In today's edition of The Daily 12-PAC we take a look at the buzz surrounding some Washington and Oregon players headed to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and talk some Washington State and Oregon State recruiting.
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Huskies Headed To NFL Combine
The NFL Combine is one of my favorite events of the year because the timing couldn't be better. Every year, right about now, I begin to experience post-Super Bowl football withdrawals. The combine makes for great medicine.
The University of Washington will be sending four players to this year's combine, as profiled in this piece via gohuskies.com. Of the four Dawgs making the trip to Indy, I think it's worth keeping a close eye on Alameda Ta'amu. Ta'amu generally performed below expectations in 2011, but I really like his potential at the next level, assuming he can play healthy. Chris Polk and Senio Kelemete will be the names that get talked about most, but I think Ta'amu is the one who could make the biggest splash in the NFL. Pun intended.
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WSU Recruiting: A Look Ahead To 2013
Since the hiring of Mike Leach there has been a lot more excitement and attention surrounding the Cougars' football program. The CougCenter gang takes an early look at the class of 2013, in what is somewhat of an attempt to temper expectations.
It's worth noting, however, the fact that the Cougs are even in the conversation with some of these kids speaks volumes of what Mike Leach has brought to the table. In-state guys mentioned, like Sean Constantine and Sammie Long will be ones to watch. In fact, I think recruiting in the state of Washington will be huge for both D1 programs in the state. Not only are they competing against each other for the state's top talent, but Jim L. Mora and his posse down in Westwood seem to have a thing for trying to raid The Evergreen State.
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Does a "down year" for RB's help Oregon's LaMichael James?
The SportingNews takes a look at this year's crop of NFL-bound running backs, and naturally, a name that comes up is that of Oregon's LaMichael James.
James is an interesting prospect, and despite his monster stats in college, is a player that some "experts" have reservations about. I have pondered that if James was a player in a different offense, or even a different conference, would there even be a debate about how he projects at the next level? But that's sort of the blessing and the curse of Oregon's offense. This topic will surely be addressed again as we near the draft.
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Oregon State's Recruiting Realignment
After an offseason of some coaching turnover, Mike Riley has done some shuffling of recruiting responsibilities on the Beavers' coaching staff.
The focus is largely on Southern California, and the state of Texas. It's an ambitious plan, but one that certainly could be a formula for huge success.
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Make sure to follow Scott (@scottenyeart) and SB Nation Seattle (@sbnseattle) on Twitter.
To join in on the discussion and find more great college football commentary and analysis, follow the Huskies at UW Dawg Pound and the Cougars at Coug Center