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While it's always difficult to say good-bye to Oregon Ducks you've loved watching on Saturday, it's exciting to watch them perform in the NFL combine with results that will get them playing on Sunday...

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With the recent news that Lester Erb has left the Iowa Hawkeyes football program, that makes six coaches over the past two years who have moved on.

As the Cedar Rapids Gazette detailed, that is equal to the amount of staff turnover that had occurred over the previous 12 years.

None of those coaches were fired, though one is left to wonder if they were pushed out. After all, head coach Kirk Ferentz has felt the fans' ire over the past few years.

In effect, it is worth looking at the coaches who have moved on, what they brought to the program and whether Iowa is better off with some new blood.

It's difficult to gauge a coach's effectiveness, but there is tangible evidence which could give an indication as to how good a coach he was.

The criteria will concern recruiting, attrition, discipline and player development. 

In the modern world where everybody knows everything about everyone, recruiting is fairly open. Consequently, thanks to Rivals, which lists which coach recruited which player, fans know how effective the coaches have been. This element of the criteria does not concern itself with whether the recruited player developed, only how successful the coach was on the recruiting front.

Attrition and discipline are tougher to measure. In effect, there are no hard numbers to gauge them. There is only the eye test and the depth of my memory.

Finally, development will concern itself with how many players in a position group developed under a specific coach. Therefore, a coach who led a 5-star player into the NFL Draft will receive credit, but a coach who has consistently done the same with 2-star players will receive even more credit.

There are, of course, other measures of a coach's effectiveness, such as game planning and in-game adjustments. Nonetheless, those are elements of the game about which outsiders couldn't make a reasonable judgment.

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The NFL combine has come and gone. Once again there are some players who shined, and others who did not have the showing they were looking for.

There were 73 early entries to the NFL draft which broke last year's record of 65 meaning there were plenty of underclassmen with a chance to shine.

For some of those players, the NFL combine was a chance to improve their draft status, while others are already first-round locks.

Even though big-time players like DJ Fluker, Damontre Moore and Luke Joeckel did not exactly have the combine they were looking for, there is no question that they are still likely to be first-round selections.

Some players not so highly regarded did nothing to help their stock come draft day and will have to try and make up for it on their respective pro days. 

Here are 10 combine duds who maybe should have hung around at the collegiate level for one more year.

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Despite a bump or two along the road, Denard Robinson's attempt to carve out an NFL career is right on schedule.

Robinson atoned for his poor showing at the recent Senior Bowl by displaying his speed and receiving skills Sunday at the NFL Combine.

With thoughts of becoming an NFL quarterback behind him, Robinson is intent on earning his way as a receiver, kick returner or situational running back.

"I think he's the ultimate hybrid Swiss-army knife type of player," Detroit Lions GM Mayhew told mlive.com "He can do so many things, and he's very good at a lot of things."

Since he played quarterback almost exclusively during his collegiate career, the transition to other positions won't happen overnight.

Add the lingering arm injury to the equation and it's understandable why he had trouble playing wide receiver at the Senior Bowl.

But Michigan fans are well aware of Robinson's athleticism, work ethic and leadership ability. It should be no surprise that Robinson ran a solid 4.43 in the 40 and caught everything in the Combine's “gauntlet” drill for receivers.

Still, NFL execs are concerned with the arm injury suffered during the Nebraska game.

“I just got some X-rays yesterday and some examination, and she said I’m going to continue to get better,” Robinson told mlive.com.

"Nerves is a thing you can't really put a time frame on," added Robinson, who admitted to performing at only 60 percent. "It takes time to heal, and if I have to have surgery, I have surgery."

Where Robinson eventually lines up and how high he goes in the draft are the only questions remaining.

"You have to have a creative offensive mind, creative coaching staff, to figure out the best way to use him." Mayhew added. That also determines where he falls in the draft.”

For instance, New England, who features versatile Wes Welker, understands the potential value of a player like Robinson.

Realistically, it might make sense for Robinson to concentrate on one area as he embarks on his new journey. Leaping directly into a receiver's role seems unlikely since experienced collegiate wide outs often fail.

A perfect example is Desmond Howard, who won a Heisman Trophy catching passes for Michigan, but floundered as a receiver in the pros. Fortunately, Howard was also an accomplished return man, who ran back a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI. The return was not only a thing of beauty, it clinched Green Bay's win over New England and earned Howard the Super Bowl MVP award.

