31 – 0 halftime lead to a victory and a final score of 52 – 21.
Kansas -Big 12 - Adam Bendiksen
QB - Todd Reesing, 5, 5' 11.0", 195, 4.70, 2010 – If Reesing were 6’3” you’d be looking at a first round pick, but as it is he’s really only a shade over 5’9”, hence the comparisons to Doug Flutie. While QB’s of this size almost never make it in the NFL, Reesing has a shot due to his blend of competitiveness, pocket presence, accuracy and athleticism. His understanding of the offense and what defenses are trying to do against them may be his best trait, and he consistently gets rid of the ball quickly and to the right spot. Probably won’t be drafted due to his size, but deserves a shot. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
LB - Joe Mortensen, 8, 6' 0.5", 250, 4.70, 2009 – Big MLB had a much better game this week than against Texas Tech’s spread offense. Was used as a spy against the athletic Freeman which allowed him to run and play downhill. Came on a lot of straight interior blitzes and generated good pressure. Takes on and sheds blocks well and is a good tackler. Showed good man coverage ability against TE’s in the seam. Nice instincts. GRADE: Positive
C - Ryan Cantrell, 50, 6' 2.0", 295, 5.10, 2009 – Solid technician gets it done despite lacking size/power. Smart, makes good line calls, and excels in combination blocks. Gets in position quickly. Generates good leverage when he gets under his man, but is a position/seal blocker not suited to a power scheme. Should get a shot. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
HB - Jake Sharp, 1, 5' 9.5", 190, 4.50, 2010 – Small, quick, tough back had his best collegiate game with over 200 combined yards and four touchdowns. Hides behind linemen and is tough to locate. Shows great patience and vision, and bursts through holes once they open. Runs behind his pads with good leg drive and has fine balance; tough to bring down. Slippery and elusive, and can catch. Needs to put on weight/muscle, but has another year in school yet and looks to be an ideal NFL change-of-pace runner. GRADE: Positive
LB - James Holt, 12, 6' 2.0", 222, 4.60, 2009 – Fast, athletic playmaker was best defender on the field for either team in this contest. Had two sacks, FF, fumble recovery and 14 unassisted tackles. Runs sideline to sideline and displays fine instincts. Played as an edge rusher with his hand on the ground in some instances, and was too quick to handle. Aware in coverage. Very lean player will need to put on weight and gain strength, but has too much talent, speed and playmaking ability not to suit up on Sundays.
LB - Mike Rivera, 40, 6' 2.0", 255, 4.70, 2009 – Big, tough POA player didn’t have the huge game he had the week before, but made his presence felt. Dropped a lot in coverage and generally caused Freeman to look to another area of the field. Broke up one pass and had a vicious tackle for loss on a running play. Not the fastest or most fluid player, but very instinctive and football smart with an NFL body. Stones blockers at the point, sheds well and is a fine tackler. Probable mid-round pick. GRADE: Positive.
OG - Chet Hartley, 79, 6' 3.0", 310, 5.20, 2009 -- Solid lineman not flashy, but very effective. Blocks well for both the run and pass. Not overly quick and explosive, but a good athlete with decent feet who blocks well on the second level. Position/seal run blocker. Absorbs a bulrush, and mirrors and slides well in pass protection. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
S - Darrell Stuckey, 25, 6' 0.5", 205, 4.50, 2010 – Called by coaches their defensive MVP this season. Solid and plays within the defense; doesn’t make mistakes. Thick, strong build. Not a kamikaze hitter but a rugged tackler who doesn’t miss. Solid in man coverage and has good range. Not a lot of big plays, but is only a junior and is still getting better. GRADE: Somewhat Positive.
