Somewhat dated, but very good analysis imo of the top OSU prospects as per the upcoming draft:
A Big 12 tussle between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech turned out to be a one-sided affair in favor of the undefeated Cowboys, who beyond Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon feature a host of other very talented and mostly unsung contributors.
While many bring up the names of quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Case Keenum and Kellen Moore as the prime Heisman Trophy candidates, none have been as consistent as Brandon Weeden,who unlike Keenum and Moore has directed his team to big wins over top programs in the Big 12. The 28-year-old field general was once again outstanding versus the Red Raiders, completing 31 of 37 passes for 423 yards and five touchdowns. He did that by masterfully stepping away from pressure and spreading the ball around.
Weeden’s pocket presence has significantly improved in his two seasons as a starter, as evidenced by the way he felt pressure from the right side on his first drive, but kept his eyes pointed downfield and rifled a 23-yard pass to slot man Josh Cooper. On the next play, he froze the defense with a pump fake and found his man, Cooper, on the 13-yard hook-up. The signal caller’s confidence in his receivers was quite remarkable, particularly with the way he stuck the ball into the chest of the physical Tracy Moore, who caught the ball in between three defenders and fought for extra yardage on the 7-yard play. His fade pass to Justin Blackmon on the 2-yard score was child’s play for Weeden, who exhibited great touch by perfectly placing the ball in front of his intended target.
Throughout the contest, the former New York Yankee farmhand demonstrated the ability to put some air under his deep throws. But what was most impressive was the fact that Weeden was unfazed by the windy conditions in Lubbock, Texas, which speaks to the man’s considerable arm strength.
The Heisman hopeful put on a series of deft ball fakes at the end of the first quarter, as well. On one play, he turned his shoulder toward the left to momentarily stun the opposition and then came back over the middle to Cooper for eight yards. Two plays later, he faked a handoff on 3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-and-2, which stopped the slot corner in his tracks, and proceeded to hit a wide-open Josh Stewart on a wheel route, which resulted in a 27-yard touchdown, putting the Cowboys on top 21-0.
Age difference aside, Weeden was a man among boys in this contest. His poise and calmness in the pocket perfectly complements his raw physical tools, making him not only a top college quarterback, but someone will be starting for an NFL franchise in the near future.
One player who often gets lost in all the Weeden and Blackmon talk is right offensive tackle Levy Ad****,who is a hulking presence who moves just as fluidly going forward as he does dropping back. In fact, the senior has no issues getting out to the second level and picking up linebackers on running plays.
The running game is where Ad**** excels, as demonstrated by the way he drove defensive end Scott Smith to the perimeter, essentially making him a non-factor on an eight-yard pick-up up the middle by Joseph Randle.
The 6’6”, 322-pound blocker was especially effective at blocking down on inside runs by using his massive upper body to move his opponents.
He does at times have problems picking up smaller defensive backs and linebackers who blitz off the edge. In addition, Ad**** is also prone to losing his balance in his backpedal, as he did on one occasion in which a Red Raider lineman caused him to lose his footing on a bull rush.
While the converted guard has sometimes been criticized for not being overly physical, he had made strides in that area and looked very strong in clearing the path for both Randle and Jeremy Smith in the ground game.
Technique-wise, Ad**** exhibits the ability to bend, extend his arms and quickly get into his set on pass plays. Although he will occasionally drift to the left side, his footwork suggests that he would be better suited on the right once he gets drafted. He could very well be a Day-Two pick.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Dan Patrick, OSU coach Mike Gundy called Justin Blackmon the best Cowboy receiver of all time, placing him ahead of such luminaries as Dez Bryant, Rashaun Woods and Hart Lee Dykes. Blackmon doesn’t have blazing speed, but he has every other quality you look for in a No. 1 wide receiver. The 6’1”, 215-pound is a well-proportioned athlete with a big frame to overpower defensive backs, but also has the body control to make difficult and acrobatic catches. Furthermore, his burst after the catch also makes him hard to stop. But although he has big hands, which allow him to come down with the ball in traffic or in jump-ball situations, he is prone to losing his concentration and dropping the most routine passes. He is very Terrell Owens-like in that regard.
On his 2-yard touchdown catch, the gifted wideout showed why he is so tough to handle at the line of scrimmage, as he eluded cornerback Eugene Neboh with a quick move to the right and effortlessly came down with the ball in the corner of the end zone.
Blackmon was an even bigger load for cornerback Derrick Mays later in the first quarter by catching a Weeden pass over the middle and dragging his man for about five yards before going down. His 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter was a work of art, as Blackmon exploded into his slant route and broke the tackle of a helpless Texas Tech defender and took it the house. The defensive back allowed Blackmon to cleanly get off the line and once he generated a head of steam, he was off to the races. There is no reason why the junior playmaker shouldn’t be the first wide receiver off the draft board come April.
Strong safety Markelle Martin was his typical physical self versus the Red Raiders early on by jumping wide receiver Bradley Marquez’s route by sticking his hand in front of him and knocking the ball away without committing a penalty. His form and instincts were impeccable in that instance.
Martin’s ability to close in on the opposing ball carrier and meet him head-on on the five-yard surge later in the quarter showed why the senior headhunter is considered an exceptional downhill player.
He combines brains and braun in immediately identifying where the play is going and does not hesitate to get to the ball. His long arms help him in breaking up passes and he is versatile enough to play either safety position, but looks like a more natural strong safety.
http://www.nfldraftbible.com/NFL-Insider-Insider-info/scouts-notebook-oklahoma-sttexas-tech.html
SCOUT’S NOTEBOOK: OKLAHOMA STATE@TEXAS TECH
A Big 12 tussle between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech turned out to be a one-sided affair in favor of the undefeated Cowboys, who beyond Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon feature a host of other very talented and mostly unsung contributors.
