2011 NFL Draft Stock Watch: Who's Up, Who's Down in Week 4?
Now it is going to get tough.
After some big time matchups in Week 4, Week 5 promises to bring some heavy title implications as perennial conference powers begin to do battle from here on out.
Until we get there though, we have to check in on how the stars of tomorrow's NFL are doing today.
Some big time players stepped up in big time games while others wilted under the pressure. Some players continued to build on what they achieved in Week 3, while others, took a step backwards.
Let's take a look at who helped themselves and who hurt themselves in Week 4.
Stock Up 1: Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn
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This one has been a long time coming.
Cam Newton, once a player at Florida, has been doing it all year as he has led Auburn to a 4-0 start and into serious contention for the SEC battle.
This week, at home against South Carolina, the 6'6, 250 pound junior quarterback put up his most dominating performance of the season to date.
Rushing 25 times for a 176 yards and three touchdowns was just part of his brilliance at home in a come from behind win against the Gamecocks.
Completing a season high 76.2 percent of his passes for 158 yards, Newton threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put his team ahead for good.
Already this season he has amassed 485 yards and five touchdowns on the ground whilst completing 63.2 percent of his passes for 683 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions.
For a guy this size, Newton's athleticism is downright scary on the field. If he continues to put up big numbers through the air and on the ground in the SEC he is going to have NFL scouts coming his way in the air and on the ground.
Newton and Auburn get a bit of breather this week as they take on Louisiana-Monroe at home.
Stock Up 2: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
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It is safe to say that Alabama needed their guy back.
After blistering a lackluster Duke defense a week ago, the Tide needed everything Ingram had to come back and beat SEC rival Arkansas in Fayetteville this past weekend.
While Trent Richardson did damage on 10 touches for 110 all-purpose yards and one receiving touchdown, it was Ingram's rock steady, powerful running style they needed most to help shake off an uncharacteristically poor performance by Greg McElroy who threw multiple interceptions for only the second time in his career.
Ingram did everything asked of him, even running in Wildcat for a bit, churning out 157 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, including the go ahead score with about three minutes to play.
Ingram is up there on draft boards, but performances like this is what makes him so special. Watching him pick his way inside and out defenses, carrying the rock with power every time he gets the ball; the kid is simply a ball player that any NFL coach wouldn't mind taking in the first round of this year's NFL Draft.
It does not end here for Alabama either; Saturday night brings Coach Urban Meyer and the revenge-hungry Florida Gators to Tuscaloosa.
Stock Up 3: Quan Sturdivant, Bruce Carter, OLBs and Quinton Coples, DE, UNC
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This season has not been fair to a UNC defense that would have been special to watch.
UNC kept it close with LSU, nearly beat ACC foe Georgia Tech, but had to travel to Piscataway, NJ and knock off Rutgers to get their first win of the season.
Battling an underwhelming performance from the offense, the UNC (eligible) defensive stars made big play after big play to hold on for the win.
Senior outside linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter were everywhere and junior defensive Quinton Coples was practically holding Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage's hand throughout the game.
Coples finished the day with nine total tackles (four for loss) including three sacks, one quarterback hurry, and one pass breakup.
The 6'6, 272 pound junior with decent speed needs to continue performances like this one.
Sturdivant, a tackling machine, got injured in the second half of the game but still finished with a game-high 12 tackles.
Rutgers decided to run a lot out of the "Wildcat" against these athletic linebackers and almost every time WR Mohamed Sanu took off up the middle, Sturdivant was waiting to wrap him up in the hole.
Sturdivant continues to look the part of a first/second round pick.
A sure-fire first rounder is his teammate Bruce Carter.
Carter finished with seven tackles (one for loss), one interception (55-yard return), and a blocked punt (seventh career blocked kick) - all setting up big points for UNC.
The 6'3, 225 pound linebacker flies around the field with sub 4.6 speed and does everything the UNC defense asks of him, including lining up as 4-3 end late in the game.
These three players have to hold UNC together if they wish to salvage any bit of this season. They take on ECU at home this weekend.
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Stock Up 4: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
4 of 10Patrick Peterson continues to look like a top 10 selection for the NFL Draft and is earning some well deserved Heisman hype.
The 6'1, 215 pound junior cornerback makes play after play even when opposing offenses are trying to stay away from him.
This week against West Virginia he took a punt back 60 yards for a score and blocked a field goal attempt as well.
This is Peterson's second punt return for a touchdown this season - his first ever season returning punts - and it looks as if teams will have to start punting away from him as well throwing away from him.
Peterson is making a strong case as possibly the best prospect in college football right now.
