Impressions: USC vs OSU

September 13th, 2008 Impressions of University of Southern California vs Ohio State University.

Ohio State:

WR Brian Robiskie – 6′2 200lbs

Good frame. I consider 6′2 200lbs to be a little less than ideal, but his build looks very strong in the upper body. Lacks muscle in the butt and legs, but given his strong upper body he should be able to add weight (could surprise after combine training). I’d rather take a chance on a receiver building lower body strength than upper body. Showed good concentration holding onto the ball on a couple of plays, including one where he took a tough hit and held on. Looks quick rather than fast. Looked above-average the few times I saw him involved in a running play. Overall, I was impressed by his build (looks bigger than last year) and his concentration (has had minor drop problems before), even though he had a quiet game.

QB Todd Boeckman – 6′4 244lbs.

244lbs? He doesn’t look that big, though by no means is his size an issue. Throwing motion is sound. Needs to work on using his back foot to generate more power. Reminds me a little of a smaller Erik Ainge (formerly of Tennessee. Drafted by the New York Jets in ‘08) in that he didn’t seem to have a cannon arm and had streaky mechanics and thus streaky accuracy. I project both as career backup types. Missed open guys. Generally a good reader of defenses but threw into coverage a few times. He was running for his life on a lot of plays though. Still, you’d want a senior quarterback to demonstrate a little more poise in the pocket. Overall, a negative impression, though I’d never been a big Boeckman fan.

OL Alex Boone – 6′7 312lbs.

Terrible seems a little harsh. How about “Not starting-caliber in the NFL”. Sluggish hand-punch. Was consistently failing with his hands despite a mammoth reach. Not especially quick out of his stance. Looked awkward on two occasions where he was blocking in the open field. Most importantly, was consistently beaten around the edge. We’ve seen it the past two championship games as well. Alex Boone is simply not able to handle speed rushers on the edge. The problem is, everyone in the NFL is a speed rusher. His best prospects might be as a guard (I’m not sure he’d survive as a RT either), but at 6′7 he’s going to have leverage problems. He isn’t without some positives: He’s tall, good frame, mammoth reach. Strong. But he’s probably not quick enough with his feet to mirror ends in the NFL.

LB Marcus Freeman – 6′1 238lbs.

Supposed to be fast but was torched by FB Stanley Havili for a touchdown. Otherwise, he made a few tackles but seemed to struggle the most against RB CJ Gable and RB Joe McKnight. I saw the athleticism that has made him a national prospect, but I didn’t like what I saw him do in this game. Inconclusive to be sure, but not a positive showing.

LB James Lauranitis – 6′2 240lbs.

He was gameplanned a little bit. I saw USC release it’s center or left guard on him constantly in the running game. Definitely trying to make Lauranitis use his strength to disengage from blocks, which he struggled to do. That said, he is by far the best tackler of the linebackers, using good form and more importantly stopping the runner. Has a reputation for good coverage, but didn’t get proper depth in his zone on one play that ended up being a USC touchdown to WR Damien Williams. Had Lauranitis dropped a few more steps, it would have been knocked down or picked off. Overall, I saw a couple of concerns, but I was impressed by his physical talent (more instinctive against the run, more athletic) and tackling ability. Need to see him in a closer game. Still promising.

CB Malcolm Jenkins – 6′0 200lbs

Great frame for a corner. Not afraid to tackle running backs, and did it pretty well too. In coverage, more physical than fast. Pure speed looks good but is not elite. He plays a little like Packers CB Al Harris, though Jenkins is faster than Harris is today, don’t worry. More concerned with if he has elite speed, but he has enough to start in the NFL. Smooth backpedal and has good hips. Need to see more as he wasn’t targeted much. Overall not a bad game… rarely targeted, though I believe he picked up a pass interference on a short route. Did a good job on Patrick Turner.

USC:

QB Mark Sanchez – 6′3 225lbs.

Wasn’t a fan of his going into this season. Saw a lot of improvement though. Good athleticism to escape the pocket, good build for the position. Decent height. Great arm, though he could really use some better deep targets. Fit the ball into a tight space on a post route, was impressed. Accuracy has greatly improved and he doesn’t loom so anxious behind center. Still a couple of flaws I don’t see going away soon. Footwork is usually good (awkward on play-action fakes to his left), but he holds the ball low, exposing him to fumbles on unexpected hits. Very low release point, but it’s quick. Still see some David Carr in him though, but I maintain Carr would’ve done fine if he hadn’t had the talent sacked out of him in Houston. Overall, I saw a lot to like. Looks like a quarterback rather than a mobile guy with a cannon arm.

WR Patrick Turner – 6′5 220lbs.

While I saw some things in Turner that I liked, I’m really concerned with his pro prospects. Malcolm Jenkins didn’t struggle with him much, even with the game being a USC blowout. Had trouble with Jenkins’ physical play, usually needing two moves to get off the line. As a wideout who will be earning his living in the red zone and short field, he needs to either gain enough quickness that he can escape the press (unlikely) or enough strength that he can run through it (possible). I saw great hands though, an awareness for the chains, and a desire to block well. I like him as a player, but I’m afraid that his skill-set is more along the lines of project than early pick.