Livin’ large and in charge
While many bring up the names of quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Case Keenum and Kellen Moore as the prime Heisman Trophy candidates, none have been as consistent as Brandon Weeden,who unlike Keenum and Moore has directed his team to big wins over top programs in the Big 12. The 28-year-old field general was once again outstanding versus the Red Raiders, completing 31 of 37 passes for 423 yards and five touchdowns. He did that by masterfully stepping away from pressure and spreading the ball around.
Weeden’s pocket presence has significantly improved in his two seasons as a starter, as evidenced by the way he felt pressure from the right side on his first drive, but kept his eyes pointed downfield and rifled a 23-yard pass to slot man Josh Cooper. On the next play, he froze the defense with a pump fake and found his man, Cooper, on the 13-yard hook-up. The signal caller’s confidence in his receivers was quite remarkable, particularly with the way he stuck the ball into the chest of the physical Tracy Moore, who caught the ball in between three defenders and fought for extra yardage on the 7-yard play. His fade pass to Justin Blackmon on the 2-yard score was child’s play for Weeden, who exhibited great touch by perfectly placing the ball in front of his intended target.
Throughout the contest, the former New York Yankee farmhand demonstrated the ability to put some air under his deep throws. But what was most impressive was the fact that Weeden was unfazed by the windy conditions in Lubbock, Texas, which speaks to the man’s considerable arm strength.
The Heisman hopeful put on a series of deft ball fakes at the end of the first quarter, as well. On one play, he turned his shoulder toward the left to momentarily stun the opposition and then came back over the middle to Cooper for eight yards. Two plays later, he faked a handoff on 3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-and-2, which stopped the slot corner in his tracks, and proceeded to hit a wide-open Josh Stewart on a wheel route, which resulted in a 27-yard touchdown, putting the Cowboys on top 21-0.
Age difference aside, Weeden was a man among boys in this contest. His poise and calmness in the pocket perfectly complements his raw physical tools, making him not only a top college quarterback, but someone will be starting for an NFL franchise in the near future.
Ad**** clears the way
One player who often gets lost in all the Weeden and Blackmon talk is right offensive tackle Levy Ad****,who is a hulking presence who moves just as fluidly going forward as he does dropping back. In fact, the senior has no issues getting out to the second level and picking up linebackers on running plays.
The running game is where Ad**** excels, as demonstrated by the way he drove defensive end Scott Smith to the perimeter, essentially making him a non-factor on an eight-yard pick-up up the middle by Joseph Randle.
The 6’6”, 322-pound blocker was especially effective at blocking down on inside runs by using his massive upper body to move his opponents.
He does at times have problems picking up smaller defensive backs and linebackers who blitz off the edge. In addition, Ad**** is also prone to losing his balance in his backpedal, as he did on one occasion in which a Red Raider lineman caused him to lose his footing on a bull rush.
While the converted guard has sometimes been criticized for not being overly physical, he had made strides in that area and looked very strong in clearing the path for both Randle and Jeremy Smith in the ground game.
Technique-wise, Ad**** exhibits the ability to bend, extend his arms and quickly get into his set on pass plays. Although he will occasionally drift to the left side, his footwork suggests that he would be better suited on the right once he gets drafted. He could very well be a Day-Two pick.
Best OSU receiver of all time
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Dan Patrick, OSU coach Mike Gundy called Justin Blackmon the best Cowboy receiver of all time, placing him ahead of such luminaries as Dez Bryant, Rashaun Woods and Hart Lee Dykes. Blackmon doesn’t have blazing speed, but he has every other quality you look for in a No. 1 wide receiver. The 6’1”, 215-pound is a well-proportioned athlete with a big frame to overpower defensive backs, but also has the body control to make difficult and acrobatic catches. Furthermore, his burst after the catch also makes him hard to stop. But although he has big hands, which allow him to come down with the ball in traffic or in jump-ball situations, he is prone to losing his concentration and dropping the most routine passes. He is very Terrell Owens-like in that regard.
On his 2-yard touchdown catch, the gifted wideout showed why he is so tough to handle at the line of scrimmage, as he eluded cornerback Eugene Neboh with a quick move to the right and effortlessly came down with the ball in the corner of the end zone.
Blackmon was an even bigger load for cornerback Derrick Mays later in the first quarter by catching a Weeden pass over the middle and dragging his man for about five yards before going down. His 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter was a work of art, as Blackmon exploded into his slant route and broke the tackle of a helpless Texas Tech defender and took it the house. The defensive back allowed Blackmon to cleanly get off the line and once he generated a head of steam, he was off to the races. There is no reason why the junior playmaker shouldn’t be the first wide receiver off the draft board come April.
Defensive standouts
Strong safety Markelle Martin was his typical physical self versus the Red Raiders early on by jumping wide receiver Bradley Marquez’s route by sticking his hand in front of him and knocking the ball away without committing a penalty. His form and instincts were impeccable in that instance.
Martin’s ability to close in on the opposing ball carrier and meet him head-on on the five-yard surge later in the quarter showed why the senior headhunter is considered an exceptional downhill player.
He combines brains and braun in immediately identifying where the play is going and does not hesitate to get to the ball. His long arms help him in breaking up passes and he is versatile enough to play either safety position, but looks like a more natural strong safety.
http://www.nfldraftbible.com/NFL-Insider-Insider-info/scouts-notebook-oklahoma-sttexas-tech.html
