom half.

3) Georgia’s best defense prospect is – There are several names to choose from, starting with defensive tackles Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins, followed by linebacker Rennie Curran, cornerback Brandon Boykin and safety Reshad Jones. Right now, neither Owens nor Atkins has been their most productive interior lineman—that would be Kade Weston. Boykin is just a sophomore, while Jones is still a better athlete than he is a football player. That leaves us with Curran, Georgia’s stellar outside linebacker. He is undersized and is limited to playing in a four-three defense where he can be protected by his defensive line. Nevertheless, he is an outstanding football player and his speed, recognition skills and tackling ability don’t need protecting. Curran’s 72 tackles are 29 more than Jones, who is second on the team. Curran may not have the upside of Atkins or Jones, but he is certainly a good enough football player to play at the next level.

Photos Courtesy of SEC Sports Media

CFI Countdown: #8 Georgia Bulldogs

2008 Record: 10-3 (SEC 6-3)
Bowl Game: Won Capital One Bowl vs. Michigan St. 24-12
Location: Athens, Georgia
Stadium: Sanford Stadium (92,746)
Head Coach: Mark Richt
Overall: 82-22 (9th season)
@ Georgia: 82-22 (9th season)
Link to UGA Football Page

There are no number one rankings or Heisman favorites. There aren’t nearly as many magazine covers, and there isn’t a potential number one overall pick in the NFL Draft. But none of that means this group of Dawgs can’t be better than last year’s bunch. This year’s team won’t be as flashy and doesn’t have the same potential, but they should be a tougher, more physical team.

When the Bulldogs Have the Ball

Offensive Coordinator: Mike Bobo (3rd season)
Scheme: Pro Style Offense
Starters Returning: Seven
Key Losses: QB Matthew Stafford, RB Knowshon Moreno, WR Mohamed Massaquoi

Even though Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno left with a combined three years of eligibility remaining, there is confidence that the offense could be better in 2009, and that might not be such a crazy idea. In senior quarterback Joe Cox they have the ideal replacement for Stafford. Now obviously, Cox doesn’t have the same fastball, but his arm is good enough and he has really stepped up as the leader in Athens according to all accounts. Replacing Moreno’s running and energy might not be easy, but sophomores Richard Samuel and Caleb King don’t lack for talent. There may not be one superstar back, but when was the last time Georgia didn’t field a deep and talented stable? A big reason for the good feelings is a healthy offensive line, especially if sophomore tackle Trinton Sturdivant can come back 100 percent after missing all of last season. He was impressive as a true freshman starter at left tackle in 2007. Other players with All-SEC potential include sophomore center Ben Jones and junior guard/tackle Clint Boling. This group is deep and talented—a weakness from last season has become a strength. If you are looking for a potential superstar on offense look no further than sophomore A. J Green, who made an impression around the SEC as a true freshman last season. Green is fast and capable of stretching the field with the size to go up and get the football in traffic—he’s a dynamic playmaker that will be near impossible to stop one-on-one. Senior Michael Moore has big-play potential as well, and there are high hopes for red-shirt freshman Tavarres King.

Top Pro Prospects: 1) SS A. J. Green (SO), 2) OT Trinton Sturdivant (SR), 3) OT/OG Clint Boling (JR)

When the Other Team Has the Ball

Defensive Coordinator: Willie Martinez (5th season)
Scheme: Multiple 4-3
Starters Returning: Six
Key Losses: CB Asher Allen, LB Dannell Ellerbe, DT Corey Irvin, DE Jarius Wynn

Last season the feeling was that Georgia would have one of the best tackle tandems in the SEC, if not the nation. Then Jeff Owens went down for the season with an injury in the season opener and Geno Atkins had a lackluster season...time for take two. Owens, a medical red-shirt after the injury, has a second crack at his senior season and the hope is Atkins, who many thought would leave early, will play up to his potential. There is also quality depth behind the two seniors. They also lacked a premiere pass rusher a year ago, which they hope will be rectified by sophomore Justin Houston, who brings big-time ability. Leading the linebacker corps is junior Rennie Curran from his WILL position—he is undersized but boy can he fly, and he packs a wallop when he gets there. Junior Akeem Dent, a solid tackler, mans the middle, with SAM Darryl Gamble very capable in coverage. Senior Marcus Washington is yet another player working his way back from injury. At cornerback, senior Prince Miller returns, with sophomore Brandon Boykin ready to step in for the departed Asher Allen. Allen was among the SEC’s best before declaring for the draft, but Boykin could even better. The most talented player on the Georgia defense, and maybe the entire team, is junior safety Reshad Jones. A wise decision was made when he decided to return to Georgia—good news for the Dawgs and Jones. As talented as Jones is—his size and speed combo is as impressive as any defensive back in the nation—he still needs to work on his understanding of the game.

