Van_Slyke_CF
Mentor
If given the chance, Matt Szczur would be an outstanding NFL receiver and return man.
Early look at 2011 NFL draft
- Thread starter whiteathlete33
- Start date
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,469
From Wes Bunting, courtesy of draftdaddy. Looks like he has taken a liking to Jeff Maehl and Kris Durham!
A dime a dozen that I like
Sometimes prospects just don't quite add up physically, but there is something about their game that intrigues you enough to think they warrant a spot on an NFL roster and these two wideouts seem to fit the build.
ICONMaehl has a great feel vs. zone coverage and looks like a potential slot guy at the next level.
Jeff Maehl: Oregon (6-0, 176)
Besides the fact Maehl had 8 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night vs. USC, the guy has simply been getting it done all season. He's not the biggest of options and needs to get a bit stronger. However, he possesses a great feel for the pass game, knows how to find soft spots in coverage, snap off routes underneath and work his way toward the quarterback. Plus, he's fearless over the middle and possesses sneaky vertical speed down the field with the body control and coordination to come down with some really impressive grabs. Now, he's not a guy who I consistently expect to make plays on the outside for you at the next level â€" although he does have some shiftiness off the line and has had success beating press coverage â€" but as a tough slot option who you work the middle and move the chains, Maehl looks like a very capable option.
Kris Durham: Georgia (6-5, 212)
On paper he looks like a long, lean athlete who doesn't run real well and projects as more of a size free agent only. And although that might be the case, I think he ultimately has the goods to potentially fill out a receiving corps at the next level. Now, this isn't a guy who I think can start on the outside and win for you vs. press coverage. However, as the big, consistent slot target who can work the middle of the field, isn't afraid to put his body in danger and come down with some tough catches through contact, Durham is your man. The guy took a real lick this weekend vs. Florida, fully exposing his frame and extending his arms in order to come down with a tough catch and that kind of play really takes guts. Plus, he does possess that sneaky, strider speed and does a nice job baiting corners as a route runner and then quickly turning up the field and getting behind DB's vertically. He's not a wideout who is going to go high in the draft by any stretch, but as a solid late round/free agent type pick up I could see this guy impressing in training camp and forcing his way onto an NFL roster.
A dime a dozen that I like
Sometimes prospects just don't quite add up physically, but there is something about their game that intrigues you enough to think they warrant a spot on an NFL roster and these two wideouts seem to fit the build.
Jeff Maehl: Oregon (6-0, 176)
Besides the fact Maehl had 8 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night vs. USC, the guy has simply been getting it done all season. He's not the biggest of options and needs to get a bit stronger. However, he possesses a great feel for the pass game, knows how to find soft spots in coverage, snap off routes underneath and work his way toward the quarterback. Plus, he's fearless over the middle and possesses sneaky vertical speed down the field with the body control and coordination to come down with some really impressive grabs. Now, he's not a guy who I consistently expect to make plays on the outside for you at the next level â€" although he does have some shiftiness off the line and has had success beating press coverage â€" but as a tough slot option who you work the middle and move the chains, Maehl looks like a very capable option.
Kris Durham: Georgia (6-5, 212)
On paper he looks like a long, lean athlete who doesn't run real well and projects as more of a size free agent only. And although that might be the case, I think he ultimately has the goods to potentially fill out a receiving corps at the next level. Now, this isn't a guy who I think can start on the outside and win for you vs. press coverage. However, as the big, consistent slot target who can work the middle of the field, isn't afraid to put his body in danger and come down with some tough catches through contact, Durham is your man. The guy took a real lick this weekend vs. Florida, fully exposing his frame and extending his arms in order to come down with a tough catch and that kind of play really takes guts. Plus, he does possess that sneaky, strider speed and does a nice job baiting corners as a route runner and then quickly turning up the field and getting behind DB's vertically. He's not a wideout who is going to go high in the draft by any stretch, but as a solid late round/free agent type pick up I could see this guy impressing in training camp and forcing his way onto an NFL roster.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
That is pretty obvious Woody. He says they don't add up physically which are typical caste comments. Of course he states Maehl has "sneaky" speed and that Durham "doesn't run well."
