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Which Prospects’ Stock Will Soar In 2015
Find out which underrated college football prospects will be hot commodities come draft time.
As much as the draft has become an all year endeavor, there are always players who sneak under the radar prior to the college football season before exploding on the scene when the games start to be played.
Last year, everyone knew about Leonard Williams, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota entering the 2014 college football season; however, Kevin White, Kevin Johnson and Arik Armstead weren’t even on most analysts radars prior to the season. All these players took full advantage of the opportunities they were given in 2014 and NFL teams took notice.
This year will be no different as players that are off the radar will play well and generate buzz as the season goes along. Without any further ado, let’s take a look at who some players’ whose stock is going to soar this season.
Andrew Billings, Baylor
Shawn Oakman gets all the publicity, but Andrew Billings is the best defensive lineman on the Baylor Bears. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, Billings plays with phenomenal pad level, which allows him to generate a ton of leverage. Also, Billings has insane strength in his lower half. He can squat upwards of 650 pounds and you can see every ounce of power when he is on the field.
He uses his powerful hands to jack up opposing offensive lineman and reset the line of scrimmage. Furthermore, he has the quickness to attack the upfield shoulder of an interior offensive lineman and win early in a play as well.
If there was one area where Billings needs to improve it is the variety of ways he sheds blocks. Often times, Billings put himself in a great position to make a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, but he couldn’t get off the block quick enough to finish the play.
If Billings continues to grow at the same rate he has since he arrived at Baylor, expect to see a lot of first round buzz as the NFL draft comes close.
Devontae Booker, Utah
Devontae Booker gets lost in the shuffle behind the big name running backs in college football like Ezekiel Elliot, Samaje Perine and Nick Chubb; however, people are really missing out on a special running back.
If you’re looking for a running back who is the perfect fit for a zone blocking scheme, Booker is your guy. he displays fantastic vision and great patience to allow his running lanes to develop. He has quick feet that allow him to layer together his cuts to leave defenses grasping at air.
Furthermore, he may be the most well-round running back in college football with his ability to block and catch the field out of the backfield. Booker is hampered by the fact that he plays at Utah, a school that doesn’t get a lot of publicity. That doesn’t change the fact that he is a big time talent who should see his stock soar after this season culminates.
Jonathan Allen, Alabama
It is quite puzzling as to why Jonathan Allen hasn’t received more hype at this point in the process. He is a former five-star recruit and an All-SEC selection last season for Alabama. He is a prototypical power rusher who wins with hand positioning, leg drive, and pad level. He can jolt opposing linemen with his hands and he has a variety moves that he uses to get by the blocker and to the quarterback.
Allen has shown the ability to bend and sharpen his route to the quarterback, but he doesn’t have the athleticism to always get to the edge of an opposing tackle. This may be a sticking point with some teams who may already have a power rusher on the roster.
The trait that will really put Allen on the NFL’s radar is his versatility. Allen can play either defensive end spot and he can slide down to the nose or under tackle in the nickel and provide a nice pass rush there as well.
If Allen can continue to get after the quarterback and improve his ability against the run, Allen will shoot up boards as the season goes along.
Tre’Davious White, LSU
Out of everyone on this list, Tre’Davious White is the one most likely to explode onto the scene and generate a ton of buzz. When you talk about the best defensive backs in college football you will hear a mixture of Vernon Hargreaves, Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller; however, White is just as good and maybe even better than all three, but he gets none of the buzz.
White was one of the few defensive backs who had success covering Amari Cooper last year as he showcased his incredible foot quickness to stay with Cooper throughout his routes.
White isn’t the tallest corner, but he appears to have long arms that he uses to jam opposing wide receivers exceedingly well. He can cover the whole route tree and he has success against every body type.
White is a player that could rise all the way into the top-10 when the draft rolls around. Make sure you remember his name.
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