BIG TEN CONFERENCE

 

Welcome to NFL Draft Blitz  - Got something on your mind? Have a question? Use the Message Board

Features
 

Future Classes
 

Player Rankings
 


Big Ten Conference

By: Nathan Hott

8/1/04

            I know it’s been awhile since I wrote a column but hey it’s the off season and I don’t think you all want to hear talk about the Big Ten’s decision on attempting instant replay. So I gave you all a break from listening to me rant well guess what break’s over.  First and foremost I have to say that this column is going to be a bit different, the site now has NCAA team columns so some of my work is done.  What I plan to do is focus on the pro prospects in the conference to start with and track them throughout the season.  Once conference play starts I’ll talk more about match-ups and how the conference season is playing out.  This is the first column of a new year and I want to give a quick glance of the best pro prospects in the conference.  Now before anyone writes me because I left off Laurence Maroney or Maurice Clarett let me just say this, my list consists of players eligible for the 2005 draft (sorry Mr. Maroney you’re only a sophomore) and players in the Big Ten (Mr. Clarett is not playing for Ohio St. so he doesn’t count.)  Also keep in mind this is a preliminary list, I reserve the right to add or remove anyone based on performance or lack there of. 

A Dozen Players you should know: The scouts already do.

Kyle Orton QB Purdue:  The most recognizable QB in the conference if for no other reason then most of the rest of them were carrying clipboards last year.  Orton is a three- year starter and by most accounts one of the top senior QB’s in the country.  He has all the right tools now all he has to do is show scouts he knows how to use them.

Marion Barber III RB Minnesota:  A tough, talented runner who is sharing his carries with another top talent.  If he were working alone he make a run at the Heisman, he stats may not be gaudy but his talent is plenty and the pros know it.  The draft could be tough with guys like Cedric Benson, Carnell Williams, Cedric Houston and the possible additions of underclassmen like T.A. McClendon, but there is always a place for great running backs. 

Anthony Davis RB Wisconsin:  Until last year he was tough and durable and this season he needs to show he is those two things again.  He can’t change the knock against his size but he can remove the injury part of his profile.  Davis is very tough and he will find a place in the NFL.

Braylon Edwards WR Michigan:  Physically one of the most gifted receivers in the country, mentally is where Edwards has to show scouts he’s ready for the NFL.  He is going to make Matt Gutierrez’s job a lot easier in Ann Arbor but Edwards returned to school in order to mature and become a better leader so he would be prepared for his future in the pros. 

David Baas OG Michigan:  Yes he’s a guard and you should know his name because he might be the best guard in the country.  Offensive guards don’t become household names and most are usually forgotten by scouts and general managers but the best ones stand out a Baas has made an impression.

Anttaj Hawthorne DT Wisconsin:  This guy is my pick to be the most talked about player come draft time.  Hawthorne is big, physical and quick, he stops the run and gets into the backfield.  Defensive Tackles that are this big and this fast are hard to come by and they are difference makers.  Just ask the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers how they would do without Richard Seymour and Kris Jenkins.  Hawthorne could be a special player like those two. 

Matt Roth DE Iowa:  Roth is the definition of a mean streak.  He has a relentless motor and loves to destroy QB’s.  He is also good at playing the run, he started his collegiate career as a LB and his tackling skills have served him well at DE.  Most people would say the loss of Howard Hodges would me more attention on Roth, but another way to look at is without Hodges, Roth will have more opportunities because Hodges won’t be taking away sacks. 

Abdul Hodge LB Iowa:  Last year Bob Sanders was the heart and soul of the Hawkeye’s defense this year that role will be filled by Hodge.  As the MLB on the Hawkeyes he led the conference in tackles last season and even though he is only a junior he is the leader of the defense.  Hodge is extremely fast on the field and hits like Sanders and scouts are well aware of that combination. 

AJ Hawk LB Ohio St.:  The Buckeyes have a lot to replace after the graduation of many of their top players but back to lead the defense is junior LB AJ Hawk.  A great talent with great instincts he leads the Buckeyes best unit, their LB’s.  The LB’s will be the heart of the their defense and probably their team. 

