ESPN College Football

Checking around the world of the non-AQs for your lunchtime links. Not much doing as we hit the offseason.

As BYU and Utah prepare to leave the Mountain West, it is easy to see they dominated the conference.

San Diego State had a banner year under athletic director Jim Sterk.

Colin Kaepernick was selected as Nevada's top male senior athlete.

Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky feels good about the future of his league.

A consensus is forming and it looks bleak for FAU.

Steve Addazio is looking to keep Temple's winning ways.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Here are your daily links:

Boise State's tab for the ongoing NCAA investigation: $201,000 so far.

Southern Miss and Western Kentucky will play a home-and-home series.

Playoff PAC keeps pressure on the BCS.

The Mountain West appears unlikely to get an AQ bid based on three criteria it must meet for inclusion.

Kesni Tausinga will add depth to the BYU defensive line.

The 49ers don't plan to tinker with Colin Kaepernick's delivery.

Former Air Force players have urged the National Football Foundation to induct former coach Fisher DeBerry into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Preseason magazines are favorable to Hawaii.

Daunte Culpepper participated in Chad Pennington's charity bowling event in Huntington, W.Va.

Last week, we asked a series of non-AQ poll questions. Today, I am here to discuss the results. First, we begin with the questions that dealt with the players. The most popular question was: "Who is the toughest player to replace?"

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton led the way with 58 percent of the more than 6,400 votes. Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick was a distant second with 22 percent of the vote. I understand why fans voted this way because Dalton has meant so much to the Horned Frogs. TCU went to its first two BCS games under Dalton and won a Rose Bowl. But my choice was Kaepernick because TCU has built a national program and likes to think it reloads, rather than rebuilds. Nevada had a special season and it is going to be hard to top what happened in 2010 unless Tyler Lantrip can put together another storybook season.

BYU quarterback Jake Heaps topped two categories: Most improved player and biggest impact player. The candidates I selected under impact player came under scrutiny from some fans. Perhaps the question was a bit nebulous because the word "impact" can mean so many different things.

My definition: Which player has the biggest impact on his team. Some wondered why I had Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore on the list because he is expected to be just as good as always in 2011. My reasoning is because he has the biggest impact on that team no matter how good he has been in the past. Take Kellen Moore away, and Boise State is not a preseason top-10 team. That is why Houston quarterback Case Keenum is on the list. Houston went 5-7 and missed a bowl game without him last season.

Moore did top the offensive player of the year voting, while TCU linebacker Tank Carder won the vote for defensive player of the year. No surprise there, although some Boise State fans were upset I did not include Broncos defensive tackle Billy Winn among the candidates. Even if I had, I still think Carder would have won the vote.

There are a number of good non-AQ players who have to replaced headed into 2011, so we pose the question to you: Who is going to be the most difficult to replace?

I narrowed the field down to five candidates. There are many, many more who are worthy of being on this list, from Greg Salas at Hawaii to Chad Spann at Northern Illinois to Dontay Moch at Nevada. But I felt these were the five biggest names, and five biggest impact players on their respective teams.

For me, the vote comes down to TCU quarterback Andy Dalton and Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Dalton won a school-record 42 games at TCU, led two straight undefeated regular seasons and won a Rose Bowl. He helped TCU become one of the top non-AQ teams in the nation, and that led to an invitation from the Big East. So he has had an impact both on and off the field. His leadership was unquestioned.

But Kaepernick led the type of magical season never seen before at Nevada. He, too, has his name all over the school record books, and he too was the unquestioned leader of his team. The key difference for me is this -- TCU has become a national program and will continue to be a national program even without Dalton. We cannot definitively say the same of Nevada without Kaepernick. Just look at the preseason rankings. TCU is there. Nevada is not.

So ultimately, I think it will be more difficult to replace Kaepernick because the players that follow are going to have to maintain what he started. That might be possible in the Mountain West, but it is hard to know at this point.

Temple defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was the only non-AQ player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, at No. 30 to the New York Jets. Wilkerson is the third first-round selection in Temple history and the first since 1987.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper cited this as one of the best picks of the round, and I agree. Wilkerson fits an area of need and as an added bonus, gets to stay close to home.

One of the big surprises at the end of the day: TCU quarterback Andy Dalton was still available after many projected him rising all the way to the first round. FSU quarterback Christian Ponder went ahead of Dalton, something that ended up shocking many draft experts.

Having said that, Kiper has Dalton as the top non-AQ player going in the second round tonight. Here are the rest of the non-AQ players he has going in the second round of his latest mock draft:

• Dalton, TCU quarterback, No. 35 to the Cincinnati Bengals
• Titus Young, Boise State receiver, No. 37 to the Cleveland Browns
• Colin Kaepernick, Nevada quarterback, No. 45 to the San Francisco 49ers
• Jah Reid, UCF offensive lineman, No. 51 to the Tampa Bay Bucs

The third round also is Friday.

