Emerald Bowl: Cal vs Miami

Cal:

Jahvid Best, RB – I will first say it’s going to be a challenge to not use the word ‘best’ in this article while referring to Jahvid Best. Best might be one of the top returning offensive prospects next year, regardless of position. I’d even say he was probably the best RB I saw this year, including this year’s prospects that have first round grades attached to them. Best has fantastic vision and his ability to make a jump cut and explode reminds me of a young Edgerrin James. He runs with very good pad level, he can burst through the line, make a cut, and run for daylight. He also has the short area quickness and speed to get to the corner and turn it on a defense. This Cal passing game was terrible at best this year, so teams loaded up to stop Best and still couldn’t. He’s as sure of a thing as a first rounder next year as they get in running backs. Hopefully he stays healthy.

Alex Mack, OC- I spent part of last year proclaiming that Mack was the best center prospect I had seen in a while. After watching him again this year, I will concur with my earlier thoughts and say that Mack is the best center I have seen in college football in recent memory. Mack’s technique is absolutely impeccable and some of the best I have seen in any college lineman regardless of position. If he gets out of position on a block, he has such a good feel for the game that he can get right back into fit and finish the play. He’s a great pass blocker, and a tenacious run blocker. He follows plays down field and will cake any defenders who might not be hustling. His combination of football smarts, technique, strength, and attitude makes him the safest pick of any offensive lineman in this draft. If I’m a GM, I’d pick him anywhere as high as 15 on down. I know some people will say that’s too high for a center, but I’d be happy to argue that first round running backs and receivers will spend less time in the NFL than this guy will. In fact, I’ll come right out and guarantee that Mack will go to more Pro Bowls than one of the first round RBs or WRs will play years in the league. That’s an ambitious statement, but I’m willing to go there. Max Unger was close to Mack starting this year, but I think Mack has shown enough this year to prove he’s a much better prospect than Unger is.

Zach Follett, OLB- Follett played OLB in a 3-4 at Cal, but I’m not sure he will man the same position in the NFL. He will probably have to play SLB or MLB in a 4-3, as he struggles to fight off blocks when run right at. Another point I dislike about Follett is that he does not chase plays on the backside. This is an effort thing, and even if a guy is ultra talented, I will stay far away from him simply because he does not hustle. Having said all of these negative things, I do think Follett has some ability. He’s a solid tackler, he shows good acceleration, and he can rush the passer a little. It’s just that he is probably destined to be a back-up in the pros, so he’s maybe a 4th or 5th round pick.

Nate Longshore, QB- Early on in Longshore’s career, I thought he might be the next great Jeff Tedford coached QB, but boy he’s taken a fall from grace. I would go as far as saying that Longshore looks terrible now. He’s lost on the field, and that’s strange seeing as he looked fairly impressive as a Freshman. He’s not worth drafting, and I would be very surprised if his name is called on draft weekend.

Miami:

Sean Spencer, OLB- Spencer will be the next great LB out of what is quickly replacing Penn State as linebacker U. The amazing thing is, Spencer is only a true Freshman! He has unbelievable closing speed, and he hits like a truck. He has fairly good instincts in the run and pass games as well for such a young player. The only thing he needs to do is continue to put good weight on and hope it doesn’t affect his speed. Since he’s young and his body is still maturing, I’d say his future will only get brighter. I don’t think his time at the U will be long, and I expect him to be a first round caliber player by the time he’s a Junior. He’s definitely one to watch, and he’s a guy this team will build it’s program around over the next two years (at least).

Darryl Sharpton, MLB- I’m glad Sharpton returned for his Senior season. Sharpton has all of the ability to be a very good NFL MLB, but he is just lacking consistency. He has very good closing speed, he tackles well, and he can blitz up the middle. He stands out on tape, which is hard to do on a Miami defense, but he also can disappear at times. If he can just work on avoiding those disappearing spells, he’s going to be very good. I will be watching him very closely next year.

Xavier Shannon, OC- He’s the coach’s son, so you hope he’s a decent football player. Shannon is a no frills type of offensive lineman. He plays very hard, and plays smart. He’s just not anything special unfortunately. I think Shannon will get drafted late and will be a very solid backup in the pros.

Bruce Johnson, CB- Johnson is Miami’s best player in the draft, but that’s not saying much. I don’t think he’s worth more than a mid to late round draft pick, so it’s a fairly down season for a Hurricane’s team that annually produces at least one first round talent.