Pierre Woods LB Michigan:  Woods is overshadowed on his own team in terms of pro prospects but the scouts know who he is and that his talent will translate the pro game.  He’s a big LB who can do many things well and that makes him a valuable prospect.

Marlin Jackson CB Michigan:  He spent his first two years impressing many at CB, last year he sacrificed for the team and played S and had a few injuries.  He returns for his senior year at CB ready to show scouts that he’s still that big, physical and highly skilled CB they remember.  And they will remember. 

Chad Greenway LB Iowa:  Abdul Hodge has a running buddy and the scouts know it.  Nationally Hodge has received more mention then Greenway but Greenway was second in the conference last year in tackles and he has only be a LB for three years.  Greenway has the size, speed and skills to be a big time player in the NFL.  However, just like his teammate Hodge he is a junior so the pros may have to wait. 

 

Next time I’ll tell you about some guys who are ready to make the scouts stand up and pay attention. 

 


*For more in-depth Big 10 Analysis, look into our Draft Guide. 
Click Above To Buy

3/18/04

Now that spring football is either underway or about to get underway in college football it’s time to take a look at the Big Ten Conference before the competition begins.  Ever spring players fight for their spots, older players fight off younger ones, back-ups try to become starters and guys step up to replace those departed seniors that are trying to make the NFL.  There seems to be a theme to this year’s spring practices in the Big Ten, Who’s your QB?  There are only two teams going into the spring that can claim that they know who their QB is for sure.  Purdue will fight for the top of the conference and may have an edge with an experienced QB in Kyle Orton.  Indiana has stability as Matt LoVecchio returns as a starter but that could be as much about a lack of competition as it does about anything else.  Let’s take a look around the conference and see how the competitions shape up.

Ohio St.:  The top two QB’s from last season both graduated and now it’s time for former big name recruit Justin Zwick to take his place behind center.  The only problem is that in two years Zwick hasn’t played much and so far the hype is more than the production.  His competition for the spot comes in the form of another talented sophomore named Troy Smith.  Smith hasn’t played either so there is no reason to assume he’s better than Zwick.  Zwick appears to have the upper hand going into the spring but appearances and be deceiving.  This competition could prove very interesting.

Michigan:  Never to be outdone by the Buckeyes the graduation of John Navarre has a QB controversy ready to explode.  Last year’s backup was Matt Gutierrez and while he never lost a game in high school, this isn’t high school, and so far he hasn’t played enough to convince anyone he’s Michigan’s next QB.  Last year’s blue-chip recruit was Clayton Richard from Indiana and he has a year in the system now and is ready to challenge Gutierrez in the spring.  The real story in the Michigan QB battle is that the winner of the spring competition may not be the starter for long come fall.  This year’s blue-chip recruit is a kid named Chad Henne and he could possibly be the most talented of the three and come training camp he will likely push for playing time. 

            Penn St.:  This may not be as big of a competition as it is being made out to be.  Zack Mills has been the starter for a while but his was hurt last season and super-athlete Michael Robinson stepped in and showed flashes of brilliance.  The problem is that in the time Robinson has spent playing QB he has only shown flashes.  Mills has shown that when healthy and given some weapons on offense he can be a very good QB.  Crazy as it may seem in this story one of Mills’ best offensive weapons might be Michael Robinson if the coaching staff would put him in a position and leave him there.  This situation could get even messier come fall because QB Anthony Morelli, one the top recruits this past year has committed to Penn St. and he could change everything in the fall. 

            Iowa:  How about a four-way competition between three sophomores and a red-shirt freshman.  Drew Tate came to Iowa last season and in one training camp he rose to the backup position behind a senior QB.  Tate seems to have the inside track as Coach Ferentz praised him last year as he came up the ranks.  However, third-year sophomores Jason Manson and Cy Phillips, and red-shirt freshman Eric McCollum plan to give Kirk Ferentz plenty to think about during the spring and they all bring different talents to the table. 