Cam Newton No. 1 to the Panthers? Hmmm ...

Now on to some links:

Colin Kaepernick could be the highest ever draftee from Nevada.

Boise State defensive backs have found NFL success.

Could independent BYU create its own bowl?

The Mountain West has vacated its spot in the Armed Forces Bowl and only has four bowl tie-ins for 2011. That should go back up to five in 2012 when Nevada, Fresno State and Hawaii join the league.

Houston is going throwback for its Homecoming game.

Here is an update on the men accused of shooting Northern Illinois linebacker Devon Butler.

Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey had to get his name out to NFL scouts the hard way.

Cornerback Justin Combs, the son of rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, is taking a visit to UAB.

Monday, Monday ...

Boise State's spring has wrapped, and the Idaho Statesman presents 13 players who stood out.

East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill has dropped 90 pounds.

Video: Five things you don't know about Colin Kaepernick.

Tulsa needs to find leaders in the offseason.

Derek Thompson is the North Texas starter at quarterback going into fall camp.

Here is a good look at where Hawaii stands after spring ball.

Some questions to ponder at Marshall.

Larry Dawson made people notice at the Kent State spring game.

Steve Fairchild faces a tough task at Colorado State, but it's not his first.

Northern Illinois backup quarterback Jordan Lynch is making strides.

There has been lots of speculation headed into the NFL draft about where TCU quarterback Andy Dalton and Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick could land.

Well, there is a bit of news concerning Dalton. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com reports the Jets worked out Dalton on Friday. The move may seem curious, considering the Jets have Mark Sanchez. But as Cimini writes:

Dalton is a fast-rising prospect who could slip into the bottom of the first round, according to scouts. The Jets own the 30th overall pick. While it makes no sense for them to invest another first-round pick in a quarterback, the Jets' interest in Dalton could be a way to entice quarterback-needy teams below them to trade up, increasing the value of the Jets' position.

Dalton's stock has been rising thanks to good performances during Senior Bowl week and the combine. The Vikings, Patriots, Colts and Titans, Browns and Bears have all reportedly worked Dalton out, too.

In his latest mock draft, Mel Kiper has Dalton going early in the second round, at No. 35 to the Bengals.

As for Kaepernick, his stock also has been rising. He has had workouts with at least eight teams: Oakland, Tennessee, Miami, Denver, Kansas City, Cleveland, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Scouts seem to love his arm strength (he used to be a baseball player), and he did very well on the Wonderlic with a 37, one of the highest scores of all prospects.

Kiper has him going in the third round, at No. 76 overall to San Francisco.

Among the other non-AQ players featured in Kiper's mock draft from earlier this month:

First round

Temple defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson, No. 16 to the Chargers.

Second round

Nevada linebacker Dontay Moch, No. 45 to San Francisco.

UCF offensive tackle Jah Reid, No. 51to Tampa Bay.

Boise State receiver Titus Young, No. 58 to Baltimore.

Troy receiver Jerrel Jernigan, No. 59 to Atlanta.

Third round

Fresno State linebacker Chris Carter, No. 72, New Orleans

Hawaii running back Alex Green, No. 78, St. Louis

TCU offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, No. 82, San Diego

Hawaii receiver Greg Salas, No. 86, Kansas City

Boise State receiver Austin Pettis, No. 95, Pittsburgh

Nobody has to tell Tyler Lantrip about the player he is on the verge of replacing. Lantrip has watched him for years.

Even before Lantrip and Colin Kaepernick ended up at Nevada together, the two worked out during the summers with former California coach Roger Theder, now a quarterbacks guru. It was Theder who told him that Kaepernick was going to Nevada when Lantrip made the same decision.

“Oh, yeah? I’ll take Colin down,” Lantrip jokingly told Theder.

It did not quite work out that way. Lantrip served as the backup to Kaepernick the past three seasons, watching as the dual-threat quarterback smashed school and NCAA records along the way.

Now Lantrip has his opportunity to start in his final season with the Wolf Pack. He, sophomore Mason Magleby and redshirt freshman Cody Fajardo are in the middle of a three-man race for the job headed into the spring game Saturday, but coach Chris Ault has made it clear that Lantrip is the front-runner to replace the face of the program.

“I don’t feel pressure from outside but I put pressure on myself,” Lantrip said in a telephone interview. “I know what we accomplished last season, and I know what it did for this town. That’s something I want to do for this city again. I know what it would mean to put together another season like we had. We can’t be content with winning the WAC championship. We have to focus on doing it again.”

Indeed, Nevada posted the best season in school history in 2010, winning a share of the WAC championship en route to a 13-1 record and No. 11 ranking in the final AP poll. The highlight, of course, was the shocking upset of Boise State. None of that would have been possible without the steely maturity of Kaepernick, who blossomed in his senior season.

