West Virginia WR Tavon Austin Hottest Draft Prospect in America?

November 17, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) carries the ball on a 31 yard gain against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin has been one of the best wide receivers in the country for a couple of years now, but what nobody really realized until last Saturday was just how exceptional of an athlete he is. Austin did his best Percy Harvin impression, showing that he can not only catch passes and return punts or kicks, he can rush the ball.

The 5’9″ senior receiver rushed the ball 21 times for 344 yards and two rushing touchdowns. That’s right, a wide receiver at 5’9″ 174 pounds ran the ball 21 times for 344 yards. He also caught four passes for 82 yards and accumulated a whopping total of 572 all-purpose yards–an FBS record.

Austin’s performance has deservedly garnered him national recognition, and every site I read, he is the top player in this week’s NFL Draft “Risers and Fallers.” Obviously, he could be completely out of that mix by  the end of this weekend, but this is a guy who is getting some first round hype now.

He can help an NFL team in so many ways. Not only can he catch passes deep down the field, but he can run the ball really well and provide a spark in the return game. He may turn out to be the most versatile senior player in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Austin’s game features an interesting combination of something you’d see from Percy Harvin and/or DeSean Jackson. Harvin is a big play threat, but Austin is more like DeSean or Mike Wallace in his ability to make huge gains in the passing game.

This kid is an incredible athlete with speed, quickness, and toughness. He could very well have cemented himself as a late first round pick with his performances this season.