Dwayne Allen comes through in the clutch late in the fourth.
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend one of this weekend’s hottest match-ups. I was pumped to see the Clemson/Florida State match-up, not only because they both were top twenty-five teams, but because I knew I had the first hand opportunity to watch many prospects for this year’s draft. This game was sure to showcase whether or not top prospects could perform at the highest level of competition. Not only did I leave Death Valley with a great game experience, I left with many impressions of the top players on both teams. Here is my analysis.
Prospects who exceeded expectations:
Brandon Thompson, DT – Clemson:
Going into this game, I believed that Thompson was one of this year’s prospects that had the most to prove to me in order to warrant his already high draft stock. However, many opinions vary in the world of scouting opinion as of now. Some experts rank him as a 1st round pick, but some rank him as a 2nd day pick. I was really anxious to see what kind of player would show up against a quality Florida State offensive line. Clemson’s D-Line featured quite a rotation of players early in the game. Jenkins, when he was in, was clearly highlighted in the Seminole’s blocking scheme. They ran a wildcat formation, normally away from Jenkins’ spot in the 4-3. He fought hard through double teams and had a strong presence in the run game, but did not produce entirely to much pass rush in the first half. His stats do not necessarily show it, but he greatly affected the inefficiency of the FSU run game in the first half. Although, it was obvious that FSU ranks in the bottom ten of rushing offense in the FBS for a reason.
In the second half, Thompson really showed why he has gained a lot of national recognition. In the second half, his motor was endless. That does not really say much at first, but with his body type and the way he plays, he is similar in a lot of ways to Corey Liuget from last year’s draft. Clemson ran various different D-Line stunts with their interior in the second half, and it really reduced the amount of double teams that Thompson had on passing downs. Thompson was very effective in collapsing the interior of the pocket, and forcing quarterback pressure at the same time. FSU freshman quarterback Clint Trickett was forced to make a lot more throws out of the pocket as the game wore deeper into the second half. His presence was known on the field. He was not the one who made the sack that ended the Seminoles’ hopes, but he was part of the entire D-Line that collapsed the pocket on that play. Given his consistent play for the whole game, I would have to say that his draft status has been confirmed. He truly is a top flight lineman who looks to project to be versatile, as I mentioned before, very similarly to Liuget last year. Expect him to be in the same draft range, too.
Andrew Datko, OT – Florida State:
In a year where it looks like the tackle class is going to be a very deep, talented bunch, Datko really proved himself worthy of top flight consideration. He lined up against multiple Clemson defensive ends throughout the day, and Datko showed why he is considered a potential first round pick. He had a quick first step, and really locked in on his blocks. It was rare to see a play when Datko was giving up ground instead of maintaining it. Later in the game, Datko even held his own in linebacker and defensive tackle stunts, which occasionally meant a faceoff between he and Brandon Thompson. Watching he and Thompson grapple in the trenches as the game wore into the fourth quarter was a treat; an unexpected match-up of explosive pro prospects going at it, when the game was on the line.
The lack of running game that the Seminoles have presents an issue with examining his run blocking abilities. With how refined he is in the passing game, all signs of his run blocking prowess points to the same level of consistency despite FSU’s lack of a backfield presence. Datko solidified his status as a mid to late 1st round possibility. I do not think he has quite the same upside as Kalil, Martin and Reiff, but Datko is a solid technician who does not fall too far behind that class of tackles, but currently ahead of the likes of Boise State’s Potter and Oklahoma State’s Adcock. He currently plays on the left, but he could probably be used just as well on the right if need be. Currently, he is one of five tackles I can see being taken on this year’s 1st day.
Prospects who met expectations:
Dwayne Allen, TE – Clemson:
After watching this game, I think I will officially move Allen into the top Tight End spot for this year’s draft class. I have been debating over these opening week whether or not I would place Allen, Stanford’s Fleener, Oregon’s Paulson, or Missouri’s Agnew at the top spot. Allen displayed this game why he deserves the top spot. He was all over the field yesterday for Clemson’s offense, stepping up in both the run game and the vertical attack. Even though Clemson’s O-Line is a miserable run blocking corps, Allen was frequently engaging with ends and linebackers. I cannot remember a time when Allen struggled to engage or maintain his blocks. He maintained good footwork and hand placement throughout the game, and controlled his opponents quite handily. He even took on the likes of FSU’s best defensive players in Nigel Bradham and Brandon Jenkins at times.
