Each week during the season, Chad Reuter and Rob Rang will analyze the biggest game of the week featuring NFL prospects, as part of the weekly Draft Slant product from NFLDraftScout.com.
Stanford at USC, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Coach Jim Harbaugh's Stanford program has the chance to become the target of top Pac-10 recruits if it continues to impress against Southern California on Saturday.
In a rousing 51-42 victory against Oregon last week, Stanford not only beat the same team that shut down the mighty Trojans, but became bowl eligible for the first time since 2001.
Harbaugh called his shot a bit when saying redshirt freshmen Andrew Luck was the best quarterback he has seen this year. Harbaugh is obviously biased, but anyone watching Luck this season can see he has all of the tools NFL teams look for -- size, arm strength, mobility, poise and accuracy.
That mobility will be needed if talented right tackle Chris Marinelli and a young offensive line that includes two redshirt freshmen and two juniors can't handle USC's defensive front.
The Trojans defensive line is also young, but considering high expectations, it has been a disappointment thus far. But that potential is still there. Redshirt freshman defensive end Nick Perry has seven sacks. Junior defensive end/linebacker Everson Griffen will challenge Marinelli's lateral movement on the edge on some plays and drop into coverage with more ease than should be expected of a 280-pounder.
Senior defensive tackle Averell Spicer is a pro prospect, but he barely plays behind active sophomores Jurrell Casey and Armond Armstead and junior Christian Tupou.
Stanford's best player right now is running back Toby Gerhart, who is gaining notice as a Heisman contender. He is second in the FBS in rushing with 1,217 yards and in scoring with 100 points (16 touchdowns, two two-point conversions). Although considered a power back because he can lower his pads and run through defenders, Gerhart has an impressive next gear in the open field for a man his size. An exceptional athlete who eschewed minor league baseball to play this fall, Gerhart's combination of size, speed and hands are similar to that of former Rutgers back and 2007 second-round pick Brian Leonard.
USC's technically sound sophomore inside linebacker Chris Galippo and ascending junior outside linebackers Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan will try to drop Gerhart before he gets a head of steam.
Luck also has good wide receivers in junior Ryan Whalen, a solid possession receiver, and big-play sophomore Chris Owusu, who averages 19 yards per catch. Owusu's biggest plays have been on special teams, where he uses his 6-2, 201-pound frame and track speed to run through and away from would-be tacklers. He has three touchdowns on kickoff returns.
Stanford tight end Jim Dray has returned from a major knee injury in 2007 to become a solid run blocker (in-line and on the move) while becoming a reliable red-zone target (three of his eight receptions were touchdowns).
Southern Cal starts four seniors in the secondary, but struggled with Notre Dame and Oregon before holding Arizona State to nine points, thanks to the help of turnovers more than physical domination.
Free safety Taylor Mays, a top prospect because of his combination of size and speed more than instinct or consistency, is decent as the last line of defense, but doesn't create a lot of turnovers. He will headhunt receivers coming into his area, which has intimidated opponents, but also draws penalty flags. Strong safety Will Harris came through with two interceptions last week (one for a TD, the other on a last-play Hail Mary) but is not reliable as a tackler.
Cornerback Josh Pinkard is tough for receivers to shake on the sideline. He may move to free safety in the NFL because of his size and physical nature. Cornerback Kevin Thomas is often tested as the weak link of the group. His size and athleticism are a good start on an NFL résumé, but he lacks focus and discipline in coverage.
Stanford's defense has had problems of its own, as evidenced by the 42 points it gave up to Oregon last week and 38 each to Arizona and Oregon State. The loss of defensive end Erik Lorig and inside linebacker Clinton Snyder to injuries was certainly no help.
Three-year starting free safety Bo McNally is the unquestioned leader on defense. He plays with a linebacker's mentality while owning the speed and intelligence required to succeed in the NFL. The Cardinal also have a rare two-way starter in junior Owen Marecic. He pounded defenders at fullback until Snyder went down last week, and now also creates contact with ball carriers on defense.
Junior defensive end Thomas Keiser is a tall, lean stud on the edge (12 TFL, 7 sacks) who benefits from the attention given to run-stuffing defensive tackles Ekom Udofia and junior Sione Fua.
USC left tackle Charles Brown needs a rebound performance after struggling with Arizona State defensive end Dexter Davis. The former tight end is still learning the position, however, and his athleticism, mobility and underrated power are important to the running game.
And that running game features the "thunder and lightning" duo of juniors Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford. McKnight displays some Reggie Bush-like elusiveness, but runs tough for a 190-pound back.
Right guard Alex Parsons and left guard/center Jeff Byers are veterans who have good mobility and work well together. But they must show scouts they have the strength to handle NFL-sized tackles in Udofia and Fua.
Trojan freshman quarterback Matt Barkley is trying to rebound from his season-low performance against ASU, and would be helped immensely by the return of tight end Anthony McCoy, who has missed two weeks with an ankle injury. McCoy's hands down the seam make life easier for junior wide receivers Ronald Johnson and Damian Williams. Johnson is a decent receiver who should only get better, but Williams has the size, speed, hands and elusiveness after the catch that scouts love and uses those attributes to lead USC with 45 catches, 688 yards (15.3-yard average) and five touchdowns.
Stanford's senior corners Richard Sherman and Kris Evans aren't scheduled to start this weekend against USC's passing attack, which is a statement on how coaches view their performance this year. Sherman could move back to receiver in an NFL training camp next summer, as he caught 73 balls for 1,232 yards and seven touchdowns over his first two seasons. He should also get a shot as a punt returner, where he is averaging 10.2 yards per try with one touchdown.
Prospect of the Week
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
McCoy might have helped his Heisman campaign by passing for 470 yards against Central Florida last Saturday, but NFL scouts came away alarmed on several fronts.
Against an overmatched Golden Knights defense, McCoy still repeatedly stared down his receivers and often forced balls into coverage. One of his passes was intercepted, and several more could have been.
Taking snaps out of the shotgun, McCoy appeared unwilling to step up in the pocket and instead often drifted outside of it. When his primary read was covered, McCoy struggled to make the adjustment, leaving open targets unchecked and either forcing passes to covered receivers (often wide receiver Jordan Shipley) or scrambling.
On multiple occasions, including near his own end zone, McCoy would drift wide, wait for a receiver to streak across the middle and then fire passes across his body into the teeth of the defense. McCoy was able to get away with it against UCF. Against NFL speed, he would have been intercepted on multiple occasions.
I've rated McCoy as the top senior quarterback all season and I continue to believe he has the talent to be a starter in the NFL. I also believe he'll be the first senior quarterback drafted. His athleticism, toughness, short-to-intermediate accuracy and winning percentage cannot simply be ignored.
However, McCoy proved much less NFL-ready than I'd hoped for a four-year starter against inferior competition. Considering the host of other concerns NFL scouts have (relative lack of size, marginal arm strength, transition from a spread offense), teams needing immediate quarterback help from the 2010 draft will be looking to underclassmen. -- Rob Rang
Chad Reuter is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by the Sports Xchange. Rob Rang contributed to this report.