            Illinois:  This QB competition comes courtesy of the NCAA.  They granted Jon Beutjer’s appeal for a sixth year of eligibility and even though he was the starter last season and only lost it to an injury with the way Illinois played last season I can’t imagine that Ron Turner isn’t contemplating a change.  Chris Pazan was a freshman last year and while he was no Kurt Kittner he wasn’t Beutjer either.  Illinois was horrible last season regardless of who was at the controls but Turner has to have an open mind and go with whichever player gives him the best chance to win.  Another season like last year and picking a QB for 2005 is going to become the problem of someone else. 

            Wisconsin:  Jim Sorgi is gone and while he wasn’t the best QB to ever play the game he was way ahead of his competition on the Badgers last year.  Matt Schabert will live in infamy for the rest of his life for throwing the 79-yard TD to Lee Evans that ended OSU’s winning streak but the rest of his season is certainly forgettable.  The problem for Barry Alvarez is that John Stocco, while not playing horribly, didn’t exactly light it up last year either.  Coach Alvarez has to be hoping that one of these two will mature and raise their game this spring or he’s going to go into next year contemplating running the wishbone with Anthony Davis, Booker Stanley and Dwayne Smith. 

            Michigan St.:  Now that the Jeff Smoker Decade has ended it’s time for John L. Smith to find the Spartans a new QB.  The heir apparent is Drew Stanton, he is young, talented and seems ready to take over.  One little problem is that Damon Dowdell has been around awhile and sat behind Smoker and he isn’t likely to just step out of the way.  How much of a competition this will be will depend on Stanton and how he takes to the offense but I find it highly unlikely that Dowdell won’t at least make him fight for the job. 

            Northwestern:  Competition may be overstating the situation.  Bret Basanez is not a terrible QB but he didn’t exactly put a stranglehold on the job last season.  Basanez’s biggest competition is likely to come from incoming recruit CJ Bacher.  Bacher is the top recruit in the class and sure to be a fan favorite (much like every other backup QB in the country).  While Bacher’s talent is certainly something to look forward to the Wildcats will best be suited playing their QB who has been through the rigors of the Big Ten. 

            Minnesota:  The most wide-open competition in the conference and it is not likely to be settle until the five QB recruits Coach Mason has coming in next fall arrive on campus.  John Carlson is the most heralded one of the recruits and the guys already on campus don’t seem to be firing any one up.  So come August Glen Mason may have to put names on a dart board and blindfold himself because replacing Asad Abdul-Khaliq looks like it could be a challenge and unless someone proves they are up to the challenge the Gophers offense will be Barber to the left, Maroney to the right, Barber up the middle and punt.  

 

2/10/04

Big Ten Column Recruiting

Wednesday, February 4th, was signing day in college football and a few teams in the Big Ten did very well, a few did better than expected and some teams didn’t make much of a splash at all.  Let’s take a look from top to bottom.  

Michigan:  22 players signed

The Good:  QB Chad Henne, WR’s Adrian Arrington and Doug Dutch, RB Max Martin, OL’s Alan Branch and Brett Gallimore, LB Chris Graham and DL Tim Jamison.

Henne is a 5-star QB recruit and with John Navarre’s graduation Henne should be able to come in and compete for playing time right away, which should make Braylon Edwards happy.  Branch, Gallimore, Arrington and Dutch should add to a long legacy of OL and WR who have been great at Michigan.  Jamison was one of the most dominating players at the U.S. Army All-American game and he could have an immediate impact for the Wolverines. 

            The Bad:  These guys are Michigan recruits if they are bad we will never see them because Michigan has other good players.  If any of these 4 or 5-star recruits don’t pan out that could be bad but Michigan can always get other 4 and 5-star recruits next year to make it up.

            Ohio St.:  23 players signed

            The Good:  CB Ted Ginn, WR’s Albert Dukes and Devon Lyons, LB Marcus Freeman, DL Vernon Gholston, TE’s Chad Hoobler and Rory Nicol, OL’s Kyle Mitchum and Ben Person.  CB Chris Gamble left OSU early for the NFL Draft and CB University just grabbed the best corner in the country, Ted Ginn, to be his replacement.  This kid should start from the day he sets foot on campus.  The other good news for Ohio St. is that in addition to Mitchum and Person they also signed two other offensive lineman in this class and considering the massive losses on the OL this year this is a very good thing. 