In the passing game, he really stood out though. He was clutch on third downs, and effective in the red zone. He shielded his defenders on short to intermediate routes, and was also able to stretch the field vertically. At a critical time in the fourth quarter, Allen stepped up after Florida State had seung monetntum back their way with a long touchdown strike. Facing 3rd & 10 from their own 20, with 7:02 on the clock, quarterback Tajh Boyd hit Allen over the middle after Allen found the soft spot in Florida State’s zone D. But, Allen was able to do it himself with his legs and pick up a significant amount of yards after the catch. He really looked good when he had to, and his draft stock has to be rising after two weeks of consistent quality play, against quality opponents.
Prospects who fell below expectations:
Andre Branch, DE – Clemson:
Unlike teammate Brandon Thompson, Branch did not quell the doubts I have about his draft stock. He is not as highly touted as Thompson, but some have warranted him as high as an early 2nd day pick. However, after lining up across from FSU’s senior offensive tackles Zebrie Sanders and Andrew Datko, Branch was held in check for the majority of the game. He was virtually shut down when he lined up across from Datko. Sanders and Branch battled it out a few times, but Branch struggled to consistently move through Sanders in time to put any pressure on the QB. His biggest problem was playing high, and he struggled to gain consistently gain leverage. He was not even tested in the ground game, as FSU’s rush offense ranks in the bottom ten of all FBS teams. It did not help that Branch was rotated in and out of the game in favor of fellow lineman Malliciah Goodman, Corey Crawford, Rennie Moore, and Kourtnei Brown. Branch has some ground to make up if he does not want to slide into third day consideration, because that is where he seems to be headed at this time.
Brandon Jenkins, DE – Florida State
Even though he put up top flight numbers last year, Jenkins did not do much to quell my worries that he is another overrated psh rushing prospect out of Florida State. Many consider Jenkins a first round prospect, and I can see the potential, but from my perspective the consistency has just not shown through. Matched up against average tackles, Jenkins struggled to display a dizzying array of pass rush moves that one would expect out of a highly touted end prospect. Compared to what you would expect out of an end taken early, he just does not display an arsenal of pass rush moves. Jenkins flashes his stuff, as proved by his sack in this game, but he was sometimes invisible on passing downs, which instead Tajh Boyd capitalized on with the extra time in the pocket. In a match-up where Jenkins was facing another shaky offensive line unit, he disappointed again after a very similar disappointing performance against Oklahoma.
So, you may be asking, what do I make of Jenkins’ draft stock? Well, I think at this point he still borders the 1st-early 2nd draft day range. The season is long, and it will be interesting to see throughout the rest of the season at what points of games Jenkins’ accumulates his numbers, and against which opponents. After struggling against the two toughest tests for the Seminoles so far, Jenkins overwhelmed in both. If this trend continues, he could slide further behind other prospects. He needs to come out against quality opponents in order to vindicate the 1st round grade some have given him.
Rashard Hall, S – Clemson:
Simply put, Hall struggles in pass coverage. His range is average, and he was beaten deep multiple times in this game by a freshman quarterback with no game experience and a young group of physica; Seminole receivers. He was OK in the run game, but his presence was not especially felt. The way he has been playing this year, it seems as if he is not destined to return to the promising form during his freshman season. However, this is not a surprise given the recent similar slide of former safety DeAndre McDaniel, who performed in a regressing pattern just like Hall. It’s not too early to write him off completely, but there are way too many questions about his pass coverage abilities. He warrants a late selection in a best case scenario.