Top Pro Prospects: 1) SS Rashad Jones (JR), 2) LB Rennie Curran (JR), 3) DT Jeff Owens (SR)

The Schedule

It will be an interesting September in Georgia and it all begins in Stillwater as they travel west to take on the Oklahoma St. Cowboys. A win there will send a message that this season, the Bulldogs will fulfill their potential. They follow that up with consecutive SEC games—South Carolina and at Arkansas—before closing the month out with Arizona St. between the hedges. If September is interesting, then October is downright enthralling. It starts off with a home game versus LSU and ends in Jacksonville against Florida. Those two tilts sandwich road tests at Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The also play border rival Auburn and visit in-state rival Georgia Tech in November. Wow—that schedule is a doozie.

Pivotal Point

Get healthy and stay healthy, particularly in the trenches. It seemed like every week the Dawgs threw out a different starting five along the offensive line, which is no way to win football games in the SEC. Line play on each side of the ball needs cohesiveness, no matter the talent. Sturdivant, Boling, Jones, and sophomore Cordy Glenn are all projected among the best at their respective positions. Last year Stafford and Moreno didn’t lead them to the Promised Land, in part because of the woes up front. This year they could win because of the line. The same could be said on defense—Atkins and Owens make everyone better.

CFI Final Analysis


The 2008 Bulldogs didn’t handle having a bull’s-eye placed on them with a pre-season number one ranking well. (Not that 10 wins is a bad season.) They were the hunted. Now, they are the hunter. Can they pull off the upset in Boone Pickens Stadium? Can they stack up with the Bayou Bengals? Take a deep breath—could they knock off the Florida Gators? Will they reclaim their status as top dog in the Peach state? It says here that headman Mark Richt and company will relish that role and have a better season than people think.

College Football Insiders Top 25 Countdown:
The Next 25 (26-50) Plus 18 Bowl Teams
#25 West Virginia Mounainteers
#24 Tennessee Volunteers
#23 Clemson Tigers
#22 Pittsburgh Panthers
#21 Michigan St. Spartans
#20 Utah Utes
#19 Oregon Ducks
#18 Florida St. Seminoles
#17 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
#16 Boise St. Broncos
#15 North Carolina Tar Heels
#14 Penn St. Nittany Lions
#13 Mississippi Rebels
#12 Oklahoma St. Cowboys
#11 California Golden Bears
#10 Iowa Hawkeyes
#9 Virginia Tech Hokies

Photos Courtesy of SEC Sports Media

Top 10 SEC Senior Prospects

By JUSTIN VANFULPEN

1. DE Greg Hardy, Ole Miss – Hardy’s career at Ole Miss has been anything but normal. This past winter there was much speculation that he would enter his name into the 2009 NFL Draft, but Hardy ultimately made the decision to return for his senior season. Last season he suffered a stress fracture in his right foot during preseason practice that required surgery, causing him to miss the team’s first three games. In 2007 he was suspended for two games for violating team rules.

If Hardy can remain healthy, he can be a dominant pass rusher. He possesses all of the qualities a team could want in a defensive end—he has good size at 6-4 265, a great first step when he is rushing the passer, and is solid against the run. One scout I talked to told me that Hardy would have been the best 4-3 defensive end in this past April’s draft if he had declared.

2. CB Trevard Lindley, Kentucky – In Lindley, you have a one of the most polished cornerbacks in the college game—a defensive back with the ability to take away half the field. Not only does he have great speed and anticipation, he also has the size to go with it, standing right around 6 feet tall. Last season Lindley was honored as a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation.

He is not as thick as Malcolm Jenkins (Lindley is only around 180 pounds), who was the first cornerback drafted (#14 overall to the Saints) in this year’s draft, but Lindley has better speed, agility, and ball skills than Jenkins.

3. WR Brandon LaFell, LSU – LaFell declared for this year’s NFL draft, but changed his mind in the 72-hour period allowed for underclassmen and will return to LSU for his senior season. LaFell was a first team All-SEC selection in 2008, and in three years with the LSU he has 118 career receptions for 1,725 yards and 14 touchdowns.