No matter how good they are outside against top competition, theyalways translate to inside possession receivers in the NFL.
Woody
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2010
- Messages
- 283
Haha both of them have "sneaky speed." What do these writers even think that means? Do they even ask themselves what that could possibly be? How does one recognize "sneaky speed"? The fact is speed is perhaps the easiest thing to recognize. You can clearly see when something is speedy. I'm still wondering howin hell "sneaky speed" could possibly have any real meaning.
FootballDad
Hall of Famer
"Sneaky speed" means that it's a slow white guy that doesn't run well, but somehow, as if by magic, seem to be able to outrun superior fast-twitch affletes. But since they *really* aren't faster, it's a fluke of some kind, an optical illusion of speed, if you will.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
FootballDad said:
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,469
I expect Maehl to run a low 4.5, not sure how exactly that is "sneaky" speed. It's a backhanded compliiment, but at least Maehl and Durham got some exposure.
celticdb15 said:
Id expect him to run in the low 4.4 range. His stats have suffered over the years because of the imbalance of run/pass ratio, in 09 they had about 550 runs to 305 pass attempts. Plus his qbs haven't been the best at throwing to him to where he doesn't have to adjust, and there have been plenty that they have straight up missed. If he had a true pocket passer in a different system he wouldve put up 1,000+ yards last year. He is on pace for that this year, the qb they have now is looking more consistent passing and they are throwing the ball a little more.
I would say that he is similar to DeSean Jackson as a prospect
Edited by: snow
referendum
Mentor
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2005
- Messages
- 1,687
You'd think he could have come up with some black player to mention as well as Maehl and Durham, and not be so racially obvious.
Toby Hillis
Guru
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2009
- Messages
- 447
referendum said:
Why would he? His target audience (the DWFs) agrees with everything he said
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
Check out this latest mock draft.http://www.draftcountdown.com/sub/Mock-Draft-B.php
They have J.J Watt and Ryan Kerrigan going in the first round which is certainly a possibility.
Edited by: whiteathlete33
They have J.J Watt and Ryan Kerrigan going in the first round which is certainly a possibility.
Edited by: whiteathlete33
Freethinker
Hall of Famer
The good and the bad.
Good: Caste whore Scott Wright predicts 8 Whites in the first round. That is more than last years putrid 1st round. Keep in mind, almost every White athletes stock will rise after they "shock the world" with better than predicted numbers at the combine and team pro days. I'd expect more than 8 come draft day.
Bad: The write-ups are so littered with caste lingo that I'm about to lose my lunch. "It's now abundantly clear that Alex Smith is destined to be labeled a bust" says Wright under the Jake Locker pick. Smith has shown flashes of greatness under a terrible coaching staff and underwhelming receivers. Apparently JJ Watt and Ryan Kerrigan only excel due to a non-stop motor. Cam Newton is the next Vince Young (that's a good thing?) with unlimited upside worthy of being a 1st rounder. Also, Wright thinks highly productive Mike DeVito is "best suited for backup duty". Guess he doesn't look the part.
There are many other nauseating examples I don't feel like citing. We are making progress here at Caste football but vermin like Scott Wright still stand in our way.Edited by: Freethinker
Good: Caste whore Scott Wright predicts 8 Whites in the first round. That is more than last years putrid 1st round. Keep in mind, almost every White athletes stock will rise after they "shock the world" with better than predicted numbers at the combine and team pro days. I'd expect more than 8 come draft day.
Bad: The write-ups are so littered with caste lingo that I'm about to lose my lunch. "It's now abundantly clear that Alex Smith is destined to be labeled a bust" says Wright under the Jake Locker pick. Smith has shown flashes of greatness under a terrible coaching staff and underwhelming receivers. Apparently JJ Watt and Ryan Kerrigan only excel due to a non-stop motor. Cam Newton is the next Vince Young (that's a good thing?) with unlimited upside worthy of being a 1st rounder. Also, Wright thinks highly productive Mike DeVito is "best suited for backup duty". Guess he doesn't look the part.