Xavier Rhodes, CB – Florida State
For a guy with as much athleticism and potential as Rhodes, he really disappointed Saturday. Lining up across from the dynamic trio of Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, and occasionally Martavis Bryant, Rhodes really struggled. Clemson’s core of receivers are all underclassmen, but Rhodes really struggled to stay with them, and was flagged for pass interference early. He flashed at times, but was wildly inconsistent. As a whole unit, the Seminole secondary struggled all day. Rhodes is only a junior, and he has a chance to make up for his inconsistency. Even though he was good against future pro receiver Ryan Broyles last week, he really faltered against Clemson’s young receivers, especially the emerging start Watkins. If the inconsistency continues, he may want to stay for his senior year. However, Rhodes has above average potential, and this performance was not alone enough to significantly drop him from his current 3rd to 4th round draft range, should he choose to enter this year’s draft.
Others:
Andre Ellington, RB – Clemson
I really feel for Ellington. Unlike some other sites that claim that Ellington wont make it since he goes down often on first contact, I believe that the source of Ellington’s struggles this year lie within Clemson’s offensive line. Ellington is consistently running into walls because he has no holes opened for him. His greatest success has come off of the edge, where he can utilize his quick acceleration and burner speed. Although, Ellington has way more questions to answer than he has answered. The biggest knock on Ellington is that he is too slight to be a feature back, and is weak when it comes to breaking away from arm tackles and light first contact. Hopefully Ellington can ride Clemson’s success and help push him back up the draft board, but for now he is a third day consideration for a team that is looking for a change-of-pace back.
Zebrie Sanders, OT – Florida State
Coming into this game, I considered Sanders a 2nd to 3rd day right tackle only prospect. Sanders held his own most of the game, but did not really do entirely too much to help or hurt his draft grade, although he really faltered on the last drive when the game was on the line for Florida State. The Clemson defensive line overwhelmed Sanders and the rest of the interior on their final stand of the game. Until then, the pocket held up for the freshman Trickett, and Sanders played a significant role in doing so for the game. As mentioned earlier, FSU has not allowed either of their bookends to prove anything in the run game due to their system’s current ineptness. In a deep tackle class, Sanders remains buried in the middle of the conversation. As of now, I would not expect him to be taken any earlier than the 3rd round at the highest.
Greg Reid, CB/KR – Florida State:
Greg Reid did not play a down in the entire game for some reason. He did not practice earlier in the week, but it was only a minor ankle injury. No official word on why he did not play, but he did not have a chance to redeem his fast falling draft stock in an important game. It would have been interesting to see if he could match up better than fellow corner Xavier Rhodes did against the like’s of Clemson’s dynamic duo of Watkins and Hopkins in order for a redemption performance. His chances were really hurt by missing this opportunity. Some consider him one of the nation’s best playmakers, but he seems to be a third day consideration based upon his match-up disadvantage due to his size, and his lack of natural corner instinct and discipline.
Clemson O-Line:
One of the weakest points of the Tiger squad is their O-Line. Their tackles Price and Walker will not be pros, and neither will senior guard McClain. Andre Ellington sure misses former RT Chris Hairston, as this unit has really struggled to open holes for the back. And I mean really struggled, Ellington has only found any success off of the edge (normally towards TE Dwayne Allen) and has been eaten up between the tackles. They hold up in pass protection, but they look stiff and average all the way around.
Amidst the tremendous excitement of this back-and-forth game, I still came away with a clearer perception of both teams pro talent. Clemson’s talent is deeper than I once thought, and much of that depth is kudos to a lot of young talent that coach Dabo Swinney has brought in. On the other hand, Florida State is just as young, a little thinner, and played with a little less discipline than the Clemson club. Both programs seemingly are on their way up. On top of all, I was really disappointed that I was not able to see how E.J. Manuel would perform coming off such a tough loss to Oklahoma, and in a face-off with Tajh Boyd . Luckily for the Seminoles, true freshman Clint Trickett was able to perform up to a high level given his experience to keep the Seminoles in the game. Tough loss for the Seminoles, but this was a really exciting game in an electric atmosphere.
Ronnie Hillman, RB —r.So.— San Diego State
Darrell Scott, RB —r.Jr.— South Florida
Steven Hill, WR —r.Jr.— Georgia Tech
