'The U' may not be quite the NFL-players factory it once was, but there are still many former-Canes entering the NFL every April.
On Saturday at 3p.m., watch Miami (2-1) and Georgia Tech (2-1) face off on NESNplus to watch some of next year's top prospects.
Both teams come into the game unranked, but it should be an even matchup between two programs that have only lost this season to ranked opponents. Miami's young defense will have to stop Georgia Tech's high-powered option offense if they hope to win at Bobby Dowd Stadium in Atlanta.
Both teams have NFL talent at both the offensive line and cornerback. Here are the top five players to watch on Saturday:
Seantrel Henderson, Miami, Tackle
This junior offensive tackle and former No. 1 overall high school recruit hasn't had the career he might have expected so far at Miami, but that could change this week against Georgia Tech. He's expected to make his first start of the season at right tackle, and that lack of field time isn't because of talent. Off-field issues and injuries have kept him off the field for the better part of three seasons, but if the talented 6-foot-8, 350-pound behemoth can get his head on straight he could be one of the top tackles in college football. Henderson has great footwork at the position, and shows great power in his run blocks.
Brandon McGee, Miami, Cornerback
McGee's an underated prospect who's had off-field issues of his own. After starting all of last season, Miami head coach Al Golden didn't like what he saw during the Hurricanes' preseason and bumped McGee down to fifth on the depth chart. He's back to starting and has had a great senior season. McGee is incredibly fast, being timed as low as 4.29 in his 40 yard dash this summer and shows off a great backpedal and smooth hips. He doesn't have the quickest instincts, and his run defense leaves some to be desired, but he can make up for those deficiencies with this legs.
Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech, Guard
The aforementioned option offense isn't exactly great practice for an NFL draft prospect. Uzzi spends much of his time on the ground after cut blocking at the snap, but shows enough upside otherwise that he should be getting looks in the late rounds. Uzzi isn't getting a great deal of pass blocking experience, but looks comfortable when the Yellow Jackets do throw the ball. Uzzi keeps his knees bent well and is great at finding his man in space while run blocking.
Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech, Outside Linebacker
Attaochu is still a very raw pass rusher, who tries to get by on his speed and athleticism alone. He doesn't use his hands or length well at all, and doesn't have the strength at this point to generate much of a bull-rush. Attaochu shows promise in pass coverage and has great balance, lateral fluidity and quickness.
Check out Attaochu against Virginia Tech earlier this year in the video below.
Rod Sweeting, Georgia Tech, Cornerback
Sweeting has shown some nice ball skills, but gets beat far too often deep because of lack of top end speed. Sweeting is also tight in the hips and stays too high in his backpedal. He does a nice job when he's asked to press and looks best when his man is in front of him, rather than having to turn and run. Sweeting gets targeted an awful lot for a NFL-bound corner.
Check out Sweeting against Virginia Tech earlier this year in the video below.
Photo via Flickr/Canespain
