UConn and Kansas have to rate as the biggest surprises of this football season. UConn was picked to be at the bottom of the Big East standings by most prognosticators before the season began, by JUCO transfer QB Tyler Lorenzen (a good NFL prospect for later on, but certainly no Jake Locker) has been the difference, along with a solidified offensive line, and a defense that just keeps playing above their heads. USF QB Matt Grothe was unable to do it all himslef in this one, and is getting very limited help from the RBs and with their best O-lineman out, they just don't have the push on offense to compete at a high level anymore. They were #2 in the nation not long ago, but may have fallen all the way out of the rankings following this loss.


SCOUTING SUMMARY:


College: Connecticut Conference: Big East Columnist: Steve Martin


Game Notes
Ryan Henegan 43 6' 0.0" 234 4.75 LB 2008: Has not been the same since returning from injury, and was mostly invisible in this one. Made a couple of plays, but not nearly enough to warrant consideration from the NFL in April. GRADE: Negative

Danny Lansanah 48 6' 0.0" 238 4.64 LB 2008: Kind of an up & down type. But he was the defensive standout in this one. Flows nicely to the ball. Pursues well laterally. Quick. Not that good an open field tackler. Must be an ILB ONLY. Limited somehwat athletically but gives good effort. If he is really 4.64, he gets drafted late. GRADE: Positive

Don Thomas 55 6' 2.2" 300 5.25 OG 2008: Best of the UConn O-lineman, and is starting to show up on radar screens. No outstanding physical characteristics or gifts, but does everything pretty well for the position. Cuts. Pulls & finishes when pulling. Good hand punch, and good repetitive puncher. Plays hard and plays to the whistle. GRADE: Neutral


College: South Florida Conference: Big East Columnist: Steve Martin

Trae Williams 21 5' 10.0" 185 4.50 CB 2008: Had a nice pick early in the game. Shows good adjustment on the fly. Better cover guy than hitter. Tries to bump tackle rather than wrapping. Competitiveness and cover skills will keep him on the draft bubble. GRADE: Neutral

Matt Grothe 8 5' 11.5" 213 4.70 QB 2010: Becoming a one-man offensive show. But, he doesn't have the overall talent level to be that. Takes big sacks. Gutsy. Accurate on the run. Does more with his legs than his arm, but doesn't have the wheels to do that in the NFL. A poor man's Steve Young without the surrounding talent to show that consistently. GRADE: Neutral

Mike Jenkins 4 5' 11.5" 200 4.56 CB 2009: Like Williams, he tries to bump tackle when he needs to wrap! Good size and technique in pass D. More of a 2-way threat as a cover guy and hitter, but is somewhat inconsistent. I keep hearing people say he has first-round ability, but I haven't seen it. Looks like a 4th rounder to me. GRADE: Neutral

Amarri Jackson 18 6' 4.2" 202 4.60 WR 2008: All kinds of talent, but is becoming a bigger and bigger disappointment week after week. Does not display "go-to" hands. Was not even thrown to very much. When there were 4 or 5 WRs on the field, he was NOT the guy getting the ball. GRADE: Negative

Ben Moffitt 59 6' 1.3" 235 4.60 LB 2008: Showed better football speed in this one than I had seen in the past from him. Very instinctive. Leadership and toughness ooze from this kid. May not be one of the more athletically gifted MLBs in the draft, but there are few with better intangibles. 5th round talent, but 2nd round heart and effort. GRADE: Positive

Richard Clebert 76 6' 1.0" 312 5.10 NT 2008: Still just going about his business game after game tying up two blockers on a regular basis. Statistically there is nothing here to get excited about, but he is pretty good, and would make the DT rotation on a lower-level NFL squad with a 4-3 defense. I seem him as a 7th-priority UDFA guy. GRADE: Neutral

Walt Walker 75 6' 4.0" 335 5.25 OT 2008: Out with an injury.

Other notes:

USF: #95 So. DE George Selvie continues to look like a future 1st-day pick. A little bit of Lery Selmon in this kid if he bulks up. Still leading the country in TFLs and sacks for a DE last I looked, and he tacked on more of the same in this one. Jr. SS Carlton Williams (#32) made a big impression in this one, but #5 Nate Allen (FS) will be drafted higher. Remember the name NATE ALLEN...he could be the best DB the Bulls have.

UConn: Tyler Lorenzen did not impress as much in this one as he did in other games, He is raw but talented, and has the frame and arm to skyrocket up draft boards next year if he continues to improve. The kid can run too. So. HB (#2) Andre Dixon is emerging BIG TIME. He will be a top 10 pick in two years if he continues to run and break tackles like this. I had him for 30 carries and 164 yards. Dixon has pushed Donald Brown into the sidelines, and he was already in the dog house. Last year's QB (#14) D.J. Hernandez is a nice collegiate complimentary possession receiver now.

I think Andre Dixon has a chance to be an Adrian Peterson-type only faster, [note I have not gone insaner! I am referring to Mike Peterson's brother who went to GA. Southern] Can Brown still be a pro? Do you have a 40 on D.J. Hernandez he eyeballs to about 4.66? Could Lansanah be as good as: Maurice Lloyd or Alfred Fincher? He reminds me of Gerald Hayes, Dominique Stevenson and Vegas Robinson, Courtney Watson a little also.

USF-George Selvie reminds me more of Alex Brown than Selmon who had tremendous hand, forearm and lower body strength. Who does Carlton Williams remind you of? I think a good combine puts Jenkins in the 1st 1/2 of the 2nd, he and Williams time much faster than they play, some teams like the Raiders might be fooled into over drafting, but neither is close to being the kind of CB Wheatley, Tribble, Talib, King or Cason is IMHO those guys are 1st rounders.

I think Moffitt can became a really solid pro as long as he not asked to run with really fast TEs and backs, or be a semi-DE, he has size he will likely run between 4.72-4.76 at the combine or a pro day, he had set a FL HS state record for the clean-and-jerk with a lift of 330 pounds so that shows power and explosion, he is a classic "Mike" and he'll be good but he would have been better 30-40 years ago when the game was more ground bound. I swear, as crazy as this sounds, he reminds me a little of Tommy Nobis. Though in today's game he might play more like Rob Morriss. If you get him anytime after round 4 you will have a BRINKS JOB! IMHO

Matt Grothe is more Tarkenton than Steve Young, who ran 4.55 when he worked out for Walsh, after he took all those beatings with TB, Grothe ran a hand-timed 4.64 in the spring and was measured at 6’0.2” and 213, he and Chase Daniels, Chase Clement, all the other Chases, Riley Skinner etc will need to show they can make NFL progressions and throws, if not AFL or CFL here they come! Also Grothe said after his last 100+ yard rushing game he felt, “like an old man." He Locker and Tebow will need to be more judicious with the number and the ends of their scampers.

1. Dixon...I think he will be better than that. Reminds me of Reggie Dupard. Now, I know Reggie was a bust, but Dixon may have better luck and go to a staff that knows how to use him.

2. Hernandez is lucky to be in the 4.6s, I would guess...gets by at this level on pure smarts and guile.

3. Lansanah has a chance. I don't think he is as good as Fincher. Reminds me more of a Washington from Colorado in last year's draft.

4. I think Selvie has a chance to develop those characteristics also with time. He has the moves and aggressiveness of Leroy.

5. I'm not sure who Carlton reminds me of...maybe Brandon Sharp?

6. Moffitt can make it if he goes to the right depth chart. I think he will sit for a year no matter where he goes though.