http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/College+Football/College+Football+Extras/2004/ppohiost.htm
First impressions
PFW presents last fall's scouting reports for NFL prospects
By PFW staff
Aug. 22, 2004
The following scouting reports were originally published in PFW's Pro Prospects Preview in August 2004. They provide insight into what NFL scouts knew about some of college football's top-rated prospects heading into last season. To get up-to-the-minute draft information and to learn which players rose or fell the most in the last six months, continue to visit www.profootballweekly.com and order a copy of PFW's highly respected Draft Preview Guide, available in March. Orders can be placed by calling 1-800-FOOTBALL (1-800-366-8225) or you can order online in the PFW Store.
Key
# — Player's college jersey number
E — Height, weight and speed are estimated or from an outside source.
e — Only the 40-yard-dash time is estimated or from an outside source.
Sizes come from a school’s timing and testing days, unless otherwise indicated.
Forty times are curved to take conditions into account. For example, a 4.4 40 run indoors on a fast, rubber track in nubs would be listed as a 4.55, as would a 4.65 40 run on slow, high grass.
Ohio State
LS Kyle Andrews, #60
(5-11, 254, 5.0e) — Played in one game as a true freshman walk-on in 2001. Started all 14 games in ’02 with no errant snaps and all 13 games in ’03. Consistent snapper with good accuracy and very good velocity. Average time of 15-yard snaps is 0.7 seconds. Aggressive in coverage, but lacks ideal height.
CB Dustin Fox, #37
(5-10 5/8, 190, 4.47) — Brother, Derek, played football at Penn State and in the NFL for the Colts. Uncles Kenny Kuhn, Dick Kuhn, Mark Stier and Tim Fox all played football at Ohio State. Lettered in track in high school. Saw action at both safety and corner in 12 games as a true freshman in 2001, starting two games at corner and registering 28 tackles, three passes broken up and one interception. Started all 14 games at boundary corner in ’02, recording 84-14-3. Had an interception in the national championship game vs. Miami (Fla.). Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by coaches and media. Started all 13 games in ’03, tallying 77-9-3. Also forced a fumble and blocked a kick. Named second-team All-Big Ten by the media and honorable mention by coaches. Married. Quick, instinctive corner who shows good awareness in zone coverage. Good football intelligence. Supports the run in a hurry. Solid tackler and tough competitor. Not very fluid but has a knack for being in the right position and making plays. Can recover quickly. Has a 42-inch vertical jump. At worst, Fox could be a solid free safety at the next level and may have more potential there than at corner, but he has the speed and athletic ability to develop into a solid corner at the NFL level.
DE Simon Fraser, #75
(6-5, 278, 5.04) — Also lettered in basketball and track, running the 110-meter hurdles and throwing the shot put and discus in high school. Saw limited action in 12 games as a true freshman in 2001 at end and tackle, recording six tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. Backed up Will Smith in all 14 games in ’02, starting two due to injuries and totaling 30-7-5. Started 12-of-13 games at left defensive end in ’03, tallying 34-7-1 1/2. Had offseason shoulder surgery. Two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Huge, high-effort left end with good instincts to locate the football. Limited athletic ability. Not very fluid. Can improve upper-body strength. Has a tendency to play too tall. Needs to do a better job anchoring vs. the double-team. Best chance may come as a one-gap tackle if he gains 15 pounds and moves inside.
RB Maurice Hall, #28
(5-8 3/4, 212, 4.6e) — Parade All-American in high school who rushed for 3,057 yards and 51 touchdowns as a senior. Also ran track and was a state finalist in the 100-meter and 4x100 relay. Saw limited action in 11 games as a true freshman in 2001, recording nine carries for 72 yards. Biggest contribution came on kickoff returns. Led Ohio State and finished seventh in the Big Ten in kick returns with a 21.8-yard average on 24 returns. Played in all 14 games in ’02, starting one and totaling 78-396 and four touchdowns. Caught five passes for 43 yards. Averaged 22.8 yards on 19 kickoff returns. Ran track in the spring. Started first four games in ’03 before losing starting job due to lingering injuries and lack of production, rushing 97-316-1 and catching 4-12. Averaged 19.8 yards on 10 kickoff returns. Missed the Purdue and Michigan State games. Had offseason surgery on both knees and sat out spring practice. Tough, undersized runner who has not shown the vision, strength, power or burst to run between the tackles or the speed to get outside. Has a 40-inch vertical jump. Marginal blocker. Adequate hands. Good athlete who needs to have a strong senior year to have a chance.
