News and Notes from Next Level
Next Level's John Murphy reports college news, pro day results

posted March 6, 2005 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com

UPDATED COLLEGE NEWS:

The following two players have been awarded a sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA, so they will be returning to school for their senior year; tight end QUINN SYPNIEWSKI, Colorado, Sr. 6060 255 4.90/5.00 FA (M) and defensive end WILL THOMPSON, Georgia, Sr. 6022 253 4.75/4.80 FA (M). Sypniewski missed most of last season due to an ankle injury, while Thompson earned back his year after missing most of a previous campaign with a serious ankle injury.

UCLA senior-to-be defensive tackle C.J. NIUSHI has been suspended for violating team rules, which may have been a multiple time offense for him, so that it is now likely that he will have to transfer down in order to complete his eligibility next fall.

South Carolina senior-to-be defensive end MOE THOMPSON has been suspended for violating teams rules, as he was caught up in a recent break-in of a young woman's apartment, where several items showed up missing. The talented pass rusher has had several on-again-off-again incidents, while with the Gamecocks, both academics and off-the-field, but this latest problem could be a much more serious offense, although the school has not formally stated whether he could be re-instated at a later date.

Humboldt State (CA) will be home to senior-to-be linebacker TREY RANDALL, who was last seen two years ago at Louisiana-Lafayette, he has gotten his grades together after missing out this past season due in part to one math grade that was not cleared at his new school. He expects to take part in the team's upcoming spring drills.

Former JC All-American defensive end/outside linebacker J.J. GRANT may have finally found a home in the college ranks, as he has taken the past two years to work on his grades and provide for his family. Grant is awaiting review of his transcripts at Clark-Atlanta University, where he would still have two full years of eligibility remaining. He was highly sought after by several SEC programs after his junior college performance.

PRO DAY NEWS & RESULTS:

DUKE senior defensive back ALEX GREEN is expected to run between 4.45 and 4.50 in the 40 at his upcoming Pro Day... to go along with 35-36" vertical, 12-15 reps of 225 pounds and a short shuttle of 4.0 or better, as he has been training with Mike Gough at Athletic Edge Sports.

FLORIDA senior cornerback REYNALDO HILL is expected to run between 4.32 and 4.40 in the 40 at his upcoming Pro Day... to go along with 37" vertical, 3.8-3.9 short shuttle and 6.8 three-cone drill at 6005, 186 pounds, as he has been training with Mike Gough at Athletic Edge Sports.

Former SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI running back TIMMY BLACKWELL has been timed as fast as 4.27 in the 40, while training for his Pro Day, while also doing 4.0 short shuttle and 35" vertical.

BYU senior cornerback BRANDON HEANEY has been timed between 4.38 and 4.42 in the 40, while also improving his upper body strength, as he is now doing 10-plus reps of 225 pounds.

VIRGINIA UNION senior defensive lineman NEIL PURVIS has been timed between 4.90 and 5.00 in the 40 at 6013, 285 pounds, while training for his Pro Day on March 10th. The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown some interest in him.

FORDHAM senior cornerback/return man TAD KORNEGAY has received interest from Green Bay and San Francisco.

ALBANY (NY) senior offensive lineman GEIR GUDMUNDSEN has received interest from Buffalo and Cincinnati, as he continues to train with former NFL lineman Billy Ard for his Pro Day.

TENNESSEE TECH senior offensive tackle FRANK OMIYALE has a workout scheduled for Thursday with the Jacksonville Jaguars... he met with Chicago, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Tennessee at the Combine.