            The Bad:  Ohio St.’s class is very good and the only thing I would be worried about is that they signed one 4-star DL recruit, Vernon Gholston, but only two other DL recruits even though they lose three incredible starters off the DL this year.  I’m sure the Buckeyes have guys waiting in the wings but it won’t be easy replacing Smith, Scott and Anderson.

            Penn St.:  25 players signed  

            The Good:  LB Dan Connor, QB Anthony Morelli, OL Greg Harrison, DL A.Q. Shipley.  It’s not Michigan or Ohio St. but Connor and Morelli are the kind of big names that JoPa has been losing out on lately.  As a matter of fact Morelli was verbally committed to in-state rival Pitt before a falling out made him reconsider and then he picked Penn St.  Harrison and Shipley are going to be very tough players in the trenches for the Nittany Lions. 

            The Bad:  I don’t know if this class is enough to help JoPa turn things around or not or if he will be there long enough to make it happen but it is a step in the right direction and shows that Paterno isn’t going to go without a fight. 

            Iowa:  20 players signed

            The Good:  LB Kyle Williams, CB Walner Belleus, OL’s Seth Olsen and Nyere Aumaitre.  Williams is the real deal and will likely contribute immediately on the Hawkeyes defense, “The Bonecrusher” as he is nicknamed has no intention of redshirting and plans to play right away.  Belleus is a JUCO CB that is already on campus and will compete for playing time starting with spring practice.  Aumaitre and Olsen along with little known Rashad Dunn are three offensive lineman that will be molded by Kirk Ferentz and don’t be surprised when they get drafted some day down the line. 

            The Bad:  The Hawkeyes went after a number of 5-star recruits this year and with the exception of Kyle Williams they didn’t get any of them.  This is good and bad, it’s bad because they failed to get them but it’s good because they coaching staff felt secure enough with the players on hand that they didn’t have to take just anyone they could get, Ferentz and Co. have taken the Hawkeyes to a level where they only take the diamonds in the rough they want and they can go after the big boys they want. 

            Michigan St.:  30 players signed

            The Good:  WR’s SirDarean Adams, Carl Grimes and Miles Williams, LB’s Hugh D’Imperio and Dwayne Holmes, OL Roland Martin and DL Domata Peko.  This is a big class and the WR position looks well taken care of as does the LB position.  The Spartans have a number of 4-star recruits in this class and it should add depth throughout the roster.

            The Bad:  The Spartans signed 30 players in this class but the NCAA rules limit each class size to 25 players.  I’ve only followed recruiting for five of six years but in my experience that usually means that the coaching staff expects some of these players to not make the grades and they won’t be on campus in the fall.  If this happens to some of the top guys in this class that could hurt the Spartans very much. 

            Purdue:  27 players signed

            The Good:  WR’s Dorien Bryant and Bruce Gordon, DL Jeremy Coley.  Big class by the numbers and the only thing that really sticks out about the class is that the Boilermakers signed seven WR’s.  That seems like a lot of players at one position and I’ll go out on a limb and guess not all of these guys will stay at WR.  

            The Bad:  Nothing wrong with this class really, by position the class seems balanced with the exception of so many receivers.  Obviously a couple of these guys may not qualify and that is why there are 27 commitments.

            Wisconsin:  23 players signed

            The Good:  DL Nick Hayden.  Hayden can be a player in the Big Ten.  With the loss of QB Jim Sorgi to graduation and they way the Badgers looked without him last year it was imperative that they get a QB and the Badgers signed QB’s Sean Lewis, Bryan Savage and ATH Marcus Randel-El (yeah you read that name right).  Someone will have to step into that QB spot for the Wisconsin to compete next year. 

            The Bad:  Good class for the Badgers just like normal.  There are no absolute stars like LSU and USC have but Wisconsin, like most teams in the Big Ten, signed football players. 

