thanks for your opinion!
Wondered what everyone thought, thanks for the input! I would still be excited to see this guy in camp next year. He's not that much smaller than M Faulk or Martin.
Travis Stephens
Runningback
Tennessee
5-8/180
40: 4.55
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TSN
Overall: 5.5
Strengths: Has a good combination of speed and quickness. Shows the ability to score if he gets in the open field. Runs with good vision and balance when attacking the second level of the defense. Finds cutback lanes well, and is effective reversing field. Is not overly shifty, but is elusive -- will make people miss in the open field. Shows impressive change-of-direction skills. Has the ability to pick and slide to holes along the line of scrimmage. Plays much bigger than size would indicate. Is squatty with good lower-body strength, and will use center of gravity to bounce off tackles. Is productive as a receiver. Shows the ability to catch passes on the run and away from his body. Could be a productive situational/change-of-pace back in the NFL. Weaknesses: Is very undersized. Lacks height and bulk. Durability has to be a concern. Breaks tackles in college but might not in the NFL. Will not be an every-down back. Will have trouble blocking in the NFL. Has a history of fumbling. Bottom line: Stephens finished as one of the top backs in the country his senior year, but the fact he is vastly undersized and he struggled miserably against LSU in the SEC championship game makes him a dangerous back to draft. He has good, not great, speed and outstanding quickness and elusiveness, but size and durability are concerns. Stephens is not an every-down player. If he continues to improve as a receiver and blocker, he could be a productive situational player. Great Blue North
Tennessee's Travis Stephens, at just 5-9, 190, also isn't the biggest back around; in fact, he languished for years on the Volunteer bench backing up power backs Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry, now both starters in the NFL, but got his chance this year and has more than made the most of it. And while durability was a big question for Stephens prior to the season,he has averaged a remarkable 30 carries per game this fall and has kept on ticking. This sesaon, Stepens is on pace to finish with 1,650 rushing yards. Stephens is a very patient, instinctive runner who tens to get lost behind his big blockers; and like ECU's Henry, Stephens has a tremendous burst when he does get an opening; he also has surprising power for a player that size.
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Sporting News Draft Dish
Toledo's Chester Taylor and Tennessee's Travis Stephens are two running backs that made huge jumps this year in their NFL draft value. Both undersized, Taylor and Stephens showed they were capable of handling the full-time running loads for their teams by averaging 34 carries per game. Neither is a first-round prospect, but don't be surprised if Taylor and Stephens are both drafted on the first day after starting the season as relative unknowns.
Not even on some teams' position short list coming into the season because of his size limitations, Stephens is now dispelling all rumors that he can't handle a full-time responsibility with an average of more than 30 carries per game. "If Stephens stays healthy and continues to excel with the same type of load," a director of personnel from the AFC West told us recently, "especially with the success of Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry, someone's bound to take a shot at him."
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Mel Kiper
Travis Stephens made his mark as one of the top RBs in the nation
And how about senior RB Travis Stephens! He's been quite a hole-filler for the Vols, who over the last two years sent the likes of Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry to the NFL.
With Travis Henry moving to the NFL as a second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, running back was expected to be a major concern for the Vols this season. But the hard-nosed Stephens solved the problem. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder excels as a decisive cut-back runner with the speed to go the distance. Also impressive is that he's averaging 30 carries per game.
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TFY
Volunteer back Travis Stephens, not rated by anyone, has literally carried himself into late round status
Travis Stephens has literally picked up the ball and carried it for the Volunteers this year but with size limitations he is nothing more than a situational runner at the next level
The Volunteers will look to another Travis to handle the ball carrying duties. A talented backfield kept Travis Stephens from seeing the ball the last two seasons (causing him to red-shirt in '99) and though a nice interior runner, he is a big step down from Travis Henry.
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Joel Buchsbaum
Stephens is a very small back in terms of size, but he has tremendous power and balance for a back his size. In the Florida game, when Stephens gained 226 yards on 19 carries, much of his yardage came after contact.
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Rob "Boomer" Rang
Travis Stephens (#34), is one of the most compact and powerful 5'9, 190 boxes of dynamite you ever want to try to tackle and has risen this year from being a JAG (Just Another Guy) to a legitimate mid round draft pick.