OKLAHOMA STATE (March 4th) senior tight end BILLY BAJEMA, who had a solid workout at the Combine, did only a few drills at his Pro Day, including 17 reps of 225 pounds, 30" vertical and 4.32/4.35 short shuttle... his 37 Wonderlic score at the Combine likely helped him, as much as anything else... senior cornerback ROBERT JONES ran between 4.58 and 4.62 in the 40, 4.28/4.34 short shuttle, 7.21 three-cone, 9'3" broad jump, 31" vertical and 21 reps of 225 pounds, while at 5106, 198 pounds... senior defensive back JONATHAN HOLLAND ran between 4.66 and 4.72 in the 40, 4.18/4.22 short shuttle, 6.96 three-cone, 9'10" broad jump, 32" vertical and 12 reps of 225 pounds, while at 5111, 184 pounds... senior offensive lineman CHRIS AKIN ran between 5.58 and 5.66 in the 40, 5.28/5.33 short shuttle, 8.42 three-cone, 7'2" broad jump and 22" vertical, while at 6016, 316 pounds; being evaluated at both center and guard... senior offensive lineman SAM MAYES (injury), senior cornerback DARRENT WILLIAMS (DNP) and senior CLAY COE (DNP) each decided not to attend.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC (March 4th) senior quarterback JARED ALLEN, who did a full workout at the Combine, threw the ball for scouts at his Pro Day, while also weighing in at 6024, 217 pounds... senior wide receiver ROOSEVELT BYNES, a Pittsburgh transfer, ran between 4.46 and 4.55 in the 40, 4.08 short shuttle, 6.82 three-cone, 37" vertical and 10'7" broad jump at 6003, 193 pounds... he was bigger than anticipated and showed enough physical tools to be considered more of a PFA than most previously expected... senior safety/linebacker CHRIS LASKOWSKI ran between 4.48 and 4.55 in the 40... as some had him as fast as 4.42... 23 reps of 225 pounds, 4.15 short shuttle, 7.02 three-cone, 35" vertical and 10'2" broad jump at 5092, 211 pounds... has raw technique overall for defensive back, as he played linebacker in college, but showed very good straight-line speed and better-than-advertised agility in his positional drills... has very good special teams potential... boardline between 7th round and PFA... senior kicker MARK MYERS was 6011, 195 pounds... ran between 4.92 and 5.00 in the 40... did 28 reps of 225 pounds...

SW MISSOURI STATE (March 4th) senior fullback PRESTON PORTEE ran between 4.72 and 4.78 in the 40... some had him as slow as 4.80... but it came on a slower outdoor surface... 4.52 short shuttle, 7.31 three-cone, while weighing in at 5094, 230 pounds... senior wide receiver STEVEN RUSH will attempt to run the 40-yard dash closer to the draft, as he is still rehabbing from a knee injury that cost him to miss most of his senior campaign... did 15 reps of 225 pounds, 30" vertical; has done over 34" in the past and 8'4" broad jump.

MIAMI (March 3rd) senior cornerback ANTREL ROLLE ran between 4.45 and 4.49 in the 40... some had him as high as 4.52... 3.98/4.04 short shuttle, 6.68 three-cone, 37" vertical, 10'3" broad jump, while weighing in at 6058, 197 pounds... junior wide receiver/return man ROSCOE PARRISH ran between 4.38 and 4.45 in the 40... 4.18 short shuttle, 6.64 three-cone, 36" vertical and 10'6" broad jump, while weighing in at 5096, 170 pounds... junior running back FRANK GORE was 5095, 210 pounds, which is seven pounds lighter than he was at the Combine... ran between 4.55 and 4.62 in the 40... 4.08/4.14 short shuttle... 6.88/6.94 three-cone... 34" vertical... 9'1" broad jump... the best part of his workout were the positional drills... much better receiver than advertised... impressed scouts with his hands and routes out of the backfield... did a lot of the wide receiver pass-catching drills... 40-times are somewhat in-line with what was expected of him, but his agility numbers were very impressive... seemed to draw added attention from both Miami and Philadelphia... senior offensive lineman CHRIS MYERS ran between 5.10/5.12 in the 40, but was only able to run it once, as his hamstring tightened up again... 4.32/4.38 short shuttle, 7.35 three-cone, 32" vertical, 8'10" broad jump, while at 6044, 301 pounds... he may do positional drills, but is not likely to run again in order to fully rehab his strained hamstring properly... senior quarterback BROCK BERLIN ran between 4.91 and 4.98 in the 40... 4.42 short shuttle, 30" vertical, 9'1" broad jump, while weighing in at 6013, 215 pounds... senior tight end KEVIN EVERETT will be holding a private workout for himself closer to the draft with either a late March or early April date likely to be set.