            Minnesota:  24 players signed

            I’m not going to get into the good and bad on these last few teams, I’m just going to point out some things I see.  The Gophers signed 24 players, six of which are listed at QB, it seems strange that a quarter of a recruiting class would be at a position where you only play one guy at a time.  I’m guessing Coach Mason has plans to move a few of these guys. 

            Illinois:  24 players signed

            LB Sam Carson has to be the headliner of this class because I don’t recognize to many of the other names.  After the season the Illini just had I would think some of these players would have a chance to compete for playing time right away. 

            Indiana:  24 players

            WR’s James Bailey and Isaac Price are probably the best of the class and that should make Matt LoVecchio happy.  The class is pretty well spread out over the positions and that’s pretty good for the Hoosiers. 

            Northwestern:  13 players signed

            I know the Wildcats made a bowl game this year but signing 13 recruits might be resting on their laurels just a bit too much.  Okay so it’s hard to recruit to a school with higher academic standards and maybe the Wildcats don’t have as many scholarships available this year, yeah that has to be it, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.            

 

12/27/03

Now that the headache I had due to the Bowl Confusion System is finally starting to subside I thought I’d talk about the Big Ten teams and the bowl games they will be playing in.  Eight Big Ten teams were invited to play in bowl games including the .500 Northwestern Wildcats…membership has it’s privileges.  I’m telling you if Northwestern was in any other conference they would be staying home this holiday season.  I would like to thank the BCS for giving us one and a half title games this year that was quite nice of them.  In case your confused (and I think that’s what they were going for) the Sugar Bowl has two teams playing for a National Title but the Rose Bowl only has one team that could win a National Championship.  (Only in the world of the BCS)

 Rose Bowl:  Michigan vs. USC:  This game is completely unfair and I’m not talking about the match-up, Michigan can hold their own.  What’s unfair is the fact the USC comes into this game gunning for a National Title and Michigan doesn’t, who do you think has more to play for in this game?  Now like I said the Wolverines can hold their own but I’ve seen USC play a few times this year and they were the best team in the country at the end of the season.  The Trojans have a dynamic offense and a great defense, I think Michigan has problems playing such an athletic team that has so much more to play for.  Even though I’m a Big Ten guy I have to say that I’m rooting for USC and LSU to win their games just to prove once in for all that the BCS doesn’t work, the worst thing that could happened would be for Oklahoma and Michigan to win which would bail out the system.  I hate the BCS, I hate the BCS, I hate the BCS…sorry…sorry…won’t happen again.

 Fiesta Bowl:  Ohio St. vs. Kansas St.: KSU has to be flying high after knocking off the giants of college football the mighty Sooners.  Oklahoma may win a National Championship but the trophy will be lonely because the Big 12 Championship is in Manhattan.  The luckiest team in America gets a chance to play in a BCS game for the second straight year unfortunately they run into a very confident K-St. team.  Somehow I’m sure the Buckeyes will win this game, but it will be ugly and probably lucky. 

 Capital One Bowl:  Purdue vs. Georgia:  The Big Ten gets no breaks, the Bulldogs were shellacked by LSU in the SEC title game and now an upset Georgia team takes on a Purdue team that was not playing its best ball at the end of the season.  Purdue could light up the scoreboard but Georgia has a very talented team and they don’t want to end their season losing their last two games.    

Outback Bowl:  Iowa vs. Florida:  The Hawkeyes have one of the best defenses in the country.  If they can put up some points on offense they have a great chance to win this game.  Iowa should be almost completely healthy for the first time all season long.  The Gators are a tough, fast team but the Hawkeyes can beat them.

 Alamo Bowl:  Michigan St. vs. Nebraska:  Okay so maybe the Big Ten gets one break.  Playing a team that just fired their coach and having their interim coach looking for jobs on different staffs certainly has to give the Spartans some confidence against Nebraska.  Michigan St. slid a little at the end of the season but the Cornhuskers may be just the remedy for the Spartans.

 Sun Bowl:  Minnesota vs. Oregon:  The Gophers don’t travel well so they ended up at the Sun Bowl instead of the Alamo Bowl and their prize was a chance to play the Oregon Ducks a team that beat the Big Ten Champion Michigan Wolverines.  Good Luck to Glen and the boys you may need it. 

