Devon Allen, WR, Oregon
Particulars: 6-0, 190, redshirt freshman
Buzz: Looking for a breakout candidate on Oregon’s offense? Allen might be your guy after a strong spring. He also has had a strong spring for Oregon’s top-flight track team, which won the Pac-12 outdoor meet and is one of the favorites in the national meet. He is one of the top 110-meter hurdlers in the nation and also runs on the Ducks’ 4x400-meter relay team. He is from Phoenix Brophy Prep and holds the Arizona state high school record in the 110 hurdles (13.52 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (36.39 seconds).
Jeremé Jones, WR, South Alabama
Particulars: 5-8, 167, senior
Buzz: He’s a little guy who has been a solid possession receiver for the USA Jaguars the past two seasons, with 84 total receptions and 10 TD catches. He’s also, pound-for-pound, the strongest guy on South Alabama’s team. He squats 545 pounds, bench presses 365 pounds and hang cleans 335 pounds. He has been timed in 4.48 seconds in the 40, has a vertical jump of 37.5 inches and a broad jump of 10-foot-1. And his body fat is just 7.5 percent.
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Particulars: 6-1, 232, junior
Buzz: Gurley isn’t necessarily an elite sprinter – though he has been clocked as fast as 4.43 seconds in the 40 – but he is fast for a 230-pounder. And get this: He was one of the best prep hurdlers in the nation. He ran for Team USA in Europe during the spring and summer of 2011; he advanced to the semifinals of the 110-meter hurdles at the 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships in France and won the 2011 World Youth Trials in the 110 hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.88 seconds in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He ran for Georgia’s track team during the 2013 indoor season and turned in the seventh-fastest time in school history in the 60-meter hurdles (8.12 seconds).
Maurice Falls, OLB, East Carolina
Particulars: 6-3, 247, senior
Buzz: He runs the 40 in 4.47 seconds and has a vertical jump of 36 inches. In addition, he is strong, with a back squat of 645 pounds and a bench press of 425 pounds. He is expected to be a full-time starter for the first time this fall.
Nick Marshall, QB, Auburn
Particulars: 6-1, 210, senior
Buzz: OK, he’s not a finished product at quarterback because he needs improvement as a passer. But no one questions his athleticism. He has been clocked in under 4.4 seconds in the 40 and he doubled as a high school basketball star (he can jump out of the gym; just search for some of his dunks on YouTube). He played extensively at cornerback at Georgia in 2011 before moving on to a junior college after he was dismissed from school. He quarterbacked Auburn to the national title game last season, but some believe his best position at the next level is wide receiver, corner or even safety. His favorite receiver is Sammie Coates, an athletic marvel himself. Coates is a 6-2, 201-pounder who runs in the 4.3s and has a vertical jump that has been measured at a staggering 44 inches.