There are many other nauseating examples I don't feel like citing. We are making progress here at Caste football but vermin like Scott Wright still stand in our way.Edited by: Freethinker
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
Freethinker, the site I posted the link to above also has eight whites going in the first round. It's the usual caste crap with mostly white quarterbacks and offensive linemen going in the first round. At least this year we have a chance for two incredible white defensive players to go in the first. Kerrigan had to put up great numbers this year to get into the first round but if he doesn't run a fantastic 40 I'm worried he could slip. He's supposedly not "explosive" enough.
TheAnimal
Guru
Lots of good candidates out there this year...
Quarterback:
Andrew Luck- If he declares(which I believe he will) he will make some team very happy. By appearances he is the Elway/Aikman/Manning of this decade, the player so far above the rest you CAN'T ignore.
Blaine Gabbert- Another if he declares prospect however IF he does? The kid has everything needed to be absolutely elite. Some would argue he is near Luck in skill. Of course that's dangerous to the NFL and the clowns have already started the rumblings of him being a project that needs to sit on the bench for awhile first. BS, it doesn't take a white QB years to learn to play under center.
Ryan Mallett- A cannon for an arm, great size, constantly improving accuracy, touch, and ability to make reads. Sounds GREAT, right? Not so fast! Read around, the "experts" are "predicting" a fall and taking outright false attacks on the young man. Despite working his butt off to get better and get better he's "a Derek Anderson clone, all he can do is launch 80 yard bombs(not true) and is lazy when it comes to film study."
Nick Foles- A vastly underrated prospect. 1st round talent yet you never hear anything about him. I wonder why? He has everything you want from a QB. Invest time and effort in him and he'll become a good NFL QB.
Christian Ponder- Another one with first round talent. Can make all the throws. Above average ability to read defenses. Extremely accurate. This would be why he has been labeled a Jeff Garcia clone destined to be a 3rd rounder.
Jake Locker- I saved the best for last. The without a doubt top 5 lock for the last two years whom is now being projected an early 2nd rounder at best. What happened? Well, he became dangerous. LEGIT 4.4 speed, the ability of an elite runningback with the arm strength to make deep passes, the ability to make intermediate throws and the ability to dink and duck. Intangibles through the roof of the Empire State building. THE prototype for a dual thread QB, just as likely to break a 60 yard run as he is to complete a 60 yard pass. BUT... He, much like Tebow is white. A white kid playing "the black QB's game."
Jake caused some trouble with that. Jake is THE young kid to become everything we've been hearing Vick would be for a decade now. A legit QB with the ability to rush for 1,000 AND pass for 3,000 each year. That's no good. You'll notice out of nowhere a quataback with little QB ability named Cam Newton crawled out of the woodwork in literally one day. From being kicked off multiple teams and heading to jail to 1st round, top 5 lock based on affletic ability. Move over Locker, they found the mythical dual threat QB they needed.
No coincidence as soon as they chose him and started the hype Locker, Mallett, Ponder, Foles and Pat Devlin were all dropped like hot potatoes as 1st round prospects. Had to make room for the "new Michael Vick."
This is getting lengthy so i'll end this post quickly. But first...
WR:
Matt Szczur- Had to bring him up before I finished. Is there anything this kid CAN'T do?! Wildcat QB, WR, KR, PR and RB. Legit 4.3 speed. The elusiveness of an elite RB, speed of a track star, hands of glue he has it all. I question if this kid will actually get a fair shot. There's zero doubt in my mind under the right coach we're talking a one in a million player here. You can line him up in the slot and have a Wes Welker playmaker, stick him in the wildcat and make plays ala WK specialist Brad Smith AND put him on return duties where with a little training you'll have a Josh Cribbs type playemaker taking kicks to the house. Toss in motioning him into a RB position and using him in goal line positions at RB.
An elite playmaker at 4 elite positions? Absolutely. The possibilities with Matt are endless. Here's to hoping the Pats continue their trend of giving white kids a shot. Imagine Welker and Szczur on the field for the Pats at the same time!
Edited by: TheAnimal
Quarterback:
Andrew Luck- If he declares(which I believe he will) he will make some team very happy. By appearances he is the Elway/Aikman/Manning of this decade, the player so far above the rest you CAN'T ignore.
