The Independence Bowl was a game of contrasts. South Carolina runs the fun and gun Spurrier offense with an inexperienced dropback passer, while Missouri showcases a senior quarterback who is as likely to beat you with his legs as his arm. South Carolina really controlled the action for all of the first half, but offensive and defensive breakdowns allowed Brad Smith to take control of the game in the fourth quarter and lead the Tigers to the win.


South Carolina Pro Prospects:

Jabari Levey (Senior LT) - Levey entered the season as a sleeper pick at offensive tackle, with some experts saying a good year could propel Levey into, gasp, the first round of the draft. Well, the season has come and gone and Levey has produced more questions than certainties. In the bowl game, Levey showed himself to be a decent run blocker who, when he was able to lock up the defender, could drive him right out of the play with his combination of size and strength. Levey was able to open some holes for the SC running back, including a key block on his first TD run. When it came time to pass block, it was a completely different story. Levey struggled to get out to the edge rushers when he was matched up on them one on one (he generally had another blocker to help him). Levey's technique was unimpressive and I watched him flop onto the ground twice in an attempt to throw a cut block. Both times he seemed to just fall down in front of the defender rather than actually take him out of the play. Aside from poor technique, Levey is painfully slow. He has had some good games during the season, but his inconsistency will keep him from being a day one pick. (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE)

Na'Shan Goddard (Senior RG) - Goddard entered the season as the starting RT who was hoping to emerge from Levey's (considerable) shadow. Goddard was thrown all over the line throughout the season and easily outplayed his linemates in the bowl game. Goddard left the game early in the first half with a concussion. The ESPN sideline reporter was told that he would not return, but Goddard ended up playing nearly all of the second half. While he was in the game, he played very well. As a run blocker, he was able to wash defenders out of the play by turning them away from the ball-carrier. He has a good punch and uses leverage and strength to drive block defenders. He gets to the second level reasonably well, despite limited quickness and speed, and quickly locates, engages, and eliminates the smaller defenders. As a pass blocker, Goddard was exceptional. He was unsusceptible to the bull rush with his solid anchor and wide base, and read d-line stunts and picked up his assignment quickly. As shaky as Goddard was as a tackle, he seems to be flourishing as a guard. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)

Ko Simpson (Sophomore SS) - Simpson is a draft-eligible soph who will likely declare soon as he . Simpson not only passes the eyeball test, he performs on the field. He is an outstanding run stopper, able to shed and avoid blocks to get to the ball carrier. Unlike many "big hitters," Simpson doesn't miss too many tackles. He finished the bowl game with 9 tackles (7 solo). He has excellent closing speed and has good anticipation skills, however he is susceptible to play action and misdirection as he sells out on every play. He also has decent pass cover skills, although those are not his strong suit. He is able to run with most wideouts and has excellent ball awareness. He does tend to watch the QB too much in pass coverage and can be fooled when the QB looks him off. (POSITIVE)

Others to watch:
Sidney Rice (Freshman WR) - Wow. He's as good a receiver as there is in the country and he's only a redshirt freshman. Once Spurrier really gets his offense entrenched, Rice should emerge as a truly special college receiver. He has very soft (but strong) hands and makes even the tough catches look routine. Because Rice is a tall (6' 4"), lanky receiver, defenders can be fooled by his quickness and speed. He runs excellent routes and is able to get open and present a good target for his QB. Rice also understands some of the nuances of the position as was evidenced by the way he came back to an underthrown ball rather than waiting for it (and letting the defender make a play on it) like many young receivers will do. He was the offensive star for the Gamecocks, finishing with 12 catches for 191 yards and a TD. (VERY POSITIVE)

Mike Davis (Freshman RB) - Davis has gotten better throughout the year and will make it very difficult for Cory Boyd to return to his starting role after sitting out this season. Davis is a quick back who runs hard and always gets that extra yard by falling forward. Davis is also shifty enough that he can make people miss in the open field. He'll benefit from the extra attention being paid to the receivers in Spurrier's offense and should be one of the leading running backs in the SEC in 2006. (POSITIVE)

Lance Laury (Senior OLB) - Laury is one of those guys who you see play and you get excited about (like his performance in the Independence Bowl), and then the next game he goes out and plays terrible. In this game he was all over the field, showing nice speed and coverage sideline to sideline. He amassed 12 tackles (10 solos) and also forced a fumble early in the game. He has next level size and speed, but he is just too inconsistent for a team to take a chance on. There's an outside shot at him getting a call as an undrafted free agent. (POSITIVE)

