Pac-12 Football

Ahead of next week's NFL draft, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s throwing motion has been a topic of conversation among NFL scouts and coaches, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

One AFC executive said Penix has "zero touch" due to his throwing motion, which could be a liability.

"Unless he's throwing the ball outside the f---ing numbers, it's getting batted down," the AFC executive said. "He throws it on a f---ing rope every f---ing time. He's thrown a deep ball -- I've seen that, all right, great. He's got that f---ed up motion. He's got zero touch."

But an NFC quarterbacks coach defended his throwing motion, saying Penix possesses a "natural feel" and finds receivers on time.

"I don't think [the throwing motion is] a big deal," the coach said. "The most important thing is, is it getting there on time and is it getting there accurately? He sees it well. He's instinctive. I can see why people like him. I think the kid has a natural feel as a passer, and that's something you can't coach."

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department considers Penix to be the No. 89 overall prospect and the No. 7 quarterback in this year's draft class—a solid position given the talented quarterbacks in this draft class.

In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report, Penix is projected to go to the New York Giants with the No. 70 pick.

In his final season at Washington, Penix had 4,903 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading the Huskies to a College Football Playoff title game appearance.

His throwing motion might be a cause for concern among NFL scouts, but his completion percentage (65.4 percent) ranked in the top 30 in college football last season, and that accuracy could translate to the NFL.

Penix likely won't be one of the first quarterbacks off the board, but if teams can overlook an awkward throwing motion, he could still go in the first or second round.

Oregon freshman defensive back Daylen Austin has been arrested and charged in connection to a hit-and-run crash that left a 46-year-old man dead.

According to Natalie Neysa Alund and Alec Dietz of USA Today, the 19-year-old was arraigned on Wednesday on a charge of failing to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons, a Class B felony in Oregon. The crash occurred on Monday night in Eugene, and a police spokesperson said Austin was arrested at his apartment two hours after it happened.

"We are aware of the incident and are awaiting additional information," an Oregon athletics spokesperson said in an email.

Per James Crepea of the Oregonian, jail records showed that no plea was entered and Austin is no longer in custody after he was granted a conditional release by circuit court judge Kamala Shugar. A pre-trial court appearance has been scheduled for May 22.

"This is a complex investigation and EPD is still gathering information to be submitted to the Lane County District Attorney's Office for a final charging decision," a Eugene police department spokesperson said.

Austin appeared in three games in the 2023 season.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders will have to replace one of his linebackers going into next season.

Per Pete Nakos of On3Sports.com, Demouy Kennedy has entered the transfer portal after appearing in 10 games for the Buffaloes last season.

Kennedy transferred to Colorado from Alabama last year. He recorded 13 total tackles and two tackles for loss in 2023.

Brian Howell of Buffzone reported on March 19 that Kennedy was no longer with the Buffaloes. It wasn't clear at the time if that meant he entered the transfer portal or just left the program.

Nakos noted Kennedy's decision means there are now 15 Colorado players who have entered the transfer portal. Cornerback Cormani McClain told Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports earlier this week he plans to enter the portal.

McClain was a 5-star prospect and No. 13 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He was the top-ranked recruit in Sanders' first recruiting class at Colorado.

A member of the 2020 recruiting class, Kennedy played three seasons at Alabama. He suffered a torn ACL in a win over Arkansas during the 2022 season.

Kennedy made the move to Boulder as part of Colorado's top-ranked transfer class last year. He was a 4-star transfer prospect who enrolled at the school in February 2023.

The best game of Kennedy's brief Colorado tenure was his last one. He recorded eight total tackles and one tackle for loss in a 23-17 loss to Utah.

Despite the loss of Kennedy and several players in the transfer portal, Colorado still has the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big 12 going into 2024. The incoming class includes 36 total players, with 11 rated as 4-star prospects or better.

The 2024 NFL Draft won't take place until next week, but one scout already has his eyes on prospective top pick Caleb Williams for eventual enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Caleb is the most likely player in this class to become a Hall of Famer," the scout said, per ESPN's Matt Miller. "That's the dude I want."

The consensus by draft analysts, including the B/R NFL Scouting Department, is that Williams will be selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick.

The former USC quarterback will enter the draft after a historic 2022 Heisman Trophy campaign, during which he set single-season records for the Trojans in total offense (4,919 yards) and touchdowns scored (52).

Although his production decreased slightly in 2023 as USC struggled, Williams' passing accuracy rose to a career-high 68.6 percent during his final season as a Trojan.

He finished his college career with more than 10,000 passing yards in 37 career games.

Those two seasons at USC have scouts excited to see Williams make the jump to the NFL.

B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen described Williams as a playmaker with impressive accuracy with the chops to succeed in the NFL if he improves his timing on routes.