Blaine Gabbert- Another if he declares prospect however IF he does? The kid has everything needed to be absolutely elite. Some would argue he is near Luck in skill. Of course that's dangerous to the NFL and the clowns have already started the rumblings of him being a project that needs to sit on the bench for awhile first. BS, it doesn't take a white QB years to learn to play under center.
Ryan Mallett- A cannon for an arm, great size, constantly improving accuracy, touch, and ability to make reads. Sounds GREAT, right? Not so fast! Read around, the "experts" are "predicting" a fall and taking outright false attacks on the young man. Despite working his butt off to get better and get better he's "a Derek Anderson clone, all he can do is launch 80 yard bombs(not true) and is lazy when it comes to film study."
Nick Foles- A vastly underrated prospect. 1st round talent yet you never hear anything about him. I wonder why? He has everything you want from a QB. Invest time and effort in him and he'll become a good NFL QB.
Christian Ponder- Another one with first round talent. Can make all the throws. Above average ability to read defenses. Extremely accurate. This would be why he has been labeled a Jeff Garcia clone destined to be a 3rd rounder.
Jake Locker- I saved the best for last. The without a doubt top 5 lock for the last two years whom is now being projected an early 2nd rounder at best. What happened? Well, he became dangerous. LEGIT 4.4 speed, the ability of an elite runningback with the arm strength to make deep passes, the ability to make intermediate throws and the ability to dink and duck. Intangibles through the roof of the Empire State building. THE prototype for a dual thread QB, just as likely to break a 60 yard run as he is to complete a 60 yard pass. BUT... He, much like Tebow is white. A white kid playing "the black QB's game."
Jake caused some trouble with that. Jake is THE young kid to become everything we've been hearing Vick would be for a decade now. A legit QB with the ability to rush for 1,000 AND pass for 3,000 each year. That's no good. You'll notice out of nowhere a quataback with little QB ability named Cam Newton crawled out of the woodwork in literally one day. From being kicked off multiple teams and heading to jail to 1st round, top 5 lock based on affletic ability. Move over Locker, they found the mythical dual threat QB they needed.
No coincidence as soon as they chose him and started the hype Locker, Mallett, Ponder, Foles and Pat Devlin were all dropped like hot potatoes as 1st round prospects. Had to make room for the "new Michael Vick."
This is getting lengthy so i'll end this post quickly. But first...
WR:
Matt Szczur- Had to bring him up before I finished. Is there anything this kid CAN'T do?! Wildcat QB, WR, KR, PR and RB. Legit 4.3 speed. The elusiveness of an elite RB, speed of a track star, hands of glue he has it all. I question if this kid will actually get a fair shot. There's zero doubt in my mind under the right coach we're talking a one in a million player here. You can line him up in the slot and have a Wes Welker playmaker, stick him in the wildcat and make plays ala WK specialist Brad Smith AND put him on return duties where with a little training you'll have a Josh Cribbs type playemaker taking kicks to the house. Toss in motioning him into a RB position and using him in goal line positions at RB.
An elite playmaker at 4 elite positions? Absolutely. The possibilities with Matt are endless. Here's to hoping the Pats continue their trend of giving white kids a shot. Imagine Welker and Szczur on the field for the Pats at the same time!
Edited by: TheAnimal
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
backrow said:
You are right, backrow. He would be stuck behind Welker and Edelman on the depth charts. It's best he goes somewhere else and gets a shot as a teams number two receiver.
TheAnimal
Guru
Here is why I say Patriots. They along with the Colts to a point are the two main teams willing to really utilize a white players talent to their capability. Until this week I would have also added in the Browns and would have said go there. Anywhere else and my guess is he becomes a rotational slot receiver only.
Deadlift
Hall of Famer
Kyle Rudolph is reportedly entering the Draft. I think, at best, he'll go in the 3rd or 4th Round.
What's interesting is, I watched his high school "highlights" a few years' ago and he was easily tackled.. but he was still rated incredibly high. He seemed to be a "straight-line player" that simply used his size.
What's interesting is, I watched his high school "highlights" a few years' ago and he was easily tackled.. but he was still rated incredibly high. He seemed to be a "straight-line player" that simply used his size.
Jack Lambert
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2009
- Messages
- 4,743
Don't forget about Collin McCarthy, I think he should get drafted.