 Music City Bowl:  Wisconsin vs. Auburn:  No one is doing the Big Ten any favors.  The seventh place team gets to play Auburn in Memphis, I know Auburn has struggled at times this year but having to play a team with Cadillac Williams and LB’s Karlos Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas is just simply unfair.  This should be a great game where both teams run all day long. 

 Motor City Bowl:  Northwestern vs. Bowling Green:  AKA the “We saved Randy Walker’s Job” Bowl.  These two teams get to travel to Detroit and play at Ford Field.  Amazing that the city of Detroit built a stadium just to host a bowl game, seems like a waste maybe the city should look into getting an NFL team.  I hear the former 49ers coach lives in the area maybe they could get him to coach them…just a thought.

 

12/5/03

Someone help me the BCS is holding the Big Ten hostage until they decide if they want Ohio St. or not.  This means Purdue, Iowa and Minnesota have to wait to see which bowls they go to this year.  The Capital One Bowl, the Outback Bowl and the Alamo Bowl are waiting for the dominos to fall so they can set their match-ups.  If Ohio St. gets in…when Ohio St. gets in…then the politics start to get involved.  The Capital One Bowl gets first choice and while Purdue beat Iowa and finished 6-2 in the conference to Iowa’s 5-3 record the Capital One reps are having a hard time ignoring the almost 50,000 fans Iowa took to Florida for the Orange Bowl last year.  Since both Purdue and Iowa finished 9-3 overall the Capital One Bowl gets to choose, they could also take Minnesota at 9-3 but the Gophers can dream on.  When it comes to Bowl games money talks and no one should be shocked if Iowa goes to the Capital One Bowl and Purdue goes to the Outback Bowl this wouldn’t be the first time or the last time that money sets a bowl match-up. 

            My defensive top 5 prospects include three underclassmen, two of which I believe will come out this year and one that might but I think will return to school.

1.  Chris Gamble     CB      Ohio St.

            This guy hasn’t even been a full-time corner for his whole career and he could be the first corner taken in this draft and the scary thing is this is a good class of corners.  His size and athletic ability are first rate and he is only going to get better, he is only a junior and he could return but I don’t expect him too.

2.  Marlin Jackson     CB      Michigan

            He’s been playing safety at Michigan all year because that’s where they needed him but I suspect he will play corner in the pros.  He has size and range and he has proven he can hit like a safety and having that experience isn’t going to hurt his stock.  He is also a junior and I would say that the Wolverines might as well say their goodbyes at the Rose Bowl. 

3.  Will Smith      DE          Ohio St.

            An undersized but fast DE, where have I heard that before?  Oh yeah, Dwight Freeney, Javon Kearse, okay so Smith isn’t in that class but the success of guys like that means that teams will give Smith a chance and that’s all he will need. 

4.  Antajj Hawthorne     DT       Wisconsin

            This guy is a Junior and I doubt there is a guy that opposing coaches are hoping leaves more than him.  Hawthorne is dominating and he is just getting started, I think he will return to Wisconsin for his senior year but no one would blame him if he left.  To the average fan he isn’t the name that Vince Wilfork or Tommie Harris is but he’s got the attention of pro scouts.

5.  Stuart Schweigert    S       Purdue

            I think this guy has been starting at Purdue since the Bush administration, the first one.  He doesn’t wow people most of the time but he is smart and tough and talented and has started for four years in the Big Ten.  He Can Play.   And he will play on Sundays for a long time. 

5a.  Bob Sanders      S      Iowa

            As a prospect goes most teams will think he isn’t tall enough to be drafted high.  If he was 6’3 instead of 5’8 he’d be taken in the first 15 picks.  No matter where he is drafted he will be the steal of the draft.  He was the biggest on the field reason for the turnaround at Iowa, no one has made a bigger impact on a team than him.  He sets the tone and he will do it in the pros.

