Football's Second Season

Some of the top 100 lists leave something to be desired. Sometimes prospects are rated higher than they should be in order to promote combines and camps. I've always believed that players shyould be ranked on the basis of their performance on the football field rather than at combines.

For example, running back Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., who is committed to Miami (Fla.), is rated No. 9 in the country by Rivals, behind Notre Dame-bound Cierre Wood of Oxnard, Calif., who is rated No. 3. But Brown is rated as the No. 2 player in the nation by Scout.

I go with Brown. Both had good junior seasons but Brown played against better competition. Both are outstanding ball-carriers but I favor Brown because he has more speed. I haven't seen a better running back than Brown.

Wide receiver Logan Heastie of Chesapeake, Va., who is committed to West Virginia, is rated as the No. 3 player in the nation by Scout but only No. 32 by Rivals.

I believe Rivals is closer to the target on this one. Heastie is very good and has good size and hands. But he isn't a super threat. He is one of the top five wide receivers in the nation but not top three.

Offensive lineman Xavier Nixon of Fayetteville, N.C., is rated No. 4 by Scout and No. 27 by Rivals.

Scout is right. Nixon is the No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation among all seniors. But the best offensive lineman of all is junior Seantrel Henderson of St. Paul, Minn. Nixon looks thin at 275 pounds. He is the prototypical left tackle. He will grow to 310-320 pounds in college.

Defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland of Luftin, Texas, is rated No. 2 in the nation by Rivals and No. 35 by Scout.

McFarland is somewhere between Nos. 10-20. I saw him in December. He has decent size for a defensive tackle but he isn't overly fast or big. He makes plays but he isn't a dominating player yet. He might be the best defensive tackle in the country but he doesn't have top 10 production yet.

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