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,469
Jeff Maehl is one touchdown away from Oregons school record! He should eclipse it in the National Championship easily against Auburns afflete defense.
<H1>BCS National Championship: Oregon's Jeff Maehl leads a group of wide receivers looking to do damage in Glendale (video)</H1>
<H5>Published: Friday, December 31, 2010, 6:39 PM Updated: Friday, December 31, 2010, 8:46 PM</H5>
<DIV ="author_info">
By Aaron Fentress, The Oregonian
<A jQuery1294272057172="94" ="follow">Follow</A>
<DIV ="clear">
<DIV id=EntryStats ="_gray_gray_ol">
<DIV ="_top_left">
<DIV ="_top_right">
<DIV ="_">
<DIV id=m_fb_like><a href="http%3A%2F%2Fblog.oregonlive.com%2Fbehindducksbeat%2F2010%2F12%2Fbcs_national_championship_oreg_8.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=440&action=like&font=verdana&colorscheme=light&height=60" target="_blank">
<DIV id=m_s><a href="#comments" target="_blank">
<DIV ="round_arrow_up center">
<DIV id=m_s>
<DIV id=m_s_popup _jqm="3" ="round_ jqmID3">
<DIV ="round_tr">
<DIV ="round_">
<DIV ="top">Share close
<DIV ="clear0">Google Buzz Digg Stumble Upon Fark
<DIV ="round_bl">
<DIV ="round_br">Share Email Print
<DIV ="clear0">
<DIV ="_bottom_left">
<DIV ="_bottom_right">
<DIV id=asset-9156677 ="entry_widget_large entry_widget_left">
View full sizeThomas Boyd/The OregonianOregon wide receiver Jeff Maehl had 119 yards and one of his 12 touchdowns this season against Washington State on Oct. 9, 2010.EUGENE -- Oregon senior wide receiver Jeff Maehl's career is one big slice of irony.
Maehl came to Eugene in 2007 as a defensive back intent on preventing touchdown receptions.
Three years later he has 24 touchdown receptions, one shy of becoming the program's all-time leader in that category.
"It's been an unbelievable journey for me," Maehl said this week after one of Oregon's practices. "Going from preventing them to scoring them, it was a tough transition for me at first just learning the little details of playing receiver."
One could hardly tell. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound Maehl has caught 169 passes (fourth all-time) for 2,178 yards (eighth) and 24 touchdowns. Chances are he'll add to those totals during the Bowl Championship Series title game against No. 1 Auburn on Jan. 10 against in Glendale, Ariz.
The Tigers' pass defense ranks 105th in the nation, allowing 250.5 passing yards per game with 23 touchdown passes allowed for the year.
Auburn has particularly had trouble against tall receivers. South Carolina's 6-4 Alshon Jeffery caught eight passes for 192 yards and two scores on Sept. 25. Arkansas' 6-3 Greg Childs caught nine passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns on Oct. 16. Georgia's 6-4 A.J. Green caught nine passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns on Nov. 13. Alabama's 6-4 Julio Jones caught 10 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown against Auburn on Nov. 26.
Oregon's starting trio isn't quite as tall as a group. But Maehl, 6-5 Lavasier Tuinei and 6-1 D.J. Davis hope to do damage, nonetheless.
"It kind of depends on what (coverage) they come out in and then we'll always make our adjustments to counter it," Maehl said. "But (their defensive backs) are a good group. There's a lot of good receivers in the SEC that they've had to deal with so overall we know that we have to be ready mentally."
The mental game has been Maehl's strength. He played the first 10 games of his college career on defense and had 14 tackles, most on special teams, before injuries at wide receiver prompted him to move to the offense. He made the move look easy and immediately made an impact by catching nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown over three games.
Oregon secondary coach John Neal said he was sorry to lose Maehl.
"He's just a great football player," Neal said. "He could do anything. I had a guy whose instincts were off the charts. He was such a fast reactor and a natural football player. When you get those guys you don't have to be as good of a coach. Nothing Jeffrey does surprises me."
Maehl progressed steadily, scoring 11 touchdowns over 2008 and 2009. This season, he has 12 to give him 24, tied with Cristin McLemore (1992-95) and Keenan Howry (1999-02).