OKLAHOMA STATE (March 3rd) junior running back VERNAND MORENCY ran between 4.61 and 4.66 in the 40, while weighing 5095, 212 pounds. His times were recorded at the University of Miami Pro Day on a wet, grass field. He is expected to perform a full workout once again before the end of the month at either Miami or Stillwater, Oklahoma.

CONNECTICUT (March 3rd) senior cornerback JUSTIN PERKINS ran between 4.49 and 4.60 in the 40 depending on the stop watch you were recording from... and 4.32/4.40 short shuttle... as he took part in Miami's Pro Day on March 3rd... his own official Pro Day will be on March 24th at Connecticut... according to Perkins, he was one of only a few non-Miami prospects that was allowed to workout and perform positional drills, but felt the wet grass surface was not suitable to have gotten an accurate time on him in either the 40-yard dash or short shuttle.

CENTRAL FLORIDA (March 3rd) defensive end/linebacker RASHAD JEANTY ran between 4.64 and 4.72 in the 40... 4.3 short shuttle... 6.9 three-cone... was 6031, 234 pounds... he was not asked to perform the bench press, as scouts wanted to see him on the field... showed good quickness and agility in his drills... spent most of his time doing linebacker drills... completed his Pro Day workout on the University of Miami campus.

MISSOURI (March 3rd) junior running back DAMIEN NASH ran between 4.52 and 4.58 in the 40... some had him as fast as 4.48... 4.12/4.20 short shuttle... 6.65/6.80 three-cone, 18 reps of 225 pounds, 9'4" broad jump and 30" vertical, while weighing in at 5096, 218 pounds... junior defensive tackle C.J. MOSLEY ran between 5.03 and 5.10 in the 40... and did 27 reps of 225 pounds after completing most of his workout at the Combine... he weighed in at 6017, 312 pounds... senior defensive tackle ATTIYAH ELLISON ran between 4.92 and 4.98 in the 40... and did 26 reps of 225 pounds... he weighed in at 6036, 305 pounds... senior cornerback SHIRDONYA MITCHELL ran between 4.32 and 4.40 in the 40... 3.96 short shuttle... also did 17 reps of 225 pounds... pulled up during the three-cone drill, so it is not known whether he will be able to workout for scouts again later this month... he was 5111, 189 pounds... raw, physically-talented athlete that was switched over to defense from wide receiver two years ago... senior tight end VICTOR SESAY ran between 4.85 and 4.90 in the 40... 4.31 short shuttle, 7.42 three-cone, 20 reps of 225 pounds, 9'0" broad jump and 28.5" vertical... he weighed in at 6051, 279 pounds... would likely test out better on certain drills if he shed some weight and worked out at between 268-270 pounds... senior linebacker JAMES KINNEY ran between 4.61 and 4.66 in the 40... 4.28 short shuttle, 6.74 three-cone, 34" vertical, 10'0" broad jump and 30 reps of 225 pounds... he weighed in at 6004, 244 pounds... senior linebacker HENRY SWEAT was unable to run the 40-yard dash, as he had tweaked his hamstring just prior to the workout... he weighed in at 5114, 242 pounds... 32" vertical, 9'6" broad jump... did the short shuttle between 4.1 and 4.2 range, but was expecting to run in the mid-to-late 4.6 range in the 40, so he will schedule another Pro Day for later this month.