LB A.J. Hawk, #47 (Junior)
(6-2, 235, 4.7 E) — Missed much of senior year in high school due to injury. Handled punting duties in high school and also lettered in basketball. Backed up Cie Grant in all 14 games as a true freshman in 2002, tallying 26 tackles and 31?2 tackles for loss. Also grabbed two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Started all 13 games at “Will” linebacker in ’03, recording a team-best 106-13, four sacks and two interceptions. Named defensive MVP of Fiesta Bowl vs. Kansas State with 10-1 1/2-0. Named first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and the media. Tough, hard-nosed ’backer with good instincts. Solid tackler. Can stack and shed but gets tied up with blocks too long and can do a better job using his hands. Good, not great, athlete who could use another year in college to mature physically.
FB Branden Joe, #38
(6-0, 242, 4.85e) — USA Today High School All-America honorable mention. Moved from tailback to fullback in 2000 and redshirted while nursing a shoulder injury. Played in 12 games in ’01, mostly on special teams. Was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and pleaded innocent. In August ’02 he was found guilty of the DUI charge and sentenced to one year’s probation and to pay a fine. Suspended for fall training camp and the first three games of ’02. Returned to start six games, recording one carry for one yard. Slated to start in ’03 but missed first four games with a torn pectoral muscle. Returned to start three games, tallying 27-99 and three receptions for 30 yards. Cited for having an open container of alcohol in April ’04. Forced to pay a fine. Physical fullback with decent athletic ability and good playing strength. Benchpresses 505 pounds. Struggles to adjust on the second level and stops his feet on contact. Needs to improve as a lead blocker. Falls off blocks. Not a great runner and does not show awareness to pick up blitzes. Good worker. Rarely used in passing game and has limited run skills. Could receive a camp invitation if he improves as a blocker.
PK Mike Nugent, #85
(5-9 1/2, 175, 4.77) — Father played football at Wisconsin and Dayton. Right-footed kicker who saw playing time as a true freshman in 2001, converting 7-of-14 field goals with a long of 44 yards and 27-of-29 PATs. Handled all placekicking duties in ’02, including kickoffs, connecting on 25-of-28 field-goal attempts with a long of 51 yards and 45-of-46 PATs. Converted 24 consecutive field goals to start the season and set school record with 25 field goals in a season. Converted 10-of-12 FG attempts from 40-plus yards, including his lone attempt from 50-plus yards. Team scoring leader with 120 points. Named first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten. Handled all placekicking duties in ’03, converting 16-of-19 FG attempts and all 38 PATs. Was 2-for-2 from 50-plus yards and 4-for-5 from 40-49 yards. Kicked career-best 53-yard field goal in a 19-10 win over Iowa. Named second-team All-Big Ten by coaches and the media. Right-footed kicker with fine leg strength on kickoffs. Consistent and accurate on field goals with the range to hit inside 55 yards. Handles pressure well.
RB Lydell Ross, #30
(5-10 1/4, 223, 4.55e) — Father, Melvin, played football at Indiana. Lydell became the leading rusher in Hillsboro County (Fla.) history with 2,676 yards and 28 touchdowns on 355 carries as a high school senior. Played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2001, registering 120 carries for 419 yards and six touchdowns. Also caught two passes for eight yards. Became the youngest back in Big Ten history to rush for more than 100 yards in a game when he rushed for 124 yards against Indiana at the age of 17. Played in all 14 games in ’02, starting three when Maurice Clarett was out with injuries, rushing 166-619-6 and catching 10-75. Missed all of ’03 spring practice with a pulled groin. Took over starting job halfway through ’03 season and started the final six games, leading Ohio State in rushing with 193-826-10. Also caught 13-98. Well-built, inside runner who runs with good balance and shows some quickness but won’t break many tackles. Lacks elusiveness and doesn’t make many defenders miss. Does not have great speed to get to the corner and is not a home-run threat. Decent blocker with average hands. Great work ethic. Has the size and run skills to develop into a solid backup at the next level.