Oregon wide receivers coach Scott Frost said Maehl's savvy, along with his tremendous body control, allowed him to rapidly develop and become one of the best in the Pacific-10 Conference.
"He has a great ability to compete and make things happen," Frost said. "Jeff is a guy who is going to find a way to get the job done."
Davis said Maehl amazes him on a daily basis.
"I just think it's his practice habits," Davis said. "He comes out here and works hard. I look at him and he does something special every day, whether it's route running, or knowing something in the film room and it pretty much translates out there on the field during games."
But is Maehl NFL material?
One NFL scout, who wished to remain anonymous, said Maehl will likely be a mid to late round draft pick providing he can run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range. His obvious strengths, the scout said, are his competitiveness and ability to make tough plays, particularly on passes that require tough adjustments to grab.
Rob Rang, a senior analyst with NFLDraftScout.com, said he projects Maehl in the fifth or sixth round.
"The question is going to be straight-line speed," Rang said. "His statistics could be viewed a little bit as being a product of Oregon's offensive system."
<DIV id=asset-9133676 ="entry_widget_small entry_widget_left">
View full sizeAssociated PressOregon receiver Lavasier Tuinei outleaps Tennessee's Art Evans to catch a touchdown pass.Maehl said he has given his future some thought but it's not his priority at the moment.
"I've been going through the agent process," he said. "But right now I'm just trying to focus on (the national championship game) game because it's the biggest of my life and it's a special situation to be in so I don't want to take anything for granted. But after the game I'll pick my head up and figure out what's going to happen after that."
Maehl has a chance on Jan. 10 to make individual history while helping Oregon make team history by winning its first national championship. To do so, chances are the wide receivers will have to play a big role.
Davis said the Ducks saw some things on video in the Tigers' secondary they hope to exploit. But he also said Oregon wouldn't take anything for granted given how the Tigers fell behind 24-0 to Jones and Alabama before winning 28-27.
"Basically they are 13-0 for a reason," Davis said. "I watched the Alabama game and they played real well in the second half after falling behind in the first half. They tightened up in the second half and didn't allow any touchdowns."
Edited by: celticdb15
<H1>BCS National Championship: Oregon's Jeff Maehl leads a group of wide receivers looking to do damage in Glendale (video)</H1>
<H5>Published: Friday, December 31, 2010, 6:39 PM Updated: Friday, December 31, 2010, 8:46 PM</H5>
<DIV ="author_info">
By Aaron Fentress, The Oregonian <A jQuery1294272057172="94" ="follow">Follow</A>
<DIV ="clear">
<DIV id=EntryStats ="_gray_gray_ol">
<DIV ="_top_left">
<DIV ="_top_right">
<DIV ="_">
<DIV id=m_fb_like><a href="http%3A%2F%2Fblog.oregonlive.com%2Fbehindducksbeat%2F2010%2F12%2Fbcs_national_championship_oreg_8.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=440&action=like&font=verdana&colorscheme=light&height=60" target="_blank">
<DIV id=m_s><a href="#comments" target="_blank">
<DIV ="round_arrow_up center">
<DIV id=m_s>
<DIV id=m_s_popup _jqm="3" ="round_ jqmID3">
<DIV ="round_tr">
<DIV ="round_">
<DIV ="top">Share close
<DIV ="clear0">Google Buzz Digg Stumble Upon Fark
<DIV ="round_bl">
<DIV ="round_br">Share Email Print
<DIV ="clear0">
<DIV ="_bottom_left">
<DIV ="_bottom_right">
<DIV id=asset-9156677 ="entry_widget_large entry_widget_left">
Maehl came to Eugene in 2007 as a defensive back intent on preventing touchdown receptions.
Three years later he has 24 touchdown receptions, one shy of becoming the program's all-time leader in that category.
"It's been an unbelievable journey for me," Maehl said this week after one of Oregon's practices. "Going from preventing them to scoring them, it was a tough transition for me at first just learning the little details of playing receiver."
One could hardly tell. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound Maehl has caught 169 passes (fourth all-time) for 2,178 yards (eighth) and 24 touchdowns. Chances are he'll add to those totals during the Bowl Championship Series title game against No. 1 Auburn on Jan. 10 against in Glendale, Ariz.