NORTHWESTERN (March 3rd) senior running back NOAH HERRON ran between 4.68 and 4.75 in the 40... he weighed in at 5105, 200 pounds... may try to run again for scouts, as he has run some very average 40-times for his size/position... senior defensive tackle LUIS CASTILLO, who had an excellent all-around workout at the Combine... ran 4.22/4.26 short shuttle... a number of teams are expected to invite him in for private visits... senior offensive lineman TRAI ESSEX ran between 5.42 and 5.50 in the 40... 4.92 short shuttle, 7.66 three-cone, 22 reps of 225 pounds, 27" vertical and 8'2" broad jump... weighed in at 6042, 316 pounds... being evaluated at both tackle and guard, but his workout results are more standard for the guard position... senior offensive lineman IKE NDUKWE ran between 5.20 and 5.28 in the 40... 20 reps of 225 pounds, 25" vertical, 7'10" broad jump... he weighed in at 6035, 326 pounds... senior offensive lineman MATT ULRICH ran between 5.08 and 5.16 in the 40... 4.20 short shuttle, 6.80 three-cone, 32" vertical and 8'9" broad jump... weighed in at 6023, 304 pounds... produced very good numbers across the board... has had some durability issues in college... but should also be versatile enough to backup at both center and guard, which will help raise interest in him... senior linebacker JOHN PICKENS ran between 4.76 and 4.82 in the 40... 4.21 short shuttle, 7.22 three-cone, 34" vertical, 10'3" broad jump... weighed in at 6015, 243 pounds... versatile, under-rated linebacker with good special teams potential... senior defensive back MARVIN WARD ran between 4.58 and 4.63 in the 40... 4.09 short shuttle, 6.72 three-cone, 36" vertical, 9'10" broad jump and did 18 reps of 225 pounds... weighed in at 5110, 208 pounds... senior wide receiver ASHTON AIKENS ran between 4.60 and 4.68 in the 40... 4.22 short shuttle, 7.04 three-cone, 10'0" broad jump, 34.5" vertical and 15 reps of 225 pounds... weighed in at 6013, 202 pounds... senior safety DOMINIQUE PRICE ran between 4.58 and 4.63 in the 40... 4.20 short shuttle, 7.12 three-cone, 10'0" broad jump, 35.5" vertical and did 18 reps of 225 pounds... weighed in at 6002, 215 pounds... several teams plan to send a special teams coach in to workout senior kicker/punter BRIAN HUFFMAN... weighed in at 6012, 193 pounds... has an average leg for distance and kickoffs... only average in terms of pro potential, as a punter, as well... Valparaiso senior wide receiver ROB GIANCOLA also worked out that day, but his results have not been immediately available.

GRAND VALLEY STATE (March 2nd) senior defensive back DERRICK PHILLIPS ran between 4.52 and 4.60 in the 40... 4.28 short shuttle, 7.60 three-cone, 23 reps of 225 pounds... 34" vertical and 9'5" broad jump... he weighed in at 5104, 205 pounds... has been evaluated by teams, as both a cornerback and free safety... senior defensive tackle/nose guard KEYONTA MARSHALL ran between 5.22 and 5.28 in the 40... 4.66 short shuttle, 8.08 three-cone, 25 reps of 225 pounds, 22" vertical, 7'2" broad jump... he weighed in at 6006, 333 pounds... purely a run stuffer with limited speed, but some short-area quickness... he's a perfect two-gap, late round to PFA that could stick on a roster next season because of his lower body strength and ability to contribute as a situational defender.

PORTLAND STATE (March 2nd) senior quarterback JOSEPH WISER ran between 4.85 and 4.92 in the 40... 4.12/4.20 short shuttle, 7.32 three-cone, 32.5" vertical and 9'11" broad jump... he weighed in at 6022, 216 pounds... an impressive display of physical ability for the Division I-AA passer... he opened some eyes by being more mobile and athletic than previously thought... would like to see him have the chance to workout with his top receivers or others of equal talent... senior defensive lineman CHUCK JONES ran between 5.42 and 5.50 in the 40... 4.81 short shuttle, 7.98 three-cone, 29.5" vertical, 7'8" broad jump and did just 17 reps of 225 pounds... he weighed in at 6025, 297 pounds... former JC transfer who attended Kansas State initially... did not perform well in the major areas of his workout... underachiever to date... results for senior wide receiver RYAN BROWN and senior running back RYAN FUQUA were not immediately made available.

