The Scarlet Knights may not be an NFL factory, but they've put out some good players. The Kenny Britt, Anthony Davis, Ray Rice and the McCourty brothers are just a few of the players the program has produced the past five years. Similarly, the NFL has South Florida to thank for the likes of Nate Allen, Mike Jenkins and Jason Pierre-Paul.
Rutgers at South Florida NFL Draft watch notes
Presswire
The top NFL Draft prospect in tonight's game is Rutgers senior outside linebacker Khaseem Greene. His 2011 season was excellent with 141 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. He's quickly following that up this year with 24 tackles and two tackles for loss in two games. He's also intercepted two passes. Greene projects as one of the better weakside linebackers in next year's draft.
Junior Ryne Giddins is the latest pass rush prospect to come through South Florida. He has a sack and a half and six tackles coming into tonight's game. He's not an athlete of Pierre-Paul's caliber, but he's been productive.
For more on tonight’s game, find players to watch, a key matchup and a question after the jump.
Rutgers at South Florida, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
South Florida Bulls 2013 NFL Draft prospects:
Offense: No. 7 - B.J. Daniels, QB - 6'0, 217 pounds (Senior), No. 10 - Terrence Mitchell, WR - 5'10, 164 pounds (Junior)
Defense: No. 46 - Cory Grissom, DT - 6'2, 316 pounds (Senior), No. 36 - Sam Barrington, MLB - 6'1, 230 pounds (Senior), No. 26 - Mark Joyce, S - 5'10, 200 pounds (Junior), No. 97 - Ryne Giddins, DE - 6'3, 266 pounds (Junior), No. 34 - DeDe Lattimore, OLB - 6'1, 232 pounds (Junior)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2013 NFL Draft prospects:
Offense: No. 10 - D.C. Jefferson, TE - 6'6, 250 pounds (Senior), No. 81 - Mark Harrison, WR - 6'3, 230 pounds (Senior)
Defense: No. 20 - Khaseem Greene, OLB - 6'1, 230 pounds (Senior), No. 42 - Steve Beauharnais, MLB - 6'2, 230 pounds (Senior), No. 11 - Logan Ryan, CB - 6'0, 190 pounds (Junior), No. 37 - Jamal Merrell, OLB - 6'4, 220 pounds (Junior)
Question of the night:
Could South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels develop into an NFL prospect?
South Florida senior quarterback B.J. Daniels is playing well to start the season. After two games, he’s completing 59.1 percent of his passes for 588 yards and six touchdowns (versus one interception). Daniels has a good arm, and he’s athletic. But he’s been inconsistent during his career and never had a completion percentage of better than 60 percent. Daniels has struggled against Rutgers in the past, so this could be a big game for him.
Matchup of the game:
Rutgers cornerback Logan Ryan (No. 11) vs. South Florida’s receivers
With Daniels, the Bulls feature the 26th ranked passing offense in the nation. Daniels' top receiver from 2011, Sterling Griffin, is out but sophomore Andre Davis and junior Terrence Mitchell are solid options. Last week, Davis had 12 receptions for 191 yards. That included a go-ahead 56-yard touchdown in the last minute to beat Nevada.
But Nevada doesn't have a cornerback like Ryan. One of the more underrated prospects in college football, Ryan is similar in style to mentor Devin McCourty. Ryan has good instincts when the ball is in the air and can get physical.
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