The Tigers' pass defense ranks 105th in the nation, allowing 250.5 passing yards per game with 23 touchdown passes allowed for the year.
Auburn has particularly had trouble against tall receivers. South Carolina's 6-4 Alshon Jeffery caught eight passes for 192 yards and two scores on Sept. 25. Arkansas' 6-3 Greg Childs caught nine passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns on Oct. 16. Georgia's 6-4 A.J. Green caught nine passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns on Nov. 13. Alabama's 6-4 Julio Jones caught 10 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown against Auburn on Nov. 26.
Oregon's starting trio isn't quite as tall as a group. But Maehl, 6-5 Lavasier Tuinei and 6-1 D.J. Davis hope to do damage, nonetheless.
"It kind of depends on what (coverage) they come out in and then we'll always make our adjustments to counter it," Maehl said. "But (their defensive backs) are a good group. There's a lot of good receivers in the SEC that they've had to deal with so overall we know that we have to be ready mentally."
The mental game has been Maehl's strength. He played the first 10 games of his college career on defense and had 14 tackles, most on special teams, before injuries at wide receiver prompted him to move to the offense. He made the move look easy and immediately made an impact by catching nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown over three games.
Oregon secondary coach John Neal said he was sorry to lose Maehl.
"He's just a great football player," Neal said. "He could do anything. I had a guy whose instincts were off the charts. He was such a fast reactor and a natural football player. When you get those guys you don't have to be as good of a coach. Nothing Jeffrey does surprises me."
Maehl progressed steadily, scoring 11 touchdowns over 2008 and 2009. This season, he has 12 to give him 24, tied with Cristin McLemore (1992-95) and Keenan Howry (1999-02).
Oregon wide receivers coach Scott Frost said Maehl's savvy, along with his tremendous body control, allowed him to rapidly develop and become one of the best in the Pacific-10 Conference.
"He has a great ability to compete and make things happen," Frost said. "Jeff is a guy who is going to find a way to get the job done."
Davis said Maehl amazes him on a daily basis.
"I just think it's his practice habits," Davis said. "He comes out here and works hard. I look at him and he does something special every day, whether it's route running, or knowing something in the film room and it pretty much translates out there on the field during games."
But is Maehl NFL material?
One NFL scout, who wished to remain anonymous, said Maehl will likely be a mid to late round draft pick providing he can run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range. His obvious strengths, the scout said, are his competitiveness and ability to make tough plays, particularly on passes that require tough adjustments to grab.
Rob Rang, a senior analyst with NFLDraftScout.com, said he projects Maehl in the fifth or sixth round.
"The question is going to be straight-line speed," Rang said. "His statistics could be viewed a little bit as being a product of Oregon's offensive system."
<DIV id=asset-9133676 ="entry_widget_small entry_widget_left">
"I've been going through the agent process," he said. "But right now I'm just trying to focus on (the national championship game) game because it's the biggest of my life and it's a special situation to be in so I don't want to take anything for granted. But after the game I'll pick my head up and figure out what's going to happen after that."
Maehl has a chance on Jan. 10 to make individual history while helping Oregon make team history by winning its first national championship. To do so, chances are the wide receivers will have to play a big role.
Davis said the Ducks saw some things on video in the Tigers' secondary they hope to exploit. But he also said Oregon wouldn't take anything for granted given how the Tigers fell behind 24-0 to Jones and Alabama before winning 28-27.
"Basically they are 13-0 for a reason," Davis said. "I watched the Alabama game and they played real well in the second half after falling behind in the first half. They tightened up in the second half and didn't allow any touchdowns."
Edited by: celticdb15
FootballDad
Hall of Famer
I haven't looked into the numbers yet, but it looks like this year may set a record for the number of underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft. With the uncertainty of the upcoming new NFL collective bargaining agreement, and the possibility of an NBA-style rookie salary slotting system, I expect more and more announcements over the next few weeks.
That is the primary reason that Andrew Luck will almost certainly declare. It's the difference between a $65 million contract and something around half that.
That is the primary reason that Andrew Luck will almost certainly declare. It's the difference between a $65 million contract and something around half that.