TOLEDO (March 2nd) held its first Pro Day on Wednesday, March 2nd (a second is scheduled for March 29th) just one day after the end of the NFL Combine, but senior safety PATRICK BODY took full advantage by running between 4.31 to 4.33 in the 40, plus a 40.5" vertical, while weighing in at 6015, 196 pounds... also did 4.12 short shuttle... 6.93 three-cone and 10'1" broad jump... he plans to perform a full-workout once again on March 29th... meanwhile, former Wisconsin transfer MICHAEL BROUSSARD, who played throughout the secondary and special teams during his college career ran between 4.46 and 4.52 in the 40... 4.12 short shuttle... 7.15 three-cone... 34 1/8" vertical... and 22 reps of 225 pounds, while weighing in at 5102, 206 pounds.

PRO DAY SCHEDULE & EVENTS:

Valparaiso cornerback ELLIOTT POWELL and Chapman (CA) senior quarterback PATRICK JOSTEN are both in search of a Pro Day, as both of them are California natives, who would be eligible at several upcoming events. Powell was recently added to the draft class when the NCAA announced that they would not be offering him an extra year of eligibility. Josten, who played in this year's Las Vegas All-Star Classic, is an impressive all-around athlete, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Michael Carter, a tight end from last year's Chapman team who was signed as an undrafted free agent. Please contact us for more information on either prospect if you know of a Pro Day they can attend.

LEHIGH will be holding a Pro Day on Monday, March 7th at 12pm for senior tight end ADAM BERGEN... it has been promoted as being only for the senior tight end, but a number of teams are also interested in working out senior offensive lineman JUSTIN TERRY... it is not known whether both players will be available tomorrow or if Terry will workout at a later date.

HOFSTRA and FORDHAM will now share the same Pro Day Date, which will be MARCH 22nd on the campus of Hofstra University, which is located directly across the street from the New York Jets complex in Hempstead, NY, the workout will feature Hofstra senior kicker CHRIS ORONATO, Fordham senior cornerback/return man TAD KORNEGAY, senior defensive tackle AKIL JONES and senior linebacker NAQUINTON GAINOUS.

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE will be holding a Pro Day for senior linebacker SARTH BENOIT and senior quarterback MIKE ABATE on March 25th at 12noon.

GEORGETOWN (KY) senior prospects, defensive end/snapper JORDAN HICKS and offensive lineman CLAY MARTIN are both interested in working out before-or-after Kentucky's Pro Day on Wednesday, March 9th, please contact their player representatives for more information.

PLAYER PROFILE UPDATE:

QB BEN DOUGHERTY - FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY

Overall: Dougherty (Doc-Her-Tee) is an outstanding athlete who displays all of the essential dual threat tools to be an effective competitor at the next level. Dougherty's success can be attributed to his overall maturity and football knowledge. An offensive coordinators dream, Dougherty has learned, played, and excelled in three different systems. After leaving Iowa State University to serve on a two year church Mission in Las Vegas, Dougherty transferred to North Iowa Junior College where he was named All America, Regional Offensive MVP, & 1st Team Academic All America. After a one-year stint in the Junior College ranks Dougherty accepted an offer to play under legendary coach Billy Joe at Florida A&M.

While at Florida A & M Dougherty called all of his own plays as well as the offensive line protections. He was successful at this because of his knowledge of the game and diligent film study, according to the school's coaching staff.