The scout who spoke to Miller believes making those adjustments could lead Williams to begin a Hall of Fame career when he likely joins the Bears next week.

Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain and offensive tackle Savion Washington were among several Buffaloes to enter the transfer portal Tuesday.

McClain—a former 5-star recruit and the No. 1 CB in the class of 2023—told On3Sports' Hayes Fawcett that he is entering the transfer portal. McClain will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Meanwhile, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN reported Washington, defensive tackle Chazz Wallace, safety Myles Slusher, wide receiver Tar'Varish Dawson Jr. and offensive linemen Isaiah Jatta and David Conner entered the portal.

Deion Sanders has landed 25 transfer players already through the portal. Transfers comprise a vast majority of Colorado's incoming players for the 2024 season, as Sanders attempts to quickly rebuild the program. The Hall of Famer has been open about wanting to overhaul Colorado's culture and roster, which will understandably lead to roster overturn.

"You have to understand, we have not lost anything that we desperately have to have," Sanders told reporters in December. "Now if you say a [player like] Travis [Hunter] or Shedeur or this guy or that guy, I have got a problem now. And I'm going to address that. I'm looking at this portal and seeing quarterbacks and key guys from certain schools where I'm like, 'Wooo, that hurt. They weren't ready for that.' It's going to be attrition. You are going to lose certain players, because that is just life. ... That is why you are constantly recruiting and improving and creating competition."

McClain and Washington will be two of the biggest losses among the players departing. However, Sanders was adamant about going into the recruiting cycle and portal to improve Colorado's offensive line, which was arguably its biggest area of weakness last season.

It's possible Washington and others saw incoming players as threats to their playing time and decided to move on for an easier path to a starting role.

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 255

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 33⅝"

WINGSPAN: 79⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.01

3-CONE: 7.52

SHUTTLE: 4.59

VERTICAL: 32"

BROAD: 9'6"

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POSITIVES

— Good size and build with decent arm length.

— Shows the play strength and violence to shed blocks as a run defender, especially against tight ends.

— Has a couple of solid pass-rush moves he can win with—a long arm and an inside spin.

— Hustle player who will factor into gang tackles down the field and has a high pass-rush motor.

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NEGATIVES

— Tested poorly with a 1.61 RAS out of 10.

— Subpar get-off, can be late to react to the snap, and lacks explosion off the line of scrimmage, as evidenced by his 1.84-second 10-yard split time.

— Has a habit of standing up out of his stance and playing with high pad level, leading to issues holding his ground or setting the edge versus offensive tackles.

— Subpar accuracy with his hands as a pass-rusher on finesse moves. Often misses and lets offensive linemen into his body and will get ridden by.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 49 TOT, 6 SK, 11 TFL, 1 PD, 4 FF, 2 FR

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NOTES

— 2-star recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred from Wyoming to USC ahead of the 2022 season

— Injuries: 2023 (Pec, offseason surgery), 2021 (Shoulder, missed 5 games)

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OVERALL

Solomon Byrd's poor athletic testing numbers likely did no favors to his draft stock. He does show a little more play speed and athleticism on the field than his RAS score would suggest, but not enough to ignore the well below-average figures he logged.

Ultimately, Byrd's game is rooted in power and he has the potential to become a solid rotational defensive lineman with his size, play strength and build. It's just a matter of how much his lack of athletic ability will hold him back in the NFL.

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GRADE: 5.5 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 224

POSITION RANK: EDGE22

PRO COMPARISON: Tyreke Smith

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 9½"

ARM: 30¼"

WINGSPAN: 76"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.63

3-CONE: 7.10

SHUTTLE: 4.56

VERTICAL: 37"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Good get-off on passing downs, decent at timing up the snap and is explosive off the line, as evidenced by his 1.62-second 10-yard split.

— Shows impressive quickness and change of direction to help turn speed to power as a rusher.

— Flashed a solid arm-over move as a pass-rusher.

— Bendy to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush.

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NEGATIVES

— Not physical against the run. Takes on blocks with high pad level and lacks lower-body strength to hold his ground against good blocking tight ends.

— Subpar accuracy with his hands as a pass-rusher. Struggles to knock the offensive tackle's hands down, which allows them to land their punch on his body. Having shorter arms hurts him here, too.

— Has a habit of dancing too much during the stem phase of the rush instead of just using his speed off the ball.

— Does a lot of unnecessary stuff after the whistle like cheap shots and late hits that will draw penalties.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 GM, 32 TOT, 5 SK, 9 TFL, 2 PD, 2 FF

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NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred to UCLA from North Texas ahead of the 2022 season

— Twin brother, Gabriel, also is an edge-rusher for UCLA, UNT transfer and NFL draft prospect

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OVERALL

Grayson Murphy had a strong showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl to help boost his draft stock. He was impressive in the one-on-ones and had a sack in the game. With his speed, get-off and overall athleticism, he has potential to become a third-down pass-rusher in the NFL.