S - Justin Thornton, 46, 6' 0.5", 202, 4.60, 2010 – Versatile player started at CB in this game and did a good job. Played mostly bump coverage and gets a fine jam at the line of scrimmage. Turns hips surprisingly well. Stuck tight to his man and plays the ball well. Not the biggest hitter but a very effective wrap-up tackler. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
DE - Jon Larson, 87, 6' 2.0", 250, 4.70, 2009 – Try-hard guy listed as a starter but gets fewer snaps than other players in the rotation. Doesn’t have the size to play down and lacks the speed to play linebacker. Smart. Special teams or nothing. GRADE: Negative
WR - Dexton Fields, 88, 5' 11.5", 204, 4.50, 2009 – Starter, but second straight game with no catches. Targeted only once and drew a pass interference. Recovered and onside kick. Should be much more involved in high powered offense, but isn’t. GRADE: Negative
OG - Adrian Mays, 66 , 6' 3.0", 305, 0.00, 2009 – Thick, strong lineman drawing the attention of NFL scouts due to his power at the point. Can really move guys off the ball, and stones pass rushers when he gets his hands on them. Problem is, he’s not polished technically and often overextends or fails to get his hands up. Explosive but not particularly agile. Must be in a power/man scheme, and needs to be coached up. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
Kansas State - Big 12 - Adam Bendiksen
QB - Josh Freeman, 1, 6' 5.0", 250, 4.90, 2010 – Tremendous physical specimen improving as a QB. Very big, strong, fast and athletic, and has a huge arm. Quick release and can make all the throws, but lacks touch and often brings too much heat. Mechanics have improved tremendously, but can get sloppy on his drops and tends to drift in the pocket. Very good runner, but is always looking downfield and runs to throw. Could come out in April in a very weak QB class, but should stay in school and mature to solidify a first round ranking. GRADE: Positive
DE - Ian Campbell, 98, 6' 5.0", 249, 4.80, 2009 – Tall, long player looks to be a complementary 4-3 end. Plays standing up a lot but doesn’t appear to have the quickness/speed/athleticism to do it in the NFL. Good instincts and is around the ball quite a bit. Keeps his feet. Gets some push on the pass rush but lacks explosion. Good hand usage. Solid, but not special. Blocked a FG. GRADE: Neutral.
OG - Brock Unruh, 76, 6' 4.0", 301, 5.1, 2010 – Natural guard forced into playing LT due to injury and was eaten up. Good size and athleticism but lacks the feet to play outside. Quick off the ball and into drops, but high-cut and lacks power. Can run, but overextends and misses targets. Must be a guard, but has another year in school. GRADE: Neutral
CB - Ray Cheatham, 23, 5' 11.5", 185, 4.40, 2009 – “Cover” corner built to play man-to-man. Fast and athletic, he can turn his hips and run and sticks to receivers. Good ball awareness. Plays soft in run support and is not a big hitter or strong tackler. Seems to avoid contact. Has the tools, but must be more physical to play on Sundays. GRADE: Neutral
LB - Reggie Walker, 53, 6' 0.5", 231, 4.60, 2009 – Not the biggest or fastest guy, but a very good hitter who shows up all over the field. Nice instincts and quick reads. Aggressive and agile. Downhill player who takes on blocks and sheds despite his size. Seemed to tire as the game went on, but on the field way too much. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
C - Jordan Bedore, 79, 6' 2.0", 308, 5.10, 2009 – Big, thick power player who doesn’t run too well or display much athleticism. Very rugged, he gets good push at the point and can really absorb a bulrush. Good hand usage and solid in pass protection. Competes hard. GRADE: Neutral
TE - Jeron Mastrud, 85, 6' 5.0", 259, 4.80, 2010 – Tall, athletic, lean receiving TE/H-back prospect. Not a good blocker, he lacks ballast in the run game and the feet to pass protect. Good receiver who’s quick off the ball and displays fine instincts to find the soft spot in zones. Great hands. Can be jammed at the line. Needs another year in school, but is a weapon in the passing game. GRADE: Somewhat Positive
WR - Deon Murphy, 87, 5' 9.5", 170, 4.40, 2009 -- Small, quick elusive receiver who’s dangerous with the ball in his hands. Very quick off the ball and in and out of his breaks, he’s tough to jam and hard to stick with man-on-man. Slippery and explosive. Excellent punt and kick returner. Will occasionally hear footsteps and drop an easy pass. Needs to put on weight/strength, but NFL skills are there. GRADE: Positive
OTHER GAME NOTES: Yet another contest where a runaway victory makes evaluation difficult, but I’ve seen both of these teams before so I have a good feel for them. Suffice it to say a plethora of injuries on both sides of the ball made it nearly impossible for K-State to compete in this game. Should Freeman return for his senior season, expect the Wildcats to be a much better team next year. For Kansas, junior QB-turned-WR Kerry Meier continues to impress, as do sophomore WRs Desmon Briscoe and Jonathan Wilson. Meier continues to lead the Jayhawks in receiving (catches and yards) and Briscoe has future first-rounder written all over him.