Spotlight #1: Arkansas MLB Jerry Franklin

Spotlight #2: Tennessee DE Malik Jackson 

1st quarter

9:23: Franklin with a tackle for loss after a receiver catches a low pass in the flat.

8:11: Jackson with good instincts to get in on a tackle on a quarterback run.

5:51: Jackson explosive up the middle, hit the quarterback as he throws, but Tyler Wilson still completes it.

2:58: Jake Bequette almost has a sack. That would have made 4 sacks in his last 2 games. He’s clearly healthy finally and could regain day 2 status.

2:43: Austin Johnson, a talented senior linebacker for Tennessee, gets a pick, his 3^rd of the year. He was very deep in coverage in Tennessee’s Tampa 2 defense. He looks like a late rounder.

1:50: Franklin in on a tackle, sort of. He did slow the ball carrier, but he also fell back after the hit.

0:18: Arkansas stud wide receiver/punt returner Joe Adams with one of the craziest punt return touchdowns I’ve ever seen. I can’t even begin to explain it, so I’m just putting in a video clip. That’s his 3^rd punt return touchdown of the season.

2^nd quarter

14:54: Arkansas safety Tramain Thomas almost makes what would have been one of the best interceptions of the season in college football.

14:29: Malik Jackson gets into the backfield on a play where Tennessee gets a tackle for a loss.

12:30: Joe Adams uses his speed to get wide open downfield, but he was overthrown.

10:41: Franklin blows up into the backfield for a tackle for a loss.

9:16: Jackson run at, very small gain, in on the bottom of the pile.

8:50: Jarius Wright makes an awesome juggling catch.

6:10: Franklin looks stiff in coverage, but able to put the hit on the receiver immediately after allowing an intermediate completion.

2:42: Franklin tackles a guy after he reverses field, almost stops him from converting 3^rd and 3.

0:31: Tramain Thomas with a huge pick on 3^rd and goal. That’s the 4^th pick of the year for the likely mid rounder.

 

3^rd quarter

12:04: Bequette gets his hands on one while charging for the quarterback and almost intercepts it.

11:58: Franklin plugs a hole nicely up the middle, gets a tackle after a gain of 2 or 3.

10:58: Tramain Thomas out of position on a big gain through the air.

6:27: Franklin falls trying to make a tackle on a spinning ball carrier.

4:10: Joe Adams does bring this one in deep, touchdown. 40 yards.

2:22: Jackson gets into the backfield, but bites on a fake.

0:04: Adams drops a pass.

4^th quarter

14:41: Franklin in on a stuff at the line.

6:34: Franklin gets a tackle up the middle.

0:00: Jerry Franklin is one of the most productive defensive players in Arkansas history. A 4 year starter, Franklin has 351 career tackles and counting. On the season, he has 82 tackles after getting 9 in this one. The 6-1 245 pound linebacker looks like a mid round pick and a 3-4 player. He’s big and physical, but he doesn’t look all that athletic, though he has great fundamentals. He looked stiff in coverage and struggled with open field tackles. He was at his best when run at up the middle. He could play both inside and maybe outside in 3-4 as he did have 6.5 sacks in 2010. He could also be a solid special teamer, but overall he’s a mid rounder.

Arkansas has a few other good defensive players. Jake Bequette had his 4^th sack in 2 games in this game and almost had a 5^th sack and a pick. He was relentless in this one and finally looks healthy after missing 3 games to start the season. A 3 year starter at defensive end, the 6-5 270 pound Bequette looks like a left end at the next level. After 7 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss last season, he now has 6 sacks and 6.5 sacks on the season, despite not being healthy for the first half of the season. If he keeps this up, he could regain day 2 status.

Arkansas Tramain Thomas had his 4^th pick of the season in this one, and it was a huge pick on 3^rd and goal. He almost had another pick, but was unable to finish what would have been one of the best interceptions on the season. The 6-0 205 pound safety looks like a mid rounder as either a free safety or a strong safety. On the season, he has 64 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 5 deflections and 4 picks in 10 games.

Arkansas has plenty of talent offensively as well. Joe Adams had an amazing punt return touchdown, a great deep touchdown, and almost had a 2^nd one, but Tyler Wilson somehow overthrew him. He’s great in space and his speed and quickness could get him drafted on the 2^nd day of the draft. He had 2 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown, giving him 43 catches for 568 yards and 2 scores on the season, as well as 3 punt return touchdowns.

Jarius Wright is their other good wide receiver and he had another great game, complete with an awesome juggling catch. He had 5 catches for 94 yards and a score to give him 53 catches for 906 yards and 9 touchdowns in 9 games (missed one with injury). The 5-10 180 pound receiver has 3 good yards of production, as Joe Adams does, and looks like a potential day 2 pick as a slot receiver.

Defensively for Tennessee, the spotlight was Malik Jackson. Jackson, an athletic transfer from Tennessee, is playing out of position at defensive tackle, but the 6-5 270 pound lineman looks like he has a lot of upside as a left or even a right end at the next level. He looked very good to start the game, but seemed to tire as the game went on. Regardless, he’s playing well of late and could be a mid round flier and upside pick. On the season he has 46 tackles, 11 for loss, and 5 sacks, pretty impressive considering he’s playing out of position. He’s extremely athletic and always stands out on tape when I watch him.

Austin Johnson is an underrated player on defense for Tennessee. He’s having a great season with 65 tackles, 4 for loss, and 3 picks. The 6-2 240 linebacker doesn’t have a track record of success before this year, which hurts, but he’s very comfortable in coverage and looks good in Tennessee’s Tampa 2 defense. He’s worth a late round flier by a Tampa 2 team late.