Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Big is the best way to describe the skill players offered by MTSU. Dwone
Hicks is a nice sized
interior runner, with powerful legs, hips and the abilities to move the pile or
break several tackles in a single run. It seems impossible for a one defender to
bring him down at the point as he keeps his legs chugging up the field and picks
up a lot of yardage off initial contact carrying the ball. More than a bowling
pin that bounces off would be tacklers, Hicks displays vision, patience and a
little jelly in his running within confined spaces. He gets stronger as the game
progresses and the more carries he receives, showing the ability to take a lot
of hand-offs deep into a contest, and is also an adequate receiver out of the
backfield. Not fast, Hicks has minimal skills outside of tackle and cannot beat
opponents to the corner. Good workouts prior to April puts him in the draft’s
first day, otherwise he’s a better version of Adrian Peterson and hence, a
middle round pick. Tyrone Calico caught our eye three years ago against
Florida and is a huge receiver, offering a tremendously large target for the
quarterback. His overall receiving skills are solid, the hands are consistent
and Calico can make the big catch in traffic. Long-legged and a long strider, he
lacks quickness and speed, we think. Calico takes a while to get it going but
when running full speed looks like a cross between a gazelle and runaway
locomotive. He is not fast to the eye but Blesto has timed him at a 4.37, though
we will go on record and state his playing speed is nowhere near that. For a
team looking towards a big receiver Calico is one of the better ones available
next April and the faster he runs prior to the draft, the higher he’ll move up
boards.
One defensive player we’ve charted, and a prospect whose progression we
like, is corner/safety Muhammad Rashada, a fine athlete slowly becoming a
very effective cover-man.
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