 

11/21/03

Players of the Week:

Offense: WR Lee Evans Wisconsin

Defense: S Bob Sanders Iowa

Co-Special Teams: K Nate Kaeding Iowa

                               P BJ Sander Ohio St.

             So it all comes down to this, Ohio St. at Michigan for the Big Ten title.  A BCS birth is on the line and bowl positioning will be decided by the games this weekend.  If Ohio St. wins then they will be headed to the Sugar Bowl barring some strange computer glitch and when it comes to the BCS I rule nothing out.  This would set up Ohio St.’s chance to defend their National Championship against presumably the Oklahoma Sooners.  Now as much as I love the Big Ten I can tell you that if Ohio St. has to play Oklahoma it won’t be much of a National Championship game…think Nebraska vs. Miami a few years ago except it won’t be that close.  If Michigan wins this will make the Rose Bowl very happy because they would get Michigan and even if USC goes onto the Sugar Bowl the Rose Bowl may have a chance to pick Washington St. and set up the Big Ten/Pac-Ten match-up they want.  If Ohio St wins then the Rose Bowl ends up with USC vs. someone not from the Big Ten.  Now of course this is all dependant on other teams from other conferences doing what they need to do so just a warning…ALL SCENARIOS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. 

            Purdue, Michigan St., Wisconsin and Iowa are the teams playing for positioning in the bowl picture for the Big Ten.  Iowa and Wisconsin play each other so that will be the big game outside of Michigan/Ohio St.  Purdue plays Indiana and Michigan St. plays Penn St. so they have the easier time.  Northwestern is playing to get to .500 overall and in conference and bowl eligible but even if they do they would have to get an at-large bid to a bowl because the Big Ten has seven bowl tie-ins and Northwestern would be the eighth team.  Once the bowl picture clears up after next week and beyond I will update you. 

 This is my list of the top five offensive prospects for the 2004 draft out of the Big Ten.  I didn’t include Braylon Edwards because he says he’s staying in school and might I say smart move Braylon.

 1. Robert Gallery    OT    Iowa :

            Gallery is one of the top prospects overall in the country and is likely to be a top ten pick.  He’s 6-7 320 lbs. and he moves like a man half that size.  One of the most dominating blockers in college football and is equally adept at run blocking and pass blocking.  Has very few flaws and plays with the aggressiveness you like to see in an offensive lineman.

2. Michael Jenkins   WR    Ohio St.:

            You can’t teach a guy to be 6-5 215 lbs and be able to run like Jenkins.  His weaknesses are the things coaches can correct…he can be a better route runner and down field blocker and his production should be better once he is in the pros and playing with better talent.  A quarterback who and get him the ball in a position to make plays and another receiver who can take some defensive attention away from him and he can be a dynamic offensive player.

3. Lee Evans    WR   Wisconsin:

            He isn’t the tallest or the fastest wide receiver but the kid makes plays.  He was the offensive player of the week in the Big Ten and that is an understatement.  Ten catches for 258 yards and 5 TD’s is off the charts.  If you want a WR who will make a difference here he is…oh and that knee injury he had…what knee injury?

4. Nate Kaeding   K  Iowa:

            Stop laughing this is no joke.  You want an offensive weapon?  Kaeding kicked a 55-yard field goal last week against Minnesota and it would have been good from 65 yards.  How about field position?  He routinely puts his kickoffs through the end zone and once in awhile through the uprights.  Any good team in the NFL that only has questions in their kicking game will take a long hard look and how can you not love a kicker that wears shoulder pads that are 2 sizes too big and the number 95.

5. Tony Pape   OT    Michigan:

            What can I say, he is a Michigan offensive lineman its like being a WR from Florida St. or CB from Ohio St.  Jon Runyan, Jeff Backus, Jon Jansen…all lineman who start in the NFL, do a good solid job and nobody has ever heard of them.  Tony Pape fits that mold, draft him play him and forget about the position for ten years because it’s been taken care of.  Pape is not in the class of Robert Gallery or Shawn Andrews but someone is going to get a damn good offensive lineman. 

 NEXT WEEK:  Defensive Prospects.  

You may contact us at CompanyWebmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2004 CompanyLongName