Dougherty's ability to perform at all levels can be attributed to his ability to learn & develop under any system while conducting himself in a truly first class manner. Dougherty's throwing ability as well as his elusiveness and escape ability has also facilitated not only his, but his teams success as he averaged just under 250 (249.8) yards of total offense per game throughout his career. Born on April 7th, 1980 in Wiesbaden, Germany Dougherty grew up in Elma, Washington and is a product of Elma High School. As a three-time Florida A&M academic award winner Dougherty will graduate with a degree in Physical Education where he carries a 3.92 GPA.

He was at the NFL Combine and performed well, and he will also be having a Pro Day on March 14 at Florida A & M. At the combine he was 6024, 222, with 10.5 percent body fat. He ran 4.81, and 4.85, had a 9' 1'' broad jump, 33'' vertical jump, 4.32 on the 20 yard shuttle, and 7.20 on the L-cone drill.

2004: In his second full year as Florida A&M's starting quarterback Dougherty backed up his record-breaking junior campaign with a outstanding statistical season against arguably the toughest D-IAA schedule in history. In his first three games against D-IA schools, Dougherty averaged just under 200 yards per game while completing 62% of his passes. Dougherty displayed his dual threat ability when he finished his final two games averaging 449 yards and completing 66.3% of his passes while throwing 6 touchdowns, he also rushed for 3 touchdowns as he gained 90 yards on the ground. Dougherty finished his senior campaign as Florida A&M's career completion percentage record holder (62.4%), as well as climbing to 4th on the all time list for career passing yards. Dougherty compiled 2,696 yards on 242 completions (61.6%) with 19 TD's to 11 INT's. Dougherty also finished the year as the teams second leading rusher for the second straight year as he gained 340 yards and 6 TD's. Highlighting Dougherty's career, he further showcased his skills in the HBCU All-Star Classic as well as showcasing his talents at the February 17th NFL Scouting Combine.

2003: After taking over the reigns in 2003 Dougherty burst onto the NCAA scene finishing the year ranked 8th in the nation in passing, 5th in total offense, & 4th in QB rushing offense. In his first two games Dougherty completed 47 of 71 passes for 588 yards & 3 TD's while rushing for 105 yards & 2 TD's. En route to his other 2003 accolades, Dougherty lead the MEAC in passing while setting single season Florida A&M marks in consecutive completions (16) & Completion percentage (63.6%). Dougherty was named MVP of the Walt Disney World Florida Classic XXIV in toping off an All-American style year. Dougherty threw for 2,502 yards on 368 completions (63.6%) and 13 TD's, while passing for 270 yards or more five times. Dougherty finished the year as Florida A&M's second leading rusher compiling 674 yards on the ground and a team high 8 rushing TD's.

2002: Limited Action in 3 games.

2001: Coming off a two-year absence from football, Dougherty played at North Iowa Junior College where he was named All-America, Regional Offensive MVP, & 1st Team Academic All America. While in Junior College, Dougherty led NIACC to a 9-1 regular season record, conference championship, and a #10 final ranking. Dougherty completed 124 of 199 passes, good for 62% and threw for 1,604 yards and 12 TD's and just 5 INT's as well as 4 rushing touchdowns.

1999-2000: Served a two-year Latter Day Saints mission to Las Vegas, Nevada.

1998: Redshirted at Iowa State University.

*Be sure to listen to Sirius' NFL Radio program each day leading up to April's NFL Draft as you will also get to hear one of our staff members featured on a weekly basis talking NFL Draft and taking calls. If you have a client or prospect that would like to have his Pro Day results mentioned on the air, and possibly be interviewed following his workout, please contact us at john@nlscouting.com, so that we can pass it along through the proper channels.

*Next Level Scouting Staff members Justin Van Fulpen, Dean Zarafonetis and Jared Van Fulpen also contributed to this report.

*All rights reserved by Next Level Scouting, Inc. and John Murphy... any use of the material enclosed without the express written or verbal consent of Next Level Scouting, Inc. or John Murphy is prohibited... John Murphy can be reached via phone or email at 504.415.9979 and draftjm13@aol.com.

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