Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes could be this year what Stanford's Andrew Luck was last year.
After an intriguing redshirt freshman season, Luck built his reputation on a stellar sophomore campaign, legitimizing himself as a franchise quarterback at the next level. Rhodes, as a redshirt freshman last season, started 14 games on the boundary had four interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Throughout the season he looked like a lockdown cornerback.
Florida State’s Xavier Rhodes could be this year’s Andrew Luck
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Now he has the chance, starting tonight against Oklahoma, to prove it. Oklahoma's wide receivers are smaller, quick receivers who know how to get open. That's especially true to senior Ryan Broyles, who had 14 catches for 158 yards in the Sooners' opener against Tulsa.
As an NFL Draft prospect, Rhodes has everything you look for in a cornerback. He’s big and can be physical at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. But he’s also fast enough to cover vertical routes and athletic enough to play on shiftier receivers.
With a good sophomore season, like Luck, Rhodes could establish himself as a certain top five pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
It’s also feasible to see Rhodes forgo his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the 2012 NFL Draft. Taking
seventh overall, the San Francisco 49ers showed in the 2011 draft that redshirt sophomores can go high. The Seattle Seahawks (wisely) used the 14th pick in the 2010 draft on redshirt sophomore
.
Rhodes may not be the only redshirt sophomore who may have to consider entering the 2012 draft.
Top five redshirt sophomores:
Xavier Rhodes | 6’2, 215 pounds | CB | Florida State
| 6’6, 335 pounds | OT | Alabama
| 5’11, 212 pounds | RB | Miami
| 6’6, 305 pounds | DT | LSU
| 6’3, 215 pounds | QB | Maryland
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