While Robinson never returned kicks at Michigan, his raw talents could carry him at first. Pure speed aside, Robinson displays the peripheral vision, elusiveness and football IQ to be successful.

Even with taking into account his current injury, Robinson displays the necessary durability to play on Sundays. Sure he was dinged on occasion, but the dual-threat quarterback missed very few snaps while rushing for 4,495 yards on 723 attempts.

"My vision is to try to be the best that I can possibly be when I get to the NFL," Robinson told yahoo.com. "Whatever teams put me at, that's what I'm going to work my tail off to be. Whatever they ask me to do that's what I'm going to do."

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien has wasted no time trying to prepare the Nittany Lions for the future. Fresh off of finalizing the 2013 class, Penn State has already received commitments from solid recruits for the class of 2014.

O'Brien has proven that he can recruit well despite the circumstances at Penn State. The Nittany Lions' 2013 class ranks 24th, according to ESPN.

As the years go by, recruiting at Penn State should get a bit easier, as there are only three years remaining on the bowl ban. 2014 recruits will be able to participate in bowls and contend for a championship when they are unpperclassmen.

Currently, the Nittany Lions have received verbal commitments for 2014 from three high school juniors.

Running back Mark Allen (Hyattsville, MD) was the first to decide on Penn State when he verbally committed on October 16th. He is currently a 3-star recruit and the 35th best running back in the class. Allen will bring depth to the backfield as current running backs Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton have just two years of eligibility remaining.

Athlete Nick Scott (Fairfax, VA)  just committed to the Nittany Lions this week. He is a 3-star recruit who will most likely be a running back in college. According to Rivals.com, the 180-pound back had an offer from Boston College and also had interest from Alabama.

The most recent commitment comes in the form of linebacker Troy Reeder, who chose Penn State on Tuesday. The 22nd-ranked linebacker is a 3-star recruit, but has the potential to rise even higher as time goes on.

According to Pennlive.com, "Reeder, is a solid 6'2", 230 pounds with a 300-pound bench, 465-pound squat and 4.65 speed." In the next few years, there will be holes to fill at linebacker and he should be an excellent fit as he continues to develop.

With limited scholarships, it will be important for the coaching staff to research and make sure that they are bringing in the best recruits to fit the system.

Getting early commitments to Happy Valley will be pivotal in attracting top talent.

Of course it's early, and guys can always change their minds, but the first verbal commitments for 2014 show that Penn State is still a place where aspiring players want to play.

 Note: All recruit rankings courtesy of the 247sports.com composite rankings.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The allure of the NFL Combine continues to grow year after year, and this version is no different as the Wisconsin Badgers had four players invited to participate in the annual week-long showcase for the NFL Draft.

Of the four Badgers invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, three were able to participate: running back Montee Ball, center Travis Frederick and left tackle Ricky Wagner. Linebacker Mike Taylor underwent surgery for a sports hernia in January and his rehab wasn't far enough along to give it a go.

All three had an opportunity to impress scouts and prove why they have all been projected to be selected in the first few rounds in the past. Of course, there is always the risk of hurting your draft stock by performing poorly in the various mental and physical tests offered by the NFL.

Who impressed? Who disappointed? Click to see complete NFL Combine results and analysis for the former Badgers after their experiences in Indianapolis.

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Former Texas A&M quarterback Jameill Showers has found his new home. Showers, who decided to leave College Station rather than back up Johnny Manziel next season, will be attending UTEP next fall, according to MinersIllustrated.com.

The young quarterback told MinersIllustrated.com's Chris Avila that he sent his letter of intent over on Tuesday:

I sent over my letter of intent and chose UTEP. My dad and I took a trip down [to UTEP] this past weekend and we had fun, met the coaching staff and I got to talk to Coach Kugler. They are doing some big things.

Once the favorite to succeed Ryan Tannehill under center, Showers lost the starting job to Manziel after an intense competition prior to the 2012 season. Manziel went on to have one of the best individual seasons in recent memory, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the surprise a surprisingly great Aggies team to an 11-2 record.

With Manziel being just a redshirt sophomore next fall, there would have been little-to-no opportunity for Showers (barring an injury). Showers threw just 44 passes in Manziel's stead all of last season, completing 27 of them for 319 yards, and he likely wouldn't get much playing time outside of blowouts again in 2013. 