First impressions
PFW presents last fall's scouting reports for NFL prospects
By PFW staff
Aug. 22, 2004
The following scouting reports were originally published in PFW's Pro Prospects Preview in August 2004. They provide insight into what NFL scouts knew about some of college football's top-rated prospects heading into last season. To get up-to-the-minute draft information and to learn which players rose or fell the most in the last six months, continue to visit www.profootballweekly.com and order a copy of PFW's highly respected Draft Preview Guide, available in March. Orders can be placed by calling 1-800-FOOTBALL (1-800-366-8225) or you can order online in the PFW Store.
Key
# — Player's college jersey number
E — Height, weight and speed are estimated or from an outside source.
e — Only the 40-yard-dash time is estimated or from an outside source.
Sizes come from a school’s timing and testing days, unless otherwise indicated.
Forty times are curved to take conditions into account. For example, a 4.4 40 run indoors on a fast, rubber track in nubs would be listed as a 4.55, as would a 4.65 40 run on slow, high grass.
Ohio State
LS Kyle Andrews, #60
(5-11, 254, 5.0e) — Played in one game as a true freshman walk-on in 2001. Started all 14 games in ’02 with no errant snaps and all 13 games in ’03. Consistent snapper with good accuracy and very good velocity. Average time of 15-yard snaps is 0.7 seconds. Aggressive in coverage, but lacks ideal height.
CB Dustin Fox, #37
(5-10 5/8, 190, 4.47) — Brother, Derek, played football at Penn State and in the NFL for the Colts. Uncles Kenny Kuhn, Dick Kuhn, Mark Stier and Tim Fox all played football at Ohio State. Lettered in track in high school. Saw action at both safety and corner in 12 games as a true freshman in 2001, starting two games at corner and registering 28 tackles, three passes broken up and one interception. Started all 14 games at boundary corner in ’02, recording 84-14-3. Had an interception in the national championship game vs. Miami (Fla.). Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by coaches and media. Started all 13 games in ’03, tallying 77-9-3. Also forced a fumble and blocked a kick. Named second-team All-Big Ten by the media and honorable mention by coaches. Married. Quick, instinctive corner who shows good awareness in zone coverage. Good football intelligence. Supports the run in a hurry. Solid tackler and tough competitor. Not very fluid but has a knack for being in the right position and making plays. Can recover quickly. Has a 42-inch vertical jump. At worst, Fox could be a solid free safety at the next level and may have more potential there than at corner, but he has the speed and athletic ability to develop into a solid corner at the NFL level.
DE Simon Fraser, #75
(6-5, 278, 5.04) — Also lettered in basketball and track, running the 110-meter hurdles and throwing the shot put and discus in high school. Saw limited action in 12 games as a true freshman in 2001 at end and tackle, recording six tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. Backed up Will Smith in all 14 games in ’02, starting two due to injuries and totaling 30-7-5. Started 12-of-13 games at left defensive end in ’03, tallying 34-7-1 1/2. Had offseason shoulder surgery. Two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Huge, high-effort left end with good instincts to locate the football. Limited athletic ability. Not very fluid. Can improve upper-body strength. Has a tendency to play too tall. Needs to do a better job anchoring vs. the double-team. Best chance may come as a one-gap tackle if he gains 15 pounds and moves inside.
RB Maurice Hall, #28
(5-8 3/4, 212, 4.6e) — Parade All-American in high school who rushed for 3,057 yards and 51 touchdowns as a senior. Also ran track and was a state finalist in the 100-meter and 4x100 relay. Saw limited action in 11 games as a true freshman in 2001, recording nine carries for 72 yards. Biggest contribution came on kickoff returns. Led Ohio State and finished seventh in the Big Ten in kick returns with a 21.8-yard average on 24 returns. Played in all 14 games in ’02, starting one and totaling 78-396 and four touchdowns. Caught five passes for 43 yards. Averaged 22.8 yards on 19 kickoff returns. Ran track in the spring. Started first four games in ’03 before losing starting job due to lingering injuries and lack of production, rushing 97-316-1 and catching 4-12. Averaged 19.8 yards on 10 kickoff returns. Missed the Purdue and Michigan State games. Had offseason surgery on both knees and sat out spring practice. Tough, undersized runner who has not shown the vision, strength, power or burst to run between the tackles or the speed to get outside. Has a 40-inch vertical jump. Marginal blocker. Adequate hands. Good athlete who needs to have a strong senior year to have a chance.