LSU will host Tennessee this weekend in Baton Rouge.
Stock Up 5: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
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In case you haven't noticed, Oklahoma may be undefeated but they have hardly been dominant in doing it. Outside of their thrashing of Florida State, they have beaten "lesser" opponents by only 12 points so far this season.
The Oklahoma defense may have their fair share of issues, but offensively they average 34 points a game and junior receiver Ryan Broyles is a huge reason why.
Broyles, a 5'11, 185 pound stud receiver is making a strong case to be the top receiver in a star-studded junior class.
For the seventh straight game he gained over 100 yards receiving and also recorded his eleventh straight game with at least seven catches.
Broyles has simply dominated whoever lines up against him racking up 41 catches, 485 yards, and four touchdowns so far this season.
With top receivers like Michael Floyd and Jon Baldwin underperforming and A.J. Green having yet to record a catch, Broyles looks like the best receiver in the country so far this season.
This week will be a great test for him as the Sooners will host the Longhorns and their star-studded secondary.
Stock Down 1: Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas
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After getting a nice boost last week with his first SEC road win and gaining some Heisman helium in his balloon, Alabama came in and popped it for him.
The debate on Mallett will rage on until he starts playing on Sundays.
His stock takes a hit here though because after showing some improvement in areas a week ago, he did not have that against the nation's top ranked team.
Mallett threw for 357 yards, completing 25 of 38 passes, but threw only one touchdown and three interceptions.
He can charge the ball downfield with the best of him when he steps up and gets set, but underneath or with little movement, accuracy becomes a huge issue.
Throwing behind receivers, not leading them upfield, and sometimes forcing it are issues he will have to work on.
Mallett and the Razorbacks will travel to Texas A&M this weekend.
Stock Down 2: Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
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This is rather tough to pin all on Baldwin, but the Pittsburgh offense is atrocious and a receiver of this caliber needs to be more productive.
Quarterback Tino Sunseri has been anything but effective this season but it is truly effecting Baldwin's stock.
He burst onto the scene last season and it is important for scout's and coaches to see him do it again.
The athletic Miami defensive backs held him to only three catches for 26 yards on Thursday night.
He has only caught 13 passes so far this season for 197 yards and two touchdowns, not the ideal response coming off a 1,000+ yard season.
Coaches and scouts will take into account his horrific quarterback situation, but he has to pick it up and catch everything thrown his way.
Stock Down 3: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State
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After bursting onto the scene last season with 12 tackles for loss and five sacks, this athletic defensive end was poised for a big 2010 season.
Well, we have yet to see it.
McPhee has recorded only two and half tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, but has yet to record a sack.
A good blend of size, speed, and athleticism, McPhee is a better prospect than this.
Scouts will be very interested to see if he can truly compete with the elite talent in the SEC or whether his progress a year ago was just a flash in the pan.
Mississippi State will take on Alcorn State this weekend.
Stock Down 4: Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh
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Sophomore slump?
The nation's leading returning rusher from a season ago is averaging three yards per carry so far this season and has yet to cross the 150 yard barrier for the season - he did it seven different games last season.
The Pittsburgh offensive line has been nothing to write home about and they cannot effectively throw the ball either.
However, the other sophomore running back, Ray Graham, is averaging nine yards per carry so far ...
Lewis has a ton of talent but is not performing anywhere close to the standard he set last season.
He is not yet draft eligible, but this is definitely something to keep an eye on.
Pittsburgh will face Florida International this weekend at home.
Stock Down 5: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
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Another youngster (not eligible this season) but definitely worth keeping an eye on is Rutgers' quarterback Tom Savage.
Rutgers has not been impressive so far this season and blew a golden opportunity to make a statement by letting an undermanned UNC team escape in a game that Rutgers should have won.
Savage was the most experienced passer of all the Big East quarterbacks this season after starting 11 games as a freshman.
He finished last season strong and showed promise coming into this season.
2010 though, has been anything but strong. Savage has yet to throw for more than 150 yards in a game this season, only has one touchdown pass (three interceptions) and does not look comfortable in the pocket.
Coach Schiano has used more of the "Wildcat" with WR Mohamed Sanu than ever before.
Savage had chances to beat UNC but threw a disgusting pass behind an open receiver inside the UNC 20 and got picked off and then got another chance but couldn't complete a single pass on the final drive.
Savage has great size, ability, and has the upside to make an impact, but this is not a step in the right direction.
Rutgers will host Tulane this weekend where the offense will look to turn it around.
Wesley O'Donnell covers the NFL, NCAA, and NFL Draft year round. He is a contributing writer to NFL Draft Bible and can be followed on twitter @wesodonnell.
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