Sensing the lack of opportunity, Showers decided to make a move. A dual-threat quarterback with an underrated polish in the pocket, Showers had no shortage of suitors but ultimately chose UTEP. Though the Miners went just 3-9 last season under Mike Price, new head coach Sean Kugler comes with an NFL pedigree and offers something Texas A&M cannot: playing time. 

Unlike other student-athlete transfers, Showers will not lose a year of eligibility. He is scheduled to graduate from Texas A&M in June and then will enroll at UTEP in the fall, a move with is allowed by NCAA bylaw. Showers' transfer is not unlike Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who spent his final season of eligibility at Wisconsin after being at North Carolina State.

Whether Showers has a Wilson-like ascent remains to be seen. But Showers will likely just be happy to be in a place where he will get an opportunity to play and where he will not have to live in the shadow of a Heisman winner. 

Follow @tylerconway22

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Miami Hurricanes only had two players in the 2013 NFL Combine this weekend, Mike James and Brandon McGee.

James was given a pre-grade score of 52.0—meaning "draftable player" according to the NFL grading system. Scouts basically said he had a good, strong frame with good balance but lacked breakaway speed and explosiveness.

The lack of explosiveness was evident when James finished last of all the running backs with a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.62—the best time was 4.02. James didn't participate in the 3 cone drill or 60 yard shuttle.

James' 40-yard dash time of 4.53 surprised me as I was certain it would have been in the upper 4.5 to 4.6 range. It wasn't the best time of all the RB's (No. 8) but solid for a running back coming in at 223 pounds.

Where James really impressed was on the bench press when he posted a third-best 28 reps. Only Tommy Bohanon (36) and Knile Davis (31) did better.

James finished his day with a 35" vertical jump (No. 8) and a 115" broad jump (No. 24). There were a total of 38 running backs invited although many of them skipped individual events.

McGee on the other hand was given a pre-grade score of 61.0—also meaning "draftable player" according to the NFL grading system. The scouts stated that McGee was a fast with quick feet but lacked ball-hawking ability and strength.

McGee started the combine running a 4.40/40—fifth-best of all the defensive backs and tied for the eleventh-best of all the players. He also was a "top performer" in the 3 cone drill where he rocked a fourth-best 6.71 seconds.

When it came to speed, McGee wasn't finished as he nailed the twelfth-best 20 yard shuttle with a time of 4.18 seconds.

He did not run the 60-yard shuttle.

The scouts were also dead-on when they said that McGee lacked strength as he was only able to post 14 reps on the bench press.

Jumping wasn't McGee's specialty either posting a 33" vertical and 119" broad jump. Both of them placing him the lower half of the defensive backs.

So when it was all said and done, both McGee and James held their own throughout the day. In my honest opinion, both players will be drafted.

It's just a matter of when.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Michigan Wolverines are coming off a top recruiting class in 2013 and are back at it again for the 2014 recruiting class.  

Head coach Brady Hoke knows how important it is to have consistency in recruiting with highly ranked classes. 

Hoke has landed an early gem for 2014 on the defensive side of the ball in defensive tackle Bryan Mone. 

Mone is a 4-star recruit from Salt Lake City, Utah who has the build of a burly defensive tackle despite still being a junior in high school. 

At 6'4" and 316 pounds, Mone already has the physicality and body to jump into a college defensive line and hold his own.  Yet, Mone is more than a big-bodied defensive recruit.

Mone is exceptionally agile and quick for a player of his size, which is a rarity in such a young player who is still developing.

According to Tim Sullivan of the Detroit Free Press,

Although the 315-pound weight may seem high for a high school prospect, Mone carries every ounce of it well. His film shows a player who is not only massive, but also very agile – and who even has some good top-end speed. He’ll likely continue to bulk up and play the nose tackle position in Michigan’s defense.

At 6'4" and 315, Mone would normally be viewed as too big at his current level, but he has the speed to go with it. 

Mone is extremely active when he attacks the opposing offensive line out of his stance.  His combination of size and speed helps him to strike fast and beat linemen in the trenches.  

 

According to GBM Wolverine staff via SI.com:

Size is definitely a strength for Bryan Mone. He also shows surprising agility and quickness for a jumbo athlete. He gets off the ball quickly and plays with an edge. Mone is relentless in pursuit and plays until the whistle. He shows solid club and swim moves, and fights a double team very well. His agility and speed enables Mone to exhibit a good change of direction.

Mone's quickness and agility should not be underestimated.  Mone draws comparisons to Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. They attended the same high school and play with similar styles.

