3^rd quarter

10:21: Jenkins targeted in tight coverage, interception. Jenkins did all he could to get the football low, but his hands weren’t strong enough to get it away from the defensive back, who also made a very nice play on the ball.

5:22: Jenkins catches one against the sideline for a first down.

2:30: Illinois running back Jason Ford is showing some better running here in the 2^nd half. He really struggled in the first half because Penn State’s defensive line, led by Devon Still, had been doing an awesome job of bottling up the 6-0 235 pound back. Still is having a great game.

1:16: Jenkins catches one for a decent gain. Solid hands, but nothing after the catch.

0:03: Mercilus in on a combined sack.

4^th quarter

11:40: Mercilus gives up a big run through his gap.

7:41: Mercilus applies pressure after a spin move, pressure forces a fumble, fumble recovered by Penn State, but Mercilus is able to finish off the play and get a sack after the recovery. This forces a field goal as it is now 4^th and goal.

4:55: Jenkins wide open in space, but the ball is batted down at the line. It’s been that kind of night.

0:00: Whitney Mercilus is a breakout prospect this year the way Nick Fairley was last year, coming out of nowhere. The junior had 2 sacks before this season and now after this game has 11.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in 9 games and is gaining some steam in the first round. Tonight he had 1.5 sacks. He got consistent pressure when he was single teamed, but struggled with double teams. He lined up in 2 and 3 point stances in about equal amounts, but looked more comfortable in a two point stance.

This is actually good for him. At 6-3 260, he has the size to play 4-3 end, but he struggled a bit against the run. He’s a very quick and athlete pass rusher who is comfortable rushing from a 2 point stance which suggests he’s a better fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker than a 4-3 end. I am disappointed that I didn’t get to see him drop into coverage much, but he looks comfortable in space.

His spin move is his favorite move and he uses it more than most defensive lineman to varying degrees of success. He had a couple very nice spin moves, but a couple were stood up well by the offensive lineman. He needs to develop a wider repertoire of pass rushing moves. He’s having a first round type season and looks to be on pace to have 15+ sacks and 20+ tackles for loss.

However, my worries with him are lack of competition (he has yet to face an elite left tackle and unfortunately Illinois does not play Iowa and Riley Reiff), lack of a track record (only one good season), a thin repertoire of pass rushing moves, and his weakness against the run. If he has the kind of numbers he’s projected to finish the season with, 15+ sacks and 20+ tackles for loss, he could go in the top 15 as a 3-4 linebacker or a 4-3 end. However, for now I have a borderline first round grade on him with the ability to move up into the top 20 or top 25.

As for AJ Jenkins, I’m disappointed I didn’t get to see all he can do. Illinois’ offensive line was getting destroyed by Penn State’s defensive line all game in this ugly 10-7 win for Penn State so Illinois wasn’t doing a lot through the air. Jenkins had 6 of his team’s 13 catches for 43 of his team’s 93 yards through the air.

He lined up in different spots on the field, in the backfield, out wide, in the slot. He looks like a natural slot receiver at the next level. At 6-1 195, he’s not the biggest receiver and he doesn’t look overly fast, but he’s having a hell of a season even after this weak performance with 68 catches for 1030 yards and 7 touchdowns in 9 games. He has nice hands, knows how to get open, runs great routes, and also run blocks very well for his size, an added bonus with a slot receiver. He looks like a solid 3^rd round pick with the potential to move up into the 2^nd round if he continues his high level of production against tougher competition.

Another playmaker on Illinois’ offensive who stood out to me at times is Illinois senior running back Jason Ford. He rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries despite being bottled up for most of the first half by Penn State’s awesome defensive line. Penn State was winning the battle at the line of scrimmage all game, but Ford still was able to give a solid game with strong, hard nose between the tackle running. He also showed good burst for a 235 pounder. On the season he has 492 yards and 6 touchdowns on 125 carries. This was his best game of the season so I look forward to see if he can continue this. If he can, he could be a solid day 3 pick because of his combination of size, speed, and pass catching ability (14 catches on the year).

Speaking of Penn State’s awesome defensive line, they were winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield all night. Devon Still was in the backfield on every other player. On the year, the senior defensive tackle has 47 tackles, 15.5 for a loss, and 4 sacks in 9 games. At 6-5 310, he also has great size against the run. In a weak defensive tackle class, he could end up being the first one taken. He fits as a 3-4 defensive end really well as well.