LB A.J. Hawk, #47 (Junior)
(6-2, 235, 4.7 E) — Missed much of senior year in high school due to injury. Handled punting duties in high school and also lettered in basketball. Backed up Cie Grant in all 14 games as a true freshman in 2002, tallying 26 tackles and 31?2 tackles for loss. Also grabbed two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Started all 13 games at “Will” linebacker in ’03, recording a team-best 106-13, four sacks and two interceptions. Named defensive MVP of Fiesta Bowl vs. Kansas State with 10-1 1/2-0. Named first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and the media. Tough, hard-nosed ’backer with good instincts. Solid tackler. Can stack and shed but gets tied up with blocks too long and can do a better job using his hands. Good, not great, athlete who could use another year in college to mature physically.
FB Branden Joe, #38
(6-0, 242, 4.85e) — USA Today High School All-America honorable mention. Moved from tailback to fullback in 2000 and redshirted while nursing a shoulder injury. Played in 12 games in ’01, mostly on special teams. Was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and pleaded innocent. In August ’02 he was found guilty of the DUI charge and sentenced to one year’s probation and to pay a fine. Suspended for fall training camp and the first three games of ’02. Returned to start six games, recording one carry for one yard. Slated to start in ’03 but missed first four games with a torn pectoral muscle. Returned to start three games, tallying 27-99 and three receptions for 30 yards. Cited for having an open container of alcohol in April ’04. Forced to pay a fine. Physical fullback with decent athletic ability and good playing strength. Benchpresses 505 pounds. Struggles to adjust on the second level and stops his feet on contact. Needs to improve as a lead blocker. Falls off blocks. Not a great runner and does not show awareness to pick up blitzes. Good worker. Rarely used in passing game and has limited run skills. Could receive a camp invitation if he improves as a blocker.
PK Mike Nugent, #85
(5-9 1/2, 175, 4.77) — Father played football at Wisconsin and Dayton. Right-footed kicker who saw playing time as a true freshman in 2001, converting 7-of-14 field goals with a long of 44 yards and 27-of-29 PATs. Handled all placekicking duties in ’02, including kickoffs, connecting on 25-of-28 field-goal attempts with a long of 51 yards and 45-of-46 PATs. Converted 24 consecutive field goals to start the season and set school record with 25 field goals in a season. Converted 10-of-12 FG attempts from 40-plus yards, including his lone attempt from 50-plus yards. Team scoring leader with 120 points. Named first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten. Handled all placekicking duties in ’03, converting 16-of-19 FG attempts and all 38 PATs. Was 2-for-2 from 50-plus yards and 4-for-5 from 40-49 yards. Kicked career-best 53-yard field goal in a 19-10 win over Iowa. Named second-team All-Big Ten by coaches and the media. Right-footed kicker with fine leg strength on kickoffs. Consistent and accurate on field goals with the range to hit inside 55 yards. Handles pressure well.
RB Lydell Ross, #30
(5-10 1/4, 223, 4.55e) — Father, Melvin, played football at Indiana. Lydell became the leading rusher in Hillsboro County (Fla.) history with 2,676 yards and 28 touchdowns on 355 carries as a high school senior. Played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2001, registering 120 carries for 419 yards and six touchdowns. Also caught two passes for eight yards. Became the youngest back in Big Ten history to rush for more than 100 yards in a game when he rushed for 124 yards against Indiana at the age of 17. Played in all 14 games in ’02, starting three when Maurice Clarett was out with injuries, rushing 166-619-6 and catching 10-75. Missed all of ’03 spring practice with a pulled groin. Took over starting job halfway through ’03 season and started the final six games, leading Ohio State in rushing with 193-826-10. Also caught 13-98. Well-built, inside runner who runs with good balance and shows some quickness but won’t break many tackles. Lacks elusiveness and doesn’t make many defenders miss. Does not have great speed to get to the corner and is not a home-run threat. Decent blocker with average hands. Great work ethic. Has the size and run skills to develop into a solid backup at the next level.
