College Football Game of the Week: #24 Oregon St. @ #3 Boise State
By Editorial Staff
College Football is officially here and the writers at NFL Mocks could not be more excited to start evaluating some NFL Prospects. You can count on at least 1 article a week that will highlight a big time College Football game a week. The article will focus on identifying some of the top prospects from each team and the key match-ups within that game.
This week has a lot of great games on the schedule and I had a tough time identifying the game of the week. The South Carolina vs. Auburn match-up was high on my list but I ultimately went with Oregon State @ Boise State because of the National Championship implications. This will be the last real test for this Boise State team as they hope to make their Championship run. For the BCS supporters they are hoping that Oregon State can silence the Boise State fans with an upset. That is just one of the story lines for this weekends slate of games but now lets take a look at the NFL prospects that will be taking the field for this game.
- The top prospect in this game for Boise State has to be offensive lineman Nate Potter. Potter is working at left tackle but has shown some signs that he might not be able to stick at this position in the NFL. There are whispers that some question his ability to handle the speed rushers in the NFL and he also doesn’t show much strength the be a dominate run blocker. At 293lbs he doesn’t have great bulk and can be overpowered by strong bull-rushers. His lack of strength likely means he wont be able to shift inside to guard and without great athleticism he may not be able to stick at left tackle. What Potter does have going for him is sound technique and footwork which allows him to put himself in great position. He does a nice job sliding his feet and mirroring rushers but he just isn’t athletic enough to stick with the real fast rushers. He probably best fits in a zone blocking scheme where he can use his technique and footwork to get into good position.
- Boise also has two very accomplished wide receivers that get attention from NFL scouts. While neither are considered 1st round talents they both bring a lot to the table. Titus Young has shown his big play ability by stretching the defense and causing headaches in the return game. Young has very good speed and has a knack for finding the holes in zone coverage. Teams respect his speed which gives him a good enough room to create damage with shorter routes. Austin Pettis doesn’t have game breaking speed but he some how always finds away behind the defense. He reminds me of Terrell Owens in that regard because TO doesn’t have great top end speed but he still makes plenty of plays down the field. Pettis brings added value with this special teams play where he is the holder for field goals and has a knack for blocking kicks. As long as both remain productive they will get attention from NFL teams.
- The top prospect on this Oregon State team is defensive lineman Stephen Paea. Paea is a strong run stuffing defensive tackle that has found his stock on the rise. He isn’t going to create a ton of pressure on the passer but he will hold strong against the run and help clog the middle. He is a good fit as a nose tackle type but doesn’t have great bulk. His lack of weight will lower his stock some but he makes up for that with brute strength. Look for teams that struggle against the run to take a flier on Paea.
- Oregon State has two of the most exciting players in College Football and they happen to share the same last name. Jacquizz and James Rodgers stuff the stat sheets with yards and touchdowns and both hope to be doing the same in the NFL. Jacquizz is the better pro prospect but both lack ideal size. Jacquizz has shown that he can carry the load as a running back but many NFL teams will still worry about his durability. At 5’8 James is extremely undersized for a wide receiver but he still makes a ton of plays. He is going to get a chance in the NFL and I have a feeling he will make some NFL team very happy.