NFL Draft 2011: Cam Newton and 10 Players Who Boosted Their Stocks in BCS Games

A lot of players had their last chance to impress during a BCS bowl game this season.

Auburn, Oregon, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and TCU played in the five premier games, and the players from those schools are the ones who really had a chance to make a lasting impact.

Cam Newton is the most recent example of such a player, but there are plenty more.

Read on for the 10 players who helped their draft stock with their performances in the BCS games.

Cam Newton

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Quarterback Cameron Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers holds the ball in the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendal

Cam Newton had the national spotlight squarely affixed on his No. 2 jersey and met the expectations.

The dual-threat quarterback justified his Heisman Trophy by completing 20 of his 34 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns while only throwing one pick against a talented Oregon defense.

He also ran 22 times for 64 yards and always seemed to pick up the first down.

Newton showed NFL scouts his rocket arm and will now be picked in the first round for sure.

Nick Fairley

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Nick Fairley #90 of the Auburn Tigers sacks Marvin Johnson #1 of the Oregon Ducks in the fourth quarter of the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona.

The talented defensive lineman was a monster in this game and was quite instrumental in shutting down Oregon's feared rushing attack.

He made numerous plays in the backfield and wreaked havoc throughout all four quarters.

Any doubts that teams might have about drafting him in the top five picks of the 2011 NFL Draft should have been dispelled.

Andy Dalton

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the TCU Horned Frogs throws a pass against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 97th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

In quarterbacking the TCU Horned Frogs to a 21-19 victory, Andy Dalton showed off just how good he can be.

Dalton completed 15 of his 23 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 28 yards and another score.

That's right—Dalton almost outscored the Badgers all by himself. 

He still won't be picked very high in the draft, but his name will be thrown around draft rooms a lot.

DeMarco Murray

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: DeMarco Murray #7 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs the football to score a touchdown in the first quarter against the Connecticut Huskies during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in G

The talented Oklahoma tailback didn't need to do much in the game against Connecticut because it quickly morphed into a blowout.

Even still, he managed to carry the ball 25 times and gained 93 yards.

Murray even scored a first-quarter touchdown to take a 14-0 lead.

It wasn't the senior's best game, but he did quite well in the spotlight.

Coby Fleener

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: Coby Fleener #82 of the Stanford Cardinal celebrates after he scored a 41-yard tochdown reception in the third quarter against the Virginai Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in

Coby Fleener will be a senior next year if he chooses to return, but now could be a good time for him to declare for the draft.

Fleener absolutely dominated the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Orange Bowl.

He scored the last three touchdowns of the game behind his six catches for 173 yards.

Talk about a great performance.

Terrelle Pryor

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Matthe

Terrelle Pryor promised to return to Ohio State next season, but speculation abounds as to whether or not that will be the case.

If he does decide to go pro, the Sugar Bowl will have boosted his stock immensely.

In that game, Pryor completed 14 of his 25 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for another 115 yards.

Pryor almost literally carried the Buckeyes to a win.

Jordan Todman

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Zach Frazer #10 of the Connecticut Huskies hands the ball off to Jordan Todman #23 against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (P

Jordan Todman had an absolutely fantastic senior season, but he still wasn't widely known.

His performance in the Fiesta Bowl may have changed that.

Todman ran the ball 32 times and picked up 121 yards. He failed to find the end zone, but he did move his team up and down the field.

The running back also caught one pass for three yards.

Gabe Carimi

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Offensive lineman Gabe Carimi #68 of the Wisconsin Badgers warms up prior to playing the TCU Horned Frogs in the 97th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Part of the reason that the Wisconsin ground attack had so much success against TCU's tough defense was the blocking of Gabe Carimi.

Carimi helped propel the rushing offense to an astounding 226 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

He virtually guaranteed his status as a first-round draft pick.

Cameron Heyward

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks is sacked by Cameron Heyward #97 and Dexter Larimore #72 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the fourth quarter during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on J

Even though he was playing in the Sugar Bowl with both an arm and a leg injury, Cameron Heyward could not be stopped.

DeMarcus Love couldn't contain Heyward by himself, and neither could whichever offensive lineman the Razorbacks threw at the defensive end.

Heyward boosted his stock to the point where he should be drafted by the end of the first round at the latest.

Jeremy Beal

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 04: Defensive end Jeremy Beal #44 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates with the Big 12 Championship Trophy after the Sooners beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 23-20 at Cowboys Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by

The Oklahoma defensive end was an instrumental part of shutting down a very talented Huskies offense in the Fiesta Bowl.

Jeremy Beal should have vaulted into the early portions of the second round with his performance.

Even though Todman was able to run wild at times, he still never found the end zone, and Beal helped put enough pressure on the quarterback that the passing game was rendered rather ineffective.