South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery stands 6-foot-4, 23o lbs. He has 45 catches for 614 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Jeffery is considered one of the best receivers in the country. In his carrier at South Carolina Jeffery has recorded 179 catches for over 2,800 yards and 22 touchdowns. He is expected to be drafted in the first round by most draft experts. He meets a huge task in Jan 2. Capital One Bowl in Orlando, in Nebraska senior corner back Alfonzo Dennard.
“I’m looking very forward to it, because I know he’s one of the better receivers in the nation,” Dennard said of Jeffery. “I love to go out and compete with the best players. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s one of the top receivers in the nation, so it’s going to be a very fun game. I’m just ready to go out there and compete with him.”
Both players have had a senior season with injury problems. Dennard missed the first three games of the Huskers season with a leg injury. Jeffery has yet to practice since the Game Cock’s final regular season game. He is battling a hand injury.
“To this day, right now I’m still not 100 percent,” Dennard said. “I’ve just got enough speed to keep up with the receiver next to me. I’m just going to try and hopefully get healthy and whenever the Combine stuff comes, I’ll be feeling pretty good and I can run a decent time and jump pretty good.”
As far as comparing Jeffery to anyone he has seen this year Dennard said he can compare him to B.J. Cunningham of Michigan State. Cunningham is 6-foot-2 215 lbs. Dennard said he likes the big stage of going up against a big time NFL prospect. He said there is no pressure for him at all.
“I’m a confident guy,” Dennard said. “I feel like I can play with the best, and I know he’s one of the best. I just want to go out there and compete with him and be physical with him, because I know he’s a physical receiver. I just want to go out there and play. When I go out there and play, I don’t like at it like prospect vs. prospect. I just think of it as another player out there and another game to try to win.”
Bell Up For the Challange
South Carolina will have a chance to win 11 games for the first time in school history. A lot of that has to do with the talent on the team. Jeffery isn’t the only potential NFL first round draft pack. Junior cornerback Stephon Gilmore is projected as one of the top corner prospects if he chooses to leave school.
Redshirt freshman receiver Kenny Bell said that after watching film on the Game Cocks, Gilmore is the player that stand out to him the most.
I’m looking forward to getting out there and going with Number five, Gilmore,” Bell said. “He’s a tremendous talent, and he’s going to be playing on Sundays. Anytime you get to compete against a guy like that, it’s exciting.”
Bell said he has been nothing short of impressed with the speed and talent in the South Carolina secondary. He feels it may be the best secondary the Huskers have seen all year, and that they are as physical and aggressive as any unit he has seen in 2011.
Over all the South Carolina secondary has held opponents to 49 percent completion rate for 133.0 yards per game this season, while also picking off 18 interceptions.
“They play right in your face,” Bell said. “Hardcore, smash mouth football. I don’t think it’s going to deviate too far from what we saw in the Big Ten all year. We saw some pretty stout secondaries.”
John Papuchis Gets High Praise From His Peers
Most people expected Bo Pelini to announce who the new defensive coordinator would be on Friday. When he did not the rumor mill began to spin, and most people speculate that Pelini is trying to find a replacement for current defensive line coach John Papuchis so he can take the defensive coordinator spot.
“I think J.P. is one of the best young coaches in America,” co-offensive line coach Barney Cotton said. “He’s done a tremendous job with our special teams and he’s a great technician and he’s great communicator and he’s a good recruiter. He’s one of the best young coaches I’ve ever been around.”
When asked if he was told anything, or if he would know when Pelini would announce the new DC, Papuchis said he has no idea.
“I don’t know about that,” Papuchis said. “It’s Bo’s decision and he’s going to do what he feels is best for the program. When he’s ready to make a decision on that we’ll all see.”
By Jimmie Allen