LaFell is a big receiver (6-3, 210 pounds) with good speed, but he needs to be more consistent in his route running to become an elite wide receiver. If LaFell works on his ability to get in and out of breaks more smoothly instead of coasting on his natural athletic ability, he could be a top-notch wide receiver.

4. ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida – Spikes possesses good size and range for an inside linebacker, and has the ability to go sideline to sideline to make a play. Spikes has a great football IQ—he has the ability to diagnose plays, anticipate where the ball is going, and takes great angles when pursing the ball carrier. He is not great in coverage, but can do it if he is asked to.

Spikes had a better season in his sophomore year than he did last year, but he’s a productive player who can make game changing plays at the middle linebacker spot. That’s a hard-to-find quality, which is why Spikes will be drafted early if he keeps playing up to his potential

5. DT Terrence Cody, Alabama – They call him “Mount Cody”, and does that nickname ever fit—the big man is huge at 6-5, 365 pounds. Last season was Cody’s first at Alabama after arriving from Gulf Coast Community College, and he missed two games with a sprained MCL.

Cody has good agility for a man of his size and has the ability to play as a 3-4 nose tackle or a 4-3 defensive tackle. He is similar to B.J. Raji who was drafted 9th overall by the Green Bay Packers in this year’s draft, but Cody is bigger and I think better when all is said and done…but only if he keeps his weight in check.

6. OT Ciron Black, LSU – LSU is happy that Black decided to come back for his senior season because there were thoughts that he was going to leave early and if he did, he may have been a first-round pick. Black has great size at 6-5 320, and shows terrific quickness and agility with good balance. He has a powerful initial punch and has exceptional range to pull and get to the second level.

With a good senior season and more consistency, you might see Black rise to the level that Jason Smith (#2 overall pick by the Rams) did in this year’s draft. Smith is a better overall athlete then Black, but I think Black could actually have a better NFL career.

7. OLB Antonio Coleman, Auburn – Last season Coleman had 46 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks. Expect his production this season to go up from there. Coleman is a talented player who projects to be a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level. His best asset is his ability to rush the passer, but he is an all-around athlete that can drop in coverage and produce against the run.

There was some talk about Coleman coming out early, but he wisely ended up staying for his senior season. If he can put it all together this season, he could be a first-round pick in next year’s draft as more teams make the switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Outside linebackers are premier players in that defense.

8. DT Geno Atkins, Georgia – Atkins is a lot smaller than Cody of Alabama, but he makes up for that lack of size with speed and quickness. He is a Tampa Two type of defensive tackle—a good athlete with the ability to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage.

Atkins has a good motor and fires off the ball with the ability to penetrate and wreak havoc in the backfield. He is a hard worker and shows the ability to shed blocks. I think this will be a good season, one that will see him move up teams’ draft boards and wind up being a late first-round selection in 2010.

9. QB Tim Tebow, Florida – Everyone knows Tebow’s story—he is a great player and an even better person. He’s won multiple awards, including the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, and will be a favorite to win it again this season. His team has won two national titles and they will also be favored to win it again this season.

But the question is—how good of a NFL quarterback will Tim Tebow be? Everyone has an opinion on that, and those opinions vary to say the least. Tebow is coming from the spread offense, which is a huge negative for him. Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell didn’t get drafted or sign as a free-agent, and I think everyone would agree Harrell is a better pure passer then Tebow. True, Tebow is bigger, stronger, and a better overall athlete than Harrell, but the question marks are the same. I like Tebow and think he can play in the NFL, but I don’t think he is a lock first-round pick and a lot more evaluation is needed. That evaluation will come at the NFL combine, his Pro Day, and any All-Star games he participates in.

10. CB Javier Arenas, Alabama – Arenas is not only a good cornerback, he’s a great return man, one who returned three punts for touchdowns last season. He has the ability to score every time he touches the ball, and has great speed and elusiveness as a returner.

As a cornerback he has good ball skills, but stands only 5-9. He does make up for the lack of height somewhat with his bulk, tipping the scales at almost 200 pounds. He isn’t a shutdown corner but he can effectively cover man-to-man and is solid in zone coverage. He is also able to support in run defense and come off the edge on the blitz, but what makes Arenas so special is his game-changing ability in the return game.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media