While the comparisons to Ngata make some sense, Mone also has the same footwork intangibles that make New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork so successful. 

Wilfork is huge at 6'2" and 325 pounds, but his footwork is exceptional for a player of that size and he moves both powerfully and swiftly when he plays.

Mone has a similar explosiveness and agility to players like Ngata and Wilfork which makes him a rare recruit pickup and he has the potential to shine on the Michigan defensive line.  For Mone to have such a great skill set with his footwork and agility at his age is astounding.  He will need to continue to develop, but he has all the intangibles to become an impact player on the defensive interior.  

Mone's agility also makes him a versatile player that Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison can use in multiple sets on the defensive line.

According to the GBM Wolverine staff via SI.com:

 

On film we have witnessed Mone twist, line up inside on OGs, and twist outside the OT and still be able to maintain proper leverage on the QB. That is Impressive!

 

It is very impressive to see a young player of his stature have all of quickness and smarts to twist his body and work through opposing defensive lines as a pass rusher on both the outside and inside as well as a run stopper.

According to MGoBlog.com:

 

He [Mone] looks very impressive on film, and the fact that he's getting this much attention this early despite being from an under-scouted region lends credence to the idea that Michigan found themselves a potential star early in the process.

 

Mone hails from Utah which is not known as a hot bed for top football recruits, but the signs and evidence point toward Mone being a diamond in the rough.

Mone's size, agility, moves, and potential for development make him the next big thing at defensive tackle for the Michigan Wolverines. 

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Three former Auburn players participated in the 2013 NFL Combine. Tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, running back Onterio McCalebb and defensive end Corey Lemonier did their best to impress the scouts.

Here are the complete results from their workouts, and how the performances fared against other participants at their respective positions.

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Like the rest of the Auburn defense, the Tigers secondary in 2012 had its share of struggles.

For the fourth straight year, Auburn's secondary was extremely mediocre. The pass defense ranked No. 48 in the country and No. 8 in the Southeastern conference. Auburn surrendered over 220 yards per game through the air. 

Auburn's defensive backfield recorded only one interception—a Trent Fisher pick-six against Alabama A&M. Before that interception in mid-November, LB Daren Bates had Auburn's only interception in Week 1 vs. Clemson. 

With a talented and experienced crop of defensive backs returning, the group—under the tutelage of Charlie Harbison and Melvin Smith—is poised to write a different story in 2013.

There are a few reasons for Auburn fans to be excited about the defensive backfield for the Tigers in 2013. Individual improvement in 2012, experience returning and proven development of players by Harbison and Smith.

Despite the shortcomings of the group, individuals that will be returning made important strides last fall.

Freshman cornerback Joshua Holsey became a player that Auburn could trust in man coverage. He finished the season with 30 tackles and six pass breakups. Holsey's ceiling is extremely high, and he has the opportunity to become Auburn's first shutdown CB since Jerraud Powers roamed the defensive backfield in 2007-2008. 

Demetruce McNeal and Jonathan Mincy were at the top of the chart for unassisted tackles (that also says something about Auburn's struggles up front). McNeal led the team with 53 unassisted tackles, and Mincy was second, with 41. 

Freshman CB Jonathan Jones got his feet wet in the latter part of the season. With continued improvement in spring practice, Jones will have his chance to crack the starting lineup in the fall. 

Experience is extremely valuable in the secondary, and the Tigers will have a lot of it. 

Auburn will return all but one contributor in the defensive backfield. T'Sharvan Bell—whose playing time decreased in 2012, after recovering from a 2011 knee injury—is the only departure from last fall. 

Auburn will look to seniors Chris Davis, Ryan Smith and McNeal to lead the unit's turnaround. Among those three, the Tigers will have 99 games of experience in the secondary before the Tigers take the field on Aug. 31. 

Juniors Erique Florence, Jermaine Whitehead, Mincy and Fisher have all been battle-tested for Auburn as well. 

With so much experience, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson will have an easier time installing his 4-2-5 defensive scheme. It's a system that will give the secondary more responsibility than most, in defending the run. 

Johnson's system needs physical defenders for the much-talked-about "Star" position, that is a hybrid between a strong safety and outside linebacker. Robenson Therezie and Whitehead look like they could fit that role perfectly, along with LB Kris Frost.  

Harbison and Smith have been tasked with coaching the Auburn secondary. Harbison will coach the safeties, while Smith will be responsible for coaching the cornerbacks.