Ricardo Hurley (Senior MLB) - Re-read what I wrote about Laury above and you'll have an idea of Hurley as well. Hurley had an average game against Mizzou, making 4 tackles and recovering a fumble, but was otherwise unimpressive. He too has the size and speed you look for in a MLB and has had some great games for the Gamecocks, but he's had an equal number of bad games and was even benched earlier this season (his senior season) in favor of an underclassman. Again, Hurley could be picked up by a team, but he'll have a hard time making a roster. (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE)

Fred Bennett (Junior CB) - Bennett is a big, tall, big-play corner. He's got good speed and the size and athleticism to go up against anyone. In zone and off-coverage, he breaks very well and is a very sure tackler who wraps up nicely. Against Missouri, Bennett only managed a couple tackles but he was credited with 3 passes defended. Bennett will enter the 2006 season as one of the top two or three CB prospects in the SEC. (POSITIVE)

Johnathan Joseph (Junior CB) - The fastest member of the defensive secondary, Joseph has given some thought to declaring for the draft. He'd be well advised not to do so. Another year in the same backdield as Fred Bennett would help him immensely. Joseph, more often than not, was the player that Brad Smith looked to pick on. Joseph tries to play corner by utilizing his athleticism and speed first and foremost, rather than smart technique. As such, Joseph frequently can be burned. Another year of coaching and experience will do nothing but improve his stock. He's already got the size and speed, now he needs to learn how to use them. (NEUTRAL)

Missouri- Big 12

Adam Spieker 77 603.0 310 N/A C 2007 - Adam looked solid early but as the game wore on he gradually became a bit sloppier. He was able to seal some good blocks and demonstrates decent technique but could have been quicker at engaging the NT after snapping the ball. He had one awful snap which shot past the QB in shotgun formation. NEUTRAL

Tony Palmer 52 602.0 325 N/A OG 2006 - Tony played a solid game against the Gamecocks. He has a very low center of gravity and possesses driving, powerful legs. Overall he looks very strong, was able to seal great blocks and really didn’t get beat by a defensive lineman or a blitzing linebacker all day. His only knock during this game was his ineffectiveness during pulls and downfield blocks in this game. SLIGHTLY POSITIVE

Sean Coffey 12 604.0 220 4.50 WR 2006 - DNP (shoulder)

Brad Smith 16 602.0 210 4.49 QB 2006 - In a nutshell, Brad had a great game on the ground but a very average game passing the ball. He ran the ball very effectively against the Gamecocks with his fantastic speed and awareness of oncoming tacklers. His passing, especially early in the game, was a bit erratic. He missed open receivers, floated a dangerous pass off his back foot right into traffic, and attempted to fire a ball at a receiver who was absolutely blanketed by an opposing DB. He did seem to gain some confidence by the 2nd quarter though, completing some nice passes and actually finished the game 21 of 37 for 282 yards 1 TD and 1 INT. Brad is a true running threat which is evident in his 21 rushing attempts for 150 yards and 3 TDs, but he still seemed to rely too much on his legs to get him out of trouble. SLIGHTLY POSITIVE

Brad Ekwerekwu 86 603.0 215 4.40 WR 2007 - A decent target for Smith who made a few good catches but doesn’t display good open field speed and looked a little sluggish trying to get downfield at times. He finished the game with 3 catches for 29 yards but didn’t stand out much in this game, possibly due to the fact that Smith seemed to rely on his tight ends a lot in the passing game. NEUTRAL


Other notables:

Chase Coffman 45 TE Freshman -. At 6’7” 220, this freshman TE is a big target who possesses a great combination of size and speed coupled with good hands and leaping ability. Finishing with 8 catches for 99 yards and a TD, the 2005 First Team Freshman All-American may very well develop into a solid pro prospect in the years to come.

Does anybody think Brad Smith has any chance whatsoever of developing into an NFL quarterback?

IMO, I don't see it happening Steve. He's not poised back there and relies too much on his legs. During the telecast of this game they mentioned there were a lot of CFL scouts in the stands paying close attention to Brad, that may be his best bet with the wider field in the CFL. He has great running ability and could thrive in that environment. He still needs to work on being more patient in the pocket though.

Agreed. This guy has CFL written all over him.