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Sunday, December 23 Kiper: Texas OL Williams a top-six pick By Mel Kiper ESPN.com The Holiday Bowl has plenty of players who could have a future in the NFL. Here are the most likely prospects.
Washington Huskies
Top Senior Prospect
Other Prospects Jerramy Stevens, TE: The 6-6, 255-pound junior was injured with a broken foot suffered early in the year. Limited to just 10 catches after 43 catches as a sophomore. Working his way back to full strength. With his ability to stretch the deep middle, has more ability than Todd Heap, the final pick of the first round last season. Big, athletic, fast. Has very good natural pass-receiving skills. Blocking is the area in which he needs to improve in the NFL. Overall, can be a pass-receiving dynamo. If he were in the NFL draft, he'd be graded on par with Daniel Graham of Colorado, currently the 12th overall player in the top 25. Cody Pickett, QB: Has a chance to be a very good quarterback down the road. Of the sophomore quarterbacks, he is only behind Eli Manning, Casey Clausen, Rex Grossman and Jared Lorenzen. At 6-3, 208, he showed his toughness early in the season. Missed just one game with a separated shoulder. Has a strong arm and very good mobility. In fact, he has more straight-line speed than Marques Tuiasosopo. He needs to improve his decision-making. He had 14 interceptions and only 10 TD passes. His accuracy and efficiency must be upgraded. Has a lot of talent. Kai Ellis, DE: Banged up at times this season. At 6-3, 247, he's a JUCO transfer with pass-rush ability. Has upside as an edge rusher. Khalif Barnes, OT: Redshirt freshman has a chance to be very good. 6-4, 285. Started on defensive side of the ball. No. 2-rated offensive tackle from the freshman/redshirt freshman class in the nation. Willie Hurst, RB: Quick with shiftiness and good pass-receiving skills. At 5-9, 198, could be like a Travis Minor. Can help as a No. 2 back or a third-down option catching the football. Has breakaway ability. Was productive this year. Could be an interesting player in the fourth, fifth or sixth round. Ben Mahdavi, ILB: Tough, hard-nosed junior inside linebacker. A good run-stopper who leads Huskies in tackles and sacks. Shows decent mobility getting in coverage. Shows up around the line of scrimmage a lot. Good instincts for the position. Strong kid. Good collegiate linebacker. Omare Lowe, CB: Junior has a chance down the road. A little inconsistent, but has good cover skills and size at 6-foot-1, 205. Greg Carothers, S: Good size at 6-1½, 205 pounds. Solid career. Good tackler, breaks down well in space. Aggressive player. Decent cover skills. John Anderson, K: Junior kickers are pretty solid overall. Several have a chance in the NFL, and Anderson is one of them. Has shown an NFL leg.
Texas Longhorns
Top Senior Prospect
Other Prospects Quentin Jammer, CB: Shut-down corner who has been rated in my top 10 all season. Has good size at 6-foot, 196 pounds. Outstanding ball skills, even when he has coverage. By going back for another year, he moved from a mid-first-rounder into the top five-to-eight overall. Has only two interceptions, but leads team with 23 pass breakups. Not up to the level of Deion Sanders, but he's in the Champ Bailey and Chris McAlister mold, two players picked among the top 10. Chris Simms, QB: Not where he has to be yet. Locks onto his primary receiver and doesn't look off. Allows the defensive backs and linebackers to read his eyes. Must develop his skills and take advantage of his great arm strength and become the quarterback he's capable of. Has the physical talent (6-4, 215) and the pedigree. Has had some impressive moments, but completed less than 60 percent of his passes. A lot of work to be done. Must step up next year to guarantee himself a first-round possibility. Cedric Benson, RB: Freshman running back who is hurt now. Showed a lot of ability in his first collegiate season as a game-breaker after a brilliant high school career. Nathan Vasher, CB: Underrated, outstanding player. Most unheralded defensive player on the Longhorns. Led the team with seven interceptions. Excellent tackler. A playmaker. Will lay the wood on anyone passing through his vicinity. Only 5-10½, 173 pounds, but he can play. Has been used at safety. Can be an intimidator. Has been a great punt returner. Roderick Babers, CB: Not physically imposing (5-10, 185), but has had his moments. Second to Jammer with 15 pass breakups. Benefitted from the Longhorns' pass rush. Is a player to watch. Cory Redding, DE: Junior had a productive but not great year. Wasn't a force that maybe his press clippings would lead one to believe. Has athletic prowess at 6-4, 250. Makes plays in the backfield and from sideline to sideline, but not a dominator. Kalen Thornton, DE: Sophomore had a better year than Redding. More of an edge player who is very active and alert. An upfield player. Got in the backfield a lot to create destruction. Marcus Tubbs, DT: The 6-3½, 285-pound sophomore had to make up for the loss of Casey Hampton and Shaun Rogers on the defensive interior and did a great job. His level of performance improved late in the year. Has a chance to be an outstanding player. Starting to hit his stride. D.D. Lewis, MLB: Decent player, but not great. Has a chance to be a late-round NFL pick. Antwan Kirk-Hughes, G: One of the top seven senior guards in the country. Has a chance to be a later-round pick. Robbie Doan, LT: At 6-6, 310, he did a good job this season in pass protection. Bo Scaife, TE: A 6-3½, 244-pound sophomore, he bounced back from a knee injury that sidelined him all last season. Third on the team with 30 catches. Averages 13.2 yards per gain, excellent for a tight end. Major Applewhite, QB: Started out looking like he would be a very good collegiate quarterback. Not very big (6-foot, 205 pounds), but he is cerebral, much like Gary Kubiak was at Texas A&M. And like Kubiak, coaching could be in his future. In the NFL, Applewhite could be a backup or No. 3 quarterback. May get a chance as a free agent. Ultimately could be an offensive coordinator or head coach at the college level in the future. Ivan Williams, RB: No. 3 running back, but has a lot of ability. At 6-1, 235, he's powerfully built. Averaged 5.1 yards per carry, leading all Texas running backs. Became less of a factor with the emergence of Cedric Benson, but was the best running back early in the season.
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