"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

What players to watch in Saturday’s game at Arizona Stadium

The talent rundown for the game according to NFLDraftScout.com. NOTE: Players are ranked by their position in each class. For example, Devin Ross is the 12th-rated cornerback among seniors. The *-asterisk denotes player projected to be drafted in first three rounds:

ARIZONA SENIORS			STANFORD SENIORS
No. 12 Devin Ross*, CB, 5-10, 176			No. 3 Toby Gerhart*, RB, 6-1, 235
No. 13 Earl Mitchell, DT, 6-2, 295			No. 17 Erik Lorig, DE, 6-4, 275
No. 14 Chris Gronkowski, FB, 6-2, 235			No. 17 Matt Kopa, OT, 6-6, 305
No. 23 Cam Nelson, SS, 6-1, 202			No. 21 Ekom Udofia, DT, 6-2, 315
No. 51 Terrell Turner, WR, 6-2, 190			No. 23 Chris Marinelli, OT, 6-7, 305
ARIZONA JUNIORS			STANFORD JUNIORS
No. 4 Keenyn Crier, P, 6-1, 200			No. 4 Konrad Reuland*, TE, 6-6, 257
No. 5 Colin Baxter*, C, 6-4, 295			No. 8 Owen Marecic, FB, 6-1, 245
No. 9 A.J. Simmons, TE, 6-3, 255			No. 18 Chase Beeler, C, 6-3, 285
No. 13 Brooks Reed, DE, 6-3, 255			No. 28 Austin Yancy, FS, 6-3, 216
No. 19 Nic Grigsby, RB, 5-10, 190			No. 32 Sione Fua, DT, 6-2, 305
ARIZONA SOPHOMORES			STANFORD SOPHOMORES
No. 6 Robert Golden, FS, 5-11, 190			No. 7 Tom Keiser, DE, 6-5, 258
No. 10 Alex Zendejas, PK, 5-11, 190			No. 12 Chris Owusu, WR, 6-2, 201
No. 13 Matt Scott, QB, 6-3, 190			No. 14 David Green, PK, 6-1, 205
No. 25 Nick Foles, QB, 6-5, 235			No. 22 Matthew Masifilo, DT, 6-3, 285
No. 36 Trevin Wade, CB, 5-11, 182			No. 26 Coby Fleener, TE, 6-6, 248
ARIZONA FRESHMEN			STANFORD FRESHMEN
No. 6 Adam Hall, FS, 6-4, 205			No. 2 Andrew Luck, QB, 6-4, 235
No. 15 Trevor Erno, ILB, 6-1, 230			No. 5 Levine Toilolo, TE, 6-8, 267
No. 16 Solomon Koehler, OG, 6-3, 335			No. 7 Shayne Skov, ILB, 6-3, 237
No. 22 Chris Merrill, DT, 6-2, 285			No. 7 Tyler Gaffney, FB, 6-0, 212
No. 30 Terrence Miller, TE, 6-4, 224			No. 8 David DeCastro, OG, 6-5, 310

INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

The recruiting skills and benefits of being a name coach are very evident in Jim Harbaugh’s freshman class. The five best prospects are ranked among the top 10 of their respective positions, the first time that is the case this season for an Arizona opponent. By comparison, Arizona’s fifth-best freshman prospect, tight end Terrence Miller, is ranked 30th among freshman tight ends. It’s too bad junior tight end Rob Gronkowski is out with a back injury because his competition with Stanford junior tight end Konrad Rueland would have been worth the price of admission. Rueland is rated No. 4 among junior tight ends. Gronkowski was No. 1 among junior tight ends entering the season.

Toby Gerhart is also a quality baseball player who has the NFL scouts wondering where his heart lies

TOBY OR NOT TO BE

The question is not whether Stanford junior running back Toby Gerhart will be drafted by an NFL team, or even if he will succeed. The biggest question among NFL scouts is whether Gerhart will concentrate more on football than baseball. As a high school senior, Gerhart blew away the all-time California record for career rushing yards (9,622) after gaining 3,233 (with 39 touchdowns) as a senior. He was also one of Baseball America’s top 50 prospects for the 2006 season. The good news for NFL scouts: Although he had three solid seasons in the outfield for the Cardinal baseball team, Gerhart went undrafted in the June amateur draft. However, Gerhart intends to return to the diamond this spring. His ability to catch in the outfield transcends into football as the second-team All-Pac 10 pick last fall has the receiving hands (28 career receptions) and speed to be a top 100 prospect. According to NFLDraftScout.com, a reputable scouting Web site, Gerhart must assure NFL teams that he is focused on football, however, before that possibility becomes reality.

TUITAMA’S NFL PROSPECTS QUESTIONED

In a blog posted on The Sporting News by Michael Tunison, former UA quarterback Willie Tuitama, who is waiting tables at a Tucson Buffalo Wild Wings, is not looked upon too favorably in terms of his NFL aspirations. Tunison writes that Tuitama’s part-time status at Buffalo Wild Wings “sounds about right for a guy who would have only been a low-round pick anyway. Toss in a glaring character issue that arises at the worst possible time and you’re gonna be waiting out another shot at football for a little while. … If anything, he seems like a prime UFL candidate, that is a college QB from a marginal program who has put up lots of stats. However, because of personal factors, may not be attractive to the NFL at the moment. If he can demonstrate continued success there, he could salvage a career he nearly squandered in one ill-considered night.” Tunison is referring to the night Tuitama was pulled over and charged for driving under the influence of alcohol prior to the NFL draft. What Tunison does not realize is the primary factor working against Tuitama is his history of concussions.

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