Both are familiar with developing strong units in the defensive backfield. 

At Mississippi State, Smith mentored Johnthan Banks, the 2012 Thorpe Award winner. The Bulldog secondary was second in the SEC in interceptions with 19 last fall.

Harbison spent the last four years at Clemson coaching the defensive backs. The Tigers, from the Palmetto state, had a very strong secondary under Harbison, in 2009 and 2010. 

Smith and Harbison will attempt to accomplish the same at Auburn. 

With the talent and experience that is returning to Auburn's secondary in 2013, it's not out of the realm of possibility for immediate improvement. 

With question marks at every other position, it is easy to see why Auburn's secondary will be the strength of the Tigers defense in 2013. 

The bigger question is whether or not the group will be a lone bright spot on another mediocre Auburn defense or if it will lead the resurgence to a defensive turnaround that Auburn fans have been yearning for. 

Follow @TrueBlueAU

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With the disappointment of the 2012 USC Trojans football season in the rear-view mirror, fans of the program are looking to pass the idle months while waiting for retribution in 2013.

One way of doing that is to monitor the progress former Trojans who finishes their eligibility (or left after their junior year) and are seeking fame and glory at the next level.

The first step on that road began in Indianapolis, where the NFL just completed its four-day combine to evaluate prospective pros.

Six Trojans participated in the process and the reviews are mixed at best.

This slideshow will look at how quarterback Matt Barkley, center Khaled Holmes, receiver Robert Woods, cornerback Nickell Robey and safeties T.J. McDonald and Jawanza Starling did under the scruitiny of NFL scouts.

Some did well, some not so much, and others couldn't even survive the workout.

Now let's find out who did what.

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With the disappointment of the 2012 USC Trojans football season in the rear-view mirror, fans of the program are looking to pass the idle months while waiting for retribution in 2013...

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The NFL Scouting Combine is an exciting time for fans and an important opportunity for NFL scouts.

The combine gives us a fairly complete breakdown of every potential draft picks physical makeup, which, while not a substitute for actual gameplay, can provide a better idea of where a player is going to be drafted.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys only had two players participate in the 2013 combine, but both of them made a solid impact that could help their draft status this April.

 

Joseph Randle, RB

Grade: 80.6

40-yard Dash: 4.63

Vert Jump: 35 inches

Broad Jump: 123 inches

Joseph Randle's performance in the combine was impressive, especially in both the vertical and broad jump.

He posted a top-10 finish in the vertical jump and a top-five finish in the broad jump. His 40-yard dash time was pretty middle-of-road, but didn't hurt him much overall.

The most exciting thing for Randle and Oklahoma State fans is his draft grade of 80.6.

That grade slots him as the third-best running back by these standards, and sets him up to be a surefire second round pick.

 

Quinn Sharp, K/P

Grade: 61.9

Quinn Sharp grades out as the second-best specialist at this years combine and should be drafted sometime during the second day. 

Obviously, most kickers don't really need to run a 40-yard dash, so we can't look at that, but Sharp showed some great raw ability in all of his workouts.

His approach on punts and field goals will need to be fine-tuned by a professional coach, however, he'll contribute right away as a kickoff specialist and should become a reliable starter as a punter or placekicker.

Oklahoma State didn't have many players participate in this year's combine, but they both showed more than enough ability to warrant a draft pick.

Look for Randle to go sometime in the second round, with Sharp following him sometime after the fifth.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The NFL draft has become another showcase of dominance for Nick Saban’s Alabama program, and with 10 former Tide stars participating in the NFL combine earlier this week, that trend is a strong bet to continue.

A trio of offensive linemen—Barrett Jones, D.J. Fluker and Chance Warmack—plus corner Dee Milliner and nose tackle Jesse Williams are all players that project to be selected in the early rounds of April’s draft.

For players like safety Robert Lester, linebacker Nico Johnson and defensive linemen Quinton Dial and Damion Square, the festivities at Lucas Oil Stadium represented a chance to make an impression and raise their respective stocks. 

For a handful of them, those impressions—at least ones that come on the field—will have to wait until pro day because of various injuries. 

How did each former Tide star fare and what is the buzz coming out of Indianapolis on the Tide's contingent of NFL prospects heading into the stretch before the draft?

Here are the complete NFL combine results* for all 10 former Alabama stars that traveled to Indianapolis. 

*All results are courtesy of NFL.com. Players listed in alphabetical order. 

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