It looks as though April '08 will offer a bleak crop of senior prospects. An infusion of talent from the ranks of
the underclassmen is needed to severely upgrade most positions.
Now comes word that one of the nation's premier junior receivers is making his
intentions known.
California's game-breaking receiver and return
specialist DeSean Jackson is telling people this will be his last season
on the
college field as he intends to make the jump to the NFL in '08.
Golden Bear coach Jeff Tedford has also told people he expects to lose Jackson
to the NFL.
Winner of the inaugural Randy Moss Award as the
nation's top return man, Jackson led the country averaging 18.2 yards returning
punts last season. He also set school and Pac-10 records bringing four punt
returns back for touchdowns. Jackson also averaged 18 yards on 59 receptions, adding
nine more
scores. Considered a first-round talent, coaches we spoke with from the
Cal program claim Jackson may be the fastest player ever to wear a Bear uniform.
The outlook is not as bright for one senior
cornerback.
At one time a highly considered prospect, Nebraska cornerback
Zack Bowman entered the '07 scouting process with first-round grades from a
number of NFL scouting services. In fact one service, BLESTO,
rated Bowman higher than Adam Carriker, chosen with the 13th selection of last
April's draft.
Bowman suffered a torn
ACL prior to the start of the '07 season, which put him on the sidelines for the
entire year. Still, he seriously considered entering last April's NFL draft, going as far
as submitting his name to the NFL Advisory Committee to gauge where he might be
selected were he to make himself eligible.
Deciding against the draft and returning to
college for another season, Bowman later ruptured his patellar tendon in
non-contact drills this past March and surgery was required to repair that
injury.
There is much speculation as to Bowman's
present state of health and when he will return to the field. While
Cornhusker coach Bill Callahan has been generally positive about the situation
and hopes Bowman will return sooner rather than later, others disagree.
Sources affiliated with the program have told
us Bowman could be on the sidelines until late October if not early
November. There is also a feeling the talented cornerback may not play at
all this season.
In the end, Bowman's draft grade will take a
pounding as this one-time potential first-round pick that could end up in the late
frames.