However, Murphy was primarily a third-down player at UCLA and likely won't grow beyond that role in the NFL. He doesn't project well as a run defender, so he'll need to show off some pass-rush skills and the ability to play on special teams in training camp to make a final 53-man roster as a rookie.

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GRADE: 5.2 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

OVERALL RANK: 259

POSITION RANK: EDGE26

PRO COMPARISON: Davis Tull

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 225

HAND: 9½"

ARM: 31½"

WINGSPAN: 74¾"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.7

3-CONE: 7.23

SHUTTLE: 4.41

VERTICAL: 36.5"

BROAD: 9'9"

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POSITIVES

— Has good instincts as a run defender. Quick to key and diagnose plays to help improve play speed.

— Knows when to pick his spots to shoot gaps.

— Can hold his own against tight ends and weaker offensive linemen against inside runs.

— Shows good eye discipline and peripheral vision in zone coverage to help locate threats.

— Has upside as a pass-rusher with quickness to win around the edges against offensive linemen along with the strength and power to bull-rush running backs. Also showed a high motor and had a few batted passes.

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NEGATIVES

— On the smaller side, and had average athletic testing numbers with a 5.68 RAS out of 10.

— Has a habit of taking on blocks square and has shorter arms, which leads to him getting stuck on blocks.

— Struggles to drop the anchor and avoid getting washed by offensive linemen when moving laterally against stretch runs.

— Speed limitations do show up against outside runs.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 75 TOT, 10.5 TFL, 4 SK, 1 INT, 6 PD

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NOTES

— Born Feb. 10, 2001

— 2-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— Began college career at Hawaii before transferring to UCLA ahead of 2022 season

— No major injuries

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OVERALL

Darius Muasau is an instinctual linebacker whose play speed is better than his testing numbers suggest. That's how he makes plays as a run defender and in coverage, as he's in the right spot more often than not. He's also a physical player and was a productive pass-rusher for an off-ball linebacker with 16.5 career sacks in college.

However, it's unclear how well Muasau's game will translate to the NFL since he's on the smaller side and posted underwhelming numbers at the combine. His lack of speed does show up against outside runs, and it could also be an issue in man coverage against faster tight ends and running backs.

The UCLA product is worth the gamble in the later rounds, though. He'll likely have to make a name for himself on special teams to earn a roster spot, which he did some but not a lot in college.

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GRADE: 5.7 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 206

POSITION RANK: LB16

PRO COMPARISON: Jalen Reeves-Maybin

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp will earn a $150,000 salary in his graduate assistant role on Deion Sanders' staff at Colorado.

Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today obtained employment documents for Sapp, who will make $12,500 per month and receive $15,000 in moving expenses.

The seven-time Pro Bowler officially introduced himself to the Buffaloes last month as a quality control analyst. He'll likely spend his time working with defensive and offensive linemen, offering the wisdom of a 13-year NFL career.

"Even the offensive linemen, they glean from him too because he's so thought-provoking that he can tell them, 'Don't let the defensive lineman get you at that point or this point or this point.' I think he's that — he's a wealth of knowledge and he's hilarious, man," Sanders told the Rich Eisen Show of Sapp last December.

Under NCAA guidelines, Sapp is required to enroll in graduate classes to qualify as a graduate assistant. He completed his bachelor's degree last year with the aim of joining Sanders' staff, and Colorado says Sapp is enrolled in classes as a graduate student.

The 51-year-old has never coached football at any level. He has spent most of his post-career days in media as an NFL analyst.

Sapp made nearly $59 million during his NFL career but filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp officially joined Deion Sanders' staff at Colorado as a senior quality control analyst.

Sanders introduced Sapp to the team recently, a moment that was captured by Thee Pregame Show (around the six-minute mark):

Sapp has been expected to join the Colorado staff for months. The seven-time Pro Bowler spent time with the Buffaloes last season and returned to school to finish his college degree so he could be hired to the staff.

"Even the offensive linemen, they glean from him too because he's so thought-provoking that he can tell them, 'Don't let the defensive lineman get you at that point or this point or this point.' I think he's that — he's a wealth of knowledge and he's hilarious, man," Sanders told the Rich Eisen Show of Sapp last December.

Sapp has not coached at any level since his NFL retirement after the 2007 season. He will likely spend most of his time working with linemen. His status as a quality control coach means he will not count toward the maximum of 10 coaches on the sidelines allowed by the NCAA.

Sanders is heading into his second season at Colorado. The Buffaloes took the nation by storm after a 3-0 start but lost eight of their last nine games to finish 4-8.

Fans are expecting even more improvement this season with Heisman candidate Shedeur Sanders and two-way superstar Travis Hunter returning and the Buffaloes landing 25 players in the transfer portal.