Kaepernick learned the Pistol offense on the job, having had the opportunity to start for nearly his entire Nevada career. That allowed him to build toward his incredible 2010 season. Lantrip is headed into his senior season, and has no such luxury. The start to the schedule is also brutal with four straight road games. The Wolf Pack open at Oregon, and also play at Texas Tech and at Boise State.

Lantrip has only thrown 23 passes in his career and carried the ball 24 times. But because he has learned behind Kaepernick and been in this offense for so long, he is best suited for the challenge initially. But he will have to learn how to handle heightened expectations while getting used to a different set of teammates and dealing with questions about Kaepernick.

He deftly answered them during this interview, but there will be more as the season nears. The comparisons are unavoidable when you are replacing a player who did as much for Nevada as Kaepernick did.

As for what he brings to the field, Lantrip is a different style quarterback than Kaepernick. He is more comfortable throwing the ball as opposed to running it, keeping his eyes downfield when he feels pressure in the pocket, as opposed to immediately taking off.

Still, Lantrip has worked on his speed and quickness so he can run a little more. Nevada fans will recall Kaepernick was not a running quarterback when he got to Reno, either. But there will be no mistaking the two in 2011, even if the offense remains relatively similar.

Sitting behind Kaepernick for three years has been a “humbling experience. It has its ups and downs. When you don’t get an opportunity to play in a game, it’s frustrating at times but that’s where my faith comes in. I worked through some of those times knowing my time is coming.”

No. 3 Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

He had one of the best statistical careers in NCAA history, but there are probably people out there who have never seen Kaepernick play. Hopefully more people are aware of him and his talent after an incredible 2010 season. We could go through a laundry list of his notable accomplishments, but you can Google all that. What stood out for the Nevada quarterback this past season was this: He became the third FBS quarterback in history to throw for at least 3,000 yards and run for at least 1,000 yards in a season, joining Brad Smith and Vince Young.

He joined Tim Tebow and Cam Newton as the only players to run for 20 touchdowns and pass for 20 touchdowns in a single season.

He put the Wolf Pack on his back and led the team to the best FBS season in school history. That includes a share of the WAC championship and one of the biggest upsets of the season -- an overtime win over Boise State.

His experience running the quirky Pistol offense paid off in a major way. His upright running style worked to his advantage, but so did his improved accuracy and arm strength, which allowed him to keep defenses honest and off-balance. He really was an equal threat to run and pass the ball.

Kaepernick ended the season with 3,022 passing yards and 1,206 rushing yards and was the WAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year with Kellen Moore of Boise State. Not bad for a guy who only started running the ball in college.

In the next few days, I will be compiling my list of the Top 25 non-AQ players of 2010. With so many players among five conferences, Army and Navy, it is going to be difficult to narrow the list down and then rank them.

There are the obvious choices, of course. Kellen Moore, Tank Carder, Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick all easily make the list. Where would you rank them? Who else would you put on the list? We will start with No. 25 next Monday and work our way to No. 1 in March.

Leave your suggestions either in the comments section here or the mailbag, and then we can compare when the full list is revealed. I am sure many of you will have plenty to say about my final rankings.

Earlier this week, Mel Kiper updated his list of Top 5 players by position as we get closer to the NFL draft. He just so happened to update on national signing day, so forgive us for getting this to you a few days late.

One of the newest additions to the list: Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kiper now has him as the No. 5 quarterback available in the draft, following a good showing at the Senior Bowl last week. It is his first appearance in the top 5. Now, having said that, Kiper also throws in a caveat: "It's worth noting that Kaepernick is a tier below the top four. He's still very much a project at this point."

Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert is atop the list now, with Cam Newton, Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker behind him. Still, it speaks to the potential Kaepernick has to be included in the top 5 -- and ahead of TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, who also had a good week in Mobile, Ala.

So who could be the top non-AQ player off the board? Temple defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson, listed as the No. 23 tackle available, is No. 23 on the Big Board. Kiper writes that Wilkerson is "scheme-flexible, disruptive, strong penetrator, could work in 3-4 or 4-3." He also rates as a first-round prospect in the breakdown of players in the ESPN NFL Player draft rankings, coming in at No. 15.

Nevada outside linebacker Dontay Moch rates as the No. 4 player available at his position, while Charles Clay of Tulsa is listed as the No. 2 fullback and Kevin Kowalski of Toledo is rated the No. 4 center.

