College Bowl Preview: 12/30

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

December 30, San Diego

Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)

ESPN, 7 p.m. CST

NEBRASKA

#93 DT Ndamukong Suh, 6-4, 300 pounds – We will be brief: considered the top player in the 2010 NFL Draft. Over his 53-game career with the Huskers, Suh had 212 total tackles, 48.5 tackles for loss, 24 sacks and four interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns. He forced three fumbles and blocked six kicks.

Evaluation – Suh will be the first, second or third player selected. Most scouts doubt he’ll get past No. 2, with only a quarterback possibly being selected ahead of him by a team like St. Louis.

#4 SS Larry Asante, 6-0, 215 pounds – Began his college career at Coffeyville Community College, before moving on to the Cornhuskers for his final three years of eligibility. The Virginia native played 38 games with the Cornhuskers, totaling 221 total tackles, with three interceptions, including a 74-yard return for a TD earlier this season. This season, Asante had 76 total tackles, with two interceptions in 13 games. His best performance was 10 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble against K-State.

Evaluation – Concerns are with his speed and his athletic ability to cover a tight end down the field. He will hit anything in front of him, but the scouts are concerned about what happens when somebody gets behind him and he doesn’t have top-notch makeup speed. A free safety he is not, but he might be a strong safety type, a DB that plays in the box against the run. He’s pegged as a sixth or seventh-round choice.

#67 C Jacob Hickman, 6-4, 291 pounds – The California native played 43 games for the Huskers, missing just one game in the last three seasons. He had 35 starting assignments in those games, playing left guard and then moving to center for the last two seasons. Played both ways on the prep level where he had 13 sacks as a junior pass rusher at Centennial High School.

Evaluation – Hickman has gone against Suh in practice every day for the last three years. The defensive tackle is very complimentary of his teammate and says Hickman has helped him refine his game. When it comes to the game and intelligence, Hickman is off the charts. As a center or guard, he’s viewed as a sixth to seventh-round possibility. There are questions about his quickness and footwork. There are not any questions about him off the field.

ARIZONA

#6 CB Devin Ross, 5-11, 175 pounds – A big-time athletic talent , Ross has a future in the NFL. Over his career in Tucson, he played in 48 games with five career interceptions, including one he returned for a TD. He also returned 26 kickoffs for an average of 21.9 yards a return. Ross had 147 total tackles. This season he had 74 total tackles and one interception. He was conference defensive player of the week against Oregon State when he had 12 tackles and his late interception sealed the Wildcats upset victory in Corvalis. Ran the 100 meters in high school with a career best time of 10.95 seconds.

Evaluation – Only concerns among some scouts is his size; he’s a shade under 5-11 and there’s not much more than the 175 pounds. Ross is a superior athlete who fit right in with the athletic Pac-10 offenses and receivers. The question will be how he handles bigger and more physical opponents. A strong Combine and workout season could push him in to the late first round. Otherwise, looks like a second-round prospect.

#49 DT Earl Mitchell, 6-2, 295 pounds – One of the team’s co-captains in 2009, Mitchell played in 48 games with the Wildcats, two years on offense and two years on defense. He’s had 84 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Mitchell switched to defensive tackle in the spring of 2008. Early in his career he caught 14 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns as a tight end/H-back. He was the Pac-10 defensive player of the week when Arizona upset Southern Cal in the L.A. Coliseum. He had six tackles, three tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback sacks.

Evaluation – Viewed as a 4-3 defensive tackle, it’s hard to see him playing defensive end in the 3-4 scheme. Mitchell is a solid player, who can be a contributor in the right defensive scheme. He’s likely a sixth or seventh-round selection, but could move up with a good Holiday Bowl and performances during individual workouts.