All these non-AQ players, except for Kowalski, have been invited to attend the NFL combine later this month. Here are the other non-AQ players invited to the combine:

Matt Asiata, RB, Utah

Nick Bellore, LB, Central Michigan

DeAndre Brown, WR, Southern Miss

Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State

Brandon Burton, CB, Utah

Marcus Cannon, OL, TCU

Chris Carter, DE, Fresno State

Ryan Colburn, QB, Fresno State

Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

Wayne Daniels, DE, TCU

Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho

Alex Green, RB, Hawaii

Virgil Green, TE, Nevada

Jamel Hamler, WR, Fresno State

Daniel Hardy, TE, Idaho

Dwayne Harris, WR, East Carolina

Davon House, DB, New Mexico State

Rob Housler, TE, FAU

Andrew Jackson, OL, Fresno State

Jaiquawn Jarrett, DB, Temple

Lestar Jean, WR, FAU

Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy

Jeron Johnson, DB, Boise State

Elijah "Peanut" Joseph, LB, Temple

Shiloh Keo, DB, Idaho

Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU

Curtis Marsh, DB, Utah State

Bruce Miller, DE, UCF

Jamar Newsome, WR, UCF

Derek Newton, OL, Arkansas State

Cheta Ozougwu, DL, Rice

Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State

Kealoha Pilares, WR, Hawaii

Jah Reid, OL, UCF

Aldrick Robinson, WR, SMU

Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii

DeMarco Sampson, WR, San Diego State

Caleb Schlauderaff, OL, Utah

Sealver Siliga, DT, Utah

Lee Smith, TE, Marshall

Willie Smith, OL, East Carolina

Vai Taua, RB, Nevada

Zane Taylor, C, Utah

Josh Thomas, DB, Buffalo

Brandyn Thompson, CB, Boise State

Isaiah Thompson, OL, Houston

Jeff Van Camp, QB, FAU

Ryan Winterswyk, DE, Boise State

Jimmy Young, WR, TCU

Titus Young, WR, Boise State

The two biggest college football all-star games are now in the books, with the NFL combine on deck. So what non-AQ players shined in the Senior Bowl on Saturday?

Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl of Scouts Inc. continued to praise San Diego State receiver Vincent Brown as somebody who improved his draft stock. You need an Insider account to read this, but here is a little of what they had to say:

He lacks imposing size and has just average speed, but he knows how to separate and has great hands. ... Brown has shown NFL scouts and coaches that he's capable of contributing as a sub-package wideout in the NFL.

They had plenty more to say about Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had a good week of practice but was a bit up and down in the game. They predict he will come off the board before the fifth round.

He has the frame, great athleticism and a strong arm. He's also a great competitor and a winner, which you have to love at the QB position. But the inconsistent play in today's game is a good indicator of how much work he still needs. He comes from a Pistol offense at Nevada and doesn't have a lot of experience as a dropback passer. He is late diagnosing coverage and takes too long going through his progressions. He also has a long delivery, especially on throws outside the numbers and vertically. He's worth a mid-round pick for a team with time to develop him. It's a long-term project but the upside is clearly there with Kaepernick.

Pat Kirwan of NFL.com also singled out Kaepernick and mentioned Boise State receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis as two players who helped their draft stock during the week of the Senior Bowl.

These players will have another opportunity to prove themselves at the combine, which begins Feb. 24 in Indianapolis. You can check out the full list of participants here.

It was a light day for players at the Senior Bowl on Thursday, but the Scouts Inc. crew of Todd McShay, Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench still had plenty to say. You need an Insider subscription to read much of this content, but here are a few snippets.

While San Diego State receiver Vincent Brown and Boise State receiver Titus Young drew praise all week, the group called attention to Broncos receiver Austin Pettis as well. Here is what they had to say:

He's not the most explosive athlete and there's not a lot of suddenness in his routes, he is a savvy route runner, finds the soft spots, sets up defenders well, and does a good job getting off press coverage and getting a clean release. He's very polished. At 6-2, 205 pounds, he's also a good red zone target. He has a large strike zone, uses his body to shield defenders, plays the ball well and catches everything. He might never be more than a third receiver, but he can make plays. He'll bring value in the fifth-round range.

You can read more about Brown in a different post. They also noted TCU center Jake Kirkpatrick helped his draft stock this week.

So did Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who drew raves from just about everybody. One report suggested he could now be a second-round pick, with the Vikings and Dolphins showing interest.

Join me for a chat today at 4 p.m. Send in those questions whenever you can.

Now on to some links:

San Diego State president Stephen Weber is not mad at coach Brady Hoke for going to Michigan.

Where will Colin Kaepernick get drafted?

Middle Tennessee has hired two assistant coaches.

A single recruit may be the most important in Gary Andersen's tenure at Utah State.

Under Jeff Quinn, Buffalo has shifted priorities in recruiting. The Bulls already have 20 verbal commitments.

Experience helps Tommy West settle in as UAB defensive coordinator.

The commitments are piling up for Colorado State.

Former Tulsa commit Dexter Aucoin has switched his allegiance to Louisiana, where he is already enrolled and will be able to participate in spring drills. The reason? The Tulsa coaching change.